The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes

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Title: The Art of Lainey

Author: Paula Stokes

Length: 384 pages

Publisher: HarperTeen

Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary

Release Date: May 20, 2014

Source: ARC- Won From GoodReads FirstReads Giveaway. (Thank you GoodReads and HarperTeen!)

Read: May 2014
GoodReads

Soccer star Lainey Mitchell is gearing up to spend an epic summer with her amazing boyfriend, Jason, when he suddenly breaks up with her—no reasons, no warning, and in public no less! Lainey is more than crushed, but with help from her friend Bianca, she resolves to do whatever it takes to get Jason back.
 And that’s when the girls stumble across a copy of The Art of War. With just one glance, they're sure they can use the book to lure Jason back into Lainey’s arms. So Lainey channels her inner warlord, recruiting spies to gather intel and persuading her coworker Micah to pose as her new boyfriend to make Jason jealous. After a few "dates", it looks like her plan is going to work! But now her relationship with Micah is starting to feel like more than just a game.
 What's a girl to do when what she wants is totally different from what she needs? How do you figure out the person you're meant to be with if you're still figuring out the person you're meant to be? (From GoodReads)

**I received this book from a giveaway that was part of GoodReads First-Reads.**


My Rating:

Oh my goodness! This book!
I could not put this book down!
I kept telling myself "Just one more chapter then I'll pick it back up tomorrow and read some more."
That did not happen. I kept telling myself, yet I could not tear myself away from the book to put it down.
Then the next thing I knew I was almost finished and it was 3 am! I stayed up anyways and finished the book.
I lost some sleep over the book, which I do not regret, because I loved the book very much!
The Art of Lainey also gave me a book hangover. I think I am going to get some non-contemporary books on my TBR list read.

The Art of Lainey is one of my favorite YA contemporary books that I have read so far!
I am looking forward to the next book that Paula Stokes writes, and I know that after this I will be watching to read her future books.

The Story:

I love the story. Teenage girl gets her heart broken by her first boyfriend. (In a mean way...in front of so many people!) At first she is upset and sad. Which is completely understandable. After some grieving, with the help of her best friend, they come up with a plan to get her boyfriend back based on The Art of War.
I really think this concept of the story is original. I don't think I have read anything quite like it.
The whole fake boyfriend/girlfriend is entertaining and funny. And I really enjoyed the situations (dates) that occurred.
I liked the pacing and the story as a whole. I think that the story was well written and the characters are well-developed.
I especially loved the friendships and the back and forth between characters.
I love that there isn't insta-love.
And I especially love that this isn't just a love story, but also a self-realization story.


The Characters:

I feel that I could connect with the characters in this book.

Lainey: She is popular, athletic and confident. Which is different from a lot of main characters I have read from before. My favorite thing about Lainey is the realization (and personal growth) that she achieves in this story.
Micah: *Swoon* Micah is awesome. He is the type of boy I would be crushing on/dating if he was real and I was 16. I love the mohawk. Definitely a sweet bad-boy. I liked seeing Micah challenge Lainey.
Bee: The award for best friend ever goes to Bee. I LOVE the friendship between Lainey and Bee. So realistic. Bee is so sweet. I really think they are the perfect fit. They have things in common, but they also are different.
Leo: He is such a sweet character. I liked that he became a friend to both Micah and Lainey.

I also enjoyed the scenes that involved Lainey's family and Micah's family.
I had a like/hate relationship with Jason and Kendall.

My Recommendation:

If you enjoy reading YA contemporary, I think you should read this book. I enjoyed it very much and it is a book that I will end up re-reading in the future.

My Title Acrostic: 

Tactical: Since Lainey is using concepts from The Art of War to win back Jason, I'd say it is safe to say she has to be tactical in her execution.
Heart-breaking: There were some parts of the story that felt a bit heart-breaking for me. Including Lainey becoming a bit heart-broken because of Jason.
Entertaining: This book was very entertaining for me. There were parts that made me laugh and smile. I wasn't able to put the book down.

All-Star: Lainey is a wonderful soccer player.
Realistic: I found the characters to be realistic and relatable.
Tattooed: Micah is tattooed. (Enough said, right?!)

Opposite: I love that Lainey and Micah are opposites.
Friendship: One of my favorite things about this book is the friendship between Lainey and Bee.

Lovable: Most of the characters are very lovable! The story is also lovable.
Adorable: So adorable. I found many things in this story adorable.
Interesting: Very interesting. The book reminded me of parts of a couple movies, but overall I think the entire story was very interesting. It hooked me quickly.
Nice: Micah is very nice. (A lot of the characters are nice!)
Envy: There is some envy in this book.
Yummy: Micah bakes some yummy treats.


I mentioned above that the story reminded me of a couple movies. (Not because they have the same story or anything, it was just passing thoughts I had while reading). So I thought I would share the two movies with you really quickly.

The first movie is Drive Me Crazy. It is a movie from the late 90's with Melissa Joan Hart.
And the second movie that popped into my head was She's The Man with Amanda Bynes. Simply because there is soccer in both the movie and The Art of Lainey. 

I hope that you all like my title acrostic! And if you haven't read The Art of Lainey, I highly recommend it!

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

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Title: The Maze Runner (Maze Runner #1)
Author: James Dashner
Length: 329 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (Random House)
Classification: Young Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction
Release Date: October 6, 2009
Source: ebook (purchased)
Read: April 2014 *I read this book during a Read-a-long with some fellow blogger friends. Thank you Cassi (My Thoughts...Literally) for hosting!*

"If you ain't scared, you ain't human."
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He's surrounded by strangers--boys whose memories are also gone.
Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It's the only way out--and no one's ever made it through alive.
Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying. (From GoodReads)

My Rating:

I really enjoyed reading this book! So much, I can't believe that I put off reading it for so long!

I think this book was full of action, mystery and suspense. One word that keeps coming to mind is INTENSE. I found this book to be very intense.

I can't wait to get the rest of the series and read them. I hope I am able to do so soon!

Title Acrostic: 

(Something new I am adding to some of my reviews, where I will use the title or part of the title of the book to create an acrostic.)

Memorable: I think this story is an unique story and it stands out from others that I have read. Yes, I do think there are some similarities from other stories that I have read, but this book is still different. And it is a book that I will remember.

Amazing: It is an amazing story. It was definitely different from what I was expecting. It grabbed my attention and kept me interested in the story. I think it is well written, full of details and world/character development. It was a fast read, and I was left wanting to continue the story. So for me, the book is amazing.

Zealous: I have found a passion for this story. I am really glad that I read it and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Extreme: This book is intense and extreme. Throughout reading, my leg was shaking. I had to take a few pauses to breathe. This is a book that kept me "on the edge of my seat".


Remarkable: I think this book is definitely worthy of the notice and attention it has received. It is an interestingly intense story that grabs the reader.

Unanswered: There are so many unanswered questions throughout this entire book. And as you find out some answers, more questions form.

Nauseating: There are some nauseating parts in the story. (Not in the sense of making me feel physically sick). Specifically scenes that involve the creepy Grievers!

Nervous: I felt pretty nervous throughout this book. I kept wondering what was going happen.

Emotional: So many emotions throughout reading this book. There were parts where I was frustrated, scared, mad, relieved, and anxious.

Ruthless: There are some things (like the Grievers) and some people in the story that I found to be ruthless.

The Story:
I think the story was well developed. Dashner describes the Maze and the Glade with wonderful detail. I didn't have a problem picturing this area in my head, and I felt that it help bring the story to life. (Sure, I have seen the trailer for the movie, but I think even without it I would have been able to easily picture it.)

And the Grievers. Seriously. Dashner is so creative! I don't think I would have been able to think of such a creature. I found them to be creepy and disturbing. I was/am afraid of them.
I wasn't satisfied with how I pictured them in my head, so I looked them up online. And wow, there are so many awesome drawings that people have made!

Here are some links:
http://acturiesa.deviantart.com/art/Maze-Runner-Griever-and-Beetle-Blade-272308207
http://gubblyn.deviantart.com/art/The-Griever-259820862
http://summerfr0st.deviantart.com/art/The-Maze-Runner-Griever-Colored-291456250


Although there were a few things that I was able to figure out, but overall the book kept me guessing and I didn't know what to expect or what would happen. There were several things that caught me by surprise!

I do understand why some people were frustrated with this book, there is a lack of information. You don't know what is going on and it takes a while to find out pieces of information. This bugged me a little at first, but it didn't bug me enough for me to quit reading or take away from my love of the book. I think it added to the suspense and mystery of what was happening. And I think it helped make the book more intense.


The Characters:

I really liked the characters. I really love that the story has a male main character. And everything is told from his point of view. I liked being able to read from his point of view the entire time.
Thomas is full of emotion and determination. I really like his character. I found him to be realistic and believable.  And I really like his relationship with the other boys in the Glade.
Chuck is a little annoying at first but it doesn't last the entire book (at least it didn't for me). I enjoyed seeing his friendship develop with Thomas.
Newt. I think he was one of my favorite characters in the book. I enjoyed watching his character develop through the story. I found his character to be funny at times too.
Minho. I really liked him too. And I like the friendship between him and Thomas. He is full of determination and strength.
Teresa. She is a character that I feel like I still don't know much about. And I want to know more about her. But I think she is strong and supportive.

I think the characters were well developed. They have their strengths and some weaknesses, that just adds to making them feel "real" to me.

If you haven't read The Maze Runner yet, then I recommend that you give it a go. It isn't for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. It was a fast enjoyable read, full of surprises and twists that kept me wanting more.