Book Review: Paradise Rules by Jimmy Gleacher and Contest

TRUE OR F A L S E ?

It’s only a week into summer break and already seventeen-year-old Gates has . . .

a) Hustled millionaires on the golf course

b) Tried to stop his mother from having  a(nother) nervous breakdown

c) Promised to lose his virginity with his girlfriend, Mel . . . which would be great if he hadn’t already lost it to his forty-year-old godmother

d) Almost killed a man

Yeah, Gates has a lot of secrets, but he’s determined to keep his heart true. When he’s not swinging golf clubs like a pro, he reads pulp fiction to old folks at the retirement home. And despite his occasional slip-ups—drinking before noon and sneaking glimpses through his sexy godmother’s open negligees—Gates only has eyes for Mel. But she knows he’s hiding something, and she’s beginning to lose her patience.

Just as Gates is about to spill his shameful secrets, he gets tangled up in a golf club scandal that jeopardizes his dreams of a normal life. He’s never been a fighter, but this time he finally pushes back at the world—which could have been a breakthrough but turns into an epic fail. Probably because Gates fights back dirty. Now his life is on the verge of ruin, and he’s got no one to turn to for help.

Or so he thinks. Because what Gates is about to discover might hit him with the most amazing shock of his life. (From Goodreads)

Gates has one crazy chaotic life. He's got a mother who hasn't been present in his life since her "breakdown", and a godmother who is all sorts of vile. His girlfriend is worried that he doesn't find her beautiful, and the majority of his income comes from ripping people off during golf games. If that doesn't intrigue you I'm not sure what will.

I'm fairly certain that in Alicia I found my most hated character of 2011. Even as I'm writing this review I'm still thinking about how horrible she is! She's a well-developed character, but due to her lack of redeeming qualities, I have a feeling that every single person who reads this book will despise her. It's pretty clear in the synopsis of the book how she takes advantage of people. In the book her background as a psychologist has given her all the ammo that she needs to manipulate others to do as she pleases. Her impact on Gates is extremely negative, and will follow him for the rest of his life. Although, in a way it's because of all the emotional turmoil caused by her that Gates is able to grow as a character. He sees the person that he is around Alicia, and makes a conscious decision to move forward. 

There is a fair amount of swearing and discussions around/scenes involving sex, and since some readers tend to avoid that I did want to mention it in this review. Gleacher gave us a well-written YA story from the male perspective that was both funny and heartbreaking. He never shied away from the tough subjects, and I really appreciated the way the story unfolded because of that. The male point of view is a rarity in YA fiction, and I'm hoping to see more of it from Gleacher.


Paradise Rules
By Jimmy Gleacher
Published by Simon & Schuster
320 Pages
Received for Review
Rating: B


The publisher has been kind enough to offer two copies to give away (US only). So enter below by 7/30 at 11:59 EST to win.

Waiting on Wednesday (July 20)

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This weekly meme shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.

*I'm not sure this is the final cover. Since it hasn't been added the author's site, consider it temporary. 

A Million Suns (Across the Universe 2) by Beth Revis

It’s been three months since Elder unplugged Amy, tearing her from her family and the life she always knew. Now, Eldest is dead and Orion awaits judgment for his murder as a frozen. Elder is finally free to enact his vision for the ship’s population—no more Phydus, no more lies.
But when Elder learns harrowing news about the ship, he and Amy are sent on a race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, all the while dealing with the romance that’s growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart.
Beth Revis wows us again with a brilliantly crafted mystery filled with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all boils down to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.

Published by Razorbill

Release Date: January 10, 2012

Book Review: Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life: Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners.

There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn’t been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long — and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous, and that is . . . the emerald is cursed.
Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight. After all, she has her best friend — the gorgeous Hale — and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses and realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time. (From Goodreads)

Ally Carter clearly has a knack for writing book series. Not only does she continue to come up with interesting plots, but she delves deeper into each character as the books go on. This was really true of Kat, who has developed into a big of a heist-junkie since we last saw her. She doesn't think she needs any help to continue her vigilante thieving, and it's clearly going to get her in trouble. Hale is (still) a bit of a dreamboat. He clearly cares for Kat, and steps in when she gets herself into trouble. What really makes him a great romantic lead is that when he does attempt to help Kat, it never feels like he's rescuing a damsel in distress. Plus, their romance is developing quite nicely, but the ultimate question still remains. What is his first name? 

Kat has gotten herself into a bit of trouble in Uncommon Criminals. She's enlisted to steal back the Cleopatra Emerald by a woman who claims that it was stolen from her parents who discovered it. Well, I don't want to give away the plot, but all is not as it seems. Once again Carter has written a story that keeps me interested from start to finish, and involves a seemingly impossible heist. 


According to Carter's blog, it's likely that there will be at least two more books in this series. I'm confident that she'll continue to explore each of the characters without the story ever feeling sequel-ish (read: unnecessary). So, here's hoping the third book is released soon! 

Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society 2)
By Ally Carter
Published by Hyperion
298 Pages
Received for review
Rating: B

Waiting on Wednesday (July 13)

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This weekly meme shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door. 

Published by Dutton

Release Date: September 29, 2011

Teaser Tuesday (July 12)

What is teaser tuesday?
It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules:

Grab your current read...
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on the page
Don't include spoilers.

In honor of the final Harry Potter movie being released, here's a teaser from the book: 

"When he straightened up again, there were six Harry Potters gasping and panting in front of him. 

Fred and George turned to each other and said together, "Wow--we're identical!"

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Page 51, by J.K. Rowling