Showing posts with label review. Show all posts

Review: The Start of Me and You

The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord
Publication Date: March 31st, 2015
Format/Source: Paperback, purchased
Rating: 5/5 stars 
Part of a series? Nope, it's a standalone. 
Goodreads | Purchase: Amazon - Barnes and Noble - The Book Depository 

It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?

I've long since been a fan of Emery Lord as a person because of her social media presence (check her out on Twitter; she tweets actual gold). Because of that, I put her books on my TBR, where they've sat forever. I *finally* picked up The Start of Me and You back in May, and it was everything I thought it would be and more. 

This was me right after I finished, in case you needed to see how much it affected me. 
This book does everything right. I know I talk a lot about female friendships in YA and NA, but I can't express enough how much I love books with strong friendships. Friendships where the girls support each other and help each other through, friendships that aren't filled with back-handed comments and pettiness. Paige's group of friends in The Start of Me and You is thankfully the former. They were so good for and to each other, though they were very different. Girls supporting other girls is my favorite. 

 And wow, the romance was delightful as well. I absolutely adored Max. As much as I like the reformed bad boy trope, I like smart, nerdy, sweet boys much better. I need more boys like Max. He's just so wonderful, and I love him with Paige. Their banter was perfect. 

 Other aspects of the story that were well-done and worth a mention include Paige's relationship with her family (good families are another thing that YA is lacking), dealing with grief, dealing with high school in general, and just plain figuring yourself out. 

 The Start of Me and You is a special book. It has flawed and lovely characters, brilliant storytelling, and the most adorable love story. I've officially fallen in love with Emery Lord as an author, and now I need to read her two other books. I can't wait for more from her. 

 Have you read The Start of Me and You or anything else by Emery Lord? I'd love to read your thoughts! 

ARC Review: Out On Good Behavior


Out On Good Behavior by Dahlia Adler
Publication Date: June 14th, 2016
Format/Source: eARC, courtesy of the author. Thank you, Dahlia!
Part of a series? Yes! It is the third (and I believe last) in the Radleigh University series. 
Goodreads | Preorder: Amazon - Barnes and Noble 

Frankie Bellisario knows she can get anyone she sets her sights on, but just because she can doesn't mean she should—not when the person she's eyeing is Samara Kazarian, the daughter of a southern Republican mayor. No matter how badly Frankie wants to test her powers of persuasion, even she recognizes some lines aren't meant to be crossed.

But when Frankie learns she's been on Samara's mind too, the idea of hooking up with her grows too strong to resist. Only Sam's not looking for a hookup; she wants—needs—the real thing, and she's afraid she'll never find it as long as Frankie's in her head.
Forced to choose between her first relationship and losing the girl who's been clawing her way under her skin, Frankie opts to try monogamy...under her own condition: 30 days of keeping things on the down low and remaining abstinent. If she fails as hard at girlfriending as she's afraid she might, she doesn't want to throw Samara's life into upheaval for nothing. But when neither the month nor Frankie's heart go according to plan, she may be the one stuck fighting for the happily ever after she never knew she wanted.

(As always, my review at a glance template is from the awesome Alex @ Fiery Reads.)

TITLE: boring | nothing special | pretty good | caught my eye | perfection | music to my ears | fits well with the rest of the series
STAR RATING: all the stars | 5 stars | 4.5 stars | 4 stars | 3.5 stars | 3 stars | 2.5 stars | 2 stars | 1 star
COVER: not my favorite | goes well with rest of the series | boring | generic | pretty | series cover change | beautiful | HEART EYES
POV: 1st | dual 1st | 2nd | 3rd limited | 3rd omniscient | multiple POVs | too many POVs
CONCEPT: basic but well done | original as heck | run of the mill in genre | average | has potential | great idea, bad execution
MOOD: dark | hilarious | light hearted | romantic | depressing | suspenseful | fluffy | mysterious | fun | sad
PACING: snail’s pace | couldn’t keep up | mix of fast and slow | slow in the wrong places | fast in the wrong places | what even is pacing?
CHARACTERS: i’m in love | couldn’t connect | too many | well developed (all) | infuriating | annoying | precious babies | underdeveloped (all)| a mix of good and bad | okay | new favorite characters | book boyfriend
ROMANCE: none | steamy | adorable | ship it | didn’t ship it | cheesy | predictable | love triangle | instalove | OTP
DIVERSITY: none | black | jewish | asian | indian | lgbt+ | mental health | male narrator | body | culture

At this point, you all should already know that I am OBSESSED with Dahlia's books. I love her Radleigh series, and ever since we were introduced to Frankie in Last Will and Testament, I've been (not so) patiently awaiting her book. Pretty much all you need to know is that its super hot, super gay, and there are some pretty solid YA book references throughout the novel, including a shoutout to one of my OTPs. Frankie is hilarious, and I lived for the banter and chemistry between her and Sam. I also loved reading her interactions with her friends. Out On Good Behavior is a swoony romance featuring a pan MC (which is AWESOME) and a solid friendship group. This book, as well as the other two books in the series, are everything you could ever want in an NA novel. Definitely pick it up when it releases Tuesday!

Have you read the Radleigh series? What did you think? Are you reading proud this month? Let me know all the things!

ARC Review: Girl Against the Universe

Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes
Expected Publication Date: May 17th, 2016
Format/Source: eARC, courtesy of Harper Teen and Edelweiss. Thank you!
Rating: 5/5 stars 
Part of a series? Nope! This is a standalone. 
Goodreads | Preorder: Amazon - Barnes and Noble - The Book Depository 

Maguire is bad luck.

 No matter how many charms she buys off the internet or good luck rituals she performs each morning, horrible things happen when Maguire is around. Like that time the rollercoaster jumped off its tracks. Or the time the house next door caught on fire. Or that time her brother, father, and uncle were all killed in a car crash—and Maguire walked away with barely a scratch.

 It’s safest for Maguire to hide out in her room, where she can cause less damage and avoid meeting new people who she could hurt. But then she meets Jordy, an aspiring tennis star. Jordy is confident, talented, and lucky, and he’s convinced he can help Maguire break her unlucky streak. Maguire knows that the best thing she can do for Jordy is to stay away. But it turns out staying away is harder than she thought.

 I honestly don't know where to begin with this book because Girl Against the Universe is one of those books. You know the ones that take up residence in your heart and make everything feel so lovely when you're done. Yeah, this was definitely one of those. This review is probably going to consist of a lot of rambling because I loved a great many things about this book, and I'm not sure I can coherently express all those feels. 

 The number one thing I loved about this book is the mental health portrayal. I've been reading more and more books lately that are spot-on and realistic with their representation, and I'm happy to say Girl Against the Universe is one of those. Maguire has PTSD, which she slowly but surely deals with with the help of her family and a therapist. No one tried to "fix her". They just wanted her to have the help and support she needed to feel better herself. 

 I also really loved Maguire's relationship with her family. I know not every family is close, but not every family is distant or just plain awful either and so often books focus on the later. Maguire has a wonderful stepdad, and her is supportive of her problems, though she does not always understand. There's a particular moment towards the end of the novel where Maguire and her mom confront their grief together, and it was really touching. 

 Another aspect of the novel I enjoyed was the fact that its centered around tennis. I may not like sports too much, but I love books about sports. GATU is the only tennis-centric YA I've heard of, and it makes it very unique and interesting. I always like hearing about school sports because I don't play any myself. But I did relate to the parts of Maguire's sports experience about school and how much school can suck and how hard it can be to make friends at school when it feels like everyone is already someone else's friend. School is strange, but Maguire figured it out. 

 And now let's talk about my favorite part of all of my favorite books: the cute love interest. In Girl Against the Universe, the love interest is Jordy, an adorable, attractive pro tennis player. He befriends Maguire by helping her with tennis (and he feeds her California burritos!), and as their relationship progresses, they help each other work out their issues. Like Maguire's family, Jordy doesn't try to fix her. He just wants her to be happy. And oh my GOODNESS do I love him. 
"He's so close that I'm seeing double. "Is this the real you?" I ask. Maguire. This is more real than I have felt in months.""

Girl Against the Universe is a masterpiece of a novel. The characters are complex and realistic, the pacing is perfect, it tackles PTSD well, and it has a rather cute boy. This is a 2016 release you do not want to miss. 

Have you read it? Are you planning on picking it up? Let me know! I'd love to talk about this or anything else you've read recently. 


ARC Review: Summer of Supernovas

Summer of Supernovas by Darcy Woods
Publication Date: May 10th, 2016
Format/Source: ARC, courtesy of Jaime from Fiction Fare who rocks my socks off. Thanks again, Jaime!
Rating: 4/5 stars
Part of a series? Nope!
Goodreads | Preorder: Amazon - Barnes and Noble - The Book Depository

When zodiac-obsessed teen Wilamena Carlisle discovers a planetary alignment that won’t repeat for a decade, she’s forced to tackle her greatest astrological fear: The Fifth House—relationships and love. 
 
But when Wil falls for a sensitive guitar player hailing from the wrong side of the astrology chart, she must decide whether a cosmically doomed love is worth rejecting her dead mother’s legacy and the very system she’s faithfully followed through a lifetime of unfailing belief.

* Disclaimer: This review contains spoilers.*

Let me just get started by saying that this book has a love triangle in it. Now, for some people, this might be a deal-breaker. I'm usually one of those people. But the synopsis for Summer of Supernovas intrigued me to no end (and it came highly recommended by people whose bookish opinions I trust a lot. Thanks, Jaime (;), so I decided to give it a shot. And oh BOY am I glad that I did because this is a debut I would have been so sad to have missed out on. 

The novel follows Wilamena, Wil for short, who goes out in search of her soulmate who would have a astrological sign compatible with hers in hopes of keeping her dead mom's legacy alive. I'd never heard of a YA novel centered around astrology before (but if you have, point me towards them because I now have a need), so I was obviously on board. And it was so entertaining following Wil on her journey. 

Wil is joined by her best friend Iri (10/10 would read her companion novel) and her grandma, who are both supportive and oh so hilarious. They might be some of my favorite secondary characters I've ever read. The boys in her life are Grant, a musician who she is drawn to because she believes that they are astrologically compatible, and Seth, who she is not compatible with but likes anyway. Did I mention that they're brothers? Yeah, that's a thing. 

Sometimes the push and pull between Wil and the two brothers irked me. She wanted to be with Grant because they're compatible and she thinks it's what her mom would have wanted. But she also wants Seth, who does her heart so much good. She doesn't want bad blood between the brothers, and she doesn't want to hurt any feelings, so she doesn't want to let either go. And though I got annoyed with the choices she made along the way, the story itself was engrossing and I hung on until the end because I had to know how it ended, not just to see if she got the right boy, but if she figured herself out too. 

I adored Summer of Supernovas. It is a delightful debut about astrology, family, and finding the path that's best for you. Also, there's swoony bits and a great friendship because do I even read books without them anymore? Probably not. Anyway, Summer of Supernovas releases next week (5/10), and I highly recommend that you pick it up. If you do, let me know what you think!

P.S. Thanks so much for sticking around during my mini, unplanned hiatus. It's show season at my school theatre, so I've been there almost every day for the last month. I'm also preparing for finals and AP exams, so my schedule is a little wonky. But my goal is to write much, much more when APs are over next week. So stay tuned! Hope you're reading good books! I'd love to know what you're reading and what you've been up to. :)

Review: Play On

Play On by Michelle Smith
Publication Date: April 21st, 2015
Format/Source: Paperback, purchased
Rating: 5/5 stars 
Part of a series? Yes! It is the first in the Lewis Creek series. 
Also Published On: Lit Up Review 

In the small town of Lewis Creek, baseball is everything.

Especially for all-star pitcher Austin Braxton, who has a one-way ticket out of town with his scholarship to a top university. All that stands between him and a new start is one final season. But when Austin starts flunking Chemistry, his picture-perfect future is in jeopardy. A failing grade means zero playing time, and zero playing time means no scholarship.

Enter Marisa Marlowe, the new girl in town who gets a job at his momma’s flower shop. Not only is Marisa some home-schooled super-genius, she’s also a baseball fanatic and more than willing to help Austin study. As the two grow closer, there’s something about Marisa that makes Austin want more than just baseball and out of Lewis Creek—he wants a future with her. But Marisa has a past that still haunts her, one that she ran all the way to South Carolina to escape.
As Austin starts to peel back the layers of Marisa’s pain, it forces him to look beyond the facade of himself and everyone he thought he knew in his town. What he sees instead is that in a small town like Lewis Creek, maybe baseball isn’t everything—maybe it is just the thing that ties them all together.

I am a total sucker for sports romances. They're my very favorite, but they're aren't too many in YA that have really grabbed my attention. But people were raving endlessly about Play On when it came out last year, so I obviously decided that I needed it. It took me this long to read it, but oh, boy, am I glad I finally did because those people were so right to rave about this novel.

 First we need to talk about the fact that Play On is written entirely from the point of view of a male narrator. Austin is a relatable narrator with a very authentic voice. I loved being inside his head. I loved his passion about baseball and his mom and his friends and most definitely about Marisa. He truly loves and is there for the important people in his life, and it's admirable.

 The novel also did a wonderful job of portraying depression accurately, especially from the point of view of someone on the outside. It can be really difficult to see loved ones dealing with depression and not know what to do or how you can help, and Austin really got that. Mental illness is a tough subject to touch on, but it's so important, and Smith handled it so well.

 On top of all that heaviness, there is the most deliciously sweet Southern romance ever. I adored the way Marisa and Austin took care of each other but never tried to force the other into doing anything. They're really partners in every sense of the word, and they are the cutest things.

 If you like baseball and swoony Southern boys, Play On is the book for you. If you don't like baseball, well, give it a try anyway, and you might find yourself loving it like I did. Its depiction of mental illness is spot-on, and the romance is adorable. I can't wait for the next book in this series!

 Have you read Play On? What did you think? Let me know! And don't forget to check out my interview with Michelle from last year while you're here. :)

ARC Review: Symptoms of Being Human

Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin
Publication Date: February 2nd, 2016
Format/Source: eARC from Edelweiss. Thanks to EW and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5 stars
Part of a series? Nope!

The first thing you’re going to want to know about me is: Am I a boy, or am I a girl?

Riley Cavanaugh is many things: Punk rock. Snarky. Rebellious. And gender fluid. Some days Riley identifies as a boy, and others as a girl. The thing is . . . Riley isn’t exactly out yet. And between starting a new school and having a congressman father running for reelection in uber-conservative Orange County, the pressure—media and otherwise—is building up in Riley’s so-called “normal” life.

On the advice of a therapist, Riley starts an anonymous blog to vent those pent-up feelings and tell the truth of what it’s REALLY like to be a gender-fluid teenager. But just as Riley’s starting to settle in at school—even developing feelings for a mysterious outcast—the blog goes viral, and an unnamed commenter discovers Riley’s real identity, threatening exposure. Riley must make a choice: walk away from what the blog has created—a lifeline, new friends, a cause to believe in—or stand up, come out, and risk everything.

*Trigger warning and spoiler alert. Also: though Riley doesn't use pronouns in SoBH, Jeff said they/them pronouns are accurate for reviewing purposes.*

“Anyway, it's not that simple. The world isn't binary. Everything isn't black or white, yes or no. Sometimes it's not a switch, it's a dial. And it's not even a dial you can get your hands on; it turns without your permission or approval.” -Symptoms of Being Human

Once and a while, I'll read a book that makes me stop and really think. It doesn't happen very often, but it happened recently. And the book that did it for me was Symptoms of Being Human.

Symptoms of Being Human follows Riley, a gender fluid teenager, who is trying to maneuver through life. I've never read a novel with a gender fluid MC before, so I jumped at the chance to read this one early because I'm all about diverse narratives. It was every bit the learning experience I hoped it would be and so much more.

Riley’s struggles as a gender fluid teen are written so vividly. They deal with the issue of keeping their identity a secret from their family and peers. They deal with anxiety and depression. They deal with bullying that is so reflective of what happens to members of the LGBTQ+ community around the world that made my heart ache. I both empathized with and loved Riley. Their strength and drive to want to help others though they had their own problems was admirable, as was their ability to get back up again after they had been wronged and violated. Riley is amazing.

Riley also had people in their life who offered support, which was so amazing to read. The support group and therapy session scenes were some of my favorites because I loved that it endorsed finding a safe space to talk about your struggles instead of internalizing them. Riley’s parents tried their best to understand and support them. And Riley’s two wonderful friends, Solo, whose obsession with Star Wars made me smile, and Bec, who genuinely cared about them. It was refreshing and wonderful.

Symptoms of Being Human, though difficult to swallow at times because of the harsh realities it portrays, is an important novel about love and life and identity that everyone should read and allow themselves to learn from. It's honest and raw and, at times, absolutely delightful. Seriously, go pick this up.

ARC Review: The Serpent King

The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner
Expected Publication Date: March 8th, 2016
Format/Source: ARC, borrowed from Stefani @ Caught Read Handed. Thank you! 
Rating: 5/5 stars
Part of a series?  No

I signed up for the ARC tour of The Serpent King knowing very little about it. I thought, “OOH, contemporary YA about small town life! Sign me up”. There was no way I could have anticipated how much I would love it and how much reading it would affect me. This book is a wild ride.


The novel is told from the points of view of the three main characters, Dill, Lydia, and Travis. Each of the characters is unique and feels important, and they have chemistry and love each other. (Have you ever read a book where one of the characters just felt off? Like they were an afterthought? Yeah, not the case here.)


Lydia is a popular fashion blogger that prefers books and blogging to people her own age. She's sassy and has many platonic crushes on people she wants to be friends with. #Relatable. She also knows exactly what she wants to do after high school and can't wait to get out of their town. Dill, on the other hand, doesn't know what to do with his life after high school, and he struggles with his family and his religion. He doesn't know if he should choose to stay with his family or go off to college. Travis prefers to be stuck in a fantasy world because his home situation is awful. They're all very different, but they work as friends, and I fell in love with all three of them.


The Serpent King hits on so many points that really resonated with me. The most prominent being that Lydia is both strong and soft, which was important to me because so often, the two are thought of as exclusive of each other. Zentner also nailed the longing to be better and to figure yourself out and to stop being afraid that is such an overwhelming feeling within teenagers. One that I myself have been struggling with a lot as the college application process gets closer.


The last thing that I felt was handled really well was the grieving process. Zentner illustrated that people grieve in different ways, and he also portrayed how important medication and therapy can be when you're dealing with a loss or a mental illness like depression. They're often shown in a negative light, but medications and counsellors can truly help people.

The Serpent King is a beautiful, unique debut about love, loss, and self-discovery. I laughed, I cried, and I just plain loved this book even as it was breaking my heart. I highly recommend it. Find it in stores and online March 8th!

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)