Review: How It Feels To Fly by Kathryn Holmes

How It Feels To Fly by Kathryn Holmes
Release Date - June 14th, 2016
Publisher - HarperTeen
Purchase - Amazon / B&N

The movement is all that matters.

For as long as Samantha can remember, she’s wanted to be a professional ballerina. She’s lived for perfect pirouettes, sky-high extensions, and soaring leaps across the stage. Then her body betrayed her.

The change was gradual. Stealthy.

Failed diets. Disapproving looks. Whispers behind her back. The result: crippling anxiety about her appearance, which threatens to crush her dancing dreams entirely. On her dance teacher’s recommendation, Sam is sent to a summer treatment camp for teen artists and athletes who are struggling with mental and emotional obstacles. If she can make progress, she’ll be allowed to attend a crucial ballet intensive. But when asked to open up about her deepest insecurities, secret behaviors, and paralyzing fears to complete strangers, Sam can’t cope.

What I really need is a whole new body.

Sam forms an unlikely bond with Andrew, a former college football player who’s one of her camp counselors. As they grow closer, Andrew helps Sam see herself as he does—beautiful. But just as she starts to believe that there’s more between them than friendship, disappointing news from home sends her into a tailspin. With her future uncertain and her body against her, will Sam give in to the anxiety that imprisons her?

My thoughts:

 Hmm... I liked this book, but at the same time, I kept feeling like something was missing, that something that would have made me fall in love with it. Kathryn Holmes writes well, the characters are engaging and the book deals with serious issues, and though it wasn't love for me, I highly recommend this YA contemporary perfect for the summer!

Samantha has dreamed of becoming a professional ballet dancer ever since she was a kid - her mother was one, so it feels just logical for her to become one too. And she was good - really good! But then puberty hit, and her body started to change gradually. Unlike the other dancers in her group, he started to fill up - her chest got bigger, her hips got bigger, her weight went up. For a ballerina, that it probably one of the worst things that could happen. Diet after diet, Samantha fails to get back to her old shape. There is nothing she can do to get rid of the body shape she has grown into. When the whispers and stares of other dancers start to surround Samantha, she develops a crippling anxiety that makes everything she has dreamed of even more difficult.

On the recommendation of her dance teacher, Samantha is sent to a summer camp for teen athletes and artists who are struggling with mental and emotional obstacles that are stopping them from performing 100 %. At the camp she meets a gymnast afraid of performing after an accident; a football player who doesn't do well under pressure; a perfectionist figure skater who stops at nothing when it comes to perfecting her routine; an actor suffering from stage-fright; a tennis player whose motives for being at the camp are unknown; and the camp counselors. Though at first, Sam is very hesitant to share anything with the group, as time goes on, she realizes that they all are embarrassed of something, that they all have something that burdens them, keeps them from doing something they love.

At the beginning of the camp, Samantha forms a bond with one of the counselors. Andrew, an ex-football player seems to get Samantha and see her in a way she herself cannot. As they spend time together, Samantha starts to think that there might be more between them than just friendship. But can Andrew help her with her anxiety, or is he just a distraction on her way to ballet come-back?

As I wrote before, I liked this one, but I didn't love it! I think that was mostly because it wasn't really what I was expecting it to be. I was hoping for an influential and powerful YA read WITH romance. This certainly was influential and powerful - the dealing with anxiety was done well, and I think it is extremely important that books like this exist. As someone who struggles with anxiety, I wish there would have been books like this when I was a teenager, so I would have realized that what I am feeling is something other people are feeling as well. But surprisingly to me, this one didn't actually have that much romance, which was a disappointment for me, because when I picked this one up, I was expecting romance. Now that I look back, I wish that I would have picked this one up at another moment, because I think my rating would have been a bit higher. But since romance was what I was looking for and was left short, I will keep my rating in what I marked to Goodreads right after finishing with this.

As I mentioned, the way the book deals with anxiety and all of the other problems these teens are struggling with, is written well and I appreciate the fact that the author takes her time to really establish what these characters are going through. If you are looking for a really action-packed read, this one might not be your best pick, but if you are a fan of well-done character development, I definitely recommend picking this one up!

So, if you are looking for swoonworthy romance, this one isn't you pick, but otherwise, How It Feels To Fly is a solid, well-written YA contemporary that deals with very important issues definitely worth writing and reading about!

3 snowflakes

Cover Reveal: TERRAPIN by A.C. Troyer

Winterhaven Books is proud to present to you the beautiful cover for the upcoming book: TERRAPIN by A.C. Troyer, which we cannot wait to get our hands on! So, without further ado... 

TERRAPIN by A.C. Troyer
Publication Date: May 30, 2016
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Author Links: Facebook / Goodreads / Twitter 
Synopsis: 
Eighteen-year-old Charlotte (Jinx), fights her past to chase her dream of becoming an Elite Nordic Airre pilot, yet her rebellious attitude hinders her hard-earned lead status. Overcoming a string of life-altering events and the unwanted advances of Ghost Allen, a smooth talking pilot, is one thing, evading death at the hands of two comrades is another.

When Jinx comes face-to-face with an unlikely ally, she is forced to trust him in order to escape the clutches of those who want to silence her. Can a once broken girl transform her past into an iron will, or will she ultimately crumble under the destruction?

Look at that masterpiece! The detail! EEK! Everything about this cover screams "Read Me!" We will be anxiously awaiting it's debut with grabby hands. What do y'all think? Comment below! Thanks for swinging by!

Review: Genius by Leopoldo Gout

Genius by Leopoldo Gout 
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: May 3rd, 2016
Purchase: Amazon

Trust no one. Every camera is an eye. Every microphone an ear. Find me and we can stop him together.

The Game: Get ready for Zero Hour as 200 geniuses from around the world go head to head in a competition hand-devised by India's youngest CEO and visionary.

The Players:
Rex- One of the best programmers/hackers in the world, this 16-year-old Mexican-American is determined to find his missing brother.
Tunde-This14-year-old self-taught engineering genius has drawn the attention of a ruthless military warlord by single-handedly bringing electricity and internet to his small Nigerian village.
Painted Wolf-One of China's most respected activist bloggers, this mysterious 16-year-old is being pulled into the spotlight by her father's new deal with a corrupt Chinese official.

The Stakes: Are higher than you can imagine. Like life and death. Welcome to the revolution. And get ready to run.

My Thoughts:
Genius was definitely not my normal read, but you know what I totally got into it.  It was for the most part fast paced and really got me thinking about technology.

I think the author did a great job at keeping his readers connected to the characters.  Genius is told through three POVs Painted Wolf, Rex, and Tunde.  These are our main characters and I think they fit pretty well.  I had a hard time connecting with Tunde and I think it's because his chapters felt cold.  This is a shame because his story was the one that was most devastating and one who the most to lose.  I liked him but his voice didn't work for me.  I also found that when the author would break into Tunde's chapter with what I am guessing is language from Tunde's culture it totally killed the chapter for me.  I didn't understand it and it wasn't because it was in a different language like Spanish or French.  Nope it was English, but the wording and spelling totally threw me off and I didn't like it.  Maybe if this strange language would have been explained I could have let it go, but as it is I'm left feeling nothing but confusion. 

Painted Wolf and Rex definitely made up for what connection I was lacking with Tunde.  I found them both incredibly intriguing and very fun to read.  They both brought something different to the table and it was really fun watching them work their mad skills.  When they all finally got together everything clicked into place and it was explosive.  They were all brilliant and I found myself drawn in to the story even more.  Was it realistic, not to my knowledge but you I have learned to let those things go with these types of books.  I mean they are meant to be fun right?  What's fun in being completely accurate??  Give me mad genius coders, special badass spies, and brilliant inventors!!

I will say that I loved how the author took his book down a level with the way he went about the competition. I am very high strung person and I know if I had to read the last half of the book worrying if these three characters were going to win would have killed the book to me.  It's too much pressure and I think letting the Game rule the book would have taken away from the bigger story line.  Some will disagree with me and I get that, I understand a lot of people like the fast, furious competition story lines, but I'm not one of them so I liked that he chose to go about the Game the way he did.  The competition is still in there, it's just not as important in the end as you think.

All in all I have to say this one was fun.  I think the sequel if there is a sequel will be a lot of fun because this one did end in a cliff hanger that was crazy!  I would definitely pick up the sequel because like I said it was a crazy ending and also because we finally got to see what Painted Wolf could do.  It's her turn to shine and I can't wait!

4 snowflakes

 

 

Review: All the Feels by Danika Stone

All the Feels by Danika Stone
Publisher - Swoon Reads
Release Date - June 7th, 2016
Pre-Order - Amazon / B&N

College freshman Liv is more than just a fangirl: The Starveil movies are her life… So, when her favorite character, Captain Matt Spartan, is killed off at the end of the last movie, Liv Just. Can’t. Deal.

Tired of sitting in her room sobbing, Liv decides to launch an online campaign to bring her beloved hero back to life. With the help of her best friend, Xander, actor and steampunk cosplayer extraordinaire, she creates #SpartanSurvived, a campaign to ignite the fandom. But as her online life succeeds beyond her wildest dreams, Liv is forced to balance that with the pressures of school, her mother’s disapproval, and her (mostly nonexistent and entirely traumatic) romantic life. A trip to DragonCon with Xander might be exactly what she needs to figure out what she really wants.

My Thoughts:

I am a fangirl! And I for sure am loud and proud about it. It is part of how I identify myself and because of that, I was very excited about reading this book about another fangirl, because I think that despite differences in fandoms, we fangirls are soulsisters because we know THE PAIN that can come from being a fangirl. For me, that pain has come from books (Harry Potter), from television & films (I WILL NEVER GET OVER THE WAY MARK AND LEXIE'S STORY ENDED IN Grey's Anatomy or the ending of Serenity) and sports (hockey is glorious, but also oh, so painful). For Liv, the fangirl pain comes from The Starveil movie and the completely unexpected death of her favorite character Captain Matt Spartan.

Liv is such a likable character that I would it very easy to identify with. She is a freshman in college, seems quite unsure of what she wants to do with her life (or thinks that what she really wants to do is not possible) and seems to be more like herself when she is engaging in online communication rather than in actual social situations. First and foremost, she is a fangirl and she knows that not many people in her "real life" will know how life as a fangirl can be like. Rather than spending time focused on studying, Liv is often occupied in activities of the fandom, especially after her favorite character is killed off. Is there something she can do to help other fangirls in need? Is there something she can do to help herself?

Liv is friends with Xander, a guy who treats every day as a good day for cosplay. Xander dresses like Lord Byron, carries a pocket watch with on day to day basis, and is capable of understanding Liv, even though he himself isn't interested in the Starveil movies. When Xander invites Liv to go along with him to DragonCon, Liv hesitates at first. But when her #SpartanSurvived campaign starts to make waves, she decides that she simply has to be a part of the much expected Starveil panel that will take place at the convention.

The novel is divided into two parts - life before the convention and life during the convention. I found both parts interesting and I think the build-up for the Con itself was done well. The principal characters are interesting and I really enjoyed reading about the relationship between Liv and Xander. I would say the book is more about Liv's growth rather than about romance, but there definitely are some swoonworthy moments here too. Xander is absolutely charming - kind of weird, but in this case, weird is good! 

The only complaint I have about this book is all the unnecessary drama Liv has with her mother. Her mother adds an obstacle to her fangirl lifestyle, but I think the novel could have done without, because the whole dynamic just doesn't feel like it has been developed enough. But that is just a really minor complaint and in general it did not take much away from my overall enjoyment of this novel. Stone writes well and with an occasional flair of humor, and I think in general All the Feels was the perfect kind of quick, sweet contemporary romance that I like to indulge in from time to time. 

Highly recommended to all you fangirls (and fanboys) out there!

4 snowflakes

Review: The Marked Girl by Lindsey Klingele

The Marked Girl by Lindsey Klingele
Publisher-Harper Collins
Released - June 7th 2016
Purchase- Amazon / B & N

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away (Los Angeles)…When Cedric, crowned prince of Caelum, and his fellow royal friends (including his betrothed, Kat) find themselves stranded in modern-day L.A. via a magical portal and an evil traitor named Malquin, all they want to do is get home to Caelum—soon. Then they meet Liv, a filmmaker foster girl who just wants to get out of the system and on with her life. As she and Cedric bond, they’ll discover that she’s more connected to his world than they ever could’ve imagined…and that finding home is no easy task…

My Thoughts:

Wow, what a fun read! I really loved the concept to this one. I wasn't sue what to expect when I started The Marked Girl, but after reading the blurb I knew this was a me-book and I'm glad it didn't disappoint.

I really got a kick of this story line. It's such a light, enjoyable and imaginative escape that combines other-world fantasy that collides with the modern world of today. I loved the concept of wraiths, magical transporting portals and hidden scrolls, only to watch with pure amusement how Cedric, Kat and Merek try to figure out LA living. I really loved Lindsey Klingele's writing and thought it was strong and easy to lose myself within the story. I also loved that we get this in Liv and Cedric's point of views. With a story like this it's great to be inside the minds of these characters and see their reactions to the situation and to one another. The story itself is always moving with a lot of action and intrigue and has a lot of twist and turns that thickened the plot up beautifully and kept me guessing till the very end. I also loved the humor and contagious energy laced from the very beginning. The romance was light but I was ok with that. I'm usually a reader who likes a certain dose of sap in her reads, but this one was more complicated then other books and really there was so many more important things to deal with, but what we did get had some great moments.

All of these characters are well thought out and perfectly developed. Cedric is wonderful, confident and courageous. Born Prince and Guardian of Caelum, he was taught to protect the Kingdom from their sworn enemy, the Wraiths. In battle he is completely at ease and sure of himself but in the 'modern world' he is anything but. Truly, Cedric is absolutely adorable in childlike-wonder when discovering what this strange dimension entails. I laughed out loud several times and smiled every time he found something as simply as syrup on waffles awe inspiring. But Cedric is more then cute, he's also quite charming and brave and fiercely determined and it was effortless following him on this...vast journey. Liv is also a great character. She's had a hard life since she lost her parents and had to jump around the foster care system most of her life. But you could never tell by the way she acts. She's got a great voice and a positive personality and I commend her for wanting to do well and make something of her life. It was pretty decent of her to help out Cedric, obviously someone who's not all there if he believes in magical portals and demon men called wraiths, but eventually Liv can't deny that something is definitely off and offers to help Cedric and his friends find a way back home. Little did she know that she's more connected to them then realized. Shannon and Joe were great supportive characters and someone you'd want on your side. But, I thought Kat and Merek were just ok. Kat was selfish and Merek had a lot of attitude for my taste, but given the circumstances it was easy to give them some slack, still, I wasn't overly found of them. Even Malquin turned out to be more then I thought he was which was a great plot twist.

Bottom line, I had a lot of fun with this book and I'm greatly looking forward to getting my hands on the next one! We've only had a small glimpse of Caelum and I can't wait to discover it's secrets. So much fun and a great debut! It's exactly the escape I was looking for! Well done!

Find the author:
Goodreads / Website                               4 Snowflakes