One Mistake Can Change Everything.

The Perfect Game by J. Sterling

Have I mentioned how much I love indie writers?  I have had this book on my kitchen table, borrowed from the library and it just waited patiently to be read.  I met the author in Nashville and told her how excited I was about reading her books.  I’m sure she was like, ok, whatever (she was really nice, but if I heard a reader say “I can’t wait to read your books” but she didn’t buy my books, I wouldn’t really hold my breath that she was going to read my book).  Either way, she was really sweet, and crazy funny (she kept grabbing Tina Reber’s rear).  Actually all of the authors were fun and made you feel at home at their tables.  I just wish I would have known about the event with plenty of time to read all of the authors before I got there. 

The Perfect Game is a New Adult love story about a girl named Cassie that meets Jack Carter, the baseball player of their college and also the player of their school as well.  There is a spark between them from the first time they met for both Cassie and Jack.  With a past that doesn’t want to let either of them trust the other, they open their hearts to love.  Well if it ended there it would have been a sweet book, but there has to be something earth shattering, heart breaking and horrible happen.  When that thing happens, I was really upset.  I didn’t want to go to sleep, I wanted to first reach my hand inside the book and punch Jack in the face, then I wanted to read until my eyes wouldn’t stay open.  With a full work day looming in front of me I went to sleep and finished the book the next evening after work.  It was a long day waiting for reading time.

What I loved about the book.  I loved Cassie, I loved that she hated the nickname Kitten and the way she played hard to get with Jack.  She was a great character that I loved from the first page.  I also loved her BFF Melissa and Jack’s brother Dean.  They were excellent secondary characters that made good pages great!  I really want to see a hook up between these two, I guess I have to read on to find out if that’s going to happen or not.  Now let’s talk about Jack Carter.  First of all, who doesn’t love an arrogant Jock?  I know I married one, so that is right up my alley.  He committed the unforgivable sin in my book and therefore I wanted to punch him in the face, but if Cassie can get over it, I will read on and get over it as well. 

This book made me laugh, cry and I didn’t want to stop reading until the last page was done.  Please read this book and support Indie Writers!  Keep Reading my Friends!

Just Breathe

Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker

I thoroughly enjoy a book with a teachable moment.  This specific book is about the aftermath of an accident that took place because a college student decided to drive under the influence of alcohol.  Four years later, Kacey Cleary deals in her own way with the tragedy by freezing everyone out and keeping all feelings buried and the past in the past.  Needing a new start she and her fifteen year old sister hop a bus to Miami from Michigan and try to start over.  The only problem is they aren’t the only new comers in her new dump of a place in 1D, he is physically perfect and perfectly mysterious.  With a new job and a fresh start can Kacey begin a new life? 

I picked this book up from my local library.  One of our libraries has just started purchasing New Adult books and it thrills my heart.  I specifically requested this title because I went to an author event in Nashville, TN and K.A. Tucker was one of the many authors that were there to meet their fans.  I wanted to read as many of the authors before I went and I sadly didn’t make it very far on my list.  I finished this book the day after the event, but I had a great short conversation with Ms. Tucker about how much I was enjoying her book and was excited to finish it.

What I liked: I really liked Livie, Kacey’s sister.  She was wise beyond her years and had a deep love for her sister and such a great heart and I really enjoyed anytime she was on the scene.  I also liked Storm and how she was so patient with Kacey and their new friendship.  She helped slowly thaw out Kacey’s heart, to the point where Kacey didn’t even realize that she had allowed her heart to thaw until later in the story she realized as Storm’s life was in danger that she couldn’t live without her new family. 

I loved the Ten Tiny Breaths and how they were weaved in the story.  She only counted to 10 one time and that was pretty much the end of the book, it was really neat that it was like her mother gave her this life changing advice that would save her life. 

I have the next book in my possession, I can’t wait to read it and continue on with the series.  Keep reading my Friends! 

Mean Girls meets Groundhog Day

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

As many bloggers before me have pointed out, this book is Mean Girls meets Groundhog Day.  Samantha Kingston happens to be a girl that dies in the first chapter and is the main character of the book.  She lives February 12 over and over again over the course of 7 days, but she is the only one that knows that she’s reliving the same day.  The first 300 pages of this book she is so unlikable that I wanted to slap her and all of her friends across the face repeatedly.  There were no redeeming characteristics for these mean girls and that’s saying something, usually in a book you can find something in every character, not these girl.  They were the devil.  Samantha was so unlikeable that I wanted to throw the book across the room several times throughout my reading journey, but overall, I liked the book and thought it had a good message behind the words.

I loved Kent McFuller.  What a great character!  He was funny, sweet, and a quirky.  He gave Sam some things to think about with his little one liners like “I see right through you,” or “I would be your hero too, no matter how long it took.”  Kent actually made the book for me.  Without him I would have given this book only 1 star, but he makes me want to give a 5.  He was a well thought out character that had amazing lines and the way Sam’s affection grew for him throughout her journey made me smile. 

I liked Sam’s 7^th day.  (SPOILERS IN THIS PARAGRAPH) The last day is when she finally figured out what would end her cycle and who she could help and who she couldn’t.  After I finished this book, I had to fear the disaster Samantha left behind.  Her parents are probably at a loss at what to think, she was a horrible teenager, but the last day she was on earth she hugged them and said she loved them.  She was a terrible big sister that didn’t pay attention to her sister, but on her last day gave her a necklace.  She ignored Kent and dated a pod of a guy who only wanted one thing from her, but on that last day she gave him a sweet note and noticed him for the first time in years.  I can only imagine the confusion that everyone around her felt, even Juliet Sykes, why would her tormentor save her life and then she has to live with her savior being a horrible person, except in her final moments. 

I did not like the best friend’s interactions.  They were unrealistic and felt too staged.  If someone is going to write for teenagers, it needs to sound like what teenagers would say.  Every time the girls would lose control in laughter I rolled my eyes because I couldn’t imagine that in real life.    

Overall it was a pretty good book.  I was glad I read it and I may pass it along to one of my middle school girls in my church small group.  I wouldn’t highly recommend this book to my adult friends that like YA, but for a younger audience it may be a good read.  Either way, Keep Reading my Friends!