Faster We Burn by Chelsea M. Cameron

This is the second novel in the Fall and Rise series by Chelsea M. Cameron.

My review of #1: Deeper We Fall

*I received this as an eARC by the author in exchange for a review.*

After being abused by Zach, Katie realized that people are not who they seem or act sometimes. Which is definitely true for Stryker, the bleached hair, lip and eyebrow pierced friend in Katie's circle.

Katie knew she didn't want to be in a relationship, but a friend's with benefit arrangement never hurt anyone. And that's what Stryker was for her. Whenever she wanted sex, he was more than happy to oblige.

But there was something about Stryker that got under her skin. It was just him and his sister Trish. No other family. He had a really dark past that he didn't want to talk about, so Katie didn't mention it. But she did invite Stryker to her home for Thanksgiving.

That turned into a disaster, though, when her mother insulted him and didn't like him based on his appearance.

Stryker knew that he and Katie weren't meant for each other, but that didn't stop him from wanting to protect her when she needed it. Going to her family's house for the holidays was also a bad idea, but he wasn't known for his smarts.

And he did try to stay away from her, but there is an undeniable attraction between the two of them. Even more than just the physical attraction they give into. They can easily talk to each other and have similar tastes in things.

When a close family member of Katie's dies, Stryker is put in the middle of Katie's life, and he does so with ease. Which scares the living daylights out of him, because it's always just been him and Trish - no one else.

Just when he realized how much he truly cares about Katie, he does another stupid thing to ruin a good thing in his life.

Can he make it right with Katie, or will it be too many strikes against Stryker? And will Katie figure out what she wants in life, or will she just keep floating through, hoping that the answer will come to her? Read Faster We Burn by Chelsea M. Cameron to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Just a forewarning, this is a NEW ADULT novel, which means that it's a little bit more mature and graphic than a YA novel but not too racy like an adult novel. Mainly, New Adult (NA) novels are set in college and are about characters who are starting to grow up, but still do things that are immature.

I was so excited to get this book as an eARC from the author! I really enjoyed the first book and was curious to see how Katie and Stryker got together. A hookup relationship was not what I was expecting, given that Katie was in a serious relationship with Zach during the first novel!

And I love how Cameron wrote Stryker. Yes, he has bleached hair and a lip and eyebrow piercing. Yes, he has tattoos. No, he's not a jerk. He is just trying to live his life with little complications. Well, that was before he met Katie, the pink tornado that came into his life.

Katie is a mess after everything that happened, so she just wanted a release from life and the horrors of what she went through, which I completely understand. And Stryker was willing to be used - had no problem with that. But when real feelings came into the picture, both of them were scared to death.

One thing that I do have to say is how often they missed classes. It was A LOT! I'm  surprised they still had decent grades with how much they missed!

Overall, I really liked this book. I'm not sure if I like the first one more or less, but it's always difficult to compare sequels when it is about different characters.

I also really appreciate how Katie dealt with Stryker and his "bad decisions". She wasn't like most girls who felt betrayed and didn't speak to the guy for so many weeks and then miraculously forgave him afterward because she missed him. No, Katie took 1 minute to think it over and then said, "screw it", it was a mistake and made sure that Stryker was okay.

That takes some dedication and instant forgiveness in my book.

This book will be released April 20, 2013, so just a few more days before everyone can purchase this eBook! If you love New Adult novels or Cameron's other novels, this is a must buy! Definitely a different route she took in the NA genre, and lots of events that take place in this one novel! So glad I got an eARC (Thanks again Chelsea!) and can't wait to see what else she will write in the future!

Paradise by Jill S. Alexander

Paisley's one wish is to get out of her biased little town in Texas. She hates being under a microscope and wants to play drums for a band.

Her mother hates that Paisley won't do something else but plays the drums in her marching band. Little does her mother know that she is secretly the drummer for Waylon Strikers band and they are trying to get ready for Texapalooza where tons of high school bands come to play and get a chance for an internship or a job offer from professional band corporations.

The only problem is that their band needs a singer. When Gabe shows up, Paisley gives him one shot and he nails it. Until Gabe, otherwise known as Paradise by Paisley since he is from Paradise, TX, pulls out an accordion  That doesn't bode well for their country rock band, but he somehow pulls it off.

And the band can't be picky right now since they really need a good singer to win the Texapalooza competition.

So now Paisley is secretly practicing with Paradise, Cal, Levi, and Waylon while trying to keep it away from her parents attention. Although Paisley is pretty sure her father has figured it out, but he hasn't said anything to indicate he does.

Things get bad at home when Paisley's older sister, Lacey, decides she's not going to do what her mother wants her to do anymore. Unlike Paisley's decision to tell her mother she wasn't going to sing or dance, Lacey has gone with her mother's wishes and has sang at any performance her mother has snuck her way in.

Now Lacey is going off to college and wants to go for hair and make up, cosmetology  But her mother is going to have a cow and Paisley wants this all to happen after her performance at Texapalooza.

And on top of that, Paradise keeps showing up around Paisley and makes Paisley feel things she's never felt before. All she's ever wanted was to be a drummer - that is her only passion.

But now with Paradise around, things might change as she can't stop thinking about him and gets jealous when he dances with another girl...

Can Paisley have both her drumming career and a life with Paradise, or is she wanting too much and won't get either? And how long can she keep the secret about drumming away from her parents before it explodes in her face? Read Paradise by Jill S. Alexander to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
This was a cute story. Paisley was living a lie after a lie, so I knew they were going to explode in her face by the end of the novel.

The one thing that I loved about this book was Paradise. He came into the band audition as confident as anyone, even though he pulled out an accordion and started playing like it was a guitar and nothing was wrong with it.

And he was very confident around Paisley, even though she tried her hardest to ignore her feelings toward him and only focus on drumming and the band.

There were a few things I didn't enjoy about this novel.

One, the ending. Didn't enjoy that at all and wish it would have ended differently. But in a way, I could have seen it coming if I wasn't focused on the "here and now".

Two, the writing. For some reason, I felt like there wasn't enough description in the book. I had to go back many times just to figure out what happened that I skipped, only to find a few words describing what happened. Some places were very vague and I didn't get a lot of feeling from this book. Just an author telling a story, not describing in detail what happened.

I did like this story, but there were times when I found myself bored or missing a major plot and had to go back. Like I said, I liked Paradise the most and really enjoyed when he was in the scene because he was so confident and never got embarrassed by things that he did.

For anyone who likes music, I would definitely recommend this novel to you. And even though I didn't have the best time with this novel, I think a lot of other readers will really enjoy this book!

Amplified by Tara Kelly

This is the first book in the Amplified series by Tara Kelly.

When Jasmine told her father that she was taking a year off before starting college, she didn't expect to get kicked out of the house. But that's what her father did so instead of pleading and crying and begging, she packed up her stuff, put it in the car, and started to find a different place to live.

But then her car died. Thankfully, right in front of an auto shop, but she doesn't really have a lot of cash to pay for her car - not when she has to find a new place to live and an opening at a job she can work at to start getting some money.

It didn't help that the jerk who worked at the auto shop - who called himself "Clover" - was rude and kept saying she was a rich girl who could call her daddy.

After that, she looked everywhere for an apartment - some of which wanted a guitarist, which Jasmine just happened to be and that is what she wants to do with her year off before going to college.

The last place she went to check out the apartment was it for her, but there were problems. One, Jasmine is a girl and they want a guy guitarist/roommate. The three guys didn't want any drama. Two, they want a guitarist that has performed live before - Jasmine hasn't done that yet. And three, the bassist is none other than Clover - or better known as Sean.

Jasmine is fighting her way to get this place and this spot in the C-Side band, but she starts leaking lies. Sure, she's live performed before... Not.

When Jasmine gets the spot, she's excited because she finally  has a place and can start making her own life. But then they tell her they have a gig at a local bar in less than a week... Jasmine isn't ready, and it shows during her performance.

Now she is in a bad situation. Will the band kick her out because she lied and obviously can't handle the pressure of being on the stage, or will she be able to get another chance and get over the fear of performing live?

And that's not even getting into the situation she and Sean got themselves in, but it was just so hard to resist Sean's presence and the way he makes Jasmine feel.

What will happen to Jasmine? Read Amplified by Tara Kelly to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
I think this could qualify as a New Adult novel, since Jasmine is out of high school, so that's why I labeled it with the New Adult Novel. However, it's not very risque as other New Adult novels that have been recently published, so I still think Young Adults can read this and really like it.

Jasmine is a fighter. After growing up with her father always comparing her to her mother who left when Jasmine was 5 and is now in jail, she has grown a tough skin and always finds a way to fix something, even if it is getting kicked out of her house.

So she fought her way to get the spot with C-Side, even if she lied about certain things. She was good and wanted to be a part of the band because they were good as well.

So I really liked Jasmine because she didn't sit down and bawl her eyes out when things didn't go her way. She made her own way and I really appreciate when characters do that.

While I don't know anything about music, I was able to understand most of what went on through Amplified and even enjoyed reading about Jasmine playing the guitar in front of an audience. She loses herself in the music and I was able to see that while reading about her thoughts when playing. I think Kelly did a great job if she was able to allow me as an non-musician understand what was going on.

And I liked the other band members. Felix was just hilarious, Bryn was annoying, but punctual and the "mother hen", Veta was a hoot and always had  Jasmine's back, and Sean was the quiet but handsome one that kept catching Jasmine's eye.

Another thing I think might attract readers is, yes, there is a romance between Jasmine and Sean, but it doesn't end like you think it will and it's not the main part of the book. The whole point of the book is that Jasmine wants to find a place to fit in and also be able to play her music with a band. She needs a place to stay and a way to support herself to do what she needs to do for her year off of school.

And Kelly did a great job with getting all of that in this novel and making it addictive to read. I thought I wouldn't like it when I started reading and gave myself a limited amount that I needed to read before quitting. Instead, I finished this novel in one sitting!

There is another novel that will be coming out this month, so I will definitely be picking that up to read. I do think that Kelly could have ended it with this novel, but I'm excited to read more about these characters and see what happens to them throughout the next novel!

Anyone who likes music, fighting to do what they want to do, and learning how to get friends and trust others, this is definitely a book for you!

Bad Rep by A. Meredith Walters

Maysie's in a bit of a pickle when she got a credit card bill sent from her parents stating that they are not going to pay the $3,000 debt. Maysie likes to spend money. She likes to shop. And now she has to find a second job along with full time schooling, which she has to take summer classes because she slacked the previous semester.

So she and her roommate Riley decided to apply as a waitress at Bartons, she was thinking of the easy tip money. When she spotted Jordan, the hunky bartender with an eyebrow piercing, a tongue piercing and a tattoo on his back, she was definitely thinking about something besides paying off her debt.

Near closing on her first shift, the tension between Jordan and Maysie was sky high. They couldn't keep their eyes off of each other, and they were definitely more touchy feely than they needed to be when getting the drink order.

However, Maysie's sorority sisters stopped by to get a drink. And one just happened to be talking to Jordan, who she very soon found out was dating someone! For the last 3 years! And who was none other than the president of Maysie's sorority, Olivia.

Now Maysie is extremely mad. Sure, nothing had happened between her and Jordan, but he gave the image that he was single and ready to mingle with Maysie. Thankfully, she didn't hook up with him so it shouldn't be awkward at work, right?

Wrong. The tension is flying off of them and everyone can see it. Everyone, that is except Olivia, who is oblivious to everything going around her unless it has to do with the sorority.

So even though Jordan and Maysie have put a stop to their flirting, it's still awkward. And Jordan seems past the point of caring what is right and wrong, because he kisses Maysie at a sorority party where they were caught by Milla, Olivia's best friend.

Now, Maysie is the harlot of campus. Everyone knows about her and Jordan "hooking up" and calls her a lot of nasty names. After awhile, she's able to ignore it and be with Jordan, but things get too out of control and her sorority sisters are pulling horrible prank after prank, assaulting Maysie.

Maysie can't handle it anymore. She really likes Jordan and they are great together, but the rumors that are spreading around campus are too much for Maysie.

Can she get past what everyone is saying, or will she keep running away from Jordan to try and save her reputation? How can they possibly be together when the whole school is against them? Read Bad Rep by A. Meredith Walters to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Wow. This was an eBook that I just had to buy, and I couldn't put my Kindle down until I finished the novel. I think I've found my new favorite genre, and that is New Adult, which means that it's a little bit more mature and graphic than a YA novel but not too racy like an adult novel. Mainly, New Adult (NA) novels are set in college and are about characters who are starting to grow up, but still do things that are immature.

Okay, so the book. I loved it when Maysie and Jordan were together, and even when they weren't but were in the same room together, because I could feel the attraction through the pages.

But there is a bad part to this novel. I HATED the sections where Maysie ran away from Jordan and cried, sobbed, moped in her room, only to do it all over again. It drove me crazy. She couldn't make up her mind and let everyone else rule what she should do rather than what she wanted to do.

Letting other control your life is never a smart decision because it basically means the person isn't happy with what they are doing, and Maysie was definitely not happy throughout a lot of this book because she wasn't with Jordan.

Okay, besides my ranting, I really did like this novel. The waitressing part made me think of the old days when I used to waitress, and I really dug that Jordan was in a band and in a fraternity - such a contradiction! I would love to read this novel through Jordan's viewpoint because I might actually like most of the novel. He was always chasing Maysie rather than running away, until he got to the point where he couldn't take the rejection anymore.

I see that Walters is going to be writing a companion book to this one, only about Riley and Garret - a band mate of Jordan's. This book I will not miss because Riley is spunky, rude, sassy, and takes crap from nobody. She is my kind of leading woman!

So, for older readers who want to read about college years and being slighted by society, this would be a good book for you to pick up!

Major Crush by Jennifer Echols

Out of the blue, Virginia gave up her crown and tiara's of being a pageant girl and decided to join the high school marching band. However, she didn't want to be a part of the band - she wanted to be the drum major and lead the marching band.

Which meant she had to compete against Drew, previous drum major for the last two years.

So it was to everyone's surprise when both Drew and Virginia were chosen to be the drum majors. The first time in their school's history where there were two leaders, let alone the first time that one was a female.

This made the relationship and work area very tense between Drew and Virginia, but after they tanked their first performance at the football game, they realized that they have to get over their anger and tension if they want their marching band to compete against other schools.

However, Virginia is having a hard time of with since Drew's girlfriend, the Evil Twin, keeps spreading rumors about her. So Drew and Virginia make a pact - they will play nice and be friends, and try to win the competitions - otherwise they might as well quit while they were ahead.

It's a good thing Virginia has Allison, her best friend and fellow pageant girl, to keep her sane so she can vent about all of the dreadful things that have happened.

Like, for instance, the new band director making Virginia wear a mini skirt and knee high boots instead of the normal drum major uniform.

And that Drew and Virginia have to do a dip for their performance, meaning that they need to be extremely close to each other, even though they can't stand being around the other.

But things are staring to change. Now that they are friends, they are getting along with one another. And for some reason, Virginia is having romantic thoughts about Drew? So not going to happen for many, many reason.

Everything gets blown up, though, when Drew and Virginia find out who really got the most votes to be the next drum major. Because no matter who got it, the tension shot rocket high between the two of them. And somehow, the deepest secret Virginia has about her family was leaked - but she only told one person what that secret was...

Can Drew and Virginia work things out? Can they both be drum majors and maybe even date one another? Or will there be too much tension between their past and present that they can't overcome? Read Major Crush by Jennifer Echols to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
I'm getting closer and closer to my goal of reading all of Jennifer Echols novels! I think I have one more to read before I'm caught up with the published novels :D

This was a cute novel. I have no knowledge of marching band, so it was all very interesting to me. I was pretty amazed at how popular marching band is in this novel - is it like this for all schools?

Well anyway, I loved Virginia. She didn't take crap from anyone and had some sass to go along with it. Plus I loved how she had her nose pierced and everyone thought it was a crime.

Virginia had a lot of courage to stop pageant showing and do something that she actually wanted to do. And she was proud to be the drum major, even if the whole band was angry she took Drew's thunder by making them partners.

So, yeah, this was a cute novel. I liked how I was introduced to a different topic in a YA novel and a topic that hasn't been written about too much - at least one that I haven't heard too much about.

And I also liked how Drew worked in a family business where he was trying to get out of it, so he was very intense and serious until it came around Virginia, who seemed to push all of his buttons to let him speak his mind for once, instead of the "proper" thing to do.

My favorite part was when Drew wouldn't yell at his evil girlfriend because "a gentleman doesn't yell at girls", but when he got around Virginia, all he seemed to do was yell at her :) Oh, and how Virginia kept stealing Drew's marching band shoes so he had to march in his normal shoes. Ah, the small details in this story that cracked me up!

Dream Chaser by Angie Stanton

Willow is a daredevil and everyone knows it. She is the head cheerleader of her squad and the best flyer of them all. Whenever her coach wants to do a new, risky fly, Willow is the first to volunteer and the first to perfect it.

But when she has a horrible fall that opens her eyes to the dangers she is facing, Willow realizes that she is terrified of flying now. Even just thinking about what she needs to do from 15 feet in the air sucks the breath out of her and she runs the other way.

So after quitting cheerleading and flying, she gets a new opportunity: join the musical production that is directed by a Broadway choreographer. Before cheer, Willow was an amazing dancer, and everyone in her town knows it. So with connections, Willow gets an audition and was able to find enough of that dancer inside of her to pull out a successful audition.

That landed her the lead female role! The only bad part? Her male lead is none other than her ex-best friend Eli, who she used to dance with before she quit 3 years ago. And their parting was not the best, making them hostile toward one another. It's going to be a little difficult dancing with him when neither of them trusts the other.

And it's not the candy and sunshine Willow thought when she got the lead female role. The other female dancers are extremely jealous that an outsider got the lead, so they are not helping Willow learn the new dances or trying to be friends with her.

Also, since she up and quit the cheerleading squad right before Regionals, her friends from the squad aren't talking to her either.

It seems the only person who is taking to her is the new director, Tyson Scott, who is way too gorgeous to be working with a bunch of snobby high schoolers.

Once Willow finally proves that she can sing and dance better than anyone else on stage does she get rid of the tension between everyone and they finally start to perform like a family who can trust one another.

And since Willow and Eli have to get along and get over the hostility that happened 3 years ago, Willow realizes that she might have feelings for him that are more than friendship.

But when an unforeseen event changes part of the play, Willow has to overcome her fear. If she doesn't, it will ruin the whole play and ruin everyone's chances at Broadway.

Can Willow get over her fear and perform the way she's supposed to? Or will the suffocating fear make her betray and disappoint everyone she has come to care about on the stage? Read Dream Chaser by Angie Stanton to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
This was a cute novel. I haven't read too many high school stories about dance/musicals, cheerleading or flying, so it was something new for me that I haven't over read before.

Willow is a runner. When things don't go her way, she tends to run to a new scene and completely shuts out the previous failer. And she is a perfectionist - when she is given a task she will do it all night until she has it down pat.

But she could run away from Eli and that past if she wanted to be in the musical, so she was forced to come face to face with it in order to get the lead role.

I could not imagine falling 15 feet in the air to nothing but mat and landing the wrong way, so I completely understand her fear of free falling again after that horrible accident. I got so angry and frustrated with everyone who wouldn't listen to her explain why she could cheer again. The trust was gone and the injury that she got might have healed, but the feeling she had when she fell was like nothing she every experienced before. I don't blame her for quitting cheerleading.

I really liked the way the author described her losing herself to the dance and feeling what the dance represented. I'm not a dancer, but that description helped me understand what dance was like for Willow.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. There were times that I rolled my eyes in annoyance or thought something was immature, but overall I think the author did a great job depicting high school trends along with the fear that one gets after a close incident.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys musicals or plays and cheerleading, along with overcoming a fear that hits directly home to a person.

My Favorite Mistake by Chelsea M. Cameron

Starting sophomore year for college in Maine, Taylor is excited to be rooming with Darah and Renee. But she has to room with a new person because one of their friends decided to room off campus.

So it was a huge surprise when she answered the door to Hunter, with tattoos, buzzed hair cut, and a guitar case. Who just so happened to be Taylor's new roommate. And by roommate, it actually means that he and Taylor will be sharing the same bedroom.

Taylor is not having it. She calls the housing residents only to find that they are closed on opening day (really?) and cannot find anyone that will fix this situation. Sure, her college is co-ed rooming  That doesn't mean that Taylor wants to be one of those housing units.

After drawing a name out of a jar to determine whether Taylor, Darah, or Renee will room with him, it just so happens he draws Taylor's name. She's stuck with him.

And then he propositions her enough to make her punch him in the face and kick him where it hurts. It's going to be a wonderful semester living with this bad boy attitude, guitar playing, and shockingly good cook.

But Hunter makes a bet with Taylor: prove to him that she sincerely hates him, or loves him, and he will move out that day. Sounds easy, right? Except that Taylor can't really hate him. Sure, she hates what she reminds her of, a dark time 8 years ago that she never wants to remember. But as for hating Hunter alone? She really doesn't.

Then Taylor finds out that she has a class with him: human sexuality, oh joy. She also gets a job at the library, only to find out that Hunter will be working there as well!

Looks like Taylor better get used to Hunter being around constantly, and always making ensuendo's to her that make Taylor blush every time she thinks about them.

Taylor has a good reason not to trust the male gender. Something horrendous happened to her 8 years ago and she has never been able to get over it. But somehow, Taylor gets the feeling that Hunter may be the one person to block all of her walls that she's built.

But the unthinkable happens - the man that terrifies her the most in the world may be coming back into her life. And Taylor cannot handle that.

Will Taylor be able to have a true friendship/relationship with Hunter? Can both Hunter and Taylor get past their tortured histories enough to let the other one in, or will they forever be doomed to stay in the dark memories of their past? Read My Favorite Mistake by Chelsea M. Cameron to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
So, just a forewarning, this is a NEW AGE novel, which means that it's a little bit more mature and graphic than a YA novel but not too racy like an adult novel. Mainly, New Age (NA) novels are set in college and are about characters who are starting to grow up, but still do things that are immature.

Ahh!!!! I. Loved. This. Novel!! Loved, loved, loved it!

Okay, on to the review portion. So, I was hooked from the first chapter. And after Taylor punched Hunter, I fell in love with this novel. And I still had 200 + chapters to go!

Taylor is a girl who can take care of herself. After what happened to her when she was younger, she made sure she would be ready for anyone that threatens her at any given time. And Hunter made her feel feelings that she didn't want to feel, which made her feel uneasy and she wanted to express what she thought of that.

Hunter loved it.

Now, I know a few reasons why I fell in love with this novel. One, Taylor was known as the "Ice Queen" in high school because she stayed away from boys, completely ignored them, read a lot of books, and was very anti-social. I was like that in high school, only my name was a bit nastier.

Second, she starts working in a library. I worked in a library and still do today.

Third, she was very determined to stay away from Hunter. It was actually quite successful that I was on my seat waiting for the two of them to finally kiss!

The dark pasts for both Hunter and Taylor were very horrible. I can completely see two people today in real life acting the way Hunter and Taylor did because of what happened to them. And if you want to know what it is, you're going to have to read the book ;)

I loved this book. Maybe not as much as Beautiful Disaster, but it is a very close second.

I would definitely recommend this to any older young adult reader, since it is a New Age novel. But I will most certainly be telling everyone I know to read it right away, because I want everyone to experience this wonderful novel!

Also, I think I read somewhere that there is going to be a sequel?!? If so, I will most definitely be getting it! I wonder what Cameron will write about with the sequel. I don't care who/what it is about, I will have it in my collection.

So, what are you waiting for?!? Go get this book!! :)

In Honor by Jessi Kirby

Three days after Honor is told her older brother, Finn, died during combat, she gets a letter in the mail from him, before he died.

She doesn't open the letter until the day of his funeral. And what she finds makes her grieve all over again. Finn gave her tickets to see Kyra Kelley, her all time favorite singer and Finn's too, though he wouldn't admit it after awhile. But he wanted Honor to go to her concert in California and tell Kyra about how awesome he was.

Honor was supposed to be leaving for college the day after Finn's funeral. Instead, she packs up his old Impala and starts driving to CA to do his final wish before he died.

The one thing Honor wasn't anticipating was Rusty, Finn's closest best friend, to arrive drunk and passed out in the car right when she was leaving. After Finn enlisted, Rusty didn't talk to Honor anymore and now he's drinking enough liquor to stink up her car.

Instead of kicking him out, she just starts driving. By the time Rusty wakes up, he's already in New Mexico - too late to head back to Texas.

So now Honor is stuck with Rusty on a road trip to do her brother's last wish, while still grieving the one person she loved the most. And let's just say that Rusty is not the best traveling buddy.

Though he does know what to do when the car goes off road during an unexpected thunderstorm. And he does have his mother's house to stop by and fix the poor car halfway to CA.

The trip brings back memories for both Rusty and Honor about Finn, making them laugh in memory. But it also reveals secrets that Honor didn't know about her older brother. Secrets that may destroy Honor completely... Read In Honor by Jessi Kirby to find out what those secrets are.

My Thoughts/Reflections
From the first page of this novel, I knew it was going to be a tear jerker. I actually had tears in my eyes by the second page. And I knew I would finish this in one sitting to read this heartbreaking story, filled with adventure, sorrow, and expectations.

And even though it was sad, I loved this book. There were a few areas that I was not sure about, like the pit stop to scuba dive with strangers, but for the most part I fell more in love with Honor, Rusty and Finn while also feeling a part of my heart break piece by piece.

I've never had anyone close to me die, so I can't imagine how excruciating it was for Honor to not only lose her parents at the age of 4, but then to lose her brother at the age of 18. She has been through so much hardship and then she is expected to go to college and "move on" just like that. So running off to CA for a week sounds like something she needed after this horrible news.

The road trip was good for both Rusty and Honor, who were grieving over Finn's death in different ways.

I really do adore this novel and I think other's could be influenced by this story that Kirby created. Sure, it has an uneven pace going from slow to fast then back to slow but the message of this novel could affect anyone reading it.

I know I will not forget this story any time soon and will recommend it to anyone wanting a story about loss, life, and the potential for a new love.

I'm going to be reading her debut novel soon, since it's at my library, and will be looking out for Kirby's upcoming novel that will be released in 2013!

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Nick was having a pretty normal night. He was playing with his band - minus a drummer - as an opening act for a band and was really getting into the music.

Then his ex, Tris, walked in the room - whom he still wasn't over yet. He thought she was there to see him, until he saw the model guy next to her and she started to "moon" over him.

Things were looking down then, until he saw a girl in a flannel shirt next to him in the crowd, after his set on stage. To take his mind off of Tris, he asks this random stranger to be his girlfriend for the next 5 minutes.

When Norah was approached by the lead singer of the last band on stage to be his fake girlfriend, her first thought was "NO!". Then she saw her frienemy, Tris, coming her way and didn't want to deal with her, so her response to Nick was to kiss him.

Unfortunately, that didn't make Tris go away - but had the opposite effect.

But Norah did not realize what an amazing kisser this boy was going to be. She didn't want to stop after their first, but was rudely interrupted.

After that, Norah needed to take her friend, Caroline, home since she was wasted. Nick's friends were ecstatic that Norah was keeping Nick's mind off of Tris that they took Caroline if Norah would take Nick and keep him company - get his mind even further away from Tris.

So after that, they decided to go somewhere else. And somewhere else. And both Nick and Norah cannot deny the chemisty they feel for the other. Which is insane since they met at 7 p.m.

But since they are strangers, the question is: will it be a one night deal, or will they keep connecting and getting together afterward? Because anything could happen for just one night. Read Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
I can't believe that this book - the WHOLE book - is about one night. From about 7 pm to 5 am the next morning. That is how long Nick and Norah know each other - even though it seems like they have been associated for a lot longer.

This is told through both Nick and Norah's viewpoint, alternating chapters throughout the chapter. And I really liked that because it gave the reader a chance to see what both characters were thinking - sometimes about the same topic as the other, depending on what the chapters ended/began.

Norah is so responsible and mature, as is Nick. It was very entertaining to read Norah's reaction to Nick's sexuality when she was questioning if he was straight or not. She figured out the answer to that very quickly :)

The way the book was written, there were a lot of paragraphs with the narrator's thoughts instead of action or dialogue. Usually that is a huge no in my book because I tend to skip over long paragraphs and look for more one on one scenes, but I made myself re-read when I did that to fully appreciate the novel.

Overall, I found this really entertaining and realistic to the band/music crowd. There was some language and content that I think is appropriate for older readers, but the connection between Nick and Norah will really get to readers, I think.

I can't believe it took me this long to read this book, even though tons of my friends have read it. I will be reading their other novel, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares, soon and will feel up to date with all of my book lover friends :)

Go read this novel if you want a night to remember! Only 160 pages and it will keep you up until the last page!

Rockoholic by C.J. Skuse

Jackson is the love of Jody's life. The only problem? Jackson is the lead singer for a very popular band and hasn't the foggiest idea of who Jody is.

But she is going to change all of that when she goes to his concert and they will have a "moment" where he will look into her eyes and know that she is the one for him.

Yeah... except that she ACTUALLY gets a concussion, wakes up behind stage waiting to go to the hospital, and misses all but 3 of the songs Jackson performed. It wasn't the moment she was looking forward to.

However, Jackson comes back stage! Jody thinks it's for her, but really he just wanted to get away from the crowds. He also wasn't looking so well, so Jody offered him a chocolate bar.

Jackson, however, thinks it's a knife and says he will do whatever she wants. So she kidnaps him and takes him back to her house, with the reluctant assistance of her best friend, Mac.

Now Jody has a famous rockstar in her garage, and it's not the picnic and roses she thought it would be. Honestly, she just wanted to get to know Jackson, because she feels like she knows him already with her previous obsession.

Turns out that Jackson is the opposite of what he tells the public. Jody has no idea what to do with him, especially because he is addicted to pills that he no longer has and is now going cold turkey to get the drugs out of his system.

Taking care of a spoiled rockstar is not an ideal job, and Jody has to get to know the REAL Jackson. Thankfully, Mac is helping her when he can, even though Jody can tell he'd rather turn Jackson to the police and get him off his hands.

When the media gets very close to finding out where Jackson might be, Jody has to figure out what to do. Let Jackson leave the country? Take him back to his band so he can go on his American tour? And when he does leave, will Jody go with him, or stay in her small town with her family and Mac? Read Rockoholic by C.J. Skuse to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
This was an interesting read on many levels.

First, I didn't realize it was in a different country! And I really enjoyed that difference because the language was spot on (at least I think so) and it was unique for me since I haven't read many YA books that were out of the U.S. culture.

Also, Knockturn Alley was mentioned which made me think of Harry Potter. Every. Time!

Secondly, the author wasn't afraid to write about drugs and suicide stories - which is realistic since it had a band member and many are known for dabbling in pills for performance anxiety.

And third, Jody. She was different. She was a groupie, loved Jackson, and wanted to marry him. A true groupie - people who I don't really connect with since I don't listen to a lot of music or gush too hard core over celebrities.

So it's safe to say that I was intrigued by this book because I didn't relate to a big majority of it.

There were some parts that annoyed me, especially in the beginning when ALL Jody could talk about was Jackson this and Jackson that. I don't know how Mac could hang around her that often when that's all that would come out of her mouth.

The best part about this novel for me was Cree. Cree is Mac's 2 year old sister and she is an adorable mess. She made me laugh and cry. Actually, I loved Mac too. Eighteen and working for his parents, he's basically another parent to Cree and he's also the lead in the play The Rocky Horror Show, where he gets to dress in drag and do what he loves best: act and sing.

So overall, this was a cute story that introduced me to many new topics. I wouldn't say it was the best book out there and that I'll read it again next week, but I did enjoy it. For anyone who wants to read about music/concerts and has a setting in another country, I would strongly recommend this novel to you.

Also, this is the author's second novel, and I'm interested in her first one as well, Pretty Bad Things. I may have to look into it and see how she wrote that one compared to this novel!

The Temptation by Alisa Valdes

This is the first novel in The Kindred series by Alisa Valdes.

When Shane was going to a musical recital to play her violin, she never expected to get into a major car accident initialed by a coyote with glowing red eyes.

She also never expected to meet a gorgeous stranger who miraculously healed her from fatal wounds that were slowly killing her.

But that is what happened. And it changed Shane's life after that. She was saved from dying, but she also couldn't forget Travis, the mysterious man who came to her rescue. Thankfully, Travis felt that deep connection with Shane as well, so they were always trying to seek one another out.

Except for one thing... Travis is dead. He's a revenant, a spirit traveling in a physical body and he is supposed to protect and help any living creature at the area where Shane had her car accident.

If he does enough good in the world, he may be able to get out the Vortex and go to the Afterlife. But he if goes against the Vortex's rules, he will be sent to the Underworld.

When Shane tells her best friend, Kelsey, the truth, she just wanted to talk to someone about this. But Kelsey told her mom, who decided that Shane had a terrible head injury and that she needs to see a psychiatrist.

Then things get even worse for Shane. Not only are she and Travis soul mates, but they are not allowed to be intimate with each other -  otherwise Travis will be going against the rules and will disappear forever.

But that's not the worst part. Travis has a mortal enemy - even in death. Victor is the one who killed Travis and also his father and older brother many years ago.

Victor is still out to punish Travis's family, and Shane is the next victim since Travis loves her.

Will Travis and Shane be able to survive Victor's hatred, or will Travis have to give in and break the rules in order to get rid of Victor? Read The Temptation by Alisa Valdes to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
I randomly saw this at a local library and decided it sounded like something up my alley. And I really did enjoy it, for a random pick up :)

This is one of those "love at first sight" novels where the two characters know they are supposed to meet one another.

But of course there are complications, like the majority of novels out there.

Shane is a tough cookie. She takes being healed by Travis like a champ, and even took to him being dead fairly quietly - not something a normal girl would take lightly. She also took the criticism of her classmates at school when they started calling her insane and crazy.

Really, Shane didn't really care what others thought of her as long as she knew Travis would be with her since they were in love.

Overall, this was a good book. Not my favorite, but I loved the story line of another revenant plot. This is the second series I've read about revenants (the first being the series by Amy Plum, Die for Me) so it gave me another aspect of this topic to consider.

This is the first in a series, though I don't know when the second will come out or when. This was just released April 2012 so it's still somewhat new, and it's also the first I've read of this author, though it's not her debut novel.

I will be keeping my eye out for the sequel to see what happens with Shane and Travis.

I would recommend this to any female reader wanting a new supernatural creature of Revenants and one that wants to read an automatic love story where the characters don't question the connection.

When It Happens by Susane Colasanti

Sara: Decent grades, two best friends, senior year in high school applying for her dream college. All that is missing now is a boyfriend to make her life complete.

The new boy, Dave, has everything she wants in a guy: looks, popularity, sincerity... Or so she thought.

But when Sara finds herself daydreaming more about a different guy than Dave, she needs to rethink about why she wants to be with Dave, or if she should be with Tobey instead...

Tobey: Ever since junior year, Tobey has been secretly crushing on Sara. However, he doesn't think he's good enough with his average grades, his band, and he's not going to college next year.

At the beginning of senior year, though, Tobey makes a goal for him to talk to Sara and see if they could have a real beginning together.

Even when Sara starts to see Dave, Tobey creates plans and scenarios between Sara and Tobey to see if they could have a shot, or if they just weren't meant to be together.

Want to know what happens with Tobey and Sara? Read When It Happens by Susane Colasanti to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
This was a cute novel. Takes me back to senior year when applying for colleges and sticking to my own "clique" at school.

This is the first novel of Susane Colasanti's that I've read, and I loved how she did alternating narration between Tobey and Sara. The reader got a chance to see inside of both characters and their insecurities/thoughts throughout their senior year.

I was also really glad to see character development in this novel. Many authors do that during series, but Colasanti was able to develop both characters within this book and learn from one another.

Tobey learned how to be studious and Sara learned to live a little.

I think many high school readers would enjoy this novel. They would be able to relate to either Sara or Tobey and they could relate to the pressure of senior year and college applications.

The only thing that I wish was different was the cover. Because this is in alternating gender narrations, I think teen guys would like this novel, but the cover is definitely for a female audience.

I don't foresee too many guy readers picking this up, which is unfortunate because Tobey's story is really compelling, especially for aspiring musicians.

I might have to pick up another novel by Colasanti and see if she's the next "Sarah Dessen" or "Maureen Johnson"!

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

This is the sequel to If I Stay by Gayle Forman.

This is Mia's boyfriend's story, Adam, not Mia's. Also, if you don't want to find out what happens at the end of the first novel, do no read the rest of this review. There will be spoilers right away.

It's been three years since the fateful accident of Mia Hall's family. Now, Adam is a famous rock star in his group Shooting Star. He has a movie start girlfriend, and has groupies that follow and buy his band's album.

But Adam feels lost. He doesn't enjoy the music anymore. He doesn't get along with his bandmates, who were practically family when they got together 3-4 years ago.

While Adam has become a famous rock star, Mia has become a famous orchestra player with her cello. They both went their separate ways, but not after a few hearts broken along the 3 years of separation.

Adam has panic attacks, so he needs to take medication. He has also become very superstitious and when he finds out that his bandmates are flying to London for their tour on Friday the 13th, he gets a new flight. No sense in tempting fate, he thinks.

So while his band is flying to London, Adam stays in New York for another day. As fate would have it, he finds Mia performing a concert.

Adam buys a ticket and falls into Mia's music - remembering the old days when she would play non-stop. When Mia requests to see him, everything in the past years come flying back between them.

Why did Mia stop talking to Adam? What is going on between the two of them? Will Adam and Mia finally have the conversation that has been waiting for 3 years, or will they disappear into the night with their thoughts and feelings unresolved? Read Where She Went by Gayle Forman to find out.

My Thoughts/Reflections
I loved the first novel of this two book series. It was so heartbreaking and devastating, but strong and hopeful.

This novel was a good addition. Not necessarily needed as the way If I Stay ended was beautiful, but the reader finally figures out what happened to Mia and Adam.

And instead of reading Mia's thoughts, this time, the reader delves inside Adam's head, the boy we were introduced to in the first novel but never quite got his whole story.

Even though when one thinks "rock star", Adam didn't have a glamorous life. In fact, if it wasn't for the songs that came through his mind during a few months, he would have been out of a band and would have lived a boring life in Oregon.

But even so, Adam had superstitious problems and he was also a bit claustrophobic when it came to crowds - not the best thing to have when one performs in front of millions of people and have fans follow one around for autographs.

While this wasn't my favorite sequel to a book I loved, I'm glad I was able to get a more solid ending to Mia and Adam's story.

I would recommend this to anyone who loved the first novel, and I think it would also appeal to a male audience because it is through a male narrative. And even though the cover has a girl on it, don't let it fool you. It is definitely a male rock star narrating this novel!

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

A snowfall in Oregon cancelled all schools - even though it wasn't a heavy snowfall. However, the schools took precaution so Mia's high school was cancelled along with her brother, Teddy's, grade school and her father's college.

To enjoy this unexpected day off, Mia, Teddy and her parents decide to visit friends of the family (Willow, Henry and their baby girl) and then have dinner with Mia's grandparents.

On the ride there, though, something horrible happens... There was a car collision with Mia's family and a solo driver. While the other driver had only minor scrapes and bruises, Mia's parents were killed instantly and Mia and Teddy had to be rushed to the hospital.

Mia is able to see everything that goes on around her. As an "out of body" experience. She sees her extended family in the waiting room outside of ICU. She sees her boyfriend, Adam, planning a break in to see Mia since the nurses won't allow him in.

When Mia finds out that her little brother, Teddy, didn't make his surgery, Mia realizes that she's all alone. She has to decide if she wants to stay living without her family, or if she wants to join them.

There are many factors Mia has to decide as well. She's bound for Julliard, as she's a very good cellist musician. She has Adam, her boyfriend also a music lover, in his own band and making records who she loves. She has Kim, her best friend since grade school.

But she doesn't have her brother or her parents anymore.

What will Mia choose? Life or death? Read this heartbroken story If I Stay by Gayle Forman to find out.

My Thoughts/Reflections
This is my second time reading this novel. And even though I knew the ending result, following Mia's memories that she remembers about her family, along with the information she learns during her "out of body" experience was just as heartbroken.

Mia is very brave. She has to hear about her family's death before she even wakes up from her coma. And to know that and have to choose a life without her family would be hard, but having to imagine her family's reaction if she gave up life was just as devastating for Mia.

The reader learns Mia's background story as Mia goes down memory lane to the key moments with Adam, Kim, her parents, her brother. It helps the reader connect with Mia's life and what she used to have.

Even though this story is very sad, it is an amazing novel. Gayle Forman did a great job writing as a victim in a car crash and a lone survivor having to make the hardest decision of her life.

I would recommend this book to anyone - to everyone. Even guys. It doesn't matter that the narrator is a female - anyone can feel this way if they were in her shoes.

Also, there is another novel after this one, in the viewpoint of Mia's boyfriend, Adam. The review for that novel will be coming soon to see what has happened since Mia's overall decision to stay or go.

Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

After winning a tour around the world for her violin recital, Carmen Bianche was all about success and winning the upcoming Guarneri competition. That was until Carmen saw her main competition, Jeremy King, a British 17-year-old who was also world wide known for his violin talent.

Carmen really wanted to hate Jeremy. She even started out hating him, but after she met him and saw the person behind the violin, she realized that she may actually have feelings toward Jeremy.

In order to prepare herself for the competition, Carmen keeps her distance away from Jeremy, keeping all feelings put on hold until the winner is chosen. Fate wasn't having that though.

In addition to her feelings toward Jeremy, Carmen was also fighting a battle with her self, along with her mother. Her mother, Diane, was a famous soprano singer before losing her voice through a surgery. Now, Diane is helping Carmen get her musical career going, living through her daughter's success.

Carmen also has been taking Inderal, a prescription drug to "take away the edge" and calm Carmen down during her performances. She decides she wants to feel the adrenaline rush during and after her performances, so she stops taking the medicine, putting Carmen on the wrong side of her mother.

After dealing with some major setbacks, Carmen has to decide if she loves music, or if she loves the idea of winning more to determine where her future career will take her.

My Thoughts/Reflections
I've actually been reading a lot of YA novels about music. Out of those novels, I think this one was by far my favorite one. Reading how Carmen was struggling with so many inner demons (her attraction to the enemy - Jeremy, battling against Inderal, going against her mother's wishes) showed me the hardships that professional musicians go through - something I've never thought about before.

The pressure that Carmen goes through before the Guarneri competition would be enough to crack a grown man. I don't know how Carmen was able to think straight, let alone make two of the hardest decisions in her life.

The romance between Carmen and Jeremy was very heated - even though there wasn't too many romantic scenes between them. The attraction they feel toward one another is forbidden, but there none the less. Both are able to see the person, rather than the violinist, the competition, making their thoughts and feelings very confusing about one another.

I really loved this book, which is a surprise to me. I thought I would like it, it would be a nice, different read, but the iron will of Carmen and her grown up ability to make decisions instantly attracted me to her character.

I would recommend this to anyone aspiring to be a musician, or to any teenage girl who feels trapped in a family situation and has no freedom to do what they want. It's a great novel to read if one is feeling pressured or lost in their own world and needs a way to clear their head to find the right path to take.

Indigo Blues by Danielle Joseph

Indigo Jackson is a senior in high school ready to go off to college. She's also getting a bad reputation from the newest hit single "Indigo Blues" written and sung by her ex-boyfriend, Adam Spade in his band, Blank Stare.

Becoming "famous" was never Indigo's intention. In fact, she would rather NOT be as well known as she is because it is interrupting her normal, everyday life. Now she has to dodge classmates wanting her autograph, host show sponsors on TV, and Adam's phone calls every day or so.

Adam was very upset when Indigo said she wanted a break from their relationship. He wrote the song in anger and hurt, not knowing he was going to produce the next big hit song. Now he has to try to figure out his feelings toward Indigo now, while scrambling to write another hit song to save his band from being a "one hit wonder".

Both Adam and Indigo are angry at one another - one for breaking up and breaking his heart, the other for having a song written about her that portrayed her as a mean, callous person. Will they ever be able to get over their anger and be friends again, or is the damage done and can't be fixed?

My Thoughts/Reflections
This was a short, easy read and I enjoyed hearing both Adam and Indigo's stories through alternating chapters. I could see both viewpoints of why each character was angry from the break-up/creation of the song and it was nice to see them battling through the after effects of the song apart rather than together.

Throughout the novel, Indigo and Adam didn't see one another until the very end, so they were able to come to their real feelings without being influenced by one another's presence - which usually doesn't happen in relationship break ups for teens. Many times, they are still going to the same school together which makes the avoidance stage hard to do.

I would recommend this book to both genders of teenagers, and especially teens who like music. Being able to hear both Adam and Indigo's thoughts helps to better understand what they were going through and also makes this story relatable for both guys or girls who have been in a bad break-up.