Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Lou Clark leads a somewhat uneventful life. She lives at home with her parents, works at a tea and bun cafe, and has been dating the same man for seven years. Lou is content and does not seek out change or adventure, but her life is turned upside down when she loses her job. She does not possess many job trained skills and struggles to find the work she needs to help support her parents. When a position as a helper to a quadriplegic becomes available Lou decides to give it a try. 

Will Traynor is the exact opposite of Lou. Before the accident, he led a life full of excitement and adventure and as the head of a thriving business, possessed the means to do whatever he fancied. His life is changed forever when he is hit by a motorcyclist while trying to hail a taxi. As a result of the accident, Will is now confined to a wheelchair with only minimal ability to move his hands and shoulders. When Lou Clark walks into his life, he is a bitter man with no desire to live. 

As Lou and Will spend time together during her six month contract, they begin to develop a relationship that offers them each a new perspective on life.

My Thoughts:
Me Before You is the first book that I have read by Jojo Moyes. The cover and book blurbs are a little misleading, but I thoroughly enjoyed it even though it wasn't quite what I expected. This story is mostly told from Lou's viewpoint except for a few chapters that give perspectives from other minor characters. Lou is a strong, lovable character and I was drawn into her life almost immediately.  While this novel has many sad moments, it is also filled with much love and laughter.  I plan to read more by Jojo Moyes in the near future. 

Panic by Lauren Oliver

Heather and Dodge live in a small, dead end town of 12,000.  While Carp may be a boring town throughout the colder months, in the summer it becomes the home of Panic, a game that can only be played by graduating seniors. Heather has no intention of entering the game, until she attends the opening event with her friends Nat and Bishop.  In a last minute decision (partially made because she sees her ex-boyfriend with another girl), Heather jumps from the bridge that declares her a contender in the games. 

Dodge has been planning to enter the game since his sister was left crippled when she competed in Panic years earlier.  Partially motivated by revenge, Dodge's goal is to win and defeat the brother of the boy who left his sister in a wheel chair.  While Heather and Dodge are barely acquaintances before Panic, the game brings about new and unexpected friendships as the contenders face some of their most intense fears. 

My Thoughts: 
In Panic, the graduating seniors are competing in games that are life threatening and dangerous with the end game being recognition and a large cash prize.  As I read about the game, I assumed that Panic was another dystopian novel.  I partially came to this conclusion because Lauren Oliver's last series is dystopian, but the game of Panic also reminded me of the games in Suzanne Collin's The Hunger Games.  This initial confusion disturbed me a bit, because while I later realized that Panic is realistic fiction, it made me consider the idea that many elements of dystopian novels are becoming reality (i.e. the government spying on us). That being said, Panic is a very thought provoking novel that is full of suspense and one I highly recommend.  I look forward to hearing more reader's thoughts when this book is released.  

Note:  I received an advance copy of this book courtesy of Edelweiss.  It's scheduled release date is March 4, 2014.  In the meantime, check out the first book in Lauren Oliver's dystopian series:  Delirium. 

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

Violet and her twin brother Luke have been left to fend for themselves in their dilapidated home formerly owned by their deceased grandmother.  Their artist parents live abroad squandering the family money.  In their quiet little town of Citizen Kane, Violet only has two companions, her brother and their neighbor Sunshine, until River West arrives and rents out their guest house.  River first appears to be a dream come true.  He cares for Violet in a way that she has not been cared for in a long time.  The only problem is that strange things begin happening in Citizen Kane shortly after River's arrival.  A group of children are found running around the local cemetery, claiming to be chasing after the devil. A child goes missing. Strange and unexplained deaths occur.  Each time one of these mysterious events occur, Violet begins to suspect that something is very wrong with River.  But how could he be causing these horrible things if he is with her when they occur?  Is River the guy she has always hoped for or is he something completely different from what he appears to be? 

My Thoughts: 
This new novel by April Genevieve Tucholke will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. Throughout the first half of the book, I hoped that River would be the good guy in the story.  As the story progresses that possibility seems less and less likely.  I could not figure out how River could possibly be attached to the mysterious events that were happening in Citizen Kane.  The suspense really increases when River's true self is revealed. Fans of Lucy Christopher's Stolen, will definitely enjoy this exciting novel that leaves you unsure of who the bad guy really is.  

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Cath is a writer, a writer of fan-fiction that is, and she is obsessed with the Simon Snow series (Simon is a Harry Potter-like character fighting against evil that seeks to destroy his world of magic). Her twin sister, Wren, is also a fan, but has mostly moved on to new things. Cath and Wren have been connected at the hip since they were little, and Cath was surprised when Wren didn't want to be her roommate in college.  Left to navigate her freshman year on her own, Cath spends most of her time going to classes, writing Simon fanfiction, and avoiding the dining hall. When faced with loneliness, a new fiction writing class, and a mentally ill father, Cath absorbs herself in the world of Simon Snow, believing it is much better than her own.  Noticing her intentional seclusion, Cath's boisterous roommate, Reagan, and her boyfriend, Levi,  attempt to befriend her.  As she moves through her freshman year and forges relationships with unexpected people, Cath begins to see that her own world isn't so bad after all.  

My Thoughts:
Rainbow Rowell has done it again.  I have been in a reading rut lately, unable to find any really good books.  I am currently stuck in the middle of two novels that I am desperately struggling to finish. Because I absolutely loved Rainbow's other two novels (Eleanor and Park and Attachments), I hoped that Fangirl would be great as well.  I was not disappointed.  I picked up this book two days ago and barely put it down until I finished.  Rainbow does such a superb job of creating and developing characters that you will fall in love with.  I cannot recommend this book enough.  And if you haven't read any of Rainbow's other novels, what are you waiting for?  I predict there will be some awards given out to this phenomenal author in the near future.  

The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol & Agnete Friis

Nina Borg, wife and mother of two, has a compulsory addiction to danger.  As a Red Cross employee, Nina and her colleagues work with illegal immigrants by helping them find asylum from oppressors.  Despite her husband's pleas to live a simpler, more quiet life with her family, Nina finds herself constantly drawn into dangerous situations.  This is precisely why Nina gets into a very tricky situation involving a three year old Lithuanian boy she discovered drugged and stuffed into a suitcase.  Not knowing how he ended up there, Nina is determined to keep him safe and that means also keeping him away from the police until she knows his full story. With language as a major barrier, Nina seeks to find someone who understands him so she can decide what to do next. 

My Thoughts: 
The Boy in the Suitcase is the first in the series of Nina Borg novels.  As I read this book, I couldn't help but think of The Girl in the Dragon Tattoo.  While the subject matter is definitely different, both series deal with crime and corruption and offer a good amount of suspense.  My favorite element in this novel is how each chapter is written from a different character's perspective.  It is a little confusing in the beginning, but as I continued to read, I was able to figure out how they all fit together.  I will be picking up the next book in this series, Invisible Murder, very soon.  If you love crime and suspense, you will definitely enjoy this series! 

Flat Out Love by Jessica Park

When Julie moves to Boston for college, she finds the apartment she rented from Craigslist doesn't actually exist. Stranded in an unknown city, she moves into the home of her mother's old college roommate. The Watkins family is a little strange to say the least. The parents seem a bit absent, one son is traveling the world, the other is practically a social recluse, and the daughter speaks without using contractions and carries around a life-size cutout of her absent brother which she calls "Flat Finn." Julie finds the family odd, but lovable, and quickly finds herself becoming a part of their home.  As she tries to find a way to help the awkward daughter Celeste, she finds herself falling in love with one of the brothers. But which one? The nerdy boy in the bedroom beside her? Or the adventurous traveler that she's been chatting with online? And what is the big secret that everyone seems to be hiding?

Flat Out Love is a sweet story about a girl finding her way and a family finding each other. The characters are quirky and interesting. I have to say the storyline was a little predictable, but I kept reading and second guessing myself right up to the very end. In short, it's a neat little love story that is just different enough from all the others to keep you turning pages well into the night.

**If you love this book, there is a companion piece called Flat Out Matt that retells some of the important chapters of the book from another character's point of view. I haven't read it yet, but my curiosity is piqued!

The Good Luck of Right Now by Matthew Quick

Thirty-eight year old Bartholomew Neil lived with his mother his entire life.  When she is diagnosed with brain cancer and dies because of it, Bartholomew is left lost and alone.  His assigned grief counselor, Wendy, encourages Bartholomew to set new goals for his life (i.e. having a drink at a bar with someone his own age).  Bartholomew believes he has found a way to deal with his loss when he discovers a letter written to his mother from her favorite actor, Richard Gere.  Because his mother loved Richard Gere so much, Bartholomew decides to correspond with the actor and share about his life and struggles.  The letters written to Gere reveal elements of Bartholomew's past along with his longings for the future and a family of his own.  

My Thoughts: 
As you read Bartholomew's story you will find a lot of sadness, but you will also find an abounding amount of hope.  The Good Luck of Right Now is written completely in letter format. Each letter is written from Bartholomew to Richard Gere.  While it is unclear whether Bartholomew ever actually sends these letters, it is clear that the correspondence is one-sided.  This was a little weird to me at first, but I soon realized that it was perfect for Bartholomew.   

With this being the third Matthew Quick book I have read in the past month, I have to say that I have yet to be disappointed.  Quick does such a fantastic job of creating characters who are quirky, but also genuine.  His first person narratives allow readers to jump inside the minds of his characters and find their way around.  If you haven't picked up a Matthew Quick novel, you are definitely missing out. 

Note:  I received an advanced copy of this title via Edelweiss. The Good Luck of Right Now is expected to be published February 14, 2014.  

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick

In addition to the P-38, there are four gifts, one for each of my friends. I want to say good-bye to them properly. I want to give them each something to remember me by. To let them know I really cared about them and I'm sorry I couldn't be more than I was—that I couldn't stick around—and that what's going to happen today isn't their fault.

Today is Leonard Peacock's birthday.  He has big plans for the day that include delivering gifts to four friends, killing his former best friend with his grandfather's WWII pistol, and then shooting himself. Leonard's mother is completely disconnected from her son's life.  Working as a designer in New York, she leaves Leonard to fend for himself in New Jersey.  She doesn't even remember that today is his birthday.  In fact, no one knows that today is his birthday.  

Leonard spends the first hours of his day delivering gifts to the only four people he considers to be his friends.  He first visits his neighbor, Walt,  who is intensely obsessed with Humphrey Bogart films.  He then visits Lauren, a Christian homeschooler who has worked very hard to convert him to Christianity.  At school he delivers gifts to Baback, a violinist whose practice sessions he has listened to for years, and Herr Silverman, his favorite teacher who teaches his Holocaust class.  As Leonard meets with each of these four friends, he reveals not only his past experiences with them, but also what brought him to this day.  

My Thoughts: 

Matthew Quick tackles a very difficult subject in this novel.  In a time where school shootings are prevalent, I very much appreciate a book written from the shooter's perspective.  So often, and rightly so, we focus on the people that are victims of these shootings.  I do feel that we often forget to consider the young teenagers who feel that they are left with no other option than to kill their classmates and then end their own lives. What brings them to this point? Did they ever reach out to parents, friends, or teachers?  Was help offered?  In this novel, Matthew Quick creates a story that gives his readers an opportunity to see where Leonard has come from and why he has been brought to such a dark place.     

Note:  I received an advanced copy of this book to write this review. It is set to release on August 13, 2013. 

Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

After spending time in a neural rehab facility, 34 year old Pat Peoples returns home with hopes of getting his life back together.  Pat is convinced that if he works out enough and reads enough classic literature, his wife will return to him.  Pat refers to their separation as "apart time" and is thoroughly convinced that it will soon come to an end.  Now living with his parents, things don't turn out quite like Pat planned. His family refuses to talk about his wife and he doesn't understand how so many things (i.e. the Eagles' football stadium being blown up) could have happened in the few short months he was away.  Pat eventually meets Tiffany, an eccentric woman who has experienced her own share of pain and sadness.  Tiffany convinces Pat that entering a dance competition with her will surely cause his wife to return to him.  

My Thoughts: 
Silver Linings Playbook is an excellent novel.  I actually saw the movie before I knew anything about the book and was so intrigued by it that I had to read the book as well. The book was even better than the movie, mostly because, as the reader, I was allowed inside Pat's head.  Pat's brain injury causes him to have many issues and reading the story from his perspective allowed me to understand him so much more.  While this book deals with a very serious subject, it is also hilarious.  The people in Pat's life are often difficult and their lives messy, but they are also what pulls him through in the end.  

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder is set in a futuristic world where cyborgs, androids, and visitors from the moon (Luna) are all part of every day life.  Sixteen year old Cinder is a cyborg who lives in New Beijing with her wicked stepmother.  She remembers little to nothing about her life before age eleven when she was adopted by a scientist who soon dies and leaves her with his wife and two daughters.  While cyborgs are are considered a mistake of society, Cinder has many helpful capabilities:  Her brain interface allows her to be extremely adept at fixing things mechanical in nature and her portscreen is installed inside her brain allowing her to retrieve needed information quickly. Her mechanic's reputation brings the prince of New Beijing, Prince Kai, to her booth seeking assistance with his malfunctioning android.  Cinder is eager to be of assistance to the prince, but is soon distracted when her younger step-sister (and friend) is diagnosed with the plague that has been killing the citizens of Earth for over a decade.  Cinder's step-mother blames Cinder for her daughter's illness and volunteers her for plague research.  Cinder is poked and prodded and then injected with the plague virus.  What the royal scientists discover is utterly surprising and Cinder's status quickly changes from guinea pig to a commodity.  

My Thoughts: 
While I wasn't sure about the sci-fi parts of this novel when I first picked it up, I was quickly drawn in by the well developed characters and fairy tale elements.  Cinder is the first in the four book Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer.  This fractured fairy tale series is excellent.  I read Cinder in just a couple of days and quickly moved on to the second in the series, Scarlet. I have also had the privilege to read an advanced copy of the third book, Cress, due to release in February 2014.   While Cinder was an amazing book all on its own, what I love most about this series is the way Marissa Meyer weaves the characters together in the subsequent books.  Fans of dystopia... this is a must read! 

Note:  Check Marissa Meyer's website to find out more about the series.