Small Medium at Large by Joanne Levy -- YA Review

 Small Medium at Large by Joanne Levy -- YA Review

 

After she’s hit by lightning at a wedding, twelve-year-old Lilah Bloom develops a new talent: she can hear dead people. Among them, there’s her overopinionated Bubby Dora; a prissy fashion designer; and an approval-seeking clown who livens up a séance. With Bubby Dora leading the way, these and other sweetly imperfect ghosts haunt Lilah through seventh grade, and help her face her one big fear: talking to—and possibly going to the seventh-grade dance with—her crush, Andrew Finkel. Blurb via Goodreads

Details: Bloomsbury, Released July 3, 2012, Hardcover, 208 pages
Genre: YA
Source: Library
Links: Goodreads

Stars? 4/5

In one sentence? Lilah got struck by lightning and all she got were voices in her head.

Review:

A sweet, quick story about twelve year old Lilah who gets struck by lightning and suddenly hears dead people. Lilah has to navigate life as a twelve year old while dead people talk to her. This book has all the elements of the horrors of being a pre-teen, boys, bras, saying the exact wrong thing at the very worst time. Lilah is a likable character, she's sweet, generous, kind, the kind of girl you wanted to have as a friend. The story is punctuated with laugh out loud moments and embarrassing, cringe-worthy moments.

Taste by Kate Evangelista -- YA Review

Taste by Kate Evangelista -- YA Review

At Barinkoff Academy, there's only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans. When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn't realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud.

Details: Crescent Moon Press, Released April 30, 2012, Trade Paperback, 259 pages
Genre: YA
Source: Giveaway Win
Links: Goodreads

Stars? 5/5

In one sentence? A new and interesting take on the zombie genre.

Review:

One mistake can change everything. Phoenix isn't supposed to be at school after hours but when she falls asleep at school and wakes up amidst the night students. Students that want a 'taste'.

Phoenix is a likable character. She's brave but dumb. She's got the best of intentions but she ends up leaping without even attempting to look. She turns into the damsel in distress several times but there were reasons for it, it wasn't just an opportunity to have one of the boys rescue her. I wanted to knock her upside the head, to root for her, to sympathize with her and to give her a hug.

I adored the boys, Dimitri, the tall, dark, handsome, brooding, dutiful prince and Luka, the playful, kind, teasing, haunted prince. I thought they were both good matches for Phoenix and I appreciated the way Evanglista handled the love triangle, but not a love triangle, triangle. I'm not a big fan of triangles but this one was well done, both the guys were good to her and good for her.

I liked Evangelista's writing style. The story never seemed to lag and I thought she did a good job of portraying the world she created and describing the people in it. She made me care about the characters, I was emotionally invested in them and their journey. Evangelista is also excellent at crafting chemistry between her characters and conveying that to the reader.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith -- YA Review

 The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith -- YA Review

Image Via Goodreads

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more? Blurb Via Goodreads

Details: Poppy/Little Brown, Released January 2, 2012, Hardcover, 236 pages
Genre: YA
Source: Library
Links: Goodreads

Stars? 5/5

In one sentence? Girl + guy + 24 hours = love?

Review:

A sweet and touching story that shows how everything can change in twenty-four hours. I adored this book. I adored Hadley. I adored Oliver. I adored everything about it.

It had a twist I didn't see coming. A twist that made me stop and think about everything that had come before in the context of that new knowledge. Smith doesn't wrap things up in a pretty bow at the end. I could appreciate that because life isn't like that, terrible things happen to us and we have to deal with them. 

I think the mark of a good book is that we keep thinking of it long after we've turned the last page. This book is one of those books. One particular line 'needed more time' kept repeating in my head. I felt like that too, I needed more time with this book, more time with Hadley and Oliver.

It's a relatively short book, only 236 pages, and it was a page turner. Smith's writing style was clear and crisp and the story was fascinating. If you see The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight definitely pick it up, you won't regret it.

Clear Your Shelf Giveaway Hop January 4 - 10, 2012

Clear Your Shelf Giveaway Hop January 4 - 10, 2012

Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

My prize:

A Victorian garden, a fishing lure, and a ghost named John

Absolutely nothing is going right for Max Green. His parents have just uprooted their family from Vancouver to the bleak suburbs of Toronto, he has no friends, and everybody at his new high school is ignoring him. To make matters worse, hes in love with an older girl whos completely out of his league.

When Max discovers a local library rumoured to be haunted by ghosts, hes immediately drawn to it. With the help of some cryptic messages, he begins to piece together the identity of the teenage ghost and the mysterious chain of events that have connected its spirit to the building for more than a century. But just who was John, anyway? Why has he chosen to contact Max? And what does an old fishing lure have to do with solving the mystery?

The fine print:
1 winner. US only. Must be 18 or have parental permission.
Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
For full details please read the terms and conditions. 
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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