Review: Crash Into You (Pushing the Limits #3) by Katie McGarry

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

From Goodreads

Isaiah got his heart crushed by the one woman he thought he could trust. Having been abandoned by his mother & bounced around the foster system for years, he's a bit prickly. He's got a great family (meaning the people he has chosen as family) who will do anything for him, but that still doesn't make him any less intimidating. In walks the gal with a car he's drooling over & the attitude to go with it. Rachel is the token daughter in a family filled with secrets & lies. To escape the pressures at home, she speeds around in her Mustang. When things go sideways at the street race the night she meets Isaiah, nothing will ever be the same.

You guys know I love me some Katie McGarry books. As I said in my WoW yesterday, I may not be able to wait for the boxed set to buy this book. Isaiah has been my favorite character all along, so to have a book featuring him was almost enough to make me squeal. I couldn't have imagined it would get even better when we get introduced to Rachel.

Both of these teens are stubborn & hard-headed to their own detriment, but the benefit of others. They are loyal & trustworthy despite having shady tendencies. Getting to learn about their vastly different, yet eerily similar backgrounds was a lot of fun and made this a unique read. I don't know a lot about cars, but even I appreciated the muscle displayed during the racing & mechanic shop scenes.

McGarry has an entertaining writing style since we get the story from both perspectives. It would be repetitive if done by almost anyone else, but the lens she uses to show us the interactions is what really drives the story home for me. I adored getting to see the parts of these two characters that almost no one saw & how they allowed each other to see what they couldn't actually face themselves. 

While the romance was a little speedy in my opinion (I'm not a fan of insta-love because for me it's not very realistic) it worked well for how this story played out. There is definitely some language, violence, minor drug scenarios (although little to know actual usage mentioned), these things all served their purpose.

Personally, I am the biggest fan of the fact that Katie isn't afraid to break her characters; both emotionally & physically. You'll just have to read to find out what I mean. :)

ARC graciously provided by Around the World Tours

I sent this video to Katie since a lot of the lyrics remind me of scenes in this book & Isaiah in general. I know it's long, but it is well worth it. Enjoy!

ARC Review: Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols

Bailey wasn’t always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey’s were hushed away.

Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie’s debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey’s antics and ship her off to granddad’s house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey’s fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. But this life has broken Bailey’s heart once before. She isn’t sure she’s ready to let Sam take her there again…

From Goodreads

There are a few names that will get my attention when it comes to books. Jennifer Echols is one of the fastest ways to get me to focus on what you're saying. Her books are just so real. She does contemporary romance, almost always with a theme, unlike anybody else. Such a Rush, Forget You, & Love Story are some of my favorites by her. I think part of the draw to read her work stems from the memorable situations & characters she creates. Like I said, there is always a theme in her books. Planes, writing, and music have all taken center stage in her books allowing a wonderful medium in which to create the ideal situation for her stories.

Bailey's story is unique because she's not struggling to prove herself; she is an accomplished musician. She's struggling to create her own self rather than the self that everyone is trying to thrust upon her. Her parents expect one thing, her sister another, & the new band she joined definitely has other opinions in regards to her actions. She has to decide what's best for her & it's clashing with her relationships.

Sam is a fairly typical wannabe-megastar musician except that he's almost as conflicted as Bailey. While he has a clear sight on his ultimate goal, he's conflicted about the best way to get there; not who he has to go through, or what it's going to cost him, he simply knows he has to get a recording contract. He sees an opportunity in Bailey that he didn't necessarily plan on, but the disharmony between his heart's desire & his career goal are striking all the wrong chords with everyone.

Naturally this book is set in Nashville as it is about country music. I really like the breath of fresh air with the musically style. By throwing in the curve balls with the band's musical stylings I think Jennifer has done a fabulous jobs blending classic country with modern music. I would LOVE to have actually been able to hear some of these renditions. 

The only think that I can think of that would have made this book even better would be some closer glimpses at Bailey's life between the announcement of her sister's contract & the accident that lands her in her grandfather's care for the summer. We get some big details that are pertinent to plot development, but I think there could have been some more set up just so that the reader is better able to more closely identify with the protagonist.

While there is only one actual steamy romance scene, plenty of sexual acts are alluded to between Bailey & several guys. The same can be said for Sam & his girlfriends. For what they are, I don't think they're any more risque than you might read elsewhere in YA. There is also small mentions of drugs & drinking and driving, but they are used in a cautionary way. I liked how she handled these situations because sometimes when I hear that a book is about the music scene all I can think about it sex, drugs, & rock 'n roll. This was not the case in this book and I loved it!

Overnight Sensation by Hal Eisenberg review

Fifteen year-old Jonah Levine is practically invisible at Applecrest High. His Facebook page is pathetic, his baseball skills are mediocre at best, and his IQ seems to drop 50 points when talking to girls. But everything changes when his rock band, Hitstreak, becomes the hottest teen sensation in the country. And now they’re about to perform in front of 15,000 screaming fans.

So why isn’t he jumping for joy?

Well, for starters, that hit on the radio wasn’t really recorded by his band. In fact, six months ago, he and his friends could barely play a note between them. And now they’re about to perform in front of 15,000 screaming fans. What begins as a mindless prank quickly spins out of control, involving his father’s secret past as a 70’s rocker, a high school bully who wants in on the action, and a powerful, ruthless, media mogul who will stop at nothing to claim the band as his own. Will Jonah prevail? Or will he and his band go down in flames and become the biggest farce in pop music history?

From Goodreads

Jonah has always loved music. His friends share his love as well and together they formed a band. The fact that none of them really play and mostly just want to be in a "band" for the girls is a moot point. He never expected that his own dad had a rock 'n roll past or that it would so greatly affect Jonah's band's future.

Through a series of missteps, miscommunication, and teenage hubris, Jonah and his friends find themselves pretending the be the band behind the hot new song on the radio. The truth? The song was recorded by Jonah's father's real band. It may start out small, but when a big wig producer sinks his hooks into these young guys, there is no time to stop what they started.

I'm gonna shoot this one completely straight. I loved the story behind this book. I did not love the writing.

Jonah, his friends, and his family are such great characters that I enjoy watching fumble through this impossible scenario. Their humor and history allow for quirky and fun exchanges to develop the story. The musical references are just nostalgic enough to still be relate-able. Even better was the story idea itself. I can see most of this story happening up to a point. The boys' hubris makes perfect sense for the ages and personalities they represent.

I had a really hard time overlooking the writing in this book. The content was good, but the execution was not quite as polished as it could have been. I think a more severe editing brush was needed to clean up the dialogue that seemed to have a "and then he said..." feel to it. Punctuation and paragraph structure were also off, but not so often that it detracted too much from the story.

So...if you like music and like teenage boy shenanigans (especially those embarrassing first date scenes) then be sure to pick this book up. I tore through it despite the writing flaws. I have a feeling that since this a relatively new addition to the YA writing scene, that the author will definitely learn as he goes. Overall though, a fun, light read for all!

Purple Daze by Sherry Shahan

I'm using the Goodreads blurb because my summary gave away too much & I really wanted to leave the content as a surprise. The way the novel unfolds is much more eloquent & enrapturing than any summary I could devise.

Purple Daze is a young adult novel set in suburban Los Angeles in 1965. Six high school students share their experiences and feelings in interconnected free verse and traditional poems about war, feminism, riots, love, racism, rock 'n' roll, high school, and friendship.

Although there have been verse novels published recently, none explore the changing and volatile 1960's in America— a time when young people drove a cultural and political revolution. With themes like the costs and casualties of war, the consequences of sex, and the complex relationships between teens, their peers, and their parents, this story is still as relevant today as it was 45 years ago.

From Goodreads

This book blew me away! I thought that I had read all the different versions of 1960's youth portrayals & that this would fall under the category of "been there, done that, got the t-shirt." I'll be the first to admit, I was way wrong.

We are introduced to the six main characters who are all loosely related to one another & who all represent different movements (for lack of a better word) from this time period. We have feminism, drug use, anti-war protesting, draftees serving in Vietnam & a whole slew of other things. These teens are at the most pivotal points in their lives where they are branching out of the "safety" of their parental homes & really discovering who they are & what they are willing to fight for in their lives.

The 1960s was a turbulent era because the youth were going in divergent directions. Specifically, this book takes place in 1965 (after the assassination of JFK) & so these teens we're following have experienced a great trauma & are insecure in regards to the future. Not only are they experiencing social & political upheaval, but even the music is "dangerous." Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix... just to name a few. Watching these teens choose their own paths based on their personal experiences was mesmerizing. And never fear if you aren't a history buff, there is more than enough context clues & subtle hints to help you understand what's going on.

Simply put, this book is profound. It will challenge what you think you know about an adolescence during this time & help you to understand why it is such a pivotal time in this nation's history. A tremendous read, I can't wait to buy a finished copy. I leave you with a song dripping with history.

ARC kindly provided by the author.

The Girl Who Became a Beatle by Greg Taylor

Regina Bloomsbury is just your typical Beatles fangirl. Except that she's not a child of the 60's. Regina is a Millenial child who's parents' love of all things Beatles transferred to her at birth. She even named her own band The Caverns after the night club where the Beatles got their start. Unfortunately Regina's fab four isn't so fab. Actually, Julian (guitar) is frustrated with Regina & Lorna (bass) & Danny (drums) just quit because they don't think that Regina can get them the real gigs they've been aching to play. So frustrated, embarrassed & depressed, Regina seeks sanctuary in her Beatles laiden home. She even makes a wish that her band were as famous as the Beatles.

The next morning Regina wakes up to a whole new world. The Beatles has ceased to exist (or rather, never existed at all) & instead The Caverns are playing all their music. More specifically Regina is singing their songs as her band's own music. It turns out that Regina's "fairy godmother" made her wish come true. For one week Regina Bloomsbury gets to be as famous as the Beatles because her band has replaced them in history. At the end of that week, her band is slated to play the Grammys. If she decides she wants to stay in this alternate life forever, she can do just that. Or she can go back to being Regina Bloomsbury, nobody from Twin Oaks.

So here we go on a whirlwind tour in the life of a very famous person. She's meeting new people, being chased by rabid fans, still crushing on Julian & yet dating an actor. Regina is overwhelmed because she is just thrown into all this with no history behind it all. She needs to get her head together, figure out how they shot to stardom, & where she wants to go from here. All is needs is a little help from her friends. Piece of cake right?

This was a mind-boggling, roller-coaster, adventure of a book. I've heard of fairy godmother's granting wishes before, but becoming one of the most influential rock bands in history isn't what I would call an "every day, run of the mill wish." Greg Taylor really dug deep to find a unique rhythm for this book. Not only did he make his lead character an aspiring singer/songwriting young woman, he really made me believe her Beatlemania! There are so many details about the Beatles in this book that I was afraid that there would be a glaring error that would just shoot it out of the sky. To my utmost pleasure, he managed to mix in just enough "generally known" facts as he did "hardcore fanatic knowledge."

I must admit that I found myself very entertained by the central characters. There was real potential for Regina to just be a cardboard Beatles-replacement, but Taylor really wove her story & background into her situation very well. Not only was she having to contend with her instant stardom, but she was fighting her divorced parents, sorting out boy drama & still working on herself as a person. Truly, I admire what she went through & how she came to her final decision.

In the end, this was a fun, feisty, fanatical read. I'm sure I'll end up buying this one for when I need a pick-me-up. Regina Bloomsbury has a fabulous sense of humor that I couldn't resist. And because it was a Beatles fan-book, I'll leave you with my favorite Beatles song in my favorite rendition:

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Rhine has been taken by the Gatherers. These roving bands of thieves steal their world's most valuable resource: young girls. In a world where men die at 25 and women die at 20, the Gatherers are making a profit off stealing young girls & selling them into prostitution, workhouses, or (potentially one of the worst) into a loveless marriage where they're forced to give birth to the next generation. The latter is what has happened to Rhine & while she is constantly worried about her twin brother & what he's doing, she's determined to get back to him.

Rhine, Jenna, & Cecily were all married to a semi-famous architect named Linden Ashby. While they each have their own room & their own attendant, they are confined to the wife floor of an expansive mansion. Rhine manages to quickly bond with the current wife Rose, who is in the throes of death. Rose warns Rhine not to underestimate Linden's father, he's a ruthless doctor that will protect his work & his son, at any cost. After Rose's death, Rhine inherits her status as the "first wife," a more public role than that of the other wives, and sets about earning Linden's trust so she can make a break for it at the earliest moment.

But Rhine didn't expect to actually grow fond of her sister wives, being to care for her husband & she certainly never expected Gabriel.

This is an attention-grabbing first novel in a new series by a debut author! I must say that I am quite impressed with this book. It manages to be set in a future, semi-apocalyptic world where everyone is dying from an unknown virus & yet seem so currently. I feel like it draws several parallels to present-day situations where young girls are treated like products to be distributed rather than the human being that they are.

Rhine is such an amiable character. Her story really draws you in & also gives you a picture of what's happened in the world. Her memories of her parents really helped flesh out what was going on in the rest of the world while she was stuck under Linden's house arrest. The "sister wife" concept was a first for me outside of a "religious-polygamy" setting, but it fit quite well with the "we need to make lots of babies quickly to find an antidote to what's killing us" scenario. I think it really added depth to the multitude of experiences by young girls in this society.

While I felt the writing was a bit repetitive at times (as in using the same phrase to covey the same emotion/memory), overall it was very metered & perfectly timed. The word choice really made a difference as well. There's not an adequate way to really describe it without giving away certain situations, but suffice it to say that this is a book that you won't want to miss.

On a side note, I must say that this book inspired me to create a playlist to listen to. The words of each song really convey the actions taking place. Listen, enjoy, & let me know what you think!

Soul Screamers Playlist

Welcome back to Soul Screamers Week here at Tattooed Books! Don't forget about the giveaway! Enjoy this nifty little treat.


While scouring the net for ideas for Teen Tech Week I came across a GREAT website: playlist.com. It is completely free and so much fun. You simply sign up for an account and then you can select songs to add to playlists that you get to create! They have a great selection of songs and it's super-easy to use. Check out the playlist I made for My Soul To Take below. I think it's pretty good.

For a first-timer, I think I did pretty well. I hope you enjoyed my little foray into the music department. Stay tuned for more great stuff coming at you every day this week!

Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

The Thornking-Ash Conservatory is unlike many other specialty high schools in the fact that is focused on fostering musically-gifted teens. Oh, did I forget to mention the slightly demonic fey who tend to gather nearby and want to prey on the students. I think they left that out of the brochure.

Ballad continues the story a few months after the ending of Lament. If you have not read Lament, I would suggest that you start there as this review will contain spoilers for that book. And then once you've read it, you can read my review here. Then come on back and read the tempting review I'm spilling now for Ballad.

So, after battling an evil faerie queen, James Morgan and Deidre "Dee" Monaghan are starting to move on with their lives when they chose to go to Thornking-Ash. Other than the fact that they don't talk much and aren't nearly as close to one another as they once were, things seem to be taking on a rather normal rhythm.

Then in walks Nuala. A waif of a girl, she begins her obvious enticement of James, only to find that he resists her completely. Nuala is not one to deal with rejection easily, so she pursues him more vigorously. Her plan backfires when he gets her to tell him what it is she is really after. A life-stealing, half-faerie, muse is following him around and he is at a loss of how to get rid of her. As his relationship with her morphs and grows into a closer bond, James starts to realize just how far Dee has drifted from him. Not to mention, there is something nefarious about this school. There are too many faerie for having so much iron around and they are stronger than they should be. Something is brewing and it's going to take everyone to fight the forthcoming battle.

Astounding! That is how I would sum up all that happens in Ballad. Dee and James continue to be interesting individuals as we learn more about them. Lament was mostly the story of Dee as a cloverhand. Ballad is mostly about James's incredible talent at his chosen instrument, the bagpipes. I felt like James really grew as a character and that we as readers obtained a more in-depth understanding of the complexity of emotions that he feels for Dee, while she was far removed from the main storyline.

Nuala added the same kind of intrigue and mysteriousness that Luke added to the last novel. She wasn't upfront with what she was, she was fighting her fate, and she couldn't help but be drawn to a human. While at times I found her mischievous nature amusing, sometimes it could get old and I just wanted her to get on with whatever she needed. James could be whiny at times, but I felt like his character really stood up and started to act like he was worth something.

Overall I really enjoyed this companion novel (because I don't really think it's a sequel and half the major players last time aren't really involved) with its new settings, new characters, and general shenanigans. The ending was quite a surprise to me, but I'm glad it ended up where it did. I wouldn't be surprised if she continued this world, but I think if she decided not to, that this was a fitting stopping point.

Nostalgic Friday: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Chon and David Levithan

Welcome back to Nostalgic Friday! Since I love all things historical (culturally, physically, and personally) I do a post on Fridays honoring some awesome book that is a bit older. Many of them are books I enjoyed in my teens and others are books that I discovered as an adult that I think are relevant to YA readers.

This week's pick is Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. I found this book not long before the movie came out. The movie, starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings, came out in late 2008. As soon as I heard that it was based on a book, I ran to work (remember I work at a library) to snatch up a copy before they were all gone. I was not disappointed at all!

When you are coming off the heels of a painful break-up, your first reaction is probably not going out to hit the club. At least, not in this sense. Nick and Norah are both lively, energetic, passionate people who LOVE music. After their personal realtionship tragedies, they head out on the town (seperately) with friends to try enjoying company.

A chance meeting at a particular club lands these two together on a whirlwind adventure all over the city. They learn a lot about themselves, each other, and what their futures hold for them. Little do they know that they will find exactly what they were running from in each other.

A witty, fast-paced read, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is told in alternating voices giving wonderful perspective and depth on two different viewpoints of the same situation. While Norah is notorious for her foul mouth and in-your-face attitude, Nick is her counter-part as he is rather quiet and observant. All of the characters are dynamic and likeable to the point that I kind of wish they were my friends. Not to mention the fact that these teens actually seem like real teens. The authors did a fantastic job capturing the essence of these personalities. Just an all around fun read that will leave you wanting more. Give it a shot!