The Crown by Kiera Cass // IT'S OVER. I CAN'T.

The Crown (The Selection #5), by Kiera Cass
Publication: May 3, 2016, by HarperTeen
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Dystopian, Romance
Pages: 279
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Rating: ½

When Eadlyn became the first princess of Illéa to hold her own Selection, she didn’t think she would fall in love with any of her thirty-five suitors. She spent the first few weeks of the competition counting down the days until she could send them all home. But as events at the palace force Eadlyn even further into the spotlight, she realizes that she might not be content remaining alone.
Eadlyn still isn’t sure she’ll find the fairytale ending her parents did twenty years ago. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…and soon Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more impossible—and more important—than she ever imagined.

My Thoughts:

*SOME SPOILERS OF THE WHOLE SERIES EXCLUDING THIS NOVEL ARE BELOW. BE WARNED* 

Two years ago, I was a book-obsessed teenager (as I still currently am), but I had a different interpretation of Kiera Cass' The Selection trilogy. The thing is... I thought it was over. The One came around, we discovered who Prince Maxon picked out of the girls, and I was just so satisfied. I was so happy, had tear stains on my face, and I couldn't stop cheering because THE ENDING WAS THE BEST. After that, we readers were surprised with The Heir, a new addition to the series taking place from the perspective of Prince Maxon's daughter, Eadlyn. I loved the last book so much, and I seriously saw it as one of my most favourite books of 2015. After that, we were left in such a cliff-hanger that I just needed The Crown right away. What can I say now? This was our final goodbye with America, Maxon, Eadlyn, Aspen, and the rest of the crew that we have grown to love over the years. This was such a great finale, but the one thing that bothered me was THE PREDICTABILITY.

I SWEAR TO YOU: I SAW THE ENDING COMING. From the first book, the connection was real and I had this feeling that it would be him. I deep-down certainly knew that Eadlyn would pick him. That's what frustrated me a little—I loved the man that Eadlyn picked in the end, but because she had to pick him in this book, I felt that things were so rushed and there was no time to have any kind of rising-up-climax-thing. I saw it coming. I think many people were predicting the same ending as I was, or else Kiera Cass wouldn't have paid attention to that character. I'm frowning.

I loved this book, I seriously did, but the minor detail that freaked me out the most was the predictability and the lack of focus to relationships. This is a five-book series solemnly based on love and relationships, mimicking The Bachelor/Bachelorette so much that it's unexplainable. A five-book series does deserve some interesting parts that readers did not expect. If we expected it, then what is the serious point of reading the series? I apologize for my rant.

"I hope I've done right by you. As an official, as a friend. You're the closest I'll ever have to a daughter, so that matters to me" (127).

THAT WAS MY FIRST LOVE ASPEN, GUYS. In case you didn't know, when I read The Selection, my initial true love was Aspen, not Maxon. Things changed a little afterwards because Cass spent time moderating Maxon's character and making him swoon-y. I just love the characters in this series. We get snippets from ones we haven't lost, ever, like Aspen, his future wife (who I shall not name), Maxon, Eadlyn's brother, Marlee, Lucy... everyone. I just love the people of Illéa. And what was extremely important for me was how Cass spent time making a setting for Eadlyn. Times have truly changed in Illéa since the time of Maxon's Selection, and there was a huge focus on Eadlyn becoming queen in this novel. We see her taking care of political roles, as well as finding out things about herself, which I really admired.

Whoever said that Princess Eadlyn is arrogant and selfish is completely wrong. I love Eadlyn's character, and how she carries her head high (because she deserves it) alongside the fact that she has a similar attitude to America's. Of course, she has her father's kindness. *heart flutters*

The relationships that Eadlyn has with others, besides her love interests are remarkable. She is such a caring person and that made me respect her more. She was close with her siblings, with her maid/helper, with Aspen, with Marlee, with her mother... she made time for everyone and it was intriguing to read about how she grows up in this novel. There is a huge character development in her case and that was pure loveliness. 

"Maybe it's not the first kisses that are supposed to be special. Maybe it's the last ones" (159).

As always, Kiera Cass gears her stories towards the romantic side. Although this finale wasn't solemnly focused on relationships—as I mentioned beforehand—it surely was focused on making things work. Kiera Cass quickly got rid of the men in the story that we knew Eadlyn wouldn't ever have a chance to be with for the reason of the lack of connections, and I enjoyed that. I read some earlier reviews stating the opposite, and feeling like it was just a way to end the story quicker. I feel that that could be true, but it didn't upset me. 

What makes me sad the most is that this is over. We will not get un update on Eadlyn and her new life just as we did with America, we will never meet Eadlyn's children and see how America and Maxon would be good grandparents. This was way too short. But it's fine either way, I guess. THE ENDING MADE ME SO ECSTATIC, EVEN IF I SAW IT COMING. My heart couldn't stop racing and I just wanted it to happen. That's a definite good sign.







The Crown deserves all of the positive ratings, all of the awards because I am just so completely satisfied with the finale to all of Eadlyn's whereabouts, and I am in love with this series. It ended off so well with America's story, and continued that way with Princess Eadlyn, and her steps towards becoming queen and ruler of Illéa. Most of us who have read Cass' stories know that there is no such thing as second-book syndrome. That is the definite case here. Now, I think we're all going to wait around like in a campfire and wait until Cass releases some word on Eadlyn's future. Ah, how lovely would that be!

What do you think (or what have you heard) about The Selection series now? Ah, I remember calling it a trilogy. Are you Team Maxon or Team Aspen? 

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler // The Beautiful Cover Fools Readers

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids, by Sarah Ockler
Publication: June 2, 2015, by Simon Pulse
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 416
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Rating: 

The youngest of six talented sisters, Elyse d’Abreau was destined for stardom—until a boating accident took everything from her. Now, the most beautiful singer in Tobago can’t sing. She can’t even speak.
Seeking quiet solitude, Elyse accepts a friend’s invitation to Atargatis Cove. Named for the mythical first mermaid, the Oregon seaside town is everything Elyse’s home in the Caribbean isn’t: An ocean too cold for swimming, parties too tame for singing, and people too polite to pry—except for one.
Christian Kane is a notorious playboy—insolent, arrogant, and completely charming. He’s also the only person in Atargatis Cove who doesn’t treat Elyse like a glass statue. He challenges her to express herself, and he admires the way she treats his younger brother Sebastian, who believes Elyse is the legendary mermaid come to life.

When Christian needs a first mate for the Cove’s high-stakes Pirate Regatta, Elyse reluctantly stows her fear of the sea and climbs aboard. The ocean isn’t the only thing making waves, though—swept up in Christian’s seductive tide and entranced by the Cove’s charms, Elyse begins to wonder if a life of solitude isn’t what she needs. But changing course again means facing her past. It means finding her inner voice. And scariest of all, it means opening her heart to a boy who’s best known for breaking them...

My Thoughts:

Oh no. For my first Sarah Ockler book, who is an author I have heard nothing but great things about, this did not go well at all. The Summer of Chasing Mermaids is a highly hyped book that I have been meaning to read for a long time because duh, THE LITTLE MERMAID. When I was young, my favourite film, Disney or not, was The Little Mermaid and I envied Ariel because she was so pretty and I loved her voice. Yeah, I had an obsession with singing and Sebastian the crab. Hearing that this is a YA retelling of that amazing story, I knew I had to pick it up and fall in love with it. The latter didn't happen. I did pick it up, though, so, yay. Don't let the cover fool you, okay? This has one of the most gorgeous covers I have ever seen, and I guess I based my expectations too much off of that. I didn't like this book at all. It was hard to get into, had an annoying heroine, and I was completely bored and confused at times.

Why confusion, you ask? It was hard for me to discern whether this book was fantasy or contemporary. Everything that Ockler wrote about seemed to have some fantasy aspect to it and I didn't know if I should be naïve and believe it, or just see it as a play with words. It's interesting how our protagonist, Elyse, doesn't speak and that she lost her voice, but that kind of annoyed me because she was annoying without words, and just listening to her thoughts was gross. I was really frustrated for most of the book. And the setting is this random Cove and there's pirates? It's weird. This whole book is weird. I also own #scandal by Ockler, so I'm excited to see how my opinion will turn out in the end. At least that one is a mystery-thriller. This? I don't even know what to call it.

I'm guessing that people are adoring this over the diversity. We can already see it from the cover. I have never read about a character who is Caribbean. Elyse is a first for me and honestly? That's really interesting. Diversity is important for me in books, but it's not everything either. It was just a minor highlight that Elyse was who she was.

This had a cheesy theme: finding your inner voice. The synopsis that Simon Pulse provided even says it. It's a play on words, people! Just because Elyse lost her voice because of that boating accident doesn't mean that the theme has to be about her finding her inner and outer voice. Ugh. *flips hair*

Elyse, of course, because this is a contemporary-romance novel, has a romantic relationship with the cute guy, Christian. I hated him too, so they're perfect for each other! I couldn't care less about how their relationship bloomed, or however you call it. What a stuck-up frat-boy-like-character.

Okay, so there isn't instalove, which is great, but the fact that the two characters weren't of my liking made me a bit frustrated. Meh. BUT SEBASTIAN GUYS. Sebastian is Christian's younger brother and like the crab in the movie, I loved this guy and how he contributed to the novel. Now, I must say that the relationship between him and Elyse was adorable times a hundred.

This had potential. So much of it. If you believe in relatable, strong protagonists who don't have any bit of annoyingness in them, this isn't the book for you. Elyse, this book's "heroine," if that's what you call her (I wouldn't) was the major downer of this story. Sarah Ockler has been compared to other contemporary authors who are favourites of mine, like Jenny Han and Morgan Matson, but I totally do not believe in that statement. This is a contemporary gone wrong into the hole of boringness. 

What is a contemporary novel that didn't go well for you? Do you like Sarah Ockler's writing?

Althea and Oliver by Cristina Moracho // WOW.

Althea and Oliver, by Cristina Moracho
Publication: October 9, 2014, by Viking BFYR
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 366
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Rating: 

What if you live for the moment when life goes off the rails—and then one day there’s no one left to help you get it back on track?
Althea Carter and Oliver McKinley have been best friends since they were six; she’s the fist-fighting instigator to his peacemaker, the artist whose vision balances his scientific bent. Now, as their junior year of high school comes to a close, Althea has begun to want something more than just best-friendship. Oliver, for his part, simply wants life to go back to normal, but when he wakes up one morning with no memory of the past three weeks, he can’t deny any longer that something is seriously wrong with him. And then Althea makes the worst bad decision ever, and her relationship with Oliver is shattered. He leaves town for a clinical study in New York, resolving to repair whatever is broken in his brain, while she gets into her battered Camry and drives up the coast after him, determined to make up for what she’s done.
Their journey will take them from the rooftops, keg parties, and all-ages shows of their North Carolina hometown to the pool halls, punk houses, and hospitals of New York City before they once more stand together and face their chances. Set in the DIY, mix tape, and zine culture of the mid-1990s, Cristina Moracho’s whip-smart debut is an achingly real story about identity, illness, and love—and why bad decisions sometimes feel so good.

My Thoughts:

MY FELLOW REVIEWERS, I have a difficult question for you to answer: what are your issues with this glorious book? I have owned Althea and Oliver by Cristina Moracho for the longest time ever—perhaps since it was released. I think I remember purchasing it a few weeks after it was initially released because I needed another Eleanor and Park in my life. This is a riskier, wilder, but exactly the same real example of the Eleanor and Park that we readers all know and love. This is the story of two best friends who are so close that no one else understands them the way the other does, and how they need to rely on each other for so much. There is so much negativity, debates going around about how the author handled rape (which I do have my opinion on, I'll get into it) and how the book was boring. But honestly? I didn't see barely any negativity—this was just a great read that I'm so happy to own in my book collection.

Sometimes anticipation goes down the drain. That happens quite frequently with me. Sometimes, anticipation is totally worth it. I decided to read Althea and Oliver on a road trip where I brought all hardcovers, all books that scream "SUMMER" and "SUMMER COLOURS." Obviously, yellow is a summery colour, so I just grabbed this one and went with it. I was super excited to read it. Thankfully my expectations were correct. This book just WOWed me. I am still shocked with the ending to this very day, weeks later. I am shocked with the way that Moracho handled the romance, how she didn't take Althea and Oliver, two best friends who are as close as two peas in a pod, that she didn't take them and implanted them into each other—make them a fictional couple who are so in love and are starstruck with why or how they did not notice the other person years ago. This went in a complete different direction and I promise you, if you decide to read this, you will agree with me: you never have read a book that ends like this.

Fluffy at times and all, where Althea and Oliver just cannot stop obsessing over each other as they are separated at two different parts of the country, this has a very complex set of themes and ideas that Cristina planned out perfectly. This is not fantasy—the fact that Oliver sleeps for weeks and wakes up out of nowhere—Oliver's condition, Kleine-Levin syndrome is not fake. I searched it up after being so mesmerized with the topic, and it is a real illness that's rare, yes, but that exists with many people. This is not a book about a boy having experienced something tragic and is undergoing amnesia. Oliver sleeps, out of nowhere, and loses the bits of his life that would be important to him if he was able to see it, or in fact, live it.

This is where the rape issue comes in. Many have deducted high ratings because of what happened between Althea and Oliver at one point of the novel, before he heads to New York City to be watched and monitored by that ultra-cool doctor of his. No one really mentions it, but Moracho hints at male sexual violence, in a way. Althea sleeps with Oliver, but he doesn't remember any of it, his first time, when he wakes up, because he was half-awake, or however Oliver's mother likes to call it. Althea should know half-asleep Oliver from fully-awake Oliver—I even noticed. Oliver didn't really give consent, and after he woke up, he was pissed at Althea, which creates this horrible tension in the novel, and next thing Althea knows, her first love is in New York City, being treated for his condition without saying goodbye because he's too upset at Althea.

"There are days that I remember, totally ordinary days when I was so happy just to be driving around in the car with you, just to have you there, and everything you said was funny and everything I said was clever and every song that came on the radio was exactly the song I wanted to hear" (327).

It looked like rape to me—but I wasn't so annoyed. I just hated how Althea denied it—she thought that she was perfect and the best, never doing any wrong. Don't get me wrong—I loved Althea as a character, but she was too arrogant, too much of a trouble-maker for me to believe that she didn't mean it or whatnot. I see that many people are thinking the exact same thing as me. From the two, I loved Oliver and his story much more, comparing to Althea's. And this was never mentioned, but I wonder if Althea just went to NYC to find Oliver to apologize. She was a crazy man-freak who really didn't put that much emotion into her love for Oliver as Oliver did, you know? It was really, really interesting to see the twist on this story that people stereotypically see the opposite of.

From beginning to end, this was just so enjoyable. I finished reading this in one sitting, one sitting full of laughs, but mostly constant page-flipping because I was just so intrigued with Moracho's writing. The writing was lyrical, poetic and so real. It screamed out summer, fall, and all of the seasons because as we got to know Althea and Oliver more and more, time passed by and they were caught with different things in their lives. The story starts off in North Carolina, a new favourite setting of mine where it's basically summer all year long, and then progressed into NYC, my favourite city in the entire universe.

This book is the anthem for the power of books. Althea and Oliver is completely original, taken place in the 90s where we read about mixtapes (which are currently trending again), times with no cell phones and a different life that I, myself, hadn't ever experienced because of my age. I just want to listen to The Backstreet Boys and jam, thinking about this powerful story that caused me to think about relationships, life and just... everything.

Althea and Oliver is mesmerizing, addicting and powerful. It contains a variety of messages, some that pop up to some people, and others that intrigue other people. It's all about the perspective that you look at these characters, and how you treat life. It's philosophical, real, and has no inch of fantasy that will make you doubt anything that happened in the plot. I couldn't stop reading, and my mouth still has an "O" shape out of shock. That ending—that was unbelievably great.

What is the latest book you have read where a boy and girl are just friends? What is a YA book that takes place in the 90s?

Batch by Joel MacCharles and Dana Harrison // Magnificent Recipes!

Batch, by Joel MacCharles and Dana Harrison
Publication: May 3, 2016, by Appetite by Random House
Genre: Cookbook
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

Joel and Dana’s journey into preserving began with an innocent lesson in making jam. Almost a decade later, WellPreserved.ca is an extraordinary resource for both beginners and experts alike. Their much-anticipated first cookbook showcases seven different preserving techniques—waterbath canning, pressure canning, dehydrating, fermenting, cellaring, salting & smoking, and infusing—and takes readers on a trip to the market in twenty-five ingredients. Within each ingredient chapter, you’ll find multiple preserving recipes using the different methods. From apples, pears, peaches and rhubarb, to asparagus, peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes, and covering a variety of meat and fish, Batch teaches you everything you need to know to get the most out of your kitchen.
With their signature approachable and fun style, Joel and Dana showcase techniques for a variety of skill levels, explain how to batch your recipes to make two preserves at once, give you multiple options for preserving in ten minutes or less, and serve up mouthwatering center-of-the-plate meals that take your preserves from the pantry to the table. With personal anecdotes, creative and incredible recipes, and beautiful photography and illustrations, Batch will show you how to incorporate preserving into your life and your community.

My Thoughts:

I discovered Joel MacCharles and Dana Harrison's Batch after receiving it for review from Appetite by Random House, and WHOA, I must say that I am so impressed with the outcome of the recipes, the authors' organization throughout the recipe book, the unique recipes found, and how much effort was put into this cookbook, making it unique from others and certainly one that I will use over and over again. EVERYONE NEEDS THIS. Just as the synopsis says, "Batch teaches you everything you need to know to get the most out of your kitchen," I certainly believe that this statement is true towards the whole cookbook, and I will recommend it to any beginner cooks who are looking for healthier alternatives than your regular dishes fried on a pan with loads of oil and nasty stuff. In this case, the authors provide readers/cooks with their expertise, sharing tips on how to make different vegetables and yummy ingredients have this chef flair that will make you want to eat the whole pot/pan/dish that you created the meal with.

The first dish I tried was the tomato sauce mixed with lemon juice and peppers. WOW. My mom and I usually created tomato sauce using just a bushel of tomatoes, but the authors were fabulous with giving this good ol' Italian dish their own flair with lemon juice. I really preferred eating my spaghetti with that sauce, compared to the regular tomato one, since I'm not a big fan of tomato sauce as a whole. Here is a photo of my creation:

My creation!

You see, this is a splendid summer cookbook. You could definitely create some of the dishes included here during any time of the year, but I have sticky noted many that seem perfect for the barbecue this summer. I love how there is a big focus on flavour and preservation and sauces, because many cookbook authors/chefs seem to just focus on the food itself, but the sauces/dips certainly play a humungous role in how you taste the dish. 

Batch is a lovely cookbook that I would certainly recommend to all beginners, amateurs and food lovers or chefs. We need to promote it, because it has a gorgeous cover and amazing content that is difficult to find online, or in any other cookbook that is out there. I would adore to sit in Joel and Dana's kitchen and just taste and sniff the gorgeous smells of spices, sauces and meals found in this book and beyond.

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

What is your favourite cookbook? What is your favourite sauce/dip?

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix // The Best Ending Possible

My Best Friend's Exorcism, by Grady Hendrix
Publication: May 17, 2016, by Quirk Books
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Horror
Pages: 336
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Rating: ½

Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fifth grade, when they bonded over a shared love of E.T., roller-skating parties, and scratch-and-sniff stickers. But when they arrive at high school, things change. Gretchen begins to act . . . different. And as the strange coincidences and bizarre behavior start to pile up, Abby realizes there’s only one possible explanation: Gretchen, her favorite person in the world, has a demon living inside her. And Abby is not about to let anyone or anything come between her and her best friend. With help from some unlikely allies, Abby embarks on a quest to save Gretchen. But is their friendship powerful enough to beat the devil?

My Thoughts:

Horror stories make me giddy, excited and really creeped out. REALLY CREEPED OUT. But for me, the "being creeped out" part is the absolute fun of it all. It makes me so happy, so excited and so obsessed with the book that I'm reading, showing that the purpose is being put to good use. Most likely, the author's purpose of writing any horror fiction story is to entertain readers with a genre (especially in YA) that is rarely seen because some people cannot take it. I was definitely entertained with Grady Hendrix's first YA-based novel, My Best Friend's Exorcism. I couldn't stop reading, especially towards the end, and I knew, from the start, that it will turn out to be absolute perfection. Well, I wouldn't call it perfect at all, since Hendrix did take a long time to get to the actual exorcism, the part that I knew would occur and that I was looking forward to the most. 

My Best Friend's Exorcism has the best setting ever: the late 1980s. I am a teenager, so I seriously have limited knowledge of the time where my parents were teenagers, except for the cheesy disco music that they still like to "ooh" and "awe" over constantly. From the gorgeous cover, mimicking a high school yearbook, to the actual references made in the novel, 1988 seems fantastic. Hendrix seems to have so much experience with this era, having lived in it as well, and it's something new for us YA readers who are either used to reading about (a) the future, where everything is scientific and eerie, (b) the past, especially real historical times or (c) the present. There's nothing about 1980 in any YA book, except for Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. I would love to applaud Grady for this great premise.

It seems right to have this kind of book placed in the 80s era. That is the era where people were superstitious (not that they currently aren't), where unimaginable things were believed in, where people didn't have the technology that we are fortunate to have today, minus Abby's creepy Mickey Mouse telephone. Me imagining these characters' wacky hair and outfits is so intriguing. The setting of Charleston, South Carolina, which today is still known as one of the most haunted places in the world is just my favourite thing about the story itself... and of course, the aftermath of everything that happened to the two best friends (and protagonists).

"You know, Abby, this is one of those things that's broken, and it's not getting fixed. Some mistakes are forever, and you committed one. Welcome to the rest of your long, lonely life" (301).

This is all about what the title screams out at you: an exorcism of a best friend of someone. Well, that someone is Abby Rivers, who is our protagonist. In the beginning of the story, Hendrix explains Abby's past and how she met her best friend, Gretchen. We quickly skip along Abby's child and soon meet her sophomore year in high school where she notices Gretchen's personality changing, and how harshly her parents treat her. The only explanation behind all of her weird antics and sayings? A demon named Andras.

AGH. The possession that Gretchen experienced in the novel is no surprise—we knew that it would happen, but we obviously did not know how. I wish there was more "horror," more freaky moments in this story minus the ending where things really shape up. I felt that a lot of the story was filler, trying to get us to know the characters really well—perfectly, perhaps—but I didn't need that. Abby spent so much time making excuses for Gretchen, trying to not realize that what was really happening was not an illness or anything like that, but a demonic possession somehow. Rape came into question, but the real answer was something supernatural that could definitely make you cringe. People have described this book as gory, as a little too much, but I would disagree with that in some points of the story. We honestly only got into the real fast-paced stuff in the last fifty pages. I would rate those fifty pages 5 stars, but everything else seemed like a three star rating. I had issues with a lot of things, but most of that was because of the plot. 

It seems that Grady Hendrix has experience with writing things about Satan and demons. I scrolled through a list of his other books, and they all seem to be horror stories. I'm surprised that he rolled this one down a little—I hope it's not for the reason that this was written for an young adult audience. Everything was just plain old high school drama that we constantly see in contemporaries these days. We see the characters experimenting with drugs, sneaking out, lying to their parents, having fun, partying—it's nothing new, in that way. And when I look at all of the events from that perspective, it makes me wonder if the world really changed at all from the 80s, if this is Hendrix's view of teenagers during that time. I guess the yearbook cover really did hint at "HIGH SCHOOL" all along.

"I love you, Abby. You're my best friend, and my mirror, and my reflection, and you are me, and you are everything I love and everything I hate, and I will never give up on you" (322).

Cheers for the mega adorable friendship between Gretchen and Abby. I WANT SOMETHING LIKE THEIRS. Girl power? Yes. Romance? No. Thank goodness for that extra detail, too. Not every YA book needs romance, and I feel that some authors need to take that into consideration when they write books these days. People, like myself, prefer books that are unique over those that have been written over and over again, it seems. 

My Best Friend's Exorcism's ending, as well as its setting, were the best parts of the story. Your jaw will drop when you discover who will take the hands of the exorcism and sew everything together. Yay for independence (Abby's character) and yay for a beautifully mended friendship between two girls who come from different families and different lives, but have always tried their best to stay/stick together. This contained a ton of filler that was just meant for readers to get to know the characters better, but you will see—it's a little too much. I'M SO EXCITED FOR HORRORSTÖR NOW.

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

What is the most recent YA horror book you've read? What do you think of Horrorstor, if you have read it? What are some other YA exorcist stories?

The Boy I Love by Nina de Gramont // Not What I Expected At All!

The Boy I Love, by Nina de Gramont
Publication: September 2, 2014, by Atheneum BFYR
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, LGBTQ
Pages: 288
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Rating: 

Sixteen-year-old Wren has been content to stay in her best friend Ally’s shadow. It doesn’t bother her that Ally gets the cutest guys, the cutest clothes, and even a modeling gig—Wren is happy hanging with the horses on her family’s farm and avoiding the jealousy of other girls. But when Tim, the most intriguing guy in school, starts hanging out with Ally and Wren, jealousy is unavoidable, but not the kind Wren expects. Because even though Ally is way into him and Wren hasn’t flirted, not one little bit, it becomes increasingly clear that Tim prefers Wren’s company above anyone else’s.
Tim’s unexpected devotion comes at the exact time Wren’s home life is about to be turned upside down. But at least there is Tim...always a gentleman and ever dependable. But as his own seemingly perfect world comes spiraling down around him and he tells Wren his biggest secret, Wren must decide what she’ll really do for love.

My Thoughts:

Here is a fact about my reading habits that I just love: I love reading books that are good, and that are underrated. Nina de Gramont's The Boy I Love perhaps could make you expect this to be the cheesiest, most predictable book that you will ever read in the history of books. The cover is extremely cheesy, if I do say so myself. Forget about all of those negative thoughts pushing you away from reading this. Forget about the HATERS, you know? But honestly? I don't even see too many haters hating on this satisfying, utterly enjoyable story, because there is this one FREAKING PLOT TWIST that turns the table around and has you addicted for the rest of the book because you know that what you expected to happen will not happen at all. But of course, there is that single voice in your head telling you, "Who knows?" as you read. Nina de Gramont is now an instant-buy for me. I already own two other books by her, and I will hunt for everything. *hears thunder in the distance showcasing my seriousness*

The Boy I Love has this table-turning title and cover. We see a beautiful cover model sitting by a campfire, looking like an Abercrombie model. Most girls want to poke his chest, I bet. I wouldn't blame them. This guy is supposed to be the male protagonist of this story, named Tim. Wren, our female protagonist, basically falls head over heels for him in a way when she meets him in her new school, that she transfers to alongside her best friend, Ally, who also has her own personal demons. Ally wants to become a model, but her parents do not let her follow her dreams. We haven't seen that story before, right? *giggles* Ally has a huge crush on Tim, who prefers to spend time with Wren.

LOVE TRIANGLE? I think we all predicted that when we started reading. There is this one secret that could change the way you look at the whole book and I could never spoil it here, or else the whole book is ruined. When this was revealed, I was ten times more addicted and intrigued to the novel than I originally was. Honestly? If this stayed a cutesy romance, I still would've enjoyed it because Nina de Gramont is just a good writer. She creates relatable characters who certainly do not live in a perfect world where relationships always work and they certainly are not able to always follow their dreams. This is absolute realism.

I love the setting of this story: North Carolina. I've travelled through the state when I head on road trips to Florida, and it honestly is one of my favourites to travel through. I love the summer-year-round atmosphere and the nature. It's been a while since I've read a book set in the Carolinas (I honestly don't remember the last one, or if there has been one in the past) and it just made me giddy. I love the summer feeling that this book inherited. You could read it any time of the year and instead of seeing snow outside of your window, you could imagine green grass, scorching temperatures, an alligator in your river (haha) and a bonfire. That's summer. This book could seriously be called, in other words, summer.

This headed in a direction that I never imagined was possible. I keep saying this, but Nina de Gramont took us to a different world. I loved how each of the characters had their own problems (not that I would wish anyone to have problems), including Wren's issues with her parents, Ally's dream issues and Tim's issues that I will of course, not reveal. That is what contemporary should always feature.

Wren was just a fabulous protagonist. She was fearless, real, selfless. Her friends and family came first, and when everyone kept coming to her with their problems, Wren kind of forgot about her own issues and eventually, all of that came splattering at her. That frequently occurs to people in the real world, and it touched me. TIM AND WREN EQUAL FRIENDSHIP GOALS. Tim is your perfect example of a good boy best friend. I wish I had one of those. 

Nina de Gramont experiments with a lot of examples of friendship. Ally and Tim both have to share Wren at different points of the book, and Nina showcased the difference between girl friendship and boy and girl friendship. They each had each other for different reasons, to hold different secrets, but in the end, friendship occurs for the same reason: for loyalty. Whoever said boys and girls cannot be friends are so wrong. This is a perfect example of how that actually works.

The Boy I Love by Nina de Gramont is a book that has been sitting in my bookshelf for quite some time now, and when I decided to read it on a road trip, it was the perfect book. It shouts summer, bonfires and mistakes. It screams out romance, but that wasn't a main idea of the story whatsoever. The most important thing? Friendship. Nina illustrates the theme of girls not having to love boys for romantic reasons, but that they could love them as friends. Aw. My heart is fluttering. PLEASE READ THIS, SECOND-GUESSERS.

What is a book that features boy and girl friendships? What is your favourite contemporary novel that does not feature romance?