Uses For Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt | Rating: ★★★★★

“I belong here, I tell Toy. I’m hungry for every city block. Every brick building. Every crowded intersection. Electric. I feel brand new.”

From the moment I opened this book, I was drawn and hooked into the story. It’s one of my favorite novels that represents a sort of coming of age as well as the exploration of sexuality. There’s something very meaningful in the way that Erica writes the story. In its flow, there is something just so appealing to the story.

I read Uses For Boys ages ago when I saw the summary for it and saw the little shout out that Ellen Hopkins gave it. I will never, ever regret picking it up and giving it a go. Although there were many aspects of the story I didn’t relate to, and there were many moments you feel uncomfortable for the narrator, it still managed to touch my heart and make me feel as though I know Anna and her mind.

Which is, if you ask me, an open door to something great.

We learn from the start that Anna had once had a decent relationship with her mother when she was younger. But soon through her mothers relationships and inability to really listen, there is this wall up between the two of them. Anna feels the distance and the heartbreak in her mothers constant working and relationships with varied men.

Paper Towns by John Green | Rating: ★★★★☆

“Here’s what’s not beautiful about it: from here, you can’t see the rust or the cracked paint or whatever, but you can tell what the place really is. You can see how fake it all is. It’s not even hard enough to be made out of plastic. It’s a paper town. I mean, look at it, Q: look at all those culs-de-sac, those streets that turn in on themselves, all the houses that were built to fall apart. All those paper people living in their paper houses, burning the future to stay warm. All the paper kids drinking beer some bum bought for them at the paper convenience store. Everyone demented with the mania of owning things. All the things paper-thin and paper-frail. And all the people, too. I’ve lived here for eighteen years and I have never once in my life come across anyone who cares about anything that matters.”

Ugh, I know, right? A John Green book. So, like, totally, like cliche. But here’s the thing: I love John Green and his work. Say what you will, but I’m not going to deny that I love the way his words flow and his stories. His novels may often have a repetitive theme to it in terms of how his characters act but they still, for me, provide my mind with the opportunity to think. Really and truly think, you know? And that’s important when reading a novel.

And I’d like to make it clear that in spite of flaws and the certain level of pretentious that his characters sometimes reach, I think that his books are something special.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead | Rating: ★★★★☆

"The incident with Dawn hadn’t been one of my finer moments. I honestly hadn’t expected to break any bones when I shoved her into a tree. Still, the incident had given me a dangerous reputation. The story had gained legendary status, and I liked to imagine that it was still being told around campfires late at night. Judging by the look on the girl’s face, it was."

When my friend bought this book for me years ago, I’d had my fill of vampire themed stories. Twilight was never fully for me, Blue Bloods left something to be desired and House of Night was the only one that sort of captured my attention. I put off reading this novel for nearly two years before picking it up and finding myself pleasantly surprised.

This is not like other vampire novels out there in the young adult market. And that is so, so good. I regret not picking it up sooner, honestly. In other words, if you’re being a judgey little prick: stop what you’re doing. Go pick up a copy and read it. No, seriously. GO!

I’ll start off by saying I was very surprised at how well written and thought out this novel seemed to be. It wasn’t half assed like so many supernatural stories seem to be and you can tell that Richelle not only did a lot of research, she put a lot of thought into how she wanted to paint the image of this world. She did a good job.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl | Rating: ★★★★☆

"Mortals. I envy you. You think you can change things. Stop the universe. Undo what was done long before you came along. You are such beautiful creatures."

Beautiful Creatures is the first in a series of books referred to as the Caster Chronicles written by this duo and takes place in our world with a magical twist. That magical twist being Lena Duchannes (rhymes with rain!) and her families ability to cast magic as well as a curse that has caused this young girl to fear her sixteenth birthday, where she finds out once and for all if she’s to be a light or dark caster.

And if there’s anything she could do at all to change her fate.

My best friend had been trying for a long while to get me to read this novel. He’d told me immediately that I’d become obsessed with the characters, the magic — the love story. And the family elements within.

I’m not going to lie to you guys, though — while I’ve given it a high rating and will openly admit my love to it, it did take me a long time to actually get into it. It was one of those books that I kept aside and would read a few pages before putting it down; having no motivation to continue at a quicker speed. If I’m being honest with you, for one reason or another, it took me months to get into it and finish it.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi | Rating: ★★★★☆

“All I ever wanted was to reach out and touch another human being not just with my hands but with my heart.”

For months I’d been debating whether or not I wanted to really read this novel. Tahereh Mafi is basically perfection in author form. And the buzz I’d heard when it came to this book was massive. Goodreads, however, made me wonder whether or not the hype was all that. Mostly, opinions on this book have been mixed — they either love it or hate it.

I’m going to be upfront with you all when I say I loved it.

Aside from the beautiful cover and freaking awesome author (how cool is she?!), the novel itself is pretty damn good. And I mean that.

Our story stars in a dystopian world where our leading lady Juliette is living in a damaged world that only vaguely resembles what it once was and is left in a life of seclusion that mirrors a terrible fate as a prisoner of a world that considers you to be a monster. See, the lovely Juliette has a certain gift that many view as being a monster — her touch is lethal. Her family has abandoned her in incredibly heartbreaking ways.

Then, she feels betrayed by a newly made connection that leads her into another place of the unknown. A very dark place that she has no intention of giving up her potential freedom for.

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L James | Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

See, the thing about hype is that it rarely lives up to expectations for most of its audience. And let me tell you: this book obviously has some serious hype to back it up and its fanbase is massive. My ex-girlfriend was one of those people — completely obsessed with this novel and the remaining books in the trilogy.

Naturally, she had me sit down and read the first book. And by sit down, I mean she essentially forced me to read it and as a good girlfriend, I did.

I knew three things when I started it and the facts were these (okay — I’ll admit it now, the reason I’m writing it that way are because I just had a Pushing Daisies rewatch and seem to think I am the narrator. Sorry!): it was at one point a Twilight fanfiction, it is an erotica lovestory and it features BDSM. I often got the fanfiction confused with another Twilight fic with similar themes called The Submissive -- which, admittedly, as a horny teenager I read eagerly and waited patiently for each update. That being said, I never could get into this story even in the fanfiction days.

So firstly I want to say that it was really, really badly written. I found myself physically cringing on more than one occasion while reading. And normally, these sorts of books — this genre, things aren’t always written that well anyways. People don't read erotic novels for mind blowing writing; they read it for fantasy. But this reached beyond that in terms of really awful writing. It was repetitive and though there were many details in it they just weren't that captivating for me, personally.

I wanted to like it. Really, I did. 

The Book of Spells by Kate Brian | Rating: ★★★★☆

"Charming girls. Fine breeding. Perfect manners. Black magic."

I’ll start my review by saying this: when I first began to really, really explore reading there were two sorts of things I’d look for in my reading material. Shallow, easy-breezy plots that you could gossip with friends about (see: The Clique, Gossip Girl, The A-List, The Insiders, The Au Pairs, Private, Pretty Little Liars… Get the point?) or, well, witches. And while this novel is enjoyable, I think I’d have much preferred it when I was in my early teens.

Private has always been one of my favorite young adult book series’, especially when looking for some light reading. In fact, Kate Brian’s books have frequented my shelves since I began purchases more and more books for my self. For me, her writing style was always much better than some of the others in her genre and the mystery surrounding plots in Private was always well thought out and just that right level of soapy drama.

Not to mention her characters are often well developed and fascinating. Even if they end up being totally crazy.

So when I caught wind of the path she’d taken in the series, I was intrigued! Witches and Billings Girls?

Be still my heart!

Matched by Allie Condie | Rating: ★★★☆☆

"I think of how perhaps the best way to fly would be with hands full of earth, so you always remember where you came from."

Matched takes place in a distant future and is the first of three novels. It has also been titled, by Entertainment Weekly, as the hottest young adult book since fan favorite The Hunger Games. With its promising plot and beautiful cover, I thought I’d check into purchasing the first book in the series to see what it was like.

I will say that I was pleasantly surprised with the way the stories flowed in this world and that, though compared to the likes of The Hunger Games and Divergent, its story was relatively light when compared.

There were a few similarities between each story that would certainly draw fans of other dystopian aged novels into reading it, but, the plot is all of its own — and who doesn’t love someone challenging an overbearing government, right? There is something so thrilling and captivating about taking on a higher power. Rebellion. Yet if anything, the similarities lay bigger when compared to the young adult/kids favorite The Giver. But even in all the parallels, it is important to know that this story is all its own.

Fast forward in time to a future that is controlled entirely by the government. Everything is decided for the characters in this story, nothing is fully up for an individual to decide. Who you marry and love, who you become — what your career is, even down to what you eat. This society makes sure to have everyone under their control and leaves no room for decisions.

The Infernal Devices Trilogy by Cassandra Clare | Rating: ★★★★☆

“One must always be careful of books,” said Tessa, “and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.”

When I first heard of this trilogy and how it was meant to be a prequel of The Mortal Instruments I thought to myself: how can she pull this off? How could anyone pull off such a risky move? I’m not opposed to prequels in any way, however, there was a massive part of me that was skeptical on how this might work at the end of the day. It’s no secret that I love the world of Shadowhunters that Clare has created for us, and I am admittedly a sucker for period pieces.

Which is why I gave it a chance. And I’m glad I did, in spite of its flaws, because it's certainly worth the read.

I think that it’s safe to say that I fell even further in love with this trilogy than I had with The Mortal Instruments series.

Which is rather shocking for me because I fell fast and hard for TMI’s characters when I finally did. For me, the selling point of this from the first novel of three up until the final pages: was how lovable the characters are — you feel so much sympathy for Tessa and the way she’s being treated at the start. And when everyone’s favorite old fashioned Shadowhunters come to the rescue — well, let’s just say this isn’t like most “damsel in distress” scenarios.

The Casual Vacancy by J.K Rowling | Rating:★★★☆☆

“It was strange how your brain could know what your heart refused to accept.”

The Casual Vacancy’s tagline is “A Big Novel About A Small Town" and really, there is no better description for J.K Rowling’s debut in adult fiction.

Because it is just that. And, hey, no complaints here!

Admittedly, it took me a couple months to finish reading it because while it does intrigue you to know the happenings of a diverse medley of characters, it doesn’t always keep your attention for long periods of time. At least not for me. And again, taste is subjective — so this could just be me.

Our story opens with the death of Barry Fairbrother and follows a selection of characters of all ages in the months following his death as they try to find somebody to fill his seat. Each character offers their own look into this small town in various ways that are sometimes hard to fully follow.

You do get the hang of it eventually.

Waking Up Married by Mira Lyn Kelly | Rating: ★★★★☆

"…fairy tales come in varieties she hadn’t known existed." / "Life isn’t about getting everything you want the instant you want it."

This novel is one of the eBooks you can receive for free on iTunes, Amazon and Netgalley (as well as, I’m sure, many other sites) and is surprisingly well written for what you come to find in the freebies sections. It’s an easy paced novel and very fluffy and it will definitely cater to fans of romance novels. If you’re looking to fill a craving on a “will they, won’t they” sort of relationship, this book offers that in a very amusing way.

Disclaimer: it will not be your cup of tea if you aren’t big on the simplistic ways typical romance novels are written.

This particular story is a fresh, modern take on many romantic themes of current women’s lives. We have a pretty solid female lead (for a romance novel) in the form of Megan, a woman who is tired of relationships and the disappointment men often bring to her world but ready to raise a family of her own.

Unlike most romance novels, we start with the understanding that Megan isn’t looking to raise a child with a man — she is looking into having a procedure done to become pregnant on her own. This, among the small glimpse into the background life of her character on her own, is rather refreshing compared to the background stories we see in most romance novels.

Struck By Lightning (The Carson Phillips Journal) by Chris Colfer | Rating: ★★★★☆

“You don’t get to pick where you’re from, but you always have control of where you’re going.”

Struck By Lightning is a clever, witty novel filled with two things young adults will positively eat up: sarcasm and blackmail. Proof is in the opening chapter (or in, true to format, entry - as it is written through journal form) that the story will connect with a vast majority of high school students (or teenagers in general) and you may, no matter your age, just find yourself nodding in response to the main characters innermost thoughts.

What strikes me most about the novel is that, though Carson Phillips hasn’t the most graceful way of going about to chase his dreams/accomplish things, it conveys one of the most encouraging things one can say to a young adult: never give up on your dreams.

Chris Colfer knows the mind of a teenager (absolutely because he was one not that long ago!) and has managed to capture the essence of the hormonal, determined mind of a teenager who feels trapped in a world he can’t control. So, he takes the matter of forming a club into his own hands.

Glee fans certainly have flocked to the novel — not just because it is penned by an actor from the popular television series, but because it gives us the opportunity to root for the underdog.

Splintered by A.G Howard | Rating: ★★★★★

“Tearing down the rest of the world won’t make you happy. Look inside yourself. Because finding who you were meant to be? What you were put into this world to do? That’s what fills the emptiness. It’s the only things that can.”

It’s important to note that growing up, I was obsessed with any and all things Wonderland. Half of the years I’ve celebrated Halloween, I dressed up as a character from the stories or movies. Hell, my best friend and I even refer to ourselves as various characters from Wonderland.

But, as the years go on — I become less and less interested in adaptions or new takes on the world many of us have grown up with. Needless to say, I was a little bit skeptical of this story in the beginning stages of hearing about it/purchasing it.

Fortunately for myself, I gave it a chance. It certainly didn’t let me down.

My favorite part about the story is how likeable the characters are, even if they aren’t meant to be. They are developed much better than I’d originally thought them to be, and the twists on familiar characters is something to definitely look out for. A.G Howard pens characterizations really, really beautifully and the dark edge she puts in some of them is very fascinating.

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline | Rating: ★★★★★

"Time constricts and flattens, you know. It’s not evenly weighted. Certain moments linger in the mind and others disappear."

Have you ever read a book that sticks with you for months after you’ve originally read it? Of course — all avid book readers have. Whether that’s a classic or newly introduced novels like The Book Thief, we’ve all had them. For me, that book is Orphan Train — a fascinating tale of a bond that forms between a teenager and an elderly widow who have a bit more in common than the teenager previously thought. It is almost impossible not to learn something from this interesting time in our worlds history.

One trigger warning is that there is a small section of the story that does feature the topic of sexual abuse in foster homes.

Our story opens to the life of seventeen year old Molly Ayer, who has gotten into some trouble and has landed a gig in the form of community service to prevent her from ending up in Juvie. We come to find that she lives with a foster family she isn’t particularly fond of (and a foster mother who is definitely not fond of her) and get a pretty decent glimpse into her life before foster care as well as her everyday life. Her narrative isn’t the best and she isn’t as well developed or believable as Vivian, but it’s still decently done.

The real treasure in this novel is the story we’re told in flashbacks about the elderly woman she helps clean for: known in present day as Vivian Daly. Vivian proves to us that through tragedy our strength really does appear in time.