Review: Hold Me Like a Breath

Hold Me Like a Breath
Author: Tiffany Schmidt
Published: May 19th, 2015
Hardcover, 400 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodread)

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.

Tiffany Schmidt has blown me away with each of her books before this one. The plot for this one is so different from her other books that I was a bit nervous going in and not sure what to expect, but I enjoyed every minute of this. Penelope Landlow is the daughter of one of the three crime families that buys and sells human organs. She has always been the weak one, born with a severe autoimmune disorder that causes her to bruise easily. They treat her like she will break and she wants so badly to be a part of the family in a real way. But when everything suddenly changes and her family is no longer there to support her, she is thrust into a world she knows nothing about and is running from those who harmed her family. 

I didn't know going into this that it was a retelling of The Princess and the Pea, the princess being the one who bruises because of the pea hidden beneath a ton of mattresses. This gave me a whole other thing to enjoy about this book. Penelope's disease is unique to YA and it was very interesting to see how her family treated her differently because of her bruises. They thought her fragile, which perhaps she is physically, but I knew she would do great things even if her body would fail her. Once she had to start living on her own, she had no one to take care of her and I was hoping she would have taken better care of herself, especially because of her condition and it surprised me that nothing bad happened to her whilst out there.

There is some crazy intsa-love happening for anyone who isn't into that sort of thing. Penelope has loved her brother's friend, Garrett, for a very long time and they've finally begun to do something about it. The moments they share are sweet, he's careful with her but she eagerly just wants him to touch her. They have decided to run off together when suddenly everything changes and as she waits for him to come find her in the city, she ends up meeting someone else, Char, and quickly becomes infatuated with him. Before long the two of them have a relationship she's been dreaming of, one where she can be with a guy who doesn't treat her like a fragile butterfly. Once she meets Char, he becomes the most important thing in her life, which I don't really mind in a book but I know a lot of people want more than that. The two of them together was a sweet story and the twists and turns that came with it were well done and made for some good drama.

Even though this was unlike any of her other books, I still loved it. The concept was great and unique and the retelling stood on its own without needing to be The Princess and the Pea, but knowing it was made it that much better. I'm excited to see where Tiffany will take this story and what other twists she has up her sleeves. Definitely recommend for anyone looking for something different with a bit macabre, drama and some great romance.

“I know I’m going to fall in love a million times in my life. Maybe more than a million . . . but it will always be with you.”

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Authors of All Time

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where we make lists of wonderful and bookish things.

This week's topic is: Top Ten Authors of All Time

I love authors as much as I love their books. They are all so sweet on social media and meeting them at events is always exciting for me. Here's hoping I get to be one of those one day!

1. Rachel Vincent: The day I meet her (if it ever happens) will be incredible. She's great with her readers and I've been lucky to win some signed books by her. Can't wait for her new ones to come out soon!

2. Rainbow Rowell: She is literally the sweetest thing in the world. Meeting her was awesome and we even owned the same dress! We had a moment about it, okay?

3. Marissa Meyer: I showed up in a Scarlet cosplay when I got to meet her and she loved it! She was really sweet and her love of Sailor Moon just makes me really happy.

4. Stephanie Perkins: Her books are swoon-worthy and she's really great with her fans. Hopefully I'll get to meet her one day too!

5. Kasie West: My favourite contemporary author. Her books are great, fast reads and I seriously cannot wait for The Fill-In Boyfriend to be out!

6. Courtney Summers: A fellow Torontonian, Courtney's books are so different from what's out there right now and they are so important. If you haven't read All the Rage yet, what the hell are you waiting for?

7. Tiffany Schmidt: I've had some great Twitter moments with Tiffany and she has been fantastic. We pulled an all-nighter together for her book Before the Sunrise (go read it now!) and I kind of decided we needed to be best friends after that. She's also great friends with Courtney Summers and how cool is that?

8. Lauren Oliver: She was a joy to meet! Her books are incredible and they just keep getting better. Her writing is something I strive to even remotely resemble and I love that she was so down to earth in person.

9. Cora Carmack: New Adult at its best here people. Cora is so adorable and awkward and she always sets up book release parties on Facebook with tons of giveaways and lots of interactions. That makes her perfect in my eyes.

10. Miranda Kenneally: Her books are so great and they quickly became my favourites. I can't for more from her and I'd love to have the chance to meet her one day!

Having the opportunity to meet my favourite authors has been fantastic. I've met some great people, had some great interactions and it made me feel closer to them. Even just having them reply to me on Twitter or Facebook is a great experience. Their books are important too, but how they treat their readers is more important to me.

Waiting on Wednesday: Hold Me Like a Breath

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Breaking the Spine, where we spotlight an upcoming release we're eagerly anticipating.

My WoW this week is:

Hold Me Like a Breath
By Tiffany Schmidt
Hardcover, 400 pages
Expected Publication: May 19th, 2015

From 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. 

Tiffany is one of my favourite authors and this book sounds so completely different than what she's written that I can't wait to see what's in store for me! Sounds mysterious and dangerous and the cover is beautiful!

Oh and it's totally Tiffany's birthday today, so everyone should go say Happy Birthday to her!!

Review: Bright Before Sunrise

Bright Before Sunrise
Author: Tiffany Schmidt
Published: February 11, 2014
Hardcover, 288 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

When Jonah is forced to move from Hamilton to Cross Pointe for the second half of his senior year, "miserable" doesn't even begin to cover it. He feels like the doggy-bag from his mother's first marriage and everything else about her new life—with a new husband, new home and a new baby—is an upgrade. The people at Cross Pointe High School are pretentious and privileged—and worst of all is Brighton Waterford, the embodiment of all things superficial and popular. Jonah’s girlfriend, Carly, is his last tie to what feels real... until she breaks up with him. 

For Brighton, every day is a gauntlet of demands and expectations. Since her father died, she’s relied on one coping method: smile big and pretend to be fine. It may have kept her family together, but she has no clue how to handle how she's really feeling. Today is the anniversary of his death and cracks are beginning to show. The last thing she needs is the new kid telling her how much he dislikes her for no reason she can understand. She's determined to change his mind, and when they're stuck together for the night, she finally gets her chance. 

Jonah hates her at 3p.m., but how will he feel at 3 a.m.? 

One night can change how you see the world. One night can change how you see yourself.

Jonah and Brighton couldn't be any different from each other, yet in one night they will learn about the other, protect the other, and the end the night with very different opinions of the other. One night is all it takes to show who you really are to someone, to show that you aren't the person they thought you were. In one night, I fell in love with this book, and it's lingering with me still.

Jonah had to move to Cross Pointe, resident Stepford neighbourhood with perfect boxes for houses. He doesn't belong here. He belongs in Hamilton, where he grew up, with his girlfriend and friends. And he really doesn't want to be anywhere near Brighton, resident goody girl who keeps plaguing him to volunteer at school. So when he finds her in his house one Friday night, he freaks out, thinking she's following him, and this night, this moment, sends everything into motion. Because Jonah's girlfriend thinks he's cheating on her, thinks Brighton is the reason, so he's bringing her to Hamilton to show her off, just because he can, or because he likes her? Between the moments at his house and the party in Hamilton, these two lost teenagers will find each other in a way they never thought possible. In a night that changes everything, these two learn that first appearances aren't always right.

I love both of these characters. Told from both point of views (with clever chapter title from Jonah) we get to see into each of their minds as their lives collide. Jonah used to have everything going for him, he was a big baseball star and very popular. But when he moved, he lost his motivation to do any of the things he used to love. Stuck with a new family and desperately wanting his old life back, he vows never to get involved at his new school. But Brighton, who's on the verge of the fifth anniversary of her father's death, is broken into shards. So when Jonah offers to take her out, she jumps at the opportunity to get away from her grieving family for the night. The more they talk, the more the find in the other. So much happens over the course of the night, yet the find a way back to each other and realize there's no way they want the night to end.

This book is so romantic. It's the kind of romance I crave in YA. Two people who barely know each other are quickly brought together and forced to play nice and in turn finding something in the other they can't be without. Jonah and Brighton are broken, but together they just might be able to stitch up their wounds. This book is brilliant, beautiful and swoon-worthy. It touched me so much that I immediately wanted to open it up and start it all over again. Schmidt is a wonderful author and she has the talent to make me love every character in a book (even the ones I hate) Read it, fall in love, let their night change something in yourself. Let it remind you of your own night that changed everything. And if you haven't had one, let it promise you the possibility of everything. 

“He's wrong--high school isn't a pyramid with all the power clustered in a chosen few at the top--it's more of a movie theater with twenty-two screens showing simultaneously. The love story in theater three doesn't care what happens on the football field in theater twelve. Actors and audiences overlap on the screen in the hallways, but there's a place for everyone.”

Top Ten Tuesday: New to Me Authors

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where we talk about a bookish topic in the form of lists!

This week's topic is: Top Ten new authors to us of 2013

I love discovering new authors, and this year was full of them!

1. Rainbow Rowell: Fangirl, Eleanor & Park
2. Richelle Mead: Vampire Academy
3. Chelsea Pitcher: The S Word

4. Stephanie Perkins: Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door
5. Daisy Whitney: The Mockingbirds
6. Rachel Alpine: Canary

7. Jenny Han: The Summer I Turned Pretty, It's Not Summer Without You, We'll Always Have Summer
8. Tiffany Schmidt: Send Me A Sign
9. Kasie West: Pivot Point
10. Holly Black: White Cat, Red Glove, Black Heart

I hope to discover more amazing authors in the new year (though I have no doubt I will!) Who have been some of your faves this year?

Waiting on Wednesday: Bright Before Sunrise

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted here, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Bright Before Sunrise

by Tiffany Schmidt

When Jonah is forced to move from Hamilton to Cross Pointe for the second half of his senior year, "miserable" doesn't even begin to cover it. He feels like the doggy-bag from his mother's first marriage and everything else about her new life—with a new husband, new home and a new baby—is an upgrade. The people at Cross Pointe High School are pretentious and privileged—and worst of all is Brighton Waterford, the embodiment of all things superficial and popular. Jonah’s girlfriend, Carly, is his last tie to what feels real... until she breaks up with him. 

For Brighton, every day is a gauntlet of demands and expectations. Since her father died, she’s relied on one coping method: smile big and pretend to be fine. It may have kept her family together, but she has no clue how to handle how she's really feeling. Today is the anniversary of his death and cracks are beginning to show. The last thing she needs is the new kid telling her how much he dislikes her for no reason she can understand. She's determined to change his mind, and when they're stuck together for the night, she finally gets her chance. 

Jonah hates her at 3p.m., but how will he feel at 3 a.m.? 

One night can change how you see the world. One night can change how you see yourself.


A: I'm excited for this because of Tiffany Schmidt. Her first novel, Send Me a Sign, blew me away so I can't wait to read everything else she writes.

And

B: YAs written in a guy's point of view always intrigue me. I haven't read many of them because I'm always afraid I won't relate, but everything by John Green is amazing and I learn a lot when looking at the world through a guy's eyes. This book looks like it will be from both perspectives, which is another thing I love.

Expected publication: February 18, 2014

Review: Send Me a Sign

Send Me a Sign
Author: Tiffany Schmidt
Published: October 2, 2012
384 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Mia is always looking for signs. A sign that she should get serious with her soccer-captain boyfriend. A sign that she’ll get the grades to make it into an Ivy-league school. One sign she didn’t expect to look for was: “Will I survive cancer?” It’s a question her friends would never understand, prompting Mia to keep her illness a secret. The only one who knows is her lifelong best friend, Gyver, who is poised to be so much more. Mia is determined to survive, but when you have so much going your way, there is so much more to lose. From debut author Tiffany Schmidt comes a heart-wrenching and ultimately uplifting story of one girl’s search for signs of life in the face of death.

I like to play a game with books that are hard to find. For some reason, my two bookstores up here in Timmins did not want to carry this perfect book, so I started my mission: whenever I went home to Toronto, I would search the bookstores for this book, knowing that when I find it, it would be a sign to read it. Now, I searched far and wide, but I wasn't having any luck. It slipped my mind for about a month, until I decided I was going to buy a novel writing book online. Now, non fiction has never been a game for me, so I was going to buy this book either way. Than I saw Send Me a Sign sitting in my online shopping cart and I knew that was my sign to finally buy it. The minute it arrived in the mail, I had an itch to read it, but I had to finish the book I was already reading. When the day came that I could finally dive into it, I didn't want to come up for air. If I didn't have to work, this book would have been done in one sitting. Ya, it's that good.

Mia captured me from the first page. A popular girl with everything she could dream of: good friends, a would be boyfriend, and a supportive family. High school parties fill her weekends and now that it's summer, she's ready to spend her days by the pool with her girls. This all changes the minute she finds out she has leukaemia and the second she decides to keep it a secret from her friends. The only person she lets in is her friend Gyver, after hearing a song on his iPod that she takes as a sign to tell him. As she lies to her friends all summer while getting chemo, she gets closer to Gyver as he helps her through this hard time. But when September comes and she's about to go back to school, knowing it will be a lot harder to keep everything secret, she relies more on Ryan's support, her maybe boyfriend who is in her crowd at school. It's not so easy to keep cancer a secret and Mia soon realizes how much work it is to be sick and try to pretend she's fine.

Everything felt so real in this book. While Mia was in the hospital for chemo, short paragraphs and fleeting scenes made it seem much too real. I felt for Mia as she tried to hide her sickness from her popular friends and hated when her live started to all apart. It's hard to say if I would react the same way she did, but her actions made sense for her character and I wanted her to get what she needed. The love triangle was one of the few that I actually understood. I'm usually against these, but in this case it made perfect sense. Lines are crossed and the signs that Mia may have seen if she weren't sick broke my heart. I was rooting for one, but the other had my heart as well since they both took such good care of her throughout her treatment. 

Each chapter struck me with a new emotion. I had a feeling I'd know how this book would end, but every new chapter made me rethink my logic. Gyver made me laugh and Mia's mom made me cringe. Mrs. Rosso made me smile and Hil made me want to strangle her. One second I was laughing, the next I was curled in a ball and crying my eyes out because I wanted Mia to be okay. It was the perfect mix for a book like this. Mia would be going through all the same emotions, happy one minute and then remembering she may die the next. She focused so hard on trying to live her life the way it was before she had cancer that it crashed down on her like she'd broken a leg off a table. Everything she goes through is the saddest metaphor for cancer. Things change, people change, you change. Some relationships may get better, but others will probably fail with the intensity of the situation. I hate that this book felt so real because it broke my heart to read about Mia's life as though she were my friend going through this horrible disease. Mind you, that is also why I loved this book desperately. 

Schmidt is a beautiful writer. I first discovered her online when I watched a short video of her reading an early scene from the book where Mia tells Gyver about her cancer. I knew from the five minutes she read from this book that I would fall in love with Mia and hope for someone like Gyver for support. When I finally read that chapter in person, and I discovered a Something Corporate reference, I knew there was no going back. This is one of the best "cancer" books I've read (though I really don't want to call it that because it was so much more) and it is heartbreaking, yes, but it is also so uplifting and encouraging that I knew I had to put more into my life because of it. I hope somewhere out there girls like Mia are getting there own good news and good support from their friends in a time where everything seems like the end. 

Send Me A Sign Giveaway

I've been trying to get my hands on this book since I first spoke to the the author, Tiffany Schmidt. She is a wonderful person and I follow her everywhere, but I haven't been able to find the book in any book store. Yes, I could buy it online, but I like the thrill of the chase. Plus, winning it in a contest would be fantastic. The Best Books Ever is holding a fabulous giveaway where you can win a marked up copy (hello, how awesome would that be?) or a regular copy of the book.

Read the synopsis, and you'll want to get your hands on this book too:

Mia is always looking for signs. A sign that she should get serious with her soccer-captain boyfriend. A sign that she’ll get the grades to make it into an Ivy-league school. One sign she didn’t expect to look for was: “Will I survive cancer?” It’s a question her friends would never understand, prompting Mia to keep her illness a secret. The only one who knows is her lifelong best friend, Gyver, who is poised to be so much more. Mia is determined to survive, but when you have so much going your way, there is so much more to lose. From debut author Tiffany Schmidt comes a heart-wrenching and ultimately uplifting story of one girl’s search for signs of life in the face of death.

Cancer, yes, but I don't think this will be your average cancer read. I have a feeling it'll be a lot like The Fault in our Stars and leave you feeling happy and sad at the same time. 

So go enter the awesome contest here!