Up for a challenge!

I have just signed up for The Contemps Challenge.  I am a big fan of Contemporary YA fiction and want to celebrate and spread the word on how awesome it is! 

Here is some info from the website on The Contemps Challenge:

“The Contemps” officially launched on August 17 with a mission to help teens, booksellers, librarians and publishers connect with books that feature real-life settings, characters and situations. Group members range from debuts to veterans with several titles on the shelves, and all have new releases coming out between September 2010 and August 2011. They hope to not just build buzz for members’ books, but to create excitement and appreciation for the contemporary realistic genre in general.

“There are so many wonderful authors writing contemporary realistic fiction,” said Contemps co-founder Lisa Schroeder. “As much as we love other genres, the marketplace can feel dominated by paranormal, fantasy and dystopian novels. We want to celebrate the unique way that contemporary stories help teens feel they’re not alone in this real world.”

Accept the Contemps Challenge and promise to read at least 18 of the 21 upcoming Contemps books between now and August 15, 2011. One lucky challenger will win the grand prize: ALL 21 of our books! That's like a whole bookshelf of books!

The 21 authors involved are Brent Crawford, Hannah Harrington, April Henry, Kirsten Hubbard, Denise Jaden, Kody Keplinger, Jo Knowles, Lindsey Leavitt, Sarah Darer Littman, Michael Northrop, Sarah Ockler, Micol Ostow, Lisa Schroeder, Elizabeth Scott, Mindi Scott, Emily Wing Smith, Courtney Summers, Kristen Tracy, Melissa Walker, Sara Bennett Wealer, and Daisy Whitney.

Go check out the website if you want more info or to see the 21 titles available.  If you are interested in participating in the challenge make sure you sign up by 15 November, 2010.

Waiting on Wednesday #3

 "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Trapped by Michael Northrop
Release Date:- Jan 01 2011

The Breakfast Club meets The Blizzard of the Century: A young adult suspense novel from PW Flying Start author Michael Northrop.

Scotty and his friends Pete and Tommy are among the last kids waiting to get picked up at their high school. The snow has been coming down for hours, and it's starting to look like no one is coming for them. As the snow piles higher, their teacher Mr. Gossell leaves them behind to seek help--and disappears into the drifts outside. Now the seven remaining students are on their own, with no food and no electricity, facing a night of sleeping on classroom floors. Will their friendships survive the night . . . and will THEY?

Why?  The first thing that grapped me about this book was the line in the description that said 'The Breakfast Club meets The Blizzard of the Century'.  The Breakfast Club is one of my all time favourite movies and a book with a similar concept can only be awesome (well that my theory anyway).  The description also makes it sounds like it is going to be a pusle pounding read.  Also it part of the Contempts Challenge which I  have just signed up for.

What are you waiting for? 

Leave a comment with you link to WOW if you like and I'll make sure to check it out! 





Freefall by Mindi Scott

Goodreads Description - How do you come back from the point of no return?

Seth McCoy was the last person to see his best friend Isaac alive, and the first to find him dead. It was just another night, just another party, just another time where Isaac drank too much and passed out on the lawn. Only this time, Isaac didn’t wake up.

Convinced that his own actions led to his friend’s death, Seth is torn between turning his life around . . . or losing himself completely.

Then he meets Rosetta: so beautiful and so different from everything and everyone he's ever known. But Rosetta has secrets of her own, and Seth will soon realize he isn’t the only one who needs saving . . .

My Review:-

Favourite Quote:  "But maybe it's like free-falling.  You feel like you'd rather do anything than have to face it, but once you do it you realize it's the best feeling you've ever had."

Lately I have been craving contemporary fiction and Freefall filled my need nicely.  It had all the things that I look for - good writing, a plot that gets you thinking and most importantly honest characters.

Freefall is not a tear jerker but a book that gets under your skin.    My emotional reading experience went a little like this - sad, hopeful, happy, extremely happy, sad, anxious, ahhhh happy again.  Scott's writing talent is the characters she creates.  You become invested in them and the compelling journey they are on.  

Seth is flawed, honest and broken.  He caused me plenty of anxiety waiting to see if he could turn his life around and making it extremely hard to stop reading.   Rosetta, was a surprising character. She was sweet,  sometimes shy and a lot more complicated than I thought.  I could easily relate to her, especially her awkwardness and shyness around Seth.  There is one scene in the book where she is trying to get Seth to kiss her and uses a metaphor.  It is quite funny and something that I would have done.  

Seth and Rosetta had a strong connection.  They both could relate to loss, guilt and fear. Their romance was a little bit awkward at first, there were mistakes, misunderstandings but plenty of sweet moments too:

"She smiled at me in that way she has that gets me all wound up, but somehow calms me at the same time."

It was just nice to see an honest portrayal of a teenage relationship. 

Overall, a wonderful debut.  A book that took me on a emotional ride but in the end left me feeling good.

Rating: 4.5 stars


For More Info check out Mindi Scott's website.

Some interesting info: On Mindi Scott's website you can read her old diary enteries from age 13 to 16.  Very entertaining - worth a read.

She was originally going to call Freefall The Fake McCoy, then Scratching at the 8-ball before settling on Freefall.

Check out the Trailer: