#yna5

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Review: And We Call It Love by Amanda Vink

Details about the book here.

Copy received through NetGalley

Genre: Young Adult, Poetry

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Review: And We Call It Love tells a heart-warming story about friends who drift apart under pressure from the people around them. I found the story interesting, the characters and plot compelling and well paced. The poetry was decent, written in a tone that reflects the characters' states of mind and experiences. The tone of the poems was used throughout to reflect on the development of the two main characters which I thought was smart. I really enjoyed this book, I think most fans of YA will do too.

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Review #35: The Agony of Bun O’Keefe by Heather Smith

Book details here.

Genre: YA, Contemporary

Rating: 5/5 stars

Review: The Agony of Bun O’Keefe is one of my favorite reads from this summer, it left me wishing for more. The story touches on serious subjects, but the writing itself is really airy which makes it impossible to put it down. Mrs. Smith does an amazing job of bringing the story to the reader, I found it easy to relate to the events, the emotion just jumps off the page. I found the characters well developed, their relationships were fun to witness. I can’t wait to get my hands on another of Heather Smith’s books. This is the perfect read for fans of YA.

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Review #28: Remember Yesterday by Pintip Dunn (Forget Tomorrow Series, Book 2)

Remember Yesterday by Pintip Dunn (Forget Tomorrow Book 2) Copy received through NetGalley.

Publication date: October 4th 2016

Goodreads average rating: 4.00

Goodreads summary: The sequel to the sci-fi hit Forget Tomorrow is a twisting, turning roller-coaster ride—the perfect sci-fi futuristic read. Seventeen-year-old Jessa Stone is the most valuable citizen in Eden City. Her psychic abilities could lead to significant scientific discoveries -- if only she'd let TechRA study her. But after they kidnapped and experimented on her as a child, cooperating with the scientists is the last thing Jessa would do. But when she discovers the past isn't what she assumed, Jessa must join forces with budding scientist Tanner Callahan to rectify a fatal mistake made ten years ago. She'll do anything to change her past -- even if it means aligning herself with the enemy she swore to defeat. 

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dystopian, Sci-Fi

Rating: 5/5 stars

Review: Challenge of the day: write down thoughts on this book without any spoilers. Here goes nothing. I've had this series in mind all year long. Mrs. Dunn's stories is quite a memorable read. I jumped on the chance to read part two (I obsessively checked my e-mail for a NetGalley e-mail until approval arrived). Part one ended on such a sad note, and I was really hoping that it would be taken back at the beginning of the sequel, however as we learn from the first sentence, that doesn't happen. Instead, the dynamic relationship we had in the first book, I'm talking about Cassie and Logan, not that big of a spoiler is more than made up with... well I can't say what relationship cause spoilers. Overall, this is a perfect sequel to Forget Tomorrow, if not even better. Mrs. Dunn brings her A-game, and her characters are still the strongest feature of the text. Still a fun read. I loved it. Book 1 review here.

Pintip Dunn’s Website: http://www.pintipdunn.com/ Pintip Dunn’s Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13442212.Pintip_Dunn Pintip Dunn’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/pintipdunn Pintip Dunn’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorPintipDunn/ Pintip Dunn’s Wordpress: https://pintipdunn.wordpress.com/

Pre-order Remember Yesterday here:

BookDepository  |  Amazon.com  |  Amazon.co.uk  |  Amazon.ca  |  iBooks  |  Barnes & Noble

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Review #15: Paint My Body Red by Heidi R. Kling

Copy received through NetGalley

Paint My Body Red by Heidi R. Kling

Contains few somewhat explicit scenes.

Publication date: November 2nd 2015

Goodreads average rating: 4.71

Goodreads summary: They think I'll be number seven. Unlucky number seven.

Dead teenager number seven. With the rash of suicides at my school, I've been shipped off to my dad's Wyoming ranch for “my own safety.” My mom worries I'll be next—another depressed teenager whose blood will end up on the train tracks. But she doesn't know my secrets...or what I did.

Everything has changed at the ranch since I was there last. The staff is gone, and there aren’t any visitors. The place is struggling, and ALS is destroying my dad. The one bright spot in this mess is his new—and only—ranch hand, Jake. He’s gorgeous, cheerful, healthy and sane. Shadows don't haunt his eyes and eat away at him in the night.

But the ranch and Jake can't save me from the darkness inside, or the knowledge of what I've done. This time, it's up to me to save myself...

Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Romance

Rating: 5/5 stars

Review: Confession. While Goodreads will tell you that it took me three days to read this book, I actually didn’t start it until yesterday. I don’t know why. Maybe I’m in bit of a reading slump. Maybe I expect a completely different book after reading the summary. Actually, the second one is completely true.

But once I started reading it, I was drawn to continue by the mystery it carries throughout. Mrs. Heidi R. Kling writes with an incredible style that turned this dark story into the most positive and hopeful book you’ll read this year.

The message you’ll find within is what kept me up till 2 am, rushing to finish it, not just because of a deadline I had set up for myself, but also because of the urge to find out what happens to Paige, what will happen to the ranch, what’s the next wonderful thing Jake will do.

Read it. You won’t regret it. Recommended by yours truly.

P.S. This book is also going on my physical copy wish-list. And that is the ultimate compliment I can give any book. I love it so much, that I need a copy to own.

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Review #14: Love and Other Alien Experiences by Kerry Winfrey

Copy received through NetGalley

Love and Other Alien Experiences by Kerry Winfrey

Publication date: November 15th 2015

Goodreads average rating: 4.38

Goodreads summary: In this heartwarming debut by HelloGiggles blogger Kerry Winfrey, a young agoraphobe begins a journey of first love that leads her to the true meaning of home—just by taking one small step outside of her house. My name is Mallory Sullivan. My therapist says I have an anxiety disorder. My brother says I’m an “optimistic recluse.” Everybody else says I'm a freak. And they kind of have a point, because I haven't left the house in 67 days and only attend class via the webcam on my laptop. The person I talk to the most other than my mom and brother is the completely obnoxious BeamMeUp, and all we do is argue on New Mexico’s premiere alien message board. But after yesterday, I have something: a chance. If I can win the homecoming crown by convincing resident hot popular guy and Friday Night Lights spawn Brad Kirkpatrick to go as my date, then maybe #stayathome will never appear next to the name @Mallory_Sullivan ever again. First, I have to leave my room.

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Rating: 5/5 stars

Review: When I saw that Kerry Winfrey was the author of this book, I knew I had to read it. I’m a big fan of HelloGiggles, so I know very well who she is. If you haven’t read any of her posts related to YA books, you should give them a look, I’ll put the link below (that sounds fancy, as if I’m a YouTuber).

Love and Other Alien Experiences is a cheeky little tale about a teenage agoraphobe, who by a surprise to everyone gets nominated for prom queen, and decides to win. Mallory, the badass lady in question who is determined to leave the house, has the support of her best friend Jenni and her brother Lincoln, who help her win more spirit points, that will help her get the title. During the whole thing, she befriends the next door neighbors, she makes clear improvements to her mental health and maybe falls in love. (I’m trying not to give everything away, as I already did few hours ago, while on a coffee date with my friends.)

This book is charming, beautifully written and extremely entertaining. And this previous sentence is a statement I wrote down after reading the first three chapters (yes, I take notes while reading, can you blame me?)

It’s funny at times. It’s incredibly addicting. But it’s also so original and, I’ll allow myself to say, real. The characters are believable and colorful, you’ll fall in love with all of them. If this doesn’t convince you to get this book, I’ll just note that Mallory is obsessed with aliens. Now that you know that, I am sure you’re already putting this book on your must-read shelves on Goodreads, or maybe you’re already pre-ordering it on Amazon.

I recommend that you pick it up the day it comes out, or maybe even sooner. You will not regret it. You’ll fall in love with Mrs. Winfrey’s writing, and you’ll thank me for obsessively talking about this book in the following months, as I suspect I’ll be doing.

While I mention it, I can’t wait for Mrs. Winfrey’s next novel. I have a feeling that she is destined for greatness. Keep an eye on her. This debut is more than ‘promising’, it’s brilliant.

P.S. Jake is the latest character I have a crush on. Send help. If you can’t see me right away, you’ll find me sitting in the corner, writing Jake Kirkpatrick fanfiction.

P.P.S. This book is definitely going on my physical-copy wish list.

Kerry Winfrey’s posts on HelloGiggles: http://hellogiggles.com/author/kerry-winfrey/