Sudden Hope

Sudden Hope #1

by Daniele Lanzarotta

With her guitar in her hand, Skylar is safe. Strumming the cords erases the pain found in the halls of her high school. Lost in music, the bullies disappear. And in the moment, she’s free.

Alec was obsessed with baseball when a diagnosis turned his world upside down. One little C-word left his body weak and his outlook on the world destroyed. He should be celebrating that he battled his illness into remission. Instead, Alec lives in constant fear that it’s only a matter of time until the sickness returns.

When Skylar—the girl next-door and his former best friend—suffers a tragic loss, Alec makes it his mission to show her that life is still worth living. Little does he know he will be learning the same lesson along the way.

From author Daniele Lanzarotta comes Sudden Hope, a gripping journey into the heartbreaking beauty of life.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance

Unknown Binding

First published September 22, 2015

About the author

Daniele Lanzarotta is the author of young adult and new adult paranormal/fantasy/contemporary novels, including the Imprinted Souls Series, Academy of the Fallen Series, Sudden Hope, and A Mermaid's Curse Trilogy.

Daniele is also a filmmaker. She has recently worked on Virginia based short films as the 2nd Assistant Director and Still Photographer. Daniele is currently working on the development stage for the adaptation of her novel, Sudden Hope, which she also plans to film in VA.

She enjoys watching hockey, playing Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and spending time with her husband, two daughters, and the family dog.

Check out more information about Daniele and her novels at:

http://www.danilanzarotta.com

http://facebook.com/danilanzarotta

Reviews

[Abi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters in this were okay, But I didn't love them.

It took me a while to get into this one, but when I did it was an okay read. There were still a few times where my interest started to waver a bit throughout the book, but it was okay overall.

[Devyn Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

First and foremost, this is a great read for teen book clubs, and young adults who feel like their voice isn't heard. Daniele is known for her paranormal books, but I think this is her gateway into teen literature that will be timeless. The truth behind that statement is, bullies are everywhere. They can be peers, a parent, and even teachers. What I appreciated about this book was the fact the bully didn't stop after they got into trouble. They continued to create grief for Sky. That is very realistic, bullies don't stop because you told them to. The root to their problem needs to be discovered to get them past hurting other people. Younger book clubs will have a lot of conversations from this book.

Note to mothers looking for books about bullying for their child who is being bullied, this is a great read. The bullying was realistic, and you can relate to Sky. Yes there's a boy. Yes they kiss. No they don't do anything else. If you're a parent of a bully, this is a great book to show your child what could very well happen. Everyone has a breaking point. Get your child help, because most of the time a bully feels helpless in a situation and to prove nothing gets to them, they take it out on other people.

Note to dads. Open up the conversation by giving your child this book. Don't hesitate to read the book first, that way you will know how to start that conversation.

Note to Daniele. This is by far your best writing. Thank you. It was a great read.

PS - you might need a tissue.

[Brenda Lochinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It deals with teen bullying and violence that are so prevalent and often overlooked until it is too late. The main characters Sky and Alec along with the supporting characters are well written and you feel like you know them or grew up with them. I adore the love story and the message of hope when you feel there is no hope left. Highly recommend this book for Young Adults as well as Adults.

[Tara Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok this review is hard to write. This book is beyond amazing. There is no words for how good this book is. There is so much to this story. So much heartache and sadness but also love and happiness. There is something in this story that all of us can relate to and something to touch all of our hearts. Daniele Lanzarotta I definitely think for your first contemporary romance you hit this one out of the park!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read for everyone but an important read for young teens struggling in this world. Love this book and I cannot wait for the next!

[Christine Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book!!! Daniele did a Fantastic job with this touching story about friendships, losses, and points awareness to many relevant topics that plague society everywhere. Great from start to finish with surprises that you won't see coming. On to book two!!!

[Lena Carmona · Rating 5 out of 5]

LENA'S RANDOM REVIEWS

Sudden Hope by Daniele Lanzarotta

A little about the Story:
This story is about a lot more than love & romance. It brings to light what kids & teens go through in school & shines a spot light on what can happen when being bullied is involved. The relationship between Alec and Sky is one everyone would love to have.

Pros:
I love how this story plays out. It's not your basic boy meets girl, they fall in love & live happily ever after kind of story. The Author Added so much LIFE into it & I loved that. Alec isn't just your typical high school boy. He has had to face down death a few times. Sky isn't a typical high school girl. She has felt lose & had to deal with bullies all through her school years. The connection between them is one everyone strives to have in their life.

Cons:
I cried. Not sure that's a bad that lol I also felt the parents overreacted at times but that's not a bad thing either.

My thoughts & Rating:
I truly enjoyed this story. It had me hooked from the beginning & I couldn't put it down. The characters have so much emotion in what has happened in their lives & fears of what could happen, you can't help but sympathize with them, cry with them & even relate to them.
I am definitely going to read more from this Author. If you like reads that not only give you love but touch on actual life, this book is for you.

I give it 5 Stars ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Lena
Artsy Book Lovin'Sisters

[Doris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get your tissues, or don't say that you weren't warned!
Daniele Lanzarotta is not afraid to hit the heaviest of subjects! Bullying, teen suicide... and all the things that a young adult would face because of them.
I know that in today's society, there is this desire for perfection, to be the best, and not everyone fits this perfect mold set forth. Sometimes, beauty is in these little imperfections, and children and teens can have a hard time seeing that.
Sudden Hope is an excellent story about two friends separated by these things that not only find their way back to each other... but a way to help heal.
So amazing!!!
Dowie

*This book deals with heavy issues such as bullying, suicide, and death. Please be advised before you start reading and be prepared.

[Laci Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I started reading Sudden Hope I couldn't stop until I read the last page. I enjoyed the characters, and the story line is one not to overlook. It touches on issues that today's teens have to deal with more than ever before; illness, bullying, and mass tragedy. It's an emotional tale, and at the same time it's a coming of age story about falling in love, kissing in the rain, and having the strength and support to follow dreams.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

Well she did it again. I have read all her books and LOVE everyone of them. I don't even read the description of the book anymore bc I already know that I'm going to love it.

[Jennifer Milius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful YA story! This is my favorite of Daniele's books :)

[Gabi Campos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It talks important topics like Suicide, Bullying, Sickness, Sorrow, Massacres and love.
I cried... A LOT! Skylar is such a strong girl!

[JenBsBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

So ... I liked this. 3.5 stars. I listened to the audiobook (which I received for free in exchange for an honest review) and I think that was my main complaint ... the narrator here (Mae Ruling) was good, sweet little girl voice, perfect for Skylar. But not for Alec! This NEEDED a male narrator for his parts. If this had been told in 3rd person ... okay, maybe I could have dealt with a single narrator, but as it was first person, and Alec is telling HIS story for over half the book, it needs a male voice. The female narrator, the same voice ... did not work for me.

As for the story itself ... I didn't quite buy the "they had been the best of friends" because they had been SO young. Kindergarten and 2nd grade. I assume the friendship had been there BEFORE school started, because only a week into the school year, Alec pulls away from Skylar after being teased by this friends, and then they basically don't speak for 10 years. How good of friends could a 1st grader have been with a pre-school aged girl that he would continue to ponder this lost friendship for the next 10 years ?

The book seemed really reticent to talk about Alec's sickness - it would make vague references without really coming out and telling us what he'd been through. If you read the blurb, you know it was cancer, and that probably would be the assumption for most people but still, I found it rather annoying. Seriously, the word "cancer" doesn't even come up until chapter 36.

So (not a spoiler as it's there in the blurb) there are these two big issues the characters are dealing with. Trying to cope after a friend's suicide, and not daring to live because of fear. There were some interesting discussions (and there could be interesting discussions in a book club or what not) regarding some of the things the book brings up. Then ... there is another BIG issue. I wasn't really expecting that. On the one hand, it seemed a little over the top, too much (suicide, cancer, now this?) but then again, not totally unbelievable in this day and age.

Beyond the drama of suicide and cancer and figuring out how to keep living ... there is the general high school drama of dating and school and sports and mean girls.

There were a lot of times when contractions were not used (I didn't use one there, and sometimes it's fine, sometimes it is a little odd sounding). There were a lot of "it is" instead of it's and "you are" instead of you're, and it just sounded a little stilted to me, especially in audio.

Overall, I think I'll remember this book fondly. But seriously, as far as the audiobook goes ... get a guy to read Alec. I really think it would have made a big difference for me.

[Maria Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: I am reviewing the audio version of this book.

This was a lovely sweet story.
Even though it was young adult, I enjoyed it very much. It had a depth to it, I didn’t expect.
it didn’t take me very long to fall in love with Alec and Skylar and their friends.
There were some very important issues raised in this book. Bullying was one of the major ones. Grief, suicide, childhood illness and how it all affects teenagers was also explored.
I really like the fact, that in spite of what the kids were going through, they were really great kids at heart.
The quote about having fait and hope, was really good.
The Narration was great. It took me a little time to get used to the narrator, and sometimes Alec sounded like Skylar. But apart from that, it was fine, once i got used to it.
I also appreciated the fact, that even though there was some language in the book, it was kept mild, but you still got a sense of what the teens were feeling.
I felt sorry for the bullies at one part of the book, but was sad to see that Lizzie didn’t learn much from her experience.
I would love to read another book in this series.
Note:
I was given a free review copy of this audio book, and have voluntarily left this review.

[Marea Quijano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of tragedy, and against some odds, a rekindled friendship leads to more.

Mrs. Lanzarotta did a beautiful job writing about several tough topics: childhood illness, suicide, bullying, and active shooters. It felt real as we experienced, through the characters, how these different events impacted the story. We were able to see several different aspects of effects of each life changing and impacting event - whether it be from the main characters, those directly or indirectly involved, and even the parents.

Skylar and Alec were both battling different issues, some with the same aftereffects. They learned more about themselves and others throughout the story.

I am looking forward to reading more from Mrs. Lanzarotta.

[J.J. Lair · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story starts right in the first page, no long introduction, no excessive background, we start with a big incident that changes almost everyone around. We have trust issues, friendships, bullying and the realism that while well intentioned, adults can't be everywhere. Adults can't be trusted to do something helpful here.
You can see there will be an issue with Mike. I felt that got rushed. It seemed like a literary device to get to the end of a story that for many never ends. I was disappointed in that part of the story and it seemed the consequences there were meaningless so I can't rate the end as high as I would rate the beginning.

[Nati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can Skylar and Alec rekindle their friendship after ten years apart? They were BFF but Alec broke Skylar’s heart and even if they are neighbours and attend the same High School they do not talk. But after a tragic loss they reconnect. CAn Alec help Skylar to open up? Can Skylar help Alec to live life again? A sweet love story. The audiobook is good

[Rmsooon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ive read " sudden hope ",, it was okay ,, there was some things bothered me ,, i gave it 3 out of 5 stars

[Mandy Sawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had such a big WTH moment in it! Daniele has written a masterpiece here. With great characters and emotional storyline it really got me thinking. Great heartfelt performance from Mae.

[Mandy Reads Indie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I’m starting to think that you have a really bad habit of trying to save me.”
She turns shy and looks down. “You are worth saving.”
***

I absolutely loved this story. Once I started it I became so impassioned with it I hated to put it down. I wanted to become one with it and be BFF's with the characters. That is how much I enjoyed this book. It is a really great coming of age-falling in love for the first time-kind of book.

Let's start with the story line. We have Alec who was once best friends with Skylar at a young age. But something happens and they go years not speaking, even though they are neighbors. Then one day that all changes. Not impressed with my blurbage skills? Yeah me neither. That is why I am the reader and Lanzarotta is the author. But I am telling you this book had me. It is sweet and kind and heartwarming.

I wish I could say that everything about this book is beautiful and full of love. But I can't. There is sadness, there is pain and there is something scary lurking between its pages. It slowly makes itself known and then explodes into something that is real and out there in our young people’s lives. More so today than when I was younger. (We won't talk about how long ago that was. Um, k?)

Then there are the characters. I loved them so and when the book ended I decided I needed more of them in my life. I wasn't done with them yet and I am hoping that the author isn't either. They have more to tell and I will gladly sit happily in a book stupor and listen.

SUDDEN HOPE is one of those books you fall for and will think about long after it’s done. Great job, Daniele. I loved it and think you readers will, too! 5 Stars!

[Marylou · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book! It deals with many issues teens face such as bullying, illness, friendship, and teen drama. The characters were believable and likable, and I think many teens can relate to them. It is definitely going into my school library!

[Maria]

Free from Amazon Kindle 04/11/2016

[Mella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eigentlich eher 3,5 Sterne - warum folgt die Tage.