The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia

The Lovely Reckless
by Kami Garcia
Publisher: Imprint
Release Date: October 4th 2016
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Sports, Racing

Rate: Loved it (4.5 stars)

Synopsis:

I’ve become an expert at avoiding things that could hurt me—which means I will figure out how to stay away from Marco Leone.

Seventeen-year-old Frankie Devereux would do anything to forget the past. Haunted by the memory of her boyfriend’s death, she lives her life by one dangerous rule: Nothing matters. At least, that’s what Frankie tells herself after a reckless mistake forces her to leave her privileged life in the Heights to move in with her dad—an undercover cop. She transfers to a public high school in the Downs, where fistfights don’t faze anyone and illegal street racing is more popular than football.

Marco Leone is the fastest street racer in the Downs. Tough, sexy, and hypnotic, he makes it impossible for Frankie to ignore him—and how he makes her feel. But the risks Marco takes for his family could have devastating consequences for them both. When Frankie discovers his secret, she has to make a choice. Will she let the pain of the past determine her future? Or will she risk what little she has left to follow her heart?

The Lovely Reckless is definitely in my "Perfect Summer Reads" list! This book reminded me so much to Simone Elkeles' Perfect Chemistry series that I fangirled a lot while reading it. But don't panic! Although the story might sound familiar, Kami Garcia found a way to create unique characters that will make you love this sexy and addicting romance story.

The synopsis pretty much sums up what this story's about: Frankie witnesses the murder of her boyfriend and doesn't remember much of that night. As a result of that tragic event, she has PTSD and a new personality where everything's spiraling out of control from her parents' point of view.

I'm not sure how the "old" Frankie was, but I found the character we met in The Lovely Reckless real. Her emotions are all over the pages of the book, raw and painful and she's afraid she's broken inside due to her grief. Despite all this negative emotions, she's an approachable character and you end up understand her as well as her situation. And in the end you find that she's just another teenage girl, lost and hurt waiting for someone to understand her and accept her for what she is and not for what they all want her to be.

As for Marco, can we just say that he's the exact definition of perfect fictional book boyfriend? He has a bad ass exterior but he's caring, compassionate, protective and basically a good person though certain circumstances in his life might make you doubt it. However, he knows what he has done and sees the differences between right and wrong which makes him irresistible. Plus he's beyond selfless *swoons*.

It's true that the story itself is not anything new or creative and it would be wrong to say this book reminds us a bit to the movie Fast and Furious. There's cars, illegal racing and car lessons but it's a tamed version of what we have seen in those movies. So in case you're expecting this story to get that wild, don't! But this did not bother me. On the contrary, I think it has the perfect amount of "car scenes". Otherwise it would be excessive and would miss the whole point of the story which is Frankie and Marco's story.

Their relationship is one similar to Romeo and Juliet from the very beginning. They belong to different social circles. Frankie's family is wealthy, Marco's not. Frankie's father is a cop, let just say that Marco does not fancy cops at all. Frankie's father forbids her to see Marco, they sneak out to see each other because they just cannot be apart. But do not fear! Their love is a progressive thing as well as their relationship. They do not fall in love at first sight. Which makes this story even more credible and approachable for the reader.

I didn't give 5 stars, merely because to my taste the ending seemed a bit rushed. The story arrived at a point where everything is spiraling out of control and the "mysteries" are being solved and out of a sudden you have finished the story. It's like there's no time for the reader to process we are not having more Marco and Frankie's moments. However, I liked that Kami gives a sort of conclusion to all her characters at the end from Frankie's point of view. 

Overall, this story has everything in my opinion to be a favorite read this year: it has romance, forbidden love, illegal racing, a mystery to solve, danger and friendship. I am highly encouraging the author to write another book similar to this one because now I am hooked and I need more! I am that greedy with this story.

Perfect for all those YA readers searching for a fast summer read filled with romance, illegal racing and heartache! And of course, fans of Simone Elkeles will definitely adore this book.

The cute guy who sits at the table to the left and has been staring at Cruz for most of the class drops down on one knee next to her, his hand over his heart. "It's like falling in love. You know it when you feel it."

***

Because If I let myself feel one thing, I'll feel everything. Because if my walls come down, the dam inside me will break, and I'll drown. Because I can't risk losing someone else I care about.

***

"I don't want to stay away from you, Frankie. I'm not even sure I can. But I'll try if that's what you want."

***

"We've both have things in our pasts that we would rather forget, and we've both made mistakes. We look at the same stars and see the same sky."

"I wish that was true. But the stars don't look the same in the Downs. It's though to see past the projects to notice the sky."

I take his face in my hands. "You just have to look harder."

Listen to my playlist for THE LOVELY RECKLESS

Kami Garcia is the #1 New York Times & USA Today bestselling co-author of the Beautiful Creatures novels & the Dangerous Creatures novels, and the author of the instant New York Times bestseller & Bram Stoker Award nominated novels UNBREAKABLE & UNMARKED in the Legion Series. Her contemporary romance THE LOVELY RECKLESS releases on October 4th (Imprint/Macmillan).

Kami grew up outside of Washington DC, wore lots of black, and spent hours writing poetry in spiral notebooks. When Kami isn't writing, she lives to bake, watch bad disaster movies, and listen to Soundgarden. She lives in Maryland with her husband, son, daughter, and their dogs Spike and Oz (named after characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

FFBC: Welcome to the club, What Happens Now by Jennifer Castle

What Happens Now

by Jennifer Castle

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: June 7th 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Mental Illness

Synopsis:

"I know what it is to want something so badly, you feel like your cells aren’t properly bonded together without it. 

I also know what it’s like to get that something.

And honestly, I’m still not sure which is worse..."

Ari Logan is battling to win her war against depression and the dark night she hurt herself on purpose. It’s not easy: her best friend is drifting away, her mom’s emotionally checked out, and she spends her days playing caregiver to her handful of a half-sister, Danielle. But it’s summer, and anything is possible...

That’s when Camden Armstrong steps onto the beach of Ari’s local swimming lake. 

At first, Ari quietly longs for Camden from afar, seeing in him everything she wants to be. When the two discover a true connection the following summer, Ari lets herself fall not just for the quirky and self-assured Camden but also his friends, tumbling into their world of independence, adventure, and shared sci-fi fandom. As Ari’s romantic dreams come true, she must unlock the mysteries of the very real and troubled boy behind her infatuation, while also struggling with her own demons, obligations, and loyalties.

From the award-winning author of "The Beginning of After" and "You Look Different in Real Life," "What Happens Now" is a touching, insightful novel about learning to heal, learning to love, and what happens when fantasy becomes reality.

Favorite Book?

I don’t actually have one! But the book that had the biggest impact on my when I was a teenager was “The Bell Jar” by Sylvia Plath.

Favorite TV show?

“My So-Called Life”

Favorite movie?

“The Graduate”

Your Favorite Song?

“I Melt With You” by Modern English

Favorite Food?

Sushi

Name 3 fictional places you would move to in a heartbeat.

Middle Earth. Downton Abbey. Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.

Who is your perfect fictional boyfriend?

I’m not sure if he’d be “perfect,” but I can very much see myself enjoying the company of Four from the Divergent series. 

Favorite Quote?

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” John Lennon was a smart guy.

What do you find yourself “Fangirling” over?

“Star Trek.” Everything “Star Trek.” The Original Series, The Next Generation, the original movies, the new movies. It all just makes me so happy.

If you could meet one author, dead or alive, who would it be?

Charles Dickens

Could you tell our Book Addicts a little bit about What Happens Now?

“What Happens Now” is a summer romance about a girl learning to live with depression, discovering new possibilities in her life, and finding the balance between fantasy and reality when it comes to love. It’s got lots of kissing and cosplay. 

Can you tell us a bit more about your characters, Ari and Camden, and about their personality? 

Ari feels trapped. Trapped by her depression, by her reputation as “the girl who cut herself,” by her responsibilities caring for her younger sister and helping out at her stepfather’s store. She’s ready for some freedom, but she can’t. All she’s been able to do is fantasize about it, and about the mysterious boy she pines for at the local swimming lake. But she’s smart and funny and knows everything there is to know about “Silver Arrow,” the sci-fi series of which she’s a superfan. 

Camden seems to have that freedom: he lives with his artist mom in a converted barn, goes to an alternative private school where he can study whatever he wants, and cosplays with his cool friends. But Camden actually wants exactly what Ari has: stability and a “normal” life. He’s overcoming a childhood trauma and doesn’t know who his father is. 

How did you come up with the story? Did you find inspiration in any other story/movie/show and how has this affected your writing?

The story really comes from two places: (1) I really wanted to write a romance, and I love summer so of course it had to be a summer romance. (2) For the first time with a novel, I wanted to draw directly from my own experience, so I’ll tell you a quick little story. When I was twenty years old and a junior in college, I sank into an unexplained depression. I didn’t know how to get help, and eventually I was in so much pain that I cut myself in order to get the attention I needed to save my life. It worked. I went into treatment with medication and therapy. By the middle of my senior year, I was much, much better...and that’s when I developed an epic burning crush on a boy from school. I didn’t know him that well, but I was able to project onto him all my hopes and dreams for my life moving forward. Eventually, he and I became friends, and I realized he was not at all who he was in my fantasies. I knew I wanted this to be the heart of my book. It’s much harder than I thought it would be, to write something with such deep roots in your own life. But in the end, I’m really proud of how it turned out. It’s like I can finally close that chapter for myself. 

Tell us your favorite quote from What Happens Now.

I don’t think I can choose a FAVORITE favorite, but here’s one I really love:

“In the strange and also strangely intimate minutes that followed, I stared out the window and thought about how getting to know someone is all about learning and unlearning at the same time. For every piece of new information you gain about that person, you might have to let go of something you thought was true.”

Is there a specific scene that you had the most fun to write?

I loved writing the scene that takes place at the Ulster County Fair. I go to this fair every summer (it’s ten minutes from my house), and it’s so much fun. It’s permanently 1978 at the fair! So the scene is already pretty surreal, but the fact that my characters are cosplaying at the fair added to the cool-weirdness of it. Whenever I was working on that scene, it was like I could taste the cotton candy and corndogs. 

If you had to pick one song to be the Theme Song for What Happens Now – Which one would you pick? 

I have 32 songs on my writing playlist; do I have to pick just one? Hmm. It would be either “Collide” by Howie Day or “Demons” by Imagine Dragons.

Imagine that we get to see your book on the big screen (how awesome would that be?). Who would you pick to play your characters?

I would pick Mae Whitman to play Ari. For Camden, I would crossbreed a younger James McAvoy with my college crush guy. Yum!

Is there any recommendations you could give your readers to be in the “perfect mood” to read What Happens Now (specific music, snacks…)? 

If you can read this book during the summer, that’s great. If you can read it near some body of water, that’s even better. As for snacks, I would say an iced tea and salt-and-vinegar potato chips will really get you inside the story. Buy me some while you’re at it.

What would you say to anyone who’s in Ari’s situation?

I would say, people are never who they seem to be on the surface, and that goes for yourself as well. Try to look beyond the day-to-day top layer of your world and see below, to what you really have. It’s probably more than you thought. And if that’s hard because you might be struggling with depression, then get help. Nobody will think less of you for it; you’re not being weak, you’re being strong. Talk to a trusted adult, visit the school counselor, call a hotline if you have to. Know that treatment works, and it can help you embrace the possible that lies ahead of you. It can literally save your life, and you deserve that life. 

What’s next for you? 

Right now I’m writing a companion novel to WHAT HAPPENS NOW. It takes place four months after the end of this story, and focuses on two secondary characters named Kendall and Max. It’s another romance, but a very, very different kind of book. I didn’t want to let all these characters go just yet. They’re too much fun to hang out with!

Something to say to our Book Addicts?

Your passion for YA literature has literally changed the landscape of publishing. Thank you!

Thank you so much for everything, Jennifer!

Follow the What Happens Now by Jennifer Castle Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Jennifer Castle received her B.A. in Creative Writing at Brown University and worked as a celebrity publicist’s assistant, an advertising copywriter, and a struggling screenwriter (yes, that’s an actual job) before falling into a niche producing websites for kids and teens. Her debut, THE BEGINNING OF AFTER, was a 2012 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selection as well as a Chicago Public Library "Best of the Best" book. YOU LOOK DIFFERENT IN REAL LIFE and its companion digital novella, PLAYING KEIRA, were published by HarperTeen in June 2013. Her next novel, WHAT HAPPENS NOW, is forthcoming from Harper in June 2016. She lives in New York's Hudson Valley with her husband and daughters.

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FFBC: Welcome to the club, A Quarrel Called (Stewards of the Plane #1) by Shannon Wendtland

A Quarrel Called (Stewards of the Plane #1)
by Shannon Wendtland
Publisher: a Crossed Arrows Title
Release Date: June 20th 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis:

The Sage, The Guardian, The Lantern, The Light – together we four are Stewards of the Plane, a Quarrel.

G. is the Guardian; he’s developed a strong protective instinct and a kickass sword of light that can chase away the baddies like nobody’s business.

Sam is the Lantern; his dreams shed light on possible futures – he’s always had dreams, but now he sees where we’re going and how far, and it scares the crap out of him. 

Tara is the Sage; as our resident mystic, she can commune with the Akashic records: the big data warehouse in the sky. She can get information on anywhere, anywhen, if only she can learn to ask the right questions. 

And me, I’m Melody, I’m the Light. I can channel the earth’s energy and according to Gramps, I can stabilize a vortex. It’s a good thing, too, or else we would be in a lot of trouble.

Before the summer started, we were a bunch of normal teenagers getting ready for our senior year in high school. By the time summer was over, we’d fought and won battles, lost friends and saved the world (except for that time when we made it worse). 

This is our story. We wrote it all down; that way when it happens to you, when you're called to be a Steward of the Plane - a member of a quarrel, you'll know what to do. 

**This book is told in first person from four alternating character viewpoints.

Favorite Book?

I have so many! But since you are making me choose, then I have to say the one book I have re-read the most number of times is A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. It was the first ‘real’ book I can remember reading and remains a favorite even now that I am an adult. I still sigh with happiness every time Meg and Calvin finally kiss.

Favorite TV show?

Again, there are many but my all-time favorite has to be The X-Files. The chemistry between Mulder and Scully kept me coming back for more, and the overarching conspiracy kept me thinking and guessing. Fun fact: I have Mulder’s poster, I Want To Believe, framed in my office. 

Favorite movie?

This is really hard! My favorite genre of movies is Disaster / Apocalypse movies -- man against man against the world! But if I’m going to choose a single movie above them all, then it won’t be an apocalypse movie… instead it will be one that I turn to for comfort or to make that little place in my heart shine with happiness: Practical Magic with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. I’ve probably watched this movie more than thirty times!!

Your Favorite Song?

Currently my favorite song is Hometown by Twenty One Pilots

Favorite Food?

ICE CREAM. And if none is available, then CHEESECAKE!

Name 3 fictional places you would move to in a heartbeat.

1. Anne McCaffrey’s Pern

2. Maggie Stiefvater’s Henrietta, Georgia 

3. Lois McMaster Bujold’s Barrayar

Who is your perfect fictional boyfriend?

Wolverine is TOTALLY my perfect fictional boyfriend: Moody, sarcastic, emotionally constipated, strong, macho, unstoppable... Also handsome, tenderhearted (which he hides from the world), protector of the innocent. Yeah.

Favorite Quote?

No matter where you go, there you are.

I am not sure who said it first, but the first time I heard it was on The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th dimension (one of my favorite childhood/teenage movies, cheesy to the extreme, but awesome fun. If you like Dude, where’s my car then you might also like Buckaroo).

A trailer someone put together (he says the quote @ 7:53): 

What do you find yourself “Fangirling” over?

Oh, that’s an easy one: The Raven Cycle books by Maggie Stiefvater. They are poetry and magick that you can hold in your hands; once you read them, the story is a part of you forever.

If you could meet one author, dead or alive, who would it be?

Philip K. Dick; he was ahead of his time both as a writer and as a mystic. I really think that he and I would have had many great existential conversations over beer or French pressed coffee had he died later or had I been born earlier.

Something to say to our Book Addicts?

Please keep reading! I write so that I can share my stories with readers. Without someone to share this and other stories with, I am not sure that I would keep writing. Completing a novel is hard work and knowing that I can share my stories with readers, and that readers can connect with me through them is a huge motivation to keep on writing. 

Could you tell our Book Addicts a little bit about A Quarrel Called?

A QUARREL CALLED is a summer adventure that leads four teens to question their sanity and their perception of the world around them. 

What can you tell us about the main characters and the world in A Quarrel Called?

There are four main characters, two girls (Melody & Tara) and two guys (Sam & G.). They are getting ready to start their senior year in high school, when something weird happens (isn’t that how it usually goes? *grin*).

Melody has had a tough couple of years and she’s finally getting her life back on track when strange things happen during a party at her house. This traumatic event turns her life upside down (again) and she’s not so sure she wants any part in the aftermath that goes with it. Unfortunately the universe has plans for her.

G. is stoic and solid. He’s the paladin of the group, always ready to do the right thing and to caution the others when they are about to veer off-path. He’s a one-woman kind of man and once he lays eyes on Tara, he’s blind to anyone but her.

Sam is a little bit emo, a little bit anti-establishment and a lot sarcastic. He could be good at school if he tried, but between his crush on Melody and his love of music he doesn’t have much time (or patience) left for studying.

Tara is the resident mystic. When the woo-woo stuff hits the fan, she is the only one who isn’t surprised or frightened by what’s going on. Instead she takes it all in stride, helping the others to uncover what is really happening around them and what is happening to them.

How did you come up with the story? Did you find inspiration in any other story/movie/show and how has this affected your writing?

I was researching ley lines and vortexes in the United States; unfortunately the most famous spot for vortexes here in the USA is Sedona, Arizona, which is a very long drive from Fort Worth! So I started researching other vortex spots that might be closer to where I live and found one in Dan Shaw’s book, Vortex Field Guide. From a road trip there and some research on Wilhelm Reich, the story was born.

Tell us your favorite quote from A Quarrel Called.

From Melody’s POV:

As I sat there, calm returned to me and my frayed patience knit itself back together. I could feel the deep pulsing of the earth in my fingers and in my feet, and I knew, just knew, that I was a part of something bigger. Bigger than I had ever imagined, maybe even bigger than a tesseract. And the bigness made me feel small but it also made me feel loved, so very loved.

Is there a specific scene that you had the most fun to write?

I really enjoyed writing the scene with G. & Sam at the car auction. A bad guy showed up there… he didn’t even tell me he was coming… I was writing it and then suddenly there he was and I was like Oh Yeah, you totally belong here. I love how my subconscious helps unfold the story even before I understand what is being written; it all fits together so neatly!

If you had to pick one song to be the Theme Song for A Quarrel Called – Which one would you pick? 

Riders on the Storm, by The Doors. In fact, I use this song in the book -- here is a dubstep remix by Infected Mushroom that inspired that scene:

Imagine that we get to see your book on the big screen (how awesome would that be?). Who would you pick to play your characters?

Melody: Kaya Scodelario

Sam: Yoshua Sudarso 

Tara: Dakota Fanning

G.: Alfred Enoch

Is there any recommendations you could give your readers to be in the “perfect mood” to read A Quarrel Called (specific music, snacks…)? 

French Pressed Coffee with whole milk and demerara sugar! Or if you don’t like caffeine, Rooibos Chai Tea with milk and demerara sugar! And snacks… let’s see, gingersnaps or shortbread cookies. And to listen to? How about a couple more dubstep mixes that helped to inspire another scene? You’ll know the scene when you read it: 

What’s next for you? 

I am working on Stewards of the Plane Book 4 and gathering notes and research for a future secret project. Keep your eyes open for the Stewards of the Plane Book 2, A CALLING OF QUARRELS, which is scheduled to be released in August!

Thank you so much for everything, Shannon!

No, thank you!

Follow the A Quarrel Called by Shannon Wendtland Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Shannon is a wife, mother, writer, database administrator and general pot-stirrer-turned-mystic. A Quarrel Called will be her first book in print.

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