Faithful

Posted on by lynndellwatson

faithful-9781476799209_hr

Faithful by Alice Hoffman is a surprisingly uplifting book, even though a lot of sadness and turmoil take priority as the story unfolds. I received a book through a Goodreads giveaway and an advance reader copy for a fair review, thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster!

The books by telling the tragic story of two teenage girls involved in a car accident and what happens to both of them afterwards. Helene is in a coma and miraculously heals people by the touch of her left hand. Shelby feels guilty for not being as physically damaged as Helene and continues to blame herself for the accident because she was driving. Shelby has had to deal with horrible experiences even after the accident: trying to commit suicide, being sent to a psychiatric ward, being raped by an orderly in the ward and trying to deal with everything and still live a normal life. Shelby moves in with Ben, a guy she has known for a long time and this way, she finally gets out of her parents’ home and gains a little independence. She saves neglected pets, gets a job in a pet store and builds a relationship with Ben. Shelby meets new people, makes friends and makes some mistakes along the way. Shelby finally realizes she wants to improve her relationships and be more grateful for them. She has a wonderful mother and she finally realizes that also. Shelby’s world turns completely around after the accident, and then, eventually, her world turns around again. Through her struggles and trials, Shelby finally knows what she wants in life and how to let herself enjoy life and love. I give this book 5 stars because I became so involved with the characters and grew to understand parts of my own life more clearly through reading about Shelby! Thank you, Alice Hoffman!

When All the Girls Have Gone

Posted on by lynndellwatson

final_JAK.indd

“Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read and review When All the Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz!

The story opens with the murder of Gordon Greenslade, which of course would pull any mystery fan into the book! Charlotte and her innocuous life are introduced and she meets Max Cutler, an investigator, who takes on Louise Flint’s homicide case. Louise supposedly overdosed and her laptop and cellphone are completely missing. Suspiciously, Trey Greenslade has her missing items and is searching for a hidden package. Twists and turns kept me reading and the book has a good story line and plot, but it was too drawn out for my taste. 3.5 stars!

Nice Girls Endure

Posted on by lynndellwatson

27178702-_uy400_ss400_

“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Capstone for the opportunity to read and review Nice Girls Endure by Chris Struyk-Bonn! Chelsea is an overweight teenager who takes after her father in many ways; personality, likes, dislikes, talent and genetics. The doctor suggests Calorie Counts, a weight loss program run by Bridgette, who helps Chelsea see that her self esteem is more important than anything else. Chelsea has four favorite people: her dad, Bridgette, Melody and Trevor (classmates). Chelsea tries to get involved and make friends, but then bullies set her back. The bullying is already bad enough on its own, but they send pictures of everything online for everyone to see. This book is a touching and inspiring story of the challenges we have to deal with in life and the different ways we can strengthen ourselves. 4.5 stars!

The Sun is Also a Star

Posted on by lynndellwatson

28763485

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon became a wonderful surprise as I read the book! The story tells us about Natasha and Daniel. Two teenagers with completely different lives and backgrounds. Natasha is originally from Jamaica and her family is supposed to be deported soon. Daniel is Korean American and writes poetry, but his parents want and expect him to be a doctor, whether he wants to or not. The book introduces readers to several strangers and gives us insight into their lives. Historical and scientific snippets are also shared. An Interesting story line that really makes me think of how one person or one moment can affect someone. Some swearing, but it’s not overpowering and fits in with the story. I laughed, I cried and I related to so many parts of the story told in The Sun is Also a Star – 5 stars!

Bleed, Blister, Puke, and Purge

Posted on by lynndellwatson

28190005-_uy400_ss400_

“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity to read and review Bleed, Blister, Puke, and Purge by J. Marin Younker! I am not a medical person and I don’t enjoy seeing or hearing about injuries and this book is extremely detailed enough that it made me physically sick in the introduction. I had a difficult time reading this book and had to take several breaks because of the details being so graphic. This is a wonderful, factual book for anyone interested in medicine and its transformation throughout history. It contains horrific medical mistakes that made patients suffer and this suffering is described in specific detail. These mistakes led to learning and the creation of new and helpful medical technology and knowledge. Bleed, Blister, Puke, and Purge contains all of the sordid history of medicine including: medical pioneers, sexually transmitted diseases and experiments. A great non-fiction read for anyone interested in medicine and its history. 4 stars!

The Bad Boy Bargain

Posted on by lynndellwatson

30415027

“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review The Bad Boy Bargain by Kendra C. Highley!

Kyle keeps his distance from everyone and he enjoys the reputation that has been created about him, the playboy delinquent. Faith is in a relationship that she wants to end. She is ready to find love, not popularity. Faith walks in on her boyfriend, Cameron, cheating with another girl. Cameron then starts rumors about Faith and how cold and horrible she is. At this point, Faith decides to seek revenge. She strikes up a bargain with Kyle to get revenge on Cameron because it just so happens that Cameron and his friends bullied Kyle horribly in middle school. Kyle wants revenge just as badly as Faith does. The revenge doesn’t work exactly as planned and a lot of things change for both Kyle and Faith. Family dynamics, personal secrets and vulnerable characters make this story endearing. 4 stars!

The Delphi Effect by Rysa Walker

Posted on by lynndellwatson

41ybrfknzzl

I won a digital copy of The Delphi Effect in a Goodreads giveaway! Thank you!

“Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley, Skyscape and Goodreads giveaways for the opportunity to read and review The Delphi Effect by Rysa Walker!

A young woman, Anna, meets Molly’s grandfather to let him know that his deceased granddaughter wants to converse with him. Molly’s grandfather, Porter, at first full of skepticism, comes to believe in Anna and her abilities. After talking to Porter for the first few times, Anna finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation, human trafficking and threats to her life. She meets and receives help from other people that have special abilities different from her own. Anna is captured while trying to rescue her friend, Deo, and she is put through experiments that test her abilities.

The first book in this trilogy, The Delphi Effect is suspenseful and unique. I really enjoyed the references to the Harry Potter series! The author’s note on factual information in this book is helpful for further research and interesting on its own. 4 stars!

Overdrive by Dawn Ius

Posted on by lynndellwatson

28226318

“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read and review Overdrive by Dawn Ius! Julia, a teenage car thief living in a foster home with her ten year-old little sister, is busted during a car grab. Julia has been trying to become independent enough to raise her sister, Emma, on her own. She does not want to be separated from Emma and will do whatever it takes for them to stay together. I admire Julia because she loves her sister tremendously and by choice, wants to take care of her. Roger Montgomery wants to give Julia and Emma a place to live. Julia is suspicious, but feels like she has run out of options. A “Gone in Sixty Seconds” young adult story involving teenage foster kids and all the thrills and car chases as the movie. Eleanor, the amazing Mustang from the “Gone in Sixty Seconds” movie, even has a cameo appearance! Since I am a fan of the movie, I thoroughly enjoyed this! It takes a while for the foster teenagers to mesh and get along, but after Roger tells them his secret, they get to know each other better and work well together. Roger seems a bit strange and the teenagers are cautious around him and unsure of his intentions. The teenagers figure out Roger’s secret and things change dramatically after that. Overdrive gets a 4 star rating because of its complex emotions, teamwork and the thrill of the chase!

The Last True Love Story

Posted on by lynndellwatson

the-last-true-love-story-9781481429887_hr

“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read and review The Last True Love Story by Brendan Kiely! “The point of living is learning how to love.” This quote from The Last True Love Story sums up the plot perfectly. Teddy is visiting his grandpa, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. Teddy is full of integrity and loyalty and he shows this as he helps keep bullies off of his friend, Corrina. The two of them take grandpa on a road trip and it isn’t always easy going. Some swearing (the “f” word); just a heads up. This beautifully written story of a grandson trying to help his grandfather relive and remember his best memories before Alzheimer’s disease takes the memories away for good, is a touching story. A family theme with love being the most important of all. Romantic and inspiring, also. 4 stars.