Review: Roomies by Tara Altebrando & Sara Zarr

Title: Roomies 
Author: Tara Altebrando & Sara Zarr
Expected publication: December 24th 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
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Roomies is about two girls that spend a summer emailing each other before they will meet in person in school. So you know what you’re going to get, yet not really because these are teenagers after all, taking the biggest step in their life, moving from their homes and starting to live with a stranger, so there is a lot of catharsis going on.

I sort of liked this novel because of what it means. It’s about an incredibly exciting phase, when you leave the nest and start a new chapter in your life, when you start adulthood. The thing is though, that even though I have already been through that, I found it hard to empathize with both girls, Lauren and Elizabeth. Mostly Elizabeth, I couldn’t really find it in my hard to like her, she seemed a little shallow to me, and her mother didn’t help matters.

Lauren was alright, but then she started to date a guy who is black-skinned. I high-fived the authors in my head because that is a bold move for today’s Young Adult Literature, but then the truth came out. Lauren apparently really likes Keyon but her natural reaction and her parents’ reaction and Elizabeth’s reaction, while very appreciated for the honesty, I was severely disappointed to see kids these days still grow up kind of prejudiced against these meaningless things.

At the end, I think this book is going to be very helpful for everyone out there who is about to experience a situation when they are going to have a new roomie. I think one of its strongest messages is that you don’t need to be best friends with your new roomie, you just have to accept them and their personality, no matter if they are different or similar to yours. It’s all part of growing up. But I wouldn’t really call it a requisite read, though, and it is probably more appealing to the younger crowd.

Review: Let The Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Title: Let The Sky Fall 
Author: Shannon Messenger
Published March 5th 2013 by Simon Pulse
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I read “Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed his parents.” and was like WOAH I have to read this boy’s story!

Turns out I was wrong and this book is not about a tragic F-5 tornado that hit some town. No. It’s about super-powered people that are made of air or control air or something, and can (and possibly will) destroy the human race.

Like I have stated before, I hate it when a book tries hard at making me believe the heroine is kickass. It’s like, let me decide that for myself and not shove down my throat how wonderful and deadly this girl is. You know, the kind of problem I have with Divergent. I think it’s more important to portray a girl with a healthy amount of vulnerability so we readers believe that maybe, just maybe there’s also force within ourselves that will allow us to become awesome heroines too. The thing is, Audra was too unapproachable to me. Yes, she did have a sad story behind her, and her family situation sucked, but it was hard to believe she cared about it, because she never showed emotions for it, mostly what she talked about were her duties as Vane’s guardian and her oath to protect him and it was hard to believe any teenager would not have a bit of a pity party once in a while.

And then, I am sorry to say, that Vane was kind of dull. I loved that he thought he was human, though so he went through a lot of emotions and struggled to catch on to the new reality of him being an air-elemental. It was a realistic approach to the way a boy would handle the news, and that is what saved the book for me.

But then again, I am not one to be easily awed by new realities and super powers and strange worlds. It is very rare to get a supernatural/paranormal book in my hands that I can say blew my mind or captivated me enough to continue reading the rest of the series.

On a happier note, I am absolutely in love with the cover of this book. Not only is gorgeous but it also makes a lot of sense once you read the story and captures perfectly these two characters.

Review: Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

Title: Crash Into You
Author: Katie McGarry
Publication: November 26th 2013 by Harlequin Teen
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I know I haven’t been the most forgiving reviewer on this book’s past sister novels. But nevertheless, I find it really sad that the series is ending and that this might be the last we see of these characters. However, I loved that Crash Into You was the book chosen to wrap things up because to me it was the best of the series.

Seriously, as I read along, I found it hard not to invest myself in the story. Isaiah might not have had my attention back in Pushing The Limits or Dare You To but he completely won me over when telling his story. He’s got a tough exterior and might seem scary or threatening but he is one sweet boy on the inside. I liked that he was loyal and strong and at the same time really vulnerable too.

Then we had Rachel, who suffers panic attacks and I don’t know if it is because I’m currently taking Psychiatry or because I’m naturally so empathetic (and apparently, humble too) but my heart immediately warmed for her story. I can see why she developed her disorder and I was seriously mad at her family for treating her that way.

But then, Rachel also pissed me off sometimes. Like, why couldn’t she figure out a way to get the money? Why did she have to let poor Isaiah carry the entire burden even though he practically lives in the streets and has nothing?! And then she goes questioning his love for her. However, I ended up giving her a pass ‘cause she isn’t the most reliable mind in the ward so to speak.

But then Isaiah was wonderful and it lightened up the whole book for me. He is strong-minded and loyal and caring even though he grew up being the “weakest” link in the chain. But now he’s out there making the world a faster place and my heart thanks him for that. That’s the magic you guys, that even though tattoos, shaved heads and earrings on guys don’t do it for me, Katie McGarry made me fall for one guy that features all those three.

Sincerely, I can say that of all the books in the series, this is the one that did it for me more tan the others, but I still would recommend the whole series.