Panic by Lauren Oliver | Contemporary Thriller

Panic 
Lauren Oliver
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Age Group: Young Adult
Publication Date: 4th March 2014
Number of Pages: 408
Source: Netgalley

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Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

Panic is an explosive, heart-pounding contemporary that will have you peeing your pants with terror when the characters participate in games which put their life in danger in order to win $64,000.

I was over the moon when I’d been approved to read Panic from Netgalley and put it straight to the top of my TBR. I’d heard so much hype surrounding the book and once I was in a dystopia mood, I went straight to Panic. However, BIG ANNOUNCEMENT, Panic is not a dystopia! All the listings and pre-read comments on goodreads have all categorised this book incorrectly because it is actually a contemporary. I completely understand why people categorised Panic as a dystopia based on the vague synopsis given and Lauren Oliver’s previous work, The Delirium Series – however this mis-categorisation led to me picking up a book I wasn’t in the mood for. However, once I’d accepted that Panic was a contemporary and moved on, I quickly got immersed into the story and began to enjoy this story for what it was.

Panic reminded me in a way of John Green’s characters because Panic’s characters were all from different backgrounds and had their own issues – which ultimately led to their participation in the ‘Panic’ games. Katie McGarry’s writing also came to mind at moments, especially during the romance and relationship elements of Panic, due to the explosive dynamics involved. I would definitely recommend Panic if you are a fan of either of these authors as you’ll no doubt see the similarities too and therefore enjoy this story.

Overall Panic was an enjoyable read, at times the story development was predictable- however I somewhat expect that when reading a contemporary so I didn't feel like it was too much of a negative of this book.

The Summer I Found You Book Review

The Summer I Found You
Jolene Perry
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Age Group: Young Adult
Publication Date: 1st March 2014
Number of Pages: 256
Source: Netgalley

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All they have in common is that they're less than perfect. And all they're looking for is the perfect distraction.

Kate's dream boyfriend has just broken up with her and she's still reeling from her diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Aidan planned on being a lifer in the army and went to Afghanistan straight out of high school. Now he's a disabled young veteran struggling to embrace his new life. When Kate and Aidan find each other neither one wants to get attached. But could they be right for each other after all?

Before reading this book, it was the cover that drew me in. I absolutely love the softness of the pink and the ‘put-together’ feel of the heart shape element. After reading the book I can see elements of the cover representing aspects of the story and that makes me love it even more now.

The Summer I Found You is an enjoyable read about romance, self-discovery, learning to live with life changes as well as body changes. Both main characters have a new life that they have unwilling been handed. Aidan has returned back from war with the loss of an arm and Katie is coming to terms with being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Both have their own issues and are coming to terms with this new element of their life but when they meet each other, both find the other refreshingly easy to get along with and as an escape from the issues they face.

As regularly readers to my blog and watchers of my YouTube channel will know, I am not a big contemporary reader but this book was amazing and had me hooked from the first page! I really enjoyed the easiness I felt when reading this book, the writing just seemed to flow and I was swept away whilst discovering Katie and Aidan’s feelings for each other. I also enjoyed the element of self-discovery and coming-to-terms that both characters went through, this added another layer to the story and I was willing both characters along – even if I wanted to smack Katie sometimes for being so stupid!

The Summer I Found You is an enjoyable fluffy love story but with important underlying messages. I would recommend for fans of Katie McGarry’s books (Pushing the Limits, Dare You To, and Crash Into You).

Paper Towns by John Green Book Review | Witty Contemporary

Paper Towns 
John Green
Genres: Contemporary
Age Group: Young Adult
Publication Date: 16th October 2008
Number of Pages: 541
Source: Bought from Sainsbury's ebooks

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Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows.

After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they’re for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew.

Paper Towns was an enjoyable read. I didn't know what I was getting myself into with Paper Towns but I was on high alert for feels similar to The Fault in Our Stars. Luckily this wasn't a tear jerky – at least not for me – I wasn't engulfed into this story like Green’s other work, TFIOS, but I enjoyed his familiar writing style and humor.

The really enjoyed the way this book was split into 3 different parts: Part 1 is a variety of pranks in chapter form; Part 2 is a mystery and involves finding clues; and Part 3 was a race against time, a chapter for every hour of the journey. I felt part 2 could have been shortened as this was the least enjoyable part of the book for me however aspects of it were very important to the story so I understand it’s slowness and concentrate on certain elements when reaching the end.

As for characters, I wasn't sold on Quentin or Margo the two main character at all. I did however love Quentin’s friends, Ben and Radar.

Overall Paper Towns was another witty and enjoyable read from John Green and I now have Looking for Alaska queued up on my Kindle to read soon. Green just has a way of writing that makes my dislike for contemporaries melt away.

Unaccompanied Minor Book Review | Sky High Mystery

Unaccompanied Minor
Hollis Gillespie
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery
Age Group: Young Adult
Publication Date: 1st January 2014
Number of Pages: 256
Source: Netgalley

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Fourteen-year-old April May Manning spent her life on airplanes with her flight attendant parents. When her father dies in a crash, April's mom marries a pilot who turns out to be an abusive jerk, and gets Mom confined to a psychiatric hospital. So April takes off, literally, living on airplanes, using her mother's flight benefits, relying on the flight crews who know she's been shuttling between divorcing parents for a year. Then, there's a hijacking, but why is April's "dad" on board? April flees to the cargo hold with another unaccompanied minor she's met before, and they fight to thwart the hijackers, faking a fire, making weapons from things they find in luggage. At last, locked in the cockpit with a wounded police officer, the boy, and his service dog, April tries to remember everything her parents said to do in a crisis above the clouds. But she knows it won't be enough.

Unaccompanied Minor was a refreshing YA read from start to finish. I really enjoyed the retelling of the Incident through April’s police interviews and, her intelligence and wit underpinned the sad and lonely tale of her life.

April knows it all when it comes to WorldAir airplanes and procedures, which fuels her starky humour - one of the most enjoyable elements of this book. At times though, April’s intelligence and stubbornness also made her annoying. She knew it all and this made the story continually move but also made it predictable because April knew a solution to everything!

This story was a quick and funny read which brought back my memories of 14-17 year old me, who wanted to be a flight attendant and then also re-squashed them too (I was reminded why I chose not to go down that route in the end). If you’re looking for something a little different to a normal YA narrative story then give this interview-based retelling a try.

The Moment Before by Suzy Vitello | Contemporary Blog Tour Stop

The Moment Before 
Suzy Vitello
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Age Group: Young Adult
Publication Date: 14th January 2014
Number of Pages: 214

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“Don’t get me wrong. I loved my sister. I never, not once, wished her dead.”

Brady and Sabine Wilson are sisters born eleven months apart, but they couldn’t be more different. Popular Sabine, the head cheerleader dating the high school hunk, seems to have all the luck, while her younger, artsy sister "Brady Brooder" is a loner who prefers the sidelines to the limelight.

After Sabine dies in a horrific cheerleading accident, grief unravels Brady and her family. Once recognized for her artistic talent, 17-year-old Brady finds herself questioning the value of everything she once held dear. Her best friend betrays her. Her parents’ marriage is crumbling. And the boy everyone blames for the accident seems to be her only ally in the search for answers in the wake of her sister’s death. As an unlikely friendship emerges, Brady learns more about Sabine – and love – than she bargained for.

As a founding member of what the Oregonian has dubbed Portland’s “hottest writing group” (members include Chuck Palahniuk, Chelsea Cain, Lidia Yuknavitch, Monica Drake and Cheryl Strayed), Suzy’s name has graced the acknowledgement pages of many a book. Her own award-winning writing has appeared in a bunch of journals and anthologies. She holds an MFA from Antioch Los Angeles, and when she’s not writing novels, does freelance copywriting and editing. The Moment Before is her debut novel. Suzy lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, Kirk, and son, Carson. Find out more on suzyvitello.com.

Author's Links: 
Website: http://www.suzyvitello.com 
Blog: http://www.suzyvitello.com/suzys-blog/ 
Diversion Books: http://diversionbooks.com/ebooks/moment
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18478212-the-moment-before?from_search=true
Twitter: https://twitter.com/suzy_vitello 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuzyVitelloBooks

Brady and her family are coming to terms with the loss of Sabine, Brady’s sister, after she was killed in a cheerleading stunt gone-wrong. Sabine’s enthusiasm and energy was a major factor in the family’s unity and as Brady coasts through her mundane school and social life, she begins to imagine what Sabine would say.

Events take a turn for the worse, when Brady is deprived of the art award she so truly deserves and a downward spiral of events lead to her life becoming entwined with Connor, Sabine’s cheerleading stunt double, who bears the blame for the accident after he tested positive for drugs and was deemed unfit to perform. As the pair become closer, Connor begins to shed light on aspects of Sabine that Brady was never aware of and she starts to question everything and everyone in her life.

This story was a quick read, I finished in within about 5 hours and this was due to the enjoyable reading style, quick pace and unravelling secrets that we discover only the way. I was shocked to discover that Sabine was not as angelic as everyone thought and I was constantly going back and forth questioning who I believed was telling the truth or not. The flashback retellings of Sabine’s accident also made me squirm so many times due to my overactive imagination – surely it’s not healthy to have an imagination that makes everything The Walking Dead-esque?

Overall this story was a quick enjoyable read; I loved the characters and was willing for everything to turn out ok for them in the end. I’m not usually a fan of ‘dark contemporary’ books but this was a refreshing change to my usual reads and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Definitely check it out if you want something enjoyable, not overly romantic, and with a story that makes you contemplate your decisions in life and how it affects others.

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Roomies | New Adult Pre-University Contemporary Story

Roomies
Tara Altebrando & Sara Zarr
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Age Group: New Adult (Mild Adult Content)
Publication Date: 24th December 2013
Number of Pages: 288
Source: Netgalley

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It's time to meet your new roomie.

When East Coast native Elizabeth receives her freshman-year roommate assignment, she shoots off an e-mail to coordinate the basics: television, microwave, mini-fridge. That first note to San Franciscan Lauren sparks a series of e-mails that alters the landscape of each girl's summer -- and raises questions about how two girls who are so different will ever share a dorm room.

As the countdown to college begins, life at home becomes increasingly complex. With family relationships and childhood friendships strained by change, it suddenly seems that the only people Elizabeth and Lauren can rely on are the complicated new boys in their lives . . . and each other. Even though they've never met.

National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr and acclaimed author Tara Altebrando join forces for a novel about growing up, leaving home, and getting that one fateful e-mail that assigns your college roommate.

Roomies is a story following the lives of two soon-to-be University freshman roommates and the email correspondences they share between each other before ‘moving in’ day. Both girls are given details of the other from their University Boarding office and soon strike up a chatty, share-all-the-gory details email relationship which allows both girls to share their inner most thoughts with someone new and unconnected. Both Lauren and EB (Elizabeth) lives couldn’t be more different however the events that both goes through during the summer are very similar and it’s through these similar situations that they bond.

The characters in this book are both hit and miss in my opinion. I loved Lauren’s character and her family in general where as I found EB to be far too dramatic and over sensitive about everything – yes, the girl did have some major sucky situations unfold during the summer but she always seemed rash in her decisions and lashed out at innocent people. Although I didn’t really like EB’s chapters, I did enjoy the book overall and I certainly really liked EB’s thoughts about ‘What Would Keyon’s Dad Do or Think’ – Keyon’s Dad was also another character I really liked.

I devoured this book in two sittings which is rare for me, I think the fact that the writing style was quite chatty rather than description helped me race through this book. I also really enjoyed the email aspects of the story too and the fact that they weren’t just emails inserted, they actually included the characters thought process when writing the email too. This really helped build my perspective of both characters really quickly as well as ongoing throughout the book. It even hurt a little bit as the book ends abruptly when the two girls meet in their door room on ‘moving in’ day – I knew it was going to happen that way from the synopsis but I was so involved with the story by then that I wanted to know more. Oh the pain!

This book is an incredible read for any future, present or past students, during this whole book I was constantly thinking back to my experiences before starting University and my facebook messages back and forth with my soon-to-be flat mates. A lovely quick read with a fast pace.

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry | Fuel-Driven Speedy Romance Novel

Crash Into You
(Pushing The Limits #3)
Katie McGarry
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Age Group: Upper Young Adult / New Adult
Publication Date: 26th November 2013
Number of Pages: 474
Source: Netgalley

Add to your TBR shelf:	Grab yourself a copy now:
	Amazon UK Amazon US

From acclaimed author Katie McGarry comes an explosive new tale of a good girl with a reckless streak, a street-smart guy with nothing to lose, and a romance forged in the fast lane.

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

Firstly let's take into account the difference between the UK and US covers:

The UK cover matches those of the previous books but lacks details that relate to the story. The US cover includes loads of those aspects - Isaiah's short hair, his tattoos, his black t-shirt and jeans combo, the car, Rachel's blonde hair and Rachel's clothing which implies her wealthy status. And let's not forget the fact that Rachel is comfortably positioned in Isaiah's neck which is forever included in the romance scenes.

Anyways, let's get on to the actual review of the story now.

Predictable yet steamy romance, fueled with speedy cars, family secrets and two seventeen year olds from two completely different backgrounds but with much in common.

Rachel is the girl who has everything - she lives in a mansion in a gated neighbourhood, attends the best school in town, has a wardrobe full of designer dresses and attends gala dinners all year round. But Rachel’s life is anything but the lavish enjoyable lifestyle it’s perceived to be. After Rachel’s sister, Coleen, dies at an early age due to cancer, Rachel’s family are grief-ridden and continue to cope with the devastating death. Rachel’s mother continued to have children until another daughter was born and since her birth, Rachel has been groomed to be Coleen’s clone. Her family are all aware of the great pressure put upon Rachel and continually bribe her to continue ‘keeping up appearances’ to please her mother. However, Rachel’s continuing denial of her true self plays havoc with her health and as Rachel is constantly shoved onto the stage at gala dinners to speak on Coleen’s behalf, panic attacks threaten her life. Her only escape and relief is when she’s behind the roaring engine of her Mustang GT muscle car - the envy of all street racing car fanatics.

Isaiah is good at keeping people away – he’s got earrings, numerous threatening animal tattoos and other tattoos and is not afraid to get into a fight. His grown up in foster care where the bigger kids beat him to a pulp and because of that he keeps people out, that is all except Noah his best friend and brother. The only other thing that Isaiah cares about in the world are cars, especially pure kept vintage cars that are speedy and all muscle. His dream is the work in a garage fixing cars and upgrading them to be race worthy for the drag way – where his other hobby takes place, racing cars. Isaiah’s short of cash, and with the chance of Noah and him losing their apartment, he decides a bigger race than the drag way is needed. Knowing the repercussions of joining forces with Eric, the street racing gangster, he’s prepared to race for him just this once but when Rachel joins the race trouble escalates and the pair end up with a threat over their heads, needing to raise £5,000 quickly to keep Eric off their backs.

Both Rachel and Isaiah’s characters are complicated and have so any elements which are dramatic and depressing. This darkness was so very different to the romantic books I usually read and I certainly welcomed the difference. However due to the ‘realness’ of their depressing and complex lives I just found this a heavy read and I actually found it difficult to read due to this. I like my books to allow me to escape my life and the drama of work etc so something that’s so plausible and dark just weighed on me. On another note, I did enjoy the racing element of this story and Isaiah’s bad boy personality; I felt like both characters fit well with the racing theme and it provided some great use of language for the romance scenes.

“Maybe this is what happens when you fall in love. On the outside a lighter is nothing amazing, but it holds all the ingredients that can create something wonderful. With a few pushes in the right direction, you can inspire something so brilliant that it pushes back the darkness.”

This book may have not of been my cup of tea but I certainly recommend it for all your true romance book lovers. Crash Into You is definitely a book I’ll recommend to my sister who I’d imagine would love it. Worth checking out.

I Heart London (I Heart #5) by Lindsey Kelk | Book Review

I Heart London (I Heart #5)
Lindsey Kelk
Genres: Young Adult, Chick-Lit, Romance, Humour, Contemporary
Publication Date: June 7th 2012
Number of Pages: 366
Source: Received as a birthday present

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Home is where the heart is. Right? Angela Clark has fallen in love with America -- and it's starting to love her back. Throw one expired visa into the mix, and things quickly take a turn for the worse. She might love her life as a Brit in New York, but now she has no choice but to return to London. Not only does she leave behind her gorgeous boyfriend, Alex -- she must also face unfinished business back on home turf. There's an ex-boyfriend -- who she moved to New York to get away from. Then there's her best friend, with her perfect new baby. And there's her mum. Now, there's another wedding in the offing -- and everyone remembers how well the last one went...

The I Heart Series is officially one of my favourites and I think it always will be. With Number 5 in the series, I heart London, I wasn't sure if Lindsey Kelk would be able to beat the previous in the series (#1 New York, #2 Hollywood, #3 Paris and #4 Las Vegas) but it certainly does not disappoint and the familiarity of the London setting actually made this one of my favourites of the whole series so far!

Since Angela's spontaneous flee to New York 2 years ago, she is now settled down enjoying life with her new fiance and her new magazine job. What could go wrong? Well, as with every book within the I Heart Series, almost everything you could imagine! Cat fights, dress stealing, depressing and controlling dumped best friends, evil magazine enemies ruining the day and an ex finance showing up causing trouble. What more could you expect from an I Heart Series book?

As ever, Lindsey Kelk's writing is what makes this book and the hilarious comedic writing mixed with current newsworthy references makes this such an entertaining read. A must for any chick-lit comedy lover!