Macbeth by William Shakespeare // Really Good and Dumb, When You Think About It

Macbeth, by William Shakespeare
Publication: 1606 (May 1, 2012, by Sterling Signature)
Genre: Play, Historical, Murder
Pages: 352
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Rating: 

One of the great Shakespearean tragedies, Macbeth is a dark and bloody drama of ambition, murder, guilt, and revenge. Prompted by the prophecies of three mysterious witches and goaded by his ambitious wife, the Scottish thane Macbeth murders Duncan, King of Scotland, in order to succeed him on the throne. This foul deed soon entangles the conscience-stricken nobleman in a web of treachery, deceit, and more murders, which ultimately spells his doom. Set amid the gloomy castles and lonely heaths of medieval Scotland, Macbeth paints a striking dramatic portrait of a man of honor and integrity destroyed by a fatal character flaw and the tortures of a guilty imagination.

My Thoughts:

Macbeth by the great William Shakespeare is such a stupid book, when you really think about it. I remember being young, asking my parents who Shakespeare is, and later asking if his plays were interesting, in their opinions. My dad liked Hamlet, but no one ever said anything about Macbeth. And then I discovered that I would be reading it for English class in tenth grade, and they both admitted that it's dumb. I didn't believe them, because Shakespeare is one of my favourite writers and I love the way he plays with words. And then I actually read this interesting story about greed and pride, and I discovered that they were completely right. Being a tragedy and all, we readers could immediately understand what to expect with this story: Macbeth is a tragic hero, therefore he dies, and others will die too, because of his great tragic flaw. It couldn't have been more dumber—but I was intrigued by this stupidity and the predictability of this great play. In the end, I must say that it was seriously great. 

Many people have issues enjoying/reading books that are required for them to read because of school. I rarely have had that issue, because I find that my English teachers are doing a good job with choosing books for the curriculum that people my age would actually enjoy/relate to. Macbeth isn't totally relatable, as we don't live in a period of time where Canada/America has a king or queen, but we always do undergo these phases of greed or jealousy. This tragic play by Shakespeare explores supernatural aspects in the midst of a time setting of royalty and power in Scotland. 

"See, see, our honour'd hostess.—The love that follows us sometime is our trouble, which still we thank as love. Herein I teach you how you shall bid God yield us for your pains and thank us for your trouble."

It's a simple yet complex plot. Macbeth is a Thane of Glamis in Scotland, being successful in battle and being known as the courageous man in their land. He has a high reputation, and is admired by King Duncan. After three witches approach Macbeth and his friend Banquo and tell him that he will become Thane of Cawdor, and later King, Macbeth strives to make these prophecies come true. Banquo thinks that the witches were all in their heads, being hallucinations, but Macbeth is naïve enough to know that this is no joke. He murders Duncan, and becomes King, of course, keeping a hidden identity as a murderer/assassin. 

Of course, that's the climax moment. As every Shakespearean tragedy, the protagonist (or antagonist, as Macbeth is) undergoes this downfall or deterioration. That was the most interesting part of the play, in my opinion. Although I hated Macbeth's character so much as well as his utter stupidity compared to his kick-ass wife, Lady Macbeth, he was the highlight of the play and I felt that it was very important to pay close attention to his character. I was correct. Throughout the play, even though Shakespeare's use of language is very complex and nuts, compared to your average authors of modern day, or even other playwrights, I was so interested. Thank goodness my teacher did not give my class a pop quiz on who said what line. I would've died of fear.

"What, sir, not yet at rest? The king's abed. He hath been in unusual pleasure and sent forth great largess to your offices. This diamond he greets your wife withal, by the name of most kind hostess, and shut up in measureless content."

Macbeth is not as good as Romeo and Juliet, as I always look forward for some romance in the novels/plays I read, though I really enjoyed it. I felt a tight connection to the characters, and as soon as I realize how much I liked their character, they die. This kind of had the Game of Thrones vibe, I must say. From the start of the play, I had a feeling that I would rate this five stars, but that deteriorated a little in the middle where I couldn't stand Macbeth and his actions. Yes, that was supposed to occur, but it kind of got on my nerves, as intended. 

William Shakespeare always knows how to derive his stories from a perfect setting, well mostly because he was fortunate to have been living in that particular time period as well. No author could mix up a perfect play like this and mould such a good setting into it as Shakespeare has. With the ghosts, witches, royalty and different themes, I was in love.

Macbeth has always been known as a classic, but I definitely see why. I ended up writing a comparative essay on this lovely story and you will find inspiration through this, too, even though it is quite predictable. All in all, there are no other stories like this in the whole world, and even if one does pop up, we will know what the original is. Get ready to love-and-hate this as well as one of the most popular antagonists in all of literary history, Lord Macbeth. 

What is your favourite Shakespeare play? Have you read/watched Macbeth? What do you think of its premise?

738 Days by Stacey Kade // Not Your Typical Abduction Story

738 Days, by Stacey Kade
Publication: June 7, 2016, by Forge Books
Genre: New Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 432
Format: Paperback
Source: BEA/Publisher
Rating: 

At fifteen, Amanda Grace was abducted on her way home from school. 738 days later, she escaped. Her 20/20 interview is what everyone remembers—Amanda describing the room where she was kept, the torn poster of TV heartthrob Chase Henry on the wall. It reminded her of home and gave her the strength to keep fighting.
Now, years later, Amanda is struggling to live normally. Her friends have gone on to college, while she battles PTSD. She’s not getting any better, and she fears that if something doesn’t change soon she never will.
Six years ago, Chase Henry defied astronomical odds, won a coveted role on a new TV show, and was elevated to super-stardom. With it, came drugs, alcohol, arrests, and crazy spending sprees. Now he's sober and a Hollywood pariah, washed up at twenty-four.
To revamp his image, Chase’s publicist comes up with a plan: surprise Amanda Grace with the chance to meet her hero, followed by a visit to the set of Chase’s new movie. The meeting is a disaster, but out of mutual desperation, Amanda and Chase strike a deal. What starts as a simple arrangement, though, rapidly becomes more complicated when they realize they need each other in more ways than one. But when the past resurfaces in a new threat, will they stand together or fall apart?

My Thoughts:

I always do love me some abduction stories. Obviously, not because of the fact that I would want anyone (or any character) to experience what Amanda in the book had, but because my emotions plummet like a waterfall. They seriously do. And for once, an author has experimented the kidnapping/abduction theme by not focusing the story on what happened during the parts where the character was hidden from the rest of the world or the fact that they escaped, but focused on the aftermath instead. Just as the tagline reads, "Love is the greatest escape," Stacey Kade, a new favourite author of mine, focuses this new adult novel on the romance, for sure. 

738 Days' title is basically the number of days that Amanda Grace, our heroine, was abducted for. She came back, escaped, and she says that the reason she kept calm was because of the celebrity poster of Chase Henry in her room of where she stayed. Her story went viral. Even though he has had a bad reputation, Chase Henry, TV show superstar is now famous again because of Amanda's story. His publicist makes him give Amanda a surprise, and she freaks out. The world freaks out. And as they spend more time together... you got it: romance blooms. 

This was the third book I picked up to read that was from BEA this year, and I seriously wanted to love it so much. It turns out that I did. There has been such good word being spread out about this new adult novel of Stacey Kade's, and I was sure that I would love it just as much. Readers spend the whole 432 pages focused on Amanda's PTSD, her personal inner demons, the fact that she is in love with Chase, and even Chase's personal demons. The thing I adored the most was that Stacey focused the story on both of their perspectives because they were equally important characters. Without the other, the book wouldn't have been the same and I cannot imagine what else it could have turned into.

738 Days is raw, explicit with the amount of details and facts given about each of the characters' personalities and how they need each other. I ADORE THE "NEEDING EACH OTHER" PART OF THE STORY. It made my heart skip a beat because the relationship between Chase and Amanda was so strong that I admit, I have never read about such a relationship for a long time. These characters are mature, knowing what they are in for if they decide to take risks, and the maturity makes a stronger relationships. I loved the steamy parts of the story as well; 'twas very entertaining, my romance fans.

"One of the side effects of surviving the worst possible thing to happen to you is that you're left with this new awareness of the world. There's no control, no true safety; it's all random chance. Anything can happen at any time, to you, to the people you love. The world is full of sharp edges, just waiting to hurt you, one way or another" (22-23).

What I truly had mixed feelings about was the drama itself. Fellow readers, Stacey Kade does add this extra dose of drama that could be criticized: everything that had to do with Chase's publicist and how she played a role in the book. I didn't like that Amanda had to undergo an additional situation where she had to look behind her shoulders everywhere she went because of this publicist's envy. Yes, I do get that Chase is famous and all, but it wasn't needed. This wasn't necessary for entertainment. This was a minor fault that showed up once in a while and reminded readers that Chase and Amanda's romance isn't perfect, but flawed instead because there are people in the way of them accomplishing further stages in their relationship.

This is more than just the romance as well. It taught us so much about life, how overcoming difficult times in your life isn't easy for anyone. Chase, of course, didn't have a past similar to Amanda's, dealing with abduction and that personal fear, but he did have a past filled with drugs, isolation, alcohol and reminders that he isn't that person who everyone speculates he is. Their stories intertwined so perfectly that I could just squeal forever and ever. (It's been more than a month since I've read this and I'm still freaking out!)

738 Days is not your ordinary, fluffy, contemporary romance that I would prefer to call "chick-lit." It certainly does not fit any of those descriptions a hundred percent. Instead, it's a story about overcoming your personal demons, looking towards the future and having someone by your side to help you do that. Chase and Amanda both are stunning protagonists who each lead the book in their two directions, intertwining at one point and having all of us want more. The ending was so satisfying, so sweet, and all of our questions were answered, because seriously: this story is not a walk in the park. It's complex, beautiful and everlasting. I feel like Chase and Amanda are still in my head, maturing and continuing their relationship forever. 

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

What is a book (YA or not) that has characters dealing with their own personal demons? What are some nice new adult romances that aren't too steamy?

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry // Plays Rule. This One Especially.

A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry
Publication: November 29, 2004, by Vintage (1959 originally)
Genre: Play, Historical
Pages: 151
Format: Hardcover
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 

Indeed Lorraine Hansberry's award-winning drama about the hopes and aspirations of a struggling, working-class family living on the South Side of Chicago connected profoundly with the psyche of black America--and changed American theater forever. The play's title comes from a line in Langston Hughes's poem "Harlem," which warns that a dream deferred might "dry up/like a raisin in the sun."
"The events of every passing year add resonance to A Raisin in the Sun," said The New York Times. "It is as if history is conspiring to make the play a classic." This Modern Library edition presents the fully restored, uncut version of Hansberry's landmark work with an introduction by Robert Nemiroff.

My Thoughts:

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry is one of the books that I was required to read this year for English class, and I just expected a nothing-special book about racism and America back in the day. Little did I know that this would be a play, about a family who overcomes differences within them and that the playwright would feature feminism, dreams coming true and just about everything I was looking for in a play that will require me to think, write essays on and have fun reading. Although its title is extremely odd, and I still do not understand why Lorraine Hansberry had decided to give the story of the Youngers this particular title, this ruled. Okay, I do see the reference from the poem, Harlem, but come on. It ain't clear. I totally understand why in the past, many have been interested with this story and how it even became a film.

What was my favourite thing was that this is so relatable. I mean, I was not born in the 1950s, I did/do not have the issues that the Youngers are having, but I just felt this automatic relation to the characters and their dreams during this difficult period of time in South Side Chicago. Before reading, I actually was in Chicago for a book conference, and I did visit the South Side of the city and discovered that that was the setting for the difficulty and poverty that many experienced. Every character of Hanberry's had something to share with readers. This is just a must-read for people looking to read a play, or a beautiful story about poverty, dreams and racism, all mixed in together like a stew. It made me want to cry, laugh and just be grateful for life.

Readers, from the first dazzling scene that spends a lot of time describing the setting of the play, which was the apartment home of the Youngers, are introduced to Walter, the protagonist, Beneatha, his younger sister, Ruth, his wife, Travis, his son, and Mama, the mother of Walter and Beneatha. These characters each have their own dreams and contain a lot of hope, though I will not spoil their aspirations because honestly? That's the reader's job to do. This all begins when the Youngers are awaiting an insurance check for Mama, which was $10 000. This could really change their lives, have them move into a new home, but they soon discover that they, because they are "Negroes," are not wanted. 

"God knows there was plenty wrong with Walter Younger—hard-headed, mean, kind of wild with women—plenty wrong with him. But he sure loved his children. Always wanted them to have something—be something. That's where Brother gets all these notions, I reckon."

This is just a great story. I feel like watching the movie now, taking everything in and really enjoying the story once more. You can't not enjoy Lorraine Hansberry's story. There is so much going on all the time and each character just makes my heart squirm. I couldn't stop reading, and this was definitely the most real play I have read.

I actually got the chance to act a scene out of this particular play, the scene where the Younger family is confronted by Mr. Lindner, a man who is part of a community "welcoming committee" of Clybourne Park, which is the neighbourhood of the home that the Youngers purchased with the insurance money. I played Ruth, and it was spectacular feeling the feelings that the Youngers felt and undergoing a similar to feel to what they had. My group got perfect on that assignment. 

A Raisin in the Sun is a memorable, special read that for some, may seem boring, but for me, was unique and light and beautiful. You will fall in love with this cute group of characters, and you will lie in bed, unable to stop thinking about the social issues presented by the playwright. Lorraine Hansberry, your characters Walter, Ruth, Mama and Beneatha will always stick with me, in my heart. I feel like going to eat a packet of raisins now.

What is the latest play you have read? What is your favourite play of all time?

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris // I Don't Want to Close My Doors Now!

Behind Closed Doors, by B.A. Paris
Publication: August 9, 2016, by St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Thriller, Abuse
Pages: 304
Format: ARC
Source: BEA/Publisher
Rating: 

Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace: he has looks and wealth, she has charm and elegance. You'd like to get to know Grace better. But it's difficult, because you realize Jack and Grace are never apart. Some might call this true love.
Picture this: a dinner party at their perfect home, the conversation and wine flowing. They appear to be in their element while entertaining. And Grace's friends are eager to reciprocate with lunch the following week. Grace wants to go, but knows she never will. Her friends call—so why doesn't Grace ever answer the phone? And how can she cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim?
And why are there bars on one of the bedroom windows?
The perfect marriage? Or the perfect lie?

My Thoughts:

B.A. Paris' Behind Closed Doors is the book I have been recommending the most to every person on this planet (ie. all of my friends and teachers, even) and it is the best psychological thriller I have ever read, seriously, alongside In a Dark Dark Wood. I am in love with the quick pacing, messed-up characters (excluding Grace, of course), plot twists, suspense, flashbacks, ending, everything. I'm amazed by it all, and I still, to this day, cannot imagine how Paris was able to construct such an electrifying story that still gives me goosebumps and chills when I think about the sickness of Jack's character and how poor Grace had to deal with it all. This is unbelievably beautiful, remarkable and seriously amazing. WATCH THIS BECOME A MOVIE. I SWEAR. If I was a multimillionaire, had the time, had the education, knew people and actors, I would turn it into a movie by myself, if everyone else was dumb and couldn't do it on their own.

This was the second book I read from BEA this year, and I decided to pick it up during my psychological thriller phase right after. Well, a friend of mine was reading it after I gave her a copy, and she was going nuts. So I decided that it was my turn to experience such a messed-up story. Thankfully I decided to pick it up at that time or else I would have been miserable before I did my exams because I would've not read a good book. I flew by with this in a day and I couldn't stop reading because I NEEDED JACK TO DIE, GO TO JAIL OR ROT. One of the options. I NEEDED TO KNOW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN. I say that when I write every book review, but with Behind Closed Doors, I am serious. I would have gone psycho if I wasn't able to read the ending and enjoy it as much as I did.

One sentence to describe this psycho story? It's sick. Not in that teenage-boy-slang-way, but in a literal way. It's so messed up that Jack will haunt you at night, and you will be afraid to fall in love. Some authors make falling in love and marrying your true love so beautiful, so real, so easy, but B.A. Paris does the opposite and I seriously now don't know what my future will look like because I don't think I'll be able to trust any man. *looks at my dad cautiously* Hah, no, I'm kind of kidding, but I am still literally scared. I look at the cover of this literary brilliance, and I get scared like that.

I honestly expected this to be an abduction story. I thought that Grace would get abducted or something like that, thrown in a cellar. I wanted to lightly skim through the synopsis so I wouldn't initially make theories and predict how Grace would be able to save herself from this horrifying forced marriage, in a way, so I didn't know what I was coming into. I finished this so quickly, and I wanted to continue reading it forever and ever. Like now, I need to read all of the good adult thrillers: The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl, The Good Girl, anything. Just send me psychological thrillers. If you know me well, you'll know that this book falls in my favourite genre of books. I LOVED THIS TO DEATH.

"Go on, go and tell that person over there, or perhaps that one over there, that I am holding you prisoner, that I am a monster, a murderer. But first, look around you. Look around this beautiful restaurant I have brought you to, and think, think about the delicious food you are eating and the wonderful wine in your glass. Do you look as if you are a prisoner? Do I look as if I am a monster, a murderer? I think not. But if you want to go ahead, I won't stop you. I'm in the mood for some fun" (153).

I just wanted to hand you all an example of how sick Jack is. At the same time, I loved him, because without his screwed up personality, the book wouldn't be what it was. Basically, the plot revolves around Grace and Jack, who are a married couple in England. Grace is being held prisoner, unable to be free in the riches of her own home, stuck in a tiny room where she suffers constantly. She has a little sister, Millie, who has Down's Syndrome, and Grace soon discovers that Jack married Grace so he could have a way to get to Millie, who is vulnerable and easy to scare. Grace struggles with herself, and doesn't want her frantic husband to get to her sister, who is currently living in a boarding school. 

The question that lies as you read this book is: how will Grace be able to tell the world that she's being held a prisoner, that her husband is a monster, with someone believing her? You certainly will not guess the answer until the end. That's why I love these kinds of books. The best authors keep it so secretive, so addicting until the last page where there is a hidden message and you need to reread the page over and over again until you completely understand what the author is trying to get at. B.A. Paris is one of those best authors.

I seriously recommend this to everyone, lover of thrillers or not. I am even telling my mom to read this, who rarely reads. You just keep guessing towards the end, and by the end of every chapter, we readers end up thinking that Grace has the chance, that she's able to conquer her battle and finally be able to leave Jack, but then, she doesn't. This proves how us humans are monsters, how there are messed up people wherever you go, and how we must be cautious, how we cannot trust anyone. I have always been told to never trust anyone a hundred percent, and that statement certainly works with anyone, young or old, and even in fiction. 

I FELT SO MUCH PITY FOR GRACE. She is such a sweet, successful young woman, and it hurt me reading about her deterioration because of her husband, and how she was unable to be with her sister, friends, anyone. It killed me inside. This whole book did, and I needed to get into contemporary romance afterwards because this made me so emotional afterwards.






Behind Closed Doors will make you (1) cry, because you'll love Grace's character and only want the best for her and her sister, (2) never want to close your doors again—that's pretty self-explanatory, (3) scream, because of Jack's psychopathic-self and (4) fan yourself, because it's a wild ride and it's so damn good. I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL RELEASE DAY WHERE THE WHOLE WORLD WILL FALL IN LOVE. I feel like re-reading this or finding another psych-thriller to read right now. B.A. Paris, you are my favourite author.

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

What is a recent good psychological thriller you have read? What is your favourite thriller of all time? What are some good thriller films?

The Memory Book by Lara Avery // Raw, Emotional and Everything In-Between

The Memory Book, by Lara Avery
Publication: July 5, 2016, by Poppy
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 368
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

Sammie was always a girl with a plan: graduate at the top of her class and get out of her small town as soon as humanly possible. Nothing will stand in her way--not even a rare genetic disorder the doctors say will slowly start to steal her memories and then her health. What she needs is a new plan.
So the Memory Book is born: Sammie's notes to her future self, a document of moments great and small. It's where she'll record every perfect detail of her first date with longtime crush, Stuart--a brilliant young writer who is home for the summer. And where she'll admit how much she's missed her childhood best friend, Cooper, and even take some of the blame for the fight that ended their friendship.
Through a mix of heartfelt journal entries, mementos, and guest posts from friends and family, readers will fall in love with Sammie, a brave and remarkable girl who learns to live and love life fully, even though it's not the life she planned.

My Thoughts:

Holy gumballs and watermelons. (Excuse me, but I'm currently chewing on a piece of watermelon gum, so don't mind me) I'm trying not to sob and break down all over again in front of my computer again, so let's just get this started once more. Never did I ever expect to adore Lara Avery's The Memory Book as much as I did. Seriously? It is the best 2016-published book I have read, yet. It is one of my most favourite books ever. Why? Because it changed my life and made me want to write, aspire to follow my dreams, fall in love, appreciate life and appreciate memories, because they don't always last. And I'm not referencing diseases necessarily. Yes, our heroine, Sammie (who I adore and want to be my best friend and antisocial activist), does have a disease, also known as Niemann-Pick Type C, but not every person needs to lose their memories like that. I love books that are researched, raw, real and emotional. Lara Avery just explained Sammie's story well, and not in a 50-50 scientific-emotional split for YA readers. It was more than that, perhaps more emotional or more scientific and I can't even imagine how this was all constructed.

I rarely (okay, occasionally) say this, but this book is perfection. There is not a single thing wrong with it, there are no flaws. Okay, perhaps I missed a grammar mistake, but even though I read an uncorrected proof, I saw no flaws. The Memory Book left me aching for something more, something to turn to the next day (I finished this at midnight) when I felt sad. Okay, this book was already sad, so I don't think things can get sadder.

This book is a teenager's worst nightmare. Or at least, my worst nightmare. We have a protagonist (Sammie) who has her whole future planned out, kind of like I do. She wants to go to NYU (well, it's happening), become a lawyer and live in New York City. She's valedictorian, has worked so hard for that role, and things are becoming the way she wants. Most of all, she wants to leave her small town outside of Hanover, New Hampshire. (DARTMOUTH, GUYS!) It's our worst nightmare when something gets out of hand and your life automatically changes and heads in the worst direction. I felt so much pity, guilt for Sammie, knowing that her future is at stake, that things that she wants to happen won't ever happen because of her condition.

This book is what you think it is: it is a memory book of Sammie's. She unexpectedly discovers that she has Niemann-Pick Type C after being unable to move her eyes up, and this book is written from her perspective where she records her daily life in a document in her computer. She falls in love with her longtime crush, Stuart, and becomes friends with her old friend again, Cooper. THERE IS SO MUCH MORE, THOUGH. The plot was fast-moving and things couldn't stop happening. There were moments where I had to take a breather and actually calm down after what was happening all the time. I read this in a sitting or two (because of interruptions), GUYS. THIS IS A GOOD SIGN.

"Sometimes life is really terrible. Sometimes life gives you a weird disease. Sometimes life is really good, but never in a simple sort of way. And when I look back, I will know I have tried" (70).

So yeah, there's a love triangle: Sammie is torn between Coop and Stuart. I kind of saw what occurred coming, but I wasn't sure. I WOULD BE TORN, MY FRIENDS. Coop is the adventurous, hot, caring guy who will always be there to give you a ride somewhere and make out with you on the way there. *twiddles eyebrows* Stuart is the mysterious writer (who I also love) and he's so smart, philosophical and agh, I'm in love. 

The Memory Book is written so lyrically and so realistically. I felt Sammie's strong voice speaking to us readers. Avery informed us about Sammie's condition in such a way that is not like reading an article on the internet; it's coming out of a victim's heart/mouth, being written with so much realism. I also loved the setting of this whole story—it makes me want to go to Vermont/New Hampshire even MORE. I've always been thinking about Dartmouth University, and this is the best experience of reading about a university—in a YA novel. 

We see this transition of Sammie's condition throughout the book. She undergoes these scares that literally scares us readers too, because we know that the worst is yet to come. Things became drastic, and my feels went out of control. I was so intrigued/tired by the time that I finished this book that I couldn't cry even when I really was in the mood for. MY LIFE WAS OVER. I COULDN'T DO IT ANYMORE. 

"It's like, take my body, fine. I wasn't really using it anyway. I've got this enormous butt on ostrich legs, the hair of a "before" picture, and weird milky brown eyes like a Frappuccino. But not my brain. My true connection to the world" (12).

The Memory Book has been anticipated by me for a long time, and I can see why everyone is awing over the emotion. This is simply gorgeous, perhaps the most gorgeously written book ever. It's poetic, and has this vibe that many emotional books struggle to maintain. John Green and his lookalike authors (by means of writing, I mean) need to take a few tips by my new favourite, Lara Avery. I need to read A Million Miles Away. STILL SOBBING HERE.

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

What book has made you the most emotional? What is the most sad YA read for you?

Never Missing, Never Found by Amanda Panitch // Her Books Seem to Get Me Time After Time

Never Missing, Never Found, by Amanda Panitch
Publication: June 28, 2016, by Random House BFYR
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 320
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

Some choices change everything. Scarlett chose to run. And the consequences will be deadly.
Stolen from her family as a young girl, Scarlett was lucky enough to eventually escape her captor. Now a teen, she's starting a summer job at an amusement park. There are cute boys, new friends, and the chance to finally have a normal life.
Her first day on the job, Scarlett is shocked to discover that a girl from the park has gone missing. Old memories come rushing back. And now as she meets her new coworkers, one of the girls seems strangely familiar. When Scarlett chose to run all those years ago, what did she set into motion? And when push comes to shove, how far will she go to uncover the truth . . . before it's too late?

My Thoughts:

As mentioned in every review I write for thrillers, I ADORE THEM. I love the madness that authors express when they are writing from the perspective of a character who gets really creeped out. Having read Amanda Panitch's work before, specifically Damage Done, which was pretty great in my opinion, I expected greatness coming from this one, too. Never Missing, Never Found is the COOLEST OUT OF THE COOL. A psychological thriller being taken place in an amusement park that's based around these fictional superheroes that the world has never heard of in their whole lives? Hell yeah. Panitch exemplifies a protagonist who was kidnapped when she was eight, and then was released when she was fifteen, and how a new experience in her life, very similar to hers, affects her when she has moved on in her life, and is not in the same setting where she was held captive.

MY FAVOURITE PART OF THIS BOOK? The fact that this is not necessarily about Scarlett's kidnapping. This is the aftermath, years later. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's like three years after she was released. Can you recall the number of times where we readers have read books about people who are currently being held captive? Like listen: I have no issues with that. There are a handful of authors who master that plot perfectly, but it's done so often that we kind of already know what to expect. Amanda Panitch wrote such a different, pleasing story that uses characters' prior life events to showcase a new event in a different setting. This was gorgeous.

Never Missing, Never Found features a protagonist named Scarlett who is beginning her summer job at an amusement park by her house, years after she ran away from her captor. Things seem normal at first, and she makes new friends who each have their own flaws that kind of set her off. Of course, that could simply be absolute paranoia; we cannot blame her. She immediately has a crush on one of the most upbeat guys she has ever met, named Connor. One of the girls who was also interviewed to work at the park the same time that Scarlett was interviewed goes missing, and Scarlett immediately begins to get flashbacks of her past and all of it.

"Worry means that he cares, but I can't have him worrying too much, especially after the heart-to-heart we shared. Worrying means that he'll want to get close. Worrying means that he'll want to know what's going on. He'll want to know my secrets, and nobody can get that close." (169) 

I liked just about everything about this book. Amanda Panitch's writing is so addicting and I honestly finished this in two sittings, which is rare for me these days. From the electrifying, captivating cover to the actual words, I turned out to be completely satisfied with the outcome and how real this story turned out to be. This is not your typical mystery where the protagonist puts their detective cap on and tries to investigate. Instead, we have something that could completely occur in reality, and what's better than having a summer-related plot?  

Never Missing, Never Found is a ray of sunshine. Okay, it contains dark themes and scary moments where you feel like you want to stay home for the rest of your life, but it was just so good. With its complex themes and Scarlett's brilliant, independent personality, this is just fabulous.

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

What are some psychological thrillers that are written differently than most?