Mini Reviews: Faking Normal and Fire & Flood

So, once again, we have my amazing friend, Hannah, on the blog to review a couple books. I'm very grateful she was able to take them on because my reviewing schedule is so jam-packed.


Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens
Grade: C
Release date: February 25, 2014
This ARC was provided by Read Between the Lynes in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Alexi Littrell hasn't told anyone what happened to her over the summer. Ashamed and embarrassed, she hides in her closet and compulsively scratches the back of her neck, trying to make the outside hurt more than the inside does.

When Bodee Lennox, the quiet and awkward boy next door, comes to live with the Littrells, Alexi discovers an unlikely friend in "the Kool-Aid Kid," who has secrets of his own. As they lean on each other for support, Alexi gives him the strength to deal with his past, and Bodee helps her find the courage to finally face the truth.

Review: After reading the synopsis on the back, I felt like the plot was a little typical. Well not exactly typical per say, but just a little cliché.  What with the girl-with-the-wounded-past and the quiet-boy-also-with-a-wounded-past.  There’s a big difference between a character who is written to have a romance and a character who is written who has a romance.  Reading the whole book just confirmed my predictions.  I felt like Alexi was written for the sole purpose of getting with Bodee.  Romance-wise, there wasn’t anything too bad just some face-sucking.  Though if you have or had any problems with self-harm, this book may be triggering . Rape is a big theme in this book, also almost to the point of overwhelming.  There is also domestic abuse.  I would say this book is on the grittier side on a whole.  There’s nothing wrong with gritty but this just seemed a little over the top.  There was some swearing, but if you go to public high school you wouldn’t hear anything new. 


Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott
Grade: A
Release date: February 25, 2014
This ARC was provided by Read Between the Lynes in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.

Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.

The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

Review: First of all, the cover is super cool and the synopsis on the back just peaked my interest.  I found the main character, Tella, to have just the right amount of sarcasm and sass to keep me giggling throughout the book.  I read this all in one night.  If you liked the Hunger Games you will certainly like this.  There is a good amount of swearing but not to the point of excessiveness.  Violence is also a prominent factor in this book, nothing worse than anything in the Hunger Games.  There was one plot twist that I did not see coming and it was awesome.  This book grabs and hold you to the end.  Can’t wait for the next one.  It’s like the Hunger Games but totally different and unique.