Book Review: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
Publisher: Delacorte Books
Release Date: September 1, 2015
Format: ARC Paperback
Pages: 320 pages
Genre(s): Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Description: My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

My Review:

     I got this book from BookCon and it's one of the best I've read so far this year! I'm so glad I got an ARC copy because it was really something. It talks about a girl who is seemingly allergic to everything outside of her house. She gets her education from Skype calls with her professors and she hasn't experienced any romance until Olly comes into her life.

     Our protagonist, Maddie, is an avid reader and this story is so different from anything else I've read. Even the structure of the book is different from any other I have on my shelf (note that I do not have shelves, but a shelf). Spoiler alert: there are drawings that connect with the chapters and they are extremely cute. The drawings are all done by hand and they are amazing. I love them very very much.

     I adore Maddie's relationship with Olly. I admire all the risks that she takes to get the life she deserves. This book is great for those who want to read about a girl allergic to the world and why she's allergic, how she managers to fall in love with a total stranger, and the choices she makes to be free.

Book Review: It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

It's Not Summer Without You (The Summer I Turned Pretty Book 2) by Jenny Han
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: April 27, 2010
Format: Paperback
Pages: 288 pages
Genre(s): Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Description: It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come.
But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started--at Cousins Beach.



My Review: 

     I decided to continue reading this trilogy because I couldn't get enough of the summer-y feeling. Thank you, Jenny Han!! This book follows Belly after she finally finds out what's been keeping Conrad astray from everyone and thing. This book not only follows Belly's perspective but also from Conrad and Jeremiah as well. We get to see what's really going inside their heads as they handle this situation together. 
     Suddenly, Conrad disappears and Jeremiah asks Belly for help in order to find him. They search every place they think he would be at and finally arrive at their beach house in Cousins. Conrad doesn't want to go back to school, he wants to save what's important to Susannah; their summer beach house. Every memory, every tear, every laugh they all shared in this one place and Conrad doesn't want it to be taken away. This book shows how Conrad sees his father and how he does everything in order to save what's left.
     This book was a very light read to see the continuation of what happens with Belly and the Fisher boys. Because of the actions from Conrad, something between Belly and Jeremiah spark to life. But we'll never know if Conrad still has feelings for Belly, or if he's already given up that part of his life as well. Read the third book to find out!

Book Review: The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

The Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner Book 2) by James Dashner
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: October 10, 2012
Format: Paperback
Pages: 368 pages
Genre(s): Young Adult, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic
Description: Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. 
 
Thomas was sure that escape from the Maze would mean freedom for him and the Gladers. But WICKED isn’t done yet. Phase Two has just begun. The Scorch. 
 
There are no rules. There is no help. You either make it or you die.
 
The Gladers have two weeks to cross through the Scorch—the most burned-out section of the world. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them. 
 
Friendships will be tested. Loyalties will be broken. All bets are off. 
 
There are others now. Their survival depends on the Gladers’ destruction—and they’re determined to survive.

My Review:
     Hearing about the movie coming out soon in late 2015, I just had to pick this book up! I read The Maze Runner quite a while ago, so many characters and events were puzzling me when I started this book. I remember reading a few chapters of The Scorch Trials from the back of the first book and it was something that kept me on the edge. I don't know what took me so long to continue the series.

     The first page of this book kept me going. It was another adventure I wanted to delve into. Everything was a mystery at first because you don't know what happens to the Gladers and what they have coming for them. After time, a lot of questions get answered and it leaves the reader satisfied.

     If you're hoping for romance in the book, there's a few chapters between Thomas and Teresa, but also other characters as well. I was extremely surprised at Teresa's character and can't wait for how it looks like on the big screen! Death does occur in this book, just like the first, and plenty of things are quite weird. But it's a great world to get to know and one of the societies that I love seeing involve with difficult scenarios for the Gladers to get past.

Book Review: The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

The Summer I Turned Pretty (The Summer I Turned Pretty Book 1) by Jenny Han
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: April 6, 2010
Format: Paperback
Pages: 304 pages
Genre(s): Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Description: Some summers are just destined to be pretty.

When each summer begins, Belly leaves her school life behind and escapes to Cousins Beach, the place she has spent every summer of her life. Not only does the beach house mean home away from home, but her favorite people are there: Susannah, her mother's best friend, and her sons, Conrad and Jeremiah. Belly has been chasing Conrad for as long as she can remember, and more than anything, she hopes this summer will be different. Despite distractions from a new guy named Cam and lingering looks from Conrad's brother, Jeremiah, Belly's heart belongs to Conrad. Will he offer his to her? Will this be the summer that changes everything?

My Review:

     I'm on a Jenny Han roller coaster or something! I've read two of her books last month and I'm still going! This book is a nice breezy summer read for those who are in the summer-mood. The Summer I Turned Pretty follows a girl named Belly as she returns to a beach house owned by her mother's friend. In the description, Conrad is the boy that Belly has a longing for, but she meets Cam during this summer and things change. This summer, Belly faces difficulties of love and family.

     This book has chapters from Belly's past in order to help the story move along and I really enjoyed reading those. It was nice seeing that Belly was getting recognized because of her body's changes and that she was slowly getting into more activities and not being left out by her brother and Conrad and Jeremiah. Belly's life was changing but she was still the little child that was oblivious to most things. She didn't know what was happening to Conrad and drew to conclusions a little fast.

     However, I still enjoyed this read. It dealt with how Belly took control of her summer and did thing she wanted to do. She got invited to parties that she's never been to and had a summer boyfriend. But nothing ends happily ever after. Things go out of hand when Belly finds out something that the boys--Conrad and Jeremiah--have known for some time now. And Belly has no one to blame but herself, for being so stupid and selfish. Then the summer ends and the next books continues. Does Belly return to Cousins Beach? Or will Belly have her summer in her hometown with her school friends?

Book Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: May 12, 2015 (this edition)
Format: Hardcover Special Collector's Edition (Pink)
Pages: 464 pages
Genre(s): Young Adult > Contemporary, Romance
Description: 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? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

My Review:

     In this Rainbow Rowell book, I really enjoyed the characters and how they turned out once you keep reading on. I'm still so hooked onto Levi and Cather and this book brought out so many emotions all at once. It deals with a college girl trying to get used to being in college and leaving her father alone while her twin sister wants to live her own life. And then there's also a story within this one about Simon and Baz, a famous soon-to-be-eight-book story that made Cather the writer she is today. 

     Levi was a character that I couldn't get out of my head. The way that he was described just made me feel everything I wanted to although there were times where I hated him too. But not as much as I hated Nick. I thoroughly want to give Nick a big punch in the face because he didn't do Cather any good and didn't even think about her once. 

     Cather's relationship with Wren during college was something I hated reading. I hated how Wren would push Cather aside and go party. I thought Wren was civilized and more like Cather; less of a party animal. But I was so wrong and it helped build the plot between Cather and Wren's family. It also helped build Cather's character and what her choices would come out to. 

     Overall, the whole plot was something I enjoyed. I got confused every time Simon and Baz showed up though. Since there were snippets in the beginning of every chapter, I couldn't figure out the significance of them. Did they relate to the chapter? I don't know. This book was really great to finally read and Cather and Levi's relationship is just something I loved reading because Cather is such an innocent freshman student.

Book Review: P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han (some spoilers)

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

P.S. I Still Love You (To All the Boys I've Loved Before Book 2) by Jenny Han
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: May 26, 2015
Format: Preordered Hardcover
Pages: 337 pages
Genre(s): Young Adult > Contemporary, Romance
Description: Lara Jean didn't expect to really fall for Peter.

They were just pretending. Until they weren't. And now Lara Jean has to learn what it's like to be in a real relationship and not just a make-believe one. But when another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean's feelings for him suddenly return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once? In this charming and heartfelt sequel to New York Times bestseller To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Lara Jean is about to find out that falling in love is the easy part.



My Review:
     In this new release by Jenny Han, the sequel to the wonderfully written To All the Boys I've Loved Before, we get to see Lara Jean's life as it bounces from each unexpected problem to the next. But mostly, we get to see how Lara Jean and Peter will bloom together or fall apart entirely. And if Josh is in or out of Lara Jean's life, and most importantly, who and what Lara Jean's fifth "lover from the past" will bring into her life.

     This sequel is definitely one that completes the duology altogether. We get to find out so many questions that were left unanswered in the first book--which is probably why I enjoyed this one a lot more. If you don't want to know who Lara Jean shares another part of her heart with--but you should've already have known from the first book--then don't keep reading because I will reveal his name!

     There's definitely less drama with the Lara Jean x Josh couple and more on Lara Jean x Peter, which I solely enjoy. I always thought Josh and Lara Jean would be together, but boy, I was so wrong! While reading this book, I kept having a voice in the back of my head chanting that Peter was only using Lara Jean and he didn't even like her. Like at all. Because how can a guy that started off with Genevieve move on with a girl like Lara Jean? I guess some people do change. Peter K. is a great fictional boyfriend, although there were many times in the book where I wanted to punch him in his Handsome Boy face. Like a lot of times.

     In a couple of chapters later on, Lara Jean gets her fifth letter back from John Ambrose McClaren and he is definitely a stunner! Lara Jean is torn between John and Peter because there's always that feeling in your heart when you love someone, but you don't know who's always going to be on top. And this book really shows how Lara Jean has grown as a character and the choices that she makes that affects her. In the end, she will choose one boy and it was just a satisfying ending.

     I enjoyed all of Lara Jean x John events during the book, there's more to him than just being her eighth grade crush! The two do such different things compared to when Lara Jean x Peter were together. It makes me feel like I never wanted Lara Jean x Peter to start in the first place. However, Lara Jean and Peter did hit a rough road because Genevieve comes and ruins everything. As always.

     That's all I'm going to talk about for now because I don't want ALL the details to be spilled. But there are definitely a lot of sweet moments in this book that Lara Jean experiences and it's such a rocky ride to go through while reading this sequel. There's more on Lara Jean's family, but a little less with Margot. However, this book should be a definite read, but read the first one before getting into book two! If you thought Lara Jean was a little "annoying" in the first book like I did, she really grows up and takes on challenges in this book that changes her character into someone more confident and daring.

Book Review: To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

To All the Boys I've Loved Before (Book 1) by Jenny Han
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 355 pages
Genre(s): Young Adult > Contemporary, Romance
Description: Lara Jean keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her.

They aren't love letters that anyone else wrote for her, these are ones she's written. One for every boy she's ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she can pour out her heart and soul and say all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control.




My Review:
     This story starts off with a loving family of four: Lara Jean, Margot, Kitty, and their Dad. Our protagonist is Lara Jean Song-Covey. Throughout the novel, we see Lara Jean getting into situations that are caused by one problem: someone sending out her five love letters. We don't find out who does it until the very end of the novel. This story talks about family, love, and so much more. One of the many aspects I loved about this novel was Lara Jean's relationship with her family. However, I thought that her character was a tad bit annoying. I love the way she dresses and everything, but sometimes I dislike the way she addresses some situations during the book.

     I felt unsatisfied once I finished the novel, and I can't tell if it because it was left at a sort-of-cliffhanger or because of how Lara Jean's relationships ended up. I can't describe the feeling, but it just didn't feel complete because we don't get to see how Peter handles the situation that follows Lara Jean around.

     From the synopsis and everyone talking about this book, it was a book that ended up way different from my initial thoughts. I thought there would be a girl who tracks down each person she's written a letter to and finally falls for one. But, she doesn't. She gets stuck with a Peter Kavinsky and a relationship forms that keeps you wanting more. Because we never really know if Peter K. loves Lara Jean or if Lara Jean will give up on Peter K. It's a mystery and the wanting for P.S. I Still Love You is stronger than ever. Even if the book did not meet my expectations, I still want the sequel in my hands. And I want Peter to love Lara Jean so so so much.