Review: Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr


rating: 4 of 5 stars




From Goodreads:

As children, Jennifer Harris and Cameron Quick were both social outcasts.They were also one another's only friend.So when Cameron disappears without warning, Jennifer thinks she's lost the only person who will ever understand her.Now in high school, Jennifer has been transformed.Known as Jenna, she's popular, happy, and dating, everything "Jennifer" couldn't be---but she still can't shake the memory of her long-lost friend. When Cameron suddenly reappears, they are both confronted with memories of their shared past and the drastically different paths their lives have taken.Sweethearts is a story about the power of memory, the bond of friendship, and the quiet resilience of our childhood hearts.

Wow - what a book - I read it in a few hours but could not put it down. Sara Zarr does it again. I loved Story of A Girl and I also love Sweethearts.

Just reading about Jenna's insecurities and meeting Cameron again took me back to school. Who didn't have insecurities, even the popular people. This book just takes a deep look into how things in our life affect us and how we must take these things that shape us and move on with our life. Jenna does this through the book but she does it in a typical teenager way that made this book feel so real to me and really resonate with me.

An enjoyable cast of typical teenagers and a real feeling book - this is a book I would recommend to anyone - especially teenagers and even their parents because I believe there are great insights in this book.

As I said earlier though - it is a delightful quick read that you don't want to put down and truthfully I was sad at the end because I wanted more of Jenna, but the ending is fine, don't get me wrong. You aren't left hanging, I just enjoyed Jenna's story and wanted to hear more.

Other Reviews of this book:

Natasha at Mawbooks

Review: Because I'm Worth It - Gossip Girl #4

Because I'm Worth It by Cecily von Ziegesar

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
From Goodreads:

Everyone who's anyone in New York City is suffering from post-college-application cabin fever and it's time to run a little wild! Could it be that Serena is smitten with Blair's stepbrother or will the Fashion Week parties pull her away from any attempt at true love? Dan and Vanessa are mad about each other and pursuing their creative dreams -- but be careful of what you wish for. Nate hits an all-time low as Blair's Yale interview with a tall, handsome alum takes an unexpected turn and Jenny makes a new friend who gets a little too close for comfort. And just who is going to get into college early acceptance? Wintertime has never been hotter in NYC as things steam up all over Fifth Avenue.

This one was great - a lot happens and we learn even more about our favorite people we love to love and love to hate. More fun, plenty of laughs and plenty of heartache too. Just what you have come to expect from the series. I like that Serena and Blair are friends again and I like the new characters that are being added. Fashion week made a really fun backdrop for this one and it just feels like you get in on a lifestyle that you only see from a distance. Another quick easy read and I am already chomping at the bit for the next one.






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Review: All I Want is Everything - Gossip Girl #3

All I Want Is Everything by Cecily von Ziegesar



rating: 4 of 5 stars



From Amazon.com:

S and B and J and N are back, along with A, D, V, and assorted other rich, catty Manhattan teenagers in this third installment of the Gossip Girl series. An omniscient and anonymous narrator keeps track of the scene in www.gossipgirl.net (now an actual site), where the rumors fly, backs are stabbed, and celebrity sightings are dutifully reported. Serena (S) and Blair (B) are best friends again, shoring each other up as Blair faces life without her ex, Nate, who has hooked up with a sweet, busty 14-year-old, and Serena fends off advances from drop-dead-gorgeous rock star, Flow. Life’s rough. Meanwhile, Vanessa and Dan play the will-he/won’t-he game of sex, and Aaron tries to thwart his own crush on new stepsister Blair. (Ages 14 and older) --Emilie Coulter

Ah - the Gossip Girls - for some reason these books are really good to me. They are quick, easy, enthralling reads. It's like a teenage soap opera and I am hooked. I love the characters and the reange of characters that Ms. von Ziegesar uses. You have the wealthy elite, and the middle class, you have the stoner boy, the poetry boy, the vegan boy and the metro boy. The girls are all different too, but with typical and non-typical teenage problems.

Book number 3 helped me to get to know the characters better and be more intrigued by the story. I will definitely be reading these through to the end and look forward to each one I read.

For parents of teenagers - realize this is what is out there right now - there is sex, some language, drinking and drug use. I think of reading these as a way of educating myself for when my boys are older so I know what is out there. I think it's typical of the tv shows out there for teenagers now - it's just a little more advanced than the 90210 that I grew up with :)


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Review: Trial by Fire by Jo Davis

Trial by Fire by Jo Davis

rating: 4 of 5 stars

From Amazon.com:

Dont get burned...

Lieutenant Howard “Six- Pack” Paxton loves three things: being a firefighter, riding his Harley, and his bachelorhood. That is, until the curvaceous Kat McKenna falls into his arms at the scene of a fire—and melts the six-foot-six tower of bronze muscle…

But just as passion ignites between them—and they explore new heights of ecstasy—a ruthless arsonist with a deadly secret and a thirst for vengeance becomes their worst nightmare.

Wow - what a ride this book was. It took a few pages to get into, but after the first 20 or so I was hooked and could not put it down. I really liked the look into the characters of Howard and Kat. They felt real, a little more raw than I am use to, but I really liked them. I also liked getting the glimpse of the rest of the Firefighters of Station 5 and can't wait to read their stories.

The characters were well done in this book. The romance moved at a good pace. There was heat and problems between the main characters that really held your interest and the suspense kept you turning pages to find out what would happen next.

This isn't your happy-go-lucky romance novel, but if you love romantic suspense with an edge this is right up your alley. If you haven't tried romantic suspense then this is one book you should try. Ms. Davis offers us everything this book and I just can't recommend it enough!


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The Winner is . . .

Alicia - I've emailed you for your address and will get the book out as soon as possible. It's a great one.

Thanks everyone for entering my contest. I hope to have a new one up soon and a review of this wonderful Travis Thrasher book in the next few days. It comes out next Tuesday and you don't want to miss it!

Sorry for the delay - I am having some health difficulties but I'm able to read like a bandit at the moment. Lots of reviews coming and more giveaways. Stay tuned!

All giveaways will be announced on Twitter so follow me there to be the first to hear!

Audiobooks

First - don't forget my Ghostwriter contest in the post below - win a copy of Travis Thrasher's Ghostwriter before it's even out - contest runs through next Tuesday!

So audiobooks - I love them, they get me through my short commute and some days make me want to stay in the car longer. This week they are helping me during my commute as they are working on a bridge which is the only way about half of our county can get into "town" as we say. So my commute has stretched from the normal 20 minutes to about 45 minutes. Fun - but in a way it is - I don't have a specific time to be at work, so that is not stressful and what it is giving me is time to listen to my current audiobook - Montana Sky by Nora Roberts. This is a wonderful book and I am enjoying it and the reader.

I get most of my audiobooks either from the library or from Audible (which has a wonderful subscription program and also a lot of sales). The ones from audible go on my mp3 player and I use a tape player adapter to listen in the car. CDs or tapes are played in my car also (I have a pre-2000 van that has both tape and CD).

So my question to you is what are some of your favorite audiobooks and audiobook readers? I love the David Baldacci books read by Scott Brick and I will pick up anything that Scott Brick reads now, because I enjoy him so much. I also enjoy the Stephanie Plum books which are read by C.J. Critt. Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult was also wonderful and they used several readers for the different voices (each chapter was a different person in the story and a different reader to go with that character).

So what do you love about audiobooks and give me your suggestions, I'm always looking for suggestions of things to read!

Contest - Ghostwriter by Travis Thrasher

Oh my goodness - I just finished Ghostwriter by Travis Thrasher last night (thank you Faithwords for the arc!) and I cannot say enough about this book. I will post my review next week, but until then I would like to help build the interest in this book, so I'm having a contest to win one of my two arcs of this wonderful, scary and gripping book. Here is the summary of the book from the Hachette book website:

For years Dennis Shore has thrilled readers with his spooky bestselling novels. Now a widower, Dennis is finally alone in his house, his daughter attending college out of state. When he's stricken by a paralyzing case of writer's block and a looming deadline, Dennis becomes desperate. Against better judgment, he claims someone else's writing as his own, accepting undeserved accolades for the stolen work. He thinks he's gotten away with it . . . until he's greeted by a young man named Cillian Reed--the true author of the stolen manuscript.
What begins as a minor case of harassment quickly spirals out of control. As Cillian's threats escalate, Dennis finds himself on the brink of losing his career, his sanity, and even his life. The horror he's spent years writing about has arrived on his doorstep, and Dennis has nowhere to run.

Let me tell you that this is a wonderful book and you really want to read it. It's release date is 5/28/2009. But you can get it a little early by entering and winning.

So here are the ways you can enter:

1. Comment for the first entry (make sure I have a way to contact you)
2. Become a follower or subscribe to my blog for another entry (or let me know you are currently a follower/subscriber).
3. Follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/cfulcher) (or let me know if you already follow me)
4. Tweet about this giveaway or post on your blog about this contest (+1 for each)

The contest will go through next Tuesday, May 19th and I'll announce the winner on the 20th.