Review: No One Here Is Lonely

Title: No One Here Is Lonely
Author: Sarah Everett
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: January 22, 2019
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Our entire lives are online, but what if the boy you love actually lives there? For fans of Adam Silvera comes a story about the future of relationships.

Eden has always had two loves: her best friend, Lacey, and her crush, Will. And then, almost simultaneously, she loses them both. Will to a car accident and Lacey to the inevitable growing up and growing apart.

Devastated by the holes they have left in her life, Eden finds solace in an unlikely place. Before he died, Will set up an account with In Good Company, a service that uploads voices and emails and creates a digital companion that can be called anytime, day or night. It couldn’t come at a better time because, after losing Lacey–the hardest thing Eden has had to deal with–who else can she confide all her secrets to? Who is Eden without Lacey?

As Eden falls deeper into her relationship with “Will,” she hardly notices as her real life blooms around her. There is a new job, new friends. Then there is Oliver. He’s Lacey’s twin, so has always been off-limits to her, until now. He may be real, but to have him, will Eden be able to say goodbye to Will?

Review:

This is a great story with a unique premise.

In this story, there is a service called In Good Company, where people can donate their voice so that loved ones can continue to speak to them after they have died. In one way, it would be nice to still speak to the person who you’ve lost, but at the same time, it isn’t actually the same as the person. It is a computer generated voice, so they do not have the same memories as the person.

So many parts of this story were heartbreaking. Eden had difficult relationships with everyone in the story. She was in turmoil because the boy she had always loved had died. She couldn’t rely on her family or friends for the first time in her life. Unfortunately, she used Will’s voice to cope with this. That turned out to be a bad thing, because he wasn’t the real Will.

Though most of the story was slightly uncomfortable because Eden was speaking to a computer, the ending was full of tension. There were giant reveals in the last few chapters that were shocking. I really liked the ending.

I loved this story!

What to read next:

Everyone We’ve Been by Sarah Everett

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Have you read No One Here Is Lonely? What did you think of it?

TBR Thursday – January 24

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 One Dark Throne (Three Dark Crowns #2) by Kendare Blake.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The battle for the Crown has begun, but which of the three sisters will prevail?

With the unforgettable events of the Quickening behind them and the Ascension Year underway, all bets are off. Katharine, once the weak and feeble sister, is stronger than ever before. Arsinoe, after discovering the truth about her powers, must figure out how to make her secret talent work in her favor without anyone finding out. And Mirabella, once thought to be the strongest sister of all and the certain Queen Crowned, faces attacks like never before—ones that put those around her in danger she can’t seem to prevent.

In this enthralling sequel to Kendare Blake’s New York Times bestselling Three Dark Crowns, Fennbirn’s deadliest queens must face the one thing standing in their way of the crown: each other. 

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

Review: The Princess in Black and the Hungry Bunny Horde (The Princess in Black #3)

Title: The Princess in Black and the Hungry Bunny Horde (The Princess in Black #3)
Author: Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, and LeUyen Pham
Genre: Children’s
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Source: Library
Format: Ebook
Release Date: February 9, 2016
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s a case of monstrous cuteness as the Princess in Black encounters her biggest challenge yet: a field overrun by adorable bunnies.

Princess Magnolia and her unicorn, Frimplepants, are on their way to have brunch with Princess Sneezewort, an occasion Frimplepants enjoys more than anything in the world. But just when he can smell the freshly baked bread and the heaping platters of sugar-dusted doughnuts, Princess Magnolia’s glitter-stone ring rings. The monster alarm! After a quick change in the secret cave, Princess Magnolia and Frimplepants are transformed into the Princess in Black and her faithful pony, Blacky. But when they get to the goat pasture, all they can see is a field full of darling little bunnies nibbling on grass, twitching their velvet noses, and wiggling their fluffy tails. Where are the monsters? Are these bunnies as innocent as they appear?

Review:

This book is by far my favourite in the Princess in Black series! It was hilarious.

When the Princess’s monster alarm rings this time, she is on the way to brunch with her friend, so she can’t use her closet to turn into the Princess in Black. She must use a secret tunnel to transform. Much to her surprise, the “monsters” are a bunch of bunnies in the goat field! Though they are cute and snuggly, they are very destructive.

This story was so funny and creative. The bunnies are deceiving because they look cute, but they are really harmful to the goats and anything around them because they want to eat everything. Unfortunately for the Princess, the bunnies speak in “cute,” so they can only speak to other cute creatures. However, the Princess’s pony, Frimplepants, is also cute, so he is able to communicate with the bunnies.

I loved this hilarious story! I highly recommend it for kids and adults!

What to read next:

The Princess Black Takes a Vacation (The Princess in Black #4) by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, and LeUyen Pham

King Baby by Kate Beaton

Have you read The Princess in Black and the Hungry Bunny Horde? What did you think of it?

‘Waiting on’ Wednesday – January 23

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 The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab. The release date is March 12, 2019.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Brand new edition of Victoria Schwab’s long out-of-print, stunning debut

All-new deluxe edition of an out-of-print gem, containing in-universe short story “The Ash-Born Boy” and a never-before-seen introduction from V.E. Schwab.

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children. 

If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company. 

There are no strangers in the town of Near. 

These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life. 

But when an actual stranger, a boy who seems to fade like smoke, appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true. 

The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. 

As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

What books are you waiting on this week?

Top 5 Wednesday – Top of Your TBR

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 Top of Your TBR. Here’s my list:

1. The Belles (The Belles #1) by Dhonielle Clayton

2. Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo

3. Furyborn (Empirium #1) by Claire Legrand

4. Dark Days Pact (Lady Helen #2) by Alison Goodman

5. City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare

What books are on the top of your TBR?

Review: Sink or Swim (Whatever After #3)

Title: Sink or Swim (Whatever After #3)

Author: Sarah Mlynowski

Genre: Middle Grade

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Source: Library

Format: Ebook

Release Date: April 30, 2013

Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Once again my brother and I are in hot water…

We weren’t planning to mess up the fairy tales. The first two times, we did it by accident. 

But when our magic mirror pulls us into the story of the Little Mermaid, we have no choice but to try and rewrite it. Let’s just say the original story does NOT end happily!

Now we need to:
– Convince our mermaid to keep her tail
– Plan a royal wedding
– Avoid getting eaten by sharks

We’ve got to find a happy ending for the Little Mermaid . . . before she’s fish food, and we’re lost at sea forever!

Review:

This story is based on the original story of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen, not the Disney movie. In the original story, there wasn’t a happy ending for the mermaid. She made a deal with the sea witch to give up her tongue for legs. As part of the deal, if the prince married someone other than her, she would die. The prince ends up marrying someone else, so she dies at the end. Since Abby and Jonah enter the original fairytales in this series, they had to try to find a way to create a happy ending for the mermaid.

This was a really great story. There was loads of tension. It didn’t seem like they were going to get a happy ending for the mermaid, so the last few chapters had a lot of drama.

I love how this series teaches children the original fairytales, not just the Disney versions. Abby and Jonah alter the original stories so that the princess or main character gets a happy ending for herself, not just to please a man.

Have you read Sink or Swim? What did you think of it?

Top Ten Tuesday – Books I Meant to Read in 2018 But Didn’t Get to

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 I Meant to Read in 2018 But Didn’t Get to. Here’s my list:

1. Archenemies (Renegades #2) by Marissa Meyer

2. What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

3. War Storm (Red Queen #4) by Victoria Aveyard)

4. Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas

5. The Belles (The Belles #1) by Dhonielle Clayton

6. Runaways Vol.1: Find Your Way Home by Rainbow Rowell and Kris Anka

7. Royals (Royals #1) by Rachel Hawkins

8. Damsel by Elana K. Arnold

9. Vengeful (Villains #2) by V.E. Schwab

10. Obsidio (The Illuminae Files #3) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

(All images taken from Goodreads)

Review: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue (Montague Siblings #1)

Title: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue (Montague Siblings #1)
Author: Mackenzi Lee
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Source: Gift
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: June 27, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.

But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

Review:

This book was such a fun adventure.

Monty was the main character and narrator. He made so many bad decisions, but they were made out of love. I kept wanting to shout at him “Don’t do that!” but it would have stopped the story pretty quickly if he had made safer decisions.

I love the diversity in the story. Monty is bisexual and in love with his mixed race, male best friend. Felicity is an intelligent young girl who wants to study medicine rather than go to finishing school. Percy is mixed race and he lives with a chronic illness. I loved this diverse cast, especially set in eighteenth century Europe.

This is a great book! I can’t wait to read the next one!

What to read next:

The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy (Montague Siblings #2) by Mackenzi Lee

The Unbinding of Mary Reade by Miriam McNamara

Have you read The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue? What did you think of it?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – January 21

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 The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee.

What I’m currently reading:

I’m currently reading No One Here is Lonely by Sarah Everett.

What I’m reading next:

Next I will be reading The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley.

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

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – January 20

Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

I did 9 weekly blogging memes:

I also posted 3 additional posts:

How was your week? What did you guys read?