YA Contempapalooza Summer 2014

Ahh, what a glorious time it is for lovers of contemporary YA (like this girl right here)!  I don’t like to play favorites or anything, but I think I’ve made it pretty dang clear over the course of my reviews that these kind of books are my kind of books.  I’ve read three dazzling examples of YA contemp over the past few weeks, and so if you find yourself craving a story about conflict and romance and finding one’s self, then pull up a chair and read on.

Open Road Summer 

by Emery Lord

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Publisher: Walker

Buy: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Oh, good Lord (haha, puns!), this book is fantastic.  I mean, I was expecting to like it, since I’d heard from people I trust that it was a Jessica sort of book, but I couldn’t put it down.  Literally.  I devoured this in one afternoon, essentially one sitting.  It’s like reading a book about Fake Taylor Swift’s best friend who falls for with a Fake Jonas Brother while he’s pretending to be FTS’s boyfriend during her sad and somewhat scandalous break-up.  Reagan’s voice is snark-tacular and real, and she is quite the loyal bestie.  Plus, Matt Finch is the type of guy you hope all your own teen heartthrobs are actually like in real life.  There are so many great lines in this book, but one in particular about living life in the moment really hit me where it counts.  I’m all about this and Emery Lord forever.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before 

by Jenny Han

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR

Buy: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Maybe it’s because we’re from the same hometown (rva girls forever!), but Jenny Han knows how to craft a story that pulls me in from the title and keeps me in until the last page.  Like Lara Jean, I too used to write unsent notes to my crushes, and I would die a million mortifying deaths if they were ever sent (note to self: BURN ALL OLD LETTERS next time you’re at your parents’ house).  What I also adore about this delightfully written book is that, despite the title, the romance isn’t the central portion of the plot.  It’s less about the discovery of love and more about Lara Jean’s discovery of her own identity outside of Middle Song Sister.  I could read about the Song Sisters forever, especially because Jenny’s words, you guys? They are sah good.

What I Thought Was True 

by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Release Date: April 15, 2013

Publisher: Dial BFYR

Buy: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

I’ve been looking forward to Huntley’s next novel since the moment I finished My Life Next Door, and oh, Huntley doesn’t disappoint.  Another complicated girl, another almost-too-perfect-to-be-real boy—and that’s where the similarities cease.  Gwen is constantly battling between building enormous walls around herself and wearing her heart on her sleeve, and she spends the entire book fighting between which one to do for which person.  Also, I don’t know exactly how to say this unawkwardly, but Huntley Fitzpatrick is kind of the queen of discussing and handling teen sex in a realistic manner.  Seriously. There are twists and turns here that I thought I saw coming, but it kept turning when I expected twisting.  My only complaint is that now I have to wait for whatever Huntley writes next.

So, what are you reading this summer?  Are you gobbling up contemps like Cadbury Mini-Eggs like I am?

Fire with Fire by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Release Date: Aug. 13, 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: E-galley
Source: Publisher
Pages: 528
Buy: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound
Description: Goodreads
Lillia, Kat, and Mary had the perfect plan. Work together in secret to take down the people who wronged them. But things didn’t exactly go the way they’d hoped at the Homecoming Dance.

Not even close.

For now, it looks like they got away with it. All they have to do is move on and pick up the pieces, forget there ever was a pact. But it’s not easy, not when Reeve is still a total jerk and Rennie’s meaner than she ever was before.

And then there’s sweet little Mary…she knows there’s something seriously wrong with her. If she can’t control her anger, she’s sure that someone will get hurt even worse than Reeve was. Mary understands now that it’s not just that Reeve bullied her—it’s that he made her love him.

Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, burn for a burn. A broken heart for a broken heart. The girls are up to the task. They’ll make Reeve fall in love with Lillia and then they will crush him. It’s the only way he’ll learn.

It seems once a fire is lit, the only thing you can do is let it burn...

Last year’s Burn For Burn was one of my favorites-- a story of three girls from Jar Island and their plot to exact revenge on those who’ve wronged them in the past. It also served as my introduction to Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian, and for that I am forever grateful. My expectations were very high going into its sequel Fire With Fire. These YA besties had given me multi-layered characters and a thrilling story, and I hoped they could deliver that to me once again. Turns out, this sequel totally met my expectations, and then some. Fire With Fire delivers, driving Kat, Lillia, and Mary deeper into their web of revenge while still keeping us readers flipping those pages. Let’s go through these narrators one by one, shall we?

Kat is still a bad-ass girl with a tough exterior, but this time around, she starts to let a little of that inner heart show, especially to Lillia and Mary. She sees kindred spirits in those girls, and she works to continue the friendship, trying her best to bring shy Mary out of her shell. Outside of the newfound friendship, we follow Kat as she applies to Oberlin College, her dream school and her mother’s alma mater. I enjoyed delving into Kat’s background, and I especially enjoyed her interactions with Alex. Though it’s clear that Alex has feelings for Lillia, I like the Kat/Alex chemistry. I think they are a far more interesting match than Lillia/Alex, and I’m very curious to see where that leads.

And speaking of Lillia, Jar Island’s resident fashionista grabs the meatiest plotline this time around.  While the events of Homecoming left Reeve with real injuries, he didn’t quite feel the humiliation they were hoping to cause. The new plan—get Reeve to fall for Lillia, and then break his beefy heart. Lillia and Reeve grow closer and closer through this plan, which causes confusing and conflicting feelings for everyone involved, plus giant angry flames on the side of Rennie’s face. This is where Fire With Fire really heats up (puns puns everybody loves puns). Lillia knows she shouldn’t fall for Reeve, but it’s clear that she is.  You’d think I’d tire of that trope, but it seems I don’t—as long as it’s as well-written and compelling as it is here. There’s just something about those two.

And finally, there’s something about Mary (you saw that transition coming a mile away, huh?) that isn’t quite right. We knew this already from book one, but book two shines the spotlight on it. I will admit I became a little frustrated with this, because it seems very obvious what’s going on with Mary, but the reveal is still quite worth it. Of course, the mystery of Mary leads us right to the cliff of the book to let us hang for another year. I have no idea where Ashes To Ashes will go from here, but I sure am excited to find out.

I would recommend this to anyone who read Burn For Burn, and if you haven’t read it, I suggest you do that first, then read this.  Bless these besties for writing the kind of books I love.

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Release Date: Sept. 18, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Pages: 368
Buy: Amazon / Book Depository / IndieBound
Description: Goodreads
BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY...
THEY GET EVEN.

Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.

Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay.

Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him.

Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.

Burn for Burn is the story of three girls- Lillia, Kat, & Mary- who want to get back at three people who burned them- Alex, Rennie, & Reeve.  Just when you think you know what’s going to happen, everything goes completely awry, and it’s an engaging, dark, drama-filled ride you won’t soon forget.

I don’t even know where to start with this review, and I mean that in a great way. Burn for Burn is engrossing and well-written from beginning to end, soup to nuts.  The characters are entirely believable, their stories are compelling, and by the end, you’re not sure whose side you’re on anymore or if winning is even possible.  It’s a testament to the talents of Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian that two authors with two distinct styles can write three different points of view, and each of the POVs stands out on their own.  It’s an incredibly fast read because it’s so hard to put down.  You just have to know what happens next.  This is serious drama, and I seriously loved it.