Mini-Reviews | YA Contemporary Edition

Look, it's the end of the summer and I *finally* read some contemporary novels! I'm so proud of myself, because it's a genre I don't reach for a lot... I've been very late on my reviews (I read the first two books of the post a month ago... Oops), so I choose to do a mini-review post, as it's been awhile, and you'll also have everything in one place. Yay! I've also been in a blogging slump, because I don't have a lot of alone time these days, but I'll try to fix this in September (but uni will start again so I don't know if I'll be able to *sobs*).

The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I have a complicated relationship with Jennifer L. Armentrout's books. I loved her Lux series and Don't Look Back but never got into her other paranormal series, because they felt so cliché and I couldn't bear with it. I haven't read her New Adult books either, because it's a genre I hardly ever reach for - except for Colleen Hoover's novels - but I wanted to give this one a go.

In my opinion, this book is important, by the topics it brought and the message behind that. At times it could be a bit hard to read (urm listen to as I had it as an audiobook) because it didn't sugar-coat anything and I loved it. It felt so realistic and wasn't about privileged teens. If you're interested in reading about children abuse, foster kids, gangs… It was a good coming-of-age story about a girl who barely talk and I could totally relate to that (even if I don't have her trauma) and how it's frustrating not to know what to say, but also how people can judge you for it.

However, this book was way too long and it's one the main reasons I couldn't love it until the last part of the book that was fast-paced and a total page-turner. Moreover, the romance was so cringe-worthy. Mallory kept going on, and on, and on, about how hot Rider was and it was so frustrating: I GET IT, UGH. While I could feel the characters connection through it all, the way it was written made my eyes rolled, especially when the author was ending a chapter right before they kissed for the first time and then described it in details. There is a difference between romantic and cheesy…

Overall, this book tackled down some important topics and sometimes, I didn't see it coming. Nevertheless, I felt like there were so much drama at times and once again it could have been avoided (even if I understand that the characters are teens and all of that). The romance was cheesy and made me rolled my eyes more than once…

You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour & David Levithan

I went into this book without having really read anything by these authors before - except Will Grayson, Will Grayson, which David Levithan co-authored, but I definitely want to read more of their books now that I finished You Know Me Well. I picked this up because I wanted a quick read and it's definitely what I got, because I read it in a couple of hours.

It was refreshing to read a dual perspectives book where you knew, from the beginning, that the main characters weren't going to end up together. I feel like the authors' writing styles clicked well together, even though Mark and Kate's voices were distinct from each other, and I could relate to them both in different ways. Almost every character (except the parents?) were part of the LGBTQIA+ community and it was just there, for you to assume it, when the contrary happens more often than not for straight characters.

While this book involved romance aspects, it was more of a coming-of-age story about how you can't always get what you want, but also how it's okay to be lost. Moreover, it focused a lot on friendship and how you can bond with someone when you expect it the least and how it can change your life forever. You Know Me Well wasn't set at the beginning of the school year, which happens 85% of the time in contemporary, but during the last few days, where you can feel independence and freedom on the tip of your tongue. Moreover, it showed that college isn't the only way after high school, that sometimes you can need a break and it isn't discussed enough, in my opinion. It involved a lot of art, which was so fascinating and discovering the world behind all of it was interesting.

Overall, I read this coming-of-age story pretty quickly, it was addictive and I had so many feels while reading. If you're looking for a LGBTQIA+ book, I would definitely recommend this one!

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West

Kasie West is one of my go-to contemporary authors, because her novels are always so cute, even if predictable, but well… We're talking about YA romance novels, I've given up on being surprised! Of course, when P.S. I Like You was released, I wasn't able to wait and read it almost straight away, I devoured it and oh, how I loved it.

The concept of the story was unique, because it was about getting to know someone through notes, so it was about who he was and it didn't focus on the physical aspect. It was so much fun to imagine the characters writing entire letters during class, I would've been found out straight away, but it was so cute. Of course, I had figured out the pen pal's identity straight away, but I was curious to see how the author would make me fall for this character… And oh damn, she did it! I was shipping the characters together so hard and I loved their character development, because we learnt so much about them through the letters and it brought a new light to them.

I loved the family aspect of the story, because I'm from a big family and it's a personal pleasure to read about these dynamics. Kasie West definitely captured what it felt like to be part of such a family, how you don't feel like you exist for yourself sometimes, because you always need to help your parents out, or how your family must seem crazy to strangers and it can mess up some aspects of your social life. All of that felt so realistic and Lily's family will remain one of my favourite fictional ones (I need to make a post on the subject I think!).

Overall, I think this book was amazing for a cute contemporary romance. I was rooting for the characters and fell in love along with Lily, so the author was definitely successful. I would 100% recommend Kasie West's books and you should start with this one, as it's my favourite!

Everything Leads To You by Nina LaCour

After reading You Know Me Well, I was excited to read something by Nina LaCour and I had heard so many great things about Everything Leads To You. The hype was so real but it was so well-deserved, in my opinion. I'm excited to read anything she'll write next.

It was my first F/F romance actually (if we don't count You Know Me Well) and I really enjoyed it, I will definitely read more of them in the future. While this book involved a romance, it wasn't the main focus of the book, even though the characters interacted a lot. Indeed, this book was also about a mystery surrounding a movie superstar and its legacy, it was interesting and I was as involved as Emi and Charlotte in this search.

Moreover, this novel was set in Los Angeles and it was basically a behind-the-scenes of Hollywood, which I loved, because it's so interesting to read about it. Emi was an aspiring set designer and it was compelling to read about her having new opportunities and how everything she put in place was important for a movie. I have to say the design is something I don't always focus on (even if sometimes I'm awe-struck by rooms and need my apartment to be like that, haha). In fact, I'm glad that we saw everything about the pre-production and the book ended while they were starting filming, because it means we didn't get the glamorous parts, but what ends the fantasy, as the characters say.

I enjoyed reading about these characters, most of the main ones were so lost in their life and I was rooting for them to find their way, which they definitely did. I was shipping the characters together and I'm glad they got together at the end and not while they were in the middle of their own personal drama. Nina LaCour did great with the representation part, because there were persons of colours and people from different type of sexualities and I felt so pleased with that.

Overall, I wasn't blown away by this book, because it was easy to follow but it wasn't breath-taking. Nevertheless, it was a nice romance with characters I was rooting for and it brought to light some aspects of Hollywood we don't always see in books. If you're looking for a LGBTQIA+ book, I would definitely recommend it!

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? What was the last contemporary novel you read and loved?

More Depressed Than Not | More Happy Than Not

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

Published: June 2nd 2015 by Soho Teen

Genre: young adult, contemporary, science-fiction

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

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

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

Why does happiness have to be so hard?

REVIEW

Um, sorry, but it wasn't my cup of tea. I read this book because of all the hype it received for the last year, I was curious to see what that mind-blowing twist was. Moreover, Adam Silvera seems like such an amazing person – with BEA happening last month, I kept seeing him everywhere – so I wanted to love his first book. But to be honest, during the first part of the book – until the said twist – I was bored.

I never managed to connect to any of the characters and it felt monotonous, because it was the same things over and over. I understand that's what our everyday lives are like, but I don't care about playing manhunt... The first time, it had a use for the story, but after that, I was yawning. The secondary characters were one-dimensional and were just there as a tool for the story. I particularly disliked Aaron's 'friends', for obvious reasons and I think his dad's reason to commit suicide was unrealistic. It couldn't be just that, like her mom said, but we never really got an explanation and I would have liked that, as it was a big hole in the story. Moreover, I'm not a fan of too much swearing, it gets annoying when it has the 'f' word three times in one sentence. Duh.

The twist was amazing and I can totally see why so many readers thought it was mind-blowing, because it was. It's what made the book, because it would have been any other generic YA contemporary novel if it hadn't been for that. In my opinion, the book got a lot better after that twist, because it is what made me invested into Aaron's story. I felt so depressed reading this book though, maybe that's why I struggled that much with it, but I didn't shed a tear, which I was pretty disappointed in. The ending was bittersweet for sure, but it felt like life, the book truly succeeded in that.

I loved the messages this book was trying to pass through and how it depicted all the struggles teens had to get through. I loved how it showed most teenagers have no idea what they're doing, because it was how it was for me (and still is for some aspects). It was a true coming-of-age story, that didn’t try to sugar-coat anything and showed how harsh life can be. I'm also happy to see how diverse this book was, without trying to be, it was in the characters and the story, and I want more authors to write like that.

The futuristic twist was also a really interesting idea and I really enjoyed the way the author treated it. It’s true that coping with our memories can be hard sometimes, but they’re part of who we are and we can’t really run away from them. It was such a good moral to this story, in my opinion.

Overall, I have pretty mixed feelings about this book, but I loved the twist, that made the whole novel. If you're looking for a LGBTQIA+ YA novel, you should definitely check this one out, but be warned: you'll be depressed by the end. I will definitely read Adam Silvera's next novel, even if this one wasn't exactly for me.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? Are you excited for History Is All You Left Me, Adam Silvera's next book?

An hilarious and original take on the Chosen One | Carry On

Title: Carry On

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Published: October 6th 2015 by St. Martin's Griffin

Goodreads summary: Simon Snow just wants to relax and savor his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest, and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away in the mountains where maybe he'll be safe. Simon can't even enjoy the fact that his roommate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can't stop worrying about the evil git. Plus, there are ghosts. And vampires. And actual evil things trying to shut Simon down. When you're the most powerful magician the world has ever known, you never get to relax and savor anything.

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

For your information, I finished this book November 4^th and I’m writing my review November 22^nd and… I didn’t take notes while reading the book so I might not be as precise as I wanted to be… Sometimes I regret decisions my past-self took but well that’s a challenge!

When I first heard about this book, I didn’t know if I would read it or no. I enjoyed Fangirl but that was all, I think it was a 3 stars for me, you know? I wasn’t sure I cared enough about the fanfiction parts of the book to read another book based on that fanfiction. And then, the book came out, and people raved about it. Because of that, I gave this book a try and I don’t regret it at all.

(Behold while I jump in the lake of my emotions)

Like many readers, a part of me was scared it would be a shallow copy of Harry Potter, but it’s not. Yes, at first I kept comparing everyone to Harry Potter characters, but then I got to know the characters and they really existed in my head. Like in her previous books, Rainbow Rowell wrote realistic characters that I loved reading about, because they weren’t perfect. Simon Snow is the perfect example of that, because he is THE CHOSEN ONE, but he can’t control his magic and makes mistakes all the time. Because of that, it was easier to read about him. My favourite character must have been Penelope who was so strong and independent. I liked Baz but I won’t fangirl like a… fangirl? (Such a poor choice of words, Lucie). However, I have to say I’m not satisfied about Agatha. She seemed to be the character doomed to make mistakes all along and that you had to hate her. I found she didn’t have a real chance to be in the book.

I really enjoyed the world building and the magic system in this book, for example the fact that they could create spells. It was SO cool. I know some people felt confused at the beginning, because the world is thrown at us like we had read the previous books in the series (when they don’t exist). To be honest, I was a little confused and I think I would appreciate this book more if I reread it someday. But Rainbow Rowell intended to make this book as if it was the conclusion to an epic series, so I understand why she did it that way. Moreover, I think if I had knew the world beforehand, I would have guessed the plot twists, so it wouldn’t have been as fun.

I felt the first part of the book dragged a little bit, because it just felt like Simon was moping because Baz wasn’t there. It was clearly to show there would be a romance between them and it was kind of irritating, because I found Simon to be more worried about him than his potential plans, when he has been is nemesis for seven years. It was awkward, in my opinion. It made me feel like the story resolved a lot around Baz… But it also reminded me how Harry was obsessed with Drago in The Half-Blood Prince. However, the romance between Simon and Baz was SO CUTE AND ADORABLE I just want to hug them. Just like in her previous books, Rainbow made my heart warmer because of the romance.

Still, the plot of this book was amazing. It was about eliminating the villain in this world, but also a quest to the truth for some characters’ past. It was full of mystery, action, plot twists and I really liked that aspect. The ending was unusual but I really liked it because of that, even if a part of it is kind of weird, you’ll understand what I’m talking about if you read it.

Final Thoughts:

This book was hilarious and so much more than a parody of Harry Potter. The characters were realistic and I was able to relate to them. The romance was swoony-worthy, like with Rainbow's other books, you'll love it. It was her first fantasy book and I think she did it well, the plot was truly amazing. GO READ IT.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? Did you ship Simon/Baz to the moon and back? Did you think Agatha didn't have a chance to shine in this book? 

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda | Book Review

Title: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Author: Becky Albertalli

Published: April 7th 2015 by Balzer + Bray

Goodreads summary: Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

REVIEW

As a side note, don't you think everyone should have to come out? Why is straight the default? Everyone should have to declare one way or another, and it should be this big awkward thing whether you're straight, gay, bi, or whatever. 

I didn't expect to love this novel as much as I did, because I'm hard to please with contemporaries. I always prefer the cute and coming of age stories, that one was like that. I had a hard time when I started this book because I was in a reading slump, I started it at the middle of August and finished it in September. It was hard to remember who character was who, but after that, I totally enjoyed my time reading this book. 

Simon is such a genuine character that us, bookworms, could easily relate to: he likes to have his grammar straight and he loves Harry Potter, like he dresses up as a dementor for Halloween and he's like "You're not my friend anymore" at some girl who doesn't know what that is. Moreover, he likes Oreos, I'm hungry because of that while writing this review. 

He has such a supportive family, who loves him the way he is, I really liked that. His friends are also really supportive, and their relationships were realistic, because they had their ups and downs. 

I really enjoyed the emails with Blue, and I'm happy because I guessed who it was! Blue and Simon are so, so cute together, it was such an heart warming romance. Moreover, it's more about falling in love with someone by getting to know him without any idea of what that person looks like.

It was a cute romance, of course coming out was hard for Simon because of some events, but I liked the way the author dealt with that subject, in fact, that novel was full of hope.

Did you read this book? What did you think of it? For those who didn't, are you interested? 

Review : I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Title: I'll Give You the Sun

Author: Jandy Nelson

Publisher: Dial Books

Release Date: September 16th 2014

Goodreads Summary: A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell 

Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

This radiant novel from the acclaimed, award-winning author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once

REVIEW

"Hmm. Well, unfortunately, it's been said very recently I stay away from you or I get castrated." He sits up and spins his hands in the air like Guillermo. "Castration, Oscore! Understand? You have seen me use the circular saw, yes?"

I know I'm minority here, but I didn't love this book, mostly because of the writing. It was a little too metaphorical for my tastes, and the chapters were way too long. At first, I liked the chapter, and then I was wondering when it would end-not a really good way to read.

I still enjoyed the characters, so different but so true, I couldn't relate to them, though. It was interesting to have Jude's POV when she was 16 and Noah's when he was 13 then 14, it  made me hate one character, but then with the next chapter I couldn't anymore. It conflicted me over everyone, but when I saw the end, I knew I still had to dislike Jude and the Mom, because I didn't like their choices, even if the boycott was a good idea. I liked the twins dynamic, and how they divided the world, which is the title of the novel, I'll give you the sun, something one of them says.

I liked the art aspect of this book, I kept picturing Noah's art, it was really fun! The story was enjoyable, it was a coming of age story, with every discovering and mistakes. I particularly loved when Brian and Noah were figuring everything out in his room.

Sadly, I don't have much to say on this book because you'll love it if you love the writing style. Unfortunately, I didn't, but it was still a good story. Moreover, I liked that we could only understand everything because of two different points of view and timelines, it was a nice way to wrap up this story.

Rating: 3/5