Review: Cracked Up to Be Courtney Summers

Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (December 23rd, 2008)

Paperback: 214 pages

Reading Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

What's the worst thing you've ever done?

When "Perfect" Parker Fadley starts drinking at school and failing her classes, all of St. Peter's High goes on alert. How has the cheerleading captain, girlfriend of the most popular guy in school, consummate teacher's pet, and future valedictorian fallen so far from grace?

Parker doesn't want to talk about it. She'd just like to be left alone, to disappear, to be ignored. But her parents have placed her on suicide watch and her counselors are demanding the truth. Worse, there's a nice guy falling in love with her and he's making her feel things again when she'd really rather not be feeling anything at all.

Nobody would have guessed she'd turn out like this. But nobody knows the truth.

Something horrible has happened, and it just might be her fault.

Review: This is a very haunting novel that will stick with you long after you have finished reading it. Parker used to be the picture of popularity. She was the cheerleading captain, straight A student, and girlfriend of the most popular guy in school. Then one night changed everything. Parker is hiding a deep secret that she can't share with anyone. It is eating her up inside and although her friends, teachers, and parents try to help, she blocks them all out and hides behind her sarcastic attitude to keep people away.

Then a new guy, Jake, comes into her life and breaks through some of the walls she has built up around her. He puts up with her bad girl personality and refuses to turn his back on her. Through his persistence and forced friendship, Parker is able to slowly break free from the memories that plague her each day. 

This is a deep story that involves the difficult topics of sex, drinking, rape and suicide. I love the way Courtney handled these topics. She did not hold back. Parker's tale is not an easy one to read. It's a lot more about the destruction of self and fears than romance. It shows teens that hiding from problems does nothing but put off the inevitable. That escape is not possible. Eventually every secret comes into focus and fears must be faced head on. 

Characters: Parker is complicated. She went from picture perfect to the bad girl overnight. Her reluctance to let people in and to know the truth about "that night" forces her to push everyone away. Jake is unexpected and not the typical love interest. He is pushy, but isn't. He is sweet, but isn't. He seems to want her, but he seems to understand when Parker needs space and when he can bug her enough that she gives in. Yeah, and I thought Parker was complicated! I really enjoyed Chris, Parker's ex boyfriend. I felt bad for him and thought that he really seemed to love Parker a lot. 

Cover: To me, this cover comes off as more "lighthearted" than what this book really is. Seems like it conveys the idea that this book is just the typical high school drama plot line. That is far from what this book is about! It is deep, complex, and demands the readers attention. 

This is a difficult read and I would not recommend it for young teens or anyone who may be offended by mature themes. At the same time, it is such an important read for older teens who may use destructive strategies in order to deal with stress or trauma. "Parker" may be a school friend, an acquaintance, or even you. But sometimes it's difficult to run from a memory.

 

Courtney's next book

Fall for Anything

To be released December 21st, 2010

From St. Martin's Griffin








Find Courtney Summers

Courtney Summers  /  Goodreads  /  Twitter /  Facebook

Purchase Cracked Up to Be

Amazon  /  The Book Depository  /  Barnes & Noble

*If you purchase from Amazon or The Book Depository through the links provided a small percentage of the sales will go to me. Any money from this is used for shipping costs during giveaways.

Interview with Heidi R. Kling

Heidi R. Kling is the author of Sea. She is a debut author and I am thrilled to have her on my blog.

Thanks Heidi for stopping by to answer a few questions!

1. Can you tell us a little about the acting you did in school?

I was pretty shy and my mom encouraged me to do drama. I resisted, but it turned out to be a great opportunity for me. It let me release my inner butterfly so to speak.

2. You have mentioned that you moved around a lot as a child, did you view that as an adventure or was it hard on you?

It was! I would make friends, best friends and then have to move or change schools. Aside from high school I was never in the same school for more than three years in a row. The upside is that I learned how to make friends easily, the downside is I learned early on that the idea that my world could be uprooted in an instant.

3. What was it like to have your YA short story published in a college anthology? 

It was great! I've been writing forever, and rejections are so frustrating--so for them to say Yes, we'd love to publish this, was incredible.

4. Why did you decide to write and direct at a children's theater?

After college I was working at a summer camp and my good friend Lenka Vodicka had these short adaptations of plays for the kids to act out. I joined her, and it was so popular we decided to offer it during the year too.

5. Can you tell us about your husbands trip to Indonesia? Did you get to go? 

I did not. Our son was too young and I didn't want to bring him along or leave him home alone without the two of us. My husband does cross cultural trauma work for Post-traumatic stress due to natural disasters like the tsunami, or man made disasters like war.

6. After his trip, did you immediately start writing Sea? 

Pretty much. I was working on a different novel and my husband was so affected by the experience in Indonesia that he suggested I write about that instead. I didn't want to attempt to write the POV of one of the survivors, even though it would have been compelling, I don't know if I could have pulled it off. So I created Sienna so I could tell the story through her eyes. And through her eyes American kids could relate.

7. This is a very emotional story, did you have trouble writing certain parts? 

I did. I fell so deeply in love with the characters. Some of the parts were challenging, sure.

8. This is one of the first books I have read that is based on an actual event, what would you like for people to take from this book? 

I would love for them to take a global sense of awareness--that the world is bigger than just us here in the U.S.

9. What has been the most surprising part of this process? 

The reader response. I've had so many readers tell me they just love this book, love this story. I hoped they'd like it but the fact that the teens love it as much as they do makes me so happy.

10. I know you are working on a modern fantasy trilogy about witches and warlocks. Can you  tell us more? How far along are you in this process and do you have any other projects in the works? 

I am! I'm finished with the first book, my agent has it now and we're hoping to sell it soon!

Check out my other posts about Sea: 
Review of Sea
Waiting For: Sea by Heidi R. Kling
Sea book trailer and cuteness

For more information on Heidi or Sea go to:

Heidi R. Kling / Livejournal / Twitter / Goodreads 

Buy from:  

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository / Indie Bound / Kepler's

You can get a signed edition from Kepler's 

Book Trailer:

In My Mailbox (13)

Lots of great books this week! Some surprises that I am super excited to read! Special thanks to Melinda Metz, Bloomsbury, Flux, St. Martin's, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, and Lena from Addicted 2 Novels.

Review
Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles- received from Flux
Hush by Eishes Chayil (ARC)- received from Bloomsbury
The Twin's Daughter (ARC)- received from Bloomsbury
Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel- received from St. Martin's
Jane by April Lindner (ARC)- received from Little Brown
Crave by Melinda Metz and Laura J. Burns- received from Melinda Metz

Purchased
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (signed)
The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa (signed)

* I was lucky enough to FIND THESE ON THE SHELF of Books a Million! SIGNED! That has NEVER happened to me before. I snatched them up like someone was ready to steal it from me. SO HAPPY!
Julie- YOU ROCK!

Won
You Are So Undead To Me by Stacy Jay
Maggie Stiefvater bookplate (signed)
Prophecy of the Sisters/Guardian of the Gate bookmark
Freefall by Mindi Scott bookmark (signed)
Forgive My Fins bookmark
Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely Series) bookmark (signed)
Friendship bracelet inspired by Forget-Her-Nots

* Won from Lena at Addicted 2 Novels- Thanks Lena!

Gifted
Roswell High: The Outsider (signed and postcard) by Melinda Metz- received from Melinda Metz

* As many of you saw in this post about Melinda Metz- I am a complete fangirl of hers. Roswell high was the first series I ever fell in love with and it was a big influence in my love of reading. Thanks so much Melinda!

Summer Lovin' WINNERS for Prize Packs # 7-11

Prize Pack #7

186 people/ 895 entries

And the winner is...

Kailia S. from Reading the Best of the Best

Prize Pack #8

 

183 people/ 855 entries

And the winner is...

Candace from Candace's Book Blog

Prize Pack #9

 

140 people/ 553 entries

And the winner is...

Emily H.

Prize Pack#10!

  360 people/ 1888 entries

And the winner is...

Elizabeth from Swords for Fighting

who won a copy of CLOCKWORK ANGEL

Prize Pack #11

 105 people/ 586 entries

And the winner is...

Sydney T. from Dreams in Tandem

Congratulations! I have emailed you all and you have 48 hours to respond with your mailing address. 

*TO ALL WINNERS! I will try my best to ship everything next week. I will email you and let you know when your Prize Pack is on its way.*

I still have not heard from Prize Pack winners #5 and #6 from this post. If that is you, PLEASE email me your mailing address. I will have to pick another winner tomorrow if not so it doesn't hold up the other mailings. Thanks!

Blog Tour: Interview with Brenda Pandos

I'm very happy to have Brenda Pandos on the blog today and be part of the tour for her book The Emerald Talisman. Since I have a small child, I wanted to ask Brenda exactly how she writes while having small children. 

Thank you Brenda for stopping by!

Brenda, since you are a stay at home mom, how do you manage to juggle parenting a small child and writing?

Actually, we have two small children. Our two boys, a 2 year old and an almost 5 year old, keep us on our toes. My secret is really my husband. Without his help, I don’t think I’d get any writing done. He’s a gem of a man being the cook and the grocery shopper too. We share housework and laundry duties. 

But, the main thing is, I don’t watch TV (hardly). It’s on for the kids during the day, but off at night. That’s when I write or work on my other projects. Don’t get me wrong, I love TV, especially reality shows, but I had to carve out time somewhere. I also get a sitter during the day 1 or 2 times a week for a few hours.

Besides being a great mother and writer, what are your other hobbies?

(Thanks for the compliments *blushes*) I’m also a graphic/web designer and have a small business web design business. I really enjoy making websites and designing cool stuff with my graphics program. Sometimes I get a little carried away, but it’s fun. My laptop (besides my husband) is my best friend and right arm. I’m always on it and a geek by nature. Before kids, I was a computer administrator.

I really enjoyed scrapbooking and crafts too, but with small kids, it’s not feasible. They are way too interested to see what mommy is doing, and stuff ends up strewn everywhere. One day, I hope to be able to return to that. I do like to garden and I’d love to learn more about photography. All in due time, right?

Thanks Jessica for the opportunity to visit and comment on your blog.

The Emerald Talisman

March 24th, 2010

 The Sapphire Talisman

December 2010

Find Brenda Pandos
Blog  /  Twitter  /  Facebook  /  Goodreads

Haunted Halloween: True Tales of the Paranormal

I know what you are thinking. You are saying "but Confessions, it is not Halloween, what is this event you speak of?" To which I reply "THE MOST EPIC HALLOWEEN BLOGGING EVENT EVER!" 

Yes, it is time to let the ghost out of the bag and tell the secret Lisa and I have been working on for WEEKS already. We have planned the "Haunted Halloween: True Tales of the Paranormal" event. As of now, over 50 of the best, most amazing, spectacular YA authors have confirmed they will be sharing their "real-life" paranormal stories on our blogs during October. This is awesome in itself because who doesn't like hearing true spooky tales, BUT there's more! During the event we will be hosting unbelievable giveaways! We have been fortunate enough to receive book and swag donations from countless authors and publishers and we are giving it all to you, our loyal readers! :)

We hope you will all join us in celebrating Halloween and hearing some scary tales from the best authors around! 

Haunted Halloween is HERE! Click here for the updated posts and giveaways each day!

Book Blogger Hop (13) & Follow Friday (6)

Hey everyone! Happy Friday! It's time for the Book Blogger Hop. This is hosted by the fabulous Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books. If you would like to participate click on the link and sign up on her blog.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Do you use a rating system for your reviews and if so, what is it and why?

Yes, I do have a ratings system but I do plan to change it soon. I made it myself and it's just 1-5 stars. I did it so that people can glance at a review without having to read every single word to know, generally, how I felt about the book. Plus, most sites (Goodreads, Amazon, etc.) have a ratings system as well and it just makes things easier. Eventually I will probably change the design of my ratings system, or add more details to it because sometimes pinpointing a rating can be difficult.

I decide to do the Follow Friday as well. This is hosted by the wonderful Parajunkee! You can click on the button to sign up.

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog! 

 Giveaways

 Echoes by Melinda Metz- 

2 signed copies - International - Ends 8/31

 Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin

3 signed ARCs - US only - Ends 9/20

 Kiss Me Deadly featuring 13 YA authors

1 copy- US only - Ends 9/3

Lots of fun stuff planned for this week and the big Halloween announcement will be up tomorrow! :) 

Have a great weekend everyone!

Review: Tweet Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick

Tweet Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick

Publisher: Hyperion (June 22nd, 2010)

Paperback: 264 pages

Reading Level: Young Adult

Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Source: Author

Claire is a #hopelessromantic. Lottie is determined to set up her BFF with Mr. Perfect. Will wants his #secretcrush to finally notice him. Bennett is a man with a plan.

Claire can’t believe it when her dream guy starts following her on Twitter. She never thought he noticed her, and suddenly he seems to understand her better than almost anyone.

But the Twitterverse can be a confusing place, especially when friends act differently online than they do in person. Things get even more complicated when Claire realizes she’s falling for someone else, the last person she ever would have expected….

Told in an innovative format combining tweets, emails, and blogs, Tweet Heart is a contemporary romantic comedy that will set your heart atwitter.

Review: This is such a cute book. It follows the tweets, emails, and posts of Claire her best friend Lottie, and their other friends Will and Bennett. Claire has a huge crush on a guy named JD and when he suddenly tweets her she is super excited to be on his radar. But things, and people, may not be as they seem in the twitterverse and Claire is in for a surprise. 

This book takes us through the tweets of Claire and Lottie as they learn more about boys and who may be right for them. Their friends Will and Bennett are just as clueless about girls and how to deal with Will's #secretcrush. Some bad advice lands Will in the hot seat and he is desperate to make up for what he did. 

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is a great story and so much fun to follow. With so much of today's communication based on emails and tweets this story is very true-to-life. It shows how difficult it can be to know true feelings by typing and how sometimes it takes more than a few words to make something turn out right. 

The book also has posts from Bennett's blog "Big Mouth B" where he shares his wisdom on girls, school, and life in general. Claire has her own special section in the school paper "Watkins Weekly" where she shares her thoughts on love, even though she is severely lacking in that area.

Characters: Claire is super sweet! She's smart, funny, and a #hopelessromantic looking for love in the wrong places. Her best friend Lottie is a little less shy and seems to find the wrong love in many places. Their opposite personalities seem to come together and they learn a lot from each other. Will is so kind, adorable, and a little dorky. But I must say that I loved Bennett. He seemed so random and his humor was a nice relief during the "dramatic" times. His back and forth banter with Lottie made me (LOL) many times! 

Cover: Not only is this book cover perfect for the story, but the inside is even better! The pages are thick, the backgrounds are different, and the "private" tweets are colored blue so they are easy to distinguish from regular tweets.

This is a great, quick read that is fun and funny for all ages. Tweet Heart is a lighthearted story of teenagers learning how complicated love can be, and how the best solution to their problems may just be a "tweet" away. 

Find Elizabeth Rudnick

Elizabeth Rudnick  /  Twitter  /  Blog  

Purchase Tweet Heart

Amazon  /  The Book Depository  /  Barnes & Noble

*If you purchase from Amazon or The Book Depository through the links provided a small percentage of the sales will go to me. Any money from this is used for shipping costs during giveaways. 

Summer Lovin' WINNERS for Prize Packs #5-6

Prize Pack # 5

198 people entered/ 1024 total entries

And the winner is...

Lauren from Books on a Shelf

Prize Pack #6

218 people/ 1029 total entries

And the winner is...
Maddie M.

Congratulations! I have emailed you both and you have 48 hours to respond with your mailing address. 

More winners to come...

Winner of Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Thanks to everyone who entered to win the signed copy of Lock and Key by the fabulous Sarah Dessen. Don't forget that Sarah now has her own social networking site at Sarah-Land. The site is a lot of fun and it is a great way to find out more about Sarah and her upcoming novels. 

130 people entered the giveaway with 371 total entries.

And the winner is #113

Tara from Chicago Coupon Confessions

Congratulations. I have emailed you and you have 48 hours to respond with your mailing address. Enjoy your book! 

More Summer Lovin' Giveaway winners are coming soon (hopefully tonight)! Don't forget to sign up for the 3 other giveaways I have going on now. 

Win Echoes (signed) by Melinda Metz- 2 winners Ends 8/31 - International

Win Extraordinary (signed ARC) by Nancy Werlin- 3 winners Ends 9/20

Win Kiss Me Deadly featuring some of the best YA authors- 1 winner Ends 9/23