The Darlings are Forever- Melissa Kantor

Title: The Darlings are Forever
Author: Melissa Kantor
Rating: 4
Covering rating: 3
Description: Jane, Victoria, and Natalya. Together, they are the Darlings. Best friends forever. They have matching necklaces, their own table at Ga Ga Noodle, and even a shared motto: May you always do what you’re afraid of doing.
When the friends begin freshman year at three different high schools in distant corners of New York City, they promise to live by their motto and stay as close as ever. The Darlings know they can get through anything as long as they have each other. But doing scary new things is a lot easier with your friends beside you. And now that the girls aren’t spending all their time together, everything they took for granted about their friendship starts to feel less certain. They can’t help but wonder, will they really be the Darlings forever?

Melissa Kantor novels always make me smile and this one was no exception. Every single one of her characters holds their own charm. They're easily relatable. Jane, Victoria, and Natalya were no different. I found each of their voices quickly. And, each girl was vastly different. I enjoyed reading from all of their point of views.

This novel reminded me of Sex and the City. And, if you know me at all, you know I love Sex and the City. Obviously, this is for a much younger audience, but the friendships shown in this novel are just as true as the foursome in city. They even had their own favorite restaurant with their favorite table. All the girls were from different parts of Manhattan. All in all, very similar to SATC. I loved getting to know each of the girls. I enjoyed finding the ties that bound them together.

I'm excited to read what is next for the Darlings. This book is adorable and fun. My only real issue was the time lines. I felt that sometimes the time line wasn't adding up when Kantor switched the point of views. I felt like the days and weeks were getting all confused. Other than that, I enjoyed the Darlings.

So Much Closer- Susane Colasanti

Title: So Much Closer:

Author: Susane Colasanti
Website: http://www.susanecolasanti.com/
Rating: 5
Cover rating: 5
Description: When Brooke's crush, Scott, moves from their suburban town to New York City, she decides to follow him there. Living with her formerly estranged dad and adapting to a new school are challenging, and things go from bad to worse when Brooke learns that Scott already has a girlfriend. But as she builds her new life, Brooke begins to discover a side of herself she never knew existed. And as she finds out, in the city that never sleeps, love can appear around any corner...

This past week was the NYC teen author festival, I was lucky enough to travel from Texas to New York to meet the authors and hear them speak. Susane's panel was my favorite that I attended. Susane, along with all the other authors, were amazing to hear speak. Their passion for books is the same as my own. I love it. It gives me more confidence in my passion. I was also fortunate enough to receive an ARC of So Much Closer from Susane Colasanti. I pretty much wanted to faint and die of happiness right then and there in Books of Wonder.

This is my favorite Susane Colasanti novel, hands down, no contest. I have adored all four of her previous novels. She is one of my favorite authors. I also think she is probably the most inspiring person I have ever met. Her inspiration and passion comes through in everything. You can feel her energy when you meet her in person, you can feel it when you read her blog, and especially in her novels. You can just feel it.

So Much Closer swept me away from the first chapter. I could not put it down. Brooke's story captivated me. I connected with her. I haven't connected to a character on a level this intense in a very, very long time. Every page that I read there would be a quote, or several, and I would think "she is practically speaking to my soul!" I loved the passion for the New York City. I feel that same passion for that place. I remember being 7 years old the first time I visited New York. I was walking with my mom on a street in Greenwich Village; I looked up at her and simply stated, "I belong here." My love for New York City has never died and with each visit I fall more in love with it. I can't imagine the energy and pure excitement I would feel, just like Brooke did, by just living there. Susane is the perfect person to write about the vibrancy of New York because she feels the energy too.

I admire Brooke for her bold choices and following her dreams. Brooke changed me. I have pretty much always been ambitious, but after reading Brooke's story. I want to be more so. I want to be more everything. Every single day I want to work on achieving my dream. I want to focus on the things I KNOW I am meant to become and meant to do. I needed this inspiration. I needed the characters in this novel.

I was smitten with John from his first appearance. He made me smile, laugh, he pulled on my heart strings. His shirts were amazing. I know my friend Tricia and I will be making replicas of his shirts for our own wear. John was amazing. Sadie is just plain fabulous. 'Nuff said. Warm fuzzies? Totally brill. They would make me completely happy. Scott was written perfectly. The relationships were true and real. This novel has easily become one of my all time favorites. I actually want to read it all over again right this second.

This novel was flawless. From the breath taking front cover featuring the High Line to every word written beautifully inside to the fun stripes on the spine. Flawless. This novel was flawless.

I would also love to try a hand at origami. I've always thought it was interesting. Brooke and Susane have inspired me in so many different ways. Beautiful. Truly beautiful.