ARC Review: The House at Saltwater Point by Colleen Coble

Goodreads // Buy this book: Paperback & Hardback

Synopsis

Ellie Blackmore is making a name for herself as a young house flipper. But when her sister disappears, she can’t focus on anything but finding out what really happened. Blood on the floor might indicate that MacKenzie was killed and her body was removed.

Ellie is at odds with Grayson Bradshaw, the handsome Coast Guard intelligence officer who thinks MacKenzie faked her own death and is off enjoying her ill-gotten gains: billions of dollars in cocaine.

They both want the truth, but truth—and family—is often more complex than it may first appear.

Review

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Going into this book, I didn’t know what to expect. I am not an avid reader of “Christian fiction”, so I was a bit wary, even though the synopsis sounded very interesting. However, I must say I was very pleasantly surprised. I was getting into a slump whilst reading The Night Women by Sara Blædel, but then I picked this one up and finished it in just a couple of days! The writing is so pleasant, it reads like a dream 👌🏼

There are two main points of view: Ellie’s and Grayson’s. Ellie’s sister, Mac, disappears, leaving a trail of blood on her boat. Ellie is worried sick and thinks her sister might be hurt. Grayson, a Coast Guard, is following a lead on stolen cocaine and is convinced that Mac is involved and that she faked her own death. Besides these two, there are occasional POV of other characters as well, which shows us what is happening on all sides of the story.

She pressed her ear to the latch and heard the faint trickle of water. No amount of screaming would lift her voice out of this deep hole, so she didn’t waste her strength.

I really liked the main group of characters that we follow, they were a joy to read about. Oh, and I finally found a character who thinks in tricky situations and doesn’t just act out of their overwhelming emotions. Thank you, Colleen Coble, I love me a smart character🙌🏼

This story involves drug trafficking, terrorism and assassinations, and that makes for a super gripping story that will keep the reader on the edge of their seat. Also, a lot of current themes and issues we’re facing right now are mentioned, which just makes the book even more real and relatable, in a sense.

I’ve never really met anyone who tugged at my heartstrings.” He kissed her palm again, then moved up to her wrist. “Until now, that is.” He lifted his head and reached for her at the same time she moved toward him. His lips covered hers with a gentle yet masterful touch, and she was lost.

Throughout this year, I have barely read anything with romance in it and, to my surprise, this is a mystery with romance!! Oh my, I really missed reading about people falling in love – and now it’s all I want to read… Additionally, this is very good romance. No insta-love, no mental abuse, no manipulation, none of those tropes! The only “trope” that is present here is the “girl who doesn’t realize how beautiful and amazing she is” – but there’s a reason behind that! It was just so wonderful to read about the couples in this, I’m so happy I picked this up 😍

I did find an issue with consistency, namely regarding a character’s eye color. Most of the time, she has “golden-brown” or “amber” eyes but, out of nowhere, someone mentions her “blue” eyes. I won’t hold that against the book though since this is an ARC and I’m sure they corrected the mistake. Also, we’re human! But I did notice it, so I thought I should mention this tiny lapse.

One of my favorite parts of this story was the secrets that were revealed, stuff from the characters’ past. I’m always a sucker for a good book with tragic backgrounds and shocking revelations, and this was no exception, loved it!

I also loved the setting, it takes place in Lavender Tides, which is a coastal area. This makes for a wonderful background, full of houses right by the water, giving us summer vibes. This book is downright refreshing – in every sense of the word!

In conclusion, I am now a fan of Colleen Coble’s writing and I can’t wait to read more of her books. I might pick up the first book in this series, which follows one of the great characters I met in The House at Saltwater Point. I hope my review gets you pumped to pick it up, it’ll be out in the US in just a couple of days! 🎉

 4/5 stars

Have you read any of Colleen Coble’s books? Which one(s) do you recommend?

I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on The House at Saltwater Point and if you’d like, check out my other book reviews!

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Thank you so much for reading,
I’ll see you in my next post ♡

Review: Almost Midnight by Rainbow Rowell

Almost Midnight by Rainbow Rowell

Goodreads rating: 4.31

Pages: 144

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Date published: Nov 2nd, 2017 (USA)

My rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads // Buy this book: Hardback

Midnights was originally published in My True Love Gave To Me, which I already own, and Kindred Spirits was published as a World Book Day title not too long ago, which I had already read. I know what you’re thinking – why the hell did I buy this book, then? Well, I couldn’t resist the cuteness. I mean look at it… Also, it was on sale for like 40% off on BookDepository, so I had to get it!

Midnights

★★★★★ 5/5 stars

This lovely story follows Mags through about four different New Year’s Eves. She is a bit shy, which means she struggles to fit in at the New Year’s parties her friend Alicia throws every year, and also makes it so that she constantly rejects Noel’s (her best friend) requests to dance with him.

“That was a good catch – but I was actually trying to lure you out onto the dance floor.”

“That was a coffee table, Noel.”

“There was room for two, Margaret.”

I related so much to Mags, you have no idea!! A friend of mine throws a New Year’s party every year, and I am always that person that just looks at their phone the whole time, or I start cleaning up or helping with the food and stuff like that. I just am not the type of person to be dancing with everyone at a party, you know? So that really hit home for me, as you can tell haha Another thing that resonated with me was the sort of “unrequited love” that is present in the story, but I won’t go into detail on that part.

“That’s so gross,” Mags said

“Kissing?”

“No… kissing is fine. What’s gross is using New Year’s Eve as an excuse to kiss someone who might not want to kiss you. Using it as a trick.”

Overall, Midnights is absolutely perfect to read during the holiday season – it literally took me less than an hour to read it, by the way! The characters are very fun and lovable, and the setting is, obviously, very adequate for said season. As for the plot, cliché as it may seem, it is absolutely addicting, and you won’t want to put it down. In fact, I wish we had more than just this short story about Mags and Noel – that happens with everything Rainbow Rowell writes, she always leaves you wanting more!

“I need you to be my person. I need to see you. And hear you. I need you to stay alive. And I need you to stop kissing other people just because they’re standing next to you when the ball drops.”

Rowell’s writing, as always, is fabulous. She truly is one of the best contemporary romance writers, in my humble opinion. Not to mention it was one of her books that got me into reading! ♡

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Kindred Spirits

★★★★★ 5/5 stars

This was the first short story I ever read, and I’m so glad I read it!! Sooo cute and funny and heartwarming.

This story follows our main character, Elena, who is a big Star Wars fan. Since a new movie is coming out, she decides to queue outside the theater (4 days prior to the premiere), expecting there to be a huge line of all these cool and fun people dressed in Star Wars costumes. However, when she gets there she finds two other people only. That was it. The whole line.

“Time for a little midday siesta – the Force asleepens”

Throughout the plot, we see how Elena copes with her disappointment in the size of the line, and how she tries to make fun happen with a shy guy, and a crazy (much older) man who is probably more obsessed with Star Wars than anyone she’s ever met.

It really captures how common interests can bring people together, no matter how different they are from one another.

“Are you some sort of Star Wars purist?”

The characters were super funny and witty – and sometimes awkward -, and they kept making nerdy jokes about Star Wars. There isn’t much of a plot, really, but what we see happen during the story is very funny, and the ending – although it’s kind of a cliffhanger – was great.

“I haven’t slept in a week,” Gabe said. “I think you can die of that. I think I’m dead”

It’s the perfect story for when you’re craving something cute and witty, and great if you don’t know what to read. And it’s so short, you can just pick it up and read it in less than an hour. It is, basically, a cute story about nerds, and who could not love that?!?

Note: most of the text in this review is copied from the one I posted on Tumblr, back when I first read the story.

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Have you read any of Rainbow Rowell’s books/short stories? Which book is your favorite? Let me know in the comments! ♡

In conclusion, I definitely recommend that you pick up Rainbow Rowell’s short stories – they’re brief, but delicious! I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on Almost Midnight and if you’d like, check out my other book reviews!

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Thank you so much for reading,
I’ll see you in my next post ♡

Book Review: The Devil Crept In by Ania Ahlborn

The Devil Crept In by Ania Ahlborn

Goodreads rating: 3.6

Pages: 374

Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Thriller, Crime, Horror, Mystery

Date published: Feb 7th, 2017 (USA)

My rating: ★★★★☆

Goodreads // Buy this book:Paperback

Synopsis

Young Jude Brighton has been missing for three days, and while the search for him is in full swing in the small town of Deer Valley, Oregon, the locals are starting to lose hope. They’re well aware that the first forty-eight hours are critical and after that, the odds usually point to a worst-case scenario. And despite Stevie Clark’s youth, he knows that, too; he’s seen the cop shows. He knows what each ticking moment may mean for Jude, his cousin and best friend.

That, and there was that boy, Max Larsen…the one from years ago, found dead after also disappearing under mysterious circumstances. And then there were the animals: pets gone missing out of yards. For years, the residents of Deer Valley have murmured about these unsolved crimes…and that a killer may still be lurking around their quiet town. Now, fear is reborn—and for Stevie, who is determined to find out what really happened to Jude, the awful truth may be too horrifying to imagine.

My review

Trigger warnings: bullying; domestic violence; murder; gory and disturbing descriptions

The Devil Crept In takes place in a creepy, small town called Deer Valley. We follow Stevie, a 10-year-old kid, during his search for Jude, his cousin, who suddenly went missing. Stevie has had a very hard life – some of his fingers are missing, he speaks in rhymes, his dad left and everyone thinks he’s crazy. Losing his cousin and best (and only) friend is something he really can’t handle, so he tries to figure out what happened to Jude.

“I wouldn’t go in those woods if I were you,” Stevie whispered to himself.

Although most of the book is told from Stevie’s perspective, there is another POV that might confuse you at first, but you will later realize what this POV means.

This book is so darn disturbing. Honestly. I never expected this story to go the way it went, I thought it would just be a regular thriller focused on an investigation run by a child. Boy, was I wrong!!

It seems quite slow and… normal at first. You feel as though nothing scary will even happen, and then it gets creepier and creepier and, suddenly, you will be terrified.

He didn’t like lying, but he was coming to realize that the older you got, the more you had to do it

For the most part, I couldn’t predict what would happen next, and that’s something I really like, because it keeps me on the edge of my seat. There are a few plot twists, the kind that make you fear. As for the ending, I was appalled. I never thought the book would end that way. It is not a happy ending, I will tell you that, but it’s brilliant, and it most definitely will give you chills.

Dunk,
I tryd to wait up but am real tired so I went to sleep.
Wake me up when u get home ok I need to ask u somthing.
ITS IMPORTANT.
Ur brother Stevie
P.S. Dont forget

I really loved Stevie as a narrator, and I grew very fond of him – which is a terrible idea in horror books because, what if a character you love dies!? Either way, Stevie is the purest of kids, and I love him. Can you believe how adorable his note is? (see above)

His heart was a butterfly trapped in a mason jar, beating fast enough to fill the sky with shooting stars. And the crash of the fender against an array of other detritus? Loud enough to wake the dead.

I really liked the author’s writing, it felt adequate to the people that were narrating or talking. Sometimes authors can use the wrong type of language for their characters, but Ahlborn nailed it. Some parts of the narrative were delightfully lyrical, which I appreciated (see quote above).

There is a very delicate and important issue that is portrayed in the book: domestic violence. At times, this was scarier than anything else in the book. The author can really create an atmosphere, to the point where you really feel like you’re in the victim’s shoes, feeling all the pain they describe.

My rating

In conclusion, I really enjoyed The Devil Crept In. It was the first actual horror book I read, and it made me want to get more into the genre. I will definitely pick up Ahlborn’s other books – the next one on my list is Brother.

If you’re into creepy and scary stuff, I would definitely give this one a try – maybe on Halloween, even!

Writing
Characters
Plot
Pacing
Overall	4.37 stars

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Do you have any horror recommendations? Let me know in the comments down below, I’m on the hunt for more books like this ♡

I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on The Devil Crept In and if you’d like, check out my other book reviews!

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Thank you so much for reading,
I’ll see you in my next post ♡

Review: You by Caroline Kepnes

You by Caroline Kepnes

Goodreads rating: 3.83

Pages: 422

Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Thriller, Crime, Mystery

Date published: Sep 30th, 2014 (USA)

My rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads // Buy this book: Paperback

Synopsis

When a beautiful, aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card.

There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight—the perfect place for a “chance” meeting.

As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way—even if it means murder.

My review

Trigger warnings: stalking; violence; murder; slut shaming; misogyny

In You, we follow Joe, who is stalking Beck, a girl he met at the bookstore he works at. I don’t want to tell you anything more that than, because it is best to go into this book without knowing much. All you need to know is that a) this book is amazing; b) you will not be able to put it down; and c) this book is not what you think it will be.

Boy, I was not prepared to love this book as much as I did. I started it on the drive down to Alentejo with my family yesterday, and I could NOT put it down. I read it all day, until I couldn’t keep my eyes open, and then I kept reading when I woke up today until I finished it.

“Work in a bookstore and learn that most people in this world feel guilty about being who they are.”

I love how this is a thriller in which you follow the one doing the fucked up things, instead of reading from the POV of someone who is trying to figure out what’s happening – which was the kind of narrative in the thrillers I had read until now.

The mystery that Kepnes created surrounding the main character, Joe, and what he would do next is so incredibly addicting! You just HAVE to know what’s gonna happen next, so you read and read until your eyes bleed (hopefully not literally).

“I piss all over the floor of the shower to mark my place, my home, you.”

The whole story is told in 2nd person, so it feels like he is addressing you, even though you know he’s talking to Beck. You don’t get that in a lot of books, and I think that’s another element that helps the author hook the reader. Very interesting narrative.

As for the characters, they dictate where the story goes, and they are very well-built. You does not suffer from the complex-main-characters-but-flat-ass-side-characters syndrome, which I very much appreciate. Joe and Beck are incredibly complex and complicated characters and, although Joe is the stalker, he’s definitely not the only one who’s fucked up in the head. Beck could use some help too, to be honest… Regarding the side characters, I thought they were well-designed and served the purpose of the plot, but didn’t feel like a plot device, if that makes sense. Especially Peach, whom I absolutely loathed. She’s one of those people who is the exact opposite of me, so everything she did pissed me off to no end.

“A few days later I wear my carpenter costume and I fantasize about putting bars on your Windows, protecting this display case you call a home.”

What impressed me the most about Kepnes’s writing was how she made me side with a stalker who does the craziest shit you could possibly imagine. I was actually rooting for this guy the whole time!! What even!?!? The book read, to me, like a romance. I would just think “wow, this guy has serious issues, he should be in jail”, and five minutes later I would be like “oh my god CALL HER I WANT YOU TWO ON A DATE NOW”, as if this was a cute love story and not a story about a crazy ass stalker messing with a girl’s life. The author did a great job at making me doubt my own morals hahaha

“‘God bless you!’ I call out.
You giggle and holler back, you horny girl, ‘You too, buddy.'”

The pacing was also perfect. Sometimes Joe gives us the rundown of the whole day, almost as it happens; other times, he skips a couple weeks or months, but somehow nothing is really missing.

My rating

In conclusion, I reaaaaaaally loved You, and I can’t wait to dive into the sequel as soon as I can!! It’s such a well-built and written book, and it will definitely mess with your head and your feelings, but not necessarily in a bad way.

It’s also a perfect read for October, since Halloween is coming up! (I may or may not post a Fall recommendations post *wink wink*)

Writing
Characters
Plot
Pacing
Overall	4.63 stars

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Have you read any books about stalkers? Which do you recommend? Let me know in the comments down below ♡

I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on You and if you’d like, check out my other book reviews!

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Thank you so much for reading,
I’ll see you in my next post ♡

I Hate Everyone But You: review & GIVEAWAY [closed]

I Hate Everyone But You by Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin

Goodreads rating: 3.72

Pages: 352

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Date published: September 5th, 2017 (USA)

Goodreads // Buy this book: Paperback & Hardback

Synopsis

Dear Best Friend,
I can already tell that I will hate everyone but you.
Sincerely,
Ava Helmer
(that brunette who won’t leave you alone)

We’re still in the same room, you weirdo.
Stop crying.
G

So begins a series of texts and emails sent between two best friends, Ava and Gen, as they head off to their first semesters of college on opposite sides of the country. From first loves to weird roommates, heartbreak, self-discovery, coming out and mental health, the two best friends will document every moment to each other. But as each changes and grows into her new life, will their friendship be able to survive the distance?

My review

Firstly, I’d like to thank St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for review, and for partnering up with me to give a copy away to one of you ♡

So, a cool detail about this book is its format: it is told through emails and text messages between our two main characters, Ava and Gen. However, this format makes it quite tiring to read, and I got bored in some parts.

Concerning the characters, I wasn’t exactly fond of them, they were just alright – probably because I could not relate to either of them. They make some bad decisions, but I think that only made them more human – we all screw up, don’t we?

The story itself is pretty cliché (with some unusual aspects), but still enjoyable. It’s a simple plot, that we might have seen a hundred times before, but enjoy nonetheless. I’d say it’s a typical contemporary that you read in one summer afternoon!

There are a couple topics that are important and were addressed throughout the book – mental health and sexuality -, which I really appreciated.

I think the book could have been just a tad bit longer, so everything wrapped up a little better, but all in all, I liked how the story went!

For a debut novel, I thought the writing wasn’t bad at all, and in this format, there’s an extra challenge for the writer: writing emails and texts without making them sound weird, or using words/sentences that no one would use in this context. In that sense, I think Gaby and Allison nailed it!

My rating

Overall, I Hate Everyone But You is a quick, light-hearted summer read that you will really enjoy. Especially relevant to people going into college, since that’s the setting of this book!

★★★☆☆ 3.5/5 stars

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GIVEAWAY

As the winner, you will receive a copy of I Hate Everyone But You. Here’s how to enter to win in 4 easy steps:

1. Follow my blog
2. Follow me on Instagram
3. Subscribe to my Youtube channel
4. Leave a comment in one of my blog posts

For an extra entry, tag a friend in the comments on the Instagram post

And that’s it!! After these steps, you are entered to win the giveaway!

This giveaway will end on September 27, so you have around two and a half weeks to enter. Good luck to everyone participating! ♡

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Thank you so much for reading,
I’ll see you in my next post ♡

Review: The One That Got Away by Melissa Pimentel

The One That Got Away by Melissa Pimentel

Goodreads rating: 3.45

Pages: 400

Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Date published: August 22nd, 2017 (USA)

Goodreads // Buy this book: Paperback & Hardback

Synopsis

Ruby and Ethan were perfect for each other. Until the day they suddenly weren’t.

Now, ten years later, Ruby is single, having spent the last decade focusing on her demanding career and hectic life in Manhattan. There’s barely time for a trip to England for her little sister’s wedding. And there’s certainly not time to think about what it will be like to see Ethan again, who just so happens to be the best man.

But as the family frantically prepare for the big day, Ruby can’t help but wonder if she made the right choice all those years ago. Because there is nothing like a wedding for stirring up the past…

 

My review

Firstly, I’d like to thank St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for review ♡

Trigger warning: sexual assault

As soon as I read the synopsis for this book, I knew I had to read it. It sounded like the classical brit lit book that is funny, but deep at the same time. I must say, my expectations were quite high, and I wasn’t disappointed!

I quite enjoyed it, and I especially liked how the story was told through flashbacks, as well as present time. It gives you another perspective that I like to have when reading a story.

I liked the main character, Ruby, she wasn’t frustrating (probably because it’s an adult novel) and worked great as a lead character. The other characters were alright, but my favorite was Piper, the Bridezilla. Who doesn’t love a good Bridezilla character, am I right?

The author’s writing is nice, and totally fits with this type of book. If you ever pick it up, I’d suggest you do it over the summer – it’s 100% the perfect summer read!

My rating

Overall, The One That Got Away is a nice, fluffy read, with sassy characters and a typical plotline that will definitely hook you up from the start.

3.5/5 stars

Blog Tour: Bad Girl Gone Review

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Bad Girl Gone by Temple Mathews

Goodreads rating: 2.95

Pages: 256

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Paranormal, Romance

Date published: August 8th, 2017 (USA)

Goodreads // Buy this book: Hardback

 

Synopsis

Sixteen year-old Echo Stone awakens in a cold sweat in a dark room, having no idea where she is or how she got there. But she soon finds out she’s in Middle House, an orphanage filled with mysteriously troubled kids.

There’s just one problem: she’s not an orphan. Her parents are very much alive.

She explains this to everyone, but no one will listen. After befriending a sympathetic (and handsome) boy, Echo is able to escape Middle House and rush home, only to discover it sealed off by crime scene tape and covered in the evidence of a terrible and violent crime. As Echo grapples with this world-shattering information, she spots her parents driving by and rushes to flag them down. Standing in the middle of street, waving her arms to get their attention, her parents car drives right through her.

She was right. Her parents are alive but she’s not.

She’s a ghost, just like all the other denizens of Middle House. Desperate to somehow get her life back and reconnect with her still-alive boyfriend, Echo embarks on a quest to solve her own murder. As the list of suspects grows, the quest evolves into a journey of self-discovery in which she learns she wasn’t quite the girl she thought she was. In a twist of fate, she’s presented with one last chance to reclaim her life and must make a decision which will either haunt her or bless her forever.

My review

Firstly, I want to thank St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

Trigger warnings: violence, murder, haunting

This book has a cool premise, I thought the plot was very interesting. It’s not the best book I’ve ever read, but I really liked seeing the story from the ghosts’ perspective. It’s not a very common thing – or at least I don’t know of many books that feature the perspective of ghosts.

I was starting to get mad, thinking I could not go off into eternal rest looking like a country-western singer!

The characters could have been developed a bit better, and I think the book is too short for so many characters! If we had 100 more pages it could have been a way better book. I did enjoy the kids, and they were very funny, but they lacked development.

There is sort of a love triangle, between the living and the dead, so if you’re someone who can’t stand love triangles, this one might not be for you.

The kiss lingered and he was already halfway down the hall, and about three-quarters of the way into my heart.

The pacing was a little inconsistent at times – there were a couple parts in which I felt as though everything was happening very fast, others very slow -, but the majority of the book felt fine!

There is a mystery element all throughout the book, which hooked me. I really wanted to find out what had happened! And when we finally found out, I was perplexed. Did not see that coming!

“Sometimes bad things happen to good people,” said Zipperhead. “There’s no accounting for it. Shit happens, and then you die.”

The author’s writing was nice, and the way he wrote Echo felt true to a teenage girl – at least in my opinion! I could relate to her most of the time, although she made stupid decisions from time to time. Don’t we all?

I liked the atmosphere of the book, too, it felt very creepy in the beginning, and then it turned into sort of an adventure, and I loved both!

The ending was a bit predictable, but that’s very common in contemporary books.

My rating

In conclusion, I did enjoy this book, and I recommend it for the fact that it’s different, and also a quick, spooky read – perfect for Autumn and Halloween time!

Writing
Characters
Plot
Pacing
Overall	3.13 stars

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Do you have any recommendations of books told from the perspective of ghosts? Let me know in the comments below! ♡

I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on Bad Girl Gone and if you’d like, check out my other book reviews!

Thank you so much for reading,
I’ll see you on my next post ♡

 

Review: Literally by Lucy Keating

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Read in English

Literally by Lucy Keating

Goodreads rating: 3.39

Pages: 256

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Date published: April 11th, 2017 (USA)

Goodreads // Buy this book: Paperback & Hardback

Synopsis

Annabelle’s life has always been Perfect with a capital P. Then bestselling young adult author Lucy Keating announces that she’s writing a new novel—and Annabelle is the heroine.

It turns out, Annabelle is a character that Lucy Keating created. And Lucy has a plan for her.

But Annabelle doesn’t want to live a life where everything she does is already plotted out. Will she find a way to write her own story—or will Lucy Keating have the last word?

My review

I went into Literally with high expectations, and I didn’t even know anything about it when I started reading, but, sadly, it was a bit of a letdown. I never wrote a review for Dreamology, Lucy Keating’s first book, but it was amazing and I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads. However, Literally was just not as good, and it makes me sad because I love the author. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy the book, but less than her debut novel.

The story, overall, although it’s creative, I felt it was a bit silly. Basically, the main character, Annabelle, finds out that an author named Lucy Keating (same name as the real author of Literally) is writing her life, as well as the life of everyone around her. And so, there is this sci-fi-ish element throughout the whole book, but nothing is even remotely believable. There is also some “theory of writing” thrown in the story, since Annabelle is taking a Fiction class in high school, so she starts identifying the concepts she learns in class in her life, which, again, is being written by an author. The whole thing was just silly, in my opinion. It is very original, though, I will give her that!

“I rest my head against him and I think, This is not a sure thing. There are no promises here. But I’m seventeen years old, and the only place in the world I wanna be is on this couch, with this guy, listening to this song over and over again. And maybe tomorrow it will all be different. But I don’t care.”

The author’s writing is great, as usual, it reads super easily and next thing you know, you’ve finished the book. It’s not a long book either, so it goes by super fast!

“My dad taught me a long time ago that a run would calm me down. He walked into my room one Saturday afternoon and found me rearranging my bookshelf, stacks and stacks surrounding me like building blocks.
“Didn’t you just do this a month ago?” he asked.
I paused. “That was by genre,” I explained. “This time it’s by color.””

The characters were another fault in the book. The main character and her love interest were great – relatable even -, but everyone else was as flat as an ironing board. This is what I meant when I talked about how characters usually are in other books in my last review: the main characters are nice, but everyone else is just there to interact with the main character, which sucks because you want to KNOW them properly.

“And just because something ends, doesn’t mean it didn’t mean anything. Sometimes, you have to take the risk.”

The pacing was nice, the story had a good flow – also thanks to Lucy’s great writing – and, even though a lot of things happened in this book, they happened at good rhythm – good enough for you to not get lost in all of it.

 

My rating

In conclusion, I did enjoy this book: it’s just a fun, cutesy read with a twist that is, simultaneously, silly and addicting. It had a nice, original story, but not very well executed. The writing was great, and so was the love interest ♡ but, overall, it was a bit of a letdown, especially compared to Dreamology.

Writing
Characters
Plot
Pacing
Overall	3.25 stars

Ler em Português

Literally de Lucy Keating

Avaliação no Goodreads: 3.39

Páginas: 256

Géneros: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Data de publicação: 11 de Abril, 2017 (USA)

Goodreads // Compra este livro: Capa mole & Capa dura no BookDepository; Capa dura na Wook

 

Opinião

 
Literally conta-nos a história da Annabelle, que sempre teve uma vida perfeita. Um dia, na aula de escrita creativa, a sua professora apresenta à turma uma escritora chamada Lucy Keating (sim, tem o mesmo nome da autora real do livro), que lhes fala do seu novo livro. Quando Annabelle ouve a descrição da história desse livro, apercebe-se de que é exactamente igual à vida dela e confronta a autora – que admite estar a escrever a vida dela, bem como a de todos à sua volta.

Eu comecei este livro com expectativas um pouco altas, porque li o primeiro livro da autora, Dreamology, e adorei, avaleei-o com 5 estrelas no Goodreads. No entanto, o Literally não foi tão bom como o anterior, o que me entristece porque eu adoro a autora. Eu gostei do livro de qualquer forma, mas não tanto como do Dreamology (nem perto).

A história, apesar de criativa, pareceu-me um pouco tola. Nada daquilo que ia acontecendo foi credível. Também há partes em que a protagonista fala da teoria da escrita que aprende na aula, e a aplica à forma como a tal Lucy está a escrever a vida dela. Como eu disse, original, mas bastante tolo!

“I rest my head against him and I think, This is not a sure thing. There are no promises here. But I’m seventeen years old, and the only place in the world I wanna be is on this couch, with this guy, listening to this song over and over again. And maybe tomorrow it will all be different. But I don’t care.”

A escrita da autora foi óptima, como sempre. Lê-se super bem, e quando damos por nós já acabámos o livro. Ademais, o livro é relativamente curto, portanto lê-se muito rapidamente.

“My dad taught me a long time ago that a run would calm me down. He walked into my room one Saturday afternoon and found me rearranging my bookshelf, stacks and stacks surrounding me like building blocks.
“Didn’t you just do this a month ago?” he asked.
I paused. “That was by genre,” I explained. “This time it’s by color.””

As personagens foram outra falha do livro. A protagonista e o rapaz por quem se apaixona são maravilhosos, mas todos os outros são pãezinhos sem sal. Era disto que falava na última review: as personagens principais são maravilhosas e estão desenvolvidas; as restantes estão lá somente para interagir com as principais, e nunca as chegamos a conhecer mesmo.

“And just because something ends, doesn’t mean it didn’t mean anything. Sometimes, you have to take the risk.”

O ritmo agradou-me, a história é fluida – também graças à escrita da autora – e, apesar de imensas coisas acontecerem, não acontecem super rapidamente, têm um bom andamento e não nos perdemos em tudo o que está a acontecer.

Avaliação

Resumindo e concluindo, eu gostei da leitura: é um livro fofinho com aquele twist que é, simultaneamente, tolo e viciante. A história é original, mas foi mal explorada e executada. Foi um pouco desapontante, especialmente comparada ao Dreamology.

Escrita
Personagens
Enredo
Ritmo
Total	3.25 estrelas

Blog Tour: The Inevitable Collision of Birdie and Bash by Candace Ganger

The Inevitable Collision of Birdie and Bash by Candace Ganger

Goodreads rating: 4.14

Pages: 320

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Date published: July 25th, 2017 (USA)

Goodreads // Buy this book: Hardback

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About the Author

CANDACE GANGER is a young adult author, contributing writer for Hello Giggles, and obsessive marathoner. Aside from having past lives as a singer, nanotechnology website editor, and world’s worst vacuum sales rep, she’s also ghostwritten hundreds of projects for companies, best-selling fiction and award-winning nonfiction authors alike.

Candace—aka—Candyland—has a severe Milky Way latte addiction + eats way too many donuts/doughnuts but all things in excess, amiright? FYI: She’s TOTALLY awkward in person (#sorrynotsorry). She lives in Ohio with her family.

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Summary

Birdie never meant to be at the party. Bash should have been long gone. But when they meet, a collision course is set off they may never recover from.

Sebastian Alvaréz is just trying to hold the pieces together: to not flunk out, to keep his sort-of-best friend Wild Kyle from doing something really bad, and to see his beloved Ma through chemo. But when he meets Birdie Paxton, a near-Valedictorian who doesn’t realize she’s smoking hot in her science pun T-shirt, at a party, an undeniable attraction sparks. And suddenly he’s not worried about anything. But before they are able to exchange numbers, they are pulled apart. A horrifying tragedy soon links Birdie and Bash together—but neither knows it. When they finally reconnect, and are starting to fall—hard—the events of the tragedy unfold, changing both their lives in ways they can never undo.

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My review

Firstly, I’d like to thank St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

In this story, we follow two characters: Birdie and Bash, and we have both of their POV. These two characters meet at a party, but since they go their separate ways without exchanging numbers or anything, they think they’ll never see each other again.
Later, they are linked by tragedy, but they don’t know it yet. When both of them eventually reconnect, they start falling for one another, only to find out they should never be together *cue dramatic music*

Birdie and Bash are total opposites: Birdie is a beautiful, smart girl with a big family; Bash is very poor, doesn’t like school and only has his mom – who, unfortunately, is dying of cancer. Against all odds, they end up working at the same place, and that’s when their story unfolds.

This book is not like your average contemporary story. Although there are some typical elements of contemporary romance in it, the story is much deeper than that. If you’re not usually a fan of contemporary because it’s always the same and too lovey-dovey, you might want to try this one out since it’s very different from the ones I’ve read so far!

“If you’re looking for sympathy, you’ll find it in the dictionary between shit and syphilis.”

I really liked the characters, I thought they were well thought-out, and I found their actions and thoughts to be realistic, even though the whole story is, like, extremely tragic and dramatic. Also, everyone is funny and witty as hell in this book! There is also a very nice family element, their dynamic was on point!

“So…,” I say. “Your name is?”
“Most people just refer to me as ‘that asshole.’”

Ganger’s writing is very easy to read, and it flows very nicely so I flew through this book – especially from the moment I realized there was going to be a slow-burning romance… sign me the fuck up!! I stayed up until I finished it, because I couldn’t stop reading, I just had to know how everything was going to play out.

“This is why I like science. Because factual answers are inevitable. But with love, feelings, sometimes they aren’t.”

As for the plot, I absolutely loved how the author connected all the characters and little details, I found it to be very intelligent. Also, although I now realize that there were subtle hints that should indicate that something would happen, I didn’t see most of it coming, so I was very impressed with that.

“Idiota!” I shout (Ma would be proud I still use my Portuguese).

Another element I loved was the fact that Bash and his Ma were Brazilian, and from time to time there would be Portuguese words or expressions in the text. Obviously, seeing my native language in a foreign book is very cool!

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My rating

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to pretty much anyone who’s remotely interested in a meaningful story with a bit of romance in it!

Writing
Characters
Plot
Pacing
Overall	4.5 stars

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Thank you so much for reading,
I’ll see you on my next post ♡

Review: Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

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Here is the review I posted on my channel, in Portuguese:

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Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

Goodreads rating: 3.55

Pages: 336

Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Thriller

Date published: May 2nd, 2017 (USA)

Goodreads // Buy this book: Paperback & Hardback

Synopsis

A single mother turns up dead at the bottom of the river that runs through town. Earlier in the summer, a vulnerable teenage girl met the same fate. They are not the first women lost to these dark waters, but their deaths disturb the river and its history, dredging up secrets long submerged.

Left behind is a lonely fifteen-year-old girl. Parentless and friendless, she now finds herself in the care of her mother’s sister, a fearful stranger who has been dragged back to the place she deliberately ran from—a place to which she vowed she’d never return.

My review

Trigger warnings: bullying; suicide; domestic abuse; depression; misogyny; rape; pedophilia (consensual, but pedophilia nonetheless)

This is the first thriller I’ve ever read, and let me tell you, I really want to read more now!

Into the Water follows a generous amount of characters – there are, I believe, over 10 points of view – after Nel’s death. She drowned in the river that runs through the little town, just like many other women before her.
The most recent death, just a couple months before Nel died, was Katie’s, who was her daughter’s best friend. Nel has been obsessed with the deaths in the river for most of her life and was in the midst of writing a book about the subject before she turned up dead herself.

When Jules, Nel’s sister, hears the news that her sister drowned, she knows she has to return to Beckford – a place she tried her best to forget – to take care of her niece, Lena.
When she gets there, everyone is saying that Nel jumped to her death, even her daughter, but she is sure her sister would never commit suicide.
Throughout this book, Jules, as well as other characters, try to find out what exactly led to Katie’s and Nel’s deaths, and a lot of secrets are revealed…

“Beckford is not a suicide spot. Beckford is a place to get rid of troublesome women.”

This story is so incredibly intriguing that I spent one and a half days reading it anytime I could. I felt the need to keep reading, to find out what happened to Katie and Nel. At first, the story is confusing, because it starts with Jules on her way to Beckford and you have no idea what is going on. Another thing that confused me a bit were the different points of view because I basically didn’t know who any of the people were – but you definitely understand everything the more you get into the book!

I believe this book would be AMAZING as a movie, or even as a mini series, since there is a ton of stuff going on.

“I don’t understand you. I don’t understand people like you, who always choose to blame the woman. If there’s two people doing something wrong and one of them’s a girl, it’s got to be her fault, right?”

I thought the author did a great job addressing some real-life issues, such as rape and depression because she shows how it is viewed and handled in society, vs. how it should be, which I very much enjoyed.

“It’s, like, when someone has an affair, why does the wife always hate the other woman? Why doesn’t she hate her husband? He’s the one who’s betrayed her, he’s the one who swore to love her and keep her and whatever forever and ever. Why isn’t he the one who gets shoved off a fucking cliff?”

Can I get an Amen for these quotes? Perfect examples of how Paula Hawkins is spitting out all kinds of truth in this book!

As far as characters go, I thought they were well built and thought-out, and I feel like the author took a reeaaaally long time creating all of them. Usually, in books, your main character(s) is/are the only ones you REALLY get to know, and everyone else is just like the tip of an iceberg. Since Into the Water doesn’t have one or two main characters – it’s more like 12 -, everyone has to be fully created and developed, if that makes sense. You do see more of some characters than others, though, because they sort of are the key to solving the mystery.
Another thing I really liked about the characters was that we see how everyone has faults and makes mistakes – some more serious than others -, all of them are human, therefore it is inevitable that they make mistakes. Realistic characters are something I really like in books!

Judging the writing is a bit tricky when you’re reading a translation, but I did really enjoy the writing, it flowed really nicely, which helped me fly through the book even faster! I really enjoyed the feeling of the book, it was very eerie and creepy, which definitely fits the story like a glove. Kudos to Hawkins for making me shiver and shudder with the atmosphere she created!

The pacing, which, in my opinion, should be one of the most important elements of a thriller, was on point. Nothing happened too slow or too fast – except for the ending -, which I really appreciated.

Okay, so what was my issue with the ending? Basically, it’s too sudden. Towards the end, you are convinced that you finally know what happened. Then, you get all of these tiny chapters of everyone’s point of view that show where they are after a few months, so you think “alright, we have some closure, great!”. And then, there’s a huge reveal that I never really saw coming – although something felt iffy about the previous reveal -, literally on the last line of the book… WHAT?!?!?!?

My rating

In conclusion, I really loved this book, it was a great first experience with thrillers. I definitely wish the ending wasn’t exactly the one we got, but I still really loved it, and I want to read Paula Hawkins’s other book, The Girl On The Train – which people say is way better than Into the Water, so I’m excited about it!!

Writing
Characters
Plot
Pacing
Overall	4.0 stars

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Do you usually read thrillers? What was the first one you read? Let me know in the comments down below ♡

I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on Into the Water and if you’d like, check out my other book reviews!

Thank you so much for reading,
I’ll see you on my next post ♡