Review: Rose by any other name by Maureen McCarthy

Rose by any other name by Maureen McCarthy
Released: January 2008
Publisher: Allen and Unwin
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5

Goodreads description:

Don'tcha just hate the way you get caught up in stuff without really wanting to? Then it goes a bit further, and suddenly you're one of those jerks you hate . . . Rose wants nothing more than to get away. Last year she had it all: pre-law in the fall, a budding romance, her best friend, Zoe. Now Zoe will never forgive her, her family is crumbling, and the secret that's been boiling up inside her for a year is bubbling too close to the surface. All Rose needs to escape is an old van, her surfboard, the road, the ocean, and . . . mom? When Rose's mother jumps in the passenger seat right as Rose is about to set off, her trip takes an unexpected turn. A twisting plot that keeps you guessing, told from the viewpoint of a realistically flawed yet snarky main character, makes this a book that just can't be put down.

My thoughts:

I was looking for a road trip book when I came across this one, it stood out for me because it was that bit different....she goes on a road trip with her MOTHER! Plus, it's an Aussie book and I have a ginormous soft spot for Aussie Contemps.

I liked Rose straight off the bat, she was prickly, defensive and difficult but I found it easy to like her. I really got the impression that she felt like her life had run away from her a bit and I liked that. She had her whole future planned out but through a series of unfortunate occurences and decisions she felt like there was no going back. I totally get how it feels to feel trapped by circumstance and like you can't move back or move forward. I really associated with her inability to express her emotions adequately and feeling emotionally stunted in comparison to those around her. Sometimes Rose did annoy me a little, but only cause I really wanted things to work out for her.   

Rose's family were an interesting and diverse mix. I liked how they all had their own personalities and behaviours, it definitely made them all feel real. I think I liked Dorothy best, she was pretty cool. Her mum too, I actually really liked her mum. She was a pretty cool mum, and what she'd had to deal with was awful but she managed really well eventually. Her dad I wasn't sure about. I mean, I know why he did what he did but I still thought he was a bit of a knob.

The road trip element was fairly....not mundane but much more normal in comparison to other road trip books I've read. I liked how Rose figured stuff out in a very subtle way, there were no huge dramatic revelations or life-changing experiences, it was just the right place and the right time for Rose. I felt the lead-ins to the flashbacks were a little clunky in places  and I'm still not entirely sure where I stand on flashbacks in general, but this book probably wouldn't have worked as well without them. I did feel like the whole thing with her Grandma was a little....anti-climatic. I really don't know what I expected, but I did expect more. I felt the same about the ending. In a way, it was perfect. There was no way Rose could just, snap right back, and we could definitely see the changes in her character and situation and outlook. But on the other hand, I wanted....more. Now this is strange for me, I normally like really open endings, but for Rose I just really wanted everything to be perfect again.

This is a really different road trip story, it's nicely subtle yet still full of meaning. I'm glad I found it and it is definitely worth a read!

Today Liz has a guest post with Luisa Plaja and a giveaway for you to enter ;)

Road Trip Week: My Ideal Road Trip

I would LOVE to go on a road trip. Sadly, you can't really road trip in the UK, because you can probably drive from one end of it to the other in a day if you really wanted to (Internet views range from about 15-22 hours...) PLUS I cannot drive. And am scared of cars.

HOWEVER. We readers don't like to live in reality very much, do we? So here is my ideal road trip...

1. Car: Something roomy, a 4x4 would make me feel much safer. Enough room in the back to kip if needs be.

2. Road trip mates: I think 3 people is a good number, 2 is sometimes a bit intimate and intense. I like the idea of a good friend and a relative stranger (though not a person you picked up off the street at random) kinda like the dynamic in Saving June. Also, as I'm single, a fit boy. Obvs. And they would have to be able to do the driving, because I do not do that.

3. Location: This depends. I love the idea of traveling down the East Coast of America, but at the same time I think a tour of Europe would be pretty freaking amazing. And there'd be lots of different stuff to see. I think I'd want to start in Paris and end in Greece, and drive through all of Eastern Europe which I think is much more interesting and bizarre than Western Europe.

4.Stops: I'd like to do a mix of things. Some cultural stops for stuff like the Louvre, Pere Lachaise, the Acropolis, but I'd also like to stop for insane things like the Paprika museum in Budapest (I didn't make that up), to go on some swings, to crash a party, for an unscheduled swim etc. 

5.Music: Diverse! I'm not the biggest music fan, but when I do listen to it I like it to be diverse. Lots of anthems that EVERYONE knows and you can shout along to, plus music that the other people on your trip like and can get you into. Bohemian Rhapsody is a must for ANY car journey. I also really like audio books in the car.

6.Snacks: Possibly THE most important part of any road trip? There would be lots of McDonald's in my road trip, as that is like, my favourite thing to eat. Plus big, sharing bags of crisps (especially paprika crisps, which exist a lot in Europe but not much in the UK). Drinks wise, I should probably just drink water as I am a self-confessed fizzy-drinks addict, but I will go with iced tea, in any flavour.

And there we have it! My dream road trip, pretty much. If you were going to plan one, how would it be?

Review: Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt

Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt
Released: June 2007
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Source: Bought for Kindle
Rating: 3/5

Goodreads Description:

This is Jordan and Courtney, totally in love. Sure, they were an unlikely high school couple. But they clicked; it worked. They're even going to the same college, and driving cross-country together for orientation.
Then Jordan dumps Courtney -- for a girl he met on the Internet.
It's too late to change plans, so the road trip is on. Courtney's heartbroken, but figures she can tough it out for a few days. La la la -- this is Courtney pretending not to care.
But in a strange twist, Jordan cares. A lot.
Turns out, he's got a secret or two that he's not telling Courtney. And it has everything to do with why they broke up, why they can't get back together, and how, in spite of it all, this couple is destined for each other.

My thoughts:

Me and Two Way Street got off to a bad start. I didn't really like either Courtney or Jordan much and I never really warmed to them. I found Courtney a bt precious and whiny, too controlling. Jordan was just a bit of a jerk really. I didn't like him at all, he's the sort of boy I absolutely detest. A massive tool who treats women as his playthings, has no respect for them and doesn't treat them with dignity. I get that he 'changed' because of Courtney but still, I really didn't like him.

I really liked the idea of this book, going on a road trip with your ex is possibly the most painful thing ever. Being trapped in a confined space with them, for hours, with very little to do.... I kinda liked how they both wound each other up, pretending to speak to people on the phone that they knew would annoy the other and things like that. They were both kinda manipulative and a bit bitchy. I think that's how we'd all be, in the situation, though we'd like to think we wouldn't be.

There wasn't that much of a road trip feel to this book, in that they wanted to get from point A to B and there wasn't much stopping in between.It didn't feel as road trippy as I anticipated it being, which was a bit of a shame, but I still enjoyed the tension between the two and the road trip elements we did have.

The revelation of the book was pretty heavily hinted at, even from the off which I found a bit surprising. I wasn't sure if it was the author's intention for the reader to know exactly why they broke up or not, but I did kinda like the dynamic it set up of knowing Jordan's motivations, knowing what Courtney thought and the discrepancy between the two. I did feel the pain at their break up was a little diminished by the fact they were only together about 3 months....I was a little sceptical of that and I feel the book would've worked better if they'd been together a little bit longer, though I could see why it had been written that way. I was also let down by the ending which I felt was a bit easy, a bit too rushed.

This review seems really negative, but it isn't. I did enjoy reading this book, but I did have some very specific issues with it as you can see above. Overall though, I did actually like it, just not as much as I thought I would or as much as everyone else seems to!

Today Liz is reviewing How to Be Bad!

Caitlin Considers: The Appeal of Road Trip Books

It's time for another discussion post! Today I'm considering the almost universal appeal of road trip books. In my opinion, the popularity of this type of book stems from several different reasons; firstly, the adventure of them, as well as the emotional journeys often experienced by the characters and of course, the inclusion of music, snacks and car journey games!!

Let's start with the adventure aspect. I think most of us have fantasised at one point or another about getting into a car and just...driving. Being spontaneous, seizing the moment, saying yes. Doing cool things, seeing cool things, hanging out with cool people. We all want to escape our lives at some point and go off on a crazy trip to see the world. So we do this vicariously through our characters; we live their trip, their experiences, their interactions. We thrive off the descriptions of the places they go and the people they see. We imagine that one day, it might be us on such a trip.

The emotional journey is another important aspect. This mirrors the physical journey the character takes, and often ends when that does with a big revelation, resolution or breakthrough. At the start of the trip one or more of the characters is often broken, damaged in some way having suffered a loss or trauma or issue of some kind. We see them struggling to cope with whatever has happened to them, watch them mend slowly but surely regaining pieces of themselves along the way, or growing into who they want to be. This often helps us relate to and sympathise with the characters because it makes them feel more real, more human, more vulnerable. It can help us deal with our own issues, identity crisis's or feelings of being lost or misplaced.

On a lighter note, the strong musical themes, addition of road trip snacks, games and conversations helps make these books so addictive. Something about these elements help tie the story together, adding a more believable feel and aiding the enjoyability factor of the story. They help create a complete picture of what's going on within the story, help build the world the characters inhabit.

My current favourite road trip book is Saving June by Hannah Harrington. It's one of my favourite contemporary YA reads. In fact, it may be one of my favourite books. It has everything for me. The reckless abandon and excitement of a road trip, depth and development from all the characters, an emotional and physical journey that affects everyone involved. It contains a tonne of music, lots of snacks, interesting games and conversations. The characters embrace spontanaeity, but also have to face the consequences of their actions and decisions. It is life, essentially, messy and beautiful and totally unique and it is wonderful.

Where does the appeal of road trip books come from for you? Which is your favourite one?

Today Liz has a review of 13 Little Blue Envelopes up!

Review: In Honor by Jessi Kirby

In Honor by Jessi Kirby
Publisher: Simon&Schuster
Released: 8th May 2012
Source: Bought for Kindle
Rating: 2/5

Goodreads description:

Hours after her brother’s military funeral, Honor opens the last letter Finn ever sent. In her grief, she interprets his note as a final request and spontaneously decides to go to California to fulfill it.

Honor gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn’s best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn’t seen Rusty in ages, but it’s obvious he is as arrogant and stubborn as ever—not to mention drop-dead gorgeous. Despite Honor’s better judgment, the two set off together on a voyage from Texas to California. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn’s memory—but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?

My thoughts:

I was insanely excited for this book, the cover the description, the road trip element, I couldn't wait for it. I preordered it to my kindle (never done that before) and eagerly counted down the days till release. Then, disappointment. I just didn't like it. Everything about the book felt off to me.

I really didn't like Honor. She was spoilt and selfish. Her grief for her brother never felt real to me, and though she left on the spur of the moment she was still woefully unprepared for the road trip.She didn't even put socks on for God's sake. I never felt any true emotions or growth from her character at all and I found this really disappointing. Everything about her situation felt cookie-cutter, like she was going through the motions of loss but none of it was real.

I really didn't like Rusty either, he wasn't the sort of 'bad boy' character I like, he was just a jerk. I seriously couldn't find one redeeming feature in him and his relationship with Honor never felt natural, and was very confused. To be honest, he kinda reminded me of Haymitch in The Hunger Games, only less charming and sneaky. 

One thing that really bugged me I mean really, really bugged me, was the lack of descriptions. Now, I don't need every minute thing laid out for me in paragraphs of endless description, but I don't even know what Honor or Rusty really looked like or anything! And Honor and everyone around her kept going on about her boots, but again I don't even know what the sodding boots looked like. It just made it really hard for me to visualise anyone or anything. Maybe the description was there and I missed it, it's kinda hard to go back and check on a Kindle, but either way there just wasn't enough general description for me which made it harder for me to get into the story.


The road trip itself was a pretty bleak one, not much music or snacking or chatting or anything really. There were the usual mishaps and side adventures that you get from road trip books, but overall I was a little disappointed by this element of it. 


The ending I found really predictable, and most of the revelations just highlighted for me how selfish and self-absorbed Honor really is. I kind of hated her in a way, and I didn't feel like enough was resolved to make this a book about growth or anything like that. So overall, I was just immensely disappointed. I expected a lot from this book and it just really didn't deliver for me. Having said that, there are many, many glowing reviews on Goodreads, so you should probably check those out before you make a decision about whether to read this!


Stop by Liz's blog today for a review of An Abundance of Katherines

Review: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour

It's Road Trip week!! We can't have a celebration of all things contemporary without some mention of these wonderful books. All this week me and Liz will be covering all things road trippy on our blogs and to start off, I have a review of Amy and Roger's Epic Detour:

 Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Released: 7th July 2011 (UK)
Publisher: Simon&Schuster Children's Books (UK)
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5

Goodreads description:

Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn't seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she's coming to terms with her father's death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.

My thoughts:

Amy Curry has not had it easy. Her dad is dead, her brother is in rehab and her mother is moving her across the country so she can start a new job. And to make matters worse, Amy has to be driven there by the son of a family friend whom she hasn't seen for a long time.

I liked Amy as a character, she was shy and awkward and understandably so after what she's been through. I liked how she slowly came out of her shell, how the people she met, conversations she had and places she visited slowly helped heal her. I liked how she stood up to her mum and did something for herself, rather than abiding to the strict schedule left for her.

It took me a little longer to warm to Roger, but eventually I liked him too. I could totally empathise with his confusion at the abrupt end to his relationship, but I did kinda wish he'd had more dignity about the whole situation. He made the right call in the end, but for a while I did feel like telling him to get a grip

The relationship between Amy and Roger developed fantastically and very naturally. I loved how Amy was instantly aware that Roger is attractive, and how uncomfortable this made her, which combined with her awkwardness from lack of social interaction made for an interesting start to their dynamic. Roger on the other hand was clearly more outgoing and I liked seeing how he managed to get some interactions out of Amy. By the end they were enjoying each other's music, choosing each other's snacks, sharing in jokes and games and experiences. The road trip felt largely organic in terms of what it consisted of, the people they ran into and the things they did. There were a couple of moments where it felt a little too convenient or set up, but I wasn't too bothered by that. 


My only major issue with this book was I felt a lack of emotional depth. I don't know if this is because I read Saving June first, which is a very emotional story, but I just felt like there wasn't enough there, it didn't move me to the extent I expected, there wasn't as many breakthroughs or realisations as I expected, and the chemistry between Amy and Roger was very mild and at times a little lacklustre in my opinion. I also wasn't a fan of what Amy said and did when she visited her brother. Aside from these little niggles though, this was a fantastic road trip book. I loved the inclusion of all the music, the little scrapbook elements, all the food/snacks and the emotional and mental journeys of the characters as well as the physical one they went on. I also really liked the ending, I thought it was superb and I couldn't have imagined a better one.

Stop by Liz's blog today where she's put together a post of her ideal road trip music!

And don't forget to stop by our various giveaways! You can win a complete set of Ally Carter books (UK) or a Contemp YA book of your choice here, a complete set of Keris Stainton books + a copy of Graffiti Moon here, a copy of Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby here and finally a set of Julia Green books here