Category: Books

Book Review | The One (The Selection #3) by Kiera Cass

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

The One (The Selection #3) by Kiera Cass

Published by HarperTeen on May 6, 2014

Genres: Young Adult, Dystopian, Romance

Format: Paperback

Pages: 323

Source: Library

Goodreads: ★★★1/2

The time has come for one winner to be crowned.

When she was chosen to compete in the Selection, America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon’s heart. But as the end of the competition approaches, and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she’ll have to fight for the future she wants.

REVIEW

I was hesitant to continue on with The Selection after being quite disappointed with the second book in the series, but I had to find out what would happen! I’m so glad I picked up The One, because it is my favorite book in the series thus far. Originally, this was a trilogy, and so The One completes the original story of Prince Maxon’s selection. I was ready to find out if America would be the chosen one after all!

I was really excited when The One focused more on the politics of Illéa than the other books in the series. We get to learn more about the Northern and Southern rebels, and some really awesome action takes place. I still wish I knew more about this world, but I am very happy that the focus in this book was not just a love triangle.

My biggest critique of The One, however, is with believability. Yes, this is a dystopian novel, but I had a very difficult time believing everything that happens. For example, America tells the reader very early on in the book that she’s realized she won’t choose Aspen over Maxon, yet there is never an explanation as to why. I was glad her indecisiveness was over, but I had no idea why she made this decision out of the blue. There are several instances throughout The One like this, where I had to suspend disbelief in order to enjoy the story.

In terms of smaller critiques, I did notice that there were grammatical mistakes in this book that were fixed in book two. I’m guessing this is a copyediting issue, and perhaps the comma rules just weren’t followed this time around. I also deducted a half-star from my rating because there is a scene where a man slaps a woman without any sort of reason whatsoever. It is never okay for anyone to physically hurt another person, and in the specific scenario in the book it really bothered me. While this is a very small part of the book, it was quite shocking for me to read.

Overall, this is definitely the best book in the series so far, and a solid conclusion to the original trilogy. I really liked the ending of the book, and found it quite powerful. I do wish the cheesiness was toned down a bit, but in the world of Illéa with princes and ball gowns, I have to say it does fit the theme. If you read The Elite and you were unsure whether to continue on in the series, I definitely recommend doing so!

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Book Review | The Elite (The Selection #2) by Kiera Cass

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The Elite (The Selection #2) by Kiera Cass

Published by HarperTeen on April 23, 2013

Genres: Young Adult, Dystopian, Romance

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 336

Source: Library

Goodreads: ★★1/2

The Selection began with thirty-five girls.
Now with the group narrowed down to the six Elite, the competition to win Prince Maxon’s heart is fiercer than ever—and America is still struggling to decide where her heart truly lies. Is it with Maxon, who could make her life a fairy tale? Or with her first love, Aspen?

America is desperate for more time. But the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want—and America’s chance to choose is about to slip away.

REVIEW

I picked up The Elite, the second book in The Selection series, right after finishing the first book. The story continues with America and Maxon on a date, just shortly after book one comes to a close. America is still struggling to decide whether she can fall in love with Maxon and one day become Queen, or whether she wants to be with Aspen after all.

At first I was really enjoying The Elite. The writing clearly matured, and the grammatical mistakes I noticed in The Selection were fixed. In addition, I was loving how the story was deepening. There are some really interesting twists and turns in this novel, and I enjoyed learning more about the politics of Illéa. Unfortunately, as the book continued I became more and more unhappy with the direction of the novel.

While I recognize that this series is heavy on the romance, it does bother me that the main plot of The Elite is the love triangle between America, Maxon, and Aspen. There is so much going on in this world, and yet all we get to focus on is America’s indecisiveness. I really enjoyed America’s character in The Selection, but in this book she became extremely unlikeable, and doesn’t act in accordance with her described qualities. For example, Cass tells us America is very stubborn. Yet America is very gullible, and believes what others tell her. She also can’t make a decision, so I’m not seeing this stubbornness executed in the story. Similarly, we are told America is intelligent, but America is constantly acting emotionally rash, and makes poor decisions without thinking. Her character just didn’t seem to be flushed out well.

Moreover, I did notice a few plot holes in The Elite, which greatly detracted from the quality of the novel for me. A small plot hole is when America and Kriss are talking in the gardens. Kriss makes a comment about how America and Maxon like to spend time in the garden, and America has no idea how Kriss would know that. America assumes Maxon told Kriss, but in the first book, America announces on the Report that she and Maxon spend dates in the garden. While this is a small continuity issue, it is a plot hole nonetheless.

The larger plot hole is one that I cannot discuss without spoiling part of the story. However, it is one that greatly affects the series as a whole. I spent a lot of time skimming through the book to see if I could find the answer to this otherwise gaping hole, and I even did an online search to hopefully solve the issue. No matter how much searching I did, it seems like I did find a huge plot hole, and that is really disappointing.

Overall, I felt very let down by The Elite. It started off really well, but then got progressively worse as I continued reading. I feel like this book focuses way too much on the love triangle, but what confuses me is that we could have a really great and solid story if the love triangle was resolved in book one. I also feel like the selection itself should have ended in the first book, so we could now focus more on the world and the politics in this dystopian society. I will still continue on with the series to see how the selection ends, but I was quite disappointed with this book.

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Book Review | The Selection (The Selection #1) by Kiera Cass

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The Selection (The Selection #1) by Kiera Cass

Published by HarperTeen on April 24, 2012

Genres: Young Adult, Dystopian, Romance

Format: Paperback

Pages: 327

Source: Library

Goodreads: ★★★

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she’s made for herself—and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

REVIEW

I debated whether or not I wanted to read The Selection by Kiera Cass for a couple years, and I finally decided to give it a try after finishing a book that took me three weeks to read. I needed some book candy. In other words, I wanted to read something that I knew wouldn’t be the best book out there, but would allow me to indulge in something sweet. The Selection definitely fits that description.

I’ve heard this book described as The Bachelor meets The Hunger Games, and I agree with that categorization. In this book we follow teenager America Singer. She lives in a country called Illéa, which is geographically located in North America, post the Fourth World War. America comes from a poor family, and receives the opportunity to enter a competition in which one girl from every province in Illéa will vie for the chance to marry the prince. Of course, America enters the competition at the suggestion of her mom and secret boyfriend, and the story unfolds from there.

I really loved how fast-paced and fun The Selection is. I read this book in a 24-hour period, and really enjoyed the storyline. While the book is extremely predictable and a bit derivative of The Hunger Games, I had a fun reading experience. I absolutely love reading about books where a competition is at the forefront. There is just something about a good game that really excites me, and The Selection is no exception.

Unfortunately, I do have a lot of troublesome thoughts about this book. I recognize that this is a dystopian world, and it is purposefully written to be a world in which we would not want to live. However, I worry that a lot of young girls will read this novel and not take that into account. For example, women are subordinate to men in Illéa, and are required to conform to certain standards of beauty at all times. Chastity is extremely valued, and it is against the law to have premarital sex. Even more troublesome is the fact that all romantic relationships in Illéa are heterosexual. There is never a mention of anything but a relationship between a man and a woman.

As an adult reading this book, I can see this is a fictional world. A younger reader might associate Illéa’s customs with a guide on how to act, especially since women in America today are still struggling for equality. I mean, it would be a ton of fun to live in a palace and have beautiful clothes and amazing food. Wouldn’t it be fun to marry a prince, even if that meant being his submissive wife? If this was an adult novel, I wouldn’t have these same hesitations, but in a book aimed towards young people, I think it might do more harm than good.

Moreover, the writing in The Selection was a bit lacking for me. There are a plethora of sentences that end in prepositions, and while I recognize that a teenager is the narrator, I wish such improper grammar was limited to dialogue if it truly had to be included. There are also comma rule issues, which I know is a small detail, but one that I expect to be perfected throughout the editing stages of every published novel.

Nevertheless, I did really enjoy the characters in this novel. America is a very likable protagonist, and I was rooting for her from page one. She does have that cliché personality where she is different from all the other girls, but I think that works in this book. I also love Prince Maxon. He is a bit of a mystery, but always goes above and beyond to be a kind and caring person. I would love to read from his perspective at some point in the short stories that accompany this book series.

Overall, The Selection is the book candy I was looking for, and I immediately am continuing on with this series. Perhaps I am taking the book a bit too seriously when I look below the surface and see what effect it could have on society, but I am interested in hearing your thoughts if you’ve read it as well. I do recommend it if you’re looking for a fun and fast-paced read, especially if you love a good competition story as much as I do. Make sure to stay tuned for my thoughts on the other books in this series very soon!

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Book Review | ‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

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‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

Published by Signet on October 17, 1975

Genres: Adult, Horror, Paranormal

Format: Paperback

Pages: 427

Source: Purchased

Goodreads: ★★★★

Something strange is going on in Jerusalem’s Lot … but no one dares to talk about it. By day, ‘Salem’s Lot is a typical modest New England town; but when the sun goes down, evil roams the earth. The devilishly sweet insistent laughter of a child can be heard echoing through the fields, and the presence of silent looming spirits can be felt lurking right outside your window. Stephen King brings his gruesome imagination to life in this tale of spine-tingling horror.

REVIEW

I continued on with my Stephen King project in March by reading ‘Salem’s Lot, his second published work. I went into this book blind, and I’m glad I did because there is a big build-up to the story. ‘Salem’s Lot opens with a man and a boy escaping to Mexico from a town in Maine called Jerusalem’s Lot. The reader knows they are both scared, and that they must return to the Lot in order to solve a problem. The book then rewinds to the start of the story when the man goes to Jersulam’s Lot for the first time since his childhood. This is a haunted house book that turns into a paranormal story, and one in which the writing is excellent.

Here’s the thing about my experience with ‘Salem’s Lot – it took me nearly three weeks to read the book, which is three times my normal pace. I had to force myself to continue on with the story, and at times I felt downright bored. That’s because King is creating a new world. Jerusalem’s Lot is a fictional town, and the true protagonist of this book. King writes in exceptional detail, describing characters in the setting in such a realistic way. So even though I didn’t like how slow the pace of this novel is, I can appreciate the work it took. I am really amazed at King’s ability to write such a developed novel so early on in his career.

In regards to the characters, I did struggle a bit in keeping up with the large cast featured in ‘Salem’s Lot. It became more difficult because so many of the characters have similar names, such as Mike, Mark, and Matt. Nonetheless, once I got into the story I was better able to keep track of everyone. If you have trouble with names, I would recommend keeping a character list nearby when you read, and simply jot down a quick note of each character’s role in the story.

Moreover, I was a bit disappointed that I never felt scared by this book. King is known for his horror novels, but I just was never creeped out or on the edge of my seat. I did find some of the real life scenes quite disturbing, but none of the paranormal elements got to me. Perhaps King is trying to make a point here, as I did sit back and wonder what was happening in my own town. Not including the paranormal elements, I’m sure people go through the same things that the characters in Jerusalem’s Lot do, and that is disturbing in and of itself. I’m interested to see if King’s next book The Shining will incite fear in me.

Overall, I’m glad I pushed through the slow pace of ‘Salem’s Lot. I did enjoy the story, and I think the book got better and better as I continued reading. The third-person narration was very well done, and I’m very impressed with King’s writing. If you are looking to get into King’s novels, I do not recommend starting here as it is a very long book. However, if you are familiar with his work, or really enjoy adult paranormal, this is a good book to read. I would love to hear your thoughts on ‘Salem’s Lot if you’ve read it, too!

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Book Review | Magonia (Magonia #1) by Maria Dahvana Headley

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Magonia (Magonia #1) by Maria Dahvana Headley

Published by HarperCollins on April 28, 2015

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 309

Source: Library

Goodreads: ★★★ 1/2

Aza Ray is drowning in thin air.

Since she was a baby, Aza has suffered from a mysterious lung disease that makes it ever harder for her to breathe, to speak—to live.

So when Aza catches a glimpse of a ship in the sky, her family chalks it up to a cruel side effect of her medication. But Aza doesn’t think this is a hallucination. She can hear someone on the ship calling her name.

Only her best friend, Jason, listens. Jason, who’s always been there. Jason, for whom she might have more-than-friendly feelings. But before Aza can consider that thrilling idea, something goes terribly wrong. Aza is lost to our world—and found, by another. Magonia.

Above the clouds, in a land of trading ships, Aza is not the weak and dying thing she was. In Magonia, she can breathe for the first time. Better, she has immense power—and as she navigates her new life, she discovers that war is coming. Magonia and Earth are on the cusp of a reckoning. And in Aza’s hands lies the fate of the whole of humanity—including the boy who loves her. Where do her loyalties lie?

REVIEW

Magonia is one of those books that I kept hearing about, but had no idea of the plot before I picked it up at the library. The beautiful cover definitely sucked me in, and while perhaps I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, Magonia’s does an excellent job representing the story.

This book follows teenager Aza, who has been sick with a mysterious lung disease her entire life. She is about to celebrate her sixteenth birthday when doctors find a feather in her lungs. Before she can have her exploratory surgery, Aza dies en route to the hospital. Her family and best friend Jason are left behind to pick up the pieces, and Aza may not be dead after all.

This book is truly baffling to me, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. Magonia is a very imaginative story written in a dual perspective between Aza and Jason. This format made the book a real page-turner, because I just had to find out what was going to happen next. There was never a time when I could predict the story, and I really appreciated that about Magonia.

The writing, however, was very difficult for me to adapt to reading. Headley has an almost stream of consciousness style, and there are some experimental aspects to the writing as well. Once I got into the flow of the story, I was able to follow along better, but I was still confused for the majority of the book. I found the world-building in this fantasy novel to be quite weak. I first thought the world would be revealed step-by-step, and in some ways it is. However, I never got a clear picture of the world, and struggled to keep up with what was happening.

Similarly, I think Magonia should come with a glossary! Headley uses a lot of vocabulary words that I’ve never heard before, and I had difficulty keeping up with the different creatures in her fantasy world, as well as the different places. I think a map would have also been extremely helpful to me as a reader.

My last thought on this book isn’t necessarily a critique, but something I wanted to mention because I think it would affect your decision on whether or not to pick up this book. I found Magonia to be quite preachy at times. It often discusses the environment, and how humans are polluting the Earth. I found this to be a bit too blatantly done, especially for a young adult novel. That being said, I did enjoy the discussion of what is good versus what is evil. I never knew which characters to trust, and there was never a ‘right’ answer.

Thus, Magonia was an okay read for me. While I did enjoy the interesting storyline and appreciated a unique fantasy world, I found the writing a bit confusing and the world-building lacking. This is the first book in a series, and I might continue on with the second book when it releases in October of 2016. The ending of Magonia does wrap up nicely, but there is definitely room for the story to continue, and I do have an interest in what happens next. I would recommend Magonia if you’re looking for a young adult fantasy unlike all the rest.

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Book Review | More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

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More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

Published by Soho Teen on June 2, 2015

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Science Fiction

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 293

Source: Library

Goodreads: ★★★★

In his twisty, gritty, profoundly moving debut—called “mandatory reading” by the New York Times—Adam Silvera brings to life a charged, dangerous near-future summer in the Bronx.

In the months after his father’s suicide, it’s been tough for 16-year-old Aaron Soto to find happiness again–but he’s still gunning for it. With the support of his girlfriend Genevieve and his overworked mom, he’s slowly remembering what that might feel like. But grief and the smile-shaped scar on his wrist prevent him from forgetting completely.

When Genevieve leaves for a couple of weeks, Aaron spends all his time hanging out with this new guy, Thomas. Aaron’s crew notices, and they’re not exactly thrilled. But Aaron can’t deny the happiness Thomas brings or how Thomas makes him feel safe from himself, despite the tensions their friendship is stirring with his girlfriend and friends. Since Aaron can’t stay away from Thomas or turn off his newfound feelings for him, he considers turning to the Leteo Institute’s revolutionary memory-alteration procedure to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he truly is.

Why does happiness have to be so hard?

REVIEW

After hearing a good amount of buzz for More Happy Than Not, I picked it up from the library without knowing much about the plot. I highly recommend going into this book without knowing too much, and my summary will be purposefully vague. More Happy Than Not follows teenager Aaron Soto. He lives in the Bronx, and when the book opens readers find out that his father recently committed suicide, and Aaron attempted suicide. Now we are following his life in his apartment complex, and seeing how Aaron is dealing with the life he’s been dealt.

More Happy Than Not is a contemporary novel with a science fiction twist. Aaron lives in our time, but there is a new medical procedure called Leteo that can alter our memories. If you get Leteo, you will be able to forget something in your life, and you’ll never know you even got the procedure. Aaron’s neighbor had Leteo before he moved away, and Aaron’s not sure if he believes the procedure even works. I really enjoyed this sci fi element in the book, as it really made things interesting.

As for my critiques of the novel, I will begin by saying that the first 100 or so pages were quite boring for me. There was no clear direction for the novel, and I even considered putting the book down without finishing it. That all changed at a certain point in the book. Things begin happening quickly, and I was sucked into the story. The slow beginning does make sense as the book continues, so I didn’t detract from my rating because of it. However, I tell you so that you can push through the beginning if you find it boring at first. Trust me – it’s worth it!

I also found that the ending of the novel was a bit rushed and not explained as fully as I would have liked. More Happy Than Not is a short novel under 300 pages, and I think expanding the ending a bit would have really helped the story. I also noticed some editing mistakes and grammar issues throughout the book, which will hopefully be fixed in later editions.

Nonetheless, I absolutely loved the story within More Happy Than Not. I know it might not seem that way based on this review, but I really don’t want to give anything away. Trust me when I say that Silvera creates a plot that is detailed and carefully constructed. This is the kind of book I want to read over and over to catch his hints for a later reveal along the way. More Happy Than Not makes an excellent book for a book club, because there are so many elements to be discussed, including memory, mental health, and whether we can change who we are.

I also wanted to quickly mention that I loved the setting of the book. I did live in the Bronx for a semester in college, so I was a bit familiar with where the book took place. However, I really enjoyed being taken inside Aaron’s community. His neighborhood functions in a really interesting way. I loved how Silvera incorporated all of the neighborhood games into the novel, and showed Aaron’s so-called friends as familial yet toxic at the same time.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed More Happy Than Not, and highly recommend it. This is Silvera’s debut novel, and I am impressed with how well his writing is already. I will be picking up his other books for sure, and I hope you’ll give this one a try. If you’ve already read it, please discuss it with me! There are many interesting conversations that may be had from reading this book.

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Book Review | Sugar by Deirdre Riordan Hall

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Sugar by Deirdre Riordan Hall

Published by Skyscape on June 1, 2015

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Coming of Age

Format: eARC

Pages: 276

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads: ★★★★

I’m the fat Puerto Rican–Polish girl who doesn’t feel like she belongs in her skin, or anywhere else for that matter. I’ve always been too much and yet not enough.

Sugar Legowski-Gracia wasn’t always fat, but fat is what she is now at age seventeen. Not as fat as her mama, who is so big she hasn’t gotten out of bed in months. Not as heavy as her brother, Skunk, who has more meanness in him than fat, which is saying something. But she’s large enough to be the object of ridicule wherever she is: at the grocery store, walking down the street, at school. Sugar’s life is dictated by taking care of Mama in their run-down home—cooking, shopping, and, well, eating. A lot of eating, which Sugar hates as much as she loves.

When Sugar meets Even (not Evan—his nearly illiterate father misspelled his name on the birth certificate), she has the new experience of someone seeing her and not her body. As their unlikely friendship builds, Sugar allows herself to think about the future for the first time, a future not weighed down by her body or her mother.

Soon Sugar will have to decide whether to become the girl that Even helps her see within herself or to sink into the darkness of the skin-deep role her family and her life have created for her.

REVIEW

As a lover of young adult contemporary novels, I can safely say I’ve never read a young adult book quite like this. Sugar follows teenager Sugar, an overweight girl who is the subject of bullying. She lives in a toxic and abusive home, and copes by binging on junk food. One day a new kid moves to town. His name is Even, and he soon befriends Sugar when no one else will. Sugar follows their relationship and how it helps to change Sugar as she grows into her own woman.

I found Sugar to be very impressive because it deals with a plethora of important issues in an honest way. This book touches on eating disorders, mental health, physical and emotional abuse, bullying, family issues, poverty, and diversity. Yet even though these topics are all packed into one novel, they all fit well. Never did I feel like Hall was trying to accomplish too much within one book. It takes a skilled writer to make these difficult topics feel so real and genuine in a fiction novel.

In fact, there are some scenes in this novel that were particularly difficult for me to read. Sugar suffers from a binge eating disorder, and there are scenes of her binging in the book. Hall describes in detail how Sugar is eating her junk food, and it made me feel queasy and almost want to take a break from reading. Even though these scenes were hard to read, I think they are very important because they helped me see why Sugar ate emotionally.

Similarly, Sugar is a very sympathetic character. She begins the novel a very passive person, and it was quite frustrating to see her let everyone walk all over her. However, it was understandable that she almost acted as a shell of a person because she was treated so poorly both at home and in her community. I was really glad when Even came into her life, but he did make me nervous. Sugar develops romantic feelings for him, and I didn’t want Even to break her heart.

I do have a few small critiques of Sugar for which I deducted a star from my rating. Mainly, there is a scene that takes place in New York City later in the novel. I won’t describe it in detail so as to avoid spoilers, but this scene would never happen in real life. Two teenagers would not be able to find a hotel room, nor be able to afford one, on New Year’s Eve on short notice. Because this just wasn’t plausible, it detracted from my believability of the story as a whole.

All in all, I really enjoyed Sugar and was very impressed with Hall’s ability to write such an honest young adult book. I would love to see more books take on these difficult topics, as I think they are helpful both for people who have gone through similar struggles, or to those of us who simply want to learn more about our fellow humans. I highly recommend Sugar, and I look forward to picking up more books by this author in the future!

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Book Review | Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

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Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on April 5th 2016

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction

Format: ARC

Pages: 320

Source: Publisher

Goodreads: ★★★★ 1/2 

An unforgettable story of bravery, grief, and love in impossible times

The missing girl is Jewish. I need you to find her before the Nazis do.

Amsterdam, 1943. Hanneke spends her days procuring and delivering sought-after black market goods to paying customers, her nights hiding the true nature of her work from her concerned parents, and every waking moment mourning her boyfriend, who was killed on the Dutch front lines when the Germans invaded. She likes to think of her illegal work as a small act of rebellion.

On a routine delivery, a client asks Hanneke for help. Expecting to hear that Mrs. Janssen wants meat or kerosene, Hanneke is shocked by the older woman’s frantic plea to find a person–a Jewish teenager Mrs. Janssen had been hiding, who has vanished without a trace from a secret room. Hanneke initially wants nothing to do with such dangerous work, but is ultimately drawn into a web of mysteries and stunning revelations that lead her into the heart of the resistance, open her eyes to the horrors of the Nazi war machine, and compel her to take desperate action.

Meticulously researched, intricately plotted, and beautifully written, Girl in the Blue Coat is an extraordinary, gripping novel from a bright new voice in historical fiction.

REVIEW

I was very excited to receive an advanced copy of Girl in the Blue Coat to review, as I’ve been wanting to read more historical fiction. This novel follows Hanneke, a teenager living in Amsterdam during World War II. Hanneke works in the black market to provide for her family, and one day a client asks if she can help find a missing girl. All Hanneke knows is that the girl wears a blue coat, but for some reason she is drawn to helping find this girl. The book follows the mystery surrounding the girl in the blue coat, and sheds light on what Amsterdam was like during World War II.

I really enjoyed Girl in the Blue Coat. It is a fast-paced novel that is quite easy to read. I do think the writing was a bit straightforward, and that it is at the younger end of young adult, but I otherwise really loved the book. It’s great that the novel is set in Amsterdam, because I didn’t know much about Amersterdam during World War II. I also thought it was interesting that Girl in the Blue Coat is from the perspective of a non-Jewish character, as the book shows a different side of the Holocaust. I especially found it intriguing to learn that people had no idea what was happening to the Jewish people in their communities, except that they were in danger and being deported.

Moreover, I was very impressed with how the book jumps right into the action without any big build-up before the story takes place. I also found it cool how Hesse weaves smaller mysteries into the overarching plot. I not only wanted to find out where the girl in the blue coat was, but what exactly happened to Hanneke’s boyfriend, who we find out passed away right from the start of the novel. The story-within-a-story device works really well in Girl in the Blue Coat. I appreciated how intricately woven the plot is.

The characters in the novel are likable, but I do find that they lacked some development. This is especially true for the side characters. Hanneke, on the other hand, is written well. She has moments where she is an unreliable narrator, but she tells you when she’s lying. It’s up to the reader to figure out what the truth may be, and I found that to be a page-turner.

All in all, I really enjoyed Girl in the Blue Coat. I recommend it for fans of historical fiction, especially if you want a different kind of World War II story. This is also a great young adult story if you like independent female protagonists or a good mystery. It’s overall a fun and quick read, with a good mix of emotion due to the subject matter. Girl in the Blue Coat reminded me why I love historical fiction!

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Book Review | Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

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Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Published by St. Martin’s Griffin on October 6, 2015

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 522

Source: Library

Goodreads: ★★★

Simon Snow is the worst chosen one who’s ever been chosen.

That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right.

Half the time, Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he sets something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around wearing Simon’s face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here—it’s their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up.

Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story—but far, far more monsters.

REVIEW

I was interested to read Carry On after finishing Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell earlier this year. Carry On is a fantasy novel featuring the character Simon Snow, and was introduced to readers in Fangirl. Simon Snow is the Harry Potter of in the Fangirl world, and Rowell decided to write her own take on Simon in Carry On. Confused? It’s okay – I was a bit, too. Carry On is basically a Harry Potter satire with its own twist on the magical world.

As someone who grew up with Harry, Carry On was almost insulting to me. It felt like Rowell was using Carry On to rewrite everything she didn’t like about Harry Potter. For example, the students in Simon Snow’s world don’t have servants to bring them food, like Harry does at Hogwarts. Similarly, Simon Snow’s world uses Muggle technology, and mixes with the normal world a great deal. I struggled to get into Carry On for the first 260 pages, but it was due to the Harry parallels. If you’ve never read Harry Potter, or if it’s not a big part of your life, you will probably have a much easier time reading Carry On.

That being said, once a particular scene occurs, I really started to enjoy the book much more. The story was a lot of fun, and I began to enjoy the characters of Simon and Baz. Rowell does a great job in all of her books of creating unique characters that are very intriguing. That is true in Carry On. I also really enjoyed the adventure that takes place within the story, and how intricately woven the plot is.

Moreover, there are a lot of things about Carry On I really did not like. First, the writing style is very experimental, and I felt like it didn’t work at times. For instance, the novel is written in a multiple-perspective format. I did find it cool that Rowell could jump into the mind of any character, but I think the book would be much stronger if she stuck with a few point-of-views. Readers mainly follow Simon, Baz, Penelope, and Agatha, but every once in a while we hear from the Mage (aka Dumbledore) and other minor characters as well. I would have much preferred the book to focus on a few POVs instead of the many represented.

In the same way, I noticed that for the majority of the book the POV changes only when the chapter changes. However, as the book came to a close, the POV began to change in-chapter. I didn’t understand why this format changed so late in the story. While it’s not a big deal, it did disrupt the uniformity of the writing, and detracted from my enjoyment a bit. I also didn’t understand why Carry On was separated into separate books within one larger novel, when each was following the same overall plot line.

Another issue I had with Carry On is the ending. The book is very well-developed and drawn out until the ending, where Rowell provides the reader with a huge info-dump. The big mystery is ‘resolved’ in a single conversation, and Simon is able to figure out the solution to his problem without explaining it at all to the reader. I found this quite disappointing, and was left trying to put together the pieces. I now understand why some people read this book several times over – one needs to, to understand all that happens!

All of the critiques aside, I recommend Carry On if you enjoyed Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I think that I will one day give Carry On another chance, because I do really enjoy Simon and Baz, and I thought the idea behind the story was a lot of fun. If you’re a Harry Potter fan, go in with an open mind and try not to let Rowell’s commentary on Harry bother you. I enjoyed it much more once I got over those parallels!

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Book Review | All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

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All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Published by Knopf on January 6, 2015

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 400

Source: Book Expo America

Goodreads: ★★★★★

The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Elle Fanning!
 
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.
 
This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.

REVIEW

I am a huge fan of contemporary young adult novels, and I knew I would enjoy All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven as soon as I began to hear buzz about it back in 2015. I was luckily able to meet the author at Book Expo America last year, and received an autographed copy of the book. However, I didn’t pick it up until early 2016 because I know it would be an emotional investment. All the Bright Places is definitely a poignant read, but it’s absolutely beautiful and my first five-star rating of 2016. Let me share more of my thoughts on the book with you.

All the Bright Places follows two teenagers, Finch and Violet, and opens when they meet on the roof of their high school, both contemplating suicide. Finch talks Violet out of jumping, and the two begin a friendship. The book is written in a dual perspective, so readers follow both Finch and Violet, and learn about the struggles each has had to encounter in life. The two team up for a class project in which they must discover the wonders of their home state, Indiana, and the book follows their journey together.

I was deeply moved by All the Bright Places, and think everyone needs to read this book. It does deal with very difficult topics like mental illness and suicide, so do take that into account before reading. That being said, I loved Niven’s writing very much. While the writing style is easy to read and flows very naturally, it also contains a maturity that isn’t often found in young adult literature. Finch and Violet have distinct voices, and Niven’s writing is very powerful.

Moreover, there were some things I didn’t like about All the Bright Places. Many of the characters in the novel are extremely unlikeable, especially the adults. However, I still gave this novel a five-star rating because I know that Niven purposefully writes these characters to be unlikeable, and develops them well. For example, Finch has extremely neglectful parents that are abusive and not present in his life. While that angered me, it helped the story. It shows a real situation where teenagers don’t have good home lives, and desperately need help in order to survive. Thus, while it would be easy for me to detract a star from my rating because I didn’t like certain characters, I didn’t because I know they are purposefully written that way.

Similarly, I found Finch very difficult to understand at first. His chapters didn’t make sense to me, but by the end of the book I saw that this was done to show readers his struggles. I’m not supposed to fully understand his thoughts, because even he doesn’t even know what he’s going through completely. I think Niven does an excellent job of writing his character, as she does with all the characters in All the Bright Places.

Finally, my favorite thing about the book was how it lit a fire in me as a reader. A big aspect of All the Bright Places is wandering. Finch and Violet visit a lot of unique places in their home state, and I want so much to take their journey, too. I also want to visit the wonders in my own home state to see what’s out there. All the Bright Places also inspires me to take care of myself and watch out for the ones I love. It’s so important to care for one another, even though it might be extremely difficult.

All in all, I am so glad I finally read All the Bright Places. I did cry a lot while reading it, and when I was finished I sat and cried for a little while, too. But I do really think that this is a book that needs to be read, and so I recommend it to you. I hope you’ll pick it up and enjoy it as much as I do!

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