Breaking Beautiful: Book Review

Novel: Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf | Goodreads

Release Date: April 24th, 2012
Publisher: Walker
Format: ARC

Source: ALA Midwinter

Challenge: Debut Author Challenge 2012

Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident--including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she's kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.
When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free? Debut writer Jennifer Shaw Wolf takes readers on an emotional ride through the murky waters of love, shame, and, ultimately, forgiveness.

(Synopsis and Image from Goodreads)

Willa's Rambles:

At ALA Midwinter on the last day, Katie from Katie's Book Blog and I wandered over to the Bloomsbury booth, and there, on display, was Breaking Beautiful! Katie, being the wonderful girl she is, politely asked for a different book on the shelf, and the woman simply nodded. I copied Katie, and about had a heart attack when the woman said yes! Woman who said yes, if you are reading this: THANK YOU! 

I can't believe that I read this novel, because it's amazing. The storyline keeps you guessing and the characters are constantly surprising you. At first, I wasn't crazy about Allie - many things about her annoyed me, and as the book progressed, I grew to like not only her personality, but I also began to care about her. 

Same with Blake, her brother Andrew, and most of the other characters. Except for Trip. The minute I discovered the hidden secrets behind Allie and Trip's relationship, I hated him. I hated what he did to Allie, and I hated how she never told anyone. If your boyfriend hits you, you should tell someone, but her secrets affected the outcome of the investigation, and ultimately, Trip's death.


The entire novel, Allie is struggling with coming to terms with the relationship she had with Trip and trying to figure out what really happened to him that night, but she can't remember a thing. People continually bug her throughout the novel, and Allie tries continually, and what she remembers changes everything.


Jennifer Shaw Wolf's debut was breathtaking, gripping, and fantastic. I can't wait for her next!

The Catastrophic History of You and Me: Book Review

Novel: The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

Release Date: February 2nd, 2012
Publisher: Razorbill
Format: ARC

Source: BookPeople Teen Reviewing Program

Challenge: Debut Author Challenge 2012

Dying of a broken heart is just the beginning.... Welcome to forever. 
BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally. 
But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after. 
With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

 Willa's Rambles:
   At the synopsis of The Catastrophic History of You and Me, I wasn't too excited about it.  But I still gave it a chance because of all the positive reviews from various blogs, and I'm so glad I did!
   The minute I met Brie in the novel, I liked her. I liked her humor and the way she feels everything so deeply. You can immediately relate to the way she reacts to things, and how you think, "Oh, I know how she feels". The humor of the novel was probably my favorite thing about the novel. Patrick creates infinite nicknames for Brie, all different sorts of cheeses, and sometimes he says things, and I just say, "HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THAT?". It's like John Green humor in that way - the laugh-out-loud humor. 
   The idea behind the novel is so fresh and original - I mean how do you even research the topic of your heart shattering in half? Jess Rothenberg created a world of haunting and beautiful at the same time. 
   I really enjoyed The Catastrophic History of You and Me is fresh and new and worthy of the praise it has received. 

Born Wicked: Book Review

Novel: Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
Release Date: February 7th, 2012
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Format: ARC

Source: BookPeople Teen Reviewing Program

Challenge: Debut Author Challenge 2012

A Great and Terrible Beauty meets Cassandra Clare in this spellbinding fantasy 
Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave. 
Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra. 
If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

Willa's Rambles: 
   I've been desperately awaiting Born Wicked's publication, and when I received an Advanced Reader Copy, I couldn't wait to dive in!
   Cate Cahill is a character anyone with close siblings can relate to - all she cares about are her sister's well being, and making sure they will be alright, even if it means giving up her happiness. She sacrifices her own wishes for their multiple times, and in the end, that's what it comes down to - her sisters or her. 
   The society Jessica Spotswood creates is both based on historical facts about the hunting of "witches" and imagination. The world is frightening and beautiful, filled with secrets and mystery. She weaves the storyline of the Cahill sisters with a romance and prophecies, and the outcome is a beautiful novel with everything you could ask for: romance, mystery, secrets, and magic.
   This debut novel from Jessica Spotswood is wickedly fantastic, and I am desperately awaiting the next installment! Born Wicked is amazing!

Shatter Me: Book Review

Novel: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Release Date: November 15th, 2011
Publisher: Harper/Harper Collins

Format: ARC

Source: Gifted from Jess at Remarkable Reads

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. 

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color. 

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now. 

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior. 

(Synopsis from Goodreads)

Willa's Rambles:

   I had been waiting to buy Shatter Me for a while, until one day, Jess, from Remarkable Reads sent me a copy of the ARC in the mail. I inhaled Shatter Me in a matter of hours, and I adored this debut!

   When we first meet Juliette, she is struggling to stay sane in a cell in an insane asylum, so when Adam is thrown into the cell with her, she is astonished the Reestablishment even let her be in the presence of another human being - especially since she kills people with her touch. She is battling with her own realizations, while the Reestablishment has decided they need her for battle. So does she say yes, and kill people, or does she fight for her sanity and her own morals?

   The entire novel we learn things about Juliette's touch, from the first time to the things Juliette begins to discover. I was fascinated by how her touch worked, and by the end of the novel, I'm still unsure about a couple of things, but I expect those will be explained in the sequel. I can't wait for the next installment and to accompany Juliette on her journey to discover herself.
   My favorite thing about this novel, though, was Mafi's writing. It was beautiful. The sentences she would throw out at random points blew my mind away. I've never read any young adult novel with more incredible writing.

   In Shatter Me Tahereh Mafi has crafted a world with a frightening reality and heart-pounding consequences that will keep readers up at night until they finish. A fantastic debut!