I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

Skylar has to get out of her small town before she becomes like so many before her... Living in a double-wide trailer working double shift at fast food restaurants with a baby on her hip. She just has to make it through this summer. Josh had the same idea about getting out of this small town and saw the marines as a way out. Now after an injury he is back home and has no clue what to do with himself.

"It gave me hope: if you could make a beautiful piece of art from discarded newspapers and old matchbooks, then it meant that everything had potential. And maybe people were like collages- no matter how broken or useless we felt, we were an essential part of the whole. We mattered."

If you follow any of my reviews then you know that I am both picky and hard review wise on contemporary novels. I don't usually enjoy them, but when I'm in the mood for them I'm very choosey about what I select. I've been hearing such rave reviews about I'll Meet You There so I figured I'd see what all the hype was about. I'm so glad I did! IMYT is a sweet, heart warming tale about Josh and Skylar, whose world's collide after she just finishes graduating high school.

When it came to our two main characters Heather did an amazing job giving them both very different, distinctive, and interesting voices. Skylar isn't super outgoing, but at the same time isn't shy. She has this light humor about her that gives her such ease throughout the story. She has just graduated high school and is on the edge of her seat about leaving her run-down small town. She is set up to go to an art school in San Francisco and is counting down the days until she will get there. She is currently working her part time job at the Paradise Motel until college starts. This is how she knows Josh, our other lead. The two in previous years have spent time working together at the motel and have always been friendly with one another, but never serious friends. Josh however graduated high school the year before her, and like many others in the town, left and joined the marines. While out serving overseas he is injured, losses a leg, and winds up back in Creek View working as the motel's handy man. Before leaving he was your typical cocky jerk high school guy. All about cracking jokes, going to parties, and getting girls. Now that he has arrived back he just doesn't see the world the same anymore. He isn't the laid back brat he once was. He has matured a lot and is seeing things in a whole new light. These two characters managed to be very similar in their struggles while both facing very different issues. I think that even if this book wouldn't have taken the characters down a romantic journey (it does) it would have still held up just fine. I really think that says a lot about both the writing and the plot.

My absolute favorite thing about IMYT is the friendship between Skylar and her two best friends, Chris and Dylan. All the characters in this book felt so authentic, but these three together were flawless. I think the reason I thought they were so perfect is because they weren't perfect people. First off I love that they were all so different, but wasn't the type of different where they felt like they were forced friends. I actually felt like these three people would hang out with one another (if you're an avid reader than you know what I'm trying to get at). Chris is this math "nerd" who is about to attend college in Boston and Dylan is a saucy teen mom who works a the local restaurant. The three fit so well together. The second thing that I loved is that Heather didn't make Chris secretly in love with Skylar. I loved that she had the two hanging out, going places, ad experiencing things together all while just being friends. I couldn't get enough of the moments when it was Chis and Skylar just hanging out. Having everything from secret eye conversations to the pact that they formed, it was just great. There's one scene in the book where all three of them are in the car and get into a fight, and it just felt so real. It's an argument I could easily see so many people having, and it plays out just how it would in real life.

The setting of this story was another huge plus. It felt like it started becoming its own person. This living breathing thing. The motel really feels like it becomes this own private secret hide out for Skylar and Josh. Even the quirky rundown town has this certain warm feeling and really sets the mood for this book. I liked that there were so many little places for these characters to go, and it gives the story a little something extra. That all mixed with a smooth running solid plot that isn't overshadowed by one certain aspect made this novel a knock out read. The message, romance, and plot completely sold me.

Knowing all the hard work, research, and time that went into this book really shows. This is a simple book that found it's own way to stand out. It's a book with a slower pacing, that manages to never be boring. A book with a beautiful message that is never blocked out and will hit you in the heart. You would think with a book that weighs so heavily on being character driven that it would miss a beat on other aspect, and it just doesn't. I'll Meet You there definitely pulled on my heart strings and wont be a book I easily forget.

Agree to Disagree

For the most part we have very similar book tastes. We like the same genres of books, we like the same kinds of characters, and we especially like the same kinds of endings. Every so often we will come across a book where we just have to agree to disagree. Usually one of us ends up LOVING it while the other ends up HATING it (because we have no emotions between OMG ALL OR OMG NOTHING). Here are a few of the books that we had this issue with... 

Vampire Academy (book one) by Richelle Mead
What Leah Loved: EVERYTHING! Oh my gosh, I love this series. Vampires are to me what aliens are to Angela, so a school full of hot angsty vampires is right up my alley. I love Rose and how feisty she is. She's a smart Alec and often gets herself into trouble because of her big mouth. Dmitri is HOT HOT HOT (btw I refuse to watch the movie because I have Ian Somerholder in my head as Dmitrti and I don't want to let bad casting ruin my view). I also really love the plot and how much drama there is. It's basically like reality tv meets vampires.

What Angela Hated: BORING!!!! I didn't like either of the main characters, Rose or Lissa. I hated the Dmitri. I will admit that I probably hated him more that I might have if I hadn't had seen the movie first... But sadly I did and I hate who they chose to play him... Which made me hate him in the book. Did I say I hated Rose?.. Because I really did. I hated the stroganoffs... The plot was predictable. I know everyone says that you have to get to like book three before it gets better but I just can't. I know that I'm in the minority with hating this, and that my sister would hate me for saying I didn't like it but IDC. I was hoping this book would make me fall for vampires, but I think it just made my hate-seed for them grow.

Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

What Leah Loved: I think this book is basically the stereotypical dystopian YA book where girl has some sort of issue, government sucks, huge problem happens, falls for the boy from the wrong side of the tracks, and world domination is the goal to solving all the problems. I think this is why I liked it. The plot is simple, but there are a few plot twists (most you see coming, but whatevs) and the storyline is sort of unique. While the book isn't my favorite by any means, it is sort of a throwback to when YA really started getting popular and dystopian was a HUGE theme. I like the writing style, and I think it is a good starter book for people who are just getting into YA. I am excited for the second book to come out because I think the series has a lot of potential to get better as the story grows.

What Angela Hated: CAN MY ANSWER BE EVERYTHING??? Sadly Uninvented was SO predictable. I knew what was coming WAY before it would happen. I also felt a lack of "bonding" with any of the characters. I just really got tired of hearing Davy complain about how shes nothing now and has nothing and blah blah blah... WE GET IT... and with that attitude you're probably right about sucking so much.. like come on girly you're surrounded by buff dangerous boys stop crying and start living. Grab Sean by his face and kiss him... do something!!! YOU'RE ALREADY BRANDED BAD! DOESN'T MEAN YOU NEED TO BE BRANDED BORING TOO!!! UGH I think if the books romance would have played out better then I would have liked this book more. It's what really brought this book down. The other thing that bothered me was that EVERY single dude had rape eyes for Davy... like come on there are six other girls. Like everyone even her boo keep talking about how she's bound to be raped... All the boys see Davy and automatically must rape her! It was just a little much. I don't know; this book wasn't the worst book I've read but it wont be making the top of my list either. I just wanted more.

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkowski 

What Angela Loved:  I loved Kestrel! LOVED HER... She's quick witted and for once wasn't a girl who was all about being able to physically harm someone (most the time I like tough fighter girls but this was a wonderful change in pace). She actually used her brain! I loved Arin (The leading male). He sounded super hot. And I couldn't get over how much he was constantly surprising me. I liked the idea of buying something and then paying the ultimate price for it (hints the title of the book). I loved how the narrator was kind of all knowing and that you were just waiting for all the information and lies to come out. The twist and turns in this book had me gasping for air. AND THAT ENDING OMG!!!! THAT ENDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A-freaking-mazing!!!!!!!!! One of my favorites.
 
What Leah Hated: THE MAIN GIRL IS SO DUMB. She just is la la la la la la I'm in love and yolos all over the place and falls for everything everyone is telling her. The main dude is a D and lies all over the place. Seriously, he spits more lies than truth. BUT THE KICKER OF THIS BOOK IS THE ENDING. SERIOUSLY THE ENDING ALMOST ENDED OUR FRIENDSHIP BECAUSE WE INTERRUPTED IT DIFFERENTLY AND ALMOST GOT INTO A MORTAL COMBACT STYLE BATTLE OVER WHO WAS RIGHT. Luckily we actually got to meet the author and asked her WTF she meant at the end. I'll go ahead and admit that I was wrong. I WAS WRONG. I GET IT. BUT IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT EVEN AFTER THE AUTHOR BROKE DOWN THE ENDING FOR ME IN WITTLE SMALL WORDS I STILL HATED IT.
 
RAW by Belle Aurora 

What Angela Loved: OK yes yes yes I get this story is FAR, FAR from anything that

would ever happen to anyone EVER... BUT I DON'T CARE!!!! I loved it!!! I've never thought stalking was so hot in my entire life!!!! BUT ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT IS STEPHEN JAMES AS TWITCH UGH!!!!! LOVE!!! and his candy eating habit whoooosh swoon. I can agree that the leading lady, Lexi, wasn't my favorite, but AGAIN DON'T CARE I JUST LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK. The banter between the two is amazing, and manipulative. The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde thing he has going on was oddly super hot. He owns his evil and doesn't really care who sees it or when it happens. It was the right place right time read for me.  There's a big secret from the start that has you guessing left and right until she has tortured you enough and finally does the big reveal. Raw had so many twist and turns I didn't breathe the whole time I was reading it! One of my all time favorite books.

What Leah Hated: OMG don't even get me started on this book. I love a good scandy read and I love a good hottie who likes to get weird, but this book was JUST.TOO.MUCH. I mean, the scandy parts of it aren't even what bothers me. I just hated the characters. HATED. The main chick is supposedly this social worker who loves her job and is super dedicated to her kids, but as soon as she meets the main dude she loses her doggone mind. Doing blow and putting her kids in really really bad situations... I just... OMG. AH. The dude sounds hot, I'll give him that, but the way he acts goes beyond everything and goes straight into the abusive catogory. Do what you want in the bedroom. Get weird. I don't care, seriously.. but when you admit that you have an anger problem and start bringing your punching and strangling outside the bedroom. Seriously, dude, you need to take your crazy damaged self and do not pass go and head straight to therapy. I was SO mad reading this book that I literally almost ripped it in half and threw it against the wall. This is probably one of my all time most hated reads, if not THE most hated read. GROSS. AHHAGAREGASDFSDf

(Vampire Academy BookDepo)

(Uninvited BookDepo)

(The Winner's Curse BookDepo)

(Raw BookDepo)

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

Golden Son continues shortly after where Red Rising left off, Darrow, a rebel battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom from the overlords of a brutal elitist future built on lies. Embedded fully in with the Golds ruling class, Darrow continues his work to bring down society from within. 

"...So it's pride."
"It's always pride."
"Pride is just a shout into the wind."
He shakes his head, voice deepening. "I will die. You will die. We will all die and the universe will carry on without care. All that we have is that shout into the wind-how we live. How we go. And how we stand before we fall." He leans forward. "So you see, pride is the only thing..."

Red Rising took me by surprise... Way way by surprise. Golden Son did the same and then some. I have no idea where Pierce Brown came from and I really don't care. Golden Son puts Red Rising too shame! Everything I wanted too get out of book one and didn't till the end you'll get out of the entire book two. Golden Son is none stop action! 

There were a lot of politics in this book and I would usually be turned off by this but not in this case. Darrow navigates his way through all of the plotting and plans of others in ways that nobody expects. In a way that I've never read before. Darrow is a character unlike anyone else. He isn't the only character in this book that you'll be falling for. Servo is a character you can't ignore. Easily one of my all time favorites. Lorn is another strong and ballsy character, and constantly telling it how it is. Friends become enemies, enemies become friends. Characters I don't even want to mention will have you freaking out.

The plot of this story is just action, unlike the first which was a lot of info dumping and world building, Golden Son is just nonstop the whole time. Until the last page you'll be on the edge of your seat. I started this book at 6pm and ended it at 8pm... It was that captivating.   Instead of the story being held in one solid location reads will get to see and experience more of universe. More second books suffer from "second book syndrome", but this wont be a problem when you pick this up. There's so much suffering, pain, and sorrow pushed into this book.

This novel had me freaking out and wanted to flip tables until the ending... because that ending... that ending is world shattering. I CAN'T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME MY BRAIN ACTUALLY CRIED OUT IN PAIN BECAUSE A BOOK SHOOK ME SO HARD.

 Intense, brutal, heart-breaking, The Red Rising series isn't one you're going to want to miss. I could go on for days about plot, characters, and my love for what this series turned out too be but this is something you need to enjoy yourself. I find it so hard to find books I can recommend for guys but I will no longer have to struggle with a book to mention.

Comparing this book to Ender's Game and The Hunger Games makes complete sense, but at the same time Golden Son is in a class all of it's own. 

Take everything you love in books, throw in a bitchin ending, gore for days, and a touch of Star Wars and you'll get Golden Son. 

10/10 Stars 

-Angela