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

The Martian

Title: The Martian
Author: Andy Weir
Pages: 387 (paperback)
Published: October, 2014, by Broadway Books

Summary: Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him & forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded & completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—& even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—& a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

My Thoughts: I know I don't read a lot of science fiction books, but I'll be danged if this isn't one of the best ones I've read in years. Not only was it suspenseful and action packed, but it was downright hilarious!  So I initially picked this book up because I saw the movie trailer and was completely enthralled by what I saw. However, when I started reading, it wasn't exactly what I had expected.

I had heard mostly good reviews about this book from my fellow booksellers at work as well as other book reviewers, but I don't remember anyone saying how funny it was. And oh my stars, I was actually laughing out loud at some parts! 

Even when it wasn't all about the laughs, it was a great fast-paced, un-put-down-able, sci-fi thriller and I couldn't get enough of it. The characters and plot were great and the even science made sense (I cannot tell you how relieved this made me feel), so yeah I was a happy camper when I finished this one.

My only qualm with this novel was that sometimes the science was a little over my head.  I'm not very proficient in math or physical science, so when Watney would go on and on in detail when explaining why something broke or how he managed to fix it, I kinda sorta might have skimmed a little bit through those parts. It wasn't that much of the book where I felt this lost, but when it occasionally happened I would skim to the bottom of the page to see what was going to happen next.

That didn't take away from the book much at all, though. I feel like people of pretty much all science backgrounds can understand what's going on because Andy Weir did a good job of explaining the details and cutting the fat so you weren't inundated with a new and complicated science lesson every time you turned the page. 

So far it looks like this book is going to be on my list of top 5 favorite books I've read in 2015, and I seriously cannot wait until the movie adaptation comes out in October, like I already plan on dragging anyone willing to witness this movie with me because I gots to share the love. Let me know what you thought of The Martian in the comments below or if you plan on reading it!
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Fire with Fire

Title: Fire with Fire
Authors: Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
Series: #2 in the Burn for Burn series
Pages: 517 (hardcover)
Published: August, 2013, by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
(All links below lead to it's respective Goodreads' page unless otherwise specified)

Summary: Lillia, Kat, and Mary had the perfect plan. Work together in secret to take down the people who wronged them. But things didn’t exactly go the way they’d hoped at the Homecoming Dance. Not even close.

For now, it looks like they got away with it. All they have to do is move on and pick up the pieces, forget there ever was a pact. But it’s not easy, not when Reeve is still a total jerk and Rennie’s meaner than she ever was before.

And then there’s sweet little Mary…she knows there’s something seriously wrong with her. If she can’t control her anger, she’s sure that someone will get hurt even worse than Reeve was. Mary understands now that it’s not just that Reeve bullied her—it’s that he made her love him.

Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, burn for a burn. A broken heart for a broken heart. The girls are up to the task. They’ll make Reeve fall in love with Lillia and then they will crush him. It’s the only way he’ll learn. It seems once a fire is lit, the only thing you can do is let it burn...

My Thoughts: What a great sequel to Burn for Burn! Even though it took me a while to finish this book, every time I picked it up I felt like I was flying through it. That might be because of the short nature of the chapters but I think it's mostly because the plot was always moving and never felt stagnant.

I think I might have said this before about Burn for Burn (link leads to my book review), but when point of views change in a book, it can either work wonderfully or fail completely for me, there is no in between. The same logic, in my opinion, applies to dual authors, too. However, with these books, it's effortless. Jenny Han's and Siobhan Vivian's writing blends so seamlessly and it words so well with the multiple POVs in this series that I couldn't imagine it written any other way.

The characters were more complex and fleshed out in this book, as well. Kat and Lillian become more understanding of those that they were seeking revenge on and they were less blinded by their bloodthirsty cause.  When a character is only defined by a revenge plot, it can get boring and tired fast, so it was nice to see most of the characters shift their focus from time to time. This also led to more of a fulfilling plot, in the end.

I also loved how the series is crossing genres midway through the series, but once again, it's quite seamless. You're given a small glimpse of this crossover in the first book, but it comes to fruition in this installment.  With the new genre, comes a breath of fresh air as well as more possibilities to be surprised by the story, and I love that about these books. They always surprise me and I'm left wanting more.

The reason why this novel didn't get a 5 out of 5 stars is because it became a little predictable for me near the end, even with the genre switch and the big twist at the end. I found myself skimming those parts just so I could get on with the story. But I will definitely be continuing on with this series and reading Ashes to Ashes in the near future. I need to know what happens to this dramatic and insane trio!
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

You Deserve a Drink

Title: You Deserve a Drink: Boozy Misadventures and Tales of Debauchery
Author: Mamrie Hart
Pages: 288 (paperback)
Published: May 2015 by Plume

Summary: Since launching her YouTube channel “You Deserve a Drink” in 2011, comedian Mamrie Hart has built an intensely devoted following of more than half a million viewers. Like her bawdy and bacchanalian show, Hart’s eponymous debut pays tribute to her boozy misadventures with an original cocktail recipe accompanying each hilarious tale. From the “Leaves of Three Martini,” commemorating the hookup to whom she accidentally gave poison ivy, to the “Bizzargarita,” in honor of the time she and a friend were approached by two uber-Republican couples who wanted to “swing” while on vacation in Mexico, You Deserve a Drink is as useful as it is entertaining.

My Thoughts: I was lucky enough to go to Mamrie Hart's book signing earier in June, and oh my goodness what a nice and goofy person! She insisted on hugs all around and selfies with her fans, but not only that, she was also so sincere in everything she said, as well. I couldn't help to think, "Dang can we be bffl's?" after the meetup, and it made me want to dive right into her book ASAP.

So here's the thing: this is absolutely a meant-for-adults book, so I think that her younger Youtube fans should probably steer clear of it until they're at least 18, in my opinion. Also, I'm not much of a drinker, so the drink recipes at the beginning of each chapter, while a cute and original idea, got a little monotonous for me. But if you enjoy making mixed drinks and such, you'll probably enjoy this book a little more than I did because of the unique mixed drink recipes.

However, I did really enjoy this autobiography (memoirs? I have no idea how to exactly classify this. I'm new to this biography game). During every chapter, I had at least one moment of laugh-out-loud hilarity or I thought, "This girl is cray I can't believe she did this! I must know more!" Or both!

Near the end, though, I grew a little tired of the crazy antics. Most of the chapters near the beginning of the book had a nice "moral of the story" moment or cute friendship bonding fun times in them, but when I got closer and closer to the end I felt like those aspects weren't there as much and like Hart was just letting us know about that one time she was stoned and built up a Dairy Queen Blizzard conspiracy theory. I don't really feel like that story added to the book, mostly because it was like she was saying, "Hey look how kooky I was that one time!"

With that said, I did really enjoy this book and I highly recommend it to any of Mamrie's Youtube fans or You Deserve a Drink fans. And even if you've never heard of her, her stories were really hilarious overall when you get down to it. After reading her book, it made me appreciate her a little more as a Youtube personality and as a comedian and I hope to see more from her in the future.
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Doon

Title: Doon
Authors: Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon
Series: Doon
Pages: 368 (hardcover)
Published: August 2013 by Zondervan

Summary: Veronica doesn't think she's going crazy. But why can't anyone else see the mysterious blond boy who keeps popping up wherever she goes? When her best friend, Mackenna, invites her to spend the summer in Scotland, Veronica jumps at the opportunity to leave her complicated life behind for a few months.

But the Scottish countryside holds other plans. Not only has the imaginary kilted boy followed her to Alloway, she and Mackenna uncover a strange set of rings and a very unnerving letter from Mackenna's great aunt—and when the girls test the instructions Aunt Gracie left behind, they find themselves transported to a land that defies explanation.

Doon seems like a real-life fairy tale, complete with one prince who has eyes for Mackenna and another who looks suspiciously like the boy from Veronica's daydreams. But Doon has a dark underbelly as well. The two girls could have everything they've longed for...or they could end up breaking an enchantment and find themselves trapped in a world that has become a nightmare.

My Thoughts: It took me forever to finish this book. I only had 25% left of the book to read but I think it took me over a week to finish that last bit. But I was bound and determined to finish this sucker! I felt like I had to finish this book before starting another one because I had already put so much time into it. Usually I'm okay with not finishing a book because if I'm not enjoying it, then why waste the time you know? But for some reason I felt like I had to know what happened in this story!

Now I love cheesy romances and contemporaries. With that said, one of my literary pet peeves are cheesy adventure or fantasy elements in a story.  They end up feeling lazy to me and I no longer feel immersed in the story when these parts would come up.  I found myself skimming the last quarter of the book because of this.

I did really like how friendship was one of the main themes in this book, though. And I really liked the dual perspectives, too, even though I enjoyed reading from Veronica's perspective a little more than Mackenna's slightly more whiny point of view. Veronica just felt a little more fleshed out and three dimensional than Mackenna so when Veronica got to have most of the story told from her POV, I must admit that I was a little relieved.

I also really liked the natives of Doon and the originality of the story, as well. It was a great and original idea but I feel like it in terms of what I was looking for in this novel and in terms of the kind of books I'm really enjoying at this point, that it could have been executed a little better.

However, like I said earlier, I felt compelled to finish this book and find out what happened with Mackenna, Veronica, and the people of Doon because it was such a rich and interesting world that they inhabited, but the plot wasn't completely there for me.

It had a great beginning and good epilogue, but almost everything else in between was a bit draggy and predictable. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a nice, cheesy, young adult novel with friendship and love as the center of the story and maybe to a younger reading audience, too.

I don't think I'll be continuing on with this series, but I think if I had read it when I was in high school that I would have really loved this book, but it's not exactly the kind of book that I'm really into reading at this point in my life.
My Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars