Review for With or Without You By Brian Farrey

With or Without You is a young adult novel written by Brian Farrey.

again, this is another book that caught my attention from the stonewall awards. but unlike A + E 4ever, this one was not all that great.

EVAN is the main character in this story. he just graduated high school and has his sights set on leaving with his best friend DAVIS. but evan also promised his secret boyfriend ERIK that he'd move away with him. you'd think that's where the plot would thicken but it actually thins out. evan was such an annoying character that i could not get into his story. i was more involved with davis' and erik's side stories and trying to imagine how they were feeling. i liked every single character better than evan. but seeing as he's the main character, the novel just does nothing for me. RATING IS 2.5 STARS

                                               

Review for A + E 4ever by Ilike Merey

a + e 4ever is a graphic novel written by Ilike Merey.

 

 

i heard about this book through the stonewall awards and it was pretty high on my to-read list. unfortunately the library didn't have the book. so i put myself on the waiting list. three long months later i got it. and this graphic novel was definitely worth the wait.

ASH is a boy who looks like a girl who likes boys and girls. got all that, because it took me a while to get it. anyway, he comes to this new school where everyone is trying to kick his ass. that is until EU steps in and saves the day. from that moment on these two amazing characters begin a friendship that has some romantic undertones.

i love graphic novels and this is one of the best ones i have ever read. i have such a crush on Eu(lalie) from the author's drawings of her. she is my ultimate girl and i could not get enough of her. sometimes a graphic novel relies heavily on the written word and it feels like you're reading a regular novel. but not this one. everything is in the characters expressions. i'd look at the picture first and then read the dialogue.

i actually went back and read this back to back. it's that good. i didn't really care for the bittersweet ending but it worked great for the story. 5 STAR RATING.

Review for Tighter by Adele Griffin

Tighter is a young adult book written by Adele Griffin. It is a stand alone novel.

i don't know how this book got on my to-read list but i wish that it never was and that i could take back the time i wasted reading this book. i actually finished the entire book with a minimal use of skimming, so for that i am proud. but actually comprehending what was going on, that didn't happen.

JAMIE, who has been a little depressed, goes to little bly to babysit some kid so that she can take her mind off her troubles. okay so far so good, i'm into the story. then some ghosts get involved. now i'm excited, i love a good ghost story. then some other crap happens, i'm not entirely sure what. and then...AND THEN the ending happens and i wanna strangle somebody. i mean, is this real? did i just read what i think i read? i hated how the book finished things. i wanted the whole island that they were on to drown. that would have been more satisfying then having the main character SPOILER be diagnosed with schizophrenia END SPOILER.

BOOK RATING IS ONE STAR.

Review for Spoiled by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

Spoiled is written by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan. This young adult novel has a sequel which is titled Messy.


i just cannot bring myself to finish this book. i tried, i really did. but it was just so...boring.
the first chapter completely threw me because i was expecting it to be in the voice of MOLLY , not BROOKE. strike one.

then after the first chapter, the narrator was molly, and molly, and molly.....and molly. i would have liked for the chapters to go back and forth since the two sisters both tell the story. stike two.

last but not least. it reminded me too much of Gossip Girl and The A-List. it wasn't just the same style. it had the same characters, same tone, same everything. it really turned me off. strike three.

i will not be attempting to reread this and i will not be reading the second one. this book just SPOILED it for me. (see what i did there? clever right? okay i'm done)

Review for The Summer I Learned To Fly by Dana Reinhardt

The Summer I Learned to Fly is written by Dana Reinhardt. This is a stand alone young adult novel.


i don't know what made me want to read this book. i had read other books by Dana Reinhardt and they were not exactly my favorite books. but this one is the best from her so far.


DREW, who is working at her mother's cheese shop, doesn't really know what to do with herself besides listen to what her mother says, take care of her pet rat, and crush on nick who also works for her mother. but then she meets EMMETT, and that's when drew and i fall in love. her reaction to him and their friendship was so strong and yet naive at the same time. in taking a chance on something she doesn't quite understand, she grows from a child to a teenager. i loved reading her growth and thought it was realistic and familiar.


EMMETT is such a great love interest and catalyst for drew's story. i love when we really find out about emmett and his life. it made him even more lovable instead of melodramatic which he could have easily been compared to. and the ending when SPOILER he sends that last note in the paper crane after all those years ENDSPOILER made me love him even more.


i enjoyed that the chapters weren't numbered but had their own little title. it solidified drew's story and made me anticipate what was going to happen next. all of the characters for me were real and had substance. nothing in this story was a page filler as background characters tend to be. i'd gladly read this book again for a good cry. I RATED THIS BOOK 4 STARS.