Book Review: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Title: Dare You To
Author: Katie McGarry
Published: 7th June 2013 (Mira Ink)
Pages: 456

Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all.... [Via GoodReads]

My Thoughts:
I wasn't so keen on Pushing the Limits after I finished reading it. I felt that the characters where pushed into a characteristic that didn't really seem like them. There is a little of that in Dare You To as well but then I preferred this one way more!!

In Pushing the Limits, we saw Noah as the "bad boy" and Echo the "good girl" (on the outside), in Dare You To the roles have swapped. Sadly, I had the same issue with this book as the first. It's the swearing. I'm not anyone who gets offended by swearing, I don't mind if you swear or don't. I know people who swear like sailors but this book places them oddly. I find it difficult reading this book with the unnatural sounding "fuck" placed in Beth's speech. But luckily, it eased out and became more natural than forced. 

Book Review: Submarine by Joe Dunthorne

Title: Submarine
Author: Joe Dunthorne
Published: 2011 (Penguin)
Pages: 290

At once a self-styled social scientist, a spy in the baffling adult world, and a budding, hormone-driven emotional explorer, Oliver Tate is stealthily nosing his way forward through the murky and uniquely perilous waters of adolescence. His objectives? Uncovering the secrets behind his parents' teetering marriage, unraveling the mystery that is his alluring and equally quirky classmate Jordana Bevan, and understanding where he fits in among the mystifying beings in his orbit. Struggling to buoy his parents' wedded bliss, deep-six his own virginity, and sound the depths of heartache, happiness, and the business of being human, what's a lad to do? Poised precariously on the cusp of innocence and experience, Oliver Tate aims to damn the torpedoes and take the plunge. [via goodreads]

My Thoughts:
I'm just going to be honest and lay it all out. I'd never heard of Joe Dunthorne before (I have seen the movie poster before if that counts?). But anyway, Joe came to my college for a talk so I thought, it's time I pick up his book!

The novel is split into three parts. Each part focusing more on a different topic, part 1: Oliver Tate, part 2: his dad, part 3: his mum. I was quite surprised by this read. I didn't really see how the balance of humour on a topic that the book carries could work. But it did. 

Favourite part of the book? I really loved the "word of the day" sections that appear every time Oliver wrote into his diary. 

"Word of the Day: lemon - informally used to mean unsatisfactory, defective"

I'm not sure if the book really "filled" me though. There's humour, yeah, but the topics were put into a really odd way, Oliver's trail of thinking was distant whilst I read and there was nothing for me to connect with. He's a bit of a weird character, sticks out quite a bit. He's got his own mind set.

It's an alright read. Maybe read it for the layout. But overall I wouldn't be jumping at it.

Book Review: Left Drowning by Jessica Parker

Title: Left Drowning
Author: Jessica Parker
Published: 16th July 2013 (Skyscape)
Pages: 399

What does it take to rise from life’s depths, swim against the current, and breathe?

Weighted down by the loss of her parents, Blythe McGuire struggles to keep her head above water as she trudges through her last year at Matthews College. Then a chance meeting sends Blythe crashing into something she doesn’t expect—an undeniable attraction to a dark-haired senior named Chris Shepherd, whose past may be even more complicated than her own. As their relationship deepens, Chris pulls Blythe out of the stupor she’s been in since the night a fire took half her family. She begins to heal, and even, haltingly, to love this guy who helps her find new paths to pleasure and self-discovery. But as Blythe moves into calmer waters, she realizes Chris is the one still strangled by his family’s traumatic history. As dark currents threaten to pull him under, Blythe may be the only person who can keep him from drowning. 

*This book is intended for mature audiences due to strong language and sexual content.
Note: due to mature content recommended for Ages 17+

[via GoodReads]

Thoughts: 
This book has definitely pushed boundaries. I didn't expect it to be as mature as it was, especially when I'd read Flat-Out Love and Flat-Out Matt which are both, like, PG rating. But the contrast between the books shows that Jessica Parks can write a book with safety and also a book that hangs in danger. 

Book Review: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Eleanor & Park
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Published: 28th February 2013 (Orion)
Pages: 327

Eleanor is the weird new girl. Park is the quiet Asian kid that she sits next to on the bus. Through connection of comic books, slowly but surely something grows between Park and Eleanor, surprising both of them. But through their comic book and mix tape exchanges can their first young love defeat all?

Thoughts:
Eleanor & Park has been a book that I've been waiting to read for a long time. The book was cute but not as full filling as expected.

Book Review: When It Happens - Susane Colasanti

Title:When It Happens
Author: Susane Colasanti
Release Date:1st May 2008


Summary:

Senior year. Sara wants two things: to get into her first-choice college and to find true love.

Tobey also wants two things: to win Battle of the Bands and to make Sara fall in love with him.

Dave, the boy Sara was hoping would realize she exists, moves in on Sara first. But Tobey is impossible for Sara to ignore. He gets the little things that matter to her and, most importantly, he feels like something real. Can a slacker rock star wannabe win the heart of a pretty class brain like Sara?

My Thoughts: When I first read the blurb on this book I could immediately think of someone who I would relate to this book. However I think that the blurb made me think that the contents would just go in a certain way. I would say it is misleading in some way.


I thought that this book would be much like a Sarah Dessen books due to the story, also because she recommended it and on the book it says that it is like her books, however it was very different in many ways. For starters I have to state that if you want to read this book there is alot of strong language is used in this book. I think that it is a nice change to read this book from two views instead of one which gave the characters more depth. 

 I really enjoyed this book. It's a simple story of a boy wanting a girl but she is taken so he has to get her to notice him. This book covers what you would call a "perfect" guy and a little bit of soul mates.


However as much as I enjoyed this book some of the situations which the characters were in were hard to think would actually happen, or maybe it's just that I live in the UK, like telling you teacher your love life...? I just find that odd, no matter how cool you think your teacher is I just think it's weird to tell them you dilemma's.


Recommend or not? A good girly-girly read and a sweet romance....Recommended :)

What did you think of the book?


Check out more about the authors I mentioned:
Susane Colasanti
Sarah Dessen