My Life Next Door

** This book will not be released until June 14th, 2012 **

My Life Next Door is not your average summer romance. Samantha Reed is the daughter of the Connecticut state senator, Grace Reed. It seems that Grace wants Samantha's life to have a good -girl vibe, much different then the rebel path her other daughter, Tracy, chose.


Grace despises the family next door - they're messy, loud, and large. That's right - the Garrets have EIGHT kids with the ninth on the way. From the moment the Garrets moved in, Samantha watched them. Sounds a little stalker-ish, right? Well, it is. Until Samantha starts a relationship with one of them  - Jase. The two fall in love almost instantly. Now, like I said, this is not your average summer romance. But, I know, that's what is sounds like.


At first, the love is innocent. But it becomes more of a betrayal to Grace when Sam and Jase fall deeper in love. Samantha begins to revolve her life around the Garrets, almost like she is one of them. Sam and Jase seem to have a picture perfect summer, minus dealing with their friend Tim's journey to becoming sober and drug-free.


All seems like a fairy tale - until Grace has one two many glasses of wine and hits something while driving home. After putting the puzzle pieces together, Samantha realizes that the 'something' was Jase's father, Mr. Garret. To make it worse, Clay, Grace's conniving boyfriend, convinces her to just drive away and leave the severely injured Mr. Garret in the middle of the road. Can Sam confess to Jase and his family the fact that will land her mother ten years in jail?


My Life Next Door had me hooked from page one. For all of you looking for a summer beach read, this is the book for you! The summer love is something every girl fantasizes for, and can relate to. Huntley Fitzpatrick, our debut author, paints the vivid picture of an innocent New England town, but doesn't send the "sleepy town with hidden secrets" message. Sure, the "hiding my boyfriend from my mother" scheme is a little cliched, but there are so many side elements that bring it together to make it much more than summer love.


Thanks to Stacey at Dial Books for sending me this advanced proof!


Huntley is also planning Book 2! Although it may not be with the same characters, it will surely be another great read. Here is a little sneak peek!


17-year-old 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 a tip: her wealthy, elderly employer is redoing her will this summer, and that could be Gwen's ticket to the good life. But what will it mean for Gwen’s now life? 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.

Fated

**This book will not be released until May 22, 2012**

Fated is filled with magick, mystery, and some gorgeous blue eyes. When Daire Lyons begins to see some horrifying images around the time of her 16th birthday, she is deemed crazy by doctors. With the threat of being placed in mental hospital, Daire's mother, Jennika, a 33-year-old Hollywood makeup artist, sends her away to live with her grandmother, Paloma. While in the rinky-dink town of Enchantment, Daire learns the truth about the death of her father, Django, falls for a boy with icy blue eyes whose twin brother is out to kill her, and assumes her role as a soul seeker, one who can travel between the worlds of the living an dead.

When I started this book, I dubbed it an OK read. It was a new interpretation of magic, but this time with animal spirits. That was all that it was. As I inched closer to the middle of the book, it started picking up. It was almost like Alyson Noel realized that her story needed a little oomph. There were components that I loved. Alyson Noël's language was vivid and created such a realistic story. I felt like I myself was a citizen of Enchantment. The plot was very original and the infusion of Native American and Latino culture was awesome. I just think that some aspects were things I had met before. In Beautiful Creatures by Kimi Garcia and Margaret Stole, a 16-year-old girl moves to a rinky-dink town and had dreams about a boy she has never met! This is almost exactly the same thing that occurs in Fated. Also, Daire can control animals, which seems vaguely familiar.

The point I'm trying to get across is that Fated is very confusing. If you don't pay attention to every little detail, you will surely be lost. Many a time I was confused about the end result. Was Daire just supposed to survive the Day of the Day and not be killed by a blue eyed, psychopathic sorcerer who is trying to conquer the world? As I reached the final sections, I realized the answer as yes.

There were parts that I found really well-written and enticing. In the beginning, it was a lot of detail, but that's just what happens when a new series is introduced. The **gasp** moments increased as the story progressed.

With an original plot and a well-known author the story will surely be a winner. For me, it evolved into something that I came to appreciate. There was an unknown piece that just didn't fully capture my attention, though. Hopefully, as the series progress, I will able to fully comprehend what an enticing story this is. So by now, you may be confused with what my opinion actually is. Well, I'll give it a 6 out of 10. Fair enough?

Special thanks to Jessica and Aleks at St. Martin's Press for sending me this copy!

No Safety in Numbers

**This book will not be released until May 29, 2012**


Dayna Lorentz has finally made her Young Adult debut, and it sure is a winner! I was lucky enough to get an unedited version of the book and read it in advance! In this new take on a classic topic, Lorentz takes us through the agony of a quarantine in a very busy suburban mall in Westchester, New York. Thousands of people have been trapped inside because the Senator messed up protocol - instead of evacuating, she quarantined. Oh, and did I mention that the reason they are being held prisoners in the mall is because some crazy person decided to stick a bomb to the mall's ventilation shaft? The story takes place over a week's time and follows four teenagers - Marco, Shay, Ryan, and Lexi - who find there own ways out and face their own problems. Of course, Dayna had to include the usual topic in a YA adult novel: a subtle love triangle. Although it is not as prominent as other books (in fact you may not notice it like I did) it is still there. 


Let me introduce you to our four rambunctious teens:
Marco is that kid who gets made fun of constantly, the one who is the always the butt of the football team's jokes. Roped into working at his job the entire quarantine, he just wants to get out. 
Shay is the odd one, the girl that the entire football team would want to date just because of her eccentricities and her looks. She is stuck in the hell-hole with her grandmother, Nani, and her younger sister, Preeti.
Ryan is part of the in-crowd, the football team. After falling for Shay and numerous escape attempts, the future looks like a cell for Ryan.
Lexi is the Senator's daughter, and she is none too happy about it. All she wants is to fix the problem she is faced with, especially when her mother tells her the sickness is just the flu. 


I read this book rather quickly because it was so intriguing that I could not put it down. I was reading at every possible second I had. I can't tell you too much because the book hasn't been released to the public just yet. I can tell you that it is packed with riots, a little romance, and a look into what happens to the American public when they only options are survive or die. If you want to find out whether or not a cure is found, whether the mysterious flu that is turning people blue (seriously) finds its way to the outside, and whether or not our main characters survive, pick yourself up a copy of No Safety In Numbers on May 29th! (The last chapter will send your brain reeling!)


Thanks to Stacey at Dial Books for sending this to me!