Review: AMERICAN GIRL ON SATURN by Nikki Godwin

American Girl On Saturn
by Nikki Godwin
Series: Saturn #1
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Published August 29th 2013 by Smashwords
Format Acquired: Digital Copy
Source: Smashwords
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

The summer after graduation is supposed to be that first real taste of freedom - but not for eighteen-year-old Chloe Branson. Just as that breeze of freedom is making its way into her galaxy, her secret-service-agent dad drops a meteor-sized bomb of bad news on her and her sisters. An attempt has been made on the lives of Canadian boyband, Spaceships Around Saturn, during their USA tour, and the guys have to go into hiding ASAP. The only problem? In the midst of the crisis and media frenzy, their dad volunteered to hide the guys...in their house.

Six-year-old Emery is as ecstatic as any self-proclaimed Saturnite would be, but Chloe and her seventeen-year-old sister Aralie watch their summer plans crash and burn like a falling star. The SAS guys aren't happy with the situation, either. Bad boy Jules picks fights with Aralie about everything from his Twitter followers to his laundry, and heart-throb Benji can't escape Emery's fangirlisms for more than three minutes.

But after the super-cute Milo kisses Chloe during a game of hide-and-seek, she finally understands what Emery means when she talks about SAS being "out of this world." If this is what Saturn feels like, Chloe doesn't want to come back to Earth.

MY REVIEW

This book gave me so many fangirl feels!!! So please forgive me for some spoilers! \(^o^)/

The famous boyband Spaceships Around Saturn was attacked during one of their concerts and was needed to be put on some sort of witness protection. A summer on lockdown: Away from the stage, away from their fans, away from the media, away from their family and friends. Because of this, the Bransen sisters' summer plans will be ruined, well, atleast for Chloe.

Chloe's father is a government security agent and he volunteered their house as the safe house of the boys while they follow the leads. Chloe has two youger sisters, Aralie and Emery. Emery, five years old, is the biggest fan of SAS. She's an ultimate Saturnite (that's what SAS fans are called) and they knew that the kid couldn't keep her mouth shut about this so they too were on a lockdown.

"You think Emery will actually keep her mouth when Benji Bikini is in the house? The world will know in three minutes with her mouth."

I didn't expect to love Amrerican Girl On Saturn this much so let me tell you some of the things I love most about Spaceships Around Saturn:

1.  Emery. Seriously, at the age of five?! She's THAT obssessed with a boyband. I love how she clings to Benji like she's an extra limb of him. Of course, I also love how Benji tolerates the little girl.

2. Aralie. She's my kind of sister. She's always there for Chloe and she'll do everything she can to comfort and protect her when someone made her cry or pisses her off. She's a sister-plus-bestfriend-combo for Chloe.

3. Milo Grayson -- the sweet, serious-type boy with the caramel eyes. I can't say anything else. I just want to smell him and his body wash.

"This boy is so beautiful that I'd take him to a five-star formal restaurant in swim trunks and flip flops. He's modest, though, which makes him even more likable. Damn him."

4. The Oreos and milk private party Milo and Chloe shared. Eeeep!! I don't even know how I would feel if a cute boy joins me and my cookies in the middle of the night. It'd be too awkward to start a conversation. I'd be speechless.

"It's after midnight, and I'm alone with a pretty girl and Oreos. That's definitely a party," he says. "The only thing I'm missing is a glass of milk, so if you'd point me in the right direction, we can get this party underway."

5. The fireflies moment. Please, please, please READ this book! Especially this scene!!! It'll give you butterflies on your stomach! Much more than you can imagine!

“My wish is for you to be my firefly. After lockdown ends, we'll only see each other in moments, for short flickers of time.” 

GUYS. This is a book every boyband fangirl needs! IT'S A MUST READ. I can't believe I didn't read it before! This book made me laugh, made me cry, made me toss and turn to every romantic scene. It gave me all the feels a fangirl can feel if her favorite boyband is in the house! I recommend this to EVERYBODY. I LOVE YOU, NIKKI GODWIN. 

PLEASE CHECK OUT FABERDRIVE AND ALL TIME LOW'S MUSIC. PLUS, THEY'RE CUTE. AND HANDSOME. AND THEIR VOICE. OH. MY. SATURN.

MY RATING

THE ULTIMATE PANDA LOVE!!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nikki Godwin

Nikki Godwin is a YA/NA/LGBT author. She can't live without Mountain Dew, black eyeliner, and music by Hawthorne Heights. When not writing, she internet-stalks her favorite bands and keeps tabs on surf competitions. She adores pro surfer John John Florence and has made it her life goal to meet David Desrosiers of Simple Plan.

Author Links:

Blog | Twitter

(ARC) Review: DON'T CALL ME BABY by Gwendolyn Heasley

Don't Call Me Baby
by Gwendolyn Heasley
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Published April 22nd 2014 by Harper Teen
Format Acquired: ARC
Source: received from Publisher (Thanks, Sarah and Megan!)

All her life, Imogene has been known as the girl on THAT blog.

Imogene's mother has been writing an incredibly embarrassing, and incredibly popular, blog about her since before she was born. Hundreds of thousands of perfect strangers knew when Imogene had her first period. Imogene's crush saw her "before and after" orthodontia photos. But Imogene is fifteen now, and her mother is still blogging about her, in gruesome detail, against her will.

When a mandatory school project compels Imogene to start her own blog, Imogene is reluctant to expose even more of her life online...until she realizes that the project is the opportunity she's been waiting for to tell the truth about her life under the virtual microscope and to define herself for the first time.

Don't Call Me Baby is a sharply observed and irrepressibly charming story about mothers and daughters, best friends and first crushes, and the surface-level identities we show the world online and the truth you can see only in real life.

MY REVIEW

(Thanks to HarperCollins International for sending me an ARC of this book for review! You guys rock! Please take note that this in no way affects my review.)

Imogene's life has been exposed over the internet even before she was born. Nope, she's not a hollywood actress or what. But yes, she's a celebrity on her mother's famous blog, Mommylicious, which is all about parenting and her, Babylicious. She didn't mind being the subject of her mom's blog at first, but as she grew up, she realized that it's time to have her privacy and to let people know the real her; not the girl on that blog.

"All my life my mom has put words in my mouth and tried to make me into someone I'm not. But today, I've finally had enough."

My mom doesn't have a blog or any other social networking account (except Facebook) but I can say that it's quite irritating when someone posted something about me online without my consent. Especially if I look stupid on the photo, or if the statement about me is embarassing! And I can think of nothing but revenge and get back to that someone, just like what Imogene did when they were required to create their own blog for their English class. Well, she's not alone in this because her bestfriend, Sage is experiencing the same. She's called VeggieBaby, since her mom is a food blogger. A Vegan food blogger, VeggieMommy.

Imogene and Sage thought they could finally speak out what they wanted to tell their moms for a long time through their blogs. But they were wrong. It didn't do anything good, and things just got worse. Luckily for Imogene, she still have her Grandma Hope. I just love her words of wisdom! She's probably one of the coolest fictional grandmas ever.

"This isn't about golf today. This is about frustration. There are certain times when it's good to just come out here and hit the dickens out of some balls. It loosens up something in you."

It's a nice thing to have a blog. I had a personal blog before and treated it as my online diary. While it's indeed very exciting to come up with something to post online, to share photos of what a great weekend you had, to talk about your problems, you don't have to expose all of them to the public. We still need to keep somethings for ourselves only. Especially to parents out there, please understand that we, your kids, don't reallt approve everything your share about us online. We may be quiet, but there are times that deep inside, we're dying of shame. Hehe (My mom read this book before I did! And I don't know, but it's kinda awkward. LOL)

Don't Call Me Baby is a fun and light read about family and friendship. It talks about the things that may keep the distance between the parents and their kids, and involves how to make it up with your bestfriend when you had a misunderstanding. This book made me laugh, it made me laugh, and it also made me blush. ^^,

I recommend this to all mothers (even fathers!) and daughters out there who wants to improve their relationship to one another. To those who wants to prove theirselves to other people who they really are, not the person they see online, and to best friends who want to strengthen their friendship together.

MY RATING

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gwendolyn Heasley

Gwendolyn Heasley is a graduate of Davidson College and the University of Missouri-Columbia where she earned her master’s degree in journalism. When she was a little girl, she desperately wanted to be the next Ann M. Martin- the author of the beloved The Baby-Sitter’s Club series. She’s incredibly grateful that the recession rendered her unemployed and made her chase her nearly forgotten dream. Her third novel Don't Call Me Baby comes out in April and her digital e-novella The Art of Goodbye (the sequel to Where I Belong) comes out in March.

She loves hearing from readers. Please email her at gwendolyn.heasley@gmail.com 

She now lives in Florida with her husband and baby girl.

Author Links:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Jenny Han is coming to the Philipines!

New York Times bestselling author Jenny Han of The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy will have book signing events on June 21 at 2 pm in National Book Store, Glorietta 1 and on June 22 at 2 pm in National Book Store, SM Cebu.

Jenny Han is currently promoting the first book in her latest young adult contemporary duology, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, which is described by Kirkus Reviews as “An ultimately compelling exploration of teenage growth and young love.” Half-Korean Lara Jean writes romantic letters to all the boys she has ever loved never intending for them to be read by anyone. Through these letters, she can pour out her heart and soul saying all the things she would never say in real life. One day, she panics as her secret letters are mailed out and her once imaginary love life suddenly becomes wild and out-of-control, especially because one of the boys to whom she dedicates one of her letters is the ex-boyfriend of her sister.  

Jenny Han received her MFA in Writing for Children at the New School in New York City. She is the author of the chapter book Clara Lee and The Apple Pie Dream and Shug, her debut novel about a girl’s troubles during her first year in junior high. Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty series has almost a million copies in print. We'll Always Have Summer, the final book in the series, debuted at #3 on the New York Times bestsellers list while the second book It's Not Summer Without You landed at #10. She is also the co-author of Burn for Burn and Fire with Fire with Siobhan Vivian.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

When and where are the book signings? 
June 21, 2:00 pm, at National Book Store, Glorietta 1 
June 22, 2:00 pm, at National Book Store, SM Cebu

When will the registration be? 
Registration opens at 10:00 am on June 21 at National Book Store, Glorietta 1 and 10:00 am on June 22 at National Book Store, SM Cebu (in the store, NOT the events area). Each guest will be asked to fill out the registration form upon arrival. Separate registrations for each event is required should you wish to attend both events. First come, first served. 

Is there a registration fee? 
No. There is no registration fee. 

How many books can I have signed? Is there a limit as to how many people can have their books signed? 
You may have any number of books signed as long as they were purchased from National Book Store, Bestsellers or Powerbooks, and we do not have any preset limit as to the number of people. 
However, although we will take every effort to get as many books signed as possible, depending on the number of attendees, we reserve the right to limit the number of copies per person or limit the number of people in line. First come, first served. 

Can I bring old books or other editions of the books? 
Yes, as long as the books were purchased from National Book Store, Bestsellers and Powerbooks. 

Do I need to buy on-site? 
No. You can buy books before or during the event. 

Can I have other items signed? 
No. Only books will be allowed to be signed by the authors. 

Can we have our photo taken with the author? 
Yes, you can have your photo with the author when she signs your book. However, we strictly allow one photo per person only. 

How much are the books? 
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (Trade Paperback – P395) 
The Summer I Turned Pretty (Trade Paperback – P349) 
It's Not Summer Without You (Trade Paperback – P349) 
We'll Always Have Summer (Trade Paperback – P349) 
The Complete Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy Boxed Set (Trade Paperback – P1,079) 
Burn for Burn (Trade Paperback – P385) 
Fire With Fire (Trade Paperback – P385) 

See you there, booknerds! And don't forget to include the hashtag #JennyHaninPH on your posts and tweets! Let's make it trend! :)

{Blog Tour} (ARC) Review: SAY WHAT YOU WILL by Cammie McGovern

Say What You Will
by Cammie McGovern
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Published June 3rd 2014 by Harper Teen
Format Acquired: ARC
Source: received from Publisher (Thanks, Sarah and Megan!)

John Green's The Fault in Our Stars meets Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor & Park in this beautifully written, incredibly honest, and emotionally poignant novel. Cammie McGovern's insightful young adult debut is a heartfelt and heartbreaking story about how we can all feel lost until we find someone who loves us because of our faults, not in spite of them.

Born with cerebral palsy, Amy can't walk without a walker, talk without a voice box, or even fully control her facial expressions. Plagued by obsessive-compulsive disorder, Matthew is consumed with repeated thoughts, neurotic rituals, and crippling fear. Both in desperate need of someone to help them reach out to the world, Amy and Matthew are more alike than either ever realized.

When Amy decides to hire student aides to help her in her senior year at Coral Hills High School, these two teens are thrust into each other's lives. As they begin to spend time with each other, what started as a blossoming friendship eventually grows into something neither expected.

MY REVIEW

(Thanks to HarperCollins International for sending me an ARC of this book! Please take note that this in no way affected my review.)

FEELS.

THE. FEELS.

ALL. THE. FEELS.

“This feeling will pass. The fear is real but the danger is not.” 

Amy Van Dorn is not like any other girl you've known. She's not normal. Literally. She's born with cerebral palsy. She can't barely walk, she can't talk. She uses some kind of wheelchair with a Pathway computer, with a human generated voice who automatically interprets whenever she types whatever she wants to say. Because of her condition, she don't have friends. So her mother hires people to watch over her and assist her at school. Until one day, they finally decided to hire students instead to make her feel more comfortable and uh, less awkward.

Matthew, one of the students who were hired by Amy's mother [Nicole] to be friends with her, has issues of his own to deal with. He has OCD. He keeps doing weird things, like tapping the lockers down the hallway, endless counting of things, washing hands and checking the faucet more than once. He do these thinks because he's afraid. He's afraid of hurting other people, or that other people might get hurt becuase of him.

Say What You Will introduced me to a whole new world of contemporary romance. Amy has a wide optimism, despite her disabilities. She's positive about everything. She's not even afraid of what the future might bring for her. She's a one strong and positive female character that will inspire every girl out there, disabled or not, to keep looking at the brighter side of life. On the other hand, Matthew doesn't know where Amy gets her wide optimism. He's so curious about Amy, her sickness, and most of all, her life. He didn't understand why she's very positive.

As they get to know each other along the way, little by little, they finally understood each other's issues. They may have hurt each other in a while, but they always find a way to make it up. I love the way they sent each other texts and e-mails. I love how they help each other's problems. I love how their friendship bloomed into something they never expected. I love the twists in the story! Didn't see them coming!

I admit, it's really hard to write a review that could justify this book. I never thought I could feel this way for both main characters in a book. I want more from their heart-melting love story!

MY RATING

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cammie McGovern

Cammie McGovern was a Stegner Fellow at Stanford and received the Nelson Algren Award in short fiction. Her work has been published in Redbook, Seventeen, Glimmer Train, TriQuarterly, and other publications.

Author Links:
Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Website