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5/30/2015

Blog Tour: The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler (Review and Giveaway!)

Welcome to The Summer of Chasing Mermaids blog tour! I hope you enjoy this post and be sure to enter the awesome giveaway at the bottom of this post! Click the banner above for the tour schedule and this tour was hosted by The Fantastic Flying Book Club.

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The Summer of Chasing Mermaids

Author: Sarah Ockler

Pages: 368

Publisher: Simon Pulse

The youngest of six talented sisters, Elyse d’Abreau was destined for stardom—until a boating accident took everything from her. Now, the most beautiful singer in Tobago can’t sing. She can’t even speak. Seeking quiet solitude, Elyse accepts a friend’s invitation to Atargatis Cove. Named for the mythical first mermaid, the Oregon seaside town is everything Elyse’s home in the Caribbean isn’t: An ocean too cold for swimming, parties too tame for singing, and people too polite to pry—except for one. Christian Kane is a notorious playboy—insolent, arrogant, and completely charming. He’s also the only person in Atargatis Cove who doesn’t treat Elyse like a glass statue. He challenges her to express herself, and he admires the way she treats his younger brother Sebastian, who believes Elyse is the legendary mermaid come to life. When Christian needs a first mate for the Cove’s high-stakes Pirate Regatta, Elyse reluctantly stows her fear of the sea and climbs aboard. The ocean isn’t the only thing making waves, though—swept up in Christian’s seductive tide and entranced by the Cove’s charms, Elyse begins to wonder if a life of solitude isn’t what she needs. But changing course again means facing her past. It means finding her inner voice. And scariest of all, it means opening her heart to a boy who’s best known for breaking them . . .

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I got this book from Edielweiss in exchange for an honest review. None of my thoughts are affected by that.

Before this book, I had never read anything from Sarah; therefore, I had no idea what to expect from her. When I picked up The Summer of Chasing Mermaids I expected a light, happy, fun, contemporary novel that was a finding yourself book. Haha, I was so wrong. This book was deep, emotional, and beautifully written. The plot was so interesting to read, I loved the characters, and enjoyed it so much.

The main character, Elyse is left at the Cove after an accident that leaves her scarred and voiceless. I really enjoyed reading about Elyse because she is such a poetic person and that really enhanced Sarah's words to tell this story. The fact that Elyse couldn't speak as well made this book a huge challenge to write and it could have gone horribly wrong but the author did a great job making it seem like Elyse could speak when she really couldn't. The development Elyse goes through as well is so great and I love it. In the beginning of the book is in a state of denial and anger about her loss. By the end of this book, she has accepted that she is now mute will never sing again. This change was caused by the experiences she goes through in Oregon. She finally accepts the fact that she will never sing and speak again and is able to discover happiness in new things, new people. I think Elyse knowing that she has lost her biggest passion really helped her move on. She is no longer upset that her sister who she was supposed to share her singing career with, has started to go solo. She is no longer scared of the ocean, the one thing that originally caused the accident that took her ability to speak away. By the end of the book, she opens up to new people, friends she has made on the island in Oregon.

Aside from Elyse, I loved the other characters in this book because some of the other characters were so realistic. Kirby, Elyse's cousin, is so supportive, kind, and accepted Elyse with open arms. Christian is a Stanford student who has got some issues himself. His brother, Sebastian, is every kid: curious. (And cute! :D) The mayor of the town is freaking sexist and plans to do things to the town that not everyone agrees with and is always looking to up one Christian's dad. Talk about mature...

I loved the plot Sarah as set up for us. The main character is mute, her sailing mate is a player, who is on a very high-tension bet, and his little brother like hunting for mermaids! Love it! Love it so far! As we get more into the story, I fall in love with it more: Atargatis Cove, Christian, Elyse's personality, her cousin's constant battle to trying to just be Elyse's friend, and Sebastian-Christian's little brother-who is on the constant look out for mermaids. Another thing that really kept me attached to this book was how there was always something going on. Not only are Elyse and Christian both competing to win a bet, but Elyse is still recovering from her loss. She is still coping with the fact that she needs to find another way to express herself and that adventure she takes is emotional, inspirational, and life changing.

I gave this book 5 stars because I loved the plot and characters and just everything about this story.

5/29/2015

10 Things That Will Cause Me to Leave Your Blog

We all went through that phase. Where we first started our blogs and had no clue what to include in the design and stuff. I spent days trying to figure my design and would go through so many design tutorials, blog design tips, and study up on other people's designs. I know these type of posts helped me out tons so I thought I would a list of things that would cause me to leave your blog immediately.

Image Source

So without further ado, here is a list of things I you want to avoid on your blog! I hope this helps some people and some of you can relate! :D

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Long load time: Let's face it, not a lot of us have high speed computers that open pages in a nano second. Therefore, if it takes longer than a quick glance on Twitter to load and open your blog, chances are I will ex out the tab. Also, if I need to refresh more than once to open your blog, that will cause me to click off as well. (Unless my computer is being a jerk, I will let that slide) Lot's of things on your sidebar or images will slow down your load time so make sure to manage those. (If you would like some tips on this matter, Ashley has a great post! Oh! And Stephanie!)
No Bloglovin button: Eventually, I am going to have to leave your blog. If I like what I see on my time there, I will follow you on Bloglovin...unless you don't have one. Most blogs have a Bloglovin you can follow, that way you will know when a new posts comes up. I use Bloglovin to my full advantage. It's how I find posts and keep up with my favorite blogs! If you don't have a Bloglovin or any other way to follow other than by email, chance are I'm not going to return every often...
Small font: When choosing a font, size, and color consider this question,"Would I read a book in this font, color, size ect." If you answer no to any of these aspects, change it so that you would read a 300 page novel in the text. If your font color is bright green or your font is some fun font that I can't read, bye. I am not about to stretch my eyes so I can read your post because it would not be good for my eyes. Just make sure it's legible and not some text that will make my eyes more worse than it already is... (Dark background= Light; pastel colors. Light/White background= Dark colors)
Dark background, bright font: Again with the fonts, (Like this is important. If I can't read your posts then...) if you have a dark background, please make sure the color of the font is not some bright green that will make me see spots when I am done reading. If possible, I would avoid dark backgrounds in all but if you really want on, make sure the font color is not bright against the dark color.
Nothing but promotional posts: I used to be this type of person. Blog tours, book blitz, and cover reveals were basically everything I would post. Why? Because these things were easy and I hated writing reviews. That's not how it works though! Reviews are your words, they're your opinions. You started a blog to have your own words and opinions on it right? That's what you need to be posting more of other than HTML prepped posts.
Haven't posted in a long time: If you have a post saying you will be on a hiatus fine. I'll look through your older posts and decide if I want to follow you. Eventually you will come back. If your last post was December of 2014 and it's May 2015 then I am not about to even try. (Unless your hiatus is like 6 months long.) You want to be posting consistently and just leaving your blog in the dust won't be good. At least tell the people that you will be on a hiatus, it's better than nothing!
Incorrect grammar or spelling: Pls make sure ur spelling and grammar is correct it makes ur posts look messi if they arent. Little things like apostrophes and commas can make your post put together a lot better. If you really want to get fancy you can use semi-colons and dashes! Also, remember to never use things like "pls" or "thnx" in your posts. Type out the whole word, the post isn't going to disappear if you don't! Promise.
Automatic music: I'm pretty sure you have heard this one in lists millions of times. It's true! I don't want to open up your blog and I hear Uptown Funk blasting. No! Don't do that! It scares me, draws people away from your blog, and makes your blog take longer to load!
No review index: One of the first things I check about someone's blog is their review index! This is just to see if their reviews are worth following for and to see what books this person reads. I don't want to have to spend more than 30 seconds trying to find your reviews. Review Index right in the menu bar or having an obvious link that leads to review indexes are things that take less than 30 seconds to locate. Please don't make me go on an excavation just to find your Review Index...
Eyesore blog design: This one is pretty important. Not only do your fonts need to look readable, but I want to feel comfortable when visiting your blog. No you don't need to feed me cookies and massage my feet when I visit your blog, but you should make me feel "spacious." Don't have your sidebar flashing with text or have a header that moves while your post header is flashing pink. No that's too much. Simple, keep things simple. You want readers to be attracted to one thing the moment they lay eyes on your beautiful blog. Whether that's the creative header or large leadered post title, the attraction should only go to one thing at a time. You know how your teachers always told you to talk one person at a time, that's how your blog design should be. One attraction at a time.

These are the things you want to avoid in your blog! I hope I helped some people, I know these type of posts helped me a bunch.

So tell me: What is one thing that causes you to leave a blog quicker than usual?

5/28/2015

Non-spoiler Review: The Program by Suzanne Young

The Program

Author: Suzanne Young
Pages: 405
Published by: Simon Pulse
Published on: April 30th 2013

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program. Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories. Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them

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This post was also posted on Lit Up Review.

I'd been meaning to read The Program for a while and wow, thank goodness I finally read it. It was mysterious, emotional, intoxicating, and just pure "book crack." I liked how it was a different kind of dystopian. What I consider to be a "normal" dystopian is a book loaded with action and the protagonist is usually rebelling against the people who control their society (not like this is a standard in what a dystopian book should look like, this is just usually see in dystopias); The Program was definitely not an average dystopian. This book was more of an emotional read rather than a action packed read. That's what I really like about this book: Young didn't need guns or dead people to keep me reading, the plot and characters had already done that for her.

The Program takes place in a society where the slightest sign of depression can cause you to end up in The Program, a place to erase these depressive and suicidal feelings. It may seem like the best thing ever, but people who return from The Program come back as different people. They may not even remember people they knew before The Program. This causes teenagers to try to avoid ending up in The Program at all costs.

Our main character, Sloane, is someone who has known quite a few people who have had to attend The Program or have committed suicide. I really liked Sloane because of how strong she after dealing with so many events that would have caused her to be thrown into The Program. That really made more engaged to the book because each day, there is a chance the handlers can take her away if there was any sign of depression. Let's face it, you have your days where you just want to lay in bed and cry, and I feel as though Sloane goes through many days where she wants to do that, yet she is able to play a facade. She knows that if she wants to stay out of the Program she needs to pull off this facade and act happy. She knows exactly how to get around the handlers, the people who bring people to The Program. Whether it's faking a smile or lying on her daily questionnaires- which asks questions regarding suicidal thoughts and such- Sloane knows what The Program does and knows that it's bad enough to the point where she should try to avoid it. She definitely goes through a great amount of change by the end of the book. There were so many emotional events that happened and the causes a huge change and shift in her personality.

James, Sloane's boyfriend, is Sloane's outlet to what she believes is a messed up world. James, like Sloane, knows how to pretend and get around being thrown into The Program. I loved reading about James and Sloane's love. It's not everyday you can read about a dystopian couple that isn't thrown out into an all out war the next day. Both Sloane and James come off to be very emotionally fragile people at times. Since they both have gone through so much together, they can rely on each other to cry with or cheer each other up. They are able to support each other when their lives get tough, and I just love that about them. Both of them are equally broken and scarred but can pick up each other's pieces when needed.

What made this book so interesting that I finished it within a day? The plot; it was a glorious plot. It was so suspenseful and interesting to read about. Every event and small detail led straight up into the climax of this book and that made the plot even better. The Program was also a book that has "yet to be explored." There are so many things I don't know about the world and I had so many question like what it is like in The Program? Then there is the dying question of how our "perfect" word turned into the society The Program takes place in? What caused returners of the Program to seem like empty shells? These questions kept me reading and craving for more pages (Hence the fact this book is 400 pages). Some of my questions have been answered but some haven't! That is now a worry, though I definitely expect them to be answered in the sequel. The one thing I can say about this book is that you definitely don't expect a lot of what happens. There were so many plot twists and turns and a bucket load of feels: Sadness, happiness to the point where you wanted to cry, shock, and just utter "OMG."

If you want a breathtaking dystopian novel what will give you so many feels, go with The Program. This book made me cry, laugh, and left me laying on the ground, trying to process the ending. It definitely was an emotional read so get your tissues ready. Its prequels and sequel is already out, so it's easy to catch up without the wait! Young did a great job keeping me attached to the book, and the plot of The Program is just so damn interesting. (Also, I love the cover!!)

5/28/2015

Harry Potter Moment of the Week: Free Week!

5/27/2015

Armchair BEA: Intro Post!

Welcome to my intro post for Armchair BEA! As a person who will not be attending BEA, I am going to be participating in Armchair BEA. This is like a party for all the cool kids who are staying home and not at BEA. I hope you guys enjoy these five questions about me! If you would like to learn more about Armchair BEA click the button to the left or click here to visit their website! Now without further ado (or more words to make the text and graphic line up and look somewhat decent and not unlined) Let's get to the question. (I chose 5 out of the 10 provided) (Okay, now it's even)

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Tell us a bit about yourself: How long have you been blogging? Where are you from? How did you get into blogging?

Hey! My name is Kaitlin and I am the blogger here at Next Page Please! I live in the US and have been blogging since May 2014. I actually wasn't expecting to become a book blogger. When I started, I was just going to be a life blogger but that quickly turned into books. I started off with a Weebly blog but in July, I moved to Wordpress; that's when the real blogging adventure begins. Then in February, I moved to Blogger and have been loving it so far! Then in March 2015, I was accepted into contributing to Lit Up Review! I have been happily posting my reviews monthly there!

Why do you loving reading and blogging?

I loved both reading and blogging because it is a way I can interact with people. Through both books and blogging I am able to interact and fangirl about books without being judged. I liked blogging because it is a way I can express myself and share my love for books. I love reading because it is a way I can find out about new worlds or new people.

What is one book everyone should read?

One book I think everyone should read would have to the Grisha trilogy. I thought it was a great trilogy because it was so suspenseful, the writing was great, I loved the characters, and the fantasy world the book took place in was wonderful as well. It may not be for everybody, but everyone should at least give it a try. ;)

What book are you reading right now?

I am currently reading Undertow by Michael Buckley. It was a book I got off NetGalley and so far it seems pretty interesting. Of course, I'm not too far into the book but I can't wait to keep reading!

What is the top book in your TBR pile?
Haha, I have too many books in my TBR pile, but I also have a decent amount of books that are on top. To list some, they would have to be Throne of Glass, The Heir, Fairest, The Winner's Crime, and much much more! :/

So tell me: Will you be participating in Armchair BEA?

5/27/2015

Book Buddies: The Program by Suzanne Young

Book Buddies is a discussion-style review that takes place with Lauren @ Bookmark Lit. (Learn more and see past reviews here) We both read the book and then have a private discussion about it. We post our discussion as a review on the last Wednesday of each month. You’ll be able to see our similar/different opinions on the overall book, characters, writing style, etc. – just like a regular review. The first half our discussion will take place right here, and the second half will be on Lauren's blog! (Link at the bottom)

The Program

Author: Suzanne Young

Pages: 405

Published by: Simon Pulse

Published on: April 30th 2013

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program. Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories. Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them

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If you would like to read the other half of the discussion click here to go Lauren's blog!

(There are some spoilers in this discussion so be cautious!)

1. Do you feel as though the Program actually helps depression or pressures people to become more depressed. (Since the Program brings in people who show the slightest sign of depression, do you think that worries and stresses people to become depressed?)
L: This is similar to a question that I wrote down as well! I definitely think that The Program has some major drawbacks. If I saw my friend being pulled from class, kicking and screaming, to be brought to a facility where their memory was going to be erased, I would definitely not be happy about it. Seeing this happen to family members and friends on a regular basis definitely increases depression, in my opinion. It's like they're going through and giving people depression so that they can wipe their memories, so that the whole population would be perfect, preppy followers. By bringing in people with depression and stripping them of their memories, they all just kind of become robots. But, then again, as time goes on, you never know what else could happen in their lives that could cause them to be depressed again. It's like it'll be an endless cycle. This was a very rambling answer but I think you know what I mean ;)

K: I agree! It's like being taken to jail, or that's how everyone treats it. The way you put it, it's as if the depression was kind of "contagious" and I agree with that. The people you spend your time with really affects your mood and the more depressed they get, the more depressed you get. I have also thought about that when people go through cycles of depression. Not everyone is going to be happy once they go through depression once. Things change and you meet new people and your depression may return. Also, I would hate to live in a world full of robots...

2. When you first met Realm, what were your initial feelings and thoughts about him? How did they change after you started getting further into the book?
L: He super creeped me out, I can't lie. I hated that he called her "sweetness" all the time and I probably would have punched him if I were her. I found it really weird that he kept saying that he would do anything for her when he literally JUST met her. It just didn't make sense to me. Because of that, I definitely didn't trust him. This only got worse as the book continued.. especially in the epilogue! I can't say I'm surprised by it (not to mention a little confused...) but I'm definitely curious to see what the heck happens next.

K: Okay, good! I'm not the only one who dislikes Realm. As much as he was nice to Sloane, I didn't get a very good vibe from him as well. When Sloane met him, I was still so much on the James and Sloane ship (despite how unlikey they were) and I just felt bad because it felt like Sloane was cheating James whenever she would share a bed with Realm or anything like that. Oh, then we find out he is some sort worker for the Program and that really caused me to lose even more trust in him, not like I had much to begin with... :/ I do think he has a huge role in this book though, excited to see what happens to him...

3. Was the book different from what you expected thoughts? Did it surprise you in anyway?
L: I was definitely intrigued by the premise but I don't usually read dystopias at all. I did The Maze Runner trilogy, which got worse with each book, and The Hunger Games, which was obviously excellent. I think it a lot of ways it reminded me of The Maze Runner because it had this all-powerful, "big brother" type of organization that messed with people and experimented. The whole time (during both books actually) I was wondering if there was more to the story or more to the organization that meets the eye. I think it'll definitely be the case in this series; The Program definitely has some crazy, crazy practices. I didn't know if I was going to like it or not but it was REALLY well-done and interesting.

K: For me this book really surprised because of what dystopian I have read in the past; it was definitely different. This book was very interesting and there is definitely more to what meets the eye. I am super excited to find out more about this society and government because this book gave me none of that information! The thing is, there weren't many fights and battles but Sloane's story and the Program just got me so interested, I couldn't stop reading. Plus, the twists and turns really surprised me.

4. Is there anything you disliked about the book or something you especially liked?
L: I honestly can't think of anything I disliked! It was a really solid read for me. I liked the way the book was written, in multiple parts, and allowed us to "know" more than Sloane did. Possibly a spoiler ahead if you haven't read it - When Sloane's memory got erased, we had the chance to learn about her history and her memories... so we knew more about her life than she did at that point! I love when I'm reading a book where I know something that the main character doesn't. I especially liked the themes of fate - or always ending up where you're meant to be - but this is explored more on my blog! ;)

K: Honestly, I didn't think I disliked anything about the book as well. This book wasn't a filled with tons of battles but it was so interesting and there were so many plot twists; this made the book really interesting. And I liked how Sloane's memories have been erased yet I am still reading on because I want to find out more. It was heartbreaking to see James come out of the Program and I thought that was going to be it. Oh but it was even more heartbreaking to see Sloane get dragged into the Program because we basically read as she starts to forget things and how she is forced drugs every single therapy session. I really just loved the writing and the plot for this book.

5. Did you consider this book to have a love triangle?
L: Hmmm. Yes and no. I have a feeling that people who hate love triangles (not me, really) would think that there was one. It's kind of hard when (again, spoiler ahead??) someone's memory is erased. Their loyalty isn't exactly changing from one person to another because they don't even remember the first person. I think it was interesting that Sloane even settled for Realm at all when it seemed like she barely liked him or even knew him. Regardless, SHE always said that they were kind of more than friends, but not really. So I guess the short answer is yes, kind of? Even though I totally didn't believe she had feelings for Realm and I'm kinnnnd of in love with James. There's a love triangle between me and Sloane and James.

K: Ahahaha, same. It was so weird to see Realm telling Sloane he loved her and all that because they haven't even known each other for a full 6 months. Whereas James has know Sloane since she was like what? 7? This book has sorta a love triangle and sort of not. I know that Sloane will always choose James over Realm but Realm still will "love" Sloane. If he ever does become a very big character in this series then I don't think he would be a threat to James and Sloane's "new" relationship. Hopefully he will "love" Sloane from five feet behind and stay friends with her.

6. Any predictions for the next book?
L: NOPE. I have no idea. I'm awful at predicting what's going to happen in books, but I'm hoping to learn more about The Program and its intricacies. I also desperately need that epilogue to be explained!! I imagine that Sloane and James will be out and about, running with a group of rebels, so that'll be interesting. I'm very curious to see if Sloane decides to take that pill. On one hand, if I were her, I'd definitely want my memory restored. But, on the other hand, imagine if she found out her whole history with James but he still had no idea about it? That'd be super awkward.

K: I honestly don't have any predictions either. The pill is a super interesting thing because I guess it would be kind of weird to have Sloane remember all their camping trips and her brother and all but that means there is hope for James to get some of his memories back because a lot of it is shared with Sloane. The epilogue left me so confused and wanting more because it was so interesting! (And yes making out, I miss those...;))

Again, if you would like to see the rest of the discussion, click here!

5/27/2015

Waiting on Wednesday #10

5/26/2015

Seize the Tuesday #29

Seize the Tuesday is a book blogger meme created by Adi Alsaid and the Let’s Get Lost Buddies Street Team, to share stories about how we’ve seized the Tuesday, with a special focus on the particular book we're reading. We’ll post on as many Tuesdays as possible and share our posts online with the hashtag: #LetsAllGetLost. If you loved Let’s Get Lost then join the LGL Buddies on Facebook and help promote the book!

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Undertow

Author: Michael Buckley

Pages: 384

Published by: HMH Books for Young Readers

Published on: May 5th 2015

Sixteen-year-old Lyric Walker’s life is forever changed when she witnesses the arrival of 30,000 Alpha, a five-nation race of ocean-dwelling warriors, on her beach in Coney Island. The world’s initial wonder and awe over the Alpha quickly turns ugly and paranoid and violent, and Lyric’s small town transforms into a military zone with humans on one side and Alpha on the other. When Lyric is recruited to help the crown prince, a boy named Fathom, assimilate, she begins to fall for him. But their love is a dangerous one, and there are forces on both sides working to keep them apart. Only, what if the Alpha are not actually the enemy? What if they are in fact humanity’s only hope of survival? Because the real enemy is coming. And it’s more terrifying than anything the world has ever seen. Action, suspense, and romance whirlpool dangerously in this cinematic saga, a blend of District 9 and The Outsiders.

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How am I Seizing the Tuesday?

Well, I finished it. In case you aren't aware, an extremely anticipated book came out today! P.S. I Still Love You! It's the sequel to To All the Boys I've Loved Before and I love it. To All the Boys was such a great read and I was super excited to find out about the sequel. (My copy actually came early! :D) I started yesterday and finished it today. It was pure book crack. (When a book is so addicting it's like being on crack...) I just couldn't put it down because, damn it was good. I am really hoping for a sequel because I just cannot get enough with Lara Jean's story. So now, I'm back to Undertow but those 24 hours I spent with this book..it was glorious.

So how can you Seize the Tuesday? Well go outside, learn something new, pamper yourself! Spread around this Seizing and enjoy the day! Or should I say…Seize? So tell me: How have you Seize the Tuesday?