A Quote from Juliet Moreau

I just finished reading Megan Shepherd’s A Cold Legacy, the third in her Madman’s Daughter trilogy (expect a review soon). I know that I’ve already posted twice today, but here’s one more. Consider it a teaser of sorts.

“They say a sort of peace falls over you when you know that you’re going to die. I had seen enough people die to know that wasn’t true, and yet as I watched the storm grow closer, I did feel a strange calm. It was a letting go of the determination that had kept me alive this far. It was the acknowledgment to Death that he had won, and I was a fool for thinking I could defeat him. I’d cheated him enough for one lifetime.”

– pg 354

Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

Macallan and Levi are best friends. No, really, just friends. They share a love for an obscure British TV show and they just seem to get each other. They date other people, content with the knowledge that even if relationships come and go, they’ll still have each other and that’s enough. Until, one day, that’s not enough for one of them anymore. But is it mutual? Will pushing for something more ruin their friendship? Or are they better off friends? 51nzlls2oXL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_

There were several things that I liked about this book. I liked Macallan a lot. She didn’t seem as fragile as other female leads that I’ve read. She’s strong and stubborn and sure of herself. She’s gone through a lot since her mom died, but she’s making her way through life all the same. I liked Levi too, but at times I questioned his authenticity. He was a great guy, but sometimes he seemed a little too…girly. Too emotional and too understanding of Macallan’s emotions. There were times when it felt like the author tried to toughen him up by having him date a few girls or hang out with the guys, but to me he always felt like one of the girls who just happened to be a boy.

Overall, I liked their romance (this is not a spoiler because we all knew it was going to happen). I liked that it wasn’t instalove. I liked that they got to know each other on a really personal level first. They got comfortable with each other, developed a genuine friendship, and then fell in love. While it’s true that you can develop a genuine friendship with someone while falling in love at the same time (I know this from personal experience) I don’t feel like that’s how it usually works in high school. Perhaps because of this, I’ve noticed that YA authors tend to lean towards the instalove technique. So that’s something I really appreciated about this book. The relationship felt more mature. At the same time, I usually have an issue with books that have two main characters fall in love at an age that I deem too young. What do they know about love? I didn’t know ANYTHING about love when I was 15 or 16 or even 18 so…those books are harder for me to swallow.

Fun book, great writing. This is another book where the chapters alternate between narrators, and again, I actually liked it and felt like it worked. So props to Ms. Eulberg.

Overall Rating: 4
Violence: Mild
Sexual Content: Mild
Language: None
Smoking/Drinking: Mild. Mostly adults, but some mention of teenage drinking.

#ReadingMyLibrary Challenge!

Stefani @Caught Read Handed and Amy @Read What I Like have issued us book bloggers a challenge to stop buying books (for the month at least) and use our local libraries instead! I actually sat in a meeting today at work where we talked about how our library on campus is not being used the way that it used to be. In order to get more people into our library, our campus has invested in at least one 3-D printer (which I hear is WAY cool) and will soon be offering computer classes. I love libraries, so it’s sad to think that a lot of people don’t know all of the cool resources that a library can provide other than books. I bet if you look up your local library right now, you’ll be surprised what cool events and programs are going on!

The rules of the challenge are pretty straightforward and you only have to read one book from your library to participate (luckily I’ve already checked out two). So get out there, book bloggers, and promote your local libraries!

Shout out to my local libraries…

Orem Public Library