L. A. Summer: Friends till the Blood End

L. A. Summer: Friends Till the Blood End by Sheryl Mallory-Johnson

Rating: 3/5

IQ "But nobody told her anything about being in love and wanting to give the boy she loved something to guarantee he would never forget her."

I'm positive that millions of teenage girls throughout time and around the world have felt and wondered the same thing as the IQ. I know I have wondered about. How do you keep a boy's affection without comprosing yourself? Especially when you will only be with him for summer and you've never had a boyfriend before? That's essentially what the main character, Mikki is trying to figure out.

Mikki is spending the summer in Los Angeles with her best friend Stacy, whom she hasn't seen in six years since Mikki moved from L.A. to Boone, Texas. Both girls are worried that they won't get along anymore and that they have changed a lot but they really want to see each other again. Also, Stacy has another best friend, Carlette who moved into Mikki's old house in L.A. Carlette fears that Mikki will replace her for the summer but she also wants to meet Mikki. While in L.A. Mikki meets a guy (Dominick) who seems perfect and she falls in love. Stacy thinks Dominick is a womanizing jerk and tries to warn Mikki, but Mikki ignores her. Carlette is dating an older man whose living a not-so-great lifestyle. Add to all that Carlette's overprotective mother, Stacy's cop father and Mikki's parents trying to get her to leave L.A. early and there's a lot going on in the book.

In all honesty, the writing isn't fantastic in the book, but the story is an important one. Especially for all girls who've never had a boyfriend before and may not know how to handle having one.

None of the characters were all that lovable (except maybe Keith who is Stacy's special guy friend). Mikki could have been a really great and lovable character, but she was always bragging about her grades and her GPA which grew annoying after a while. Also (and this is probably just me), but her naivete was irritating. I've never been a big fan of naive characters, but I feel that with some different characterizations and actions, Mikki could have been an enjoyably innocent character. I didn't like Stacy because she didn't help out her friends as well as she could have. This is minor, but many of the expressions Stacy used seemed a bit strange (maybe they're just West Coast expressions that I, as a Midwesterner don't understand) for example, whenever Stacy's thoughts were expressed, she would say "yaw". I'm presuming she meant ya'll. Also when she was laughing in her thoughts, she would think LOL. I don't believe that many teenagers use text/IM speak in their thoughts. Carlette was an ok friend. Sure, she had her good moments, but I didn't understand why Stacy was friends with her. Fianlly a minor complaint; Mikki lives in Boone, Texas. Carlette dates a guy named Bone. The names were too similar for my taste.

What I did like about the book: the relationships in it are pretty realistic. The friendship between Mikki and Stacy had its ups and downs like all close friendships. Some of their arguements were serious, but some were deep. I agree with Mikki up to a point that best friends "shouldn't judge you or put you down for your choices. They should respect you and support your decisions." Best friends should also not support your decisions when they are dangerous to you or others (like being anorexic, bullying people, having sex with multiple guys, etc.), but they shouldn't judge you for doing it. They should just help you make a better decision and if necessary, get her/him the helps he/she needs. The relationship between Keith and Stacy was very realistic as well, Keith wants to be more than friends, but Stacy is cautious. Mikki and Dominick's relationship was an interesting one as well. Dominick is an interesting character. I think the most important relationship is between Carlette and Bone (a young girl with a 20 something guy).

There is going to be a sequel and even though the characters aren't lovable, they are interesting and I look forward to seeing what happens to them next summer. The sequel is called L.A. Summer: Sweat and Tears. L.A. Summer: Friends Till the Blood End is a likable read and it's not too preachy. High school and up

YA and MG Giveaways!

So in honor of me starting to review MG books, I'm giving away 2 packs of book for my next giveaway in keeping up with my September giveaway extravangza! Each pack contains a YA and MG book.
*Note I haven't yet read either of the MG books I'm giving away (they are high on my tbr pile though!)
There will be 2 winners. The 1st winner will get to pick which pack they want and the 2nd winner will take the other.

In Pack 1 I'm giving away

Naming Maya by Uma Krishnaswami (MG)

Although Maya has done her best to avoid it, she is spending part of her summer in Chennai, India, with her mother, who is trying to sell her grandfather's old house. Soon Maya is drawn into a complicated friendship with eccentric Kamala Mami, who has been a housekeeper and cook for years in Maya's extended family. At the same time, Maya is thrust into an ocean of memories, all coming at her too quickly for her to understand. In particular, she is forced to examine the history of her parents' divorce -- all the more painful because she believes the trouble began with the choosing of her name. For years the tension has simmered in a cauldron of anxiety, secrets, and misunderstandings. It is only with the help of Kamala Mami and Maya's cousin Sumati that Maya is able to see what happened to her parents.

In this compelling first novel, a young Indian American girl finally learns that she can choose which memories to keep and which to let go.
And

L.A. Summer by Sheryl-Mallory Johnson (YA)

Now that she’s sixteen, Mikki is dying for a change of scenery. She’s certain that there’s more to life than living in the city of Boone, Texas, with not one cute boy worth a stare. Her wish is to return to Los Angeles and reunite with her best friend, Stacy, so she can experience the real world.

Stacy, known for her loud mouth and street smarts thinks her summer will be “jacked up,” with her father forcing her to attend summer school. After learning that Mikki is coming to town, Stacy’s hyped! She can’t wait to see her old best friend after their six-year separation. The only problem – the fear they’ve both changed too much to still be best friends.

Living in Mikki’s old house is Stacy’s new best friend, Carlette. Carlette is anxious to finally meet Mikki, if she can break away from her over protective mother. Mikki is not the only person on Carlette’s visitor’s list. Her new boyfriend, Bone, is at the top. If her mother finds out Bone’s real age and lifestyle, Carlette will be on lock-down for life.

Enter fine egotistical Dominick, the boyfriend of Mikki’s dreams and Stacy’s worst nightmare. When Stacy discovers that Dominick is checking for Mikki, she tries to protect Mikki from getting hurt. But like her cop dad says, “A bullet proof vest can’t save a man who gets in the line of fire.” Mikki may have to save herself.

Across the way Carlette has troubles of her own. After wild ‘n out all night with Bone, Carlette disappears. No one can find her.

Summer heats up for all three girls. Can Stacy and Mikki’s relationship withstand the test of time? Will Carlette be found...alive? Will Stacy reveal her secret about Dominick to save Mikki, or leave Mikki in the dark, struggling to survive in a city too ruthless for a small town girl?

A review of L.A. Summer is coming soon!

In Pack 2 we have

A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliott (YA)

Fifteen-year old Genna Colon believes wishes can come true.When Genna flees into the garden late one night, she makes a fateful wish and finds herself instantly transported back in time to Civil War-era Brooklyn

I love this book so much, I want to give you guys another chance to win it! Read my review

Eigth Grade SuperZero by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

Reginald Garvey McKnight created a superhero character in kindergarten; now he dreams of being a real-life leading man: The Guy who’s got game and gets The Girl. Instead, he threw up on the first day of school. In front of everyone. Eighth grade has gone downhill ever since.

Reggie's story has both humour and heartbreak as he figures out what it means to 'keep it real'. In EIGHTH GRADE SUPERZERO, Reggie wonders why things are so bad if God is so good; his faith at all levels is challenged by his friendships, his work at a homeless shelter, and a pair of “Dora The Explorer” shoes. A school election leads him to the superhero within; Reggie finds out that sometimes winning big means living small

To enter: Open internationally!

+2 Commenting on my review of L.A. Summer (or any of the other reviews of the books in this giveaway) once it's posted

+3 Become a follower

Must answer this question: Why do you want one of these books?

Ends: September 24 at 11:59 PM CT

*Blogger is at war again with me today, so I apologize for the weird spacing!

Waiting on Wednesday-L.A. Summer: Friends Till the Blood End

This meme was brought to you by Jill

This week I'm Waiting on....

L.A. Summer: Friends Till the Blood End by Sheryl Mallory Johnson 2009

Now that she’s sixteen, Mikki is dying for a change of scenery. She’s certain that there’s more to life than living in the city of Boone, Texas, with not one cute boy worth a stare. Her wish is to return to Los Angeles and reunite with her best friend, Stacy, so she can experience the real world.

Stacy, known for her loud mouth and street smarts thinks her summer will be “jacked up,” with her father forcing her to attend summer school. After learning that Mikki is coming to town, Stacy’s hyped! She can’t wait to see her old best friend after their six-year separation. The only problem – the fear they’ve both changed too much to still be best friends.

Living in Mikki’s old house is Stacy’s new best friend, Carlette. Carlette is anxious to finally meet Mikki, if she can break away from her over protective mother. Mikki is not the only person on Carlette’s visitor’s list. Her new boyfriend, Bone, is at the top. If her mother finds out Bone’s real age and lifestyle, Carlette will be on lock-down for life.

Enter fine egotistical Dominick, the boyfriend of Mikki’s dreams and Stacy’s worst nightmare. When Stacy discovers that Dominick is checking for Mikki, she tries to protect Mikki from getting hurt. But like her cop dad says, “A bullet proof vest can’t save a man who gets in the line of fire.” Mikki may have to save herself.

Across the way Carlette has troubles of her own. After wild ‘n out all night with Bone, Carlette disappears. No one can find her.

Summer heats up for all three girls. Can Stacy and Mikki’s relationship withstand the test of time? Will Carlette be found...alive? Will Stacy reveal her secret about Dominick to save Mikki, or leave Mikki in the dark, struggling to survive in a city too ruthless for a small town girl?

This sounds like the perfect summer read! I'll read it in honor of summer ending soon =/ I love the part in the title, Friends Till the Blood End. That's a strong friendship!