Reminiscent Reviews- Total Constant Order by Crissa-Jean Chappell

Reminiscent Reviews is a new feature I decided to do when I was talking with Jordanna Fraiberg and Daphne Grab in August 2012 and I realized that I wanted to recommend their books again. The other plus to this feature is that I'll slowly but surely be moving all my Myspace reviews here onto Blogspot, which will be good in case something ever happens to Myspace. Basically, I'll be reposting my old reviews and then be doing an update on what the author has been up to since that book. Hope you all enjoy!

Total Constant Order by Crissa-Jean Chappell
"Fin can't stop counting. She's always heard a voice inside her head, ordering her to listen, but ever since she's moved to the Sunshine State and her parents split up, numbers thump like a metronome, rhythmically keeping things in control. When a new doctor introduces terms such as "clinical depression" and "OCD" and offers a prescription for medication, the chemical effects make Fin feel even more messed up. Until she meets Thayer, a doodling, rule-bending skater who buzzes to his own beat—and who might just understand Fin's hunger to belong, and her struggle for total constant order."- summary from Amazon

In Chappell's amazing debut novel, she really conveys the character of Fin in a very believable and sympathetic fashion. With patches of humor throughout and a very honest portrayal of the whole cast of characters, this is one book that should definitely not be missed. We here at Book Chic can't wait to see more from this promising new author!


Update: WOW. Short review, lol. I feel like I wrote shorter reviews back then. Crissa was a Fresh New Voice of YA when it was still pretty new back in Nov 2007 (it had started in August of that year). She disappeared for a while but came back this year with a new book called Narc, which came out from Flux in August. She recently sold another book that will be out in winter 2014. She was also one of the contributers for the book Dear Bully. Crissa is awesome and I was so happy to meet and chat with her at this year's BEA.


This will be my final Reminiscent Review for now as it seems like it was a feature that didn't really catch on. I may post another in the future, but it won't be a regular feature like I had planned.

Reminiscent Reviews- Alive and Well in Prague, New York by Daphne Grab

Reminiscent Reviews is a new feature I decided to do when I was talking with Jordanna Fraiberg and Daphne Grab in August 2012 and I realized that I wanted to recommend their books again. The other plus to this feature is that I'll slowly but surely be moving all my Myspace reviews here onto Blogspot, which will be good in case something ever happens to Myspace. Basically, I'll be reposting my old reviews and then be doing an update on what the author has been up to since that book. Hope you all enjoy!

Alive and Well in Prague, New York by Daphne Grab
"Matisse Osgood is a New York City girl through and through. But when her father gets sick and Matisse's parents decide to leave Manhattan for a small town in upstate New York, her perfect world crumbles. When rumors again surround Matisse at her new school and her father's symptoms worsen, Matisse realizes that the friends she's making in Prague are the kind you can count on. They help Matisse find the strength to reach out to her father, who may not be as far from her as she thought. And one particular farm boy shows Matisse that country living is a lot more magical than she ever imagined."- summary from Amazon

Grab's debut is absolutely riveting and is told with such emotion and tenderness, which made it an absolute joy to read this book. The characters are very realistic and complex, especially Matisse, and it's just fascinating to read about her. She felt very real to me as a reader, and it's great when an author is able to convey and make that connection. Filled with wit, realism, and warmth, this is another debut book you do not want to miss.

Update: Like with Jordanna's last week, this book came out in 2008 and Grab has been MIA since then. She has a new book coming out later this year called The Girl in the Wall, and it's a thriller. She also was very sweet and is replacing my lent out lost copy of Alive and Well. Also, I don't mention it (and not sure why I didn't) but I did almost cry while reading this book and that NEVER happens. I am not a crier by any means so if an author can get me to almost cry by reading about what their characters are going through, that is a BIG plus. Please check this book out!

Reminiscent Reviews- In Your Room by Jordanna Fraiberg

Reminiscent Reviews is a new feature I decided to do when I was talking with Jordanna Fraiberg and Daphne Grab in August 2012 and I realized that I wanted to recommend their books again. The other plus to this feature is that I'll slowly but surely be moving all my Myspace reviews here onto Blogspot, which will be good in case something ever happens to Myspace. Basically, I'll be reposting my old reviews and then be doing an update on what the author has been up to since that book. Hope you all enjoy!

In Your Room by Jordanna Fraiberg
"When their families decide to swap houses one summer, Charlie and Molly think it's going to be the worst summer of their lives. Charlie loves the omnipresence of nature and forest trails for him to bike on in the town of Boulder, Colorado. Molly is a pure city girl and avoids much of nature at all costs living in Los Angeles. When the swap finally happens, both of them begin to email the other and form a bond, and slowly begin to try out new things and breaking out of their shell. Can perfect strangers be perfect for each other?"- summary from somewhere, lol.

Let me preface this by saying that I will be gushing about this book even more so than I usually do. This story is so romantic, and the ending just had me in smiles even after I had closed the book. Told from both Molly and Charlie's POVs, as well as emails and IMs with each other and their friends, the story unravels quickly and makes the pages fly by. Fraiberg's debut is fantastic, especially with tackling the tough task of writing realistically from the opposite sex's point of view, but she handles it effortlessly and it doesn't come across as forced. Also, this book is hilarious and filled with laugh-out-loud moments. Keep an eye out for this author- she's sure to dazzle us even more with her future books.


Update: This was posted back in 2008 when the book came out. Jordanna Fraiberg unfortunately has been MIA since then, but she told me she has a new book coming out in Summer 2013 from Razorbill (imprint of Penguin) titled OUR SONG. She and I have kept in touch over the years and when I contacted her recently about getting a copy of In Your Room for my shelves (I had lent mine out and it got lost), she was totally up for it and sent me one. She's the sweetest and I so wish we didn't live on opposite sides of the US! I'd love to hang out with her sometime. Maybe at next year's BEA? Anyway, if you haven't picked up In Your Room yet, go get it and read it! If you've read it already, re-read it. It's such an awesome book.