Emmy and Oliver by Robin Benway ~ Book Review

Title: Emmy and Oliver 

Author:  Robin Benway

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Fiction 

Published:  June 23, 2015

Hardcover:  352 pages 

Brief Synopsis:

Emmy and Oliver have been good friends their entire life. They live next door to each other, their mothers are best friends, and they were even born on the same day. In second grade, tragedy strikes when Oliver is kidnapped by his father and is never heard from again. Ten years later, Oliver is found! This book explores the journey of Oliver returning home. It shines an interesting perspective on kidnapping and shows the challenges of rebuilding a friendship that was lost and now found. 

My Thoughts

I am not including the Goodreads Summary in this review for a good reason. I think it gives you a little too much information. So stay away from the summary on the book! 

I really, really enjoyed this book! I felt it was a little slow to begin. This has been a thing lately in my reading. ALL the books I have read lately have started out slow. So it may just be me and my reading mood. I fell in love with the characters right away, especially Oliver and Emmy. I thought they were both so sweet. I loved to see how their relationship developed and how they learned to build back their friendship. 

Things I LOVED About This Book

- I loved the family dynamics in this book. Family was a huge theme in this book. The parents were very present in the book and it was very refreshing. 

-One theme that is very central to the story is communication. The characters all struggle with communication barriers and it was frustrating to read about at times, but it made the story very real. 

-I loved the interesting perspective that this story presented. It allows you to see a side of kidnapping that was unexpected and intriguing. 

- The ending was beautiful! I was worried that I was not going to like the ending. I really enjoyed the direction the author went with the characters and I was extremely satisfied with the ending. 

Things I Did NOT Love

- Nothing really stood out as bad to me in this book.

 If I had to pick something it would be that the book started out a little slow. 

My Favorite Quotes:

"The more you start to love someone, the more you ache when they're gone, and maybe it's that middle ground that hurts the most, when you can see them and still not feel like you're near enough."

"Sometimes loves isn't something say, it's something you do."

"An earthquake would have been better. At least during an earthquake, you understand why you're shaking."

Goodreads Rating

Thanks for visiting today!! 

I hope you check out this great book. Have you read it yet? Are you planning to add it to your TBR? 

Happy Reading!!

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe ~ Book Review

Title: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of        the Universe

Author: Benjamin Alire Saenz

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary

Published: February 21, 2012

Hardcover: 368 pages 

Good Reads Summary:

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

Thoughts: 

This novel has received so much praise, love and awards. It has been on my list forever. I am trying to read more diverse books and this one is always on everyone's favorites. I cannot remember reading a single negative review about this book. 
When I started reading it, I started to panic a little. I liked the book, but it was not blowing me away. I have always heard that this was a character driven story but I think I expected there to be a stronger plot or something big to happen early in the story. But, that did not happen. I pressed on with the story worried that I was going to be the only person who did not enjoy this book.
About half way through the book something magical happened. There was a switch. The story went from a simple story to an amazing impactful story. One chapter I was just reading along and then the characters thoughts became deeper. The author's writing style is extremely simplistic. At the half way point, he maintained his simplicity but the impact of it had changed. The emotions and the thoughts of the characters were so much deeper. I loved, LOVED the letter writing in the story. Such a special touch to the book. I have so many quotes that I wrote down in my journal. So many simple, beautiful words that made this book unique. You have to read it. It is a must-read book. I borrowed this copy from the library, but I need to have a copy of this book. 

Things I ADORED about this book:  sorry I am about use the word "love" a lot!

•  The characters. It took me a while to fall in love with Aristotle but when I did, I fell really hard for him. Aristotle is a very complex character. He is extremely introverted (which I can really relate to) and struggles with who he truly is. Dante was a shining light! I loved him instantly. Dante was outgoing and wore his heart on his sleeve. He was absolutely adorable and caring. 

• I loved how the parents of Aris and Dante had such a central role in the story. I have never seen parents have so much dialogue in YA Fiction. It was very refreshing and I think they are parents that every kid should have. This added so much unique elements and dynamics to the story.

• I loved the theme about everyone having their "own private wars". All the characters had their own struggles and they all dealt with them differently. 

• The writing style. It was not poetic. It was not metaphorically written. It was just so simple but made a beautiful impact! It was pure genius. 

• In the end, I loved that there was no huge plot line. I love when a writer can create something so beautiful from something so simple. How can such simple words hold such a high impact??

Even though I had a hard time getting into this story. It doesn't even matter. This book was so incredible. The second half was unbelievable and that ending was one of the best endings I have ever read. I could literally pick this one up and start reading it again. 

My Favorite Quotes ~ I will try my best to narrow it down. :)

"Sometimes pain was like a storm that came out of nowhere. The clearest summer morning could end in a downpour. Could end in lightning."

"We don't always make the right decisions, Ari. We do the best we can."

"...Dante's face was a map of the world. A world without any darkness."

"Words were different when they lived inside of you."

"I came to understand that my father was a careful man. To be careful with people and with words was a rare and beautiful thing."

Good Reads Rating: 

I hope you read this book. It was so special and it is going to stick with me for a very long time. Have read anything else by this author?? I am excited to read more by him! Have read this book? Are you planning to read it? I hope you are!!

Happy Reading Everyone!!

None of the Above ~ Book Review

Title: None of the Above

Author: I.W. Gregorio

Published: April 7, 2015

Hardcover: 352 pages 

Goodreads Synopsis: 
A groundbreaking story about a teenage girl who discovers she was born intersex... and what happens when her secret is revealed to the entire school. Incredibly compelling and sensitively told, None of the Above is a thought-provoking novel that explores what it means to be a boy, a girl, or something in between.

What if everything you knew about yourself changed in an instant?

When Kristin Lattimer is voted homecoming queen, it seems like another piece of her ideal life has fallen into place. She's a champion hurdler with a full scholarship to college and she's madly in love with her boyfriend. In fact, she's decided that she's ready to take things to the next level with him.

But Kristin's first time isn't the perfect moment she's planned—something is very wrong. A visit to the doctor reveals the truth: Kristin is intersex, which means that though she outwardly looks like a girl, she has male chromosomes, not to mention boy "parts."

Dealing with her body is difficult enough, but when her diagnosis is leaked to the whole school, Kristin's entire identity is thrown into question. As her world unravels, can she come to terms with her new self?

Brief Overview: 

Kristen is a senior in high school who has it all- she is homecoming queen, a great track runner, a great group of friends, and a fantastic boyfriend. On Homecoming night, Kristen decides to have sex with her boyfriend and things turn out to be a disaster! She decides to go see a doctor and discovers that she is an intersex. Intersex means that you have both female and male chromosomes and Kristen also has boy "parts".  

My Thoughts:

I actually have never heard of this book until I saw it pop up everywhere on a Top Ten Tuesday, the topic was "the best diverse books". When I adventured this week to my library, I saw it sitting on the shelf, and I knew I had to read it. 
This was my first book with characters who are intersex. I think everyone should read this book. I am not very educated with individuals who are intersex and this was the perfect book to help me understand it. The author is a surgeon and this story was inspired by one of her patients. In the writing, you could tell that the author knew a lot about the medical side of this condition. It was very easy to understand all the terminology and I felt like I learned a lot after reading this book. This book is perfect for gaining awareness about intersex. I highly recommend reading it!

Things I Loved About This Book: 

• It felt very real- the characters dealt with their problems in a very realistic high school way. 

• The story has some great information and educated me on this condition. It helped me understand something I knew very little about in the beginning.

• The diversity in this book is done very well! I felt like I was reading something that I do not typically read. 

Things I Didn't Like About This Book:

• The characters roles were very predictable in this book. I felt like I knew the direction of the book within in the first few chapters.

• The ending was a little abrupt. I wanted a little more, a short epilogue would have been nice.

Favorite Quote:

"We were both silent for a minute. And I wondered for the first time whether "feeling feminine" just meant feeling good in your own skin."

Goodreads Rating:

Have you read this book yet?? Are you planning to add it to your reading list?

I would love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!!

Written in the Stars By Aisha Saeed ~ Book Review

Title: Written in the Stars

Author: Aisha Saeed

Pages: 304 pages 

Published: March 24, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

This heart-wrenching novel explores what it is like to be thrust into an unwanted marriage. Has Naila’s fate been written in the stars? Or can she still make her own destiny?
 
Naila’s conservative immigrant parents have always said the same thing: She may choose what to study, how to wear her hair, and what to be when she grows up—but they will choose her husband. Following their cultural tradition, they will plan an arranged marriage for her. And until then, dating—even friendship with a boy—is forbidden. When Naila breaks their rule by falling in love with Saif, her parents are livid. Convinced she has forgotten who she truly is, they travel to Pakistan to visit relatives and explore their roots. But Naila’s vacation turns into a nightmare when she learns that plans have changed—her parents have found her a husband and they want her to marry him, now! Despite her greatest efforts, Naila is aghast to find herself cut off from everything and everyone she once knew. Her only hope of escape is Saif . . . if he can find her before it’s too late.

Why did I read this one??

I am trying to read more culturally diverse books. I had heard some good reviews on BookTube about this one and decided to check it out from my library. I recently read The Wrath and the Dawn and I wanted to check out more books with strong cultural influences. Even though The Wrath and the Dawn is a fantasy it still has a strong cultural elements. 

Brief Synopsis:

In this story, Naila's family is from Pakistan but she was raised in America. Her family allows her to do everything teenage girls do, except dating. She is not allowed to date or interact with any boys. Her parents want to be the ones who choose her husband. Naila secretly has a boyfriend and her parents quickly find out about it. They are so outraged. They decide that she needs to go to Pakistan and explore her heritage. What she does not know, is that her parents have arranged a marriage for her and she must get married to someone she does not even know. 

Thoughts:

I really liked this story! I thought it was very heartbreaking and opened my eyes to the world of arrange marriages. It broke my heart to see how her family treated her for a mistake that she made. She had no voice for this huge life decision.
I really like the characters in this book. They were very realistic. The story was very well paced and the book was super short. It is a little over 300 pages and a lot happens, but it does not feel rushed. It is a great, quick read. The story was very intense and it had me engaged through the whole book. 

What I Loved About The Book:

• I loved learning about the culture. This book made you feel like you were in living with a Pakistan family. I loved all the cultural languages and vocabulary. Here are a few items that were mentioned:

Kulfi- a dessert similar to ice cream

Paratha- a traditional flatbread

• I really liked the main character, Naila. She felt like a real teenager. Her emotions and actions were very realistic. 

• The setting. I loved learning about Pakistan and the village where Naila's family lived. 

If you are looking for a culturally diverse contemporary book, this one is great! I definitely think it is worth the read! 

Goodreads Rating: 

If you have any culturally diverse book recommendations, I would love to hear them! 

Thanks for visiting!

Happy Reading!!

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews ~ Book Review

Title:  Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Author: Jesse Andrews

Pages: 295, Hardcover

Published:  March 1, 2012

Goodreads Summary:

Greg Gaines is the last master of high school espionage, able to disappear at will into any social environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time making movies, their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics.

Until Greg’s mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel.

Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia—-cue extreme adolescent awkwardness—-but a parental mandate has been issued and must be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turning point in each of their lives.

And all at once Greg must abandon invisibility and stand in the spotlight.

Thoughts:

I decided to read this book after seeing the movie trailer. It was not even on my TBR list on Goodreads. I thought it looked cute and funny and I decided to give it a shot. At first, I thought it was going to be hard not compare this book to The Fault in our Stars. But, that was not hard, because it is nothing like TFIOS at all. The only thing that they have in common is they both have a character battling cancer. 
One thing that I really liked about this book was the way it was written. I really liked his creative approach. The author definitely took some risks and tried a lot of unusual writing styles. It was very refreshing to see a new approach to writing. It was definitely my favorite part of this book. I really liked the characters in the story. They were all very unique and interesting to read about. I just felt that there was something missing from this story and I cannot put my finger on what it is. I just wanted more. I did not love this book, but I did like it. I really, really wanted to love this book because of its uniqueness but it was not enough for me. Maybe I needed more character development or more emotion or maybe I am just missing point of the story. I know this is a very loved book and I really wanted to join that club, it just did not happen. I am really looking forward to the movie. I thing it will translate really well to a movie format. 

Favorite Quote:

“There was just something about her dying that I had understood but not reallyunderstood, if you know what I mean. I mean, you can know someone is dying on an intellectual level, but emotionally it hasn't really hit you, and then when it does, that's when you feel like shit.” 


Movie Trailer: 

Goodreads Rating:

Thanks for visiting my blog! Have you read this book? What are your thoughts on it? Do you plan to read it?

I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson ~ Book Review

Publication: September 16, 2014

371 pages, Hardcover 

Goodreads Summary:

A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell 

Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

Thoughts:  There has been so much hype surrounding this book. I have had it on my TBR list even before its release date. The synopsis did not instantly grab my attention and it is not something that I would have picked up on my own. This book had so many reviewers buzzing and I knew I had to read it. I am not going to lie- the cover drew me in too! I am sucker for a gorgeous book. 

I do not want to go into too much details about this book. I think it is one of those books that it is better not to know too much going into the story. 

When I first started reading this book, I was not loving it. Jandy Nelson's writing is so unique and bold that it takes time to get use to the style. It has a very poetic flow and she uses a lot metaphors in her descriptions, a lot. In the beginning, I felt that the writing style was over-powering the story. I persevered through 40 or 50 pages and something magical happened. I. Fell. In. Love. This book so lives up to the hype. This story is so special and so worth reading. I feel so privilege that I had the opportunity to read this book. The characters are so complex and unique. They capture your heart. Not only are the characters amazing, but the story is so captivating and impressive. This book has so many deep connections that are revealed as you read the story and are so meaningful and beautiful. I cannot explain how much I love this book. I cannot do it justice with any words. It simply just needs to be read. Everyone needs to read it. I highly recommend buying the book. You are going to want it and reread it! I made the mistake and borrowed it from my library. Now I wished I had my own copy. I hope to buy me a copy in the near future. 

My Favorite Things About This Book:

• The uniqueness and complexity of all the characters in the book, especially Noah and Jude. 

• I loved how this story is told. It is a dual-perpective story, told between Jude and Noah. Jude's story is told in the present and Noah's story is told two years before the present. In the end, their stories merge into the present day. This story would have not been the same without this structure. 

• I loved how the events connected and how characters stories intertwined. I cannot give details without spoilers. If you have read it- you understand!  

• This book is just so real! I felt like I was reading into Jude and Noah's true soul. 

• The writing style matches this story so well. In the beginning, I had such a hard time with it. But, in the end it gave power and purpose to the story. 

My Favorite Quotes: 

There are so many beautiful passages and quotes in this book. It is really hard to just pick a few to shine. I picked some that did not spoil anything from the story. 

"I wish the world would stick like a clock so I could look at him for as long as I want. There's something going on in his face right now, something very bright trying to get out- a dam keeping back a wall of light. His soul might be a sun. I've never met anyone who had the sun for a soul."  

"It occurs to me that Jude does this too, changes who she is depending on who she's with. They're like toads changing their skin color. How come I'm always just me?"

"I don't know how this can be but it can: A painting is both exactly the same and entirely different every single time you look at it. That's the way it is between Jude and me now."

"Maybe some people are just meant to be in the same story."

" You have to see the miracles for there to be miracles."

"...because we are, each one of us for the other, a key to a door that otherwise would've remained locked forever."

Booktube Shout Out:

On Perpetual Pages YouTube channel she recommended this music fan-mix to go along with the book. It is really awesome!  

   

Fan Mix on 8Tracks

Goodreads Rating: 

Please let me know your thoughts on this book! Have you read it?? Do you plan to?

Happy Reading!!

Paper Towns by John Green ~ Book Review

Publication: September 22, 2009

305 pages 

Goodreads Summary:

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows. After their all-nighter ends, and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew...

Thoughts: 

This book has been on my TBR list for a long time, probably over a year. I really wanted to read it and since the movie is coming out this summer and I thought it would be the perfect time to jump into this book. This book is extremely hyped, so I had very, very high expectations going into this one. Many people say that this is their favorite John Green book, so I thought I was going to feel the same.
Sadly, it did not quite live up to the hype, in my opinion. It was still very good, just not amazing. I had a very hard time connecting with the characters. I liked Quentin, but did not find him very intriguing. I also found myself very, very disconnected to Margo and I think you are supposed to feel disconnected to her. But, it was hard to sympathize for her and worry about her. She was very mysterious and usually mysterious characters really intrigue me, but she fell a little flat for me. I just wanted more character development and less mystery. The characters had such a little history and backstory that it was hard to build that connection. There are some great moments in this book! I loved the road trip with Quentin and all his friends. It was very adventurous and funny. I really liked Ben's character (Quentin's friend). He was very enjoyable to read about and lightened the story a lot. I wish there was a little more to this story. I felt like it could have used a novella or a sequel. I feel very sad that I did not have this "great moment" with this book. I am still very glad that I have read it. I also look forward to reading more John Green books. This is my second John Green book. I have also read The Fault in our Stars. Let me know which one I should pick up next. I am also looking forward to the movie coming out in July!

My Favorite Quotes:

"That always seemed so ridiculous to me, that people want to be around someone because they are pretty. It's like picking your breakfast cereals based on color instead of taste."


"I'm starting to realize that people lack good mirrors. It's so hard for anyone to show us how we look and so hard for us to show anyone how we feel."

"At some point, you gotta stop looking up at the sky, or one of these days you'll look back down and see that you floated away."


"The last time I was this scared, I peed myself." "The last time I was this scared," Radar says "I actually had to face a Dark Lord in order to make the world safe for wizards."


My Goodreads Rating: (3.5 stars)

Movie: The movie is supposed to be released on July 24, 2015. Here is the movie trailer! 

Have you read this book? Do you plan to read it? Please let me know your thoughts! 

Happy Reading!!

Top 10 All Time Favorite Authors

Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly bookish feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

This weeks Top 10 list is: Top Ten All Time Favorite Authors

Sorry this post is a little late! I have been so busy this week decluttering and cleaning my house. I am following a new organizing book called The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.  Review will be coming soon! Anyways, back to my top ten- let's get started!!

10. Alexandra Bracken- I definitely have a love/hate relationship with The Darkest Minds series. It is not one of my favorites series but it is one that I think about a lot. I absolutely love, love her writing style. Is it perfect? No. But she is so creative and she creates such wonderful, captivating characters that just draw you into the story even if the the world-building is lacking or something doesn't make the best sense. She has a way of creating suspense and anticipation in her novels. Highly recommend giving her a try. She has a new book coming out this fall and I will definitely pick it up. 

9.  Cassandra Clare- Oh how I love her Shadowhunter World! I think it is so unique and amazing! If you love fantasy with paranormal creatures and romance, you need to read these books. She is also the queen of ending her series. Clockwork Princess is one of my all time favorite books and it mostly because of the ending. I highly recommend her epic books! She is amazing!

8. Stephanie Perkins- What can I say?? Her writing is beautiful! She is definitely the best at writing YA Romance. She knows how to create the perfect relationship. I love how she makes the setting of her books a huge part of the story. She makes you feel like you are actually there with the characters. 

7. George RR Martin- Okay- he is a genius. No one is a storyteller like George RR Martin. His writing is so complex and beautiful but so easy to read. He makes you LOVE his characters! Even the horrible ones. You cannot put down his books and even though most of them are 1,000+ pages, they are really quick to read! 

6. Laini Taylor- Anything this author writes is a YES for me! She is absolutely incredible.  Daughter of Smoke and Bone is one of my favorites series of all time. She creates very strong worlds, with amazing plots and complex characters. Highly, highly recommend reading her amazing books. 

5. JK Rowling- Do I really need to explain?? How can you compare anything with JK Rowling?? She is JK Rowling. She is the creator of the most famous world ever! I love everything about her and Harry. They hold a very special place in my heart, and no one holds a candle to them. Ever. 

4. Rainbow Rowell- Rainbow has the most beautiful, simplistic writing style. I LOVE her writing. She has such an amazing tone in her stories. I love how she writes dialogue! She is the queen of dialogue. My favorite book by her is Fangirl but Landline is a close second. Highly, highly recommend reading her books!

3. E.Lockhart- I have only read one book by this author, but I do consider her one of my favorite authors. Her writing is unique and amazing. I read We Were Liars last summer and I think about this book just about every day. I loved everything about this book. She incorporates a lot of metaphors and unique descriptions in her writing. I cannot wait to reread this book. It will definitely be on my summer book-et list! 

2. Jennifer Niven- Okay- this is another author that I have only read one of her books. I recently read All The Bright Places and did a full review on it. This was her first YA Fiction book. This one was just so incredible! I loved so many quotes in her book. It captured my heart and I thought it was extremely well written. I cannot wait to see what she writes next for YA Fiction! 

1. Sarah J. Maas- Okay. She is amazing. I think her Throne of Glass series is something very special. I love the world, plot, characters, everything she has created! I will read everything this author ever writes. I think she is brilliant. If you have only read the first book in the series, keep going. It only scratches the surface to this epic story. Love her so much. I cannot wait for her new book to come out next month.

Please let me know- what are some of your all time favorite authors?? I will talk to everyone soon! Happy Reading!!!