A Midsummer's Nightmare: Book Review

(click on the image for more info on Kody Keplinger!)

Great read*! 
Brought this one to the beach and finished it in two days - I couldn't get enough of Whitley and the ever fun Nathan (every girl needs a Nathan in her life, just saying...). Whitley is a new favorite of unlikeable characters, or at least unlikeable by most standards. I was enamored by her independent and strong-willed attitude when we first meet her, though it's easy to see that this flippant, carefree attitude will lead to some big self-destruction. And boy, does it lead her down that path! 
Kody Keplinger has once again mastered the YA contemporary/romance genre in A Midsummer's Nightmare. There are true-to-life issues for Whitley, honest and compelling reasons to root for her and against her in the same breath (which is no easy feat for any author), and each character that crosses Whitley's path is defined and intriguing. Did I mention the sizzle factor?! I had to stop myself from reading ahead in an effort to get to more Nathan-Whitley passion-charged scenes! 
I could go into more detail, but that'd give too much away and I'm not a fan of spoilers. So, I'll finish by adding: if you want a fun, sexy, honest-to-the-core story of love, heartbreak, and gritty confrontation this is a perfect read!
If you can't tell I'm a huge Kody fan. Enjoy, readers!


*I received this book for free through a contest on Daisy Whitney's The Mockingbirds Facebook page. Which was super exciting as I usually never win the contests I enter and I'm a HUGE fan of Kody's! And, for no reason other than to share my crazy with you - The Mail Guy still thinks I'm crazy as I once again did my little IGOTBOOKS twirl when he handed me the book-package.

Review of: Burn For Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Oh. My. Badass Girl Power. (can I say that? ...hope so)

I received* Burn For Burn yesterday and started it immediately! When I stopped reading, everyone in my house was asleep and I didn't know what to do with myself - I needed to tell someone how AWESOME this book was! It crossed my mind to do a review right then and there, but I couldn't figure out how to include all of it's splendor without spoilers.
I'm still not sure I can do it, but here goes:

Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian have created a diverse group of three unlikely-to-get-along girls - Lillia, Mary, and Kat - each with their own secret hurt, who come together for the sake of making all the wrongs right. And the best part is you want them to do it. Then you don't, then you do, then you don't, and before long you're wrapped up with them in the deceitful tangle that is revenge - and far too involved to back out when things reach the breaking point.
This intricate story is told in the girl's rotating voices, while we watch the other characters evolve in new shades through each girl's POV: Who can we trust? Who's telling the truth? Who really deserves what's coming for them, and who doesn't?
My favorite parts of the book in no particular order:
lyrical story telling, summers at the ocean, the Voices - each so distinct and relatable even though maybe unlikable, intrigue - Oh The Intrigue, fresh and snappy language, high school hierarchy, and something 'different' among the Revenge Girls.
I can't say much about the 'different' without spoilers, but I'm sure if you're interested in this book you know it has been billed as supernatural on certain sites. If this was the intention, I'd instead say, it's supernatural for readers that don't like supernatural (or, readers that are burnt out on it), and at the core it is a suck-you-in-never-let-you-go story of heartbreak, love, friendship, loss, broken promises, and getting even, above all else. (with an innovative spin on ______: a classic I can't name or it'd give too much away. But I'm really curious if Jenny and Siobhan were thinking of said classic while writing it!)

My overall review for readers: Get your reader-butts to a bookstore, electronic device, and/or library on September 18th and fall heart first into Lillia, Mary, and Kat's story. You will be entranced page by page - Burn For Burn!


*I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. And couldn't have been happier! I may or may not have ripped the package open on the front porch and danced around cheering to no one in particular. The Mail Guy will never look at me the same again, I'm sure.