Book Review: My Beating Teenage Heart by C.K Kelly Martin

Publish Date: September 27th, 2011
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Pages: 288
Series: None
ISBN: 9780375868859
Source: From online book club

Goodreads Synopsis:
Ashlyn Baptiste is falling. One moment she was nothing—no memories, no self—and then suddenly, she's plummeting through a sea of stars. Is she in a coma? She doesn't remember dying, and she has no memories of the life she left behind. All she knows is that she's trapped in a consciousness without a body and she's spending every moment watching a stranger.
Breckon Cody's on the edge. He's being ripped apart by grief so intense it literally hurts to breathe. On the surface, Breckon is trying to hold it together for his family and his girlfriend, but underneath he's barely hanging on.
Even though she didn't know him in life, Ashlyn sees Breckon's pain, and she's determined to find a way help him. As her own distressing memories emerge from the darkness, she struggles to communicate with the boy who can't see her, but whose life is suddenly intertwined with hers. In alternating voices of the main characters, My Beating Teenage Heart paints a devastatingly vivid picture of both the heartbreak and the promise of teenage life—a life Ashlyn would do anything to recover and Breckon seems desperate to destroy—and will appeal to fans of Sarah Dessen, John Green, and David Levithan.

My Review:
What an interesting book! At first I was pretty confused to tell you the truth. My Beating Teenage Heart is about this boy, Breckon who has lost his sister and his journey through dealing with that, and Ashlyn, a girl who is watching over Breckon for reasons unknown to her.
Right away I feel bad for Breckon. The loss of his younger sister takes quite the toll on him and he's unsure how to act and get through this. Unfortunately, his family doesn't seem to be overly helpful at times because they are still coming to terms with things as well. For me, I really feel for characters who have to deal with situations like the death of a family member. Thankfully, I have never had to deal with anything like that and since I have a very tight knit family, I don't know what I would do if anything ever happened.
Along with Breckon's narration of My Beating Teenage Heart, we are reading through Ashlyn's point of view. She understands that she is either dead or in a coma, realizing something is wrong with her situation she tries her hardest to remember her life and memories. All while doing that, she is looking over Breckon, who is spiralling downward in his own attempt to deal, and trying to make him understand and realize that she is there for him. (Though she does not know why she's been sent to Breckon and not her own family).
I really did enjoy this book. The change of POV's between the two main characters was enjoyable. The story was original and C.K. Kelly Martin is a good writer. She can get the reader interested in her book and pull the reader in for more. For example, we know right away that Breckon's sister died, nothing is explained up front we just get little more information here and there and it isn't until the end that we really read what happened. Also, we wonder how Breckon and Ashlyn are connected, and it isn't until the end that we find out. But it's done in a way that the story is spread out, and we don't just get hit with a whack of explaination at the end, it's written so well that that doesn't happen.
Overall, My Beating Teenage Heart was a heartfelt read that I enjoyed. The story, the writing and the characters are all worth it, and made for an "unputdownble" book!

Top Ten Tuesday

Thanks to The Broke and the Bookish for giving ideas to us each week!

This weeks top 10 - Top Ten Books I'd Recommend to Someone Who Doesn't Read YA Dystopia

1. Wither by Lauren DeStefano

2. Fever by Lauren DeStefano (I haven't even finished it yet, but I imagine with the way it's been so far that I'd definitely recommend it)

3. Divergent by Veronica Roth

4. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

5. Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts

6. The Host by Stephenie Meyers

That's all I could come up with because that's all of this genre that I have read! I really wish that someone would have recommended this genre to me ages ago, becuase these books are fantastic and there are SO many others that I have on my list to read!

That's my top 10, er, top 6 for this week! What's yours?

Book Review: Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

Publish Date: October 18, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 304
Series: N/A
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2052-6
Source: From publisher for review

Goodreads Synopsis:
Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love. And Jeremy is hands-down the wrong guy for her to fall for. He is infuriating, arrogant, and the only person who can stand in the way of Carmen getting the one thing she wants most: to win the prestigious Guarneri competition. Carmen's whole life is violin, and until she met Jeremy, her whole focus was winning. But what if Jeremy isn't just hot...what if Jeremy is better?
Carmen knows that kissing Jeremy can't end well, but she just can't stay away. Nobody else understands her--and riles her up--like he does. Still, she can't trust him with her biggest secret: She is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to perform, and what started as an easy fix has become a hungry addiction. Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and even more sick of always doing what she’s told, doing what's expected.
Sometimes, being on top just means you have a long way to fall....

My Review:
Virtuosity was an alright book. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. It was nice to read a book like this in between some others. No major love trinagle, no paranormal/undead/anything else like that, so it was a little refreshing in that sense.
The book starts off with Carmen holding her $1.2 million violin over a building railing. We have no idea why, or what's happening other than she wants to kill off her instument! It was an intruiging way to start the book because right away the reader wants to continue reading and find out the story behind Carmens actions. We go on to find out that Carmen is this child prodigy, violinist, grammy winning superstar who is on her way to winning the Guarneri - THE ultimate violin championship. But she isn't the only one who will do anything to win it - anything inlcudes taking inderal, a prescription the Carmen has taken for so long to help her perform on stage. Jeremy has his own plans on winning this award, and though he and Carmen appear to be falling for each other, we can't be sure it's genuine. Because of that, readers are eager to continue.
The characters in Virtuosity were good characters, though I had a hard time relating to Carmen. This is probably due to the fact that I'm not a star performer, I wasn't home schooled and I've never been on a strict practice schedule. But that's fine, because I wasn't expecting to relate to the characters because of that.
Jessica Martinez is a decent writer. To be honest, I just read this book for what it was and didn't think too much into it and didn't try to visualize too much of it. I got what I got out of it, nothing more. I do think it's a good book to have on hand, or borrow from the library when you want a change of scenery though.

In My Mailbox (January 15, 2012)

In My Mailbox credit goes to The Story Siren

This is a few IMM's, including some Christmas gifts!

Gifts:

The Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy Box Set by Maggie Stiefvater

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them by J.K Rowling

See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil owls - so pretty!

Harry Potter Golden Snitch - this is so awesome (and my dog really wanted to be in the picture)

Review:

My Beating Teenage Heart by C.K Kelly Martin | Goodreads Synopsis

Black Heart by Holly Black | Goodreads Synopsis

The Summer of Permanent Wants by Jamieson Findlay | Goodreads Synopsis

Won:

Prize Pack from Beth Revis which included bookmarks, a poster, a limited edition Koi print, and a rubber band bracelet! I was so freaking excited to get this, as I had no idea I won. It just poped up in my mailbox one day and I was like, woah!

That is all folks! A pretty awesome mailbox if I do say so myself! Let me know what you got :)

Thank you Simon and Schuster for sending me something once again! A HUGE thank you to my family who knows me all to well and spoiled me. And thank yo Beth Revis, for making my day a little brighter!

Rafflecopter is having a giveaway!

Book Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Publish Date: December 6th, 2012
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Pages: 502
Series: Infernal Devices #2
ISBN: 9781416975885
Source: From publisher for review

Goodreads Synopsis:

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.
With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

My Review:

To be honest here, I've been having a hard time writing this review. I have been done with Clockwork Prince since the day before it came out, and I've started this review at least half a dozen times but I just can't seem to get ny words to make sense. (Which is why I'm a reader, not an author!)
Here it is: I was disappointed with Clockwork Prince. I had high expectations going into the novel and maybe that was the problem. I read and loved Clare's Clockwork Angel so I was eager for the story to continue, but the story was dragged on for what seemed like too long. For the first part of Clockwork Prince I was downright not interested. The story line wasn't there to make me want to read and Will, Jem and Tessa though there in the story didn't feel there to me (you know what I mean, I'm sure).
Where Clockwork Angel ended I was expecting this one to follow it and be big and eventful, but I found it was lacking and dull. It wasn't until about page 300 (or somewhere around there) that the book seem to pull me in. The Shadowhunters continued their search for the Magister and the characters became alive again. All of a sudden the book was up to where I thought it was going to be and I couldn't put it down. Will and Jem have been 2 of my favourite characters and they were awesome from here forward! Will - the mysterious one who has secrets to hide and something to say about everything has a chance to finally get what he wants but we find out that he may be too late and girls, this will break your heart (Even if you aren't "Team Will".) Though if you are Team Will, you're in luck as a lot of Clockwork Prince was about him so there is plenty of time for Will to be swooned over! But Jem, the kind, well spoken of the two realizes that he can no longer hide his feelings and does something that I didn't see coming (until the moment leading up and I was like "No...NO way, this cannot be happening...") At first, I was shocked, I was concerned as to why Clare was taking this route for these characters, but I got over it, and it wasn't too bad anymore. Though I am so ready to find out more!
Tessa, Tessa Tessa...where do we begin. Her independence has just gone straight down the drain. She has become almost needy and selfish and it was a bit irritating to read at some points. Maybe there's reason behind this but I'm not sure. But, there are other characters back and as usual they are fascinating and well written. Jessamine is like you've never seen her, Henry and Charlotte have a revelation and Magnus is better than ever with his advice and one-liners.
Clare's writing, though I don't need to touch on that too much if you've read her work before or any of my reviews of her books for that matter, is just amazing. She can draw you into her world like there's nothing to it. She can paint pictures in your head as if you are right there watching the novel unfold through your own eyes. Clare really has a talent for writing!
That all being said, I guess my overall reaiting of Clockwork Prince is that it was a pretty decent read. If you can get past the first part, then you're in for something worth it in the end. Though there wasn't much Shadowhunter action going on, there was definitely some other action happening! Check it out for yourself if you haven't already, and be on the lookout near the end of 2012 for Book 3 in The Infernal Devices Series, Clockwork Princess.

Spotted: Cover of City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

Look at what I saw floating around today?

City of Lost Souls - The Mortal Instruments #5 by Cassandra Clare is to be released May 8th, 2012

What do you think? My first thought, to be honest, was that it looked much more computer animated than the other books. But looking closer, I kinda like it! It has kept in mind the other covers, and works well with the others. I'm excited to read this one when it comes out in May.