None Of The Above by I.W. Gregorio

 Title: None Of The Above

 Author: I. W. Gregorio

 Publisher: Balzer + Bray

 Date Published: April 7th, 2015

 Genre: Contemporary

 Pages: 352

 Age Range: 15+







                                                                       Summary:

     What if everything you knew about yourself changed in an instant?

     When Kristin Lattimer is voted homecoming queen, it seems like another piece of her ideal life has fallen into place. She's a champion hurdler with a full scholarship to college and she's madly in love with her boyfriend. In fact, she's decided that she's ready to take things to the next level with him.

     But Kristin's first time isn't the perfect moment she's planned—something is very wrong. A visit to the doctor reveals the truth: Kristin is intersex, which means that though she outwardly looks like a girl, she has male chromosomes, not to mention boy "parts."

     Dealing with her body is difficult enough, but when her diagnosis is leaked to the whole school, Kristin's entire identity is thrown into question. As her world unravels, can she come to terms with her new self?

                                                                         Review:

      I've been reading hyped up books lately because I feel so behind of the times, and this book is no exception. But, I LOVED this book. And it's kind of rare that I love hyped books so much. To prove my point, my average rating on Goodreads is a 3.21, and I've reviewed over 300 books. I'm a tough reviewer, but this book did everything right for me. This book really made me think though, about gender and what it means, and I appreciate that.
      The book opens with a nice scene between Kristin and her boyfriend, Sam. Honestly, I thought that their relationship was kind of perfect, at least in the beginning. Their relationship seemed to be mutual, healthy, loving, respectful, and all the positive things that come from true love. I opened the book with fuzzy feels, but those vanished in a matter of chapters. Pretty soon into the book, Kristin finds out that she is intersex, and then stuff hits the fan. The pacing of the book always moved pretty quickly, except for a few necessary moments where the story stalled a bit to let things sink in not only for the reader, but for Kristin.
     I truly felt for Kristin. I felt physical pain at her plight, and I was near tears in some parts. Her plight was so real and the consequences so cruel, yet realistic, that I was left reeling. At some points, when Kristin reached out for help, I cheered her on, and when she was in her lowest parts, I just wanted to give her a huge hug. Obviously, I loved Kristin's plight and her character, but I also really loved Darren's character. Throughout the whole book, he was very caring and sweet and I just really liked him and his support. I also greatly appreciated Gretchen and her presence- she was in the book just enough, and she was perfect! Pretty much everyone else I disliked. Faith, I could understand why she did what she did, but it doesn't mean that I have to like her. Vee, Sam, and the other slew of bullies, I despised. But in a good way. They were the perfect villains.
      All told, I loved this book, and I hope that I. W. Gregorio writes again. Although, she is a surgeon, so she's just a lil' busy.


                                             

The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp

 Title: The Spectacular Now

 Author: Tim Tharp

 Publisher: Ember

 Date Published: July 9th, 2013

 Genre: Conteporary

 Pages: 304 (Paperback)

 Age Range: 16+

                                                                           Summary:

     SUTTER KEELY. HE’S the guy you want at your party. He’ll get everyone dancing. He’ ll get everyone in your parents’ pool. Okay, so he’s not exactly a shining academic star. He has no plans for college and will probably end up folding men’s shirts for a living. But there are plenty of ladies in town, and with the help of Dean Martin and Seagram’s V.O., life’s pretty fabuloso, actually.

Until the morning he wakes up on a random front lawn, and he meets Aimee. Aimee’s clueless. Aimee is a social disaster. Aimee needs help, and it’s up to the Sutterman to show Aimee a splendiferous time and then let her go forth and prosper. But Aimee’s not like other girls, and before long he’s in way over his head. For the first time in his life, he has the power to make a difference in someone else’s life—or ruin it forever.

                                                                            Review:

     There are very few books that I read where I need a few more chapters, or at least an epilogue if not another entire book. The Spectacular Now is one of those rare little gems. It was very real, raw, and poignant- a painful read about a subject that really shouldn't be so painful to read about. So few books make me cry, and shake my fist, and pull out my hair, and cry some more, but the Spectacular Now made me do all of those things.

     First, the characters were incredibly flawed. Sutter Keely really is a good guy at heart, but he is a terrible alcoholic. I have never read a book that had so much alcohol in it before. Now the thing is, in YA, alcohol is usually presented at parties and in kegs. In the book, the alcohol was a very main element. Usually alcohol is portrayed in a negative light, girls get drunk and go off with strange men, boys trash the house and say things they shouldn't have. Through this all, alcohol is portrayed as a bad thing while it truly isn't. The people abusing the alcohol are the real problems,and this book kind of gently delves to the root of that.
     Amy is introduced as Sutter's opposite, and she never really stops being his opposite. He's a fun-loving guy, knows everyone, wants to a lot of people, etc. But Amy is much more reserved and quiet. It was fun to watch Sutter pry apart Amy's shell and watch her really come into her own. She was a girl that everyone can relate to,and I liked her character a lot.
     Now, as the book progresses, Amy falls into a downward spiral. She spins from being this straight-laced, uptight girl, to letting loose way too much. I really liked Sutter's character, but his character pulled Amy to be more like him in his attempt to help her. Then, he realized what he had done, and that miserable excuse for an ending came by.
     This book actually made me hurt in many ways. I hurt for Amy and Sutter's positions at first, and then I really did feel for Sutter. When he lost his job, my heart broke into a million pieces, and the ending made me cry a little bit. I loved the openness of the ending, and the overall feel because it just fit with the book, but I didn't like how everything wasn't perfectly resolved.
     I really wanted this book to end with a happily ever after (that doesn't happen too often), but instead I was left with an ending that made my heart hurt, and my eyes leak. I would definitely read this again, and since the movie has Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller, I will be watching it very soon!

                                     

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Title: All The Bright Places

 Author: Jennifer Niven

 Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

 Date Published: January 6th, 2015

 Genre: Contemporary,

 Pages: 400 (Hardcover)

 Age Range: 15+








                                                                          Summary:

     Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.
     Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.
     When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.


                                                                           Review:

     This book has been incredibly hyped since its release around half a year ago. Honestly, the hype hasn't really died down ever since- which is a little terrifying. I always read hyped books with a grain of salt, ready to be disappointed or caught up in the hype. Usually, I am pleasantly surprised; this book, though, blows everything that I have ever read out of the water. Per the usual, I will try to be very non-spoilery, however, there will be spoilers later on in this review.
     The cover of this book is sickeningly adorable, and I will admit to some cover lust. Just look at its cuteness!! Cover aside, this book was very raw, and unrelenting. The way it dealt with problems like depression, bipolar disorder, and eating disorders was amazing. Jennifer Niven did such a great job with these heavy subjects because she didn't shy away from the harsh realities, and she certainly didn't make this a mindless read. The heavier topics were met head on, they weren't romanticized in any way, they weren't glossed over, and the true consequences of these problems being ignored was prominent.
     Violet and Finch were both great characters, and polar opposites. While Violet was the example of defeating her depression, and rising above it, Finch is the example of becoming his disorder at times. Both characters could seem very superficial at times, but teenagers are superficial sometimes- all of us are. All of the minor characters in this book were just that- minor to a fault. I can remember names of certain characters, but none of them really stuck out as important, or as individuals, except for Amanda. Finch's mom was your typical, absent YA parent trope, while Violet's parents were the opposite. I actually really liked Violet's parents. Finch's father's new family was so absent that I couldn't really bring myself to form an opinion about them. Decca and Kate, while pretty minor, really got on my good side. One of my favorite parts of the book was where Finch was crafting with Decca and he was trying to teach her that there is beauty in nasty words.
     And now, things are going to get very spoilery. Trust me when I say that this is a book that you do not want spoiled for you.
     So, first, I actually never saw Finch having bipolar disorder. Looking back, it makes perfect sense, but I actually thought that he had some kind of brain trauma from being abused by his father that was making him spaz out. I thought that his brain trauma was pairing with some major depression to make him flip out. Of course, it turns out that he has bipolar disorder instead. And I knew that Violet was majorly depressed because it is stated pretty early on.
     The book was so mean in the way that things that really hopeful and happy around the middle, around the peak. I truly believed that we were gonna have a happy, hopeful ending. Then Finch disappeared, and I freaked out. As much as I hate to say this, I'm glad Finch died. Yes, I loved him, but untreated mental issues are not a joking matter, and there are repercussions from that decision. Out of all the messages that Finch sent to his friends and family, Decca's was my favorite, and that is when I started to cry. After that, I cried pretty steadily until the book ended.
     I hate to be that person, but the book got a little too drawn out near the end. I got a little bored with the ending a few pages before it ended, and that is the testament of a good writer. The fact that I was about to be lost, right as it was ended.
     A little, tiny part of me wants an epilogue so that we can check in on Violet a few years down the road. But mostly, I am pretty happy.
     If you, or someone you know struggles with depression, please visit: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.com or call 800-273-TALK.




                                            

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

 Title: The Assassin's Blade

 Author: Sarah J. Maas

 Series: Throne of Glass (#0.1- #0.5)

 Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children

 Date Published: March 4th, 2014

 Genre: Fantasy

 Pages: 464 (Hardcover)

 Age Range: 14+






                                                                      Summary:

      Celaena Sardothien is her kingdom's most feared assassin. Though she works for the powerful and ruthless Assassin's Guild, Celaena yields to no one and trusts only her fellow killer for hire, Sam.

     When Celaena's scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, she finds herself acting independently of his wishes--and questioning her own allegiance. Along the way, she makes friends and enemies alike, and discovers that she feels far more for Sam than just friendship. But by defying Arobynn's orders, Celaena risks unimaginable punishment, and with Sam by her side, he is in danger, too. They will have to risk it all if they hope to escape Arobynn's clutches--and if they fail, they'll lose not just a chance at freedom, but their lives . . .

                                                                     Review:

     So, Sarah J. Maas strikes again. She writes yet another stellar book about Celaena Sardothien and her constant troubles. This "book" is actually a bind- up, a compilation of five short stories- each of them following Celaena as she attempts to repent for a crime that she committed against Arobynn, King of the Assassins. In the first story, she commits her crime, and later she repents. These stories were very intense, and I can't believe some of the things that happened.
      First, we get to see a lot more of Celaena's true self. We truly get to see some new things that we have never learned about her before, and a lot more of her personality. Celaena's personality in the original series makes a lot more sense, and I really do like her. In these stories, we get to meet A LOT more new characters. Most of these characters are only in this story- at  least that I've seen so far- but they are really nice and involved. Honestly though, I cannot say how much I hate Arobynn. There is not a painful enough way for him to die.
     I totally loved what happened in every single story. The only story that I didn't love was the last one because it was so intense, and because my baby... well, bad things happened to him. There wasn't a story that didn't have me on the edge of my seat, dying.
     Of course, after I read the last story, I texted Ashley in a pool of tears. She was really confused, but after I filled her in, she was still confused. But! She did give me half-hearted pats on the back from two hundred miles away, and she did let me whine.
      I cannot wait to read Queen of Shadows, and I am dying to have it in my hands.