The book Afterward by Jennifer Mathieu is told in the POV of Ethan, a boy who was kidnapped and found four years later, and Caroline, a girl whose autistic younger brother was kidnapped for a few days. The story moves forward as Caroline tries to find out what happened to her brother by talking to Ethan, and Ethan deals with triggering flashbacks and memories.
This book talks about trauma and how to move on for it. I thought the plots were amazing, and some of the quotes were deep and insightful.
The ending though…I wouldn’t really call it an ending. It just abruptly cuts off. I was disappointed because the book was really good.
Chloe Mitchell is a wonderfully thought out character, who has excellent development! Her older sister, Ivy is on the autism spectrum and is reliant on Chloe for a lot of things. Chloe decides that Ivy needs to become independent and get a boyfriend because she’s going to college. Ethan, a boy from Ivy’s special needs class would be a perfect candidate! She arranges the dates between Ivy and Ethan with the help of Ethan’s older brother David, a boy from school who is hated by the “cool kids”. She is worried about her life at school where she is popular but begins to feel like a fake with her boyfriend and amongst her friends. David and Chloe meet every time Ethan and Ivy do and that starts to create problems when rumours begin to fly.
They all bond with each other, but some bonds get stronger than others. 😉
This book has great representations and shocking twists that I didn’t see coming! I rate this book a 10/10!!
I’m an absolute sucker for romance novels, so I was really excited to continue this series. You can read my review on The Selection here.
The Elite by Kiera Cass continues the story of the Selection, with America Singer being in the top 6 chosen girls competing for Prince Maxon’s hand in marriage and the crown. This story mainly revolved around the love triangle, the competition within the girls, and the rebels that keep breaking into the palace.
While reading The Selection I wasn’t sure which side I was on, but finishing The Elite, I’m in Team Maxon. As kind as Aspen is, he has no personality. He also does things that could get them both charged for treason! Is “love” worth the risk of it all? America must decide that for herself.
What I said about the characters being boring in the previous book isn’t true in this one! You really get to connect with the characters, we find out about their beliefs, and what they’re willing to do for them.
Really love this series and would recommend it to all age groups!
So many people accurately describe The Selection by Kiera Mass as a crossover between The Hunger Games and The Bachelor, and I agree 100%. Even though this book was predictable, I enjoyed it immensely!
In America Singer’s world, everyone is divided by caste, the 1s, royalty, the 2s, and 3s, living a lavish life with tons of wealth, and the rest of the lower castes in the professions chosen for them, barely getting by. America and her family are 5s, artists. (America Singer is a singer, how ironic).
*Minor Spoiler Warning* Prince Maxon holds out a Selection nominating 35 women who will all compete for his hand in marriage and the crown. Her boyfriend, Aspen convinces her to sign up because getting nominated means you receive money, and that’s what they need to get married. After a bad breakup with him, she is nominated and is sent to the castle where she meets the charming Prince Maxon. As they get closer she has to choose between Prince Maxon who could make her a Princess, and Aspen, who she’s always loved.
I loved this book! The plot was good, the caste system based on numbers was interesting, and the ideas were well thought out.
That said, I think the characters were all boring. America has a *I’m not like other girls* and *I’m so ugly* mindset throughout the book and it gets old really fast. Aspen’s whole personality is, “I need to be a man and be good enough for America”. Ew. Maxon is one of the better characters. He’s willing to make mistakes and learn. When he finds out that the 7s and 8s are starving he does something about it. He is adorably awkward and does what he can to help the girls and make an honest opinion about who to marry.
This book isn’t for everyone but it sure was for me. Looking forward to reading the next book, The Elite. 🙂
When I found out that Lucy was Christian and the daughter of a priest, I didn’t expect to like the book because the MC would be so different from me. Turns out I was wrong. I absolutely adored The Names they Gave Us by Emery Lord!
On the night of her prom, Lucy finds out her mother’s cancer has relapsed and rushes home, angry with God for letting this happen. She is heartbroken and vows to spend as much time as she can with her mother. Her mother asks her to spend the summer at Camp Daybreak (for kids who are having a tough time) as a councillor and only come home on the weekend. To make matters worse, her boyfriend thinks their relationship needs a “pause” and Lucy is left lonely at a camp where she knows no one. As the story progresses, she finds secrets linked to her mother’s past. She desperately wants to know everything about her mother before it’s too late. While her faith is wavering and with her new friends, Lucy learns to “be okay again. Just a different kind of okay than before”
Lucy’s relationship with her mother, her faith, and her friends makes this book so wholesome! I rate this book a 10/10!
The Beauty That Remainsby Ashley Woodfolkis a heartbreaking story about loss. The story is told in the perspective of three characters, Shay, who lost her twin sister, Logan who lost his ex (a boy he still loved) and Autumn, who lost her best friend. The characters each use music to deal with grief.
What I loved about this book was how flawed the characters were. Logan using alcohol as a coping mechanism and Shay pushing her friends away made their emotions honest and real. It also made the book impossible to read without crying… Another great thing about this book was that the characters, although grieving, were still relatable.
I’d rate this book a 9/10. It got a lot of points for diversity and representation, though I’d argue that there was some underlying biphobia that should’ve been challenged as the characters developed.
Even though this book is sad, I would definitely recommend it! Happy reading!
The blurb led me to believe that Rebel Bully Geek Pariah by Erin Jade Lange would be amazing, filled with many dynamic characters who share their perspectives and have great character development.
I was hugely disappointed to find out that this book was only told from the POV of Sam, the “Pariah”. The plot was intriguing, but Sam wasn’t a very likeable character. She constantly told herself that she wasn’t like the “other girls” that she called Barbies. Her mother had been to jail and rehab many times and Sam subconsciously uses that to pity herself throughout the book. That made the book harder to read and I was tempted to put it down many times. Her only reason for staying during the adventure, that could’ve gotten her arrested or killed, was that it was the first time she was invited somewhere.
One of the main themes of this book was relationships. Something that threw me off was Sam flirting with York, the “Bully”. They are literally being pursued by a gang and the police and she’s worried that York has been with other girls. One relationship dynamic that I did enjoy was between York and his little brother Boston who is the “geek” that’s mentioned in the title. It portrayed sibling relationships realistically without overdoing it. Another character was Andi, the “rebel”. Andi was once the queen of the Barbies but is now a stereotypical gay character with a tragic backstory. She did make the story more interesting by constantly being sarcastic but her “friendship” with Sam from Sam’s perspective was awkward at times.
As I’ve previously mentioned, the plot itself was quite good. Four teens getting thrusted into an adventure they didn’t want. Almost committing murder, hiding drugs, and running away from a gang, all while trying to avoid the police! This book’s mystery was very well plotted. I’d give it a 3.5/5.
I had high expectations for The Ballad of the Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collinsbecause of the original trilogy and…it lived up to them! I’d give it an 8/10. The only downside of this book is that the exciting part doesn’t start until very late in the book.
This book was told from the perspective of the one and only President Snow. He is in his last year at the academy and hopes to win the prize that will help him into university, which he otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford. A way that he can win this prize is if he mentors the winner of the 10th Annual Hunger Games. When he is assigned the girl from district 12, the lowest of the low, he is embarrassed but still determined to win. The story continues as he tries to help Lucy Gray, the tribute, win the Games.
