my favorite books of 2019!

Hello, friends!

It’s finally the best time of the year: sharing my favorite books I’ve read. I read a lot, surprisingly, and yet I didn’t even have that many books to talk about. I was able to find a list of ten that I’m really invested in and that I have so much to talk about, so maybe it is for the best I don’t have so many, otherwise this post will last forever, lol.

Let’s go!

FIRST READ OF 2019

It’s so crazy to think that my first read of 2019 actually turned out to be one my favorites of the year. I’ve talked a lot about American Panda already, but this book was such a delightful ride. Mei, our main character, is struggling with being her own self in front of her very traditional Taiwanese parents. She’s in her first year of MIT, studying to be a doctor, even though her passion couldn’t be further from anything biology related.

There’s so much I loved about this book. First, Gloria Chao’s realistic writing, that had all the romantic moments but in ways that could happen in real life too; then, the complex relationships. Mei loved and respected her parents and was grateful for their sacrifices, but still felt the need to be her own self, which would never meet her parents’ expectations. It was very heartbreaking following her struggles and how alone she felt, but to me, it’s what made the whole ride even more beautiful and rewarding.

 

MY FIRST CO-WRITTEN READ

All American Boys was the first book I ever read that was written by two authors. Even though the first couple of chapters were really hard to get through, I was incredibly invested by the end. In this dual perspective novel, we follow Quinn and Rashad, and how their stories intertwine over police brutality, fear and doing what’s right.

I think the big lesson of this story – to speak up, even when it’s hard – was so incredibly powerful. The characters had a lot of layers, even the side characters, and Rashad’s father especially was one that hit me the hardest. The dual perspective added a lot to the story too, because it was so great seeing both the privilege that made both of these characters different, but also all the other aspects of their lives that made them so much alike. I really think this is one that deserves more hype.

 

BEST RE-READ

For 2019, I had the goal to re-read at least one book a month, which I accomplished. I have such a fun time re-visiting stories I love and reconnecting with characters that I’d missed. There were some books I already expected to love, and did; and others that I didn’t feel the same way after the re-read. The only one that I truly grew to like even *more* the second time around was The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue.

I remembered this book being hilarious, but I was taken aback by how sad it could be at times. Monty, our protagonist, is such a phenomenal character. In this journey he takes around Europe with his best friend and sister, and through all their crazy adventures with royalty, pirates and sinking islands, he grows so much and following such growth was remarkable. He not only learns and understands his own privilege, but also recognizes himself as someone worthy of love and affection, in ways that he’d never had before. It was heartbreaking to see his trauma, but also so heart-warming to see him find love. (And also incredibly hilarious to see his meltdowns over the most ridiculous things).

 

MOST SURPRISING READ

I think, to a certain degree, all the books I have in this list were books that I already expected to really, really like. Either because they had some of my favorite tropes or because they were really hyped and recommended over and over again. But prior to picking up Heretics Anonymous, I hadn’t even heard the most flattering stuff, but decided to read anyway, since the premise sounded so interesting.

And the payoff was incredible. Here, we follow our main character Michael, an atheist going to a catholic school, and the friends he makes there – a group called Heretics Anonymous -, that just like him, aren’t the biggest believers, and they form a very interesting friendship. The biggest take for this book, in my opinion, is how Katie Henry was able to both address that Michael was incredibly privileged being a white, straight, cis boy – especially in contrast to his very diverse group of friends -, and also recognize that his problems and struggles are all still very valid.

The dialogues were hilarious, the characters were so interesting and I was finally able to read about a South-American character, Lucy, who was our 10/10 love interest. Basically: this was so great I can’t believe no one else talks about it.

 

DESERVING OF ALL THE HYPE

Vicious is seriously a book I’ve been wanting to read since I found out BookTube in early 2014. Since then, I had never seen anyone giving this book any less than 4/5 stars. And when I finally got the chance to acquire a copy while in NYC last December and then to finally read it, this April, I totally comprehend all the people who *love* this book.

V.E. Schwab created such an intricate plot, that jumps into timelines, while following this villanous story that start out as a simple academic research and turns into an intense chase. Because of how the book is told, you end up going through it like finding different pieces to complete a puzzle and I absolutely love how invested I was in figuring out exactly what led these characters to where they were.

I really think this was the most outstanding writing I read this year and I really wish this could get turned into a Netflix show. It would be so amazing.

 

BY MY FAVORITE AUTHOR

It is official: Nic Stone is one of my favorite female authors of all times. This year, I read two books by her, and though the first one was bittersweet, it just showed me how great her writing is and Jackpot completely solidified that. I will never shut up about how more people need to read her books, because her work is truly fantastic.

In this book, we follow Rico and Zan, who despise their *very* different financial backgrounds, team up to find a missing lotto ticket. And this book delivers everything I expected: hilarious dialogues, fantastic & layered characters and deep discussions on very serious topics. This book explores privilege, money and race, while also being fun and entertaining. It truly is the best of both worlds.

 

MADE ME CRY THE MOST

I don’t really cry a lot with books, so whenever I find a novel that can bring these much tears, I know it is a keeper. That was Far From the Tree – a three-perspective novel about three siblings finding each other at the age of 16 and each of their struggles with family, love and identity.

There’s so much that this book discusses that this description I just gave barely scratches the surface. Even though there were characters and storylines I didn’t connect as much with (cof cof Maya cof cof), I still have such fond memories of my time reading this. Robin Benway creates fantastic family dynamics – the type that will bring tears to your eyes within two seconds – and I wanted so bad to just jump into this book and hug all of these characters so hard.

 

MOST RELATABLE

I don’t think I’ll ever shut up about Radio Silence, because just like Vicious, it was one of those books I had on my TBR for ages and as soon as I started it, I realized why everyone raves about it. But I was surprised to see how much I would actually relate to these characters.

While Radio Silence mostly focuses on a podcast and follows a girl who’s obsessed with it, I feel like the word “podcast” could’ve been replaced by book series or TV show and it would’ve been all about me. I also can’t tell you which character I relate the most with, because both were so well written and I could see myself in both Frances’ self-pressure to be perfect and in Aled’s way of using fiction to cope with his own feelings.

This was also so incredibly diverse and I am so glad that I picked this up, because it was truly so awesome being able to see myself in such phenomenal characters too.

 

A NEW FOUND FORMAT

At the beginning of the year, one of my goals was to explore different formats: try more e-books and, especially, audiobooks. And I fell in love with audiobooks – hence why most of the pictures you’re seeing in this post aren’t of physical books, because I listened to most of them. But the best audiobook I listened all year was definitely Me!

If you’ve read any of my posts before, then you probably know I’ve been obsessed with the movie Rocketman and it has become my favorite movie of all times. And so when I decided to pick up Elton John’s autobiography, Me!, I knew it was going to be a more developed and personal version of the movie and it totally delivered.

But what I loved the most was the narration – done by Taron Egerton, who plays Elton in the movie. It made me feel like I was going through everything along with the characters, with the raw emotion during the sad parts, the chuckles during the hilarious parts and even some frustrated sighs at any mention of Elton’s mom. Even the change of accents was so natural! I really didn’t think any audiobook experience could be this good.

 

BEST BOOK OF 2019

I read a lot of amazing books this year, but the one that had the most long-lasting impact on me was Birthday, by Meredith Russo. In this dual-perspective novel, we follow the shared birthday of our two main characters over the years and their amazing friendship.

I didn’t think any book would make me feel this much and I truly can not remember the last time I was this invested by a contemporary pairing. Eric and Morgan are the best-friends-to-lovers story that I’ve always wanted, because while the romance can be a big part of this novel and one I was truly immersed in, they’re also amazing characters on their own.

This book is very much about: facing who you truly are, even when the world around you is cruel; feelings that can’t be explained but that make so much sense; people who change and who are worth fighting for. I loved every aspect of it, from the writing, to the dialogues, to the relationships. If you’re going to take anything from this immense post, take this: please, read this book.

 

That’s it, friends! Now, it’s your turn: what is the best book you read in 2019? Any favorite re-reads? Best pairing you read about and any genre did you find out about only this year? Most surprising read? Let’s discuss in the comments!

 

book review & discussion: wayward son, by rainbow rowell (carry on #2)

The story is supposed to be over.

Simon Snow did everything he was supposed to do. He beat the villain. He won the war. He even fell in love. Now comes the good part, right? Now comes the happily ever after…

So why can’t Simon Snow get off the couch?

What he needs, according to his best friend, is a change of scenery. He just needs to see himself in a new light…

That’s how Simon and Penny and Baz end up in a vintage convertible, tearing across the American West.

They find trouble, of course. (Dragons, vampires, skunk-headed things with shotguns.) And they get lost. They get so lost, they start to wonder whether they ever knew where they were headed in the first place…

With Wayward Son, Rainbow Rowell has written a book for everyone who ever wondered what happened to the Chosen One after he saved the day. And a book for everyone who was ever more curious about the second kiss than the first. It’s another helping of sour cherry scones with an absolutely decadent amount of butter.

Come on, Simon Snow. Your hero’s journey might be over – but your life has just begun

Wayward Son was my most anticipated release of 2019. I was so excited when this book was first announced, as Carry On is one of my favorite books and Rainbow Rowell is one of my favorite authors and I’m always happy to read more about her. (Yes, I know she’s problematic. You can enjoy someone’s work and still acknowledge they’ve done offensive things in the past. I know. Shocking.)

This review will be slightly different, because under the line, I’ll be discussing my favorite and least-favorite aspects of the book with spoilers. But if you haven’t read Wayward Son yet, I’ll share some of my non-spoiler-y thoughts first.

I think Rainbow Rowell’s writing style will forever be my favorite and there’s no difference here. I also appreciated how it discussed mental health issues, though it could’ve been much more developed. Apart from that, though, there’s not much I enjoyed about it.

The characters had no development and it truly felt like none of the problems they started the book with were actually resolved. I also feel like the magical system is so confusing and hasn’t been explained at all. My biggest gripe is probably the fact that there was so much that could’ve happened here and yet it was just 350 pages of much non-sense.

Unfortunately, I didn’t like this at all, but I still feel like there are people who could enjoy it. I, sadly, just wasn’t one of them. With that being said, I’d then recommend checking out Lauren’s review, that had a more positive note but still acknowledged some of the issues I had with it.

If you’ve read the book, keep reading, but if that’s not the case, please stop here.

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SPOILERS AHEAD!

1. Baz. Baz is my favorite character in the series and I’ll never grow tired of him. I feel like, while in Carry On, we were mostly seeing him through Simon’s eyes as his villainous self and he did act like a villain for most of that book, in Wayward Son, we see his more laid back side and it was so fun. I also love that we saw him learning more about the vampires and it felt real to his character and what he went through and how much he was deprived from information about who he is. It was also hilarious seeing his insight on American culture – he was bitter about everything and all he pointed out was so real. Oh, and of course, the fact he was wearing flower suits made me the happiest.
2. Discussions on mental health. When we start out the book, Simon is clearly struggling a lot with depression. And despise the crazy adventures this book take us, it’s something that it’s still there and that the other characters talk about as well. It wasn’t like he was “healed” by the trip, but you can see how being around magic, even if it was mostly magic that wanted to kill him, made him happy and alive again. (The fact Simon Snow lost his magic is a tragedy and I’ll never truly recover from it, tbh). Even though I’d have enjoyed to see it more from his perspective, rather than Baz or Penny talking about how he felt/looked, I still think it was a well done discussion.

1. Lack of character development and miscommunication. I honestly don’t think Baz and Simon shared more than two lines without being interrupted. Apart from that scene in the back of the truck, I missed a lot of the Baz/Simon banter we had in book 1. They finished the book with the same issues they left off and I feel like so much could’ve been worked out if they just *talked*. The lack of communication was probably to keep the angst, but it honestly felt frustrating after so many attempts of conversations that were interrupted by either Penny or Shepherd. All in all, Penny was the only character I could feel a development of and it didn’t even matter that much to me, because she annoyed me so much.
2. Nonsensical magic system. Because we only learn the magic system along with the characters, I feel like we don’t know anything at all. In Carry On, this didn’t bother me, because it was clear that the author was trying to pull off a twist at tropes such as the “chosen one”, and therefore, the “complicated magic system” too. But, at this point, it just doesn’t make sense anymore. I need more information about it, and a lot more answers. The way vampires are portrayed is also really annoying. Again, didn’t bother me in the first book, because I could see where it was coming from and it was clearly a mockery on the way they have been portrayed on media forever, but now, I just think there literally is nothing vampires can’t do. They’re not immortal. They can eat. The sun doesn’t affect them. They can see themselves in mirrors. They can even BITE people and not immediately TURN them. Like, what? What makes vampires vampires then in this universe, if apart from needing to drink blood, they’re essentially humans?
3. The wasted potential. When I re-read Carry On earlier this August, I created all this headcanons in my head of what could happen in the follow up. My main wish for this book was for Simon to find closure. I thought it would be the perfect way to both help him on his depression and tie some loose ends we had on the first book. Now, while I do think this will happen eventually in the trilogy, it made this book feel like a true wasted plot, as I feel like nothing *truly* happened. This ended up being much more of a Baz book and I wanted much more of Simon. I thought, since his mom had allegedly went to America, we would be able to find something there to connect all the dots and that led Simon to finally learn more about his family and where he comes from. I want Simon to know his mom showed up for him and not Baz. That he was loved and wanted, at least by one of his parents. That Snow IS a middle name. And I’m still frustrated that we got literally nothing here, but vampire shenanigans that didn’t even make that much sense.
4. Penny. Okay, I may be being petty right now, but oh Lord, was Penny always this annoying? I feel like she just spent half of this book either cock-blocking Baz and Simon or making stupid decisions even though she’s supposed to be the smartest out of all. Her constant suspicion on Shepherd also didn’t make her smart, but rather showed how she was constantly asking the wrong questions and couldn’t really see past her prejudice against Normals. I was really annoyed by her in this book and, though I was happy to see more layers of her, showing how much of a control-freak she could be, like with her relationship with Micah, I still couldn’t stand much of her character.

Overall, I definitely enjoyed Carry On better than Wayward Son. I am still open to re-reading this book once the third one is out and maybe my opinion will change in the future, but unfortunately, this was a disappointment for me.

I’m definitely still going to carry on with the series, because I’m way too invested in the characters to back out now. I just wish this had explored a lot more than it did and just, in general, lived up to the hype that was built around it.

If you have read Wayward Son, let me know: did you like it? What are your thoughts on it? And if you haven’t yet, was there any book this year that really disappointed you? Let me know in the comments!

 

book review: love from a to z, by s.k ali

A marvel: something you find amazing. Even ordinary-amazing. Like potatoes—because they make French fries happen. Like the perfect fries Adam and his mom used to make together.

An oddity: whatever gives you pause. Like the fact that there are hateful people in the world. Like Zayneb’s teacher, who won’t stop reminding the class how “bad” Muslims are.

But Zayneb, the only Muslim in class, isn’t bad. She’s angry.

When she gets suspended for confronting her teacher, and he begins investigating her activist friends, Zayneb heads to her aunt’s house in Doha, Qatar, for an early start to spring break.

Fueled by the guilt of getting her friends in trouble, she resolves to try out a newer, “nicer” version of herself in a place where no one knows her.

Then her path crosses with Adam’s.

Since he got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November, Adam’s stopped going to classes, intent, instead, on perfecting the making of things. Intent on keeping the memory of his mom alive for his little sister.

Adam’s also intent on keeping his diagnosis a secret from his grieving father.

Alone, Adam and Zayneb are playing roles for others, keeping their real thoughts locked away in their journals.

Until a marvel and an oddity occurs…

Marvel: Adam and Zayneb meeting.

Oddity: Adam and Zayneb meeting

As someone who said I’d like to first prioritize 2018 books, I’ve been reading A LOT of new releases. Love From A to Z has gotten a lot of positive reviews and this cover is stunning, which were literally the reasons as to why I picked it up.

For some reason, though, I thought this book was going to be set one day at an airport, but it’s not like that at all. A part of me is relieved, because I never have the best of luck with books set in 24 hours, but I think it would be interesting to see the relationship between them develop in a shorter spam of time.

Anyway! I listened to the audiobook for it on Scribd and loved the narrators a lot.

TW: islamophobia, discussions on war victims, chronic ilness

1. It’s set in Doha, Qatar. I always love whenever I can read books set in different countries. (Granted, every book I read is set in a different country, since I’m Brazilian, but I mean outside of the US). Even though I’ve never been to Doha, I loved reading about the setting, with the contrast between traditional, historical places and really modern buildings, as well as just the way the city is constantly alive, even late at night. The author build up the perfect atmosphere and I had a great time with it.
2. The marvel & oddity journal entries. I’m always happy whenever books can mix different medias. Both characters write in a marvel and oddity journal, where they track both the positives and the negatives of their day. I appreciated a lot how this story was filled with small coincidences as well and the journal entries added a new and personal layer to the book I enjoyed a lot.
3. How it discusses islamophobia. The book kicks off with Zayneb getting suspended for allegedly disrespecting her islamophobe teacher. And though that is a very prevalent discussion until the end of the book, there are several other instances where Zayneb faces hatred for no other reason than being a Muslim. It happens in the airplane, then at the pool where she likes to go to, even amongst friends of her family. As someone who doesn’t know a ton of Muslims and has not read about many either, it was a really significant discussion and definitely made me feel angry, sad and frustrated for the characters.
4. Really diverse – mixed – characters! I love the fact that both of our protagonists are mixed race. Adam is half Finnish, half Chinese and Zayneb is half Pakistani, half Indian. Plus, Adam is Canadian, while Zayneb is American. It made me really happy to see mixed characters, because that was one of the few elements of this book I was able to identify myself with.
5. A+ family relationships. Both of our protagonists have really great and realistic relationships with their parents. Adam’s mom passed away and because of that, he grew closer to his father and younger sister. It was also a scene between him and his dad that made me shed a couple tears. Even though Zayneb is not as close to her siblings as Adam is, it’s clear that she cares a lot about her family and throughout the book, they grow to understand more of each other, which is beautiful to see.

1. Zayneb’s character, sometimes. Zayneb was written as this angry, almost impulsive girl, which I understand. But I feel like hardly ever this was really challenged, even when she hurt people she loves. I’m not saying Zayneb should change her personality and especially the way she deals with islamophobes, because I completely support her behavior in this instances, but there are more than a couple times where she angrily snaps at a friend or family member when she didn’t have to, and it bothered me a lot that the book hardly ever acknowledged that. Also, there was this one scene where the three Emmas are talking to her about how they don’t believe in fighting violence with more violence, and Zayneb just calls them ignorants for not agreeing with her. Like, not sharing your opinion does not make other people ignorants because your opinion is not the only right one.
2. The three Emmas. And since we’re on the topic of the three Emmas, I really do not understand the writer choice of creating three characters that looked like one, almost like Cerberus, the dog with three heads. It was impossible telling the three Emmas apart, because they were always together, almost always shared the same opinions and, therefore, were all extremely underdeveloped. I think it would’ve worked a lot better to write one side character with complexed, well-thought personality than three mediocre ones.

 

Overall, this is still a book I recommend and would like to see more people reading. S.K Ali brought a very unique perspective when following these characters. There are a lot of really important topics being discussed here that we need to put on the spotlight more often on YA.

Even though I had some problems with it, I still really enjoyed the characters and the romance was also adorable AF.

 

 

 

book review: don’t date rosa santos, by nina moreno

Rosa Santos is cursed by the sea-at least, that’s what they say. Dating her is bad news, especially if you’re a boy with a boat.

But Rosa feels more caught than cursed. Caught between cultures and choices. Between her abuela, a beloved healer and pillar of their community, and her mother, an artist who crashes in and out of her life like a hurricane. Between Port Coral, the quirky South Florida town they call home, and Cuba, the island her abuela refuses to talk about.

As her college decision looms, Rosa collides – literally – with Alex Aquino, the mysterious boy with tattoos of the ocean whose family owns the marina. With her heart, her family, and her future on the line, can Rosa break a curse and find her place beyond the horizon?

1. The cultural aspect. Our protagonist Rosa is a Cuban-American girl, living in a Latinx community in Miami, Florida. There were so many references that I could relate, being Latina myself. The food was probably the main one, and there was *a lot* of food in this book and I was legit mouth-watering, especially with the amount of dulce de leche – my favorite thing ever. I also enjoyed following the side characters as they compare their experiences. Having watched the show On My Block just a few days before picking this book up, I could definitely point some similarities in the hilarious way Latinx kids understand each other.
2. Complicated family relationships. There’s no other word for the family relationships in this but complicated. Rosa was pretty much raised by her abuela, as her mom never stays in one place for long. Rosa also doesn’t know anything about the men in her life – her abuelo and her father -, and she misses that part of her identity a lot. On top of that, she doesn’t know a ton about Cuba either, and you can definitely see she resents her mom and abuela for that. However, she still has so much love and respect for these women and wants to please them as much as she wants to be her own person. It was really realistic, and also really beautiful. With family relationships being my #1 favorite aspect of a book, I had a field day with this one.
3. Rosa as a layered female protagonist. I am a sucker for male characters, but sometimes I can get really attached to female ones, especially if they’re three dimensional as one should always be. Rosa was sweet, but also knew how to stand up for herself; she was grounded, but could also be found daydreaming a lot; she planned the heck out of everything with her fancy stationery, but also grows to learn how to go with the flow. Having her as our protagonist was a beautiful ride.
4. The magical realism. From the synopsis, I think it’s already pretty clear this book will deal with magical realism, as our main character believes to be cursed. However, I didn’t expect it to go any further than that and was pleasantly surprised by the fact it did! Especially towards the end, some things happen that just can not be explained, but that’s okay, because what really matters is not *how* they happened, but *why*, and how has that changed these characters in significant ways. If you’re not a fan of magical realism, though, you may be annoyed at this one.

1. Alex. Honestly, Alex was just such a boring character, especially compared to Rosa. I mean, I should’ve expected considering his name was Alex, the most basic name in the world. I don’t know why people didn’t call him Alejandro. At least that had some personality to it. Except for having a boat, a large family and a beard, there was nothing else about Alex that was memorable. He had that cold and detached personality at first, but that didn’t even develop into something more appealing, and it was not the love interest I anticipated at all.
2. The romance. Having disliked Alex, I think it was already to be expected that I would also really dislike the romance. But the main problem for me is that it felt really insta-love-y. I do appreciate the fact the characters never use the l-word to each other at least, but still, I just thought it moved too fast and in really unrealistic ways. I’d have appreciated more angst, as I felt especially like the plot allowed that, with the whole curse storyline and all.
3. I wish it had gone deeper in some aspects. This is definitely not the book’s fault, as I feel like it was sold to be a diverse summer YA contemporary and it definitely delivered, but I kind of wanted a little bit more. Rosa feels like she’s missing a part of her identity and even though that is an important theme in the story, I’d have liked it to discuss it even further, perhaps comparing her experience to her friends that know where both of their parents come from. I also would’ve liked to see different perspectives of fellow Cuban-Americans on their country and the change in its relations with the US.

Overall, this was still really fun & summer-y. I know depending where you live, the weather will only get colder from now on, but hopefully this book will bring some sun to your gloomy days. If you live this side of the hemisphere, don’t miss on the chance to read this one, because it will truly transport you to sunny days in Miami.

I did wish the romance was a bit more swoon-worthy, which is why my true rating would be more like a 3.5, but it’s still a contemporary I’d recommend, especially for fellow Latinxs!

If you’ve read Don’t Date Rosa Santos: what are your thoughts? Do you have a favorite thing about this book? And any other Latinx recommendations? Let me know!

book review: i’ll give you the sun, by jandy nelson

At first, Jude and her twin brother Noah, are inseparable. Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude wears red-red lipstick, cliff-dives, and does all the talking for both of them.

Years later, they are barely speaking. Something has happened to change the twins in different yet equally devastating ways . . . but then Jude meets an intriguing, irresistible boy and a mysterious new mentor.

The early years are Noah’s to tell; the later years are Jude’s. But they each have only half the story, and if they can only find their way back to one another, they’ll have a chance to remake their world.

This radiant, award-winning novel from the acclaimed author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.

Hello, friends!

Today, I bring you a review of one of my favorite books ever. I recently re-read this one and it was a really interesting experience. I already expected to love it, but I was taken aback by how much I actually got this time around and how my feelings changed in general.

1. Noah. I think a big reason as to why I love this book so much, is because of Noah. His narration is so perfect. I know a lot of people actually struggled with the writing style full of metaphors, but I love it. I love the way Noah sees the world and the people around him. How he paints in his head and sees full portraits coming up every time. Even when we’re following Jude’s perspective and Noah has changed so much, there were still be moments where you can see the real Noah within and those broke my heart more than anything. He’s such a fantastic character, with an amazing soul and I wish I could be as smart and passionate as he is.
2. All the talks about art. The first time I read this book, this was actually a big deal for me. I’d never cared that much about art, to be honest, and have just started to develop an interest on it recently. For the most part, I just cared if a painting was beautiful and was clear to require a lot of technique, but I’ve never been that interested in deeply analyzing art. To me, it was just about being pretty. But the way that this book talks about the topic and how much it means to these characters to be able to express themselves, either through painting, drawing or sculptures, was heart-wrenching and made me feel a lot more than I thought.
3. This book is filled with coincidences. “We were all heading for each other on a collision course, no matter what. Maybe some people are just meant to be in the same story.”  This is a very important quote to the story because it sums up perfectly. There are some crazy coincidences in this book that perhaps most readers will find absurd, but that I loved to pieces. I believe so much in coincidences, and they’re my particular way of seeing a response of the universe that I am on the right track. The movie ‘Serendipity‘ is one of my favorites ever because it deals exactly with this feeling and so does this book. It’s so much fun.
4. Morally-grey characters. I feel like whenever we mention morally grey characters, people picture a badboy with a good heart in their minds. Like, I have a really bad attitude and I’m mean and snarky, but deep down I’m just soft and broken. I get it – this trope has been done well, and I have my fair share of favorite characters that fit this description, but I’ve never seen anyone write characters like Jandy Nelson. All of them are flawed and a bit messed up. They do things they shouldn’t and they hurt others, and they get jealous and angry and upset. But they’re still amazing people who are just trying their bests. Even though everyone here has fucked up bad, you still love them, and I really wish more characters could be like this.

1. The pacing. I feel like Jude’s narration kind of lacked on plot. There was not much going on and her chapters definitely felt a lot slower. I don’t know if I feel this way because Noah is my favorite character and I was definitely more interested in what was going on with him, but overall, I felt like especially in the middle, there was not much happening around Jude and it felt hard to get through. The first time I read this book, I actually skipped some of Jude’s chapters and went straight to Noah’s, because that’s how much I cared, lol.
2. Jude’s relationship with her love interest. Surprisingly, I did not like this relationship at all this time around. When I first read it, I even though they were cute, but something about the age gap or just the overall sexual tension was making me uncomfortable. I still think this was just a *me* problem, though, as many people actually really like this relationship, but it was a no for me.

Overall, even though there were things about this book I disliked, I still gave it an all-around five stars, because what I love about it compensates for all the moments I was slightly uncomfortable.

I think if you’re a fan of art, you can not pass this book. I believe artists will identify with it a lot more, will be able to recognize all the names and references at first glance and will definitely feel much more inspired. Even though I am not an artist whatsoever, I felt really eager to put my thoughts down in the most creative ways I could think of just because of this book.

If you’ve read it, what are your thoughts on I’ll Give You The Sun? And who’s your favorite character? Let me know in the comments!

book review: opposite of always, by justin a. reynolds

Jack Ellison King. King of Almost.

He almost made valedictorian.

He almost made varsity.

He almost got the girl . . .

When Jack and Kate meet at a party, bonding until sunrise over their mutual love of Froot Loops and their favorite flicks, Jack knows he’s falling—hard. Soon she’s meeting his best friends, Jillian and Franny, and Kate wins them over as easily as she did Jack. Jack’s curse of almost is finally over.

But this love story is . . . complicated. It is an almost happily ever after. Because Kate dies. And their story should end there. Yet Kate’s death sends Jack back to the beginning, the moment they first meet, and Kate’s there again. Beautiful, radiant Kate. Healthy, happy, and charming as ever. Jack isn’t sure if he’s losing his mind. Still, if he has a chance to prevent Kate’s death, he’ll take it. Even if that means believing in time travel. However, Jack will learn that his actions are not without consequences. And when one choice turns deadly for someone else close to him, he has to figure out what he’s willing to do—and let go—to save the people he loves.

Opposite of Always was a really interesting book. Mostly, I was captivated by the cover – give me all of the YA contemporaries with really bright colored covers and I shall read them all. However, as soon as I learned that it also had a time-travel element, I was even more intrigued.

I adore time travel stories. Movies such as About Time, Time Freak and 13 Going on 30 are some of my favorites. I especially love the different life lessons this trope brings, and that’s why I was so excited to learn what Justin A. Reynolds would come up with for this story.

1. The writing style. This book is hilarious and incredibly witty. I realized it as soon as I read the first chapter. There’s something really interesting about the way the author builds conversations between narrator and reader, making you even more engaged in the story. The dialogues were also funny and full of banter, which I admire a lot.
2. The friend group is badass. Jack is constantly surrounded by his two best friends, Jillian and Franny, who also happen to be a couple. However, in contrast with others stories I’ve read in which the best-friends are also dating, Jillian and Franny were surprisingly normal and didn’t create an uncomfortable atmosphere around Jack at all. On the contrary, they were incredibly supportive friends and their friendship was one of the most important aspects of the story. I loved the way it showed the care and love they all share for each other and especially Jack and Franny had one of the most amazing bromances, full of non-toxic masculinity I’ve ever read about.
3. Jack’s parents. I’ve stated multiple times before my love for great family relationships and Opposite of Always did not lack on those. Being an only child, Jack has all the attention he could want from his parents, and I loved the way the author created a really natural and beautiful relationship between them. It was clear just how much trust they had on each other, making it a really close, but also open in the way i-can-tell-you-anything relationship. There was also the contrast of Franny’s family relationship, that was much more complicated. He was raised by his abuela, since his father was absent most of the time, and throughout the book we can see his struggles, as he finds in Jack’s family the love and attention that he misses, while still wanting to please his dad.
4. The representation! The entire cast of Opposite of Always is black, which is truly amazing. But what I loved the most is that this book is not necessarily there to make any deep political or social commentary; it’s just a fluffy YA contemporary about a guy trying to get a girl. Stories like that are just as necessary, because it allows other folks to find a book similar to ones they’ve read before, but this time, they can relate and see themselves into.

1. Sometimes, the characters were just infuriating. Look, I loved Jack and I loved Franny and Jillian too, but sometimes they’d just make the worst decisions ever. Especially Kate. Since we’re reading the entire novel from Jack’s perspective, it’s hard not to be mad or upset towards Kate when she makes certain decisions, but even the protagonist himself frustrated me sometimes, by making really selfish decisions and not communicating as he should.
2. The ending. I feel like things were just not wrapped up at all. I’m typically okay with open endings, as I feel like it’s unfair to expect that teenagers, with a whole life ahead of them, will be able to close their stories tightly and perfectly. I understand the need of open endings sometimes, but this was not it. It felt like a lazy move of “I don’t know exactly how to end this, so I’m just gonna end it“. Plus, the whole ‘life lesson‘ attached to this story did not feel grand or relatable at all.

This book is definitely one I’d still overall recommend, even if the ending frustrated the heck out of me. As I said before, stories that are diverse but just because everyone deserves to have an adorable love story about them, are important and definitely needed on the YA community.

However, as someone who loves time travel, and expects dramatic life lessons, such as the one on 13 Going on 30 – the person you are now is exactly who you need to be – or About Time – live every moment as if it was your last -, I was very disappointed that this one did not feel relatable at all. But, still, others out there may have better luck with this ending than I did.

If you have read Opposite of Always, what were your thoughts on it? How did you feel about the ending? Let’s discuss in the comments!

book review: eliza and her monsters, by francesca zappia

Her story is a phenomenon. Her life is a disaster.

In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, and friendless. Online, she’s LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of the wildly popular webcomic Monstrous Sea. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves the online one, and she has no desire to try.

Then Wallace Warland, Monstrous Sea’s biggest fanfiction writer, transfers to her school. Wallace thinks Eliza is just another fan, and as he draws her out of her shell, she begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile.

But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart.

Eliza and Her Monsters was an incredibly hyped book. Absolutely everyone in my Goodreads feed has given this book either 4 or 5 stars. As a book that has been compared many times to Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell, which I love, I definitely had very high expectations. And I feel like I was ultimately let down.

Perhaps, having this book not be so hyped, I’d have let some things slide. But I was anticipating a perfect novel, one in which I’d fall in love with the characters almost instantly and relate to it a lot. This wasn’t what happened at all, but let’s discuss it here.

1. Fandom positivity! I love when I can read books that talk about fandom in such a nice and positive matter. Growing up as a fangirl and having it be such a big part of my life, I’m always happy to see it being discussed in books. The entire world around Monstrous Sea was very interesting to read about; how people memorized specific quotes and cosplayed as their favorite characters. It was all fascinating and super relatable.
2. The way it talked about being a content creator with anxiety. I feel like, especially at this age, where anyone can have a public online life and share it with others, it’s a very important topic to be discussed. I’m sure many people, being bloggers or YouTubers or Instagrammers feel the pressure to post more, keep their relevance and the relationship with their audience. I’m sure it can be very overwhelming. I’m glad people will be represented in this one and feel connected to this aspect of our MC.
3. Eliza eventually grows, thank God. As you’ll see by the end of this review, I had a very hard time connecting with Eliza. But I do need to acknowledge her growth. She starts out the book being quite selfish, but ends up being confronted with a much harder narrative than hers, in a way that she grows to be more grateful. Her development on her anxiety was impressive too and I think it can be a very hopeful story for people who relate to her on this level.

1. Eliza trying too hard to be edgy. I swear to God, there’s a line in this book that actually goes: “I have no friends. But that’s okay, I don’t want to be friends with these people anyway”. It was giving me Jughead vibes, with that whole scene: “I’m weird. I’m a weirdo. I don’t fit in. And I don’t want to fit in”. Ugh. Having no friends it’s not fun and definitely says more about who you are as a person rather than about your entire class. It would be understandable if Eliza acknowledged that she had a hard time making friends because of her anxiety or shyness, not because she felt like she was a special snowflake misunderstood by society. This trope should’ve died in 2010.
2. The family relationship. If you know anything about me, you know I die for great family dynamics in YA books. But this one was so messy. Eliza’s parents were truly just trying their best. Their daughter did not communicate with them and so they were just trying to understand her in the best of their abilities. It’s not easy, obviously, but it still bothered me so much how the book tried to paint them as villains for trying to take Eliza out of her room. She kept complaining about them when they were actually very nice parents. The fact that there was no proper apology at the end just bothered the heck out of me.

3. Wallace and Eliza’s relationship by the end. I was feeling pretty neutral about Wallace and Eliza’s relationship, but by the end, they were just giving me very weird feelings. No spoilers at all, but it felt incredibly manipulative, from both sides. It was borderline abusive at some point, and I did not vibe with it at all.

4. I didn’t care for Monstrous Sea at all. Because this book was compared to Fangirl so much, I was anticipating to fall in love with the fandom as much as I cared for Simon Snow, for example. But the thing is: I didn’t understand Monstrous Sea. The plot was very complex, there were so many characters and I was just lost completely. By the end, I was even skipping the chapters from Monstrous Sea, because I knew they weren’t adding to my understanding of it at all. It was quite disappointing, because I always love the idea of falling in love with two stories at once.

Despise my hard feelings, I can still understand why people like this book. As I mentioned above, it talked about anxiety very well. I truly felt Eliza’s struggles, especially towards writing the ending of her story and producing more content. I think for other artists dealing with anxiety, this book will be very important.

But, still, I was very much let down by this one. I didn’t expect to dislike it as much as I did, so I’m reluctant in sharing this review, but it didn’t feel right hiding my opinions just because they’re unpopular.

I know many of you love this book, so I hope there’s no bad feelings after reading this review, lol. Let’s discuss in the comments! 😊

book review: far from the tree, by robin benway

A contemporary novel about three adopted siblings who find each other at just the right moment.

Being the middle child has its ups and downs.

But for Grace, an only child who was adopted at birth, discovering that she is a middle child is a different ride altogether. After putting her own baby up for adoption, she goes looking for her biological family, including—

Maya, her loudmouthed younger bio sister, who has a lot to say about their newfound family ties. Having grown up the snarky brunette in a house full of chipper redheads, she’s quick to search for traces of herself among these not-quite-strangers. And when her adopted family’s long-buried problems begin to explode to the surface, Maya can’t help but wonder where exactly it is that she belongs.

And Joaquin, their stoic older bio brother, who has no interest in bonding over their shared biological mother. After seventeen years in the foster care system, he’s learned that there are no heroes, and secrets and fears are best kept close to the vest, where they can’t hurt anyone but him.

Far From the Tree can be considered a backlist novel (it was released in 2017), so it is one that has been on my radar the longest. I don’t even think I heard anyone in particular talking about this book, but I walked into a local bookstore once and saw that they had this book in their English section. The premise caught my attention and I sat there to read a couple chapters.

I loved what I read a lot. It got me absolutely wrapped up in the story and I barely saw time passing while I stood there. I obviously didn’t have the chance to finish the whole book in one sitting and I also didn’t have the money to take it home, so I left and prayed I’d have the chance to pick it up soon. It took a few months, but it happened, and I’m so glad it did. It broke my heart and made me feel everything, just as I’d predicted it would.

1. JOAQUIN. I feel like I have to mention him first, because Joaquin is the light of this book. Actually, it may be the complete opposite, because he’s in fact a very angsty and broken character. Joaquin is the only one out of the three siblings that has never been adpoted and his experiences in foster care have definitely left scars. His perspective was my favorite one to read about, and it broke my heart everytime. I teared-up multiple times reading his thoughts and his backstory. He was a very loyal and carrying person, but felt himself that he didn’t deserve happiness. I just really wanted to hug him forever.
2. The discussion about being a non-white kid in a white family. Prior to picking up this book, I actually listened to Robin Benway on the First Draft podcast and I really appreciated how she mentioned approaching this discussion. As someone who cares a lot about adoption and follows a lot of interracial families on Youtube and such, it was super interesting reading from the perspective of the kid, who sees himself a in white family and is trying to come to terms with that. Joaquin is also the only one out of the three who is not white, which was a very interesting take.
3. Demystifying adoption. There are a lot of stereotypes when it comes to adoption and foster care. I am not even aware of all of them, because my country has no such a system as foster care, so I think American readers can take even more from this experience. The author is able to present a very realistic side of things; even though she tries to encompass as many different perspectives as she can, and tries also to break stereotypes around what “giving up” a child means, she makes sure to remind the reader constantly that this entire cycle is based on one thing: love. People adopt because they love. They also give up their kids to adoption because they love them. This book definitely does not lack on love.
4. The talk on identity. This book is centered around these characters figuring out who they are. For Grace, that means coming to terms with the person she is now, after her baby. She spent 16 years being one person, just to become another after she got pregnant, and is not dealing with the aftermath. Grace 3.0 is broken, but determined to pick up the pieces. Maya’s identity, surprisingly, didn’t rely a lot on her sexuality, because, in fact, she was super unapologetic about it, which I loved. As for Joaquin, his is definitely the most complicated one. Joaquin craves for an identity, a backstory, a past that will allow him to have a future. He doesn’t have childhood pictures or stories. At some point, a teacher asks him to buy tapas from his family, beleving that they’re Mexican, and he doesn’t know how to react to that. He doesn’t even know how to speak Spanish. This book introduced us to so many conflicts on identity and I loved it a whole lot.
5. Family dynamics absolutely everywhere. I love family dynamics. More than I love romance, most of the time. Like, sure, reading about two characters falling in love is always fun, but the love that comes from a sibling relationship, mother & daughter, father & son… It’s so much more intense. I had a field day with this book, truly. It had the most beautiful family dynamics and quotes I’ve ever read about. We’re constantly complaining about terrible or absent parents in YA, and this book delivers amazing and yet complicated family relationships all around.

1. Maya. As much as I loved this book, Maya’s character was hard to deal with. She was clearly written to be an unlikeable one. She talks too much, is quite snarky and doesn’t care about being nice to people whom she’s just met. Going through her narration was sort of painful, especially because I wanted to get to Grace’s and Joaquin’s already.
2. The sisters relationship felt unrealistic. Maya and her sister, Lauren, have quite a complicated relationship. Lauren is a biological daughter and only one year younger than Maya. They’re written to be almost enemies, but also best friends, which I feel like should be realistic, since that’s exactly how I feel about my sister as well. But there was just something about the way they held grudges over the smallest things and kept apologizing that just didn’t work for me at all? If you have a sibling, you know you hardly ever apologize. One minute you’re screaming at each other, the next you’re laughing. That’s the beauty about having a sibling, and I feel like, ultimately, their relationship lacked this natural banter.

Overall, I’m just so glad that I read this book. There are so many important topics being talked about in here, and you can see the author made sure to treat it with a lot of respect. It truly puts you in these characters’ shoes, almost transporting you to the inside of their lives, as you follow their narratives.

I will point out, though, that the physical book may be a better fit than the audio book. I listened to it and I didn’t vibe with the narrator that much. Also, it is only one narrator for all three perspectives, which I find can be kinda tedious. If you have the chance to pick up the physical one, I’d definitely recommend doing so!

If you survived this over 1k words review, thank you so much! If you have read Far From The Tree, please share your thoughts in the comments below!

book review: crooked kingdom, by leigh bardugo

Welcome to the world of the Grisha.

Kaz Brekker and his crew of deadly outcasts have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn’t think they’d survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they’re right back to fighting for their lives.

Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz’s cunning and test the team’s fragile loyalties.

A war will be waged on the city’s dark and twisting streets – a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.

Hello, fellow bookworms!

Today, I bring one of the most exciting reviews I’ve ever done and I’m the only one who’s excited about it, but STILL. It’s been a year since I read Six of Crows and definitely around four to six months since I’ve been procrastinating picking up Crooked Kingdom. Fantasy books terrify me, and this one’s not short at all, so I was very, very intimidated.

The experience turned out to be much better than I anticipated, though I definitely still had my issues after all. And, by the way, I still hate Kaz Brekker a lot.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: addiction, torture, violence, forced prostitution and sex trafficking and trauma-related mental illness.

 

1. Matthias. And Nina. Mostly Matthias, though. When reading Six of Crows, my favorite character was actually Inej, but Crooked Kingdom changed my opinion completely and solidified Nina and Matthias as my favorites. Their banter is absolutely amazing, but as individuals they’re also incredible. Matthias is such a pure soul, while also being absolutely badass. Nina is hilarious and goes through so much at the beginning and still would defend her people to death. Plus: she’s not skinny, and that representation means more to me than I can put into words. They also happen to be ridiculously amazing together – the type of amazing that makes your heart hurt every time they look at each other.
2. The growth from the characters. Because I love Matthias the most, I feel like I also have to mention his unbelievable growth throughout the duology. He starts off as a guy with a lot of stereotypical ideas about the Grishas, trapped in his own cycle of hate that he was taught his whole life. But after going through everything, he learns so much, which really shows how hatred can come from ignorance and education is the only way to stop it. In general, all the characters go through an amazing development and become better people – as good as you can expect thieves to be, anyway.
3. Surprisingly, Kaz & Inej. I didn’t care for Kaz & Inej at all in Six of Crows, mostly because I love Inej and despise Kaz so the two just didn’t add up. This installment, though, had me crying (in public) with their interactions. I do still stand by the fact, though, that these two don’t need each other; what they need is some intense therapy. But counting on someone else was already a good start.
4. Discussing important themes in a fantasy world. Leigh Bardugo was able to intertwine very meaningful topics in a fantastical story and it worked beautifully. She discusses trauma, disability, sex trafficking and a lot of other themes that you wouldn’t expect to be in a fantasy novel. I was surprised by how well these messages were delved into the story and it added a very important layer to the book.
5. The world building and writing style. Granted: fantasy is not my thing, so take my praise to the world building with a grain of salt. I still love how we slowly got to know more about this world (especially since I am not familiar with it, not having read the Grisha trilogy), the people, the different languages and different cultures. Leigh Bardugo’s writing style is also fantastic: so beautiful and so atmospheric. It truly transported me to this world.

1. The ending. Everything was PERFECT up until the last forty pages. They’re a mess. I was so underwhelmed, as I feel like the story wrapped itself up in a way that didn’t match the build up. The stakes are always so high for this series, but it didn’t feel this way in this conclusion. I’m not saying that things happened too conveniently, but considering how dark this series was, I expected we’d go a little further. The character loss we have in here also felt dumb and unnecessary, so… Yeah. I’m mad.
2. It’s not as atmospheric as Six of Crows was. Even though I’ve given both these books the exact same rating, I still prefer Six of Crows over Crooked Kingdom. I feel like the first book was more atmospheric, and had more banter between the characters, as they were just starting to work as a group and didn’t trust each other completely yet. I also still stand by the fact that Six of Crows could’ve been a standalone; even though I really liked Crooked Kingdom as a book, it still feels objectively unnecessary to me.

Overall, I still consider these books worth the hype. They’re very well loved by the bookish community, and frankly, despise the few problems I had, I still find them worth checking out. There are a lot of things that make it stand out from other YA fantasies out there, which is probably why it gets so much buzz.

I don’t know if I’ll ever be picking up Leigh Bardugo’s original Grisha trilogy and because of that, her most recent novel, King of Scars, but if she ever releases anything else following these characters you can for sure count me in!

 

Let me know in the comments how you feel towards this series! I know it’s a very hyped and well loved one, but feel free to share some of your more unpopular opinions down below too!

 

book review: odd one out, by nic stone

From the author of Dear Martin comes this exploration of old friendships, new crushes, and the path to self-discovery.

Courtney “Coop” Cooper
Dumped. Again. And normally I wouldn’t mind. But right now, my best friend and source of solace, Jupiter Sanchez, is ignoring me to text some girl.

Rae Evelyn Chin
I assumed “new girl” would be synonymous with “pariah,” but Jupiter and Courtney make me feel like I’m right where I belong. I also want to kiss him. And her. Which is . . . perplexing.

Jupiter Charity-Sanchez
The only thing worse than losing the girl you love to a boy is losing her to your boy. That means losing him, too. I have to make a move. . . .

One story.
Three sides.
No easy answers.

I read Odd One Out during February, because of a personal TBR of mine in which I wanted to read only black authors for Black History Month. And since I was already familiar with Nic Stone – I actually re-read her debut, Dear Martin, this February too -, it felt like the perfect choice.

Now, I went into this book having already heard mixed reviews for it. My Goodreads feed was pretty polarizing: some gave 4 stars, others gave it 2. My expectations weren’t high, so I wouldn’t call this a disappointing read, but it was for sure an odd one indeed.

1. The writing style! I simply adore the way Nic Stone writes. Her contemporary is just my kind of contemporary, so we’re good. There are a lot of dialogues and very short chapters. The characters are hilarious and I for sure laughed out loud when reading this. Despise how entertaining it may be, she’s also able to address very serious topics as well, and it works like magic. This book follows three different narrators, and I feel like despise the perspectives sounding different, they still felt very connected through her writing voice, which I think it’s pretty impressive.
2. The overall message. As the author mentions herself in the acknowledgements, this book was written from a very personal place. I think the way Nic Stone explored sexuality in this novel was great: it really is a fluid, ever-changing place. Jupiter’s character goes through a phenomenal development throughout the book and I appreciated that a lot. I feel like for other teenagers who are questioning their sexuality, this book can be truly helpful.
3. The narrators for the audiobook were SO GREAT. I’m so glad that I gave this audiobook a chance! The narrator for Cooper, Dion Graham, was the best one. He was able to concieve all emotions and made the reading so entertaining and dynamic. I found out that he’s the narrator for Dear Martin too, and now I regret not having listened to it as well. Nic Stone herself narrates for Jupiter’s perspective, and I also adore her voice. Even if I didn’t like the narrator for Rae as much, this was still a 10/10 audiobook experience.
4. The “mystery” was so fun! There’s a mini mystery subplot in this, surrounding Cooper’s childhood idol and it was so well done! I wish it had lasted a bit longer, though, and I certainly wouldn’t have minded at all if we’d spent the whole book trying to figure it out.

1. This is kind of a very messy love triangle. All the characters are kind of in love with each other, and I think it was one of the most complicated love-triangles of all time. These characters have no idea how to handle their feelings, and albeit realistic, I still feel like I would’ve liked for the story to provide more “healthy” ways to deal with your confusion. As these characters try to figrue out their miscommunications and lack of honesty with their own feelings, they end up getting each other hurt. I like to believe there’s a better way of figuring things out that do not involve hurting so many others in the process. (Probably some therapy?).
2. It’s a Cooper-Jupiter story. I don’t know if it was because I was truly more invested in their narrations, but I feel like both Cooper and Jupiter were much more fleshed out characters, and they felt very real. Rae, in the other hand, was a bit left out. She’s the addition to the friend group, so I understand why maybe she wasn’t given as much attention as a character, but even towards the end, I feel like the story just left Rae in the outside.
3. Jupiter. Honestly, Jupiter is one of the most unlikable protagonists I’ve ever read about. She struggles a lot in being honest with herself and just makes some decisions sometimes that had me eye-rolling sooooo bad. She would flirt with Cooper and then pretend it never happened; give him all these wrong signs and then act oblivious to it. I for real felt like punching her sometimes.

Overall, I feel like this was a weird book to rate. At times, I was sure it would be a 5-star read, just to move to the following chapter and hate everyone again. I feel just as confused as these characters are, but I think that was the author’s goal at the end of the day.

This story is not perfect, nor neat and nice, but it for sure gave me a lot to think about. It also solidified my love for Nic Stone and I can not wait to read more from her in the future.

 

Have you ever read Odd One Out? If so, how did you like it? (Also, there are so many Queen references in this, which was amazinggg!)