While He Was Away by Karen Schreck
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire (May 1st, 2012)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 256 pages
Source: eGalley from Publisher
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
"This is just something I have to do, okay?" I hear David say."The right thing."

He cradles my face in his hands. He kisses me hard. Then he lets go of me. His eyes dart from me to whatever's next.

All she wants is for him to stay. She's been doing pretty well, pretending he doesn't have to go. But one day, after one last night to remember, she wakes up and there's no denying it anymore. He's gone.

When Penna Weaver's boyfriend goes off to Iraq, she's left facing life without him. As summer sets in, Penna tries to distract herself with work and her art, but the not knowing is slowly driving her crazy. Especially when David stops writing.

She knows in her heart he will come home. But will he be the same boy she fell in love with?

Review:

I loved the beginning of the book where we really get a good idea of Penna and David's intense relationship. It's obvious that they care deeply about one another and are hurting from the idea of being apart. I gotta say, after David leaves the book took a lot of turns I didn't expect. Maybe it was the summary that threw me off but I thought this would be about Penna changing while David was gone and not feeling as connected to him, or David dealing with issues while he was away. Or, even Penna finding someone else she was interested in while he was gone. It wasn't really any of those things.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad book at all, and I do think it accurately portrays the emotions of a teenage girl missing her boyfriend who is overseas, but it just may not be the book people expect. To me, this was more about Penna's journey to find her grandmother, deal with being alone, handle her mother, and learn how to be more self-sufficient. Those issues seem to be much more important to the story, rather than anything about David's feelings about being away.

Penna was a good character and I admired her courage. Even though she was young, she did everything she could to keep in touch with David and let him know how much he meant to her. One bonus was Ravi. He was an old friend of David's and he is dealing with is own issues. I admit, I thought he would be playing a much bigger role in this book. He was an interesting character and I liked his interactions with Penna.

I could have handled the overall plot of the book just fine; however, the ending threw me off. I didn't expect it to be like that and I guess it didn't really make sense to me. I didn't see it coming, which was good, but it just seemed abrupt. This made it maybe a 3.5 rating for me but I went up to a 4 just because I did really enjoy Karen's writing style and realistic portrayal of a young couple dealing with being apart.
Recommended: Contemporary fans looking for a book with some deeper aspects.

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Looking for a good YA summer romance?

Sourcebooks has two fabulous summer lovin' books coming out. The Summer of No Regrets by Katherine Grace Bond and While He Was Away by Karen Schreck are both released May 1st. Today I have a guest post from Katherine on why we crave fame.
Sign up below for a chance to win both titles!

Why We Crave Fame
“Celebrity-in-Hiding.” When I first started writing THE SUMMER OF NO REGRETS, I didn’t want to admit how much that idea intrigued me. I’m a lot like my main character, Brigitta—all about finding the meaning of life, not fantasizing over whether the guy next door is a movie star. When I bought a National Enquirer, I explained to the grocery store clerk that it was for research— that I was writing a book (“Yes,” I told her modestly, “I am an author.”) I certainly didn’t normally read that sort of thing. Of course not. Well, okay, maybe the headlines. Occasionally.

But as I read through stacks of People and Star and Us (which is a lot like eating sugar cubes all day long), and more stacks of celebrity biographies, I started to wonder what the deal is about fame. Why does it fascinate us? Why do we love the idea of either being famous or being connected to somebody famous?

I think it’s because we’ve got some interesting ideas about “being known.” If I’m “known,” people know who I am, right? Lots of people. Those people will say I’m talented and beautiful and they’ll treat me with special respect. If I’m known, I get to wear amazing clothes and ride in limousines. People will do what I want just because I’m known. If I only eat the green M&M’s, someone will pick those out of the five-pound bag and put them into a crystal dish for me. If I’m known, I am important—more important than that boss who fired me, or the teacher who gave me a C and said “You ought to be ashamed of yourself,” or the security guard who threw me out of a mall in Seattle for plugging my cellphone into a floor outlet (true story!)

But is that really what being known is? Getting special treatment and being better than somebody else? Who really knows me when I’m known like that? What I crave, what I really crave, is to have a few people who will look into my eyes and know me—know how I wrinkle my nose when I laugh, and what my favorite show is, and why I’m afraid of guns. It’s what we all want, I think—people who will listen to us when we’re scared, and scream with us on the roller coaster, and trust us with their hurts. We want to know we matter. We want to have a few people we don’t have to hide ourselves from.

So is Brigitta’s next-door-neighbor a secret superstar? We can talk about that later. I need to go to the grocery store and read some headlines.

The Summer of No Regrets by Katherine Grace Bond
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire (May 1st, 2012)
Paperback: 290 pages
The day Brigitta accidentally flings herself into the lap of a guy she's never met, her friend Natalie is convinced he's Trent Yves, egotistical heartthrob-in-hiding. When the boy, who calls himself Luke, is nearly eaten by a cougar, Brigitta finds herself saving his life, being swept into his spectacular embrace and wondering if she wants Natalie's fantasy to be true.

As the two spend the summer together raising orphaned cougar cubs, Brigitta still can't be sure of his true identity. But then again, since her grandparents' death, her father's sudden urge to give away all their possessions and become a shaman, and her own awkward transition from girlhood into a young woman, she isn't sure of anything. What is the truth? More importantly, can she accept it?

While He Was Away by Karen Schreck Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire (May 1st, 2012) Paperback: 249 pages This is just something I have to do, okay?" I hear David say."The right thing."

He cradles my face in his hands. He kisses me hard. Then he lets go of me. His eyes dart from me to whatever's next.

All she wants is for him to stay. She's been doing pretty well, pretending he doesn't have to go. But one day, after one last night to remember, she wakes up and there's no denying it anymore. He's gone.

When Penna Weaver's boyfriend goes off to Iraq, she's left facing life without him. As summer sets in, Penna tries to distract herself with work and her art, but the not knowing is slowly driving her crazy. Especially when David stops writing.

She knows in her heart he will come home. But will he be the same boy she fell in love with?

Prize:

• 1 winner will receive a copy of The Summer of No Regrets and While He Was Away.

• You must be at least 13 (or have permission) to enter.
• Name and email must be provided.
• Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
• Contest is US only and ends May 9th.
• Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
• The form must be filled out to enter.

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Find Karen Schreck Website | Goodreads | Twitter

Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne
Published: Sourcebooks Fire (July 2nd, 2013)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 272 pages
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Summary:
Sawyer Dodd has it all. She's a star track athlete, choir soloist, and A-student. And her boyfriend is the handsome all-star Kevin Anderson. But behind the medals, prom pictures, and perfect smiles, Sawyer finds herself trapped in a controlling, abusive relationship with Kevin. When he dies in a drunk-driving accident, Sawyer is secretly relieved. She's free. Until she opens her locker and finds a mysterious letter signed by"an admirer" and printed with two simple words:"You're welcome."

Review:

The surprising part is that secretly, Sawyer is relieved that he's dead. When we first meet her she is dealing with the aftermath of his passing but she's also giving us glimpses into what her life was like with him. Kevin was abusive and it's something Sawyer hid.

Once she goes back to school she finds the mysterious note in her locker and she immediately thinks it could be someone referring to Kevin's accident. After the note there are a few more strange things happening to Sawyer. She does eventually turn to the cops but it doesn't really help much. During this time, she does meet a new guy at school, Cooper. I loved Cooper but was happy to see that these characters didn't fall into insta-love. This story really does mainly focus on the murder mystery aspect.

It was frustrating that Sawyer didn't really trust any friends enough to let them know what was going on. During the story I felt that she was mostly isolated, even thought she did have some close friends. But, even with that, I was hooked in this story till the very end. Hannah Jayne did a fabulous job developing a wonderful character we feel bad for and root for till the very end.

I didn't feel this book was predictable at all. I had no idea who the killer was or why they were doing it. I will definitely be picking up the next YA book by Hannah Jayne!

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Hannah Jayne is here today to share her inspiration behind her newest book-- Truly, Madly, Deadly. I read this book and thought it was incredible! I highly recommend it.

Guest Post: I'd like to know her inspiration behind telling this

story and what she hopes teens can get from it (if they are in an abusive relationship too).
I’ve had the idea for this story – at least the scene where Sawyer receives the note in her locker – for as long as I can remember. But that’s all it was: just a single scene, an idea. Little by little it started to evolve, but I was always working on other books when it did and for some reason, I just couldn’t sit down even to write out just that one scene. If I set aside time for it, the moment I sat in front of my laptop, the idea, everything, was gone.

Then I had shoulder surgery, a giant cast, and six weeks of time to kill. I couldn’t work my laptop (stupid cast!), so I just started writing in a notebook. I was constantly writing in notebooks when I was in high school and college – really, through all my time in school. There is something about that pen in my hand that connects it to my heart. Before I knew it, Truly, Madly, Deadly was nearly done.

I never intended to tell the story of Kevin and Sawyer’s relationship. I never really intended for Kevin to be abusive. It just happened when I picked up the pen. I’m pretty certain that was what was blocking me at the computer – Kevin’s violence and Sawyer’s secret. It was my high school experience, too, and up until now, no one but a few of my closest friends ever knew that I was in an abusive relationship that started in high school and followed me to college. I was head cheerleader, my boyfriend was a football player. That kind of thing didn’t happen in high school and if it did, it certainly wouldn’t happen to the girl that had it all together, right?

It nearly ruined me. He nearly killed me – not necessarily from the physical abuse, but the emotional abuse he inflicted on me and I inflicted on myself for years after. I was so ashamed and had let “what I let happen” humiliate me for so long. By the time the notebook and Truly, Madly, Deadly were through, I was finally in a place in my life where I could put all that shame and humiliation out into the world and say, “you know what? This is happening and it’s not normal.” Of course I would love for a teen in an abusive relationship to read this book and get out of that relationship. But even if someone reads it and recognizes themselves and their significant other in Sawyer and Kevin, at the very least, I would hope that she knows she’s not alone.

Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne
Published: Sourcebooks Fire (July 2nd, 2013)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 272 pages
Summary:
Sawyer Dodd has it all. She's a star track athlete, choir soloist, and A-student. And her boyfriend is the handsome all-star Kevin Anderson. But behind the medals, prom pictures, and perfect smiles, Sawyer finds herself trapped in a controlling, abusive relationship with Kevin. When he dies in a drunk-driving accident, Sawyer is secretly relieved. She's free. Until she opens her locker and finds a mysterious letter signed by"an admirer" and printed with two simple words:"You're welcome."

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Patty Blount is here today to tell us what inspired Bailey Grant's love of video game design in her newest book, TMI.

What Inspired Bailey Grant’s Love of Video Game Design? By Patty Blount
When I was writing TMI, Megan’s character was sort of born fully developed. But Bailey’s character was too flat. All she wanted was a boyfriend. I had to keep writing scenes for her to see under all her fluff to discover what she really wants. And then I finally figured it out. Bailey wants to be loved, yes, but she really wants to find out who she is. Not knowing her dad and her efforts to find him were really to find herself. All her previous attempts to find love all failed because she didn’t yet know who she was. Was she a rock-climbing nature girl? Was she a stamp-collecting antique fan? A race-car driving adrenalin junkie? Bailey’s tried on a number of hobbies and none of them were a good fit until Simon introduced her to video games back in ninth grade.

Girls aren’t supposed to like video games. Some do, certainly. But Bailey really loves them. And for the first time, she gets a glimpse of the person she can be – maybe even the person she’s supposed to be. Bailey’s journey of self-discovery was really my journey as a writer – as her creator – to find out what made her tick. It began when my son demonstrated Assassin’s Creed for me. I’m not a video game fan myself (true fact: Xbox games give me motion sickness). But I do enjoy watching someone else play. AC has a rich back story, a detailed game space, and sympathetic characters. As my son played, he admitted he’d love to find a girl who loves AC as much as he does.

That got me thinking… wouldn’t Bailey be exactly the kind of girl to play Assassin’s Creed just to impress her latest boy? She would indeed. And for a girl who doesn’t quite know how she fits into the real world, sinking into a game world would definitely hold a lot of appeal.

But things in video worlds aren’t as easy as Bailey thinks. That’s why her game design is sort of a mash-up of all her favorite games… at first. It’s not until she meets Ryder that the game takes on a real shape of its own.

If I could design my own video game, it would have a haunted house theme. I love the TV show Supernatural and think it would be awesome to investigate hauntings, collecting protection points and weapons as you try to prove whether the level you’re on is really haunted or just a hoax.

Do you play video games? What are your favorites? What would your ideal game be like?

TMI by Patty Blount
Published: Sourcebooks Fire (August 6th, 2013)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 336 pages
Summary:
Best friends don’t lie.
Best friends don’t ditch you for a guy.
Best friends don’t post your deepest, darkest secrets online.

Bailey’s falling head-over-high-heels for Ryder West, a mysterious gamer she met online. A guy she’s never met in person. Her best friend, Meg, doesn’t trust smooth-talking Ryder. He’s just a picture-less profile.

When Bailey starts blowing Meg off to spend more virtual quality time with her new crush, Meg decides it’s time to prove Ryder’s a phony.

But one stupid little secret posted online turns into a friendship-destroying feud to answer the question:

Who is Ryder West?

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Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally
Published: Sourcebooks Fire (October 1st, 2012)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 242 pages
Series: Hundred Oaks, #2
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Red-hot author Miranda Kenneally hits one out of the park in this return to Catching Jordan's Hundred Oaks High.

Parker Shelton pretty much has the perfect life. She’s on her way to becoming valedictorian at Hundred Oaks High, she’s made the all-star softball team, and she has plenty of friends. Then her mother’s scandal rocks their small town and suddenly no one will talk to her.

Now Parker wants a new life.

So she quits softball. Drops twenty pounds. And she figures why kiss one guy when she can kiss three? Or four. Why limit herself to high school boys when the majorly cute new baseball coach seems especially flirty?

But how far is too far before she loses herself completely?

Review:

I will say that this book does deal with religion. I typically steer away from that topic because books can become really preachy. That wasn't the case with this story. Parker is dealing with her idea of being a good christian and, if anything, this book shows us how judgmental people can be and how you can't set yourself up for failure with certain ideas of religion.

Parker explores things by kissing a few boys, which gets her a bad reputation. But nothing prepares her for her feelings for Brian. The bad part is that Brian just happens to be her softball coach. Brian surprised me. Forbidden romances are nice to read about but Brian held a bit of a surprise. He wasn't always such a nice person. His real character soon comes out.

I really rooted for Parker in this story. I just wanted her to break free from it all and stand up to people. I didn't want her to depend on friends, family, or a guy to make her happy. She needed to get to the point where she could be a stronger person.

Miranda's books are so relatable. Especially since I live in the same state and understand that whole"small town vibe" we see with this series. I love seeing what happens in these stories because it's normally something I've seen in my own high school experiences.

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