Mainstream Mini Review: The Summer of Letting Go By Gae Polisner

The Summer of Letting Go By Gae Polisner

Published March 2014 By Algonquin Young Readers

"Just when everything seems to be going wrong, hope and love can appear in the most unexpected places."

Summer has begun, the beach beckons and Francesca Schnell is going nowhere. Four years ago, Francesca's little brother, Simon, drowned, and Francesca is the one who should have been watching. Now Francesca is about to turn sixteen, but guilt keeps her stuck in the past. Meanwhile, her best friend, Lisette, is moving on most recently with the boy Francesca wants but can't have. At loose ends, Francesca trails her father, who may be having an affair, to the local country club. There she meets four-year-old Frankie Sky, a little boy who bears an almost eerie resemblance to Simon, and Francesca begins to wonder if it's possible Frankie could be his reincarnation. Knowing Frankie leads Francesca to places she thought she'd never dare to go and it begins to seem possible to forgive herself, grow up, and even fall in love, whether or not she solves the riddle of Frankie Sky.

~ MY REVIEW ~

** Review copy received from the publisher [Algonquin Young Readers] in exchange for an honest review **

The Summer of Letting Go is the ultimate YA contemporary read. Full to the brim with hope and a story that will touch your heart. It brought tears to my eyes multiple times. A perfect journey of finding yourself amidst the confusion of adolescence and the daunting task of moving on from tragedy. I fell in love with Frankie Schnell, a girl who is haunted by the loss of her little brother. Frankie should be taking full advantage of the blooming summer, yet she remains somewhat in the shadows. Her family unit is strained and Frankie suspects her father might be less than loyal. To complicate life even more, she just happens to be in love with her best friend's boyfriend. Summer looks bleak until she meets and becomes the caretaker of a little boy, also named Frankie. Her relationship with him shows her just how wonderful the universe can be. Opening the doors for hope and love, and maybe even forgiveness. Man, I could honestly gush about these characters for good while. You are emersed in this story from chapter one, engulfed by how real it becomes. And the topic of reincarnation is such a unique addition. You [the reader] get to decide if you think Simon really is part of Frankie Sky, reaching out to his sister and helping her move on. I loved it. I always know a book is outstanding, when even after I close it, I feel like it's still open. Highly recommend The Summer of Letting Go. (To all fans of Sarah Dessen, you'll adore Gae Polisner)

Indie Author Spotlight: Elixir By Ted Galdi

Elixir (A YA Thriller) By Ted Galdi

Coming August 2014

Meet 14-year-old Sean Malone. He has an IQ above 200, a full-ride scholarship to one of the country’s top universities, and more than one million dollars from his winning streak on Jeopardy! However, Sean wishes he could just be normal.

But his life is anything but normal. The US government manipulates him, using him as a codebreaker in pursuit of a drug lord and killing innocent people along the way. 

For reasons related to his personal security, Sean finds himself in Rome, building a new life under a new name, abandoning academics, and hiding his genius from everyone. When he’s 18 he falls in love. The thrills begin again when he learns that his girlfriend is critically ill and it’s up to him to use his intellect to find a cure, a battle pitting him against a multi-billion-dollar pharmaceutical company and the demons of his past.

Elixir is a story about identity, secrets, and above all, love.

Goodreads page / Three-chapter preview / Advance reviews

Elixir is Ted Galdi's first YA novel. He's a graduate of Duke University. Currently he's twenty-nine years old and lives in Los Angeles. He can be contacted at ted@elixirthebook.com. 
Look for my review of Elixir coming soon!

Check out the iHeartRadio author interview, HERE

And make sure to watch the epic book trailer below!

**Elixir is being published this August! Free advance copies available for Goodreads members in exchange for reviews (hard copy and digital). If you're interested, please message or email (ted@elixirthebook.com) the author for one.**

Mainstream Mini Review: Butter By Erin Jade Lange

Butter By Erin Jade Lange 

Published September 2012 By Bloomsbury 

A lonely obese boy everyone calls "Butter" is about to make history. He is going to eat himself to death-live on the Internet-and everyone is invited to watch. When he first makes the announcement online to his classmates, Butter expects pity, insults, and possibly sheer indifference. What he gets are morbid cheerleaders rallying around his deadly plan. Yet as their dark encouragement grows, it begins to feel a lot like popularity. And that feels good. But what happens when Butter reaches his suicide deadline? Can he live with the fallout if he doesn't go through with his plans? 

With a deft hand, E.J. Lange allows readers to identify with both the bullies and the bullied in this all-consuming look at one teen's battle with himself.

My Review

Where to begin about Butter... First of all, I really enjoyed this story. I mean REALLY enjoyed it. Erin Lange is a bold writer. She has constructed a story that brings a unique voice to the YA genre. This is not your typical read and I highly respect her for that. The main character is a 400+ pound high schooler, who needs a special desk just to sit through class. His fellow students give him an extremely wide berth (no pun intended) and the only real solace he finds is when he's playing his saxophone. His home life is no better. With a father who checked out once his son reached an unmanageable weight, and a mother who medicates him with snacks. Butter is also in love with a girl who has no clue who he really is, and his only interaction with her is through a fake online alias. When the reality of his situation begins to hit him, he decides to eat himself to death. (I told you this author was bold!) As if that wasn't terrible enough, Butter plans to eat his last meal live on the web. When word of his plan spreads through school, he is suddenly bombarded with attention and invitations to hang out. Sadly, Butter is so starved for this attention that he allows these kids to masquerade as his friends. He even stops eating and begins to drop some pounds. This book really had me squirming with mixed feelings. As a reader you get inside Butter's head, you understand what would drive him to this behavior. And I am extremely impressed with this author's ability to write a character that is so atypical to what the majority of teens seek, yet so easy to connect with. Butter is someone you will like and his story will keep you turning pages. This book really stood out to me, it's got substance. Highly recommended!

Indie Release Day: The Gifted Ones: The Dream By P.G. Shriver

When I first started blogging I connected with indie author, P.G. Shriver. She is the author of several YA books including: Dead Perfect and her ongoing series, The Gifted Ones. You can read my reviews HERE 

Quite a while has passed since I reviewed her novels, and finally the second book in The Gifted Ones series is here! I am very excited to announce this release, and even more excited about the awesome Young Scholars' Contest that has launched with this books release. Keep reading for more details, you don't want to miss this!

The Gifted Ones: The Dream

OUT NOW! (7/6/14)

Fire rages in their dream. Whirlwinds threaten their bond. Evil fuels their anger.

Nathan, orphaned by murderers, steals his grandmother's car to flee his home in Paradise leaving behind all that remains of his life, his family, his home--because of the dream.

Rebecca, the talented, autistic, speechless one, knows more than her estranged father believes which sets her on the run and into unfamiliar situations--because of the dream.

Cai, the angry young woman orphaned after a plane crash, seeks reasons, revenge, restitution from her nightmarish tormentor--because of the dream.

Thad--the frightened, quiet, suspicious one--fears his father, and the one in the dream who taunts him, beckons him, desires him. 

The fairytale prophesied them. The dream binds them. Cheater and Jaz need them.

But they live in a world created by him, a world he's worked hard to build, and he will let nothing, no one, undo the foundation of his future. Years of planning his worldwide take over, researching predictions of the past, playing lives like a fine game of chess are at stake. He awaits the arrival of the twelve, and four of them are on their way, seeking union with those in the dark.

You can learn more about PG Shriver and her work by visiting 

any (or all) of her websites:  

Gean Penny Books / Author Blog / Author Facebook Page 

Author Twitter / Goodreads

There is also a very special Scholarship Challenge associated with the release of this book. All it takes is to order both books in this series, and then enter to participate in the challenge. You can win money for college expenses! For more information and official contest rules visit PG's website 

~ HERE ~

Prophecy of Arcadia Book Blitz & Giveaway

I recently reviewed a great indie YA title, Prophecy of Arcadia. If you didn't catch my review you can see it HERE

This title is currently on Amazon Kindle Promotion! Available for .99cents through July 9th! I highly recommend snagging a copy of your own. 
And don't forget to enter the Giveaway for a $20 Amazon GC, located in the Rafflecopter widget at the bottom of this post!

Being a teenager is tough, especially when you have to pretend to be something you’re not, and you’re in love with someone you shouldn’t. 115 years ago, a small planet called Arcadia was invaded by a vicious alien race and nearly destroyed. Cut off from their resources, the Arcadians turned to Earth for help. A group of Arcadian explorers discovered a Prophecy that claimed their salvation lay in the hands of two children from Earth. To ensure their safety, the Arcadian Council sent their most gifted youngsters to Earth to act as protectors. Samantha is one of them.

To succeed in her mission she must learn to control her Arcadian powers and keep her true identity from her best friend, and the girl she swore to protect, Alexia. But Samantha will soon realize that nothing is as it seems. Someone is trying to prevent the Prophecy from taking place and the prophecy boy hasn't been found yet. There is also a new drug circulating at school that is turning students into freakishly strong menaces.

To make matters worse, distractions keep getting in her way. Such as her love/hate relationship with her “cousin” Matthew. Or her confused feelings toward popular and mysterious Julian. She wants nothing more than to be free to live her life. But the survival of Arcadia depends on her and her friends. Free will is not an option.

*Note from the author: Due to strong language and mature content this book is recommend to readers 17+. This is a Sci-Fi/Paranormal Romance novel.*

Excerpt from The Prophecy of Arcadia 

Initial weirdness aside, the ride to the camp was pleasant enough. And despite the fact that Julian was a freaking legacy at his school, I discovered that he was charming without an ounce of snobbery. He told me stories about LJM Prep that had me laughing out loud, and also made me realize that private schools weren’t so different from public schools after all. Yeah, the majority of the student body was beyond wealthy, and they would never have to do a car wash to collect money for a field trip, but the drama was still the same. We also talked about Ethan and his accident, and I could see that Julian truly cared about him. 

“So, Alexia, I feel like we have a special bond now, being partners in crime and all,” he suddenly said. He didn’t look at me, but I saw the corner of his mouth twitch. 

“Is that so?” I squinted my eyes. 

“Yep. So let’s play a game.” 

“What kind of game?” I narrowed my eyes at him. 

“I’ll tell you something that I’ve never told anyone before, and you’ll do same.” 

I laughed at that. Right. Like I was going to tell him my deepest secrets. 

“Don’t laugh. I’m serious,” he continued. 

“Okay, buddy. You go first then,” I was pretty sure he was going to come up with an unbelievable story and swear it was the truth, Sean style. 

“No, no, ladies first,” he replied. 

I was going to open my mouth to protest, but he turned to look at me, his clear blue eyes more intense than usual. I found myself agreeing to it. 

“Fine. A secret that nobody knows, hmmm, let me think,” I said jokingly, but then found myself actually contemplating telling Julian something that was true and meaningful. It was like I felt compelled to be honest with him. I could tell him about Thomas, but then again, Sam and Mia knew about it. I also didn’t want him mentioning it to Ethan. Guys gossiped, too. Finally, I confessed something that I hadn’t allowed myself to dwell too much on until that moment. 

“Sometimes, I feel like I don’t belong to my family.” 

Julian frowned. “How come?” 

I looked out at the window, trying to organize my thoughts. I wanted to explain it in a way that wouldn’t make me sound like an attention seeker. “I don’t know, it’s just a feeling I get sometimes, like I’m a stray they took in, or an alien.” 

At my last comment, Julian started to laugh. “An alien? What made you use that word to describe yourself?” 

I smiled wryly at him. “Have you seen the size of my eyes? They’re abnormally large. According to Steven Spielberg, I must be an alien.” 

Julian shook his head. “You have beautiful eyes, Alexia. Nothing extra-terrestrial about them.” 

I blushed at his comment. 

“I would have said you look more like an anime character come to life.” Julian continued after a brief moment. 

“An anime character? Oh that’s great! I look like a cartoon,” I said, exasperated. 

“Yeah, an anime character, all cute with big eyes, that adorable button nose, and curly hair. You’re like, the real live version of Candy Candy.” Julian said trying to suppress a smile. 

“Who the hell is Candy Candy? That sounds like a stripper’s name.” 

Julian chuckled before he continued. “Google it, you’ll see I’m right.” 

I did just that. I didn’t know how Julian had turned my serious confession into an Alexia mock fest. Maybe he hadn’t meant for me to reveal something so depressing and was trying to keep the mood of the trip light. I found the information fast enough and couldn’t help but to gawk at him. 

“Julian, Candy Candy is an anime series from the seventies. How in the world do you even know about it?” 

“My mother collects anything related to it, not only anime but the mangas too. Candy Candy was my first crush.”

About the Author, M.H. Soars

M. H. Soars is what we like to call a United Nations child. She was born in the United States but grew up in several different countries which gave her a broader perspective of life. She has always been passionate about books and stories and at a certain point had a comic book series going.

With a background in fashion design she always thought she was going to follow that path. But the characters in her head kept begging to be set free. So she decided to write their stories. A couple of years and a baby later, the first installment of her Arcadian Wars series is finally done.

M. H. Soars currently resides in New Mexico with her husband and baby daughter. She loves to read novels in the YA, PNR, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, and Chick Lit genres. When not devouring said novels, you may find her shopping online (she's an expert), blogging about fashion, or trying to teach her daughter to walk (even though she's too young for that).

If you would like to learn more about M. H. Soars and her projects you can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, or check out her blog.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/MHSOARS

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/mhsoars

Blog: www.flyingsaucers22.com

Twitter: @mhsoars

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