The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

Lauren Oliver's blurb on the front says exactly what this novel is. "Inventive, funny, beautiful, heartbreaking". Everyone needs to go get a copy of this book ASAP.

Author: Jess Rothenberg

Publisher:  Penguin Young Readers Group

Page Count: 400 pages, Hardcover

Date Published: February 21st 2012

Goodreads Description:
Dying of a broken heart is just the beginning.... Welcome to forever.

BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally.

But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after.

With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

My Rating: 5/5 ~I can never explain to you how much I adore this book. But.... I can try:

 The Catastrophic History of You and Me is one of those rare books that I instantly fell in love with after the first line. I read this: "There's always that one guy that gets a hold on you." and just like that I was hooked. This novel is a masterpiece and Jess Rothenberg seems to have a key to my very deepest thoughts, because everything about Brie I could relate to myself. Brie was so real and so alive (but, dead...) on the pages. She was everything I have been looking for in a protagonist. Funny, caring, sweet but with a dark side that's almost always hidden. Nothing could have prepared me for how much I adored this book. I was in English class one day, reading of course and honestly, the guy sitting next to me probably thought I was some emotional wreck.. This book will make you laugh and it will make you cry, all on the same page. Having a love for music will be a great thing while reading this story. At every chapter, with each new song for the title I would either be singing it in my head, or those rare ones that I didn't know I would look up and fall in love with. The music-chapters set such a great mood for this book!And of course, where would this review be if I did not talk about Patrick? The boy was hilarious and heart-broken. Absolutely gorgeous and what every teen girl hopes to find in their little slice of heaven when they die of a broken heart. His story is one of the biggest spoilers I can give to this review, so I'll just cut off here by saying that Patrick and Brie are officially on my list of all-time favorite characters. Plus, they're up there with Harry, Ron and Hermione. Wow, is all I can say. Despite the tears I shed over this book, it is definitely not a sad story. It has joy and hope and love and loss and everything else in between. I rarely cry while reading, but this one had me reaching for the tissues at some of the saddest parts, and the happiest. The Catastrophic History of You and Me was not like anything I was expecting, but it was so much better. The story is clearly over, but I am still yearning for more.

If you have not yet read this book, I highly recommend that you do. Rothenberg made this quirky, magical and unforgettable world that I loved  more than I can ever say!

Thanks for reading!
~Kristy

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Wow. Just... wow. Don't let the fluffy title fool you into thinking this is just a silly, girly beach read. This book is a tear-jerking story that will 'break your heart and put it back together again'. 


Author: Sarah Ockler
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
My Rating: 4.5/5 ~ It was fantastic! Tissues may be necessary!


Goodreads Description:
"Don’t worry, Anna. I’ll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it."
"Okay."
"Promise me? Promise you won’t say anything?"
"Don’t worry.” I laughed. “It’s our secret, right?"

According to Anna’s best friend, Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there’s a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there’s something she hasn’t told Frankie–she’s already had her romance, and it was with Frankie’s older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

TWENTY BOY SUMMER explores what it truly means to love someone, what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every beautiful moment life has to offer.


*Sorry if there's some minor spoilers... nothing drastic though.*

I think I've read this book three, four, maybe five times now. But as I don't have it on my bookshelf, I can't be sure.  But I have definitely read it more than once. It is that good. Anna's relationship with Matt was super romantic and sweet... it wasn't your classic 'forbidden' romance. It was more just their little secret. Although, I wondered at some points about why Matt was keeping it a secret from Frankie for so long... I get that he's a protective older brother, but seriously? Okay! So you like your little sister's best friend and she likes you! Just tell Frankie! She'll get over it! She is not THAT fragile! Well... here's the thing about Frankie. She was very one-dimensional in my opinion. Until the end, there was hardly anything going on in her head other than boys, boys and more BOYS!!! But then, there was the whole thing with the diary and I couldn't stand her and then I liked her again and... Anyways, I'm getting way off the tangent. I should talk about Sam. Oh, Sam. Every girl dreams of going to California and meeting someone like Sam. The boy who will sweep you off of your feet and let you forget all about your dead, secret boyfriend. (Alright, maybe that's not the case with every girl, but hey... it's Anna's story, right?) He's the guy that teaches you to surf, the one that you sneak out every night to go see, and eventually... gasp! Lose your 'V-card' to! Sounds like the most cliched summer-romance novel ever, right? In ways, yes it was. But it was also so much more. The emotions that you feel from Anna take over. I seriously thought I was vacationing in Zanzibar Bay at some points! (Don't I wish?) Towards the end was when I most needed a pillow to hug, or to curse silently at one of the characters (whom, I will not say). The author's writing flows amazingly, making you feel like you were part of the novel and I was left wanting so much more, even though the story ended very nicely. 


I realize that this review may be a little vague, but that is solely because I want anyone who has not read this yet, and who thinks that they will enjoy it -even the tiniest bit- to find a copy and READ IT! I don't want to give away much, as it is such an excellent story when you don't  know what is going to happen. (Says me, who's read it multiple times.) Okay, okay, it's an excellent read anytime you read it! Grab the tissue box... you'll be needing it!


Alright, that's it for now!
Good night everyone, I'm going to bed! 
~Kristy

Poll question! - What's your favourite Sarah Dessen Book?

I thought I'd do something kind of fun and ask a question about the winner of each poll I give! So the winner was... Sarah Dessen! I want to know: What is your favourite Sarah Dessen book? Any YA loving female should most definitely read her work, even some of the guys if you're into that kind of book! I have read every single one and I think Along for the Ride is the one I liked the most, but I never forget to mention Lock and Key. That was the first Sarah Dessen novel I had ever read and I loved it so much! But the funny thing is, I don't actually own any of the books. I've always borrowed them from the library or my friends... maybe it's time I make some room for a few of them!

So I ask you: What's your favourite Sarah Dessen novel? Let me know!

Visit her at sarahdessen.com/
~Kristy

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Hey there! So I've decided to not do a Teaser this week, just because I really haven't started any book since I finished Delirium by Lauren Oliver last night. I just couldn't stop thinking about what'll happen in Pandemonium! Anyway, I figured I should probably post my review on The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson finally! So here you go!

Author: Jandy Nelson
Publisher:Speak: an imprint of Penguin Group (USA)
My Rating: 5/5 ~ Adored it!

                                                                      Goodreads description:

Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life - and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey's boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie's own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they're the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can't collide without the whole wide world exploding.

 



Lennie was a very real character in my opinion. She was someone who almost anyone could relate to in some way or another. You could really feel what she was feeling. This is an extremely funny book but also quite sad. It's one of those rare books that I both laughed and cried a significant amount. Now for the boys... I absolutely love Joe. I think he was so perfect for Lennie and their relationship was great. Toby was so sad though, it was hard not to feel bad for him. You find out later in the book some other important information about Bailey and it just makes you want to go and give Toby a hug, considering he should not be with Lennie! I really loved her Grandma and Uncle Big. They were both a great comic relief to the story and a helping hand to Lennie when she needed advice but didn't know it yet.

All in all, I think this book was absolutely amazing. Anyone who loves a feel-good tear-jerker should read this novel!

Bye for now!
~Kristy

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson

           Hello fellow book-worms! I finished a novel the other night called 'Before I Go To Sleep' by a British author S.J. Watson. It's a book written for adults but I'd been eying it up since August and I finally decided to buy it. It follows the story of Christine, a 47 year-old amnesiac who wakes up every morning not knowing where she is, who the man sleeping next to her is, nor how old she is. Sounds very '50 First Dates' right? I thought so at first but it's actually a very chilling thriller that leaves you wanting more.

Author: S.J. Watson
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Rating: 4.5 / 5

Christine wakes up every morning in an unfamiliar bed with an unfamiliar man. She looks in the mirror and sees an unfamiliar, middle- aged face. And every morning, the man she has woken up with must explain that he is Ben, he is her husband, she is forty-seven years old, and a terrible accident two decades earlier decimated her ability to form new memories.

But it’s the phone call from a Dr. Nash, a neurologist who claims to be working with Christine without her husband’s knowledge, that directs her to her journal, hidden in the back of her closet. For the past few weeks, Christine has been recording her daily activities—tearful mornings with Ben, sessions with Dr. Nash, flashes of scenes from her former life—and rereading past entries, relearning the facts of her life as retold by the husband she is completely dependent upon. As the entries build up, Christine asks many questions. What was life like before the accident? Why did she and Ben never have a child? What has happened to Christine’s best friend? And what exactly was the horrific accident that caused such a profound loss of memory?

Every day, Christine must begin again the reconstruction of her past. And the closer she gets to the truth, the more unbelievable it seems.

This book left my thoughts reeling the minute I turned the last page. S.J. Watson has an extraordinary talent for making you feel like everything in the novel is happening right before your eyes, or even better: happening to you. This was probably one of the best 'non-series' novels I've ever read. It was engaging, emotional and very addicting. There is some 'adult content' in this book, but other than that I'd recommend it for almost anyone. 

Please follow! I'd love to reach ten sooner or later! 

~Kristy