{Mini Review} Don't Even Think About It - Sarah Mlynowski

Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski
Genre: YA Contemporary / Paranormal
Release Date: Mar 11 / 2014
Publisher: Delacorte Press

Contemporary teen fiction with romance, secrets, scandals, and ESP from the author of Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have).

We weren't always like this. We used to be average New York City high school sophomores. Until our homeroom went for flu shots. We were prepared for some side effects. Maybe a headache. Maybe a sore arm. We definitely didn't expect to get telepathic powers. But suddenly we could hear what everyone was thinking. Our friends. Our parents. Our crushes. Now we all know that Tess is in love with her best friend, Teddy. That Mackenzie cheated on Cooper. That, um, Nurse Carmichael used to be a stripper.

Since we've kept our freakish skill a secret, we can sit next to the class brainiac and ace our tests. We can dump our boyfriends right before they dump us. We know what our friends really think of our jeans, our breath, our new bangs. We always know what's coming. Some of us will thrive. Some of us will crack. None of us will ever be the same.

So stop obsessing about your ex. We're always listening.

*A copy was provided by the publisher for review*

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley!

Don't Even Think About It is a pretty light and fun contemporary about what happened to a class of kids that got telepathy from vaccine. The way the story was narrated was quite different with "we" and "us", but it was easy to get used to. When the students suddenly developed ESP, everyone can suddenly listen in on everyone's thoughts and that way all the secrets were revealed. My favourite characters were probably BJ and Olivia. BJ was an interesting character because he didn't actually think differently than he acts. Olivia is quite and shy but now she's forced to share what she thinks with everyone. She also learns to be more open and grew as a person. I'd recommend this to people who just wants to read something short and fun!

{Review} Control - Lydia Kang

Control by Lydia Kang
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Release Date: Dec 26 / 2013
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers

An un-putdownable thriller for fans of Uglies.

When a crash kills their father and leaves them orphaned, Zel knows she needs to protect her sister, Dyl. But before Zel has a plan, Dyl is taken by strangers using bizarre sensory weapons, and Zel finds herself in a safe house for teens who aren’t like any she’s ever seen before—teens who shouldn't even exist. Using broken-down technology, her new friends’ peculiar gifts, and her own grit, Zel must find a way to get her sister back from the kidnappers who think a powerful secret is encoded in Dyl’s DNA.

A spiraling, intense, romantic story set in 2150—in a world of automatic cars, nightclubs with auditory ecstasy drugs, and guys with four arms—this is about the human genetic “mistakes” that society wants to forget, and the way that outcasts can turn out to be heroes.

Everything about this book was pretty good. Humans that have weird super powers with genetic faults is a pretty awesome idea of a book. The writing style was interesting enough for me to bury myself in the story. I read this all in one sitting actually. I would've given this an A but unfortunately, the romance had me thinking a bit. It was instant love (which I cannot stand) and what's even worse was that their relationship didn't have much of anything except kissing scenes and a whole bunch of tension. It wasn't believable. They didn't build their relationship in any way. Don't get me wrong; I still love Zel, Cy, and the rest of the amazing crew. I just feel the need to dock off one letter grade for the horrible romance.

{Mini Review} Independent Study - Joelle Charbonneau

Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau
Series: The Testing #2
Genre: YA Dystopian
Release Date: Jan 7 / 2014
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

In the series debut The Testing, sixteen-year-old Cia Vale was chosen by the United Commonwealth government as one of the best and brightest graduates of all the colonies... a promising leader in the effort to revitalize postwar civilization. In Independent Study, Cia is a freshman at the University in Tosu City with her hometown sweetheart, Tomas—and though the government has tried to erase her memory of the brutal horrors of The Testing, Cia remembers. Her attempts to expose the ugly truth behind the government’s murderous programs put her—and her loved ones—in a world of danger. But the future of the Commonwealth depends on her.

*spoilers for the Testing ahead*

Independent Study starts off right where the Testing left off.  Cia is now in the University and she is placed in the government / leadership program. The government had tried to erase her memories of her times in the Testing but she remembers. Even though she's in the University now, the game is still as deadly as ever with the Tosu City students. To pass the Initiation for her program, they're divided into groups to pass deadly challenges. That's probably my favourite part of the whole story. I love the challenges and how Cia has to think through all the possibilities to solve them. Now Cia is trying to expose the truths about the Testing by leading a rebellion, things are just getting better and better! I cannot wait for Graduation Day!

{Mini Review} Crown of Midnight - Sarah J. Maas

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #2
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: Aug 27 / 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt.

But her heart never wavers.

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice.

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?

Crown of Midnight was a stunning sequel to Throne of Glass. We continue with Celaena's newfound career as the King's Champion. Rebellion is brewing and everything is so much more intense than the first book. Romance was a definite plus in this book as well with Chaol and Dorian both vying for her attention (I love Chaol more by the way). It's an action-packed book that leaves you hanging at the hand and waiting for the sequel. 

{Mini Review} Divergent - Veronica Roth

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Series: Divergent #1
Genre: YA Dystopia
Release Date: Apr 25 / 2011
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

This is my re-read for Divergent because I just bought Allegiant. I DNFed Insurgent last year, so I'm giving the series a try again this year and I'll be reviewing the whole series as I go along. Divergent was as fantastic as I remembered. The world is still so great and everything is described really well. I was blown away a second time by this book. The action was non-stop and I couldn't stop myself from flipping the pages. There is this tension all the time and it feels like there isn't a single calm moment in the entire book. It keeps you moving and it keeps you reading for more. This book is definitely an attention-grabber and I would really recommend it to everyone. If you're hung over from Hunger Games (that is, if you're new to the YA book world), I wouldn't hesitate to pick this up. TRUST ME. YOU NEED IT. 

{Review} The Bone Season - Samantha Shannon

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: Aug 20 / 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

It is the year 2059. Several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is unusual: scouting for information by breaking into others’ minds. Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare kind of clairvoyant, and in this world, the voyants commit treason simply by breathing.

But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion. The voyant prison is a separate city—Oxford, erased from the map two centuries ago and now controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. These creatures, the Rephaim, value the voyants highly—as soldiers in their army.

Paige is assigned to a Rephaite keeper, Warden, who will be in charge of her care and training. He is her master. Her natural enemy. But if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives.

The Bone Season introduces a compelling heroine—a young woman learning to harness her powers in a world where everything has been taken from her. It also introduces an extraordinary young writer, with huge ambition and a teeming imagination. Samantha Shannon has created a bold new reality in this riveting debut.

I loved this book a lot. The Seven Seals were something exciting to read about and I truly enjoyed all the world-building and the supernatural element of this book. We get to learn about the voyants, the Scion, and the Rephaim. Everything was action-packed with our strong heroine, Paige. She's a special kind of voyant called a dreamwalker. When she gets kidnapped, she meets Warden who is her new master. I seriously cannot describe how amazing this book is and it's definitely not over hyped.  This book is unique and the plot was fast-paced. The romance was well-written and every aspect of this book was enjoyable. I would recommend everyone to read this!

{Mini Review} Secrets of the Realm - Bev Stout

Secrets of the Realm by Bev Stout
Release Date: May 4 / 2013
Publisher: Creative Space

Blamed for her uncle's death, fifteen-year-old Annie is on the run. Knowing the perils she will face on the streets of eighteenth century London, she disguises herself as a boy. Her life on the streets is cut short when she becomes Captain Hawke’s cabin boy.

Not only must Annie work alongside the Realm’s motley crew of outcasts and gentlemen, she must also keep her superstitious shipmates from discovering she is a girl.

Annie vows she will never leave the Realm, where dreams are chased, shattered lives can mend, and secrets are stowed like keepsakes in an old desk drawer. But when her past catches up with her, can she return to the Realm? More importantly, will she have a choice?

*A review copy was provided for reviewing purposes*

Thank you to Bev Stout for providing the book! This does not alter my review in any way

Secrets of the Realm is a book about a girl who disguised herself as a boy and lived on a ship. From Annie Moore, she turned into Andres de la Cruz, Captain Hawke's cabin boy. Life on the ship was fun to read and I found myself being really into what happened to Annie. There was always the possibility that she would be discovered and kicked off of the ship. Crazy things happened all the time but what mattered was that Annie belonged out in the sea. I was really sad about how it all turned out in the end but I guess it had to happen  :(

{Mini Review} Catching Liam - Sophia Bleu

Catching Liam by Sophia Bleu
Series: Good Girls Don't #1
Genre: NA Contemporary
Release Date: July 8 / 2013

Twenty-one year-old Jillian Nichols only has one rule when it comes to boys: catch and release. Boy-catching isn't just a game for Jillian and her friends, it's a lifestyle. After all, boys might be good for a dance or a drink and certainly a little under-cover action of the scandalous variety, but expect much else and you're bound for heart ache.

So when her best friends and fellow boy catchers start dropping like flies junior year, Jillian is determined to keep boys in her bedroom and out of her heart. Until she meets Liam McAvoy, the kind of guy that sticks around to make waffles and who can't—or perhaps won't—take a hint.

Study abroad student Liam doesn't want to be another notch on Jillian's bedpost. Actually he has much more interesting ideas for Jillian and her bedposts, but his student visa's set expiration date means he can't promise her forever. That doesn't mean he's going to walk away from the challenge of discovering why Jillian is hell-bent at keeping people at a distance.

Before long, neither is sure who is catching who—or if they're playing for keeps. Jillian knows one thing though: falling in love will not only break the only rule of boy-catching, it could also break her heart.

*A review copy was provided for reviewing purposes*

Thank you to Sophia Bleu and InkslingerPR for the book! 

This does not alter my review in any way

Catching Liam was an okay contemporary. It involves the couple working together to work past their problems which in turn strengthens their relationship and builds their trust. There was something off about Jillian and boy catching is her way of not getting too close to anyone. She pushes everyone away and I felt really sorry for the girl. She also has some serious family drama. Catching Liam is a pretty average contemporary with its happily-ever-afters and everything.

{Mini Review} Between the Lines - Jodi Picoult & Samantha van Leer

Between the Lines 
By Jodi Picoult & Samantha van Leer
Release Date: Jun 26 / 2012
Publisher: Simon Pulse

New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult and her teenage daughter present their first-ever novel for teens, filled with romance, adventure, and humor.What happens when happily ever after…isn’t?

Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.

And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.

Delilah and Oliver work together to attempt to get Oliver out of his book, a challenging task that forces them to examine their perceptions of fate, the world, and their places in it. And as their attraction to each other grows along the way, a romance blossoms that is anything but a fairy tale.

I was really excited for this one as it talks about a fictional character coming to life. And... I was greatly disappointed. I found myself actually quite bored throughout the whole book and I had to use all my willpower to read it until the very end. The ending wasn't all that great either. While Oliver did make it out of the book, I think the solution isn't good. I had hoped this would be good but it isn't :(

{Mini Review} Bystander - James Preller

Bystander by James Preller
Genre: YA realistic fiction
Release Date: Sept 29 / 2009
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Eric is the new kid in seventh grade. Griffin wants to be his friend. When you’re new in town, it’s hard to know who to hang out with—and who to avoid. Griffin seems cool, confident, and popular.

But something isn't right about Griffin. He always seems to be in the middle of bad things. And if Griffin doesn't like you, you'd better watch your back. There might be a target on it.

As Eric gets drawn deeper into Griffin’s dark world, he begins to see the truth about Griffin: he’s a liar, a bully, a thief. Eric wants to break away, do the right thing. But in one shocking moment, he goes from being a bystander . . . to the bully’s next victim.

I've never read many books about bullying before so this was my first. Eric is the new kid in seventh grade and Griffin seems to be a good friend. But later, Eric slowly finds out how Griffin is really like and what a bully he was. Eric later tries to do stuff about it which works but I feel like the issue isn't really resolved in the end. Eric just stopped being the target, that's all. I think this book should've went more in depth for the bullying as it's something that kids deal with every day. This is a quick and light read about bullying that I'm sure people will enjoy.

{Mini Review} The Keep - Veronica Wolff

The Keep by Veronica Wolff
Series: The Watchers #4
Genre: YA Paranormal
Release Date: Jun 4 / 2013
Publisher: NAL Trade

Just because you work for the dead doesn't mean you want to join them.

Drew has just started her second year on the Isle of Night, and the weather isn’t the only thing changing drastically. She has ascended to the rank of Initiate. She’s also found an intimate love in the handsome vampire, Carden. But most of all, she no longer dreams of escape. She dreams of vengeance.

Her friend, Emma, was brutally wounded by the savage vampire Alcántara, and may have been taken to the dreaded castle, from which none of the living return. But there are so many different stories from so many people with so many of their own deceits and machinations, Drew can’t be sure of anything—except that she must find a way into the castle to discover the truth and take down Alcántara once and for all.

But Drew isn’t the only one out for revenge. Someone very dangerous on the island is also out for blood…

Hers…

To sum up my feeling about this word in one simple way is this gif right here:

The thing that stopped me from finishing this book is Drew and the lack of a plot. Drew is now hated by all the girls because they said that she killed her best friend and keeps all the boys to herself. Or something like that. If she has like 3 (maybe 4) boys/vampires after her, then so be it. Let the other girls be bitches. But Drew keeps complaining about them and she's being mean right back. Drew's attitude is really mean and I couldn't put up with her in this book. What's with her insecurity when her boyfriend left anyways? When Carden (bf) left, she isn't strong anymore. She became this weak girl who complains a lot. Her obsession with the keep also gets a lot on my nerves. Then there's the lack of the plot. Besides her obsessing over her friend's death somehow connected to the keep and her trying to juggle three boys, there's literally nothing that's worth reading about. 

{Mini Review} Unspoken - Sarah Rees Brennan

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
Series: The Lynburn Legacy #1
Genre: YA Paranormal
Release Date: Sept 11 / 2012
Publisher: Random House

Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head. But all that changes when the Lynburns return. The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

I must admit, I got pulled in by the cover. They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover right? Well, I do. I look at the pretty cover then I'd be like, Ooh, this looks nice; I think I'll read it. The actual story, however, was a bit boring. I actually DNF'ed this when I read it last year but decided to pick it back up again and read it a second time. I made it all the way through the second time but it was still a bit boring at times.

{Mini Review} Spies and Prejudice - Talia Vance

Spies and Prejudice by Talia Vance
Genre: YA Contemporary
Release Date: Jun 11 / 2013
Publisher: Egmont USA

Fields’ Rule #1: Don’t fall for the enemy.

Berry Fields is not looking for a boyfriend. She’s busy trailing cheaters and liars in her job as a private investigator, collecting evidence of the affairs she’s sure all men commit. And thanks to a pepper spray incident during an eighth grade game of spin the bottle, the guys at her school are not exactly lining up to date her, either.

So when arrogant—and gorgeous—Tanner Halston rolls into town and calls her “nothing amazing,” it’s no loss for Berry. She’ll forget him in no time. She’s more concerned with the questions surfacing about her mother’s death.

But why does Tanner seem to pop up everywhere in her investigation, always getting in her way? Is he trying to stop her from discovering the truth, or protecting her from an unknown threat? And why can’t Berry remember to hate him when he looks into her eyes?

With a playful nod to Jane Austen, Spies and Prejudice will captivate readers as love and espionage collide.

{Mini Review} Things I Can't Forget - Miranda Kenneally

Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally

Series: Hundred Oaks #3

Release Date: Mar 1 / 2013

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Companion to Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker. Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different… This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt--with her. Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…

Things I Can't Forget was a great read. Its cute romance made me squeal and Kate's experiences made me feel for her. Kate is a Christian and I felt like her experience is what a lot of Christian kids go through today. Even though I'm not a Christian, most of my friends are and I feel like they need to find their way into the world with God on their side. Kate's experience provided the story of what she did. Kate really tried to find who she is and Things I Can't Forget is a great self-discovery story :3 

{Mini Review} Walking Disaster - Jamie McGuire

Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire
Series: Beautiful #2
Release Date: Apr 2 / 2013
Publisher: Atria Books

Finally, the highly anticipated follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Beautiful Disaster. Can you love someone too much? Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder. In Walking Disaster, the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence. But just when he thinks he is invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees. Every story has two sides. In Beautiful Disaster, Abby had her say. Now it’s time to see the story through Travis’s eyes.

{Mini Review} Spellcaster - Claudia Gray

Spellcaster by Claudia Gray
Release Date: Mar 5 / 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen

When Nadia’s family moves to Captive’s Sound, she instantly realizes there’s more to it than meets the eye. Descended from witches, Nadia senses a dark and powerful magic at work in her new town. Mateo has lived in Captive’s Sound his entire life, trying to dodge the local legend that his family is cursed - and that curse will cause him to believe he’s seeing the future … until it drives him mad. When the strange dreams Mateo has been having of rescuing a beautiful girl—Nadia—from a car accident come true, he knows he’s doomed. Despite the forces pulling them apart, Nadia and Mateo must work together to break the chains of his family’s terrible curse, and to prevent a disaster that threatens the lives of everyone around them. Shimmering with magic and mystery, New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray’s new novel is sure to draw fans of the Hex Hall and Caster Chronicles series, and fans of the hit CW TV show The Secret Circle.

I couldn't concentrate on the story and it never held my interest. I thought I would give this a try since I read this vampire series by Claudia Gray. This book was a huge disappointment as I've been waiting on this for so long. Some day, I might pick this up again and give it another chance but not any time soon.

{Mini Review} Falling Kingdoms - Morgan Rhodes

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
Release Date: Dec 11 / 2012
Publisher: Razorbill

The gripping New York Times bestseller that is Game of Thrones for teens In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power—brutally transforming their subjects' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined: Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct. Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished—and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making. Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield. Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword. . . . The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

Falling Kingdoms was okay. I liked the different kingdoms but sometimes it failed to keep my interest. I really don't like switching persepectives either and that made me fail to make much of a connection with the characters.

{Mini Review} Incarnation - Emma Cornwall

Incarnation by Emma Cornwall
Release Date: 09/18/2012
Publisher: Gallery Books

Amazon / B&N / TBD / Chapters

In the steampunk world of Victorian London, a beautiful vampire seeks out the author of Dracula–to set the record straight . . . If one is to believe Bram Stoker’s legendary vampire tale, Lucy Weston is Dracula’s most wanton creation, a sexual creature of the night who preys on innocent boys. But the real-life Lucy is nothing like her fictional counterpart—and she demands to know why the Victorian author deliberately lied. With Stoker’s reluctant help, she’s determined to track down the very fiend who transformed her—from the sensual underworld where humans vie to become vampires, to a hidden cell beneath a temple to madness, and finally into the glittering Crystal Palace where death reigns supreme.
Haunted by fragmentary memories of her lost life and love, Lucy must battle her thirst for blood as she struggles to stop a catastrophic war that will doom vampires and humans alike. Ultimately, she must make a choice that illuminates for her—and for us—what it means to be human.

Incarnation took me a while to get through and even after two weeks, I still haven't made up my mind on it. I guess it is pretty okay. I've never read Dracula so I can't say how it compares to that. But it is certainly refreshing. It included King Arthur's story and how all that played out. I don't actually know if I will pick up the second book (if there is one). The Victorian England setting didn't interest me that much that much either so this book is one big, fat MEH.

{Review} The Espressologist - Kristina Springer

The Espressologist
By Kristina Springer
Release Date: 10/27/2009
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

What’s your drink of choice? Is it a small pumpkin spice latte? Then you’re lots of fun and a bit sassy. Or a medium americano? You prefer simplicity in life. Or perhaps it’s a small decaf soy sugar-free hazelnut caffe latte? Some might call you a yuppie. Seventeen-year-old barista Jane Turner has this theory that you can tell a lot about a person by their regular coffee drink. She scribbles it all down in a notebook and calls it Espressology. So it’s not a totally crazy idea when Jane starts hooking up some of her friends based on their coffee orders. Like her best friend, Em, a medium hot chocolate, and Cam, a toffee nut latte. But when her boss, Derek, gets wind of Jane’s Espressology, he makes it an in-store holiday promotion, promising customers their perfect matches for the price of their favorite coffee. Things are going better than Derek could ever have hoped, so why is Jane so freaked out? Does it have anything to do with Em dating Cam? She’s the one who set them up! She should be happy for them, right?
With overtones of Jane Austen’s Emma and brimming with humor and heart, this sweet, frothy debut will be savored by readers.