Reviews

It ends with us - Colleen Hoover

Genre: Romance

Age: 14-15+ (mentions of abuse and traumatic situations)

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

To be honest, I was holding off of reading this book because I wanted to finish every other one I had. You know, saving the best till last? Well, I certainly wasn't disappointed. "It ends with us" is very heartbreaking and shows us the reality of abuse. It's so raw and it really gives us the choice between two evils - leaving the one you love or staying with someone who hurts you. Most people look down on sufferers of abuse who don't leave the abusers, yet we really don't see it coming in this book and I myself could see the difficulty of choosing to leave the situation. It's so hard and this book gives us the viewpoint to change our mindset and not to look down on the victims, yet the abusers. Your mind will no longer jump to "She should have left him" and instead "He never should have hit her."

The inheritance games - Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Genre: Mystery

Age: 12+

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

The only thing I can say after reading this book is that my brain hurts. I'm not usually the biggest fan of mysteries, but right after reading a few chapters of this book I couldn't resist. Everything was so well tied together and the riddles took such a turn, which kept me very busy. It was action packed, describing the story of Avery, who has been picked up from basically the streets and is taken to Hawthorne House, where she has been mentioned in the will of an old billionaire she's never met. To inherit the large fortune, she is required to stay in Hawthorne House for a year, along with all its current occupants, including the four Hawthorne grandsons, who are mysterious and magnetic. Setting on a quest, along with the boys, to figure out why she was the lucky girl chosen to inherit the fortune, we see intelligence, ruthlessness and a little bit of romance in the mix. It was an amazing book, and I'll definitely be reading the second book of the trilogy soon.

All your perfects - Colleen Hoover

Genre: Romance

Age: 15+ (mature mentions and topics e.g. infertility)

Rating: ☆☆☆☆

After reading November 9, I was looking at more books and found this one, also by Colleen Hoover. I decided to read it, and it did not disappoint. Although I feel like it's intended audience was a bit older since the problems in the book are more adult problems, I can appreciate it as it is and I have to say it was beautifully written. There are so many quotes that you can take from it and overall if was lovely. The core of the book is about Graham and Quinn, who unexpectedly meet and manage to fall on the same path. 20 years later, they fight for their seemingly perfect marriage, which has turned into a deep, problematic mess. It's a very emotional book that is a great read for anyone looking for sad, romantic story, but I do recommend it for more mature readers.

November 9 - Colleen Hoover

Genre: Romance (with a twist!)

Age: 14-15+ (some mature themes)

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

This book is one of the more mature books I've read, but it was really great. Colleen Hoover has been getting a lot of credit lately, which she definitely deserves. 'November 9' follows Ben, an aspiring writer, and Fallon, a new actress. Ben has a total soft spot for Fallon, and the two of them meet and immediately click. Deciding not to begin a relationship until they're more mature, the two of them decide to meet once a year on November 9, which is not only the day they met, but an important day from their past as well. They were both so sweet and perfect for each other, and following their relationship from 18 to 23 was so beautiful. They both matured so much and there were so many plot twists. I really enjoyed it, and definitely recommend it.

Monday's not coming - Tiffany L Jackson

Genre/main topics: Realistic fiction, child endangerment.

Age: 14+ (Disturbing concepts, could be a trigger for some.)

Rating: ☆☆☆

Wow. That's all I can say about this book. It sent me into a spiral of confusion, astonishment, and a billion other emotions all mixed into one. The story is about Claudia, a young girl getting ready to start a new year at school, when she realises her best friend Monday has gone missing. Without any other friends and relying heavily on Monday, Claudia embarks on a search for her, with no luck. Why is Monday's family being so secretive? Why is Monday not returning her calls? Why does no one care she's gone missing? With plot twists and extreme concepts, this book with leave you questioning everything. Certainly recommend, but get ready for some serious mind-meddling. I'm not sure what it was exactly that made me rate it three stars, but I felt like it was missing something in a way.

The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas

Genre/main topics: Realistic fiction, social justice, racism

Age: 14+ (Swearing & violence)

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

A book with a strong message, "The Hate U Give" has to be the most thought-provoking book I've ever read. Starr, a black girl growing up in New York, struggles while going to a private school where no one looks like her. Becoming two different people at school and at home, Starr begins to reconsider her choices and shows us how to grow and flourish in a black neighbourhood. A truly amazing book, "The Hate U Give" gets an important message across while also telling an amazing story. I definitely recommend this book, not just to enjoy, but to become educated on the topic of racism. It's so powerful, which gave it an immediate 5 stars.

Five feet apart - by Rachel Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis

Genre: Realistic fiction, romance

Age: 13+ (Quite a bit of swearing and some mature / emotional mentions.)

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

This book has to be one of the most emotional ones I’ve ever read. We follow Stella and Will, two teenagers with cystic fibrosis, a disease that effects your lungs. At first, the pair can’t stand each other. But as we go deeper into the book, and unlikely friendship occurs. The only problem – they have to stay six feet apart at all times, otherwise the bacteria from each other’s lungs will infect them both, and they’ll possibly die. But deciding to fight against this unfair disease, they steal back one foot, so that they’ll always be five feet apart. The entire time I felt like i could feel the characters feelings. This story is heart-breaking, and it honestly showed me all the things we take for granted. Healthy lungs, for example. I would definitely recommend this book.

The Selection (second part) - by Kiera Cass

Genre: Romance, royalty

Age: 11-12+ (There is a little bit of action happening, which may be uncomfortable for some readers, but depending on reader).

Rating: ☆☆☆.5

"The Heir" and "The Crown" are both sequels to the main Selection series, consisting of "The Selection", "The Elite" and "The One". If you haven't already, check out my previous review on those books. The two books that come after are written from the point of view of Princess Eadlyn, who is (spoiler alert!) the daughter of Maxon after he becomes King. She is about to begin her own selection, which she never planned on having. Feeling nervous about 35 boys living in her home, strong, independent Eadlyn decides to give the suitors a run for their money. She's not looking for a Prince, completely convinced that she can run the country alone. Throughout the book we see Eadlyn trying to prove to herself and others that she is strong, all while struggling with the life of a Princess. We get to experience what the other side of the selection feels like, and how much pressure it really is. I really enjoyed both books, introducing new characters while still getting to see some of the previous ones all grown up. I would recommend reading the "Happily Ever After" book, which includes a novella series complementing the main one. It's definitely not a must, but it was still enjoyable for me to see everything play out.

The Selection (main series) - by Kiera Cass

Genre: Romance, royalty

Age: 13+ (A couple of swear words and a few mature mentions, but always depending on the reader and preferences).

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

The Selection is a captivating series, set in Illea, a nation formed after the United States lost the war. It's a country that is built by rules, such as curfew and castes. For America Singer, a 5, entering the Selection, a competition to see who will be the Prince's wife, is the last thing she wants to do, because it means becoming a princess and turning her back on her secret love, Aspen. For Prince Maxon, the Selection is an awkward idea, but has happened generations before him, which is how his mother, Queen Amberly, found his father. This book includes romance, unexpected relationships, action and ideas on justice, all while being tied together in a beautiful palace setting with royalty, guards and maids. I definitely recommend this series, as I wasn't able to put it down. It's "The Giver" meets "The Rosewood Chronicles", and I would certainly read these books again. There are also follow up stories, including "Happily Ever After", a book that includes a novella series which are a companion to the main series, and two books that come after "The One", which are "The Heir" and "The Crown", told from Princess Eadlyn's point of view.

The Moonlight Dreamers - by Siobhan Curham

Genre: Realistic fiction, friendship, coming of age

Age: 13+ (Swearing and mature mentions)

Rating: ☆☆☆.5

The Moonlight Dreamers is a book about finding your place in the world, chasing your dreams and making friends. For 16 year-old Amber, making friends is a lot harder than it is for most people, so she decides to set out on a search in hope of finding some "kindred spirits" on the way. She then meets Sky, Maali and Rose, who are all on agreement on having enough of being told how to look and how to act. While each girl has special dreams of her own, this book talks about not giving up. It's pretty good, although it has a few mature scenes and it probably won't suit every reader.

The Other Side Of Perfect - by Mariko Turk

Genre: Realistic fiction, romance

Age: 13-19 (Has quite a bit of swearing and mature mentions.)

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

The other side of perfect is a beautiful, deep book about recovering after a traumatizing incident. For Alina Keeler, ballet is her entire life. But when she shatters her leg, her dream is shattered with it. Having to navigate going to school full time while dealing with the feeling of loss, Alina must learn how to get past the sadness she feels whenever she thinks of ballet. This book made me think a lot of everyone around you moving forward, while you are frozen. Mix in a little romance, this book conveys some very interesting thoughts. While there is quite a bit of swearing, and a few mature things, I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down.

Paper Cranes Don't Fly - by Peter Vu

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age: 12-18 (Caution! Has a couple of swear words and a couple of mentions of mature things.)

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Another one that doesn't have the happiest ending, "Paper cranes don't fly" is a heartfelt book about teenager Adam, almost 18 years old and suffering from serious illnesses. It's a story about Adam finding himself, as he thinks he's not the most lovable person, yet is greatly loved by close family and friends. A very big topic in the book is love, but not romantic love. More friendship love, about the love that Adam and his best friends Tess and AJ share. It's really beautiful, very deep and has a lot of contemplation about life. While it does have a couple of mentions of more mature things, I really do love this book. We see Adam journeying through his life, with many flashbacks throughout the book and his most recent hospital visit, which includes making a new friend.

Snow - by Ondine Sherman

Genre: Realistic fiction

Age: 12-18

Rating: ☆☆☆

"Snow" is a story about Sky, a girl who is obsessed with animals and is growing up with her aunty and uncle after her mum died. Wondering who her real family now is, Sky sets off across the world to meet her father who she has never met. With ups and downs of feeling out of place, meeting a boy who could put a wedge in several relationships, and a big secret that her dad is hiding, Sky's trip is action packed. Although "Snow" is the second part of a trilogy, you can still read it without reading the previous book, as basically everything will be explained. To be honest, I read it thinking it was the first one, and only noticed it was the second book once I searched it up online. While it is a bit dramatic, overall it's a pretty good book. I would recommend it.

As Happy As Here - by Jane Godwin

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age: Depends on reader, 10-16 years old

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

"As happy as here" is about three teenage girls who live different lives, but all end up sharing a hospital room together. I really enjoyed it, especially because I love realistic fiction. Jane Godwin is a true artist. The book was so well-written, and I can definitely say it's my favourite. I absolutely loved how heartfelt it was, while giving the hospital atmosphere which I really enjoyed. It was also about friendships and trust, and we get to follow Evie, who has gotten into an accident and has done serious damage to her leg. Lucy has Leukaemia and Pneumonia, and Jemma, who's appendix has burst, has a lot of secrets. We see all three girls progress through their hospital journey. The girls also uncover a mystery while in the hospital, and try to solve it together. At first they aren't sure if they can trust each other, but then grow to find they can't trust anyone but each other. It's a sweet, interesting book, and while it doesn't have the happiest ending (spoiler alert!), I really loved it.

Holly's Heart - by Beverly Lewis

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age: 10-15

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Holly's Heart is a sweet, relaxed series about teenager Holly, who lives in small ski-town Dressel Hills and was given the nickname "Holly-Heart" because she was born on Valentines day. The Holly's Heart trilogy follows Holly from the beginning of seventh grade, navigating friendships and her teenage years. While dealing with boy drama, best friend dilemmas and divorced parents, she knows she can do it all with God by her side. This series is definitely one of my favourites, each book composing of 5 or 6 stories. I love that we can see Holly develop as a young woman throughout the books, as she grows and becomes more mature.