A Field Guide to Heartbreakers by Kristen Tracy

Today was a day I had nothing to do but read... so that's what I did.

Photo from Goodreads

Dessy and Veronica arrive in Prague to attend a writing workshop. However, the two girls have wildly different ideas- Dessy is trying to heal her broken heart by diving in to the workshop while Veronica wants to flirt with all the dudes and help heal Dessy's heart. However, it becomes clear that all is not going according to plan with the boys' mixed signals and their ability to cause tiffs between friends.

This book looks like it would be a cute romance about two girls who travel abroad, meet hot guys, and eat ice cream. But it's not nearly as light as it appears to be. This book deals with much larger issues like relationships between parents, trust, and how to deal with suit mates.

The plot of this book was really cute, and I think accurately showed how two teenage girls would spend a month abroad. Both the major conflicts ended nicely; although I thought the main antagonist's motive was a little silly until I took a step back. Then it made a little sense. Overall, the plot was very interesting and kept me reading.

I really liked both Dessy and Veronica as characters. I identified a little more Dessy, but I think that's because as readers we are seeing everything through her eyes. I liked Veronica too, though I found her a little too much at times. You definitely see growth from them both.  The minor characters in this novel were also excellent.

I loved the fact this book was set in Prague; in fact, that's what drew me to this book. I also appreciated the fact that despite the fact that Dessy and Veronica were remarkably different people, they could put their differences aside and be really good friends.

Overall, I'd recommend this as a fun travel read that makes you think about relationships.

The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

photo from Goodreads

Ruby Oliver's life has definitely taken a turn for the worst. Over the past ten days she has, lost her boyfriend, her best friend, all of her other friends, and had a few panic attacks. Now her parents have her going to see a shrink to work out her problems. At her shrink's request, Ruby goes on to make The Boyfriend list- a list of boys who have at one point meant something to her in her life. And thus, the boyfriend list is born.

I listened to this book for the first time back when I was fourteen and grounded. I thought it was adorable then and really enjoyed. Unfortunately, by the time I realized that there was more to the series, I had promptly forgotten everything that happened. I then decided that now was the time to reread and see how much I remember.

I adore Ruby. She is hilarious and someone I would love to be friends with. However, the character I most identified with was Megan, the girl who drove Ruby to school. I hope we see more of her in the series. I also  really liked Nora, as I felt some connection to her, especially towards the end. I didn't feel any sort of connection to Kim or Cricket.

As for the plot, I remembered a lot more of it than I thought I did, but I remember being shocked at some the first time I read it. Just shocked. Overall, the plot is good and all the conflict isn't necessarily resolved by the end of the book, hence why turning it into a series is a good idea.

One thing I think actually makes this book good is the structure. I like that each chapter was devoted to a boy on the boyfriend list and her therapy sessions, and still included actual plot progression. There wasn't any chapter that was completely devoted to unimportant things- every thing was important.

I would recommend this book if you want a fun contemporary read that isn't one of those "love-at-first-sight" books, but still has a romantic element.

Happy reading!

Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley Review

photo from barnesandnoble.com

Corrine is living the dream- shopping at Barney's by day, going out to the hottest clubs by night. She even has her own horse and is going to start at an elite boarding school in the fall. However, when her father is laid off and makes a bad investment, she is shipped to a tiny town in Texas to live with her grandparents she barely knows. She goes from a posh boarding school to a public high school, from never having to work a day in her life, to shoveling manure. Corrine is determined to get back to where she belongs- to New York City.  However, when Corrine makes an unlikely friend and discovers a cute boy at work, she realizes that being in Texas may not be all bad. 
This book was so adorable! I liked Corrine from the beginning, even though she was a bit of a complainer once she actually got to Texas. All of the characters is this book were really well-written, from Corrine's little brother to her best friend from the city. I will admit that I really liked her Texas friend in this book, I thought she was just adorable. There is some romance in this book, but ti is not the driving force in this book, and the reader is left on a romantic cliff-hanger. This book also gives the important lesson of how your parents had a life before you were born, which a lot of kids have difficulty grasping. Overall, I really liked this book. The only things I didn't like was the ending because it didn't seem very realistic and the romantic cliff-hanger is still bugging me.

Overall, I would definitely recommend if you like fun, contemporary reads or if you think that God blessed Texas with His own hands.

Happy reading!

Past Perfect Review

All Chelsea wants to do the summer before her senior year is hang out with her best friend, eats lots of ice cream, and hopefully finally get over her ex, Ezra. But when she shows up for work at Essex Historical Colonial Village, it turns out he's working there as well. This makes getting over him all the more difficult, even when she thinks she might be falling for someone new. In Past Perfect by Leila Sales, we experience all the highs and lows of Chelsea's summer as a colonial reenactor. 

I read this book in practically one sitting- a rare feat for me. I don't know whether it was because I couldn't sleep or if it was because that this book was so adorable that I couldn't put it down. Although the plot line was a little predictable and the characters were a little bland at times, Sales made up for it with the book being downright hilarious. I cannot remember when I last literally laughed out loud at a book. I also really enjoyed the aspect of the historical village and the rivalry between the colonials and the Civil Warriors, though I feel that it could have been played out more. I also really enjoyed the relationship between Chelsea and Fiona, her best friend and their whole "ice cream connoisseurs" thing. It was a nice touch on a hilarious novel. I also appreciated the growth they both experienced. I found a little bit of the ending unbelievable, but it did end nicely.  Overall, if you like history and contemporary young adult literature, I would definitely recommend it. 

Divergent Review

In a dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions that represent a particular virtue- Abnegation for the Selfless, Amity for the peaceful, Candor for the honest, Dauntless for the Brave, and Erudite for the Intelligent. When Beatrice is sixteen, she must choose the faction that she lives in for the rest of her life, just as every other sixteen year old does. Many choose to stay in the faction in which they are born. But there are several surprises at the Choosing Ceremony. In the very competitive initiation program that follows, Beatrice renames herself  Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are and where romance will fit into the life she's chosen. But Tris is has a secret, a secret she must keep from everyone because it means death. Conflict among the factions threaten to destroy the only life she's ever known.

So when I look at this plot summary now, it looks like your normal dystopian novel. Female character is special, society is crumbling. But I promise you, my dear readers, that this book is a phenomenal dystopian novel. I don't like to use the phrase "the-next-Hunger Games" (because the only thing these books but if there was a gun to my head and I had to name a phenomenal book that I could see gaining a lot of popularity in the next year or two, this would be  that novel because it is just that good.

This is very much a plot-centered book, and it has a strong plot to back it up. If you are very knowledgeable about dystopian as a genre, you may be able to guess what will happen, but I can almost guarantee you will not get every detail right. I can somewhat guess how the whole series will progress (Yes, it's a series and the second one comes out in May.) However, after the end of this book, I am excited to see how the series will progress.

I also really like the characters. Beatrice is probably my favorite though, not only because she is the protagonist and we are supposed to like her. It's because she is A STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER. I like books with strong, empowered females. She makes all her own decisions and doesn't play the whole "woe-is-me" game. Like, "Woe is me! I have to leave my faction and my family." No, she chooses to leave her faction and family and lives with the consequences of her choices. Yes, there is a romantic side plot of sorts, but I wouldn't say it influences any of her choices throughout the book, except at the very end. And not to give away any spoilers, but if she had done what she was probably supposed
 to do, I would've considered her a heartless monster.

Overall, an excellent book and I would definitely recommend it to people who liked The Hunger Games. And even if you loathed The Hunger Games, you may like this.