Just as in April, I read five books this month (I'm halfway through a sixth but I'll include that in next month's wrap-up). I have been quite busy with school and work, so I'm hoping to read way more during the Summer months. Forever Geek (Geek Girl #6) - Holly SmaleSYNOPSIS: Harriet goes to Australia with Nat and Bunty, and makes important decisions about her modelling career. Rating: 5/5 This was an epic ending to an epic series and I loved it a lot. It made me cry. Click here for my full review of Forever Geek. The Death Game (Team Mortis #3) - Bjorn van den EyndeSYNOPSIS: Erika is invited to play a deathly game that has already cost the lives of two Team Mortis agents. Rating: 3/5 I swear, this series is lucky the plots are so good. Once again I found myself completely and utterly annoyed at all the comments about how tiny and skinny Erika is, and how all the boys are fighting over her. Also for some reason all the boys think they have the right to make decisions for her, touch her all the time, and 'protect' her. Literally leave her alone. The Fashion Committee - Susan JubySYNOPSIS: Charlie and John both try to win a fashion competition to get a scholarship to a prestigious private school. Rating: 3/5 I quite liked this book and especially the themes it involved. I did feel like it dragged on a little in the middle. Link to my full review here. Kill the Boy Band - Goldy MoldavskySYNOPSIS: Four fans of The Ruperts accidentally kidnap their least favourite band member. Rating: 4/5 After a rocky start this book completely captured me and I would've loved it had it not been for the dodgy beginning. Read more about that in my full review here. Finding Audrey -Sophie KinsellaSYNOPSIS: After a traumatising event Audrey doesn't go outside anymore. Her brother's friend Linus helps her overcome her fears. Rating: 4/5 I really liked this book! A while ago I reviewed On the Spectrum by Jennifer Gold and noted that other characters' reactions to Clara's disorder were very realistic. I feel the same about this book. The people around her tiptoe around the subject, get angry because they don't understand and have a lot of misconceptions. I really appreciated the realistic way in which Audrey's problems were described. This was a good read and I very much enjoyed it. Let me know if you read any of these books and what you thought of them!
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SYNOPSIS: Just know from the start that it wasn’t supposed to go like this. All we wanted was to get near them. That’s why we got a room in the hotel where they were staying. We were not planning to kidnap one of them. Especially not the most useless one. But we had him—his room key, his cell phone, and his secrets. We were not planning on what happened next. We swear. Rating: 4/5
TW! Sexual assault I almost loved this book. Almost. The story, the characters, the psychological aspects playing with your head, the plot twists... It was all SO GOOD. The only thing I disliked about this, and I'm super disappointed about this because it might have become one of my new favourite books otherwise, is that it makes jokes about sexual assault. I really do not appreciate that at all. Multiple times while the kidnapped band member is sat tied up in a chair with a blindfold on, one of the characters sits in his lap, and even licks his face. There's also jokes like "we told you to keep an eye on her so she wouldn't sexually assault him", "it's fine, she's just licking his face". It's just the fact that the victim is a guy that makes it """okay""" to make these jokes apparently, because later on in the book there's a pretty big drama about a girl being sexually assaulted, which is taken seriously. They also invade his privacy by going on the band member's phone and then threaten to out him to the world when they find evidence that he is gay, which is a very sick and gross thing to do. Even if this whole book is just an attempt to show how intense fan culture is, I think this would've been much better left out. So yes, that part is very upsetting and disappointing to me. If you are triggered by sexual assault, definitely steer far away from this book. For the rest, the storyline, the characters and the psychology are all pretty brilliant and I would love to recommend it to everyone, but the sexual assault just doesn't sit right with me. I'm not going to say whom I'd recommend this to then, because everyone can decide for themselves whether they'd still like to read this. Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/25184383-kill-the-boy-band Amazon: www.amazon.com/Kill-Boy-Band-Goldy-Moldavsky/dp/0545867479 SYNOPSIS: Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him. Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death. When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink. Rating 2/5
It's time for an unpopular opinion! I hated All the Bright Places. Proper hated it. The only reason I'm giving it two starts is because I did love Violet. I hated Finch with a burning passion. God, what a horrible guy. If this book was intended to show how horrible and manipulative people can be, I would've liked it a lot more, because it definitely did show that. Finch was a crappy person who manipulated Violet into doing things she did not want to do because he thought he knew what was best for her despite barely knowing her. He makes sure Violet gets attached to him only to let her drop again. "But it's okay because he warned her he was trouble!!" Absolutely not. What a horrible guy. I get that he's mentally ill, but this book glorified that immensely. This was a sick and twisted story written as a love story, even though it was a toxic relationship and Violet deserved so much better. I loved how Violet got back into writing, made new friends, and had others join in on her writing. Her character development was lovely to read. If I could cut Finch out of this book and make it all about Violet I would. I really would. Throughout this whole book I was just mentally screaming at Violet's parents to do something about this! Cut her off from this toxic guy! Sure, she did get into a car again because of him, but he pretty much forced her to. She would've gotten there on her own eventually because she's a strong girl and did not need some manipulative creep to drag her places before she was ready. I have some very strong feelings about this book. Especially about Finch. Let me know if you agree/disagree with me! Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/18460392-all-the-bright-places Amazon: www.amazon.com/All-Bright-Places-Jennifer-Niven/dp/0385755910 SYNOPSIS: Charlie Dean is a style-obsessed girl who eats, sleeps, and breathes fashion. John Thomas-Smith is a boy who forges metal sculptures in his garage and couldn't care less about clothes. Both are gunning for a scholarship to the private art high school that could make all their dreams come true. Whoever wins the fashion competition will win the scholarship--and only one can win. Told in the alternating voices of Charlie's and John's journals, this hilarious and poignant YA novel perfectly captures what it's like to have an artistic drive so fierce that nothing--not your dad's girlfriend's drug-addicted ex-boyfriend, a soul-crushing job at Salad Stop, or being charged with a teensy bit of kidnapping--can stand in your way. Rating: 3/5
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. The first thing I want to say about this book is that it was incredibly real. No details spared. Charlie did not hold back in explaining what it's like to having a drug addict as a father and it makes it all feel very close. Like one of your friends casually mentioning that she's given up on trying to keep her dad clean and put it into his own hands entirely. I loved Charlie. She was strong, passionate, kind, patient and friendly. She tried her best to do what was right and be good to the people around her at the same time. She wanted to achieve her goals but not hurt anyone in the process. I also love her bond with Mischa that develops and the way she deals with Mischa's abusive boyfriend. Charlie is an absolute star, one of my favourite characters ever. I tried to like John. I really did. But as the book progressed I just liked him less and less. Even though his cause was nobel, he just did everything wrong in trying to achieve it and took everything around him for granted. Really the only negative thing I have to say about this book is that the middle part seemed to drag on for quite some time. I found myself not really feeling like reading it because nothing was really happening. Fortunately, it sped up for the last third of the book and that part was very good. When Charlie was speaking, she used a lot of complicated fashion terms, which had me annoyed at first but now I realise that this does nicely contrast her passion and knowledge about fashion, as opposed to John, who knows next to nothing. Another small note: I loved Jo and Charlie and I wish their dynamic had been given more attention. It seemed a bit rushed like this and I would've loved to see her relationships as well fleshed out as John's, as his relationships with Booker and Barbra were very nicely described throughout the whole book. Charlie did however get a lot of attention in when it came to her relationship with her dad and Mischa, which was very nice. Overall, I liked this book, but especially for the themes and topics it covered like drug abuse and passion for hobbies. This book is coming out tomorrow (!!) and I would recommend everyone read it, as it I think it can give us all a different perspective on drug addiction. Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/31456511-the-fashion-committee?from_search=true Amazon: www.amazon.com/Fashion-Committee-Susan-Juby/dp/0670067601 SYNOPSIS: With her weak eyes and useless lungs that often leave her gasping for air, Nere feels more at home swimming with the dolphins her mother studies than she does hanging out with her classmates. Nere has never understood why she is so much more comfortable and confident in the water than on land until the day she learns the shocking truth—she is one of a group of kids who have been genetically altered to survive in the ocean. These products of the "Neptune Project" are supposed to build a better future under the waves, safe from the terrible famines and wars and that rock the surface world. But there are some big challenges ahead of her: no one ever asked Nere if she wanted to be part of a science experiment; the other Neptune kids aren't exactly the friendliest bunch, and in order to reach the safe haven of the new Neptune colony, Nere and her fellow mutates must swim across hundreds of miles of dangerous ocean, relying on their wits, their loyal dolphins and one another to evade terrifying undersea creatures and a government that will stop at nothing to capture the Neptune kids ... dead or alive Rating: 3/5
The Neptune Project series is one that I am surprised not that many people know about, as it is exactly the type of thing that is popular. It's a bit dystopian, has a teenage heroine and some action. The Neptune Project also throws in some evil-fighting dolphins for good measure. I quite liked this book. The characters were good, the plotline was interesting and well-developed, and it was definitely very original. The reason this gets 3 stars from me is that it got a bit dull at times. Also, the main character has one of my biggest Reading Pet Peeves, namely that she keeps referring to herself as 'normal looking' and she doesn't understand why boys are fighting over her. I prefer my heroines strong and confident rather than constantly reminding the audience how short and plain-looking they are (I'm looking at you, Tris). I read this book a while ago, but never read the sequel. Typing this review reminded me that I should pick it up sometime, as it really is quite worth the read. It's original and the storyline is captivating, so I'm curious what will happen in the next book. I'd recommend this book to anyone who's a fan of books like Divergent and the Hunger Games, about teenagers changing the world! Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/10739664-the-neptune-project Amazon: www.amazon.com/Neptune-Conspiracy-Polly-Holyoke-ebook/dp/B00AOF8C88 I probably don't even have to ask you if you like the Hunger Games, because honestly, who doesn't? But the hype for is pretty much over and it's time to find a new series to be excited about! For lovers of the Hunger Games I have two recommendations. (Divergent is a good pick as well of course, but I'm pretty sure everyone's read that already!) This first one I actually wrote my first blog post on: the GONE series by Michael Grant. SYNOPSIS: In the blink of an eye, everyone disappears. Gone. Except for the young. There are teens, but not one single adult. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened. Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day. It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your 15th birthday, you disappear just like everyone else... So yes, I've already done a review on this series (link) but this series is so good for Hunger Games lovers! The exciting thing about the Hunger Games is the fighting, the dystopian aspect and the fact that young people are left to their own devices, and that's exactly what happens in the GONE series too. The whole thing is so thrilling and I secretly like GONE even better than the Hunger Games (sorry). Read my review that I just linked too to find out a bit more and read a more comprehensive opinion. Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/2536134.Gone Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Gone-Michael-Grant/dp/0061448788 This next one is another one of my favourite series ever and it the last book only just came out last year: the Lorien Legacies by Pittacus Lore. SYNOPSIS: Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books--but we are real. Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. We have lived among you without you knowing. But they know. They caught Number One in Malaysia. Number Two in England. And Number Three in Kenya. They killed them all. I am Number Four. I am next. I read I Am Number Four in early 2014 and I sped through the books that were out by that time, and then I proceeded to wait and read each book as it came out! There was quite a bit of time in between readings so I forgot some things along the way, especially as so much happens in each book! But if you read it now, you can read them all in one go as they're all out now (yay!). These books might be more actionpacked than the Hunger Games: fights upon fights upon fights. Aliens, monsters, evil people: these books have it all. You may have heard of this series before as I Am Number Four was made into a movie, but the sequels got cancelled because the ratings were so bad.. I haven't actually watched the movie because I'm afraid it'll ruin everything, as I loved these books so much! So even if you did watch the movie and didn't like it, please give the books themselves a try because they are clearly much better than the movie!
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/7747374-i-am-number-four?ac=1&from_search=true Amazon: www.amazon.com/Am-Number-Four-Lorien-Legacies/dp/0061969575 SYNOPSIS: This is the story of Paul, a sophomore at a high school like no other: The cheerleaders ride Harleys, the homecoming queen used to be a guy named Daryl (she now prefers Infinite Darlene and is also the star quarterback), and the gay-straight alliance was formed to help the straight kids learn how to dance. When Paul meets Noah, he thinks he’s found the one his heart is made for. Until he blows it. The school bookie says the odds are 12-to-1 against him getting Noah back, but Paul’s not giving up without playing his love really loud. His best friend Joni might be drifting away, his other best friend Tony might be dealing with ultra-religious parents, and his ex-boyfriend Kyle might not be going away anytime soon, but sometimes everything needs to fall apart before it can really fit together right. This is a happy-meaningful romantic comedy about finding love, losing love, and doing what it takes to get love back in a crazy-wonderful world. Rating: 5/5
It's a bit odd for someone who says they love David Levithan to only have a 3/5 review for him on their blog. So here's the reason why I started loving David Levithan in the first place: Boy Meets Boy. When people ask me what my favourite book is, I tell them this one, because I really do think that if I could only reread one book over and over again for the rest of my life, I'd pick this one. This book gives me hope for the future and packages it nicely in colourful wrapping paper made of a love story. David Levithan set out to write the typical "Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl" story, except with two boys. Noah and Paul. But in order to make this story the most typical love story possible, the world has to change. So Levithan did just that when creating the town these characters live in. Everything goes and everything is normal. The quarterback is trans, no one cares whom you're kissing, etc. It wouldn't be a typical love story if there wasn't a big event to build up to. In this case, it's a school dance. And Paul needs to get Noah back before the school dance. The storyline is very basic and typical, but the world and the characters around it make this book into such an original and unique read. There's also a spin-off, based on one of the side characters, Tony, who lives one town over with his religious parents, where people aren't as accepting of the LGBT community. Throughout Boy Meets Boy he slowly grows in his identity. In the spin-off, Hold Me Closer, he's come to terms with himself and he is directing a musical about his life. Yes, it's as fabulous as it sounds. I would recommend both Boy Meets Boy and Hold Me Closer to everyone! Boy Meets Boy is a sweet read that makes you think, and Hold Me Closer is mostly hilarious and Glee-like. If you've read either of them, let me know what your thoughts are! Boy Meets Boy Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/23228.Boy_Meets_Boy Amazon: www.amazon.com/Boy-Meets-David-Levithan/dp/0375832998 Hold Me Closer Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/22736613-hold-me-closer?ac=1&from_search=true Amazon: www.amazon.com/Hold-Me-Closer-Cooper-Story/dp/0147516102 SYNOPSIS: My name is Harriet Manners and I’ll be a geek forever… Harriet Manners knows almost every fact there is. Modelling isn’t a sure-fire route to popularity. Neither is making endless lists. The people you love don’t expect you to transform into someone else. Statistically, you are more likely to not meet your Australian ex-boyfriend in Australia than bump into him there. So on the trip of a lifetime Down Under Harriet’s to-do lists are gone and it’s Nat’s time to shine! Yet with nearly-not-quite-boyfriend Jasper back home, Harriet’s completely unprepared to see supermodel ex Nick. Is the fashion world about to turn ugly for GEEK GIRL? It’s time for Harriet to face the future. Time to work out where her heart lies. To learn how to let go… Link to my review of the rest of the series here!
Rating: 5/5 I could keep this review very short: I LOVED THIS! This book was the perfect ending to the series, and I loved seeing all these familiar faces again. I'm really going to miss this series and Harriet. She did things that made me sigh a lot, but she's just so lovable and kind hearted. She's just doing her best! I've said before that only two books have ever made me cry: the last Harry Potter book and On the Spectrum by Jennifer Gold (review here), but this book is the first one that had me full on sobbing so much I had a hard time reading through my tears. Seriously, if you've read this book you'll know which part I mean. The ending had me a tiny bit disappointed, but that's all I'm going to say about that! No spoilers! ;) The book was a bit lacking in modelling content, but at this point I was mostly just reading this series because I loved the characters and I wanted to know Harriet's story, so that was fine by me. Harriet really grew a lot over the course of these six books and I'm very proud of her, even though she's just a book character and not real. I can still be proud of her. Her character development was very gradual and well-written so that I didn't even realise how much she'd changed until she realised it herself in this book and looked back on things she did in earlier books. Kudos to you Holly Smale for writing such good character development. It was like watching Harriet grow up right in front of my eyes. Toby in the background also grew a lot as a character, from a creepy stalker to a good friend living his own life. He annoyed me at the start of this series, but I've come to like him much more now. Also Nat. I will always love Nat. She's the kind of friend everyone should have. She's always there for Harriet, no matter how many times she messes up. I would really recommend this series to everyone as it's a super enjoyable read and is honestly one of my favourite series ever! Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/32288152-forever-geek?from_search=true Amazon: www.amazon.co.uk/Forever-Geek-Girl-Book/dp/000757469X The Year 3000 (Busted) + The Neptune Conspiracy "I've been to the year 3000 Not much has changed, but they live underwater" Living underwater is exactly what happens in the Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke! A group of teenagers, modified to be able to breathe underwater, brave the ocean with a group of dolphins to build a better future under the surface. The Phoenix (Fall Out Boy) + The Hunger Games "So we can take the world back from the heart-attacked One maniac at a time, we will take it back" If this doesn't sound like Katniss leading the revolution to take back Panem from the Capitol, then I don't know what does. Also, the Phoenix fits as it is a bird that sets on fire, and Katniss is the girl on fire. Better Together (Jack Johnson) + Eleanor & Park "It's always better when we're together yeah, we'll look at the stars when we're together" This song fits so well, because Eleanor and Park both have their insecurites but when they're together those don't seem to matter. They really are better when they're together! How to Save a Life (The Fray) + I Was Here "Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend somewhere along in the bitterness And I would have stayed up with you all night Had I known, how to save a life" Cody constantly wonders how she could've not known about Meg being suicidal. She thinks that maybe if she'd been there for her friend she would still be alive. Let me know what songs and books you feel really go well together!
Another library haul! I usually only get a few books at a time, because I go to the library in the city and I don't want to have to drag all these heavy books with me on the train back home! GOING ROGUE (ALSO KNOWN AS #2) - ROBIN BENWAY SYNOPSIS: Being permanently based in a local New York City high school as an undercover operative has its moments, good and bad, for 16-year-old safecracker Maggie Silver. Pros: More quality time with her former mark-turned-boyfriend Jesse Oliver and insanely cool best friend, Roux. Getting to spend quality time with her semi-retired and international spy honorary uncle, Angelo. Cons: High school and the accompanying cliques, bad lunches, and frustratingly simple locker combinations. But when Maggie's parents are falsely accused of stealing priceless gold coins, Maggie uses her safecracking skills to try and clear their names. Too bad it only serves to put her and everyone she loves in danger. Maggie and her "new team" flee to Paris where they must come up with a plan to defeat their former allies. I read the first book in this series a long time ago, and I remember really liking it. I don't remember that much of the plot though, so I'll have to read the Wikipedia page on it first ;) FINDING AUDREY - SOPHIE KINSELLA SYNOPSIS: An anxiety disorder disrupts fourteen-year-old Audrey’s daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother’s gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she’s never been able to do with anyone before. As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family. To be real with you; I didn't pick this book because of the cover or the plot or anything. I've just seen this book a lot on Instagram so I wanted to see what the hype was about. Now that I've read the synopsis I am intrigued though, so I'm looking forward to reading this. THE DEATH GAME (TEAM MORTIS #3) - BJORN VAN DEN EYNDE SYNOPSIS: Two teenagers meet their ends in an underground labyrinth in Budapest, Hungary, when they are forced to play the "Death Game". Several explosives reshape the labyrinth and Hero Square into a chaotic sea of flames. But victims Yaryna Zornow and Henrique Aguilar weren't normal teenagers. They were members of Team Mortis. Brian Bailey and Filip Huistra hope that the incident is a one-off, but soon enough the maker of the "Death Game" makes contact again. This time he challenges two new members of Team Mortis. One of them is a 16 year old girl with red hair and blue eyes, Erika Storm. Her objective: travel to Dhlà Ves, Slovakia, and play the "Death Game". The stakes: dozens of innocent lives. Erika has no choice but to comply. What's driving the maker of the game? What he says goes, or else.. Alright, this is not going to be interesting for most of you, as this book has, as far as I know, not been translated into English. This series isn't spectacular anyway, as it has one of those protagonists who keeps mentioning that she's not pretty and she's so skinny and small, and of course very special so she just has to have red hair. That's the kind of book this is. The mysteries in this series are good though, so when reading this I'll just roll my eyes at the annoying "she's so skinny" and "tiny body" remarks and move on. That's it for this haul! Let me know if you've read any of these books and tell me your thoughts! |
AuthorHi! I'm Marcella. As you might have guessed, I quite like YA books.. Archives
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