Waiting on Wednesday (77) - Something Like Normal

Something Like Normal

Trish Doller

Publisher: Bloomsbury

To be released: June 19, 2012

Summary (from Goodreads):

A powerful debut novel about a young Marine's return home from Afghanistan and the new life and love he finds while fending off the ghosts of war.

When Travis Stephenson returns home from Afghanistan, his parents are on the brink of divorce, his brother has stolen his girlfriend and his car, and nightmares of his best friend getting killed keep him completely spooked. But when he runs into Harper Gray, a girl who despises him for trashing her reputation with a middle school lie, life actually starts looking up. As Travis and Harper see more of each other, he starts falling for her and a way through the family meltdown, the post-traumatic stress, and the possibility of an interesting future begins to emerge.

His sense of humor, sense of his own strength, and incredible sense of honor make Travis an irresistible and eminently lovable hero in this fantastic and timely debut novel.

So I heard about this book awhile ago from a friend and was immediately interested. I think that this book sounds great and deals with a very interesting subject matter, the return to life after fighting in Afghanistan. My friend has told me this book is super good, and I trust her, even if she called dibs on Travis. Can’t wait to read it! Sounds like a great debut novel!  

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event highlighting exciting upcoming releases. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Waiting on Wednesday (76) - In Honor

In Honor

Jessi Kirby

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing

To be released: May 8, 2012

Summary (from Goodreads):

Honor receives her brother’s last letter from Iraq three days after learning that he died, and opens it the day his fellow Marines lay the flag over his casket. Its contents are a complete shock: concert tickets to see Kyra Kelly, her favorite pop star and Finn's celebrity crush. In his letter, he jokingly charged Honor with the task of telling Kyra Kelly that he was in love with her.

Grief-stricken and determined to grant Finn's last request, she rushes to leave immediately. But she only gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn's best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn't seen him in ages, thanks to a falling out between the two guys, but Rusty is much the same as Honor remembers him: arrogant, stubborn. . . and ruggedly good looking. Neither one is what the other would ever look for in a road trip partner, but the two of them set off together, on a voyage that makes sense only because it doesn’t. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn—but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?

This book sounds really good. I love me some good contemporary and this seems like it will be one. Sounds kind of heart-wrenchy in a good way. And, a journey with an attractive boy, heck yes! Can’t wait to read!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event highlighting exciting upcoming releases. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This is Teen Giveaway: The Eleventh Plague, Under Dogs, and iBoy

Check out some of the awesome new releases from Scholastic's This Is Teen. They all look pretty awesome. And thanks to Scholastic, you have the opportunity to win a copy of all three of their newest books -- The Eleventh Plague, Under Dogs and iBoy.

---

About the books:

The Eleventh Plague
By Jeff Hirsch

“The Eleventh Plague hits disturbingly close to home…An excellent, taut debut novel.” – Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games

In the aftermath of a war, America’s landscape has been ravaged and two thirds of the population left dead from a vicious strain of influenza. Fifteen-year-old Stephen Quinn and his family were among the few that survived and became salvagers, roaming the country in search of material to trade for food and other items essential for survival. But when Stephen’s grandfather dies and his father falls into a coma after an accident, Stephen finds his way to Settler’s Landing, a community that seems too good to be true, where there are real houses, barbecues, a school, and even baseball games. Then Stephen meets strong, defiant, mischievous Jenny, who refuses to accept things as they are. And when they play a prank on the town bully’s family that goes horribly wrong, chaos erupts, and they find themselves in the midst of a battle that will change Settler’s Landing forever.

Under Dogs

By Markus Zusak

Before The Book Thief, Markus Zusak wrote a trilogy of novels about the Wolfe brothers: The Underdogs, Fighting Ruben Wolfe, and Getting the Girl. Cameron and Ruben Wolfe are champions at getting into fights, coming up with half-baked schemes, and generally disappointing girls, their parents, and their much more motivated older siblings. They’re intensely loyal to each other, brothers at their best and at their very worst. But when Cameron falls head over heels for Ruben’s girlfriend, the strength of their bond is tested to its breaking point.

iBoy
By Kevin Brooks

Before the attack, Tom Harvey was just an average teen. But a head-on collision with high technology has turned him into an actualized App. Fragments of a shattered iPhone are embedded in his brain. And they’re having an extraordinary effect on his every thought. Because now Tom knows, sees, and can do more than any normal boy ever could. But with his new powers comes a choice: Seek revenge on the vicious gangs who rule the South London housing project where he lives, and who violated his friend Lucy? Or keep quiet and move on? Not even the search engine in his head can predict the shocking outcome of iBoy’s actions. A wifi, thriller by YA master Kevin Brooks.

Interested? Want to win them? Just fill out the form below.

Giveaway Rules
- Fill out the form below completely!
- Open to US residents only.
- Must be 13 years or old to enter. If under 13, parental consent is required.
- One entry per person. Multiple entries will be deleted
- Ends December 6, 2011 

Waiting on Wednesday (75) - The Selection

The Selection

Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen

To be released: April 24, 2012

Summary (from Goodreads):

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

I had the opportunity to meet Kiera Cass at the Book Blogger Convention in May and here about this book then I was instantly excited. She was very sweet and funny and peaked my interest in her book then. And then I read the official synopsis. And saw the cover. THAT COVER IS GORGEOUS!!! SO PRETTY! And I love the idea of a Bachelor-esque competition with princes. Super excited!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event highlighting exciting upcoming releases. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

The Future of Us

Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: November 21, 2011

Series or Standalone:  Standalone

ISBN: 9781595144911

Format: ARC

Pages: 309

Source: BEA

Websites:

Jay Asher - Website/Blog 
Carolyn Mackler - Website 
Jay Asher - Twitter
Carolyn Mackler - Twitter

Rating: 4 Stars

I was super excited to read The Future of Us and it did not disappoint me. The Future of Us is a fun read that really makes you question what you would do if you could see what your life would be like in the future.

This book is told from alternating points of view of Josh and Emma. I really liked both of these characters. They were different from each other but I still really liked them. Emma and Josh are both effected by seeing their future on Facebook differently. Emma, I think, went a bit overboard with seeing her future. For Emma, she was constantly worried about being unhappy, about having a bad future. She got a bit obsessed with creating her own perfect future, that she ended up making decisions that made her future even worse. Emma was so obsessed with getting her perfect future, she seemed to neglect living in the present.

Josh, on the other hand, was the boy next door (literally). The disc that brings them both to Facebook brings them back together. I loved Josh. He was a sweet guy and you really could see that. Emma and Josh have a history, one that involves some heart-ache. I really liked that Emma and Josh had a past relationship that was not perfect, but that this weird fluke of seeing the future could bring them back together as friends. Josh was the more level-headed one of the pair. Josh, unlike Emma, realized that seeing his future was not the best thing and that maybe they should just let it be.

I really like how Josh and Emma’s relationship grew over the course of the book. There were ups and there were downs for Emma and Josh, mostly because of what Emma was learning in her future, but their relationship was perfect. I loved the ending and how their relationship was building to that point the entire book.

While I was reading this book, I felt like I was thrust back into my childhood. I grew up in the 90s and this book just reminded me of everything from it with dial-up internet that used the phone lines, walk-man, CD-roms for free internet, and a world without Facebook. I loved it. I also really liked how Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler incorporated Facebook into the story. Facebook is a completely foreign concept in 1996 and I loved Emma and Josh’s reactions to the website. Who would have imagined that through Facebook we would be sharing our life’s details with the world. I liked how Facebook was integral to the plot, but the story did not focus solely on Facebook. This book was very character driven and what they learned on Facebook influenced the characters. 

The Future of Us is an enjoyable read that makes you question if you had the chance to see your future would you and would you try to change it? With friendship, romance, and the future, The Future of Us is an interesting new story that is fun to read. 

Waiting on Wednesday (74) - Unraveling Isobel

Unraveling Isobel

Eileen Cook

Publisher: Simon Pulse

To be released: January 3, 2012

Summary (from Goodreads):

Isobel’s life is falling apart. Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before, and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother.

But on her first night in her new home, Isobel starts to fear that it isn’t only her life that’s unraveling—her sanity might be giving way too. Because either Isobel is losing her mind, just like her artist father did before her, or she’s seeing ghosts. Either way, Isobel’s fast on her way to being the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons.

This book just sounds really cute and really fun. Can’t wait to read it! 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event highlighting exciting upcoming releases. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Waiting on Wednesday (73) - The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars

John Green

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

To be released: January 10, 2011

Summary (from Goodreads):

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now. 

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault. 

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

It goes without saying that I am excited for John Green’s new book and have been for ages now. I cannot wait to read it! I love all his other books and it’s been a while since we have got something new from him. And of course I have had it pre-ordered since the day he announced the title. DFTBA!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event highlighting exciting upcoming releases. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.