Empress of the World by Sara Ryan

Summary: Nicola is spending her summer at a Gifted Youth Summer Program to study archaeology. But what she digs up is a girl who makes her question her sexuality and a group of friends to last her a lifetime. 



3.5/5

I found this when I was looking for lesbian boarding school books (which the world is quite void of and this should be fixed asap) Good characters. Okay plot. A little annoying angst. Not very thought provoking. Didn't have many feelings on it. 

Everyday by David Levithan

Summary: Everyday A wakes up in a new body. Everyday A is trying to get back to their love. 

3.5


Didn't really have many feelings on this book. It was an okay read but i seemed kind of repetitive after a while. It was interesting, the magical or whatever, elements and I may look up what happiness in the next book to fulfill my curiosity on the reason but I'm not sure yet. It was just there and although I enjoyed it I'm not sure I'll be reading the next one. 

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Summary: Kestrel is a general's daughter in stolen land and in a stolen house. In a few years she will have to choose between getting married and joining the army, neither road seeming ideal to her.When she stumbles upon a slave auction she feels compels to buy Arin , a blacksmith who she will soon begin to have feelings for.

4/5, 85%

Good book that i'm for some reason really invested into but I can't quite figure out why. My negatives outweigh the positives but I can't bring myself to put it any lower than four stars. I was entertaining and grabbed onto my emotions.

I think this should've been two books or some of it shortened, the first and second half two different stories. It was also too long and then end dragged on. The world building could've been better, but it's made up for in the second book. One of my biggest problems, which is also a big problem in the second book is the angst that's annoying and they need to get over with.

Overall, good book but real long and dragged on.

The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski

Summary: The second novel in the Winner's trilogy. Will Give spoilers to the first novel, The Winner's Curse. Kestrel is now betrothed to the Prince of Valorian and in between party after party she wraps herself in a blanket of spying and treason. Arin keeps himself busy with trying to enlist allies for Herran and battling with his mind over his thoughts of Kestrel's true feelings.

3/5

This was a typical young adult YA second in a trilogy book. A filler book where the couple is fighting and not much happens. The only thing different, and the only thing that kept my attention was the ending. Me, getting angry at the main characters for not just telling each other that love each other and getting over with it. It was slow and angsty as well.

Although I wasn't very fond of this book I am still for some reason really invested in this couple and want the next book. like, now. The ending killed me. Very Brutally.

Hold Me Closer by David Levithan

Summary: A companion musical (with a lot of stage direction that was more narration than directions) to the novel Will Grayson, Will Grayson. A one man play with other characters staring Tiny Cooper, Will's best friend and will's friend in the novel. A musical about love, acceptance, and life.

Rating: 3 Stars

I think this is the first script I've read that wasn't for school, but it didn't really feel like a play at time because of the long bits of narration. I read Will Grayson, Will Grayson a while ago so I don't really remember it and felt like I was left out of a inside joke or some ting at times. It was really funny, laugh out loud funny.

I had a few problems with the play though. The sometimes disrespectful names and even slurs Tiny would say not directed at himself would occasionally make me uncomfortable. The music wasn't very good and repetitive, even for theatre. It was really long and a lot of things seemed unnecessary. I know this is more like a novel than anything and I shouldn't judge it like a play but it's hard not too. Also, although it doesn't matter, the budget for this play would be huge. 

Overall, it was a fun, quick, different read that was really funny but lacked depth and felt a little drawn out.

Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan

Summary: Only three survived the attack on cruise ship, Persephone. Two of them are lying. Frances was set adrift with her best friend, Libby, after escaping the attack. When rescued, too late for Libby, Frances, now a orphan, takes the identity of her best friend. And now she's coming for revenge.

Rating: 4 Stars

I really enjoyed this book and am anticipating the sequel. A mystery, it had an original premise, good writing, and kept my emotions for certain things jump around, like Frances' did. Very suspenseful, very entertaining.

My problems with the book were mostly with the character and plot. The plot was a little predictable and cliche'. The characters a little flat and having only one trait.

In conclusion, good book. Would recommended

Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King

3.5 Stars

Summary: Lucky is being bullied while his dreams are haunted by his POW Grandfather.

I read this a while ago and forgot to log it so this one is gonna be quick.

Pros: Feminist plays about vaginas, King's writing, funny

Cons:  annoying main character, not interesting magical realism,

I may add to this later.

Overall it was a pretty good read but not A.S. King's best. I have reviews fro every book of her's that I've read and I'll list them from best to worst. Glory O'Brien's History of the Future, Ask the Passengers, Everybody Sees the Ants, and Please Ignore Vera Dietz .

Me And Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Rating: 4 stars, 75/100

                                          

Summary: Greg is in his senior year and instead of being in a clique he chooses to be "friendly" with each of them and subsequently doesn't have any friends. When a fellow student, Rachel is diagnosed with leukemia Greg's mother forces him to hang out with her. This is the story of him, his coworker, Earl and the dying girl, Rachel fucking around and Greg being an all around ass hole. 

When I first finished this book I had good thoughts around it but now, a couple days later, its kinda angering Mr. Greg, was an annoying, problematic asshole. I'm not sure how much of that was the author's intent and how much of that was the author. All I'd heard about his book before reading it was that it was hilarious, but honestly I didn't think it was that funny.  Except fro Earl who cracked me up and one scene with Vietnamese food. The oh-this-isn't-your-usual-young-adult-book got annoying after the 10th time. There's a random conversation that's just pure biphobia and it doesn't fit in with the character at all. I think it was suppose to be a funny reflection on teenagers or to have the characters be  more 'real' or 'raw' but it was just untasteful. However I did enjoy how chill the writing was and there's a whole chapter that just in bullet points which i liked.

tl;dr: Kinda funny and entertaining but you gotta deal with asshole narrator

Emmy and Oliver by Robin Benway

Rating:4 Stars

Summary: When they were seven Emmy's best friend Oliver was kidnapped by his father. 10 years later Oliver is found and brought back to southern California and everyone must readjust. (It's the TV show Finding Carter but a book).

I really enjoyed this. I start most of my reviews this way, I apologize. The characters were great, the plot steady and overall very very cute. I really related with how Emmy's parents treated her, as something similar happened to my parents. It was more then the usual surface level typical love story as well.

Overall great read, very relateable, very cute would recommend.

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Summary: Sydeny lives in the shadow of her brother. When she is greeted with open arms by a new family she starts to feel the sun.

I've read every single Sarah Dessen book out there. They re my guilty pleasure I'm not so guilty about. I was disappointed in her last book she released, but  it seems shes getting back on track with this one. It was definitely better than the last one she wrote, To The Moon And Back, but its not as good as her earlier books.

Overall this book didn't stand out to me in any way, the plot predictable the charters ordinary, but it was still an enjoyable read.

Tell Me Again How A Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan

Rating: 3 Stars
Leila is a Iranian american high school student lesbian. Thankfully, she has gone through high school without crushing on any girls. That is, until Saskia shows up.

Tell Me Again How A Crush Should Feel  at first glance I thought was a good read but then I realized it felt like this book was written for a 12 year old. I liked the characters and it was surprisingly entertaining.  The story was also slow and I wish it had more depth. My major complaint with this book though is, Leila the main character is on the, as they said, theater tech crew, and I, as some body who is also on theater tech crew, was just cringing a lot by how wrong the author got it.

Overall, this book was an okay story with okay writing.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Rating: 4 Stars

Simon is being blackmailed. He's also exchanging emails with a boy he goes to school with with the code name blue. When he leaves an email open, revealing that he's gay, things start to change. 

This book was one of the cutest things I've ever read. Like, can't stop smiling even when it's over , giggling out loud cute. I read it in one sitting, a few hours in a long car trip spent well. There's also some special about a book that just came out and all the references are super current that I always love. Some things did annoy me, but it was just characters being stupid. Still super super cute. 

This book wasn't groundbreaking or thought provoking or monumental but it was sure as hell cute and for that is recommend it immensely. 

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater: Re-read series review

Series Rating: 4.5

Series Summary: Blue Sargent is cursed to kill her true love if she kisses him. When Blue meets the Raven Boys, whom one of she is destined to fall in love with or kill, she becomes entranced. Both engulfed with the boys and the mission they are set on.  An urban fantasy which 


I did not plan this. Right now I should not be re-reading books, my slight reading slump does not need this. I had planned to re-read a couple book this summer and this series was no where near this list. Then, someone on my tumblr dash went on a Raven Cycle reblogging spree and  I got sucked in. 



This series is so much better than I remember. And I really liked it before. I guess this rereading was slightly good for me, as the final book comes out in September, I didn't really remember a lot of thing (especially major points in the last book like WoAh how did I not remember that man) and there's some things I think I missed reading the first time around. 



Steifvater's writing is beautiful but I can sometimes get lost in it. I can't really describe her writing, but you probably know what I mean if you've read it. She makes you fall hard for the characters, every single one, from the minor ones to even the villains. The romance(s) are so good, yet not even close to the main plot, it makes my heart melt ans eyes water. The subplots rarely feel like distraction or filler and fall into the main plot beautifully.  Each keep me at the edge of my seat. 


My favorite out of the three is the last one, Blue Lily, Lily Blue (which I have a review on) . After reading it for the first time, it was my least favorite but I think that is because I read it too fast. Each book is better than the last and I am highly anticipating the final book, The Raven King, which come out in September. This is a great series which I would recommend to anyone.  

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

3.5 stars 

Summary: Vera was in love with her best friend. Then he ditched her. Then he died. 

So far, this is my least favorite novel by A.S. King. But that isn't saying much. I have also read Glory O'Brien's History of the Future and Ask the Passengers by her. 

I'm writing this really late so I can't really remember it. I thought the mystery was kind of weak and the story was dark in a weird way I can't describe. Wow, this is horrible I need to get out of here. 

We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach

3 stars. 

Summary: When the world learns Earth will be hit with a meteor, killing 2/3 of the world population, in two months four teenagers must get their shit together. 

This book could've been really good.

It has a great premise and a really nice cover and name. There was so much potential but sadly, it didn't follow through. The writing wasn't very good, the plot a little everywhere with questionable decisions, characters a little flat and cliche, and unfortunately, a little slut shamey. 

However, this did not stop me from enjoying the book. I am a sucker for the-world-is-ending-quick-lets-fall-in-love stories. Which this is. It was cute at points, funny at others and kept me on the edge of my seat. After the beginning, which was kind of slow and boring, I was at the edge of my seat. 

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Summary: When Emily's best friend disappears, leaving only a to-do list behind Emily has to figure out what to do with her life. 

I really enjoyed Since You've Been Gone.  It was a quick, cute, fun light read that was both engaging and interesting. I especially loved the theater aspect to it, something I don't think I've really ever read before.

 I only really had two problems with it, it's predictability (which is pretty much inevitable in YA romance) and the characters. They weren't really complex, with some having absolutely no flaws, while others would have one big flaw that was resolved. Also, now that I think about it, some sub plots were kind of useless, made a bigger deal than they should've, or didn't arise to be anything. This book wasn't anything that stood out to me, it wasn't amazing or thought provoking but I did get me out of a reading slump, which is always good. I also heard a lot of hype around this book, which probably affected my experience with this book too. 

The Summer I Wasn't Me by Jessica Verdi

Summary: When lesbian, Lexi, is outed to her mother she goes to a pray-the-gay-away camp and falls for someone she shouldn't.

Stars: 4

I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 for little reasons. The writing isn't the best, it's a little cheesy, but I went into it knowing that. The ending was a little rushed, the beginning a little long but it wasn't a huge deal.  Also, the romance trope- angst-for-the-entire-book-and-then-they finally-get-together-and-the-last-page annoyed me. I wanted a sneak off into the woods, making out behind the bible, and in the church attic, passing dirty notes when pastor isn't looking type of thing but alas, I was let down. 

Overall, it was a great read. It was funny, touching, and the characters were great. Every single one of them were fledged out and intriguing. It was a quick read too. I read it in one sitting, refusing sleep until I finished it.  Some of the figurative language was so unique I did a double take, but it seemed like that only happened in the beginning chapters. I would definitely recommend this to someone who doesn't read much, as it was quick and easy, yet still really good. 

The Ruby Circle

Rating: 3.5 stars

Summary: The final installment in the Bloodlines series, which is a spin off of the Vampire Academy series. Vague Spoilers. 

Overall I really enjoyed this. I thought it did a good job of wrapping everything up, just maybe did a little too good of a job. Everything in this book seemed convenient. Especially the end, which was kind of rushed and there was a time jump at the end which caught me off guard and confused me. It also could've been longer. I felt the last 100-200 pages were rushed and some arcs should've been longer. 

This one wasn't as funny as the others. Or it might just be I don't find it as funny as I read this in the daylight

Thinking about this series what amazing me the most and one of my favorite parts of it is the character development both Sydney and Adrian has had. 

This definitely wasn't my favorite of Bloodlines, that having to be Silver Shadows but it also wasn't my least favorite as I found the first couple annoying. Comparing the two series, Bloodlines and Vampire Academy I honestly don't know which one I liked best. They seem so far away from each other and seeing Rose and Dimitri in these books kind of cloud my judgement. It's always weird seeing characters in a different perspective no matter what book or how much you love them. 

This book was also different from me to the others because I read all 8 VA and the past 5 Bloodlines at 3 in the morning bingeing them very, very fast. Before I was totally emursed in the world and this time I didn't remember a lot and couldn't really get into it. 


This review is a mess. Read this if you read the others. 

One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva

Rating: 3 Stars

Summary: Kid gets left alone for the summer and falls in love with someone he doesn't expect to.

There were parts in this that were really good. So cute I have to smile, laughing, my heart is swelling moments. But then there were moments where I moaned out loud and/or had to set the book down out of annoyance. This book would get so preachy and cliche and cheesy it made me wanted to throw up. It was such a up and down roller coaster my feeling are so conflicted. This is so short of a review because I dont know what to say.

Was this a bad book? No? Was this a good book? I don't know? Did I like it? Who knows??

Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A.S. King

Summary: Glory O' Brien doesn't care about her future. When Glory drinks a dead bat's ashes she begins to see the history of the future and her viewpoint begins to change.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

I've been meaning to read a A.S. King book for ages. I dont think I've ever seen anyone not like any of her books. This did not disappoint. It's so much different from anything else I've ever read. I've read magical realism before, but not this extreme. It was great, flipping the pages so fast and being shocked when realizing I was almost done.

The sub plot of the book she was writing was almost more interesting than the main story. I would love a whole book of just that story.  It was also the first time I've read a book where they talk about feminism and it not be the focus of the book. It's good to see it be mentioned as easily as saying you're favorite color is blue (and I have a shirt that says the same thing Glory's dad's bumper sticker which made me happy). There is romance in this, but it's a sub-sub-sub plot which I enjoyed.

The story was incredibly interesting. original, and entertaining. There was never a time where I got bored or thought the story was going slow. I would definitely recommend and plan on reading more of King's books.