Review: Deity (Covenant, #3)

Reviewer: Kristen 
Author: Jennifer L Armentrout
Pages: 330
Format: Paperback
My Rating: 9 out of 10

Spoilers! 

Summary (you rock, Goodreads): History is on repeat, and things didn't go so well the last time. "

Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden. 

If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time "training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome. 

But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed... and destroyed. 

Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate...

My Thoughts: As much as this one frustrated me, and boy did it frustrate me, this is definitely my favourite one thus far. The characters went in some seriously weird directions, that I now understand. Aiden is growing on me, but he still is no Seth. Even after what Seth did at the end of this novel. I'm so excited to see where this story is going, because I honestly have no idea. 

That ending though, is by no means fair, and I'm going to get my hands on the next one. Like right now. I really needed it like 3 minutes ago. Okay. I'm going. Pick this up. Now. 

Final Thoughts: Okay, if you haven't been convinced by my other reviews, be convinced by this lack of one. I can't even write it I'm so excited to start the next one! 

Review: Article 5

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Kristen Simmons
Format: Paperback
Pages: 362
Rating: 5 out of 10

Summary (Goodreads sticks to the rules): New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved.

My Thoughts: Five out of ten sounds really harsh but from our review outline it fits right. I feel kind of bad but it definitely wasn't my favourite book ever. It was an okay read and it was easy enough but I excepted more from it. 

The most incredible thing about this novel was the pure hate and anger I felt while reading the reform school part of the novel. It was the bed written part of this novel. I was so upset. I was so disgusted at how they were being treated. What scares me the most about novels like these is that I could totally see some of these things happening to the world. I don't think authors have to work really hard to see the worst parts of society and make them even more horrid. The moral of this story for me is that I would have just given up and been "good" because I don't have the strength or patience to deal with these problems. Thank God I don't live in this novel.

This novel seemed to go fast at some points and slower at other time. I'm tired of a few things in novels though. I wish that authors could come up with other ways of carrying plot. First, we can/can't/can/can't be together relationships suck. Also, I don't enjoy characters that cause other people to die. I don't like that characters need to have people die for them. Let's have to strong characters. I mean, Ember had really strong moments but the stunt she pulls at the end kind of undoes the respect that she managed to gain. She could have been so much more.

Poor Chase. He breaks my heart.

So: Some parts will stick with me...maybe forever but I'm sure if I'm going to buy the next two novels in the series. I don't feel a huge need to find out how the series ends like most series make me feel. I don't know. It was kind of just okay. I guess it was worth what I paid.

Review: Pure (Covenant, #2)

Reviewer: Kristen
Author: Jennifer L Armentrout
Pages: 329
Format: Paperback
My Rating: 8 out of 10

Spoilers!

Summary (thanks, GR): Alex lives--and loves--recklessly, until a single decision leads to a heartbreaking revelation. As a mysterious threat closes in and she confronts a Council that wants to see her in servitude, Alex face a choice between love that is fated... and love that is forbidden.

My Thoughts: This one is going to be even shorter than the last one, because the second book always bleeds into the third and I don't want to say anything too spoileresque.

I liked this book too. I finished it in a day, and I couldn't stop thinking about everything that was happening. And hot damn, a lot of things happen in this novel. At some point, we're introduced to Seth, the strongest half-blood there is, someone even the pures fear. Seth is, in my opinion, much more realistic than Aiden, and I know that at this point liking Seth more is only going to end in some serious heart break. We end up learning that Alex and Seth have some weird voodoo magic god power that ties them together (where I see similarities to JLA's other series Lux). Their bond becomes stronger whenever they're together. When Alex awakens, their bond will make Seth a god-killer. So, with this knowledge we go forth in trying to decide whose good, whose evil, whose using them and who we can trust. It's a bumpy ride.

This book is even more adventure-packed than the first one. The characters develop extremely well. I'm so excited by this series, and you should be too!

Final Thoughts: Checcck it out, home skillets!

The Epic, Extravagant, (Evil), and Elastic Examination Day 20

Favorite romance book

I think my favourite romance book is Getting Rid of Bradley by Jennifer Cruise.
~ Kelsey

The entire Thoughtless series by S.C Stephens! 
- Kristen 

Review: Half-Blood (Covenant, #1)

Reviewer: Kristen
Author: Jennifer L Armentrout
Pages: 281
Format: Paperback
My Rating: 8 out of 10

Summary (via Goodreads): The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi pure bloods have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals--well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

My Thoughts: So, this one is going to be short because Jennifer Armentrout did this thing where she pulled me into the series and refused to let go, which resulted in me reading the first three back to back. I swear, I almost didn't even come up for food. Total lie.  Another random note: if the word lure ever pops up randomly, it's because damn autocorrect kept doing it's job and correcting pures to lures. 

Anyways, I really, really, really (almost insipidly so) liked this novel. I didn't love it, but I definitely was no where near disliking it.  I did, however, find it a lot like her other series (Lux), and in the probably next review I'll talk about how. I liked the premise of this novel a lot, I don't think that I've ever read anything about gods. Now, I'm not all up to date on my Greek mythology, so I have no idea how accurate the descriptions of the gods where, but I mean, seemed pretty accurate to me. 

Holy bejeezus though, the gods doing the nasty with the mortals created one big mess. Like all good dystopian novels, theres some sort of caste system that's happening. And I'll try to break that down for ya. It goes gods (like Poseidon and Apollo) and their the highest. Obviously. Then we have the pures. They happened when the gods did the nasty with the mortals. Then we have the half-bloods. These cuties were made when the pures did the dirty kind of fun stuff. Basically, mortals are pretty alluring is what I'm gathering. Anyways, the pures are in charge of half-bloods. It's almost like a secret society. I made it confusing, but I promise Jennifer Armentrout does a better job with it. 

Our main character, Alex, is a half-blood. Her mother removed her from the little secret society of pures and half-bloods, and they were on the run in the mortal world, until trouble strikes. Alex is forced to go back to the school, where she focuses all her energy on training to become a Sentinel. (A kick ass daimon fighting half-blood). Of course, there she meets cute sexy perfect forbidden because of their blood guy Aiden (who I don't like but I'm not going to talk about that in this particular review) . He's training her, stuff happens, and all three of these books have suddenly blended together. 

Basically, I really liked Alex. I really disliked Aiden. The story pulled me in and I didn't want to stop reading. I promise, if you pick it up, you won't want to stop reading either! 

Final Thoughts: If you're a JLA fan (and seriously, whose not?) you should definitely check this out!

Review: Tangled

 Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Emma Chase
Format: eBook
Pages: 254
Rating: 7 out of 10

Summary (Goodreads is tangled in this book too): Drew Evans is a winner. Handsome and arrogant, he makes multimillion dollar business deals and seduces New York’s most beautiful women with just a smile. He has loyal friends and an indulgent family. So why has he been shuttered in his apartment for seven days, miserable and depressed? 

He’ll tell you he has the flu.

But we all know that’s not really true.

Katherine Brooks is brilliant, beautiful and ambitious. She refuses to let anything - or anyone - derail her path to success. When Kate is hired as the new associate at Drew’s father’s investment banking firm, every aspect of the dashing playboy’s life is thrown into a tailspin. The professional competition she brings is unnerving, his attraction to her is distracting, his failure to entice her into his bed is exasperating. 

Then, just when Drew is on the cusp of having everything he wants, his overblown confidence threatens to ruin it all. Will he be able untangle his feelings of lust and tenderness, frustration and fulfillment? Will he rise to the most important challenge of his life? 

Can Drew Evans win at love? 

Tangled is not your mother’s romance novel. It is an outrageous, passionate, witty narrative about a man who knows a lot about women…just not as much as he thinks he knows. As he tells his story, Drew learns the one thing he never wanted in life, is the only thing he can’t live without

My thoughts: Sooo...it has an interesting start, that's for sure. Actually, because of the opening I wasn't sure how I would enjoy this book. I'm not six years old but I'm not used to novels that...jump right into stuff like this novel did. Also, I'm often leering of two things: 1) books written by men but told in a female point of view (how do they know what we think) and 2) Elephants wearing hats and holding balloons. No wait, that's not right. I meant to say that 2) is novels written by women but told in a man's perspective because you have to do a lot of work and research to make that authentic. I'm tired of novels where the characters are all perfect. In real life, everyone has flaws and I think that, as a society, it's time we face the music.

BUT ANYWAY, I quite enjoyed this novel. Drew was a big stupid face but at least he was true to who he was. Also, I'll allow him a few points for trying. What a jealous one he is though. 

I felt so bad for Katherine. It sucks that she not only had to put up with him and his nonsense but she also had to put up with it at work. I'm actually amazed that neither of them ended up losing their jobs giving how they were acting. 

There seemed to be multiple places that this novel could have ended. I don't like that. It starts in the present then jumps back then moves forward and it's just a tangled mess. I can deal with books that flash back but this novel is 1/2 in a single flashback and I think that it's just too much. 

This review isn't very long. What else do I need to say? Why wasn't this novel higher than a 7 for me? I did enjoy it but it seemed like something was missing. I mean, I can't quite put my finger on it. The characters had chemistry and the minor characters were entertaining. The plot was decentish. The ending was super adorable and warranted a few "aws" but I've read this before. I guess, as a love/romance novel, it's hard to be different. I expected a bit more. I would read novels by this author in the future but I'm not certain I would reread this one. 

You know what? That's harsh. How about this: you read it and let me know what you think.

So: This is a fast read but definitely for an olderish audience. It was a good read but sometimes I wanted to punch Drew in the face for being stupid...but it's worth the roughly five hours it took me to read it.

Oh: Look, it won a goodreads award. Wooooooo! Go Tangled!

The Epic, Extravagant, (Evil), and Elastic Examination Day 19

Favorite book turned into a movie

(Kristen is going to say the Hunger Games)
I'm not sure if it counts but if it does, I really enjoy Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jr..
Oh, I liked Safe Haven!

~ Kelsey

(Kristen's going to say Catching Fire, actually, smarty-pants)

- Kristen

Review: Just One Year

Reviewer: Kristen
Author: Gayle Forman
Format: Paperback
Pages: 336
My Rating: 9 out of 10

Summary (thank you kindly, Goodreads): When he opens his eyes, Willem doesn’t know where in the world he is—Prague or Dubrovnik or back in Amsterdam. All he knows is that he is once again alone, and that he needs to find a girl named Lulu. They shared one magical day in Paris, and something about that day—that girl—makes Willem wonder if they aren’t fated to be together. He travels all over the world, from Mexico to India, hoping to reconnect with her. But as months go by and Lulu remains elusive, Willem starts to question if the hand of fate is as strong as he’d thought. . . .

My Thoughts: It's so bizarre to me that this book has a lower rating than the first one does on Goodreads. I loved this one a helluva lot more than the first one. Maybe it was because Willem was a total wanderer, and it left me with a serious case of some wanderlust. I just absolutely loved learning about Willem's life, and why he did certain things, and getting a clear picture of what kind of character he really is. And Just One Year definitely delivers this. 

You learn more and more about his parents, and why he does the things he does. I can't say much without spoiling it. You get to travel with him, and you get to experience his adventures, which are, suffice to say, amazing. 

We got a little more at the end, which was nice. 

I don't really know what else to say, but I definitely preferred this one to Just One Day. 

Final Thoughts: Go get go get go get! 

Review: Just One Day

Reviewer: Kristen
Author: Gayle Forman
Format: Paperback
Pages: 368
My Rating: 7 out of 10

Summary (thanks, Goodreads!): When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.

My Thoughts: I really, really enjoyed this novel. I could connect to Allyson in some insane way, and she felt like such a real character. When you get down to the bare bones of things, Allyson was someone hugely unsatisfied with life. She doesn't really know where she fits in, she doesn't know what she wants to do with her future, and she's basically following the plan that her parents have set out. The way I'm describing it definitely evokes some yawns, but the way that Forman wrote this ensures thats not the case. I literally couldn't put this down. I just wanted to know what was going to happen and how it was going to happen. She was in Europe, and Europe wasn't as glamorous as she hoped it to be. But then it all changes when she watches this play on the street. She meets some beautiful boy, and when he offers to take her to Paris, could she really say no?

Hello new book boyfriend, how you doing? 

The only thing I couldn't really hop on board with was how whiny Allyson became after she got home. If you thought she was dissatisfied with life before, you're in for a treat. She falls into a depression, and I'm not going to lie, she can get annoying. 

Also, totally not okay with the ending. I wish it would have been just a little longer. It's almost a cliffhanger ending. Almost, not totally.

An epilogue would have done wonders. 

Final Thoughts: Definitely check this one out. 

The Epic, Extravagant, (Evil), and Elastic Examination Day 18

A book that disappointed you

Catcher in the Rye. Kristen enjoyed it and it's a book you read in school sometimes. I didn't read it in school so I read it on my own and I don't think it lived up to the hype. Then again, classics aren't really my thing either. It was meh.

~ Kelsey

Allegiant by Veronica Roth & Requiem by Lauren Oliver. 

- Kristen 

Review: Allegiant

Reviewer: Kristen  
Author: Veronica Roth 
Pages: 525
Format: Hardback 
My Rating: 5 out of 10


Summary (thanks Goodreads): The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

My SPOILER FREE Thoughts: So, the smart thing to do would have been to write this review right after having read this. I read it the week it came out, and, yeah, that was a while ago. I had, however, set up the review where I put my original rating and last line of the review. Since then, my thoughts have definitely changed. 

In the spirit of full disclosure, apparently immediately after reading this, I rated it an 8. I also ended the original version of the review with, "Definitely, without a doubt, my favourite in the series." Now that I've had months to think about it, I've changed my mind. 

For the most part, I understand why authors do what they do to characters, and I understand how important it is to keep characters organic. With the success of Divergent, I'm glad that Tris and Tobias both, for the most part, stayed the same. I didn't feel like Roth catered to what the fans wanted. Which is good, A+ for that! What I don't understand, though, is when authors do things for the shock factor. And frankly, I think a lot of the aspects of this novel were done for the shock factor. If you've read this, you definitely know what I'm referring to. 

Also, I felt like nothing of consequence happened. Dare I say, it felt like Breaking Dawn? There was build up, and then it fell flat. It felt like none of their plans came to fruition. The story didn't go where I thought it would, which I suppose is good. There wasn't enough grandeur, especially not for the final book in a popular series. 

Anyways, I don't really know what to say. I feel like people far more qualified than I have beat this horse past recognition. I've just gotta put down the bat. 

It was okay. It wrapped some things up, but not enough. 

Final Thoughts: A big old MEH

_______________________________________________

Reviewer: Kelsey
Rating: 5 out of 10

Thoughts: It was blah. I thought it was really long and kind of unnecessary. I'm glad that there was some kind of wrap to the series but I really think that this was not the best fit to end it. 

I would be okay with some of the...choices that the author made, had they been necessary or executed well. I don't think that either of those things applied to what she did. In fact, I felt that she undid all the work she did to wrap up the series. I expected so much more. 

Like, there isn't even that much to say...

I'm unhappy with this novel.

To End: This ending simply wasn't good enough for all the build up. I'm going to compare it to the end of Breaking Dawn...where nothing happens. Perhaps that's harsh given what does happen. I guess, to me, it just felt like one HUGE loose end. I'm so unsatisfied. 

Review: The Troop

So I'm re-posting this review because the publication date is so tantalizingly close. You need to pick this up! Like right now! Or as soon as possible!  

Reviewer: Kristen

Author: Nick Cutter
Pages: 368
Format: Paperback (ARC- sent by Simon and Schuster Canada)
My Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

Summary (thanks GR): Lord of the Flies meets The Ruins in this frightening novel written in the bestselling traditions of Stephen King and Scott Smith. 

Boy Scouts live by the motto “Be Prepared.” However, nothing can prepare this group of young boys and their scoutmaster for what they encounter on a small, deserted island, as they settle down for a weekend of campfires, merit badges, and survival lessons.

Everything changes when a haggard stranger in tattered clothing appears out of nowhere and collapses on the campers’ doorstep. Before the night is through, this stranger will end up infecting one of the troop’s own with a bioengineered horror that’s straight out of their worst nightmares. Now stranded on the island with no communication to the outside world, the troop learns to battle much more than the elements, as they are pitted against something nature never intended…and eventually each other.

“Lean and crisp and over-the-top....Disquieting, disturbing,” says Scott Smith, author of The Ruins and A Simple Plan, The Troop is a visceral burn of a read that combines boldly drawn characters with a fantastically rendered narrative—a terrifying story you’ll never forget.

My Thoughts: So, Stephen King read this book (and loved it, and seriously, it's basically impossible not to) and said ""THE TROOP scared the hell out of me, and I couldn't put it down. This is old-school horror at its best. Not for the faint-hearted, but for the rest of us sick puppies, it's a perfect gift for a winter night.". I couldn't sum this novel up better myself. This book scared the bejesus out of me. The reason for that is probably because it just seems so real. The entire time, I had this super annoying and creepy mantra playing in my head that went something like: "This could happen, this could totally happen." All the characters were incredibly, for lack of a better word, real. The children were total shit heads, which made it seem like it was an actual scout group out camping in the wilderness. I really didn't know what to expect with this novel, especially in regards to "The Hungry Man". I knew it was going to be a horror, but I didn't know what kind of horror to expect. And let me just tell you how I did not, at all, expect this. I didn't know if I should be scared of "The Hungry Man" or the fact that there was something so blatantly wrong with him (cough cough tape worms). I didn't know if I should trust Tim (the scoutmaster). I didn't know what kid to trust, I didn't know what adult to trust (which turns out, neither do the children). But I think the scariest thing about this story was that more often then not, just because you don't trust someone, doesn't mean they become the boogy monster inside your closet. Not the case at all with this book. They all scared me. The bioengineered "this could only happen in ghost stories" illness, the messed up children, and the lack of response from the adults that were supposed to be their saviours. The only bone I really have to pick with this novel is the fact that little bitty animals were hurt. It wasn't gratuitous, but it was enough to make me frown. On the same hand, I understand why they're necessary to the story. My favourite part of this story is probably what separated each chapter. In between each chapter, the readers got little glimpses of what happened after the manufactured horror of the events that took place in P.E.I. The reader got to see glimpses of court readings, and reports from the scientist who "created" the monster worm, diaries from the kids who made it out of there but needed some intense therapy sessions. For any other novel, I think this could be a risky road to take, as it could easily give away too much information. However, the author weaved this together perfectly, and gave away the perfect amount of information to keep me reading till it got dark enough for the boogey man to get me. 

There were many a times when I had to just put this book down and walk away. I couldn't read it before bed, and I couldn't read it while I was eating. (Shoutout to Simon and Schuster for actually warning me of that fact, at first I thought you were kidding.... lesson learned!) This book is not at all for the faint of heart. It's graphic in all the right places. It explains everything without killing me in details. And it is so horrifyingly scary that it will keep you up nights after you have finished thinking of all kinds of "what if's". The writing was perfect and the story gave me my fair share of goose bumps. Probably more than my fair share! 

Final Thoughts: This novel is perfectly executed, and it's a story I haven't - and won't - be able to get out of my head for a long, long time. 

Review: The Little Prince

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 85
Rating: 9 out of 10

Summary (de Goodread): Moral allegory and spiritual autobiography, The Little Prince is the most translated book in the French language. With a timeless charm it tells the story of a little boy who leaves the safety of his own tiny planet to travel the universe, learning the vagaries of adult behaviour through a series of extraordinary encounters. His personal odyssey culminates in a voyage to Earth and further adventures.

Thoughts: I read this in high school French class and I enjoyed it then so I decided to read it in English for fun. I figured that I would get more out of it and I think I did.

My favourite part of the story is when the narrator is drawing the goat for the little prince. I think he has it spot on when he talks about adults not having the best imagination. Imagination is something that we should do our best to hold onto especially as readers because it is so important to be able to visualize. 

I love that the author is able to put so many truths into so few pages. It covers everything from friendships to adventure. It's really useful, little truths for life. 

Also, you don't have to read this book all in one sitting. You can take it in bites. I recommend reading a bit but then thinking about what you read. It isn't meant to just be purely for entertainment. 

I get so much from this novel in French and English.  I recommend taking a look at it. It's short so what could it hurt?

I think it is one of those books that you read to your kids. I love it.

The Epic, Extravagant, (Evil), and Elastic Examination Day 17

Favorite quote from your favorite book

“Each life has a different purpose, and some people can find their purpose more easily than others. The key, the most important thing you can ever know, is that whatever your purpose is, that's not your only choice"
-- Dan Well, Partials

~Kelsey

So, I'm kind of cheating because TFIOS isn't my favourite book, but it's definitely top ten and I absolutely love this quote. 

"Augustus Waters was a self-aggrandizing bastard. But we forgive him. We forgive him not because he had a heart as figuratively good as his literal one sucked, or because he knew more about how to hold a cigarette than any nonsmoker in history, or because he got eighteen years when he should've gotten more.'
'Seventeen,' Gus corrected.
'I'm assuming you've got some time, you interupting bastard.
'I'm telling you,' Isaac continued, 'Augustus Waters talked so much that he'd interupt you at his own funeral. And he was pretentious: Sweet Jesus Christ, that kid never took a piss without pondering the abundant metaphorical resonances of human waste production. And he was vain: I do not believe I have ever met a more physically attractive person who was more acutely aware of his own physical attractiveness.
'But I will say this: When the scientists of the future show up at my house with robot eyes and they tell me to try them on, I will tell the scientists to screw off, because I do not want to see a world without him.'"

-- John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

And, from my actual fayborit book in the world 

"I'll tell them how I survive it. I'll tell them that on bad mornings, it feels impossible to take pleasure in things because I'm afraid it could be taken away. That's when I make a list in my head of every act of goodness I've seen someone do. It's like a game. Repetitive. Even a little tedious after more than twenty years.

But there are much worse games to play." 

-- Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay. 

I think it was just such a perfect way to end the series!

Kristen 

Review: To All the Boys I've Loved Before

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Jenny Han
Format: ARC (in exchange for an honest review)
Pages: 288
Rating: 7 out of 10 (yes, we give a lot of 7's...deal with it)

Summary (I've loved no website like Goodreads): To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

My Thoughts: I was so excited to get this novel. I started reading it as soon as I could and it was worth it. It, even though there were quite a few sad moments, is a pretty feel good novel. Even when everything is going to hell, the author managed to bring bright moments and great laughs. At first, I thought that the author was just going off on tangents but really those so called tangents brought the story together. It was really great to get little flashes of back story that explained why the main character, Lara Jean, felt the way she did. I didn't think I would enjoy this but I really did. I don't usually but I'm glad the author did it.

I would like to say that if this happened to me, I would die. I would actually die. I'm not exaggerating here. If letters I wrote to boys I loved were sent, my life would end. I wouldn't even have to like kill myself because I would just drop dead of embarrassment. I felt sooooooooooo bad for Lara Jean! It was made even worse by how she found out. I couldn't handle it.

I really, really, really love the sisters' father. I want a character like him in every novel. He was so adorable and did just about everything for his daughters. He was just the right amount of awkward to be entertaining but he clearly cared. I think this is the first novel I've read that has only a single father. It definitely is the only novel I've read with a single father and only daughters. I enjoyed reading about the dynamic. He was like a real father too. I love when characters are real.

The dynamic (I didn't start this paragraph with an "I", I'm so proud of me!! I am aware that the world does not revolve around me even though you are perpetuating that idea by reading a review about what I think about a novel that I read on my own time. I know it's not all about me.) between the sisters is great. I don't have sisters and my relationship with my brother is nothing like the Song girl's relationship. I loved reading about these girls, as different as they are. Even though she is a pain, I think my favourite character is Kitty. She was hilarious.

I expected more from Gen though if what happened to Lara Jean happened to me I would have quit life for sure.

I was not at all surprised by who sent the letters. I suppose that knowing that we find out about who sent the letters is a spoiler...sorry about that but, in the end, it isn't a main part of the novel so don't hate me. Anyway, I figured it out a long time before we were told so that was a bit of a let down. Though, yes, I understand that it really isn't that important who sent the letters.

I was not excited about the ending though. I knew the ending was coming but I didn't like how she ended the story. It could have been so much more. I wish it would have had more of a conclusion that just the letter she wrote. I mean, let's actually wrap it up...please. I think the novel could have had another 50 pages to wrap this novel up. 

I didn't find any annoying mistakes and I was reading the uncorrected proof, so yay for that. I thought that the author wrote clearly and was entertaining. I would totally buy other books by this author!

(See, after that comment about all my paragraphs starting with "I" I had to make it a thing. Look what my life is coming to. Thanks for reading my self-absorbed review. Did I mention that I really liked this novel?)

Final Wisdom: It was totally worth the read! I loved the relationship Lara Jean had with the other characters, even when they were bad relationships. I would totally recommend this novel to those that like complicated love stories and girls that figure out life. It was a good book.