Review: There Will Come a Time by Carrie Arcos

Title: There Will Come a Time
Author: Carrie Arcos
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release date: April 15th 2014
Pages: 256
Genre: Young Adult contemporary
Source: Edelweiss - I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!
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Mark knows grief. Ever since the accident that killed his twin sister, Grace, the only time he feels at peace is when he visits the bridge on which she died. Comfort is fleeting, but it’s almost within reach when he’s standing on the wrong side of the suicide bars. Almost.
Grace’s best friend, Hanna, says she understands what he’s going through. But she doesn’t. She can’t. It’s not just the enormity of his loss. As her twin, Mark should have known Grace as well as he knows himself. Yet when he reads her journal, it’s as if he didn’t know her at all.As a way to remember Grace, Hanna convinces Mark to complete Grace’s bucket list from her journal. Mark’s sadness, anger, and his growing feelings for Hannah threaten to overwhelm him. But Mark can’t back out. He made a promise to honor Grace—and it’s his one chance to set things right. 

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Carrie Arcos's debut Out of Reach was one of my favorite books of last year, so I was beyond excited for There Will Come a Time. And luckily, I wasn't disappointed! Carrie Arcos's writing is just as great in this one as in Out of Reach, and I loved everything about it!

I just love Carrie Arcos's writing style; it's what makes this novel work.The best word to describe her style, I think, would be addicting - I just couldn't stop reading.  Her style flows really nicely, and I was immersed in the story from beginning on. It's not the most ornate or beautiful writing, but the voice is honest and strong and just works. I really don't know how else to explain it, but I just love anything that Carrie Arcos writes.

Mark is an intriguing, dynamic character. He can be kind of an asshole sometimes, and it frustrated me so much how he kept trying to push everyone away, but he has some sweet moments too, so I couldn't help but love him. This makes him a very dynamic, realistic character, and his voice is honest and relatable. I loved all the secondary characters, too: Mark's family, Hanna, his friends at school, and the rest of the Twinless Twins. The only character that was a little underdeveloped, to me, was Grace: I wish we had gotten to know her a little better, because that would have made Mark's grief even more palpable, and There Will Come a Time could have been an even more emotional read. (Not that I didn't already cry the way it was.)

The plot is very understated; There Will Come a Time is most definitely a character-driven novel. I really enjoyed reading about Mark and Hanna's adventures to honor Grace. Oftentimes, the completing-a-dead-loved-one's-bucket-list type of storylines feel kind of forced to me, but the story in There Will Come a Time develops very naturally. Carrie Arcos balances this storyline well with the family dynamics, Mark's relationships with people at his school, and of course his relationship with Hanna. I especially loved Mark's and Hanna's relationship: I love how the novel didn't focus on the romance or make it overly dramatic. Mark and Hanna's friendship-and-possibly-more develops very naturally over the course of the novel.

I didn't love There Will Come a Time quite as much as Out of Reach just because of the more unique plot idea in Out of Reach, but I did absolutely love There Will Come a Time, too. Carrie Arcos's writing is amazing, and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next!

Review: How I Lost You by Janet Gurtler

Title: How I Lost You
Author: Janet Gurtler
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release date: May 1st 2013
Pages: 320
Genre: Young Adult contemporary
Source: Bought
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Grace and Kya always do everything together, and nothing can get in the way of their friendship. They have a pact: Sisters Before Misters. Buds Before Studs.
Only Grace knows what Kya's been through, or how much she needs someone to stick by her. No Matter What. Besides, Kya keeps life exciting-pulling Grace into things she'd never dare do on her own.
But inch by inch, daring is starting to turn dangerous. And Grace will have to decide how far she can go to save her friendship with Kya...before she ends up losing everything else.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I really enjoy Janet Gurtler's novels, and I think How I Lost You was my favorite one of her books so far! Janet Gurtler's writing reads really quickly, and her books are always a great balance of entertaining and thought-provoking. How I Lost You was no exception - I loved it!

Very few YA books focus on a platonic relationship rather than a romantic one, so I really appreciated that Janet Gurtler took on the topic of friendship in this novel. Grace's and Kya's relationship is fascinating. Grace's character is easy to like and relate to, especially in her conflicting feelings towards Kya. Kya's character is even more interesting to me: yes, she seems like a horrible person at times, and she does make some horrible decisions, but I also understood her and felt for her, and saw the darker parts of myself in her. I don't want to spoil anything and give away Kya's secret, but what she's been through and the way it's still affecting her is an issue that I really liked seeing explored in YA literature. Kya fascinated me so much that I kind of wish that this book had been written in alternating voices so that we could have gotten to see both Grace's and Kya's point of view. But even just from Grace's view, the way that Kya's mistakes shift the dynamics in her friendship is interesting to read about, and I love the way that Janet Gurtler explored the complexities of such a destructive friendship.

Even if friendship is the main focus of the novel, How I Lost You has a really good romantic storyline as well. Grace's relationship with Levi is slow-moving and sweet, and provides a stark contrast to Kya's love life. I really enjoyed seeing their relationship develop over the course of the novel. At first, I was afraid there would be some kind of romantic interest between Grace and James, and I'm glad the story took the direction that it did instead.

Another aspect I really enjoyed about this story is the paintballing. Grace's dad owns a paintball place, where both Grace and Kya work and play. They're even trying to make it to a college or professional paintballing team! I really liked reading about this creative interest for Grace. I especially liked seeing Grace and Kya try to succeed in such a male-dominated area. I wish, though, that the feminist theme prevalent throughout the paintball scenes, had carried over to the rest of the story, especially Kya's issues and behavior, a little stronger.

With great writing and intriguing characters, I absolutely loved this thought-provoking story. I can't wait to read 16 Things I Thought Were True, Janet Gurtler's next novel!

My New Treasures #28

My New Treasures is a semi-regular feature here at Paperback Treasures to showcase all the books I received over the previous week (or however long it's been since I've last done one of these). It was inspired by Stacking the Shelves, hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

NetGalley:

Boys Like You by Juliana Stone

The Rules for Breaking by Ashley Elston

Get Happy by Mary Armato

Edelweiss:

There Will Come a Time by Carrie Arcos

#scandal by Sarah Ockler

What did you get this week?

Review: Six Months Later by Natalie D Richards

Title: Six Months Later
Author: Natalie D Richards
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release date: October 1st 2013
Pages: 336
Genre: Young Adult contemporary/mystery
Source: Bought
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Chloe didn't think about it much when she nodded off in study hall on that sleepy summer day. But when she wakes up, snow is on the ground and she can't remember the last six months of her life. Before, she'd been a mediocre student. Now, she's on track for valedictorian and being recruited by Ivy League schools. Before, she never had a chance with super jock Blake. Now he's her boyfriend. Before, she and Maggie were inseparable. Now her best friend won't speak to her.
What happened to her? And why can't she remember?

My rating: 2 out of 5 stars

I was going into this expecting a character-driven novel. I had assumed the explanation for Chloe's memory loss would be psychological, and that the novel would be spent exploring Chloe's character and the way that she has changed. However, none of this is really case: Six Months Later is really a mystery, and ll the stuff about the memory loss and the way that Chloe has changed is only used as a starting point for that mystery storyline. And while this wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, it wasn't what I expected, and I didn't like the way the story worked too much: the whole thing seemed over-the-top and unrealistic to me.

Even if Six Months Later is more of a mystery than a character-driven novel, I still think that the characters should play an important role, and should therefore be fully-developed. Sadly, they stayed very one-dimensional for me: I never felt like I really got to know Chloe, and the secondary characters are stereotypical and underdeveloped.

The mystery, though, I did really enjoy. The premise of Six Months Later is intriguing, and that's what kept me turning the pages. Even if i didn't like the resolution all that much, I still really enjoyed Chloe's investigations about what caused her loss of memory. The situation is scary, both in the traditional way that mysteries often are, and in a psychological way, since we don't know if there was an outside force involved or if something inside the main character's mind caused the loss of memory. Trying to figure it all out, and the thrill of the mystery, were my favorite parts of the novel.

But even if I liked the journey of trying to figure it out, the resolution left me very disappointed. Like I said, I was expecting something psychological, and this wasn't it. The whole story seemed a little ridiculous to me - I didn't understand the motivations of anyone involved, some of the details didn't match up, and I just didn't find the resolution realistic.

Another thing that bothered me about Six Months Later is the way that mental illness is addressed. Since it's not a psychological story or character study, this is not the main focus, but it's still mentioned throughout the novel. For the most part, though, this is only when Chloe is defending herself and saying she isn't "crazy," as if her anxiety issues were the most humiliating thing in the world. Especially since Chloe wants to study psychology, I found such a negative portrayal of mental illness disconcerting. The portrayal of Julien's character is particularly problematic in this context, especially because we don't really get a resolution as to what happened to her.

All in all, I'm just very disappointed by Six Months Later. Instead of a character-driven, psychological thriller, I got a failed attempt at a mystery. The unrealistic plot, the underdeveloped characters, and the implications about mental illness made it impossible for me to enjoy this novel.

Top Ten Tuesday #27: Spring TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish with a different topic for a top-ten list each week. You can find out more about it here.

This week's topic is: Top Ten Spring Releases I'm Most Excited For

1. Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

I loved both of Morgan Matson's previous novels, so I'm obviously excited for her newest release. I love stories that focus on friendship, and this one seems to have some mystery too, so Since You've Been Gone sounds right up my alley!

2. #scandal by Sarah Ockler

I'm a huge fan of Sarah Ockler and can't wait for another book from her! #scandal sounds like so much drama and fun.

3. What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Like everyone else, I absolutely loved Huntley Fitzpatrick's debut, My Life Next Door, and this one sounds like another great contemporary romance!

4. To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

I love Jenny Han, and To All The Boys I've Loved Before sounds like another cute and entertaining story!

5. Lies My Girlfriend Told Me by Julie Anne Peters

Lies My Girlfriend Told Me sounds so good - grief, intrigues, deception, and drama. The look on the cover model's face is downright scary. I can't wait to read it!

6. The Summer I Wasn't Me by Jessica Verdi

I absolutely loved Jessica Verdi's debut, My Life After Now, and her sophomore novel sounds great! Kind of like a book version of But I'm a Cheerleader. Can't wait to read it!

7. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

I feel like this one is going to be on everyone's list this Tuesday - everyone (me included) loved Anna and Lola, and we've been waiting for Isla forever!

8. The Museum of Intangible Things by Wendy Wunder

I'm a sucker for road trip books, and The Museum of Intangible Things sounds like another great one!

9. There Will Come a Time by Carrie Arcos

I loved Carrie Arcos's debut, Out of Reach, and There Will Come a Time sounds just as great! I love stories about grief and romance like this one. Also, that cover...

10. Life by Committee by Corey Ann Haydu

I still haven't read Corey Ann Haydu's debut (even though I have it on my TBR), but Life by Committee sounds amazing. I just love the idea for this one!

What spring releases are you most excited for?

My New Treasures #27

My New Treasures is a semi-regular feature here at Paperback Treasures to showcase all the books I received over the previous week (or however long it's been since I've last done one of these). It was inspired by Stacking the Shelves, hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Then You Were Gone by Lauren Strasnick

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Guitar Notes by Mary Armato

16 Things I Thought Were True by Janet Gurtler

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

What did you get this week?

Bookish Anticipation #33

Bookish Anticipation is a feature I do every once in a while to spotlight future releases I'm excited for. It was inspired by Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday. You can check out more of my Bookish Anticipation posts here.

Don't Call Me Baby by Gwendolyn Heasley
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Release date: April 22nd 2014

All her life, Imogene has been known as the girl on THAT blog.
Imogene's mother has been writing an incredibly embarrassing, and incredibly popular, blog about her since before she was born. Hundreds of thousands of perfect strangers knew when Imogene had her first period. Imogene's crush saw her "before and after" orthodontia photos. But Imogene is fifteen now, and her mother is still blogging about her, in gruesome detail, against her will.
When a mandatory school project compels Imogene to start her own blog, Imogene is reluctant to expose even more of her life online...until she realizes that the project is the opportunity she's been waiting for to tell the truth about her life under the virtual microscope and to define herself for the first time.

Buzz Kill by Beth Fantaskey
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Release date: May 6th 2014

Putting the dead in deadline
To Bee or not to Bee? When the widely disliked Honeywell Stingers football coach is found murdered, 17-year-old Millie is determined to investigate. She is chasing a lead for the school newspaper - and looking to clear her father, the assistant coach, and prime suspect.
Millie's partner is gorgeous, smart-and keeping secrets
Millie joins forces with her mysterious classmate Chase who seems to want to help her even while covering up secrets of his own.
She's starting to get a reputation…without any of the benefits.
Drama-and bodies-pile up around Millie and she chases clues, snuggles Baxter the so-ugly-he's-adorable bassett hound, and storms out of the world's most awkward school dance/memorial mash-up. At least she gets to eat a lot of pie.

Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan
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Release date: May 1st 2014

Sixteen-year-old Josie lives her life in translation. She speaks High School, College, Friends, Boyfriends, Break-ups, and even the language of Beautiful Girls. But none of these is her native tongue--the only people who speak that are her best friend Stu and her sister Kate. So when Kate gets engaged to an epically insufferable guy, how can Josie see it as anything but the mistake of a lifetime? Kate is determined to bend Josie to her will for the wedding; Josie is determined to break Kate and her fiancé up. As battles are waged over secrets and semantics, Josie is forced to examine her feelings for the boyfriend who says he loves her, the sister she loves but doesn't always like, and the best friend who hasn't said a word--at least not in a language Josie understands.

Life by Committee by Corey Ann Haydu
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Release date: May 13th 2014

Tabitha might be the only girl in the history of the world who actually gets less popular when she gets hot. But her so-called friends say she’s changed, and they’ve dropped her flat.
Now Tab has no one to tell about the best and worst thing that has ever happened to her: Joe, who spills his most intimate secrets to her in their nightly online chats. Joe, whose touch is so electric, it makes Tab wonder if she could survive an actual kiss. Joe, who has Tabitha brimming with the restless energy of falling in love. Joe, who is someone else’s boyfriend.
Just when Tab is afraid she’ll burst from keeping the secret of Joe inside, she finds Life by Committee. The rules of LBC are simple: tell a secret, receive an assignment. Complete the assignment to keep your secret safe.
Tab likes it that the assignments push her to her limits, empowering her to live boldly and go further than she’d ever go on her own.
But in the name of truth and bravery, how far is too far to go?

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
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Release date: May 6th 2014

The Pre-Sloane Emily didn't go to parties, she barely talked to guys, she didn't do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend—the one who yanks you out of your shell.But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just... disappears. No note. No calls. No texts. No Sloane. There’s just a random to-do list. On it, thirteen Sloane-selected-definitely-bizarre-tasks that Emily would never try... unless they could lead back to her best friend. Apple Picking at Night? Ok, easy enough.Dance until Dawn? Sure. Why not? Kiss a Stranger? Wait... what?
Getting through Sloane’s list would mean a lot of firsts. But Emily has this whole unexpected summer ahead of her, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected) to check things off. Who knows what she’ll find?
Go Skinny Dipping? Um...

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira
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Release date: April 1st 2014

It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May did. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to people like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more; though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating new friendships, falling in love for the first time, learning to live with her splintering family. And, finally, about the abuse she suffered while May was supposed to be looking out for her. Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was; lovely and amazing and deeply flawed; can she begin to discover her own path.

Summer on the Short Bus by Bethany Crandell
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Release date: April 1st 2014

Seventeen-year-old Cricket Montgomery was born with a silver spoon in her mouth (though Tiffany Platinum would have been preferred). So when her father rips her from her cashmere comfort zone and ships her off to work at a rural Michigan summer camp, she is less than thrilled. Adding to her horror is the arrival of two short buses and the realization that she will be a counselor to teens with special needs.
What puzzles Cricket more than just a world without Vuitton bags and four-star dining, is why these "strange-faced” kids are so happy, despite their obvious differences. But between being force fed a hearty dose of reality (by a very cute co-counselor) and organizing the end-of-summer talent show, Cricket might be able to survive this summer one wheelchair spoke at a time.

Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout
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Release date: April 15th 2014

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.
Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash.
But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Publisher: Speak
Release date: September 28th 2011
Pages: 368
Genre: YA contemporary romance
Source: Bought
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Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion...she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit--more sparkly, more fun, more wild--the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.
When Cricket--a gifted inventor--steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Anna and the French Kiss is one of my favorite romances, so of course I was really excited for Lola and the Boy Next Door. And maybe it's because my expectations were so high, but I just didn't love it like I'd hoped I would. I didn't hate the book, but I didn't love it either, and it most definitely doesn't compare to Anna and the French Kiss.

What made Anna and the French Kiss so great were the characters. And sadly, they're exactly what I found lacking in Lola and the Boy Next Door. Lola, to be honest annoyed me with her melodrama, which made it hard for me to get emotionally invested in the story. I found all of the characters to be underdeveloped.They're each only defined by one thing and seem more like personifications of those interests or qualities than real people: Lola is Fashion, Lindsey is Future Detective, Cricket is Geeky Science Guy, and Max is Older Musician Guy Your Parents Won't Approve of. For the most part, they stayed too one-dimensional and didn't show the depth I wanted them to. And while I was excited to see Anna and St. Claire again as secondary characters, their relationship with Lola seemed kind of forced and unnatural. I will admit, though, that I love how Lola has really bad vision! Strangely, that's almost never mentioned in books, so I really appreciated how important a role in the novel Lola's bad vision plays.

The other thing I loved about Anna and the French Kiss was the authentic, natural development of the relationship between Anna and St. Claire. And the romance in Lola and the Boy Next Door just didn't compare. The reader spends more time observing Lola in her (to me, annoying) inability to make up her mind about her feelings than we actually see interactions between Lola and Cricket. They didn't seem to have much in common asides from their shared history, and they lacked the spark that I loved about Anna and St. Claire.

What I did really enjoy about Lola and the Boy Next Door, though, is the setting. Stephanie Perkins has a knack for vivid settings and imagery of place: she does a great job of conveying the atmosphere of San Francisco, at least as far as I, as someone not from San Francisco, can tell.

I know I spent almost all of this review comparing Lola and the Boy Next Door to Anna and the French Kiss, so maybe it is just because of too high expectations that I didn't love this one. Either way, I'm still really looking forward to Isla and the Happily Ever After - maybe this one will have the same magic as Anna and the French Kiss, even if I didn't feel it with Lola and the Boy Next Door.

Review: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Ttile: Allegiant (Divergent #3)
Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release date: October 22nd 2013
Pages: 526
Genre: Young Adult dystopian
Source: Bought
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The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.
But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Divergent is one of my favorite series, and I was so excited to see how it would end! I was a little worried I wasn't going to love Allegiant as much as Divergent and Insurgent, though, because a lot of people seemed to be disappointed with the way Veronica Roth ended the series. I loved it, though, and Divergent continues to be one of my favorite series!

Instead of having only Tris's narration like in Divergent and Insurgent, Allegiant has dual POVs from Tris's and Four's perspectives. Even though I love Four, I wasn't to keen on that decision at first - partly because I'm always iffy about changing something like that within a series, and partly because to me, the two voices just sounded a little bit too similar. After a while, though, I got used to the dual narrative and started to enjoy getting Four's perspective on things, and I saw how this set-up makes sense with the structure of the story.

My favorite part of Allegiant was definitely the development of the characters - many of the characters we got to know in the first two books undergo a learning process and experience a lot of character growth in the last book of the series. The relationships develop in interesting and at least partly surprising ways, too; I especially enjoyed following the relationship between Tris and Caleb because I thought the brother/sister relationship didn't get enough spotlight in the first two books. Both Tris's and Four's development is interesting in relation to the factions and their values as well as the plot of Allegiant: there's no right or wrong, not even one bad guy, really, just lots of different and conflicting ideologies.

What fell short, though, in comparison to the character development, is the worldbuilding. I was really excited to see what had happened to the rest of the world, but sadly, we don't get that much information. I feel like there was just too much stuff that the characters don't find out about until this book, making Allegiant crammed with information and conflicts that I had a hard time distinguishing and focusing on. We don't get to see one issue be explored in any depth, and I'm still not entirely sure what the rest of the world looks like, because we are always only told and not shown about what the world has come to. To me, it might have been better to break with the trilogy format and split this up into two books so that we could explore this world's issues better, even though of course I know a lot of other factors play into decisions like that

I know a lot of people were upset about the ending, but I for one loved it. I can see why people are upset - and of course I was upset too; I was bawling for the last 50 pages. It's really unconventional, but I think this ending works really well with the development of the plot and the characters.

I can see where others' complaints about Allegiant are coming from because I'll admit that the ending is upsetting and the worldbuilding isn't as strong in this book as in the previous two. I still really enjoyed it, though, because the great character growth and emotions the story evoked in me made up for it. Allegiant is a solid conclusion to a thought-provoking, unique, and inspiring series!

Review: Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

Title: Love Letters to the Dead
Author: Ava Dellaira
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux BYR
Release date: April 1st 2014
Pages: 323
Genre: Young Adult contemporary
Source: NetGalley - I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!
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It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May did. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to people like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more; though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating new friendships, falling in love for the first time, learning to live with her splintering family. And, finally, about the abuse she suffered while May was supposed to be looking out for her. Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was; lovely and amazing and deeply flawed; can she begin to discover her own path.

My rating:  5 out of 5 stars

I've been staring at this screen for way too long, trying to figure out how I could possibly do this book justice with my review. Love Letters to the Dead is the kind of book that I loved so much, that spoke to me in such a personal way, that I don't even know how to talk about it. All I know is that it was perfect, and that everyone needs to read it.

At first I wasn't sure if the letter format of this book would work. I kept asking myself how the author would manage to tell a complete story when the letters are written to different people, who wouldn't know what Laurel had written in the previous letters, while the reader of course would know the contents of all the letters. To my surprise, though, it worked perfectly. They're all written to these different people, but that's not the point: this book is simply about Laurel as a character, and the way she expresses herself in these letters to dead people makes perfect sense if you consider them a cathartic experience for Laurel rather than letters addressed to actual, real-life people. This format enables readers to gradually find out about Laurel's past, which I absolutely loved. (I even wish I hadn't read the description beforehand, since parts of it are things you don't find out until later on.) I love how the author incorporated the stories of the "recipients" of these letters into the novel, and they added a lot to Laurel's story.

Asides from the unique format, Laurel's character is what makes the whole story work. I loved Laurel so much; I just wanted to scoop her up and out of this terrible world so that I could hug her and never let her go. She is somehow innocent and jaded all at once: the hardships that she has had to go through are unfathomable, so it is no surprise that she has developed a pessimism and frustration that appear to be beyond her years. At other times, though, we catch a glimpse of the innocent 14-year-old beneath all the pain. This balance is beautifully done, creating an authentic character that evoked so many emotions in me.

Not only Laurel but all the characters in Love Letters to the Dead are exceptionally well-written. At first, I thought Laurel was falling in with the wrong crowd in high school, but that is most definitely not the case: Hannah, Natalie, Tristan, and Kristen are the perfect group of friends for Laurel. Each of their characters is complex and has their own story and issues; I don't want to talk about any of their stories because you should get to experience them on your own, but they're so good. I wish Ava Dellaira would write companion novels about each of them because I loved them all so much. (But maybe that's just because I'm so in love with this world that Ava Dellaira has created that I never want to leave again because I just want to keep reading her words for the rest of my life.) Ahem. Anyways. I also loved Sky - romantic storylines are very hit-or-miss for me, and even though this relationship had some of the stereotypes that would automatically make it a miss for me, this one is definitely a hit. I wish we had gotten to see even more of the development of this relationship, but it makes sense that we only get snippets because of the letter format. Either way, I absolutely loved reading about Laurel and Sky's connection. The family storyline is great, too: I both loved and hated Laurel's mom, dad, and aunt, as well as May. Each character in Love Letters to the Dead is complex and hurting in their own way; they're all perfect in an imperfect, real way.

Everything about this book is perfect, from the cover to the writing to the characters. But what I loved most wasn't any single aspect; it was the emotions it evoked in me. Love Letters to the Dead touched me in a very personal way, in a way that only very few books can. It broke my heart and showed me the darkest parts of what it means to be human, but it also put it back together again and restored my faith in the goodness of people. Love Letters to the Dead is a heartwrenching, inspiring novel about how to live through the pain and loss that are part of growing up and simply being human. I'm so in awe of Ava Dellaira's writing and this book that I want to name my firstborn child after Lauren and tattoo the gorgeous quotes I got from this novel all over my body. And since I probably won't do either of those things, instead I'm just going to urge every reader I know to read this book, right now. 

New Releases March 2014

New releases:

The Summer I Found You by Jolene Perry
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Release date: March 1st 2014

Heart attacks happen to other people #thingsIthoughtweretrue
When Morgan's mom gets sick, it's hard not to panic. Without her mother, she would have no one—until she finds out the dad who walked out on her as a baby isn't as far away as she thought...
Adam is a stuck-up, uptight jerk #thingsIthoughtweretrue
Not that they have a summer job together, Morgan's getting to know the real Adam, and he's actually pretty sweet...in a nerdy-hot kind of way. He even offers to go with her to find her dad. Road trip, anyone?
5000 Twitter followers are all the friends I need #thingsIthoughtweretrue
With Adam in the back seat, a hyper chatterbox named Amy behind the wheel, and plenty of Cheetos to fuel their trip, Morgan feels ready for anything. She's not expecting a flat tire, a missed ferry, a fake girlfriend...and that these two people she barely knew before the summer started will become the people she can't imagine living without.

Sixteen Things I Thought Were True by Janet Gurtler
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Release date: March 4th 2014

Heart attacks happen to other people #thingsIthoughtweretrue
When Morgan's mom gets sick, it's hard not to panic. Without her mother, she would have no one—until she finds out the dad who walked out on her as a baby isn't as far away as she thought...
Adam is a stuck-up, uptight jerk #thingsIthoughtweretrue
Not that they have a summer job together, Morgan's getting to know the real Adam, and he's actually pretty sweet...in a nerdy-hot kind of way. He even offers to go with her to find her dad. Road trip, anyone?
5000 Twitter followers are all the friends I need #thingsIthoughtweretrue
With Adam in the back seat, a hyper chatterbox named Amy behind the wheel, and plenty of Cheetos to fuel their trip, Morgan feels ready for anything. She's not expecting a flat tire, a missed ferry, a fake girlfriend...and that these two people she barely knew before the summer started will become the people she can't imagine living without.

Panic by Lauren Oliver

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Release date: March 4th 2014

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.
Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.
Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most. 

Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas
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Release date: March 11th 2014

Despite what her name might suggest, Heart has zero interest in complicated romance. So when her brilliant plan to go to prom with a group of friends is disrupted by two surprise invites, Heart knows there's only one drama-free solution: flip a coin.
Heads: The jock. He might spend all night staring at his ex or throw up in the limo, but how bad can her brother's best friend really be?
Tails: The theater geek...with a secret. What could be better than a guy who shares all Heart's interests--even if he wants to share all his feelings?Heart's simple coin flip has somehow given her the chance to live out both dates. But where her prom night ends up might be the most surprising thing of all... 

Ink Is Thicker than Water by Amy Spalding
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Release date: March 12th 2014

For Kellie Brooks, family has always been a tough word to define. Combine her hippie mom and tattooist stepdad, her adopted overachieving sister, her younger half brother, and her tough-love dad, and average Kellie’s the one stuck in the middle, overlooked and impermanent. When Kellie’s sister finally meets her birth mother and her best friend starts hanging with a cooler crowd, the feeling only grows stronger.
But then she reconnects with Oliver, the sweet and sensitive college guy she had a near hookup with last year. Oliver is intense and attractive, and she’s sure he’s totally out of her league. But as she discovers that maybe intensity isn’t always a good thing, it’s yet another relationship she feels is spiraling out of her control.
It’ll take a new role on the school newspaper and a new job at her mom’s tattoo shop for Kellie to realize that defining herself both outside and within her family is what can finally allow her to feel permanent, just like a tattoo.

What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick
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Release date: March 12th 2014

From the author of My Life Next Door comes a swoony summertime romance full of expectation and regret, humor and hard questions.
Gwen Castle's Biggest Mistake Ever, Cassidy Somers, is slumming it as a yard boy on her Nantucket-esque island this summer. He's a rich kid from across the bridge in Stony Bay, and she hails from a family of fishermen and housecleaners who keep the island's summer people happy. Gwen worries a life of cleaning houses will be her fate too, but just when it looks like she'll never escape her past—or the island—Gwen's dad gives her some shocking advice. Sparks fly and secret histories unspool as Gwen spends a gorgeous, restless summer struggling to resolve what she thought was true—about the place she lives, the people she loves, and even herself—with what really is.

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

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Release date: March 18th 2014

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?

The Edge of Falling by Rebecca Serle

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Release date: March 18th 2014

Growing up in privileged, Manhattan social circles, Caggie’s life should be perfect, and it almost was until the day that her younger sister drowned when Caggie was supposed to be watching her. Stricken by grief, Caggie pulls away from her friends and family, only to have everyone misinterpret a crucial moment when she supposedly saves a fellow classmate from suicide. Now she’s famous for something she didn’t do and everyone lauds her as a hero. But inside she still blames herself for the death of her sister and continues to pull away from everything in her life, best friend and perfect boyfriend included. Then Caggie meets Astor, the new boy at school, about whom rumours are swirling and known facts are few. In Astor she finds someone who just might understand her pain, because he has an inner pain of his own. But the more Caggie pulls away from her former life to be with Astor, the more she realises that his pain might be darker, and deeper, than anything she’s ever felt. His pain might be enough to end his life…and Caggie’s as well.

Nearly Gone by Elle Cosimano

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Release date: March 25th 2014 

Nearly Boswell knows how to keep secrets. Living in a DC trailer park, she knows better than to share anything that would make her a target with her classmates. Like her mother's job as an exotic dancer, her obsession with the personal ads, and especially the emotions she can taste when she brushes against someone's skin. But when a serial killer goes on a killing spree and starts attacking students, leaving cryptic ads in the newspaper that only Nearly can decipher, she confides in the one person she shouldn't trust: the new guy at school—a reformed bad boy working undercover for the police, doing surveillance. . . on her.
Nearly might be the one person who can put all the clues together, and if she doesn't figure it all out soon—she'll be next.

New in paperback:

Bruised by Sarah Skilton
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Release date: March 1st 2014

When Imogen, a 16-year-old black belt in Tae Kwon Do, freezes during a holdup at a local diner, the gunman is shot and killed by the police, and she blames herself for his death. Before the shooting, she believed that her black belt made her stronger than everyone else—more responsible, more capable. But now that her sense of self has been challenged, she must rebuild her life, a process that includes redefining her relationship with her family and navigating first love with the boy who was at the diner with her during the shootout. With action, romance, and a complex heroine, Bruised introduces a vibrant new voice to the young adult world—full of dark humor and hard truths.

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17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma
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Release date: March 6th 2014

Seventeen-year-old Lauren is having visions of girls who have gone missing. And all these girls have just one thing in common—they are 17 and gone without a trace. As Lauren struggles to shake these waking nightmares, impossible questions demand urgent answers: Why are the girls speaking to Lauren? How can she help them? And . . . is she next? As Lauren searches for clues, everything begins to unravel, and when a brush with death lands her in the hospital, a shocking truth emerges, changing everything.

Pretty Sly (Pretty Crooked #2) by Elisa Ludwig
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Release date: March 18th 2014

Willa Fox was told to stay out of trouble. In fact, it was an order from a very serious juvenile court judge.
However, that was before Willa found her house ransacked and a mysterious email from her mother telling Willa she had to leave Paradise Valley for a while and not to come looking for her. Willa knows her mom’s in danger and that no one at school will miss her after her recent sticky-fingered stunts with the Glitterati. So with the help of her pal Tre and with her degenerate crush Aidan as her wingman, Willa violates her probation and hits the California highway in search of her mom.
But when Willa and Aidan’s journey turns dangerously criminal and they wind up being the focus of a national manhunt, they realize it’s sometimes easier to escape the law than the truth—and that everything Willa thought she knew about her mom, and her life, was wrong.

Skinny by Donna Cooner
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Release date: March 25th 2014

About a girl whose obesity and negative thoughts stand in the way of her dreams of becoming a singer and finding love, until she begins a long, hard journey of self-discovery and reinvention culminating in gastric-bypass surgery, only to find that love was never dependent on her size.

What March releases are you most excited for?