WHEN THE SKY FELL ON SPLENDOR By Emily Henry

May 6, 2024 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

WHEN THE SKY FELL ON SPLENDOR By Emily HenryWhen the Sky Fell on Splendor by Emily Henry
Published by Razorbill on 3/12/19
Genres: Contemporary, Fantasy & Magic, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 350
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Almost everyone in the small town of Splendor, Ohio, was affected when the local steel mill exploded. If you weren't a casualty of the accident yourself, chances are a loved one was. That's the case for seventeen-year-old Franny, who, five years after the explosion, still has to stand by and do nothing as her brother lies in a coma.

In the wake of the tragedy, Franny found solace in a group of friends whose experiences mirrored her own. The group calls themselves The Ordinary, and they spend their free time investigating local ghost stories and legends, filming their exploits for their small following of YouTube fans. It's silly, it's fun, and it keeps them from dwelling on the sadness that surrounds them.

Until one evening, when the strange and dangerous thing they film isn't fiction--it's a bright light, something massive hurtling toward them from the sky. And when it crashes and the teens go to investigate...everything changes.

Short and Sweet Review

The small town of Splendor hasn’t been the same since the steel mill exploded. Granny is our main character and her brother is in a coma because of the accident. Granny is friends with a group of teens that call themselves The Ordinary, they spend their time going around town making YouTube videos about legends and ghost stories. Things change when something from the sky crashes down and the teens go to investigate.

I’m going to start this by saying I felt a need to read this book after watching the movie Nope, because I needed more UFO type vibes in my life. Unfortunately, this book was not satisfying at all and I don’t really know what happened. I think there were two many characters, we only get Franny’s POV but things get muddled when you have to remember five other characters too. A lot of this book just felt disjointed and I wish there was more about legends and ghost stories, but we get Franny and her flashbacks about what happened when the steel mill exploded. The teens get powers but don’t really use them and the pacing was off nothing really happened until we get towards the end of the book. I wish I could tell you guys more about this book but it really feels like there’s nothing to add.

I don’t think I went into this book with the highest hopes and I’m glad because I would be very disappointed. I wouldn’t recommend this book and if I do find a good book about strange things happening in a small town with more UFO type of elements I’ll be sure to let you guys know!

Filed Under: Reviews

THE REAPPEARANCE OF RACHEL PRICE By Holly Jackson

May 5, 2024 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE REAPPEARANCE OF RACHEL PRICE By Holly JacksonThe Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson
Published by Delacorte Press on 4/2/24
Genres: Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 441
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Lights. Camera. Lies.

Eighteen-year-old Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her mom’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished and young Bel was the only witness, but she has no memory of it. Rachel is gone, long presumed dead, and Bel wishes everyone would just move on.

But the case is dredged up from the past when the Price family agrees to a true crime documentary. Bel can’t wait for filming to end, for life to go back to normal. And then the impossible happens. Rachel Price reappears, and life will never be normal again.

Rachel has an unbelievable story about what happened to her. Unbelievable, because Bel isn’t sure it’s real. If Rachel is lying, then where has she been all this time? And—could she be dangerous? With the cameras still rolling, Bel must uncover the truth about her mother, and find out why Rachel Price really came back from the dead . . .

Short and Sweet Review

Bel’s mom disappeared sixteen years ago when she was two. Now Bel is being interviewed for a documentary about the disappearance of Rachel Price. Bel was the only witness but as a two year old she doesn’t really remember anything. Bel just wants filming to end and for life to go back to normal, but that’s not going to happen because Rachel Price reappears. Rachel comes back with an interesting story about what happened and Bel can’t bring herself to believe her so she decides to do some investigating of her own.

I love Holly Jackson’s books all of them have been pretty good so I was excited when this one was released. I will say this book started off slow and it does pick up but not when Rachel comes back but when someone else goes missing. Bel grew up with her dad for most of her life except when he was in jail because he was a suspect in her mom’s disappearance. Bel is also close to her cousin Carter and her grandfather and aunt and uncle. Bel doesn’t know much about Rachel except for what she’s heard from other people. When Rachel comes back Bel doesn’t immediately warm up to her, she thinks something is off about Rachel. Bel teams up with Ash one of the cameramen for the documentary. I think Bel and Ash are more so friends than anything especially because we know that Bel has a history of pushing people away if they get too close. Bel starts digging into Rachels past and its interesting because Bel doesn’t trust Rachel and I know Rachel can tell but she just pastes on a smile and you can really feel the tension. I did like that Bel went around interviewing people who could have seen Rachel before she disappeared and just try to put the puzzle pieces together. I will say that there’s a lot of secrets that are revealed and they were juicy secrets and you don’t know who to trust. The further we go in the book the more on the edge of your seat you’ll be. I was just trying to figure out what was going on and I was not disappointed when the reveal happened.

This book was so good! It’s one that makes you want more. This is the kind of plot you see in true crime docs and it was well written! I loved the mystery behind it all and even though it starts off slow it definitely picks up and you’ll want to be buckled in. Pick this book up and don’t miss out!

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BURNING CROWNS By Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber

May 1, 2024 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

BURNING CROWNS By Catherine Doyle and Katherine WebberBurning Crowns by Catherine Doyle, Katherine Webber
Series: Twin Crowns #3
Published by Balzer + Bray on 5/7/24
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 477
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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Twin queens Rose & Wren survived the Battle for Anadawn and brought back magic to their kingdom. But danger lurks in Eana’s shadows.

Wren is troubled. Ever since she performed the blood spell on Prince Ansel, her magic has become unruly. Worse, the spell created a link between Wren and the very man she’s trying to forget: Icy King Alarik of Gevra. A curse is eating away at both of them. To fix it they must journey to the northern mountains—under the watchful guard of Captain Tor Iversen—to consult with the Healer on High.

Rose is haunted. Waking one night to find her undead ancestor Oonagh Starcrest by her bed, she receives a warning: Surrender the throne—or face a war that will destroy Eana. With nowhere to turnand desperate to find a weapon to defeat Oonagh, Rose seeks help from Shen-Lo in the Sunkissed Kingdom, but what she finds there may break her heart.

As Oonagh threatens all Rose and Wren hold dear, it will take everything they have to save Eana—including a sacrifice they may not be prepared to make.

Short and Sweet Review

After the events of the last book there’s still a sense of darkness looming around Wren and Rose. Rose is being haunted by her ancestor Oonagh. Oonagh wants the throne and if the girls don’t surrender war will be coming. Wren is troubled because she’s cursed, after she did that blood spell she became linked to King Alarik which is causing them both trouble, and the only way to fix it is to travel to the northern mountains to get help from the high healer. Rose and Wren need all of the resources they have to stop the war that’s coming towards Eana.

Burning Crowns was a good ending to this trilogy. I will say it wasn’t my favorite book and I think that’s because I found it to be a little predictable. Rose and Wren start to notice subtle changes happening around them like plants dying and people who are acting on the behalf of Oonagh. Wren knows she needs to see the healer otherwise she’s pretty much helpless because her magic has been compromised we see Wren, Alarik, and Tor travel into the mountains in hopes that the curse can be lifted. I didn’t like the love triangle that was happening here, I just thought that Wren had her match and we didn’t need to mess with a good thing. Rose is back at the palace and she’s seeing the effects that Oonagh is having more than anyone else. Rose decides to get help from Shen and on the way back to Anadawn is when Oonagh really starts her attack. I did like the fact that Oonagh had an undead army that was pretty cool. I loved the sisterhood and the love that Wren and Rose have for each other and also keeping not only each other safe but everyone who matters to them. The final battle was pretty epic and I did like how the book ended.

Overall, I did enjoy the conclusion to this trilogy. I may have said that it was predictable but the plot and characters make up for that! I would recommend this book and the whole trilogy. I’m going to miss these characters and seeing how things progressed over time. Wren and Rose are fierce Queens and Witches!

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TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN By John Green

April 29, 2024 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN By John GreenTurtles All the Way Down by John Green
Published by Dutton Books for Young Readers on 10/10/17
Genres: Contemporary, Mental Health, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 304
Format: Hardcover
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Aza Holmes never intended to pursue the disappearance of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Pickett’s son Davis.

Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.

Short and Sweet Review

Aza is in her head a lot and not like the average person but she worries about things like microbes and bacteria. When her friend Daisy brings up the idea of trying to find the fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, Aza is reluctant but she ends up agreeing. Aza used to go to camp with Davis Pickett and that’s what Daisy sees as their way in. We see throughout the book Aza try to be normal and please people around her but the more she does that the more she spirals.

Aza is our main character and she’s really interesting in the fact that you can tell that she struggles with her mental health. She’s usually thinking about how unclean things are and if she wasn’t so afraid of the microbes she’d make a good microbiologist. Her best friend is Daisy and she’s more outspoken and adventurous and she gives a lot of Grace to Aza. When Aza is reunited with Davis he already knows what she and Daisy want, the hundred thousand dollar reward. Davis and his younger brother are now alone and Davis is taking care of Noah while their dad is on the run, so he just wants Aza and Daisy to be honest with him. Aza starts to spend more time with Davis and she likes him and for a while the whole search for Russell is put off. You can tell Aza likes Davis but she knows they can’t be happy while she’s dealing with her own issues. I think it was interesting to see how Aza being in her head so much affected those around her and as much as she tried to play it off she wasn’t going to get better until she realized that she does need help. The book starts off with a bit of the mystery of Russell and where he could have gone but it morphs into a contemporary romance with more of a focus on mental health. I will say that sometimes Aza is a bit much with her thoughts and she’s really lucky to have the people she does that support her.

Overall, this was a good book. This is my second time reading it and I did remember from my first reread that I didn’t like something and looking back it was because I thought Ava’s thoughts were so intense and debilitating, but the second time around I think I understood her more. I do think this book is worth reading and I’m interested to see how the movie will portray these characters.

Filed Under: Reviews

WHAT IF IT’S US By Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

April 27, 2024 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

WHAT IF IT’S US By Becky Albertalli and Adam SilveraWhat If It's Us by Adam Silvera, Becky Albertalli
Series: What If It's Us #1
Published by HarperTeen on 10/9/18
Genres: Contemporary, LGBT, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 439
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

ARTHUR is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it.

BEN thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things.

But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them . . . ?

Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated.

Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.

But what if they can’t nail a first date even after three do-overs?

What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work and Ben doesn’t try hard enough?

What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play?

But what if it is?

What if it’s us?

Short and Sweet Review

Arthur is in New York for the summer but isn’t really expecting anything exciting to happen, but as a fan of broadway musicals he believes anything can happen.

Ben is at the post office getting ready to send a box of stuff back to his ex and that’s when he runs into Arthur. Who would’ve thought that the universe would have brought these two together?

When Ben and Arthur initially meet. At the post office they don’t go through the proper channels to exchange information so after they meet they keep thinking about each other but have no way to contact each other. Arthur takes a chance and puts a post on Craigslist and also posters which is pretty bold and a little weird but it works. Ben and Arthur go on dates and learn more about each other but they’re not really sure how long this will last because Arthur is going back to Georgia after the summer. I thought this relationship was cute but both of them had a lot to learn. Arthur’s parents argue a lot and so when he looks at them he sees a dysfunctional relationship and Ben just didn’t have the best break up with his ex. The boys do end up having some conflict and although it sucks and it hurt my heart I understood its what needed to happen for both characters to grow. I did enjoy the fact that both of them had supportive families and I also loved their friends especially Dylan.

Overall, this book is just super cute! I loved Ben and Arthur and how different they were but it worked. The broadway references were amazing and I just love how it’s set in New York and the boys are basically on an adventure with each other. Albertalli and Silvera did amazing job bringing these characters to life and I’m excited to read the sequel!

Filed Under: Reviews

SECRET ADMIRER By R.L. Stine

April 26, 2024 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

SECRET ADMIRER By R.L. StineSecret Admirer by R.L. Stine
Series: Fear Street #36
Published by Simon Pulse on 6/30/08
Genres: Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 164
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Selena has it all. She just scored the lead in her high school play, and everyone adores her. So when she starts receiving dead flowers from a secret “admirer” named The Sun, she just assumes it’s a harmless fan.

But Selena soon realizes that The Sun is serious...dead serious. First, her understudy is injured in a suspicious accident. Then, a speeding car almost kills her! Selena doesn’t know what this psycho wants. All she knows is that her number-one fan has become her number-one nightmare.

Short and Sweet Review

Selena is a great actress and she’s about to audition for the lead in the schools next play. When Selena gets dead flowers from a secret admirer she just brushes it off as a harmless prank until it becomes obvious that she’s in actual danger.

I will admit the Secret Admirer was a better read than the last Fear Street book I reviewed which is a few posts down. Selena comes across as someone who mainly cares about herself and not anyone around her. When Selena starts getting these threats from the secret admirer she tries to confide in people but they think she’s just looking for attention. Anyway there’s three guys vying for her attention and she has her eyes on Eddy a college student who is at the play rehearsals as a student consultant. So I think Stine did a good job making it seem like the culprit was obvious but in the end it was someone/ else. There’s not a lot of substance to these books we have a main character who is going through some issue that comes across as spooky and then we have the ending. Overall Secret Admirer got the bad taste out of my mouth that The Dare left and hopefully the other Fear Street books can hold up too. I just think these books are fun to read for nostalgias sake. Pick these books up for a short thriller but keep in mind some are hit or miss.

Filed Under: Reviews

MEMENTO NORA By Angie Smibert

April 24, 2024 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

MEMENTO NORA By Angie SmibertMemento Nora by Angie Smibert
Series: Memento Nora #1
Published by Skyscape on 1/6/12
Genres: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 195
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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In Nora's world you don't have to put up with nightmares. Nora goes with her mother to TFC--a Therapeutic Forgetting Clinic. There, she can describe her horrible memory and take the pill that will erase it. But at TFC, a chance encounter with a mysterious guy changes Nora's life. She doesn't take the pill. And when Nora learns the memory her mother has chosen to forget, she realizes that someone needs to remember. With newfound friends Micah and Winter, Nora makes a comic book of their memories called Memento. It's an instant hit, but it sets off a dangerous chain of events. Will Nora, Micah, and Winter be forced to take the Big Pill that will erase their memories forever?

Short and Sweet Review

In Nora’s world if you have a memory you want to get rid of you can, you just have to go to the Therapeutic Forgetting Clinic or TFC. Nora recently had a nightmare she wants to forget so she accompanies her mother to the clinic. At the clinic Nora sees a boy spit out his pill and tells her to remember. That’s when Nora decides she doesn’t need the pill and spits it out as well. Now that Nora has chosen to keep her memories she now knows the memory her mother wants to forget and why she goes to the TFC so often. Nora befriends Micah and Winter and together they create a comic, Memento. The comic is a hit, but once it gets into the wrong hands the trio realizes they’re in danger.

The idea of this book is pretty cool I won’t lie, but also do you really want to forget certain things? Nora’s mother is dealing with domestic abuse and because she chooses to forget she continues to go back to the main who is abusing her so in that aspect forgetting isn’t such a great idea. I like that even though Nora didn’t even know Micah she was intrigued enough to follow his lead and spit out her pill. The problem with the comic that the trio makes is that it’s too similar to their lives so if someone knows them well enough they’ll know who made the comment even though their intentions were to be anonymous. Anyway the comic ruffles some feathers because certain people are making money off of the TCF and if people stop going that’s going to be a problem. I didn’t really connect to any of the characters and even though we get Nora and Micah’s POV they sounded the same.

Overall, this was an easy read and the story is interesting but not something that wowed me. It was just okay not bad and not great.

Filed Under: Reviews

THE DARE By R.L. Stine

April 22, 2024 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE DARE By R.L. StineThe Dare by R.L. Stine
Series: Fear Street #21
Published by Simon Pulse on 6/30/08
Genres: Horror & Ghost Stories, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 164
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Johanna Wise has always longed to be part of Dennis Arthur’s rich, popular crowd, and she can’t believe it when he finally asks her out. She thought she’d do anything to keep Dennis, but when he dares her to kill their teacher, she’s not so sure. Will she really kill for love?

Short and Sweet Review

The Dare follows our main character Johanna on her quest to be apart of the popular crowd. Johanna sees an in when she overhears that Dennis wants their teacher dead and for some reason our dummy of a main character offers to off him. Johanna thinks her offer is just a joke but Dennis and his crew take her seriously. Dennis and his friends start to hangout at Johannas house and they dare each other to do stupid things and it’s just so convenient that Johanna happens to be neighbors with the teacher they’re targeting. Let me just say Dennis and his friends are rich so they’re not used to dealing with consequences which is why when the teacher won’t just let Dennis pass he becomes so enraged he thinks about murder. Anywho Johanna has violent fantasies throughout the book and she feels the pressure to do what Dennis says but she can’t because she’s not a killer just an idiot. I’m not sure why she thought that his was love because Dennis was just using her and he had a girlfriend. The real victim of the story was the teacher, who doesn’t get paid enough to deal with this nonsense. Johanna was a horrible main character and quite frankly very stupid. The decision making in this book was awful and it’s obvious that their frontal lobes aren’t fully developed. This book was originally published in the 90s and you can tell. The writing and gimmicks of this book just don’t work in the 2000s. I have a few more Fear Street novels to read and I’m not sure if those will also disappoint or be a pleasant surprise. I would say just skip this book, I don’t give out a lot of 1s as ratings but this book deserves it.

Filed Under: Reviews

BLOOD JUSTICE By Terry J. Benton-Walker

April 20, 2024 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

BLOOD JUSTICE By Terry J. Benton-WalkerBlood Justice by Terry J. Benton-Walker
Series: Blood Debts #2
Published by Tor Teen on 4/23/24
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, LGBT, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 463
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Cristina and Clement Trudeau have conjured the impossible: justice.

They took back their family’s stolen throne to lead New Orleans’ magical community into the brighter future they all deserve.

But when Cris and Clem restored their family power, Valentina Savant lost everything. Her beloved grandparents are gone and her sovereignty has been revoked—she will never be Queen. Unless, of course, someone dethrones the Trudeaus again. And lucky for her, she’s not the only one trying to take them down.

Cris and Clem have enemies coming at them from all directions: Hateful anti-magic protesters sabotage their reign at every turn. A ruthless detective with a personal vendetta against magical crime is hot on their tail just as Cris has discovered her thirst for revenge. And a brutal god, hunting from the shadows, is summoned by the very power Clem needs to protect the boy he loves.

Cris’s hunger for vengeance and Clem’s desire for love could prove to be their family’s downfall, all while new murders, shocking disappearances, and impossible alliances are changing the game forever.

Welcome back to New Orleans, where gods walk among us and justice isn’t served, it’s taken.

Short and Sweet Review

Blood Justice takes place nine months after the events of Blood Debts. Now that Clem and Cris have gotten justice for their family they realize that things aren’t going to be easier only more difficult because people are still coming for them. Clem is trying to figure out how to restore Yves back to his former self with very little luck, and Cris is out there trying to get blood justice and go after everyone who hurt her family. When the mayor ends up murdered and their mom gets the blame for it Cris and Clem get to work on trying to prove her innocence while also learning they have a lot of enemies in the city of New Orleans.

When I read Blood Debts I didn’t like it so I thought I was a bit crazy for requesting the sequel but this book exceeded my expectations. One of my biggest problems with the first book was the amount of different character POVs but I think in this book because I knew who the characters were it wasn’t too much of a problem. Clem and Cris are on different paths in this book, Clem is still trying to figure out how to fix Yves, and Cris has a lot of anger and she’s using it to get revenge. The thing that brings the siblings together is when they have to prove that their mom is innocent and find out who is actually causing all of the trouble. We also see Valentina who is still dealing with her grandparents death and she’s trying to figure out how to become the queen. There’s some new Gods in this book and one of them is not one to be messed with but he’s drawn to Clem and Cris. There’s a lot going on in this book but in a good way. I liked seeing Cris express her anger but also in the end she has a realization that she’s gone too far and someone who loves her pulls her back. Clem makes some sacrifices in this book. Out of the two siblings I think that Clem is the one who thinks more about how his actions will effect others, while Cris currently sees red. There was a lot of character development for both characters and I’m glad there was more to them in this book that I connected with. I will add that I enjoyed the mystery aspect in this book, we had murder, missing people, murdered peoples bodies being moved, it was great.

Overall, I loved this book. Blood Justice made me rethink how I feel about this series this was a redeeming book and now I can’t wait until the third book is released. The way this book ended just leaves you ready to see what will happen next and I’m excited to see what will happen to our characters and how they’re going to deal with the war that’s coming their way. I would definitely recommend Blood Justice, so go get it when it’s released!

Filed Under: Reviews

AGAIN, BUT BETTER By Christine Riccio

April 18, 2024 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

AGAIN, BUT BETTER By Christine RiccioAgain, but Better by Christine Riccio
Published by Wednesday Books on 5/7/19
Genres: Contemporary, Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 377
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Shane has been doing college all wrong. Pre-med, stellar grades, and happy parents…sounds ideal -- but Shane's made zero friends, goes home every weekend, and romance…what’s that?

Her life has been dorm, dining hall, class, repeat. Time's a ticking, and she needs a change -- there's nothing like moving to a new country to really mix things up. Shane signs up for a semester abroad in London. She's going to right all her college mistakes: make friends, pursue boys, and find adventure!

Easier said than done. She is soon faced with the complicated realities of living outside her bubble, and when self-doubt sneaks in, her new life starts to fall apart.

Shane comes to find that, with the right amount of courage and determination one can conquer anything. Throw in some fate and a touch of magic - the possibilities are endless.

Short and Sweet Review

Shane is about to do a semester abroad in London. Shane is excited for a new start, back home she’s premed which makes her parents happy but here in London she’s about to pursue her passion for writing. Shane is about to do things she hasn’t before like make friends, go on adventures, and maybe find romance. But this new Shane in London is going to have to deal with everything she’s been trying to hide about what her life is really like back home. Things go awry but somehow Shane gets a second chance to try things again and make them better.

We first meet Shane in 2011 on her way to London. She basically lied to her parents about there being a premed track abroad but what’s really happening is Shane is going to take classes and get an internship at a magazine. We meet Shanes roommates and she spends the most time with Babe and Pilot. They go on a lot of trips together and are having the time of their lives. Pilot is Shanes romantic interest and we can tell that they like each other but Pilot actually has a girlfriend so that doesn’t work out. When Shanes parents find out she’s been lying she goes back to New York without the job she really wants, without the boy, and ultimately with unfinished business. We meet Shane again in 2017 and she realizes that she’s not happy and basically wants a do over. She finds Pilot and somehow they’re transported back to 2011 to try everything again. Although those two are happy Shane realizes that she’s been slacking with her internship and starts to rethink things again.

I did like the first half of the book and found myself connecting with Shane and the position she’s in because college is hard especially when you’re going for someone else’s dream instead of your own. When we meet Shane again she kind of forces Pilot to go on this endeavor with her and at first he’s pretty upset but they both realize this is a chance to see where things kind have gone. I think what annoyed me about this is when Shane realizes she’s not focusing enough on the internship she kind of ghosts Pilot. Anyway things do get better in a way, and we can see how things changed from the first time in London to the second. I will say Shanes parents were toxic and I just couldn’t stand them not understanding her position. So romance was good, adventures and roommates were also good. Shane did learn a lot about herself during this time and for that I was happy, but I do think she needed to think things out a bit better.

Overall, this book was good. I did prefer the first half to the second I do think the redeeming quality the second half had was the ending. I would recommend this book its a good representation of coming of age and truly living life for yourself and not those around you.

Filed Under: Reviews