Disconnected by Lisa M. Cronkhite

Disconnected
By Lisa M Cronkhite
Pages 200
Expected Publish: June 3rd 2014 by Poisoned Pencil
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Notes: This book was given to me through NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Milly has a huge problem on her hands.  She is being bullied by Amelia Norris. Day in and day out, Amelia torments Milly and even threatens to hurt her, but she can’t tell anyone—not a soul.  Milly’s reasoning—she does not want anyone to know where her tormentor lives.  They only share one thing in common.  Both co-exist as one in the same body. Milly is so disconnected from her past that she feels compelled to find out what truly happened to her when her parents were still alive.  After a mysterious fire, she and Grandpa George move into Aunt Rachel's Victorian home where Milly then begins to unravel puzzling clues to her family history. Through dreams and scattered memories, Milly journals her breaking story, trying to cope by putting the shattered pieces back together, all the while resisting with her inner demon.  Amelia is determined to cut Milly out of the real world—literally.Milly starts to wonder who her real family is after stumbling across Aunt Rachel’s notebook—having the intuitive sense that something terribly awful is missing.  All she had thought to be true now seems like one big lie.

MY REVIEW 

This story is about Milly who suffers black outs and past demons that she is trying to figure out what happened. She is also bullied by a girl named Amelia. Amelia thinks the worst of Milly and she struggles with her harsh criticize daily and at times Milly tries to break free of Amelia and sometimes those lead to dangerous things.  

I could not finish this book, sadly. It had so much potential. Dealing with depression myself I often read these kinds of books because it's a good thing for teens to read about and how a lot of them do struggle with this daily. Lisa had a great idea. Something was off. I wish I could put my finger on it, but this goes in my DNF pile.

The Listeners by Jo Cole

The Listeners
By Jo Cole
Pages: 239
Published May 7th 2013
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Summary: Rebecca Porter is a pretty average teenager—except for the fact that she sometimes blacks out and wakes up in other people’s bodies.

THE LISTENERS follows the parallel stories of Rebecca and Ethan, two teenagers who have the amazing ability to listen to the thoughts of others and control their actions.

When Rebecca learns that she’s been tasked with protecting Ethan from completing a mission that will cost him his life, she'll stop at nothing to protect the life of an innocent stranger. But how do you save someone that doesn't want to be saved?

Combining nonstop action, a crush that can read minds (so unfair) and relentless paranormal suspense, THE LISTENERS makes it clear that the battle against evil requires both mental and physical strength.

MY REVIEW 

The Listeners is a story about teenager Rebecca Porter who finds out that she has a gift. She finds out that she can hear people's thoughts and she can also control their actions. We also meet Ethan who is much like Rebecca, but Ethan is on the other side of the country and soon to get himself into a lot of trouble. Rebecca's goal is to help Ethan not get into trouble while trying to figure out her feelings as she finds out her crush "hot Kevin" is not exactly who he says he is. They have more in common than she thinks. 

I really enjoyed the Listeners. The chapters switch off between Rebecca and Ethan's point of view. They also throw in John Dunn's point of view. This was a small thing that bugged me. I wish there was a couple more chapters of John's point of view instead of just the one. It would have balanced out the book a little bit, but it would have also been nice to see his point of view at the end. I guess it could be a good idea for a novella. 

Though the ending did become predictable, I really enjoyed the book. It was a quick read, and I enjoyed myself. I felt like I didn't waste my time reading it. I was happy to find out that this book is a series because it leaves you with a cliff hanger. I suggest reading this novel right before the other one comes out so you're not craving more and you have to wait.

Touch by Francine Prose

Touch
By Francine Prose
Pages: 227
Published June 16th 2009 by Harper Teen
Purhcase

Summary: What "really" happened at the back of the bus?

Did they, or didn't they?

Did she, or didn't she?

"Something" happened to fourteen-year-old Maisie Willard--something involving her three friends, all boys. But their stories don't match, and the rumors spin out of control. Then other people get involved . . . the school, the parents, the lawyers. The incident at the back of the bus becomes the center of Maisie's life and the talk of the school, and, horribly, it becomes "news." With just a few words and a touch, the kids and their community are changed forever.

From nationally acclaimed author Francine Prose comes an unforgettable story about the difficulties of telling the truth, the consequences of lying, and the most dangerous twist of all--the possibility that you yourself will come to believe something that you know isn't true.

MY REVIEW

Touch is a story about freshman Maisie who growing up has been friends with three boys Chris, Kevin and Shakes. They have been friends since diapers. Things change when Maisie moves to live with her mom, and comes back her freshman year. She grew up and the boys do not know how to handle the change. One morning, things take a turn on their friendship. Something happens on the bus that causes the friendships to be questioned and tested. Maisie struggles with what really happened and what she wanted others to hear. She deals with the torments of classmates and her own friends. She also tries to struggle with the personal gain of her own family members.

I enjoyed Touch. Sometimes you read so many different young adult books that it’s nice to read a young adult story that touches on a difficult subject. You see how things in Maisie’s world got turned upside down and how she struggled to come with the truth. Some points in the novel I wanted to throw something at kids in her school because of how cruel they were. Such a sad truth that teens act this way at times. I wanted to strangle Maisie’s step mom. She was on her own crusade in making history with Maisie’s case when Maisie just wanted things to go away and she can go back to her life.

I like that Maisie did get closure that she needed with Shakes. She realized what they had become and that things will never return to how they once were, but things were said that made their friendship close on a good note.  

The Last Summer by Judith Kinghorn

The Last Summer 

By Judith Kinghorn
Website  and Twitter
Published: December 31st 2012 by NAL/Penguin USA
Pages: 433
Goodreads 
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Summary: Clarissa is almost seventeen when the spell of her childhood is broken. It is 1914, the beginning of a blissful, golden summer - and the end of an era. Deyning Park is in its heyday, the large country house filled with the laughter and excitement of privileged youth preparing for a weekend party. When Clarissa meets Tom Cuthbert, home from university and staying with his mother, the housekeeper, she is dazzled. Tom is handsome and enigmatic; he is also an outsider. Ambitious, clever, his sights set on a career in law, Tom is an acute observer, and a man who knows what he wants. For now, that is Clarissa.

As Tom and Clarissa's friendship deepens, the wider landscape of political life around them is changing, and another story unfolds: they are not the only people in love. Soon the world - and all that they know - is rocked by a war that changes their lives for ever.

MY REVIEW

The Last Summer is a story about an upstairs / downstairs relationship between Clarissa and Tom Cuthbert. Clarissa first meets Tom when she is just seventeen years old and have a romance that isn’t what Clarissa’s mother wants. Throughout the novel, you live the affair that Clarissa and Tom carry out throughout their whole lives. Clarissa struggles through her life trying to please everyone else but herself and during this struggle she suffers; not only with her heart but physically as well. 

Overall I enjoyed this novel. I loved how the novel started off with Clarissa’s innocence and we got to watch her grow into a woman at the age of forty by the end of the book. The only downfall to this growth was that I felt it made the book drag on. It was always about her longing for Tom and wishing to be with him, and her struggle of being unable to do so. 

I did enjoy reading the times Clarissa was with Tom. I also did enjoy her relationship with Antonio. I believe that was when Clarissa was truly allowed to be herself. She stopped caring what her mother wished, and it was nice to see that finally come out. Such a shame it happened much later in the book. Antonio was the perfect person at the perfect time for her. 

I loved how Judith writes and describes things. It has been a long time since I’ve wanted to sit with a blank notebook next to me while reading to copy down quotes or passages that I enjoyed. The Last Summer was full of them. My favorite was this 

"No, there's nothing to be afraid of, other than the stars, the universe, and the sense of being infinitesimal."

Overall, this book was enjoyable. Definite recommend to those who like historical fiction or Downton Abbey.

The Rule of Thre3 by Eric Walters

The Rule of Thre3
By Eric Walters
Published January 21st 2014 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Pages: 405
Eric's Website & Eric's Twitter
Goodreads
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Summary: One shocking afternoon, computers around the globe shut down in a viral catastrophe. At sixteen-year-old Adam Daley’s high school, the problem first seems to be a typical electrical outage, until students discover that cell phones are down, municipal utilities are failing, and a few computer-free cars like Adam’s are the only vehicles that function. Driving home, Adam encounters a storm tide of anger and fear as the region becomes paralyzed. Soon—as resources dwindle, crises mount, and chaos descends—he will see his suburban neighborhood band together for protection. And Adam will understand that having a police captain for a mother and a retired government spy living next door are not just the facts of his life but the keys to his survival

MY REVIEW

The Rule of Thre3 is a story about sixteen year old Adam who one day at school experiences a shut down of electronics; computers, cell phones, and anything in the 21st century loses it's power. While at first it seems like it just be their side of town, the students find out that the electronic shut off isn't just on their side of town. It's across the globe. Adam's family and town struggle with their new way of living with out communication, and find the best way they can to survive. 

While this book didn't really grab out at me, I felt like it wasn't a complete waste of my time. Sometimes when books don't pop out at you, you feel you want that time. This series definitely has potential once I stopped comparing and just enjoy the book for what it was. I compared it too much to Revolution's general set up, but there's a lot of difference between the two. The writing is great for a young adult novel, and the writer knows a lot of background for what was needed in the novel. 

A couple other things that bummed me a little was that Todd and Adam didn't have a lot of time together. I though their banter was great, and when it died out towards the middle of the book I wish it stated. They went their separate ways as jobs needed to get done, but I think it would have been great to have the banter keep the humor in between. They were thrown randomly together in the book at times, but I wanted more of their friendship to unfold. The other issue I had was that I didn't find a character that stood out to me. I usually find at least one that I enjoy, and this I didn't. 

Overall, I found this book enjoyable for a dystophian read. I will definitely read the second one. I'm hoping this is a series that gets better with each book in the series.