When Nina Faye was fourteen, her mother told her there was no such thing as unconditional love. Nina believed her. Now Nina is sixteen. And she'll do anything for the boy she loves, just to prove she's worthy of him. But when he breaks up with her, Nina is lost. What if she is not a girlfriend? What is she made of?

Broken-hearted, Nina tries to figure out what the conditions of love are. She's been volunteering at a high-kill animal shelter where she realizes that for dogs waiting to be adopted, love comes only to those with youth, symmetry, and quietness. She also ruminates on the strange, dark time her mother took her to Italy to see statues of saints who endured unspeakable torture because of their unquestioning devotion to the divine. Is this what love is?



Okay, so this book is descriptive. Really descriptive. But in a raw, honest, heartwrenching, best way possible. I've read things that I've never read in a book before--YA or adult--and it was incredible. It was impactful and unputdownable.

Nina is a scared girl, who is trying to stay afloat. Her life only has one shining light--her boyfriend, Seth--but even their relationship has a set of rules. So when the relationship ends, suddenly and with no real reason, she has to find understanding in her life somewhere else. I really loved her as a character. Sometimes I didn't understand her, and sometimes I saw myself in her--which was both wonderful and terrifying. But she made this book. She was crafted to perfection, and this novel wouldn't be as poignant without her as the epicenter.

This book wasn't perfect, and sometimes I wanted more explanation than I got, but I could not stop reading and I never wanted to. I can absolutely see why it was nominated for the National Book Award. We need to shed light and attention on these kind of unprecedented books.



A cannon. A strap. A piece. A biscuit. A burner. A heater. A chopper. A gat. A hammer A tool for RULE

Or, you can call it a gun. That’s what fifteen-year-old Will has shoved in the back waistband of his jeans. See, his brother Shawn was just murdered. And Will knows the rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge. That’s where Will’s now heading, with that gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, the gun that was his brother’s gun.

The whole long way down, as the elevator stops on each floor, at each stop someone connected to his brother gets on to give Will a piece to a bigger story than the one he thinks he knows. A story that might never know an END…if WILL gets off that elevator.



This novel was incredible. Like, wowowoowowowoow, can't-stop-thinking-about-it incredible. I don't feel any hesitation to say that if you only read a handful of books this year, this one should be one of them.

It's a verse novel, which exist to make me cry and feel too much. It has beautiful rhythm, heart wrenching quotes, and an honest, hard storyline. I have no doubt that Will's life is not uncommon; that being a child who's surrounded by dead friends and family is realistic. And I devoured this unique, smart, sad story and enjoyed it with all of my heart.

Please read this book. It's not very long, it's written beautifully, and you will never forget it.


In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is planned - from the layout of the winding roads, to the colors of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules.

Enter Mia Warren--an enigmatic artist and single mother--who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenaged daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past and a disregard for the status quo that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community.

When old family friends of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town--and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia's past. But her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs.


It feels like it's been a long time since I've read a book that was as well crafted as this one. Every sentence, every chapter, every digression had a purpose; every facet fit together like a crisp, new puzzle. In the end, the book leaves you wanting and desperate, yet satisfied.

My favorite part of the book was the multidimensional characters and the poignant voices. There were so many to keep track of, yet it wasn't difficult at all. Particularly, I loved following Mia. She made some decisions and life movements that I don't approve of or wouldn't make myself, but I was eager to learn more about her and her history. She was dynamic and complex. I also loved Pearl and her science brain and self-assurance.

This review is not refined like the book is, but basically, you should read this. It's about family, it's about privilege, it's about our histories. It's simply fantastic.


The battle for the Crown has begun, but which of the three sisters will prevail?

With the unforgettable events of the Quickening behind them and the Ascension Year underway, all bets are off. Katharine, once the weak and feeble sister, is stronger than ever before. Arsinoe, after discovering the truth about her powers, must figure out how to make her secret talent work in her favor without anyone finding out. And Mirabella, once thought to be the strongest sister of all and the certain Queen Crowned, faces attacks like never before—ones that put those around her in danger she can’t seem to prevent.

In this enthralling sequel to Kendare Blake’s New York Times bestselling Three Dark Crowns, Fennbirn’s deadliest queens must face the one thing standing in their way of the crown: each other.



I destroyed this book in a matter of hours--as I did with the first one. I don't know what it is about this series, but I can't put the books down. As soon as I start, I need to finish.

Anyway, I really liked this! It's pretty unusual that a sequel is as good as the first book, but One Dark Throne was just as enjoyable as Three Dark Crowns. I liked that Katharine was no longer the forgettable, unintimidating sister; instead, she was creepy and dark and, generally, pretty fucked up. I lived for her chapters. Arsinoe and her newly discovered talents were interesting as well, and I liked her chapters more than I did in Three Dark Crowns. I still don't care about the Jules plot, but it's something I tolerate. But Mirabella was a tad boring in this sequel. She just wasn't as active in the plot. This story is mainly about Arsinoe and Katharine.

This book had some explosive scenes and some MAJOR surprises, so now I'm even more eager for what for the next book. Hopefully, we don't have to wait too long!


I think when a movie adaptation is announced, there is immediate, overwhelming excitement. SOMEONE ELSE LOVES THIS SERIES AS MUCH AS I DO!! But quickly after that fangirl moment, comes the panic. What if the casting is horrible? What if the script is even worse? What if the casting is fine, the script is fine, but the acting is horrible? Or worst of all: what if they change it? So for the next 9 months - 4 years, you live in excitement and fear, waiting for the news and the trailers and the movie to come out. There are a lot of failures (*cough* Vampire Academy *cough*), but there are a lot of successes too. And that is what this post is about. Below are some of my favorite adaptations.



















And that's it! There are a lot more adaptations that I have enjoyed, but these are my favorites. What are some of yours?

To wrap this up, here are a couple future adaptations I am looking forward to:


Moxie girls fight back!

Vivian Carter is fed up. Fed up with her small-town Texas high school that thinks the football team can do no wrong. Fed up with sexist dress codes and hallway harassment. But most of all, Viv Carter is fed up with always following the rules.

Viv’s mom was a punk rock Riot Grrrl in the ’90s, so now Viv takes a page from her mother’s past and creates a feminist zine that she distributes anonymously to her classmates. She’s just blowing off steam, but other girls respond. Pretty soon Viv is forging friendships with other young women across the divides of cliques and popularity rankings, and she realizes that what she has started is nothing short of a girl revolution.



THIS BOOK IS SO IMPORTANT. PLEASE READ IT.

That is basically my review. I went into this expecting to love it, and I did. It's smart and funny and powerful and I loved all of characters. It was sometimes really heavy-handed, but I liked that too. We need to shove feminism down people's throats, because equality for all is NECESSARY. Yet, we live in a world were it isn't guaranteed.

Vivian was a great protagonist, and I loved the dynamic relationships she had with her mother, her friends, her crush. It was honest. Just like the rest of the novel was. I love the idea of creating a feminist zine to fight back against the sexism you see every day. I wish I had something like that at my high school/college.

Just...read this. You'll like it.


Scream meets YA in this hotly-anticipated new novel from the bestselling author of Anna and the French Kiss.

It's been almost a year since Makani Young came to live with her grandmother in landlocked Nebraska, and she's still adjusting to her new life. And still haunted by her past in Hawaii.

Then, one by one, the students of her small town high school begin to die in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasing and grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and the hunt intensifies for the killer, Makani will be forced to confront her own dark secrets.

International bestselling author Stephanie Perkins returns with a fresh take on the classic teen slasher story that’s fun, quick-witted, and impossible to put down.



Okay, so I'm going to put mark most of this review as spoiler, because I don't want to hint at anything in this book. When it comes to mystery/thriller, the slightest detail could potentially spoil or give something away, and I don't want to do that. Also, I have some thoughts about the BIG THINGS in this book.

So here are my vague, non-spoilery thoughts: I really enjoyed this. I liked the characters--though there were a lot of them and I sometimes forgot who was who--and I liked the construction of the story and the simple, classic Stephanie Perkins writing style. And I really liked the romance and the diversity of characters. It wasn't the best thriller I've ever read, and I wasn't scared or frightened literally at all, but I liked it and I could see myself reading it again some day.

Okay, now for my spoilery thoughts. Beware:

I thought this was going to pretty incredible, and while I wasn't blown away, I really liked it. I thought it was interesting (not bad!) that the killer was revealed relatively early in the book--about half way. I was expecting the tension to build and build and build and then GASP! The killer is ____??!?!?!!! And I didn't get that. I liked what she did, but it was unexpected; it also made the book not spook/scary at all.

The only thing I did not like at all was Makani's "secret". It was ridiculously dramatic, and honestly, stupid. With all the foreshadowing, I was expecting something darker, but it wasn't dark at all. Hazing and cutting off someone's hair? Not dark or scary or creepy or anything. Just a little stupid.

Overall, I enjoyed this! It's not by favorite Stephanie Perkins' novel--it does not compare at all to Anna and the French Kiss--but it was fun.

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