This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Goodreads Summary:
It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?
My Review:
Man I love anything Zombie. And I mean LOVE.
Carrie Ryan's series? Love. THE WALKING DEAD? Love. I AM LEGEND? Love. THIS IS NOT A TEST? Holy WTF Batman?
The last twenty pages alone, I just about fell out of bed while reading it. Courtney Summers did NOT hold back in those last few pages. And I mean AT ALL.
The beginning may have been a tad bit slow for my zombie tastes, but once it started going, it never stopped. And all I kept thinking was what I would do if I were stuck in Cortege High School. Then again, if I were stuck with Rhys, it might not be so bad.
Then the story unfolded and it was exactly how I would've imagined it would be, if the world was suddenly taken over by zombies. Mass hysteria. A frantic search for refuge. Never being alone.
Especially that last one.
And normally you read about how slow zombies are, dragging a foot behind them. Slugging along with their arms outstretched, moaning. Zombies that aren't smart enough to climb over a fence. Or open a door. But what really did it for me, is that the zombies in THIS IS NOT A TEST were fast. They actually ran. And I think that scared the crap out of me. Something that could actually keep up? So. Not. Cool. Ms. Summers. Not cool at all.
Okay, you know I loved it. Really.
And the external battle wasn't the only one our MC Sloane was up against. Deeply flawed with her own personal demons, she struggled between fighting and giving up. In fact, all of the characters had their own issues, each bringing something different to the table.
In the end, I'll say I thoroughly enjoyed THIS IS NOT A TEST. And as sick and twisted as it sounds, I love a book that can make me pull my foot in from hanging off the edge of the bed. Or close my closet door. Or jump when my dog's ears perk up at a strange noise in the house. And THIS IS NOT A TEST? Yeah, it didn't disappoint.
My Review: THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE by Jandy Nelson
The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Goodreads Summary:
Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life - and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey's boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie's own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they're the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can't collide without the whole wide world exploding.
This remarkable debut is perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Francesca Lia Block. Just as much a celebration of love as it is a portrait of loss, Lennie's struggle to sort her own melody out of the noise around her is always honest, often hilarious, and ultimately unforgettable.
My Review:
Hands down, one of the most beautiful novels I have read. Ever. I absolutely loved THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE. And without a doubt, this gets my best read for 2012. It definitely has made my top 5 of all YA.
THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE was filled with such raw emotion, as Lennie deals with not only the death of her sister, but living life without ever knowing her birth mother. And then there are the two boys, Toby and Joe. One who wanders just as lost as Lennie does, trying to find his place in the world without Bailey. And one who makes her realize that life does move on, even when it's stopped for someone else.
The secondary characters - Gram and Big - both offered truly unique anchors for Lennie. Gram, who became the mother she didn't realize she had. And Big, offering his words of wisdom in a powerful, yet subtle way.
Exquisite writing that painted a world full of grief and sadness and ultimately, how finding happiness is a possibility.
Jandy Nelson is an author who writes words every writer dreams of writing, but very few seldom do. I am overwhelmed by this story, almost breathless. It was simply amazing and I loved every single word.
View all my reviews
Have you read THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE? What did you think?
RTW: Best July Read(s)!
It's Road Trip Wednesday time - and today's topic:
WHAT WAS THE BEST BOOK YOU READ IN JULY?
I will admit, I read some pretty bad books in July. Eh-em, FIFTY SHADES OF GREY turned out to be fifty shades of days I will never get back in my life!
But...I also read two books, that were both pretty dang awesome. Two books I HIGHLY recommend you all pick up and read this summer:
1. ON THE ISLAND by Tracey Garvis-Graves
Goodreads Summary:
When thirty-year-old English teacher Anna Emerson is offered a job tutoring T.J. Callahan at his family's summer rental in the Maldives, she accepts without hesitation; a working vacation on a tropical island trumps the library any day. T.J. Callahan has no desire to leave town, not that anyone asked him. He's almost seventeen and if having cancer wasn't bad enough, now he has to spend his first summer in remission with his family - and a stack of overdue assignments - instead of his friends.
Anna and T.J. are en route to join T.J.'s family in the Maldives when the pilot of their seaplane suffers a fatal heart attack and crash-lands in the Indian Ocean. Adrift in shark-infested waters, their life jackets keep them afloat until they make it to the shore of an uninhabited island.
Now Anna and T.J. just want to survive and they must work together to obtain water, food, fire, and shelter. Their basic needs might be met but as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.'s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.
My review:
Now I know what you're thinking when you read the above summary - but really, you MUST give this book a shot before assuming the worst. Because honestly, this was one of the best reads I've read in a LONG time - and I finished it in one day.
The characters were well written from start to finish. And by the time I turned the last page, I was a blubbering mess. That's something that doesn't happen often, I can assure you.
I still need to write my review on this one, so I won't say anything more other than you DEFINITELY MUST READ THIS BOOK!
2. THE VINCENT BOYS by Abbi Glines
Goodreads Summary:
Being the good girl isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Ashton Gray has grown weary of playing the part to please her parents, and to be worthy of the town’s prince charming, Sawyer Vincent. Maybe That’s why she’s found herself spending time with Sawyer’s cousin, Beau, while he’s away for the summer camping with his family. Beau is nothing like her perfect boyfriend. He’s the sexiest guy she’s ever seen, dangerous in ways she’s only day dreamed about, and the one guy she should stay away from.
Beau never envied Sawyer his loving parents, his big nice home, or his position as quarterback. He loves him like a brother. Which is why he's tried everything in his power to keep his distance from Sawyer’s girlfriend. Even if he has loved her since the age of five, Ashton is Sawyer’s girl, so therefore she’s off limits. But when Sawyer leaves for the summer, Ashton, the one girl Beau would move Heaven and Earth for, decides she wants to get into trouble. Stabbing the one person who’s always accepted him and stood by him in the back, is the cost of finally holding Ashton Gray in his arms. Is she worth losing his cousin over?.... Hell Yeah.
My Review:
Let me tell you, Ms. Glines writes boy WELL. This one is a perfect summer read - light, fun, and easy. Again, I haven't written my review yet, so I won't go into detail...other than I really enjoyed it! My only disappointment is that the sequel - THE VINCENT BROTHERS - is only out on Kindle right now (boo!) - but Abbi reassures me (yes, I DM'd her on Twitter!) she's working on the paperback version, and fingers crossed, it should be out soon.
_______________
Both of the above are great summer reads - and definitely a breath of fresh air from the FIFTY mess I got myself into earlier in the month.
I also stopped by Barnes & Noble last weekend and picked up 14 new books from my TBR list (ENDER'S GAME, WHAT I DIDN'T SAY, SUCH A RUSH, DON'T BREATHE A WORD, and MY LIFE NEXT DOOR to name a few!), so needless to say, August is going to be a busy month for reading...and I can't wait!
So, what great reads did you conquer in the month of July?
Happy 4th of July!
While the rest of the country is fighting against unbearable heat, out here in Seattle it's a known fact: Summer doesn't start until the 5th of July.
But this year we were lucky, because the sun was shining bright yesterday, and we experienced the luxury of clear blue skies for the first time in I don't know how many years!
Which made it the perfect evening for fireworks - Starbucks put on a fabulous presentation as seen in the below video shot from Gasworks Park, on South Lake Union:
If you ever have an opportunity to come out to Seattle, I'd highly suggest you time it around the 4th of July. Really, it's just specatular!
And a big shout out to my home town of Maple Valley, who put on a fabulous show of their own, down at the lake in my neighborhood - and all within walking distance of my house! But let me tell you, it's the gift that keeps on giving, as I live near some extreme pyromaniacs - the fireworks are still going off today, and they'll continue over the next several nights, I'm sure! And I love it!!!
What did everyone else do to celebrate?
Whatever it was, I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July, wherever you were!
Re-Writes, Schme-writes: I'M FINALLY DONE!!!
I am so happy to be able to finally write this post, after all, it's been almost one year in the making! Because late Sunday night / early Monday morning, I finally - and I can't believe I actually get to type this:
I Finished my rewrite on THE LUCKY FEW.
Almost one year ago - July 11th to be exact - I queried Mr. Agent Man...and received a phone call from him the very next day, requesting an exclusive revision. And, well, of course I jumped at the chance!
A few weeks later, he sent me a detailed letter that was single spaced and ten pages long. TEN! 10.
And after reading those pages, I realized exactly the opportunity I was holding in my hands - but what I wasn't prepared for, was the challenge to rethink the entire platform of my book. As in, "what if we looked at it this way?"
To which I went through the following:
Wait, what? You mean my book isn't amazing as-is? Huh. I thought it was pretty good. Wait, now that you mention it, maybe it's just so-so. Okay, NOW I get it, I see what you're thinking!
And voila! An entirely different focus was born...although that in itself, took several months to get to. Lucky for me, there was plenty of back and forth, which included multiple emails and conference calls with he and his fabulous assistant (did I mention the complete and utter state of shock I was in, that this was even happening?).
It was all so exciting - first to be working with someone of his stature, second, to be getting top-notch feedback, and third, to be working with an agent at all.
But man, rewrites are tough. 
And I constantly struggled with what could stay - always analyzing if the writing in question, moved the story forward - but what was worse than that...was what needed to go. It was like watching the series finale of FRIENDS (one of my all-time favorite shows!), or finishing the last sentence in MOCKINGJAY. And I realized it was as if I wanted to put it off, so I wouldn't have to say goodbye.
But then I heeded the advice of one of my fabulous critique partners - Heidi S.:
Just get in there and do it - and stop over-thinking it all!
Or something like that. I'm sure it was much more eloquently written, but none-the-less, it had the same impact. She tends to keep it real like that. And it's for this that I love her so!
So I took Heidi's advice and I got in there and did it. I axed almost 35,000 words *eek*, then rewrote 40,000 more *yay!* The past two weeks have been serious late nights...and I can't remember the last time I was in bed, before 2:30am. Which makes for a very long day at the office, when my alarm goes off at 5am.
But I so want this. I almost ache for it. And knowing I was so close to being done, I knew it was something that I just had to do. Besides, late night writing is my favorite, when all is quiet in the world.
And late last night, after re-reading it again, I was finally able to send it off to my CP's. Now it's in their hands to tear apart. And I look forward to reading all their suggestions, feedback, and seeing a smiley face or two, when they read something they like.
Then once they're done, I'll make my final revisions and off to Mr. Agent Man it goes! And I can't wait.
Until then, I look forward to having Thursday and Friday off this week. And the fact I may be able to go to sleep at a reasonable hour tonight. In fact, I may sleep through all the fireworks, once my head hits that pillow.
And that's okay by me. Because I'M FINALLY DONE.
And my fingers are crossed.
Rewrites or revisions - what was this process like for you?
Happy 4th of July (or belated Happy Canada Day, to my friends to the North!) - wishing you all a wonderful week! And I completely forgot - looks like tonight might be a later night than I expected, but for an entirely different reason: my husband and I are going to see Joan Jett! I know, you're jealous. :)
Friday Ramblings: Ode To Starbucks
Last Saturday marked my 100th day sans coffee and caffeine (did I mention I can't even have decaf?).
And while I know this change overall is better for my health, there's really only one way to sum up exactly how I feel:
This. Blows.
Because you'll wanna trust me when I say: A WRITER WITH NO CAFFEINE, IS NOT SOMEONE YOU WANT TO MESS WITH.
I should get that printed on a t-shirt.
Maybe at some point down the road, I'll get to where I'm no longer counting the days - after all, this is a total lifestyle change for me, and something I plan on committing to for the rest of my life.
Yep, I actually typed that...out loud.
Granted, I will say I've let myself splurge a time or two. Because you might be able to take away my morning tall, double, skinny, hazelnut latte, but may the Gods be ever in your favor, if you take away chocolate, too.
So while I attempt to come to grips with the fact Starbucks indeed, will NOT shut it's doors because I've stopped going there every morning (I do live in Seattle, after all!), I've succumbed to wandering the tea aisle at my Whole Foods...with a longing gaze over my shoulder at all the glorious coffee only shelves away; inhaling deeply as I walk past and fighting the urge to find a way to pump it straight into my veins.
At least I've been fortunate to come across some pretty amazing caffeine-free teas: Tazo Vanilla Rooibos (although I've learned the side effect of this one, is terrible heart burn!), Yogi Egyptian Licorice, and Numi Honeybush. Any of the above with a spoonful of blackberry honey = yum.
However, great teas aside, I have no idea how I'm going to handle when fall rolls around - because that right there, means only one thing:
This my friends, is almost better than...well, I could list a number of things here. Because yes, it's that good.
But...I digress.
And now I'm off to go refill the hot water in my cup for my tea. Ho hum.
With that, I'll leave you to answer: have you ever had to give up something you never thought you could and how did you handle it?
Happy Friday, everyone - hope you all have a wonderfully caffeinated weekend!