How to Keep Rolling After a Fall - Karole Cozzo

Goodreads summary:

After a cyber bullying incident turns her life upside down, a handsome wheelchair rugby player shows a former mean girl that everyone deserves a second chance.

The party was at her house. The photos were posted to her Facebook account. That's all the evidence anyone needed to condemn Nikki Baylor for a cyberbullying incident that humiliated a classmate and nearly resulted in the girl's suicide. Now Nikki's been expelled from her old school, her friends have abandoned her, and even her own parents can't look her in the eye. With her plans for the future all but destroyed, Nikki resigns herself to being the girl everyone hates - almost as much as she hates herself. But then Nikki meets Pax, a spirited wheelchair rugby player who knows what it's like when one mistake completely shatters your life. Refusing to judge her because of her past, he shows her that everyone deserves a second chance... and everyone deserves to be loved.


My review:

4.5

WHAT AN AMAZING BOOK! I absolutely loved it.

I've had my eye on this novel for quite some time now, but I never got around to reading it. Now that I finally read it, I wish I had picked it up even earlier, because I experienced so many emotions while reading this, it was crazy.

I was expecting to really dislike the main character, Nikki, since she's done awful things, but I was perfectly able to forgive her. I'm quite a forgiving person, so it helped, but I also think that seeing her side of the story makes it a whole lot different. I could relate to her, because when you're in a group, it's hard not to follow the leaders, or simply to say no when everyone says yes. Because I could understand her point of view, I quickly got over my initial anger and I was sad to see the way everyone treated her. I really disliked Nikki's former group of friends, but since she realized what kind of people they truly were, I think that she's simply better without them, so maybe she needed something like this to realize how bad her friends were.

On the other hand, Pax is such a sweet character! I loved how forgiving he was towards Nikki from the very beginning, even though it was really sad to see that he was the only one who didn't hold Nikki's actions against her. He was a bit hard to read, but I understood him more easily after he explained himself to Nikki. I loved his positiveness and his desire to make Nikki happier, which is why she needed someone like him so badly. Their relationship isn't easily, but I loved the way it flowed and seeing them together made me happy, no matter what kind of relationship they had. They truly bring the best in each other.

I think this novel has a lot of important themes. I loved the romance aspect of it, but I think my favourite part of it was the importance of mistakes, guilt, forgiveness, love and friendship. I've never been close to a situation like the one in this novel, but I think that reading this novel has made me more open, if not to bullies, to hearing everyone's point of view. I truly believe that everyone makes mistakes and that some of them can be forgiven, and this book reinforced that idea.

I thought that the ending was a tad bit too abrupt, especially since I loved the story so much that I happily could've read a hundred more pages of it, but this seems to happen to me a lot these days. It does bring my rating down a little bit, but I guess perfection doesn't exist!

I would very highly recommend this book. It's probably one of my favourite novels that I read this year!

First Comes Love - Emily Giffin

Goodreads summary:

In this dazzling new novel, Emily Giffin, the #1 New York Timesbestselling author of Something Borrowed, Where We Belong, and The One & Only introduces a pair of sisters who find themselves at a crossroads.

Growing up, Josie and Meredith Garland shared a loving, if sometimes contentious relationship. Josie was impulsive, spirited, and outgoing; Meredith hardworking, thoughtful, and reserved. When tragedy strikes their family, their different responses to the event splinter their delicate bond.

Fifteen years later, Josie and Meredith are in their late thirties, following very different paths. Josie, a first grade teacher, is single—and this close to swearing off dating for good. What she wants more than the right guy, however, is to become a mother—a feeling that is heightened when her ex-boyfriend’s daughter ends up in her class. Determined to have the future she’s always wanted, Josie decides to take matters into her own hands.

On the outside, Meredith is the model daughter with the perfect life. A successful attorney, she’s married to a wonderful man, and together they’re raising a beautiful four-year-old daughter. Yet lately, Meredith feels dissatisfied and restless, secretly wondering if she chose the life that was expected of her rather than the one she truly desired.

As the anniversary of their tragedy looms and painful secrets from the past begin to surface, Josie and Meredith must not only confront the issues that divide them, but also come to terms with their own choices. In their journey toward understanding and forgiveness, both sisters discover they need each other more than they knew . . . and that in the recipe for true happiness, love always comes first.

Emotionally honest and utterly enthralling, First Comes Love is a story about family, friendship, and the courage to follow your own heart—wherever that may lead.


My review:

4/5

I've been a fan of Emily Giffin's ever since I read Something Borrowed - which I know is a controversial novel - so I was very excited to read her most recent novel, since I must say that I haven't read that many books from her. I might not be part of the targeted audience for this particular novel (and I wasn't either for Something Borrowed, especially since I read it when I was about 14), but it still interested me, so when I finally got my hands on it, I couldn't resist picking it up. I wasn't disappointed, even though it's much different from what I was expecting.

I liked how the book starts with the tragedy that strikes the family, the older brother's death. Even though the rest of the story takes place fifteen years later, this particular event is truly what started this story, so I feel like it's important for the readers to know about it from the very beginning. Since I'm about the girls' age at the moment of the tragedy right now, I could imagine what it would be like to lose a sibling so suddenly and it made it easier for me to relate to them. I loved how different Josie and Meredith's reactions to grief are, because it reminds me a little bit of how different my sister and I are and that made the story even more realistic to me. Also, as someone who hasn't lost that many people yet (touch wood), it's always a bit difficult for me to imagine losing a close one, so even though it's a bit painful to read about, grief is something that has always interested me.

The main characters are incredibly well developped and they keep becoming more and more interesting. I'm not sure which one of the sisters is my favourite, because I really like the both of them, even though they can be exasperating sometimes. Seeing their relationship evolve is really interesting because at first they keep arguing and it's kind of a love/hate relationship, but as the story progresses, it becomes more about love than anything else. It was really touching to see and it felt even better than a regular rom-com.

As for the actual relationships, I think they're quite realistic, but since I have absolutely no experience in this field, I could be completely wrong. I liked seeing the start of a relationship as well as the struggles of another one, since the contrast between the both of them is impressive. Meredith's honesty and her desire to find what's best for her is inspiring, because most people don't have that much courage.

Overall, I found this story to be a very pleasant read. It's not necessarily an easy book, but I had a nice time reading it. I'd recommend it!

Will Grayson, Will Grayson - John Green & David Levithan

Goodreads summary:

Will Grayson meets Will Grayson. One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two strangers are about to cross paths. From that moment on, their world will collide and lives intertwine.

It's not that far from Evanston to Naperville, but Chicago suburbanites Will Grayson and Will Grayson might as well live on different planets. When fate delivers them both to the same surprising crossroads, the Will Graysons find their lives overlapping and hurtling in new and unexpected directions. With a push from friends new and old - including the massive, and massively fabulous, Tiny Cooper, offensive lineman and musical theater auteur extraordinaire - Will and Will begin building toward respective romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history's most awesome high school musical.


My review:

5/5

One of my favorite John Green/David Levithan books. It's amazing.

For some reason, I waited a long time before I started reading Will Grayson, Will Grayson. However, once I started, I couldn't stop. It's so good! Honestly, if you haven't read it yet, please pick it up.

Having read novels from both authors, I was expecting a sweet love story between interesting people. I only knew a bit about the story, which I mainly learned from the title, but I was happy with only knowing that. In the end, it is simply a novel about two guys with the same name, but there's so much happening that it's an absolutely lovely story. 

Obviously, the writing styles are beautiful. I knew it'd be that way, since I've read many novels from both authors. I liked how different Will and Will are and how it's shown in the writing styles. I was a bit confused by the lack of capitalization in one of their parts, but only because I didn't always realize when a word was actually a name. Despite having the same name, I wasn't confused by the main characters, because they're both incredibly different and amazing.

My favorite part about this novel is probably the characters, because they all have something interesting about them. I absolutely loved Tiny Cooper, because he's loving, lovable and so incredibly funny and happy. He's probably my favorite character. Both Wills are interesting in their own ways, one because he keeps trying to protect and degrade. himself and the other because he craves love so much. I really enjoyed seeing them interact together, because they get along really well, even though having the same name is one of the only things they have in common. My only complaint is that while I liked Jane, I thought she was a bit too perfect. She's smart, beautiful and her only fault seemed to be having a boyfriend, which isn't exactly one. It didn't have much of an impact on me, but I still wished I could've seen a bit more of a realistic personality. 

I liked how friendship became important in the story. I think the book starts with one of the Wills (reading about them wasn't confusing, but writing about them is) talking about how he didn't choose his friend Tiny, which I thought was quite rude, but I was happy to see him realize how important this friendship is to him. Also, the other Will finally made some friends, which was a relief to me, because I don't wish to see anyone go through life without friends. 

Although there is romance in this novel, it didn't feel like the most important thing at all. Dealing with relationships would probably be a more accurate topic, because there's a lot about that. I think it was done realistically and it adds a nice touch to the story, without being overwhelming. 

Reading about all the characters made me really happy and I loved the ending. I almost wish this book had been longer, because there's so much more I would like to know about the characters. 

I very highly recommend this novel.

Persuasion - Jane Austen

Goodreads summary:

Twenty-seven-year old Anne Elliot is Austen's most adult heroine. Eight years before the story proper begins, she is happily betrothed to a naval officer, Frederick Wentworth, but she precipitously breaks off the engagement when persuaded by her friend Lady Russell that such a match is unworthy. The breakup produces in Anne a deep and long-lasting regret. When later Wentworth returns from sea a rich and successful captain, he finds Anne's family on the brink of financial ruin and his own sister a tenant in Kellynch Hall, the Elliot estate. All the tension of the novel revolves around one question: Will Anne and Wentworth be reunited in their love?

Jane Austen once compared her writing to painting on a little bit of ivory, 2 inches square. Readers of Persuasion will discover that neither her skill for delicate, ironic observations on social custom, love, and marriage nor her ability to apply a sharp focus lens to English manners and morals has deserted her in her final finished work.

My review:

5/5

SO. DAMN. CUTE. It think this might be my favourite Jane Austen novel, because it's pretty much the cutest thing I've ever read. I absolutely loved the story and the characters. All of them felt real and amazing to me, even with their mistakes and flaws. The love story is insanely good and it made me want to put both characters in front of each other and force them to kiss right from the beginning. I couldn't count how many times I got this fuzzy feeling when something cute happens because it's a slow progress and it keeps getting more and more adorable. I loved Anne's character (which I always seem to do, since my favourite book is Anne of Green Gables) because of how mature she is. She made a mistake in the past when she rejected Frederic because of her friends and family's disagreement, but she realizes and she knows she wouldn't do the same thing if she were in the same situation now. I loved how she regrets it, but she also knows that it was the right decision. It made her heartbreak even worse, because it was the right decision to make, even though it meant the end of her happiness. One thing I admired in this book was the loyalty. It's been years since Anne and Frederic were first engaged, yet there's something special between them after years of seperation that can't be unseen. It's the most loyal love that I have ever seen and it made me so happy and giddy to see them slowly get back on speaking terms. Once more, Jane Austen has written an amazing love story that kept me waiting for more. I would VERY highly recommend!

Signs of Love (Series) - Melody James

Hi everyone! I'm doing a series review for once, because these books are so small that it was pointless to write huge reviews. If you think they look too childish, don't judge them too quickly! I personally loved this series so much that I finished it in less than a (busy) week, so I highly recommend it. It's perfect for readers looking for a light-hearted series and aspiring journalists, since it's the main character's dream, too. 

Signs of Love: Love Match (#1)

Goodreads summary:

For as long as 13-year-old Gemma Stone can remember she has dreamed of becoming an award-winning journalist. Unfortunately, as the youngest member of the Green Park High student e-zine editorial team, she's given the job of writing the horoscopes, under the pen name 'Jessica Jupiter'.


My review:

3/5

Ah, cute little books, what an amazing distraction you are. 

This book is sweetness times ten. It's adorable, funny and interesting, which is why I read it so quickly and decided to continue with the series. I'm not going to pretend it's the best book I've ever read, but it definitly is a nice distraction. It might be the book I read in the shortest amount of time this year, but it made it even better. If you're looking for a story to make you forget about school, work or life in general, this book would be amazing for you. Also, I love how it's about journalism, since that's what I'm studying right now.

Signs of Love: Stupid Cupid (#2)

Goodreads summary:

The path of true love never runs smoothly, and when Gemma is involved it can get exceedingly bumpy!

For as long as thirteen-year-old Gemma Stone can remember she has dreamed of becoming an award-winning journalist. Unfortunately, as the youngest member of the editorial team on the Green Park High student web-zine, she is given the job of writing the horoscopes, under the pen name 'Jessica Jupiter'. Not knowing the first thing about astrology, Gemma decides to make the most of her unexpected situation by using her new position to play Cupid with her friends, writing fictional forecasts to help their romantic dreams come true. But is Gemma to busy with her friends love lives to notice signs of love closer to home?

My review:

4/5

In this book, I feel like the romance started building up. While there were hints of it in the first book, this one had the confirmation that there was indeed some romance to be expected in the future, even though nothing really happened in it. If anything, this book made me desperately want to read the next one, because I knew I could expect more from it and I couldn't wait. It created an addiction (an innocent one, so it's alright), and I ended up going to the library the next day to find the next one... Pretending it was for my little sister (Sorry, Sis)! If I can get addicted to this at 18, I gess everyone can!

Signs of Love: Paris Crush (#3)

Goodreads summary:

The path of true love never runs smoothly, and when Gemma is involved it can get exceedingly bumpy! 
For as long as thirteen-year-old Gemma Stone can remember she has dreamed of becoming an award-winning journalist. Unfortunately, as the youngest member of the editorial team on the Green Park High student web-zine, she is given the job of writing the horoscopes, under the pen name 'Jessica Jupiter'. Not knowing the first thing about astrology, Gemma decides to make the most of her unexpected situation by using her new position to play Cupid with her friends, writing fictional forecasts to help their romantic dreams come true. But is Gemma to busy with her friends love lives to notice signs of love closer to home?

My review:

4/5

This book made me ache for the main characters. I could feel their emotions and all I wanted was to be thrown into the story to knock some sense into their heads. It was evident that the love story was bound to happen at some point, but it kept being pushed away and I hated it (in a somewhat good way). I ached to find some hints of the romance I knew there was and I probably felt way too much for such a book, but it was absolutely delightful. Also, I love the fact that it's in Paris, because I would LOVE to go there someday and seeing it through Gemma's eyes was really cool!

Signs of Love: Destiny Date (#4)

Goodreads summary:

It's the end of the school year and the prom is fast approaching. Gemma's friends all have dates and Gemma is destined to go alone. Gemma convinces herself that she doesn't care - it's great being single and free to mingle. But there's one boy who she secretly wishes would ask her - Sam. But Sam's dating Cindy - isn't he?
Meanwhile, when Gemma is asked to assist the school webzine's editor, Cindy, to review a top fashion show, Gemma somehow finds herself on the catwalk modelling for one of the nation's most talked-about designers. But strutting her stuff on the catwalk isn't exactly a breeze!
When the school invite Gemma's alter ego, astrologist "Jessica Jupiter", to be a guest speaker at the End of Year Assembly, Gemma has no choice but to agree. But Jessica's horrescopes have played cupid for half the school - if they discover she's not real then everything will be shattered. How will she dupe the entire school into believeing that Jessica Jupiter is for real?

My review:

5/5

Ahhhh, the end. I feel like everything that needed to happen finally happened in this, which made me very happy. I feel like the journalism part finally made its comeback and I couldn't have been happier, especially with the romance I had been waiting for so long (even though it only appeared so: I think I read this series in three days). I'm very glad with this finale and I would definitely recommend this series!

Somewhere in Between - Katie Li

Goodreads summary:

Two friends find a portal to another dimension and use this “in-between place” to avoid the stress of their everyday lives. What they don’t realize is that every time they enter, they alter reality. 

Pseudo-punk Magnolia and underachieving gamer-geek Rom are two unlikely friends who only hang out during their walks home together after school. When they find the a portal that leads to different worlds, they use the “in-between place” as an escape from their lives in high school, then later, after college. 

Their visits through the portal bring them teetering along a tight-rope of fantasy and reality, where they don't always believe what is in front of them, not even their feelings for each other. 

The book is about changes—the ones that you can control, and the ones that you can’t. It’s about commitment and friendship. It’s about the stages in between where you have nothing but the unknown ahead of you.

Inspired by the work of Haruki Murakami and films like Eternal Sunshine of A Spotless Mind, Somewhere In Between is metaphysical coming-of-age story about defining love and finding yourself.

My review:

3/5

There were parts that I loved, but I'm not sure I understood much of the story, which isn't that good.

I started this book loving the chemistry between the main characters. I loved their interactions and the moment when they found the "in-between" place was just perfect. It was a mixture of simple YA and fantasy that I loved and I was really excited to continue reading. It became fine when it was a few years later, but I found there weren't many details about their lives or their past, so the story was harder to understand. Then came the ending, which I'm still not sure about.

I think I would have loved this story a whole lot better if it had been longer. It's an incredibly short book, but since it lacked details, in my opinion, I think it could've used a couple more pages.

(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

A Thousand Nights - E. K. Johnston

Goodreads summary:

Lo-Melkhiin killed three hundred girls before he came to her village, looking for a wife. When she sees the dust cloud on the horizon, she knows he has arrived. She knows he will want the loveliest girl: her sister. She vows she will not let her be next.

And so she is taken in her sister's place, and she believes death will soon follow. Lo-Melkhiin's court is a dangerous palace filled with pretty things: intricate statues with wretched eyes, exquisite threads to weave the most beautiful garments. She sees everything as if for the last time. But the first sun rises and sets, and she is not dead. Night after night, Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, and day after day she is awoken by the sunrise. Exploring the palace, she begins to unlock years of fear that have tormented and silenced a kingdom. Lo-Melkhiin was not always a cruel ruler. Something went wrong.

Far away, in their village, her sister is mourning. Through her pain, she calls upon the desert winds, conjuring a subtle unseen magic, and something besides death stirs the air.

Back at the palace, the words she speaks to Lo-Melkhiin every night are given a strange life of their own. Little things, at first: a dress from home, a vision of her sister. With each tale she spins, her power grows. Soon she dreams of bigger, more terrible magic: power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to the rule of a monster.


My review:

3/5

It was interesting... And I can't find much more to say about it. 

I liked the culture and how different it is from everything I've known. The way everyone talks, eats, prays and lives is well described and made me want to know more about such populations. It's kind of idyllic, sometimes, to think about living in the desert with nothing but your family. It's a simplistic way to live, but I was envious quite often. 

The story itself isn't all that interesting. It starts off as intriguing, but the fact that it's so slow-paced and all about descriptions instead of actions - don't get me wrong, I love descriptions, it's just that it's annoying to know more about the rooms than the story - makes it quite boring. I had to push myself to finish this, which isn't exactly good. Also, did I understand the ending? I couldn't say. 

I think that it has potential, but it wasn't fully used. 


(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

Another Day (Every Day #2) - David Levithan

Goodreads summary:

Every day is the same for Rhiannon. She has accepted her life, convinced herself that she deserves her distant, temperamental boyfriend, Justin, even established guidelines by which to live: Don’t be too needy. Avoid upsetting him. Never get your hopes up.

Until the morning everything changes. Justin seems to see her, to want to be with her for the first time, and they share a perfect day—a perfect day Justin doesn’t remember the next morning. Confused, depressed, and desperate for another day as great as that one, Rhiannon starts questioning everything. Then, one day, a stranger tells her that the Justin she spent that day with, the one who made her feel like a real person…wasn’t Justin at all.

In this enthralling companion to his New York Times bestseller Every Day, David Levithan tells Rhiannon’s side of the story as she seeks to discover the truth about love and how it can change you.


My review:

4/5

Such a great companion (or twin, as Levithan would say)!

I loved the idea behind Every Day and Another Day. While you might think these books are about what it's like to change bodies every day, it's actually much more about how it is to love someone for who they really are, and how hard it is to forget about what you see. It's something I've always thought about, because our society is becoming more and more open about homosexuality and transgenders - and much more people who simply can't fit into any category we have. Because this is how we live. We see someone and we immediately have to put tags on them: boy or girl? good-looking or not? straight or not? smart or not? nice or not? cool or not? Once you've grown up living like this, it's incredibly hard to get over this habit, which is what Rhiannon's going through in this book. In reality, you can't always fit into one category, and as fine as we can be about it, there'll always be difficulties when you're trying to live that way, as stupid as they can be. I really liked how these novels made me think about issues like this and how I would react if it were happening to me, because I truly got a life lesson out of reading them. 

I am really glad I could read this book. While I didn't expect a companion novel, I can now see how necessary it was to completely grasp the meaning of the story. There's so much difference in how you and another person can see a single event, so the full story can have much more meaning from one perspective than another. I read Every Day a very long time ago, so I remember the biggest part of the story, but not the specific details. However, there were many things I remembered from A's perspective that weren't mentionned in Another Day, which is why I would recommend reading both books in the order they came out, because I really liked comparing both and knowing some details unknown by Rhiannon in this book. 

In this book, we can find the same characters there are in Every Day, only slightly more centered around Rhiannon's life. I loved many of her friends, because I thought they were honest and very kind to her, no matter how lost she is at some points in this book. They are true friends and I was happy to discover more details about them than I had in Every Day. I also really enjoyed getting to know A from Rhiannon's perspective, because without the explanations given in the original novel, his actions can be seen very differently. My only complain is that this way, A sometimes seemed more annoying and persistent then loving and determined, but in the end I could see why he would act this way. If someone were to act like this because of their feelings for me, I would be very touched, because A's actions speak more loudly than his words most of the time. Rhiannon is a great character, with all her strenght and her capacity to see things as they really are. The way she handles everything impressed me, because she never wants to lie to herself and she allows herself to see things positively, even though it can be hard sometimes. I definitely started to like her even more in this book, because her reasons for acting like she did are pretty much all really good and she's a good person, all this while being a simple teenager. 

I adored the way this novel was written. It's fluent and clear, but it's also beautiful and it made me think, analyse and feel everything, just as it should. I don't remember much of Every Day's writing, but I know for a fact that I loved Another Day's. I think Levithan did a wonderful job of telling another side of his story and it couldn't have been done any better. There had to have been a lot of thought behind every action and it's clearly been done, because everything fits so perfectly with what remembrance I had of Every Day. By this point, I don't know if I have convinced you to read this novel, after having read the first one, but let me tell you this: you need it, wether you know it or not. It will make your previous read a whole lot better. 

However, there's something about the ending that makes me wonder a lot about what happens afterwards, so if you have read Another Day, I need to know what you think about it. Please!

Overall, I would recommend this novel a billion times. I know it can be read before the first one, or even on its own, but I seriously think it's better to read it the way it was published. 

(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

Torn Away - Jennifer Brown

Goodreads summary:

Jersey Cameron has always loved a good storm. Watching the clouds roll in and the wind pick up. Smelling the electricity in the air. Dancing barefoot in the rain. She lives in the Midwest, after all, where the weather is sure to keep you guessing. Jersey knows what to do when the tornado sirens sound. But she never could have prepared for this.

When her town is devastated by a tornado, Jersey loses everything. As she struggles to overcome her grief, she's sent to live with relatives she hardly knows-family who might as well be strangers. In an unfamiliar place, can Jersey discover that even on the darkest of days, there are some things no tornado can destroy?

In this powerful and poignant novel, acclaimed author Jennifer Brown delivers a story of love, loss, hope, and survival.


My review:

4/5

I was NOT prepared for this. At all. 

Obviously, when you pick this book up, you know it won't be all rainbows and happiness. I mean, it is about a natural disaster, so this should warn you that you're entering dangerous zones. Well, believe me, this warning isn't even close to preparing you for what you're about to read, and I learned this the hard way. 

From the second the storm begins, Jersey's life turns to horror. She watches as her family destroys itself and leaves her all alone, without her friends to help, since they're all concerned by other issues and they're hard to reach. Having her house destroyed ends up being the least of her issues and not once in this book did I wish to be in her place. 

I was glad to see that she could find some comfort in all the hatred directed towards her, because she seemed to be the unluckiest person alive before. It was hard for me to understand how horrible people can be to someone who hasn't done a thing to deserve this, but realizing that there was still kindness in her life reassured me. 

The only thing I disliked in this novel was how cold Jersey's character was. Even though the story is written in her point of view, it's as though she's telling someone else's story, because it's quite matter-of-factly. I understand that it might be shock, but at some point, I felt like it would've worn off and I should've seen real emotion. It might also have been because of the translator, since I read it in French, but I don't believe it could've been the only reason. 

I would recommend this story, as draining as it is. If you can't sleep, read this and you'll sleep like a baby when you're done, because it's exhausting to read about such a hard life.

The Night We Said Yes - Lauren Gibaldi

Goodreads summary:

A fun, romantic read, perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Susane Colasanti!

Before Matt, Ella had a plan. Get over a no-good ex-boyfriend. Graduate from high school without any more distractions. Move away from Orlando, Florida, where she’s lived her entire life. 

But Matt—the cute, shy, bespectacled bass player who just moved to town—was never part of that plan.

And neither was attending a party that was crashed by the cops just minutes after they arrived. Or spending an entire night saying “yes” to every crazy, fun thing they could think of.

Then Matt abruptly left town, and he broke not only Ella’s heart but those of their best friends, too. So when he shows up a year later with a plan of his own—to relive the night that brought them together—Ella isn’t sure whether Matt’s worth a second chance. Or if re-creating the past can help them create a different future. 

In alternating then and now chapters, debut author Lauren Gibaldi crafts a charming, romantic story of first loves, lifelong friendships, uncovered secrets, and, ultimately, finding out how to be brave.


My review:

4/5

HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

I love the entire concept of this book, saying yes. As a predictable person who has a hard time getting out of her comfort zone, I basically need someone to push me like that to make me enjoy life fully. In general, I think most of us, especially readers, since we tend to be more reserved, should say yes more often, to smaller and bigger things. It's the reason why I reached for this book in the first place, because it reminded me of what I should be doing. 

I really liked the "Then" and "Now" chapters, since the past is as, or sometimes even more, interesting as the present. Matt and Ella's love story is a beautiful one, at least at first. I loved how confident she felt with him and how she could trust him so much without even knowing him. Being so similar to Ella, I was really happy to see that someone could make her feel this way. Matt's character is really intriguing and I absolutely loved his passion for notes and pictures left behind. Even without knowing someone like him, I felt like I could understand his character really well and I immediately liked him, maybe a little bit too much, actually. 

Liking Matt so much made me see the whole "Now" story as repetitive and overly complicated. I was biased, obviously, because I immediately forgave him and I thought Ella was a bit too dramatic. I could understand where she was coming from, but I mostly understood Matt's attitude, even if I wouldn't have acted the way he did. The only reason why I didn't like this story as much as I thought I would was simply because I couldn't really see the point of arguing and hesitating when it was so obvious to me that Ella and Matt would get back together and I just wanted to see it happen. 

I would recommend this book to everyone, even to those who aren't fans of dramatic love stories, because I like what the story tells us. Confidence and self-esteem are an important part of this book and it leaves us with a great moral. 

I'll Meet You There - Heather Demetrios

Goodreads summary:

If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the line.

Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper.


My review:

5/5 (all the stars in the world)

Oh, how I've been dying to read this book. AND RIGHTLY SO!

Really, I loved this book. It's the kind that I will have to reread at some point, because I adored it. It made me cry (sob, wail, tear up, name it) and I was a wreck, simply because of how sad the story is. I must admit I wasn't expecting this, since I just wanted another adorable love story to distract me from school, and while it was exactly that, it was also so, so, so much more. It touches subjects I don't usually read about, which is awesome and really brave.

I loved how the characters both have burdens. There's none of that "my love will save you" crap that some (read: many) YA books promote, which I found quite surprising. It's more realistic to have two broken characters mending themselves together than one perfectly fine character helping the other one out, so even my mind couldn't make me dislike this book because of a lack of probability. I was heartbroken by both of the characters' stories and as I'm writing this, way too long after I finished reading this novel, I still remember countless details about it and I think about it more than ever. It made me see more of a universe I never knew, so I'm glad I read it. 

The love story develops itself beautifully, really. I felt so many emotions while reading this book that anyone talking to me during this time would've thought I was the one falling in love, because I was, in a way, with their romance. It was deliciously complicated and realistic and heartbreaking yet heartmending, which made me want to cry and dance and scream. For some reason, from the very first moment I heard about this book, I knew it would be like that, so I'm really happy that, for once, my intuition was right. 

If you're looking for a cute YA book dealing with darker subjects, I would recommend this a thousand times. It's definitely one of my favourites now.

A Window Opens - Elizabeth Egan

Goodreads summary:

For fans of I Don’t Know How She Does It and Where’d You Go, Bernadette?.

In A Window Opens, beloved books editor at Glamour magazine, Elisabeth Egan, brings us Alice Pearse, a compulsively honest, longing-to-have-it-all, sandwich generation heroine for our social-media-obsessed, lean in (or opt out) age. 

Like her fictional forebears Kate Reddy and Bridget Jones, Alice plays many roles (which she never refers to as “wearing many hats” and wishes you wouldn’t, either). She is a mostly-happily married mother of three, an attentive daughter, an ambivalent dog-owner, a part-time editor, a loyal neighbor and a Zen commuter. She is not: a cook, a craftswoman, a decorator, an active PTA member, a natural caretaker or the breadwinner. But when her husband makes a radical career change, Alice is ready to lean in—and she knows exactly how lucky she is to land a job at Scroll, a hip young start-up which promises to be the future of reading, with its chain of chic literary lounges and dedication to beloved classics. The Holy Grail of working mothers―an intellectually satisfying job and a happy personal life―seems suddenly within reach.

Despite the disapproval of her best friend, who owns the local bookstore, Alice is proud of her new “balancing act” (which is more like a three-ring circus) until her dad gets sick, her marriage flounders, her babysitter gets fed up, her kids start to grow up and her work takes an unexpected turn. Readers will cheer as Alice realizes the question is not whether it’s possible to have it all, but what does she―Alice Pearse―really want?


My review:

4/5

I REALLY liked this book.

For some reason, I seem to be reading more books like this one, even though I'm pretty much always young enough to be the main characters' daughter. I don't even care about that fact, because there are so many life lessons in them and I can still find ways to relate to their lives, which always makes my reading experience amazing. 

From the very first page, I loved this book. It mentions a book from my favourite author in its very first page, so I knew the main character and I would get along very well. Then, I discovered so many things about Alice's love for books, bookshops and publishing companies that I felt like I was reading an encyclopedia about my passion... In a good way. Sharing such an important part of my life, my love for books, with a MC is an amazing thing!

When I continued reading, I started falling in love with Alice's family, from her adorable kids to her incredible husband. She has one of the best relationships I've read about in a long time, because she and Nicholas are (at least initially) honest, loving and patient with each other. I loved how supportive they are for each other and how their love is still so strong, even after all these years and three kids. I started to fear for their relationship in the middle of the story, but deep down, I always knew that they'd find a way to get through everything life throws at them, because they're just that kind of a couple (the OTP kind, to be honest). Alice's relationship with her parents made me smile and broke my heart, too, because this is the part where I could relate a lot. I think her feelings are very well described and I have to admit I cried more than once while I was reading (which always happened to be in public, of course). 

I think everyone would enjoy this lovely novel, because it's bittersweet and full of life lessons that we should all remember.

(Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.)

Open Road Summer - Emery Lord

Goodreads summary:

After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own.

Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence.

This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking.

A fresh new voice in contemporary romance, Emery Lord’s gorgeous writing hits all the right notes.


My review:

4/5

This is the kind of books that I could read every day (and I'm guilty of doing that sometimes). It's just so cute and sweet and it leaves my with a giddy feeling for the rest of the day, which is the perfect cure for sad rainy days. 

Although this is definitely a summer book, I loved reading it in September, just before it gets really cold, because it reminded me of the last couple of weeks. Lilah and Reagan's summer sounds amazing, even though it's only because of Lilah's fame that they get to road trip around the country like that and it isn't everyone's dream to be famous. However, since it's her best friend's story, it's more focused on their friendship and Reagan's love life than on Lilah's career. I liked that fact, because I would not want to be famous, and reading this story in Lilah's perspective would probably have given me anxiety. However, I liked learning about the celebrity life and the struggles they have, because I thought it was really realistic. I've seen many celebrities destroyed by bad press, so I could absolutely understand how much pressure was on Lilah. 

My favourite thing in this novel was probably the friendship between Lilah and Reagan. They're always supportive of each other, listening and offering advice even during the worst of times. They think highly of each other and seeing how proud they are touched me, because it shows that they truly love each other and would never live without their best friend. Celebrity has never affected their friendship, which is a miracle in itself, but then again, I don't think it could be destroyed by anything. The best adjective to describe it is definitely strong, which isn't the case for every friendship out there. 

I really liked how Matt and Reagan's relationship evolved. She's quite hard to approach, so I wasn't surprised to see her resist to him in every possible way. On the other hand, his determination and tactics surprised me, because most guys would've given up long ago. I think it's the reason why they're such a good couple, because they put a lot of effort into the base of their relationship. There were a lot of swoon-worthy moments and I was touched by Matt's actions, which were exactly what Reagan needed. However, I was disappointed by the way Reagan acted when they became a couple, because she didn't seem like the kind of girl who would be so ready to let go of her best friend. She never abandonned Lilah, but I feel like she was much less supportive because of her love life. I loved Lilah's love life, which was the most adorable I've ever read about (just like herself). I wish I could've read the story in her perspective just for this reason.

In the end, I really liked this novel. I absolutely recommend it!

Extraordinary Means - Robyn Schneider

Goodreads summary:

From the author of The Beginning of Everything: two teens with a deadly disease fall in love on the brink of a cure.

At seventeen, overachieving Lane finds himself at Latham House, a sanatorium for teens suffering from an incurable strain of tuberculosis. Part hospital and part boarding school, Latham is a place of endless rules and confusing rituals, where it's easier to fail breakfast than it is to flunk French.

There, Lane encounters a girl he knew years ago. Instead of the shy loner he remembers, Sadie has transformed. At Latham, she is sarcastic, fearless, and utterly compelling. Her friends, a group of eccentric troublemakers, fascinate Lane, who has never stepped out of bounds his whole life. And as he gradually becomes one of them, Sadie shows him their secrets: how to steal internet, how to sneak into town, and how to disable the med sensors they must wear at all times.

But there are consequences to having secrets, particularly at Latham House. And as Lane and Sadie begin to fall in love and their group begins to fall sicker, their insular world threatens to come crashing down. 

Told in alternating points of view, Extraordinary Means is a darkly funny story about doomed friendships, first love, and the rare miracle of second chances.


My review:

5/5

AWWW MAN THAT WAS SAD!!! But I loved it. 

I was instantly attracted to the illness part of this book, which sounded really interesting and futuristic to me (even though I know it isn't). It's scary, but I like to think about living such a sad life and being in this world, as similar as it is to ours, except for the illness. The sadness of these kids' destiny hit me really hard, with all the similarities to summer camp that their quarantine camp has. Comparing to opposite things like that makes the whole situation even more weird, desperate and tragic, which is why I could basically not sleep until I finished this book.

Although it wasn't the most important point in this novel for me, I really liked the romance in this book. I loved how Sadie and Lane pretty much always liked each other, which sounds very fairy-tale-like to me (I'm aware that it's pretty much the opposite). Their love provided them with comfort when they needed it the most, which is one of the reasons why their relationship worked so well, in my opinion. Their late-night phone calls are the most adorable thing ever, especially to me, who's basically a phone calls lover. It sounds really romantic and if a guy ever did that with me, you can be assured he'd be the one I'd want to marry. 

I think the most important theme in this book is probably growing up, in general. Lane represents those of us who live for good grades and won't have a moment to rest until we've done everything we could to succeed, which is really useless if you want to have a happy life, like Lane realized. This character development is amazing, because he went from someone who'd die instead of not applying to college to someone who spends hours on the phone with his girlfriend instead of studying. Also, making good friends and sticking with them is another lesson learned by Lane and the new friends he makes, especially for them, who never know when their last day might be. This tragic way to live reinforced their friendships, in my opinion, because they were forced to see how much their friends matter to them and spend as much quality time as they can. It's a nice philosophy, even though it's created by a sad situation.

I pretty much enjoyed everything in this book, so I'd highly recommend it.