Review Wednesday: Beautiful Oblivion by Jamie McGuire

*This is a book meant for adults due to some inappropriate content for people younger than 18.*

Title: Beautiful Oblivion (The Maddox Brothers #1)
Author: Jamie McGuire
1st Date of Publication: July 1, 2014
ISBN: 1476759588
# of Pages: 320
Genre: New Adult, Adult Romance
Age Rating: 17+ (Language, Violence, Sexual content)

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Book Description: 
Fiercely independent Camille "Cami" Camlin gladly moved on from her childhood before it was over. She has held down a job since before she could drive, and moved into her own apartment after her freshman year of college. Now tending bar at The Red Door, Cami doesn’t have time for much else besides work and classes, until a trip to see her boyfriend is cancelled, leaving her with a first weekend off in almost a year.

Trenton Maddox was the king of Eastern State University, dating co-eds before he even graduated high school. His friends wanted to be him, and women wanted to tame him, but after a tragic accident turned his world upside down, Trenton leaves campus to come to grips with the crushing guilt.

Eighteen months later, Trenton is living at home with his widower father, and works full-time at a local tattoo parlor to help with the bills. Just when he thinks his life is returning to normal, he notices Cami sitting alone at a table at The Red.

As the baby sister of four rowdy brothers, Cami believes she’ll have no problem keeping her new friendship with Trenton Maddox strictly platonic. But when a Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever—even if she is the only reason their already broken family could fall apart.

In the first installment of the Maddox Brothers books, readers can experience the rush of reading Beautiful Disaster for the first time, all over again.  

Setting: Eakins, Illinois in the 21st century
Point of View: 1st Person- Camille "Cami" Camlin

Goodreads Rating: 4.15

My Rating: 4.5


Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Both title and cover
View on the Cover: The simplistic beauty of it is great!
View on the Title: It felt like a humbler title because I questioned whether a character was beautiful and didn't know it.

Pros:

• First off, I absolutely love that the stories of all the Maddox brothers' lives all intermixed with each of their stories. I think it's a unique idea that authors have been more recently been doing with their stand-alone novels by making them into companion novels. You won't necessarily miss too much if you read these books out of order or just read one.
• I also love how the story is told through the woman's (Cami) view rather than the man's (Trent) view. It truly shows how hard and what Trent goes through in order to win Cami's heart. It shows his loyalty and love in a very personal way.
• I love that Cami gets tattoos and how she becomes more of who she is rather than feeling forced to do what her family wanted. I think she's super relatable to a certain demographic than that the other women in this companion series do not come from and deal with.
• Trent is awesome when it comes to kids. He is very protective of his little neighbor, Olive, who he acts like a big brother to her. His protectiveness carries to Cami.

Cons:

• Cami's family agitated me, but I think this is to show you how strong and independent of a woman she is. She's the only one that is smart enough to remove herself from the detrimental situation. Her father is abusive and an alcoholic who beats Cami's mother, which her mother refuses to do anything. One of her brothers makes her feel obligated to fix his mistakes to save her family from her father's anger.
• Trent is often sometimes a little controlling, which is partly because he is extremely protective from an incident in the past. I think this humanizes Trent more as a character because trauma can instill fear and insecurity like in his case.

Critics' Reviews:

"The author's pen flows with ease and fans of romance and NA will adore the raw emotion...Trenton's story will steal readers' hearts." -Romantic Times

Jamie McGuire's Website:

http://www.jamiemcguire.com/

Other Recommendations:

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Perfect Chemistry by Simon Elkeles

Easy by Tammara Webber

Review Wednesdays: A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall

Title: A Little Something Different
Author: Sandy Hall
1st Date of Publication: August 26, 2014
ISBN: 1250061458
# of Pages: 272
Genre: YA Contemporary
Age Rating: 15+ (Some alcohol and language)

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Book Description: The distinctive new crowd-sourced publishing imprint Swoon Reads proudly presents its first published novel—an irresistibly sweet romance between two college students told from 14 different viewpoints.
The creative writing teacher, the delivery guy, the local Starbucks baristas, his best friend, her roommate, and the squirrel in the park all have one thing in common—they believe that Gabe and Lea should get together. Lea and Gabe are in the same creative writing class. They get the same pop culture references, order the same Chinese food, and hang out in the same places. Unfortunately, Lea is reserved, Gabe has issues, and despite their initial mutual crush, it looks like they are never going to work things out.
But somehow even when nothing is going on, something is happening between them, and everyone can see it. Their creative writing teacher pushes them together. The baristas at Starbucks watch their relationship like a TV show. Their bus driver tells his wife about them. The waitress at the diner automatically seats them together. Even the squirrel who lives on the college green believes in their relationship.
Surely Gabe and Lea will figure out that they are meant to be together....

Setting: College Campus

Point of View: First Person- Several things, specifically 14 viewpoints

Goodreads Rating: 3.69

My Rating: 4

Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Title

View on the Cover: The cover is pink which is my least favorite color, but I did not realize until almost finished completely through the book that it was full of images that involved the two main characters, Gabe and Lea.
View on the Title: The title is exactly what it means. It was a little something different and was such a breath of fresh air for a YA contemporary.

Pros:

· Oh, this book so adorable. I loved how there were 14 different viewpoints, and the viewpoints were not only people’s views but an object and an animal. My favorite viewpoints were the squirrel, which actually reminded me of what I think a squirrel should act, and a bench, which reminded me of Eeyore.

· The book is full circle. There is a balance of Lea’s friends and Gabe’s friends, which keeps a less biased view on the whole situation.

·  I’m glad that Hall did not use Gabe or Lea’s views, which I think is more unique, because you can understand their characters’ body language seen from others’ eyes.

· It shows the fun life of a college student and how everything about college causes people to overlap their lives together.

· The creative writing classes were my favorite and their homework was completely adorable.

Cons:

· The interactions between Lea and Gabe were frustrating at times. Lea wants to talk to Gabe but she does not because she does not want to be ignored by him. They almost never talked to each other! Eek!!!

· Some poor choices were made by both to figure out how to actually talk, such as friends stalking either one and also flirting with people who they are not interested in to get an idea on how to be the proper boyfriend/girlfriend.

Critics' Reviews:

“Consisting of fourteen viewpoints, it would be easy for some dissonance to creep into the story; however, all chapters are easy to read and form a cohesive whole. Gabe or Lea presented in the first-person would have been interesting, but the different perspectives and how they contrast are entertaining . . . Recommend for those looking for a quick, sweet romance.” -VOYA
“If ever two people should get together, it's Gabe and Lea . . . The magnetic pull is so strong, in fact, that everyone they come into contact with can feel it, and it is through Gabe and Lea's interactions with others that their stories unfold . . A fun, light romance that will appeal to male and female readers alike.” -School Library Journal
“This is a sprightly first offering . . . the multi-person perspectives make for a clever hook. Romance with a twist.” -Booklist

Sandy Hall's Website:

http://sandywrites.tumblr.com/

Other Recommendations:

The Girl Who Played Go by Shan Sa

Review Wednesdays: Bunheads by Sophie Flack

Title: Bunheads

Author: Sophie Flack

1st Date of Publication: October 10, 2011

ISBN: 9780316126540

# of Pages: 300

Genre: YA Contemporary

Age Rating: 15+ (Some language)

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Book Description: As a dancer with the ultra-prestigious Manhattan Ballet Company, nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward juggles intense rehearsals, dazzling performances and complicated backstage relationships. Up until now, Hannah has happily devoted her entire life to ballet. But when she meets a handsome musician named Jacob, Hannah's universe begins to change, and she must decide if she wants to compete against the other "bunheads" in the company for a star soloist spot or strike out on her own in the real world. Does she dare give up the gilded confines of the ballet for the freedoms of everyday life?

Setting: Manhattan, New York in the 21st Century

Point of View: First Person- Hannah Ward

Goodreads Rating: 3.73

My Rating: 4

Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Cover

View on the Cover: It shows the beauty of the ballerinas' dresses as a whole group.

View on the Title: It made me a little unsure because it seemed like an odd word and did not know what it meant, but I figured it was some sort of ballet lingo.

Pros:

• The beauty and hard work of performing ballets through the viewpoint of a corps dancer, Hannah Ward. You could tell the author, Sophie Flack, was a ballet dancer herself.
• It represents real questions and problems that older teenagers/early 20s have to deal with.
• Should she hope for solos, which means harder work and less of a life, or get out of the comfort zone and learn about the world outside of ballet? 
• Should she follow her heart or continue only what she knows?
• Several arts are recognized. Ballet, or course, is an art of dance, but Jacob (the main male character) is a musician/poet. There are also a few visits to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
• Jacob is an attractive college student at NYU who is humorous and brings out the best in Hannah.

Cons:

• Hannah is a little frustrating sometimes when it comes to the two men in her life, Jacob and Matt. She knows that she has feelings for Jacob but turns him down several times. Whenever Matt asks her out, she does not follow through with her "no." Although, I think part of that had to do with the fact that he is a wealthy sponsor of the ballet.
• She compares herself to others based on their success. At one point in the novel, she develops a little cleavage and she is told that she has gained too much which means she has to lose the chest. Competition is healthy until a certain point is reached.

Critics' Reviews:

"Readers, both dancers and 'pedestrians' (the corps' term for nondancers), will find Hannah's struggle a gripping read." -Publishers Weekly

"Ballet's gritty inside story...[The novel] depicts a world where the characters' most intimate friends are also their greatest obstacles to success." -The Wall Street Journal

"A glimpse into the life of a professional dancer." -Teen Vogue

Sophie Flack's Website:

http://sophieflack.com/

Other Recommendations:

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Somebody Everybody Listens To by Suzanne Supplee