Welcome Home | Book Review

Welcome Home

Edited by: Eric Smith
Number of pages: 350

My Overall Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Published: September 5, 2017
Read in September 2017


Summary According to Goodreads

Welcome Home collects a number of adoption-themed fictional short stories, and brings them together in one anthology from a diverse range of celebrated Young Adult authors.


My Thoughts 

I received an ebook copy of this book to review on behalf of NetGalley, but that does not affect my opinion. In fact, I loved it so much I purchased my own physical copy.

I need to be honest right off the bat: I do have a personal connection to adoption. Not myself, but a family friend adopted two young girls, and I was able to see how they became a family. I went into this novel knowing what an emotional journey and process adoption is, but this novel handled many aspects of it beautifully. 

I loved that each of these authors had their own connection to adoption and it's process, and it really reflected it all of their writing. Some were better done than others, but they all mostly came with a good lesson or insight. 

I was introduced to many authors I didn’t know of, but also others I have considered reading from. This was a great collection for YA readers that are interested in adoption stories. 

Since this was an anthology, I thought it would only be far to rate each story individually, and share any thoughts I had. You’ll find all stories listed below!

• Carlos and the Fifteen Year-Old Heart by Adi Alsaid: 3 stars

     - I hadn't read anything but this author before, even though I've been eyeing his works for a while. Enjoyed this one, but didn't connect to it as much as I would've liked to.

• Strong Enough by Karen Atkins: 4.5 stars

     - Why wasn't this longer?? I loved this so much, I could've read an entire novel about Gracie. I'm not one for superhero tales but I need more!

• The Sign by Erica M. Chapman: 3 stars

• Up a Million by Caela Carter: 5 stars

     - This was perfect. It was so simply short but packed so much emotion. In less than 10 pages I was able to connect to this mother-daughter pair, and understand their relationship. It was just so heartfelt and pure, I cried.

• Mama's Eyes by Libby Cudmore: 4 stars

     - Wow, this novel had all the feels. It was a great look into the harder sides of adoption, and the risks it could put children in. Just didn't care much for the way her dad handled things.

• A Kingdom Bright and Burning by Dave Connis: 4 stars

     - This is one that I sat and thought about after I finished reading it. There were so many hidden messages and symbolism woven in, that you just have to take a moment to appreciate it all.

• The Inexplicable Weight of Mountains by Helene Dunbar: 2 stars

• Webbed by Julie Esbaugh: 2 stars

• Life: Starring Tallulah Grey by Lauren Gibaldi: 3 stars

     - This was okay, I enjoyed the writing style but it felt unfinished in a couple of ways.

• Salvation by Shannon Gibney: 3 stars

• Twenty-Seven Days by Jenny Kaczorowski: 5 stars

• Ink Drips Black by Julie Leung: 3 stars

• Upon the Horizon's Verge by Sangru Mandanna: 5 stars

• Lullaby by Matthew Quinn Martin: 2 stars

• Census Man by Mindy McGinnis: 2.5 stars

• Invited by Lauren Morrill: 5 stars

• Empty Lens by Tameka Mullins: 3 stars

• A Lesson in Biology by Sammy Nickalls: 4 stars

• Tunneling Through by Shannon Parker: 4 stars

• These Broken Stars by C.J Redwine: 2 stars

• The Snow-Covered Sidewalk by Randy Ribay: 3 stars

• Deeply by William Ritter: 2 stars

• Meant to be Broken by Stephanie Scott: 3 stars

• Moving the Body by Natasha Sinel: 4 stars

• In Pieces by Eric Smith: 3 stars

• Peace of Paper by Courtney C. Stevens: 4 stars

• Happy Beginning by Nic Stone: 3.5 stars

• The Take Back by Kate Watson: 5 stars

     - I LOVED this one so much, that I read it twice. The characters were so rich and deep I wanted to cry with them. Such a good, well-rounded story that didn't feel like it was lacking, but instead showed so much room for more.

• Jar of Broken Wishes by Tristina Wright: 5 stars

Overall, I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. I was so connected to characters that only had 10 pages, but was able to develop a whole new appreciation for adoption. It was so beautiful on so many levels, and I am so excited for there to be more adoption awareness. It is not an easy journey for anyone involved, so I appreciated that this novel was able to show all of the different sides. 

Dancing with Molly | Book Review

Dancing with Molly

Written by: Lena Horowitz

Number of pages: 235

Average Rating: 3.2/5 stars

My Rating: 2/5 stars

Published: June 2, 2015

Read in September 2017

Summary According to Goodreads

Before, I was never the life of the party. I was the reliable one. The one no one had to worry about. The one no one had to think about. I was the one that everyone could ignore. 

Until that night, when everything changed and I finally became someone.

Someone special. Someone noticeable. Someone Carson might actually care about, as much as I cared about him.

But the cost of being someone is more than anyone can imagine. For every moment, there's a price to pay. For every party. For every choice made. For every kiss. 

Ultimately, living a life of pure ecstasy might be no different from not living at all.

My Thoughts

As many of you know, I am a huge fan of realistic fiction stories that centre around drugs and/or alcohol. They are so relatable and usually provide and encourage messages to young readers, but I enjoy the psychology behind addiction so they are interesting reads for me. Not this one though. 

This novel is presented in a diary format, and I don’t believe we even know the characters first name. It is a very character based novel, however none of them were outstanding. Realistic, yes, but likeable, no. Let’s start with our main character, Miss Nameless Drama Queen. Even before she started using drugs, I didn’t like her personality. She is constantly talking about people’s looks, how she couldn’t see herself with a guy she’s known for like TEN YEARS, because he looks gross, and even refers to her friend as “a bigger girl” quite often. She is very self-centred but spent the novel complaining that her younger sister was all high and mighty. Reality check, girl: she probably learned it from you. My favourite character of all of them was probably Carson, and only because he wasn’t a complete drug-fueled asshole. I feel like he genuinely cared about our character and wanted to help her, but she was convinced she didn’t have a problem. And don’t even get me started on her parents. Someone needs to sit down and talk to them about what being “grounded” means. 

The plot was generic and typical, and didn’t have any twists or anything that I couldn’t call from a mile away. It obviously wasn’t written by a teenager, and instead seemed to try and hit every cliche to try and give it that idea. I think it is relatable and would be beneficial to a younger audience, just as an exposure to drug use and its effects. 

The ONLY reason that I couldn’t give this novel one star, is I didn't hate it. I understand it, it was a quick read, and I never considered giving up on it. So there must be something underlying there, but I don’t hate it. I won’t be reading it again or keeping it on my shelf, but I don’t regret picking it up. I found the ending to be rushed and would have preferred losing 50 pages in the middle for more emotion in the ending. 

I went into this novel with expectations that I would enjoy it, so I am quite disappointed. Overall, I would recommend this story to anyone looking for a teen-angsty story and is ready to sit though 200 pages of a main character believing she isn’t in the wrong. This isn’t a novel I had heard anything about before seeing it on the bargain shelf at Chapters, and I understand why. 

The Switch | Book Review

The Switch


Written by: A.W. Hill and Nathanael Hill
Number of pages: 282

My Rating: 3.5/5

Published: August 29th 2017
Read in August 2017


Summary According to Goodreads

Imagine that you could change your world with the flip of a switch. You might be prettier, more athletic, more popular, or even living on an exotic island, because your history - your world line - would be different. But here's the catch: you have no way of knowing if the reality on the other side of that switch will be better... or much worse. 

Jacobus Rose is a fifteen year-old who believes - as many fifteen year-olds do - that his life could use improvement. School is a numbing routine, and his parents' marriage seems to be imploding before his eyes. Lured by his best friend, Connor, into a strange little house containing nothing but empty rooms and an oversized circuit breaker, he'll discover that reality comes in a plural form, and that our choices create a continuous web of branching worlds, any of which is as "real" as another.


My Thoughts

I received an ebook copy of this novel to review from NetGalley, but that does not influence my opinion.

"I am writing this story for you, the misplaced teenagers of the world."

The plot of this novel grabbed my attention right away, as did the cover. It conveys the most important aspects of this novel, from the rustic typography, to the hand pulling the switch. This novel was unlike anything I have read before - and I have read a lot of books. There were plot twists that I didn't see coming, and ones that enhanced the overall climax of the story. Was the world completely developed? No, but it is young adult so I didn't have too high expectations. 

This was a very interesting sci-fi novel that brings readers on a journey with its characters crossing different worlds. However, I need to be honest - the characters in this novel did not meet my expectations. They are four fifteen year-olds who either acted twelve or twenty. The main characters, specifically Jacobus, were not as unique or developed as they could have been, and this really hindered my experience. We are reading about travelling between different worlds and alternate universes, but their personalities were much too flat. There were a few moments where I questioned bias and racism, but I think I might have just been looking into that too much.

I think I would have enjoyed this novel more if I had read it faster. It was nothing against the pacing of the story, just my own hectic schedule. Whenever I would pick up the book I was thrown back into the world very easily, and struggled to put it back down.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel but it will not go down as one of my favourites. I do not generally read a lot of sci-fi, so it was a good exposure to the genre for me. I would recommend this to readers a little bit younger than myself (probably best for teenagers), as it was very engaging and extremely unique! It was published yesterday, so make sure you check it out and let me know what you think!

"And it occurred to me...that nobody is ever just one thing: villain or hero, dirtbag or prince."

Attachments | Book Review

Attachments

Written by: Rainbow Rowell

Number of pages: 323

Average Rating: 3.95/5 stars

My Rating: 3/5 stars

Published April 2011

Read in August 2017

Summary According to Goodreads

Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work email. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neil can't believe this is his job now - reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers - not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.

When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained and captivated by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself. What would he say...?

My Thoughts

I had been holding onto this novel for so long, but I don't read a lot of adult romance so I was a bit hesitant. To my surprise this wasn't as romantic, and instead was very simple and contemporary. It was very relatable, as are majority of her novels, but I found this one to be overly predictable. Within the first 20 pages I knew how this story was going to play out.

The characters were real but they weren't completely flushed out. I can understand how difficult it is to build well-rounded characters that you only read about through emails, but I felt like their lives blurred together and I struggled to understand their relationship. The two main women (Beth and Jennifer) didn't suck me into their lives, and they didn't seem like girls I'd want to go have a drink with. It was just a constant circle of drama or "woah is me" between their emails. There wasn't any significant growth between these women, instead the novel was focusing on Lincoln and his development - and I was NOT a fan of his. Yes his job was to read emails, but he took it too far and if I was Beth I'd be beyond freaked out.

Of the other two Rainbow Rowell novels I've read, this one had the slowest plot. It was a very quick read, which I appreciated it, but the story wasn't a gripping one. About 20% through I was considering giving it up, but next I knew I was almost halfway through. I never connected to any characters and it overall didn't blow my mind.

Did I laugh out loud a couple of times? Yes. I read it within two days, and I did end up recommending it to my mother to read. I have a feeling this novel is just a bit older than I am, and that hindered my experience. I have now read three books by this author: one I've loved, one I hated, and one I was "meh" about. I haven't decided if I'll give her another chance, but Landline likely won't be the next one. I'll wait to see what she has coming up.

Beauty Queens | Book Review

Beauty Queens

Written by: Libba Bray

Number of Pages: 396

Average Rating: 3.6/5

My Rating: 4/5

Published: May 2011

Read in July 2017

Summary According to Goodreads

When a plane crash strands thirteen teen beauty contestants on a mysterious island, they struggle to survive, to get along with one another, to combat the island's other diabolic occupants, and to learn their dance numbers in case they are rescued in time for the competition.

My Thoughts

I have to be honest when writing this review, about 25% of the way through my ebook edition, I was considering giving up reading it. I was not engaged in the story or the characters, but felt an underlying later of potential that convinced me to power through. I ended up switching to the audiobook, and I am so glad I listened to that instinct! 

The audiobook is narrated by Libba Bray herself, and it made it so much better. She brought so much life to these characters, and I think it was because she was reading characters that she created. She was engaged and gave each character (and there were many) a very distinct voice. This story is best enjoyed through audiobook because there was so much extra detail put into it - extra sound effects, transitions, and footnote inclusions to name a few.

Speaking of the footnotes, I do think they were a little overdone. When I was reading this on my ereader, I ended up ignoring the footnotes because it was so annoying having to flip through the pages to see what the footnote was. I know that this was probably because of the way the ebook was formatted, but it was something that took away from my overall reading experience.

The plot overlapped quite a bit and was a bit confusing to understand, but thankfully it was a very character-driven novel. I understood all of the Confederation aspects and how it translates to the climax, but I think it was a bit too much. It is just a light read that you don't have to think too much about, and for this reason think I would have enjoyed it more if I'd read it a couple of years ago.

This novel touched on so many different themes and social issues, I don't think I'd even be able to name them all here. The most prominent ones were LGBTQIA, feminism and gender stereotypes, racial discrimination, self-love, disabilities, and friendship. Each of these characters were so different, but blended together to form a strong group. None of the characters were perfect, and although they did try to cast that image, they eventually came to terms with who they are and set more realistic expectations for themselves. I also really appreciated the epilogue and closure that it provided for all of the girls - I loved seeing how their future played out in such a fun way!

Overall, I ended up being pleasantly surprised by this novel. It will go down as one of my favourite audiobooks for sure! This was my first time reading this author, and I enjoyed her writing style enough to be interested in wanting to read The Diviners. I am sure she has grown as a writer since the publication of this six years ago, and I am looking forward to seeing her progress.

Once She Dreamed Duology Review

Once She Dreamed by Abbi Glines

Part One - Published October 10, 2016

# of pages: 107
Average Rating: 3.6/5
My Rating: 4/5


Part Two - Published December 8, 2016

# of pages: 99
Average Rating: 3.72/5
My Rating: 2/5


Summary According to Goodreads

Everyone in the small country town where Sammy Jo Knox had been born and raised, never left. They made their life there. Got married, had kids, lived in the same houses that were always there along the streets that never changed. The whole white picket fence and tree swing might look good on greeting cards but in real life it was boring, at least to Sammy Jo.
;
When Sammy Jo was a little girl she began dreaming of something bigger. Brighter. Something that wasn’t her town. She wanted to see the world and experience it all. Just how she was going to do that she had no idea. Because if her momma had her way, she’d marry one of the boys in town and be spitting out babies and going to church on Sunday with them all lined up in a row.
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The day Hale Christopher Jude III walked into the bakery she worked at, she knew he was it. That part of life she was missing. He smelled of foreign places and exciting things. He represented all the bright lights she dreamed of and simply put, she hoped he was her way out of this place.
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What Sammy Jo didn’t realize was things that appear perfect… aren’t. And chasing her dreams could lead to something very different.


My Thoughts

I am a huge Abbi Glines fan, but these weren't some of her best works. It was overall very problematic for me, and I ended up enjoying the first part more than the second.

In the first part I loved reading about our main character Sammy's friends and family, but I didn't connect so much with her. She had huge aspirations and seemed like a strong character, but she was very naive, and very easy to manipulate. She continually talked about her dreams and how everything was coming true but she never had to do anything to get there. A rich guy found her attractive and willing, and she was blinded enough by his attention, and followed him like a puppy. I had been hoping to see more character growth and development in the second part, but she didn't learn much at all. 

The general of the plot had potential to be successful, but I think it was too rushed to peak. The second part took on a completely different tone from the first, and although it fit with a "twist" in characterization, I didn't enjoy it. I am a huge New York lover and a big dreamer myself, but even I wouldn't make the kinds of decisions that she did. It is so important to emphasize hard work and passion, something she didn't find even at the end.

Speaking of the end, that epilogue was pointless. I understand the need for it, but it wasn't done in a way to give justice and closure. It felt random and rushed, and could have been developed a bit more. I had to read those pages a couple of times just to be sure I understood what had happened.

Overall, I was really disappointed with this duology overall, and although I generally recommend Abbi Glines novels, I would skip these ones. 

One of Us is Lying | Book Review

One of Us is Lying

Written by Karen McManus
# of Pages: 360

Average Rating: 4.07/5 stars
My Rating: 5/5 stars

Published: May 30, 2017
Read in June 2017


Summary According to Goodreads

The story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.

On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention. Brownyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule. Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess. Nate, the criminal, is already of probation for dealing. Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher. And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High's notorious gossip app.

Only Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention, Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn't an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he'd planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes them all suspects in his murder.

Everyone has secrets right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.


My Thoughts

This novel is one that was high on my "Most Anticipated" releases of 2017, and I was not disappointed! I read this novel over the course of a couple days, but each time I put it down I craved picking it back up. Eventually I had to sit and finish the last 100 pages in one go just to find out who the killer was!

There are four suspects in this novel, and it is written in a way that gives us each of their perspectives across the timeline of the investigation. These were such ordinary characters (a brain, a beauty, a jock, and a troublemaker), but the author was able to make them so unique while still keeping them relatable. One of my favourite things about this novel was how anyone could read this and find some part of themselves in a character. Was it racially diverse? Not completely, but there was diversity there. I think I personally related to Addy the most, going through a tough-time in order to come out of her shell and stand on her own. There was a lot of character development, and it was very well done.

This novel covered so many themes: friendship, betrayal, romance / young-love, family, drug abuse, and more. Nothing specifically felt like an add-on and instead it all came together to form a cohesive plot. I found all of their secrets rather interesting to discover, some more surprising than others but all, again, realistic to current high school students.

Reading this novel I was so nostalgic to my own high school career, and can't imagine being in the position these four were. I did guess who was behind Simon's death, but more in a "what if" scenario than being completely convinced.

I gushed so hard over the romance in this novel, because it would seem so random but it actually felt so real. It was frustrating at times but came together enough that once I finished reading, all I could say was "AWE!" Overall this was such a fast-paced, interesting thriller that you should look into reading! An exciting new release from a debut author that I will be reading more from in the future!