A Blind Spot for Boys by Justina Chen

Title: A Blind Spot for Boys

Author: Justina Chen

Publisher: Little, Brown BFYR

Release Date: August 12, 2014

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Shana has always had a blind spot for boys. Can she trust the one who’s right in front of her?

Sixteen-year-old Shana Wilde is officially on a Boy Moratorium. After a devastating breakup, she decides it’s time to end the plague of Mr. Wrong, Wrong, and More Wrong.

Enter Quattro, the undeniably cute lacrosse player who slams into Shana one morning in Seattle. Sparks don’t just fly; they ignite. And so does Shana’s interest. Right as she’s about to rethink her ban on boys, she receives crushing news: Her dad is going blind.

Quattro is quickly forgotten, and Shana and her parents vow to make the most of the time her father has left to see. So they travel to Machu Picchu, and as they begin their trek, they run into non other than Quattro himself. 

Even as the trip unites them, Quattro pulls away mysteriously…

Love and loss, humor and heartbreak collide in this new novel from acclaimed author Justina Chen.

A few years ago, I read Justina Chen’s North of Beautiful and I absolutely loved it. Since, I hadn’t read anything more by this author. I don’t know why. But I recently remedied the situation by reading Justina Chen’s most recent release, A Blind Spot for Boys. And as I was reading, I was reminded of just how beautiful this author’s books are.

After getting her heart broken by a boy that was completely wrong for her, Shana went on a dating rampage, never getting attached to any of the boys she dated. When it all gets a little too crazy, she goes on a Boy Moratorium. But just when she makes the decision to swear off boys, Shana meets Quattro, the boy who slams into her life. It all seems like Shana may have finally found Mr. Right, but it all has to be put on hold when her family receives the news that her dad is going blind. Before she knows it, Shana is jetting off to South America so her dad can see Machu Picchu before he loses his sight completely. And just when she’s coming to terms with her boy-less life, Shana finds herself coming face to face with Quattro, thousands of miles away from home. The more time she spends with Quattro, the more Shana begins to rethink her Boy Moratorium. But there’s something Quattro is not telling her. As she sees her life as she knows it come apart, will Shana be able to reach out to the one person who could help her through it all?

I clearly remember when I read Justina Chen’s North of Beautiful years ago, I was deeply affected by the book and it stayed with me for a long time. After that, though, for whatever reason I didn’t go back and read any of her other books nor did I really pay attention to whether or not she had any upcoming releases. But when I heard about A Blind Spot for Boys I knew that I wanted to read this book. As you’re well aware if you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, I’m a sucker for any and all contemporary story, but I also love those contemporary stories that go deep than just the fun and flirty romance. With A Blind Spot for Boys, that’s exactly what I got. I’ll be the first to admit that I expected there to be more an focus on the romance and the developing relationship between Shana and Quattro, but that’s not really what this story was. And I’m happy about that. This story was very much about Shana finding herself and coming to terms with what is happening to her family. It was about a family having to adapt to a new situation but not knowing how to do it. And all of this was set against the backdrop of the Machu Picchu trail. I’ll be honest, if nothing else, this book made me want to get on a plane to Peru and see Machu Picchu with my own eyes.

Shana was different than I expected her to be. From the synopsis of the book, I had the image in my mind of what she was going to be. But then I started reading and met a completely different girl than I expected. And I really liked the girl I met. I loved seeing how much Shana cared about her family and all she was willing to do and sacrifice for her family, no matter how misguided that could sometimes be. Over the course of the story, I loved seeing her come to terms with what was happening and find out who she really is, other than the girl who takes pictures and who dates a lot of boys. And I loved how her would-be relationship with Quattro helped her learn so much about herself. I wish I could have seen more of Quattro, though. Found out more about him, about everything that has happened to him to make him who he was. As for the cast of secondary characters, I really enjoyed seeing how each one of them played a part in Shana finding herself and understanding who she wanted to be and what she wanted for herself. It really felt like each one had something to add to the story.

Justina Chen’s A Blind Spot for Boys was exactly the kind of book I had hoped it would be. It made me realize that I really need to go back and read Justina Chen’s books that I’ve so far haven’t gotten my hands on.

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.