Review: A Walk in the Sun by Michelle Zink

Title: A Walk in the Sun
Author: Michelle Zink
Series: N/a
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: May 3rd, 2016
Source: Received for review from publisher via Edelwiess
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

In this Bridges of Madison County for teens, Michelle Zink weaves a magnetic tale about summer love that stays with you long after the seasons change.

Rose Darrow never wanted to spend her life working on her family’s farm. But when her family is rocked by an unexpected tragedy she has no choice but to put her plans for the future—and dreams of escaping her small town—on hold.

Bodhi Lowell left home as a kid and hasn’t looked back. Years of working farm jobs has given him the one thing he wants most: freedom to travel without answering to anyone. He’s already looking past his job at Darrow Farm and plans on leaving in September—until he meets Rose.
Neither Rose nor Bodhi can deny the sparks flying between them, but with the end of summer looming, they must decide if it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all....

I'm going to give it to you straight. There is nothing special about this story. It was good good book, but there was nothing really original about it. I felt like I had read it before. I can't put my finger on the book or books it reminds me of, but it just felt familiar. 

I think it's just the popular story line. I've read a ton of contemporary over the past couple years, and these popular themes continue to pop up. I'm not going to mention the "tragedy" that happened, but it's one I've read before. Then add cute new guy with his own issues and presto....A Walk in the Sun. 

That being said, I did enjoy it. It didn't grip me, but I liked it. I actually read about 40 percent.. put it down for 2 and a half weeks, and then picked it up to finish. If I didn't like it, I would never have been able to do that. I'm the queen of DNF. 

There is grieving but it's not overwhelming. It was actually pretty light and fluffy in my opinion. Not a tear jerker at all. There is summer romance, and I think that is what kept me interested the most. Bodhi was sweet and I really liked him. Just not his name, because how the F do you even pronounce that? lol. I will have to google this now that I've read the whole book pronouncing it in my head wrong, no doubt. 

So I will definitely read more from Michelle Zink. I think I have another arc from her I never got around to. I like her writing, but this story was just a little overplayed for me. 

About the author:

Michelle Zink is author of the Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy, A Temptation of Angels,
and This Wicked Game. Her next book, Lies I Told, releases Spring 2015. Learn more on Michelle's blog....

Find Michelle:

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

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Labels: A Walk in the Sun, contemporary, farming, grieving, harperteen, Michelle Zink

Review: The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

Title: The Truth About Forever
Author: Sarah Dessen
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: May 11th, 2004
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A long, hot summer...

That's what Macy has to look forward to while her boyfriend, Jason, is away at Brain Camp. Days will be spent at a boring job in the library, evenings will be filled with vocabulary drills for the SATs, and spare time will be passed with her mother, the two of them sharing a silent grief at the traumatic loss of Macy's father.

But sometimes, unexpected things can happen—things such as the catering job at Wish, with its fun-loving, chaotic crew. Or her sister's project of renovating the neglected beach house, awakening long-buried memories. Things such as meeting Wes, a boy with a past, a taste for Truth-telling, and an amazing artistic talent, the kind of boy who could turn any girl's world upside down. As Macy ventures out of her shell, she begins to question her sheltered life.

Is it really always better to be safe than sorry?

Sometimes I have trouble getting into books. It's not always the books fault, it's usually me. I'll be in a reading rut, or I'll just have too much going on at the time to be interested in a story. In cases like these, I drop everything I'm trying to read, and pick up a Dessen. I can almost always count on getting sucked in, but it's mellow enough that I don't have to think too much.

I was having some difficulty getting into a few books the end of July, with Aubrey being sick and the threat/promise of surgery being scheduled, so I thought.. I'm gonna finally read this one.

I tried the Audio a while back. It was horrible. The narrator was trash, so I almost immediately returned it and got the kindle version instead. Glad I did, because I wouldn't have wanted to miss out on this one.

The Truth About Forever still wasn't my favorite from her, but I still loved it. Really loved it. :)

Macy's character was very likable. Her boyfriend.. not so much. But he soon shows his true colors and in steps Wes. Now I wan't to mention that I thought from the description that Macy's boyfriend heads to his nerdy camp and she meets another guy... leading to me thinking it might be a cheating situation. I know, a lot to assume from such a vague blurb, but I really thought that's how it was gonna play out.

Cheater haters.. have no fear. It's not like that at all..

I just really love watching Macy grow into the girl she wants to be and not the person everyone around her has been trying to make her. Oh and I love Macy's sister too. Not only do you have Macy trying to grow up, you have her and her family grieving the loss of their father. And each one grieves differently, which is so true to real life. No one grieves the same.

Overall, this was a classic Dessen that no one should miss out on. I'm kind of sad, because I've almost read them all, and then what am I gonna do? I guess wait for her next book. :)

About the author:

Sarah Dessen grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and attended UNC-Chapel Hill, graduating with highest honors in Creative Writing. She is the author of several novels, including Someone Like You, Just Listen and Along for the Ride. A motion picture based on her first two books, entitled How to Deal, was released in 2003. Her eleventh novel, The Moon and More, will be published in June 2013. She lives in North Carolina.

Find Sarah:

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

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Labels: contemporary, grieving, penguin, reviews, sarah dessen, the truth about forever

Review: Young Widows Club by Alexandra Coutts

Title: Young Widows Club
Author: Alexandra Coutts
Series: n/a
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Publication Date: November 10th, 2015
Source: received for review from publisher via NetGalley
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

First came love, then came marriage, and then...

For seventeen-year-old Tam, running off to marry her musician boyfriend is the ideal escape from her claustrophobic high-school life on the island, and the ultimate rebellion against her father and stepmother. But when Tam becomes a widow just weeks later, the shell-shocked teen is forced to find her way forward by going back to the life she thought she’d moved beyond—even as her struggle to deal with her grief is forcing her to reinvent herself and reach out to others in ways she never imagined.

I read this one a while ago. I probably should have wrote this review right after I read it. But... I didn't. lol. I liked this book, but it didn't leave long lasting impression so this review will be short and sweet. 

Things it had going for it...

- It's a quick read. I found myself blowing through this one. 

-There is a little bit of a romance angle, which I wasn't expecting. 

-The Young people getting married. 

I know.. that's probably not a plus for most, but I kinda liked it. I met my husband when he was 17 in HS. We got married when he was 19 and I was 23. While I didn't agree with how they handled it, it is possible to find that special someone early in life. 

Things I didn't like as much...

-This girls attitude. I felt at times she was a bit ungrateful. Her family is there to help her get her life back in order. I wanted to slap her a few times. 

-It was unrealistic for much of the story. Entertaining, but not real. ya know?

-The depth.. I didn't feel much depth from Tam's character. She was grieving, yes, but it felt off to me. It might be because I wasn't a huge fan of her. 

Not my favorite read this year, but it wasn't bad. My favorite thing was watching Tam get to know herself and what she wants in life. Before she became a Widow, she lived much of her life to mirror his. When he passes, she doesn't know how to be anyone.. let alone herself.. who is that anyway? 

So I liked that aspect... Her coming into her own. Moving on. I think his death was actually a good thing, as morbid as that sounds. I thought this book would bring me to tears, but it wasn't as sad as I had thought it would be. 

About the author:

Alexandra Bullen Coutts has been a playwright, waitress, barista, gardener, script reader,
yoga instructor and personal assistant. She grew up in Massachusetts, went to college in New York City, and lives most of the year full time on Martha’s Vineyard.

Find Alexandra:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

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Labels: Alexandra Coutts, grieving, reviews, widow, young marriage, young widows club