Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg

Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg
"Emme, Sophie, Ethan, and Carter are seniors at a performing arts school, getting ready for their Senior Showcase recital, where the pressure is on to appeal to colleges, dance academies, and professionals in show business. For Sophie, a singer, it's been great to be friends with Emme, who composes songs for her, and to date Carter, soap opera heartthrob who gets plenty of press coverage. Emme and Ethan have been in a band together through all four years of school, but wonder if they could be more than just friends and bandmates. Carter has been acting since he was a baby, and isn't sure how to admit that he'd rather paint than perform. The Senior Showcase is going to make or break each of the four, in a funny, touching, spectacular finale that only Elizabeth Eulberg could perform."- summary from Amazon

Elizabeth Eulberg is one of my new favorite authors. I just absolutely loved her previous two books and couldn't wait for this one to be released. I was so happy when a copy arrived, especially during my break from blogging because I pretty much immediately started it, which if I had been going by a schedule, I wouldn't have been able to do.

I flew through the book really quickly. Each of the characters are so interesting and it was fun to read their journeys through the same school, as well as seeing their interactions with each other from different perspectives. I liked how Carter's chapters were set up like a movie script with the dialogue set apart from the regular prose; it emphasized how he grew up reading scripts and acting and that's pretty much all he's known.

Sophie was such an annoying character, especially as the book went on. I was fine with her in the beginning but after flashing forward to senior year and going through it, she was a mega pain and frustrated me with her lack of trust and just general rhymes-with-witchery. Emme and Ethan were both adorable in their own ways and I liked how they grew (and sometimes made mistakes) throughout the book. Plus, it takes place in a performing arts school, which is just plain awesome. I love the performing arts so this book was completely up my alley.

Overall, this book is amazing and everyone should read it, especially if you're looking for good contemporary. I think this is her best book by far and I cannot wait to read what she's got next!


FTC: Received hardcover from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

The Night She Disappeared by April Henry

The Night She Disappeared by April Henry
"Gabie drives a Mini Cooper. She also works part time as a delivery girl at Pete’s Pizza. One night, Kayla—another delivery girl—goes missing. To her horror, Gabie learns that the supposed kidnapper had asked if the girl in the Mini Cooper was working that night. Gabie can’t move beyond the fact that Kayla’s fate was really meant for her, and she becomes obsessed with finding Kayla. She teams up with Drew, who also works at Pete’s. Together, they set out to prove that Kayla isn’t dead—and to find her before she is."- summary from Amazon

What a thriller! I love these types of stories and Henry did an amazing job putting this one together. I really enjoyed the multiple perspectives, and it's always interesting to have a few chapters from the bad guy's point of view. Included also in between chapters are transcripts from police interviews, a coroner's report, 911 calls, and other stuff relating to Kayla's case.

I wish I could've read this book in one sitting, but unfortunately, I had to put it down a few times. It was that good. Henry just has this great way of writing that really pulls you in and keeps you turning the pages. Even though the reader finds out kinda early on that Kayla is alive, there's the tension of whether or not she'll be alive long enough for anyone to find and save her. It was creepy reading the kidnapper's interactions with her.

I do feel like because of the short length and multiple perspectives, there wasn't much character depth, so this is more for people who like plot-focused books. The reader finds out various things about these characters, but they never sink in enough to get a good handle on them.

Overall, this is a fast-paced thriller that will have you staying up until you finish the last word!


FTC: Received e-galley from Netgalley. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Cat Friday (24)

It's been a long time since I've done one of these, so here you go. I call this "Samson in Motion":

A friend of ours had a small cat tower that she didn't need anymore, so she gave it to us. We've since gotten a bigger cat tower and are using both. The cats absolutely love it and so do we- they're adorable on it! I'll show the newer one sometime in the future. Hope you all enjoyed this! :)

The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson

The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson
"Ginny Blackstone thought that the biggest adventure of her life was behind her. She spent last summer traveling around Europe, following the tasks her aunt Peg laid out in a series of letters before she died. When someone stole Ginny's backpack—and the last little blue envelope inside—she resigned herself to never knowing how it was supposed to end.

Months later, a mysterious boy contacts Ginny from London, saying he's found her bag. Finally, Ginny can finish what she started. But instead of ending her journey, the last letter starts a new adventure—one filled with old friends, new loves, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Ginny finds she must hold on to her wits . . . and her heart. This time, there are no instructions."- summary from Amazon

I absolutely LOVED 13 Little Blue Envelopes and was excited to hear about the sequel, yet it still took me over a year to actually get around to reading it. I wasn't disappointed (it is a Maureen Johnson book, after all) but I didn't feel the same amount of love I felt for the first book.

It was great getting back into Ginny's shoes and going off on a whirlwind trip with her across the UK and Europe to complete the final letter. It was interesting how Johnson brought in the last letter and the circumstances surrounding it, and it certainly made things more complicated. The locations in this book were really fun to read about and Johnson's prose really made me feel as if I were there.

Keith and Ginny's relationship was handled realistically too, and I liked how Johnson dealt with it. Even though I'd like to see those two together, it still felt right having Keith be with someone else. I'm not totally sure I agree with how Ginny ended up romantically because it just seemed too convenient.

Overall, this is a nice, funny follow-up to 13 Little Blue Envelopes and I'm glad Johnson was able to complete this unique story. We now know what the 13th envelope said!


FTC: Received ARC from my awesome friend Kristi of The Story Siren. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Waiting on Wednesday- The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

My Waiting on Wednesday pick this week is The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson. Summary is below the picture and does contain spoilers from Book 1.

"Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone’s power. That is not all she finds.

A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy."- summary from Goodreads

I absolutely LOVED The Girl of Fire and Thorns. I sped through it and have been so excited for the second (and third) book. Whenever I get a copy, I will be reading it right away. Carson created a fantastic world and a wonderful main character to root for. If you have not read the first book, go do so now!

This will be released September 18, 2012 from Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins.