Review: What Light by Jay Asher

"People think what they want. That's what I've had to accept. I can fight it, but that's exhausting. I can feel hurt about it, but that's torture. Or I can decide it's their loss." - Jay Asher, What Light

My initial intention was to read several Christmas-themed books, and schedule them for upload throughout December. Obviously...that didn't happen. So instead, I come sliding in on the last Wednesday of the month to bring you the only Christmas-themed book I actually got a round to reading!

What Light follows Sierra, whose family has owned a Christmas tree farm since before she was born. For eleven months of the year, she lives in Oregon, helping her parents grow and chop down endless rows of trees. But come Thanksgiving, they pack up and migrate down to California for the holiday season, where they open a tree lot to help families find the perfect tree. Although having two lives always means missing one, Sierra can't imagine living her life any differently.

This Christmas, though, there's also Caleb--a boy with a past and an affinity for Christmas trees, who won't get off Sierra's radar. Any relationship possibilities are already complicated by an expiration date--but the future is uncertain, and it may be Sierra's final Christmas in California. Is any relationship worth saying goodbye?

This book. Was. Adorable. It was an adorable ball of cheese, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially after having to go three+ months reading nothing but the texts required for my university courses. (I mean, some of those were also very good. But still.)

I'm going to re-state this, because it's worth emphasizing: this book is so cheesy. Sometimes unbearably so. But when you've been buried under school-induced stress for 13 weeks, unbearable cheese is pretty much exactly what you need. I also found that there was no real overarching conflict through the story--it was more comprised of several smaller issues that resolved themselves quickly, which meant that the climax was...well, not very climactic. It was more of a calm story, with less tension than other similar romantic comedies.

That being said, it was still very well written--pulled me in, and I couldn't get enough of Caleb and Sierra. (Because, again, they are adorable.) There was potential for it to do more, but what it did, it did well.

Final rating: 3.8.

Until later,

- Justyne

Review: Shoplifter by Michael Cho

"What will you do now?""I'm not sure. Whatever it is, I know I have to find it, instead of waiting for it to fine me." - Michael Cho, Shoplifter

Hello, friends! Book Review Wednesday returns with another mandatory school reading! (Hip hip!)

When Corrina Park finally got her English degree, she had a plan--move to the city, get a day job to eliminate crippling debt, and write, write, write, until she becomes the author she always wanted to be. Five years later, though, she's still working at the same ad agency, no real friends, no romance on the horizon, and she hasn't written a real word since graduation. Bored, tired, and frustrated, she starts shoplifting from the local convenience store to shake things up. Soon, she develops the perfect strategy, and slipping magazines between the pages of her newspaper soon become the highlight of her days.

Petty theft is far from the meaning she's looking for, but how can one find themselves when they're lost in the crowd of a big city?

First of all, it was really, really hard to disassociate this book with my future. Notice the keywords--crippling debt and English degree and author...I mean, good 'ol Cho here is basically acting as a mystic determining destiny. It is very, very easy to picture myself falling into this same trap, which is utterly terrifying and also somewhat comforting, considering that she ends up in some form of inner peace by the end of it. (Uh...spoilers?)

I think, out of all the books I've been reading for my Canadian Comics class, this one (along with Two Generals) had some of my favourite styles in it. I loved the two toned look, the "lost line" style, and just the way he drew the city scape in general. (I'm writing my end-of-term research paper on Shoplifter's city setting, so that last bit isn't really all that surprising.) It was just very aesthetically pleasing to read, especially compared to some of the other, more disorienting styles I've encountered in the course.

One of my biggest problems with this read, though, was that the resolution seemed almost...too quick? Her frustrations took an almost 180, resulting in a very neat and tidy resolution that didn't really...fit with the way the rest of the book had gone. I did like the ending, though, and how open and hopeful it felt. I thought it left Corrina in a very good place, far enough from where she started to give us a good resolution (even if it did feel sudden), but not far enough that we were introduced to too many different plot points.

Final rating: 3.5/5.

Until later,

- Justyne

Review: Two Generals by Scott Chantler

Hello, friends! Today we continue the streak of readings taking straight from my course syllabi with Two Generals.

Based on journals the artist found among his late grandfather's things, Two Generals is about Law Chantler and Jack Chrysler, two officers in the Highland Light Infantry of Canada. In 1943, the two friends sailed the Atlantic to fight with the Allied forces in WWII. Primarily a story of friendship, it tells the untold story of two unknown men, the tragedy and trauma of war, and the brief glimmers of light they managed to find along the way.

I'll be real with you, guys: I almost cried reading this book. It wasn't the book I was most excited for going into my Canadian Comics class, but I'll be damned if it's not one of my favourite titles coming out of it.

While this is a story set in war times, it is not a story about war. (Does that make sense?) There's a lot less emphasis put on the actual fighting, leading the focus more towards the characters just being people, as opposed to fighting in the war. In fact, everything is more or less quiet and uneventful until the final act, leading to one big, huge, and tragic climax. It's very well paced, and gives the reader a better sense of the characters' personalities without being too caught up in the excitement of battle.

Chantler also makes good use of colour throughout, drawing emphasis towards trauma and significant events using a powerful red. The rest of the book uses a more sepia tone, almost reminiscent of an old photograph. The art style itself is super simple, but still effective--he doesn't skimp on the details when needed.

As serious and tragic as the overall situation was, it wasn't all bad. Chantler chooses to emphasize the light hearted, even funny moments throughout his grandfather's experience. Things like the entire infantry adopting a crew of farm animals, or realizing that half their group never learned how to ride a bike. The absurdity in something so real is refreshing and I found myself giggling from start to finish.

Until, y'know, everything went to shit and I almost cried.

I have no major complaints with this book, to be honest. Final rating: 4.5/5.


Until later,

- Justyne

Review: Louis Riel: A Comic Strip Biography by Chester Brown

School is back in session, and I'm in three different English courses, which means I have a crap ton of academic-related reading to do. As such, most of my reviews will be about books I read for class--including this one. (And, bare with me, some of them might sound a bit more academic after discussing them in class for so long.)

Louis Riel: A Comic Strip Biography is...well, exactly what it says it is. For those of you non-Canadians who are unfamiliar with our history, Louis Riel was a Métis politician back in the 19th century. He helped found Manitoba (the province I live in now), and lead a couple rebellions against the Canadian government for their mistreatment towards the Métis while establishing the Canadian prairie provinces. If you want to learn more about him, you can...well, you can pick up the book, because it does a pretty good job of getting everything across.

Louis Riel is either a hero or a traitor, depending on who you ask. But what I was most impressed about in terms of the book was how Brown managed to, like, not take a side. I mean, he takes a side to an extent--he definitely villanizes the government, and thus sympathizes with the Métis cause. But in terms of Riel himself, he just kind of portrays him in a neutral way. He's careful not to over-embellish his positive traits or his negative traits, and creates the much-needed but often-missed unbiased portrayal of an historical figure.

The reading, though, was a little...dry. This was not written to be light hearted and fun--it's an educational text. The narrative has been changed and shifted slightly from true events, but all changes are recorded in Brown's note section in the back. The comic is very text-heavy (although it does have its silent sequences, too), and the panels are very strictly laid out in a three-by-three grid pattern. Unless you are genuinely interested in learning about Louis Riel and Canadian history, you might not have a fun time with this book. (It does have its moments, though.)

Final rating: 3/5

Until later,

- Justyne

Review: Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

"I think we ought to live happily ever after." - Diana Wynne Jones, Howl's Moving Castle

I was introduced to this story first throuh the Studio Ghibli animated film. Although confusing at first, it's earned its place in my heart as one of my all-time favourite movies. Once I discovered it was based on a book, that got added to my TBR so freaking fast, and after putting it off for forever, I finally got around to buying it and giving it a readthrough.

Howl's Moving Castle follows Sophie, a young hat maker who gets cursed by the Witch of the Waste and is turned into an old woman, unable to tell anyone she is actually under a spell. After running away from home, so as not to cause confusion or fear, she turns to the mysterious moving castle, and the wizard Howl who owns it. There, she strikes a deal with the demon Calcifer--break his contract with Howl, and he'll break the spell the Witch put on her.

Although Howl is well known for eating the hearts of young girls, Sophie soon learns the rumours running wild aren't as true as she believed--but his contract with the fire demon is much more complex and mysterious than she originally anticipated. On top of it all, things are never very ordinary around the castle--from a door that opens to four different places, to a magic scarecrow following them across the hills of Ingary. Sophie must navigate through this world of magic, spells, and curses, if she ever wants to return to her true self.

The problem I have with any book-to-movie or book-to-TV adaptation is that I have a big tendency to prefer the version I experience first, and Howl's Moving Castle seems to be no exception. One of the only reasons I kept reading was my love for the movie. (Another was that I was too far into it and didn't have time to read through another book before my review was due WELP.)

Don't get me wrong, though--the world was just as magical as the movie portrayed it, for which I was grateful. They don't often go into too much detail or backstory about the world, and just sort of let you take the reigns and run with it. Heavy world building is what normally turns me away from the fantasy genre, so I like that a book with a premise so highly dependent on fantastic elements is able to make the world come alive without having to go into the whole history of how it all began. That much, at least, the book did right.

This version of the story failed me, though. The things that I found most interesting--namely, Howl's history and background in Wales--wasn't explored anywhere near as much as I thought they should have been. I wanted to know how he found Ingary, why he left Wales, what form magic takes in our world. Instead, we got no explanation--we just had to accept that that was Howl's history and move on, with little more detail or answers. 

Meanwhile, my favourite bits that were included were sort of left up in the air until the last minute. Sohpie and Howl's relationship barely seemed to progress at all until the final few chapters, until suddenly Sophie was jealous and they were in love. I got absolutely no indication of Howl or anyone knowing of the curse, and quite frankly the appearance of her family towards the end was just kind of random. I did love Michael's relationship with Martha, and enjoyed watching as that progressed on the sidelines. But that was about the only saving grace for me.

I don't know. I feel like this book had so much potential, but as much as I loved the movie, the book just didn't give me the same feeling.

Final rating: 2.8

Until later,

- Justyne

Review: On the Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher

"I've never been able to figure it out, but your mother had a word for it.""And what was that?""Magic."- Carrie Hope Fletcher, On the Other Side

Evie Snow is 82 when she passes away peacefully in her sleep, surrounded by her family and loved ones. When she wakes up, she's 27 again, and the door to her apartment--her own personal heaven--is locked. To open it, she has to lighten her soul of the burden of a lifetime's worth of secrets she's kept hidden from her children over the years. Revealing these secrets from the Great Beyond, though, means revisiting one magical year where everything was perfect--and the man that she was never meant to be with.

I reviewed Carrie's first book, All I Know Now, shortly after its release last year. Since that one was nonfiction, I had no idea what reading this book--her first work of fiction--would work out. It sounded intriguing, and I was very, very excited to read through it!

If there was ever a book that best encompassed the concept of magical realism, it's this one. The supernatural elements of this book are sudden and spaced out in such a way that it never fails to catch you off guard, even as you reach the finale. The sentences that start out as metaphors end up being literal, which make for a very quirky fantasy. There often seems to be no rhyme, reason, or rules to how this magic works--like Carrie summoned her imagination and let it take the reins whenever it had the urge. It's not a method I would recommend, necessarily--but I didn't dislike it. It gave the story a certain unique charm that I don't normally see in the books I pick up.

Carrie has stated herself that she made an effort to create a timeless setting. She avoided mention of any technology beyond the realm of cars and animated movies. I can see the longterm benefit of this decision, but I honestly feel like she could've benefitted more from picking a timeline and identifying it from the beginning. It would've given the setting a lot more character--because as it stands, the setting is just a dull backdrop behind extraordinary characters.

Speaking of--Carrie is very good at portraying her characters fully in fewer words. She did a lot of backstory, though, which wasn't always needed, and was written in a way that sometimes just dragged the story on longer than necessary.

Overall, the story was imaginative, quirky, and full of wonder--much like Carrie herself. It's not necessarily a story that I would read again, but her voice and style are solid in her first novel.

Final rating: 3 stars.

Until later,

- Justyne

Review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

"Write about what disturbs you, particularly if it bothers no one else." - Kathryn Stockett, The Help

Set in Mississippi in the 1960's, The Help follows three women--Skeeter, a recent college grad; Aibileen, a coloured maid specializing in raising white children; and Minny, Aibileen's best friend, who is as great at cooking as she is bad at keeping her sassy mouth shut. Inspired by advice from a New York publishing house, Skeeter approaches the two maids with a project--a book written from the perspective of black women working for white families. The idea is to portray the good, the bad, and everything in between in as honest a fashion as possible.

I normally try to avoid stories with more than two narrators. I've found that any more than two can cause confusion if not done properly, but Stockett does an excellent, excellent job of setting each character apart from the other, and switching between the three in a smooth, unjarring way. Their voices were very distinct, and each character brought a unique perspective to the story that made it as great as it was.

One of the few complaints I have about this book is that I found that it dragged on a bit at times. It took a solid hundred pages before the idea of the book was even brought up, and more still before anyone even agreed to working on it. The book is a whopping 522 pages--it's a beast. I enjoyed it, but I definitely think it could have shortened down by a bit.

That being said, in comparison to the movie (which I watched once a couple years ago, and again after reading the book), I did enjoy the extra details that the book gave to the characters involved. It showed alternative sides that the movie never got to explore, gave more mystery to characters like Celia Foote before giving away all their secrets. Sometimes, though, there was almost too much mystery, and the story dragged because of it. 

Overall, the characters are phenomenal, but it definitely could have been taken down a hundred pages or so. I can understand a lot of the things the movie cut back on to save run time. The movie didn't suffer from what it ommitted, and I'm sure the book wouldn't have, either, if it received the same alterations.

Final rating: 4 stars.

Until later,

- Justyne

Review: Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Ah, Just Listen. A personal favourite.

This week's read follows Annabel, a model who went from having everything to nothing at all. After a scandolous party mishap sparks rumours abound and ends her friendship with Sophie, she finds herself on the literal outskirts of her school's social circles--and the cafeteria. There, she meets Owen, who has his own rumours circling the school. Music-obsessed, unbelievably honest, and with a rough past of his own, the two begin an unlikely friendship that gets the school talking more than ever.

As the two tread further into each other's lives, Owen teaches her the importance of listening--to music, to others, and to yourself.

A problem I sometimes find with Dessen's books--as much as I love them--is that the minor characters often end up outshining the main protagonist. In truth, all of Dessen's characters are great, but sometimes I end up caring more about the best friend than the main character. Just Listen is one of the exceptions, as I think Annabel shines out just as brightly among the likes of Mallory, Owen, and Rolly.

I also loved the sisters' ongoing storyline, and their relationships with each other. Each of them had their own lives, their own problems, their own ongoing stories, and yet they all somehow came back around and connected with each other. In a way, they all learned the same lesson, in a variety of different ways.

There were times when Annabel's behaviour was frustrating, but her reluctance to tell her mother the truth about modelling was warranted, understandable, and overall relatable for myself and for others, I'm sure. The idea of speaking up about anything is easy, but actually doing it is another matter entirely.

And finally, at the center of it all, was the relationship between Owen and Annabel. Dessen's characters always have great chemistry, I find, and these two are no exception. Their conversations seemed effortless, and their shift from friendship to something more was a lot more gradual and easy than some of her other books.

Overall, I don't really have any complaints about this one! It's a solid read, although I personally think that some of her other work outshines this one.

Final rating: 4 stars.

Until later,

- Justyne

Review: The One by Kiera Cass

"Break my heart. Break it a thousand times if you like. It was only ever yours to break anyway." - Kiera Cass, The One

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR BOTH THE SELECTION, AND THE ELITE. (AND ALSO MINOR SPOILERS FOR THE ONE BUT I MEAN THAT SHOULD ALMOST BE OBVIOUS.)

Hello, friends! As mentioned in last week's review, this week's won't be as detailed as I might like, simply because it's been a full month since I read the two books back-to-back, and they kind of almost blend together. If you haven't already read the review for The Elite (or for The Selection, for that matter), you can do that here and here. Otherwise, buckle up for the ride!

America Singer almost got herself kicked out of the Selection--but she's back, and she's not ready or willing to lose to anyone. It doesn't matter that the king is out to get her, or that Maxon might have finally lost patience with her, or that she has suddenly found herself competing furiously with another girl for his love. She has made her decision. She is determined to win Maxon back.

But the country is getting restless, and with rebel attacks becoming more frequent and more dangerous, it's not just her heart on the line anymore--it's her life.

Probably my biggest source of relief for this book was that America finally chose a guy. Hallelujah! Now, the fact that she took the entire book to inform a certain someone of her decision was still frustrating--but it was a new frustration, so I'm okay with that.

I loved meeting the rebels in this book, and learning more about the differences between the two different rebel groups. The problem is, I don't think this book was really long enough to properly delve into it--I don't think we got the full potential of what could have been done with those story lines, and I'm really disappointed that the rebel characters didn't have more of an impact on the story.

ALSO. I was all for the four Elite girls becoming BFFs, but I felt it all happened rather...quickly. I loved Celine's change of heart, and getting to learn a little more about her as a character. But the shift that started slowly was rushed to completion halfway through, and I couldn't really appreciate the otherwise fantastic bonding scenes between them quite as much as I would have had the shift been more consistent throughout.

Overall, I loved a lot of things about this book, but none of them were done as well as I thought they could've been. I still gave it a solid 5, simply for its inability to be put down--and also the epilogue.

Final rating: 5 stars.


Until later,

- Justyne

Review: The Elite by Kiera Cass

You know that you’ve found something amazing, and you want to hold on to it forever; and every second after you have it, you fear the moment you might lose it. - Kiera Cass, The Elite

ALRIGHTY SO HERE'S THE DEAL. This book, along with its successor, may not contribute as detailed reviews as I would like. Why? Because I read both of them almost a full month ago, back to back, in like one day, so they almost kind of blend together.

So Justyne, why drag this out into two reviews? Why not just condense them and save us time and you effort? 

Because, dear reader of mine, they both have completely different ratings for completely different reasons, so shut your trap and let's get started.

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE SELECTION. 

When America Singer entered the selection, she was still heartbroken over her first love, and completely set against marrying into Illéa's royal family. She never thought that she'd make it into the Elite, the final six of the competiton. She never thought that she'd actually find herself falling for Prince Maxon. She never thought that Aspen would wind up working at the palace, begging for forgiveness, and presenting her with an impossible choice.

The moment that America's decision seems obvious, tragedy strikes that forces her to see her future, and her options, in an entirely new light. With fewer girls competing, the stakes are quickly rising, and her chance to choose is about to slip between her fingers. 

What you'll quickly notice about the first three books in this series is that it does a very low dip--I rated The Selection five stars last year, and (spoiler alert) I rated The One five stars, as well. It's not that this one wasn't good, it was just...frustrating.

So here's what I liked, in a nutshell: I thought it did a decent job of spreading out in the world, of giving a new light to the royal family and their history, as well as giving a better insight into how the societal system was created in the first place. In that regards, it did a good job of expanding on the foundation the first book laid out.

What I didn't like, however, was the complete and utter indecisiveness of our main protagonist.

This is a common complaint, from what I've heard, and it's one of the reasons I was almost scared to continue with the series. She flip flops from one guy to the other so fast it gave me whip lash, and I honestly felt that she was often being unfair to Maxon, and not giving him any of the time or patience that he's always been so willing to give to her.

She also made some VERY QUESTIONABLE DECISIONS about who she spent her time with and what she told other people, which lead to some VERY AUDIBLE SCREAMING on my part, because far too many people were lacking common sense in this novel for my liking.

And yet, I still jumped immediately into the next instalment.

Anyway. Final rating: 3 stars. Stay tuned for the next one!

Until later,

- Justyne

Review: Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

“Just because you'd left something behind didn't mean that it had gone anywhere.”  - Morgan Matson, Second Chance Summer 

 

Another Morgan Matson book! This one made me cry like a baby, so y'all already know this is gonna be a good one.

This week's book follows Taylor, a girl who's downright infamous for running away when things get tough. As her family makes their way to their house in the mountains--their first summer there in five years--Taylor is forced into the realization that she can't run away from everything. Not her former best friend and first crush, both still hurting over their last summer together, and certainly not her father's recent diagnosis, which is quickly tearing her world apart.

I'm going to repeat myself, because I feel like this is worth mentioning twice--DO NOT PICK UP THIS BOOK UNLESS YOU WANT TO CRY. This book saw me sobbing for a solid fifty pages straight. These pages will forever be stained with my tears. If you're looking for a summer read, THERE ARE MUCH, MUCH BETTER CHOICES.

That being said, this book was good. In the ranking of Matson books, I'd probably rate Since You've Been Gone at the top, followed by this book, and then Amy & Roger's Epic Detour. Her characterization remains excellent--her characters are varied, flawed, and real. Her portrayal of family life, especially the relationship between the three siblings in this story, are especially great.

There were certain things in her writing, though, that started to catch my eye as I made my way through the story. I don't know if it wasn't present in her other books, or if I just never noticed it before, but I started to pick out phrases that bogged the story down unnecessarily. Statements that were over-explained, references to previous points in the text that were spelled out, to ensure that the reader didn't miss it. They started to distract me from the story, as I picked out every phrase that could be reworded or taken out entirely.

But here's the thing...I make the same mistakes. All. The. Time.

Never in my entire life as a writer has this ever happened, but all of these errors or flubs that I plucked out of the story, I immediately thought, "I would have done this." It sounded almost like I was reading my own story, a book I forgot I wrote, picking out all the mistakes that I never notice until my seventeenth runthrough. It was a little comforting and very weird--but also interesting. 

Aside from that, though, Matson's book--while somewhat predictable, in more ways than one--was a beautifully tragic tale that I couldn't put down. (I only did once, by force, because I was an idiot who forgot my copy at work once. Way to go, self.)

Final rating: four stars.

Until later,

- Justyne

Review: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

"The best discoveries always happen to the people who weren't looking for them." - Morgan Matson, Amy and Roger's Epic Detour

This wasn't my first Morgan Matson book, but it's the one that I've owned the longest. I've heard many, many, many good things about this book, but never actually got around to reading it.

But now it's summer, and since Sarah Dessen doesn't have a new book coming out this year (//sobs quietly in corner//), then I have to start picking up other contemporaries. Enter: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour, stage right.

After Amy's dad died in a sudden and tragic accident, a lot of things changed--her brother Charlie went into rehab, for one. Her mother decided to move the family across the country, for another. And now, her mom wants her to drive the family car to their new home, and enlists family friend Roger to drive, giving them the itinerary and the funds to get on their way.

The itinerary, though, is....lacking. (In interest, adventure, and fun....pretty much everything you'd want from a road trip.) So instead, Amy and Roger take a detour--and a big one, at that. The two of them each have baggage that extends beyond the trunk of their car, and each new stop brings them each closer to coming to terms with it--and closer to each other. 

What to say about this book? Well, for starters, it made me have an intense and dire need to go on a road trip of my own. (My bank statement doesn't agree with this, nor does the fact that I don't actually have a car. Or a driver's license. Or anyone who's willing to do all the driving for a cross-country adventure.) But that's okay, because it broke my dreams in a very well-written way!

One of the things I really like about Maston's book is the way she paces them. This book, in particular, framed much of their journey in a sort of literary montage, formed by snippets of conversation as they made the long trek from California to Conneticut. It was something that I don't normally see, as most books normally skip through the boring bits and cut straight to the action. But these snippets provided great insight to the progression of their friendship, without dragging the story on. It sped up the narrative without rushing it--a difficult balance, sometimes, but a rewarding one.

The thing with this book, though, was the Big Tragic Thing that was alluded to throughout the story wasn't as shocking as she might have hoped it would be. It was very, very easy to pick up on and guess what it was, long before the flashabck that expalined it, and that almost took away from the story in a way that doesn't normally happen. I don't care about being caught off guard, necessarily, but it was just so painfully obvious what had happened that it was almost frustrating that we didn't find out what it was until almost the end of the story.

Also--and this is extremely shocking for me--I didn't find myself caring a whole lot about the romantic attraction between Amy and Roger. Their friendship was great, and I enjoyed the way they got to know each other and interacted throughout their journey. But I feel like the chemistry between them was rather lacking, which is something I don't often (or ever) find myself saying about a rom-com contemporary. Normally I hop on board the ship right away, but no matter how far their feelings progressed, I just wasn't feelin' it. (This can't be said for any other of her books, though, which I am grateful for.)

What I did love, though, was the slew of characters we met as they travelled from state to state on their detour. I loved the snapshots of the lives we saw, how it compared and contrasted to our main characters. More importantly, I love how each location brought Amy a step closer to where she needed to be, teaching her the things she needed to learn and showing her how to move on from the grief that was plaguing her at the start of the novel. 

All in all, it's a fantastic summer read, and I would definitely recommend it--although you may find yourself planning a grand adventure of your own afterwords.

Final rating: four stars. (Maybe 4.2, even!)

Until later,

Justyne

Review: Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

"Sometimes in life, we need a few bad days in order to keep the good ones in perspective." -- Colleen Hoover, Maybe Someday

Do y'all remember when I did a review on November 9? Do you remember how much I loved it?

WELL BUCKLE UP CUZ WE'RE ABOUT TO GO DOWN THAT ROAD AGAIN.

It is becoming quickly evident to me that I am absolute Romance Novel Trash, which I feel like I've always known but never wanted to admit. (I haven't started buying books with half naked guys on the cover yet, though, so progress??) Anyway, this book follows Sydney, a 22-year-old college student who comes home from work on her birthday to discover that her best friend / roommate has been cheating on her with her boyfriend for lord-knows-how long. She throws a punch, grabs her stuff, and moves out...only to quickly find herself homeless in the rain, because she actually doesn't really have anywhere else to go.

Enter Ridge, her neighbour from across the apartment courtyard. He offers to let her live in their apartment, rent-free, if she agrees to work with him writing songs for his band. She agrees, and the two quickly form an attraction--which is a problem, because he has a girlfriend, and Sydney absolutely refuses to let what happened to her happen to another girl.

My favourite thing about this book is the absolutely refreshing honesty that was present throughout their relationship. It often feels like the conflict in just about any romantic comedy / drama / subplot in an action movie derives from an utter lack of communication between partners. Sometimes it's warranted, sometimes it's not, but either way it is utterly overdone and frustrating every time it arises.

Good 'ol Sydney and Ridge, though, are completely upfront and honest about their feelings for each other. They know that they are mutually attracted to each other, and instead of trying to ignore it or deny it, they put all of their feelings on the table and c o m m u n i c a t e. They express themselves, they explain and understand why they can't pursue these attractions, and it feels SO GOD DAMN REFRESHING. All of their conflicts arise from outside sources, not from screts between them. This only strengthens their relationship, too, because they learn to rely and trust one another in ways that a lot of fictional couples don't in romantic plots. WRITERS EVERYWHERE, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD TAKE NOTES.

That being said, though, I got a little frustrated with their actions throughout the story. Like yeah, being honest is good, and it definitely helped avoid a lot of would-be issues, but...come on. ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS, GUYS, REALLY.

I was also a little let down by the bonus playlist. Basically, the book contains a QR code that leads you to a free online playlist of the songs that Ridge and Sydney wrote in the book. It was an excellent concept, to give the reader an actual song to listen to along with the lyrics instead of creating some bad makeshift version in their mind, but I feel like it could've been done a little better? For example, I found myself wanting to listen to the songs as they were sung in the book, right? But I was a little disappointed to find that all the songs were sung by the same guy--even the ones that Sydney was singing in the book. I just think it would've been cool to get another, female artist to step in and sing the songs that Sydney was singing in the story. Granted, I wasn't a huge fan of the songs in general, so that didn't help, either.

Anyway. That aside, Hoover's writing was super vivid and well done, her characters well developed, and the plot caught me off guard a number of times--which, I think I've mentioned before, is really hard to do. And the concert scene at the end? A. DOR. A. BLE. I almost died.

All in all, I give it a solid five stars. (Or at least like 4.8)

Until later,

- Justyne

Review: Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray

Stop measuring yourself against us. It’s not the right scale. You have your own gifts, your own talents. Show the world everything you’re capable of, Marguerite. You don’t even see how amazing you are. - Claudia Gray, Ten Thousand Skies Above You

Look, another sequel! Read ahead at your own risk!

Guys. THIS BOOK. Do you remember my review for the first one? Do you remember how much I loved that one? This one was just as amazing, if not moreso. CLAUDIA. GIRL. YOU KNOW YOUR WAY AROUND A SEQUEL.

Literally everything I loved about the first book was present within these glorious pages. The well-placed flashbacks, the pacing, the Russiaverse. GUYS. I almost wanted to cry from the sheer joy and surprise of returning to the setting of my favourite arc from the first book. And, unlike the first book, the climax and ending caught me completely off guard. That's hard to do, guys, trust me. I ask a lot of "what if" questions.

Ten Thousand Skies Above You came out back in November. I bought it almost the day it came out, but for some reason that I can't even comprehend, I waited until just last month to read it. In retrospect, this was probably a good idea, because the idea of waiting until NEXT NOVEMBER for the conclusion seems absurd, and at this point, it's less than six months away. I JUST CAN'T WAIT THAT LONG, OKAY. I JUST CAN'T.

Probably my favourite part about this book--and about 75% of the reason I say my girl Claudia knows her way around a sequel--is how she took the themes of the first book and expanded on them so freaking well in this one. In A Thousand Pieces of You, Marguerite explored the concept of destiny, of being meant to be with someone over and over again in a hundred thousand lifetimes. She saw how similar she and her family and friends were across dimensions--how her parents were always drawn to science, her sister to adventure, herself to the visual arts. At the beginning of this book, she believed that a fundamental part of a person's soul remained the same over dimensions, that each Paul or Theo or Marguerite is the same person. Then she discovered that that's not really the case--each version of someone is their own person, with their own life, their own memories, their own feelings. They can't be held to par with a different version of them, because they're just not the same person.

Marguerite had her beliefs going into this new adventure, and with each dimension she visited, she found herself at odds with them. Things weren't as simple or as black-and-white as she thought or wanted them to be. And I just loved how Gray took this concept that seemed so obvious and crystal clear and showed that it really wasn't. It was extremely well done.

I also loved how she started to dive into the ethics of inter-dimensional travel. It's a fun thought, the idea of being able to jump into another dimension and live another life. But revisiting the Russiaverse allowed Marguerite to see the real consequences of her visits, of what these other versions of her go through both while she's borrowing their body and after she leaves. Is it really fair to use the body of another for your own purposes, even if they live a dimension away?

ANYWAY. Y'all can bet that I'll be buying the finale the second it comes out. (The title alone makes me want to cry because EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS SERIES IS WONDERFUL.) Finales are often hard to execute, especially when the rest of the series is as well done as this, but I have the utmost faith that Gray can pull it off. (CLAUDIA, YOU'RE MY GIRL. I BELIEVE.)

Five stars to you, Claudia Gray. Five hundred million stars, one for every world that a Marguerite lives on in.

Until later,

- Justyne

Review: Lady Renegades by Rachel Hawkins

WEDNESDAY REVIEWS ARE BACK! Didja miss me? 'Course you did.

This week's book is the THIRD AND FINAL BOOK in the Rebel Belle series, so if you haven't read the first two...well, this is your final chance to leave. (Alternatively, I also reviewed the first two here and here, so you can check those out if you've read either of those.)

Like the previous instalment, I read this book promptly. In five hours. (I may not have started with that intention, and yet, here we are.) Hawkins' writing was on point, as per usual. Her writing is smooth and simple, which makes for a quick and satisfying read. She doesn't overcomplicate anything, plot or otherwise, which I think benefits the reach of her audience.

Overall, the ending--while predictable--was decent. I feel like it wrapped up the story quite well, bringing it full circle in a way that I always appreciate, because it can often be hard to do without coming off as super hella cheesy. So A+, Hawkins. You did good.

What I didn't like, however, was the climax. I felt like the book (and the series as a whole) was building up to something much bigger than what we got. I mean, yes, it was devastating, and it killed me emotionally (and maybe physically), but it wasn't as big as I was hoping. It wasn't as epic. I know I just finished praising the book for its simplicity, and while that is one of its strong suits, but I feel like the series as a whole was trying to build up to something bigger, and it ended up just falling short.

Also: did I miss something? What was that "extra something" that Ryan included in Harper's magic tattoo? I feel like they introduced it and referenced it several times, but nothing ever really came of it. (If it did, clearly it was vague / inconsequential enough for me to overlook.)

AND FINALLY. We have spent the whole series dancing around Harper's refusal to use swear words, which I praised in the first book, and started to find repetitive in the second. It all lead up to that one moment, that one scene in the woods, where she broke down and used the f-bomb several times in the span of a minute and a half. I loved that scene, I live for that scene; I feel like it was a great way to show just how fed up and tired she was of the whole situation. But it would have been a hundred million times better if Hawkins had JUST. USED. THE ACTUAL. WORD. Your audience can handle it, girl, I'm sure of it.


ANYWAY. All in all, it was a great read, and a solid 4 from me.

Until later,

- Justyne

Review: November 9

"I think I've been overlooking the best part of romance novels. Maybe the grand gestures don't matter nearly as much as all the inconsequential things between the two main characters." - Colleen Hoover, November 9

BEHOLD: THE FIRST NEW READ OF THE YEAR THAT I ADORED BEYOND COMPARE!

(On a side note: we're starting in on March and this is only the fourth book I've read?? Shameful.)

Hello, friends! Today we're going to be looking at November 9 by Colleen Hoover, and I'm just gonna dive right into it by saying I loved this book so much.

This wonderful book starts off with Fallon, an 18-year-old actress preparing for her cross-country move from LA to New York. On the day of said move, while in a fight with her dillhole father, she meets Ben--an aspiring novelist, who slides into their restaurant booth and instantly becomes her fake boyfriend, with the sole purpose of defending her against her asshole dad. They spend the rest of the day together, drawn together by this new connection, and all-too aware of the move that's about to tear them apart.

So what do they do? They decide to meet up on the same day every year, with no contact information to satisfy them the other 364. The story follows them over the course of five years, as Fallon follows her ambitions in NYC and Ben writes about their unique relationship, creating the grandest of all romance novels.

Until, you know, everything goes to shit. BECAUSE NOTHING GOOD CAN EVER LAST, APPARENTLY.

This book started out all fluffy, cutesy, and happy, and then about halfway through turned into a major soap opera. But y'know what? I ain't even mad. I soaked it all up. And it's weird, because I'm pretty sure that if someone had explained the plot to me before hand--like, summarized the entire book, the same way I summarized it to my best friend after the fact--I wouldn't have wanted to read it. Not because I don't like being spoiled (because to be honest I spoil 95% of the content I consume, anyway), but because it sounds so ridiculous when told out of context. 

Some people may have problems with the plot in that way, which I totally get, but I loved it. I'm not ashamed to admit it.

This was my first Colleen Hoover book, but damn girl, I am tempted to run out and buy all your other stuff right now. I actually already own one of her other books, Slammed, but I avoided picking it up next because I'm scared that I started with the best of the lot, and everything else is going to pale in comparison. 

Because this girl? She can write. Her sentences are smooth and flawless and my eyes practically FLY across those pages, which is the best and worst thing that any writer could ever do for me, because it makes it both easy to read and impossible to put down. (I had an essay due today, and I spent four damn hours reading this on Monday. It was stressful. I loved it.)

Her humour is great, too. I loved all of references she made to romance books, through insta-love and cheesy romance scenes and the discussion of making a kiss "book-worthy". (I just love reading books that talk about other books, okay?)

And can we just talk about Ben for a second? Because he is both smooth and dorky at the same time, which are two traits that I never thought could coexist simultaneously in one human being. And yet, here we are. The fact that he gave me not one, but TWO incredibly cute airport departure scenes means that I am forever in his debt.

I'm always warry about multiple POVs, but Hoover pulls it off very well. The only complaint I have is that, when telling it from Ben's perspective, she didn't do much alluding to the final twist at the end. (Which you don't want to give away, of course...but some hints would have been nice.) It was just a very personal twist at the end, and there were plenty of opportunities (aside from the punch Kyle gave him) were some hints could have easily been dropped. Just to make it a little less, y'know, out of the blue.

While we're on the topic of complaints, I did find the plot a LITTLE predictable. But not really in an, "omg-I-know-exactly-what's-going-to-happen" way, but more in an "lol-what-if-this-happens-oh-wait-it-just-did-way". Y'know? Like, this was stuff I all thought might happen, but I didn't actually think it would...until it did. So on that front, there were no real shocking twists for me. (But there rarely are, and I don't mind!)

ANYWAY. This book gets five stars. Easy. I loved this book so much and y'all need to go out and read it RIGHT NOW.

What were your thoughts? Let me know!

Until later,

- Justyne

Review: Just One Day

I don't know who I am. Or maybe I do know who I am and I just don't want to be her anymore." - Gayle Forman, Just One Day

HELLO, FRIENDS! Guess what book I finally finished in time for a Wednesday review??

I enjoy how perfectly my new bookmark fits in with the book I just read.

A photo posted by Justyne (@shteen101) on Feb 22, 2016 at 10:49am PST

This was another reread for me--ever since reading An Age of License (which was...a really long time ago lol whoops), I've had this massive travel bug. Since there aren't any major trips on the horizon (yet..hint hint wink wink nudge wink), the only logical thing that could satisfy it was...another book about travel!

Except not really, because all it did was make me want to travel more. Oh, well.

I normally find that, by the time I get around to reading a book for a second time, I've forgotten how much I initially enjoyed it. This time, though, I think I actually enjoyed it...more? When I read it for the first time back in 2014 (coincidentally, also the last time I was in Disney World....I THINK THIS IS A SIGN), I gave it a four star rating on Goodreads. Once I finished it up on the bus the other day, I didn't hesitate before giving it a solid 5/5. So what changed?

My perception of the story, that's what.

Okay, so let's back up a bit. Just One Day is the first of three components to one larger overall story--the other two are Just One Year, a companion novel to Just One Day, and Just One Night, a novella that serves as the sequel and conclusion to both. When I first read Just One Day, I didn't own Just One Year, and I'm 95% sure that Just One Night hadn't even been ANNOUNCED yet.

Let me tell you, though--the book is so much better when you look at it as part of a larger story.

Just One Day follows Allyson Healey, a recent high school graduate on a Teen Tour! in Europe with her best friend, with plans to head to university and study pre-med in the fall. On her last day of the tour, she meets Willem, a Dutch boy who acts in an amateur, outdoor production of The Twelfth Night. He offers to take her to Paris for a day (get it? Just one...you get it), and she accepts. In that one day, Allyson learns more about herself, life, and love than she ever thought possible. The book continues after the conclusion of that day, as Allyson struggles to relate the person she became in Paris back to the person she's always been at home.

The timeline in the book spans for one year, and Just One Year follows a similar timeline, telling Willem's own sequence of events as he also comes to terms with the events of that day. It ends mere moments after its predecessor, leaving Just One Night to conclude their story once and for all. For the purposes of this review, though, I'm going to try and look exclusively at Just One Day.

The best thing that this book has going for it is Allyson's personal growth through it all. She meets so many new people and learns so much and it's just so damn relateable, both as a teenager and a 20-something. I appreciated the fact that her year-long search wasn't just for Willem, but for Lulu--for the girl she felt she became that day. Watching her shift as she tried new things and stepped out of her comfort zone was the most enjoyable part of the whole story.

Forman does a really good job crafting her characters, too. Not only Allyson and Willem, but Dee and Melanie and Wren were portrayed in very unique and realistic ways. Even though they weren't focused on too much, Forman did an excellent job of expressing them in such a way that you know that there's more to them than we're able to see in this story alone. I feel like all three of these characters could fill novels with stories of their own.

The only exception, I felt, were Allyson's roommates. Kali, Jenn, and Kendra felt more like filler characters than anything. Unlike the others, I didn't feel like I knew them at all--they just fell flat on the paper, which is especially disappointing considering the colourful personalities of some of the other side characters.

NOW. If you decide to read this book (or even if you already have), I must insist that you GO READ JUST ONE YEAR. While I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all it has to offer, it never fully answers the questions that Allyson and the reader poses after the day in Paris ends. Just One Year does--and the ending is SO MUCH MORE SATISFYING when you actually have these answers! Without them, this book just barely falls short, which is especially frustrating, considering how much extra story you still have to get through to finally figure out what happens oh my god.

I hope to do a review of Just One Year--and maybe even Just One Night--sometime in the future, so stay tuned for that!

Have you read this week's book? Let me know what you thought in the comments!

Until later,

- Justyne

Review: An Age of License

You know what I don't review enough? Graphic novels. You know what I don't read enough? GRAPHIC NOVELS. Seriously. Graphic novels are fab, super easy and quick to read. It's a wonder I don't read more of them.

Lucy Knisley's travelogue An Age of License is one I've wanted to read for a really really long time, but it never seemed like anyone ever had it in stock. I actually found it by accident, while going on my annual Post Christmas Book Binge (aka the day that I go and use up all the gift cards that the lovely people in my life have given me). A pleasant surprise! I read the majority of it on the bus the next day. (Like I said--graphic novels provide some very fast reads!)

I'm unfamiliar with Knisley's work, but her ilustration style is what drew me to the book in the first place. It's very simplistic, cute, and welcoming to the reader. It wasn't super exaggerated, and I really appreciated some of the full-page illustrations of the things she saw while abroad. (That girl knows her watercolours!)

Some people may find this book a bit slow, to which I say....well, it's a journal. It recounts most of what she did day by day while in Europe in a visual way, including some unique sights she saw and conversations she had with others. It's not meant to be thrilling or an exciting adventure--it's more retrospective, with thoughtful consideration about her accomplishments, her future, etc etc. It's a memoir; a travelogue, as she calls it. The key is relating to the illustrator--if you can't find a similarity or two, if you can't relate to her in some shape or form, you probably won't take much away from this. (But if you do relate to her, she talks about some really interesting stuff in a very thoughtful way!)

This book really gave me the travel bug--I've always enjoyed travelling, but seeing the places she travelled to and following her along this journey really made me want to hit the road (or plane?) again! Which is bad, because I'm a poor student, as are most of my friends. Oh, well. It'll happen eventually. 

I'd give this book a solid 4 stars--and I definitely recommend it to any artists or travellers out there!

Until later,

- Justyne

Review: Off the Page by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

WARNING!

The following is a review of the SEQUEL to Between the Lines, and as such, you probably shouldn't read it if you haven't read the first book!

Firstly: I am irrationally irritated that his novel has been continuously described and marketed as a companion to Between the Lines, because I REALLY REALLY REALLY don't think it is. This is really the second half of Delilah and Oliver's story, and you're really just missing out on a huge chunk of it if you pick up from here. This book is a continuation of its predecessor, and as such, it is a SEQUEL.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Off the Page picks up around three months after the end of Between the Lines, and Oliver and Delilah are living Happily Ever After (except not really because like high school and Mild Teen Drama and whatnot). The beginning was probably my least favourite part of the whole thing, simply because of the whole "fantasy-character-in-the-Real-Modern-World trope that the story had goin' on. And I mean, yes, it was definitely integral to the story, and if Oliver hadn't been stumbling over himself with all this new modern technology and societal standards that didn't exist in his book, then it would've been incredibly unrealistic, and I'd be complaining about it. I'm not even sure why I hate this trope so much, exactly...I just do. I tried to write a whole book revolving around it, and now I've all but rewritten the entire thing because I hated myself for doing it in the first place!

Anyhow. After they get over their Mild Teen Drama, and Oliver becomes a semi-competent teenager, things start to get interesting--the book starts to reject Oliver and Edgar's switch from the end of the first book, and starts to revert all of the changes Edgar made to the story to make it more fun for him--and now, it's trying to get Oliver back into the book.

Like I said before, I had a hard time getting into this story at first, but once the ball got rollin', I REALLY started to enjoy myself. This book played around with the magical components of the storybook a bit more, this time with a few more consequences than we saw in the first one. (Or at least, that I remember seeing..I should probably reread that book.) 

This book was the kind of book that you really can't take too seriously or think too hard about. I feel like they almost put too many magical rules in--I mean, I can get behind the whole all-magic-comes-with-a-price bit, but it was built up to be more complicated than it really needed to be, which only left me lost and confused. (Granted, I live most of my life in a constant state of lost and confused, so it's really not much different.)

THE ENDING THOUGH, OH MY GOD. Y'all KNOW how much I love a good ending, and this book gave me everything I hoped and dreamed for going into this book. 

The reason I loved Between the Lines in the first place was because it felt like I was reading a real modern day fairy tale--a fairy tale about fairy tales! What could be more perfect? And we all know that the best part about any fairy tale is the Happily Ever After, and God, do these books nail that. If I had to rate either book on its ending alone, it would get a perfect score.

And just like Between the Lines, Off the Page had some BEAUTIFUL illustrations that just tied the whole theme of the book together!

I think I initially rated this book 5 stars? Sure, let's go with that.

Until later,

- Justyne

Review: How to Fall in Love

So, I'm gonna be upfront with you right now: I very very very very very very very rarely read adult fiction. Meaning, I can count the number of adult books I've read on one hand. (Three. If you were wondering.) I mostly stick to my little YA bubble, as you can probably tell, which I think can be narrowed down to one of three reasons:

1. YA books seem to be, in general, cheaper than books found in the general fiction section. (Justyne's Wallet: 1. Bookstore: 0.)

2. I seem to have trouble finding an intriguing plot synopsis for adult fiction because every one I read just seems to have very Grown Up Characters with Grown Up Problems, and the whole thing is very Grown Up, which is something that I most definitely am not. Besides, who doesn't love Teen Drama? (YA: 10. Adult Fiction: -1.)

3. I lived a spectacularly boring and uneventful adolescence, and therefore must relive it precariously through the eyes of fictional characters who are much more rebellious than I ever dared to be. (YA: ∞. Justyne: ?)

Luckily, the last few times I have made the daring jump into Grown Up Literature, I haven't been disappointed. So I present to you: How to Fall in Love, by Cecelia Ahern.

Our main girl here is Christine, a 30-something Irish woman who spends her days finding jobs for people and her nights avoiding her douchey ex-husband, who is literally probably the Worst Person Ever. One night, she's strolling along, minding her business, when she stumbles upon Adam. Adam is a soon-to-be-35-year-old Irish man who almost jumps off a bridge. Almost--Christine manages to pull his ass off the railing, with the promise that she can convince him to love life again. Except now Adam expects her to, y'know, keep that promise, and Christine is starting to freak out because she's not even sure if she loves life right now, let alone if she's capable of showing it to somebody else.

Thing is, though, she doesn't really have a choice, because his birthday is in two weeks and if she doesn't convince him that life can still be happiness and rainbows and unicorns, he's gonna try and kill himself again, and probably succeed, unless Christine just happens to be walking by again. (Which at this point really isn't all that unlikely.) So the stakes are pretty high.

But first, let's go back to her ex-husband: WHAT A BUTT. All he did throughout the entire length of the book was tick me off, and yeah, okay, that was probably the point. But I feel ripped off in the sense that I was DESPERATELY HOPING that someone would clock him. The Adam, the detective, Chrstine...hell, throw Mr. Basil in there. Literally. Anyone. He deserved a punch in the throat, and I just about screamed when Christine urged the detective to not press charges. (Chrstine, you're great, but come on.)

I also find his utter lack of passion hard to believe, considering how much effort he was putting into hating her and making her life miserable. I don't know, but that kinda sounds like passion to me.

One thing I was super confused about was Adam's feelings towards the family business--I mean, I suppose it was sorta-kinda-almost hinted at, before he actually made the decision to take on the company, but only very briefly and very vaguely. (Unless I missed something, a big something, which is entirely likely because I'm oblivious about a lot of stuff.) I was just bothered by how sudden he changed his mind once his sister showed up. Had the hints been more prominent, his sister's arrival would have been the perfect final motivator for him to get his shit together and tackle the position head-on--as is, though, it was too sudden and out of the blue.

Christine's character, though--God, I love her. She's a meddler, intent on fixing everything (whether or not it's her actual job). Even though her actions are not always the most thought out plans, they are well intended, and she genuinely wants to help people, bless her heart. And her obsession with how-to books is probably one of my favourite quirks of any character, like, ever.

Overall, though, this book was rather well written. It was more a story about love and finding the life you think is worth living, rather than a story about outright depression, but enjoyable nontheless.

I'd give it a solid 3.9 stars.

Until later,

- Justyne