Falling Into Place, by Amy Zhang Review

Falling into Place, by Amy Zhang

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Death

Rating: 4/5 stars

Publication: September 9, 2014, by Greenwillow Books

Format: Hardcover Edition (borrowed)




Goodreads Summary: On the day Liz Emerson tries to die, they had reviewed Newton’s laws of motion in physics class. Then, after school, she put them into practice by running her Mercedes off the road. 

Why? Why did Liz Emerson decide that the world would be better off without her? Why did she give up? Vividly told by an unexpected and surprising narrator, this heartbreaking and nonlinear novel pieces together the short and devastating life of Meridian High’s most popular junior girl. Mass, acceleration, momentum, force—Liz didn’t understand it in physics, and even as her Mercedes hurtles toward the tree, she doesn’t understand it now. How do we impact one another? How do our actions reverberate? What does it mean to be a friend? To love someone? To be a daughter? Or a mother? Is life truly more than cause and effect? Amy Zhang’s haunting and universal story will appeal to fans of Lauren Oliver, Gayle Forman, and Jay Asher.

Review:

   "I wish second chances were real."

         I've honestly have wanted to read this book for a long time. I was one of those eager sad bloggers who really wanted an ARC of this book, eyeing all of the photos that my bloggy friends added when HarperTeen sent them a copy. I'm not trying to say that I was jealous or anything like that, but the important key and thing here is that I missed out earlier.

         

          Falling Into Place was a book that everyone honestly needs to read sooner than later... eventually. It was fantastic, sad, and crazy. You will be left wanting more by the end, and you'll regret not taking your time to enjoy the beauty and excellence, because this book's message is as rich and beautiful as a chunk of gold. *says in a cheesy way*

            As a whole, Amy Zhang has written a book that has a ton of different subjects that are all mixed into one—suicide, science, romance, beauty, art, and jealousy. It's the perfect darker-contemporary that you're all looking for. It's your Prince Charming. The concept was outrageously fabulous, and I'm still poking myself, wondering how this all came to be.

            In the beginning, the story begins off fast and sharp, and furious, in a way. Liz Emerson is on the route to kill herself. Sure, she's already tried to a few times but now she has all of the science and things planned out to make this masterful plan of hers to sprout out, and this is the chance to get everything right. She crashes her Mercedes, and off she goes... into the hospital, barely alive. Everyone is shocked by this unbelievable event, including her family and friends, and people who once loved her, and still are trying to support Liz in this awful time. Told in multiple points of view, over here we have a novel that basically tells us the steps into becoming someone depressed, from multiple points of view.

             

          For most of the novel, I felt like I was having a panic attack. But at the same time, I wasn't crying at any point, which I surprisingly did want to do. I mean, I've heard so many opinions on this book and more than three-quarters of reviewers have cried while reading this book. Me? Nada. I did have the feels, but not the kind that made me spout out bawling or anything like that. I felt like a depressed pig, though.

          So coming from my past words, you can probably see that I was in love with this story. It's remarkable that a woman at such a young age was able to capture our attentions so easily and beautifully with a debut novel. That honestly proves that you can be a writer at any age, with a dream to succeed.

           All of the POVs were spectacular. Amy Zhang switched between the past and the present, and that made me captivated from page 1. I couldn't let this book go. It was like falling into place, and then a huge mega plot twist made me somehow let go, and then I fell back again. This was a beautiful train-wreck.

           Liz Emerson. Now doesn't that sound like a name of the average person? Totally. But really, Liz was person who wasn't average. And that wasn't because she was a fictional character, but because all of the stereotypes and things that characters in the book thought of her. Her fighting and battling made her a person gorgeous inside and out, and although that may seem crazy because "she's not real," Zhang made it seem like she was, and that definitely fascinates me. Liz absolutely deserves the warrior award of this century's books, and you'll definitely see that through her character, even if she wasn't there at the moment, but through memories in the past of the book's events.

            I JUST WISH THAT THERE WAS MORE ROMANCE! We were left hanging, waiting for something sweet, but I felt like all we got was sour. In some ways, that's totally understandable since this was about Liz's fighting.

           Coming to a conclusion, I'm still left breathless. I was captured, thrown around, but was never left behind. The feelings and the romance really didn't get to me, but I was so happy with how everything was left off, and I am proud to say that Amy Zhang is surely going to be getting more positive reviews from me. 

Maybe One Day, by Melissa Kantor

Maybe One Day, by Melissa Kantor

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Tragedy/Death

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Publication: February 18, 2014, by HarperTeen

Format: Hardcover Edition (borrowed)




Goodreads Summary: Critically acclaimed author Melissa Kantor masterfully captures the joy of friendship, the agony of loss, and the unique experience of being a teenager in this poignant new novel about a girl grappling with her best friend's life-threatening illness.

Zoe and her best friend, Olivia, have always had big plans for the future, none of which included Olivia getting sick. Still, Zoe is determined to put on a brave face and be positive for her friend.

Even when she isn't sure what to say.

Even when Olivia misses months of school.

Even when Zoe starts falling for Calvin, Olivia's crush.

The one thing that keeps Zoe moving forward is knowing that Olivia will beat this, and everything will go back to the way it was before. It has to. Because the alternative is too terrifying for her to even imagine.

In this incandescent page-turner, which follows in the tradition of The Fault in Our Stars, Melissa Kantor artfully explores the idea that the worst thing to happen to you might not be something that is actually happening to you. Raw, irreverent, and honest, Zoe's unforgettable voice and story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.

Review:

"Cancer. How could my friend have cancer? Cancer killed people. But Olivia wasn't going to die. We were sixteen. People who are sixteen, people you've known your whole life, don't die of cancer. Why not? asked an ugly, scary voice in my brain. Why don't they die of cancer? "Because," I said out loud, the sound of my voice startling in the quiet room. "They don't."

 MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD. Cancer stories are my favourite contemporary reads. They make me cry, inspire me, and crack my heart every single time. That's not the only positives of them--there's many more. Melissa Kantor has absolutely created a gorgeous petrifying read about loss and friendship, and both of those mixing together.

   The Darlings series by Melissa didn't really please me. It compared too much to Joanna Philbin's Daughters trilogy, and I didn't see the main idea very well. But when this was released, it got critically acclaimed very quickly and most reviewers were saying that this is the best book of 2014. And it really is. 

   

     In order to read this book, you need to have a good amount of patience. If you don't, well then you'll be crying every minute. You need to have patience with the author and protagonist because nothing will happen quickly. These types of stories are slow-paced, and that's the way they're meant to be. You can't be expecting a fast-paced roller coaster with plot twists every two pages. These stories need to build and build up to become something heart-pounding and scary at the same time. 

      This book is about two dancers slash best friends, Olivia and Zoe. They have been friends for over a decade, and there's no signs of slowing down. When they get kicked out of their studio, they're both devastated but Olivia moves on faster. They both have big plans for their futures involving each other, and when Olivia gets sick with leukaemia, that all changes. She begins to miss months of school because of chemo-therapy, and Zoe slowly begins to break without her best friend by her side. Then Zoe begins to fall for Olivia's crush, Calvin. Zoe keeps on telling herself that Olivia will make it through this, and everything will slowly go back to normal. But the alternative ending is still haunting her all the time. 

       I was broken after reading this book. I cried like crazy and I felt so broken like I was Zoe. 

      This is a very sad but happy book at the same time. Zoe's voice makes everything seem like it's okay and her and Olivia's friendship will always be there. The bond that they have was so unbreakable and so beautiful and I'm absolutely jealous. Olivia and Zoe had one of the most powerful friendships that I've ever read about. Together, their voices made the bookish world a better place.

       This book was amazing. The plot was very real and beautiful. The beginning was the only flaw. Everything wasn't sorted out correctly and it fell apart, but the middle and the struggles that the characters had built everything back up and made up for the struggle that the plot had in the beginning. It got stronger by every page, and by the end, my heart was racing and I was unable to leave the book's pages. 

       Zoe's voice stuck with me, and is still stuck with me to this day. I received an unforgettable book hangover, and I felt like I was in their world for a long time. Zoe's voice makes you feel like you're living the pain and struggle that the characters were going through, and it's so difficult to pretend like you never read this book. I was seriously broken because of the not-knowing-part. Not knowing how Zoe moved on, and how her life came to be in the end without Olivia. I can't stand to think Zoe without Olivia. It's like one shoe without the other. It just doesn't fit.

      So as you can see, the characters formed a very relatable relationship with me. I learned to love them. Zoe was such a strong person, much stronger than I would ever be. She was depressed and tiring out before the end of the book, but she stayed strong and stayed with her best friend until she left her for the angels. She didn't show her hurting and it was all stuck inside her, slowly falling apart. 

      Olivia was an angel. She was beautiful, and she was amazing and such an inspiration, although she is fictional. I can tell that many people could look up to her and her passion and strength. She knew her time was coming, but she lived her live according to the amount of time she had left, and didn't think about it, although the people around her were slowly hurting inside. I loved her and you will, too.

       The romance wasn't needed in this book. I disliked Calvin, and Zoe certainly deserved better. This type of book written by this author didn't need that, but it didn't bother me too much that it was there.

        The ending was predictable, but I loved it. This book was amazing and is recommended to lovers of TFIOS and anything contemporary with a twist. You'll love this one.

Before My Eyes, by Caroline Bock

Before My Eyes, by Caroline Bock

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Tragedy

Rating: 4/5 stars

Publication: February 11, 2014, by St. Martin's Griffin

Format: Hardcover Edition (Borrowed)




Goodreads Summary: From the author of LIE, a powerful new young adult novel about a fateful Long Island summer and the lives of three young people who will never be the same.

Dreamy, poetic Claire, seventeen, has spent the last few months taking care of her six-year-old sister, Izzy, as their mother lies in a hospital bed recovering from a stroke. Claire believes she has everything under control until she meets “Brent” online. Brent appears to be a kindred spirit, and Claire is initially flattered by his attention. But when she meets Max, the awkward state senator’s son, her feelings become complicated.

Max, also seventeen, has been working the worst summer job ever at the beachside Snack Shack. He’s also been popping painkillers. His parents—more involved in his father’s re-election than in their son’s life—fail to see what’s going on with him.

Working alongside Max is Barkley, twenty-one. Lonely and obsessive, Barkley has been hearing a voice in his head. No one—not his parents, not his co-workers—realizes that Barkley is suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. Until the voice in his head orders him to take out his gun.

Narrated in turns by Claire, Max, and Barkley, Before My Eyes captures a moment when possibilities should be opening up, but instead everything teeters on the brink of destruction.

Review:

"Then I run toward the sea, crash through the waves. Most girls I know don't like the ocean. They love the beach, not the water. The ocean whips your hair, leaves sand in the roots, ruins your makeup, and is oblivious to how good-looking you are or are not. Those girls are anchored to their towels. Those girls are moored near the lifeguard, half a beach away. I don't understand those girls and never have. But that's okay. I've always been invisible to them. The sea is mine."

  Who'd think that a book with a pretty and calm cover like this will end up being a shocking plot-twist turner and thriller? That's exactly why we shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Because we will end up completely wrong and will regret our prediction. 

   This book was really touching and captivating. It has a different premise that is sure to please every YA reader. It's a page-turner that leaves you shocked in the end, and most of all, it's real.

   Claire has been struggling with her life for a while now. The summer is almost done, and all she has been doing is taking care of her six year old little sister, Isabelle. Her dad is too busy working and paying for their mother's insurance. Her mother is lying on a bed in rehab after suffering from a stroke. Claire has always felt like the outsider and is looking for change. She then meets Brent online. She loves his attention and finally feels loved. When she meets Max, the state senator's seventeen year old son, things get a little weird. Barkley is the third POV. He's a guy suffering from schizophrenia, and he works alongside Max at a beach snack shop. When his head orders him to take out a gun, everything turns into a catastrophe.

     You see, I've never read the summary. The cover captivated me, and I've heard some things about how this book somewhat has to do with the subject of schizophrenia. I was immediately captivated because I've been lately looking for a darker contemporary read, and this was a perfect example. It was utterly creepy but sweet at the same time.

       The concept was really well thought out. You can tell that the author has done her research for a variety of subjects that are put in this novel. It deals with loss, fear, illnesses, love, and disaster. Some parts were happy and fun, but as we moved on to the end of the book, I was shocked with the terrible event that was coming. It was unexpected and depressing. I ended up so depressed by the end of the book and ended up in a strong book-hangover.

         

      And that person was ME. Yes, I cried a little in the end because Claire's depression really began to act up after everything happened so fast. She didn't deserve any of that, but Caroline Bock here shows that you can't control fate.

      When beginning this novel, I was hoping for something a little more fast-paced, but as I went on, I realized that slow-pacing is the way that readers can be entertained by reading this book. You need a slow-pace in order for that big catastrophic event to happen. The plot was good. It was a little mildly weird at times, but it fit for this kind of premise. I recommend this if you like a light-then-dark plot.

       My only exception for this wonderfulness was the characters. I hated Barkley and didn't enjoy his POV and felt like it wasn't needed at all (even though we got to be in the mind of a schizophrenic and killer). Same with Claire. I couldn't relate to the two of them and found them very unlikeable. I was all ?_? the whole time. The only person I actually liked was Max. Hehe, he gave me the fangirl squeals. He was hot and beautiful and awkward and hilarious... Just the type of man that I like. :)

       By the end, I was very pleased with this book. It was fun, but scary at the same time. The feel was very real. Things like this have occurred all over the world, and it sucks. But having it occur in a story was beautiful. Recommended? Absolutely, but if you need 100% relatable characters, then I'd say to gear away from this.