CAN'T WAIT TO READ: The Weight of Zero by Karen Fortunati

Release date: October 11th 2016
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Catherine Pulaski knows Zero is coming for her. Zero, the devastating depression born of Catherine’s bipolar disorder, almost triumphed once; that was her first suicide attempt. 

Being bipolar is forever. It never goes away. The med du jour might work right now, but Zero will be back for her. It’s only a matter of time.

And so, in an old ballet-shoe box, Catherine stockpiles medications, preparing to take her own life before Zero can inflict its living death on her again. Before she goes, though, she starts a short bucket list. 

The bucket list, the support of her family, new friends, and a new course of treatment all begin to lessen Catherine’s sense of isolation. The problem is, her plan is already in place, and has been for so long that she might not be able to see a future beyond it. 

This is a story of loss and grief and hope, and how some of the many shapes of love—maternal, romantic, and platonic—affect a young woman’s struggle with mental illness and the stigma of treatment.

About the Author

Karen Fortunati is a writer of contemporary, realistic YA. The subject of her  first book, The Weight of Zero, is mental illness, specifically bipolar disorder, and it explores the shame, stigma and anxiety that often complicate the management of this chronic condition. The issue is personal to her, having witnessed the impact of depression and bipolar disorder in relatives and friends. Karen's goal was to write a story of hope for teens who struggle with mental illness.

Her path to writing and publication was a long and indirect one. She graduated from the University of Scranton with an accounting degree and then got a law degree from Georgetown. After working as a lawyer for many years, Karen found herself growing interested and then fascinated with history, specifically the American Revolution. This fascination sparked the idea for a middle grade story, so between family, dogs and a return to school (Trinity College for a master’s degree in American Studies), she threw herself into writing.

Success for that middle grade story never arrived. But that was okay. Because another idea was brewing, one that moved Karen in a way her first story never had. About a girl who had to deal not only with the standard pressures and stress of high school but also a much heavier weight – a mental illness. The story would be about her struggle to come to terms with it. It became The Weight of Zero.

www.karenfortunati.com | twitter.com/karenfortunati

CAN'T WAIT TO READ: Underwater by Marisa Reichardt

Release date: January 12th 2016
Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Morgan didn’t mean to do anything wrong that day. Actually, she meant to do something right. But her kind act inadvertently played a role in a deadly tragedy. In order to move on, Morgan must learn to forgive—first someone who did something that might be unforgivable, and then, herself.

But Morgan can’t move on. She can’t even move beyond the front door of the apartment she shares with her mother and little brother. Morgan feels like she’s underwater, unable to surface. Unable to see her friends. Unable to go to school.

When it seems Morgan can’t hold her breath any longer, a new boy moves in next door. Evan reminds her of the salty ocean air and the rush she used to get from swimming. He might be just what she needs to help her reconnect with the world outside.

Underwater is a powerful, hopeful debut novel about redemption, recovery, and finding the strength it takes to face your past and move on.

About the Author

Marisa Reichardt is a SoCal native and high school writing instructor. She has a Master of Professional Writing degree from the University of Southern California and dual undergraduate degrees in literature and creative writing from UC San Diego. She spent her college years shucking oysters, waiting tables, and peddling swimwear. She has spent her post-grad years writing, tutoring, and teaching. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her family, and can usually be found huddled over her laptop in coffeehouses or swimming in the ocean.

www.marisareichardt.com | facebook.com/YoungAdultish

Waiting on Wednesday #104

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spines. This is a cool way to spotlight a upcoming release that you're anxious about, as well as checking out what other book lovers are anticipating. Here's what I'm waiting for:

The Stars Never Rise
by Rachel Vincent
Release date: June 9th 2015

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads: 
Sixteen-year-old Nina Kane should be worrying about her immortal soul, but she's too busy trying to actually survive. Her town's population has been decimated by soul-consuming demons, and souls are in short supply. Watching over her younger sister, Mellie, and scraping together food and money are all that matters. The two of them are a family. They gave up on their deadbeat mom a long time ago.

When Nina discovers that Mellie is keeping a secret that threatens their very existence, she'll do anything to protect her. Because in New Temperance, sins are prosecuted as crimes by the brutal Church and its army of black-robed exorcists. And Mellie's sin has put her in serious trouble.

To keep them both alive, Nina will need to trust Finn, a fugitive with deep green eyes who has already saved her life once and who might just be an exorcist. But what kind of exorcist wears a hoodie?

Wanted by the Church and hunted by dark forces, Nina knows she can't survive on her own. She needs Finn and his group of rogue friends just as much as they need her.

Every Last Word
by Tamara Ireland Stone
Release date:June 16th 2015

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads: 

If you could read my mind, you wouldn’t be smiling.

Samantha McCallister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can’t turn off.

Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn’t help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she’d be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam’s weekly visits to her psychiatrist.

Caroline introduces Sam to Poet’s Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more “normal” than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.

Why I'm Waiting

I feel like I've mentioned The Stars Never Rise before but no matter, that's how much I'm anticipating that book. It will be my first experience in the world of Rachel Hawkins. As for Every Last Word, that blurb has me sold. It seems like an intense story and I can't wait to see what this story has in store for me.

What are you waiting for?

Waiting on Wednesday #103

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spines. This is a cool way to spotlight a upcoming release that you're anxious about, as well as checking out what other book lovers are anticipating. Here's what I'm waiting for:

Salt & Stone (Fire & Flood #2)
by Victoria Scott
Release date: February 24th 2015

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads: 

What would you do to save someone you love?

In FIRE & FLOOD, Tella Holloway faced a dangerous trek through the jungle and across the desert, all to remain a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed for a chance at obtaining the Cure for her brother. She can't quit--she has to win the race, save Cody, and then fight to make sure the race stops before it can claim any more lives. In the next legs of the race, across the ocean and over mountains, Tella will face frostbite, sharks, avalanche, and twisted new rules in the race.

But what if the danger is deeper than that? How do you know who to trust when everyone's keeping secrets? What do you do when the person you'd relied on most suddenly isn't there for support? How do you weigh one life against another?

The race is coming to an end, and Tella is running out of time, resources, and strength. At the start of the race there were one hundred twenty-two Contenders. As Tella and her remaining friends start the final part of the race, just forty-one are left--and only one can win.

Hold Me Like A Breath (Once Upon a Crime Family #1)
by Tiffany Schmidt
Release date:May 19th 2015

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads: 

Penelope Landlow has grown up with the knowledge that almost anything can be bought or sold—including body parts. She’s the daughter of one of the three crime families that control the black market for organ transplants.

Penelope’s surrounded by all the suffocating privilege and protection her family can provide, but they can't protect her from the autoimmune disorder that causes her to bruise so easily.

And in her family's line of work no one can be safe forever.

All Penelope has ever wanted is freedom and independence. But when she’s caught in the crossfire as rival families scramble for prominence, she learns that her wishes come with casualties, that betrayal hurts worse than bruises, that love is a risk worth taking . . . and maybe she’s not as fragile as everyone thinks.

Why I'm Waiting

I really liked Fire & Flood so definitely cannot wait to continue the adventure in Salt & Stone, and I want to see how the characters have developed. As for the second book, love the cover and blurb. I'm not one for such a concept, but this intrigues me. 

What are you waiting for?

Waiting on Wednesday #102

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spines. This is a cool way to spotlight a upcoming release that you're anxious about, as well as checking out what other book lovers are anticipating. Here's what I'm waiting for:

On The Edge
by Allison Van Diepen
Release date: November 25th 2014

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads: 

From Allison van Diepen, author of Snitch and Street Pharm, comes a sexy, dangerous novel about a teen who witnesses a murder and gets caught up in the seedy world of Miami’s gangs.

Maddie Diaz never should have taken that shortcut through the park. If she hadn't, she wouldn't have seen two members of the Reyes gang attacking a homeless man. Now, as the only witness, she knows there’s a target on her back. 

But when the Reyes jump her on the street, Maddie is protected by a second gang and their secretive leader, Lobo, who is determined to take down the Reyes himself. Lobo is mysterious and passionate, and Maddie begins to fall for him. But when they live this close to the edge, can their love survive?

On the Edge is a compelling story about fighting for what’s right and figuring out where you belong. The novel showcases a gritty, realistic voice and earth–shattering romance that will intrigue readers of Simone Elkeles and Paul Griffin and captivate fans of Allison van Diepen's other novels.

Even in Paradise
by Chelsey Philpot
Release date: October 14th 2014

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads: 

When Julia Buchanan enrolls at St. Anne’s at the beginning of junior year, Charlotte Ryder already knows all about the former senator’s daughter. Most people do... or think they do.

Charlotte certainly never expects she’ll be Julia’s friend. But almost immediately, she is drawn into the larger than-life-new girl’s world—a world of midnight rendezvous, dazzling parties, palatial vacation homes, and fizzy champagne cocktails. And then Charlotte meets, and begins falling for, Julia’s handsome older brother, Sebastian.

But behind her self-assured smiles and toasts to the future, Charlotte soon realizes that Julia is still suffering from a tragedy. A tragedy that the Buchanan family has kept hidden … until now.

Why I'm Waiting

Both seem pretty interesting, but I'm more curious about On the Edge because it has that gritty, urban appeal. Even in Paradise looks like the type of story that will create a summer atmosphere in the coming colder season so that's mainly why I'm drawn to it. And I'd like to find out what that tragedy is. Can't wait to get my hands on both books.

What are you waiting for?

Waiting on Wednesday #101

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spines. This is a cool way to spotlight a upcoming release that you're anxious about, as well as checking out what other book lovers are anticipating. Here's what I'm waiting for:

The Fire Artist
by Daisy Whitney
Release date: October 14th 2014

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads: 

A forbidden romance literally heats up in this new fantasy from acclaimed author Daisy Whitney.

Aria is an elemental artist—she creates fire from her hands. But her power is not natural. She steals it from lightning. It’s dangerous and illegal in her world. When she’s recruited to perform, she seizes the chance to get away from her family. But her power is fading too fast to keep stealing from the sky. She has no choice but to turn to a Granter—a modern day genie. She gets one wish at an extremely high price. Aria’s willing to take a chance, but then she falls in love with the Granter . . . and he wants his freedom. Aria must decide what she’s willing to bargain and how much her own heart, body, and soul are worth.

In a world where the sport of elemental powers is the most popular form of entertainment, readers will be swept away by a romance with stakes higher than life and death.

Why I'm Waiting

I don't read much about characters who have such an ability so this one piques my interest. I'm also curious as to how she gets her power from lightning, and what's going to happen with the Granter because from the synopsis I perceive that they fall in love. Sounds like a tough situation. Can't wait to read the story.

What are you waiting for?

Waiting on Wednesday #100

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spines. This is a cool way to spotlight a upcoming release that you're anxious about, as well as checking out what other book lovers are anticipating. Here's what I'm waiting for:

Chasing Power
by Sarah Beth Durst
Release date: October 14th 2014

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads: 

Lies, secrets, and magic — three things that define Kayla's life.

Sixteen-year-old Kayla plans to spend her summer hanging out on the beach in Santa Barbara and stealing whatever she wants, whenever she wants it. Born with the ability to move things with her mind — things like credit cards, diamond rings, and buttons on cash registers — she has become a master shoplifter. She steals to build up a safety net, enough money for her and her mom to be able to flee if her dad finds them again. Well, that, and the thrill of using her secret talents.

But her summer plans change when she's caught stealing by a boy named Daniel — a boy who needs her help and is willing to blackmail her to get it. 

Daniel has a talent of his own. He can teleport, appearing anywhere in the world in an instant, but he lies as easily as he travels. Together, they embark on a quest to find and steal an ancient incantation, written on three indestructible stones and hidden millennia ago, all to rescue Daniel's kidnapped mother. But Kayla has no idea that this rescue mission will lead back to her own family — and to betrayals that she may not be able to forgive... or survive.

Why I'm Waiting

I haven't read a book about a character who moves things with her mind before. This sounds very x-men-ish and that intrigues me because I'm a huge fan of that franchise. Daniel sounds as interesting as Kayla so it's good that both main characters have some supernatural ability and it's not only one. I can't wait to dabble in this story. Hopefully it delivers.

What are you waiting for?

Stacking the Shelves #79

This is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, where you showcase all the books you've received in the past week. 

Thanks to Michelle @ Book Briefs for the copy of Icons by Margaret Stohl

Thank you St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC of Getting Even by Sarah Rayner

Thanks to Atria for:

Burying Water by K.A. Tucker

Unteachable by Leah Raeder

What's in your haul?

Waiting on Wednesday #99

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spines. This is a cool way to spotlight a upcoming release that you're anxious about, as well as checking out what other book lovers are anticipating. Here's what I'm waiting for:

Earth & Sky (Earth & Sky #1)
by Megan Crewe
Release date: October 28th 2014

Publisher: Razorbill/Skyscape

Synopsis via Goodreads: 

Seventeen-year-old Skylar has been haunted for as long as she can remember by fleeting yet powerful sensations that something is horribly wrong. But despite the panic attacks tormenting her, nothing ever happens, and Sky’s beginning to think she’s crazy. 

Then she meets a mysterious, otherworldly boy named Win and discovers the shocking truth her premonitions have tapped into: our world no longer belongs to us. 

For thousands of years, Earth has been at the mercy of alien scientists who care nothing for its inhabitants and are using us as the unwitting subjects of their time-manipulating experiments. 

Win belongs to a rebel faction seeking to put a stop to it, and he needs Skylar’s help--but with each shift in the past, the very fabric of reality is unraveling, and soon there may be no Earth left to save.

Why I'm Waiting

I haven't read many books about aliens so this one really struck me while I was browsing Goodreads for feature releases. I like the concept of alien scientists and it seems like there's some time traveling in the midst as well. Either way, I'm looking forward to reading this one and I hope it doesn't disappoint.

What are you waiting for?

Waiting on Wednesday #98 + Giveaway

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spines. This is a cool way to spotlight a upcoming release that you're anxious about, as well as checking out what other book lovers are anticipating as well. Here's what I'm waiting for:

Astray (Gated #2)
by Amy Christine Parker
Release date: August 26th 2014

Publisher: Random House

Synopsis via Goodreads: 

Lyla is caught between two worlds. The isolated Community that she grew up in and the outside world that she’s navigating for the very first time. The outsiders call the Community a cult, but Pioneer miraculously survived a shooting that should have killed him. Are the faithful members right to stay true to his message? Is this just a test of faith? One thing is for sure: the Community will do anything to bring Lyla back to the fold. 

Trapped in a spider’s web of deception, will Lyla detect the sticky threads tightening around her before it’s too late? She’ll have to unravel the mystery of what Pioneer and the Community are truly up to if she wants to survive.

Suspenseful and chilling, Astray is Amy Christine Parker’s nerve-fraying sequel to Gated. This fast-paced psychological thriller is masterfully plotted and sure to leave goose bumps. Perfect for fans of creepy YA thrillers and contemporary fiction alike.

Why I'm Waiting

I liked Gated. I had no idea Amy was going to continue the story so you can imagine my surprise when I came across the sequel on Goodreads. I like the synopsis and am very intrigued. Now I want to know how Lyla is adjusting to the outside world and what the community is going to do to try to retrieve her. Will they be able to escape Pioneer's control once and for all? I'm so curious now.

What are you waiting for?