Rising Strong by Brené Brown // My Anticipation Was Really Worth It

Rising Strong, by Brené Brown
Publication: August 25, 2015, by Spiegel and Grau
Genre: Non-Fiction
Pages: 336
Format: ARC
Source: BEA/Publisher
Rating: 

The physics of vulnerability is simple: If we are brave enough often enough, we will fall. The author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Daring Greatly and The Gifts of Imperfection tells us what it takes to get back up, and how owning our stories of disappointment, failure, and heartbreak gives us the power to write a daring new ending. Struggle, Brené Brown writes, can be our greatest call to courage, and rising strong our clearest path to deeper meaning, wisdom, and hope.

My Thoughts:

I normally never have the chance to pick up non-fiction books like this that focus on psychology or actual real concepts like bravery, but thanks to BookExpo America in 2015, I had the chance to read this highly anticipated read of mine. Ever since I entered high school, I have been really interested in psychology and the way that the human mind works and how we intake emotions and let them out. Brené Brown's new book was a real buzz book at BEA last year, with a huge media showcase where the stairs at the Javis Center were even covered with the cover of this book. The cover is pretty bland, a few colours in an ombré kind of showcase, but I didn't read this for some kind of signs of Young Adult fiction. This is a real book, the realest out of the real. This book is about leaping for chances, having courage, and showing that everyone undergoes anxiety from time to time, even adults who seem to show that they have succeeded in life, just like Brené has. She is such an intelligent writer and person, and seriously, Rising Strong was fabulous.

Each one of Brené's books, as she mentioned in this one, focuses on a different concept of the human mind. There is one about daring, one about imperfection (which I should take a look at, since I am a perfectionist) and this one rolls into strength, especially emotional and mental strength. Some authors prove their "points" or "theses" by simple research, which I adore, but sometimes it takes such a turn where it is strict info-dumping. Brené uses real-life situations that she or some people she knows have undergone. I love that. It proves that everyone has moments of rising strong and a fall. 

"We've all fallen, and we have the skinned knees and bruised hearts to prove it. But scars are easier to talk about than they are to show, with all the remembered feelings laid bare. And rarely do we see wounds that are in the process of healing. I'm not sure if it's because we feel too much shame to let anyone see a process as intimate as overcoming hurt, or if it's because even when we muster the courage to share our still-incomplete healing, people reflexively look away" (xxiv).

Rising Strong is just such a new read for me and I have fallen in love with the genre of psychology and self-help. Not because I need the help or anything (okay, sometimes) but I love the heart-to-heart analysis of the situations that we have to go through in life. Brené talks about her kids, husband, family and how they affect the way she lives today. I could see why her books are highly praised. I read this book at school in English class, but not for the class itself. I read it because my teacher had us bring in a silent reading novel and I chose this, knowing that (a) it'll make me look smart (haha) and (b) it's the perfect way for me to enjoy it, at an educational environment. My friends were kind of shocked that I was reading it because it's normally not my cup of tea; I tend to stay within the YA genre. I loved it from the start.

You won't understand everything about the physics of vulnerability, but it makes a lot of sense when you put it into perspective, or into Brené's perspective. This is a book that'll make you want to take notes and go back to them one day. It's just that smart. I am really looking forward to reading Brown's other works and perhaps seeing the acclaimed TED talk she gave on this subject.

"I love maps not because they dictate the route or tell me when or how to travel, but simply because they mark the waypoints I will eventually visit. Knowing that these places exist and that they are well traveled, even if they are unexplored by me, is powerful" (39).

Rising Strong expresses the physics of vulnerability and how each of us have it inside of us. We have to rise strong, and this book seriously taught us how to do it. This is definitely recommended to those who just want to sit with a book and really, really enjoy it.

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

What are some other good self-help books, or books about psychology? Have you seen Brené's TED talk or read any of her books?

Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn // The Book That Every Girl Needs

Firsts, by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
Publication: January 5, 2016, by St. Martin's Press
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 320
Format: Hardcover
Source: Borrowed
Rating: ½

Seventeen-year-old Mercedes Ayres has an open-door policy when it comes to her bedroom, but only if the guy fulfills a specific criteria: he has to be a virgin. Mercedes lets the boys get their awkward, fumbling first times over with, and all she asks in return is that they give their girlfriends the perfect first time- the kind Mercedes never had herself.
Keeping what goes on in her bedroom a secret has been easy- so far. Her absentee mother isn’t home nearly enough to know about Mercedes’ extracurricular activities, and her uber-religious best friend, Angela, won’t even say the word “sex” until she gets married. But Mercedes doesn’t bank on Angela’s boyfriend finding out about her services and wanting a turn- or on Zach, who likes her for who she is instead of what she can do in bed.
When Mercedes’ perfect system falls apart, she has to find a way to salvage her reputation and figure out where her heart really belongs in the process. Funny, smart, and true-to-life, FIRSTS is a one-of-a-kind young adult novel about growing up.

My Thoughts:

Holy footballs. Yes, my friends, this book is weird. Yes, it comes with a twist and is debatable for some people. Yes, I told my friends about it and they were a little scarred by the concept. Yes, you need to read it. Yes, I adored it. Laurie Elizabeth Flynn had me hooked into reading this book from the moment when I spotted the cover for the first time on Goodreads, ages ago. This is a book that touches upon all of the concepts and themes that many Young Adult fiction authors are afraid of touching upon on today, in our prejudicial, judgmental society: feminism, sex, first love and absolute rawness. I would be lying if I said that Firsts wasn't amazing, that it didn't give me everything I wanted in a book like this, that I didn't feel some instant connection to our heroine, Mercedes, and her weirdness. Her confidence. Her development. This, by foremost, is the best contemporary debut I have ever seen. Okay, that's a little exaggerated, but that's how my mood is.

I read this two months ago. Two months ago, I was the same person. So please do not think that my opinion has changed. It didn't. Firsts is just such a compelling, real story that is like a guide for feminism and for girls, that we have the power and capability to do whatever we want, that we shouldn't be used as objects or as different people. Equality, people. I haven't ever been such a strong feminist or have been interested in learning about women's rights, but after Flynn's impressive story, I feel like I need to read a book or two... or fifty about it. We have a real story. That's the thing that I loved about this book the most. You see, the synopsis makes this sound completely absurd and not right, but depending on your opinion of things or situations like this, you could be in love with this like I was.

Spongebob knows exactly what I mean.

Firsts contains a heroine, Mercedes, who is basically letting virgin boys test their "skills" (I am blushing typing that out because it sounds so weird) on or with her. It's messed up, yeah (it's cheating, yeah) but it gives her this confidence that she could help out, somehow. Her mother doesn't have a care in the world of what Mercedes does, and unlike her perfect-Catholic best friend, Angela, who is in a long-term relationship and is very happy, she still undergoes this confusion with the relationships that she wants to stay, specifically that with this HOT guy named Zach. At the same time, Mercedes is super-smart and is hoping to get into MIT. Basically, Laurie Elizabeth Flynn throws this interesting plot into a high school setting where we readers feel this crazy tension that her secret will be exploded into the hallways and she will be called everything that a girl will never want to be called.

I love how the synopsis (thanks, St. Martin's Griffin!) calls this book an one-of-a-kind read about growing up. These kinds of things affect every teenager everyday. Yeah, I would never in a million years do the things that Mercedes does (except for applying to MIT and making out with Zach!), but we see this stereotypical image of teenage girls all over the place, on social media and beyond. Why not take a stand? I mean, everyone has this different image of themselves. Many use their physical beauty as a way to boost their confidence, others intelligence, others physical abilities such as sports. For Mercedes, it was sex. And what a funny thing, her nickname is Mercy.

So girls, this is your anthem. You will be instantly addicted to this story, I know I was, and I can't stop thinking about it until this day. There are steamy scenes that make your heart turn inside out from time to time, and then we see a side of Mercy that begs for that cute romance that many teenage girls aspire to have. I find that authors these days like to speed things up for their characters, making impossible things happen to them during high school, where I am unable to relate to any of it all because I know that I will never do those things, but this book contains those different themes and such that I, myself, could relate to. Flynn touches upon everything: sex, school itself, drama, slut-shaming, friendship, actual love, forgiveness... perhaps everything that we could possibly think of. All of these themes affect us in one way or another, and I just love how they were blended in; I couldn't stop reading.

Now, I am going to dedicate this paragraph to Zach. AGH AGH AGH AGH AGH AGH AGH GBOGEIUBGEIGFJIIRYQUHRW OMGGG! I wish I could upload a video of myself fangirling here. No, I would never do that, haha. But.. I loved the relationship that he and Mercy had and my heart can't stop squirming and I cannot stop freaking out. I wish there was a novella from his perspective because it seemed that he liked Mercy from the start of the book and AHHHHHHHHH! *calms down* I apologize. Anyhow.

The only thing that I could pick at in this novel is the beginning portion where I wasn't so sure what would occur with Mercy's character, but that quickly subsided. Let's just blur that whole sentence out so we could pretend that there wasn't a thing wrong with this book. Speaking of wrong, MY FRIEND REALLY UPSET ME WHEN SHE THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS DUMB. If you think that this book sounds/is dumb, get out. *laughs and pats you on the back*







Firsts is easily a favourite for me, and I need to buy my own special copy and surround her with my golden books. I read this thanks to my library, but it's time for me to get my own personal guide. Girls of all ages (no, I'm kidding, of a certain age) GET THIS BOOK. Read it and love it and kiss it and hug it because I'm telling you, there is no other book like this in the entire universe. I am so ecstatic to read Laurie Elizabeth Flynn's next books in the near future!

What is the best girl-power book you have read recently? Does Firsts sound interesting to you?

Yellow Brick War by Danielle Paige // Such a Mesmerizing Third Book

Yellow Brick War (Dorothy Must Die #3), by Danielle Paige
Publication: March 15, 2016, by HarperCollins
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy
Pages: 270
Format: Hardcover
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 

Once upon a time, there was a girl from Kansas named Dorothy.
You might know her as the Girl Who Rode the Cyclone. She ended up in Oz, where she became friends with the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion. But the temptation of magic was too much for her. She let it change her. Her friends became twisted versions of their former selves.
The magical land of Oz is now a dark and menacing place.
My name is Amy Gumm. Tornadoes must have a thing about girls from Kansas, because I got swept away on one too. I also landed in Oz, where Good is Wicked, Wicked is Good, and the Wicked Witches clued me in to my true calling:
Assassin.
The only way to stop Dorothy from destroying Oz—and Kansas—is to kill her. And I’m the only one who can do it.
But I failed. Others died for my mistakes. Because of me, the portal between the worlds has been opened and Kansas and Oz are both in danger. And if I don’t find a way to close it?
Dorothy will make sure I never get to go home again.

My Thoughts:

I WILL INCLUDE SPOILERS, MY FELLOW LIONS, SCARECROWS AND TIN MEN/WOMEN. I was SO fortunate to meet Danielle Paige (SQUEAL!) at BookExpo America this year, where she was signing her upcoming gorgeous novel, Stealing Snow. Of course, I fangirled, and I remember our conversation clearly: I kept telling her how much I admire her and how I adore her Dorothy Must Die series. And then I also said how I love this series much more than the original Wizard of Oz film. She was shocked, but of course in a good way, because duh, that was a compliment. I JUST ADORE THIS SERIES, OKAY? I actually rewatched the original film a few months ago and I found that I was bored out of my mind, and not because I read something similar with Danielle's writing. I just find that the retellings and twists (like this) are better than the real thing. Yellow Brick War was just as powerful and intriguing as the other books in this series and I just cannot stop recommending this series out to everyone I know. Trust me: most of my friends have actually read this series after hearing my endless recommendations. Although I expected a little more from this third novel, I was completely satisfied.

I am also satisfied, in this case, that the series is not over. At the end of this one, we readers are left with a cliff-hanger that we just cannot stop thinking about. As usual, Danielle Paige writes an action-packed fantasy novel with beautiful characters that we know from the original literary classic or film, and I just cannot stop fangirling over this new fandom that I feel that I have joined after reading the first novel in this electrifying series.

Yellow Brick War, my dear friends, is all about Amy getting pissed off and trying to kill Dorothy, once again. This time, she succeeds. FINALLY. YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW ECSTATIC I WAS TO DISCOVER THAT THE B**CH WAS FINALLY DEAD. Years ago, when I was a kid, who would have thought that Dorothy would be evil and one of the worst characters to be included in YA literature? And by worst characters, I mean antagonists. Honestly, I love Amy's character development throughout the whole series, but in this third book, it is where it really shines. We see her confidence, and her ability to know what to do in scary situations. I know that I would never know what to do in her case, living in this world that she always thought was a fantasy, being torn apart by love and witches. This is the real thing.

As many other reviewers have mentioned in their own reviews, there wasn't really a war in this one. To be honest, I hardly pay attention to titles these days. Yeah, I look at them when I decide to read a book or not, but to me, the synopsis is what counts, and is what really has me deciding whether I should purchase/borrow a book. And of course, the cover definitely counts, too. There is a war in this third instalment, but it is minor. I don't want some huge war where I couldn't care less. To me, I rather see Amy destroy Oz on her own, without some kind of major war where everyone heads onto different sides and try to rip the other people's heads off.

You will go crazy because you won't be able to wait for the fourth instalment. I know I can't. And watch me forget about everything that occurred in this book and well, I will be disappointed. Danielle Paige's only issue here is reminding readers of what occurred in the past books. This is what happens: I have to wait a year for the sequel to the previous book, and I read books afterwards. I AM NOT GOING TO SPEND A YEAR THINKING ABOUT DOROTHY AND AMY GUMM. I would go mad. And then the next book comes, and I forget everything. *cries* Thank goodness for the reviewers who actually summarize everything. I do not know how you do that, my friends.

The ships are real here, too. Amy cannot just stop creating ROMANCE TROUBLE AND MY HEART KEEPS EXPLODING. I am seriously curious to see how Stealing Snow will cause craziness with my heart when I read it soon. This book seriously just has it all, I must say.

Danielle Paige has done it for the third time. She is such a brilliant writer and I wish that I read this one prior to BEA so I could have asked her for a minor spoiler of the next book. BUT, ALL IN ALL, THIS WAS SPLENDID. If you just read my review with that ONE BIG SPOILER, and you haven't picked up any books of this series yet, then I would sprint right now. What are you still doing here? Buy all of the books, all of the novellas, or else, I will really start a yellow brick war with someone. 

Do you like Danielle Paige's writing/Do you want to read a book by Danielle Paige? Do you enjoy fantasy novels with a big war in them?

Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye // Is This What They Call a Good Retelling?

Jane Steele, by Lyndsay Faye
Publication: March 22, 2016, by G.P. Putnam's Sons
Genre: Adult Fiction, Historical, Mystery
Pages: 416
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

A sensitive orphan, Jane Steele suffers first at the hands of her spiteful aunt and predatory cousin, then at a grim school where she fights for her very life until escaping to London, leaving the corpses of her tormentors behind her. After years of hiding from the law while penning macabre “last confessions” of the recently hanged, Jane thrills at discovering an advertisement. Her aunt has died and her childhood home has a new master: Mr. Charles Thornfield, who seeks a governess.
Burning to know whether she is in fact the rightful heir, Jane takes the position incognito, and learns that Highgate House is full of marvelously strange new residents—the fascinating but caustic Mr. Thornfield, an army doctor returned from the Sikh Wars, and the gracious Sikh butler Mr. Sardar Singh, whose history with Mr. Thornfield appears far deeper and darker than they pretend. As Jane catches ominous glimpses of the pair’s violent history and falls in love with the gruffly tragic Mr. Thornfield, she faces a terrible dilemma: can she possess him—body, soul, and secrets—without revealing her own murderous past?

A satirical romance about identity, guilt, goodness, and the nature of lies, by a writer who Matthew Pearl calls “superstar-caliber” and whose previous works Gillian Flynn declared “spectacular,” Jane Steele is a brilliant and deeply absorbing book inspired by Charlotte Brontë’s classic Jane Eyre.

My Thoughts:

I actually have not read Jane Eyre before. My friends, that is my scary confession. In elementary school, I remember that my library did have a copy of it, and I also do recall reading the first chapter again and again, not understanding a word that Charlotte Brontë was trying to say. Jane Steele was supposed to be a book that was going to intrigue me, intrigue me to read the actual literary classic that stunned the world and everyone reads constantly. I recommend this to readers who loved Jane Eyre, and are seeking a retelling that has never been done before. From what I could recall, this kind of retelling has never been written before. YOU CAN'T ARGUE WITH ME. JANE EYRE AS A SERIAL KILLER? That's super kick-butt.

I wanted to read this because it sounded absurd. Lyndsay Faye seemed to have put a twist on the whole story. A Sikh butler? Sikh Wars? I kind of am getting a feel of Star Wars, if you ask me. But then I started reading, and I became very confused. And weirded out. And unsatisfied. And bored out of my mind. This book was so confusing and boring that my eyeballs were about to fall out of their sockets because they couldn't stand to look at the words on the pages. I was so confused. Perhaps this book was written with a similar plot to the original, and it makes sense if you understand that, but I spent the first half of the book wondering who the main character was. Yes, I get that Jane Steele is our main character, but I was also trying to comprehend who she was and how she contributed to her story.

"Reader, I murdered him" is the cool catchphrase that they used for marketing this book, and I still don't get why. LIKE YEAH, SHE'S A SERIAL KILLER. I kind of was distracted with that. Anyhow. THIS IS GORY AND THERE'S A LOT OF BLOOD AND VIOLENCE AND ABUSE THAT YOUR INSIDES SHAKE. That was satisfying for me (not that I'm creepy or anything). Listen, I read adult novels for the fact that I am seeking something that YA doesn't have. Jane Steele did have those details that YA authors don't usually touch upon, especially looking at the mentality of the characters. But this book was too weird for me.

But, another great thing was that it contained a lot of comic relief and was so sarcastic that I didn't know if I should believe the author or not. That's a good sign... I guess.

You see, I finished this a while ago, in May (it's July as I'm writing this, by the way). I didn't have the guts to write the review because I didn't know what to say. This was really boring for me and I haven't read a book this bad since. 

"I did not want to remember very much of my life—but when I thought of Highgate House, its shape shifted in my memory that day, its stark lines tangling with ivy and sentiment and something disturbingly like fanatical ownership" (148).

Lyndsay Faye is seriously a fabulous writer. I could see why other famous adult fiction authors like Gillian Flynn are praising her. Her details are very complex and intriguing, but something happens with her characters or plot that just stirs me away. I did not like Jane's character; it seemed that she was very bland and too obsessed with one thing at a time. Who said that people can be well-rounded when looking at her?

Jane Steele seriously was not my cup of tea. I wouldn't really recommend it to others who have similar tastes in books as I do, but there are a lot of positive reviews out there so in this case, I am the black sheep. If you enjoy a steampunk genre mixed in with a retelling of a classic story that has never been written before, sure. I rather read the actual classic than this. *frowns*

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

What are some other interesting retellings of Jane Eyre? Do you enjoy retellings of classic novels?

Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman // A Yummy Fantasy!

Legacy of Kings (Blood of Gods and Royals #1), by Eleanor Herman
Publication: August 18, 2015, by Harlequin Teen
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Historical
Pages: 428
Format: ARC
Source: BEA/Publisher
Rating: ½

Imagine a time when the gods turn a blind eye to the agony of men, when the last of the hellions roam the plains and evil stirs beyond the edges of the map. A time when cities burn, and in their ashes, empires rise.
Alexander, Macedonia’s sixteen-year-old heir, is on the brink of discovering his fated role in conquering the known world but finds himself drawn to a newcomer…
Katerina must navigate the dark secrets of court life while hiding her own mission: kill the Queen. But she doesn’t account for her first love…
Jacob will go to unthinkable lengths to win Katerina, even if it means having to compete for her heart with Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince.
And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander’s unmet betrothed, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters.
Weaving fantasy with the shocking details of real history, New York Times bestselling author of Sex with Kings Eleanor Herman reimagines the greatest emperor the world has ever known, Alexander the Great, in the first book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series.

My Thoughts:

Every year, the YA book community is lucky to discover many new reads that will end up on many of our "Top 10" lists. In 2015, although it took me more than a year to actually get to, the world discovered and was lucky to receive a book by a lovely fantasy author that will change the way we look at high fantasy literature and retellings: Eleanor Herman. With this gorgeous Legacy of Kings, readers are thrown into a story that features many perspectives in the first person (my favourite!), a love square (or something like that—trust me, everyone's connected and in love with each other), retelling aspects, and story about Alexander the Great, something that has never been done before and carries on with George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones and Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass vibes. I am not saying this simply because of the fact that the two are high fantasy novels with assassins and all of that cool gear, but because I feel this historical fantasy vibe while I did read this lovely thing.

I was hesitant, trust me. Reviews are kind of slamming back and forth with this one, and I felt this sure thing that I wouldn't enjoy it. I had a review copy from BEA, so why not take the risk? But you should imagine when I took the risk. I took the risk in May, deciding to lug this one with me on my trip to Chicago, where Eleanor Herman was signing the sequel to this. THANK GOODNESS I GRABBED A COPY. High fantasy either becomes a hit or a miss for me, and I find myself frequently disliking books with magic and hierarchies, and then there are the times where I go on this high fantasy stroll and try to add every book that exists like this to my bookshelf.

Legacy of Kings is such a great read. Every single fantasy lover out there needs to grab their wallets, hitch a ride to the bookstore (or log onto Amazon) and just pick this up. I love the family ties and how every character is connected to one another, and I loved the fact that this takes away from our ordinary Mary Sue books about war. Hell yeah, there was fighting and action, but Herman knows exactly what she was doing to make sure that her debut YA book would stem in the opposite direction from others. 

In order to summarize this huge 428-paged bundle of madness into a paragraph, I will require a good mood. Check. Okay, so... We readers get to sit in the perspectives of three lovely people who are featured in this love square, as I like to call it. Alexander, Katerina and Jacob all live in this Roman period of time or whatever the correct terms seem to be, but this is kind of a prequel prior to Alexander's greatness and so on. Katerina likes Alexander, who likes Zofia, who likes Jacob, who likes Katerina. You see what I mean? At least these characters have a lover somewhere, someone who loves them, even though they may not realize that they love that person instead. YOU SEE MY FRIENDS? THIS IS COMPLICATED. This book is complicated by itself, without the romance, and I strongly recommend buying book one and two together and binge reading them. I feel like I am experiencing some kind of great loss without Empire of Dust in my hands right now. See above: I do own it. I also recommend reading this without any distractions: it is amazingly important to cherish Eleanor's writing with its details and the captivation that she writes with without any distractions. All of fantasy is like that: no distractions needed.

I keep blabbing the positives here, my fellow kings and queens. THIS WAS BORING IN THE BEGINNING. Everyone was and still is saying that, and I seriously agree. This book is really difficult to get into, because there is so much destined to happen but there's nothing occurring at the same time, you know what I mean? I was bored out of my mind for the first hundred pages, and expected that I would DNF this. Once the romance picked up and the real drama (psstt.... OLYMPIA) arrived, I knew that this would be my kind of read.

The character relationships are so complex and yet so interesting that I feel that they are the stars of this novel. Not the idea. Not the plot. THEM. And the amount of plot twists that Eleanor adds in to keep us reading? MAGNIFICENT.

Legacy of Kings was a plus for me, but it could surely be a minus for you, depending on your patience. I JUST NEED TO READ THE SEQUEL NOW. That's what's bothering me, poking at me whenever I decide to add a different book onto my currently reading shelf on Goodreads. Alex's voice is just stuck with readers from start to finish, and definitely way after. I just cannot get this twisted story out of my head and can only wish that I was part of this fictional world somehow. 

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

What is your favourite genre of books overall? What are some other books that could compare to Game of Thrones or Throne of Glass?

Waiting on Wednesday #42: Be Good Be Real Be Crazy

Be Good Be Real Be Crazy, by Chelsey Philpot
Publication: October 11, 2016, by HarperTeen
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 272

Three teenagers. One road trip. Countless detours. From the author of Even in Paradise comes a compelling story of self-discovery that is perfect for fans of Paper Towns andMosquitoland.
When Mia first waltzed into Homer’s small corner of Florida, her bold approach to life changed Homer’s entire world. It wasn’t long before he was hopelessly in love.
Now Mia is moving away—and Homer and his younger brother, Einstein, are helping her drive hundreds of miles to her new home. This is Homer’s last chance to tell Mia how he really feels. And with so many detours in front of them, anything could happen.
In the tradition of Let's Get Lost and Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, Be Good Be Real Be Crazy is a story about love, friendship, and finding yourself.

GUYS.

GUYS.

GUYS.

GIRLS.

GIRLS.

GIRLS.

CHELSEY PHILPOT HAS A NEW BOOK!

That's all of the capital huge letters for today, fellas. But I'm so excited! In case you didn't know or realize, Chelsey Philpot is the HarperTeen author of Even in Paradise, one of my most favourite contemporaries and favourite books of 2015. I adore books that deal with road trips and summer, so THIS WILL MAKE MY DAY/LIFE. The cover is simply adorable, too!

What are you anticipating the most this week?

How It Ends by Catherine Lo // The Good Ole Tale of Friendship

How It Ends, by Catherine Lo
Publication: June 7, 2016, by HMH BFYR
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 304
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

There are two sides to every story.
It’s friends-at-first-sight for Jessie and Annie, proving the old adage that opposites attract. Shy, anxious Jessie would give anything to have Annie’s beauty and confidence. And Annie thinks Jessie has the perfect life, with her close-knit family and killer grades. They're BFFs…until suddenly they're not.

Told through alternating points of view, How It Ends is a wildly fast but deeply moving read about a friendship in crisis. Set against a tumultuous sophomore year of bullying, boys and backstabbing, the novel shows what can happen when friends choose assumptions and fear over each other.

My Thoughts:

Catherine Lo's How It Ends is a story that yes, incorporates two foil perspectives, blended into a whole where readers, from the first page, are immediately persuaded into understanding this gorgeous story of friendship from two points of view, but it is also a story that I will never forget when looking through the glass (that was NOT an Alice in Wonderland film title reference—okay, maybe a little) at stories that feature two girls who are friends. Lo adds just the right bit of everything that makes this so utter glorious and satisfying to read that I just wish that it wasn't over. It is one of the most relatable books of the year for me, although I, as a sophomore soon junior in high school, have not experienced nearly anything that both Annie and Jessie have in a matter of a year. This just shows how two people can be put into each other's lives without knowing, or even expecting it. And by the way, before you get your hopes up: This is not based on the romance. Not even closely.

I loved reading this novel for many reasons, but the fact that this was based on the friendship between Annie and Jessie itself, and that the two clicked immediately and that this was based on a parabola (ugh, math) of their friendship makes things so interesting. We readers spend an equal amount of time reading the story of Annie and Jessie, both being similar but different events happening from time to time. Annie is the newbie to Jessie's school, and she hits it off instantly with Jessie, alongside Jessie's mortal enemies, who bullied her all through middle and high school. Jessie deals with anxiety and depression from the outcome of this bullying. Lo, through these two girls, expresses a increase and deterioration of the friendship between these two girls, and how every set of friends have their highs and their lows. 

This book expresses friendship and all of its matters in the most honest way: being real. Annie and Jessie are the realest characters of real; just like Jessie's mom calls them, they are puzzle pieces. After reading, I can only look at my group of friends and think about how we are perfect for each other, and how we are our own puzzle. Puzzles are difficult to put together, but once one finds the right match, it is absolutely perfect. That is such a gorgeous comparison to friendship. Afterwards, I could only hope that a future edition of this novel would have a cover with puzzle pieces on it. That would add that extra fluff. This book was nowhere near fluffy, though. This is not your fluffy contemporary that you decide to read on a boring summer day and you just find yourself flipping through the pages for the reason that you want hot, blazing, steamy romance. Romance with all of the aggressively sexy adjectives placed before them. No. Catherine Lo's writing is strictly for teens or readers who are lurking for a special read. This was a special, satisfying read that I would recommend to everyone.

Age is a big factor when it comes to how relatable book protagonists seem to be. I found myself relating to both Annie and Jessie, not completely, but with certain aspects. These girls are both fifteen, and seem to have so much more maturity in their characters that makes this story even easier to believe in. I loved the play on actual fiction through the story, and how Annie and Jessie's friendship is like a story. I never let that aspect leave my mind. 

How It Ends is a read for everyone, any time of the year, and we could just experience any type of emotion while doing so. I endured anger, tears, happiness... whatever you could possibly imagine. It's one of the truest stories that every single person has experienced at one time or another, but to different extremes. 

How It Ends expresses the lives of modern day teenagers, whipped with friendship, struggles and looking at the bright side of things when life gets too difficult. Because who ever said that teenagers do not have difficult lives?

*A big thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for a honest review!*

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I was also very fortunate to take part in this blog tour thanks to Raincoast Books, and was fortunate to ask Catherine Lo one question!

WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR YOUNG ASPIRING WRITERS?

Read widely and often! I used to think of reading as “cheating” on my writing time. I

love to read so much that it didn’t feel like work – it felt like an indulgence that

I should be setting aside to get my writing done. I’ve come to see things differently

now, and I read constantly while writing. I find that while I’m reading, I get

inspired, and I find myself analyzing what works and what doesn’t work in a story, how

believable characters are created, how pacing and plotting work, and how authors draw

readers in to the story and get them invested. When I’m struggling with one of my own

stories, I find that letting go and immersing myself in another book is sometimes the

perfect way to clear my head and find inspiration for how to solve the problem.

What are some YA contemporaries that are focused simply on friendship?