"Thin White Line" by J.A. Templeton

"Don't ever let anyone determine who you should be. You're the only one who can do that."
-J.A. Templeton, Thin White Line

The last time I wrote about a book by J.A. Templeton, it was a young adult novel. Although it was written for a younger audience, I still loved The MacKinnon Series! (See my review HERE). Thin White Line, however, is an adult novel, so I do not suggest this book for younger audiences because there is very mature content.

I was completely stoked when I heard that she released a new novel. After reading her other books, It was impressive to see how she brought a completely different feel to this new book. Granted, she was writing for a different audience, but she did an excellent job of making that transition.

Kenzie was halfway through her junior year of high school when she had to move states because her parents were getting divorced. Her father was having an affair. With a girl about 20 years younger than him. What a creep. Anyway, Kenzie's mother wanted to move to the same town and work with Kenzie's aunt, so her whole life was about to change.

Brooke, Kenzie's cousin, was basically forced to befriend Kenzie and show her around the high school. Even though it seemed forced at the beginning, Kenzie and Brooke became best friends, just like they were when they were younger. Brooke is in a band, and BOY were her band mates ATTRACTIVE! Muscles, tattoos, great hair, and the smiles to melt any girl's heart. Oh, yeah, Kenzie was going to like hanging out with Brooke.

The only problem with hanging out with quite possibly the two hottest guys she's ever met, they both seem to be fighting for her attention. Ryder, her age, has first period with her, and gets to her first. She immediately is attracted to him, but Brooke warns her that he is basically a hit and run type of guy. Then, there's Deklan, older, Ryder's best friend (and basically his brother) is also in the band and just as attractive (if not more so) than Ryder. Oh, goodness! If only all of us girls had this problem, right?

The first time Kenzie goes to a band practice, she follows her cousin and her friends into a separate room. Brooke pulls out a small block and begins to chop it up. WHAT?? Is this seriously happening? Kenzie knows what drugs do to a person's body, and she wants no part in that. Then, Ryder walks in, waiting for his turn. They hand a line of coke to Kenzie, and wait for her response. Does she snort it, or walk away? Is this what she has to do for Ryder to accept her and for Brooke to include her with her friends? Her entire life here may be determined by that thin white line.

Read Thin White Line to see what Kenzie decides, and to see which guy she chooses! I couldn't put this one down! I read the entire book in a day! Again, I don't suggest this book to readers under 16. It's a very mature book.

In no way does Templeton encourage the use of drugs. This book shows the dangers and terror that drugs can bring, and I believe that she wrote it so that her readers will stay away from drugs. The things that happen within the pages of this book can easily happen to anyone, and I think that is the point that Templeton is trying to get across. Temptation for drugs and alcohol is way more intense than teachers at school make it sound when they tell you to "just say no." It's not always that simple, but it's always the right choice to turn it away.

Thin White Line can be an eye opener to all high school and college students about the realities of drug and alcohol use. No, that is not the entire plot of the story, there is a love triangle, friendships built and broken, grief over the divorce, and there is a great deal of humor, as well! Templeton wrote an extraordinary story with an incredible message behind it all! Don't stop at reading Thin White Line, make sure you read her other books, as well! THIN WHITE LINE IS AVAILABLE FOR YOUR KINDLE FOR .99 CENTS ON AMAZON.COM!!

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"Hopeless" by Colleen Hoover

"Not everyone gets a happily ever after. Life is real and sometimes its ugly and you just have to learn to cope."
- Colleen Hoover, Hopeless

Okay, so I've fallen in love with Colleen Hoover because of the Slammed series, so when I discovered Hopeless, I jumped on it. So, sorry for the lack of variety, but I WILL be reading and writing about her again soon. I know my readers must love her, too! So, that's okay!

Hoover doesn't write the typical predictable love stories. That's what I love the most. In Hopeless, Sky finally talks her adopted mother into letting her attend public school for her senior year. She figured it couldn't be as bad as her books make it sound. Well, it turns out that, for the most part, her books were right. Everyone already created a reputation for Sky before she even got there. Luckily, she found a friend the first day that would help her through school, since her best friend was across the world in a foreign exchange program.

After the first day, Sky needed to do some grocery shopping. While at the store, she saw a guy that instantly got her heart racing and her stomach turning. What?! She never got this way over guys. Never once had she ever had any feelings to a guy. She always just felt numb around them. She wasn't sure why this guy did this to her, but it made her nervous. Trying to leave as fast as she could, he approached her in the parking lot. Still terrified, she turned to talk to him anyway. He asked for her name because she looked familiar to him, but she knew she had never met him. Soon enough they parted ways.

Shortly after her trip to the grocery store, she went out for her run. Typically, she runs in the morning, but she didn't today because it was the first day of school. During her run, she saw the guy from the store. He was running, too. Shirtless. If she wasn't getting faint from the heat before, she definitely was now!

He ended up in her first period class the next day. She just counld't get away from this guy! Sky really didn't know if she wanted to get away from him though. They end up being running partners, and she started to really like Holder. Well, Dean Holder, but everyone calls him Holder. They hit it off so well. They talk like they've never been strangers. Holder acts like he has Sky figured out so well, but she needs to figure him out..

Think you know how this story goes? Think again! Just when you think the story is going to go the way you imagine, Hoover takes you for a loop. Go ahead: think of the best twist that could possibly be in this story. You lost, Hoover has you beat, and she will shock you! Read Hopeless to see just how this story spins and why it is hopeless.

Make sure to share your thoughts, favorite part, favorite quotes, or anything in a comment at the bottom of the post!

After you fall in love with Sky and Holder in Hopeless, make sure you stay on the lookout for Losing Hope! It is the follow-up book for Hopeless. It will be Holder's story instead of Sky's.

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"The Pianist" by Władysław Szpilman

“And now I was lonelier, I supposed, than anyone else in the world. Even Defoe's creation, Robinson Crusoe, the prototype of the ideal solitary, could hope to meet another human being. Crusoe cheered himself by thinking that such a thing could happen any day, and it kept him going. But if any of the people now around me came near I would need to run for it and hide in mortal terror. I had to be alone, entirely alone, if I wanted to live.”
-Władysław Szpilman, The Pianist

I've studied The Holocaust every year in history class since middle school. I even studied it a little in my college history courses. I've read and watched The Diary of Anne Frank. I've seen documentaries about it. It's one of those things that just seems like history. It pains me to learn about it because of how brutal and horrible it was and how many people were murdered. But like so many other things, it just seems like an event in history, and that's it. Because I was never truly affected by it, it doesn't sink in.

Now, don't get me wrong: I believe that it happened. The Holocaust, in fact, was a real occurrence. I'm not one of those people that somehow deny that it ever happened. Oh no, I know of its harsh reality. Reading The Pianist gave me an inside view to what happened during that time. Similar to Zeitoun, The Pianist told the journey of a survivor; however, this book was written by the survivor, not an outside source.

Władysław Szpilman told his story of what he personally went through during The Holocaust. When I started the book, I expected to read about a Jew that had been captured and put into a concentration camp. I expected to read about the different torturous things that he suffered. This book is actually about a Jew that was constantly in hiding and on the run. There were many encounters that just mentioning that he played the piano saved his life. Incredible.

At first he was with his family. Eventually his family was taken to a concentration camp, but Szpilman escaped. Over time he hid in numerous places. Some people graciously let him in, but after a while, no one would take him, so he had to hide anywhere he could find. At times he would almost starve to death, but he always found food just in time.

His story is devastating, but I learned so much. The things he witnessed and survived: unfathomable. There is also a movie! More people know about the movie, and here I am, being such a bookworm, I didn't even know about the movie until I started reading the book.

 

The ending is what I really didn't expect. I would have never expected him to have been saved the way he was. Maybe in a fiction book, but not in reality. I would tell you, but I don't want to spoil it for you!

Overall, it was not the best book to just sit down and read. The writing did not just keep pulling me to reading it, but that is simply because I'm a fiction fan, and this was factual. It was still a good read, and very informative. Upon finishing the book, I'm extremely glad that I read it.

Find out how Władysław Szpilman survived the Holocaust in The Pianist.

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"Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

"So many little things could have been done. So many people let it happen. So many looked away. And it only takes one person, one small act of stepping from the dark to the light."
-Dave Eggers, Zeitoun

I am completely and utterly stunned. Either I am just ignorant, or people really don't know about some of the terrible things that go on in our country. Reading this book, in 2013, was the first time I had heard of the horrific events following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Abdulrahman Zeitoun is a carpenter, from New Orleans, La., but he is originally from Syria. Everyone addressed him by his last name, because of the fact that his first name is pretty hard for Americans (especially in the South) to pronounce. His wife, Kathy, helps with the business. When the hurricane was approaching, the Zeitouns didn't think much of it. They heard these kinds of warning all the time, so this was all the same. Over the next few days, Kathy grew more worried, and wanted to evacuate. Zeitoun declined. Eventually, he told his wife that she could take the children out of the city, but he would stay and watch the house. After all, he had numerous properties he wanted to look after.

And so, that's what she did. She left to go stay with her family, while he stayed in the house and watched the water rise. After the flood came and Zeitoun had saved as much furniture and valuables as possible, he set sail! Well, he took his canoe out into the water to view the town. On his ride, he found many dogs that were trapped in the second floor of different houses, so he made the effort to bring them food and water. He did this every day. Also, he took his canoe and found people that were trapped, as well. He saved a few, and did his best to find help for the ones he couldn't save. He checked on his properties, and joined a few friends along the way.

Time passed, and he developed a routine. But the city began to change. The standing water began to gather filth, disease, sewage, and bodies. Crime started to break out, and rumors of murder, rape, and other horrible things filtered through the media. Kathy began to worry, and begged Zeitoun to come home. Still, he declined. He felt he had a purpose and a mission to uphold.

Eventually, the crime caught up with him. While in one of the houses he rents to to others, people that looked like they were from the National Guard came and arrested Zeitoun, along with the men that were there with him. They accused him of looting. Zeitoun said he owned the house they were in, but nothing he said would change their minds. He got in their boat and it drove them to the bus station.

There as a makeshift prison at the Greyhound bus station that was never there before. Zeitoun noticed the structure, and knew what hard work it would take to build these new outdoor cages. The plans to build this were made before the storm even hit. Prisoners from other surrounding prisons were brought in to build this prison two days after Katrina hit the city. They had ready-to-eat meals for the guards and the prisoners while there will people stranded and hungry in their own homes all over the city.

Zeitoun was called "terrorist" multiple times before he was tossed into one of the cages. He never got a phone call, his rights were never read to him, and the America he always knew no longer existed. Neither did he.

Kathy went almost 2 weeks without hearing for her husband, so she thought he was dead. She couldn't accept that, though. She just couldn't. She would call him on the phone at that rental house he checked on, but it just rang and rang with no answer. Everyday she called, but never did she receive a call back. Finally, one day, the phone rang. It was a missionary telling her that he saw her husband in a prison. She asked him where it was, but he said he couldn't tell her anything else because he shouldn't be telling her anything.

Eventually Kathy and Zeitoun were reunited, and they began the process of starting their lives over. When they went back to the prison to retrieve his wallet, they did not want to give it to him. They said they needed it as evidence, although his charges were dropped. After Kathy finally talked them into giving it back, it was missing the cash and credit cards that were in there when he was arrested.

Overtime, the pain of it all began to die down, but they will always be affected by Katrina. They rebuilt their home, and Zeitoun began helping rebuild homes all over the city. Nothing will make them forget, but they can still grow from the experience.

 CLICK HERE to watch a YouTube video of Zeitoun showing important location mentioned throughout the book.

Of course, that is just a brief description of what Zeitoun and his family went through during Hurricane Katrina. Read the entire book to know the whole story! It's well worth the read. It's horrible that more people don't know about this.

Watch this video about what people know about Hurricane Katrina (click here).

I've never been so disappointed about our country.This hurt me to read about what happened to Zeitoun. How can people be treated this way and the rest of the country not know. This was the main news story at that time, but yet I don't remember hearing of anything like this. Granted, I was young, but I was old enough to know what was going on. I never heard of such treatment.

One of the things that hit me the hardest, was when Zeitoun paddled up to men in uniform (soldier, National Guard, Navy, I'm not sure), asked for help, and they told them they couldn't help him or even call someone else to help him. WHY NOT??? Isn't that why they went there?

Eggers did an outstanding job at getting this truth out. Usually I am not drawn to non-fiction work, but this was not written in a informative, drawn out way. It was almost written like a fiction story, but everything was very real.

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What do you remember from Hurricane Katrina? Were you aware of the what was REALLY going on?

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"Walking Disaster" by Jamie McGuire

"Even though we'd put each other through hell, we'd found heaven. Maybe that was more than a couple of sinners deserved, but I wasn't going to complain."
-Jamie McGuire, Walking Disaster

After months of impatiently waiting, Walking Disaster was finally released this week. Naturally, I stayed awake until midnight, just to make sure it downloaded to my Kindle. I read one chapter then fell asleep. I know: only one chapter?? I was tired!!

I didn't really know much about this sequel except for the fact that it was not going to be through Abby's point of view like Beautiful Disaster. It was going to be in Travis's point of view. I didn't know if the story was going to pick up from where Beautiful Disaster left off, or if it was going to just be the same story but told by him. I quickly found out that it was the latter.

Needless to say, I don't need to give you a summary! You can read my review about Beautiful Disaster for that! Also, you can watch this fun video (click here) of a scene from Walking Disaster! The two people in the video have not read the book, so they acted it out as if they were on Whose Line Is It Anyway? making the video pretty fun to watch! Now don't be discouraged from reading this sequel! To be honest, I was hoping for a continuation of the story; however, I was incredibly pleased with what McGuire did with this book. When I read the first book, I remember constantly wondering what Travis was thinking. Well, now I know! It adds so much color to the story!

Even though I knew the basic story line, the book still had me gasping, and I never wanted to put it down! Seeing everything through Travis's perspective put things in a whole new light. I honestly can't decide which version I liked better! Now that I have finished both of them, everything just seems to fit and flow into one big story.

We all fell in love with Travis and his bad-boy image, his tattoos, and his complete devotion to Abby in Beautiful Disaster. Well, brace yourself, ladies, you will fall much farther and harder this time around! Seeing Travis the way Abby sees him is one thing, but getting to know the depths of who Travis is, is another.

Jamie McGuire is one of those author's that creates the guy that all the girls want, making it hard for guys in the real world. Sorry, boys, but you've got to step it up if you even want to compare to Travis Maddox. Honestly, I don't believe that many guys think the way Travis does in the book. Who knows, maybe there are guys out there that go to the flower store and decide that one bouquet is not enough, so they buy enough to fill an entire room. Maybe there are guys out there that see a girl and think, "The fall clouds cast a gray shadow over everything, but [her] smile was like summertime" (Travis, Walking Disaster). Maybe. Maybe not. McGuire did a great job as a female author, though! The mood is so different in Travis's book than in Abby's. No woman will ever REALLY know what is going on in a man's head, but I will definitely give her credit, because this book is phenomenal!

It's always interesting to see love stories through the guy's point of view; however, those stories are often written by female authors. It would be great to know what is ACTUALLY going on in a guy's mind. So, feel free to write that for us, fellas!

Walking Disaster is a refreshing addition to its prequel, and the epilogue provides good closure for the readers. And what a great ending! I did not expect that to be the turn out!

 So, Jamie McGuire fans, what did you think? Leave your comments here!

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"Fragments" by Jeffry W. Johnston

"We're dealing with fragments here. Pieces that, by themselves, are hard to understand. But if we could figure out how they fit together..."
-Jeffry W. Johnston, Fragments

 You know, nothing about this book fit together. I can't piece together any good reason to ever read this book. Sure, I've read worse, but honestly there was nothing exciting about this book.

I knew this time would come. Eventually I knew that I would have to write a bad book review. This book was included in a collection of books loaned to me by a friend. I chose this book for this week because I knew it was not like the others I had been reading. I know I need variety in my reviews, so I thought this would be a good addition to my collection.

I began reading, and I instantly knew it was a book for a younger audience. The writing was simple. I continued reading anyway. I figured it couldn't hurt. But: ouch.

For a quick look at how this book made me feel, watch this video!

Chase is in high school and loves to be in front of an audience. He is the best actor at his school, and everyone knows it. Unfortunately, his acting is not the reason he gets attention. The whispers in the halls spread because of the scars on his wrists. Chase attempted suicide. Twice.

Recently, Chase was in a terrible car accident. He was drunk, but he didn't drive. He called his ex-girlfriend, Angie, to pick him up. Two of his friends were in the back seat, and he was in the passenger seat. A drunk driver met them on a sharp turn, but Angie couldn't swerve quickly enough. Chase was the only survivor.

His older brother, Ben, was troubled and was in jail, but his parents basically disowned him. Chase desperately wanted them to forgive Ben because he felt that all of Ben's troubles were his fault. Ultimately it lead to suicidal thoughts.

Most of the story tells of him having flashbacks that the reader doesn't understand, then he goes to his therapist and doesn't tell her anything. It's extremely repetitive. All of his secrets are revealed and all of the flashbacks are explained in the last chapter or so. They were shocking and unexpected, which was good, but that was the only time I really felt any emotion during this book: a whole 2 seconds.

Overall, it was just rather dull. Nothing kept me reading the book, other than the fact that I knew I needed to have a blog written by the end of the week. There was no pull, nothing at the end of each chapter leaving me wanting more.

Unless you want to be incredibly bored, I wouldn't recommend this book.

I'm not saying that suicide is not a serious issue. Those things should not be read lightly. I understand the importance of the message about suicide, but the overall plot was just a dud.

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Do you agree? Do you disagree? If you've read this book, what did you think? Share your thoughts here!

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"Night Road" by Kristin Hannah

"Maybe time didn't heal wounds exactly, but it gave you a kind of armor or new perspective. A way to remember with a smile instead of a sob."
-Kristin Hannah, Night Road

Everyone has a best friend. I'm not talking about a huge group of friends that you see at school or work, or the people you talk to during the day just to get by. I'm talking about that one best friend that completes you, that knows you better than yourself. No matter what, they are there.

When I say everyone, I mean everyone but Lexi. Lexi grew up with a drug-addict mother, who was in and out of prison, leaving Lexi in foster care most of the time. Dad was out of the picture, so Lexi had no family, or so she thought. Finally, when Lexi was 14, she discovered she had family.

Her great aunt Eva took her in to love and care for her. Because she was 14, it was time for her to start high school. She was used to being the new girl in a school since she had lived with multiple families over the years. She knew the tricks of blending in, and she did the best she could to not be noticed.

She succeeded in being invisible until she got to her first class. A boy approached her and spoke to her. He was so cute, he left her speechless. Of course, another girl came and led him away. It was obvious he was Mr. Popular at this school, so she knew she shouldn't even bother. But she just couldn't figure out why he came to her.

Soon enough it was time for lunch. Lunch on the first day is the worst! Where do you sit? Lexi took her packed lunch and her copy of Jane Eyre outside to sit in the sunlight. She spots a girl sitting under a tree, in a pink skirt and high top Converse shoes. She immediately likes this girl. Lexi tries to speak to her, but she says that talking to her would be considered "social suicide" and that she would never be a cheerleader if she did. Lexi said she cared nothing about that. The two instantly become friends.

Mia invited Lexi over to her house--her huge, rich-person house. Soon after they got there, the door burst open and several kids her age spilled inside. The cute boy from that morning was there! He walked over to Mia and started talking to her, then he noticed Lexi and froze. Mia introduced him: her twin brother, Zach. Oh no. Lexi knew she didn't need to be attracted to this boy if she wanted to have a good friendship with Mia. This wasn't going to be easy.

After a detailed telling of how Lexi met her new best friend, Mia, the book skips to their senior year. Lexi and Mia are still inseparable. Lexi loved Mia's family, and they loved her in return. Little did they know, Lexi would dramatically change their lives.

This story is told in third person; however, it is told from two different perspectives: Lexi's and Jude's, Mia's mother. Through both perspectives, the reader can see what a teenager goes through, but at the same time what a mother goes through during the same situations.

Jude is concerned about senior year. What mother wouldn't be? This is a huge year for her children: they have to decide on their future, fill out college applications, keep their grades up, score high on big tests, and do all of that while make the most fond of memories. Seniors loved to make memories by having parties. Seniors also loved to drink at these parties. How does a mother keep her children safe in these environments? She doesn't want to hold them hostage and never let them go out with their friends, but what if they drink? She can't always be there next to them to protect them.

Mia was shy, while Zach had a lot of friends. Zach was always there to protect her and be with her. Jude knew it was so important for them to go to the same college. They are both applying for the same schools, but there is never a way to know what will happen. Jude can't imagine what would happen if they didn't have each other.

OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH! This was ridiculously hard for me to write. I understand that I summarized a lot more than normal, but I promise I gave nothing away! I struggled with avoiding the major parts of the story. There is just SO much to this story. I feel as if this isn't my best review, which is sad because it's one of the best books I've read so far. I laughed, cried, and felt so many other things during this story. Kristin Hannah will throw you for a loop, for sure.

I can't imagine going through what these people went through in the story. Kristin Hannah sculpted this story to perfection. It's not some happy, mushy, unrealistic love story. There are no over the top romantic gestures, or anything like that. The character's reactions are all so realistic to the situations they face.

Night Road takes you through happiness, love, fear, grief, confusion, hopelessness, and back again. The writing in this book is outstanding.

Earlier I mentioned seniors partying and drinking. There are scenes in this book that demonstrate this behavior. There is sexual content; however it is not descriptive. For the most part, anyone can read this book. I believe that the reader should at least be 13 years old, but if a younger reader is mature, it should be fine. Profanity is not absent, but it is scarce.

As far as the drinking goes, I want to take a second to mention drunk driving. It's simple: just don't do it. If you choose to drink, make sure that you have a driver. If you don't have a driver, then don't drink. If you make the mistake to drink when no ride is available, call someone. Driving is never the right choice. Be safe. It's not worth the risk.

Read this book. No, that's not a suggestion, it is a DEMAND! No regrets accompany this read! After reading, tell me what you think! Or simply tell me what you thought of the review! Good? Bad? Anything! Anyone can leave comments right here!

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