Best of 2010

My 10 Best Books of 2010 (in no particular order):

1. Matched by Ally Condie
2. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver 
3. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
4. Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready
5. Siren by Tricia Rayburn
6. Split by Swati Avasthi
7. When I Was Joe by Keren David
8. Stork by Wendy Delsol
9. Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen*
10. Molly Fyde and the Blood of Billions by Hugh Howey*

Realistic Main Character

Brie from Losing Faith* (by Denise Jaden)

Funniest Main Character

Katla from Stork (by Wendy Delsol)

Best Male Main Character

Jace from Split (by Swati Avasthi)

Ty from When I Was Joe (by Keren David)

Best Overall Main Character

Sam from Before I Fall (by Lauren Oliver)

Best BFF

St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss* (By Stephanie Perkins)

Best Villain 

(I'm going to keep the villain names unknown, or else I'll ruin the books for people who haven't read them!)

Siren by Tricia Rayburn

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Best Mean Girl

Lindsay and Sam from Before I Fall (by Lauren Oliver)

Best Mystery

All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab

Best Suspense

The Evil Within by Nancy Holder

Best Fantasy

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Best Sci-fi

Molly Fyde and the Blood of Billions by Hugh Howey*

Best Dystopian

Matched by Ally Condie

Best Contemporary

Exit Strategy by Ryan Potter

Split by Swati Avasthi

Best Romance

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins*

Best Historical

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

Best Sequel

The Golden Spiral by Lisa Mangum*

Best Writing

Matched by Ally Condie

Best Memoir

Rae by Chelsea Rae Swiggett

Best Modern Retelling

Jane by April Lindner*

Best Overall Series and Best Ending to a Series

The Vampire Academy novels by Richelle Mead

Last Sacrifice (#6)

Most Unique

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Best Cover

Matched by Ally Condie

Most Amusing

Stork by Wendy Delsol

The Must-Read Book of 2010

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney*

What was one of the best books you read in 2010?

*Reviews have vanished from my Drafts, so I'll be re-reviewing them. 

Exit Strategy by Ryan Potter Review

Book: Exit Strategy

Author: Ryan Potter

Age: Young Adult (perhaps 14+)

Release date: March 1st, 2010

Pages: 312

Source: Author

Summary:

Looming above Zach Ramsey's hometown of Blaine are the smokestacks of the truck assembly plant, the greasy lifeblood of this Detroit suburb. Surrounded by drunks, broken marriages, and factory rats living in fear of the pink slip, Zach is getting the hell out of town after graduation. But first, he's going to enjoy the summer before senior year.

Getting smashed with his best friend Tank and falling in love for the first time, Zach's having a blast until he uncovers dark secrets that shake his faith in everyone--including Tank, a wrestler whose violent mood swings betray a shocking habit.

As he gets pulled deeper into an ugly scandal, Zach is faced with the toughest decision of his life--one that will prove just what kind of adult he's destined to be.

Review: Realistic, unique, and totally awesome debut novel.

Onto the story, Exit Strategy is really Zach's coming of age story, mixed in with a lot of scandal, secrets, and a bit of romance. It all starts with what seems like an easy enough task for Zach to complete, and that's when everything goes downhill. Soon enough, Zach's falling for Sarah, Tank's twin sister, and everything he ever thought he knew is falling to pieces. After all, everyone has secrets...but Zach's just now discovering them all, and he feels like it's up to him to do something about it all. 

I have to say, Tank Foster (Zach's best friend) definitely stole the show at some points. His character was so intriguing, and I was always wondering when he'd snap. Zach was a great character as well. His personality seemed legitimate, and his voice seemed real. He has flaws, and he's not perfect, but he is still very likable. Potter describes all of his characters nicely, giving you the perfect idea of just what these characters are like and who they are.

Exit Strategy is filled with enough subplots to keep the story moving at a nice pace (and yet they never left me confused). This is one of those books where I can't tell you much (unless I want to spoil the plot), but I can say that it was a great, realistic story and worthwhile to read. 

Highlights: Potter creates a realistic and well developed character with Zach. The plot never ceased to be interesting and entertaining. I also loved how the ending wasn't your average ending, because it really makes the book stand out more.

Lowlights: Hmm...I guess I wanted a bit more of the romance angle? But honestly, I'm not complaining. 

Rating: