Young Adult Review: The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

Hardcover, 320 pages

Published: May 14th, 2013 by Disney Hyperion

Source: ALAMW

She’s been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky . . . But now that she’s been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last.

Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they’ve given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do – or see – that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits’ rules — and her dad’s silence. If he won’t help, it’s time she got some answers for herself.

But Meg isn’t counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who’s too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there’s only one rule that really matters — survival.

As soon as I started reading this book I found myself incredibly anxious to know why Meg and her family are in Witness Protection.  I was so curious I almost flipped to the back, but I knew that would ruin it, so I just kept reading it as normal, but perhaps a little more quickly than I might have if I wasn't dying of curiosity. 

I liked Meg from the get go.  She might have tried to push people away to keep from losing people again, she didn't want to get close to anyone who may disappear from her life in a short time.  But she was never real good at it, at least when it came to cute guy Ethan.  He had this way of seeing through some of her antics and he just pushed forward, determined to know her.  He was great to her, even when she was rude, and he was great with Megs sister who quickly grows close to him.

Ethan was a pretty great character, I enjoyed his personality a lot and liked at how he could see through Meg's antics.  He knew something was up and he was determined to get to the heart of it and figure it all out.  He was sweet and it was his moments with Mary, Meg's sister, that really sold him for me.  He was very good with her and a guy like that is hard to find.  Most are uncomfortable with younger kids and he definitely was not.

The family dynamic in the story was great.  They were really suffering and needed some help.  Meg's father kind of closed everyone out and her mother had turned to drinking and spent all her time drunk.  Meg was what was holding the family together and she feels she's going to crumble at any minute.  Her sister, Mary, has been struggling and is drawing into herself and Meg will do anything to try to heal her family.  The only way to do that is to get out of Witness Protection.

I enjoyed being along for the ride as things start piecing together.  I got creeped out when Meg felt someone was watching her and those moments she knew she was being followed or messed with.  I just wanted to run FOR her, to get away from whoever was there.  As things came together I found myself surprised at a few twists and enjoyed finally figuring everything out.  I was definitely satisfied with how the story wrapped up but still had this little 'something' that could work for a future book.  It could be a stand alone, but it looks like there is a second book scheduled for release next year and that makes me happy.  I definitely recommend this one!

Disclosure: I received this book at ALAMW.  All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.


  

Blog Tour & Giveway: The Best Place For Me by Amy Misakonis

I'm excited to be a part of the book tour for The Best Place for Me by Amy Misakonis!  This tour has been organized by Jen at A Book and a Latte.  You can find the tour page HERE.

The Best Place for Me by Amy Misakonis and illustrated by Nicolas Milano

Paperback, 32 pages

Published: March 30th, 2013

Source: Author

Book Links: Goodreads | Amazon

THE BEST PLACE FOR ME is a playful yet meaningful journey through some of the most exciting places on Earth. With fun rhymes and enchanting illustrations, parents and their little ones will embark on an adventure that will lead them to a place greater than anywhere else in the world. The Best Place for Me delivers a special message for parents to tell their children every night. "Right here with you is the best place for me, there's no place, my sweet baby, that I'd rather be."

The Best Place for Me is a book for the whole family.  The reason I say that is that kids are often nervous about their parents leaving for overnight trips and this reminds them that mom's best place is with her kids.  I know I enjoy a weekend away but I'm always glad to be back home and with my children.  This is a book I'll turn to time and time again to remind them that I will always come home to them.

The book is adorable!  It has lovely eye catching illustrations that are unique and memorable.  It's a quick read and only takes a few minutes to cruise through, but I found it fun to point out the different sites and add extra information about them so they are learning about the world at the same time.  This mother has traveled the world from NYC, to Australia to the far East and more.  But at the end she says "I've traveled the world far and wide but the best place is here, with you by my side."

I think this is a book that any family with children would enjoy, but if there's a parent that travels a lot this is a must to have in the house.  While geared toward younger children I found my 8 year old quite interested, likely because I added so much to it and talked about additional things, relating to us and our family.  It was a great conversation starter and I look forward to reading it over and over again.

Disclosure: I received this book for review purposes, all opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amy Misakonis created The Best Place for Me, her first book, for parents to convey a special message to their little ones: Right here with you, is the best place for me.

Amy lives in Annapolis, Maryland with her one year old son. He has been the inspiration for her first two books. Each of Amy’s story express, in words and playful images, all of the important things that we, as parents, want our babies to know. How much we love them, and how very important they are.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads 

• Signed paperback copy of The Best Place for Me
• $25 Target gift card
• "Framed" illustrations from the book (clipboard style frame)
• Soft orange blanket for snuggling
• Little lion
• Striped basket

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

TOUR SCHEDULE
May 13 - Youth Literature Reviews (Review & Interview)

May 14 - Unconventional Librarian (Guest Post)

May 16 - Macaroni Kid (Review)

May 17 - I Am A Reader, Not A Writer (Interview)

May 20 - Candace’s Book Blog (Review)

May 21 - Kimberly Sentek (Revew & Interview)

May 22 - Optimistic Mommy (Review)

May 24 - Mommy’s Lifesavers (Review)

Young Adult Review: Under the Light by Laura Whitcomb

Under the Light (Light #2) by Laura Whitcomb

Hardcover, 256 pages

Published: May 14th, 2013 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Source: ALAMW

Find the author:

Website  | Twitter

 Helen needed a body to be with her beloved and Jenny needed to escape from hers before her spirit was broken. It was wicked, borrowing it, but love drives even the gentlest soul to desperate acts.

When Jenny returns to her body, she finds that someone has been living her life while she was away. She doesn’t remember being Billy’s lover or defying her family. But now she is faced with the consequences. And Helen, who has returned to warn Jenny—to help her—finds herself trapped, haunting the girl she wished to save.

In this captivating companion novel to A Certain Slant of Light, the love story between Jenny and Billy begins out-of-body—where they can fly and move the stars--and continues into the tumultuous realm of the living, where they are torn away from each other even as they slowly remember their spirits falling in love.

It's been years since I read A Certain Slant of Light and I found myself being concerned about whether I would be confused with this book.  I remember only a few things about it, but as I read Under the Light I began to remember A Certain Slant of Light and it all came back to me.  Initially I didn't remember who Jenny was, but she's the one who's body Helen took in A Certain Slant of Light.  So it's more her story, but Helen is still present and tells a bit from her side as well.

Jenny's family is super religious and her spirit was being broken by her father.  He read her diary and then took everything important to her away.  This is where Helen comes in.  So we see where Jenny went when out of her body but a good portion of the story is when she comes back and how things play out with Jenny and Billy (who was Helen's lover but whose body was taken by another ghost) and how they have this thing that connects them but they don't remember each other.  It's also about Jenny and her family.  Her super religious and over the top father and the mother who is lost herself but only knows one thing, religion.

I liked Jenny a lot and really felt bad for her.  I wanted her to stand up for herself and find her way and we got to see that happen.  It was slow, she didn't change over night, but she found her footing and found  her voice.  She ended up being very strong.  We also get to know Helen's past and how she died, which was very interesting and I was glad to know more about her.

I really love the concept of ghosts in these books and think that the author did a great job of making it all very believable.  I believe in ghosts and have interacted with them myself, so this was something I did connect with.

Laura Whitcomb has a very lyrical writing style.  It's more along the literary lines of things, which I don't usually like, but quite liked in this book. The story was easy to read and once I got into the rhythm of it I didn't put it down once.  I read nearly the entire thing before bed and didn't stop reading until I finished.  

While this is a companion novel and you don't have to read the first book, I do encourage you to do so.  You'll understand things much better and you'll enjoy it more as things regarding Helen will make much more sense.  I very highly recommend this series to fans of YA books with ghosts (not scary) and contemporary since the contemporary theme was very important in this one. 

Disclosure: I received this book at ALAMW.  All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.