Stella. Thomas. Alex.
352322
Well done, Emily! Had you seen my face you'd know you got me.
This is a beautiful love story, a updated version of a fairy tale we all want.
837892
Great characters!  Loved the crazy sisters, the cops, and the ER staff!  Gosh poor Nathan had a hideous life and he was so sadly and terribly broken. Stella had a horrible go the last few years. Together with a ton of tears and lots of angst they struggled through to the other side. 2 wounded souls brought together to heal each other and see how beautiful life can really be
446331
Jesse and Alexandra (Alex) lost someone they both loved.. and somewhere along the way, they lost themselves too. Gone was the vibrant, happy and positive Alex. Jesse had a total lockdown with his emotions. Complicated wouldn't even begin to describe their relationship, or lack thereof.

Jesse had a lot of pain and anger bottled up inside.. losing his best friend, crappy home life. The only way he could deal was to shut his emotions off. The problem with doing that, however, was not only avoiding feeling the pain, he also stopped caring about everything else. He became callous, insensitive, indifferent. But Alex made him feel, which was a gift and a curse in itself. Feeling something, anything, meant opening himself up to all the chaos in his mind, so he chose to avoid her. Except for a few times when their only choice was to be together because no one understood what they were going through except each other. So together, they escaped reality for a while. Only for a little while. Then they were back to being practically strangers. Like I said, complicated.

Alex was a likeable heroine. Despite losing herself after the tragedy, she remained good-hearted. She was trying to hold it together while her parents' checked out emotionally; she was trying to exist peacefully even when she lost the will to enjoy life. She was accepting the hard reality that some things were beyond her control. She was constantly aware of the pain inside her that wouldn't go away. She was dealing with abandonment issued. So many things had changed for her, but one thing remained - her love for Jesse.

But what chance did these two have if they were both drowning? One felt too much, the other refused to feel at all. But one thing was clear: both were broken, but they anchored each other.

My heart broke for Alex. She dealt with so much at such a young age and she was sinking without a way out. She had questions she couldn't voice out, yet she tried to muddle through it to find a clear space just to allow her to breathe. She slowly realized that she lost so much more than just her brother.

On the lighter side, may I just mention that I love Justin, Angie's boyfriend? He was what dream boyfriends are made of. The side characters were noteworthy too, not because they were perfect, far from it, but because they also made strong impressions. Not good or bad, but somewhere in the middle, making them seemed real.

I'm looking forward to reading the next book, because I desperately needed to see them have their happily ever after.
3217951
I find the hierarchy of the English to be fascinating, especially in the Victorian age.  It was great that Alex and Greyland became very attracted to each other and in love.  I found the family jealousy over titles very life threatening, but also exciting when it all worked out well.  I look forward to reading more of your work.
2632688
I enjoyed this story. Thomas is a wonderful example of being good for the sake of being good. I enjoyed reading Amber's transformation.
851070
Wow. I read this after reading Snakehead, so there were mild spoilers for Crocodile tears, but that was expected. The beggingng has very little Alex, more Villain than anything, and as the title says, focuses on Scorpia. We learn more about the villinas in this one than an any other book. Alex seems to be manipulated so much easier in this book, but who can blame him. Blunt is shown to be retiring, and the CIA makes an entrance. Yeah! out of all his handles (Blunt, Brooke and Bryne) Bryne is the most fair to Alex. We find the return of a familiar vilian from book two, and this time, Jack Starbright is along for the ride.
Jack seemed a little off and awkward, but Alex was at his most emotional since the end of Snakehead, and Scorpia. It takes place in the Middle east, with less of the gadgets and cover story than normal, but he gets to stay with Smithers, and his angel cakes. My favorite characters returned for this book, i felt more could have been done with them, but it was still well done, and not a book that i would have ever skipped. The minute i finished it, i started it again. There is a major character death, i knew it was coming, so i avoided it, but it still hit me hard. The ending was really invetable, and it wasn't a fangirl ending, either. We all would have wanted him to secertly join a ninja top secerte group or something, but this really was the best way. One thing i would have wanted would have been Ben Daniels to return, or Alex to really realize his potentil. He is always poryaed as having great luck and cool gadgets, but really, Alex is good at what he does, and Horowits never acknoledges that. This was good though, with still a little smart-aleck alex running through it all.
3008652
This is my first book of this author and Im in awe of her talent. Alex and Indie (Indigo) ...He is British, a popular drug and alcohol addicted rockstar just finished his rehab. He is fully guarded by his agent, his manager and his bandmates to stay clean for an impending three-month world tour. For insurance to stay sober, they hired Indie to be his babysitter 24/7. She is a young 21 year old American whos financially down in luck and needed a job desperately to help her unemployed alcoholic brother and his family. Shes tough and a good match for Alex arrogance and abnoxious attitude. Its a beautiful story of love, despair, perseverance and hope.
4592712
I really liked this book with Thomas and Inez. She was a saucy woman who yelled in two languages when angry. They were such a cute couple and I had to laugh at the biting incident. Or her nervous habit especially with the idea of not being physically prepared to sleep with him. It was a good read. I can't wait to know what happened to Marguerite.
3510562
Alex is an amazing character. She goes through so much pain and anguish, yet she is a survivor. God puts people in her path that help her, hurt her, make her happy and sad, but  most of all, make her want to push ahead. She's a very dedicated and hard working women. I admired her since Wasa child...Very well done, Danielle. You have a fan for life....
1693803
This book was super good! To be honest, i have NO idea why Joshua hates Stellas guts sooooooo much... I don't have any siblings-im an only child... and im glad... I think the " quote"  from this book," copying is the sincerest form of flattery ", is one of my FAV. u should totes read this book, i LOVE it!!! Like im tots on Stella's team!!!
4611873
Alex and Jesse has been friends for ever. They grew up together since Jesse's father had been butler for Alex' grandfather. The two older men died together in a car crash few years back, something that has been deemed an accident by the police, while the younger men could not believe it. That question is never answered in this story.
Shortly after his father died, Jesse joined the army, while Alex took over the Roman Empire as the company is called.
Jesse and Alex know each other better than the most. They had shared the most, even getting the similar ink. Still, there is a secret Alex has carried for a long time, a secret he more than anything wants to disclose for his best friend. He thinks the time is right.
Jesse is horrified that Alex has been threatened for a while, seemingly not taking this seriously enough. Alex has actually done all he could, but the police had not achieved anything in this case. Jesse decides that Alex needs a bodyguard and Alex is delighted to keep his best friend close. He aims to get him even closer.
The plot is believable. Until the end, that is. Because I cannot see how it was supposed to go without killing at least two people and all that for mere 50 grand? And even if the villain had thought he could get rid of his accomplices, the profit would be ridiculously low. The expenses the villain must have had to get to that point, were probably almost as high.
I give this enjoyable story 4,25 stars because of this flaw.
570086
It's been a while since I've laughed and teared up so much while reading one book! I was surprised how much I could relate with Alex and how much she and her BFF were like me and mine. :) LOVED IT! Can't wait for #2!
2105371
Aww. We didn't really get a sense of Alexandra's brother before.

This is a lovely 'lil lost and found story....and Emmett wanting Annie's daughter to be his was a moment....sniff.

Quick read, but a good one.
1335714
According to Anna's best friend Frankie, their three week vacation in California is the perfect opportunity to find a guy. Frankie figures if they average one boy a day, they can fit twenty odd boys into their schedule. And with all those prospects, there's bound to be one to claim Anna's Albatross, a.k.a. her virginity. But even though Anna agrees to this little game, she's reluctant to truly play along because she's already had this kind of relationship--with Frankie's older brother Matt, just before he died a year ago. Frankie never knew, and Anna doesn't know how to or if she can reveal this secret to her best friend. Is it possible to have a normal vacation when memories and ghosts from the past threaten to ruin everything good in the present?

I seem to find myself reading many novels dealing with grief and death, many of which I have enjoyed, and still, Twenty Boy Summer has made itself stand out. Ockler's simple yet descriptive style of writing has a way of connecting with the reader's emotions. Because of this, I was better able to understand Anna's and Frankie's difficulties with dealing with their grief from Matt's death. Ockler, I feel, gets to the heart of how tragedy can suddenly complicate even the most basic relationships, such as Anna and Frankie's friendship. I'm not sure if I can quite pinpoint exactly what about Twenty Boy Summer made it so memorable to me, as it could be its realistic characters, the strength of Anna and Frankie's bond, the fact that their struggles are so true to life, or a combination of those three. I am definitely glad to have read Twenty Boy Summer because of its emotional journey but also because it was sweet and ultimately hopeful.

Twenty Boy Summer appeals to readers who liked The Year My Sister Got Lucky by Aimee Friedman, Saving Zo by Alyson Nol, Freeze Frame by Heidi Ayarbe, A Map of the Known World by Lisa Ann Sandell, and Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers. I look forward to more great things from Ockler.
1673022
Lena can't wait to get the surgery, that at 18, will cure her of the disease that took her mother - the highly contagious delirium nervosa (or in layman's terms: falling in love). Lena's main concern is passing the exam that will determine her future status in society. But then she meets Alex and soon becomes "infected".

Lauren Oliver skillfully introduces us to a society where people are either afraid of love or are numb to it. For the past 43 years, the government has stamped out "messy" emotion in favor of a more ordered existence. Most accept it, as having the surgery makes you immune to heartache and pain. But of course, there are those who resist. As an "uncured", 17 year old Lena, needs to be protected from those resisters, and there are strict measures in place to ensure her protection - a curfew, raiding parties that look for offenders, unisex education and socialization.

Though it was a bit implausible to me that a society that abhors love would allow the family unit to remain intact, putting its most vulnerable citizens - those uncureds under 18 - at unnecessary risk (if they REALLY wanted them safe, they'd lock them up in unisex dorms until they got "cured" - although that still wouldn't keep everyone safe, obviously), the world-building suited the main plot brilliantly. Because, of course, for the story to work, Lena has meet an uncured guy to her liking (and Alex fits the bill) and have the opportunity to sneak out and spend time with him.

And DAMN, if I may say so, Lena's scenes with Alex sizzle, making the novel soar to dizzying heights of emotion.

But it isn't just romantic love that is so well explored here. Lena has a very close relationship with her best friend Hana that is heart-breakingly real, and we also see snippets of the happy familial love she shared with her mother.

The shock ending underlines and gives even more depth to the powerful themes of the necessity of love and the meaningless of life without it. I, for one, can't wait to read the sequel.
4410519
Stella lives in a small, segregated town in Western North Carolina, right on the eve of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's election. She has to go to a different school where she's no good at writing, she's not allowed in certain stores or the local library and some white people can be downright unpleasant. But things are mostly fine for her and her family until one starry night when Stella sees a burning cross, and her once peaceful community is upended by the Ku Klux Klan.

The Klan threatens the folks in her community and makes good on that threat when Stella's dad and a few other men go to town to register to vote. Things get tough, but the community relies on itself and the kindness of others and stands tall in the face of the Klan. Through everything, Stella learns that she might not be so bad at writing after all, and comes to find a real talent in herself she never knew existed.

This book made me tear up on multiple occasions. Stella is such a warm, lively character, and it really hurt me to read about people being so cruel to her, her family and her friends. This is such a poignant and important novel for young people to read. I felt angry, sad, hopeless and eventually empowered by Stella's struggles and the injustices she faced.

The book clips along at a great pace, and though it's geared for middle grades, it is unflinching in its depictions of the segregated South. It's never preachy and it never dumbs situations down for its audience. That's why it is such a great book for young readers just learning about segregation.

Sharon M. Draper is a master storyteller. The characters are all so well written. Stella's family feels like any other family from any other period in time --- warm and loving with plenty of laughter. Stella and her mother are especially relatable, sharing mother-daughter moments I know I've had with my own mother. Stella is a fantastic young protagonist, and it's wonderful watching her self-confidence bloom over the course of the novel. The book is beautifully written and it's easy to get sucked in and read for the whole afternoon.

This was a wonderful story, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for great historical fiction. Stella and her community are unforgettable, and you definitely won't want to put this one down.

Reviewed by Rebecca Czochor
4549511
Stella is an event planner, and is used to going in a hundred directions at once. She is always on the go- until she is distracted by a stranger insulting her on the street and falls, dropping and breaking what she was carrying.  Stella is furious and ready to cuss the guy out, but in the time it took her to get herself together the mysterious stranger disappeared, leaving her fuming.

She encounters him again...and again. Before she knows it, she is going out on a date with that mysterious stranger, also known as Padraig. One date turns into two, and before she knows it, she can't stay away from him, of course, outside forces are trying to keep them apart. How will they stay together with all of the conflict?!

I enjoyed this book. It was a good story, and was difficult to put down. Padraig was hot and Stella was funny and relatable. I also liked all of the tidbits about Savannah. I would give this book 4.5 stars. I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review