Replica by Lauren Oliver // WHAT HAPPENED?

Replica (Replica #1), by Lauren Oliver
Publication: October 4, 2016, by HarperTeen
Format: Young Adult Fiction, Dystopian
Pages: 544
Format: ARC
Source: BEA/Publisher
Rating: 

Gemma has been in and out of hospitals since she was born. 'A sickly child', her lonely life to date has revolved around her home, school and one best friend, Alice. But when she discovers her father's connection to the top secret Haven research facility, currently hitting the headlines and under siege by religious fanatics, Gemma decides to leave the sanctuary she's always known to find the institute and determine what is going on there and why her father's name seems inextricably linked to it.
Amidst the frenzy outside the institute's walls, Lyra - or number 24 as she is known as at Haven - and a fellow experimental subject known only as 72, manage to escape. Encountering a world they never knew existed outside the walls of their secluded upbringing , they meet Gemma and, as they try to understand Haven's purpose together, they uncover some earth-shattering secrets that will change the lives of both girls forever...

My Thoughts:

Replica was my most anticipated read from all of BEA this year, seriously. I went through all of the galley drops, without any luck of grabbing a copy, because HarperTeen was seriously limited with their giveaways this year. And then, I GOT A COPY! My life/day/BEA was made. I love everything about Lauren Oliver's writing, and I was waiting until school finished so I would be able to grab my copy of this and devour it all until I was finished and so, so happy with the outcome. Sadly, I was more disappointed than I would have liked, and it all turned out to be weak, and the main promoting idea were the multiple perspectives of Lyra and Gemma. Take a note of that: promoting idea. Sure, the fact that book is split into two and it isn't supposed to matter how you read it (in terms of reading it from beginning to end or switching) is the captivating part, right? That was one of the things that made me go crazy, of course, adding to the special edition box that my review copy came in. The clone thing? Not so much.

This is your typical dystopian book about cloning and characters trying to find out about the things that they don't know about. Typical. Replica is about replicas, who are clones on this abandoned island in Haven, Florida, and they are basically thinking that they are human and have human abilities. We immediately meet Lyra, a replica who has always felt off and curious with the rest of the world that she lives in. The outer world interests her, and when a replica breaks out from Haven, people, including her and the human protagonist of ours, Gemma, are curious. Lyra breaks away too, meets this breakaway, who she finds out is a guy, and they set off for the sunset together—kind of. I didn't want that to happen, but Lyra was so intrigued by this guy that it only seemed that she wanted to make out with him, if she knows what that is. And then we meet Gemma, who just jets off to Haven from her North Carolina hometown to find out the truth of this conspired island of Lyra's and the replicas.

This was just a book about these two characters discovering things about themselves. There were no major plot points or moments that caused my jaw to drop or freak out with all of the feels possible. This contained a weak storyline that needed more detail and more thoroughness, more gloop inside of it. Replica is 544 pages LONG, and I must say, it's too big for what's really inside of it. We have about 250 pages for each story, and I can't help but roll my eyes because the same things were practically happening, minus some things, because obviously, each perspective's character has a different thought process of what was going on. Yeah, there were things mentioned about the scientific side of cloning, but I would have liked more of it, because the main setting where all of the characters are together is in a motel room. And now I have come to discover that this will be a series. Yay. I will probably not read that because this is just so slow-paced.

"There was no world without Haven. Haven was the world" (85).

I would like to break down each of the "books," or points-of-view, for that matter. Things will be simpler, but I kind of feel that my opinions of both would have been different if I read the two in a different order. That is the serious case. Perhaps, I could have read one chapter of one and one chapter of the other back and forth, but that was how it all turned out, you know?

Lyra's was the first story that I read. I never really had the knowledge of who was who, whether Lyra was the clone or human, and vice versa with Gemma. I just went with whoever was on the front cover. I quickly discovered a lot about Lyra's world and how she lived with the other replicas, and how the humans treated them. I liked her story from the start, but I would never be able to say that I loved it. Lyra is a too unreal character who is just really curious about everything, and is willing to do whatever it takes to find out the truth. I totally like ambitious characters, but Lyra took it to the maximum. I was bored here and there, and I just wasn't so interested with it all, to be honest. To rate, it, I'd give it 3.5 stars, lacking proper characterization and plot.

Gemma's came next, and I became more disappointed. Gemma is a great, independent character who is looking to solve some mysteries of her family for herself, things that her parents would never tell her in the first place. Would I admit that she had some kind of romance? Sure, ish—at least. Since many of the events were extremely similar to what I had read in Lyra's story, I was even more bored. I felt uninterested in what was going to occur.

"Everywhere he touched, she imagined she was healed. She imagined the disease simply vanishing, evaporating, like water under the sun" (215).

Replica is a typical dystopian book, but taken in the direction of a try-hard contemporary story filled with romance, and characters trying to be so human. I did like some aspects, especially Lyra's perspective, but I was really disappointed with the way that the format was supposed to affect the turnout of each unique perspective and the slow pacing. 

There certainly is an audience for this—lovers of other dystopians like Beta by Rachel Cohn would adore this, though that series is definitely better. Lauren Oliver, I seriously love you and your writing, but this new series of yours, Miss Dystopian Master, is not for me. This is clones in a realistic world gone wrong, with the wrong promotion—format. 

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

What is a good YA clone book, or the best dystopian book you have recently read? What is your favourite Lauren Oliver book?

Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray // OVERWHELMINGLY AWESOME

Ten Thousand Skies Above You (Firebird #2), by Claudia Gray
Publication: November 3, 2015, by HarperTeen
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Science-Fiction, Romance
Pages: 424
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Rating: 

Ever since she used the Firebird, her parents' invention, to cross into alternate dimensions, Marguerite has caught the attention of enemies who will do anything to force her into helping them dominate the multiverse—even hurting the people she loves. She resists until her boyfriend, Paul, is attacked and his consciousness scattered across multiple dimensions.
Marguerite has no choice but to search for each splinter of Paul’s soul. The hunt sends her racing through a war-torn San Francisco, the criminal underworld of New York City, and a glittering Paris where another Marguerite hides a shocking secret. Each world brings Marguerite one step closer to rescuing Paul. But with each trial she faces, she begins to question the destiny she thought they shared.
The second book in the Firebird trilogy, Ten Thousand Skies Above You features Claudia Gray’s lush, romantic language and smart, exciting action, and will have readers clamoring for the next book.

My Thoughts:

The utterly stunning (more stunning than all of the books that currently exist, to be honest) Ten Thousand Skies Above You has been awaited by me for ages. AGES. I read the first book in the Firebird trilogy, A Thousand Pieces of You, last year, and was more satisfied than I could have ever imagined because, finally, a book has mastered the concept of time-traveling and parallel universes so well that I was unable to think or really want to enjoy a book for a while after that. I purchased this sequel a few months ago, didn't think much of it, but I have only realized that at this moment, I feared second-book syndrome. I feared disappointment, confusion with the plot (because I actually read this more than a year ago) and most of all, I feared a let-down in terms of my favourite couples not being able to be together. Listen: I love my feels going out of control, but I strongly didn't want to cry or rage at Claudia Gray's newest masterpiece.

The Firebird trilogy is one of my most recommended trilogies. Every person, even if they are not a fan of science-fiction, would adore the focus on love in this trilogy. The story is not just a story or just a book—to me, it just means so much that this is not just about the science-fiction aspects, the physics of time-traveling and multiverses. This is surely a continuation to the first book, and I thank the BOOK LORDS FOR NOT CONFUSING ME WITH WHAT HAPPENED. Honestly, I would have loved to reread the first book and re-feel everything once more, but I have no time to do that. Thankfully, Gray just retold the ending of the first book to us in the beginning of this, and I suddenly remembered what happened again and how much I needed this sequel. And from there? Everything just began again.

There wasn't a moment in this story where I wanted to stop reading, take a look at my phone, go on Goodreads, read some reviews, write some reviews, or even take a breath. It's amazing and so much is happening every moment and every page of the story. I couldn't stop going crazy and obsessing over everything that was happening. The plot was fast-paced, and things got into the real very quickly. I was in legitimate shock at every corner, and especially during THAT ENDING WHERE I JUST NEEDED SO MUCH MORE, ENDLESS AMOUNT OF PAGES TO CONTINUE THEO/PAUL/MARGUERITE'S STORY. I was absolutely addicted to it all and I feel this absolute need for the sequel at this absolute instant.

At the start of the story, things seem well again, especially with Theo and Marguerite's relationship after everything that happened to the Caine family. All of the sudden, Theo gets sick after taking too much Nightthief (the addictive drug for travellers), Marguerite wants to meet with Wyatt, wherever he is, to find a cure for Theo, since she knows that doctors wouldn't have any cure whatsoever. When it seems that she has everything under control, Paul's soul is splintered, and split into four pieces that Marguerite must seek in different universes.

"I've come to believe that there really is something that flows through every version of us, one common identity that outweighs our different situations in the various worlds" (35).

Can we just chat about how smart, how intelligent, how powerful this sequel is, equal to the first novel? I rarely call books smart, because there has to be a true reason for it, whether it's terminology, explanations, equations—anything in that matter. Ten Thousand Skies Above You, like its previous novel, is all of that. There is so much thought put into the story by Gray, so much energy flowing through it that I just want to get up and create my own Firebird, travel to a different universe where Marguerite, Paul and Theo all exist and talk physics with them. Claudia Gray is the best author genius in the entire universe. This trilogy is why I enjoy science-fiction and seeking different books that are not your typical story about different societies or fighting until death. (You certainly know which books I am talking about). Instead, this is a book that takes readers to different settings, perhaps settings that they have never visited, but have heard tons about, all mixed with the mystery of "Where's Paul?" or "What is Marguerite's life like in this universe?" all throughout. The questions seriously never ended in my end, but they were not out of confusion, but out of curiosity, and some were answered, some I know will be answered in the last novel.

I still am in utter shock that these beautiful characters will be leaving us in the next book. I AM GOING TO THROW THAT IDEA OUT OF MY HEAD NOW OR ELSE I'LL GET SAD. This is such a complex, event-crazed story that I felt so overwhelmed after I finished reading. I began reading this late at night, had to stop at around sixty pages, and then finished it in a sitting the next day, today. Afterwards, my head was pounding, but sometimes these side effects do not matter at all to me. Especially when the book that effected me so much was astonishing.

I love rating books five stars, and this is one of the most stellar ones yet. I needed a refreshing read that will make me smile, because this certainly turned out fabulous. How is someone able to rate this less than five stars? *cries of shock* I wish I could reread it over and over again and go crazy and create an Instagram page and promote it fifty million times and... my dreams won't come true, hah. My dreams did come true when we travelled to San Francisco yet again (though in a dystopian setting, I'm pretty sure), Paris, New York City and Russia once more. Every step or universe that Marguerite took into consideration, she experienced something new and a thousand new secrets were revealed to her, things that she didn't even know about herself in her reality universe.

"Ten thousand skies, and a million worlds, and it still wouldn't be enough for me to share with you. Nothing less than forever will do" (421).

I've saved this bit to chat about the romance. Is there a love triangle? Kind of. I mean, we definitely did see it in the first novel, where Marguerite was torn between Theo and Paul for the whole novel, until she realizes who she really loves, but this book was a slight bit more complicated, only for the reason that Marguerite is eventually found in a situation where she is in a setting where she is in love with Theo, hilariously. They even travel to this world (the war-torn San Francisco) and end up in the weirdest situation when they get there. It was hilariously awkward, and it made the book ten times more entertaining, proving that even book fictional characters don't have it perfect from time to time. I DON'T KNOW WHOSE SIDE I AM REALLY ON AT THE MOMENT. My feelings are still all over the place because I ship Tharguerite and I also ship Parguerite. I CAN'T PICK. We see a lot of Theo in this one, since he is Marguerite's travelling companion, doing so much for her and showing her that he will always be there, waiting for Marguerite if things don't end up well behind her and Paul. But there's also the dedication that Marguerite has for her and Paul's relationship, and how she is willing to do just about anything to save him. It is truly obvious that he loves her with all of his heart, and I loved their intimate moments.

As usual, we are fortunate to be able to get appearances of Marguerite's parents and Josie. I love Marguerite's relationship with her family—it's truly important for the reason that she is making all of these sacrifices, going travelling and finding out answers for them. She loves her "parents," even in the other universes where they truly aren't... themselves. I could definitely admit that more than a few tears sprawled on my face from time to time, and I was strongly awaiting a reunion for the Caines.

THAT CLIFFHANGER, PLOT TWIST AND SECRET THAT IS REVEALED ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT MARGUERITE HAS EVER KNOWN. WOW. HOLY MOLY FIREBIRDS. I don't know how I could wait any longer. Seriously, if you thought the last book was full of twists and jaw-dropping turns, wait for this one. Everything that you thought you knew about the anatomy of the world(s) that Claudia Gray created is absolutely inauthentic. Fake. Lied about. My stomach weirdly churns when I think about it all over again.

Ten Thousand Skies Above You is certainly the best title I have read this year. I constantly say that when I read five-star reads, but this is pure seriousness. Marguerite, Theo and Paul are going to sit with me in my dreams tonight, I know it. I NEED BOOK THREE WITH ALL MY MIGHT, AND I JUST CANNOT STOP GOING CRAZY OVER THIS. The cover is completely gorgeous, just as the novel is (which is even more prettier). From the first page, I knew that I wouldn't be disappointed, and I am still struggling with the fact that I waited this long to finally pick it up. This book deserves ten thousand stars. 

What is the best sequel you have read? Do you enjoy Claudia Gray/Amy Vincent's work?

Gertie's Leap to Greatness by Kate Beasley // I Needed This When I Was a Kid!

Gertie's Leap to Greatness, by Kate Beasley
Publication: October 4, 2016, by Farrar, Straus and Giroux BFYR
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction, Contemporary
Pages: 256
Format: ARC
Source: BEA/Publisher
Rating: 

Gertie Reece Foy is 100% Not-From-Concentrate awesome. She has a daddy who works on an oil rig, a great-aunt who always finds the lowest prices at the Piggly Wiggly, and two loyal best friends. So when her absent mother decides to move away from their small town, Gertie sets out on her greatest mission yet: becoming the best fifth grader in the universe to show her mother exactly what she'll be leaving behind. There's just one problem: Seat-stealing new girl Mary Sue Spivey wants to be the best fifth grader, too. And there is simply not enough room at the top for the two of them.

My Thoughts:

Gertie's Leap to Greatness was first introduced to me before I attended BEA this year, and I just adored the old-looking Winnie the Pooh-like cover that easily seems like my kind of read. My sister read it prior to me, adored it, and handed it straight over, saying that I would really enjoy it. The final outcome? I sure did enjoy it! Kate Beasley is a remarkable author, and for a debut, this was pure awesomeness. It seems as if she has done this a million times with so much experience. I loved reading about Gertie's struggles to greatness and how she was such an ambitious little girl who would do whatever it takes to achieve her dreams and more, and impress the people around her. This wasn't a book about a girl who carried so much envy that she needed to leap to be even better than the other person. This was about searching for greatness, but Gertie has her own uniqueness where she was able to do whatever it takes to just be her, and achieve better grades and so on.

I read this many weeks ago, but my memory is still clear about all of the greatness of this story. We immediately meet Gertie, who is living in Montgomery, Alabama, with her great-aunt and her father, who is occasionally home when he comes back from working at the oil rigs. Gertie is really fond of her father, who works so hard to support Gertie and her aunt. On Gertie's first day of fifth grade, she immediately meets the new girl, Mary Sue, who is the daughter of a Hollywood director (or something like that). She came from California, and thinks that she knows EVERYTHING. Also, she steals Gertie's seat immediately and Gertie tries to make sure that she could redeem herself, especially for her teacher.

This book is just touching. There are so many issues covered here that many middle-grade authors fail to cover because nobody wants to imagine a poor ten/eleven year old kid dealing with those kinds of things. The only thing that I was upset with was how the story with Gertie's mom was handled. I was extremely upset. Back to the "nobody wants to imagine a kid going through that" thing. I felt extremely confused with how Gertie and her mother's relationship was handled. Gertie's mother left when she was young, and she lived in the same neighbourhood. SAME NEIGHBOURHOOD WITH HER NEW FAMILY. Gertie was so heartbroken and I felt so bad for her. 

I adored this because it was so easy to read. Everything about it practically was so amazing that I could just jump for joy. It reminded me so much of myself of when I was a fifth grader, being an overachiever, ambitious and a perfectionist. Gertie was adorable, relatable and I just wanted her to achieve everything, and have the best in life. When this story really began, I was unable to put it down and I slowly felt all of Gertie's life/friends pouring into me. You will get to know her so quickly—including her obsession with Twinkies and her family's quirks. There is seriously no better way to fall in love with a character than to adore their family.

Gertie's Leap to Greatness inspires me, a sixteen-year-old, to go leap for greatness and try to do my best, including school-wise and beyond. I adored Gertie, her family, and her HUGE personality. I just want to fall in love with Beasley's writing all over again, and hopefully, that'll be real soon!

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

What is a middle-grade book with so many heartfelt moments in it? What do you think of this cover?

Wish by Barbara O'Connor // Not My Favourite Middle-Grade, But, Still Good

Wish, by Barbara O'Connor
Publication: August 30, 2016, by Farrar, Straus and Giroux BFYR
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction, Contemporary
Pages: 240
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

Eleven-year-old Charlie Reese has been making the same secret wish every day since fourth grade. She even has a list of all the ways there are to make the wish, such as cutting off the pointed end of a slice of pie and wishing on it as she takes the last bite. But when she is sent to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to live with family she barely knows, it seems unlikely that her wish will ever come true. That is until she meets
Wishbone, a skinny stray dog who captures her heart, and Howard, a neighbor boy who proves surprising in lots of ways. Suddenly Charlie is in serious danger of discovering that what she thought she wanted may not be what she needs at all.

My Thoughts:

Wish by Barbara O'Connor initially stemmed out as a book that would be seriously similar to Farrar, Straus and Giroux's upcoming Gertie's Leap to Greatness, and I must say that the similarity did stay as I kept reading this story and really discovering who eleven-year-old Charlie Reese actually is. Both stories take place in the southern US, and I found myself feeling so much empathy for these two girls whose families are not complete or even close to complete. I wanted this book to be about a girl who finally has discovered who she is and how she will achieve her goals and make sure that she is still happy. Guess what? I got that kind of book from Barbara O'Connor. I got a book that I would like to recommend to all little girls, because by the end, you will all realize that wishes do come true. Wishes are not something to take lightly, or to even take moderately, because they mean something to everyone, young or old. 

This is such a sad, emotional story that will crack your heart open in half, regurgitating all of the happiness that you once had. With its cover, cartoon Charlie is hugging Wishbone, the dog she meets once she moves to her aunt's house, and I expected this to be a story of happiness and joy, Charlie's wishes constantly coming true. This is a book that constantly throws tears at your eyes. We readers constantly get more information delivered to us about Charlie and her parents. We discover that her father is in jail, and that her mother doesn't want to care for Charlie because she's depressed and helpless. I just wanted to hug her. These days, especially with middle-grade fiction, I have been finding that authors are doing a stellar job at creating characters who will easily make you feel pity for.

Charlie is even brought into a world of religion that she's never imagined existed before. Before moving in with her Aunt Bertha, Charlie had a rough life, and her aunt even introduced her to the Bible and all of the lessons that it teaches. It's one of those stories where we hear about a born-again Christian. I've heard many stories like that in school, and this was just another (fictional) addition to the bunch. There are thousands (practically) of issues that O'Connor touches upon on throughout Wish, and many of them can be relatable to everyone, young or old. 

So you must be wondering, "why the three star rating if you have been giving all compliments about O'Connor's story?" I really enjoyed Wish, but it lacked some things as well that I hoped the story would have. Unlike Gertie's Leap to Greatness, Wish was boring at times, most likely because I felt as if I read the same story again. Instead of Charlie leaping towards good grades and all, this was remarkably similar with the amount of issues that were written about. Perhaps if I decided to read this a little later, I would have found this more enjoyable. I easily found myself getting bored from time to time, and I wish that I found a cuter friendship between Howard and Charlie. I shrugged and felt disconnected at some points of the story, to be honest. I guess this depends on your patience and how long you would like to wait for something new to happen in the development of the plot of the story.

(Of course there were cute, adorable moments of the story that nothing else can beat. Like Wishbone.)






Wish isn't a child's typical contemporary read about dogs and wishful thinking. Instead, it is a story about a girl's ambitious dreams and even part of her suffering, that really teared me apart when I look at this as a whole. I certainly recommend it, but I found a majority of the story buildup to be quite slow and uneventful. 

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

Do you think that more middle grade novels are being focused on darker themes nowadays?

The Possibility of Somewhere by Julia Day // A Personal, Heartfelt Story

The Possibility of Somewhere, by Julia Day
Publication: September 6, 2016, by St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 320
Format: ARC
Source: Author
Rating: ½

Together is somewhere they long to be.
Ash Gupta has a life full of possibility. His senior year is going exactly as he’s always wanted-- he's admired by his peers, enjoying his classes and getting the kind of grades that his wealthy, immigrant parents expect. There's only one obstacle in Ash's path: Eden Moore—the senior most likely to become class valedictorian. How could this unpopular, sharp-tongued girl from the wrong side of the tracks stand in his way?
All Eden's ever wanted was a way out. Her perfect GPA should be enough to guarantee her a free ride to college -- and an exit from her trailer-park existence for good. The last thing she needs is a bitter rivalry with Ash, who wants a prized scholarship for his own selfish reasons. Or so she thinks. . . When Eden ends up working with Ash on a class project, she discovers that the two have more in common than either of them could have imagined. They’re both in pursuit of a dream -- one that feels within reach thanks to their new connection. But what does the future hold for two passionate souls from totally different worlds?

My Thoughts:

Are you dedicated? Do you have your future set up before you? Do you love diversity? What about romance? What about family issues? Julia Day has just delivered all of those things, including the best protagonist possible in a contemporary-romance novel, diversity, using Indian characters, and a new atmosphere for readers, since The Possibility of Somewhere stems from the perspective of Eden, a girl who lives in a trailer park, who doesn't have a mother but a stepmother, and who doesn't know if she will be accepted to head to the university of her dreams, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. I found myself absolutely relating to some of Eden's struggles, and I found that this novel was a book specifically created for teenagers like myself, teenagers who would call themselves overachievers, teenagers who enjoy reading about a variety of topics that many authors shy away from, including diversity in a contemporary-romance. I haven't seen that for a long time, and when Julia Day first announced Ash's character to be Indian, I cheered. I was so interested in reading about his family and their customs. 

The Possibility of Somewhere lacked a few things here and there, but I am still struggling to comprehend what exactly was missing. That's why I decided to rate this four point five stars out of five complete stars. Everything, practically, was perfection. I was so excited to win an advanced reader copy of this, became more excited when it arrived in the mail, and now am the most happy that a person could be. After reading many meh-feeling books, this brightened my day(s) completely. I felt like I needed to run off and find myself a beau like Ash, someone who is similar to myself, and talk about our struggles. Occasionally, without it sounding absurd or creepy in any manner, I felt like Eden related to me perfectly and that she was speaking my voice and all of that yadda yadda yadda. Julia, thank you for creating a character who is unafraid to show that she's curious and intelligent. Agh, I WANT TO READ THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN.

This is about a competitive romance, *twiddles eyebrows* specifically the romance of Ash and Eden, although it seems that they totally hate each other at first. YAY, NO INSTALOVE. Ash is set to go to Stanford, where he feels that his whole life is set out in front of him by his parents. They don't want him to go to Stanford, they would rather see him on the East Coast. Eden, on the other hand, is laying out her future by herself, with no help from her father and stepfather. She is set to become her class's valedictorian and with her perfect GPA, she feels that she is able to leave her hometown and trailer that she lives in soon. They have a mutual hate relationship at first, both competing for the same thing constantly, being put in groups together, and later finding out that they're fighting for the same scholarship. 

BUT THEN THERE'S A ROMANCE. An unexpected romance for sure, if one hasn't read the synopsis prior to reading. I seriously adored Ash and Eden together. THEY'RE THE NUMBER ONE BEST COUPLE. People say that opposites attract, but after reading this, I found that people sharing the same interests are even more likely to find some greater connection between themselves. They were together through the good and bad and all of that stuff. More than anything, I just wanted them to stay together throughout everything, even when it seemed that they were close to splitting because of some differences. I seriously had tears towards the end, because I just felt what the author was writing—about the romance, themes, everything.

Since Eden is the narrator of this whole gorgeous story, we have to deal with her family more than Ash's, though we do get a few sneak peeks of his, too. I felt so bad for Eden—you cannot understand. Her father is a racist, bad-mouth, who acts like he's drunk all of the time (although I'm sure that he wasn't intended to be), bad-mouthing Eden and never supporting her with anything that she achieves or wants to do in the future. He thinks that her passion for teaching children with special needs is useless, and would rather have Eden still living at home. HOW? I still don't know. I ached for Eden at these moments where her past before her stepmother came around, and it just hurt when she had no one by her side. 

HIGH-FIVE FOR CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. We get to initially know Eden as a "mean-sounding" girl who doesn't have any friends. She eats lunch by herself, but is super involved with everything she does. She's smart, has a perfect GPA, works in the computer lab, and babysits two adorable children who I wish I would get to know. She does have these personal inner demons that she doesn't really want to admit to, but once she meets the new girl in school, Mundy, they grow a bond that Eden would do anything to keep. Eden grows so much more confident with herself and mentality—she begins wearing clothing that shows more of herself and begins acting like the person that she wants to act like. 

I FREAKED OUT ABOUT THE ENDING/AIRPORT SCENE. I couldn't stop going crazy. If you would like to see a Nicholas Sparks approved ending, you have to read this. I would have to call that the most addicting, impressive part of the whole novel because I just needed some things to work and to be beautiful and wonderful. I won't spoil what actually happened, but let me tell you: I was pretty impressed/ecstatic. But I must say, this is a novel I just couldn't put down. Lately, I have been able to leave a book for a few hours, but with Day's debut in YA, I just felt that I needed to have it in my greedy hands 24/7.







The Possibility of Somewhere has a stunning cover that makes me want to run to the bookstore right now and grab a finished copy, and I just cannot stop fangirling over the romance and characters. Julia Day has just created the most lovely mixture of a novel. It seemed so perfect as if it were a recipe. Now, since I would like to write a novel one day, please: let me know what this recipe is and if it is easy to prepare. 

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

What is a book with a HUGE character development for the protagonist? What are some newer books that have diversity in them?

Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke // A Touching Comical Adventure

Mighty Jack, by Ben Hatke
Publication: September 6, 2016, by First Second
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction, Comic
Pages: 208
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

Jack might be the only kid in the world who's dreading summer. But he's got a good reason: summer is when his single mom takes a second job and leaves him at home to watch his autistic kid sister, Maddy. It's a lot of responsibility, and it's boring, too, because Maddy doesn't talk. Ever. But then, one day at the flea market, Maddy does talk—to tell Jack to trade their mom's car for a box of mysterious seeds. It's the best mistake Jack has ever made.
What starts as a normal little garden out back behind the house quickly grows up into a wild, magical jungle with tiny onion babies running amok, huge, pink pumpkins that bite, and, on one moonlit night that changes everything…a dragon.

My Thoughts:

Ben Hatke's Mighty Jack is one of the first comics I have read in a loooooong time. Did I mention a "loooooong time?" Really long. And I must say, that I am so impressed with the quality of the story, Hatke's artwork, and the mark that it has left on me as a reader. Every future reader will fall in love with Hatke's lovely batch of characters who illustrate teamwork, pride and kindness throughout the whole story: Jack, Maddy, his sister, and Lily, his neighbour. I began enjoying this from the first page, where we are introduced to Jack and his family, and especially, their struggles. Hatke importantly stems out a message towards all of his readers, young and old, stating that children even have to deal with struggles and that their lifestyles are not always (and only) about playing and making up things with their imaginations. Jack and his sister, Maddy, spent the whole duration of this graphic novel struggling with themselves (Jack with his freedom and Maddy with finding her voice) and as well as their family's personal issues. I felt so bad for these kids, but them having to deal with these things outside of the seeds and plants made this even more believable.

I expected this to be a retelling of the famous tale, Jack and the Beanstalk. There surely are elements that could be pointed out as similar between the two, like the seeds and plants, but much of the two are completely different. One's modern (this) and the other is taken place in a time far away. The idea of these kids trying to change their lives after naïvely listening to a man at the flea market is absolutely sad, but makes the book even more compelling. I adored reading about their adventures and the numerous plants that they grew in Jack and Maddy's garden. It shows that kids can be busy and imaginative without using technology in their daily lives! *cheers*

I (literally) flew through this book. I believe that it took me less than half an hour to complete. This is a perfect book to quickly enjoy, and one that will boost your Goodreads reading challenge! It's enjoyable, light and meaningful—what else could you possibly ask for in a middle-grade novel? My sister read this after me and she decided to rate it five stars... she loved it!

Mighty Jack has an amazing protagonist who I just want to give a BIG hug to, and everything in between was just great. It's difficult for me to give a middle-grade novel five stars, and this just didn't need that extra star, but I still adored it otherwise. This will definitely be a bestseller. Kids, beg your parents for this adorable read!

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

What is your favourite graphic novel? What is your newest favourite middle-grade novel?