My Overall Rating:
4/5

Age Recommendation:
This book is such an easy read that I would say that any strong independent reader would be able to handle this book very well. The subject matter is nothing that I would consider too inappropriate for someone over the age of 12.

Cover Art:
The cover says it all. Actually, I was fairly judgmental about this book when I saw the cover. Which, of course, breaks the cardinal rule of reading. Don't judge a book by its cover. The cover of this book definitely did its job of catching my eye. And after reading, I really like how is gives a teaser of what this book is going to be about. It's also a very good portrayal of the character's personalities.

Summary:
What if your soul mate is...your best friend's boyfriend?


Lani and Erin are lifelong best friends--and total opposites. Lani's a down-to-earth Taurus; Erin's a fiery Leo. Lani likes to do her own thing; Erin prefers an entourage. They've always had wildly different tastes, from pizza toppings to guys.


That is, until Erin starts dating Jason.


From the minute Lani meets Jason, she can't deny the the amazing connection she feels with him. It's like they've known each other their whole lives. She's not sure if he feels it, too--but even if he does, he's off limits. Lani's determined to ignore her feelings for Jason, no matter how powerful they are, rather than hurt her best friend.


Then Erin goes away for the summer--and Jason seems to appear everywhere Lani turns. How long can she keep running from the guy who might just be the love of her life?

My Thoughts:
Would you ever steal your best friend’s boyfriend? What if you believed that you had more in common with him than she did? What if you believed in fate, and your fate was aligned with his? What if he was your soul mate?

That’s how it is for Lani. She and Erin are best friends. And now Lani is finding herself falling for Jason, Erin's boyfriend. What would you do if you believed that your soul mate was your best friend's boyfriend? Would you pursue it? Susane Colasanti takes us into the life of Lani in Something Like Fate. This is a novel about complex and complicated relationships that could potentially question the morality of the characters but is handled in such a way that the character knows that her morality is being question by the reader, the public, and herself.

This is the first book that I have read by Susane Colasanti. I have two of the books that have been published prior to this one, however I just never got around to reading them. She makes it so easy to jump into the life of her characters with a simple writing style that makes the book a page turner on top of the incredibly invested story that she has created. I really feel like I have gotten to know the characters and have sat in Lani's shoes as she goes through the difficulties of doing what's right for her friend and what's right for herself.

Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti
Pages: 268 (Hardcover)
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Release Date: May 4, 2010
Purchased from store

SPOILER ALERT:
I would like to inform you ahead of time that if you have not read the other three books in the series, things will be spoiled within the summary and potentially in my personal review of the book. I am sorry for any spoilers. However, if you have not read the other three books, you should do so! It is a fantastic series and such a good read. They are fast paced and will keep you on the edge of your seat!

My Overall Rating:
4.8/5

Age Recommendation:
Again, as with the rest of the series, I would have to recommend an age of at least 13. I've said it before, it's a dark series.

Cover Art:
Normally I rave about the cover art for this series. Now, I now that a lot of authors have no say in what covers will look like, but so far, her covers have been pretty good at actually having something to do with the story. This one however, keeps throwing me off. The colors? It just stands out against the other three books in the series. It still leaves me questioning things throughout the book but I don't think this one has any relevance.

Summary:

I am back from hiatus. I will not, however, be posting anything on books today. As I am jumping on the protest against SOPA and PIPA.

I will be back tomorrow with a regular post. Thank you to all those who have continued to follow me in my absence.

My Overall Rating:

4.7/5

Age Recommendation:

Definitely not for anyone under the age of 14. There are a couple scenes that are sexual and some scenes that deal with different forms of abuse.

Cover Art:

I think that the cover is really cool for this book. I like that the heart is made out of barbed wire. And once you’re finished with the book, it will have a whole new meaning.

Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Lochan and sixteen-year-old Maya have always felt more like friends than siblings. Together they have stepped in for their alcoholic, wayward mother to take care of their three younger siblings. As defacto parents to the little ones, Lochan and Maya have had to grow up fast. And the stress of their lives--and the way they understand each other so completely--has also also brought them closer than two siblings would ordinarily be. So close, in fact, that they have fallen in love. Their clandestine romance quickly blooms into deep, desperate lo  ve. They know their relationship is wrong and cannot possibly continue. And yet, they cannot stop what feels so incredibly right. As the novel careens toward an explosive and shocking finale, only one thing is certain: a love this devastating has no happy ending.

My Thoughts:

What would you do if you were in love with your sibling? This is the case for 17 year old Lochan and 16 year old Maya. These two siblings have always been close. But the bond they share has grown stronger and into something more than just sibling love.

Life is never easy when you have four siblings, your dad left, and your mom is an alcoholic who refuses to behave her age. For Lochan and Maya, life has been a struggle, but together they have made it work. The two work together to raise their three younger siblings due to the incapacity of their mother.

Through the years of raising their siblings together, Maya and Lochan built a bond that brothers and sisters aren’t supposed to share.

The books switches between the POV’s of Maya and Lochan and follows them through the trials they face as a family and as a couple. As well as how their relationship came to be.

This book is filled with so much emotion that it will take you for the ride of a lifetime. This book is full of passion, joy, sorrow, and laughs. And even though the topic of incest is so taboo, this book is so relatable to so many people on so many different levels. And I’d recommend this book to anyone. It is most definitely something that everyone should read at some point in their lives.

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Pages:464

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: June 28, 2011

Received from publisher