Mini-Review: COUNTING BACKWARDS by Laura Lascarso

Title: COUNTING BACKWARDS
Author: Laura Lascarso
Published: August 14th 2012
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Atheneum
Pages: 279
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher (unsolicited)
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Taylor Truwell is a troubled girl with a neglectful mother, a callous father, and an urge to flee. When Taylor is caught with a stolen car and lands in court for resisting arrest, her father convinces the judge to issue an alternative punishment: treatment in a juvenile psychiatric correctional facility. And so Taylor arrives at Sunny Meadows.

Sunny Meadows is anything but the easy way out, and Taylor has to fight hard just to cling to her sanity as she battles her parents, her therapist, and a group of particularly nasty fellow patients, the Latina Queens. But even as Taylor struggles to hold on to her stubborn former self, she finds herself relenting as she lets in two unlikely friends - Margo, a former child star and arsonist, and AJ, a mysterious boy who doesn't speak.

Sunny Meadows goes against everything Taylor stands for. But is it the only place that can save her?

Taylor Truwell is angry – at her drunken mother, and especially at her impossible-to-please father, since he's the one who convinced the judge to send Taylor to Sunny Meadows. From trying to break out of Sunny Meadows to trying to fit in so she can be released, Taylor goes on a personal journey to find out who she is and who she wants to be. Right from the beginning, Taylor's strong voice and personality easily captured my attention, and Taylor's character growth throughout the novel is wonderfully written and portrayed. Lascarso lets readers see Taylor at her absolute worst and best through the sparse, straightforward 1st person narration. And, with an excellently diverse supporting cast, Lascarso fills COUNTING BACKWARDS with intriguing yet realistic characters that you cannot help but to enjoy. A story about friendship, family, and change, COUNTING BACKWARDS proves itself to be an enjoyable read. 

Highlights: Good pacing and a good conclusion. Diverse characters. A very vivid setting, I felt like I could envision Sunny Meadows perfectly. I enjoyed how much the characters evolved and how Lascarso altered my opinion of them throughout the story. A.J was such a sweetheart, and Margo was an awesome character. Themes of change, coming-of-age, friendship, family, and becoming the person you want to be.

Lowlights: Very predictable. I had a difficult time connecting with Taylor, but I was still rooting for her throughout the story. In the end, it seemed as though the writing was too weak or the story was too short to make a lasting, emotional impact (but I could be in the minority on this point, so give this story a chance). 

Immortal City by Scott Speer

Immortal City
Scott Speer
April 3rd, 2012
336 (hardcover)
Razorbill3rd personSource - Publisher (unsolicited)

Jackson Godspeed is the hottest young Angel in a city filled with them. He's days away from becoming a full Guardian, and people around the world are already competing for the chance to be watched over by him. Everyone's obsessed with the Angels and the lucky people they protect--everyone except for Madison Montgomery. 
Maddy's the one girl in Angel City who doesn't breathlessly follow the Angels on TV and gossip blogs. When she meets Jackson, she doesn't recognize him. But Jackson is instantly captivated by her, and against all odds the two fall in love. 
Maddy is swiftly caught up in Jackson's scene, a world of glamour, paparazzi - and murder. A serial killer is on the loose, leaving dead Angels' wings for the police to find on the Walk of Fame. Even the Guardians are powerless to protect themselves in the face of this threat … and this time it's up to Maddy to save Jackson.

While Immortal City had a fascinating premise, it somewhat failed to impress or even stand at the same level as other novels in its genre. As a mystery, this book is good. The mystery of who is killing off the angels is captivating, and it was interesting to see how the surprises Speer had in store for his readers played out. However, as a romance, the relationship was difficult to believe in. While some people may love and thoroughly enjoy the story Speer has crafted, I couldn't help but to feel as if I've read it all before. 

Highlights: An intriguing mystery is at the core of Immortal City. While I did guess the "bad guy" early on, Speer managed to throw in a few surprises along the way to keep his readers changing their minds. The guardian-angel-for-pay idea was interesting. The 3rd person POV was mostly enjoyable (shifting between three main characters) because it gave the story a more well-rounded feel. 
Lowlights: The writing style/tone of the story¹. A serious case of insta-love between Jackson and Maddy. Excessive brand name-dropping in the beginning was very, very frustrating. These characters and their relationships with one another needed a lot of work and much more authenticity. 
Final Thoughts: In the end, I found the story to be only "okay". However, despite any issues I had with the story, it had some nice moments. I've seen a lot of positive reviews for this book, so I may be in the minority. I would recommend reading the first couple chapters or to check it out at your local library to see if it's a story for you!
Rating:   

1 It probably didn't help that I read Finnikin of the Rock at the same time - which was exceptional and beautifully written. 

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