Showers of Books Giveaway Hop!

Welcome to a fun filled April Giveaway Hop!
Showers of Books Hop is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Books a' la Mode.
Mug of Moxie is giving away one of ten books that's been released in the last couple of weeks. Just tell me which one you've been dying to read!

Rules for the Giveaway:
1. Please enter contact information in comment section, along with your book choice.
2. This giveaway runs from April 24th to April 30th. A winner will be selected on May 1st.
3. You must be 13 years or older to participate.
4. If you are selected as the winner, you will be notified by email. If you do not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be selected.
5. This giveaway is open to US-and you must be a follower.
Thanks for hopping and GOOD LUCK!
 

 

Book Review-FAT ANGIE

FAT ANGIE
By e.E. Charlton-Trujillo
2013
Summary taken from Goodreads:
Angie is broken — by her can’t-be-bothered mother, by her high-school tormentors, and by being the only one who thinks her varsity-athlete-turned-war-hero sister is still alive. Hiding under a mountain of junk food hasn’t kept the pain (or the shouts of "crazy mad cow!") away. Having failed to kill herself — in front of a gym full of kids — she’s back at high school just trying to make it through each day. That is, until the arrival of KC Romance, the kind of girl who doesn’t exist in Dryfalls, Ohio. A girl who is one hundred and ninety-nine percent wow! A girl who never sees her as Fat Angie, and who knows too well that the package doesn’t always match what’s inside.
My thoughts:
Sometimes it's really hard to find the right words to explain how much you connected with a book. Especially when a book comes along that completely blows you away and leaves you trying to write a review that will do it justice.
I can say that Fat Angie by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo for me was heartbreaking and inspiring.
But words aren't enough to describe the roller coaster of emotions I felt while reading this story.
The author bravely covers the heavy topics of bullying,cutting,death,suicide and war.
And here's the thing- e.E. Charlton-Trujillo's story telling is solid. It never feels forced or preachy- it's just in your face honest.
My emotions ran high as I at times forced myself to read on as Angie coped with life and problems. I was angered and outraged as she dealt with bullies that humiliated her and teachers that did nothing. My heart soared as she made deep connections with new girl KC Romance. My heart broke as she grieved for her sister missing in Iraq and desperately tried to build a relationship with her mother.
At times I had to put Fat Angie down because I felt emotionally drained.
This story made me feel enraged, exhilarated, sad and hopeful.
I felt such a deep connection with Angie that it was hard to say goodbye when her story ended.
I will say that Fat Angie is the best book I have read so far this year.
A GIANT thank you to e.E. Charlton-Trujillo for sending me this book to read and review.

Book Trailer: Fat Angie

 Book Trailer for Fat Angie by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo

Book Review-OVERNIGHT SENSATION

OVERNIGHT SENSATION
By Hal Eisenberg
2012
233 Pages
Summary from Goodreads:
Fifteen year-old Jonah Levine is practically invisible at Applecrest High. His Facebook page is pathetic, his baseball skills are mediocre at best, and his IQ seems to drop 50 points when talking to girls. But everything changes when his rock band, Hitstreak, becomes the hottest teen sensation in the country. And now they’re about to perform in front of 15,000 screaming fans.
So why isn’t he jumping for joy?
Well, for starters, that hit on the radio wasn’t really recorded by his band. In fact, six months ago, he and his friends could barely play a note between them. And now they’re about to perform in front of 15,000 screaming fans. What begins as a mindless prank quickly spins out of control, involving his father’s secret past as a 70’s rocker, a high school bully who wants in on the action, and a powerful, ruthless, media mogul who will stop at nothing to claim the band as his own. Will Jonah prevail? Or will he and his band go down in flames and become the biggest farce in pop music history?
My thoughts:
Overnight Sensation hooks you from the first paragraph and takes the reader on a wild, bumpy ride.
Hitstreak-the hottest teen rock band of the moment stand on stage ready to play their chart topping tune in front of a crowd of screaming, rabid fans.
Sounds like a teen's fantasy right?
There's just a small problem-the song is not theirs and these teens have only been a "band" for a couple of months. The lead singer of the band-15 year old Jonah wonders how in the world he and his friends are going to pull this whole act off as the curtains part and the story starts.
What an opener!
I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out how main character, Jonah had gotten himself into this predicament.
I loved the fact that author Hal Eisenberg captured the spirit and tone of Jonah and his friends. It was fun to be a part of their conversations, jokes and adventures. It felt like a real group of friends going through a crazy, fun adventure. 
Main character Jonah is easy to connect with-he's the voice of reason and well as the leader of the band. Through the whole story he is constantly questioning the right and wrong of the situation. His group of friends are a constant crack up as they try to make the most of their instant fame and the advantages that are thrown their way. Jonah tries to keep things together even when it's spinning wildly out of control.
Overnight Sensation is a fun story that holds laughs, thrills, as well as a couple of twists. I think it will be enjoyed by both girls and boys.
I will be donating this book to my local middle school library.
A big thank you to Hal Eisenberg who gave me the opportunity to read and review his book.

Winner Drawn!

CONGRATULATIONS!!
The winner of the April Fool's Giveaway Hop is-
KAT @ Books and Sensibility
I'll be mailing out a copy of Ten by Gretchen McNeil to her.
Thanks to all who participated!
Happy Reading!