I finished this book in one sitting. Quite literally. I started it in bed, and finished it in bed a few hours later. Admittedly, considering the fact that I've been home sick all week, this task wasn't hard as people have kept me herded in my room out of fear of catching whatever "disease" I have (tomorrow, I expect my brother to nail my door shut). Anyway, back to the point. I finished this book in one sitting, and it took me completely by surprise.

I received this book in the May OwlCrate a few weeks ago, read the synopsis, and brushed it aside to read later. I had expected this book to be just another average girl meets boy love story. But, to me at least, it was so much more. For the most part, I think the reason this book resonated with me so much is because of the sheer amount of aspects of this book that I related to. But, we'll get to that later.

We follow the main character, Eliza, throughout her struggle to balance her online life (as a prolific and successful comic book writer) and her off-screen life, as a socially awkward girl struggling through high school. The way that Eliza interacted with her surroundings, her emotions, and her actions made her seem so real. Zappia managed to craft a character that did not seem dramatized for the benefit of the story, but so real that I felt I could actually reach out and hug her. With the way that Zappia wrote Eliza, I understood everything she was going through with perfect clarity; sometimes, I even felt like I was going through it myself. Throughout the novel, Eliza went through immense growth as she endured both the highs of life, and the very lowest lows. I watched as Eliza crumbled, and watched the pieces come together. Nothing was rushed. Like I said, Eliza was real. And that was one of the reasons this book was so special.

Enter Wallace. He’s painfully shy (to the point where he can’t speak out loud when surrounded by more than a few people), built like a football player, and extremely mysterious. And, to make matters even more interesting, he is the most popular fanfiction writer for Eliza’s online comic. Throughout the book, we watch as Wallace and Eliza (two highly introverted beings) fall for one another, learn to trust, and reveal their true colors. Their relationship grows realistically, which means that along with perfections, flaws exist as well. Wallace added so much to this novel as you watch a boy learn to create happiness after experiencing the worst horrors in life. Wallace not only inspired me to be the best person I could be, but to seek out what I love and make sure I dedicate a significant amount of my time to that passion.

Now, to get to the aspects that I related to. Wallace and Eliza are both so passionate about writing and art (respectively), which inspired me throughout to get back to my true passions: reading and writing. Recently, I’ve fallen into a reading slump, and this book resurrected me. Reading about Eliza’s inspirations in every-day life and all-consuming desire to lose herself in her story reminded me how much I love writing. And, after finishing this book, I immediately started brainstorming a new story I want to work on. In addition, Eliza’s life is based almost solely online (especially before Wallace came in the picture). Although I am not quite as absorbed by the internet as she was, a large part of my life exists online as well. For example, my book blog, my book instagram, the YouTubers I watch religiously, my favorite Netflix shows, etc. Throughout my time as a member of the book community, I have established amazing connections throughout the world and established important friendships with people I never would have met if the internet did not exist. I have friends that live across the United States, from California to Illinois to Texas and so on. And, even some across international borders in Canada, the Philippines, etc. In this aspect, I related with Eliza and her internet friends and the special bond they’ve augmented that Eliza’s parents had a tough time understanding, as my parents struggle to understand as well. In addition, Eliza dealt with anxiety and panic attacks throughout the book. To watch Eliza struggle to understand the condition she deals with and come to terms with it was truly amazing, and it added to building Eliza into more of a human (rather than a fictional character). This aspect of Eliza’s character especially resonated with me as I deal with the same condition she does. Granted, I don’t have the same kind of anxiety as her, but it still felt nice to be reassured that I am not the only one.

Overall, the character development was stellar in this book in addition to the relationship development. The underlying themes of coming to terms with the presence of technology in modern day society, learning to trust, to love yourself, and to discover your true passions made this book go above and beyond your typical teen love story. I found myself anticipating certain events throughout the book (no spoilers) that kept me devouring the book without stopping. Although the writing was pretty average, some of the quotes were truly beautiful (will include below). Due to the fact that I related to so many aspects of this book it truly did resonate with me. I won’t forget this book.

I ended up giving this book a 4.5/ 5 stars due to the excellent character development and the relatability of this novel. I took off a fraction of a star because of the average writing and the slow beginning. I do recommend this book to all YA and contemporary lovers.

Quote I love: 
"For every sea filled with monsters, there is a sky full of stars." 

A friend of mine has been recommending this to me for a while now which ultimately made it end up on my 2016 Christmas wishlist. For several months it sat upon my shelves with it's beautiful cover staring me down. The other day, I decided to look up the plot and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the storyline of this novel was completely different than what I thought it was. Once I found out I had another historical fiction by Ruta in my possession, I almost immediately picked it up to read. 

The main premise of this book is the tragic bombing of the Wilhelm Gustloff ship which occurred in the Baltic Sea on January 30, 1945. Following three strikes by Russian torpedos, the large ship sank into the freezing waters of the Baltic Sea, bringing down over 10,000 passengers (who were fleeing from the looming Red Army) down with it. This event truly did occur, however many people are unaware of it. That is what I find so amazing about Ruta. She writes about largely forgotten events in history to educate the masses about thousands of lives lost that shouldn't be forgotten. She gives the 9,400 people who drowned in the Baltic Sea a voice after theirs has long since disappeared. 

Not only is the premise of the book amazing, but the characters are as well. Salt to the Sea follows four different perspectives, two boys and two girls, each in the teenage to young adult years of their lives. However, since this book takes place in World War II Europe, their circumstances are far from normal. Each character is extremely complex and original. I could immediately tell you which perspective I was reading from even without reading the name at the top of the page due to their distinct ways of thinking and personalities. And, when all their stories started to weave together, I was captivated in seeing how they would interact, and what they thought of one another. In addition, I don't think that any of the perspectives were lacking. Each character was necessary in fully instilling the impact of this novel into the reader as we became attached to certain characters and appalled by others. The fact that I was constantly trying to crack each of the characters' secrets they attempted to cover kept me on the edge of my seat as I waited (rather impatiently) for everything to unfold. 

Ruta uses very short chapters in this novel which kept it very fast paced. I managed to finish this book in a day, that's how quickly it flew by. Ruta's superb writing style and use of mystery kept me intrigued throughout the whole thing. Plus, the setting of World War II Europe kept things dangerous and action-packed. I am not going to lie, this book did make me tear up as Ruta highlights the mass amounts of death and tragedy that occurred during the war. Even civilians were treated with unimaginable brutality by soldiers of both the Russian and the German front of the war. It made me realize how lucky I am to be so safe in my suburban town in the United States. I am sheltered and protected from wars that are occurring in other countries, that other children and teenagers don't have the same blessing to be safe from. My heart goes out to them. 

I learned a lot from this novel. I, like many others, had never heard of the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff carrying so many civilians and children of the war. Now, I feel the need to ask and tell everyone about it. These innocent people who died on the boat deserve to be remembered just as we remember those who died upon the Titanic and the Lusitania. 

Overall, I gave this book a 4.75/5 Stars. It is extremely interesting, fast-paced, and heartbreaking. I recommend this to everyone (especially historical fiction lovers). 

Words cannot express how truly important this book is in modern society. Especially now. With the controversial election of Donald Trump as the new United States President, racial issues are running high and riots are springing out across the nation as people turn against one another. Not to mention the high rates of police brutality clearly evident within the past year. The Baltimore riots in 2015 highlight these issues evident in society. And it was time that someone broke away from the classic mold of books and tackled these issues as Angie Thomas so masterfully did. 

The Hate U Give follows a teenage girl, Starr, who is the only witness of the murder of her childhood best friend by the hands of a white police officer. We then follow Starr through her struggle to grieve the untimely death of her good friend while she becomes a braver person and stands up for what is right. 

This book was simply astounding. I am currently writing this review at 2:08 a.m. after just completing the book. And I will say, the ending had my eyes watering. 

Thomas managed to portray significant character development throughout the novel as readers witness Starr's transformation from a girl scared to speak out about her friend's death into a full-blown activist. Not only that, but Thomas doesn't shy away from Starr's imperfections. We see Starr struggle to not see along the lines of color as her boyfriend and some of her good friends are white. In addition, we see Starr come to terms with her own false assumptions that she held against Khalil as well. Watching Starr discover who she is and what she believes slowly and realistically was not only amazing but extremely powerful as well. In addition, Thomas made sure to point out that prejudice and racism can appear in many different forms, some more subtle than others (ehm, Hailey, ehm) but that no form should be tolerated. Although I have never experienced the same kind of prejudice that minorities deal with on a daily basis, I felt what Starr was feeling throughout this whole book. And that is what makes this book so important. People who don't understand need to look through the eyes of Starr in order to see what is really going on in society today. 

Although this book was very long, 444 pages, every single moment was essential. I was never bored, never looking to see when the end of the chapter was coming, which goes to show the masterful writing skill that Thomas possesses. Thomas takes us through every aspect of Starr's life, giving a fair amount of time to her family life, her school life, her love life, her relationships with her friends, and what is going on in Starr's mind. And for once, I'm not left feeling that there should've been something a little more. Everything was well-rounded, which helped me engross myself into Starr's life all the better. 

Although I am well aware of what is going on in the world, all the injustice that occurs on a daily basis and the prejudice which fills the minds of so many, this book helped me gain a deeper understanding. And for that, I want to thank Thomas from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for telling this story, because I really really believe that it could make a difference. It's going to change the way people see things, the way people think. And honestly, with the way society is currently deteriorating, we need a change. 

This book isn't only about the prejudice and discrimination clearly evident in our society. It's about a strong family dynamic, and struggling to choose what's right over what's less brave or more convenient. It's about finding who your true friends are and being able to say goodbye to those who aren't always there to support you. It's about rising above and doing what's right. And all of these themes is what makes this book so special. Somehow, Thomas managed to teach me so many lessons within a span of 444 pages. 

Read this book. Then recommend it to your friends, your family, shout it from the rooftops. Because this book needs to be read. People need to hear Starr's voice. 

"And to every kid in Georgetown and in all 'the Gardens' of the world: your voices matter, your dreams matter, your lives matter. Be roses that grow in the concrete." - Angie Thomas 

A 5/5 star book for sure. I recommend this to anyone and everyone. 

Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven follows two teenagers, each possessing characteristics that make them unique from the rest of the student body. Libby Strout was once deemed the "largest teen in America," reaching over 600 pounds at her heaviest. While Jack Masselin possesses a rare cognitive disorder leaving him unable to recognize faces. Naturally, this book follows both of their struggles to discover their identities and try to break free from the evils within society that continue to hold them back. 

Libby was my favorite character by far as although she has been through so many horrible experiences including her mother's death and being trapped inside of her house for years, she only let these experiences make her stronger. Libby was extremely surprising to me. I find that in these types of books, the main female protagonist is more timid than not, however Libby was quite the opposite. She was brave, bold, and unafraid to show her true colors (which, turns out to be royal purple). Honestly, I found her reactions to harassment inspiring. She made me realize that people don't have to be held back by their own insecurities. And that maybe, I can apply that to myself as well. 

Jack, on the other hand, was less impressive to me (at least, compared to the bold and original Libby). Throughout the whole book, he struggled immensely to discover who he was and to break free from the norms he had established throughout his life as a defense mechanism from judgment due to his disorder. He was like Katy Perry's song Hot and Cold, you could never tell what Jack you were going to experience with every chapter, the sweet and romantic Jack or the cold and moody Jack? Although, I will say that I did sympathize with him immensely. And, his relationship with his little brother was absolutely heartwarming. 

Although this book was good, I found that something was lacking. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I needed something a little more. The writing was alright but I felt that Niven might have been trying a little too hard with the metaphors. In addition, the relationship seemed to happen to seamlessly as they all of a sudden started hanging out and disclosing deeply personal information to each other. I guess I didn't really see the fireworks and rainbows that their relationship supposedly had. 

Overall, I gave the book a 3.75/5 stars. 

This is a book that I had seen everywhere on Goodreads and BookTube with spectacular reviews. So, after receiving it for Christmas, my friend and I chose it for our January book of the month. After picking this book up yesterday afternoon, I finished it at 2:48 a.m. this morning giving it a 4.5/5 stars. If that doesn't show you how good this book is, I don't know what does. 

Keeping this review relatively spoiler-free is going to be a challenge, but I will try my best. 

I thought that Sam was a really brilliant character. You could clearly see her fight with mental illness throughout the book, and her struggle to become the person she hopes to be. Slowly, she evolved into that person, which was beautiful to see. And, as someone who had been swimming for the summer swim team ten years straight, I really enjoyed reading about her love for the water. It made me very very nostalgic,  I might have to start swimming again. 

The poetry element in this book is awesome. As a amateur poet myself I could completely relate to her drive to scribble in her notebooks all night long, not realizing when the sun began to rise. Hearing all the different styles of poetry from each of the poets was so fun to read, yet heartbreaking at times. Also, I TOTALLY WANT A POET'S CORNER AT MY SCHOOL!!! Reading about that small nook in the school was so interesting to me, a place of quiet and safety that allows escape from the stress and drama of high school life. 

Each character that Stone crafted was unique and added a new element to the novel. Caroline with her originality and confidence was a brilliant addition in the book who aided Sam's growth past her anxiety and OCD to someone who had control over her life. And AJ who plays the guitar, is poetic and terribly kind, was amazing. I love love love him. And, unlike other books of this genre, Sam and AJ's relationship wasn't love at first sight. Actually, quite the opposite. Throughout the book, I was able to see their foundation forming and their relationship growing slowly but surely into something truly beautiful. 

Tamara Ireland Stone's novel was full of strong themes of mental illness, learning to trust, and  discovering identity. With strong character/relationship development and brilliant diction, I would definitely recommend this book. Just be warned that I did cry. Twice.

This book had been sitting on my TBR shelves for so long and after recently reading some really good reviews for A.S. King's books, I decided to pluck this one from my shelf on Monday. Overall, I'm glad I read this book. It allowed me to see in a perspective I had never taken a moment to consider before, what life is like for a child featured in a reality TV show. By going back in time for several chapters to demonstrate what Gerald, the main character, went through while filming really allowed me to understand why he became who he is. And honestly, those chapters of Gerald's past were the most interesting to me. 

King's honesty and portrayal of raw emotion is one of the best aspects of the book. Getting an insight into Gerald's overwhelming anger issues and his slips from reality were both disturbing and eye-opening. This book is a true testament to how your childhood life and family can shape who you become. While Gerald's reflection on his disturbing life did interest me, I felt it became a little repetitive. Although, I suppose it could have been a mirror into his mind and the reoccurring memories that will always haunt him. Gerald's struggle throughout the book was a long and hard fight to try and become who he could've been if he hadn't been held back by his mother and older sister, Tasha. And overall, I am very proud of Gerald for sticking up for himself, even when he had a very small support system. 

Although I did appreciate Hannah, who offered Gerald an outlet for escape, her character felt flat to me. While she was quirky and original, we never truly dug deeper into her life other than a few details sporadically thrown in. I felt that if King had taken a little more time to develop Hannah, the book would have improved vastly.

Gerald's relationship with his Dad felt very important to me, it felt very real is it was flawed yet meaningful. I loved watching their relationship grow stronger throughout the book. And I was happy with where it ended up, not too perfect but substantially better than it was originally. 

Overall, I found The Reality Boy to be raw and interesting. I ended up giving it a 3/5 stars on Goodreads because although it was an interesting read, I felt some things were very repetitive and it didn't completely engross me as other novels have. 

Some of you may remember the last compilation of short stories edited by Stephanie Meyer, "My True Love Gave to Me," which included 12 short stories based around the winter holidays. This book, "Summer Days and Summer Nights" is Stephanie's newly edited compilation of stories by a different set of authors, based in the summer time (surprised?). 

Gracie is stuck in Little Spindle, the small town counterpart of Greater Spindle, spending her summer 

Initially, this story started out a little confusing with some details sloppily included and unclear in their meaning. However, once you got into the story and past the back story, the story began to fold out clearly. Although I thought the story was sweet, I believed it to be moderately underdeveloped and rushed. Characters had minimal development, and the story panned out in jagged stagnated parts that didn't flow smoothly. I understand that the true story took place in each consecutive summer of Gracie's life, however I feel that Bardugo could have tried a little harder to make the tail (hahahaha get the pun?) flow better. Although character development remained a little weak, I did enjoy reading about Gracie's anxiety. Being someone who also deals with anxiety, I really related with the descriptions of Gracie's condition, ("hot knot of tension she always seemed to be carrying beneath her ribs..." (pg. 18)). 

Star rating: 3/5 stars
Overall Ranking: 10th
Strengths: Relationship development, descriptions 
Weaknesses: Poor character development, jagged plot structure 

I quite enjoyed Lacour's addition to this novel, her story was intricately crafted with simplistic yet beautiful descriptions and diction. The way the story took place in the present yet included elements from the past woven in throughout the plot kept the reader guessing and interested. I especially loved the setting Lacour managed to depict while Flora was camping, "We could hurl ourselves into the ocean with just one push of our limbs, but it also feels safer, more peaceful, than any place has felt for a very long time." And, one of the elements I also particularly enjoyed was Flora's battle with her feelings and coping with her parents' divorce (yet another thing I can relate with), "My chest constricts, and my stomach clenches, and I can practically hear Jessica telling me to give these feelings a voice." Although I think this story is pretty well-rounded, I still feel as if it's missing something (or maybe I'm just not used to short stories...?). 

Star rating: 4/5 stars 
Overall Ranking: 3rd
Strengths: Diction, plot development 
​Weaknesses: N/A

Mind you, I'm writing most of these reviews immediately after I finished reading the story, so most of these will be first impressions. My impression for this story was that it was extremely, extremely, strange. For obvious reasons it was strange (the whole strong paranormal element), but it was unusual in its composition as well. At first, I thought I was going to like it. The beginning was funny, well put together, and left the reader genuinely appreciating each of the characters. However, by the end, I was reading with my brow furrowed pondering some of the actions the characters took. (Spoiler ahead) I mean, a whole movie theatre with people (or who had initially been people) burned to the ground with everyone (besides the main characters) inside it, and yet the main characters were taking pictures of the scene and making out in cars? It just doesn't make sense to me. I was fairly disappointed by this one, sorry Libba. 

Star rating: 1.5/5 Stars
Overall Ranking: 12th
Strengths: Creativity, humor 
​Weaknesses: Fluid plot development 

I initially thought that I wouldn't enjoy this one too much because of the peculiarly blunt writing style and having the character being named after single letters(?). And even until the last page I was doubting the chance of a good review for this story. However, the last page was a surprise, and a good one at that. Block wrote an honest story that didn't try to sugarcoat life and love. I also liked how it showed that even a short relationship with someone can truly impact you. And remember, "Words will be the answer. They always were." 

Star rating: 4/5 Stars
Overall Ranking: 6th 
Strengths: Beautiful diction, subtle moral
Weaknesses: Weird character name choice, weak relationship development 

Now this was the short story that I was waiting for, thank you Stephanie Perkins (you never let me down). The setting was beautiful, the characters were well-developed, you actually understood what was going on (always a plus), and nothing seemed unrealistic to me. Not only did the characters and their relationship seem genuine, but they were also funny. The ending left me smiling, which is the typical effect a Stephanie Perkins novel has on me. 

Star rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Overall Ranking: 2nd
Strengths: Character and relationship development
Weaknesses: Can she turn this into a book?

Honestly, this was my first gay relationship story I've ever read and I think it was really, really cute. I loved the contrast between the spunky, outspoken, thespian Kieth and the quiet, introverted, quirky Matt, and seeing how they both respected and appreciated each other. And, even if Kieth couldn't say the word love, it was clear that he did in fact love Matt (even with the expiration date on their relationship). "Souvenirs" was well-rounded with a well-developed plot and interesting characters, even if I did think the break-up seemed a little too easy. 

Star rating: 4/5 Stars
Overall Ranking: 5th
Strengths: Character development 
Weaknesses: Unfinished metaphors and ideas 

Well, this was different. But, I've decided, different in a good way. This story actually effectively made me feel the emotions that the characters were feeling in the tale, and I found myself holding my breath a few times. Even though I thought that the "Last Visitation" futuristic element was a little odd, I thought it was a clever way to convey what Roth needed the reader to understand in only a short amount of pages. I like how real the characters seemed, with Claire's depression and quirky nature and Matt's grief. Although, I do think the ending was a little cliche and predictable. 

Star rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Overall Ranking: 7th
Strengths: Relationship development, creativity 
​Weaknesses: Cliche ending

Yeah, I didn't really like this one. I thought it had a lot of potential with the setting and the spunky characters but the writing style was strange and off-putting. Not to mention the fact that everything fell into place so easily and perfectly with all the to-be couples coming together in a matter of two pages. Also, no one talks in the way a lot of the characters were conversing. So, yeah. Strange. 

Star rating: 1.5/ 5 Stars
Overall Ranking: 11th
Strengths: Interesting Characters
Weaknesses: Weird writing style, unrealistic 

This was a well-rounded story by Colbert. The characters were different and refreshing and the story itself dealt with a variety of issues (grief, abandonment, accepting change, etc). I enjoyed the depth that each of the characters had and the complex relationship each character had with one-another. It's amazing how much complexity Colbert was able to achieve in such a short amount of pages. Would recommend. 

Star rating: 4/5 Stars
Overall Raning: 4th
Strengths: In-depth plot and characters
Weaknesses: N/A

At this point, I'm regretting doing individual reviews for each of these. So, I'm going to shorten them just a tad. So, to the review. Overall this was interesting as it dealt with an "evil" amusement park run by a demon (does Cassandra know how to write a story that doesn't involve demons?). The creepy amusement park allowed for a refreshing setting unique from your typical summer romance at the beach. I liked that sense it involved fantastical elements you couldn't easily predict what was going to happen and I really enjoyed the presence of a villain. Although I thought this was a pretty good story, I thought Cassandra could've let us see Lulu and Lucas' relationship develop a little more than we did. 

Star rating: 3.5/ 5 Stars
Overall Ranking: 9th
Strengths: Creative setting and interesting characters
Weaknesses: Weak relationship development 

This story was my favorite. I'll admit, the characters weren't too developed but the promise of each character's complexity were there with details and nuances spread throughout the story. What really made me love this story was the struggle for Griffin to get passed thinking of his Aspergers as something that makes him incapable of being liked in the way that Annie did. Their relationship wasn't perfect but it was still very feel-good and I was left smiling and anticipating the next progression in their relationship throughout the whole story. 

Star rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Overall Ranking: 1st 
Strengths: Highlighting character flaws and relationship development 
​Weaknesses: Character development 

Okay. So this was a solid short stories with an interesting plot and cool characters, but it felt kind of bland for me. I'm not sure what could've been added so that the story was spiced up a little bit, maybe better relationship development between Margaret and Mark. The search for "perfect things" was really cute though and Margaret's character was developed really well with the mystery surrounding her and her working past her mother's cancer. The best part of the story was the ending which was both powerful and heart-warming. 

Star rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Overall Ranking: 8th 
Strengths: Character development
Weaknesses: Plot sort of slow

Overall, I liked Stephanie's other compilation of short stories, "My True Love Gave to Me," better than this edition. I thought the other compilation had stories that were more creative and entrancing. Because of some of the stories in this novel that were subpar (putting it lightly) I gave the novel a 3/5 Stars on Goodreads. 

Last day of Booktube-A-Thon!!!!
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