Review: Just One Day and Just One Year

I'm going to have a two for one special today on review. Let's take a look at the Just One Day series!





Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Gayle Forman
Format: Paperback
Pages: 369 and 336
Ratings for each 
(Just One Day): 8 out of 10
(Just One Year): 8 out of 10


Summary (For Just One Day): Allyson Healey's life is exactly like her suitcase—packed, planned, ordered. Then on the last day of her three-week post-graduation European tour, she meets Willem. A free-spirited, roving actor, Willem is everything she’s not, and when he invites her to abandon her plans and come to Paris with him, Allyson says yes. This uncharacteristic decision leads to a day of risk and romance, liberation and intimacy: 24 hours that will transform Allyson’s life.

A book about love, heartbreak, travel, identity, and the “accidents” of fate, Just One Day shows us how sometimes in order to get found, you first have to get lost. . . and how often the people we are seeking are much closer than we know.

The first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon!

My Thoughts: I absolutely loved this series. I loved being able to travel (in my mind sadly) back to places that I had been in real life (that Europe trip was totally worth it). It was incredible to see those places again but through somebody else's eyes. I was interested in the idea that a girl who never did anything could strike out on her own and do something wild. I was fascinated by Allyson and the interesting people she met along the way.

I was very passionate about Allyson's mother...as in, I really hated Allyson's mother. I didn't think that a book would be able to make my hate anybody or anything as much as this book did. I didn't think that she had any right to treat her daughter the way she did. I actually swore at her out loud (of course, this drew a lot of attention so I really worked hard to repress the desire). My mom, while reading this series, felt the same way. She used it as a reason why she was a good mother, if that convinces you to read this at all...

I enjoyed the strange characters in the diner and at the school. I think the variety of people in the world was really captured in this story. It made for many interesting scenarios. Also, her grandmother is hilarious. 

I think that I might have enjoyed Just One Year a little bit more. I was already in love with the characters and I was dying to know what happened to Willem. Even when my mom was reading Just One Day she kept asking about him. The audience really needed the second in order to understand how we felt about him. It may have changed your perspective a little bit. It was a great book too. If you read or have read Just One Day, you really need to read Just One Year. It's important to get the whole picture.

Both Just One Day and Just One Year are full of wild adventures and moments that capture your heart. The characters are funny and hold nothing back. You will be happy with Allyson and you will be sad with her too. You will find yourself wanting to do something crazy, to travel the world, to try something new. I already suffered from all of these sad conditions and these books just made it all worse...but a good idea of worse. I mean, if Allyson can do all that she did, you can sign up for that race or say hi to someone new or apply for that job, whatever it was. Maybe I'm making up inspiration where it doesn't exist but I guess you will just have to read the series and find out if I'm crazy or not. 

So, basically, I think that if you like love stories, adventure stories, or stories that you can relate to than you should read this series. You will cheer on the characters and groan at their embarrassing moments but you will want to be right there in the action with them. I related to this series, especially Just One Day, too much. I already want to reread them.

Review: Fangirl

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 445
Rating: 7.5 out of 10 (1.5 of that is just for Levi, to be clear.)

Summary (I'm a fan of Goodreads): Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

My Thoughts: Kristen really loved this book from what I remember. I liked it but it wasn't my favourite ever. The main reason so this is that I never got into the fan fiction parts  of the novel. That meant that I found myself skipping entire sections of the novel and that made me sad. I still couldn't make myself read it. I didn't feel like I was missing out exactly but one shouldn't really feel the need to skip large portions of a novel, right? Also, I was mad at the resolution of her lack of interest in working on her school assignment.

Why did I like the novel? Well, Levi. Levi was pretty great. Sure, he made mistakes; he's human. I loved the sass and the sarcasm and the quick wit. I loved that he was kind and willing to do anything to help people out. I loved that he lives such a different life than the one I do so his life experiences were all new to me. I also loved that he needed help. He enjoyed making other people happy and was comfortable around basically everyone, which I envy. He was just fantastic and I want one right now. 

Cath? Cath was alright. I could relate to a lot of what she felt. I like reading novels with characters who write because I enjoy that. Right away I have something to bond with them over. I also really felt for her and her family situation. 

But, honestly, I wish it hadn't been fan fiction. I couldn't care less about the fan fiction. 

Even so...it was a good book. Easy. Ends happy. I don't know. Check it out.

Review: Vitro

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Jessica Khoury
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 384
Rating: 6 out of 10

This is the sequel to Origin (Click here to view) but I don't think there are any spoilers.

Summary (Nothing is equal to Goodreads): On a remote island in the Pacific, Corpus scientists have taken test tube embryos and given them life. These beings—the Vitros—have knowledge and abilities most humans can only dream of. But they also have one enormous flaw.

Sophie Crue is determined to get to Skin Island and find her mother, a scientist who left Sophie behind years ago. She enlists hunky charter pilot Jim Julien to take her there. But once on the island, Sophie and Jim encounter more than they bargained for, including a charming, brilliant Vitro named Nicholas and an innocent, newly awoken one named Lux.

In a race for their lives, Sophie and Jim are about to discover what happens when science stretches too far beyond its reach. 

My Thoughts: I don't think that this novel was quite as wonderful as Origin was. Mostly, I think that the characters in this novel were much stupider than they were in Origin. Really, you see a scary island that everyone says horrible things about but you think that it's a fantastic idea to try to waltz right onto it? WHAT PART OF THIS TRIP WAS A GOOD IDEA? Who are you? Ditzy girl #5 in a horror movie? You just gotta run back up the stairs. You know what? Here's a concept. LISTEN TO WHAT PEOPLE TELL YOU AND DON'T GO THERE. Your mother is a grown adult and can take care of herself since she sure as shootin' wasn't taking care of you all these years...stupid head.

The island sounded pretty? You know, except for all the horrible things happening there...

Jim was just as stupid as Sophie. Maybe more so because he knew all the stories and had been there this whole time. 

Plus, I mean, the plot twists weren't major plot twists that you wouldn't see coming. 

All that said, it wasn't a terrible novel. It was written well enough and was easy to read and follow. The characters had redeeming qualities and it openly led into the next novel (which I have waiting for me at home, by the way). I concept for this series is just terrifying enough to keep you reading while worrying about the future of the world and wondering what scientists are really doing out there (Conspiracy theories ftw). 

So that's my rant.

Basically, check our Origin first. If you like that than read this one. Maybe the next one will be better.  If you are concerned about whether or not you will like this novel, I should tell you that I didn't really put it down just because I wanted to see how badly everything would end up. It wasn't not worth it.

Review: Saint Anything

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Sarah Dessen
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 432
Rating: 7 out of 10

Summary (Goodreads is a saint): Peyton, Sydney's charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family, receiving the lion's share of their parents' attention and—lately—concern. When Peyton's increasingly reckless behavior culminates in an accident, a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift, searching for her place in the family and the world. When everyone else is so worried about Peyton, is she the only one concerned about the victim of the accident?

Enter the Chathams, a warm, chaotic family who run a pizza parlor, play bluegrass on weekends, and pitch in to care for their mother, who has multiple sclerosis. Here Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance. And here she meets Mac, gentle, watchful, and protective, who makes Sydney feel seen, really seen, for the first time.

The uber-popular Sarah Dessen explores her signature themes of family, self-discovery, and change in her twelfth novel, sure to delight her legions of fans. 

My Thoughts: I always forget how much I love Sarah Dessen until I read one of her novels again. This novel was a long time coming, which meant that I've been reading so called "grown up" novels for some time now. I was really worried about getting back to Sarah Dessen...that is, I was worried until I started reading it. These novels are so fantastic because you can always connect to them in some way. You understand what the main character is going through. They aren't just horny teenagers that want to run around getting drunk every weekend at the latest parties. These novels actually talk about something. That's important.

I also find myself struggling to keep my emotions in check. I get so angry when something bad happens to the main character and it's not their fault. This happened to me a great deal while reading Saint Anything. I couldn't get over how the protagonist was being treated. I was mad that her life wasn't fair, even though I am well aware that life isn't fair. I just felt so bad for her.

Even though I was aware of the general direction the novel was taking, I still managed to find myself interested and wanting to keep reading. I didn't put it down. I think my grandfather (who was camping with me while I was reading this novel) thought that I had lost my marbles because I hardly spoke while reading it. It was just that good! And being good enough to make me shut up is a really big feat...

I like that this novel was unique in the characters, the jobs they had, the main issue of the story, that it brought up serious issues including an illness that I know relatively little about, and that there were incredible places for the characters to hang around in. Most of what I experienced in this novel was new to me which is a big deal. That doesn't usually happen. I found myself getting caught up in it all because of this. I definitely want to reread this novel some time in the future and enjoy it all over again.

I hated waiting for Dessen's next novel but I think it was well worth the wait and much different (better, much better and more grown up) than her previous novels. This one is one of my favourite novels by her for sure! I think that if you enjoy young adult and romance and just generally good books, you might want to check this one out.

Review: Ensnared (Splintered #3)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: A. G. Howard
Format: Hardcover (somehow managed to get it three days before release?)
Pages: 384
Rating: 7 out of 10

**Spoiler Alert: This is the third in a series. You can find Splintered Here**

Summary (Thanks Goodreads): After surviving a disastrous battle at prom, Alyssa has embraced her madness and gained perspective. She's determined to rescue her two worlds and the people and netherlings she loves. Even if it means challenging Queen Red to a final battle of wills and wiles . . . and even if the only way to Wonderland, now that the rabbit hole is closed, is through the looking-glass world--a parallel dimension filled with mutated and violent netherling outcasts. In the final installment of the wildly popular Splintered trilogy, Alyssa and her dad journey into the heart of magic and mayhem in search of her mom and to set right all that's gone wrong. Together with Jeb and Morpheus, they must salvage Wonderland from the decay and destruction that has ensnared it. But if they succeed and come out alive, can everyone truly have their happily ever after?

So: I'm finding myself wishing I had made notes for this book while reading. I am so disorganized. Blah!

Okay...I was super excited for this novel. Like, I found it on the shelf before it was supposed to come out and I attacked it and hugged it and bought it and was prepared to fight if one of the works told me that it was a mistake that it was already on the shelf. I would have taken that poor sucker out man.

I suppose that it was worth the hug, but it would not have been worth an assault charge. The novel was less out a let down then Ruins was but it didn't go exactly where I thought it was going to. 

Yes, I loved the world that Howard painted, as always. The mystery and beauty and pure craziness of the world was what got me into this series in the first place. Howard writes so well that I would jump on any other novels that she might write in the future. There is just something about how the world is spun so that its fascinating and dangerous but so that you still want it.

However, I was a little... I don't know. I guess I didn't mind it too much but it seemed like a little bit of a cop-out. All this build up. Who is it going to be and it ends up just being. All that build up was a little bit for nothing. Still, I have the urge to strangle Morpheus. I have never loved and hated a character so much at once. I guess that was the point of him since Alyssa felt the same way about him. That right there is some pretty freaking awesome character writing, let me tell you. Sadly, the manipulation of Alyssa continues and even with her explaining it all away, I hate him for it.

This series though, people...

Basically: I loved this entire series and wish I could have a really in depth discussion about it with someone but I refuse to give any spoilers. I think that if you like Alice's Adventures in Wonderland or books that are a little strange and heavy in the fantasy, this book is for you. Push through the pure weirdness of Splintered. It was rough in the very beginning but you get into it pretty quick and I couldn't put any of them down. I bet you will like it. 

Review: Gates of Thread and Stone

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Lori M. Lee
Format: ebook (Galley; honest review requested)
Pages: 335
Rating: 7 out of 10

Summary (from the gates of Goodreads): In the Labyrinth, we had a saying: keep silent, keep still, keep safe.

In a city of walls and secrets, where only one man is supposed to possess magic, seventeen-year-old Kai struggles to keep hidden her own secret—she can manipulate the threads of time. When Kai was eight, she was found by Reev on the riverbank, and her “brother” has taken care of her ever since. Kai doesn’t know where her ability comes from—or where she came from. All that matters is that she and Reev stay together, and maybe one day move out of the freight container they call home, away from the metal walls of the Labyrinth. Kai’s only friend is Avan, the shopkeeper’s son with the scandalous reputation that both frightens and intrigues her.

Then Reev disappears. When keeping silent and safe means losing him forever, Kai vows to do whatever it takes to find him. She will leave the only home she’s ever known and risk getting caught up in a revolution centuries in the making. But to save Reev, Kai must unravel the threads of her past and face shocking truths about her brother, her friendship with Avan, and her unique power. 

My Thoughts:

Can I just take a moment to talk to you about how beautiful everything about this novel is? I mean, that cover is fantastic (although this is my first time seeing it.) The font, as silly as it sounds to say, was amazing. The chapter opening? Perfect for the story. I pathetically got excited every time I say the threads.

Okay, but actual stuff that we care about. 

There was a perfect amount of description in this novel. I wasn't sure where the novel was going but I didn't really care all that much. I was in the moment with this one. I read it too fast, so it was a brief moment, but still it was a good time. I thought the use of language was good. It was clear that effort was put in to choose the perfect words. I liked that a lot.

It was upsetting to find another novel where this is something special about the main character but I suppose there really is nothing that can be done about that. I find as much as I tire of reading about "special" or "unique" girls, I find normal girls just as boring. This was another book with fun character names, especially when we get to Death and Famine and Conquest. Those, by the way, were a very interesting idea. I wish it was expanded upon a little bit more, but I guess that's what the next novel is for. One special thing about this novel (as small and stupid as it is) is that Avan claims its "not all about gender" sometimes. It plays a lot to the times but I don't care. Deal with it. 

I hate when the main character is manipulated by people. I hate that people manipulate people. Why can't we all just get along? Huh? Why not?

Finally, I thought that the ending was find of crap. I mean, it made sense. Soon enough, I saw it coming (right before but still). Just...like, oh this is hard without spoiling anything...let it go. Move on. 

Final Thoughts: This novel is beautiful with its interesting characters and fantastic description of a world so unlike my own, that I want to follow my uniquely named new found friends to find out what the solution to all of this is going to be. What is going to happen next? How is it going to end? Apparently, you don't find out until the next novel...Guess I'll have to keep an eye out for it.

Review: A Lonely Magic

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Sarah Wynde
Format: eBook (Galley; honest review requested)
Pages: 270 (?)
Rating: 5 out of 10

Summary (With Goodreads, nobody is lonely): Nothing is what it seems in a glittering new fantasy by best-selling author Sarah Wynde

When a gorgeous guy demands Fen choose between getting shot or overdosing on drugs, she plunges into a sea of trouble. Although she’s rescued from her would-be killer by Luke, a teenage boy, and Kaio, his sexy older brother, escape won’t be so easy.

The protection the brothers provide simmers with unnerving undercurrents. They have secrets and Fen has questions. Who are they? How did they find her? What do they want with her? And why was she targeted for murder in the first place?

When Fen and Luke are forced to run for their lives, Luke spirits Fen down into an enchanting underwater city. But every enchantment has its dark edges. Caught in the tides of emotion, romance, and a plot to destroy humanity, Fen must look deep within herself to find the strength and courage she’ll need to stay afloat in this amazing new world.

Submerge yourself in the latest gripping novel from Sarah Wynde, author of the Tassamara series. You won’t want to come up for air before the final enthralling page of A Lonely Magic.

My Thoughts: How about this? I will talk about what I didn't like, then I will share what I did like. This is likely lack paragraph form as my notes are super confusing for this book. Sorry.

Okay, so the beginning was interesting enough but the speech seemed a little bit off. It struck me as too simple and speech is one of my things. It can cause me to hate or to fall in love with a book. I think that dialogue sets the tone. It creates the characters. In this novel, it bothered me a lot because I could see that there was so much more to this book than the bad speech patterns. Suddenly, I found that some of the character (no spoilers!) spoke in a very bizarre way. It is discussed, yes, however, the change in speech seemed too fast. Fen has been interacting with two of the characters for some time before they seem anything more than formal. By the end of the novel, they sound childlike. They devolved. That shouldn't have happened. Solution? The author just needs to listen more closely to the way people speak and not change speech patterns half way through.

I despised the ending. It wasn't an ending. It was another middle...with no ending after it. The novel was short. There was no reason why that one last little bit couldn't have been discussed. Another novel still would have been possible if that's what the publishers were worried about. I mean, there was still the central problem for the...people. It didn't just have to stop. It made me uncomfortable and unhappy and three days later, I'm still mad about it. Why couldn't we have just finished the stupid thing? 

That said, I enjoyed the general storyline. I liked the magic and the characters (at their core). I enjoyed the beauty of the world in which they lived. I thought that Fen was interesting. I thought Luke was brave. I have to be honest thought, I much prefer Kaio. I also liked the names. I'm a sucker for strange names (as long as you can pronounce them, of course.) 

I guess what I'm trying to say here is that I liked the novel...but it needed more work. It needed another few rounds of edits. It needed to have the speech double checked. Continuity and all that fun stuff. It needed to be dumbed down in some areas, and worked up in other areas. It just needed more work. Another six months of hard editing and work on this novel and it could have been amazing but, as it was, it was just too lacking and I doubt I will ever reread it because of this. If it wasn't for the fact that Fen couldn't stop thinking about how hot the characters were, I would suggest that this was for a younger group but I can't even claim that. Sorry.

Review: Meant To Be

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Lauren Morrill
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 304
Rating: um er uh 
Rating: 5 out of 10

Summary (Meant To Be from Goodreads): Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question. 

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

So: This cover is fantastic. It's so beautiful. It was the original reason that I continually returned to it. It took me about two weeks to finally decide to buy it but the cover was what had me even considering it. Later, it would be the fact that I liked Anna and the French Kiss that would draw me to this novel. I love the idea of books with travel because it is an unique way to explore the world without actually leaving your bedroom...or classroom in which you are trapped and forced to listen to a professor drone on and on about who knows what. It is especially wonderful when the novel travels somewhere you have been before because you can remember what it was like. This novel did that. HOWEVER, those two people on the front do not look like teenagers in high school. They both look thirty and I don't like that cause it leads to unrealistic expectations. I'm not talking about the book, although that is true also. It leads to unrealistic expectations for young people to think they should be like this or like that. Rant over. Anyway...

I don't understand how these two managed to sneak around at all. When I went to Europe on a school trip, we couldn't get anywhere practically; yet, these two manage to run off for entire days at a time. I don't buy it but it doesn't pull anything away from the novel.

I was excited to find that I only saw the end coming in part. Surprises are great things and true surprises are pretty rare. Points for that.

What bothered me most about this novel is that Julia ignores a lot about Jason's past in the end, even the recent past. From what I saw, I wouldn't want to spend any time with that guy so she had the right idea in the beginning. I wouldn't be able to forget the fact that he made the beginning of the trip complete hell or that he made offensive gestures towards me. Later, those gestures are brought up again and make her life suck in that moment to. I would not be nearly as forgiving as she was. 

The novel was alright but there was nothing outstanding about it. I wasn't awed by the unique characters or the description of the amazing places they visited. I doubt that I'd read this novel again even though I could relate to the breaking out of roles Julia did during the course of the novel. It just wasn't incredible. It didn't blow me away. I enjoyed it but when it ended, I moved on easily without much thinking back on the novel. 

Basically: The novel was okay but I (for some reason...sorry author) expected more from this book. I most likely won't read it again but that shouldn't stop you from reading it a first time. If you liked Anna and the French Kiss than you might like this novel; although, Anna and the French Kiss is much better as is the love interest in it. If you've got the money and the time, this novel is decent. It's probably for high school age girls, if that helps you at all.

Review: Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Eileen Cook
Format: Paperback
Pages: 261
Rating: 5 out of 10

Summary (Thanks for existing Goodreads.com): 
Popularity is the best revenge.

In the final weeks of eighth grade, Lauren Wood made a choice. She betrayed her best friend, Helen, in a manner so publicly humiliating that Helen had to move to a new town just to save face. Ditching Helen was worth it, though, because Lauren started high school as one of the It Girls--and now, at the start of her senior year, she's the cheerleading captain, the quarterback's girlfriend, and the undisputed queen bee. Lauren has everything she's ever wanted, and she has forgotten all about her ex-best friend.

But Helen could never forget Lauren. After three years of obsessing, she's moving back to her old town. She has a new name and a new look, but she hasn’t dropped her old grudges. She has a detailed plan to bring down her former BFF by taking away everything that's ever been important to Lauren—starting with her boyfriend.

Watch out, Lauren Wood. Things are about to get bitchy.

My Thoughtless Ramblings: This cover is ugly. It is so important for me to say this that I'm going to say it first thing. The cover of the copy I have is beautiful. I had a two-for-one type deal called Used To Be which had two novels by Eileen Cook in it. I liked it much more. I would never have picked a book up off the shelf that had this cover on it. Yes, I judge books by their covers, deal with it.

So, anyway, getting revenge...I understand wanting to get back at people but I don't think I will ever understand wanting to destroy a person's life especially over what the slight was in this novel. It sucks yes, but JUST MOVE ON. I thought the whole plot of this novel was a huge waste of time. It was an interesting concept. It might have been okay if the thing that caused it wasn't so stupid. To Helen, it may have been big, in the moment. It was hardly something to let consume your life. It just didn't seem like a big enough thing to cause all that followed. That's my opinion.

Also, this chick is crazy! Who would do all of this to a person? She couldn't killed Lauren a few times over. I kept thinking, "oh my gosh, Helen is a sociopath!" She didn't seem to be worried about any consequences for what she was doing and I can think of so many right now. The top two would be homicide or suicide or jail time. Those are just the big ones. Having your life messed up is hardly worth ruining someones over. Helen had the opportunity to do just fine with her life but she lost a lot of credibility when she became the cruel person. It's hard to relate to someone who would stoop so low. 

The love interest in this was good. I liked him. I liked him and I liked a couple of the other friends Helen makes at the school. I thought they were way more thought out than the revenge plan. They were honestly my favourite part of the novel, no matter how poorly Helen treated them or the fact that they let her treat them so badly and remained her friends. I wouldn't have been so nice to her, I think.

So: This novel was a quick read and light enough. I didn't appreciate the plot all that much but other than the main character, I liked the people that were found on these pages. I find myself not blaming the author for my dislike of this novel. It's just what it was. I won't be reading it again but I would read more from this author in the future.

Review: The Education of Hailey Kendrick

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Eileen Cook
Format: Paperback
Pages: 272
Rating: 8 out of 10

Summary (Goodreads educated me): Hailey Kendrick always does exactly what's expected of her. She has the right friends, dates the perfect boy, gets good grades, and follows all the rules. But one night, Hailey risks everything by breaking a very big rule in a very public way...and with a very unexpected partner in crime. Hailey gets caught, but her accomplice does not, and Hailey takes the fall for both of them. 

Suddenly, Hailey's perfect life--and her reputation--are blowing up in her face. Her friends are all avoiding her. Her teachers don't trust her. Her boyfriend won't even speak to her for long enough to tell her that she's been dumped.

They say honesty is the best policy--but some secrets are worth keeping, no matter the cost. Or are they?

My Thoughts on this beautiful novel: I don't think I've ever related to a novel like I related to this one. Okay so there was a lot different about her life: the dead mom, the boarding school, the being rich, the hot men in her life... ... ... I'm sorry, I was daydreaming, got distracted. What was I saying? Oh, right. Her life was do very different from mine. Yet, at the same time, it wasn't. There are so many things I would never dare try. I'm not a rule breaker. I am more afraid of the world than anything else. Honestly, it's true. Feel free to e-mail me if you ever wanna chat because I really am more afraid of you than you are of me. I could also understand why she eventually snapped. Who wouldn't snap with all that pressure she was putting on herself?

Since I saw so much of myself in Hailey, I feel in love with her. Okay, not in that way, I reserved that for the multiple nice guys in the novel. Unlike Hailey, boys have never been a problem in my life. Anyway, she didn't bother me. I can't think of anything about her that I didn't like (although, there must have been something).

I thought that her punishment was hilarious. It added a lot of comedy to the story. I loved that about it.

Her friends kind of made me man. Suddenly, they weren't there for her like I think they should've been. Would it have killed them to take a minute to listen to her side of the story? Probably not.

This novel was both easy and fast. It was also enjoyable. I caught myself laughing at a few parts. I also felt unbelievable anger during other parts. I've been avoiding high school stories lately but I'm glad I picked this novel up. It made me happy and was totally worth the time and money I spent on it. I'll just ignore that she was so much younger than me...

So, basically, I enjoyed this novel a lot. It was the first novel by Eileen Cook I'd ever read and I don't think that it will be the last. Can anyone recommend me some more good ones by her?

Review: Opposition (Lux #5)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 534
Rating: 6 out of 10 (oh that's so sad)

** SPOILER ALERT: This is number five in the Lux series. Check out Obsidian HERE **

Summary (Lookx at Goodreads (Lame, sorry)): Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came.

She can't believe Daemon welcomed his race or stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred, and love has become an emotion that could destroy her—could destroy them all.

Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal.

They must team with an unlikely enemy if there is any chance of surviving the invasion. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything— even what they cherish most—to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.

War has come to Earth. And no matter the outcome, the future will never be the same for those left standing.

My Thoughts: I'm still upset that this cover is different than that of the rest of the series and I don't even own the series, I borrowed it from Kristen. I promise that she is just as upset as I am, if not more upset. It's just so different and such a let down. 

But enough about unimportant things! In the beginning of this series, I loved it. I was 100% into the story line and the characters. By this novel, I was so bored. I don't know. Maybe it's that I think that most often trilogies are too long. Five books is nearly twice as long as that! It was just too much. I still cared a lot about the characters but so much about this series seemed like a useless filler. Get to the point. Don't add a million characters that aren't necessary or plot lines that don't matter to the main element of the story. I want to get right to it. I want to know that they will end up happy but I also want to be able to trust that the story will eventually end. This novel started to drag almost. Part of the problem may have been that I read the first four novels back to back and had to wait for this one to come out. I must have lost momentum. I usually love Jennifer Armentrout's novels. I'm starting to worry that she is pulling herself too thin.

I was content with the ending even though it was a bit of a pain to get there. Everything was wrapped up. I'm not really perfectly sure how they managed to wrap up the main plot point. Like, you just scared them away? Hey, whatever. Whatever works. I don't believe it 100% but that's fine. She's the author. She's the boss.

What I'm gathering from my slightly delayed review of this novel is that I liked the series as a whole but didn't really enjoy this novel on it's own.

This is a bad review, I am so sorry.

So: Don't let this review stop you from reading this series. This novel has informed my writing, if you would believe that. I also have an unnatural attachment to Jennifer Armentrout. This series was pretty wonderful in the beginning and I was excited to find out how the whole thing would end. I wasn't too let down by the ending.

Review: Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 358
Rating: 7 out of 10

Summary (Goodreads is my back BONE): Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

Shadow and Bone is the first installment in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy.

Thoughts: When Kristen first got this novel, I don't think she was sure whether or not she would like it. Actually, I'm almost positive that she wasn't sure. She might have even told me so. When I picked up this novel I was a little leery. I wasn't sure if this would be my kind of book. It looked a bit too...magic for me. I actually loved it.

The beginning really does start at the beginning. We are given just enough background so as to understand the characters and their motivation. We know what scares them and why. We know who is close and why they care so much for each other. All of these things turned out to be very important for the rest of the story. How could it not be? I love how the author wrote the beginning and the end, giving a sort of an outside perspective. 

The world the author made in this story was incredible. I loved it. I loved the feel of it. There wasn't just one town that the story was confined to; it was an entire world. The characters could and did travel often. They saw things that were outside of their experience so that the reader learned right beside them. I loved that there was a language even though it was only a few words. It adds another dimension. I love words and languages so that could just be me that enjoyed that. The world the author created was literally magical.

Also, who doesn't wish that they had magic, I mean, really? I wish I did. I'd like to leave out all the other stuff though, you know, the war and crazy deadly bad creatures and all that fun (not) stuff. 

I must admit, however, that this novel would easily disappear into the mix that is YA literature. It's similar to so many other books. There are some unique elements but if you read this kind of YA all the time, this novel might not stand out for you. I was lucky enough to be away from fantasy novels for just long enough to be into this story. Even then, I think that it was more for the characters than for the story line. I fall in love with characters so easily. Plus, I always need to find out how stories end.

Basically: I enjoyed this novel more than I thought I would. I'm definitely going to finish this series with great anticipation. If you are into fantasy, magic kind of stuff and are tired of vampires and werewolves (are those still a thing, I avoided them the whole time and now I feel out of the loop) then I think you'll like this novel.

Review: Where She Went (If I Stay #2)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Gayle Forman
Format: ebook
Pages: 264
Rating: 8 out of 10

** This is the second to If I Stay. Read the review HERE**

Summary (Where Goodreads went): It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

What I thought: It's been a while so bare with me. I really liked this novel, like a lot. I thought it was amazingly well-written. It took If I Stay and made it something so much more. If I Stay really leaves the audience wondering where they will go from here and this explains just that. I've got to be honest with you, I didn't see all these twists and turns coming. I don't think that anyone who read If I Stay really saw exactly where the author would be dragging these two main characters. It was heart-breaking.

No, you know what was heart-breaking? Adam. Adam destroyed me in this novel. I could feel everything he was feeling. I have anxiety and I can attest to the fact that it was written properly in this story. The poor guy is so broken, so screwed up after the events of the last novel. It only makes sense that he would be suffering now. He was written perfectly. I felt his pain. I understood everything behind it. I also wanted to punch him in the face at times. Anyway, I actually cried while reading this novel and that counts for a lot to me.

I don't know what I was expecting at the end but this novel is full of twists that keep your interest and keep you guessing right up until the very end. I'm okay with how it all turned out. I was both surprised and not. I'm not sure how to explain it to you so you should just read it.

This author is fantastic. You become part of the stories. You need to know what happens. You feel what the characters are feeling. These things are the most important things to me. These novels are authentic. They are real. They also rip your heart out and stomp on it until it dissolves into minuscule pieces but that's okay because by that point you want it, all of it. These novels really give you it all.

So: I recommend this novel. To everyone. If you read If I Stay, you should read this novel. You don't really need to but I found that it didn't continue on how I thought it was going to. I think Adam's point of view does the story perfect justice. Read it.

Read Kristen's take here: Where She Went

Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door (Anna and the French Kiss #2)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Format: eBook
Pages: 338
Rating: 7 out of 10

Summary (Goodreads): Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion...she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit--more sparkly, more fun, more wild--the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket--a gifted inventor--steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Thoughts: I'm sorry, can we talk about the hot boy on the cover of this novel? I didn't get to see this hot boy very much (at all) using the ereader but phew...

I've never read a story about an inventor. That was kind of cool. I love Cricket. He has a stupid name and is almost unbearably awkward but he is wonderful with all his little quirks. I think he's delightful, especially with what he does for her right at the end of the novel. Having an inventor around would be handy...

Hearing about where St. Clair and Anna are now was nice. It was a great way to continue that story without actually continuing their story. Do characters still live on after the author stops writing about them? I think they do, no matter what is said in The Fault in Our Stars. 

Lola is...unique. I like her. She is a little bit crazy and has her annoying moments but still. I wouldn't dress like her...I watch TV shows about people like her...but if it makes her happy then she should go for it. Also, this is my first novel with gay parents in it. I liked that a lot.

If you liked Anna and the French Kiss then you should look at this novel too. If you haven't you should go out and buy both of them because they are adorable love stories that make you want to travel and create things and be happy.

Review: If I Stay

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Gayle Forman
Format: eBook
Pages: 262
Rating: 8 out of 10

Summary (I hope Goodreads stays): On a day that started like any other,

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

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

So: Kristen gave me this novel and warned me not to read it when I was around other people because I would cry. I didn't cry but I came very close. This novel made me really consider my life and what I would do in the main character's situation. It was hard to imagine but this novel is written beautifully. I don't usually like flashbacks but in this novel, they were not only necessary but perfectly placed in the story to further it. You have to pay a little bit more attention to this novel because of how the main character thinks and bounces back to the past but it's worth it.

I really fell in love with the characters. I felt their pain but still wanted to laugh at some of the funny things they did. What I laughed at wasn't always funny. Sometimes they needed to do what they did and I laughed in disbelief. I want someone to fight for me like that...also, her boyfriend rocks...literally and figuratively. 

The idea for this novel was wonderful...wonderfully sad, I suppose. It really is just a beautiful story, a beautiful novel. I wish that I could tell you more about it but I don't want to give too much away. I think that if you enjoy young adult fiction at all than you should at least pick up this book at the store and look at it. Just look at it. I ask nothing else of you. 

Conclusion: This novel was really unique. I've never read another book like it so I'm glad I took the time to read it. Tears were close to falling a few times so read it alone but make sure to go read it. I'm sure the movie will be awesome. I already got my hands on the sequel!

Already read If I Stay? Check out Kristen's review for its sequel, Where She Went, which Kristen enjoyed even more!

Special Note: Today this book has been released as a movie. Go show your support at your local movie theater. Kristen and I will be checking it out soon!