Girl Online: Going Solo ~ Zoe Sugg a.k.a Zoella

The third novel in the New York Times bestselling Girl Online series by the award-winning YouTuber and blogger Zoe “Zoella” Sugg.

Penny’s life is back to normal.

As Penny starts the school year she’s ready to face the world—alone. Noah has gone off the radar after ending his world tour early, and no one, including Penny, knows where he is. So when she accepts Megan’s invitation to visit her performing arts school, it seems like an opportunity to make some new friends.

Helping everyone else seems to be the right remedy—Elliot needs her friendship more than ever, and she meets Posey, who she can really help with her stage fright. But is charming Scottish boy Callum the right kind of distraction? And can Penny truly move on when Noah’s shadow seems to haunt her around every corner?

Book Review:

So, it has been about a month since I finished this book, I just haven't had time to blog anything really. College is so crazy. 

Anyway, the book was a great ending to the trilogy. Sugg, ended it beautifully, it made my heart flutter. The book was a bit slow going at first, it took me a bit to really get into. For some reason, I felt that I couldn't really resonate with Penny as much as I previously had in the first two books, but that just displays her character development. I missed the old banter between her and Elliot, there wasn't as much, but when it did show up, I was so happy with it. 

As this is the last installment in a trilogy, it is hard to say much without giving anything away, but I will go my best. The character development for Penny is phenomenal. She is so much more confident in herself, she knows what she wants and she goes for it. She is okay with being independent and she is even helping other people. I see a lot of Sugg's personality within Penny. I really love that. I really did miss Noah and you could tell that Penny did as well, so his reentrance was incredible. I loved how their storyline ended. Sugg did a brilliant job!

Pages: 352                                                                                                                          Rate: 4/5

Eleanor & Park ~ Rainbow Rowell

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, this is the story of two star-crossed misfits-smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you'll remember your own first love-and just how hard it pulled you under.

Book Review:

Rainbow Rowell has been one of my favorite authors since I discovered Fangirl and Carry On last year, so I was obviously excited to read this novel. 

I knew this book was going to be sweet and lovely, but I didn't expect its darker elements; although, I should have. I could tell in the beginning that Eleanor was going to have a lot of self-esteem issues and I had my own ideas of why. But her issues, went way beyond her insecurity, though. She had trust issues too and I feel that they may have been over-shadowed by her insecurity, even though they were more important, in my opinion.

Eleanor's familial dynamics were also interesting. Today, many families are comprised of step parents and step siblings, and many books and movies make it seem as though it starts out like Cinderella but ends with good relationships. Eleanor's was never going to have a happy ending like that. Her step father was abusive in many ways to her, her mother, and her siblings. Eleanor's father was not there to rescue her, he was only there to use her to babysit his "new" kids. On the other hand, Park's familial dynamics were much more solid and stable. He came from a biracial family,  so he did have to deal with the cultural differences, but he didn't seem to struggle with that very much, even when his "friends" tried to make it a bigger deal than it really was. Park may not have had a great relationship with his father, but his father was always there for his son, even if it wasn't with the nicest comments. 

As Eleanor was being bullied in school by Park's "friends," I assumed that she was strong enough to get through that, and she was. It bothered Park more than it bothered her, which was sweet, but also a complicated factor. What I wasn't expecting, was who was actually writing the nasty and dirty remarks all over her notebook. I believed it was who she believed it was. 

And then, just as I was believing that things were going to get better for Eleanor, at least in her won self-confidence, everything went downhill. We found out who was really leaving those remarks, and it was disgusting. Park had to rescue her from a situation that I never expected. 

The end of the book was a cliffhanger but a cliffhanger that left me content with the end of the book. Would I like a sequel to answer some questions? Yes. Do I absolutely need one? No. I liked that Rowell ended with a statement that could be interpreted to go many ways. I believe that it applies to the happier, mushier, lovey-dovey ending, but you could interpret it to go in a less sweet way. 

Pages: 329                                                                                                                              Rate: 5/5

Someone Like You ~ Sarah Dessen

The world is a terrible place not to have a best friend.
 
Scarlett was always the strong one.
 
Halley was always content to follow in her wake.
 
Then Scarlett’s boyfriend died, and Scarlett learned that she was pregnant.
 
Now Halley has to find the strength to take the lead and help Scarlett get through it.
 
Because true friendship is a promise you keep forever

Book Review:

This is one of the oldest books that I have ever read by Sarah Dessen. It was published the year that I was born, so in all honesty, I wasn't expecting it to be her best work. Now, although it wasn't her best, it wasn't terrible either. I actually quite liked it. Now, many of you wouldn't know, but I am obsessed with youtube and lately with teenage parents or young parents who daily vlog, I was hoping for this to be an interesting spin on teenage pregnancy but it wasn't. The story mainly revolved around Halley finding herself, like most Sarah Dessen novels, and around the relationships that aspired. Nevertheless, it was a great read. 

The character development was a bit lacking in description, in my opinion. You knew that it was there, you understood how it was coming about, but you never really received any further information. The family dynamics were intriguing and a bit cliche but that is exactly why I loved those scenes. I really loved the friendship between Halley and Scarlett and I also really loved how the grief process was portrayed through Scarlett's character. The book portrayed so much pure honesty that I couldn't have disliked it in any way. It really was beautifully written. 

Pages:  281                                                                                                                                Rate: 3/5

Favorite Quote:

“You can't just plan a moment when things get back on track, just as you can't plan the moment you lose your way in the first place.” 

Valentine's Day: Top 30 Romantic Reads

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!!! If you are single or in a relationship, it doesn't matter; everyone likes a good romance book every now and then. I really love reading them this time of year because even when I have to put the book down there are hearts, cupcakes, chocolates, and other lovey-dovey things everywhere!! Here are my Top 30ish Romantic Reads, not in any particular order.

1. Girl Online duology by Zoe Sugg
• These are the first two novels released by the sensational beauty guru from Youtube, a.k.a. Zoella. She deals with anxiety, as do I, and so does the main character in the novel but her rockstar boyfriend helps her through it all as they both figure themselves out and love eachother. 
2. A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
• Bad boy turns good boy to be with the preachers daughter. LOTS OF TEARS!! In my opinion the best of all of Nicholas Sparks's book that I have ever read. 
3. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
• Ronnie, our main character, has a rocky relationship with her father, where she and her younger brother are staying for the summer. But she does meet the guy of her dreams, who changes her pessimistic perspective on life.  
4. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
• A young couple from different parts of the social scale. 
5. Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare
• Their families hate each other but they get married anyway. Lots of people die. Romeo is exiled. Sleeping potions. Failed letters. Two families lose everything. 
6. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
• A lot like the forementioned, A Walk to Remember, but minus the bad boy and plus two sick kids falling in love, traveling to Amsterdam, meeting a jerk of a human being, and growing up. 
7. Paper Towns by John Green
• A story of revenge and friendship. Two seniors who have known each other since grade school fall back into each other's' lives, kind of unexpectedly. 
8. Looking For Alaska by John Green
• Pudge, is this awkward kid who is just trying to figure out how to be social. Alaska, is this badass, bookworm. Set in a boarding school with too many adventures to count and a whole new level of sarcasm and humor that I have never found anywhere else. 
9. Along For The Ride by Sarah Dessen
• Girl lives a secret night life with a boy who has mysteries of  his own. 
10. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
• Just another love story with a girl and her music-obsessed boyfriend who is more than determined to make her happy. 
11. Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen
• Sydney is just trying to figure out her family's issues after everything that happened with her brother, who has always been the apple of her parents eyes, when she falls into a group of people that will change her life forever.  
12. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
• A socially awkward twin, struggling with anxiety, worried about her father, wondering what is going on with her twin, dating a new guy, trying to get by in college, and continuing to be obsessed with her fictional world. 
13. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
• The fictional world that the main character in Fangirl is obsessed with, resembles Harry Potter in a lot of ways but with a huge romantic relationship. 
14. Shatter Me  trilogy by Tahereh Mafi
• Juliette is just trying to figure out her powers and be around people after years of being in isolation when Adam and Warner come into her life and change it forever. 
15. The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks
• A sweet southern romance. Girl meets bull rider who is just trying to save his mothers farm even if it kills him, which it very well could. 
16. Conquering Chaos by Tyler Baltierra and Catelynn Lowell
• The Teen Mom OG couple's memoir on their love story and their most difficult decision to give their first daughter up for adoption. 
17. The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy by Jenny Han
• She has known these two brothers her entire life. It's the summer before college and a lot has changed. Their mother has died and it's the first time that they have been back to the beach house since. 
18. To All The Boys I Loved Before duology by Jenny Han
• For every boy that she has loved, she has written and addressed a letter to never send them, but to keep them in a safe box, packed away to never be read... until they are sent out and read. 
19. Safe Haven  by Nicholas Sparks
• As Katie runs from her abusive husband under a new identity she falls in love with a wonderful man and his kids, until her past comes to haunt her. 
20. The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
• He found her picture when he was in Iraq and now he is living in her guest house and training dogs. 
21. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
• They meet and fall in love, then two weeks later he is shipped to Iraq. 
22. Water for Elephants by Sara Greun
• The memories of a 90 year old man who used to work as a stable boy in a circus and how he fell in love with one of the headliners. 
23. Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer
• Two high schoolers. One girl living with her father in a small town. One vampire living in the same small town with his vampire family. 
24. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
• A group of friends just trying to figure their lives out and the main character has to also deal with entering highschool while the others prepare to leave. 
25.  Lock & Key by Sarah Dessen
• An independent girl who is finally able to have a family and... maybe something more with the boy next door. 
26.  The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
• A girl who had her summer planned but it all changes when she gets a new job that she  happens to love as well as coworkers who happen to soon be her best friends. 
27.  Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
• Starting their senior year ina  boarding school in Paris, Isla and Josh have to figure out their relationship and their future, together and apart. 
28.  What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
• Is Mclean ready to figure out who she is with the help of a boy?
29. Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead
• Two friends who have a strange bond get dragged back to school and happen too find some complicated love interests in their already complicated lives.
30. Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead
• The spin-off of Vampire Academy. It follows the Alchemist, Sydney, and a Morio, Adrian, as they try to protect the Queen's younger sister. 

Let It Snow ~ Maureen Johnson, John Green, & Lauren Myracle

An ill-timed storm on Christmas Eve buries the residents of Gracetown under multiple feet of snow and causes quite a bit of chaos. One brave soul ventures out into the storm from her stranded train and sets of a chain of events that will change quite a few lives. Over the next three days one girl takes a risky shortcut with an adorable stranger, three friends set out to a win a race to the Waffle House (and the hash brown spoils), and the fate of a teacup pig falls into the hands of a lovesick barista. 

A trio of today's bestselling authors - John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle - brings all the magic of the holidays to life in three hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and kisses that will steal your breath away. 

Book Review:

I will be giving a review for each of the stories individually and then the novel as a whole.

The Jubilee Express ~ Maureen Johnson

 This was the first work of writing that I have ever read by Johnson and it certainly won't be the last. I loved every second of it. I loved how our main character, Jubilee, introduced herself in the beginning, how she described events in such a blunt manner, and how even though she knew something wasn't going to work she had to try anyway. I loved how she was just a normal girl, because sometimes in stories, the main character has to have some extraordinary detail about them, Jubilee doesn't. 

Rate: 5/5

A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle ~ John Green

This was not a bad story, but I have come to expect so much more from John's writing that it wasn't my favorite. I expected more raw emotion and more depth. One thing that I have come to love from his writing was still very evident throughout and it's this strange humor. It's a humor that isn't outwardly funny unless you are a bit nerdier and profound when it comes to your comedy. I love it. It's something that I really began to notice in Looking For Alaska and have been able to find in everything that he writes since then. I did like the character development in this story, though.

Rate: 3/5

The Patron Saint of Pigs ~ Lauren Myracle

I had never read anything by Myracle before this story and in all honesty, it wasn't my favorite. Her writing style was okay and the story was interesting and funny, but it didn't have that extra something that I was hoping for. The constant bickering between the main character and one of her 'friends' really irritated me. All I could think was, "why don't you drop this bimbo from your friends list? She disrespects you, invalidates your feelings, and complains that you make everything about you when she is doing that very same thing. Ugh." It just wasn't great.  

  Rate: 3/5

Full Book:     Pages:352                                                    Rate: 4/5

PS I Still Love You ~ Jenny Han

Lara Jean didn't expect to really fall for Peter.

She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren't/ Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.

When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean's feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once.

Book Review:

The sequel to To All The Boys I've Loved Before, is just as wonderful as the first if not better. Jenny Han is an impeccable writer, I loved her The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy and her co-written series with Soiban Vivian called Burn For Burn.

Contemporary young adult fiction is one of my most read genres and this book is at the top of my list for the genre. I preferred how Lara Jean and the other characters were portrayed in this  novel. They talked and acted a lot more their age than in the first book, in my opinion. 

The inner conflicts that Lara Jean has because of her knowledge of Peter's previous relationship, I feel is very common amongst people who are in their first relationship with someone who was previously in a very serious relationship. The bit of cyber bullying, I feel was also well done because it is so common today. Even when you think you are alone, you rarely are. And I also loved Peter's relationship with Lara's little sister Kitty, which we saw more of in the first book but was just as important in this book. What I didn't like was how Josh was practically nonexistent throughout this book. 

Pages: 352                                                                                     Rate: 4/5

Book Discussion: SPOILERS:

Lara Jean's relationship with Peter, started in To All The Boys I've Loved Before, as a way for her letters to seem like they were nothing  and for Peter to show that even after Genevive he was fine. But it began to be something more, more real. Then it was ruined because Lara Jean thought that Peter was telling everyone that they had had sex while on a ski trip in a hot tub, when they didn't. He actually never told anyone that and Lara and he get back together in the beginning of this book.

So from the very beginning these two have had their ups and downs but in this book their biggest issue within their relationship is Genevive. Peter and she are still friends, even though Lara knows that she is the one who posted their make out video on Anonybitch. He won't tell Lara why he has been hanging out with her, other than that she has family problems and he is just trying to be a good friend. This causes a lot of insecurities on Lara's part and for them to argue, which never really happened with them before.

Then enter, John Ambrose McClaren. Lara Jean had a crush on him in eighth grade, before her crush on Peter started. He moved away and her letter only recently reaches him in the book. They begin writing back and forth and he comes to her Tree House party with the rest of the group who were friends in eighth grade, including Genevive who tagged along with Peter. This is where a childhood game of theirs comes into play. It's like an intense version of tag. School and their homes are safe places but other than that everywhere else is fair game. Lara Jean never won and she is set on winning this time.  Eventually after she has tagged out John they team up for her to tag out Peter. She does this and they break up because she saw him comforting Genevive. She and John hang out more at the nursing home where she works and is friends with his step grandmother. Eventually she and Peter work things out and get back together and she and John remain friends, because it's not their time yet.

So in my review I also mentioned Peter's relationship with Lara's little sister Kitty. We see much more of that relationship in the first book, because this one focuses on Lara's feelings for two different people but Kitty is still important. She may only be 9 years old but Lara confides in her often and Kitty is a little schemer herself. But when Peter and Lara break up, Kitty is upset because she loves Peter to pieces. He was always so good to her and made her just as important to him as he would have done if she was his own little sister. So I loved to see that even after Lara and Peter broke up and were not talking to each other he made time for Kitty. He took Kitty ice skating and everything. And I loved that Lara allowed that. We don't see that much in young adult novels, but when someone is in a relationship their family tends to form relationships with their partner too and those relationships sometimes last longer than the romantic relationship.

Josh, Margot's ex boyfriend, Lara's first real crush and best friend, just stops coming around. He was always around in the first book. He and Lara hung out often. He and Kitty were so close. And he even hung out with their dad. But after he and Margot break up he just stops coming around, even though he was friends with all of them way before he and Margot began dating. That just really bothered me, because I know how strong of a relationship they all had with him and he just walked away from it. It shows a big difference between him and Peter and it makes me really glad that Lara ends up with Peter. 

The book was just great!!!

Favorite Quote:

"Us." Peter corrects. "I did it for us." He links our fingers together. "It's you and me, kid."