Review: The Art of Feeling

The Art of Feeling by Laura Tims
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book breaks your heart and mends it up again. Samantha Herring has been in constant pain, emotionally and physically, since the unfortunate passing of her mother. Being in the car crash alongside her mother, she is just beginning to piece together who is to blame. After shutting herself out from any social life or friends she previously had, Sam has receded into a fog of depression.

One day, Sam meets Eliot, a loner with a carefree attitude with a secret: he cannot feel any pain. Sam is initially jealous of Eliot's capability, but she soon realizes more about his medical condition and his self-inflicting injuries as a result. In fact, Eliot seems to be careless about everything- except maybe, just maybe, Sam.

"It'd be so easy to dislike him. Liking him has to be against the rules"

As Sam and Eliot grow closer, Sam begins to confront her most painful memories- but memories nonetheless that can help to discover the truth of her mother's passing. Awkward at first, Sam and Eliot are a contrast of personalities that ultimately help in understanding one another. It is not until Eliot meets Sam that he realizes how pain can affect an individual, and because of this, he becomes an endearing and empathetic character in the novel that dramatically aids in Sam's recovery.

"'m noticing how pieces of Eliot's hair curl over his ears, how his face is both sharp and soft, and I'm happy, I'm ecstatic, because neither of us is on the wrong side of normal anymore We didn't fit in by ourselves, but we fit together..."

I was somewhat disappointed by the fact of using drugs as a coping mechanism on Sam's brother's behalf, and the constant making light of drugs and alcohol, but I enjoyed the contrasts of Eliot and Sam and the blossoming of their romance. I thought the ending was a wonderful send-off for the characters with happiness and a new sense of clarity for Sam and Eliot. I would definitely recommend this novel!! :)


(Me at the end of the book!! :))

View all my reviews

Review: Night Music

Night Music by Jenn Marie Thorne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ruby has always been Ruby Chertok, daughter of renowned composer Martin Chertok and heir to the family legacy. After Ruby's horrendous audition at prestigious Amberley where her father is on faculty, it is clear that music does not love her as much as she loves it. Now Ruby is just Ruby, and she is searching for a way out of classical music and out of the orbit of her impressive family.

Oscar Bell is a classical music genius, and while he might say his favorite composer is himself, he will make you somehow love him more for it. Ruby's father sees a lot of talent and potential in Oscar's classical music composure, and for the summer, he is living with the Chertok family. However, being an African American 17-year-old in the Amberley programme, he will not risk his chances to study under the great Martin Chertok- not even for a crush.

"The he turned and saw me, and I could swear, his whole body ignited, a machine revving to life. Genius or no, the guy had excellent manners"

"I like you, Ruby. More than I probably should."

It seems as if Ruby and Oscar fell for each other at the same moment and their playful banter brings them closer together. As Oscar becomes more comfortable at Amberley's programme and he is officially dating Ruby, his presence as a composer at Amberley is being turned against him since he is a black guy. There are scandals at Amberley that push Oscar to his limit. This is a great coming of age novel in which relationships blossom between many of the characters.

"I like him, he's everything I'm not and I should resent the very fact of him, but I like him so much. He's brilliant and hot and vivid and funny and.."

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and the relationships that grew stronger between Oscar and Ruby, Ruby with her father and her friend Jules. This book is beautiful, heartfelt, emotional, raw, and everything a book should be. Night Music is a melody I never want to leave my head!

"I could recognize Oscar in every lilt, every strain, every unresolved chord... his humor, his heart, his pain, the way he split himself, the way he tried and blustered and suffered and hid it behind a smile- his courage. I heard all of him because I knew him but there was even more there than I'd ever imagined"



View all my reviews

Review: Attachments

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lincoln is a 29-year-old man who lives with his mother, plays dungeons and dragons on the weekend, is crippling awkward, and is unable to recover from his breakup with his high-school "sweetheart" 9 years later. For being a nerd, an awkward one at that, he is quite handsome and seems to be a quiet and respectable individual. Lincoln O'Neill works the night shift as an internet cop, which only adds to his awkwardness. His job consists of flagging emails that are not on topic for the jobs of the individuals. Lincoln's boring job compels him to amuse himself by reading the emails between two friends, Beth and Jennifer.

Without ever actually meeting Jennifer or Beth, Lincoln seems to know them better than he knows others his sees in person. He knows of their relationship mishaps, their comedic emails, and every aspect of their personal lives.

"Lincoln couldn't explain, even to himself, why she mattered to him. She and Jennifer were both funny, both caring, both smart as whips. But Beth's whip always caught him by the ankle..."

Fast forward a few months to mid-2000, Lincoln yearns for a change- he moves out of his mother's place to rent a place of his own, and finally meets Beth in person...

"There are moments when you can't believe something wonderful is happening. And there are moments when your entire consciousness is filled with knowing absolutely that something wonderful is happening. Lincoln felt like he'd dunked his head into a sink full of Pop Rocks and turned on the water..."

I rated this book 4 stars because I didn't feel fulfilled by the ending of the book. The book started off a bit slow, but I am glad I read it because it is a Chick Lit by a male's perspective and provides insight that interested me. I do love the dynamic between Lincoln and Beth, and I am happy that they got together at the end!!

View all my reviews

Review: Cold Day in the Sun

Cold Day in the Sun by Sara Biren
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Holland Delviss wants to be known for her talent as just a hockey player, not as a girl hockey player on the boys' high school varsity team. She continually has to work hard to prove herself worthy of being on the team. To keep her spot on the team she sets 2 rules for herself: practice harder than anyone else on the team, and no dating anyone on the team (no matter who it is). Wes "Hot Sauce" Millard is the bossy team co-captain of the hockey team, and although they argue and bicker at each other till their wit's end, Holland seems to be noticing Wes more, as does Wes her.

"...the strangest thing happens as we switch spots. As I lower myself onto my rightful seat, he puts his hand on my back to steady me, pressing his strong fingers against me, warm and confident. I feel the heat through my Hanson jersey, a zing that courses all the way down to my toes"

When the boy's varsity team is selected for Hockeyfest, a televised statewide event, Holland becomes the lead story. Not everyone is thrilled with Holland's new fame, but there is one person who fiercely supports her, and its the last person she least expects- witty and bossy Wes. Wes keeps on surprising Holland with all of his charm and similarities. Wes shares her passion for 1980's glam metal, and touch is strangely electric to Holland.

"I'm about to say something snarky when Hot Sauce slides his arm around my waist, his fingers pressing lightly into the space just above my hip bone. I suck in a breath at the sudden warmth of his touch..."

With the cameras set to roll with Holland's interview for Hockeyfest, Holland is dangerously close to breaking her rule of dating a team player, but when she expresses her rule to Wes, their relationship experiences a stumble in the road.

"This. You and me. Being friends or whatever we are, I like you, Dutch. A lot. The time we spend together- it's the best part of any day. I like being with you as much as I like playing hockey. And playing hockey with you- it doesn't get any better than that"

The Hockeyfest pushes Holland to her limits and shows her how much her dedication and passion have led her to her achievements and spot on the boy's varsity team. The ending of this novel is so poignant and heartfelt and their dynamic made me smile A LOT. Anyone will enjoy this wonderful summer read!

"Life is kind of like one big search for meaning. We look for answers and try to make sense of the world around us. You need a decent soundtrack for all that s***"

View all my reviews

Review: The Opposite of Innocent

The Opposite of Innocent by Sonya Sones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My only request for those who read this book is to NOT read a summary or the inside cover of this book because it will take away from the suspense of the book. This novel is written in prose and the characterization of creative and innocent Lily reflects the writing style insurmountably. The topic of this novel is one that is written frequently, but Sones's take on the issue provides a new insight and depth of emotion that no other author has achieved. This book is simply magnificent and I will highly recommend to any reader of any age to learn from and enjoy the heartwrenching story.


When you say you haven't read The Opposite of Innocent yet...

View all my reviews

Review: Hearts Made for Breaking

Hearts Made for Breaking by Jen Klein
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lark Dayton strings along any boy that comes her way, and is the queen of breakups. When she ends things with a boy, there are never any hard feelings, because she deliberately says something for the guy to have doubts about their relationship. Lark does not want to hurt anyone, nor does she want to hurt herself over a boy. Her best friends, Cooper and Katie, though, dare her to have a bad breakup with someone that actually matters- meaning she has to have feelings for a guy and then she would be able to break up with him directly.

"I'm determined to make it happen. After all, Ardy might not be like the boys I usually date, but... I don't know how to say this... there was something about the way he almost smiled at me. That tiny tension around the corners of his mouth did something to me, To my insides. It's like I got tense, too. But in a good way..."

Lark chooses "undateable" Ardy Tate, a mysterious challenge that transferred to her high school for his senior year. He has a bad reputation when it comes to breakups, and soon Lark is drawn to him like she has never been with any other boy. Ardy is different from any guy she's ever dated, for this is the first guy who does not seem interested in Lark like her ex-boyfriends were.

"But with Ardy, I'm oddly shy, maybe because I feel more like myself. Like who I really am, way down deep. The girl who someday could have the courage to use her voice to express real opinions... Ardy makes me want to be that girl right now..."

Ardy first just wants to get to know Lark and take everything slow (contrary to Lark's usual relationships). Ardy takes her on a spontaneous trip to Lark's utter surprise, and by the end of the night, she finally gets her first kiss with Ardy. Cooper and Katie have heard rumors of Ardy's previous relationships, which sparks Lark's curiosity. Will her curiosity completely break their relationship? Or will it allow Lark to uncover the truth about herself and Ardy?

I really enjoyed this book, and it is a perfect short summer read! I love the characters and their relationships, and the dynamic of Ardy and Lark. I love how the end of the book ties in with the beginning and I am anticipating reading another of Jen Klein's novels!

View all my reviews

Review: Since We Last Spoke

Since We Last Spoke by Brenda Rufener
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"My sister Kate told me love was glue, a strong adhesive holding people together. She swore it worked as a protective layer of bulletproof glass, something shatter-free... But if unprotected, love will shatter, too."

It took Aggi Frank 17 years to fall in love with Max Granger, and when they finally admitted feelings for each other, the unthinkable happened. A fatal car accident involving both of their older siblings turns their lives upside down. And with a restraining order in place between the two families, Aggie and Max's seemingly endless love runs cold. Even though they share the same driveway, simply just talking to one another seems like a distant fantasy.

"[Aggi is] every time period of art mixed into one masterpiece. Sharp edges in one spot, rounded corner in another. Eyes I can't figure out..."

Both Max and Aggi cannot rid of the guilt they feel from their older siblings taking their last breaths as they were on the roof of the college science building, their bodies intertwined for the first time. Their guilt is insurmountable, as they are unable to help each other over this tremendous loss. But Aggie and Max eventually reunite at a lake-house party, but as they begin to rebuild their relationship, Aggie's little sister Grace flees from home after their father spirals into a fit of rage.

"When you want someone so bad every inch of your body aches, you'll stop at nothing to get them. You'll dive into freezing lake water, shovel already-shoveled snow, sit on the porch and watch for a shadow in the window, long for a wave..."

"My heart wants her. My brain wants her. Every cell in my goddamn body wants Aggi, and it's time for me to bulldoze through my fears and tell her exactly how I feel."

With the support of friends, Max and Aggie must confront each other and their families in the hopes to rekindle the beautiful love they share for one another. It takes grief and longing to finally reunite Aggie and Max, as well as their families. This book is an uplifting novel of teen love in the face of grief, and the beauty that it creates. This novel is a perfect read for anyone, I believe, because it is not a cliché romance novel- it is a story of how two people can come together again in the face of grief.

View all my reviews