Contemporary | Books: The Cheapest Vacation You Can Buy

{October 7, 2014} {Review} Wednesday’s Child by Alan Zendell

From Goodreads: Dylan Brice is living his days out of order, but it hasn’t always been that way. One Tuesday evening in July, he went to sleep expecting tomorrow to be Wednesday, but when he woke up the next morning it was Thursday instead. A frightening and confusing day ensued with Dylan trying to figure out whether he was losing his mind or the victim of some cosmic prank.

If struggling to come to terms with his new reality on his surreal Thursday wasn’t enough of an ordeal, late in the afternoon, just as his anxiety was finally beginning to subside, a voice from the past he’d hoped never to hear again added a terrifying new dimension to his situation. Dylan had once been a warrior in the battle against nuclear terrorism. A sleeper since the months following nine-eleven, he has suddenly been activated to help combat a new, deadly threat. His nerves in a shambles, he finally drops off to sleep hoping he’ll wake up to find Thursday was a dream.

When, after his harrowing Thursday, he awakens on the Wednesday morning he thought he’d missed, he doesn’t know what to believe. He cannot believe Thursday’s events were coincidental. He must be living his days out of order for a reason — some powerful, unknown entity has cast him in a role he never asked for, and everything he holds dear may be at stake. He “knows” he will continue to live Thursdays before Wednesdays until he figures out how to use the unique perspective that gives him to avert a disaster that may be global in scope.

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Imagine if Thursday came before Wednesday, followed by Friday. But only for you… giving you the ability to learn the future and change events. I would have so much fun with that. Of course, I’m certainly not as hardcore as Dylan Brice, so I would probably only use it for selfish gain. Luckily, Dylan is trained to deal with terrorism, able to call in the big dogs and assess violent and potentially deadly situations, which is a huge plus, especially since nuclear terror is on his doorstep.

This is a really cool time-travelish novel set in present day America. Though I admit that I wasn’t really sure what was happening in the beginning, and it took me a little while to warm up to the characters and the situations, I eventually found myself completely wrapped up in the story. It’s a thriller with a bit of mystery thrown in, taking readers on an awesome ride as it all unfolds. If you’re looking for something a bit different with a strong male lead, then this is definitely a novel for you. Four stars.

I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Kindle | Nook

{January 29, 2014} {Review} Flirting with Maybe by Wendy Higgins

From Goodreads: He was fifteen and she was seventeen.

When sophomore Ryan “The Kid” McPhearson makes the Varsity baseball team, he finds himself submersed into the life of upperclassmen, and falling in love with senior Brooke Bennet. To Ryan she’s his dream girl, perfect. Maybe to the outside world a two-year age difference doesn’t matter, but this is high school. Everything matters.

Ryan soon realizes Brooke’s life is not so perfect. He becomes her closest friend, her safe place to fall when she needs to escape. Ryan seems to be benched in the friend zone with no chance to bat.

Time is both a curse and a blessing. It ushers Brooke away to college, and Ryan into the arms of his first girlfriend. It alters Ryan from a kid to a high school graduate, ready to venture to college himself. But when Ryan sees Brooke again he realizes there are some things even time can’t touch.

Though much has changed, one question still remains. Will the things that mattered in high school always stand between them?

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While I absolutely adore Wendy Higgins’ Sweet Evil Series, I have to admit that I wasn’t as impressed with this contemporary novella. I think part of the issue here is that this is in fact a novella, which gave me less time to connect with the characters as the events moved quickly—especially because it takes place over a few year span. I also didn’t care much for Brooke. While her intentions in the beginning of the novel are innocent enough, she soon begins hurting Ryan more often, and she seems to know exactly what she’s doing. That, together with her constant bad decisions, one after another in terms of drink and boys, drove me insane, and truth be told, she wouldn’t have been a friend of mine in high school/college, so in that regard I also had a hard time connecting.

Ryan is a sweetie, and I definitely felt for him as he pined away for Brooke. He’s the ultimate friend turned lover, and I was glad that he finally gets his “someday,” but the pain he went through to get there was devastating. I would have been his other female friend who kept telling him to forget about Brooke, but hey, the heart is strange. Three stars.