Love, Life, and the List by Kasie West Published by HarperCollins on December 26, 2017
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Social Themes, Dating & Sex, Romance, Contemporary, Mental Illness
Pages: 384
Format: Audiobook
Length: 8 hours and 18 minutes
Source: Publisher
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What do you do when you’ve fallen for your best friend? Funny and romantic, this effervescent story about family, friendship, and finding yourself is perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han.
Seventeen-year-old Abby Turner’s summer isn’t going the way she’d planned. She has a not-so-secret but definitely unrequited crush on her best friend, Cooper. She hasn’t been able to manage her mother’s growing issues with anxiety. And now she’s been rejected from an art show because her work “has no heart.” So when she gets another opportunity to show her paintings, Abby isn’t going to take any chances.
Which is where the list comes in.
Abby gives herself one month to do ten things, ranging from face a fear (#3) to learn a stranger’s story (#5) to fall in love (#8). She knows that if she can complete the list, she’ll become the kind of artist she’s always dreamed of being.
But as the deadline approaches, Abby realizes that getting through the list isn’t as straightforward as it seems . . . and that maybe—just maybe—she can’t change her art if she isn’t first willing to change herself.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
My Thoughts:
Unfortunately, this Kasie West book missed the mark for me! It’s actually making me a little hesitant about future Kasie West YA contemporaries because a few have totally been meh for me. I would absolutely love for her to go back to some non contemporary writing (I mean Pivot Point was AMAZING). Anyway, as far as this one goes, I thought I would enjoy it since friends to more is totally a favorite trope of mine! However, there was one big glaring problem with that in this book… and that was that I felt zero chemistry between Abby and Cooper. Most of the time in friends to more tropes, you’re getting the swoons leading up to that moment when they finally realize they’re meant to be together — you’re getting that push and pull and you just want them to be together! For Abby and Cooper? They felt like best friends and, well, just that. Sure Abby was going on and on about her unrequited love for Cooper but I didn’t see anything from Cooper’s end in the romantic sense to be honest. I just didn’t feel it! This book was supposed to be full of cute swoons and I just didn’t feel anything between these two characters. I was disappointed to not enjoy it!
The narration was not my favorite – it probably will sound much better sped up because she reads things ve-ry sl-ow-ly.
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson Published by HarperCollins on January 16, 2018
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Mysteries & Detective Stories, Ghost Stories, School & Education, Boarding School & Prep School
Pages: 432
Format: Audiobook
Length: 10 hours and 12 minutes
Source: Publisher
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New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson weaves a delicate tale of murder and mystery in the first book of a striking new series, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and E. Lockhart.
Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. “A place,” he said, “where learning is a game.”
Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym “Truly, Devious.” It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.
True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester. But something strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder.
The two interwoven mysteries of this first book in the Truly Devious series dovetail brilliantly, and Stevie Bell will continue her relentless quest for the murderers in books two and three.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
My Thoughts:
When I was a kid, mysteries were almost all I read! I really enjoyed this one so much! I loved the setting, the dual timeline flashbacks and the reveals were done so well. I really enjoyed the cast of characters and pretty much flew through this one. I was constantly on the edge of my seat trying to figure out who this mysterious someone was murdering people. Be warned: this does end on a cliffhanger!! How will I wait until next year?! I have questions and I need answers! If you enjoy mysteries, thrillers, wonderful fast paced storytelling – you have to check this one out!
The narrator was fantastic and set the mood and atmosphere up nicely!
The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano Published by HarperCollins on October 24, 2017
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, General, Romance, Royalty
Pages: 416
Format: Audiobook
Length: 9 hours and 39 minutes
Source: Publisher
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The first in a new fantasy duology, The Glass Spare is a gorgeously told tale of love, loss, and deadly power from Lauren DeStefano, the bestselling author of the Chemical Garden series. Perfect for fans of Shannon Hale and Renee Ahdieh.
Wilhelmina Heidle, the fourth child and only daughter of the king of the world’s wealthiest nation, has grown up in the shadows. Kept hidden from the world in order to serve as a spy for her father—whose obsession with building his empire is causing a war—Wil wants nothing more than to explore the world beyond her kingdom, if only her father would give her the chance.
Until one night Wil is attacked, and she discovers a dangerous secret. Her touch turns people into gemstone. At first Wil is horrified—but as she tests its limits, she’s drawn more and more to the strange and volatile ability. When it leads to tragedy, though, Wil is forced to face the destructive power within her and finally leave her home to seek the truth and a cure.
But finding the key to her redemption puts her in the path of a cursed prince who has his own ideas for what to do with Wil’s power.
With a world on the brink of war and a power of ultimate destruction, can Wil find a way to help the kingdom that’s turned its back on her, or will she betray her past and her family forever?
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
My Thoughts:
Wil is a spy, a daughter of the King, a tipping force between two kingdoms – all elements of a new fantasy series that drew me in! I ended up liking the first half of the book significantly more than the second half though. We get a great introduction to this fantasy world and Wil and her brothers and the sibling aspect was one I really loved. You can just see the affection and love between the three of them and I always end up being such a fan of sibling relationships in books! The second half is different and the difference actually felt abrupt to me. We get introduced to Loom, apparently the love interest in the book, and I didn’t end up being a huge fan of him. Nothing against him in particular! He just seemed kind of meh to me. The plot in the second half felt like it was drifting and almost felt like it lost its way a bit. I started to lose interest and I missed the elements that I enjoyed in the first half. I felt like there was a lot of potential in the skeleton of this fantasy book but ultimately left me wanting.
The narrator was quite good though and enjoyable! I’d definitely recommend listening to it on audio.
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