Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon Review

Although I recently got back into reading for fun again (as you know from my Wintersong review), I still really didn't have the time with school and what time I did have, I spent watching tv or movies cause as you know I watch a shit ton of tv. It wasn't until about three weeks ago when all my shows went on hiatus that I finally started to pick up books again and man I cannot even tell you how many I flew through and I've been on this contemporary kick because for some reason I was craving romance over my usual fantasy.

I read almost every Sarah Dessen novel she wrote, reread one of my favorites of hers and finally moved onto Everything Everything and I was so moved that there aren't any words to explain what I'm feeling right now as I type up my review. I literally just finished this book about a minute ago and I cannot explain to you how I feel. It was an incredible book which I adored to pieces despite feeling like the ending was a bit rushed and wanting another chapter at least! The main character Maddy was incredibly relatable and her love interest Olly was perfectly perfect and their romance made me melt. I would give this book a 5/5 and I would definitely definitely recommend it. The synopsis is as follows and this is the end of my non-spoiler-y section so if you haven't read this book yet, go read it and then come back cause this is a book you don't want to spoiled on!

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla. But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly. Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

Let's start with the way the book was written. I'm always such a sucker for uniqueness in general but when there's a fun new way that a book is written, it reels me in like in the Shatter Me trilogy when words and sentences were crossed out to show how hesitant and unsure the main character was and how as the books progressed, there was less and less of the strikeouts until in the final book, there was none. As such I loved the little notes and webpages and drawings that were placed in between characters making this feel more like a diary than a novel. I loved how much they showed you what the main character felt more than words cause heaven knows I understand that struggle with not knowing how to describe what I'm feeling.

Maddy and Olly. What can I even saw about them but that I loved their romance so much??? It felt completely believable and my heart broke right alongside Maddy as we both knew where their romance was heading and that was nowhere good. I could not stop smiling when I read their back and forth dialogue and their chemistry was palpable through the pages. I loved their trip to Hawaii and I couldn't stop crying when Maddy broke it off.

Maddy was an amazingly written character. Unlike a lot of heroines in contemporaries, she wasn't afraid to say how she felt or to feel fully. A lot of characters struggle with either realizing what they want or they struggle with saying it but Maddy wasn't like that which I loved. She was so strong and brave and I couldn't help but love her. I loved her relationship with her mom at the beginning of the book but as the book went on, I started to feel more and more suspicious of her because of how she reacted to everything that went down. I understood why she got so upset after Maddy ran out to help Olly but her reaction to that in never allowing Maddy to talk to Olly again and firing Carla the only other constant in Maddy's life and then hiring a super professional nurse just to keep Maddy isolated from anyone but her was so strange that I started to have my doubts about what kind of person she was which is the ending hit me so hard.

Now for the elephant in the room, the big plot twist. As I mentioned earlier, I was super unsure how this book would end cause I hoped and hoped that maybe a cure could be found to let Maddy go outside but after Me Before You, there was a distinct possibility that Maddy would die and I felt like that was okay too. I'm a sucker for happy endings but sometimes the best ones are the bittersweet ones. That's why when I got to the end, I was completely thrown. Option C never even came to my mind! Suddenly I was furious on behalf of Maddy and I got even more so when all the characters kept telling Maddy that she should forgive her mother for lying and that it was only eighteen years of her life and that she'd have plenty more. NO! Whether it was eighteen years or more, whether Maddy's mom was mentally ill or not, it was not okay in any sense of the word. Maddy lost eighteen years of her life for nothing and I was furious. The book left it kind of open ended as to whether Maddy would forgive her mom or not but if I were Maddy, I don't know if I would be able to honestly and if I did, it would take a lot of time before I found it okay.

Anyway I loved this book and I would definitely recommend checking it out!

xoxo Allie

Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones Review

So it's been a hot minute since I last reviewed a book that I read and that's because I've been so busy that I've barely read any new books and those that I did, I was mostly indifferent to in that I fell in love with the first book but then they got worse as they went and by the end, I was just glad to be done. It's scarred me so much that I've been rereading books that I love because sometimes you need something to make you smile and I know what books make me smile so why not reread them over and over?

I had Wintersong on my bookshelf for so long and I finally picked it up this weekend when I had a little bit of free time and not enough to watch a movie or a tv show and I had the hardest time putting this book back down. The synopsis is as follows:

The last night of the year. Now the days of winter begin and the Goblin King rides abroad, searching for his bride… All her life, Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, dangerous Goblin King. They’ve enraptured her mind, her spirit, and inspired her musical compositions. Now eighteen and helping to run her family’s inn, Liesl can’t help but feel that her musical dreams and childhood fantasies are slipping away. But when her own sister is taken by the Goblin King, Liesl has no choice but to journey to the Underground to save her. Drawn to the strange, captivating world she finds—and the mysterious man who rules it—she soon faces an impossible decision. And with time and the old laws working against her, Liesl must discover who she truly is before her fate is sealed.

I actually think the book reminded me more of the myth of Hades and Persephone more than it reminded me of Beauty and the Beast like the synopsis on Goodreads claims. It had a wonderful world that you could fall into and a beautiful ending but the heroine made me want to smack her a few times in how passive she was and how she couldn't see where things were going while they seemed so obvious from my perspective. The middle of the book got kind of boring but the ending more than made up for it. I'd give this book like 4/5 stars.

Now I'm about to get into spoilers so if you haven't read the book, stop here, go read it and then come back!

So like I mentioned Liesl was kind of annoying at parts. I understood where she was coming from completely especially because of the age she was from and how her family treated her. Despite this, she acted so dumb throughout so much of the book. When she went to save her sister from the Goblin King, I knew right away that she needed to sacrifice herself for her sister and I couldn't understand why it took her chapters to realize what she needed to do. And then when she married the Goblin King, she never asked him what would happen to her or what her purpose was or anything that could have helped. She just wanted him to sleep with her and when he didn't, she threw a tantrum.

I did like the Goblin King although I wish we could have learned more about him or gotten to know him better. The story was more about Liesl learning who she was and accepting herself and the Goblin King was kind of just a path to that. As soon as he revealed his love for her and her love for him, he let her go. I loved the idea of the book being about reminding Liesl of who she was and that she was more than just a daughter or sister without wants or needs but I still wish we could have seen more of the Goblin World and seen her rule or even seen her fall in love. Most of the love for the Goblin King came from her childhood (that we didn't see) on his part and from the freedom he gave her to be herself on her part.

This leads to the terribly tragic ending this book had. I could not stop crying for the last few chapters. I kept waiting for their love to be enough to bring the Goblin King back to life the way that Liesl's changling brother was living in the world or thinking that maybe they would figure out a way for Liesl to keep visiting. If she was dying in the Goblin World, why couldn't she be like Persephone and stay in the world for a while and then go stay in the Goblin World for a while? I'm not a fan of sad endings even though I can appreciate them for what they are. It does make sense in the end cause like I said before, this book wasn't really a love story but a story about finding yourself.

I'd definitely recommend you read this book if you haven't already! There's no sequel in the plans but there might be a companion novel released next year. I probably will not read it though cause I'm not a fan of novellas.

That's all for now!

xoxo Allie

The Originals by Cat Patrick Thoughts

Hey all!! I'm back with another book review!!! I just finished reading The Originals by Cat Patrick and let me just say, GOOSEBUMPS. I really enjoyed this book. It was a creative idea and Cat Patrick is an amazing writer! The synopsis is below.

Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey Best grew up believing they were identical triplets. Then they learned the truth... and no one else can know. Now, to the outside world, the Best family appears to consist of a single mother with one seventeen-year-old daughter named Elizabeth. Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey take turns going to school, pursuing extracurriculars, and even dating. Then Lizzie meets Sean Kelly, the one person who can help her realize she's not a carbon copy of the others - she's an individual with unique dreams and desires. Digging deeper into her background and her mother's role in her life, Lizzie begins to dismantle the delicate balance of an unusual family that only science could have created.

Let's talk characters first. Lizzie was a really good protagonist. She was likable, willing to be different and to follow what she genuinely believes in rather that just going along with whatever people tell her to do. While it's true that she was a bit too dramatic in certain situations, she had this never ending persistence. Betsey and Ella were fun characters too although I liked Betsey a little more. Ella for being described as fearless, was a very cautious person. She was also kind of selfish in that she didn't mind being a third of a person as long as she got everything she wanted. Betsey was sweet and caring and an ideal sister. She wanted to do what was best for her sisters but also wanted to be independent.

The dynamics between the sisters were also great. They were clones, but they each have their own personality, and while they do fight, they're sisters above all. The three understand the importance of their secrecy, but they support each other when each decides to rebel, and they work together effectively. There are no huge fights or backstabbing, they are truly a team. I loved how they make the relationships work. I understood the pain of one as they're forced to date only one person, for the sake of appearing to be one person.

Sean is the love interest and he was also a great character. He is independent, caring and can be empathetic. He does lean towards a constantly jealous person but eventually, with his everlasting empathy, Sean still turns to be a loveable supporting character.

I really enjoyed the plot of the novel because like I said before, it was a creative one and I can definitely say that I've never read anything like this. The book made me feel for these girls and I hated their "mom." Not only was she super controlling but she was "observing" them to write a paper later on. I was sitting there and hoping that the girls would do something about it earlier than they did. I hated when Lizzie defended her mom to Sean although I guess she could have been a worse mom.

Besides the mom, I thought the ending was a little rushed. Much of the book fleshed out the romance and the coming of age story and just when the book got good, it was over. The reveal was kind of a  let down. And there's one inconsistency that I just can't get out of my head. If they were in trouble of being found out, why couldn't they have just dyed their hair and gotten three identities all those years ago? Why decide to act like one person?

Other than those few things, I did really enjoy the book! In fact, I'd give it a 4/5 stars. I definitely think you should check it out. I'm excited about Cat Patrick's writing style and I can't wait to check out Forgotten and Revival!!

xoxo Allie

What the Spell by Brittany Geragotelis Review

Hey all! So I just recently finished reading a book called "What the Spell" by Brittany Geragotelis. The book revolves around a sixteen year old girl named Brooklyn. Here's the synopsis: 

Almost-sixteen-year-old Brooklyn feels invisible, but she desperately wants to be pretty, to be popular, to be adored by a cute guy. Luckily for her, she’s a witch about to come of age—so she’s only a few spells away from making it all happen. On her milestone birthday, Brooklyn’s conservative parents finally unbind her powers. This newfound freedom leads to a spell-assisted makeover, entree into the cool clique, and the attention of her longtime crush, Asher. Even better, Brooklyn discovers her true power: the ability to magically match couples with a love spell. But Brooklyn’s quest for popularity is not without its price. As the clique escalates their initiation tests and she relies on her powers to complete the tasks, Brooklyn finds herself in the same precarious position as her Salem ancestors: if she’s found out, she could be vilified—and lose Asher in the process. Can she make the most of her magic, or will she be luckless and loveless? Be careful what you witch for!

So I was hoping this book would be really good because I have a special place in my heart for witches. The plot was iffy because I didn't care for Brooklyn doing a makeover on herself but I hoped more of the book revolved around witches and casting spells. But instead I got a book about a girl who completely changes her appearance and spends the entire book chasing popularity which is overrated. There will be spoilers below so leave now if you haven't read this book!!! 

Okay so I understand the whole makeover thing because plenty of girls do this but she didn't just change her hair color or get new clothes. She literally gave herself a new body complete with new eye color, hair color, boobs, butt and curves. On top of completely becoming a different person, her parents didn't even care. They just told her some story about the Salem Witch Trials and told her not to overuse her powers. Fine I can roll with that. But no one in the school questioned her changes? I mean I know Brooklyn wasn't really noticed but wouldn't the teachers notice or care? 

Then came The Elite aka the popular kids. The entire time I was sitting there rolling my eyes. How was it not completely obvious that they were just using her? And then she was dumb enough to do magic in front of them. Like hello? Didn't you remember ANYTHING your parents warned you about? And the book ends without Brooklyn even trying to fix it. I was expecting her to do a spell to get Gigi's phone and erase the video or something but nope. She just carries on like nothing changed.

Asher and Abby and their parents were probably the only thing I enjoyed about this book. I liked learning about them and their home. The romance was not great for me. It pissed me off that she used magic to make Asher fall for her. I understand the concept but I still don't approve. The entire book Brooklyn kept hiding things from him and there really was no spark that I could see. And when he leaves, she's not really heartbroken like I expected. In fact she barely mentions him when she's talking about how she's going to run the school now. I am curious though about where the entire family went. I feel like either they are the descendants from the Parris line or they were caught doing magic and are in trouble. 

Apparently there are two more books in this series but the main character changes. I'll probably read the next one and if I like the main character then I'll stick with this series otherwise I won't continue. I was disappointed with this book and I'd probably give it 2 stars out of 5. Believe it or not, I have read worse books.... Anyway so those are my thoughts!! Hope you enjoyed them!

xoxo Allie

God of Olympus - Books

Hello all!!! So I saw this tag on YouTube and I thought it looked pretty fun so here we go!!!

Zeus: Name Your Favorite Fictional Leader.

I would definitely have to go with Percy Jackson from the Percy Jackson series. Not only is Percy just super badass, being the son of Poseidon after all, he's brave and selfless and will sacrifice his life for others. He's an amazing fighter and he knows how to talk himself out of bad situations. Percy has great instincts and never wavers from his beliefs!

Hera: Who Are Your Favorite Fictional Parents?

Honestly not a lot of books that I read have parents in them... I guess I'd have to go with Luke and Jocelyn from the Mortal Instruments even though I didn't really like Jocelyn in City of Fallen Angels... They're there when Clary needs them and although they might not be the most supportive, they love her.

Demeter: What Fictional Food Would You Want To Try?

Hmmm.... I'm not sure. I guess I'd go with ambrosia from the Greek gods. It's food that can taste like whatever we want it to so you'd never crave anything! AND it can heal you if your injured which is a plus. The only downside would be that I'm not a god or a half-blood so I may die from taking it haha!

Poseidon: Name A TV Show Where Water Is Central Either In Setting Or Plot

Duh. This one is easy. The Percy Jackson series!!! The main character Percy is a son of Poseidon so he has powerful water abilities like talking to marine life, controlling the flow of water, being able to heal himself with water and breathing under water. I mentioned he was badass right?

Dionysus: Which Character Would You Want To Party With?

Well the easy answer would be Izzy from the Mortal Instruments!!! She definitely knows how to cut back and have some fun!!! We could go dancing and meet boys and take a couple of shots!!!

My other answer, is Lizzie from Pride and Prejudice. Okay okay. I know what you're thinking. Why on earth would Allie like to do that? I wouldn't want to live in this era but I would LOOOOOVE to go to a party or two. I've always loved the beautiful dresses and amazing hairstyles and it would be epic to dance at a ball!!!

Apollo: What Was A Debut TV Show That Was Fantastic?

Divergent. It was Veroncia Roth's first book and it was incredible!!! I loved reading every single sentence in it from beginning to end! Divergent was very creative and fun to follow and the characters were relatable!

Artemis: Favorite Female Heroine

Hmmm... Honestly I'm not sure. I begin by loving a lot of female characters but then I hate them in sequels. I loved Tris in Divergent but hated her in Insurgent. I liked Juliette in Shatter Me and hated her in Unravel Me. Loved America in the Selection, hated her in the Elite. You get my point. I guess my favorite heroine would have to be Clary. Clary is not the most badass female but she was brave without having any training or power. She would move heaven and earth to help those she loved. 

Athena: Character Who Is Wise

This answer depends on what aspect of wise I would consider. If you consider book smarts, I would go with Annabeth. She is the daughter of Athena so wisdom comes naturally. She knows all about Greek myths and can strategize in battle. She adds details to Percy's plans and knows when to speak up.

Street wise, I'd go with Kenji from the Shatter Me series. He knows how to talk to people and when to pick a fight. Kenji was the only person able to snap Juliette from her Adam funk and remind her that there are bigger problems than her love life. He knows how to get her powers working and what buttons to push to get her motivated.

Hermes: If You Could Travel To A Place, Fictional Or Not, Where Would You Go?

My number one place to visit would be Camp Half-Blood from the Percy Jackson series!!! It sounds super awesome! Most of the campers are friendly and don't take things too seriously. I mean rock walls, capture-the-flag and a gigantic lake! What's not to love? Camp Half-Blood is like a giant family that looks out for each other.

Hephaestus: If I Could Make A Fictional Weapon Or Tool, What Would You Want?

Hmm I'd go with a stele from the Mortal Instruments! I think it would be super cool to be able to draw a rune on myself and gain strength or speed or heal myself! There's a rune for everything and if a rune doesn't exist, Clary could always make you one ;)

Ares: Which Fictional Battle Was Your Favorite?
 

This one is a no-brainer!!! The final battle between the Greek Gods and Kronos's army in the Percy Jackson series aka the Battle of Manhattan. It was amazing. I could not stop reading for a second. The battle was well written and very intense. I was literally on the edge of my seat! I liked how all of the Greek half-bloods teamed together to save their city while the Greek Gods were out fighting. I loved how each character had their moment of triumph and Rachel came back to become the oracle!

Aphrodite: Who Is Your Ultimate Ship?

My ultimate ship would have to be Warner and Juliette from the Shatter Me series. Now technically they aren't a couple but I feel like they fit each other. At first glance they're nothing but the cliche bad boy and good girl relationship but digging deeper, they just fit. Warner brings out Juliette's strength and makes her believe in herself. Juliette physically strengthens Warner with her touch and she makes him want to be a better person. I really hope that they bite the bullet and become a couple in the final Shatter Me book!!!

Hades: If I Could Bring A Character Back, Which One Would You Want To Bring Back To Life? 

At first thought I could not really think of anyone who died that I really wanted to return to life but glancing through my bookshelf I realized what should have been a no-brainer!! Gatsby from the Great Gatsby! When I was reading the book, I cried when he died. He didn't deserve his death. All Gatsby did was try to protect the love of his life and he got shot for it! He didn't deserve not having anyone come to his funeral and he deserved to find a love that would not choose society over him! Nick needed him to maintain his faith in society!

So that's all!!! Sometime in the near future, I will do either a movie or a book version of the Gods of Olympus tag!!!

xoxo Allie

Stephanie Perkins - Best Contemporary Novels

Hi everyone! So I just wanted to post a quick blog about two of the BEST contemporary novels I have ever read! Anna and the French Kiss & Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. These two books were amazing! Now normally I don't read a lot of contemporary. My go-to genres are definitely dystopian and supernatural I guess (is that what the Mortal Instruments and Percy Jackson would fall under?) because I feel like a lot of contemporary novels are too slow and boring. A lot of problems in the character's lives could be solved by talking to one another and it drives me crazy!

But these two novels, were beyond EPIC! I read them straight through in one sitting. They aren't extremely long and they'll make your insides melt. Like why can't I have a Étienne or a Cricket in my life? The characters in these stories are so well written that you fell in love with them! And the boys! The boys have flaws, they aren't supermodels, they aren't confident and that's exactly what makes them perfect! The girls are strong in their own way and grow through the books. If your upset, these books will make you feel so happy inside.

If you haven't read these books yet, I definitely recommend picking them up! I swear you won't regret it! I even preferred these books to Nicholas Sparks novels! Okay, that's enough fangirling. Love you readers!!

xoxo Allie

Book Review - The Selection by Kiera Cass

Hello internet universe! Allie here with a book review! I just finished reading The Selection by Kiera Cass and omg! I can't even describe how I'm feeling right now!!!! I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! Ahh! Normally I'm not really into books like this one but I've heard some pretty good reviews so I decided to check it out and it was definitely worth it! Basically this book is a slightly dystopian universe (although much more positive than most) where the US has barely managed to survive World War IV. The country has combined with Canada to become Ilea which is run by a royal family. There are several castes in society and depending on how high you were in the caste system, the better of you were. If the royal family has a son, when he comes of age, he will marry a girl from Ilea while a daughter will marry a son from a different royal family. Prince Maxon has to choose a wife by a large application process which is narrowed down to thirty-five. The female protagonist, America Singer, has been selected as one of the thirty-five but she's not happy about it because that means she has to leave her secret love, Aspen, who is in a lower caste than her, making it impossible for them to be together. This book originally reminded me a lot of the Bachelor which is why I was hesitant to pick it up but its very different from the Bachelor. That is all of my non-spoiler section. If you haven't read the book, I would suggest checking it out!!

Now for the spoiler section and my thoughts! Okay so first of all, I LOVE Maxon! I wasn't expecting it due to my biase about dystopian books. I thought that Maxon would be stuck up and wouldn't care about the country but it turned out to be the opposite and I just fell in love with him! From what I gathered about the royal family, his mother (the queen) is an absolute sweetheart and his father (the king) really seems to care about the country. This threw me a little because I really didn't like the caste system so I was expecting the royals to be cold when in fact they were much warmer than I expected. I mean America teased Maxon so much and all three just seem to enjoy it rather than get angry with her! Also, I don't like Aspen. I don't know why but something about him just rubbed me the wrong way... Maybe its just that I loved Maxon but I think it also has to do with the fact that Aspen first pushes America to apply but then gets upset when he realizes that America might actually care for Maxon. Double standard much? I have this feeling that Aspen actually does have another girl besides America but once she became famous, he wanted her again. And of all the places he could go, he ends up at the palace as America's guard! I hated that he just crept into her room while she was sleeping... I find that to be super creepy not romantic! I was happy though at the end that America decided to actually try and win over Maxon because she realized she did like him. I seriously hate Celeste because she's so fake! When she was trying to rip the dress of America, I wanted to reach into the book and smack her! Marlee seems like a sweetheart but I'm curious as to why she's still here if she doesn't like Maxon... Of all the girls, I feel like America is the only one who truly may love him...

This is supposedly the first book of a series and I know The Elite is coming out in a few weeks and I'm SUPER excited!! I can't wait to see what happens and I really hope America pushes Aspen away and Maxon picks her. I feel as though in the next book, Maxon or someone is going to find out about Aspen and America and drama will ensue because afterall the whole book can't be about the Selection. If there are future books, I think they may be about Maxon and America fixing the country and possibly getting rid of the caste system which seems to be the only negative thing about the country.

Well that's all I have to say on this book! Definitely check it out if you haven't already. I give it 5 out 5 stars! Ciao for now!

xoxo Allie