Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway

Book Summery (Via Goodreads):Emmy’s best friend, Oliver, reappears after being kidnapped by his father ten years ago. Emmy hopes to pick up their relationship right where it left off. Are they destined to be together? Or has fate irreparably driven them apart?
Emmy just wants to be in charge of her own life.
She wants to stay out late, surf her favorite beach—go anywhere without her parents’ relentless worrying. But Emmy’s parents can’t seem to let her grow up—not since the day Oliver disappeared.
Oliver needs a moment to figure out his heart.
He’d thought, all these years, that his dad was the good guy. He never knew that it was his father who kidnapped him and kept him on the run. Discovering it, and finding himself returned to his old hometown, all at once, has his heart racing and his thoughts swirling.
Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. In Emmy’s soul, despite the space and time between them, their connection has never been severed. But is their story still written in the stars? Or are their hearts like the pieces of two different puzzles—impossible to fit together?

Book Review:
I've been looking forward to reading Benway's newest novel since I saw it was going to be released! I was super excited that my library had a copy available, so I put this baby on hold and greedily read it as soon as I got my hands on it. I wasn't quite sure how I would like the whole kidnapping issue. However, Benway deals with it in a delicate manner that adds to the overall story-line. Of course, Emmy and Oliver's relationship takes center stage, and rightfully so. However I really enjoyed the incorporation of Drew and Caroline. Both supporting characters add color and depth to the story arc. Overall, this is an impressive story to add to Benway's collection as well as the many reasons that I love her writing!

Cover Art Commentary:
Love the simplicity of this cover. First of all, the colors are striking and contrast nicely. Secondly, I love the nod to surfing. Third, the fingerprint heart is just adorable!

Rating:

Going Rogue (Also Known As #2) by Robin Benway

Book Summery (Via Goodreads): Being permanently based in a local New York City high school as an undercover operative has its moments, good and bad, for 16-year-old safecracker Maggie Silver. 
Pros: More quality time with her former mark-turned-boyfriend Jesse Oliver and insanely cool best friend, Roux. Getting to spend quality time with her semi-retired and international spy honorary uncle, Angelo. 
Cons: High school and the accompanying cliques, bad lunches, and frustratingly simple locker combinations. 
But when Maggie's parents are falsely accused of stealing priceless gold coins, Maggie uses her safecracking skills to try and clear their names. 
Too bad it only serves to put her and everyone she loves in danger. Maggie and her "new team" flee to Paris where they must come up with a plan to defeat their former allies. 

Book Review:
Robin Benway has long been one of my go-to authors. When I saw there was a sequel to Benway's Also Known As, I was excited to continue Maggie's journey. Once again, Benway does not disappoint! The cast of characters are a mixture of delight and humor. They add a wonderful splash of color to this espionage-centered novel. It's nice going past the initial meeting of each character. This time around you really get to know their quirks and personalities. One of Benway's strongest attributes is the ability to write believable YA charters. That being said, I know there is a slim chance of a real teenage spy that works for a collective of agents. But that's not what I'm talking about. I'm referring to Maggie's teenage behavior, the presence of parents, friends, accountability...So many times these things get overlooked in the YA genre. Ahem. Moving on. I also, of course, love the espionage setting. It's just not a common theme...it's so playful and refreshing! If you haven't picked up any of Benway's books, I highly recommend you do so. This series is a fun place to start!

Cover Art Commentary:
I just love the covers of this series! They are so so fun, colorful, and playful!

Rating:

Also Known As by Robin Benway

Book Summery (Via Goodreads): Being a 16-year-old safecracker and active-duty daughter of international spies has its moments, good and bad. Pros: Seeing the world one crime-solving adventure at a time. Having parents with super cool jobs. Cons: Never staying in one place long enough to have friends or a boyfriend. But for Maggie Silver, the biggest perk of all has been avoiding high school and the accompanying cliques, bad lunches, and frustratingly simple locker combinations.

Then Maggie and her parents are sent to New York for her first solo assignment, and all of that changes. She'll need to attend a private school, avoid the temptation to hack the school's security system, and befriend one aggravatingly cute Jesse Oliver to gain the essential information she needs to crack the case . . . all while trying not to blow her cover.

Book Review:
Ever since I first read The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May and June, I have been a huge Benway fan! So when I saw Also Known As on netgalley, I was really excited to request it (and even MORE excited to get approved)! Benway has a wholesome approach to her books that is refreshing and whimsical. Maggie is colorful main character who is sincere and humerus. I found myself wishing I knew her in real life. Her espionage background and friendship with Angelo added style and flair to the story arc. Roux was just adorable! She is a wonderfully flawed character, the perfect counterpart to Maggie. I also adored Jesse!!! I wish I had had a Jesse back in high school! What a charming young man! These three characters really make the novel sing, along with Angelo of course! It was also nice to see a genuine relationship between the main character and  her parents. I often feels that this relationship is strained or sometimes forgotten altogether in the YA genre. Overall, just a lovely story. Robin Benway is on my go-to authors list. She is just fantastic and I highly recommend her books! 

Thanks to Bloomsbury USA for this copy
To be Published February 26 2013
This is my honest review.  

Cover Art Commentary:
I haven't always been a fan of  Benway's covers, but this one is cute! I love the private school uniform and the green chalkboard background! Very original!

Rating:

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

Book Summery:
When funny, charming, absolutely-normal Audrey Cuttler dumps her boyfriend Evan, he writes a song about her that becomes a number-one hit—and rockets Audrey to stardom!
Suddenly, tabloid paparazzi are on her tail and Audrey can barely hang with her friends at concerts or the movies without getting mobbed—let alone score a date with James, her adorable coworker at the Scooper Dooper. Her life will never be the same—at least, not until Audrey confronts Evan live on MTV and lets the world know exactly who she is! -goodreads.com

Book Trailer (Fan Made):

Book Review:
After reading Benway's The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June (review here), I -knew- that I wanted to read more of her work. Enter Audrey, Wait!, Benway's first novel. You can tell that Benway put a lot of care and hard work into her first publication. At the beginning of each chapter is a quote from a song (from various bands) that foreshadows the rest of the chapter. Not only is this fun and original, it also goes to show that Benway has exceptional taste in music! :) The characters are creative, flawed, and delightful. I want to be friends with many of the characters in this book! :P Overall, Benway's writing was fluid and the story had a nice flow to it. Not too rushed, not too slow. Benway's writing style puts the reader right in the main character's (Audrey) shoes. You get a feel, first hand of the ups and downs of fame. The one drawback that I noticed was the use of the F-bomb repeatedly throughout the book. I'm not talking just here and there. I'm talking like multiple times throughout each chapter. While, I'm not one who usually critiques cursing (as I am an avid user of profanity myself), it just seemed like A LOT. Seriously, use another world once in a while! ;) Honestly, that was my only complaint of this book. Overall, I found Audrey, Wait! to be an original, fun-loving, honest story of a girl who finds herself in the public eye after breaking up with her boyfriend. I absolutely adored it and continue to look forward to more of Benway's work!

Favorite Quote:

" 'Why Jersey?' I interrupted. I couldn't help myself. 'I mean why didn't he go to New York and spend time frolicking in the city? That's what I would do if I were him.'

Victoria paused and I could tell she was trying not to smile. 'Did you just say 'frolic'?'
'Is it not a word?'
'Who the hell says frolic?'
I spun the lock on my locker and waited for it to stick like it always did on 33. 'I say frolic,' I told her. 'And more people should.'
'They should say frolic or actually frolic?'
'Both.' "(p47-48)

Cover Art Commentary:
I have to admit that I like the hardcover (featured directly above) copy cover art over the paperback (featured at the top of this post). It's more colorful and fun, which is more in sync with the theme of the book. I do like the girl on the cover of the paperback. It gives us a good idea of what Audrey might look like (fun, carefree, and original).

Overall Rating:

The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May and June by Robin Benway

Book Summery:

Three sisters share a magical, unshakable bond in this witty high-concept novel from the critically acclaimed author of Audrey, Wait! Around the time of their parents’ divorce, sisters April, May, and June recover special powers from childhood—powers that come in handy navigating the hell that is high school. Powers that help them cope with the hardest year of their lives. But could they have a greater purpose?

April, the oldest and a bit of a worrier, can see the future. Middle-child May can literally disappear. And baby June reads minds—everyone’s but her own. When April gets a vision of disaster, the girls come together to save the day and reconcile their strained family. They realize that no matter what happens, powers or no powers, they’ll always have each other. Because there’s one thing stronger than magic: sisterhood. -goodreads.com

Book Review:I had seen this book on several trips to the bookstore. I honestly had no intentions of picking it up until I read several favorable reviews. My interest was piqued. Although I finally had purchased it, I didn't pick this book up right away. As soon as I did, it was near impossible to set down.

Lighthearted, warm, and colorful with a little magic thrown in, The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May and June did not disappoint! The chapters are told in alternating voices of the 3 sisters, whom I absolutely adored! It was refreshing to read a story told from multiple perspectives. I love how Benway gave each sister a solid identity, but wove the story together with a thread of family, loyalty, and love. The sisters were kind, funny, flawed characters that were easily relatable, even if the reader doesn't have sisters. This was a wonderful pick-me-up book that I desperately needed. I definitely plan on re-reading this in the future! :)

Favorite Quote:

"Our plan is written in pink ink," May grinned with with I've learned to recognize as false sincerity. "Great. What could possibly go wrong now?" (p. 76)

...
"Well, so far our plan blows," May said. "I blame the pink ink." (p.79)

Cover Art Commentary:
I like the three girls on the cover, conveying the idea of closeness and sisterhood. I also like that each sister is surrounded by her own color, which supports the concept of individuality. Nicely done.

Overall Rating: