North Carolina

I was next. I was next, and my heart was in a million places at once, and my mind was struggling to run through the hundred million things I wanted to say. How do you summarize a lifetime of admiration and respect into a single, three-minute interaction?

*Record scratching*

Yep, that’s me. I bet you’re wondering how I got myself into this situation.

Our story begins somewhere in the mid-2000s. Without a bookstore to sustain her, Yours Truly was scavenging the library shelves, reading anything and everything she could possibly get her hands on. Moving on from the Junior Fiction section to Young Adult felt like a rite of passage, and it was there that I found Sarah Dessen.

I latched onto her books in a way that I still can’t quite understand. Even now, as a Grown-Up reader drifting farther and farther from the core YA demographic, I find myself growing the Dessen collection on my shelf with every book she releases. Every time I think I’ve moved on from the young adult section of the bookstore, she drags me back, and I find myself once again invested in a teen summer love story. She shaped my adolescent reading habits and set the standard for the contemporary styles I still enjoy to this day. Her books have been a solid constant for more than half of my life.

More than that, though, she came to be a role model of sorts. She was so honest about the writing process and how hard it was. I would grow to appreciate this more than I initially realized; when I struggled with my writing, when it became so hard and scary that I doubted whether I had it in me to keep going, I would see photos of her own abandoned projects, see her tweets about her doubts and frustrations, and I would sink in relief. I wasn’t alone—the struggles and doubts were a normal part of the process. Sarah showed me that writing was allowed to be hard.

Fast forward to summer 2017. I packed my entire life—or at least, all that would fit—into a suitcase and flew down to Orlando in May. I got to live my dream of living in Disney World, making magic, meeting amazing people, and going to the parks on almost every day off I had. In fact, there were only three instances in which I didn’t spend my day off in the park: 

1) When I went to the beach and got horrendously sunburnt, even though I put on sunscreen. Twice.

2) When I flew home to surprise my sister for her high school grad, immediately after getting horrendously sunburnt. (Even though I put on sunscreen.) (Twice.)

3) When I took an overnight train to travel through four states to Raleigh, North Carolina, for what amounted to a 12-hour day trip.

Here’s the thing about living in Canada: nobody comes here. Sure, select cities may see a few tour stops from popular bands, but anyone living outside the GTA knows the pain of being skipped over by their favourite artists, musical or otherwise. This is most prevalent in places like southern Manitoba, a location which Taylor Swift has skipped during her last TWO (2) tours. The closest any of the authors on my shelf have ever gotten to Manitoba is Toronto—which is to say, not very close at all.

But as luck would have it, my Disney internship wasn’t the only thing that was happening that summer. In June 2017, Sarah Dessen would be releasing her then-newest novel, Once and For All, followed up by a book tour in select cities across the United States. For the first time, I felt like I had a real chance to actually meet her. Then in May, the dates dropped: 11 stops across six states, and guess which city didn’t make the cut?

So I did what any sane person would do—I looked up every city on the map, found the closest stop to Orlando, and booked a nine-hour train ticket to Raleigh, North Carolina.

The plan was simple: stuff a backpack full of essentials, save money on accommodations by sleeping on the train, successfully meet one of my biggest creative inspirations, and arrive back in Florida in time for work the following evening. All I had to do was get one of my shifts covered, and I was good to go.

I made it to the train station in downtown Orlando with little excitement and fanfare. The station was busier than I expected, filled with families carrying armloads of plastic Disney park bags—a hallmark of the ending vacation. I had travelled by train only one other time in my life. The car then had been barren, but this time the train was packed. “I’m visiting family in Raleigh for the week,” the man sitting beside me said. “What about yourself?”

I told him that I was only going up for a day, for a book signing.

“You wrote a book?” he asked, and he sounded so impressed that I almost didn’t want to correct him. The truth was far less exciting.

Even I had to admit that the whole adventure seemed rather crazy—coming all this way for such a short interaction. But I also knew that I couldn’t miss this opportunity. There was this weird sense of urgency attached to the trip; it may not be my only chance to meet Sarah, but it would definitely be my first real chance, and it would almost certainly be my best chance. Because even when Sarah did make the trek to Canada, she was always farther from me there than she was now, this faithful summer.

Which brings us back here—to me, standing in a bookstore in a city that I hadn’t known existed until a few weeks prior. I could never hope to express to Sarah just how important her writing has been to me, and I certainly couldn’t do it in such a brief encounter. I’m not even sure I remember what I said in the end. Something about being from Canada, but also somehow Orlando, about the long and complex journey I had taken to find myself standing in front of her—the journey I had hardly expected to take at all. 

And then, it was over. I was ushered along, dazed and jittery, to make room for the next reader.

The sun was already setting by the time I boarded the train back to Florida. The lights in the car were dimmed, other passengers more tired and wary than I hunkering down to get some sleep. I knew that I should probably be doing the same—I had to work the next day, after all, and who knew how much time I’d have for sleep by the time I got back home. But when I curled up in my seat, I instead pulled my new book out of my bulging backpack, tracing over the signature on the first page, revelling in my proof that this whole thing had happened. 

Plus, the whole trip counted as my monthly “cultural activity,” as required under my J-1 work visa. So y’know. Two birds, one stone, etc.

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: 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

How do book ratings even work?

I've been doing (almost) weekly reviews on this blog for around a year now, and I've come to the realization that my rating system is extremely inefficient. Basically, I rate a book on a scale of 1-5 stars, in two different ways. Either:

1) Based off of how strong my emotions are reacting to the story,

OR

2) How well written it is IN SPITE OF how strong my emotions are reacting to the story.

Let me explain. We're going to compare three different examples: November 9 by Colleen Hoover (which I reviewed on Wednesday), Pinch Me by Adena Halpern, and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling. Let's start with the most recent.

I just read November 9. At the time of writing this, I just finished it last night (instead of doing homework lol whoops). If you haven't read my review, I'll summarize it for you: I LOVED IT A CRAPTON. It started out fluffy and cutesy and turned into a soap opera halfway through and I ain't even mad because I loved every second of it! So, obviously, I immediately went on to Goodreads and rated it five stars, because I was on an emotional high that I never wanted to come down from.

Now, despite how much I loved this book, I recognize that it's not perfect. It's got some issues. (And I identify those issues in my review, if you wanted to know what they are.) But I made the conscious decision to forego all that in favour of a five star rating, because that's what I do when I adore a book--I give it an immediate five star rating.

Now, I'm going to hit you with an extremely unpopular opinion that's going to get me kicked off the internet--I don't like Harry Potter. I'm sorry! I tried! I forced myself to read the first book a couple years ago, and I had little to no emotional attachment and/or reaction to the story. Even watching the movies, I'm indifferent. I just don't give a crap about wizards, I guess.

Anyway, my initial reaction (or lack thereof) made me want to give the book a pretty low rating. Like, a two. Or maybe even a one. (Which is unheard of--a one-star book is one that I don't finish, which means that I don't rate it because I feel bad reviewing an unfinished book.) But still, on Goodreads, I gave it a solid three. I question this, given my passionate indifference to it.

But here's the thing--it's actually really well written.

Even though I couldn't bring myself to care about the characters, even if I felt that the plot advanced too slowly in parts and I have 0 intention of ever picking up the second book, I can still acknowledge the fact that it has some great bits. The description is really well written, and the world is one full of imagination and wonder. Even though I, personally, dislike the book, I can see how so many people fall in love with it.

And then there's Pinch Me, an adult fiction book that I read shortly after Harry Potter, and gave it the same rating. HOWEVER. I enjoyed this book a hell of a lot more. I liked the premise better, I liked the writing style better, I liked the characters better. I rated it lower on my scale due to smaller things, like absurdity of some of the plot points, or the overall goofiness of it that just can't be taken too seriously.

Still, though, the more I think about it, the more I'd like to bump it up to four stars.

Actually, I think I'll do that now.

That basically proves my point right there: I have no consistency. Zero! I make it up as I go! I have no system, no protocol to figuring out what I should rate a book. It's just "Eh...sure, we'll go with this." I almost feel like five stars isn't enough--because how can I rate two books that I enjoyed differently the same number of stars? More importantly--do my ratings really mean anything if I just go back and change them later? (Which I do. A lot.)

(If you'd like further discussion on rating books, I recommend this video by Ariel Bissett on YouTube.)

How do you normally go about rating books? Or do you just simplify your life and not even bother?

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

The Subjectivity of Adulthood

When I was between the ages of ten and twelve, I dreamed of being a grown up; a teenager, with great friends and great classes and a boyfriend. I dreamed of being in clubs, on student council, of being valedictorian, of going on class trips and to parties and becoming a foreign exchange student.

When I was sixteen, I dreamed of being a grown up; a college student, with college classes and college friends and a college boyfriend. I dreamed of going to college parties, living in the dorms with a new roommate, studying and living on coffee. 

Now, I am twenty-one. (Going on twenty-two this year...Lord help me.) And still, I don't feel like a grown up. I am in university, I've been to a university party (for real! It was only the one, but still), I've lived in a dorm and had a roommate and I definitely, DEFINITELY live off of coffee. I've been on a class trip, I've ran for student council, I've had a few great (among many mediocre) classes, and I have great friends. But I still don't feel like a grown up.

I'm in a human geography class this semester (to knock out one of my pesky social science requirements), and within the first few classes, my professor introduced us to a little website called 

The Geography of Youth.

Are all of you familiar with the Humans of New York blog? (Personally, it's one of my favourites.) The Geography of Youth has a similar concept, over a much broader location. They started by travelling around, taking pictures of millenials and asking them the same few questions, both of which would later be uploaded to the website. They've since expanded it, and now internet users all over the globe are able to upload their own self portrait and answer the questions themselves. One of the questions asked is, "Do you consider yourself to be an adult?" Depending on their answer, the interviewee is then asked when they think they became an adult, or when they think they'll become one.

This question was not the focus of the class, and we never discussed the true nature of adulthood. But still, that was the question that I was really drawn to--because how do you know if you're an adult? Am I an adult becasue I live on my own? Am I an adult because I buy groceries and pay bills and graduated high school almost four years ago? (//sobs)

Or is there something that I'm lacking? Am I still just a kid, because I watch Disney movies and read YA and barely know how to cook? Will I become an adult when I graduate university? When (or if) I get a Real Life Adult Job, one where I work Monday to Friday from 9 to 5, every day?

Or will I never actually be a grown up, just forever stuck in this limbo of in-between?

I think adulthood is different for everybody. I go through stages, almost, of whether or not I actually feel like an adult. Most of the time, it's the latter--I'll be sitting at home in a onesie, playing Sims and pigging out on chips and I'll feel as far from grown up as possible. In general, when I'm living my everyday life, I don't feel very grown up.

But then I'll have a very small moment, a second of realization that this very Grown Up thing to do has become a normal part of my life. Like when I catch myself pushing a shopping cart through a grocery store, flyer in hand, or when I cook an actual meal, with meat and veggies and things that take more than a minute and a half in the microwave to prepare. It's like a sudden hit of, "Wow. Holy crap. I am so grown up right now."

Objectively speaking, I'm a legal adult. Subjectively, it's a lot more complicated than that.

What about you? Do you consider yourself to be an adult? Why or why not?

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: The Selection

WARNING: The following blog posts contain spoilers for the novel under review, ranging from mild to heart wrenchingly major. If you have yet to read this novel and dislike being spoiled, leave now and return upon completion.

If you HAVE read this novel (or just don't give a crap about spoilers), then continue on.

But don't say I didn't warn you.

~~

HELLO, FRIENDS! It's that time of week again! Today we'll be talking about The Selection, by Kiera Cass!

THE PLOT-Y BIT

Prince Maxon has just come of age, which means that it's time for the Selection--a competition between 35 girls to win his heart and, subsequently, the crown. It's the chance of a lifetime; one that America Singer wants nothing to do with. She knows what she wants--a future with Aspen, the love of her life, even if it means spending it in poverty.

Against all odds, she's chosen as the representative of her province, and is whisked into a world of ball gowns, fancy jewels, and life in a glittering palace. Nothing is what she imagined it to be--not even Maxon, who isn't nearly as stiff as he appears on TV. Slowly, she finds herself falling for him, realizing as she does that her ideals for the future are shifting, as well.

THE REVIEW-Y BIT

Do we have a tally going for the amount of books read in one sitting this year? No? Well, we should.

This year is quickly being filled with these kinds of reading experiences, and I am in no way complaining! Stories like these are the reason reading is so exciting! They're never intentional, of course--more of an oops-I-accidentally-read-300-pages-in-one-day-might-as-well-finish kind of experience. But that's also what makes them fun!

To be honest, I was a little iffy about this book going into it. Judging from the premise--a girl who competes against others for the prince's affections--it sounded a lot like The Bachelor on steroids. Still, I had heard good things about it, so I picked it up nonetheless.

Do you ever buy a book, intending to read it right away, only to leave it on your shelf for months, collections dust? And then, when you finally DO get around to reading it, the only thought going through your mind was, "Holy crap this book is amazing WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG??"

That. This book was that.

As cheesy as America's name is (Singer? Really?), I really liked her as a character. She knows what she wants out of life and is more than willing to fight for it. While stubborn at times, she's able to admit when she was wrong. And she's so full of compassion, I just know she would make a great queen. (She and Maxon have to get together. They must.)

Speaking of Maxon--God, how adorable is he? He's so socially awkward, yet at the same time so caring and kind and such a gentleman. He obviously cares about his people, too, judging from his quick actions to enforce a food bank type of system for lower caste families. He and America would / will make an amazing team--talk about a power couple!

I think Illéa's scoiety structure is super interesting. A lot of those dystopian-esque books take place way in the future, and even though this one techincally did (it takes place after WWIV), it didn't seem like it. Their technology was about the same as ours; not too advanced, but not described as a post-apocalyptic wasteland, either. It's just like ours, except...well, slightly different.

But that's what makes it so interesting! It parallels our society in a way that's so simliar that we can easily picture it and relate to it as easily as we can our own lives. It takes the things that are already wrong with our society--we're talking wealth distribution, homelessness, poverty--and emphasises them. It places further rules and restrictions, turning it into a bigger and more obvious problem.

Yes, there's something wrong in this imaginary world. But there's something wrong with our world, as well--all this book does is reflect on it and bring attention to it, in an interesting and compelling way.

STAR-Y BIT

This book earned a 5 star rating from me very quickly. Although it could have used some distance from the traditional topes we're used to in YA dystopians, it was still a great read!


What were your thoughts on this week's read? Be sure to discuss down in the comments!

Until later,

- Justyne

Review: We Were Liars

WARNING: The following blog posts contain spoilers for the novel under review, ranging from mild to heart wrenchingly major. If you have yet to read this novel and dislike being spoiled, leave now and return upon completion.

If you HAVE read this novel (or just don't give a crap about spoilers), then continue on.

But don't say I didn't warn you.

~~

HELLO, FRIENDS! Today we're going to be talking about We Were Liars, by E. Lockhart!

THE PLOT-Y BIT

The Sinclairs are a rich family. They are a beautiful family. They are a perfect family.

The Sinclairs never grieve. They never break. And they certainly never fight.

Every summer, the head of the family meets his children on their private island, just off the coast of Massachusetts. Every summer, the first born granchildren reunite on the beaches.

They call themselves the Liars.

It's what the Sinclairs do best.

THE REVIEW-Y BIT

This book was a lot different than the books I normally read. It's no secret that I tend to lean towards the light, fluffy, happy romantic comedies.

This book was none of those things.

The narration style is different from what I'm used to, which isn't a bad thing...but isn't exactly a good thing, either. The narrator is seventeen years old, but from the way she narrated I'm not quite sure she sounds like one. That being said, there's something about her extensive use of metaphors and descriptions that makes for a very interesting read.

I think my favourite aspect of this book was Cadence's personal fairy tale retellings. I loved how they allure to her life and sort of gradually build up to the reveal of her accident. They change and get gradually darker in tone as the story progresses, while still remaining consistent in theme and format. It was a unique contribution to the tsory that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Lockhart's use of foreshadowing is top-notch. The shocking twist at the end was completely unexpected, but not completely out of the blue, which is exactly what you want from a book like this. I'm especially impressed that I didn't guess the ending beforehand (I have a bad habit of doing that...).

But for the love of God--couldn't the Liars have thought out their plan a little more? I mean, I know that they were only fifteen, but this is just plain common sense we're talking about, here. Schedule a meet-up time beforehand, or make a signal, or just stick together from the beginning! Really.

But I did enjoy the final air of mystery that the ending left us with: was Cadence seeing ghosts, or was she just hallucinating? Everybody seems to have their own theories about it!

THE STAR-Y BIT

I don't think I've ever struggled with a rating so much. In the end, I settled with a 3.75--a very well written and compelling read, but a little dark for my tastes nd not much reread value, either.


What were your thoughts on this week's read? Let me know in the comments!

Until later,

- Justyne

Review: All I Know Now

WARNING: The following blog posts contain spoilers for the novel under review, ranging from mild to heart wrenchingly major. If you have yet to read this novel and dislike being spoiled, leave now and return upon completion.

If you HAVE read this novel (or just don't give a crap about spoilers), then continue on.

But don't say I didn't warn you.

~~

HELLO, FRIENDS! This week I've got a book written by one of my favourite online personalities--All I Know Now by Carrie Hope Fletcher!

THE PLOT-Y BIT

For many, Carrie Hope Fletcher is already a familiar name. She's touched the hearts of thousands, through chilling performances as Eponine in Les Misérables, her quirky and charming YouTube videos, and her long-running blog entitled All I Know Now, rightfully earning her the title of everyone's honourary big sister.

Now, she's ready to conquer the literary world, as her ever popular blog becomes a work of published nonfiction. From dating to friendship, bullies to the ever-terrifying future, this 22-year-old offers advice as she reflects back on her own teen years, what she thought she knew, and all she knows now.

She may not know everything, but who really does?

THE REVIEW-Y BIT

Another nonfiction book! Who'd have thought, eh?

I've been looking forward to this book for quite some time! I've been actively watching Carrie's videos for upwards of two years now, and she rarely disappoints! Her videos never fail to put a smile on my face and improve my mood immensely. So, needless to say, when I heard that her boundless energy was going into a book, I was extremely excited!

Confession time: I cheated a bit to get my hands on this book. It was released in the UK--and only the UK--in late April, whereas the North American release isn't scheduled until September. We all know that I suck at waiting, so waiting an extra four months while so many others were already displaying it proudly on their shelves simply wasn't gonna fly. So while my fellow North Americans lamented over the wait, I went on to the Book Depository and sneakily ordered my copy online.

(I'm sure some other people did this, as well. The UK-based, free-shipping-worldwide website isn't exactly a secret. But I felt sneaky nonetheless.)

Knowing ahead of time that it is an advice book, I went into it not expecting to find use in everything, and I was right. Like any advice, you should take what you need and leave the rest--I had no need for advice on friendship or how to deal with bullies. But even so, I genuinely believe that there's something in here for everybody--I, for one, rather enjoyed the section on following your dreams. Carrie has become somewhat of a role model for me, and hearing her advice and thoughts on a subject that is rather important to me was something to take inspiration from. 

So even though this is marketed towards teens, don't be afraid to pick this up if you're a "grown up". I'm sure you'll still enjoy it!

The only real issue that I had with this book was the chapter length. More often than not, I felt like the chapters were too small, and they felt too compact for my liking. I also thought a lot of them had rather abrupt endings; they could have used a couple extra closing thoughts before moving on to the next chapter.

Even so, Carrie's anecdotes were wonderful, and her narration style made it feel like I was reading transcripts from her actual videos--very natural and well done!

THE STAR-Y BIT

If you need a gift for a teen or young adult, this book is definitely the way to go! I give it a solid four stars.

Be sure to leave your own thoughts on this week's book in the comments below!

Until later,

- Justyne

Review: Keeping the Moon

WARNING: The following blog posts contain spoilers for the novel under review, ranging from mild to heart wrenchingly major. If you have yet to read this novel and dislike being spoiled, leave now and return upon completion.

If you HAVE read this novel (or just don't give a crap about spoilers), then continue on.

But don't say I didn't warn you.

~~

HELLO, FRIENDS! This week we revisit my favourite author for one of her earlier books--Keeping the Moon! (Techincally another reread, but it's been so long since I've read this particular novel that I had forgotten 95% of the plot before I sat down to read it again!)

THE PLOT-Y BIT

Colie has always been an outcast. First it was because she was fat. Then, even after her mother skyrocketed to informercial fame with her "FlyKiki" workout videos and helped her shed the extra weight, cruel and untrue rumours began to circulate, ensuring that her life remained as lonely as it's always been. When her mother leaves for her European tour, she sends Colie off to live with her aunt Mira--eccentric, overweight, and the subject of her own rumours that seem to bother Colie more than they bother her.

After an unexpected shift at the Last Chance restaurant, Colie is offered a waitressing job, where she meets Morgan and Isabel. The two are best friends, as close as you can be, and together they team up to teach Colie the art of confidence, standing up for yourself, and most importantly, friendship.

THE REVIEW-Y BIT

Some of Dessen's earlier books--That Summer, Dreamland, and, of course, Keeping the Moon--are shorter, probably because she was a newer author at the time. These books are half the size of all of her newer stuff, but thankfully, the pacing doesn't suffer because of it. A smaller book for a smaller story--exactly how it should be!

One of the biggest differences I noticed when comparing this to her newer stuff is that many of her newer books involve conflicts between the main character and their parents--something I talked about in my last review. But this time around, the conflict was almost entirely focused on Colie. It was more internal than external, which is something that I love to see. Internal conflicts are always more interesting because they're much more personal; it's not something that we see going on a lot because it's something we most often keep to ourselves. 

The thing that sucked about this, though, was that Colie's mother was hardly present in the book. Their relationship was an interesting one--they seemed rather close, and Colie's admiration of her mother and her mother's bravery was apparent throughout the story, and their relationship is one that I would have liked to see a little more of.

Speaking of relationships, the romantic one between Colie and Norman was a little...disappointing. The romance is one of the biggest reasons I'm such a hardcore Dessen fan, but whereas her other books spread the romance out throughout the story, this one seemed to happen in a more compact fashion towards the end. We had a couple moments here and there, but for the most part it wasn't addressed until the very end, after Colie had just about finished her journey to self confidence. I would have liked to see their relationship develop a little more, just so that it doesn't feel quite as rushed towards the end.

The other relationships, though, were spot on. The friendship Isabel and Morgan shared was compelling and real. Dessen's trend of including a compelling cast of side characters wasn't lost in this book, and I loved seeing these two interact. I only wish Colie had found someone with whom she could be the same way. She always seemed, to me, like an outsider to their friendship. Including someone she could bond with has closely as Isabel and Morgan would have been fantastic to see.

And finally, Mira. Sweet, sweet Mira. Reading about Mira was an interesting experience for me. In the beginning, Colie was embarrassed to be seen with Mira in public--and, since she's fifteen, I could definitely see where she was coming from. I'm sure at that age that I'd be cringing, too. (I probably did, actually, the first time I read this book.)

But now, as a twenty-year-old semi-surviving the Real Adult World, I didn't feel the need to cringe at all. In fact, Mira quickly became my favourite character--her quirky personality was downright adorable, and the fact that she was so confident in herself was absolutely inspiring. She heard the whispers, what the townsfolk said about her, and she straight up didn't care. Not a care was given by that woman, and it was fantastic. She never shied away from who she was, and she never tried to change--not even when Colie's mother sent her all of her workout tapes and equipment.

Both Colie and Mira called Kiki the brave one, and I'm not denying that she is--but Mira was just as brave, if not more so. I'm almost glad that Colie didn't get the chance to stand up agianst her aunt's bullies, because Mira didn't need it in the slightest.

THE STAR-Y BIT

Overall, I did enjoy this book--I mean, c'mon, how can I not enjoy a Sarah Dessen book--but it fell short to where some of her other books have soared. I give it four stars.

Review: Saint Anything

WARNING: The following blog posts contain spoilers for the novel under review, ranging from mild to heart wrenchingly major. If you have yet to read this novel and dislike being spoiled, leave now and return upon completion.

If you HAVE read this novel (or just don't give a crap about spoilers), then continue on.

But don't say I didn't warn you.

~~

HELLO, FRIENDS! It's that time of week again!

This week, I'll be reviewing Sarah Dessen's newest--Saint Anything. Enjoy!

THE PLOT-Y BIT

Sydney has always been the invisible one, living in the shadow of her charming and self-destructing brother Peyton. Even now, after a drunk driving accident lands him in jail and a young boy paralyzed, Sydney feels lost amongst the endless lawyers and court dates. To her parents, she is the least of their concerns.

Then she meets Layla, self proclaimed expert of boys and french fries. With her comes her older sister Rosie, graceful and beautiful beyond compare; her mother Mrs. Chatham, sweet with a heart of gold, never letting anyong fall through the cracks; and brother Mac, quiet and oh-so-observant. They welcome her immediately, and accept her into their world filled with pizza, lollipops, and bluegrass music echoing into the late summer nights.

As Sydney enters this world, struggling to balance it with her old one, she begins to find her place. A place where she feels accepted, loved, and anything but invisible.

THE REWIEW-Y BIT

Have you ever read a book that just gave the feeling of a familiar setting, the whole time? Because to me, Saint Anything felt like a cool summer night, the kind perfect for s'mores and bonfires, with a cool breeze that was just refreshing enough to bring the hot temperature down, but not so much that you needed to dig up some layers. Just...perfect.

It's hard to pinpoint why it felt like that for me.Maybe because the bulk of this book was read in one night, with a window open in my bedroom while the sun set to provide just the breeze I was talking about. Maybe it was because my favourite scene, with the carousel and the talk of Saints and the blue grass festival in the living room, gave off that same vibe.

Either way, I really loved this book.

There's something satisfying with starting a streak of fantastic books, and this book did just that. While I didn't finish this book in five hours (like my last read), it was finished within 36 hours of being bought--something that only ever happens when a highly anticpated book meets and/or exceeds my expectations.

I'm no stranger to Sarah Dessen books. And once again, Dessen's characters shine brightly throughout the book, from french fry connoisseur Layla to slightly condescending, self-proclaimed music expert Eric.

And then there's Sydney.

Before the story even starts, Dessen sets the tone for Sydney's journey with a chord-striking dedication:

"For the invisible girls

and for my readers, for seeing me."

Sydney's desire to be seen for herself, and not for her brother, is so real and relateable for so many people. It's a great quality of all of Dessen's stories that make them so good.

I love the way that Dessen portrays the parents of her characters. A common danger in YA lit is to have the parents mysteriously MIA for the majority of the book, or to have them clueless or useless for just as long. Or the parents are immediately turned into the enemy, mean and strict just for the sake of being mean and strict.

But Dessen doesn't write them off, keep them in the dark or antagonize them for no reason. No, her protagonists don't often get along with their parents...but how many kids do? The difference here is that the parents are human--they make mistakes, but they're trying their best to do what's best for their children. Throughout the story, Dessen's protag often has a second parental figure in their life, an impartial third party who sees both sides of the story.

For Sydney, that's Mrs. Chatham.

Mrs. Chatham sympathizes with Sydney; she knows what Sydney's going through. But she also sees and understands where her parents are coming from, the motivations behind their actions. And it's because of this dual understanding that Sydney is able to reconcile with their parents by the conclusion.

The book wasn't without its issues, of course. My biggest problem was that the whole Eric-and-Sydney storyline is kind of lost throughout the climax and resolution. He's hinted at having feelings for her for a good portion of the book, right up to the point where he asks her out, and then...nothing. She avoids giving her answer, and the issue is never brought up again. Not when Sydney and Mac's secretive relationship was revealed, or when Eric and Layla rekindled their pre-plot romance. I even forgot about it, too, until the cover was closed after the happily ever after. Now, I'm left to wonder.

I also thought that the relationship between Sydney and Mrs. Chatham was extremely underdevelloped. They had their moments, of course, but I feel like their bond could have been used even more throughout the story than it was. 

THE STAR-Y BIT

Forgotten and misused plotlines aside, Dessen's newest quickly earned another five stars from me. Saint Anything has already made it onto my reread list!


Until later,

- Justyne