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

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?

Blood Will Out by Jo Treggiari // NOT For the Faint-Hearted

Blood Will Out, by Jo Treggiari
Publication: June 5, 2018, by Penguin Teen
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Horror, Contemporary
Pages: 256
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

Ari Sullivan is alive—for now.
She wakes at the bottom of a cistern, confused, injured and alone, with only the shadowy recollection of a low-pitched voice and a gloved hand. No one can hear her screams. And the person who put her there is coming back. The killer is planning a gruesome masterpiece, a fairytale tableau of innocence and blood, meticulously designed.
Until now, Ari was happy to spend her days pining for handsome, recent-arrival Stroud Bellows, fantasizing about their two-point-four-kids-future together. Safe in her small hometown of Dempsey Hollow. But now her community has turned very dangerous—and Ari may not be the only intended victim.

My Thoughts:

Like many of the reviews are suggesting, this book is not for the light-hearted. This is one of the most gory and detailed stories I've ever read in my entire life. I normally would've given this award to Danielle Vega and her Merciless series, however, this book is certainly up there. If you cannot handle (I almost didn't) details about the abuse of both humans and animals, do not go for this, even though it was an interesting, suspenseful read full of plot twists I didn't see coming. I only really had one problem with the entire story, and that was the writing. But we'll get into that in a bit.

Blood Will Out is about our main character, Ari, whose story is told in the third-person perspective. She is living a relatively normal life until she wakes up, trapped, underground. She does not recall what has happened, nor why she is stuck, and she tries to do whatever it takes to escape and try to save herself. No one hears her screams and pleads for help, however, and she believes that the killer is coming back for her to receive what they originally wanted. We readers get to read about her past, and the present, in addition to a mysterious first-person perspective, technically that of the killer.

What entertained me the most in this novel was that first-person perspective. It obviously was the gory perspective, but it was interesting to get in the mind of the killer in this story. I've never read a book which showcases this kind of perspective before, so this was completely new and refreshing. Keep in mind that what you think you know about all the characters in this book is not the truth at all. At. All. Treggiari did an excellent job at convincing readers that they know the truth, keeping them interested to see if their predictions are correct. My predictions were so wrong.

What I don't get is why there's so much negativity. I understand that the writing was kind of gross in some parts; the author attempted to use some descriptive writing that just didn't work. It really made me laugh out loud at some points. But aside from that (only a minor flaw), the book was fast-paced and full of suspense, allowing this to be categorized as a thriller and horror story. I've heard people say that this is like a Silence of the Lambs kind of read, and now I feel compelled to watch it to see if it's like this.

Blood Will Out was such an interesting read and one of the most unique I've recently read. I cannot wait to see what else Jo Treggiari has in store for readers in the future.

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

What are some horror YA reads?

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller // A Lovely Classic

Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller
Publication: October 28, 1976, by Penguin USA
Genre: Adult Fiction, Play, Classic
Pages: 140
Format: Paperback
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 

Ever since it was first performed in 1949, Death of a Salesman has been recognized as a milestone of the American theater. In the person of Willy Loman, the aging, failing salesman who makes his living riding on a smile and a shoeshine, Arthur Miller redefined the tragic hero as a man whose dreams are at once insupportably vast and dangerously insubstantial. He has given us a figure whose name has become a symbol for a kind of majestic grandiosity--and a play that compresses epic extremems of humor and anguish, promise and loss, between the four walls of an American living room.

My Thoughts:

I had mixed expectations for Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman solely because I did not want another Great Gatsby redo or copycat. I had previously heard that the American Dream is a major theme featured in this play, and I was quite skeptical of it as the message usually tends to be the same in these kinds of story: money isn't everything. DON'T LET YOUR EXPECTATIONS CHANGE YOUR EXCITEMENT FOR THIS PLAY: this was a fantastic play that was so impressive and easy to analyze. In fact, Miller's writing made analyzing fun for me. I'm usually not the type of person who's interested in seeing beyond the lines and trying to distinguish the author's purpose for writing a certain piece of literature. However, in Death of a Salesman, it was impossible to not search for some extra meaning. 

To quickly summarize the story, this basically focuses on the Loman family, specifically on Willy Loman and his struggles of living in a world which highlights the importance of gaining some kind of American Dream. Willy is a travelling salesman who travels around New England and the New York City area. The point of attack of this play allows audiences to enter the point of time in Willy's life where he is realizing that he has a greater potential and deserves a better job, and life. However, Willy establishes a facade towards his family, causing them to believe that Willy is more "well-liked" and successful than he seems. This disturbs the relationship amongst Willy and his eldest son, Biff, who views Willy as a role model.

I enjoyed reading every single page of this play. In fact, I would be totally interested in seeing this being performed live. I love the realistic aspect of the play, as it surely addresses the lives of many Americans to this very day. The tensions in the relationships of the characters were interesting to examine, and made me become more interested in the 20s era of the twentieth century. As for any flaws in the story, if I were to give this play a five star rating, it needed an extra dash of something. Some kind of entertainment or plot twist or suspense, as, evidently, the fate of Willy Loman is already spoiled to us readers from the title. Whoa, how surprising it is that Willy's story will end in tragedy and he will die. This cannot even be identified as a spoiler. It's just common sense. The ending is where I can say that the book lost its entertainment aspect and caused readers to look in between the lines of the play. I do not know if that is my favourite approach to reading a story, that's for sure.

Death of a Salesman is some excellent, classic literature that should be continued to be read in classrooms all over the world. I found that it was easy to be entertained whilst reading it, and to analyze it for academic purposes (I had to read this for school, so finding some 'greater' message was beneficial). But even if you're not a student, READ THIS. Pick it up - it is not some kind of play that is difficult to understand (COUGH Shakespeare COUGH)! 

What are some other works of literature that focus on the American Dream?

Mind = Blown: Amazing Facts About This Weird, Hilarious, Insane World by Matthew Santoro // I Love Facts!

Mind = Blown: Amazing Facts About This Weird, Hilarious, Insane World, by Matthew Santoro
Publication: August 9, 2016, by Penguin Canada
Genre: Non-Fiction
Pages: 256
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

Matthew Santoro's originality and humour has attracted millions of fans, making him a beloved YouTube star. His weekly videos on amazing and little-known facts are eagerly anticipated by his many subscribers and followers around the world. In his first-ever book, Matthew's love of weird and wacky knowledge explodes with new facts and stories from around the planet, and beyond. Surprising, and always entertaining, Mind = Blown offers even more of Matthew's unique take on this hilarious, crazy world:
The most ridiculous laws from past and present
Crazy doppelgangers of people, places, and unexpected things
Historical wizards who actually lived
Real-life animal avengers
And a special section: Japan Blows My Mind!
From shin-kicking competitions and beer pong-playing robots, to enormous fire-balls shooting through space, you won't believe what you'll discover in Mind = Blown. But beware: there is too much astounding trivia for any one mind to contain!

My Thoughts:

Mind = Blown is one of the most interesting non-fiction books I have read. I normally only read non-fiction for school, for research papers and whatnot, but in this case, I was more than excited to request YouTuber Matthew Santoro's fact book and give it a go. It has been sitting in my shelves for the longest time, and I decided to pick it up because I wanted a quick read. A read that is satisfying enough that wouldn't make me bored. Or make my head hurt. This definitely had its span of ridiculous facts, however it was funny and entertaining (for the most part) at the same time. I will certainly remember some of the weird things for a long time.

This took me about two sittings to finish, and I admit that the four star rating exists because I had to skip over some chapters that did not interest me. I am not the biggest fan of mythology, so, naturally, I skipped over that chapter after trying to give it a go. But, I must say that the most memorable one was the one about pets and how they understand more than we humans do. Ah. The perfect way to describe this book is it being a perfect amount of everything we are searching for.







Mind = Blown really blew my mind. It's a feel-good read that everyone should pick up to take a break from our deep, hardcore fiction. Go for it as soon as possible!

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

Are there any good *different* non-fiction books around that you've read?

Death and the Maiden by Ariel Dorfman // Phenomenal Though Harsh

Death and the Maiden, by Ariel Dorfman
Publication: December 1, 1994, by Penguin Books
Genre: Fiction, Drama, Play
Pages: 96
Format: Paperback
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 

Ariel Dorfman's explosively provocative, award-winning drama is set in a country that has only recently returned to democracy. Gerardo Escobar has just been chosen to head the commission that will investigate the crimes of the old regime when his car breaks down and he is picked up by the humane doctor Roberto Miranda. But in the voice of this good Samaritan, Gerardo's wife, Paulina Salas, thinks she recognizes another man—the one who raped and tortured her as she lay blindfolded in a military detention center years before.

My Thoughts:

Death and the Maiden is warped - it has a truly messed up plot that makes you ponder about the relationships people have, but, at the same time, its warped-ness just makes it beautiful. Otherwise, it would have been a completely ordinary play that has a dark theme. This is a play that I will remember for the rest of my days. There's so much to analyze in Ariel Dorfman's writing that we can spend AGES going through it, trying to understand it all. I need to look Dorfman up and find more of his writing - it's addictive, to be quite honest.

I read this play a loooooooong time ago, but what I know I loved about it was the fact that it was so deep and carried an important message: we need to speak out. In addition, it was beautifully written and stayed true to its Chilean culture. It seemed that Dorfman had put a lot of thought into writing this story and making it fit for each of us. There were moments when I wanted to vomit because of the detailedness of Dorfman's writing and Paulina's actions, and times where I wanted to cry out because Paulina's character development was unbelievable. She began her story as a surprisingly tough woman who progressed to have feelings and understand her husband better.

You see, I read this in school and we even acted it out. That was the difficult part - but it also helped us understand the story and meaning much more. I cannot write so much without spoiling, but, short story short: YOU NEED TO READ THIS. It is deep and gory, but hey - it has a beautiful ending that will make you want more. 

Read this, fall in love, hate Roberto (you'll find out who he is), and be amused. This is a play with three AMAZINGLY CRAZY characters who are each so different yet alike. It's a literature masterpiece.

OMG Series Mini-Reviews: Scrooge #worstgiftever and Darcy Swipes Left

Scrooge #worstgiftever, by Charles Dickens and Brett Wright
Publication: September 27, 2016, by Random House BFYR
Genre: Fiction, Retellings, Classics
Pages: 112
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

Imagine: What if Scrooge, Marley, the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, and the whole Cratchit family had smartphones? A classic is reborn in this clever adaptation of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol!

One grouchy old man who can’t stop asking “How did you get this number?!”
Three ghosts who communicate in the most modern ways, including one who ONLY uses emojis!
And a status update with the most “likes” ever: God bless us, everyone!
This retelling will cure even the worst bout of Bah hummingbird! #darnyouautocorrect

A glossary and cast of characters are included for those who need it.

My Thoughts:

Brett Wright's OMG Series is absolutely a must-read. THIS DOES NOT DISAPPOINT! Scrooge #worstgiftever was the best present a girl can receive for Christmas. If you have read Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, or even if you haven't, being entertained by this witty hilarious story is the best. It is so easy for me to understand the goal of the author and what this is leading to because of the emojis and everything. THE MOOD IS JUST JOYFUL, even though the book is focused on a character who is depressed and grumpy about the Christmas season. This definitely turned out to be my favourite #OMGClassics story.

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

Darcy Swipes Left, by Jane Austen and Courtney Carbone

Publication: September 27, 2016, by Random House BFYR

Genre: Fiction, Retellings, Classics

Pages: 128

Format: Hardcover

Source: Publisher

Rating: ½

Imagine: What if Lizzy Bennet and Mr. Darcy had smartphones and dated IRL (in real life)? A classic is reborn in this clever adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice!
A truth universally acknowledged: a rich guy must want a wife.
A terrible first impression.
A couple that’s meant to be . . . if they can just get over themselves. #hatersgonnadate
Don’t miss: Lydia taking selfies with soldiers, Mrs. Bennet’s humble-brag status updates, Lizzy texting from her long walks, and Darcy swiping left on a dance card app.
tl;dr Jane Austen’s most famous novel told through its characters texting with emojis, posting photos, checking in at locations, and updating their relationship statuses. The perfect gift for any teen (or any reader with a sense of humor)!
A glossary and cast of characters are included for those who need it. For example: tl;dr means too long; didn’t read.

My Thoughts:

This is the first time I can say I read a classic that an #OMGSeries book is based on. Courtney Carbone's version of Pride and Prejudice is absolutely fabulous and it lies so well with the real story that I NEED MORE. I wish there was a P&P part two so I can read about Darcy and Lizzy's children and so I can grab another addition to the #OMGSeries! I have nothing much to say about these books in general because they are all so enjoyable, but they are feel-good reads. Nothing's better than grabbing one of these, a cup of tea and a blanket by your side. ENJOY THIS.

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