Hey, bookworms! How are you all doing today? My day has been busy with school (ugh essays), but I'm happy to be taking a short break to post my review of 10 Truths and a Dare by Ashley Elston! I enjoyed Ashley Elston's first book, 10 Blind Dates, so I jumped at the opportunity to review an ARC of her newest book. Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review! Synopsis
My ReviewWhen I found out that 10 Blind Dates' Fab Four were making an appearance in a new book--with Olivia as the protagonist, no less--I immediately smashed the "request" button for the ARC on NetGalley. Two days later, 10 Truths and a Dare was happily downloaded onto my Kindle and I was diving headfirst into it. I think I went into this book expecting a bit more than it delivered, but overall I still enjoyed it. It was lighthearted and funny, full of hilarious moments and cringe-worthy mistakes. The main thing I loved about this book was Olivia's family. Same as in 10 Blind Dates, they're quirky, rambunctious, and a whole lot of fun. Also, Olivia's mom's level of nosiness was truly legendary; her phone tracker stalking of her daughter was low-key creepy, and I seriously pity Olivia. Her mom really needs to learn to mind her own business and find something more exciting in life than literally watching her daughter's every move. I enjoyed reading about Olivia's relationship with the Fab Four: her cousins, Sophie and Charlie, and friend Wes. I loved how easy and casual they were around each other--it felt very authentic. They had a great dynamic and were fun to read about. I unfortunately can't say I was a huge fan of the romance in this book; I just wasn't very invested in it. It had the potential to be cute, but it fell flat for me. Some of Olivia's choices were simply awful and made me SO FRUSTRATED. Like...not telling your parents you might not graduate?? I get her point about not wanting the news to become family gossip--but come on, Olivia, you thought nobody was ever going to find out? Seriously? Also, the whole phone switcheroo was just it's own level of chaos and mayhem. How that whole shebang didn't epically crash and burn is beyond me. Also, the ending was a bit too perfect for me. Like, after all the drama and secrets and general chaos, it all wrapped up so nicely and easily? I think not. It was a tad too unrealistic for my liking. It was a very "happily ever after" ending, and it just didn't sit well with me. That's a wrap on my review of 10 Truths and a Dare by Ashley Elston! I enjoyed this book, but not quite as much as I'd hoped to. Even though it was cute and amusing, the plot and writing were a bit lacking. However, I still recommend this to anyone who liked 10 Blind Dates! I gave 10 Truths and a Dare 3 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Thanks for reading, and have a great rest of your day!
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Hey, y'all! How's your weekend going? So far, mine has been relaxing, full of books and Fearless (Taylor's Version) blaring from my speaker. The springtime weather here is wonderful, and I'm loving all the blooming plants and beautiful flowers! My rose plants are growing like crazy and my strawberry plants are actually getting real, honest-to-goodness strawberries, so I declare my gardening escapades to be a success. Today I have for you my review of The Ivies by Alexa Donne! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. I can't wait to share my thoughts on this book with you, so let's dive right on in! Synopsis
Book title: The Ivies Author: Alexa Donne Release date: May 25, 2021 Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers Pages: 320 My ReviewI was hooked on this book from the first page. The Ivies was the cause of much sleep deprivation for me as I huddled in bed flipping ebook pages late into the night, my eyes glued to the screen like some sort of creepy possessed vampire. When I picked this book up, I knew it was a mystery, but a boarding school mystery? I had no clue, and I was delighted when I found out, because boarding school mysteries are most certainly my cup of tea. It was also interesting to read a book that touched heavily on college admissions and Ivy League schools; I hadn't read anything like that before, but it was perfect for a mystery novel. I really enjoyed the narrator, Olivia's, voice; it felt very authentic and realistic. It was interesting to read about her thought processes during the book, especially when discovering hidden secrets and lies. I have mixed feelings about the mystery itself. I suspected one part of it from the beginning, but I felt like another part came out of nowhere--and not necessarily in a good way, if you get what I mean? I don't want to say too much and give anything away, but the ending just felt unsatisfactory to me for some reason. I thought it was a bit unrealistic, plus the motive was super lacking. Olivia's friend group was interesting to read about. I honestly can't say I was a fan of any of them aside from Olivia and maybe Avery closer to the end. They were all very cutthroat and ruthless, and Avery was the only one of them who had even the slightest hint of a redemption arc. However, they were made for a mystery novel (literally): they were shady, twisted, and definitely the type of people who just might murder someone to get what they want. I do wish we had gotten to know some of them more; I feel like character development was mainly focused on Avery. However, the book still worked well having them just as side characters. That's a wrap on my review of The Ivies! I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a boarding school mystery with twisted characters, especially if you're a fan of One of Us is Lying or Truly Devious! I gave this book Four Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Have you read The Ivies? If so, what did you think of it? And what are some of your favorite boarding school mysteries? Let me know in the comments!
Thanks for reading! Have a fabulous weekend! Hey, bookworms! How are y'all doing on this lovely Thursday? I've been stuck writing an essay (i.e. staring at my computer screen willing words to come) all morning, but I'm hoping to do some reading this afternoon. My copy of Perfect on Paper finally came into the library and I can't wait to start it; April from @bookedtillmidnight as been hyping up this book like crazy, so I'm eager to dive in! Now I would like to present to you my review of Some Girls Do by Jennifer Dugan! Huge thanks to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. I adored Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan, so I jumped at the chance to review an ARC of Some Girls Do! Now let's dive right in! Synopsis
Book title: Some Girls Do Author: Jennifer Dugan Release date: May 18, 2021 Publisher: Putnam Children's Pages: 336 My ReviewFirstly, I am absolutely, 100% in love with this cover. It's stunning! The colors are gorgeous, especially those sunset shades of pink and orange. There's something so sweet and touching about it. I definitely need to get a physical copy of this book when it releases to display on my bookshelves! Now let's get talking about the book's actual content. I'm going to admit, at first, I wasn't a huge fan of either protagonist. Morgan was a bit annoying and overbearing, and Ruby seemed so unfriendly and rude. But as I read more about them, I began to realize how complex their characters were and appreciated their faults. Ruby struggled to express her true self; the life she wants for herself doesn't line up with her mother's beauty pageant dreams for her. I felt bad for her being in such a tough position, but I also desperately wanted to reach through the pages and give her a pep talk about following her dreams and doing what makes her happy, even if it doesn't align with her mother's wishes. Morgan, on the other hand, had no problem expressing herself, but I could tell that she had a hard time seeing things from other people's perspectives. She's open and proud about her sexuality and is determined to change the world for the better, but she had trouble understand how some people aren't ready to come out quite yet. This led to some important conversations and realizations about respecting one's wishes and preferences and not pushing someone to do something they're uncomfortable with. It was interesting to see Morgan come to terms with that. Okay, so I know that for a veeeeeery long time, I've condemned enemies-to-lovers romances as being "unrealistic" or simply unenjoyable, but I'm beginning to think that may have been a mistaken youthful opinion, because this year I've read many fantastically-written enemies-to-lovers romances. Or maybe 2021 is just the year for five-star enemies-to-lovers. Who knows. But the enemies-to-lovers romance in this book was really well done! It didn't feel forced or cringey at all; in fact, it had the perfect level of uncomfortable awkwardness that's necessary for a realistic enemies-to-lovers romance. I did feel like the romance went from a chill 35 mph for most of the book to an oddly fast full-speed-ahead! 90 mph in the last chapter. I wish it had been drawn out a bit more at the end, but otherwise I found it well-written, realistic, and enjoyable! Overall, I found this book quite enjoyable. Aside from a few moments where I either wanted to scream at the characters or throw the book across the room (which I didn't do only because I was worried about damaging my precious Kindle), I appreciated the characters and romance, along with the important messages this book presented. I recommend this to anyone looking for another cute, touching read from Jennifer Dugan! I gave this book Four Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Thanks for reading! Have a great day, everyone!
Hello and welcome to my stop for Turn the Page Tours' blog and bookstagram tour for The Sky Above Us by Natalie Lund! This book actually releases today, so I'd like to wish it a very happy book birthday! I'd also like to thank Turn the Page Tours for choosing me to be part of this tour. As part of participating in this tour, I was provided with a copy of The Sky Above Us to review and share my favorite quotes from (keep scrolling to see them!). Make sure to check out the entire tour schedule here and follow along to see many more awesome posts! HOWEVER! Before you continue on, make sure to enter this exciting giveaway for a chance to win one of two (2) finished copies of The Sky Above Us by Natalie Lund! This giveaway is open to US residents only and begins on April 12, 2021, and ends on April 19, 2021. Click here to enter! Book Title: The Sky Above Us Author: Natalie Lund Publisher: Philomel Books Release Date: April 13, 2021 Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller SynopsisFrom the author of We Speak in Storms comes a twisty, psychological thriller about three friends searching for the truth in the aftermath of a plane crash. The morning after their senior year beach party, Izzy, Cass, and Janie are woken by a thundering overhead. Then they and their classmates watch in shock as a plane crashes into the water. When the passengers are finally recovered, they are identified as Izzy's twin brother, Israel, Cass's ex-boyfriend, Shane, and Janie's best friend, Nate. But Izzy can feel when her brother is in pain, and she knows he's not really dead. So she, Cass, and Janie set out to discover what actually happened that day--and why the boys were on the plane. Told in alternating timelines and points of view, this powerful and captivating novel follows the three boys in the weeks leading up to that fateful flight, and the girls they left behind as they try to piece together thetruth about the boys they loved and thought they knew. A spellbinding story about the ripple effects of tragedy, the questions we leave unanswered, and the enduring power of friendship. My ReviewThis book was really interesting! It went in some directions I didn't expect it to, but I still enjoyed it. It's funny because there are two things I don't usually like in books: alternating timelines and many different POVs. But somehow this book incorporated both those things in a way that worked really well! The alternating timelines were an effective way to build tension and mystery while also allowing us to get a glimpse of the boys' lives before that airplane crash. I also feel like the multiple POVs gave me an intimate look at every character, letting me know them in a way that only they knew themselves. The characters in this book were flawed and dealt with many difficult things, and it made them seem very realistic and human. I was able to easily connect with these characters. My favorite characters were Janie, Cass, and Shane. Izzy was a bit frustrating to me at times--some of her decisions were a bit reckless--but she grew on me throughout the book. There were some sort of sci-fi elements to this book that I wasn't expecting, and although I found them a little strange at the beginning they did make for a unique story. I feel like things were left a bit open-ended in regards to those aspects of the story, but I liked it that way; it left me with feelings of wonder and intrigue. This was a touching story of loss, love, and friendship. I recommend The Sky Above Us for especially for fans of We Are the Ants and We Are Okay. I gave this book Four Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Favorite QuotesAuthor Information
Purchase The Sky Above Us: Click Here!Add The Sky Above Us on Goodreads: Click Here!Hey there, bookworms! Welcome to my tour stop for The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch! I'd like to thank Turn the Page Tours for choosing me to be part of this blog and bookstagram tour. Make sure to check out the tour schedule here and follow along--there are plenty more fantastic stops on this tour! Also, there is a giveaway! Up for grabs we have ONE (1) physical copy and ONE (1) digital copy of The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch! This giveaway will be open from April 5th to April 12th at 11:59 PM CST. The digital copy will be available to INTL only, and the physical copy will be available to US only. To enter, click here. TITLE: The Sky Blues AUTHOR: Robbie Couch PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers RELEASE DATE: April 6th, 2021 GENRES: YOUNG ADULT FICTION--Contemporary, Romance, LGBTQIA+ BUY LINK: https://bookshop.org/a/11727/9781534477858 SynopsisSky’s small town turns absolutely claustrophobic when his secret promposal plans get leaked to the entire school in this witty, heartfelt, and ultimately hopeful debut novel for fans of What if it’s Us? and I Wish You All the Best. Sky Baker may be openly gay, but in his small, insular town, making sure he was invisible has always been easier than being himself. Determined not to let anything ruin his senior year, Sky decides to make a splash at his high school’s annual beach bum party by asking his crush, Ali, to prom—and he has thirty days to do it What better way to start living loud and proud than by pulling off the gayest promposal Rock Ledge, Michigan, has ever seen? Then, Sky’s plans are leaked by an anonymous hacker in a deeply homophobic e-blast that quickly goes viral. He’s fully prepared to drop out and skip town altogether—until his classmates give him a reason to fight back by turning his thirty-day promposal countdown into a school-wide hunt to expose the e-blast perpetrator. But what happens at the end of the thirty days? Will Sky get to keep his hard-won visibility? Or will his small-town blues stop him from being his true self? My ReviewOkay, so let me just start my review my saying this: the book is amazing. No, not just amazing--it's a remarkable, hilarious, brilliant gem of a novel. There's so much to love about it, so prepare to hear me gush about it for the next several paragraphs. First, let's talk about Sky Baker himself. It was an absolute joy to spend 336 pages in his head. His witty thoughts are the best thing since the invention of chocolate chip cookies, and he's just the right combination of awkward and nerdy. He's also super passionate about the things and people he cares about. He's a bit insecure and doesn't have the best self-esteem, but this allows readers (or at least me) to empathize with him. It was inspiring to see him grow and become more confident throughout this book. Also, I can't even express how much I love that he covered an entire wall with promposal ideas for the guy he likes. That's the kind of nerdiness I crave in a character, and Sky Baker did not disappoint. Next up: the friendship. AAAAHHHHH THE FRIENDSHIP! If a genie popped out of a bottle right this moment and offered me three wishes, one of them would hands-down be to magically become part of Sky's friend group. They have such a good dynamic and their personalities compliment each other perfectly. I loved how Bree and Marshall were so supportive of Sky. I liked how even though their friend group expanded to include other people, like Teddy and Ali, the three of them still stayed super close. Their friendship also felt really natural, and even though there were some tumultuous moments, they always made up and became even closer because of it. I'm not going to go very in-depth with talking about the romance because spoilers must be avoided at all costs, but it suffices to say that the romance is insanely cute and heart-fluttery *insert a million heart-eyed emojis* Plus it felt like a really natural romantic development (thank goodness for no insta-love!). Aaaaaand I'm just going to leave it at that because if I say anything more spoilers are going to come out and I'm a personal believer that spoilers must be avoided like vampires avoid garlic and sunlight *hiss* Also, the representation in this book! I loved how inclusive this book was. Sky's friend Marshall is Black, and his crush, Ali Rashid, is Iraqi-American; there were some important discussions about race and racial stereotypes. There was also some great LGBTQ+ representation, with Sky being gay and another character eventually revealing that he's transgender. This book also presented some meaningful discussions about not making assumptions about people and not realizing what others experience because of their race or sexuality. I also enjoyed the inspirational adult characters in this book. In a lot of YA books, adult characters are bland or annoying, but in this book many were portrayed as kind, accepting, encouraging. One of Sky's teachers, Winter, was especially inspiring and always had plenty of good advice to offer. Bree's parents were also really kind and loving, and it was heartwarming to see them accept Sky readily into their lives. I also loved Charlie and Brian; they were so kind to Sky, and it was sweet to see him gain confidence from them. One last spectacular thing about this book: the nerdy references! Sky's love of To All the Boys I've Loved Before is golden. Watching him and Teddy nerd out over that To All the Boys Instagram fan account was absolutely priceless. Plus there was an adorable Love, Simon reference too! There were a few Harry Potter references that I wasn't a huge fan of, so readers should be aware of that before diving into this book. However, the other nerdy references were spot-on and I adored them. Well, that's a wrap on my review of The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch! I highly recommend this book, especially for fans of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. I've already read this book twice and I plan to read it many more times in my life. Hands-down, 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Keep scrolling to read some of my favorite quotes from this book! My Favorite QuotesAuthor Information
Hello, bookworms! Welcome to my stop for TBR and Beyond Tours' tour for Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price! I'd like to thank TBR and Beyond Tours for choosing me to be part of this tour and providing me with a copy of the book. Make sure to follow the tour and check out other stops on the tour schedule here! Also, click here to enter a US giveaway for a chance to win a signed finished copy of Pride and Premeditation! This giveaway starts on April 5 and ends on April 12, 2021. Now let's dive in! I'm so excited to tell you about Pride and Premeditation, a fantastic murder mystery retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Keep scrolling for the book's synopsis along with my 15 Reactions While Reading and a mood board inspired by Pride and Premeditation! Title: Pride and Premeditation (Jane Austen Murder Mystery #1) Author: Tirzah Price Genre: Young Adult Historical Fiction Mystery Publishing Date: April 6, 2021 SynopsisPerfect for fans of the Lady Janies and Stalking Jack the Ripper, the first book in the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries series is a clever retelling of Pride and Prejudice that reimagines the iconic settings, characters, and romances in a thrilling and high-stakes whodunit. When a scandalous murder shocks London high society, seventeen-year-old aspiring lawyer Lizzie Bennet seizes the opportunity to prove herself, despite the interference of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, the stern young heir to the prestigious firm Pemberley Associates. Convinced the authorities have imprisoned the wrong person, Lizzie vows to solve the murder on her own. But as the case—and her feelings for Darcy—become more complicated, Lizzie discovers that her dream job could make her happy, but it might also get her killed. 15 Reactions While Reading Pride and PremeditationMood BoardAuthor InformationTirzah Pricegrew up on a farm in Michigan, where she read every book she could get her hands on and never outgrew her love for YA fiction. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and is a former bookseller and librarian. Now, she’s a contributing editor at Book Riot, where she can be found recommending books onthe site, newsletters, podcasts, and social media accounts. When she’s not writing, reading, or thinking about YA books, she splits her time between experimenting in the kitchen and knitting enough socks to last the fierce Michigan winters. Tirzah is pronounced TEER-zuh. Pronouns are she/her. Website l Twitter l Instagram l Goodreads Purchase Pride and Premeditation! |
Hey there, bookworms!My name is Rose (she/her) and I'm the creator of Books of Magic and Mystery. I love reading YA books, especially fantasy and mystery. When I'm not reading, you can find me baking, studying, or cuddling with my super-furry pets. Visit me on Instagram @booksofmagicandmystery! Archives
November 2021
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