This Bird Flew Away by Lynda M. Martin

This Bird Flew Away (Bria Connelly, #1)

By Lynda M. Martin

Publisher: Black Rose Writing, 2010

312 pages, Google Docs & Kindle Edition

Date Finished: 9/4/2011

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Some Action, Mature Teen, Some Romance, Serious Issues

What is real love? The whole world wants to know. They should ask Bria Jean, because she has it all figured out. Opinionated, stubborn and full of woe, Bria would tell you real love is having one person you can always count on through thick and thin. For her, that's Jack. And it doesn't matter to her that she's nine and he's twenty-three-not one bit. When, at the age of twelve, Bria disappears, he and his Aunt Mary search for her, and when she surfaces, injured, abused and traumatized, Jack fights to become her guardian with no idea of the trials ahead of him. By then, Bria is thirteen going on thirty, full of her own ideas on how her life should run and with some very fixed notions about who is in charge.
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "According to Auntie Peg, if you couldn't hear my voice then I must have my nose in a book."
~Last Line: " 'Uhm. . .how are you?' "

Review: First off, let me say that I really want a physical copy of this novel. It was intriguingly appealing.

Our main character was the interesting Bria Jean Connelly. At first it took me a few chapters to really get into thinking in her point of view, but the farther along I got the better the book was. Then something terrible happens (well, a lot of bad things happened, but what I found worst was...).

Bria Jean runs away from her aunt and uncle's house after having to defend herself from being abused. She tries to reach her other aunt's house on her own, and when she is somewhat close, she runs into an old acquaintance. Then he gets durnk, she gets sold, and poor Bria Jean gets raped.

That was the hardest part of the book for me. It broke my heart right in two to know that things like that happen everyday all over the world. But to have it happening and seem so close to home (it's written in first person), it made my cry.

However, this novel is not just terrible happenings. Bria has a love for rodeos. I find that aspect of Bria's personality truly amazing. I've always wanted to ride a horse, so I'm glad that Martin is letting me live my dream through one of her well-thought out characters.

Bria Jean honestly did have a hard life. I mean, sometimes I could sort of relate, but other times I couldn't, but still wasn't completely lost. She helped me figure out some things not to do, though. I wish I could tell you; you probably wouldn't even believe me, but ... OMG. It's just so big. It hit me hard smackdab in the forehead because I could possibly be in her position one day... Not gonna give it away, though :).

This book is definitely superb, and y'all should take the time out to read it if you have the chance!

 and a half :)

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
Published by Walker and Company 2009
Pages 357
Genres: Gangs, Family Issues, Romance, and YA
Reviewed by Kate

At Fairfield High School, on the outskirts of Chicago, everyone knows that south siders and north siders aren't exactly compatible elements. So when head cheerleader Brittany Ellis and gang member Alex Fuentes are forced to be lab partners in chemistry class, the results are bound to be explosive. But neither teen is prepared for the most surprising chemical reaction of all-love. Can they break through the stereotypes and misconceptions that threaten to keep them apart?

I'm honestly really reluctant to review this book, the reason being it is one of my absolute favorite books in the world and I really want to be able to do it justice. I've always loved reading but this book was one of the first that got me into reading YA and making an enormously insane hobby out of it. So this book is one of my first loves and continues to be. I've read tons of books since then and I can only name a few that are as passionate and real as this story. The love, the characters, the family issues, are all so real. I think for a lot of readers it would be hard to relate to a person in a gang or a rich cheerleader, who seems perfect, but somehow Elkeles does a fabulous job of making you feel for the character so much that it's like you can relate to them. While Alex seems like a hardcore gang member and Brittany a rich cheerleader who has everything, they aren't what they seem. They are so much deeper, and the way Elkeles writes let's you know that almost instanlty. Right away you feel their emotions and you care about the characters so much, and it only gets even more so throguhtout the book, it's like...uh...I don't even know how to describe it but I was so emotionally involved with these characters it was carzy! I have never wished so much that two characters would be together, and you never really know what will happen in their relationship until the very end. Let me tell you it was torture! At times I was laughing other times I wanted to go into the book and smack someone and then throw the book across the room in hopes the characters inside would feel it. This book had me on an emtional rollercoaster, okay yes, I even cried. (By the way, these were all good emtions, evening the smacking someone. It needed to be in the book to make it that powerful.) It had me complelety invested. I remember this was the first book I finished in two days. It would have been sooner but starting the book at 9 at night and it being a school night and all and with me being a slow reader, well, that eqaution doesn't add up to finishing in one night. But I would have if I could have!

Like I said, the characeters are really AMAZING! Going through what they went through and learning about themsleves and other people around them and the deeper meaning of everything, was just such a great reading experiance for me . And they seem like high schoolers! They are more mature, but in their cercumstances I can see why. And probably the most imporant part, the romance is so STEAMY and HOT! It was like the pages were actually on fire! I don't know how Elkeles does it but everytime I read this book it's like that first experiance all over again. Sometimes I'm done with the chapter I think 'Wait? That wasn't me with Alex?' It's really that good! If you love a badboy, ALEX FUENTES will fill your every desire and fantasy. In my book, (haha, no pun inteaded) Alex is THE badboy, and he's mine ladies! And I am not sharing! :) The plot was so deep and amazing! The events that occur in this book make it seem like you are living them. All the moments are so real and intense. It's not just about love and romance either but the challenges that Alex and Brittany face at home and with their peers. The experiances are so real and I think that everyone can relate to something in this book. Though I think Alex and Brittany's love was the best part! So this book is one of my absolute favorites and it NEEDS ot be on YOUR reading list! One of the BEST books I have ever read!

How could this book not be 5 Kisses!