Review: The Perfect Girlfriend

Title: The Perfect Girlfriend
Author: Karen Hamilton
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Graydon House
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: March 26, 2019
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

YOU’VE NEVER READ A LOVE STORY AS TWISTED AS THIS.

Juliette loves Nate.

She will follow him anywhere. She’s even become a flight attendant for his airline so she can keep a closer eye on him.

They are meant to be.

The fact that Nate broke up with her six months ago means nothing. Because Juliette has a plan to win him back.

She is the perfect girlfriend. And she’ll make sure no one stops her from getting exactly what she wants.

True love hurts, but Juliette knows it’s worth all the pain…

Review:

This was a creepy thriller.

The main character, Juliette, stalks her former boyfriend in this story. Some of the things she did, like bring her friends to his apartment while he was away, were so creepy. I can’t imagine doing the things she did. She had some help with technology and social media, but she also followed him around a lot too.

I had a lot of questions right at the start of the story because it begins in the middle of things. It took a while for some things to be explained, such as relationships between characters, but this increased the suspense. However, I would have liked it if things were laid out a little more clearly earlier in the story.

The story ended abruptly, and I was left wondering what happens next. I enjoyed this suspenseful thriller.

What to read next:

You by Caroline Kepnes

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Have you read The Perfect Girlfriend? What did you think of it?

TBR Thursday – March 21

TBR Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly Faye Reads, where you post a title from your shelf or e-reader and find out what others think about it.

My pick this week is 96 Words for Love by Rachel Roy and Ava Dash.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A modern retelling of a classic Indian legend, 96 Words for Love is a coming-of-age story.


Ever since her acceptance to UCLA, 17-year-old Raya Liston has been quietly freaking out. She feels simultaneously lost and trapped by a future already mapped out for her.

Then her beloved grandmother dies, and Raya jumps at the chance to spend her last free summer at the ashram in India where her grandmother met and fell in love with her grandfather. Raya hopes to find her center and her true path. But she didn’t expect to fall in love… with a country of beautiful contradictions, her fiercely loyal cousin, a local girl with a passion for reading, and a boy who teaches her that in Sanskrit, there are 96 different ways to say the word “love.”

A modern retelling of the classic Indian legend of Shakuntala and Dushyanta.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

Review: Killing November

Title: Killing November
Author: Adriana Mather
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: March 26, 2019
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s a school completely off the grid, hidden by dense forest and surrounded by traps. There’s no electricity, no internet, and an eye-for-an-eye punishment system. Classes include everything from Knife-Throwing and Poisons to the Art of Deception and Historical Analysis. And all of the students are children of the world’s most elite strategists—training to become assassins, counselors, spies, and master impersonators. Into this world walks November Adley, who quickly discovers that friends are few in a school where personal revelations are discouraged and competition is everything. When another student is murdered, all eyes turn to November, who must figure out exactly how she fits into the school’s bizarre strategy games before she is found guilty of the crime…or becomes the killer’s next victim.

Review:

This story was intense with a complicated list of characters, but I really enjoyed it.

A boarding school is a great setting for a thriller. This school was very isolated and hidden from the world. No one even knows where it was located.

The connections between the characters and their families was complex. It took a while to figure out who everyone was, and what side they were on. The main character, November, was thrown into the situation with as much information as the reader, so we learned along with her.

The only thing that disappointed me was that the story didn’t really start until halfway through the book. I was kind of lost up until then. The different families and their histories weren’t clearly laid out until that point and that was an important part to the story. I wish it was made clear closer to the beginning, so it wasn’t as confusing.

The ending was open to a sequel, so I hope the story will continue!

What to read next:

S.T.A.G.S. by M.A. Bennett

How to Hang a Witch (How to Hang a Witch #1) by Adriana Mather

Have you read Killing November? What did you think of it?

‘Waiting on’ Wednesday – March 20

This is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. In this post we highlight a book that’s highly anticipated.

The book that I’m waiting on this Wednesday is At the Mountain’s Edge by Genevieve Graham. The release date is April 2, 2019.

Goodreads Synopsis:

From bestselling author Genevieve Graham comes a sweeping new historical novel of love, tragedy, and redemption set during the height of the Klondike Gold Rush.

In 1897, the discovery of gold in the desolate reaches of the Yukon has the world abuzz with excitement, and thousands of prospectors swarm to the north seeking riches the likes of which have never been seen before. 

For Liza Peterson and her family, the gold rush is a chance for them to make a fortune by moving their general store business from Vancouver to Dawson City, the only established town in the Yukon. For Constable Ben Turner, a recent recruit of the North-West Mounted Police, upholding the law in a place overrun with guns, liquor, prostitutes, and thieves is an opportunity to escape a dark past and become the man of integrity he has always wanted to be. But the long, difficult journey over icy mountain passes and whitewater rapids is much more treacherous than Liza or Ben imagined, and neither is completely prepared for the forbidding north.

As Liza’s family nears the mountain’s peak, a catastrophe strikes with fatal consequences, and not even the NWMP can help. Alone and desperate, Liza finally reaches Dawson City, only to find herself in a different kind of peril. Meanwhile, Ben, wracked with guilt over the accident on the trail, sees the chance to make things right. But just as love begins to grow, new dangers arise, threatening to separate the couple forever.

Inspired by history as rich as the Klondike’s gold, At the Mountain’s Edge is an epic tale of romance and adventure about two people who must let go of the past not only to be together, but also to survive.

What books are you waiting on this week?

Top 5 Wednesday – Spring Reads

This meme is hosted by Lainey from Thoughts on Tomes. The Goodreads Group for Top 5 Wednesday can be found here.

This week’s prompt is Spring Reads. These are the books I’m most excited to read this spring:

1. With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

2. There’s Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon

3. King of Fools by Amanda Foody

4. Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

5. Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali

Which books are you most excited to read this spring?

Review: Bad Hair Day (Whatever After #5)

Title: Bad Hair Day (Whatever After #5)
Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Genre: Middle Grade
Publisher: Scholastic
Source: Borrowed from a friend
Format: Paperback
Release Date: April 29, 2014
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

After a tough day at school, I am NOT in a good mood. The perfect pick-me-up? A trip through our magic mirror! When my brother and I — plus our new dog — end up in the story of Rapunzel, we can’t resist climbing her hair. Oh no! Her smooth locks suddenly look like they’ve been attacked by a cheese grater. Maybe a trim will help…Snip, snip. SNIP. Oops. Now Rapunzel’s hair is too short and we’re trapped!

So we have to:
-Find the tower’s secret door
-Avoid getting swallowed by a giant spider
-Locate Pickles (aka the prince)
-Reunite Rapunzel with her parents

If we don’t untangle this knotty tale soon, we could be stuck in this mess for good!

Review:

This is another great story in the Whatever After series.

In this book, Abby and Jonah visit Rapunzel. They explore some of the problems with the fairytale, and learn new things. For example, Rapunzel is always illustrated as a girl with blonde hair, but in this story her hair was brown. They also investigate the idea that Rapunzel was trapped in the tower with no other way for people to get in and out than climbing her hair. The witch had to get her into the tower some how, so the kids look for a hidden staircase that leads up the tower. I loved the way they searched for answers to the plot holes in the story.

They also give a little more background to the characters. In the last story, one of Abby’s friends accidentally joins them on their trip. This story begins with Abby being upset about losing the spelling bee at school. I love this insight into their regular lives because most of the stories are spent in the fairy tale world.

I’m in love with this series! It’s so much fun!

What to read next:

Cold as Ice (Whatever After #6) by Sarah Mlynowski

Have you read Bad Hair Day? What did you think of it?

Top Ten Tuesday – Books On My Spring TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and it is now hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is Books On My Spring TBR. Here’s my list:

1. Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali

2. The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

3. King of Fools by Amanda Foody

4. There’s Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon

5. Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

6. We Are The Perfect Girl by Ariel Kaplan

7. Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson

8. The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion

9. With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

10. Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett

(All photos taken from Goodreads)

Review: I Hate Everyone But You

Title: I Hate Everyone But You
Author: Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: Library
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 5, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin’s I Hate Everyone But You is a hilarious and heartfelt debut novel about new beginnings, love and heartbreak, and ultimately the power of friendship.

Dear Best Friend,
I can already tell that I will hate everyone but you.
Sincerely, 
Ava Helmer
(that brunette who won’t leave you alone)

We’re still in the same room, you weirdo.
Stop crying.
G

So begins a series of texts and emails sent between two best friends, Ava and Gen, as they head off to their first semesters of college on opposite sides of the country. From first loves to weird roommates, heartbreak, self-discovery, coming out and mental health, the two of them document every wild and awkward moment to each other. But as each changes and grows into her new life, will their friendship be able to survive the distance?

Review:

I loved this book! It made me laugh so many times. It was a rough week, so this book made me feel a lot better.

Ava and Gen reminded me of my best friend and I. Ava is more conservative like me, while Gen is more outgoing like my friend. We definitely aren’t as funny as these two girls though!

I really liked the gender diversity in the story. Gen comes out as queer while she is at college. She makes a few friends who have a variety gender identities. Meanwhile, Ava can’t understand any of it. She made insensitive comments because she didn’t know any better. I loved how Ava represented how many people think, and Gen was able to point out the problems with her comments.

I loved this book and I can’t wait to read the next one!

What to read next:

The Summer of Jordi Perez by Amy Spalding

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Have you read I Hate Everyone But You? What did you think of it?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – March 18

This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week.  It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile!

What I just finished:

This weekend I finished I Hate Everyone But You by Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin.

What I’m currently reading:

I’m currently reading Killing November by Adriana Mather.

What I’m reading next:

Next I will be reading The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton.

What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – March 17

Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

I did 9 weekly blogging memes:

How was your week? What did you guys read?