"Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell

It's official, I love Rainbow Rowell! Cath is beginning her first year of college, though she isn't really looking forward to it. Her sister, Wren, is ready for the new challenge of being away from home, but Cath isn't nearly as social or into changes. She would much rather spend her time working on her fan fiction novel, Carry On, Simon Snow, based on the popular Simon Snow book series. Fangirl follows Cath through her first year of college and the ups and downs of dorm life, making new friends, adjusting to the changing relationship with her twin and the difficulties her father is going through that began when her mother left but have intensified since the girls have gone off to school.

This book was excellent. Something that I really enjoyed was that it wasn't structured in such a way where the characters simply went from Point A to Point B and that was the end of the book. There were many layers to this novel and several plot lines, but Rowell wrote it in such a way that it worked and kept me interested. Real life doesn't follow a predicable timeline where everything falls into place at the right time and neither did this book, something I appreciated. I really felt for Cath as she goes through the struggles of starting over in a new place and figuring out how to adapt. The only part of this novel I wasn't particularly a fan of was the excerpts from the Simon Snow novels and Cath's fan fiction. The only reason for this is that I'm that interested in that genre, so it says nothing about the writing. Rowell has created wonderful characters and I wouldn't mind seeing more in this universe. This book is yet another must read!



Happy Reading!
-Melly

"The Start-Up" by Sadie Hayes

I originally posted this review in January of 2013, but Sadie Hayes has had some big news since then!  The Start-Up is now available in paperback as well as for the Kindle.  Since my old links likely don't work anymore, you can get the book here!

Also, new cover!


This book has been on my TBR list for more than a year now.  Once I started reading it, I was a bit surprised by the length- it's rather short.  Then it occurred to me that it was likely to end on a cliffhanger- and it did.  Going to have to find some time to finish this series!

Sadie Hayes' The Start-Up centers around Amelia and Adam Dory, college freshmen that have spent the entirety of their lives in foster care.  Both are attending classes at Stanford University.  Amelia is crazy smart and early in the novel develops an iPhone ap that catches the attention of some important people in Silicon Valley.  Adam seems to be scraping by (he doesn't show an awful lot of school smarts) and wants to cash in on Amelia's brain power.  He tries to convince his sister to sell her ap and things spiral down from there.  The novel also focuses on T. J. Bristol and Patty Hawkins who both are involved in Adam and Amelia's path to success (though not in the most positive of ways).  This book is certainly the beginning of the series.  There is a lot of introductions to the characters and the plot but it feels like the read meat of the story will begin in Episode 2: The Anti-Social Network.I thought this book was pretty good.  I could have done with a little more character development.  The characters seemed a bit one-dimensional and cliché.  There's the crazy smart one, the spoiled rich kid, the not-so-smart-girl who happens to be in the right place at the right time, and Adam (he may have been the most developed).  I also would have liked to have had more back story.  The plot is pretty straight forward so I wanted to know something more about these characters and how they have become who they are now.  I do hope to finish up this series soon and see what happens next!

Happy Reading!
-Melly

"Monkey Business" by Sarah Mlynowski

I really enjoyed Sarah Mlynowski's Monkey Business (I also really love the name Mlynowski- it is just so much fun to say)!  There was just something about the story line that really caught my interest and I just didn't want to put it down.  It is a novel about four first time business school students.  Their lives immediately intertwine.  Each chapter focusing on the point of view of characters; Russ, Kimmy, Jamie, and Layla.  At times I did get a bit confused- Kimmy starts out with Jamie but then gets interested in Russ (who already has a girlfriend).  Layla falls for someone that looks great on paper, but she has never met him.  And Jamie's trying to re-win Kimmy's affection... There was an awful lot going on, but this was still a fun read.

I have not had a real "college experience."  I have only attended community college so I know nothing of dorm life or if it portrayed accurately in the novel.  But it does seem like a realistic portrayal of how people would interact and react when in such situations.  I would say that this is good book for the transition from Young Adult to Adult Fiction.  I remember when I tried to make that initial transition.  It took me awhile to figure out what books outside of the YA world would appeal to me and what I really wanted to read.  I wish I had been aware of this novel at that time.  I love that Mlynowski has books for both teens and adults.  So if you need a fun and light-hearted book, give this one a try!

Happy Reading!
-Melly

“My So-Called Family” by Courtney Sheinmel

I enjoyed Courtney Sheinmel's My So-Called Family quite a bit, but it wasn't exactly what I expected. The description in the front jacket reads:

“Leah Hoffman-Ross just moved to New York and she wants her new friends to think she's a typical thirteen-year-old.  But Leah has a secret: She doesn't have a father; she has a donor.  Before Leah was born, her mother went to Lyon's Reproductive Services and picked Donor 730.  Now Leah has a stepfather and a little brother, and her mom thinks that they should be all the family Leah needs.

“Despite her attempts to fit in and be normal, Leah can't help but feel like something is missing.  When she finds a link to the Lyon's Sibling Registry, Leah has to see if she has any half siblings.  And when she discovers that one of the other kids from Donor 730 is a girl her age, Leah will do anything to meet her- even if she has to hide it from everybody else.

“Debut author Courtney Sheinmel puts a contemporary spin on a timeless question in this heartfelt novel about what makes a family.”

Upon reading this, I made the assumption that this book was solely the story of Leah's journey to find out more about her half siblings and possibly search for the father she has never known.  Instead, it focuses on her new friendships upon moving, her relationship with her brother Charlie and somewhat on her mother's writing career.  We get to see her friend Avery's family struggle with her older brother's college decision and acceptance in addition to following Leah through her journey of finding her half siblings.  When I first started writing this review, I felt that the book wandered a bit too much and didn't focus enough on what was promised in the description  However, as I'm sitting here analyzing it a bit more I'm thinking about the last line “Courtney Sheinmel puts a contemporary spin on a timeless question in this heartfelt novel about what makes a family.”  Throughout the course of the book, we are introduced to Leah's relationship with her mother, stepfather, and half-brother.  We also follow her as she makes new friends in New York.  And lastly, we find out whether or not she finds any half-siblings.  

Sheinmel makes it very clear that it is sharing the same blood and genes do not necessary make you a family.  Family can be your closest friends or your neighbors, as well as those you are related to.  Sheinmel's book illustrates that well.  Leah's family extends beyond those she is immediately related to and those she has grown up around.  Upon writing this review, I like this book even more than when I finished it.  I recommend it to readers around 10 or so and up (but I would suggest parents be available as their children read this, since some of the subject matter will likely spark questions from their young reader). 

In addition I also recommend  another of Sheinmel's books, Positively, a book about a girl named Emmy who is HIV positive and has to move in with her father and step-mother after her mother passes away from the same disease.

Overall I was very happy that I picked up this book and will likely read more books by this author.