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Flux

Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles
Publisher: Flux (September 1st, 2010)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 302 pages
Source: Publisher
Series: Leaving Paradise #2
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Caleb Becker left Paradise eight months ago, taking with him the secret he promised to take to his grave. If the truth got out, it would ruin everything.

Maggie Armstrong tried to be strong after Caleb broke her heart and disappeared. Somehow, she managed to move on. She's determined to make a new life for herself.

But then Caleb and Maggie are forced together on a summer trip. They try ignoring their passion for each other, but buried feelings resurface. Caleb must face the truth about the night of Maggie's accident, or the secret that destroyed their relationship will forever stand between them.

Review:

We all know that Simone Elkeles is a brilliant author. Her stories are always raw, honest, and emotional. I picked up Leaving Paradise (book 1) after reading the first two books in her Perfect Chemistry series and while I didn't fall in love with this story as much as those, it was still amazing.

I was excited to see where Caleb and Maggie end up after finishing Leaving Paradise but it took me a while to get to read this book. I was still able to dive right in and pick up where book 1 left off without being confused or forgetting many of the details. Return to Paradise takes place 8 months after Caleb left Paradise. He has tried to escape the town, his parents, and the pain of seeing Maggie. But, as we know, you can't hide from your problems. Caleb is soon in trouble again and his own real option is to go on a summer trip with some other teens.

Maggie has somehow gained even more strength since Caleb left. She was hurt, but found ways to heal. She even joined a summer trip to help share her story of the accident, but she never expected to see Caleb there.

When Caleb and Maggie see each other again I could literally feel their anxiety. As much as they may have thought they had moved on, it was obvious that the feelings were still there. I admired Maggie's determination and resistance of Caleb. He attempted to push her buttons but she remained composed and refused to let him rule her emotions. The trip opens up the thing they each tried to keep locked up — the accident and what happened after Caleb got out of the juvenile detention center. But, with some help from the other teens on the trip, they do eventually learn a lot about themselves.

Endings can make or break and entire book for me. I despise if an ending (especially of an entire series) is rushed. I was extremely satisfied with this ending. I obviously won't say what happened, and there are several surprises, but it was gratifying.

Don't think that this is just a clear-cut story. Simone placed a lot of surprises and twists along the way. And, we meet some new characters that bring a lot of life to the story.

Recommended: Contemporary readers looking for something with a deeper plot. Read Leaving Paradise first. Also, if you haven't checked out Simone's other series, Perfect Chemistry, go do that.NOW!

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How to Ruin My Boyfriend's Reputation by Simon Elkeles
Publisher: Flux (November 8th, 2009)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 257 pages
Series: How to Ruin #3
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
In the third book of this bestselling series, Amy Barak-Nelson misses her boyfriend Avi, who is in the Israeli army. Her grandmother convinces Amy to sign up for two weeks in a military training base. Not her idea of fun, but what's worse? Her team leader turns out to be Avi.

Review:

Nathan, Jessica, and Miranda are joining her and they get into quite a few hilarious situations. Amy isn't sure what to expect when she gets to the Israeli training base but she seemed to have no idea it would be so hard. The teens are treated like real soldiers and are forced to"rough it" just like everyone else.

The big surprise is that Avi is one of Amy's team leaders. They realize quickly that alone-time may not be possible on the base. And, while Amy may have thought Avi would be easy on her, she was wrong. He pushes her to do her best, while being absolutely adorable whenever she needs help. What is cuter than a tough team leader rushing to the aid of his girlfriend in front of all his friends? Nothing, I tell ya! So cute!

But, Avi made me angry in this book. Actually, very angry. I felt so invested in this story and Amy and Avi's romance that I really started mumbling things like"OMG how could he do that? That is so wrong! He'd better stop that!" LOL. Yes, I might be crazy, but I guess that's a good sign because I really connected with the story and cared about what they were going through.

There are a lot of physical and mental obstacles Amy and Avi must face in this story. Simone Elkeles really knows how to weave together a brilliant romance, laugh-out-loud humor, and serious moments throughout a story. I read this book in just a few hours and never even put it down. I am so sad to see it all end. *sigh* I'm glad we get the chance to get to know Amy's friends in this story and it all seemed to come together to show us the full picture of Amy's and Avi's experiences.

Recommended: EVERYONE. Pick up this series immediately. It's funny, romantic, and so well written. Start with How to Ruin My Summer Vacation so you don't miss a moment of Avi (and Amy, of course).

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How to Ruin My Teenage Life by Simone Elkeles
Publisher: Flux (June 8th, 2007)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 281 pages
Series: How to Ruin #2
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
In this sequel to How to Ruin a Summer Vacation, EVERYTHING in sixteen-year-old Amy Nelson Barak's life is going wrong! Her mom got married and moved to the suburbs, and now they are going to have a baby. Amy moves in with her dad in Chicago and signs him up for an online dating service. His first four dates are that night..
What else? Her dog Mutt impregnated her grumpy neighbor's prized poodle, so Amy will actually have to get a part-time job to pay for half the veterinary bill. And there's this totally annoying boy, Nathan Rubin, who just moved into her apartment building. Luckily, Amy has a cute boyfriend named Avi. Only he's more like a non-boyfriend considering Avi is in the Israeli army for the next three years.
What's a girl to do when everyone is conspiring to ruin her life?

Review:

Amy is now back in Chicago after her summer in Israel. She has little contact with Avi because he is now serving in the Israeli army and she isn't sure what to make of their dating status. She refers to him as her"non-boyfriend". On top of that, Amy's mom is now married and expecting a baby. Amy doesn't really feel she belongs in the house with her mother and stepfather. Instead, she moves in with her father so they can build a better relationship.

I really enjoy Amy's no-nonsense attitude but she did make a few silly decisions in this book. Signing her dad up for the dating service was one of them. He had no interest in dating and it only proved to get her into a lot of trouble. It did seem that while this was a heavy focus in the book, it was just thrown in without real meaning. I wanted to know more about Amy's school life, friends, and experiences.

There is a new guy in this book, Nathan, and he was a fun character. Amy isn't fond of him from the beginning and then he starts giving off some very mixed signals. She is confused as to what he wants from her and what she wants with him. After a huge surprise, things get even more complicated for her.

I liked that this book lets us get a better idea of Amy's new life. How she deals with her father, who is very strict, and how she deals with Avi being away. I feel that by the end of the book Amy really understands herself much better than she did before. Her and her friends were a fascinating group to get to know! This book has nearly as many laugh-out-loud moments as the first one. Now, I have to get my hands on How to Ruin My Boyfriend's Reputation! It sounds amazing! That review will be up soon… (update: soon as in, tomorrow).

Recommended: Contemporary fans who love Simone's writing. Be sure to read book 1, How to Ruin a Summer Vacation first.

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In Too Deep by Amanda Grace
Publisher: Flux (February 8th, 2012)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 228 pages
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

I never meant for anyone to get hurt. All I wanted to do that night was make a play for Carter Wellesley. His heartless rejection was mortifying, but people got the wrong idea when they saw me leaving his bedroom, crying. That's how rumors of rape started.
Now girls at school are pouring out their sympathy to me. Guys too. But not everyone's on my side. The school has become a war zone and the threats are getting scary. What began as poetic justice has morphed into something bigger--forcing me to make a terrible choice.

Review: Amanda Grace (aka Amanda Hubbard) really knows how to put a spin on contemporary themes. This is a quick read but as with Amanda's previous book But I Love Him, it is highly emotional and significant for teens.

Sam seemed like a typical teenage girl. She wasn't super popular, great with the guys, or someone people noticed often. She does have a fabulous best friend, Nick. She likes Nick and just wanted him to notice her as more than a friend. She takes a chance by going after a popular guy, Carter. She takes her chance at Carter's party and is horribly embarrassed when he not only turns her down, but says some mean comments as well. Since she's drunk she falls down, rips her shirt, looks a mess, and runs out of his room crying. A girl sees her and makes some assumptions for what went on in the bedroom. This one event causes a string of events that change a lot of lives.

I liked that Sam was relatable but I do think she made some bad decisions when it came to setting the record straight. She had some times early on where it seemed it would have been easier to tell the truth than to put up with what was going on around her. Plus, she wasn't exactly shy. She wasn't afraid to tell people off most of the time. If she would have been really shy I might have believed her more when she just seemed too afraid to tell the truth.

I loved how this story comes from a completely different perspective on a situation that, sadly, happens a lot. Usually the girl may be trying desperately to get people to believe her. Now, we see a group of teens that turn on a guy for the wrong reasons. Sam had all the support she could ever want from her peers.

One of her biggest supporters was Nick. Nick was wonderful. You could tell he had a deep love for Sam and that showed a lot with his actions. Sam didn't have a lot of affection at home and her dad was pretty much a jerk so I think Sam turned to Nick a lot to just feel the love she craved.

In Too Deep is a book with an important message for how rumors can get out of control. It is a great book for teens who may not feel the truth is worth telling. Rumors can drastically change lives and it may be impossible to get out of the cycle.

Recommended: Great book for teens and contemporary lovers. Quick read with a great message.

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