Duology Review: TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE by Jenny Han

Title: To All the Boys I've Loved Before and P.S. I Still Love You

Author: Jenny Han

Series: To All the Boys I've Loved Before #1 and #2

Summary: Lara Jean keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. 

They aren't love letters that anyone else wrote for her, these are ones she's written. One for every boy she's ever loved--five in all. When she writes, she can pour out her heart and soul and say all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control. 

Why I read it: Because I've heard amazing things about both books, and I was in the mood for some more contemporary!

Thoughts: SO ADORABLE. And before I even say anything else about the content, can I just shout-out these precious covers? Both of them are so cute, from what Lara Jean's wearing, to the font of the titles that looks like handwritten Sharpie. Plus, the naked hardcovers match the color of Jenny Han's name on each book. Such fantastic packaging.

I am so glad that I decided to wait to read the first book until the second book came so I could read them back to back, because the end of the first book is just begging for a continuation. The story flows from the first book to the second pretty flawlessly, which is why I decided to do this dual review rather than review each book individually.

Lara Jean is probably the cutest, most endearing character I've read in a long time. In a sea of cynical and jaded YA protagonists, Lara Jean's naivete and innocence make her such a breath of fresh air. She's a sixteen-year-old who loves her family and still calls her father "Daddy," and I related to her so much. Hell, I'm a twenty-four-year old college graduate and I still call my father "Daddy." Jenny Han's greatest accomplishment lies in making Lara Jean so completely realistic.

Judging by the title, I knew this book was going to have at least a couple of swoon-worthy boys. And I wasn't disappointed. Throughout the course of this duology, there are three boys who are love interests for Lara Jean in some capacity, and I found merit in all three of them. Not only do they all have very distinct personalities, but they also represent different things to Lara Jean: different aspects of her personality, different periods in her life, and different ways that you can love someone. But none of it ever feels forced or heavy-handed; there were moments when I could truly imagine her ending up with each one.

Believe me though, I did have a ship.

But Jenny Han never makes things easy, just as they never are in real life, either. There are plenty of swoons in these books, but there are also plenty of opportunities for tears. And it is all so worth it.

For a pair of books that is mainly a romance, I was pleasantly surprised with how much of the story also revolved around Lara Jean's family. It's yet another reason these books are so realistic. Lara Jean's two sisters and their father are so well-developed for secondary characters, and I love how involved they are in her life.

In the end, I think these books are about relationships in general. Relationships of all kinds, whether they be friendly, familial or romantic. Aside from the letter-sending incident described in the synopsis, there are no huge plot points that change the course of the story. The relationships Lara Jean develops and the choices she makes drive the story completely, which make it both realistic and unpredictable.

If you're looking for an adorable, swoony contemporary with a dose of bittersweet realism, then this is absolutely the duology for you.

Ratings: 
To All the Boys I've Loved Before: 5/5 stars
P.S. I Still Love You: 5/5 stars
Overall: 5/5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read this book yet? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below! 

Review: THE FILL-IN BOYFRIEND by Kasie West

Title: The Fill-In Boyfriend
Author: Kasie West

Summary: When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend--two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley. 

The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party--three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. 

Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship. 

Why I read it: It just looked so freaking adorable! So into my vacation bag it went. I read the first 50 pages on Day 2, and the rest on Day 3!

Thoughts: I enjoyed this book, though not nearly as much as I had hoped I would.

This was my first Kasie West book, and what I did love about it was the writing. There's an easy flow to the writing, but it's not overly simplified. Her prose is pretty, while refraining from being too flowery or pretentious.

I thoroughly enjoyed the main plot. It was pretty much exactly what I was looking for; a romantic comedy premise wrapped up in a young adult contemporary novel. Perfect. The way Gia's relationship developed with her fill-in boyfriend--whose name is Hayden--is so lovely and adorable, and I wanted even more of that.

But this brings me to the parts of the book that bothered me.

When we first meet Gia, she is a self-obsessed clique leader who is so oblivious to things around her that she doesn't even realize she's leading a clique. She lives in a world of tweets and retweets and hiding her true feelings to appear invincible from the outside. While it's easy to dislike a girl like that, it's also easy to understand her once you're in her head. Gia is somewhat petty and shallow, but she no one around her has ever pointed it out.

I never hated Gia, but I didn't sympathize with her at first. For the first 75-100 pages or so, I was enjoying the story from far away. I couldn't connect with Gia because she was so disconnected from real emotion, and I thought that the whole book was going to be like that. At first, Gia felt like a caricature of what older people envision teen girls to be like: selfish, obsessed with technology, and spoiled.

However, all of my concerns manifested into a subplot about how many teenagers today need Twitter followers and Instagram likes to feel validated. How teens carefully craft an online persona to keep people from seeing the real them and how they feel. And Gia definitely grew from all of these experiences, which I so appreciated. Gia ends the book almost a completely different person than the one she started as, and I loved that aspect.

I really did love the romance, as well. Hayden is so swoon-worthy, and pretty much exactly my type. He's slender, not overly muscled; he has hair that likes to stick straight up; and he wears nerdy T-shirts. A couple of my favorite moments in the book consisted of Gia describing Hayden's tees and not understanding them, because I definitely did. She comments on his "telephone box" shirt, to which he replies, "It's not a telephone box." TARDIS, anyone? Later, his shirt reads, "You can't take the sky from me." Anyone who weaves a Firefly reference into their book is a winner in mine.

As I said above, I love how their relationship progresses, with help (willing or not) from Hayden's sister, Bec. There were a ton of moments that left me with butterflies in my stomach, waiting to see how it would turn out.

On the other hand, they were about the only three characters I did like. I couldn't stand Gia's parents. They were exactly the kind of detached, "everything is fine, nothing to see here" parents that drive me nuts in real life, as well. Gia's friends are obnoxious. They are the selfish, spoiled clique of girls that I was afraid Gia was in the beginning, but they never get better. Hayden's friend (whose name I can't remember for the life of me) was also awful, in a realistic way. I've definitely known those jerks in my life.

I did end up really enjoying this book. It just took me quite a while to really get into it and connect with the characters. For the most part, this is a very fluffy, fun contemporary that I would still recommend if the plot interests you at all.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read this book yet? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

Review: AMY & ROGER'S EPIC DETOUR by Morgan Matson

Title: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour
Author: Morgan Matson

Summary: Amy Curry is not looking forward to her summer. Her mother decided to move across the country and now it's Amy's responsibility to get their car from California to Connecticut. The only problem is, since her father died in a car accident, she isn't read to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger. An old family friend, he also has to make the cross-country trip--and has plenty of baggage of his own. The road home may be unfamiliar--especially with their friendship venturing into uncharted territory--but together, Amy and Roger will figure out how to map their way. 

Why I read it: It was the beginning of my vacation. I was stuck in a car for 8 hours a day, and I needed a book to read. So where better to begin my road trip than with a road trip book! Plus, I'd just read Since You've Been Gone in May and loved it, so I needed more Morgan Matson in my life. (And technically, I just participated in #monthofMatson, which is a readathon Maureen Keavy from Youtube is hosting in June!)

Thoughts: Ohmygoodness. I am so glad I decided to start reading Morgan Matson's books. Because as much as I loved Since You've Been Gone (and I did, just check the review!), I loved Amy & Roger even more.

First of all, both Amy and Roger are truly fantastic characters. They are both well-developed and so realistic, and I love the way they play off of each other's strengths and weaknesses. There's nothing like shoving two characters into a car together for a week to make them get to know one another. They both have pasts that they have to contend with; Amy by trying to run away, and Roger by trying to relive it. And that's what makes them so compelling.

I love the road trip aspect to the story. They go to places I've never been, like Yosemite, but they also go to places close to home, like Wichita. This aspect of the book is so wonderful because Morgan Matson actually took that road trip, so she really knows what she's talking about. I especially enjoyed seeing all the places that Amy and Roger stopped to have lunch or dinner. It was fun seeing which fast food joints they'd never heard of, like Sonic and Krystal.

Which leads me to my other favorite part of this book. At the beginning of the trip, Amy receives a travel journal from her mother that she ends up using while they're on their road trip across the country. So we get to see pages of that throughout the book as well. Amy adds receipts from their meals, and pictures she takes of the scenery. And she makes a note of all the states they travel through. As a habitual list-maker, it was fun to see that side of her as well.

The book also includes some emails, and--my absolute favorite part--PLAYLISTS! Having read Since You've Been Gone, which also features playlists, it didn't come as a surprise to me, but I still love them. Especially since the playlists in A&R are all handwritten and doodled upon by either Amy or Roger. Three reasons I love playlists in books:

1) It's a huge insight into the characters. You can tell a lot about a person by the kind of music they do/don't like; it plays directly into their personality.

2) It's fun seeing music you love in a book, especially if it's a band you didn't think many people had heard of. I loved seeing We Are Scientists on one of Roger's playlists, because I don't know anyone else who likes that band! Which leads me to...

3) It's a great way to discover NEW music! If a character's playlists include a lot of music you already know and love, it's a good indicator that your taste is similar to theirs. So when you see songs or artists you don't know, it might be a good idea to check them out!

The writing is superb. I laughed out loud in several places, and I was definitely in tears at points, too. That's the mark of a good author to me; someone who can make me run the entire gamut of emotions within one book. I want a book that I come away from feeling something, and that's one thing Morgan Matson does flawlessly.

I cannot recommend this book enough. I cannot wait to get my hands on Morgan Matson's other book, Second Chance Summer, and then my collection will be complete! (For now.) Morgan is now on my auto-buy authors list, for sure!

Rating: 5/5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read this book yet? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

SPOILER Review: THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER by Stephen Chbosky

Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky

Summary: Charlie is a freshman. 

And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. 

Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But he can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor. 

Why I read it: I've seen the movie, and LOVED it. So when I did the Bout of Books read-a-thon, I decided to pick up the book since it's pretty short. I ended up only reading 18 pages during the read-a-thon, but I picked it back up and finished it after RYBSAT ended.

Thoughts: I...enjoyed liked appreciate this book. I can understand why a lot of people love it, but it was simply not my cup-of-tea.

BEWARE: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW. LOTS. 

Sorry, but there's really no way to talk about what I liked/disliked in this book without discussing the big reveals.

First, let's talk about the characters. Charlie, our main character, is socially awkward to the max. We find out at the end of the book that he was sexually abused as a child by his aunt before she died, something he has blocked from his memory for a long time in order to remember her as his favorite person in the world. So he has major trauma in his background, but there has to be something else going on, right? Whether or not the sexual abuse triggered it, there must be something else that affects his awkwardness, especially since he's repressed those memories for so long and throughout most of the book.

Charlie is constantly being told how smart he is, as referenced in the synopsis when he's described as "intelligent beyond his years." His English teacher even tells him he thinks he could be a great writer when he grows up. But honestly, I never got that impression from him. The entire book is written in letters from Charlie to a "friend," so the entire book is actually in his writing, but his prose never feels poetic or extremely intelligent or beautiful in any way. Half the time he writes in halting, short sentences, and the other half he writes in rambling run-ons. Whenever he learns a new word that he wants to include in his letters, he puts them in quotation marks. We're just never given the evidence to support that Charlie is such a bright kid.

Charlie becomes friends with a group of seniors when he enters his freshman year. These friends include Sam, Patrick, Mary Elizabeth, and Alice. Charlie quickly falls in love with Sam, who is dating an older guy. Sam also reveals that she was sexually abused as a child by her father's friend. Patrick is gay and secretly in a relationship with the closeted quarterback, Brad, whose father eventually finds them together and beats Brad half to death. These friends smoke and do drugs, which leads Charlie to smoke and do drugs. Charlie also routinely interacts with his sister, who goes unnamed. His sister is in a relationship with a guy who has hit her. She discovers she's pregnant and gets Charlie to drive her to the clinic to have an abortion.

This book is so full of issues. Everyone in the book has them, and it seems like an effort to stuff as many controversial topics into the book as humanly possible. Charlie relates an incident at a party in the past in which he witnessed a girl being raped by her boyfriend. Even Charlie's best friend has committed suicide several months before the book begins. It's not enough to write a book about a boy who was traumatized as a child; everyone else in the book has to have deep, serious issues as well.

What did I like about this book? I did like Charlie's journey. It was so rough hearing how much he loved and idolized his aunt as a child, only to eventually remember what she did to him. It's even rougher since I'd already seen the movie, and I knew what was coming. It was difficult to read, but the way Charlie's psyche starts to unfold and reveal those memories throughout the year is done very well.

I enjoyed Sam and Patrick immensely, though they're not as well-developed in the book. We often see their sad sides, Sam especially, but we're rarely treated to their laughter and humor, though Patrick is given the role of comic relief slightly more often.

I get it. I understand why a lot of people like this book. It covers a lot of issues, and I'm sure a lot of people find it relatable. It's got a powerful story, and a catchy format.

I never really connected with any of the characters, even our narrator Charlie. A lot of the bad things that happen to the characters are mentioned in passing, veiled references that could conceivably be missed by a reader who doesn't read between the lines. Even the revelation that Charlie's aunt abused him is revealed when, after a sexual encounter, Charlie has a dream that his aunt Helen was "doing what Sam was doing." Later, when he's in the hospital, Charlie says he "figured out that everything I dreamt about my aunt Helen was true." For an event that really affected Charlie's life thereafter, it is explained in just a few sentences and dealt with in just a few pages of hospital stays and therapy. It feels inauthentic and not truthful to the story. For a boy who throughout the story insisted on describing all his feelings and memories in detail, even the bad ones, it felt unrealistic that he wouldn't want his "friend" to understand what had happened to him. And from a reader's perspective, it really took away from the emotional impact of the situation. It's sickening realization, but not one we're really allowed to feel along with Charlie.

All that being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, which I will be reviewing this week as well. The book was just not to my taste.

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read The Perks of Being a Wallflower? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

Review: SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GONE by Morgan Matson

Title: Since You've Been Gone
Author: Morgan Matson

Summary: It was Sloane who yanked Emily out of her shell and made life 100% interesting. But right before what should have been the most epic summer, Sloane just...disappears. All she leaves behind is a to-do list. 

On it, thirteen Sloane-inspired tasks that Emily would normally never try. But what if they could bring her best friend back?

Apple picking at night? Okay, easy enough. 

Dance until dawn? Sure. Why not? 

Kiss a stranger? Um...

Emily  now has this unexpected summer, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected), to check things off Sloane's list. Who knows what she'll find? 

Go skinny-dipping? Wait...what?

Why I read it: I've heard SO many things good things about all three of Morgan Matson's books, so I've wanted to read it for a long time. Then I ended up reading it during RYBSAT!

Thoughts: Oh, how I fell in love with this book.

Emily and Sloane are the typical YA best friends, in which one is the outgoing, fun one, and the other is a bit more shy and reserved unless they're together. But it doesn't feel overly cliched, because Emily is fully rounded out. She may be shy without Sloane, but her interactions with her family and the people she meets over the summer feel so realistic, so relatable. There was never a moment that I felt was out of place.

Speaking of her family, I loved the moments we got with Emily's brother, Beckett. He has a penchant for heights and climbing, and I love that the ten-year-old got to be just as quirky as the rest of the characters, like Frank and Collins. I loved Frank and Collins so much; they're both so adorable and funny, and I loved the relationships that Emily developed with both of them.

I loved the concept of the list, and slowly finding out what some of them meant. Each item on the list that Emily is meant to complete has some kind of meaning to her, and some directly relate to her fears and overcoming them. And I loved seeing the process of her ticking things off the list.

The way the novel is set up is pretty cool, too. Each chapter is titled for one of the items on the list, so you know that is the thing she's going to complete. But in some chapters, Emily sets out to do something completely different, and it's fun to see how the title is going to come into play. In the beginning, when Emily is still scared and hesitant about the list, the chapters are longer because it takes her longer to finish one thing. But as the book goes on, the chapters get shorter, and I liked seeing that development.

The writing is fantastic. It made me feel like I was right there with those characters I loved. I could easily see the town that they lived in, and all the places they visited. And the relationships that develop so realistically over the course of the summer.

One of my favorite aspects is the inclusion of the playlists. Both Emily and Frank listen to their iPods during their runs, and it was fun to see the kind of music both of them listened to. It definitely added to their characterization. Plus, it gives me more music to look into for my own listening enjoyment!

Best of all, this book is made of feels. Some of them were warm, and I definitely laughed out loud at parts. But others made my heart ache, and I cried as well. These are my favorite kinds of books. Ones whose plots keep you engaged, but takes you on an emotional journey as well.

I just loved this book, and can't wait to read more by Morgan Matson. In fact, after I read this book, I almost immediately ordered Amy and Roger's Epic Detour from Barnes & Noble so I could take it on vacation with me, and it'll be the first book I crack open on Saturday when I leave!

Rating: 5/5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read Since You've Been Gone yet? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

Mini Reviews: TRUE, ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE and AUSTENLAND

Title: True
Author: Hilary Duff
Series: Elixir #3

Why I read it: To finish another series! And for #RYBSAT.

Thoughts: Meh. I had all the problems with this book as I did with the first two books in the series. This is written by "Hilary Duff with Elise Allen," so you would have thought the writing would be better. The writing is so juvenile and stuffed with adjectives that really don't need to be there. There was a single sentence in this book that struck me as nicely phrased: "There's no sign, and the entrance all but disappears among the succulents." Though if we're being totally honest, it's probably because I love the word "succulents." The characters here are completely one-dimensional; I don't think any of the four main characters made any real growth throughout the series. As if Clea's narration wasn't bad enough, we're also given chapters in Rayna's POV as well. Those were worse. I couldn't stand Rayna's voice.

And finally, my biggest pet peeve? The necklace on the cover was a big deal in the first two books and it was a symbol of Clea and Sage's love (or something like that). I don't even think it was MENTIONED in this entire book. Boo.

Rating: 1/5 stars

Title: Another Little Piece
Author: Kate Karyus Quinn

Summary: On a cool autumn night, Annaliese Rose Gordon stumbled out of the woods and into a high school party. She was screaming. Drenched in blood. Then she vanished. 

A year later, Annaliese is found wandering down a road hundreds of miles away. She doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know how she got there. She only knows one thing: She is not the real Annaliese Rose Gordon. 

Now Annaliese is haunted by strange visions and broken memories. Memories of a reckless, desperate wish...a bloody razor...and the faces of other girls who disappeared. Piece by piece, Annaliese's fractured memories come together to reveal a violent endless cycle that she will never escape--unless she can unlock the twisted secrets of her past. 

Why I read it: #RYBSAT!

Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed this! I can't say much without going into spoilers, but our main character is fascinating. The way she interacts with everyone around her, without remembering them from before, is very interesting. All side characters are fleshed out and intriguing, especially Dex. How I loved Dex. Cute guys that talk too much are completely my jam. The plot keeps you guessing up until the very last few pages, and it's written very unconventionally, which I always love. There are poems and a couple of letters that almost mark chapter breaks, though they're not labelled thusly. And within each "chapter," the narration is further broken into sections. There were a few times those breaks were confusing because it might have taken a little time to figure out where/when we were, since there were flashbacks and such, but it never got to the point where it completely took me out of the story.

Often, this book reminded me a bit of the Mara Dyer series by Michelle Hodkin, so if you were a fan of that trilogy, I would definitely recommend you pick this book up, as well!

Rating: 4/5 stars

Title: Austenland
Author: Shannon Hale

Summary: Jane is a young New York woman who can never seem to find the right man--perhaps because of her secret obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. When a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-obsessed women, however, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become more real than she ever could have imagined. Is this total immersion in a fake Austenland enough to make Jane kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own? 

Why I read it: When participating in a read-a-thon like Bout of Books 13, short books for the win!

Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed this, though I still may prefer the movie. (Don't shoot me!) Our heroine, Jane, is so much fun. There are times when she seems very lost and anxious, but the best times are when she finds her stride and embraces the snarky and bold side of herself. When she banters with Mr. Nobley, I just adored her. The other characters are fun as well, though not as well-drawn as Jane and Mr. Nobley. I must say, however, that since I've seen the movie before I read the book, I easily pictured the movie cast as the book characters. For the most part, it's a very cute, fun book!

Rating: 4/5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read any of these books? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

Review: ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES by Jennifer Niven

Title: All the Bright Places
Author: Jennifer Niven

Summary: Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him. 

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister's recent death. 

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it's unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the "natural wonders" of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It's only with Violet that Finch can be himself--a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who's not such a freak after all. And it's only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet's world grows, Finch's begins to shrink. 

Why I read it: I've been on a huge contemporary kick lately. Don't ask me why. Maybe because they're have been so many great new releases lately? I've just heard so many great things about it, so I decided to pick it up.

Thoughts: I loved it.

It's now been a while since I read this book, but it's still just as hard to find the words to describe how much I loved it, and why.

I can never decide if I'm a fan of dual-POV stories, but when it works, it really works. And it worked here. Both of our protagonists, Violet and Finch, were so richly drawn. They had their quirks and distinct personality traits, and I felt like I could know these people in real life. And I loved their relationship. I absolutely loved the way it built from the ground up, and how it progressed throughout the story.

We don't get many secondary characters here. There are a couple of Finch's friends, a couple of Violet's, and the families of course, but none of them ever get much of the spotlight. And that's okay. This story is very much about Violet and Finch and their influence on each other, not the world around them.

The writing was wonderful. I could see everything coming off the page, could picture every detail in my head.

And the plot. Here's where it gets hard to articulate my feelings. I love the whole idea of "wandering," and all the places they go are so interesting and fun. What was even better was finding out after I read the book that all of these places are real. That made me appreciate it even more, the fact that Jennifer Niven had put so much thought and research into the book.

I won't spoil you. I can't even think about spoiling you. This book is heartbreaking. I knew that general feeling going in, but it didn't lessen the blow. There were times I was outraged, disgusted by the people around Violet and Finch, violently upset that no one could see what was going on. But that's realistic. Not everyone is open-minded. Not everyone is intuitive enough to know. Not everyone is sensitive enough to understand. And it's horrible, but it happens. Maybe this book will help others see it in real life when they couldn't before.

But even so, it's still filled with hope. It's filled with that fantastic sense of wonder that we sometimes lose going from childhood to adulthood.

I don't have much more to say. It's a beautiful book and every time I think about it, I smile a little. Highly recommend.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read this book yet? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

Review: THE QUEEN OF BRIGHT AND SHINY THINGS by Ann Aguirre

Title: The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things
Author: Ann Aguirre

Summary: Sage Czinski is trying really hard to be perfect. If she manages it, people won't peer beyond the surface, or ask hard questions about her past. She's learned to substitute causes for relationships, and it's working just fine...until Shane Cavendish strolls into her math class. He's a little antisocial, a lot beautiful, and everything she never knew she always wanted. 

Shane Cavendish just wants to be left alone to play guitar and work on his music. he's got heartbreak and loneliness in his rearview mirror, and this new school represents his last chance. he doesn't expect to be happy; he only wants to graduate and move on. He never counted on a girl like Sage. 

But love doesn't mend all broken things, and sometimes life has to fall apart before it can be put back together again...

Why I read it: It looked so darn cute, and I needed a good, cute contemporary after reading so much heaviness this month.

Thoughts: I got pretty much exactly what I expected out of this book. It is a very cute, fluffy contemporary with quirky characters and a cute romance.

I finished this book a while back, and it's given me a lot of time to think about what I did and didn't like about this book. And I've come to the conclusion that this is not a bad book, not in the least. It's just not the kind of book I need.

I really liked these characters. Our main character Sage is so quirky and adorable, and it was so much fun to read from her perspective. In the first few pages, we learn that she has the nickname "Post-It Princess" at school because every day, Sage finds someone who is having a bad day and gives them a compliment on a pink Post-It note, sticking it to their locker. This was my favorite thing about Sage. It's so unique and quirky and absolutely perfect. I also enjoyed her commitment to the environment, and her refusal to ride in cars (for several reasons). I especially loved that Sage is an average girl, and she never goes through that "beautiful butterfly" transformation, noting that she was really gorgeous all along. She's just a cute teenage girl, whose butt may be a little too big for her figure. And I loved that. I related to that.

The love interest, Shane, is pretty interesting, too, though he's a little more cliched. He intrigued me a lot at first, but as the story progressed, his character fell a little flat for me. Lila, Sage's new best friend, I adored. She was definitely one of the most interesting characters in the book, with her penchant for reinventing herself to fit her friends. But she's able to be herself with Sage, and I enjoyed her sarcastic self so much.

I also really liked Sage's relationship with her aunt. There is a part near the end of the novel where they share this really poignant moment together, and it was probably my favorite part of the whole book. It made me tear up a bit, it was that lovely.

I love all these YA books set in fictional small towns. They feel so real, are so well fleshed-out, that I can see everything clearly in my head. From their school to Sage and Shane's houses, to the coffee shop. It was all perfectly described.

It's refreshing to read a book where the two main characters get together fairly early, and we get to see just how awkward a teenage relationship can be at first. That part was definitely realistic.

Now, unfortunately, onto the aspects I didn't love so much.

You might notice that the synopsis hints at some heavy topics, but I keep describing this book as cute and fluffy. That is one of my main problems with the story. One of the reasons I was drawn to this book (other than the absolutely adorable cover) was the promise of angst. I may be a glutton for punishment, but I love a good angsty book. Both Sage and Shane have dealt with some dark stuff in their pasts. In Shane's case, most of it is revealed fairly early on. But in Sage's case, it is heavily hinted at for most of the book until something happens to bring it all up again, and she finally confesses her story to Shane.

For how heavy these conversations were, I feel like it was glossed over a bit. Like, things were really bad for a few pages, but it was quickly gotten over through the power of love. For as many issues as Sage had, they didn't affect her character as much as they should have, at least in my opinion.

Sage often refers to her dark side, the product of her past, as Shadow Sage. And there a few moments when she lets Shadow Sage out to play. But whatever Shadow Sage did always felt incredibly tame in comparison to what she could have done.

This darkness really took me out of the story, because I didn't feel that the heaviness of their pasts were balanced by the the reactions and consequences. In other words: there was not enough angst. It felt too easy to get to the end of this book.

For the most part, I enjoyed the writing, but there were times when instead of just breaking the page to show the passage of time, Aguirre would very quickly summarize what was happening. Along the lines of, "We all finished dinner. Lila went home and I did the dishes. After cleaning up the kitchen, I watched TV with my aunt until it was time for bed. Then I changed into my pajamas and crawled into bed where I fell asleep until the morning." It was too much telling for me. None of those sentences were necessary to the story, and I don't need a play by play of everything that happens. This happened often in the book, but I wish it would have just been skipped over until the next piece of action.

The other thing that bothered me is a pet peeve of mine, and I didn't even realize it was my pet peeve until reading this book. The title of the book is repeated several times. Sage refers to herself as "the queen of bright and shiny things" in her narration a couple of times, and then Shane refers to her the same way in a song he writes later in the book, despite the name never having been brought up in conversation. At least as far as we see. So having the title repeated so many times within the prose was a little annoying, and something I never thought to be annoyed by before. Oh well.

Overall, it's a very cute, light book, even though the subject matter demanded a little heaviness. I would still recommend this to lovers of contemporary, especially for younger readers.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read this book? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

Review: ALL THE RAGE by Courtney Summers

Title: All the Rage
Author: Courtney Summers

Summary: The sheriff's son, Kellan Turner is not the golden boy everyone thinks he is, and Romy Grey knows that for a fact. Because no one wants to believe a girl from the wrong side of town, the truth about him has cost her everything--friends, family, and her community. Branded a liar and bullied relentlessly by a group of kids she used to hang out with, Romy's only refuge is the diner where she works outside of town. No one knows her name or her past there; she can finally be anonymous. But when a girl with ties to both Romy and Kellan goes missing after a party, and news of him assaulting another girl in a town close by gets out, Romy must decide whether she wants to fight or carry the burden of knowing more girls could get hurt if she doesn't speak up. Nobody believed her the first time--and they certainly won't now--but the cost of her silence might be more than she can bear. 

Why I read it: After reading This is Not a Test last year, I fell in love with Courtney Summers's writing and her storytelling. So I knew that I was going to start buying every book she ever writes. And I felt a deep need to read it right away.

Thoughts: This book. I know that I've seen these exact words from many reviewers and bloggers already, but this is an important book. Not just a good book (but it is excellent, too). But an IMPORTANT one.

The book begins a year after Romy's rape, so we are thrust into her life as she deals with the fallout and aftermath of her accusations. Her friends have abandoned her, her family has suffered, and her only armor is the red lipstick and red nail polish she obsessively applies.

The story isn't told in a straightforward manner; there are a couple of flashbacks, and then a flashforward, but it's an effective story-telling tool. Every event is placed in the timeline very deliberately in order to better explain something else that is happening, or to pack an emotional punch. And boy, did those punches hurt.

Romy is beautifully written, and it's so easy to fall into her corner, backing her at every confrontation. At the same time, she doesn't always make the right choice, and in that aspect, she is profoundly realistic. I think people want to believe that rape victims are all the same: shy and defeated and fading into invisibility. Romy does the opposite; she tries to be stronger, better, harder, determined to not be a victim anymore. And in doing so, she hurts people. And though I often wished for her to do better, I felt I understood her every move and every emotion.

And that hurt, too. Realizing that everything she did, for better or worse, she did because she felt it was out of her control.

Every supporting character also feels like a real person, from Romy's mom and her boyfriend, to Romy's classmates at school, and even Romy's coworkers. Every character has a backstory, a reason they are the way they are. Every character has a reason for being in the story. Romy's mom and her boyfriend, Todd, broke my heart. Unlike many YA novels, the parents here are always there, worried and trying to understand. They broke my heart knowing exactly how much they wanted to help Romy, but not knowing how because they didn't know exactly what was going on. Then there's Leon, Romy's coworker at the diner who has a romantic interest in Romy. The way this relationship played out was also so realistic it hurt.

The mystery aspect was also an interesting way to move the story forward, and the way it all unfolded was imperative to Romy's journey.

The one thing I absolutely knew going into this book was that the writing would be perfect. Having previously read This is Not a Test, I expected the prose to be beautiful, and I wasn't disappointed.

I won't lie. It physically hurt to read this book. It's eye-opening to realize that this is exactly the way so many girls get treated when they've accused someone of rape or sexual assault, especially in a small town like the one in the book. Their words are not believed. The boy tells a different story, and his word is gold. Even when she is believed, the focus is often, "This boy had so much ahead of him, and now it's all been taken away. His future is being taken away" or "The girl had too much to drink. She was wearing provocative clothes. She had a crush on him in the first place." She is shunned, and bullied, and abandoned by others who don't even want to associate with the "girl who cried rape."

It's sickening. And frustrating. And completely rage-inducing. And that's why this book hurts so much.

But it's also why this book is so important. Everyone should read this, and think long and hard about all those cases they've heard of and how they reacted to them.

I can't recommend this book enough. Whether you've read Courtney Summers before or not, you should pick this up.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read this book yet? What were your thoughts? Share them in the comments below! 

Review: MY HEART AND OTHER BLACK HOLES by Jasmine Warga

Title: My Heart and Other Black Holes
Author: Jasmine Warga

Summary: Sixteen-year-old physics nerd Aysel is obsessed with plotting her own death. With a mother who can barely look at her without wincing, classmates who whisper behind her back, and a father whose violent crime rocked her small town, Aysel is ready to turn her potential energy into nothingness. 

There's only one problem: she's not sure she has the courage to do it alone. But once she discovers a website with a section called Suicide  Partners, Aysel's convinced she's found her solution: a teen boy with the username FrozenRobot (aka Roman) who's haunted by a family tragedy is looking for a partner. 

Even though Aysel and Roman have nothing in common, they slowly start to fill in each other's broken lives. But as their suicide pact becomes more concrete, Aysel begins to question whether she really wants to go through with it. Ultimately, she must choose between wanting to die or trying to convince Roman to live so they can discover the potential of their energy together. Except that Roman may not be so easy to convince. 

Why I read it: I've heard great things about this book and I'm very interested in books that revolve around suicide for some reason. And since so many of them came out this winter/spring, I've been collecting them. I just needed a fairly short contemporary to read after Allegiant and Dorothy Must Die. Also, this is Jasmine Warga's debut novel, and the last debut I read the year it was released was Something Strange and Deadly back in 2012. Crazy!

Thoughts: I've literally been sitting here for twenty minutes, trying to put my feelings into words.

I really, really liked this book.

I loved Aysel (pronounced "Uh-zell"). Even though this is a book about depression and suicide, Aysel often shows a great sense of humor and self-awareness. She's also unique; her parents are Turkish, though she admittedly doesn't know much of her own culture. She's so realistic and a great protagonist.

I loved Roman, too, for different reasons. He's also realistic, and he can be very hot and cold, which I appreciated. I loved the approach to his character and his very real problems.

I loved the buildup and relationship between Aysel and Roman. It's not rushed at all, and it never feels forced, either. They begin as acquaintances and it just builds from there.

The ending was realistic, too. Without going into spoilers, I'm glad that Jasmine Warga didn't manufacture a fake, Hollywood-type ending for our characters.

This book hurts. It deals with depression and suicide and family and loss. But it's shot through with humor and lightness and hope. One of my favorite parts of this book is how it deals with family. Both Aysel and Roman have issues they have to work out through relationships with their family, and it's nice to see that aspect explored in a YA book.

And I cried. So, there's always that.

I highly recommend this book, especially to anyone who is dealing with or knows someone who is dealing with depression and/or suicidal thoughts.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read this book yet? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

Review: CHARM & STRANGE by Stephanie Kuehn

Title: Charm & Strange
Author: Stephanie Kuehn

Summary: When you've been kept cage in the dark, it's impossible to see the forest for the trees. It's impossible to see anything, really. Not without bars...

Andrew Winston Winters is at war with himself. 

He's part Win, the lonely teenager exiled to a remote Vermont boarding school in the wake of a family tragedy. The guy who shuts all his classmates out, no matter the cost. 

He's part Drew, the angry young boy with violent impulses that control him. The boy who spent a fateful, long-ago summer with his brother and teenage cousins, only to endure a secret so monstrous it led three children to do the unthinkable. 

Over the course of one night, while stuck at a party deep in the New England woods, Andrew battles both the pain of his past and the isolation of his present. 

Before the sun rises, he'll either surrender his sanity to the wild darkness inside his mind or make peace with the most elemental of truths--that choosing to live can mean so much more than not dying. 

Why I read it: I've heard great things about this one. I follow YA Highway, an author blog, and Stephanie Kuehn is a contributor there, so I've been hearing about her books for a long time. I found this on Book Outlet last summer, and at the end of February, I was looking for something short to finish out the month. This book is only a little over 200 pages, so it perfectly fit the bill!

Thoughts: This is a difficult book to talk about. But it is really, really good.

This book is not so much about plot and action and events. It's a character study.

This book is tough to review. Not because there aren't a million things that I could talk about, because there are. It's because talking about any of them would immediately fall into spoiler territory, and I wouldn't want to ruin the experience of reading this book for anyone. Because that's definitely what it is: an experience.

The atmosphere of this book is dark and moody and very mysterious, and I spent a huge chunk of this book trying to figure out exactly what was going on. Events are hinted at early on, but full explanations for those events don't happen until later in the book after you've had time to figure them out on your own.

The writing is stunning. The metaphors and descriptions really made this book for me. I could really picture everything that was happening, even when it wasn't exactly spelled out for me.

The title comes from quarks, of which there are six kinds, but are usually discussed in pairs: up/down, top/bottom and charm/strange. (Fun fact: I learned this from an episode of The Chase.) The quarks are mentioned in the book, but it is also a fitting title to the book itself. Drew, and especially his older counterpart Win, is charming and strange, and you come to care so much about him, even if he makes it hard.

Though this is wholly Drew/Win's story, the secondary characters are well-developed for the short time that we get to know them. From Drew's brother to Win's friends, I cared about all of them.

It's hard to say that I loved this book, or even that I enjoyed it, because it is not a "nice" book. It is a difficult book that is sometimes hard to swallow. But it is fascinating and beautifully written. It kept me guessing the entire time and when things were slowly revealed, everything fell into place perfectly. It is just a very good book.

I would highly recommend this if you are drawn to dark books with difficult subject matter. It's a short book, but it definitely packs a punch.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read this book yet? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

Review: I WAS HERE by Gayle Forman

Title: I Was Here
Author: Gayle Forman

Summary: Cody and Meg were inseparable.
Two peas in a pod.
Until...they weren't anymore.

When here best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything--so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg's college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there's a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg's heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can't open--until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend's death gets thrown into question. 

Why I read it: I really enjoyed Gayle Forman's If I Stay duology (reviews of which can be found here and here.) So I received her other duology for Christmas, and then immediately picked this up when it came out. Then in February, I finished Insurgent after reading it for almost three weeks. I needed some short books to read at the end of the month to make sure I didn't get into a slump, so I picked this one up!

Thoughts: I absolutely loved this book. I couldn't put it down and finished it in two days.

All of the characters in this book are so distinct, and I loved all of them. Cody is a strong girl, much stronger than she even thinks she is. I loved her relationship with all of the other characters, and how she slowly lets them in throughout the book. She is "the" best friend to Meg's more outgoing and strong character, but we're shown over and over that Cody is just as strong, which I really appreciated. Too often, the narrator of books like this really are weaker than the best friend, but that wasn't the case here.

I loved Meg's roommates: Harry, Stoner Richard and Alice are so unique, both in their personalities and their interactions with Cody, but I loved all three of them.

And then there's Ben. The evolution of his character as Cody gets to know him was spot-on. I loved that he was so far from perfect. He definitely had his moments where I wanted to punch him in the face, but I actually like that kind of character because they're realistic.

I know a lot of people have disliked the romance, but I thought it was perfect. In real life, things get messy and complicated, and this book reflected that. The romance progressed really naturally in my opinion, and I was swooning by the end.

I also cried at the end. This book does a great job of coming full circle and bringing the story to a satisfying conclusion. Yes, it's a sad book, but I think the story began and ended exactly where it needed to.

If you are a contemporary fan, and if you don't mind suicide as a theme, I would highly recommend this standalone, especially if you're a fan of Gayle Forman's other books!

Rating: 5/5 stars

Review: MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME

Title: My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Romances
Authors: Holly Black, Ally Carter, Matt de la Peña, Gayle Forman, Jenny Han, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Myra McEntire, Stephanie Perkins (editor), Rainbow Rowell, Laini Taylor and Kiersten White

Summary: On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me... This beautiful collection features twelve gorgeously romantic stories set during the festive period, by some of the most talented and exciting YA authors writing today. The stories are filled wit the magic of first love and the magic of the holidays. 

Why I read it: Take a look at that list of authors. Why wouldn't I read it? It gave me a chance to read more from some authors I love, as well as try out some new authors that I haven't read yet. Plus, it was Christmastime, so it was perfect! I read one story a day leading up to Christmas Eve.

Thoughts: Since this is an anthology of twelve short stories, I will talk about and rate each one individually!

Midnights by Rainbow Rowell

Rating: 5/5 stars

I adored this first story! This marks the fourth time I've read Rainbow Rowell this year, and she did not disappoint. This story is adorable, with just the right amount of tension and, for lack of a better word, angst. What a way to start the collection, because I would compare all the rest to how much I loved this one.

The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link

Rating: 1/5 stars

This one was a clunker for me, sadly. Especially in its unfortunate place immediately follow Rainbow Rowell. It was intriguing at first, but the writing style wasn't my favorite. Our main character was fine, but everyone around her was boring and one-dimensional. And then the ending was just completely crazy and ridiculous. It felt like there was so much left unexplained, and not in a good way. Probably my least favorite of the bunch.

Angels in the Snow by Matt de la Peña

Rating: 4/5 stars

I actually really enjoyed this one. I've never read anything by Matt de la Peña, but I immediately took a liking to his writing. It's beautiful, but simple. I adored these two characters, and the romance between them was very believable, which I appreciated. What a cute ending, too!

Polaris is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han

Rating: 3/5

This was cute and very unique. I loved the whole concept of a human girl living at the North Pole, and Jenny Han's take on Christmas elves was super cool. However, being the shortest in the collection left me wanting a little more, especially being left on a cliffhanger that belonged in an indie romcom. It was cute, but not my favorite.

It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins

Rating: 5/5 stars

Oh, Stephanie Perkins. You never let me down, do you? This was SO ADORABLE. I loved the banter between our two leads (and what a fabulous name is North for a guy?!) Really, I'll read anything that Stephanie Perkins writes, so it should come as no shock that this instantly became one of my favorites.

Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan

Rating: 2/5 stars

Just coming off two books by David Levithan that I really enjoyed, I was expecting to enjoy this one, too. I did appreciate the inclusion of an LGBT story in the collection. However, the subtitle to the collection is "Twelve Holiday Romances." And this story barely had any romance in it. I did enjoy part of this, but it didn't have nearly enough love for me, when that was what I was expecting.

Krampuslauf by Holly Black

Rating: 1/5 stars

I've heard so many amazing things about Holly Black, and I may still pick up one of her books to see if I like it, but this short story did absolutely nothing for me. The beginning was interesting, but the rest of the story fell flat. There was a lot of talk and no action during the middle, and I didn't ever fully connect with the characters. I also didn't feel a ton of love from the very brief romance at the end.

What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman

Rating: 5/5 stars

I loved this one, too! I absolutely adored the characters, and Gayle Forman's writing is always on point. Once again, dialogue was a highlight of the story for me, because personalities of characters really shined through with their words. Adorable. Loved!

Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire

Rating: 2/5 stars

It was okay. The characters were middling, the story didn't keep me very invested, and the dialogue was forgettable. This is probably the story I remember the least. Though I do remember it is set in Tennessee. I guess points for Tennessee.

Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White

Rating: 5/5 stars

This is my first Kiersten White venture, and oh my goodness, did I love it. I often have problems with short stories because I feel like I want more, that there's still more to the story. Not the case with this one. It really felt like a complete story to me. I didn't feel like I was missing any information at the beginning, nor did I feel like I was being cheated on a too-short ending. It was perfect. And it was the first story to make me cry. So kudos to Kiersten White, and I'll DEFINITELY be picking up more of her books!

Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter

Rating: 4/5 stars

I love Ally Carter. I really do. This story was intriguing from the beginning, even though the main character annoyed me a bit. And part of that definitely stemmed from them mystery of her identity. But I really enjoyed this one. The singing bit on Christmas Eve definitely made me tear up again, too.

The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Rating: 4/5 stars

I didn't know what to think of this one at first. This was the only story that I really had trouble with deciding on a rating. At first, it took me a long time to get into the story, partly because it seemed like a major information dump. Two or three pages of background would be described, and then our main character would resume her actions from before, so it was a little confusing every once in a while. But once we got into the meat of the story, I really enjoyed it. It seems Laini Taylor has a definite knack for fantasy lore, which makes me even more excited to read her series!


Overall, I really enjoyed reading this anthology. There were definitely stories I liked better than others, but that's part of the fun in anthologies. I would still definitely recommend this to anyone who likes romance, the holidays and short stories!

Overall rating: 3.5/5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read this holiday anthology yet? What did you think about it? Let me know in the comments below! 

Review: DASH AND LILY'S BOOK OF DARES

Title: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares
Authors: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Summary: "I've left some clues for you. 
If you want them, turn the page. 
If you don't, put the book back on the shelf, please." 

Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a cosmic mismatch of disastrous proportions? 

Why I read it: I loved the movie adaptation of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, by the same authors, so I've had their three collaborative novels on my TBR for a while. Then I saw this at Half Price Books for super cheap, picked it up, and saved it for Christmastime, since that's when it takes place!

Thoughts: I wanted to love it.

I didn't love it.

This book read like an indie rom-com film. Two very quirky characters, a unique love story, and interesting timeline format, and an open ending. On the surface, it sounds like something I would very much enjoy. And I did. On the whole, I enjoyed this book.

But there were definitely aspects I didn't enjoy.

Lily is an adorable, somewhat naive girl whose notebook spurs the entire adventure. I loved Lily. She can be a little judgmental (like when her perception of Dash is diminished slightly when he curses,) but she is generally a nice, shy girl intrigued by Dash's clever directions and insightful words.

Dash, on the other hand, is a cynical, pretentious boy who partakes in the adventure, though he often finds things going in a direction he doesn't care for. And Dash is the major reason I didn't love this book.

Dash's pretension drove me crazy. I can't stand pretension in real life, so reading Dash's thoughts was grating on my nerves. He is also judgmental to a fault. When Lily's instructions lead him to Madam Tussaud's Wax Museum, he spends a considerable amount of time deriding the wax museum and the kind of people that go there.

I also didn't care much for the ending. I felt like the love story had so much potential, but the reader doesn't quite get to see it through. We're still left wondering how it's going to end up. (Indie romcom syndrome, once again.) There are also several plot threads that are unrelated to the love story that are left unresolved, like Dash's relationship with his parents and Lily's potential move across the world.

Overall, my problem with this book isn't so much based on bad writing or poor character development, but rather based on personal preference. While I did eventually grow to like Dash (never love,) it took me a large chunk of this rather small book to really get past the pretension to see the person underneath. For that reason, I have to say that this was just an okay book for me.

However, I still plan on reading Cohn and Levithan's other collaborations, in the hopes that I will like them better!

Rating: 3/5 stars

Tell me: if you've read this book, what were YOUR thoughts? Also, if you've read either of Levithan and Cohn's other collaborations, which one did you like the best? Let me know in the comments below! 

Review: EVERY DAY by David Levithan

Title: Every Day
Author: David Levithan

Summary: Every day a different body. Ever day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.

There's never any warning about where it will be or who it ill be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

It's all fine until the morning that A waes up in the body of Justin and mets Justin's girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been livng no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with--day in, day out, day after day.

Why I read it: I've heard great things about David Levithan, and I've had quite a few of his books on my TBR for a long time. So when I found this book on Book Outlet, it was such a steal that I couldn't resist! Then I was in between TBR books last month, so I picked a book out of my TBR jar, and this is what came up!

Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is not one of those books that will have you on the edge of your seat, but it is a book that will make you think a lot.

A, our narrator, is a captivating character. They think of themselves as genderless, which makes this review really hard to write. A's view on the world is refreshing, and I loved seeing through their eyes every day when they would wake up in a different body. Sometimes even more than the Rhiannon/love plotline, I enjoyed reading about each person that A would inhabit for a day.

That being said, Rhiannon is also interesting. I wanted to root for her and A, but sometimes she is selfish and closed-minded. When A shows up to see Rhiannon in a girl's body, Rhiannon finds it much more difficult to see past the body to the person underneath, to see A. Even when A is in a less attractive male body, she has a hard time with it. It made me think a lot. Would I be like Rhiannon, unable to see past the body? I think we'd all like to say "no," that's it the person inside that matters. But while personality is a huge factor in attraction and compatibility, physical attraction is also important. So while I know that I would more like Rhiannon than I care to admit, it still made me less sympathetic towards her since we were seeing everything from A's perspective.

I really enjoyed being able to see every aspect of A's life, and there were a couple of plot threads left hanging at the end, so I'm relieved that there will be a sequel of sorts next year, Another Day, this time from Rhiannon's POV.

There were times that the writing felt a little draggy, but for the more part, it kept me enthralled. It wasn't a perfect book, but a solid one. And I really enjoyed Levithan's writing, so I'm excited to pick up more of his work in the future!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read this book? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments below! 

Review: PROM by Laurie Halse Anderson

Title: Prom
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Summary: High school senior Ashley Hannigan doesn't care about prom, but she's the exception. It's pretty much the only good thing at her urban Philadelphia high school, and everyone plans to make the most of it--especially Ash's best friend, Natalia, who's the head of the committee. Then the faculty advisor is busted for taking the prom money, and Ash suddenly finds herself roped into putting together a gala dance out of absolutely nada. But she has help--from her large and loving (if exasperating!) family, from Nat's eccentric grandmother, from her fellow classmates. And in putting the prom together, Ash learns that she has choices about her life after high school. 

Why I read it: I really enjoyed Anderson's Speak, and I found this book at the Half Price Books clearance sale for a dollar, so I picked it up. Then I wanted to read one more book in August, and this was one of the shortest books I owned, so I knew I could finish it in just a couple of days.

Thoughts: It's cute. It is nowhere near the quality of Speak, but it was an enjoyable read.

In the beginning, I was caught off guard by the vocabulary of the main character and her speech patterns, which extended to the narration because we are in first-person POV. Ash lives in Philadelphia and does not live in the best neighborhood, but I wasn't expecting the slang and slight dialect that I encountered. I gradually got used to it, but I was a little off-put at first, sadly.

Once I got into it, however, it was a super quick, easy read. Everything is pretty straightforward and happens pretty much how you expect it to. There are no tricks here, no twists. It's kind of a Philadelphia-Cinderella story.

Some of the characters are fun. I love Natalia and her grandmother, who live next door to Ash. And Ash's family seems so real, with a father who takes on too many home projects and a mother who is semi-stuck in the 80's.

It's predictable. But I did end up rooting for Ashley in the end, and the book had a satisfying conclusion. In fact, the last sixty or so pages were my favorite part.

Prom is a fluffy, straightforward contemporary. So if you're looking for something super quick and light to read that won't stress you out at all, you may want to give it a try. But it's not something I would outright recommend to people. Only read it if you need a palate cleanse or a short, sweet book.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read any of Laurie Halse Anderon's books? If you've read more than one, which was your favorite? 

Review: LANDLINE by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Landline
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Published date: July 8th, 2014
Summary: Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it's been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply -- but that almost seems beside the point now. 

Maybe that was always beside the point. 

Two days before they're supposed to visit Neal's family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can't go. She's a TV writer, and something's come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her -- Neal is always a little upset with Georgie -- but she doesn't expect him to pack up the kids and go home without her. 

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she's finally done it. If she's ruined everything. 

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It's not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she's been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts...

Is that what she's supposed to do? 

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened? 

Why I read it: I have been hearing great things about Rainbow Rowell for the last year, so for Christmas, I got both Eleanor and Park and Fangirl. I read both of them this spring and absolutely LOVED them both, so when her newest adult book came out this summer, I knew I had to get it. I actually took a break from Hollow City to read this one, and stayed up until 4 in the morning to finish it.

Thoughts: Rainbow Rowell is quickly becoming one of my favorite contemporary authors. Her books are always well-written and entertaining, while still dealing with different issues and personalities. I adore her. Landline just confirmed this love.

Rowell's writing style is so distinctive, often employing several parentheticals in a row, or flashbacks within flashbacks. It's a tribute to her talent, then, that I was never confused as to what or when I was reading. I always knew what was going on within the context of the story.

Speaking of the story, I was entertained from page one. We begin, in the very first chapter, with Georgie telling Neal she can't make it to Omaha for Christmas. We are thrown into the story with very little background for their relationship, but Rowell so easily paints both the tension and ease between Georgie and Neal. It's obvious they love each other, but also have some issues that cannot be fixed by a quick argument and a makeup kiss. From here, the story evolves.

The magic phone actually plays less of a role in the story than I thought it would, but I was okay with that. The real heart of the story is about present Georgie and present Neal, and the magic phone only serves to enhance that relationship.

The characters were my favorite part of the book. Our heroine, Georgie McCool, is so relatable. She seems so cool on the outside, often appearing like the coolest person at parties, while feeling nervous and anxious on the inside. Neal is complicated and sometimes unlikable, but he has his redeeming moments that make him totally swoon-worthy. Georgie's mother is hilarious; I can totally imagine her in real life, with her obsession with her pugs and dressing younger than she should. Georgie's sister, Heather, is so refreshing for her sarcasm and wit, but also her own insecurities that Georgie helps her begin to overcome.

My absolute FAVORITE character, though, is Seth. Seth has been Georgie's writing partner and best friend for almost twenty years, and their relationship shows it. Every conversation and interaction between the two of them was pure gold. I would gladly read a book all about Seth. I want a Seth of my very own.

I would absolutely recommend this book, especially if you've read and liked any of Rowell's previous books!

Rating: 5/5 stars

Review: WE WERE LIARS by E. Lockhart

Title: We Were Liars
Author: E. Lockhart
Published date: May 13th, 2014
Summary: A beautiful and distinguished family. 
A private island. 
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy. 
A group of four friends--the Liars--whose friendship turns destructive. 
A revolution. An accident. A secret. 
Lies upon lies. 
True love. 
The truth. 

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. 
Read it. 
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE. 

Why I read it: This summer, I really started getting into book blogging/booktube. I started following a bunch of booktubers on YouTube, and ALL of them started talking about this book. And it was one I hadn't really heard much about until then, because I'm not usually a contemporary YA reader (although that is quickly changing.) But since all of booktube started raving about this book, I knew I had to read it. I bought it at Half Price Books one day and as soon as I finished Where She Went, I dove into this book. And since it's so short, I flew through it in a day and a half.

Thoughts: We Were Liars follows the story of Cadence, who spends her summers on a private island with her beautiful, rich family, the Sinclairs. From what I've heard, the writing style in this book is different than Lockhart's usual writing style in her previous novels, but it is hauntingly beautiful. The way sentences are broken up onto different lines. The intense descriptions of Cadence's emotions. Early on in the book, Cadence describes the day her father left her and her mother. She says "Then he took out a gun and shot me in the chest." And at first, I thought that he had really shot his own daughter. But then her mother tells her to be normal, pull it together, and they walk back into the house, so I realized it was just a metaphor for her emotion. This happens several times in the novel, and it's one of my favorite parts.

The narration switches back and forth between the present, and two summers ago, when the incident occurred. Through these flashbacks and present plot, we discover all of the Sinclairs' secrets alongside Cadence, whose memory of that summer has been impaired.

Though the novel is short, the character descriptions are so perfect and detailed, and by the end of the book, I loved each of the Liars so much.

The description is correct, though. Go into this book knowing as little as possible. It's a contemporary like I've never read before, and I absolutely adored it.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Mini Reviews: WHERE SHE WENT and A MONSTER CALLS

Title: Where She Went

Author: Gayle Forman
Series: If I Stay #2
Published Date: April 5, 2011

Thoughts: In the interest of being spoiler-free, I won't post the summary, and I'll try to discuss this in the abstract. I posted my review for the first book, If I Stay, a couple of weeks ago, and gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I had high hopes for the sequel, and I wasn't disappointed. I enjoyed it so much, even much more than the first. Where She Went is written from Adam's POV. In all honesty, I found it much more refreshing and intriguing that Mia's POV in If I Stay. Adam's personality is multi-faceted, and almost more well-drawn than Mia's, though I do still love Mia. The present day and flashback alternating chapters work in the sequel almost better than the first. And I love the character development throughout. Overall, I loved Where She Went, and I'm so glad I picked up this duology.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars.

Bonus: Here's the trailer for If I Stay, releasing to theaters on August 22nd!

Title: A Monster Calls
Author: Patrick Ness
Published date: September 27, 2011

Summary: At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting--he's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments. The monster in his backyard is different. It's ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth. From the final idea of award-winning author Siobhan Dowd--whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself--Patrick Ness has spun a haunting and darkly funny novel of mischief, loss and monsters both real and imagined. 

Thoughts: I picked up this book because I'd heard really great things about it, as well as the author, Patrick Ness. This novel is a fairly short read, enhanced by the fact that many pages are edged by beautiful black-and-white illustrations. Some illustrations even dominate entire pairs of pages, but each picture ties directly into the events of the story. The writing is equally beautiful, as I've heard of Ness in general, and it evokes the dark, somewhat foreboding tone of the novel, though there are moments of humor. Conor is a nuanced character, and the minor characters are richly drawn, even the characters we see for only a few pages. Early on, it is obvious what the central conflict of the story is, and though I guessed the content of the nightmare early on, there were more revelations to be had. And by the last twenty pages or so, I was crying as I finished the book. This is a book that can appeal to anyone, whether a regular reader of YA or not. I absolutely loved it, and am looking forward to picking up Patrick Ness's other books. 

Rating: 5/5 stars

Review: IF I STAY by Gayle Forman

Title: If I Stay
Author: Gayle Forman
Series: If I Stay #1
Published Date: April 2, 2009
Summary: 
On a day that started like any other,

Mia had everything: a loving family, a gorgeous, admiring boyfriend, and a bright future full of music and full of choices. In an instant, almost all of that is taken from her. Caught between life and death, between a happy past and an unknowable future, Mia spends one critical day contemplating the only decision she has left. It is the most important decision she'll ever make.

Simultaneously tragic and hopeful, this is a romantic, riveting, and ultimately uplifting story about memory, music, living, dying, loving.

Thoughts: I'd heard rave reviews about this book all over the internet, and from a few friends. So when the trailer for the upcoming movie adaptation was released a couple of months ago (and I cried like a baby just at the trailer,) I knew I'd have to pick up this duology and read it before the movie came out. So we (my Mom and I) picked them up at Target for 20% off. 

I really enjoyed the book. It raises so many questions about mortality, family, friendship and romance. You begin the book knowing that something horrible is going to happen to Mia, so the first chapter is automatically full of tension as you wait for the inevitable. When the crash happens, Forman skips the actual crash and goes straight from driving to the aftermath, which is extremely abrupt but powerful. 

Mia is such an interesting character, being a classical cellist coming from a punk-rock family. It's a combination you don't often see in YA. Usually, it's the straight-laced parents and the rebellious teenager, so Mia is a breath of fresh air. Her flashback narrations shed a lot of light on her parents, as well, making them fully fleshed out characters. And Kim is a great YA best friend. 

And Adam. Oh, Adam. Such a swoon-worthy YA boyfriend. Adam is more like Mia's parents than she is, and while their relationship has it's problems, they are realistic and nuanced problems, with no sense of melodrama in sight. 

Unfortunately, the nature of Mia's narration means that she does not feel things fully, physically or emotionally. Because of this, I felt it a little hard to feel completely emotionally invested in the story. It was sad, obviously, but I didn't connect with the sadness because Mia didn't connect with the sadness fully. 

I liked it. I didn't LOVE it like I thought I would, but I liked it. The framework of the day at the hospital allows Mia to think back on other events in her life, illuminating the backstories little by little and making every character feel like an important part of the narrative, even the smallest characters only mentioned a few times. 

I'm starting the sequel, Where She Went, and hopefully will enjoy it just as much, or maybe even more! 

Rating: 3.5/5 stars