Book Review: Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

Title: Lady Midnight

Author : Cassandra Clare

Publisher : Sourcebooks Fire

Release date : March 8th, 2016

Rating : 4.8/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads) :

In a secret world where half-angel warriors are sworn to fight demons, parabatai is a sacred word.

A parabatai is your partner in battle. A parabatai is your best friend. Parabatai can be everything to each other—but they can never fall in love.

Emma Carstairs is a warrior, a Shadowhunter, and the best in her generation. She lives for battle. Shoulder to shoulder with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, she patrols the streets of Los Angeles, where vampires party on the Sunset Strip, and faeries—the most powerful of supernatural creatures—teeter on the edge of open war with Shadowhunters. When the bodies of humans and faeries turn up murdered in the same way Emma’s parents were when she was a child, an uneasy alliance is formed. This is Emma’s chance for revenge—and Julian’s chance to get back his brother Mark, who is being held prisoner by the faerie Courts. All Emma, Mark, and Julian have to do is solve the murders within two weeks…and before the murderer targets them.

Their search takes Emma from sea caves full of sorcery to a dark lottery where death is dispensed. And each clue she unravels uncovers more secrets. What has Julian been hiding from her all these years? Why does Shadowhunter Law forbid parabatai to fall in love? Who really killed her parents—and can she bear to know the truth?

Review :

I read this one a while ago now, and I’m so sorry I didn’t post my review earlier! But let me just say that it was “A” TO THE “MAZING”.

While reading Lady Midnight, I constantly forgot to write down my thoughts when they arose (like I usually do when I read). It’s maybe because I felt that, despite the different plot and characters and settings, it was like a perfect continuation of The Mortal Instruments series.

We already know Emma, Julian, the rest of the Blackthorn family, etc. Unlike TMI’s main character, Clary, Emma deserved my love and respect. She is a confident, cool girl; the kind  you’d admire from afar in your high school and wish you were. She’s totally awesome and funny, determined and brave. Bref, the kind of protagonist you’d definitely picture in an action-packed book/movie!! On the downside, she resembles Clary a little bit, in the sense of her recklessness and her annoying I-do-whatever-I-want-and-things-better-go-my-way aspect. Since this is only the first book, I can get over it, mainly because she’s strong and badass!

However, I’d hate to see the Clary-ish side of her take over in the next books. Emma’s kind of action-teen typical, easy to like, but it would be Clare’s mistake to forge, yet again, a golden path for her main character.

Julian, for his part, isn’t the swoon-worthy type, but I admit I had my fangirl moments with him! Basically, all characters are designed to be liked by the readers, and I did like them, even the “bad ones”. They all have redeeming qualities. We meet a new High Warlock, Malcolm, who’s not at all like Magnus, who even seems too incompetent to be a High Warlock. Maybe I missed a part, but are powerful abilities the only requirement to be High Warlock?! His quirkiness was pleasant, though, so as a character, I liked him (hahaha).

Cassandra Clare’s writing style is very good for a Young Adult book, as expected. It flows like water, very easy to read and understand. Point of views alternate, so we get in depth insight into different characters and events. Los Angeles could have been better described, because I feel as if Clare only knows about the sea and the pop culture? It was definitely not in a local, personal way. Clare didn’t do her homework correctly, because I didn’t get the feeling Emma’s lived her whole life in LA, although that’s her backstory.

One of the most important themes of this book is, according to me, family. Whether it’s blood family, or life family, it’s such an important aspect of everything they do, everything they fight for. I could also sense that Clare wanted to breach certain social issues, such as sexual orientation, but it was too vague and stored in the background. It is, however, a start to Clare’s literary awareness.

ARC Review: The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

Title: The Bone Witch

Author : Rin Chupeco

Publisher : Sourcebooks Fire

Release date : March 7th, 2017

Rating : 3.8/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads) :

When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she’s a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.

In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha — one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles…and make a powerful choice.

Review :

As a lasting impression, the book really wasn’t that bad!

The biggest disappointment would be caused by the lack of “exciting” events, if I may say so. One would say it was too boring. Indeed, when reading the summary, or just solely based on how fantasy YA books usually work, one would expect a profusion of “exciting” events. And The Bone Witch didn’t offer much in that department. There was no sense of real danger, no fear about those ominous “dark forces”.

BUT, luckily for me, I came in without much expectation because… I’d forgotten what the synopsis was. I just opened the ebook and started reading, because I was attracted to the cover *woops*. But it saved me quite a few sighs (disappointment) and burnt up neurons (anger). I’ve got to say, though, that the writing wasn’t exceptional. If the book was any less good, I wouldn’t have survived the entirety of it.

So how did my no-expectation attitude get me to be okay with The Bone Witch? As I didn’t know what to expect, I just gulped down every plot line Chupeco offered. As I read on, I came to understand that it was an intricate tapestry of the asha’s world. I’m the kind of person who loves to learn new things, and in this case, I was learning about a new culture, down to the tiniest details… And I greatly appreciated that. I think Chupeco’s main focus with her first-in-a-trilogy was to set the pieces on the board before making us dive into the next books. Therefore, she teaches us about asha’s mores and traditions, and how their social roles and reputation built their way of living. Asha have a strong resemblance to geisha, in the sense that they are professional entertainers, but in addition to that, they are also trained fighters. So, for an informative book, I think there was enough action.

However, at the beginning, I was confused a few times because there were many new words, so there were a few parts that lost me. Also, Chupeco could have taught us more about the other kingdoms, instead of just mentioning them.

If you think real (too?) hard, you could see a hint of love triangle, but by no means an actual one. I know many people will consider it as such, though, but in my opinion, there was ever only one cute, little crush in the works.

Another aspect I thoroughly enjoyed was the alternating chapters between the past and the present, the still-innocent Tea (Tay-uh, 12-15 years old) and her now bitter, older self (17 years old). It’s very interesting to witness how much she changed because of her new life. We spend more time with the young Tea, who didn’t know anything about her abilities before resurrecting her brother Fox. In her ignorance, she is vulnerable, at a disadvantage and therefore, shy. But despite these circumstances, she tries very hard to learn, she is persistent. And the more she learns, the more she strengthens and asserts herself. I agree she’s a special snowflake, but at least she’s intelligent and capable (most of the time).

Some other characters could have been more developed, some others were purposefully mysterious, but I still believe Chupeco could have done a better job at exploiting her characters. She equally often tried to breach certain social issues, such as discrimination and various ethnicities, but she never lingered much on them, so they all passed under the radar rather easily. The only socially relevant subject she actually succeeded in bringing up was the gender expectations/stereotypes, as in the acceptable social roles of women and men.

 Then perhaps we should carve a world one day where the strength lies in who you are, rather than in what they expect you to be.

**I’d like to thank NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for providing me with this ebook, in exchange for an honest review!

Book Review: When The Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore

Title: When The Moon Was Ours

Author : Anna-Marie McLemore

Publisher : Thomas Dunne

Release date : October 4th, 2016

Rating : 5/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads) :

To everyone who knows them, best friends Miel and Sam are as strange as they are inseparable. Roses grow out of Miel’s wrist, and rumors say that she spilled out of a water tower when she was five. Sam is known for the moons he paints and hangs in the trees, and for how little anyone knows about his life before he and his mother moved to town. But as odd as everyone considers Miel and Sam, even they stay away from the Bonner girls, four beautiful sisters rumored to be witches. Now they want the roses that grow from Miel’s skin, convinced that their scent can make anyone fall in love. And they’re willing to use every secret Miel has fought to protect to make sure she gives them up.

Review :

When The Moon Was Ours was one of the most enchanting books I’ve ever read. ❤

I didn’t know the term for this genre before, but now I do : magical realism. And it’s possibly one of my favorite genres ever. McLemore’s writing is impeccable, and it contributed to give her novel its own brand of magic. I honestly think her prose is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever read. It’s light as a feather, soft as a breeze. The way she describes places makes me want to live in her world; her imagery is evocative and dream-like, tickling our understanding with metaphors and imaginative comparisons.

I’m not sure what else could I say to highlight the sheer beauty of McLemore’s writing, without using the same words : dreamy, soft, beautiful, magical. The author invites our senses to the reading, evoking them when describing a place or introducing characters:

Aracely had hair as gold as late afternoon, her eyes the deep brown of a wet, fertile field. Miel’s hair was dark as a starless autumn, a night made brown by fall leaves, and her eyes matched the gold of low twin moons. 

Because of the genre itself, it was at times confusing distinguishing between reality and metaphor, but it is an easy obstacle to surmount as the story progresses, and you realize that yes, roses do grow out of a girl’s wrist, and love sickness can be thrown out the window.

All these curiosities abound in the town in which live Miel and Sam. Though at first these two characters seem pretty bland, their worth starts unraveling as the reader is guided through their experiences, their feelings and their numerous struggles. The relationship between the two is amazing and as solid as rock. The certainty of their bond is felt even when they are apart, or even when it is strained by the heartbreaking secrets of their past and those of their close ones.

As much as the protagonists are interesting, the secondary characters deserve as much praise. Everyone has a rich backstory and an equally great plot line, which unravels their nuanced personalities and makes room for both sympathy and resentment.

But what makes the story itself unforgettable is the diversity and the respect of cultures. Here we have a Latina girl, and a half Pakistani boy, Spanish legends, a wide spectrum of gender identities, and everything that comes with it. Questions of body, of name, of how to support someone you love, are all well-handled. I can’t say with certainty that it was perfectly dealt with, as I have never been in this situation, but I think it was a close-to-perfect LGBT novel that everyone should read.

As I came near the ending, I realized that not many non-contemporary books tackle social issues with such sensitivity. Therefore, I thank McLemore for her awareness and generosity. How lucky we are to have such a talented author take the time to address those subjects!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this book, and to Anna-Marie for writing it.

Book Review: The Lovely Reckless by Karmi Garcia

Title: The Lovely Reckless

Author : Kami Garcia

Publisher : Imprint

Release date : October 4th, 2016

Rating : 2.8/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads) :

Seventeen-year-old Frankie Devereux would do anything to forget the past. Haunted by the memory of her boyfriend’s death, she lives her life by one dangerous rule: Nothing matters. At least, that’s what Frankie tells herself after a reckless mistake forces her to leave her privileged life in the Heights to move in with her dad—an undercover cop. She transfers to a public high school in the Downs, where fistfights don’t faze anyone and illegal street racing is more popular than football.

Marco Leone is the fastest street racer in the Downs. Tough, sexy, and hypnotic, he makes it impossible for Frankie to ignore him—and how he makes her feel. But the risks Marco takes for his family could have devastating consequences for them both. When Frankie discovers his secret, she has to make a choice. Will she let the pain of the past determine her future? Or will she risk what little she has left to follow her heart?

Review :

I should’ve known I was going to be disappointed by this book; I thoroughly disliked Garcia’s Caster Chronicles. BUT, I chose to read it because the author is well-loved and I thought that I just missed the reason why, so I wanted to give her another chance. *sigh* I’ll have to resign myself to the fact that Garcia and I are not compatible.

I’ll start with the good points for this one.

Let’s be honest here: I was totally into it for the street racing. They said Romeo & Juliet/Fast and Furious? HELL YEAH. I learnt quite a few things about this dangerous sport (?) and, although there was not nearly enough of it throughout the story, I enjoyed everything related to it, whether it be the mechanics and the techniques or the races themselves.

I don’t know if Garcia was influenced by the subject of car racing, but I found that the plot was fast paced, almost never having a dull moment. I’m not saying there was action at every turn, but there was always something interesting happening (like a fight or an engaging conversation). Plus, I definitely wanted to know the conclusion of that story, which made it all the more captivating.

Personally, what contributed to the ever-entertaining storyline were the totally awesome, multi-dimensional secondary characters. Sure, they check off the list of “dark past victims” (maybe too much?), but they aren’t the broody, morose type. None of them *yay*! My favorite one is definitely CRUZ. Such a badass, I’m totally in love/want to be best friends/trusted accomplice with her. She knows her worth and is confident, without being arrogant, and so honest and true. WHAT, A, BADASS.

Finally, the most important point is that Karmi Garcia tried and somewhat succeeded in portraying a mental disorder called the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). You may have heard of it when referring to war veterans; it’s the disorder that keeps them up at night, unable to sleep because of nightmares, that keeps their fingers shaking and their minds wandering. While Frankie doesn’t experience PTSD that exact same way, she does have those mood swings, heightened emotions and isolating habits.

UNFORTUNATELY, I think that’s all I appreciated about Frankie. I understand her situation is miserable; she suffers of PTSD after watching her boyfriend being beat to death (and not doing anything). But after some time, the negativity got boring and old. Let’s remember that this is a book, here? Spending hours and days on a girl who’s constantly negative got on my nerves. And what really triggered me, caused me to hate her, is the way she treats people, especially her dad. He’s not the perfect dad, and his job forces him to be absent often, but he’s trying, he genuinely wants to help her being safe and looks out for her. But she doesn’t see that, she talks to him in an insolent way, with so much venom. I swear I would’ve slapped her a few times if I were in there. She seems to be the spoiled little brat who throws tantrums when she doesn’t get what she wants… reinforced by the fact that she actually IS rich, as Garcia often reminds us. Actually, she’s just the rich girl rebelling.

I’m ending my ranting on this last complaint: INSTA-LOVE. How many times have they talked before they fell head over heels for each other? Um, 4 10-minute conversations? That’s hardly convincing. I can understand insta-lust, but you can’t actually make me believe that Frankie got a total of 40 mins to fall in love with someone. And what’s more, her boyfriend’s got beaten to death 3 months ago. Only 3 months, people, and then Frankie moves somewhere else, meets Marco, and claims to be in love with him. You know what’s worse? Garcia actually used the cheap trick of mentioning that Frankie “didn’t even really love her dead boyfriend anyway, so it’s totally okay for her to love this new guy now, while in mourning for her ex”. This justification of falling for Marco so quickly bothered me so much, I just couldn’t find it in me to ship them. And even their romance was so over-the-top clichés. Nop, not for me.

In conclusion, I wouldn’t recommend this book. The main character and the main romance left to be desired, the only redeeming qualities being the background plotlines and characters. I’m sorry to say this, but Kami Garcia will now have a permanent spot in my blacklist.

Thank you to NetGalley!

Book Review: Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova

Title: The 52nd

Author : Dela

Publisher :Wise Ink Creative Publishing

Release date : October 27th, 2014

Rating : 3/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads) :

Alex is a bruja, the most powerful witch in a generation…and she hates magic. At her Deathday celebration, Alex performs a spell to rid herself of her power. But it backfires. Her whole family vanishes into thin air, leaving her alone with Nova, a brujo boy she can’t trust. A boy whose intentions are as dark as the strange markings on his skin.

The only way to get her family back is to travel with Nova to Los Lagos, a land in-between, as dark as Limbo and as strange as Wonderland…

Review :

Everything about my first impression of this novel attracted me: the synopsis (magic and a strange land? Yes!), the author’s name (a foreign name attached to a foreign culture? YES!) and the cover (the design and the costume? YASSS!!).

But then,… what happened?

It was just, so okay…

I can’t even pinpoint exactly what dropped the book at 3/5. But I could try, though.

I didn’t particularly care for Alex. She started off as a spoiled brat, ignoring her family’s love for her and just acting selfishly, but she got decent by the end of the book. Definitely not love-worthy, but she was okay.

The romance was also completely MEH. There was a love triangle, and Alex was indecisive about who she loved most, and though her bisexuality came as a great surprise, it just felt forced. I couldn’t find chemistry anywhere, nor with Nova, whom she had a lot of banters with, nor with Rishi, who was useless and irrelevant to the plot.

However, I liked the diversity and the culture we encountered. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter were of great interest to me also. I loved how Cordova attempted to bring us to another mythical world. Los Lagos is understandably compared to Wonderland; twists and turns will surprise readers, everything is up for questioning. Unfortunately, I never quite felt the sense of danger and urgency that I was supposed to feel. Alex literally has to save her parents in this strange and hostile world, but… I almost forgot it sometimes, maybe because of the pace the book took, or Nova’s and Alex’s behavior.

The whole concept of the novel was amazing, but it lacked a big something, a Wow Factor, a spark. It wasn’t exotic enough, otherworldly enough, intense enough. It lacked charm and wonder. It’s like wanting to dye your hair a bold red, but it turns out a faded dark pink.

Don’t get me wrong; I read it till the end, I was entertained, but always as a second entertainment, you know? If I had nothing else to do, I’d read it. Sorry for the unpopular opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley!

Book Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Title : A Court of Thorns and Roses

Author : Sarah J. Maas

Publisher : Bloomsbury Children’s

Release date : May 5th, 2015

Rating : 4/5

☯ Synopsis (from Goodreads) :

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it… or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

⚜ Review :

**Note: this review is quite long, so I bolded each aspect of the book that I will be talking about. If you don’t particularly care about one aspect, you can always skip to another one, because they’ll be easy to find!

It was long due I read this book, but it didn’t quite meet my expectations. However, I did greatly enjoy it, if only for the male characters, hahahah! Keep reading to know exactly what I liked/disliked about this popular novel!

Cover Reveal: The Burning Star & The Frozen Star by Jessie Lane & M.L. Pahl

Hello! I am thrilled to present to you the covers of The Burning Star and The Frozen Star by Jessie Lane and M. L. Pahl!

Goodreads/Amazon

Seventeen-year-old Kay’s journey of a lifetime started in the woods where she met a beautiful man … along with a monster. The chance encounter led her to an unbelievable world that shouldn’t have existed, a place where myths and fairytales were real and, in some cases, deadly.

Kay knew she would have to brave this new world if she hoped to find a cure for her terminal cancer.

With a strange yet beautiful cast of characters, Kay uncovered truths that would change her life forever. However, before it was all over, she discovered she wasn’t the only one with problems.

Yet another seventeen-year-old young woman was fighting for her life.

Kira had grown up in a magical world. Despite this, her life had not been filled with many good things. She considered her empty, emotional solitude the only positive aspect of her life and fought daily battles to escape abuse and torture.

Trained to be an expert assassin, she was charged with kidnapping Kay and delivering her to Kira’s master, Lord Donovan.

As the two young women set forth on their journeys, their paths would cross in unimaginable ways. There was only one question that remained: who would come out alive?

Goodreads/Amazon

The journey continues …

Kay discovered secrets, lies, shocking truths, and even love in a strange new world hidden from humans. Everything she thought she knew was turned upside down when she found out three things: she wasn’t human; she had a power she couldn’t control; and there was a possibility she might have found a way to cure her deadly cancer by using that very same power.

Just when she was on the precipice of gaining everything she wanted and saving her own life, tragedy struck. Would she be able to fight her way back to Ryan and save herself in the process?

Kira had lived a terrifying life of servitude and abuse under Lord Donovan and his son, Cole. It was an existence that had stripped away her emotions and reasons to keep fighting.

Just when she thought freedom was within reach, Lord Donovan struck again, ruining her plans and almost killing her. When she awoke from her injuries, it was to stunning revelations that would change her life forever, changes she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted.

Persistent individuals, such as Prince Kane, refused to let her walk away, though. Would she embrace all of her sudden fortune? Or would she walk away from those who needed her most, forsaking their acceptance and love?

WARNING: This is a upper ya/young adult/new adult fictional story that includes some explicit language, graphic violence, and mild sexual situations. Recommended for ages sixteen and up.

*This book is a re-release and revision from the original book published in 2012. Please be aware that some things have been added, deleted or changed.*

BOOK & AUTHOR INFO:

The Burning Star & The Frozen Star
by Jessie Lane and M.L. Pahl
(Star #1 & 2)

Cover designs by Cover Me Darling
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Publisher: Whiskey Girls Publishing

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AUTHOR BIOS:

Website/Facebook/Twitter/Goodreads

Jessie Lane is a best-selling author of Paranormal and Contemporary Romance, as well as, Upper YA Paranormal Romance/Fantasy.

She lives in Kentucky with her two little Rock Chicks in-the-making and her over protective alpha husband that she’s pretty sure is a latent grizzly bear shifter. She has a passionate love for reading and writing naughty romance, cliff hanging suspense, and out-of-this-world characters that demand your attention, or threaten to slap you around until you do pay attention to them.

 

Facebook/Twitter/WordPress/Goodreads

ML Pahl or simply Mel to her friends and family, grew up in coastal North Carolina. With the Marine Corps at her back and the sandy beaches beckoning her face on, she learned that nothing could hinder her imagination.
She wrote and released her first novel, Zombies Don’t Ride Motorcycles, a lil’ zombie apocalypse novel that had the beginnings of a love story threaded in there, with her brother Matthew Leo in December 2014. (Written under the name Melissa Leo-Pahl)
Not wanting to be stuck in one genre, ML Pahl decided to dabble in everything from Science-Fiction to Romantic Comedy and even Paranormal. Whiskey Diaries is book one in the One Night Only series and her first solo project.
Not only is ML Pahl an author, she is the owner/operator of IndieVention Designs. A book formatting and book cover company servicing other indie authors like herself.
Melissa currently resides in the frozen north of Minnesota, where she lives with her family and those cute dogs she’s always tweeting about.

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Thank you for reading this, and make sure to give these eBooks a try! Have a nice day!

ARC Review : The Season of You & Me by Robin Constantine

Title : The Season of You & Me

Author : Robin Constantine

Publisher : Balzer + Bray

Release date : May 10th, 2016

Rating : 3.5/5

☯ Synopsis (from Goodreads) :

Cassidy Emmerich is determined to make this summer—the last before her boyfriend heads off to college—unforgettable. What she doesn’t count on is her boyfriend breaking up with her. Now, instead of being poolside with him, Cass is over a hundred miles away, spending the summer with her estranged father and his family at their bed-and-breakfast at the Jersey Shore and working as the newest counselor at Camp Manatee.

Bryan Lakewood is sick of nevers. You’ll never walk. You’ll never surf. You’ll never slow dance with your date at prom. One miscalculated step and Bryan’s life changed forever—now he’s paralyzed and needs to use a wheelchair. This is the first summer he’s back at his former position at Camp Manatee and ready to reclaim some of his independence, in spite of those who question if he’s up for the job.

Cass is expecting two months dealing with heartbreak.
Bryan is expecting a summer of tough adjustments.
Neither of them is expecting to fall in love.

⚜ Review :

Thank you to Edelweiss and HarperCollins Children for providing me with a digital galley of this book!

Honestly, I don’t have that much to say about The Season of You and Me. It’s a typical light, sweet and fluffy read, perfect for summer. I’m going to use my expression once more: it’s a candy book. Although, for a candy book, it wasn’t as good as, say, Lola and the Boy Next Door. Constantine didn’t really make me feel anything, which is surprising, considering that this kind of books isn’t very hard to write (based on the fact that I usually like candy contemporary YA romance). It was cute, yes, sweet, but… completely forgettable.

I liked Cassidy. I really loved her relationship with her father and his new family. In this kind of situation, we usually read about angry, mistrustful families, so it was refreshing to see something like this. Cassidy is close with her half-brother, Hunter, and with Leslie, her step-mom. They treat each other like family, and it was heart-warming. However, it did feel as if Cassidy was running away to avoid Gavin, and I’m not one who likes those kinds of actions. It’s one of the reasons why I didn’t give it 5 stars.

Bryan is a stronger character, in my opinion, overcoming a much bigger difficulty than a break-up. He seemed to handle well his new situation. His relationship with Cassidy was very cute, starting from a work relationship to a romantic relationship.

I know I should be loving this book, but I just didn’t connect with the characters and the story. I wouldn’t recommend it; summer book-wise, there are much better contemporary YA romance out there. If you need any recommendations, comment below! 🙂

P.-S.: Sorry, I posted this review a little late. I meant to post it on the 10th, but another review got the place x)

Picture sources : 1, 2

Random Monday : ARCs I have yet to read PART 2

☂ Random Monday is a series/feature on my blog where I will talk about, you guessed it, random, bookish stuff! ☂

Hi!!! Thanks for reading this! I hope you’re all having a nice day!

So, as promised, here’s the last batch of ARCs I have to read and review. I only have a few weeks left to read some of them, and I’m confident I’ll be done on time! To read my previous Random Monday, go here.

Note* : My most anticipated reads are marked with a *.

Note** : All pictures have been taken from Goodreads.

6. Labyrinth Lost (Brooklyn Brujas #1) by Zoraida Cordova *

Expected publication : September 6th, 2016

Alex is a bruja, the most powerful witch in a generation…and she hates magic. At her Deathday celebration, Alex performs a spell to rid herself of her power. But it backfires. Her whole family vanishes into thin air, leaving her alone with Nova, a brujo boy she can’t trust. A boy whose intentions are as dark as the strange markings on his skin.

The only way to get her family back is to travel with Nova to Los Lagos, a land in-between, as dark as Limbo and as strange as Wonderland…

Beautiful Creatures meets Daughter of Smoke and Bone with an infusion of Latin American tradition in this highly original fantasy adventure.

7. The Assassin Game by Kirsty McKay

Expected publication : August 2nd, 2016

At Cate’s isolated boarding school, Killer is more than a game- it’s an elite secret society. Members must avoid being “Killed” during a series of thrilling pranks, and only the Game Master knows who the “Killer” is. When Cate’s finally invited to join the Assassins’ Guild, she know it’s her ticket to finally feeling like she belongs.

But when the game becomes all too real, the school threatens to shut it down. Cate will do anything to keep playing and save the Guild. But can she find the real assassin before she’s the next target?

8. You Before Anyone Else by Julie Cross

Expected publication : August 2nd, 2016

Model Finley needs someone to help her shed her “good girl” persona, so she’ll try Eddie on for size.

New York City model Finley is fed up with hearing the same feedback at castings: she needs to take some serious action to wipe the “good girl” stamp from her resume if she wants to launch to stardom.

Enter Eddie Wells. He’s shallow, predictable…and just as lost as Finley feels. Deep down, Finley is drawn to Eddie’s bravado, his intensity. Except Eddie is hiding something. A big something. And when it surfaces, both loving and leaving Finley will become so much harder.

So, that’s it for the ARCs. I will keep you guys updated on the books I receive for review. This is so fun! Thank you for reading this, and you may comment below if you’d like 🙂

Book Review : Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Title : Lola and the Boy Next Door

Author : Stephanie Perkins

Publisher : Dutton Books

Release date : September 29th, 2011

Rating : 4.5/5

☯ Synopsis (from Goodreads) :

Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood. When Cricket, a gifted inventor, steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

⚜ Review :

Lola was much better than Anna, I must say. The characters were adorable and it’s the kind of teenage-romance that I’ve always loved.

My guilty pleasure in romance is the typical “impossible” love between two people. They try to be together, but there are always “damn, did I screw this up?” moments, and I LIVE for those moments. I know that, after all these near-catastrophic events, their love for each other would be confirmed and solidified and they’ll live happily ever after :3 And that’s what I got from Lola.

Stephanie Perkins strikes with her teenage-relatable protagonist, perfectly writing down feelings and thoughts and reactions. Her characters fall in love the way readers would want to. It’s sweet, and a little awkward, and heart-wrenchingly innocent and passionate. The love story between Lola and Cricket is dreamlike. Also, I appreciate very much that Perkins took the time to explain the dynamic between 2 dads; we don’t see it often enough. Actually, Perkins is not afraid to tackle delicate subjects, like homosexuality.

My biggest turn off, however, is another delicate subject: pedophilia. The author knew it would create controversy, and it did. I know it happens a lot in our society, but in a story I hoped to completely enjoy, it was weird and immoral; I could NOT read it and keep my neutrality. Like the Shadowhunters say, the law is hard but it’s the law. A grown man going after a 15-year-old is in the wrong. In my opinion, Max was a bad boyfriend. He endured Lola’s parents and saw them as obstacles, treated Lindsey (Lola’s friend) like crap and practically treats Lola herself like a trophy girlfriend. I’m glad how their story turned out.

Lola is a really cute character. She’s quirky, has dark family history, is eccentric and sometimes reckless. But Cricket was really the spotlight of this story. Oh, Cricket. I feel so weak. Literally the first time his name is mentioned, my heart started beating faster, and I knew I was a sucker for Cricket.

All in all, I’d recommend Lola for contemporary YA romance fans!

Picture sources : 1, 2