REVIEW: These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly

These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly

Publication Date: October 27, 2015

Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Received from Publisher 

Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

*This eARC was received from the publisher, but it did not influence this review in any way *

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Jo Montfort is beautiful and rich, and soon—like all the girls in her class—she’ll graduate from finishing school and be married off to a wealthy bachelor. Which is the last thing she wants. Jo secretly dreams of becoming a writer—a newspaper reporter like the trailblazing Nellie Bly.

Wild aspirations aside, Jo’s life seems perfect until tragedy strikes: her father is found dead. Charles Montfort accidentally shot himself while cleaning his revolver. One of New York City’s wealthiest men, he owned a newspaper and was partner in a massive shipping firm, and Jo knows he was far too smart to clean a loaded gun.

The more Jo uncovers about her father’s death, the more her suspicions grow. There are too many secrets. And they all seem to be buried in plain sight. Then she meets Eddie—a young, brash, infuriatingly handsome reporter at her father’s newspaper—and it becomes all too clear how much she stands to lose if she keeps searching for the truth. Only now it might be too late to stop.

The past never stays buried forever. Life is dirtier than Jo Montfort could ever have imagined, and the truth is the dirtiest part of all.


So this is my first Jennifer Donnelly novel and I have to say that I absolutely loved it and can't wait to get my hands on more of her work. Historical fiction has never really been my cup of tea, but when it has a young adult feel like this one it definitely hits the spot. Jo Montfort is a bright young woman with a bright future. Even though her family has mapped out her entire life, she always has the urge to do and be so much more than what she is. I find that she has to constantly hold back her true self. Jo stands out as a rebel with a penchant for trouble and when she meets Eddie Gallagher she finds herself becoming the person she was always meant to be.

Jo has such a brave and strong personality and it got to shine bright every time she was investigating with Eddie, but there were some situations that I feel like she really could have avoided if she had just listened to him instead making her own decisions. I loved that Jo had so many big dreams for herself during a time when her freedom was so very limited. I especially liked that there were so many strong females available for her to be so heavily influenced by. The tragedy behind her fathers mysterious death was just as frustrating for her as it was for me because there were so many factors that we learned and in the end it's like she didn't even know her father all that well. I always feel bad when characters find out harsh truths about a person they loved.

I have to say that my absolute favorite character was Fay. I feel like Fay was such a real depiction of what it's like to have a hard life in any time period. She was such a strong character and a little bit scary in the beginning but once you got to know her you saw how fiercely loyal and protective she was. She saved Jo more times than I can count and the friendship they form over time was my favorite relationship to see. Fay needed a real friend and Jo needed a reality check so the two of them were able to learn so much from each other. I also loved that Fay wasn't forgotten in the happy ending department because of all the characters in this story, no one deserved it more than her.

Overall, I highly recommend this book for any Historical Fiction junkie and even all YA lovers because this book was the perfect mix of both!

REVIEW: This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

Publication Date: January 5, 2016

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: Received from Publisher 

Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

*This eARC was received from the publisher, but it did not influence this review in any way *

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

10:00 a.m.
The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.

10:02 a.m.
The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.

10:03 a.m.
The auditorium doors won't open.

10:05 a.m.
Someone starts shooting.

Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.

Right now i'm sitting in my Pathophysiology class trying to write this review without turning into a giant puddle of tears. Let's just say this has been a major fail for me! This book has to be one of the most heartbreaking, gut-wrenching books I have ever read and i'm just having a really hard time giving it a review that will do it justice. My words just don't seem like enough right now.

I can count on my hands the number of books i've read that have made me cry. It was 6. Now, it's 7. I had such a hard time getting through this book because it was such an emotional read. It constantly reminded me of all those school shootings that have happened during my life and all I could think about was how accurate the book seemed. I've never personally experienced a school shooting (which I am unbelievably thankful that I can say) but I imagine that this author nailed the emotions of what it must feel like to be in one.

The scenes that unfolded during the 54 minutes this shooting occurred in was detailed and heartbreaking to read. I don't have children, but I know that this is a parents worst nightmare. Or really, it's a family's worst nightmare because the parents are not the only ones that are hurt when these things happen. This is something that the author portrayed in the book very well.

The story was told in four different points of view, and at the end, turned into three points of view. This one tiny detail caused me such sorrow, but I don't consider this a "spoiler" because when talking about shootings, you can kind of assume that there will be death involved. One of the deaths in the book involved one character that I actually really loved and I was so incredibly sad when he died. Of course I went through the eight stages of grief and hated the author for killing them off but then I realized that, like life, you have no control over these things. So I forgive you, Marieke! (haha)

Overall, I think you need to be mentally prepared before picking up this book because the emotional distress is so serious! Or then again, maybe i'm just a sensitive sissy? Either way, with books like this, you just never know! :)

REVIEW: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Publication Date: February 26, 2013

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Source: Book Gifted to Lexi Swoons 

Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble


My rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.

Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.

Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.

Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

Let me start by saying that this is not my favorite Rainbow Rowell book that i've read so far. I think Rainbow is an amazing author, but this book didn't quite give me the feels I was looking for while reading.

Eleanor is a great character. She has been through so much in her life for such a young girl but I think she is so strong and brave. She has flaws just like everyone else, and there were things that I wish I could change in her personality. But, like life, you can't change things you don't like about people. I think that the particular flaws I find in her personality were actually very annoying, which is what made me slightly annoyed with her pretty much every time she spoke.

Park is also a great character. I loved that he was so in love with Eleanor and so concerned with everything that she encountered. In a way, I think he was a bit naive when it came to Eleanor and life in general. But he didn't have the same upbringing and struggles that Eleanor had so I can understand why he had the luxury of being so young and naive.

In a way I kind of loved the innocence of Park and I loved the toughness of Eleanor. I always like to see characters that have had hard times because it seems more realistic to me. I think I just didn't care to see these two characters together. I feel like they were so different and the connection wasn't quite right. I loved the environment and the story building for this book too. I just feel like it could have been perfect without the awkwardness of the two MC's. Overall, it was a quick read and I still (and will always) love Rainbow for her creativity and great writing!

REVIEW: This Song is (Not) For You by Laura Nowlin

This Song is (Not) For You by Laura Nowlin

Publication Date: January 15, 2016

Publisher: Sourcebooks
Source: Received from Publisher 

Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

*This eARC was received from the publisher, but it did not influence this review in any way *

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Bandmate, best friend or boyfriend? For Ramona, one choice could mean losing them all.

Ramona and Sam are best friends. She fell for him the moment they met, but their friendship is just too important for her to mess up. Sam loves April, but he would never expect her to feel the same way--she's too quirky and cool for someone like him. Together, they have a band, and put all of their feelings for each other into music.

Then Ramona and Sam meet Tom. He's their band's missing piece, and before Ramona knows it, she's falling for him. But she hasn't fallen out of love with Sam either.

How can she be true to her feelings without breaking up the band?

I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as I thought I would. Being a huge fan of Nowlin's first book, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book, but after reading the first few chapters I knew this wasn't your standard story.

For one, the three main characters are each a bit odd in their own ways. Ramona is this super quirky pixie girl that couldn't be "normal" if she tried. Maybe that's a good thing though. In a way I kind of liked her weirdness. I mean, i've read odd characters before but Ramona definitely takes the cake. Then there's Sam. I really liked Sam's personality. He was the calm to Ramona's storm. He was level headed and cool while Ramona was off beat and eccentric. And good 'ol Tom was our last MC. Tom was kind of weird in his own way. He meets the other two bff's at an audition and Ramona instantly knows that Tom is "magic." Though Sam is a little bit reluctant, Ramona convinces him to let Tom be a part of their band. Together, the three of them become best friends and make the most magical music together. Oh and btw Ramona falls in love with Tom while already being in love with Sam.

So basically a love triangle forms between the three of them and that's when things really start to get weird. All I can say about this is that we have one character that seems a bit polygamous while another character seems very much asexual. It's all very weird and interesting to see how everything unfolds.

Other than this crazy love triangle situation that is going on, the story doesn't appear to have any real plot or twist. It just seems like a story about a bunch of kids (that are apparently very mature for their age) that fall in love. I feel like certain feelings displayed in the book and their reactions are a bit off. Especially in this day and age when people are cruel and unforgiving.

Overall, this book was an interesting read (to say the least!) and I think anyone with an open mind with enjoy reading it!

REVIEW: What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi

What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi

Publication Date: August 4, 2015

Publisher: Sourcebooks
Source: Received from Publisher 

Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

*This eARC was received from the publisher, but it did not influence this review in any way *

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

It’s all Ryden’s fault. If he hadn’t gotten Meg pregnant, she would have never stopped her chemo treatments and would still be alive. Instead, he’s failing fatherhood one dirty diaper at a time. And it’s not like he’s had time to grieve while struggling to care for their infant daughter, start his senior year, and earn the soccer scholarship he needs to go to college.

The one person who makes Ryden feel like his old self is Joni. She’s fun and energetic—and doesn’t know he has a baby. But the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to keep his two worlds separate. Finding one of Meg’s journals only stirs up old emotions, and Ryden’s convinced Meg left other notebooks for him to find, some message to help his new life make sense. But how is he going to have a future if he can’t let go of the past?

DONT. GET. ME. STARTED. ON. THIS. BOOK!

Soooooo....can you tell that i'm unhappy? Huh? Can ya?!?!?!?!

Ok so there are so many things that I loved about this story....and then there are sooooooooo many things that I hated about this story!

How do I begin, guys? Well let me start by saying what I loved about the book. Ryden was actually a pretty good dad. He had such a difficult time with his baby girl in the beginning of the book, but I loved seeing his character growth and seeing how much he wanted to make his baby girl happy. That right there melts my heart. I also loved Joni as the crazy funky new "friend" that essentially helps Ryden let go of his past and move on from all the pain he was holding on to. His mom though, his mom is the real MVP for supporting her son no matter what and letting him make his own mistakes in his own time, She knew right away that some of his ideas were never going to work out, but instead of pushing her opinion on him and telling him he wasn't allowed to do something she let him see for himself that the idea was not good. I think that's great parenting! 

Now, let's get into what I hated about the book, well what I can actually tell you anyway. I hate MEG! I understand why she did what she did, but I just can't forget her for how she did it. I think that it was the most selfish thing a person could ever do to someone they love. Don't fall for her sweet girl act guys, she was a liar and I really don't like the lies she told! And don't even get me started on her parents! I mean they are just horrible people. There is absolutely no reason in the world for them to handle the situation as they did. Meg was there daughter and they should have put more feelings into that fact than into any other feeling they felt. Then there was Ryden's relationship with Joni. I mean I loved that she helped him move on but I kind of feel like it was way too soon. 

And the ending! I mean, I feel like there was so many things that I needed resolutions for. I still have so many questions!

So overall, I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand I loved the happy ending that came about after all the notebooks were found and everything was finally put to rest, but the things that I disliked I REALLY disliked. But I also have to admit that I thought the writing was really good and the situation as well as the characters reactions seemed pretty realistic. So that's all I have to say for that lol

REVIEW: The Storm (The Rain #2) by Virginia Bergin

The Storm (The Rain #2) by Virginia Bergin

Publication Date: October 1, 2015

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: Received from Publisher 

Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

*This eARC was received from the publisher, but it did not influence this review in any way *

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

DEADLY TO THE LAST DROP.

Ninety-seven percent of the population is dead. And the killer rain keeps falling. Ruby's not sure she can make it on her own much longer. So when a chance encounter leads her to a camp with the last boy she may ever kiss (it's not easy to date during an apocalypse), Ruby gratefully accepts the army's protection.
But safety comes with a price: If Ruby wants to stay, she must keep her eyes-and her mouth-shut.

Except Ruby stumbles across a secret she can't possibly keep. Horrified, she flips out and fights back-only to make the most shocking discovery of all...

I definitely enjoyed reading this book so much more than the first one. There was some serious character building that took place for all involved and some serious discoveries, both good and bad, that occurred. I will admit that i'm slightly disappointed with the end result for some of the characters but overall it was still a great book.

I am happy to say that in this book Ruby finally gets her act together. We see Ruby take on a much more serious tone with the whole "killer rain" thing. I think she finally gets that the world was almost destroyed by deadly, bacteria filled rain, and her sense of self preservation finally kicks in. Of course,  it wouldn't be Ruby without a few more "episodes" where she is almost killed because she is distracted and not cautious. But in the end she found a reason to stay alive and protect herself as well as others around her. I loved that some of the characters from the first book made appearances and other characters finally made an appearance, but the end results for some were a bit lacking and left me feeling unfulfilled.

What I did love was how believable the whole situation felt. Everything from the "killer rain" to the reactions of all the people involved, including the government, felt and sounded so real. Like if that ever happened to us today I believe this book will map out everything we should and shouldn't do.

So overall, I think that even though the main character was not as smart and safe in the first book, she definitely redeemed herself  in this second installment. Have you read this duology? What are your thoughts?