Review: The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

Published: October 11, 2011

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Format: Kindle purchase

Rating: 3.5/5

Synopsis

THE BEST OF ME is the heart-rending story of two small-town former high school sweethearts from opposite sides of the tracks. Now middle-aged, they've taken wildly divergent paths, but neither has lived the life they imagined . . . and neither can forget the passionate first love that forever altered their world. When they are both called back to their hometown for the funeral of the mentor who once gave them shelter, they will be forced to confront the choices each has made, and ask whether love can truly rewrite the past.

My Thoughts

Oh how I wanted to truly love this book. As a huge Nicholas Sparks fan it had everything I wanted and needed in a classic book by him. It had two characters who weren’t supposed to be together but you know were meant to be, there was that something that kept them apart and lastly there was the undeniable love that couldn’t keep them apart no matter what. So what was the problem you ask? Well I think there was just too much doing on. There was the flash backs to when they were young, which I had no problem with. However there was this storyline of Dawson’s family that honest I could’ve done without. Yes it did play a role in the end but I just didn’t feel like it did much in the overall aspect of things.

Overall I did enjoy the story; I love the way Nicholas Sparks gives us characters to root for. However of all his characters I just didn’t fall in love with these two, I didn’t feel that connection like I have in the past. I will admit the ending did get me and that was classic Sparks to me. While I wasn’t head over heels with this one I do want to see the movie which comes out today. I want to see how the book and movie differ and how the characters work with each other. Plus I just adore James Marsden I think he is so underrated as an actor not to mention he isn’t hard on the eyes. Haha! This is once instance where the movie trailer really made me want to see the movie and not so much just because I read the book.

Late to the Game [6] If I Stay/Where She Went by Gayle Forman

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.

      

If I Stay/Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Format: purchased

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis [If I Stay]

On a day that started like any other. Mia had everything: a loving family, a gorgeous, admiring boyfriend, and a bright future full of music and full of choices. In an instant, almost all of that is taken from her. Caught between life and death, between a happy past and an unknowable future, Mia spends one critical day contemplating the only decision she has left. It is the most important decision she'll ever make.

Simultaneously tragic and hopeful, this is a romantic, riveting, and ultimately uplifting story about memory, music, living, dying, and loving.

Synopsis [Where She Went]

It's been three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life. And three years he's spent wondering why. When their paths cross again in New York City, Adam and Mia are brought back together for one life-changing night.

Adam finally has the opportunity to ask Mia the questions that have been haunting him. But will a few hours in this magical city be enough to lay their past to rest, for good - or can you really have a second chance at first love?

My Thoughts

Talk about heart wrenching! If I Stay will pull at your heart strings like no other book I swear. It’s a story of strength and a love that’s like no other. I dare you read this and NOT feel something….anything! Where She Went picks up a few years later and is told by Adam’s view point. 

Mia and Adam’s love is like no other I’ve read. The love is so grand and powerful that you completely forget that they are very young. It will stand the test of time because you know it’s real, it’s meant to be, it’s simply something that can’t be denied.

When I read that it was being made into a movie I was like NO!! Let’s be honest film hasn’t been too kindly to novels. However after seeing that Chloe Grace Moretz was cast as Mia I was convinced this would be awesome, she is one of my faves she can’t really do wrong in my eyes. Plus after seeing the trailers…OMG I was done. If I can ball my eyes out in a 2 minute trailer I will be a wreck once I see the whole film. While the film looks like it will be true to the book and awesome I HIGHLY encourage anyone who hasn’t to read the books now before the movie comes out, you won’t be disappointed although you may be kicking yourself that it took you so long to read it to begin with.

   

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.

Review: This Fragile Life by Kate Hewitt

This Fragile Life by Kate Hewitt
Source: via NetGalley
Published: August 20, 2013
Publisher: Carina UK
Rating 5/5
Amazon/Goodreads/NetGalley

Synopsis

You love your best friend. You trust her with your life. But could you give her the most precious gift of all? Alex’s life is a mess. She’s barely holding down a job, only just affording her apartment, and can’t remember when she was last in a relationship. An unexpected pregnancy is the last thing she needs. Martha’s life is on track. She’s got the high-flying career, the gorgeous home and the loving husband. But one big thing is missing. Five rounds of IVF and still no baby. The solution seems simple. Alex knows that Martha can give her child everything that she can’t provide. But Martha’s world may not be as perfect as it seems, and letting go isn’t as easy as Alex expected it to be. Now they face a decision that could shatter their friendship forever. Provocative. Emotional. Affecting.

My Thoughts

Talk about heart-wrenching! This is a beautifully written story of love, hope and faith. It tests the true meaning of friendship, a story that will truly break your heart.

A story of two lifelong friends who couldn’t be any different yet they are more alike that either one could imagine. Alex’s life isn’t ready for children when she finds herself pregnant after a one night stand with her recently married ex. While having lunch with her friend Martha she finds out her last chance at IVF didn’t take. Martha later asks Alex if she could adopt her baby when she finds out Alex isn’t sure she can afford to have the baby. All the while Alex is struggling with the agreement she made. While the days past she finds herself growing more and more attached to the baby yet she knows she can’t break her friend’s heart and back out. Later it is determined that the baby has a genetic disorder and will not make it past a few months after birth. Martha decides she can’t take care of a sick baby and backs out of the adoption. Alex decides against abortion and realizes that she loves this baby too much to not have it no matter the grim outlook.

The aftermath of Martha and Alex’s decisions are ones that rocks their respective worlds to their cores. Martha’s marriage is tested like never before and Alex realizes that life is too precious no matter how short lived it may turn out to be.

This book is one of those that stays with you way beyond the last page. It shows you that life is indeed fragile and that if you’re lucky enough to experience love of any kind consider yourself truly blessed. This is a story that will bring you to tears but one that you will be happy you read.

Review: If He Had Been with Me by Laura Nowlin

If He Had Been with Me by Laura Nowlin

Expected Publication: April 2, 2013
Format: ARC E-Copy provided by NetGalley
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Rating: 5/5

Summary via Goodreads

If he had been with me, he wouldn't have died.
Throughout their whole childhood, Finn and Autumn were inseparable—they finished each other's sentences, they knew just what to say when the other person was hurting. But one incident in middle school puts them in separate social worlds come high school, and Autumn has been happily dating James for the last 2 years. But she's always wondered what if...
The night she's about to get the answer is also one of terrible tragedy.

My Thoughts

Wonderful, beautifully written, haunting, heartbreaking and simply amazing! That’s just the tip of the iceberg when describing my opinion of If He Had Been with Me. Ahhhh…although no words can truly describe how much I loved this book!! Months ago I knew I wanted to read it but never could have imagined how great it would be.

It all starts with childhood best friends Autumn and Finn. Next door neighbors whose moms are best friends and whose birthdays are a week of each other how were they destined not to be in each other lives? Always together until, high school when they have totally different sets of friends. Each were in relationships when one day Autumn realizes that she’s in love with Finn. That is was, has and will always be Finn. She never acts on it because she doesn’t want to hurt her boyfriend’s feelings. Years go by and she discovers that her boyfriend cheated on her with her best friend. Being in a funk after the breakup Finn is the only who can bring her out of it. After re-establishing their friendship she finds out that Finn also had feeling for her at one time. But does he still? What comes next is a series of secrets and revelations that changes the course of everyone’s lives.

I can honestly say this is already in my top ten reads of all time. I was sucked in from the first page and never wanted it to end. It’s a story of love, friendship and fate. It will have you thinking about the what ifs and make you think if life really has us here for a certain reason. An emotional read that makes you want more after the last page. It definitely has me thinking [and hoping!] if a sequel maybe possible. Pick up this read…NOW! Trust me you won’t regret it!

Review: In The After by Ashley Mackler- Paternostro

 In the After by Ashley Mackler-Paternostro

Published: October 16 2012

Publication: Self Published

Format: Ebook ARC provided by author

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

There is a reason fairy tales end when they do ... because happily ever after is just the beginning of real life. Once upon a time in the quaint, forgotten coastal town of Joyce, Washington Emmy Burns existed in the middle of an inconsequential life that resembled a small-town fairy tale; days filled with caring for her daughter Avery, running her small but thriving pottery store, married to the only man she had ever loved. But all of that changed when the fog rolled out one beautiful morning, leaving emptiness where Emmy had stood only the day before. She had seemingly and without a sound vanished into the thick misty air of the Pacific Northwest, taking with her a lifetime of secrets.
In the aftermath Stephen Burns is content telling the police his wife must have simply chosen to walk away from him and their daughter. But Sidney Ruth, Emmy's closest friend, knows the truth. Sidney is the one person who had watched as the vines grew around the dark forest that was the Burn's marriage trapping Emmy inside and keeping everyone who loved her out.
Years of abuse has to lead to this moment. As the days unfurl so do the secrets Emmy kept walled away, leaving the people of Joyce wondering: What really happened to Emmy Burns in her happily ever after?

My Thoughts

Amazing. Wonderful. Heartbroken. Emotional.

Those are just a few of the things I thought/felt while I read In The After. This book stirred so many emotions that words simply cannot explain. This is one of the most heartbreaking books I've read in a long time. Emily and Sidney have been friends since they were little and have vowed to always be there for one another. No matter what. So when Emmy goes missing Sidney sticks to that. Being there for her friend, Emmys voice and the keeper of her secrets. Letting everyone and anyone who would listen letting them know Emmy wouldn't just walk away from everything, especially her daughter. If she did there had to be reason... leading everyone to look at Emmys husband Stephen.

While I wont spoil the book I will say it's a very heartbreaking story that literally had me in tears, especially at the very end. When I was done I felt I had gone through an emotional roller coaster. I can say without a doubt that this is one of my favorite books this year and one of my all time favorites. I dare anyone to read this and not be emotional involved or moved to tears. It's that good people!

I would like to thank Ashley Mackler-Paternostro for allowing me a preview copy of her book. She's an awesome and amazing writer. Please also check out her debut book if you haven't The Milestone Tapes [review] another must read. I advise anyone who wants a GREAT read pick this book up, trust me you won't regret it.