I always feel like a horrible person for abandoning my blog for such a long time. The truth is time just got the best of me and while I tried to tackle my personal life, my blog unfortunately suffered. Reading is my life and I am so honored I made so many friends here because of it. I'm not going to give up on blogging, in fact I am going to slowly try to get myself back into it. I'm not the best blogger in the world but I really love doing it. I guess what I am trying to say is thank you so much for those who have became my friend and for those in the future I will get to know. It really is a blessing to have such amazing people to talk to everyday. I look forward to getting to know you all better and I truly mean that. Thanks for sticking around.

XOXO
- Kat

Waiting on Wednesday (8)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine! Each week, bloggers spotlight what upcoming release they're eager for.

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

Released: August 15th 2013 

Summary from Goodreads:
"You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…
Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town…until River West comes along. River rents the guesthouse behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more? Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery...who makes you want to kiss back. Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it."

Waiting on Wednesday (7)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine! Each week, bloggers spotlight what upcoming release they're eager for.

Title: Reboot by Amy Tintera

Released: May 7th 2013 

Summary from Goodreads:

"Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation).
Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.
The perfect soldier is done taking orders."

Short Review: Vintage Veronica

Title: Vintage Veronica
Author: Erica S. Per
Release Date: March 9^th 2010
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages: 288
Source: Library

My Thoughts:

Vintage Veronica was a story that surprised me in a good way. It was such a nice, light, fun, read with messages of self love and acceptance thrown in. Seriously guys, it was so good. The characters were lovable. Veronica was someone I identified with and I loved reading about her story. The problems she faced and overcame were some I had too go through too. It was just nice seeing her accepting her weight and discovering how to just be happy with yourself. The romance was realistic and I LOVED seeing two flawed characters(not you know, dream boats) get to be together and are just happy. This was a great contemporary and perfect for summer! 

Rating: 3/5

Review: The Lost Girl

Title: The Lost Girl

Author: Sangu Mandanna
Release Date: August 28th 2012
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 432
Source: Purchased 

Summary:

"Eva’s life is not her own. She is a creation, an abomination—an echo. Made by the Weavers as a copy of someone else, she is expected to replace a girl named Amarra, her “other”, if she ever died. Eva studies what Amarra does, what she eats, what it’s like to kiss her boyfriend, Ray. So when Amarra is killed in a car crash, Eva should be ready.

But fifteen years of studying never prepared her for this.

Now she must abandon everything she’s ever known—the guardians who raised her, the boy she’s forbidden to love—to move to India and convince the world that Amarra is still alive.

What Eva finds is a grief-stricken family; parents unsure how to handle this echo they thought they wanted; and Ray, who knew every detail, every contour of Amarra. And when Eva is unexpectedly dealt a fatal blow that will change her existence forever, she is forced to choose: Stay and live out her years as a copy or leave and risk it all for the freedom to be an original. To be Eva."

My Thoughts: 

When I first heard the premise of what Lost Girl was going to be about I was very intrigued. Never had I heard of a story plot such as Lost Girl's before. To be honest, I was a bit skeptical on how Sangu could pull it off, but she did. My goodness this book was amazeballs!

The story begins with Eva, who is an echo. An echo is basically a spare person created by Weavers for a family in case tragedy strikes. Eva lives in London where she is learning and practicing on how to become Amarra, the girl she was created to replace.

This book was absolutely incredible! I loved it so much that I highly doubt my words can even begin to give it enough praise.

First of all, Sangu's writing Is beautifully done. The story flows perfectly and best of the writing was able to leave me with so many emotions. I love when books hit me so powerfully that they actually make me think about things in a new way. Sangu's writing did that for me. So many questions are asked in this book. Love, humanity and loss are just a few. This story was so emotional and beautiful and gah I just can't gush about it enough.

Even the characters in this story were amazing. Eva was a strong independent, she took on her fate, yet was still her own person. It was so nice to see a main character in a YA novel not play the victim. That's exactly how Eva was, a fighter. Regardless of her circumstances, Eva never gave up. She always had that passionate spirit in her and I loved it. She was such a remarkable character and she really was an amazing protagonist. Even the minor characters were believable and served a purpose rather than fill up pages. I really liked Mina Ma (Eva's guardian) and her teachers. They added to the story rather than clutter it.

The plot was intense and interesting. I loved seeing Eva change over time and grow up. The choices she made and the obstacles she went through really made the story that much better. I mean, I couldn't step into someone's life and take their place. It's just so odd to think about. I loved her time in India being Amarra. It was so fascinating and heartbreaking.

With love being such a strong theme, I knew romance would blossom in the story. It did, but it was real love. It wasn't the pretty YA version with happy endings – no, it was true love. The love that is devastating as it is beautiful. Sangu intertwined love with loss so greatly in this story and I appreciated that. Not only was it just romance, but a family's love too. It was just all so complicated and it broke my heart often. Books rarely make me cry but this one did. It really makes you think about life and decisions.

So If you haven't figured out yet, I LOVED this book. Do yourself a favor and read this book so you too can experience this amazing story. I can't wait to read the sequel. 

Rating: 5/5!

Waiting on Wednesday (6)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine! Each week, bloggers spotlight what upcoming release they're eager for.

Title: The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher

Released: May 7th 2013 

Summary from Goodreads:

"First it was SLUT scribbled all over Lizzie Hart’s locker.
But one week after Lizzie kills herself, SUICIDE SLUT replaces it—in Lizzie's looping scrawl.
Lizzie’s reputation is destroyed when she's caught in bed with her best friend’s boyfriend on prom night. With the whole school turned against her, and Angie not speaking to her, Lizzie takes her own life. But someone isn’t letting her go quietly. As graffiti and photocopies of Lizzie’s diary plaster the school, Angie begins a relentless investigation into who, exactly, made Lizzie feel she didn’t deserve to keep living. And while she claims she simply wants to punish Lizzie’s tormentors, Angie's own anguish over abandoning her best friend will drive her deep into the dark, twisted side of Verity High—and she might not be able to pull herself back out.
Debut author Chelsea Pitcher daringly depicts the harsh reality of modern high schools, where one bad decision can ruin a reputation, and one cruel word can ruin a life. Angie’s quest for the truth behind Lizzie’s suicide is addictive and thrilling, and her razor-sharp wit and fierce sleuthing skills makes her impossible not to root for—even when it becomes clear that both avenging Lizzie and avoiding self-destruction might not be possible."

Waiting on Wednesday (5)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine! Each week, bloggers spotlight what upcoming release they're eager for.

Title: Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick

Released: August 2013

Summary from Goodreads:

"Today is Leonard Peacock's birthday. It is also the day he hides a gun in his backpack. Because today is the day he will kill his former best friend, and then himself, with his grandfather's P-38 pistol.

But first he must say good-bye to the four people who matter most to him: his Humphrey Bogart-obsessed next-door neighbor, Walt; his classmate, Baback, a violin virtuoso; Lauren, the Christian homeschooler he has a crush on; and Herr Silverman, who teaches the high school's class on the Holocaust. Speaking to each in turn, Leonard slowly reveals his secrets as the hours tick by and the moment of truth approaches.

In this riveting look at a day in the life of a disturbed teenage boy, acclaimed author Matthew Quick unflinchingly examines the impossible choices that must be made—and the light in us all that never goes out."