Review: August and Everything After by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

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August and Everything After by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
Release Date: May 1st, 2018
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

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One last summer to escape, to find herself, to figure out what comes next. Fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han will love this contemporary, coming-of-age romance.

Graduation was supposed to be a relief. Except Quinn can’t avoid the rumors that plagued her throughout high school or the barrage of well-intentioned questions about her college plans. How is she supposed to know what she wants to do for the next four years, let alone the rest of her life? And why does no one understand that it’s hard for her to think about the future—or feel as if she even deserves one—when her best friend is dead?

Spending the summer with her aunt on the Jersey shore may just be the fresh start Quinn so desperately needs. And when she meets Malcolm, a musician with his own haunted past, she starts to believe in second chances. Can Quinn find love while finding herself?

Review: 

August and Everything After seemed like the perfect start-to-summer read. I mean, a Jersey Shore setting, summer romance, and adventure? I don't think it can get much more summery than that! It also didn't hurt that I've enjoyed Jennifer's previous books - How My Summer Went Up in Flames and Famous Last Words are perfect poolside reading material! 

As it turns out, August and Everything After did put me in a summery mood; however, it also brought way more heart and emotion to the table than I had anticipated! 

At its heart, August and Everything After is a book about growing up, making the hard decisions in life, and learning to love not only other people but also yourself. When the book first begins Quinn   is in a state of constant indecision. She doesn't know what to do now that she's graduated, and she doesn't know how to express that to her overly driven mother and sister who think college is the only option out there. 

I found Quinn's voice to be realistic and I feel that it will appeal to readers who are in the same position as Quinn, having one monumental era come to an end and not knowing what to do next. I felt for Quinn. It's hard making the big choices after high school (been there, done that!), and it's even harder when you're still dealing with the pain of losing someone you loved. What I admired the most about Quinn, however, was how willing she was to take chances. Yes, sometimes they led to incredibly embarrassing moments (i.e. fire rescue disaster) or even heartbreak, but they also led to some great growth - moments in which I was yelling "Go Quinn!" 

I also LOVED the aunt-niece dynamic here! Aunt Annie and Quinn were two peas in a pod. I liked that Annie and Quinn both helped each other out over the course of the summer. Annie helped Quinn see that it's okay to make mistakes and take chances, but they should never stop you from growing, for reaching for more. On the other hand, Quinn helped Annie see that just because something ended, it doesn't mean that it has to be over over. Their relationship was honest and heartwarming, containing plenty of "aww" moments as well as "oh darn." 

Now for the part that I'm iffy about: Malcolm, the sexy misunderstood musician. I think we've all encountered Malcolms in our lives - boys who we know are nothing but trouble but couldn't resist simply because of how swoony they were. On one side, I liked Malcolm. He played a huge role in Quinn's summer, helping her make some big decisions. He also was pretty irresistible. I can understand why Quinn why was so taken by him. He had that sexy musician charm for sure, and he used that to his benefit.  On the other hand, I felt that their relationship was unhealthy. I didn't like that Quinn took on the savior role here, always feeling as if it was up to her to keep Malcolm's sobriety in check. That's a hard role for anyone, especially someone who is already facing a lot in their own life. There were so many moments in which I wished I could reach through the book and knock some sense into Quinn, to tell her that she it wasn't solely up to her, that it wasn't okay that he was always making such weak promises. I will admit that sometimes their back-and-forth relationship grew old; however, I appreciated the end result. I won't say too much, but Jennifer did a great job of wrapping it up. There were some shaky "oh my goodness" moments, but I couldn't have been happier by the end. 

Overall, August and Everything After is a relatable read, perfect for the summer! While it isn't my favorite book by Jennifer (How My Summer Went Up in Flames remains my favorite), it still demonstrates how great Jennifer's contemporaries are. I can't wait to read more by her! 

3.5 stars!!  

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Spotlight Tour: August and Everything After (Giveaway & Excerpt!)

August and Everything After by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
Release Date: May 1st, 2018
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Add to Goodreads!

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BAM | Indigo | Indiebound

One last summer to escape, to find herself, to figure out what comes next. Fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han will love this contemporary, coming-of-age romance.

Graduation was supposed to be a relief. Except Quinn can’t avoid the rumors that plagued her throughout high school or the barrage of well-intentioned questions about her college plans. How is she supposed to know what she wants to do for the next four years, let alone the rest of her life? And why does no one understand that it’s hard for her to think about the future—or feel as if she even deserves one—when her best friend is dead?

Spending the summer with her aunt on the Jersey shore may just be the fresh start Quinn so desperately needs. And when she meets Malcolm, a musician with his own haunted past, she starts to believe in second chances. Can Quinn find love while finding herself?

About the Author:

Jennifer Salvato Doktorski is the author of three YA novels and is a freelance nonfiction writer. Her first paid writing gig was at The North Jersey Herald & News, where she wrote obituaries and began her lifelong love of news and coffee. She lives in New Jersey with her family. Visit jendoktorski.com.

Website | Twitter | Instagram

Excerpt from August and Everything After:

ONE

I started wearing my grandmother’s old cat-­eye glasses in June, right after my latest crush nearly crushed me. The messy incident involved my band student teacher, a six-­pack of Blue Moon, and a freak thunderstorm. Connect the dots any way you want. I know it’s not pretty. Neither was I when I put on Grammy’s glasses. But that was kind of the point. When I fled my small town after graduation to spend the summer at my aunt’s beach house, I didn’t want to be the old Quinn Gallo anymore. Here at the Jersey shore, no one knows me as the half-­naked girl who had to be rescued from her band teacher’s Toyota Corolla by the Jaws of Life.

The glasses added a layer to my new anonymity. I found them tucked in the top drawer of the wicker dresser as I unpacked in the guest room, and something inside me shifted when I put on the black, bejeweled frames. Like the first time Bilbo slipped on the One Ring of Power.

I got the prescription adjusted to fit me and I’ve been wearing them ever since.

In fact, I’m wearing them tonight as I sit on a barstool at Keegan’s Cocktail Lounge, the old-­man bar turned indie rock club where I waitress on Friday nights. I’m readingThe Awakening while the opening act—­a singer/songwriter dude with a backstory more tragic than my own—­sets up. It’s his first performance since his guitarist and drummer were killed in a tour bus accident two years ago. My coworker, Liam, told me all about it.

“Malcolm was really messed up. He blamed himself.” I told Liam I couldn’t imagine, but unfortunately, I could. My best friend, Lynn, died when we were fifteen.

So I’ve been avoiding Malcolm since he got here, knowing that if I’m not careful, I’ll get pulled into his orbit. Fuckups attract fuckups, I’m sure of it.

Apparently I’m ignoring him better than I thought, because he manages to sneak up behind me, lean down so that we’re almost cheek to cheek, and peek through my glasses. I startle and face him.

“What the hell are you doing?” I ask, louder than I intended.

“Sorry,” he says. “I had to know if those glasses were real or some hipster gimmick.”

Before I can stop myself, I reach up and tug his beard. “I was thinking the same thing about this.”

“Ouch. I usually get a girl’s name before she grabs my facial hair. Or anything else.”

He wishes.

I put down my book and hold out my hand.

“Quinn Gallo.”

He holds my gaze and hand longer than he needs to, swinging my arm a little like we’re about to twirl a jump rope.

“Malcolm Trent.”

I pull away.

“I know.” I flick my thumb toward the flyer taped to the mirror behind the bar. “I can read.”

He nods toward my book.

“I see. Is that the feminist lit talking or are you always like this?”

I twist the leather cuff bracelet I never take off and think of something nice to say. It’s not his fault he’s immune to Grammy’s glasses. “I’m looking forward to your set.”

“Yeah? But you brought backup entertainment just in case?”

“Reading is work, not entertainment. My aunt’s letting me live with her this summer on the condition that I read one book a week. Her picks.”

“What else have you read?”

I tick off my reading list thus far.

“Jane Eyre, Beloved, The Bell Jar—­”

“It’s possible your aunt needs to lighten up.”

I shrug.

“Small price to pay for a summer away from home. I had to get away from my town.”

“Trouble with the law?”

“More like trouble with The Mom. I’m not her favorite daughter at the moment.”

My “poor judgment” regarding my unromantic evening with my band teacher coupled with my decision not to go to college this fall landed Mom and I on opposite sides of an enormous iceberg. We both needed time to thaw.

“Ha! I could write a book about being the prodigal son.”

“Can you make it a song instead? If you write a book, my aunt will make me read it.”

Malcolm’s reflexive laugh warms my body. He looks like he’s about to say something else, but before he has a chance, Caleb, the owner of Keegan’s, signals Malcolm that it’s time to take the stage.

“I gotta—­”

“Oh, yeah, of course. I’ve gotta get to work too.”

Neither of us moves.

I stare at him over the top of my glasses. He tilts his head like he’s deciding what to do next. Then, before I have time to register what’s happening, Malcolm reaches toward my face and gently pushes my glasses back up my nose.

“You have pretty eyes, Quinn. You shouldn’t hide them behind ugly glasses.”

For the first time in my life, someone looked me in the eyes and didn’t point out that they’re two different colors. The right one is brown, the left is blue. I want to say thank you, or have a good set, or something, but by the time I get my voice back, he’s gone.

I smooth my apron, pick up my book, and try to shake off the feeling that my defensive shield just failed me and allowed my next nobody to walk right through.

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Review: Famous Last Words by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

In Famous Last Words by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski, sixteen-year-old Samantha D’Angelo has death on the brain. Her summer internship at the local newspaper has her writing obituaries instead of soaking up the sun at the beach. Between Shelby, Sam’s boy-crazy best friend; her boss Harry, a true-blue newspaper man; and AJ, her fellow “intern scum” (aka the cute drummer for a band called Love Gas), Sam has her hands full. But once she figures out what—or who—is the best part of her summer, will she mess it all up?

As Sam learns her way around both the news room and the real world, she starts to make some momentous realizations about politics, ethics, her family, romance, and most important—herself.

Review:

After reading Jennifer's heartwarming and funny debut How My Summer Went Up in Flames, I was beyond happy that I had a copy of Famous Last Words, her second novel, on hand. Even though Jennifer's first book is still my favorite of the two, Famous Last Words is an enjoyable and fun read, perfect for fans of contemporary YA.

For most of her high school career, Sam has just floated by, never being incredibly popular or incredibly unpopular. However, everything changes the summer she interns for her town's local newspaper, one of the last with its very own printing press. Suddenly, she finds her niche in the newspaper community, even though she has the boss from hell and obit writing isn't the most exciting of tasks. What happens, though, when she teams up with AJ, her fellow intern, in a scheme to expose the town's lying mayor? Will she succeed, or will she loose everything she has worked so hard for this summer? Then there's the whole boy dilemma as well as her best friend's neediness....all Sam knows for sure is it's going to be one interesting summer.

Famous Last Words was a novel that focuses more on the characters than the plot; however, with characters like Sam and AJ, I wasn't complaining one bit. Determined, smart, and a wee bit reckless, Sam was a great main character. I loved seeing her come out of her shell, thanks to her summer gig as an intern. Plus, it was fun seeing her evolve her journalist skills in the process. I also enjoyed the addition of AJ, her obit writing partner. He was sweet and cute, and I enjoyed seeing his relationship with Sam evolve, even though Sam was a bit oblivious to the whole thing. The staff at the newspaper was also a ton of fun! I also enjoyed scenes that occurred in the newsroom. From Harry, the newspaper's leader, to Bernadette, Sam's archenemies and boss, to everyone else, they all kept the laughs and action flowing with some sweet, emotional scenes thrown in as well.

The plot in this wasn't terribly suspenseful nor unpredictable, but it still managed to keep me interested. It was always interesting to see Sam and AJ on their hunt to find out the mayor's lies. Plus, as mentioned before, I just loved the whole newsroom scene that came with the book. I wish there had been a bit more romance between Sam and AJ; however, in some ways, I was okay with it taking the back burner, as this book was more about Sam finding her voice than anything else.

Sweet as well as funny, Famous Last Words is a great lazy day read, and if you like this one I highly suggest you check out Jen's first book, and vice versa.

Grade: B+

Famous Last Words (Amazon, BN, Goodreads) is now out!

Source: ARC provided by publicist for review

Review: How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

First she lost her heart. Then she lost her mind. And now she’s on a road trip to win back her ex. This debut novel’s packed with drama and romance!

Rosie’s always been impulsive. She didn’t intend to set her cheating ex-boyfriend’s car on fire. And she never thought her attempts to make amends could be considered stalking. So when she’s served with a temporary restraining order on the first day of summer vacation, she’s heartbroken—and furious.

To put distance between Rosie and her ex, Rosie’s parents send her on a cross-country road trip with responsible, reliable neighbor Matty and his two friends. Forget freedom of the road, Rosie wants to hitchhike home and win back her ex. But her determination starts to dwindle with each passing mile. Because Rosie’s spark of anger? It may have just ignited a romance with someone new…

Review: 

Ever since I first read the summary for How My Summer Went Up in Flames, I've been dying to read it. For one, I simply can't resist a book that contains a road trip, because road trips also seem to be synonymous with adventure, fun, and romance in YA. Plus, I loved how it was about a girl who went through a bad break up and went a little crazy about it. Anyhow, How My Summer Went Up in Flames ended up being the perfect summer read in most ways possible.

One of my favorite parts about this book was the characters. Rosie was sassy, sarcastic, and a little too passionate about everything, which made me adore seeing things from her POV. She always had me laughing as well as shaking my head at the crazy things she did too her jerky ex-boyfriend to her road trip adventures to her awkward yet adorable run-ins with the rest of the male population. Sometimes, though, I wanted to just yell at her when she considered taking back her ex, but I think that made her more realistic, in the end. Plus what really managed for her to win me over was how I could see little parts of myself in her...especially when it came to the sass. However, I'm proud to say I never gotten close to burning down an ex's car. ;) I also loved the addition of her best friend Matty, who was dorky in the most adorable way possible, as well as Matty's two best friends. Together, the four of them had quite the road trip, which brings me to the plot.

As mentioned before, I adore road trip books, and this was no different. I loved seeing the path Jennifer lead them on from New Jersey to Arizona. It was fun to see their pit stops in different states (the one in Texas probably being my favorite) but I think when they were all stuck in the car together was were the real magic occurred, because not only did I love Rosie's takes on the boy's  convos, but I also loved seeing Rosie start to become friends with Matty's two friends. In addition, the romance in this book was not what I was expecting at all, and at times, I was really torn on who I thought Rosie should end up with. However, I got to say, I was pretty happy with the end result, and I'll be curious to see what everyone else has to say about it.

Filled with swoon worthy boys, hilarious moments, and lots of sass, How My Summer Went Up in Flames has officially landed Jennifer Salvato Doktorski on my must read authors list.

Grade: B+

How My Summer Went Up in Flames (Amazon, BN, Goodreads) is now out!

Source: Library 

Waiting on Wednesday (137)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

My picks for this week are...

How My Summer Went Up in Flames 

by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

Rosie’s always been impulsive. She didn’t intend to set her cheating ex-boyfriend’s car on fire. And she never thought her attempts to make amends could be considered stalking. So when she’s served with a temporary restraining order on the first day of summer vacation, she’s heartbroken—and furious.

To put distance between Rosie and her ex, Rosie’s parents send her on a cross-country road trip with responsible, reliable neighbor Matty and his two friends. Forget freedom of the road, Rosie just wants to hitchhike home and win back her ex. But with every mile marker that passes, Rosie discovers a new sense of self…and that sometimes the best revenge is moving on.

Why do I want to read this book? Let me list the reasons...

1) I love road trip books so HMSWUIF is already winning with that aspect.
2) I love the cover...the outfit is adorable, the title font fits in perfectly, and I love that she's holding a gas container.
3) LOVE the title!
4) The MC sounds great! Love impulsiveness, especially in books!
5) It's a paperback release :)

So basically I NEED this one NOW. Why must May 2013 be so far away?

Side note: When this book will be released (May 7, 2013) it will be only a little more than a month until my high school graduation...how crazy is that?!

Me, Him, Them and It by Caela Carter

When Evelyn decided to piss off her parents with a bad reputation, she wasn't planning to ruin her valedictorian status. She also wasn't planning to fall for Todd-the guy she was just using for sex. And she definitely wasn't planning on getting pregnant. When Todd turns his back on her, Evelyn's not sure where to go. Can a distant mother, a cheating father, an angry best friend, and a (thankfully) loving aunt with adopted daughters of her own help Evelyn make the heart-wrenching decisions that follow?With the popularity of Juno, Teen Mom, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager, this novel has a built-in audience. Gripping, heartfelt, and responsible, Me, Him, Them, and It is not to be missed!

And why I want to read this one...

1) It's a contemporary!
2) Evelyn sounds like an interesting MC.
3) It's been gathering some pretty great buzz!
4) It sounds dramatic.

Me, Him, Them and It will be released February 5, 2013!