Emancipated by M.G. Reyes // An Interesting Take on a YA Mystery

Emancipated (Emancipated #1), by M.G. Reyes
Publication: May 26, 2015, by Katherine Tegen Books
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery
Pages: 400
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Rating: 

The good girl, the bad boy, the diva, the hustler, the rock star, and the nerd. Six teens legally liberated from parental control for six different reasons, all with one thing in common: something to hide.

Now they’re sharing a house in Venice Beach, acting like a family, and living their lies. No parents. No limits. No alibis. One witnessed a crime, another might be a murderer—and one’s been spying on them all.
As they cling to a fantasy of freedom and slowly let down their guards, the past creeps up on them. And when one of them gets arrested, everyone’s carefully constructed facade comes crumbling down.

In this steamy, drama-filled series, relationships are tested and secrets revealed as lies threaten to destroy their perfect setup.

My Thoughts:

Emancipated was such a surprise to me as prior to reading it, I had no idea what it was about. Surely I must have read the summary when I purchased the book (years ago), but when I packed it up for my summer vacation, I just judged it by the cover and decided that it must be a good summer read. I honestly enjoy these kinds of experiences where I head into a book not knowing what to expect. That way, I cannot be biased or affected by anyone else's thoughts. This story was literally about what the title suggested: emancipation, or when someone is under the age of eighteen and are legally liberated from their parents, or living under their parents' control. I didn't know much about the topic prior to picking up this book, so this was a nice introduction into the 'possible lives' of those living emancipated.

The ultimate reason I gave this book a four star rating is because for the first half of the book, nothing was happening, and I was unsure of the purpose of the story. Sure, this is about six teenagers randomly living together, but what else? I wish that M.G. Reyes had implemented more of the mystery in the beginning of the story, as this would've caught my attention span sooner. For the first half of the story, not much was happening, and I questioned what made this book so interesting. Eventually, everything came together and I became very shocked with the outcome of the story.

You see, this focuses on six teenagers, with most of them not knowing each other prior to the emancipation. They all live together in a house on Venice Beach, California, for different reasons. What the highlight of the story was that each character had their own secrets and their own flaws. This just made the story a hundred times more realistic and believable. Although these teens were fortunate to be living on their own (and were wealthy, because who would be able to afford living in a SoCal mansion on the beach?) and threw parties and lived that 'stereotypical YA character life,' they each seemed like they were real people, you know?

What also really made me addicted was the fact that this book ended in a major cliffhanger. This sets the stage perfectly for the sequel, which I need to purchase as soon as possible. Hopefully the next book will be super addicting and full of mystery, since the first one ended in a whirl.

Emancipated was a lovely take on a YA contemporary story. While this did contain some aspects of romance, it wasn't completely focused on it, which I appreciated. I am really looking forward to reading the sequel.

What are some UNIQUE YA reads?

I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman // Gayle Forman Has Done It Again!

I Have Lost My Way, by Gayle Forman
Publication: April 1, 2018, by Penguin Teen
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 368
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

A powerful display of empathy and friendship from the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of If I Stay. Around the time that Freya loses her voice while recording her debut album, Harun is making plans to run away from home to find the boy that he loves, and Nathaniel is arriving in New York City after a family tragedy leaves him isolated on the outskirts of Washington state. After the three of them collide in Central Park, they slowly reveal the parts of their past that they haven't been able to confront, and together, they find their way back to who they're supposed to be. Told over the course of a single day from three different perspectives, Gayle Forman's newest novel about the power of friendship and being true to who you are is filled with the elegant prose that her fans have come to know and love.

My Thoughts:

I Have Lost My Way was surprisingly such an emotional read. Unlike most YA contemporary-romances, which usually focus on the perks and positives of romance in characters' lives, this book left me as an emotional wreck. Gayle Forman's newest novel focuses on the struggles each of us face, and how it is okay and acceptable for each of us to lose our ways. This is a story of hope and friendship and it provides us with a sense of reassurance that everything will be okay, even if we encounter a bad day or two. As long as we have people in our lives who are there to support us, everything will be just fine.

I am a GIGANTIC fan of Gayle Forman's work. After reading and falling in love with her If I Stay duology, I knew that her writing truly interests me and has a way to my heart. This book absolutely did as well. It focuses on three teenage characters who are all struggling, but in different ways. And somehow, Forman moulded these characters into figures who each reader will form a connection with. The characters seemed so real that I was ready to pick up my phone at times and give them a call to reassure them that I was there for them. That's how realistic this story is. I don't think there's a single person in this world who wouldn't want to read a realistic story about realistic characters. It's truly a major highlight.

Gayle's recent story focuses on the lives of three main characters: Freya, a singer who is becoming more popular, but hides a major secret about losing her voice, Harun, a boy wanting to run away from home to hide his secret of being gay, and Nathaniel, a boy who flew to New York City to escape the trauma he left behind in Washington state. Somehow, the three meet each other and find that they each have lost their ways. 

And here comes the main message of the story which I feel that many contemporary stories these days (especially for teens) lack: it is okay to be imperfect and to be sad. I find that all chick-lit stories are fluffy and cute and showcase the perfect lives of characters. But, here, Gayle Forman shows, especially through Freya's character, that your dreams can come true and that you can have what you've always wanted, but that doesn't mean that your life is perfect or that you're always happy. This book was a literal shock to me especially because of that message. Each character seemed to have what they always wanted most: Freya: her singing career, Harun: a boyfriend, and Nathaniel: the best relationship possible with his father, however, that doesn't mean that they were always happy. This story highlights how life is unpredictable, and how things may instantly change, altering your opinion on the things that have always made you happy. This story really hit home. 

While I can admit that the story did include some romantic aspects, it wasn't the main focus. I loved the raw writing and burst of emotions that this book gave me. It really was a special one; I rarely form this kind of connection with characters, so this shows you that this one is a keeper.

I Have Lost My Way was one of the most realistic books I've read in a while; I finished it in a sitting and it left me feeling happy and sad and all of the possible emotions out there. It's rare for a book to do that to me; I guess that is why I love Gayle Forman's writing so much. 

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

What are some emotional YA books you've read?

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware // Ms. Ware Does Not Disappoint!

The Death of Mrs. Westaway, by Ruth Ware
Publication: May 29, 2018, by Gallery/Scout Press
Genre: Adult Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 368
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Rating: ½

On a day that begins like any other, Hal receives a mysterious letter bequeathing her a substantial inheritance. She realizes very quickly that the letter was sent to the wrong person—but also that the cold-reading skills she’s honed as a tarot card reader might help her claim the money.

Soon, Hal finds herself at the funeral of the deceased…where it dawns on her that there is something very, very wrong about this strange situation and the inheritance at the centre of it.

My Thoughts:

The Death of Mrs. Westaway was an absolute shock. Why a shock, you ask? Because it was completely different from anything Ruth Ware has previously written. This is a twist on your regular old psychological thriller. In fact, I wouldn't really call this a thriller, but a mystery. And I actually loved it, even though it’s not the type of book I usually enjoy. This was a book about a mystery that has run in a family for years, without our protagonist, Hal, even knowing it. As I’m writing this, I’m debating whether I should give this book a 4 or 4.5 star rating, as I am truly confused with the ending. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I felt that the conclusion to the story wasn't properly explained. 

Ruth Ware’s fourth and newest story revolves around the life of Hal, a young woman living in Brighton, England, surviving based on a small salary she makes through tarot card reading and fortune telling on the beach’s pier. She struggles to make payments and live her life normally until one day, she surprisingly receives a letter in the mail, explaining that her grandmother has passed away and Hal is entitled to a large inheritance. Hal feels like it’s too good to be true, as she knows nothing about her relatives and her own mother’s past, but decides to take the chance and lie. She soon arrives at her “grandmother’s” mansion, where she meets her long-lost “family members,” and things get insane from there. She feels as if someone is watching her, setting up traps for her, forcing her to doubt her mother’s past and everything she thought she knew about herself. 

I really liked Hal’s character and her personality as a protagonist. Usually, authors of mystery books generate protagonists who are too smart and too knowledgable about everything, making it look like it was easy to solve the mystery. However, Hal had her own flaws, and this just made her seem more human and made the book as a whole seem more real. I totally could imagine this story happening in reality. Those are the kinds of stories I like to read; the ones that I can picture occurring in real life. 

When I began reading the novel, I must admit that it was very slow paced, however, it eventually picked up around the hundredth page when we reached the point where Hal enters Trespassen, Mrs. Westaway’s mansion. The mansion definitely gave off some creepy vibes. 

The Death of Mrs. Westaway was a really entertaining read, and I definitely recommend to lovers of Ruth Ware’s writing or people interested in mysteries/thrillers. It was very suspenseful and came with many twists and turns that left me shocked. Aside from the confusing ending and slow pace of the beginning, it was an excellent read that I was able to practically complete during a long road trip. It definitely caught my attention for the whole time. 

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

Do you prefer psychological thrillers or mysteries?

To Catch a Killer by Sheryl Scarborough // A Large Disappointment

To Catch a Killer (Erin Blake #1), by Sheryl Scarborough
Publication: February 7, 2017, by Tor Teen
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary
Pages: 320
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

Erin Blake has one of those names. A name that, like Natalee Holloway or Elizabeth Smart, is inextricably linked to a grisly crime. As a toddler, Erin survived for three days alongside the corpse of her murdered mother, and the case—which remains unsolved—fascinated a nation. Her father's identity unknown, Erin was taken in by her mother's best friend and has become a relatively normal teen in spite of the looming questions about her past.
Fourteen years later, Erin is once again at the center of a brutal homicide when she finds the body of her biology teacher. When questioned by the police, Erin tells almost the whole truth, but never voices her suspicions that her mother's killer has struck again in order to protect the casework she's secretly doing on her own.
Inspired by her uncle, an FBI agent, Erin has ramped up her forensic hobby into a full-blown cold-case investigation. This new murder makes her certain she's close to the truth, but when all the evidence starts to point the authorities straight to Erin, she turns to her longtime crush (and fellow suspect) Journey Michaels to help her crack the case before it's too late.

My Thoughts:

DNF @ 100 pages

UGH. I really wanted to like this one — there has been a lot of raving involved with this book (and the entire series) so I expected that I would like this one. However, with the mix of (A) weird names (B) a weird mystery and (C) an unlikeable protagonist, I quickly came to realize that this book wasn't for me. It was just so boring, and unrealistic. I have only read a few books where I felt that the main character was so unlikeable, and this was the case with Erin. I felt that everything about her was too good to be true, including her forensics knowledge and the fact that her teachers and adults around her liked her so much. 

To Catch a Killer bored the heck out of me, and by the hundredth page, I realized that I didn't care about solving the mystery. I was struggling to get through the book, let alone care about the ending.

This was a huge disappointment; I really wanted more, and I didn't get that. I really tried to enjoy it, as I usually love YA mysteries, but this seemed to be a rip-off of a Nancy Drew book. I'm over those kinds of know-it-all main characters.

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

Summer of Sloane by Erin L. Schneider // A Lovely, Chill Read

Summer of Sloane, by Erin L. Schneider
Publication: May 3, 2016, by Disney-Hyperion
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 304
Format: Hardcover
Source: BEA/Publisher
Rating: 

Warm Hawaiian sun. Lazy beach days. Flirty texts with her boyfriend back in Seattle.
These are the things seventeen-year-old Sloane McIntyre pictured when she imagined the summer she’d be spending at her mom’s home in Hawaii with her twin brother, Penn. Instead, after learning an unthinkable secret about her boyfriend, Tyler, and best friend, Mick, all she has is a fractured hand and a completely shattered heart.
Once she arrives in Honolulu, though, Sloane hopes that Hawaii might just be the escape she needs. With beach bonfires, old friends, exotic food, and the wonders of a waterproof cast, there’s no reason Sloane shouldn’t enjoy her summer. And when she meets Finn McAllister, the handsome son of a hotel magnate who doesn’t always play by the rules, she knows he’s the perfect distraction from everything that’s so wrong back home.
But it turns out a measly ocean isn’t nearly enough to stop all the emails, texts, and voicemails from her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend, desperate to explain away their betrayal. And as her casual connection with Finn grows deeper, Sloane’s carefree summer might not be as easy to find as she’d hoped. Weighing years of history with Mick and Tyler against their deception, and the delicate possibility of new love, Sloane must decide when to forgive, and when to live for herself.

My Thoughts:

Summer of Sloane especially intrigued me due to the fact that it takes place in Hawaii. Which, in case you haven't noticed, is paradise. Paradise to me and paradise to everyone else. Contemporary-romance is probably my favourite YA genre at the moment, so mixing a story that I love with a setting I adore is a dream come true. Erin L. Schneider did a beautiful job writing a story that will mess with your emotions and make you question your friendships and relationships, to be quite honest. It's a book that every teenager should take a whack at, and the best part is its setting, showing readers a great summer story that will make your heart happy.

From the first page, we readers are introduced to the story's main issue, which is what the entire plot basically revolves around. Sloane, our protagonist, lives in Seattle with her divorced father and twin brother, Penn, and one day discovers that her boyfriend cheated on her with her best friend, and got her pregnant. OOOF. If you think ordinary cheating is bad, this takes it to another level. Obviously, Sloane freaks out, and the next thing she knows is that she's taking a plane to Hawaii to spend the summer with her mother and her stepdad. This is a perfect way for Sloane to get away from all of the stress and frustration that she is reminded of when she thinks of home. And of course, Sloane meets another guy and the entire story is created.

What this story lacked is a better focus on family relationships. The author spent a lot of time talking about the cheating 'incident' and how Sloane really feels about it, and I felt that this got a little tiring after 100 pages. I felt that there was more to the story's purpose than just the cheating incident, and this fell short. I wish that the author spent more 'book time' creating a better relationship between Sloane and her mother, who she only really sees once a year. The whole explanation of the divorce and all that seemed really rushed, and for a teenage audience, I felt that it is important to explain these kinds of topics. This would have especially helped us see that everything is not just about romance.

Summer of Sloane was a really quick read (took me two sittings to complete), and a very summery one. I loved the extra touch of this meaningful setting, and how the author really made readers feel as if they were in Hawaii. I recognized all of the Hawaiian/Honolulu references, having visited there myself twice, and I loved the island vibes. Agh—I wish more books explored this setting; I would read them all.

I love these kinds of books where I can just enjoy summer and have an enjoyable experience. Erin L. Schneider's is one of them. Read this as soon as possible. 

Are there any books that have taken place in Hawaii?

The Summer of Us by Cecilia Vinesse // A Lovely But Lacking Travel Read

The Summer of Us, by Cecilia Vinesse
Publication: June 14, 2018, by Poppy
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 311
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

Aubrey and Rae have been planning their trip around Europe practically from the moment they became BFFs in primary school. And, now, it ought to be the perfect way to spend their last summer together before university.
But things are more complicated at eighteen than they were at ten. There's Jonah, Aubrey's seemingly perfect boyfriend, and his best friend Gabe, the boy Aubrey may have accidentally kissed. And there's Clara, the friend Rae is crushing on, hard, even though there's no hope because Clara is definitely into guys, not girls.
Five friends. Ten days. Paris, Amsterdam, Prague, Florence, Barcelona. And a messy, complicated, can-this-really-be happening love story, or two ... because how could there not be?

 My Thoughts:

After previously reading Cecilia Vinesse's writing in her debut novel, Seven Days With You, a book that *actually* made me cry and develop wanderlust to jet off to Tokyo and explore all of Japan, I knew I wanted more. Receiving word about a new book by this author, a book that features characters travelling throughout Europe and visiting one of my favourite cities in particular, Prague, really excited me. I had a HUGE feeling that this would be one of the best books of the summer, and while it wasn't a 5-star read like the author's debut was, it certainly was an enjoyable read filled with so much romance and drama that will make your head hurt. Readers who enjoyed Sarah Mlynowski's I See London, I See France will especially fall in love with this story, as I noticed many similarities (even though Mlynowski's story was better as a whole).

The Summer of Us is a story that is set during the summer before college begins, and the characters head off to their freshman year. Funnily enough, that is the exact state I am in right now, and this book as a whole made me really jealous that I did not plan some kind of Eurotrip like this around the continent (although it has always been at the back of my mind... maybe next summer?). We have five main characters: Aubrey, a worrier and English literature obsessed, Jonah, her boyfriend, Rae, her best friend, Clara, an artsy friend of theirs, and Gabe, the boy who Aubrey feels awkward around. I cannot go into the inner details of each of these characters or else I'll be spoiling some surprises that arise in the middle of the story.

So I must admit that I liked each of the characters, and grew to like them. Each of them had their own flaws, and this was the nice part of it all; no one is perfect and through this trip, readers and the characters themselves got to see that some of their intended relationships may not work out after all as they grow apart and see what they themselves are like on their own, taking full responsibility for all of their actions. I guess it was also interesting to see what kinds of lives these characters will have in the future since they are all privileged. They all attend some kind of British American school, and they all are from America.  

However, what bothered me was the lack of description in terms of the cities visited by the characters. This Eurotrip included travelling from London to Paris to Amsterdam to Prague to Florence and to Barcelona... all in a matter of ten days. That felt rushed to me, and it felt as if the author was just trying to rush her characters from one destination to another so that she wouldn't have to describe the cities in detail and talk about attractions. But that's not what I like; I adore travelling and seeing characters travel in books makes me want to do so even more. This was a major low of the story and it affected the way I enjoyed reading this. I needed more detail.

The Summer of Us was a great, quick read that I finished in one sitting in a few hours. I always love the concept of travelling when it is mended with a contemporary-romance, and this was a successful read. I just wish that there was more description in terms of the cities and destinations the characters visited, but this was a overall enjoyable summer read.

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

What are some other wanderlust-inducing YA reads?

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!*