4 Sniffs Review: PRETENDERS by Lisi Harrison

Title: Pretenders
Series: Pretenders #1
Author: Lisi Harrison
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Poppy
ASIN: B00BAXFBPK
Release Date: October 1, 2013
Source: NetGalley
Links: Goodreads ☆ Amazon

My picture is on page eighteen of Noble High's Phoenix yearbook. I am one of the Phoenix Five. You nominated me. You thought I was one of the most outstanding students in our freshman class. You were wrong.

Still, I accepted my award. I acted special. But I couldn't help wondering what it was like to be that way for real. So I broke into Ms. Silver's safe in the faculty lounge and stole all five of our journals. I'm not exposing them out of jealousy or anger. I'm doing this because I am tired of the lies. The bar is too high, and cheating is the only way to reach it. Instagrams are filtered, Facebook profiles are embellished, photos are shopped, Manti T'eo's girlfriend was a fake...is anything real anymore?

I found the answer in our journals. These are 100 percent real and 100 percent unedited. The proof is in the pages:

We're all pretenders.

It's the start of Freshman year. The year that defines who you are for the rest of high school. And the five students who become the Phoenix Five are the best of the best...or so everyone thinks. PRETENDERS shows us the truth.

I really liked who seamless each journal entry connected to the one before and the one after. I think this is the most drama-ridden book I've read in a very long time. But that drama is what makes PRETENDERS so great. There is so much high school hi jinx that it kept me wanting to know what could possibly happen next. And I can say that anything you can imagine happening to a high schooler, does and probably will happen in the future.

I know that many people didn't like how the book ended from reading previous reviews, but I thought that it ended in the perfect spot. The cliffhanger isn't huge or anything, but I still really want to know what's going to happen next. And that defines a good ending to a book in my opinion.

The Phoenix Five include: Sheridan Spencer, Andrew Duffy, Lily Bader-Huffman, Vanessa Riley, and Jagger.

Sheridan Spencer is a "drama queen" who doesn't have very much confidence, so she acts as a famous celebrity and takes on their attributes. She is obsessed with acting to the point she starts losing her friends, and someone better than her shows up to take the spotlight.

Andrew Duffy wants to be on the Varsity basketball team more than anything, and gets himself into some trouble trying to make that happen.

Lily Bader-Huffman was home schooled until she convinced her parents to allow her to go to public school with her best friend. She has a kind of scary obsession with Andrew and well...I'll just leave it at that.

Vanessa Riley uses achievement as a way to cope with her parents constant fighting. But when her grades drop, she goes to drastic measures to fix it.

And Jagger is an emancipated, enigmatic loner, who has a big secret.

Now when these 5 cross paths anything can happen. From the good and the bad. At first you wouldn't think that these five would have anything in common at all, but that is so far from the truth. I really liked seeing the way the connection between them all was forged. Even the smallest thing could possibly have a huge impact on them. And I can't wait to see what else these guys can get themselves into.

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3 Sniffs Review: TEARDROP by Lauren Kate

Title: Teardrop
Series: Teardrop #1
Author: Lauren Kate
Genre: Young Adult, Supernatural, Fantasy, Mythology, Romance
Publisher: Delacorte Press
ASIN: B00ARHAAYM
Release Date: October 22, 2013
Source: Wentworth Library
Links: Goodreads ☆ Amazon

Never, ever cry. . . .

Eureka Boudreaux's mother drilled that rule into her daughter years ago. But now her mother is gone, and everywhere Eureka goes he is there: Ander, the tall, pale blond boy who seems to know things he shouldn't, who tells Eureka she is in grave danger, who comes closer to making her cry than anyone has before.

But Ander doesn't know Eureka's darkest secret: ever since her mother drowned in a freak accident, Eureka wishes she were dead, too. She has little left that she cares about, just her oldest friend, Brooks, and a strange inheritance—a locket, a letter, a mysterious stone, and an ancient book no one understands. The book contains a haunting tale about a girl who got her heart broken and cried an entire continent into the sea. Eureka is about to discover that the ancient tale is more than a story, that Ander might be telling the truth . . . and that her life has far darker undercurrents than she ever imagined.

TEARDROP tells the tale of how Atlantis fell and the one girl who can bring it back into reality. But don't go thinking that the return of Atlantis could be a good thing. Far from it. There are those who desperately want to bring Atlantis back, and those who will do anything to prevent it's rising. Caught in the middle is Eureka, a girl who is just trying to make it day-to-day after her mother's death. What Eureka doesn't realize is that there is a very good reason why her mother told her to never, ever cry. The rise of Atlantis, while it sounds good, could actually mean the destruction of the world as she knows it.

At the core of TEARDROP is a love story. And the love, jealousy and heartbreak is what caused the fall of Atlantis. A girl was engaged to marry the king, but then fell in love with his brother, and they ran away together. But they didn't make it away before tragedy struck. And the tears of one girl sunk the entirety of Atlantis to the bottom of the sea.

What's interesting is how this origin story parallels, but then also intersects with the present. I'm not really sure if that makes any sense. It's like one moment the past and present are mirroring each other, and then all of a sudden the past and present clash. It's kind of confusing sometimes because so much happens in TEARDROP. There is a complexity to the story that keeps you engaged, but also makes you go "Huh?".

The story does start out kind of slow and feels drawn out, but it's definitely worth it to tough it out, because the story gets much, much better once Eureka receives her inheritance.

The Guys: Of course, there is a love triangle, so there are two guys to talk about. I'll start with Ander, since he's the first one we meet in the story. In the prologue, we know that Ander has feelings for Eureka and has been, for lack of a better work, stalker her her whole life, but then we find out that he's with the people who want to kill her. Basically, although he loves her, he has to kill her, and that torments him. Then fast-forward to the present, he's still following her around, but he's apparently not with the baddies anymore. But there is always the question of is he just playing her or is he sincere? I'm still not really sure if I like him or not.

Then we have Eureka's best friend Brooks. He's always been there for her and has been her rock in her times of trouble. But then all of a sudden he starts acting totally unlike himself. Being mean and spiteful one moment, then being his usual caring and concerned self. I don't want to give too much away about what happened to him, so I'll just say that after being hit by a huge, unnatural wave something bad has taken him over and Eureka is determined to help him. I don't usually root for the best friend, but I really liked Brooks, so for now, I'm Team Brooks.

The Girl: Eureka is a broken person after losing her mother. She has no real interests anymore, and only has two friends left, but she has kept her promise to her mother. She hasn't cried, not once. What she really doesn't need is the fate of the world on her shoulders, but that's what she got when Ander entered her life claiming her life was in danger. I kind of had a love/hate thing going with Eureka. In the beginning, she's kind of a downer. I can understand being sad that your mother is dead, but there is a point where reading so much depression and sadness becomes exhausting. It wasn't until toward the end, when she starts finding herself again and accepting her new reality, that I really started to like her. She became strong again.

The baddies are actually all Atlantean in origin. There is Ander's family. They are on the side of preventing the rise of Atlantis at any cost. They are actually very horrible, and their thinking is that the only way to prevent the rising is to kill all those that are descended from the woman who first sunk Atlantis, and anyone who gets in their way of accomplishing that. It doesn't matter if they are men, women, or children. There is a particularly graphic death scene that just flies at you out of nowhere. You think that they will just do some threatening and posturing, but then BAM, nope. It's very cringe-worthy. 

The other side of the coin is the King of Atlantis. He wants Atlantis to rise at any cost. Any cost. Not much is known about him yet, but he is very real, and he is out for blood.

As I mentioned before, there are love triangles in TEARDROP. That's not really a surprise since Lauren Kate is famous for her love triangles. But I should probably mention that there is not one, but two love triangles in this book. There is the epic story that's the origin of it all, between the King of Atlantis, his brother, and the girl they both want. Then there is the one that could bring about the destruction of our world, between Ander, Brooks, and Eureka. The interesting thing is that Eureka's situation mirrors the original tale, and not just how you would think. It's about who they are and how they relate to the first triangle. I'm really looking forward to seeing more about how they are all connected. 

I have to say that I think Ander got more of a chance with Eureka in TEARDROP than Brooks. Brooks just ran out of time too quickly to get the chance to really even tell Eureka how he feels about her, much less anything else. So I would really like to see more between Eureka and Brooks. I mean, Ander is okay, even with his stalker tendencies, but at this point I really want to see Brooks win the girl.

It should be pretty obvious that most of the action in TEARDROP takes place either in or on the water. The opening scene in the prologue starts everything off. Ander and his family are preparing a huge wave to crash into Eureka's mother's car to kill them. Then there are a bunch of unnatural waves happening where they never have before, and storms and flooding like they've never seen. The one scene toward the end of the book, takes place almost completely underwater, thanks to Eureka's Thunderstone. But that end scene is really freaky for me because I can't swim, so just the thought of being stuck underwater, even with a Thunderstone, freaks me out. The entire book is definitely a very watery adventure. I'm really looking forward to seeing where it takes us.

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4 Sniffs Review: THE BOY ON THE BRIDGE by Natalie Standiford

Title: The Boy on the Bridge

Author: Natalie Standiford 

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Historical, Romance

Publisher: Scholastic Press
ASIN: B00B9FX73W
Release Date: July 30, 2013
Source: Wentworth Library
Links: Goodreads ☆ Amazon

A new breathtaking novel from Natalie Standiford about love and trust during the Cold War.

Laura Reid goes to Leningrad for a semester abroad as Cold War paranoia is peaking in 1982. She meets a young Russian artist named Alexei and soon, with Alexei as her guide, Laura immerses herself in the real Russia--a crazy world of wild parties, black-market books and music, and smuggled letters to dissidents. She must keep the relationship secret; associating with Americans is dangerous for Alexei, and if caught, Laura could be sent home and Alexei put under surveillance or worse. At the same time, she's been warned that Soviets often latch onto Americans in hopes of marrying them and thus escaping to the United States. But she knows Alexei loves her. Right?

As June approaches--when Laura must return to the United States--Alexei asks Laura to marry him. She's only nineteen and doesn't think she's ready to settle down. But what if Alexei is the love of her life? How can she leave him behind? If she has a chance to change his life, to rescue him from misery, shouldn't she take it?

THE BOY ON THE BRIDGE takes place during the Cold War, 1982 to be exact. Laura goes to Leningrad, Russia to study abroad, and that is where she meets Alexei (who goes by his nickname Alyosha). Russia was not a nice place to be back during the Cold War. Everyone was suspicious and trusted no one. It was a very hostile environment, and I think that Natalie Standiford shows the dark side of Russia in THE BOY ON THE BRIDGE. But she also shows some of the beauty that can be found in Russia and it's people.

I also liked how the weather kind of depicts that changing mood of the world in the book. We all know that Russia is a cold, snowy place in the Winter, and that's were the book begins, then ends in the beginning of Spring. The cold, harsh Winter months show the attitude of the people, while the thawing of Spring shows the good beneath all the bad.

Before I started reading THE BOY ON THE BRIDGE, I kind of felt that I would end up ugly crying, because these kinds of romances usually don't end well. And I was right. This book just broke my heart by the time I finished. But that's not a bad thing, because it shows how much I connected with the characters and how much I was cheering for them.

The Guy: Alyosha is a Russian artist, but his talent is suppressed by the ridged rules and laws of his country. It also doesn't help him that all his work is considered dissident. He wants things that his government frowns upon, and that Americans seem to have in excess. I really liked Alyosha from the first time he saved Laura from Gypsies on the bridge. There are times though were his intentions seem blurred and I couldn't tell if he was just using Laura or not. But I did feel for him. It has to really suck to have your talent suppressed just because someone doesn't like it, and then to have no other options, except getting out of the country.

The Girl: Laura is in Russia to study the language, and living in a country with so many restrictions is not easy for this American. But meeting Alyosha suddenly makes being in such a stifling environment not so bad. He shows her the Russia that she's always wanted to see. I have to admire Laura for going to such a potentially dangerous place, just to study abroad. There is no way that I would ever do that. I did like that I had the love of language in common with her, though. It may not be Russian, but it was still cool.

As you can probably tell from just the summary of the book itself, this is a tale of star-crossed lovers. Laura is an American in Russia for only a short time and Alyosha is a Russian who is restricted from leaving his country. And those restrictions are what could potentially keep them apart.

When I think of Alyosha and Laura's relationship, I think of ballet or poetry. It had a lyrical sense to it. These two are beautiful together amid the ugliness of the world around them. And the threat of possibly never seeing each other again when the time comes for Laura to leave, makes it even more so. But the brighter you burn, the quicker your light will fade.

While Alyosha is showing Laura the better parts of Russia, the kind of Russia that she's been waiting to see, it becomes apparent right away that if they are to stay together, something drastic has to happen. I can tell you that while this romance is beautiful, it's also heartbreaking and tragic as well.

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YBO Sniffer Review: REAL by Katy Evans

Title: REAL

Series: Real #1

Author: Katy Evans
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Erotica, Romance, Sports

Publisher: Gallery Books
ASIN: B00CRAMM02
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Source: Wentworth Library
Links: Goodreads ☆ Amazon

A fallen boxer.
A woman with a broken dream.
A competition…

He even makes me forget my name. One night was all it took, and I forgot everything and anything except the sexy fighter in the ring who sets my mind ablaze and my body on fire with wanting…

Remington Tate is the strongest, most confusing man I’ve ever met in my life.

He’s the star of the dangerous underground fighting circuit, and I’m drawn to him as I’ve never been drawn to anything in my life. I forget who I am, what I want, with just one look from him. When he’s near, I need to remind myself that I am strong–but he is stronger. And now it’s my job to keep his body working like a perfect machine, his taut muscles primed and ready to break the bones of his next opponents . . .

But the one he’s most threatening to, now, is me.

I want him. I want him without fear. Without reservations.

If only I knew for sure what it is that he wants from me?

I fell in love with this story from the very first page. Katy Evans has created a story that just pulls you in and there is no way you'll ever be able to leave it. I thought about REAL long after I read it, and I even dreamed about it. It was on my mind all the time, and I was just so hyped up just thinking about getting back within the pages.

We have the story of a woman with broken dreams and a man with a tortured soul. Both rise above any obstacles put in their path, and come out stronger for it. And when their paths cross, both of them are changed forever.

I really liked how music played a key role in REAL. Especially the song "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls. It's one of my favorite songs of all time. Music is used as a way to communicate feelings in this story, and because I'm not a great speaker, I really liked this creative way of communication without the characters having to say anything, because the song says it all.

And finally, what makes REAL one of my favorite books, is the emotion displayed in every aspect of the story. Emotion is one of the prerequisites to becoming a favorite book for me, and REAL is drenched in it. You can literally feel the emotions coming off the pages. I felt the happiness, the heartbreak, the fury, the love, the jealousy, as if they were my own.

I was just really satisfied when I finished reading REAL, but I was also desperate for the next book.

The Guy: Phew! Remington Tate. What can I say about him? I mean, the guy is just off the freaking charts! I can understand why he has thousands of female fans, all wanting a piece of him. And he knows it too. Remy has an ego, but it's well deserved. What I like is that all the attention hasn't made him conceited. He's actually a pretty humble guy once you get to know him. Remy is Alpha to the nth degree. He's possessive, territorial, and protective. Not to mention devoted. When you're with him he takes care of you. For never having much love in his life, Remy knows how to make you feel it. But Remy deserves someone who will take care of him in return. That is where Brooke Dumas comes in. But he fears that once she really get to know him and his dark secret, she'll want nothing to do with him, when all he wants is to be her REAL. I just couldn't help falling for Remy. He's just got it all. I think you'd have to be insane not to fall for him once you learn his story.

The Girl: Brooke Dumas, our girls whose dreams of the Olympics were shattered by a torn ACL. I really admired Brooke. She was completely down after her accident, but she was able to find her way back and into a profession that makes her happy. She's still able to do something in the sports world as a sport rehab specialist. And that's how Remy was able to push himself into her life, by hiring her! Brooke is a character that I could see myself being friends with if she were a real person. She has a very loving personality, but she's also a fighter. You hurt someone she cares about, and she'll hurt you right back. Brooke loves so deeply that that love can also cause her great pain. But I think that it's because she loves so fiercely that Remy was drawn to her. He saw something in her that he desperately needed.

The Gang: Pete, Riley, Diane, and Coach are all members of Remington's team. Pete is Remy's PA, Riley is Coach's second, Diane is the nutritionist , and Coach, is well Remy's coach. They are a pretty tight-knit group, and are kind of worried about Remy's obsession with Brooke in the beginning. That is until they see how she calms him, and really just the depth of emotion between them. This group's dedication and devotion to Remy is really great to see. It's nice knowing that after his terrible childhood, that there are people around him that truly care about him.

Melanie is Brooke's BFF, and she was the one who dragged Brooke to that first fight where she met Remy. So if you really think about it, it's because of Melanie that Brooke and Remy met. Melanie is a really supportive friend, and someone that I think Brooke really needs in her life. Melanie has a bright personality and can make any bad day into a good one. Nora is Brooke's little sister, and she definitely causes Brooke a lot of trouble. More about her in the Villian section.

The villian of this story is the yucky Scorpion. He's another fighter in the Underground and has it out for Remington. And he uses any means necessary to get what he wants. Scorpion uses his women and keeps them drugged up and addicted so that they do not leave. This is what he did with Nora and he uses Nora against Brooke and Remy as a way to try to get the Championship, because he obviously cannot beat Remy in a fair fight. I just found Scorpion completely gross. And that ridiculous scorpion tattoo on his cheek is so lame. Basically Scorpion is just a loser who can't take it like a man and uses women to hide behind.

My favorite part of REAL is the romance. Brooke and Remy are just so perfect together. There is a real emotional connection between these two that is really felt in all the pages of the book. It's not just physical between Brooke and Remy, although there is definitely a lot of that too. The thing about the relationship between Brooke and Remy in REAL is that it's Remy who want the emotional connection the most. He wants Brooke to know him and want him for himself, not as Riptide. So there is a switch of roles in that department.

Then there is the physical aspect of their relationship. Remy had Brooke from the very beginning and I think it was this line, “Brooke Dumas. I'm Remington.”, that really did her in. She was completely lost to him after that. But their physical relationship is kind of complicated. There's kind of a tug-of-war that happens between what they both want and what they will allow themselves to have. It's obvious that they both want each other, but there are things that keep them from going all the way.

And then there is the jealousy and possessiveness that they feel for each other respectively. Brooke knows how much the ladies love Remington and want to jump his bones, but that doesn't help the jealousy that flares in her every time they scream at him in the Underground. And then there is Remy's possessiveness. He doesn't like men so much as looking at Brooke, much less touching her. But these things are part of what make their relationship more real. And let's face it, Remy in possessive mode is hot. I don't blame Brooke for being jealous and possessive in return.

And now the action! In REAL, Remington is a boxer in the Underground circuit. Katy Evans is really descriptive of the fights and what happens during them. I could picture the fights in my head perfectly and that is something that I really liked for the fight scenes. I also liked how the technical terms for all the punches and moves were used. The big fight at them end, though made me cringe. I mean, that was one fight that I hope Brooke never has to watch again. I'm sure that she sees it enough in her mind as is. But out of all the fights, the last one is the one that sticks out the most, I'm sure for everyone that read REAL. It was brutal and just down-right scary.

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