Midnight Sun – Trish Cook

This was a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t necessarily ‘‘excited’’ to read it, because it seemed dreadfully similar to EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING, and even somewhat similar to FIVE FEET APART, both of which I read and really enjoyed but aren’t exactly dying to reread.

Yes, there are similar themes being explored, but MIDNIGHT SUN is its own story, not a copycat, and I had a pretty good time with it. Yes, Katie Price is allergic to the sun; however she can certainly go outside during non-sunny periods of time. Basically, she and Edward Cullen would really get along.

Unfortunately, most things happen during daylight—high school, general teen stuff: going to the mall, getting ice scream, etc. Yet, Katie cannot do these things, so she hasn’t had much of a life so far. Everything changes when she and her long-time crush Charlie Reed meet and have a pretty instant connection. Of course, this is cliché YA stuff, so I completely understand if you’re currently rolling your eyes. On the other hand, it is sweet and truthfully, Katie Price deserves some excitement in her life.

Now, she and Charlie hang out but she finds it hard to tell him the truth about her condition. She lies about a few things to a few people, which I certainly didn’t approve of and could see imploding a mile away. So, yes, some elements turned me off, yet the truth is that this book reads really, really well. The writing is elegant and concise without being apathetic and the author focuses on few but memorable characters. I truly felt like everyone had a personality and I completely agree that Charlie Reed is one of the sweetest love interests. He reminded me of the love interest in the first book of THE GALLAGHER GIRLS series.

Once again, MIDNIGHT SUN contains cliché elements, but it breathes of life and that alone should make it worth being picked up I believe.  

Five Feet Apart – Rachael Lippincott

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Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Simon & Schuster Canada
Published: 2018
Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR
Recommended Age: 12+
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Romance, Coming of Age, Illness, Family


REVIEW:

This was my first romance novel in… months. I couldn’t bring myself to read a story that focused heavily on a boy and a girl falling in love for a long time.

That’s what happens when there is boy drama (and its aftershocks) in my life. I needed to step away from romance and focus on other things or my mind would keep wandering to that one boy with whom I really (mistakenly) believed something might happen. Continue reading

Review: Tell Me Something Real by Calla Devlin

25372971Tell Me Something Real by Calla Devlin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
Publication Date: August 30th 2016
Publisher: S&S/Atheneum
Point of View: 1st Person & Feminine
Recommended Age: 13+
Pacing: Normal
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Contemporary, Illness, Family, Sisterhood, Music, Romance

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BLURB:

Three sisters struggle with the bonds that hold their family together as they face a darkness settling over their lives in this masterfully written debut novel.

There are three beautiful blond Babcock sisters: gorgeous and foul-mouthed Adrienne, observant and shy Vanessa, and the youngest and best-loved, Marie. Their mother is ill with leukemia and the girls spend a lot of time with her at a Mexican clinic across the border from their San Diego home so she can receive alternative treatments.

Vanessa is the middle child, a talented pianist who is trying to hold her family together despite the painful loss that they all know is inevitable. As she and her sisters navigate first loves and college dreams, they are completely unaware that an illness far more insidious than cancer poisons their home. Their world is about to shatter under the weight of an incomprehensible betrayal… Continue reading

Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

12700353Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Received: Bought
Publication Date: March 1st 2012
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Point of View: 1st Person & Masculine
Recommended Age: 13+
Pacing: Fast
Genres &  Themes: Young Adult, Contemporary, High School, Friendship, Cancer, Humor

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BLURB:

Greg Gaines is the last master of high school espionage, able to disappear at will into any social environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time making movies, their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics.

Until Greg’s mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel.

Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia—-cue extreme adolescent awkwardness—-but a parental mandate has been issued and must be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turning point in each of their lives.

And all at once Greg must abandon invisibility and stand in the spotlight. Continue reading

Best of the Saddest Young Adult Books

Best of the Saddest Young Adult Books

Dear readers, having recently experienced some drama in my personal life – the sad kind – I felt inspired to make a list of the best of the saddest young adult books that I have read.

Let’s get to it!

10 – The Perks of Being a Wallflower

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This book’s atmosphere in general made me sad. It’s an extremely beautifully-written story focusing on Charlie’s emotional responses to diverse situations and his overall thoughts about the world around him. Continue reading

Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

11870085The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Received: Bought
Publication Date: January 10th 2012
Publisher: Dutton Books
Point of View: 1st Person & Feminine
Recommended Age: 13+
Genres &  Themes: Young Adult, Contemporary, Summer, Cancer, Ilness, Romance, Friendship, Family, Life, Dreams

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BLURB:

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love. Continue reading