Tag: young-adult

Review: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

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Summary: Sixteen-year old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier enjoys participating in the school musical and emailing with Blue, the pen name of another not-so-openly gay guy at Simon’s school. But when class clown Martin comes across Simon’s emails, Martin blackmails Simon into helping him date one of their friends. If Simon doesn’t play wingman, Martin will reveal Simon’s sexual identity and his emails with Blue. Filled with humor, love, and suspense, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda follows Simon and his friends’ suddenly complicated junior year.

My Rating: 4/5 stars

My Thoughts: **Warning: there are spoilers for Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda below**

 I admit, it took me a while to pick up Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda because I was a bit scared by all the hype surrounding the book. I wasn’t totally sold by the premise of the novel, and I didn’t want to be the one person not to like this book. However, I’ve been really interested in Becky Albertalli’s latest release The Upside of Unrequited, and while you don’t need to read Simon to read Upside, there’s apparently a Simon reference in the newer release. Despite my fear of not liking Simon, I ended up really enjoying the book and read it within two days!

I loved how Martin’s blackmailing started on the very first page of the book because we jumped right into the plot. We didn’t need the first two chapters or so just to set up Simon’s life, rather we learned about our main character as he faced his dilemma. I figured that it would have been too predictable to have Martin be Blue, and as much as I loved the idea of Cal and Simon together, it just would have been too convenient. I actually predicted Bram as Blue about halfway into the novel, after Simon learned that Blue was Jewish (Abraham is a traditionally Jewish name).

I also enjoyed reading about Simon’s family and friends. I loved how close Simon’s family is, and it makes me sad that Simon was nervous about coming out to them, as they were totally supportive of him no matter what. I loved his friendship with Nick and Leah because they were all just so comfortable with one another, playing videogames with Bieber in Nick’s basement. One of my few ‘disappointments’ about the novel was the lack of Oreos! Whenever people talk about Becky Albertalli or her books, Oreos almost always become a topic of conversation. Yes, Oreos were in the novel (and on the cover), but there just wasn’t an abundance. I wanted Blue/Bram to show up with a bouquet full of Oreos for Simon, but in the end, I wouldn’t expect Nabisco to become the sponsor of the novel.

I’m looking forward to the Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda film adaption (even though I’m sad that it’s not coming out until 2018), and Becky Albertalli’s next release, also slated for 2018, will be told from the perspective of Leah and will be the sequel to Simon. I’m really excited for this book as well because Leah was one of my favorite characters in Simon and I wish we had more interaction with her.

Have you read Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Everything, Everything Movie Review

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The film adaptation of Nicola Yoon’s Everything, Everything was released in the United States on May 19th, and I was lucky enough to see the movie during its opening weekend! The film and book follows eighteen-year old Madeline, who has an illness that prevents her from ever going outside. Madeline is somewhat content on spending life indoors, until Olly moves in next door. She’s forced to question how she can spend a life inside when there’s a person and a whole world waiting for her. Madeline is played by Amandla Stenberg, with Nick Robinson playing Olly.

**Warning: This review will contain spoilers for the film and book, Everything, Everything.

My Thoughts:

Amandla Stenberg was the perfect Madeline. She was exactly how I pictured Madeline when I read Everything, Everything. I loved seeing all of her books scattered around her bedroom and office, and it was so fun to see her work on her book blog. I also enjoyed seeing her growing addiction to Modcloth, it just made her feel so much more real.

I absolutely loved Nick Robinson as Olly! I think he fit the role perfectly, and I’m so excited to see Nick in future roles. His looks definitely don’t hurt him either! I saw Everything, Everything with my sister, who I read the book alongside with back in 2015, and she swears that Nick is a mix of Ansel Elgort and Shawn Mendes!. One of my favorite parts of the movie was toward the beginning, when Olly takes his mom’s Bundt cakes and keeps placing it on the windowsill for Madeline. My favorite edition of the cake was when Olly made a fake IV for it. It was so funny to get a sense of Olly humor and his desire to get to know Madeline.

My main critique of the film is that I feel that we needed a bit more interaction with Olly and Madeline. I definitely felt their love for each other, but I just wanted more. I would have loved to see more of the artwork from the book incorporated into the actual film. However, I loved how the film set up Madeline and Olly’s text messaging. Instead of having scenes filled with phone screenshots or messages, their messages were played out as them talking in one of Madeline’s architecture models. Additionally, I noticed few differences between the book and the film, which I’m so happy about. I feel that the film captured the true heart and spirit of Everything, Everything so well! I read the book back in November 2015, so while I may have forgotten a few things, the only difference I found between the book and the film was that Olly and Madeline didn’t go to Carla’s house before going to the airport.

While I do prefer the book to the movie, I appreciated how the movie took more time with the ending. One of my critiques of the book was that the ending felt very rushed. Yet, in the film, there was still about twenty-five minutes left of the movie after Madeline returns from Hawaii, allowing her to learn more about her condition and to confront her problems with her mom and Olly.

My Overall Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

I really enjoyed the film, and I definitely recommend seeing it if you have or haven’t read Everything, Everything. I’m really excited to see Nick Robinson star as Simon Spier in the film adaptation of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, and Amandla Stenberg is currently working on The Darkest Minds film adaptation and she’s set to play Starr in the film adaptation of The Hate U Give.

Have you seen or read Everything, Everything? Share your thoughts & feels in the comments below!

Review: Geekerella by Ashley Poston

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Summary:

Elle is the biggest Starfield fangirl you’ll ever meet. She is super-excited about the space/sci-fi TV series’ movie reboot, until it’s announced that Darien Freeman is slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor. Yes, Darien Freeman, the teenage heartthrob from that soap opera, is slated to play one of Elle’s all-time favorite characters. While Elle is not happy about this news, there’s one thing she is more than excited for: the Starfield cosplay contest at Excelsicon. The winner gets tickets to the LA premiere of the movie, where Elle can finally put her evil stepmother and stepsisters behind.

Darien Freeman has a love for Starfield that rivals his love for orange Crush. Playing Carmindor isn’t just job for him: it’s his fanboy dream come true. But playing the Federation Prince isn’t a total happily ever. Instead of walking the floor of Excelsicon just like any other ordinary fan, Darien has to do meet-and-greats, signings, and judge the Starfield cosplay contest. And when Starfield fans start doubting Darien’s ability to play the Federation Prince, Darien questions how he’ll do the fandom and himself justice.

Star Rating: 4.5/5 stars 

Cover Lust?: Yes! There’s the Magic Pumpkin and Franco, what else could you need?

My Thoughts:

Geekerella is my new favorite Cinderella retelling because of how relatable this book was to me as a fangirl. Elle and Darien are such huge fans of Starfield, and they each have a special connection to the series. Elle’s parents met at a Starfield convention and shared their love for the series with their daughter, supplemented by the fact that Elle’s dad founded Excelsicon. Darien grew up watching the series with his dad, and this totally reminded of how I read and watched Harry Potter with my mom.

I really enjoyed how Ashley Preston mixed Cinderella elements with modern elements. My favorite combined element was the Magic Pumpkin food truck! I thought it was such a clever idea for Elle’s mode of transportation, along with the fact that it came along with Sage as her fairy godmother. Sage was my favorite side character in the book because she was always there for Elle. She let Elle bring her into the Starfield fandom, which reminded me of how I share my love for fandoms with my own friends. Most of my friends can’t hang out with me without me mentioning Hamilton or Harry Potter or books at least three times.

One of my favorite parts in the novel is when Elle and Darien are at Excelsicon. My only complaint is that I wish Elle went around the show floor more. When she was describing all the cosplayers and the atmosphere, it reminded me of my own experiences at conventions, and I wished I was on the show floor with her. Overall, the fandom elements were so amazing in this book. If a crush tells me, “I hear the observation deck is nice this time of year”, I just might swoon over.

While the ending was a bit predictable, I absolutely loved it and gave me all the fangirl feels. Sometimes you just need a good happily ever after. My favorite part of Geekerella wasn’t even in the actual story– Ashley Preston’s acknowledgements made me cry! In her acknowledgements, Ashley Preston thanks the fandom community and the reader. I squealed when she writes, “So I want to thank you . You, the reader. You, who cosplays and writes fanfiction and draws fan art and runs a forum and collects Funko-Pops and must have hardcovers for all of your favorite book series and frames for your autographed posters”. If that’s not me, I don’t know who I am! Her acknowledgements were just so heartfelt, and I look forward to reading her other books!

What’s your favorite fandom(s)? Share in the comments below!

Review: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

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Summary: Sixteen-year old Starr Carter leads two lives: the one in her poor, black neighborhood and the one at her predominantly white high school. Starr does her best to balance both worlds, until she witnesses her childhood best friend, Khalil, die at the hands of a police officer.  Contrary to the officer’s belief, Khalil was unarmed and innocent. Starr deals with the aftermath of Khalil’s death head on, as he quickly becomes a national headline and Starr’s community looks for answers. Starr must decide how she’ll prove to her friends, community and the nation that Khalil wasn’t the thug the police and media are trying to make him out as.

Star Rating: 5/5 Stars

Cover Lust?: Yes! This cover is just so clean and I love the way Starr’s poster stands out in person

My Thoughts:

I admit, I was a little nervous to pick up The Hate U Give because of all of the hype it was receiving. Angie Thomas’s debut novel has been #1 on the New York Times Bestsellers list for weeks,and so many bloggers and Booktubers are raving about it. I was afraid that I would end up not liking the book. However, within the first three chapters of The Hate U Give, I just fell into it.  When I’m completely memorized by a book in the very beginning, I know there’s a 99.99% chance that I’m going to absolutely love it and I did.

I was enchanted with many of the characters, especially Starr. She’s the side we rarely get in these horrific situations. I love how this book portrays what we don’t see in the media: what actually happened.While it was heartbreaking, I greatly appreciated Thomas for writing Starr’s breakdowns throughout the book. The tears don’t stop right after Khalil dies; they continue throughout the period after his death. Starr didn’t magically stop feeling sad and suddenly become this martyr. She struggles to prove that her friend wasn’t a thug. He was a human, he was her Harry Potter-loving best friend.

Sidenote: I loved the Harry Potter storyline in this book. Starr, Khalil, and Natasha were their own trio. I mean c’mon, “tighter than the inside of Voldemort’s nose”?? That’s genius! I also enjoyed how Seven and Starr find comfort in the series. One of my favorite moments was when Starr’s dad offered to watch Harry Potter with her, even though he didn’t understand why no one ever thought to just shot Voldemort.

The Carters soon became one of my favorite families in the YA world. They have such a strong family dynamic and each brought their own character to the story. Beside his humor, Starr’s dad was one of my favorite characters in THUG because of his love for his family. He refuses to be defined by his past and just wants a better life for his kids.. Also,can Starr’s mom be my honorary aunt or something?? She was just so extremely caring and gave Starr such great advice and support. One of my favorite quotes in the novel comes from Lisa, telling Starr, “Brave doesn’t mean you’re not scared, Starr. It means you go on even though you’re scared”. I also loved Starr’s relationship with Seven and Sekani, as they go from giving each other wedgies to standing up for one another.

From the  #BlackLivesMatter movement to Starr’s use of social media, I love the contemporary relevance in this book. It feels like 2017. In relation to the political climate that is the #BlackLivesMatter movement, I like how Starr and Thomas make it a point that not all cops are bad, which is additionally exemplified through her Uncle Carlos. They want to call attention to police officers who are in the wrong and don’t take responsibility for their actions.

It was so heartbreaking and frustrating that Starr’s story wasn’t taken seriously in the eyes of the jury and other individuals. In relation to social media, I love how Starr’s Tumblr and Twitter reflect her activism. I even love how during her fight with Hailey, someone shouts “World Star”. While it was a small detail, the fight would be something that was posted to the“World Star” Twitter account. It made it feel like something similar could have happened in any high school or college.

Overall, I loved The Hate U Give because I learned something. I learned about Tupac and Thug Life (by the way, Angie Thomas is a genius for coming up with the anagram, THUG!!!). I learned to not make conceptions about people based on their race, their class, their habits. I learned that it is important to stand up for what you believe in. To stand up for the truth and the people you love.

Have you read The Hate U Give? Share your thoughts and feels in the comments!

Review: Heartless by Marissa Meyer

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Summary: Before she became the Queen of Hearts, all Cath wanted to do was open the best bakery in Wonderland.In Cath’s parents’ opinion, their daughter should be more concerned about her impending engagement to the King than baking lemon tarts. Cath dreads receiving the King’s proposal at a royal ball, until she meets Jest, the handsome court joker. With Jest by her side, Cath is more than ready to open her bakery, even it its means losing her way to the throne. However, Cath forgets that this is Wonderland after all, and Wonderland has its own plans for Cath’s future.

Star Rating: 4.75/5 Stars. I really loved this book, however, I disliked some parts and couldn’t give it a full 5 stars.

Cover Lust?: Yes! The cover art and its typography is stunning, but what makes this books even more aesthetically pleasing is that IT IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL NAKED!

My Thoughts: When I picked up Heartless, I was a craving a fun, fantasy read and this book more than satisfied my desire. Marissa Meyer created her own Wonderland, along with reflecting Lewis Carroll’s original tale. There was croquet with hedgehogs and flamingos, mad tea parties, three creepy sisters in a well, talking animals, and so much other whimsy!

I really enjoyed Cath as the main character because of her determination. I adored how baking was her true passion, and  learning how to make lemon tarts is on my priority list. I loved her friendship with Mary Ann (yay positive female friendships!). However, the one problem that I had with Cath was her agonizing over the King and Jest. While there was some action and excitement in between, I needed more of a conclusion sooner. Along with Cath, I loved Jest so much. He was so mysterious and lovely and brought his own magic and whimsy to the story. I wasn’t a huge fan of his bestie, Hatta. From the moment Hatta met Cath, I suspected that he had something behind his back.

I knew going into this novel that it was a Queen of Hearts retelling, but I admit, I rooted for an ending where Cath didn’t become the Queen of Hearts. When Cath re-enters Hearts toward the end, I was somewhat convinced that Marissa Meyer would deliver an alternate ending. However, I did enjoy Cath’s transformation and seeing the title of the book come to life. As a fan of Meyer’s The Lunar Chronicles series, Cath’s story reminded me of Levana’s transformation in Fairest.  I look forward to Meyer’s future books, and I really hope she keeps writing about fairytales!

Have you read Heartless? Share your thoughts and feels in the comments below!

A Court of Thorns and Roses Reread Review

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As I began to anticipate Sarah J.Maas’s A Court of Wings and Ruin more and more, I knew I had to reread A Court of Thorns and Roses and A Court of Mist and Fury before ACOWAR comes out on May 2nd. I was even more motivated to reread the first two books in the trilogy when Kristin from SuperSpaceChick, Alexa from Alexa Loves Books, and Cristina from Girl in the Pages announced that they would be hosting a A Court of Thorns and Roses Reread. Below, you’ll find my own non-spoilery thoughts of my ACOTAR reread.

ACOTAR Summary: When nineteen year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf, the last thing she expects is a beast-like creature to come and knock down her family’s door. The beast demands a life for life, dragging Feyre to Prythian, the land of the faeries and magic. Feyre’s kind have come to fear and hate the faeries, and Feyre’s own hatred grows when she learns that her captor is not a beast, but Tamlin- one of the powerful, immortal High Fae. As she adjusts to living in Prythian with Tamlin, Feyre’s feelings transform from hatred to passion, and she must find a way to help Tamlin stop a magical being from taking over the faerie lands.

My Reread Feels (warning: there are some minor spoilers about plot details below) 

My favorite part of rereading this book was noticing more of the Beauty and the Beast elements. A Court of Thorns and Roses is a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and the two stories hold many similarities and differences. One of the differences I noticed in this reread is between our two female protagonists. While Belle is obviously a huge bookworm, Feyre is unable to read. The coolest similarity I noticed was the physical element of the curse. In Beauty and the Beast, all of the Beast’s servants transform into objects. In A Court of Thorns and Roses, all of the people in Tamlin’s court, including himself, are stuck wearing masks. I thought it was so cool of Sarah J.Maas to incorporate this physical element in her book.

I really love the world-building throughout this series, and I’m so excited to refamiliarize myself with the rest of the courts in A Court of Mist and Fury. While I enjoy Feyre as our main protagonist, I enjoy interacting with the side characters so much more. Lucien, Alis, and Rhysand add such character and humor  into the story. Rhysand is a much bigger character in the second novel, so I enjoyed rereading his parts  and how he helps set up the plot for ACOMAF. This book also reminded how strong of a character Feyre is. She totally held her own while living in the human realm and living beside the faeries. However, in this reread, I went from loving Tamlin to holding a lot of animosity against him. Without being too spoilery, Tamlin feels that he has to have complete control over Feyre’s whereabouts and knowledge, which was completely unnecessary and too controlling at times.

Are you rereading A Court of Thorns and Roses & A Court of Mist and Fury in anticipation of ACOWAR?Share your non-spoilerly ACOTAR thoughts and feels below!

My Most Anticipated Spring Releases

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From standalones to series finales, there are so many YA books coming out this spring. I’m anticipating all the fangirl feels this season!

Alex and Eliza by Melissa de la Cruz– A YA retelling, Melissa de la Cruz’s Alex and Eliza follows the fateful night Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler meet at the Schuylers’ ball. Being the massive Hamilton fan that I am,  I’m excited for this book to come out on April 11,yet I’m a bit skeptical. I’m not sure if we really need a YA retelling of how the couple met, similar to how we “needed” a young adult version of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J.Maas– Since A Court of Mist and Fury reaffirmed my belief that Sarah J. Maas is the queen of fantasy, I cannot wait to get my hands on ACOWAR (Sarah said that this abbreviation is quite fitting to the story). I don’t know what to expect in the final book of this Beauty and the Beast retelling turned retelling of Hades and Persephone turned I don’t know what else yet. ACOWAR comes out May 2.

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han– Oh, the series finale that will cause all the tears. I’m so happy Jenny Han decided to add another book to her To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series. This book perfectly captures love and family-relationships, and there’s so much baking! With her father’s wedding, high school graduation, and college all on the horizon, Lara Jean has some big decisions to make about her future and of course her relationship with Peter. Always and Forever, Lara Jean better colem with Kleenex on its release day,May 2.

Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab– Our Dark Duet is the final book in Victoria Schwab’s Monsters of Verity duology. This Savage Song, the first book in the duology, was my the first Schwab book that I’ve ever read and I’m absolutely obsessed. The duology takes place in Verity, a city divided by monsters. We follow Kate, the daughter of a man who the monsters are even afraid of, and August, who just wants to prove that he’s more than the monster everyone thinks he is. While I’m sad that the series is ending on June 13th, I can’t wait for Augustus and Kate’s story to continue in Our Dark Duet.

Once and for All by Sarah Dessen– Sarah Dessen, the queen of YA contemporary, comes out with her thirteenth novel on June 6th. Once and for All follows Louisa, the daughter of a wedding planner. Having been to more weddings than most people will in their lifetimes, Louisa is quite over the whole happily ever-after thing. Ambrose is determined to get Louisa out of her funk, especially when he begins to develop feelings for her. Mixed with humor, love, and weddings, Once and for All sounds like the perfect summer contemporary.

What books are you most anticipating this spring? Comment below!

What I Want to Reread in 2017

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I’m always so focused on my growing TBR pile that I feel like I don’t have time to go back and reread. While i constantly look to Harry Potter and Fangirl for my rereading needs, I’m hoping to expand outside my ‘comfort zone’ and re-pick up these books before the end of 2017!
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell– I absolutely loved Carry On when it first came out and I’m still obsessed. Frankly, I love all of Rainbow Rowell’s books and I’d read her grocery list if I could (she often tweets about cake from Whole Foods, so I think my wish is already semi-complete). I can’t wait to dive back into the world of Simon Snow and Baz and magic and romance and everything else! Since I own two copies of the book already, one signed, you could say that I’m more than prepared for this reread. And you better believe I’m buying the gorgeous paperback edition when it comes out in May!

A Court of Thorns & Roses and A Court of Mist & Fury by Sarah J.Maas– I would love to reread A Court of Thorns and Roses and A Court of Mist and Fury before the conclusion to this series, A Court of Wings and Ruin, comes out on May 2. I plan on rereading these alongside Kristin of Super Space Chick, Cristina of Girl in the Pages, and Alexa Loves Books’s ACOTAR Series Reread event. Like me, these bloggers know how everyone is super-busy trying to manage their TBR piles. That being said, this reread event has a relaxed reading schedule and what makes it extra-exciting is that Kristina, Cristina, and Alexa will be hosting giveaways in their wrap-up posts for each novel!

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon– With the film adaptation coming out on May 19th,I want to refresh my memory of Everything, Everything before seeing the movie. Since the book is on the shorter side, I should have no problem giving this a quick reread. Everything, Everything follows a girl and her allergy to the outside world, the latter becoming more problematic when she falls in love with the boy next door. If you plan on reading the book before the movie, I recommend not watching the trailer, as in true 2017 movie trailer fashion, the trailer gives away most of the book’s plot.

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner– I picked up this book in 2015 and I enjoyed it, but I really was not into the sci-fi aspect of the novel. This book is often hyped as ‘Titanic in space’, as two protagonists come from two different economic backgrounds and are the only ones to survive when their luxury spaceship liner crashes. Since I’ve picked up more sci-fi since then and love Kaufman’s The Illuminae Files, I really want to give These Broken Stars another go. Its gorgeous cover is also giving me motivation to reread.

If you could reread any book in 2017, what would it be? Share your answers and comments below!

What I Read in February 2017

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February was my first full month back at school. While it was a struggle to find time to read in between classes and papers and life, I was able to read 4 books this month:

History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera (4.5/5 stars) : Adam Silvera has once again written a novel that had me totally captivated from the start. I was obsessed with his first novel, More Than Happy Not, last year so I was excited to get my hands on History Is All You Left Me. Griffin’s heartbreak over Theo’s death is devastating enough, not to mention the fact the Griffin has to deal with Jackson, the guy Theo was seeing before he died. There were sad moments, cute moments, and some moments that made my jaw drop. What prevented me from giving HIAYLM a full five stars is that Griffin definitely makes some irrational decisions throughout the book. I understand that he is grieving, but there were moments where I wanted to pull him out of the story and give him a talking to.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (2/5 stars): There’s a reason why I never picked up this book before having to read it in my American Literature class. While I appreciated the book’s transcendentalist moments (what I’m focusing on in class), the only tears I shed came from my boredom of the writing style. It dragged on and on and that was only The Custom House. Leave this book about a woman and a minister having a child out of wedlock and her crazy stalker husband in the classroom kids.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer (4/5 stars): I was never really a Twilight fan, so I was excited to give another Stephenie Meyer’s book a go. While I wasn’t overly impressed with the writing style, it was fun jumping back into a classic dystopian with a love-triangle read.

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour (5/5 Stars): I loved We Are Okay. The book follows Marin, a college freshman who abruptly left her life in San Francisco and is now forced to face the tragedy she left behind when her best friend comes to visit. Going in, I totally wasn’t expecting how emotional I would get attached to this story and its characters. LaCour switches between the past and present (I think that’s becoming a theme I really enjoy in books) and focuses on family relationships, which is a subject that doesn’t get enough focus in YA.  Since it’s on the short side, I was able to finish it in one weekend, which made this reader and her TBR pile very happy.

Favorite Book: We Are Okay– From the cover to the characters to LaCour’s writing style, everything about this book is beautiful. AND IT HAS FOOD. Get a box of tissues and go read it now!

What was your favorite read in February? Share in the comments below!