Book Review: Now and Forever by Susane Colasanti

Goodreads Summary:

What if your boyfriend was the world's biggest rockstar?

Sterling is crazy in love with Ethan. Not only is he the sweetest boy she's ever met, but he's an incredibly talented guitarist, singer, and songwriter. And since forever, he's believed he has what it takes to be a star.

When Ethan becomes an overnight sensation, he's thrown head-first into the glam world of celebrity-and so is Sterling. Before she knows it, she's attending red-carpet premieres, getting free designer clothes, and flying around the country to attend Ethan's monumental sold-out concerts.

It's a dream come true...but whose dream is Sterling living? And what do you do when "forever" comes to an end?

Now and Forever is the story of Ethan and Sterling.  If the name Sterling sounds familiar to you, well it is especially if you are a Susane Colasanti fan. Sterling appeared in the novel, Waiting for You.

In the novel Waiting for You, Sterling was best friends with Marisa.  However, they are not as close as they use to be.

Sterling use to date guys online, until she received a wake up call.  Now she has a real life boyfriend-Ethan, rising rock star.  As Ethan's popularity increases, things began to change for the couple.  Ethan no longer has time to go to school especially with all the appearances, interviews, and his upcoming tour. He has to get a tutor in order to keep up with school.  As time goes by, people are talking to her more and asking for autographs.

Sterling becomes insecure about her looks after comparing herself to other celebrities.  Problems arise when Sterling reads negative comments about herself on Ethan's fan page.  Ethan and Sterling grow distant, and when Sterling needs support and someone to talk to, she turns to Damien when Ethan is unavailable.  

Here's a major spoiler alert, Ethan cheats on Sterling.  The thing that shocked me is the fact that Ethan would cheat on Sterling- with a fan.  I was expecting the girl to be a celebrity.  Now and Forever is different from Susane Colasanti's other books in the sense that it is not about finding your soul mate in high school or love at first sight.  For instance, I get the feeling that Marisa and Nash aren't together anymore.  I'm not very clear on their relationship status.  You will just have to read between the lines to figure it out.

For many, this novel may seem far fetched-the idea of your boyfriend being a rising star.  How often does that happen?

I wish that there was a happier ending for Ethan and Sterling.  However, in reality their lives were moving in different directions. Maybe they will be friends, who knows.  I found Now and Forever to be a quick read. I read it within two weeks.  (Note: it took me forever just to write and post this review).  I read it on my lunch breaks and during my commute to and from work.

Book Review: Take Me There by Susane Colasanti

I read Take Me There By Susane Colasanti and decided to read it again.  I finished the book over a month ago and it took me a while to read it because life was going on.  Therefore, there were times when I couldn't get lost in a book.

I remember picking up Take Me There and When it Happens (by the same author) on a whim at my local  Books A Million without reading reviews online.  I typically don't read reviews before buying a book or checking a book out from the library because I like to be able to read it for myself, and form my own opinion when it is done.  I also think that reading reviews before hand can discourage a reader from taking a chance and reading a book.

The story is told in alternating points of view of Rhiannon, James, and Nicole.  Susane Colasanti takes readers back to the same scene.  The alternating points of views allow the characters to tell their sideof the story.

When the story opens, Rhiannon is miserable because Steve broke up with her.  She doesn't understand why because he gives her a very lame excuse. Rhiannon is still in love with Steve and is determined to win him back.

Meanwhile, James really likes Rhiannon, but he has a girlfriend. His girlfriend gets jealous and they end up breaking up.  James is a free man now and wants to take things to the next level with Rhiannon. However, he is sick and tired of her pining and moping over Steve.  James tries to reach out to Rhiannon by doing special things for her like bringing her sweets and flowers.  However, Rhiannon thinks that the flowers are from Steve and this fact alone makes James frustrated.

Nicole is Rhiannon's best friend, and use to date Danny.  But now, Steve and Nicole are broken up. Now Nicole has a crush on her math teacher.  Also, Nicole has a secret that might explain her actions.

Rhiannon comes up with a plan to get Steve back.  Meanwhile, Steve's new girlfriend, the resident mean girl better known as Gloria humiliates Rhiannon in front of the entire school.  The friends team up to take her down.

Thoughts

Since it has been two years since I have read this novel, I had forgotten a lot of details.  As a spectator, I can understand James' frustration.  I just wanted to knock some sense into her.  Why would you want to be with somebody who doesn't care about you?  Steve is not worth it, there are better guys out there, Rhiannon.

The sidewalk chalk message seemed brilliant but clearly a waste of time.  Another situation that caught my attention was Nicole's crush on her math teacher.  If this relationship would have developed, what would have happened if Nicole would have confessed her feelings? Nicole decides to go to his apartment, but couldn't bring herself to do it.  My question is, what was Nicole really expecting?  Did she seriously believe that her teacher would put everything at risk for an inappropriate unrealistic destined for doom relationship?

My favorite moment of the novel when James and Rhiannon have their iPod dance.  I thought that this gesture was very sweet and original.  Take Me There is one of those novels that I don't mind reading again and will keep a copy of.  Like Susane Colasanti's other novels, Take Me There feels like a romance comedy.

Book Review: All I Need by Susane Colasanti

I am finally back with a new book review of All I Need by Susane Colasanti. Hopefully, I will be able to post reviews more often.

I have been eager to read All I Need by Susane Colasanti since its publication in May.  I finally was able to purchase a copy from Barnes N Noble.  I even paid extra for faster delivery.

I finished the novel within a week, reading roughly 50 pages per night.  Overall, I think that All I Need is a good book and a sweet love story.  I have read several reviews online including mixed reviews from readers on Goodreads.

First, I must say that I love the 80's nostalgia.  All I Need is a contemporary story set in the 21st century.  Seth prefers to listen to music from the late 70's and 80's than the overplayed popular music of today.

Another cool thing about the story is the skating rink in Sea Bright is 80's themed.  The place plays nothing but 80's music, and they even have posters from popular 80's sitcoms such as The Cosby Show and Growing Pains.  There was even a mention of a rubix cube.

Alot of young adult novels take place in high school or during the summer. I have always wanted to read a book about the college experience.  The only books I've read that give readers a glimpse or reference to the college life were The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants series, LA Candy series, and some other book I read in high school in which I can't recall its title.

The chapter titles were inspired by 80's songs.  I am a fan of the 80's, so I can totally appreciate the nostalgia.  The chapter titles remind me of when I use to watch Degrassi: The Next Generation. All of their episode titles were named after songs from the 80's.

Sometimes when reading a book, I have gripes about the characters or the plot of the novel.  It is clear that Seth and Skye are meant to be together.  I found it interesting how they moped around thinking about each other for an entire year before reuniting at Sea Bright.

Once they are together again, they are constant contact.  They even visit each other. Skye is the one who mostly travels to Philly to see Seth.

One of the things that bothered me about this storyline is that Skye lies to her parents about her sleeping arrangements when she visit Seth at Penn.  They believe that she is sharing a room with one of Seth's female friends.  However, in reality she is sleeping with Seth in his dorm room.  Also, Skye's parents allow her to go on a road trip with Seth alone.  There is no way my parents would have allowed me to do these things when I was her age.  Different households, different rules.

There was one particular scene where Skye's parents express their concerns; however, they allow her to carry on the relationship anyway. They remained mostly in the background.  My guess is that they trust Skye and believe that she is a responsible young woman, and will make wise decisions.  I guess that this aspect is what a reviewer meant when she called Seth and Skye bad role models.

Throughout most of the book, the storyline seemed to be going too well.  However, like real life relationships, Seth and Skye ran into problems. The honeymoon phase was over.

Things change when Seth tells Skye that he applied for an internship in Chicago.  Also, Seth and Skye don't get to see each on a regular basis because Seth has to study and work extra shifts in order to pay for his education.

It's obvious that Seth and Skye come from different family backgrounds in an economic sense.  Seth has to work in order to pay for his college education.  Seth sometimes has to make sacrifices and wishes that he could take Skye to nice restaurants and other places when they go out on dates.

On the other hand, Skye doesn't have to worry about getting an after school job, or worry about how to pay for her college education.  Skye is stressed out about getting into college and the constant fighting between Kara and Jocelyn.

Seth and Skye make valid points during their argument, but they could have communicated their feelings and frustrations in a more effective way.  Skye got the idea that Seth saw her as a spoiled conceited princess.

Another problem arises when Skye drives to Philly to surprise Seth with a care package.  When she arrives, she discovers Seth kissing his ex-girlfriend. You would think that they would break up and move on, but they don't. Seth and Skye overcome their obstacles and everything seemingly works out.

Skye gets accepted to Temple University in Philadelphia, so she will get to spend more time with Seth in the fall.  As they hoped, they get to spend time together during the summer in Sea Bright.

Seth and Skye had to overcome a few obstacles to make their relationship work.  The biggest challenges included socioeconomic differences, their long distance relationship, and ex drama.  There are many people who do believe in soul mates and others do not. Some would call Seth and Skye's relationship or the plot of All I Need unrealistic.  Here is what I believe in: a strong relationship can survive any obstacle.

Again, All I Need is a sweet romantic novel I wouldn't mind reading again.