Reason to Breathe Review

Title: Reason to Breathe
Author: Rebecca Donovan
Publication date: May 10, 2011
Publisher: Self-published
Pages: 374
ASIN: B00505AZRS

“No one tried to get involved with me, and I kept to myself. This was the place where every thing was supposed to be safe and easy. How could Evan Mathews unravel my constant universe in just one day?”He knows there’s something more to the girl sitting in the back of the class the moment he sees her. She’s beautiful, intelligent, and athletic – but she slips quietly through the crowded halls, trying not to exist. Determined to get to know the elusive girl, Evan soon discovers…Emma Thomas is hiding a terrible secret. Reason to Breathe is an electrifying page turner from start to finish, a unique tale of life-changing love, unspeakable cruelty, and one girl’s fragile grasp of hope.

In this book we are introduced to Emma (Emily) Thomas, her life seems perfectly normal from the outside, she is a straight A student at Weslyn High, editor for the school newspaper, soccer and basketball player but what happens when she arrives home is something she is not willing to admit, not even to herself.

Her aunt Carol hates her just because but she stays strong throughout the book. There are some intense scenes that will have your heart pounding.

Emma is going through more struggles than the physical and emotional abuse, she is also making choices for the first time trying to find meaning to her life. I didn’t agree with her decisions and at times was hoping for Emma to raise her voice.

Sara is her one and only true friend sometimes was a little cliché but she gave the book the spice you need to be able to breathe at times. Evan Mathews the love interest is totally swoon worthy, and I enjoyed the tension between them.

I found myself frustrated with some situations in the book, it was difficult to conceive the reasons behind them, as I kept reading it was easier to try and understand the mindset, sometimes it’s difficult to see a way out when you are so deep into your troubles but yes, from an outsider point of view you want to scream at them.

Rebecca Donovan made a wonderful job portraying all the conflict on Emma’s feelings, creating and emotional roller coaster. I kept putting this book aside for months and I’m really glad that I finally had the chance to read it. Make sure you have Barely breathing ( The breathing series #2) because it ends with a mayor cliffhanger. I can’t go deep into the story but overall I loved this book.

Memorable Monday

Memorable Monday is a meme hosted by Escape in a Book

My Memorable Monday quote is from What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen. I read this book last year, and this quote was one of my favorites. 🙂

“It was amazing how you could get so far from where you’d planned, and yet find it was exactly were you needed to be.”

Let me know in the comments if you decide to join this meme so I can check your post (:

In My Mailbox (9)

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi, The Story Siren, based on Alea´s idea at Pop Culture Junkie . IMM explores the contents of my mailbox on a weekly basis.

Hello everyone!!, These are the books I got during the last few weeks. I’m currently reading Shatter Me and just finished Born Wicked. 

1. A Million Suns (Across the Universe #2) by Beth Revis
2. Crossed (Matched #2) by Ally Condie
3. Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood (Won @ giveaway =) )
4. Subway Girl by P.J. Converse
5. From Zero to Four Kids in Thirty Seconds by Amy L. Peterson (Received from Author for Review =) )
6. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

That’s all I got this week,what arrived into your home?

The Forever Girl Review

Title: The Forever Girl
Author: Rebecca Hamilton
Publication date: January 26, 2012
Publisher: Inmortal Ink Publishing
Pages: 350
ASIN: B00729GQ0A

Sophia’s family has skeletons, but they aren’t in their graves… At 22, practicing Wiccan Sophia Parsons is scratching out a living waiting tables in her Rocky Mountain hometown. Sophia can imagine lots of ways her life could be better, but she’d settle for just getting rid of the buzzing noise in her head. The spell she casts goes wrong. The static turns into voices. A man named Charles, a centuries-old shape-shifter that Sophia falls for despite her better judgment. He has connections that can help her unveil the mystery surrounding her ancestor’s hanging, but she gets more than she bargains for when she finally decides to trust him. Survival in his world, she learns, means not asking questions and staying out of the immortal council’s way. It’s a line she crossed long ago. If Sophia wants to survive the council and save the people she loves, she must accept who she is, perform dark magic, and fight to the death for her freedom.

Where do I begin? without giving away too much. In this book we are introduced to Sophia Parsons, who is a practicing Wiccan, the mystery of her story revolves around whispering voices that don’t make sense, but that is definitely not the only problem in her life, she has to deal with a bi-polar mother that disapproves her beliefs and a nosy neighbor.

I enjoyed the twists and the way many characters developed. The romance was well done I liked the sense of humor that made me feel more attached to the couple. I have to admit at times it was a little predictable but it was quickly fixed by the twists on the story.

As the voices become louder Sophia starts looking for answers and Charles may be the one able to give them, but is she ready for the truth? This book is full of action, with a dash of romance.

In this book you are in for a treat if you like paranormal. There are shape-shifters, witches, vampires and spirits. The most important thing is that, no, it’s not another one of those books. It’s not your typical paranormal story, it’s full of mythology and great world building.

I received this book from the author and I’m so glad I got to read it, definitely worth it. This book grabbed my attention right from the first chapter until the last page and took me to places I hadn’t read about before or at least not the way Rebecca Hamilton portrays them. I can’t wait for the next installment in the series.

I received this book from Rebecca Hamilton, all the opinions are honest and my own.

Memorable Monday (6)

Memorable Monday is a new meme hosted by Escape in a Book

My Memorable Monday quote is from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling. One of my favorite quotes of all time from my favorite series. 🙂

“If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”

Let me know in the comments if you decide to join this meme so I can check your post (:

Pieces of Us Review

Title: Pieces of Us
Author: Margie Gelbwasser
Publication date: March 08, 2012
Publisher: Flux
Pages: 336
ISBN: 9780738721644

Every summer, hidden away in a lakeside community in upstate New York, four teens leave behind their old identities…and escape from their everyday lives.
Yet back in Philadelphia during the school year, Alex cannot suppress his anger at his father (who killed himself), his mother (whom he blames for it), and the girls who give it up too easily. His younger brother, Kyle, is angry too—at his abusive brother, and at their mother who doesn’t seem to care. Meanwhile, in suburban New Jersey, Katie plays the role of Miss Perfect while trying to forget the nightmare that changed her life. But Julie, her younger sister, sees Katie only as everything she’s not. And their mother will never let Julie forget it.
Up at the lake, they can be anything, anyone. Free. But then Katie’s secret gets out, forcing each of them to face reality—before it tears them to pieces.

Pieces of Us by Margie Gelbwasser is a novel that broke my heart, I’m not normally lost for words, but this book left me overwhelmed. I do not like how this book made me feel but that doesn’t mean this book didn’t accomplish it’s goal. This book talks about how life is for many people and we, who don’t have those kind of issues, sometimes don’t understand.

This novel will make you feel uncomfortable and when you think you’ve reach a point where it’s just too much, think again. There are situations in life that are disturbing and this book will present them as raw as possible, the story is told from four P.O.V Alex, Kyle, Katie and Julie all of them broken and abused in one way or another, somehow the only thing they desire is to spend the summer at the lake house, it’s the only place they can be who they really want to be away from all the pressure.

Katie and Julie are sisters, both have a bad relationship with their mother for different reasons, one of them because her mother ignores her and the other because she can’t live up to her expectations without loosing herself in the process. Alex and Kyle are brothers, trapped in a tragic event with a mother that does not give a good example for any of them, the four teenagers feel trapped and confused in a sea of problems.

The writing style had me a little confused and made it hard to switch between characters, the ending left me upset, I just want to state that love doesn’t hurt, not emotionally or physically and if you read this book and feel like you identify with any character please tell someone what’s going on.

Overall an emotional read. I think this book is not suitable for teens under 17 years old. If parents allow teenagers to read this book I would advice parental guidance. There is a lot of sex, abuse, drinking and cursing.

Review based on an Advanced Reader’s Copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.

Memorable Monday (5)

Memorable Monday is a new meme hosted by Escape in a Book

My Memorable Monday quote is from Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald. I just love this quote, it’s so true and something we should think about. I hope you like it. If you are interested in my review click here.

“When you look in the mirror, what do you want to see: yet another reminder of your hopeless attempt to be the girl of his dreams, or you? The answer should always be you.”

Let me know in the comments if you decide to join this meme so I can check your post (:

New Girl Review

Title: New Girl
Author: Paige Harbison
Publication date: January 31, 2012

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 304
ISBN: 9780373210428

Welcome to Manderley Academy
I hadn’t wanted to go, but my parents were so excited…. So here I am, the new girl at Manderley, a true fish out of water. But mine’s not the name on everyone’s lips. Oh, no.
It’s Becca Normandy they can’t stop talking about. Perfect, beautiful Becca. She went missing at the end of last year, leaving a spot open at Manderley—the spot that I got. And everyone acts like it’s my fault that infallible, beloved Becca is gone and has been replaced by not perfect, completely fallible, unknown Me.
Then, there’s the name on my lips—Max Holloway. Becca’s ex. The one boy I should avoid, but can’t. Thing is, it seems like he wants me, too. But the memory of Becca is always between us. And as much as I’m starting to like it at Manderley, I can’t help but think she’s out there, somewhere, watching me take her place. Waiting to take it back.

This book is a retelling of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier which I have yet to read so I can’t compare the story, we are introduced to the “New Girl” as she gets accepted to Manderley Academy, when she arrives at Manderley all drama unleashes, the New Girl realizes she was accepted just because Becca Normandy disappeared and now she is living under her shadow, nobody wants to know the New Girl, everything she does is compared to Becca and if that wasn’t enough, her roommate is obsessed with Becca, this leads to some creepy chapters that I really enjoyed.

The book alternates between the New Girl and Becca’s perspective. I like being able to read both points of view, this just adds to the suspense. Becca is extremely difficult to like, she always gets what she wants at any costs, using her beauty to manipulate those around her. The mystery of her disappearance was the reason I kept reading until the end. We get to see how the New Girl starts to stand strong against all the tension.

I didn’t cared for the romance. Max was just annoying for me, he was attached to Becca by nothing more than pressure and had me rolling my eyes from time to time. 

I personally found some situations in the book difficult to believe starting for the reason the parents of the New Girl send her to boarding school and the end just fell flat for me, that’s the reason I gave only 3 stars.This book had some sexual situations that I don’t think where very descriptive.

Overall I enjoyed the writing style and the story in general was entertaining throughout the book.

Review based on an Advanced Reader’s Copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.

Memorable Monday (3)

Memorable Monday is a new meme hosted by Escape in a Book

My Memorable Monday quote is from Just Listen by Sarah Dessen. This is the first book I’ve read by Dessen and love the message. Review to come.

“There comes a time when the world gets quiet and the only thing left is your own heart. So you’d better learn the sound of it. Otherwise you’ll never understand what it’s saying.”

Let me know in the comments if you decide to join this meme so I can check your post (:

Follow Friday

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read. It’s a great way to meet new blogger friends!!. If you are here from the Hop, feel free to stick around! (:

If you want to subscribe to my blog you can do it by email, bloglovin’, linky, RSS and GFC.

Today’s Follow Friday question over at Parajunkee’s View and Alison Can Read is:

Q: I like unique names for characters and am looking forward to coming up with some when I start writing. What’s the most unique character name you’ve come across?

A:Interesting question, I find these names unusual and I always appreciate some unique names: Karou from Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Meriadoc from The Lord of the Rings or Tamsin from Once a witch.

What are yours?
Thanks for stopping by!!