Review: Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Kindred Spirits
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Macmillan Kids UK
Published: February 25th 2016 (World Book Day Book)
Page Number: 96
Rating: 4/5

Summary:
'Everybody likes everything these days. The whole world is a nerd.'
'Are you mad because other people like Star Wars? Are you mad because people like me like Star Wars?'
'Maybe.' If you broke Elena's heart, Star Wars would spill out. So when she decides to queue outside her local cinema to see the new movie, she's expecting a celebration with crowds of people who love Han, Luke and Leia just as much as she does. What she's not expecting is to be last in a line of only three people; to have to pee into a collectible Star Wars soda cup behind a dumpster or to meet that unlikely someone who just might truly understand the way she feels.

REVIEW

 

For those who don't know what a World Book Day book is, they're basically short stories that some authors write that sell for £1 on World Book Day in hopes to get people into reading. So, I received Kindred Spirits in a special package from Macmillan - Thanks Kat! - I knew I had to start reading Kindred Spirits straight away and I'm so happy I did because despite it's size, I got so much out of it. I learned then Kindred Spirits isn't a book for just Star Wars fans, it's a book for everyone who is apart of a Fandom; getting together with people who bleed the same thing you do and building up friendships from doing so.

 

Rainbow Rowell does what she does best and that is creating characters that you fall in love with so easily, she mastered it with her short story 'Midnight' and she did it again. I want a full novel on Elena. She's quirky and fun, and slightly reminded me of a mixture of both Eleanor from 'Eleanor and Park' and Cath from 'Fangirl'. And then we have Gabe. Sweet, awkward Gabe. I honestly couldn't help but fall in love with him, he's the kid in high school that we all recognise immediately; nerdy and gangly and stands out too much in a crowd even if they try to hide themselves, it never works! There also is the fact that Elena's friends happen to bully him as well and Elena tends to just sit by and not say anything, so you can't actually dislike him for hating Elena, I would to. But I just love how they worked together in the short story to become sort of friends.

 

Would I pee in a Starbucks cup like Elena had to? No.

Would I recommend you pick this short story up? Hell, yes!

 

 

 

🎧 : Out of the Blue by Adore Delano

 

Review: November 9 by Colleen Hoover

Title: November 9
Author: Colleen Hoover
Genre: New Adult
Publisher: Atria Publishers
Published: November 10th 2015
Page Number: 310
Rating: 5/5
Summary:

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day of her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.

REVIEW

 

I'm pretty sure you've all read what I've had to say about Colleen Hoover and how amazing her books are. Every book I've read and reviewed have more or less started out the same way, because the truth is she's one of the best New Adult writers this world has. No joke. Her writing is faultless, she breaks rules . Her characters are not perfect, but they're made better by the things they've been through in life like everyone you'll meet in life. And while I wish I could say that it's the romance that keeps me reading, its not. I keep reading because the book in its entirety anchors itself to my heart and unlike Rose (Sorry Titanic fans), doesn't let me go. Even now, 10 hours after I finished reading the book I want to pick it back up and reread it, mark all my favourite quotes and have them imprinted on my life.

 

And you'll never get anything else from Colleen Hoover. Ever. She'll make a stamp on your life like no one else ever can, and you'll often wonder what life was like before you ever read a CoHo book? but then realise you don't care because you get to read it as many times as you like because books are never-ending.

My absolute favourite thing about November 9 was being able to see their growth in maturity over the 5 years that they meet up. Both Fallon and Ben go through their ups and downs over the years but it makes them better, stronger people. I will admit that when got with a specific someone my heart was all over the place, not because I didn't like the girl but because he wasn't with Fallon.

Colleen Hoover is known for her gut-wrenching plot twists and I have to say that learning the reason why Ben's mother died was so heart breaking. She had two awful choices and picked the one that would benefit her children in the future. I was a blubbering mess by the end of the novel and I'm not sure if it's because of the fact she killed herself or because just like myself, she wrote a suicide note. It took me back to when I was 17 and hated life, hated living because I wasn't actually living, just existing like a blur in the background and wanted to end it all. Depression was warping my view on life, so I wrote a suicide note that told my family everything, about why I couldn't live anymore and how I hope I could find peace in the afterlife, and I know I never went through with the suicide but the feelings were all there, I experienced it and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

I'm honestly not sure how I'm supposed to end this review. You all know that I loved it. Obviously. But I want to assure everyone that it is as good as everyone said it was. I saw those Goodreads ratings and almost didn't want to read it because it was so high, but those expectations weren't just met, Colleen outdid herself wonderfully. So do yourself a favour and pick up the best book you'll read all year.

 

Ps, thank you so much Colleen for sending me a signed copy of the book. I'll treasure it forever.

 

 

 

Buy the book (Wordery) | Buy the book (Book Depository)

 

Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Fangirl

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Published: January 30th 2014
Page Number: 459
Rating: 4/5

 

Summary:

 

Cath and Wren are identical twins, and until recently they did absolutely everything together. Now they're off to university and Wren's decided she doesn't want to be one half of a pair any more - she wants to dance, meet boys, go to parties and let loose. It's not so easy for Cath. She's horribly shy and has always buried herself in the fan fiction she writes, where she always knows exactly what to say and can write a romance far more intense than anything she's experienced in real life. Without Wren Cath is completely on her own and totally outside her comfort zone. She's got a surly room-mate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words ...And she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone. Now Cath has to decide whether she's ready to open her heart to new people and new experiences, and she's realizing that there's more to learn about love than she ever thought possible ...

 

Review:

 

After reading Eleanor and Park - Which I absolutely loved by the way - I decided to wait until the paperback of Fangirl came out, so I could read it and enjoy all the extra comic pictures of the characters. And once again I was not disappointed by Rainbow Rowell. Is there nothing she can't do?

 

The story follows twins Cath and Wren who are about to start College and while Wren wants her own independence, it's clear that Cath doesn't. She want's her roommate to be Wren, she wants to write fan fiction with Wren, she wants to be joint at the hips with Wren like she always has been. On her first day of College we're introduced to both Levi and Reagan, who play a huge part of the story as well as Wren, Cath's father and Nick. It's instant that there's somewhat an attraction between Cath and Levi and it really is great to see an older, more mature character in a YA book. It's refreshing. Over the story we see a lot of ups and down, but also a lot of hot makeup scenes and I'm not talking about Levi and Cath. In fact there's more action happening between Simon and Baz then it is Levi and Cath.

 

Cath wasn't the best character to have as a main protagonist. I found her to be extremely immature for her age and the fact that she became a recluse because she was too scared wasn't very convincing. I think she was lost without her Twin, Wren who was an epic character and full of sass! Still Cath was extremely boring. Her days went like this:

 

1. Wake up

2. Have breakfast

3. Go to class

4. Stay in the library

5. Sleep

 

It became annoying, but after the incident that happened with her father she came out of her shell, which was great because we got to know her a bit more, but it would've worked better if she weren't so lonely, annoying and immature.

 

The other main protagonist in this book was Levi. He is definitely a great character: witty and full of charm and has a slight obsession with gay fan fiction - sorry, not sorry - His relationship with Cath was very confusing. It was borderline friendship/awkwardness and then after the whole he-kissed-another-girl-in-his-kitchen incident it felt like he realised that he liked Cath a lot more than he thought and decided to act like a jerk - a sweet jerk - and he still is one of my favourite book characters.

 

Overall, I really loved that Fangirl was set in College because there's no other YA book set in college. I loved that despite her annoying traits, Cath showed the awkwardness and nervousness of going to college for the first time and having a hard time settling in. But to be honest, its Rainbow Rowell, so it wasn't going to be bad.....Unless Levi was never in the story and then it would be bad. But I really enjoyed it and found myself to fly through it very quickly. 

ARC Review: I Was Here by Gayle Forman

"I Was Here,was a beautiful and engaging read. One of my favourite books of the year "

 

Title: I Was Here

Author: Gayle Forman
Genre: Contemporary/Mystery
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Childrens
Published: January 29th 2015
Page Number: 270
Rating: 5/5

Summary:

When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything - so how was there no warning?

But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington.

About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open - until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question.

 

Review:

 

I know very well that as soon as I open up a Gayle Forman book that I will be in the ride of my life and just like If I Stay and Where She Went, I was. I was compelled from page one and couldn't put it down until I had finished the book in it's entirety.

 

This Young Adult contemporary is a lot darker and mysterious than most. Cody has just lost her best friend, Meg to suicide and something seems off. She never told Cody and that's what she never understood. They were best friends and best friends told each other everything, but Cody had to learn how well she truly knew her best friend.

 

Gayle Forman has written an incredible, engaging book with I Was Here. Cody's voice is strong and distinctive, she lives off trying to find out what truly happened to Meg and it drags you in. You become Cody's eyes. What she see's, you see. What she feels, you feel. It's like the book transports your body into the book and you live through everything. Feel everything.

 

Just like any other Gayle Forman book, the romance was pretty much perfect. I had my instincts on who could be her perfect suitor, but whether she ended up with them was a different story. It's a mix of Young Adult and New Adult, but  it's so much more than that.

 

I Was Here is filled with secret messages. It's not another suicide book. It's a book of letting go of the past - not forgetting - but forgiving. Move on and live your life. Through out the book we have little information about Meg and what she went through and I really delved into her life and lived it, because I have lived it.

 

Depression isn't something that can be sorted out with pills. It takes a lot of courage to admit and get help. It's a lot of hard work, but hard work pays off in the end. It's correct that you only live once, but don't live life like it's short because you'll always wonder what you missed out on.

 

I really really loved I Was Here and I'm excited for Forman's future releases after this incredible book. I would recommend this book to everyone who wants a contemporary book that isn't all school and romance.

 

 

I received this book off the publishers for an honest review.