Friends…If you haven’t read one of Leighann Kopans’ books yet, you don’t know what you are missing. I loved her One Universe series and while contemporary isn’t always my thing, I find that Kopans puts a twist into every one of her books that makes them stand out from all the other YA Contemporary books out there and You’re It immediately had my attention because aside from the normal character driven story that revolves around home and high school life, this book includes something called Senior Tag.

First the characters. Julia is fantastic. I have to admit, as a companion to Solving for Ex, I had no recollection of her from that book but once her brother (Brendan) and his girlfriend (Ashley) were mentioned, I started to remember the storyline. I loved that we got to see these two again but also see them from Julia’s point of view. Getting back to Julia…I loved her. She is smart but she doesn’t really know what she wants to do with her life after graduation. To say her family life leaves a bit to be desired would probably be an understatement. Her dad is hardly ever home, her brother is at school, and her mom continues to have her issues so when Julia finally realizes the thing she needs to do is get away and experience something completely different, she immediately asks her dad to help her out thinking it is pretty much a done deal. Unfortunately, Julia’s father still looks at her as an irresponsible little kid and decides he won’t pay for the trip but Julia is motivated to make it happen. Lucky for Julia she has one more option - her best friend told her about Senior Tag and now Julia decides she is going to play…and she is going to win the money so she can go on her trip.

The other character I’ll mention is Alex Winston. Alex is planning on going away to school next year and has worked hard both in school and for his step-dad’s company to make sure he has both the grades and the money to get where he wants to go. When something happens that could unravel his plans, Alex makes the decision to join Senior Tag so that he can win the money and pay for his room and board without causing his mother and stepfather more worry than they already have. I loved how much he cared about those around him and did whatever he could to help just about everyone. Now that Alex has joined the game and is hanging out with some of the popular boys in school, Julia has noticed him and they are both a bit distracted by each other.

I loved seeing the relationship develop between these two. There are ups and downs and secrets kept and revealed but the development of the friendship and eventually more, was fantastic. As they both try to figure out what’s more important to them – the money or their relationship – they both learn more about themselves.

So…you are probably wondering what Senior Tag is. I admit, when I found out that this is really a thing in the town that Kopans lives in, I was amazed. It is essentially a water gun fight…with rules. I don’t think I would have the guts to wander around town in my underwear and that’s essentially what these kids have to do…or they lose. If they are caught by an opponent in their clothes in an open game area, they can be shot with a water gun and are out of the game. I loved how much thought both Julia and Alex put into the game and how to win. Even as the game became a boys against girls agenda, it was still very entertaining. At least until the miscommunication which leads to the showdown between Alex and Julia.

So…that’s all I’m going to tell you about this one….other than go read it! If you are looking for a YA with solid characters, a fantastic story, and a fun twist to a storyline, definitely consider this book. I loved the companion books to You’re It as well and would definitely recommend them to any YA fan. You don’t have to read all to know what is going on but you should…just because they are all so good!

Thank you to the author for the review copy!

Review to come

Review to come

I felt a re-read was in order with Insurgent coming out.

This story has everything I look for in a book - a strong main character who isn't annoying, a great plot, and it always, always helps to have a swoony love interest.

Tris has to make a decision on what faction she will join at her choosing ceremony. Once she does things move quickly but she also has a big secret she has to keep. There is a lot of action in this book but we also were able to see relationships/friendships being formed.

The bad characters are something that really stand out. There is no chance of finding any good in them. Peter especially stands out - he doesn't have an ounce of good in him and he only does something if it benefits him.

I love Four/Tobias and that is all. He is smart and tough. He is also able to show his feelings and express himself to Tris when it is clear he doesn't normally do that and tries to distance himself from everyone.

This book will stay on my read over and over shelf as I notice new things every time I read it. I would give this more than 5 stars if I could and recommend it to anyone who likes a great story.

3.5 stars.
I have really enjoyed Kubica’s stories since The Good Girl came out and needless to say, when I read the summary of Don’t you Cry, I immediately wanted to read it. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing on what is actually going on.

The story is told from two different angles and by doing this, Kubica maintains the mystery behind what has happened to Esther. Esther’s roommate is Quinn and part of the story told from her point of view focuses on her digging into what might have happened. As she uncovers secrets and things about Esther that she knew nothing about, she realizes more and more that she really didn’t know Esther very well.

The other side of this story is focused on a Michigan Harbor town and revolves around Alex and a mystery woman who shows up in town. I was drawn to Alex’s character. He hasn’t had an easy life and growing up in a small town, everyone knows his business. When this mystery woman shows up, he is quickly drawn to her.

I can’t say much more here because I don’t want to give anything away but what I will say what I thought was going to happen or how these stories might be linked…wasn’t even close to where Kubica took it. And that was FANTASTIC! I love it when I’m surprised and Kubica did a wonderful job keeping me guessing and tying it all together in the end.

If you like a good mystery that isn’t obvious, definitely consider this book. In addition to that, if you haven’t read anything by Kubica before I would recommend you check her books out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!