NetGalley Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Poppy/Little Brown
Published Jan. 2, 2012
236 Pages

Hadley Sullivan just missed her flight to London and is late to her father’s second wedding. Angry, frustrated and alone she meets a boy; a handsome boy named Oliver, who seats next to her on her flight. 

What happens when two people lose track of the chaos around them and in their life? Love possibly?

*Short Review*

This book was cute despite the depression on every page.

Hadley is angry at her father for leaving her mother, moving across the water and not seeing her for almost two years. She is angry that married no longer holds the same value and cannot understand why her father left.

I get her anger and I get why this is turning point in her life without meeting Oliver but although this was a short book, it took for a long read because Hadley has no other emotion than sadness. Even when she is laughing, it is just sad and at the ending it was just sad. . . cute but sad. The sadness made for a slow read.

Oliver was a breathe of fresh air until his sadness came out. But even then he wasn’t as sad as she was, which was interesting because he sadness came from a darker place. I enjoyed the book because it hit everything pretty well but a various of emotions.

I didn’t completely liked the third person point of view, it was awkward. But other than that this story delivered a gushy romance, that I do not consider love at first sight but love none the less.

Overall, I am not sure if I would read anything in this nature by the author. Only because you really have to be in the mood for teenagers feeling the world revolves around them and them finding the perfect love, that apparently only they can find.

3 Pickles

Book Review: Things We Know by Heart by Jessi Kirby

HarperTeen
Published April 21, 2015
304 Pages

Quinn lost her boyfriend Trent in a car accident in their junior year of high school. To help heal and move on, Quinn has turned to the recipients of Trent’s donated organs in order to receive closure. 

Although she hears from most of the recipients, only one person doesn’t respond and that is the person with Trent’s heart. Determined to move on, Quinn tracks down the recipient, only to be surprised at what she finds. 

Colton has a new lease on life and is more than happy to live each day like never before. At what he thinks is in accidental meeting turns into Quinn receiving a new lease on life but at what cost?

Here I go again with realistic fiction. But I enjoyed this one for the most part.

I appreciate the author for taking down a sensitive subject such as organ donation. The biggest question I hear from people is “does that person now see, feel or remember memories from the original owner?” I liked the fact that the author used this question to fuel her book.

Quinn’s whole life surrounded by Trent. You don’t really know who she is outside of her lost. This made it hard for me to get into the book at times. I wanted to know Quinn more and I didn’t want to only associate her with her lost. Yes, she develops but her personality was missing.

I did love Colton. I believe I loved him so much because of the contrast with the main character. The author did a really good job of showing clear differences between the two while also showing what brought them together was Trent. I am pretty much stating the obvious while avoiding the biggest issue I had with this book and almost all realistic novels. . .  the pace.

Because Quinn was a lackluster character throughout the entire book the pace was slow. I wanted more from Quinn so bad it hurt. I understand lost and I understand lost as a teenager. I understand being broken and feeling dead inside but even when love was forming Quinn didn’t develop enough for me and it caused the pace of the novel to stall.

Beyond that I felt that this book was emotional (in a good way) and a insightful read. It is recommended to those who love realistic fiction.

3 Pickles

Book Review: The Nightmarys by Dan Poblocki

When I read horror or thriller books the mission of the author is to make me feel creep-ed out. Dan Poblocki is one of those authors that can really creep-ed me out.

Random House
Published Aug 24, 2010
336 Pages

Timothy July is having nightmares; nightmares about creepy jars in his history class staring at him, about his brother, Army Soldier, in a coma and a new girl named Abigail that he really didn’t care to notice before.

The thing about Timothy’s nightmares is he is starting to see them in real life and is having a hard time figuring out what is real or not. But low and behold the girl he didn’t notice before Abigail seems to be able to hold the answers to his nightmares and other weird things going on between Timothy’s best friend and history teacher.

This book was creepy, enticing and a bit scary (even for an adult). From the beginning you instantly want more. Poblocki (the author) doesn’t take 5-8 chapters to get juicy; when Timothy and Abigail first speak you’re already like “what the heck.” You want more and that is what makes the book perfect.

The imagery was also on point. I don’t just mean “her hair was fiery red” no I mean describing a stalking shadow in the corner of your room and the big ,once abandoned ,house on the dead end street.

The only downfall to this book is it stalled while the kids were finding answers. Other than that the book has a lot of surprised and things just don’t go back to the way things were i.e. everyone is happy and singing.

I think this book is perfect for not only adults that want to be spooked a bit but for teens that enjoy a good shake in the books. Over all the book gets a 9 out of 10. It breaks all the rules of children looking for answers they shouldn’t even be looking for.

 

Book Review: Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

Was I in for a surprise when I read this book!

Dead beautiful by Yvone Woon (goodreads)

For Renee Winters her life is perfect; dating the hottest guy in school, love her parents, and has the best friend in the world. She couldn’t have asked for a better life that is until her 16^th birthday. On her way home from a beach date, Renee discovers her parents’ bodies in the middle of the woods.

After the funeral, here comes the rich Grandfather that has not been in contact with Renee since she was seven.  For his own reasons, he sends Renee to Gottfried Academy in the middle of no where Maine, where she meet Dante. The hottest boy at Gottfried, who doesn’t talk to anyone much but seems to be drawn to Renee as much as she is to him.

But of course as they get closer things get complicated.

This book when I initially picked it up sounded typical. Rich Grandfather, the main character doesn’t really know; sent to a boarding school; meets a hot guy; discovers everything isn’t what it seems; all of this is pretty typical. But Woon was able to surprise me and keep me going even though for about 20 chapters she was really repeating the same things over and over and over again.

It took too long for Renee to actually get answers. But once the answers started coming it was great. I loved the ending. It is perfect for a book two. I loved loved Dante. He didn’t come off too weird or too perfect. Renee wasn’t bad either. Woon did a pretty good job developing her and I am pretty sure she will grow up more in the next two books.

Overall, the book gets a 8 out of 10. It was long, dragged out but the connection between Dante and Renee kept the book going on strong.