ARC Review: Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles

After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama.

Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain--people you care about leave without a backward glance. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and win it all?

From Goodreads

Simone's book summaries are always so great! They hit all the high points without giving away too much. I'll let this one do the summarizing for me so that I can go ahead and tell you to put this one on your To Be Read list.

Ashtyn is a sweet girl. Having lost everyone in her life either physically or emotionally is bound to take a toll. I was surprised to find that she was a delicate balance of strength & frailty. I really liked how she was struggling to define herself. She was good at something unconventional for a female & could walk that hard road, but she still wanted to be a good girlfriend and "normal" girl. We see her visible struggle with these two sides of herself while still trying to remain honest.

Derek is a a good boy acting out to get attention. Also an abandoned teen, instead of going out of his way to try to fit in, he has done the opposite. By rebelling against everything even remotely structured & filling his time with angst and pranks, he's really exposed his vulnerabilities. By going on the offensive, he believes he is protecting himself when really he's doing more damage.

These two came together under extremely unique circumstances and blew each other's worlds apart. The background and setting played a minor role in getting things hopping; it was really the culmination of past events that pushed the story forward. I think adding sports into the mixture of Simone's normally delinquent-filled books added a little something extra. It gave the characters' bond more depth than I had anticipated.

While there were a few dropped sub-plotlines& minor holes in stroy arc execution, it wasn't anything to get me worked up. I'm sure most people might not even notice them. :) I can't wait to see what she brings out in the next book. While I don't think it'll star the same characters, I do think it'll be just a bit a hit.

Until I Die (Revenants #2) by Amy Plum review

Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love.

As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.

In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series.

From Goodreads
  
Kate has had a rough go of the last year and change. With her parents dieing & her having to move to Paris with her sister to live with her grandparents, she's been a little shell-shocked. But then came Vincent. He turned her whole world upside down with his very existence. After discovering his true identity as a revenant, she still couldn't give up the way she feels about him. After a trial-by-fire immersion into his world, the two decide that they really should give their relationship its proper attempt. The only caveat is that Kate can't spend their relationship worrying about him having to sacrifice himself in order to save other humans.


As a result they each go about trying to find a way to help ease his pain so he can resist the need/desire to sacrifice himself. As the story progresses we learn more about revenant history & mythology as a new enemy springs up. While the numa have been dormant since their master's murder, they have been too quiet & the truth is more astonishing than any of them could have dreamed up.


Amy Plum has done it again. Until I Die is the perfect follow up to the smashing success that is Die for Me. I said it on Twitter & I will be more than happy to repeat it here, this book does not even remotely suffer from second book in a series syndrome. Plum's lush writing style set against the incredible backdrop that is Paris is a force to be reckoned with. There is a vibrancy to her writing that allows the reader to truly experience of what she is writing.


This book was a little more emotional than the first book simply because it involved deep matters of the heart. Kate is still quite young (by Vincent's standards) but she's desperate to make their relationship work. As such she goes through turmoil that only a teenager's first love can create. Even more nerve-wracking is the ultimate betrayal. Naturally I can't give you any hints, but there is something so visceral about a personal betrayal & Plum hits it right on the head.


A fabulous continuation in a wonderful series, I absolutely cannot wait to see what she has in store for the finale. If you don't already, you really should follow Amy on Twitter because she puts up some great stuff like her current profile pic with Stefan & Damon of The Vampire Diaries! (@AmyPlumOhLaLa)

Die for Me by Amy Plum review

In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.

When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

From Goodreads

Vincent & Kate shouldn't want to be together. There are so many things that separate them including circumstance, age & oh yeah, human status. You see Vincent isn't just a normal guy. He's a revenant, a being compelled to continually die in order for others to have a better chance at life. That imagery just doesn't jive for Kate who sees a simple, kind, compassionate guy who can understand her pain & grief.

Despite doing their best to ignore their feelings & against the wishes of those closest to them, the couple being to date. While the other revenants begin to warm up to her, no one really expects the grave danger she poses to all of them. Not only does she know their secrets, but she knows more than she should & other like her new friends don't appreciate her interference. 

Amy Plum has crafted an in-depth, fantastic world set in the ethereal city of Paris. This ancient city filled with its own ghosts & haunts is the perfect setting for a book about non-dead entities saving the living from their ill-fated lives. Consumed in her own grief, Kate found herself constantly running into Vincent & his crew around town. After a few such run in they were unable to help themselves. If that's not a recipe for relationship disaster I don't know what is! 


Despite everything going against them, the city works her magic for them & the happy couple starts to spend more time together. The city does play a large role in the story & I truly enjoyed how well Amy Plum captured the city's essence. Not only that, she also managed to capture a certain quality of each character's original time period without making them seem too dated. Also, she took what could be a really creepy concept & made it attractive & engaging.


The wit & humor abound in this novel & I really can't wait for it's follow-up. The action kind of reminded me of the book Jumper by Steven Gould where things are slow, then action-packed & then they slow down again. It allows you time to fully absorb what just happened. Truly a magnificent book!

The Sky is Everyehwere by Jandy Nelson

The Sky is Everywhere is a great novel by debut author Jandy Nelson. It will be available in stores March 9, 2010.

Lennie Walker feels abandoned. Not just because her mother disappeared when she was a year old, but as the quirky, clarinet-playing, little sister to her queen-of-the-stage sister Bailey, Lennie has never really had to stand out on her own. She could hide in her sister's shadow and never have to worry about being noticed. That is, until the day that Bailey dies. Lennie's whole world is turned upside down by this one event.

Left behind to ponder how she will go on, Lennie isn't alone. Bailey's boyfriend Toby can't seem to stay away from their family as they're the only ones he can commiserate with. Unfortunately for Lennie, the line dividing her and Bailey into two individuals becomes blurred when Toby can't seem to stay away from her. This does not bode well for anyone, especially the new flame in town who is head-over-heels for Lennie.

And not to be outdone, there is even more drama at home with Lennie's Grandmother and Uncle Big who want to help her move through this tough time. They keep trying to get her to pack up Bailey's things and talk to them about what she's feeling, when all Lennie wants to do is keep Bailey's memory alive as long as she can; even if it means shutting out the world. The thing is, you can only run from the truth for so long before you're winded and it catches up to you.

Absolutely beautiful. That's what comes to mind when I think of this book. I wanted to read it slowly so that I could savor it, but it was so page-turning that I couldn't stop myself. Lennie is about as real as it gets. I swear she could have walked right off the page and danced in my living room. She is vivacious and funny, poignant and thoughtful, and above all conflicted. This story is about love, loss, recovery, and learning. Life is not easy and it most certainly isn't fair and that is never more obvious than when you're a teenager.

I found myself laughing out loud at the hilarious parts (a massive arborist uncle who tries to revive deceased bugs under replica Egyptian pyramids?) and sobbing at the most difficult scenes. My heart actually broke with the characters and I rejoiced when they triumphed. The writing was wonderful with a colorful vocabulary and the style is one that I am very fond of: there is poetry (written by the main character) scattered throughout the book and throughout the setting. This very natural habit to document emotions makes Lennie even more present in my mind.

Truly, I believe that Jandy Nelson has joined the likes of many great authors of contemporary YA fiction: Sarah Dessen, Francesca Lia Block, and Laurie Halse Anderson come to mind. This is book is imaginative, powerful, genuine, and unforgettable. I don't think I know anyone who couldn't empathize and understand this book, so go ahead and read it.

Of All the Stupid Things by Alexandra Diaz

Tara, Pinkie, and Whitney Blaire have been friends since they were children and Tara saved Whitney Blaire from where she was stuck in a tree. Thus their bond was created and they all play a vital role.

Pinkie is the mother hen who is always checking up on the well-being of her chicks due to the fact that she lost her own mother at a very young age. Tara is the dependable and independent one who does what she is supposed to and trains hard for her marathon because she is running from the truth. Whitney Blaire is kind of the wild card because she is accustomed to getting what she wants and knows just how to work her assets, until they backfire on her.

Everything was chugging along just fine until Whitney Blaire heard an unsavory story about Tara's beefy jock boyfriend Brent. It turns out he was cheating on Tara with one of the cheerleaders. Correction, one of the guy cheerleaders. This one incident changes the friendship between these three girls in ways they could never imagine. Tara loses herself to her training and in doing so finds herself drawn to the new girl in school Riley. This drives Whitney Blaire insane and causes catfights between her and the new girl. As a result, Tara shies away from her longtime friends. This sends Pinkie into an absolute tizzy and she feels the need to worry needlessly about every little thing.

As the story moves through these hardships, the girls grow up in a sense and their relationships change with everyone in their lives.

I have to say, the premise sounded really good to me. A story about three friends who go through a tumultuous time in their lives and come out on the other side sounds really interesting. Unfortunately the execution could have been better. I felt like the only character who really changed or grew at all as a person was Tara. She realized her own worth and stood up for what made her happy.

Pinkie still gave in to being a momma's girl, even though her mother has long been dead. Whitney Blaire is just as despicable at the end of the novel as she was at the beginning. Brent was no better really, although his storyline faded into the background and we never really found out what really happened to him. The parents of these children were no better either. Most of them seemed over the top dramatic and unrealistic to me. I know that parents like these exist, but they just seemed too "cookie-cutter" for me.

I really wanted to like this book, but it just left a sour taste in my mouth and unresolved issues at the end of the novel. It just fizzled for me.