Review: Under the Lights by Abbi Glines

Title: Under the Lights (The Field Party #2)
Author: Abbi Glines
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Simon and Schuster UK
Published: August 25th 2016
Page Number: 336
Rating: 3.5/5

Summary:

Willa can’t erase the bad decisions of her past that led her down the path she’s on now. But she can fight for forgiveness from her family. And she can protect herself by refusing to let anyone else get close to her.

High school quarterback and town golden boy Brady used to be the best of friends with Willa—she even had a crush on him when they were kids. But that’s all changed now: her life choices have made her a different person from the girl he used to know.

Gunner used to be friends with Willa and Brady, too. He too is larger than life and a high school football star—not to mention that his family basically owns the town of Lawton. He loves his life, and doesn’t care about anyone except himself. But Willa is the exception—and he understands the girl she’s become in a way no one else can.

As secrets come to light and hearts are broken, these former childhood friends must face the truth about growing up and falling in love…even if it means losing each other forever.  

 

REVIEW

 

After finishing up the first book in this YA series by Abbi Glines I had one thought in mind: I want more. So much more. The small town romance mixed with the drama and football. It reminded me of watching episodes of Friday Night Lights with a cup of cocoa on a Friday night as a child while having me dream of living the life of the rich.

 

That was until I read this book.

 

Abbi Glines delivers a book filled with drama. I thought RuPauls Drag Race could only bring the type of drama that has me shook but Under the Lights had me Shooketh. It was an addicting read that I honestly could not put down until I finish the last page of the book but that doesn't always mean it was a brilliant read.

 

Now don't get me wrong I enjoyed the book. I loved our main character Willa and how strong and honest she was about her past and what she wanted for the future. I saw so much of younger self in her. I also loved Gunner and how much he grew and developed as a character. He showed there was more to him than just a rich spoilt brat. And together their romance was something different all together.

 

But then we have the confusing part of the story, mainly in our third main character Brady. For me he didn't fit in the story, I grew tired of his POV. He was whiny and unlike the character I read about in Until Friday Night who came across as someone who'd do anything for anyone and wore his heart on his sleeve. I'm not sure if Abbi had him in the book for the added drama or because she saw him as a vital character in Willa and Gunner's story but I think the story would have been delivered better without his overdraught POV.

 

Despite the mishap in the series I'm still super excited for book three, After the Game, which focuses on Riley and Brady. I'm sure Abbi will use her power of writing luscious romantic scenes to pull me in and use the drama to keep me hooked.

 

 

 

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ARC Review: The Sun is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon

Title: The Sun is Also A Star
Author: Nicola Yoon
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Corgi Childrens
Published: November 3rd 2016
Page Number: 384
Rating: 5/5

Summary:

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?  

REVIEW

 

How do you review one of your favourite books of 2016? It's answer: You don't. Well you do write a review but it will never do the book justice, especially when it's written by one of my now favourite authors, Nicola Yoon.

 

The story itself is....different. Now when I say different I don't mean it badly, in fact I mean it in probably one of the best ways possible. Essentially this book isn't told by two protagonists. It's told by many. Our main focus' are of course Daniel and Natasha but then we get little chapters from people they meet along the way in their journey of falling in love with each other. Whether that be one of the security guards Natasha sees at one of the offices she visits or it be the depiction of the word love. We get details to in sense create a love story that goes beyond the legal measures of love.

 

When I first started the book I initially just completely felt for Natasha. She's a protagonist that's very easy to love. Not only that but you garner a shit ton of respect for her. She's 12 hours away from being deported back to a place that's basically foreign to her, she's losing the friendship she's made since she came to America but most of all she's losing out on her dream. And if I'm being honest I did expect her to just let it get to her. Did she? Nope. She went out of her way to try everything so that her and her family could stay. She pushed and pushed and pushed until she got somewhere. And along that path is where she meets Daniel. A wannabe poet whose parents just want him to go to a great school and have a successful life where he won't need to worry about money like they both did.

 

Sadly Daniel never really understood that. He just saw it as his parents wanting him to do something that wasn't for him, especially as his brother had just failed at his first year. And while Daniel being the wannabe poet he's also a lot of a hopeless romantic. When he falls in love, he falls deep. And he falls deep in love with Natasha. Despite her hesitation.

 

I just honestly want everyone to read this book and love it like I do because it's a book I know I will treasure for a long time to come. I'll have that pull to reread it and I know I'll feel the exact same way I felt when I first read this book but only on a bigger scale. It's smartly, beautifully written and so good I want to shout it from the rooftop of my house.

 

 

 

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A copy of the ARC was sent to me for a honest review.

 

Books That Deal With Mental Illness

Back when I originally started to write this I was feeling very down. I was feeling more and more depressed over a sort period of time and I was having suicidal thoughts. I was struggling with life. My parents were noticing a change but I would just ignore it all and hope it'd go away with time. I was speaking to a friend online who made me see sense and  instead I raised the issues and decided to work on them. I'm feeling a lot better now. I'm happy as I could be, working hard to earn money to save for possibly going to University next year in 2017.

So with the feelings I had at the time, I wanted to visit some of the books that gave me a more positive view on mental health. So that's why I want to recommend some books to you guys. And in case any of you guys are having any negative thoughts, please tell someone. A friend, a family member or you can even speak to online forums: a place where I made so many amazing friends.

Now all of these books are amazing and I highly recommend them but I'm going to put these in order of how they affected me. Both personally and emotionally....



WHERE SHE WENT BY GAYLE FORMAN (IF I STAY #2)

A lot of people who's seen the 'If I Stay' movie don't know that there's actually a sequel in book form. 'If I Stay' is a good book and the movie is just as book, but 'Where She Went' really did something to be. I never connected to Adam in 'If I Stay' but him having grown up by 3 years and sadly dealing with depression in 'Where She Went' made me connect to him so much. I felt his emotions and I understood him completely, it's one of those novels that stay with you for a long time. And to this date I'm still very much in love with it. So much so that I have a necklace with a quote from the novel inside.

"You were trying so hard to be my saviour that you left me all alone."

 

 

I WAS HERE BY GAYLE FORMAN

 

Another Gayle Forman book that absolutely left me a sobbing wreck. This book is a YA Standalone that doesn't just deal with depression but also suicide and while the main character has nothing to do with those mental illness the importance of those factors isn't taken away from the novel. Gayle Forman did her research and wrote a book that everyone could connect to. The last page of 'I Was Here' isn't just a memorial but it's also a celebration of those who have lost their lives to suicide. We don't always get to have out voices but it doesn't mean that it's the end of us. Beautifully written with so much emotion and drama.

 

"I was here."

 

 

 

THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER BY MICHELLE HODKIN

 

It's unusual to have a YA Paranormal Romance series on this list but this is one of my favourite series because of how well Michelle Hodkin splits them both up but makes them the same. The series follows an incredibly insane narrator, she's someone you

can't trust. While the book has supernatural things going on, it also stays realistic in the mental health side. It's beautifully romantic but a complete and utter mind fuck. That's what keeps you going with this series.

 

"Thinking something does not make it true. Wanting something does not make it real."

 

 

 

PUSHING THE LIMITS BY KATIE MCGARRY

 

'Pushing the Limits' deals with a lot of different mental illnesses but the main one it deals with is grief. Our main character, Echo is still trying to get over her older brother's death. The one person who she knew she could trust on. However, it also dealt with other issues that were very well written and researched. Its one of the things I love about Katie McGarry, she does physical research into her stories. She goes that extra mile. 'Pushing the Limits' is emotional and brave. It's beautiful and realistic. It's a book that everyone can relate to.

 

“I've already lost a piece of my mind. I can't trust you with what's left.” 

 

 

 

AM I NORMAL YET? BY HOLLY BOURNE

 

I, myself didn't rate this book highly but it wasn't due to it being badly written or the parts dealing with mental illness were not realistic. I had other reasons. But Am I Normal Yet? is possibly one of the best book to read about Anxiety. The way Holly depicts the feelings is so realistic. You feel exactly what the character is feeling and it was nice being able to find a story that I related to so well. The book follows a college student called Evie who's just trying to live a normal life, making friends and dating boys. But the issue is, Evie has anxiety and also suffers with OCD.

 

“Everyone's on the cliff edge of normal. Everyone finds life an utter nightmare sometimes, and there's no 'normal' way of dealing with it... There is no normal, Evelyn.”  

 

 

 

 

What books would you recommend that deal with mental illness?

Let me know in the comments!

Review: Walk The Edge by Katie McGarry

Title: Walk The Edge (Thunder Road #2)
Author: Katie McGarry
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Mira Ink
Published: March 10th 2016
Page Number: 442
Rating: 3.5/5

Summary:
One moment of recklessness will change their worlds

Smart. Responsible. That's seventeen-year-old Breanna's role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyber-bully's line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas "Razor" Turner into her life.

Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don't belong. But when he learns she's being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them—a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness—he knows it's time to step outside the rules.

And so they make a pact: he'll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she'll help him seek answers to the mystery that's haunted him—one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they're both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they're going from here.

REVIEW

After reading and loving the first book in this series, Nowhere But Here I was really excited to read Razor's story. Mainly because he was a very mysterious character that seemed to hide a lot of his personality behind being snarky and I really wanted to know more about him and why he acted that way.

I'll be starting this off by saying that this wasn't my favourite Katie McGarry novel, however, it's still a great, entertaining read that kept me glued to the pages. I felt sad for Breanna because she's intelligent and way mature for her age and being told she couldn't go for her dreams because no one would be there to look out for her younger siblings. Especially when her siblings treated her so horribly and her parents barely took the time to get to know the Breanna she was now. Her relationship with Razor is looked against in a bad way due to the reputation of the Motorcycle club but if anything I think Breanna's parents should have been thankful for Razor. He brought her out of her shell and she was finally being true to herself. And that reminded me of Rachel when she met Isaiah in Crash Into You.

Which leads me onto another thing I massively love about Katie McGarry's stories: her characters are always stripped back, raw and honest with inner turmoil going on. Some of the scenes in this book left me shocked, mouth wide open. Especially, when Razor was seeking out answers to his mother's death, and everything seemed to point to the Reign of Terror. I just didn't know who was telling the truth. Why people were keeping their mouths shut?

I really liked the chapters where Oz and Emily appeared. I loved them so much and they're also one of my favourite book couples. The ending in Nowhere But Here was a little rushed for my liking, however, I really appreciated the ending for Razor in this story. It was beautiful and showed a lot of significance for both Razor and Olivia. It had a lot of meaning.

Overall this is another good book in this series, I'm excited to see what will happen in the third - and possibly final book - of the series, Long Way Home. I love Chevy and Violet so I'm excited to be able to see a little into their past.

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Review: If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

Title: If I Was Your Girl
Author: Meredith Russo
Genre: YA Contemporary / LGBT
Publisher: Usbourne Publishing
Published: June 1st 2016
Page Number: 304
Rating: 2/5

Summary:

Amanda Hardy is the new girl at school. Like everyone else, all she wants is to make friends and fit in. But Amanda is holding back. Even from Grant, the guy she's falling in love with.

Amanda has a secret.

At her old school, she used to be called Andrew. And secrets always have a way of getting out.

 

REVIEW

 

If I Was Your Girl was on the list for one of my most anticipated releases of this year because it was a book about a Transgender girl who's making her way through school and finding love. And since I've not read much LGBT fiction, I was really looking forward to this. Especially since the US edition has a Transgender model on the cover.

 

However. My expectations were way to high for the book and I ended up disliking mostly everything about If I Was Your Girl. I can say honestly that it is an important novel. Meredith Russo is a transgender woman so all the important facts about being transgender (Hormones, etc) were all factually correct. But sadly, Meredith Russo doesn't have the storytelling skills to have show cased the story in the way it needed to be done.

 

Amanda has only recently come out as Transgender and yet she's already passing as a normal teenage girl. Is this realistic? No. According to the author's note in the back of the book the reason this was done is so that people could just see Amanda as a girl. But that kinds of subtracts from the book when the only interesting thing about Amanda is that bold fact she's Transgender. Amanda has no personality, she's very two dimensional. We see snippets into her past but we only just got a little taste and nothing else. It felt forced and almost as if Meredith was lazy and didn't want to add any depth into the story.

 

And that's not the only thing that was so far fetched. Grant - who's Amanda's love interest - seems to accept her for who she is so quickly after her secret is exposed. And I'm not saying that there won't be people who accept Transgender people, there's tons of them, however. The trust between them was broken and trust takes ages to rebuild but it almost seemed like nothing had been affected between them.

 

I understand that acceptance. We all sort of crave it in a way that makes us seem pathetic, but I just wish that Meredith Russo wrote a book about a Transgender girl who's life was realistic and not fictionalised. I wanted the truth - stripped back, raw honesty that showcases the life of a transgender girl.

 

 

 

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The Problem With Forever Blog Tour | Book Review

Hey guys, so today I'm taking part in the blog tour for Jennifer L Armentrout's recent release 'The Problem With Forever'. I was so excited when I got the chance to take part because I really enjoy Jennifer's books. In fact there's even a character who pops up in the popular 'Lux Saga' who shares the same surname as myself. Which was weird. Now today is the official last day for the tour so I am held to some pedestal, however, today's review will not be the same as everyone else's because sadly I've not read the full book. At the time I had a decent amount of hours at work that allowed me to stay up to read but that changed recently, and to the point where I'm working 11 hour shifts every day. It's stressful, but I'm enjoying it.

But you will get a review from me today, because I plan on reviewing the entire 109 pages that I've read of the book so far.



Title: The Problem With Forever
Author: Jennifer L Armentrout
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Mira Ink
Published: June 1st 2016
Page Number: 384
Rating: N/A

Summary:

When Mallory was a kid, she was bounced from one horrible foster home to another. At thirteen, a terrible accident got her removed from the group home where she was living to a hospital where she met the parents who would adopt her. But when she starts a new school and encounters an old friend from the foster system sparks start to fly

REVIEW

At the moment I am currently 109 pages into this frustrating, yet entirely unputdownable novel. Part of you is wondering why I'm calling it unpoutdownable if I'm finding it frustrating and the truth is I'm just one of those people who is nit picky. Certain things scream out to me where other people would barely notice it.

For now my thoughts on the book are basically not that great. The beginning of the book really captured my attention and I liked the protectiveness that came from Rider. However everything that came after that kind of fell flat for me. I'm not enjoying Mallory or Rider as main characters. Mallory's anxiety is realistic but the whole insta-love between them both isn't something I can get on board with. There's also slight picks that just irritate me. Rider being one of the main stars of the book although he's only been in 3 or 4 scenes. And then you have Mallory's annoyance with her parents when all they've done is brought her out of her shit life and given her something great. They're the reason she is where she is and so far she's not exactly acting grateful.

To be honest, I think I'm starting to fall out of love with YA all together. Maybe it's because while I'm 20, I feel like I'm even older. My emotions are changing and I'm just responding to more NA books instead because I relate a lot more. Hell, I don't know. All I do know is that so far I'm not impressed and I do want to read the book because I know what Jennifer L Armentrout can do. I'm interested in the storyline, I'm just not buying into these characters.

 

 

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Recommending Summer Reads | Top 5 Wednesday

So I'm back doing a Top 5 Wednesday post. As you all know I used to do these all the time and absolutely LOVED taking part since the topics were always so diverse. Now, I don't know if I'll be posting one every week, but if I see a topic that I really love then I certainly will. Since the last time I posted about T5W there has been a major change and that is that Lainey no longer hosts it. As most would know, Lainey created Top 5 Wednesday but has decided to take a break from hosting T5W and the hosting job has been handed over to Sam over at Thoughts on Tomes

TOPIC: SUMMER READS

 

 

ALONG FOR THE RIDE BY SARAH DESSEN

Sarah Dessen doesn't seem to be as well known in the UK as she is in the US, but I was so happy I got persuaded to read Along for the Ride, it's a fantastic contemporary book that deals with real life issues. Not only that but the romance was so adorable.


MY LIFE NEXT DOOR BY HUNTLEY FITSPATRICK

Recently published in the UK, I decided to reread the book and it's just as good as the first time I read it. Sam and Jace are one of my favourite book couple of all time and I love the family orientation in this novel. My Life Next Door is dramatic as much as it is romantic and funny.


DID I MENTION I LOVE YOU? BY ESTELLE MASKAME

Step-sibling romance is certainly not something I'm comfortable with, however, Estelle just knows how to craft a well done YA book. It may help that she happens to be a teenager herself. What's great is that she captures everything so well and leaves you wanting more. And the best thing about this? It's a 3 book series, so always more Tyler.


NOWHERE BUT HERE BY KATIE MCGARRY

Nowhere but Here is basically a YA version of 'Sons of Anarchy' but in book form and with a hot romance to boot. I love the grittiness of this series and I can't wait for book 3 to be published next year.

 

 

LORALI BY LAURA DOCKRILL

 

Lorali is one of the most beautiful, enigmatic novels I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It's deep and haunting and a complete summer read. A boy finds a naked girl on the beach who may not seem so human.

 

 

 

 

What books would you recommend for summer reading?

Let me know in the comments!

Review: The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson

Title: The Art of Being Normal
Author: Lisa Williamson
Genre: YA Contemporary / LGBT
Publisher: David Fickling Books
Published: January 7th 2016 (Paperback edition)
Page Number: 357
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

Two Outsiders. Two secrets.

David longs to be a girl.

Leo wants to be invisible.

When Leo stands up for David in a fight, an unlikely friendship forms. But things are about to get messy. Because at Eden Park School secrets have a funny habit of not staying secret for long…

REVIEW

One of my blogger friends, Kayleigh recommended The Art of Being Normal to me. I knew the premise was something I was certainly interested but due to it being out in hardback I had to wait until the paperback release. And Kayleigh was right.

This book was so good.

Gender Identity is super important for me, I don't class myself as either male or female because I don't feel like I honestly am. I'm just myself. So it was really refreshing seeing a book deal with Gender Identity so well. Not only that but The Art of Being Normal is one of the most important books of our time. A lot of people could learn from this, not just children or teenagers. But parents and grandparents alike.

For a YA Contemporary book I was super happy that it was set in the UK, mainly because it was refreshing as most are set in the US on beach costal towns, which is fun sometimes, but sometimes I just want a good book set in the UK. Being completely honest though, The Art of Being Normal was also nostalgic for me, it took me back to the times when I was 9 and 10 years old strutting my stuff around the house in my self-made dress constructed out of my bed sheets, scarves and towels.

Right now I just want to raid a bookstore and hand everyone a copy of this beautiful, brilliant novel. Just. Pick. It. Up!

 

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🎧: U Wear it Well by RuPaul

BOOKS EVERYONE LOVES THAT I HATE!

We all have different preferences when it comes to reading, and while I love a lot of books I also hate a lot of them as well. Of course for me most of these books on my list come from the fact that Booktubers hyped them up and they all pretty much fell flat on its spine.

Side note before going ahead: If you don't like my opinions then you know what they say: "Opinions are like arseholes, we all have one."


1. ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES BY JENNIFER NIVEN

If you've read my recent review then you would know that despite what a lot of people said, I disliked this book. I just felt like the whole point of the book just to have characters with a mental illness. Not only that it lacked on trying to be original. I'm just honestly over these carbon copies that aren't done well. But like I've said, each to their own when it comes to what you like and dislike.








2. THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE BY JANDY NELSON

Yeah......I'm not a fan of a girl getting together with her recently dead sister's Fiancé. It honestly disgusts me and I don't get why anyone would want to read about that. I love romance as much as anyone else but this crosses every line going.







3. WE WERE LIARS BY E. LOCKHART

We Were Boring.
We Were Predictable.
We Were Hyped.

I honestly don't need to say anything else, the whole book was a big mess.









4. THE RAVEN BOYS BY MAGGIE STIEFVATER


Another one that Booktubers hyped up and I honestly don't see why. Nothing happens for at least 250 - 300 pages and I am not the one to continue when nothing happens. I went into this one expecting a lot of action, mystery and Welsh mythology. Instead what I action got was nothing but a big fat fail in renaming a Welsh King. Not acceptable (It maybe to you guys but I'm Welsh, so.....)






5. LOVE LETTERS TO THE DEAD BY AVA DELLAIRA

I actually threw my copy out of my window and onto the land that lays behind my house once I finished this one. I honestly don't know how it was published. It's awful, not only that but it has the worst representation of a Lesbian-Friends relationship as well as the fact that it's biasedly quoted by Stephen Chbosky. Garbage needs to remain in the garbage.











What do you think of my choices?
Let me know in the comments!

Review: All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Title: All The Bright Places
Author: Jennifer Niven
Genre: YA Contemporary / Mental Health
Publisher: Penguin Books UK
Published: January 8th 2015
Page Number: 388
Rating: 1/5

Summary:

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister's recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it's unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the 'natural wonders' of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It's only with Violet that Finch can be himself - a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who's not such a freak after all. And it's only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet's world grows, Finch's begins to shrink.

REVIEW

All The Bright Places was described as 'Eleanor and Park' meets 'The Fault in Our Stars', which is problematic in itself. While I LOVE 'Eleanor and Park' I actually disliked 'The Fault in Our Stars' and saw so many problems with it, especially the romance. And to be compared to such huge, well known authors is a statement, a statement that I disagreed with.

I so badly wanted to enjoy this book, especially since it's about Mental Health but I couldn't help but feel disconnected from the characters and their offish personalities. I couldn't see Theodore and Violet as real people because they had no personality, instead they became their illness, walking zombies in the midst of life. And in some aspects I understand it, but I found myself hating them both.

Depression, self-harm and suicide is something I'm very well known with, in fact I'd say we were best friends at one point. I was so depressed back in 2013-2014 that I scarred my arms for life, tried to overdose on medication and also tried to hang myself. Twice. I was in a dark place with no hope of seeing light, and while I'm aware that no depression story is the same, I just felt like Jennifer created the characters for the sake of having a story with mentally ill characters.

And to be honest, All the Bright Places is just another over-hyped book that fails on anything original. Mental Illness is not a trend, it's a serious problem and I just wished Jennifer Niven could have given it a more realistic portrayal.

 

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🎧: 'We Won't by Jaymes Young & Phoebe Ryan