Mini Review | This Raging Light by Estelle Laure

Title: This Raging Light

Author: Estelle Laure

Series or standalone: Standalone

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Publication Date: 22nd December 2015

Format: eARC

Source: NetGalley & HMH Books for Young Readers
My Rating: 2/5 stars

Goodreads

Can the best thing happen at the worst time?  Her dad went crazy. Her mom left town. She has bills to pay and a little sister to look after. Now is not the time for level-headed seventeen-year-old Lucille to fall in love. But love—messy, inconvenient love—is what she’s about to experience when she falls for Digby Jones, her best friend’s brother. With blazing longing that builds to a fever pitch, Estelle Laure’s soulful debut will keep readers hooked and hoping until the very last page. 

I won't go too into depth with this review as this debut novel won't be released until December, but I certainly have a few things to say about it! First of all I just want to thank NetGalley and HMH for this eARC! Already, this book has been receiving some praise so I was excited to see what it was all about!
It follows the main character as she tries to hide the fact that her mother left town and she's now the only carer for her 9-year-old sister. Their father is mentally unstable and they don't know where either of their parents are and are scared of coming clean for fear of being separated and put into foster care. 
I loved the idea of this novel as it sparks some really strong emotions and questions. However, I was a bit let down by this book.
The writing was beautiful and metaphorical, but I found many other aspects of the book to be quite bland. I found that I didn't really connect to the characters or the story at all until one point that had me almost choking up at the kindness of some people. Other than that, I found it to be very predictable and some big aspects of the plot I found kind of unnecessary to the overarching theme and storyline. 
I also have a huge problem with unresolved plotlines, and this was one of those, so be aware of that if you are like me and always need a complete resolution.
In the end, I didn't really find it that memorable or amazing, but it is a nice, hopeful little contemporary that might interest some of you!

Book Review | Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout

Title: Hello, I Love You

Author: Katie M. Stout

Series or standalone: Standalone

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Publication Date: 1st July 2015

Format: Paperback

Source: Bought 

Goodreads

Grace Wilde is running—from the multi-million dollar mansion her record producer father bought, the famous older brother who’s topped the country music charts five years in a row, and the mother who blames her for her brother’s breakdown. Grace escapes to the farthest place from home she can think of, a boarding school in Korea, hoping for a fresh start.
She wants nothing to do with music, but when her roommate Sophie’s twin brother Jason turns out to be the newest Korean pop music superstar, Grace is thrust back into the world of fame. She can't stand Jason, whose celebrity status is only outmatched by his oversized ego, but they form a tenuous alliance for the sake of her friendship with Sophie. As the months go by and Grace adjusts to her new life in Korea, even she can't deny the sparks flying between her and the KPOP idol. 
Soon, Grace realizes that her feelings for Jason threaten her promise to herself that she'll leave behind the music industry that destroyed her family. But can Grace ignore her attraction to Jason and her undeniable pull of the music she was born to write? Sweet, fun, and romantic, this young adult novel explores what it means to experience first love and discover who you really are in the process.

This book sounded so promising! It has been compared to Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins except set in Korea and features a hot KPOP star! UMM SIGN ME UP! But unfortunately, I was really disappointed with this book. The idea was so great and had just enough originality to separate itself from Anna and the French Kiss, but essentially, a quite few things let it down for me.
Firstly, I found the main character to be EXTREMELY unlikeable. She was rude, really nosey, judgmental, a little bit racist and extremely insensitive. She was so horrible to her new friends' brother and it wasn't even for a good reason! She would just straight up insult him just because he wasn't paying her the amount of attention she wanted. She also complained a lot and insisted on asking really personal questions to these people she hardly knew, in a blunt and insensitive manner. I just couldn't find any redeeming qualities about her to be honest. She did start to get better towards the end of the book, but I just really didn't like her.
Another thing I really didn't like (and is something that I have seen in quite a few YA novels) is that she purposefully lied to Jason and said that she basically didn't give a rats arse about him (when she clearly did). WHY HIDE YOUR FEELINGS? OR IF YOU MUST HIDE THEM, AT LEAST DO IT WITHOUT HURTING THE OTHER PERSON BY INSULTING THEM. It just didn't make any sense. 
I also feel like even though KPOP and Korea are super important parts of the story, they weren't explored hardly enough. I honestly struggled to picture Korea just from the descriptions in the book and found myself googling what it looks like and I would've loved to delve further into KPOP but it's only briefly mentioned here and there. 
I definitely wanted more of a backstory on other characters such as Yoon Jae. And I'm sad that what happened with Sophie and Tae Hwa?? I wanted more of a resolution with them!
The things that I really enjoyed about the book were definitely the supporting characters, especially Sophie. She was so cute and fun and a lovely person to read about, in contrast to our main character, who acted like a spoiled brat the majority of the time. I also thought that there were definitely some really cute parts of the book, but I definitely wanted more of them! 
Overall, I would recommend this for a light and fluffy contemporary, but keep in mind that it has a really frustrating main character and lacks some other elements that I mentioned above. 
I gave this 2 stars!

Mini Review | When You're Back by Abbi Glines

Title: When You're Back

Author: Abbi Glines

Series or standalone: Book 12 in the Rosemary Beach companion series

Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Publication Date: 30th June 2015

Format: Kindle Edition

Source: Bought 

Goodreads

The future is bright for Reese Ellis. She has Mase Colt-Manning, the man of her dreams, and a family she didn’t know existed until her long-lost father arrived on her doorstep in Rosemary Beach. After growing up with a cruel mother and abusive stepfather, Reese is eager to get to know the caring and charming man who wants to be a part of her life. Everything is finally falling into place.
While Reese is visiting her new family in Chicago, Mase spends time with his “cousin,” Aida, who has worshipped him since childhood. Though they’re unrelated by blood, Mase and Aida have been raised to think of each other as family. But when Reese returns, she can tell something isn’t quite right with Aida, who clearly resents Reese and excels at manipulative little games. And though Mase is unsuspecting, Reese knows Aida doesn’t love him like a cousin should...


Okay here's the thing. I LOVE this series to death even though it's not a literary masterpiece or anything. I love these books because I love all of the characters so much and the same goes for this book, except this book lacked other things for me. Usually throughout these books, there is a main plot-line going on regarding the two main characters of the story, and I felt like the actual plot of this book didn't happen until 70% of the way through the book. The rest was just sex. So that was disappointing. But when the story actual starting developing and things started to happen, I was like YES THERE'S THE ABBI GLINES I LOVE WHERE WERE YOU GURL? So usually I rate these books really high because the blend of character development, the plot and the sex are all usually balanced perfectly, but in this one they weren't. Also, another thing that might bother some people (but didn't bother me that much coz I realise these books are pretty unrealistic in terms of the love story) was that some of the things that came out of Mase's mouth just weren't things that normal guys say. The things he says are just too romantic and cheesy and I really don't think guys in real life talk like that (at least, my boyfriend doesn't talk cheese to that extreme) but I still love it because I love these characters and this series is my guilty pleasure sooooo yeah just some quick thoughts about this book! I still absolutely adore this series and I realise that it isn't for everyone!

I gave this 3 stars!

REVIEW | Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry

Title: Nowhere But Here

Author: Katie McGarry

Series or standalone: 1st in the Thunder Road companion series

Genre: Mature YA Contemporary 

Publication Date: 26th May 2015

Format: eARC & Paperback

Source: NetGalley (Harlequin Teen) & Bought

Goodreads

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighbourhood. Sure, she’s curious about her biological father — the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent — but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father, and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.
Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They’re the good guys. They protect people. They’re...family. And while Emily — the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club’s most respected member — is in town, he’s gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it’s his shot at his dream. What he doesn’t count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.
No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

Nowhere But Here definitely exceeded my expectations by around 50000000000000 (plus maybe 10 more zeros). I went into this book expecting it to be a YA version of Sons of Anarchy with a sexy romance and I definitely wasn't wrong, but what I didn't expect was the depth and the HUGE amount of emotions that it would evoke. I've read Katie McGarry first book, Pushing the Limits, and I loved it a lot so I knew that no matter what, I'd at least enjoy this novel, but not only did I love it, it had me in tears, it had my heart racing, it had my stomach in knots, it had me feeling butterflies, it had me feeling EVERYTHING. 
I loved the idea of the biker club because you never really see that in YA, and I think it was done exceptionally well and with authenticity. There are so many characters and you really begin to feel like a part of this huge family and I could literally feel the love pouring off of the pages between these fictional people who seemed so real to me. 
I also really appreciated how some topics were dealt with in the book like broken families, death and disabilities. One thing that I didn't like at the beginning was when Oz would constantly think about Emily's body and how sexy it was and I thought it was a bit unnecessary, but then I realised that that's how Oz grew up. He grew up in a biker club where women were seen as objects and playthings until the men in the club found that one woman who meant the world to them. So I can sort of see where that was coming from, but it did make me a little bit uncomfortable. 
Another thing that isn't just solely from this book, but from many YA books, is how sex is shown (or not shown) in them. I think it's important (especially as this is a mature YA book) that authors don't gloss over certain things. Like when a character orgasms and then just puts his pants back on. Um..... are you going to clean that up or??????? Just stuff like that that gets left out that makes it really unrealistic.
Other than those very minor things, I absolutely adored this book. My feelings were all over the place and I fell in love with not only the characters, but that sense of family and home that they had. It was truly beautiful! 5 stars!

REVIEW | Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

Title: Every Last Word

Author: Tamara Ireland Stone

Series or standalone: Standalone

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Publication Date: 16th June 2015

Format: eARC

Source: NetGalley (Disney Hyperion)

Goodreads

"If you could read my mind, you wouldn't be smiling."
Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can't turn off. 
Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn't help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she'd be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam's weekly visits to her psychiatrist.Caroline introduces Sam to Poet's Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more "normal" than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for this review copy! 
This book was phenomenal. It was one of the best young adult contemporaries that I've read that deals with mental illness. The main character, Sam, has OCD which is an anxiety disorder. I suffer from an anxiety disorder too, so I really wanted to read this and see how I could connect with it and how well Tamara Ireland Stone portrayed it. I have to say, she did this fantastically. You really get a feel for what it's like to go through her mental disorder and I think people who don't suffer from mental illness firsthand will really get to see what it's like and the effects that it can have on a person, their life and the people around them. 

I was honestly hooked from the start. It had a plot-line that kept me completely engaged the entire time and the romance was portrayed so realistically and was so swoon-worthy it had me smiling to myself while I was reading. I just think that the romance is so real and fun to read about and it was perfectly paced. The characters were all great! I loved her psychologist and the poetry group and everyone in it so much! I just felt for them all and felt like I was friends with them too by the end! I also loved how poetry was incorporated into the novel. It was done wonderfully and the poems were all so unique and different and lovely. 

The only criticism I have for this book is that there is a HUGE absence of Sam's family. They appear a couple of times, but other than that, I don't know anything about them at all! I really wanted them to be fleshed out a lot more because I feel as though they played a huge role in helping Sam through everything (especially at the start and end of the novel, as well as before the events in the novel even happen.) 
Other than that, what a beautiful, engaging and inspiring novel. Absolutely adored it! 5 stars!

REVIEW | KISSING IN AMERICA BY MARGO RABB

Title: Kissing in America

Author: Margo Rabb

Series or standalone: Standalone

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Publication Date: 26th May 2015

Format: ARC

Source: Publisher (Penguin)

Goodreads

In the two years since her father died, sixteen-year-old Eva has found comfort in reading romance novels—118 of them, to be exact—to dull the pain of her loss that’s still so present. Her romantic fantasies become a reality when she meets Will, who seems to truly understand Eva’s grief. Unfortunately, after Eva falls head-over-heels for him, he picks up and moves to California without any warning. Not wanting to lose the only person who has been able to pull her out of sadness—and, perhaps, her shot at real love—Eva and her best friend, Annie, concoct a plan to travel to the west coast to see Will again. As they road trip across America, Eva and Annie confront the complex truth about love. 

Firstly, I just want to thank Penguin for sending my workplace an ARC for us booksellers to read! 
I've seen a couple of negative reviews of this book on goodreads and all I can think is, Did we read the same book? I thought this book was absolutely hilarious, honest and exhilarating to read! I loved every moment of it. I knew I was going to love it because I was literally laughing out loud by page 2, and it takes A LOT for a book to make me do this. I think it's because the type of humour in this book is EXACTLY my type of humour. It had me giggling like an idiot! 
I want to stress that this isn't a romance. It's a coming of age story that focuses mainly on friendship, family and grief and how these affect Eva throughout the events in the novel. I absolutely loved the poetry theme and the depth to the family issues and the road trip was just brilliant! I also loved how we got to see REAL issues that impact REAL teens today. I found the main character to be really relatable even though I haven't been through a grieving process or anything, I just felt like I connected to her for some reason, and props to Margo Rabb for creating a character that I easily could attach myself to! 
I love the theme in this book that true love comes in all different forms, not just romantic love. I loved reading about Eva's growth as a person and I loved joining her on her journey to self-discovery.
I loved everything about this book and I highly, highly recommend picking it up if you love a good contemporary that has a romance throughout, but isn't solely romance focused. LOVED IT. 5 stars!

REVIEW | FINDING AUDREY BY SOPHIE KINSELLA

Title: Finding Audrey

Author: Sophie Kinsella

Series or standalone: Standalone

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Publication Date: 4th June 2015

Format: Paperback 

Source: Publisher (Doubleday Children's)

Goodreads

Audrey can't leave the house.
She can't even take off her dark glasses inside the house. Then her brother's friend Linus stumbles into her life. With his friendly, orange-slice smile and his funny notes, he starts to entice Audrey out again - well, Starbucks is a start.And with Linus at her side, Audrey feels like she can do the things she'd thought were too scary. Suddenly, finding her way back to the real world seems achievable.
Be prepared to laugh, dream and hope with Audrey as she learns that even when you feel like you have lost yourself, love can still find you . . .

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book! At first I was so excited for it because it sounded perfect for me because when I was Audrey's age, I had actually gone through something freakishly similar to her in this book! But then again, I had issues with it that I was hoping wouldn't arise but unfortunately I couldn't ignore. 
I'll start off by saying that a lot of things about Audrey and this book were so similar to me that I was freaking out a little bit. Like, Sophie Kinsella, did you steal my diary from when I was 14 or what? When I was 14, I was bullied and had a really rough time in high school, so much so that I couldn't go to school, or even leave my own house (all of which happens to Audrey). I also developed a relationship with a boy who helped me greatly and moved schools (like Audrey plans to do). IS THAT NOT FREAKY? 
Anyway, Sophie Kinsella's writing style is so great because it's hilarious and it reads like one of those comedy tv shows! This book is under 300 pages and I could've finished it in a couple of hours if I hadn't had things to do! It just reads so easily and the book also contains film scripts and notes that speed up and enhance the reading experience! 
Moving on to the things that I had issues with:
 - The fact that you never find out what happened in detail to cause her anxiety to dictate her mind.
 - The unrealistic and stereotyped parental figures. Her mother was the typical "video games are bad for you and you need to play outside because that's what I did when I was younger" except exaggerated TIMES A THOUSAND. Her father was a classic 'always on his blackberry and never hears what his wife says and just agrees with everything she says' kinda guy and I found them to be REALLY unrealistic. I mean, I'm sure there are parents out there that are like this, but to the extent where I found myself questioning how exaggerated these stereotypes were was ridiculous. 
 - The insta-love. Now, I understand that at Audrey's age, you get into a relationship and you're telling each other you love them straight away (I know, because I did that too. Oh how silly I was!) but I thought it was a bit strange that one minute Audrey was having such bad anxiety that she couldn't look him in the eye or even face him and the next minute they're making out? It just didn't make that much sense to me, especially coming from someone who has experienced severe anxiety at that age and throughout my entire life.

But it was fun and quick and easy to read. It had its cute moments and I would recommend it for anyone looking for a quick contemporary or anyone interested in mental illnesses and such. I really wish I could have loved it :(

I ended up giving this 2 stars!