Category Archives: Contemporary

These are the books that fall into the contemporary novel genre.

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The Thing About the Truth by Lauren Barnholdt

I’ve read two of Lauren Barnholdt’s books and the thing I really liked about them was the characters seem so real. They’re teens who act a little melodramatic, feel emotions just a little too much, and don’t usually stop to think about how things will affect the future. Barnholdt writes real teens in her fictional books.

The Thing about the Truth is no different. Kelsey and Isaac are no different from her other characters in that they are perfectly written teens. They jump to conclusions and act impulsively, but they’re still sweet and wonderful.

I’m quite a bit like Kelsey; I’m usually deep into a novel wherever I go. She’s a little shy, thinks a lot about her future at college, and just wants to find a couple friends to fit with. She thinks with her heart before her head and it gets her into trouble.

Isaac is a nice guy who doesn’t always think and that’s what gets him into trouble. He’s supposed to be this perfect senator’s son, and under the pressure of looking good, he buckles and does imperfect things, getting him kicked out of private school and sent to public. Isaac may not always meet his father’s standards, but he’s not a bad guy. He’s sweet and attentive and it’s easy to see how much he cares for Kelsey.

I had a feeling this book would end the way it did, and I also had a feeling about what the huge incident was that got between them, but I still really enjoyed reading about the before and after. The Thing About the Truth is a speedy, but wonderful summer read that will leave you smiling, happy, and looking for that sweet romance.

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My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

I had such high hopes for My Life Next Door. It looked like a perfect summer read that would leave my heart fluttering and my cheeks sore from smiling. For the first half of the book, I was pretty happy. It was a little slow, but it was sweet. And then the second half of the book came along.

The first half of this book was cute, even if it felt like it was dragging at times. It was a light, summer read that had me smiling and happy, even when I would wish for something to happen. If Fitzpatrick had just continued on that nice path, this book would have easily been a 4 star, maybe even a 5 star book. The romance was sweet and perfect. Samantha and Jase were refreshing characters to read. They didn’t have one track minds, but they weren’t completely stiff as boards, either. Jase was that perfect high school love almost every girl wishes they had.

And then the second half of the novel hit.

I don’t like drama for drama’s sake. In My Life Next Door, it felt like the drama was only added so the book could be dramatic. The characters didn’t really grow because of the main event. They didn’t come to any life changing conclusions. I spent most of the last half of the book wanting to throw my Kindle against a wall in frustration because Samantha changed from a character I liked, to one I couldn’t stand. Even when she decided to do the right thing, she had already wasted so much time doing the wrong thing I couldn’t look past it. I read the entire novel hoping Samantha would grow a backbone. She was presented with opportunity after opportunity to stand up for herself and what’s right, but when she didn’t do what was right because she didn’t want to stand up for herself, I couldn’t handle her anymore.

There were little things left unresolved that nagged me too. Samantha’s friendship with Nan had been twelve years of their lives and it ended in a five minute conversation. I felt like that was pushed to the side in favor of the large dramatics. And Clay’s sleazeball ways weren’t really addressed, except to say he left. That’s all I got after having to deal with him being one of the most horrible people I’ve ever read?

I think what frustrates me the most about My Life Next Door is that it could have been amazing. It could have been a great read that got across the point that perfect lives are only perfect on the outside while having a great dose of boy swoons to go along with it. Instead, it’s a book with a nice first half, and a second half that completely falls apart. Unfortunately, I won’t be telling my friends and family to read this book. It had so much potential and fell completely flat.

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Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett

Once again, I judged a book by its cover. Only this time, the simplicity of the cover coupled with the title had me anxious to read Confessions of an Angry Girl. I also felt something for Rose, just based on the book summary. I hadn’t gone through the same things she did before entering high school, but I did have something that set me apart from everyone else.

Rose just lost her father, her brother has taken off for college, and her mom has basically shut down when it comes to doing the mom things. If all that isn’t tough enough, she’s starting high school, her friendships are strained, and a boy has her confused. It’s like the typical high school story, but with more layers to dissect.

I feel so much for Rose. She’s just confused on how she’s supposed to live now that her father is gone and life seems to take advantage of that. She grew up fast over the span of one summer, and unfortunately, her friends didn’t. She’s seen a side of life most of her friends haven’t yet, and that makes her the odd one out. I know exactly how that feels and it made me want to hug her through the entire novel.

This isn’t so much a romance novel as it is a story of Rose becoming comfortable and accepting her new normal. That said, there is a bit of a high school romance going on between Rose and Jaime. As frustrating as I found Jaime, he still makes Rose happy and because of that, I couldn’t be annoyed with him. He’s not the ideal guy for her, but he’s what she needs and that’s wonderfully set up for the next book.

Confessions of an Angry Girl is a fantastic novel that draws you right in and pulls at your heart with each turn of the page. It twists your heart just a little bit and makes you smile all at the same time. I can’t wait to read what happens next for Rose.

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Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols

It’s rare for me to find an author that I love so much I will read anything they write, be it comedy, drama, or a grocery list. Jennifer Echols is one of those authors and Such a Rush only further cemented her place on my bookshelf.

Leah does not have the best circumstances in life. She lives in a trailer park with a sometimes around mother who brings less than decent men around. She’s been moved around often because of her mother’s lifestyle (no job, creating enemies) and the one good thing that has come out of her several living locations is a love of airplanes and the dream to fly. When she settles in Heaven Beach, she gets a job as the receptionist/gofer of the airport before building up the courage to ask for a flying lesson. That one lesson turns into more and her love of flying only grows.

Cut to the death of the man who taught her to fly and the only father figure in her life. Then the twin brothers she’s watched from a distance take over and she’s blackmailed into working for them flying the banner planes and in trying to get one twin to date her. It’s this that creates the tension that had me anxiously turning pages to find out what was going to happen next.

I don’t know much about planes or how to fly them; in fact I’m pretty terrified of flying. But Echols made the whole process seem beautiful and flowing while keeping the danger involved. There’s enough technical speak to make it feel real, and yet it doesn’t get too overbearing and it’s still pretty easy to follow.

I loved the relationship dynamic between Leah, Alec and Grayson. Leah never really had the best example growing up, and so she has two personalities. The flirt and the serious aviator and she switches between them without noticing depending on what she needs at the moment, including when she’s with the boys. It’s easy to see Alec is the nice, sweet, do anything to help out kinda guy while Grayson is tougher and takes things a little too seriously at times. When Leah is with Alec, she turns the flirty side of her on, but when she’s with Grayson, the more serious side comes out and she’s more vulnerable.

The tension throughout this book was amazing. My heart was beating fast and I was getting so frustrated with the characters for seeing the obvious and then going the other way. But it did make for a great story.

Such a Rush was a fantastic book that had my heart pounding and put a smile on my face. I dreaded nearing the end because once I turned that last page, there would be no more. Echols once again has written a story I’ve fallen completely in love with and I can’t wait to read anything she writes (including a grocery list…I was serious about that).

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Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

I’m not sure why I wanted to read this book. I’m not usually one for lots of teen drama. If I want a romance, I go for sweet, lovable books. From the description, I thought there’d be way too much going on to make for a good novel. And yet, I am in love with Pushing the Limits.

I was right about this book on one count. There is a lot happening. However, instead of making it seem like drama for drama’s sake, it fit. Every little detail made sense and left an empowering feeling as I read. Each little thing Echo and Noah face helped them grow as characters until the very end. The people that we are introduced to at the beginning are not the people we know at the end. McGarry did character development right and I love her for that.

On the surface, Noah is the typical “bad guy.” He’s a bit of a loner, smokes pot, and has a reputation of using girls. But once you start reading his side of the story, things change and it comes to light that he’s that way as a front, as a way to keep himself from getting hurt. I think that’s why I loved him so much. For all his toughness and macho behavior, he’s still a guy afraid of getting hurt.

Echo starts out a little weak, but it fits. She doesn’t remember a major event in her life. That memory lapse has made her question herself, made her think of herself as less than. As the novel progresses, she fights with those inner demons and comes out on top. She realizes her worth, even if she struggles with it occasionally. She knows she’s worth something to people, and to see that at the end of the novel was wonderful.

Pushing the Limits is probably not a book I would have picked up in the store. This book somehow called to me anyway and made me read it and I’m so happy I listened to that call. Pushing the Limits is a fantastic debut novel and I can’t wait to read more from McGarry.

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Circle of Silence by Carol M. Tanzman

I was pretty meh about dancergirl. I was a little worried going into Circle of Silence that it would feel a little contrived and like I was being played for the sake of suspense. Fortunately, Circle of Silence was able to draw me in and had me guessing through the entire novel.

I think what I liked best about Circle of Silence was the slow build up of suspense, both through the eyes of Valerie and the point of view of the MP leader. As Val begins to work on the MP mysteries, the increasingly deranged view of the MP leader makes everything feel a little tenser. Val doesn’t know just how crazy he is beginning to get, and yet we know as readers. It helped amp up the tense atmosphere in a way that made absolute sense.

I liked Val and felt like I connected with her better than I did Alicia in dancergirl. I was also a huge fan of Jagger. There was just enough of their story in the background to make the novel feel like it had a little extra something without being overwhelmed by it. It’s sweet and just enough romance to bring a smile to my face.

Circle of Silence is a wonderful companion piece to dancergirl, or to read as a standalone novel. It’s well written and has wonderful characters. The suspense is amazing and will keep people guessing right up to the end.

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dancergirl by Carol M. Tanzman

The initial reason I started reading dancergirl was because I wanted to make sure Circle of Silence made sense when I started to read it. I had no expectations of what the book would be like, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The characters were very well written and I was especially fond of Jace. I wish there had been more of him and more relationship development between him and Alicia. I also wish there had been more of Ali’s mother in the story. The current trend of having extremely absentee parents gets a little more annoying each time I read it.

The writing was easy to read and flowed well. The beginning was a little awkward because there was a lot of explanation of details that didn’t have much bearing on the development of the story. Once that was out of the way, the story flowed easily along. The dance descriptions were gorgeous and Tanzman has an immense talent for writing that imagery, but on the flip side, she also has the ability to write tension and suspense.

As for the story, I felt like it was a little predictable in how Tanzman tried to make it unpredictable. I figured the ending out pretty early, and yet it still felt a little out of the blue, but not really in a good way. To me, there wasn’t enough character motivation given to let the ending make sense. It felt more like that outcome was chosen because it would seemingly be something unexpected.

Overall, dancergirl was a good book, but it fell flat in a few spots. It’s a good, quick read and has no major flaws, just little things here and there that held me back from falling completely in love with it.

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One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf

For some reason, novels that center around school shootings, or schools under lockdown. Maybe it’s because I grew up after Columbine, and can remember having a lockdown drill every month and just wondering how a person can reach a point where endangering the lives of children is what they think of. For whatever the reason, I am drawn to these books with the hope that they will be real and gritty and completely unpretty.

One Breath Away did not disappoint. Typically, I don’t really enjoy jumping around several viewpoints. But it really added something to this novel. It adds to the drama. You know pieces, but not the whole. There are so many different outcomes each viewpoint presents that it’s hard to figure out which is the right one. I was holding my breath through the entire book.

The lives of each character are examined, but in a way that makes each detail important to what is happening in the novel. Each detail helps provide the reasoning for how each character acts, thinks, and speaks. It highlights the main story in a way that just relaying the hostage plot couldn’t do. It makes the players so much more real and it makes your heart ache with each unanswered question.

One Breathe Away was a breathtakingly good novel that will pull at your heart and having you wanting to read faster than ever to find out how it all ends. It’s definitely a book people need to read and I’m looking forward to reading more of Gudenkauf’s novels.

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Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins

I struggled on what to rate this book. I finally decided to just go with what Goodreads has as the 2 and 3 star descriptions. 3 stars say “liked it” and 2 stars is “it was ok.” In the end, it was just okay for me. The writing itself was good, and the storyline had a lot of potential, but the characters aggravated me too much to really enjoy the book.

The idea of a forbidden love set in the modern times and not as a retelling of one of the many forbidden loves out of history. Hopkins had the potential for a great story here. Rose is a modern girl forced to move to a place where modern isn’t the norm. Noah is the Amish boy she starts to fall in love with. There are so many obstacles that could get in their way and make their love a challenge, and Hopkins focuses on the largest one possible. I did like that part. However, that brings me to the thing that bothered me most about this book.

Noah and Rose are both teens and act like it. That would be fine if their romance was treated as a teen romance. But because Noah is basically an adult in his culture, it makes that nearly impossible. This makes him seem arrogant and condescending at times towards Rose, as he expects her to drop her own life and conform to his life, without giving strong consideration to leaving his life for her. I would have been fine with this had Rose met his stubbornness with her own. Unfortunately, she doesn’t and her unwillingness to have a backbone and stand up to Noah made me increasingly frustrated. Love does not mean having to give up everything in your life because your significant other decides that the only way for you to be together. Relationships are about balance and give and take and the fact that Rose and Noah’s relationship was so incredibly unbalanced without either of them seeing it really took away most of the enjoyment I could have felt from this novel.

I’m not sure if I’ll be able to read the next novel without having an idea of if Rose grows a spine and starts to stand up for herself. Sadly, this isn’t really a book I’d recommend to my friends, but I can see why some people would fall for the romance of the book without realizing just how weak the female characters in it are. Unfortunately, I’m not one of those people.

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The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey

I’ve never read Jane Eyre. There, I said it. I’ve never read it and I was worried that might have an effect on how much I enjoyed this book. Would I be able to love it, even if I’ve never read the novel it’s a retelling of? Would I even be able to understand the impact of the original on this book? If the story has already been told before, would it even be a good book?

The answers to those questions are yes, yes, and yes.

I loved this book and it actually has me wanting to read Jane Eyre. I fell in love with Gemma and her determination to not be a victim of her past. There were so many parts of the story when it would have been completely acceptable for Gemma to take a look at her circumstances and life and decide to just give up hoping for better things. But she fought forward instead and took ownership of her life and made things happen for herself instead of sitting idly by and hoping something came along.

I loved how Gemma was developed as a person before introducing the romantic element of the story. Yes, she’s still young, but she knows more of herself than a lot of girls her age. She’s had time to grow before falling in love and she doesn’t let that love change the major parts of who she is. When something doesn’t feel right to her, she makes the decision to maintain who she is and what she believes, even though it ends up hurting more than anything else in her life.

I was a little worried I’d be too bothered by the age difference in the love story, but I surprisingly wasn’t. It somehow felt right and made sense. In the life of Mr. Sinclair, he has had to face just as many difficulties as Gemma, and even though it took longer for him to find a companion that understood and saw him for him, it fit and was wonderful to read.

I adored this book and definitely think people should read it. I can’t make any comparisons between Jane Eyre and The Flight of Gemma Hardy, but as its own novel, The Flight of Gemma Hardy was superb and certainly one of the best books I’ve read.