Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti

Blurb: CHEW. SWALLOW. CHEW. SWALLOW. DON'T LOOK UP. Lunch is the worst, but there’s no safe place at school for Noelle. Keeping her mortifying home life a secret and trying to ignore the kids who make her life miserable are Noelle’s survival strategies. Her emotionally distant boyfriend, Matt, isn’t the one she really wants to be with. But there’s no way she could ever be with Julian Porter.When Julian starts talking to her, Noelle is terrified. It seems safer to stay with Matt than risk a broken heart. But when the bullying of a friend goes too far, Noelle realizes it’s time to stand up for herself—and for everything that makes her keep holding on.


Review: OMG! I have so much to say about this book! It is by far THE MOST powerful book by Susane Colasanti I have ever read! I felt so many different emotions through-out this book, sometimes even at the same time! Some parts, like when the bullying Noelle receives gets really bad, I was nearly in tears. Other times I was so angry at Noelle's mother that I didn't know what to do with myself and almost threw the book across the room. And then there were moments that I had happy tears in my eyes because the things Noelle's friends do for her is so sweet! While there were some really sad parts of this book that made me not sure if I wanted to read anymore for fear of reading an especially sad part, but I read on, and Yay! I am so glad that I kept reading. The end was so inspiring, and it was so worth my many tears over this book! All in all, a very inspiring read, with a very clear message : Keep Holding On! Susane Colasanti did an awesome job using her own experiences with bullying to make Noelle's story that much better! It was an awesome book that I know I will keep with me for a very long time, and I highly recommend reading it!


Rating: LOVED IT

Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry #3) by Simone Elkeles

Blurb: Like his brothers, Luis Fuentes is a risk taker; whether he's scaling the Rocky Mountains or dreaming of a future as an astronaut, Luis is always looking for the next thrill. Nikki Cruz lives her life by certain rules -, don't trust a boy who says "I love you", boys lie to get their own way and never date a boy from the south side of Fairfield. Then she meets Luis at his brother Alex's wedding and suddenly she's tempted to break all her rules. Getting Nikki to give him a chance is Luis's biggest challenge, until he finds himself targeted by the head of the gang that nearly destroyed his brothers' lives. Will Luis's feelings for Nikki be enough to stop him from entering a dark and violent world that could prove to be the ultimate risk?

Review: I was, and still am, very sad that this is the last book in the Perfect Chemistry trilogy because I never want it to end! It is one of the best series I have ever read! But I am happy because this book had a perfect ending (for the trilogy and for the book) and I would have been so disappointed if it wasn't as good as the other two books in the series. But Luis Fuentes' story did not disappoint and it was nice to hear his story because it was so awesomely romantic! I was actually really sad that there are no more books in this series, but everything has to end sometimes! All in all, it was a great romantic read, and it was great to see how the characters from the other two books in the series had developed. I've said this before, and I will say it again: If you haven't read these books, get to it!

Rating: LOVED IT

Rules Of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry #2) by Simone Elkeles

Blurb: When Carlos Fuentes returns to America after living in Mexico for a year, he doesn't want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him at a high school in Colorado . Carlos likes living his life on the edge and wants to carve his own path—just like Alex did. Then he meets Kiara Westford. She doesn’t talk much and is completely intimidated by Carlos’ wild ways. As they get to know one another, Carlos assumes Kiara thinks she’s too good for him, and refuses to admit that she might be getting to him. But he soon realizes that being himself is exactly what Kiara needs right now.


Review: I was so excited to read this book when I saw the trailer (watch it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhEx0kaUlrU!). It got me so in the mood to read this book, I couldn't wait to finish Perfect Chemistry and start reading Rules Of Attraction. I admit, I did have high expectations considering how good the first book in the series was, and I am very happy to say that this book met my expectations, made me very glad that Perfect Chemistry is a trilogy, and it made me desperate for more! The romance between Carlos and Kiara was so great and I loved how their relationship developed! It was actually a really great book, like Perfect Chemistry, which I am glad because I would have been very disappointed if Rules Of Attraction wasn't as good as Perfect Chemistry. It would have sucked since the first book left my expectations high for the second book. But (yay!) it didn't suck and I was so happy that I found these books. So if you haven't read them, hurry up and get to it because seriously, you don't know what you're missing out on!


Rating: LOVED IT

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Blurb: At Fairfield High School, on the outskirts of Chicago , everyone knows that south-siders mixing with north-siders can be explosive.  So when Brittany Ellis and Alejandro “Alex” Fuentes are forced to be lab partners in chemistry class, this human experiment leads to unexpected revelations – that Brittany ’s flawless reputation is a cover for her troubled home life, that Alex’s bad-boy persona  hides his desire to break free from gang ties, and that when they’re together, life somehow makes more sense.  Breaking through the stereotypes and expectations that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart, Perfect Chemistry takes readers to both sides of the tracks in a passionate love story about looking beneath the surface.

Review: I honestly cannot find the words to describe how much I love this book. It. Is. So. Freaking. Awesome. From the first line I was sucked in. I finished it the next day. The characters in this book were so addictive and I was so desperate for more. I really didn't want it to end, but I am so glad it did because the ending was so perfect and it would have ruined it if it ended any other way. I am so glad I discovered this series because I was seriously missing out before. If you don't believe me, then read it for yourself and find out what I'm talking about because this is one of the best books I have ever read. It was so romantic and all of the gang-related stuff put an exciting twist to the whole thing. It was so perfect! I can't wait to read the other two books in this series!

Rating: LOVED IT

The Fine Art Of Truth Or Dare by Melissa Jensen

Blurb: Ella is nearly invisible at the Willing School, and that's just fine by her. She's got her friends - the fabulous Frankie and their sweet cohort Sadie. She's got her art - and her idol, the unappreciated 19th-century painter Edward Willing. Still, it's hard being a nobody and having a crush on the biggest somebody in the school: Alex Bainbridge. Especially when he is your French tutor, and lessons have started becoming, well, certainly more interesting than French ever has been before. But can the invisible girl actually end up with a happily ever after with the golden boy, when no one even knows they're dating? And is Ella going to dare to be that girl?


Review: The blurb makes this book sound really good. That's why I read it. For the romantic aspect. But, sorry to say, I was hugely disappointed. There wasn't much that happened that made me want to keep reading, except maybe the end, so I could finish it and start reading Perfect Chemistry, which had just arrived at the library after I have had it on hold for ages. Sure, it was sweet and all, but I didn't find myself really hooked. At all. It was sad, really, how disappointing it was. I mean, I could have skipped the first 150 pages and I wouldn't have missed anything. But the romance was nice and the ending was sweet, so if you are looking for a not-very-interesting romance book that you don't want to get hooked onto, then this is your book. All I'm saying is, don't be surprised if it isn't up to much. Because I warned you.


Rating: AVERAGE

10 Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski

Blurb: 2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house - parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have.
If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up "Skipping School" (#3), "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um, "Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them.
In this hilarious and bittersweet tale, Sarah Mlynowski mines the heart and mind of a girl on her own for the first time. To get through the year, April will have to juggle a love triangle, learn to do her own laundry, and accept that her carefully constructed world just might be falling apart . . . one thing-she-shouldn't-have-done at a time.

Review: I haven't really read a book like this before now. But I loved it! It was fresh and fun and the characters were really refreshing and I loved every single minute of it! It's just a seriously good book! I wasn't really sure what to expect from it, especially since I had never heard of Sarah Mlynowski before I found this book, but I was very surprised at how good the writing and storyline was! I will definitely read more by this author, and if you know of any books like this one, please please please email me (find my address on my profile page in the Contact Me section on the left hand column!) about them! It was funny and addicting and I need more! So if you haven't read it, get to it because or else you are seriously missing out!

Rating: LOVED IT

When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle

Blurb: WHAT'S IN A NAME, SHAKESPEARE? I'LL TELL YOU: EVERYTHING.
Rosaline knows that she and Rob are destined to be together. Rose has been waiting for years for Rob to kiss her—and when he finally does, it’s perfect. But then Juliet moves back to town. Juliet, who used to be Rose’s best friend. Juliet, who now inexplicably hates her. Juliet, who is gorgeous, vindictive, and a little bit crazy… and who has set her sights on Rob. He doesn’t even stand a chance.
Rose is devastated over losing Rob to Juliet. This is not how the story was supposed to go. And when rumors start swirling about Juliet’s instability, her neediness, and her threats of suicide, Rose starts to fear not only for Rob’s heart, but also for his life. Because Shakespeare may have gotten the story wrong, but we all still know how it ends…

Review: Believe it or not, I have actually never seen Romeo & Juliet. Or read the book, either. I guess my English teacher will make us study it sometime, though. Me not knowing the story of Romeo & Juliet, except the basics (such as they fell in love and then died), this was a new topic for me. But I loved it! There were moments when I was like OMG! What's gonna happen now?!? and also times when I was Oh no she didn't! which just made me want to read it more! I loved the romance and how it made me have to think about it because I didn't now what way the story was going to go! All in all, an awesome book with great characters and I will definitely be reading more by this author!


Rating: LOVED IT