Review: Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger & ARC giveaway!

Title: Midsummer's Nightmare
Author: Kody Keplinger
ISBN: 9780316084222
Publisher: Poppy
Pages: 304
Rating: 4
Synopsis: Whitley Johnson's dream summer with her divorced dad has turned into a nightmare. She's just met his new fiancée and her kids. The fiancée's son? Whitley's one-night stand from graduation night. Just freakin' great. Worse, she totally doesn't fit in with her dad's perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn't even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who is just about the only person she's ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn't "do" friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn't her stepbrother...at least, not yet. It will take all three of them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.


Hello! This is one of the wonderful books I snagged at TXLA. I had wonderful time at TXLA and met so many great bloggers and authors. I have wanted this book for so long. I was estatic when I picked up the ARC.

I love Kody's writing. I love, love, love it! Her character's voices are incredibly real and genuine. I liked Whitely from the first line. Kody's dialogue is original, funny, and real. It never feels forced. I never think "people wouldn't actually say that." She has such a good grip on reality. She always shows the truth. I can't get enough of it. I adored The Duff. Shut Out was a tiny bit disappointing to me. I didn't fall in love with it like I did The Duff, but A Midsummer's Nightmare- I fell in love with her writing all over again. 

Whitley is a little rough around the edges, but she's so likeable. She tries her hardest not to be liked, but really you can't help but want to be her friend. She's strong, sensitive, and a little lost. I cheered for her through every step of her journey. My heart broke for hers when she tried not to feel her emotions. I loved how caring she was even though she tried not to be. Whitley continually made me smirk throughout the novel with her actions and words. She's so familiar to me. I know people just like her in real life.

Nathan. Nate. Oh my, you gorgeous boy. I have a delictable image of him in my mind. He's kind, sweet, and surprising. I didn't expect some of the things he would say. Sometimes his emotions surprised me- but all in good ways. He's a fabulous love interest to lust after.

All of the surrounding characters are brilliant. Whitley's best friend is HILARIOUS. Her new stepsister has to be the sweetest girl. I want to slap and shake her dad until he woke up. Her stepmom's words melted me and made me pull for her.

This is an excellent novel and will be a fun summer read.

As for the giveaway....

I happen to have TWO ARCS. I will be giving ONE of them away! This book comes out on my birthday (June 5th) which is a month from today. I originally planned to leave to contest open until then, but I want one of you to have it before the release date. So, the contest will end on SUNDAY MAY 20 at MIDNIGHT.

What do you have to do? It's simple!
1) Leave a comment recommending a YA book. (I'm in need of something delicously good.)
2) This is not required, but if you would like extra entries- follow my blog. (leave your name please & a link to your blog- if you have one.)
3) Also, not required, but gets you extra entries- tweet about this contest. (leave me a link the comments. You can do this as many times as you desire. Each one will count as an entry.)
4) LEAVE YOUR NAME AND EMAIL ADDY so I can contact you if you are the winner!

I will select the winner at random. Good luck! Thank you so much for stopping by!

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Title: The Fault in Our Stars

Author: John Green
Published: Jan. 10, 2012
Publisher: Dutton Books
Pages: 313 pages
Rating: 5
Synopsis (via goodreads): Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.


*Pokes head out of the ground and looks around.* I feel like I need to adjust myself to the sunlight. It has been so long since I posted a review. The last time I posted a review I wanted to start posting frequently again. As you know....that did not happen. I'm hoping it will happen this time. My schedule is actually allowing it. It wasn't just my schedule that wasn't allowing me to post. It was me. I was not reading. I was stuck in a very long reading slump. I would pick up a book and I just could not get interested. Nothing was keeping my attention. I'm not quite sure why, honestly, there could have been a multitude of reasons. So much has happened in my life lately. A lot of good. And a hell of a lot of bad. I'm reading again. I'm excited about reading again. I feel addicted to it again which makes me very happy. Anywayyyyy....

I have something to admit. Brace yourselves.



This is the FIRST John Green novel I have read. I obviously know who John Green is and I admire him even though I'd never read one of his novels. Ah....not true. I read Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. I...wasn't impressed. I've heard so much hype about John Green for years. All this hype honestly made me nervous to read his novels. I felt like I would be nothing except disappointed.

I was wrong. I was so totally and completely wrong.

The Fault in Our Stars is beautiful, heartbreaking, raw, real, an emotional roller coaster. I laughed. I laughed hard. I was sitting in Barnes and Noble reading the first few chapters trying to contain my laughter, but I ended up snorting. I was pulled into this story from the very first page. The writing is brilliant and oh so lovely.

Hazel is so smart and unique. You can feel her emotions on every page. You are right there with her as she battles everyday. I love her sense of humor. I admire how humble she is. She is the perfect character to narrate this heartbreaking story. She carries you through. I truly admire this girl.

I am having so much trouble writing this review. I seriously just want to keep gushing and calling it beautiful. I am going to try to continue and convey to you why this novel is so brilliant.

Augustus Waters, oh how you captured my heart. Intelligent, funny, memorable. I fell in love with him the same way Hazel did. His words were amazing. His love for Hazel is boundless. You could feel their chemistry and the intense love between them. Their relationship felt so real. It wasn't forced, just flowed naturally.

The supporting cast of characters were also excellent. I adored Hazel's dad. I thought he was so cute! Her mom is a warrior. All of them were brilliant and so well written.

I felt that this novel rang with so many truths about cancer and losing the battle to cancer. And, there were so many sentences that made me stop in awe of how magnificent they were.

I strongly urge all of you to go pick up this fabulous book. It is worth owning. It is worth buying. I'm still in awe. I've been in awe since I set it down last night. You will laugh and you will most definitely cry, but it is so worth it.