Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly

Title: Harmonic Feedback

Author: Tara Kelly

Publisher: Henry Holt

My Copy: borrowed

Summary:

Sixteen-year-old, music- and sound design-obsessed Drea doesn’t have friends. She has, as she’s often reminded, issues. Drea’s mom and a rotating band of psychiatrists have settled on “a touch of Asperger’s.”

Having just moved to the latest in a string of new towns, Drea meets two other outsiders. And Naomi and Justin seem to actually like Drea. The three of them form a band after an impromptu, Portishead-comparison-worthy jam after school. Justin swiftly challenges not only Drea’s preference for Poe over Black Lab but also her perceived inability to connect with another person. Justin, against all odds, may even like like Drea.

It’s obvious that Drea can’t hide behind her sound equipment anymore. But just when she’s found not one but two true friends, can she stand to lose one of them?

My Thoughts: Sometimes there's a book that you know you're going to love before you even start it. For me, Harmonic Feedback was one of those books. I'd seen nothing but good things about, my favorite author Stephanie Kuehnert had recommended it, and music played a big role. Unfortunately, when I'm super-excited for a book before I read it, I often put off getting a copy because I'm afraid it won't live up to my expectations, which is why I'm reviewing this long after the release date has passed.

And I must say that I wish I hadn't waited so long to read this one. From the very first page, I was hooked. I even read in my favorite class because I couldn't put the book down.

Harmonic Feedback is so authentic in how it tells the story and portrays the characters. The entire novel is an emotional, wild ride. There are twists that I never saw coming. Drea is such a fascinating character. I love the fact that while she has a diagnosis, this is not an issue book. She is fighting her label and being inside her head was so wonderful. Justin and Naomi are such great supporting characters, though I still haven't decided whether or not I liked Naomi.

Harmonic Feedback is one of those books that stick with you long after you finish reading it. I loved it so much – I've gone back to reread my favorite parts multiple times. It reminds me of a slightly “lighter” version of Ballads of Suburbia (aka my Favorite Book Ever). I definitely recommend getting a copy ASAP!

My Favorite Mistake (The A Circuit) by Georgina Bloomberg and Catherine Hapka

Title: My Favorite Mistake (The A Circuit #2)

Author: Georgina Bloomberg and Catherine Hapka

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
My Copy: finished copy from publicist

Summary:

Tommi, Zara, and Kate are all elite riders on the A Circuit. Tommi, the billionaire heiress, is training a young horse to prove she can make horses a real career. But when her new beau, Alex, convinces her to skip a horse show to party in the Hamptons, the results could be disastrous. Zara, the celebutante wild child, is finally taking her riding seriously. Until the new "nanny" her dad hires threatens to upstage Zara's party girl status. Then there's Kate. She doesn't have money to burn like the others, but she does have Fitz, the barn's resident hot guy. But when the pressure of being a working student builds, Kate's perfectionist tendencies threaten to get in the way of her relationship and her riding.

Readers who are growing out of the Canterwood Crest series or searching for an A-list fix have found just what they're looking for in the A Circuit series.

My Thoughts: The A Circuit series is officially my guilty pleasure series. While I enjoyed the first novel in the series, I enjoyed My Favorite Mistake much more. The authors truly hit their groove with this one, creating a novel that is fun and enjoyable while also hitting upon some tougher subjects.

I love this series because it plays into all the dreams I had when I was 12 – to ride horses competitively and spend almost every minute living and breathing horses. What I love even more is that while I don't really have any experience riding horses at all, let alone in such a competitive circuit, I am still able to relate to the characters. So while this is aimed at horse-lovers, I think others will be able to enjoy it too.

The one thing that bothered me the most about the first book was the drinking and other things “just because”. And while those things still happen in My Favorite Mistake, I felt they were handled so much better. A few other topics, like eating disorders, are also touched upon and while this is far from an “issue” book, I was glad to see these things brought up. I am looking forward to Book 3 where we hopefully get to see the characters go a little more in-depth with some things.

Overall, I definitely recommend this to readers who have grown out of the Canterwood Crest/Thoroughbred/Saddle Club age range. While I don't think it's appropriate for younger teens, I think that anyone 15+ (or even 14+) will love this one. Can't wait for Book 3!

Interview with Holly Cupala!

Today, I am so excited to interview one of my all-time favorite authors, Holly Cupala. She's the author of Tell Me a Secret and the newly released Don't Breathe a Word, which is now one of my all-time favorite books. You can read my review of Don't Breathe a Word here and check the the wonderful trailer here.
Enjoy the interview and be sure to leave your thoughts below!

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Hello, Harmony, and thank you for inviting me to your blog!

What was the inspiration for DON'T BREATHE A WORD? Did you do any research about teen homelessness?
I’ve heard it takes two ideas to spark a story, and that was true for DBAW. I keep a writing notebook, and years ago I wrote down “girl who fakes being homeless.” She was going to be maybe a cheerleader by day and fake being on the streets after school. Of course it was a ridiculous idea, but I wrote it down anyway. Then my friend Jack, a youth pastor, put out a call for socks and toiletries to take to the homeless teens in Seattle, and suddenly I had an idea for a girl who runs away for real. Creed and Santos and May kind of came all at once, so vividly. I went home and wrote a fifteen page synopsis of the story.


I didn’t know if my ideas would fit with the reality of teen homelessness, so I did a lot of independent research, talked to people, took a class at New Horizons (the homeless teen org in the book), and asked my friend Pam Longston, the board president at New Ho’s (that’s what the homeless kids call it) to read the story. I was really surprised when the ideas I already had for the story (like street names, ideas of justice, and banding together for family and protection) were confirmed by real life.

Music plays a pretty big role in DON'T BREATHE A WORD. (Gotta love boys with guitars!) Pick a theme song for each of the main characters and one for the novel itself.
I have to say I love Creed. I’m so glad you do, too! After TMAS, I really wanted to create a character who was honorable, courageous, and worthy. And who happens to be a genius musician. ;)
Joy: Deserter, by Splashdown. (listen here)
Creed: I Will Follow You into the Dark, Death Cab for Cutie (video here)
May: Something of an End, My Brightest Diamond. (listen here)Santos: Street Spirit (Fadeout), Radiohead (video here)
One for the novel…oh, that’s so hard! All of the above songs and more, because each captures a different moment. If I had to choose one, maybe it would be You’re Not Alone, Saosin (video here).

Both of your books deal with serious subjects. Was one harder to write than the other? Why or why not?
TMAS was an enormous challenge—in part because it came out of a personal loss in my own life, and also because I was fighting all of the personal demons telling me I couldn’t possibly write, finish, or publish a novel. In some ways DBAW was easier, but then I still had to delve into the core of that story and where it came from (I wrote about my own abusive relationship in DEAR BULLY: 70 AUTHORS TELL THEIR STORIES). There are no emotional shortcuts, unfortunately!

What are you working on now?
I’m writing a third novel now, and it’s very intense—highly emotional and suspenseful and hopeful. It’s about four different characters, each with buried secrets, and a murder that brings them all together in one gigantic twist…

DON'T BREATHE A WORD deals with a lot of serious topics, from teen homelessness to drug usage to abusive relationships. Do you have any advice for your readers who may be in one of these situations or any organizations you would like to point them towards for help? Also, how can readers get involved in the fight against teen homelessness?
One thing I learned that really struck me during my research was that wanting to leave bad habits is not a motivation to quit—finding purpose and meaning is. One better choice can make the difference between a hopeful outcome and a grim one.

There are some wonderful organizations, both locally and nationally, to help teens in abusive or dangerous situations:

The National Runaway Hotline, 1-800-RUNAWAY, is dedicated to helping teens stay safe and off the streets.

LoveisRespect.org is such a great site with info on relationship warning signs and getting help, and they launched a dating abuse hotline: 1-866-331-9474 or text “loveis” to 77054.

Glamour Magazine launched the Tell Somebody campaign, including 10 Surprising Warning Signs You’re Dating an Abusive Guy.


How can you help?

Begin in your neighborhood, as Joy does. Look for opportunities to give toiletries and essentials, or volunteer in a teen shelter. If you have a friend in trouble, you may be more important than you know. Encourage your friend to find help. True friendship shines through adversity, and there is hope on the other side.

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Thanks, Holly! I hope my readers will check out those great links you provided. Be sure to check out Holly's website and the official Don't Breathe a Word site. You can also read the first two chapters of DBAW here. (Though be warned that it's going to make you want to buy the book right away!)

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

Title: Catching Jordan

Author: Miranda Kenneally

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

My Copy: Bought for Kindle

Summary: ONE OF THE BOYS

What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though- she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university.

But everything she's ever worked for is threatened when Ty Green moves to her school. Not only is he an amazing QB, but he's also amazingly hot. And for the first time, Jordan's feeling vulnerable. Can she keep her head in the game while her heart's on the line?

My Thoughts: I reread this book three times within 24 after purchasing it. That should pretty much tell you everything you need to know about this novel.

Catching Jordan has the perfect amount of football, boys, and romance to keep both the diehard football fans and the ones who care more about staring at the player's butts intrigued and reading. I fall into the latter category – I understand absolutely nothing about football – but I could not put Catching Jordan down.

Jordan is such a likeable character. She's tough and determined, a real leader on the field, but at the same time, she's just like every other teenager worried about boys. I really loved reading about her relationships with the boys on the football team. Their banter was one of my favorite things about the story. Henry was my favorite character in the entire novel and that's all I will say about that.

The romance, while it had a high risk of being cliché, is perfectly executed. It's not tacky or overdone but it is honest and real.

The only issue I had with this at all is that Jordan cries a LOT. It felt like she was tearing up on every other page and while sometimes it was for good reasons, I just felt like it happened too much. But it is certainly not enough to take away from the novel.

Overall, Catching Jordan is one of the best contemporary young adult novels out there. I am anxiously awaiting Kenneally's next novel and, in the meantime, I will keep rereading this one!

Panama Trip and Promotion Opportunities for Authors

One of the things that I love about my cyber school is that it offers so many wonderful life-changing opportunities. Each year, my school takes students to Guatemala, Panama, China, Quebec, and on a "behind-the-scenes" Disney workshop in Orlando.

Last year, I took the opportunity to go on the trip to Guatemala. It was the first time that I ever left the country and my first time on a plane. The anxious girl who stepped on a plane for the first time and the confident girl who stepped off ten days later are not the same person. That trip did more for me than I can ever put into words. It changed how I view the world and it changed what I want to do with my life. Ever since returning home, I have wanted to travel, to help others, and do my small part in keeping the world a good place to be.

It turns out that this year's trip to Panama is a new opportunity for me to do just that. In previous years, the students that went to Panama have installed new water systems and held festivals for the local children. While both of those things are wonderful, this year's mission touched my heart. This year, the group that goes on the trip will be partnering with an organization called Casa Esperanza that works to "help eradicate child labor through literacy, education, and nutrition".

This mission spoke to me for a variety of reasons. First off, after visiting the children in Guatemala, I have a new level of caring towards children born into poverty in foreign countries where little to no aid is available. Secondly, we are going to be helping these children with LITERACY. Anyone who reads my blog obviously knows that I care a lot about literacy and I do believe that having the ability to read will open up a whole new world to these children. There are over 47,000 children involved in child labor in Panama and if I can make a difference to just a few of them, I will have accomplished something amazing.

For more information, please view this website I created for the trip.


I am working my butt off to be able to go on this trip because it means so much to me. Unfortunately, things are not quite going as planned. So, I am going to offer a few promotional things below in hopes that I will be able to get a little closer to my goal. Any money I receive for any of the following will go directly towards the Panama Trip.

1.) Promotional Tshirt

I did this last year and it worked out quite well. I will be designing a Tshirt that features the title and authors of books on the back, with a cover on the front. Here is a picture of the one from last year:

The front has a picture of Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert and it looks pretty spiffy.

This year, I will be offering the same thing. I am aiming to be able to make one shirt but if I have a lot of interest, particularly for the front photo, I am willing to design more. (I have lots of friends who like to read and be social!)

To have your book cover on the front it is $45.
To have the title of your book and your name on the back, it is $15.
Each additional book title is $10.

2.) Ad Space
For $8 a week, you can have an ad of for your novel/website/blog/whatever posted on this site.

For both of these I would like payment via Paypal or money order. Please email harmonybookreviews[at]yahoo[dot]com with questions or interest!

While these are my only "official" services, I am willing to help with whatever needs to be done. So if there's something internet-related that you just keep putting off and would like someone to do, please email me! Chances are I am more than willing to help.

This trip is really important to me so thank you in advance for any help in reaching my goal!

Trial by Fire by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Title: Trial by Fire (a Raised by Wolves novel)

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Publisher: Egmont USA

My Copy: ARC received

Summary:

There can only be one alpha.

Bryn is finally settling into her position as alpha of the Cedar Ridge Pack—or at least, her own version of what it means to be alpha when you’re a human leading a band of werewolves. Then she finds a teenage boy bleeding on her front porch. Before collapsing, he tells her his name is Lucas, he’s a Were, and Bryn’s protection is his only hope.

But Lucas isn’t part of Bryn’s pack, and she has no right to claim another alpha’s Were. With threats—old and new—looming, and danger closing in from all sides, Bryn will have to accept what her guardian Callum knew all along. To be alpha, she will have to give in to her own animal instincts and become less human. And, she’s going to have to do it alone.

Bryn faces both the costs, and the rewards, of love and loyalty, in this thrilling sequel to Raised by Wolves.

My Thoughts: I LOVE this series. Jennifer Lynn Barnes is one talented writer. I absolutely adored Raised by Wolves – in fact, I think it's one of my all-time favorite paranormal books. It took me a while to get to this one and while it did not pack the punch that Raised by Wolves did, I wish that I had read it sooner.

This series is different from all other werewolf series about their because while there is a human girl involved, she's not falling mindlessly in love with a guy and then later finding out he's a werewolf. Bryn was raised by wolves and she is strong and determined because of that. She consistently pushes the boundaries between what it means to be human and where the line is drawn in our animalistic desires.

The one thing I love about this series, aside from its originality, is the characters and their relationships. I would love to have Devon and Lake as my best friends and everyone, from Ali to Maddy to Lucas, has secrets and multiple sides. I spent most of the novel trying to figure the characters out and, honestly, I still can't decide what I think about a few certain characters.

Unfortunately, while there was a lot of action in this, I did not feel the connection to the story that I felt with Raised by Wolves. Even though many of the plot twists caught me off guard, it didn't blow me away as the first novel had. However, this is common with the second book in a series and, overall, Trial by Fire is still a great book.

Trial by Fire is a worthy second book in a great series. If you haven't picked this series up yet, I suggest you do!

Waiting on Wednesday: Stealing Parker

WoW is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

My pick for this week is Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally. It's a companion novel to Catching Jordan, which I recently read and ADORED (review coming soon!) and releases in October 2012. Here's what Miranda's website says of the book:

Companion to Catching Jordan. This book is about a girl named Parker, who has a crush on the 23-year-old coach of the school baseball team. Parker goes to the same school as Jordan Woods and Sam Henry, so you *might* see some familiar faces in my second book.

That's not much to go on but I loved Catching Jordan so much that I'm eager to read anything by Kenneally, even if the characters are different! (Though I'd love to see some more Woods & Henry!)

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?