Emancipated by M.G. Reyes // An Interesting Take on a YA Mystery

Tuesday 21 August 2018 0 comments
Emancipated (Emancipated #1), by M.G. Reyes
Publication: May 26, 2015, by Katherine Tegen Books
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery
Pages: 400
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Rating: 

The good girl, the bad boy, the diva, the hustler, the rock star, and the nerd. Six teens legally liberated from parental control for six different reasons, all with one thing in common: something to hide.

Now they’re sharing a house in Venice Beach, acting like a family, and living their lies. No parents. No limits. No alibis. One witnessed a crime, another might be a murderer—and one’s been spying on them all.
As they cling to a fantasy of freedom and slowly let down their guards, the past creeps up on them. And when one of them gets arrested, everyone’s carefully constructed facade comes crumbling down.

In this steamy, drama-filled series, relationships are tested and secrets revealed as lies threaten to destroy their perfect setup.

My Thoughts:

Emancipated was such a surprise to me as prior to reading it, I had no idea what it was about. Surely I must have read the summary when I purchased the book (years ago), but when I packed it up for my summer vacation, I just judged it by the cover and decided that it must be a good summer read. I honestly enjoy these kinds of experiences where I head into a book not knowing what to expect. That way, I cannot be biased or affected by anyone else's thoughts. This story was literally about what the title suggested: emancipation, or when someone is under the age of eighteen and are legally liberated from their parents, or living under their parents' control. I didn't know much about the topic prior to picking up this book, so this was a nice introduction into the 'possible lives' of those living emancipated.

The ultimate reason I gave this book a four star rating is because for the first half of the book, nothing was happening, and I was unsure of the purpose of the story. Sure, this is about six teenagers randomly living together, but what else? I wish that M.G. Reyes had implemented more of the mystery in the beginning of the story, as this would've caught my attention span sooner. For the first half of the story, not much was happening, and I questioned what made this book so interesting. Eventually, everything came together and I became very shocked with the outcome of the story.


You see, this focuses on six teenagers, with most of them not knowing each other prior to the emancipation. They all live together in a house on Venice Beach, California, for different reasons. What the highlight of the story was that each character had their own secrets and their own flaws. This just made the story a hundred times more realistic and believable. Although these teens were fortunate to be living on their own (and were wealthy, because who would be able to afford living in a SoCal mansion on the beach?) and threw parties and lived that 'stereotypical YA character life,' they each seemed like they were real people, you know?

What also really made me addicted was the fact that this book ended in a major cliffhanger. This sets the stage perfectly for the sequel, which I need to purchase as soon as possible. Hopefully the next book will be super addicting and full of mystery, since the first one ended in a whirl.






Emancipated was a lovely take on a YA contemporary story. While this did contain some aspects of romance, it wasn't completely focused on it, which I appreciated. I am really looking forward to reading the sequel.

What are some UNIQUE YA reads?

I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman // Gayle Forman Has Done It Again!

Monday 20 August 2018 2 comments
I Have Lost My Way, by Gayle Forman
Publication: April 1, 2018, by Penguin Teen
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 368
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

A powerful display of empathy and friendship from the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of If I Stay. Around the time that Freya loses her voice while recording her debut album, Harun is making plans to run away from home to find the boy that he loves, and Nathaniel is arriving in New York City after a family tragedy leaves him isolated on the outskirts of Washington state. After the three of them collide in Central Park, they slowly reveal the parts of their past that they haven't been able to confront, and together, they find their way back to who they're supposed to be. Told over the course of a single day from three different perspectives, Gayle Forman's newest novel about the power of friendship and being true to who you are is filled with the elegant prose that her fans have come to know and love.

My Thoughts:

I Have Lost My Way was surprisingly such an emotional read. Unlike most YA contemporary-romances, which usually focus on the perks and positives of romance in characters' lives, this book left me as an emotional wreck. Gayle Forman's newest novel focuses on the struggles each of us face, and how it is okay and acceptable for each of us to lose our ways. This is a story of hope and friendship and it provides us with a sense of reassurance that everything will be okay, even if we encounter a bad day or two. As long as we have people in our lives who are there to support us, everything will be just fine.

I am a GIGANTIC fan of Gayle Forman's work. After reading and falling in love with her If I Stay duology, I knew that her writing truly interests me and has a way to my heart. This book absolutely did as well. It focuses on three teenage characters who are all struggling, but in different ways. And somehow, Forman moulded these characters into figures who each reader will form a connection with. The characters seemed so real that I was ready to pick up my phone at times and give them a call to reassure them that I was there for them. That's how realistic this story is. I don't think there's a single person in this world who wouldn't want to read a realistic story about realistic characters. It's truly a major highlight.

Gayle's recent story focuses on the lives of three main characters: Freya, a singer who is becoming more popular, but hides a major secret about losing her voice, Harun, a boy wanting to run away from home to hide his secret of being gay, and Nathaniel, a boy who flew to New York City to escape the trauma he left behind in Washington state. Somehow, the three meet each other and find that they each have lost their ways. 



And here comes the main message of the story which I feel that many contemporary stories these days (especially for teens) lack: it is okay to be imperfect and to be sad. I find that all chick-lit stories are fluffy and cute and showcase the perfect lives of characters. But, here, Gayle Forman shows, especially through Freya's character, that your dreams can come true and that you can have what you've always wanted, but that doesn't mean that your life is perfect or that you're always happy. This book was a literal shock to me especially because of that message. Each character seemed to have what they always wanted most: Freya: her singing career, Harun: a boyfriend, and Nathaniel: the best relationship possible with his father, however, that doesn't mean that they were always happy. This story highlights how life is unpredictable, and how things may instantly change, altering your opinion on the things that have always made you happy. This story really hit home. 

While I can admit that the story did include some romantic aspects, it wasn't the main focus. I loved the raw writing and burst of emotions that this book gave me. It really was a special one; I rarely form this kind of connection with characters, so this shows you that this one is a keeper.









I Have Lost My Way was one of the most realistic books I've read in a while; I finished it in a sitting and it left me feeling happy and sad and all of the possible emotions out there. It's rare for a book to do that to me; I guess that is why I love Gayle Forman's writing so much. 

*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*


What are some emotional YA books you've read?

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware // Ms. Ware Does Not Disappoint!

Sunday 19 August 2018 0 comments
The Death of Mrs. Westaway, by Ruth Ware
Publication: May 29, 2018, by Gallery/Scout Press
Genre: Adult Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 368
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Rating: ½

On a day that begins like any other, Hal receives a mysterious letter bequeathing her a substantial inheritance. She realizes very quickly that the letter was sent to the wrong person—but also that the cold-reading skills she’s honed as a tarot card reader might help her claim the money.
Soon, Hal finds herself at the funeral of the deceased…where it dawns on her that there is something very, very wrong about this strange situation and the inheritance at the centre of it.

My Thoughts:

The Death of Mrs. Westaway was an absolute shock. Why a shock, you ask? Because it was completely different from anything Ruth Ware has previously written. This is a twist on your regular old psychological thriller. In fact, I wouldn't really call this a thriller, but a mystery. And I actually loved it, even though it’s not the type of book I usually enjoy. This was a book about a mystery that has run in a family for years, without our protagonist, Hal, even knowing it. As I’m writing this, I’m debating whether I should give this book a 4 or 4.5 star rating, as I am truly confused with the ending. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I felt that the conclusion to the story wasn't properly explained. 

Ruth Ware’s fourth and newest story revolves around the life of Hal, a young woman living in Brighton, England, surviving based on a small salary she makes through tarot card reading and fortune telling on the beach’s pier. She struggles to make payments and live her life normally until one day, she surprisingly receives a letter in the mail, explaining that her grandmother has passed away and Hal is entitled to a large inheritance. Hal feels like it’s too good to be true, as she knows nothing about her relatives and her own mother’s past, but decides to take the chance and lie. She soon arrives at her “grandmother’s” mansion, where she meets her long-lost “family members,” and things get insane from there. She feels as if someone is watching her, setting up traps for her, forcing her to doubt her mother’s past and everything she thought she knew about herself. 

I really liked Hal’s character and her personality as a protagonist. Usually, authors of mystery books generate protagonists who are too smart and too knowledgable about everything, making it look like it was easy to solve the mystery. However, Hal had her own flaws, and this just made her seem more human and made the book as a whole seem more real. I totally could imagine this story happening in reality. Those are the kinds of stories I like to read; the ones that I can picture occurring in real life. 

When I began reading the novel, I must admit that it was very slow paced, however, it eventually picked up around the hundredth page when we reached the point where Hal enters Trespassen, Mrs. Westaway’s mansion. The mansion definitely gave off some creepy vibes. 






The Death of Mrs. Westaway was a really entertaining read, and I definitely recommend to lovers of Ruth Ware’s writing or people interested in mysteries/thrillers. It was very suspenseful and came with many twists and turns that left me shocked. Aside from the confusing ending and slow pace of the beginning, it was an excellent read that I was able to practically complete during a long road trip. It definitely caught my attention for the whole time. 

*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*

Do you prefer psychological thrillers or mysteries?

To Catch a Killer by Sheryl Scarborough // A Large Disappointment

Wednesday 1 August 2018 0 comments
To Catch a Killer (Erin Blake #1), by Sheryl Scarborough
Publication: February 7, 2017, by Tor Teen
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary
Pages: 320
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Rating: 


Erin Blake has one of those names. A name that, like Natalee Holloway or Elizabeth Smart, is inextricably linked to a grisly crime. As a toddler, Erin survived for three days alongside the corpse of her murdered mother, and the case—which remains unsolved—fascinated a nation. Her father's identity unknown, Erin was taken in by her mother's best friend and has become a relatively normal teen in spite of the looming questions about her past.
Fourteen years later, Erin is once again at the center of a brutal homicide when she finds the body of her biology teacher. When questioned by the police, Erin tells almost the whole truth, but never voices her suspicions that her mother's killer has struck again in order to protect the casework she's secretly doing on her own.
Inspired by her uncle, an FBI agent, Erin has ramped up her forensic hobby into a full-blown cold-case investigation. This new murder makes her certain she's close to the truth, but when all the evidence starts to point the authorities straight to Erin, she turns to her longtime crush (and fellow suspect) Journey Michaels to help her crack the case before it's too late.

My Thoughts:

DNF @ 100 pages

UGH. I really wanted to like this one — there has been a lot of raving involved with this book (and the entire series) so I expected that I would like this one. However, with the mix of (A) weird names (B) a weird mystery and (C) an unlikeable protagonist, I quickly came to realize that this book wasn't for me. It was just so boring, and unrealistic. I have only read a few books where I felt that the main character was so unlikeable, and this was the case with Erin. I felt that everything about her was too good to be true, including her forensics knowledge and the fact that her teachers and adults around her liked her so much. 

To Catch a Killer bored the heck out of me, and by the hundredth page, I realized that I didn't care about solving the mystery. I was struggling to get through the book, let alone care about the ending.






This was a huge disappointment; I really wanted more, and I didn't get that. I really tried to enjoy it, as I usually love YA mysteries, but this seemed to be a rip-off of a Nancy Drew book. I'm over those kinds of know-it-all main characters.

*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*