Novel vs. Film: Ouija

Ouija

Written by Katherine Turner
Number of pages: 215

Average Rating: 3.48/5 stars
My Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Published September 16, 2014
Read in July 2016

Ouija Film

Directed by Stiles White
Running Time: 1 hour 29 minutes

Average Rating: 4.4/10 (IMDb)
My Rating: 1/5 stars

Released on October 24, 2014
Watched in July 2016


Summary according to Goodreads

It's not just a game. As far as Elaine Morris is concerned, the Ouija board is just a game she played at sleepovers as a kid. But her best friend, Debbie, has been messing around with one recently - and claims she's starting to hear strange noises around the house. Laine thinks Debbie is a total dork for getting spooked, until Debbie dies in a horrible and haunting way. Desperate to figure out what really happened to her friend, Laine starts using the Ouija board to uncover its mystery. She soon learns that something sinister has come through the board, and it's not ready to say goodbye.


My Thoughts

This novel had a very juvenile writing style, but was very fast paced. I read it in two sittings, but could have read it straight through if it weren't for my hectic work schedule. It was a thrilling story with lots of paranormal danger throughout, but you never got attached to the characters to feel afraid for them.

I was under the impression that the film was based off of the novel, and not vice-versa. I picked up this novel with the intention of watching the movie, but hesitated when I read the reviews. One of my biggest reasons for wanting to watch the movie is my love of Darren Kagasoff. The actors in this movie had a strong chemistry to each other, but not to the plot. The lines felt forced, the fear wasn't present, and the plot seemed to drag.

Something that I have to appreciate about both the movie and the novel is the originality. In the horror genre I feel it is hard to find something that is not a remake, but Ouija was something new. It might not have been the best or scariest, but it was different.

It might not come as a surprise that I enjoyed the novel more than the film, but I found the written story to be much more captivating. I got bored watching the movie, and ended up scrolling through my social media. The two were pretty similar; same scenes, same lines, until a few small changes at the end - but nothing significant. In my opinion the plot and characters were much more developed in the novel as opposed to the film.

Overall, I thought this novel was pretty good, but nothing that you should run out and get. I borrowed a copy from the library, and was happy to be able to return it. Don't take it too heavy, it was an enjoyable read and perfect for a read-a-thon! Don't watch the movie though. 

Library Book Haul

The other night I headed over to my local library, because next week I will be taking a week off of work to relax and have some summer vacation! Today I wanted to share with you the novels that I picked up! Let me know if you have read any of them!

Night Road by A.M. Jenkins

     Goodreads: click here

For a heme like Cole, life is a tightrope existence in which sunlight is his deadly enemy and one mistake could trap him underground, staring at the inside of a coffin lid, for eternity. After a century of wandering he may still look like a teenager, but he’s known in the heme community for being observant, meticulous, and controlled - a master of life on the road.

When Cole is asked to take a newly created heme out for training, however, his usual caution may not be enough. If Gordon, the rookie who really is in his teens, can’t cut ties with his old life and accept his new limitations, Cole will have to discreetly dispose of the kid - the same way a mad dog would be put down for the safety of society.

Cole thinks he can handle it. But no matter how carefully he plans, or how much he thinks he’s in control, accidents still happen.

The Boy at the Top of the Mountain by John Boyne
     Goodreads: click here

When Pierrot becomes an orphan, he must leave his home in Paris for a new life with his Aunt Beatrix, a servant in a wealthy household at the top of the German mountains. But this is no ordinary time, for it is 1935 and the Second World War is fast approaching; and this is no ordinary house, for this is the Berghof, the home of Adolf Hitler.

Quickly, Pierrot is taken under Hitler’s wing, and is thrown into an increasingly dangerous new world: a world of terror, secrets and betrayal, from which he may never be able to escape. 

Your Voice Is All I Hear by Leah Scheier
     Goodreads: click here

April won’t let Jonah go without a fight. He’s her boyfriend - her best friend. She’ll do anything to keep him safe. But as Jonah slips into a dark depression, trying to escape the traumatic past that haunts him, April is torn. To protect Jonah, she risks losing everything: family, friends, an opportunity to attend a prestigious music school. How much must she sacrifice? And will her voice be loud enough to drown out the dissenters - and the ones in his head?

How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather
     Goodreads: click here

Samantha Mather has just moved to Salem, Massachusetts from New York City in the wake of her father’s mysterious illness. But Mathers have lived in Salem for centuries and Sam is the ancestor of Cotton Mather - one of the architects of the Salem Witch Trials. Her name precedes her, and comes with too many stigmas. Before long, Sam finds herself at odds with The Descendants, a powerful group of girls who also have ties to the trials; only their ancestors were on the other end of the noose. Before long, Sam realizes she is at the centre of a centuries old curse that is tying her to fate, as well as her father’s, to her new enemies. Can she overcome her family’s past and break the cycle of unexplained deaths or will she discover just how easy it can be to hang a witch?

Black Hole by Charles Burns
     Goodreads: click here

Suburban Seattle, the mid-1970s. We learn from the out-set that a strange plague has descended upon the area’s teenagers, transmitted by sexual contact. The disease is manifested in any number of ways — from the hideously grotesque to the subtle (and concealable) — but once you’ve got it, that’s it. There’s no turning back.

As we inhabit the heads of several key characters — some kids who have it, some who don’t, some who are about to get it — what unfolds isn’t the expected battle to fight the plague, or bring heightened awareness to it , or even to treat it. What we become witness to instead is a fascinating and eerie portrait of the nature of high school alienation itself — the savagery, the cruelty, the relentless anxiety and ennui, the longing for escape. And then the murders start.

Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
     Goodreads: click here

Amy Curry is not looking forward to her summer. Her mother decided to move across the country and now it’s Amy’s responsibility to get their car from California to Connecticut. The only problem is, since her father died in a car accident, she isn’t ready to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger. An old family friend, he also has to make the cross-country trip - and has plenty of baggage of his own. The road home may be unfamiliar - especially with their friendship venturing into uncharted territory - but together, Amy and Roger will figure out how to map their way.

July Wrap Up - Reading, Life, and Everything Else

Can anyone else believe that there is only another month left of summer vacation? I am very excited to be starting a new school in September, and am even more excited to be taking a week off from work next week to relax! July was a roller coaster of a month for me, and in this post I will be recapping the biggest moments.

On July 20th I experienced one of the hardest moments that I might ever have in my life. On that Wednesday night my mom and I had to drive to the vet and have my dog put down. She was 12 years old and losing her sight, and had started having seizures which had a very negative effect on her aging brain. She was my first dog and she was my entire world. As many of you know I suffer from anxiety and depression, and a few years ago it was so serious that I hardy left my house. It was during this time that she and I got the closest, and she always knew when I was going down a dark path. I miss her terribly but it was the best decision that we could make for her.

On a more positive note, on the 23rd I went to see Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas perform in Toronto! My mom got me tickets as an early birthday gift because she is one of my favourite performers. I have one of her song lyrics tattooed on my foot, because she is a strong role model in my life. They both put on a phenomenal show, and was a great experience.

Books

This month I read five novels, and two graphic novels - and I mostly enjoyed everything! I am happy to have read a wide variety of genres (young adult, new adult, and adult). I did not reach my goal of wanting to read 10 books, but I worked a lot more these past few weeks than I had planned too. As of today I am still nine books behind on my goodreads challenge, but have gotten my “owned TBR” down to 212!

TV / Movies

This month I watched quite a bit of TV, because I was in a reading slump for so long. I started watching Friends from the beginning, because I had never watched it consistently - or even finished the series! My mom and I are watching it together which makes it much more enjoyable, and we are nearing the end of season nine! During the day when I need some background noise I have started watching Steve Wilkos again because I love the drama and seeing how my life could be worse or more stressful compared to others.

I watched quite a few Netflix movies this month, the better ones being; Ride Along starring Kevin Hart and Ice Cube, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, as well as Ghost of Girlfriends Past - which were all very funny! My favourite of these three would have to be How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days because I am a big Kate Hudson fan! I also watched some movies that I did not enjoy, which were: Chucky 3, and That Awkward Moment staring Zac Efron.

I am hoping to read a lot more during August, but I also have some movies that I want to watch before I get too busy with school again! How was your July? Did you do anything special? Let me know!

Want to Read a True Story? | Book Recommendations

Hello! This Monday kicks off our next AYearAThon theme, and we will be reading Non-Fiction/Biographies! I have read quite a few novels from this genre that I really enjoyed, and wanted to share some of my favourites with you today. If you don't know what you want to read next week, check out my recommendations.


Night by Elie Wiesel
     Goodreads: click here

Night is a work by Elie Wiesel about his experience with his father in the Nazi German concentration camps at Auschwitz and Buchenwald in 1944-1945, at the height of the Holocaust and toward the end of the second World War. In just over 100 pages of sparse and fragmented narrative, Wiesel writes about the death of God and his own increasing disgust with humanity, reflected in the inversion of the father-child relationship as his father declines to a helpless state and Wiesel becomes his recently teenage caregiver. 

Seriously... I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres
     Goodreads: click here

Seriously…I’m Kidding is a look at Ellen’s life through her humour. In her own words, Ellen says, “I’ve experienced a whole lot the last few years and I have a lot to share…I think you’ll find I’ve left no stone unturned, no door unopened, no window unbroken, no run unvacuumed, no ivories untickled.” 






Hidden Girl by Shyima Hall
     Goodreads: click here
     My review: click here

Shyima Hall was born in Egypt on September 20, 1989, the seventh child of desperately poor parents. When she was eight, her parents sold her into slavery. Shyima then moved two hours away to Egypt’s capitol city of Cairo to live with a wealthy family and serve them eighteen hours a day, seven days a week. When she was ten, her captors moved to Orange County, California, and smuggled Shyima with them. Two years later, an anonymous call from a neighbour brought about the end of Shyima’s servitude - but her journey to true freedom was far from over.

Grace's Guide: The Art of Pretending to Be a Grown-up by Grace Helbig
     Goodreads: click here

Face it - being a young adult in the digital era is one of the hardest things to be. Well, maybe there are harder things in life…but being an adult is difficult! So Grace Helbig has written a guide that’s perfect for anyone who is faced with the daunting task of becoming an adult.

Infused with her trademark saucy, sweet, and funny voice, Grace’s Guide is a tongue-in-cheek handbook for millennials, encompassing everything a young or new (regular or old) adult needs to know, from surviving a breakup or recovering from a hangover. Beautifully illustrated and full-colour, Grace’s Guide features interactive elements and exclusive stories from Grace’s own misadventures - like losing her virginity solely because her date took her to a Macaroni Grill - and many other hilarious lessons she learned the hard way.

Damaged by Cathy Glass

     Goodreads: click here

Although Jodie is only eight years old, she is violent, aggressive, and has already been through numerous foster families. Her last hope is Cathy Glass. At the Social Services office, Cathy (an experienced foster carer) is pressured into taking Jodie as a new placement. Jodie’s challenging behaviour has seen off five carers in four months. Despite her reservations, Cathy deciders to accept Jodie to protect her from being placed in an institution. Jodie arrives, and her first act is to soil herself, and then wipe it on her face, grinning wickedly. Jodie meets Cathy’s teenage children, and greets them with a sharp kick to the shins. That night, Cathy finds Jodie covered in blood, having cut her own wrist, and smeared the blood over her face. Cathy promises that she will stand by Jodie no matter what - her love for the abandoned Jodie is unbreakable. 

A Work in Progress by Connor Franta

     Goodreads: click here

In this intimate memoir of life beyond the camera, Connor Franta shares the lessons he has learned on his journey from small-town boy to Internet sensation so far.

Here, Connor offers a look at his Midwestern upbringing as one of four children in the home and one of five in the classroom; his struggles with identity, body image, and sexuality in his teen years; and his decision to finally pursue his creative and artistic passions in his early twenties, setting up his thrilling career as a YouTube personality, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and tastemaker.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

     Goodreads: click here

Mindy Kaling has lived many lives: the obedient child of immigrant professionals, a timid chubster afraid of her own bike, a Ben Affleck-impersonating Off-Broadway performer and playwright, and finally, a comedy writer and actress prone to starting fights with her friends and coworkers with the sentence “Can I just say one last thing about this, and then I swear I’ll shut up about it?”

Perhaps you want to know what Mindy thinks makes a great best friend (someone who will fill your prescription in the middle of the night), or what makes a great guy (one who is aware of all elderly people in any room at any time and acts accordingly), or what is the perfect amount of fame (so famous you can never get convicted of murder in a court of law), or how to maintain a trim figure (you will not find that information in these pages). If so, you’ve come to the right book, mostly!

Rosalie Lightning by Tom Hart

     Goodreads: click here

     My review: click here

Rosalie Lightning is Eisner-nominated cartoonist Tom Hart’s beautiful and touching graphic memoir about the untimely death of his young daughter, Rosalie. His heart-breaking and emotional illustrations strike readers to the core, and take them along his family’s journey through loss. Hart uses the graphic form to articulate his and his wife’s on-going search for meaning in the aftermath of Rosalie’s death, exploring themes of grief, hopelessness, rebirth, and eventually finding hope again.

What are some of your favourite non-fiction novels? Let me know!

Lumberjanes Graphic Novel Review

Lumberjanes: Volume One and Volume Two

Written by Noelle Stevenson

Volume One (#1-4)

Number of pages: 128

Average Rating: 3.91/5 stars

My Rating: 4/5 stars

Published April 7th 2015

Read in July 2016

Volume Two (#5-8)

Number of pages: 112

Average Rating: 4.22/5 stars

My Rating: 2/5 stars

Published October 13th 2015

Read in July 2016

Summary according to Goodreads

At Miss Qjunzilla Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s camp for hard-core lady-types, things are not what they seem. Three-eyed foxes. Secret caves. Anagrams. Luckily, Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are five rad, butt-kicking best pals determined to have an awesome summer together. And they’re not gonna let a magical quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! 

My Thoughts

I went into this graphic novel series completely blind, just randomly selecting it off of my library shelves. I was very pleasantly surprised, with the pacing, illustrations, and characters. Each character has a very distinct voice, and adds something different to the story. 

One of my favourite things about this series is its focus on young women, and how they figure everything out for themselves. There is elements of empowerment, friendship, and supernatural to add a twist! Going into the second compilation, there is a lot more mythical elements that I was not a fan of, and instead was left thinking “where did that come from? What is going on?”

My only issue with the first novel was that the plot did not make a lot of sense to me. For the first few pages I could not help but wonder if I had picked up a sequel by accident, but then I realized you are just thrown straight into the story. Going into the second novel I had a lot more issues, the biggest being the pacing and mythology randomly thrown in. I found it unfortunate that this sequel was not as strong as the first volume, but there is nothing that happened in this that makes me want to continue. It was not what I was expecting from the series at all, and will not be reading any more from it. 

This is shelved under young adult, but, to me, it feels much more like a middle-grade read. The language is very light and can be silly at times, but if you go into it with the right mind set, I think you will really enjoy it! I read it very easily and think it is a great way to catch up on your TBR, but is not something that I want to continue. 

The Summer That Melted Everything Review

The Summer That Melted Everything 

Written by Tiffany McDaniel
Number of pages: 320

My Rating: 4/5 stars

Published: July 26, 2016
Read in July 2016


Summary according to Goodreads

Fielding Bliss has never forgotten the summer of 1984: the year a heat wave scorched Breathed, Ohio. The year he became friends with the devil.

Sal seems to appear out of nowhere - a bruised and tattered thirteen-year-old boy claiming to be the devil himself answering an invitation. Fielding Bliss, the son of a local prosecutor, brings him home where he's welcomed into the Bliss family, assuming he's a runaway from a nearby farm town.

When word spreads that the devil has come to Breathed, not everyone is happy to welcome the self-proclaimed fallen angel. Murmurs follow him and tensions rise, along with the temperatures as an unbearable heat wave rolls into town right along with him. As strange accidents start to occur, riled by the feverish heat, some in the town start to believe that Sal is exactly who he claims to be. While the Bliss family wrestles with their own personal demons, a fanatic drives the town to the brink of a catastrophe that will change this sleepy Ohio backwater forever. 


My Thoughts

I received a copy of this novel for review, but that does not affect my opinion. 

This novel took me longer to read because I had been so busy with my retail job. All I wanted was to tuck into a blanket and spend the day reading this novel. Even though it tells the story of the summer the devil came to visit Breathed, I feel this would be best read in the colder seasons because it is an older, heavier style of reading. This was so different from anything I have ever read before, in both the plot and the writing. It did take me a little while to settle into the story and adjust to the writing style, but this is not a genre that I read very often. I do believe that you have to be in a certain mood to read this novel, or it will not affect you as it should. 

There were so many emotional layers to this novel, bringing each character to new levels of growth. We learn why Fielding's mother is afraid of the rain, something that may seem a trivial fear, and my favourite was learning about Sal and his past experiences. One of the quotes that he said early in the novel really spoke to me; "Even a devils heart isn't just for beating." 

When I first read the premise of the novel I had expected something horror based, or even plot heavy. Instead I found this novel to fit almost into a contemporary genre, driven by the characters, an everyday town coming to face their own demons. Imagine yourself walking home from the grocery store, when you find a young man who claims to be the devil. From that day on this boy brings to life concerns you did not know you had, and completely opens up the community's eyes - both positively and negatively. This novel carries so many themes, but come together so seamlessly and beautifully. The author manages to bring race, spirituality, family, homophobia, and self-love all together in 300 pages.

Something that I did not care for in this novel was that it was narrated by an older Fielding, so we see both past (when Sal first arrived) and present (aging and alone) events. I understand the significance between this connection, since we are seeing how the trauma Fielding suffered affects his daily life years later. I would have rather seen the story take place day to day with an epilogue showing the effects, or even being narrated in third person. 

After writing this review I have come to realize that I enjoyed this novel much more than I had originally thought. I have updated my rating from three and a half stars, up to a four because I enjoyed more things than I disliked. This novel spoke to me deeper than I realized, and it was not until I had read another novel that I realized its impact. Overall, I think this was a great story that made me think very seriously. These characters were so wise, and really made me think about life. I am really hoping that this author will continue writing, because she has such an incredible writing style, and master way of storytelling. If you are interested in adult fiction, I recommend you checking this one out after it is released tomorrow!

Most Anticipated Releases - End of 2016

There have been some great novels released so far in the year, with many more still to come! I asked on Twitter if you wanted to see a "Most Anticipated" post, and I got great feedback! So today I went through my wishlist, and gathered the Top 10 that I am most looking forward to!

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
     Expected release: July 19th
     Goodreads: click here

In this tightly wound, enthralling story reminiscent of Agatha Christie's works, Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: work on a luxury cruise with only a handful on cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the veneered, select guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea. At first, Lo's stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, fray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for - and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo's desperate attempts to covert that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong.


How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather
     Expected release: July 26th
     Goodreads: click here

Salem, Massachusetts is a site of the infamous witch trials and the new home of Samantha Mather. Recently transplanted from New York City, Sam and her stepmother are not exactly welcomed with open arms. Sam is the descendant of Cotton Mater, one of the men responsible for those trials and almost immediately, she becomes the enemy of a group of girls who call themselves The Descendants. And guess who their ancestors were?

If dealing with that weren't enough, Sam also comes face to face with a real live (well technically dead) ghost. A handsome, angry ghost who wants Sam to stop touching his stuff. But soon Sam discovers she is at the centre of a centuries old curse affecting anyone with ties to the trials. Sam must come to terms with the ghost and find a way to work with the Descendants to stop a deadly cycle that has been going on since the first accused witch was hanged. If any town should have learned its lesson, it's Salem. But history may be about to repeat itself.

You Before Anyone Else by Julie Cross
     Expected release: August 2nd
     Goodreads: click here

New York City model Finley is fed up with hearing the same feedback at castings: she needs to take some serious action to wipe the "good girl" stamp from her resume if she wants to launch to stardom.

Enter Eddie Wells. He's shallow, predictable...and just as lost as Finley feels. Deep down, Finley is drawn to Eddie's bravado, his intensity. Except Eddie is hiding something. A big something. And when it surfaces, both loving and leaving Finley will become so much harder.

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
     Expected release: August 2nd
     Goodreads: click here

Lily hasn't always had it easy, but that's never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She's come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up. She graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid everything in Lily's life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, and maybe even a little arrogant. He's also sensitive, brilliant and has a total soft spot for Lily; and the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn't hurt. Lily can't get him out of her head, but Ryle's complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his no dating rule, she can't help but wonder what made him that way in the first place. 

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan, her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her proctor. When Atlas suddenly reappears everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.


We Are Unprepared by Meg Little Reilly
     Expected release: August 30th
     Goodreads: click here

Ash and Pia's move from Brooklyn to the bucolic hills of Vermont was supposed to be a fresh start - a picturesque farmhouse, mindful lifestyle, maybe even children. But just three months in, news breaks of a devastating superstorm expected in the coming months. Fear of the impending disaster divides their tight-knit rural town and exposes the chasms in Ash and Pia's marriage. Ash seeks common ground with those who believe in working together for the common good. Pia teams up with "preppers" who want to go off the grind and war with the rest of the locals over whom to trust and how to protect themselves. Where Isole had once been a town of old farm families, yuppie transplants and beloved rednecks, they divide into paranoid preppers, religious fanatics and government tools.

Been Here All Along by Sandy Hall
     Expected release: August 30th
     Goodreads: click here

Gideon always has a plan. His plans include running for class president, becoming head of the yearbook committee, and having his choice of colleges. They do NOT include falling head over heels for his best friends and next door neighbour, Kyle. It's a distraction. It's pointless, as Kyle is already dating the gorgeous and popular head cheerleader, Ruby. And Gideon doesn't know what to do. 

Kyle finally feels like he has a handle on life. He has a wonderful girlfriend, a best friend willing to debate the finer points of Lord of the Rings, and social acceptance as captain of the basketball team. Then, both Ruby and Gideon start acting really weird, just as his spot on the team is threatened, and Kyle can't quite figure out what he did wrong.

When They Fade by Jeyn Roberts
     Expected release: September 13th
     Goodreads: click here

Tatum is the only person at school who knew the truth about the affair her best friend, Claudette, has been having with Mr. Paracini, their married teacher. And at the same time, confiding in an adult seemed like the right thing to do. But now, everyone in town has turned against Tatum, painting her as a liar and a rat. As the bullying from her classmates escalates, it seems that nowhere is safe for her anymore.

Molly, a hitchhiker, was brutally murdered in the early 1970s, but there is no afterlife for her. Instead, she has found herself marooned with a crowd of other people who have also died tragically. Molly is able to fade back to earth for a few fleeting moments, and when she fades, she finds herself hitchhiking once again, and telling the unsuspecting drivers things about their future that only she can see.

One foggy night, Tatum sneaks out for a drive. The teenage hitchhiker she picks up doesn't talk much, until she suddenly turns to Tatum and says: "You're going to die. It will hurt and you'll be alone. And no one will help you." And then she disappears. As the two girl's stories converge, Tatum and Molly will discover that they must first figure out how to help the other in order to save themselves.

The Weight of Zero by Karen Fortunati
     Expected release: October 11th
     Goodreads: click here

Seventeen-year-old Cath knows Zero is coming for her. Zero, the devastating depression born of Catherine's bipolar disease, has almost triumphed once, propelling Catherine to her first suicide attempt. With Zero only temporarily restrained by the latest med du jour, time is running out. In an old ballet shoebox, Catherine stockpiles meds, preparing to take her own life when Zero next arrives. 

But Zero's return is delayed. Unexpected relationships along with the care of a new psychiatrist start to alter Catherine's perception of her diagnosis. But will this be enough? This is a story of loss and grief and hope and how the many shapes of love - maternal, romantic, and platonic - impact a young woman's struggle with mental illness.

Beast by Brie Spangler
     Expected release: October 11th
     Goodreads: click here

Tall, meaty, muscle-bound, and hairer than most throw rugs, Dylan doesn't look like your average fifteen-year-old, so, naturally, high school has not been kind to him. To make matters worse, on the day his school bans hats (his preferred camouflage), Dylan goes up on his roof only to fall and wake up in the hospital with a broken leg - and a mandate to attend group therapy for self-harmers.

Dylan vows to say nothing and zones out at therapy - until he meets Jaime. She's funny, smart, and so stunning, even his womanizing best friend, JP, would be jealous. She's also the first person to ever call Dylan out on his self-pitying and superficiality. As Jaime's humanity and wisdom begin to rub off on Dylan, they become more than just friends. But there is something Dylan doesn't know about Jaime, something she shared with the group the day he wasn't listening. Something that shouldn't change a thing. She is who she's always been - an amazing photographer and devoted friend, who also happens to be transgender. But will Dylan see it that way?

Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
     Expected release: October 18th
     Goodreads: click here

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna's social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed. 

The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault. 


What books are you excited for this year? Let me know!