Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

Title: Every Last Word

Author: Tamara Ireland Stone

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Release Date: June 16, 2015

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

If you could read my mind, you wouldn’t be smiling.

Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can’t turn off.

Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn’t help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she’d be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam’s weekly visits to her psychiatrist.

Caroline introduces Sam to Poet’s Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more “normal” than she ever has as part of the popular crowd…until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.

For the past few years, I keep meaning to pick up one of Tamara Ireland Stone’s books, but somehow it never seems to happen. I don’t know why because they all sound like books I would genuinely enjoy. Having now read Every Last Word, I can officially say that I was right and I should have been reading her books all along.

Samantha has become really good at faking normal. If you were to meet her on the street, she would seem to be just like any other girl in her junior class. But underneath the surface and the seemingly flawless exterior, Sam is constantly battling her thoughts thanks to Purely-Obsessional OCD. Because of it, Sam finds herself questioning every thought and decision, constantly afraid making the wrong one and everyone finding out her secret. But then Sam meets Caroline, a girl who introduces her to Poet’s Corner, a secret poetry club that meets in a hidden room. There, Sam feels comfortable for the first time in a long time. And there, Sam also meets AJ, a boy who brings out a whole new side of her and who makes her feel “normal” in way she hasn’t in a long time. But just when she thinks she might finally be able to handle her thoughts, Sam realizes that she should have been questioning her sanity all along.

So here’s the thing, I’ve been wanting to read Tamara Ireland Stone’s books since I first heard about her debut, Time Between Us. But have I actually read any of her books? No. Well, I guess that’s not really true anymore now that I’ve read Every Last Word, but you get what I’m trying to say. Long story short, I’ve been wanting to read her books and now I’ve read one. And I’m happy I did because it’s just confirmed that I need to go back and read her other books. Every Last Word was somewhat different than I thought it was going to be. I mean, I had a pretty good idea of the general story just from reading the synopsis and I could make some educated guesses about what might happen based on that, but there are some parts that I never really could have seen coming. But it would be hard to talk about that without potentially spoiling key parts of the story. So instead, I’ll just talk about the Purely-Obsessional OCD aspect of the story. I found it really interesting to read about this type of OCD. It’s not really something I had heard about before picking up Every Last Word, but now I would be interested in learning more about the disorder. And a lot of that ultimately had to do with seeing Sam struggle with it, and seeing how much it impacted her day to day life.

My heart went out to Sam the whole time I was reading. I can’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to have your whole life taken over by thoughts you have no control over. Every little thought had the potential to send her into a spiral she can’t stop. Her struggle with her thoughts was downright painful to read at time, but it made her and her disorder feel that much more real when I was reading. I wanted nothing more for her than to be able to gain some sort of control over her thoughts and when she started getting “better,” I was totally cheering. And I was also cheering for her relationship with AJ because it was adorable. I loved how relaxed she was able to be with him, how she didn’t find herself overthinking every little thing. And AJ himself was adorable. And what I liked best about him was that he himself wasn’t perfect. He had his own issues he had to deal with and because of that he wasn’t trying to change Sam, he was just there to support her in any way that he could. And have I mentioned that they were adorable together?

I loved reading Tamara Ireland Stone’s Every Last Word. It was a story that opened my eyes to a disorder I didn’t really know was out there while still being a story filled with the kind of romance that i love. If this one has been on your radar, definitely read it.

Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Don't Look Back

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all—popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it’s one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took “mean girl” to a whole new level, and it’s clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She’s getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she’s falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her—even it the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn’t just buried deep inside of Sam’s memory—someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what is not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

Even though I might sound like a broken record by this point, I will say this again: I will read anything Jennifer L. Armentrout writes. To this day I have yet to be disappointed and anytime I hear about a new book from her, I get all excited. And I am happy to report that Don’t Look Back has kept the streak going. This was a page-turner that kept me guessing the whole way through. And I loved it.

Samantha Franco doesn’t remember who she is, what happened or where she has been for the last four days. But from everyone has told her, she wasn’t a good person. She and Cassie, the best friend she went missing with, took mean girl to a whole new level. Now though, Sam is getting a second chance. A second chance to be a better person and maybe try to fix some of the the wrongs she did before she went missing. But know one seems to be telling the truth about what happened the night she disappeared. Hoping to help find Cassie, Sam does everything she can to try to remember what happened that night. The only person who seems to be willing to be the truth is Carson, the boy she spent her childhood with, but who she has treated like trash all through high school. Sam is trying to do better, trying to remember, but could her forgotten memories be the reason she’s still alive?

Until now, I knew Jennifer L. Armentrout could do paranormal and contemporary romance like no other. Now I can also add thriller to the list. I loved Don’t Look Back. Like, dropped-everything-when-I-walked-in-the-house-after-work-and-kept-reading-all-night loved this book. This story was engrossing. I kept telling myself I would stop after reading just one more chapter, but I was just humouring myself by that point, there was no way I was putting the book down. Being the curious person that I am, I just had to find out what was going on, what had happened the night that Sam and Cassie disappeared. And because the story is told from Sam’s point of view, I was finding things out as the same rate she did. And if I’m being honest, that could be a little frustrating at times, but at the same time it just made it so I couldn’t stop reading. And as with any Jennifer L. Armentrout book out there, it didn’t hurt that there was also a good does of romance in the story. But the mystery is what truly did it for me. I just wanted to know everything. Until it was close to 2 AM and I finally did (though I may have regretted that decision when my alarm went off the next morning). But Sam and Carson made it totally worth it.

I loved that this story was told from Sam’s perspective. It made everything feel that much more intense and there was almost this sense of urgency to the way she told her story at times. And if I’m not lying, that’s probably what kept me on the edge of my seat so much. But beyond that, Sam was just an interesting character to read about and get to know. Seeing how she would react to what people told her she used to be like just made me love her that much more. She was able to see that she had been a pretty horrible person but at least she was trying to do better now that she had a second chance at it all. But as much as I loved Sam, Carson is the one who completely stole my heart. Because Carson was truly a good guy. Sure he didn’t seem that way at first, but it didn’t take long for me to change my mind where he was concerned. For me, Carson just leapt off the page and straight into my heart. There was very little about him I didn’t love. And he was exactly who and what Sam needed. I also have to mention Scott, Sam’s twin brother. I loved the relationship this two had when Sam came back not knowing who she was. They might not have gotten along before her disappearance, but I loved the sibling bond, and how protective Scott became where Sam was concerned.

In case the gushing didn’t make it obvious enough, I loved Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Don’t Look Back. It was an engrossing page-turner that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. With this book, Jennifer L. Armentrout has just reinforced the fact that she will forever be on my auto-read list.

Cover Reveal: Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Today I have the pleasure of being able to share with you the cover for Jennifer L. Armentrout's upcoming Don't Look Back. You all know by now how much I love Jennifer and her books and I couldn't be more excited about this one. So just keep scrolling to see the amazing animated cover, find out more about the book and find out more about the author.

About the book:

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection o who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has alway spooked out for her--even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happen to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory--someone else knows, someone wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

Sounds like something you'd be interested in reading? The bad news is you have to wait until April 15. But the good news is you can already pre-order your copy from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.  

About the author:

#1 NEW YORK TIMES Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you've heard about her state aren't true. When she's not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories…which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Connect with Jennifer on her website, Twitter and Facebook.

  

Waiting on Wednesday (73)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where book bloggers devote a post to an upcoming book release they are particularly looking forward to. This week I have two titles I am particularly looking forward to reading.

How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
May 7, 2013
Simon Pulse

First she lost her heart. Then she lost her mind. And now she's on a road trip to win back her ex. This debut novel's packed with drama and romance!

Rosie's always been impulsive. She didn't intend to set her cheating ex-boyfriend's car on fire. And she never thought her attempts to make amends could be considered stalking. So whens she's served with a temporary restraining order on the first day of summer vacation, she's heartbroken--and furious.

To put distance between Rosie and her ex, Rosie's parents send her on a cross-country road trip with responsible, reliable neighbor Matty and his two friends. Forget freedom of the road, Rosie wants to hitchhike home and win back her ex. But her determination starts to dwindle with each passing mile. Because Rosie's spark of anger? It may have just ignited a romance with someone new…

Right when I first heard about How My Summer Went Up in Flames I knew I had to read this book. This story just sounds like an incredible amount of fun but also like one where there might be something a little more serious going on. Also there's a road trip. That's all I really needed to know in order to know I have to read this book.

The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

May 14, 2013

Disney-Hyperion

She's been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky…But now that she's been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last. 

Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they've given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do--or see--that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits' rules--and her dad's silence. If he won't help, it's time she got some answers for herself. 

But Meg isn't counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who's too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there's only one rule that really matters--survival.

This story sounds like it has the potential to have the perfect mix of romance and mystery. The synopsis for The Rules for Disappearing truly has me intrigued. I want to know why this girl is in the Witness Protection Program and I want to know why she's in danger. I guess I'll have to wait until May to figure it out!

Five Summers by Una LaMarche

May 16, 2013

Razorbill

Four best friends, five summers of camp memories.

The summer we were nine: Emma was branded "Skylar's friend Emma" by the infamous Adam Loring…

The summer we were ten: Maddie realized she was too far into her lies to think about telling the truth…

The summer we were eleven: Johanna totally freaked out during her first game of Spin the Bottle…

The summer we were twelve: Skylar's love letters from her boyfriend back home were exciting to all of us--except Skylar…

Our last summer together: Emma and Adam almost kissed. Jo found out Maddie's secret. Skylar did something unthinkable…and whether we knew it then or not, I've summers of friendship began to fall apart.

Three years after the fateful last night of camp, the four of us are coming back to camp for reunion weekend--and for a second chance. 

Bittersweet, funny, and achingly honest, Five Summers is a story of friendship, love, and growing up that is perfect for fans of Anne Brashares and Judy Blume's Summer Sisters.

Anne Brashares' Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants were among the first YA books I ever read, so being told Five Summers is perfect for fans of that author just makes me want to read it even more. The synopsis also totally piqued my curiosity--I want to know what happened that last summer that changed everything. And any book about summer camp is a good book if you ask me.

If you couldn't tell from these books or a fair amount of my posts recently, I LOVE contemporary. If anything, contemporary is probably my favorite genre so I'm excited about all the great contemps that seem to be coming out this year. Maybe this is the year contemporary makes a comeback? Even if it doesn't quite make a comeback, I'm hoping these three books won't disappoint me. 

Waiting on Wednesday (68)

For those who don't know, Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where book bloggers showcase books they are particularly looking for to. For the next few weeks, I'm going to be doing this a little differently. Like I did last year, each week I will be talking about books that are coming out early next year from different publishers. Up this week are January 2013 releases coming from HBG & Disney-Hyperion.

Altered by Jennifer Rush

January 2, 2013

A story that starts with a girl and a boy. A girl who loves a boy so much, she'll risk anything for him. ANd a boy who knows only one thing--kill anyone who stands in his way.

When you can't trust yourself, who can you believe?

Everything about Anna's life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There's Nick, Cas, Trev…and Sam, who's stolen Anna's heart. When the Branch decides it's time to take the boys, Same stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them.

Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There's just one problem. Sam and the boys don't remember anything before living in the lab--not even their true identities.

Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they're both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.

Right when I first heard about Altered I knew I wanted to read it. There's just enough revealed in the summary to make me want to find out exactly what this book is all about.

Return to Me by Justina Chen

January 15, 2013

Nothing is going as planned for Rebecca Muir. She's weeks away from starting college--at a school chosen specifically to put a few thousand miles of freedom between Reb an her parents. But her dad's last-minute job opportunity has her entire family moving all those miles with her! And then there's the matter of her unexpected, amazing boyfriend, Jackson, who is staying behind on the exact opposite coast. 

And if that isn't enough to deal with, mere days after moving cross-country, Reb's dad drops shocking, life-changing news. With her mother and brother overwhelmed and confused, Reb is left alone to pick up the pieces of her former life. But how can she do that when everything can change in an instant? How can she trust her "perfect" boyfriend when her own dad let her down? Reb started the year knowing exactly what her future would hold, but now that her world has turned upside down, will she discover what she really wants?

Justina Chen, the acclaimed author of North of Beautiful, has created a moving and powerful novel about the struggled that arise from betrayal, the uncertainty of life after high school, and the joy that ultimately comes from discovering what's truly in your heart.

I absolutely loved Justina Chen's North of Beautiful when I read it a couple of years ago. So when I found out that she had a new book coming out, I just couldn't help but be excited about it. I am now eagerly waiting for it to come out.

The Archived by Victoria Schwab

January 22, 2013

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often-violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive. 

Being a Keeper isn't just dangerous--it's a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da's death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and walking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall. 

In this haunting, richly imagined novel, Victoria Schwab reveals the thin lines between past and present, love and pain, trust and deceit, unbearable loss and hard-won redemption.

I never really got around to reading Victoria Schwab's debut, The Near Witch, but the summary for The Archived has me totally intrigued. And from what I've heard from people who have already had a chance to read it, it's just as good as it sounds.

Shadowlands by Kate Brian

January 8, 2013

Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived…and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection with her father and sister, Darcy, leaving their friends and family without so much as a goodbye.

Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children, but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying not eh beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. But just as they're starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?

So I've never read anything by Kate Brian, but this summary for Shadowlands piqued my curiosity. It sounds like a really interesting story and, again, from what I've heard it's as good as it sounds.

So these are the January 2013 titles I'm waiting on from HBG and Disney-Hyperion. Let me just say that there are lots and lots of good books coming out at the start of next year. Be sure to come back next week for the last of the January 2013 titles I'm waiting on.