Blogoversary Giveaway (INT)

Forever YA will officially be turning 1 year old 50 days from now. And to thank all of you who followed, commented, and visited Forever YA, I will be having a giveaway! Up for grabs is the winner's choice of one book (up to $15) from The Book Depository. It's open internationally, as long as The Book Depository ships to your country.

Rules & Regulations:
~ This giveaway is international as long as The Book Depository ships to your country.
~ Winner will be notified immediately and is given 48 hours to respond, otherwise, another winner will be picked.
~ Forever YA is not held responsible for any damaged or lost items.

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Know Me Better (1)

Know Me Better is a weekly event hosted by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. Each week, she will pick five questions to answer.

This week's questions:

1. What was the last thing that made you cry?

While most men claim that they are "strong" and "never cry", I on the other hand, cried after watching 'Les Miserables' few weeks ago. Who wouldn't cry after watching Fantine, Gavroche, Eponine, the members of the Friends of ABC, and et cetera die anyway?

2. What chore do you absolutely hate doing?

I absolutely hate scooping dog poop. It was actually okay a few months ago when we had only one Min Pin until my mom adopted 4 more.

3. What is your favorite form of exercise?

Probably dancing (on the dance floor, school, bathroom, et cetera).

4. What is your current desktop picture?

The default desktop picture in my VAIO. Well, I've never really changed my desktop picture ever since the world began.

5. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?

In no particular order: Egypt, Greece, and Rome. I'm dying to go to any of those places someday.

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Please leave a comment/link to your own Know Me Better post, or share your answers in the comment box.

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REVIEW: The Twisted Window by Lois Duncan

Title: The Twisted Window

Author: Lois Duncan

Genre: Young Adult, Thriller

Format: ebook, 184 pages

Published: Published August 28th 2012 by Open Road Young Readers
ISBN: 1453263373 (ISBN13: 9781453263372)

About the Author:

Lois Duncan (b. 1934) is an author of more than fifty books for young adults. Her stories of mystery and suspense have won dozens of awards and many have been named Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association. Duncan was born Lois Duncan Steinmetz in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; she grew up in Sarasota, Florida. By age ten she was submitting her work to magazines, and she had her first story published nationally when she was just thirteen. In 1994, Duncan released a nonfiction title, Who Killed My Daughter?, after her youngest child was killed in a crime that was never solved.

Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/lois.duncan.7

Twitter ~ https://twitter.com/duncanauthor

Goodreads ~ http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/26819.Lois_Duncan

Synopsis:

The new guy at Tracy's school is handsome, intense, and desperately needs her help--but there's something about him that isn't quite right

High school junior Tracy Lloyd is unsure about the new guy in school. Brad Johnson is attractive, smart, and polite, but Tracy can't help but feel he watches her too closely. Then one day Brad confides in Tracy a horrible secret: His little sister Mindy has been kidnapped by his stepfather, and he needs Tracy's help to get her back. But even as Tracy commits to a plan to help her vulnerable new friend, details emerge that suggest nothing is what it seems.

The Twisted Window is a zigzagging thriller that keeps readers guessing up until the final page.

My Thoughts:

When I requested this book for review, I really had no idea that it was republished and was originally published almost 20 years ago.

What makes this book amazing is how real the story was told. I seriously couldn't put this book down. I was immediately drawn into the story the moment I started reading it. The characters and the setting felt very real to me as well. They were realistic and had real depth.  Like all good thriller books, this novel is such a suspenseful page-turner. It kept me going for hours at a time! I must admit that I haven't read a book which had me so engrossed in the mind of a character. I truly loved the ending and thought it fit the book perfectly.

Easy to read and surprisingly engrossing. I’d suggest running to the nearest bookshop and buying it straight away!

My Rating:

5 out of 5 stars

Phenomenal!

This book was so good I would buy it without looking at the price tag.

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REVIEW: When Love Comes to Town by Tom Lennon

Title: When Love Comes to Town

Author: Tom Lennon

Genre: Young Adult, Gay & Lesbian

Format: Hardcover, 192 pages

Published: March 1st 2013 by Albert Whitman Teen 

ISBN: 0807589160 (ISBN13: 9780807589168)

Synopsis:

The year is 1990, and in his hometown of Dublin, Ireland, Neil Byrne plays rugby, keeps up with the in-crowd at his school, and is just a regular guy. A guy who's gay. It's a secret he keeps from the wider world as he explores the city at night and struggles to figure out how to reveal his real self--and to whom.

First published in Ireland in 1993 and compared to The Catcher in the Rye by critics, Tom Lennon's When Loves Comes to Town is told with honesty, humor, and originality. 

My Thoughts:

When Love Comes to Town was my very first young adult MM romance book. I have to admit that this book was much better than I thought it was going to be. The author did a great job of capturing Neil's horrible feelings of insecurity on being "different" and his fear of his homosexuality being discovered.

Once I started it, I couldn’t stop. It kept me up into the wee hours or the morning. I loved this book! I've read the whole thing, all 192 pages, in just a few sittings.  Though it was a quick read, I must admit that it was not lacking in depth and development like most do.

I feel that I had to give this book five out of five stars for several reasons. First because it was so fantastically well written, because of its beautiful, touching, and heart breaking plot, and lastly because it’s been a while since I've read something that touched me this deeply.

I was just blown away by the many messages offered in this story. This is such an awesome book. If you haven’t read it…you should go grab a copy and read it as soon as possible!

My Rating:

5 out of 5 stars

Phenomenal!

This book was so good I would buy it without looking at the price tag.

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REVIEW: Being Henry David by Cal Armistead

Title: Being Henry David

Author: Cal Armistead

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Format: Hardcover, 270 pages

Published: Published March 1st 2013 by Albert Whitman Teen

ISBN: 080750615X (ISBN13: 9780807506158)

  

About the Author:

Cal has been a writer since age 9, when she submitted her first book, The Poor Macaroni Named Joany to a publisher. Sadly, this literary gem did not make it to print. But Cal continued pursuing her lifelong passion, and wrote copiously for radio, newspapers and magazines (Cal has been published in The Chicago Tribune, Shape Magazine, Body & Soul Magazine, Christian Science Monitor, Chicken Soup for Every Mom’s Soul and others). Although it took years for Cal to try her hand again at fiction writing, her first young adult novel (Being Henry David) will be published by Albert Whitman & Co. on March 1, 2013. Cal, who holds an MFA in creative writing from the Stonecoast program at the University of Southern Maine, works at an independent book store, is a voice-over actress, sings semi-professionally, and lives in a Boston suburb with her amazing husband and a dog named Layla.

Official Site ~ http://www.calarmistead.com

Goodreads ~ http://www.goodreads.com/CalArmistead

Twitter ~ https://twitter.com/CalArmistead

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old "Hank" has found himself at Penn Station in New York City with no memory of anything--who he is, where he came from, why he's running away. His only possession is a worn copy of Walden by Henry David Thoreau. And so he becomes Henry David--or "Hank"--and takes first to the streets, and then to the only destination he can think of--Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts.

Cal Armistead's remarkable debut novel is about a teen in search of himself. Hank begins to piece together recollections from his past. The only way Hank can discover his present is to face up to the realities of his grievous memories. He must come to terms with the tragedy of his past, to stop running, and to find his way home. 

My Thoughts:

I am not entirely sure what I was anticipating when I started this book but... WOW! The moment I finished reading this book, I realized that I have just finished what has to be one of the most amazing reading experiences I have ever had in 2013.

The writing is just so wonderful! The setting is very well defined and easy to visualize. The plot too is very well organized and unique. There are times that I would get a bit impatient to find out what was going to happen next, and so I would start speeding up, but then I'd have to go back and read it again, because I didn't want to miss any of Armisteads’s beautiful writing. The characters, on the other hand, were also vividly described and well thought. I loved every single one of them!

Overall, the book has all of the ingredients needed to create a great tale. Teenagers who are into realistic fiction will surely enjoy Being Henry David!

My Rating:

5 out of 5 stars

Phenomenal!

This book was so good I would buy it without looking at the price tag.

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