Definitely meant to be read by teen/adult readers who love to read
922419
As a series of faerie stories, written in the 16th century, the writing is very wordy. By that I mean that the narrator of each story uses and over abundance of adjectives to describe each character, their appearance and their emotions. Definitely meant to be read by teen/adult readers who love to read. In effect, it reminded me of the first time I read Henry David Thoreau. Too wordy for my young mind to be anything but bored.
3780540
First and foremost, this is an adult book. This is not a teen book. Rainbow Rowell's writing style is so phenomenal that some teens will enjoy it anyway. Some adults might not relate, but that is definitely the audience. For me, it was perfect.

Spoilers abound: Long story, short, Georgie McCool (the coolest name ever!) is married to Neal. They have two young kids, Alice and Noomi. Georgie helps write a television show with her long-time best friend Seth. The two of them are amazing together, and they know it. They are working on their own television show, and they have a short period of time to come up with 4 shows. It so happens that they have to do this over the week of Christmas, which is also when Georgie is supposed to be going to Omaha with her family. A story of a struggling marriage and a woman falling apart, in enters the weird part: Her landline (she's using it because her cell phone battery never works but she is too disorganized and doesn't really have enough time to get a new one) magically calls Neal in the past.

Yes, I just told a good amount of the story, yet I really didn't. It is so much deeper than that. So much is going on, and so much happens. I was really worried where this one would go when the phone started calling the past, but it was done so well. It didn't seem silly at all. It was a really realistic story with a strange, unbelievable twist that actually made sense and seemed believable. Also, I love Rainbow Rowell's writing. Her stories usually start so strong, are written so well, and end so blah (to me... please don't kill me for that statement.) This one was strong the whole way through. It was a love story that didn't get on my nerves, which is awesome. Even though I am nothing like Georgie work-wise, I still related to her. I also somehow related to Neal. Overall, I have nothing but great things to say about this one. It is perfect for anyone in a marriage, good or bad. The writing is so perfect that those not in relationships will love it anyway.
3792099
4.5~ I don't generally read much YA stuff however Caleb and Maggie's coming of age forbidden romance got to me and I found myself quite wrapped up in all their teenaged angst. I guess it was the unique story idea that first piqued my interest; that of a romance developing between the offender and his victim was too good to pass up. And once you get into it the reasoning's as to why they get together it felt realistic. I mean they`ve both been away for a year and things have changed, they`ve changed and none of their friends "get" them anymore. Throw in some majorly screwed up family members, a big secret and super cool old lady and you've got yourselves a great story.

Told with alternating POV's for each chapter, this was a fast read and I enjoyed getting into both Maggie and Caleb's heads, seeing what each of them thought of the same situation. We begin with our hero Caleb being released from jail. He's just spent a year locked up in juvenile detention for hitting a girl with his car while drunk and then leaving the scene. He's paid his dues though and is no longer the carefree popular teen that went away. All he wants now is to go home and resume his life, well that and turn back time. With getting released comes a few  a few rules though, like 150 hours of community service, meeting with a transition counsellor and staying out of trouble. It's all easier said then done.

Switching to Maggie we join her in physical therapy exercising her shattered leg and preparing to go back to school. The only thing that gets her through the day now is her scholarship to Spain. It seems since the accident she's no longer one of the popular kids, they all think she's a freak and Maggie can't wait to get out of this town and away from their whispers and stares.

Through circumstance Maggie takes a job as a companion for old Mrs Reynolds (who is just awesome and turned out to be one of my favourite characters) Coincidently she's also just hired Caleb through his community service. I guess in a town as small as Paradise they should have expected to run into each other but what neither had expected was that it would only be the other that could truly understand what they're going through. Caleb's family is really messed up; his sister is a Goth ghost, his mother acts like nothing has happened and his father is just gone. And then theres his ex girlfriend, beautiful, seductive and full of poison. Maggie's days of playing tennis are over and her overprotective Mum is (eek) dating her boss. What an embarrassment.

Bound together by the tragedy yet forbidden by their parents and a court order to be together a tentative friendship begins, quickly developing into something neither of them had expected or can stop. A bittersweet, moving love story, now I only wish I had RETURN TO PARADISE because the ending here leaves you hanging. I'll definitely be reading more from Simone Elkeles though. Cheers
4856165
I very much enjoyed the reader for this audio book, especially how she differentiated the characters with tone or accent.

First of all, what a great premise for a book! This urban young adult fantasy is about a boarding school for teenagers (mostly female) who stumbled upon hidden fantasy worlds and then for one reason or another were sent back to the real world. Their families are usually unable to cope with their returned children's ravings about made-up places, and end up sending them to this school to "recover" - whatever they may think that means.

I enjoyed the vast majority of this book. The main character is a serious girl trying to adjust to the fact that she will probably never be able to return to the Halls of the Dead where she feels she truly belongs. She meets many of the other students and even becomes friends with a few. We learn their stories and about their worlds. I loved most of that world and character building. Seanan McGuire offers a refreshing array of diversity in her characters when it comes to their sexuality, gender identities, and personality. (Just a note: I didn't notice much in the way of racial diversity.)

My big complaint about the writing comes here: Diversity is wonderful and I want more of it in all of the books I read, but especially in young adult novels. However, McGuire has a habit of overexplaining any aspect of a character not necessarily considered mainstream. The main character is asexual (Yes!) but she explains this multiple times to multiple people and also in her own mind (Ugh!). Once is fine for the reader, and honestly it would be much stronger writing to just SHOW that she's asexual rather than TELL us constantly that she is. She managed much better with the transgender character, showing us through his story and how other students interact with him the realities of what being trans can be like.

Another complaint is that after the plot takes off, there is a stretch in the middle of the book where I got pretty bored due to the lack of any kind of action. It was just characters gathering in various places in various groupings, talking about their past or their feelings. Which... is interesting? But in smaller doses, please, and in a way where I'm more certain that I care about these things being related to the actual story being told.

I'm sounding awfully nitpicky here, I realize, but I loved the premise of this book so much that I wish a few other parts measured up to its level of awesome.

Full stars for the character, setting, and plot. I'm gonna dock two for style and readability, but I'd really give it 3 and a half stars if I could because I still enjoyed the heck out of this despite my complaints.
4210197
I originally heard this book on CD, and it hooked me immediately. I've read a lot of books in my short life, but this is one that I absolutely LOVE! In fact, it is one of my most favorite books that I have ever read. Though there may be a few minor flaws, the imagination that went into this book and its sequel blew me away. The plot was unique, which may have been what caught my attention. When you've read as much teen fantasy as I have, you start to see the same ideas over and over. This however was completely new. Though I missed the illustrations when I first "read" the book, they greatly add to the story. I would definitely recommend this book, though not everyone may love it as much as I do.
1537321
A Reading on the Farm review:

I picked this one up by accident at the library last week. I was strolling through the YA section and saw this one out of the corner of my eye. I'm a sucker for pretty covers and so I grabbed it on a whim and I'm so glad I did! I know it's a couple years old, but I saw that the author has a new book coming out next month and I loved it so much that I just had to review it anyway.

Taylor and her family just got some really bad news. Pretty much the worst kind of news a family can get, and they got it on her birthday. Her father is dying and only has a few months left to live and he wants to spend the time with his family at their lake house that they used to go to every summer. After spending the last few years not spending too much time together, the summer starts out awkwardly and is made worse by the fact that Taylor is confronted with the two people at the lake that she would have rather never seen again. Finding out that her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend are still there after five years is hard for Taylor to deal with, especially since she's the reason they're not friends anymore.

Let me start out by saying that I had a totally different impression of what this book was going to be about before I read it. I'm not sure why, but I thought this was going to be more a teen romance novel. And although there is romance in there, it's definitely not the focus of the book. Much of the book is devoted to the way that a family deals with devastating news, and how they use the limited time they have left. The author does it beautifully. I lost my mother when I was 16 unexpectedly, and I don't know if that's part of why I was so invested in this storyline. I don't think so, although it did make me think about what you would do with extra time with a loved one if you knew it was almost the end. It's really beautifully written and brought me to tears several times, because you could feel the emotions of the characters. The fruitless anger, frustration and overall sadness as Taylor goes through these last few months with her dad just come out as very real as well as the joy she finds as her family pulls together.

What I Loved

1. The characters: Taylor herself is a very relateable character, you can feel her pain and joys throughout the story and she has incredible growth as a character from beginning to end. Lucy is the greatest friend! She has to work through so much resentment over what happened in the past with Taylor, but she cracked me up too. She's boy crazy and utterly loyal to her friends. And last but not least, Henry. Sigh. I could have done with a lot more of Henry! He is just the perfect guy for Taylor, and super adorable too.

2. Working through grief: As someone who has experienced a death of a close family member, I really identified with Taylor as she was going through this loss and the time before it. I was brought to tears several times because of how real this felt emotionally.

3. The lake: Loved the setting at the lake house. I've been to a beach house several years in a row and I got that same nostalgia that I saw in the book. Where things look exactly the same even as time goes by. And it's the perfect setting for teenage friendships and romance.

4. The writing: This book is very well-written, one of those books you keep reading until 1 in the morning and then realize you have to get up in 5 hours. (*facepalm*) It's one of the ways I know I love a book, you get so engrossed you don't even feel the time passing by.

What Bothered Me

For a longer book, I could have used more romance. There was a lot of build up to it, and I felt like when we finally got to the romantic part of the story, it was cut a little short. And more kissing scenes! You can never go wrong with more kissing scenes.

 I am officially a Morgan Matson fan after this. If you want a book about love and loss and family, this is the one for you. And if you're smart, you'll have some tissues ready!

Read this review and more over at [...]
4256538
I am so glad that I finally had the opportunity to read this book! It isn't something that I would normally pick up so I loved the opportunity to really get out of my comfort zone and see if I'd enjoy this. It's a really character driven novel, with Echo and Noah having heartbreaking lives that will immediately hook you in and have you wondering how everyone could possibly have a happy ending. Echo and Noah might need each other, but the things each of them needs for themselves are what might end up tearing them apart.

This book is both captivating and frustrating. There were points when I did not want to put it down and wanted to read straight through to the end. Other times I was growing frustrated with the characters and the way that the writing was going and wanted things to take another turn in the way I liked, which it always ended up doing, though this detracted from my overall enjoyment.

I liked the minor supporting cast of characters as well, which is great because soon there will be a sequel (companion?) featuring other characters as the leads and I will definitely need to get my hands on that as well. This book was compelling, though-provoking, and really made me appreciate another book in the YA genre I would normally never look twice at. Judging from the cover and a few glimpses of the summary I assumed it was nothing more than a typical teen romance. I was wrong and I'm hoping you'll give this book a chance as well.
3567433
Let me just say, don't let the other reviews put off by making it seem like only younger people/teens can read this. I'm 28yrs old and I enjoyed this book. there are a few important factors a book needs for me: Capable of making me feel emotion, entertainment value, the writing style, and proper grammar and spelling and this book checks all of those boxes. I finished this in a day and will be reading the other in the series!
4258184
Do you ever read a book and you can't get the characters or scenes out of your head because they make your heart ache and they make your heart happy?  Or you finish the book and just keep going back to read certain parts over and over?  That's what Hopeless does to you.  It was simply beautiful and beautifully written.  Colleen Hoover's abilities were truly impressive.  Each chapter, each scene felt like it had a purpose and events, dialogue all felt connected to each other at the end.

I bought it a while ago because of the number of good reviews, but I kept putting off reading it because of the length.  I have an obsession where I can't stop reading a book until I finish it and so I knew I would be reading this late into the night and was worried having to commit the time to it (you know because of work, kids, sleep, etc).  But honestly, it was a super fast read and I easily got through it in less than a day.  Plus, it's kind of annoying that so many authors out there stretch out stories into multiple books just to get people to pay more (I'm talking to you Abbi Glines, since Fallen too Far and Never too Far should have easily been one book)!  So it was nice to have one complete story.

I've read other reviews that complained that this was about high school students and really only for young adults.  But that is ridiculous.  The story is about love between two high schoolers, but also between friends, parents, etc.  Honestly, I did imagine the characters slightly older as I read, but based on where they were in their life in terms of experiencing certain activities, they had to be in high school.  It wouldn't have made sense to make the older.

I LOVED this book and am seriously impressed by it.  It was funny, sad and gut-wrenchingly romantic.  I will admit to one last thing - the very last sentence caused me to burst into tears.  Now for a book to accomplish that, you have to agree that it's amazing.
4084779
I must again say that I think this series is directed to the young adult reader or maybe young teen reader
1059285
Fever:
This book is a mix of different things. There is adult content. Ella is going through depression, and when she joins her boyfriend at college after a year of separation she realizes that things are different. She has to figure out what she wants not what everyone else wants her to do. Is she really with the right guy? The story would be great for older teen if not for the adult content. The end made me cry so watch out!

Bulletproof:
How many times do we not stand up for those who need us out of fear? This story is about trying to not let our fears and our past control us. Morgan is all about her family and will sacrifice everything for them. She's tough and doesn't put up with much. However, her new boss is horrible and her boyfriend is afraid to stand up for her because he could be fired. There is a lot of heartbreak here, and a lesson in how our past can affect our future. Lots of love and friendship woven into a tough situation. There is adult content.

Everything:
If you read the first two books this one will be a tear jerker. Jody made a major mistake when she went to college, and now has a beautiful little girl to show for it. Her dad won't forgive her for ruining her chances at school, and she's got to find a job and get out of his house. Enter Leo, awesome, sweet, from Australia and needing someone to help manage the building he's overseeing while he writes his play. An accident might just ruin their chance at happy ever after though. This one pulls out all the feels, and doubts, and everything anyone who is a parent has ever felt. There is some adult content.

Home:
After reading the first three stories this one was kind of a let down. It felt a little predictable to me, and I didn't really get into it till towards the end. By the end I was crying because of all the pain and heartbreak of everything Rachel goes through, but the beginning just didn't really do much for me. Rachel's dream of making it big costs her big time, and there are probably some triggers here for anyone that has been kidnapped, abused, etc. There is some violence, and adult content is a little more than some of Pearl's other books.
380545
I have to be completely honest, I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. I almost didn't even buy it until I read a review on Amazon that talked me into it, and I am SO glad I did! This isn't your typical high school young adult romance, the main characters aren't the most popular kids in school with all the other characters in the book just waiting for thier chance to date them. They are real people who you can relate to, they have insecurities and flaws, but regardless they find that one other person who can see past all of that and fall in love with the person they are deep down inside. All in all I think this was a great read!! The only thing I would've like to have seen would be more closure at the end, but don't we all wish that about our first love?
3394057
This book is probably being marketed as a "young adult" book but as a no-longer-young adult I found it entrancing.  Reading the blurb I was a bit hesitant (neither kids nor Ireland is high on my list of favorite topics) but I soon found myself drawn in by the characters and really wanted to know what was going to happen next and how they were going to deal with it.  I can enthusiastically recommend it to pre-teens, teens, and anyone who survived that period of life.
3671462
Based on a recommendation, I ordered this book as a gift for a friend's 16 year-old daughter. The girl - not generally an avid reader - apparently devoured it in practically one sitting! I was thrilled by that, since I love when kids actually read off the printed page. The mom was curious, so started to read it herself, and said that it's a great book, strong female characters, compelling plot, and really well written (she writes...so I take this as gospel). I understand that this is the first installment of a trilogy, so I just hope that the next one comes out in time for my friend's daughter's next birthday! p.s. I think I need to buy a copy for myself... :)
4568147
At first I was a little put off by the idea that the second book in the Farsighted series was going to be told not from Alex's perspective, but Simmi's. I liked Alex's girlfriend just fine, don't get me wrong, but I'd grown rather attached to the sensitive blind boy. But then Open Heart and Simmi came along and it was like - POW! Author Emlyn Chand had hit another one right out of the park.

When I read teen fiction, I try not to read as a mom of three who's in her (cough cough) mid-thirties. I've learned a lot since I was a teenager millions of years ago. However, I think the more mature (in age only) audience runs the risk of missing the point when they approach teen fiction from a parent's more wizened perspective with years of Life Experience under their collective belts. They tend to see the world through a more narrowed focus instead of with a teen's wide-eyed wonder and intense passion.

Simmi is a sixteen-year-old girl and has some pretty big problems. Paranormal powers aside, she's dealing with a serious eating disorder, pressure from her parents to get perfect grades, conflicting feelings for two different guys, and some intense jealousy and self-hatred. Now I have no paranormal powers to speak of (although my children would probably claim I can read minds, particularly theirs) and I've never had an eating disorder, but I've certainly experienced all of that other icky stuff that bores into your brain and really wreaks havoc. It's hard enough to go through that when you're older and have a little experience to back you up, but it feels darn near impossible when you're a teenager. Chand could have taken a page directly from my own life at sixteen, and I suspect I'm not the only one who feels that way. And while the mom in me wanted to wrap Simmi in a hug and tell her to just hang in there, things always have a way of working out and that they really will get better, the young girl in me wanted to invite Simmi over to jump on the bed while belting out the lyrics to every Broadway tune we could think of. You know, just to make us feel a bit better.

Story aside, Chand's books are visually appealing inside and out. She's a prime example of an indie author who really knows what she's doing and takes great pride in her work. The next book in the Farsighted series, Pitch, can't come out fast enough.
4166958
On the back of the book it says soemthing like, "Nonstop adventure with soap opera romances will keep teens hooked." This is completely correct. I could not put this book down. It's a unique blend, because most fantasy books have little or no romance. The dialouge in most fantasy books also seems more out of the past, while the dialouge in "The Named" is refreshingly modern. It's like mixing "The OC" and "Lost" or "Harry Potter" and it's fanfiction. And it works well. Crushes, romances, siblings, parents, and jealousy allow teens to identify with the characters in the book. However they (or shall I say we, as I'm a teen myself) are also whisked away into another world full of fantasy and supense. And as the characters must go back in history on their missions, you may actually learn something as well, but don't worry, it's definetely not a schoolbook, and you won't even realize it. I just started the second book in the Trilogy and I can't wait to read the third. Great book!
4475648
My young adult reading slump maybe over. I've just read two great books back to back and  I read this book in one sitting.  So yeah, I'd say it's over.  Yay!  Now back to this amazing book.  This might be Rachael Allen's debut book but you'd never know it from reading the book.  Everything is great.  I love the flashbacks to Claire's kisses.  Each one is clearly noted so there's no confusion and I loved finding out the situations in which many of her kisses came about.

I think what surprised me most about this book was how intricate the story is.  It's not just about Claire, Megan, their friendship, and Luke like I expected.  It's also about family, loss, peer pressure, and just about everything else a teenager has to deal with.  I loved Claire and wanted to put on armor and go out and defend her and beat up those who hurt her.

I was also surprised at how quickly Claire was able to forgive those who hurt her and handle everything the way she did.  I don't think I'd be able to be as forgiving as she was.  I take that back, I know for sure I wouldn't be able to be as forgiving.  Claire might have kissed or been kissed by lots of frogs, but overall I thought she was a pretty great person and one whom I'd have liked as a friend in high school.

I'm very happy I picked up this book.  Not only did I discover a great book, but I found a new author to watch out for.  I'm hoping I'll see her at a signing somewhere close by soon.  She does live in the same city as me.  I can't wait to see what she writes next! :)