If I Stay - Gayle Forman

Title: If I Stay
Author: Gayle Forman
Pages: 199
Genre: Young Adult|Contemporary
Publication Date: 4/9/2009
Rating: *****

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen year- old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make -and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

I have never read something so emotional in so few pages. While a quick read, it was a difficult one because it is so heart wrenching. There were several times throughout reading this that I found myself with tears in my eyes and the feeling of my heart breaking. This is such a poignant read that it will grip you by the heart and drag you in, leaving you with no other choice but to devour it.

I thought I knew what to expect going in and I have heard a lot of readers gushing about it but I really had no idea that it would be this good. Could you imagine being in such a tragic situation while you are only an outsider, a witness to all that is going on around you while you can do nothing but think and reflect? There were some incredibly painful moments to read but I couldn't tear myself away from it.

If I Stay has such an intense emotional impact that it will leave you breathless and linger in your mind well after you have finished it. It contains so many emotions - helplessness, despair, unimaginable pain, yet it is surrounded by happiness and so much love you can feel every bit of it. The characters are realistic and you will find yourself hurting for them, laughing with them, and above all, wanting to reach out to them in their darkest moments.

This is one that I feel is unforgettable. I am eager to get my hands on the sequel, Where She Went. I highly recommend this one and I urge you to get a copy ASAP, buy, borrow, what have you, it's a must read!

Two Way Street - Lauren Barnholdt

Title: Two Way Street
Author: Lauren Barnholdt
Pages: 288
Genre: Young Adult|Contemporary
Publication Date: 6/26/2007
Rating: ****

There are two sides to every breakup.

This is Jordan and Courtney, totally in love. Sure, they were an unlikely high school couple. But they clicked; it worked. They're even going to the same college, and driving cross-country together for orientation.

Then Jordan dumps Courtney -- for a girl he met on the Internet.

It's too late to change plans, so the road trip is on. Courtney's heartbroken, but figures she can tough it out for a few days. La la la -- this is Courtney pretending not to care.

But in a strange twist, Jordan cares. A lot.

Turns out, he's got a secret or two that he's not telling Courtney. And it has everything to do with why they broke up, why they can't get back together, and how, in spite of it all, this couple is destined for each other.

Courtney and Jordan are on a road trip to Boston to go to college. You know this is going to a super-uncomfortable-awkward situation since they are broken up. They had a great relationship before, until Jordan dumps her for some internet bimbo, thus making things far more uncomfortable for them.

Except for one thing: Jordan has a huge secret behind the truth of why he really broke up with her.

I found it to be deeper than I expected. There were laugh-out-loud moments and such, but I felt like Courtney and Jordan were pretty realistic in their thinking and actions. I think it being told from both of their perspectives added to this. I really liked reading about how the other felt/thought and I must add that there were plenty of funny moments even through the more serious times. One of the better parts for me was how Courtney imagined his 'new internet girlfriend'. One negative was the amount of cursing. Some I really don't mind, most of the time it doesn't bother me, but I think there are times when it can be over used and this is one of those times.

I know that novels like this can be pretty predictable, but in this genre, you know what you're getting into most of the time, so in all honesty I can't complain about that too much. It didn't make it any less enjoyable and I still found myself wrapped up in their story.

I recommend this to anyone looking for a semi-light read (some of it is a good bit sad, or it was for me anyway) and a love story.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight - Jennifer E. Smith

Title: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Pages: 236
Genre: Young Adult Comtemporary
Publication Date:
Rating: ****

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is one of the cutest books I have ever read, yet surprisingly emotional.

I went into this one expecting it to be some cutesy-mushy, unrealistic but fun, love story. This was about way more than just some cute guy Hadley meets at the airport. Hadley Sullivan is getting ready to go to her father's wedding and meet his soon-to-be bride for the first time. However, due to a string of events, she ends up missing her flight by a mere four minutes. Due to this delay, she meets Oliver -- a super cute British boy who happens to be on the same flight as her.

I really liked Hadley and her quirks - like her hatred/fear of mayo and small spaces. Hadley still hasn't gotten over her dad leaving the family and to make things worse, he is remarrying. I thought Hadley's feelings about her father were very realistic. She struggled with wanting to be permanently angry with him, yet remembering how close they had been before. I was really sucked in to the emotion here and at times had me in near tears. I felt like the relationship between them was very real - it was that of not just a father and daughter but of friends as well.

Now we have Oliver. He is so quirky and cute (how could I ever choose between him and Etienne St. Clair?!). He and Hadley are different but in such a way that it works. However, it is clear that Oliver has issues of his own to face and overcome but he doesn't let that stop him from shining.

I would really recommend this to anyone who is looking for a truly adorable love story but also one that proves you can overcome problems and defy the rules of love.

New Girl - Paige Harbison

Title: New Girl
Author: Paige Harbison
Pages: 304
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
Publication Date: 1/31/2012 (eARC provided by NetGalley/HarlequinTEEN)
Rating: ***

They call me 'New Girl'...

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be.

And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.

After just finishing New Girl, I feel totally confused and have that thought of 'What...huh?'. I can't say that I totally hated this book but I can't say I loved it either. This was comparable to some kind of whirlwind that is filled with a bunch of what-in-the-world? with flashes and bits of things that keep you reading (this isn't necessarily a bad thing here).

New Girl (you won't be finding out her real name until the end of the book) has just started Manderly Academy and finds herself shadowed by a missing student: Becca Normandy. This book is told from New Girl and Becca's perspective, New Girl in present day and Becca before she went missing.

Okay, I have a few things good bit to get off my chest here. First, I really did not like New Girl or Becca, although half way through I started liking New Girl more and of course, Becca even less. New Girl really, really - and yes, I mean really - needed to grow a backbone and tell people to shut it already. That grated on my nerves something awful. She would let these other students talk to her so horribly and talk behind her back and wouldn't say anything. Luckily, that gets better eventually.

Becca. This girl obviously had no morals or any kind of decency or respect to anyone or herself. I am not even going into this one otherwise it will overtake the whole review.

Max and Johnny were semi-okay. I think they could have been better, but all in all not bad - when they weren't tied up around Becca anyway. Dana was a complete nut case and there were times I would wonder why she wasn't in some kind of counseling or therapy... or perhaps a strait jacket when she went into one of her screaming-crazy-Becca-obsessed fits (although later on I did develop some sort of sympathy for her).

With all that out of the way, I say again, I didn't actually hate this book. There was a great mystery to it, I had to know who New Girl was (not just her name) and I had to know what exactly happened to Becca and why on earth she was such a vile person. At the end though, I still felt like there was something to know that was left unsaid and was left feeling a little uneasy. I don't know if it was the overall weirdness of the story or what. It wasn't written poorly, but the story in itself was strange. I am curious now to read Rebecca which is what this story is based off of.

Overall, I would say read at your own risk. It's not one I would run out and demand people to read, but at the same time I wouldn't say never read it, just to enter with caution.

Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins

Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Pages: 372
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary
Publication Date: 12/2/2010
Rating: *****

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?

How have I not read this already?!

I have read so many spectacular reviews for Anna and the French Kiss and yet for some reason kept putting it off. All I can say is I only wish I had picked it up sooner!

Anna Oliphant is a senior who is being shipped off to boarding school in Paris by her father - and she hates it. She only wants to be in Atlanta with her friends, her brother, and her crush (who she had a one time kiss with), Toph. Fortunately, while there she manages to make some pretty great friends - one of which is Etienne St. Clair.

Etienne was great. He was perfect, yet flawed and it worked so well. Don't be surprised if you end up developing a fictional crush on Etienne St. Clair! It was wonderful how their friendship developed at a slow pace and their conversations seemed realistic. It wasn't all gushing over one another, rather they had real conversations about their life, great moments of joking around, and just simply enjoying being in the company of one another.

It was great to see how Anna's friends were able to help bring her out of her fearful, shy-girl shell and into a girl who was more confident and outgoing. Everything about the relationships she had with her friends seemed natural and real, from their fun times to their conflicts.

Oh and I totally want to go to Paris now, by the way. As if the scenery described isn't enough - the food! I swear while reading the bits about the food, my stomach grumbled a little. I loved the descriptions of Paris, the area, the landmarks, did I mention the delicious sounding food?

I really and truly enjoyed reading this novel. I would catch myself laughing out loud at times and then holding my breath during other moments. If you are looking for a feel good book, this is it. This is my first novel by Stephanie Perkins, and it won't be the last. I'm definitely looking forward to reading Lola and the Boy Next Door.