"Chasing Nikki" by Lacey Weatherford

"Chasing Nikki" by Lacey Weatherford is a heartwarming story about a teenage boy's struggles after the death of his father.

Chase Walker used to be a good kid. He was smart, and athletic and had a bright future ahead of him. But after the sudden death of his father, Chase turns to drugs and alcohol to mask his pain. When he gets arrested for underage drinking, his mother decides to move them to the small ranching town where she grew up. She hopes that her ex-military father might have a better influence on Chase. Chase is not happy about the move until he finds out that he can still tryout for the high school football team. When he meets Nikki, the cute cheerleader who won't give football players the time of day he figures she is worth the challenge of trying to change her mind. Chase comes to realize that Nikki is more than a pretty face - "she's a balm to his troubled spirit." But when tragedy strikes Nikki's life too, how will Chase be able to handle it?

I enjoyed that this book was told from Chase's point of view. It's refreshing to read a book from a male point of view for a change. Lacey Weatherford creates wonderful characters and is spot on in the age perfect dialogue. I also loved to see a mother character who actually acts like a loving, caring, sensible mother.

Lacey Weatherford tackles some hard hitting subject matters but does so with real characters in real situations giving realistic reactions. We get to see Chase grow and develop into a strong loving smart young man and though this story is heart wrenching at times, it is also filled with hope and love. My only complaint is that I did find a few slow parts that seemed to drag on just a little too long. Still overall I really enjoyed this book. Keep your Kleenex box close by though, because you will definitely need it.

My rating

"Partials" by Dan Wells

First I should say that the Dystopian genre is my favourite and this book did not disappoint. "Partials" by Dan Wells was everything I love in a good read. Right off the bat the captivating cover grabbed my attention and the blurb on the back cover had me pulling out my wallet. I couldn't wait to get home and hear that wonderful cracking sound that happens when you open a brand new book.

Partials is set in the year 2076 where a deadly virus has wiped out most of mankind. Then to make matters worse powerful robots that were made to look, sound and act like humans and which were originally built to help fight wars, have evolved and banned together and are taking over the world. The real humans have become an endangered species and no new babies have lived for more than a couple days in the past fourteen years. Sixteen year old Kira Walker works as a trainee in the maternity ward at the hospital and is trying to find a cure for the virus, before her best friend gives birth to her unborn child.

Ok I'm going to show a little unfairness here and say that in general I prefer female writers in the dystopian genre because I've found that they usually include a bit of romance and don't get too violent and gruesome. Having said that, I have to say that Dan Wells surprised me and did a very good job with Partials. He has created an unpredictable, action packed story filled with multilayered, interesting characters and he even had a little romance. He has a wonderful way of capturing just the right amount of detail in his magical world building to draw the reader in and keep their attention to the last page.

If rumours are correct (and I really hope they are) we can expect a book two called 'Failsafe' to be published in 2013.

My rating

"Sleeping Handsome" by Jean Haus

This was a short, modern day retelling of snow-white with main character role reversals and minus seven dwarves. I very much enjoyed this book. I'm a sucker for sweet romance though. My only complaint - I would have liked this story to be longer.... a lot longer. I enjoyed Jean Haus' writing style and I loved the idea behind the story. Paige gets caught writing her friend's project and is assigned community hours reading to a boy her age who is in a coma. Things get interesting when Paige finds Zach's journal hidden among his books and decides to read from it instead. Haus created two very intriguing characters with lots of depth for such a short story. I enjoyed getting to know Zach through his journal entries and I loved watching Paige transform as she continued to read to him.

My rating

"The Trouble With Tomboys" by Linda Cage

Reading "The Trouble With Tomboys" by Linda Kage is like eating chocolate - it's a wonderful guilty pleasure.

Pilot B.J. Gilmore is a tough tomboy who loves to fly planes and gamble and doesn’t give a whip what anyone thinks or says about her…until Grady Rawlings steps into her life.

Grady is an heir to an oil dynasty and a recent widower. Ever since his wife and unborn child died two and a half years ago, he’s developed a deep-seated hatred for sympathy.

When Grady hires B.J,'s plane service to fly him to Houston for an overnight business trip the two opposites connect and sparks fly.

But when B.J. turns up a month later pregnant with Grady's baby, neither one of them is prepared for the chaos that follows.

Linda Kage has written a laugh out loud, sexy romp filled with gritty kick-ass characters. Anyone who likes chocolate is sure to enjoy this guilty pleasure.

My rating

"Almost" by Anne Eliot

 

I love a book that can make me laugh and cry and with this book I did both. 

Anne Eliot tackles a very tough subject matter with 'Almost' but she does it with class. She has such wonderful writing and creates such beautiful true to life characters that the plot will grab hold of the reader right from the first word and not let go until well beyond the last. 'Almost' is a story about the strength required to not only face a devastating event but to also survive and heal from it.

Jess Jordan is a senior who was almost raped three years ago when she was just fourteen.  The fact that she was just ALMOST raped is the hardest part for her to deal with because she doesn't think she has the right to be still suffering from Rape Related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Yet she still can't sleep at night because that's when the nightmares happen, so she naps when she can at school on her lunch hour or during her spares. She has no appetite and has to force herself to eat. She prefers to be known as the 'Ice Queen' so she can avoid getting close with anyone. Unfortunately, Jess has to become more "normal" or her parents won't allow her to go off to college.

Jess' plan to appear more normal includes getting a summer internship and a boyfriend. She realizes she can accomplish both when it comes down to her and just one other applicant Gray Porter vying for the internship. She talks the handsome green-eyed Gray into sharing the internship with her with the deal that she will give him all of the money made as long as he agrees to be her pretend boyfriend for the summer. What Jess doesn't know is that Gray has a secret that is eating away at him and he has his own reasons for agreeing to her crazy plan. 

Even with the serious topic, this story is very funny and Eliot writes such an incredible love story between the two main characters that it will leave you tingling with warm fuzzies all over :o) 

My rating

"Forgiving Trinity" by Liz Reinhardt

Liz Reinhardt has done it again. "Forgiving Trinity" is one of those rare books that tackles a hard-hitting subject matter and delivers it in a very real and raw way and yet still somehow manages to intertwine just the perfect amount of humour. 

"At seventeen, Trinity McCabe has already made enough mistakes to fill a lifetime. Especially the one where she got high, drove a car, and almost killed a dog. And then let her friend Aidan take the blame. She’s clean now and desperate to fix the messes she’s made, but first she’s going to have to get out of her pajamas." 

With great writing and wonderful characters and a storyline that zigs just when you think it's going to zag, "Forgiving Trinity" is a slam-dunk. 

My rating

"The Way We Fall" by Megan Crewe

"It starts with an itch you just can't shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you'll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in. And then you're dead."  This is the blurb on the inside jacket and it was enough. I was hooked right away.

This book hits too close to home and not just because the author Megan Crewe is Canadian (Wahoo! Way to go!) but because in this day and culture this story could so easily be a nonfiction story.

"The Way We Fall" is the heart-wrenching story of sixteen-year-old Kaelyn's bravery and unbeatable spirit as she tries to survive in a world gone suddenly mad. I would have liked just a little more character development but having said that there is still lots of action and enough surprises to keep the reader reading late into the night.

My rating