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Review: Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton

Feb15

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Seeker by Arwen Elys DaytonSeeker by Arwen Elys Dayton
Series: Seeker #1
Published by Delacorte Press on February 10, 2015
Pages: 448
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
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three-stars

Quin Kincaid has been put through years of brutal training for what she thinks is the noble purpose of becoming a revered ‘Seeker’.

Only when it’s too late does she discover she will be using her new-found knowledge and training to become an assassin. Quin's new role will take her around the globe, from a remote estate in Scotland to a bustling, futuristic Hong Kong where the past she thought she had escaped will finally catch up with her.

*Fair warning: There might be mild (or major, depending on how you view it) spoilers in this review. Read at your own risk!*

When it comes to Seeker, the name of the game is curiosity. Because even though I didn’t like the writing, the plot OR the characters, my curiosity kept me reading. Which says a lot since I’m very character-driven and not liking the characters can often mean an automatic DNF. Yet I was so desperate to see what happened and get answers to my many questions that I read the first 150 pages (all of part one of the book) in 5 hours – which is slow for me, actually, but not bad considering how many times I debated DNFing. Yet, it then took me 5 days to finish the Interlude and parts two and three. I didn’t even want to pick it up some days because I’d heard a lot of people say that part two is where they DNF’d and I was nervous to keep going. By the end, Seeker turned out to be an okay book with an intriguing ending.

As I mentioned, I basically couldn’t stand any of the characters. I didn’t totally hate Quin, though she was such a stagnant character for about 90% of the book. Yes, I get it, she was lied to for most of her life by the person she trusted the most. By three people she trusted, honestly… Okay, everyone in her life lied to her or kept secrets. But once she knew the truth, instead of wanting to fight to fix things and make them better, she sort of… sunk into herself and hid from it. She ran away, ignored the problem.. She just didn’t want to deal with it. She comes alive near the end of the novel and I saw a small spark in her that I think will grow in book two, so I’m excited for that.

Shinobu was kind of a useless character… He really didn’t do much, especially in the second half of the book. I mean, the story couldn’t have moved forward without him but that’s really all he was good for. Just as Quin ran from her problems, Shinobu drowned his problems out with various… vices. He left those he loved vulnerable and, sometimes, his running from his problems put his loved ones at even greater risk than if he had stayed and fought. He definitely comes into his own in the end. I think he had the most character growth of the three main characters, to be honest. But that’s not saying much because he was kind of forced – to a certain extent – to clean up his act and help. He had this one “awakening” moment where he realized he had to change, though, so that was good.

John was just an ass. I’m sorry, but he was. He was also the most dangerous kind of villain because he’s so convinced that what he’s doing is morally right and for the greater good that he’s blinded to the consequences of his actions. He hurt people, he killed people.. He let his own men slap Quin around, while still claiming he loved her and wanted her to chose him. He was jealous beyond what was logical of her and Shinobu (and they really didn’t even get together in the book…) and had a nasty temper, too. Really, most of my review notes on him just say “Yeah, he’s an ass.” It’s sad, though, because he had an interesting back-story, but his voice was dull and boring and he was an ass most of the time.

Maud was by far my favorite character. I loved her back-story, her voice, all of it. I was terrified for her at several points, but I’m really intrigued with how her story ended and I can’t wait to see where it takes her in book two. She definitely provided the most entertainment and I kind of wish the book had been narrated more from her perspective than anyone else’s.

There were a lot of secondary characters and it’s hard to talk about them all. But I’ll give a few quick shout-outs: Briac was horrible and I wanted to punch him. I mostly wanted to punch Alistair, but then I felt bad for him. Fiona was an intriguing character and I would have loved to learn more about her. Gavin was.. odd.. But I’d love to learn more of his back-story. Same goes for Maggie and Catherine. And I think that’s everyone… Oh, The Old Dread, as well.

I think my biggest issue with the characters, aside from not liking/connecting with them, was that they all changed SO drastically from part one to part two. The only ones that really didn’t change were John and Maud. But Quin and Shinobu acted like completely different people in part two. Honestly, part two was like a totally different book altogether, not just character-wise. And the interlude felt unnecessary – most of that information could have been interspersed into the rest of the book. As weird/boring as part two was, part three actually picked up and was very interesting. A lot of epic things happened and some of my favorite moments were in part three. Some of the characters got more interesting, some of them got what they deserved and some of them finally achieved character growth.

Despite all the things that annoyed me – the characters, the plot, the writing – I couldn’t stop reading. Yes, I contemplated DNFing SEVERAL times. Yes, I complained about the bad parts a lot (in my defense, the bad parts were TRULY bad…). But there was still something about this book – as small as it might have been – that kept me reading. Like I said in the beginning of my review, my curiosity got the best of me and I was determined to see it through to the end. And, to my complete shock, the ending was kind of intriguing! Book two’s release date is a year off, so I’m not sure if I’ll read it or not, but the ending of Seeker definitely picked up enough that I’m considering it.

Would I recommend Seeker? I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend it and I can’t claim I loved it, but I would definitely say give it a shot. The love triangle (which felt forced, in my opinion) was compared to the love triangle from Hunger Games. So if you liked Hunger Games and you like books that focus more on the romance than the world, then this may be the book for you and you might want to read it. If you do, I truly hope you enjoy it more than I did! It wasn’t AS BAD as some said it was, but it definitely wasn’t amazing. Others might love what I didn’t. I would never tell someone not to read a book they were interested in reading. So read it! Give it a try and see for yourself! It might surprise you and end up being one of your favorite books of 2015!

three-stars

Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Feb5

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Red Queen by Victoria AveyardRed Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Series: Red Queen Trilogy #1
Published by HarperTeen on February 10, 2015
Pages: 383
Source: the publisher
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five-stars

Graceling meets The Selection in debut novelist Victoria Aveyard's sweeping tale of seventeen-year-old Mare, a common girl whose once-latent magical power draws her into the dangerous intrigue of the king's palace. Will her power save her or condemn her?

Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood--those with common, Red blood serve the Silver- blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.

To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard--a growing Red rebellion--even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.

I can’t even begin to describe how much I loved this book. Everything about it was epic – the world, the characters, the plot, the writing. From the moment I saw the cover and title, I knew I was going to love Red Queen. Not only did it not disappoint, but it also exceeded my expectations!

I liked Mare and her voice pretty much right away. She did what she had to in order to provide for her family, even though they didn’t appreciate her or her help. She kind of reminded me of Feyre from A Court of Thorns and Roses in that sense. Mare loves her family and Kilorn and will do anything to protect them. At the same time, she’s trying to avoid the bleak future that awaits her. As the story goes on, Mare becomes stronger and bolder, learning how to control her ability so she can fight for freedom. I definitely saw some parallels with Pawn by Aimee Carter, both in Mare’s personality and in the plot.

Cal was an interesting character but I’m not really sure how I feel about him. He was incredibly kind to Mare in the beginning, though I wonder about his reasons for doing what he did. Was it just to be kind? Was it out of guilt? Did he like her as early as then? Even after finishing the book, I’m just a little suspicious of his motives. I also didn’t ship him and Mare at all. I just didn’t see any sparks or sense anything more than friendship.

I ADORED Maven, though. He was so kind, sweet, generous, adorable… Everything that makes a perfect book boyfriend. I also pictured him as Bash from Reign, so if you watch that show… Swoon!!!!!!! I loved how he treated Mare, how he listened to her and helped her. How he cared for his country and his people and wanted to do right by everyone. And then came the ending… *Opens mouth. Shuts mouth. Opens mouth again. Sighs. Shakes head. Sniffles. Walks away.*

Queen Elara scared me and her ability was shudder-inducing! Also, every time I pictured her, I saw Queen Catherine from Reign. She was so manipulative and evil and seemed to relish in the pain she brought upon others. King Tiberias wasn’t much better. And yes, I pictured him as King Henry from Reign.. What else did you expect? He actually wasn’t quite as ruthless and cold as Elara, but he was still a ruler and still put his needs above everyone else’s. He just did it in a more practical way. And then the end… Sigh. And let’s not even talk about how badly I wanted to bitch slap Evangeline (or how I pictured her as Princess Claude from Reign.. Cause, you know, we’ve already established the fact that I’ve been watching too much Reign).

Other characters that deserve notable mention are Julian and Lucas. To be honest, as much as I liked them, they kind of blended together into one person for me, so I don’t have too much to say about them. And don’t even get me started on Kilorn… He kind of reminded me of Gale (The Hunger Games) except a lot more annoying… Which is saying a LOT cause I didn’t really care for Book Gale that much at all. It was obvious Kilorn was meant to be part of the love triangle.. or love square.. or whatever… But I didn’t see any sparks with him and Mare. They were like brother and sister to me, honestly. Speaking of brothers, I loved Mare’s brothers. All of them. And one major thing that happened with them? I had a weird feeling and my feeling was right! (That’s so vague, I know.. But… spoilers… Can’t have spoilers!)

Aside from loving all the characters and picturing them as the cast of Reign, I also loved Red Queen’s plot and Victoria Aveyard’s writing. While I can definitely see similarities with other books (Like Pawn and A Court of Thornes and Roses, as mentioned above), Red Queen was still a unique, intriguing book. Aveyard pulled off some epic plot twists that I didn’t see coming, too. I’m usually pretty good at sensing/guessing plot twists and while I definitely figured out one major one from very early on, I was completely blown away/shocked by the MAJOR major plot twist at the end. My jaw is still hanging open over that huge plot twist. My feels are broken and I’m currently experiencing a big book hangover! I haven’t even started a new book yet; I’m still trying to grasp that ending…

Overall, I adored Red Queen like crazy! It’s definitely in my top five favorites of 2015 – and we’re only in February!! I highly recommend this book for fans of Dystopian and magic! Also, even if you aren’t sure about the book, look at that epic cover! How could you look at that and not want it on your shelf?!? So yeah, I’d definitely say I’m beyond excited for book two! I can’t wait to see what happens next! And I can’t wait to see what else Aveyard does, beyond just the Red Queen trilogy. I have a feeling she’s going to go far in this industry! She’s definitely going on my Auto-Buy List!

five-stars

Review: Paper or Plastic by Vivi Barnes

Feb4

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Paper or Plastic by Vivi BarnesPaper or Plastic by Vivi Barnes
Published by Entangled Teen on February 3, 2015
Pages: 352
Source: the publisher
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four-stars

Welcome to SmartMart, where crime pays minimum wage...

Busted. Alexis Dubois just got caught shoplifting a cheap tube of lipstick at the local SmartMart. She doesn’t know what’s worse—disappointing her overbearing beauty-pageant-obsessed mother for the zillionth time…or her punishment. Because Lex is forced to spend her summer working at the store, where the only things stranger than the staff are the customers.

Now Lex is stuck in the bizarro world of big-box retail. Coupon cutters, jerk customers, and learning exactly what a “Code B” really is (ew). And for added awkwardness, her new supervisor is the totally cute—and adorably geeky—Noah Grayson. Trying to balance her out-of-control mother, her pitching position on the softball team, and her secret crush on the school geek makes for one crazy summer. But ultimately, could the worst job in the world be the best thing that ever happened to her?

Paper or Plastic was amazing, adorable and unputdownable! No, seriously, I read it in four hours! And I only put it down once to take care of the dog and do dinner! The characters in this book were all incredible and realistic and they all tugged at my heartstrings. Pair all that with Vivi Barnes’ incredible writing and you’ve got a winner!

I loved Alexis (Lex). She’s pretty, fairly rich and popular. She had some moments where she was a bit oblivious and didn’t realize how fortunate she was compared to others. But she never seemed stuck up or snobby, though she had a few moments where she acted as though she were above it all. I know that’s a bit contradictory, but it’s just how she was. She took her mom’s criticism in stride (for the most part). Her relationship with her sister seemed very typical of siblings (they were fine one moment, fighting another). I loved the relationship she had with her grandmother, though some of those moments were hard to read. I was really pleased with Lex’s character development from beginning to end.

Noah was so swoony and adorable. In the beginning, he was a bit of an ass to Lex and really, really hard on her. For someone who had been horribly misjudged, he was a very judgey person. He definitely had some trust issues going on and he had a hard time opening his heart. I don’t blame him for that, considering the things he was dealing with. But it killed me to see him shutdown just when he should have been opening himself up. I don’t think he had as much character development as Lex, but he definitely made progress.

I completely, 100% shipped Lex and Noah. They were so funny and adorable together, I found myself chuckling throughout their encounters. I think I might have even blushed a few times. In some ways, they were complete opposites, yet they complemented each other perfectly. Even when they fought, I still rooted for them.

Court and Syd were… interesting, to say the least. Court was the slightly bitchy friend and Syd was like the peace-keeper. I definitely liked Syd better, but Court had her moments where she pulled through for Lex. Bryce was a fun character, though his ability to hold a grudge kind of knocked him down a few pegs, in my opinion. He was so mean and bitter and, considering he and Lex were supposed to be such amazing friends, he wasn’t very nice or fair to her.

I loved Bessie! She was such a kind person, yet pretty sassy, considering Lex saw her as a grandmother-type figure. I was scared to death for her at the end, though! Ruthie was an annoying character in the beginning. But the more I got to know her and her story, the more I sympathized with her and felt bad for the hand she was dealt.

I couldn’t stand Lex’s mom in the beginning. Just six pages in and I was ready to slap her. She was so dismissive of Lex and her dreams and aspirations. But she sort of made up for her behavior by the end of the book. Lex’s sister definitely had her brat moments, too. And don’t even get me started on Roxanne… Wow. I wanted to punch her face in on more than one occasion!

And Lex’s grandmother… I can’t. I LOVED her grandmother, but those parts were the hardest for me to read. I teared up a few times. I can’t say much more without spoilers, but I will say I feared for her fate and it was just really tough to read the parts with her.

The ending was… insane and epic and so, so intense. Seriously, my heart was in my throat the whole time. The ending was definitely one of my favorite parts of the book. It kind of reminded me of Magnolia by Kristi Cook!!

Overall, Paper or Plastic was an amazing, heartwarming read! I’m probably a little bit biased because I ADORE Vivi Barnes! But if you love contemporary and you’re looking for a feel-good book that you can’t put down, look no further! I highly recommend this one!!!

four-stars

Review: Shutter by Courtney Alameda

Jan29

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Shutter by Courtney AlamedaShutter by Courtney Alameda
Published by Feiwel & Friends on February 3, 2015
Pages: 384
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
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four-stars

Horror has a new name: introducing Courtney Alameda.

Micheline Helsing is a tetrachromat—a girl who sees the auras of the undead in a prismatic spectrum. As one of the last descendants of the Van Helsing lineage, she has trained since childhood to destroy monsters both corporeal and spiritual: the corporeal undead go down by the bullet, the spiritual undead by the lens. With an analog SLR camera as her best weapon, Micheline exorcises ghosts by capturing their spiritual energy on film. She's aided by her crew: Oliver, a techno-whiz and the boy who developed her camera's technology; Jude, who can predict death; and Ryder, the boy Micheline has known and loved forever.

When a routine ghost hunt goes awry, Micheline and the boys are infected with a curse known as a soulchain. As the ghostly chains spread through their bodies, Micheline learns that if she doesn't exorcise her entity in seven days or less, she and her friends will die. Now pursued as a renegade agent by her monster-hunting father, Leonard Helsing, she must track and destroy an entity more powerful than anything she's faced before . . . or die trying.

Lock, stock, and lens, she’s in for one hell of a week.

Shutter is pretty much everything I could want in a book and then some. From the second I learned the premise, I knew I had to have it and I couldn’t wait to read it! It has demons, demon hunters, Van Helsing descendants, Dracula mythology and some amazing characters! I really loved the world that Courtney Alameda created, as a whole.

Micheline was a tough-as-nails, pro-active heroine. One of my favorite quotes from her is, “He couldn’t do this to me, couldn’t lock me away and expect someone else to save my life.” Honestly, this line completely describes Micheline’s personality. She was head-strong, refusing to sit on the sidelines while others fought her battles. She didn’t want to wait for someone else to save her. But her stubborn personality also meant she was wreckless at times, often getting herself into worse predicaments than if she had just been patient and waited for – or asked for – help. Still, I liked her leadership and how protective she was of her “boys.”

I really loved Ryder. He was such a great character. He was very loyal to Micheline’s father and wanted to follow all the rules, yet he broke the biggest, most important rule of them all. He was a strong fighter and he and Micheline worked well together. I completely shipped them!!! There was one moment where I was so terrified for him, my heart was ponding a mile a minute. I literally had to stop reading and scream “NO!! THAT DID NOT JUST HAPPEN!!!!!”

Oliver was one of my favorite secondary characters. I loved his backstory – well, what we learned of it – and his role in the group. I really would have loved to get to know him better. Like with Ryder, there were several moments where I feared for Oliver and his safety. I really loved Jude, as well. He seemed to have the most tragic back-story of the three boys and I just wanted to reach into the book and give him a hug. He tried so hard to be tough, but I could tell that underneath all of that, he was just a nice guy who wanted to do his job right and protect his friends. I definitely think Micheline’s protectiveness rubbed off on me; I was constantly panicking over the boys, praying they were okay and alive and panicking when they were hurt, injured – or worse.. And Gemma… Sigh.. :(

Kennedy was an awesome character! For some reason, he kind of reminded me of Finnick from Hunger Games. He was a good little soldier who just wanted to do what was right. And even though I 100% shipped Micheline and Ryder, there was a small part of me that could completely see Micheline and Kennedy together. Another character worth mentioning is Bianca. She was one tough cookie and I wish we could have learned more about her.

Obviously, I couldn’t stand Micheline’s father, though I think he had his reasons… Maybe.. I hope.. And obviously I could’t stand Luca. I knew, right off the bat, that Micheline shouldn’t trust him.. I was completely shocked by his identity reveal, though. I mean, I guessed something close to what it really was, but I never imagined it being what it was. It was a bit cliche but also completely perfect

The camera aspect of the book was really intriguing and unique, though some of the technical stuff went right over my head. It definitely added to the story and I don’t think the book could have worked without it, but I just had trouble understanding some of it. The idea of the soulchain curse was so interesting, though! It kind of reminded me of the old AOL days when you’d send chain mail to all your friends, “Send this to 15 people within the hour or you’ll be cursed with bad luck for the next 20 years.” I don’t know if anyone else felt that way … Or if I’m dating myself here and half of you don’t even know what AOL is…. But it’s all I could think about as I read!

The ending was crazy intense. The Obscura was creepy and reminded me of the Netherworld in Rachel Vincent’s Soul Screamers books. I guessed who the entity was fairly early on, but my theories on the entity’s motives were only half right. Still, even with guessing the big twist early on, I still loved the ending and how crazy, intense and epic it was.

I only had a few minor issues with Shutter. The pace slowed down a lot in Night Three. I had to really push myself to read this section. However, Night Four really picks up in speed and intensity. As I mentioned earlier, some of the technological mumbo jumbo with the cameras went over my head, though the camera aspect was awesome and I loved how it made the book unique. Finally, I’m a horror buff and I had heard Shutter was seriously creepy. I’m a tough nut to crack when it comes to horror. Not much makes me jump, so I wasn’t as creeped out by Shutter as I’d hoped to be. There were definitely some disgusting scenes that made me shudder and the cover for sure creeps me out. So, I would have liked to see.. more, but again, I LOVE horror and not much creeps me out. I’ve spoken to others who couldn’t even read Shutter at night because it creeped them out so much!

Overall, not only did Shutter meet my expectations, it exceeded them. I loved the characters, the world, the explanations/mythology and pretty much everything about this book. I had a few slight issues, but they didn’t effect my feelings on the book or my rating at all. I’m crossing my fingers this is a series because I’m desperate to explore this world more. I want to learn more about the various species of necros and I want to learn more about the characters. I want to see more of the back-story and discover more about Luca and what his presence means for Helsing Corps. Really, I just want to read another Courtney Alameda book. I definitely think she’s an author to watch out for. I can’t wait to see what she does next!

four-stars

Review: Twisted Fate by Norah Olson

Jan20

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Twisted Fate by Norah OlsonTwisted Fate by Norah Olson
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on January 20, 2015
Pages: 272
Source: the publisher
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three-stars

When Alyson meets Graham Copeland, the new boy next door, she instantly feels like he’s a kindred spirit—shy and awkward like her, someone who has trouble making friends. It’s impossible to resist having a crush on him.

As usual, her sister, Sydney, sees things differently. In Sydney's mind, Graham's odd personality and secretive past scream psychopath, not sweetheart. Her gut is telling her to stay away from him, and to protect a love-struck Alyson from her own naïveté. But despite her instincts, Sydney is surprised to realize that a part of her is drawn to Graham, too.

And the more Sydney gets to know him, the more she realizes just how right—and wrong—she is about everything.

Perfect for fans of Michelle Hodkin, and E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars, Twisted Fate is an unputdownable novel, teeming with suspense.

Twisted Fate is an oddball of a book. The best word I can think of for this book is confusing. Because I was confused for at least half of it. But it was also intriguing. I knew it had a crazy, twisted ending, so I was desperate to know how it ended. And… wow. The only other book that has blown my mind to the extent that this book did is Of Scars and Stardust. Twisted Fate was on that level and, potentially, went way beyond it.

I didn’t really connect with any of the characters and I’m not sure how I felt about them, overall. I didn’t like them but I didn’t dislike them. However, they all intrigued me. I wanted to know their stories and I wanted to know them – some of them more than others.

Syd and Allyson were like the opposite sides of one coin. Syd was kind of goth, skater-punk and grumpy. She got high and did drugs and cut class. But she was also smart and wanted to live life. Allyson was bubbly and wholesome. She was too trusting, most of the time, and refused to see the bad in people. Honestly, Syd and Allyson were pretty cliche and stereotypical characters. Until the end of course.. But we’ll get there in a little bit!

Graham was… weird and odd. I hate throwing this word around, but he was pretty crazy. Yet, in some ways, he wasn’t. He just really didn’t understand that his actions had consequences. And his family didn’t help, they just enabled him. Becky and Declan were intriguing characters and I’d love to learn more about them, either with a sequel or maybe a novella.

I think the most confusing thing about this book was the timeline. A lot of Syd and Ally’s chapters were the same scene, just from each sister’s POV. By the end of the book, this totally makes sense. But as I was reading, it made it veerrryyy confusing. I also didn’t like the chapters that seemed to have multiple POVs because the various POVs weren’t distinguished enough. Part of that might have been because I was reading an eARC and the formatting might have been off, so it was impossible to separate who was who in the multi-POV chapters. But still, it was very confusing when the chapter said “Syd Declan Becky Graham” and then seemed to only be in Syd’s POV. Or switched from Syd to third person and then didn’t tell us that was happening.

I guessed one of the “twists” very early on. It wasn’t too surprising and it was easy to figure out. But the HUGE twist at the end completely shocked me and blew my mind. Normally I’m good at guessing these things, but I’m sick right now and it just totally went over my head. I had to re-read the last page like five times before it sunk in. And then I had to sit quietly for about twenty minutes, contemplating what that meant to the book and the events of the book and the ending. I’m telling you… If you’ve read Kate Brian’s Shadowlands or Andrea Hannah’s Of Scars and Stardust, this ending was on par – if not more mindblowing – than those.

I gave this book 3-stars because, overall, it was just an okay read. Some of it was boring and the pacing was a bit slow. The characters weren’t likable nor dislikable. It didn’t stand out or wow me until the end, when my brain exploded from shock. However, I definitely recommend this book. I finished this book last night and I STILL can’t stop thinking about it, what happened and how it ended. Despite it being a 3-star read, this is the type of book that will keep me up at night, pondering WTF just happened. Personally, I’m hoping for some novellas to fill in the gaps and answer some of my questions. Because I definitely have a lot of questions and I definitely feel like a lot of things went unanswered. I’d love some prequel novellas, some sequel novellas, whatever it takes to answer the millions of questions flying around in my brain right now.

Overall, I absolutely, 100% fully insist (nicely, of course!) that you get this book ASAP and read it. Even if, like me, you don’t enjoy it at first, try to push through until the very last page. Because this is the kind of book that will stay with you for a very long time, whether you enjoy it or not, whether you want it to or not. It will blow your mind and leave you demanding answers.

three-stars

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Jan13
Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh MafiShatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Series: Shatter Me #1
Published by HarperCollins on November 15th 2011
Pages: 340
Format: Paperback
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three-stars

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

I honestly have no idea how to write this review because I’m not completely sure how I feel about this book. So many people love this trilogy and have been telling me it’s a MUST read. I was told to expect an epic story with great characters and lots of swoons. While Shatter Me has an interesting concept and Tahereh Mafi is a gorgeous writer, I wasn’t completely sold. The pacing was a bit slow, the writing style takes some getting used to and I didn’t realize how heavily-focused it was on the romance. While I usually don’t mind that kind of thing, I was under the impression Shatter Me would be more about the world and the Dystopian society and it just kind of caught me off guard.

Juliette was an interesting character… I’m not really sure how I feel about her. She was one of those characters where I didn’t really like her but I didn’t really dislike her, yet I have no idea why I feel that way. She kind of sat around and let things happen to her; she didn’t do much to improve her situation or take control, but she sure whined a lot about not wanting to hurt anyone – which was admirable of her, don’t get me wrong. I know her mind was broken from all those days of solitary confinement, but once everything started happening and plans went into motion, you’d think she would try to snap out of it and fight. She definitely came into her own by the end of the book, though. It was obvious her fractured mind was finally starting to piece itself back together and I think her character development is going to thrive in book two!

I’ve heard many things about Adam and Warner and so far, all those things are right. Warner seems psychotic and Adam seems too good to be true. Right now, I don’t really trust Adam. I know he’s supposed to be the “good guy” but I have a feeling he’s keeping some pretty dangerous secrets. Even though Warner is the “bad guy,” at least he’s (mostly) upfront about his intentions. Adam just had moments where he was very cagey and evasive. I also feel like I’ve heard/read somewhere that he has a big secret. I’ve mostly avoided seeing spoilers for this trilogy, but I’ve seen some conversations on Social Media and I’ve read the synopsis for all three books, so I have some idea.. But Warner’s just like, “Yeah, I want to use your power against the rebellion. I like you and you fascinate me. What do you say?” I’m sure he has some ulterior motives we don’t yet know about, but for now, he’s still much more upfront than I suspect Adam is being. But Warner can be soooo sick and twisted, so that’s a big negative against him!

KENJI! OMG I LOVE KENJI!!!!!! No, seriously. Kenji is amazing. He’s hilarious and so, so cocky and full of himself. And yeah, so is Warner, but Warner is cocky in an evil bastard kind of way, whereas Kenji is cocky in a hilarious, goofy way. Hands down, he’s my favorite of the guys, though I’ve heard he’s not part of the love triangle, sadly; he’s just a good friend/brother-type character. But that’s cool. If Juliette doesn’t want him, I can have him all for myself ;) Also, the twist at the end and the big reveal regarding Kenji?!? Too freaking cool!!!!!

Another character who deserves a quick (and short) shout-out is James. He was adorable and funny and so cute. He was like this innocent, comic relief who had no idea how mean and dangerous the world could be; yes, he knew to a certain extent because he was living in it, but he was also shielded from much of it, so he wasn’t tainted by how cruel people could be.

As for the rest of the book… Mafi has an intriguing writing style. On the one hand, it’s clunky and stilted and takes a long time to get used to. Every time I put the book down for extended periods of time, it took me awhile to get back into it. But at the same time, her writing was gorgeous and beautiful. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with such a conflicting writing style. But I’ve heard the writing style gets better – that it reflects Juliette’s character development; as she becomes a little more whole, less fractured, there are fewer strikethroughs and her thoughts become more focused and centered.

Like I said, the pacing was pretty slow, though the book was a fast read, overall. If that makes sense. The middle section of the book lagged and didn’t seem to have much purpose. Honestly, the whole book felt like it was just meant for world-building and character development. It was like Second Book Syndrome but with book one! The ending was pretty epic, though, and picked up a lot. It has me excited for book two, especially since I’ve heard each book gets better and better. The whole twist at the end was just… epic and completely not expected. I’m definitely intrigued and can’t wait to see what happens next.

Overall, while the writing was beautiful and the characters were intriguing, Shatter Me was just an okay read. It was so difficult trying to get used to the writing style, it actually distracted me from the plot itself. And while I don’t mind love triangles and books that focus on the romance, I also didn’t expect that of this book and it’s really thrown me for a loop. I expected it to focus more on the world – which definitely seems horrible, bleak, cruel, dismal… – and I’m hoping it still will as I move forward with the trilogy. And yes, I’m definitely still planning to continue on with the trilogy. I’m actually currently reading the first novella, Destroy Me (which I’ve been told is a must). I’ll have to take a short hiatus (to read some review books) before I read Unravel Me, but I’m definitely going to try to read it soon, while Shatter Me is still fresh on my mind!

And yeah, I definitely recommend this book. I’ve seen mixed reviews, but those who love it? They love it beyond what words can express and a book that has such a loyal following deserves a lot of love! I’m also already excited to see what Mafi does next, outside of the Shatter Me world! Her strange, beautiful writing is hypnotizing and I’m eager to see what her next book world will look like.

three-stars

Review: The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Dec17
Review: The Winner’s Curse by Marie RutkoskiThe Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
Series: The Winner's Trilogy #1
Published by Farrar Straus and Giroux on March 4, 2014
Pages: 355
Format: Hardcover
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
three-half-stars

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction.

Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

I finished The Winner’s Curse six day ago and I’m just sitting down to write this review. I wanted to LOVE this book, the way almost all of my fellow bloggers did. And though I definitely enjoyed it, I didn’t like it as much as I had hoped to. I’m thinking it was more me than the book, though. I’ve had a lot going on in my personal life and I think that stuff just interfered with my enjoyment of reading for a small period of time — Case in point: I read 6-8 books/month in September, October and November… We’re half-way through December and I’m only on my second book of the month.

So I tried to put aside the issues I had while reading (I was bored and easily side-tracked; I went days without reading) and I decided that, if those things were me and not the book, then the book itself was actually pretty good. Marie Rutkoski is a gorgeous writer. She created a marvelous world with epic characters and plenty of twists and turns! The first half of the book was a bit slow, but it built up to a crazy second half of the book. It read like a stand-alone (meaning no major cliffhangers and though it’s part of a series, it can stand on its own just fine) and I was very satisfied with the ending. In fact, the ending made me even more excited for the second book!

I liked Kestrel a lot. She was stubborn and defiant, fighting against the two options her father selected for her future – become a soldier in the military or get married. Kestrel didn’t want anything to do with either of these potential futures; she wanted to map out her own life and do the things that made her happy. She was also very intelligent, yet reckless, at times. She did some pretty stupid things and she often did things without thinking through the consequences first. She was kind to those who didn’t deserve her kindness and she tried to treat the servants with some dignity.

I really, really wanted to like Arin. For the most part, I did; however, he definitely had his moments where he was cold and said some truly unforgivable things, especially to Kestrel. I definitely liked his rapport with her, though. They seemed to understand each other on a deeper level than could be possible, especially given how little time they spent together. It was like they could read each other. I didn’t really ship them in the beginning, though. I know everyone swooned over Arin and desperately wanted to see him and Kestrel together, but he was just too cruel in the first half of the story – not too mention all the hatred and lies that stood between them. Some of the revelations concerning Arin’s past were intriguing, though predictable.

I’m not sure how I feel about Ronan. I liked him enough to care about his fate in the end. But I just couldn’t see him as the third part in a love triangle. It was so obvious how that situation would end that I didn’t even bother giving him too much of a second glance. I really liked Jess and Benix, though neither of them was without their faults, especially Benix. Yet they didn’t deserve their fates. Enai was another character I adored. I would have liked to get to know her more and I found my feelings mirrored Kestrel’s on this one. I liked Sarsine and I hope we see more of her in book two. I’m torn with how I feel about General Trajan… Finally, for obvious reasons, I despised Lord Irex and Cheat.

I think the most fascinating thing about this book was the fact that we saw a revolution unfold before our eyes. Normally, YA books lead up to a revolution or take place several years after, not during. It was intriguing to see a different side of a revolution for once.

I LOVED the ending, though it felt slightly rushed, like the battle started and ended too quickly; however, it was still epic and crazy and insane and had SO MUCH political intrigue. I loved the ending so much that it basically made up for all my negative thoughts while reading. And the ending is the reason I rounded my rating up to 3.5 stars. It was THAT GOOD.

Overall, while I loved the characters, plot, world and writing, it did take me forever to read (11 days! That’s a lot for me..) and I felt a major disconnect with the book. As I mentioned earlier, I really think that was my own issue, not an issue with the book, so I’m letting it slide for now. I think The Winner’s Curse really sets things up nicely for the second book and I’m eager to read it and find out what happens next! I definitely recommend this book despite the issues I had because I seem to be in the minority with said issues. Marie Rutkoski is a fantastic author and I’m interested to see what she does next (outside of the final book in this trilogy).

three-half-stars

Review: Suspicion by Alexandra Monir

Dec16

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Suspicion by Alexandra MonirSuspicion by Alexandra Monir
Published by Delacorte Press on December 9, 2014
Pages: 368
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

"Take The Princess Diaries and add magic, murder and mystery, and you've got SUSPICION. A delightful read!"—Amy Plum, author of the of the international bestselling Die For Me series

"If Alfred Hitchcock had directed Downton Abbey, the result would have been this book. Alexandra Monir takes us on a gripping, nonstop thrill ride with just the right amount of supernatural and an ending that you definitely won't suspect. I devoured it in one sitting."—Jessica Brody, bestselling author of the Unremembered trilogy

Mysterious. Magnificent. Creepy. Welcome to Rockford Manor.

"There's something hidden in the Maze." Seventeen-year-old Imogen has never forgotten the last words her father said to her seven years ago, before the blazing fire that consumed him, her mother, and the gardens of her family's English country manor.

Haunted by her parents' deaths, Imogen moves to New York City with her new guardians. But when a letter arrives with the news of her cousin's untimely death, revealing that Imogen is now the only heir left to run the estate, she returns to England and warily accepts her role as duchess.

All is not as it seems at Rockford, and Imogen quickly learns that dark secrets lurk behind the mansion's aristocratic exterior, hinting that the spate of deaths in her family were no accident. And at the center of the mystery is Imogen herself--and Sebastian, the childhood friend she has secretly loved for years. Just what has Imogen walked into?

Combining a fresh twist on the classic REBECCA with a spine-tingling mystery and powerful romance, SUSPICION is an action-packed thrill ride.

Hey everyone! Welcome to my stop on the Suspicion blog tour! Today, I’m sharing with you my review of this creepy, magical murder mystery. Enjoy!

I was really excited to read Suspicion when I first read the description and saw that gorgeous cover – It sounded epic and exactly like the kind of book I would love! And Suspicion EXCEEDED my expectations. It was such an amazing, fun, creepy and thrilling book, I wish I had a physical copy so I could hug it and re-read it!

First of all, Suspicion is described as The Princess Diaries meets Downton Abbey. One friend described it as The Princess Diaries meets The Secret Garden. And as I read, I pictured it as The Princess Diaries meets What A Girl Wants. So, which is it, you ask? All of the above! I could completely feel the The Princess Diaries vibe of the book from very early on and I completely agree with my friend about it also having a Secret Garden feel. And then, about 29% into the book, I got the whole What A Girl Wants vibe, since Suspicion has a young American girl who is suddenly thrust into the British Peerage system.

I’ve always loved YA historical fiction, especially when it’s set in the 1800s and early 1900s and especially when it has royalty, castles, fancy gowns and ballrooms, horse-drawn carriages, etc. But I must say, reading Suspicion – which takes place in present-day – really opened my eyes. I love ANYTHING to do with England and royalty and that whole world. I think that’s one of the reasons I loved this book so much. I was completely fascinated by that part of the book.

I really liked Imogen. She had a great voice, a great personality and she was relatable. The beginning of the book is a bit odd because we have a prologue and then the book starts off in the past, when Imogen was ten-years-old. It’s only for one chapter, to give the reader context. But it threw me a little bit. I had a hard time relating to a younger Imogen, although the back-story was intriguing and a bit horrifying – and something we definitely needed before moving forward with the book.

Imogen was committed to honoring her family and her duties. She may have run from Rockford Manor when she was younger, but now that she’s older, she accepts that she can’t let her father’s legacy be ignored. I admired that about her. She was, essentially, leaving everything she knew and everyone she loved behind to go to a place that she hadn’t been in almost a decade, a place that held bad memories for her, just to do what she knew had to be done. She also didn’t just sit back and accept things as they were. She dug into her family’s history to discover the truth.

Sebastian was… an interesting character. I wasn’t crazy about him in the beginning. There was just something off about him and his temper was scary. I also couldn’t see him and Imogen as a couple in the beginning. But then, when there was a major plot twist with him, I didn’t believe it at all, despite my not trusting him. I really liked Theo, though, and really shipped him and Imogen for awhile. But by the end, I was totally Team Sebastian!

I didn’t trust Maisie or Mrs. Mulgrave from the absolute beginning. There was something about them that irked me out. I chalked it up to Mrs. Mulgrave being a creepy, bitter woman and I was half-right. Now that I’ve finished the book and I’ve discovered the truth about the two of them, I feel like I need to re-read the book and read the parts with them more carefully the second time around.

Other characters worthy of being mentioned were Oscar and Alfie. They were like the father/uncle/brother-figures for Imogen. And they were so loyal to her. I never doubted them or suspected them for a second.

The ending was… an insane Parent Trap-esque thrill-ride that had me scratching my head and thinking back on everything that had happened. So many revelations!!! This is a stand-alone and the ending was brilliant. A few things were left open-ended, just enough to hint at what could come. But there weren’t any huge cliffhangers or unanswered questions that left me feeling annoyed or wanting more, though I’d LOVE a sequel, if there’s any chance it could happen. I’m not 100% convinced the supernatural elements were necessary to the story, but since I love supernatural/paranormal books, it was like an added bonus.

Overall, I do highly recommend this book. If you’ve read the reviews, you might be skeptical, but I urge you to put those thoughts aside and give it a chance. It might just surprise you! I really loved it and can’t wait to read more from this author!

four-stars

Review: Tease by Amanda Maciel

Nov30
Review: Tease by Amanda MacielTease by Amanda Maciel
Published by Balzer + Bray on April 29, 2014
Pages: 328
Format: Hardcover
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

From debut author Amanda Maciel comes a provocative and unforgettable novel, inspired by real-life incidents, about a teenage girl who faces criminal charges for bullying after a classmate commits suicide.

Emma Putnam is dead, and it's all Sara Wharton's fault. At least, that's what everyone seems to think. Sara, along with her best friend and three other classmates, has been criminally charged for the bullying and harassment that led to Emma's shocking suicide. Now Sara is the one who's ostracized, already guilty according to her peers, the community, and the media. In the summer before her senior year, in between meetings with lawyers and a court-recommended therapist, Sara is forced to reflect on the events that brought her to this moment—and ultimately consider her own role in an undeniable tragedy. And she'll have to find a way to move forward, even when it feels like her own life is over.

With its powerful narrative, unconventional point of view, and strong anti-bullying theme, this coming-of-age story offers smart, insightful, and nuanced views on high school society, toxic friendships, and family relationships.

Supports the Common Core State Standards.

Warning: This review could be a Trigger for bullying, depression, suicidal thoughts, suicide, etc. Please read with caution.

Tease by Amanda Maciel was an incredibly powerful book. It was emotionally difficult to read, but beautifully done. It’s an important book and everyone needs to read it.

I know a lot of people had mixed feelings about this book. The main issue, it seems, is that people didn’t like the MC, Sara. But… that’s to be expected. She bullied a girl to the point of suicide. That’s the point of the book! So if you go into it expecting to love Sara, then you’re gonna hate the book. And I get that and completely understand why people felt that way. I felt really disconnected from Sara because of her attitude and behavior. But at the same time, I knew that would be the case going into this book. In the flashbacks, I hate Sara. She’s a horrible person and she did horrible things. But in the present chapters, I feel sorta bad for her. At times, she seems so sad and miserable, it’s hard not to feel bad for her. At other times, I get so angry at her because she’s so convinced she’s done nothing wrong. But in the end, I saw some major, major character development with her and I was satisfied with where she stood by the time I was done reading the book.

Brielle was a horrible, horrible person. As bad as Sara was, Brielle was so much worse. Brielle was vicious and cruel. At least with Sara, she had moments where she felt guilty or bad, like maybe the were doing something wrong. But we never saw that with Brielle. We never saw even a hint of guilt or remorse. We never saw any character development. And I definitely feel like if Sara hadn’t been friends with Brielle, she wouldn’t have been so cruel or a bully.

Except for Dylan and Carmichael, I had a horrible time keeping track of the guys in this book. I know there was Tyler, Kyle and Jacob but I can’t, for the life of me, remember who they were or the parts they played. I’m not completely sure how I felt about Dylan. He was a nice enough guy and he tried so hard to be nice to Emma and tell Sara to back off. But… There’s just something about him that made me angry, especially in the present-day chapters. I can’t explain why at all. He just did.

I adored Carmichael so much, though. He was an awesome, fun, goofy guy. He was nice to Sara, even when she didn’t (in her eyes) deserve it. He was what she needed and I think he played a huge role in making Sara realize that she WAS a bully and she WAS mean to Emma. He opened her eyes to a lot of things and he didn’t hold back the few times they did fight.

The adults in this book really made me angry. I mean, I kind of liked the principal and the fact that she took action and tried to stop the bullying. My principal in elementary school never did that. But the adults just seemed to be so ignorant, they never asked the right questions, they always assumed the worst and they never seemed to bother getting the whole story.

There was a LOT of victim blaming, slut-shaming, etc in this book. And I knew there would be a lot of that, given the nature of the book. I knew there would be bullying, name-calling, all of that. But it still struck a chord, it still sucked and it was still upsetting.

This book brought back a lot of memories from elementary school and middle school, memories I’d rather forget. It made me think of my elementary school bully and how she probably had a shitty life and that’s why she tormented me. It’s made me feel bad for her and I don’t wanna feel bad for her. Not yet, when some of the things she said and did still hurt, even after all these years. This book also had me thinking about how kids who aren’t bullied don’t stand up for those who are, for fear of being bullied themselves. When you’re young, though, it’s hard to comprehend that doing nothing can be just as bad as being the bully. That not standing up for someone can have just as many consequences.

The ending was so difficult to read. The courtroom scene almost broke me. I broke down crying at this point in the book. I had maybe five pages left and didn’t feel like I could read any more. But I pushed through. The letters at the end made me cry again. And the Author’s Note was really touching and helped me understand why Maciel wrote this story.

Overall, as emotionally heartbreaking as this book was, it was incredible and so well written. It’s an incredibly powerful, moving, enlightening story and anyone who has bullied someone or has been bullied really needs to read it. It shows things from the bully’s perspective and it really makes you think. I think this book needs to be read in schools because it will open up a lot of important discussions in the classroom and maybe it will help with the anti-bully campaigns. I’m very eager to see what Amanda Maciel does next, though I’m sure it’s something that will require tissues and chocolate!

If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal, please speak up. Speak to an adult you trust.

Important Links:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website
Stop Bullying website
NOH8 Campaign website

Heather Brewer, a young adult author and a big advocate of mental health and bullying prevention, has a special message for you, too. Check it out here.

IMG_1489*Found on Facebook. Quote Anonymous.

Words can hurt. Bullying can hurt. You can’t judge someone when you don’t know them, because as the quote above shows, everyone has their share of problems. You can’t know what someone is going through just by looking at them.

four-stars

Review: Falling into Place by Amy Zhang

Nov28

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Falling into Place by Amy ZhangFalling into Place by Amy Zhang
Published by Greenwillow Books on September 9, 2014
Pages: 304
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

On the day Liz Emerson tries to die, they had reviewed Newton’s laws of motion in physics class. Then, after school, she put them into practice by running her Mercedes off the road.

Why? Why did Liz Emerson decide that the world would be better off without her? Why did she give up? Vividly told by an unexpected and surprising narrator, this heartbreaking and nonlinear novel pieces together the short and devastating life of Meridian High’s most popular junior girl. Mass, acceleration, momentum, force—Liz didn’t understand it in physics, and even as her Mercedes hurtles toward the tree, she doesn’t understand it now. How do we impact one another? How do our actions reverberate? What does it mean to be a friend? To love someone? To be a daughter? Or a mother? Is life truly more than cause and effect? Amy Zhang’s haunting and universal story will appeal to fans of Lauren Oliver, Gayle Forman, and Jay Asher.

Warning: This review could be a Trigger for bullying, depression, suicidal thoughts, suicide, etc. Please read with caution.

Falling into Place was my #1 “I’ll cry if I leave here without it” book that I snagged from BEA. It was heartbreaking, shocking and beautiful. It’s the kind of book that everyone who has ever bullied or who has ever been bullied needs to read. There was so much depth and emotion to this book. It broke my feels and made my heart ache.

Fair warning, guys: I was so busy reading and copying down favorite quotes that I was bad with taking regular review notes. Also, this book kinda sorta totally broke me. So… I’m sorry if this review is vague or odd. I’m trying my best to remember certain details and it’s hard to find the right words for a book like this.

It was evident almost immediately that Liz was a complex character. Yes, she was a bully. She was horrible to people. But deep down, she was just as broken as the people she bullied. She’s pretty and popular to those who don’t know her, who only see her smile at school. She’s the stereotypical rich girl, partying, drinking and driving – she’s careless and thinks that consequences don’t exist for her actions. But inside, she’s lonely, insecure and hurting. It doesn’t excuse her behavior, but it gives us a look into the mind of a bully. Like everything in life, there’s always two sides to a story.

Kennie is convinced that popularity has a lot to do with confidence and in her mind, Liz is all confidence. Kennie is insecure for her own reasons, broken from past mistakes. It was hard for me to connect with Kennie and she wasn’t one of my favorite characters. I wish there had been a bit more character development and depth to her. Julia, on the other hand, was an intriguing character. She was the girl who should have been on top of the world, who should have done well. But peer pressure brought her down and she blamed Liz for it, yet (deep down) still loved her friend, which is true loyalty. There’s a scene near the end with Julia and Jake that had me laughing my ass off. It definitely made Julia one of my favorite characters.

Liam was a character that I really wanted to know more about. We know he was bullied by Liz and her friends for stupid reasons – I mean, really, is there ever a non-stupid reason to bully someone? But you know what I mean – and we know he still… I don’t know if “loved” is the right word, but he admired Liz. He was the nice guy who helped the popular girl (several times, actually), even though she ruined his life. He still looked up to her, still admired her, still had a bit of a crush on her. He forgave her.

Falling into Place did a great job of showing that, in tragedy, everyone wants to be in the spotlight, everyone claims to be your friend, everyone acts sad even if they didn’t know you very well. The people at school used Liz’s accident as a reason to get out of classwork and homework and some even skipped school to be at the hospital. I was pretty disgusted by this, but I know it really does happen; I’ve seen it. I’ve lived it.

Falling into Place also did a great job showing that a bully is a person, too. Bullies usually have low self-esteem, come from broken homes or have been bullied themselves. All the above basically describes Liz. I’m not saying it makes what bullies do okay. It’s never okay to bully. But it’s a reminder that we all have our own stories. We all have things going on in our lives that make our lives difficult and crappy. For some people, making others feel insecure and sad makes them feel better about themselves. I don’t know why and I don’t think any of us will ever understand it. But this book really opened my eyes to it. Liz was so broken by the things that had happened in her own life and by the things she had done to others, that she felt it wasn’t worth living anymore. She was sorry for the things she had done, but she didn’t know how to apologize or how to ask for help. She felt she had no other way out.

The ending of the book was… I don’t even know if I can say without being spoilery. But it was crazy and emotional and intriguing and all these things that, again, I can’t say because I don’t want to spoil it. But you’ll definitely need tissues and chocolate by the time you’re done. Also, I figured out who the “narrator” was pretty early on. I loved who it was. It really makes you think…

Overall, I highly recommend this book. It was emotional, heartbreaking, enlightening and – I believe – a truly important book in the anti-bullying genre. It’s the kind of book that NEEDS to be read and understood. Amy Zhang is a brilliant, intelligent writer. She clearly knows a lot about teenagers and human nature and her story felt incredibly real and authentic. I look forward to seeing what else she does in the future.

Here are some of the powerful, heartbreaking quotes (Trigger Warning for some of them) from Falling into Place (Please Note: These quotes came from the ARC. They might be slightly different in the final copy of the book and may be on slightly different pages):

“…[Liz] wanted to be happy . She wanted to be bright and laughing and thin.” — Page 17 (ARC)

“On the inside, she shakes to pieces.” — Page 30 (ARC)

“She tried to think of a reason to go on. She couldn’t. But she could think of a thousand reasons to give up.” — Page 53 (ARC)

“She was different, different was weird, weird was bad. It was simple.” — Page 88 (ARC)

“Out of the seven billion people sharing the planet with her, not one of them knew what was going through her head. Not one of them knew she was lost. Not one of them asked.” — Page 108 (ARC)

“She wanted to go back. She wanted to be a little girl again, the one who thought getting high meant being pushed on the swings and pain was falling off her bike.” — Page 257 (ARC)

If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal, please speak up. Speak to an adult you trust.

Important Links:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website
Stop Bullying website
NOH8 Campaign website

Heather Brewer, a young adult author and a big advocate of mental health and bullying prevention, has a special message for you, too. Check it out here.

four-stars