Monday, July 29, 2013

Are We There Yet? by David Levithan

Summary:(from amazon) Sixteen-year-old Elijah is completely mellow and his 23-year-old brother Danny is completely not, so it’s no wonder they can barely tolerate one another. So what better way to repair their broken relationship than to trick them into taking a trip to Italy together? Soon, though, their parents’ perfect solution has become Danny and Elijah’s nightmare as they’re forced to spend countless hours together. But then Elijah meets Julia, and soon the brothers aren’t together nearly as much. And then Julia meets Danny and soon all three of them are in a mixed-up, turned-around, never-what-you-expect world of brothers, Italy, and love.
Review: David Levithan has become one of those hit or miss authors for me. I thought this book was just OK. There was something about the way it was written that left it a little lacking. However, I did enjoy the traveling in the book. pretty much the entire book takes place in Italy which I liked reading about. Elijah and Danny both annoyed me throughout the book. I couldn't understand why they didn't like each other. I couldn't help but laugh at how wrong they were about each other. It seemed like their issues with each other could have been so much more developed which would have added a lot to this book. The plot line was pretty predictable and I wish there had been more to the story. Even the plot line involving Julia could have been so much more drawn out and dramatic. I just thought the whole thing was a bit rushed.  This book was an OK read. There were some things I liked and others I didn't. I will probably read more of Levithan's books in the future. I still have high hopes for his books.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Summary:(from goodreads) Each night at precisely 4:33 am, while sixteen-year-old London Lane is asleep, her memory of that day is erased. In the morning, all she can "remember" are events from her future. London is used to relying on reminder notes and a trusted friend to get through the day, but things get complicated when a new boy at school enters the picture. Luke Henry is not someone you'd easily forget, yet try as she might, London can't find him in her memories of things to come. When London starts experiencing disturbing flashbacks, or flash-forwards, as the case may be, she realizes it's time to learn about the past she keeps forgetting-before it destroys her future.
Review: This is one of the books that i was drawn to because the premise was something unique that I haven't heard of before. It was an enjoyable read. The plot was well paced and I was immediately drawn into London's story. When I first started reading I was worried that it was going to be confusing. However, it was done in a way that was easy to follow and stay engaged. There wasn't a whole lot of action happening. This is a very character driven story. I liked London and Luke a lot. They were both well written and awesome characters. There was one thing that annoyed me about the plot line involving Luke but I was able to overlook it. The main thing I didn't like was the way things ended. I felt like the ending was a little bit rushed. I wish a few of the plot points had been wrapped up better. An extra few chapters would have gone a long way in giving this story a stringer ending. Overall, though this was a good book that I would definitely recommend.