Title: Piece of My Heart
Author: Lynn Maddalena Menna
Genre: Young Adult, Music, Contemporary
Publisher: Merit Press
Release date: June 18, 2013
ISBN-10: 1440561052
ISBN-13: 9781440561054
Format: ARC
Source: NetGalley

Still in high school, Marisol Reyes gets the chance of a lifetime to be a real singer, and she leaps at it. After all, this is the dream she held on to, all the days and nights she spent growing up on means streets of East Harlem. Marisol never gave in--no matter what her boyfriend or her best friend had to say. Who cares if only one in a hundred pretty, talented girls make it? She will be the one. In her rush to fame, Marisol tramples on the heart of her loyal best friend, and Julian, the boy she loves. But will it be worth it?

One night at a private gig in the Hamptons, the little Latino girl with the big voice from East Harlem gets a severe reality check. A famous rapper who claims to be interested in her talents turns out to be interested in something else, threatening not only Marisol's dreams but her body and soul. Will the realities of the gritty New York music scene put out the stars in Marisol's eyes forever?




My Review:
'Piece of My Heart' is your typical musician's fairytale; small town girl with big dreams suddenly gets thrust into the industry and finds out that it's not all it's cracked up to be. It's all very Sherrie Christian in Rock of Ages... minus the stripping. But instead of taking place in Hollywood, we're taken across the country to New York. Marisol is blessed with golden pipes and knows that she's made for more than small gigs at weddings and birthday parties. But is she ready?

Told from Marisol's perspective, Menna paints a pretty picture of both the gritty streets and glamorous side of the Empire State with its music, fashion, and nightlife, all of which are described very vividly. The music industry is all about connections, and boy does our starlet encounter a lot of those. Marisol, with all her teenage naïveté, is easily pulled into different situations that she gladly jumps into because, well who doesn't want to become a famous singer, right? She's travelling all over New York and playing gigs with people who, just months before, only played in her stereo as she danced and lip-synched to them in her room with her best friend. Speaking of best friends, while Marisol is living the high life, her relationships with her friends back home goes through the ultimate test and finds out that even those nearest and dearest to her might not be the people she thought them to be.

While I liked the premise (and the fact that the title is undoubtedly taken from one the greatest songs ever), I felt disconnected from all the characters throughout the whole story. But it had potential overall. Marisol's relationships with everyone went back and forth so much that it was hard to keep track of who she was actually friends with in the beginning. Maybe I would've liked it better if it wasn't written in first-person perspective, because Marisol's always moving around and there are a lot of other characters that it's hard to keep track of what's going on. I also wished that the issues Marisol faced were more fleshed out. Sometimes she went through big, big changes in her life and career, but it'd be over and onto the next issue just pages later. The narrative made me cringe at a few places, especially when she was performing. It just got really cheesy sometimes. Like Marisol was too good for her own good, if that makes sense. There's belief in your own talent, and then there's being cocky about it. There was also a lot of focus on describing the settings and fashion that it took away from the characters. Yes, it's interesting to know how great you think you look in that white dress with white-gold shoes, and how gorgeous your friend looked in her skin-tight mini dress that reached just above her knees, but for it to take up that much space? It all felt a little superficial.

'Piece of My Heart' is a light read, but if you're looking for some deep, thought-provoking fiction about someone truly struggling to make it in the music industry, this might not be for you. Behind it all is a rather relatable story about a teenage girl struggling to find her place in the real world as she finds out that sometimes the only person you can trust to make the best decisions for your life is, ultimately, yourself.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Merit Press for providing me with the ARC.

My rating:

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Title: Dancing in the Dark
Author: Robyn Bavati
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Flux
Release date: February 8, 2013 (North American release)
ISBN-10: 0738734772
ISBN-13: 9780738734774
Format: ARC
Source: NetGalley

He tossed her into the air as if she were weightless, and just for a moment she seemed suspended there, defying gravity. I couldn't take my eyes off her. I knew what she was feeling. It was in every movement of every limb.

Here was a power I had never seen before, a kind of haunting loveliness I had never imagined. Seeing it made me long for something, I didn't know what...

Ditty was born to dance, but she was also born Jewish. When her strictly religious parents won't let her take ballet lessons, Ditty starts to dance in secret. But for how long can she keep her two worlds apart? And at what cost?

A dramatic and moving story about a girl who follows her dream, and finds herself questioning everything she believes in.



My Review:
Ditty Cohen comes from a strict Jewish household; she is a Haredi Jew, one of the most conservative branches of Judaism. One day, during a bout of rebellion, she discovers ballet and is instantly hooked. She dreams of taking ballet lessons and of a future as a performer. However, she knows her family would never allow her to do so. This story takes readers on Ditty's personal journey through the years, witnessing her struggle with family, faith, and her passion.

I need to start off and mention that it was so interesting to me that this was set in Australia, because everything was unfamiliar. Locations, seasons, how school years work and everything. I actually learned quite a bit of cultural information that I've never known about before.

I felt like I related to Ditty quite a bit, in terms of expectations while growing up. Not necessarily in a religious sense, though I have grown up in a religious household and still practice Roman Catholicism (quite progressively, mind you); going to mass, receiving the sacraments, etc. I've never personally felt the same pressures and lifestyle that Ditty had, but on a broader note, I feel like quite a lot of people can relate to her, in the sense that she had a dream that seemed far from her reach and she was willing to overcome everything that it took to get there. I admired her zeal. As for the other characters, I loved that there were no catty ones competing with Ditty in her ballet school. As if she needed any more people to come into conflict with. Everyone was supportive, very nice, and realistic.

The only issue I had with this book, which unfortunately stuck through the whole thing, was how negative the family came off. It wasn't even just the family, but the whole ultra-orthodox community. Almost everyone came off as brainwashed and it felt like the only way for Ditty to pursue her dreams was to have to leave her community. I'm not going to pretend like I know a lot about the different Jewish communities and how much Bavati's portrayal rings true, so I can't really expand on this. But reading that Bavati grew up Modern orthodox made me think that this was why it came off the way it did. Linda (Ditty's cousin who, like Bavati, was Modern orthodox) was very detailed in her arguments with Ditty and the latter could never really defend herself or her community. It felt pretty one-sided, which made me feel a little uncomfortable. As a reader, I really did sympathize with Ditty, which I'm sure was the intention. You want Ditty to succeed, to break free from whatever's holding her back, but at the same time I wish she tried a little harder to find some common ground with her Judaism.

Ultimately, this is a universal story about a girl with big dreams, and her journey in doing whatever it took to achieve it. I loved Ditty's transition as a dancer and that the story brought us through her entire experience from her discovery to finally being an actual performer. It sped through five years of her life, which could have made the story feel really rushed, especially considering the length of the novel, but it was done surprisingly well. It didn't drag on, and I felt like all the important pieces in Ditty's life were touched upon enough for the story to end the way it did.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Flux Books for providing me with the ARC.

My rating:

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Title: Eleanor & Park
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release date: February 26, 2013 (North American release)
ISBN-10: 1250012570
ISBN-13: 9781250012579
Format: ARC
Source: NetGalley

"Bono met his wife in high school," Park says.
"So did Jerry Lee Lewis," Eleanor answers.
"I’m not kidding," he says.
"You should be," she says, "we’re sixteen."
"What about Romeo and Juliet?"
"Shallow, confused, then dead."
''I love you," Park says.
"Wherefore art thou," Eleanor answers.
"I’m not kidding," he says.
"You should be."

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.



My Review:
Eleanor & Park is the story of adolescence and first love. It takes place in the 1980s in the Midwestern United States; Omaha, to be exact. Eleanor is the new girl at school. She's described as being slightly overweight with wild red hair and dresses in ill-fitting clothes. She's a target for your typical high school bullies, and unfortunately her home life isn't any better. Park is well-liked at school and has a loving family, but he still stands out from everyone else. He's half-Korean in a neighbourhood full of white kids, his younger brother looks way older than him, and he'd rather read comic books than play sports. Both are misfits in different ways, and after begrudgingly encountering each other one day on the bus ride to school, they find themselves drifting closer and closer together.

As the title suggests, the book focused on Eleanor and Park's relationship, all the way from the ground up. It started with Eleanor getting on the school bus and being forced to pick a seat, only to discover that everyone already had some pre-arranged seating plan. One kid, Park, speaks up (unwillingly and rather rudely) and lets her take the seat next to him. They didn't interact initially -- in fact, they developed preconceived notions about each other that made them speak pretty foully about one another. But after a while, they started discovering common interests, taught each other a thing or two along the way (which was done beautifully, by the way, through wordless interactions) and found themselves enjoying each other's company. By the middle of the book, they were clearly past sneaky glances and silently sharing comic books. It moved a tad fast for me at this point (there's a line where Eleanor stated that he made her want to have his babies and give him both of her kidneys. Woah. And they were only setting up a phone date!), but that aside, the build-up prior to that was near perfection. They fell in love, though Eleanor kept her guard up for most of the book, not wanting this part of her life destroyed by her situation at home. Eleanor lacked self-confidence, but Park always made her feel like the most beautiful girl in the world, even though everyone around them didn't quite understand why they picked each other.

They weren't only great together, but they were likeable as individual characters as well. I feel like this is such a plus when it comes to romances. It pains me when I love two people together, but not apart; that just emphasizes their dependency on each other. I loved Eleanor. She was snarky and hi-laaarious, and she liked the Beatles, so obviously she had great taste in music. Park, on the other hand, didn't know much about the Beatles. Which was a shame, but he made up for it with his adorable love for comic books and nerd references. They were completely different from each other, from their looks and personalities to their families. Eleanor's family was broken and impoverished while Park's was whole and very involved in his life (he even lived next to his grandparents). Their contrasting lives eventually weaved together and ended the story on a very heart-wrenching, very high note.

Rowell is an amazing writer. She ended off paragraphs with quotes and lines that had me clutching my chest and aww-ing more than once. There were parts that made me laugh and parts that made me cry. It was a whole range of emotions for me while reading. The book was written in both Eleanor and Park's perspectives, where Rowell would switch between the two. Thankfully it was written in third person narrative and not first, otherwise it would have been pretty confusing. The switching perspectives worked because it gives readers an inside look at both of their lives away from each other. Their familial situations were so different, and I felt horrible for Eleanor especially. Rowell didn't hold back on tackling the serious issues when it came to Eleanor's home life. It was utterly heartbreaking to read, but it made the story as a whole more real. It wasn't just a romance perfectly packaged and tied up in a pretty bow.

Ah, the pre-90's references. Loved them. I was born at the tail-end of the 80's, so a lot of the pop culture references were still pretty fresh; that, and my parents totally brought me up on all of it so I wasn't lost along the way. The references that Rowell used were the ones that stood out in the 80s; the timeless ones that won't be forgotten even 20 years later. I also think it's safe to say that we live in a time where the younger generation can actually appreciate a more older sound in music. I was at a bookstore one day and an older gentleman was talking to the cashier about how he and his 20-something year old son bonded over Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan. I'm the same with my parents and know a lot of people who are also, so for me, this book wasn't dated at all. In fact, it seems like the perfect time to release this book.

Also, how perfect is this cover? It's the perfect representation for this story; simple but attractive, quirky, innocent, and depicts the connection that Eleanor and Park have with each other, away from the prying eyes of those around them. The incorporation of music in the cover also adds to the overall effect, as music plays quite a big part in the two character's relationship. This US edition will be released by St. Martin's Press on February 26, 2013. I'm happy to admit that this has been one of my favourite YA reads for 2012.

I also have to point out that Rowell has a book coming out in late 2013 called "Fangirl". About a girl who would rather live in other people' stories instead of her own. Are you kidding me? Sign me up.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with the ARC.

My rating:

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Title: Snow Whyte and the Queen of Mayhem
Author: Melissa Lemon
Genre: Young Adult, Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Retelling
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Release date: December 11, 2012
ISBN-10: 1462111459
ISBN-13: 9781462111459
Format: ARC
Source: NetGalley

Stuck in her family's apple orchards, Kat's got plenty of work to do and only pesky Jeremy to help. But when Jeremy convinces her to run away, Kat will discover that nothing---and no one---in her life is quite what it seems. Wonderfully reimagined, this is the magical tale of Snow White as you've never read it before!



My Review:
This enchanting re-telling of the timeless classic follows the journey of Kat, Princess of Mayhem, as she is forced out of her own kingdom at a young age. She grows up in an isolated apple orchard with her kind-hearted uncle, forced to stay within for her own safety. As years pass, her destiny catches up with her and things change in ways she never expected. Everything that's ever been familiar to her takes drastic turns and new life-changing encounters bring her closer to the past that was wrongfully and unknowingly taken away from her.

I am such a sucker for fairy tales. I especially love re-tellings of fairy tales that take on their own unique twist, but still retains that familiarity that made it a classic in the first place. This book has it all: the girl with skin as white as snow, the evil queen, the seven dwarves, and the magic mirror. Then there are the original additions, the lovely old-fashioned narrative, and captivating turns in the storyline. There aren't enough adjectives in the world to describe how much I enjoyed this book.

There are similar aspects between the original and Lemon's re-imagining, but she takes it to a whole other level with twists and revelations. One of the changes that I loved the most was that the evil stepmother, hell-bent on killing Snow White, was actually Kat's biological mother in this one. It makes it even more twisted and extreme; a mother wanting her own daughter dead? That has got to be one for the Freudian psychoanalytic theory books. She was actually born into royalty as opposed to being married into it, so she's rightfully allowed to have that kind of power. It's frightening. The dangers were clear and the Queen utilized her mirror to the best of her advantage, which made her the worst kind of villain, always lurking and waiting to exalt her power on those who defied her. Another thing was the choice for the narrator; he couldn't have been more perfect in context. It's narrated in omniscient third person, but in the best way possible: Jasper, the sole narrator, is the Queen's all-seeing mirror; a secondary character. How genius is that? The connections he had to Kat and the Queen made him a sympathetic and compelling character, as he was completely stuck, knowing what hardships lie ahead but being forced to watch from afar. The dwarves were also given a new spin, far from the Doc, Happy, Bashful, Grumpy et al. that we're used to in this day and age. There was much more dimension and realism to every single one of them. The characters that... weren't so likeable, they were still interesting. All in all, this book is filled with captivating characters and they're all intertwined in ways that I never saw coming.

The romance in the book was quite minimal, but it was there and drove much of the story along, especially in Jeremy's case. The other relationships were done very nicely as well, Kat and one of the dwarves named Pokole, in particular. The twists in the story lay more within the relationships than plot, and I found myself gaping at some of the reveals throughout the book.

Sight was an interesting concept in the book. The mirror saw everything while Kat only saw what was within the orchard. Her uncle lost his sight while the Queen never saw how her actions were affecting her reign and the townspeople. Also, the fantasy twist involving the snow fits so well into the story, and it's a creative twist at that.

Personally, neither the original European tale nor the Disney version are my favourites of all the fairy tales. Doesn't even crack the top 5. But this book is probably one of the best retelling's I've read in a long time, and while this is more of a re-imagining, it still made me re-evaluate and love the original tale a little bit more. Lemon gives readers a very original take on one of the most well-known classics. You'll feel the familiarity while being taken on a whole new enchanting ride with this version. It's one to watch for next month; I'd definitely recommend it to any Snow White fan! This is especially the perfect book for the winter season.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Cedar Fort for providing me with the ARC.

My rating:

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Title: Midnight City
Author: J. Barton Mitchell
Series: Conquered Earth (Book #1)
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-fi, Dystopian
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release date: October 30, 2012
ISBN-10: 1250009073
ISBN-13: 9781250009074
Format: ARC
Source: NetGalley

In a post-apocalyptic world controlled by alien invaders, two teens and a young girl with mysterious powers embark on a dangerous journey. What they find will change everything...

Earth has been conquered. An extraterrestrial race known as The Assembly has abducted the adult population, leaving the planet’s youth to fend for themselves. In this treacherous landscape, Holt, a bounty hunter, is transporting his prisoner Mira when they discover Zoey, a young girl with powerful abilities who could be the key to stopping The Assembly. As they make their way to the cavernous metropolis of Midnight City, the trio must contend with freedom fighters, mutants, otherworldly artifacts, pirates, feuding alien armies, and perhaps most perilous of all: Holt and Mira’s growing attraction to each other.



My Review:
Eight years ago, an alien race called the Assembly invaded Earth and emitted the Tone, a signal that caused the adults of the world to forget their lives, board the alien ships, and never be seen again. Holt Hawkins is a Heedless, a human that is immune to the Tone. In order to survive, he's taken to hunting bounties. After losing everyone close to him to the Tone, his only companion is a dog named Max. Together they cross paths with two others named Mira and Zoey. Mira has a high price on her head, and Zoey can sense things that the others can't. The four of them set out to survive and make their way to Midnight City, where more adventures await them.I'm such an avid fan of authors creating unique and mystifying worlds. Mitchell does exactly that with this book as the descriptions were so detailed that I started picturing everything in my head. The image that formed in my mind freaked me out and really didn't look like a place that I wanted to live in, which I guess was the intention. As good as a world without parents may sound to some, it calls for a quick case of growing up. The main characters were around 18-20 years old; they were old enough to take care of themselves, but still young that they needed that guidance that only a proper adult can provide. Too bad they're all brainwashed and being held somewhere. The titular Midnight City has this kind of Lord of the Flies vibe to it, and the kids that reside there have developed a whole system for how things work. It's insane in the best way possible.

The characters were all strong and very interesting. From past experiences, there are authors that can write switching perspectives really well, and some that just don't. Mitchell accomplishes this feat well, I just wish there was more focus on Zoey, the 8-year-old who might just hold the key to saving everyone. The book switches perspectives between the characters, mostly Holt and Mira, with an occasional look into Zoey's mind.You'd think that being the key would be enough reason to include her more, but at the same time it makes me look forward to the rest of the series. Sometimes not revealing too much makes it even better in the long run. Holt and Mira have the typical relationship of initial-loathing-turned-into-love, but Mitchell gave it a new twist with the captor/captive aspect. It started with them on the same level in terms of survival skills. Because of this, they clashed and saw each other as enemies, but it evolved into mutual understanding and respect and grew into something more, especially on Holt's end. I hope we get to find out more about how Mira feels. Also, special shoutout to Holt and Max's relationship; very sweet companionship between them.

I think the only setback for me was the pacing of the story itself. Sometimes it all came on very strong; there were spots where the event felt like too much at once and the feelings between Holt and Mira were more intense. Just a small qualm, but overall it was an enjoyable read.

There's a kind of StarCraft meets War of the Worlds type feel to the book, so I'd imagine that a lot of sci-fi enthusiasts would be interested in checking this out. I was never much of a sci-fi book fan, but Midnight City certainly changed my opinion. I love that there were still some mysteries left unsolved by the end. My fingers were itching to grab the next book already. The books officially comes out tomorrow, October 30. Be sure to look for it!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with the ARC.

My rating:

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