Weekly Recap #48: Week of 4/8 – 4/14
/34 Comments/by Suzanne
It’s time for another weekly recap post of all things happening on and off the blog. This week I’ll be linking to the Sunday Post, which is hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and to Stacking the Shelves, which is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews.
It has been yet another of those oh-so-exciting weeks where I worked six days and then sat around like a lump or else fell asleep the rest of the time. Deadline is Tuesday though so yay, I’m almost at the finish line!
Aside from work, the main focus of my week has been soccer and my son’s science fair project. My son’s new team got off to a great start with a 7-0 victory in their first game, but then sadly lost the second game 4-0. I’m not even sure what happened to them in the second game but they didn’t even look like the same team. I tend to be a pretty passionate soccer mom so that was pretty frustrating, especially since they only took one shot on goal the entire game. I kept my cool though, lol (although once I ride herd on him to wrap up his science project today, my son will be outside practicing more and inside playing video games less from this point forward.).
Soccer loss aside, it was nice to be able to get outside and enjoy the warm weather and get a little sun. It was in the 80’s here yesterday so within the span of a week, we’ve gone from snow on the ground to flip flop weather! I’m really hoping the warm weather is here to stay because I’m dying to spend some quality reading time out on my deck.
I think that’s about it for me. I hope everyone has a wonderful week!
WHAT I POSTED LAST WEEK
- [8 Apr] Weekly Recap #47: Week of 4/1 – 4/7
- [9 Apr] The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton ★★★★
- [10 Apr] Top Ten Tuesday – Top 10 Books I Loved But Will Never Re-Read
- [11 Apr] Can’t Wait Wednesday – Spotlight on AFTERMATH by Kelley Armstrong
- [13 Apr] Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett ★★★★½
WHAT I’M READING THIS WEEK
UPCOMING REVIEWS
STACKING THE SHELVES
TOTALLY RANDOM
Review: STARRY EYES by Jenn Bennett
/24 Comments/by SuzanneAlso by this author: Serious Moonlight, The Lady Rogue
Published by Simon Pulse on April 3, 2018
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 432
Source: Netgalley
Amazon
Goodreads
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
MY REVIEW:
Starry Eyes is a young adult contemporary novel that follows teens Zorie and Lennon. Zorie and Lennon used to be best friends but, because of something that happened at the homecoming dance, they are now sworn enemies and do everything they can to avoid one another at all costs. I had never read a book by Jean Bennett before and knew absolutely nothing about these characters, but as soon as I read that in the synopsis, I was dying to know what happened at that dance to drive them apart.
I then read further down the synopsis and saw that these enemies somehow not only end up on a camping trip together, but somehow they end up stranded in the wilderness together. It sounded like a recipe for disaster, but also a recipe for a fantastic read!
As if the mystery of what happened between Zorie and Lennon and whether or not they would kill each other on this camping trip wasn’t compelling enough, the synopsis goes on to describe their parents as modern day versions of the Montagues and Capulets from Romeo and Juliet. That right there was more than enough to have me dying to read this book. I mean, seriously…bffs who now hate each other and who have families who are also feuding? Does that not just scream “READ ME”? Well, it did for me anyway…
And I loved every page of it. Jenn Bennett delivers a moving story filled with characters that I fell in love with. Even though on the surface, Starry Eyes is a book about a camping trip gone wrong, it’s also about family, love, friendship, loyalty, betrayal, and so much more. It captured all of my emotions and was just everything I hoped it would be.
Zorie. I just loved everything about Zorie. I found her addiction to planning and organization, along with her sense of humor and her fondness for astronomy, so endearing. I also found her incredibly relatable at times, especially when she first encounters Lennon. They’re enemies at this point and she would rather do just about anything than have to come face-to-face with him. Haven’t we all been in that position before? Equally relatable was her questionable taste in romantic interests. Zorie has a crush on a guy named Brett, and I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I’m just going to say this guy is just the worst. I couldn’t figure out what in the world she saw in him. But again, haven’t we all been there at some point? I think what I liked most about Zorie, however, was how much she matured throughout the story. Again, no spoilers, but between what happened with Lennon and what has been going on within her own family, Zorie has a lot of issues that she is dealing with and I think she shows tremendous growth as we move through the story, In many ways, it’s actually a coming of age story for her.
Lennon. Even though I thought going in that I would side with either Zorie or Lennon, I found myself equally attached to both of them. Lennon is just this cool guy. He’s a little dark and emo at times, but he loves reptiles and he loves camping and nature so he’s a pretty well rounded and interesting individual. He really won me over though in an early scene where he’s working in a pet shop and showing reptiles to a young child. He was just so great with the child that it warmed my heart and made me all the more curious about what happened between him and Zorie. I mean, how could you not want to be friends or even more than friends with such a great guy!
Zorie and Lennon together. Yes, you read that correctly! Even though I almost always whine and moan when there is a romance in a book, I adored watching Zorie and Lennon together as they attempted to rebuild their relationship. Their chemistry felt real because they already had so much history together, and I loved how authentic the awkwardness felt when they first start trying to talk to each other again, and because I liked them both so much, I just really wanted them to have a second chance, either as friend or hopefully as more than friends since they seemed so perfect together.
Great secondary characters. Bennett does a fantastic job with most of the parents in this story. I loved Lennon’s moms and their Toys in the Attic sex shop. They were hilarious and also two of the best parents I’ve come across in books in a long time. I especially love how protective they are of Zorie, even though they’re supposed to be feuding with Zorie’s dad. Zorie’s stepmom is wonderful too. The bond she has with Zorie was lovely, especially since they aren’t related by blood. Zorie’s dad is a different story in that I loathed him, but I will say he was not a flat character either.
Glamping. I confess that I completely related to Zorie’s aversion to going camping because I don’t do the outdoors either, especially the whole sleeping in a tent with nothing but some canvas between you and whatever else it out there in the wild, lol. That said, however, I could totally get down with glamping. It sounded fabulous, especially the wonderful sleeping accommodations, the showers, the chef, and the cocktail hours. Sign me up!
I could literally go on and on about what I loved, but you get the idea…
Aside from wanting Brett to get eaten by a bear, I didn’t really have any issues with this book.
This may have been my first Jenn Bennett read, but it will most certainly not be my last. If you’re looking for a heartwarming read about family, friendship, and first loves, I’d highly recommend Starry Eyes.
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:
Ever since last year’s homecoming dance, best friends-turned-best enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn’t hurt that their families are the modern day, Californian version of the Montagues and Capulets.
But when a group camping trip goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together.
What could go wrong?
With no one but each other for company, Zorie and Lennon have no choice but to hash out their issues via witty jabs and insults as they try to make their way to safety. But fighting each other while also fighting off the forces of nature makes getting out of the woods in one piece less and less likely.
And as the two travel deeper into Northern California’s rugged backcountry, secrets and hidden feelings surface. But can Zorie and Lennon’s rekindled connection survive out in the real world? Or was it just a result of the fresh forest air and the magic of the twinkling stars?
About Jenn Bennett
Jenn Bennett is an award-winning author of young adult contemporary romance books, including: Alex, Approximately; The Anatomical Shape of a Heart; and Starry Eyes. She also writes romance and urban fantasy for adults (the Roaring Twenties and Arcadia Bell series). Her books have earned multiple starred reviews, won the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® Award, garnered two Reviewers’ Choice awards and a Seal of Excellence from RT Book Reviews, and been included on Publishers Weekly Best Books annual list. She lives near Atlanta with one husband and two dogs.
Can’t Wait Wednesday – Spotlight on AFTERMATH by Kelley Armstrong
/37 Comments/by Suzanne
“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about. It is a meme that I have loved participating in for over a year now, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll just be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.
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My selection for this week is AFTERMATH by Kelley Armstrong. This book grabbed my attention right away, both because I read some stellar advance reviews for it and because its topic is so relevant and timely.
AFTERMATH by Kelley Armstrong
Publication Date: May 22, 2018
From Goodreads:
Three years after losing her brother Luka in a school shooting, Skye Gilchrist is moving home. But there’s no sympathy for Skye and her family because Luka wasn’t a victim; he was a shooter.
Jesse Mandal knows all too well that the scars of the past don’t heal easily. The shooting cost Jesse his brother and his best friend–Skye.
Ripped apart by tragedy, Jesse and Skye can’t resist reopening the mysteries of their past. But old wounds hide darker secrets. And the closer Skye and Jesse get to the truth of what happened that day, the closer they get to a new killer.
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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂