Pretending To Be Erica is one of the most interesting books I’ve read this summer. Even though Violet was really doing something pretty terrible to this grieving family, I felt deeply sorry for her. She was clearly wanting to be a part of something, of a family that loved her, and her childhood […]
Publisher: Penguin
Average Rating: 4
Saint Anything By Sarah Dessen
Saint Anything had a lot of interesting aspects, one of which was that Sydney’s family is well off. They are privileged and while that privilege may have protected Sydney’s brother for a time, it eventually stopped. The book explores the difference between the person we show to the world and the person we feel like […]
An Ember In The Ashes By Sabaa Tahir
One word dominates my thoughts about this book: brutal. The world of the Martial Empire is one ruled by violence and terror. That is immediately apparent, as Laia watches the last of her family taken away, and she decides that help from rebels is her only hope. The jacket copy said this this was a […]
Tracked By Jenny Martin
I suppose you could say that Phee is a bit of an adrenaline junkie. Although she races for a good cause, it is clear from the start that driving is the one place where she feels like she has some control over a life that has seen a lot of tragedy. Her forced entry […]
The Alex Crow By Andrew Smith
Every time I review an Andrew Smith book, I always say the same thing: you never know what you’re going to get. The Alex Crow was no exception. We meet a teenage war refugee who is now living in the US with a family that isn’t quite all there and with a […]
Mosquitoland By David Arnold
Many of my blogging colleagues tend to avoid books that are seen as “hyped”. Indeed, there has been a lot of talk about Mosquitoland, and having been burned by more than one hyped book, I can understand their reluctance. I am here to tell you that Mosquitoland was pretty much everything that I […]
The Ruby Circle By Richelle Mead
**This review is spoiler free if you’ve read the series.** I never expected to love this series the way I do, but The Ruby Circle is the end of a journey that I have really enjoyed traveling with these characters. It has been very fun to see both Sydney and Adrian develop as people […]
Ex Libris Audio: I’ll Give You The Sun
I’m not sure what I can say about I’ll Give You The Sun that hasn’t already been said. It is an amazing, emotional, thought-provoking, heart-breaking, joyful story that is expertly structured and delivered. I was skeptical about the dual voices since we only hear Jude as a 16 year old and we only hear […]
The Conspiracy of Us By Maggie Hall
There wasn’t a lot of world building, at first, and this story will require a pretty hefty suspension of belief, but if you can get past that I think that many people will greatly enjoy The Conspiracy Of Us. There is something so entertaining about the long lost heiress/chosen one trope, and this book […]
I Was Here By Gayle Forman
When I peeked at other people’s reactions to I Was Here I kept seeing remarks abut how dark it was. The story, which centers on Cody’s emotional journey after her friend’s suicide, is quite dark. Meg was the friend that got out. While Cody stayed in the small Washington town after high school, Meg […]