contemporary – Page 29 – Sincerely Karen Jo

Click’d

4 ★ – Entertaining and Inspiring

Published by Disney Hyperion September 5, 2017

Genre(s): Middle-Grade, Contemporary

Pages: Hardcover 208

Allie Navarro can’t wait to show her best friends the app she built at CodeGirls summer camp. CLICK’D pairs users based on common interests and sends them on a fun (and occasionally rule-breaking) scavenger hunt to find each other. And it’s a hit. By the second day of school, everyone is talking about CLICK’D.

Watching her app go viral is amazing. Leaderboards are filling up! Everyone’s making new friends. And with all the data Allie is collecting, she has an even better shot at beating her archenemy, Nathan, at the upcoming youth coding competition. But when Allie discovers a glitch that threatens to expose everyone’s secrets, she has to figure out how to make things right, even if that means sharing the computer lab with Nathan. Can Allie fix her app, stop it from doing any more damage, and win back the friends it hurt-all before she steps on stage to present CLICK’D to the judges?

Click’d is a such a delightful coming of age story. I’ve never read anything by Tamara Ireland Stone, but that’s definitely going to change.

The plot is fast-paced, easy to read, and so much fun. For a middle grade book, I was surprisingly very entertained.. but beyond that, Click’d also has heart. Stone delivers empowering messages that apply not only to children or tweens, but to also to adults like me. That’s what I truly love about this book…that I can walk away with something more than just a few laughs here and there. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I love stories that seem simple, but definitely packs a punch. Being successful does not mean winning, but working through your failures and never giving up. It’s about taking a leap and really believing in yourself to achieve whatever goals you have.

I really love the idea of creating Apps and using technology to do some good and make the world a better place. We definitely need more of that right now. Allie and Nathan are such great role models. I absolutely admired them for being creative, passionate, and determined. I don’t have any experience with coding, but it must take a lot of hard work and patience to be able to do what they did. Their commitment and enthusiasm with their projects was absolutely inspiring. I also loved the growing friendship between them and it was so adorable to watch them work together and become great friends. I liked the side characters too. Allie’s friends and everyone seemed genuine and realistic.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story – it’s heartwarming, beautifully written, engaging, and inspiring.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Follow and Connect with Tamara Ireland Stone: Wesbite / Instagram / Twitter / Facebook

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Sincerely Karen Jo

The Big F

Maggie Ann Martin

5 ★ – Fabulous and Fun

Published by Swoon Reads August 29, 2017

Genre(s): Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Pages: Paperback 304

Buy Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Book Depository

Danielle effed up. Big time.

Danielle’s plans for the future were pretty easy to figure out… until she failed senior English and her single college application was denied. Suddenly she’s in hot water with very few options, because honestly who applies to a safety school when their mom is a semi-famous “college psychic”?!

Determined to get her life back on track, Danielle enrolls in her hometown community college with a plan: pass her English class and get back into Ohio State and her mother’s good graces. Romance isn’t on her radar… until she reconnects with her childhood crush and golden-boy-next-door, Luke.

Between family drama, first love and finding her own way, Danielle can’t help but feel a little overwhelmed. Thankfully she has her friendship with the snarky and frustratingly attractive Porter, her coworker at the campus bookstore, to push her to experience new things and help keep her afloat.

One thing’s for sure: This time, failure’s not an option.

OHMAHGOSH this book… I breezed through this one in less than 24 hours and absolutely loved every moment. The Big F by Maggie Ann Martin is such a heartwarming story about self-discovery, family, friendship, and love. It’s completely adorable, sweet, and just the perfect summer read that will leave a smile on your face.

The romance in this book so stinkin’ cute and I could not get enough. There’s plenty of sweet moments, spine tingling kisses, and boy drama to last your for days. Also, there’s a love triangle… and for the most part I really don’t like them. BUT this one just worked and it was absolutely swoony and perfect in every way. Not to mention there were definitely A LOT OF FEELS with both of the guys. Luke and Porter are such great love interests. They both played a specific role in Danielle’s life that affected her in different ways but no less important than the other. I’m obviously not going to spoil anything more, but I walked away feeling satisfied with how both relationships played out.

The characters are complex and flawed, but fabulous in their own ways. I could totally see myself hanging out with them and sharing a pizza or two.

• Danielle messed up big time, but she eventually owns up to it and makes a plan. I love that she takes responsibility and doesn’t ask anyone for help even if she could. She still makes mistakes here and there – she is human after all. But she is trying to learn, to grow, and to figure out what she really wants.

• Zoe is just the BEST best friend anyone can have and I completely adore her. She’s always there to tell you how it is and still be supportive as ever. Seriously, everyone needs a Zoe.

• Luke is the handsome boy next door and childhood crush you dream about being your boyfriend. He’s athletic, outgoing, and fun, but you realize he isn’t as perfect as you imagine him to be and that’s okay.

• And then there’s Porter… He’s kind of a mystery, so you’re immediately drawn to him. He pushes your buttons quite a bit, but then he’s also really nice, super sweet, funny and so charming that you can’t help but fall head over heels for him.

There are so many things I love about this book – terrific writing, realistic characters, great family dynamics, awesome friendships, and sweet romance. But what I love most is the coming of age aspect and the many life lessons Martin weaves throughout the story. Failure doesn’t mean the end of everything. Life may not always go according to plan, but that’s okay. You can always create new goals, new plans, and new paths.

If you’re looking for a light, funny, and endearing YA contemporary, then I highly recommend you pick this up!

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.