Review: Better off Friends

Better off Friends
by Elizabeth Eulberg

Synopsis

WHEN HARRY MET SALLY . . . for teens, from romantic comedy star Elizabeth Eulberg.

For Macallan and Levi, it was friends at first sight. Everyone says guys and girls can't be just friends, but these two are. They hang out after school, share tons of inside jokes, their families are super close, and Levi even starts dating one of Macallan's friends. They are platonic and happy that way.

Eventually they realize they're best friends -- which wouldn't be so bad if they didn't keep getting in each other's way. Guys won't ask Macallan out because they think she's with Levi, and Levi spends too much time joking around with Macallan, and maybe not enough time with his date. They can't help but wonder . . . are they more than friends or are they better off without making it even more complicated?

From romantic comedy superstar Elizabeth Eulberg comes a fresh, fun examination of a question for the ages: Can guys and girls ever really be just friends? Or are they always one fight away from not speaking again -- and one kiss away from true love?

Review

This book pretty much had me at "WHEN HARRY MET SALLY...for teens". I LOVE When Harry Met Sally. Love Love Love. And this book??? I loved it! It has two very believable characters with a believable love story. And the writing style! I loved how each chapter was written by either Macallan or Levi and in between they had their little banter in short dialogue (You'll get it when you read it because you WILL read it). 

Macallan is a strong leading female, which is my weakness! She's strong but emotional and not cold. Levi is misguided but lovable. Together they have the perfect friendship. And by perfect I also mean imperfect (because nothing is perfect people). This book definitely reminded me of when Harry Met Sally due to the intelligent banter of it's characters. There was a lot of love between friends and family and it spanned years...YEARS of the two leading characters' lives. That's right people - this isn't a love that happens after the next big dance or whatever. The duo basically meet in middle school and their friendship, with it's love and hardships, spans until Senior year in high school. 

I got this book from the library, but once it's in paperback, I'm so going to get it and re read it. 

Verdict

I loved it. If you love contemporary love stories with lovable characters who have their flaws but aren't annoying - this book is for you. 

Review: The Infinite Moment of Us

The Infinite Moment of Us
by Lauren Myracle

Synopsis

For as long as she can remember, Wren Gray’s goal has been to please her parents. But as high school graduation nears, so does an uncomfortable realization: Pleasing her parents once overlapped with pleasing herself, but now . . . not so much. Wren needs to honor her own desires, but how can she if she doesn’t even know what they are?
Charlie Parker, on the other hand, is painfully aware of his heart’s desire. A gentle boy with a troubled past, Charlie has loved Wren since the day he first saw her. But a girl like Wren would never fall for a guy like Charlie—at least not the sort of guy Charlie believes himself to be.

And yet certain things are written in the stars. And in the summer after high school, Wren and Charlie’s souls will collide. But souls are complicated, as are the bodies that house them . . .
Sexy, romantic, and oh-so-true to life, this is an unforgettable look at first love from one of young adult fiction’s greatest writers.

Review

I'm so horribly confused.

Is this a young adult book? Like, really? I don't mean to make that sound like an insult. Maybe it's the fact that I'm older - maybe it's a bunch of other things, but this book did not read like a young adult book. It had an angst romance, but I felt that too many things were happening at too fast a pace. 

Let's go back.

Charlie has admired Wren (I love her name) from afar for awhile. Once Wren notices Charlie, she begins to gain an interest in him too. This is where it's all nice and sweet because it's the blossoming of first love for both of them. They each have their struggles, but hey, they have each other. I really was drawn into the story at this point because I like to read about two people who care about each other finally getting together. 

But then it just got weird in my opinion. And these are the reasons why. 

*SPOILERS. I NEVER PUT THEM SO THIS SHOULD BE YOUR WARNING*

It got weird with all the sex. I was shocked to read so much sex in a young adult book. I'm going to be honest and tell you that sex in YA doesn't bother me. Not at all. Teenagers have sex and it should be included in some books. However, I also think that the way it's expressed can have a lot to do with how it is received from the reader. The problem, for me, with the sex scenes in this book have mostly to do with the fact that I think it ruined the flow of the story. It suddenly all became about sex. Hey, I know that some relationships are like that - but Wren and Charlie actually had a very sweet thing going and the sex just took over EVERYTHING. Like, the WHOLE STORY. 

Another thing - Tessa and Wren's parents. Tessa is supposed to be this great friend to Wren and I really liked her character - but we hardly see her! It was as if Wren had NO friends and was having a dangerous co-dependent relationship with Charlie. Actually, that's exactly what it was. We don't even get to read any other experiences about Wren's job or even any excitement for Project Unity - something SHE wanted to go to! As for Wren's parents, I totally liked the whole struggle with living up to their expectations. But in the end? It was just too easy. The dad just realizes he should apologize? What? *sigh*

As for Charlie - he was just as co-dependent as Wren. I like that he had his own background, his own story - but well, both Wren and Charlie got a bit too creepy with each other for my liking. Creepy = REALLY CODEPENDENT 

Also? Starrla's character was so annoying. Just - too much. And was not important to the story at all. 

I know that as humans we feel intensely. Maybe I just didn't like young adult pretending to be adult? Take that any which way you want, reader. 

The end was tied up too cleanly. Sure, a lot was left to the reader's imagination, but I don't think this story deserved that. The reader basically goes on this roller coaster of a relationship (which doesn't feel like a relationship) to be given nothing at the end. 

As you can see, I am pretty passionate about this review. I even included spoilers!

Verdict

Proceed with caution. There's a lot of sex. A lot of "ass" "baby" etc. etc. Language that doesn't offend me and it normally wouldn't sway me from reading a story, but I think those words were unnecessary. It was used to no effect on this reader. 

Extra

If you're wondering about a book I thought included teenagers, sex and was written extremely well in a somewhat believable way - pick up The DUFF by Kody Keplinger.

Zine Review: Pieces #8.5

Pieces #8.5: 24 Hour Zine 
by Nichole and Laura

Review

I absolutely love reading and reviewing zines. I don't remember how I got into them, but I know that I love having glimpses of other people's worlds. And the 24 hour zines that I come across are fantastic. 

This issue of Pieces is actually a split zine between Nichole and her mother, Laura. 

Okay, first of all - these ladies rock. 

Seriously. The first pages of both zines have to do with library-love. As an individual who didn't get to go to the library as a kid (I first stepped foot into a library when I was a late-teens teenager), reading about someone else growing up in that world made me simultaneously jealous and happy. 

I'm probably biased, as I adore books, but I really enjoyed reading those memories from both perspectives of mother and daughter. Each author put a lot of themselves and each other into their works and it makes it that much more enjoyable to read. 

Each side of the zine is filled with memories or tidbits of the author. I specially liked this:

Because of how true it is, but also because the reader can tell that the authors held onto a part of themselves from when they were younger - and that is what makes this split zine so entertaining and heart-warming to read. 

Verdict 

Uh, read it. DUH. No, but seriously, if the reader wants something nostalgic, sweet and creative - this is your zine. I suggest reading Nichole's side first, just because it's really great to read her mother's take on the memory afterward.


Look for this zine and many others at my friend Sage's distro, Sweet Candy Distro!