Title: Please Send Help (I Hate Everyone But You #2) Author: Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: July 16, 2019 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
In this hilarious follow-up novel to the New York Times bestseller I Hate Everyone But You, long distance best friends Ava and Gen have finally made it to the same time zone (although they’re still over a thousand miles apart).
Through their hilarious, sometimes emotional, but always relatable conversations, Ava and Gen are each other’s support systems through internships, relationship troubles, questionable roommates, undercover reporting, and whether or not it’s a good idea to take in a feral cat. Please Send Help perfectly captures the voice of young adults looking to find their place in the world and how no matter how desperate things seem, you always have your best friend to tell it like it is and pick you back up.
Review:
This story follows Ava and Gen during their first jobs/internships. They finally live in the same time zone, but different ends of the country. Neither of their lives really work out in the way they had hoped, with one getting fired and the other getting an STD.
I love the two voices of Ava and Gen in this story. They’re both hilarious and relatable. Unlike other stories about two best friends, these ones have fights and hurt each other’s feelings. They’re realistic, which makes them relatable.
I loved this fun story! I hope they write another book in this series.
Thank you St. Martin’s Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
Giant Days by Non Pratt
The Twitter Diaries by Georgie Thompson and Imogen Lloyd Webber
Have you read Please Send Help? What did you think of it?
Title: Royals (Royals #1) Author: Rachel Hawkins Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books Source: Purchased Format: Hardcover Release Date: May 1, 2018 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Meet Daisy Winters. She’s an offbeat sixteen-year-old Floridian with mermaid-red hair; a part time job at a bootleg Walmart, and a perfect older sister who’s nearly engaged to the Crown Prince of Scotland. Daisy has no desire to live in the spotlight, but relentless tabloid attention forces her to join Ellie at the relative seclusion of the castle across the pond.
While the dashing young Miles has been appointed to teach Daisy the ropes of being regal, the prince’s roguish younger brother kicks up scandal wherever he goes, and tries his best to take Daisy along for the ride. The crown–and the intriguing Miles–might be trying to make Daisy into a lady . . . but Daisy may just rewrite the royal rulebook to suit herself.
Review:
I’m so glad I finally read this book! It was everything I thought it would be and more!
I loved the plot. Daisy is suddenly thrown into the spotlight when her sister becomes engaged to the Prince of Scotland. She had to deal with this new fame, which led to many scandalous photos in the British press and damage control by the royal family’s press secretary.
The story had some examples of the press stories throughout the book. There were more of these at the beginning, and I loved them. They were a funny little break in the main story that showed how the royal family was described to the rest of the world. These stories tapered off towards the end, and the stories were just described by Daisy. I wish there had been more of these press stories, because they were very entertaining.
I loved this book! I can’t wait to read the next one in the series!
Title: Don’t You Forget About Me Author: Mhairi McFarlane Genre: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary Publisher: HarperCollins Source: Publisher event Format: Paperback Release Date: July 2, 2019 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to rise again…
The hilarious new heartbreaker from Mhairi McFarlane!
If there’s one thing worse than being fired from the grottiest restaurant in town, it’s coming home early to find your boyfriend in bed with someone else.
Reeling from the indignity of a double dumping on the same day, Georgina snatches at the next job that she’s offered – barmaid in a newly opened pub, which just so happens to run by the boy she fell in love with at school: Lucas McCarthy. And whereas Georgina (voted Most Likely to Succeed in her school yearbook) has done nothing but dead-end jobs in the last twelve years, Lucas has not only grown into a broodingly handsome man, but also has turned into an actual grown-up with a business and a dog along the way.
Meeting Lucas again not only throws Georgina’s rackety present into sharp relief, but also brings a dark secret from her past bubbling to the surface. Only she knows the truth about what happened on the last day of school, and why she’s allowed it to chase her all these years…
Review:
This book was hilarious and heartbreaking.
I kept laughing out loud at the beginning. Georgina reminds me of a grown-up Georgia Nicolson from the series by Louise Rennison. She has hilarious anecdotes about working in various restaurants and bars. She also has a great outlook on life, which came across in her funny stories.
This story took a dark twist that I didn’t see coming. It happened close to the end. The twist changed the way I thought about Georgina, and made her seem like a much more intense character.
I loved this book!
What to read next:
Who’s That Girl? by Mhairi McFarlane
It’s Not Me, It’s You by Mhairi McFarlane
Have you read Don’t You Forget About Me? What did you think of it?
Perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Sarah Mlynowski, this heartfelt and humorous contemporary take on Sense and Sensibility follows two sisters—complete opposites—who discover the secrets they’ve been keeping make them more alike than they’d realized.
For two sisters as different as Plum and Ginny, getting on each other’s nerves is par for the course. But when the family’s finances hit a snag, sending chaos through the house in a way only characters from a Jane Austen novel could understand, the two drift apart like they never have before. Plum, a self-described social outcast, strikes up a secret friendship with the class jock, while Ginny’s usual high-strung nature escalates to pure hysterics.
But this has always been the sisters’ dynamic. So why does everything feel different this year? Maybe because Ginny is going to leave for college soon. Maybe because Plum finally has something that she doesn’t have to share with her self-involved older sister. Or maybe because the girls are forced to examine who they really are instead of who their late father said they were. And who each girl discovers—beneath the years of missing their dad—could either bring them closer together…or drive them further apart.
Review:
This was a great story about sisters.
I flew through this book. I loved the way that Patience narrated it. She was very mature. It sounded like a Victorian novel, though the subject matter wouldn’t have been in a novel in the nineteenth century.
I enjoyed the family dynamic of the story. Their mother was an artist who often had too much on her plate. The house was also an important part of the story, because it was falling apart, which kept interrupting their lives when they had to fix it. The relationship between the sisters was also important. Though they are very close, they kept big secrets from each other, which only come out after they are threatened with a tragedy.
I really enjoyed this story!
Thank you HarperCollins Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
Who’s That Girl by Blair Thornburgh
Have you read Ordinary Girls? What did you think of it?
Title: Call It What You Want Author: Brigid Kemmerer Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Publisher: Bloomsbury YA Source: Publisher via NetGalley Format: Ebook Release Date: June 25, 2019 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
When his dad is caught embezzling funds from half the town, Rob goes from popular lacrosse player to social pariah. Even worse, his father’s failed suicide attempt leaves Rob and his mother responsible for his care.
Everyone thinks of Maegan as a typical overachiever, but she has a secret of her own after the pressure got to her last year. And when her sister comes home from college pregnant, keeping it from her parents might be more than she can handle.
When Rob and Maegan are paired together for a calculus project, they’re both reluctant to let anyone through the walls they’ve built. But when Maegan learns of Rob’s plan to fix the damage caused by his father, it could ruin more than their fragile new friendship…
This captivating, heartfelt novel asks the question: Is it okay to do something wrong for the right reasons?
Review:
In this story, Maegan and Rob are suddenly outcasts at school. Maegan was caught cheating on the SATs, even though she was a straight-A student. Then, her “perfect” sister came back from college, pregnant with her professor’s baby. Rob’s father was caught embezzling money from his financial company, and everyone thinks that Rob knew what was happening. They are brought together in their calculus class, where they form an unlikely friendship.
Morality was a big theme in this book. The main characters and their peers have to ask if Maegan and Rob deserve to be punished for what they did, or what their family members did. Maegan cheated on her test, but it affected everyone else in the testing room whose papers had to be scrapped. Rob’s father stole money from many of his classmate’s families, so they take it out on Rob by ignoring him. They both end up suffering for these actions, until they can open people’s eyes up to the truth.
This book was very touching. Both Maegan and Rob had to look after their family members. Maegan helps her sister deal with her unplanned pregnancy. She ends up stepping up to look after her. Rob’s father attempted suicide, but now he can’t do anything on his own. Rob and his mother have to look after him, including feeding and bathing him. It was heartbreaking to read about his father, and the way that the people he hurt the most had to look after him. This made me sympathetic to Maegan and Rob, even though they had both made mistakes.
This is a great story!
Thank you Bloomsbury YA for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer
We Are the Perfect Girl by Ariel Kaplan
Have you read Call It What You Want? What did you think of it?
Title: Saint Anything Author: Sarah Dessen Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Publisher: Viking Source: Purchased Format: Paperback Release Date: May 5, 2015 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Peyton, Sydney’s charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family, receiving the lion’s share of their parents’ attention and—lately—concern. When Peyton’s increasingly reckless behavior culminates in an accident, a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift, searching for her place in the family and the world. When everyone else is so worried about Peyton, is she the only one concerned about the victim of the accident?
Enter the Chathams, a warm, chaotic family who run a pizza parlor, play bluegrass on weekends, and pitch in to care for their mother, who has multiple sclerosis. Here Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance. And here she meets Mac, gentle, watchful, and protective, who makes Sydney feel seen, really seen, for the first time.
The uber-popular Sarah Dessen explores her signature themes of family, self-discovery, and change in her twelfth novel, sure to delight her legions of fans.
Review:
I’m in love with this book. It was an amazing rollercoaster of emotions.
I was fascinated with the premise of this book. It begins with Sydney’s brother being convicted for hitting a boy while driving drunk. This affected her, even more than just losing a brother, because she was suddenly restricted in what she was allowed to do. Her parents wanted to protect her from taking the same path as her brother, but it led to her being restricted so much, it was like she was being punished. Once, after Sydney made a small mistake, all of her privileges were taken away. I was so empathetic for Sydney, because she didn’t deserve her extreme punishments.
There was a character that was creepy right from page one. However, Sydney’s parents, in particular her mother, trusted him. It was sad to see her parents trust him, while he was being inappropriate in many ways. It was upsetting to read, but he ultimately got the justice he deserved.
I was craving so many different foods while reading this book! The food they ate was described in detail. Sydney’s friend, Layla, was a connoisseur of french fries. She had a routine of eating them with different ketchup mixtures. Layla’s family owned a pizza store which sold pizza and garlic knots, which sounded delicious! This is definitely not a book to read if you’re hungry!
I loved this story!
What to read next:
The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen
Once and For All by Sarah Dessen
Have you read Saint Anything? What did you think of it?
Title: Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson #1) Author: Louise Rennison Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Publisher: HaperTeen Source: Purchased Format: Paperback Release Date: June 24, 1999 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
There are six things very wrong with my life:
1. I have one of those under-the-skin spots that will never come to a head but lurk in a red way for the next two years.
2. It is on my nose
3. I have a three-year-old sister who may have peed somewhere in my room.
4. In fourteen days the summer hols will be over and then it will be back to Stalag 14 and Oberfuhrer Frau Simpson and her bunch of sadistic teachers.
5. I am very ugly and need to go into an ugly home.
6. I went to a party dressed as a stuffed olive.
In this wildly funny journal of a year in the life of Georgia Nicolson, British author Louise Rennison has perfectly captured the soaring joys and bottomless angst of being a teenager. In the spirit of Bridget Jones’s Diary, this fresh, irreverent, and simply hilarious book will leave you laughing out loud. As Georgia would say, it’s “Fabbity fab fab!”
Review:
This book quickly became one of my favourites as soon as I started reading it. It is hilarious!
Georgia is an ordinary girl, suffering through her teenage existence. She is so relatable because of her flaws. She documents her life in this journal, including all of her embarrassing moments, such as her first kiss.
One thing that I’ve always loved about this series is that the characters around Georgia are very important to the story. Georgia, like most teenagers, feels like she should be the centre of attention. However, her family and friends are prominent in the story. Her parents deal with problems including her father losing his job. Georgia acts as her friend’s wing woman so she can start dating a boy who works at a grocery store. In my opinion, the funniest character is Libby, Georgia’s toddler sister, because she has no filter when talking!
I love this series! If you haven’t read it yet, you have to pick it up!
What to read next:
On the Bright Side, I’m Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson #2) by Louise Rennison
Have you read Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging? What did you think of it?
Title: The Exact Opposite of Okay Author: Laura Steven Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Publisher: HarperTeen Source: Publisher via Edelweiss Format: Ebook Release Date: June 11, 2019 Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Bitingly funny and shockingly relevant, The Exact Opposite of Okay is a bold, brave, and necessary read for fans of Louise O’Neill and Jennifer Mathieu.
Eighteen-year-old Izzy O’Neill knows exactly who she is—a loyal friend, an aspiring comedian, and a person who believes that milk shakes and Reese’s peanut butter cups are major food groups. But after she’s caught in a compromising position with the son of a politician, it seems like everyone around her is eager to give her a new label: slut.
Izzy is certain that the whole thing will blow over and she can get back to worrying about how she doesn’t reciprocate her best friend Danny’s feelings for her and wondering how she is ever going to find a way out of their small town. Only it doesn’t.
And while she’s used to laughing her way out of any situation, as she finds herself first the center of high school gossip and then in the middle of a national scandal, it’s hard even for her to find humor in the situation.
Izzy may be determined not to let anyone else define who she is, but that proves easier said than done when it seems like everyone has something to say about her.
Review:
I really enjoyed this story.
It was sometimes upsetting. Izzy was severely bullied after compromising photos were posted online. It escalated all the way to national news. While Izzy was bullied, the boy featured in the images was not, which demonstrated a gender bias when it comes to sex. Girls are punished for being sexual, while boys are rewarded.
This story had a strong feminist theme. Izzy did put herself at risk by taking the photos, but the media and her peers escalated it by “slut-shaming” her. Even her teachers held it against her. She had been through a lot, but she definitely didn’t deserve that. It made me angry while I was reading the story, because it is so realistic and I could imagine this happening in real life.
On a lighter note, Izzy was a hilarious narrator. I laughed out loud many times. I particularly loved a pick-up line she used: “What’s your patronus?” She said that the question would tell her if a guy is worth her time, because he would know what she was referring to (Harry Potter) and he would already have an answer. I think that’s a great line!
This is a powerful story with a strong feminist message.
Thank you HarperTeen for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What to read next:
A Girl Called Shameless (Izzy O’Neill #2) by Laura Steven
Backlash by Sarah Darer Littman
About the Author:
Laura Steven is an author, journalist and screenwriter from the northernmost town in England. The Exact Opposite of Okay, her YA debut, was published by Egmont in March 2018. The sequel, A Girl Called Shameless, will follow in 2019.
As well as mentoring aspiring authors through schemes like Pitch Wars, Laura works for Mslexia, a non-profit organisation supporting women writers. She graduated with Distinction from her MA in Creative Writing in 2017, and her TV pilot Clickbait – a mockumentary about journalists at a viral news agency – was a finalist in British Comedy’s 2016 Sitcom Mission.
Laura is represented by Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary and Media Inc.
Title: In Case You Missed It Author: Sarah Darer Littman Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Publisher: Scholastic Press Source: Borrowed from a friend Format: Paperback Release Date: October 10, 2016 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Everyone has secrets—until they go viral.
Sammy Wallach has epic plans for the end of junior year: Sneak out to the city to see her favorite band. Get crush-worthy Jamie Moss to ask her to prom. Rock all exams (APs and driver’s).
With a few white lies, some killer flirting, and tons of practice, Sammy’s got things covered. That is, until the international bank her dad works for is attacked by hacktivists who manage to steal everything in the Wallach family’s private cloud, including Sammy’s entire digital life. Literally the whole world has access to her emails, texts, photos, and, worst of all, journal.
Life. Is. Over.
Now Sammy’s best friends are furious about things she wrote, Jamie thinks she’s desperate, and she can barely show her face at school. Plus, her parents know all the rules she broke. But Sammy’s not the only one with secrets—her family has a few of its own that could change everything. And while the truth might set you free, no one said it was going to be painless. Or in Sammy’s case, private.
Review:
This was a powerful story about the negative effects of technology.
In this story, Sammy’s father’s company gets hacked. It leads to their family’s “cloud” storage also getting hacked and all of their documents get posted online, including Sammy’s online diary. This would be mortifying for anyone, but especially a sixteen-year-old girl, who made private comments about her friends in her diary.
One thing I liked about this book is that the adults had to face consequences for the actions as well as the kids. Sammy ended up losing some friends over comments she made in her journal, but her parents’ secrets were also exposed in the hack. They were keeping a big secret from Sammy, which they had to discuss with her once the world found out before her. This shows that adults can be affected by the same consequences as their children.
I really enjoyed this story.
What to read next:
Backlash by Sarah Darer Littman
Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman
Have you read In Case You Missed It? What did you think of it?
Title: Once and For All Author: Sarah Dessen Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers Source: Purchased Format: Hardcover Release Date: June 6, 2017 Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
As bubbly as champagne and delectable as wedding cake, Once and for All, Sarah Dessen’s thirteenth novel, is set in the world of wedding planning, where crises are routine.
Louna, daughter of famed wedding planner Natalie Barrett, has seen every sort of wedding: on the beach, at historic mansions, in fancy hotels and clubs. Perhaps that’s why she’s cynical about happily-ever-after endings, especially since her own first love ended tragically. When Louna meets charming, happy-go-lucky serial dater Ambrose, she holds him at arm’s length. But Ambrose isn’t about to be discouraged, now that he’s met the one girl he really wants.
Sarah Dessen’s many, many fans will adore her latest, a richly satisfying, enormously entertaining story that has everything—humor, romance, and an ending both happy and imperfect, just like life itself.
Review:
This is my first Sarah Dessen book and I loved it!
There were a lot of weddings in this story. Louna’s mother is a wedding planner, which looked like so much fun! This was a great setting for the novel. It made for some funny stories when things went wrong, such as a demanding mother of the bride who kept tissues in her bra!
One character was affected by a school shooting. I won’t give the details, since that is part of the suspense of the novel and I don’t want to spoil it. I was surprised that this is one of the first times I’ve read about this in a novel. Unfortunately, school shootings are a real part of life now, so I think they will be in many young adult novels in the future. It was heartbreaking to read about the way it affected a character in the novel.
I loved this book! I can’t wait to read more Sarah Dessen books!
What to read next:
Save the Date by Morgan Matson
Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen
Have you read Once and For All? What did you think of it?
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