If I Stay by Gayle Forman

"I'm not sure this is a world I belong in anymore. I'm not sure that I want to wake up."

My Rating: 10/10

Publisher: Penguin USA
Publication: 2009
ISBN: 978-0-525-42103-0
Page Count: 196 pages
Age Range: Young Adult

Gayle Forman is truly amazing. I read this book and I cried--it was just one of those books that truly touched a soft spot in people's heart.

If I Stay is a story about a girl named Mia, who plays cello. Her dad, mom and little brother all like rock music while she prefers classical. Even so, her family loves her--and she loves them--all the same. They click together well, even.

In If I Stay, Mia also has a boyfriend. The one who stays madly in love with her, even without having to change herself. Adam is in the band Shooting Star and he rock talks--just like Mia's parents and Todd (Mia's brother).

It was snowing and the school was canceled for both Mia and Todd. Adam was preparing for his concert with the popular band; Bikini. Mia's father, being a teacher, of course gets the day off, so Mia's mother took a leave as well for the sake of the family.

Then they all went to visit their grandparents--but something went terribly wrong. They got into a car accident on a day with snow. Everyone was rushed into the ER.

Her parents and Todd are dying. Mia's soul thinks of everything she and her family and Adam went through together. How if she's accepted to Juilliard, she will move away from Adam. How her first cello recital went. How her father changed because of Todd--and that it changed everything, too.

If I stay is beautiful and moving, simple yet filled with emotions.

What I love about the book: It made me cry and books rarely does that to me (Well, anything rarely does, except a really touching story, so you can say that books that made me cry are one of the best books written out there). Mia was faced with this dilemma and everyone else gave her the affection; it was simple and just plain beautiful. It was short, but it was amazing.

What I dislike about the book: Nothing; I love this book from page one until the end. It's one of my favorite books.

Here is the new cover for If I Stay:

If I Stay Official Page (With a sneak peek of the 1st chapter in PDF format)
Gayle Forman's Official Web Page

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

"But the Thin voice saved her.
Hershey's Kisses, it whispered. Twenty-five calories each."

My Rating: 9/10

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication: October 18 2010
ISBN: 978-0-547-34124-8
Pages: 180 pages
Ages/Grade: 12 years and up/ 7th grade and up

Jackie Morse Kessler's debut novel is spectacular.

Lisabeth Lewis, the main character of Hunger has a boyfriend. Maybe it's something about being a couple; all of a sudden you care more about other people's opinions on appearance.

Lisa loved food--she used to go with James (her current boyfriend) and Suzanne (her ex-best friend) into Joe's Diner and eat normally like everybody else.

Then the Thin voice appeared, telling her that she's fat fat fat and that she needs to lose weight. As if her perfect and insanely critical mother hasn't stop complaining yet.

When she lost 10 pounds just like her mother wished, her mom complained about her skin complexion or et cetera.

Then she had a dream. Maybe a nightmare, because the sexy Death came for her. She was appointed to be Famine, because Lisa tried to kill herself. Death was merciful. Death was kind. Death was sexy.

She was anorexic herself, and she's trying to help people to counter famine. She encountered War, who really wants to get rid of her. But despite the fear she has for War, her betraying friends who doesn't understand, her strange boyfriend and her uncaring parents, she got to ride Midnight, her black horse.

Hunger is about life and death, supporting family and friends, finding yourself and losing yourself.

What I like about the book: It was funny and sophisticated, realistic and also different. Lisa's mind was filled with conflict, hence, interesting. Death's characteristic was also hilarious, switching back and forth from old English to rocker style. :D I definitely enjoy this book.

What I dislike about the book: The beginning was a bit slow and dragged to me, but I kept reading and I loved it!

Jackie Morse Kessler's Books Page

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

"..Five minutes from now, when everything else had dropped away and I realized the full impact of what I'd done, I'd feel my heart breaking."

My Rating: 10/10

Becca Fitzpatrick's debut novel, Hush Hush was phenomenal. Click here for my review on Hush Hush.

Crescendo, the second book that's coming out in October 19, 2010, will make fans dying for the 3rd book of the series.

Nora Grey and Patch Cipriano are now officially an item, but a bad boy is always going to be a bad boy, right?

Nora screwed it all up by telling him the three big words; "I love you." Patch left, without returning the affection.

Nora's mom disliked Patch, so she goes and invited the nightmare of Nora's childhood, Scott Parnell, to match him with Nora.

Plus, Nora is stuck with Marcie Millar as her chemistry partner. Marcie apparently hates her for no reason she knows.

When Nora broke up with Patch for stalking Marcie (though it was more of Patch not returning the affection), Vee (Nora's best friend) goes and date Rixon, the person who knows Patch best.

That's not all; Scott Parnell's a Nephil, too. In Crescendo, Nora will find more danger that awaits her, her dead father's secret and more about Patch Cipriano.

Becca Fitzpatrick has written a nerve-wrecking story, and I'm proud to actually say that I cried reading this.

What I love about the book: The conflict, and how the emotions felt real. As if I was Nora, and I was the one breaking, needing to be Patched up. :) And oh, that I got to read this 3 months and 11 days earlier than the real publication date.

What I dislike about the book: The cliffhanger at the end! The misery to wait another year for the 3rd book to come out!!!!!!

Thanks, Simon & Schuster for the advance copy!!