Whenever I'm in a funk, I return home. This book -- and yes, I swear to the gods it's a book because it is without a doubt one of the best pieces of wWhenever I'm in a funk, I return home. This book -- and yes, I swear to the gods it's a book because it is without a doubt one of the best pieces of writing I have ever read -- is my home.
It's perfect. And I don't say that lightly <3 ...more
And I do not say that lightly. I mean, I literally have such an author-girl crush on this fantastic author that I I AM IN LOVE WITH CLAIRE LAZEBNIK. ♥
And I do not say that lightly. I mean, I literally have such an author-girl crush on this fantastic author that I read ALL THREE of her YA contemporary novels (all based on Jane Austen novels, by the way) in one day. This is not an exaggeration. My best friend will attest to the fact that I would not let him interrupt me during that period where I surrounded myself by Claire's wit for a full twenty-four hours, reading and re-reading the passages I thought were best.
(And believe me, there are A LOT of them.)
Cutesy novels have the misfortune of getting low ratings because people tend to believe that cute = without depth, and they automatically rate it lower than they would, say, a classic, even though they loved it just as much (maybe even more!) than more intense novels.
And I'm here to say that THAT IS TOTALLY UNTRUE AND UNFAIR AND NOOOOOOOOOO.
Epic Fail, based lightly off Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is everything I could want in a book and MORE. It is heart-warming, and realistic, and hilarious, and fun, and epic, and sweet, and OH MY SWEET GOODNESS, the wit! The banter! The comments from our oh-so-lovable heroine Elise in our oh-so-lovable cast -- they kill me again and again, because she's so sarcastically funny and awesome and realistic that I truly wish I could be her.
(I mean, I admire Tris and Katniss from Divergent and The Hunger Games, but would I want to be them? Maybe I'd want to have their bravery and strength, but their other attributes -- like humor and realism -- can sometimes be lacking. Elise, on the other hand? I want to be EVERYTHING she is. ♥)
And the part about cutesy novels sometimes lacking depth? SCREW THAT! This book had the perfect about of realistic self-doubt and depth, and it subtly deals with flaws in humanity, and it makes you connect with the cast throughout everything they do, AND it's just... like life, you know? Life isn't perfect -- Elise's certainly isn't -- but the way Claire LaZebnik portrays it is perfect.
You already know how much love I have for witty, hilarious, adorable, fun Elise. But then there's her relationship with her older-by-one-year sister, Juliana (who she calls Jules), and Juliana's relationship with her new super-adorable-likeable-sweet boyfriend, Chase, and Chase's relationship with his best-friend-and-son-of-famous-people, Derek, and Derek's relationship with Elise.
OH MY GOD, THE SWOONS.
The cast? (See above.)AWESOME. The inspiration? (Jane Austen)AWESOME. The storyline? (Elise's mom getting a job at a private school for rich kids that her and her sisters are forced to attend, where all sorts of epic fun happens and let's not forget the cute boys...) AWESOME. The everything? Just awesome, awesome, so incredibly AWESOME.
(You know how we all love Anna and the French Kiss because of the characters and the chemistry and the fun while also managing to be relatable and perfectly imperfect? Yeah, well that is EXACTLY this book. And all of Claire LaZebnik's books.)
I don't care what you say, these three novels are going to be part of my selective few that I'm allowed to lug two hours away into my tiny dorm room when I move to university in September. I MUST HAVE CLAIRE'S WIT WITH ME AT ALL TIMES.
And on a side note, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REMEMBER: Rate books based on how much YOU enjoy them. Justifying your feelings is good, but it is not necessary (especially if you're too busy to write a long-winded review with a million GIFs). But don't say you love a book when you don't, just because everyone else is rating it high. In retrospect, don't say you hate a book if you really secretly love it, just because your Goodreads friends are ranting about how much of a piece of sh*t it is. (If they're really your Goodreads friends, I'm sure they'll love you regardless of which side of the fence you stand on in regards to the one book he or she wants to burn in hell.) I have loved a lot of books with low ratings and have hated a lot of books with high ratings, and while I'm still trying to find my own footing, I have learned that being true to what I feel about a book is the most important thing -- even more than being influenced by what other readers say.
(Even when some things that they write seem A MILLION times more in depth and epic than what my seventeen-year-old mind can form. LOL.)
Just food for thought. And more: I really loved this book :)
I do not write reviews anymore. But this had to be written.
This book was heartbreaking. Heart-wrenching. Completely and totally tear-jerking. But it was also so beautiful and mind-blowingly powerful that its pThis book was heartbreaking. Heart-wrenching. Completely and totally tear-jerking. But it was also so beautiful and mind-blowingly powerful that its place on my favourites shelf was secured immediately. ♥...more
This one is definitely my favourite out of all Samantha Young's books! I have to admit that I judged Jo just like everyone else did whenHELLO 5 STARS!
This one is definitely my favourite out of all Samantha Young's books! I have to admit that I judged Jo just like everyone else did when we first met her in On Dublin Street because I had no idea of her situation, and also just like everyone else, I was WRONG WRONG WRONG.
Jo is my favourite kind of heroine: intelligent, sexy, witty, selfless, and so damn brave. She never fell for those easy cliche cop-outs that many contemporary romance MCs follow to add extra insecurity. Sure, she hurt like everyone else, but she also FELT. She was REAL. Her relationship and protectiveness of her younger brother, Cole (such an adorable kid! <3), was so BLOODY AMAZING. Even when things went wrong, she didn't revert back into herself because she witnessed how it screwed up her friends and she reached out to them, which literally made me tear up for her!
And her and Cam debuted high on my list of favourite couples. And considering how 99.9% of all books I read have at least some sort of romance in it? Yup, you can imagine how amazing their chemistry much be to earn that high of praise! I love how Cam first acts around her -- treating her lowly like the gold-digger everyone thinks she is -- and how surprised and mollified and embarrassed and sorry he is when he realizes, along with the rest of us, that Jo is probably the best person there is. (Maybe next to Ellie, but Ellie is just obviously sweet to anyone.) Their relationship develops with their characters and it's honestly the most beautiful thing to watch. :)
Reading such amazing romances like this probably do nothing good for my real-life expectations. But oh well. I'm too invested in this fictional, interconnected, Scotland-based world to leave! <3
Liv and Nate's book is next -- and it's a best-friend-turned-lovers kind of tale! I can't wait! ...more
Normally I round my GR ratings down with half stars (because the more I read, the more picky I seem to be with my books and Rating: 4.5 shining stars!
Normally I round my GR ratings down with half stars (because the more I read, the more picky I seem to be with my books and giving them a full FIVE), but I just had to round up for this one. Because it was FUN and SEXY and HOT and COMPLETELY ORIGINAL and SWOON-WORTHY and ADORABLE and I FREAKING LOVE REESE & MASON!
(And yes, all those caps were completely necessary.)
Mason -- sexy, snarky, and seriously superhumanly spectacular -- is a gigolo and everyone knows it. To support his scatterbrained mother and special needs sister, he sleeps with wealthy older women and takes the self-punishment (as well as the result of being degraded by most women because of it) ten fold. He isn't looking for redemption, and no one is looking to give it to him.
Until Reese.
Price of a Kiss just blew me away with how much I loved it! Not only was Reese the most amazing voice ever (quirky yet conventional, innocent but worldy, reserved yet outgoing, candid yet guarded, trendy but also practical, and childlike while still managing to be mature... like Mason says, "a perfect contradiction"), but everything she is and does, as well as every quick bantering of teases and flirtations she has with Mason, make her a girl I would seriously make my new best friend! She is fun and witty and amazing with Mason's little sister; she knows how to make people smile; she is relatable in every sense as well as being the girl you aspire to be; and she shows compassion without being cheesy or even remotely annoying.
AND TOGETHER? Oh my... *swoons* It's been a while since I felt chemistry simmer and boil and freaking EXPLODE the way it does between Reese and Mason! They are hot. The sexual tension is excitingly flammable. But it's their quick-witted interactions and grin-worthy interactions that make me one of my FAVOURITE COUPLES OF ALL TIME.
I don't even know where to start on the plotline. But is it smexy perfect? Um, YES TIMES A MILLION! <3
The only reason this isn't a full five stars (and even then, I still think it's worth a million, as much of a contradiction that is) is because of the little tidbit of awkward over-description in the beginning. But that is the ONLY flaw, and I mean that with every fibre of my being! (Seriously. AMAZING. WOW.)
With fantastic characters, fiery chemistry, and a storyline that is not only original but will have your heart more invested with every word, Price of a Kiss will make you swoon, gasp, cry, and ache with the intense love you'll feel for it! (Speaking from experience here...)
I didn't think I'd enjoy reading about gigolos so much, but damn, Linda Kage... You caught me. :')...more
OH. MY. GOODNESS WOWIE ZOWIE WOW. ♥ NOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS MY FAVOURITE SERIES EVER??? And why Becca & Krista Ritchie are two of my favouriOH. MY. GOODNESS WOWIE ZOWIE WOW. ♥ NOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS MY FAVOURITE SERIES EVER??? And why Becca & Krista Ritchie are two of my favourite authors of all time?? This came out yesterday and I read it all night and just finished it this morning and can't stop thinking about it still and loved it SO DAMN MUCH -- and I seriously, honestly, truly don't know how I could possibly love these characters more than I already did.
But it happened.
I love them. I love this story. I love their interactions, their personalities, their bantering, and their imperfections that make them so perfect.
Lily and Lo. Rose and Connor. And now, DAISY AND RYKE. Oh my goodness, I honestly just can't even express how real and amazing and [insert a million positive if not contradictory terms that not even thesaurus.com can provide me with right now] this series is!!!
You think that Ryke defines the term "likable asshole"? Well, this series defines the phrase "perfectly imperfect andperfect." (Yes, I just said that.) Everything about it, from the writing to the story to the characters to the twists and events and world... PERFECT. They go through shit, and they swear a lot, and they make mistakes, and they're dealt the worst fucking cards -- but they're so perfect. I love them. Love them, love them, love them.
And Daisy, without a doubt, is the most like me.
Please excuse me while I gather my thoughts enough to write a proper review. Because even though I'm not blogging anymore and I'm so crazy-busy with life and school and health and work, this book definitely deserves it :') ♥...more
It's official. Krista and Becca Ritchie are crazy GENIUSES. I'm addicted to everything about this cast of characters, the story, the banter, the snarkIt's official. Krista and Becca Ritchie are crazy GENIUSES. I'm addicted to everything about this cast of characters, the story, the banter, the snark, the writing, the originality, the sex, and I CAN'T FREAKING WAIT TO READ MOREEEEEEEEEEEEEE! ♥
This book literally came out today and I downloaded it as soon as I woke up, reading it as I wandered the halls at school, thankfully only avoiding running into posts by my friends (except the one time when they thought it would be funny). And I just finished. And I'm still processing it's degree of awesome.
REVIEW TO COME SOON. In like, one day probably because I can't WAIT to gush about this!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) ...more
Books like these are the ones that make me curse the fact that self-published books don't get as much hype.
Because books like these -- and really, I'Books like these are the ones that make me curse the fact that self-published books don't get as much hype.
Because books like these -- and really, I'm a little hesitant to classify this as a category since I'm 99.999% certain that my addiction for this series will never be repeated to this astronomical extent -- are so amazing, so addictive, so intense and emotion-inducing and powerful and awesome awesome AWESOME that they deserve to be listed on a million favourites, just like all those overly-hyped books like Twilight and The Hunger Games!
Lily and Lo are my OTP. ♥ (Read the rest of the series and you'll understand why that one word is especially italicized!) I'm a sucker for non-HEAs ((view spoiler)[like Allegiant and The Iron Queen and etcetera (hide spoiler)]), but I have never wanted a couple to have a Happily Ever After as much I want these characters to. I adore them with body and soul, and I ship them so hard I swear I beam like a freaking starburst whenever someone mentions them to me. Honest. It'd be embarrassing how much I love them -- as separate characters, but especially together -- if I didn't feel absolutely no shame in shoving this series at anyone with eyes.
I've literally read and re-read this series so many times since I discovered it a month ago. The writing is PERFECT. No grammatical errors, perfect characterization, great descriptions, NO boring parts, and a perfect voice that shines above all that monotonous shtuff I keep finding in books. Parts that make you swoon; parts that make your The whole entire cast is unique, each with their individual personalities that will literally have you wishing you were born into their world.
(I love Rose and Connor and Ryke and Daisy just as much as I'm obsessed with Lily and Lo! ♥)
You'd expect Lily Calloway to be a confident, sexy, and maybe even crude sort of girl since she's a sex addict, but her narrative is so funny and adorable and perfectly relatable! Lily is the sweetest, most orthodox character I've ever read about. Her reactions make me laugh out loud because her vice is something vixen and yet she's anything but. She blushes at every innuendo, has the dirtiest yet purest mind, and possesses an innocence that makes you want to wrap her in a million blankets and kiss her on the forehead and hide her from the whole wide dirty world... except Loren Hale, of course. Him you want to shove her at.
Loren Hale is... *fans self* Lily's best friend. An alcoholic. A guy with an attitude as sharp as his cheekbones, who can tear anyone to shreds in seconds if you cross him, and who is quite possibly the best and worst possible person for Lily. They've been inseparable since they were children and have pretended to be in a fake relationship together to hide their addictions from their families, but you can tell their feelings are real -- even when they refuse to acknowledge it themselves. Their chemistry is smothering, their love so original and pure above their shameful secrets. Above everything else, they only know they love each other and I love their acts of friendship just as much as I love their acts of love. ♥
Following their relationship hurts sometimes because you can see how much they hurt -- knowing they love each other SO FREAKING MUCH, seeing it and feeling it, but being consumed by their addictions -- but it's worth everything and, I promise.
Not only that, but I love the originality of their surroundings. Lily and Lo are both born with trust funds, heirs to two incredibly powerful Fortune 500 companies, which is partially how they were stuck together: Their crazy-powerful fathers are best friends. They have money, are expected at appearances and conferences, and have a net worth of billions of dollars. It may seem like a small significance, but it's just one more thing on the list of millions that make this series original and one of my favourites! (I'm tired of the regular cliche NA BS!)
This review has probably made no sense whatsoever (even though I've been dying to write it since I finished the book) because I can't seem to form a coherent thought beyond gushing whenever I think of this series, but it can basically be summed up by this: This is my favourite series ever. I have never loved a cast this big so wholly and completely before; I have never been so obsessed with checking updates as often as possible just to get another taste of Lily and Lo and Rose and Connor and Daisy and Ryke and the world they encompass.
And this addiction is something I definitely want to share. :) ...more
My lack of access to the real world has been replaced completely by books, and it can’t be healthy
***FIVE MILLION BAJILLION KAJILLION STARS***
My lack of access to the real world has been replaced completely by books, and it can’t be healthy to live in a land of happily ever afters.
(That is Sky. See why I love her?)
This has probably been the most difficult year of my life. So much has been going on, and there are times when it's so damn hard to see the other side -- a side where things get better and the worst thing I have to worry about is which university I'm going to, how I'll connect with my friends, and how to keep that crush I'm crushing on. I needed something but couldn't find it.
Until this.
With Hopeless, Colleen Hoover has -- in a way -- saved me.
I can't even begin to tell you how much I anchored my life on this book and its equally amazing companion (Losing Hope) during the past year of my life. It has been my saving grace, my heart, and my favourite book of all time. I can't even begin to tell you... but I'm going to damn try. ♥
Hopeless kicks off when our heroine, Sky Davis -- a snarky homeschooled girl who loves to run and loves to read -- goes to public school for the first time. Needless to say, it doesn't go well since her best and only friend, Six (who is also her neighbor whose window is directly opposite hers), is known as the school slut... and Sky's reputation has not remained clean either, despite her refusal to participate. Sky has more of a reason to hate public school than the majority of us...
Then she meets Dean Holder.
If you think that this is going to be your classic new adult book where a good girl meets a bad boy and fixes him -- or whatever -- then you couldn't be more wrong. Because Sky is far from a perfect girl, and Holder is about as far from a bad boy as I can express. He may be badass and moody and rumoured to have been to juvie, but his heart is the purest form of gold there is. And his affection for Sky? His support? His sly-sly teasing and heart-damn-melting and sweet-hot words?
I laugh and rush to him, throwing my arms around his neck. "You’re the best, most understanding boyfriend in the whole wide world."
He sighs and returns my hug. "No, I’m not," he says, pressing his lips to the side of my head. "I’m the most whipped boyfriend in the whole wide world."
God. They meet by chance and connect by coincidences and have a connection that surpasses anything I've ever read in ANY book in my entire life. The HUGE-ass plot twist thrown in made my heart nearly explode in my chest because it was so sudden, so fierce, and connects everything (both in the book and with me) in a way that totally blew me away. Sky and Holder are so imperfect yet so perfect at the same time, and they are my new forever-favourites as both individuals and a couple.
Not only that, but Colleen's writing? Holy haystacks, she's a miracle worker with a language I thought I loved before but never knew could be so perfect! Her sentences flow and her emotions are palpable and her descriptions are never, ever boring but they also never, ever feel too undescriptive like I find a lot of books being now. I guess some authors are trying to appeal to more to new/fast readers who don't want too difficult language, but I REALLY hope they take a page book and follow this piece of advice:
Readers are smarter than people give them credit for.
Long, boring descriptions may be a bore to read -- but really, it doesn't matter how long a paragraph is as long as its written right. The words need each need to carry a factor that connects with the reader in some way. It's so hard to describe, but it's like how the kind of paint can severely affect how much people pay attention to a work of art. Because that's what Hopeless is: a work of art.
(With a really, really hot guy in it.)
To sum up my ramblings: When I was reading Hopeless, I was Sky and I was Holder and I was there and I felt everything they were feeling and I broke when they did and I never wanted imperfection more than I ever have before this. This and the sequel (OH GOOD LORD, it was told from Holder's POV!!!) made me realize things; feel things; understand things. Please, please, please oh please give this a chance! I promise you won't regret it... or if you by some mysterious fluke do, then I give you permission to come attack me. Because it won't happen. ;) ♥
"The moment my lips touch yours, it will be your first kiss. Because if you've never felt anything when someone's kissed you, then no one's ever really kissed you. Not the way I plan on kissing you." -Dean Holder
BUY or BORROW?: Hellooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Please see above. Like, anywhere above. I actually have two copies of this book: One to look perfect and beautiful on my shelf, and another to carry everywhere with me when I'm looking for inspiration. :)
(I'm getting pickier with buying books under budget but THIS is a million times worth it.)
**MY FAVOURITE BOOK OF 2012!** Warning: This will not be your average review. I loved it too much for that.
Kill Me Softly is Brilliant with a capital B**MY FAVOURITE BOOK OF 2012!** Warning: This will not be your average review. I loved it too much for that.
Kill Me Softly is Brilliant with a capital B, Adorable with a capital A, and PERFECTION in all caps! It's easily my favourite book of the entire year. I loved it so much that, when I went back to skim a few passages to write this review, I ended up re-reading the entire book! Let me just show you what my copy looks like right now:
[image]
I never, ever put sticky notes in a book — I just never have the time! (Being a blogger and all.) That's how you know that I have to love a book to EPIC proportions to want to take the time to go back, re-read it, and mark up my copy like this. ♥
So instead of attempting to be professional about this (in which I would fail), I'm going to list Five Epic Reasons why Kill Me Softly deserves to be read by everyone! :)
1. The World
This is not your average fairytale re-telling, and it doesn't deal with your average Disney fairytales either. It's based on the original Grimm fairytales, where Cinderella's stepsisters cut off parts of their feet to fit into the glass slipper, and happily ever afters are uncommon things.
In Beau Rivage, the people are cursed with a fairytale. They know their fate before it happens. Some are meant to fall into an enchanted sleep; some are cursed to cough up jewels; others are forced to do unspeakable fairytale things. It's addicting and enchanting and utterly enthralling. It's the most original portrayal of fairytales that this fairytale-loving girl has read in a long time! :)
2. The Breathtaking Storyline
Kill Me Softly starts with Mira running away from the home of her godmothers to find her parents's grave in Beau Rivage. All on her own, she meets two brothers: One snarky bad boy who all but harasses her into leaving (Blue), and one kind and sweet boy who offers her a place to stay (Felix). Of course she's going to trust the nicer one.
But first impressions mean nothing in Beau Rivage.
Everything is unbelievable and believable at the exact same time. Unbelievable because some things are so bizarre, so out-of-this-world, so how-did-she-come-up-with-this worthy that it blows your mind... yet believable because Sarah Cross writes it in a way that makes you think, "Oh yeah. Having a kiss that kills? It happens every day in Beau Rivage!"
There are so many things I didn't expect... and so many things to love! ♥
3. Mirabelle Lively & Co.
Mirabelle — also known as Mira and fantastic girl extraordinaire — is not your average fairytale heroine. She's stubborn and determined and can hold her own in a game of knee-slapping snark. Mira brought smiles to my face and an ache to my heart. I loved her so much!
I know some people were having problems with some decisions she makes, but I thought it was all in her character that made her real. With all the circumstances surrounding her sheltered past and everyone around her unable to tell her what was going on, her frustration was completely justified and her aching was palpable.
"At home," she began haltingly, "when my godmothers were gone, I used to pretend that my parents were there. I'd imagine them doing normal things, like cooking, or watching old movies with me, or asking what I did at school. I guess because... I felt less lonely that way. I could pretend there wasn't a hole in me. But when I'm with you, I don't need them. I want what's real." (page 143)
And I love love LOVED all of the other cursed characters too! They argue like crazy, but their banter is hilarious and their friendship is genuine. Freddie was a personal favourite. Even though his fairytale role was to be Mira's awakening prince, he was never really a love interest. But he was too adorable and sweet and innocent to not be loved! Birds followed him around for a reason, you know. ;)
4. The Writing
Reading Sarah Cross's writing is like a dream. It's beautiful; it's fluent; it's picturesque; it's, quite honestly, like finding my home all over again! Just when I thought that first person narratives were starting to become my favourite, she pulls me back with this gorgeous third person prose that steals my breath away. I've never read a book with so many quote-worthy passages in my life.
Beautiful P-E-R-F-E-C-T-I-O-N, that's what it is!
5. Blue Valentine ♥ Yes, Blue deserves his own whole point!
My mom thinks I'm crazy for wanting a house with a blue garage and purple shingles, so I can't imagine what she'd say if I wanted to marry a boy with blue HAIR. (But I do, I absolutely do!)
Cursed with a horrible fate, Blue Valentine uses his snarkiness and attitude to keep people at an arm's length. He seems like your average I'm-a-jackass-to-protect-you sort of guy, but he's not. He's so much MORE, and there are certain times when you see how vulnerable he is, how much he loves Mira, how much his curse is killing him, and it just about rips your heart out.
He has so many hilarious one-liners or quotes that show off how sweet a bad boy he is, but I want to show you a quote that reveals his other side, his heartbreaking side:
"You know, I don't usually know the girls he likes. Not like this. I look the other way most of the time. But I met you first. I knew you first. I wanted you first." (Blue to Mira about his brother Felix, page 208)
With Kill Me Softly being my favourite book of the year, Blue is easily my favourite book boy! ♥
In Conclusion...
Maybe this is my weakness for fairytales talking; maybe it's my soft spot for gorgeous writing, brilliant ideas, breathtaking romances, and boys who rip my heart out. Or maybe this is Sarah Cross's brilliance shoving itself in my face that makes me declare this one of my favourite books of all time!
Read-worthy, buy-worthy, and totally swoon-worthy, Kill Me Softly is a bundle of creativity that surpasses authors like Cassandra Clare for me! It's hilarious, and brilliant, and adorable, and heartbreaking, and totally and completely beautiful in a way that hardly exists in YA. It's exactly the kind of book I've been looking for my whole life!
In case you can't tell, I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH — and until Sarah Cross writes a sequel, I don't think another book will be topping it anytime soon!
BUY or BORROW?: This entire review was basically an answer to this question: BUY THIS BOOK. It's not breaking my semi-coherent-book-review streak for nothing! ;)
There's no doubt in my mind that this will end up being one of the BEST books of the entire year! Best world, best heroine, best writing, best romanceThere's no doubt in my mind that this will end up being one of the BEST books of the entire year! Best world, best heroine, best writing, best romance... There are just so many breathtaking things in this book, I can't believe I ever had a doubt!
Shadow and Bone is high fantasy at its best. (There's that word again!) The world-building of Ravka is flawless. It makes you believe and fear the terrible Shadow Fold that splits it in two, with its ravenous monsters, but there's never an overwhelming dump of information. It's always showing not telling, captivating not repelling, and kind of perfect — which I don't say for high fantasy very often (or at all)!
Alina — smart, strong, vulnerable Alina — is one of my favourite heroines ever! She's not blindingly beautiful or perfect with her new found ability at first; she doesn't always know the right thing to say or the right people to trust. But she's one of the most REAL characters I've ever met, and she grows, learns, and loses so much that I almost wish I didn't care about her like I do so it wouldn't hurt as much. But of course, with Alina, that's impossible!
And I loved the rest of the cast too — especially the Darkling, who seriously brings a new definition to the word mysterious, and Mal, for never giving up on Alina and always being the sweetest best friend ever! ♥ The romance is really a spoiler on its own, but I promise it's not your average best-friends-plus-one romance. I adored it so much!
Also, I can't even say whether or not I expected the big twist near the end because I was so enamoured by the everything that I didn't pause a second to make any guesses!
With some of the best writing and most brilliant worlds ever, Shadow and Bone will undoubtedly be topping people's favourites lists everywhere. I can honestly say that it's my favourite high fantasy book of all time... and that's coming from a fantasy-loving girl! ;)
BUY or BORROW?: You will buy this book and love it and be at Leigh Bardugo's feet with me, begging to read the sequel! This is an absolute MUST, and I can't even stress how buy-worthy it is enough! (Want a reminder? Count the number of times I used "best" in this review!)
OH MY GOSH, I LOVED THIS BOOK! I'm a total fan girl — I don't even know where to start!
If I Die is book five in the Soul Screamers series (which is hOH MY GOSH, I LOVED THIS BOOK! I'm a total fan girl — I don't even know where to start!
If I Die is book five in the Soul Screamers series (which is honestly one of my favourites of all time) and I still don't know how Rachel Vincent keeps making each one better! This one was definitely the best one yet!
I love everything about this series. It's intense and original and filled with so many twists that it could snap your neck. Plus, it's about bean sidhes (pronounced banshees), which is way cooler than you could guess! (Netherworld, hellions, and creepy plants galore...)
Which brings me to Kaylee, who I can never stop admiring. She's snarky and strong and selfless and smart, even when facing imminent death. Her dad and Alec are awesome. Emma is crazy cool. Sabine can #$@#$#%. And I swear that Tod (the most amazing reaper in our world and the Nether) is honestly one of my biggest book crushes ever. ♥
(I don't know what it is, but super-sarcastic and swoon-tastic boys tend to steal my heart.)
If I Die was SO GOOD! It made me laugh and cry and want to rip my hair out. At one point, I swear my heart stopped beating — it was that intense! If you haven't started this series, I send you with the highest recommendation to PICK IT UP RIGHT NOW. And then gush about it with me! :)
BUY or BORROW?: Honestly and truly and definitely and surely, you NEED to read these books! Buy it for sure!
Three words I would use to describe this book: Hilarious. Heartwarming. BRILLIANT.
I was looking for another 'H' word to summarize it, but brilliant sThree words I would use to describe this book: Hilarious. Heartwarming. BRILLIANT.
I was looking for another 'H' word to summarize it, but brilliant seemed to fit better than anything else — because that's exactly what Stephenie Perkins proved she was by writing this book! Everything about it was just so magical.
I've always wanted to go to Paris, and reading this book fueled my desire even more. Perkins has an amazing talent of writing details so that you're always intrigued and never bored. The storyline was perfectly crafted, and the way she wrote such specific aspects about her characters made them that much easier to connect to.
Anna was the perfect voice for the novel! Her thoughts were always fun and hilarious to follow; I could always relate to her no matter what she did. And her chemistry with St. Clair stole my breath away every time. They were perfect together. But Perkins didn't just write "they were perfect together" — the author showed it through moments that were just as much fun to read as I'm sure they were for Anna to experience.
Beautiful, enchanting, and one-hundred percent entertaining, I have to say that Anna and the French Kiss was honestly my favourite contemporary novel of the year! I recommend it wholeheartedly! Stephenie Perkins is definitely an author I'm going to watch out for. :)
BUY or BORROW?: This is a contemporary shelf must-have! Buy it and love it and gush about it with me!