A copy of this novel was provided through Edelweiss by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.
I've never read anything by Katie Cotugno but I have always heard good things about her work. After almost constantly hearing nothing but sweet things about her writing, and finally picking out something of hers to try, I can see why she has such steady fans. Fireworks is a breath of fresh air and pleasantly surprised me when it comes to its genre--it could have gone horribly wrong but something about her prose just makes the experience all the more good.
What made me enjoy Fireworks so much was the nostalgia of it all--Cotugno captured an era I remember fondly and did it a solid. I'd say it falls right smack dab in the middle of clichéd and not. Somehow, it all worked and tangled together spotlessly and kept me feeling a kind of warmth to it. I'm not going to lie and tell you guys this is the most moving novel you'll ever read but it is worth a second look. It reminded me of a lot of childhood memories but it also stays connected with its target audience--while it will feel nostalgic to people my age, it will feel just as captivating and relevant to a younger audience, too. A lot has changed from the 1990s to today--that is time itself--but not enough to make teenagers feel disconnected to the general story.
The Amateurs by Sara Shepard | Rating: ★★★★☆Raise your hand if you're utterly addicted to anything that Sara Shepard writes! ME! That's me. I'm a self-proclaimed uber fan of Sara Shepard's work and probably always will be. She is one of the few authors that I've carried over from my teenage years (has it REALLY been ten years since PLL was first published?!) and still frequently return to. There's something so devilishly feel-good about her indulgent mysteries. From Pretty Little Liars to The Lying Game and everywhere in between, Shepard dominates her genre and has continued to show us her story telling skills.
The Amateurs is no different and may be her best release in recent years. Fans who found themselves disappointed in The Perfectionists will find their Queen of Stylish Suspense once more with this delightful young adult mystery that reminds us why she's been a bestselling author for so long. I think we all know by now that nothing is ever what it seems in Shepard's books and The Amateurs will slap you down with a huge plot twist, I promise you: your head will be spinning.
I love that the pace was really solid: quick but not too quick, the relationships were set up perfectly. And the typical Sara Shepard signature "I've got you now, don't I?" because, let's face it. It's Sara Shepard's world and we're just living in it.
Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell | Rating: ★★☆☆☆*To clarify, this is a rewrite of an old review, as my thoughts of the novel have changed through the years.
Ages and ages and ages ago, I loved this book. It is still something I appreciate, on some level, even if my feelings have changed in the years. I certainly loved it all those years ago. Perhaps not as much as the hit HBO television series of the same name, but, it was still up there. Sex and the City was something of a stepping stone for a lot of women through the years and still, I think, holds true even in the years its been off the air. Certainly it's a pop culture phenomenon that still stays highly relevant in popular culture.
I'm always going to appreciate it, and the show, for what they are and how they shaped some aspects of who I became as an adult. I applaud it on many levels but somehow, somewhere along the way, the novel and show have lost their sparkle to me. I don't think I'll feel inclined to reread the book again, in the future, which is strange given I still love the characters from both the novel and show, and have some sense of attachment towards them, but there you have it. It's not that it's a bad novel, it just feels like the older I get the more boring and unappealing it is to me.
As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via Net Galley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.
"People trim their truth the way they want it, my love."
Navigating a thriller can be an incredibly difficult thing to do for both writer and reader. You have so much you have to work with when it comes down to treading those waters: likable characters, suspicious ones, high stakes and suspense, and of course conclusions as you wrap up the mystery of it all. Stormy Cove, although not my favorite read this year, manages to hit all those marks and then some.
This, entirely, has to do with the vivid setting and the sparks of mystery within. Bernadette Calonego creates a delightfully unique thriller for us to get lost in and I can guarantee many moments in which the reader will be on the edge of their seats wondering what's next and who the bad guy really is. Toss in the complexities of a small town and the way its residence entwine with one another, as well the gossip that comes in tow of such.
The Haters by Jesse Andrews | Rating: ★★☆☆☆As a note, a printed galley of this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.
The thing about The Haters is I wanted to love it--I really and truly wanted to because A.) the plot sounds incredibly fun and promising in theory and I could really use a laugh an a road trip plot. B.) Jesse Andrews is hugely talented and made me fall in love with Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and his writing. And C.) Amulet's promotion of the novel was the cutest I've seen in the last few years and I'm a sucker for cute things. So when I flipped the book to read its summary I was pumped.
But the problem was that it didn't live up to expectations at all and felt equal parts lackluster and try hard. Jesse Andrews could have done so much better in my eyes but the simple matter is that it is likely just not my cup of tea personally. Because while it wasn't awful, awful, awful and had some bright spots, it just wasn't all that great in my view. I wanted so much more from it and it was just not meant to be.
Alas!
Bucky F*cking Dent by David Duchovny | Rating: ★★★★★ Can you, man, find the poetry to keep the sun from rising, like a mountain, blocking its inevitable ascent for a few more moments? Can you, who call yourself a writer, find the words that will have an actual influence on the real and natural world? Magic passwords-shazzam, open sesame, scoddy waddy doo dah–warriors lurking in the Trojan horse of words. The implicit answer to Coleridge’s question was: Hell, no. If the answer were yes, he would never have asked the question. The writer will never make something happen in the real world. In fact, the act of writing may be in itself the final admission that one is powerless in reality. Shit, that would surely suck.
Bucky F*cking Dent is more than just an attention grabbing title. It is more than just a small novel about life, and its hits and misses. Most importantly, the novel introduces us to David Duchovny, novelist, instead of David Duchovny, actor. You may know David Duchovny from his many iconic roles throughout his career: Fox Mulder (The X-Files), Hank Moody (Californication) or currently Sam Hodiak (Aquarius) or the like. Or you may only know him in passing from his prolific career.
But what many people don't realize is that Duchovny is a skilled writer--a talent that is often unacknowledged.
Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate | Rating: ★★★★★ "We are always moving forward--I can see it now. We are hurtling through our lives. We are never standing still."
As a note, a printed galley of this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.
Newcomer Riley Redgate knocks things out of the park with her debut novel, Seven Ways We Lie. It’s the sort of story you pick up and somehow, within pages, know that it’s bound to be something special. Seven Ways We Lie tackles touchy topics of sins and coming of age and each of our narrators speaks to us on a personal level.
It was a privilege to read it.
Why? Because of the characters. Because of the beautiful prose and the excellent development. In so many ways, we all have a part of each of them and it’s something we can’t miss. It’s an instant classic amongst the crowded young adult contemporary genre and a delectable one at that, which isn’t a term I like to use often.
But it’s the only title I’ve found fitting.
Reflected in You by Sylvia Day | Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5)Sylvia Day’s bestselling Crossfire series continues in the second installment, Reflected in You, picking up right where the first book left off. Where Bared to You explores the physical attraction and obsession our leading couple have with one another, this one explores the emotional aspects of it all and leaves us begging the questions: are these two meant for each other? Or not?
And is it all too much?
We know one thing right away: Eva and Gideon are as hot for one another as ever, so the sex is mind blowing and the chemistry reaches an all time high. These two are wild, pure passion and it’s so indulgent to read. If anything, if one is looking for a spark filled erotic story, Sylvia Day’s steamy series should be at the top of your list due to its delicious chapters and encounters.
But beyond all of that, the novel itself promises to explore their dynamic on an even deeper level; toying with our emotions, bringing us the knowledge of past trauma (trigger warning: sexual abuse and such) as well as the reappearance of people from their past and an event that threatens to tear the two apart for good.
We’ll see just how far one will go to keep the other safe. After all, if the one you loved was in danger – how far would you go?
Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5)“For as long as I could remember, other people had either overshadowed me or left me out in the open, alone. But Mac, as Layla had said all those weeks ago, was always somewhere nearby. He left me enough space to stand alone, but stood at the ready for the moment that I didn’t want to. It was the perfect medium, I was learning. Like he was my saint, the one I’d been waiting for.”
Saint Anything marks the twelfth (I know!) book released by the wonderful Sarah Dessen, otherwise known (in my mind) as the Queen of Young Adult and shows us once more why she is so beloved in the literary world. I cannot get enough of her stories and the way the worlds flow in a raw, beautiful manner. Each story is completely different but completely beautiful and undeniably Sarah Dessen.
Saint Anything is an instant Dessen classic in all its fluffy, realistic to the bone and romantic glory. It’s wise, it’s heartfelt, it’s an important story with a voice that needed to be heard in our narrator Sydney who seems wise far beyond her teenage years.
Life isn’t a cakewalk for Sydney, per say, because her life is clouded with quite a few complications, brought out mostly in the form of her older brother Peyton who has his fair share of addictions and the struggles which come with it. After he makes his biggest, most massive mistake yet by hitting a young boy with his car (who thankfully doesn’t die but is, unfortunately, paralyzed) he is forced to, at last, pay for his behavior.
The Heir by Kiera Cass | Rating: ★★★★☆ "I think you're mistaking comfort for joy."
The Selection trilogy is one of my favorite novel series in the young adult genre solely based upon how sweet and fluffy it is. There's something so easy about this series to escape into that it reminds me how fun reading is. It’s a simple read that doesn’t slack on entertainment. While it isn’t the best, most creative novel series in a life changing way; there’s [still] something utterly light, intriguing and action packed about this world that Kiera Cass has given us.
The Selection series is certainly reminiscent to the reality shows of our modern times, except with a futuristic and royal twist filled with a rich history of its own. It is no secret that the series has a massive following and with that comes a batch of those who dislike it for one reason or another.
Often compared to The Hunger Games and The Bachelor; the original series focused on the life of a young woman named America Singer as she struggles to fit into this world of romance and luxury; leaving behind a boy from home as she joins the competition to become the next queen of this fictional land. She never expected to fall in love, but she did -- and the decision of who she is, who she wants to be and who she cannot live without is ever so present throughout the series' original run.
