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Review to come soon.

Review to come soon.

Review to come soon!

After reading The Distance Between Us last month(and lovin' it!) I could hardly wait to pick up Pivot Point. As excited as I was to find out that Pivot Point focuses on parallel worlds I have to admit that I felt a little apprehensive when I found out that about the super powers part. But all of that vanished when I started reading Pivot Point. This book was good. Like really really good.All of us make choices on a daily basis, right? What if you were to find out that one of these seemingly minuscule decisions has the chance to change your life forever? And what if you knew the consequences that came with making one of these seemingly unimportant choice?Does being aware of these consequences make it any easier to make that decision?With her parents' decision to separate, Addie has to choose between living with her mother in the Compound and living with her dad in the Norm World. Addie's clairvoyance ability should make this task of choosing an easy one. Knowing the outcomes of her choices is not as great as one would think especially when it means that she has to choose between her loved ones.Kasie West succeeds AGAIN in forcing her way into my list of favorite authors with her refreshing debut, Pivot Point. Both of Addie's potential paths are narrated in alternating chapters-the transitions from one parallel world to another was seamless and done exceptionally well. I got sucked into one version of Addie's future only to get pulled back and introduced to another version that was equally compelling! West keeps moving the reader back and forth between the futures and this strategy made Pivot Point unputdownable! Addie's voice was an important factor for the success of this book since the story is narrated by her, she's smart, organized, strong and sarcastic. The choice she makes at the end was a hard but necessary one and I respected the fact that she made this choice in order to protect someone that she loved. “When I read, I feel emotion all on my own. Emotion no living person is making me feel.” It is rare to find books where best friend relationships in books are portrayed realistically but West does this quiet well. Laila was a character that I liked a lot and her interaction with Addie was a pleasure to read. “He shrugs. "Doesn't help to waste my time thinking about would've-beens." Laila whispers, "He says to the girl with a mind full of them.” Duke-the hot and popular quarterback who can charm people into doing pretty much anything he wants.Trevor-All I can say is Duke pales in comparison to this guy. This ex-football player(courtesy of back injury while playing) is a sweet and talented guy. Basically, Trevor was totally irresistible and swoonworthy! “Your eyelashes make mine want to commit suicide from shame.” And just like in The Distance Between Us the romance part of the book was so well written that it makes you want to stand on the sidelines and cheer out loud for Addie! “I want you to choose me, Addie,” he whispers. “I want this to be real.”I also loved the interactions between Addie and her parents(who also have cool abilities-her dad is a Discerner and her mom's a Persuasive) and , this is where a lot of other YA books fail. Unlike other books of this genre Addie's parents were always present and not 'conveniently' absent-Thank God!West's writing was simple yet captivating. There's just the right amount of romance, angst, mystery, humor and paranormal elements to keep you turning those pages. Once again, Kasie West exceeds my expectations and delivers a book that'll make you want to read it one sitting and finish it, only to pick it up once again. The world building was satisfactory but I would have to loved to know a little more about Addie's life inside the compound and the abilities that inhabitants possessed. Hopefully this will be explored in details in the sequel-Sooo excited! I absolutely cannot wait to read Split Second!

Actual Rating: 4.5 StarsWhen I added Kasie West's The Distance Between Us to my TBR list I did it solely for that gorgeous cover. Boy am I'm glad I did it because this heart warming story just became one of my favorite reads for 2013. The Distance Between Us takes cliche poor girl/rich boy scenario and turns it into an amazing story that will leave you gushing about it weeks after you turn that final page! I feel that characters can make or break a book. The Distance Between Us is a solid example of this-If the characters were flat and poorly constructed the whole rich guy/poor girl story would have been a huge fail. So I'm glad to say that the awesome-sauce characters were one of the strengths of The Distance Between Us.Caymen is a senior who's helping her mom to make ends meet by working at her mom's porcelain doll store. Brownie points to Kasie West for the original(and kinda creepy) setting-I don't think I've ever come across a YA book that's set in a doll shop!I absolutely loved Caymen's voice-her dry humor was enough to keep me reading. She used her sarcasm without remorse and I loved this girl for it! (I think maybe overusing the word LOVE in this review)“Is that your subtle way of saying you missed me last week?”“I've missed my hot chocolate. I just think of you as the guy who brings it to me. Sometimes I forget your name and call you hot chocolate guy.” And Xander-It's a crime to create such a frigging perfect character because all my other fictional boyfriends look just pale in comparison to this guy. He was super charming, thoughful and sweet in this real way. And despite Caymen's attempts to keep him away with her sarcasm he calls her out on it and keeps pursuing her.“Caymen?”“Yes?”“You look terrified. Does this scare you?”“More than anything.”“Why?”“Because I didn’t bring my mints.” “And now the real answer . . .” “Because I’m afraid that once you catch me, the game’s over.”From digging graves and shopping at thrift stores to flying out to check out universities-I loved the way Kasie uses these cute 'career days' to help us get to know Xander and Caymen better! The Distance Between Us is a book that leaves you with a 'happy high' that you get only after you eat multiple bars of chocolate and watch Beauty and the Beast a bazillion times.There was twist at the end that kinda threw me off for a second, I felt that this tied things up a little too neatly. But other than tiny little road bump The Distance Between Us was pretty much awesome!So basically, what I'm trying to say is read this book people-READ IT NOW.The Distance Between Us is what contemporary books are all about-swoony, fun and dramatic enough to keep you turning those pages.*** A huge thank you to Harper Teen and Kasie West for a copy of this amazing book. I heart you guys.***

Stop by Say It with Books this week to read our chat review,to find out what cartoon character wrote her Master's Thesis on and to win a copy of My Ex From Hell!Nuzaifa: Hi Everyone! Since the response for our first chat review in April was amazing we have decided to make the chat review a monthly feature here at Say It with Books. So welcome to our second chat review-Today we will be reviewing Tellulah Darling’s YA romantic comedy, My Ex from Hell! JSo Rach tell me what are your thoughts on My Ex from Hell?Rachel: Do you know the feeling when you totally didn’t see something coming? That’s what I felt when I read My Ex from Hell. When I first heard of it, I expected it to just be another typical story of a teenage girl and a bad boy-you know the story. But when I started reading it, I was instantly engrossed and I liked Sophie right away. She’s witty and downright hilarious! I know readers will absolutely love her and all the other characters.Nuzaifa: Spot on, Rach-that is exactly how I felt about Sophie! This girl’s sarcasm will leave you in a fit of giggles! One of the Darling’s strengths is her knack for writing witty dialogue. Thanks to this factor the story moved fast and there was never a dull moment!"I'm guessing that's a costume and not you finally announcing your lack of a dick to the world," I said to Anil."Nice trying to go as an actual chick, Bloom," he sneered back. "Maybe one day you won't need the socks."“In the improved movie version of my life, I came back with the best comeback ev-ah. "Rachel: Ditto! Right from the first page of this story, I can assure you that you will laugh your hearts out!Dear Your Royal ImperialnessDemeter, Goddess of Grain andFertility, Preserver of Marriage, andBringer of Seasons,Or can I just call you Mom?Rachel: This immediately heightened my curiosity because and it already gives you an idea of what Sophie went through, in bits and pieces. We have studied Greek Mythology back in high school but this is such a refreshing take on this subject. I’ve never been that interested with gods and goddesses, but when I read My Ex From Hell, I swear I suddenly wanted to know more about it.Nuzaifa: I can definitely relate to that, Rach! Greek Mythology is something that’s growing popular in the YA category but I don’t think I’ve come across a book that tackles the whole Persephone and Hades angle in such a way. And I definitely don’t think I’ve ever come across a Persephone that is hilarious as Sophie!Rachel: The plot itself was interesting and funny. The reason why Sophie met Kai and the circumstances and the place and everything! And after that, it’s when Sophie’s whole world started to turn upside down. And add Hannah and Theo to the story, then bam, get ready to laugh your asses out. Their personalities are so different from each other, especially with Hannah and Sophie. Hannah’s the perfect example of a popular girl with her oh-so-perfect face and model-like body while Sophie’s the simpler one but they seem to blend well just right. Another character that made this story more interesting is Bethany. Just a glimpse of their exchange:Bethany: “I know a great pose for relieving stress. It involves shoving your head up your ass.”Sophie: “I couldn’t steal your signature move. Oh wait. That’s shoving your head up the teachers’ asses. My bad.”Seriously, there were times when I wanted to smack Bethany for being so mean to Sophie and thinking that she’s the most superior creature in the world. But as what I said, she also shook things up and made it more exciting.Nuzaifa: Supporting characters is where a lot of books fail but the entire cast of My Ex from Hell was well constructed and were all involved in the story. Theo would probably be my most favourite supporting character! With his dry humour and air of mystery Theo was a total winner in my opinion."How big was my rack?" I asked hopefully."Such tact," Theo admonished. "I never noticed.""How would big boobs help you save humankind? Unless you're planning to poke out Hades' eye with your diamond hard nips." Hannah rolled her eyes at me.Whether it’s saving the universe from pissed off Greek Gods or slaying dragons you can always count on Sophie, Theo and Hannah to make laugh your heart out!Rachel: Of course, last but not the least. Kai. The swoon worthy guy, but let me tell you, he can be a pig sometimes most of the time. And our dear Sophie is very attracted to him:Kai’s voice was dark and lazy and slightly foreign and … whoa baby, I’m getting weakjust thinking about it. Name, voice, it all worked for me. Fortunately, he couldn’t see me nod like an idiot puppy at his words.I still don’t know if I am going to love or hate Kai, well because of the ending, but right now it’s 60% love, 40% hate.Nuzaifa: And here I was wondering when we were going to get to the most yummy part! ;) Kai….I think I’m going to wait and read the sequel, My DateFrom Hell before deciding on how I feel about him since we didn’t really get to know Kai very well in My Ex From Hell. So Rachel time to wrap this up, what did you think of the book as a whole?Rachel: My Ex From Hell is a refreshing take of the story of gods and goddesses and readers will surely love the twists and turns that Tellulah created for this story. Perfect blend of the characters and well-written lines, thumbs up for Ms. Darling! Nuzaifa: My Ex From Hell is great choice for Mythology fans who love retellings and a good laugh. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of Tellulah’s wonderful writing in the sequel, My Date From Hell!

Although I have seen Shelly Crane's books around the blogosphere a LOT, this is the first time I read one of her books. And I'm glad I did so .The story is narrated by Emma Walker who wakes up from her six month coma to find out that she has no memory whatsoever of her life prior to the accident. She's wakes up and realizes that she has a family of who she has no recollection of. Finding out that pre-accident Emma was a bitch with a capital B was the icing on the cake.Her friends, her family and her 'boyfriend' expect her to go back to being the pre-accident Emma. But post-accident Emma is nothing like the pre-accident Emma. Shelly Crane paints a clear picture of the struggles that Emma faces during her journey to find herself. Shelly forces the readers to experience every ounce of frustration, disappointment, regret and hope that Emma feels. Despite Emma's history it was hard not to like her and empathize with her. Mason is her physical therapist-the guy who both literally and figuratively helps Emma stand on her own two feet. He was a refreshing change from the bad boys that seem to be taking over the Contemporary Romance genre. He was honorable, caring and he did the sweetest things ever for Emma!"More than a poor boy that had nothing to offer, more than a tattooed guy who always had to prove he was something from judging eyes, more than I deserved. I took her face in my hands and then took her mouth. That mouth that owned me, that mouth that made me forgot who and what I was and made me feel like I was better than all that." The fact that the MCs were well thought out and lovable was a strong point for Wide Awake. But the supporting characters especially pre-accident Emma's friends fell kinda flat. Shelly portrayed Emma's moments with her mother really well. I would have loved to see more of this kind of interaction between Emma and her siblings too. That being said Wide Awake had a great concept that was executed quite well. Each chapter starts with a useless fact-this added a nice, quirky touch to the book!Useless Fact #1: A duck's quack doesn't echo and no one knows why.Useless Fact #: It's possible to lead a cow upstairs, but not downstairs.I'd definitely recommend Wide Awake to Contemporary fans who enjoy reading about second chances, hope and love.

3.5 STARSI stumbled across Vigilant on Christina's (A Reader of Fictions) Cover Snark feature. I knew I'd pick this book up sooner or later because of it's super gorgeous cover! That was until I read the synopsis. A Vigilante?! Holy Smoking Batman, I wanted it ASAP."He was like Batman or Superman or The Green Arrow, but not the made-up fantasies of men who never grew up and who sketched their heroes into comic books. He was real, and he’d just saved Ari from four armed gunmen. He was the Glory City Vigilante.Ari Grant was a refreshing character-Caring, reckless, flawed yet strong. She clearly cared about the youth that she worked with because she went to great lengths to make sure that they stayed out of trouble. And even when the kids did get into trouble she tried to helped them out despite the repeated threats to her life.Her relationship with her roommate, Oliver was written quite well. They had each other's back and supported each even if it was for something completely crazy!“I’m about to do something reckless and possibly stupid. Do you want to come with me?” Oliver furrowed his eyebrows for a moment. “Scale of one to ten, ten being the highest, how reckless and stupid? “Seven.” After a moment of consideration he smiled. “I’m in. Let me get my coat.”Ari makes a couple of decisions that were less than sensible but she does rectify these mistakes sooner or later. Her determination to make sure that these troubled kids stayed safe at all costs was something that I really admired. It was not an easy job so I could understand to a certain extent why she'd make those less-than-sensible choices.Davis was one of those guys-Mysterious, hot, caring and completely irresistible. I loved the fact that both Ari and Davis were able to connect and understand each other because they both fought to help the troubled youth although they both did use different ways to do it.And then there was Nick whom I disliked from the beginning. Where as Davis was mysterious, Nick was the 'steady' guy who worked as a attorney at juvenile court. This is where he meets Ari.Vigilant is the first book that I've read that follows the super hero story line. The story line was strengthened by a set of characters who were well formed. Watching the Ari fight against all the crappy stuff that life threw at her, grow and make the right choice was wonderful. Vigilant was well-paced, I loved the fact that Angel Lawson incorporated Parkour in the story.There were a few things that deterred me from giving Vigilant 4 stars-If there's anything I love as much as gummy bears it's a well choreographed action scene that gets your heart racing. I felt that the action scenes in Vigilant could have been a little better.We were introduced to Davis's past, I would also have loved to see a little more of Ari's.Overall, it was an entertaining book that left me wanting more. Can't wait to see more of Ari and Davis soon!INTERNATIONAL Giveaway of Vigilant at Say It with Books

Want. Want. Want.

My RatingThere was a lot of hype last year for the release of Veronica Scott’s debut The Collector. Naturally I was super excited for Dante the book.Speaking of characters, Dante is the ultimate bad boy. When I say bad I mean BAD. For the first half of the book at least there were no redeeming qualities in him whatsoever. If you look up egocentric, shallow jack ass you’d probably find Dante Walker under it.I found myself getting seriously pissed off at his blatant disregard for other people’s feelings. There’s a fine line between being bad-boy and being a total jerk. Sadly, Dante falls into the latter category. A bad-boy is HAWT but a jerk? Not so much. Nevertheless he was entertaining because he grows on you.When it comes to Charlie the only thing I felt was indifference. It was almost as if Dante overshadowed her character. There were a few moments when I did like her but in the end she just was not memorable enough.Don't get me wrong-I didn't hate her! She was just bleh.The romance was sudden and progressed way to fast (on Dante’s side) for my liking. I wouldn’t call it insta-love but it definitely wasn’t believable. Rating The Collector was NOT an easy task. I loved the concept-It had the potential to be a kick ass read. I felt that the author concentrated way too much on the main character, Dante and not enough on the rest of the characters (especially Charlie). And Dante’s change of heart towards the end was sudden and unbelievable. If the change had been more gradual and less sudden it would have been believable. The ending wasn’t too much of a cliff hanger.But the real question is “would I read the sequel?”Yes, I think I might pick it up some day. Because despite its shortcomings The Collector was a fun read that had me laughing out loud.

More Dean??

Review to come soon.

Stripped is a New Adult Contemporary about a girl, Quinn who has been dealt some 'not so great' cards by fate and how she overcomes these obstacles. Brooklyn's debut was not quite what I expected nevertheless it was a pleasant surprise. The protagonist, Quinn was not someone that I could relate to. Yet there was a part of me that was able to sympathize with her unfortunate situation. She goes through a series of tough stuff starting with her sister's death. The scandal that her dad was involved led to bankruptcy which lands Quinn in a position where she has to resort to nude modeling to make ends meet. For these reasons you could almost forgive her behavior. Almost. She's misguided and her idea of what's right and what's not was a little twisted. Her bitchy attitude and ignorance didn't help either. So you could definitely say that Quinn was a frustrating character. But having said that I felt that as the story progresses you come to understand that the reason she behaves the way she does. She also definitely grows as a character-Less dramatic, Less ignorant, More trusting and More strong.“Why do you do that?” Torrin’s voice echoes in the empty hall. His hand is holding my arm gently, not at all like Derek does. I can’t have this. I can’t. I shouldn’t have ever come here with him.I draw in a shaky breath and pull my arm away.“Do what?”“Walk away every time I ask you something personal?”Torrin was the polar opposite of Quinn-funny, charming, good looking and understanding. But both Torrrin and Quinn were connected by the fact that they had less than perfect situations at home with their families. He was able to get through to Quinn by getting past her 'barriers' and letting her know how he felt."Realism. These pictures remind me something can have a flaw and still be beautiful."Their romance was sweet but not exactly intense. Definitely no insta-love-Thank God! There were a few revelations along the line, which were not too difficult to predict.Stripped was a quick and easy read that keeps you entertained despite the slow start. I'd recommend Stripped for someone who's looking for a light and mildly emotional read.

Review to come soon.

Review to come soon on the blog.

Nuzaifa: Hi everyone! Welcome to our first chat review *fingers crossed*Okay characters-What did you think of Josh and Nastya?Rachel: Hmm can I say that I think for me, Josh's situation is very different from Nastya?Nuzaifa: How so?Rachel: Every single person in his family was taken away from him at a very young age while for Nastya; we can see that her family was always there for her, never leaving her side.Nuzaifa: True, although she didn't really appreciate the fact that they were there for her.Rachel: Yes, that's right. She kept on shutting them down and she didn't even want to talk to them.Nuzaifa: But Nastya was also super strong 'cause a lesser person would have fallen apart if they had to go through everything that she went through.Rachel: Speaking of Nastya, what did you think of her when reading the first few pages of the book? Nuzaifa: Rude, funny and kinda closed off? She was really snarky and this helped lighten the tone of the book. Rachel: Yes, I also thought that about her too, but she was really witty.She had me at "He’s the kind of good-looking that transforms once self-respecting females into useless puddles of dumbass."Nuzaifa: LOL yes definitely had a kick ass sense of humor! This humor was like her defense mechanism.Even at the beginning I realized that she was going to be one hell of a complex character! Nastya was flawed and complicated. That didn’t stop me from sympathizing with her. Her pain was deep and raw so reading her thoughts was heart-breaking.Rachel: Uh huh there is no doubt about that. But going back to the beginning of the story, for me, the pacing of it was kind of slow, and you know, I decided not to read reviews about it, but I had been hearing that it's a really good story.Nuzaifa: Yes the story DID a take a long time to unravel. I see this as a positive thing because it kept me on the edge. Until the very end I wasn't sure about what exactly haunted her so much!Rachel: That is so true, I was almost about to give up, but it's good that I decided not to. Because in the end, I knew that there was a purpose as to why Katja Millay decided to unravel things little by little. Nuzaifa: And boy Katja's writing is otherworldly for sure. It was so beautiful!How did you feel about the story being told from both POVs?? Rachel: Oh my gosh I am such a big fan of dual POVs! Because in that way, you will know what is going on between the minds of Nastya and Josh, and how similarly they felt towards each other right? Nuzaifa: Yes, you begin to understand how much they were able to relate to each other. We got both sides of the story so you aren't left wondering what the other person was thinking/feeling. Both of them were dealing with very different kinds of pain yet they were able to find solace in each other and this was just amazing.The transition from one POV to the other was smooth. And Josh and Sunshine had two very distinct voices so it was pleasure to read their thoughts. Rachel: And that's what made me love their story more! Nuzaifa: It helped that Josh was super swoony too I guess! ;) Rachel: Josh was the mysterious guy, yet he was so charming in his own ways.Nuzaifa: Ah yes, despite his 'stay away from me' attitude he opened up to Nastya. And vice versa. Rachel: Yup, you can really tell which of the characters were talking even if there were no labels on them. That's because Josh and Nastya are very different from each other, but the thing that is keeping them together, I think, is that they are both broken.It's the kind of story where you will not see a girl trying to straighten up the guy or vice versa. They both helped each other get up after falling down.Nuzaifa: Ditto! They didn't try to 'fix' each other instead they made each other stronger by helping each other to come to terms with their own respective situation. Now about Josh's situation-What do you think?Rachel: I don't know how he managed to survive after going through all of that. He lost his loved ones, and at school, he was like an outcast because they thought he was always mad. They always give him their sympathetic looks but I don't really think their sorry. I mean, yes, it's fine to feel that for someone who lost their loved ones, but really, what can that do to make Josh feel better? Nuzaifa: And Josh definitely didn't want their sympathy. Rachel: Definitely! He didn't need that. He needed someone to love him, and to make him feel cherished again.Nuzaifa: .....someone who wouldn't leave him like all the others did.Rachel: And I guess we all know who that someone is!Nuzaifa: None other than Josh Bennett’s very own, Sunshine. Such an apt endearment! What did you think of the supporting characters?Sweet, Sweet Drew *sign* He was the perfect best friend! Rachel: Yeees I love his term of endearment!! I wish I can also be someone's Sunshine someday.Oh Drew! At first, I thought that he was just one typical douchebag out there, but Drew is the living proof that there's more than what meets the eye in each person.Nuzaifa: Yes at first glance Drew does seem like a typical jock!Oooh one more thing about Katja's writing was that every time she revealed something about each of the characters she did it in a way that made the reader gasp and wait for the next little revelation.So your favourite moments?Rachel: That 'chair moment' – Classic."I know at that moment what he's given me and it's not a chair. It's an invitation, a welcome, the knowledge that I am accepted here. He hasn't given me a place to sit. He's given me a place to belong."What about you?Nuzaifa: Awww yes the chair! Ladies and Gentlemen here is the proof that Josh Bennett is made of nothing but poor awesome-ness! I loved this one-“When you look at her what do you feel?... Joy, fear, frustration, longing, friendship, anger, need, despair, love, lust?""Yes.""Yes, what?""All of it.”I feel that that it’s exactly what love should feel like.Rachel: *leaves to find her own Josh Bennett*Haha I really want my own Josh right now!Yes, I feel that too. It should not be all about the happiness. It must also be about the pain and anger.Nuzaifa: LOL, yes don't we all want a Josh Bennett?Here's another favourite-“I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants of shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet and walk.”But Nastya's wrong.Rachel: Why is she wrong?Nuzaifa: Neither a shapeshifter nor an angel saved her. But there is magic. Because Josh saved her didn't he?So final verdict? Rachel: I really don't know the exact words to say just to give this story the justice that it deserves but for me, THE SEA OF TRANQUILITY is a very heartbreakingly beautiful story that you shouldn't miss. Nuzaifa: The Sea of Tranquility is an intense, hilarious and unforgettable read that leaves you emotionally wrecked yet wanting more. Trust me, you'll love this book.