My Take On Snap by Carol Snow (ARC)

Madison Sabatini thought she knew who she was: an almost-sophomore with a bright future. The newest photographer on her school paper. A shopaholic with great hair and a fabulous wardrobe. Then, in a flash, everything changed.

Now she's stuck in Sandyland, a gloomy beach town in the middle of nowhere, living with her parents in a crappy hotel "suite." Instead of spending the summer with her friends at home, she's hanging out with pink-haired Delilah, an artist who works in a shop called Psychic Photo, and a skater boy named Duncan who's totally not her type. Except, maybe he is . . .

Determined to make the best of things, Madison throws herself into her one passion: photography. But when strange figures start appearing in her pictures—people who weren't there when she snapped the shots, people who are later reported dead—she begins to question everything about who she is . . . and who she wishes she could be.

  Madison and her family were supposed to be in Hawaii for the summer, sipping fruity beverages and snapping pics of warm, clear water, but instead she's been dragged to the "charming" beach community of Sandyland. Her father (a construction worker who's fallen on hard times) has found a job there and has pitched the trip as a "working vacation". But it doesn't take long to figure out that something bigger is going on here, especially once Madison sees the rumors that are flying around on her MySpace page. Is there something that her parents aren't telling her?

  This was a very quick read (it only took me one afternoon). The story wasn't as ghosty as the synopsis led me to believe, it was primarily about Madison learning to deal (and, boy, did she have a lot to learn!). She was a very image obsessed character and I often had the urge to slap her. She was so hung up on her "real friends" and her status symbols (nice jeans, in-ground pool, great hair, and primo neighborhood and school) that she caused herself a lot of grief and nearly missed out on real friendships.

  The photography bit felt forced to me, especially in the first half of the book. The descriptions improved in the second half, but I think that the title was more about Madison's snap judgements than her snap shots.

  The characters were good. They were colorful and easily relatable. Despite the fact that I wanted to knock some sense into the girl, it was easy to put yourself in Madison's shoes. The writing style was very fast paced and simple so that it really felt like Madison was telling it.

  The ending was in the style of an afterword. I don't really like this style because it feels to me too much like a rap-up. They read like a laundry list of things that happened after; like the author ran out of juice and is just trying to finish the thing. I wasn't thrilled with how it ended in the story department either; it just sorta went !!!... -_- Zzzz. You know?
Ratings: The suggested age range was young adult (12 and up), but the content was really more in line with a mid-grade book. There was no smut (small victory), and the relationships were very immature. I give this a PG rating with a warning that there is some use of the occult (some people are really bothered by that, so it must be said).
I give Snap...

...Two zombies.

It might improve from the uncorrectd version, who knows (not me), but it just fell flat. If you like chick-lit and coming of age stories with a little touch of darkness, than this is for you. It just wasn't for me.

Happy reading,
Zombie Girrrl

***I won this ARC from a fellow blogger. See disclaimer at end of page.***

In My Mailbox/ My Take on Hush, Hush

 It's not exactly been a week of plenty, but it has been a great week nonetheless! Earlier this week I received an ARC of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, and it was awesome! No other books acquisitions to report, I still have a big stack from last weeks excursion to the library, and those should keep me occupied for the upcoming week.

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 (From the back flap) Nora Grey is responsible and smart and not inclined to be reckless. Her first mistake was falling for Patch. Patch has a past that could be called anything but harmless. The best thing he ever did was fall for Nora.

 After getting paired with Patch in biology, all Nora wants to do is stay away from him, but he always seems to be two steps ahead of her. She can feel his eyes on her even when he is nowhere around. She feels him nearby even when she is alone in her bedroom. And when her attraction can be denied no longer, she learns the secret about who Patch is and what led him to her. Despite all the questions she has about his past, in the end, there may be only one question they can ask each other: How far are you willing to fall?

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 Hush, Hush surpassed my1 expectations because it was so much more than just another teenage, supernatural romance. Hiding within the main plot of a dark love story was a mystery that kept me guessing and turning pages well into the wee hours. I had to see how it ended! The climax was unexpected, fully satisfying, and left me hungry for more2.

 I loved the characters; they ran the gamut from blatantly pernicious to deceptively benign. Dark and dangerous Patch with his closet full of skeletons3 and his rogue’s smile was by far my favorite, I felt like he was pulled straight out of my daydreams4. Cautious and reliable Nora with her own shadows lurking in her past rang true as a wonderfully relatable protagonist, and her BFF and soul sister Vee had more than a flare for the dramatic. She livened up the dialogue with flashes of humor that had me laughing out loud or shaking my head along with Nora.

 The relationship between Patch and Nora was gripping to read; I was glued to the page to see what would happen next and was very pleased with the realistic pace it took to develop. While I was a little thrown by the awkward timing that their relationship coalesced into something tangible, I was more than happy to reach that point. Possibly against my better judgment, I was rooting for Patch and Nora.

 Overall this is a book worth reading twice, once at top speed to see what will happen next, and once at a more leisurely pace to enjoy the flow and style with the benefit of seeing how all the subtle hints fit into the big picture. This means that Hush, Hush receives…

…Five Zombies!

This is a book well worth the wait5!

Happy reading,

 Z.G.

footnotes___________________________________________________
1  ...admittedly high...
2  I can't believe I have to wait another year for Crescendo, I don't know if I can make it!
3  Possibly real.
4  A realization that leaves me pondering my ratiocination in respect to fantasy me.
5  You can tell how much I liked this book by how many big words I used!

My First ARC!

 I squealed. A lot. It would have been embarrassing were it for any other reason, but this is an ARC, people! An Arc of a book I've been dying to read! "Hurray" doesn't begin to cover it. Not even close. Kudos to Simon and Shuster for holding a sweepstakes!

 As of this afternoon all other books are on hold, back burner, second fiddle until I finish Hush, Hush and let y'all know what I think.

I got me some readin' to do!

Tootles,

Z. G.