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Showing posts with label Young Adult. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Young Adult. Show all posts

Friday, January 25, 2019

Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel by Val Emmich (Book Review)




Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel by Val Emmich
Publisher: Poppy
Publication Date: October 9, 2018
Format: Hardcover & Paperback - 368 pages
               Audio Book - 8 Hours 8 Minutes
               Kindle - 2625 KB
               Nook - 2 MB
ISBN: 978-0241361870
ASIN: B07B8FS9PJ
BNID: 978-0316420228
Genre: Young Adult / Social & Family Issues / Anxiety / Depression / Suicide Prevention



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Book Description:

From the show's creators comes the groundbreaking novel inspired by the hit Broadway show Dear Evan Hansen. 

Dear Evan Hansen, 

Today's going to be an amazing day and here's why...

When a letter that was never meant to be seen by anyone draws high school senior Evan Hansen into a family's grief over the loss of their son, he is given the chance of a lifetime: to belong. He just has to stick to a lie he never meant to tell, that the notoriously troubled Connor Murphy was his secret best friend.

Suddenly, Evan isn't invisible anymore--even to the girl of his dreams. And Connor Murphy's parents, with their beautiful home on the other side of town, have taken him in like he was their own, desperate to know more about their enigmatic son from his closest friend. As Evan gets pulled deeper into their swirl of anger, regret, and confusion, he knows that what he's doing can't be right, but if he's helping people, how wrong can it be? 

No longer tangled in his once-incapacitating anxiety, this new Evan has a purpose. And a website. He's confident. He's a viral phenomenon. Every day is amazing. Until everything is in danger of unraveling and he comes face to face with his greatest obstacle: himself.

A simple lie leads to complicated truths in this big-hearted coming-of-age story of grief, authenticity and the struggle to belong in an age of instant connectivity and profound isolation.



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My Book Review:

It all began with a letter to oneself that leads to a tangled web of lies ... but out of it comes a social discussion and movement with a powerful message that "you are not alone, and that you matter!"

Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel is a more in-depth coming-of-age adaptation of the hit Broadway musical that examines the important social issues of mental health (anxiety, isolation, the struggle to belong, invisibility, self-importance, self-acceptance, depression) and suicide.

Told in the alternating first person perspectives from high school seniors Evan Hansen (mental health issues) and Connor Murphy (suicide), the reader follows Connor's perspective of witnessing the aftermath of his death, and Evan's perspective as he tries to deal with his downward spiral after his letter to himself morphs into a tangled web of lies about being Connor's best friend, all done in the name of trying to fit in and help Connor's family deal with their grief.

I saw the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen at the beginning of January, and it was such a profound story that had me feeling the full gamut of emotions as Evan and Connor's story unfolded. I applaud the author for adapting this amazing musical into an unforgettable book that everyone should read. While I loved the musical, it did leave me with some questions, and I am so glad that Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel went more in-depth into Evan and Connor's story, it cleared up a lot of the questions, and really made more sense.

Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel is an emotional and inspirational story about serious social issues that affects everyone. Mental health and suicide are important issues that needs to have a perpetual conversation in our society. The story and musical's powerful message says it all: "you are never alone, you matter, and there will always be a tomorrow."

*Note: At the end of the novel, there is an important listing of mental health and suicide prevention resources available.


RATING: 5 STARS 






About The Author



Dubbed a "Renaissance Man" by the New York Post, Val Emmich is a writer, a singer-songwriter, and an actor. His first novel, The Reminders, was a Barnes & Noble Discover New Writers selection and his follow-up, Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel, based on the hit Broadway show, was a New York Times bestseller. He's had recurring roles on Vinyl and Ugly Betty, as well as a memorable guest role as Tina Fey's coffee-boy fling, Jamie, on 30 Rock. Emmich lives in Jersey City, New Jersey.

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Sunday, January 15, 2017

Gold Rush by Jennifer Comeaux (Book Review)




Gold Rush by Jennifer Comeaux
Publisher: Independent Self Publishing
Publication Date: PB - November 14, 2016 / eBook - January 9, 2017
Format: Paperback - 338 pages
               Kindle - 2884 KB
               Nook - 687 KB
ISBN: 978-0990434276
ASIN: B01MSV3XON
BNID: 2940153540382
Genre: Contemporary Romance / New / Young Adult / Sports Themed - Ice Skating



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Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review.


Book Description:

Will love wait for gold?

Liza Petrov's entire life has been about skating and winning her sport's top prize - Olympic gold. She's stayed sheltered inside her bubble, not daring to stray from her destined path.

Until she meets Braden Patrick.

He makes her heart flutter with possibility, and for the first time she gets a taste of a normal teenage life. She longs to have both the boy and the gold, but stepping outside her bubble comes with a price. As Liza begins to question both her future and her past, can she stay focused on the present and realize her ultimate dream?


My Book Review:

In the tradition of the Ice and Edge series, author Jennifer Comeaux brings the reader back to Cape Cod with Gold Rush, the delightful new / young adult ice skating romance story featuring Sergei and Elena's nineteen year old competitive ice skating daughter Liza Petrov, as she prepares for the Olympics in Sochi, and finds unexpected friendship and romance with nineteen year old U Mass student Braden Patrick.

Author Jennifer Comeaux once again calls upon her passion for competitive ice skating to weave an emotionally dramatic tale of friendship, love, family drama, and competitive dreams that will steal your breath away. If you are a fan of ice skating and all the drama that goes on behind the scenes, then this book is a must read. If you are a hopeless romantic who loves the dramatic challenges and trials and tribulations that Liza and Braden face as they try to balance friendship and romance while Liza prepares to achieve Olympic gold ice skating dreams, then you are in for a treat with this sweet romantic story.

Author Jennifer Comeaux once again takes the reader on an exhilarating and emotional roller coaster ride as Liza and Braden's love story blossoms with trials and tribulations to overcome, but with a heartwarming and sigh worthy climatic conclusion that will leave you with a satisfying warm fuzzy feeling. There are not enough words to express how much I loved following Liza's journey, especially as she struggled to balance ice skating with friendship and romance, and the unfolding of her traumatic childhood past kept me captivated from beginning to end. There is just something so exciting about reading a romance story that has a wonderful mixture of romance, family drama, and the sport of competitive ice skating, it simply draws you in and leaves you breathless. I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much I loved catching up with all the characters from the Ice and Edge series, and being introduced to Braden and his college crew. Braden stole my heart with his wonderful disposition, and his caring and supportive ways, he is a modern day knight in shining armor, and Liza is truly one lucky girl!

With an intriguing cast of recurring and new characters; engaging dialogue and dramatic interactions; a richly detailed description of the scenic Cape Cod and Sochi settings, the world of Olympic competitive ice skating; and a riveting storyline full of drama, angst, suspense and romance; Gold Rush is an amazing lighthearted romantic story that will leave you believing in the power of friendship and love, sighing and smiling, and hoping that the author would make this delightful book into a brand new series (sigh).


RATING: 5 STARS  

                                       



About The Author



Jennifer Comeaux
is a tax accountant by day, writer by night. There aren’t any ice rinks near her home in south Louisiana, but she’s a diehard figure skating fan and loves to write stories of romance set in the world of competitive skating. One of her favorite pastimes is traveling to competitions, where she can experience all the glitz and drama that inspire her writing. When she's not writing, traveling, or calculating taxes, you can find her feeding her television addiction.


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Check out Jennifer's Contest Giveaway: Win A $25 Amazon Gift Card
http://jennifercomeaux.blogspot.com/2017/01/gold-rush-release-day.html