This Star Won't Go Out: The Life and Words of Esther Grace Earl

Goodreads summary:

A collection of the journals, fiction, letters, and sketches of the late Esther Grace Earl, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 16. Photographs and essays by family and friends will help to tell Esther’s story along with an introduction by award-winning author John Green who dedicated his #1 bestselling novel The Fault in Our Stars to her.

My review:

5/5

Dear Esther,

I do not know you, and you certainly don't know me. I mean, I was born four years later than you were and during all our lives, we've been separated by miles and miles, even by borders. I wasn't part of Nerdfighteria when you were and I don't even know if I had a Facebook account when you were still alive, let alone a Youtube account. However, your story touched me so, so, so much. 

Life is unfair, we all know it. Some of us, like me, have been blessed enough to have a relatively easy life so far and to only see illnesses and death from a very far away perspective. However, reading your journals, watching your videos, and hearing people talk about you has made me realize how unfair your life was. How could a person so radiant, so cheerful and so smart like you have to go such hard times? I know from your own words that you became okay with the fact that you had cancer and that your faith has helped you a lot with that. This is a truly fantastic thing, especially from the point of view of an atheist like me. I have always envied people who belong to a religion, because I can imagine how much easier it can be to think that everything happens for a reason. This book proved my thoughts, because you made it sound so easy.

I loved the person you were, or at least the idea I got of the person you were. I know that I could never get to know you as much as I want to, because I've only seen a glimpse of the person you were, but I do know that everyone around you was lucky to have you. I don't know what you would think of people like me, who read your book, your journal, even, watch your videos, hear your friends talking about you and end up loving you. I hope you'd like it, because everyone has described you as a 'welcomer', a loving person who accepted everyone. I love that about you. That's the way more people should be. In a way, you're a bit like how everyone should be:  caring, passionate, intelligent, confident. I'm not saying you were perfect, but I do think you were an awesome person. 

My thoughts go to your friends, your family, your cats. As weird as it must be for them to see you become some sort of celebrity, I hope they accept the support we are willing to give them, because your book has truly made my eyes open. From Heaven (because I know that's where you are, even though I am in no way religious), I hope that you're happy that your cause has brought so many of us together to make the world a better place to live in, even though you will never have this chance again and it's breaking my heart. Don't forget to be awesome, Esther, while we'll never forget how bright a star you were.

The Last Time We Say Goodbye - Cynthia Hand

Goodreads summary:

There's death all around us.
We just don't pay attention.
Until we do.

The last time Lex was happy, it was before. When she had a family that was whole. A boyfriend she loved. Friends who didn't look at her like she might break down at any moment.

Now she's just the girl whose brother killed himself. And it feels like that's all she'll ever be.

As Lex starts to put her life back together, she tries to block out what happened the night Tyler died. But there's a secret she hasn't told anyone-a text Tyler sent, that could have changed everything.

Lex's brother is gone. But Lex is about to discover that a ghost doesn't have to be real to keep you from moving on.

From New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand, The Last Time We Say Goodbye is a gorgeous and heart-wrenching story of love, loss, and letting go.


My review:

5/5

This. Book. *heart eyes* 

This story is absolutely heartbreaking. As an older sister, I've always been overprotective of my little sister, because I feel responsible of her and it seems like I should be the one protecting her and making sure she's happy. Because of that, I could try to imagine what Lex must be feeling and it was already too much for me to bear. Her situation is awful, just like her mother's, and I started this book already saddened by its story. 

This story focuses on Lex's grief and how she copes with her brother's death and I liked how honest and true she was about it. Her feelings are understandable and her distress made me feel really sad for her. I wish I could've helped her when she was at her worst, but I still thought she was doing well, given the circumstances. Her parents made me angry most of the time, because while she pushed her friends away, I don't think she would've pushed her mom away, had she made the move. Her relationship with her dad was trickier, because it deteriorated even before Tyler's suicide. Anyways, Lex's evolution as the story goes is amazing and gave me hope that there's always something better coming when you're having a hard time. 

I was impressed by how realistic Lex's character is. Her dreams, her personality and her reactions were easy to understand for me and, by the time I finished this book, I felt like I knew her pretty well. While it killed me to admit it, I could see why she had tried to get away from her friends and her boyfriend after her brother's suicide, so I couldn't blame her at all. I'm glad they were so kind to her and they kept trying to get her back, because that's the most amazing proof of loyalty I've ever seen and I can only hope that my friends would react that way if something made me push them away like Lex did. 

I really liked this book, as tragic as it is.

Ghostboy, Chameleon & the Duke of Graffiti - Olivia Wildenstein

Goodreads summary:

Some endings are inevitable, but so are some stories.

Cora Matthews, the principal’s gloomy goth daughter, is not exactly popular Duke Meyer’s type. Still, Duke finds himself inexplicably drawn to her dark eyes and mysterious manner. She makes it clear she doesn’t return his admiration, but when a burst appendix lands Duke in the hospital, he and Cora will be forced to come together by the most unlikely intermediary: her eight-year-old brother, Jaime. 

Duke learns Jaime has brain cancer and little chance of long-term survival. He admires the kid’s plucky positivity and wild imagination and offers to write a story about Jaime’s make-believe superheroes. So begins an epic tale—that of Ghostboy, Chameleon, and the Duke of Graffiti—and a deep friendship between Duke and Jaime. 

Despite their outward differences, Cora and Duke bond over their affection for Jaime, but unintended betrayal and Jaime’s advancing disease threaten to derail their blossoming romance before it can truly take root. 

Ghostboy, Chameleon & the Duke of Graffiti is a gorgeous debut novel that will resonate with the thoughtful fans of John Green’s blockbuster The Fault in Our Stars.


My review:

4/5

*SORRY FOR THE CRAPPY REVIEW* 
I'm just unable to write something okay right now, but I need to post my review, so here it is. 

I feel like I'm heartless because I didn't cry... Oh well, it doesn't mean I didn't like the book! 

There's something really funny about this book. I think it has to do with the fact that it's told in Duke's perspective, which makes the story a whole lot different than it would have been if it had been told in Cora's. Duke can have quite stupid thoughts, which made me want to slap him or just face-palm, but most of the things he said were actually quite funny, which I liked. The fact that it's told in his words also make him seem more compassionate and nice, and it made Cora seem more mysterious and intriguing. I wasn't sure about the narrator at first, but I ended up really liking it! 

The story is pretty sad, even though most of the story isn't about the sadness. Jaime is an incredible little guy who has a difficult life but never gives up or stops smiling, so if that doesn't give you hope, then I don't know what would. I loved how everyone tried to make his life better and how most of their time together was spent laughing, which made me forget about cancer and death. 

There's a bit of everything in this book, from romance to sadness, which makes it great for everyone. I really enjoyed the time I spent reading it, so I'd definitely recommend it. It's different from most books I've read before, which is even better. 

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

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.)

Interview: Marci Lyn Curtis

Hi everyone! Recently, I read The One Thing and I absolutely loved it, so I thought it would be awesome to do an interview with its author, Marci Lyn Curtis, and guess what? Here it is!  If you haven't read my review yet, you can find it here. Keep on reading to find out more about this amazing writer!

Hello Marci! First of all, let me thank you for answering my questions today. To begin this interview, can you introduce yourself and your novel?

Hi Laurence! Thanks so much for having me! Let’s see…I’ll give you the short version: my name is Marci Lyn Curtis, author of The One Thing, a young-adult contemporary story about a blind juvenile delinquent who hits her head and is suddenly able to see a boy. It’s a tough book to sum up, so let’s just say it’s a coming-of-age with a little bit of everything—laughter, tears, friendship, romance, family, music, sarcasm, tragedy, cupcakes.

Etc.

Translation: it’s a twisty little story. And if you held the book on end and gave it a shake, you’d probably rattle out an Everest’s worth of emotion. So people who like stories with lots of feels would probably enjoy it.

What inspired you to write this story?

I wish I could say there was this huge ah-ha moment that inspired the story. But the fact was, one day it was just…there—characters and all—and it picked at me and picked at me until I finally started to take notes, just to get it out of my head. Those notes grew to about a foot-high stack of papers that eventually became The One Thing.

Can you relate a lot to your main character, Maggie?

Well, I’m not blind, nor do I know anyone who’s blind, so writing this story required a lot of research. By “a lot,” I mean months.

And months.

On end.

Also, Maggie was a soccer legend, and the last time I was half-decent in competitive sports was never. I mean, unless you count obscure sports, like, say, Orange is the New Black marathons. With those I’m sort of a badass.

Anyway, as far as similarities, Maggie and I both lean toward the sarcastic side. I grew up in a smart-alecky family (you do one idiotic thing and you’ll likely hear about it for the rest of your life), so sarcasm and jokes are sort of second nature for me.

Who is your favourite character in your novel and why?

Ben—because he’s just so…Ben. Life has basically handed him his butt, and yet he’s made the best of it, without using anything as a crutch. Also, he’s hysterical, loyal, kind, and he makes a mean English muffin pizza.

So far, what's the hardest thing you've been faced with while publishing your novel?

Can I say everything? No? Well, if I had to pick just one thing, I’d have to say the most difficult thing about writing this particular story was the responsibility I felt to be a good representative for the visually impaired. I was constantly terrified that, even though I was spending so much time researching blindness, I was getting all the details wrong—that I was missing something critical in the technology, the daily life, the thoughts and emotions, the training, the parenting. It was just so much. And it required an amazing amount of balance. I didn’t want to marginalize visual impairment, but I didn’t want it to be the focus of the novel, either. Sure, Maggie’s blindness had tremendously impacted her life. But did I want to portray Maggie as a blind character? No. I wanted to portray her as a character. I wanted her personhood to always be the focus. I wanted people to experience her. So I had to really pick through each scene, each line, and each bit of dialogue to make sure that this always came first.

If you could have lived in any fictional world, which one would it have been?

The Harry Potter world. Without a doubt.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Oh man. Jandy Nelson. She’s a genius. I mean, I’d probably dig through her trash just to read her grocery list.

Kidding.

Sort of.

What do you like the most about being an author?

Sharing my characters with everyone. It’s like standing on a stage and introducing my friends to the world. 

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

This: just write. Write about the things that are important to you. Write to share a version of yourself with yourself. Write without thinking about trends, or about how readers might perceive you. Just write.

What are your future plans? Anything we could be interested in?

Currently, I’m writing a story about an orphan pickpocket forced to live with the uncle who betrayed her family. Like The One Thing, it’s a twisty little story, and it covers a topic near to my heart, so it’s been difficult to write. After that, I’ll be writing a companion novel to The One Thing, featuring a certain unmentionable character.

Once more, thank you for answering! I hope to hear more from you soon.

Thank you so much, Laurence, for this amazing interview!

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.

The One Thing - Marci Lyn Curtis

Goodreads summary:

Maggie Sanders might be blind, but she won't invite anyone to her pity party. Ever since losing her sight six months ago, Maggie's rebellious streak has taken on a life of its own, culminating with an elaborate school prank. Maggie called it genius. The judge called it illegal.

Now Maggie has a probation officer. But she isn't interested in rehabilitation, not when she's still mourning the loss of her professional-soccer dreams, and furious at her so-called friends, who lost interest in her as soon as she could no longer lead the team to victory.

Then Maggie's whole world is turned upside down. Somehow, incredibly, she can see again. But only one person: Ben, a precocious ten-year-old unlike anyone she's ever met.Ben's life isn't easy, but he doesn't see limits, only possibilities. After awhile, Maggie starts to realize that losing her sight doesn't have to mean losing everything she dreamed of. Even if what she's currently dreaming of is Mason Milton, the infuriatingly attractive lead singer of Maggie's new favorite band, who just happens to be Ben's brother.

But when she learns the real reason she can see Ben, Maggie must find the courage to face a once-unimaginable future... before she loses everything she has grown to love.


My review:

5/5

I LOVED IT SO MUCH! Seriously, read this book.

I was intrigued by the description of this novel, especially since I wasn't sure what it would be about. I didn't know what to expect, but it made me want to read it even more. I'm so glad I did! 

I absolutely loved Ben and Maggie's friendship. Ben is the most adorable kid ever and I just want him for myself (which sounds weird, but it's okay. You'll understand if you read this book). I loved how he reacted to Maggie's news about her seeing him even though she's blind and I adored the way he kept trying to kiss her and saying that she's his girlfriend, even though he's way too young for her. I thought he was simply incredible. I know Maggie feels bad because she thinks she's using him to see, but in my head, it has always been clear that from the beginning, Maggie loved this kid and wanted to spend time with him because of how happy he makes her. It touched me more than I would've expected and I cried more than once.

I wasn't really expecting a love story in this novel, but I was happy to discover there is one. Although it's really not what I'll remember the most about this book, it's sweet and cute and I loved it. Also, I really enjoyed seeing Maggie angry and passionate, since she's an incredibly funny character. I wish I could be more like her, except without all the trouble she gets into. 

Maggie's story made me sad, because it must be incredibly hard to lose your sight so suddenly. I understand why she pushed her friends away, but I can't imagine being her friend and seeing her get through all of that while being excluded from her life. They must have been really sad, too. I was glad to see her embrace her handicap and become happy again, even trying to make other friends. It's a great character development. 

I can't think of anything that I disliked in this novel. It's something that I would recommend to anyone. 


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

The Death Cure (Maze Runner #3) - James Dashner

Goodreads summary:

It’s the end of the line.

WICKED has taken everything from Thomas: his life, his memories, and now his only friends—the Gladers. But it’s finally over. The trials are complete, after one final test.

Will anyone survive?

What WICKED doesn’t know is that Thomas remembers far more than they think. And it’s enough to prove that he can’t believe a word of what they say.

The truth will be terrifying.

Thomas beat the Maze. He survived the Scorch. He’ll risk anything to save his friends. But the truth might be what ends it all. 

The time for lies is over.


My review:

3/5

I liked this, but for some reason, the second book in this series was my favorite one, which is why I didn't think this one was more extraordinary than the other books. 

Because this trilogy is set in different places in every book, it doesn't feel like a series to me, because every book is so different. I liked how many answers I got in The Scorch Trials and how fast-paced it was, but The Death Cure was incredibly different. For one, it seemed as though the rest of the world, which simply didn't seem to exist in the two first novels, finally showed itself and it felt way too modern and normal for me to actually believe it. I had this idea of the Earth being completely destroyed, except for the teenagers they put in the Mazes, but finding out that there were still healthy people was surprising. Also, I thought that not much really happens in this book, which disappointed me after loving the second book for its action-packed story. 

I really like how the characters interact in this book, though. They're all desperate to get out of this alive and they work so hard together to make it work, which was heartwarming. However, I don't think any relationship in this series ever sounded realistic to me, because I never rooted for one of the characters to end up with another one. I still don't understand Teresa's character and I don't think I ever will, but that might just be because of WICKED, since I thought she was alright after the first book. 

While I loved how complicated WICKED sounded it the second book, I was disappointed with what I learned in this one. The characters working for them don't seem to have any personality, or intelligence, for that matter, and it's really confusing to read about them. I was really skeptical about every character's motives because of how WICKED manipulates everyone, so the fact that everyone ended up being exactly what they said they were in this book was unsettling and unrealistic, because it's like everyone was lying in the first two books, but they all became nice and honest characters between the second and third book. 

Come to think of it, I didn't like this book as much as I thought I did. Thanks to this review, i realized this and I'm now lowering my review to three stars. I'n still excited for the movies (DYLAN O'BRIEN) though.