Review: Uses for Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt

Uses for Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
First published: January 15th, 2013
Source: NetGalley
Format: eARC
Pages: 240

Goodreads Summary:

Anna remembers a time before boys, when she was little and everything made sense. When she and her mom were a family, just the two of them against the world. But now her mom is gone most of the time, chasing the next marriage, bringing home the next stepfather. Anna is left on her own—until she discovers that she can make boys her family. From Desmond to Joey, Todd to Sam, Anna learns that if you give boys what they want, you can get what you need. But the price is high—the other kids make fun of her; the girls call her a slut. Anna's new friend, Toy, seems to have found a way around the loneliness, but Toy has her own secrets that even Anna can't know.

Then comes Sam. When Anna actually meets a boy who is more than just useful, whose family eats dinner together, laughs, and tells stories, the truth about love becomes clear. And she finally learns how it feels to have something to lose—and something to offer. Real, shocking, uplifting, and stunningly lyrical, Uses for Boys is a story of breaking down and growing up.

I'd recommend this for an older audience (16+).

My Rating: 2.5 / 5

First thoughts:

Turning out to be completely different than I expected, Uses for Boys still was a fast and easy read, but had many moments and scenes that disturbed me. Considering the almost explicit sexual content in some parts, I'd definitely recommend this for older teens.  

More detailed:

... the plot and the narration:

Even before I started reading Uses for Boys, I knew that it wouldn't be a light contemporary read. I had heard that it can be slightly depressing and heart-breaking, but since I knew what to expect I didn't mind that. Of course I felt very sorry for Anna, who was simply trying to find someone she could call family. The first person narrator tells the story from her point of view and while it focuses very strongly on her thoughts and less on dialogues and "action", I found it quite easy to read.

Nonetheless I was very surprised by the amount of sexual content in Uses for Boys. I'm definitely not a prude and usually prefer more "grown up" Young Adult novels, but at times I was a little bit disturbed by certain scenes in this story. Considering Anna's life circumstances it's somewhat easy to understand that she's looking for love and approval in people she should have just ignored, but I'm not sure whether this is the right reading material for younger teens.

 ... the characters:

Anna thinks back to the first years of her life very positively, remembering a mother who loves her more than anything. But with her mother's continuous quest to find the love of her life, Anna starts to feel left alone. This makes her try to find love again, searching for the perfect boyfriend. While I definitely felt sorry for her, I sadly couldn't connect with her completely. I'm not sure though whether this is because of the slightly unusual style of narration or Anna's naivety. Sadly I could connect even less with the secondary characters, who we don't get to know very well thanks to the focus on Anna's point of view and emotions. To be honest, I wanted to hate most of them since only very few seemed to really care about the poor girl.

 ... everything:

I'm not exactly sure how to categorize Uses for Boys. Considering Anna's age and the coming-of-age feeling to the story, I'd call it a Young Adult novel. But the sexual content is a little bit hard to ignore and would rather make me think of this as a mixture of Young and New Adult. All in all, it was a very easy and fast read, but it's definitely not one of my favorite books. Though if you're looking for something unconventional and unique to read, you should definitely give this a chance.

Buy this book:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Have you read Uses for Boys? If yes, what did you think about it?
If no, do you plan to read it?
Carina

Review: Beneath the Glitter by Elle & Blair Fowler

Beneath the Glitter by Elle & Blair Fowler
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (St. Martin's Press)
First published: September 4th, 2012
Source: NetGalley
Format: eARC
Pages: 288

Goodreads Summary:

Welcome to a place where dreams are made. And where nothing—and no one—is ever what it seems.

After their make-up and fashion videos went viral on YouTube, sisters Sophia and Ava London are thrust into the exclusive life of the Los Angeles elite. Here fabulous parties, air kisses, paparazzi and hot guys all come with the scene. Sophia finds herself torn between a gorgeous bartender and a millionaire playboy, and Ava starts dating an A-list actor. But as they’re about to discover, the life they’ve always dreamed of comes with a cost.

Beneath the glitter of the Hollywood social scene lies a world of ruthless ambition, vicious gossip…and betrayal. Someone close to them, someone they trust, is working in the shadows to bring the London sisters falling down. And once the betrayal is complete, Sophia and Ava find themselves knee-deep in a scandal that could take away everything they care about, including the one thing that matters most—each other.

My Rating: 3.5 / 5

First thoughts:

Between the first harbingers of a glamorous life and the everyday-problems all siblings know, Ava and Sophia London are trying to make their dreams come true without losing themselves in the process. While at certain times moving and definitely entertaining, I missed a special something though that would have made me fall in love with Beneath the Glitter. Nonetheless it's an enjoyable read that is perfect for the beach or when you are looking for something light to spend your time with.

More detailed:

As someone who has watched Elle and Blair's videos long before I started to blog about books, it is hard to miss where the inspiration for Beneath the Glitter's plot came from. The similarities between the authors and the fictional sisters are uncanny, which made reading this novel a somewhat weird experience - it almost felt like a non-fictional book.

Nonetheless I enjoyed witnessing Ava and Sophia's journey through the glamorous parts of Los Angeles. While Beneath the Glitter does address some more heavy-hearted topics and shows us the sisters even during complicated times, it rather has a very light feeling to it and never made me worry or feel sad for them.

The love stories are the most important part of Beneath the Glitter, right after the sisters' relationship. We are introduced to a couple of guys that may or may not win both, our and Ava and Sophia's hearts. It becomes quite obvious soon who are supposed to be our favorites and I'm glad that the girls start to listen to their hearts more closely toward the end.

Apropos - the ending. I'm really hoping that this book is just the first in a series, because that (not so) tiny cliffhanger is a little bit mean and makes me want to know more about what happens after the epilogue.

All in all, Beneath the Glitter is not my new favorite read, but I also didn't expect that. It's a fun story about two sisters who'd do anything for each other but have to realize that life might not be as easy as they want it to be. If you're looking for an easy and fast read, be sure to consider reading this one - especially if you're someone who, like me, is easily pulled in by a world of beauty, glamour and gossip.

Challenge(s):

 Debut Author Challenge 2012

YA Contemporary Challenge 2012

Buy this book:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Have you read Beneath the Glitter? If yes, what did you think about it?

If no, do you plan to read it?

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Carina

Review: Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

Glitch by Heather Anastasiu
Series: Glitch #1
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
First published: August 7th, 2012
Source: NetGalley
Format: eARC
Pages: 371

Goodreads Summary:

In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.

When Zoe starts to malfunction (or “glitch”), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.

As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse.

My Rating: 3.0 / 5

First thoughts:

Set in a world where feelings like love, hatred, and fear are anomalous, Glitch introduces us to a scary but almost believable future. While the first part was very easy and fast to read, it slowed down later and, for me, it got harder to identify with the characters that were intriguing when I first met them. Nonetheless I'd recommend this one for lovers of dystopian novels that are looking for another possible society to hate.

"The Community Link is peace. We are Humanity Sublime because we live in Community and favor above all else order, logic, and peace. Community first, Community always." (Kindle Location 109)*

More detailed:

I am huge fan of dystopian stories that give me the chance to see how our society might develop in the future - no matter how scary these possibilities might be. Despite having heard a few mixed / negative things about Glitch, I was looking forward to reading it myself. And even though I had a few issues with it, I liked it and am curious to find out what will happen now.

The first part of Glitch was definitely the one that captivated me the most. Heather Anastasiu introduced me to the world Zoe grew up in very well and soon I felt scared for this girl. The world building is done really well; all necessary questions are answered for a reader to be able to understand the basic concept of the "Community", but there are still many other mysteries left to solve.

His expression was blank. Detached. No trace of a smile or any emotion. Watching him felt like looking at an empty room - the walls and furniture were all perfectly in place, but had no life. (Kindle Location 60)*

But after that first part the action, which made it so hard to put Glitch down, slows and the story seems to stagnate a bit. We get a love triangle that felt a little bit too forced for me, especially because Zoe's feelings for the "second guy" were purely based on, at first, the happiness of having found someone who is like her and, later, guilt.

Nonetheless Heather Anastasiu managed to surprise me at certain points, weaving elements into the story that I did not expect and had to re-read to realize what-the-hell had just happened. All in all, I didn't love but liked Glitch and would definitely recommend you to give it a chance if it has been on your radar already.

Challenge(s):

Debut Author Challenge 2012

Buy this book:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Have you read Glitch? If yes, what did you think about it?

If no, do you plan to read it?

I'd love hear your thoughts!

Carina

* All quotes are taken from an eARC of Glitch by Heather Anastasiu, courtesy of St. Martin's Press and NetGalley, and are subject to change in the finished version.