The Rest of the Story

The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was such a great read about coming of age, dealing with your past head on (or not, as is the case with some characters), and finding family.

I enjoyed these characters so much that I wanted to stay at the lake with them forever.

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Warrior of the Wild by Tricia Levenseller

Warrior of the Wild by Tricia Levenseller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well, I just really enjoyed this YA fantasy novel, with a bit of a viking feel about it (minus the ocean). Lots of cool monsters and battle scenes. Excellent character development. I enjoy that it is a standalone novel, but I'm also a bit sad, as I would like some more of this world.

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Supernova (Renegades, #3)

Supernova by Marissa Meyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Super-b.

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Archenemies by Marissa Meyer

Archenemies by Marissa Meyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It was a lot less upsetting reading the end of this book knowing I now have book 3 in hand and can continue onward. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

PREVIOUS REVIEW:
This was every bit as fast-paced, action-packed, and gut-wrenching as book one. I even had to shout at a couple of characters on several occasions, not that any of them ever listened to me.

This has a dramatic conclusion which will leave you feeling desperate for book 3, in order to see how the story moves forward. That being said, book two did a great job of pushing the overall series forward. It also sticks a knife in and twists it, just when you think you can't take anymore.

Book 46 read in 2019

Pages: 560

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Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Renegades by Marissa Meyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is my 3rd time though, in preparation for reading the final book. And this is still glorious. I really have enjoyed revisiting these characters and this world.

PREVIOUS REVIEW:
#BecRereads2019

Superb! This one gets 5 Super stars, with bonus magical powers.

I’m so happy to be rereading this one, in preparation for reading book 2 for the first time.

I adore how this explores the same situation from different perspectives. It walks that fine line between what is right and what is wrong, as well as who is good and who is bad. It’s a reminder that most of the world and life exists in the gray areas, not in the black and white areas.

Book 45 read in 2019

Pages: 552

PREVIOUS REVIEW:

A book about superheroes and villains, you say?





This was so much fun!





Until it wasn't.


And it was full of brave and powerful heroes and villains...





...assuming you can figure out which are which.


And the ending:





This was another incredible book by Marissa Meyer, assuming you like to feel like this while reading:





Here's how long you'll be willing to wait for book two:







Book 46 in 2018

Pages: 556

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The Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Lucky by Mackenzi Lee

The Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Lucky by Mackenzi Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amusing and so damned sweet.

This is a great little novella, and anyone who loves the series will want to pick this up and give it a read.

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Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson

Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like this far more than I actually did. On the plus side, we had the characters and setting, but the pacing was just all off for me. It felt like the novel really drug, and I found myself getting bored a lot. I think having read ON THE COME UP recently, it was hard not to draw some comparisons and find this one to be lacking.

But it’s definitely okay, just not brilliant or earth-shattering, which is what I’m always hoping for.

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The Winner's Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So much fun to revisit this one! It gave me all the feels all over again. I reread it straight through in one sitting and enjoyed every minute of it. There’s so much that I had forgotten about the story, so I’m glad I decided to revisit the series.

The world building is strong. There’s a really slow burn romance element, and every note is just so perfectly right. Plus, it has an unexpected twist ending that makes you anxious to move on to book two.

PREVIOUS REVIEW:
I had trouble putting this one down, so I read it in 24 hours. It has excellent world building and interesting characters. The story is different and fascinating.

I loved the subtle implication that the lines between good and evil, winners and losers, right and wrong, can be so very thin and cloudy.

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The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is my second read of this fantastic series, and I'm really enjoying revisiting this world and these characters. The whole world really expands in this book, and I adore that.

Book 2 is full of suspense, intrigue, and a serious case of political chess. It also did some really wicked things to all my feels, because nobody can seem to catch a win for more than a few minutes. There are lots of difficult choices made, by different characters, which keeps the story moving in unexpected directions. I wont say more, since this is book two, and I want to avoid any potential spoilers.

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The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It was a pleasure to revisit this one. After all that time, I honestly couldn’t remember what was going to happen or how things would work out in the end

PREVIOUS REVIEW:
I thought this was a very satisfying end to an enjoyable trilogy.

Pages: 496

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Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali

Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I buzzed straight through this one, and it tugged at all my heartstrings. It has a way of being very informative, current, and relevant, but without feeling like you're being preached at or lectured. I guess what I'm saying is that it makes good points but doesn't hammer you over the head with them, which is good, as I usually find that to be disruptive to the story.

I think YA has a lot of great diversity these days (which I'm excited about), but the universe definitely needed this book. I especially liked the commentary on cultural appropriation, as I think that is something people definitely need to be more aware of and informed about. I also just enjoyed learning more about Muslim beliefs and customs. Some of the different aspects of the religion seem quite beautiful and appealing, and it made me curious to learn more.

Anyway, long story short, I'm happy that this book exists, and I hope that the current generation of teen readers grow up to become more informed, compassionate, and outspoken humans because this book exists.

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The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis

The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was such a unique read. It's like a fantasy western novel impregnated a paranormal dystopian novel, and the result was this story.

I really enjoyed the large cast of female characters. I was hooked from the start, and I enjoyed the way the character development unfolded as the story progressed. I can't wait to see what comes next!

The narratio (Jeanette Illidge)  is excellent and spot on.

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Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orïsha, #1)

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is still glorious. I'm just rereading in preparation for book two, which I'm really excited about. Since it's such a unique world and magic system, I wanted to make sure I remembered everything before moving forward.

The audiobook narration is fantastic and spot on. There's so much texture and variety in Bahni Turpin's voice, and she brings a lot of drama and emotion to the storytelling. I just love it.

PREVIOUS REVIEW:
This story slayed me in all the ways. It’s so compelling that I want to clutch it close, in case it would try to slip away from me. I just finished the novel, and I almost want to go back and start it all over again, right now, as I’m not ready to let go of this world.

I was so captivated by this YA West-African inspired fantasy novel that I couldn’t stop reading once I started, and this is not a small book. Despite that, I still read it straight through, and wow. I just have so many wild feels that I’m not even sure I know how to write this review, but I want to write it now, while the magic and heartache is still fresh in my mind.

Things I loved and/or cried over:

--The characters and all of their uniqueness and intricacies

--The storyline and fast-paced plot, despite the length of the novel

--The captivating world and fascinating setting

--The magic system is A+, and I can’t wait to learn more about it in future novels

--The cover of the book, which is just stunning. I’m honestly obsessed with it, and I don’t know how much of the time that I spent just looking at the cover while I was listening to the book.

---The audiobook narrator: Bahni Turpin, who brings such life to the words

--The author’s note at the end of the book, which made me cry twice in just a matter of minutes

-- The title and its meaning to the story. I could reread/replay that segment right at the end over and over and over again, because it’s so perfect and gorgeous

--The ending, which really delivers, in all kinds of emotional ways

--They way 4 POVs are handled so well, and with so much unique voice that I always knew whose part of the story I was on, even when we switched between characters

--The characters names, which felt so perfect for them

--The ferocious feline beasts that I sometimes want to snuggle

--The fact that this is a debut novel, and it’s so incredible (no offense to other authors, who have also had some amazing debuts, but wow!)

--The fact that this lived up to absolutely all of the hype and it’s so easy to adore this book

--And obviously the diversity. I’m feeling pretty cheated that this is the first Nigerian inspired fantasy novel I’ve ever read, and I hope I see many more in the future. In case it’s my fault that I’ve never read one before, I’m going to go out and research this topic as soon as I finish this review, to see if there are any others that I’ve missed.

As far as I’m concerned, this book is perfection. It’s what YA fantasy novels should be. Honestly, in my opinion, it’s what all fantasy novels should be, regardless of category. And there better be more of this world heading my way in the near future. Preferably lots more.

Book 114 read in 2018

Pages: 525

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The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller

The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was an intense read. I wanted to love this. The premise is solid. The format is interesting. The content is important. There’s lots of diversity, and it has a unique perspective. I see how this should be an excellent story. All signs pointed towards this book being a perfect read for me.

Unfortunately, I still struggled to connect with this story. It is relatively well-written, though the side characters are underdeveloped, and their motivations and intentions were rarely clear to me. The pacing also felt off to me, and I wasn’t that into the subplots. Honestly, I kind of just wanted to cut away some of the excess and focus more on the heart of the story, which was valuable and intriguing.

I think the supposed powers were a confusing distraction for me, as I thought they were all due to the inner-workings of Matt’s mind, as he struggled with his mental illness, which was upsetting but also fascinating. Then, some things occurred that suggested that it may not be all in his mind, which had me questioning if this is supposed to be magical realism, instead of contemporary, and that unsettled me. I think I spent so much time feeling awkward and uncertain about this that it left me holding the story at arms length, instead of fully embracing it.


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On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well, this was glorious. Angie Thomas has this was of making me think over things that I thought I already knew and understood, but then once I rethink them a bit and see all the different points of view, it's like I understand those things in all new sorts of ways. I kind of love that. It feels like that shift from knowing to really understanding.

I think her books make a lot of complex topics clearer, even though, they also sometimes make me a bit discouraged about humanity and the slow rate at which change occurs. It would be nice if we could just all agree to do better right now.

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Roar (Stormheart, #1)

Roar by Cora Carmack
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I revisited this in preparation for reading RAGE, and I still adore this book and am fascinated by the world. I can't wait to see what happens next.

PREVIOUS REVIEW:
I can’t figure out what I’m going to say that will explain how much I loved this story, adored these characters, and was awed by this world of living storms. This YA fantasy has a truly unique magic system that is both captivating and emotional.

I have hearts in my eyes for this story, and it’s impairing my ability to review it. This is one of those books that has an absolutely amazing cover, and you worry that will be misleading and disappointing. It isn’t. The story as every bit as fabulous as the moody cover.

It does wrap itself around towards a partial conclusion, while still managing to end at a point that leaves you desperate for the next book.

I listened to the audiobook, which was excellent. I enjoyed it so much that even though I borrowed it from the library, I will definitely buy this one, both to support the author in her work, and because I know I will read this one again.

I love that feeling when a new world becomes so enthralling that you want nothing more than to exist inside it, and you can barely function outside of it, until you reach the conclusion.

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Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown

Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I confess that, at first, I was not sure if I was going to like anyone in this story, as circumstances are rather rough at the beginning. However, I quickly came around on almost everyone, and I really enjoyed this one. There's a lot of change and growth, which all feels very realistic and honest. The romance elements are so sweet and hopeful.

The writing and storytelling are both fantastic, and the pacing seems to be spot on. Overall, this is a really solid YA Contemporary romance with a good amount of diversity that doesn't come only from the LGBT characters.

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The Toll by Neal Shusterman

The Toll by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I loved books one and two so much, so it’s with a heavy heart that I’m giving this 3 stars, and probably feel only 2.5 of them at most. This is long, and not in a delightful way. It’s sort of all over the place, yet it also feels like it’s going nowhere for most of the book. I had no idea what I was even supposed to be rooting for or hoping for, because the plot is random, character intentions are unclear, and there are so many scenes that seem to lead absolutely nowhere.

The pacing probably could be worse, though I’m not quite sure how at this moment, because I’m still so shocked and sad that it felt like a complete chore to read this book. I had to force my way through the last half and was relieved when it was finally over. I mean, there are some great moments here and there. It just isn’t enough to make this feel like an exciting and worthwhile story. Now I have to go, because I kind of want to wallow in despair.

PRE-RELEASE COMMENTS:
I NEED THIS BOOK. RIGHT NOW.

GET IN MY WAY, AND I MAY HAVE TO GLEAN YOU.

RULES SCHMULES.



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Arc of Scythe Series

Scythe by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I revisited this book in preparation for reading the final book in the trilogy. It’s still fantastic and so well-plotted. The characters are deep and fascinating. The world and premise are stellar. This is just a great read by any standards.

PREVIOUS REVIEW:

THIS BOOK SLAYS!

I would give it all my stars, and not just to avoid a reaping.

Book 294 read in 2018

Book Pages: 435

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Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So happy to have revisited this masterpieces, and I can’t wait to go start book 3. Bye now!

PREVIOUS REVIEW:

WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!

JUST SHUT UP AND TAKE ALL MY STARS.

Book 295 read in 2018

Pages: 504

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Summer Series by Jenny Han

The Summer I Turned Pretty
by Jenny Han

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed revisiting this one. It’s such a great story of summer, growing up, firsts, and dealing with hardship. It’s deliciously angsty, and yet still so young and hopeful.

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It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Every time I read this series, it completely shreds my fragile heart, and yet I keep picking it back up to read it again, just for those brief moments that give me some hope that are tucked carefully inside all the corners of the sharp edges of grief.

So yeah. I like it. Just like people like paying taxes, which is not at all in the moment, but when you're driving across a safe bridge, picking up a new book at the library, or dialing 911 for some assistance in a terrible moment, then everything looks pretty different, and you kind of do like paying taxes. So yeah. I liked it like that--where it feels like there's nothing inside me but hurt and ache, and then I suddenly remember that there's some flashes of good inside all of the hurt that almost make it worth it.

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We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It ends well but almost feels too fast after everything I went through. I mean, everything the characters went through, of course. ;)

It has been fun revisiting this trilogy, or maybe fun is the wrong word. It has been emotionally overwhelming to reread this trilogy, but apparently, I like having all the stressful feels. If I'm not exhausted at the end of a book, then who even am I?

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The audiobook narrator (Jessica Almasy)for this series has a high pitch that took me some time to adjust to, but once I did, I really enjoyed her narration.

The Girl the Sea Gave Back: A Novel by Adrienne Young

The Girl the Sea Gave Back: A Novel by Adrienne Young
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I’m sad. I wanted so much more than this, as I loved SKY IN THE DEEP, but I could never really connect to the characters. Everything felt choppy, and the world building that existed tended to be confusing. It has a gorgeous ending, but most of the rest of the story I was bored or confused and couldn’t emotionally connect to anything. The prose is also beautiful, but unfortunately that just doesn’t result in a well told story.

The audiobook narration is good, by Caitlin Kelly and Dan Bittner.  There's something a bit magical or ethereal feeling in the voice of Kelly that really adds to the female perspective in this story.

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Now I Rise by Kiersten White

Now I Rise by Kiersten White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a solid follow-up to book one, though it’s a hefty read that is on the slow side, especially in the first half. That’s probably my main complaint, as sometimes I felt like I was making myself pick it up and power through it, rather than just obsessively reading it, which is what I wanted.

I still adore the world and characters, especially the brutality and the way people’s emotions are at odds with their needs and desires. It forces you to walk the fine lines between polarizing opposites, such as good and evil, right and wrong, which keeps things interesting.

I’m definitely moving on to book 3, but I felt more distracted and found myself rewinding more with this one. That could have partly been me, but I also don’t think this one drew me in and held my attention as well as book one.