The Book of Broken Hearts Review

The Book of Broken Hearts
by Sarah Ockler
Genre: YA Contemporary
Format: ARC received from Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for my honest review, I do get to keep a copy of the book.
Midnight Minute: The summer before college Jude isn't acting in a play or hanging out with her friends, instead she's taking care of her beloved Papi and being tempted by the one boy she's sworn to hate. 
Expected Publication: 05.21.13 (the day before my birthday. Coincidence? I think not!)
From Goodreads:

When all signs point to heartbreak, can love still be a rule of the road? A poignant and romantic novel from the author of Bittersweet and Twenty Boy Summer.

Jude has learned a lot from her older sisters, but the most important thing is this: The Vargas brothers are notorious heartbreakers. She’s seen the tears and disasters that dating a Vargas boy can cause, and she swore an oath—with candles and a contract and everything—to never have anything to do with one.

Now Jude is the only sister still living at home, and she’s spending the summer helping her ailing father restore his vintage motorcycle—which means hiring a mechanic to help out. Is it Jude’s fault he happens to be cute? And surprisingly sweet? And a Vargas?

Jude tells herself it’s strictly bike business with Emilio. Her sisters will never find out, and Jude can spot those flirty little Vargas tricks a mile away—no way would she fall for them. But Jude’s defenses are crumbling, and if history is destined to repeat itself, she’s speeding toward some serious heartbreak…unless her sisters were wrong?

Jude may have taken an oath, but she’s beginning to think that when it comes to love, some promises might be worth breaking.

Midnight Thoughts:

~ Jude is the youngest of four girls, and the only left at home. I loved the relationship she had with her sisters and her parents, how close they all are despite the differences in ages.
~ Papi has early on-set Alzheimers, which is heart-breaking, and especially meaningful to me because I work with so many clients with cognitive impairment.  I'm so glad to see it featured in books, because I really feel that it's easy to dismiss people who suffer from this disease.  Ockler does an amazing job of making Papi a real person, and not just a caricature. 
~ Jude's parents are originally from Argentina, and it's very much a part of this novel.  It made me realize how rarely I read books that deal with different ethnic backgrounds.  I kind of fell in love with the Hernandez family.
~ Oh, the Book of Broken Hearts, it's the real deal!  The whole scene with the sisters, and the pledge they make against the Vargas boys felt very Practical Magic-ish and I loved every minute of it.  I would die for a peek of this book!
~ Jude and Papi call his disease El Demonio, which is the perfect way to describe it. 
~ Although this book does deal with Jude's evolving feelings for Emilio, it's so much more than a romance.  It's really more about Jude coming to terms with her father's illness and her identity separate from her sisters. 
~ Emilio won my heart when he helps Jude calm Papi down during an episode.  He's not afraid or embarrassed by Papi's melt down, and it was wonderful. 
~ LOL moment: when Jude says that the Vargas boys were like Hernandez Lady Kyrptonite.
~ Sad moment: How in denial Jude is in the beginning about her father's illness.  Although it's completely understandable, wanting your loved one to beat an incurable disease.
~ A girl teaching a guy to drive stick shift is dead sexy!
~ My favorite line in the book is about family tragedies, how they smash everything up, but glue it back together at the same time.  It was so true that it made me tear up. 
~ I only have brothers, but everything I know from friends and books only confirms that sisters are extremely complicated.  I both envy and am scared of Jude's relationship with her sisters.  Mostly afraid. 
~ Early on-set Alzheimers is genetic, and there are tests that can determine if you carry the genes.  Jude and her sisters have a 50/50 chance of getting the same disease.  I wish this storyline had featured a bit more, but I get that it would have definitely changed the tone of the book. 
~ I also wanted more of the Vargas boys.  I wanted to know what Emilio's older brothers were up to, but we don't really get to see them.  I wanted to know the reasons behind their decisions to break the Hernandez sister's hearts.  
~ The cover of the book is cute, but a bit generic.  I think showing an actual beat up book with the title of Broken Hearts would have been better.  However, this current cover should appeal to all us book lovers, right?
~ The ending was so good, bittersweet, but so good.  I would love to see a sequel a few years down the road to see how the Hernandez family is, but if I don't get it I won't be upset.

Timeless Characters:

Jude- youngest sister, best daughter imaginable.
Emilio- hot Vargas brother, knows his way around a motorcycle and melts hearts on a daily basis.
Papi- an amazing man losing his memories.
Rita- Jude's wonderful mother.
The Hernandez Sisters: Lourdes, Araceli and Mariposa.
Pancake- Jude's golden retriever, her interpretations of what he's thinking are a much needed comic relief. 
Zoe and Christina- Jude's friends, living the summer Jude thought she'd be having too.
Duke- Emilio's boss at Duchess Custom Cycles.
Valentina- Papi's bike.
Samuel- Emilio's friend, he calls Jude a drama llama, which cracked me up.
 

Midnight Moment:

4th of July, Jude and Emilio's walk in the woods and the butterscotch scented trees.

Stop The Clock:

I own Twenty Boy Summer but haven't read beyond the first chapter, but I already knew I loved her writing, and this book only confirmed that love.  I can't imagine anyone not liking this book!


Sarah Ockler— Website | Sarah Ockler

The Book of Broken Hearts gets a Midnight Book Rating of: 

Torched Review

Torched
by Andrea Lynn Colt
Genre: YA Contemporary/Mystery
Format: Ebook sent to me for review by author in exchange for my honest opinion.
Midnight Minute: After being accused of a crime she didn't commit, cheerleader Rose stops her pranks and picks up her Sherlock Holmes cap.
From Goodreads:

Rose Whitfield's senior year just went up in smoke. Instead of having a blast with her best friend, her cheerleading squad, and her boyfriend Ryan, she's framed for arson. Popularity and criminal records don't mix, apparently.

Luckily, Rose knows who's framing her: Paxton Callaway. Paxton and Rose have spent years locked in a war of practical jokes. This time he's gone too far. Rose sets out to prove her innocence, win Ryan back, and take Paxton down hard.

Not necessarily in that order.

Excerpts and more at www.lynncolt.com

Midnight Thoughts:

~ Normally I get horrible book pitches for my website, authors or publishers who haven't bothered to look through my site and want me to read their mermaid porn sci fi non fiction autobiography, so I was super excited get Colt's email and then realize she actually did know what I like, and that this was a good fit for me to at least try.  That said, I still didn't expect it to be this good.  But I loved this book!
~ Rose is a cheerleader, which is not usually someone I can identify with, but she wasn't a stereo-type.  Her life is shallowly perfect, and it's quick to crumble once things go wrong for her- her friends, her boyfriend, her parents, everything is either stripped away or on shaky ground.
~ Everything that Rose went through had me super emotional.  Despite this being a YA Contemporary with mystery and humor, I was still physically ill over Rose's troubles.  There are so many consequences to the crime she's being framed for, and I was like a little kid blubbering in the corner, "But it's not fair!" Despite this, Rose handles everything so much better than I would have. 
~ I found Rose's family dynamic to be very fascinating, especially her relationship with her dad, who is way more into her mom than her mom is into her dad.  Relationships that are so very unbalanced are never good.
~ Rose's bestie in the beginning is Alina Rose, and once they end up on opposite sides of things, someone refers to their fighting as War of the Roses, which tickled me to no end.  
~ I really liked all the pranks Rose and Paxton had committed in the past (and some of Paxton's future ones), although they both come to realize their little prank war has hurt other people unintentionally. 
~ Like in real life, it's the people who stick around when the chips are down who are your true friends.  Hayley, Paxton's super sweet girlfriend, is one to the few people in school who doesn't jump on the Shun Rose bandwagon.  I was expecting to dislike her, but she's just a genuinely decent person. 
~ This book reminds me of what biatches high school girls can be.  I am so glad not to be in high school anymore.  Being 35 doesn't suck that bad in comparison. 
~ I loved Rose and Paxton!! They really reminded me of Jenna and Mattie's relationship in 13 Going on 30, even if the story parallels aren't identical, and Paxton hits his hottie potential much earlier on. 
~ Both Rose and Paxton, especially Paxton, put a lot of effort into their pranks, and you can tell the author must have had a lot of fun thinking them up.  
~ I honest to goodness drew a little heart on the page at the end of my notes.  As if to remind me how much I loved this book.
~ Rose made for a pretty good sleuth, but I can't say much about the plot without giving things away that will be more fun for you to read about and discover on your own.  It's a very fun, sexy YA mystery!

Timeless Characters:

Rose- type A teen, on the track to achieving all her goals until she gets framed for arson.
Paxton- former friend, boy next door, has an on-going prank war going with Rose- which makes him suspect #1, and hottie.
Ryan- equally over-achieving sexy boyfriend of Rose until she's accused to setting his boat on fire.
Alina- Popular mean girl who, until the arson, is Rose's bestie.  
Juliette- Paxton's younger sister.
Natalie- cheerleader and all around thorn in Rose's side.
Hayley- Paxton's incredibly sweet girlfriend, also a cheerleader. 
Georgette and Francesca- twins, one of who caused much woe to Rose's perfect high school life.
Beverly, aka BB- cast off friend of Alina's.
Cloudmonster- Rose's beloved car. I just really like the name. ;)

Midnight Moment:

This is a tiny bit SPOILERISH- so highlight to read-
When Paxton and Rose make out during the dinner party.  Super sexy!

Stop The Clock:

Torched is a fun, fast and totally fantastic contemporary YA!  I can totally recommend this to all my blogging besties.



Andrea Lynn Colt — Website |Andrea Colt

Torched gets a Midnight Book Rating of: 

Uses For Boys Review

Uses For Boys
by Erica Lorraine Scheidt
Genre: YA Contemporary
Format: ARC from Around the World ARC tours in exchange for an honest review.
Expected Publication: 01.15.13
Midnight Minute: Anna's a latch key kid following her mom's footsteps when it comes to seeking out male attention.
From Goodreads:

Anna remembers a time before boys, when she was little and everything made sense. When she and her mom were a family, just the two of them against the world. But now her mom is gone most of the time, chasing the next marriage, bringing home the next stepfather. Anna is left on her own—until she discovers that she can make boys her family. From Desmond to Joey, Todd to Sam, Anna learns that if you give boys what they want, you can get what you need. But the price is high—the other kids make fun of her; the girls call her a slut. Anna's new friend, Toy, seems to have found a way around the loneliness, but Toy has her own secrets that even Anna can't know.

Then comes Sam. When Anna actually meets a boy who is more than just useful, whose family eats dinner together, laughs, and tells stories, the truth about love becomes clear. And she finally learns how it feels to have something to lose—and something to offer. Real, shocking, uplifting, and stunningly lyrical,  Uses for Boys  is a story of breaking down and growing up.

Midnight Thoughts:

~Anna and her mom were close until their relationship wasn't enough.  Her mother's pursuit of male affection leaves Anna alone and vulnerable. 
~If you're a fan of books by Ellen Hopkins or recent Elizabeth Scott novels, this book is right up your alley.  Despite the cute cover, the book is a lot more on the bleak side. You will not get the warm fuzzies that the fairy lights on the cover seem to promise. 
~I love the term Anna uses to describe her happier childhood memories, she calls them "the-tell-me-again-times".  
~Anna's mom isn't an all out bad mom, but she's very concerned with her own happiness.  I strongly believe that the best parents are those who are happy with themselves, that filters down to their kids, but behaving in such a way as to ignore your children in the pursuit of your own happiness is worse kind of selfishness.  There are so many ways to damage kids, it's a wonder any of us turn out functional!
~Anna's mom is continously searching outside herself for completion and happiness, which explains how everything she gets is never enough.  Anna's similar, but she craves emotional connection more than material comfort and security.
~I don't read a lot of books and think about songs that would fit, but every once and awhile a book or character will remind me of a particular song.  Despite the fact that I fail to see the attraction that John Mayer holds for gorgeous, famous women, his song 'Daughters' really goes well with this book.  Please, do not use this as an endorsement of John Mayer.  He has some good songs, but he always looks drugged. Always. He can't always be stoned, can he?
~Anna is labeled by the girls in school as a slut and whore, even before she's sexually active.  I don't know why it is we tear one another down with these labels, and how just one act of sexual nature can transfer a girl into a full blown slut.  It's disturbing, and how many girls like Anna are just looking for love, for family?  
~Sad, bad things happen in this novel because Anna hasn't learned the difference between love and sex and positive vs. negative attention, due to the fact that her mom doesn't seem to understand them either and is never around. 
~Anna does grow and learn in this novel, and while she makes a lot of mistakes and is used and abused by others along the way, she begins to know and love herself.  So many times, YA heroines are practically perfect, they aren't high school drop outs, they are usually rescued by one bad guy by the good guy.  Anna has to rescue herself in this book, and she has limited tools to do this.
~I didn't like this book, the subject matter was too dark and dreary for that, but it was a compelling read.  It's a book that reminds me of how lucky I am, and to be more careful about the labels we assign to people.

Timeless Characters:

Anna- main character, searching for the love her mother stopped giving her. 
Anna's mom- puts the emphasis on trying to hook a man, ignores her very needy daughter.
Nancy Baxter- the first real friend of Anna's- she has the life Anna craves.
Toy- Anna's best friend. 

The Boys:
Desmond Dreyfus- the first boy
Joey Sugimoto- the first boyfriend
Todd- I don't know what to say about him.
Josh- the first serious boyfriend
Some Random Boys
Miguel- co-worker
Sam- a nice boy

Midnight Moment:

I didn't really have a midnight moment in this book, but a part that really struck me was when Anna sees a girl with dreadlocks who works at a cafe.  Anna comments that she always feels that girls with dreadlocks must know something about themselves that Anna doesn't know about herself.  I completely understand that.  There are some people who you can just tell by looking at them that they know exactly who they are.  I don't suffer from self-doubt or feel the need to "find myself" but I admire people that are deeply secure with themselves.  I tend to over think a lot of things.

Stop The Clock:

Uses for Boys was not what I was expecting, but it's still a realistic portrait of what happens to young girls who don't know and aren't taught their own self-worth.  Things happen to Anna that are not okay, and she doesn't have the self-esteem to even recognize how wrong they are.  Anna makes a lot of choices that I don't agree with, but they make sense in the context of her life.  I might not have liked Anna's story, but it's going to staying with me for a long time.


Erica Lorraine Scheidt — Website |EricaLorraine

Uses for Boys gets a Midnight Book Rating of: 

*Read in 2012