Book Review: Don’t Fail Me Now by Una LaMarche

Book Review: Don’t Fail Me Now by Una LaMarcheTitle: Don't Fail Me Now
Author: Una LaMarche
Publisher: Razorbill
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: September 1, 2015
Rating: four-stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

From the author of Like No Other, the novel Entertainment Weekly calls "One of the most poignant and star-crossed love stories since The Fault in Our Stars": What if the last hope to save your family is the person who broke it up to begin with?

Michelle and her little siblings Cass and Denny are African-American and living on the poverty line in urban Baltimore, struggling to keep it together with their mom in jail and only Michelle’s part-time job at the Taco Bell to sustain them.

Leah and her stepbrother Tim are white and middle class from suburban Maryland, with few worries beyond winning lacrosse games and getting college applications in on time.

Michelle and Leah only have one thing in common: Buck Devereaux, the biological father who abandoned them when they were little.

After news trickles back to them that Buck is dying, they make the uneasy decision to drive across country to his hospice in California. Leah hopes for closure; Michelle just wants to give him a piece of her mind.

Five people in a failing, old station wagon, living off free samples at food courts across America, and the most pressing question on Michelle’s mind is: Who will break down first--herself or the car? All the signs tell her they won’t make it. But Michelle has heard that her whole life, and it’s never stopped her before....

Una LaMarche triumphs once again with this rare and compassionate look at how racial and social privledge affects one family in crisis in both subtle and astonishing ways.

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❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃


Book Review: Don’t Fail Me Now by Una LaMarche

Don’t Fail Me Now by Una LaMarche is a realistic road trip book with a unique twist. Readers will be both inspired and moved by this novel. This bookhas a perfect mix with its gripping plot line, plucky protagonist and so much diversity. Continue reading

How My Summer Went Up in Flames, Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

How My Summer Went Up in Flames, Jennifer Salvato DoktorskiTitle: How My Summer Went Up in Flames
Author: Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
Also by this author: The Summer After You and Me
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: January 1, 2013
Rating: four-stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

First she lost her heart. Then she lost her mind. And now she’s on a road trip to win back her ex. This debut novel’s packed with drama and romance!

Rosie’s always been impulsive. She didn’t intend to set her cheating ex-boyfriend’s car on fire. And she never thought her attempts to make amends could be considered stalking. So when she’s served with a temporary restraining order on the first day of summer vacation, she’s heartbroken—and furious.

To put distance between Rosie and her ex, Rosie’s parents send her on a cross-country road trip with responsible, reliable neighbor Matty and his two friends. Forget freedom of the road, Rosie wants to hitchhike home and win back her ex. But her determination starts to dwindle with each passing mile. Because Rosie’s spark of anger? It may have just ignited a romance with someone new…

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How My Summer Went up in Flames, Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski is a light and amusing summer read. It tells of a perfect road trip that is relatable and will make the reader feel as though they are part of the story. This book is complete with an entertaining narrator and a plot that is inspirational. Continue reading