Review: The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
Published: April 11th, 2017
Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love. No matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. So she’s careful. Fat girls always have to be careful.

Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly's totally not dying of loneliness—except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie's new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. If Molly can win him over, she'll get her first kiss and she'll get her twin back.

There's only one problem: Molly's coworker, Reid. He's a chubby Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire, and there's absolutely no way Molly could fall for him.

Right?

Milka's Thoughts:

I loved Becky Albertalli's debut Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, so it came as a no surprise to me that I loved her follow-up The Upside of Unrequited too, but I must admit I would never have dared to believe I would love this novel THIS much.

After the brilliance of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, Becky Albertalli had big shoes to fill with her second novel. Simon has become quite of a phenomenon with awards and movie in the making, so obviously there are a lot of expectations towards Albertalli's second novel. The Upside of Unrequited is a very different kind of book, but there are the same warmth and humor present as in Simon. All in all, The Upside of Unrequited managed to usurp my expectations and make me fall in love with Albertalli's writing and characters once again.

Molly has had a crush of a lot of different guys, but she has never acted on those crushes. She feels like she does not fit in and that maybe not everyone is not meant to fall in love. Maybe there are people who will never find a person who happens to be crushing on them too. When Molly's twin Cassie meets Mina and falls head over heels in love with her, Molly is once again made to question the dynamics of relationships. Molly is happy for Cassie, but at the same time, she cannot help to feel like she is missing on something.

This is one of those books I really wish I would have had in my life when I was a teenager. Though Molly and I are very different, we also share a lot of things. I am also a fat girl and I was always the one watching from the sidelines while my friends had relationships. But while I never really wanted a boyfriend, Molly wants one. And that is completely okay! When Cassie and Mina get it to their minds that Molly should hook up with Will, one of Mina's friends, Molly starts to get hopeful. Could the kind of flirty, ridiculously attractive hipster guy see something in her? And more importantly, could she see something in him. While Will seems like a viable option, Molly also starts to get more and more into spending time with Reid, her co-worker, who seems like totally not her type, but who also is someone Molly cannot stop thinking about.

Reid is pretty much perfection and I loved the moments between him and Molly. But while I am a huge fan of romantic storylines, what really made me fall in love with The Upside of Unrequited are the family dynamics the novel portrays. The relationship between Molly and Cassie is loving, but also complicated and not always exactly what they want it to be. I loved the scenes with Molly, Cassie and their mothers Patty and Nadine, and I now feel like Albertalli should totally right a book about how Patty and Nadine fell in love.

I am not Jewish and know very little about the Jewish culture, but I can only imagine how important a book like this is for the young (and older) Jewish girls out there who must see themselves very rarely portrayed in books like this.

Representation of fat bodies is always problematic and way too often hurtful. Luckily, Albertalli approaches the topic with grace and is able to create a character with thoughts that I, a fat girl myself, was able to relate with. The struggle Molly goes through with her body from time to time and the thoughts she has where something teenage-me definitely also had. I was happy to see that at the end of the day, Molly's body really has nothing to do with her capability to find happiness -- she does not have to change her body to be accepted, but rather just has to find a way to see that she is gorgeous and worthy of good things just as she is.

I really loved this book and I cannot wait to see what Albertalli comes up with next!

Five snowflakes

Review: Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett

Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release date: April 4th, 2017

In this delightfully charming teen spin on You’ve Got Mail, the one guy Bailey Rydell can’t stand is actually the boy of her dreams—she just doesn’t know it yet.

Classic movie buff Bailey “Mink” Rydell has spent months crushing on a witty film geek she only knows online by “Alex.” Two coasts separate the teens until Bailey moves in with her dad, who lives in the same California surfing town as her online crush.

Faced with doubts (what if he’s a creep in real life—or worse?), Bailey doesn’t tell Alex she’s moved to his hometown. Or that she’s landed a job at the local tourist-trap museum. Or that she’s being heckled daily by the irritatingly hot museum security guard, Porter Roth—a.k.a. her new arch-nemesis. But life is whole lot messier than the movies, especially when Bailey discovers that tricky fine line between hate, love, and whatever-it-is she’s starting to feel for Porter.

And as the summer months go by, Bailey must choose whether to cling to a dreamy online fantasy in Alex or take a risk on an imperfect reality with Porter. The choice is both simpler and more complicated than she realizes, because Porter Roth is hiding a secret of his own: Porter is Alex…Approximately.

My thoughts:

"Teen spin on You've Got Mail" were the only words I needed to get extremely excited about Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett and the fact that I loved her previous YA novel The Anatomical Shape of a Heart added to my excitement.

Bailey, also known by her nickname Mink, has been chatting online with a fellow film geek called "Alex" for a good few months. Despite the fact that she does not really know that much about "Alex", she feels like he could be someone she could really connect with, not only online but in "real life".

Bailey knows where "Alex" lives, though, and when she moves from the East Coast to California to live with her father, she is not quite sure how to tell "Alex" that she is now a resident of the same town that he comes from. Rather than speaking up and telling the truth, Bailey decides to put all the info that she has about "Alex" together in an attempt to figure out his identity.

The move to California comes with a lot of changes, with one of them being a new summer job at a museum called The Cavern Palace. While the job comes with perks, like making a new friend called Grace, Bailey is struggling to find a way to deal with her annoying co-worker Porter. Sure, Porter is extremely attractive and charming but it also seems like he is determined to make Bailey's life difficult.

Despite her annoyance with Porter, Bailey feels a pull towards him. As the two spend more time together, Bailey realizes that Porter is much more than a handsome, slightly cocky surfer, and as she learns more about him, she starts to ignore "Alex" in order to spend more time with Porter. It also seems like "Alex" is not that interested no longer, which makes Bailey wonder what happened between the two.

If you have seen You've Got Mail, the basics of this story won't be a surprise to you, and basically, the synopsis itself tells you that Porter is actually Alex. Despite the fact that you know this major plot point from the first page onwards, this book is full of wonderful surprises. And reading through how they find out each other's identities is one the best parts of this novel.

Bailey is such a great main character. While reading this novel, I had written down to my notes that she is "realistically and wonderfully flawed." What I mean by this is that she feels extremely real. She is young and inexperienced in many ways, and while she does mistakes, those mistakes teach her something and she grows through them. I loved reading about her reactions to kind of feelings she has not felt before because I felt like the way Bennett writes about first crushes and perhaps even first love felt extremely realistic and touching.

I liked Porter as a character too, though there is a part to him that I wasn't so sure about -- since I don't want to spoil the novel for you, I will let you make your own conclusions about what I  mean (if you read this novel, you probably will figure it out since this side of him is something Bailey worries about too). While at first I was kind of scared that he would be some California surfer cliche, I was pleased to notice that he is much more than he seems.

The chemistry between Bailey and Porter is written very well, and at many points I was able to feel the kind of tension and chemistry between them that is present between the characters in You've Got Mail. If you are a fan of swoon-worthy novels, you definitely need to check this one out!

I am always a big fan of realistic, well-written daughter-father relationships and I loved the way Bennett writes about the interaction between Bailey and her father. The relationship is based on mutual trust, and while they might not see eye to eye on everything, Bennett is able to create a feeling of love between the two.

One thing I must mention before I finish this review is how awesomely sex positive this novel is. I know some readers might not be fans of this aspect of the novel, but I absolutely loved seeing positive, realistic portrayal of female masturbation and the kind of sexual awakening that Bailey goes through. There are no super explicit scenes involving sex, BUT even mentioning something like female masturbation is something you don't see very often in young adult novels.

All in all, Alex, Approximately is a brilliant, entertaining young adult novel that I found extremely hard time to put down once I started it.

5 Snowflakes

Review: The Other Boy by M.G. Hennessey

Other Boy by M.G. Hennessey by M.G. Hennessey
Published: September 20th, 2016
Publisher: HarperCollins

A heartfelt and timely middle grade story about a transgender boy’s journey toward acceptance and empathy. Perfect for fans of George and Gracefully Grayson.

Twelve-year-old Shane Woods is just a regular boy. He loves pitching for his baseball team, working on his graphic novel, and hanging out with his best friend, Josh. But Shane is keeping something private, something that might make a difference to his teammates, to Josh, and to his new crush, Madeline. And when a classmate threatens to reveal his secret, Shane’s whole world comes crashing down. It will take a lot of courage for Shane to ignore the hate and show the world that he’s still the same boy he was before. And in the end, those who stand beside him may surprise everyone, including Shane.

My Thoughts:

Oh man, this book was ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL. Not only did it manage to make me feel a lot of different things, it also taught me something new. I think that kind of reading experiences are always the most rewarding ones.

The Other Boy is a story of 12-year-old Shane. He is in 6th grade, loves baseball and draws a graphic novel about a man called Hogan Fillion (named after his childhood dog Hogan and his favorite actor from Firefly, Nathan Fillion) in his spare time. He has a best friend called Josh and a crush on a girl called Madeleine. His parents are divorced, and he lives with his mother. Shane is happy with himself and his life, but he has a secret that could change everything - he is transgender. 

In addition to his friends Shane is surrounded by his mother and father who have divorced when Shane was younger. Shane's mother is wonderfully encouraging and loving and the way she approaches Shane and his gender is done, in my opinion, very well. Shane's father represent a more questioning side, and though it can be easy to dislike him at moments, the way Shane sees his father helps the reader to understand their relationship a little bit better. In addition to Shane's parents there is Dr. Anne, a physician specialized in transgender children and providing understanding and help when it is really needed. 

Shane is such a lovable, interesting character that I instantly fell in love with. He is funny, loving, incredibly mature and capable of forgiveness. He is creative, loves Firefly and spending time with his best friend, and hopes that one day he does not have to live with secrets. I was so touched by some of the things he says and thinks and the relationship he has with his mother is absolutely fantastic and very well written by Hennessey. I was absolutely heartbroken and angry about the things Shane has to go through as a result of people's close-mindedness, but also relieved that there were people around him that accepted and loved him. 

I want to applaud M.G. Hennessey for writing this story because I think stories like this are extremely important, especially for young readers. The earlier children learn to be accepting and open and to feel empathy for people who might be a little different from them, the better. The Other Boy tackles, for example, the importance of using the preferred pronouns and the hurt that comes from when someone identifies you incorrectly as well as when and how to use terms like "transitioning" and "stealth mode".  It also discusses the importance of accepting communities, like a support group for transgender kids and their parents and tells a heartbreaking story about a boy who feels like he cannot be what he wants to be just because people around him do not accept him. Hennessey also manages to acknowledge that not all transgender kids share similar experiences and is aware of the fact that there is not one correct way to deal with things such as one's identity, sexuality, etc. 

There will be parents who will keep their children away from this book and shun it, but hopefully, the majority will be parents who will share this book with their children and encourage them to make their own conclusions about Shane's story. I'm not a parent and do not have the authority to say how parents should raise their children, but I know that children are capable of making their own decisions. While it is completely fine to pass on opinions/values on children,  think they should be able to have a chance to form their own opinions. While this book shows examples of the cruelty children are capable of via bullying, it also shows that kids can have an incredible tendency for being open-minded and accepting of people just as they are.

Five snowflakes

Review: Girls Like Me by Lola St. Vil

Girls Like Me by Lola St. Vil
Publication Date - October 4th, 2016
Publisher - HMH Books for Young Readers

Fifteen-year-old Shay Summers is trying to cope with the death of her father, being overweight, and threats from a girl bully in school. When she falls in love with Blake, a mysterious boy online, insecure Shay doesn't want to tell him who she is. But with the help of her two best friends, as well as an assist by Kermit and Miss Piggy, ultimately Shay and Blake’s love prevails. Girls Like Me is a fun and fresh poetic take on teen angst, social media and online anonymity, and high school romance.

My Thoughts:

Hmm, I am not quite sure what to think of this book. The synopsis caught my attention mostly due the mention of an overweight character, but also the inclusion of an online aspect (which kind of sounds a lot like Cinderella Story with Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray) sounded interesting to me. While there were things about this book that I liked, in general, it was bit of a disappointment if I am being completely honest.

It has been a year since fifteen-year-old Shay lost her father. Ever since then, she has been living with her stepmother who continually tries to change Shay, mainly focusing on the way she looks through diet. At school, Shay is continually bullied, especially by Kelly, the most popular girl in the bunch. She is called a pig, people "oik" at her when she is around as a result of which she has learned a way to avoid possible embarrassing situations, like P.E. class. With a help of her two best friends, Shay navigates the halls of her high school like she's on a battlefield.

When Shay logs into an online platform recommended by her friend, she starts to chat with a guy with a username inspired by Waiting for Godot. The chats with this Godot guy make her happy and allow her to really be herself without the weight and all, but as Godot starts to suggest that they meet, Shay panics. Can he really like her because she looks a bit different than other girls?

Throughout the book, Shay struggles with her self-image and the way she is. She is at the most tender age when it comes to body image and such, and though I could feel for her struggle, I continually kept hoping that she would gain confidence and embrace who she is. I know it is not so easy (especially as someone who has gone through the struggle of accepting my body), but I feel like as this book processed, the way it probably wanted to express that "you are okay as you are" started to slip a little bit.

What I appreciated about this novel was the author's attempts to use the verse format to express the story. I often feel like this format allows the author less room to really flesh out the characters, and while St. Vil didn't completely succeed in my books, nevertheless, the verse format was probably my favorite thing about this book. As a media student, I also found the utilization of social media into the plot quite interesting, but that, for some reason, fell kind of flat towards the end of the novel.

I think Girls Like Me has a lot of potential, but unfortunately, I was left a bit unimpressed. The high school dynamics felt a bit too generic and the relationship between Shay and this mysterious online guy seems just a bit too underdeveloped. I raise my hat for the attempt to use the verse format though, which in the end, kept me reading until the last page.

2 snowflakes

Review: All We Have Left by Wendy Mills

All We Have Left by Wendy Mills
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Release Date: August 9th, 2016
Purchase: Amazon

A haunting and heart-wrenching story of two girls, two time periods, and the one event that changed their lives—and the world—forever.

Now:
Sixteen-year-old Jesse is used to living with the echoes of the past. Her older brother died in the September 11th attacks, and her dad has filled their home with anger and grief. When Jesse gets caught up with the wrong crowd, one momentary hate-fueled decision turns her life upside down. The only way to make amends is to face the past, starting Jesse on a journey that will reveal the truth about how her brother died.

Then:
In 2001, sixteen-year-old Alia is proud to be Muslim... it's being a teenager that she finds difficult. After being grounded for a stupid mistake, Alia is determined to show her parents that that they must respect her choices. She'll start by confronting her father at his office in downtown Manhattan, putting Alia in danger she never could have imagined. When the planes collide into the Twin Towers Alia is trapped inside one of the buildings. In the final hours she meets a boy who will change everything for her as the flames rage around them . . .

Interweaving stories past and present, full of heartbreak and hope, two girls come of age in an instant, learning that both hate and love have the power to reverberate into the future and beyond.

My thoughts:

Two girls. Two stories. One event that shocked and changed the world.

Alia is trying to visit her father in World Trade Center when she gets stuck in an elevator with a guy called Travis. Was it just a malfunction? Could it have been an explosion? Is someone going to come and help them? What happens next is something no one ever expected to happen.

Jesse lost her brother almost 15 years ago at the September 11th attacks. While her parents are still together, they are both trying hard to keep quiet about Travis and what happened to him. Her mother keeps herself busy with work and other activities, while her father drinks and rages on the television. When Jesse befriends a group of graffiti artists, she ends up tagging an anti-Muslim message and gets caught. Forced to do community service at a Muslim Peace Center she starts to learn more about herself and also becomes curious about her brother, a young man who will forever be 18, a guy she never really knew and a person she has only come to known as the brother who died tragically.

I think the way Mills is able to balance the two stories and the two time periods is excellently done. As the novel processes, the two stories start to intricately weave together and more and more parallels are found between the two. Both Alia and Jesse are extremely interesting characters who both struggle with issues of confidence and finding your place in a world that is constantly changing. Alia's story is mostly tied up to the 11th of September, while Jesse's story spans a longer time and thus allows for more character development.

I was ten years old in September 11th, 2001 and I also have a clear recollection of where I was when I heard about the attacks to the World Trade Center. I lived in Finland at the time, so the events felt quite distant for me, but even then, I feel like I was aware of the fact that what had happened was extremely tragic and that it would change things. Not only in United States, but all over the world. In the novel, Jesse never really knew her brother. She was only a toddler when 9/11 happened, and for a long time she has been trying to figure out how to grief for someone she never really knew. She knows that she is supposed to be sad, and she is, but without knowing anything about her brother it feels to her like her sorrow is very superficial.She knows she makes a mistake when she generalizes that all Muslims are to blame for what happened to her brother, and I think she really learns from that mistake, in many different ways.

Due to its subject matter, this novel is obviously very sad. The events that happen in the tower and as well as the discrimination also Jesse engages in made me both angry and heartbroken. Both 9/11 and the treatment of Muslims in US are very controversial topics to write about, but I think Mills shows sensitivity in her treatment of both. The acknowledgements at the end of the novel thank both 9/11 survivors who have shared their stories, as well as Muslin families who have welcomed Mills to their home for research purposes, so I would like to assume that readers from both of those groups (survivors and Muslims) can read this book without feeling like they are wrongly or unfairly represented. I am really looking forward to reviews from young Muslim reviewers in order to read their thoughts on this one.

Thinking about the current political climate in the United States with the election coming and Donald Trump trailblazing his way forward, the way this novel depicts attitudes towards the Muslim population made me kind of sick at times. I think Mills has done wisely to include that discrimination here to show the reality of the situation, and I think she handles the treatment of it well. But just thinking that there are some so narrow-minded people out there baffles me. I won't go into more political discussion here, but if you are politically inclined, I think you might find this one an interesting read!

I have a feeling All We Have Left will be making waves once it is published. It is beautifully and sensitively written, sad but occasionally uplifting tale about human endurance, bravery, forgiveness and second chances.

Five Snowflakes

Review: The Museum of Heartbreak by Meg Leder

The Museum of Heartbreak by Meg Leder

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: June 6th, 2016

Purchase: Amazon / B&N

In this ode to all the things we gain and lose and gain again, seventeen-year-old Penelope Marx curates her own mini-museum to deal with all the heartbreaks of love, friendship, and growing up.

Welcome to the Museum of Heartbreak.

Well, actually, to Penelope Marx’s personal museum. The one she creates after coming face to face with the devastating, lonely-making butt-kicking phenomenon known as heartbreak.

Heartbreak comes in all forms: There’s Keats, the charmingly handsome new guy who couldn’t be more perfect for her. There’s possibly the worst person in the world, Cherisse, whose mission in life is to make Penelope miserable. There’s Penelope’s increasingly distant best friend Audrey. And then there’s Penelope’s other best friend, the equal-parts-infuriating-and-yet-somehow-amazing Eph, who has been all kinds of confusing lately.

But sometimes the biggest heartbreak of all is learning to let go of that wondrous time before you ever knew things could be broken.

My Thoughts:

After a slight break from reading YA contemporaries (I just wasn't in a mood!) I decided to pick up Meg Leder's upcoming novel The Museum of Heartbreak. My interest for this novel was mostly ignited by its awesome cover, and now that I have read it I am happy to say that the cover actually fits perfectly with the novel because all of the items pictured in it play a role in the story of Penelope (or just Pen), Eph, Audrey and Keats.

Pen is 17 (she is 16 at the beginning of the novel but turns 17 during it) and a junior in high school. She lives in New York (THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD.... 10 points if you get the reference), loves Jane Austen and drinking hot chocolate. She has two best friends, Audrey and Eph, and sees no reason for extending her social circle. Then Keats, a handsome new guy shows up and Pen starts majorly crushing on him. Once both Audrey and Eph start to seem busy to hang out, Pen tries to control her anxiety about changes - why do Audrey and Eph feel like something needs to change when she feels like things are just as they should be?

All and all Pen is a very likable character and one I was able to identify with. At points she feels very young (she is 16/17 so she is allowed to feel young!), but she also matures a lot during the novel, so 10 points for character development and growth! I was able to relate with her dislike of change because I am totally the same - I have had the same few friends ever since I was young and I always feel strange in situations when new people are inserted to our hangouts etc. I know I should be more open, but it just fights against my nature in so many ways.

Let me just begin by saying that Keats is a total A-hole! He does not read "lady novels", obsessed over Kerouc and generally acts like an idiot for most of the time. But I do think that he is necessary for the novel because through relations with him Pen learns more about herself and about the people that she has surrounded herself with. Eph, on the other hand, is pretty perfect and totally made my heart flutter. Aubrey is a character I did not get much out from, and there are some decisions that she made I couldn't really agree with! Cherisse is the standard "mean girl", which is a trope I am getting kind of tired of, but I guess she is necessary for the story as well. I just wish there were more novels where girls didn't fight with each other for a boy, because in very rare cases it is worth it.

I wished there would have been more glimpses into the family life of Pen because I think her parents, especially her father, seem really interesting! It seems like the older I get the more interested I get about learning something about the parents of YA characters. I also loved the scenes with Pen and her new friends and the process Pen goes through in finding something that she might want to do in the future.

Meg Leder writes well and the novel was a quick one to read. The Museum of Heartbreak made me both laugh and cry, and I think that is always a positive sign when it comes to young adult contemporary novels. There were a few things here that bothered me (the mean girl storyline, etc) but all and all I really enjoyed it.

4 snowflakes

Review: How It Feels To Fly by Kathryn Holmes

How It Feels To Fly by Kathryn Holmes
Release Date - June 14th, 2016
Publisher - HarperTeen
Purchase - Amazon / B&N

The movement is all that matters.

For as long as Samantha can remember, she’s wanted to be a professional ballerina. She’s lived for perfect pirouettes, sky-high extensions, and soaring leaps across the stage. Then her body betrayed her.

The change was gradual. Stealthy.

Failed diets. Disapproving looks. Whispers behind her back. The result: crippling anxiety about her appearance, which threatens to crush her dancing dreams entirely. On her dance teacher’s recommendation, Sam is sent to a summer treatment camp for teen artists and athletes who are struggling with mental and emotional obstacles. If she can make progress, she’ll be allowed to attend a crucial ballet intensive. But when asked to open up about her deepest insecurities, secret behaviors, and paralyzing fears to complete strangers, Sam can’t cope.

What I really need is a whole new body.

Sam forms an unlikely bond with Andrew, a former college football player who’s one of her camp counselors. As they grow closer, Andrew helps Sam see herself as he does—beautiful. But just as she starts to believe that there’s more between them than friendship, disappointing news from home sends her into a tailspin. With her future uncertain and her body against her, will Sam give in to the anxiety that imprisons her?

My thoughts:

 Hmm... I liked this book, but at the same time, I kept feeling like something was missing, that something that would have made me fall in love with it. Kathryn Holmes writes well, the characters are engaging and the book deals with serious issues, and though it wasn't love for me, I highly recommend this YA contemporary perfect for the summer!

Samantha has dreamed of becoming a professional ballet dancer ever since she was a kid - her mother was one, so it feels just logical for her to become one too. And she was good - really good! But then puberty hit, and her body started to change gradually. Unlike the other dancers in her group, he started to fill up - her chest got bigger, her hips got bigger, her weight went up. For a ballerina, that it probably one of the worst things that could happen. Diet after diet, Samantha fails to get back to her old shape. There is nothing she can do to get rid of the body shape she has grown into. When the whispers and stares of other dancers start to surround Samantha, she develops a crippling anxiety that makes everything she has dreamed of even more difficult.

On the recommendation of her dance teacher, Samantha is sent to a summer camp for teen athletes and artists who are struggling with mental and emotional obstacles that are stopping them from performing 100 %. At the camp she meets a gymnast afraid of performing after an accident; a football player who doesn't do well under pressure; a perfectionist figure skater who stops at nothing when it comes to perfecting her routine; an actor suffering from stage-fright; a tennis player whose motives for being at the camp are unknown; and the camp counselors. Though at first, Sam is very hesitant to share anything with the group, as time goes on, she realizes that they all are embarrassed of something, that they all have something that burdens them, keeps them from doing something they love.

At the beginning of the camp, Samantha forms a bond with one of the counselors. Andrew, an ex-football player seems to get Samantha and see her in a way she herself cannot. As they spend time together, Samantha starts to think that there might be more between them than just friendship. But can Andrew help her with her anxiety, or is he just a distraction on her way to ballet come-back?

As I wrote before, I liked this one, but I didn't love it! I think that was mostly because it wasn't really what I was expecting it to be. I was hoping for an influential and powerful YA read WITH romance. This certainly was influential and powerful - the dealing with anxiety was done well, and I think it is extremely important that books like this exist. As someone who struggles with anxiety, I wish there would have been books like this when I was a teenager, so I would have realized that what I am feeling is something other people are feeling as well. But surprisingly to me, this one didn't actually have that much romance, which was a disappointment for me, because when I picked this one up, I was expecting romance. Now that I look back, I wish that I would have picked this one up at another moment, because I think my rating would have been a bit higher. But since romance was what I was looking for and was left short, I will keep my rating in what I marked to Goodreads right after finishing with this.

As I mentioned, the way the book deals with anxiety and all of the other problems these teens are struggling with, is written well and I appreciate the fact that the author takes her time to really establish what these characters are going through. If you are looking for a really action-packed read, this one might not be your best pick, but if you are a fan of well-done character development, I definitely recommend picking this one up!

So, if you are looking for swoonworthy romance, this one isn't you pick, but otherwise, How It Feels To Fly is a solid, well-written YA contemporary that deals with very important issues definitely worth writing and reading about!

3 snowflakes

Review: All the Feels by Danika Stone

All the Feels by Danika Stone
Publisher - Swoon Reads
Release Date - June 7th, 2016
Pre-Order - Amazon / B&N

College freshman Liv is more than just a fangirl: The Starveil movies are her life… So, when her favorite character, Captain Matt Spartan, is killed off at the end of the last movie, Liv Just. Can’t. Deal.

Tired of sitting in her room sobbing, Liv decides to launch an online campaign to bring her beloved hero back to life. With the help of her best friend, Xander, actor and steampunk cosplayer extraordinaire, she creates #SpartanSurvived, a campaign to ignite the fandom. But as her online life succeeds beyond her wildest dreams, Liv is forced to balance that with the pressures of school, her mother’s disapproval, and her (mostly nonexistent and entirely traumatic) romantic life. A trip to DragonCon with Xander might be exactly what she needs to figure out what she really wants.

My Thoughts:

I am a fangirl! And I for sure am loud and proud about it. It is part of how I identify myself and because of that, I was very excited about reading this book about another fangirl, because I think that despite differences in fandoms, we fangirls are soulsisters because we know THE PAIN that can come from being a fangirl. For me, that pain has come from books (Harry Potter), from television & films (I WILL NEVER GET OVER THE WAY MARK AND LEXIE'S STORY ENDED IN Grey's Anatomy or the ending of Serenity) and sports (hockey is glorious, but also oh, so painful). For Liv, the fangirl pain comes from The Starveil movie and the completely unexpected death of her favorite character Captain Matt Spartan.

Liv is such a likable character that I would it very easy to identify with. She is a freshman in college, seems quite unsure of what she wants to do with her life (or thinks that what she really wants to do is not possible) and seems to be more like herself when she is engaging in online communication rather than in actual social situations. First and foremost, she is a fangirl and she knows that not many people in her "real life" will know how life as a fangirl can be like. Rather than spending time focused on studying, Liv is often occupied in activities of the fandom, especially after her favorite character is killed off. Is there something she can do to help other fangirls in need? Is there something she can do to help herself?

Liv is friends with Xander, a guy who treats every day as a good day for cosplay. Xander dresses like Lord Byron, carries a pocket watch with on day to day basis, and is capable of understanding Liv, even though he himself isn't interested in the Starveil movies. When Xander invites Liv to go along with him to DragonCon, Liv hesitates at first. But when her #SpartanSurvived campaign starts to make waves, she decides that she simply has to be a part of the much expected Starveil panel that will take place at the convention.

The novel is divided into two parts - life before the convention and life during the convention. I found both parts interesting and I think the build-up for the Con itself was done well. The principal characters are interesting and I really enjoyed reading about the relationship between Liv and Xander. I would say the book is more about Liv's growth rather than about romance, but there definitely are some swoonworthy moments here too. Xander is absolutely charming - kind of weird, but in this case, weird is good! 

The only complaint I have about this book is all the unnecessary drama Liv has with her mother. Her mother adds an obstacle to her fangirl lifestyle, but I think the novel could have done without, because the whole dynamic just doesn't feel like it has been developed enough. But that is just a really minor complaint and in general it did not take much away from my overall enjoyment of this novel. Stone writes well and with an occasional flair of humor, and I think in general All the Feels was the perfect kind of quick, sweet contemporary romance that I like to indulge in from time to time. 

Highly recommended to all you fangirls (and fanboys) out there!

4 snowflakes

Review: The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
Publisher - Simon & Schuster
Release Date - May 3rd, 2016
Pre-order - Amazon / B&N

Andie had it all planned out.

When you are a politician’s daughter who’s pretty much raised yourself, you learn everything can be planned or spun, or both. Especially your future.

Important internship? Check.

Amazing friends? Check.

Guys? Check (as long as we’re talking no more than three weeks)

But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might change her whole life.

Because here’s the thing - if everything's planned out, you can never find the unexpected.

And where’s the fun in that?

My Thoughts: 

I really love Morgan Matson - have loved since I read Amy & Roger's Epic Detour a couple of years ago. Because of that, I was obviously very excited after first hearing about The Unexpected Everything. As you might have figured out from my previous reviews, I am mostly a contemporary YA reader, and Morgan Matson's books always tend to fill all of the boxes for what I look from contemporary YA - friendships, romance, family relationships and self-discovery. The Unexpected Everything was an absolutely treat, much like all of the previous novels by Matson, and though it did not become my favorite from her novels, it was still a solid five star read without a doubt.

Andie is the daughter of a widowed father. Due to her father's job as a politician, Andie is used to being under constant scrutiny - she has been told what to wear, how to use social media, how to act in parties, and so on. The fact that her father has been spending so much time in D.C. means that Andie has been able to control her own life and make her own schedules. She is hard-working good student with goals, but she also loves spending time with her friends. When her father is pulled into a political scandal and forced to temporarily step down from his position, things change very quickly. Due to his father's new reputation, Andie has to rethink her plans for the summer and try to come to terms with the fact that her father is suddenly home and actually interested in spending time with her.

When Andie's first plan for the summer fails, she starts to look for a job and finds a position as a dog walker. It is during her job that she also meets Clark, a guy who is shy, attractive and.... wait for it... A WRITER (*swoon*). As Andie starts to spend more time with Clark, she starts to realize that sometimes things might get better when they don't go according to a plan. Andie's summer definitely didn't turn how she had planned it, but maybe that is a good thing...

The Unexpected Everything focuses mainly on three different relationships Andie has: her relationship with her father, her relationships with her friends, as well as her relationship with Clark. As the novel processes, these relationships obviously get tangled up and they all play different kind of roles in Andie's life. Though I love the bits with Andie and Clark, I must say that I am always a sucker for father-daughter story lines, probably because my "story line" with my father only lasted for 12 years. I loved reading about the way Andie and her father get used to each other again after spending so much time apart, and how the trust between them slowly builds. The friendship story lines are also interesting and love Andie's little gang of friends consisting of Palmer (and her boyfriend Tom), Toby and Bri. 

The Unexpected Everything is fairly long for a contemporary book (almost 500 pages), but I think Matson uses the length to her advantage and really takes time to develop the relationships and the characters. Andie is a likable character and easy to identify with. She fights for what she wants, but also hesitates at moments when things might get too serious, which is something I definitely was able to identify with. She really has chemistry with Clark and I loved the dialogue between the two and how something small between them develops into something much larger as the novel proceeds. 

Second Chance Summer still remains as my favorite Morgan Matson novel, mostly because I am not sure whether a novel has really broken my heart quite in a way that it did. But The Unexpected Everything is a nice new addition to the row of five stars reviews I have given for Morgan Matson. It is a must read for contemporary lovers and a book that will definitely make you look forward to summer! It also features a collection of dogs, which I think always makes things better.

5 Snowflakes

Review: Even If the Sky Falls by Mia Garcia

Even If the Sky Falls by Mia Garcia
Publisher - Katherine Tegen Books
Released - May 10th 2016
Pre-order - Amazon / B&N

All she needs is one night to be anyone she wants.

Julie is desperate for a change. So she heads to New Orleans with her youth group to rebuild houses and pretend her life isn’t a total mess. But between her super-clingy team leader and her way-too-chipper companions, Julie feels more trapped than ever.

In a moment of daring, she ditches her work clothes for DIY fairy wings and heads straight into the heart of Mid-Summer Mardi Gras, where she locks eyes with Miles, an utterly irresistible guy with a complicated story of his own. And for once, Julie isn’t looking back. She jumps at the chance to see the real New Orleans, and in one surreal night, they dance under the stars, share their most shameful secrets, and fall in love.

But their adventure takes an unexpected turn when an oncoming hurricane changes course. As the storm gains power and Julie is pulled back into chaos she finds pretending everything is fine is no longer an option.

My Thoughts: 

I am feeling so much book-love towards Mia Garcia's debut Even If the Sky Falls! I am mainly a contemporary reader, and once I finished with this one, I felt like I was satisfied on all fronts - there's family narrative, a coming-of-age type of finding yourself pondering, friendships, romance, an interesting setting and so much more. In addition to all of that, the writing is so exchanging and descriptive and pretty much flows out of the pages and brings the characters and the setting alive.

After living too long in the middle of all the mess going on at her home, Julie signs in for a volunteering position in New Orleans in order to escape. Her brother, home from service, is battling with PTSD and seems to be losing; her parents fail to see what is going on; and in addition to that, she has severed her relationship with her best friends. New Orleans seemed like the perfect solution, but when Tavis, a clingy team leader fighting for Julie's attention gets a bit too annoying, Jules escapes again, this time to Mid-summer Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

I've been interested about visiting New Orleans for AGES now, so when I heard about this book, I was instantly more excited about it because of the setting. I loved how Mia Garcia brings New Orleans alive in this book - it is not only a flat setting the events happen in, but a living and breathing thing, a character in its own right. New Orleans, as we all know, has been the victim of natural disasters, which is an undercurrent that runs throughout the novel as he characters have to deal with the threat of a Category Two hurricane coming their way and potentially destroying their one night of fun and getting to know each other.

I really liked Jules as a character and the way the author reveals more information about her as the novel processes through narration. Even if the Sky Falls is essentially Julie's story and though the principal events take place during single night, the reader is introduced to events from the past through Julie pondering the past events etc. The pacing of the novel is extremely well done, and these "revelations" about Julie's past are organized well - little hints into what has happened to Julie kept me reading, constantly guessing what could have led Julie to where she is now.

Miles is such a swoon worthy character I was able to fall in love despite the fact that he isn't as extensively developed character as Julie is. As I said, this is essentially Julie's story, and much of what we learn of Miles is from Julie's point of view. Though I am normally a fan of more established love interests, the fact that this novel takes place during one single night, it is completely understandable that Miles does not share his WHOLE life story with Jules. I really enjoyed the connection between Julie's and Miles and I definitely wouldn't mind reading more about them.

In addition to Julie's and Miles, the book is filled with interesting supporting characters, like the people the two meet during the Mardi Gras, as well as Julie's brother, Julie's friends and as mentioned before, the city of New Orleans itself. Every supporting character has some sort of purpose in the novel, but they never take away from the story of Julie and Miles, which I appreciated. In general, Even if the Sky Falls is a book with amazing characters supported by brilliant writing. What more could you ask for?

5 Snowflakes

Review: Traitor Angels by Anne Blankman

Traitor Angels by Anne Blankman
Publisher - Balzer + Bray
Released - May 3rd 2016
Pre-order - Amazon / B&N

Six years have passed since England’s King Charles II returned from exile to reclaim the throne, ushering in a new era of stability for his subjects.

Except for Elizabeth Milton. The daughter of notorious poet John Milton, Elizabeth has never known her place in this shifting world—except by her father’s side. By day she helps transcribe his latest masterpiece, the epic poem Paradise Lost, and by night she learns languages and sword fighting. Although she does not dare object, she suspects that he’s training her for a mission whose purpose she cannot fathom.

Until one night the reason becomes clear: the king’s man arrive at her family’s country home to arrest her father. Determined to save him, Elizabeth follows his one cryptic clue and journeys to Oxford, accompanied by her father’s mysterious young houseguest, Antonio Vivani, a darkly handsome Italian scientist who surprises her at every turn. Funny, brilliant, and passionate, Antonio seems just as determined to protect her father as she is—but can she trust him with her heart?

When the two discover that Milton has planted an explosive secret in the half-finished Paradise Lost—a secret the king and his aristocratic supporters are desperate to conceal—Elizabeth is faced with a devastating choice: cling to the shelter of her old life or risk cracking the code, unleashing a secret that could save her father…and tear apart the very fabric of society.

My Thoughts:

Anne Blankman's third novel Traitor Angels proved to me that sometimes, going into a book blind without knowing anything about it can be VERY VERY good thing. I usually do a lot of research about books before I pick them up, which is not only time consuming (and takes time away from reading), but also means that I often decide not to read books that could end up being really awesome! I know that if I would have read the synopsis for Traitor Angels I probably would have passed it, just because I am not a huge historical YA reader, but now that I have devoured the novel, I am thinking I should leave synopsis unread more often.

To begin with, I think it would be good to mention that I haven't read Milton's Paradise Lost. I am one of those people who keeps saying that I should read it, but I don't actually know when or if that will actually happen. Blankman's novel definitely gave me a nudge to finally pick it up, but we'll see... Also, it probably would be good to mention that I have never really been interested in English history, except in Jane Austen and the society and customs her novels deal with. Because of that disinterest, I haven't picked historical novels set in England to read very often, but after reading Traitor Angels I feel I maybe should give that setting a chance a bit too often.

Elizabeth Milton is one of the four daughters of John Milton, once a famous political writer, now pretty much a prisoner in his home, shunned by the monarchy and the society in general. Blind and frail, John Milton spends his days reciting Paradise Lost to his daughter Elizabeth to whom he has taught languages and much more. As a result of her father's education of her, Elizabeth is much more learned that other young women around her, as a result of which her dreams about her future are very different to those her sisters have - rather than dreaming of marriage and comfort, Elizabeth dreams of being an astronomer, of doing research, of getting a position only men are seen to hold in the scientific community.

When the Kings men arrive in Elizabeth's home and take her father away, Elizabeth quickly realizes that all the education she has gone through has actually been her father training her for something. She also begins to quickly understand that Paradise Lost might be more than just a poem and starts to look for clues from within the text. With the help of Antonio Vivani, a mysterious house guest who shows up just before the kings men do, Elizabeth travels to Oxford, and from there to London determined to free her father before he is hanged.

The chemistry between Elizabeth and Antonio is TANGIBLE and SLOW BURNING and HOT and so damn SWOON WORTHY. Antonio is perfectly cheeky and charming and never expects Elizabeth to act like other women of her time. He understands her dreams for her future and in many ways helps Elizabeth realize what she really wants - and with whom. Antonio is funny, intelligent, protective and passionate, so pretty much a kind of guy you will have a very hard time resisting.

If you love strong, independent, intelligent female characters, look no further, because Elizabeth is all that. I absolutely adored her determination to do what she does and the way she conducts herself in order to gain what she wants and needs. She does not instantly love with Antonio - she does not even trust him at first. She questions the motivations of those willing to help her, because in the end, why would they want to help an old blind man without gaining something out of it themselves? In addition to being well-taught, she is trained in sword-fighting, which just adds to her level of awesomeness.

As mentioned, I am not familiar with Paradise Lost, but luckily that didn't take anything away from the novel. I love how Blankman has been able to make Milton's classic available for a wider pool of readers through this novel, and I have a feeling a lot of people who read this will be picking up Paradise Lost afterwards. Though there are actual historical figures in this novel, like Milton himself, Traitor Angels is a work of fiction. I am floored by the way Blankman has used her imagination to weave in different events from the history with Paradise Lost and these wonderful characters she has created.

Traitor Angels is extremely well research, written, paced and characterized. Once I started reading it, I had a very difficult time putting it down. It offers a perfect blend of action, romance, character relationships and history. In addition, it is a standalone novel, which I appreciate, because I have a very hard time keeping up with series. Honestly, there is nothing negative I can say about it, expect maybe that I wish that I would have never ended, because it has been a while since I have been this invested with a story and a set of characters.

5 Snowflakes

Review: The Last Time We Were Us by Leah Konen

The Last Time We Were Us by Leah Konen
Release Date: May 10th, 2016
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

A passionate summer love story about a girl, her childhood best friend recently released from juvie, and the small-town lies that have kept them apart. A teen romance debut with a dark edge.

Liz Grant is about to have the summer of her life. She and her friend MacKenzie are getting invited to all the best parties, and with any luck, Innis Taylor, the most gorgeous guy in Bonneville, will be her boyfriend before the Fourth of July.

Local teen convict released early.

Jason Sullivan wasn’t supposed to come back from juvie. A million years ago, he was her best friend, but that was before he ditched her for a different crowd. Before he attacked Innis’s older brother, leaving Skip’s face burned and their town in shock.

“Everything is not what you think.”

Liz always found it hard to believe what they said about Jason, but all of Bonneville thinks he’s dangerous. If word gets out she’s seeing him, she could lose everything. But what if there’s more to that horrible night than she knows? And how many more people will get hurt when the truth finally comes out?

“You’re the one person who believes in me.”

Leah Konen’s southern romance swelters with passion as it explores the devastating crush of lies, the delicate balance of power and perception, and one girl’s journey to find herself while uncovering the secrets of so many others.

My Thoughts:

Oh my... I hate it when books that I have been excited about disappoint me. When I first heard about The Last Time We Were Us, statements like like "Southern small town setting" and "former best friend" instantly drew me in. I am a sucker for stories set in the Southern US (Southern guys are my absolute favorite) and I was so ready to fall in love with this book, but nope.... that didn't happen.

Liz, for so long just a "normal" high school student has finally entered the popular crowd with the help of her new friend MacKenzie. She is now invited to the best parties of Bonneville and it looks like Innis Taylor, pretty much like the prince of Bonneville, is interested in her. Liz's mother, who seems to be all about appearances, is over the moon - with a boyfriend like Innis, there seems to be no limit to what Liz can do. But then Jason Sullivan, Liz's childhood best friend, shows up after spending time in juvie, and while Liz tries to stay away from him, it is not that easy to just ignore a guy that knows her probably better than anyone else.

The Last Time We Were Us had all the ingredients for a YA contemporary I could love, but the way Leah Konen mixes those ingredients didn't work for me at all. Liz's family and her relationship with her mother and sister are aspects I would have liked to see more of, while the novel definitely could have been lighter on the love-triangle between Liz, Innis and Jason. Innis is a douche, there's no doubt about that, but unfortunately Jason is not really developed to be the charming, "right" choice for Liz. Yes, he is a better guy than Innis is, but I must admit that while reading this novel, I really felt nothing for him. I was so ready to swoon for this misunderstood, brooding Southern guy but unfortunately that didn't happen...

I am not quite sure what Liz makes me feel. I was annoyed by her actions towards Veronica, her previous best friend. I feel like when she is with MacKenzie, she is definitely not on her best. She is young and has just gained popularity, which is something she has wanted for a long time, so I do get why she acts in certain way, but at the same time, I was continually annoyed by her. There is a definite change to her thoughts and behavior when she is with Jason, but Konen never really develops that and thus the whole novel falls kind of flat. The synopsis mentions a "passionate summer romance", but nope... I did not find that from here.

Despite all these somewhat negative aspects, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Leah Konen writes extremely well, in my opinion, and it really was her prose that kept me reading despite the fact that I did not enjoy the story itself very much. Because of this, I am really looking forward to what Konen comes up with next! I hope that it also includes a Southern setting and romance, but also more well-developed characters.

The Last Time We Were Us was in no way horrible or something that I wanted to thrown in the wall of something like that. It just fell flat for me - the characters felt very one-sided and undeveloped, the main plot is often overshadowed by little side plots that don't add much to the overall story and just make things confusing. On the up side, the writing works and shows promise, and as I said, I am definitely interested to see what Leah Konen comes up with next.

2 Snowflakes

Review: Suffer Love by Ashley Herring Blake

Suffer Love by Ashley Herring Blake
Expected publication: May 3, 2016
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Hadley St. Clair's life changed the day she came home to a front door covered in slips of paper, each of them revealing the ugly truth about her father. Now as her family falls apart in the wake of his year-long affair, Hadley wants everyone-her dad most of all-to leave her alone.

Then she meets Sam Bennett, a cute new boy who inexplicably "feels like home" to Hadley. Hadley and Sam's connection is undeniable, but Sam has a secret about his family that could ruin everything.

Funny and passionate, Suffer Love is a story about first love, family dysfunction, and the fickle hand of fate.

My Thoughts: 

Since I heard about Suffer Love, it has been among my most expected 2016 releases list. When I noticed that it was on Edelweiss up for review, I couldn't believe my luck. The synopsis, the cover and the awesome Twitter presence of the author all played a role in increasing my excitement, and pretty much the moment I downloaded the eARC of this to my Kindle, I started reading it and simply couldn't put it down until I reached the last page.

Hadley's life turned upside down the day she got home and found her yard covered in papers revealing the truth about her father's extramarital activities. Soon, Hadley's mother also learns the truth about what her husband has been doing behind her back and inevitably, Hadley's family starts to crumble apart. In the wake of learning that her father has been unfaithful, it seems like Hadley herself loses trust not only in her father, but in the male population in general. She starts to fool around with guys - the shorter the connections, the better. She does not think things like "love" and "romance", something that only seems to work in movies, are for her. Then she meets Sam.

Sam's family is falling apart too. Ever since his father packed his bags and left, Sam has been trying to take care of his younger sister while dodging his mother as much as possible. While his relationship with his sister is good, he feels like whatever relationship he used to have with his mother is now non-existent, ever since she started to blame him for all that has happened. When Sam is paired up with Hadley for an English project and they start to spend time together, they start to feel like they can be themselves when they are around each other. But both have secrets, especially Sam, that could change everything in an instant and wreak the budding relationship.

The pacing of Suffer Love is incredibly well done! I loved how the author is able to mix together high school romance, family drama and friendship narrative in a way that constantly kept me on the edge of my seat, eagerly turning the pages to learn more. Hadley is such an interesting character to read about - she is flawed and occasionally her opinions and actions are ones that I do not agree with, but despite that, I thought she was likable and I really did feel for her. The whole "family breaking apart because of cheating" scenario is something I can identify with very easily, because it is what happened to my parents back in the day. The thoughts especially Hadley has about her father and how she feels betrayed, mainly because she thought she really knew her father, is something I was able to relate with SO MUCH. She still loves her father, but at the same time feels like he does not deserve her love anymore. Can they start again or is everything ruined for them?

Ashley Herring Blake writes extremely well, mixing together witty dialogue, family dysfunction and drama, Shakespeare references and tangible chemistry between characters. Though parts of this book are funny and cute, Suffer Love definitely isn't the most lighthearted YA contemporary out there, which I loved. It tackles with serious issues like forgiveness and trust through a set of complicated, well-established, lovable characters. Though the book includes scenes dealing with a lot of anger and sadness, there is an undercurrent of hope out there, especially towards the end. And that ending.... OH MY.

5 Snowflakes