You Deserve A Drink: Boozy Misadventures and Tales of Debauchery ~ Mamie Hart

Mamrie Hart is a drinking star with a YouTube problem. As host of the bady cult hit You Deserve A Drink. Hart has been entertaining viewers with her signature concoction of tasty libations and raunchy puns since 2011. Finally, Hart has compiled her best drinking stories - and worst hangovers - into one hilarious volume. From the spring break where she and her girlfriends avoided tan lines by staying at an all-male gay nudist resort, to the bachelorette party where she accidentally hired a sixty-year-old meth head to teach the group pole dancing, to the time she lit herself on fire during a Flaming Lips concert. Hart accompanies each story with an original cocktail recipe, ensuring that You Deserve A Drink is as useful as it is entertaining. 

Book Review:

I have been really into memoirs of those that I love for about the past year. Now out of all of the memoirs that I have read this year, Mamrie's is the TMI (To Much Information) of all memoirs. I love it so much because it is hilarious and honest with horrible puns that are so horrible they are hilarious. So hilarious that your cheeks hurt from smiling so much and your abs hurt from laughing so hard! 

Now I am 17 so it is not legal for me to dink but believe me when I can I plan on trying out these recipes and playing the drinking game that is the entire book! I don't plan on being a heavy drinker or anything but there are times where you just need to let loose and have some fun that you won't remember the next morning. 

Now, her writing was impeccable. It felt like I was watching her videos. She would cross out words and say something different (more appropriate), had a safe word to have her family stop reading, and had her signature jokes. Ay-Oh! I also loved that she included pictures, even though they were black and white. It really was just an amazing read!

Pages: 274                                                                                               Rate: 5/5

Favorite Quotes:

"I spent my days spread-eagle in front of a fan, with bright pink calamine lotion slathered all over my undercarriage. If you walked into my room, you'd think I was giving birth to a Pepto-Bismol baby."

I couldn't stop laughing when I read this line! It reminded me so much of Camp Takota (which you should watch if you haven't, it's on Netflix).  

Social Issue: Body Positivity

This a slightly different post for me but I feel that it needs to be addressed. I am a curvier girl and throughout my entire life I have had self-esteem issues because of that. I am finally at a point in my life where I am less concerned about how I look because I like how I look but I still have really bad days because of how I look. This summer whilst watching hours of YouTube late at night I found an amazing beauty vlogger known as Loey Lane. She is a curvier girl but is so gorgeous and confident. She uses her platform and following as a way to help curvier girls be confident and know what to wear to flatter your look and also gives amazing makeup tutorials. 

This week she has posted a couple of videos which I will link at the end of this post. One was on dating when your curvier and how to be confident with yourself. Another was a response to a video that has gone viral this week. I have refused to watch it because I do not feel that the person who posted it deserves any amount of attention or credit for it. From what I know of the video through Loey and social media she was blatantly rude about "fat people" and hiding under the guise that it was concern for their health. My personal opinion is that people need to keep thei mouths shut about other peoples' weight. You don't have to find thicker people attractive, you can find them disgusting, but you do not need to voice those views in such a derogatory way. If you are not a medical professional than you have no right to critique someone else's weight. 

Loey has worked so hard to build up the confidence of her subscribers and personally she has helped me greatly. As I enter my senior year of high school,  I am proud to walk into school wearing things that I never would have touched a year ago and hold my head high. I find myself beautiful more than I am disgusted by myself now. That is saying so much for me and a lot of that credit is due to Loey.

Everyone deserves to be body positive and to love how they look. If you don't  love how you look than there are ways to change that or if you want to love how you look than there are also ways to build your confidence. If you are super thin or super thick, everyone should love their bodies because our bodies are miracles. We are so tough on our bodies but they withstand almost anything. For women we can carry growing children and birth babies. Our bodies are amazing and everyone should be body positive. 

Thank you so much Loey Lane for helping me realize that I am beautiful too. 

Loey Lane's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/LoeyLane/videos

Loey Lane's video on dating: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4_egY1q3bE

Loey Lane's response video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaNDkXpEo3s

#BodyPositivity across all platforms!

Percy Jackson And The Battle Of The Labyrinth ~ Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson isn't expecting freshman orientation to be any fun. But when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears on campus, followed by demon cheerleaders, things quickly move from bad to diabolical.

In this latest installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half-Blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as Kronos's army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop them, Percy and his demigod friends must set out on a quest through the Labryinth - a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn.

Book Review: 

This was probably my favorite installment of the series so far. It was so fast paced and I really loved the dynamic between Percy and Annabeth, plus the ending was perfection. (I'll talk about that in the discussion section.)

I really enjoyed the concept of the Labyrinth, it made the setting really interesting because you could interpret it all in your own way with the few details that Riordan incorporated in his descriptions. My only question on the Labyrinth is how the hell did they build a shifting, growing, elaborate piece of architecture. Deadulus, the architect, is technically Annabeth's brother. Yes he is thousands of years older than she but I just feel like there should have been more of a connection there. I feel this way about all of the family stuff in this series. No matter what the circumstances are when you discover a new sibling, once past the confusion, there should be so much love and adoration. I love that it is that way between Tyson and Percy but I feel that it is lacking with the other demigods. Like we know that Annabeth has siblings in her cabin but they are never mentioned or discussed and that kind of bothers me. 

 I love how nochalant Percy percieves this entire world now. He is so young and everything has been thrusted at him but none of it really phases him anymore. He's just like, "during the year I live with my mom in the city, get kicked out of school, try to not get killed by monsters. In the summer I live at a camp with  all of my cousins and my Cyclops brother and satyr best friend. Oh and I rarely hear from my father, the sea god. You've all heard of him, Poseidon."

It was just a really fucking great read.

Pages: 361                                                                                                          Rate: 5/5 

Book Discussion: SPOILERS

So lets talk Percabeth (Percy and Annabeth) first. So there is obviously some tension. You can tell that they both care for each other. She obviously doesn't let him do anything dangerous without her by his side, he is upset that  they have become so distant because of the issue with Luke. These two have been through so much together and they obviously have feelings for each other, I just wish they would do something about it. 

Another Annabeth related thing. Does the fact that her mother, Athena, and her father never having a physical relationship mean that Annabeth was born from Athena's head like Athena was from Zeus. She couldn't be born from her father's head because no mortal could withstand that. I'm just very confused. 

Now lets discuss the whole Kronos and Luke situation. I have hated Luke since the first book. I hate how he has betrayed Olympus, his friends, and his father. I hate how he is willing to let the Titans rise and ruin everything that Olympus has built. (The symbolism of this story line is really great.) But in this book I am beginning to feel bad for him in a way. He really is being used by Kronos, even though it is his own damn fault. The fact that Kronos is in Luke's body now, what does that mean for Luke? Is he still alive in there too or is he forever gone?

;Okay now lets talk about the end. I love that for Percy's birthday his dad showed up. I love that even though he could have heard about what happened from anyone on Olympus or anyone that wasn't Percy he makes a point to come to his sons party and see how he is. I couldn't stop smiling as I read that scene.

Favorite Quotes:

"And you, Percy, are my favorite son."

If I Stay ~ Gayle Forman

In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces - to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make.

Book Review:

I read this book a few years back but when I picked it up yesterday I didn't remember anything other than the choice she made in the end. Now I remember being completely intrigued by this novel a few years ago but it didn't do that for me this time around. Don't get me wrong it is a well written book with an interesting plot line, I've still never really read anything like it before, but I feel like it needed more depth and direction. 

I really like Mia. You can tell how much she loves her family and how she feels about being so different than them. You can feel the love that she has for Adam even though they are so young and have similar yet very different plans for their lives. I also love how she describes her relationship with her little brother, as an older sister to kids 1 year, 2 years, 6 years, 7 years, and 16 years younger than me I get how she has helped raise him because they are 9 years apart. That is a special relationship. Also she and I share a very big part of our lives, we both saw our mothers give birth, cut the umbilical cords, and were the first person the babies saw. That is a special bond, one like no other. 

Now though I love Mia, I feel that there was no character development for the other characters. Now a lot of that is due to how the book is written, through her eyes while having her out of body experience and reliving moments of her life. But I feel like there could have been more character development for Adam at least and even Mia. Mia did have some development but I still feel like there could have been so much more for her. 

The book was good  and I remember that I liked the second one better even a few years ago. I am hoping that that is still the case. This book is especially good for readers who are looking for a quick, easy, but yet interesting read.

Pages: 210                                                                                            Rate: 2/5

Book Discussion: SPOILERS:

I don't really have much to discuss about the book other than Mia's choice. In the end, Mia chooses to live without really making the decision. It just kind of happens. One minute she is watching Adam cry and the next she is able to squeeze her hand and hear him through her actual ears. I just found that strangely interesting. 

Favorite Quote:

"And that's just it, isn't it? That's how we manage to survive the loss. Because love, it never dies, it never goes away, so long as you hang on to it."

I've lost many people in my life, and this really is the only quote that I can think of that really seems to explain how we survive that pain.  

Fangirl ~ Rainbow Rowell

A coming-of-age tale of fanfiction, family, and first love.

Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life - and she's really good at it. she and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it's what got them trough their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fanfiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere. 

Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can't let go. She doesn't want to.

Now that they're going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn't want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of he comfort zone. She's got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend; a Fiction-Writing professor who thinks fanfiction is the end of the civilized world; a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... and she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone. 

For Cath, the question is: Can she doe this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Book Review:

When I was at Target the other day Fangirl the collector's edition was on sale. It is such a pretty cover. Mine is not like the one above, it is pink with green writing and the inside covers, front and back, are covered with amazing fanart related to the story. Now this has been on my TBR list for a couple of months now so when I saw that it was 20% off I had to get it. And I am so happy that I did. It is a long book but it is so beautiful and an easy read. 

I really resonate with Cath's character. She is in her freshman year of college and I'm entering my senior year of high school, but I can't even think about this year because I'm too excited for the next. She is a dedicated fan of Simon Snow, and though Simon Snow isn't a real series, it super close to my biggest obsession Harry Potter. (If you want the similarities explained go to this link: http://lies.tumblr.com/post/61896796990/the-world-in-fangirl) She also struggles with anxiety and is an introvert. (Literally me!)

Besides the fact that I just really resonate with Cath and this world, the story is just beautifully written. We can feel the pain, confusion, fear, love, and everything in between. I also love her roommate Reagan. At first I was skeptical of her and wasn't really sure about the type of person she is, but as she pulled Cath out of her shell and showed that she had her back no matter what I really began to like her as a character. I also love Levi, who Cath assumes is Reagan's boyfriend. I'll talk moe about him in the discussion though because I don't want to give anything away to those who haven't read this amazing bit of YA contemporary fiction. I hated Wren up until the end when she finally came to her senses and was once again there for her sister. 

I also really loved that Rowell included so many mental illnesses/addictions in this book. Cath has anxiety, her father has depression or bipolar disorder (it was never really clarified), and Wren struggles with alcohol abuse. Those diseases were perfectly explained. I have anxiety myself and I know people with the other diseases mentioned and I have been hurt by them as well, so I know what it means to be watching those you love spiral. 

Pages: 433                                                                                                               Rate:5/5

Book Discussion: SPOILERS: 

When Cath is introduced I knew that she was like me. I knew that everything she would feel, I have felt too. Now I have never been in a relationship so I can't say that I have been in love like she is with Levi, once they finally end up together. But I have crushed on someone really hard and been really let down when I realized that they only thought of me as a work partner, like she does with that jerk Nick. 

Another thing that I loved about this book was that before each chapter we would get either a snippet of the Simon Snow series (which made me want to read a series that doesn't exist) or a bit of Cath's Simon Snow fanfiction. Now I have written fanfiction (nowhere near as long as Cath's Carry On, Simon) and I might be uploading some at some point to hear as well. Mine are much shorter than hers, which is described as being longer than any of the books in Gemma T Leslie's series. 

Now let's talk about Levi. So at first it seems like he is dating Reagan, Cath's roommate. They are always hanging out but we later learn that they aren't together, only after Cath and he kissed and fell asleep together. Now Reagan was really the only friend that Cath had, they weren't super close, like Cath didn't really tell Reagan about the guy who broke up with her over the phone after they'd only been at college for a little while for another girl. But Reagan was the one who helped Cath get out of her shell, like eating in the dining hall or just leaving her room for something that wasn't class related. So obviously before Cath knew that she and Levi weren't together she felt guilty for kissing him. And Cath suffers from anxiety so her guilt just multiplied 1000x. 

So when Reagan finally convinces her that it is okay and that she should go with her to Levi's party, you think everything is going to be fine. And it is, until they walk into the kitchen where Levi is kissing another girl. This really hurts Cath and Reagan vows to keep him away from her. This works for awhile until Cath's dad enters the hospital because of his depression. She has no one else to call to give her a ride back to Omaha. They fight and everything before she finally gets to see her dad. But when she does go back to school and he finally gets her to listen to him, they are able to start the most amazingly adorable real relationship ever. I just love it so damn much. 

I also learned how much you can hate a literary character who has only a handful of lines; Cath and Wren's mother. She is mentioned more than that but she only has one actual scene and I hate her! I thought that I hated Umbridge from the Harry Potter series the most but Laura comes as a close second. 

Now the mental illnesses were portrayed really well in this series without explicitly saying, "Oh he is having a manic episode" or "Oh she is having an anxiety attack." As a reader you just knew what was happening as the change of tone would change. Now maybe I was really sensitive to what was happening because I suffer from anxiety myself but I don't believe that that was the case. I really do think that Rowell just described it wonderfully. 

Addiction was also a theme that I could see pretty much the second it began, before Cath even knew what was happening to her sister. And once again that is just Rowell's magic as a writer. Wren's alcoholism affects everyone differently but I really loved how  it affected their father. Ever since the girls were nine years old, after their mother left, it has always been them, but it is explained that he never kept too tight of a leash on them. So with his own mental disease and everything I didn't really expect him to become so intense, but at the same time it made perfect sense. 

Overall I just really love this damn book. 

 Favorite Quote:

"Because I'm the kind of girl that fantasizes about being trapped in a library overnight." 

Percy Jackson And The Olympians: The Titan's Curse ~ Rick Riordan

When the goddess Artemis goes missing, she is believed to have been kidnapped. And now it's up to Percy and his friends to find out what happened. Who is powerful enough to kidnap a goddess? They must find Artemis before the winter solstice, when her influence on the Olympian Council could swing and important vote on the war with the titans. Not only that, but first Percy will have to solve the mystery of a rare monster that Artemis was hunting when she disappeared - a monster rumored to be so powerful it could destroy Olympus forever.

Book Review:

I didn't think that I was going to get so easily sucked into this world. I was obsessed with Greek mythology in like 7th grade, which is probably when I should have read this series, but reading it now is pulling me back into a realm that I used to love so much and am beginning to love again. I'm able to read these books within a day or two because they are small and I just can't put them down.

I loved that with each book we are presented with the basics of another myth or god. In this book we learned a bit more about the Titans, the Hunters are introduced, and we learn a bit more about Artemis and her twin brother Apollo. I also really like that the prophecy is still a huge question. No one has an answer and just when you think that there is no one else but **talk about in discussion** for it to be about someone else pops up. Just insane! So many more questions now. 

I'm also really enjoying seeing the character development for Percy, which is something that I felt was lacking in book two. I like how he has come to terms with being a demi-god, son of Poseidon, part of a prophecy that he doesn't understand, and is still remaining to keep some normalcy in his life. I really love his relationship with his mom. You get that she embarrasses him, like most mothers do, but that they have such a tight bond that he has literally risked his life for hers. His friendship with Grover and Annabeth is also perfect. This group reminds me of mine. I also liked seeing that Thalia is struggling with her life now. She and Annabeth are both struggling with what to think of Luke and but Thalia is struggling with Daddy issues and self issues as well. 

Overall, for this being a middle grade novel, I think the character development is complex and intriguing, the plot is educating on Greek mythology, and it's just wonderful.

Pages: 352                                                                                                       Rate: 5/5

Book Discussion: SPOILERS:

So Annabeth and Percy may only be 14 in this book and Annabeth may be kidnapped for the majority of it but I SHIP THEM. I've kind of shipped them since book one but now it is official and I will be so upset if they don't end up together at some point in this series. I ship Percabeth. 

I really like Artemis. Athena is still my favorite Olympic Greek God/Goddess but Artemis is pretty cool even though I don't agree with her standing on men. I love how she becomes like a surrogate mom for all of these girls,  like Zoe Nightshade whose demise kills me, for all of eternity. 

So Thalia and Percy's friendly rivalry is perfect. It makes sense for them to act the way they do. Their fathers are always fighting and they are just like their fathers in a way. They've each been through similar experiencing. Plus, Percy kind of ruled camp before Thalia came back to life and now here she is and no one is looking to him to save the day anymore and it has kind of busted his ego and makes him jealous. And in my opinion Thalia is a bitch. I was glad when she joined the Hunters, even though that meant that Percy would be the one of the prophecy, well until we learn that Nico is Hades son. Yeah that's what I mentioned in the review.

So Nico is a little boy that Percy, Thalia, Annabeth, and Grover went to save, along with his sister Bianca (who joined the hunters), at the beginning of the novel. They were stuck in the hotel that Annabeth, Grover, and Percy were stuck in in book one. For them it only felt like hours but in reality it was years and years. So could Nico be the one of the prophecy or no because technically he was conceived before the oath? So many questions!

Favorite Quote:

"In a way, it's nice to know that there are Greek gods out there, because you have somebody to blame when things go wrong. For instance, when you're walking away from a bus that's just been attacked by monster hags and blown up by lightning, and it's raining on top of everything else, most people might think that's just really bad luck; when you're a half-blood, you understand that some divine force is really trying to mess up your day."

In Real Life: My Journey To A Pixelated World ~Joey Graceffa

It's not where you begin that matters.

It's where you end up.

Twenty-thee year old Joey Graceffa has captured the hearts of millions of teens and young adults through his playful, sweet, and inspirational YouTube presence (not to mention his sparkling eyes and perfect hair). Yet, Joey wasn't always comfortable in his skin, and in this candid memoir, he thoughtfully looks back on his journey from pain to pride, self-doubt to self-acceptance.

To his fans, Joey is that best friend who always captures the brighter side of life but also isn't afraid to get real. In the pages of his first book, he opens up about his years of struggling with family and hardships and troubles at school, with cruel bullying and the sting of rejection. He tells of first loves and losses, embarrassing moments and surprising discoveries, loneliness, laughter, and life-changing forks in the road, showing us the incalculable value of finally finding and following your true passion in this world.

Book Review:

I don't watch Joey's videos the second he posts them and I don't watch everyone. I haven't followed him since the beginning of time (well the beginning of YouTube, which face it is the beginning of time), but I watch enough of his videos to know about his autistic brother and alcoholic mother. I don't know much about those situations or what he had to go through because of them, but I knew enough to want to know more. That is why I bought In Real Life. 

In Real Life, gave us an insight into the Joey that we don't see often, his truest and most vulnerable self. We read along as he describes being confused with his sexuality from a young age, being picked on in school for being "feminine," arguing with his older sister, looking up to his step-dad, and fighting to forgive his mom, and protecting his little brother. I feel sympathy for him when he describes being the outcast in high school and alone in college. I'm excited for him when he takes the leap of faith and jumps into his dreams, focusing more on YouTube and moving to LA.

I could hear his voice as I read the book. I could hear the excitement, the pain, and the resentment. That is what I love about reading memoirs of people I have watched on YouTube forever. I just wished that he talked more about how his life is now in the end.

Pages: 240                                                                                                  Rate: 4/5

Grace's Guide: The Art Of Pretending To Be A Grown-Up ~ Grace Helbig

Growing up in the digital era isn't easy. So Grace Helbig has written a guide that's perfect for anyone faced with the daunting task of becoming an adult.

Infused with her trademark saucy, sweet, and funny voice, Grace's Guide is a tongue-in-cheek handbook for Millennials, encompassing everything a young or new (or regular or old) adult needs to know, from how to live online to landing a job to surviving a breakup to decorating a first apartment, and much more. Charmingly illustrated, Grace's Guide features full-color photos, interactive worksheets, and exclusive stories from Grace's own misadventures, including her disastrous interview for NBC's Page Program, her lifelong struggles with anxiety, the first )and also last) time she entered a beauty pageant, meeting her first boyfriend at a high school Latin convention, and many other hilarious lessons she learned the hard way.

Amusing and unexpectedly educational, this refreshing and colorful guide proves that becoming an adult doesn't necessarily mean you have to grow up.

Book Review:

I have never been a fan of self-help books. I figured that they could all be classified under the cliche of "Oh, don't you worry your sweet little mind honey. Everything get's better." Well this book is definitely not the case and I probably should have expected that because it's by Grace Helbig but, you know.  

I foresee this book being on my nightstand when I go to college next fall. This is going to be my go to book for everything "adult," from my first one night stand to managing my anxiety to going on my first real date. (Yes, I'm seventeen and have never had a boyfriend. And for those of you who want to judge, how many times have you had your heart broken or been hurt or done the heart breaking or hurt someone?) Anyway, this book is going to be my life line to everything adult and fun.

Thank you Grace for showing me that some self-help books aren't the cliche. I love your videos and you make me laugh in them and your book. 

Pages: 238                                                                                        Rate: 5/5

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."

Shatter Me ~ Tahereh Mafi

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war– and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: BE A WEAPON OR BE A WARRIOR.

Book Review:

I started Shatter Me last night and finished it this afternoon because it was so amazing. Mafi's words in this novel are just riveting and captivating and beautiful. The plot is so intriguing, you just want to know what everything means and what is going to happen next. Juliette's thoughts are gorgeously expressed and I love how she crosses her thoughts out as we do before we speak; we think one thing but say something completely different. 

The entire book was full of twists and turns. There was also a romantic element dispersed throughout the whole "running for their lives" thing. Juliette, though she has this unwanted power of a touch that can kill, was really just like every other 17 year old girl. She wants to have relations with people, she wants to fall in love, she wants to be accepted. Adam was just this amazingly brave 17 year old boy who will do anything to keep his 10 year old brother, James, and Juliette safe. 

The world that this story is set in, seems to be more futuristic, close to the end of the word type thing. Everything is dying off, oxygen is depleted, and there are no real  seasons. It is just so interesting and I love that Mafi doesn't really explain it because it gives you room to imagine and re-imagine as new information is presented to you. 

I'm excited to read the rest of the series along with the novellas. I will be reading the novellas in the places that they are supposed to be read. So I will be reading the first novella, Destroy Me, before reading the next book in the trilogy, Unravel Me.

Pages: 338                                                                             Rate: 5/5

Book Discussion: SPOILERS:

The story is kind of hard to explain to someone who hasn't read the novel without giving away absolutely everything. It's one of those books that when you talk about it you have to say everything otherwise you are going to completely lose the person in the process. So, if this makes no sense, blame the wonderful writings of Tahereh Mafi.

When Juliette touches people, she puts them in serious pain but they can't pull away because she has to be the one to separate them. There are some days where I could really use that power but I don't think that I would be able to live with it. Could you live your everyday life without human contact, without being able to hug the ones you love, kiss your significant other, pet your dog? I know that I wouldn't be able to do that. 

Adam is a boy that Juliette knew before she was locked away. They never talked but she has always loved him. And years after she was locked away they are reunited and we learn that he is immune to her touch. Their relationship is pure beauty. They would give up anything and everything to be together. 

James, Adam's 10 year old brother, has been living on his own since Adam joined the Army. Adam set him up in an orphanage compound with his own room and an older woman, Benny, checks in on him for Adam. But this kid has seen and experienced more than we even know and it shows when he is reunited with Adam. 

Warner is an asshole. That's all I will even say about him because I hate him so much. He disgusts me. 

I loved the ending. So far I love the compound that they are at and that there are other people with powers, none like Juliette's, but powers nonetheless. 

Favorite Quote:

 "My face is in his hands and my lips are at his lips and he's kissing me and I'm oxygen and he's dying to breathe."

I love the passion of their relationship.