The Waiting Tree - Lindsay Moynihan

The Waiting Tree - Lindsay Moynihan

First, I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

After having finished this book, I'm still a little unsure as to how exactly I feel about it. It was touching, yes, and a bit gritty, but there was just something about it that keeps nagging at me. I don't know if I could really name it.

I really enjoyed how sadly realistic Simon's life was, and the fact that this wasn't a book that just focused on his sexual preference. We know that Simon is gay, but that isn't the only primary focus. Instead the story focuses on the lives of four struggling brothers who are learning how to deal with adulthood and the many obstacles that block their paths. One is stuck in a bind that he feels he must deal with right away and with no nonsense. Another is being held back from his dream. The third is persecuted for being homosexual and the last is mute. If this weren't already dreadful enough, the four of them were recently orphaned by the death of their parents. This is the story of how they went about picking up the pieces of their lives after this tragedy. 

It was a beautiful story, very gritty and full of character, and extremely emotionally driven. Seriously, there are emotions all about, which was something that I truly enjoyed with this book. Most people talk about how depressing it was, but to me that wasn't what defined it. To me, it was very honest and telling, especially the "depressing" parts. The author did a wonderful job in weaving a story that made me feel for the characters. My heart really went out to them, especially Simon. 

He was so brave, especially when so many people were against him. He was also very generous and caring, as is shown in his relationship with his twin brother Jude. Ah. Simon was a wonderful main character, and I would just seriously love to give the author props for writing him so. It's not too often when the main character ends up being my favorite, which was the case here.

Overall, The Waiting Tree was a wonderfully touching book that really warmed my heart. It was a quick read, but always kept me wondering what was going to happen to whom. It really knows how to draw you in and make you sympathize with the characters and their gritty and realistic lives. Truly, if you're looking for a beautiful read that isn't just another "gay" or "depressing" book, then I suggest that you pick this one up. 

☆☆☆☆/5

Recommend?: If you want something quick and touching to read. 

Such A Rush - Jennifer Echols

Such A Rush - Jennifer Echols

It took me awhile to figure out a rating for this one. It had parts that I really really enjoyed and parts that I didn't like at all. Quite obviously the good parts won out. I was really excited to read this book, because it sounded like a book with a strong female lead who was a go-getter and fought for what she believed in. While this is exactly what Leah was, I still couldn't get over other aspects of the book. I'll get to those later. The airplanes were wonderful to read about, as well as the rough journey that everybody went through in the duration of this story. It was fantastic but not perfect. 

For as long as she can remember, Leah has constantly been dragged around by her flighty mother to live in the cheap parts of town that always seemed to be near airports. Never staying for long because the money always ran out. However, now in Heaven Beach, they seemed to have settled down for a bit. Leah meanders over to the airstrip in search of a job and hence finds herself one step closer to the airplanes that she's fallen in love with. After accumulating some of the money from her job that she wasn't giving her mother towards rent, she confronts the owner of a banner advertising business and asks for just one trip in the airplane. He sees the awe in her eyes and a type of determination and offers her discounted flying lessons. Fast forward a few years and Leah is a swell enough pilot for Mr. Hall to offer her a job flying banners for his company. Unfortunately, Mr. Hall passes away and Leah figures that her chance of flying banners is gone, until the Hall twins step up and become determined to keep the business going. While her part in the company is forged with blackmail, Leah can't complain about being able to do what she loves, even if it entails some awkward and confusing moments.

I don't have many problems with the writing so much as certain bits of the story. I feel like the author did a fine job with the writing and story, but just meshed in some irking things that I didn't quite get into. 

For starters, the whole fact that somehow Leah is just written off as a slut just because she lives in a trailer and can't afford multiple clothes. At first I was severely confused as to where all of this was coming from, as we didn't really get an instance as to why this was cemented in everyone's brains. Well, other than the fact apparently so many guys came onto her because of her good looks and spread untrue rumors. Maybe this is all that it really takes, but it still seemed to come out of nowhere to me. For the most part I liked how she dealt with these people, but sometimes she really gave into them and didn't tell anybody differently, which kind of diminished it all in my opinion. I dunno, that's just a personal feeling. 

Next, certain things that happened in the book did not seem like everything was just taking place in a week's time. For me it felt so much longer, and I was constantly wondering when they were going to go back to school because everything else just seemed so unrealistic to me. 

One thing that I absolutely loved about this book were the airplanes. All of the in-plane and flight descriptions were cool to read about and showed the the author truly did their research. Really, it was all so much fun and I'm not even that big a fan of airplanes at all. Also, Mr. Hall was wonderful and I'm sad that he had to go for the story to take some kind of turn.

The characters were perhaps the most irritating part of this book. Let me just go through all of the characters. First, we have Leah, who was a very strong female lead but always had an incredibly big chip on her shoulder. She was all hung up on being poor and called a slut, that she just gave in to all of these things and let people treat her terribly. Truthfully, I know what it's like to be poor and live in a trailer, which means absolutely nothing when it comes down to you as a person. She lets these people tell her who she's supposed to be and dresses according to their accusations(which may be the only clothes that she owns, but still) and I constantly found myself getting frustrated with her. Sure, when it came down to it, she was strong and appeared to know who she was, but she kept letting these other people drag her down instead of telling the truth and setting things straight. Sure, these people were awful to her and treated her like trash, but that didn't mean that she had to treat the people who were kind to her in the way that she did. 

Otherwise, Leah was unbelievably tough and headstrong and it impressed me that she pushed so hard to fly. She was going through some really rough times, what with her flighty mother and crazy ex, if we can even call him that. I sympathized with her a lot for these things, even rooted for her in the end for planning her future life. I liked that Echols didn't make it so easy that Leah could have just moved in with Grayson. I dunno, I feel that it boosted her character in my mind for planning on doing things for herself. It was really impressive and kept her in my good books. 

However, she might be the only decent character, besides Mr. Hall that came out of this book. I had serious frustrations with Grayson, Alec and Molly. The most frustrating character though, was definitely Grayson. Sure, he was handsome and an adrenaline junkie, but he also tried controlling too many people's lives, and I thought that it was a bit ridiculous. First, that of his twin brother's, as if he weren't old enough to make his own decisions, and then Leah's because she was conveniently available and easy to blackmail. I don't know who made him king of everybody's lives, but I certainly didn't like it. 

And then, as he's telling Leah that she has to become involved with his brother, he keeps 'accidentally' allowing himself to kiss and touch her and the whole thing was just frustrating. I get that you're in love with her, but don't tell her to date your brother and then continue kind of having relations with her at the same time. It's confusing for you both and just doesn't work. 

Then there was Alec, who didn't really seem to have much personality or development at all. I didn't really dislike him, I just didn't get him at all because were weren't given enough of him. For the main character's supposed to be love interest, you'd think that they'd play a bigger role in the story. But, alas, they don't. 

Finally, Molly, oh Molly. She was all over the place and emotional and just too much for my personal taste. Leah always described her differently, so we didn't know for sure if the real her was stuck up and bitchy or understanding. Half of the things that she did just didn't make sense to me, and her reactions were always at different ends of the spectrum that I kind of gave up on trying to like her after a short time.

Overall, Such A Rush left me confused and a tad bit frustrated. The overall storyline and flight descriptions were superb, but became quickly overshadowed by the irritating characters. While the main character Leah did show some redeeming qualities and was certainly a strong individual, a lot of the other characters kind of brought her down, in my opinion. 

I did enjoy the book, but not to the extent that I imagined that I would. Perhaps you'll have better luck with it?

☆☆☆/5

Recommend?: If you want a strong female lead.

If you want some wonderful flight descriptions and enjoy contemporary fiction.

Just One Day - Gayle Forman

Just One Day - Gayle Forman

What a great book.

I fell completely in love with Forman's other series If I Stay, so I was completely eager to devour this book. Her characters are phenomenally realistic and do wonderful job at drawing you into their magical worlds. Also, just the way that she describes these foreign (to me) places was well done and made me want to travel there more so then I've already wanted. Truly, it was just so enticing, and now I want so badly to read the companion novel set in Willem's POV. In fact, I think that I need it. Now. 

Allyson didn't hardly want to travel abroad. In fact, if it weren't for her parents' prodding and generous gift, and the fact that her best friend would be there with her, then she would never have gone in the first place. Risky things like throwing herself into foreign countries and situations is not something that Allyson Healey does. She prefers to play things safe and maintain her boring 'good girl' status. However, a sudden whim and slight desire to challenge herself result in her meeting of a Dutch actor named Willem. He convinces her to accompany him to Paris, where they then spend a wonderfully memorable day together. Sparks seem to fly between them, and Allyson or as deemed by Willem; Lulu, truly starts to believe in love at first sight. However, when she wakes up the next day, expecting him to be still at her side, he's gone. Confused and upset, she makes her way back home to begin her first year of college. A year passes and Allyson tries her best to come to terms with her life and who she wants to be. She seeks answers to difficult questions and begins to follow her heart, rather then what her parents tell her to do.

Wow. Just wow. What a powerful book. The writing was beautiful and honest. Her characters were realistic and developed well, but my absolute favorite part of her writing is that of developing a magical setting. I think that she could make any place sound appealing. The way that she described Paris and the other places was well done and made it extremely easy to visualize. Also, she writes romance in a light yet heartrending way that makes it easy to care for her characters and their situations. In fact, it's so easy to get swept up in her stories that it becomes increasingly difficult to put them down after so long.

The pacing was fine and dandy. Things progressed smoothly and I don't recall having any problems with anything. I didn't come across any exceedingly slow parts either.

Character-wise, you're not going to be disappointed. Just like in If I Stay, we have two main characters to fall absolutely in love with. Allyson was real and what I would expect a person might be to come from two assertive and pressuring parents. I was really pleased with her growth throughout the book. She went from a meek, submissive good girl to someone who finally sought out and did things that she actually enjoyed. While there were some aspects about her that I severely questioned, I did love her overall character.

Then we have Willem the mysterious yet lovable Dutch actor. He captured my heart just as he did Ally's and then seemingly broke it when he did hers. He was charming and delightful, which I believe made up for not knowing too much about him. Willem had his own thoughts on everything, especially the difference between falling in love and being in love. This was one of the things that I really enjoyed about his character. Besides the fact that he was a wanderer, he had his own thoughts about things and how truly wonderful accidents were. Truly he intrigued me very much, and I am extremely eager to read his POV in Just One Year. 

Not only were there endearing main characters, but there were also some minor characters with interesting personalities to fawn over. First, we have Ally's best friend Melanie. She seems to be Ally's polar opposite and is always up for doing the fun and exciting things in life. She also grows into her own person by the end of this book, even though she doesn't appear as often. She knows what she wants and goes for it, which is something that I can admire in any character.

Then, we have the friend that Ally meets in her Shakespeare class; Dee. He's fun and intriguing and just what Ally needs in her life. He knew exactly what to say and how to say it. 

Overall, Just One Day was a delightful read. The characters were endearing, the setting was enchanting and the overall premise was interesting. Gayle Forman is slowly turning into one of my top contemporary writers for all of these reasons. That being said, I wish that it were October so that I could read the companion novel and figure out what happens next. I believe that you'd feel the same way after having read it.

☆☆☆☆☆/5

Recommend?: If endearing characters and fun settings are something you dig.

If you like to read about characters who come into themselves.

Other thoughts:

* My one semi-issue with this story: SPOILER! ->

[Just the fact that she had sex with him after she'd only know him for a day. As she surmises later, she didn't even know his last name or his favorite color. Sure, he was plenty charming and endearing, and getting all caught up in the moment happens and everything, but I don't think that that elicited sex. 

Oh well. It didn't both me too badly, I still just wonder why. 

Love at first sight? Okay. (hide spoiler)] End of spoiler.

Stolen - Lucy Christopher

Stolen - Lucy Christopher

This book. After a few days of having completed it, it still sticks in my mind. This book deals with a serious topic and Lucy Christopher wrote it brilliantly. It was disturbing yet gripping, and not in the least bit disappointing. Truly, it's one of those books that stay with you long after you've finished. The characters were believable, the story was haunting yet also believable, and I'm running out of proper words to do this book justice.

Gemma is drugged and kidnapped from an airport and taken to the Australian Outback. For as far as the eye can see is desert, in a desolate landscape that makes escape harder than ever. Over the course of a few months, Gemma struggles and finds herself unwillingly learning about her captor: Ty. Ty loves Gemma and wants to keep her at his side forever. Will learning about his past bring him and Gemma together or will it give her even more ammunition to be free?

The writing and pacing in this book were both splendid. The author did a swell job in describing everything beautifully from the setting to each character's past histories. The writing was very raw and full of feeling, and I won't soon forget it. I also really enjoyed how the book was written as a letter to Ty. Brilliant, just brilliant.

As far as pacing, there were a few parts that read a bit slowly for me, but not in an obnoxious way that really deterred me.

The characters were quite obviously the best part of the book. They were both so dynamic and powerful, that I was in awe of them throughout the entire novel. First, Gemma was a vulnerable yet powerful lead female, and I really liked seeing her fight for her freedom. She developed beautifully in her time with Ty, and I went through so many emotions just reading about her journey. I believe that Lucy Christopher wrote her brilliantly. Gemma went through many emotions and portrayed what I believe a captive person would feel like. There was despair and desperation and then subtle understanding, and it was all so emotionally charged that I eagerly flipped the pages desperate myself to know what happened to her. Not to mention how strong she had to be to keep fighting for her freedom. Gemma was a true hero.

Next, Ty; our male lead. He was a bit twisted but also beautifully deep in his own respect. There was a lot to Ty's character that we discover later on in the novel that give you a lot to think about. While the fact that he kidnaps Gemma clearly isn't okay, we do get some other information that help us sympathize with him in even the slightest of ways. He had depth, which was something that I enjoyed about his character. He was passionate about many things, including Gemma, and was mainly trying to show her other beauties in the world. Now I'll say it about Ty, Lucy Christopher wrote him brilliantly. 

Overall, Stolen was a brilliant and touching novel that will leave you thinking about it several days after you've read the last page. I know that I use the word brilliant too often in this review, but it really is the correct word to summarize this book. Lucy Christopher is a wonderful writer who does a fantastic job in detailing a tragic event. Emotions were prevalent all throughout this book, and were written in a raw and beautiful way. This book is really powerful, and I can almost guarantee that you'll walk away from it feeling something. 

I feel like I could gush for days about this book, but I'll stop here. I see that Lucy Christopher has a few other books out that I will most definitely check out. She's now on my watch list.

☆☆☆☆/5

Recommend?: If you want to read a powerful story with a strong female lead.

Love and Other Perishable Items - Laura Buzo

Love and Other Perishable Items - Laura Buzo

Truly this was a cute story that at times I felt like I could relate to. Our main characters were realistic and honest as well as the story that they told. The setting was also cute, I mean, love at the grocery store, how quaint. However, despite all of the cuteness and realism in this story, I found it to be a bit lacking. While I enjoyed the characters, there were still definite moments and things that seriously agitated me about them. Another thing was the alternating viewpoint. I'll delve further into that later. Lastly, the ending was kind of bleh. Unsatisfying.

Fifteen year old Amelia didn't know how her part time job was going to turn out. If anything, she was in it for the extra cash flow to take some weight off of her parent's shoulders. What she absolutely didn't expect was to meet and fall completely head over heels for a guy named Chris. Chris, twenty-one and still a university student. As if the age gap weren't enough of a warning sign, their hobbies and social groups couldn't be any more different. Still, you can't help who you fall in love with. Amelia and Chris just seem to connect, what with their endless discussions on feminism and classic novels, but is this really enough?

The writing itself in this book was done well. It was incredibly realistic and did a fine job in portraying a vulnerable and lovestricken fifteen year old girl as well as a struggling and trying to thrive twenty-one year old. It was believable and I have no beef with it at all. The only thing that I struggled with was the alternating viewpoint.

At first, it really threw me off. Quickly I recovered and realized the change, and am still unsure of how it makes me feel. In the beginning I didn't mind it because it was interesting seeing how their memories of a similar event contrasted. But then later whenever it switched viewpoints we didn't hardly get to read about any of these shared moments. Instead we got more of their singular struggles, which while completely necessary, seemed to overshadow their relationship in my eyes. I mean, I liked that we got to delve farther into their personal lives, but I kind of wanted to see more of Chris' viewpoints of these small talks that he and Amelia shared.

Unless this was the point of the author? To show that his older self had more on his plate to think about then his small conversations with Amelia? I don't know, but personally I wasn't digging it.

The pacing wasn't too bad with this book. It flowed well enough even with my own personal issues with the viewpoint switch. 

The characters were cute and ohso intelligent and outspoken in this book. I really did enjoy reading about them. Our female lead: Amelia was likable and realistic. She had her own thoughts about everything, which I believe was what I enjoyed most about her character. She was extremely vulnerable and tried her hardest to fit in with Chris' "scene". She was a total puppy dog, following him around all of the time, that I just wanted to tell her to calm down and play it a bit cooler. Also, when she was with her best friend Penny she never really seemed to pay attention to anything and didn't give anybody else a chance. That was how she annoyed me.

Now for our male lead: Chris. At first I was all for Chris and playful nature. He reminded me a lot of a previous co-worker of mine in a similar situation. In fact, this whole story kind of reminds me of it, except for the fact that I wasn't in love or falling for the guy. Maybe just a personality crush, if that makes sense. But, anywho, I liked his character there in the beginning. However, after we start uncovering some new layers, I found myself seriously shaking my head at his character. He was kind about some things and then completely oblivious and nasty about others. For instance the Jeremy incident. If I were in Amelia's place I would've been more pissed than anything that I think my "crush" would have ended there. Just the way that he went about it was ridiculous and immature and was the point that I was fed up with him character-wise. While I did manage to find some aspects of his character to like and sympathize with, I couldn't find myself particularly caring for him. 

Finally, the ending. I didn't find it very satisfying, namely due to the fact that it just kind of happened out of nowhere. I feel that if we'd had a small mention of it before it actually happened then it might have read better. 

Overall, Love and Other Perishable Items was a cute, quick read. The characters, while at times unbearable, were realistic and entertaining. The setting was quaint and the overall story was honest. Buzo did a fine job in detailing the awkwardness of a first love, and I will definitely check out anything else that she'll put out.

☆☆☆/5

Recommend?: If you want a quick, cute Contemporary read.

If you've ever been in a similar love situation.

Other thoughts: 

* I'm only curious as to why the title was changed from Good Oil to this.

Bittersweet - Sarah Ockler

Bittersweet - Sarah Ockler

A wonderfully delicious read.

Okay, so if you really take anything from this book, besides admiration, it is a definite craving for cupcakes. Seriously, now I feel like I could go buy a dozen cupcakes and eat them all by myself in a single sitting. Then, if the cupcake descriptions weren't enough of a hook in this book, the fun characters and realistic atmosphere definitely did their part by drawing me even further into this book. This being my third Ockler book, I must mention how much I've come to adore her books. She knows how to write interesting and relatable characters and place them in intriguing settings. So, major props. 

Hudson Avery was going to be a professional figure skater. That is, until her parents divorce and she drops skating for a few years. What with helping her struggling mother kept her diner afloat by becoming the Cupcake Queen of Watonka and helping raise her younger brother she doesn't even have the time or aspiration to skate anymore. However, she receives a letter in the mail detailing an ice skating competition with one heck of a prize sum, making Hudson rethink her position on skating. Secretly she begins skating again and rediscovering her passion, which causes tension to build between her, her mother and her best friend. In the end, Hudson must choose which she cares about most.

The writing in this book was superb. Ockler is one of those authors who can write about characters' lives in a way that is both realistic and enjoyable. She's very descriptive with everything and can write a quirky character like it's nothing. Okay, I don't really know that last part for sure, but it seems like these characters come easily to her as she can develop and write them in such a way that isn't only throwing clothing and physical appearance descriptions at you. I just really enjoy her writing, alright?

The pacing in this book was fantastic. I felt that she managed to keep the story moving along in a way that left no boring or dull moment to become discouraged with. I was quite eager to keep going to see how things would turn out with the hockey team and at the competition, that I found myself reading into the wee morning hours just to get more of the story into my brain before I physically couldn't stay awake any longer.

The characters were my favorite part of the book, besides the cupcakes of course. Our main character; Hudson was a refreshing point of view to read from. Not only was she hilarious and quirky, but she had a lot going on in her life. What with constantly working at the diner and taking care of her little brother, the girl had a lot on her plate, and I found myself enjoying her story a lot more for this fact. We don't always get to see the hard-working and somewhat gritty part of life in Contemporary fiction of today, so I found it refreshing to read about this girl and her family who were struggling to make ends meet, rather than about a girl who lives in a wonderful house, who doesn't have a job and miraculously always has money for gas endless shopping trips. 

Okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration but you can't tell me that you haven't wondered about it yourself. Gracious parents? Maybe, but either way, I was happy to read about Hudson being so hard-working and paying for things with her own money and not being the complaining spoiled brat. She should certainly be a role model for young adults everywhere.

Then we have Josh. I believe that I mentioned it in my review of Twenty Boy Summer when I spoke of the relief in finally finding a book where the lead boy (or one of them) wasn't the whole "tall, dark and broody" type. Josh nor Will were those type of boy that is apparently THE type of boy that nearly every girl everywhere would love to find. Why? Sure, some of them do turn out to be a bit cool, but oftentimes they're more irritating than they're worth. Josh however, was very sweet and didn't rush things between himself and Hudson. He stepped back when Will stepped forward with an interest, which is one of many things that I admire in him. 

As far as Will goes, I was always a bit leery of him whenever we first hear about him. Sure, he didn't turn out to be that bad of a guy, and I totally respect him for not pushing Hudson into anything she didn't want and finally backing off when he noticed that she liked somebody else. 

However, as far as favorite characters goes my award would most definitely have to go to Hudson's younger brother; Bug. He was adorable and fun and I feel that I would love him so very much if I could ever meet him.

Overall, Bittersweet was a fantastic book that was easy to devour. Whether she's writing about cupcakes or first loves, Ockler clearly knows what she's doing. The writing was beautiful, the characters were realistic and the cupcakes sounded delicious. Seriously, if you're into YA Contemporary Fiction then I highly recommend that you pick up this book and commence reading immediately. I don't believe that you'll be disappointed.

☆☆☆☆☆/5

Recommend?: If you want to read some Contemporary Fiction that is completely realistic and relatable.

If you want to fall in love with some main characters.

If you've read anything else by Ockler and enjoyed it.

Other thoughts:

* I really adore the cover of this book. Actually, I adore the covers of all of her books. They're always so interesting and complexly simple. 

* Without a doubt I will continue to follow Ockler's writing.

Now I'm going to go and find some cupcakes.

Personal Effects - E.M. Kokie

Such a raw and gripping tale.

All throughout Personal Effects my heart kept clenching and breaking for all of the pain that Matt felt and most especially for what he figures out in the end. He was a brave, honest and realistic character, that I couldn't help but feel for him. While the story did read a bit slow for me, it was a fantastic read overall.

Matt's father had always groomed him and his brother to go into the military. Growing up with that push wasn't the easiest thing for either son to deal with, but T.J. eventually joined up. Sadly, he dies on his tour in Iraq, and Matt struggles to deal with his death and his angry father. After breaking into T.J.'s stuff, he finds questions and people that he must seek out if he wants any answers. "What he learns challenges him to stand up to his father, honor his brother’s memory, and take charge of his own life."

This was such a great book. E.M. Kokie's writing was so raw and greatly detailed Matt's struggle with his brother's death and his father. I believe that she did a swell job in writing a character of the opposite gender, who had obvious male thoughts.

Really, the thing that I enjoyed most about this book was the lead character. He's written so realistically, that you probably wouldn't be able to pick him out on the street. He's not written as the totally gorgeous bad boy, or the lonely awkward guy, he just exists. In fact, I don't even know if we got total descriptions (that I paid total mind to) of his physical appearence or not. In a book, I tend to enjoy this because then it's not all about what they look like or what they're wearing. We read that what's on the inside is the only thing that matters. All we know is that there's all of this angst, pent-up anger, and FEELINGs that are so ready to bust loose, that I can't help but feel that I know him better than I know most female characters from other contemporary fiction that I've read.

Plot-wise, I was uber curious to pick up this book and discover the truth of his brother's life. Matt's questions became my questions, and I was just as eager to get those answers in the end.

Pacing-wise, for some reason it just wasn't for me. I enjoyed the crap out of this book, but some of the parts just read a bit lax for me, especially the middle. The beginning and the 150ish pages of the end kept me going the most.

Overall, Personal Effects was a great book. The plot keeps you going, the main character keeps you feeling and the ending might even twist your heart a bit. If you've eyeballed this book for awhile or are just in the least bit curious, I suggest that you pick it up and read and open your heart.

☆☆☆☆☆/5

Recommend?: If military contemporary fiction sounds appealing to you.

If you're not afraid to let your heart feel something.

We'll Always Have Summer - Jenny Han

I thought that this was the best book in the Summer series. In it, we get all of the feelings and thoughts and arguments that really molded together well into a good book. Seriously, be prepared to brace yourself for this one because it's like somebody's opened the floodgate of feelings and there's no way that you're not going to get covered with them. 

We'll Always Have Summer details Belly's life two years after the previous book. Now, she and Jeremiah are an official couple and attend the same college. Relationship-wise things aren't going as wonderfully as Belly thought they would when she finds out about the terrible secret that Jeremiah has kept from her. She finds herself questioning her feelings for both of the Fisher boys, and in a long, life-altering moment, she finally comes to terms with them.

This book was definitely a rollercoaster of emotions, which I feel kind of worked in its favor. Belly seems to do a bit of growing up in this novel, and finally realizes and admits to her feelings. Both boys also come to terms with their feelings and basically lay it all out on a platter for Belly to devour. Who does she pick? Read and find out.

Similarly to the second book, this one is told from two different viewpoints, these belonging to Belly and Conrad. It was nice to get inside Conrad's head and figure out what the hell he'd been thinking over the past few novels. However, it still doesn't change my opinion on his character.

Also, in this book Jeremiah's character is really fleshed out and we finally get to see that he's not the perfect peachy person that we've known. Yay for characterization. 

As far as the ending goes, it was pretty predictable. The climax of the story was pretty much the last couple of chapters, and I just knew how it was going to turn out. Feelings-wise, I'm alright with it. While I cringe at all of the money that was already spent and now wasted, I suppose that I can understand why it happened. Love is love is love. Yada yah.

The pacing was just like the rest. Not too difficult to breeze through in a few hours. 

Overall, I'm kind of happy to be done with this trilogy. I feel that I can now leave any thoughts of Belly and her ever in love with her brothers on that last page, or in this review. It was a nice series to breeze through.

☆☆☆☆/5

Recommend?: If you've already read the last two and want to finish the series.

It's Not Summer Without You - Jenny Han

So, obviously I was curious enough to pick up the sequel to The Summer I Turned Pretty, more so because I wanted some sort of closure with Belly's situation. If we can really call it that. Okay fine. Mainly because I wanted to see what happened to Jeremiah and Susannah, and only minorly Belly's boy fiasco. I really didn't and don't care who she chooses at this point.

Anyhow, I managed to finish this book in a few hours. Honestly, I think that I liked the first book just a smidge better. I don't know how exactly to translate that feeling into words, so I'll just leave it be.

Summer without Cousins Beach feels like torture for Belly, as it was always her home away from home. Due to unfavorable circumstances summer at the beach with her second family is cancelled and Belly finds herself feeling depressed. It doesn't help that her and her summer boys aren't on the best of terms. However, when Jeremiah calls her for help in finding Conrad, she jumps at the chance to make things right again. She knows that the beach will hold the answers as well as memories that they all need to relive.

It's Not Summer Without You wasn't particularly a difficult read, as I did finish it in a few hours, but I just felt like it wasn't going anywhere. What was the point? To find Conrad. Well, they did that. And then a small surprise is sprung on us, and hey, that's resolved pretty quickly. I dunno, the plot just didn't feel solid to me. I think that I was waiting for something crazy dramatic and plot altering to happen. This was more like reading somebody's day-to-day life. 

That's not to say that I didn't enjoy it, because I did. I liked slipping back into the summer atmosphere (especially with all of the snow on the ground now) and revisiting these characters that seemed so real to me. Therefore, allow me to begin with things that I enjoyed about the book.

1. I liked the alternating viewpoints aspect. Seeing and feeling more of what Jeremiah was feeling really amped up my likeness of this book. He's the character that I felt most for in this book, because he seemed to not get any love from any character. Except there in the end, I suppose. As far as characters go, he's probably my favorite. He knows what he wants, he's honest and he appears to be an overall good guy. He's in love with Belly, but he still holds back because he feels something between her and Conrad. What a guy.

2. I like that we get to see things that happen between just Jeremiah, Conrad and Belly. I feel that bringing any other characters into this would've just spoiled everything.

Now for things that I didn't particularly care for. Boo.

1. Conrad. I still don't like him. He's broody and rude and I wouldn't mind telling him how I feel. Again, yes, I understand that he's going through a lot of difficult things that most others haven't ever dealt with, but I still don't feel that this is a reason to be such a git towards anybody. You can't control yourself when you're like that, blahblahblah. If I were there, I'd steal his beer and not give it back to him until he spilled his feelings. Or, just a tiny bit of his thoughts. Or, something. His feelings are so caged that he comes off a lot like the Grinch pre-Christmas hero.

He was a jerk. He was very selfish, and I honestly have no idea what Belly still sees in him. He led her on and then stomped all over her heart. Then, whenever she appears to be moving on, he throws a fit because she's not into him anymore. Grow up and put on your less grouchy and jealous big boy pants.

Oi, the frustrations.

2. Belly. In the first book she didn't bother me so much. However, in this book I found her to be very childish and at times stupid. This was the one point that I had to agree with Conrad about. Thus, I didn't really sympathize with her character this time around. 

3. Not that it's a really big deal, but this line was just weird to me.

"Being mean to Cory was like being mean to a German shepherd puppy. There was just no sense in it." 

WHAT. Does the type of puppy really matter?

Finally, the ending is something that I'm interested in. Did I expect it? Not entirely, but I'm eager to see how this will turn out in the next book. Hopefully this puts poor Belly on a path that's easier for her heart. Hmmph, though I have my doubts that it will.

Anyhow, am I satisfied with this book? Sure. I got to see things from Jeremiah's viewpoint, so I'm happy. It didn't seem to really go anywhere, but I'm hoping that the last book with clear things up a bit more. Thus speaking, I'll most definitely pick up the last book. Actually, probably after I finish this review. We'll see how that goes. 

Overall, It's Not Summer Without You was a decent book. The pacing was fine, the characters were a bit frustrating but enjoyable to read about, and the friendship dynamic was superb. 

☆☆☆/5

Recommend?: If you want a quick read about summer and a good friendship.

The Duff: Designated Ugly Fat Friend - Kody Keplinger

This book, I just, ugh.

I was just frustrated with it throughout the entire read. The main character, just whoa. The plot was nice and relatable and the writing wasn't too bad, despite a lot of cussing that just felt awkward to me. I liked the other characters, but I just couldn't bring myself to care or sympathize with the main character. At all.

Cynical Bianca appeared to know her place in the world. She was the blahblah friend who sat on the sidelines and took care of her gorgeous and somewhat oblivious friends. But, when "man-slut" Wesley Rush puts a name to her idea of herself, she boldly throws a Coke in his face, and rushes out with her dignity. However, things aren't running so smoothly at home and as a distraction she basically throws herself at Wesley and their friends-with-benefits relationship just blossoms from there. Now, Bianca has to truly figure out her life and if she'll really choose to be defined as a duff.

First off, allow me to rant about dearest Bianca. From the get-go, I really really didn't like her character. Not only was she extremely cynical, but she was also very rude, hostile and just overall overbearing. Now, some might argue that this is just her being herself and standing up for herself. However, there is a difference between standing up for yourself and ripping somebody apart when you only know their reputation and not their actual self. I know that the guy had other intentions and insulted her with his introduction of the word 'duff', and I'll admit, I was a bit impressed with the throwing of the coke. But, I feel like that should've just been the end of that.

The first time that Bianca kissed Wesley, I wanted to shake her. Like, here's a boy that you openly admit to despising, and here you are making moves at him. Then, with the whole continued relationship I was yelling at her in my head to "stop it!" and just, yeah. I was frustrated. The way that she dealt with her problems wasn't healthy or anything that I would advise. 

However, as much as I don't like Bianca's choices, I know that she reacted how other teenagers might. I liked how the book was written, I liked that it was so raw and accurate. I'm also impressed as to the age of the author when she wrote this, because I believe that it does reflect some teenagers very well. So, for that, I commend Kody Keplinger. Also, because she gave a name to something that a lot of people feel like. 

I can admit that as disgusted as I felt towards the term duff, I couldn't help but understand it. I oftentimes feel like the duff of my friends. But yeah, anyhow. That's the last time that I'll ever use the word.

I think that my main problem with Bianca was her hostility and word choice. She was so quick to shoot Wesley and everyone else down, even when they were trying to be sincere. Hell, the things that she said to her parents would never have been allowed to be said to my own parents. Yes, she was open and honest about her thoughts and feelings, but that doesn't mean that I have to like her. There were multiple times that I felt bad for Wesley because she didn't try to know him (until much later) and I had to wonder why he put up with her bullshit. 

But, enough of that. Did I enjoy the book? Yes. I liked the rawness of it, including the scandalously edge-pressing sex scenes. Because, that's teenage life. It's not all cut out the bad and risque parts and paste in safer words and phrases. It happens the way that it happens, without the sugarcoating. I enjoyed the realistic plot and even the other characters. I've given this book a three-star rating for all of these facts.

☆☆☆/5 

Recommend?: If you want to read a raw story about a hostile yet relatable teen.

If you've ever felt like a duff?

Twenty Boy Summer - Sarah Ockler

Ahh. Now, this was a book that I definitely enjoyed. It was quirky and real and just wonderful.

The plot detailed Anna and her best friend Frankie's vacation in Zanzibar Bay. Beforehand, Frankie comes up with an idea that they should shoot for meeting twenty boys during their vacation in the hopes of having A.B.S.E.- The Absolute Best Summer and possibly obtaining a summer fling to remember. While agreeing to the idea, Anna can't help but think of her love for Frankie's recently deceased brother, and how hollow she still feels because of it. While everybody is feeling the same way about Matt's death, they decide to press on with the trip in order for some "normalcy" and to finally have some fun. What Anna and Frankie don't expect is to finally come to terms with themselves and this tragic death, and learn how to move on.

Personally, I really enjoyed the plot and the story as a whole. Ockler really brought a lot of quirkiness and reality to her story, that I couldn't put the book down at all. Touching on the reality portion, do you know those books where you read it and most of the things that happen just seem so impossible and outlandish that it seems more like fiction than realistic fiction? Does that make any sense? This book was so full of intensity and love that it's almost overwhelming. There was just something about this book that struck me. 

Perhaps it was the characters. I could emphasize with nearly all of them, and I genuinely cared what happened to whom. I especially loved Anna, our main character, (which rarely occurs with most books) because she was so grounded and had depth. We witnessed her confusion and feelings and also how she dealt with everything. I find it really awesome when we get a main character who isn't all over the place and ridiculously oblivious. There were also many layers to Frankie, as well as Sam. I honestly have no negative comments as far as characters go.

The writing was nice and quirky. I know, how many times can I possibly use that word in one review. Challenge accepted. Just the way that Ockler had Anna describe things and situations left me chucking aloud, because they were phrased in such a way that felt relaxing and just cool. Twenty Boy Summer really isn't a difficult book to read. In fact, I almost guarantee that you'll finish it in one sitting. With that point, I didn't find the pacing of the story to be slow at all. Therefore, it's not too hard to charge through and still feel satisfied with all that you've read.

Other thoughts:

* It's refreshing when the male characters aren't bigoted or the ever-typical "tall, dark, and broody."

* I really adored the cover of the book and how well it tied in with the story. The sea glass aspect was really cool, and I'm glad that the designer arranged it so well with the story. Rather then having the typical mysterious girl or boy on the cover, we have something that actually had relevance in the book.

☆☆☆☆☆/5

Recommend?: If you want a fantastic and enthralling summer read.

If you want something cute and quirky.

My Life Next Door - Huntley Fitzpatrick

fgahdlkjasdfhsa = my feelings while reading this book.

I really enjoy books with quirky (there's that word again) families, funny yet interesting characters, and hilarious lines that make me laugh out loud. This book just happens to contain all three of these things. It was one of those books that just hooked me from the very first chapter and sent me on an emotional roller coaster until the end.

Samantha Reed's mother has thing for perfection and image. Their house compared to the Garretts' next door could be considered flawless, thus Ms. Reed insisted her daughters stay away from their "loud, numerous, messy and affectionate" neighbors. Despite her mother's feelings, Samantha has always felt drawn toward the Garretts and has watched their habits longingly over the years. But, one night Jase Garrett climbs up onto her stretch of roof and changes everything. Now she's included in the family that she's thought so much about and passionately in love with the boy who climbed her terrace. However, not everything is rainbows and butterflies with this book, as Sam must puzzle out her feelings for her new-found family, her mother, and her best friends.

So, if I haven't made it obvious by now, I really dig books that ooze real. My Life Next Door isn't one of those books that sugarcoats and over-cheeses everything. We get to read all about the passion, the indecision, and the issues that exist in Sam's world, that I feel greatly that Fitzpatrick did a wonderful job in detailing a teenage life.
Sam and Jase's relationship was kind of refreshing to read about. It had all of the stability that I feel should exist in a relationship that doesn't seem to exist in popular books of today. They really listened to each other and had those awkward moments together, that I couldn't help myself from smiling while reading.

And dear rowling, the Garrett family. Seriously, if I had a list started for favorite fictional families, they would rank pretty high. Sheesh, they were just so real and great together, that I just fell in love with them as soon as I met them. I feel especially endeared to little George and dearest Andy, both of which made me laugh and chuckle so many times. Each was distinct and just fantastic. I would definitely love to hang out with the Garrett family.

I didn't really see a problem with the writing. It flowed really well, and I didn't find myself getting annoyed with any of it.

If there was anything that did annoy me with this book, it was only a few characters, namely Sam's mother, Clay and Nan. Sam's mom and Clay I could kind of deal with, because hey, politicians. They're pretty much known for being excessively busy and trying to get ahead. So, I didn't really care for their characters, but I know that they had to exist.
Though, Nan just really irritated me. I felt like she was just going off about random things throughout the entire book. Accusing Sam of being perfect and the like, while she had to work for everything. Which, I understand to a degree, but are you seriously going to let this come between you and a best friend who's only trying to help you out? Oh well.
Sadly enough, I didn't even have a problem with Tim.

Overall, I found myself enjoying nearly every part of this book. The characters were realistic and really felt for them. The plot was interesting, yet sad there at the end. I really wish that there was a sequel so that all of the loose ends could be tied up and I could get some closure on those last few chapters.

Other thoughts:
* Jase Garrett, woo. What a fantastic, and alright, nearly perfect male character. But, I'm not even going to complain about this.
* Oh, George.
* I'm still smiling at Andy's dramatic kiss questions.
* It's really one of those books that leaves you thinking "whoa" after you've finished it. Hence my sitting here and dragging this review out.

☆☆☆☆☆/5
Recommend?: Hells to the yes, if you're looking for some really great contemporary fiction.
If you want to read about an incredibly amazing family and love.
If you want to laugh at loud, get to it.

The Summer I Turned Pretty - Jenny Han

Going into this book, I honestly really didn't expect to like it, especially after reading a few reviews. However, I did find myself enjoying it, despite small things that annoyed me.

The plot basically consists of a girl named Belly (Isabel) relaying her annual summer trip to a house that she, her mom and her brother share with some really close friends. Ever since she could remember she's spent her summers with these people and has grown quite fond of and in love with them, especially a particular sir. The boys, almost like brothers, have always been protective of her, and she finds this particular summer to be an exceptionally roller coaster-esque summer, as all sorts of feelings hit the fan. This summer Belly feels more sure of herself, and everybody seems to take notice. But, alas, finding and maintaining love isn't as easy as it seems, as she finds herself caught up in feelings of new and old love.

So, like I said, I didn't automatically expect to like this book, as it appeared to be one of those obnoxiously "cutesy" books, that I sometimes read just to understand what all of the fuss is about. But, this book just intrigued me. The plot, I felt, was pretty solid and as realistic as can be. Measuring a life in summers, especially the type of summers that she has with her second family, is something that I can understand. You've got a beach, good family, good times, and all of that in just three months. I had no problems seeing the realistic bits of the story. The only thing that really annoyed me were the characters. 

First off, Belly. With these sorts of books I usually find myself despising the main characters. With Belly, this wasn't particularly the case. Sure, there were moments when she irked me, but then, here's a girl wrought vulnerable by a first love. Hence, I forgave her for her awkward outbursts and praised her for standing up for herself. 

Truly, the only character that really bothered me was Conrad. I see that he's brooding, because things are happening in his life that are difficult to deal with, but I don't think that this gives him a free pass to be a buttface and grab Belly in such mean ways. I don't care that he drinks or smokes, but the fact that he comes off as a controlling prat just really turned me way off of his character. Thankfully Jeremiah exists to lighten all of tension.

The writing was alright. Easy reading, and there were only a couple parts and phrases that I didn't particularly care for, but they didn't take too much away from the book. 

As far as the ending goes, I feel like it was a bit rushed, especially that last chapter. Those leading up to the last chapter were fine, but I can't say that I really care for who she ended up with. Though, curiosity might lead me to finish this trilogy.

Also, I think a lot of people saw this book as a huge love square. Personally, I didn't really see it like this. To me, it was definitely just a triangle. 

☆☆☆☆/5

Recommend?: If you're up for a somewhat cutesy summer story.

Forbidden - Tabitha Suzuma

Hm.

Sure, it's about incest, which isn't the coolest of any topics, but I do praise Suzuma for writing about something difficult and different. Sadly, I just couldn't really get into Forbidden. The characters really irked me and the pacing was too slow to keep my interest. But, more in-depth in later paragraphs.

Lochan and Maya were always close siblings. In fact, at times they felt more like friends (and eventually soul mates) then siblings. However, the lives of this seventeen year old boy and sixteen year old girl are anything but rainbows and butterflies. Both play parent to three other siblings due to their mother's alcohol and needy problem. This perhaps has brought them even closer together over the years, and leads to a budding romance. While they know that their feelings for each other are anything but ordinary, they still can't help but feel them. Hey, love is love, right?

I went into this book expecting to enjoy it a lot more than I did. As much as I tried (and as much as you can with a book about incest) I just couldn't get into it. Not only due to the subject matter. Honestly, that was the least of my problems with this book.

Feelings and opinions and perhaps slight spoilers ahead. Brace yourselves.

1. First, the main characters both really annoyed me. First you have Lochan who begins on a path destined for greatness in terms of decent characters. The way that his social anxiety was described was SUPERB. I could sympathize and understand what he was going through there. Therefore, I did like him there in the beginning. However, over the course of the novel, he turned into one of those cartoon snowballs that starts out small and then gains speed and more snow as it hurtles to the bottom of the hill. 

The way that he treated his siblings, especially Kit, was a bit mindboggling. Yes, I know that parenting, especially younger siblings is aggravating and extremely infuriating, but that doesn't give you a right to choke your younger brother. No matter how big of a prat he's being. More than one time. Yes, I understand being caught up in a moment and the like, but I don't recall there ever being a time when I felt the need to (or actually could) strangle my little brother. Or, my older one for that matter. If worse came to worse, I'd throw a shoe or something. 

And, then to have your sister tell you that it wasn't your fault and that as long as you didn't mean it that it would be alright. What? Just, no. Then, there was an incident with the younger sister that I did believe was an accident. However, don't you think that this would be the point where you should seek out a bit of help to control your anger? If this many bad things are happening between you and your siblings, doesn't this sound like a sign to get help? Even if it's just finding some type of release or other person to talk to you then your 'everything you do is swell and dandy' sister, wouldn't you do that to protect your family? 

And then how he was there in the end. WHAT. Ahwell, whatever. We'll get to that.

Now, Maya was the one who annoyed me most. She has her redeeming qualities, like her way with her younger siblings and hard-working attitude in taking care of them, but this didn't stop me from disliking her. First, the way that she treated some things when it came to Lochan and her siblings was just confusing. I understand that you adore Lochan and think that you both connect so perfectly, but doesn't it worry you that he's technically abusing your other siblings, namely Kit, who is a total prat, yes, but not deserving of such extremes. Looking out for them doesn't go so hot when you're stuck in trying to comfort the abuser more than the abused. Yeah yeah, the soul mates bit, yada yah. Personally, I feel that the younger siblings should've come first before anything that happened. Maybe that's just how I was raised? Anyhow, I'm not trying to attack her parental skills, I'm just honestly confused.

Then, with her pushing the whole relationship on Lochan, I just felt like 'whoa girlie, let's take a step back here'. You both clearly have feelings for each other, and you both acted on them a bit, but I felt like most of it was being pushed by Maya. From the first kiss to the first touch, everything was coming from her despite Lochan's protests. He tried time and time again to tell her how wrong it was, and she basically continued to throw herself at him. Again, whatever, it's love right? It'll all be great in the end, right? Wrong. Besides this and losing her best friend, Maya didn't seem to do much else. Hence why I didn't really care for her character.

2. The pacing of the book, I feel, was really slow. A book that I thought would only take me half a day, took me a whole day to struggle through. It was just so jam packed with FEELINGS all written out and just loads of blah boring and annoying Maya things that really slowed the reading down for me.

3. The ending. I just, okay. I liked the nobility that was there, but still couldn't help but feel flabbergasted. It's not often where we read a book with such a hero, but deep down I just couldn't bring myself to enjoy this ending. Sure, it was probably the most intense and "action-packed" portion of the book, but I just don't know if I agreed with anything. I know that my opinion doesn't really matter there, but I still couldn't help but share it in case anybody else felt the same. It just felt too easy. 

Finally, I did enjoy the book. While the topic might put some people off, it didn't bother me at all. I thought that the writing was fantastic, and I can't even begin to imagine how difficult a story like this must be to write and publish. So, props to Suzuma for that. I liked the honesty and rawness that oozed from this book. This book pushes on the ideals of what love is. Can incest be love, even though it's wrong? Is it wrong? This book leaves you wondering and even questioning your beliefs.

The low rating has nothing to do with the subject matter of the book. Only the fact that I just wasn't feeling anything while I read it.

If you're planning on reading Forbidden don't let the incestuousness part deter you. Read it anyhow. I completely recommend it, because it truly is an intriguing story. Also, I'm really eager to read about everyone else's thoughts on this one.

☆☆☆/5 

Recommend?: If you're looking for a raw topic that is sure to invoke some type of feeling in you.

The Life of Glass - Jillian Cantor

I don't know what exactly I was expecting from this book. It read very slow, and I nearly gave up on it about halfway through. It just seemed like nothing was really happening, and I still don't know what exactly I'm supposed to take from it. I think that I expected the story to include more of the main character: Melissa, figuring out more about her father and his secrets. While there was a bit of that, it just seemed like we followed a very clueless Melissa through her drab and boring life. I felt hardly any emotion from this book, as it just seemed to bleed together into this blah kind of story.
The only interesting point that I'll most likely take from it is the actual life of glass; a million years.

The plot centered around Melissa beginning high school and wanting to unravel her dead father's journal of facts and ideas. We definitely see the drab bits of high school through her eyes, and we even get a bit of the unraveling, however, by the end I was beginning to wonder what she was actually learning. She finds a name in the journal and spends the whole novel trying to find this person and their connection to her father. By the end, she doesn't care in the least and makes something up for her own comfort. Maybe this is just her being able to move on? I was a bit disappointed that we didn't get to meet this person and find out why their name was written in the journal.
I didn't really care for the plot or how it played out. None of the characters really stood out to me or made me feel anything for them. Not a one, which I find very strange. The writing wasn't bad, just a tad too boring and laggy for my taste. The ending was pretty much a happy one that made me feel both indifferent and happy to just finish it.

☆☆/5
Recommend?: If you're looking for a basic go-between book.
If, for some reason, you like reading about irrational and mean older sisters.

The Summer of Firsts and Lasts by Terra Elan McVoy

I really wasn't feeling this book.

While the setting was fine, I believe that it was the characters that really dragged this book down for me. It's difficult for me to choose between giving it two or three stars. The whole book just left me feeling nothing at all, especially towards the characters. They were whiny, and I honestly had no care in the world what happened to them, when I could actually tell them apart.

"Three sisters. One life-changing summer."
Camp for these three sisters is no small thing. For years they've been going to Camp Callanwolde, and while activities-wise they know what to expect, it's the people that throw them off. These three distinct sisters all share in three different experiences, as they struggle to hold onto their bond as sisters. Calla has been in love with Duncan for as many summers as she can remember, and feels that this summer is her last to tell him her true feelings. Violet has her eye on James, a boy whom she's known for a few summers as well, and has now become a camp counselor. However, seeing him in a way that she'd like to is more difficult then it seems, and requires a few camp rules to be broken. Finally, Daisy has eyes for Joel, but doesn't know how exactly to act on her feelings. Is this going to be a summer of heartbreak?

Hm. So, if it weren't obvious by the rating I really didn't care for this book. The characters annoyed me and there just seemed to be no pizzazz at all. I felt more like I was reading the diaries of three very dramatic girls, only with a swell narrative. Therefore being, I have no issues or complaints with Terra Elan McVoy's writing. The story just fell flat with me, and I kind of struggled to keep reading. 

Annoyances, take one.
The characters. Calla, the oldest of the sisters, was the easiest one to recognize. From her seemingly never-ending whining about Duncan and not getting to spend near enough time with him and her sisters, I'm only left shaking my head at her. You wanted to work behind the scenes at camp, you deal with the consequences, please. This was really the only reason that I could tell her apart from her sisters because I saw the name Duncan printed in nearly every other sentence of her chapters.
Though, despite, she is responsible and does take care of her sisters in the best way that she knows how to. So, I applaud her for that.

Next, the other two sisters were the ones that I kept getting confused. I knew that Daisy was the runner and Violet was the writer, but as far as which boy each other wanted, I was lost throughout the entire thing. Well, maybe just up until the end. I think that Daisy was the youngest sister, but I'm not willing to place money on that. 
As far as Violet goes, she just seemed very bi-polar and hasty and just kind of irritating. She's a smart-alec, who manages to befriend the camp basketcase, and sets off on a sort of rule breaking mission. Whatever, you can pick your friends, that's no big deal. However, I felt that Brynn was a bit right there in the end when she talked about friendship. Even though Brynn did kind of push Violet and James together, I agree that friendship is supposed to be more important.
Then, with Daisy, I almost pitied her when those girls in her cabin and running class did those mean things to her. But, she didn't do anything about it, and I just ended up shaking my head more for no resolution of this in the end. -sigh-

While their individual characters didn't strike me as extraordinary, I do feel that their bond as sisters was pretty cool. Myself being pretty close to my family can really appreciate when I see or read about it. This was one of the aspects that I did like about the book, and I only wish that we'd seen more of this. 

Also, I really wish that we'd seen more of the camp aspect. Sure, we read about certain activities, and a few actually get fleshed out, but there were just other parts that I'd have liked to read about. Like smores or something. I dunno. 

As far as the life-changing summer bit, what exactly occurred that was so life-altering? Major spoilers ahead! ->(view spoiler)
Nothing that occurred seemed to be very life-changing to me. When I think of that I think of something huge and monumental occurring, like a death or some epic self discovery, none of which I thought really happened in this book. But hey, maybe that's just me?

Overall, this book was decent. I found the characters to be overly whiny for my taste, which ended up deterring me from any other good quality that existed in this book. I really hate when that happens. However, maybe you'll end up enjoying it more than I did.

Other thoughts:
* The cover, I liked it. Three different scoops of ice cream to represent three very different girls. I can dig it.

☆☆/5
Recommend?: If you want a summer read for when it's snowing and cold outside.
Or, if you just want another summer read for any time of year.