The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon | Book Review

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

Page Count: 348
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Publication Date: November 1st, 2016

Synopsis:
(from Goodreads)

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.
Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.
The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

–Possible Spoilers! Read at your own risk!–

“The thing about falling is you don’t have any control on your way down.”

Okay wow. When I imagined writing this review I did not expect it to go like this, but I finished the Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon and I actually really enjoyed it.

Now I’m going to be 100% real with you, the romance? It was alright.

I like my romance to be the slowest of slow burns, I want to be tortured by how slow it is, I want to melt by the time it finally happens.

And this book is the opposite of slow burn, but despite that I really liked it anyway.

The underlying story about family and friendship, and racism and the struggles of being an immigrant really connected with me.

“I wonder if she realizes how passionate she is about not being passionate.”

I really liked Natasha’s character, we are so similar in so many ways, realists (*cough* cynics) through and through. I loved how passionate she was about physics.

“Because it doesn’t matter what I say. People take one look at me and believe what they want.”

Daniel’s struggle with his family’s racism and his struggle with identity reminded me so much of myself. That being said, my family isn’t quite as bad as him, no one is forcing my to be a doctor, but the whole section of “you should marry a Asian American girl/boy”. Oh yes. That is my family.

Daniel and I are honestly nothing alike, not like me and Natasha, but when he was talking about his struggle with identifying himself to others my heart went out to him.

“My parents think I’m not Korean enough. Everybody thinks I’m not American enough.”

He is a Korean born in America. You try to be both and you can never be enough of either. You try to be one, but you can never change how others perceive you.

Nicola Yoon captured that feeling, that helplessness so well, for one can never change what others think of you, especially if it has to do with something superficial like your race.

“I don’t believe in love.”
“It’s not a religion,” he says. “It exists whether you believe in it or not.”

Natasha and Daniel really connected with me. Maybe not their relationship and their love, but definitely their characters.

The Sun is Also a Star is a perfect young adult novel for people who want to know what it’s like to be an immigrant in America. To any Asian American you will find a small part of yourself in Daniel.

I loved the “A History” chapters, Irie and Half-Life being my favorites. I loved reading side character point of views, those were really fun.

I do think a much more romantic person than me would have enjoyed this book even more than me, but I am so happy to say I quite liked it.

A whole lot more than Everything, Everything at least.

Her romances aren’t really for me, but I cannot deny that Nicola Yoon’s writing is just so lovely and wonderful.

I think this just goes to show how not liking one book by an author doesn’t mean you can’t like another! I am happy I gave this book a shot because I was really pleasantly surprised, which is nice.

“We are capable of big lives. A big history. Why settle? Why choose the practical thing, the mundane thing? We are born to dream and make the things we dream about.”

Overall, this was a really cute and fun novel that touched on some really tough topics. I loved the diversity, and I still cannot believe most of the book takes place over the course of a day.

If you’re a romantic you’ll definitely enjoy it, and even if you’re not, the story is also one that deals with family, identity, and morality, which I personally really enjoyed.

Also, can I just say I love the title for this book? So fitting and perfect.

“Most poems I’ve seen are about love or sex or the stars. You poets are obsessed with stars. Falling stars. Shooting stars. Dying stars.”
“Stars are important,” I say, laughing.
“Sure, but why not more poems about the sun? The sun is also a star, and it’s our most important one. That alone should be worth a poem or two.”

4 out of 5 stars

★★★★/5

–

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Underneath It All by Patricia Vanasse | Book Review

Underneath It All by Patricia Vanasse

Page Count: 300
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Publication Date: March 6th, 2018

Synopsis:
(from Goodreads)

Gossip Girl meets The Great Gatsby in this competitive prep school drama that tackles issues of class, diversity, peer pressure, addiction, and first love.
Seventeen-year-old London Mendes is the son of a Cuban mother and Seattle-native bookseller, and he knows exactly what he wants: to be the first in his middle class family to reach the Ivy Leagues. Specifically Princeton, alma mater of his favorite author Mia Merkley, a local mystery writer whose national fame and recent suicide have put her in the news again. Luckily for London, his own fiction and high grades put him on the radar of Birmingham Academy, a prep school that offers him a scholarship to leave public school and study with the richest students in the country.
There London meets Aria: the captivating, mysterious daughter of Mia Merkley. Her grief and darkness draw him in further than any of her mother’s novels. But soon, London learns that Aria is off limits—her blueblood boyfriend Dillon Astor is London’s newest friend and the one who decides London’s acceptance into the academy’s elite. When Aria and London become partners in a creative writing class, their friendship grows and an undeniable attraction threatens to blow London off course. 
London knows he has to work harder than ever for a shot at Princeton. He knows he should stay away from drugs, parties, and Dillon’s girlfriend. But as Dillon slowly reveals his true nature and Aria’s secrets, London fails to see what is underneath it all. Now London can’t help playing hero, and he’ll have to decide what he loves more: Aria, or his own dreams.

–Possible Spoilers! Read at your own risk!–

Disclaimer: A huge thank you to the author for sending me a free ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. All quotes could be subject to changes in the final product.

“Dysfunction is the only entertainment when it’s fiction. In reality it would be a whole different story.”

When the first few pages of the book began with a discussion between two book nerds about literature, I already knew that the main character London and I were going to get along just fine.

At it’s heart Underneath It All is a contemporary novel about unexpected friendships that turn into unexpected attraction and relationships.

The story deals with addiction and unhealthy relationships, and about how the choices we make in life for ourselves and those we love can be difficult, especially when school drama and peer pressure is added into the mix.

“I’m not sure a person can simply stop wanting, or thinking about another person, even if it’s for the best.”

I liked London, we did not have much in common besides our mutual love of books. He is much more of a romantic than I am, but even so, London is so sweet and nice and kind, which I think is so undervalued. His character is kind and supportive, and he is such a great friend to Aria.

“One thing was clear—Aria wasn’t the kind of girl who bent rules—she broke them as a matter of principle.”

Aria was a deeply emotionally broken and mysterious character. She is withdrawn and closed off, and often time no one really knows what truly going on in her head, not even her friends.

Her poems at the beginning of most of the chapters gives the reader glimpses of her problems. They were all so heartbreaking and sad, I didn’t love Aria, but I really felt for her.

Her relationship with London was so unbelievably charming. I found myself smiling at their interactions and their antics, and they were just so adorable.

‘“Music is very important because year from now, when you listen to this song, you’ll remember this moment, what you were thinking, what it felt like, everything’”

I guess my main issue with their relationship was I didn’t really get it? I mean, they were adorable together yes, and they clearly got each other in a way that both of them needed.

But she was clearly in a relationship. Did I particularly like Dillon? Not really. Did I like his relationship with Aria? No way.

I just didn’t understand why London was so captivated by her that he would risk everything for her. There were some lines in his narration that made me uncomfortable because it just seemed like London was in love with the mystery of her.

“The more trouble I had figuring her out, the stronger my attraction.”

That may just be a me thing though. I am really not good with understanding romance. He makes so many mistakes, but it’s undeniable that he grows a lot from his experiences.

That being said the story definitely gets darker and more depressing the more London gets entangled into the complex relationship of the Golden Clique.

“They are envied for their mutual devotion, for their bond, for the way they love and protect one another. A friendship written in the stars, forged in fire, bright like gold.”

The friendship between the Golden Clique was so messed up, and yet there is such a strong loyalty there that is slightly unhealthy and toxic.

They were all so real. Did I like them all or always agree with their actions? No, not at all. But they were all so human in the sense of not wanting to admit their mistakes. It was not all happiness and luxury from being wealthy, they all had their problems and their issues.

I really do not know how I feel about them. I cannot say I really liked any of the clique members, they were all pretty mean, and I will never be okay with bullying.

I did enjoyed Jason and Annalisa as secondary characters. I had a lot of fun learning more about them.

There is betrayal and there is heartbreak and mean bullying, there are secrets and there are lies, but the ending, while bittersweet (and made me a tad bit angry) was satisfying to me. I will be okay with how it ended. I am okay.

“I think love is an embellished idea that compels people to turn it into a set of high expectations. No one can live up to that. One way or another, all loves ends in disappointment.”

Overall, Underneath It All was a lovely, emotional, and beautiful book. The author’s writing was poetic and fun to read, I especially enjoyed all of the literature analogies and metaphors. I loved London’s voice, you could practically feel his love for literature.

It is a character driven story with a wonderful cast of flawed characters. Any fellow book lover will find a small piece of themselves in London.

“Aria looked back at me and smiled. ‘Don’t worry, it’s a good kind of pain.’”

3.5 out of 5 stars

★★★½/5

–

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Everything, Everything by Nicolla Yoon | Book Review

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Page Count: 307
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Publication Date: September 1st, 2015

Synopsis:
(from Goodreads)

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.
But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.
Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

–Possible Spoilers! Read at your own risk!–

“Sometimes you do things for the right reasons and sometimes for the wrong ones and sometimes it’s impossible to tell the difference.” “Sometimes you do things for the right reasons and sometimes for the wrong ones and sometimes it’s impossible to tell the difference.”

I’m honestly still not really sure how I feel about Everything, Everything.

The beginning was very cute and adorable (so adorable I guess I did not really feel the “danger” of Maddy’s sickness), I laughed out loud during the bundt cake scene.

And although it was very insta-lovey, I thought Olly and Madeline were adorable and could perhaps look past their very quick love.

I loved the diversity, and the human nature of wanting more in life. The poems, the jokes, the miming at the window, the illustrations and charts throughout the book, it was all very cute.

But then I hit a point maybe a little more than halfway through the novel and the cute moments became less cute, the characters started appearing more pretentious and whiny and too angsty for my taste and I just became so uncomfortable with the entire thing.

Then I get to the ending and I am just left thinking “wtf?”

I know, I know, it’s fiction, and I know a lot of the plot holes were to add to the eventual plot twist, but come on!

I don’t want to say too much about what happens because of spoilers, but one can only suspend their disbelief in a contemporary novel so much.

I know a lot of people liked it, so I feel bad, but I just really did not like that ending. I felt like it promoted the idea that “love can cure sickness” which is not a message I will every agree with, nor will I promote.

“Spoiler alert: Love is worth everything. Everything.” 

Is it worth your life though, Maddy? Is it? Had Maddy never met and “fallen in love” with Olly she never would have taken those risks or found out the truth and that just makes me sad.

Overall, Everything, Everything, had an interesting premise, but it honestly was not something I was planning on reading had there not been so much hype. It’s a quick and easy, cliche romantic read with an ending you will either love or hate.

I for one wish that the author took a different direction with the story and gave us more details about Maddy’s sickness, but alas, it did not happen and it was not meant to be.

2.5 out of 5 stars

★★½/5

–

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The Vanishing Season by Joanna Schaffhausen | Book Review

The Vanishing Season by Joanna Schaffhausen

Page Count: 288
Genre: Mystery
Publication Date: December 5, 2017

Synopsis:
(from Goodreads)

Ellery Hathaway knows a thing or two about serial killers, but not through her police training. She’s an officer in sleepy Woodbury, MA, where a bicycle theft still makes the newspapers. No one there knows she was once victim number seventeen in the grisly story of serial killer Francis Michael Coben. The only victim who lived. 
When three people disappear from her town in three years, all around her birthday—the day she was kidnapped so long ago—Ellery fears someone knows her secret. Someone very dangerous. Her superiors dismiss her concerns, but Ellery knows the vanishing season is coming and anyone could be next. She contacts the one man she knows will believe her: the FBI agent who saved her from a killer’s closet all those years ago.
Agent Reed Markham made his name and fame on the back of the Coben case, but his fortunes have since turned. His marriage is in shambles, his bosses think he’s washed up, and worst of all, he blew a major investigation. When Ellery calls him, he can’t help but wonder: sure, he rescued her, but was she ever truly saved? His greatest triumph is Ellery’s waking nightmare, and now both of them are about to be sucked into the past, back to the case that made them…with a killer who can’t let go.

–Possible Spoilers! Read at your own risk!–

“Hope is the thing with feathers, Emily Dickinson wrote, and Reed felt the truth of the words every time he met with the families. Hope could take you so high that you no longer saw the ground.”

Disclaimer: A huge thank you to the publishing company for sending me a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

First off, can I just say how much I loved and hated the opening of this book? It managed to hook me and make me so dang curious, but also annoyed because I knew the author would not be revealing the identity of the person who witnessed Ellery’s kidnapping until the end.

Well played Joanna Schaffhausen. Well played.

The Vanishing Season is a story about Ellery Hathaway who was the only survivor of the infamous serial killer, Francis Michael Coben. Years later she moves away to the small town of Woodbury, MA, changes her name and becomes a police officer. The story starts with her investigating the disappearance of three people three years in a row all around her birthday. Since none of her team believe the disappearances are connected, she calls up FBI Agent Reed Markham, the man who saved her life all those years ago, to help her solve the mystery before another person is taken.

While the prologue was great, it did take me a little bit to get into the story and warm up the characters.

The two protagonists, Reed and Ellery take a while to really trust each other, but their dynamic, their teamwork, and just their friendship was really beautiful and sweet. I loved them together.

“She’s like a soldier back from the war, he wanted to say. She’s strong. She’s shattered. Surprisingly funny, if she wants to be.”

Despite all the awful things that have happened to her, Ellery is so strong and intelligent and brave. I quite liked her a lot, she fights so hard for what she believes is right, and she was just a delight to read about.

Reed’s character was really interesting! I do think the dynamic between him and his wife and daughter wasn’t really fleshed out all that much. We get a taste of his life from before Ellery calls him, we know he loves his daughter, we know he was asked to leave the FBI, but that’s really about it.

While I was hoping for more development for his past, I did end up liking his character. Is he perfect? Far from it, he is flawed and makes mistakes when it comes to his relationships. He is protective of Ellery, for some obvious reasons, but he is also just extremely intelligent and thoughtful when it comes to criminals.

“It’s not up to you to stop it, not by yourself. You’re just one person Ellie.”
She shuttered and wrapper her arms around herself. “Yeah, but I’m the one he wants.”

Together him and Ellery were wonderful.

Though I did end up really liked our two main characters, the other characters weren’t all that memorable. Rosalie and Anna are introduced, but only mentioned like one other time in the book (after I had forgotten their existence).

Sam was interesting, but his character flipped back and forth from not a complete asshole, to plain awful and then back to being alright (not that great, just alright).

Reed’s ex-wife, Sarit and his daughter Tula are mentioned a couple of times throughout the book, but we really do not learn much about them to actually form an unbiased opinion.

(To me, Sarit seemed a bit just like a manipulative journalist. I really don’t want to be too harsh on her since we really don’t know the whole story with her though.)

I personally do not read many mystery novels simply because I am that awful person who will try to spoil myself on who the killer is. However, the plot was gripping and had me flipping the pages non-stop until I reached the end. It did help that the story wasn’t too long as well.

The mystery was interesting, even if I wasn’t that emotionally invested, I was still desperate to reach the end and find out who the killer was.

I did manage to guess who the killer was, but it was honestly just a small hunch that turned into actual suspicion after reading like 75% of the book.

Overall, The Vanishing Season was a well written, slightly creepy, and enjoyable fast paced read with awesome main characters. Despite some of the minor issues I had with it, I definitely recommended for fans of mystery and crime novels. It was so fun watching the mystery unravel and just hanging out with the characters.

“Bump’s a people person,” Ellie replied with a sigh, sounding almost disappointed. “I’ve tried to explain that we’re really just a bunch of selfish, rotten, hateful creature, but he goes on loving us just the same.”

Plus, there is an adorable dog sidekick, whom I loved.

I will definitely be on the lookout for more of Schaffhausen’s books in the future.

“She pinched her leg hard enough to hurt. The pain grounded her in the moment. It told her she was alive.


3.5 out of 5 stars

★★★½/5

–

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Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia | Book Review

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

Page Count: 385
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publication Date: May 30, 2017

Synopsis:
(from Goodreads)

Her story is a phenomenon. Her life is a disaster.
In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, and friendless. Online, she’s LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of the wildly popular webcomic Monstrous Sea. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves the online one, and she has no desire to try.
Then Wallace Warland, Monstrous Sea’s biggest fanfiction writer, transfers to her school. Wallace thinks Eliza is just another fan, and as he draws her out of her shell, she begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile.
But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart.

–Possible Spoilers! Read at your own risk!–

“THERE ARE MONSTERS IN THE SEA.” 

This book was a gigantic rollercoaster for me.

It was scary how much I related to Eliza. Of course, I will never be a talented webcomic artist, but her anxiety, her struggles with social interactions and her family not understanding, her love for fandoms and the Internet, it was so poignant sometimes that it physically hurt.

Just reading this book made me so anxious, I cried multiple times, and I had to take so many chapter breaks before I could continue on. What Eliza has to go through literally fills me with dread.

My heart was pounding and I was all sweaty just imagining it, and I just felt for her, I really did.

“I’m so tired. I’m tired of anxiety that twists my stomach so hard I can’t move the rest of my body. Tired of constant vigilance. Tired of wanting to do something about myself, but always taking easy way out.”

I could not imagine ever being in her shoes and having so many people counting on her like that.

A lot of people were saying that the book was kind of slow, but I think I loved it more because of its slow place. I will never be as artsy as her, but getting to know Eliza, being inside her head, going through all of the awful days of school, made it all the more real for me.

“Broken people don’t hide from their monsters. Broken people let themselves be eaten.” 

She struggles with coping with her problems, her family does not get her, but she does not try that hard to get them to understand either.

But in a lot of ways it is because of her anxiety, in a lot of ways Eliza is an unreliable narrator because when you have anxiety sometimes it feels as if the world and everyone in it hates you more than it actually does.

The writing is so beautiful, and I loved all of the art scattered throughout the book. I am extremely curious about Monstrous Sea as well as the Children of Hypnos series. I loved how Francesca Zappia developed the idea of the expectations people have for those we admire. It was really interesting, and very stressful.

I especially loved the value placed on Internet friendships. Despite age differences and being miles apart, Max and Emmy and Eliza are true friends. I loved everything about their relationship. Max is hilarious, Emmy is adorable and they’re both just so supportive.

The only reason it is not a five star is because a character toward the end really upset me and I am still not okay with what happened.

Never force yourself to do something painful out of obligation. When the times comes and only when you are ready.

Overall, I really, really enjoyed this book. However I am so glad I checked it out of my library because I don’t think I could ever read it again.

It was so completely heartbreaking and lovely and beautiful, I loved the gradual sibling relationships, but the anxiety was so palpable that I just don’t think I could.

It was emotionally draining for me. It is so wonderful and rare to find a book that gets you.

But I do recommend it wholeheartedly, it truly was a fantastic and lovely book that I think anyone who has ever been a part of a fandom will love and connect with.

“She drew so many monsters that she became a monster herself.” 

4.5 out of 5 stars

★★★★½/5

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My True Love Gave to Me edited by Stephanie Perkins | Book Review

My True Love Gave To Me edited by Stephanie Perkins

Genre: Young Adult, Anthology
Publication Date: October 14th, 2014

Synopsis:
(from Goodreads)

If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins. Whether you enjoy celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah, Winter Solstice or New Year’s there’s something here for everyone. So curl up by the fireplace and get cozy. You have twelve reasons this season to stay indoors and fall in love.

–Spoiler Free!–

I don’t read many anthologies and for good reason too. It’s strange experiencing so many different writing styles contained in just one novel. But thankfully I ended up enjoying all the stories in this one. Some were obviously better than others, but all of them were a lot of fun to read!

Midnights by Rainbow Rowell
★★★★★/5

Or also known as: How to Fall in Love With Two Characters in Only Twenty Two Pages. This story was so cute, I loved it so much! Rainbow Rowell is such an amazing writer, Mags and Noel were wonderfully written and developed characters. I fell in love with them instantly and I shipped them so hard.
Such a great story to start off with, but it did set the bar pretty high with my expectations for the other stories.
I never wanted it to end. I wanted to stay with Mags and Noel forever.

“You’re a kaleidoscope. You change every time I look away.”

The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link
★★★/5

This story was a bit…strange. It started off a bit slow and confusing, but I actually ended up liking it! It was very magical and nice.

“We all lose,” says an acerbic voice. “We all love and we all lose and we go on loving just the same.”

Angels in the Snow by Matt De La Peña
★★★/5

This one was kind of sad, I’ll admit I teared up a little, but I still liked it. Plus there was a cat, cats are my weakness.

“Sometimes I feel liked a shook-up bottle of soda. Like, I have all those passion that wants to explode, but don’t know where to aim it yet.”

Polaris Is Where You’ll Find Me by Jenny Han
★★★/5

I liked this one, it was unique and original, but it was way too short and open ended for me to really fall in love with it. I don’t know, I just wish it were longer. We didn’t really get to know any of the characters, which was sad because Natalie, Flynn, and Lars seem like character I could fall for.

“Flynn looks up at the sky, at the North Star above us. Polaris, it’s called. A fixed point, more accurate than any compass. You always know where you are when you look up at it. Home.”

It’s a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins
★★★★★/5

Okay how does she do it? How does she constantly make such adorable and swoon worthy characters? I absolutely loved North, he’s such a sweetheart! He’s funny and kind and caring and I’m already swooning. I loved his and Marigold’s relationship. They’re so cute. This story was so cute. My poor little heart. I’m dead.
Their story continues in Summer Days and Summer Nights, another anthology edited by Stephanie Perkins. That one was super fabulous as well.

“That you still don’t realize I’m willing to do anything, anything to stay in your company. You don’t need to pay me.”

Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan
★★★/5

Hooray for an LGBT romance! This one was really cute, but I didn’t really feel much connection to the characters. This story was definitely one of the shorter ones in the bunch, only about sixteen pages. Not much happens, but still, it was sweet and nice dealing a bit with family issues. The ending left me feeling hopeful.

“He says presents aren’t important, but I think they are–not because of how much they cost, but for the opportunity they provide to say I understand you.”

Krampuslauf by Holly Black
★★★/5

Ahhh, this story was a lot of much fun! I really liked all of the characters and could relate a little with the main one. I absolutely loved the slight magical elements added into it, and the ending was really nice and satisfying.

“He punished the naughty and rewarded the nice. Just like someone else who wore a lot of red. Scramble the letters in S-A-N-T-A and you get S-A-T-A-N.”

What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman
★★★★½/5

SOPHIE AND RUSSELL ARE SO CUTE. As someone who communicates mostly in sarcasm, their humor and banter left me feeling oh so happy and giddy. Their relationship was so adorable and I never wanted to leave them. The ending was nice and left me hopeful for their future.

“Sophie wondered when was she going to learn that lots of things seem like a good idea but a small amount of analysis might uncover that such seemingly good ideas are, in fact, intrinsically faulty.”

Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire
★★★/5

Another cute one! Kind of cheesy, sad at parts, relating to our main character’s family life, but it was still a nice story. Vaughn was a delight! I loved reading about all the pranks he pulled.

“Soon enough, people forget you altogether. So you do things that make them remember.”

Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White
★★★★/5

This one was so adorable! I absolutely loved Ben, not only is he a complete sweetheart who genuinely loves Christmas, he can also cook. Hello dream husband. Loved his relationship and banter with Maria, those two are really good together. And while the story was super cute and fun, it also dealt with family and relationship issues that had me tearing up a bit.

“If you were a food, you’d be a gingerbread cookie. Spicy enough to keep life interesting, but with just enough sweetness to balance it out.”

Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter
★★★★/5

Star of Bethlehem was such a heartwarmingly cute read! I do wish it were a bit longer and that we had more background information on the characters, but overall I really enjoyed this one and I’m hopeful for Lydia and Ethan’s future.

“But I was not in the mood to hear what I couldn’t do. The list had been too extensive for too long.”

The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
★★★★½/5

This one was so magical! I loved the Dreamer, I loved all the magical gifts that he gave Neve. Laini has such a wonderful and whimsical kind of writing style. The story was very unique and interesting. I’ll definitely be checking out more of her works in the future.

“I will free you, and I will lift you. I will learn a thousand ways to make you laugh. Your smiles will be the honey in my mead, your enchantment my delight.”

3.5 out of 5 stars

★★★½

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P.S. I Like You by Kasie West | Spoiler Free Book Review

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publication Date: July 26th, 2016

Synopsis:
(from Goodreads)

What if the person you were falling for was a total mystery?
While Lily is spacing out in Chemistry one day, she picks up her pencil and scribbles a line from one of her favorite songs on the desk. The next day, someone else has written back to her on the desk! Soon enough Lily and the mystery student are exchanging notes, and lyrics, and even sharing secrets. When Lily finds out that her anonymous pen pal is a guy, she’s flustered — and kind of feels like she’s falling for him. She and her best friend set out to unravel the identity of the letter writer — but when the truth is revealed, the guy is the LAST person Lily could have ever imagined it to be. Now that Lily knows the truth, can she untangle her feelings and gather the courage to listen to her heart?

–Spoiler Free!–

“Words brought us together though they almost kept us apart.
You trusted me with your secrets and then you stole my heart.”

This book was so adorable. I cannot stop smiling at all the cuteness.

“Who are you talking to?”
“Myself.”
“You do that a lot.”
“I know. I’m the only one who understands me.”

I want so badly to rate it 5 stars because of the ending alone, but alas, I cannot look past how upset the main character made me. I found Lily to be really funny and awkward. I loved her passion for music and her relationship with her family. In the beginning I really loved her, she reminded me a little of myself–an awkward person who talked to themselves occasionally, didn’t mind being alone and loved indie music–but she’s just so judgmental and it was a huge turn off for me.

“I was fine alone. Sometimes I preferred it that way.”

Especially toward a certain someone and it made me so mad because I loved him. I loved him so, so much. Gosh, he’s a total sweetheart. The last third of the book had me swooning and my heart fluttering with full on excitement.

Kasie West has always been one of my guilty pleasure reads. If anyone else besides her had written this book I most likely wouldn’t have picked it up or put it so high on my to-be-read pile.

But with her, I can’t explain it. You’ll definitely have to read one of her books to really understand what I mean. They cast a spell on you. Suddenly your normal reviewer mind just shuts off and you return to being that casual reader that reads a book simply for pure pleasure.

P.S. I Like You, The Distance Between Us, and On the Fence (still haven’t read The Fill-In Boyfriend yet, shhhh) are books that are a ton of fun. They’re cute, they’re funny, and they’re for pure entertainment. Which at the end of the day, is something everyone needs once in a while.

Will this book win a ton of literary awards? Probably not. But I don’t think it’s a book that sets out to do that either. It’s a book that makes you feel happy.

Overall, I definitely recommend you check out Kasie West’s novels! My favorite is The Distance Between Us, but P.S. I Like You was so much fun to read as well! When you feel yourself succumbing into a dreaded reading slump, I assure you they’ll pull you out of it!

3.5 out of 5 stars

★★★½

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Sea Spell (The Waterfire Saga #4) by Jennifer Donnelly | Book Review

Sea Spell by Jennifer Donnelly

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publication Date: June 14th, 2016

Synopsis:
(from Goodreads)

At the end of Dark Tide, Book 3 in the Waterfire Saga, Astrid leaves her mermaid friends to confront her ancestor, Orfeo, the evil force behind the rise of the monster Abbadon. Orfeo possesses one of the six talismans that the merls need in order to keep the monster locked up forever. But without the ability to songcast, how will Astrid be able to defeat the most powerful mage in history? Meanwhile, Serafina and her Black Fins train goblin troops for battle against her uncle Vallerio’s death riders. Will Sera ever see her beloved home–and her beloved Mahdi–again, or will the Volneros take over the mer realms while Orfeo takes on the gods themselves? Nothing less than the fate of the underwater world is at stake in this breathtaking finale.

–Possible Spoilers! Read at your own risk!–

“Just because you failed today doesn’t mean you’ve failed forever. Falling down doesn’t mean anything. It’s staying down that does you in.”

Sea Spell was a great finale to a series that I ended up liking way more than I thought I would. It was a conclusion that was satisfying, but still left a few unanswered questions. Which I surprisingly am okay with.

“A little while ago, I lost faith in myself. It nearly did me in. You helped me swim back from the brink. Now it’s my turn to help Becca. Because if the six of us lose faith in one another, we’ve lost everything.”

My favorite aspect of this series will always be the relationships. Not necessarily the romantic ones, those I found a bit rushed and wasn’t really attached to, but the relationship between friends.

Sera, Neela, Ling, Becca, Ava, and Astrid, I loved their friendship, their sisterhood so, so much. Each girl grows up to become strong, independent women. They all had to make many tough decisions, but in the end I am so proud of each and every one of them.

“Because it’s time, Des,” she finally said.
“Time for what?”
“Time to play my uncle’s game like a queen, not a pawn.”

Serafina especially, she gets most of the development since she is the main, main character. She started off the series confused and afraid. My heart was breaking for her, but she pushes past all her insecurity and in the end becomes such a strong person, a strong leader. A real queen, and gosh I am so happy for her.

“Was love enough? Was it stronger than her uncle’s brutality, his just for power, his hatred? Was it stronger than fear? Stronger than death?”

The theme of love has always been so prominent in this series. It’s a story about love in all different shapes and sizes. A story with love between friends, allies, and family. And what it means to really risk it all for those you love.

The battle for Cerulea and the one against Abbandon were so much fun to read about! It was heart pounding and had me at the edge of my seat. I couldn’t flipping pages. Absolutely epic and so thrilling.

Oh and don’t worry, the pun game is still going strong. For example, *clears throat* “Holy silt!”
Ahhh, a book looking to catch my pun loving heart.

The epilogue leaves room for spin offs and I’m super excited to see if Jennifer Donnelly decides to expand on this world.

Overall, a really great conclusion! I ended up liking this series way more than I expected and I’m kind of sad to see it go. If you’re looking for a fun, quick, magical, fantasea read with great friendships I definitely recommend giving this series a chance!

“Where there’s life, there’s hope.”

4 out of 5 stars

★★★★

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Start at the beginning! Buy Deep Blue:

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The Cresswell Plot by Eliza Wass | Book Review

The Cresswell Plot by Eliza Wass

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery
Publication Date: June 7th, 2016

Synopsis:
(from Goodreads)

Castella Cresswell and her five siblings—Hannan, Caspar, Mortimer, Delvive, and Jerusalem—know what it’s like to be different. For years, their world has been confined to their ramshackle family home deep in the woods of upstate New York. They abide by the strict rule of God, whose messages come directly from their father.
Slowly, Castley and her siblings start to test the boundaries of the laws that bind them. But, at school, they’re still the freaks they’ve always been to the outside world. Marked by their plain clothing. Unexplained bruising. Utter isolation from their classmates. That is, until Castley is forced to partner with the totally irritating, totally normal George Gray, who offers her a glimpse of a life filled with freedom and choice.
Castley’s world rapidly expands beyond the woods she knows so well and the beliefs she once thought were the only truths. There is a future waiting for her if she can escape her father’s grasp, but Castley refuses to leave her siblings behind. Just as she begins to form a plan, her father makes a chilling announcement: the Cresswells will soon return to their home in heaven. With time running out on all of their lives, Castley must expose the depth of her father’s lies. The forest has buried the truth in darkness for far too long. Castley might be their last hope for salvation.

–Possible Spoilers! Read at your own risk!–

“But that’s what life is like; it blinds you. It makes you think you’ll never escape. But you will. You will if you keep fighting, even if sometimes you don’t know what you’re fighting for.”

The Cresswell plot was a dark, creepy, and gripping novel that I’m still not really sure how I feel about.

It’s hard for me to review this book because I personally have very little knowledge about strict religious families, or religion at all really. I can’t tell if these children’s reactions were true to life or not, because things that seem clearly wrong aren’t wrong to them.

The Cresswell children: Castella (our narrator), Hannan, Delvive, Casper, Mortimer, and Jerusalem all listen and accept their father’s religious teachings without a second thought.

And it was scary. So scary to see them get punished for the simplest things and to accept it with only minimal acts of rebellion. So scary to see them turn on each other in fear of God or their father punishing them. It was absolutely heartbreaking.

“‘Because I can’t tell if you’re lying. I can’t tell whether you’re telling the truth or not. I can’t ever tell.'”

For some of the children, you just couldn’t tell how much they believed in what their father told them and where their loyalties lay.

“When you were living a life you hated, there was absolutely nothing worse than the people who were living the life you wanted.”

I really felt for Castley, all she wanted was to be a regular teenage girl. She could be kind of annoying and make stupid decisions, but I blame most of it on the cruel way she was raised.

“Most people, the so-called “good people,” looked that other way when we crossed the street, like my teachers never looked me in the eye when they noticed my wrists were bruised”

Also, can we talk about the fact that these children literally have ALL OF THE SIGNS of abuse (bruises, burn marks, haunted looks in their eyes) and nobody cares?

Is this what happens in real life? Because if it is, we humans need to get our act together. I didn’t think I’d need to say this, but ABUSE IS NOT OKAY. Nor can it be ignored or brushed aside. If you’re constantly seeing bruises on children, or actually know that they’re psycho father is locking them up in some weird sewer, you do something about it.

I have never been this upset with a made up town.

The ending was also a little disappointing. There were a lot of things left in the open and I still have a ton of unanswered questions. Especially about Mr. and Mrs. Cresswell, I mean I hated their father, but I was also really curious about him and his past and why he became the way he is. And I can’t forget about that mysterious carved star!

“He looked like someone who could have had any life he wanted. So why had he chosen this one?”

Overall, the Cresswell Plot was one creepy ride, but I wasn’t a fan of any of the characters and I really just wanted more from the ending.

“Sometimes love was a spell people put you under to keep you from seeing who they really were.”

*Disclaimer: all quotes were taken from an ARC copy of this novel that was kindly sent to me from BigHonchoMedia and DisneyHyperion

2.5 out of 5 stars

★★½

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Monthly Update | June 2016

JUNE 2016

CURRENTLY READING:

1. The Assassin’s Blade (Throne of Glass, #0.1-0.5) by Sarah J. Maas
2. The Titan’s Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #3) by Rick Riordan
3. Silver Shadows (Bloodlines #5) by Richelle Mead (okay like who am I kidding? I’m not actually making any progress in this book)

JUNE WRAP-UP:

1. The Last Star (The 5th Wave #3) by Rick Yancey
   ★★★★/5
2. I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson (reread)
   ★★★★½/5
3. Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas
   ★★★★/5
4. Summer Days and Summer Nights edited by Stephanie Perkins
   ★★★½/5
5. The Cresswell Plot by Eliza Wass
   ★★★/5
6. The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan (reread)
   ★★★★★/5
7. Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2) by Rick Riordan (reread)
   ★★★★★/5
8. Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods by Rick Riordan and illustrated by John Rocco
   ★★★★★/5
9. The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi
   ★★★★/5

JULY TBR:

1. Silver Shadows (Bloodlines #5) by Richelle Mead
2. The Assassin’s Blade (Throne of Glass, #0.1-0.5) by Sarah J. Maas
3. Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas
4. Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J. Maas
5. The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1) by Marie Lu
6. The Rose Society (The Young Elites #2) by Marie Lu
7. The Titan’s Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #3) by Rick Riordan
8. The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

READING CHALLENGE PROGRESS:

I have read 52 books out of my goal of 100 and according to Goodreads I am 3 books ahead of schedule! Oh my gosh I’m a litter over halfway done!! Whoo! I really wasn’t sure if I could do it, but I’m remaining optimistic that I can read 100 books by the end of the year!

JUNE BOOK HAUL:

1. Summer Days and Summer Nights edited by Stephanie Perkins
2. This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
3. The Veins of the Ocean by Patricia Engel
4. Enchanted Islands by Allison Amend
5. Shrill by Lindy West
6. Before the Fall by Noah Hawley
7. Modern Lovers by Emma Straub
8. With Malice by Eileen Cook
9. Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
10. The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
11. Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo
12. Sea Spell (Waterfire saga #4) by Jennifer Donnelly
13. The Rose Society (The Young Elites #2) by Marie Lu
14. The Winner’s Kiss (The Winner’s trilogy #3) by Marie Rutkoski
15. The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman
16. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
17. Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2) by Laini Taylor
18. Dreams of Gods and Monsters (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #3) by Laini Taylor
19. The Amazing Book Is Not On Fire by Dan Howell and Phil Lester
20. Saga Volume One by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

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WHY ARE BROADWAY TICKETS SO EXPENSIVE?

I’m trying to convince my parents to take me to see Hamilton, but tickets are so expensive and always sold out and ugh, I’m just so sad. I really wanted to see the show before Lin-Manuel Miranda leaves the cast *internally crying*
(btw, can i just say phillipa soo has the voice of an angel)

Anywhoo, as you can see I got a poop load of new books, but then again what’s new? *sigh* I seriously need to go on a book buying ban. A huge thank you to Big Honcho Media for sending me With Malice, my lovely sis for gifting me Sea Spell, my friend Tanika for giving me a copy of The Amazing Book is Not On Fire and to Book of the Month Club for sending me their June selection of books!

In other news, besides my struggle with self-control, the book club I’m apart of (@theliterarylions) will be reading The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson for July! I’m really excited because I heard that characters from Since You’ve Been Gone have a cameo! Ahhh, I’m hoping for some Frank and Emily scenes ❤ (Fremily?).

Oh and I impulsively started my reread for the Percy Jackson series and it was the best decision I ever made. Percy Jackson was exactly what I needed back in my awkward elementary school days and it’s still exactly what I need even now. The series is my childhood, it was my first love, and it will always have a special place in my heart.

Until next time everyone! Happy reading! More reviews and other posts to come! I have some posts I’ve wanted to do, I just need to get off my lazy butt and actually write them!

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“If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself.”
― Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief