Review: BRIGHT BEFORE SUNRISE by Tiffany Schmidt

Title: Bright Before Sunrise
Author: Tiffany Schmidt
Publication date: February 14, 2014
Publisher: Walker Children's (Bloomsbury)
Source: an e-galley provided by the publisher for an honest review

When Jonah is forced to move from Hamilton to Cross Pointe for the second half of his senior year, "miserable" doesn't even begin to cover it. He feels like the doggy-bag from his mother's first marriage and everything else about her new life—with a new husband, new home and a new baby—is an upgrade. The people at Cross Pointe High School are pretentious and privileged—and worst of all is Brighton Waterford, the embodiment of all things superficial and popular. Jonah’s girlfriend, Carly, is his last tie to what feels real... until she breaks up with him. 

For Brighton, every day is a gauntlet of demands and expectations. Since her father died, she’s relied on one coping method: smile big and pretend to be fine. It may have kept her family together, but she has no clue how to handle how she's really feeling. Today is the anniversary of his death and cracks are beginning to show. The last thing she needs is the new kid telling her how much he dislikes her for no reason she can understand. She's determined to change his mind, and when they're stuck together for the night, she finally gets her chance. 

Jonah hates her at 3p.m., but how will he feel at 3 a.m.? 

One night can change how you see the world. One night can change how you see yourself.

Review: 

First line: "You've dropped something."

I don't know what I was expecting, but the plot turned out to be what I was and wasn't expecting, all wrapped up in one. These types of plots—where two people are stuck together for a night and their opinions about each other change in less than 24 hours—are tricky. It balances on a thin rope of being unrealistic and involving insta-love. But Bright Before Sunrise succeeded in not being annoying or too implausible. 

What makes this work:

Connection. It's an overall cute story, alternating between Jonah's and Brighton's narratives, displaying the times at the beginning of each chapter. What impressed me was that I was able to connect with both of these characters, even though they were vastly different. Jonah comes from Hamilton, which is represented as the projects, and has an extremely frustrating home life as well as a toxic girlfriend. Brighton, on the other hand, is the poster child for the sunny Cross Pointe and never lets herself have a break. I looked forward to both of their narratives, but I think I favored Jonah's more, partly because he had a backbone. 

Humor. There can be different layers of cute, from a cute that can seem a bit patronizing (like a pat on the head) to a cute that makes me smile. This was the latter. Since I did connect with both characters, they easily made me smile because I got it.

Having him in my bathroom seems way too intimate. I get naked in that shower every morning. The way-too-flimsy-but-neverseen-in-public bathrobe Evy gave me for Christmas is hanging on a hook behind his head.

Realism. You know where most stories with these kind of plots tend to go south? It's when their feelings suddenly change or when the whole story is focused on their romance. This is a contemporary novel and many contemporaries have romance as a focus, but it shouldn't always be that way. The author does a great job in making their relationship progress at a nice pace. It's only 12 hours, I know. But it doesn't feel like 12 hours. Whenever they found themselves more comfortable or reached a new hour or new step in their relationship/friendship, it was done with ease and realism. THAT is how it's done. What helped was that they were both working towards separate goals: Jonah with his achy-breaky heart and revenge, Brighton with her can-do attitude and participation goal. While Jonah hesitated with his plan to show his newly ex-girlfriend the truth (simultaneously embarrassing her), he developed feelings for Brighton. Not overpowering love that so many books seem to do, but slowly developed care. 

Another great example of realism in the book was the ending. Since it's the ending, I can't tell you why, but believe me, it was refreshing. 

Flaws. With Brighton as a main character, the story easily could have followed down a doomed path of "perfect" characters. I thank the author for not ruining her book that way. At one point, Brighton chose poorly, and stupidly didn't act as she should have. But before it became too late for the situation to be fixed, she wised up and had a tiny payback of her own. That's what should happen. Characters are supposed to be flawed. Who wants a Mary Sue? Brighton was overwhelmed with the night's events and emotions, which made her not make the smartest decisions. But she fixed it. She made me go from helpless to proud. I'll repeat myself, that's how it's supposed to happen. Flaws are involved. Brighton has a hard job of keeping up with her Miss Perfect image. Jonah deals with his crappy home life and a situation he hates being in. Both of them deal with irrational choices and overcome their own personal flaws. All of those "imperfections" come together to make a great book with dimensionality. 

Looking back, I don't know what I was expecting. It doesn't matter though because I got what I needed.

Verdict: A fast-paced story involving cuteness and depth as well as a natural relationship progression.

Note: Quotes may change from ARCs to publication.

Review: THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US by Kasie West

Title: The Distance Between Us

Author: Kasie West

Publication date: July 2, 2013

Publisher: HarperTeen

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.

So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.

She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

Review:

First line: My eyes burn a whole in the page.

Kasie West, you have earned yourself another fan! I book binged on The Distance Between Us. I binged so much, it really came back to bite me in the butt the next morning. 

First, let's talk about the cover. There actually isn't much for me to say except that I love it. I want her dress. I want his car. I want HIM. I don't see the main character, Caymen, actually wearing that though. Do I care? Nope. 

Caymen works in her mother's doll shop, which makes the story stand out right there. I have read plenty of books where the character has to work in a family shop, but never have they been dolls. Caymen was somebody who I wished I could be. She said all the sarcastic one liners that I think of later or just never voice. She was absolutely snarktastic in a good way and I loved that. Because if you had to work in a failing doll store with so-called snooty wealthy people, you need a sarcasm outlet for it.

No one truly appreciated her sarcasm except for maybe Xander.

Most importantly, I connected with Caymen. Even though I only think the things she says, I knew how she was feeling when it came to humankind although she mostly had a problem with the rich while I just don't like anybody and I totally amen'd her when it came to how creepy dolls are or when she refused to drink *high fives* or just simply her narration about her life. I related to her voice and couldn't stop smiling at her wit.

"No, I'm fine with boringness, thank you." In fact, I've settled into my monotonous life pretty well, only feeling the urge to rip my hair out about once a week now.

I did have a shaky time with her and her mother though. Caymen has never been a fan of the rich since her mother got knocked up by a rich guy and was paid by his parents to go away and to not contact them. While her mother got disowned by her own parents as well and left to run a rapidly sinking doll shop, the rich father went off to be a lawyer. That hurts, I get it. But Caymen only mentions how her mother doesn't like the rich. We never actually see it though. Caymen remarks on their well-off customers or has a well-balanced snarky attitude as she waits on them and her mother corrects her. She doesn't encourage it whatsoever. Am I missing something here? I'm not annoyed with this supposedly bitter mother because she's doing what a mother should be doing, encouraging her daughter to be well-behaved and nice especially to the people shopping in your store. But why is Caymen so paranoid about her mother meeting her rich sort of boyfriend when her mother hasn't given her one hint that she would be disappointed in her? 

"Why do I get the feeling you didn't want me to meet your mom back there?"

I thought it had escaped his notice. Apparently not. "Because I didn't."

"Well, that would explain the feeling."

Which leads to Xander. 

Sure, he may come off a little pompous in the beginning by "beckoning" her, but I knew that he was truly a good guy from the start. He was definitely one of the best, realistic love interests I've read this year, that's for sure. Sweet, charming, unashamed of their growing relationship/friendship, respectful, eager to meet the mother, BRINGER OF HOT CHOCOLATE...the guy is a keeper, folks. I loved seeing their relationship grow. She was witty and sarcastic, he was smitten and basically everything else. They connected through his belief that they were very much alike, both trapped in futures they didn't want to have. Neither of them care for their lives, but Xander won me over because he constantly encouraged her to break free of the dolls' chains. While Caymen seemed to be in sweet turmoil since Xander entered her life because they were so not right for each other whatever, Caymen, he still balanced her life out by being him.

"It's not just grave digging, Xander. It's about this whole place. Living a quiet life surrounded by peaceful death."

"You are morbid."

My only real issue was the ending. Of course, I can't really say why. But Kasie West made me a bit disgruntled at the fact that everything was wrapped up too neatly. Oh, this thing happens and now this thing just magically is made better? Then this is quickly explained and this subplot is miraculously fixed? So that's it? We're all good? Well. Okay then. 

I wouldn't trade my reading experience of this book for anything else because I absolutely enjoyed it. I book binged way later than I should have and happily slept with thoughts of Xander and even Caymen's snark and woke up with sad realization that I finished the book. So thankfully, the ending didn't ruin the whole story for me, but I wished that it was somehow handled better. 

Verdict: A super enjoyable read that makes me anxiously await West's other books and AH, ADORBS ALL AROUND.

Note: As an ARC, these quotes may have changed. 

Also, don't forget you have one more week to enter in my blogoversary giveaway!

Review: THE LONELY HEARTS CLUB by Elizabeth Eulberg

Title: The Lonely Hearts Club

Author: Elizabeth Eulberg

Publication date: January 1, 2010

Publisher: Point

Love is all you need... or is it? Penny's about to find out in this wonderful debut.

Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating. So she vows: no more. It's a personal choice. . .and, of course, soon everyone wants to know about it. And a few other girls are inspired. A movement is born: The Lonely Hearts Club (named after the band from Sgt. Pepper). Penny is suddenly known for her nondating ways . . . which is too bad, because there's this certain boy she can't help but like. . . .

Review:

I can sum this book up in one word: CUTE.

Penny Lane is, yes, named after a Beatles song. All of her sisters are actually, but she considers hers to be the weirdest. Instead of rebelling and getting sick of anything Beatles, she turns to them for comfort or enjoyment of any kind. Thanks to her parents, she knows every Beatles song and probably knows every Beatles fact. Then comes the heartbreak. After catching her longtime crush and short-time official boyfriend cheating on her in her own home, she vows to be off of boys. The only boys allowed are, of course, the Beatles. She calls herself the Lonely Hearts Club and decides to stop dating until she gets out of her high school, which, to her, is filled with brainwashing pigs as guys.

In the amiss of all that, we meet her best friend Tracy, who is so obsessed with getting a boyfriend that she makes a huge list of potential candidates every year. Unlike Penny, Tracy has never had luck with capturing a guy and is a bit desperate. However, that's what made her likable. She wasn't perfect. She was acting like a normal teenager girl (which is pretty sad actually) with a sprinkling of weird. However, I did not like her saying, "What to the evs." It made me twitch.

Another reason why Penny thinks that boys are nothing but trouble is how her falling out with former best friend Diane came to be. After Diane started dating Ryan in seventh grade (seriously?) and continued to date him, Diane started ditching Penny, altering her social life around her boyfriend. Even though Penny doesn't particularly like to be around Diane, we are let known through Tracy that Penny has somewhat flirting conversations with Ryan and player Todd with her being unconscientious about it.  In the beginning of the book, Penny and Diane make up thanks to Ryan and Diane breaking up and Diane apologizing profusely.

While I get an old friendship can be picked up quickly, I felt that part was handled unrealistically. They haven't had a true conversation in years, their relationship was abandoned and so was Penny due to a guy, and suddenly Diane wants to be friends...and it happens? Penny definitely was against it at first, but it didn't take her long to declare that it was easy to be best friends again. Huh.

After each girl close to Penny start hearing about her club and coincidentally has their own frustrating experience with a guy, she starts to gain more members. The club becomes a hot topic at school with some people joining for fame or wrong reasons while others turn their noses up at it, thinking that the girls are pathetic and lonely. Of course, it also doesn't set well with the guys in school.

I loved Penny's narrative and how she tries to organize her life, set boundaries with Nate, and make sure she keeps her friends a priority. I love her relationship with her family and sisters, even if we don't see much of them. Sad novels without parents (If I Stay, maybe?) are good too, but I love the feeling of reading a book where the character has a great relationship with her parents, especially if there's some wit in there. With Penny's narrative, there's definitely wit because she made me smile many times. I love how cute it all is. I especially love how each chapter starts with a Beatles song quote because I adore music. This novel received my love. 

My mother was a small woman, but she carried the wrath of God in her. I didn't like to make her angry. You wouldn't like her when she's angry.

BUT I had a couple negatives. One was the overall boys aspect. Firstly, I disliked how Penny and all the girls claimed that all the boys in their school are jerks/idiots/pigs/etc. Generalizations are unfair and pretty much just suck. It's like picking a couple YA books that treated you badly in the terms of writing or relationships or some pet peeve you had and then declaring that all YA books are the same and that they need to be banned. Ridiculous. I wanted to go walk around Penny's school and find the nice guys that are being lumped into this generalization and give them free ice cream. They didn't deserve it. Thankfully, near-ish the end, Penny realized this as well and tried to mend her wrong ways.

He was a guy. A guy guy. As far as I was concerned, he probably had the dead bodies of small children and puppies hidden in his locker.

On the other side, Todd and some jerky guys were being morons. They guffawed and behaved even worse when the club starting getting popular. I see their indignation, but as a girl, I wanted to spit on them. In addition, I wanted to do even worse to the principal. The principal, who is a guy and I do not think that's a coincidence, was vehemently against the club and claimed that Penny was causing trouble and disrupting the order of things, blah blah blah. Just because you're a guy and a principal gives you no excuse to interfere on a non-school club and try to punish her. I wanted to applaud for her parents who didn't even hesitate to stick up for their daughter.

For the actual jerks who were horrible to their dates/girlfriends.
LOSERS

The last issue I had was I felt that the club was unrealistic. I might be wrong, but I don't see it all rapidly happening like that in a high school. There were a few other instances that was cheesy movie-worthy. You know, where everyone forms together and cheers on someone and miraculously, the person overcomes some obstacle because she had people cheering her on. Whatever. I'll excuse it, Ms. Eulberg, because I enjoyed your novel.

The family closeness, cuteness, song references, and the fun aspect of this book made up for the unrealistic elements, jerks, and eye-roll-worthy actions and statements. Like I said, it was cute.

Verdict: a fun, cute novel that sucked me in with a couple irritations, but was a really great break from reality.