Tag: NetGalley

Book Review | Beautiful Broken Girls by Kim Savage

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Beautiful Broken Girls by Kim Savage

Published by Farrar, Straus, & Giroux Inc. on February 23, 2017

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary

Format: eARC

Pages: 336

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads: ★★★★ 

Remember the places you touched me.

The parts of Mira Cillo that Ben touched are etched on his soul.

Palm. Hair. Chest. Cheek. Lips. Throat. Heart.

It was the last one that broke her. After her death, Mira sends Ben on a quest for notes she left in the seven places where they touched—notes that explain why she and her sister, Francesca, drowned themselves in the quarry. How Ben interprets those notes has everything to do with the way he was touched by a bad coach years before. But the truth behind the girls’ suicides is far more complicated, involving a dangerous infatuation, a deadly miracle, and a crushing lie.

REVIEW

Beautiful Broken Girls by Kim Savage is a young adult mystery novel surrounding the horrifying death of the Cillo sisters after they were found at the bottom of the quarry. No one knows why Mira and Francesca drowned – was it an accident or a suicide? Shortly after their bodies are discovered, Mira’s boyfriend Ben receives a letter from her in the mail. This letter is the first in a series of notes that Mira left in all of the places Ben touched her during their relationship. Ben must hunt down these letters to solve the mystery of the Cillos’s death. What follows is an extremely creepy and captivating novel that I absolutely loved.

I was instantly hooked by Savage’s writing style, and flew through this book in a few short days. The story is extremely fast-paced, and I really enjoyed the treasure hunt aspect of this story with Ben trying to find Mira’s letters as soon as possible. Savage does an excellent job at creating a mysterious and ominous vibe. Even the letters that Ben finds are written so cleverly! I could never predict where the story was going, and that added to my enjoyment of the book.

I will say that I know this story is not for everyone. If you like books with a solid conclusion, Beautiful Broken Girls is not for you. In fact, I read many negative reviews of this book, and nearly every one mentions the open ending. For me, this ending was absolutely perfect for the novel. Not only does it add to the mystery, but it allows the reader to think of all the possible outcomes. What really happened? What didn’t? These loose ends only made me think about this book more and appreciate the rereadability of the story.

Moreover, I do question why it was necessary for Ben to be a survivor of sexual abuse. While this does play into the plot a bit, the story would still hold up without this storyline. Plus, the details surrounding this event are quite iffy. Ben mentions more than once that he never remembers the sexual assault happening, and that his name was just on a list. Thus, while I appreciate the author’s attempt to show the lasting effects of this trauma and how the survivor is treated in society, this storyline felt a bit out of place in the book for me.

Similarly, even though I loved the open-ending, I do wish we got more information about a couple things. Namely, the youth pastor, Mr. Falso, who plays a very important role in Beautiful Broken Girls. He is talked about less and less as the book goes on, and readers never get to find out what he does with the information he collects. I would also love an epilogue with the printing of a certain article, but I will leave out the details so as to not mention spoilers.

My only other critique is that I did find a plot hole in the book. In one scene, Ben mentions that he hasn’t seen his friend since a fight broke out earlier in the book. However, this friend was in another scene after that fight. I did not consider this minor plot hole when rating this novel, as I read an advanced copy and do not know if it was fixed in later editing.

Otherwise, I think Beautiful Broken Girls is a great mystery story that deals with interesting topics I don’t read a lot about in young adult literature. I could relate to the Italian family heritage discussed in the book, and perhaps that is why I felt a strong bond with the characters. This book is unbelievably sad, and my heart especially goes out to Mr. Cillo. I can’t imagine what he is feeling as this book comes to a close.

In the end, I absolutely loved Beautiful Broken Girls, and I definitely recommend it if you are looking for a creepy mystery. Keep in mind that this book deals with serious topics, including sexual abuse, self harm, suicide, and more. However, this story provided me with a lot to think about, and the fast-pace kept me hooked from beginning to end. I am very interested to pick up Kim Savage’s other books, and hope to do so in the future!

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Book Review | Roseblood by A.G. Howard

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Roseblood by A.G. Howard

Published by Amulet Books on January 10, 2017

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Format: eARC

Pages: 432

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads: ★★

This YA novel from New York Times bestselling author A. G. Howard marks the beginning of a new era for fans of the Splintered series. Rune Germaine moves to a boarding school outside of Paris, only to discover that at this opera-house-turned-music-conservatory, phantoms really do exist. RoseBlood is a Phantom of the Opera–inspired retelling in which Rune’s biggest talent—her voice—is also her biggest curse. Fans of Daughter of Smoke and Bone and the Splintered series will find themselves captivated by this pulse-pounding spin on a classic tale.

Rune, whose voice has been compared to that of an angel, has a mysterious affliction linked to her talent that leaves her sick and drained at the end of every performance. Convinced creative direction will cure her, her mother ships her off to a French boarding school for the arts, rumored to have a haunted past.

Shortly after arriving at RoseBlood conservatory, Rune starts to believe something otherworldly is indeed afoot. The mystery boy she’s seen frequenting the graveyard beside the opera house doesn’t have any classes at the school, and vanishes almost as quickly as he appears. When Rune begins to develop a secret friendship with the elusive Thorn, who dresses in clothing straight out of the 19th century, she realizes that in his presence she feels cured. Thorn may be falling for Rune, but the phantom haunting RoseBlood wants her for a very specific and dangerous purpose. As their love continues to grow, Thorn is faced with an impossible choice: lead Rune to her destruction, or save her and face the wrath of the phantom, the only father he’s ever known.

A. G. Howard brings the romantic storytelling that Splintered fans adore to France—and an entirely new world filled with lavish romance and intrigue—in a retelling inspired by a story that has captivated generations. Fans of both The Phantom of the Opera musical and novel, as well as YA retellings such as Marissa Meyer’s Cinder, will devour RoseBlood.

BOOK REVIEW

I was so excited to read Roseblood after hearing that it is a retelling of The Phantom of the Opera, and gratefully received an Ebook copy to review from the publisher. I loved the story concept behind Roseblood, in which a teenager named Rune attends an opera school in France where she meets a mysterious man who is helping her control her singing voice. Unfortunately, the book is executed all wrong for me, and I found it challenging to read to the end.

If you are going to read Roseblood, I definitely recommend being familiar with the original story. I saw both the stage and film adaptations of The Phantom of the Opera, but it has been years since I saw either, and I think I would catch on more to the little details in this novel if the story was fresh in my mind. I think watching the film before picking up Roseblood will help you understand more of what’s going on, and also increase your enjoyment of the book.

Moreover, my biggest issue with Roseblood is the book’s pacing. The story is very slow from start to finish, and it took me twice as long to read this than a normal young adult book typically does. Not only did it take a very long time for anything exciting to happen, but because there was such a long build-up, I kept putting the book down because there was nothing interesting to hold my attention.

Similarly, I found that the author missed many opportunities in the book. There were multiple times in the novel for a big and exciting reveal, but then the “Aha!” moment is answered quickly in passing. For example, readers know early on in Roseblood that Rune is some sort of paranormal creature. When we finally find out what kind of creature she is, it’s dropped into a sentence and never explained. These missed opportunities happen at other points in the story, making the moments where I expected big reveals very anticlimactic.

As I mentioned earlier, I absolutely loved the story idea behind Roseblood. However, the plot feels like it is reaching a bit to fit together. I appreciate all the research the author did to fit in a lot of historical details, but I felt like the building blocks holding the book in place were quite weak and could tumble at any moment. I’m disappointed that the plot felt so contrived.

Additionally, I was a bit put off by the romance. Although I really liked who Rune’s love interest is, and their history together, the love scenes felt too much like a cheesy romance novel. I fully recognize that this is a personal preference, and if you enjoy reading traditional romance books, you will probably adore the romance in Roseblood. When I couple the love scenes with the way the book ended, I feel a bit uncomfortable about the way things leave off, and disappointed that an awesome fantasy could end in such a way.

Finally, I want to talk a bit about Rune as a protagonist. She is a likable enough character, and I definitely empathize with her for all that she’s gone through in her life. Unfortunately, she has a huge character flaw in that she trusts people way too much. Rune will wholeheartedly trust whomever she is speaking with at that moment in time, but when the next person comes along with a contradictory opinion, she immediately changes her mind and trusts the new person. I wish Rune would use her own mind and intelligence more instead of blindly following others.

I also really did not like how Rune is so concerned with her love interest’s physical features. Although she does mention she would still love him if he were disfigured, Rune is beyond relieved when he has the perfect face and the amazing body that readers hear about far too often. When I contrast how much the book focuses on the beautiful person being good and the disfigured person being evil, I get a very bad taste in my mouth.

In the end, I am very disappointed with Roseblood, and would only recommend this to those who are Phantom super fans or those who really like romance novels. The slow pace, contrived plot, and lackluster protagonist just didn’t work for me.

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Book Review | Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist

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Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on January 3, 2017

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Format: eARC

Pages: 281

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads: ★★★★1/2

Love is more than meets the eye.

On his first day at a new school, blind sixteen-year-old Will Porter accidentally groped a girl on the stairs, sat on another student in the cafeteria, and somehow drove a classmate to tears. High school can only go up from here, right?

As Will starts to find his footing, he develops a crush on a sweet but shy girl named Cecily. And despite his fear that having a girlfriend will make him inherently dependent on someone sighted, the two of them grow closer and closer. Then an unprecedented opportunity arises: an experimental surgery that could give Will eyesight for the first time in his life. But learning to see is more difficult than Will ever imagined, and he soon discovers that the sighted world has been keeping secrets. It turns out Cecily doesn’t meet traditional definitions of beauty—in fact, everything he’d heard about her appearance was a lie engineered by their so-called friends to get the two of them together. Does it matter what Cecily looks like? No, not really. But then why does Will feel so betrayed?

BOOK REVIEW

My reading got off to a great start in 2017 with Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist. This young adult contemporary story is about a teenager named Will who was born blind. Will decides to attend public high school for the first time, and the book opens on his first day of school. What follows is an absolutely adorable story filled with romance, friendship, and seeing for the first time.

I was a bit nervous going into this book, as I read We Should Hang Out Sometime by Sundquist a couple years back and thought it was just okay. Unlike his earlier memoir, Love and First Sight sucked me in right away. The story is told from Will’s first-person perspective, and I absolutely loved his voice. Will sounds like a teenager does in real life, but his narrative flows really well. I was also very impressed with how Sundquist was able to use his writing to create a unique atmosphere for the reader. Since Will is blind, Sundquist describes things without any visual cues. I could feel the difference in his storytelling, and I really appreciated his attention to detail.

Similarly, Sundquist did extensive research in order to accurately represent what it is like to be visually impaired. While I am a sighted person, it felt like this representation was done quite respectfully. A big part of Love and First Sight focuses on how sighted people treat those who are visually impaired, and also what it is like to learn to see after being blind.  I learned a lot from this book, and I really like that Sundquist does not hold back when it comes to pointing out some of the horrible things sighted people do when around the visually impaired. For example, I was shocked at the secrets and deception in the novel!

Moreover, I absolutely love the romance in Love and First Sight. Will meets a girl named Cecily and the two get paired up for a project in journalism class. I was on board with their romance from the beginning, and I found it so cute! I am not usually a big fan of romance, but this one had me swooning and hoping for the best. Plus, Cecily plays an important role in the novel in addition to being Will’s love interest. I am impressed with how Love and First Sight is so multi-layered. I loved the theme of beauty in the novel, and what it means to be beautiful in society versus being beautiful to another person. I can see myself rereading this book in the future to get a new perspective on it now that I know what is to happen.

My criticisms of the novel are quite small. First, some sentences are repeated in the novel in order to introduce a person or theme. I did read an advance copy of the novel, so it is possible this repetition got edited out. In addition, I found Love and First Sight to be extremely fast-paced. However, I did think the ending was a bit too rushed, and I would have appreciated the action slowing down a bit to make the book last just a bit longer. Otherwise, I truly loved and enjoyed everything about this book!

All in all, I highly recommend picking up Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist. It is a very balanced novel in that it will make you laugh and make you cry, and you will be swooning over the adorable romance as well. Plus, I loved the inclusion of the board game Settlers of Catan! Sundquist gets some bonus points for that. I hope to see more novels from Sundquist in the future, as I adored his storytelling and will definitely pick up more books by him if they are released!

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Book Review | All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

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All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

Published by Thomas Dunne Books

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Format: eARC

Pages: 352

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads: ★★★★ 1/2

As the daughter of a meth dealer, Wavy knows not to trust people, not even her own parents. Struggling to raise her little brother, eight-year-old Wavy is the only responsible “adult” around. She finds peace in the starry Midwestern night sky above the fields behind her house. One night everything changes when she witnesses one of her father’s thugs, Kellen, a tattooed ex-con with a heart of gold, wreck his motorcycle. What follows is a powerful and shocking love story between two unlikely people that asks tough questions, reminding us of all the ugly and wonderful things that life has to offer.

REVIEW

I wanted to pick up All the Ugly and Wonderful Things as soon as the book began getting buzz. I was instantly intrigued with the story. This book follows a young girl named Wavy. She is the daughter of a drug dealer and a mentally ill mother, and spends her childhood trying to care for her younger brother Donal. One day, Wavy meets a man in his twenties when he crashes his motorcycle near the farmhouse in which she lives. His name is Jesse Joe Kellen, and the two begin a friendship. Kellen buys Wavy groceries, registers her for school, and helps care for her when no one else will. Their relationship is at first innocent, but as time goes on the two fall in love despite their age gap. All the Ugly and Wonderful Things chronicles their story.

I want to first mention that although this book deals with a controversial topic, I do not think that should preclude you from reading it. Some scenes are are quite difficult to read, but the story as a whole is worth stomaching a few uncomfortable moments. In fact, All the Ugly and Wonderful Things is extremely captivating, and I was pleasantly surprised with how easily the story flows. I was turning pages quickly to see what would happen next in Wavy’s life. I even had to force myself to put the book down at one point to get some sleep!

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things is written in a multiple perspective format, so we get to hear from a variety of characters in the novel, including Wavy and Kellen. The majority of chapters are written in the first-person, with just a few being written in the third-person. I wish that the entirety of the book was in the first-person to provide uniformity in the narrative. I definitely see why having multiple perspectives is very important in telling the story, as we get to see Wavy’s life and her relationship with Kellen from the outside. However, it felt like the chapters in the third-person were random and I couldn’t see any meaning in the change of voice.

In the same way, I am really impressed with the author’s decision on whose voices we get to hear in the novel. For example, we never get to read from either of Wavy’s parents, and I think their absence in the narrative mirrors their absence from Wavy’s life. One of my favorite characters is Renee, who we meet later in the book. I really love how she grows and changes because of her relationship with Wavy. They are a unique pairing, and I am being purposefully vague so as to not spoil anything. However, I did want to mention how Renee really made an impact on me, and her character development is so substantial in just a short amount of time.

Moreover, All the Ugly and Wonderful Things is so emotional, and one of the most heart-wrenching books I’ve read in a long time. It makes me so sad to think that there are real children, like Wavy and Donal, who have to grow up in such horrid environments such as a meth ring. This book brings up so many important topics, and asks you as a reader to think about things that you might have considered universal truths. I appreciate that there are no conclusions on whether Wavy’s relationship with Kellen is right or wrong. It is up to the reader to grapple with that choice, and it is a very difficult one.

I absolutely loved the reading experience of All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, and highly recommend it. This is a great pick for your book club, as there are many interesting topics to discuss. I know this book will stick with me for a long time, and I hope to read it again in the future.

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Book Review | Afterward by Jennifer Mathieu

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Afterward by Jennifer Mathieu

Published by Roaring Book Press on September 20, 2016

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary

Format: eARC

Pages: 320

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads: ★★★★

When Caroline’s little brother is kidnapped, his subsequent rescue leads to the discovery of Ethan, a teenager who has been living with the kidnapper since he was a young child himself. In the aftermath, Caroline can’t help but wonder what Ethan knows about everything that happened to her brother, who is not readjusting well to life at home. And although Ethan is desperate for a friend, he can’t see Caroline without experiencing a resurgence of traumatic memories. But after the media circus surrounding the kidnappings departs from their small Texas town, both Caroline and Ethan find that they need a friend–and their best option just might be each other.

REVIEW

After reading Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu earlier this year, I knew I had to read her new release Afterward, and was very excited to receive a review copy from the publisher. Afterward immediately gripped me with its story. We follow a dual perspective between two teenagers, Caroline and Ethan. Caroline’s younger brother was kidnapped, and when the police find him, another boy, Ethan, who had gone missing four years ago was discovered in the same home. Caroline desperately wants to find out what happened to Dylan, her brother, during the days he was gone. Dylan is autistic, and cannot communicate with words, but it is clear he suffered from something very traumatic. Thus, Caroline makes it her mission to befriend Ethan to see if she can help Dylan.

When you pair this fascinating story with Mathieu’s writing style, you are in for a real treat. I really love how Mathieu’s writing captivates me as a reader. There is something so easy about the writing – it is not overly flowery, but it’s also not too simplistic. The writing flows really well and keeps me turning pages quickly to find out what happens next in the story. Plus, I was sucked into the plot from page one because I, just like Caroline, wanted to know what Ethan and Dylan went through with their kidnapper.

Moreover, I really appreciate the research that I can tell went into this novel. I can feel how the story comes to life with the careful attention to detail, and the effort Mathieu puts in to create an authentic story. For example, it meant a lot to me that Dylan has low-functioning autism, and that it is represented very well. It is rare to see autistic characters in books, and I think it is important to create awareness and build empathy through the stories we read. Similarly, I think it was great that we got to see how Ethan and his family are rebuilding their lives with the help of therapists. Although what Ethan goes through is extremely rare, getting a glimpse into his therapy sessions normalizes it for others who may be afraid to seek help.

The only thing I did not enjoy so much about Afterward is the ending. I was a bit underwhelmed with it, as I expected the story to go one way, but instead it focuses on something else. While I won’t discuss this in detail due to spoilers, I do want to mention that I wish the book went a bit deeper into what Ethan went through during his four years in captivity.

That being said, I really enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it. If you are looking for a gripping young adult contemporary that is not focused on romance, Afterward is a great choice. I fell in love with the characters and cared so deeply for them from page one. I know I will continue to pick up the books that Mathieu writes in the future, as they are truly something different in the young adult section today.

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Book Review | The Sound of Us by Julie Hammerle

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The Sound of Us by Julie Hammerle

Published by Entangled Teen on June 7, 2016

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Coming of Age

Format: eARC

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads: ★★★ 1/2

Kiki Nichols might not survive music camp.

She’s put her TV-loving, nerdy self aside for one summer to prove she’s got what it takes: she can be cool enough to make friends, she can earn that music scholarship, and she can get into Krause University’s music program.

Except camp has rigid conduct rules—which means her thrilling late-night jam session with the hot drummer can’t happen again, even though they love all the same TV shows, and fifteen minutes making music with him meant more than every aria she’s ever sung.

But when someone starts snitching on rule breakers and getting them kicked out, music camp turns into survival of the fittest. If Kiki’s going to get that scholarship, her chance to make true friends—and her chance with the drummer guy—might cost her the future she wants more than anything.

REVIEW

When I heard that Entangled Teen was releasing a book that takes place at opera camp, I knew I had to read it. I love when music plays a role in the novels I read, and The Sound of Us by Julie Hammerle definitely piqued my interest. Readers follow teenager Kiki Nichols as she goes away to a prestigious opera camp to compete for one of seven scholarships to college. Kiki is a shy girl who spends most of her time watching TV and talking with her Twitter friends, and hopes to break out of her shell at camp.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Sound of Us. The story idea is great, and had me turning pages to find out what would happen next. I loved the competitive aspect of Kiki’s opera camp, and could relate to everyone vying for one of the seven scholarships. Plus, there was an added mystery element to the novel, because one of the students is a mole, and will tell the teacher if any of the kids break the rules. Of course, it is also great to see Kiki grow in the short time she is away at camp.

Similarly, I liked the writing style and think it is very well done. Hammerle does a great job at maintaining a realistic teenage voice, while at the same time not compromising the quality of her writing. I’ve read a lot of young adult books that speak just as a teenager would, and for me that detracts greatly from the reading experience. The Sound of Us is easy to read, but not cliché.

Unfortunately, there are several things about the book that I did not enjoy. First, I was very uncomfortable with the role of underage drinking in the novel. Yes, some teenagers do drink in real life, but I think the way it is handled in the book does not send a good message to the readers. Not only are the repercussions for the drinking very minor when the students are caught, but Kiki makes a statement that really caused me to take a step back. In one scene, Kiki says: “The beer is a license to make bad decisions.” Kiki never seems to realize why it is not okay to use alcohol as an excuse. While drinking does play a small role in The Sound of Us, it definitely impacted my enjoyment of the novel.

In the same way, I also felt very uncomfortable with how cheating is portrayed in the book. I won’t discuss this issue fully due to spoilers, but I did want to mention it because I know many people will not read a book if they know it involves cheating. Just as the drinking issue is not fully resolved, the cheating isn’t either. At the end of the book, it’s basically swept under the rug without being dealt with head on.

Moreover, there are a few little things about The Sound of Us that detracted from my reading experience. For example, I really loved how pop culture plays a role in the book. Kiki loves TV, and often talks about how the people she meets in real life remind her of actors or characters in pop culture. However, Kiki is a big fangirl for a fictional show called Planet Earth. At times I was confused between the fictional references versus the real life ones. There were some instances where I didn’t know if I just missed a reference, or if it was based on something fictional.

The author also uses a slang word quite often in the book that I had to look up to get the meaning. It turns out the word is British slang, which I found surprising, as the book is set in America and none of the characters in The Sound of Us are from the UK.

Finally, I got a bit annoyed with how often Kiki talks about how she doesn’t want to be seen as the ‘aunt’ in her friend group. Apparently, being seen as an aunt is a bad thing to her, as it seems to mean she is the side character that no one likes. As a proud aunt myself, I thought this was frustrating and quite insulting, especially because it is repeated so much in the book.

Thus, while I did really enjoy The Sound of Us for the most part, there are definitely things along the way that I wish were not included in the novel, or were handled in a different way. This is Julie Hammerle’s debut novel, and I would definitely consider reading books from her in the future if the story sounds like something I would like. I do recommend this book if the premise sounds interesting to you. It is a quick and fun read, and great for music lovers.

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Book Review | Bleeding Earth by Kaitlin Ward

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Bleeding Earth by Kaitlin Ward

Published by Adaptive Press on February 9, 2016

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Apocalyptic

Format: eARC

Pages: 256

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads: ★★

Lea was in a cemetery when the earth started bleeding. Within twenty-four hours, the blood made international news. All over the world, blood appeared out of the ground, even through concrete, even in water. Then the earth started growing hair and bones.

Lea wants to ignore the blood. She wants to spend time with her new girlfriend, Aracely, in public, if only Aracely wasn’t so afraid of her father. Lea wants to be a regular teen again, but the blood has made her a prisoner in her own home. Fear for her social life turns into fear for her sanity, and Lea must save herself and Aracely whatever way she can.

REVIEW

Bleeding Earth is a young adult apocalyptic novel following teenager Lea. She and her friend go to the local cemetery one day to work on a school project when suddenly blood begins seeping out of the ground. Lea hopes this has something to do with the cemetery, or perhaps just a hallucination while being in a creepy place. However, it turns out that it’s not just the cemetery that’s bleeding – it’s the entire earth. The book continues to follow what happens to Lea and her community in this bloodbath.

I found this story’s concept extremely intriguing, but unfortunately the book fell flat for me. My main issue with Bleeding Earth is the writing style, which is going to make or break the story for the reader. The writing is in the first person from Lea’s point-of-view, and sounds as if a teenager was speaking directly to you. Not only is the dialogue in the teenage voice, but all of the other writing is as well. While I think teenagers might connect well with this writing, it did not work for me as an older reader of young adult. I found the prose quite irritating, and that really detracted from my enjoyment of the novel.

Moreover, Bleeding Earth is the type of book in which the author is trying to do too much. For example, Lea is a lesbian and readers learn a lot about her sexuality and coming out process. I think it is awesome that the author included a member of the LGBTQIA+ community as our main character, but I think the lengthy explanation of how it was for her coming out of the closet, how her friends and family treat her, etc. was a bit out of place in this particular book. I wanted to focus more on the crazy apocalypse that was occurring in the world, not Lea’s complete history that didn’t have much to do with what was happening in the present.

I also found Bleeding Earth to be quite unbelievable, mainly due to lack of structure in the novel. For instance, I cannot tell the timespan for this novel because the author doesn’t give the reader any clues along the way. When I accompany that with the small plot holes I found while reading, the book loses a lot of credibility.

That being said, I did really like the aspect of the story dealing with unreliable narrators. I won’t go into this too much because of spoilers, but I love when the reader never knows whether or not she can trust the narrator’s voice. This unreliable narrator added a lot to the book in terms of creepiness, and definitely gave me an unsettling feeling. I also thought the ending was good, but I wish we had an epilogue to fully explain what happened next to our characters.

All in all, I was quite disappointed with Bleeding Earth. The story idea was great, but it just wasn’t executed according to my tastes. I would recommend this book for younger readers, as I do think they will enjoy the narrative voice. Otherwise, I think you can pass on this book without missing much. I hope to find an apocalyptic book that I enjoy very soon!

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Book Review | The Girl I Used to Be by April Henry

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The Girl I Used to Be by April Henry

Published by Christy Ottaviano Books on May 3, 2016

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller

Format: eARC

Pages: 240

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads: ★★ 1/2 

When Olivia’s mother was killed, everyone suspected her father of murder. But his whereabouts remained a mystery. Fast forward fourteen years. New evidence now proves Olivia’s father was actually murdered on the same fateful day her mother died. That means there’s a killer still at large. It’s up to Olivia to uncover who that may be. But can she do that before the killer tracks her down first?

REVIEW

I was so excited to receive a review copy of The Girl I Used to Be by April Henry, as the synopsis sucked me in right away. This book follows teenager Olivia. When she was just three, her mother was murdered in front of her when her family went to cut down a Christmas tree in the woods. Her father was blamed for the murder, but when one of his bones turns up at the crime scene fourteen years later, authorities now believe he was killed that same day. Olivia now returns to her hometown in hopes of discovering who the killer is before the killer finds her first.

While I really loved the idea behind this story, unfortunately the book fell a bit flat for me. My main issue is with the writing style. I’ve never read a book by April Henry before, but the writing in The Girl I Used to Be felt very formulaic. The story is told from Olivia’s first-person-perspective, and each chapter follows a certain format. First, Olivia learns some clues by talking with the people in her hometown, and then she mulls over those clues by asking a bunch of rhetorical questions at the end of the chapter. I found these questions to be very annoying, mainly due to the sheer number of them. If we got a few questions throughout the story, that would build suspense and be fine. Instead we got lists upon lists of questions, and it left me feeling as if each chapter was just repeating itself.

Moreover, I think the short length of this novel really detracted from my rating of the book. The Girl I Used to Be is only 240 pages, and a lot of things go unexplained because of that. For example, the book opens with Olivia living in her own apartment in Portland, Oregon. She then decides to move back to her hometown, and she goes to the local thrift store to buy sheets and kitchen utensils. However, we never find out why Olivia never goes back to her old apartment to get her belongings, or even if she cancelled her old lease. This novel would be a lot stronger if it was longer, as Henry would be able to fully develop the story and its characters.

Another critique I have with this book is the romance aspect. Not only was the romance cringeworthy and full of insta-love, but the book would be exactly the same if there was no romance whatsoever. The only thing that would change is the two kissing scenes, which were quite awkward and didn’t fit within the book’s overall plot. I almost feel like the romance was added just for the sake of including a romance.

That being said, I am quite disappointed with The Girl I Used to Be. I really do love the idea behind the book, and I read it quickly because it is fast-paced and a short read. If you are a new reader of the mystery genre, this might be a good place to start. I found the ending predictable, and unfortunately I feel like this sort of story isn’t very unique. Thus, I only recommend it if you are looking to break into the thriller genre, or if you want a short and quick beach read this summer.

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Book Review | Day 21 (The 100 #2) by Kass Morgan

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Day 21 (The 100 #2) by Kass Morgan

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on September 16, 2014

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopian

Format: eARC

Pages: 320

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads: ★★★★

No one has set foot on Earth in centuries — until now.
It’s been 21 days since the hundred landed on Earth. They’re the only humans to set foot on the planet in centuries…or so they thought. Facing an unknown enemy, Wells attempts to keep the group together. Clarke strikes out for Mount Weather, in search of other Colonists, while Bellamy is determined to rescue his sister, no matter the cost. And back on the ship, Glass faces an unthinkable choice between the love of her life and life itself.
In this pulse-pounding sequel to Kass Morgan’s The 100, secrets are revealed, beliefs are challenged, and relationships are tested. And the hundred will struggle to survive the only way they can — together.

REVIEW

I jumped right into Day 21 immediately after finishing the first book in this series, The 100. This book picks up shortly after the first leaves off, with the 100 realizing that they are not the only people on Earth as they originally thought. I still enjoyed this book immensely, but found a few flaws in it.

First, the writing felt a bit watered down to me in this second book. I loved how rich the writing is in The 100, but Day 21 feels like it was adjusted for a younger audience. I also found two continuity issues in this book, which detracted from my overall rating. For example, in Day 21 Clarke mentions that the only mammal she’s ever seen before is a deer, but in The 100 Clarke saw a rabbit. These continuity issues were very small, but still quite noticeable, especially when reading the books back to back.

Similarly, Day 21 was much more predictable than the first book. I found that a bit disappointing, but thankfully was still wowed at the end of the novel. Morgan tied everything together once again, and I found myself on the edge of my seat. What I really love about this series is how addicting the books are. Because we follow four characters, I am constantly turning pages to find out what will happen next. The twists and turns are my favorite part, and I wish I wasn’t able to predict many of the moments in the book.

My final critique of Day 21 is the back and forth moments of some of the characters. For example, Clarke can’t seem to decide whether or not she wants to forgive Wells and be friends with him. One minute she hates Wells and never wants to see him again, while the next Clarke forgives him. This got a bit annoying, especially when Bellamy goes through a similar battle later in the book. He jumps to a conclusion really quickly, just to change his mind a moment later.

Nonetheless, I still really enjoyed this book and am ready to pick up the third book in the series. While Day 21 is more of a 3.5 star rating, I bumped it up to a 4 because I love it so much. The cliffhanger ending is just amazing, even though I did see it coming. If you read The 100, I highly recommend continuing on with the series. You’ll want to see what goes down in this book for sure!

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Book Review | The 100 (The 100 #1) by Kass Morgan

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

The 100 (The 100 #1) by Kass Morgan

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on September 3, 2013

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopian

Format: eARC

Pages: 336

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads: ★★★★ 1/2

No one has set foot on Earth in centuries — until now.

Ever since a devastating nuclear war, humanity has lived on spaceships far above Earth’s radioactive surface. Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents — considered expendable by society — are being sent on a dangerous mission: to recolonize the planet. It could be their second chance at life…or it could be a suicide mission.

CLARKE was arrested for treason, though she’s haunted by the memory of what she really did. WELLS, the chancellor’s son, came to Earth for the girl he loves — but will she ever forgive him? Reckless BELLAMY fought his way onto the transport pod to protect his sister, the other half of the only pair of siblings in the universe. And GLASS managed to escape back onto the ship, only to find that life there is just as dangerous as she feared it would be on Earth.

Confronted with a savage land and haunted by secrets from their pasts, the hundred must fight to survive. They were never meant to be heroes, but they may be mankind’s last hope.

REVIEW

If you enjoy young adult dystopian novels, you need to pick up The 100! This book was sitting on my Kindle unread for over a year, and I can’t believe I didn’t read it sooner. I want to start out this review by saying that I have not watched the television adaptation of The 100, though I have heard the book and show are very different. Nonetheless, I highly recommend giving this story a chance if it at all sounds interesting to you.

The 100 takes place three hundred years after nuclear winter forced humans to escape to outer space in hopes of keeping humankind alive. Humans now live on a spaceship called the Colony, but this is a temporary solution, and humans must return to Earth before the Colony breaks down. The issue is, no one knows whether Earth is safe, or if the radiation levels still make the planet uninhabitable. The Colony decided to conduct an experiment by sending 100 juvenile delinquents down to Earth to see if they can survive.

We follow four main characters in The 100. First is Clarke, a girl who was confined for treason. Next is Wells, Clarke’s ex-boyfriend and the chancellor’s son. He committed a crime just so he could go to Earth with Clarke. Our next protagonist is Bellamy, who fights his way onto the dropship living for Earth so he can care for his sister. Finally, we follow Glass, who escapes the dropship bound for Earth in hopes of starting a new life with her boyfriend back on the Colony. The 100 is written in the third-person, but each chapter alternates between these four characters. There are also a lot of flashback scenes to help us get to know more about each character and what he or she went through up to this point in life.

I absolutely loved this book! The writing is exceptionally well done. Morgan does an amazing job at weaving together the past and the present, and creating well-developed characters. At times this felt like a slow read and as if nothing was happening in the plot. However, this is simply because we change character perspectives, and Morgan does a fantastic job making everything come together in the end. Thus, The 100 is a real page-turner because I always had to know what would next happen.

Similarly, this novel is full of twists and turns that I did not anticipate at all. The 100 doesn’t have a clear plot line, so I never know what to expect. I am always a fan of books where the author can create shocking moments that are logical, but difficult to predict. Morgan does this extremely well, and when I closed the book I immediately wanted to continue on with the series.

The only reason I deducted a half-star from my rating is because of the weak world-building surrounding the Colony. There are three ships connected together, Phoenix, Walden, and Arcadia, but I never fully understood how they functioned. There are different classes of people based on the ship you live on, but this was never explained. The different ships even have their own accents. I just wanted to know a bit more about the Colony and how it came to be organized.

Otherwise, I loved everything about The 100, and highly recommend it. I would describe this book as a mix of Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century and The Hunger Games, so if that sounds like your thing I would go for it. I cannot wait to continue on with this series and see what will happen in the sequel, Day 21.

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