Review and Giveaway: OTHER BREAKABLE THINGS by Kelley York and Rowan Altwood

OTHER BREAKABLE THINGS

by Kelley York and Rowan Altwood

Publication Date: April 4, 2017

Published by Entangled Teen

Pages: 306

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

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Synopsis

According to Japanese legend, folding a thousand paper cranes will grant you healing.

Evelyn Abel will fold two thousand if it will bring Luc back to her.

Luc Argent has always been intimately acquainted with death. After a car crash got him a second chance at life—via someone else’s transplanted heart—he tried to embrace it. He truly did. But he always knew death could be right around the corner again.

And now it is.

Sick of hospitals and tired of transplants, Luc is ready to let his failing heart give out, ready to give up. A road trip to Oregon—where death with dignity is legal—is his answer. But along for the ride is his best friend, Evelyn.

And she’s not giving up so easily.

A thousand miles, a handful of roadside attractions, and one life-altering kiss later, Evelyn’s fallen, and Luc’s heart is full. But is it enough to save him? Evelyn’s betting her heart, her life, that it can be.

Right down to the thousandth paper crane.

My Thoughts

OTHER BREAKABLE THINGS is a gorgeous story of friendship and love. There is so much beauty - in the storytelling, in the imagery, and in the emotional tone of OTHER BREAKABLE THINGS, that it feels like a privilege to get to read it and experience it.

It's easy to adore Evelyn - her personality, her kindness, her willingness to give their friendship another chance. And then there is Luc. Oh, Luc. He is could be mistaken for selfish because he doesn't always share his true feelings, his fears, the worries he has about his health and the impact it has on Evelyn and his family. But, many of this things he does are selfless - for Evelyn. It's for her joy he wants. He wants her to have experiences and on the road trip, he helps her create some unforgettable memories.

There were moments of overwhelming melancholy because I was witnesses these characters' love for each other with the knowledge that it could all end in an instant. It's easy to hold on to hope and believe in the power of the paper cranes and still understand that it may not be forever. For me, that is the appeal of this story. We may not get the happy ending, but there is beauty and happiness in their time together.

Some favorite quotes:

"Desperado" for a desperate situation. Sometimes the most cliche music is exactly what you need,"

"I have a feeling seeing her reaction to everything will be the best part of this trip. Hell, maybe that's been the part all along."

AND THIS - After their first kiss:
"I feel like I've been waiting years to do that. Was that some kind of one time thing?"
"No, I don't think it was."

I loved this book more than I can express here. I hope that readers embrace this book and the story of friendship and love and life and death because it is incredibly special.

OTHER BREAKABLE THINGS BLOG TOUR GIVEAWAY

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Waiting on Wednesday: Damaged by Amy Reed

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:
 

Damaged
by Amy Reed
Published by Simon Pulse
Expected Publication Date: 2014
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Part ghost story, part epic roadtrip, and part reluctant love story, DAMAGED offers readers another piercing, poignant story full of emotional truth from author Amy Reed.

After Kinsey’s best friend Camille dies in a car accident during which Kinsey was driving, Kinsey shuts down, deciding that numbness is far better than mourning. All she wants during the last few weeks of high school is to be left alone, but Camille’s mysterious boyfriend, Hunter–who was also in the car that night–has different ideas.

Despite all of Kinsey’s efforts, she can’t outrun Camille, who begins haunting her dreams. Sleep deprived and on the verge of losing it, Kinsey runs away with Hunter to San Francisco. As they drive across the country, trying to escape both the ghost of Camille and their own deep fears, Kinsey questions all she once believed about her friendship with Camille. Hunter, meanwhile, falls into a spiral of alcoholism, anger, and self-loathing. Ultimately, Kinsey and Hunter must come to terms with what they’ve lost and accept that they can’t outrun pain.

Why I'm Waiting:

• I will read every book by Amy Reed
• Emotional stories with character development are my favorite
• Keywords: epic roadtrip and reluctant love story

 

Summer Road Trip Giveaway Hop

I'm back joining another hop. The Summer Road Trip Giveaway Hop is hosted by The Starry-Eyed Revue and all of us participating are giving away Road Trip books.

I am giving away one of my favorite road trip books: The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour.

From my review:

"Why do I read young adult books? The Disenchantments IS WHY I read young adult. It is the reason I read contemporary. It was like hanging out with my best friends."

About The Disenchantments:

Colby and Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev's band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she's abandoning their plans - and Colby - to start college in the fall.

But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie- Colby struggles to deal with Bev's already-growing distance and the most important question of all: what's next?

Morris Award–finalist Nina LaCour draws together the beauty and influences of music and art to brilliantly capture a group of friends on the brink of the rest of their lives.

Giveaway Details

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Friday Five

The Friday Five comes from Sarah Dessen's blog on LiveJournal. I've been following this blog the longest and love how she recaps her week with the Friday Five, now called the Five.

Here, I will recap my week with connections to books I am reading, have read, want to read and other random musings.

1. Last weekend I saw my all-time favorite band, Maroon 5 with one of my best girlfriends. It was the 5th M5 concert I have been to and they just keep getting better. Part of the fun is the road trip to see them and singing along to our favorite songs (a lot from the first album, Songs about Jane) and wondering what woman could have done Adam so wrong that he wrote so many songs about his tortured love. We definitely wouldn't do him wrong. Well, of course, there are always two (or more) sides to every story. What does this have to do with books? Well, I've read some fun books about the everyday girl, whose love-life becomes everyone's business because of a boy. A boy who just happens to have written a hit song about their relationship. Or the end of their relationship. Robin Benway's Audrey, Wait! and Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus's Dedication show what is like to be the girl whose personal life everyone likes to sing along to.

2. I am a huge fan of Megan McCafferty and her Jessica Darling Series. Sometimes when you love something so much, it is hard to put into words why you love it. You're afraid you won't do it justice or you will focus on one particular part and forget to tell about the best parts. Well . . . thank goodness someone can get it together. Over at Forever Young Adult, you will find the best book report on the whole series. http://www.foreveryoungadult.com/2010/08/19/jessica-notso-darling-isso-my-bff/ Thank you for putting into words what would only make me tongue-tied. Love it, love it, love it.

3. Right now I am reading Absolutely Maybe by Lisa Yee. Even with the heavy subject matter it is a fun read. Review will be coming soon.

4. Soon to Leave the Shelf: Tricks by Ellen Hopkins. I am excited to read this book as it has been on my bookshelf for almost a year. Why haven't I read it yet? Well, I have this weird thing about authors that I really like. I will buy their books the week and sometimes even the day the book is in the bookstore, but I will hold off reading the book I have just acquired until the next book by the author is about to hit the bookstore. Since Hopkins's next book Fallout will be out September 13th, I'm ready to take Tricks off the shelf.

5. I've been watching the new show Huge on ABC Family. I am always trying to see books that the character Becca is reading. In almost every scene that she is in, she is reading a book, but I can never tell what it is. If anyone knows, please post them here. Do I plan to read them, maybe not, but I want to know what they are. I'm weird like that.


This has been my first Friday Five and with an hour to spare, I can still call it the Friday Five. Whew!