Merry Wanderer of the Night:
meh

I decided to do these two books as "mini"-reviews because I don't have anything good to say about either book and you know that old saying — If you can't say anything nice... Well, I've never been very good at not saying anything at all...

Brooklyn Burning by Steve Brezenoff is, in my opinion, a book that tried too hard. It wanted to be this big grand and mysterious book but instead managed only to be a rather dull and vague detail-less story that bored me.

Kid lives in Brooklyn and has spent the last year or so on the streets because Dad decided he didn't want to deal with Kid's issues anymore (specifically sexual questioning) and kicked Kid out. But we don't know any specifics about Kid. Not real name, not even gender. We do know that Kid falls for a musician that's more than a little rough around the edges (heavily into hard drugs). But something happened (a mystery, possibly involving fire) and the musician is always referred to in the past tense and now Kid develops a new love interest. (Also blurry around gender lines).

I appreciate what Steve is trying to do here. It is an interesting idea — making a genderless novel and leaving details almost completely out of the way. But instead of being a story that pushes boundaries and makes you think, it was instead, for me, boring and pointless. I didn't care about a single character in the story. I didn't really know anything about them, so what was there to care about?! A lot of the story is written in also 2nd person, which I've read and enjoyed before, but it made this book feel even weirder than it already was. I have to have a sense of character for a 2nd person narrative to work. I also need a sense of and connection to the characters for a romance to be effective and interesting and something that I care about. But Steve didn't give me that.

This probably sounds rude, but I felt like this was a book full of its own cleverness and importance. You know people like that, right? Who are always walking around "saying" — Look at me!! Look at how funny I am or how clever and smart!- and really, rather than thinking them funny or clever or smart, all you can think is — Oh my gosh, shut up! — or -Seriously, who invited you?! This was a book trying so hard to be mysterious and murky that it completely missed its mark and landed in the realm of vague and uneventful.

It's a book that left me with a feeling of, Oh. That's all then? and I am pretty much positive that unless someone else brings it up, I will never think about this book again. BUT I will say that this is a polarizing book. All of the reviews I've seen are either like mine, or are completely enamored by and in love with this book. So if it's something you think you would like, might as well give it a try!

Lie by Caroline Bock was, unfortunately, even worse for me.

It is a book that should have been important and powerful and gut wrenching and soul hurting and empowering. It's about the repercussions of a vicious hate crime in a small town ending with the victim in critical condition and the boys under investigation. The MC's boyfriend is the main suspect (and if I remember right, is in custody throughout the book) and she saw the crime but has been lying to the police, because her boyfriend and best friend asked/told her too, and Jimmy is a good person who loves her and needs her support.

But, Jimmy is not a good person. I was expecting this to be a book that explores grey areas and tries to explain how good/normal kids can become involved in vicious crimes. But nope. Jimmy is scum. Seriously. And very possibly mentally unstable. But then again, the notes I wrote to myself upon finishing this book say that I felt that every single character was emotionally and mentally unbalanced. And awful. Lisa Marie is the worst best friend in the history of human beings and I hated her. ALL the way. Skylar is also a pretty weak character, seemingly incapable of making any decisions for herself or seeing people as they really are, and I'm not going to say anymore than that because I've tried to rewrite it three times and I keep sounding really, really mean.

What I think would have made this novel better is development. Rather than really developing the characters, Bock just gave them each their own chance to 'talk' and there were a lot of narrators in this book (like 9, I think). But having them speak doesn't necessarily give them depth and it doesn't do anything to make me relate to or believe them. Part of my problem is also that I never, not once thought that Skylar's decision was hard. Not once. You know pretty early on what she witnessed, although more details do come out as the book progresses and for me, that choice is black and white.

I wanted to like this one. Really, I did. But I just couldn't do it and I can't recommend it.

*Disclaimer: Both of these books were electronic ARCs received via Netgalley.

Today is "mini"-review day. (My version of mini, anyway: P) I'm combining these two books, not because the books themselves have anything in common, but because neither of them ended up being the book that I thought they would be, neither were books that I liked (too disappointing), and both had elements to them that seriously pissed me off.

The Snowball Effect by Holly Nicole Hoxter had a lot of potential. There was a lot to the story that I liked. I actually really loved reading about where the title came from, kind of the idea that you can't dwell on the past, can't try to go back to what it was, because your perception of the past is always changing and because you are always changing, you aren't going to be effected in the same way again.

But overall, this book was one big disappointment after another. Lainey has an awesome boyfriend who loves her and wants to start talking about marriage and starting a family, but she isn't ready for that. Which is fine. But instead of really talking to him about it, explaining how she feels, she pretty much ignores him, sorta maybe hooks up with a new guy and never actually breaks things off with old boyfriend. Not cool. If you are unhappy in a relationship, work it out or break it off. Don't start a new one without finishing off the old.

But what made me madder than anything else was the way that Lainey and her estranged older sister, Valerie treat her younger brother, five year old Colin who has an unspecified mental illness. Lainey's mom committed suicide after her husband's death leaving Lainey and Valerie to care for Colin, a boy she had taken in as a foster child and decided to adopt. I get that the sisters are pretty young (Lainey is 18, Valerie a few years older), especially to now be responsible for a 5 year old with mental health problems BUT that does not excuse the way they treated him, or the way the mom treated him. They are very harsh, often yelling and screaming at him for things he can't really control. And it's just did NOT sit well with me. I have a hard time enjoying a book when I am so angry about the treatment of a character. I know it wasn't the focal point of the story — Lainey's growth as a person is, but it was handled so abominably that I just couldn't really enjoy the book.

I never really connected with this one. It felt gimmicky and forced. There were things added that felt like drama-increasers, things that didn't really have a point or purpose other than to (blatantly) push the plot a certain direction, or give Lainey something else to dwell on. And, pretty much every character was super annoying, whether I liked them or not. I wouldn't want to ever meet any of these guys in real life. It was an overall fine book, just one that didn't really work for me.

Future Imperfect by K. Ryer Breese however was worse. Much much worse. I don't think I have a single positive thing to say about this book, so I shall try to make my review brief.

Every single character in this book was trashy, crazy and strung out throughout most of the book. The only semi normal character is Ade's best friend Paige, but she isn't given a lot of face time and she is an enabler. I couldn't connect with anything or anyone in this book and I didn't care about any of them. Not a single character evoked any emotion within me other than disgust.

The supernatural elements were almost believable, until Ade's new 'girlfriend' shows up. Ade can see the future when he gives himself a concussion, and that glimpse of the future becomes a high for him, so he does increasingly dangerous and stupid things to maintain it. I'm honestly surprised he isn't dead. His friends just tsk-tsk at him and his mom has decided he's pretty much the freaking Messiah. And then? AND THEN?! When the girl he's been seeing in visions for years shows up, the girl he knows he is meant to be with, things just get weirder. Turns out she can see the past. But you'll never guess what she has to do to gain her high... Gag.

The writing was decent, nothing amazing, but not terrible but the dialogue was awkward. It was a creepy book, and not in that — *shudder* hide under the covers with a flashlight creepy, but that — nasty old man who stares at you with his hands in his pocket until you rush around the corner kind of creepy. (vomit in the mouth).

Most books, even ones I didn't particularly care for, I can see the appeal or recognize that there are people who will enjoy it. But this one? This is one that I would not recommend to anyone. So if I were you, I'd just give this one a pass.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater was a book I was really excited to read. I've heard almost nothing but good things about Maggie's Shiver series, and the early talk I'd heard about this book was also quite positive. And, it was a book about hard-core, killer water horses... Sounds fascinating! But alas. I was seriously disappointed in this book, mostly because I didn't actually feel like anything really happened. I read this book a while ago and here is my initial reaction, as recorded by Goodreads-

Meh. That's almost all that I can say about this one. I don't know what it is/was about this book, but I didn't connect with it at all. Stiefvater is a good writer, but there was no emotion, no feeling, no... anything to this story. I own Shiver, and now I'm kinda nervous to read it. If it's anything like this one, I can expect another 400 pages of Sigh... Am I done yet?: (

As for their relationship, I was left totally lost there as well. I couldn't really see the draw that either of these two held for each other. We never got to see their relationship develop, at least not romantically. I can easily believe that they become mutually respectful friends with each other based on their interactions and the emotions we got to see tied into those, but really, it was strange. Not even insta-love, but more of a — let me trick you into thinking you are getting a developed relationship here when really... I got nothing.

I know I'm giving out a lot of negatives right now, but there really wasn't much that I liked about this book. The only thing this book has going for it is Maggie's writing. While the story bored me and I never believed in the characters, I did appreciate the writing. I don't really know how to explain it, because given all my complaints I shouldn't be thinking the writing is good, but there is something in the way the words flow that really shows a lot of talent from Maggie. So, I'm both hopeful and wary of the Shiver series now. Hopeful, because Maggie's writing really is lovely, but wary because I just did not enjoy this book, at all. I don't want to spend another 400 pages begging the book to just end!

So, while this book definitely wasn't for me, I do know that there are others out there who have really loved it so far and many more who will most likely appreciate this story very much (especially if you really like horses. I feel like this could be a great book for horse lovers) but me, I just couldn't do it. Link me to your reviews if you did love it, or share your thoughts in the comments! I'd really love to hear what you thought!

*Disclaimer: I borrowed a copy of this through Around the World Tours.

Kara, Lost by Susan Niz is the story of 16 year old Kara, who feels that things are so bad at home she is left with no choice but to run away. Leaving in the middle of February, she heads to her sister's house, hoping that her sister, who left home a while ago will give her a place to stay. After Ian, her sister's roommate, refuses to allow Kara to stay more than a night (harboring a runaway is illegal) Kara is fairly bitter and knows, from this one encounter that Ian is just as manipulative and controlling as their father.

Kara starts to realize that perhaps she was a bit impulsive in walking out of her parent's house, and that she is going to be in serious trouble if she can't find a place to stay. She spends one night in a mall, one night in a squat with a strange and creepy guy from McDonalds (who is very possibly high) before going home with one of the counselors from a day clinic that helps troubled teens on their own. It provides means, therapy and a safe place to spend the day, but does not offer anywhere to sleep. Gwen takes Kara home, even though it is very against the rules and because Gwen has sad eyes and seems proud of her boyfriend, Kara just knows that she is still a wounded child on the inside, not quite over her childhood trauma and therefore feels that it is her mission to protect all other kids.

Kara spends the entire book making these strange assumptions, using these grandiose jumps in logic. She just knows that Ian is really her sister's boyfriend, even though they claim to be only roommates and that he is insanely controlling of her sister. But she decides this after having met him once. And I don't blame him for not wanting her to stay. It's illegal for her to stay there. It's not hard for me to believe someone would be uncomfortable with this. She made similar assumptions about Gwen, the therapist, and later on in the novel as well.

This isn't the only flaw I felt the book had. Kara was never a believable character. The book felt as if it were told in a clinical rather than emotional manner, and I'm sorry, but if you want me to be really draw into your book about a 16 year old runaway, I need to care about your main character. I need to believe that running away was the only option she had left. But I never got that. We hear — my mom is distant and my dad is incredibly controlling and they want to force me to take an anti-depressant. We hear a lot of, I know how bad home is, I've heard how awful your home life was, but nothing is ever shown, nothing is ever expounded upon. And this is true of pretty much every character and every interaction. Some characters have a complete and total personality shift, but no one ever bothers to explain how or why it happened and I find myself unable to actually believe it.

To me, the whole story felt as if it were told with a high level of detachment. It felt as if the narrator of the story was disinterested in details and the story, which of course means that I, as a reader am more detached and therefore disinterested in the story. Even the parts of the book that should have had my pulse pounding, my breathing speeding up, my heart racing, even they left me flat and a little bored.

I will say that my favorite scene in the entire book is when Kara is sitting in McDonalds and an undercover cop shows up trying to track down the same kid she is looking for (but, umm... obviously for different reasons). The way that she detaches herself from him is brilliant and seriously made my day.

Kara, Lost isn't really a bad book. The story has potential and maybe if it had been a little tighter, a little smoother, I would have liked it more. As it is, I felt that Kara was childish, selfish, naive, impulsive and none too bright. She also has an incredible level of self-superiority and there were times when it really rubbed me the wrong way. She looked down on certain characters that had given her absolutely no reason to assume superiority. What I think might have been part of the problem is an attempt by the author to foreshadow what was going to be happening later — like Kara knowing Ian is so terrible after one encounter. Then, when Ian does start to display some more controlling tendencies, we are going to just think, Oh! Well, she was right, so I can ignore the leap of logic... It just didn't work for me.

I feel bad that most of what I've had to say is negative, because Kara, Lost really isn't a bad book. But it isn't really one I'd consider good, either. It's just kind of... there. I do know that the author, Susan Niz, went through some of the same things as Kara, having been a teen runaway herself and I feel like there really might be a great story tied up in there. I just don't really feel like this was it. But, feel free to read it for yourself and be the judge. It's possible that someone else out there will simply love it.

*Disclaimer — I received a copy of this for review in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Sharks and Boys by Kristen Tracy is a book I really wanted to like. It's contemporary, which I absolutely love, and it also has this wild-survivor life thing going on. I mean, a bunch of teenagers stuck on a raft in the middle of the ocean while sharks swim right next to their puny little inflatable 'boat'?! It has got to be amazing, right? Sadly... Not so much.

The story follows 4 sets of twins, Enid (main character), her twin Landon; her boyfriend Wick and his (jerkish) brother, two older twins and two twins with a multi-cultured background. These 8 teens have been involved in a twin-studies program since they were young kids, so they have known each other and been pretty close for years. Enid is the only girl and while it's not really a big issue, it has started changing things.

To be perfectly honest, I thought that Tracy tried to do way to many things with this story and what I feel it ended up with is a main character who drove me insane. Enid is that super clingy, controlling, possessive, annoying and insecure girl friend that no one ever wants to be around. She constantly needs Wick to tell her she's amazing or talented, even when they've already talked about that specific subject 10 times. She needs him to always be there, right when/where she needs him and she's just... UGH! Somehow, when Wick tells her that he needs some space, she's completely blindsided. (Umm, really? You didn't see that coming?!) She immediately assumes it's because of another girl, who crushed on him before moving and gets really upset. Wick then goes with the 6 other boys in their twin studies (including her brother) for a post graduation party for the oldest set of twins (who Enid has been upset with since their parents were both killed in a car accident and they took their grief out by being mean).

So, naturally, Enid assumes that he's going to cheat on her with this other chick, so she steals her mother's car (stranding her mom) and stalks him. And, it's planned. She stole the directions out of her brother's garbage can. She sneaks onto the boat the boys are all partying on, so she's there when the huge storm wrecks it. *Surprise!!*

Do you see? Do you get why I was annoyed with her? Why I didn't want to spend time with her?! Sigh.

Not only that, but there is so much additional drama to the story. And not the good kind of drama like TNT, but more like Soap Opera drama. It's about that well thought out and well planned. There was more than one occasion where I feel like the internal dialogue must have been — Oh ya... Let's go with that plot thread! But, we didn't do anything to prep for it! Oh well. That'll be okay. They won't notice because we'll toss in another shark or something right there. Ooh! Great idea! No one will notice that this is ridiculous if there's another shark!!

I have a feeling that this review is coming across as overly harsh right now, and I feel really bad about that. There were some good points to this book as well. It really wasn't all bad. But the more time passes since I've read the book, and the more I think about it, the less favorable I feel toward it.

I did like the twin dynamics at play here. It was really interesting to watch the differences and similarities from one twin set to the others and then to break that down more into the actual twins. I also really liked Landon. A lot. He was sometimes a bit stand-offish and brusque with Enid, but it was obvious that he really cared about her, and when it came right down to it, he always had her back.

I did not, however, like Wick. At all. I don't blame him at all for wanting space from Enid. I wanted space from Enid after the first chapter. But the way that he handled things later and the way that he spoke to Enid really rubbed me the wrong way. And even though Enid really bothered me, she does have some pretty valid reasons for being a little insecure in her relationship (insert really crappy dad here) so I got it, even while it bugged me.

For good or bad, the relationships were really what drove this book. The plot was just such a convoluted mess that I had no idea what to focus on. And that's not even including the bit about the sharks! I was expecting that. But there was just so much random, seemingly unconnected information and so much drama that didn't move the story anywhere or help the character development that it got overwhelming. Also, I felt like one of things that should have been the most emotional parts of the story was a complete cop-out. And, if you've read the book, I have a feeling you know which part I'm talking about.

Honestly, there are more things about this novel that bothered me. The way certain characters handled personal situations and decisions, the way the author represented certain facts about and characteristics/beliefs of the characters and so on. But, I honestly don't want to just tear the book down. It really wasn't that bad. It just definitely wasn't the book for me.

Would I ever read this book again? Highly unlikely. Would I ever give Tracy another chance? Most likely. Would I recommend this book to others? Possibly, but not without some strong reservations.

If the idea intrigues you, give the book a chance. And then, please! Come back and tell me what you thought. I'd love to be able to chat with someone about their thoughts on the book!

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this through a Teen Book Scene Tour.