Review: Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott

Title: Stealing Heaven
Author: Elizabeth Scott
Summary: Read Goodreads Synopsis
Source: Purchased paperback
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
Caution: May contain spoilers


My Thoughts:

Danielle’s life has been spent stealing things with her mom. They run from town to town taking advantage of people and move on before they can even begin to settle down. Dani is now eighteen and has never really had any sort of friend or a real life. When they get to the town of Heaven, things are a little different. Dani meets some great people--Allison and James, who just happen to be the family her mom wants to go after in this town. She also meets Greg, a local policeman who just won’t leave her alone. Dani shouldn’t be getting close to these people considering what she’s going to do and that she’ll be leaving soon after. But she keeps staying around them. When her mom finds out and she has to choose, what choice will she make?

This story had a lot going on. It really makes you think of how it would be to be in Danielle’s shoes. You’ve spent your whole life stealing to survive. Your MOM showed you how. Your mom is all you have. And then you actually get to know some people outside of family and like them. You know that what you’re doing is wrong, yet you still do it for your mom and yourself. For someone like me who’s never stolen anything, it’s just hard to picture life like that. But I can understand the moral dilemma. If you’re not taught right, you do what you’re taught.

Something I really enjoyed was the banter between Greg and Dani. It was so cute and hilarious. Watching Danielle face her future and the hard decisions she needs to make when a serious situation arises is remarkable. I love stories when the main character has to deal with life changing situations. It gives you that feeling of growing up again.

Even though this isn’t completely like other Elizabeth Scott novels I’ve read, I still enjoyed it just the same. It does have a good lesson and gives perspective into a life most of us don’t live. I recommend it to those who want to read about a different life.

My Rating:

Pretty Good... Stay up until your bedtime. :)

~Jessica

Review: Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott

In honor of Elizabeth Scott Week, here's my review of Something, Maybe. Also check out the review from Anna Reads, the host for this review.

“I wonder what it would like to do high school things. To go out on the weekends. To kiss a guy. To have a normal life. A real one.” ~from inside cover

Hannah’s life isn’t very normal. Her mom, Candy Madison, is the star of her own website, her fame stemming from the short lived sitcom Cowboy Dad which she starred in with Hannah’s father, Jackson James. Hannah believes Josh is her soul mate. But she can’t stop thinking about Finn.

Hannah works for the drive thru answering service for BurgerTown USA with both Josh and Finn. Which proves quite an amusing situation with the constant commentary and comments directed at and about Josh from both Hannah and Finn. As if she wasn’t dealing with enough with the two boys, her father wants her back in his life. She’s unsure how to feel about this, since it’s been a confusing life with him. He’s there, but always seems more interested in his tawdry life. Her father announces that his daughter will be visiting him, and of course, everyone at school knows about it.

As every story by Elizabeth Scott, the multiple story lines converging and merging make it so much better. Hannah learns how to come to terms with the boys and her unusual family after facing several realities. I can’t really elaborate any more without giving away spoilers. The whole thing is funny, Hannah’s thoughts and the conversations with Josh and Finn and Teagan, her best friend. Life lessons galore among the humor. Must read.

Review: Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott

In honor of Elizabeth Scott Week, here's my review of Perfect You. Also check out the review from I Eat Words, the host for this review.

This story is multi-faceted. It not only has a boy likes girl, girl likes boy storyline going. There’s also her family dealing with the tension after her father’s choice to cash in his retirement fund to sell vitamins at the mall instead of sticking to his job at Corpus Software. And facing her former best friend Anna every day at school, the one who suddenly ditched her for the popular crowd and the boy she’s always wanted.

Of course, there is a boy/girl story here too. Kate and Will go to school together during the day, work at the mall at night. Kate helps her dad with his vitamin stand, and Will works at the Sports Shack. Kate has always had a problem with him for his reputation of hooking up with several girls, and he’s got the “I know I’m cute” attitude. They get to talking to each other while at work and eventually something more than irritation develops.

I really love the way their relationship progresses throughout the story. And then add on to that the other situations playing out in the background. All of them intricately woven into a wonderful coming of age tale. This is one of the handful of books I constantly pull down when I need a fix. I love reading my favorite scenes over and over. It’s my favorite Elizabeth Scott novel.

Waiting On Wednesday #3

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly book meme where we get to let everyone know about what books we are eagerly anticipating the release of. WoW is hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. Want to participate? Grab the logo on her page, post your own WoW entry on your blog, and leave your link on her blog!


Here's one I recently discovered:

As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott

"What if you woke up and didn't know where you were?

What if you didn't know who you were?

And what if, when your memories started to come back--what if they didn't match the you that you're supposed to be?

Ava is welcomed home from the hospital by a doting mother, lively friends, and a crush finally beginning to show interest. There's only one problem: Ava can't remember any of them--and can't shake the eerie feeling that she's not who they say she is.

Ava struggles to break through her amnesiac haze as she goes through the motions of high-school life, but the memories that surface take place in a very different world, where Ava and familiar-faced friends are under constant scrutiny and no one can be trusted. Ava doesn't know what to make of these visions, or of the boy who is at the center of them all, until he reappears in her life and offers answers . . . but only in exchange for her trust." ~from Goodreads


Oh yeah. Kinda reminds me of Rosebush by Michelle Jaffe. I enjoyed every Elizabeth Scott book I've read thus far, so I believe it's going to be great.

~Jessica