Manga Review: My Love Story!!, Volume 1, by Kazune Kawahara and Aruko

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: July 1, 2014

Volumes: 6+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 2.

Wishlist Thursday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Takeo Goda is a giant guy with a giant heart. Too bad the girls don't want him! (They want his good-looking best friend, Sunakawa.) Used to being on the sidelines, Takeo simply stands tall and accepts his fate. But one day when he saves a girl named Yamato from a harasser on the train, his (love!) life suddenly takes an incredible turn!

Review:

I wasn’t too sure what to expect with this volume, how fast it would move, or what the art style would be like. And I must say, that this volume was just plain cute. All around adorable, and very funny.

Takeo, the main character, is a big guy, who can easily intimidate people. But he’s actually the type who wears his heart on his sleeve. He falls for girls easily, and he really just wants to help people when he can. He’s a nice guy. His best friend, Sunakawa, is the good-looking guy that every girl wants to date. But he’s actually rather straight-faced, with little interest in girls and who wants to study.

And then Takeo saves Yamato from a pervert on the train, but when she tries to repay him and bake him goods, he thinks it means she likes Sunakawa, because all the girls he’s liked before have.

I wasn’t sure what the relationship between Takeo and Sunakawa would be, given that all the girls fall for Sunakawa. I was surprised to find that they are seriously just really good friends. Takeo admires Sunakawa; he’s really just his best friend—there are absolutely no hard feelings. And Sunakawa just wants Takeo to be happy as well. I also like how Sunakawa jokes around with Takeo, for instance by setting him up near the beginning of the book.

I was also surprised by Yamato. She is seriously just adorable. The way she runs after Takeo in one scene, and then how she tries to hint and flirt with him. I admire her courage, the way she goes after him, and the adorable way she succeeds. Her and Takeo are just super cute together.

The artwork was not quite as good as I was expecting (although still good, don't get me wrong), but the characters were. This was an adorable volume, and I really can’t wait to read more.

Also, I hadn't realized that there were going to be longer release dates between volumes in this series. I'm not surprised, since there aren't very many out in Japan, but that still kind of sucks. Now I'm just going to have to wait longer than I thought for the next volume. 

Novel Review: Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Much nicer in person.

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: HarlequinTeen

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon.

Teaser Tuesday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret

Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.

Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.

But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself.

Something Specific:

That I Loved:

•  The Vow of Silence. That's a big part of the book, and I explain further in the review, but I just really liked that; it's what caught my interest, and it's part of why I liked this book so much.

Quotes:

•  There were moments where Chelsea starts thinking about Sam, the love interest, and they were just adorable and funny, so I'm going to share some of them: "When Sam approaches the counter and asks for size seven skates, I can't help but think of what people say about how the size of a guy's feet correlates to the size of their dicks--or is it hands? And then I realize I'm thinking about Sam's dick and it's getting kind of emarrassing." (Paperback, pg. 116-117) "...I don't know if it's the steam or Sam's vaguely erotic cooking expertise causing my cheeks to feel like they're on fire." (Paperback, pg. 131)
• "They always say misery loves company, but right now I kind of want to be miserable and alone, so I can wallow in my self-loathing properly." (Paperback, pg. 141)
• "'You are the best kind of person.'" (Paperback, pg. 195) I love this quote. It was said during a very special moment in this book, and it's so sweet and adorable and it makes me smile and I love it. I just do.

Review:

I was really looking forward to this book. I read Harrington’s first book not too long ago, and did not like it as much as I would have liked to (although I know some people were really moved by it), but this one seemed more my style. And it was.

Chelsea, the main character in Speechless, has a hard time keeping secrets to herself. In fact, she loves spreading gossip. But then she tells something that she shouldn’t have and almost gets someone killed. She feels terrible and isn’t sure what to do. She knows who did it, but knows that her friends will hate her if she tells. But she does tell. And then decides to take a vow of silence.

I liked Chelsea. She’s definitely not perfect, but she does quite a bit of much-needed growing up in this book, and I did rather like her.

The part that I really looking forward to in this book was the vow of silence. I am generally a very quiet person, I don’t like talking, and I’ve always wondered about taking a vow of silence, but have never done it (although I’m thinking about doing thisone in April, even if I’m going to be home all day). This part of the book was done really well, too. I liked how she got the idea, too, how she was inspired by an article and didn't just think it up out of nowhere. I also liked the mention that she couldn’t even sing aloud to the music on her iPod or radio, which is something that I love doing but have never thought of in regards to a vow of silence.

I just really liked that part of this book. Although it bothered me how everyone, all her teachers and her parents, kept trying to get her to talk, and saying that it was unreasonable or unhealthy; that really annoyed me, probably because I didn't agree with them. Also, I liked how she broke her vow of silence. That part was very nice, and very satisfying.

Next is the love interest. I liked him. A lot. He’s not at the top of my list (because that’s Cricket, and he may very well be up there for always), but he’s up there. He’s really sweet and nice, even if he’s unsure of her at first. He's definitely one of the good guy love interests, and I don't think there are enough of those out there in books. I just really liked him.

There are also several other characters that Chelsea meets, people who are friends with the love interest and the person who almost gets killed, and I liked all of them, really. They were all really different and fun and great.

Now, the crime part. I was not expecting the secret that Chelsea reveals to be what it was, and I was really happy about that. And I don’t want to spoil it, but that part of the book was done very well. I agreed very much with Chelsea’s decision later in the book, I really liked her thoughts on the subject, and I just really liked how the subject was discussed. It took some growing up for the characters, and it was needed. Also, I don’t think the topic was talked/thought about in a preachy way, but I can see how someone else would think so.

Also, Chelsea’s old friends. I didn’t really like any of them. Kristen especially. I did feel like there might have been more of a story for Kristen, though, and maybe what’s going to happen with the people who Chelsea turned in. We didn’t get a lot of closure with that, and while I am happy with how the book ended, more would have been nice.

I pretty much just really liked this book. It was really good, and I do plan on reading Harrington's next book.

Review: Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John

~4.5 of 5 Stars

Publisher: Dial (Penguin)

Goodreads Synopsis:

The Challenge: Piper has one month to get the rock band Dumb a paying gig.

The Deal: If she does it, Piper will become the band's manager and get her share of the profits.

The Catch: How can Piper possibly manage one egomaniacal pretty boy, one talentless piece of eye candy, one crush, one silent rocker, and one angry girl? And how can she do it when she's deaf?

Piper can't hear Dumb's music, but with growing self-confidence, a budding romance, and a new understanding of the decision her family made to buy a cochlear implant for her deaf baby sister, she discovers her own inner rock star and what it truly means to be a flavor of Dumb.

Review:

I really liked this book. Like, a lot.

It's about Piper, who is mostly deaf, managing a band called Dumb. And she has a new little sister who is also deaf, only she got a cochlear (I think?) implant. And her parents spent some of her college fund to pay for it.

Piper was written out very well. She had her own voice, and I understood all of her conflicts. She was pretty moody, but I don't think I'd call her whiny. A bit angst-filled, though. But I still understood why she was that way, as she had very good reason. And she had a couple of very good, kind of self-righteous moments that I would like to have myself. And I like that they didn't last. And she was very good on her feet, and confident even while not actually very confident. She was a very realistic, moody, teenager.

I also really liked her family. Her brother, Finn, is awesome. He's adorable, and very sweet, and a bit sensitive. And her little sister is cute. Her mother is nice, while sometimes a bit not so cool. And her father, while at first was a big jerk, later was completely awesome. I wasn't expecting this, but he changed a bit into the book, and turned awesome.

The band works out very well in the end. In the beginning, they are a big mess. Josh is a jerk, but a very well made jerk. Will doesn't do much or seem to care about too much. Tash is a bit rough around the edges, but I liked her. Ed is awesome, and a bit adorable, and I pretty much love him. And Kallie is also quite awesome. While not really what I was expecting, and still quite timid, she's a good character. I like how the band changes, grows, and it does a lot of it.

Pretty much all of this book was amazing. The characters were done really well; the pace was good, while maybe a bit slow, did keep me interested. And the band aspect was good, and it's interesting, the things she learns, about herself and music and everything else. I really liked the poker parts, and the chess parts. And, while it took Piper a while, I liked the romance a lot. The part about Piper being deaf, I at first thought could have been done a little bit better, but I think they were mostly done well. I did find that her being deaf and being a manager for a band was very interesting to read about, especially since she's very inexperienced with music of any type. And I thought that how her going to talk to Ed was a little too fast, but with all the things that he hinted at, and with rereading it, there were several more hints of her feelings changing. And the coffee shop scene was very nice. Even the ending was satisfying.

It was all fantastic, really. I'm a bit surprised that this review is so short, actually, because this book was pretty much made of awesome, and I'm uber excited for John's next book.

Review: I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan

4.5 of 5 Stars

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books (Scholastic)

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Here Comes the Bride — If She Can Pass Chemistry.Eighteen-year-old Bronwen Oliver has a secret: She's really Phoebe, the lost daughter of the loving Lilywhite family. That's the only way to explain her image-obsessed mother; a kind but distant stepfather; and a brother with a small personality complex. Bronwen knows she must have been switched at birth, and she can't wait to get away from her "family" for good.
Then she meets Jared Sondervan. He's sweet, funny, everything she wants — and he has the family Bronwen has always wanted too. She falls head over heels in love, and when he proposes marriage, she joyfully accepts. But is Jared truly what she needs? And if he's not, she has to ask: What would Phoebe Lilywhite do?

Review: 

I love this book. I love it so much. Everything about it, really, even the parts that almost made me cry. (Which is something of a feat, I will admit, because I don't cry easily.)

Bronwen Oliver is the main character. Only she doesn't want to be Bronwen Oliver, she wants to be Pheobe Lilywhite, or Bronwen VanHorn, or maybe Bronwen Sondervan, She doesn't particularly get along with her mother, which is understandable because her mother doesn't try very hard and doesn't like to talk about things. She got along with her step-father at one point but is mostly just a little distant with him now. Her father died when she was little, but she isn't stuck on it even if she misses him. And she sees Jared Sondervan again, who is an old friend of her brother. Oh, and her brother Peter is Jesus, at least in her mothers mind.

Bronwen is trying to find herself, and accept who she is and trying to deal with that her mother won't accept who she really is. I'm a bit more cynical than she is, or a lot, really, but I still felt a connection with her. She's already figured out the relationship thing. You know, the one that says relationships are always good in the first few months, and you don't really get to know a person until that phase is over, and so you shouldn't say you love them until then. In the beginning of the book, she goes through this type of thing with Chad Dykstra, who just wants to have sex with her and so claims to love her. She doesn't fall for it, and I liked that.

She has a best friend, Kirsten, who gushes over everything with her. She's also very wary about Bronwen and Jared's relationship, and she talks about it with Bronwen. It might cause some problems between them, but I still liked this about her. Because she's a really good friend. (And, yea, I'm a bit envious.)

A big thing goes down near the end with Bronwen's Mother and Whitt, her step-father. Her Mother is kind of really terrible. I have a mother somewhat similar, not nearly as bad, but similar in the not listening thing. But I kind of hate her, especially because of what she did to Bronwen and Whitt. Whitt, however, is kind of awesome. He's sweet and he cares and he's funny. And it's not his fault for what happened, it's her Mothers.

Now, Jared. I love Jared. So much. He's so very sweet. And he loves Bronwen. They get along so well, too. The conversation between them is so easy, and he just goes along with all of her jokes and makes his own. They're just so cute together. He holds back kissing her for a while, and he wants to get to know her, and he loves her and wants to marry her. I love him, and I love their relationship. I want their relationship. As well as Jared's family. They care and are fun and love Bronwen like she's their own.

This book is very much about finding love as it is finding yourself. Because Bronwen finds herself, accepts herself, and she falls in love with Jared. There's a part near the end with Jared that almost made me cry, because it's so sad and I love them and they need to be together, but I know it was coming and it needed to happen because they weren't ready. But it's still heartbreaking to read.

The writing in this book is in Bronwen's point of view in the future, so she's talking about it all as she remembers it. It adds to the element of her learning all of these things. It's very smooth and calm and a bit heartbreaking.

I love this book. So very much, as I've already said. I have a bit in common with this book, and I would love to have even more in common with it. (Like Bronwen and Jared's relationship.) I think just about every teenage girls should read this book, it is that good.

Sidenote: One thing that bothered me about this book, was what it says on the back cover/inside flap, about 'if she can pass chemistry', because that's very misleading. School has very little to do with this book. It starts at the end of her junior year, then goes into the summer, and then through her senior year, and yea there's a bit about her going to college. But that doesn't have a whole lot to do with her relationship with Jared. Where she's going to college does, but she's already pretty set on that, and there isn't anything about her not passing. Very little of time is spent with her even at school. The cover is cute, though, even if the books don't have a lot to do with the story.

Review: Leftovers by Heather Waldorf

3.5/4 of 5 Stars

Publisher: Orca Book Publishers

Goodreads Synopsis:

I make it to the flagpole second to last. No Poo Patrol for me. Not today. Today I draw the Grooming straw. Forget my own grooming; for three leisurely hours this morning, I'll be washing, drying, fluffing and brushing out the matted and dirt-encrusted coats of a dozen-odd dogs of questionable parentage. Not that my own parentage is anything to brag about. 
Fifteen-year-old Sarah Greene's father-chef by day, camera buff by night-choked to death on a piece of steak. It was the best day of Sarah's life. But a year later, Sarah still struggles with the legacy of her father's abuse. While other girls her age are determined to find boyfriends and part-time jobs and dresses for the prom, Sarah is on a search-and-destroy mission: to find the shoe box containing her father's collection of kiddy porn. After a brief skirmish with the law, Sarah is sentenced to do community service hours at Camp Dog Gone Fun, a summer program for shelter dogs. With the love of a big goofy dog named Judy, the friendship of Sullivan, a guy with problems of his own, and the support of a few good adults, Sarah begins to understand her past and believe in a brighter future.

Review:

I actually really liked this book. It was an easy read, and it wasn't amazing or anything, but it was good and I genuinely liked it.

It's about a girl, Sarah, who's father has died; a great thing for her since her father used to take kiddie porn pictures of her, leaving her scarred. After crashing her step-father's car, she is sent away to this camp over the summer for delinquents and sheltered dogs. She's not excited about it, and is surprised to see a boy from school there, Sullivan. She quickly becomes close friends, and then something more, with him, and gets attached to a dog, Judy.

I didn't get an overwhelming voice for Sarah, but I liked her, and I felt for what she was going through. Because she's trying to find the pictures that her father had taken without letting anyone know about it. Because her mother doesn't know, and she hasn't been talking to anyone about much because she's afraid. Throughout the book, she struggles with her similarities with her father, with her emotions forming for a guy, her fear of cameras, and with her family problems. It's nice seeing her overcome so many things, and seeing how she does it.

I also really liked Sullivan. He was sweet and adorable and I'd have liked to see more of him. (Not that he didn't show up much, because he was a relatively big character.) And his family was nice, and welcoming to Sarah, which she needed.

I like books with issues like this one. I haven't been through anything like it, and that's perhaps why I find it so interesting. Either way, I do and am always looking for more books with these kinds of things as I haven't read or found all that many. (Feel free to suggest some.) I think that it dealt with it rather well. The outcome was done well, and everyone's reactions were good.

The writing is nice. It's smooth, and simple. It was easy to read, while still being a really good read.

I just really liked this book.