Tag: Book Review

Book Review | Sugar by Deirdre Riordan Hall

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

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!

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

When you buy a book through the Amazon or Book Depository links above, I earn a small commission through each website’s affiliate program. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Book Review | Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

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!

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

When you buy a book through the Amazon or Book Depository links above, I earn a small commission through each website’s affiliate program. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Book Review | Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

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!

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

When you purchase a book through the Amazon or Book Depository links above, I earn a small commission through each website’s affiliate program. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Book Review | All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

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!

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

When you buy a book through the Amazon or Book Depository links above, I earn a small commission through each website’s affiliate program. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

 

Book Review | Newt’s Emerald by Garth Nix

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Newt’s Emerald by Garth Nix

Published by Katherine Tegan Books on October 13, 2015

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Format: ARC

Pages: 304

Source: Book Expo America

Goodreads: ★★★

On her eighteenth birthday, Lady Truthful, nicknamed “Newt,” will inherit her family’s treasure: the Newington Emerald. A dazzling heart-shaped gem, the Emerald also bestows its wearer with magical powers.

When the Emerald disappears one stormy night, Newt sets off to recover it. Her plan entails dressing up as a man, mustache included, as no well-bred young lady should be seen out and about on her own. While in disguise, Newt encounters the handsome but shrewd Major Harnett, who volunteers to help find the missing Emerald under the assumption that she is a man. Once she and her unsuspecting ally are caught up in a dangerous adventure that includes an evil sorceress, Newt realizes that something else is afoot: the beating of her heart.

In Newt’s Emerald, the bestselling author of Sabriel, Garth Nix, takes a waggish approach to the forever popular Regency romance and presents a charmed world where everyone has something to hide.

REVIEW

I received an ARC of Newt’s Emerald while attending Book Expo America in 2015, and was excited to read a book by well-known fantasy author Garth Nix for the first time. Newt’s Emerald is a magical fantasy story that takes place in London during the Regency era. The book follows Lady Truthful as she turns 18-years-old. Her father shows her the emerald she will inherit during her birthday dinner, when suddenly a big storm occurs and the emerald is stolen. Truthful travels to London to visit her aunt, and to help find the emerald.

I thought the idea for Newt’s Emerald was a lot of fun, but unfortunately the book fell a bit flat for me. My first issue is with the writing style. Nix does an excellent job of writing in the British English of the time period, but it was difficult to adapt because there was a lot of vocabulary I didn’t know. While there is a glossary in the back of the book, many of the words I looked up weren’t listed there. Similarly, Nix assumes that the reader is already familiar with the magic system in the book. Perhaps if you read a lot of books in this genre you would be, but I would have liked a lot more world-building. This is especially true for a young adult novel, in which many of the readers might not be familiar with this particular magic system.

Moreover, I also found that the book’s short length held back the story. The characters were underdeveloped, as was the romance. A longer book would have also helped to build suspense. This is especially true at the end of the novel. I won’t spoil the story for you, but I will say that I was very disappointed with the ending. The book built up to a climax that happens in the last couple of pages. Then, the book is suddenly over. This sudden ending really detracted from my enjoyment of the story. This could have been solved with a longer book, or even an epilogue.

That being said, there were still some things I liked about Newt’s Emerald in addition to the plot idea. First, I loved the character of Truthful’s aunt, Lady Badgery. Ever since becoming an aunt, I’ve loved aunts in literature. Lady Badgery is sassy and smart, but also quite loving. She really takes Truthful under her wing, and I loved seeing how their relationship played a role in the book. In addition, I loved the glamorous setting of Newt’s Emerald. Not only was glamour a part of the magic system, but I really liked all of the balls Truthful attended, as well as the careful attention to fashion. I don’t believe I’ve ever read a book in the Regency era before, and this definitely piqued my interest.

All in all, I was quite disappointed with Newt’s Emerald because it was underdeveloped and slow-going. It reads more like middle grade than young adult, so I would recommend it for younger readers. While I thought the story had a fun plot, it just wasn’t done well for my tastes. I am interested to hear your thoughts on Nix’s other books. I know his Abhorson series is well-loved, so I might give that a try in the future.

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

When you buy a book through the Amazon or Book Depository links above, I earn a small commission through each website’s affiliate program. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Book Review | Confess by Colleen Hoover

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Confess by Colleen Hoover

Published by Atria Books on March 10, 2015

Genres: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Format: Paperback

Pages: 306

Source: Library

Goodreads: ★★

Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.

For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.

The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin…

REVIEW

I’ve been hearing so many good things about Colleen Hoover’s books for the past few years that I decided it was time to finally read one. I’ve been really into the New Adult genre lately, and after doing my research on Hoover’s bibliography, I thought Confess would be a good place to start. Well, I loved the idea behind Confess, but unfortunately the book fell flat for me. Let me tell you why.

First and foremost, Confess is the story of Auburn and Owen, and is told in a dual-perspective format. Auburn has moved to Dallas for some reason unbeknownst to the reader, and stumbles across an art studio one day named Confess. The studio is hiring, and because she needs the money she decides to take the job. It turns out Owen is the studio’s owner and artist. He somehow knows Auburn, but she doesn’t know him. This is another secret that Hoover keeps from the reader.

As I mentioned, I really liked the idea behind Confess. Owen’s artwork is based on anonymous confessions that he receives through a slot in his door (it’s very similar to the famous blog PostSecret). I loved the idea that Owen creates paintings based on these confessions. I also thought it was genius that the confessions in the book were real confessions that Hoover received from her readers.

In the same way, I did appreciate that Hoover attempted to weave the ‘confess’ theme into the characters. Auburn needs to confess why she’s in Dallas, and Owen needs to confess how he knows Auburn. Keeping secrets from the reader can add suspense and be a real page-turner, but there are way too many secrets in this book. As I was reading I took notes on all the questions I had. This list is 10 questions long, and while some of those were answered as the book continued, the beginning of the novel was full of holes, and I found it difficult to form a full picture of the story. What could have been a good mystery turned into a mess because there were just too many unanswered questions.

I also found that the character development was quite lacking in Confess. For example, Auburn tells the reader that she has one goal in mind, yet all of her actions go against that goal. She is a very passive person who does what everyone tells her to do, even when she doesn’t want to do those things. It was annoying to see how she makes all the wrong decisions, and repeats them time and time again. Similarly, Owen is written as a lying and manipulative character, yet readers are supposed to accept that Auburn “deserves” his love (a word that is far too often used in this book, by the way).

Moreover, I found that the writing style was quite jumbled throughout the novel. For instance, Owen tells the reader early in the book that a certain character is a bad guy. However, that character does not show himself to be bad until late in the book. I would have much preferred Hoover to demonstrate the bad character’s qualities, than to expect me to simply trust the words of Owen. I definitely prefer to read writing that shows rather than tells.

Finally, the ending of Confess really bothered me as well. The solution is unrealistic because characters act outside of how they were written early in the novel. It is also formed extremely quickly. Even more troubling is that the solution doesn’t truly fulfill Auburn’s main goal. Of course, I am being purposefully vague so as to not spoil the book, but suffice it to say that the ending would never happen in reality.

Overall, I’m glad I gave Colleen Hoover a try. She did come up with a really interesting storyline, and her writing style is very fast-paced. However, I thought the flow of the book was jumbled, and the characters were poorly developed. That being said, I do want to give another one of her books a try. Confess seems to be a love it or leave it book, and I am part of the latter. I don’t recommend this book unless you are a huge Colleen Hoover fan and attempting to read all her works. I will definitely let you know if I read anything else by her in the future!

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

When you buy a book through the Amazon or Book Depository links above, I earn a small commission through each website’s affiliate program. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Book Review | Sweet (Contours of the Heart #3) by Tammara Webber

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Sweet (Contours of the Heart #3) by Tammara Webber

Published by Tammara Webber (self-published) on April 27, 2015

Genres: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Format: Paperback

Pages: 340

Source: Purchased

Goodreads: ★★★ 1/2 

He’s the love of her life, but he doesn’t know it.
She’s his one moment of sacrifice in a lifetime of survival.

He was damaged and wild, but resilient.
She’s always been obedient. Now she’s restless.

Home for the summer between college and med school, Pearl Torres Frank knows two things: Boyce Wynn is the embodiment of everything she should run from, and everything she wants to run to. Rebellious and loud. Unconcerned with society’s opinion of him. Passionate. Strong. Dangerous.

And one more trait he hides from everyone but her:
Sweet.

REVIEW

I picked up Sweet, the third book in Tammara Webber’s Contours of the Heart series, directly after finishing the second book, Breakable. Sweet is a companion novel to Breakable, and features Lucas’s best friend Boyce and classmate Pearl. While Sweet can be read as a stand alone novel, I highly recommend reading the Contours of the Heart series in publishing order. Each book builds on the previous one, and in this third installment we follow characters we’ve already met, who live in a town with which we’re already familiar. Thus, I do think it’s best to read this series in order, and not skip over Breakable.

Sweet is written in a dual perspective, with Boyce and Pearl telling the story. Pearl has just returned to her hometown after graduating from college, and is deciding whether or not to go to medical school as she’s always planned. Boyce remained in town after high school, and recently inherited his father’s mechanic shop after he passed away. The reader knows from the start that the two protagonists have some history together, and the book explores their past and, perhaps, their future.

I really liked both Pearl and Boyce as the main characters. They are very relatable, and are going through issues that many young adults face. For example, I related to Pearl because I am also a recent graduate, and I know how difficult it can be to make that next step in life. I appreciate that Webber creates interesting stories with such rich characters.

In the same way, the writing in Sweet is very well done. I did have a few issues, mainly with the flow of the story. There are constant flashbacks that shed light on Boyce and Pearl growing up, and while I absolutely loved those scenes, they sometimes came out of nowhere. I had to really pay attention as a reader and think about if I was reading a flashback, or a current event. Once I got into the book, this wasn’t much of a chore, but I think it is helpful going into the story to know that it’s not written in a fully linear fashion.

My biggest issue with the story is that everything seems to work out perfectly for the characters. Webber does state in her author biography that she likes to write happy endings because there are so many sad endings in real life. While I can appreciate that, there is a difference to me between a happy ending, and an easy ending. As much as I liked the conclusion of this novel, I thought it was too cliché and ‘happily ever after’ for my liking.

Nonetheless, I still really enjoyed this book. Webber’s writing is quite addicting, and her characters feel so real that I know I will be picking up the next book in this series when it is published at some point this year. If you enjoyed the other books in the Contours of the Heart series, I definitely think you should continue on with Sweet. Pearl and Boyce are great characters, and their story was very touching. Keep in mind that this is a new adult novel, and contains some explicit content.

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

When you buy a book through the Amazon or Book Depository links above, I earn a small commission through each website’s affiliate program. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Book Review | Breakable (Contours of the Heart #2) by Tammara Webber

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Breakable (Contours of the Heart #2) by Tammara Webber

Published by Penguin Berkley on May 6, 2014

Genres: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Format: Paberback

Pages: 361

Source: Purchased

Goodreads: ★★★★

As a child, Landon Lucas Maxfield believed his life was perfect and looked forward to a future filled with promise — until tragedy tore his family apart and made him doubt everything he ever believed.

All he wanted was to leave the past behind. When he met Jacqueline Wallace, his desire to be everything she needed came so easy…

As easy as it could be for a man who learned that the soul is breakable and that everything you hoped for could be ripped away in a heartbeat.

REVIEW

I was really excited to pick up Breakable as soon as I finished reading the first book in the Contours of the Heart series, Easy. Breakable is written in a unique dual perspective from Lucas’s point-of-view. Readers hear from Lucas when he was growing up and known as Landon, and in this way Breakable is part prequel. At the same time, the book is also Easy from Lucas’s point-of-view. I thought this dual perspective was really well done because it made the book a real page-turner, as Landon and Lucas alternate telling the story. The writing style also added a lot to the storyline, and Lucas’s character becomes extremely well developed.

In the same way, Webber does a great job writing the scenes from Easy in Lucas’s point-of-view. She speaks quickly about the major details, and really focuses on Lucas’s emotions and thought process. There are new scenes to the Lucas and Jacqueline storyline as well, ensuring that Breakable is not just a carbon copy of Easy. I really appreciated that as a reader.

Moreover, I did want to mention that Breakable is much steamier than Easy, which is not really my personal cup of tea. Perhaps this is because this book is written from a male perspective, but I would definitely take that into consideration if you don’t like heavier romances, or if you’re a parent with a teen wanting to read this book. I’d say it is for ages 17+, but, of course, that is for you to decide.

Overall, I really enjoyed Breakable and think it is a must-read for all who enjoyed Easy. I enjoyed it even better than the first book in the series, as it answers some questions I had and adds a lot to the story. It’s still a bit cheesy and does contain insta-love, but this is a romance book so I’m more willing to let it slide. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series, which follows Boyce and Pearl!

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Book Review | The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line (Veronica Mars #1) by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line (Veronica Mars #1) by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham

Published by Vintage Books

Genres: Adult, Mystery, Crime

Format: Paperback

Pages: 336

Source: Gift

Goodreads: ★★★★

From Rob Thomas, the creator of groundbreaking television series and movie Veronica Mars, comes the first book in a thrilling new mystery series.

Ten years after graduating from high school in Neptune, California, Veronica Mars is back in the land of sun, sand, crime, and corruption. She’s traded in her law degree for her old private investigating license, struggling to keep Mars Investigations afloat on the scant cash earned by catching cheating spouses until she can score her first big case.

Now it’s spring break, and college students descend on Neptune, transforming the beaches and boardwalks into a frenzied, week-long rave. When a girl disappears from a party, Veronica is called in to investigate. But this is not a simple missing person’s case. The house the girl vanished from belongs to a man with serious criminal ties, and soon Veronica is plunged into a dangerous underworld of drugs and organized crime. And when a major break in the investigation has a shocking connection to Veronica’s past, the case hits closer to home than she ever imagined.

REVIEW

I discovered the Veronica Mars television show thanks to Amazon Prime a couple years ago, and I was really excited to hear that the show’s creator was releasing a book series as well. This first book in the series picks up where the movie left off, but there is a quick recap of the movie’s events for those who are fuzzy on the details or, like me, haven’t seen it yet. Veronica is living in her hometown of Neptune, California and is taking over the family private investigation firm while her father is recovering from an accident. She gets hired to find a teenage girl who mysteriously disappeared during spring break.

The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line reads just like an episode of the Veronica Mars television show, which is perfect for fans. I was surprised that the book is written in the third person, as I would have expected Veronica to be a first person narrator. Nonetheless, the writing is good, and has that somewhat cheesy flair that makes Veronica Mars so lovable even when crazy things are happening in the story.

In addition, I really liked the plot of this book. It kept my attention for the entirety of the story, and there were logical twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. I also really loved the family drama in this book. I’m a sucker for a good family drama, and while that wasn’t the main focus of this novel, it certainly played a role.

My only critique of The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line besides the fact that Veronica isn’t the narrator is that many of my favorite side characters from the Veronica Mars world weren’t in the book as much as I would like. For example, because Keith is recovering from his accident, he isn’t as prevalent in this story as he typically is in an episode of the show. I’m hoping we get to see more from him, Wallace, Logan, and Mac in the next book!

Otherwise, I really enjoyed this book and loved being back with Veronica. I highly recommend this book for fans of Veronica Mars. If you are unfamiliar with the show, you can still read this book, but you might be a bit confused with the characters and the past events that are sometimes mentioned. Nonetheless, this is a great mystery novel, and one that I think is perfect for newbies to the genre. It is very character driven, and not as scary as other mysteries. I think you should give it a try!

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

When you buy a book through the Amazon or Book Depository links above, I earn a small commission through each website’s affiliate program. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Book Review | Yes, My Accent is Real: and Some Other Things I Haven’t Told You by Kunal Nayyar

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Yes, My Accent is Real: and Some Other Things I Haven’t Told You by Kunal Nayyar

Published by Atria Books on September 15, 2015

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Memoir, Essays

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 272

Source: Gift

Goodreads:  ★★★★

Of all the charming misfits on television, there’s no doubt Raj from The Big Bang Theory — the sincere yet incurably geeky Indian-American astrophysicist — ranks among the misfittingest. Now, we meet the actor who is every bit as loveable as the character he plays on TV. In this revealing collection of essays written in his irreverent, hilarious, and self-deprecating voice, Kunal Nayyar traces his journey from a little boy in New Delhi who mistakes an awkward first kiss for a sacred commitment, gets nosebleeds chugging Coca-Cola to impress other students, and excels in the sport of badminton, to the confident, successful actor on the set of TV’s most-watched sitcom since Friends.

Going behind the scenes of The Big Bang Theory and into his personal experiences, Kunal introduces readers to the people who helped him grow, such as his James Bond-loving, mustachioed father who taught him the most important lessons in life: Treat a beggar as you would a king. There are two sides to every story. A smile goes a long way. And, when in doubt, use a spreadsheet. Kunal also walks us through his college years in Portland, where he takes his first sips of alcohol and learns to let loose with his French, 6’8” gentle-giant roommate, works his first-ever job for the university’s housekeeping department cleaning toilets for minimum wage, and begins a series of romantic exploits that go just about as well as they would for Raj. (That is, until he meets and marries a former Miss India in an elaborate seven-day event that we get to experience in a chapter titled “My Big Fat Indian Wedding.”)

Full of heart, but never taking itself too seriously, this witty and often inspiring collection of underdog tales follows a young man as he traverses two continents in search of a dream, along the way transcending culture and language (and many, many embarrassing incidents) to somehow miraculously land the role of a lifetime.

REVIEW

As a huge fan of The Big Bang Theory, I knew I had to read Kunal Nayyar’s book and immediately added it to my wish list. I received it for Christmas this year, and read it straight away. Yes, My Accent is Real is a book of essays chronicling Nayyar’s life from childhood and through today. While it lives in the humor section of the bookstore, it includes so much more.

My initial reaction the book was not good. For the first forty or so pages, I was quite disappointed! The essays were okay, but I felt like they just grazed the surface, and I didn’t find them quite captivating. Luckily, once I got to the chapter entitled “Dinners with Dad,” I was hooked. In fact, I loved every essay that included Nayyar’s father! He seems to be such a kind, supportive, and wise man. I would very much like to meet him based on his presence in the book!

I really liked getting to know more about Nayyar’s life, especially his Indian culture. The book flows well and is written more or less in chronological order. That made the book easier to follow, and it also made the experimental aspects easier to swallow. For example, there are some small snippets in-between chapters that would have seemed out of place if not for the otherwise chronological nature.

Moreover, I really appreciated reading Yes, My Accent is Real at this point in my life. I am a recent graduate, and Nayyar understands how scary this time in life can be. He does a great job at offering advice that is not preachy, but still very helpful. This is true for the entire book. Nayyar weaves in advice with his personal stories, and I want to go back and explore some of his unique ideas more. I also want to mention that this book can be enjoyed by non-postgrads as well – my mom read it and loved it!

Of course, Yes, My Accent is Real includes a behind-the-scenes look at The Big Bang Theory, the television show in which Nayyar plays Raj Koothrapali. Fans get to learn more about their favorite show, but the book isn’t completely focused on it. I think there is a good balance between Nayyar’s life and the juice about The Big Bang Theory.

Finally, I will mention that there are a few editing issues in the book. I also didn’t enjoy the very short essays that were only 1-2 pages long. I found it difficult to really see any meaning in them, especially when compared to the longer chapters that were quite emotional.

That being said, I really enjoyed Yes, My Accent is Real once I got past the so-so beginning. I find Nayyar’s life both really interesting and relatable, and I loved learning more about him as a person. If you are a fan of The Big Bang Theory, I think this is a must read for you. If not, I’d give this a try if you enjoy memoirs or personal essay collections.

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository 

When you buy a book through the Amazon or Book Depository links above, I earn a small commission through each website’s affiliate program. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.