❀ Desert Rose Reviews ☯ |
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Posted: 11 Dec 2015 12:00 AM PST  *Materials & images provided by YA Bound Book Tours.
Hi guys! Happy Friday – TGIF! Just in time for the weekend, this book sounds like something a ton of people would findentertaining relatable interesting, and possibly humorous.
“Carrie Roberts wanted to lose some weight before the school dance. Instead she’s losing height.”
 ~Released: May 31st, 2015
~Length: 306 Pages
~Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fantasy, Coming-of-Age, Romance
All Carrie Roberts wants is to be a little bit smaller.
To fit into the perfect dress for the Valentine’s Day Dance. To look beautiful for her boyfriend, the school’s star basketball player. To keep his jealous ex-girlfriend, a rival cheerleader, away from him. And to be noticed by her classmates.
Exercising and dieting don’t work, but an advertisement for weight loss pills promises a quicker solution to her problem. As time runs out, she takes more than the recommended dose until she’s just a few inches slimmer. Heads turn when she arrives at the dance, and the wonderful night with her boyfriend is beyond what she dreamed it would be.
Days later, Carrie discovers that her body is changing in ways that should be impossible. While her doctor searches for a cure, she desperately turns to her friends and family for support. Everyone is noticing her now whether she likes it or not, and even the media is intrigued by her incredible story. Getting everything she once wanted has created new problems—problems that are growing more terrifying every day.
Because Carrie Roberts is shrinking.
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“Just a Few Inches” is a Young Adult novel that deals with issues of body image, self-esteem, and teenage relationships. It is intended for readers age 13 and up.
  Tara St. Pierre has been writing for over two decades, but her muse only sporadically provides inspiration. Her laptop is filled with incomplete manuscripts and other plot outlines, and she feels blessed when one finally pushes its way through to completion–no matter how long it takes!
She enjoys classic science fiction movies and television shows. When driving, she sings along with the radio loudly and off key. She prefers tea over coffee, spring over autumn, vanilla ice cream over chocolate, and caramel over hot fudge. Though she lives by herself, one of her two cats enjoys cuddling with her.
 I looked up at Todd’s chin, which had always fit securely atop my head. It was a special part of our relationship, and that night, I’d have done anything to keep our relationship.
“Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong?” “Let’s go to your place, like we had planned.” Before long, we were in his living room eating a pizza we had grabbed on the way there. I wasn’t hungry, and I nibbled on one slice while he wolfed down five. As I sat back and sank into the high sofa, my feet didn’t touch the ground—a sensation I wasn’t accustomed to yet. When he finished eating, he dimmed the lights. If I had been thinking clearly, I would have realized he was setting a certain mood. He put his arm around me. “Aren’t you gonna tell me what’s wrong?” “I’m shrinking.” I leaned against his shoulder. “I’m seeing a specialist tomorrow.” “Why didn’t you tell me before?” I knew I had to say something, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to start from the beginning. If I told him I took the pills to fit in a dress because I suspected Janelle was trying to steal him away from me, he’d probably think I was crazy. And then even crazier if he knew I tried to cover it up while hoping it was only a temporary thing. But the reason that spilled out of my mouth was that I was afraid he wouldn’t like me anymore. “Why wouldn’t I?” I stood up. “Look at me!” He squinted. “What?” “These are my little stepsister’s clothes.” He stood and looked down at me. “You look great.” “You’re, like, more than a foot taller than me now. Talk about lopsided.” He shrugged. “So?” “But I can’t be your custom-sized chin rest.” “You think I’d dump you for that?” He reached over to put his arm around me but gently set it atop my head. “Besides, now you can be my custom-sized arm rest, Shorter-Stuff.” I knew he was only trying to make a joke, but it wasn’t funny. I turned away and folded my arms, but he wrapped his arms around me from behind and held me close to him. “Will this make you feel better?” When his chin touched down atop my head, I giggled, imagining him hunched over behind me. “A little,” I replied. “You look kinda cute shorter.” He squeezed me a little tighter. “Like you need someone big and strong like me to protect you.” I laughed out loud, perhaps the first time I had since I discovered what was happening to me. Todd was great. I didn’t want to let go of him. He turned me to face him and then bent down further to kiss me. I strained my neck in the process, but it was worth it. It was our first real kiss since the dance, and his lips felt drastically different. They were bigger—well, mine were smaller—and they surrounded mine, but I enjoyed the sensation. “As much as I want additional height, pretty shoes aren’t the answer. I’d rather try to stand tall on my own, but it’s hard to when you’re only ten inches tall.”
Quote from a Review“Just a Few Inches does a great job of discussing some really serious issues in a creative and entertaining way. By employing the twist of having Carrie lose inches in height instead of weight, we get a real look at the old adage, ‘Be careful what you wish for.’ And the growth that Carrie undergoes in terms of the development of her inner person instead of worrying only about how she is perceived on the outside is an example for any young woman.” –Tracy Slowiak for Readers’ Favorite
 Let us know what you think of this book!
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| *Review* “A Million Little Snowflakes” by Logan Byrne!
Posted: 10 Dec 2015 07:00 AM PST *Materials & images courtesy of Goodreads; review owned by Desert Rose Reviews.
Originally published on October 27th, 2013; re-posted for our TBT Review!
  ~Published: September 14th, 2013
~Length: 206
~Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Realistic Fiction Goodreads Oliver Hurst has always been abnormally normal.
His grades are horrible, his best friend just left for Utah, and he’s depressed. His overly religious parents don’t help, especially since they control every facet of his life. One stupid sentence said in desperation gets Oliver tossed in an adolescent psych ward, where his depression and fears become even more of a reality.
When Oliver meets snide, tough girl Lacey Waters he doesn’t think his life could get any better, that is, until she becomes the ray of sunshine he has desperately needed on his cloudiest of days.
  Logan Byrne is the author of The Trifectus Trilogy. He currently resides in Northern Illinois and is finishing college. He is an avid fan of the Home Alone series, WWE, and Avatar The Last Airbender.
  “All through life, we were told never to be different. We needed to fit in with the popular kids and follow all of these trends like our lives depended on it if we planned on having any kind of happiness or social life. But sometimes, being different was good, and it meant being human.” ~A Million Little Snowflakes, by Logan Byron. For the most part, I enjoyed this plot. Following the experiences of a depressed young man put in a psychiatric ward is certainly a different kind of story thank I normally read. Filled with a contemporary sort of realistic fiction, this book is honest, funny, and inspiring. The main character, Oliver, is certainly a person I can relate to, and would imagine a lot of people could relate to. Many teens with overbearing and smothering parents tend to feel depressed from time to time, especially if their best friend moves away. Oliver is an endearing and honest character, that is truly interesting to read about. Lacey stumps him and shocks him all the way through the book. The romance between them, and the love that grows from that romance, is sweet and innocent. First loves are intense, and these two show that kind of true love wonderfully. Written much like a memoir, this book gives an inside look into the mind of Oliver. His humor, his jokes, his frustration, and his worries are all laid out and explained in an entertaining story. The ending was very much a shocker, and made me desperately hope there is a sequel with a positive story, to show what happens between Oliver and Lacey. I would recommend this story to anyone who likes contemporary romances, realistic fiction, or shocking endings. *I was given an eCopy of this book, from the author, to read in exchange for an honest review. ~*~*~
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