July 2017 Wrap-Up

Summer vacation is going by so fast and I cannot keep up in the least. July was hardly an eventful month, all I did was slave away in my desk taking SAT practice tests and occasionally go outside to the real world. Occasionally. Reading-wise, July was certainly the month of goodbyes. I had read three conclusions to three of my favorite YA series’, and it’s difficult to leave when you still want to go on adventures with the characters you love. It was definitely sad, but I still managed to squeeze some standalone novels in there to ease myself.

The Lives Of Desperate Girls, by MacKenzie Common (2.25 stars) – I received an ARC of this book in June (it officially comes out in September), but finished it in July, and that should be enough to tell y’all my feelings for this book. While it offers interesting commentary on the blatant racism and sexism in our society, the rest of the book is not so interesting. You can find my review here.

The Raven King, Maggie Stiefvater (3.25 stars) – I didn’t hate this book, but I did hate the way certain plot points were left untouched and underdeveloped, as well as the blunt ending. The book’s writing and character development were great as usual, but as an concluding novel, I’m pretty disappointed. I still love this series though, and will definitely miss its characters and overall mystical vibe. You can find my review here. 

Crooked Kingdom, by Leigh Bardugo (5 stars) – ASDFGHJKL is the only coherent thing I can say when it comes to this book, or rather, this duology in general. Bless the YA gods for Leigh Bardugo, for Kaz Brekker and the rest of the characters in this too-amazing-to-be-real duology.

 

Welcome To The Slipstream, by Natalka Burian (3 stars) – I really enjoyed the first half of this book, but disliked the second half, making it a classic 3-star novel. This contemporary combines a number of unique plot points and is by no means typical, but I do wish these plot points were told in a bigger and bolder way. You can find my review here.

 

Alex, Approximately, by Jenn Bennett (4.25 stars) – This book is the essence of fluffiness done right. It’s a modern retelling of the classic rom-com movie You’ve Got Mail, and is perfectly witty, funny, and adorable. It’s now one of my contemporary/romance favorites. You can find my review here.

Winter, by Marissa Meyer (4 stars) – Ah, this book was definitely a roller coaster of emotions. I still don’t know why I didn’t read this when it came out two years ago, but it hit me just as hard now. Will certainly miss this series, but I know I’m going to visit it over and over again.

Hunted, by Megan Spooner (3.25 stars) – I’m having another bout of CONFLICT with this Beauty and the Beast retelling, because while I really liked the haunting vibe of the book, it was hella slow and a little boring. Look out for my review coming soon!

 

Thank you guys for reading! Leave a comment below with your thoughts 🙂

Carry On, by Rainbow Rowell | A super cute Harry Potter “fanfic.” Nuff said.

4.5 Stars

Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who’s ever been chosen.

That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right.

Half the time, Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around, wearing Simon’s face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here — it’s their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up.

Carry On – The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow is a ghost story, a love story and a mystery. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story – but far, far more monsters.

Carry On is one of those rare books where I read over 90% of this 500+ page book in a day. I have to say, I didn’t expect to like this book nearly as much as I did. I haven’t read Fangirl, but knew that this was essentially a book within a book that became its own book, which hardly attracted me. In addition, it was reviewed widely as basically  a Harry Potter fanfic, which worried me. I’m as obsessed with HP as any reader, but a spin-off written by a contemporary author? Seriously? Well, Carry On was all of those things: romancy, a spin-off, and a copy of Harry Potter from start to finish. And I loved every bit of it.

So I’m going to talk about Carry On as its own book, and not as a Fangirl related one, probably because I haven’t read the latter (I know, sue me). This book is about Simon Snow, a super powerful orphan mage referred to as “The Chosen One,” prophesied to defeat an evil connected to him in some way. Currently, he attends the Watford School of Magicks, where he studies with his two best friends and enemy/rival, who Simon initially suspects is up to no good. Sound familiar?

The comparisons to HP were overwhelming at first, and I definitely wasn’t sold on Simon’s obsession with his rival Baz’s disappearance. However, as I read on (and once Baz finally showed up), I began to enjoy the book much more and note the differences between this and Harry Potter. There are no school houses, for one. The spells are also common English phrases, and wands are not the only way of harnessing power. The world and class differences/tension are similar, but developed in a different way.

But what truly sold me were the characters. Simon is very adorable, and his best friend Penelope is all kinds of awesome. Baz, as well, is (secretly) super cute and his interactions with Simon had me squealing on the floor. The character relationships were surprisingly layered and very enjoyable to read. I also liked Simon’s relationships with the adults in his life, particularly the Mage.

The romance between Baz and Simon somehow wasn’t forced, either. My initial worry (knowing Rowell’s standard style of writing) was that there’d be more kissing than actual substance, but that wasn’t really the case. Although Baz’s love for Simon was a bit bluntly stated in the beginning, they don’t actually kiss until page 343-ish, which I was very happy about. Overall, the romance and characters were so much fun that I was more than happy to overlook the obvious flaws of this book.

Oh, the flaws. I wish I didn’t have to cover this but I consider it my obligation as a reviewer. I gave this book a very high rating simply on the basis of how much I relished it, but it cannot be ignored that the plot is, well… nonexistent. The “Voldemort” of this book, the Insidious Humdrum, takes a back seat to the Simon-Baz tension and there’s no real effort made on Simon’s part to defeat it. Most of the story revolves around figuring out who murdered Baz’s mom, but progress is excruciatingly slow. While Harry Potter also rarely had Voldemort show up for the majority of the book, the time was spent on world-building, foreshadowing, and attending classes. I don’t think I can name a single class Simon attended (because they were so inconsequential), and there was no growing mystery or a sense of foreboding. There just… wasn’t much of a plot.

This may sound like a game-killer for you, and if you’re considering scrolling away to some other book, think again. Despite everything, if you’re a character-driven reader looking for a cute read, please try Carry On. I hope you don’t regret it, because I certainly didn’t. 🙂

~Liz

Alex, Approximately, by Jenn Bennett | some of the best fluff I’ve had

4.25 stars

The one guy Bailey Rydell can’t stand is actually the boy of her dreams—she just doesn’t know it yet.

Classic movie fan Bailey “Mink” Rydell has spent months crushing on a witty film geek she only knows online as Alex. Two coasts separate the teens until Bailey moves in with her dad, who lives in the same California surfing town as her online crush.

Faced with doubts (what if he’s a creep in real life—or worse?), Bailey doesn’t tell Alex she’s moved to his hometown. Or that she’s landed a job at the local tourist-trap museum. Or that she’s being heckled daily by the irritatingly hot museum security guard, Porter Roth—a.k.a. her new archnemesis. But life is whole lot messier than the movies, especially when Bailey discovers that tricky fine line between hate, love, and whatever it is she’s starting to feel for Porter.

And as the summer months go by, Bailey must choose whether to cling to a dreamy online fantasy in Alex or take a risk on an imperfect reality with Porter. The choice is both simpler and more complicated than she realizes, because Porter Roth is hiding a secret of his own: Porter is Alex…Approximately.

I downloaded this book on somewhat of a whim, because I was slightly bored and disappointed with Hunted and its tiny-ass font (my eyesight is bad as it is), and I wanted a cute, fluffy romance to bring me out of the ‘slump’ I was in (which lasted for like 2 days but still). Fortunately, it did not disappoint in the least and is now actually one of my favorite contemporary novels ever.

First off, I have to say the writing and pacing of the novel are great. Bailey’s narration is so full of life and addicting, and I loved the small amounts of depth injected into it. It is largely a fluff novel, but I thought the discussion on Bailey’s avoidance of confrontation and breaking out of her shell was just enough to add depth, but not take away the sweet vibe of the book. What’s also interesting, is that several of the characters have experienced traumatic events or are experiencing difficulties in a broad number of aspects. They weren’t all addressed in depth, but it was cool how Bennett managed to mix those topics in and still create a happy novel with just the right amount of seriousness. I will admit some of those topics felt like plot devices to simply add to romantic angst (as if there wasn’t enough already), but the book was addicting as hell so I can’t complain.

Despite a few throwaway/unmemorable characters here and there, most of the characters were fairly well-written and thoroughly entertaining. Bailey was incredibly lively, funny, and witty. I could feel her personality dripping off the pages immediately and I liked her methods to avoid confrontation and talking to people (she calls herself the ‘Artful Dodger’, I can relate immensely), as well as her doubts and insecurities concerning love. To sum it up easily, I would say her voice sounded like a mix of Anna and Lola from Anna And The French Kiss and Lola And The Boy Next Door, which really isn’t a bad combination. Porter is pretty swoon-worthy, while there are a few moments in the writing that made me cringe (specifically when describing his physical appearance), it isn’t as bad as some other contemporary novels, and he’s actually a very three-dimensional character.

The book is obviously most focused on the romance and its development, and anyone who’s seen You’ve Got Mail knows that it’s essentially a mess. The reader knows that ‘Mink’ is Bailey and ‘Alex’ is Porter, but the characters themselves don’t know, and we are watching the slow but adorable process of them falling in love and eventually finding out in between all the drama. Bailey and Porter are painfully cute, some might think it’s a bit sugary at parts, but I loved both of their sweet and sarcastic moments. Yeah, their ‘archenemy’ status lasted for about 100 pages approximately, but the pros outweigh the cons in this situation. Witty banter, noticeable chemistry, and utter adorableness, what else does one need in a rom-com?

If I had to complain about something, I would say the ‘film’ parts of the novel were not enough. It’s clear that Bailey and Porter are obsessed with movies, classics specifically, but I do wish there were more references spread out throughout the novel. But, I loved this book, it was perfect for pulling me out of the sheer medieval fantasy of Hunted and putting me in a good mood. Would recommend to anyone looking for a cutesy summer read.

-Haven

Welcome To The Slipstream, by Natalka Burian | extreme mixed feelings toward this unique contemporary

Bright lights, big trouble.

Fans of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak and Judy Gregerson’s Bad Girls Club will relate to this story about a girl traumatized by her brilliant mother’s serious mental illness.

Like a grown-up Eloise from the picture book, the main character, Van, lives in an upscale casino in glitzy Las Vegas, giving readers entree into a crazy world that few ever get to see. Based on real life events witnessed by the author, a harrowing look at the dangers of self-help cults that promise insight and instead deliver destruction.

With her mother, a brilliant businesswoman with fragile mental health, Van arrives in Las Vegas at the Silver Saddle casino, where Alex, a college student, is assigned to “babysit” her. Van is used to having to land on her feet, because her mother and her surrogate grandmother move from city to city all the time like corporate gypsies, but Alex introduces Van, a talented musician, to a group where her guitar skills may shine. But just as she’s about to play her first gig, her mother is lured in by a con man promising a “vision quest” in Arizona, and Van must go on the road to find and save her mom.

3 stars

Judging by its long synopsis, Welcome To The Slipstream sounds really random, messy, and sometimes unintentionally funny (all of them combined at certain points), which it is, but not on the incredibly large scale you want it to be on. The novel is actually quite short, at only 272 pages, and despite its promise of snazzy hotels, big cities, punk-rock vibes, and weird-ass cults, it still manages to cram everything in very tidily, exploring each aspect but always coming short somehow. I was actually enjoying the first half of the book and if I had continued to enjoy it all the way, it would have been at least a 3.5 star book. However, the second half had to come along and take away all my hopes of enjoying a contemporary fully for once. I am once again in a state of conflict. *deep sigh*

The story takes place in two areas: the fancy Silver Saddle hotel and casino in Las Vegas and the Arizona desert. The entire first half is set in Vegas, before Van goes to find her mother, and I definitely liked the descriptions and the vibe of the hotel/casino and its everyday routine. I do which that setting was more explored on a larger scale, and I could say the same for most of the aspects of this book. I definitely thought the same for the musical, punk-rock feel of the book, while it was there I did like it, but I wanted to feel more of that vibe. This book clearly contains a lot of random and unique elements that set it apart from most contemporaries, and if only those elements had been told in a bigger and bolder manner on a larger scale, Welcome To The Slipstream would have been a lot more memorable. The prose is very straight-forward and easy to understand, but I do wish the same kind of narration was kept constant throughout. The second half was entirely set in Arizona, where Van finally meets the creepy cult her mother had become entangled in, and it’s really, really boring. I was just gaining some interest for this mystery ‘vision quest’ by that time, but Van’s narration through the desert was so draggy and uninteresting, I honestly skimmed through most of it.

The characters were surprisingly more interesting and layered than I had initially expected them to be. Van herself is a quite relatable heroine that has gone through her fair share of pain, guilt, and emotional conflict concerning her mother’s behavior and their frequent moves. I loved Ida, she was such a force of nature with her vibrant personality and hilarious one-liners. I did feel as though Alex was a tad one-dimensional, and that Joanna, Carol, Marcos were only added to stir up unnecessary drama, but I appreciated their much-needed diversion from Van, Ida, and Sofia.

I am disappointed in lack of directness involved with Sofia’s mental stability, because it’s clear that she has trouble with mental illness, and in this case it happens to be bipolar disorder. I thought we would at least hear the words ‘bipolar’ or ‘mental illness’ in the story, but it was never went over or even directly insinuated. There is plenty amount of depth to match the funnier sides of this novel, but I was expecting something more concrete, considering they had plenty to work with.

There is a romance involved that does a perfect job of not overtaking the story, but I do feel as though it was added in unnecessarily. Alex seems to be interested in Van almost immediately, and while their relationship is slow burn, there wasn’t enough information to truly make their mutual attraction pop out. I did like how Van was still at center stage and that her insecurities and doubts affected her motivation to further her relationship with Alex, but I still think the book would have been better if the romance was reduced a tad.

Welcome To The Slipstream was a fairly engaging novel, but it could have been something much more than ‘average’ if it utilized its unique themes, and crafted itself to be bigger and bolder. I would recommend if you’re looking for something short, weird, and different from typical YA contemporary.

-Haven

Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies | an intriguing premise undercut by a terrible main character

3 Stars

Twin Peaks meets Stars Hollow in this paranormal suspense novel about a boy who can reach inside people and steal their innermost things—fears, memories, scars, even love—and his family’s secret ritual that for centuries has kept the cliff above their small town from collapsing.

Aspen Quick has never really worried about how he’s affecting people when he steals from them. But this summer he’ll discover just how strong the Quick family magic is—and how far they’ll go to keep their secrets safe.

With a smart, arrogant protagonist, a sinister family tradition, and an ending you won’t see coming, this is a fast-paced, twisty story about power, addiction, and deciding what kind of person you want to be, in a family that has the ability to control everything you are.

Hey guys! So I’ve been out of the country for the last month and a half or so (it felt much longer, believe me), but I am more than ecstatic to be back to the world of stable Internet connection. I did get some reading over my vacation (when I wasn’t being bitten by mosquitoes in India, of course) so I am super hyped to talk about them.

Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies has a super gripping title. It’s morbidly humorous, and the blurb sounds interesting. I think the the title is probably the strongest point of this novel, which says quite a lot about the book. This books follows Aspen and his family, who have the power to steal anyone’s personal characteristics, whether it be personality or physical traits. His family has, for as long as anyone can remember, has a ritual where they use this power to steal things from people to stabilize the cliff that looms over the town to avoid mass destruction.

This premise is completely fascinating. The concept of a sentient cliff that requires things to be stolen from people provides a super intriguing air of mystery and magical realism. Clearly, everything is not as it seems when it comes to the ritual, cliff and even Aspen’s family, and the fact that this is apparent to the reader from the beginning sparks interest. Unfortunately, this premise that had so much potential was so wasted on a terrible, terrible main character.

I have one word to describe Aspen Quick: asshole. That’s all he is. He has this amazing power to take anything from anyone, and he abuses it to no end. He’s arrogant, and doesn’t give a second thought to taking whatever the hell he wants from anyone, with no thought to how he may be altering that person. I held out hope that this was the kind of book where he would become aware of his assholery (since his self-realization is the real message of this book) and become a better person, and I think that is what the author intended to do, but I couldn’t buy it. His big realization that his power causes harm happens in the last page of the book, and never felt deep or profound enough to be convincing. A whole book full of being a jerk doesn’t disappear immediately, Aspen.

If you want further proof of him being a terrible person, 80% of the book centers around Aspen forcing the girl he likes to fall in love with him, by taking away her love for his best friend and CONTINUALLY taking away any feelings she continues to develop for the best friend. It’s mentioned in the book that he once took away a club bouncer’s ability to tell a fake ID from a real one, and his cousin took away a security guard’s knowledge that pointy things aren’t allowed at an airport, for their own personal gain. This guy and his family’s selfishness has no end, and I became rather sick of him constantly manipulating people around him to get what he wants, and showing much too little remorse.

The underlying plot (other than the girlfriend stuff) was related to him figuring out the mystery surrounding his family’s magic. Most of the reveals were highly predictable, and at 20% of the book I could guess exactly what was going to happen, and suffered through 300 pages of Aspen struggling to figure it out.

After all this bashing, you may be wondering about my 3 star rating. Well, all 3 stars had to do with how cool the cliff and the magical realism was. Even though this book definitely could have been executed better, the idea is a good one, and I have to give the author credit for that. I would recommend this book if you’re looking for a quick read and have some time, but not if you’re hoping to be impressed.

~Liz

Waiting On Wednesday #2

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme created by Breaking the Spine where each week we discuss upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

What’s up, guys? This week’s anticipated release is Black Bird Of The Gallows by Meg Kassel!

Release Date: September 5th, 2017

A simple but forgotten truth: Where harbingers of death appear, the morgues will soon be full.

Angie Dovage can tell there’s more to Reece Fernandez than just the tall, brooding athlete who has her classmates swooning, but she can’t imagine his presence signals a tragedy that will devastate her small town. When something supernatural tries to attack her, Angie is thrown into a battle between good and evil she never saw coming. Right in the center of it is Reece—and he’s not human.

What’s more, she knows something most don’t. That the secrets her town holds could kill them all. But that’s only half as dangerous as falling in love with a harbinger of death. 

I’ve haven’t missed reading typical, cliche paranormal romances but this book sounds totally mature and perfectly dark. I do like gothic-themed books, and Black Bird Of The Gallows sounds different from the PNR novels infested in YA today. I’m keeping my fingers crossed!

What releases are y’all anticipating? Leave a comment below! 🙂

-Haven

The Raven King, by Maggie Stiefvater (Raven Cycle #4) | an enjoyable story w/ a dissatisfying ending

The fourth and final installment in the spellbinding series from the irrepressible, #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.

All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love’s death. She doesn’t believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

I’m teetering between giving this book 3 or 3.5 stars, because while I liked the majority of the book, the ending failed to live up to the theatricality of the rest of the series, and failed the conjure up the amount of emotion I should have felt. If I gave into simply remembering the last few chapters, this book would have been a 3-star read, but the story as a whole was just as enjoyable as the others. I still can’t forget that clusterfuck of an ending though.

The writing was beautiful, as usual, but I did notice something different about it. Stiefvater relies heavily on further defining the ‘aesthetic’ of the series and describing the overall vibe of a setting, character, or group of characters in this particular book. There are a number of shorter, more descriptive sentences that encompass the feeling or visual aesthetic, which I quite liked, actually. This isn’t as easily seen in the other books, but I like how it totally enhanced the story without feeling forced. I’m usually very keen on emotional expression in the finales, and Stiefvater definitely delivered. Even if her writing style isn’t conventionally raw and honest while conveying emotion, the amount of feeling is still abundant through the unique prose.

In my opinion, the fantasy/science-fiction portions left a lot to be desired. There are a good amount of newer fantasy/sci-fi aspects introduced and they are somewhat elaborated on, such as Blue’s background and history behind her father and Henry Cheng’s whole deal. However, I still feel disconnected from these concepts besides there wasn’t enough time or elaboration involved for me to truly understand and absorb it. There are so many revelations made about the characters and the whole Raven Cycle world that are only quickly touched upon and left behind with no resolve. It almost makes me wish for another book, so everything can sink in properly.

As expected, the characters were brilliant and my favorite part of the book. All of them are still struggling to utilize their powers and discover further details about themselves to ultimately find Glendower and possibly save Gansey. I loved the emotion involved with out four main characters, it was so truthful yet poignant and understandable. The relationships between Ronan and his brothers, Gansey and Blue, and Ronan and Adam are further developed and constantly had me in the feels.

I don’t want to say much about the ending parts because I’ll be spoiling otherwise, but it did let me down to an extent. Honestly, it felt as though all the emotion that had been covered throughout the rest of the book was a waste, considering the very end, the climax, the true end was incredibly lackluster and anti-climatic. Everything was stated so plainly and blandly and things … just happened. I wish I could say more but I don’t want to spoil, and I don’t want to discuss spoilers because my thoughts are so jumbled and I’d probably never get them organized. Long story short, I hated that epilogue. Straight up.

Finales of series/trilogies are always difficult to read/review, because they could either make or break the series for you. I don’t remotely dislike The Raven King, but that ending was so soulless that I had to dock a star off. It’s upsetting to be dissatisfied with a goodbye to a series, but it is what it is.

-Haven

The Lives Of Desperate Girls, by MacKenzie Common (ARC review) | zeroes in on real issues but fails to be truly engaging

One small, northern community. Two girls gone — one missing, the other dead. A riveting coming-of-age debut young adult novel for fans of Everything I Never Told You and All the Bright Places. 

Sixteen-year-old Helen Commanda is found dead just outside Thunder Creek, Ontario. Her murder goes unremarked, except for the fact that it may shed light on the earlier disappearance of Chloe Shaughnessy. Chloe is beautiful, rich and white. Helen is plain, and from the reservation. They had nothing in common except that they were teenage girls from an unforgiving small town. Only Chloe’s best friend Jenny Parker knows exactly how unforgiving, but she’s keeping some dangerous secrets of her own. 

Jenny begins looking for answers about Helen’s life and death, trying to understand larger questions about her town and her best friend. But what can a teenage girl really accomplish where adults have failed? And how much is Jenny actually complicit in a conspiracy of silence?

*An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I was very close to DNFing The Lives Of Desperate Girls many times while reading it, but fortunately I stuck around long enough to finish the book. I commend it for its improvement as I went on, the thing The Lives Of Desperate Girls does best is its raw yet poignant commentary of social issues such as racism and sexism, as well as focusing on the common struggles of teenagers, like bullying and depression. Unfortunately, everything else in the book is glaringly underdeveloped and just uninteresting.

The Lives Of Desperate Girls is set in Canada, in a small town named Thunder Creek, located somewhere in northern Ontario. It’s a fairly poor and underdeveloped area, and there is a very visible divide between the mostly white residents and the nearby Natives. This is seen multiple times throughout the book, specifically with the police completely and utterly favoring Chloe, a white girl, and her missing case, and pushing aside Helen, a native girl, and her murder case. In the midst of other examples, I actually thought Jenny’s feelings about the blatant racism in her community were quite realistic and told well, without sounding too preachy. I didn’t know too much about Canada’s First Nations and reading about their history and life was interesting, and how they dealt with the Thunder Creek community definitely pulled on your heartstrings yet made you think. The discussion on gender inequality was also well-done, zeroing in on rape and slut-shaming, and the disparities between social class was also talked about in detail.

Most of the Goodreads reviews of this book seemed to mention the clunkiness of the writing, and I definitely have to agree with that. It is frustratingly bland for most of the time, but it does have its moments, specifically while exploring the numerous social issues that this story covers. At those times, the prose is surprisingly relatable, honest, and sophisticated all at once. If only it had been that way throughout.

The mystery/thriller plot is one of the low points for this book, while Common tries to add a number of elements to up the anticipation for the big reveal, it ultimately falls flat due to bad storytelling. First off, the writing doesn’t make it that thrilling for the reader either, it’s incredibly unexciting and fails to trigger any sort of anticipation or curiosity. Secondly, Jenny’s motivation to play detective is never, ever put into words properly or even conveyed at all. She gets into all types of dangerous antics to ‘solve’ Helen’s murder and for what? We never know the true motivation behind her actions in general, in fact, everything going on in Jenny’s investigation in very vague and directionless. For all her sleuthing, Jenny doesn’t even seem to have direction in mind and often randomly throws guesses at who the killer is, usually people she already knows or has met. Thirdly, Jenny’s big secret on Chloe’s disappearance. Can’t say much about that due to spoilers, but y’all can experience that bullshit for yourselves and then get back to me.

The characters are clearly the biggest low point in this novel, which is tragic, because even if the mystery part of it fell flat, the novel could have redeemed itself through its characters and contemporary side. Jenny is one of the most inconsistent characters ever. Her narration in the first 30% in incredibly passive and monotone, and while she does improve later on, her entire personality changes when she’s supposed to be a quiet and ordinary girl. She meets shady people, goes to places she shouldn’t go to, and adamantly refuses to talk to the police on Chloe’s case (we still don’t know why that is *sighs*). We never see her true psychological trauma and struggle after Chloe’s disappearance and while she does change throughout the book, it’s so sudden, unrealistic, and vague. She does have a love interest, Tom, who is equally dull and one-dimensional. They both suddenly decide to ‘fall in love’ through a few smoke and make-out sessions, and it develops into the most ridiculous romance ever.

If you’re in for an eye-opening piece of commentary on the several social issues in our world, The Lives Of Desperate Girls is worth tuning in to. But, if you came for an intriguing murder mystery, a heartfelt contemporary, or even something remotely fascinating, you can do better than this one.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue, by Maggie Stiefvater (Raven Cycle #3) | an underwhelming third installment but still fairly enjoyable

Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs.

The trick with found things, though, is how easily they can be lost.

Friends can betray.
Mothers can disappear.
Visions can mislead.
Certainties can unravel.

I had fairly high expectations for this installment because I liked the other two so much, and while I did enjoy this one, it wasn’t as great as I wanted it to be. This book is certainly slower and deeper plot-wise, the characters are getting closer and closer to finding Glendower and even more secrets about themselves. There are new characters introduced but the story mainly zeroes in on the complexities of their mission and the characters’ abilities, such as Adam’s connection to Cabeswater and Blue’s role other than being an ‘amplifier’. While all of this was pretty interesting, it definitely did take away attention from the psyches of each character and their psychological nature throughout. The characters and their complexities are my favorite part of this series, and considering I am a generally character-driven reader, pushing through this book was a bit difficult.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue is certainly dirtier and harsher than the other two books when it comes to the hunt for Glendower. Welsh mythology is further delved into and the gang ventures into more dangerous territory, exploring caves, their own abilities, and Maura’s mysterious disappearance. I enjoyed it all honestly, but my liking for it was hindered by the very slow pacing. Parts of it felt as though there was so much yet nothing going on, but I did find the gang’s visits to redneck Virginia and expeditions through cursed caves pretty interesting even if I couldn’t love it fully.

The characters and their psychological development definitely take somewhat of a backseat in this book, compared to the others. Before, even if each book focused on a specific individual, all the characters were incredibly developed. Nothing new about this installment, but I did think the characters and their personalities were a little less vibrant this time around. Blue Lily, Lily Blue obviously looks closer at Blue, and I am quite thankful for that. I’m still not completely on the Blue hype train, but I can somewhat understand her struggle and inner conflict better than before. With that being said, I still felt as though her character didn’t ‘pop out’ as well as Ronan in The Dream Thieves or Gansey and Adam in The Raven Boys. All the characters were a bit underwhelming in this novel, actually.

On a lighter (or heavier) note, things between Gansey and Blue are continuing to heat up and I’m totally on board with this. I love their guilty late night talks and their overall dilemma dealing with Blue’s curse. It’s the perfect amount of angst and it doesn’t feel forced at all. Everyone is crazy for the Ronan and Adam pairing and I am too. I do wish there was more buildup because it does feel like it came out of nowhere, but I’m desperately hoping something happens between them in The Raven King.

Overall, Blue Lily, Lily Blue was a bit underwhelming to me, but I suppose I expected it to be much greater due to my love for the previous installments. I’m so ready for The Raven King to come through and break my heart.

-Haven

New Releases in YA for July 2017

Summer is going by so fast and I honestly can’t keep up in a lot of directions. Fortunately, July’s releases sound very unique and genre-bending, and I’m itching to get my hands on any of these books.

What To Say Next, by Julie Buxbaum – Coming July 11th, 2017

From the New York Times bestselling author of Tell Me Three Things comes a charming and poignant story about two struggling teenagers who find an unexpected connection just when they need it most. For fans of Sophie Kinsella, Jennifer Niven, and Rainbow Rowell.

Sometimes a new perspective is all that is needed to make sense of the world.

KIT: I don’t know why I decide not to sit with Annie and Violet at lunch. It feels like no one here gets what I’m going through. How could they? I don’t even understand.

DAVID: In the 622 days I’ve attended Mapleview High, Kit Lowell is the first person to sit at my lunch table. I mean, I’ve never once sat with someone until now. “So your dad is dead,” I say to Kit, because this is a fact I’ve recently learned about her.

When an unlikely friendship is sparked between relatively popular Kit Lowell and socially isolated David Drucker, everyone is surprised, most of all Kit and David. Kit appreciates David’s blunt honesty—in fact, she finds it bizarrely refreshing. David welcomes Kit’s attention and her inquisitive nature. When she asks for his help figuring out the how and why of her dad’s tragic car accident, David is all in. But neither of them can predict what they’ll find. Can their friendship survive the truth?

This contemporary has already been garnering glowing reviews from readers on Goodreads, and while it sounds slightly cliche, I’m curious to see how it is. I hoping it’s just as heartfelt as it is cute.

Because You Love To Hate Me: 13 Tales Of Villainy – Coming July 11th, 2017

Leave it to the heroes to save the world–villains just want to rule the world.

In this unique YA anthology, thirteen acclaimed, bestselling authors team up with thirteen influential BookTubers to reimagine fairy tales from the oft-misunderstood villains’ points of view.

These fractured, unconventional spins on classics like “Medusa,” Sherlock Holmes, and “Jack and the Beanstalk” provide a behind-the-curtain look at villains’ acts of vengeance, defiance, and rage–and the pain, heartbreak, and sorrow that spurned them on. No fairy tale will ever seem quite the same again!

Featuring writing from . . .

Authors: Renée Ahdieh, Ameriie, Soman Chainani, Susan Dennard, Sarah Enni, Marissa Meyer, Cindy Pon, Victoria Schwab, Samantha Shannon, Adam Silvera, Andrew Smith, April Genevieve Tucholke, and Nicola Yoon

BookTubers: Benjamin Alderson (Benjaminoftomes), Sasha Alsberg (abookutopia), Whitney Atkinson (WhittyNovels), Tina Burke (ChristinaReadsYA blog and TheLushables), Catriona Feeney (LittleBookOwl), Jesse George (JessetheReader), Zoë Herdt (readbyzoe), Samantha Lane (Thoughts on Tomes), Sophia Lee (thebookbasement), Raeleen Lemay (padfootandprongs07), Regan Perusse (PeruseProject), Christine Riccio (polandbananasBOOKS), and Steph Sinclair & Kat Kennedy (Cuddlebuggery blog and channel).

I remember seeing this a while ago and thinking ‘WHAT IS THIS?!’. It was such a mystery to everyone back then and it still seems mysterious now, but I can’t wait to dive into this fabulous mess.

The Color Project, by Sierra Abrams – Coming July 18th, 2017

Bernice Aurora Wescott has one thing she doesn’t want anyone to know: her name. That is, until Bee meets Levi, the local golden boy who runs a charity organization called The Color Project.

Levi is not at all shy about attempting to guess Bee’s real name; his persistence is one of the many reasons why Bee falls for him. But while Levi is everything she never knew she needed, giving up her name would feel like a stamp on forever. And that terrifies her.

When unexpected news of an illness in the family drains Bee’s summer of everything bright, she is pushed to the breaking point. Losing herself in The Color Project—a world of weddings, funerals, cancer patients, and hopeful families that the charity funds—is no longer enough. Bee must hold up the weight of her family, but to do that, she needs Levi. She’ll have to give up her name and let him in completely or lose the best thing that’s ever happened to her.

For fans of Stephanie Perkins and Morgan Matson, THE COLOR PROJECT is a story about the three great loves of life—family, friendship, and romance—and the bonds that withstand tragedy.

This sounds like a very interesting contemporary that blends familiar romance formulas with something unique. It also seems to have a hint of mystery — definitely looking forward to it!

Lucky In Love, by Kasie West – Coming July 25th, 2017

In this new contemporary from YA star Kasie West, a girl who wins the lottery learns that money can cause more problems than it solves, especially when love comes into the picture.

Maddie doesn’t believe in luck. She’s all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment —

She wins!

In a flash, Maddie’s life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she’s talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun… until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now, Maddie isn’t sure who she can trust.

Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn’t seem aware of Maddie’s big news. And, for some reason, she doesn’t want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret?

With tons of humor and heart, Kasie West delivers a million-dollar tale of winning, losing, and falling in love.

I’m always telling myself to catch up on Kasie West’s novels, hopefully I’ll actually follow through this time. This sounds like a cute and easy read, which I’m always down for.

Daughter of the Burning City, by Amanda Foody – Coming July 25th, 2017

A darkly irresistible new fantasy set in the infamous Gomorrah Festival, a traveling carnival of debauchery that caters to the strangest of dreams and desires.

Sixteen-year-old Sorina has spent most of her life within the smoldering borders of the Gomorrah Festival. Yet even among the many unusual members of the traveling circus-city, Sorina stands apart as the only illusion-worker born in hundreds of years. This rare talent allows her to create illusions that others can see, feel and touch, with personalities all their own. Her creations are her family, and together they make up the cast of the Festival’s Freak Show.

But no matter how lifelike they may seem, her illusions are still just that—illusions, and not truly real. Or so she always believed…until one of them is murdered.

Desperate to protect her family, Sorina must track down the culprit and determine how they killed a person who doesn’t actually exist. Her search for answers leads her to the self-proclaimed gossip-worker Luca, and their investigation sends them through a haze of political turmoil and forbidden romance, and into the most sinister corners of the Festival. But as the killer continues murdering Sorina’s illusions one by one, she must unravel the horrifying truth before all of her loved ones disappear.

This sounds ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. Book, please be as good as you sound.

Thanks for reading, guys! What upcoming releases are you greatly anticipating? Leave a comment below 🙂