Desires of the Dead, XVI, Forget You & It's Not Summer Without You - Mini Reviews

Okay, this post is going to cover a slew of books I read recently and how I felt. if I feel the need to expound on any, later on I'll do a separate post.


Title: Desires of the Dead (Body Finder No.2)
Author: Kimberly Derting
Pages: 368
Published: February 15th, 2011 by HarperCollins
Synopsis (click link for summary)

I really did love this book. However, I didn't think it was as good as the first one. Maybe it's because the newness of it is over, but I don't think that was it. I still loved Violet and Jay, but I thought Jay was obsessively protective and that annoyed. Don't get me wrong, still love him, still love the book, but obsessive protectiveness, I DID NOT LIKE at all. The story was still fun though and definitely worth reading.
Rating: 4/5



Title: XVI
Author: Julie Karr
Pages: 325
Published: January 6th, 2011 by Puffin/Speak
Synopsis (click link for summary)

This book wasn't exactly like I expected it to be. I was telling one of my good GR friends that I probably would have liked it better had it not been for the hype. However, I still felt that the writing wasn't that great, although I've definitely seen worse. I did like the characters and what they brought to the book. I'd like to see more character development for Nina and Sal as well as relationship development, but maybe in the next book. Some of the events seemed funky, but I liked the twist on dystopian and felt like I was reading something new rather than something retold in a different way. Overall, I'd say I liked it.
Rating: 3/5


Title: Forget You
Author: Jennifer Echols
Pages: 304
Published: July 20th, 2010 by MTV
Synopsis (click link for summary)

I'm a fan of Jennifer Echols, so it's not crazy to say that I loved this book. It's basically the story of a girl who ends up with amnesia and then tries to find out the part of her memory that is missing. As the reader we get to follow along in her search. My only complaint is I wish the ending would have been a little longer, meaning I would have liked to have seen the actual display of her relationship. I thought it was cut short too soon. Other than that, I loved the book and the subject matter and I recommend it to YA contemporary fans.

Rating: 4/5


Title: It's Not Summer Without You (Summer No.2)
Author: Jenny Han
Pages: 288
Published: April 27th, 2010 by Simon & Schuster
Synopsis (click link for summary)

I don't know who's read this series, but I love it. Jenny Han does an awesome job of bringing love and life into her contemporary fiction novels. Her writing is simple and prosaic and gets to the point without too much hoopla. This second book hits the spot with some tears and laughter. We get to see so much personality behind Belly and we get to see another side to Jeremiah. I loved the twisted events that occur and I can't wait for the third in the series to be released. This book was amazing and I recommend the series to anyone who enjoys YA contemporary fiction. I love Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah. Beach reads really are the best!

Rating: 5/5 (with chocolate ice cream on top)

Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols

Title: The Boys Next Door & Endless Summer (2 books in 1)
Author: Jennifer Echols
Pages: 579 - 281 (The Boys Next Door) 298 (Endless Summer)
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Coming of Age
Overall Rating : (4.5 Kisses)
Synopsis: Two irresistible boys. One unforgettable summer.

Lori can't wait for her summer at the lake. She loves wake boarding and hanging with her friends—including the two hotties next door. With the Vader brothers, she's always been just one of the guys. Now that she's turning sixteen, she wants to be seen as one of the girls, especially in the eyes of Sean, the older brother. But that's not going to happen—not if the younger brother, Adam, can help it.

Lori plans to make Sean jealous by spending time with Adam. Adam has plans of his own for Lori. As the air heats up, so does this love triangle. Will Lori's romantic summer melt into one hot mess?

Endless Summer is the sequel to The Boys Next Door. This edition includes both The Boys Next Door and Endless Summer.

So, I recently saw this book on a book blog somewhere, but as I've been roaming through so many as of late, I could not tell you for the life of me where. However, I can tell you that when I secretly trotted my way into Barnes & Noble last week and (of course) walked directly over to the YA section, this little baby was staring me down, begging me to take it off the shelf. So, I complied and gladly bought the 2 in 1 book. There really is nothing better than buying 1 book and getting 2 in return, the excitement and joy could have killed me, but I held on.

Endless Summer (which is how I will refer to the entire book) by Jennifer Echols is a fabulous tail of love, revenge and fire. Might I also say it was pretty steamy, I would like nothing better at this moment to be Lori McGillicuddy, 16, blond and in Stage 2: Bikini.

Lately I've been jumping into a lot of YA chick lit due the engrossing happiness found inside its pages, I need all the perkiness I can get. This book was so much better than I had even expected it to be given its high school drama and background. Maybe it was it's summer backdrop or the constant wake boarding stunts and bravado that grabbed my heart and etched into it a longing of desire for the lake so strong I could have sworn I was soaring above the wake along with the other characters. I wish that would have been the case because Lori and the boys next door, Cameron, Sean and the delectable Adam would have made life intriguing. With their male retorts and brawls on the front lawn, I would have felt right at home. Growing up with 5 brothers has taught me many a thing *wink*.

This beautifully covered paperback was a brilliant read from the start causing thunderous laughter to ensue as well as secret rendezvous in the closet more often than naught. I couldn't get enough and found myself hiding behind the shirts at the far end trying to get in every last tid bit of prose before I was forced from my closet (I really do read in the closet).

The only thing I would have wished for was that the 2nd book would have been as hilariously funny as the first, but it was pretty close. The first book, The Boys Next Door, warmed my cold heart and prompted my spreading of its goodness. The second, Endless Summer, gave me a glimpse into the overly steamy, dreamy Adam's mind for which I am eternally grateful. He should definitely be titled McSteamy for all intensive purposes.

So, overall, I give this book 4.5 kisses as an average for the 5 kisses given to The Boys Next Door and the 4 kisses given to Endless Summer. Bravo Jennifer Echols for a scrumptiously written novel of great proportions!