Novel Review: To All the Boys I've Loved Before (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #1) by Jenny Han

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance, Drama

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Release Date: 2014

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Lara Jeans love life gets complicated in this New York Times bestselling lovely, lighthearted romance SLJ from the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer I Turned Pretty series. What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them...all at once Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They arent love letters that anyone else wrote for her these are ones shes written. One for every boy shes ever loved-five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jeans love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

The Cover:

I think the original covers are super cute. They show the teen aspect, and even the dreamy, light personality of Lara Jean, really well. It's not too dramatic or too focused on the romance/boys. It's cute and light, and caught my interest before I picked it up. These were even the covers I wanted, not the one from the movie--plus, I love how all three of them go together, without being too similar.

 

Review:

Now that the movie is out, I've finally decided I want to read this series. I've heard a lot of good things about it, ever since it was released, but for some reason I still didn't think I'd love it. It just sounded like a cute, probably dramatic, teen series. I was actually rather surprised by it.

We meet Lara Jean, and she's sweet, a bit innocent, a dreamer with a positive outlook on life. I really enjoyed her voice from the beginning. She's optimistic and has a good imagination, and even though she lies a bit too often, she has good intentions in the beginning.

It took a while for the letters to come out, and we actually didn't get to read all of them. It wasn't as dramatic of an event as I expected, either. Not everyone at school knows about them, only the people who got them, really. It wasn't any cause for bullying or anything like I expected. It actually ended up being kind of sweet for both parties.

Aside from the romance aspect, there was also a really good family atmosphere, and very realistic sister relationships, as well. Lara Jean and her sisters fight and push at each other, but they're also there for each other when they're needed.

Now, the romance. I will admit that I much prefer Josh. It was a little conflicting, but he's such a sweetheart, and I love his and Lara Jean's relationship, even if it was hard since he dated her sister. Instead of Josh, this focused a lot more on Peter. And Peter was okay. He grew on me a bit more by the middle of the book, and I do think he had good intentions and didn't quite know what he was doing that hurt Lara Jean so much, but I think things ended how they needed to, maybe.

I really like the concept of this series. The idea that she decided to write letters, just for herself, to the guys that she loved in a way to let go of them, was done in such a positive light. She wasn't hating on them, was honest about what she liked even while trying to make herself feel better about why it wouldn't work.

That ending felt like a conclusion to one part of the story, and I'm really curious about where it goes after this. I'm hooked, and I had a hard time stopping this book, so I'm excited to read the next one.

Novel Review: Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Publisher: MTV Books

Release Date: 2013

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Teaser Tuesday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Bailey wasn’t always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey’s were hushed away.

Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie’s debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey’s antics and ship her off to granddad’s house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey’s fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. But this life has broken Bailey’s heart once before. She isn’t sure she’s ready to let Sam take her there again… 

The Cover:

I really like this cover. I think it's pretty, simple but eye-catching, and gives a good idea of the book. I also appreciate that it focuses more on the music, which is a very important part of the book, and not just the romance. It also has the right instrument, and gives just a glimpse of the romance. I like it a lot.

Review:

I am definitely a fan of Echols at this point. I’ve only read a few, but I’ve been impressed with all of them so far, and I have more to get to, thankfully.

Bailey has grown up loving music and playing it with her sister. But now things have changed, and she isn’t supposed to be doing anything related to music anymore. She’s not even talking to her sister at the moment. And then she meets Sam, who’s in a band with big plans, and he wants her to join. She’s reluctant, she knows she could get in trouble for it, but it’s what she really wants.

Bailey’s parents frustrated me, but I like the way that Bailey finally goes after what she wants, and how her sister is right there for her. There is definitely angst between Bailey and Sam, but it was fun, and I liked them together. I liked seeing the struggle that Bailey went through, I believed it, and it was nice to see how it all worked out.

I really enjoyed this book, and it definitely makes me want to pick up another.

Manga Review: Ani-Imo, Volume 1, by Haruko Kurumatani

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: November 18, 2014

Volumes: 6+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 2.

Wishlist Thursday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

See?In this body, I can do whatever I like to "my sister."
Youta has always had a soft spot for his twin sister, Hikaru. Soft spoken and docile, she's everything a doting big brother could hope for! But when a freak accident results in the siblings swapping bodies, Youta discovers that his "innocent" little sister is anything but!
Now trapped in Hikaru's body, Youta becomes the object of his "little sister's" advances--advances she now has the testosterone fueled power to back up! Will Youta ever get his body back in this uproarious forbidden love comedy?

Review:

I was intrigued when I first heard of this book, then wary, then intrigued again. I wasn’t too sure what to expect—the incest made me wary, and the art looked iffy, but it sounded interesting enough. And now I’m glad I picked it up.

I don’t think I fully understood what the description meant until I started the book, because I was surprised by what I found.

Youta is loud and exaggerates and dotes on his twin sister. Hikaru is quiet and a loner and everyone thinks she’s creepy and never knows what she wants. Youta understands her perfectly, which is why they’re so close.

And then they switch bodies, and it turns out they’re not even related by blood. Youta freaks out, because he doesn’t know how to handle being in his sisters body, and he’s so sensitive and inexperienced that he doesn’t want to even change clothes. Hikaru, on the other hand, has openly confessed to him that she’s in love with him, and is perfectly happy to be in his body.

I think since their roles are reversed—with the sister being the one hitting on her brother—that I didn’t mind the scenario so much. Plus, they aren’t related by blood.

I also think it’s funny that with their stereotypical roles reversed—with the brother exaggerated and embarrassed and the sister quiet and the instigator—that when they switch bodies, they’re in the sex normally put with those roles. But you never forget that they’re in the wrong body—it’s mentioned a lot without being pushy or overdone. I appreciated that. It's almost a parody of the normal.

The artwork is pretty, and the characters are rather well done, with some surprises thrown in. The humor is good, and the exaggeration isn't over the top. There is a color page at the front, and it is very pretty. Hikaru is in love and emotional, and I felt for her a few times. Youta just plain doesn’t know what to do.

At this point, I’m really glad that I picked this volume up, and am looking forward to reading more.

Novel Review: On the Fence by Kasie West

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: July 1, 2014

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Teaser Tuesday. Wishlist Thursday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

 She's a tomboy. He's the boy next door…

Charlie Reynolds can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at a chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world. To cope with the stress of her new reality, Charlie takes to spending nights chatting with her neighbor Braden through the fence between their yards. As she grows to depend on their nightly Fence Chats, she realizes she's got a bigger problem than speeding tickets-she's falling for Braden. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

Fun, original, and endearing, On the Fence is a romantic comedy about finding yourself and finding love where you least expect.

The Cover:

At first this cover was just all right to me, looked a little off or amateur or something. But after having the physical copy, I think it's grown on me. I find it a lot cuter now. And I think it gives a very good, fitting feel for the book.
(Also, I'm pretty sure I have the shirt version of her dress. And it's really cute.)

Quote:

• “‘We can’t let boys define how we feel about ourselves. You have to know who you are before you should let any boy worth anything in.’” (Paperback, pg. 211)

Review:

I was excited to read this when I heard about it, and it was put near the top of my list of books to get when it released. I really enjoyed West’s other contemporary stand-alone, along with Pivot Point, and was just excited to read anything else by her. I’d heard a lot of good things about it, too.

I don’t think it’s my favorite of West’s, but it was definitely good.

Charlie has grown up with three brothers, her cop father, and her brothers' best friend Braden. She plays sports with them, watches sports with them, and doesn’t really know how to be a “girl”. When she gets another speeding ticket, her father makes her go find a job.

The book did start a little weak, with Charlie seeming kind of like a jerk, but it didn't take very long before I didn't want to put it down.

I liked Charlie. I particularly liked how she discovered the girl world of dresses and makeup and flirting with boys. She’d never really hung out with girly girls before, and I liked her friendship with the girls she met.

West’s humor is definitely one of my favorite. It’s sarcastic, with lots of joking and bantering. This really shows between Charlie and her brothers and Braden. They joke around all the time, poking fun at each other, doing dares. Charlie’s relationship with her brothers and father was really good, they were all really close, and I liked the way they all looked out for her without being overbearing or pushy.

The romance was definitely good. Braden was a good guy, and I liked his jealousy, and how Charlie accepted her feelings and tried to move forward with them. They weren’t frustrating with each other, denying it forever, or anything. The length might have helped with that, but I definitely appreciated it.

There were definitely some serious undertones in this book, a past family problem that Charlie had to work through. It wasn’t too dark, and it took up just enough time. I’ve mentioned this before, but I really like the way that West balances all the elements of her books. None of the things going on—the romance, the serious stuff, friendship, family relationships—overshadows or interferes with anything else. The boy doesn’t distract her from everything else. The serious stuff isn’t given too much or too little time. The family relationships don’t get under-shadowed.

This, much like West’s other books, was a very fast read, and I rather loved it. The humor and the characters were fantastic. I pretty much loved every part of this book, and I can’t wait to read whatever West releases next.

Novel Review: The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, & June by Robin Benway

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Publisher: RazorBill (Penguin)

Release Date: 2010

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Teaser Tuesday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

I hugged my sisters and they fit against my sides like two jigsaw pieces that would never fit anywhere else. I couldn't imagine ever letting them go again, like releasing them would be to surrender the best parts of myself.

Three sisters share a magical, unshakeable bond in this witty high-concept novel from the critically acclaimed author of Audrey, Wait! Around the time of their parents' divorce, sisters April, May, and June recover special powers from childhood--powers that come in handy navigating the hell that is high school. Powers that help them cope with the hardest year of their lives. But could they have a greater purpose?
April, the oldest and a bit of a worrier, can see the future. Middle-child May can literally disappear. And baby June reads minds--everyone's but her own. When April gets a vision of disaster, the girls come together to save the day and reconcile their strained family. They realize that no matter what happens, powers or no powers, they'll always have each other.
Because there's one thing stronger than magic: sisterhood.

The Cover:

I rather like this cover, overall. It looks nice, it's eye-catching. It definitely represents the contents of the book in a good way, although the appearance of some of the girls I don't quite think is standing for the correct one. I like how the girls are set up, though, along with the title, and the font of the title.
The paperback's cover is even better, though. I think it's really cute, and it does represent the book and the feel of the book really well.

Quotes:

• "'No, I mean… no, it’s not okay. But it’s okay to not be okay.’” (Hardback, pg. 237)

• "'Some people leave, yea,’ June continued. ‘And it sucks. But some people don’t leave, and they never will. And sometimes people are there, but you just can’t see them. But they’re still there.’” (Pg. 256)

Review:

This was a cute book, pretty easy to read, if a little more immature or exaggerated than I expected.

Mostly, I think this book would have been more suited to me when I was in early high school or middle school. The voices of the characters are just a little more exaggerated than I like now. Also, there was the logistics of how May was able to sneak around, like into cars by hurrying before the door closed or in the window before it drove away, and that just didn’t work for me. Logically, that just doesn’t sound realistic, and I couldn’t distend my belief that far. There was also a very tiny bit of a reason for their powers; I was content with it, because it made sense, but I also think that it could have been expanded on.

Still, I did enjoy it, for the most part. I liked how the sisters grew closer by the end, and how they matured. June grew up past her childish wishes of high school and popularity, at least somewhat. May needed to get out of her funk, her invisibility problem (not power-wise). April needed to relax a little, not be so controlling, but that’s kind of a part of who she is.

I liked April the most, that’s for sure. I particularly liked how she used her visions to not be so afraid of taking a step forward. If she sees something happening, she knows how it’s going to turn out, so she wasn’t afraid anymore, and I really liked that. I related to her a bit. She’s also the one with the most romance, and I definitely liked that; the romance was a little quirky, and adorable.

This was a cute story; I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t particularly amazing. I might pick up Benway’s newer books, though, when I get the chance. Especially since I enjoyed this one, and remember liking her first one.