Review: The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller

The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller
Dani's rating: 5 stars

Format: Paperback
Pages: 258
Publication Date: May 2013
Publisher: EntangledTeen

Goodreads Synopsis:

On the outside, seventeen-year-old Madelyne Summers looks like your typical blond cheerleader—perky, popular, and dating the star quarterback. But inside, Maddie spends more time agonizing over what will happen in the next issue of her favorite comic book than planning pep rallies with her squad. That she’s a nerd hiding in a popular girl's body isn’t just unknown, it's anti-known. And she needs to keep it that way.

Summer is the only time Maddie lets her real self out to play, but when she slips up and the adorkable guy behind the local comic shop’s counter uncovers her secret, she’s busted. Before she can shake a pom-pom, Maddie’s whisked into Logan’s world of comic conventions, live-action role-playing, and first-person-shooter video games. And she loves it. But the more she denies who she really is, the deeper her lies become…and the more she risks losing Logan forever

Dani's review:

I absolutely love this novel! It's one of those books that I could read over and over again and never get tired of it. A good friend of mine recommended it to me and I was immediately sucked in by the intriguing title and the cover. Okay, am I the only one who is obsessed with the cover girl's super cute shoes? And her endless tan legs? Can I please have her entire outfit? 

Madelyne Summers, aka Maddie, is a popular cheerleader who has a deep, dark secret: She loves comic books. *gasp!* In 6th grade, she let her true colors show and was attacked by humiliation and embarrassment. As tears flooded her eyes, she vowed to never go through such an experience again.

Now, as an older and wiser high school senior, Maddie has clawed her way up the popularity ladder. She still lives her double life, but takes many extreme precautions to ensure her secret will never be revealed. On the release day of the final book in her favorite comic series, a crisis occurs. Her secret is in dire danger and she begins to question all the rules she has set for herself and wonders if...If it's time to break down her carefully constructed glass walls and show the world who Madelyne Summers really is.

I think that every teenage girl in the world could relate to Maddie. We all have something that we want to hide from the social world, whether it's a love of books, a knack for math, or a large smattering of acne. We're all insecure in some kind of way, just like Maddie.

Logan is a huge part of Maddie's journey to confidence. He shows her how much fun it is to be herself as he introduces her to nerd conventions and LARPing. Logan is such a cute, "adorkable", and sincere boy. He rocks that "Hey I'm a geek and I don't care" look! I loved he and Maddie's budding romance. It was a believable romance, with no insta-love at all. One of the cutest book couples out of all the books I've read in 2013!

Leah Rae Miller created a fantastic group of characters. Dan, Logan's best friend, had me LOLing so much with his dry humor and sunny outlook on life. Everyone needs a hilarious friend like Dan to brighten up a bad day! Vera, Logan's little sister embodied the "I'm an innocent little girl but really I'm a mischievous devil" concept. I have a soft spot for little kids, and this adorable girl was no exception. Also, Logan's mother, can be described in one(maybe two) word: awesome-sauce. Ms. Miller created relatable and believable characters with unique personalities. I felt like they could jump out of the book and strike a conversation with me!

Evidence of how awesome Logan's mom is... "Did you just blackmail the game master?" (Maddie)

 She shrugs. "A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do." (Logan's mom)

Some of my favorite scenes in The Summer I Became a Nerd was the LARPing, or live-action-role-playing games. LARPing is pretty much the most nerdy and geeky game a person can play. In this months-long game, fantasy enthusiasts can dress up and become a dwarf, elf, fairy, or even a centaur. Leah Rae Miller definitely did her research. The jaw-dropping ending used complex LARP rules that only a seasoned player, or avid researcher, would know.

Leah Rae Miller has a casual, banter-filled writing style wired for teens. Her writing is clear, descriptive, and all together FUN. If you're bored, love comic books, or just want a fun read, I high recommend The Summer I Became a Nerd! You will NOT be disappointed with this novel. It's a great coming-of-age novel that every teenage girl can relate to it. 

The World of Divergent: The Path to Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Well well well, today we get some more Divergent world stuff for all you hardcore fans out there!

The World of Divergent is a free 50-page ebook download that was released today, and features bonuses to the story such as faction quizzes, manifestos, and an interview with Veronica Roth. It also happens to include...TEN teaser lines from the final installment to the Divergent series: Allegiant. Excited? I'm honestly reading this for those teasers (please), and I'm guessing so are other purchasers. The manifestos and quiz is present in certain editions of Divergent so I've already gone around to read those. Download link is on Amazon, and can be read through a kindle, though I'm sure there are other sites that provide different formats of the ebook. Again, this is a FREE download, so get this if you want some yummy Allegiant goodness! 

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CKOV7I8/ref=pe_245070_24466410_M1T1DP

Synopsis:

Fascinated by the world of the Divergent series? This fifty-page bonus, previously only available in the Divergent Series Box Set, includes faction manifestos, a faction quiz, Q&A with #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth, book playlists, discussion questions, series inspirations, and much more! It also contains ten enticing teasers from Allegiant, the final book in the Divergent series.

Less than one month to go guys! Can you hold out until then? ;) (P.S. I'll have a short commentary/review of this tomorrow--going off to read this now!)

Steph 

Review: United We Spy by Ally Carter

United We Spy by Ally Carter

Steph's Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: ebook

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: September 17th 2013

Pages: 304

Goodreads Synopsis:

Cammie Morgan has lost her father and her memory, but in the heart-pounding conclusion to the best-selling Gallagher Girls series, she finds her greatest mission yet. Cammie and her friends finally know why the terrorist organization called the Circle of Cavan has been hunting her. Now the spy girls and Zach must track down the Circle’s elite members to stop them before they implement a master plan that will change Cammie—and her country—forever.

 

Steph's Review:

Oh boy. This. Book. I can't express how sad I feel now that I know there are no more GG books coming out. I've been with these books since one of my friends (hey there Jess) introduced me to its very first book, I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You, during elementary school. I am proud to say that I've stuck with the Gallagher Girls through high school to see them off to graduation.

This is the final showdown between the Circle of Cavan and Cammie. Her goal? Get rid of the seven descendent families of the original founders to stop their havoc on the world. Their goal? Get rid of her. Its a race against time to see who can be just one step ahead of each other--and of course, what would a GG book be without the double crosser.

It's senior year, but Cammie's been through a lot to say the least. School honestly seems just like annoyance now to Cammie and her friends because they've got more important things to handle. First on their list? Get Preston for the U.S. embassy in Rome. Cavan members acting as his "bodyguards" are more like his own walking set of prison bars, and he doesn't even know about his families affiliation with the Circle. They have to save him before its too late, and someone takes out Preston for good measure. 

Winding their way around to avoid the eyes of higher ups, Cammie and her friends find out the true reason behind the actions of the terrorist group. Turmoil and chaos will dissipate political holdings, leaving the Circle on top with the most power of them all. They have a frightening goal that could mean the possible end of the U.S.A., and our four masterminds are the only ones who can stop it.

Preston. The poor boy has to go through a lot in this book. I mean, when you break it to him that his elite and prestigious family has been involved in a secret cult-like group who's been causing chaos around the globe, you can't really expect a great reaction. Since he's related to the Circle, he's a target with a very large red dot on the middle of his forehead. Spies and assassins from all around are hunting him and his ambassador father down, and he'll have to go through periods of captivity, imprisonment, questioning, you name it. I didn't really expect all this to go down with Preston actually because he was only a really big character in book 3, though he did make a little cameo appearance in book 5. In United We Spy, you may as well start lumping this kid in with the gang though.

Cammie has changed a lot throughout this series, and its noted quite a few times during the book. She recalls how much of an idiot she was when she dated Josh, how childish it was of her. Pain has molded her into a stronger person, and now she's finally made the transition into responsibility and adulthood...which is evident in her relationship with Zach (oh that hottie). When you read the dialogue between the two, they talk more maturely and there's a lot less "does he really love me" junk. I wish there were more Zach and Cammie moments though now that they were really together, and I felt like their whole relationship in the book was full of stolen or hidden moments.

United We Spy is going to have you wound up and crazy from all of the plot twists. I'm warning you readers now: be like a spy and never trust anyone or anything if you want to save yourself from lots of bulging eyes and jaw dropping. There is indeed a butterfly effect going on here: one spark leads to a whole master plan uncovered, like dominoes toppling over in successive order. I finished this book in one sitting, because I was afraid if I stopped midway I was going to forget the details of the "cause" events and not get the same vibe from the "effect" events. It really becomes an even more complex story before everything gives way into a nice ending.

So there's this one lady I haven't gotten to yet. I really hate her and I have a list of profanities I could call her. Remember Catherine? (Ok how could you forget her). Well this lady has an agenda of her own. We first thought she was with the Circle since she made attempts on Cammie's life, but now we know she actually isn't. Her meddling made me want to yell countless times because she always seemed to get in the way of things that were going perfectly. Honestly, she felt like an even worse antagonist than the Circle itself, and she's just one lady. Again, thats how much I hate her. I suppose she got what she deserved in the end, but even that stunt she pulled before it caused lots of trouble.

This book is the full embodiment of what the Gallagher Girls series is all about--finding out who you are and your own purpose. There was this touching speech by our graduating valedictorian Liz about what a Gallagher Girl is, but I don't think it really applied to only our GG's. I think it applied to all the ladies out there, and it was just a very empowering speech that gave me the chills as I read it. I admit I started sniffling a little bit too. This was an awesome conclusion to an equally amazing series, and should definitely be picked up by all Gallagher Girl lovers!

Release Day: A Little Too Far by Lisa Desrochers

Hi everyone! Today is the publication day of A Little Too Far by Lisa Desrochers. This debut NA book has been loved and praised by almost all who have read it!

Praises from a few famous authors:

—"Sinfully sexy, but utterly unique. My favorite New Adult book of the year!" —Cora Carmack, New York Times bestselling author of Losing It

—"More than a ridiculously sexy, HOT read, Desrochers takes you on a wild ride of self-discovery and bittersweet romance." —Jennifer L. Armentrout (J. Lynn), New York Times bestselling author of Wait for You

—"This is forbidden love and longing done absolutely right! Complicated and sexy doesn't even begin to describe Lexie's journey." —Jay Crownover, New York Times bestselling author of Rule

That's right, the amazing JLA, YA author of the Covenant series and Lux series, loves this book! Stephanie and I are HUGE fans of her, so we trust that every book she loves is a great read.

Have you ever gone just a little too far?

Lexie Banks has.

Yep. She just had mind-blowing sex with her stepbrother. In her defense, she was on the rebound, and it’s more of a my-dad-happened-to-marry-a-woman-with-a-super-hot-son situation. But still, he’s been her best friend and confidant for the better part of the last few years … and is so off limits. It’s a good thing she’s leaving in two days for a year abroad in Rome.

But even thousands of miles away, Lexie can’t seem to escape trouble. Raised Catholic, she goes to confession in hopes of alleviating some of her guilt … and maybe not burning in hell. Instead, she stumbles out of the confessional and right into Alessandro Moretti, a young and very easy-on-the-eyes deacon … only eight months away from becoming a priest. Lexie and Alessandro grow closer, and when Alessandro’s signals start changing despite his vow of celibacy, she doesn’t know what to think. She’s torn between falling in love with the man she shouldn’t want and the man she can’t have. And she isn’t sure how she can live with herself either way.

So scandalous! This book is rather controversial, but hey, maybe it's good. ;)

Release Day: United We Spy by Ally Carter and Unchained by J. Lynn (Jennifer L. Armentrout)

Why hello everyone! So sorry we haven't been posting much these last two weeks. School is speeding up and its hard to find time to sit down and review away currently, but today I'd like to make a shout-out for two books that I've been sitting around and waiting for: Unchained by J. Lynn and United We Spy by Ally Carter! Finally, I mean really. Unchained had been pushed back a few times I believe, and releases for Ally Carter are to put it simply, way too far apart. Can't wait to read these!

United We Spy by Ally Carter

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Goodreads Synopsis:

Cammie Morgan has lost her father and her memory, but in the heart-pounding conclusion to the best-selling Gallagher Girls series, she finds her greatest mission yet. Cammie and her friends finally know why the terrorist organization called the Circle of Cavan has been hunting her. Now the spy girls and Zach must track down the Circle’s elite members to stop them before they implement a master plan that will change Cammie—and her country—forever.

Unchained by J. Lynn (Jennifer L. Armentrout) 

Publisher: Entangled-Edge

Goodreads Synopsis:

Between the pissed off creatures that want demon-hunter Lily Marks dead and the fallen angel who just...wants her, Lily is about ready to trade in forever for a comfy job in a cubicle farm.

The fact that she and Julian are civil to one another is enough to have her thrown out of the Sanctuary, but she can't shake her not-so-angelic stalker or how he brings her dangerously close to ecstasy.

Her forbidden relationship with Julian provides the perfect fuel for suspicion when a traitor is discovered to be working within the Sanctuary. Lily quickly finds herself hunted by well, everyone.

Her only hope is to discover the real traitor before she loses everything--and she'll need Julian's help. That is, if Julian is really there to help her...and not destroy her.

Yeah, being a Nephilim isn't everything it's cracked up to be.

Waiting on Wednesday (12): Ignite me by Tahereh Mafi + We are open to review requests again!

Hi everyone!

A Walk on Words is now open to review requests, from both authors and readers. Please send us an email if you would like Stephanie and I to review your novel. Readers, we always love book recommendations! :) Clicky for more info!

Now on to our Waiting on Wednesday...

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly bookish event hosted by Breaking the Spine. This is a meme that many book blogs participate in to goggle over highly anticipated upcoming releases and fabulous covers and authors!

Goodreads Synopsis:
 

The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, called "a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love"

Juliette now knows she may be the only one who can stop the Reestablishment. But to take them down, she'll need the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew-about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam-was wrong.

In Shatter Me, Tahereh Mafi created a captivating and original story that combined the best of dystopian and paranormal and was praised by Publishers Weekly as "a gripping read from an author who's not afraid to take risks." The sequel, Unravel Me, blew readers away with heart-racing twists and turns, and New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia said it was "dangerous, sexy, romantic, and intense." Now this final book brings the series to a shocking and climactic end.

Praise for Ignite Me:

"Dangerous, sexy, romantic, and intense. I dare you to stop reading."-Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures series

"Tahereh Mafi's bold, inventive prose crackles with raw emotion. A thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love, the Shatter Me series is a must-read for fans of dystopian young adult literature-or any literature!"-Ransom Riggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

"Addictive, intense, and oozing with romance. I'm envious. I couldn't put it down."-Lauren Kate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fallen series.

My Thoughts:

I am so excited for this novel! I was hooked on Shatter Me from the first sentence. And now, two books later, we have finally reached the finale of this amazing trilogy. Also, Taherah Mafi has revealed that Ignite Me does not have strikethroughs. Juliette has found her voice!

However, I'm not sure how I feel about the cover. It's so different from the first two books' covers. Juliette is not on the cover anymore. Instead, a large eye that seems to imply "see all, know all" surrounded by entwining flowers on a stormy sky makes up the cover. I wonder if it hints at anything that will happen in this novel.

I am a steadfast Team Adam fan even though my best friend and fellow bookworm is an avid Team Warner fan. I don't understand how she can love Warner, who imprisoned and tortured Juliette when he first met her. Warner, who became infatuated with Juliette before he met her and began to stalk her records. Warner, a boy with a control freak father who beat up his son. Warner, a boy who may be sorta...can I say it...*cringes* attractive, but is incorrigibly scarred in the depths of his mind. 

What are you thoughts about Team Adam vs. Team Warner? Do you think Ignite Me will convert me to Team Warner? Comment below!

-Dani :)

Mini Review: The Transfer by Veronica Roth

The Transfer by Veronica Roth

Steph's Rating: 5 stars

Dani's Rating: 5 stars

Overall: 5 stars

Format: ebook

Pages: 50

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books 

Publication Date: September 3rd, 2013

Goodreads Synopsis:

More Four! Fans of the Divergent series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth will be thrilled by "The Transfer," the first of four new short stories told from Four’s perspective. Each brief story explores the world of the Divergent series through the eyes of the mysterious but charismatic Tobias Eaton, revealing previously unknown facets of his personality, backstory, and relationships.

Steph's Mini Review:

Ok. It's official. I'm even more head over heels for my boy Four than you could possibly imagine and I am never ever going to get over him no matter what--sorry future boyfriend or hubby--it's just not happening. This book wasn't fair. It's such a short sweet tease of Four's previous life--and his lovely POV. Allegiant is going to be told in half Four POV so all I can say now after this is GIVE ME MORE. I'm ravenous for anything Divergent at this point. I might even kill for it (ok probably not that far).

The Transfer tells the story of Four's last days as a boy in Abnegation, and the terrifying mental conflict he had to go through in order to "free" himself by transferring to Dauntless. We get some insights to just how frightening that horrible person Marcus Eaton is towards Four, and it just made me sob a little on the inside to see all those abusive moments. I don't think readers really understood just how scared Four was of his father until this moment where we get an actual "it's happening right now" scene. Definitely quite eye-opening in my opinion. The Transfer is also a transformation. This is where we see a scared, callow Four spread his wings out for the first time at the first chance to escape what is basically the eternal damnation he'd receive had he stayed in Abnegation. This is the point where Tobias becomes "Four" (Quite literally--the moment that he gets his nickname might be brought up hint hint ;D). I also thought this story was parallel to Tris's transfer. That moment when Tris had to hold the knife, and in her mind she had exactly no idea which side she'd choose and yet she stuck her hand out in one certain direction, was a powerful moment in Divergent. My dear Four went through the same process, and I think it helps readers understand why Four and Tris are attracted to each other as much as they are. It's exciting, and I was feeling the rush as I was reading this. If this is 45 pages of Four, I have no idea how I'm going to be dealing with perhaps 200 pages + of Four in Allegiant, which apparently is around 450 pages.

There are going to be three more prequel short stories in Four's POV, but unfortunately none of those will be released until after Allegiant comes out. The next story will be out in mid-December, with the final two stories released in January and February 2014. They will all be stories of Four's life pre-Tris I suppose. While Tris's story ends in October, Divergent really won't be ending until February. Unless you count the movie in March :). I definitely recommend reading the Four POV novellas. It seems short and you basically know what to expect because these moments are alluded to often within the actual series, but they do prove insightful for people who want to get to know the world of Divergent even better.

Steph

Waiting on Wednesday (11): Champion by Marie Lu

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly bookish event hosted by Breaking the Spine. This is a meme that many book blogs participate in to goggle over highly anticipated upcoming releases and fabulous covers and authors!

 The ending to Prodigy left me speechless, and the waterworks powered on at "high". You can't even imagine how badly I want this book, the final series to the Legend series, and the last adventure we will have with our beloved June and Day. I don't even know if I can bring myself to reread Prodigy (it was amazing--but dang that ending hurt a lot) while I patiently wait around here with my legs crossed and hands together. Champion hits bookshelves this November, so be on the lookout for this book!

Goodreads Synopsis:

He is a Legend.
She is a Prodigy.
Who will be Champion?

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.

I remember reading an EW interview with Marie Lu that came out around the time the cover for Champion was revealed. I distinctly remember Marie saying how well this cover fit her book. That worries me a lot. The bullet hole I mean, with all that lovely gory blood pouring out of it. She also said this was the first time she cried while writing a book. That also worries me. If she wasn't crying while writing the end of Prodigy, the one that shocked and stupefied and caused readers to cry, rant, and scream, then this woman is hard to faze. I'm really hoping no one important on the protagonist side dies (no for real--I'm crossing my fingers tight). I think black and red on the cover is gonna signify action i.e. violence >:), and I'm thinking that orange means something is going to blow up. Again. Gah Marie, you're killing me here with all this waiting. We had to wait almost a full year for this. I'm sure Champion will not disappoint as a final installment to the Legend series. Can't wait to read this!

Steph