The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy by Jenny Han (The Summer I Turned Pretty, It's Not Summer Without You, We'll Always have Summer)

My Overall Review:

The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy was a very light and nice read that involved fluffy love relationships and nice character development. I do recommend this trilogy although I didn't find it fantastic. It was simple and was easy and fun to read.

 

 

Title: The Summer I Turned Pretty
Author: Jenny Han
Pages: 276


Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer--they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along

My Rating:✰✰✰✰

This was a very nice light summer read. Reading this book really did make me want to do something in the summer and have a beach house. I don't think the love relationships are the best, but I am curious to see what happens in the end. I think both Conrad and Jeremiah seem like a good people and have their own charms. I personally like Conrad better since he seems a little bit more mysterious. I think Cam was kind of random and unnecessary to the story though. Belly seemed a little immature since she stuck out her tongue way too much. But I did enjoy this light read and will be continuing this series.

 

Title: It's Not Summer Without You
Author: Jenny Han
Pages: 288

Can summer be truly summer without Cousins Beach?

It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come.
But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started--at Cousins Beach.

My Rating:✰✰✰✰

This book is what I expected to be. It was similar to the first one because it was just as good and light. I still don't feel any connections with the characters that much but hope to in the last book.
 
Currently, I don't know who she is going to end up with. I thought that I was going to like Conrad and I did at first, but he seems too stubborn so maybe Jeremiah will end up being with Belly. Conrad is just very complicated and Belly keeps falling in and out of love with him.
 
I really loved it when the three came back and tried to save the beach house. I was even happy when Laurel, Belly's mom, came and won against Mr. Fisher.
Something I didn't really love in this book was the way it was written. Some chapters talked about the past and the one after the next continued that time which confused me a little. I also felt like Jeremiah's chapters were short enough to really be nonexistent since they were not consistent.
Susannah's death in this book does play a huge role and I do miss her. I feel bad for Laurel since she was so close to her.
I am looking forward to see how this will all end.
 

 

Title: We'll Always Have Summer
Author: Jenny Han
Pages: 291

It's been two years since Conrad told Belly to go with Jeremiah. She and Jeremiah have been inseparable ever since, even attending the same college-- only, their relationship hasn't exactly been the happily ever after Belly had hoped it would be. And when Jeremiah makes the worst mistake a boy can make, Belly is forced to question what she thought was true love. Does she really have a future with Jeremiah? Has she ever gotten over Conrad? It's time for Belly to decide, once and for all, who has her heart forever.

My Rating:✰✰✰✰1/2

This book was my favorite out of this trilogy. I loved how it took place when Belly starts going to college and I could really see the development in her. When I read how she was already with Jeremiah, I already knew she was going to end up with Conrad and I rooted for Con anyway. I liked Jeremiah but really thought of him as a brother to Belly versus a lover.
I was very shocked when Jeremiah proposed to Belly, especially since he cheated on her. When she said yes, I could already tell that that wasn't happening.
I did like Conrad's chapters more than I liked Jeremiah's. I still think that if Conrad was more honest about his feelings, everything would've been easier to solve. But I actually kind of enjoyed the drama in this book.
I also really like Taylor in this book since the two didn't fight. To be honest, I didn't pay much attention to the other characters that Belly was friends with. The only thing is that I feel like even after this book, Belly would still sometimes look at Jeremiah in a way since they did have a past. But I do hope that their lives are better in the future.
I am very happy with this ending and am glad it ended the way it did.

Wild by Alex Mallory

Title: Wild
Author: Alex Mallory
Pages: 448


The forest is full of secrets, and no one understands that better than Cade. Foraging, hunting, surviving— that’s all he knows. Alone for years, Cade believes he’s the sole survivor. At least, until he catches a glimpse of a beautiful stranger…

Dara expected to find natural wonders when she set off for a spring break camping trip. Instead, she discovers a primitive boy— he’s stealthy and handsome and he might be following her. Intrigued, Dara seeks him out and sets a catastrophe in motion.

Thrust back into society, Cade struggles with the realization that the life he knew was a lie. But he’s not the only one. Trying to explain life in a normal town leaves Dara questioning it.

As the media swarm and the police close in, Dara and Cade risk everything to get closer. But will the truth about Cade’s past tear them apart?

A YA Tarzan retelling.


My Rating:
✰✰1/2

The main reason I didn't like this book was because it wasn't interesting enough to keep me reading. I feel like this book had a lot of potential of being good, but instead it was very slow and not enjoyable. It took me a very long time to finish this book because I did not feel like reading it.

The characters were alright but I didn't connect with any of them. The actual plot of the story was strange as well. One of the main characters, Cade, lives on his own in the forest apart from everyone else, but why? The answer wasn't developed enough for me to appreciate the concept of the story. Everything else that happens just seemed pointless and didn't add anything to the plot.

I didn't really like how it was almost insta-lovey. When Dara and Cade see each other for the first time, they both get really deep emotions which I didn't understand. But I did like that their relationship wasn't going too fast, but I did not like how it started.

My biggest problem with this book is the fact that they made the paparazzi such a big deal. A lot of the things in the book was over exaggerated which I did not like. This will be discussed more in the spoilers portion. 

I really disliked the ending. It seemed pretty pointless and hopeless. Going back to the thing with the paparazzi, did Cade really need to move somewhere else because of them? It seemed as if the story used the press as a way to push the plot forward which I did not like. It was very repetitive and seemed unrealistic.  

The writing was very average and okay. It was easy to read, which I liked, but it wasn't spectacular. Just overall, the book was slow and not very thrilling or fun to read.
But please do not make my personal opinion of this book a reason for you not to pick it up. Some people actually had enjoyed this book so feel free to take a shot at it!

Shatter Me Trilogy by Tahereh Mafi (Shatter Me, Unravel Me, Ignite Me)

The Shatter Me trilogy was a great trilogy that I recommend to people. It is very character driven and written very beautifully and poetic. I think that the series gets better as you continue. Please read at your own risk and caution for spoilers.

Title: Shatter Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Pages: 338


I have a curse
I have a gift

I am a monster
I'm more than human

My touch is lethal
My touch is power

I am their weapon
I will fight back

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.


My Rating:
✰✰✰✰

I really enjoyed Shatter Me and read it pretty quickly. The writing was so unique and different and I didn't want to put this book down.

I'm not sure if it was because I was just reading it fast, but at some parts the plot seemed to be fairly quick and I felt that some scenes could've been extended. I didn't think there was much plot to this book; I was waiting for something big to happen, but nothing crazy happened.

Before reading this, I already knew that there was going to be a love triangle with Adam and Warner. I didn't fall for either of them immediately, but I did end up liking Warner better because he felt more real to me. Adam seemed like a typical YA male charming character where Warner seemed to have a lot of depth to him. I did not like how Warner really "wanted" Juliette more than he liked her. But I did like it when they bickered. Warner didn't seem evil, but he did evil things. I think his strong want for power only makes him a more complex character. 

I like Kenji. I am very curious as to how Warner and Adam can touch her. I'm not a fan of how many times it's stated that Juliette is pretty and all, but she hasn't even looked at herself in the mirror of a while. I think the "I love you." came a little too early from him.

I didn't feel like I knew Juliette that well, but hopefully I'll grow more connections to her in the next two books. But I did like that her voice was different and unlike anything I've heard.

Once again, the writing was so different and poetic and had many similes, metaphors and just used figurative language a lot. I liked the strike throughs and the repetitions that's in Juliette's head. 

I actually ended up more interested in this dystopian world than I thought I would. Although it seems pretty typical with the whole Movement and the government being bad and all,(isn't that what a dystopia is?)  I really liked the concept of the special people with powers. 

I am looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy and hopefully I'll get to know the characters more. 

Title: Unravel Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Pages: 461

tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
it's almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

My Rating:
✰✰✰✰1/2

Before reading this, I read Destroy Me which is the novella that is after Shatter Me and before Unravel Me. I do recommend reading that first, and then reading this.

About half way through the book, things really did pick up and I couldn't stop reading. This book picks up right after Shatter Me and throughout this book we learn more about Omega Point and their movement.

Learning about the different powers and the energy harnessed in the people were cool. For some reason, I really liked Castle's character. I think it has to deal with the fact that he stayed consistent throughout the book. I also loved his relationship with Kenji.

And Kenji was awesome. He was so hilarious and awesome and his comments instantly lighted up the mood. One of my favorite parts in the book was when Juliette told him to lower his voice and he said, "Because if I lower my voice, I won't be able to hear myself speak. And that, is my favorite part."
Tahereh actually stole this quote from her brother which I found hilarious.

I've always liked Warner's character more than I did Adams. When Juliette realized that Warner and Adam both could touch her, I instantly had a feeling that they were brothers. It wasn't until it was actually stated in the book that I knew for sure. Warner's character is just more complex than Adam's. Adam did seem a little pouty at times just because he couldn't be with Juliette. I honestly think that Juliette didn't like Adam that much since she was willing to give him up. It made sense, because she didn't want to harm him, but she belongs with Warner.

I laughed out loud when it was revealed that Warner's first name is Aaron. For some reason, that seemed hilarious to me. The part where Juliette and Warner are talking and he says that he loves it when she says her name is one of my favorites.

When Warner and Juliette was having their moment, and she just thinks of Adam. That made me really upset and I just wanted her to stop liking him so much,

Anderson was so awful and cruel, and I really wanted him to die.

The action and fighting parts actually scared me because I  didn't want anyone from Omega Point to die.
This book has many quoteable things and the writing was lovely as always.

Title: Ignite Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Pages: 409

With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn’t know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won’t keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world . . . but that’s not all he wants with her.

My Rating:
✰✰✰✰✰


Just saying that I am #TeamKenji

Finishing the trilogy really made me sad. This series of books was great and I will really miss the characters. Speaking of characters, can we take about the development?!?

This is mainly for Juliette, although many of the characters went through changes. But Juliette has changed and grown so much from the first book, it's crazy. Thinking about how timid she was in the first book, really made me notice how strong she has gotten. When she was looking for Anderson, she was such a bad a. Punching through floors, pushing soldiers off, kicking doors down. her determination was great.


I was so insanely happy when she finally told Warner about her feelings. I was also so happy that she finally learned to control her powers. It just felt so satisfying, knowing that she can do all of these things, and not just hurt people.




I love Warner so much, and part of the reason for it is that he is not perfect. His character is so honest and clever and quirky. In this book, you really do get to see the truth behind why he wanted Juliette in the first place. Also, he really took the whole brother situation in a good way. 



I freaking love Kenji and wish that he was my friend. His and Juliette's relationship was so important and it was so nice seeing them support each other. His remarks and jokes really made the book great.

I'm not sure what to say about Adam. In this book, he didn't seem that significant to me. I think that he argued too much and always left the scene, slamming the door.


I did wish the ending was a little bit longer. It seemed quick when Juliette killed Anderson and the war was just over. I really do want an epilogue. Ignite Me is my favorite of the three books. This book has made this series one that I would recommend to people.

Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens

Title: Faking Normal
Author: Courtney C. Stevens
Pages: 336


Alexi Littrell hasn't told anyone what happened to her over the summer. Ashamed and embarrassed, she hides in her closet and compulsively scratches the back of her neck, trying to make the outside hurt more than the inside does.

When Bodee Lennox, the quiet and awkward boy next door, comes to live with the Littrells, Alexi discovers an unlikely friend in "the Kool-Aid Kid," who has secrets of his own. As they lean on each other for support, Alexi gives him the strength to deal with his past, and Bodee helps her find the courage to finally face the truth.

A searing, poignant book, Faking Normal is the extraordinary debut novel from an exciting new author-Courtney C. Stevens.


My Rating:
✰✰✰✰

At first, I had a little trouble getting into this book. After reading the synopsis, I still didn't really know what this book would be about. Still, I do think that it doesn't really says too much on what the book is mainly about.

One of the reasons I really liked this book was because of the message it gave. I will talk about this more in the spoiler part of this review.

I  liked the characters and the writing. The writing was very easy to read and the all the characters were easy to distinguish. 

After about half way into the book, I started to really enjoy it. I would recommend it, but it does have a more serious tone.

More Points (May Contain Spoilers)

I loved how Alexia and Bodee were there for each other. I really loved their supporting relationship and how it didn't become a romantic one at first. They were both similar in the way that they had their own method of dealing with pain. (Scratching her neck and counting, doing pull up under his bed.)

Bodee was such a great character. He was so solid and always there and had awesome hair. I really felt bad for him and thought that it was crazy how his dad choke his mom to death. I really could picture it when Alexia went back into his house and saw the crime scene.


I always had a feeling that Bodee was Captain Lyric. I didn't really believe that Hayden was him. But I did not really like the whole idea of someone leaving lyrics for her. I felt like it didn't really serve a purpose and was just a subplot. I think that that was my main problem with this book, there was many things that just felt unnecessary.
 
As far as all of the characters go, they were all good and played a great role in the story.  I did think that Ray and Liz didn't do much for the story. Alexia's friends were okay.

I did not know that Craig was the one that had assaulted her, and I was very glad when he left.

Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Don't Look Back
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Pages: 384

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend. 

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

My Rating:
✰✰✰✰✰

This was such a great book. Jennifer L. Armentrout's writing was so beautiful and I loved this story.  I really liked the mysterious tone this book had. The main character, Samantha, get's amnesia after disappearing with her best friend. When she comes back, she tries to piece back her life together and tries to uncover the truth of what happened.

This book was so easy to read and enjoy. It was very fun and intriguing and all of the characters were amazing. This book was a great mix of suspense, romance, and mystery. It kept me hooked and I loved it.

Spoilers:

I really loved the characters in this book, mainly Carson and Scott. Carson is so charming and sweet and Scott was so funny and whimsical. I loved the sibling relationship Scott and Sam had. Julie was also very kind to Sam, even though they stopped being friends in the past.

To be honest, I did not think that her dad was the one behind it. For majority of the book, I thought that Sam killed Cassie, or maybe even Carson. When Sam accused Carson of  the murder, I got a little worried because I didn't want him to be the one who did it.

I didn't expect for Sam to be actually crazy. I really thought that someone else has been leaving her the notes and following her. Nothing in this book creeped me out which was good.

It was interesting seeing how Sam reacted when she learned more about her old self and discovered how bad of a person she is. I really liked that aspect because it.

I don't have much to say other than that this book was very good and enjoyable.

 

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

Title: Side Effects may Vary
Author: Julie Murphy
Pages: 336


What if you'd been living your life as if you were dying—only to find out that you had your whole future ahead of you?

When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, who she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that's as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her archnemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger). But just when Alice's scores are settled, she goes into remission.

Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she's said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she caused irreparable damage to the people around her—and to the one person who matters most?


My Rating:
✰✰✰✰

Overall, this book was very good and I recommend it. My favorite thing about this book has to be the writing. I loved the way it was written in dual perspective and in Then and Now format. The story switches between the two main protagonist, Harvey and Alice, and also flashes back to an earlier time. 

I think Alice was a very realistic character. Although she seemed un-likeable, some teens are, so it made sense for her to act this way. Some of the rude things she does in this book isn't shocking, since it would be typical for a teen to do that. I liked how she wasn't like the normal expected sweet cancer patient but a more vivacious one. I think everyone has a little bit of Alice in themselves and would want to get back at some people before dying.
Alice did annoy me at some parts because she wouldn't commit herself to Harvey when he would for her. 


Harvey was a great character and he was so kind. I really liked his relationship was Alice and how much he cared for her. I only wish that he would stand up for himself more and not allow Alice to use him so much.

I do wish there was more to the story and more to the revenge sides of things. I did enjoy reading this book but I think a lot of things could've made it better. 

This book was still very enjoyable  and nice to read. I don't have much to say about it, other than the writing was great but I wish there was more to the story. The overall topic of this book was good though. 

Specific things I did not like (may contain spoilers)

I really did not like Eric and how Alice was just with him as a distraction. His character didn't seem that important and he was kind of random. 

There was some conclusion to the story, but I do wish the characters developed a little more. I would like to think that Alice has become a better person after this book.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Eleanor & Park
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Pages: 320

Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.

Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.

Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.

Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

This book was more than perfect.

My Rating:
✰✰✰✰✰

First things first, the characters.

Rainbow Rowell is a queen and she was able to create yet another pair of amazing characters. The diversity in this book was great. Eleanor and Park were so different from each other, and so different from other characters in YA romance books. Their love was so real and fresh and I loved them so much.

I love Eleanor. I felt bad for her at so many times and I really just wanted to hug her. The struggles she faces at home with her family, more specifically her step-dad, really made me want to reach out and help her. The fact that she wasn't thin or skinny, and was pretty average/plus sized, showed that everyone is capable of being loved no matter what they looked like. I loved the way Park described her as "art".

Park was so sweet and I loved him so much. It was great, once again, to see some diversity in books. I actually loved that he was half Korean! Park's dad and mom were great. I loved them dearly both. It made me happy to see that his family was actually quite welcoming towards Eleanor.

I loved watching Eleanor's and Park's relationship start and grow and become this huge beautiful mess.
I loved their phone conversations. I loved it when they were on the bus together. I loved them together. I loved them.

I don't know how Rainbow does it, but her writing and her characters are just so amazing, and love-able.

This book was so heart warming. It made me laugh and cry.

Now with some spoilers:

Park was being so kind to Eleanor when they first met. When he bought the comic books, and they read together, and he made her mix tapes, and they walked to her locker. It was all so adorable. I was squealing when he first held her hand on the bus, that will seriously be a part I will never forget.

This book made me cry. The ending made me really heart broken, and I really wanted Ritchie dead. Park was so caring and his dad was so understanding. I didn't like seeing that Park stopped looking for her. No. I really think that in the future, they will find each other again and their love with continue to grow.

The part where Park fights Steve to stand up for Eleanor really made me happy. Just seeing that Park cared that much for her to get hurt and all really showed what he was like.

I recommend this to every single soul on this planet. Seriously, this book was amazing and has so many great messages. This is definitely one of my favorites.