Contemporary

Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

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Lola and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: Dutton Books (29th September 2011)
Blurb:

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit – the 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 neighbourhood.

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.

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

Stephanie Perkins writes the kind of contemporary romance that I enjoy. Lola and the Boy Next Door is a companion piece to Anna and the French Kiss – which I loved (you can find my review here) – so I thought I’d give it a try, and I was NOT disappointed.

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Review: Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby

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Shotting Stars by Allison Rushby

Title: Shooting StarsAuthor: Allison Rushby
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Publisher: Walker & Company (28th February 2012)
Blurb:

Behind the flashing lights, the camera reveals all . . . even love.

Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she’s known in the biz. The best pint-sized paparazzo out there, Jo loves shooting stars, and she certainly doesn’t mind doing whatever it takes to get that one perfect picture.

But then Jo is sent on a major undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett – teen superstar/heartthrob and the only celebrity who’s ever been kind to her – at an exclusive retreat facility in Boston. Among the cheesy group therapy sessions and embarrassing “team building” exercises, Jo finds there’s more to the reclusive Ned than meets the eye – and maybe more to herself too.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

What first drew me to this book was the cover – I think it looks absolutely gorgeous! Then I read the blurb, and I was sold. It took me a while to get around to buying this book, but I am very glad that I did. It is a brilliant piece of light fluff.

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Review: The Duff by Kody Keplinger

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The Duff by Kody Keplinger

Title: The Duff (The Designated Ugly Fat Friend)
Author: Kody Keplinger
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books (5th April 2012)
Blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper knows she’s not the hottest girl at school, but when school jock and resident moron Wesley casually refers to her as a Duff – Designated Ugly Fat Friend – the gloves are off!

If there’s a think line between love and hate then Bianca has crossed it. She just never thought she was capable of breaking anyone’s heart . . .

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

I first heard of this book through The Book Rat. Misty had written a really interesting review about the book (which can be found here), and I really wanted to see what I thought of it myself.

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Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

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Title: Pushing the Limits
Author: Katie McGarry
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Publisher: MiraInk (3rd August 2012)
Blurb:

THEY SAY BE A GOOD GIRL,
GET GOOD GRADES, BE POPULAR.
THEY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME.

I can’t remember the night that changed my life.
The night I went from popular to loner freak.
And my family are determined to keep it that way.

They said therapy was supposed to help.

They didn’t expect Noah.

Noah is the dangerous boy my parents warned
me about. But the only one who’ll listen.
The only one who’ll help me find the truth.

I know every kiss, every promise,
every touch is forbidden.

BUT WHAT IF FINDING YOUR DESTINY MEANS BREAKING ALL THE RULES?

Rating: ***** (5 stars)
Review:

Pushing the Limits is Katie McGarry’s debut novel. It tells the stories of Echo and Noah who are both going through difficult times in their lives when they collide.

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Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

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Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: Penguin USA (4th August 2011)
Blurb:

Can Anna find love in the City of Light?

Anna is happy in Atlanta. She has a loyal best friend and a crush on her coworker at the movie theater, who is just starting to return her affection. So she’s not too pleased when her father decides to send her to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year. But despite not speaking a word of French, Anna meets some cool new friends, including a handsome Étienne St. Clair, who quickly becomes her best friend. Unfortunately he’s taken – and Anna might be, too. Will a year of romantic near misses end with the French kiss she’s been waiting for?

Rating: ***** (5 stars)
Review:

Anna and the French Kiss tells the story of Anna Oliphant; an American teenager sent to Paris by her father to go to boarding school for her senior year.  Stephanie Perkins relates a brilliant tale of contemporary romance for Young Adult readers in this book.

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Review: Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

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Heist Society #2

Uncommon Criminals by Alley Carter

Title: Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society, #2)
Author: Ally Carter
Genre: Contemporary, Crime, Young Adult
Publisher: Orchard (5th July 2012)
Blurb:

Kat’s back – and this time she’s making up her own rules . . .

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.

Now she’s been asked to seal the infamous Cleopatra gem – and return it to its rightful owner. Most people say it’s impossible, not least because the emerald is cursed. But with the help of her best friend – the gorgeous Hale – and the rest of her crew, Kat’s not going down without a fight . . .

The sequel to the hit novel, Heist Society, Uncommon Criminals is another heart-stopping, jet-setting thriller by bestselling author, Ally Carter.

Rating: ***** (5 star)
Review:

Uncommon Criminals is the second book in Ally Carter’s brilliant series Heist Society. Kat and the gang are back. Life has moved on since the end of the first book in the series, and Kat and the gang have gone back to work.

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Review: Heist Society by Ally Carter

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Heist Society #1

Heist Society by Ally Carter

Title: Heist Society (Heist Society #1)
Author: Ally Carter
Genre: Contemporary, Crime, Young Adult
Publisher:  Orchard (1st September 2011)
Blurb:

Kat’s got a deadline – two weeks to pull off the biggest heist in history . . .

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her to the Louvre . . . to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her uncle travelled to Austria . . . to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she conned her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. But now her dad’s life is on the line, and Kat must go back to the world she tried so hard to escape . . .

Rating: ***** (5 stars)

Review:

Heist Society is the first book in Ally Carter’s new series of the same name. It tells the story of Kat, a girl born into a world of crime who doesn’t see things in quite the same way as the rest of her family.

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