Modern Monsters by Kelley York

Vic Howard never wanted to go to the party. He’s the Invisible Guy at school, a special kind of hell for quiet, nice guys. But because his best friend is as popular as Vic is ignored, he went…

And wished he hadn’t.

Because something happened to a girl that night. Something terrible, unimaginable, and Callie Wheeler’s life will never be the same. Plus, now Callie has told the police that Vic is responsible. Suddenly, Invisible Vic is painfully visible, on trial both literally, with the police, and figuratively, with the angry kids at school. As the whispers and violence escalate, he becomes determined to clear his name, even if it means an uneasy alliance with Callie's best friend, the beautiful but aloof Autumn Dixon.

But as Autumn and Vic slowly peel back the layers of what happened at the party, they realize that while the truth can set Vic free, it can also shatter everything he thought he knew about his life.

My Thoughts:
I was really wary about this book. It's about rape. The book starts out at a party and shortly after that we learn that a girl was raped. So I was expecting some graphic details and disturbing imagery and lots of drinking and drugs and cursing. But there wasn't. Kelley York handled this subject so incredibly well. We hear this story from the perspective of the boy who is accused of raping the girl, but he's innocent. So we see what happens to him as a result of being wrongly accused and how this storyline plays out with police and reporters and kids at school and friends. It's heartbreaking. And enlightening. And beautiful. And, mostly, it's hopeful. Yes, horrible things happen. Yes, there are terrible people in the world. And there are good people who make awful mistakes. But we can gather ourselves up again and keep moving, keep going, find happiness. Especially for being such a serious subject, this book was actually really uplifting that way.

I loved Vic's voice. He was such a sweet, kind, just all-around good guy who gets put through so much crap for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I just wanted to reach into that book, wrap my arms around him and protect him. He felt like he needed protecting. Especially with the whole mother storyline which, btw, I totally guessed from the beginning and she just made me hate the world. Her and the father. Seriously, every scene she was in, I was kind of annoyed by the way she treated everything. Made me mad. And sad.

Then there was Autumn. I liked Autumn as a character, as a loyal friend, as the fiesty girl that she was. Which was why I didn't fully understand the connection she made with Vic. I just didn't see that happening naturally. It made the story, for sure, but I just didn't think it would have actually happened in a real-life situation. That's all.

The end of this book broke my heart. I saw it coming and it was still tragically sad. I really did just want to jump in there and protect Vic. That poor guy. But this book was lovely. Tragic and realistic and hopeful. I loved it. Thank you, Kelley York for handling such a delicate subject so carefully and tastefully. I will definitely read more by this author.

Sexual Content: Mild (amazing, considering the entire premise of the book!)
Language: Moderate
Drugs/Alcohol: Mild
Violence: Moderate

Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez

Welcome to Nightshade, California—a small town full of secrets. It’s home to the pyschic Giordano sisters, who have a way of getting mixed up in mysteries. During their investigations, they run across everything from pom-pom-shaking vampires to shape-shifting boyfriends to a clue-spewing jukebox. With their psychic powers and some sisterly support, they can crack any case!

Teenage girls are being mysteriously attacked all over town, including at Nightshade High School, where Daisy Giordano is a junior. When Daisy discovers that a vampire may be the culprit, she can’t help but suspect head cheerleader Samantha Devereaux, who returned from summer break with a new “look.” Samantha appears a little . . . well, dead, and all the most popular kids at school are copying her style.

Is looking dead just another fashion trend for Samantha, or is there something more sinister going on? To find out, Daisy joins the cheerleading squad.

My Thoughts:
This was cute! I was feeling a bit lackluster about reading anything so I went to the library, found the smallest book I could on the YA shelves and started reading. I'm so glad it was this one!

Things I loved: The voice. I was instantly hooked by the sarcastic humor of Daisy's voice. I loved the way she thought and how she approached things. She wasn't whiney, she didn't monologue too much (or ever, that I can remember) and I just liked her. She was likable. And cute. And funny.

The humor. The entire book felt like a satire of other YA paranormal contemporary romance books. It was completely kitschy. Which I loved. And nothing in this book took itself too seriously. I love that, when something basically makes fun of itself.

The Romance. No love triangle (woot!). I feel like this shouldn't have to be mentioned but I DO mention it because it's a big deal in YA literature to NOT have a love triangle in a book. I wish it wasn't so. But it is. So, once again, there was no love triangle. Just one cute love interest and a tasty amount of cute little kiss scenes spread throughout the book. I also loved that the love story wasn't an all-encompassing passionate affair where the characters couldn't control themselves. It was a friendship that evolved into something sweeter. It was just cute.

So I liked this book. But, you know, it was one of those outcast-loner-girl-turns-popular-cheerleader books. Plus it was a book about a town made up of paranormal creatures that somehow no one knows about even though they're everywhere and these people have lived there their whole lives. Everything was cliche. Kitsch. I'd read it before somewhere else and there wasn't really anything new to set this apart. And hints were SHOUTED at me while reading. The mystery element was a little different, I guess, in the sense that Daisy, herself, kept guessing who the killer was. Which is exactly what I do as a reader. So it was kind of fun to see that thought process. It also kept me guessing until the end, which is unusual. But mostly I just got annoyed at how quickly Daisy jumped to conclusions.

This was a quick, cute, entertaining read. Pre-teens and younger teens would probably like it a lot more than I did just because of all the kitschy-ness. Check it out.

Sexual Content: Moderate (just kissing. Vague talk of more than kissing)
Language: Mild
Violence: Mild
Drugs/Alcohol: Mild (if any)

Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Published: April 14, 2014
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 384

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive? 

My Thoughts:
Okay I suck at mysteries. I try and try to figure out the "whodunit" and I can't. If I figure it out then you KNOW that it wasn't well written.

This mystery captured me from the first page. I think this is the first book I've read by Jennifer L. Armentrout that wasn't just about romance! WHOOT! Don't get me wrong there is plenty of steamy romance in this but it wasn't the main MAIN focus. Instead I wanted to know what happened! Plus I think this has to be the best WRITTEN book that Armentrout has done so far.

Samantha wakes up beaten, bloody, with a complete loss of memory. I really enjoyed the raw nature of how bad-of-shape Samantha is found in. However with Sam's loss of memory she doesn't realize she was such a terror to everyone around her and she just would make life a living hell. But the interesting this part of that is the fact that she wasn't always so horrible, but when she started hanging out with Cassie her BFF who is still missing and Sam can't remember what happened.

Sam and Cassie are the ultimate B-bodys of their social lives and high school. They live to torture classmates and party hard. Sam has her life pretty much mapped out for her and that includes long time boyfriend.

As Sam digs deeper into her past of who she was, what she had become and why Cassie was such a huge part of her life to the point that people could swear they were practically twins, Sam learns that she doesn't want to be who she had become when Cassie entered her life.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Sam and her brother. I appreciated the fact that although Sam's family was very wealthy it hadn't gone to her brother's head as it had to Sams. I thought that was cool.

Overall the book was better written and I was invested to know everything! Why Cassie was so involved in Sams life, Sams life in general and then the major twist at the end as everything comes together. WHOA.

Sexual Content: moderate/heavy (talk of sex, making out)
Language: heavy
Drugs/Alcohol: moderate (talk of underage drinking)
Violence: moderate (it's a mystery....)

*Due to content and for those sensitive to that but still want to read it, I rate this book "obtain"*

Deadly Little Sins (Prep School Confidential #3) by Kara Taylor

It’s August and Anne is back in New York City for the summer, but she can’t escape the memories of the terrible things that happened at the Wheatley School last spring— and the possibility of being expelled looming over her. When an unexpected— and suspicious— turn of events gets Anne sent back to Wheatley, she’s determined to figure out what happened to her favorite teacher and only adult ally at the school: Ms. Cross.

After a shocking, gruesome murder with connections to the Wheatley School occurs, Anne is convinced there’s more to Ms. Cross’s sudden disappearance, and that her favorite teacher is in danger. But after an ugly breakup with Brent and a new, inexplicable distance between her and Anthony, Anne isn’t sure who she can trust. And even worse, someone at Wheatley knows the truth about what happened to Ms. Cross— someone who will stop at nothing to keep Anne from learning the truth in this engrossing, unputdownable read.

My Thoughts:
Meh. if you've read the first two books in the series then I always think it's nice to continue on but otherwise there's no real reason to read this book.

The first two books were so cute. Not only was there some kind of who-done-it mystery and some major sleuthing, but there was a lot going on with friends and family and school. Anne and her group followed multiple storylines and it was interesting. This book was basically only about the mystery. I got a little bored of just reading about new clues and developing leads, without any personal stories about Anne and her friends. It was almost like Anne just wanted to not have friends anymore, the way she ignored and bailed on everyone. In fact, I don't understand why these kids were her friends at all; She wasn't all that nice to anyone, used them to help her access information and lied to everyone. A couple of times a person would randomly choose to give her some kind of critical information or a tip of some sort without her giving any compensation, or even asking. It didn't make sense.

The way things played out with Anthony was abrupt. And annoying. I felt like he deserved better than that. Shoot, I wanted better than that. The Brent storyline boring, sporadic, expected and lame. The climactic scene and ending was the same way. I just wasn't invested in this story like I was the first two; There wasn't enough connection with Anne or any of the other characters.

And then there was the matter of So Many Characters being introduced then forgotten about. I was getting really confused trying to keep all the names straight. And Anne started using a whole lot of really cliched, cheesy sleuthing terminology. I mean, it was everywhere. Once in a while in a silly little gum shoe mystery book, the corny PI terms could be cute. But it was way overplayed.

The way this ended felt like it was leading up to another series, which could be fun. If the next books are more like the first two books and not this third one. I was disappointed.

Sexual Content: Moderate
Language: Moderate
Violence: Moderate
Drugs/Alcohol: Moderate

Vendetta by Catherine Doyle

Publication Date: February 24, 2015
Publisher: Chicken House
Pages: 352

Blood Will Spill, Hearts Will Break: With a fierce rivalry raging between two warring families, falling in love is the deadliest thing Sophie could do. An epic debut set outside modern-day Chicago.

For Sophie, it feels like another slow, hot summer in Cedar Hill, waitressing at her family’s diner and hanging out with her best friend Millie. But then someone moves into the long-abandoned mansion up the block--a family of five Italian brothers, each one hotter than the last. Unable to resist caramel-eyed Nicoli, Sophie finds herself falling for him -- and willfully ignoring the warning signs. Why are Nic's knuckles cut and bruised? Why does he carry an engraved switchblade? And why does his arrogant and infuriating older brother, Luca, refuse to let her see him? As the boys' dark secrets begin to come to light, Sophie is confronted with stinging truths about her own family, too. Suddenly, she's torn between two warring dynasties: the one she’s related to and the one she's now in love with. She'll have to choose between loyalty and passione. When she does, blood will spill, hearts will break. Because in this twisted underworld, dishonor can be the difference between life and death.

My Thoughts:
I have been waiting to get my hands on this book! Once I heard what it was about, I wanted it. It just sounded so good and so interesting! And it was just that awesome! I am so excited to see how Catherine Doyle plays this series out. I can't wait for book two! UGH these series!

I really liked this book because I felt it was a gritty, tense, thriller of a family of crime. The cast of characters is so dynamic and diverse it was incredible. I enjoyed the drama of this dark tale of grudges, revenge, and obsession. I enjoyed the lines that were crossed between good and bad, what's right and what's wrong and how far one will go to stay true to your family and their beliefs.

The main character Sophie was ok, she wasn't amazing to me but not annoying either. I found myself rolling my eyes at her a few times but hey she's not terrible.

I really enjoyed the five brothers of this family that moves in and their wide range of differences in personality and character. I felt the author did a GREAT job with keeping them completely separate during the whole book.

One thing I hated and ALMOST put the book down was the "insta-love" I am finding that I just can't stand that in a book, where is the mystery and the enjoyment of the tenseness between two characters? sheesh! well like I said, I ALMOST put it down but however there was one character that really intrigued me and I even tweeted to the author while reading it that I wanted more of him! She promised that there would be more and I was not disappointed. I cannot wait to see what the author does with him and Sophie. Yes, this does elude that there is a possible love triangle but it was super intriguing and not at all annoying! The thing is, no character knows of it yet except the reader and you don't suspect anything till way later in the book which was fabulous!

I completely loved this book and the shock factor was so shocking I was floored! I totally did NOT see THAT coming! it was insane! wow! still blown over it.

Overall if you're looking for a fun, intense mysterious contemporary I would so recommend this book! I loved it!

Sexual Content: moderate (some kissing and an attempted rape-not graphic but enough to know what's going on)
Language: moderate (a few F words)
Drugs/Alcohol: moderate (underage drinking)

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