Mini Reviews: Being Friends With Boys, Josie Griffin is Not a Vampire, and From What I Remember

Today we're doing another round of mini reviews, apparently all books with long titles. So let's get on it!

Being Friends with Boys by Terra Elan McVoy: I loved this book, for the characters, for the messages it brings, and just for the overall emotional battle it put me through. Charlotte is an amazing character, a girl who isn't at all a girly girl, who doesn't like drama, who just wants to hang out and have fun with the guys in the band and write awesome lyrics for them. There is something so great about the way this group came together, and even more great is what they go through and how they figure things out. Charlotte makes quite a few mistakes along the way, and while there is quite a bit of confusion over which boy she wants to be with, and which boys like her, and it straddles the love triangle line, there is just something so realistic and honest about all of her mixed up thoughts. It's more than having more than one guy to choose from, it's feeling something so new, and so out of her comfort zone, and I think that angle was explored so well. Add in the rawness throughout the book, and the beautifully woven in music element, and this is definitely a read it one sitting and don't stop thinking about it kind of book.

Josie Griffin is Not a Vampire by Heather Swain: This book is utterly hilarious, and so much fun. Not only is Josie dealing with anger management classes, in what seems like a way too strong sentence from a judge after bashing her now ex-boyfriend's windshield in when she caught him cheating on her... with her best friend... she's also suddenly finding out vampires, fairies, and the like are real. This book mixes the paranormal with the normal, and overlaps them back and forth in such a great way. There are some deeper parts of this one, especially about friendship and such, yet it also stays funny and entertaining. This book totally hooked me from page one with the voice and set up, and had enough things thrown in to keep me reading.

From What I Remember by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas: You know those books that have so much random stuff in them, so many crazy events, you're thinking that would never happen? Yet if you use just a little suspension of disbelief, think about it a little more, you can also totally see it? This is one of those books. There was so much adventure in this one, with just the right amount of romance thrown in. Add in a somewhat mystery plot line, and the vividness of the settings, and this one is definitely a hit. Though I did at times feel like things lagged, and though the book was a little long overall, it's still one that keeps you wanting to know more. The interactions between these characters are great, from friendship to more, and they definitely have a lot going on, and a lot to say. This book made me laugh out loud more than once, and left me with a huge grin on my face.