Review: Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Title: Daisy Jones and the Six Written by: Taylor Jenkins Reid Published: March 5, 2019 by Ballantine Books (Random House) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now. Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock and roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things. Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road. Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend. The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.

I had recently read Maybe in Another Life and really loved it so when this one came out I knew I wanted to read it as well. And while it was definitely an interesting and engaging read but didn’t blow me away.

One of the more interesting things about this book is the style in which it is is written. It is told in an interview format that made it feel like a rock mockumentary. It’s kind of a year in the life kind of story as each of the characters is explaining what happened and they wrote their most famous album and toured together. I listened to the audiobook which was a great decision because it is a full cast made up of mostly film actors, so you really got the personality and different perspectives. In that sense, it was a really unique and interesting story.

However, the plot itself wasn’t the most interesting. Yes, there was a lot of drama with the band and their goings on. It was the late 70’s and so you had that classic rock ‘n roll mentality of sex, drugs, and partying. You also had the band who didn’t totally see eye to eye and wanted to be stars in their own rights. It reminded me a lot of Almost Famous which used to be one of my favorite movies. But I was not impressed with the ending. There was one twist that caught me by surprise but then it just sort of fizzled out. Plus then a larger purpose for telling the story was revealed and I just didn’t connect with that. I wouldn’t say that it made the whole book seem pointless, but the book did lose some points for me after that.

I will say, however, that this is probably a much more character-driven story anyway and I did like the characters. Because the audiobook had a full cast each character had their own unique feel and personality. The two main characters were probably the titular Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne. Billy and Daisy were interesting but they felt a little bit predictable. There was nothing that really blew me away about them. The characters I found the most interesting were side characters. Karen Karen was probably my favorite. She’s the keyboardist and definitely had the most engaging side plot. She was also voiced by Judy Greer which was a real plus in her column. The other character I found interesting was Eddie, the guitarist. He added a lot of drama to the book and I wish they had played up his dislike of Billy more. There could have been a lot more to the plot if these two had come to blows more often.

The thing about the characters though is that, they all kind of had an unreliable narrator thing to them. Not only are they telling this story 40 years after it happened, so obviously they don’t remember it fully, but there are other reasons why they might remember things differently or not be completely honest. I really enjoy books with unreliable narrators and for me, it was something that made this book and the characters interesting and unique.

All and all, this was an interesting story but not my favorite from the author. I’m interested to read more of her books because she is tremendously talented at developing characters and hooking a reader but I this one just wasn’t what I was hoping for.

I give Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reed 8 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Bypass. I would recommend it to anyone who likes books about rockstars or wants a character-driven book with unreliable narrators. I picked this up from the library and I would maybe suggest that. It's a pricey book.

Have you read Daisy Jones and the Six? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Bright Burning Stars by A.K. Small Blog Tour and Review

Title: Bright Burning Stars Written by: A.K. Small Published: May 21, 2019 by Algonquin Young Readers (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Best friends Marine Duval and Kate Sanders have trained at the Paris Opera Ballet School since childhood, where they’ve formed an inseparable bond forged by respective family tragedies and a fierce love for dance. When the body of a student is found in the dorms just before the start of their final year, Marine and Kate begin to ask themselves what they would do to win the ultimate prize: to be the one girl selected to join the Opera’s prestigious corps de ballet. Would they die? Cheat? Seduce the most talented boy in the school, dubbed the Demigod, hoping his magic would make them shine, too? Neither girl is sure.  But then Kate gets closer to the Demigod, even as Marine has begun to capture his heart. And as selection day draws near, the competition—for the prize, for the Demigod—becomes fiercer, and Marine and Kate realize they have everything to lose, including each other.

*** I received an advance copy of this book

I was really excited to read this book. I'm not someone who reads a ton of contemporaries but I love boarding schools, a Parisian setting, and have enjoyed books about dancers in the past so this seemed totally in my wheelhouse. And while this isn't my typical read, I really enjoyed this one.

One the things that surprised me most about this book was the plot development of this book. For someone who reads mostly genre fiction, I honestly didn't think a book about ballet would be all that exciting but this book definitely showed me how wrong I was. Bright Burning Stars takes you into the savage and cutthroat world of competitive dance. It definitely made for an exciting read, although it is probably not for everyone. The characters are competing against each other and themselves to win "The Prize," a coveted spot on stage at the Opera Garnier. It's not an easy story to read sometimes. There is a lot of serious and hard to read moments including characters dealing with eating disorders, abortions, and thoughts of suicide. They put their blood, sweat, and tears on the floor which means a lot of pressure and regret when things don't go well.

This is very much a character-driven narrative. The story alternates between Marine and Kate who are both students at an elite ballet boarding school and best friends. Marine is a Parisian who is inspired by the tragedy of her twin brother who died and was also a ballerina. Throughout the book she struggles with the pressure of being the best and having the perfect ballet body. She makes some really bad decisions in the face of proving that she can be a great dancer. Kate is an American, something that makes her an outsider, who will do whatever it takes to succeed. A lot of Kate's struggle is her need for approval. She wants to be loved and makes some really bad decisions because she thinks that being the best will give her the approval she so desperately deserves. I liked each of the characters on their own, but interestingly this was one of those rare occasions where I wanted the characters to fail. I hated how much pressure it put on them and I honestly just wanted them to give up it all and be happy. But that wasn't what their character development was all about. Well not entirely.

And while I loved the characters alone, the two of them together was what I wanted the most. In the beginning when they were best friends who would do anything for one another it gave the book a lot of heart. Their Moon Sisters backstory and all their Beyonce dancing was amazing. But then as the book development and they let boys and dance come between them, I started liking the characters a lot less. I am a big fan of books about female friendship and with a narrative with so many serious issues, I think this book could have really benefited from some more of those light and fun moments.

I did however like the setting of this book. For one thing, I loved the boarding school setting. It was more on the subtle side but I loved seeing the characters in their classes and interacting around the school. The other really subtle thing about the setting was it's use of Paris. There were few mentions of known landmarks but honestly the school could have been anywhere. I love books set in Paris and I wished that the book did a better job of establishing Paris as the setting. The better setting was of course the world of dance. I am not at all familiar with ballet or dance at all but I felt like it really came to life in this book. Small's descriptions of the dances in particular made it all so beautiful and visual in the best possible way.

This is not my typical read but I really enjoyed it. There were some elements that could have been fleshed out a little bit more but on the whole this was a brutal and engaging read about the brutal world of dance and the toll it takes on the ballerinas. It's not an easy ready but it is very entertaining.

I give Bright Burning Stars by A.K. Small 

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. I think this is going to be one of those books where people either love it or they don’t. It's a good contemporary read especially for those who like more serious books.

AUTHOR BIO: 

A.K. SMALL was born in Paris. At five years old, she began studying classical dance with the legendary Max Bozzoni, then later with Daniel Franck and Monique Arabian at the famous Académie Chaptal. At thirteen, she moved to the United States where she danced with the Pacific Northwest Ballet for one summer in Seattle and with the Richmond Ballet Student Company for several years. She’s a graduate of the College of William and Mary and has an MFA in fiction from Vermont College of Fine Arts. When she’s not writing, she spends time with her husband, her puppy, and her three daughters, and practices yoga. Bright Burning Stars is her first novel.

SOCIAL LINKS: 

Website: https://eaduncan.com/ 
Twitter: @aksmallwords
Instagram: @aksmallwords

Have you read Bright Burning Stars? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: Immoral Code by Lillian Clark

Title: Immoral Code Written by: Lillian Clarke Published: February 19, 2019 by Delacorte (Random House) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: For Nari, aka Narioka Diane, aka hacker digital alter ego “d0l0s," it’s college and then a career at “one of the big ones," like Google or Apple. Keagan, her sweet, sensitive boyfriend, is happy to follow her wherever she may lead. Reese is an ace/aro visual artist with plans to travel the world. Santiago is off to Stanford on a diving scholarship, with very real Olympic hopes. And Bellamy? Physics genius Bellamy is admitted to MIT—but the student loan she’d been counting on is denied when it turns out her estranged father—one Robert Foster—is loaded. Nari isn’t about to let her friend’s dreams be squashed by a deadbeat billionaire, so she hatches a plan to steal just enough from Foster to allow Bellamy to achieve her goals.

I wanted to love this book, I really did. But unfortunately, for me it didn’t quite deliver. It’s not a bad book, it just didn’t impress me in the way I was hoping.

For one thing, I went into this book exciting for a YA heist novel which is something you don’t see very often and I am very interested in reading. And while this book has a heist in it, the actual heist itself was only about 20% of the book and didn’t happen until about 60% of the way into the book. I wanted more from the heist, more about the heist. As the kind of reader who prefers a plot-driven story, I was left kind of disappointed by the fact that this was more of a character-driven story.

I should have realized this was going to be more character-driven when I realized this book have five different perspectives. It’s about a group of five best friends and each of them takes a portion of the story. We get to be in their head, learn about who they are and what makes them tick. They are a diverse group of people who you wouldn’t really expect to be friends but they very obviously care for one another. One of the thing I liked about them is that they felt like teenagers. Their voice felt very young but it realistic. The author succeeded in making them high school students in an effortless way. But I think their “voice” from a narrative standpoint kind of blended together for me. I found myself completely forgetting who the chapter was about and wanted to go back to the start to remind myself of that. It just kind of muddied the narrative for me.

And while this was a short book, I don’t know that I would call it a fast read. I mean, I did read it in just a few days but it also took awhile before I really connected with the story. I read the first half in four days and the second half in a day. The pacing definitely built up to an exciting ending but it had such a slow start. If this was a 400 page novel I think I probably would have DNF’d it because I couldn’t see investing the time. It had a satisfying ending but it took me longer than I would have like to get to what had interested me in the book in the first place.

What I want to convey to potential readers is not that this is not a bad book. It’s just a more quiet and character-driven read. It’s about friendship and family, both found and forced. It’s about making certain decisions and then having to live with the consequences. It’s about morally questionable actions for justice and how maybe getting what you wanted isn’t what you needed. It is not, however, a heist novel.

I give Immoral Code by Lillian Clarke 7 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Bypass. Like I said, this is not a bad book it just isn't the book for me. But that being said I don't know that I would recommend it. I think there are other books that I would suggest more than this one.

Have you read Immoral Code? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Review: On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

Title: On the Come Up Written by: Angie Thomas Published: February 5, 2019 by Balzar + Bray (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least make it out of her neighborhood one day. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died before he hit big, Bri’s got big shoes to fill. But now that her mom has unexpectedly lost her job, food banks and shutoff notices are as much a part of Bri’s life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it—she has to make it.  On the Come Up is Angie Thomas’s homage to hip-hop, the art that sparked her passion for storytelling and continues to inspire her to this day. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; of the struggle to become who you are and not who everyone expects you to be; and of the desperate realities of poor and working-class black families.

I loved The Hate U Give and so I was excited to read Angie's second book. And I am so glad I did because this book really solidified Angie as a tremendous talent when it comes to writing engaging and timely contemporary fiction.

One of the things that I love about Angie as an author is the way she balances serious and complex issues without making them feel preachy. I don't read a lot of contemporaries ans the ones that I do, I like to have that balance serious and light moments. It's what makes the book feel more realistic and true to life. Like The Hate U Give, On the Come Up does a really good job of portraying the struggle people of color are going through, and how the system is built to keep them down. She doesn't shy away from things like racism, poverty, gangs, and drugs. Bri's life isn't easy and she and her family are struggling to make ends meet but their still full of humor and love for one another. That contrast gave the book a lot of depth and balance.

But what made this book so complex and relatable is Bri and her struggle to decide who she wants to be versus what other people expect her to be. One of the tings I love about reading YA is that there is always this struggle, this coming-of-age story where the character has to decide for themselves who they are. With Bri she did this under the guise of her rap career. She writes what she feels and the song blows up but when people expect her to be everything that she trying to rap against she needs to decide if what her image should be. And while this is a kind of specific problem, it still felt really genuine and relatable. It helped me connect with Bri and gave her character a lot of depth.

Although connecting with Bri was not very hard for me, in general I really liked Bri as a character. She's not necessarily going to be the kind of person everyone connects with. She's brash and reckless and is the kind of person who speaks before she things sometimes. Her mouth and temper gets her into a lot of trouble throughout the book. But I liked that she wasn't shy and she stood up for herself. Her choices weren't always the right ones, but they also aren't easy choices. I listened to the audiobook for this one because I really like the narrator, Bahni Turpin, but I was honestly a little nervous because she also narrated The Hate U Give and I didn't want to feel the same. But it didn't feel that way at all. Bri's voice shined through loud and clear, and it was a voice I enjoyed a lot.

Bri was not the only interesting character though. One of the things Angie does so well is the family dynamic. I really loved the way she handled Bri's family. Her mom, Jay, was such a complex character. I felt like the relationship they had played a lot with the trope in YA of the absent parent. Jay used to be absent but now that she is sober and around she is struggling to prove to Bri that she can take care of her, even though she is struggling to make that happen. I really connected with Jay's story and rooted for her to succeed. I also really love Bri's brother Tre. He and Bri had a lot of love and affection for each other as they had been through so much but they also had that sibling relationship where they don't always get along. Some of the funniest moments came from those two messing with each other.

All in all, I think this a fantastic follow up to the Hate U Give. It stands on its own as a fantastic read with a complex look at the issues people face today, great characters, and the perfect amount of humor and love.

I give On the Come Up by Angie Thomas 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. I would very highly recommend this book and honestly all of Angie Thomas' books. Fans of The Hate U Give should check it out. If you are a fan of contemporary novels I would absolutely recommend this one.

Have you read On the Come Up? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Review: From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon

Title: From Twinkle, with Love Written by: Sandhya Menon Published: May 22, 2018 by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: An aspiring teen filmmaker finds her voice and falls in love in this delightful romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi.  Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy-a.k.a. Sahil's twin brother? Dream come true x 2.   When mystery man N begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it's Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she's fallen madly in love with the irresistibly adorkable Sahil. Twinkle soon realizes that resistance is futile: The romance she's got is not the one she's scripted. But will it be enough? Told through the letters  Twinkle writes to her favorite female filmmakers, From Twinkle, with Love navigates big truths about friendship, family, and the unexpected places love can find you.

I loved When Dimple Met Rishi, and I am picky about contemporary romances, so when I saw she had a knew book I instantly added it to me TBR. So when I was looking for a new audiobook from the library I saw this one and snagged it. And I am really glad I did because this was a fantastic contemporary romance.

What surprised me most about this book was the romance. You guys know me, I am a cold-hearted romancephobe who is really hard to win over in the ship department. But this book won me over. For one thing it's a fantastic slowburn. The relationship between Twinkle and Sahil takes the entire book to really develop. When it starts , all it is is a crush from Sahil but the more time they spend together the more you can see how much Twinkle likes him. And honestly I just wanted to shake her and make her realizes that the guy she is looking for is right there. But the best part for me is that it wasn't perfect. They both make mistakes and end up screwing things up, which made the relationship feel even more realistic and enjoyable for me.

But so much of this book was about relationships and that expended beyond the romance. Both characters had interesting family dynamics where they felt like they weren't seen an appreciated by their family which connected them even more to one another and to each other. I could completely relate to Sahil in particular and the fact that he felt like he was living in his brother's shadow. I know Sahil isn't a middle child but he definitely had that feel. And for Twinkle, the struggle with her friendships was the most relateable. For her, a lot of what she is doing is because she's trying to win back her former best friend who is now much more popular that here. She wants to be cool but at the same time, I like she didn't sacrifice her identity and interests to do that. She felt very realistic and that is what made me like her.

While I wouldn't really call this a coming-of-age story, I do feel like there were some really good elements of that to this book. For both Twinkle and Sahil they want to be seen and appreciated for who they are and what they are interested in. Twinkle definitely has good character development throughout the book though. In the course of creating this film and working with people who she thinks look down on her she realizes that she is the one not giving them a chance. Twinkle is like that episode of 30 Rock where Liz Lemon goes to her 20 year reunion only to find out she was a bully and not the sassy unpopular girl she thought she was. But unlike Liz Lemon, she realizes the error of her ways and grows from it.

The only thing I didn't love about this book, however, was the format. It sounded like a fun concept at first, to be writing diary entries to the female directors that she admires, but overtime I just became frustrated with it. Each chapter starting with "Dear Ava DuVernay" or "Dear Sophia Coppola" became a distraction for me. It would pull me out of the book sometimes even making me wonder who the person was she was writing to. Maybe it wasn't that much of a big deal if you read the book but with the audio, it was kind of an issue for me. But honestly, that was just a small personal complaint.

On the whole, this was a really good book. It was a cute contemporary romance with a good relationship and realistic characters you wanted to see succeed. There was good character growth and complex relationships beyond just the romance. Which honestly is all I look for in a contemporary novel.

I give From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. If you are a fan of contemporary romances and have not read Sandhya Menon you need to change that. And if you aren't a fan of the genre but are looking for one to read then I would still recommend it.

Have you read From Twinkle, with Love? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: Puddin by Julie Murhy

Title: Puddin' Series: Dumplin' #2 Written by: Julie Murphy Published: May 8, 2018 by Balzar + Bray (Harper Collins) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: It is a companion novel to Dumplin', which follows supporting characters from the first book in the months after Willowdean's star turn in the Clover City pageant. Millie Michalchuk has gone to fat camp every year since she was a girl. Not this year. This year she has new plans to chase her secret dream—and to kiss her crush. Callie Reyes is the pretty girl who is next in line for dance team captain and has the popular boyfriend. But when it comes to other girls, she’s more frenemy than friend. When circumstances bring the girls together over the course of a semester, they will surprise everyone (especially themselves) by realizing they might have more in common than they ever imagined.

I always really love Julie's contemporary novels. I have read all three of her previous novels and really enjoyed them all. They are the contemporaries that I love because they combine fun and lighthearted with more serious moments. Puddin was no exception. Plus it was so great to dive back into the world of Dumplin.

On of the things that I really liked about this book was the characters. Julie definitely knows how to write complex and likeable characters. Our two main characters could not be more different. Millie is perpetually optimist and hopeful. She is sweet and cares a lot about other people. For that reason, Millie is so easy to like and root for. She's the kind of person who never lets anything get her down for too long and she has a lot of inner strength. Being in Millie's head and hearing her voice was amazing. It was a breathe of fresh air and I really felt the joy of Millie's perspective. Callie on the other hand was totally opposite. She was a complete pessimist and totally sassy. Callie is the kind of protagonist that I usually enjoy though. She's kind of unlikable in that she's a bit of a jerk but she also has really great development throughout the book. I loved seeing Callie grow and evolve.

Each of the characters also had a romance throughout the book. I'm usually sort of picky when it comes to my romances but I really liked both of these. For Millie it was a friends to more sort of thing. She had a crush on this guy who she didn't realize also liked her. It was such a sweet and cute romance. The moments they had together were a really great part of the story. Callie also had a really great relationship in this book. It was with a character who was introduced in Dumplin' and I was glad to see that they found love as well. What I really liked too is that it's not two characters who you would normally put together but it worked so well.

But the real heart of this story was the friendships. First we have the unlikely girl gang that began in Dumplin'. I was so glad to see that Millie stayed close with Willowdean, Ellen, Hannah, and Amanda. Not only did I like the fact that we got to see them again but they are a great group and seeing their relationships grow throughout the book was fantastic. The bigger friendship of course was with Callie and Millie. They're definitely an unlikely duo which made their friendship all the more interesting and engaging. Plus the book dealt with more toxic friendships as well. It not only showed how you can become friends with people but also what it means to lose friends, whether because you drift apart or because you have a big falling out. I like the dichotomy of the two and how it showed the emotional toll that can take on a person. It was really relateable in that way.

But like all of Julie's books, it deals with some more serious concepts as well. One of the things that I liked the most is the way that it dealt with weight and perceptions of weight. If you read Dumplin' then you probably remember Millie as a fellow fat girl and the runner up in the pageant. I really love the way Millie's weight is handled in this book. They didn't shy away from addressing it and some of the misconceptions people have about fat people. As someone who is larger I really liked that. It improved on a lot of the ideas that Dumplin' introduced and I really liked the way it addressed these issues.

All in all, Puddin' was a fantastic contemporary read. It had great characters that were likable and interesting, it had an enjoyable romance, and a good story of friendship. Like all of Julie's books it perfectly balanced fun and sweet moments with serious issues.

I give Puddin' by Julie Murphy 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. If you liked Julie's previous books then you should definitely read this one, especially if you enjoyed Dumplin'. But even if you didn't, this is a good contempoary read and you should definitely check out Julie's books.

Have you read Puddin'? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: Final Draft by Riley Redgate

Title: Final Draft Written by: Riley Redgate Published: June 12, 2018 by Harry N. Abrams (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: The only sort of risk 18-year-old Laila Piedra enjoys is the peril she writes for the characters in her stories: epic sci-fi worlds full of quests, forbidden love, and robots. Her creative writing teacher has always told her she has a special talent. But three months before her graduation, he's suddenly replaced—by Nadiya Nazarenko, a Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist who is sadistically critical and perpetually unimpressed.   At first, Nazarenko’s eccentric assignments seem absurd. But before long, Laila grows obsessed with gaining the woman’s approval. Soon Laila is pushing herself far from her comfort zone, discovering the psychedelic highs and perilous lows of nightlife, temporary flings, and instability. Dr. Nazarenko has led Laila to believe that she must choose between perfection and sanity—but rejecting her all-powerful mentor may be the only way for Laila to thrive.

I really enjoyed the last Riley Redgate book that I read so when I saw her newest book was going to be about an aspiring writer I knew I needed to read it. And it was an okay read, but not my kind of contemporary.

One thing I will say about this book is that it is very serious and heavy. It deals with some serious issues that a lot of teens, and people in general deal with. This isn’t exactly a flaw in the book, it was a good book, and for the right reader they will probably really love this book, but I am not that kind of reader. I prefer my contemporaries to be more on the light-hearted side. I like a lot of humor mixed in with some more serious real life moments. But a book like this which packs a heavy punch isn’t my kind of read.

But I can be okay with a serious and issue based book if there is a solid plot and I don’t know that this book really had one. It’s more of a character-driven read, which is common for contemporaries, but it felt more like a slice of life kind of book and lacked cohesion for me. It just took the reader from moment to moment with the main character without much purpose. What was her goal... personal growth? To get better as a writer? To figure out who she was and what she wanted with life? All of the above? And yes, this is the way life is, we don’t all have clear goals and visions and end up falling down weird and twisted paths that we regret. But for me, that’s not a compelling read. Again, not a flaw of the book, just a personal preference.

One thing I did like however was the characters. I felt like Laila was one of the most honest and relatable characters I have read in a long time. I loved that she was plus size and proud. I loved that she looked nothing like her sister and the part where people pretended to see the resemblance is so my experience. I also liked that she was having a hard time dealing with loss, and depression, and wanted approval. She was very real and very relatable. And she definitely needed to be likeable because this book was so character-driven. If you didn’t connect with Laila it would have made the rest of the book very challenging.

I also feel like the relationships and sexual identity here was really well handled. I liked that Laila wasn’t hyper focused on love and being with someone so then when she did have feelings for them it caught her off guard. And I liked when she was dealing with her sexual identity and realizing that maybe she was attracted to a girl. It wasn’t exactly a struggle but it wasn’t obvious either. I think a lot of young readers will be able to relate to Laila in that respect as well. It was a good book to read for Pride Month because I think it dealt really well with the sexual identity of the character.

In general, I think this was an okay character-driven read. It had a likable protagonist who is struggling with a lot that I think people will relate to. But from a plot standpoint I didn’t connect with the story.

I give Final Draft by Riley Redgate 7.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow/Bypass. I would recommend this to someone who reads more contemporaries and wants to read a more serious book that has a slice of life feel. It's not however a book I would recommend to to casual contemporary readers like myself.

Have you read Final Draft? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Blog Tour: Save the Date by Morgan Matson Review and Favorite Quotes

Title: Save the Date Written by: Morgan Matson Published: June 6, 2018 by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Charlie Grant’s older sister is getting married this weekend at their family home, and Charlie can’t wait—for the first time in years, all four of her older siblings will be under one roof. Charlie is desperate for one last perfect weekend, before the house is sold and everything changes. The house will be filled with jokes and games and laughs again. Making decisions about things like what college to attend and reuniting with longstanding crush Jesse Foster—all that can wait. She wants to focus on making the weekend perfect.  The only problem? The weekend is shaping up to be an absolute disaster.  There’s the unexpected dog with a penchant for howling, house alarm that won’t stop going off, and a papergirl with a grudge.  There are the relatives who aren’t speaking, the (awful) girl her favorite brother brought home unannounced, and a missing tuxedo.  Not to mention the neighbor who seems to be bent on sabotage and a storm that is bent on drenching everything. The justice of the peace is missing. The band will only play covers. The guests are all crazy. And the wedding planner’s nephew is unexpectedly, distractingly…cute.  Over the course of three ridiculously chaotic days, Charlie will learn more than she ever expected about the family she thought she knew by heart. And she’ll realize that sometimes, trying to keep everything like it was in the past means missing out on the future.

MY REVIEW

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher as part of the blog tour in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

I love Morgan Matson books, Since You've Been Gone is the book that made me realize that I don't hate YA contemporaries, I just needed to find the right ones. Since then I have read all Morgan's new books and loved them all. So I jumped at the chance to be a part of the blog tour for this book. And it was a really good read.

What I liked about this book, and all Morgan Matson books, is that it is a really great balance between serious and fun. Like the previous books I have read there is a lot of humor to this book. I was definitely laughing and smiling numerous times while I was reading. It's a sweet and fun book with a lot of silly moments. Many of them were so outlandish that you could see it in a TV comedy or a movie. But there were also some heart-warming moments and some sad moments.  It struck the right balance and made for an emotional and engaging read.

The heart of this book and what made it more sentimental was that it is essentially a story of family. What I loved about the Grant family that Morgan created here was that it was so realistic. It was a family that was inherently flawed. They didn't always get along but they still really loved one another. I loved that they had so much history and in-jokes. It reminded me of my family which was obviously relateable and enjoyable. I loved the way their story developed throughout the book as they came together.

But the plot on the whole wasn't as tight as it could be. For the most part I would say that this book just felt like a series of moments strung together over the course of a few days. I mean that's how life is, so it was realistic in that way, but it doesn't necessarily make the most cohesive and engaging book. And yes, the wedding and the hijinx that went along with it was a good basis for a story, and it built to an interesting conclusion, I just wish that there was more of a specific plot. 

But this isn't really a plot-driven read. It's a character-driven book and it worked in that capacity. The main character of Charlie had to carry a lot of this book and that was fine with me. Charlie was a likable character if a little bland. She had some good development though and I like watching her try to go with the flow despite all the crazy things that were happening. But the secondary characters is where this book really shined. I loved all Charlie's siblings, especially JJ, her best friend Siobban , and even Bill. Usually I love Morgan's love interests and romances but in this book the romance was super basic and that I loved even more. Morgan knows how to write some great characters and this book was no exception.

All in all this was a really good read and I enjoyed it so much. It had a great balance between serious and fun, a fantastic family dynamic, and fun and likable characters. 

I give Save the Day by Morgan Matson 9 out of 10 stars

FAVORITE QUOTES

"She loves that dog more than me,"... said to... shaking his head. 

"Were you waiting for me to disagree with that?" p. 142

"I leaned against him, resting my head against his arm as I looked at everything that was there--everything our mother had done, for good and bad, this whole world she'd brought into existence with some paper and ink." p. 158

"It was a moment better than all the ones I'd been picturing, and I found myself wishing it had to end." p. 303

"How was it that you only fully realized what you had when it was gone? And I knew there would be new friends, new experiences, maybe even amazing adventures ahead of me. But I felt like I needed, for just a moment, to appreciate what I was-- what we all were--leaving behind." p. 416-7

BOOK LINKS

Goodreads :  Amazon : Barnes & Noble : Book Depository :  Kobo : IndieBound : iBooks

TOUR SCHEDULE

Find more stops on the tour here! 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Morgan Matson was born in New York City and grew up there and in Greenwich, Connecticut. She attended Occidental College inLos Angeles, but halfway through a theater degree, she started working in the children’s department of Vroman’s Bookstore and fell in love with YA literature. 

Following college graduation (and the proud bearer ofan incredibly useful thea-ter/English degree) she received her M.F.A. in Writing for Children from The New school and worked asan editor for YA novels. She received a second M.F.A. (for reasons that made sense at the time) in Screenwriting from the University of Southern California.

Her novels have been translated into dozens of languages, and published all over the world.

Morgan’s first novel, Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, was inspired byher love of road trips, snacks, and the quest for the perfect playlist. It was named an ALA Top Ten Best Book, a Publisher’s Weekly Flying Start book, and was shortlisted for the Waterstone’s Book Prize.

Her second novel, Second Chance Summer, was inspired by her experiences spending summers in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. It was the winner of the California Book Award (YA category) and was named to the ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults List, selected for the Oklahoma Sequoya List, and selected as a School Library Journal Best Book.

 Her third novel, Since You’ve Been Gone, was published in2014,and was a Pub-lisher’s Weekly and international bestseller. It was named to the YALSA Teens Top Ten list, and the Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award List.

Morgan’s fourth novel, The Unexpected Everything, was published May 3rd, 2016.

She currently lives in Los Angeles with her dog, Murphy.

GIVEAWAY

• Prize:3 copies of SAVE THE DATE by Morgan Matson 
• US Only 
• Starts: 6/4 
• Ends: 6/21

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you read Save the Date? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Audiobook Review: Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson

Title: Undead Girl Gang Written by: Lily Anderson Published: May 8, 2018 by Razorbill (Penguin Group) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Mila Flores and her best friend Riley have always been inseparable. There's not much excitement in their small town of Cross Creek, so Mila and Riley make their own fun, devoting most of their time to Riley's favorite activity: amateur witchcraft.  So when Riley and two Fairmont Academy mean girls die under suspicious circumstances, Mila refuses to believe everyone's explanation that her BFF was involved in a suicide pact. Instead, armed with a tube of lip gloss and an ancient grimoire, Mila does the unthinkable to uncover the truth: she brings the girls back to life.  Unfortunately, Riley, June, and Dayton have no recollection of their murders, but they do have unfinished business to attend to. Now, with only seven days until the spell wears off and the girls return to their graves, Mila must wrangle the distracted group of undead teens and work fast to discover their murderer...before the killer strikes again..

This book sounded totally up my alley, a little bit fantasy mixed with a little bit of mystery. On top of that I read Anderson's debut and really liked it. So this was definitely on my TBR and when I saw that the audiobook was narrated by one of my favorite narrators, Rebecca Soler, I grabbed the audio to listen to this month. And I am so glad that I did because it was fantastic.

One of my favorite things about this book was the voice. Anderson does such a great job writing sassy and smart characters and this book was no exception. I really loved Mila and being in her head. She's sarcastic and snarky, someone who has been shaped by the bad way people have treated her. But she's still got a great heart and is an amazing friend. I think I definitely to Mila a lot. She's a little bit of high school Cassi, but like a better version of high school me. But that being said she was relatable and likable.

The real heart of this book however was the friendships between Mila and her "undead girl gang." Riley, who is her best friend and the reason she brought everyone back. Riley is the most like Mila in that she's snarky and rough around the edges. But they have this really great friendship. They care so much about each other and I could feel for Mila when she lost Riley and her desire to bring her back. But I think I liked the other two a little bit more. June and Dayton are totally different characters. They were the popular girls and not very nice to Mila and Riley while they were alive. However throughout the book you get to learn more about them and realize they are actually really nice people. Dayton is silly and energetic and June is sweet and smart. I loved the friendship they developed throughout the book and it was really nice to see that they could overcome their history. It gave this book a lot of heart and I really enjoyed that.

The other thing that I liked about this book was the plot. Like I said in the intro, it was part fantasty and part mystery. I think I heard that this book was marketed as Veronica Mars meets The Craft and I would say that that is an apt description. There was a subtle magical element to it. What I liked is that the magical stuff wasn't over the top. It very easily could have gotten weird but it didn't. It was kind of a means to an end. The end being the mystery. This book had a really good mystery. It was the kind of mystery that I love in that it was solvable but not obvious. I mean, I thought it was a little obvious but over the years I have gotten really good at spotting red herrings so I can move on to the real culprit. Either way, I liked following along with the characters as the truth unfolded. It was a fast and engaging read that had me engaged from beginning to end.

I really loved this book. It was a great contemporary that had just enough mystery and fantasy for someone like me who doesn't read a ton of contemp, and just enough friendship and character-based moments for fans of more contemporary stories. Not to mention that Rebecca Soler did a great job with the audiobook. She really brought these characters to life and kept me interested throughout the entire thing.

I give Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. This book was really fantastic. I definitely recommend it to fans of YA Mysteries in the vein of Veronica Mars. It's the perfect blend of plot and character moments. You should definitely read it.

Have you read Undead Girl Gang? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Audiobook Review: The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Title: The Inexplicable Logic of My Life Written by: Benjamin Alire Saenz Published: March 7, 2017 by Clarion Books (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: The first day of senior year: Everything is about to change. Until this moment, Sal has always been certain of his place with his adoptive gay father and their loving Mexican-American family. But now his own history unexpectedly haunts him, and life-altering events force him and his best friend, Samantha, to confront issues of faith, loss, and grief. Suddenly Sal is throwing punches, questioning everything, and discovering that he no longer knows who he really is—but if Sal’s not who he thought he was, who is he?

I read Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe a few years ago and I really loved it. I had wanted to read this book last year when it came out but I hadn't gotten around to it but now that I have a Rhode Island library card I can get books from Overdrive, so when I saw the audio available I snagged it and listened. I'm really glad I did because this was a fantastic book and great audio.

This book continued to demonstrate just how beautiful Saenz's writing is. I remember thinking in Aristotle and Dante how I was not surprised that he is a poet because he captured a poetry in his writing, and that was the case in this book as well. This book has a beautiful and lyrical prose that gives the book more drama and power to it. It pulls you in to the characters lives. And just like the last book, that made for the perfect audiobook. The narrator did a great of establishing the emotion and weight to the book.

He also did a great job of establishing the characters. Saenz has written some really amazing and complex characters. The main character in this book is Salvatore or Sal. He's a senior in high school and the fact that college is approaching and forcing him to decide what he wants with his future is forcing him to decide who he is and who he wants to be. Compared to the other characters in the book, Sal should not feel sympathetic. Despite a rough history he has a pretty great life and any moment where he's acting out should seem a bit silly. But Saenz makes Salvi likable and complex. You feel for him and want him to find his way in the world.

But the best characters in this book were the secondary characters. The real heart of the book is Salvi's relationship with his friends and family. I loved Sal's family. His adoptive father was really fantastic. He is one of the most kind and supportive gathers in all of YA, books even. Sal's grandmother was also really great. She was so sweet and loved Sal and his friends so much. So much of what made this book emotional and impactful was his loving family and Sal having to deal with what is happening to them. So many times in YA the family is one of the challenging parts of a teen's life and it was nice and refreshing to read a book where the family was one of the strengths.

When it comes to his friends that is Sam and Feeto. Sam is his best friend and they have a great relationship. I appreciated Sam because she wasn't perfect when she very easily could have been a cliché. Feeto as well could have been a stereotype. The nice guy from the wrong side of the tracks who wants to better himself. But both of them were complex and engaging. I think the best part was seeing them interact really demonstrated how much they care about each other. They are there for each other no matter what and that was completely necessary in this book. All the characters were fantastic and one of the best parts of this book.

As far as the plot, it's kind of a slow character-driven read. It is a comin-of-age story but I don't know that there's really a strong development of the character. It's more just about their relationships and seeing them interact. It's sort of strange because there were some specific plot points that had a clear resolution but it still just sort of felt unresolved. As a plot-driven reader I do kind of wish that there was more of a specific plot. If I hadn't listened to the audiobook (which I sped up to 1.5x) I'm not sure I would have gotten through this book at the same speed.

I definitely enjoyed this book a lot. It had beautiful writing, engaging characters, and great relationships with friends and family. It solidified how good a writer Saenz is and that his prose is beautiful and poetic.

I give The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz 8.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow. If you liked Aristotle and Dante and have not yet read this book, I definitely suggest picking it up on your next library run. I really enjoyed it and I think contemporary fans will like it as well, as long as you don't mind a slow character-driven read.

Have you read The Inexplicable Logic of My Life? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy

Title: Ramona Blue Written by: July Murphy Published: May 9, 2017 by Balzar + Bray (HarperCollins) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: From Julie Murphy, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin’ and Side Effects May Vary, comes another fearless heroine, Ramona Blue, in a gorgeously evocative novel about family, friendship, and how sometimes love can be more fluid than you first think. Perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell and Morgan Matson. Ramona was only five years old when Hurricane Katrina changed her life forever. Since then, it’s been Ramona and her family against the world. Standing over six feet tall with unmistakable blue hair, Ramona is sure of three things: she likes girls, she’s fiercely devoted to her family, and she knows she’s destined for something bigger than the trailer she calls home in Eulogy, Mississippi. But juggling multiple jobs, her flaky mom, and her well-meaning but ineffectual dad forces her to be the adult of the family. Now, with her sister, Hattie, pregnant, responsibility weighs more heavily than ever. The return of her childhood friend Freddie brings a welcome distraction. Ramona’s friendship with the former competitive swimmer picks up exactly where it left off, and soon he’s talked her into joining him for laps at the pool. But as Ramona falls in love with swimming, her feelings for Freddie begin to shift too, which is the last thing she expected. With her growing affection for Freddie making her question her sexual identity, Ramona begins to wonder if perhaps she likes girls and guys or if this new attraction is just a fluke. Either way, Ramona will discover that, for her, life and love are more fluid than they seem.

I love Julie Murphy’s books. Every book I have read by her I loved. I had wanted to read this book when it first came out but I didn’t get around to it until now. I wish I had read it sooner, because I unsurprising liked it a lot.

Like all of Julie’s books, this is a great coming-of-age story. Ramona is a small town girl who has already experienced a lot of adversity before we even meet her. She’s working two jobs just to have money to help pay the bills and save up for her move away some day.She lives in the Gulf region of Mississippi, in a town that is still dealing with the effects of Hurricane Katrina ten years later. Julie did a great job of showing the impacts of the storm on the people who are living there and that things were never really the same. It was poignant and made you think, while being an interesting setting for this book.

But much of the plot was about Ramona and her personal struggles to find out who she is and where she fits in the world. The impetus of me reading this finally was that I just read Leah on the Offbeat and I wanted to read another book with a bisexual character. And while Ramona isn’t really bisexual, or well she doesn’t want to label herself as one, the way that sexual identity is handled in this book was really interesting. For Ramona, someone who had come out when she was much younger, liking a boy is a strange thing. I liked the way Julie did that, making the heterosexual relationship the one that felt odd. And Ramona dealing with her sexuality and trying to put a label on it was a compelling and relatable subject matter. I can’t speak to whether or not the rep is realistic but the struggle to figure out your identity felt genuine and relatable.

The other fantastic and relatable thing in this book was the familial relationship. Ramona lives with her Dad and pregnant sister who she loves a lot. But her Dad, like her, is working two jobs and still struggling to make ends meet. He’s not around a lot but when he is, he’s kind of distant. But you can tell that he really cares about her and her sister. Speaking of Hattie, she and Hattie have a really good relationship. They are so close that they are almost like friends. They don’t always get along and they fight like actual sisters during the book, but they would also do anything for each other. I really liked the way that the family relationships were handled in this book. They were imperfect and realistic and gave the book a lot of heart.

The other thing I think gave this book a lot of heart was the friendship. I can sit her and talk about the romance, and my thoughts on that, but really the more interesting thing here was the friendships. Ramona had a great group of friends in Ruth and Saul. They were loving and supportive and so fun. Then when Freddie comes back to town they are able to become friends again as if nothing had changed between them. I really liked that. As someone who isn’t great at keeping up with people, I feel like this is a true and compelling thing. With true friends, it doesn’t matter how long it’s been since you last talked. And I loved Ramona and Freddie together. Not even romantically. They were just so sweet and nice with one another. They made each other so happy and I liked being there for that.

On the whole, Ramona Blue was a great read. It was engaging and poignant. It made you thing but didn’t beat you over the head with a lesson. It was a fun and sweet coming-of-age story and I’m glad I read it. It’s kind of a slower read in terms of pacing but still it’s incredibly readable. I didn’t think it dragged at all, and to be honest I wanted to keep reading it and I was sad when it was over.

I give Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. If you liked Julie’s other books then definitely check this one out. If you are looking for a sweet and interesting coming-of-age story with a character dealing with their sexual identity then I would definitely recommend this one. I really enjoyed it is only solidifying the fact that Julie is one of my favorite writers of YA contemporary.

Have you read Ramona Blue? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!