Review: The One Thing by Marci Lyn Curtis

Title: The One Thing 
Author: Marci Lyn Curtis
Expected publication: September 8th 2015 by Disney-Hyperion
From Goodreads: 

Maggie Sanders might be blind, but she won't invite anyone to her pity party. Ever since losing her sight six months ago, Maggie's rebellious streak has taken on a life of its own, culminating with an elaborate school prank. Maggie called it genius. The judge called it illegal.
Now Maggie has a probation officer. But she isn't interested in rehabilitation, not when she's still mourning the loss of her professional-soccer dreams, and furious at her so-called friends, who lost interest in her as soon as she could no longer lead the team to victory.
Then Maggie's whole world is turned upside down. Somehow, incredibly, she can see again. But only one person: Ben, a precocious ten-year-old unlike anyone she's ever met.Ben's life isn't easy, but he doesn't see limits, only possibilities. After awhile, Maggie starts to realize that losing her sight doesn't have to mean losing everything she dreamed of. Even if what she's currently dreaming of is Mason Milton, the infuriatingly attractive lead singer of Maggie's new favorite band, who just happens to be Ben's brother.
But when she learns the real reason she can see Ben, Maggie must find the courage to face a once-unimaginable future... before she loses everything she has grown to love.

So what's your thing? The One Thing that makes you the happiest?
Mine is easy, it would be reading amazing books. And I am thrilled to inform you that this is one of them.

I had the most magical experience reading this novel. I don't even know what to say about it right now so I don't spoil it for everyone else, just that it was fabulous. I mean is not everyday you find a book that is mainly focused on the relationship between a seventeen year old blind girl and a semi-paralyzed ten year old boy. That alone makes me want to grab the book and read it again, to remind myself of how incredibly beautiful and funny and heartbreaking and uplifting it was.

To me, it is Maggie and Ben's relationship that completely made the book. They were the best pair of mismatched friends I have ever read. But that's not to say I didn't appreciate, and LOVED other aspects of the book. Like Maggie's grandpa, Gramps, who takes her granddaughter to Target and then abandons her at the Feminine Products aisle and talks to her about his swollen prostate. And Ben's mom, who welcomes strangers to her home with bear hugs and saves stray animals. And of course, Ben's brother Mason, lead singer of Maggie's favorite band, reformed bad boy and Ben's biggest cheerleader.

I loved everything about this book that even now writing this makes me want to go back and read it again. If only just for Ben, and his incredibly bright soul, his awkward question and his larger than life personality. He calls Maggie his girlfriend the first time he meets her, he was a ten in my eyes right in that moment. And Maggie, with her dark humor and sarcastic personality that doesn't hide her soft heart and her struggle to cope with her new vulnerability. She went from soccer goddess to a friendless blind kid. My heart swelled for her. That's why my favorite part was the first half, when Ben and Maggie's friendship blossoms.

The second half was harder. If only because of it deals with all the difficult issues that were swept under the rug before. Especially the twist. I found it hard to understand both Maggie and Mason's reactions after that, but I guess I wouldn't know what to make about it either.

In the end I think this was an excellent read. I haven't been so enthralled in a novel in months, and this one awoke me and shook me and practically kicked me out of my reading stupor and reminded me that YA is full of magical surprises.

Review: Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid

Title: Never Always Sometimes

Author: Adi Alsaid
 

From Goodreads:

Best friends Dave and Julia were determined to never be cliché high school kids—the ones who sit at the same lunch table every day, dissecting the drama from homeroom and plotting their campaigns for prom king and queen. They even wrote their own Never List of everything they vowed they'd never, ever do in high school.

Some of the rules have been easy to follow, like #5, never die your hair a color of the rainbow, or #7, never hook up with a teacher. But Dave has a secret: he's broken rule #8, never pine silently after someone for the entirety of high school. It's either that or break rule #10, never date your best friend. Dave has loved Julia for as long as he can remember.

Julia is beautiful, wild and impetuous. So when she suggests they do every Never on the list, Dave is happy to play along. He even dyes his hair an unfortunate shade of green. It starts as a joke, but then a funny thing happens: Dave and Julia discover that by skipping the clichés, they've actually been missing out on high school. And maybe even on love.

__________________________

It's always fun to read about best friends, don't you think? Something about it transports me to my happy place and that's where I like to be when I read.

This is actually my first time reading one of Adi Alsaid's books but he's funny on Facebook and I thought it was time to try one out.

At first I was a little bit put off by it. Something in Julia's excessively trying to be quirky and Dave's complete willingness to go along with everything she said. But then they warmed on me and I understood this odd couple better.

I ended up loving the turns the story took on. I am so glad for them too because it shows that maybe we need time and growth to realize what we really want, especially when we are seventeen.

Perfect ending. I couldn't agree more with the way things turned out. I saw it coming and I wanted it. At the end I knew it was the best for the characters I got to loved through the pages so I'm happy and glad I read this one. Don't pass it.

Review: Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway

Title: Emmy & Oliver 
Author: Robin Benway
Expected publication: June 23rd 2015 by HarperTeen
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary, drama
Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depo

 According to my goodreads account, I have been waiting for this novel for almost two years. Two years of anticipation that built up a lot of expectations. And to be totally honest, this novel did not disappoint.

Emmy & Oliver is about two childhood friends reunited ten years after Oliver was kidnapped by his father. If that isn't enough to catch your attention I don't know what you're doing reading this. It was an emotional roller coaster, there's no other way to describe it.

Robin did an amazing job at capturing what each of the characters went through because of this horrible experience. Which made me connect with everyone in the book and really see the reasoning behind their actions. I absolutely loved that this book doesn't tell you how to feel but instead questions your feelings. It reminds you that the world is not black or white but shades of gray.

Despite you would expect this book to be about Oliver, he is the one who was kidnapped after all, it is so much about Emmy too. Everything she went through and how that shaped who she is now. I loved Emmy, she to me was the strongest character. Apart from Maureen, Oliver's mom, who is reminiscent of Michelle Pfeiffer in The Deep End of the Ocean (this film is a jewel, you should see it ASAP) just as heartbreaking and fierce at the same time.

And I just don't think it is appropriate to continue trying to explain this book because it won't do it justice. Every YA Contemporary fan should experience this one for themselves.

Review: Between The Notes by Sharon Huss Roat

Title: Between The Notes 
Author: Sharon Huss Roat
Expected publication: June 16th 2015 by Harper Teen
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary, Drama, Music
Goodreads | Amazon | The BookDepo

There's something magical about Between the Notes. Something that transported me back to my teenage years, something every YA is supposed to do but it's actually rare nowadays. Because to be honest, I read YA all the time and I didn't know I've missed this so much until I had it again, the thrill of expecting the unexpected, the twist in the story that will make you go 'woah'.

I loved it. I loved this despite of the love triangle. In fact I think I loved it because of the love triangle.

Ivy's family is going through a difficult financial situation. She is been wealthy all of her life but now she's forced to relocate to a modest setting where she has to learn the real value of money, and truth, and friendship and of course, love.

People, Ivy Emerson is likable. Even if she starts off as a snob, you just can't help to like her. And her internal growth throughout the book is off the charts. I enjoyed every step of the way. And let's not even get started on the rest of the  characters, who were all amazing, from Ivy's parents to Kaya and Brady, her little brother and sister, the loyal friends Reesa and Molly, and let's not forget the love interests, James Wickerton with his romantic notes and drawings, and Tim Riggins, I mean Lennie Heart-Of-Gold Lazarski.

I cannot say enough good things about this novel. So I'll settle for: read this! the message behind it alone makes it worth it, but the spectacular way it's written will make you stay for the rest.