Book Review: To all the Boys I've loved before by Jenny Han

Title: To all the boys I've loved before 

Author: Jenny Han 

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Genre: Contemporary, Romance 

Number of Pages: 288

ISBN: 1442426705

Synopsis:

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them…all at once?

Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

My Review:

I had totally forgotten how much I loved Jenny Han's books until I picked this book up. I read The Summer I Turned Pretty series well over four years ago, but even then I remember reading the entire series in three days. What I love about Jenny Han is that her books are a series, not a companion novel or a spin-off but an actual continuation of the story told from the same characters and everything. 

I wish I had picked up this book sooner, because holy crap it was the cutest thing I have ever read! I loved every single character especially Lara Jean. I loved her personality and I could easily relate to her. Another thing I absolutely adored was the strong aspect of family, I fell in love with the Covey's immediately. 

The plot was also very intriguing, I will say that I have never experienced so much second hand embarrassment in one book, but I loved it. The plot kept me giggling because everything was absolutley adorable (especially Peter). I would highly recommend this book if you have read any of Jenny Han's other books or if you are looking for a cute and easy read.

*SPOILERS*

Ahhhhh! Cliffhanger! 

I feel so bad for Lara Jean the one time she does something remotely exciting and new she gets punished for it. It was pretty obvious that Gen was probably the one that spread the rumor about the hot tub.  I also loved the end during christmas when Lara jean's dad went to buy the necklace that she had been eyeing only to find it gone and it was obvious that Peter had bought it for her. I loved all the notes that Peter and Lara Jean sent back and forth.

The halloween scene was one of my favorites, I loved how playful Peter was with Lara Jean. 

PETER AND KITTY!! I seriously cried at how adorable Peter was with Kitty, I guess because he doesn't have a little sister he treats her like one. I also loved Josh's relationship with all of the girls and just the family in general, he really seemed like an older brother who protected them.

I'm going to keep this review short just because everything about this book was perfect and I would just recommend picking it up immediately if it seems like you would enjoy it.

My Rating: 98% :))

Book Review: The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh

Title: The Wrath and the dawn

Author: Renée Adieh

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Release Date: May 12th, 2015

Genre: Fantasy, Retelling, Romance

Number of Pages: 388 pages

ISBN: 0399171614

Synopsis:

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend. She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.

My Review:

The Wrath and the Dawn is a retelling of 1001 nights, which I personally did not know the story of so, I went into the book solely based on the synopsis and high-ratings. And I absolutley loved it, in fact it is probably one of the best books I have read so far this year.

The setting was based in Persia in a kingdom called Khorasan and Ahdieh did a fantastic job of bringing culture and traditional aspects into the book. I loved hearing about the food, the palace and all of their exquisitely fine clothing. That is what made the book refreshingly unique.

I also fell in love with the characters. Ahdieh gave each of them such diverse personality traits yet none of them were perceived as weak. My favorite character was probably Khalid because I felt that he had the most character depth and development throughout the book, I loved that he was so vulnerable to Shazi.

The relationship between Shazi and Khalid was so perfect. They are the literal definition of opposites attract, however, they do share some personality traits (for example, stubbornness). I also admired how deep and serious their relationship was. They truly accepted each other despite their past.

I would highly recommend this book, even if it is not up your alley still give it a try because I promise you will not regret it.

*SPOILERS*

The ending blew me to pieces! I was so torn! I was expecting the book to end in a big battle fight so I kept reading waiting for that scene and the next thing I know I see the glossary. The ending was literal torment, the letter Khalid wrote to Shazi had me in tears.

One part that startled me a bit was when The Rashid was killed by Tariq. I was so shocked because he is supposed to be the best sword-fighter in khorasan and I genuinely liked him even though we didn't get to see much of him I felt that he liked Shazi and wanted to help her.

My favorite part had to be the scene when Shazi and Khalid go to the souk. Not only was it hilarious but it was also a huge turning point in their relationship.

I'm looking forward to see what Shazi can do with the magic that she posses, my guess would be that she can heal Khalid because of the way that the faqir was looking at her when she was in the room while he healed Khalid. I think they also hinted that Reza might have ordered that attack on Shazi because they mention in the last chapter that one of his men bore the mark of the scarab, so I'm interested to see what that leads to. Shazi's father also seemed suspicious, he had mentioned that he was going to be the king of kings which is Khalid's title so it makes me wonder was his true intention ever to find Shazi and save her? or was it to take over the throne?

Overall, I'm very excited for the next book and like I said I highly recommend reading The wrath and The Dawn.

My Rating: 1000000000%

Book Review: The Fill-in Boyfriend by Kasie West

Title: The Fill-in Boyfriend

Author: Kasie West

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: May 5th, 2015

Genre: Contemporary

Number of pages: 352 pages

ISBN: 006233638X

Synopsis:

When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend—two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley.

The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party—three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.

Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship.

Review:

I read Kasie West's other books last year and fell in love with them. They are fantastic books that are perfect for the summer because they are quick and easy reads. So, naturally I had quite high expectations of The Fill-in Boyfriend not only because Kasie West wrote it but also because the synopsis seemed to draw me in .

Kasie's other books are generally centered around family issues and although this book also explored those aspects this one seemed so much more light-hearted and easier to read.
The Main character Gia was confident and funny. I was having a hard time understanding her which made hard to relate to. However, the plot was so entertaining and quick paced I read it in two sittings.

The characters did seem to lack some depth and the beginning was very fast paced which made it difficult to grasp but within the first fifty pages of the book it seemed to slow down and was much entertaining.

“We rarely find a depth by looking inside of ourselves for it. Depth is found in what we can learn from the people and things around us. Everyone, everything, has a story, Gia. When you learn those stories, you learn experiences that fill you up, that expand your understanding. You add layers to your soul.” -Kasie West, The Fill-in Boyfriend

I would recommend this book if you enjoyed Before I fall by Lauren Oliver mainly because it explores the same aspect of friends and self-discovery. This was probably not my favorite Kasie West book but was fun and entertaining to read.

SPOILERS

I personally did not find closure with this book, I feel that there could easily be a second book (Maybe there will be???) but I enjoyed the bittersweet ending of Gia not exactly being at complete loss without her friends.

I'm still curious about Jules, we never got to know what was going on with her and her mom, and also what her motives were exactly for trying to bring Gia down.

Overall I enjoyed this book for the most part and would recommend it if you liked any of Kasie West's other books

My Rating: 78%

Book Review: Red Queen By Victoria Aveyard + Sequel Cover

Title: Red Queen

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Publisher: Orion

Release Date: February 10, 2015

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Number of pages: 383

ISBN: 1409151174

Synopsis:

Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood—those with common, Red blood serve the Silver- blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.

To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard—a growing Red rebellion—even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.

Where you can buy it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book depository,

My Review:

This is one of the most mind blowing books I have read all year, it is definitely one that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The romance in this book is what I found a bit difficult to grasp, although it was a love triangle that really didn't seem to be a problem. The problem for me was that I couldn't fully relate to the two princes, I never felt that I could truly see them for who they truly were.

The world that the characters lived in wasn't exactly something that we haven't seen before, with humans split into two categories, silvers, who are the hierarchy, have superpowers, and the reds, who are the laborers and simple normal human beings. Many people have compared the book to X-men.

The plot was fantastic, there was constantly something happening whether it was an epic duel or secret underground meetings, I never wanted to put the book down.

I found "Red Queen" to be similar to the "Shatter Me" series by Taherah Mafi with the abilities that the silvers have, I also found the characters to be similar to the ones in "The Hunger Games" in which all of the characters are strong and very persistent. If those are books that you enjoyed I would highly recommend this book.

*SPOILERS*

Oh. My. God. The biggest plot twist in this entire book (and there were a lot) had to be Maven's betrayal. I had always expected the queen to be devious, and even Maven at the beginning of the book was suspicious, but I had warmed up to him when he started assisting Mare and the Guard. I was absolutley shocked when the queen made Cal kill the the King (which I really shouldn't have been considering the fact that throughout the entire book they kept mentioning betrayal).

I personally liked that in the end Mare was exposed to being a red-blood with powers because I feel that that aspect of the story could've very easily been exposed. I was surprised that she lasted as long as she did without anyone finding out she was a red-blood.

Mare's brother being alive was quite predictable. As soon as they mentioned that he was killed it seemed kind of sketchy and when Mare found out that there are others like her I automatically knew that her brother was not dead.

My predictions for the next book are that Cal and Mare will team up with the rest of the scarlet guard to try and bring down Maven and the Queen. I can see Cal and Mare getting closer. I am curious as to what will happen to Mare's family and Evangeline, she will probably join Maven and the Queen.

Overall, I was very pleased with this book, I absolutely adored it and I cannot wait until February 9, 2016 when the sequel, Glass Sword comes out!

My Rating: 92%

The Sequel Cover:

The cover of the sequel was just released yesterday on twitter, and I must say the cover is gorgeous. I personally think that this cover is even more beautiful than the Red Queen cover (which is saying a lot cause I love the Red Queen cover). This new reveal has only made me crave the sequel even more. Mark your calendars for February 9, 2016!

July 2015 TBR

I can't believe June is over already! I didn't get to do as much reading as I would've liked to, however, a new month means a new TBR list. I generally limit my TBR list to about three books just so that I am not overestimating the amount of time I have to read them, and as always nothing is set in stone I may read more or less than I intended to.

Title: The Wrath and the dawn

Author: Renée Adieh

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Release Date: May 12th, 2015

Genre: Fantasy, Retelling, Romance

Number of Pages: 388 pages

ISBN: 0399171614

Synopsis:

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.

Title: The Fill-in Boyfriend

Author: Kasie West

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: May 5th, 2015

Genre: Contemporary

Number of pages: 352 pages

ISBN: 006233638X

Synopsis:

When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend—two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley.

The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party—three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.

Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship.

Title: Isla and Happily Ever After

Author: Stephanie Perkins

Publisher: Dutton

Release Date: August 14th, 2014

Genre: Contemporary

Number of Pages: 339 pages

ISBN: 0525425632

Synopsis:

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.