Swoon-worthy Archives - The Busy Bibliophile

Review The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

13581990 zpsdde3383a Review The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa Title: The Eternity Cure
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: April 30th 2013 by Harlequin Teen
Format: Hardcover, 446 pages
Source: NetGalley
Series: The Blood of Eden | The Eternity Cure
5 owls Review The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

Summary

Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

My thoughts

Allie is following her intuition, her sixth sense, on a long trek to find the vampire that made her. She can feel that he is being tortured, and when she sleeps she dreams about what he faces, and it’s like she’s there. Before long, she runs into Jackal, who is also answering the call of the blood. They follow the trail all the way back to the place Allie grew up, the place she ran away from when she was turned.

Oh, how I loved jumping back into this story. The world-building is simply amazing. Not only the regular world where vampires run the streets and they have their own way of doing things, but also the other world where humans are the minority. They are both such dark and unhappy places, yet I’m able to picture them perfectly in my mind.

Allie is back as her usual ass-kicking self. She’s still as selfless as she was as a human, this time traveling alone across dangerous territories to save another vampire. Kanin is back as her maker, and we learn much more about him and his past (and what a past it is!). And Zeke, dear, sweet Zeke, is back. Not quite the love-sick puppy he was before, he’s bigger and badder and hotter than ever. And Jackal! He is much more layered in this installment, and I honestly waffled several times over which side he was really on. I love when a book can make me wonder like that. There are a few returning characters, and I was pleased with their development (even if I wasn’t pleased with the direction they chose).

I loved the snark between Jackal and Allie. They were so funny, in a we’re-related-so-we-have-to-put-up-with-each-other-but-you-annoy-me-an-awful-lot kind of way. But there was also that edge where you didn’t quite know if Jackal really meant it when he said he was going to kill Allie while she slept.

The pace was a bit slow at times, and the constant traveling was tiresome, but overall, I liked the speed of the novel. It generally zipped along and there was always something big happening – a fight, revelation or twist. There was rarely any downtime for me to catch my breath. I would call it a roller coaster ride, and a thrilling one at that.

The sum up

I loved every minute of it and wait not so patiently for the next one.

Connect with the author

Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Purchase

Kobo
Barnes & Noble
Amazon
Nook
Kindle
Books A Million
The Book Depository

Other opinions

My Friends Are Fiction
Author Unpublished
Murphy’s Library

signature bigger Review The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

05/01/2013 Filed Under: 5 owls, Bad boy, Chemistry, Dystopian, Fast pace, Paranormal, Scary, Steamy hotness, Swoon-worthy, Vampires, Young adult 2 Comments

Review: Flat-Out Matt by Jessica Park

6181c949 211a 46a1 809b d111f0add4e4 zpse13ceffa Review: Flat Out Matt by Jessica Park Title: Flat-Out Matt
Author: Jessica park
Publisher: March 25th 2013 by CreateSpace
Format: eBook, 158 pages
Source: Purchased
Series: Flat-Out Love | Flat-Out Matt
5 owls Review: Flat Out Matt by Jessica Park

Summary

Matt is a junior at MIT. He’s geeky, he’s witty, he’s brilliant.

And he’s also very, very stupid.

When beautiful, cool, insightful Julie moves in with Matt’s family, why (oh why!) does he pretend to be his absent brother Finn for her alleged benefit?

It seems harmless enough until her short-term stay becomes permanent. And until it snowballs into heart-squeezing insanity. And until he falls in love with Julie, and Julie falls in love with Finn.

But … Matt is the right one for her. If only he can make Julie see it. Without telling her the truth, without shattering them all. Particularly his fragile sister Celeste, who may need Julie the most.

You saw Matt through Julie’s eyes in FLAT-OUT LOVE. Now go deeper into Matt’s world in this FLAT-OUT MATT novella. Live his side of the story, break when his heart breaks, and fall for the unlikely hero all over again.

Take an emotional skydive for two prequel chapters and seven Flat-Out Love chapters retold from his perspective, and then land with a brand-new steamy finale chapter from Julie.

My thoughts

tumblr ll7k6j3gU71qfp25u Review: Flat Out Matt by Jessica Park

Flat-Out Matt is the companion novel to the best book ever, Flat-Out Love. It’s not a linear retelling of the story; it’s a few prequel chapters and a few of the chapters from Flat-Out Love, all told from Matt’s point of view. And though we are already familiar with the duplicate chapters, nothing feels repetitive because Matt sees things from a very different perspective than Julie.

Most of the characters from Flat-Out Love are back, and we even get to meet the elusive Finn. That part was sad, knowing what was coming, but it was nice to see the brother everyone was lost without. We learn more about Matt’s parents and their part in the Flat Finn fiasco, and we learn that Celeste was actually a pretty average kid before the events in Flat-Out Love. But most of all, we see the journey Matt took from being the brother in the shadows to the one who has to keep the family together, and all that cost him.

The writing was perfect, and you’d never know the books were written almost 2 years apart. It was just like stepping right back into that world. The same snarky dialogue was there and I still loved it. Unlike the first book, though, this one has sexy scenes. This was definitely not a book for the younger set. But don’t worry, the sex doesn’t replace the romance. There’s even more of that. *Swoon*.

I didn’t think it was possible, but I love Matt even more now than I did in the first book. I need a Matt in my life. Seriously. It’s been almost 2 months since I last marked a book as swoon-worthy and even longer since I declared a book a must read, but Flat-Out Matt is both. Read Flat-Out Love, then jump right into this one. You’ll thank me, I promise.

The sum up

The perfect companion novel.

Connect with the author

Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Purchase

Amazon
Nook
Kobo
Books A Million
Kindle
The Book Depository
Barnes & Noble

Other opinions

Ana’s Attic
Wine, Relaxation and My Kindle
Totally Booked Blog

signature bigger Review: Flat Out Matt by Jessica Park

04/27/2013 Filed Under: 5 owls, Chemistry, College, Contemporary, Fast pace, Funny, Geek, Must read, New adult, Not for the kiddies, Novella, Quick read, Romantic, Sweet, Swoon-worthy, Young adult 1 Comment

Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Publisher: Dutton Books, Sept. 29, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 338 pages
Source: Purchased
5 owls Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Summary

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit — more sparkly, more fun, more wild — the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket — a gifted inventor — steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

My thoughts

I didn’t think it was possible, but Stephanie Perkins managed to make me love Lola and the Boy Next Door even more than Anna and the French Kiss. Another home run for the Queen of Contemporary Young Adult Romances.

Lola was not your average girl. She saw every day as a chance to reinvent herself, with wigs and costumes; she marched to her own drummer and if you didn’t like it, tough noogies. She lived with her too-good-to-be-true dads and dated an older “bad boy.” Everything was going pretty dandy for Lola until her old neighbors moved back into the house next door.

I loved Lola’s dads – they let her just be herself and were there when she needed them. They were kind (to each other and to her) and thoughtful and just quirky enough. Her boyfriend, Max, was a few years older, and this was mentioned several times, in an effort to make their relationship almost… naughty. I didn’t think the age difference was that big a deal.

The neighbors, the Bells, included twins Calliope and Cricket. Calliope was a talented figure skater whose family had moved back to town to advance her career. She was spoiled and selfish, and not a likable character at all. Cricket, well he’s one of my favorite book boyfriends ever. He was sweet and nerdy and made of pure awesome.

Most of the novel was spent building up the horrible thing that Cricket did to Lola before the Bells moved away, and once we found out what he did, it was a huge letdown. Honestly, it was no big deal at all, and I thought she overreacted quite a bit. The dialogue was fun and real; Lola really had a tendency to say what she was thinking, which led to some amusing situations.

The setting of the novel was so well described, I felt like I was right there in San Francisco with the characters. Everything was so lush and descriptive, I loved it. For fans of Anna and the French Kiss, we are treated to a few scenes with Anna and Etienne in Lola. They are just as in love, and Anna provides a sounding board when Lola needs someone to talk out her issues.

There were a few clichés, and some predictable bits, but they were few and far between. The quirky and fun nature of the book more than made up for those few drawbacks.

The sum up

I loved this one so much. I have a new favorite book and a new favorite book boyfriend.

Connect with the author

Website | Twitter
Blog | Tumblr
Goodreads | Facebook

Purchase

Other opinions

Jenni Elyse
YA Reads
Pretty Books

signature bigger Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

02/23/2013 Filed Under: 5 owls, Bad boy, Besties, Chemistry, Chick lit, Contemporary, Cute, Drugs, Easy read, Geek, GLBT, Romantic, Sweet, Swoon-worthy, YA saves, Young adult Tagged With: Clichés, Older man 3 Comments

Review: Losing It by Cora Carmack

losingit zps9a57255f 1 zps377e0e0d Review: Losing It by Cora Carmack

Title: Losing It
Author: Cora Carmack
Publisher: December 5, 2012 by William Morrow Paperbacks
Format: ebook, 204 pages
Source: Edelweiss
5 owls zps68e0c685 1 zps2e3873bf Review: Losing It by Cora Carmack

Summary

Virginity.

Bliss Edwards is about to graduate from college and still has hers. Sick of being the only virgin among her friends, she decides the best way to deal with the problem is to lose it as quickly and simply as possible– a one-night stand. But her plan turns out to be anything but simple when she freaks out and leaves a gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed with an excuse that no one with half-a-brain would ever believe. And as if if that weren’t embarrassing enough, when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, she recognizes her new theatre professor. She’d left him naked in her bed about 8 hours earlier.

My thoughts

Homina homina homina. You guys, I’m in luurrvve. This book made me feel ALL THE FEELINGS. It was romantic and sweet and funny and sad.

Bliss was your average college senior. She had great friends and exciting career aspirations. She was hilarious with a great sense of humor and always managed to have something snarky to say when she ended up in awkward situations. Which was a lot. Her best friend Cade was great; he was funny and nice and always there for Bliss. Kelsey was a bit annoying for me, but you could tell she really cared about Bliss. Garrick was one of my favorite male characters, and is now in my book boyfriend rotation. First of all, he was British. With a British accent. So, automatic yum there. He was smokin’ hot but also kind and thoughtful. He looked out for Bliss and gave her time when that was what she needed.

The romance was steamy. Bliss and Garrick had amazing chemistry and they sizzled when they were together. The “we should be together but we can’t… well, let’s steal a kiss” moments got to be a bit excessive for me. Either get together or don’t, but stop with the back and forth already!

The amount of drinking in Losing It was excessive. It seemed any time the group wanted to have fun, it involved getting drunk. Stumbling, fall down drunk. At one point, Garrick even tells them to cut it out. It’s a shame that they felt the need to do that.

Finally, am I the only one that hates this cover? Besides the fact that this is not the Garrick I picture, it looks like a porn video to me. “Young Virgins Losing It!”

The sum up

A fantastically awkward, fun and sexy read.

Connect with the author

website
Facebook
Twitter
Google+
Goodreads

Purchase

The Book Depository
Kindle
Amazon paperback
Nook
Kobo
Barnes & Noble paperback

Other opinions

Dear Author
Lisa’s Book Review
2 Geek Girls Review Books

signature bigger Review: Losing It by Cora Carmack

01/18/2013 Filed Under: 5 owls, Besties, Chemistry, College, Contemporary, Funny, Made me cry, New adult, Not for the kiddies, Romantic, Sweet, Swoon-worthy 2 Comments

Audio Review: Fade by Lisa McMann

fade zps87a808a5 Audio Review: Fade by Lisa McMann Title: Fade
Author: Lisa McMann
Narrator: Ellen Grafton
Publisher: February 10th 2009 by Simon Pulse
Format: Paperback, 248 pages
Source: Library
Series: Wake | Fade | Gone
5 owls Audio Review: Fade by Lisa McMann

Summary

For Janie and Cabel, real life is getting tougher than the dreams. They’re just trying to carve out a little (secret) time together, but no such luck.

Disturbing things are happening at Fieldridge High, yet nobody’s talking. When Janie taps into a classmate’s violent nightmares, the case finally breaks open — but nothing goes as planned. Not even close. Janie’s in way over her head, and Cabe’s shocking behavior has grave consequences for them both.

Worse yet, Janie learns the truth about herself and her ability — and it’s bleak. Seriously, brutally bleak. Not only is her fate as a dream catcher sealed, but what’s to come is way darker than she’d feared….

My thoughts

One of my favorite fictional couples is back. Cabel (swoon) and Janie are still in school, still (secretly) together and still dealing with Janie’s unusual ability. This time, the Captain offers Janie a position with the undercover team. There’s a sexual predator on the loose in their school, and the Captain thinks Janie can use her special talent to help suss out the guilty party. Though Cabel protests (he wants to keep her out of harm’s way), Janie convinces him that this is something she has to do. She wants to use her power for good. He relents and they join forces to take down the bad guy. Only Janie ends up in some dangerous situations they weren’t prepared for.

Once again, Janie was a strong, confident woman stuck in an unenviable position. She was learning to control the basics of her dream jumping with Mrs. Stuben’s help and Caleb’s support. Though Janie was unhappy with her dream-jumping (and her mother’s continued mental absence), she never complained. She just kept on doing her thing while staying focused on her future college plans. Cabel is still one of my top literary crushes. He had his flaws, of course: he was overprotective (in Janie’s opinion, not mine) and he had a hard time letting her make her own decisions. But he truly cared about her and only wanted her to stay safe. Nothing wrong with that as far as I’m concerned. It turned out Mrs. Stuben had quite a few secrets she was hiding from Janie in Wake. I enjoyed learning about her past and how she handled the same ability that Janie was now dealing with. Some of the things Janie learned were sad and heartbreaking, and I really felt for her.

The plot was a bit farfetched (I really doubt a police force would leave so much of the actual police work up to a pair of teenagers), but I enjoyed it anyway. If you can suspend your belief and just go with it, you’ll like the ride much more. I liked that Cabel and Janie didn’t have an easy relationship, where everything worked out perfect right from the get-go. They both had their issues, and both had to learn to give as well as take. It was nice to see such a realistic relationship in a YA book.

There was cussing and drug and alcohol use. There were also sexual situations, including the topic of rape, though they were handled realistically and honestly. The plot moved along at a quick pace, as did the writing. No extraneous subplots or prose. Simple and to-the-point writing really worked with this story, with Janie’s frame of mind. Again, as with Wake, I think this type of writing worked better in the audio version than it would in print.

The sum up

Another intense story in the series, Fade sets the scene for the final book and I can’t wait to read how everything turns out. And also, more Cabel, please.

Connect with the author

website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
blog

Purchase

The Book Depository
Audible
Barnes & Noble paperback
Kindle
Amazon paperback
Nook

Other opinions

nomadreader
Tina’s Book Reviews
The Bookette

signature bigger Audio Review: Fade by Lisa McMann

12/22/2012 Filed Under: 5 owls, Abuse, Audio, Drugs, Mystery, Paranormal, Quick read, Rape, Sweet, Swoon-worthy, YA saves, Young adult Leave a Comment

Review: Easy by Tammara Webber

easy Review: Easy by Tammara Webber Title: Easy
Author: Tammara Webber
Publisher: November 6th 2012 by Berkley Trade
Format: Paperback, 310 pages
Source: NetGalley
5 owls Review: Easy by Tammara Webber

Summary

A girl who believes trust can be misplaced, promises are made to be broken, and loyalty is an illusion. A boy who believes truth is relative, lies can mask unbearable pain, and guilt is eternal. Will what they find in each other validate their conclusions, or disprove them all?

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she’s single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex’s frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night–but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.

When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he’s hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

My thoughts

As Chandler Bing would say: Could this book be any better?

Jacqueline is nearly raped by her ex-boyfriend’s friend but is saved by a hot stranger who beats the crap out of the potential rapist, then escorts her home safely. Suddenly, she sees him everywhere she looks: her econ class, Starbucks, around campus… When Jacqueline and her friends decide he’s the perfect guy to help her get over Kennedy (the douchecanoe who dumped her), their chemistry is scorching, but he seems to be hiding something.

All of the characters were real and people I would want to know in real life (except for the attempted rapist and the ex, of course). Jacqueline was sweet and kind and friendly. After the attack, she became scared and introverted. Making things worse, rumors started to go around about that night. Luckily, her bestie Erin was on her side and determined to help her through it. Erin was a great friend, she never stopped being supportive to Jacqueline.

Lucas, the hottie classmate who was her knight in shining armor, was just about the most perfect guy ever. Not only did he literally rescue her, he comforted her afterwards, and he continued to ask about her after. He was caring, respectful, hardworking and smart. He was giving off some mixed signals, but it turned out there were reasons for his odd behavior. I can’t say too much more without spoiling some secrets, but man, he is probably one of my top fictional character crushes. Sa-woon.

There were several dark issues in this one, including rape, and they were handled realistically and with compassion. I also liked that the girls were taught attack prevention and that above all else, it is never the victim’s fault. The dialogue was also realistic. These college kids spoke just like any other college co-ed, they were snarky and funny and entertaining. Easy contained graphic scenes (of both rape and consensual sex), drinking and plenty of salty language. There was a lot of steamy hotness and it was yummy. Even better, Lucas was so respectful of Jacqueline’s boundaries and made it clear that he wasn’t going to take advantage or push her too far. Huge bonus points in my book.

The cover is perfection. Shaggy haired Lucas and apprehensive Jacqueline are represented perfectly.

The sum up

A new favorite. It has everything I want in a new-adult novel: realistic characters, believable situations and lots of heart. I love this book.

Connect with the author

website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Purchase

Amazon paperback
Kobo
Kindle
The Book Depository
Easy
Books A Million paperback
Nook

Other opinions

{Dive} Under the Cover
Babbling About Books, and More
Contagious Reads

signature bigger Review: Easy by Tammara Webber

11/19/2012 Filed Under: 5 owls, Abuse, Besties, Chemistry, College, Contemporary, Mental health, New adult, Rape, Steamy hotness, Sweet, Swoon-worthy, YA saves 2 Comments

Review: Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

meanttobe 3 Review: Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill Title: Meant to Be
Author: Lauren Morril
Format: Hardcover, 256 pages
Publisher: November 13th 2012 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Source: Edelweiss
5 owls Review: Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

Summary

Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question.

It’s one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she’s queen of following rules and being prepared. That’s why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that’s also why she’s chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB (“meant to be”).

But this spring break, Julia’s rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she’s partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After a wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

My Thoughts

Julia is a by-the-book kind of gal. She always does exactly what’s expected of her, and nothing less (or more). She’s excited about this once in a lifetime trip to London; she can finally see the places she’s only read about. She’s bummed her bestie can’t make the trip with her, but hey, at least she’ll be in London. Once there, Julia is assigned as a ‘buddy’ to class clown Jason. At first, she’s upset she will have to babysit Jason, but it turns out he can be kind of fun. He convinces her to go with him to a party, where she drinks too much and ends up giving her number to any number of guys. When one of them starts to text-flirt her, she and Jason go on a mission to find the mystery guy.

I’m going to be honest, Julia was a hard character to like. She was always correcting someone when they used the wrong word, or pronounced something the wrong way. She was kind of uppity and judgmental. But she could also be nice and was willing to try new things (when Jason could convince her). Jason was also not a clear winner, as far as personalities go. He was a bit of a douchecanoe to Julia (he called her Book Licker for most of the book), and he was kind of pushy and mean. But, he was also protective and funny and even had a sweet side. I did like the fact that they both kind of mellowed out as the book went on. They learned things about themselves and each other and really grew.

There was no doubt where this book was heading (you can figure it out just be reading the book’s blurb, for pete’s sake), but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Once they got thrown together and started annoying each other and pushing each other’s buttons, it was quite amusing. There were several chuckle-out-loud moments; the two of them had lots of fun with verbal sparring. There were even a few swoon-worthy moments. The writing was fun and real, with a fast pace and no lagging. In fact, I’m surprised that this was Lauren’s first novel. There was also a bit of a twist near the end, so the journey for Julia and Jason wasn’t quite what you might expect.

Beautiful cover. What more can I say?

The sum up

Sweet, funny and romantic. Classic YA for the romance fan.

Connect with the author

website
blog
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads

Purchase

The Book Depository paperback
Nook
Barnes & Noble hardback

Other opinions

Bewitched Bookworms
Chick Loves Lit
Hobbitsies

Did you like this post? Click here to subscribe to the blog and never miss a thing!

signature bigger Review: Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

11/13/2012 Filed Under: 5 owls, Besties, Chemistry, Chick lit, Contemporary, Cover love, Romantic, Sweet, Swoon-worthy, Young adult 1 Comment

Review: Speechless by Hannah Harrington

speechless Review: Speechless by Hannah Harrington Title: Speechless
Author: Hannah Harrington
Format: Paperback, 288 pages
Publisher: August 28th 2012 by HarlequinTeen
Source: Edelweiss
5 owls Review: Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Summary

Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can’t keep a secret

Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.

Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she’s ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.

But there’s strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she’s done. If only she can forgive herself.

My Thoughts

Chelsea was famous at her school for being the one who always had gossip. If you wanted to know who hooked up with whom, or who cheated on whom, she was the one who knew. And once she knew, there was nothing that could stop her from telling. But when she shares a super juicy secret that ends in near-tragedy, she declares herself speechless in an attempt to stop her rumor-spreading ways.

I loved the characterization in this novel. Every single person was believably real and flawed. Chelsea was your typical high school gossip girl. She wasn’t quite the queen bee, but she was the queen bee’s right hand woman and loved her status as such. She knew that spreading secrets would get her attention, and she loved it. Her “before” friends were typical jerky jocks and bitchy princesses, but her “after” friends were awesome. Kind and friendly people that I would totally want as my friends in real life. They played a huge part in helping Chelsea see that she had the ability to become the person she really wanted to be. I loved every one of them, even with their flaws. They were angry and flirty and bossy, but underneath it all, they were genuinely nice people.

Chelsea’s transformation from gossip queen to regular old teenager was real and honest. At first, she didn’t think she could go an hour without talking, but she stuck to it and managed to make it work. It was interesting to follow along as she learned how powerful words can be. You could really see that she was learning things about herself, and others, along the way. She started out thinking she was weak, but she really showed her strength as she learned to stand up (silently) to those who ridiculed her, some of them quite cruelly. There was a bit of romance, and it was yummy. Sweet and swoon-worthy.

Hannah Harrington has a gift with words and Speechless has made me put her on my auto-buy list. In fact, I was gifted her previous book, Saving June, several months ago and I’m kicking myself for not having read it yet. I can’t wait to dive in and see if it can live up to my high expectations.

The cover is perfect. The simple white with an absence of color or decoration matches the absence of speech in Chelsea’s life.

The sum up

I absolutely loved this and didn’t want it to ever end.

Connect with the author

website
blog
Twitter
Facebook
tumblr
Goodreads

Purchase

The Book Depository paperback
Amazon paperback
Books A Million paperback
Barnes & Noble paperback
Kobo
Kindle

Other opinions

Bookish Temptations
Book Overdose
Peace, Love, Books

Did you like this post? Click here to subscribe to the blog and never miss a thing!