Sophie Reads YA: June 2015

June Summary

12:00

What I've read this month:

Apple and Rain
Series: None
Author: Sarah Crossan
Published February 12th 2015 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Read: May 30-June 1 2015
My Rating: 5 Stars

The Potion Diaries
Series: The Potion Trilogy #1
Author: Amy Alward
Published July 2nd 2015 by Simon & Schuster UK (eARC)
Read: June 2-4 2015
My Rating: 4 Stars

Emmy & Oliver
Series: None
Author: Robin Benway
Published July 16th 2015 by Simon & Schuster Children's Books (eARC)
Read: June 5 2015
My Rating: 5 Stars

The Heartbreakers
Series: The Heartbreaker Chronicles #1
Author: Ali Novak
Published August 4th 2015 by Sourcebooks (eARC)
Read: June 5-7 2015
My Rating: 4 Stars

P.S. I Still Love You
Series: To All the Boys I've Loved Before #2
Author: Jenny Han
Published May 26th 2015 by Scholastic Press
Read: June 7-8 2015
My Rating: 5 Stars

The Princess Diaries
Series: The Princess Diaries #1
Author: Meg Cabot
Published July 2nd 2015 by Macmillan Children's Books (ARC)
Read: June 10-11 2015
My Rating: 5 Stars

The Heir
Series: The Selection #4
Author: Kiera Cass
Published May 6th 2015 by HarperCollins Children's Books
Read: June 15-19 2015
My Rating: 4 Stars

My Life Next Door
Series: My Life Next Door #1
Author: Huntley Fitzpatrick
Published June 13th 2013 by Speak
Read: June 20-21 2015
My Rating: 5 Stars

Royal Wedding
Series: The Princess Diaries #11
Author: Meg Cabot
Published July 2nd 2015 by Macmillan (ARC)
Read: June 21-23 2015
My Rating: 5 Stars

Lying Out Loud
Series: Companion to The DUFF
Author: Kody Keplinger
Published July 2nd 2015 by Hodder Children's Books (eARC)
Read: June 23-24 2015
My Rating: 4 Stars

Because You'll Never Meet Me
Series: None
Author: Leah Thomas
Published July 2nd 2015 by Bloomsbury Children's Books (eARC)
Read: June 5-24 2015
My Rating: 0 Stars/DNF

Flirty Dancing
Series: The Ladybirds #1
Author: Jenny McLachlan
Published July 3rd 2014 by Bloomsbury Children's
Read: June 26-27 2015
My Rating: 4 Stars

Catching Jordan
Series: Hundred Oaks #1
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Published December 1st 2011 by Sourcebooks Fire (re-read)
Read: May 27-28 2015
My Rating: 5 Stars

Summary:
I think I've done quite well this month, with a nice mix of bought and ARC books. I had to DNF my first ARC this month, and was really disappointed as it was one I was really looking forward to. I'm even more surprised with how much I was able to read this month, as for a fortnight of it I was in Orlando on holiday, and you can't get much reading done around the theme parks all day.

How have you done this month? Let me know below.

4 Stars

ARC Review: Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger

10:00

Lying Out Loud
Series: Companion to The DUFF
Author: Kody Keplinger
Published July 2nd 2015 by Hodder Children's Books

Goodreads Synopsis
Kody Keplinger returns to the world of The DUFF in this brand-new companion novel!
Sonny Ardmore is an excellent liar. She lies about her dad being in prison. She lies about her mom kicking her out. And she lies about sneaking into her best friend's house every night because she has nowhere else to go.
Amy Rush might be the only person Sonny shares everything with— secrets, clothes, even a nemesis named Ryder Cross.
Ryder's the new kid at Hamilton High and everything Sonny and Amy can't stand—a prep-school snob. But Ryder has a weakness: Amy. So when Ryder emails Amy asking her out, the friends see it as a prank opportunity not to be missed.
But without meaning to, Sonny ends up talking to Ryder all night online. And to her horror, she realizes that she might actually like him. Only there's one small catch: he thinks he's been talking to Amy. So Sonny comes up with an elaborate scheme to help Ryder realize that she's the girl he's really wanted all along. Can Sonny lie her way to the truth, or will all her lies end up costing her both Ryder and Amy?
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Lying Out Loud was a really quick and easy read - perfect for a holiday read. Though I can't remember much of The DUFF, other than what was in the movie that I recently saw, I really enjoyed seeing Wesley and Bianca again.

Our main character, Sonny, is a natural liar. Pretty much everything she says has some form of lie in it, and this causes major problems. Her best friend, Amy, is Wesley's younger sister, who we met in The DUFF. They've been besties since forever, and Sonny is now living at the Rushes due to problems at home - problems which aren't fully discovered until towards the end of the book.

The main plot of the book is as follows. A new guy, Ryder, comes to Hamilton High. He's snobby, and quite frankly, unlikable. He's got the biggest crush on Amy, and hates Sonny. To try and get him off Amy's back, Sonny writes him a really awful email, on Amy's behalf, that is accidentally sent. After that, Ryder IMs Sonny and they start talking - all this, unfortunately, on Amy's account. They keep talking, and Sonny realises she's falling for Ryder, but he thinks it's Amy he's telling all his secrets. All in all, everything falls apart, and it takes quite some time to fix.

I really, really liked Sonny. Between her and Bianca, there was no choice - she was the better protagonist. Yeah, she may have been a compulsive liar, but she did feel guilty about it, she made mistakes, and was simply a normal teenager. Her crush on Ryder, a guy she had previously hated, seemed real, and though it was angsty, I loved it all the same. Amy and Ryder was also great characters, and they both brought out the best and worst in Sonny. The relationship between besties Amy and Sonny was never shown as perfect - they fought, argued, and shut each other out like real friends do from time to time. They honestly seemed like true friends, true sisters, and I couldn't have asked for a better pair.

Though I said I preferred Sonny to Bianca, to see both Bianca and Wesley again, and not just as a passing glance, was sweet. They are shown in an amazing, loving relationship, though still the same people they were in The DUFF. They definitely helped Amy and Sonny overcome their relationship issues, and Wesley was like a brother to Sonny, just as much as he was to Amy.

Like with most YA books around right now, parents are either perfect, or downright basket cases. Both of these were present in Lying Out Loud. Amy's parents, the Rushes, were kind, and helpful to the girls, even though they'd been flaky in The DUFF. However, on other end of the spectrum, Sonny's parents, and her mother in particular, were the worst. I can't go into much detail, but I honestly wanted to slap her mam at times. Sonny now having a place in the Rush family was the best thing that happened in the book, and I'm so glad she was finally happy.

All in all, I'm so glad I've read this book. Sonny was a wonderful protagonist, and to return to Hamilton High was really enjoyable. I definitely think I'm going to re-read The DUFF to find out what I've forgot, and because I've missed Bianca and Wesley. Fans of The DUFF would enjoy this book!

Dates Read:
June 23 to 24, 2015

Rating
4 Stars

0 Stars

ARC Review: Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas

10:00

Because You'll Never Meet Me
Series: None
Author: Leah Thomas
Published July 2nd 2015 by Bloomsbury Children's Books

Goodreads Synopsis
In a stunning literary debut, two boys on opposite ends of the world begin an unlikely friendship that will change their lives forever.

Ollie and Moritz are best friends, but they can never meet. Ollie is allergic to electricity. Contact with it causes debilitating seizures. Moritz’s weak heart is kept pumping by an electronic pacemaker. If they ever did meet, Ollie would seize. But Moritz would die without his pacemaker. Both hermits from society, the boys develop a fierce bond through letters that become a lifeline during dark times—as Ollie loses his only friend, Liz, to the normalcy of high school and Moritz deals with a bully set on destroying him.

A story of impossible friendship and hope under strange circumstances, this debut is powerful, dark and humorous in equal measure. These extraordinary voices bring readers into the hearts and minds of two special boys who, like many teens, are just waiting for their moment to shine.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

The more I think about it, the more I lose interest in reading this. Considering it took me nearly 3 weeks to read only 16%, that's evident enough that it was slow, boring, and completely uninteresting.

I'd previously heard really good things about this book, and I so wanted to love it as much as others had. However, this was not the case. I couldn't connect with either Ollie or Moritz. I understood that they both struggled a lot with their medical conditions, conditions I was really interested in, but other than that, there was nothing there. So far all Ollie had done was whine about a girl called Liz, who honestly, seemed 'blah'. I reckon Ollie was only infatuated with her because she was the only other girl he'd seen other than his mother, and that is no basis for a 'relationship'. Ollie's allergy to electricity was something wholly new for me, and if I had forced myself to continue, I would only have been reading Ollie's chapters for this.

Out of the two boys, I would say Moritz is the more interesting. His medical condition(s) were being born with no eyes, having to rely on echolocation to 'see', and heart failure leading to a permanent pace maker. Because of this, he'd never be allowed to meet Ollie, or else he'd harm or likely kill him. Moritz's letters had more substance to them, and didn't revolve around one girl - a plus when compared to Ollie.

Another problem I had was that fact that this both was structured in letter form, between Ollie and Moritz. By not being able to connect with either voice, and being wholly uninterested in a person's chapters, I honestly could see no other way I could push through with the book.

Quite frankly, I'm really disappointed, as I'd been really excited to start reading this, and was let down so much. Maybe other people would have a better chance with this book, and please don't rely on just my opinion, yours may be completely different.

Dates Read:
June 5 to 24, 2015

Rating
0 Stars/ Did Not Finish

june

Bumper Stacking The Shelves: June 27th 2015

10:00

5 Stars

ARC Review: Royal Wedding (The Princess Diaries #11) by Meg Cabot

10:00

Royal Wedding
Series: The Princess Diaries #11
Author: Meg Cabot
Published July 2nd 2015 by Macmillan

Goodreads Synopsis
A brand-new new adult instalment of the most popular YA series in all the land! Princess Mia is engaged to be married, but since when in Mia's life did anything go to plan?! Fall back in love with Mia in this new book for older readers.
From Meg Cabot, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Princess Diaries series, comes the very first new adult instalment, featuring the now grown-up Princess Mia!
Royal Wedding follows Princess Mia and her Prince Charming as they plan their fairy tale wedding - but a few poisoned apples could turn this happily-ever-after into a royal nightmare.
For Princess Mia, the past five years since college graduation have been a whirlwind of activity, what with living in New York City, running her new teen community centre, being madly in love, and attending royal engagements. And speaking of engagements, Mia's gorgeous longtime boyfriend Michael managed to clear both their schedules just long enough for an exotic (and very private) Caribbean island interlude where he popped the question! Of course Mia didn't need to consult her diary to know that her answer was a royal oui.
But now Mia has a scandal of majestic proportions to contend with: Her grandmother's leaked "fake" wedding plans to the press that could cause even normally calm Michael to become a runaway groom. Worse, a scheming politico is trying to force Mia's father from the throne, all because of a royal secret that could leave Genovia without a monarch. Can Mia prove to everyone - especially herself - that she's not only ready to wed, but ready to rule as well?
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Also see my review of The Princess Diaries (book 1), & Notebooks of a Middle School Princess.

When I first heard that Meg Cabot would be returning to the Princess Diaries' world in a new, adult book, I was so excited. As I'd grown up with Mia, I could wait to see how she was handling adulthood, and Royal Wedding was absolutely wonderful!

In Royal Wedding, we return to the life of a 26 year old Princess Mia, who is in a wonderful relationship with Michael, who later becomes her fiancé (as the title suggests), is dealing with helping her father rule Genovia, and overcoming some quite major issues - namely discovering that she has a long lost 12 year old half sister, Olivia. The past few years have been really good for Mia. She's secure in her relationship with Michael, even with the paparazzi questioning why they aren't engaged, and is running a community centre for teens in honour of her late stepfather. However, problems start coming thick and fast. Her father, Philippe, has been arrested for speeding, and is facing harsh political opposition, the paparazzi are hounding her about everything from her relationship to her political views, she has a stalker who seems quite crazy, and then there's the unbelievable announcement that she has a half sister, living only 50 miles away in New Jersey. Oh, and also something else, but that's quite spoilery - I can safely say it's something worth waiting to read for.

Considering I only read book 1 last week, it was very weird to jump between the events of them both. However, I'm really pleased with how things have transpired in the meantime, and even though I know what will happen in the future, I'm still looking forward to reading books 2-10. Both this book and From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess cover the same time period, so there is some overlap. It was nice to see both Mia's and Olivia's thoughts on discovering they were sisters, and I'm not actually sure who's voice I preferred. As said earlier, this book is classified as adult, as Mia is now 26, in a committed relationship, etc. However, there were no explicit scenes as such, just allusions to sexual themes, so I think older teenagers would have no problem reading it.

Mia and Michael have always been one of my all time OTPs, and to see them so happy in this book was a dream come true. Because of the events of this book, I'm actually desperate for book 12, even though I finished Royal Wedding less than an hour ago. The romance was exactly as I'd imagined it would be between Mia and Michael as adults, and I'm so happy with where they are in their lives. We also saw many old faces from the original series, including Lilly, Tina, Lana, Lars, etc., all of whom were perfect companions for Mia.

Her family was just as wacky as always. Clarisse will always have a soft spot in my heart, and quotes of hers such as 'But I don't have my eyebrows on! I can't meet my only other grand-children with no eyebrows.' (p323) endeared her even more. Developments between Mia's parents ensured they'd both be in her life in further books. Knowing that Mia will have a full family unit of parents, grandmother, half-siblings, and a new husband to help her with her future in Genovia makes me sure she'll be perfectly fine!

Overall, I could not have asked for a more wonderful return to Mia's life. Being the 15th anniversary year of The Princess Diaries release, Royal Wedding has come at the perfect time, and Cabot should be very proud of her work over the years. I know I was overwhelmed by this story throughout every book, and Royal Wedding was no exception. I honestly could not recommend this enough.

Dates Read:
June 21 to 23 2015

Rating
5 Stars