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. 

Invitation Only by Kate Brian | Rating: ★★★★☆

Sequels can often be a bore but in the case of the second novel in the best-selling Private series by Kate Brian, it's even better than our introduction to Easton. Invitation Only picks up immediately where Private ended and toys with us as we grow more and more captivated to the now-luxurious everyday life of Reed Brennan. Just a bit of time she's spent at her new, ultra-exclusive boarding school, Reed has found herself as the newest member of the campus' most notorious housing department: Billings.

The Billings Girls are everything anyone has ever dreamed to be and certainly the most sought-after dorm throughout the entire school. They're the brightest and most beautiful female students and with her newfound position amongst their ranks, Reed's future seems brighter than ever. If you ignore her missing kind-of-boyfriend Thomas Pearson, the pressure of excellence and the probability of being hazed (what is she, their maid?) by her new dorm mates before officially becoming one of their own.

Just as Reed is finding her way around these speed bumps at her new school, it is obvious that things are just going to keep her on her toes. From the ever present affection from one of the senior boys, who insists on showering her with gifts, and with whom she has no real feelings for but her former roommate Constance does, to becoming Billings unofficial maid, to wondering where the hell Thomas is and if she should move on, to her currently roommate Natasha seemingly blackmailing her--threatening her entire future at Easton--it's obvious to say that Reed has a lot more on her plate than she'd ever expected.

Private by Kate Brian | Rating: ★★★★☆

Here were buildings of brick and stone, topped by shingled roofs and spires, tradition and pride oozing from every dated cornerstone. Here were ancient, weathered, arched doorways, thick wooden doors on iron hinges, cobblestone walks lined by neat beds of flowers. Here were pristine playing fields of bright green grass and gleaming white lines. Everything I saw was perfect. Nothing reminded me of home. 

With the arrival of autumn and the days to winter growing closer, I tend to get very nostalgic. I repeat: very nostalgic. Back in my early years of high school, I had been obsessed with books in the similar vein as Private--the idea of boarding school life, the juicy drama of Gossip Girl. I remember just wandering the shelves at Barnes & Noble with the lunch money I had saved up (instead of eating school lunch? Yes, please.) and there was this little end cap with the first book in a new series that was so obviously targeted at girls my age. When I read the summary of Kate Brian's latest, I was in it to win it or whatever it is they say.

When I picked up the book the next morning during study hall, instead of doing my French homework, I knew I was a total goner. I haven't really touched the entire series in years but the books have had their place of display on my bookshelf for years and they just felt so appealing. Picking up Private again after so many years felt like coming home--I missed Reed Brennan and her adventures at Easton with the Billings Girls. Kate Brian's writing is just a smooth, fluffy and fast paced as I remembered it.

A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess | 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.  

First things first: I have to admit, I had both doubts and intrigue when it came to this novel. Mostly doubts. I'm a huge fan of a good fantasy novel that deals in witchcraft and the like. So much so that sometimes I get a bit jaded. I naturally hesitated. Hear me out: it took me a bit of time to really get into it, but my guess it was because I had been reading it in between time at work/while I was at the doctors office with my friend. But when I did get into it?

Holy cow, it was so bloody good. Actually, it was fire. I'm telling you guys, this book was practically as flame-worthy as the stunning cover art you see next to my thoughts. Jessica Cluess paints a dark, vivid and magical world in A Shadow Bright and Burning--one thing's for certain based on this release: we're in for a lot as the series continues. I'm more than ready for this adventure.

I should warn you guys that A Shadow Bright and Burning is a fantastic trip but it also had its moments where things felt a bit slow or underwhelming, like we'd been here before. There will be elements that you've seen in other releases of similar plots. But (but!) that's okay because while it did have these hiccups, it was still an excellent read that was fast paced and fulfilling. I found the novel, as a whole, to be a huge page turner once it really got into its groove and it definitely doesn't allow its flaws, nor its slow start, to define it.

Four by Veronica Roth | Rating: ★★★★★

“Dead people can be our heroes because they cant disappoint us later; they only improve over time, as we forget more and more about them.” 

What's the first word that comes to mind when I think of Four? Four as in both this collection and the character? Swoon. Swoon, I think about swooning. Actually, come to think about it I do more than think about swooning, I swoon the heck on out of this Popsicle stand and before you know it, my icy exterior has melted to the sidewalk like that ice cream cone I wept over as a child. But that's neither here nor there and I'm soooo not bitter about it or anything. 

Honestly, though. Four--Tobias Eaton, if you prefer--is one of my top ten book boyfriends of all time and frankly I loath the term book boyfriends but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, you know? And Four is completely worth the silly hair twirling (which, admittedly, I found myself doing in the more romantic scenes of his) and that's a pretty high compliment from me. 

Typically I'm not one for collections of short stories. None of my favorite series have little bonus stories in their line-up (that's a lie; The Darkest Minds and Splintered have done so and those were fantastic, too) so I tend to sprint in the opposite direction when I do see installments as such. While many authors and publishers do so only to bank on the success of their series and make that $$$$ (get that money, y'all!) Roth, instead, uses to build onto the series we already know and love. I love, love, love the collections that I listed above but Four goes above and beyond that.

The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee | Rating: ★★★★★

As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via Edelweiss by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.

There's something sparkly and new yet oddly undeniably familiar about The Thousandth Floor. Think of it as Gossip Girl set in the not so far future. I need to stress that this novel is one of those stories that the only way to read it wrongly is to expect it to be more than it is. It's a light but entirely vivid and delectable read that keeps you on your toes from start to finish. I liked the theme that 'the more things change, the more they stay the same'--the futuristic New York City that McGee paints us is incredibly different from our own, in terms of appearance, but is still filled with the same social climbing, reckless teens we've come to expect.

In place of the city that we love, stands a tower that goes up and up and up and up. And the tag line THE HIGHER YOU ARE, THE FARTHER YOU FALL, is perhaps one of the best descriptions of what is to come. We start off with a bang right away--a girl has fallen from the very top of the tower. This sets the stage wonderfully for a backdrop of luxury, technology and scandal. Katharine McGee's writing is similar to Cecily von Ziegesar and Sara Shepard except her words feel a bit more polished and eye-catching, which is a huge compliment coming from me considering I've been fans of the other two for the better part of a decade. Indeed, McGee's writing is delicious and fast paced; simple and an incredible ride for fans of the genre.

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi | Rating: ★★★★★

"Sticks and stones keep breaking my bones but these words, these words will kill me."

Tahereh Mafi’s prose is magic. Oh, I could say so much more to start off my damn review but that is the first thing that comes to mind whilst looking back on how it felt to read Unravel Me. Shatter Me is a series that has progressed quickly, with a loyal and deserving fan base and the thing about the sequel is that it’s even better than the first. This time around we get to learn more about the world we caught only glimpses of in the first installment and it’s delightful. Action packed, intelligent and sexy–Unravel Me pushes the envelope in young adult literature and proves that sometimes it’s unwise to under estimate the genre.

After breaking free of her chains–twice–Juliette Ferrars is now able to say she has escaped the Reestablishment, free from her prison as a so-called-crazy person, free from Warner’s plans to use her as a weapon. At the end of Shatter Me we saw Juliette escape to Omega Point with Adam Kent, her flame, and Kenji Kishimoto. If you thought Shatter Me was full of action and suspense, then you are in for a treat with Unravel Me.

You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour & David Levithan |  Rating: ★★★★★

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.

Broadening the genre (if only for a small fraction of what is desired) beloved LGBTQ friendly writers Nina LaCour ("Everything Leads to You", "Hold Still") and David Levithan ("Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist", "Boy Meets Boy") have teamed up with each other for what's surely the most dynamic writing duo this year and lead us into a breezy young adult contemporary that is fast on track to becoming a new favorite for fans.

Seriously, guys. Their writing together? It's heavenly. Can you guys, like, I don't know, team up again about thirty-five more times? No?

Okay. Back on track!

If you've ever loved either author's work (solo or otherwise) You Know Me Well should be at the top of your list to purchase this summer. I don't even have to tell you this. Perhaps the best young adult book of 2016, You Know Me Well is the perfect novel to lay in the sun with and remains impossible to put down. New fans will be made with this gem of a novel and I'm confident in saying so.

The Crown by Kiera Cass | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5)

Bittersweet, sophisticated and totally romantic. Those are the three choice words I have for the final installment of the beloved The Selection series by Kiera Cass. After five books and one collection of short stories, the series wraps up its final chapter with The Crown; leaving readers breathless and more than a little sad to say goodbye.

As always, with Kiera Cass, loose ends are tied up and there are many moments to swoon over. If you were one of the many who didn’t find themselves that fond of The Heir, this one is the superior of the two–it’s all about growth, decisions, love and the choices we make that can be longstanding.

Refresher, time! When we left Eadlyn Schreave she was in the process of not only coming of age in the public eye but making history by being a female heir to the throne who is having her own selection. Eadlyn is a mix of both good and bad qualities between her parents, our beloved America and Maxon. For many readers, this becomes a problem–because she is a child, she is a bit spoiled and she can be aggressive in many ways.

(I have to be honest, I don’t think she’s as bad as everyone else seems to and firmly believe that if she were a male, she wouldn’t receive half as much hate from the fandom.)

Unforgivable by Amy Reed | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5)

As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via Edelweiss by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.

In the highly anticipated sequel to one of my favorite reads last year, Invincible, Unforgivable paints a much darker image on the lives of Evie and Marcus and their all-consuming love for one another. Amy Reed should be highly praised for her proper portrayal of the complexities of human emotions and the fact that her teenagers feel–and act–like teenagers who are struggling.

That was one of the best things about Invincible, it felt real and as painful as one could expect. We knew instantly at the end of the previous novel that we would be left in a hurricane of heartbreak and changes and Unforgivable picks right up on that tone. Unforgivable is fast and beautiful and a world of cloudy memories and painful realizations.

Its biggest theme? Moving on. Letting go. And how difficult it can be to do so. You see, letting go of loved ones is all well and good in theory, but it takes some time to resonate with our decision. Reed’s prose brings to life this sort of feeling and will tug on your heartstrings until the very final pages.

Lost in Love by Susane Colasanti | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5)

As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via Edelweiss by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.

Because of my love for the introduction of this trilogy, Lost in Love was at the tip top of my to-read list this spring. It did not disappoint–in fact, it is the perfect novel for any romantic to have on hand this summer. Susane Colasanti shows her writing chops again with a heartfelt summer adventure filled with romance and friendship and the age old questioning of those entering adulthood.

Back it again are our girls–Sadie, Darcy and Rosanna. Each girl faces a world of changes with the backdrop of New York City just in the distance. When we left them in City Love, the trio were navigating their new lives and new loves, all the while befriending one another and exploring their contrasting personalities.

Drama was at an abundance when it came down to a few flaws in their new lives. Sadie’s found her soulmate, Austin, only to discover he isn’t at all who she that he was–that he was keeping a huge secret from her. He’s married. When we meet up with Sadie again, our eternal optimist is struggling with their break up and needs time to get back into the right state of mind to deal with this news.

The Nine Lives of Chloe King (#1-3) by Liz Braswell | Rating: ★★★★☆

Before it was a brief–cancelled too soon!–television series on ABC Family (now named Freeform) The Nine Lives of Chloe King was a little book series of three unique and sweet installments targeted at young adults in the early 2000s. Think Gossip Girl meets mythological creatures and chosen ones with a twist, in terms of its tone and lead-ins. Do I have your attention yet?

What I loved about it was that it didn’t take itself too seriously and was flawed, it could be messy and the characters could be hasty, but it also zoomed in on the mythology of it quite well. It was a fast read with a lot packed into it and left me on the edge of my seat multiple times.

Plus, the characters–Chloe and her friends–all acted like the teenagers they were meant to be. They cursed. They did stupid things. They were fickle with their hearts and sometimes their friendships. They hooked up. They fought with their parents.

So, no. You won’t always like them. Chloe's best friend, Amy, for example, could often rub you the wrong way in this little guy. Looking back now, as I reread the bind-up of the entire trilogy in my twenties, they do and say many cringe worthy things. But I think that’s what makes them real and the novel itself solid. It’s fantasy and full of things we couldn’t ever imagine dealing with, but reading between the lines they are accurately portrayed.

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5)

When you love someone, they become a part of who you are. They're in everything you do. They're in the air you breathe and the water you drink and the blood in your veins. Their touch stays on your skin and their voice stays in your ears and their thoughts stay in your mind. You know their dreams because their nightmares pierce your heart and their good dreams are your dreams too. And you don't think they're perfect, but you know their flaws, the deep-down truth of them, and the shadows of all their secrets, and they don't frighten you away; in fact you love them more for it, because you don't want perfect. You want them. You want—"
He broke off then, as if realizing everyone was looking at him again.

There are many reoccurring themes and characters mentioned from past releases by Cassandra Clare in Lady Midnight, but perhaps the most significant part to this installment–the first of a planned trilogy called The Dark Artifices–is the nod to a small truth each and everyone of us faces. It’s that sometimes answers come about in ways you least expected and that often, these truths can leave our lives in shambles and make us wonder how it came to be.

Not to mention a world of betrayal.

So–answers. Answers and more questions. That’s the first thing we come to see and have resolved piece by piece throughout this monster of a novel. Lady Midnight is large and fast paced and steamy; Clare brings us back into the Shadowhunter world effortlessly and in some ways just keeps getting better.

Invincible by Amy Reed | Rating: ★★★★★

"No one knows what to do with me now that I'm alive. There's no protocol for how to treat someone who comes back from the dead. There are so many books about grief and loss, about saying good-bye to the people you love. But there is no book about taking back that good-bye."

As a note, a finished copy 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 biggest mistake a person could make when picking up Amy Reed’s novel Invincible is to make the assumption that it is similar to The Fault in Our Stars. If you go into this novel thinking it will be anything like the other, you’re only going to be disappointed. The truth is that they are both heartfelt and will twist your heart until its broken on multiple occasions, but that is where parallels really and truly end.

While there are similarities between both novels, ultimately the story and our lead characters coping mechanisms are completely different and the only deep similarity between these stories is the theme of loss and cancer. A lot of readers have been unable to finish the novel due to the differences in its down, during the split then and now.

I found the differences startling and quite heartfelt, though. As someone who has watched cancer tear people apart in the past, I thought that Amy Reed crafted the character of Evie incredibly well. She is everything a teenage survivor could be and her struggle is all too real. Evie comes to life on the pages of her story and sometimes you want to shake her and sometimes you just want to hold her.

Unbecoming by Jenny Downham | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5)

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.

Three women, three generations, three secrets–Unbecoming is all of these things. Jenny Downham portrays three different voices in such an incredibly touching way that their stories are not something you’ll forget too quickly. Unbecoming is a portrait of a life lived, of a life catching up to you and of a life only just beginning.

It is so much more than that. It is vivid, unforgettable–Downham weaves together a life of memories and new beginnings; the way a family bonds or breaks and so much more. There’s a dreamy and delightful tone to its prose that makes it a fast read. Unbecoming touches on so many topics that I can’t begin to explain it in just a few paragraphs–the complexities of life and family are present and truthful to the world outside of the novel.

This is it, guys. One of the best young adult books of the year. One of the best young adult books of all time. God, it was just so breathtaking and wow.

The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5)

"Those words, that voice, had more power over me than any phantom ever could."

My thoughts on the conclusion to a phenomenal series? I can’t even believe I am about to say this but The Ruby Circle is the first, and only, book in the Bloodlines series that I didn’t love. I liked it, this much is true, enough to reread it in the future, but it was still a rather weak installment and not at all up to the standards usually set by Richelle Mead.

I daresay it bordered on half-assed and rushed.

It was enjoyable–but only to an extent. By comparison to the other novels in the series, it was watered down and sped up to hit a more suspenseful note. But it didn’t mesh well with it at all. Mead attempted to wrap up plots from the novels in a way that could have been excellent, had the novel been a bit longer and less “everyone gets a happily ever after except a few!” and more detailed.

See, I’m all for happy endings and logically speaking a lot of things from this final book have been a long time coming and hinted at for ages. But it all felt a bit dull. “Boom, this thing happened!” and “Boom! They’re together now!” and “Boom, let’s make a deal!” is how the story felt to me. Unlike the previous installments, it felt rushed and as if we were told things rather than shown them.

Untwine by Edwidge Danticat | Rating: ★★★★★

“People say that things like this happen in slow motion, as though you suddenly become an astronaut in the antigravity chamber of your own life. This wasn't true for me. Things were speeding up instead, and I did my best to slow them down in my mind.”

As a note, a finished copy 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.

In a tune similar to that of If I Stay, readers can expect to have their hearts break in half and a box of tissues is the ultimate required companion when diving into Untwine. Edwidge Danticat releases the thoroughly touching (fictional) story of twin sister’s Isabelle and Giselle Boyer and the accident that separates them between life and death. Untwine reflects on their lives spent as sisters and the very accident that kills one.

Danticat proves once more how solid her prose is; her writing chops bring on their best emotions for readers as they get to know Giselle and her thoughts and those moments, and years, leading up to the accident that will change her family’s life forever and beyond. More importantly, Untwine reflects on that past and approaches grief in a way that is honest and hopeful and full of a lot of emotional turmoil.

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.

Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead | Rating: ★★★★★

“Are you in a suit?" I managed at last, my voice choking up. "You didn’t have to dress up for me."
"Quiet, Sage," he said. "I’ll make the hilarious one-liners during this daring rescue."

Richelle Mead is at it again! And by that I mean, she’s being an absolute angel and nightmare and the ultimate goddess of suspense all at the same time. No! Joke! I repeat: no joke.

Silver Shadows is just as fast paced as every novel Mead has ever written and then some. I can’t say all the emotions I felt while reading this one because it’s indescribable but I guess you should trust me when I say it, this book will make you feel e v e r y t h i n g. Prepare yourself for a surge of emotion and a whole world of danger, because whereas The Fiery Heart was all about passion and love, this one takes on a darker tone, while still holding onto the romance and humor of the rest of the series.

Last we saw, Sydney and Adrian were separated when the Alchemists caught wind of their relationship. Sydney Sage was turned in by her own, and younger sister, Zoe Sage and things really hit the fan. After all this time of keeping their relationship a secret, they have been discovered and during an altercation in the night which our previous installment ended, Sydney has sacrificed herself to save her friend Eddie (who was with her when she was taken) and is now being held at an Alchemist reeducation center.

The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5)

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.

Although Cat Winters has a steady flow of historical fiction under her belt, her newest release coming out this year, The Steep and Thorny Way is my first experience with her writing. And what a wonderful first dive it was! As a so-called retelling of the much beloved classic Hamlet, the story has a lot to live up and it did beautifully.

Electric, thoroughly mysterious and thrilling, The Steep and Thorny Way lives up to all you’d expect it to. Winters pens a tale that grips you from the first pages and refuses to let go. It’s a story about danger in historic time, prejudice that roots itself in a community and turns it sour. It’s a story of the friendship and the love and loyalty between family and friends.

In a time, the 1920s, where racial tensions are high and one mixed race girl is coming of age, one could expect a hitch or two in the way a story unfolds. There are many authors out there who could attempt such a tale but fail miserably in terms of accuracy. The Steep and Thorny Way is not one of those stories. Once it captures your attention, it keeps you in place and grips onto your soul with an inevitable twist.