Screaming Divas by Suzanne Kamata

Published: May 18 2014

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18442148-the-screaming-divas

Source: A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

SYNOPSIS

At sixteen, Trudy Baxter is tired of her debutante mom, her deadbeat dad, and her standing reservation at the juvenile detention center. Changing her name to Trudy Sin, she cranks up her major chops as a singer and starts a band, gathering around other girls ill at ease in their own lives. Cassie Haywood, would-have-been beauty queen, was scarred in an accident in which her alcoholic mom was killed. But she can still sing and play her guitar, even though she seeks way too much relief from the pain in her body and her heart through drugs, and way too much relief from loneliness through casual sex. Still, it's Cassie who hears former child prodigy Harumi Yokoyama playing in a punk band at a party, and enlists her, outraging Harumi's overbearing first-generation Japanese parents. The fourth member is Esther Shealy, who joins as a drummer in order to be close to Cassie--the long-time object of her unrequited love--and Harumi, her estranged childhood friend. Together, they are Screaming Divas, and they're quickly swept up as a local sensation. Then, just as they are about to achieve their rock-girl dreams, a tragedy strikes.

REVIEW

This book follows the lives of four young girls, each trying to find their way in the world. First we meet Trudy, she is on her way to a detention centre for stealing a pair of sunglasses. It was her Mother who decided that that is where she would be going, rather than trying to deal with her on her own. Trudy has lead a very eventful life, her Mother always traipsing her away to somewhere new, or sometimes not taking her and leaving her in the foster care system as her Father was not allowed to have contact with her. It is not a wonder that Trudy developed the way she did with parents like that.

We then meet Harumi, she is what her parents like to brag a "child prodigy" when it comes to the violin, and she has given up everything that a normal child would have and go through to make her parents happy. She did enjoy the violin for a long time, then there was so much pressure on her, she didn't know how to handle it anymore.

Then we meet Cassie. She was in a car accident when she was young with her Mother, her Mother did not make it, but she did. She is trying to go out and date, however, none of the guys in high school interest her, so she is trying to branch out and find a new group of friends.

The last girl that we meet is Esther. She is a lesbian, however, she cannot tell anyone, especially her parents, her Dad says "homo" under his breath every time he sees a guy with an ear pierced, so she basically knows the way that they would react. 

Through a series of events, all these girls meet, and Trudy decides that they are going to start a band, and they get their name from her roommate who calls them "a bunch of screaming divas". This book covers some heavy subjects, drug abuse, sexual orientation and even death. 

Although it is at basic a story about a group of girls coming together to join a band, there was so much more to it than that. I really enjoyed the characters, the plot, and the pacing. I can't pick out a favourite character from this book, however, I think that the one I could relate to the most would be Esther, with her personality and just wanting to fit in.

I think that this was overall a good book, I give it a 4/5, and I read it in one sitting, so if you are looking for a quick read with some tough subjects brought up, this one is for you.

All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner

Published: June 17 2014

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20342944-all-fall-down

Source: Purchased

SYNOPSIS

From a #1 New York Times bestselling author comes her "best book yet" (Philadelphia Inquirer), a "compulsively readable" novel that shows "there's no doubt Weiner knows how to deliver a certain kind of story, and well" (The New York Times Book Review).

Allison Weiss got her happy ending: a handsome husband, an adorable daughter, a job she loves, and the big house in the suburbs. But while waiting in the pediatrician's office, she opens a magazine to a quiz about addiction and starts to wonder: Is a Percocet at the end of the day really different from a glass of wine? Is it such a bad thing to pop a Vicodin after a brutal Jump & Pump class, or if your husband ignores you? She tells herself that the pills help her make it through her days; but what if her increasing drug use, a habit that's becoming expensive and hard to hide, is turning into her biggest problem of all?

Hailed as "a witty, realistic criticism on the modern age" (Boston Herald), this remarkable story of a woman's fall into addiction and struggle to find her way back up again is Jennifer Weiner's most masterful, moving, and celebrated work yet.

REVIEW

I purchased this book to read for my book club, it is my first Jennifer Weiner novel, and let me tell you, it will not be my last! I am so excited to get to the book club meeting this month and discuss this amazing book.

We follow the life of Allison, and soon learn that not everything is "picture perfect" for her as some people may think. She lives with her husband Dave and their daughter Ellie in a big house in suburbia. Everyone thinks that she has it together, she comes off as the perfect wife, the perfect Mother, and she writes for a popular blog.

We soon learn that the way that she has been dealing with everything is to pop prescription pain medication, she thinks that she has it under control, and that there is nothing wrong with what she is doing because she is getting them prescribed to her, from more than one Doctor might I add. 

Allison only starts to wonder if there is something wrong with her popping the medication once she takes a quiz at the Doctor's office, and she finds herself coming up with excuses as to why she needs to take them, and why she is different from other people. I have been around people like this in the past, and that is the addiction talking, however, until they come to understand that, there is no one that can help them.

We follow Allison's life for a few months, and we come to see when the medication that she was taking, because she was taking it so much, started to not work for her anymore, and she calls one of her Doctors and lies about needing something more. The reason that she is able to get these prescribed is because she hurt herself at the gym a couple years before, and has back troubles. The only issue I had with this book is that she is able to call her Doctors and just talk to them over the phone and get medication prescribed, this would never happen in Canada (where I am from), so it baffles my mind and really rubbed me the wrong way.

This book covers addiction and the control it has over people, and also the subject of rehab, and whether it is for everyone that has an addiction. You can see how it can happen to so many people, and how easily accessible pain medication is in our society now. 

I loved the ending to the book as there was a realistic ending, and not the typical, let's wrap it up with a happily ever after, you are left to come to your own conclusion as to what happens to the characters.

I loved nearly everything about this book, the characters, the plot, the pacing, like I said only had one issue with it, but that did not take away from my overall reading experience. I give this book a 5/5, and recommend it for anyone that it looking for something a little more serious in their reading experience.

Jex Malone by C.L. Gaber and V.C. Stanley

Published: June 18 2014

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18982026-jex-malone

Source: A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

SYNOPSIS

A famous case. A missing girl. If they find her, will they be heroes? Or dead?

Bored out of her mind during a summer with her police detective father in Las Vegas, Jessica (aka "Jex") Malone starts doing what she does best--snooping. When she meets three new friends who share her passion for crime, from the geek to the fashionista, suddenly, the stifling desert days don't seem so long.

Her dad is never around, just like when her parents were married. But Jex's crew, the Drew-Ids, take the pledge of eternal secrecy and then get down to the good stuff--digging through the cold-case files in Dad's home office.

One of them, the thirteen-year-old case of Patty Matthews, is still a mystery. Finding Patty, who vanished into thin air, became such an obsession for Jex's father that it destroyed the Malones' marriage. So not only is this a big deal, it's personal.

Jex is determined to find out what really happened, and her excitement is contagious. Soon her friends are all on board and so is the missing girl's brother, the hunky Cooper Matthews.

But as they dig up more and more troubling information--more than the cops ever did--they also get the clear message that someone out there wants to prevent the truth from coming out. That somebody is also prepared to do anything, absolutely anything, to prevent it.

Jex isn't afraid; after all, she's a cop's daughter. But maybe she should be.

Laced with humor, toughness, and real CSI investigation techniques, Jex Malone could be the Nancy Drew for a new generation--but with a chilling twist. These wannabe detectives are on the brink of finding out the fate of poor missing Patty. But will they disappear without a trace, too?

REVIEW

We follow the story of Jex Malone through this novel, she is the product of divorce and lives with her Mother full time in New Jersey, and her Father lives in Las Vegas. She has to go and spend the summer with her Father, and she is not happy about it, even tries going to the Judge in the case and asking if she can not go, this meeting does not work in her favour, and she is ordered to go and spend the summer with him.

When she gets there, she is immediately introduced to three new girls that live in the area, and things start to look up for the "crappy" summer that she was expecting. She immediately let's them see that she has broken in to her Father's work computer that gives access to all the files in the Las Vegas Police Department. They start to sift through the files, and come across one for Patty Matthews, the 16 year old girl that disappeared from her home thirteen years ago almost to the day.

This starts out their summer of trying to find Patty. The authors did a great job of developing characters and the plot line, I read this book in two days! It keeps you going with all the evidence and everything that they find and it goes really quickly. 

I really loved the relationship that Jex has with her Father, it is a very realistic view of what it is like for a lot of kids these days unfortunately. It is very strained and they are unsure of how to act around each other, however, by the end of the book they have found their stride.

I loved all the side characters that you meet as well, and some of my favourite characters were not the main ones, they were the ones that kept you guessing whether they were on the good side or the bad side, and there are a few that will keep you guessing like that! 

We learn a lot about Patty during the novel, so much so that she seems like the main character even over Jex and her friends. Patty's life was not an easy one by any means, and the lengths that she went to to keep herself safe from the people around her were understandable, especially from her Father, he was not a very nice person.

The ending I think was perfect, and I would have never saw that coming!

If you are looking for a good mystery novel, this is one for you, I think anyone would enjoy it, I give it a 4/5!

Restraint Blog Tour

Purchase links:

http://www.amazon.com/Revelation-Randi-Cooley-Wilson-ebook/dp/B00JWXAWUE/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406152797&sr=1-2-fkmr1&keywords=randy+cooley+wilson

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/revelation-randi-cooley-wilson/1119059118?ean=2940045798358

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/revelation/id850865950?mt=34

SYNOPSIS

A FORBIDDEN LOVE WILL BECOME DEEPER.
A LOYALTY WILL BE TESTED.
AND ONLY DARKNESS WILL REMAIN.

One revelation changed everything, turning Eve Collin’s world upside down. Now, she’s left to struggle with her identity and allegiance. Haunted by grief and tempted by her increasing attraction to her protector, will she ever truly be safe from enemies that refuse to give up?

Restraint is an addictively spellbinding continuation of Eve’s journey of self-discovery, love and sacrifice that will change everything.

Readers captivated by Revelation will eagerly devour Restraint.

EXCERPT

"Sleep Over" - Asher and Eve, Restraint Excerpt

I’m brushing my teeth when Asher swaggers into the bathroom. He leans his hip against the counter and just watches me. It’s starting to freak me out. I squint at him before spitting.

     “Can I help you?”

     “Huh?” he asks.

     “You’re staring.” I tip my toothbrush at him.

     “Am I?” He tilts his head to the side and crosses his arms.

     I spit one last time and start my flossing routine and gargle my mouth rinse, all while Asher just stands there, observing me. Seriously, what’s he doing?

     “Curious about dental care?”

     “Curious about you,” he shoots back.

     “Okay.”

     He shrugs. “I like watching you do normal, everyday things.”

     I blink. “Did you get clocked in training today?”

     “No.” He slides his hands into the pockets of his pajama bottoms. “Want to have a sleep over?”

     “Sleepover?” I repeat, less than enthused.

      “Pajamas, pillow fights, gossip. You know, sleepover,” he clarifies, like I’m an idiot.

      I sigh. “You’re freaking me out. What the hell is going on?”

      He reaches for me and grabs the hem of my tank top, pulling me towards him. I stumble a bit and have to place my hands on his shoulders for balance as he tugs me closer. “I want you in my bed tonight. I was hoping you’d fall asleep in my arms.” His eyes lock onto mine.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Randi was born and raised in Massachusetts where she attended Bridgewater State University and graduated with a degree in Communication Studies. After graduation she moved to California where she lived happily bathed in sunshine and warm weather for fifteen years.
Randi and her husband recently moved back to Massachusetts with their daughter where she was encouraged to begin writing again.
Revelation is her first novel and The Revelations Series is her first New Adult Paranormal Romance book series.
“I’ve had a love affair with books, writing and storytelling since childhood. It has been a dream of mine to introduce this world and these characters to you. I hope I’ve done them justice.”
Randi loves to hear from readers, you can reach out to her via Twitter: R_CooleyWilson and/or Facebook: authorrandicooleywilson

Twitter: R_CooleyWilson

Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorrandicooleywilson

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/RCooleyWilson

Where Earth Meets Water by Pia Padukone

Published: April 14 2014

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18371642-where-earth-meets-water

Source: An ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

SUMMARY

In this poignant and breathtaking debut, one man searches for meaning in the wake of incomparable tragedy…

Karom Seth should have been in the Twin Towers on the morning of 9/11, and on the Indian shores in 2004, when the tsunami swept his entire family into the ocean. Whether it's a curse or a blessing, Karom can't be sure, but his absence from these disasters has left him with crushing guilt—and a belief that fate has singled him out for invincibility. 

Karom's affliction consumes everyone around him, from his best friend, Lloyd, to his girlfriend, Gita, who hopes that a trip to India will help him find peace. It is in Delhi that he meets Gita's grandmother, Kamini—a quirky but wise woman with secrets of her own. At first Karom dismisses Kamini, but little does he realize that she will ultimately lead him to the clarity he's been looking for. 

Spanning the globe from New York to India, Where Earth Meets Water is a stunning portrait of a quest for human understanding, and a wise exploration of grief, survival and love in all its forms.

REVIEW

We follow the lives of several people in this novel, however, they are all connected to Karom in some way. He is in his thirties and is dating Gita and they seem to be at a point in their relationship where she is not sure where they are going to go from here because of the demons in Karom's past.

Karom suffers from night terrors, which he seems to be oblivious to when they are happening, and Gita is trying to get him to work through them, however, he is too set in his ways to seek any kind of professional help. We learn through this story what has happened in his past to make him this way, and it is a very tragic story.

I cannot imagine what Karom has gone through in his lifetime, it seems as though death follows him everywhere, and I can see why that would make him the way that he is for sure. He is standoffish with people, including Gita. He does develop through the story in a way that I find very realistic, he is not cured all at once, and has to find his own way.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and cannot wait to see what else this author will produce.

The setting is between America and India, and I think that the author did a beautiful job at describing both settings, I felt like I was right there with them. 

The characters were really gripping, my favourite being Kamini. She is Gita's Grandmother, and is a sweet sweet soul. she is a published author and we do get to read one of her stories as the book goes on, and it was really good, very telling of her life.

I give this book a 4/5, the only reason it does not get a 5/5 is because there are some loose ends that I wish had been tied up at the end.

The Art of Arranging Flowers by Lynne Branard

Published: June 3 2014

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18693598-the-art-of-arranging-flowers

Source: I received a copy through the goodreads first reads program

SUMMARY

A moving and eloquent novel about love, grief, renewal—and the powerful language of flowers.
 
Ruby Jewell knows flowers. In her twenty years as a florist she has stood behind the counter at the Flower Shoppe with her faithful dog, Clementine, resting at her feet. A customer can walk in, and with just a glance or a few words, Ruby can throw together the perfect arrangement for any occasion.
 
Whether intended to rekindle a romance, mark a celebration, offer sympathy, or heal a broken heart, her expressive floral designs mark the moments and milestones in the lives of her neighbors. It’s as though she knows just what they want to say, just what they need.
 
Yet Ruby’s own heart’s desires have gone ignored since the death of her beloved sister. It will take an invitation from a man who’s flown to the moon, the arrival of a unique little boy, and concern from a charming veterinarian to reawaken her wounded spirit. Any life can be derailed, but the healing power of community can put it right again.

REVIEW

I received this book through the Goodreads first reads program, and I was not to sure what to expect from it, however, there was something that peaked my interest for it or else I would not have entered the contest.

We follow the story of Ruby who owns the local flower shop, and we find out in the first chapter that she is suffering from the loss of her sister who was her best friend. I cannot imagine the pain that she is going through as my sister is also my best friend. The heartache that she must feel would be unbearable. 

She throws herself in to taking over the local flower shop when it comes up for sale. She feels like she has no one left as she grew up with her Grandparents on their farm after being taken away from her Mother. Her Grandparents have since passed away, and so has her sister, she thinks that anyone she loves is just going to die and leave her alone again, so she blocks away any kind of romance at all.

There are a lot of different characters in this novel, from the people that she works with at her shop, to all of the local townspeople. I like all of the character development that we see in all of them, the author did a great job, and this is more of a character study book then anything. 

I did also learn a lot about flowers while reading this book as well, however, it was done in such a way that even if you are not a fan of flowers, it does not take away from anything. 

My personal favourite character in this book would have to be Will, the boy who comes to Ruby's shop in search of a job. Sometimes we forget what it is like to be a child again and seeing the world through their eyes, and how innocent they are about a lot of things. I think that the author did a great job of bringing us back there, and making us realize that sometimes life is not as complicated as we may think.

I would suggest this book for anyone who likes to focus on characters and their development over anything else, it was a really good read, but there was something missing for me, it just did not wow me, so I give it a 3/5.

Arise (Arson #3) by Estevan Vega

Published: July 4th 2014

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22704258-arise

Source: Purchased

SUMMARY

THE PIECES ARE SCATTERED. A NEW NIGHTMARE DAWNS. 
THE END IS COMING. 

With the aid of Kyro, a smart-mouthed street hustler, and Redd, a cunning investigator at war with her conscience, Joel and Aimee Phoenix follow a lead to Salvation Asylum, where they hope to find their daughter alive. But Emery and Adam have already fled from captivity into even more chaos and confusion. Danger haunts every action and darkness seeks to claim her protector’s life as a result of using too much of his power too soon. Adam’s soul now hangs between life and death, yet Emery can’t help dwelling on the boy who once tempted fire and her love. From inside his coma, Arson roams the fiery halls of past nightmares, looking for the code of escape. But when a stranger slides into his subconscious, promising new abilities and a way out, part of him is ready to accept the revelation and be free, and part of him questions the ghost’s true intentions. Divided and fearful, Arson’s mind is now a deadly game of wills. There’s no telling what will become of the outside world. Arson’s only choice is to enlist every power within and arise from the ashes of who he used to be. 

THE WAR HAS BEGUN. IT'S TIME TO WAKE UP AND FIGHT.

REVIEW

This book....what can I say? I LOVED IT!!

It takes off right from where the second book ended, and it did not stop with the action the whole time. I have loved this entire series so far, and I cannot wait to see if there is going to be a fourth book in the series, which I am crossing my fingers that there will be. 

*If you have not read the first two in the series, I would stop reading here*

Arise takes off from where Ashes ended, and we are met again with Emery and Adam to start with, and where they are now. Adam is unconscious and Emery is having to fend for them by herself. She is met by a stranger on the road whom takes them in, and believes everything that Emery tells her about the Asylum and everything that happened there, and to her surprise, Ruth believes her. 

We are then met with Arson and that is just another whole bag of fun, whenever the story lands on him, it always takes off and does not stop. He is in the asylum and unconscious as well, and him and Adam are meeting up in his dreams, it is fantastic what the mind can do, and I love that Estevan played on that, and took it to levels that I didn't think would be possible.

I cannot rave about this series enough, if you have not started it yet, what are you waiting for? Adventure, action, love, and family, everything you want in a series! The writing is brilliant and every time I am done with one of the books I get a little sad that there is not more for me to read, so a definite reread of the entire series is in order!

I would love to see this series turned in to a movie, however, we would have to wait for the final book to come out first, because it cannot be left like this one was! I refuse to believe that that is the end lol! I asked Estevan if there was going to be another one, and I got a maybe, so I am sitting here crossing my fingers that his maybe's mean yes lol! 

So if you could not tell, I give this book a 5/5, and I am begging you, if you have not picked this series up, do so as soon as possible, you will not be disappointed!!!!

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

Published: April 1st 2014

Source: Won a copy via goodreads first reads program

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18140047-love-letters-to-the-dead

SYNOPSIS

It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person.

Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to the dead—to people like Janis Joplin, Heath Ledger, Amelia Earhart, and Amy Winehouse—though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating the choppy waters of new friendships, learning to live with her splintering family, falling in love for the first time, and, most important, trying to grieve for May. But how do you mourn for someone you haven't forgiven?

It's not until Laurel has written the truth about what happened to herself that she can finally accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was—lovely and amazing and deeply flawed—can she truly start to discover her own path.

In a voice that's as lyrical and as true as a favorite song, Ava Dellaira writes about one girl's journey through life's challenges with a haunting and often heartbreaking beauty.

REVIEW

I had heard a lot about this book prior to receiving it for review, there was a lot of hype about it, and everyone was super excited based on the synopsis, and this sometimes does not go so well for me, but this one was different, it lived up to the hype for me. 

There are a lot of different topics covered in this novel, from family to love to molestation and most importantly death. This is a lot for a teenager to handle, however, unfortunately, I think that some of these things are becoming all too familiar with some these days. 

We follow the diary like entries of Laurel, she was given an assignment in English class to write to someone famous whom is dead, and she chooses to take the assignment and run with it, and uses it to make almost diary entries to these famous people and gives them specific examples of why she is writing to them, and what it means to her. The author got it bang on here, and there were people that Laurel wrote to that I had no idea who they were, however, that did not take away from the reading experience at all as it is explained during the letter who that person is, and what bearing it has on her situation.

It doesn't take long to get through this book, however, it does not take away from the importance of it, I think that anyone going through their teenage years would for sure get something out of this. There are beautiful poems that are littered through this book, and I will for sure be picking up some books by the authors so that I can read more, and for that I thank the author for opening up my reading experience.

Laurel struggles with her parents divorce, and most importantly the loss of her older sister. This is something that I could never imagine (the loss of my older sister), and it is made worse by the fact that Laurel was there, and there is something that she is hiding from everyone that makes her feel like it is her fault. 

I think that the author did a great job with pacing, at first I found it a little slow, but then I realized that it had to be like that due to the way that she was playing out the story. If you are looking for a great contemporary, this one is for you, but keep in mind there are heavy topics covered, it is not a happily ever after book, which I appreciate as in these situations it definitely takes time to get through these things.

I give this book a 3.5/5, but on goodreads they don't do half stars, so I evened it out to a 4. If you have read this book I would love to hear from you, or even if you haven't, but are wanting to, I would still love to hear your thoughts!

Virgin by Radhika Sanghani

Published: August 5th 2014

Source: Copy was provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20257054-virgin

SUMMARY

Okay, I admit it...I didn't do it.

Yet.

This is normal, right? I mean, just because everyone I know has talked like they've done it doesn't mean that they're telling the truth...right?

It's not like I'm asking for that much, I don't need the perfect guy, I don't need candlelight or roses. Honestly, I don't even need a real bed.

The guys I know complain that girls are always looking for Mr. Right - do I have to wear a sign that says I'm only looking for Mr. Right Now?

Sooooo.....anyone out there want sex? Anyone? Hello? Just for fun?

I am not going to die a virgin. One way or another I am going to make this happen.

Hey, what have I got to lose? Besides the obvious.

REVIEW

This is the funniest book I have EVER read! 

We follow Ellie Kolstakis through her adventures is being a 21 year old virgin, however, this is not just a story about her losing her virginity, it is so much more than that. It is a story about family, love, friendship, and the trials and tribulations about trying to grow up a "normal" girl.

Ellie goes in to great detail about what being a 21 year old virgin means to society, and what kind of pressure that can put on a person. We all like to think that we are normal, but what does that really mean? Why it is not normal to be a virgin at 21? Who made that decision? 

Ellie has a best friend Lara whom she talked to about everything, however, even with our best friends, sometimes there are things that you just don't feel like you can talk about, like how to perform oral sex for example, a lot of people assume that everyone knows what they are doing, but where do we learn these things from?

I think that the author did a fantastic job at giving people prospective on what it is like growing up a girl, and how many things are left out for us. Who ever told us to expect hair growing all over our bodies, and what we are "supposed" to do with it. There is a scene where Ellie gets her first bikini wax, and what a debacle that turned in to, and what it left her looking like, and I was in tears I was laughing so hard. 

Ellie and Lara have a falling out, and Ellie meets a new friend Emma who is what she calls herself proudly, a slut. Ellie decided that she was going to put that to good use, and get as much information from her as she could, without drawing attention to the fact that she is a virgin, as Emma thinks that she is already well versed in that area. Emma gets her out of the house, to clubs and gets her to open up and see what happens. It works out well for Ellie, and she meets new people and has some new experiences, ones that she probably not have had with Lara.

I could rave about this book for hours, and I will, just leave a comment if you have read it yet, and we can chat. For now, I will leave it at this book is a fantastic read for everyone, women because they will probably remember having some of the same experiences, men because it will give them a better insight in to the female psyche and what we go through from a very young age.

I give this a 5/5 absolutely, and I HIGHLY encourage everyone to pick this book up, let me know when you do, I would love to hear from you!

Going Over by Beth Kephart

Published: April 1 2014

Source: Won a copy on Goodreads

SUMMARY

In the early 1980s Ada and Stefan are young, would-be lovers living on opposite sides of the Berlin Wall--Ada lives with her mother and grandmother and paints graffiti on the Wall, and Stefan lives with his grandmother in the East and dreams of escaping to the West.

REVIEW

I really enjoyed this book, it really makes you sit and wonder what it would be like to live in this situation, and I just could not imagine! There are a lot of feels in this book, and the characters are fantastically written.

We meet Ada first, and she is living in West Berlin with her Mother and Grandmother, and she works at a day care. She is in love with Stefan, whom lives with his Grandmother in East Berlin, their dream is for Stefan to escape and come and live with Ada on the West side.

Can you imagine having the love of your life torn away from you by a wall that either of you is not allowed to cross because of the government? I know I can't. 

While Ada is on the West side trying to live her life, we see how much this tears her apart inside, and how it affects everyone around her. She is unaware that Stefan is on the East side trying to find a way to her. 

This is a story of true love, the struggles of life in Berlin in the early 1980's, and what it means to be family, whether by blood or not. I would recommend this book to anyone, I gave it a 4/5.