Showing posts with label Lisa Schroeder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lisa Schroeder. Show all posts

1/5/13

BookHounds Review FALLING FOR YOU by LISA SCHROEDER @SimonTeen @lisa_schroeder


Book Description

January 1, 2013

Affection turns to obsession—and love means both devastation and redemption—in this gripping novel from the author of I Heart You, You Haunt Me.Rae’s always dreamed of dating a guy like Nathan. He’s nothing like her abusive stepfather—in other words, he’s sweet. But the closer they get, the more Nathan wants of her time, of her love, of her…and the less she wants to give.

As Rae’s affection for Nathan turns to fear, she leans on her friend Leo for support. With Leo, she feels lighter, happier. And possessive Nathan becomes jealous. He’s not about to let her go. And with danger following her every move, Rae must fight for the life and love she deserves if she’s going to survive.

About the Author
Lisa Schroeder is the author of the teen verse novels The Day BeforeI Heart You, You Haunt Me and its companion novel, Chasing BrooklynFar from You; and the teen prose novel Falling for You. She is also the author of the middle-grade prose novels It’s Raining Cupcakes and Sprinkles and Secrets . She lives in Beaverton, Oregon. Find out more about Lisa and her books at LisaSchroederBooks.com or on Twitter at @Lisa_Schroeder.

SOURCE:  PUBLISHER
MY THOUGHTS
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT

Rae's father left when she was a baby and her mother has moved on and in with Dean, a man Rae is not fond of.  The only thing she really knows about her father is that he was a fan of Nirvana and that leads to her love of the Foo Fighters whose songs carry her through the worst of days.  She works at a job she adores, assisting at Full Bloom, the only flower shop in her small town.  She has a close circle of friends and never fails to go out of her way to be kind, even though life hasn't been kind to her.  When her English teacher suggests the students submit their poems for an anthology, Rae will only submit hers as "anonymous" and the school seem to explode with hidden grief as the submissions grow with deep revelations to spark a poetry revolution.  

When Nathan, the son of a nationally known author, moves to town, he is everything that Rae thinks she wants in a boyfriend until he becomes obsessive and possessive.  As Rae feels that she finally has everything a teen her age could desire, she knows something is wrong with Nathan, something she can't deal with at all right now. Things get progressively worse at home with her step father, Rae finds herself keeping secrets from everyone who reaches out to her with offers of help.  At this point, I am seriously in tears. I think Rae will never find peace or the happiness that she deserves.  

On the other hand, is Leo, who works next door at a coffee shop for his parents.  He has been the constant in Rae's life, always being there for her even when she doesn't realize it.  He pays attention to her, talks to her and lets her forget that she has trouble at home.  The story is told through flashbacks between the past few months and the present while Rae is in the hospital in horrible pain.  What puts her there will stun even the most jaded reader.  I am leaving out a lot of details but this is really a story of good triumphing over evil even though there is so much pain that Rae must endure.  I wonder how many kids endure what she did?  

Even though this is Schroeder's first book that isn't written entirely in verse, the same emotional story telling and gorgeous writing is wonderfully put together.  There are lots of poems sprinkled through the story in the form of Rae's poetry journal and brings a lot of emotional background to her personality.  Parents:  There are mentions of domestic violence, stalking, alcohol and drug abuse, and some kissing, none of which are overtly graphic.  Overall this is really a clean read which is a real lesson in empathy towards others.  

Details

  • Hardcover: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Simon Pulse (January 1, 2013)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1442443995
  • ISBN-13: 978-1442443990




2/25/11

REVIEW: The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder

Description

Sometimes there's no turning back.

Amber's life is spinning out of control. All she wants is to turn up the volume on her iPod until all of the demands of her family and friends fade away. So she sneaks off to the beach to spend a day by herself.

Then Amber meets Cade. Their attraction is instant, and Amber can tell that he's also looking for an escape. Together they decide to share a perfect day: no pasts, no fears, no regrets.

The more time that Amber spends with Cade, the more she's drawn to him. And the more she's troubled by his darkness. Because Cade's not just living in the now--he's living each moment like it's his last.


About the Author

Lisa Schroeder is the author of IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES and upcoming SPRINKLES AND SECRETS (Aladdin, Fall 2011). She is also the author of YA novels I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME (1/08), FAR FROM YOU (12/08), CHASING BROOKLYN (1/10) and THE DAY BEFORE (6/11), all with Simon Pulse. She lives in Beaverton, Oregon.  Find out more about Lisa and her books at http://www.lisaschroederbooks.com/

Details

  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Simon Pulse (June 28, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1442417439
  • ISBN-13: 978-1442417434
SOURCE:  AROUND THE WORLD ARC TOURS

MY THOUGHTS
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT

I am always amazed at Lisa Schroeder's books which are written in verse.  They can convey so much emotion in so very little words.  I would think it is next to impossible to get across a complete story with so few passages, but like a song, you get everything.  There are two major twists to this story, ones that I have not seen in a young adult book before. 

The story is two lost souls meeting and understanding each other like no other has understood them before.  Amber has been hit with some horrible news about her life and runs away to spend the day at the beach to understand what this means to her.  She meets Cade, who is hiding his own life and death issue and is trying to capture one last day on his own.  The two come together and give each other strength to get through their issues together.  There I did it -- no spoilers! 

I received this book at no expense from Around the World ARC tours in exchange for my honest review.