Review: Pieces

Pieces
by Maria Kostaki

Synopsis

When her mother, Anna, abandons her to move abroad with her new husband, Sasha is passed around her three grandparents in Cold War-era Moscow, attending first grade with a Lenin star pinned to her breast. Five years later, Anna and her husband reappear and whisk Sasha off to a better life in Athens, Greece. But they are not the gallant rescuers they first appear to be, and Sasha soon finds herself caught between a violent stepfather and a psychologically abusive mother. In her struggle to survive in her new world, Sasha turns to a world of invisible friends even as she continues to long for something real. At turns haunting and uplifting, Pieces is the story of one girl's survival and self-discovery and her continual search for love in a world where she has been given none."

Review

In Pieces, we follow Sasha in her journey back to Greece upon learning of a death in the family. The journey brings with it many memories of a life once led, including memories of Sasha's dysfunctional mother. This book is not for everyone, but I enjoyed it. I was glad to read a book that took its time with emotion - no matter how painful that emotion could be. The book covers many areas that culminate in what it means to exist in a broken family. 

Reader, if you come across this book, I ask that you give its characters a chance. I've heard them described as whiny and annoying, but really - it's the story that leads to understanding. This is a subtle and honest look to what it means to live in this kind of a world. 

Review: The Grown Ups

The Grown Ups

by Robin Antalek

Synopsis

From the author of The Summer We Fell Apart, an evocative and emotionally resonant coming-of-age novel involving three friends that explores what it means to be happy, what it means to grow up, and how difficult it is to do both together.

The summer he’s fifteen, Sam enjoys, for a few secret months, the unexpected attention of Suzie Epstein. For reasons Sam doesn’t entirely understand, he and Suzie keep their budding relationship hidden from their close knit group of friends. But as the summer ends, Sam’s world unexpectedly shatters twice: Suzie’s parents are moving to a new city to save their marriage, and his own mother has suddenly left the house, leaving Sam’s father alone to raise two sons.

Watching as her parents’ marital troubles escalate, Suzie takes on the responsibility of raising her two younger brothers and plans an early escape to college and independence. Though she thinks of Sam, she deeply misses her closest friend Bella, but makes no attempt to reconnect, embarrassed by the destructive wake of her parents as they left the only place Suzie called home. Years later, a chance meeting with Sam’s older brother will reunite her with both Sam and Bella—and force her to confront her past and her friends.

After losing Suzie, Bella finds her first real love in Sam. But Sam’s inability to commit to her or even his own future eventually drives them apart. In contrast, Bella’s old friend Suzie—and Sam’s older brother, Michael—seem to have worked it all out, leaving Bella to wonder where she went wrong.

Spanning over a decade, told in alternating voices, The Grown Ups explores the indelible bonds between friends and family and the challenges that threaten to divide them.

Review

I'm pretty picky about what books I read and I mostly stick to authors and genres I know. This is why I enjoy entering the Book Sparks Summer Reading Challenge. The challenge affords me the opportunity to find out about authors I never would have found out about on my own. Robin Antalek is one such author. The Grown Ups is a coming of age story for when you're "on the other side" also known as adulthood. It's a story told from the perspective of three individuals, Suzie, Sam, and Bella, starting from their early teen years to adulthood. Each faces similar, but unique experiences and heartaches - all while being a part of each other's stories.

This story is about growing up and how even when you're grown up, it doesn't mean you know all the answers. It's a beautiful and heartbreaking book. I will definitely be looking for other works by Robin Antalek.

Verdict

Read it!

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Review: Until You

Until You
by Jeannie Moon

Synopsis

When newly divorced Kate Adams is approached on the sunny deck of a California hotel by hockey star David Burke, and he invites her to dinner, she almost says no. He’s obviously younger than her. And charming. And drop dead gorgeous. But there’s also something sweet about David, so Kate—who hasn’t done anything spontaneous in a very long time—accepts his invitation. 

It is, after all, her fortieth birthday. 

However, a real romance with thirty-year-old David, whose picture is in the gossip pages as often as it’s in the sports pages, is out of the question. No matter how much she wants him, it’s just too risky. 
But meeting Kate has been David’s lightning strike. She’s the one for him, and he has no intention of giving up on her. 

So while Kate guards her fragile heart, David sets out to win her over with the same determination that drives him on the ice. 

And he’ll break every rule in the book if he has to. 

Review

I received an ARC of Until You by Jeannie Moon through Spark Point Studio in exchange for an honest review.

I hesitate to call contemporary romance books my guilty pressure. I don't think anyone should feel guilty about what they like to read. With that said, let me tell you my honest opinion about this book - I thoroughly enjoyed it!

The story was not the run of the mill, cookie-cutter kind of story. There were a lot of ups and downs and real character building happening in this story. The characters were very much like real people, making mistakes, having insecurities and wanting to be happy. I enjoyed the fact that the protagonist is a female fiction writer (best seller - thank you very much!) and that she wasn't so willing to be in a relationship. 

**********SPOILERS AHEAD************

This book also contains storylines that I usually hate in romance literature...and literature in general. For example: surprise pregnancy, more than 2 people's point of view, an engagement. I usually roll my eyes whenever any of these scenarios happens. They just irritate me. However, in this story? Not so much. Maybe it is because I came to like the characters, especially the protagonist Kate, so much. I wanted all the good guys to succeed and if that took some of these storylines to do it - so be it. I honestly just fell for the characters. 

Also, as a side note, I really don't like the covers of romance novels. I think this is why most of my romance titles reside in my Kindle/Nook/iBooks app on my tablet rather than on my shelf. I don't enjoy cheesiness. Regardless, this book is worth picking up in whatever format available. 

Verdict

If you enjoy romance stories, you'll enjoy this one. If you enjoy romance stories with an intelligent protagonist, you'll like it. If you like romance stories of the "major-sexy-times" persuasion...this book will probably not be enough for you.