Friendship, love, and loss - amazing read!
595114
When starting Revived by Cat Patrick, I wasn't sure what to expect.. other than a freakin' awesome cover. Seriously -- check it out! It's got to be one of my all time favorites.

Anyway, I had read some mixed reviews, and I felt like I didn't have a very good idea of what the story was actually about. I knew it was about a girl who died many times and was revived by a drug, but I didn't know what the main conflict of the story would be...

Although I didn't have many expectations, Revived was completely different form all my preconceptions.. in a great way!

Revived is about a teenage girl named Daisy. Daisy has died five times, and each time she has been brought back to life by a drug called Revive. She is part of a secret scientific organization that creates and tests this drug on a group of kids much like Daisy, all of whom initially "died" in a car crash years before.

The story starts off with Daisy dying for the fifth time. Each time she "dies," she and her family (which consists of her government agent `handlers') have to relocate under new names. This time, Daisy relocates to Omaha, Nebraska.

In her previous lives, Daisy never let herself become social. It's hard for her to connect with people, knowing that she's part of a secret program she can't tell anyone about, and knowing that one day she might have to pick up and relocate again. But after relocating to Nebraska, Daisy decides to make a change. She's going to make friends. And she does!

What surprised me is that Revived is a story about friendship and loss. I kind of assumed that it was going to be all about the drug and government conspiracies, but really it was an incredibly moving story about teenagers creating friendships, first love, and Daisy just trying to live a normal life. I got completely sucked into the story from page one and couldn't put the book down. I mean, any story that starts with the main character dying is bound to be awesome, right?? From there, Daisy meets her first real friend from outside the Revived program -- Audrey, and develops her first crush -- on Matt!

What makes the story so touching is reading about a young girl trying to cope with loss. We're talking about a girl who doesn't fear death since she has died so many times but always came back from it. She has it in her head that death isn't a scary thing, and maybe even isn't a "real" thing. But she learns that there are some things that even Revived can't bring you back from...

I think a lot of the lower ratings for Revived have to do with the lack of action and government conspiracy (I mean there is a bit, but not much). While that's true, I feel like that's not what the book was about. It was more about a teenager discovering how to truly be a teenager, and about a young girl who escapes death learning about loss. So maybe the plot summary is a little misleading, but I thought the story was incredibly moving just the same. I laughed, I wanted to cry, and I really felt for Daisy. I loved her relationships with Audrey and Megan. I wanted to be laughing with them and be one of their friends. Plus, Daisy is a blogger! How could I not love her??

So the Revived drug did play more of a backseat role in the book. I mean obviously Daisy was involved with the drug, but I the story really centered around the friendships and emotions. If you're okay with that, I definitely think you'll enjoy Revived!

Although this book is science fiction, the emotion and the story felt so real, since it deals with a lot of real issues. In some ways, it really reads like a teenage contemporary novel. I really loved this book - thanks, Cat Patrick!
2402426
Oh my, I don't know where to start, other than to say that I should have started this book on the weekend. Once I got started reading it, I didn't want to stop! I loved it! I felt so very comfortable with the characters in this wonderful book that I never wanted to leave them. Ryan and Kristen are people that I wish I knew in my life.

They are both such caring, down to earth, loving people but they are both dealing with loss. Ryan's wife passed away very suddenly 3 years ago and he's having a really hard time letting go of her memory. Kristen was divorced 2 years ago and is currently in a relationship ... when it's convenient for him. Kristen moves in next door to Ryan and they forge a very comfortable, easy friendship, largely due to Ryan's dog Sam, who take an immediate liking to Kristen. See, even the dog knows a nice person when she meets one.

Deanna writes very descriptively throughout the book and because of her descriptions of the people, places and events, I was able to feel like I was a part of the story. Their emotions, love, and friendship became just as important to me as they did to Ryan and Kristen themselves.

I have read quite a few of Deanna's books but this one may be right up there as one of my favorites and it's because of Kristen and Ryan. They both are such good people and I felt very comfortable (there's that word again) with them. I really cared about them and I knew I would be happy for them, no matter how things turned out. They were there as good friends to each other and what more can someone want but to have a good friend in your life?

Walking Sam is a beautiful, warm, loving story of two mature adults who discover that true happiness comes when you can find someone who can be yourself with. Read Walking Sam and fall in love with Ryan and Kristen just like I did.
1915742
This was an amazing story of friendship and life. This book was told in alternating voices of Megan and Lauren and the girls are completely different. They are college roommates and become best friends. I loved both the main characters in their own way. Megan is smart,and gutsy and just wants to make her way in the world. Lauren is spoiled by her family but really becomes a different person as the book goes on. By alternating between the girls, you get the entire story and see each person as a whole. This book had many twists and turns and I did not see the ending coming! It was a great read from start to finish! I received an advance review copy of this book from the Great Thought's Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.
2133339
Wow! I am so torn up inside after reading this book! I laughed and I cried, no SOBBED during one of this story. The characters were so developed so well, I felt like I was reading about my best friends. Loved this! Now on to the next one in this series!
2756770
*I was given a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review*

First of all thank you so much Megan Duke for contacting me and giving me an opportunity to read and review this AMAZING book.

Small Circles is a book that follows the stories of four friends during their sophomore year in high school to their freshman year in college. This book blew me away! I am in love and so happy that I have my own (signed) copy of it. The author is able to flawlessly combine four different perspectives into one story. I love all the characters and the plot was paced perfectly.

There are so many aspects of this book that I adore, but I mostly love the message: It's okay to be happy. The characters are all going through difficult times. Larson is gay, Paxton is dealing with his father's suicides, and for the same of keeping this review spoiler free I won't say what Owen is going through since it isn't really discussed until the middle of the book. All of these characters are trying to cope with the difficulties life has thrown at them. Throughout the book you become extremely attached to these characters and begin to feel what they feel. I found myself giggling at cute moments, cringing at some difficult moments, and trying to hold back my tears at sad moments. Small Circles is a journey, readers aren't looking into the world, they become part of the world and I commend Megan Duke for making that possible. I also really appreciate how the author really captures how people who are struggling with grief don't get over it within a few months. It is a constant struggle and the characters continue to fight against it because in the end: It's okay to be happy.
2407742
I just finished reading this book and am excited to say that this is one of the best fiction books I've read in a very long time.  Not long into it, I found myself carrying the book around with me everywhere, hoping I could steal a few spare minutes between events to sneak in even a few pages!  I noticed myself often thinking about Foster and wondering what was next for her, as if she was one of my own girlfriends forging through the trials of life.  The desire to call Foster my new BFF was undoubtedly due to the author's incredible imagery, detailing each and every emotion experienced by the main character, leaving me feeling as if I was a part of Foster.  In fact, I think there is a Foster in any young woman, seeking to find herself and navigate the difficulties of a world so vast and unknown.  I am saddened that this book is finished and it is now time to say goodbye to Foster. It feels as if I am truly losing a dear friend, but that sadness is exactly what makes this book a definite MUST-READ!
50294
This was such a touching, lovely, sweet, page-turner of a novel. The love story is the central, driving dynamic of the novel, but its also very much about loyalty and friendship, self-discovery and trying to find your place in the world. Best friends Laura and Patrick are so vividly drawn, and so important to the narrative development, that it seems like an ensemble piece, and the depth of sensitivity and friendship on display there is tremendously touching.

Eliot does a wonderful job of creating central characters so alive with passion and longing  not just for each other (as everyone else has mentioned, the romance is very sweet and innocent), but for their own pursuits and goals  and so full of conflict and uncertainty, that your heart aches for them. She also vividly portrays the ways in which Cerebral Palsy presents a daily challenge for Ellen while making it absolutely clear that it is very far from defining her.

I loved that the protagonists fell in love over a shared passion and project, and that they had such respect and admiration for one another as artists and people. Neither of them are able, quite yet, to see their own self worth, but they're each the others biggest cheerleader, and its to be hoped that they can help each other find a way to feel big.

I am VERY curious to read the next installment, as this was one heck of a cliff-hanger! Eek!
4190584
This book captured my attention from the first page and held it captive the whole way through. It is a simply amazing story of loss and guilt but also of friendship and hope. I loved the characters and the plot was very well done. I would have gladly paid twice what I did for this book. Great read!
4720796
Authors Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant have penned a wonderful novel that weaves a friendship between three unlikely college students, Carmen, Jewell and Regina.  Coming from three totally different backgrounds, the girls' first impression of each other was not enough to make them believe they could be friends, much less roommates through college.

The one thing about family is you cannot pick and choose who is related to you, but when it comes to friendship you can accept a person or leave them alone.  In this beautiful story of friendship, the young ladies prove what friendship is really all about.  Flaws, idiosyncrasies and other things we would not normally put up with, these young ladies go above and beyond the call of friendship, having each other's backs and being there for one another through life's twists and turns, ups and downs and the crazy things that Regina put Carmen and Jewell through.  Men, parties, drugs, foolish decisions, these young ladies remained friends through college and beyond, celebrating life and each other's accomplishments. Unfortunately as life would have it, death is inevitable, and through it all, these friends remained tied together, even when facing this life-altering situation.

I have not read Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant's other books, but I plan to because I found Better Than I Know Myself to be a very good read, one I could not put down until it was finished.

Reviewed By Sharel E. Gordon-Love

APOOO Book Club
4195398
I was enthralled from the beginning of this story.  It  has touched my heart in so many ways with these characters, their friendship, love and connection to the love they shared with others.  So Beautifully Written!
4561315
This is a beautiful, capitvating story of a woman, Brooke, who has lost two things that are the closest to her heart. It is the struggle of survival and moving forward in your life when the past only has pain and memories of things that you use to have!
This story starts with a girl bumping into a guy and spilling her coffee on him. But it takes us down a road of friendship, passion, pain, family issues and so much more!

Brooke was broken and had built walls around her heart, and honestly, who could blame her? Look at how much she had lost. Im honestly not sure how I would be able to function in her situation. (or even if I could function) but Brooke picks herself up and moves away to try and live again. With all the painful reminders at home she must go somewhere else.

This is where we meet Tyler.he stole my heart from the beginning. He was so patient with Brooke and honest. He was an all around fantastic guy and you couldn't help but fall in love with him. He was in-tune to Brookes needs and knew when to just leave things alone or when she needed a little push. Their connection started as a friendship but developed into so much more!

but for tonighttonight I wasn't to hold you in my arms and kiss you like theres no tomorrow. Would that be all right for now?

I will say that the situation with Tylers brother just made me angry. How could family do that to each other. I am sure it probably happens all the time but I don't know if I would ever be able to forgive a sibling for that.

The ending was perfect, the story was great! We do get to see things from both Brooke and Tylers perspective. I love the flashbacks that happened too so we could see Brookes past and her interactions in that part of her life.
847048
I loved this book! The story immerses you into an incredible "what if" tangled web of loss, unimaginable mistakes, strong bonds of mother and child, and an incredible discovery for a teenage girl and how she ultimately deals with the changes to her life. Grab a box of tissues, you'll need it
379265
Six years after running away from her small hometown of Chance, Ohio, Teddi Learner returns to photograph the wedding of her best friend's husband, Miles. Teddi left on the day of Celia's funeral, and she can barely stand the idea of Miles marrying someone else. Celia and Miles had a daughter, Shayna who is now twelve years old and she's the reason Teddi is back. Teddi saw Shayna a few times a year, but she always saw her while on location taking photos.

The characters in this town are so well written that I felt like they could have actually been my friends in my hometown. I could imagine hanging out with Teddi and Josie at the local coffee shop just sharing life with friends. I could actually feel the pain Teddi was feeling over the loss of her best friend.

This book had all the great things I love to read: a charming small town setting, "real life" characters that felt like friends, witty humor at times, and wonderful, heartwarming lessons about friendship, loss, love and life. Teddi's hesitance for relationship and her reasons for running away from town come full circle in this book as she faces each experience until the truth becomes clear. Once Teddi is finally free of her burdens, she can then love life and even venture toward the possibility of love again.

I received an advanced readers digital copy of this book from NetGalleyand St. Martin's Press in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to provide a positive review, but I did because the book was great!! Thank youNetGalleyand St. Martin's Press!
3667547
This was an amazing book about love and loss, friendship and family, struggle and hope. It's about understanding - and even believing - that getting lost is the point and rambling is okay.
I connected with each of these characters in a different way and I cannot wait to read it again and share it with loved ones.
This story of the intricately woven characters will stay with you for a long time and make you wish they were real people, your real people.
Go get this book, read it, reread it, pass it along.
3800911
Wonderful! Delightful! Uplifting! Sad, yet hopeful! Lovely, filled with strong, heartfelt connections amongst a group of friends and a sweet stranger whom they mistake for a long lost ( not so sweet) friend. These are the endearing elements of "Why Can't I Be You" by Allie Larkin. This was one of the best books I have read in a long time. Was it great literature? No, but it was totally addicting. I could to put it down, and hated to get to the last page. Imagine being mistaken for someone else, just when your life is falling apart, when your dream guy has dumped you for someone else, and your parents have made it clear they will never love you unconditionally, and even your so called best friend is simply there, but doesn't seem to really care about you. A young woman is in that situation when she travels to Seattle (From Rochester, NY) for a marketing seminar which is taking place in the same hotel as a 13th high school reunion when, suddenly, you hear "Jessie" from across the lobby (but your name is Jenny). The calling out continues until you respond, and are engulfed in a warm hug by a total stranger who thinks you are Jessie, from high school, there to attend the reunion. Is it wrong to go along with this mistake, just for a little while, or for another day, or week, as you start to build a wonderful connection with a group of loving, darling, kind and devoted friends, especially when you never had any close friends? This is the start of Larkin's fabulous little book! There is depth to Larkin's writing, along with humor and hope. Read this brilliant gift of a novel and hope that Allie Larkin is working on another one with a publishing date in the near future! I loved her prior novel, "Stay," but I LOVED LOVED LOVED, "Why Can't I Be You."
1738733
There are so many good things to say about this book that I don't believe I have the right words for it!
Yes, it is a ghost story, but also a mystery, it's about friendship, love, standing up for what you believe, even if that means suspending what you previously believed to be true.

I love Caleb, and his bond with Toby, the boy who lived in his house 60 years before, is so well written that Toby seems like a flesh and blood character, not a spirit at all. Caleb and Shane, who start out as friends and become so much more, are amazing and adorable at the same time. And I wish I'd had an older brother like Blake!

Ross is a first time author and I certainly hope there will be more to come as this is easily one of my favorite books of 2012! I got wrapped up in it early and had a hard time putting it down!

I would highly recommend this book to anyone, but especially if you like young adult and mysteries, the characters are all very strong, even the supporting characters, the plot moves at a great pace and every piece of the puzzle revealed makes you feel like you are part of the story.
1066298
Joy, Heartbreak, and the Web of Friendship

I had no expectations delving into this book, and Im so glad I didn't as I couldn't have anticipated the investment Id feel in the lives of these women.  Admittedly, I shirked responsibilities in the 24 hrs from the moment I flipped to the first page until the moment I coasted to the last.

Each of the five friends brought something to the mix that was relatable.  If you asked me to choose a favorite, I wouldnt be capable.  Michelles evolvement from being only wife and mom to finding her place in the world aside from those titles was very realistic and relatable to many mothers who find themselves waking up one day and realizing theyve forgotten the feeling of individuality.  Alissas fear of being enough is something most women struggle with at different periods in their lives no matter the catalyst.  Danis longing to fulfill the dreams of her heart only to be inhibited by lifes cruel irony stands true for so many.  As a woman who struggled a very long time with infertility, her story resonated. Chances struggle to protect her heart from the vulnerability of love rings true even if everyones story of self-protection isn't the same.  And even though I didn't have a chance to get to know Katie nearly as well as the others, the way she clings to the idealist view of life and the roles we should all play made sense as that was her way of coping with the compromises she was making in her own life.  Who hasn't done that at some point or another?

If someone is a part of your life long enough, no matter the type of relationship, its going to be messy sometimes.  Human nature dictates that very thing, and healing rifts is entirely dependent on choosing to see the person we love and care about over and above the flaws that tend to demand attention.  Putting five females, with five different personalities and lives into a lifelong friendship requires a lot of allowances, forgiving, and unconditional love.

I can honestly say that Im hoping for a continuation in the story of these five women.  I felt a sense of loss leaving their story and characters as well as a sense of longing to know where it continued. Thanks for the book hangover, Ms. Carter. Cant wait to see where you take them next!