Summary: Adam Silvera’s They Both Die at the End takes place in a society where individuals receive a call from Death Cast, telling them that they will die that day. On September 5^th, teenagers Rufus and Mateo receive a call from Death Cast, and the two each try to figure out how they’ll spend their last day. Both realize that they’re looking for a new friend on their End Day and guess what, there’s an app for that! Last Friend brings these total strangers together in hope that they’ll have one last, great adventure in one day.

My Rating: 3.75/ 5 Stars

My Thoughts:

They Both Die at the End kept me turning the pages to know the fate of Mateo and Rufus. Yes, the title of the book makes the ending sound a bit obvious, but you never know! My favorite part of They Both Die at the End was that it wasn’t just told from Mateo and Rufus’s perspectives, as we get the POVs of individuals who have directly or indirectly been affected by Death Cast that day. Between the multiple POVs, its diverse cast of characters, and how the book takes place over twenty-four hours, I was reminded a lot of Nicola Yoon’s The Sun is Also a Star, as our two main characters form a relationship in the single day they have together. I find that They Both Die at the End was a unique read because it directly deals with death. It was interesting to consider Death Cast as death itself.

 They Both Die at the End was one of my most anticipated releases of 2017 because I’ve really enjoyed Adam Silvera’s More than Happy than Not and History is All You Left Me. While I enjoyed They Both Die at the End, it wasn’t my favorite Adam Silvera book. The premise was unique and one that keeps you thinking after reading the final page, but I felt that I couldn’t connect to Mateo or Rufus, other than the fact that Mateo loves books (the bookstore scene was quite cute). Yes, we will all face death one day, but I think the majority of my disconnect came from the idea that Mateo and Rufus know they’ll die that day. Hence, the book gives us the idea to get out of our comfort zones sometimes because everyday could be our last. And while the book had its suspenseful moments, I felt that it could have been a bit more suspenseful if it had been shorter. It was cool to see Rufus and Mateo’s relationship grow, but it felt a bit fluffy at times.

I was also left with an unanswered question or two at the end of the book when it came to some of the world building. While the story gives us the vibe that once you receive a Death Cast call, you will die that day, has anyone ever not died after being notified by Death Cast?? WHAT ABOUT DELIAH???? Are we to assume that she died or did she make it??? My biggest question that was left unanswered (which might have been up to our own interpretation) was the meaning behind Deckers being called Deckers. My assumption, as morbid as it seems, is that they’re waiting, or on deck, to die that day.

Have you read They Both Die at the End? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Summary: Alex Craft knows she cannot be trusted. When her sister, Anna, was murdered three years ago and the killer wasn’t convicted, Alex took her own action against them. Hiding her dark side away from others, Alex knows not to get too close to others and she only has senior year to go. Plans change when she starts to form a friendship with Peekay, the preacher’s kid who also volunteers at the animal shelter, and Jack Fisher, who may feel guilty from the night Anna was discovered, starts to notice Alex more and more. As senior year unravels, Alex, Peekay, and Jack are bought together by dark circumstances that may affect their future altogether.

My Rating: 4.75/5 Stars

My Thoughts:

The Female of the Species has been on my TBR since 2016, and I was finally able to get a copy at my college-town’s library. Many of the reviewers I follow on Goodreads have loved Mindy McGinnis’s work, especially The Female of the Species, so I couldn’t wait to dive in and see what the hype was all about. I wasn’t disappointed.

The Female of the Species is told from the perspectives of high school seniors Alex, Jack, and Peekay. I’m often tentative going into multi-POV novels, but it really worked for this book, as our characters are each so different and deal with their own issues. It’s important to note that none of our three POVs are great, moral individuals. Alex has a dark side where she finds that violence speaks louder than words. Jack may be the all-star athlete and student, but he isn’t an all-star when it comes to relationships, often just looking for hookups. Peekay knows she’ll always be seen as the preacher’s kid and has a reputation to protect; yet this doesn’t stop her from grabbing a beer bottle at every chance possible.

The Female of the Species was the dark YA book that I needed. I don’t think I’ll ever “age-out” of young-adult books, however, I am starting to get tired of the typical high school troupes that come along with many YA books. While The Female of the Species does take place in a small-town high school, the story itself is very mature. We’re given a dark background from the get-go, with Anna’s death and the unsolved murders in town. Yet, I will say that I wasn’t a huge fan of the amount of sex and drinking in the book. Yes, I wasn’t a partier in high school and am still not in college, but it felt very unrealistic in a high school setting. The only reason I docked my rating by ¼ a star was because the ending felt very convenient to me. However, I commend Mindy McGinnis for the way she handled heavy subjects, like relationships, death, rape and sexual assault. I think she’s set the stage for darker stories in the YA community.

Have you read The Female of the Species? Share in the comments!

Summary: Jess always tells her kids that everything will work out. But as much as Jess says it, it’s hard for her to follow her own mantra when it’s been two years since your husband left, your stepson is being bullied, you’re trying to balance two jobs, and your math whiz of a daughter has been given an opportunity that you cannot afford. Enter Ed Nicholls, a tech millionaire who has a few problems of his own. Work has kept him away from his family for months, and when a conflict of interest threatens to end his career, Ed needs to escape from everyday life. He’ll do anything, even if that means driving Jess and her family, dog included, to the Maths Olympiad in Scotland and a prize that could change her daughter’s life forever.

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

My Thoughts:

If you’ve been following Fangirl Fury for a little while, it won’t take too long for you to realize that I am a contemporary reads kind of a girl. One of my favorite types of books are British contemporaries, and Jojo Moyes’s One Plus One more than satisfied my craving for a light, yet heart-warming read that takes place in the UK (I know that sounds oddly specific, but there are SO many books out there for you if you share this same feeling). It took me less than a week to fly through One Plus One and I would’ve finished it sooner if I didn’t have school or work!

As much as I enjoyed Jess and Ed as two of our main characters, Tanzie, Nicky, and Norman stole the show for me. At ten years old, I love how determined Tanzie was, and she was so unique for her love of math. I was never (and still not) a math girl growing up, but I loved school and of course, English class, so it was awesome to see Tanzie be so passionate about learning. Her positivity, something that she definitely got from her mom, was so heart-warming, and my heart melted for her so much throughout the story. Tanzie, I understand the struggle of having your glasses broken and it is easily one of the most frustrating things in the world– not being able to make out details absolutely stinks. Tanzie’s relationship with Norman, the big, sloppy, and lovable family dog, was quite cute and I’m happy that the duo is still together at the end of the novel.

Frankly, my heart went out to all of our four main characters, and after Tanzie, Nicky was the next in line to break my heart. The bullying him and his family faced was atrocious, and I’m really glad he had Ed to help him sort out some of his problems. We really don’t get Nicky’s point-of-view until the end of the book (One Plus One is told in third person, but each chapter follows one of the four MCs), but I liked seeing his voice shine through in his blog posts.

While One Plus One has a big emphasis on family, we of course get to experience Ed and Jess’s growing romance. The road trip doesn’t take up the entirety of the novel, which was great for both the story and Jess and Ed’s relationship to expand further. My biggest “complaint” of the novel was that we get the “we really care about each other but something from the past divides us but we still love each other and in the end we’ll be back together” trope (wordy, I know, but true!).

I would love to pick up another Jojo Moyes book in the near future. Have you read One Plus One? Share in the comments!