Mini Review: Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Published: May 8, 2012

Publisher: Simon and Schuster BYR

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.

My Thoughts

Second Chance Summer is the touching story of one family trying to make their Summer the most memorable yet. Taylor and her family decide to go to their Summer house after years of not going but this Summer is different, you see her father is gravely sick and this might be his last Summer. So they go to the one place where they have the best memories and hopefully this Summer will make them closer and they can focus on the good. 

Taylor loved her Summers in the Poconos, she had a best friend and her first love there, but her last Summer there she lost her best friend and she left her crush without a word. Being back feels strange yet comforting but once she runs into both of the people she left behind this Summer just became more complicated than Taylor wanted.

Second Chance Summer is all about family, friendships and love. We get the aspect of her family and them dealing with their dad and his illness and how that will have a huge effect on the family not only this Summer but for the rest of their lives. Despite her world falling apart all of this has made her family closer and stronger. We also have Taylor just trying to figure out life and trying to repair relationships from her past. I loved how this story was so real and it was touching and showed us how growing up is a very hard thing to try to navigate. Morgan Matson gives us a well-rounded story and spotlights teen life at its best, this is one book that is the perfect thing to read during the Summer.

Review: Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

Expected Publication: September 1, 2015

Publisher: Delacorte BYR

Format: via NetGalley

Challenges: 2015 NG/EW 

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

This innovative, heartfelt debut novel tells the story of a girl who’s literally allergic to the outside world. When a new family moves in next door, she begins a complicated romance that challenges everything she’s ever known. The narrative unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, texts, charts, lists, illustrations, and more.

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house; have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

My Thoughts

Oh the feels!! Yep that’s all I can say about this wonderfully written tale. No book has made me feel this way in a long time and to think I was thisclose to not reading it! Silly me!! However I am glad I did and I encourage everyone to read this if you can.

This is the tale of Maddy who is allergic to the outside world and who is all alone in her “world” she is just left with her mom, nurse and her books. She never thought of anything else until one day some new neighbors moved in next door and little did she know this one little action would change her whole world and most importantly her life.

Olly and his family move in and soon he is mesmerized by the girl next door. He doesn’t know at first why he never sees her outside but soon they exchange emails after some exchanges via their bedroom windows. Maddy for some reason feels like she can trust Olly right away and tells him that she isn’t like other people. Soon their emails are on regular basics and Maddy realizes that she is falling for him but knows that it can never lead anywhere; she knows she can never have a normal relationship with him. But none of that matters for either one of them because they can’t deny that they are falling for each other.

Olly has his own problems with a dad who is a drunk and is abusive. He is always hitting Olly and his mother and one day that action causes Maddy to do the unthinkable she bolts from her house and has to know if Olly is alright. Olly tells her to go back that he is ok and her mom pleads with her to go inside that she knows what might happen if she doesn’t. Her mother has always been so protective of Maddy, especially since it’s just the two of them after the deaths of her father and brother years ago. However after that night Maddy realizes she loves Olly too much and now that she has felt the outside world she knows she cannot live the way she did before, doing so isn’t living to her anymore.

What comes next sets off a chain reaction of things that I never saw coming. Maddy sets a plan to leave with Olly and live the time she has left with the person she loves and at least live for a bit. They set off to Hawaii and when she becomes sick she thinks that’s the end, but what happens next is something she could never imagine. I won’t spoil the rest for you but all I can say is WOW! I for one never saw the next things happening in my wildest dreams. We find out some truth and how some of them are just downright twisted and sad. I was heartbroken then mad talk about a rollercoaster of emotions! This is one book I totally recommend everyone reading. Maddy and Olly are so adorable and this read while emotional is totally sweet at the same time. I love when a read throws me for a loop and I’m so glad I took the chance on reading this one, and personally I think you should too.

Review: Before I Go by Colleen Oakley

Before I Go by Colleen Oakley

Published: January 6, 2015

Publisher: Gallery Books

Format: via NetGalley

Challenges: NetGalley/Edelweiss

Rating: 5/5

Goodreads / Amazon 

Synopsis

Twenty-seven-year-old Daisy already beat breast cancer three years ago. How can this be happening to her again?

On the eve of what was supposed to be a triumphant “Cancerversary” with her husband Jack to celebrate three years of being cancer-free, Daisy suffers a devastating blow: her doctor tells her that the cancer is back, but this time it’s an aggressive stage four diagnosis. She may have as few as four months left to live. Death is a frightening prospect—but not because she’s afraid for herself. She’s terrified of what will happen to her brilliant but otherwise charmingly helpless husband when she’s no longer there to take care of him. It’s this fear that keeps her up at night, until she stumbles on the solution: she has to find him another wife.

With a singular determination, Daisy scouts local parks and coffee shops and online dating sites looking for Jack’s perfect match. But the further she gets on her quest, the more she questions the sanity of her plan. As the thought of her husband with another woman becomes all too real, Daisy’s forced to decide what’s more important in the short amount of time she has left: her husband’s happiness—or her own?

My Thoughts

This is one of those reviews where I won’t talk so much about the book but mainly about how it made me feel. This is definitely a book that plays on emotions. Not so much on sadness which it is but also through a list of them happiness, sadness hope, hopelessness and so many more.

Yes this is about Daisy and her dealing with the recurrence of cancer and her coming to terms with the fact she is dying I didn’t see it so much focusing on the big “C”. Daisy was more focused on putting in order the lives of those she would leave behind. She is a woman of list and organization and she thinks she must find someone for her husband whom she worries about the most. In theory her idea of finding someone for her husband is in a way understandable she never thought she would feel the way she does when she thinks her plan has worked. This is about communication and how one can never jump to conclusions and assume things are what they seem.

There are not enough words to truly describe what this book means and how it affected me. It’s beautifully written words had me up until 2 am because I so needed to know how it all played out. There I was in bed with tears streaming down my face…man I loved this book and I encourage everyone to get this and devour it.  It will make you laugh and it will make you cry but most importantly it will make you realize the true treasure that life is.

Blog Tour Review: The Resurrection of Tess Blessing by Lesley Kagen

The Resurrection of Tess Blessing by Lesley Kagen

Published: December 9, 2014

Publisher: SparkPress

Format: copy via BookSparks

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

After she's diagnosed with breast cancer, forty-nine-year old Tess Blessing sets forth on a mission to complete her TO-DO List before, what she's sure is her impending death. She needs to make peace with her estranged sister, Birdie, scatter her mother's long-kept ashes, rescue her daughter, Haddie, from the grip of an eating disorder, guide her teenage son, Henry, through a bumpy adolescence, and reignite the spark in her almost thirty-year marriage to her husband, Will.

Tess is aided on her quest by narrator, Grace, who lends the story its most brilliant elements: subtle magical realism and deep psychological complexity. Is Grace an imaginary friend, guardian angel, or a part of Tess that knows better than she?

My Thoughts

Wow that’s all I can honestly say after I read this wonderful book.  I’m a huge fan of Lesley Kagen she writes in a way that is magical, heart wrenching and simply just gets down deep in your bones and this book just continues in the tradition in how I view her books.

This book is about Tess and once she is diagnosed with breast cancer how she is determined to tackle the issues in her life. I love she told hold of her life and didn’t let the cancer take her over. While this could’ve been a sad story I actually found it the opposite. I saw it as soul touching and uplifting not to mention funny, yes I said funny! Sometimes we have to just laugh at things if not we are just bound to sulk and cry and like they say sometimes laughing is the best medicine. I love how Tess is strong while she could’ve easily been weak, she chooses to try and fix her life when she could’ve easily give up, she is definitely one of my favorite characters I’ve read about in a long time. So PLEASE do yourself a favor and read one of the best books I’ve this year. It’s a touching tale that will make you cry and laugh all at the same time. Simply perfection!

WoW [76]

Waiting on Wednesday [WoW] is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Before I Go by Colleen Oakley

Expected Publication: January 6, 2015

Publisher: Gallery Books

Synopsis...

A heart-wrenching debut novel in the bestselling tradition of P.S. I Love You about a young woman with breast cancer who undertakes a mission to find a new wife for her husband before she passes away.

Twenty-seven-year-old Daisy already beat breast cancer three years ago. How can this be happening to her again?

On the eve of what was supposed to be a triumphant “Cancerversary” with her husband Jack to celebrate three years of being cancer-free, Daisy suffers a devastating blow: her doctor tells her that the cancer is back, but this time it’s an aggressive stage four diagnosis. She may have as few as four months left to live. Death is a frightening prospect—but not because she’s afraid for herself. She’s terrified of what will happen to her brilliant but otherwise charmingly helpless husband when she’s no longer there to take care of him. It’s this fear that keeps her up at night, until she stumbles on the solution: she has to find him another wife.

With a singular determination, Daisy scouts local parks and coffee shops and online dating sites looking for Jack’s perfect match. But the further she gets on her quest, the more she questions the sanity of her plan. As the thought of her husband with another woman becomes all too real, Daisy’s forced to decide what’s more important in the short amount of time she has left: her husband’s happiness—or her own?

Why I Can’t Wait…

This one looks so warm and heart-felt. Plus it also looks like a tear jerker, who doesn’t need a good one of those every now and then?

Feel free to link me to yours.

Late to the Game [3]: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Late to the Game is a series I do featuring books that everybody and their mommy have read…except me. The thing is 99% of the time I have these books but they have just been pushed back on my TBR pile. This won’t be a review of sorts seeing how everyone already knows the basics of the story but more of what I felt and how it affected me. I’ve dedicated this feature to try to put a dent in my pile and also to see if they live up to the hype…good and/or bad.

 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 

Published: January 2012

Publisher: Dutton Books

Format: purchased copy

Rating 5/5

Synopsis

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

I went into this thinking it was a book about cancer and yes it is but that’s just a sliver of what it’s all about. It’s a book about life and living it to its fullest. It’s about love and if you’re lucky enough to find it then embrace it, relish in it for no matter how long you have it. I would rather have a few moments of wonderful,blissful, earth-shattering love than a lifetime of nothing.

The love between Hazel and Augustus is one for the ages. I have never felt so taken by a book in all my life. It goes between teen romances; it’s just that unstoppable beyond this universe kind of thing. We owe it all to John Green. His words are like magic, he comes up with words and phrases that I couldn’t even fathom. All we all know the movie comes out tomorrow and this is one book to screen read I can’t wait for, from what I can tell it looks so amazing! This is one of those once and a lifetime type of books that will continue to make an impact for decades to come, and I for one am so happy and honored John Green shared it with all of us.

Review: Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor

Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor

Expected Publication: February 18, 2014

Format: E-ARC provided via Edelweiss

Publisher: HarperTeen

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Zoe and her best friend, Olivia, have always had big plans for the future, none of which included Olivia getting sick. Still, Zoe is determined to put on a brave face and be positive for her friend.

Even when she isn't sure what to say.

Even when Olivia misses months of school.

Even when Zoe starts falling for Calvin, Olivia's crush.

The one thing that keeps Zoe moving forward is knowing that Olivia will beat this, and everything will go back to the way it was before. It has to. Because the alternative is too terrifying for her to even imagine.

In this incandescent page-turner, which follows in the tradition of The Fault in Our Stars, Melissa Kantor artfully explores the idea that the worst thing to happen to you might not be something that is actually happening to you. Raw, irreverent, and honest, Zoe's unforgettable voice and story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.

My Thoughts

Wow. Talk about a heart wrenching read that will leave you emotional drained. I’ll be honest I wasn’t sure I wanted to read Maybe One Day. At first I was like really another teen cancer book but I’m glad I changed my mind and took a chance on this.

This story focuses equally on the disease and the friendship of Zoe and Olivia. Which I enjoyed most was the friendship and how both of these girls had to deal with the disease along with the hardships of just growing up. The true test of friendship is how other deal with things when the going gets rough. Learning how to deal with cancer is hard enough without having to realize you may never live to see adulthood and experience your “firsts”. You know your first kiss, love, and heartache. That’s what tore me up the most; it’s when Olivia realizes she won’t live to experience these things but then the next minute I laughed out loud when she said she would die a virgin.

Things like that made me love the book even more. While it deals with a serious subject matter she also reminds you it's still a book about a teen who's trying to cope with it. Melissa Kantor perfectly balances the story out. It’s just not a book for teens but one anyone can relate to because its main focus is on friendship. Our friends can impact us in a way no one else can, they are in some way our first loves. We learn how to love conditionally from them; they show us that no matter what happens we must always be there for each other.

What I also enjoyed was the under lining romance that Zoe had. While it wasn’t the main focus I loved that it had someone whom Zoe could talk to. She needed someone who would understand and someone who she could unload everything on.

Although this is a story that will make you cry, at least I did, it’s one of love, loss, friendship and finding yourself. It shows us how in the processing of letting someone go Zoe ultimately finds out who she is and what she wants to be. Believe me this is definitely worth the read.

WoW [42]

Waiting on Wednesday [WoW] is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s WoW feature is:

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

Expected Publication: March 18, 2014
Publisher: Balzer+Bray

Summary via Goodreads...

What if you’d been living your life as if you were dying—only to find out that you had your whole future ahead of you?

When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, whom she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that’s as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her arch nemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger and reliving some childhood memories). But just when Alice’s scores are settled, she goes into remission.

Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she’s said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she done irreparable damage to the people around her, and to the one person who matters most?

Julie Murphy’s SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY is a fearless and moving tour de force about love, life, and facing your own mortality.

Why I Can’t Wait....

Although this is a story about illness it’s not all what it is about. I love how it’s about living life and facing things head on. Not dwelling on the sadness but looking on the upside of things. Plus I get there might be a romance storyline as well and come on who doesn’t love a good romance?

What are you waiting on? Please link me up to yours. I’d love to see your picks!

WoW [41]

Waiting on Wednesday [WoW] is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s WoW feature is:

The F-It List by Julie Halpen

Expected Publication: November 12, 2013
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Summary via Goodreads...

With her signature heart and humor, Julie Halpern explores a strained friendship strengthened by one girl’s battle with cancer.

Alex’s father recently died in a car accident. And on the night of his funeral, her best friend Becca slept with Alex’s boyfriend. So things aren’t great. Alex steps away from her friendship with Becca and focuses on her family.

But when Alex finally decides to forgive Becca, she finds out something that will change her world again--Becca has cancer.

So what do you do when your best friend has cancer? You help her shave her head. And then you take her bucket list and try to fulfill it on her behalf. Because if that’s all you can do to help your ailing friend--you do it.

Why I Can’t Wait....

First off love the title! I’m getting a different vibe and twist to other books whose storyline revolves around disease. I can’t wait to see how and if this book is indeed different.

Please feel free to link up your WoW.

Also be sure to add me on Goodreads…I love seeing other peoples book interests.

WoW [39]

Waiting on Wednesday [WoW] is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s WoW feature is:

Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor

Expected Publication: February 18, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen

Summary via Goodreads

Critically acclaimed author Melissa Kantor masterfully captures the joy of friendship, the agony of loss, and the unique experience of being a teenager in this poignant new novel about a girl grappling with her best friend's life-threatening illness.

Zoe and her best friend, Olivia, have always had big plans for the future, none of which included Olivia getting sick. Still, Zoe is determined to put on a brave face and be positive for her friend.

Even when she isn't sure what to say.

Even when Olivia misses months of school.
Even when Zoe starts falling for Calvin, Olivia's crush.

The one thing that keeps Zoe moving forward is knowing that Olivia will beat this, and everything will go back to the way it was before. It has to. Because the alternative is too terrifying for her to even imagine.

In this incandescent page-turner, which follows in the tradition of The Fault in Our Stars, Melissa Kantor artfully explores the idea that the worst thing to happen to you might not be something that is actually happening to you. Raw, irreverent, and honest, Zoe's unforgettable voice and story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.

Why I Can’t Wait…

Simply put it sounds like an amazing story! I love book on friendships and this one sounds like the perfect one.

Feel free to share your WoW below.

WoW [35]

Waiting on Wednesday [WoW] is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s WoW feature is:

Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens

Expected Publication: February 25, 2014
Publisher: Harper Collins Children’s Books

Summary via Goodreads...

Alexi Littrell hasn't told anyone what happened to her over the summer. Ashamed and embarrassed, she hides in her closet and compulsively scratches the back of her neck, trying to make the outside hurt more than the inside does.

At school, nobody sees the scratches or her pain. The only person she connects with is the mysterious Captain Lyric, who writes song lyrics on her fourth-period desk for her to complete. With pencil marks and music, Alexi carves out a comfortable space for herself as she and the Captain finish each other's songs--words on a desk feel safer than words spoken aloud.

But when Bodee Lennox, the quiet and awkward boy next door, comes to live with the Littrells, Alexi discovers an unlikely friend who understands her better than anyone. He has secrets of his own and knows all about suffering in silence. As they lean on each other for support, Alexi gives him the strength to deal with his past, and Bodee helps her find the courage to finally speak up.

With her powerful, moving debut novel, author Courtney C. Stevens emerges as an extraordinary new talent to watch.

Why I Can’t Wait....

This sounds like a really great story and I can’t wait to find out what exactly her secret is. Plus music! I’m down.

Review: The Milestone Tapes by Ashley Mackler Paternostro

The Milestone Tapes by Ashley Mackler-Paternostro
Published: March 13, 2012

　
Synopsis
Jenna Chamberland never wanted anything more than to be a wife and mother. That is, until she realized that her life was ending after a three-year battle against breast cancer. Now, all she really wants is more time.
With 4,320 hours left to live, Jenna worries for her loved ones and what she knows awaits them on the other side: Gabe will have to make the slip from husband to widower, left alone to raise their seven-year-old daughter; Mia will be forced to cope with life without her mother. In a moment of reflection, Jenna decides to record a set of audiocassettes — The Milestone Tapes – leaving her voice behind as a legacy for her daughter.
Nine years later, Mia is a precocious sixteen-year-old and her life is changing all around, all she wants is her mother. Through the tapes, Jenna’s voice returns to teach Mia the magic of life, her words showing her daughter how to spread her wings and embrace the coming challenges with humor, grace and hope.

My Thoughts

I'd had this book in my Kindle for months. Got it one day while searching the free Kindle reads. I must admit I loved the cover way before I ever read the description of what the book was about. I tend to do that...yes I do tend to judge a book by it's cover. One day about two months ago I decided I would read this.
WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG?!! The Milestone Tapes is a lovely and touching story of a mother dying of cancer and whose love for her daughter will stop at nothing for always being there for her...even when she's gone. The thought of making these "tapes" so that Mia will never forget her and guide her through life is so sad yet comforting. No book has moved me this much in years. Trust me I'm not the most emotional person on the planet so that says alot.
If you like check out The Milestone Tapes and In The After, the new book by Ashley Mackler Paternostro... you won't regret it. Both are amazing books so check them out and check out my review on In The After next week.