Follow Friday #5

The Feature & Follow is hosted by Parajunkee of Parajunkee's and Alison of Alison Can  Read.

Question of the week: Here is €/£/$100,000. Buy something. Anything at all! What would be the first thing you choose, and why?

Answer: oh. Tough question. I would like to say I'd buy a ton of books and have a wall built in bookshelves. But I'm a college student, so if I am being relastic, I'll pay off my loans/debt. But of course, I would buy some books as well. It is a must, right?! Well... I think it is.  

Leave me a link of your Follow Friday, and I'll be sure to check it out! 

Happy Reading! 

Perfect Chemistry series by Simone Elkeles

Perfect Chemistry series by Simone Elkeles
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Synopsis:
Perfect Chemistry
       When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created 'perfect' life is about to unravel before her eyes. She's forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for: her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. 
      Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more.

Rules of Attraction
    Carlos Fuentes doesn't want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him in Boulder, Colorado. He wants to keep living on the edge, and carve his own path-just like Alex did. Unfortunately, his ties to a Mexican gang aren't easy to break, and he soon finds himself being set up by a drug lord.
     When Alex arranges for Carlos to live with his former professor and his family to keep him from being sent to jail, Carlos feels completely out of place. He's even more thrown by his strong feelings for the professor's daughter, Kiara, who is nothing like the girls he's usually drawn to. But Carlos and Kiara soon discover that in matters of the heart, the rules of attraction overpower the social differences that conspire to keep them apart.
     As the danger grows for Carlos, he's shocked to discover that it's this seemingly All-American family who can save him. But is he willing to endanger their safety for a chance at the kind of life he's never even dreamed possible? 

Chain Reaction
      Luis Fuentes is a good boy who doesn't live with the angst that his big brothers, Alex and Carlos, have always lived with. Luis is smart, funny, and has big dreams of becoming an astronaut. But when he falls for the wrong girl. 
      Luis enters a dark world he's never known, and just when he thinks he's got life all figured out, learns some disturbing news about his family that destroys his positive outlook on life. Will that Fuentes bad boy streak come out with a vengeance and lure Luis to live on the edge like his new girlfriend and his own father?

****

I’ll be reviewing the whole series in here. This review may contain spoilers. If you have not read the whole series, please read at your own risk. 

Perfect Chemistry: Let me start by saying, Perfect Chemistry was my first Simon Elkeles book but it wasn’t my last. The whole book is just a wonderful read that shows you how much there is to learn about the hardship of life. I loved the main characters Alex and Brittany: both Alex and Brittany have responsibilities in their household to keep everything together. The other character I really loved was Paco; he sacrificed himself for the sake of Alex...but especially for the sake of Alex and Brittney's relationship. The storyline and the characters are great and witty. I don’t want to choose between the series, but I can’t help say that Perfect Chemistry is my favorite from the three books. Definitely a great read!

Rules of Attraction: Rules of Attraction certainly lives up to the bar that Perfect Chemistry set. I loved that this story is centered on Carlos and Kiara, but it also includes Alex and Brittany. Rules of Attraction will keep you engrossed until the last page. I found it very interesting how Elkeles was able to create different characters that deal with the same problems as Perfect Chemistry but still make readers want more. Kiara and Carlos are both very likeable characters. Also, I really liked Tuck. Rules of Attraction is a funny and quick book you don’t want to miss. 

Chain Reaction: The plot is slightly similar to the other two books, but has a love/hate relationship that made it interesting. I also liked how each book is set about a few years after the previous one, and involves the original main characters, so we can see how the couples' relationships have progressed. I would love it if Simone Elkeles would write more books to this series about the sons /daughters of the three Fuentes boys.

Overall, there are parts that are predictable but this is still an incredible series! I love the cocky/sweet attitude of the Fuentes’s brothers. There are storylines that never get old and this is one of them. I’m sad it’s over but the Fuentes’s brothers are unforgettable!

P.S. I have heard that Simone Elkeles might be coming up with a 4th book for the series. I know I'll be reading it whenever it comes out. 

Rating: 5/5 (Recommend them; so buy them, devour them, love them!)

Waiting on Wednesday #4

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Here is the book I'm waiting on this Wednesday:

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Release Date: May 05, 2015

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's

Synopsis: When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

****

This book sounds fantastic. I have never read anything by Sarah J. Maas, but I have heard amazing things about her Throne of Glass series. So I am planning to pick up this one when it comes out. 

Let me know what book(s) you are waiting on this Wednesday! 

Happy Reading!

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger
Published:September 5, 2011
Publisher: Poppy

Synopsis: Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part, Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention.

Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: She and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. And Lissa never sees her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling, coming.

****

Who doesn’t love to read about battle of sexes?
I loved Kody’s debut novel The DUFF. So I waited anxiously for her second book to come out and I was so happy when I got my hands on a copy.

SHUT OUT is a wonderful story told in the fresh voice of Lissa. I absolutely loved the take on Battle of Sexes. I loved the main character Lissa: she’s fantastic, likeable, neurotic and bossy. I really enjoyed reading this book. I also liked Cash (on a side note: I really like the name.) I liked the fact that Kody brought up guys choosing football--or in this book rivalry--over their girlfriends. It’s realistic! It happens in real life--husbands choosing sport over their wives, boyfriends choosing sports over their girlfriends.

The one thing that really irked me about Lissa was why she even bothered with Randy at all--he was a complete jerk. The plot of this book might be the same as The Duff but it has a different concept. It was my second time reading about battle of sexes and I’ve learned good things so far.

While reading this book, I can’t help comparing the main character of The Duff, Bianca, and Lissa. It was really interesting to me because it felt like two different authors wrote those two characters, in my opinion. That’s how different the characters are. I liked the ending but I wanted the books to have more depth about battle of sexes, and not just Lissa not wanting Cash to win because of 
her emotional feelings for him.

Overall, Kody did an amazing job and I would be reading more of her work. Plus, the cover is just pretty. I recommend this book for everyone.

Rating: 3/5 (Recommend it)

The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols

The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols
Published: February 07, 2012
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Synopsis: Gemma can’t believe her luck when the star football player starts flirting with her. Max is totally swoon-worthy, and even gets her quirky sense of humor. So when he asks out her so-called best friend Addison, Gemma’s heartbroken.

Then Addison pressures Gemma to join the date with one of Max’s friends. But the more time they all spend together, the harder Gemma falls for Max. She can’t help thinking that Max likes her back—it’s just too bad he’s already dating Addison. How can Gemma get the guy she wants without going after her best friend’s boyfriend? 

****

Jennifer Echols is one of my favorite YA authors out there. I just adore her books, and when I saw her new book, I was super excited and I already knew that I was going to love it. And I did. I loved it. It’s such a cute, fun love story that I devoured. 

I really liked Gemma. She’s sweet, passionate, self-conscious, and a teenager. She’s a believable character. I also loved Max. He’s adorable. He’s sweet, honest, and very different. Max says/blurts out what comes to mind; sometime it’s good, and sometimes it’s not. I found him to be not your typical YA male character. 

When you read a book, there is that one character that you don’t like very much. Well, that character for me is Gemma’s so-called best friend, Addison. I hated her from the first page. She’s controlling, annoying, and ungrateful snob. I was frustrated reading about her and how Gemma put far too much in Addison’s bipolar personality. Addison makes me cringe every time. I was so happy when Gemma did what was right and stand up for herself. Simply put: Addison is not a good friend. 

Throughout out the book, we saw Gemma grow and found her own way. She starts to find what she wants and needs. That’s one thing I loved most about this book was the characters and how they were developed throughout the story. I loved The One That I Want. It’s a fun read that I recommend everyone to check out. 

Rating: 4/5 (Recommend it!)

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Published: June 14, 2012
Publisher: Dial Books For Young Readers

Synopsis: "One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time."
The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, messy, affectionate. And every day from her rooftop perch, Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs up next to her and changes everything.

As the two fall fiercely for each other, stumbling through the awkwardness and awesomeness of first love, Jase's family embraces Samantha - even as she keeps him a secret from her own. Then something unthinkable happens, and the bottom drops out of Samantha's world. She's suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A transporting debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another.

****

Oh! My! Gosh! Huntley Fitzpatrick (what a brilliant author, I tell you) is a new favorite author of mine and My Life Next Door is a new favorite Contemporary!

I’ve read this book almost two years ago when it first came out in 2012, and I’m just writing a review for it. And I’m surprised how much I still remember almost every single scene in that book. I love that kind of books, don’t you? You’ve read a book once and it just stayed with you for a long time? That’s My Life Next Door for me. I loved every single thing in the book.

Samantha Reed is smart, quiet and somewhat lonely. She’s a character that I connected with right away. I loved how she’s independent, mature and simply a good person. And I loved her more when she met Jase Garrett. Jase is sweet, caring, and also mature. They came from two completely difference households; even then they are so perfect for each other. I loved their friendship and their love story. I’ve read a lot of contemporaries about first love, but I truly loved the take on this book. Not only their relationship is based on being intimate with each other physically, it’s also emotional bond as well. We don’t see that often in YA contemporaries these days, so it was refreshing.

I’m very impressed by Fitzpatrick’s debut novel, and I’m so going to read her What I Thought Was True book as well us the second book (a companion, I’m guessing) in this series coming out this year.

I’m just going say that if you have not read this book you are missing out. I’m serious! This book is everything you’d want in a contemporary. It’s a charming, deep and real contemporary that you won’t be able to put down. So go head and buy it, borrow it or whatever, as long as you read it.

Rating: 5/5 (Recommend it; so buy it, devour it, love it!)

When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle

When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle
Published: May 01, 2013
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Synopsis: What’s in a name, Shakespeare? I’ll tell you: Everything.
Rosaline knows that she and Rob are destined to be together. Rose has been waiting for years for Rob to kiss her—and when he finally does, it’s perfect. But then Juliet moves back to town. Juliet, who used to be Rose’s best friend. Juliet, who now inexplicably hates her. Juliet, who is gorgeous, vindictive, and a little bit crazy...and who has set her sights on Rob. He doesn’t even stand a chance.
Rose is devastated over losing Rob to Juliet. This is not how the story was supposed to go. And when rumors start swirling about Juliet’s instability, her neediness, and her threats of suicide, Rose starts to fear not only for Rob’s heart, but also for his life. Because Shakespeare may have gotten the story wrong, but we all still know how it ends….

****

I’m going to start by saying that I’m a huge Shakespeare fan. I love his plays, even though almost all of them end up in a tragedy. So when I got When You Were Mine for a review, I was both nervous and excited to read it. I’ve never read a re-telling before, so being my first re-telling book, I didn’t know what to except. 

Because I was very intrigued to find out what it’s about, I read this book as soon as I got it. It was such a quick, fun read. I was able to finish it right away. When You Were Mine is a great re-telling, and for my first re-telling, it was fantastic. I loved it. N0netheless, the characters were, to be honest, not my favorite. I admit. I usually dislike a book if I don’t like the characters, but in this book, the story had more pull on me that I kept reading. After a while I got used to the characters, and I was able to read it without the trouble.

When You Were Mine was a refreshing read. It’s good to be reminded of the greatest love story. It’s even better that we get to read this book from Rosaline--Romeo first love—POV instead of the story we all know told from the perspective of two star crossed lovers, I think. (It’s been a long time since I read it, so I don’t remember if it was in Romeo or Juliet’s POV.) Anyway, I only had one problem with this book and that it is the love interest. It’s plain. I didn’t like it. 

All in all, When You Were Mine is a great summer read that I believe everyone going to love. Rebecca Serle did an amazing job with her debut of the re-telling of Romeo and Juliet. 

Rating: 3/5 (Recommend it)