The Probability of Miracles

The Bookworm says... Yes! The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder was a fantastic book! Campbell has cancer, and she has it bad. Neuroblastoma is practically incurable in teens and adults. The doctors tell her she needs a miracle. So, her mom decides they should move from Orlando to Promise, Maine where miracles are said to occur daily. From flamingos in winter and purple daffodils, it's hard for Cam to deny that there's something going on in this town. The mysterious boy Asher that keeps popping up in her life might have something to do with that. Cam has to overcome her doubt of all things supernatural, and see if that will be enough to save her from this disease that is holding the reins of her life.

This was a lovely book! Honestly, it was a cover buy. This cover is so beautiful and the reason I picked it up. I've been pleasantly surprised! Though a bit predictable and cliche, the character development/character qualities and the strange occurrences thought up in this book prove it to be a heartbreaking yet heartwarming tale of living with disease. 

"The present moment can be chopped up into infinitely smaller present moments. This moment is forever. And it is all that matters."

My Best Everything

The Bookworm says... Yes. My Best Everything by Sarah Tomp was great! Lulu has to get out of Dale. She can't be confined to small town life for entirety. She's marking down the days until she gets to escape to the sunny campus of the University of San Diego. Every day gets an "X" on the calendar... Until the day she finds out her tuition money is gone. Lulu needs to find a way to make her money, and fast. A 400$ deposit is due soon, or Lulu is stuck in Dale forever. Everyone else seems to get what Lulu wants, and she's stuck settling for her small town Virginia life when she meets Mason. Mason tried to give Lulu a way out, but he also gives her a reason to stay. 

This book was really good! If I'm being honest, I wouldn't have picked it up by myself. Generally I prefer contemporary books, and the plot description just wasn't doing it for me. However, my mom bought me this, and once I started it, I was hooked. Just the right amount of sweet and sour (and a little bit of cornmeal and yeast) sprinkled through the novel, I laughed and cried. I would definitely recommend  this book to anyone looking for a nice, light read!

"When you drive off into the sunset, remember, the road comes back too."

Broken Skies

The Bookworm says... Absolutely! Broken Skies by Theresa Kay was a terrific book. 10 years ago, the Collapse wiped out 90% of the human population. Now, the remaining humans live in seclusion, sharing the planet with E'rikon aliens. Jax is different from most of the girls in their settlement; she refuses to wear gowns and prance around like a show pony. Alongside her twin brother Jace, she hunts, fights, and sneaks past the gates whenever possible. After a traumatizing past event, Jax cannot be touched and has frequent panic attacks. She relies heavily on Jace, as he is the only one that can get through to her to calm her down. One day, her curiosity gets the best of her; Jace ends up a prisoner of the E'rikon and Jax ends up with an unlikely E'rikon friend named Lir. On her journey to rescue her brother, Jax becomes fatally close with Lir, and discovers that she isn't as different from other girls as she thought. Over the course of the novel, Jax fights the battles against her anxiety and panic attacks, and attempts to figure out where loyalties lie and who the true enemy is. 

This book was excellent! Initially, Jax reminded me of Merida from the Disney movie Brave. (And may or may not be how I picture her...) Generally, I'm not into dystopian novels. Until I read this, I probably couldn't have told you my favorite. Now it's Broken Skies. As the novel is told through Jax's point of view, the development of her character was terrific. The mystery of her anxiety/panic attacks was intriguing and captivating. The characterization of Lir through Jax's eyes was great. I do think the ending felt a little rushed, but that didn't take away from the novel at all. The plot was brilliantly thought through and held my attention perfectly. This book has been on my mind constantly for the past 24 hours. (Spoiler alert for the little blurb after the quote!!)

"When the dreams finally come, they're not at all what I expect. My dreams once again focus on me, me in danger, me crying, me shaking... It's not the fear or the blood of those I killed filling my head, but my own." 

(Spoiler alert!!) I wish there was more on the Jace/Flint relationship!! When it comes down to it, I TOTALLY ship that. 

A Separate Peace

A Separate Peace

The Bookworm says... Yes! A Separate Peace by John Knowles was a great book! At an all boys boarding school in New England towards the beginning of World War II, this is the peak of adolescent struggle. Gene is an intelligent, hardworking introvert. Finny is an athletic, handsome, daunting extrovert. Polar opposites, yet best friends. When jealousy and competition come into play and try to take over, the boys struggle through their differences. All on the threshold of World War II. 

A required read in English class, so naturally I decided to abandon all pacing guidelines and read the whole book the day it was assigned. I absolutely adored this novel. Though decades later, it's messages still hold true. A classic, but in that a book I would recommend to anyone. 

"So the more things remain the same, the more they change after all- plus c'est la même chose, plus ça change. Nothing endures, not a tree, not love, not even a death by violence."

The Girl On The Train

The Bookworm says... Absolutely! The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins was terrifying, twisted, and wrong... Which made it so right. Every day Rachel takes the train to London. Every day she sees the couple eating breakfast on their terrace. She names them Jess and Jason, and creates a life for them. Every day she composes more of this story in her head, until one day, she sees something. She's the only one that notices, and seconds later, the train keeps moving. Apprehensive about whether or not to go to the police, Rachel finds her self neck deep in an investigation about a crime she can't remember the night of. 

This book was twisted and disturbing and I couldn't put it down. Every turn of the plot had me turning pages faster, every sinister motive had me aching for the end. When it came I wish it hadn't. In a writing style very similar to Gillian Flynn, Paula Hawkins unleashes a thriller sure to appeal to all fans of Gone Girl. I promise you, you won't be able to put it down. 

"Eventually, I suppose, the nightmares will stop and I'll stop replaying it over and over in my head, but right now I know there's a long night ahead. And I have to get up early tomorrow morning to catch the train." 

Orphan Train

The Bookworm says... Yes! Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline was a very nice book! From the mid 1850's to early 1900's, an orphan train ran from the East Coast to the Midwest. Vivian Daly rode this train as a young Irish immigrant. After a long, ever changing life, Vivian settled in coastal Maine and led a quiet, peaceful life. Her life is very normal; the attic is where the secrets hide. Seventeen year old Molly knows how it feels to be unwanted, and she knows that if she wants to stay out of juvie she needs to complete her community service hours. What she doesn't know is that by cleaning out an old lady's attic, she will find a friend in someone extraordinary. Unprepared for the similarities between her and Vivian, Molly is completely taken by surprise by what lies ahead of her. 

I did not have very high expectations for this book. I'm not sure why- maybe the cover, maybe the description. I'm not sure. But I loved it. The two tales of Molly and Vivian flowed together seamlessly, creating an artful, exquisite story. 

"I believe in ghosts... They're the ones who haunt us... The ones who left us behind."

Anna and the French Kiss

The Bookworm says... Oui! Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins was a lovely book. Anna loves Atlanta. She's excited to be a senior, and excited about her bubbling almost-relationship with Toph. It's smooth sailing, until her father decides to ship her off to Paris. The newest member of the 25 (now 26) person senior class of the School of America in Paris, Anna doesn't speak a word of French. She makes new friends: Mer, Josh, Rashmi, and Étienne St. Clair. Oh, St. Clair. Anna and St. Clair. St. Clair and Anna. Instant best friends, so close that a romantic relationship seems inevitable. Except St. Clair has a girlfriend. And Anna kindasortamaybe has a boyfriend. Her heart is in Atlanta, but also very present in Paris. Through a series of touristy activities and some classical films, Anna and St. Clair attempt to work out the broken pieces of their friendship/relationship, while fixing each other in the process. 

I really enjoyed this book! It was definitely very cliché, set in the City of Love. A little cliché never hurt anyone! I'm happy to say it lived up to my high expectations set for this book, and that I cannot wait until I have a chance to buy the rest of this romantic Stephanie Perkins trilogy. 

"For the two of us, home isn't a place. It's a person. And we're finally home."

Everything I Never Told You

The Bookworm says... Maybe. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng was not a horrible book, but it was not amazing. The story of a 1970's Chinese American family, beginning with the death of their eldest daughter. But they don't know she's dead yet. From Marilyn and James's wedding, to Nath's birth, to Lydia's death, follow the Lee family through hardship and peril. Lydia, forced to conform to the dreams of her parents, a subject of parents living through their child. Nath, full of achievements yet pushed to the side in Lydia's wake. Hannah, overlooked and observant. And the whole Lee family, trying to make do as the only Chinese family in the whole of small town Ohio. 

Plot wise, this book was alright. It developed much too slow for my liking, and I was left with chapter upon chapter of what felt like filler information. Not my favorite. 

"Lydia is dead. But they don't know this yet."

To All The Boys I've Loved Before

The Bookworm says... Yes! To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han was great! Lara Jean is the type to be consumed by love. She falls in love, and can't concentrate on anything else. So, she writes love letters to the boys she loves. Once she writes, seals,  stamps, and locks away her letters in a box, she can finally go about her daily life. One day, her letters get mailed. Lara Jeans secret love letters to her loves throughout the years have been delivered, and whether the boys knew about her feelings before, they're about to find out. 

I had heard so much about this book, it would practically be a crime not to read it. I had very high expectations, and it met them! My only complaint would be that after about 90 pages, the rest of the book is fairly predicable. However, that didn't make it less enjoyable! 

"My letters set me free. Or at least they're supposed to."

The Sky is Everywhere

The Bookworm says... Yes! The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson was a  great book! Not as good as her other novel, I'll Give You The Sun, but good all the same. Bailey's death tears everyone apart, especially her sister Lennie. Her heart overflowing with grief, she needs to find a way to relieve herself. Toby, her dead sisters boyfriend. Joe, the hot/mysterious/musical prodigy new boy. One boy helps her remember how good it is to be alive, and the other helps her forget everything. She needs them both, yet she knows she can't have them. Hearts collide, as do universes. 

To be quite honest, this book was not as good as I hoped for it to be. The beginning seemed to drag on. I did, however, love the poetry. Beautiful. 

"Lennie, the sky is everywhere, it begins at your feet."

Previously reviewed by Jandy Nelson: I'll Give You The Sun

Read Between the Lines

The Bookworm says... Yes! Read Between the Lines by Jo Knowles was a lovely book that I had the pleasure to read an advance copy of. The release date is set for March 2015. Living in a small town, the whole cast of typical high school characters is there: the nerd, the jocks, the (almost) high school dropout, the cheerleaders, the closeted basketball star, and the one cheerleader that always seems to be overweight. The day begins with Nate breaking his finger in gym class. His middle finger, earning him the nickname "Finger Boy". Throughout the day, throughout different points of view, relationships will end, they will begin. People will lose friends, people will find friends. They will defend their pride. And most of all, they'll let their middle fingers fly. This was an excellent book and I can not wait for the official release! 

"I don't know when finding Grace's boyfriend's parties became more important than trying to find ourselves. Maybe it's because we became afraid of what we'd find." 

**official release is March 10, 2015!

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender

The Bookworm says... Yes! The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton was a really good  book! Generation upon generation of the Roux family have been blinded by their ability to love. Ava and Henry are not spared from this fate. Henry doesn't speak, yet he is still a kinder heart than most. Ava is born with a full set of wings, yet very much just a girl with a heart that's too big for her body. 16 year old Ava Lavender just wants to understand her family and the world that se has been shielded from, but she has a hard time seeing around her curiosity. Ava Lavender seeks to unveil her family history and the stories of the people around her, and try to just be a normal girl (which proves to be quite hard with a pair of wings). 

Honestly, the whole beginning of this book came off as very strange to me. If I had been the type to stop reading a book when it disinterested me, I wouldn't have finished it. But let me tell you- the second half of this book is incredible. 

"Love makes us such fools."