- Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda By Becky Albertalli
- When IT Happens by Susane Colasanti
- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
- Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
- Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Simon Spier is a 16-year-old boy with a secret. Nobody knows that he's gay, so when another student from his school anonymously known as Blue comes out as gay; Simon decides to email him and the two boys strike up a secretive relationship. So secretive that they don't even know the identities of one another. Whilst dealing with the drama that his life, Simon gets blackmailed by a classmate, who threatens everything that Simon has worked to protect.
This is a coming of age story about figuring out your sexuality and piecing together your identity in high school and things may not always turn out how you wish them to. A heartwarming, fluffy novel about being yourself and falling in love.
I gave SVTHSA 5 out of 5 stars, this novel completely blew me away. I'm pretty sure I smiled the entire time whilst reading and if I wasn't, I was either laughing or crying because I related a lot to this book; in ways, I didn't initially expect to. This story is one that will be so important for some many young LGBTQIA+ community members and I highly recommend this book to anyone who is searching for a romance that they can fall heart first in to.
Full Review
When IT Happens by Susane Colasanti
Sara wants two things in life; to get into a top college and to find true love.
Tobey wants two things in life; to win the battle of the bands and to make Sara fall in love with him.
However, when popular jock Dave makes a move on Sara before Tobey has a chance, it becomes harder for her to decide as she begins to notice Tobey. Can the class-joke-slacker win over the smartest girl in school or will the popular jock win overall?
I ended up giving When IT Happens 3.5 out of 5 stars.
The overall story although enjoyable, was far from anything unique. It follows the typical love triangle trope of will the girl pick boy A or boy B, the jock or the underdog; the jerk or the nice guy.
I thought the pacing of the book was good and the romance was sweet, though I did think the characters could have been fleshed out a bit more; none of them really had memorable traits.
I did, however, find myself rooting for Tobey through the course of the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who is simply looking for a quick fix of romance - this book would be ideal for a short summer read.
Full Review
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.
I gave Ari & Dante 5 out of 5 stars.
The story told by Benjamin Alire Saenz is one of self-discovery, family, friendship and love. Over a summer two boys meet and help one another learn and grow within themselves. This book was an emotional ride, going from both heart-breaking and heartwarming within a matter of pages. The story told of Ari & Dante is one that more people need to read, the importance that it will serve for anyone who is trying to figure themselves out. I found myself laughing and crying for the two of these boys and everything they deal with and face. Similarly to Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, I didn't realise how much I would relate to this book and how much I needed to read this when I did.
I would highly, highly recommend that you read this book if you haven't already; this story is one that needs to be told and has been so so beautifully. Great representation for the LGBTQIA+ community and just a wonderful, uplifting story that serves an important purpose.
Full Review
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
Every Heart a Doorway follows the story of Nancy Whitman, a girl who has recently returned from the Halls of the Dead. In this world, sometimes children disappear through doorways, to their desired homes and sometimes these children don't want to come home; but when they do they struggle to adapt back to a life of normality. So they get sent to Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children - no guests, no solicitations and certainly no quests. Living and learning together, these children try and seek ways back to their worlds but when tragedy strikes, they must work together to save the people around them. No matter the cost.
I gave EHAD 5 out of 5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have continued on with the rest of the series (which in my opinion gets better with each book that McGuire releases). The world that Seanan has created is unique, whimsical and mysterious; it leaves you craving more from this fantastical universe. The characters are incredibly diverse and so lovable, Kade Bronson is one of my favourite fantasy characters of all time. For anyone looking for a short, action-packed fantasy series filled to the brim with brand new worlds, then this is the series for you!
Full Review
Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
Down Among follows Jack and Jill Wolcott, telling the story of their lives before the events of Every Heart a Doorway. This novella expands our knowledge of the world they came back from and how they came to be the people they are today. Seanan McGuire uses this prequel-sequel to give us more of the world that she has created whilst providing us with rich lore and character backstory.
I gave Down Among 4 out of 5 stars. The writing in this addition to the series is just as exquisite as the first, though this book takes on more of an eerie tone than Every Heart does. The depth that we get to explore Jack and Jill's character is wonderful, especially since we get to see more interaction between the two throughout this story. I do think this book could have been a little longer and I would have like to have seen Jill's character fleshed out a little more; as a result, I found her slightly irritating which is why this novella didn't quite reach 5 stars for me. I would, however, highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the first one, as I believe that it is an amazing expansion to the fantastical world that Seanan McGuire has created.
No comments:
Post a Comment