A light and fun YA read.
920358
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

High Stakes is a fun and delightful YA story.  The disease was a nice take on the vampire myth.  I loved seeing Jacob go through regular teen boy angst while also dealing with his "disease".  While the ending seemed a bit rushed, it didn't lessen my enjoyment of the book.  I highly recommend this book to YA readers looking for a fun quick read.
3582897
I wasn't sure what to think when I first picked this book up.  The cover is, of course, absolutely stunning, but the first few chapters left me feeling a little disenchanted.  I forged on though, determined to finish and ended up really enjoying the story.  This is light YA sci-fi at its best.  There isn't too much garbling on about space ships or how such and such technology works.  Instead, we get to focus on how the earth might actually react if alien exchange students came to town and focus on a romance that actually makes sense when it happens!  For once in a young adult novel, we get to see the characters actually falling in love.  Very refreshing.  I've already ordered the sequel.

If you like this, you might like
1. Acid by Emma Pass
2. The Fire Wish by Amber Lough
3. The Seven Wicked: First by C.M. Stunich
2850587
Thlis book first struck me as just typical YA chicklit.  However, it does develop into a highly amusing book, mainly light and frivolous but  not without serious issues, especially those affecting one of the boys.  You know the plot already.  twenty two high school sophomores develop ESP after receiving flu shots.

I quite enjoyed the narration.  At first, I just considered it first person, but the narrtator is never identified and the story has more of a third person feel than first person.  However, I soon realized, as also noted by another reviewer, that this is a group narrative since all 22 students are linked by their ESP.

Chances are this is the first novel in a series and it should be a quite entertaining one.
97834
Not a bad read, overall, very enjoyable. It seemed aimed at the teen age group so I would recommend this book to them for a light, entertaining read.
4502316
I haven't read any YA fantasy for a while, and I enjoyed this book. Boyce does a very good job of world building, and her writing style captures the imagery of Ourea with descriptive prose that doesn't overpower the story. Like most classic fantasy, there is a quest to be followed, and the plot progresses with even pacing through a few twists and turns. Boyce keeps the book light and accessible for YA readers. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
1039061
A pleasant light read.  Some what predictable and not terribly thought provoking, but sometimes that's a good thing.  I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
4646592
Out of Left Field by Kris Hui Lee is a lighthearted and charming YA contemporary read!

Im not really into sports that much, so I don't find myself immediately drawn to sports-themed books. I just never really know if Ill enjoy the plot since I don't do sports at all and most likely wouldnt be able to relate to the characters. But, I do love romance and friends-to-lovers stories. The premise for Out of Left Field also sounded really cute and fun, so I figured why not. Well, I definitely do not regret requesting. This book was heartwarming, sweet, and so cute it made my heart melt. I loved the friendships, the MC chasing her dream no matter what, and of course the romance. I thought the writing was decent, but wished there were more scenes that actually showed me rather than telling me this or that. The characters were likeable to some extent. Theyre teenagers after all, so its expected that they got on my nerves every now and then. While I did find some parts a bit repetitive and frustrating, I still really enjoyed the story.

I liked Marnie well enough. She was the typical angsty teenager trying to find her place and go after her dream. She obviously did not always make the right decisions and had her own insecurities, but she was also strong and fierce. I admired her talent, determination, and the way she always stood up for herself. Cody was absolutely adorable and I really liked him a lot. He was sweet and incredibly supportive of Marnie. He encouraged her and truly believed in her potential. I really wish there were more scenes with him in the book. I would have loved to see Cody and Marnie interact more, rather than have the other characters describe how they really felt for each other.

So, as you can guess, the romance was relatively slow, but it was totally cute and heartwarming. I love romance in general, so whether its insta-love or not, as long as the story works and it makes some sense to me, then I usually have fun with it. I definitely did with this one and enjoyed the tension. I thought the story wrapped up nicely and I turned off my kindle with a smile on my face.

There were some things that could have been better, but overall, Out of Left Field was a delightful debut novel. With cute moments, fun bantering, and adorable romance, this was just the fluffy lighthearted read I needed. Ill definitely be on the lookout for Kris Hui Lees future works and would recommend this book to anyone in the mood of something quick, sweet and entertaining.

I received an advance reader copy from the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
4929347
I found this to be a light, easy read. Sweet story. I loved it.
2631142
It's a fun book - I enjoyed reading it. Like a lot of YA fiction, there is the usual love triangle, but it wasn't as annoying as most of them due to the fact that the author is skilled at creating believable and likable characters.  Plus, there's a lot of action/adventure so there is more than just relationship drama.  Also nice to read a book for young adults without any profanity, graphic sex or drug use
4090296
This is a very light-hearted YA fantasy.  Fun and funny but not very deep.
4963903
Summary:
Sam is a very sweet boy that just can't seem to put this one girl behind him.  Riley is a princess with a wild side.  When Sam saves Riley's life, she decides to help him win back the love of his lady.  Unfortunately, Riley is also rebelling, and Sam may have signed up for more than he bargained for.

My thoughts:
This is a cute novel.  If you go in with no expectations and just want to read a sweet contemporary YA romance, then this is a good book to grab.  There is nothing that is heavy hitting.  There is nothing that really stands out about it.  Riley gets annoying a bit with her pushing the envelope and attempting to meddle with everything, but at the same time, I feel like I understood why she was acting the way she choose.  Sam finds himself in situations he did not originally suspect.  I'm not sure if turning the sweet, quiet kid into a fighter is a great move, but his motivations are clear.  There is teenage alcohol abuse, parties, language, and violence within the novel, but nothing so descriptive that it would turn people away.  Overall, I think this is a good no-think novel that high school girls will enjoy over a weekend.
1801610
*This novel is intended for YA readers.  It contains some language and innuendos.
I enjoyed the prologue and epilogue.  I love the rest of the story.  Bianca Barnes and Cameron Bates have been dancing around each other for years.  Firmly stuck in the friend zone, these two secretly pine for a romantic relationship.  Aided by her sister Beth and a handful of supporting characters, the reader is led on a merry chase to snag Bebes heart.  I appreciated the age appropriate scenes and dialogue.  Fun high school settings and plenty of flirty, physical contact without crossing into PG-13 territory.  Tomboy, self-conscious Bea has compared herself to her sister Beth for years.  With great basketball references and tons of self-love, while a bit predictable, this is an entertaining novel that will satisfy the young romantic heart.
*I received a copy of this novella in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are uniquely my own.
3103949
This lighthearted, briskly paced, YA steampunk is set in an intricately imagined multilevel floating dirigible that serves as a finishing school for young ladies being prepared for undercover intelligence work, and I enjoyed this second entry in the series even more than the first. The story takes place a few years earlier but  in the same alternate Victorian era  as the authors Parasol Protectorate books and part of its fun is glimpses of characters from the other series--including free-spirited vampire Lord Akledama. Theres detailed steampunk world building, from mechanical servants who clank along tracks to grubby sooties who do the hard, hot work to keep the school afloat. The humor sometimes verges on silly and there isn't a lot of character development, but  Sophronoia and friends are lively company and a joy to spend time with.
3669208
Rating:  3.5 stars

I have to admit that I put off reading this one for quite some time because of the cover.  Thank goodness I finally got over myself.  It turns out that this was a light-hearted and fun urban fantasy story.  It is not overly deep, but it was fun.
2178396
I enjoy the occasional YA read, written simply but still has a good story. The 5th Wave doesn't disappoint in that aspect.

As other reviewers have mentioned, there isn't much material included on where they came from or what they want, and no you never really see one I guess.

I have yet to start the second book but am really looking forward to the rest of story unraveling. I had a really good time reading this.
3263228
I didn't really know what to expect of this author's writing or the story but found this book when seeking YA novels that feature deaf teen characters. Here are some of the positive aspects I discovered in Show Me a Sign:

There's a nice balance of narrative with the dialogue. I enjoyed the narrative, which put me into the heads of Haylie and Nathan.  The story is told in their two points of view.

The teen voices are good.

Haylie and Nathan are believable and likable characters. I could actually feel Nathan's worry and Haylie's fear during her captivity. Their emotions were compounded by Haylie's inability to hear.

Nathan's best friend, Alec, is a well-developed secondary character, not flat, and not the typical sidekick.

Haylie's friend is unusual and a wonderfully sweet surprise in the story.
4322435
YA readers will love this, I'm sure.  The young Heroine is going through a tough time in her life (a seriously ill sister), and after getting caught robbing a home, is sent to a boarding school.  There she meets a telepathic cat and some other psychic students, and goes on a time-traveling adventure to save the world AND her sister.  All in a day's work for a tattooed  tough girl.

Plot was a little choppy here and there, but the character development was good.  Romance slight.  Italics might have been clearer than quotes when telepathy was occurring between the Heroine and the cat.

This was fairly entertaining for me (an adult), so I'm sure that younger readers will really enjoy it.  For me,  I'd rate it as OK/3-Star fast and cute read.  Since it's a YA, I'm giving it a 4-Star based on its target audience.  Besides, I'm very impressed with the Authors promise at the end that if there were too many proofreading errors that they would be corrected.  Applause for that.