The Name of the Star

Title: The Name of the Star
Author: Maureen Johnson
Series: #1 in the Shades of London series
Pages: 372 (paperback)
Published: September, 2011, by Penguin Young Readers Group

Summary: Jack the Ripper is back, and he's coming for Rory next... Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London to start a new life at boarding school just as a series of brutal murders mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper killing spree of more than a century ago has broken out across the city. The police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man believed to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him - the only one who can see him. And now Rory has become his next target... unless she can tap her previously unknown abilities to turn the tables.

My Thoughts: Honestly, I had no idea what to expect when I went into this book. I only knew what I had read from the synopsis on the back of the book and that was it. But lemme tell ya, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I love books about history, London, boarding schools, and mysteries and this novel by Maureen Johnson had it all! Not only that, but it was funny, too. It was filled with snark and sarcasm without taking away from the brevity of the murder mystery that this book was truly about.

I don't want to give too much away because I went into this book pretty blind and I think that's why I enjoyed it as much as I did, so that's what I would recommend to anyone who is interested in reading this London-based mystery in the future.

But I will say that it I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series, because whoa CLIFFHANGER! I will also say that the only reason it didn't get a full 5 out of 5 stars is because sometimes things felt a little unnecessary. Other than that though, I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading a YA dark, mystery series set in London, England.
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The One

Title: The One
Author: Kiera Cass
Series: #3 in The Selection series
Pages: 336 (hardcover)
Published: May 2014 by Harper Collins

Summary: The time has come for one winner to be crowned. When she was chosen to compete in the Selection, America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the end of the competition approaches, and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants.

My Thoughts: What a great ending to a trilogy, right guys? I came for something cheesy, romantic, and light and that's what I got and I'm completely happy with that.

This is the third book in The Selection series, and was originally supposed to be the final book for this world that America Singer lives in, but now there's a spinoff series about her daughter (that I will definitely be reading because I need more of Kiera Cass' writing in my life).

Since it was supposed to be the last book, however, it ties up really nicely at the end. You feel a sense of closure with the plot and characters and everything has a nice bow on it, which is exactly what I look for in a good young adult trilogy.

Was it worthy of all the awards for best plot and writing ever? No, but that's not what I wanted out of this series. It was a perfect blend of cheesy teen romance with a smidgen of dystopian power troubles, though. I was fully entertained from beginning to end.

My only problem was that I could have used a little bit more dystopian uprising elements, but other than that, I really liked this book and this series as well. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes the show The Bachelor and to anyone middle school age and up. Let me know if y'all have read this series and what y'alls thoughts on it are in the comments below!
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

To All the Boys I've Loved Before

Title: To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Author: Jenny Han
Series: To All the Boys I've Loved Before #1
Pages: 368 (hardcover)
Published: April 2014

Summary: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

My Thoughts: First off, can we appreciate how cute this book cover is real quick? That is aesthetic goals right there! Anyways, this book was quite the surprise for me! I didn't think I would like it because of how hyped up it was all over the internet. I thought it would just fall short or something so I went into it with kind of low expectations. But wow what a great contemporary!

It had everything that I was looking for in a contemporary this Spring: cuteness factor, romance, a coming of age story, complex and diverse characters, and an easy flow to the writing. I sped through this book and I definitely wanted more!

I've been a fan of Jenny Han's writing for a few years now, and this book did not fail me. It was cheesy in all the right ways and didn't make me cringe every other page. That isn't to say that there weren't any cringe worthy moments at all, but the ones that were in the narrative were needed to move the plot and character development along.

The only reason why I didn't give it a full 5 stars is because our main character, Lara Jean, was a tad annoying near the beginning and middle of the book. I wanted to shake her sometimes and scream "OPEN YOUR EYES CHILD!" But that's what helps makes you realize that she has grown as a person towards the end of the story. You see less and less of those moments until she reaches a point of clarity.

Jenny Han is quickly becoming one of my favorite go-to contemporary authors, especially for good summertime reads, and I will definitely be continuing on with this series soon and hopefully see what fate holds in store for our beloved Lara Jean and her highly entertaining love life.
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars