Review: How My Summer Went Up In Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

Title: How My Summer Went Up In Flames

Author: Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

Publisher:  Simon Pulse
Publishing Date: May 7th 2013

Pages: 307
Genre:  YA Chic Lit

Series: Stand Alone
Source:  Hardcover

  

First she lost her heart. Then she lost her mind. And now she’s on a road trip to win back her ex. This debut novel’s packed with drama and romance!

Rosie’s always been impulsive. She didn’t intend to set her cheating ex-boyfriend’s car on fire. And she never thought her attempts to make amends could be considered stalking. So when she’s served with a temporary restraining order on the first day of summer vacation, she’s heartbroken—and furious.

To put distance between Rosie and her ex, Rosie’s parents send her on a cross-country road trip with responsible, reliable neighbor Matty and his two friends. Forget freedom of the road, Rosie wants to hitchhike home and win back her ex. But her determination starts to dwindle with each passing mile. Because Rosie’s spark of anger? It may have just ignited a romance with someone new…

Who doesn't love a good road trip book. I know I do. I was very excited for this book and was ecstatic to finally get to read it. I enjoyed this book very much. The story was fun, humorous, light, and meaningful. A great coming of age, chic lit, entertaining read. 

Rosie has a bit of issue. She found out her boyfriend cheated on her and then he showed up at a party with that girl. So Rosie did what all teenage girls in love and angry would do.... set his car on fire. Her reward for dealing with her feelings, a restraining order. Of course, its just a piece of paper and besides if Joey, her ex, would just listen to her and they talk, everything would be okay... so the stalking begins. Rosie's parents are desperate, so they send her on a road trip with three boys. Smart right. Well they hope it would get her mind off of Joey, out of sight out of mind. So Rosie goes on this road trip, does a bunch of geeky sight seeing, makes a new friend, learns a little about letting go, and of course falls a little for a new cute boy. In the end all is well.... Well almost. 

This book was a lot of fun. The story was cute. It was a bit unrealistic, at least it seemed so to me, but I still liked it. I think some of the fun was that it wasn't something that would happen in every day life. The story was cute and the road trip was fun. I really enjoyed reading about all the places, landmarks, and side stops the four teen experienced. The author did a great job at keeping me entertained, keeping the book from getting slow, stuck only in Rosie's head. 

The characters were a lot of fun too. I actually liked every character and couldn't even begin to pick my favorite. Okay so I could, but he only won by a smidge. I will get to him in a bit. Rosie, the main character, was bit of a loony toon. She had a temper, she was pretty self centered, she was a lot of clueless, but I liked her. I think I knew a few girls in high school that had a lot in common with Rosie. The best part of Rosie, she grew throughout the book without losing herself. She was still the same person she started out as just bit wiser, calmer, and not quite as self centered. 

Now the three boys that kept Rosie entertained along the way. Matt, her childhood friend, one of her two best friends, fun guy. He knew Rosie better than he knew himself and he was a huge part in her transformation. He was a good boy, comical, standard issue male best friend who has a crush on his female best friend. I liked him. He wasn't my pick for Rosie... but he was cute. Spencer was Matt's male best friend. He was a true geek that could play guitar and sing. He was pretty nerdy but also really cute. I liked him. He was way comical and the most level headed on the trip. He was my pick. Then there was Logan. Hot guy with an attitude. He was health nut but still a big nerd. Really smart, witty, and very sarcastic. He was a nice choice, just not mine. So there you have it.  Three wonderful boys that Rosie can choose from to replace Joey, the creep. 

Majority of the book was the road trip. Lots of stops and lots of interesting characters along the way. Lots of growing for all four characters. The very beginning, before the road trip began, was a little slow for me. Once the group hit the road it was easy reading. 

Great read for a good time with a not so heavy book, but still had some story to it. I am up to reading more from this author. 

Genre Definition and Recommendation #50

Welcome to my new feature. I will feature a Genre with a definition with a sub genre definition and my recommendations. 

Science Fiction - Definition found on Wikipedia

Science Fiction- is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible (or at least non-supernatural) content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities. 

Dystopian- Definition found on Wikipedia 

Dystopian- the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian.

My Recommendations: 

     

Perfect Ruin by Lauren Destefano

        
On Internment, the floating island in the clouds where 16-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives, getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil.

Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose.

        Breathe by Sarah Crossan

The world has no air. If you want to survive, you pay to breathe. But what if you can't? And what if you think everything could be different? Three teens will leave everything they know behind in Sarah Crossan's gripping and original dystopian teen novel of danger, longing, and glimmering hope that will appeal to fans of Patrick Ness and Veronica Roth.

Ever since the Switch, when the oxygen levels plummeted and most of humanity died, the survivors have been protected in glass domes full of manufactured air. Protected . . . or trapped? Or controlled? Alina's a revolutionary who believes we can save the environment. Quinn's a Premium who's never had to worry about having enough air. His best friend, Bea, is an Auxiliary who's never worried about anything but having enough air. When the three cross paths, they will change everything. Sarah Crossan's thrilling and provocative novel is about passion, about yearning for something better, and about breaking free for the very first time.

Weekly Wrap Up #37

Weekly Wrap-Up 

January 19th -January 26th 

Reviews:

No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale
Amber House by Kelley Moore, Tucker Reed, and Larkin Reed
The Boy On the Bridge by Natalie Standiford
Fairest of All by Sarah Mlynowkski

Weekly Memes:

Genre Definition and Recommendation
Teaser Tuesday and Top Ten Tuesday

Waiting on Wednesday

Delightful Discoveries
Follow and Feature Friday

Stacking the Shelves

Books Read:

Reading Plans:

Review: Fairest of All by Sarah Mlynowski

Title: Fairest of All 
Author: Sarah Mlynowski

Publisher:  Scholastic Inc 
Publishing Date: May 1st 2012

Pages: 176
Genre:  MG Fairytale Retelling

Series: Whatever After
Source:  Hardcover

  

A fresh, modern spin on a classic fairy tale--from bestselling author Sarah Mlynowski!
Mirror, mirror, on the basement wall . . .
Once upon a time my brother and I were normal kids. The next minute? The mirror in our basement slurped us up and magically transported us inside Snow White's fairy tale.
I know it sounds crazy, but it's true.
But hey -- we're heroes! We stopped Snow White from eating the poisoned apple. Hooray! Or not. If Snow White doesn't die, she won't get to meet her prince. And then she won't get her happy ending. Oops.
Now it's up to us to:
- Avoid getting poisoned
- Sneak into a castle
- Fix Snow White's story
And then, fingers crossed, find our way home.

This book grabbed my attention the moment I saw it. I loved Sarah Mlynowski's Magic in Manhattan books and I thought these sounded just as cute. I was right. I totally enjoyed this book. It was a sweet, fun, quirky, fast read that kept me smiling throughout the story.

Abby just moved to a new house in a new town and is struggling a bit with the new changes. She hasn't really made any friends at school and has an annoying little brother, Jonah, at home, which doesn't feel like her home. One night, after her parents are in bed, her little brother comes to her room wired about a mirror. Thinking he broke the mirror and better check it out, they climb to the basement to check it out. The mirror turns out to be magical and sucks them into another realm. A fairytale realm where Snow White lives. While figuring things out, where they are, how they got there, and how to go back, the two accidentally mess up Snow White's story. Now they have to figure out how to save Snow White's future before time runs out... oh and they still have to figure out how to get back home. 

My first initial thought when seeing this book was, it sounds cute, a simple read, fun. The cover relays exactly that. So I was excited to sit down and ready an easy, fun, light read. That's exactly what it was. A fairytale retelling, chic lit for the middle grade age. Although I enjoyed it just as much as they would. It was very cute and very simple. It was full of quirky characters, light humor, and a bit corny... but on the good side of corny. The writing style was very easy and very fast and had all the essentials to make a good story, a good plot and very likable characters. 

The story line was just silly but so entertaining. I thought it was well thought through and made Snow White's fairy tale a little less dark and gloomy. There were also changes that weren't important to the story but were great additions to the twist on the fairytale..... as in some of the seven dwarfs were girls. Never saw that one coming. So yes it was a bit wacky but so amusing. I just adored it. 

I like the two main characters, Abby and Jonah. They were a charming pair. I liked Abby, she was very likable. She seemed to stay true to herself and didn't spend so much time trying to fit in. She spent much of her time reading and loved libraries. What is not to like about that. She loved her family and had a need to do the right thing. I sure liked her. Jonah was pretty darn adorable. He sometimes seemed the smarter of the two too. He saw things from the eyes of child which in turn caused him to see things for what they were. He was a smart little cookie. 

Snow White was just plain out kooky. I loved her. She had all the qualities that made her Snow, a kind heart, innocent, and beautiful. What this book gave her was a bit of a sense of humor. She was a true delight. I also loved the dwarfs. They weren't a big in the story, it was mainly Snow, Abby, and Jonah... but what little they were there, they brought another sense of nuttiness that I enjoyed. There names alone cracked me up. 

So yes it was an absolute joy to read this book. It had just the right amount of sweetness, adventure, and laughter that I need for a couple hours of light and hearty time. 

It was a definitely time well spent for me. I can't wait to read the next book. 

Stacking the Shelves #64

Stacking The Shelves is a hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Come join the fun and share all the book you received this week. 

Review:

The Black Butterfly by Shirley Reva Vernick

                                   

Penny is furious, and who can blame her? She has to spend Christmas break alone at the Black Butterfly, an old inn at the coldest, bleakest edge of America—the coast of Maine. This "vacation" is the brainchild of Penny's flaky mother, who's on the other side of the country hunting ghosts. Penny most definitely does not believe in spirits. Or love. Or family. Until, that is, she discovers two very real apparitions which only she can see…and meets George, the handsome son of the inn's owner…and crashes into some staggering family secrets. If only Ghost Girl didn't want Penny dead. If only George were the tiniest bit open to believing. If only she could tell her mother. Then maybe this could still be a vacation. But it's not. It's a race for her life, her first love, and her sanity.

Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern

     

John Green's The Fault in Our Stars meets Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor & Park in this beautifully written, incredibly honest, and emotionally poignant novel. Cammie McGovern's insightful young adult debut is a heartfelt and heartbreaking story about how we can all feel lost until we find someone who loves us because of our faults, not in spite of them.

Born with cerebral palsy, Amy can't walk without a walker, talk without a voice box, or even fully control her facial expressions. Plagued by obsessive-compulsive disorder, Matthew is consumed with repeated thoughts, neurotic rituals, and crippling fear. Both in desperate need of someone to help them reach out to the world, Amy and Matthew are more alike than either ever realized.

When Amy decides to hire student aides to help her in her senior year at Coral Hills High School, these two teens are thrust into each other's lives. As they begin to spend time with each other, what started as a blossoming friendship eventually grows into something neither expected.

AUDIO: