Juniors by Kaui Hart Hemmings // Hawaii Plus Romance Equals Awesomeness

Juniors, by Kaui Hart Hemmings
Publication: September 22, 2015, by G.P. Putnam's Sons BFYR
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 320
Format: ARC
Source: BEA/Publisher
Rating: 

Lea Lane has lived in between all her life.
Part Hawaiian, part Mainlander. Perpetual new girl at school. Hanging in the shadow of her actress mother’s spotlight. And now: new resident of the prominent West family’s guest cottage.
Bracing herself for the embarrassment of being her classmates’ latest charity case, Lea is surprised when she starts becoming friends with Will and Whitney West instead—or in the case of gorgeous, unattainable Will, possibly even more than friends. And despite their differences, Whitney and Lea have a lot in common: both are navigating a tangled web of relationships, past disappointments and future hopes. As things heat up with Will, and her friendship with Whitney deepens, Lea has to decide how much she's willing to change in order to fit into their world.
Lea Lane has lived in between all her life. But it isn’t until her junior year that she learns how to do it on her own terms.

My Thoughts:

WE FINALLY HAVE A BOOK TAKEN PLACE IN HAWAII, THE LAND OF MY DREAMS. Kaui Hart Hemmings created a lovely Gossip Girl-esque story that I will never forget about because it's different than everything else. I just visited three Hawaiian islands this past March, and found that the state is my favourite place in the world. I felt so spiritually and emotionally connected to the beauty and stress-free life that it holds, and I was so happy to see that I recognized so many of the references Hemmings made in her writing to Oahu. The beaches, hikes, streets - I knew them all and it just made my day and year. I cannot admit that this was the best book I read this year (because then, I would have given this a 5 star rating), however, it was definitely an enjoyable one that I cannot recommend enough.

Juniors is about an angsty teenager who moves across the world to a place that has no meaning to her. I mean, I wouldn't have been complaining if I were in Lea's place, moving to the gorgeous island of Oahu, however, she was. Her mom is an aspiring actress, and her newest project requires her to move to Hawaii to film. Lea ends up going to a preppy boarding school where she feels excluded since she's the "new, weird girl" often described in novels/chick-lit films. Lea ends up becoming friends with Will and Whitney West, the siblings whose house Lea and her mother are staying in. 

And I guess you can kind of imagine what comes next. Boy meets girl, one (or both) of them plays hard-to-get, and they fall in love. BOOM. But, somehow, this book turns out lovely and different than others. I started to fall in love with this instantly as the Hawaii setting came along. I also really started to like Lea's character from the beginning as she had some kind of toughness in her - it really made her stand out as a character and female protagonist. It was also interesting how she was the one who made her own decisions in terms of her relationships. Yeah, there was kind of a love triangle, but at least Lea initiated it and realized what her feelings were telling her.

Yay to it all. This was so great. Read it, drink some pineapple juice while you're at it, and enjoy.

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

Are there any other books that take place in Hawaii?

The Rose and the Dagger by Renée Ahdieh // What a Perfect Ending!

The Rose and the Dagger (The Wrath and the Dawn #2), by Renée Ahdieh
Publication: April 26, 2016, by G.P. Putnam BFYR
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 416
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Rating: 

In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad is forced from the arms of her beloved husband, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once thought Khalid a monster—a merciless killer of wives, responsible for immeasurable heartache and pain—but as she unraveled his secrets, she found instead an extraordinary man and a love she could not deny. Still, a curse threatens to keep Shazi and Khalid apart forever.
Now she’s reunited with her family, who have found refuge in the desert, where a deadly force is gathering against Khalid—a force set on destroying his empire and commanded by Shazi’s spurned childhood sweetheart. Trapped between loyalties to those she loves, the only thing Shazi can do is act. Using the burgeoning magic within her as a guide, she strikes out on her own to end both this terrible curse and the brewing war once and for all. But to do it, she must evade enemies of her own to stay alive.
The saga that began with The Wrath and the Dawn takes its final turn as Shahrzad risks everything to find her way back to her one true love again.

My Thoughts:

My fellow Caliphs and Caliphas, the story of Shahrzad and Khalid is actually over. Thinking about the fact that I will never be able to see a new cover being released for this series, or that I will never be able to hold the two books in the duology as if they were new and as if I never heard of them before just cracks my heart in half. All in all, The Rose and the Dagger is beautiful, electrifying and gives me the feels once more. I've been waiting a year (or so) to read this sequel, and I actually just discovered that it's a duology (well, before I read this) so I had so much rage in me. Looking back at the ending and how Ahdieh, as always, unfolded everything and answered all of us readers' questions, I am truly satisfied. This couldn't have ended in a better way.

I loved this; don't get me wrong, but it wasn't as good as the first book. I initially predicted that I would rate this five stars, because the first book changed me in more ways than I would ever expect (especially with how I look at the high fantasy genre), but this book was weaker in a few ways. Listen, I have always loved the characters, romance and ideas/themes that Ahdieh presented. My love for those book characteristics never changed or diminished. Shazi and Khalid are still my favourite couple in the entire universe, their characters/personalities as a whole are so fearless and strong, more strong than most books' characters have, and I have always loved the setting of the desert and Khorasan and basically... everything. 

Before I get to the positives, I feel that it is best to speak about the issues. This book didn't feel as put-together or as wholly as the previous novel, or how I would like a book to feel. Yes, our questions were answered and it turned out pretty great, but the book felt so (it's hard to describe honestly) stiff. There were parts where I was bored (especially through the middle) and I constantly felt this tension that a random war would pop up in the midst of the story (which it kind of did/didn't) and I was waiting for that. Also, I would have appreciated more Khalid/Shazi moments, but it is completely understandable how they had to part ways for a huge portion of the story because of the events/curse that got in their way. Also, what happened with that curse?

"You continue to wound me, you awful girl. Because I know. Had I spent a single night with you, I would never have wished for us to be parted from that day forward" (66).

As you may have known, Khalid's curse is a large theme of book one because this affects his relationship between him and Shazi, and how the world around him looks at him, his reputation. I can't really pinpoint what the goal of this book was. Question-answering, absolutely, romantic development, sure, but the curse was rarely mentioned and there was hardly any fantasy magical things occurring. Listen, I am not your diehard fan of spells and whatnot, but I love the way Renée approaches it, and that barely occurred. Yeah, we see Shazi experimenting with her magic carpet, but that was only a short instant. Those were the issues I spotted.

Now, to the positives, because there were a ton. I loved how Ahdieh reminded readers of who was who, what meant what, and where the characters were in terms of time and setting. I didn't feel like re-reading the first novel because (A) my TBR pile is huge and (B) I had no time to prepare myself for the sequel so I just bought it. Thank you, Renée! I seriously needed that recap. This novel takes place right from where the first left us off. Each character is basically in a different place, and we feel this tension when Shazi and Khalid are trying to find each other.

As always, Ahdieh has handled the perspectives well. I've enjoyed her writing of this series because it's written in third-person perspectives. Therefore, we could easily discover who Ahdieh is writing about because their names are mentioned. (See my review for Rick Yancey's The 5th Wave. That one sucked because of perspectives). I loved every character, their rivals and their relationships.

Shahrzad is as fearless, strong and kick-ass as always. Since the time I read The Wrath and the Dawn, Shazi has resided as my favourite heroine in all of YA and in all of every single book I have ever read. I love her independence, how she doesn't need someone by her side to get the job done. There are many scenes where she goes to find something/someone, and she goes on her own, secretly. 

"When I was in the desert, I woke each day and carried on with my life, but it wasn't living; it was merely existing. I want to live. You are where I live" (173).

BUT GUYS WE HAVE A NEW STAR CHARACTER. Irsa, Shazi's younger sister! I adore sister relationships because they can only remind me of my relationship with my own sister. Ahdieh introduces Shazi's character in the first chapter, and she remains an important part of this sequel because she is always by her sister and would do anything to save her, even though she is younger. We even see her fall in love, confess her deepest worries to people that we would never expect her to, and most importantly, we see a huge character development. She's amazing.

KHALID AND TARIQ, MY FRIENDS. These are the hottest YA guys in all of the universe. Some people may disagree with me, but I actually liked their feud, because it made sense. They had reasons to hate each other. It's a love triangle, people, what else do you expect? 

The Rose and the Dagger was just absolute joy and greatness. I adore Renée Ahdieh's writing so much that she is an instant-buy for me and I would sell all of my books to get a new book by her (okay, that is nuts and I don't think I'd do that haha). This was just a perfect ending to the story and there were so many shocking moments, plot twists and the amount of suspense at the end of every chapter was astonishing. YOU'LL EXPERIENCE EVERY FEELING; I ALMOST FELL APART AT THE END because of something shocking and sad. Goodbye, Shazi and Khalid. I love you! (I'll reread this series eventually because it's too good)

What is the best book of any series you have read? Have you read this series? What is your favourite bookish couple?

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?

Blood and Salt by Kim Liggett // The Horror Story That Went a Little Wrong

Blood and Salt (Blood and Salt #1), by Kim Liggett
Publication: September 22, 2015, by G.P. Putnam's Sons BFYR
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Horror, Paranormal
Pages: 341
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Rating: ½

Romeo and Juliet meets Children of the Corn in this one-of-a-kind romantic horror.
“When you fall in love, you will carve out your heart and throw it into the deepest ocean. You will be all in—blood and salt.”
These are the last words Ash Larkin hears before her mother returns to the spiritual commune she escaped long ago. But when Ash follows her to Quivira, Kansas, something sinister and ancient waits among the rustling cornstalks of this village lost to time.
Ash is plagued by memories of her ancestor, Katia, which harken back to the town’s history of unrequited love and murder, alchemy and immortality. Charming traditions soon give way to a string of gruesome deaths, and Ash feels drawn to Dane, a forbidden boy with secrets of his own.
As the community prepares for a ceremony five hundred years in the making, Ash must fight not only to save her mother, but herself—and discover the truth about Quivira before it’s too late. Before she’s all in—blood and salt.

My Thoughts:

Do you like horror stories that actually aren't so "scary" but come with that eerie mood? Do you like corn and cornfields? Do you like pretty covers? Do you like "a spinoff on Romeo and Juliet?" Hey, then welcome to my lovely review. Kim Liggett's Blood and Salt did not honestly impress me. Instead, this was simply a boring trihard horror story that I have been waiting to devour ever since it was announced that it would be at BEA 2015 in NYC. I actually did not get a chance to get it at BEA, and instead received a copy from the Canadian imprint of G.P. Putnam's Sons. This seriously was a bittersweet, salty story that was more on the bad side of things. I am all in for the horror, and for the endless amount of shaking under my sheets at night. This book was seriously not in my taste or liking, for that matter.

I would just call this a strange story. There is nothing goosebump-y about it or that makes me feel scared. But, there's a but. Kim Liggett introduces readers to two characters, brother and sister, who are solemnly independent and try to tackle their adventure, the spiritual commune one where they try to find their mother. We readers are struck with hallucinations, confusion about specific characters and messed up situations that can only happen in a book. What more can we possibly ask for? A LOT MORE, let me tell you.

The only things/characteristics that actually impressed me were Ash and Rhys, her brother. THESE CHARACTERS ARE KICK-BUTT AND PERFECT. Woo. I was not impressed by anything else, honestly. You call this a Romeo and Juliet romance? You call this scary? If you do, that's great. Fabulous. You need a medal. Seriously. I continuously rolled my eyes while reading this. The fact that the beginning portion was featured in my favourite city was the only good part of this all. 

Romance? Is that what you bloggers call real, juicy romance? Hell no. No. Dane and Ash seemed to have this unhealthy, insta-love-ish relationship that began from first sight. At most times, I was completely confused with Dane's character. He had this weirdo side of him that MADE ME WANT TO PUNCH HIM. What kind of girl would accept a guy's rudeness from first sight? Ash had the power and ability to say "fuck off" to this loser, and I really WANTED HER TO. The romance did not do any justice for me, even though in the end... well I cannot spoil that for you. Let us just say that it was a little heartbreaking for us on the other end. A teensy bit. Minority. 






Blood and Salt certainly was not the worst book I have ever read, but it obviously was not the best. IT TOOK ME A CRAZY LONG TIME TO FINISH, but I guess that school kind of interfered with that fact, too. Play some creepy ballet music in your ears as you read this, and you could seriously maybe enjoy the corn factors. Speaking of which, I would really like some peaches and cream corn for dinner tonight. I'll get back to you all on that factor.

*A big thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this novel for review!*

Okay. People. Are there any other R&J retellings out there? Tell me that there are. I love Romeo and Juliet!