I purchased this book on a whim when I saw it for a great price on Book Outlet a few years ago, simply because I was intrigued by the synopsis and I liked the cover. It sat on my shelf for a few years, until I finally decided to give it a go, and I’m really pleased that I finally did! I honestly don’t entirely know what I was expecting out of this, but it was somehow different, and I enjoyed it!
A large part of this book was set/based around a video store, and it evoked the nostalgia of visiting the video store to rent movies and video games. There used to be a video store in my town that would give out free rentals for the summer for each A on a report card that children would bring in from the school year. Those visits to the store to pick out all the different movies to watch and video games to try on my Wii were so much fun, and this book put me in the mood to go to one of those stores again!! Unfortunately, I don’t think those stores even exist anymore.
There was also a really cool (for me) part in which Zach was telling Addie about his pet fish, and he says, "We actually started out with him and another fish - a yellow molly called Molly. But Goldie ate him within, like, six hours of both of them being brought home." This was super exciting for me because when I was really young, I had a yellow pet fish, Sunshine, which I think may have been a molly. Unfortunately, we got him on the same day as my sister's fish, and apparently the two types of fish we got don’t get along well. My sister’s fish nibbled on Sunshine’s fins until he died within a week! I was devastated. It’s honestly become one of my go-to childhood stories, but I’ve never heard of this happening with anybody else, fictional or real-life!
The romance in this book is really interesting and unique. (view spoiler)[I cannot think of another story I’ve read in which one main character falls in love with another character who is still in love with their ex. This is not in any way a creative or new idea, and it’s actually very realistic, but I don’t think it’s something that is explored often in romances. Maybe that’s because we’re so used to having happy endings that most writers don’t go the route of creating a romance between two characters just to have one of them going back to their old partner. Regardless, it made this story stand out a little bit from a lot of the others that I’ve read recently, and it’s a topic that I’d like to see in other books in the future (so please send your recommendations my way). (hide spoiler)]
I had two main issues with this book: I didn’t think that the characters were fleshed out enough. I understand that Addie’s character was supposed to have gaps, so to speak, since she was missing vital parts of her memory, but I still felt like she could have been rounded out a little better, and there were other characters who didn’t have as much dimension as I would have liked. This was especially true in the case of Addie’s supposed best friend, Katie, who she honestly didn’t seem that close with. I had a hard time believing that the two of them were best friends for such a long time, and I don’t think we saw enough of Katie to really understand her character or relationship with Addie. She wasn’t present for most of the ‘Before’ parts of the story because she was at camp, and she was absent in a great deal of ‘After’ chapters as well. I don’t think we ever got a complete explanation for Addie’s hallucination of Zach. I’m still not sure of why she started seeing him, why it started at that time, or how he seemed much more real/solid than a hallucination. She could touch him, and I may not remember this correctly, but I think he also caught her or helped her from falling once?? Or did he give her his jacket when she was cold? I can’t quite remember the details, but sometimes the scenes between Addie and memory Zach seemed like more than just imagination, and I would have liked a better explanation for it.
On a totally random, different note, I really liked this quote that the doctor said toward the end of the book: “Sometimes I’ll think about her, wonder if she looks the same. What she did after college, whether she ever thinks about me, wonders about me.” His voice gets fainter and fainter. “Where she is right now.” He pauses. “And what she’s done with her piece of my heart.”
This story reminded me a little bit of The Program trilogy by Suzanne Young. I read that series so long ago, but it was based around the idea of suicide becoming an epidemic for teenagers, so The Program was created to erase negative memories of teenagers who were depressed or suicidal. The whole premise of removing certain memories was really similar in both of these stories, except The Program is more of a dystopian novel, while Everyone We’ve Been was more of a contemporary with dystopian elements.
Overall, it was a solid book and a nice change of pace from my other recent reads. ...more
What… what is this? Do my eyes deceive me? A new adult book with a healthy relationship? And a strong female lead? And a love interest that’s not a total manwhore or douchebag? And without an overabundance of smut? And no slut shaming? And full of women supporting women? (The protagonist doesn’t believe 80% of the female population to be a bunch of sluts trying to steal her man?!?! What a concept!) And male characters that are not incredibly sexist and degrading toward women? And actually has positive messages? And is relatively realistic? AM I DREAMING?
This was easily one of the best new adult books that I’ve ever read, no pun intended. And honestly, that makes this review immensely difficult to write. I really, really enjoyed the novel and was very pleasantly surprised by numerous elements, and yet it is so difficult for me to effectively articulate how fantastic this story is.
Having recently read (and disliked) The Deal by Elle Kennedy, which is a little similar to this story, this book was even more eye-opening, I think. I don’t mean to compare the two books too much, but I simply can’t help myself from doing so. In practically all of the ways that The Deal was flawed, Easy was improved.
I am so sick of seeing rape used as a plot device in new adult books. I have read so many NA romances in which the protagonist has been sexually assaulted and it is so tiring. It's a very serious topic and I feel that many NA romance authors just throw it into the story. It is not a topic to be dealt with lightly, but unfortunately that seems to usually be the case. In this case, however, the rape was an important part of the plot, it was well incorporated into the narrative, and it was dealt with in a proper, respectful, and realistic manner. In The Deal, for instance, the protagonist felt broken after previously being raped and jut about begged the male love interest to have sex with her to “fix her”. And yes, it actually worked. (I wish I were kidding) In Easy, our protagonist was sexually assaulted and realistically (and thankfully), she didn’t magically heal after some wild sex. Jacqueline's path to healing was so much healthier and she was honestly such an empowering heroine. I also loved how the rapist was actually dealt with here. It was very realistic in my opinion. The way that a lot of his friends and frat brothers initially tried to reason why he would do it or not even believe the girls was something that actually happens way too often in real life, but I loved how the women in this story didn't stand for it. Instead of the stereotypical new adult girls that are constantly at each other’s throats, usually because they’re fighting over some douchebag of a guy, these women supported each other and lifted one another up. Something else that was a little surprising, but in the absolute best way possible was the incorporation of the self-defense classes that Jacqueline took with her friend after she had been raped. I felt such a swell of pride for Jacqueline for her incredible strength and perseverance, especially at the end of the story. It was great to see such a strong female lead that did more than just rely on her new boyfriend for protection. It was inspiring and wonderful to see her as a really positive role model. (Of course, I’m not saying that this s the only or the correct way to deal with sexual assault. Everybody deals with things in their own way and I’m not trying to say that this is what victims should do. I just mean that it is refreshing to see a strong female lead that uses healthy coping methods to heal emotionally and prepare herself to be able to defend herself in the future instead of relying on other people, specifically men.)
I also have to mention how happy I am to have finally found a new adult romance that does not include an overabundance of smut, because I find that it is often the foundation of many NA novels. Of course, to each their own, but smut is just not for me. On one hand, I hate reading it, but on the other hand, I love reading books that feature protagonists in college/university. It is incredibly frustrating that you normally cannot find one without the other and I have to skim through large portions of the book. That is just one more reason why I was so thrilled with this novel. The romance was definitely a little more mature and steamy than a young adult romance would be, but it did not go into excessive detail, which I thought that it was the perfect balance, especially for the older protagonists. I really, really wish that more authors and publishers would take note of this and make a push for more books that are like this one. I know I can’t be the only reader that feels this way.
It’s really sad that finding a book like this is such a pleasant surprise, but the majority of new adult romance is absolute garbage.I have started and been unable to finish countless NA novels just because of how horrible, offensive, disgusting, and unrealistic, not to mention overdone the stories are. It genuinely blows my mind that books like that are still being praised, let alone published. I may be wrong, but I believe this is part of the reason why the new adult genre is often not taken seriously by publishing companies and retailers. The vast majority of NA books are filled with annoying and flat-out disgusting tropes like the ones that I mentioned above, and many of them borderline erotica, which is a genre that many people, myself included, will not read. Based on how horrible many of them are, it's no wonder that the genre isn't given the credit it deserves. The jump from young adult to adult books is much too large, and a genre to fit in between in definitely a necessity. I hope that in the future we can see more books like this that a multitude of readers in their late teens and early twenties can relate to and enjoy!
The romance was great!! It was sweet and entertaining, and I was so pleased to find a new adult romance that may have been a little steamier than a young adult romance would be, but still not overly explicit or smutty. Personally, I loved reading books about older protagonists in college because that is what I relate to most at this point in my life, but it is painfully difficult to find NA romances that are not a smut fest. This is probably the cleanest new adult romance that I have ever read and it was such a pleasant surprise for me. I liked Lucas a lot! I really enjoyed reading the emails that Jacqueline and “Landon” sent back and forth. The banter was super cute and fun! (view spoiler)[ I don’t know if it was supposed to be a plot twist that Lucas and Landon were the same person, but I figured it out almost immediately. I wish it had somehow been done more subtly so that it would have been a surprise. I still enjoyed it though and I liked that the reason why still remained a mystery! (hide spoiler)]
This was a wonderful and entertaining novel that dealt with many relevant and important issues. I think this book is a must-read for any romance fan and is definitely a great choice for anyone new to the new adult genre!...more
Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Mall is a quick and lively coming-of-age tale set at a shopping mall in the ‘90s. It’s unique, fun, and sure to put a smile on your face!
I really, really loved the setting of this story. The choice to keep the entirety of this novel set in the shopping mall was a really unique decision, and in my opinion, it was brilliant. I loved visiting all of the different stores, but even more than that, I ADORED watching the way that the employees from different stores interacted with one another! Something that I think would have been a very cool addition to the book is a map of the mall! Books that have maps in them are the elite. It makes the world, or in this case, the mall, seem so much more realistic and immersive!
As a nineteen year old, I could not relate well to the nineties nostalgia of the book. I understood all of the references - I mean, Cabbage Patch dolls were popular when I was young too (which is rather unfortunate because those things are anything but cute), and I’ve worn and loved scrunchies for my entire life - but other than being fun and refreshing, the ‘90s setting didn’t really do all that much for me. However, I feel that this will certainly be an element that anyone who grew up in this era will really enjoy!
This book had very short chapters, which was something that I absolutely adored. It made for a fantastic, quick pace that consistently kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat. I also very much appreciated the fact that the chapters had titles, which were often witty to boot, and that is unfortunately something that I very rarely see in YA books these days. It’s a real shame because titled chapters make everything better, in my opinion.
The mystery aspect of this story was fun and intriguing, not to mention totally unexpected! The treasure hunt added a really exciting twist to the book, but I wish we had gotten a little bit more emphasis on it. In all honesty, the ending of the hunt was a little unsatisfying for me. I did very much enjoy moving from deciphering the clues and traveling from store to store in the mall with the girls, though!
I had expected this novel to have a heavier emphasis on romance than it actually did, which I as a huge romance fan, I was initially disappointed by. Upon further reflection, however, I think it was a wise and realistic choice. A lot of teenagers don’t actually have relationships or fall in love in high school, so it’s really so much more refreshing and relatable to find a YA story that focuses more on personal growth and friendships than a big, dramatic love story. I got so swept up in the thrill of the treasure hunt, and watching Cassie’s personal growth and friendships that I honestly didn’t miss having a romance one bit.
The writing style of this book was very unique. It was written in past tense first person, but also as though the protagonist is directly speaking with you. For instance: Wood World was the only store at the mall devoted to the boner arts. Ha! Get it? Gotcha! Just joshing! Wood World sold quality woodcrafts but whee! That’s how giddy I felt - giddy enough to come up with a dumb dick joke with no one to share it with.
An element of this book that I really enjoyed was the humour. This story ended up being way funnier than I had been anticipating, There were countless moments that had me laughing out loud, which helped shape this book into such an easy and light-hearted read! Here are a few examples:
With the tiniest push of a pinky, I sent my ex sprawling backward into the massage chair - for all I knew - he might be to this very day.
”It didn’t seem random,” I said. “She screamed, ‘Die, Mono Bitch.’” “What?” Troy asked. “Are you sure?” I held my head under the faucet, swished water around my mouth, and spit it out. “Yeah. I’m sure.” “No, it was definitely: ‘Try Melon Spritz,” Troy replied. “Maybe the mono damaged your eardrums.”
Furthermore, having read The Mall while in quarantine due to the coronavirus, it was oddly ironic that the protagonist had just emerged from self-isolation at home because she had caught mono. After six weeks of quarantine, I was finally reunited with my boyfriend, Troy. But forty-three days of social isolation and physical deprivation had taken a major toll. (Oh, how I wish that this quarantine only lasted 43 days…)
Can we all take a minute to appreciate the cover?!? It’s bright, unique, and fun, which I think perfectly encompasses this story! I feel like many of the covers for recent YA contemporary releases have been very similar, and as much as I do enjoy an illustrated cover, it’s getting a little boring. This one really stands out and I appreciate how original it is.
All in all, this was a quick, atmospheric, and zesty coming-of-age tale with a focus on friendship and self-discovery! I would definitely recommend this book to fans of Sarah Dessen because this novel shared a similar vibe to her work. This story had the same fun, summery feel, except this was a lot less romance-heavy than many of Sarah Dessen’s more popular books....more
This was my first time reading a Sophie Kinsella novel, but I must admit, I wasn’t blown away. I’ve always heard such positive things about her writing. I hear endless raving about her Shopaholic series among others, and I know that many people seem to view her as the queen of adult chick-lit romance. I was so excited to dive into one of her books for the first time, but I can’t help but be a tiny bit disappointed. Also, totally irrelevant, but I had no idea that Sophie Kinsella was British or that this book took place in England going into it. I suppose the outline of the Big Ben and the London Eye on the cover of the book should have been a giveaway, but I somehow didn’t notice it until part way through the book. Again, irrelevant; just a fun fact.
Don’t get me wrong; some parts were entertaining. The scene in which Poppy and Sam visited the jeweler together to get a replacement ring was laugh-out loud hilarious. It was brilliantly done, and genuinely one of the funniest things I have ever read. It still makes me giggle just thinking about it, months later! There was also some wonderfully comedic dialogue at times, such as this delightful tidbit: "You wanted two rings?" Wanda seems almost speechless. "Well, I hope that desire won't apply to your husband as well as your engagement ring!" Antony says, with heavy humour. "Eh, Magnus?" If only the whole book had been as well-done as those scenes! And that’s what confuses me. Some parts were super funny and entertaining to read, without being overly unrealistic. But then there were other scenes that were so obscenely stupid and ridiculous they left me completely baffled. For instance, I'm still trying to recover from the scene in which Poppy announced that she was a singing telegram to the Japanese businessman, and then proceeded to sing his name to the tune of Single Ladies. And dance. In the middle of a hotel lobby. I am still speechless. It was truly the most ludicrous thing I have ever read. How the hell did somebody come up with this idea, think that it was a good idea, write a scene for the idea, send it to an editor, who did dot demand that this scene be deleted, and then get this book published WITH THE SCENE?! I can’t believe that somewhere, somehow along the way somebody didn’t put an end to this insanity! HOW? That brings me to my main issue with the book. Most of it was simply too unrealistic and far-fetched. I also did not particularly care for any of the characters. Poppy was annoying and nosy and I struggled to gain any sort of emotional attachment to the other characters. Most of them seemed to fall flat or felt more like caricatures.
I will say that the plot twist (view spoiler)[ in which we discovered Magnus had used that same old ring that had been passed down in his family to propose to COUNTLESS OTHER WOMEN was pretty fantastic! As the reader, you, just like Poppy, are so annoyed with Magnus’ parents because they seem to think that they and their son are too good for Poppy. You are saddened and offended when they try to talk Magnus out of the marriage. But then, oh, but then, you find out that they were actually trying to protect Poppy from their son who had also tried to marry numerous other women in the past (with the same engagement ring!)! It actually took me completely off guard and it was a very pleasant surprise. And then when Magnus’ mother told Poppy that if a man really wanted to marry her, he would pick out a ring for himself. When Magnus returned soon after that with a supposedly new ring that is later revealed to be from his mother's jewelry box, it was another great little twist, even if it had been a tin bit more predictable. (hide spoiler)]
If I’m to be entirely honest, I initially hated the book because I couldn’t get over how annoying and unlikable Poppy was, as well as how unrealistic many of the situations, including the overall plot were. However, elements of it grew on me and overall, I would say that I did enjoy the novel. I would never read it again, and I don’t see myself picking up another Sophie Kinsella book in the near future, but perhaps some day. I feel like you have to take the book for what it is. Don’t go into it brilliant writing, well-developed characters, or a realistic storyline. Go in for a quirky, fluffy rom-com, and stay for the occasional hilarious scene or piece of dialogue. That’s what I did.....more
If you're searching for an insane and highly entertaining YA thriller, look no further.
This is seriously one of the wildest stories I have ever read, but gosh, am I ever glad that I did! I don't think I had ever even heard about this book before, but it was on sale for a really good price at my local book store and the synopsis was intriguing enough, so I picked it up. It's been a really long time since I've read a thriller, and I honestly forgot the thrill that I get out of them (I guess that's why they're called thrillers, haha)
Bad Girls with Perfect faces is a serious page-turner! I was drawn in and intrigued within the first few chapters, and it kept getting better, and better, and even better. It was deliciously addictive and jaw-dropping with plot twists galore! Every single time I thought we had it figured it out, something else insane was thrown our way. This was me literally every five minutes while reading this book:
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It had me gasping and shrieking with every wild, unexpected twist and turn, and I loved every singe second of it. I was thoroughly entertained the whole way through. The ending shocked me, but in the very best way possible.
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I really enjoyed the writing style of the story. It was told from multiple points of views, which I think was a great choice. It added a lot of dimension to the story and really helped in building the mystery.
The characters were unique and fascinating with interesting backstories and relationships with one another. I loved Xavier! He was gentle, loyal, kind, caring, sensitive, and a really great friend and boyfriend; he did not deserve everything that he went through. He was truly the sweetest little bean.
My only minor complaint was the ending. It was pretty open-ended and there were a couple of details that I feel should have been better explained. (view spoiler)[ I didn't quite understand how Gwen managed to kill Ivy. I mean, how do you accidentally choke somebody to death? What were the events that lead up to that while they were in the woods? (hide spoiler)]
This was my first Lynn Weingarten book, but I think I would now consider myself a fan. I purchased a copy of Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls a while back, and I'm now extremely excited to get to it because I was so impressed by this one.
I would definitely recommend Beautiful Girls with Perfect Faces, especially if you enjoy mysteries or thrillers!
*I read this book during The Reading Rush 2019. It fulfilled the prompt of a book with a title with 5 or more words....more
This was a super quick and easy read, but it was completely unlike anything that I've ever read before. I believe that this was the first poetry book that I've read before, and I really, really enjoyed the writing style! It was told in alternating points of view, with each of the girls having a different type of poetry. I particularly enjoyed Darra's poetry style which included an additional story hidden in the main poem, which was found by reading all the last words of the long lines of the poem. (I feel like that doesn't sound like it makes sense but you'll see what I mean if you read it). The additional poem really didn't add all that much to the story, but it was unique, interesting, and fun to go through the poem to find it. The fact that it was written in verse made for a very quickly paced story that I managed to read in just one day.
The plot itself was also quite unique and interesting. I was captivated from the very first page and the book was difficult to put down the entire way through. I really loved the beginning of the story and watching Wren struggle to escape. I wish that section of the book would have been a little bit longer. I think there was a lot of room to expand and it would have been worth delving deeper into her experience. I also would have enjoyed learning a little bit more about Wren's life after the kidnapping and how she dealt with such a traumatic experience. However, these are only minor complaints that I have and I enjoyed the story despite these things.
The cover for the book is stunning! It's very simplistic but so, so beautiful! The flowers and greenery are especially vibrant in person. However, I'm not really sure that it's a great fit for the book. It think it's a great match for the title, but not necessarily the story itself.
If you're looking for a super short but interesting read or something written in verse, I would suggest giving this one a try!
*I read this book during The Reading Rush 2019. It fulfilled the prompt of reading an entire book in the same spot (in this case, my bed!)....more
Daniella (Reading With Daniella)
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