Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian // The BEST Summer Read

Stay Sweet, by Siobhan Vivian
Publication: April 24, 2018, by Simon Schuster Books FYR
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 368
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Rating: 

Summer in Sand Lake isn’t complete without a trip to Meade Creamery—the local ice cream stand founded in 1944 by Molly Meade who started making ice cream to cheer up her lovesick girlfriends while all the boys were away at war. Since then, the stand has been owned and managed exclusively by local girls, who inevitably become the best of friends. Seventeen-year-old Amelia and her best friend Cate have worked at the stand every summer for the past three years, and Amelia is “Head Girl” at the stand this summer. When Molly passes away before Amelia even has her first day in charge, Amelia isn’t sure that the stand can go on. That is, until Molly’s grandnephew Grady arrives and asks Amelia to stay on to help continue the business…but Grady’s got some changes in mind…

My Thoughts:

Stay Sweet was adorable, beautiful, scrumptious and practically everything I could've ever wanted in a summer read. For the entire summer, I have been reading contemporary book after contemporary book, searching for that perfect read that I will never forget about and make my summer, however, prior to reading this newbie by Siobhan Vivian, I had not found it. In the midst of springtime, the cover for this book was released and I fell in love instantly, knowing that there's no better book to describe summer than one about ice cream and falling in love. Additionally, it's about friendship and family, and a mix of all of those topics that are sure to leave you shedding some tears.

What is extra special about this story is the fact that it includes a historical aspect; the founder of Meade Creamery, Molly Meade, lived during the WWII era, and we readers get to take a look into her life and discover her greatest secrets through her diary entries (which, not to be picky about, but were difficult to read due to the font choice) which were a delight nevertheless. I saw many relations between Amelia, our protagonist, and Molly, showing that one's passions and ambitions can carry from one generation to another. *dabs at the tears streaming down my face*

Essentially, this novel is about Amelia, who is spending her last summer in her small town, Sand Lake, before she heads out to university far away. As she has done every summer in high school, Amelia is working as a scooper for Meade Creamery, an ice cream stand set up by Molly Meade, a woman who decided to make ice cream for her and her friends to forget about the fact that their boyfriends and fiancees were fighting in the Second World War. This year, Amelia has gotten promoted to Head Girl, giving her all of the major responsibilities it takes to work in the stand. Before the stand even opens for the summer, Molly passes away and Amelia is left unsure if the stand will continue, until Molly's grandnephew, Grady, comes into their lives, wanting to use the stand as a business investment.

This book just screamed out 'feminism,' and it's a perfect time and age to show it. I loved the fact that Vivian used such a clever idea and job for the girls in the book: ice cream scooping, to show a message: that everyone has the capability to do anything, even girls. In the novel, we get to see our protagonist, Amelia, managing a business and earning respect from Molly's grandnephew. And the romance was A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E. I cannot digress how much I adored Grady and Amelia. It was one of the most respected relationships ever.

Stay Sweet was gorgeous. I certainly will never forget about it due to its memorable characters, setting, and ending. I have never read anything like it; it truly changed my life. This was certainly Siobhan Vivian's best.

What is the best summer book you've read this year?

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds // An Important Read For All of Society

Long Way Down, by Jason Reynolds
Publication: October 24, 2017, by Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Poetry
Pages: 320
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Rating: ½

Or, you can call it a gun. That’s what fifteen-year-old Will has shoved in the back waistband of his jeans. See, his brother Shawn was just murdered. And Will knows the rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge. That’s where Will’s now heading, with that gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, the gun that was his brother’s gun. He gets on the elevator, seventh floor, stoked. He knows who he’s after. Or does he?

As the elevator stops on the sixth floor, on comes Buck. Buck, Will finds out, is who gave Shawn the gun before Will took the gun. Buck tells Will to check that the gun is even loaded. And that’s when Will sees that one bullet is missing. And the only one who could have fired Shawn’s gun was Shawn. Huh. Will didn’t know that Shawn had ever actually used his gun. Bigger huh. BUCK IS DEAD. But Buck’s in the elevator?
Just as Will’s trying to think this through, the door to the next floor opens. A teenage girl gets on, waves away the smoke from Dead Buck’s cigarette. Will doesn’t know her, but she knew him. Knew. When they were eight. And stray bullets had cut through the playground, and Will had tried to cover her, but she was hit anyway, and so what she wants to know, on that fifth floor elevator stop, is, what if Will, Will with the gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, MISSES.
And so it goes, the whole long way down, as the elevator stops on each floor, and at each stop someone connected to his brother gets on to give Will a piece to a bigger story than the one he thinks he knows. A story that might never know an END…if WILL gets off that elevator.

My Thoughts:

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds was an exhilarating, emotional read that really left a mark on me. It left a huge mark on me; it triggered sadness and emotions that I never knew existed. What must be also kept in mind is that it's written in verse, with miniature poems used as the form of writing and presenting the story of Shawn's. What I loved best about this story is its pacing, and the fact that I was able to finish reading it in about an hour and twenty minutes or so. Don't believe me? Go pick it up for yourself; it's unbelievable how quick its pacing is and how fast the entire story comes and ends.

The book focuses on a fifteen-year-old named Shawn and the aftermath of the shooting where his brother was killed. His character then spends the rest of the novel in an elevator, slowly making it towards the lobby/bottom floor as he meets people from his past, who have also died due to gun violence. It's really moving and touching, and a kind of story I will never forget. Especially in this time and age when these topics are popping up more and more in the media, it is important to read this kind of book. Even more importantly, it is necessary for teenagers to read these kinds of books.

Long Way Down was enjoyable, but that's simply it. It wasn't amazing, but it was a really special, unique read everyone should pick up.

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

Foe by Iain Reid // Unbelievably Mind-Warping

Foe, by Iain Reid
Publication: August 7, 2018, by Simon and Schuster
Genre: Adult Fiction, Thriller
Pages: 224
Source: Publisher
Format: ARC
Rating: 

We don’t get visitors. Not out here. We never have.
Junior and Hen are a quiet married couple. They live a comfortable, solitary life on their farm, far from the city lights, but in close quarters with each other. One day, a stranger from the city arrives with surprising news: Junior has been randomly selected to travel far away from the farm...very far away. The most unusual part? Arrangements have already been made so that when he leaves, Hen won’t have a chance to miss him at all, because she won’t be left alone—not even for a moment. Hen will have company. Familiar company.
Foe examines the nature of domestic relationships, self-determination, and what it means to be (or not to be) a person. An eerily entrancing page-turner, it churns with unease and suspense from the first words to its shocking finale.

My Thoughts:

Foe by Iain Reid was a surprise. It was a surprise because it randomly showed up in my mailbox (I never knew that it was going to be released, or even that Iain Reid was writing a second novel that'll be also a psychological thriller), and a surprise because it was amazing. If you're looking for another book that will mess with your mind just like I'm Thinking of Ending Things did, read this. I've been noticing that some of the other early reviews are skeptical of this book being classified as a 'psychological thriller,' however, I feel like it can be. THIS IS A THRILLER. It will absolutely thrill you to the core. Whatever you take away from the summary is not what the book's even close to being about. There's much more to the story, many more details and events that will scare the heck out of you, and make sure that you will not sleep at night, or trust the people around you.

Without spoiling anything, Foe is about a happily married couple, Hen and Junior, who are living in the countryside, far away from any nearby homes or people. One night, they receive an unexpected visitor from an internationally famous company who states that Junior has been selected, through a random lottery system, to travel far away from their farm. In return, Hen would be taken care of while Junior sets off on this 'life-altering experience.' This book focuses on the journey towards Junior's 'instalment' into this new phase of his life, and the struggles he faces as he comes to terms with this new part of his life.

From the start of my reading experience, I was obsessed. I couldn't stop reading, and I knew that this is the kind of book that should be finished in a maximum of two sittings. And that's how I was able to complete my reading experience. This is an approximately 200-paged story that kept me intrigued in every moment. The chapters are relatively short, and the dialogue is written in a way that sends chills down my spine. There are so many hidden aspects in the story that, by the time your reading experience is over, will show you that they were added by Iain Reid for a reason. I love these kinds of books, because every part is important; there's no random junky writing that solely appears to take up pages. Iain Reid's writing is beautiful, and features important details that make the story even more terrifying than initially suspected.

What I loved most about the story was its ending. If it had a mediocre ending, I would've probably given this book a 4-star rating. However, the ending did everything for me. It contained such a drastic plot twist that I felt my heart palpitate. If you're looking to be shook, please read this story and see what I'm talking about. I am in love, and this is one of the best books of the year.

Foe changed the way I look at psychological thrillers; it moved me, and introduced a new idea to my favourite book genre. Iain Reid, you are the master of scaring readers. 

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

Who is your favourite author who writes books that are consistently well-written?

Always and Forever, Lara Jean, by Jenny Han // A Gorgeous End to the Trilogy!

Always and Forever, Lara Jean (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #3), by Jenny Han
Publication: May 2, 2017, by Simon and Schuster BFYR
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 325
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Rating: 

Lara Jean is having the best senior year. And there’s still so much to look forward to: a class trip to New York City, prom with her boyfriend Peter, Beach Week after graduation, and her dad’s wedding to Ms. Rothschild. Then she’ll be off to college with Peter, at a school close enough for her to come home and bake chocolate chip cookies on the weekends.
Life couldn’t be more perfect!
At least, that’s what Lara Jean thinks…until she gets some unexpected news.
Now the girl who dreads change must rethink all her plans—but when your heart and your head are saying two different things, which one should you listen to?

My Thoughts:

I’ve been dreading to write this review, mostly because I am physically unable to let go of it all. I cannot, cannot, CANNOT leave Lara Jean and all of her glory behind in my bookshelf for someone else to explore. I mean, YEAH, I’ll recommend this trilogy to my friends, explaining that I have almost given all of Jenny Han’s books a five star rating, but my emotions are currently all over the place, thanks to this gorgeous finale. Always and Forever, Lara Jean is a book that wasn’t supposed to exist, according to the lovely Ms. Han, but she kept feeling that something was missing, that we Lara Jean fans needed more closure. And I’m telling you, this provided lots of closure. *But not nearly enough for my poor, broken heart!*

“Peter is my cocoa in a cup, my red mittens, my Christmas morning feeling.”

THIS BOOK IS MY CHRISTMAS MORNING FEELING. I honestly do not remember the last time a book made me feel this way, made me obsess continuously to the point that I could identify myself as a freaked-out fangirl. This finale means so much to me because I could relate to it; I am currently approaching similar events that Lara Jean, in this story, was dealing with, like university applications and discovering what we would like to do with our lives. I grew up with this series, and so many things have occurred in my life in between the releases of all of the novels, and the ending was extra special because of that.

This finale is about Lara Jean basically trying to configure what is going to happen to her relationship with the amazing Peter. Everything seems perfect, and her life is progressing in the way she wants it to, but suddenly, so many surprises pop up in her life, and Han just writes about it all in the best way ever. I feel that she knows her character and protagonist, Lara Jean, so well, that this seems so valid… so true. Lara Jean begins to rethink about wear she belongs, how she and Peter will be able to be together amidst all of the drama that surrounds them.

And let’s just talk about how Lara Jean and her sisters’ relationships bloom here. As if they couldn’t progress and bloom even more, right? They all begin to understand each other as they are growing older, dealing with new situations, seeing that their father is moving on after their mother’s death. My heart just fluttered throughout the whole journey. I LOVE, NO ADORE, KITTY AND MARGOT.

“I’ve heard people say you meet your best friends in college, and they’re the ones you’ll know your whole life, but I’m certain that I’ll know Chris my whole life too. I’m a person who saves things. I’ll hold on forever.”

NOW — I guess you’ve figured out that I love Lara Jean and Peter’s relationship SINCE I fangirl too much about this series as a whole. I wasn’t too much of the BIGGEST fan of Peter’s in the past two novels, but because of his caring for Lara Jean and how MUCH their relationship has progressed in this novel, I am officially in love with him. PLEASE FIND PETER FOR ME. NOT ANY PETER, BUT THIS PETER. Thank you very much. *winks* But jokes aside, the two’s chemistry is unbelievable. I love how their relationship is not JUST about the physical aspects of falling in love, but about emotions and talking to each other like important individuals. Sometimes, books tend to get a little too much about sexuality instead of the real aspects of romance, and this was it.

BUY THIS WHOLE SERIES AND SIT ON A COMFY COUCH AND READ ALL OF THE BOOKS. You won’t regret it. Even if you’re the last person who would read a contemporary romance, DON’T HESITATE TO PICK THIS UP. It’s absolutely gorgeous.

What is your favourite book finale?

The Lying Game by Ruth Ware // Mind-Warping and Enriching

The Lying Game, by Ruth Ware
Publication: July 25, 2017, by Simon and Schuster Canada
Genre: Adult Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Contemporary
Pages: 320
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

On a cool June morning, a woman is walking her dog in the idyllic coastal village of Salten along a tidal estuary known as the Reach. Before she can stop him, the dog charges into the water to retrieve what first appears to be a wayward stick, but to her horror, turns out to be something much more sinister...
The next morning, three women in and around London—Fatima, Thea, and Isabel—receive the text they had always hoped would NEVER come, from the fourth in their formerly inseparable clique, Kate, that says only, “I need you.”
The four girls were best friends at Salten, a second rate boarding school set near the cliffs of the English Channel. Each different in their own way, the four became inseparable and were notorious for playing the Lying Game, telling lies at every turn to both fellow boarders and faculty, with varying states of serious and flippant nature that were disturbing enough to ensure that everyone steered clear of them. The myriad and complicated rules of the game are strict: no lying to each other—ever. Bail on the lie when it becomes clear it is about to be found out. But their little game had consequences, and the girls were all expelled in their final year of school under mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of the school’s eccentric art teacher, Ambrose (who also happens to be Kate’s father).
Atmospheric, twisty, and with just the right amount of chill that will keep you wrong-footed—which has now become Ruth Ware’s signature style—The Lying Game is sure to be her next big bestseller. Another unputdownable thriller from the Agatha Christie of our time.

My Thoughts:

Every summer, I find that a common tradition for me is to read Ruth Ware's latest mystery/psychological thriller. It has been like that every year. Last year, I was SO fortunate to read The Woman in Cabin 10, which was phenomenal. I was so excited to see The Lying Game pop up in my mailbox, and I knew I had to read it instantly. This was a story that I can easily classify as "messed up," in a good way of course. It was just so warped and creepy that it haunted me for a few days afterwards. If you enjoy mysteries and suspense stories that do not reveal the truth to you until you reach the end, then this is the right book for you. Ruth Ware failed to disappoint for a third time, and I love the premise of this story and how realistic it was.

Ware mixed in so many creepy things and threw them together to form a mystery story. We had a friendship of four girls, including our protagonist, Isa, who were all so rebellious and who share a secret past. We have secrets, a creepy British town that is right beside a lake/body of water (that forms the creepiness for me), a baby (Isa's daughter), a suicide and so much more. Everything was just thought out perfectly. I cannot even imagine what kind of planning took place to form this kind of story. It's just phenomenal.

So - you may be asking yourself, "what is this mystery story even about?" Well, it is all about the Lying Game, a game that four best friends formed back when they were teenagers in a boarding school. There are various rules to this game that are revealed throughout the novel, and we cannot help but wonder what will happen and why these women are suddenly brought together again. Well, it seems as if their past has come to haunt them again. Our protagonist, Isa, is a woman on maternity leave as she cares for her daughter in her London home. She is living a good life until one of her old friends, Kate, contacts her, telling her that she needs her. It's awfully mysterious and suspicious. The four girls are then spiralling into their past again, discovering answers to the questions that they buried deep.

At first, I was wondering why Isa did what she did. Why she decided to go help Kate again. But, it then hit me, showing me that this book secretly is about the powers of friendship... and lies. This book definitely gives us a lesson that our pasts will never leave us and could come haunt us at any given moment. This story as a whole had a deeper meaning than what we originally assume. Once you reach the ending, you'll fall into a state of shock that'll keep you from reading something else for a little while. Trust me.

The pacing of the story was disappointing. I found it to be really slow and uneventful in the beginning, causing me to give this a lower rating. I didn't feel captivated for the beginning part until Isa returned to Kate for the second time. This was the weakest point in the novel, but it definitely wasn't a part that made me want to regret reading it. Afterwards, everything sped up and the real suspense began, making me feel unable to put it down.

I also must admit that I loved each of the characters. Everyone had their own specific personality that made them stand out from each other. I found that having Isa as a protagonist was the best choice. I cannot imagine having Thea or Kate (the other friends), as our protagonist as I wasn't interested in their thoughts. Because Isa was a stronger woman mentally, and because she has a daughter, I felt that her character provided the most depth and development. She is a special character who displayed her strength throughout the whole story. At times, it seemed that she didn't really know what she wanted, but by the end, she figured out that her lying ways are part of who she is, and that she needs to keep her friends close. 

The Lying Game was practically everything I was searching for in a mystery story of Ruth Ware's. I wish she could release a new novel every six months instead of every year because THEY'RE ALL SO GOOD. I completely recommend this one, and I appreciated reading it so much because of the suspense, fabulous ending and unpredictability of it all. It's definitely going to be a book of the year for many people.

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

Have you read any books by Ruth Ware before? What is your latest favourite mystery story?

We Know It Was You by Maggie Thrash // An Unexpected DNF

We Know It Was You (Strange Truth #1), by Maggie Thrash
Publication: October 4, 2016, by Simon Pulse
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery
Pages: 352
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

Halfway through Friday night’s football game, beautiful cheerleader Brittany Montague—dressed as the giant Winship Wildcat mascot—hurls herself off a bridge into Atlanta’s surging Chattahoochee River.
Just like that, she’s gone.
Eight days later, Benny Flax and Virginia Leeds will be the only ones who know why.

My Thoughts:

 DNF @ 200 pages

This review is going to be short and (bitter) sweet because I was completely disappointed with the outcome of We Know It Was You. This was supposed to be an overwhelmingly pleasing book that reminded me of other things that Maggie Thrash has written. But sadly, it was not pleasing, but more overwhelming on the negative side of things. I cannot even tell you what this novel is all about because it was completely scattered, and I sadly do not recommend it.

I think this is the longest it took me to read a book. If I had finished it, I would have gone into a huge reading slump and my life would've turned completely, right there. MY LOVE OF READING WOULD FALL IN A DRAIN, JUST LIKE THE SALT SHAKER ON THE COVER OF THIS BOOK. There were too many characters, too many things to remember that honestly? It just progressed into a boring, dull read. Read other reviews about this novel on Goodreads and you will find the same reactions. This was a pretty-hyped read and I couldn't wait to fall in love with it because everyone called it the new Pretty Little Liars. That was completely false. :(

This novel was nothing special and in fact, completely disappointing. That's the verdict and complete truth. I would say that instead, we should all read Maggie Thrash's memoir. That was written gorgeously.

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

What is the recent most disappointing book you read?

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury // The DYSTOPIAN of Dystopia

Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
Publication: October 1, 1953, by Simon and Schuster
Genre: Fiction, Classic, Dystopian
Pages: 249
Format: Paperback
Source: Borrowed
Rating: ½

Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television "family." But when he meets an eccentric young neighbor, Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn't live in fear and to a present where one sees the world through the ideas in books instead of the mindless chatter of television, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known.
The sixtieth-anniversary edition commemorates Ray Bradbury's masterpiece with a new introduction by Neil Gaiman; personal essays on the genesis of the novel by the author; a wealth of critical essays and reviews by Nelson Algren, Harold Bloom, Margaret Atwood, and others; rare manuscript pages and sketches from Ray Bradbury's personal archive; and much more. Here, at last, is the definitive edition of a classic of world literature.

My Thoughts:

Listen friends: Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 seriously is the DYSTOPIAN of dystopia. Of the dystopian genre specifically. This is the book that began it all, that began the sudden influx and creation of hundreds—no thousands of dystopian novels like Divergent. I'm sure that somewhere, somehow, the topic of a deteriorating world, a somewhat 'utopian' society first originated from this story. This was, in fact, the first book that I read for my junior year English class, and it was the worst out of the six we read. I feel that my twelve-year-old self would have appreciated Bradbury's writing so much more, perhaps to the extent that I would've given this a five star rating. This isn't the right kind of book for me. I truly truly TRULY appreciate the fact that there is a big focus on books and literature (YAY) though the whole concept that Bradbury tried to get at—showing how one person rebelled against his society and was influenced by someone who saw the truth, was weak. I feel that so many books rely on the same topic or theme. Fahrenheit 451 definitely is a classic novel, as it was written during the Cold War era and was basically made to show fear, specifically nuclear fear and fear in the world when things are falling apart.

The major thing that annoyed me was the fact that this was written weirdly. I appreciate beautiful writing that incorporates a lot of imagery and whatnot, though this was written awkwardly. I felt the awkwardness as I read; I wasn't intrigued and many of my classmates weren't, either. This could have been because we were basically *forced* to read this book twice. Bradbury divvied up the protagonist, Guy Montag's story into three sections, and we had to read each section twice. Once for the actual content and understanding the story, and the second time for paying attention to themes, characterization and literary devices. Yay me. I was annoyed because I feel that the imagery I *paid attention to* was not really there for a reason. Yes, I put on my special English cap and pretended that the four walls represented the isolation of society. Yeah, I could see that, but I do not believe that Ray Bradbury wrote this novel, specifically implying that the four walls represented that. It was boring and really vague. Montag's world was the same; bland and vague, though I'm pretty sure that his novel wasn't supposed to feel that way. It did, however.

I love the concept of books and book burning. Bradbury played with the whole concept of firefighters and instead of them saving people's lives from hazardous fires, in this world, they actually start the fires. You might be thinking that I'm losing my mind or something, but honestly? They set fires to get rid of any books that people have, like the Bible for example. It's complete propaganda and censorship, and this highly reflects the issues Bradbury dealt with during the time he wrote this book. When reading this, we readers are immediately put into a situation where we are more conscious of our surroundings, or at least: I was more conscious. I realized that technology is deteriorating our society and that there is much more to life than our phones, or the computer I am using to type this up. Fahrenheit 451 has such a powerful message. I think it's always going to stick with me.

I especially loved Montag's character in the novel. You see, this middle-aged man is different from the rest of his society. For the longest time, he acted as if he fit in with everything: his job (he was a firefighter) and the technology around him. After he meets his neighbour, Clarisse, who is a young teenager who actually understands the world around her and its problems, Montag is influenced by this girl's views and realizes that he has always had it wrong: the world is imperfect. It's so interesting to see how an idea can stick in all of society's minds, and how quickly one can actually be influenced by a new idea. If you rarely read dystopian fiction, then this could certainly be for you.

Fahrenheit 451 is absolutely interesting and riveting, though it lacked some uniqueness that I haven't seen in other stories. I was bored for a big chunk of it and felt that it lacked a "WOW factor." You can easily, however, fall in love with the characters, like Montag, our protagonist, Clarisse, his neighbour and the 'villains' who make us realize that technology has the capability to influence people to the extent that they do not really feel that they have an identity. It makes me scared about what our society might turn into if we do not realize what is important in life.

What are some other 'classic' dystopian novels? What is your favourite classic novel, in general?