Book Reviews Archives - Page 23 of 114

Impactful, Powerful and Absolutely Stunning | Mini YA Reviews

Jun 17, 2020

The other day I shared some mini romance reviews and today I thought I would share my thoughts on recent young adult books that I have devoured through mini YA reviews. Today I’m reviewing Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes, Dear Martin (Dear Martin #1) by Nic Stone and The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo.

Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes

Pages: 382
Publish date: May 17th 2016
Publisher: HarperTeen
ISBN: 9780062379962
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Sixteen-year-old Maguire knows the universe is against her. No matter how many charms she buys off the internet or good luck rituals she performs each morning, horrible things happen when she’s around. Like that time the roller coaster jumped off its tracks. Or the time the house next door caught on fire. Or the time her brother, father, and uncle were all killed in a car crash–and Maguire walked away with barely a scratch.

Despite what her therapist tells her, Maguire thinks it’s best to hide out in her room, far away from anyone she might accidentally hurt. But then she meets Jordy, an aspiring tennis star who wants to help her break her unlucky streak. Maguire knows that the best thing she can do for him is to stay away, but it turns out staying away might be harder than she thought.

Girl Against the Universe:

I’ve been wanting to read this for a while now. The hardback was expensive at first so I had to wait until the paperback was out. Then I forgot about it. But this year my best friend Ely and I decided we wanted to pick a few books for each other to read. And this is what she picked for me. And I’m so glad.

Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes follows Maguire as she tries to navigate her life at a new school while also trying to manger her PTSD as well as her so-called ‘bad luck’. When Maguire’s therapist encourages her to start a sport that includes other people, she is hesitant. Then she meets Jordy. He wants to help Maguire break her ‘bad luck’. And while she tries to push him away, Maguire can’t help but start to fall for him.

Maguire was such an interesting protagonist and I loved her. She was really easy to get along with, even though she wasn’t always likable. Her character arc was fantastic and I loved seeing her grow. The reader can see her growth throughout the novel. And Maguire isn’t “fixed” but she is helped. Maguire is witty but quiet. And that’s what makes her so endearing.

Mental health and PTSD were one of the main focuses of Girl Against the Universe. Like I said she wasn’t fixed by a boy or love, but she was helped. Maguire was given ways to cope and ways to help herself. I loved seeing Maguire’s determination to try and help herself. At first, the reader can see she might have been doing it for others, however, by the end it was for herself. And I loved seeing that.

I loved seeing all the different relationships throughout the novel. They all stood out on their own and were all so important to assisting Maguire. The romance was hella adorable. Like it melted my heart so damn much. I can’t even begin to explain. I love the friendships she builds, and the family bonds she repairs. These were all done so well.

Overall, I adored Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes. It was an excellent novel that does focus on mental health. It’s not a love fixes all kind of novel but explores how those around can help you in a way that you never thought. Maguire and Jordy were adorable and I love them so much. If you are looking for a positive mental health novel that has a little bit of everything then this is for you.

Dear Martin (Dear Martin #1) by Nic Stone

Pages: 210
Publish date: October 17th 2017
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9781101939499
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighbourhood behind, he can’t escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr King to find out.

Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it’s Justyce who is under attack.

Dear Martin:

I’ve been putting off picking this up since I picked it up. I knew that I had to be in the headspace to grasp everything that Dear Martin explores. But I am so glad that I did. I got it last year while I was in the States and was able to read it last week. And it’s going to be one that I remember for a while.

Justyce looks to Dr Martin Luther King Jr. for guidance after a white police officer puts him in handcuffs. It doesn’t matter that his the top of his class, set for Ivy League and left his old neighbourhood behind. But he starts to find some sort of solace writing to Dr King. But then everything changes the day that he does on a drive with his best friend, Manny. When a white off-duty cop fires shots.

I enjoyed Justyce as a protagonist. I loved getting to see him grow and was so easy to get along with. The reader can see Justyce growth throughout the whole of Dear Martin and some of it is because of horrible horrible events. But one should have to go through what he did. Justyce voice is strong and powerful. It hits your right in the guys – and that is what made this book so fantastic.

I loved being able to see different sides of Justyce and his interaction with different people. He can see the true colours of classmates and the world and sometimes that was hard for him to understand. I also loved the different relationships explored throughout the novel. The reader can see Justyce interact with a lot of different people and some of those help shape him.

A slight problem that I had with Dear Martin was that I felt that it was a little too short. I feel that it could have been fleshed out a little more. That doesn’t mean it needed 100 more pages, even just a chapter or two.

Overall, Dear Martin by Nic Stone is an emotional read, but it’s also powerful and beautiful. Justyce was such a fantastic protagonist. He felt real and honest and that made for such an incredible read. Dear Martin explores the injustices of the world and why the #BlackLivesMatter movement is so important to understand as well as support. If you haven’t read this book, please do. It is a powerful but brutal read.

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Pages: 357
Publish date: March 6th 2018
Publisher: Quill Tree Books
ISBN: 9780062662804
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

A young girl in Harlem discovers slam poetry as a way to understand her mother’s religion and her own relationship to the world.

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighbourhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about. With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself.

So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her Mami finding out, much less speak her words out loud. But still, she can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.

Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.

The Poet X:

I am not going to lie, I cried for the last maybe 40 minutes of The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. Like heavy, deep crying. I’m so lucky that I was listening to it on audio because if I was reading a physical copy I would have not been able to see. The Poet X is a stunning debut and if you have the chance, please read it on audio.

The Poet X follows Xiomara Batista, or simply X as she tries to navigate where she fits in life. And she pours all her thoughts and passions into a leather notebook, she words turn into something more. But, X doesn’t know what to do when she is invited to join her schools Slam Poetry Club. Her mother won’t let her, she won’t let her do anything that goes against anything to do with the church. Thrown in new feelings for a boy in her bio class, X is now facing decisions that might tear her apart.

I loved Xiomara, she has to be one of my favourite protagonist I’ve read so far this year. Her passion and determination were strong and bold. I loved that she questioned things in her life, but also understood the importance of those things in other peoples lives. At times I just wanted to give her a big hug and just tell her everything is going to be alright. I’ve seen a few reviews that call X angry and why wouldn’t she be? Why is that a bad thing? I found X honest and so relatable.

There was a big focus on faith throughout the whole of The Poet X and especially regarding her mother and her connection to faith. At times some of these scenes were hard to read because X not only question her connection to faith but herself as well. Her relationship with her mother is another major focus of the novel. It’s not a good or healthy relationship and that is explored throughout The Poet X. I thought the romance was hella adorable and I enjoyed seeing both X and Aman grow both together and apart.

The Poet X is an emotional book. As I said I cried for the last 40 minutes or so of the book. It was hard-hitting and did take a lot out of me. The reader is truly able to feel X’s pain, her troubles and everything in between. There were also times throughout the book that were telling and I loved it, so much.

Overall, I can’t even begin to explain how beautiful and stunning The Poet X is. The passion and thought that went into every word, every poem was just perfect. I love how each poem intertwined, everything felt like it belonged. I don’t read a lot of modern poetry, but I love spoken word and slam poetry. It just sounds beautiful. And I loved how Elizabeth Acevedo presented it here.

And that is it for today’s mini YA reviews. Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Did you love them as much as I did? Let’s Chat!

Also, a quick reminder to check out these resources regarding #BlackLivesMatter. It’s important to understand and help where you can. It’s not over.

A Rebel, A Protector and Luna | Mini Romance Reviews

Jun 13, 2020

Today I thought I would share some romance mini-reviews. I’ve been reading a lot of romance books this year and sometimes it’s hard to keep track of them all. So I thought sharing my thoughts through mini-reviews would be fun. Today I’m sharing my thoughts on Rebel (Women Who Dare #1) by Beverly Jenkins, Up Close and Personal by Kathryn Freeman and Luna and the Lie by Mariana Zapata.

Rebel (Women Who Dare #1) by Beverly Jenkins

Pages: 384
Publish date: May 28th 2019
Publisher: Avon
ISBN: 9780062861696
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Valinda Lacey’s mission in the steamy heart of New Orleans is to help the newly emancipated community survive and flourish. But soon she discovers that here, freedom can also mean danger. When thugs destroy the school she has set up and then targets her, Valinda runs for her life—and straight into the arms of Captain Drake LeVeq.

As an architect from an old New Orleans family, Drake has a deeply personal interest in rebuilding the city. Raised by strong women, he recognizes Valinda’s determination. And he can’t stop admiring—or wanting—her. But when Valinda’s father demands she return home to marry a man she doesn’t love, her daring rebellion draws Drake into an irresistible intrigue.

Rebel:

I can’t believe I haven’t read a Beverly Jenkins before this one. It was fantastic and I never knew that I needed it.

Rebel follows teacher Valinda Lacey as she tries to help the newly emancipated community of New Orleans survive and thrive. And after her school is destroyed, Valinda herself then becomes a target. That is when she runs into the safety of Captain Drake LeVeq. And they can’t stop admiring one another, then Valinda’s father demands that she return home and marry another.

I can’t begin to express how much I loved Rebel. It was fantastically written, with characters that were present and full. Both Valinda and Drake had such great character arcs and the reader can truly see them grow throughout the novel.

Valinda is such a brilliant female protagonist, I loved her so much. She was determined and tried not to let anything get her down and that was fantastic. While Drake was such a flirt and I loved it. He was such a fun character to be around. The romance was so beautiful in this one. Valinda and Drake made me smile the whole way through. They just brought such brightness to the page. And I loved that so much.

Rebel also deals with newly emancipated slaves and I liked how Beverly Jenkins explores that. She explores the major tension that still was held in the communities and how while not slaves anymore, they were still being treated differently.

Rebel by Beverly Jenkins is such a fantastic historical romance and I can’t wait to read more. The romance was fantastic and I enjoyed reading a book set in a different time than I normally read in my historical romance. I’ve not read many historical romances set after the Civil War but this was fantastic. If you are looking for a fantastic historical romance then his one is for you.

Up Close and Personal by Kathryn Freeman

Pages: 400
Publish date: June 12th 2020
Publisher: One More Chapter
ISBN: 9780008365837
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

British actor Zac Edwards is the latest heartthrob to hit the red carpets. Hot, talented and rich, he sends women wild…all except one.

Close protection officer Kat Parker hasn’t got time to play celebrity games. She has one job: to protect Zac from the stalker that seems to be dogging his every move.

Zac might get her hot under her very starched collar, but Kat’s a professional – and sleeping with Zac is no way part of her remit…

Up Close and Personal:

I received a copy of Up Close and Personal by Kathryn Freeman from One More Chapter via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I was looking forward to reading this one, it sounded fun and excited and I was sadly disappointed. The romance felt off and I wasn’t able to connect with the characters fully.

Up Close and Personal follows Kat Parker as she starts to protect her new charge; Zac Edwards. Zac is the lastest British heartthrob and has a stalker. When things start to get serious, Kat becomes his close protection officer. But being this close both Kat and Zac start to fall for one another – but Kat must stay professional.

I wanted to love this book so much. It sounded like something that I would enjoy. But everything fell flat for me. Kat was a decent protagonist, but I just could not connect with her fully. I felt everything that she was holding back from Zac and that made it even harder to connect with her as a reader. I felt the same with Zac. Both characters lacked something and I can’t put my finger on it.

Because of this, I did feel that the romance felt off. I also felt that we didn’t get enough of it. Or the connection. At first, the reader can see the tension, but then it stayed on that level, until the end. There was just this whole part that felt missing and I wanted more of that.

In saying all this I felt the tension and stakes in the book were good and I did enjoy that aspect. I did guess some fo the things that were going to happen but then I was surprised by other things – which I found fantastic.

Overall, Up Close and Personal by Kathryn Freeman was an okay read. I won’t be talking about it again, but I didn’t hate it. I wish the romance was focused on more and the reader was able to see it grow a lot more. Both Kat and Zac felt a little flat for me and I do wish they were a little more fleshed out.

Luna and the Lie by Mariana Zapata

Pages: 628
Publish date: December 12th 2018
Publisher: –
ASIN: B07LBMPK54
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

The problem with secrets is that they’re too easy to keep collecting.

Luna Allen has done some things she would rather no one ever know about. She also knows that, if she could go back in time, she wouldn’t change a single thing.

With three sisters she loves, a job she (mostly) adores, and a family built up of friends she’s made over the years, Luna figures everything has worked out the way it was supposed to.

But when one of those secrets involves the man who signs her paycheck, she can’t find it in her to regret it. Despite the fact that he’s not the friendliest man in the world. Or the most patient.

Sometimes there are things you’re better off keeping to yourself.

Luna and the Lie:

I didn’t know what to expect going into this book. I had heard a lot of things about Mariana Zapata from romance bloggers and booktubers. But I never picked any of her books up, but I was going through a romance binge and I found this on Kindle Unlimited and I thought why not.

Luna and the Lie follows Luna Allen as she tries and go through her life. She tries to put her past behind her but also doesn’t want to forget it. And she loves the life that she is living, then secrets start to surface and one of them is from the man who signs her paycheck. Rip is always angry. And doesn’t want to make friends with anyone. But Luna has a way with people.

I wasn’t expecting to like this, but I did. I did have a few problems with it, but overall, I enjoyed reading this. Luna was a fabulous protagonist and I loved getting to know all about her. I loved her optimism and everything else that she worked. I adored that she worked in this ‘all-male’ environment. It just made her stand out more. Rip was intriguing, I do have to say, however, I didn’t love him. I wanted to, but I did feel disconnected with him.

The romance in Luna and the Lie is very, very slow. If you don’t like a slow burn, then this one is not for you. I do enjoy slow burns, but at times this even felt slow for me. But I loved getting to know both Luna and Rip and seeing them fall for one another. One of my major issues with this book was that it was long, like very long. Too long, maybe?

Overall, I enjoyed reading Luna and the Lie by Mariana Zapata. And I will and have will read more books from Mariana Zapata. The romance was an incredibly slow burn but I did hate that. I enjoyed Luna as a protagonist and liked Rip. If you are looking for a slow-burn romance that has many layers, then this book is for you.

And those are my mini romance reviews! Have you read any of these? What did you think of them? What romance books have you read recently? Let’s Chat!

Book Review: When A Heart Trips by Dominique Laura

Jun 1, 2020

When A Heart Trips by Dominique Laura

Pages: 207
Publish date: May 28th 2020
Publisher: –
ASIN: B087ZW3C25
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

I never thought I’d catch serious feelings for someone at seventeen—isn’t life complicated enough at this age?—let alone for my polar opposite.
I’m the quiet, reserved bookworm.
He’s the popular, confident jock at the centre of every party.
He’s also kind, charming, and sweet.
The determined wide receiver worms his way past my defences.
I see a side of him no one else does, and he makes me feel things I’ve only ever read about.
He isn’t my perfect match, but at some point, I can’t ignore what my heart is trying to say.
So, what happens when a heart trips? Well, at some point, the fall is unavoidable, and I’m falling headfirst into something I didn’t want in the first place.
I asked for a crush, not for this.

When A Heart Trips:

I received an earc of When a Heart Trips by Dominique Laura in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about this book.

I’m not sure how to talk about this book today. It is a really sweet novel that explores first crushes and love. It explores finding yourself and falling in love. But there is also not much that goes on. It’s one of those books that you just want to pick up and have a nice quick read – and I don’t think there is anything wrong with that.

When a Heart Trips by Dominique Laura follows Devon as she wants to experience her first crush. And when she does find him, she falls hard and fast. Devon can’t stop herself from falling for Julian. They seem to connect right from the start. But she didn’t want to fall. She just wanted a little crush. And now she can’t stop herself.

Photo by Nicole Wolf on Unsplash

Devon is an absolute sweetheart of a protagonist. She was just a pleasure to read. From the first page, I just liked her. There were no questions asked. Devon felt like a very natural character. Her voice just fell off the page very easily and I was able to connect with her from the start. I liked her innocence It’s not that the typical innocence that you see in young adult. But it’s in the way that she feels things. And I enjoyed that.

Julian was such a lovely male love interest in When a Heart Trips. He is jock and plays football, but he is very sweet. I loved the way that he showed emotion and treated Devon. It just made me smile like crazy. I enjoyed that he wasn’t the typical popular guy. He had all these layers that made him enjoyable and playing football wasn’t his only quality. I just love his attitude. It made everything lighter.

Photo by Kelli McClintock on Unsplash

Romance in When a Heart Trips is so stinking adorable. Devon and Julian were just meant to be. They got each other from the first time they meet. There was this connection that the reader can see right on the page. And I loved that. While it was a short read, the romance didn’t feel rushed or very instalovey. It was well rounded for how short the novel was. One of my favourite things about Devon and Julian was that there was no pressure. Julian didn’t push Devon into anything and understood what she wanted. That is kind of fantastic to see.

Friendship is also a major theme throughout When a Heart Trips. I loved that Dominque Laura included some fantastic, but not perfect friendships. It was a great representation that explores the little ups and downs that do happen and I thought that was great.

In saying all this, I do wish that the book was longer. I felt like I was waiting for something big to happen and then it never really did. I didn’t feel like the climax was enough if it had any. Devon did question a few things here and there, but I didn’t feel that it caused enough tension. That was a little downer for me. But it’s not something major.

Photo by Christiana Rivers on Unsplash

Overall, When a Heart Trips by Dominique Laura is a really sweet read. It’s the perfect book for a teen wanting to read some romance. It’s a fun read that delves into what it’s like to have your first crush and fall in love. Devon and Julian are adorable together and I seriously smiled most of the book. I do wish there was a little more conflict as I felt that it was pretty much smooth sailing, but other than that I did enjoy reading When a Heart Trips.

Have you read When a Heart Trips by Dominique Laura? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Let’s Chat!