REVIEW: Chemistry by C. L. Lynch - Valeria

Rate:

3/5

Goodreads Description:

“I’m not moving to a whole new school! I’ll be eaten alive!”

Stella Blunt’s world is ending. Her parents have dragged her across the country, and she has to start over in a new school. Th is is a big problem, because she doesn’t make friends easily: she’s large, she’s loud, and she doesn’t suffer fools gladly.

The only person who likes her is the cute geek in her Chemistry class. He’s a great listener, he’s smart at science, and he loves her for her mind. Then again, she’s not sure whether that’s a good thing, considering that he also drinks brains from a thermos and walks with a lurch.

To complicate matters, undead hordes have started showing up at her door.

Can Stella take on a new school, an undead romance, and handle a chainsaw?

Written as a satirical feminist response to Twilight, Chemistry is an irreverent romp with a surprising amount of heart from debut author C.L. Lynch, who thinks that fat girls and zombies deserve love too.

Okay so the book started out pretty damn good and I was all excited for it because it was turning out a lot better than Twilight.

Like a lot of things, basic things in Twilight were a bit what the fuck. 

Like really Bella? You're going to go ahead and move with your Dad so your mother can be "happier" I mean, you can still go with her, no need to be such a martyr.

Back to this book

So the book got the whole, proper teenage reactions down to a T.

Like Stellas reactions to how Howard would present himself were 100% correct.

Like as much as girls/guys might say they want an unconditional love like (lets use the obvious) Edward Cullens, in real life we wouldn't be so freaking accepting of said love. We would be in a complete WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU rollercoaster in real life. Because lets face it, if a guy is stalking you everywhere, is acting like hes about to stab you with a pencil or put a collar around you to not loose you or in Twilights case, WATCHING YOU SLEEP

We wouldn't think its cute, we would be completely freaking out or fearing for our freaking lives.

As any sane person should. 

Now, onto why I didnt rate this higher. 

Because as good as the book was in the beginning it started to get WAY too creepy for my taste.

Sure, it could be more IN YOUR FACE about the fails that twilight contains but it was a little extreme for me. 

Still, it is the best parody (is it even a parody?) of twilight that I have ever seen so Kuddos to Lynch!

On another note, I was trying to look for gifs for this posts and couldnt find any that fit

BUT I found one of Robert Pattinson and it reminded me of Flash from Zootopia in a way xD

Recommend it?

MMMMMMM

yeah, if youre looking for a parody like book of Twilight that shows some good points, this is it

Release Day Review: One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus - 4.5 stars

Title: One of Us is Lying

Genre: YA Contemporary Mystery

Author: Karen M. McManus

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Publication: May 30th 2017

Cover Rating: 3/5

Goodreads | Amazon

I love murder/mystery books. I have no idea why, considering I can guess the bad guy nine times out of ten. One of Us is Lying, nope, couldn't guess it. I kept going back and forth in my head and it was starting to drive me crazy. Like WHO DID IT. Arg. Well, now I know who did it and DAMN, I definitely didn't see THAT coming.

Plot: 

Simon runs an online Tumblr page where he spews gossip about his fellow classmates. Problem is, all of gossip ends up being true. The other problem? Simon gets a lot of hate for outing his classmates secrets.

He ends up in detention one day with four fellow classmates. All of them had their phone go off in class and that teacher wasn't having any of that crap. Only, something is weird about the cell phones. Something is weird about the entire situation. Then Simon dies and the manner of death wasn't exactly mysterious until people started looking more closely.

Now, everyone who was in detention with Simon is being investigated for murder. Who would want to murder Simon? After all, it's just stupid high school drama, right? But each one of these four kids has a reason to hate Simon and motives to want him out of the picture. Dealing with secrets is a dangerous business. Isn't that right, Finnick Odair?

The four students are told to stay away from each other while the police do their investigation but they do exactly the opposite.Secrets get exposed, hearts get broken and someones life is about to be put on hold and maybe ruined forever if they go to jail. What happens when none of them can figure out which person did it? I guess you will just have to read and find out.

I would also like to add that there are some mental health issues in this book but if I say much else it would be a spoiler.

Characters:

Simon - The Douchey McDouchepants

Nate - The Scapegoat

Bronwyn - The Perfect One That Isn't So Perfect

Cooper - The Cliche Secret Hiding Jock

Addy - The Compliant Girlfriend

There are a few more side characters but none of them, except maybe Simon's best friend and Addy's 'boyfriend', are really important. I connected the most with Nate and then a bit with Bronwyn, the perfectionist side mainly. I didn't like Addy much until the end, what her sister did for her was tear-worthy. Then we have Cooper. I'm still not sure how I feel about him... he needed to stand up for himself a bit more. I can understand his wanting to hide things because the sports world can be very in un-accepting but he still shouldn't have been living a lie. 

World Building:

The author did a very good job at capturing the essence that is high school. Aside from that, there wasn't much world building needed as it was a contemporary setting set in the USA.

In the end, I still didn't fully understand what happened with Simon and why he did what he did. I didn't even think of that as a possible outcome and I'm normally great at guessing plot points. This book is about bullying in a completely different light. I want to say the victim became the bully but I don't think any of these kids did anything remotely warranting what Simon tried to pin on them. I did, however, love the way it ended. And I hope the legal outcomes will be harsh but fair especially 

Overall, I gave the book 4.5/5 stars.

Old, Unposted Review: Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

Title: Lady Midnight

Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal YA

Author: Cassandra Clare

Publisher: McElderry Books

Publication: March 8th 2016

Cover Rating: 4/5

Goodreads | Amazon

There were so many parts of this book that I found myself going "what?!" at. I think if I would have read all the little novellas and maybe even The Bane Chronicles before reading Lady Midnight I might not have been so surprised but I liked the feeling of looking back at Clary, Simon, Jace and even Jem and Tessa. It was nice to have the little details of how their lives have moved on and changed since the Dark War 5 years ago. But, if I had to sum up this book with one little snippet it would be, The Clave goes Darkside.

I truly do appreciate this book. Sometimes, long series annoy me or I lose interest. But this series, although I wasn't too fond of the last 3 Mortal Instrument books, keeps me interested because there are so many points of view and has an actually timeline. Not everything happens in the same time frame. I get to meet different Shadowhunters, different warlocks, and I get the best of all the worlds. I didn't like Julian or Emma when I finished City of Heavenly Fire but now that I get to read their own story 5 years later I actually like them. So with age, comes wisdom and maturity. 

Emma is fierce. She is so much better than Clary, at least when we first met Clary. I wouldn't even say Clary is fierce now. She just has Jace behind her. But not Emma. She is a bad-ass without the help of any guy. I love how tough she is but I can't help but wonder if that toughness came from the loss of her parents. I know some of it did. The need for revenge did. But would she still have turned out to be such a great Shadowhunter had her parents still been around? Would she have bonded herself to Julian? There are a lot of questions I could ask about Emma.

Julian is weird. He seems like Jace in some ways but in others he is timid. Life dealt him a not so fair hand but he handles that with grace and I do like that he took on the responsibilities when no one else could or would. He was forced to grow up too fast and because of that I can't judge him  too harshly.

All the kids are so cute and each have their own little distinct personalities. In a book with this many characters it can be hard to keep each one differentiated. The only problem I had at the begging was keeping Tavvy and Ty separate. I kept having to check my notes to see who was who. But I did get the hang of it by the end.

It is disturbing how much Mark changed in 5 short years. It was like he never had another life before the war. It is scary just how easily the Faeries can bend someones mind. But after getting to know Mark I saw that he didn't exactly change. He just molded his personality to the people he lived with. I liked his little Faerie boyfriend, though. The guy did kind of prove to be a tricky person but in the end he redeemed himself. He risked everything he had, in front of the king of the Unseelie court, to try and save mark from a punishment. It was sad and beautiful.

The story and plot was very straight forward and you would think that was a good thing. Right? Well that all depends on if the plot has been used to death. Which, In this case, has been. But for some reason, at the end of each "bad guys" life I end up sort of feeling sorry for them. The Clave is a messed up group of people. They have caused agony, despair, loss and so much else. I am kind of rooting for someone to take them down. They are corrupt.

This book is almost 700 pages. And in those 700 pages we get to meet a lot of new characters like Christina and Diego. Their story adds something to the book but at the same time it is just as cliche as all the other relationships in this series. 

Unfortunately, it took about 500 pages before the story even remotely drew me in. I enjoyed the last 200+ pages of the book but not enough to make my rating go up much. Also, after finishing this book II realized that the Shadowhunter world is pretty much about nothing more than love and loss. Every book has this great love story. Every book has an overwhelming abundance of loss. There is always a bad guy and the Shadowhunters are always fighting again that guy. Kind of like how John Green writes nothing but Manic Pixie Dream Girl books the same is true for Cassandra Clare when it comes to cliche, stereotypical paranormal romance type books. Jace and Clary. Will and Tessa. Jem and Tessa. Alec and Magnus. They are all pretty cliche. I do enjoy the world and I can't wait to find out what goes on with Lady Midnight but I have a feeling I will be disappointed. I have a feeling Lady Midnight will just be another regurgitation of City of Bones.

My favorite part about this book was the Edgar Allen Poe references. I just found it so interesting how the author spun his work into this book. My least favorite part of this book was having to listen to Julian and Emma. UGH! Clary and Jace all over again.

Oh, I would also like to add this little tidbit to my review. CLIFFHANGER FROM HELL!

One little side note... After reading all of Cassandra Clare's books I have started to hate the word "Ichor". But I do feel accomplished now that I have caught up with all of Cassandra Clare's current books. Now I won't be that person who says "Shut up. No Spoilers. I haven't read it yet!"

Overall, I gave this book 3.5/5 stars

REVIEW: Follow Me Back by A. V. Geiger - Valeria

Rate:

5/5

Godreads Description:

Tessa Hart’s world feels very small. Confined to her bedroom with agoraphobia, her one escape is the online fandom for pop sensation Eric Thorn. When he tweets to his fans, it’s like his speaking directly to her…

Eric Thorn is frightened by his obsessive fans. They take their devotion way too far. It doesn’t help that his PR team keeps posting to encourage their fantasies.

When a fellow pop star is murder at the hands of a fan, Eric knows he has to do something to shatter his online image fast—like take down one of his top Twitter followers. But Eric’s plan to troll @TessaHeartsEric unexpectedly evolves into an online relationship deeper than either could have imagined. And when the two arrange to meet IRL, what should have made for the world’s best episode of Catfish takes a deadly turn…

Told through tweets, direct messages, and police transcripts, this thriller for the online generation will keep you guessing right up to the shocking end.

Review:

HOLY SHIT

So I have been in a massive book slump... Until this book reached my tablet.,.

Talk about intriguing!

So I came across this book first on Edelweiss, I read the description and I was like holy shit

*enters netgalley to the rescue**and hellojennyreviews*

As a massive fangirl, this description was everything I needed in life, the book was one I needed to read and loved and just... Im still freaking out okay.

The author, A. V. Geiger is a number one author on Wattpad, and its more than evident why,

I binged this book, I really did, I sat down for hours until I finished it and then I of course had to reach out to twitter to show my emotions

Yeah.. me. so. coherent.

Anyways, I of course reached out to the author because the ending fucking MURDERED ME!!!

I was so confused, there needed to be more

I had all these ideas as to what was going on and there was no explanation and there IS

But for you to get an explanation, you need the book.
And for you to read the book.. Well.. 

June 1, 2017 cant get here fast enough for you

Another great thing about this book was not just the creative aspect, which to be honest, I have been failing to mention, but the fact that it deals with real issues.

Deals with mental illnesses and does not sugar coat it. It adds to everything.

Recommend it?

Fuck yes. Any fangirl out there needs there, puts things in perspective for you.

As a massive fangirl, the kind who owns fanpages, it totally did.

And boy am I glad for being totally sane and hopefully respectful.

REVIEW: As Red As Blood by Salla Simukka - Valeria

Rate:

4/5

Goodreads Description:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for teens—this international bestseller is a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat Nordic noir that chills to the bone, and not just because of the bleak winter setting.

Lumikki Andersson has made it a rule to stay out of things that do not involve her. She knows all too well that trouble comes to those who stick their nose where it doesn’t belong. But Lumikki’s rule is put to the test when she uncovers thousands of washed Euro notes hung to dry in her school’s darkroom and three of her classmates with blood on their hands. Literally.

A web of lies and deception now has Lumikki on the run from those determined to get the money back—no matter the cost. At the center of the chaos: Polar Bear, the mythical drug lord who has managed to remain anonymous despite hosting lavish parties and having a notorious reputation. If Lumikki hopes to make it out alive, she’ll have to uncover the entire operation.

Even the cold Finnish winter can’t hide a culprit determined to stain the streets red. 

Holy shit guys.

This is a book you either swear by or hate.

I swear by it. The book was fast paced and the type that if it was a movie you would be jumping up and down, chewing your lip and possibly screaming at the screen. There where something that where lacking or where a bit confusing about what exactly was happening but I shall go ahead and blame that to the Finnish to English translation. The main character, Lumikki was a bit hard to like, as much as I like what was going on around, I simply couldn't really root for her. She was the type of character that just appears to try too hard to be relatable.

Recommend it?

Yup 

REVIEW: The Outliers by Kimberly McCreight - 4 stars

Title: The Outliers

Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller

Author: Kimberly McCreight

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication: May 3rd 2016

Cover Rating: 5/5

Goodreads | Amazon

Epic Reads Author Video

I picked this book up on a whim. The cover seemed sort of mysterious and creepy and I was in the mood for that. I did not, however, read the synopsis before diving in to this book. It wasn't EXACTLY what I was expecting from the cover but it was pretty cool. So if you are looking for a weird, creepy, medical/science thriller book then I would suggest this. It is much more than that, though.

There are CUSS WORDS in this book. And I swear to God it is a relief. After watching a little interview with the author where she said she likes certain cuss words I was expecting it. The cussing didn't really start until 150 pages in but I was laughing. The authors/publishers who say no cuss words in YA books must live under a rock. Teenagers cuss more than any other group I can think of. So I condone the authors writing style and her boldness. Finally! An author who isn't afraid to say fuck.

Wylie... Oh how do I describe Wylie. She is crazy? No. That is too harsh. She is just a girl who lost her mother and happens to have this long list of mental issues that stem from anxiety. With that being said, I thought she would be a somewhat unreliable narrative but she wasn't and I don't like how the book made her out to seem like this certifiably insane person who needs to be hospitalized. She had her moments but in the end you find out why. 

And then we have... crap... what was his name? JASPER! I like that name. I have no idea why I couldn't think of it. But Jasper is Cassie's boyfriend and Wylie wasn't too crazy about them dating because she had heard all this bad crap about him. Well, that will teach you to listen to gossip, now won't it little Ms. Wylie. Jasper is actually a pretty okay guy. He doesn't have the best life. Actually, none of the "main" characters have the best life. But he was loyal and brave and I don't think Cassie deserved him.

For some reason I couldn't picture Cassie. She was sent to fat camp and apparently ended up super skinny but I found myself picturing a bigger girl half the time. I just felt like Cassie wasn't an important character even though the entire book was centered around her situation. Actually, now that I am thinking about it, I couldn't picture anyone. Made the book even more mysterious, I guess. But, after getting to know who Cassie was I was super shocked when she did what she did at the end of the book. I will always wonder if it could have ended differently for her.

I want to touch on the crazy aspect of the book once more. While Wylie and Jasper were driving to find Cassie, Wylie's dad sent her a text saying he called her doctor and they were all out looking for her now. Later on we find out what really went down with that text but the fact that Wylie didn't even think twice about it being her dad that said that was kind of shitty. It meant that she was used to him treating her like she was crazy and she expecting him to be not such a great person. 

After all is said and done I can honestly say that I am glad there will be more books. The ending was the right amount of cliffhanger. Not the kind that makes you want to cry and then you get all slumpy. The kind that you feel like you got good enough answers but still want more. The one big thing I will say is this book is based on empathy. The ability to feel what other people around you are feeling. It was creepy for me because I have that. It isn't something magical or whatever. I just can feel emotions, even though text. It comes in handy but I'm glad it doesn't get me into the situation this book portrays.

Overall, I gave the book 4/5 stars.

REVIEW: Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson - Valeria

Rate:

3.5/5

Goodreads Description:

After a harrowing journey across the country, Leah Westfall and her friends have finally arrived in California and are ready to make their fortunes in the Gold Rush. Lee has a special advantage over the other new arrivals in California—she has the ability to sense gold, a secret known only by her handsome best friend Jefferson and her murdering uncle Hiram.

Lee and her friends have the chance to be the most prosperous settlers in California, but Hiram hasn’t given up trying to control Lee and her power. Sabotage and kidnapping are the least of what he’ll do to make sure Lee is his own. His mine is the deepest and darkest in the territory, and there Lee learns the full extent of her magical gift, the worst of her uncle, and the true strength of her friendships. To save everyone, she vows to destroy her uncle and the empire he is building—even at the cost of her own freedom.

The second epic historical fantasy in the Gold Seer trilogy by Rae Carson, the acclaimed author of The Girl of Fire and Thorns.

So as much as I loved Walk On Earth a Stranger, like... A lot, I was disappointed in this one a bit. It kept putting me in a slump for some reason. The pace was steady, maybe even better than the last one and I, for the life of me, could not understand WHY I couldnt get through it!

After having to wait SO long to get my hands on it, THIS happens.

We discover more about what Lee can do and of course we see her being strong AF without her being annoying about it. This is a character to look up to and maybe that is why I love her so much, she knows her limits and fights for her loved ones without being absolutely over-kill martyr about it.

The ending of this book left me confused. In the fact that I know a third one is coming out yet the ending for it left me feeling satisfied with the way things where, there wasnt this gigantic cliff-hanger that left me pulling my hair at the roots.

So I finished and I was like... Well... Do I even need to read the last one? Sure there are a few unanswered questions but nothing that I can't live without.

I guess I will just have to wait and see.

Recommend it?

For the fans of the first one, yeah, I mean, after the last ending, you HAVE to. It's honestly worth it.

My Thoughts: 13 Reasons Why - Episode 1

So... I read this book a VERY long time ago. Let me go check my Goodreads to see if I even have it marks as when I read it on there. 

Nope, I don't even have a date on there. Just that it was read. I can say I know it was more than 5 years ago. I found a copy of this book, along with all of John Greens present works and a few other YA authors that write about Manic Pixie Dream Girls and other pointless shit. So, I picked up Thirteen Reasons Why along with Jay Ashers other book about AOL and Facebook. I read it and moved on. It was sad, sure, but it didn't impact me because I HAVE had friends commit suicide. Very close friends. People you would never think would consider taking their lives. It happens every-fucking-day for a multitude of reasons. 

I didn't think I would end up watching the Netflix series. Today, I changed that. I was working on my bookshelves and decided, meh, why not? I am a Young Adult reviewer and blogger so I might as well keep up to date with all things YA. 

So far... It is actually a pretty good representation of the book. The actor playing Clay, is he the dude that played in some R L STINE movie?, I feel, is a great fit. The girl playing Hannah Baker is a good fit too. 

I have heard so many whiny people saying this series is glorifying and romanticizing suicide. I have no idea what series they are watching but that couldn't be further from the truth. This series shows how agonizing it is to lose someone to suicide. It is showing that there are so many levels and reasons that someone would want to end their life because. Nothing is black and white, especially suicide and I think the people who are saying the whole glorifying/romanticizing shit need to reevaluate their definitions of those terms. 

Then, there are the people saying OMG DON'T LET YOUR KIDS WATCH THIS ERRTHESRGAWRGSRTDFERG. Why not? Do people not realize that kids see and hear worse shit that this on the daily? Do parents really have their heads that far up their own asses that they still somehow think the world is good? Life fucking sucks. Let your kids watch this. Do you want them to resent you one day for not letting them watch certain things because you view of the world vs. your childs' view of the world is horrible skewed? I have a fourteen year old niece. I was thirteen when she was born. And I can tell you that NOTHING about school or social life is the same from when I was a teenager to now when my niece is a teenager. There is some horribly gross shit on social media. Teenagers worshiping the kids who did the Columbine Massacre. Posting 'memes' about incest and tons and tons of suicide posts. Every kid now thinks they have anxiety and panic attacks and don't want you assuming their genders. This generation is disgusting. So, please, tell me what this series has that could be remotely worse than what your children see daily? What they participate in daily. I'll be waiting for your reply.

I am off the watch the second episode. But before I go I want to say that only thing that bothers me about this show is the mass usage of smartphones. The book was written in 2007. I graduated in 2007. The first iPhone didn't even come out until mid 2007 and even then, you had to be rich to have one. 

Mini Review: The Heir by Kiera Cass - 3 stars

Title: The Heir

Genre: YA Dystopian Romance

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication: May 5th 2016

Cover Rating: 5/5

Goodreads | Amazon

Wah wah wah. Me me me. I am sacrificing sooo much so people should kiss my feet. Oh God, Eadlyn is such a whiny little brat. How did America have her? America was a very strong character. But her daughter? Is a very bratty little girl that thinks of herself as the center of the world. 

And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, is my review for The Heir.

Overall, ever though Eadlyn made me want to kick puppies, I gave the book 3/5 stars.

REVIEW: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness & Siobhan Dowd - 4.5/5 stars

Title: A Monster Calls

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy

Author: Patrick Ness and Siobhan Down(Adapted from her original idea)

Publisher: Candlewick

Publication: August 2nd 2016(this edition)

Cover Rating: 3/5

Goodreads | Amazon

Let's start this review with a little bit of honesty. Does that sound good? Okay.

I never thought I would read A Monster Calls. I have owned 4 or 5 different copies over the years. Recently, I picked up the paperback movie edition from Wal-Mart. It was super late and I was just looking for something to bring my Goodreads Challenge up. I didn't end up reading it until now, which happens to be almost 3 months later. If it wasn't for me watching a YouTube reading wrap-up video and hearing someone say it made her cry silent tears, I probably never would have picked this book up. But, I did. And I am so thankful. This book was beautiful and sad and so painful. The ending tore my heart out. The ending is on of my biggest fears. I know everyone eventually dies but it is still my fear.

So let's talk about the book rather than how the book ripped my heart out.

Conor is the main character. He is a 13 year old boy that is dealing with his mother having cancer. He cooks, cleans, does the chores and goes to school where he is bullied. He leads a pretty hard life.

Then we have the giant tree on the movie cover of this book. What do you think the tree has to do with the book? Well, read it and find out! Hahaha.

So then we have Conor's father, who left them for some chick in the USA. His grandmother, mothers mom, who seems like this very horrible tyrant type woman. Lily, who used to be his childhood friend until she betrayed him. And finally we have his "school life".

I treat his school life as a person or entity because it is so overbearing. Conor gets ignored, bullied, pitied and many other horrible acts. Most of these acts are because of his mothers cancer. I have no idea what would possess someone to be horrible to a person because their parent has a life threatening illness. But this book was set "across the pond", so not in the USA, so maybe stuff is different there.

Regardless of his school life, he has to face the his mother might not be here much longer. Because of this, someone appears in his life asking him for the truth. The truth being a nightmare he has been having. In the end of the book everything becomes clear and it is so heartbreaking. You might hope for one thing to happen but still want something else to happen. Just because you think something bad, doesn't make you a terrible person. We are all human and we make mistakes. In Conor's situations, he had to tell the truth of his dream, it might not have been exactly what he wanted, but it was one of many truths he had inside of him.

Sadly, the book did not make me cry, and that is what I was looking for. It was so sad and I did find myself with a quivering lower lip, but no tears.

Overall, I gave the book 4.5/5 stars.