Review: Next To You by Claudia Y. Burgoa

This is the review of the second book in a series and may contain spoilers.

Next to You by Claudia Burgoa

Series: Life, #2
Release Date: July 1^st, 2014
Publisher:  Alpaca Illustrations
Format: ebook
Genre: New Adult – Contemporary Romance
Source: Author
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
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Him

…I need time. Time to heal those wings and learn to use them…

Was part of the letter Rebecca Trent, Daniel Brightmore’s fiancée and best friend left when she ran away. The person he trusted the most for the past decade disappeared without giving him a second glance. She taught him how to love, believe in family and that everyone deserves a happily ever after. Now he’s struggling between wiping any traces of her from his life and drowning his sorrows away with the help of his new best friends—Don Julio and Jack Daniels.

Her

Rebecca’s past suffocated her to the point of not wanting to continue, her lifeline and the only reason to live began to withdraw from her. She wished it had been her imagination, but heard it loud and clear: “If not, there’s always a divorce, nothing is forever.” This time it became a leave or die situation. Something has got to change—she had to change. Packing light and leaving a letter behind, she takes a journey that can help her find herself through the shards of her painful childhood.

As letters, memories and stories are exchanged, two once inseparable people reconcile what’s left of their relationship. Beyond the confines of everything they built together, they’re left with two lonely people searching for what it means to be whole. Will they find meaning under their bruised psyches or will their pasts get the better of them?

This is the follow up book to Where Life Takes You, which for the record, was an amazing book. You should definitely pick that one up at least. The ending to that book was killer and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one. So naturally I was ecstatic when the author contacted me and asked me if I would like to read this….  Um yes please! I actually read this book quite a while ago and I guess I somehow forgot to write the review. So this is probably going to be a shorter review since everything is not fresh in my mind. 

This book is told from Daniel’s POV, whereas the first book was told from Rebecca’s POV. Thankfully, this picks up where the first book left off. Right after Rebecca runs off and leaves only a letter as an explanation. After learning that Rebecca has left Daniel goes into a downward spiral. Naturally Daniel is pissed and decides he needs to be drunk. He’s so upset that he decides that burning her car sounds like a good plan. He gets rid of her apartment, her clothes, everything. It is weeks before he hears anything from her.  

They share letters back and forth to each other and Rebecca tells Daniel that he needs to work on himself while she is gone. I love the letters part of the book, not emails but actual letters. That ads something special to the story. I loved reading about Rebecca really trying to better herself and learning more about Daniel’s past. 

This duology was really fantastic and I am so glad that I stumbled across the first one. I highly recommend picking it up if you are into new adult romances!

*This book was provided by the Author in exchange for an honest review*

Double Review: Zita the Spacegirl & Legends of Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke

Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke

Series: Zita the Spacegirl, #1
Release Date: February 1st 2011
Publisher: First Second
Format: Paperback
Pages: 192
Genre: Middle Grade – graphic novel, science fiction
Source: Library
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
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Zita’s life took a cosmic left turn in the blink of an eye.

When her best friend is abducted by an alien doomsday cult, Zita leaps to the rescue and finds herself a stranger on a strange planet. Humanoid chickens and neurotic robots are shocking enough as new experiences go, but Zita is even more surprised to find herself taking on the role of intergalactic hero. Before long, aliens in all shapes and sizes don’t even phase her. Neither do ancient prophecies, doomed planets, or even a friendly con man who takes a mysterious interest in Zita’s quest.

 Zita the Spacegirl is a fun, captivating tale of friendship and redemption from Flight veteran Ben Hatke. It also has more whimsical, eye-catching, Miyazaki-esque monsters than you can shake a stick at.(

This is book one in the Zita the Spacegirl trilogy. If you saw my review that I posted yesterday then you would have read that I picked that book up on recommendation from Misty over at The Book Rat. This is another book (along with the sequel reviewed below) that I have picked up on her recommendation. She hasn’t failed me yet!

The book starts out with Zita and her friend, Joseph, are out playing when a meteor crashes into the field. In this meteor is what looks like a button. Against the arguments of Joseph, Zita decides to push the button which opens up a portal and giant tentacles come out and suck her friend up in it.  This of course scares the crap out of Zita and after a little bit she pushes the button again and jumps through the portal to try and save her friend. She is transported to another world and she soon discovers that this world is in danger. She makes some friends (including one that is not so much her friend) and takes on the task of saving her friend.

The friends in this book are great. There is a giant monster type animal named Strong Strong who is pretty funny. There is also a giant mouse who hates his real name, and a robot that refuses to do what he is programed to do. I really liked all of the characters in this book.

This book has the kind of artwork that I really enjoy. This book was a really fun read and I highly recommend it. I enjoyed this book so much that I went right into the second book. (which is reviewed below.)

My Rating:

Legends of Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke

Series: Zita the Spacegirl, #2
Release Date: September 4th 2012
Publisher: First Second
Format: Paperback
Pages: 209
Genre: Middle grade – graphic novel, science fiction
Source: Library
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
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Fame comes at a price...

Zita must find her way back to earth...but her space adventures have made her a galactic megastar! Who can you trust when your true self is overshadowed by your public image? And to make things worse...Zita's got a robot double making trouble--while wearing her face!

Zita needs to find her way back home but she has turned into a star with all that she has done to help. This of course means that people want her autograph and there is even a movie out about her! When Zita discovers a robot that can make itself look just like her she uses it to her advantage and escapes for a little fun away from everyone. This backfires when the robot decides that it wants to be her forever! This forces Zita into a rather precarious situation and everything starts to go haywire for her and mouse.

This sequel is another big adventure for Zita and it involves all of the same characters from the first book and introduces a couple new ones too. I really enjoyed this one just as much as the first one and I really can’t wait to get my hands on the third book!

My Rating:

Review: The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

Release Date: June 3^rd 2014
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Format: egalley
Pages: 208
Genre: Young Adult – Contemporary, Realistic Fiction
Source: NetGalley
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
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Everyone has a lot to say about Alice Franklin, and it’s stopped mattering whether it’s true. The rumors started at a party when Alice supposedly had sex with two guys in one night. When school starts everyone almost forgets about Alice until one of those guys, super-popular Brandon, dies in a car wreck that was allegedly all Alice’s fault. Now the only friend she has is a boy who may be the only other person who knows the truth, but is too afraid to admit it. Told from the perspectives of popular girl Elaine, football star Josh, former outcast Kelsie, and shy genius Kurt, we see how everyone has a motive to bring – and keep – Alice down.

The Truth About Alice is a fantastic book. This book has four points of view Elaine O’Dea, Kelsie, Josh, ad Kurt. All these people have different things to say about Alice Franklin. They all live in the small town of Healey and everyone knows that Alice slept with two guys at a party, Brandon Fitsimmons, high school quarterback and Tommy, some college sophomore. Brandon, dies in a car accident soon after when Alice was sexting him. Everyone knows everything about Alice but nobody knows the truth and Alice doesn’t even try to fight back.

Elaine O’Dea is the popular girl in school. She loves her small town and it was her party that caused the commotion that started it all for Alice. Kelsie is a former outcast who will do anything to stay in the popular crowed with Elaine, including talking about her former best friend Alice. Kelsie was a nerd at her old school and became the “runner up” popular girl when she moved to Healey. Popular enough that people know her and want to hang out with her but she doesn’t quite live up to Elaine’s popularity. She was sick at home during the party at Elaine’s house. Josh was Brandon’s friend and the wide receiver on the High School football team. He was in the car when the accident happened and told Brandon’s mom that Alice was sexting him when he crashed. He’s known Alice for years. Finally we have Kurt Morelli, Brandon’s next door neighbor. He is super smart and orphaned when he was young and is living with his grandmother. He has had a crush on Alice and is the only one that is nice to her.

This book is not a fluffy read. It focuses on slut shaming, abortion and bullying, and I think it does a fantastic job at it. It definitely shows that you should not believe everything you hear. This book really blew me away. Enough so that I rated it something and the more I thought about it and the more I talked about I decided to bump the rating up! That never happens. I really recommend picking up this book. The author did a fantastic job and I really enjoyed the writing and how everything was laid out. I will definitely be picking up more books by Jennifer Mathieu. I read this book as an egalley and I fully plan on going and buying a copy to add to my shelf. That way I can reread the parts that I liked!

My Rating:

*This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Review: Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins

Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins

Series: The Sweet Trilogy, #3

Release Date: April 29th 2014
Publisher:  HarperTeen
Format: egalley
Pages: 379
Genre: Young Adult – Paranormal Romance
Source: Edelweiss
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
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It’s time.

Evil is running rampant and sweet Anna Whitt is its target. Nobody knows when or how the Dukes will strike, but Anna and her Nephilim allies will do anything necessary to rid the earth of the demons and their oppressive ways.

The stakes are higher than ever, and Anna is determined that the love she feels will be her strength, not a liability. But trying to protect the ones she loves while running for her life and battling demonic forces proves to be perilous—especially as faces are changing and trust is fleeting. When the Duke of Lust sends Anna’s great love, Kaidan Rowe, to work against her, Anna must decide how much she’s prepared to risk.

In the most sensual and fast-paced installment yet, Sweet Reckoning brings all the beloved Neph together one last time to fight for their freedom.

*This is a review of the second book and it may contain spoilers.*

This book was so so good. I marathoned this trilogy straight through and even bought this book on the day it came out just so I would be able to go back and re-read parts that I enjoyed. That’s how good I thought it was. THE FEELS! I have to say this review is probably not going to be one of my bests (I’m pretty much just gonna say how much I love the book) because I actually read the book a couple months ago and I was so excited to read it that I didn’t even take notes. I was just flying through it. That says a lot since I think this is one of the only paranormal books I have read. Paranormal is just not my genre. Angels and Demons I apparently like though.

Ok anyway, on to the sort of review. This was probably my favorite book out of the trilogy. Even though I thought they were all great. Kaidan and Anna’s relationship in this book is fantastic and man there are a couple of steamy scenes and the ending was wow. Wendy Higgins is a fantastic writer and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. There is actually going to be a fourth book to this trilogy, which is going to be a companion novel, in Kaidan’s POV. AHHH I’m dying right now. Make sure and check out the short stories that Wendy wrote on her website that have certain scenes from Kaidan’s POV. I loved those so I’m sure that will be great too.

I completely recommend this trilogy and if you haven’t checked it out you should do so now. If you are hesitant on paranormal books like I was then at least go check it out from the library. It will be totally worth it.

My Rating:

*This book was provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Review: Mind Games by Kiersten White

Mind Games by Kiersten White

Series: Mind Games, #1
Release Date: December 3^rd 2013
Publisher:  HarperTeen
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 237
Genre: Young Adult – Fantasy, Sci-fi
Source: My Collection
Author: Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

Fia and Annie are sisters. They are also very special because they both have special abilities. Fia has flawless instincts. Her gut feeling is also right. Annie, who is blind, has visions of the future. Both girls are trapped at a special school just for girls with extraordinary powers. Fia knows this school is not good but stays because she has to protect her sister.

Fia is forced by the master of the school to make choices. Some of these choices are ones that young girls should never have to make. This school is slowly driving Fia to madness. So much so that she continually taps her fingers a certain number of times. Always, tap tap tap. The author does a good job portraying Fia’s thoughts and feelings in the book.

The book jumps back and forth between Annie and Fia’s points of view. It also jumps back and forth between time periods. This could sometimes get a little confusing if you weren’t paying attention to what chapter you were on. Sometimes I have a tendency to skim over the title of the chapter but you really can’t do that with this book.

The book doesn’t really have much of a plot but that really didn’t bother me. I actually ended up changing my rating from a 4 to a 5 star later after I sat and thought about it for a while. The book mainly focuses on Fia and Annie’s struggle to save each other.

This was my first book from Kiersten White and she did not disappoint! I enjoyed the writing style and everything else about the book. I am definitely interested in picking up her Paralnormalcy trilogy now.  I would recommend this if you like Kiersten’s writing already or if you are into psychological thrillers, like I am.

My Rating:

Review: The Adventures of Superhero Girl by Faith Erin Hicks

The Adventures of Superhero Girl by Faith Erin HicksRelease Date: February 26^th 2013
Publisher:  Dark Horse
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 112Genre: Young Adult – Graphic Novel, Humor

Source: Library
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads

What if you can leap tall buildings and defeat alien monsters with your bare hands, but you buy your capes at secondhand stores, and have a weakness for kittens, and a snarky comment from Skeptical Guy can ruin a whole afternoon? Cartoonist Faith Erin Hicks brings her skills in character design and sharp, charming humor to the trials and tribulations of a young, superhero battling monsters both supernatural and mundane in an all-too-ordinary world.

This is the second book I’ve read by Faith Erin Hicks and I think she has officially made it to my auto-buy list. The first book I read was Friends With Boys (check out the review HERE), it was great and this book didn’t disappoint either. This is a great sort of parody about superhero comics and it is pretty funny.

The Adventures of Superhero Girl follows around a not-so-typical neighborhood superhero. She doesn’t have a fancy costume, or a fortress of solitude. She forgets to put on sunscreen and ends up with a mask shaped sunburn, if she remembers to take off her mask at all. She shops for her outfit in a discount store, and does her laundry at the laundry mat. She fights the same guys almost daily and feels like she lives in her brother’s shadow. She also has no tragic backstory like more superheroes. Superhero Girl is very easily relatable because she looks so ordinary.

The Adventures of Superhero Girl brings Faith Erin Hicks already fantastic back and white strips into a full color. I really think adding color adds so much to a comic book or graphic novel. Now if only they would release Friends with Boys in all color!

I will definitely be purchasing this book for my collection and I can’t wait to get my hands on more books by Faith Erin Hicks. This is definitely on my list of favorite graphic novels/comics.

My Rating:

Review & KINDLE GIVEAWAY: Where Life Takes You by Claudia Y. Burgoa

Where Life Takes You by Claudia Y. Burgoa

Series: Life, #1
Release Date: July 31st 2013
Publisher: Createspace
Format: Paperback
Pages: 242
Genre: New Adult – Contemporary
Source: For Review 
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads

BECCA TRENT LIVED HER CHILDHOOD NEXT TO A CRUEL WOMAN—her mom—who lived to torment and neglect her. During her high school years, her mother married; bringing home not only a new husband, but a step sister her same age. The latter took over her Mom's role—making Becca's life miserable. Including stealing Ian—Becca's best friend and boyfriend—Lisa treated her worse than her mother had for the previous fifteen years. A couple years later, thing ended up in tragedy.

Becca buried that part of her life in the deep corners of her psyche, caught between sanity and nightmares. Between therapy, work and her constantly looming past she can't seem to find room to breathe. The memories of her late step-sister, Lisa, are her closest company.

Her best friend, Dan gives her that family love she always lacked. Everything was close to perfect, until everything and everyone from her past came back. Now she's trying to figure out how to survive and keep that bond which seems now to be held together by a thread.

Note: This is the first part of a two book novel

I need the second book in my life. Right now. That should tell you how much I enjoyed this book. I don’t really pick up “new adult” books because I feel they are mostly just romance novels but the synopsis of this book really called to me so I went ahead and requested it. I am so glad that I did. I have not wanted to not put a book down in a while. I did not want to put this book down.

The main characters name is Rebecca Trent. She has major relationship problems because of how she was treated when she was younger. She grew up with her mother, a horrible woman who couldn’t have cared any less for her. Then when her mother got remarried to a man with a daughter of his own, Lisa, she was instantly replaced. Her mother continued to not care about her but Lisa decided that she was going to torture her. She took Ian, Rebecca’s boyfriend, and completely changed him. Everything in Rebecca’s life was going downhill. Then one day Ian did something he would completely regret and that started a chain reaction that ended in his and Lisa’s death. Rebecca is still dealing with Lisa’s effect on her life.

Dan is Lisa’s fortress. He is a major business man with connections everywhere and can pretty much start a business whenever he feels like. He has assistants, body guards, and private planes. He owns an entire floor on a building he owned for an apartment for himself and one for Rebecca. He pulled Rebecca out of the life she was in and as far away from the people she hated. They owned a non-for-profit organization and according to Rebecca, they were like brother and sister. Dan’s only downfall is that he is extremely protective. At times it’s almost overbearing. Being the big business man he is, he is often seen in tabloids and has major media attention, so he is insistent on Rebecca’s safety.

I really enjoyed the writing in this book, although I did find a few grammatical errors. Other than that it was good. You only get one point of view with this book, which worked out perfectly. There are flashbacks scattered throughout and also some journal letters that she is supposed to write to Lisa for counseling. You can see Rebecca grow as a person through those letters. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book. Without adding spoilers, she is very dependent on Dan. In order to really grow and overcome what has happened in her past and change her outlook mentally, she must become her own person.

There is definitely major growth with Dan and Rebecca’s relationship. I absolutely loved their interactions together. Especially more towards the end of the book. Although he does tend to call her “Little one” which was sort of weird. Especially at a couple scenes in the end. I could see how some people would call him a little possessive, which he definitely was, but that was the type of person Lisa needed in her life. I don’t think he ever stepped over any boundaries, and most of the time it was for things that Lisa needed to do, but wouldn’t.

The ended was a shocker. I really didn’t see that coming at all, and that’s why I need the next book. I highly recommend this book. Especially if this is your first NA book or if you have given up on NA like I know some people have. You should still give this book a go. Already like NA? Then you have no excuse not to read it!

*This book was provided for free in exchange for an honest review. 

My Rating:

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