Can’t Fight That Feeling

August 31st, 2010

Back in March I read a book called “Leaving Paradise” and it was fantastic. I raved about it, and (if I remember correctly) told all of you to run right out and buy it.  There was something so emotional, and real about it that it left me breathless, so when I received an ARC copy of its follow-up novel “Return to Paradise”  I was like a kid in a candy store. I jumped, I squealed, and then I stayed up until ungodly hours reading it.

I wish I hadn’t.

“Caleb Becker left Paradise eight months ago, taking with him the secret he promised to take to his grave. If the truth got out, it would ruin everything.

Maggie Armstrong tried to be strong after Caleb broke her heart and disappeared. Somehow, she managed to move on. She’s determined to make a new life for herself.

But then Caleb and Maggie are forced together on a summer trip. They try ignoring their passion for each other, but buried feelings resurface. Caleb must face the truth about the night of Maggie’s accident, or the secret that destroyed their relationship will forever stand between them.”

I have been let down by books before, (even books by Simone Elkeles) but for some reason this felt much more personal to me.  I fell in love with Caleb and Maggie’s story in LP,  I held my breath in anticipation of their future, I felt their emotional acceptance, I even cried for them, but somehow in “Return to Paradise” all of that was lost.  The character development, and intensity that was so carefully crafted seemed to disappear completely, and was replaced by (somewhat) forced dialogue, and awkward personal interaction.

The lessons in RTP (which are absolution and acceptance) were cleverly disguised as a “Re-Start” youth program, and allowed Elkeles to expand her cast, but even with witty new characters, and chapters of angst, everything just felt dry and redundant.  For a woman that has (not only) made her mark in the YA community, but kicked mounds of sand over everyone elses’, to say I was disappointed would be like saying “spiders are icky”… grossly understated. I was completely deflated.

Read it if you must, but my advice (and I really hate saying this) retain your reading high from “Leaving Paradise” and write off the rest.

Oh… and (just because I have no self control) What the hell is up with the cover art? Really? Did we have to go with the extra slice of cheese?

Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Sometimes even the best book can be broken.

Click image for complete details

(3.0/5)

(On a side note: I know some of y’all are probably wondering where the 3 is coming from after such a harsh review, so let me explain.  Regardless of its inability to live up to it’s predecessor, RTP did have a few outstanding moments in it, and at the end of the day… I still love Caleb and Maggie, and giving their story anything less than a 3 felt sorta sinful.  If you are now confused I humbly apologize, this was not my intention, but so goes the game of a bi-polar reviewer.)

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When More Than Just Cookies Crumble

May 12th, 2010

So we all know by know that I wasn’t all that impressed with Simone Elkeles’ “Perfect Chemistry” (some of you even shot me some pretty intense emails about it) so when I decided to read “Rules of Attraction” (which is the companion novel to PC,) I promised myself that I would look at it from all of the angles y’all insisted were so important.

Now, while I stand behind my original objections to “PC” I am happy to say that  “Rules of Attraction” was back on mark for Elkeles’ writing ability. (The ability that I fell in love with in her novel “Leaving Paradise”) All of the things that I ranted about; the lack of equal character development, the vapidness of the heroine, and the sloppy writing in PC, were no longer present in this novel (thank God.)

Carlos is a troublemaker, he is into drugs and gangs and pretty much anything else that would make a parents blood boil.  Kiara is… not a troublemaker.  She’s a tom-boy with quick wit, and a inability to turn down challenges, she spends her time teaching art classes at retirement homes and climbing mountains with her gay best-friend Tuck.  Not exactly a match made in heaven right? But when Carlos is framed (think drugs… lots of them) and kicked out of his current sleeping situation he has only 2 choices… go to jail, or live at Kiara’s.  Choosing the lesser of 2 evils Carol’s makes the move… to a lovely little yellow polka-dotted room.  What happens when you finally realize the girl down the hall is more than just a T-shirt lovin wrench monkey? What happens when people start trusting you? And what is going to happen when the people that set you up, decided they aren’t quite through with you?

I was happy to see Elkeles bring back her natural flair for story telling.  Her angst scenes were captivating, pulling the reader in and out of moments, daring them to guess what would happen next.  Her characters were finally balanced, introducing their qualities in a steady stream of duel narration, and more importantly…I actually cared about what would happen to these people in the end of the novel (I even like Brittany more in this book. Go figure.)  This book is easily a stand alone (if you don’t feel like backtracking to catch up) and if you are looking for something you can knock out in minimal time… this was a fairly quick read. (1 day for me)

There were devious blondes, cookie magnets, rainy homecoming dances, family fun nights, several life altering decisions, and a missing $50 grand.

There was plenty of action to keep the plot flowing and… just like last time, tons of Spanish slang (just in case you were needing to bone up on it.)

This one is worth the money people! Get it, Live it, Love it… pass it on.

Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember:  never show up to peer counseling with a shiner… it spurs way to many questions.

For a complete book description click image

(4/5)

Book Trailer

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Here’s To Group Projects!

April 14th, 2010

The last couple of novels I’ve read (if you’ve been keeping up) have been fairly strenuous on the emotions, so needing a break and an “easy read” that WAS NOT given to me by an author I decided to run to my local book nook and pick up “Perfect Chemistry.”

Back in March I reviewed “Leaving Paradise” also by “Simone Elkeles” and loved it, so going with the assumption of “if one was good the other is probably not that bad either” I threw my Visa on the counter and purchased a beautiful shiny new book.

I was shocked when (after flipping the last page) I realized I wasn’t all that impressed.

“Perfect Chemistry” was penned AFTER “Leaving Paradise” and while comparing the plots is irrational comparing the writing quality is necessary. I’m not exactly sure what happened to “Elkeles” writing process after LP but it is safe to say her writing quality declined and her attention to character development was significantly less than spectacular (detail with Alex, fluff with Brittany.) The only thing that saved this book was the concept.

Brittany is a grade A top choice high-school hottie with an equally appealing boyfriend and GPA. Alex is… not. Coming from the wrong side of the tracks (and being a gang-banger) Alex lacked that certain appeal to not only his teachers, but his new Chem partner. After being told (not so subtly) that there wasn’t a chance in hell that he would ever be known to Brittany as anything more than dust under shoes, Alex does what every other wannabe bad-ass high-school boy does…he makes a bet that he can get into her pants. What Alex didn’t plan on, however, was falling for the girl, the girl he realized was 5% drama queen and 95% loving sister. Do opposites really attract? Are people really who they pretend to be, and in the face of danger will they sacrifice themselves for the person they love?

“Elkeles” angst moments were expertly expressed (as usual,) however the rest of the novel felt as thought it was written for a 12 year old. The prose were sloppy, the dialogue felt forced in several places, and even though the plot flowed smoothly it seemed as though “Elkeles” just lost her gusto. To be honest, the most impressive part of the entire novel came in the last few chapters where glimpses of “Elkeles” previously found talent finally appeared.

There is definitely an audience out there for “Perfect Chemistry,” and that said audience (I’m quite certain) will be more than happy with their little literary find, but for the rest of us, the ones that loved “Leaving Paradise” be forewarned, you will not “feel” the emotion and you will not be on the edge of your seat. Simply put, you will read it, you will probably enjoy it (because the story was actually intriguing) and then you will stack in on your shelf and forget all about it.

Here’s to hoping the sequel will be better, because this one was “just another book.”

Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: sometime people just want to set us free.

For a complete book description click image

(3/5)

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Expect The Unexpected

March 19th, 2010

So today I am going to do something I wouldn’t normally do but… hey hey… I’m a rebel so watch out!

“Leaving Paradise” is not only a book I read 2 weeks ago and did NOT write a review on, but it is a book that a review has already been written on; by my guest reviewer Nicole.  Don’t worry, I don’t plan on doing this on a regular basis, but I didn’t want to leave y’all hanging for the weekend, and since I haven’t had time to (bows head in shame) even start my next book (due to Spring Break with my kiddo’s) this has turned into my fall back plan.

I wanted to read this novel the second I read Nicole’s review of it for 2 reasons.

1.  The synopsis sounded different and very engaging.

2.  I have personally seen the effects of BOTH sides of this particular plot. (Naturally it didn’t turn out so peachy in the end, but hey… this is life, not a book.)

Caleb had it all, he was the high-school dream boy and all that that entails; sports, girls, weekend beer fest with the boys, but in the blink of an eye all that changed.  A few bad decisions and a couple of cop cars later Caleb is carted away to jail and Maggie, his neighbor, is rushed to the hospital.  A year later both are trying to regain their ground, Maggie is learning how to walk again, and Caleb is learning how to cope with the inevitability of his decisions.  Both lives are upside down and inside out and only fate can help them fix it.  Who can they trust? Who can they love? And what happens when what you thought was the whole truth is nothing but a snip-it of it?

“Simone Elkeles” is by no means new to the YA world, and over the last several years she has proven herself more than worthy of the fans she has acquired. Her skill for angst building is spectacular and her plots are surprisingly original in a “copy cat” filled genre.  The most beautiful thing about her writing structure is that she doesn’t always end her novels the way “society” would expect, but more the way SHE sees it.  They aren’t always happy, but they are warm and heartfelt, which sometimes means more than the generic happy ending.  The only flaw I can give you is that her attention to characterization is great. Why is this so bad you ask? Well, because she wraps you up into a nice little emotional cocoon and then hits you with the hard stuff;  “Leaving Paradise” is only book number one. (You see my problem.)

I am definitely slating this as a must read for lovers of the YA genre.  You never know where you are going to learn lessons and in what form they come it… but this one has a good one.  Get it, Live it, Love it…pass it on!

Happy reading my fellow Inmates and remember: Some people can change, sometime you just have to look past external appearances.

For Complete book details click image

(5/5)

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Guest Review – Leaving Paradise

February 15th, 2010

Guest Reviewer-Nicole


After reading “Perfect Chemistry” and thinking that “Elkeles” didn’t have other books out. I was over-joyed when I read reviews on several book sites, but I still couldn’t quite believe that any other book could reach my love of what turned out to be her most recent novel- Perfect Chemistry.

“Elkeles” may not always have the best writing, but her vivid plots, and dazzlingly raw emotions simple sparkle, daring the reader to dig in.

In “Leaving Paradise”, Maggie Armstrong has been hit by a drunk driver, with a horrible limp, ruining her tennis scholarship to Europe. Caleb Becker is the guy that hit her after a lapse in judgement, he is just getting out of Juvenile detention and is seeking redemption, but no one sees him the same way they did before the accident.

There might not be much in this book that keeps the reader guessing, but I will add in that there are at least two that are guaranteed to catch you unaware.

This book follows the paths of these two characters (alternating chapters) as they seek out humanity in hope that someone-anyone will see them as a fellow human, not a convict, not a cripple.

This book and everything by this author as far as I know, is sheer perfection for those of us out there looking for that nice cushy and rich reading after a harsh and stressful week at school. I absolutely adored this novel, and for the easily frustrated, the sequel is not out yet and the ending will (there is no if) leave any reader drooling for the sequel.

For a complete book description click image

(5/5)

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