Review: TRUST by Kylie Scott

TRUST

by Kylie Scott

Publication Date: July 18, 2017

Pages: 374

Source: InkSlingerPR | Netgalley

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Synopsis

Being young is all about the experiences: the first time you skip school, the first time you fall in love…the first time someone holds a gun to your head.

After being held hostage during a robbery at the local convenience store, seventeen-year-old Edie finds her attitude about life shattered. Unwilling to put up with the snobbery and bullying at her private school, she enrolls at the local public high school, crossing paths with John. The boy who risked his life to save hers.

While Edie’s beginning to run wild, however, John’s just starting to settle down. After years of partying and dealing drugs with his older brother, he’s going straight—getting to class on time, and thinking about the future.

An unlikely bond grows between the two as John keeps Edie out of trouble and helps her broaden her horizons. But when he helps her out with another first—losing her virginity—their friendship gets complicated.

Meanwhile, Edie and John are pulled back into the dangerous world they narrowly escaped. They were lucky to survive the first time, but this time they have more to lose—each other.

My Thoughts

After finishing TRUST, Kylie Scott has me on my knees begging her to write more young adult. PLEASE!!!

I wanted to read TRUST from the moment I read the synopsis about a seventeen year old girl begin held at gun point. When I was seventeen, I was help at gunpoint at my place of employment, and it was one of the most terrifying moments of my life. This connection to the character was immediate. I wanted to know how Edie felt. I wanted to know how the people around her treated her. I wanted to know how it affected her and how it changed her. 

Kylie Scott describes moments of great intensity and fear, and she captured the connection of these characters who went though this traumatic event together. Scott creates an atmosphere where you are in the moment Edie and John and you understand the pull that is so strong it continues to bring them together. 

And even with all of the intense moments, Scott brings in a lot of humor to their story. Her dialogue kept me laughing throughout. I loved Edie's sarcasm and strength when she realizes she's not going to take crap for anyone any more. An empowered Edie is fierce.

I loved reading about Edie's friendship with Hang. I've read a lot of books with some awesome best friends in them lately, and I would add TRUST to that category. Hang and Edie are a fun, supportive, and entertaining pair. I hope we get to see more of Hang - maybe in a companion novel. I mean, I am begging for more YA! 

It was easy to fall in love John. For many reasons, John Cole gave off the Marcus Flutie vibe. (If you know Marcus Flutie from the Sloppy Firsts series, you would know this is a high compliment. LOL!) He's the bad boy trying to reform and he tries not to drag Edie into his mess. One of my favorite scenes is the first night of texting with Edie. It was sweet and funny.

Favorite Quotes:

"It's okay to be afraid, Edie. You Just can't let it stop you from doing anything."

"If he makes you cry, he's not worth it."

"Justice is about to be served sunny-side up."

"How about we play spin the bottle, later. Just you and me."

I've already recommended TRUST to a few friends. It's a book I'll recommended to readers who like their YA a little bit edgier. It's one I'll recommend to adults who think they don't like YA because I think this book would change their mind. 

I loved this book so much, I am already ready for a reread. And I can't wait to listen to the audiobook!

Disclaimer:  I received this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.  I was not compensated in any way other than the e-ARC provided. I've also purchased a finished copy for my personal library. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Kylie is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013 & 2014, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet. You can learn more about Kylie from http://www.kylie-scott.com/

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Review: THE IMPOSSIBLE VASTNESS OF US by Samantha Young

THE IMPOSSIBLE VASTNESS OF US

by Samantha Young

Publication Date: June 27, 2017

Published by Harlequin Teen

Pages: 384

Source: INKSlingerPR | Netgalley

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Synopsis

I know how to watch my back. I’m the only one that ever has.

India Maxwell hasn’t just moved across the country—she’s plummeted to the bottom rung of the social ladder. It’s taken years to cover the mess of her home life with a veneer of popularity. Now she’s living in one of Boston’s wealthiest neighborhoods with her mom’s fiancé and his daughter, Eloise. Thanks to her soon-to-be stepsister’s clique of friends, including Eloise’s gorgeous, arrogant boyfriend Finn, India feels like the one thing she hoped never to be seen as again: trash.

But India’s not alone in struggling to control the secrets of her past. Eloise and Finn, the school’s golden couple, aren’t all they seem to be. In fact, everyone’s life is infinitely more complex than it first appears. And as India grows closer to Finn and befriends Eloise, threatening the facades that hold them together, what’s left are truths that are brutal, beautiful, and big enough to change them forever… 

My Thoughts

I LOVED IT!!

THE IMPOSSIBLE VASTNESS OF US is about the the secrets we keep to protect ourselves. It's about the secrets we keep to protect the ones we love. 

Friends have recommended several books by Samantha Young to me, but this is the first that I picked up. The fact that it is her young adult debut may have had something to do with that. I didn't even finish the entire synopsis before I decided this is a book I wanted to read. I thought the cover was cute - my eyes were drawn to the three people under the umbrella, but it was the title that really piqued my curiosity. What was the Impossible Vastness? This is what I needed to know.

What I liked:

• The portrayal of combining the families from different backgrounds - and the relationship between India and Eloise as they learn how to become stepsisters
• The many moments of honest vulnerability - these feelings was captured perfectly
• The massive amount of compassion and forgiveness and the willingness to understand motives and acceptance of the ones we love
• Eloise!! Finn!! India!! - these characters grabbed a hold of my heart

With the many characters and their secrets, there was a lot going on, but it never felt like it was too much or that the story was overworked. We have many experiences simultaneously which we deal with, so why wouldn't that be the same for the characters. It just served as a reminder that being a teenager can be hard.

Favorite Quotes:

"A boy like that needs someone to shake him up a little. You’re so good at shaking people up.” - There's just something about India that makes others take notice.

"Not only had I moved across the country, I’d moved into a freaking Jane Austen novel." - This made me laugh out loud. India is so out of her element, in a world of money, formality, and etiquette and obligation that almost seems of a different time.

"Life is what you make it, no matter where you come from.” - This rings for true for many of the characters. They just need to realize they can make their own destiny.

"He gave me the things that would last long after everything else faded to an end." - 💗💗💗

What surprised me the most:

This story made me cry. A tender, but significant moment snuck up on me and the next thing I knew I was crying. 

Oh how I LOVED this book. (I'm afraid this review didn't do it justice.) India and Finn and Eloise prove that we are capable of more than we ever imagined - love, understanding, forgiveness, compassion. It's in all of us. THE IMPOSSIBLE VASTNESS OF US is by far one of my favorite young adult contemporary reads of this year!

Disclaimer:  I received this e-ARC from INKSlingerPR in exchange for my honest review.  I was not compensated in any way other than the e-ARC provided. Quotes are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may differ from the final published version. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

About Samantha Young:

Samantha Young is the New York Times,  USA Today  and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of adult contemporary romances, including the On Dublin Street series and Hero, as well as the New Adult duology Into the Deep and Out of the Shallows.  Every Little Thing, the second book in her new Hart’s Boardwalk series, will be published by Berkley in March 2017. Before turning to contemporary fiction, she wrote several young adult paranormal and fantasy series, including the amazon bestselling Tale of Lunarmorte trilogy. Samantha’s debut YA contemporary novel The Impossible Vastness of Us will be published by Harlequin TEEN in ebook& hardback June 2017

Samantha has been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award 2012 for Best Author and Best Romance for On Dublin Street, Best Romance 2014 for Before Jamaica Lane, and Best Romance 2015 for Hero. On Dublin Street, a #1 bestseller in Germany, was the Bronze Award Winner in the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2013, Before Jamaica Lane the Gold Medal Winner for the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2014 and Echoes of Scotland Street the Bronze Medal Winner for the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2015.

Samantha is currently published in 30 countries and is a #1 international bestselling author.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

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Signed copy of The Impossible Vastness of Us and Prize Pack!

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FORBIDDEN: Trailer and HUGE Pre-Order Giveaway

On November 4th, HarperCollins unveils Forbidden, a seductive YA debut from award-winning middle grade author Kimberley Griffiths Little. Forbidden transports readers back in time to the deadly deserts and sweltering heat of Ancient Mesopotamia for a tale of danger, duty, and forbidden love. Jayden is on the brink of womanhood and betrothed to her tribe’s prince, cold-hearted Horeb. But when tragedy strikes, Jayden meets Kadesh, a mysterious visitor from the south who makes Jayden doubt everything she knows. Torn between loyalty to her tribe and the chance to escape her fate, Jayden must make a choice that will change her life forever.

Kimberley is also offering a HUGE preorder giveaway from October 6th to November 4th (release day!) to celebrate. 

See below for full details on how to enter.

TO ENTER:

• You must preorder Forbidden through an online retailer or your local bookstore, then email a photo of your receipt to forbiddengiveaway@gmail.com.
• Fill out the rafflecopter below
• US/Canada Only
• Ends at midnight EST on November 3, 2014
• Optional entries: share the trailer on your own site or social media, follow Kimberley on twitter, and tweet about the giveaway (can be repeated daily for extra entries!)
• Winners will be announced and contacted November 4th (release day!)
• If the winner does not respond with their mailing address within one week, a new winner will be chosen.

PRIZES:

(1) GRAND PRIZE WINNER: 1. NEWLY RELEASED Kindle Fire HD6 Tablet with 6" HD Display, Wi-Fi, Front and Rear Cameras, 8 GB -- choose your color! (Black, Magenta, White, Citron, or Cobalt) 2. GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS by Rae Carson 3. CHAOS OF STARS by Kiersten White 4. Satin Belly Dance Skirt 5. Belly Dance 150-Coin Hip Scarf 6. Red Silk Veil (not pictured) 7. Red Middle Eastern Earrings 8. Belly dance DVD: Sensual Belly Dance with Blanca, a professional dancer (technique, choreography, and performances) 9. "Will YOU risk it all?" button (not pictured) 10. Set of 10 Book Club Cards 11. Jeweled bookmark (not pictured)

(1) SECOND PLACE WINNER:

1. GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS by Rae Carson

2. Red Middle Eastern Earrings

3. Red Silk Veil (not pictured)

4. Belly dance DVD: Sensual Belly Dance with Blanca, a professional dancer (technique, choreography, and performances)

5. "Will YOU risk it all?" button (not pictured)

6. Set of 10 Book Club Cards

7. Jeweled bookmark (not pictured)

(13) RUNNERS-UP WINNERS:

1. Red Middle Eastern Earrings

2. "Will YOU risk it all?" button (not pictured)

3. Set of 10 Book Club Cards

4. Jeweled bookmark (not pictured)

Good luck!

                  a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Preorder: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound

About Forbidden: In the unforgiving Mesopotamian desert where Jayden’s tribe lives, betrothal celebrations abound, and tonight it is Jayden’s turn to be honored. But while this union with Horeb, the son of her tribe’s leader, will bring a life of riches and restore her family’s position within the tribe, it will come at the price of Jayden’s heart.

Then a shadowy boy from the Southern Lands appears. Handsome and mysterious, Kadesh fills Jayden’s heart with a passion she never knew possible. But with Horeb’s increasingly violent threats haunting Jayden’s every move, she knows she must find a way to escape—or die trying.

With a forbidden romance blossoming in her heart and her family’s survival on the line, Jayden must embark on a deadly journey to save the ones she loves—and find a true love for herself.

Set against the brilliant backdrop of the sprawling desert, the story of Jayden and Kadesh will leave readers absolutely breathless as they defy the odds and risk it all to be together.

Follow Kimberley:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

About Kimberley: Award-winning author Kimberley Griffiths Little was born in San Francisco, but now lives in New Mexico on the banks of the Rio Grande with her husband and their three sons. Her middle-grade novels, When the Butterflies Came, The Last Snake Runner, The Healing Spell, and Circle of Secrets, have been praised as “fast-paced and dramatic,” with “beautifully realized settings.” Kimberley adores anything old and musty with a secret story to tell. She’s stayed in the haunted tower room at Borthwick Castle in Scotland; sailed the Seine in Paris; ridden a camel in Petra, Jordan; shopped the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul; and spent the night in an old Communist hotel in Bulgaria. You can visit her online at www.kimberleygriffithslittle.com.

Share your thoughts on the trailer in the comments!

Cover Reveal: Harp's Song by Cassie Shine

I'm thrilled to take part in the reveal for the new cover of HARP'S SONG by Cassie Shine! Check it out, and let me know what you think in the comments. Then be sure to enter the giveaway through the Rafflecopter link below for a chance to win a signed copy of HARP'S SONG, and a $25 Amazon gift card!

HARP'S SONG by Cassie Shine 
Publication date: November 5, 2013

In just a few months Harp Evans will be officially coming of age and graduating from high school. She will be free from the mother that never wanted her, the house that never felt like home, and the disappointment of the last seventeen years. What she doesn’t know is that her mother has been holding onto a secret that has the potential to derail her dreams and destroy her already faulty sense of self.

A self-proclaimed recluse, Harp spends most of her time practicing the cello, in the hopes of earning a full scholarship that will grant her freedom, but will also send her away from her best friend Connor Williams, who is becoming more than just a friend.

As revelations are made, will Harp still feel the same way about leaving everyone that cares about her behind? Or will she continue to pursue the life she’s been dreaming of for as long as she can remember?

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What do you think of the cover?

About the Author

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Instagram | Goodreads  

Cassie Shine released her debut young adult novel, Harp's Song in November 2013, finally finishing the short story she started in her college creative writing class … many, many moons ago. She has always been an avid reader and lover of music (yes, she was in the high school marching band). While she has a weak spot for all things teeny bopper, especially boy bands, she also loves classical, country, rock and well, pretty much everything.

After living in St. Louis for more than ten years, she and her husband packed up a U-Haul and headed west. They currently live in Orange County, CA with their furry kids Finnegan and Molly.

Giveaway

Enter to win a signed copy of HARP’S SONG with $30 Amazon gift card! (US/CA only)

[Enter the giveaway via Rafflecopter here!]

Being Henry David Blog Tour

Today kicks off the Being Henry David Blog Tour and I'm pleased to host Cal Armistead here for with a guest post, review, and giveaway. If you visit my blog regularly, you may know that I love to share independent bookstores every chance I get. So I when I found out that Cal works at an indie bookstore (when she isn't writing), I asked her to share her experience. She did and I admit, I'm a little jealous - to be surrounded by books and book lovers - sounds like the ideal job to me.  

Welcome Cal Armistead!

Thank you so much, Actin’ Up With Books, for inviting me to visit your blog and write about what it’s like to work at a small independent bookstore.

First, introductions:  I’m Cal Armistead, and my debut young adult novel, Being Henry David, will be officially released by Albert Whitman & Company on March 1st (but you can probably find it in your favorite store now!) 

   I’m also a bookseller at Willow Books & Café in Acton, Massachusetts. Talk about the perfect job for a writer.  I mean, books, avid reader/customers, fun co-workers, free coffee, plus an employee discount?  It doesn’t get much better than that.  

At Willow Books, I spend blissful hours shelving new releases, recommending books, writing the weekly newsletter, and chatting about books (and life) with a staff of incredibly smart, funny people. And while working at a bookstore is not the most lucrative career move, it has its perks.  Getting my hands on new books before they hit the shelves, that’s one.  Turning customers on to an author they will ultimately love, that’s another.  And then there’s watching small children who can barely see over the counter buy their first books with handfuls of coins, and older kids whose eyes light up when they discover we have the latest book in the series they adore.  The grown-up reader kids come in too, with that same aura of excited anticipation.   There’s something so gratifying about ringing up a book, tucking in a bookmark, and knowing the person in front of me will soon be immersed in a magical world that exists only on the book’s pages and within the imagination. Did I mention I love my job?

Granted, independent bookstores like mine are struggling these days, closing their doors as people turn to e-books and Amazon.  For the record, big stores like Barnes & Noble are not the enemy—we want them to succeed too, to prove that printed books and real bricks-and-mortar stores can survive.  Otherwise, the world of books will be relegated to on-line shopping and warehouses.  No more bookstore browsing.  How sad would that be??

Anyway, the nice thing is, people come in to our store every day and say, “I’m so glad you’re still here.”  They know we’re a vanishing breed, and they give us lots of love.  And in order to stay alive, the bookstore owner has added a used book section (recycling at its best), and non-book items like toys, games, gift items, chocolate, and slippers.  (Slippers at a bookstore?  Uh-huh.  Whatever it takes.  And they’re really comfy, too.) 

The best thing about being an author working at an independent bookstore is this: the Launch Party!  On March 3rd, they’re throwing a big bash at the store—for me!  (For more information visit their website at www.willowbooks.com.) We’re inviting everybody we can think of, heavily promoting the event in local media as well as our newsletter (which I just happen to write…cough), and my coworker Karen says she’s going to devote a whole front window display to my book, Thoreau, and me.  Now that’s just plain amazing. 

So to sum up, small, local independent bookstores are the best.  Show them love.  Support yours.  And thanks for reading my guest blog!

Being Henry David 

by Cal Armistead

Published by Albert Whitman Teen

Available: March 1, 2013

 

Seventeen-year-old "Hank" has found himself at Penn Station in New York City with no memory of anything --who he is, where he came from, why he's running away. His only possession is a worn copy of Walden, by Henry David Thoreau. And so he becomes Henry David-or "Hank" and takes first to the streets, and then to the only destination he can think of--Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. Cal Armistead's remarkable debut novel is about a teen in search of himself. Hank begins to piece together recollections from his past. The only way Hank can discover his present is to face up to the realities of his grievous memories. He must come to terms with the tragedy of his past, to stop running, and to find his way home.

My Thoughts 

Being Henry David is one of those books that grabs a hold of you from the very first sentence: "The last thing I remember is now" and makes you realize that something significant is about to happen. Henry David, aka Hank, wakes up in a train station not knowing who he is or how he got there. He's alone, almost penniless, and has an aching gash on his head. It was easy to speculate what happened to him. He might have been homeless. He could've been mugged. He might have been on drugs. But like Hank, you just don't know how he came to be there and discovering what happened to him as he discovers what happened is what makes this story interesting. 

The story begins in New York City -fast-paced and chaotic - where Hank runs into a lot of new people, but no one who knows who he is. Hank gets into some trouble, meets some shady people, and begins to question what could have happened in his life to bring him to this moment. He questions if he is a good person when the rage he experiences comes so naturally. We never really know if he is someone we should be rooting for. Is he the bad guy? I didn't want to think so. I mean, would a bad guy carry around a copy of Walden?

Once Hank reaches Walden Pond, his mind gets to settle down and he tries figure out his past. Like Thoreau who left for Walden Pond, he hopes to discover some answers and find some peace. But that doesn't happen. One of my favorites lines is from when Hank reconsiders leaving the train station in New York for the cold wilderness of Walden Pond:

"I hate Thoreau for luring me here and making me think that by coming here, I might actually figure out who I am." (page 80)

Hank realizes there must be a reason why can't remember and he is exhausted from trying to remember. So instead, he embraces his new identity as Hank and begins to live, to quote Thoreau, "deliberately." And it is then that he begins to remember.

I really enjoyed reading Being Henry David because it kept me guessing and curious and entertained. The passages from Thoreau's Walden were a great contribution to the story because, while often left up to interpretation, they helped Hank figure out who he was and who he wanted to be. 

A little side note: There were several passages that I read which I thought were Walt Whitman and not Thoreau and I felt somewhat shameful and not a good scholar of American Literature. 

The Giveaway

one signed copy of Being Henry David

U.S./Canada Addresses Only 

must be 16 or older to enter

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 Tomorrow's Tour Stop

The Cozy Reading Corner
Interview and Giveaway