*Review* Locke and Key by Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriguez

Locke & Key by Joe Hill,
illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez
Publisher: IDW, 2008- 2012

Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy

Source: Scribd/ e-book 

Rating: 4/5

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Goodreads Synopsis
 Locke & Key tells of Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion, with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them. Home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all...

Although I don't read them nearly enough, I really and truly love graphic novels, and this series is by far one of the best I've ever read. I literally forced myself to stay awake because I wanted to know what happened next. And anyone who knows me knows that's not a thing that happens often because I really love sleep, especially when I'm at college, which is where I was when I read this series. So, in short, this series is fabulous.

Seriously. I know this review is a little light on the review part of things, but that's because I don't have any actual words for this series. Just go pick it up. I promise on my un-dead cat's immortal soul that you won't regret it.

Until next time,
xox

*DNF Review* Those Girls by Lauren Saft

Those Girls by Lauren Saft
Publisher: Poppy: Little, Brown and Company
Release Date: June 9, 2015

Genre: YA, Contemporary 

Source: NetGalley/Publisher

Rating: 2/5

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Goodreads Synopsis
 Some girls will always have your back, and some girls can't help but stab you in it.

Junior year, the suburbs of Philadelphia. Alex, Mollie and Veronica are those girls: they're the best of friends and the party girls of the school. But how well does everybody know them--and really, how well do they know one another? Alex is secretly in love with the boy next door and has joined a band--without telling anyone. Mollie suffers from a popular (and possibly sociopathic) boyfriend, as well as a serious mean streak. And Veronica just wants to be loved--literally, figuratively, physically....she's not particular. Will this be the year that bonds them forever....or tears them apart for good? 

Lauren Saft masterfully conveys what goes on in the mind of a teenage girl, and her debut novel is raw, honest, hilarious, and thought-provoking, with a healthy dose of heart.

There's really nothing I hate more than DNFing a book, but sometimes I just have to, and unfortunately, this is one of those books.

Let me begin by saying that I didn't hate this book. I thought it was okay, to a point. What killed this book for me was the excessive 'mean girls' cliche, and the repetetiveness of the storyline. After awhile, it just felt like the book kept repeating itself, same bitchy girls, same asshole boys, different party. After a while, reather than being amused by the awful dynamic of friendship amoung the three female protags, I became annoyed and finally wanted to just slap them all and tell them to grow the fuck up. There's only so much bitching about boys and shitty friends I can take, in books and in real life, before I start to tune out.

I do wish the author would have explored some subjects she presented in this book a little further (although, I did only get through about 50%, so maybe she did in the last half), such as the one character's eating disorder. I feel like it could have been a great way to discuss a serious illness, instead of just tacking it on as an accessory.

I don't really know what else to say about this book other than you'll either love it or hate it.

Until next time,
xox

*Review* The Singular & Extraordinary Tale of Mirror & Goliath by Ishbelle Bee

The Singular & Extraordinary Tale of Mirror & Goliath by Ishbelle Bee
Publisher: Angry Robot Books
Release Date: June 30, 2015

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Steampunk 

Source: Netgalley/Publisher

Rating: 2.5/5

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Goodreads Synopsis
 1888. A little girl called Mirror and her shape-shifting guardian Goliath Honeyflower are washed up on the shores of Victorian England. Something has been wrong with Mirror since the day her grandfather locked her inside a mysterious clock that was painted all over with ladybirds. Mirror does not know what she is, but she knows she is no longer human.
John Loveheart, meanwhile, was not born wicked. But after the sinister death of his parents, he was taken by Mr Fingers, the demon lord of the underworld. Some say he is mad. John would be inclined to agree.
Now Mr Fingers is determined to find the little girl called Mirror, whose flesh he intends to eat, and whose soul is the key to his eternal reign. And John Loveheart has been called by his otherworldly father to help him track Mirror down…

I wish so much I could like this book more. The writing is beautiful, and reminds me so much of all the wonderful fairy-tales of my childhood, but it just lacked something. 

I don't know. Maybe it's just me, but I wish certain scenes were fleshed out a bit more. Things seemed to happen too quickly, and with no real, believable explanation, often leaving me confused as to what just happened.

Also, I couldn't quite get a grip on the characters themselves. I felt disconnected from them, and felt disoriented because this. I wasn't sure how old Mirror was, which was a huge problem for me, because at times I thought she was very young, like six or seven, but then her actions would make me think she was much older. This age thing also gave me problems when it came to Mr. Loveheart. I wasn't sure if he was a grown man or a child.

Even though there were several things I didn't like about this book, I didn't completely hate it. The story overall was really very lovely, and, as I said above, the writing is beautiful and poetic and is more than worth picking this book up.

Until next time,
xox

*Review* Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: February 1, 2013

Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller  

Source: Purchased from Amazon Kindle 

Rating: 4/5

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Goodreads Synopsis
 A stunning debut novel in which a single mother reconstructs her teenaged daughter's life, sifting through her emails, texts, and social media to piece together the shocking truth about the last days of her life.

Litigation lawyer and harried single mother Kate Baron is stunned when her daughter's exclusive private school in Park Slope, Brooklyn, calls with disturbing news: her intelligent, high-achieving fifteen-year-old daughter, Amelia, has been caught cheating.

Kate can't believe that Amelia, an ambitious, levelheaded girl who's never been in trouble would do something like that. But by the time she arrives at Grace Hall, Kate's faced with far more devastating news. Amelia is dead.

Seemingly unable to cope with what she'd done, a despondent Amelia has jumped from the school's roof in an act of "spontaneous" suicide. At least that's the story Grace Hall and the police tell Kate. And overwhelmed as she is by her own guilt and shattered by grief, it is the story that Kate believes until she gets the anonymous text: 

She didn't jump.

Sifting through Amelia's emails, text messages, social media postings, and cell phone logs, Kate is determined to learn the heartbreaking truth about why Amelia was on Grace Hall's roof that day-and why she died.

Told in alternating voices, Reconstructing Amelia is a story of secrets and lies, of love and betrayal, of trusted friends and vicious bullies. It's about how well a parent ever really knows a child and how far one mother will go to vindicate the memory of a daughter whose life she could not save.

I didn't know what to to expect going into this book, but I fell into it immediately. This book grabbed me from the first page, and kept me in it's grip until the end. There were so many secrets and twists that it was a little difficult keeping things straight, but for the most part, I really enjoyed this book and was unable to put it down.

It was really interesting to get not only Kate's perspective on Amelia's death, but also Amelia's. You literally get Amelia's death from her own eyes, and although it's a little odd, it at least gives the reader some sense of definiteness concerning her death.

My only issue with this book was Amelia's response to the Maggies. I don't know. I guess I just felt like her reasons for joining them in the first place and not leaving when she had the chance were weak. Granted, she is a teenager trying to fit in, but I don't know. I just didn't like it.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced mystery.

Until next time,
xox

*Review* Tenth of December by George Saunders

Tenth of December by George Saunders
Publisher: Random House 2013 

Genre: Short Stories, Contemporary, Adult Fiction 

Source: Library borrow/ e-book 

Rating: 4/5

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Goodreads Synopsis
A new story collection, the first in six years, from one of our greatest living writers, MacArthur "genius grant" recipient and New Yorker contributor George Saunders.
The title story is an exquisite, moving account of the intersection, at a frozen lake in the woods, of a young misfit and a middle-aged cancer patient who goes there to commit suicide, only to end up saving the boy's life.
"Home" is the often funny, often poignant account of a soldier returning from the war.
"Victory Lap" is a taut, inventive story about the attempted abduction of a teenage girl.
In all, Tenth of December is George Saunders at his absolute best, a collection of stories and characters that add up to something deep, irreducible, and uniquely American. 

There was a lot of hype when this book first came out a couple of years ago, and I remember really wanting to read it, and then for no particular reason it fell off my radar until recently, when I decided I needed a nice break from all the novels I'd been reading.

Man oh man, this collection! Absolutely fabulous! While there were a couple of stories I slogged through as they just didn't interest me too much, as a whole, I love this collection. Saunders has an interesting way of writing that really puts you in the heads of his characters and makes you question what's really going on.

I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone. I can't wait to get my hands on more of Saunders' work.

Until next time,
xox

Review #16- Blazed by Jason Myers

*Goodreads page*

Goodreads synopsis- Jamie uncovers life-changing secrets from his past when he’s sent to live with a father he’s never met in this gritty novel from the author of Exit Here. and Run the Game.

Jamie is invincible when he is high. His anger, his isolation, his mom’s manic mood swings—nothing can shatter his glass castle. But one brutal night upends everything, leaving his mom broken and Jamie betrayed.

Sent to live with a father he’s never met, Jamie is determined to hate the man he blames for his mother’s ruin. And he blocks out the pain with drugs, fierce music, and sweet, sweet Dominique. Except the more time Jamie spends at his dad’s, the more his mother’s scathing stories start to unravel. Who is he supposed to believe? And how much will he have to sacrifice to uncover the truth?

This actually isn't going to be so much a review as me rambling about how wonderful Jason Myers's books are why you need to pick his work up. Fair warning. 

Alright, so if you know me well enough, you know I LOVE all things Jason Myers.  Let me start off by saying that Myers's books are some of the strangest and most fucked up books I've ever read, and, again, if you know me well enough, strange and fucked up is my absolute favorite type of book. Granted, when I say strange, I mostly mean it explores a sub-culture I'm definitely not a part of but totally respect, and when I say fucked up, I mean take  just about every "bad" thing in life- excessive drug and alcohol use, profanity, sex, shitty life situations- and mush it all into one book, that's more or less what I mean. 

Myers crafts a world that's very real and that hundreds of thousands of people are living everyday, but that most people don't experience/notice. He then crafts very real characters and drops you into their lives and takes you on a journey in this world of theirs that's like the craziest roller coaster you've ever been on in your life that nearly destroys you by the end.

Now, most people I know would pick up one of Myers's books, read the first page, and toss it down in disgust. I'm here to tell you not to do that. Yes, his books have loads of profanity and drug and alcohol use from beginning to end, but you have to look further than that. His books really do have some great messages- the biggest of which, at least for me, is that life isn't all rainbows roses- that isn't an excuse to sit and wallow in self-pity, though. Live in the moment. Make memories with your friends. The only thing that really matters is right now.

Okay, this is starting to sound super freaking lame, and I'm not even coming close to doing justice to how amazing Jason Myers's books are, but trust me when I say they are worth it. These books really mean a lot to me and so many others, and they could mean a lot to you, too. And I guess these books probably speak more to people who've had shitty times, but I think everyone could take something from his books, especially Blazed.

And with that, I'll leave you with a couple of quotes that really spoke to me from Blazed, and hopefully they'll convey what I'm afraid I've been unable to adequately show in this rambling mess:

"I'll never compromise a thing I love in order to be liked by anyone else."

"All the monsters I've met in my life have come gift wrapped in gold or killer band shirts."

"...'What we might end up making is the only thing that's ever gonna outlive us. It's art, Jaime. It's timeless. Nobody can hear your excuses when you're dead. But they sure as hell can listen to your music.'"

"'Art is the only immortality we have,' Edie says.'To be able to positively affect people for generations after we're dead. This is what it's about.'..."

Until next time,

xox

Review #15- The Supernatural Enhancements by Edgar Cantero

*Goodreads Page*
I received a copy of this book for review from NetGalley

 

Goodreads synopsis-  What begins as a clever, gothic ghost story soon evolves into a wickedly twisted treasure hunt in The Supernatural Enhancements, Edgar Cantero's wholly original, modern-day adventure.

When twentysomething A., the unexpected European relative of the Wells family, and his companion, Niamh, a mute teenage girl with shockingly dyed hair, inherit the beautiful but eerie estate of Axton House, deep in the woods of Point Bless, Virginia, it comes as a surprise to everyone—including A. himself. After all, he never even knew he had a "second cousin, twice removed" in America, much less that the eccentric gentleman had recently committed suicide by jumping out of the third floor bedroom window—at the same age and in the same way as his father had before him . . .

Together, A. and Niamh quickly come to feel as if they have inherited much more than just a rambling home and a cushy lifestyle. Axton House is haunted, they know it, but that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the secrets they slowly but surely uncover. Why all the suicides? What became of the Axton House butler who fled shortly after his master died? What lurks in the garden maze and what does the basement vault keep? And what of the rumors in town about a mysterious gathering at Axton House on the night of the winter solstice?

Told vividly through a series of journal entries, scrawled notes, recovered security footage, letters to Aunt Liza, audio recordings, complicated ciphers, and even advertisements, Edgar Cantero has written a dazzling and original supernatural adventure featuring classic horror elements with a Neil Gaiman-ish twist.

I don't generally read this kind of book, mostly because I'm a little harsh when it comes to "scary" books because it's next to impossible to creep me out. Unfortunately, this book didn't succeed on that front. It did, however, make me fall in love with it's many other aspects.

This book follows A., a young man from England who has inherited a manor called the Axton House from his distant cousin, Ambrose Wells, from America. Along with Niamh, a mute teenage girl from Ireland, A. travels to Point Bless, Virginia to live in his new home. Not long after, A. and Niamh realize that things in this house and the late Ambrose's life were anything but ordinary. After finding a letter addressed in code to the missing butler, A. and Niamh find a series of clues that point toward the mysterious group that Ambrose was a member of and the possible cause of his suicide.

Add to all of that A.'s strange dreams, the appearance of several members of Ambrose's secret society, secret rooms, coded letters, and the installation of a swimming pool in the dead of winter, and we've got ourselves a pretty intriguing mystery!

The only thing I didn't like was that there are a few unanswered questions at the end of the book, all of which I hope will answered in a sequel, though *cough cough*.

Apart from that though, I really enjoyed this book. I stayed up much later than I should have just so I could finish this book, because I just HAD to know what was going to happen next, and there was no way I could sleep knowing shit was about to go down.

In short, pick this book up. You won't regret it.

Until next time,
xox 

Review #14- I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

*Goodreads Page*
*NetGalley Page*- I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for review.

 

Goodreads synopsis-  What if the world's worst serial killer...was your dad?

Jasper "Jazz" Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.

But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could—from the criminal's point of view.

And now bodies are piling up in Lobo's Nod.

In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret—could he be more like his father than anyone knows?

I'd seen this book around, never really thought much of it and didn't really have it on my radar. I don't know. Some books just call to you the moment you see them, you know? This book didn't really do that for me. However, I'm extremely glad I picked this book up!

I don't even know where to begin. This book follows Jasper "Jazz" Dent, 17 year old son of the world's most infamous serial killer, Billy Dent. With Billy safely tucked behind bars, Jazz is trying to live some semblance of a normal life- or at least as normal as a kid who thinks he is genetically disposed to one day follow in his fathers footsteps can live. However, with a string of fresh murders, Jazz is convinced there's a new serial killer on the loose in the Nod, and he enlists the help of his hemophiliac best friend and his tough-as-nails girlfriend to help convince Sheriff G. William of the same. Add in a bat-shit crazy grandmother, a meddling social worker, and Jazz's own belief that he's a monster waiting to snap, and you've got yourself one hell of a novel!

Seriously, the only things that held me back from reading this book in one sitting  were classes and sleep. This book was seriously amazing, and Lyga had me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire thing, desperately trying to figure out who the killer was.

And the end? Holy crap! The end left me desperate for book two!

So basically, what I'm trying to say is, if you haven't read this book, you really should. It's more than worth it, and this review doesn't even come close to doing it justice.

Until next time,
xox

Review #13- Jackaby by William Ritter

*Goodreads page*
*NetGalley page*- I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley
Release date- September 16, 2014

 

Goodreads synopsis-  “Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion--and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.”

Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.

Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.

This book was FABULOUS! It isn't often that a book described as a cross between such and such actually turns out to be a cross between such and such. Let me tell you, this book was the PERFECT cross between Sherlock and Doctor Who!

There's really nothing better than an eclectic detective with a keen eye for paranormal detail. Add in a sharp and witty assistant, a string of unusual murders, and a few fantastic creatures and you've got an incredible book you'll stay up all night devouring.

If it weren't for the fact that sleep is a thing and that I had class in the morning, I totally would have finished this book last night, it was that great. 

My only issue with this book was the last few chapters- they seemed to drag on, and it felt like the author could have ended the book in any number of places, perhaps condensing the last four or five chapters into one, and ending it there. I don't know. Maybe it's just me. But really, apart from that little issue, this book excellent, and I truly hope there will be more to come!

Until next time,
xox

Review #12- Althea & Oliver by Christina Moracho

*Goodreads page*
*Penguin's First to Read Page*- I received an e-ARC of this book from First to Read
Release date- October 8, 2014

Goodreads synopsis- What if you live for the moment when life goes off the rails—and then one day there’s no one left to help you get it back on track?

Althea Carter and Oliver McKinley have been best friends since they were six; she’s the fist-fighting instigator to his peacemaker, the artist whose vision balances his scientific bent. Now, as their junior year of high school comes to a close, Althea has begun to want something more than just best-friendship. Oliver, for his part, simply wants life to go back to normal, but when he wakes up one morning with no memory of the past three weeks, he can’t deny any longer that something is seriously wrong with him. And then Althea makes the worst bad decision ever, and her relationship with Oliver is shattered. He leaves town for a clinical study in New York, resolving to repair whatever is broken in his brain, while she gets into her battered Camry and drives up the coast after him, determined to make up for what she’s done.

Their journey will take them from the rooftops, keg parties, and all-ages shows of their North Carolina hometown to the pool halls, punk houses, and hospitals of New York City before they once more stand together and face their chances. Set in the DIY, mix tape, and zine culture of the mid-1990s, Cristina Moracho’s whip-smart debut is an achingly real story about identity, illness, and love—and why bad decisions sometimes feel so good

Anyone who knows me knows that this type of book- YA contemporary, coming of age- really isn't my favorite. I have to be in the right kind of mood to want to read a book like this. And when I first picked this book up, I really wasn't in the mood- or at least that's what I thought.

I was hooked from the first sentence. That doesn't happen a lot. It usually takes me a few pages to fall into a book, or sometimes even a chapter. But this book- this book I fell in love with from the get-go. Moracho writes with such beauty and such wit that you can't help but fall into this book and wonder where her beautiful words will take you next.

I laughed, I cried, I cringed, and I reminisced on my days in high school and the pain and laughter and friends and adventures that go along with it. This is the kind of book that pulls at your heart, makes you stop and thing, pulls some more, and then lodges itself into the deepest crevices of your soul once it's all over. You won't forget this book, and you won't forget this author.

Until next time,
xox

Review # 11- The Quick by Lauren Owen

*Goodreads Page*

Goodreads synopsis- An astonishing debut, a novel of epic scope and suspense that conjures up all the magic and menace of Victorian London  
London, 1892: James Norbury, a shy would-be poet newly down from Oxford, finds lodging with a charming young aristocrat. Through this new friendship, he is introduced to the drawing-rooms of high society, and finds love in an unexpected quarter. Then, suddenly, he vanishes without a trace. Unnerved, his sister, Charlotte, sets out from their crumbling country estate determined to find him. In the sinister, labyrinthine city that greets her, she uncovers a secret world at the margins populated by unforgettable characters: a female rope walker turned vigilante, a street urchin with a deadly secret, and the chilling “Doctor Knife.” But the answer to her brother’s disappearance ultimately lies within the doors of one of the country’s preeminent and mysterious institutions: The Aegolius Club, whose members include the most ambitious, and most dangerous, men in England.

In her first novel, Lauren Owen has created a fantastical world that is both beguiling and terrifying. The Quick will establish her as one of fiction’s most dazzling talents.

Named One of the Top 10 Literary Fiction Books of the Season by Publishers Weekly

Let me start off by saying that this book took me several tries before I got into it, but I'm beyond glad I kept trying!

Without giving too much away (because I feel like this book is one of those that you shouldn't know too much going in), this book is about a young man named James who has moved to London and is living with another young man named Christopher. Where James is quiet and bookish, Christopher is a partying, out all hours of the night, charming opposite.  James and Christopher eventually develop a relationship that inadvertently ends in tragedy. 

James is missing, and his sister Charlotte comes to London looking for him. What she stumbles upon and is pulled into will change her life, and her view of the world, forever.

Okay, so this is a little obscure, (hopefully not too misleading) but I promise you I'm leaving out a lot because there is a twist that I at least didn't see coming, and I really think if you go into this book knowing what that twist is, it won't be quite as enjoyable. I do promise that it's more than worth it! This book had me in tears, it had me screaming, it had me laughing. I honestly can't tell you the last time I enjoyed an historical novel so much! This book is dark and charming, and I honestly couldn't get enough!

The only thing I was upset about was the ending. However, that's probably because I like nice clean endings in these kinds of books, but at the same time the ending leaves room for a sequel (which I am fervently praying is in the works!).

All in all, this was a SPECTACULAR debut novel, and I really can't wait to get my hands on more of Owen's work! I urge you, if you have not done so already, to pick this book up! I promise you won't regret it!

Until next time,
xox

Review # 10- Finding Lubchenko by Michael Simmons

*Goodreads Page*

Goodreads synopsis- From the acclaimed author of "Pool Boy" comes a new thriller. When his millionaire father is accused of murder, only Evan MacAlister can clear his father's name--but only by revealing his own crime.

I'd never heard of this book or this author before. I found this book and its sequel in a thrift shop for a couple of dollars. The synopsis sounded interesting, so I decided to pick them up, thinking if I didn't like them, I could just donate them back or give them to a friend. I'm so glad I picked this book up!

See, what happened is Evan's father is one of the heads of this research facility that also has live strains of smallpox. Evan and his father have a pretty strained relationship- his father is pretty distant and really hard him. His father is also really rich, but refuses to give Evan money, or let him get a car, or buy whatever it is that teenage boys with money like to buy- Evan's father is one of those men who, even though he has money, is still pretty frugal and doesn't like to spend his money on extravagant things. So, in order to afford the lifestyle that Evan feels he's been cheated by his frugal father, Evan resorts to stealing office equipment and electronics from his father's office to sell online.

However, when a researcher from Evan's father's office is found murdered, Evan's father is arrested as the prime suspect. It doesn't take long for Evan to realize that his father's been framed, and that Evan himself has the key piece of evidence, the missing laptop of the researcher, that can prove it.

So, enlisting the help of his best friend and reluctant co-conspiritor, Ruben, and the girl he's not quite secretly in love with, Evan embarks on an international search for the proof that will set his father free.

This book was pretty awesome. There's nothing better than three high schoolers running off to Paris in search of a possible spy/murderer/terrorist. Really. And the narrator, Evan, was pretty funny, too. It was a great kind of high school spy novel that kept you enthralled until the final pages. 

The only thing I didn't really care for was the author's use of choppy sentences. I understand that the narrator is a doofy high school boy, and it really made sense to write the sentences the way he did, but I found myself getting tripped up a lot by them. I don't know. It just bothered me.

Apart from that though, you should totally check this book out. It's totally worth an evening of your time.

Until next time,
xox

Review #9- Virgin by Radhika Sanghani

*Goodreads Page*
*NetGalley Page* I received and read a proof copy of this book from NetGalley.

This book comes out August 5, 2014

Goodreads synopsis- Okay, I admit it…I didn’t do it.

Yet.

This is normal, right?  I mean, just because everyone I know has talked like they’ve already done it doesn’t mean that they’re telling the truth…right?

It’s not like I’m asking for that much. I don’t need the perfect guy. I don’t need candlelight or roses. Honestly, I don’t even need a real bed.

The guys I know complain that girls are always looking for Mr. Right—do I have to wear a sign that says I’m only looking for Mr. Right Now?

Sooooo…anyone out there want sex? Anyone? Hello? Just for fun?

I am not going to die a virgin. One way or another I am going to make this happen.

Hey, what have I got to lose? Besides the obvious.

I picked this book up after being in a reading slump, hoping to find a nice light read to bring me back into the mood to read, and let me tell you this book worked like a charm! It was so easy to get through, I read it in one sitting. I can't tell you how many times I laughed out loud while reading this book! It was such a witty and relatable novel about a subject that many are unwilling to talk about. The way in which Ms. Sanghani wrote this book would make even the most squeamish of readers completely comfortable reading this book.

I think one of my favorite parts about this book was how realistic the situations were. There was no real 'insta-love', the protagonist didn't necessarily find the love of her life and live happily ever after in the end at only 21 years old, and the reader is shown that life isn't all sugar and biscuits, you can get an STD after giving a blow-job one time. 

Another thing I loved about this book is that unlike basically every book/movie/TV show ever, this book doesn't make losing your virginity seem like an exciting and perfect experience. It shows it how it is- an awkward, frightening, messy and embarrassing experience, which I think is super unique and another really relatable aspect that I think many readers will be able to connect to. 

Also, as a young woman, also in college, who often struggles with the issue of how to not look like an ogre and not come off as a completely dull humanoid plant, I found this book incredibly relatable, and at risk of not getting too personal and TMI, many of the thoughts that Ellie had, I've had as well, and it was such a relief to find a metaphorical book-version of my mind (well, an almost version- I don't share all of Ellie's ideas). 

I also think that this book will be an important one in women's literature, empowering young women to think of themselves and their relationships in a new light, especially for women like myself who never necessarily realised that we should view the world in this light. I mean, I'm not super clear on feminism, but I feel like this book is exactly what feminists are looking for- actually, I think this book is exactly what any young woman trying to figure herself out is look for.

So, I give this book my stamp of approval, and recommend it to any and all, women and men alike (Come on guys, it wouldn't hurt to see just what us girls go through to impress you). 

Until next time,

xox

Review #8- A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and Illustrated by Jim Kay

*WARNING* 
Kinda-sorta spoiler-alert! Proceed with caution!

*Goodreads Page*

Goodreads synopsis- The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.

But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming...

This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.

I went into this book expecting something super creepy and scary. What I got was so much more.

This is the first book I've ever read by Patrick Ness. I've heard nothing but amazing things about his books, so when I found A Monster Calls for really cheap, I had to pick it up. I was not disappointed. When I started it, I didn't really know what the book was about, apart from the fact that a boy is visited during the night by this monster. So when I got further in and realized what this book was really about, I fell even more in love with it. 

The book follows a fourteen year old boy named Conor whose mother has cancer. One night, the old yew tree on the hill outside his house comes to life, turning into a monster, and comes for him. Conor, however, isn't afraid of the monster, because nothing, especially this monster, is as scary as the nightmare he keeps having. The monster comes to Conor to tell him three stories, and after the third story, Conor must tell the monster the nightmare, the truth, that Conor doesn't want to admit.

The story follows Conor as he comes to grips with his mother's illness, his isolation and bullying at school, and the truth that the monster is trying to get him to admit.

Even though going into this book, I had heard that is was a scary story, I found that it wasn't so much scary as heart-wrenching. The end of the book is equally heartbreaking, and heartwarming. I won't lie, I balled as I read the final pages. This is one of the best books I've read in a very long time, and I can't wait to read it again.

If you're looking for an amazing book with a wonderful story and a little deeper meaning, this is the book for you. If you aren't looking for any of that, this is still the book for you. I honestly can't recommend this book enough. It is a masterpiece of literature.

Review #7- Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

*Goodreads Page*

Goodreads synopsis- Sixteen-year-old Austin Szerba interweaves the story of his Polish legacy with the storyof how he and his best friend , Robby, brought about the end of humanity and the rise of an army of unstoppable, six-foot tall praying mantises in small-town Iowa.

To make matters worse, Austin's hormones are totally oblivious; they don't care that the world is in utter chaos: Austin is in love with his girlfriend, Shann, but remains confused about his sexual orientation. He's stewing in a self-professed constant state of maximum horniness, directed at both Robby and Shann. Ultimately, it's up to Austin to save the world and propagate the species in this sci-fright journey of survival, sex, and the complex realities of the human condition.

I kept seeing booktubers hauling this book, and talking about how strange it sounded, and then a few booktubers reviewed this book, and I was like, "I HAVE TO HAVE IT!!!". So I bought it. I purchased Grasshopper Jungle on my Kindle, only because I didn't want to wait for it to be shipped to me. I wanted to read it immediately. All the reviews I read and saw said this book was really weird and strange, and weird and strange books are probably my favorite type of book. And oh man was this book weird.

Okay, so this book is told from 16 year old Austin's point of view. He is a self-proclaimed 'historian', and documents basically everything that happens in his life. He has notebooks full of his 'history', and Grasshopper Jungle is basically a history of the end of the world and how it came about and how he, his best friend Robby, and his girlfriend Shann are involved.

Let me just say that if you are opposed to reading books with quite a bit of swearing and sexual references, this book might not be for you. 

If you are okay with all of that, then please, please, please pick this book up. You won't regret it! I swear! It made me laugh, i broke my heart, and it referenced one of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors (The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier), three things that alone make a book great, but when thrown in all at once, make a book freaking spectacular! I honestly haven't read another book like Grasshopper Jungle, and I feel like I'll be hard-pressed to find one like it. It's so unique and intriguing and just weird and I really can't urge you to read it enough. So go buy it. Now. :p

xox

Review #6- The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

*Warning: Kinda-sorta-not-really spoiler(s)*

*Goodreads Page*

Goodreads synopsis-An unforgettable epic romantic thriller about a girl from the future who might be able to save the world . . . if she lets go of the one thing she’s found to hold on to.

Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love.

This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins.

Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth.

But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves.

From Ann Brashares, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, The Here and Now is thrilling, exhilarating, haunting, and heartbreaking—and a must-read novel of the year.

I read a couple of Ann Brashares' Sisterhood books, and I did like them, but I had read anything else by her, so I didn't know what to expect, especially considering I don't think I've ever read a time-travel novel. I did like this book. I didn't love it, but it was good. It kept my attention, and I wanted to find out what would happen next. I also like the fact that the end wasn't the classic kind of ending you'd expect from this type of novel (or, at least, not the kind of ending that I expected). I did find it rather annoying, however, how much Ethan wanted to have sex with Prenna. It made me feel like he didn't really care for her, he just wanted to sleep with her. I just felt that in the time span that their relationship grew, it escalated rather quickly. I don't know, though, maybe it could be explained by the fact that Ethan had liked her since he first saw her 2(?) years ago. 

But, anyway, for the most part, I did like this book, and I would recommend it, even though I don't usually like teen YA romance junk. But it was okay. And I liked the end.

Review #5-The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

*Goodreads Page*

Goodreads synopsis- Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. And he detests the color yellow.

Although gifted with a superbly logical brain, fifteen-year-old Christopher is autistic and everyday interactions and admonishments have little meaning for him. He lives on patterns, rules, and a diagram kept in his pocket. Then one day, a neighbor's dog, Wellington, is killed and his carefully constructive universe is threatened. Christopher sets out to solve the murder in the style of his favorite (logical) detective, Sherlock Holmes. What follows makes for a novel that is deeply funny, poignant, and fascinating in its portrayal of a person whose curse and blessing are a mind that perceives the world entirely literally.

I freaking LOVED this book! It was really lovely, and I absolutely loved the point of view the story was told from. So, basically, Christopher, a fifteen year old boy with autism is trying to find out who killed his neighbor's dog. In the process, he learns things about his father, his mother, and even himself. I can't even explain to you how wonderful this book is! It's so much, all while being only about 220 pages. This is probably one of the most unique books I've ever read, and I really see myself reading it over again. Which almost never happens. (For some reason, I really hate re-reading books. Unless they're really good. Or it's been a billion years since I last read it.) 

But yes, read this book. It is spectacular. SPECTACULAR!!

Review #4- The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Slznick

*Goodreads Page*

Goodreads synopsis- Half sketches create a story in pictures too, relevant history. Real last-century French pioneer filmmaker Georges Méliès collected mechanical robot-like automata, and, impoverished, worked at a toy booth in a Paris railway station. Here, orphan Hugo fixes his late father's automata, and meets Méliès through his god-daughter Isabelle.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a really quick read, due in part I think to the fact that it is a middle-grade novel, and largely to the fact that almost half the book is gorgeous illustrations. The story follows young Hugo as he tries to repair this automata that he believes his father had left a message in. The adventure and mystery that ensues is wonderful and heartwarming. The illustrations really tie the story together, and overall I thought this book was magnificent. So definitely pick up a copy, it's well worth the read, and even if you don't like it, it'll just be a beautiful addition to your shelves.  

Review #3- Looking for Alaska by John Green

*Goodreads Page*

Goodreads synopsis- Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. He heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.

After. Nothing is ever the same.

Okay, let me just say that although this is only my second ever John Green novel, I'm fully prepared to purchase every last one of his books! Looking for Alaska was amazing! It wasn't what I expected it to be- it ended up being sadder than I thought, but still AMAZING all the same. 

So, I usually don't like know much about the books I read before I get into them, only because I like to be surprised. The only thing I let myself know is the synopsis on the back of the book. I think this is why I was expecting a nice little love story of some kind- and it was, to a point. I had no idea, however, the tragedy I find in this book. It came out of left field, and I didn't even realize what was going to happen until literally right before it happened. Then I found myself sitting here whispering, "Shit, no, no, no! This isn't happening!" But, even though I was super upset about the tragedy, I loved how John Green worked his characters through it, not only giving them closure, but also giving me closure.

In short, I really freaking loved this book and you should go read it. Now. Go.

Review #2- The Dark Lady by Irene Adler

*Goodreads Page*

Goodreads synopsis- "While on summer vacation, little Irene Adler meets a young William Sherlock Holmes. The two share stories of pirates and have battles of wit while running wild on the sunny streets and rooftops. When Sherlock’s friend, Lupin, joins in on the fun, they all become fast friends. But the good times end abruptly when a dead body floats ashore on the nearby beach. The young detective trio will have to put all three of their heads together to solve this mystery."

I received an e-book galley version of this book through Net Galley. This book is listed as children's fiction/teen and YA. I gave this book a 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. It's about 240 pages.

I actually really enjoyed this book. It was cute, it was quick, and it involved one of my favorite character's in a whole new story line. So, this book is a kid's book, and you definitely get the sense of that reading it, but it's written in a way that anyone of any age can enjoy it. That being said, I did have a few minor issues concerning a few moments in the plot. There were a couple of times where I felt that the author could have patched things up clearer or explained things better. Also, I found myself wondering if this book was really going to end on page 240 because at about page 200, a slew of issues were introduced and it seem like the author was trying to toss in as much action as she could. But, she did wrap it up, even if it was a little sloppy.

Alright, that's my review-ish thing. I will definitely have another review up on the first, but I'll try to have another couple up before then. Have a wonderful March guys and thanks for reading!

xox