School, Loss, and Other Things That Get You Down

Hello, you awesome people!

I haven't done a blog update in awhile, and after realizing I haven't posted a review since August 27th (!!!) I figured I should probably give a heads up about why.

It started with a writing slump. I was having trouble writing reviews over the summer, for a multitude of reasons. The main thing though was that I just couldn't seem to get the words down on the page. It was (and still is!) driving me absolutely crazy. I'm one of those people that will agonize over reviews, wanting to make them as best as they can be. And recently, writing reviews is like pulling teeth for me. Which, frankly, sucks.

Then this thing called anxiety happened. Actually, I should say, this thing called school happened. Which caused my anxiety to spike. You see, dear readers, I have severe anxiety. It gets to the point where I can barely do anything but crawl in my bed and cry. And, sadly, it gets to that point more often than not recently. School is a lot of pressure, and it kind of brings out the worst in me. I worry about every little aspect of it. The social, the educational, the whole-this-could-dictate-my-future-thing, all of it creates this black whole vortex that I get swept away in. Essentially, it's not awesome. And has been really wrecking me for blogging.   

Then, at the end of the month, the worst thing so far happened. My grandfather passed away suddenly on September 21st. We didn't know how sick he was. We all thought he was going to make it through. It was really, really hard. That Tuesday, my family flew in from Ireland to be together. It was great to see them, and I think it really helped all of us get through it. We didn't expect it, but they all ended up staying at my house. Which barely fits three. And had to house nine. Although it was squishy for awhile, it was so nice to be together. There were lots of ups and many many downs this last week and no time for anything but my family. The last of them flew out Monday night so I'm just getting back into the swing of things. 

Just in time for my two midterms, one midterm debate, and a midterm essay. All within the week. Joy. 

So, I guess I'm going on a bit of a reviewing hiatus. I hate that I have to do this. I really don't want to. I hope it won't be long. I hope I'll be back reviewing by the end of the month. But, really, I can't know for sure. Reading and blogging are two of my favorite things and to have to push those both to the side is really breaking my heart. I'll still have some posts going up (blog tours and such) but as for straight up reviews, those will be few and far between if any go up at all. Sorry to the publishers who sent me ARCs that I haven't reviewed yet. I'll get there, just not right away. And sorry, readers, that I'm failing at this whole blogging thing. I hope to be back and better than ever in due time.

**This will NOT affect the Courtney Summers Read-Along. That event will still go on as scheduled. This event is something I really have been looking forward to and, dammit, I'm going to keep it going**

So, that's it for me. I'll still be on Twitter, and feel free to email me. I'll be back soon (hopefully very soon) and can't wait to see you guys then. 

- Ciara (Lost at Midnight)

Waiting On Wednesday (57): This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, in which bloggers talk about the books they are most eager for!

This Week's Pick: This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Release Date: September 17th, 2013

Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.

Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together. (Summary from Goodreads)

 
As someone who has had music change their life, this book is going to hit pretty close to home for me. I love reading about the power of music, and I'm a sucker for a coming-of-age story. From what I've been hearing about This Song Will Save Your Life, this book is fantastic. Stunning, and beautiful. I cannot wait to see for myself.

- Ciara (Lost at Midnight) 

Review: 17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma

Title: 17 & Gone

Author: Nova Ren Suma

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Release Date: March 21st 2013

Source: Borrowed ARC (Thank you, Kathy!)

My Rating: 5/5

Seventeen-year-old Lauren is having visions of girls who have gone missing. And all these girls have just one thing in common—they are 17 and gone without a trace. As Lauren struggles to shake these waking nightmares, impossible questions demand urgent answers: Why are the girls speaking to Lauren? How can she help them? And… is she next? As Lauren searches for clues, everything begins to unravel, and when a brush with death lands her in the hospital, a shocking truth emerges, changing everything.

With complexity and richness, Nova Ren Suma serves up a beautiful, visual, fresh interpretation of what it means to be lost.

Okay, let's just start with the obvious. Look at this cover. I mean, um, how many shades of awesome is it? It absolutely fits the book perfectly. I love that they incorporated the missing posters used in the book, as well as the shadowy girl and the decrepit house. It's the perfect cover to clutch the pages of this dark tale.

I was grabbed from the get-go with that absolutely gorgeous prologue. It was so well done, so captivating and such a perfect opening to this novel. Nova Ren Suma has a serious talent for writing and I couldn't help but be awed by it throughout the novel. The detailed description, the foreboding atmosphere, and the powerful characters had me amazed. The writing was just insanely gorgeous and brilliantly excecuted. It made the novel that much more impacting.

I could feel this slow tug pulling me through the story, almost like the girls were urging me to stick with it, that I would find out soon enough. Because that was the only thing that bugged me about this book: I didn't know what was going on. And that's exactly the point. Lauren isn't sure what's happening either. All she knows is that these girls are 17, they're gone, they need her help, and that it's very possible she could be next. I was driving myself bonkers trying to figure out what was happening. I just had to know and know as soon as humanly possible. I also kept having this little squeeze in my chest while reading. I knew this book could be fantastic, and I really truly wanted it to be. I had been looking forward to reading it for a long time and I was hoping I didn't hype it up too much in my head. And once everything came to light I knew this book had solidified a place on my "awesome sauce reads" list. And okay, I had an inkling to where this book was going. I really hoped I was right because I thought it would just be such a fantastic idea. And although I guessed it right, it was executed more beautifully than I could have imagined. More stunning, more gut-wrenching, and more gorgeous then I could have imagined. Nova Ren Suma hit it out of the park.

One of the most brilliant and powerful components of this book is one I'm going to have to dance around. Why? Well, it would be a spoiler and we all know I hate those! I will say though that Nova Ren Suma effortlessly weaves a stunning story and explores how young girls become lost in every way possible. We slowly watch her main character Lauren descend a dangerous and broken path walked by countless girls before her. And it's honestly moving. I could see the cracks in Lauren from the start, and it was heart-wrenching seeing them spread. I felt completely connected to the story but also like I was looking through a window. I could see what was happening, but all I could do was bang on the window, shout, and never be heard. It was hard to watch Lauren walk down the path she was on. It was an absolutely stunning story though, and Lauren, quiet, docile Lauren was such an impacting narrator.

On another note: this book utterly terrified me. I mean seriously, Lauren is followed around by ghosts! And not always happy ghosts but disturbed, angry, and forceful ghosts. It haunted me long after I'd turned the last page. I found myself staying up late, looking over my shoulder, fearing I would find one of these ghostly girls waiting for me in the shadows. Nova Ren Suma created such a spooky atmosphere that seemed to transcend the page. Besides being scared, I also felt myself overwhelmed at points. There was so much reality in this book, so much terrible truth it was hard to handle. The sheer amount of young girls that go missing, that are never found is staggering. I'm one of those people who constantly strives for reason, for logic, and to know that there's a why out there that will never be found is hard to deal with.

With all I've said though, it boils down to the simple truth that this is a fantastic book. I know it's not going to be a book everyone loves, but if you let it, 17 & Gone will affect you. It will be a story you won't forget. And Nova Ren Suma will be an author you constantly watch out for. 

- Ciara (Lost at Midnight)

Find This Book: Amazon | Chapters/Indigo | Goodreads | Nova Ren Suma's Website