Review: The Boy Recession by Flynn Meaney

The Boy Recession

Author: Flynn Meaney
Pages:247
Publisher: Poppy
Release Date: August 7th 2012
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook
Available for Order: Amazon|Barnes and Noble

Source: Arc from ALA

Where have all the boys gone?

Down-to-earth Kelly is always the friend and never the girlfriend. But as her junior year of high school starts, Kelly is determined to finally reveal her true feelings for her long-time crush and good friend Hunter - that is, until the Boy Recession hits.

Over the past summer, an overwhelming number of male students have left Kelly and Hunter's small high school class. Some were sent to private school and others moved away. Whatever the case, the sudden population shift has left the already small Julius P. Heil High in desperate shape. The football coach is recruiting chess champs for his team, the principal's importing male exchange students to balance out school dances,and Hunter is about to become an unexpected heartthrob.

Content with his role as the guitar-strumming, class-skipping slacker, Hunter is unprepared to be the center of attention. Desperate coaches are recruiting him for sports teams, and the drama teacher casts him in the lead role of the school musical. Even the Spandexers, powerful popular girls in tight pants, are noticing Hunter in a new light - with a little work, he could have potential. He might even be boyfriend material...

In order to stand out from the crowd and win Hunter's heart, Kelly needs a "stimulus package" in the form of cougar lessons from a senior girl who dates hot freshman boys and advice on the male mind from her Cosmo-addicted best friend, Aviva. As if dating wasn't hard enough without a four-to-one ratio!

My Take:

Living in a small town has its advantages, for starters more knowing everyone you come across the downside is when a school so small loses most of the males. So think for a second a whole high school with barely enough boys to go around, let the recession begin. For Kelly its hard to even like a guy and when most leave unexpectedly its tough to even think about dates for home coming or even prom. But with the boy recession, dates are running out and it either pay for an escort or go alone. Since most of school population of guys left at the beginning of school, all the girls seem to look at Hunter in a different light. Not used to the spot light Hunter and his friends try and brace themselves for the attention, celebrity status is just the beginning. Coaches approaching him for tryouts, school lead being pushed in his direction, Hunter seems to need a much needed break if only the girls would give him five minutes.

The moment Kelly hears Hunter perform she can't help but fall for him. It's just one thing in her way the dang recession is pulling Hunter away from her. He maybe their helping her out with teaching kids to play, but when he gets the lead his life changes from being in the back to center stage. Hunter may have his hands full, but even with the work talking to Kelly is a highlight he never takes for granted. With the opening approaching Hunter has but one thing to do, get free from a girl who takes liking someone on another level, and go ask Kelly out for real.

I couldn't help but smile every time Hunter would notice Kelly and vise versa, the two had something that eventually tuned on the same channel. I had to laugh at them getting sick at the same time, and of course thought the link was so strong to get them both sent home. Even though Hunter didn't see himself worthy of the attention, I did like how he came out of his shell and was still able to put a brave face in front of a crowd. I was glad that Kelly was also able to even approach Hunter, because rejection can stink but sometimes timing is important. The Boy Recession will have laughing, and leaving you thinking a recession of boys, who would be the first pick. So ladies and gents watch out you may never know a recession could happen in any city at any time, are you ready.


5/5 stars Charmingly Delicious

Review: Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Cursed

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout 
Pages:312
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press 
Release Date: September 18th 2012
Author Website 
Available for Order: Amazon|Barnes and Noble

Source: Arc

Dying sucks--and high school senior Ember McWilliams knows firsthand. After a fatal car accident, her gifted little sister brought her back. Now anything Ember touches dies. And that, well, really blows.

Ember operates on a no-touch policy with all living things--including boys. When Hayden Cromwell shows up, quoting Oscar Wilde and claiming her curse is a gift, she thinks he’s a crazed cutie. But when he tells her he can help control it, she’s more than interested. There’s just one catch: Ember has to trust Hayden's adopted father, a man she's sure has sinister reasons for collecting children whose abilities even weird her out. However, she’s willing to do anything to hold her sister's hand again. And hell, she'd also like to be able to kiss Hayden. Who wouldn't?

But when Ember learns the accident that turned her into a freak may not've been an accident at all, she’s not sure who to trust. Someone wanted her dead, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she is to losing not only her heart, but her life. For real this time.

My Take:

To think one touch can end a life, never able to touch one person for the rest your life must suck. For Ember just living was a blessing, but her being brought back came with a flaw. She has the touch of death, so prom is out of the question. Since the accident that killed her father, Ember has been taking care of Oliva by herself while her mother is in a comatose state. Even though money is running low and the bank won't allow her the money in her parents saving accounts, Ember knows that day by day is the key in order to keep Olivia in a routine. It's also to keep people from poking around, because Olivia can bring back the dead, and yes she brought back Ember which resulted in her touch of death, because she literally was close to death.

It's when a very hot looking guy that Ember can't to place that everything in her life changes. His name is Hayden and being taken wasn't ever on her wish list. Mr. Cromwell has the means to help Ember and allows her to stay at his house with one thought tell anyone and suffer the consequences. Rooming with a bunch of 'Gifted' isn't really easy because they all want her out. To make i worse you would think going to a new school wouldn't be so bad, for Ember its the opposite, finding things in her lockers usually would result in going to report it but Ember doesn't want to cause any more grief. The one thing she has going is her is Hayden who seems to be the only one that wants to help her. She of course doesn't realize that she has control all she has to do is learn. Can Ember get a hold of her gift as Hayden calls it, or is she really Cursed.

How can you not love a story that shows growth, I love Jennifer's writing and has since fallen under spell ever since I picked up her book last year. So when I hear a curse + girl can equal into anything add in a smexy guy and swoon is bound to happen. It grabbed me the moment that Ember was taken else where and had me literally gripping my Arc for dear life. I really loved the idea behind the curse, thinking about me not being able to touch my mom or even my dogs yeah that would stink. But I was able to see that Ember really needed guidance and that Hayden was there to help her understand the past she has tried to hide for the better part of two years. Ember showed me strength no one her age would show until they had their own family. Of course when their is a hot guy just lurking around its hard not to like the fact that yes he was their for her (kinda stalkerish!!) but she saw that as he was really their because he wanted to be. He was so sweet had me awing the whole time, and of course I couldn't but picture him smiling so that made me smile. So if you've never experienced a JLA book than Cursed can be your ticket to the biggest show of the year. Because every Jen book is an event of itself. I loved this!!!!!!!!  Hayden = Swoon worthy!!!!!


5/5 stars because with great writing comes me swooning all over it :)

Review: Florence by Ciye Cho

Florence

Author: Ciye Cho
Pages:336
Publisher: Studio Amazepop
Release Date: July  1st 2012
Author Website 
Available for Order: Amazon

Source: ARR

Seventeen-year-old Florence Waverley is out of her depth. Literally. Kidnapped and taken below the waves to the mer world of Niemela, she is the ultimate gift for merman Prince Kiren: a human familiar tied to his side. But nothing is what it seems amid the beauty and danger of a dark ocean.

Every Niemelan has a role to play, from the mermaids who weave towers out of kelp to the warriors who fight sea monsters. But in trying to survive, Florence will end up in the middle of a war between the mer and the Darkness. A conflict that will push her between two brothers: Kiren, the charmer inexplicably drawn to both her and the monsters; and Rolan, the loner who has been pushing her away since the day they met. But in order to take a stand--and find out where she belongs--Florence will have to risk it all: her life, her heart... and her very soul.

My Take:

Ever feel like an outsider looking in, and everyone looked right past you. For Florence living behind the scenes was her scene and even she was included she really didn't feel included in anything. Not since her dad past away and she was sent to live with her mom who really could care less about Florence, life was just a way to get by, until of course a trip to the ocean with her school that life turns for Florence. For someone used to just looking in was now the focal point in a world no human knew existed. Who knew that this world had so much more you just had to look through the surface to see it. Taken from the world of the outside and being thrown on the inside, mermaids was the one thing farthest from Florence mind, but the world works in mysterious ways,  Florence is the first human to know of their existence and they want nothing to do with her.

Prince Kiren is curious about her, Florence of course is also intrigued about him as well, its not everyday a girl gets to meet a prince or a mermaid. Of course being an outsider stinks, because everyone seems to want her out except Kiren's sister Yolee who seems to see beyond her human self and for the person she really is. But when Kiren start to act differently and of course dreams that paint the prince differently Florence has to set aside her feelings and help those she cares about like Prince Rolan, who always seems to be their for Florence when she least expects it. Florence might be the only hope to save the world of Niemela. Is ready to step out of the shadows and embrace the light or hide away in the dark.

While reading Florence, I couldn't help but see that a world like Niemela could exist. Of course every mermaid story is different, Ciye Cho of course delivers in an extraordinary way, grabbing your attention in so many points of views. It felt right getting all the points across and i loved that even though Rolan seemed the type to not care came through. Florence had the strength no one thought she has and even though she never felt involved above the surface, she was able to find herself below the surface and was able to change all those who sought out to send her away.

5/5  Stars

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