The Babysitter by Sheryl Browne // BOOK REVIEW

Book: The Babysitter

Author: Sheryl Browne

Genre: Fiction, Suspense, Thriller

Synopsis: You trust her with your family. Would you trust her with your life?

Mark and Melissa Cain are thrilled to have found Jade, a babysitter who is brilliant with their young children. Having seen her own house burn to the ground, Jade needs them as much as they need her. Moving Jade into the family home can only be a good thing, can’t it?

As Mark works long hours as a police officer and Melissa struggles with running a business, the family become ever more reliant on their babysitter, who is only too happy to help. And as Melissa begins to slip into depression, it’s Jade who is left picking up the pieces.

But Mark soon notices things aren’t quite as they seem. Things at home feel wrong, and as Mark begins to investigate their seemingly perfect sitter, what he discovers shocks him to his core. He’s met Jade before. And now he suspects he might know what she wants …

Mark is in a race against time to protect his family. But what will he find as he goes back to his family home?

What I hate about it...

You see, Mark Cain is a detective, a good one at that. And yet he didn't have a clue that a criminal is living under their roof, under their noses. Clearly, this husband and wife isn't the brightest bulbs in the room. Also, I know it's easy to say and Mel was drugged that's why she's thinking the way she was thinking, but it's just senseless to say that her husband is the one drugging her when it's the babysitter who's been feeding her and giving her the meds. Yet she never doubted a single thing about this too good to be true babysitter.

Also I was so exasperated when I'm almost few pages away from the ending and still there are unresolved dilemmas (Cummings for one) and more dilemmas that kept popping out and I worry that it may not be resolved or no conclusion will be reached in the end.

What I hate more about it...

What I don't like at all is the fact that Mark and Mel don't realize what Jade was doing. They have no clue 'til the end. And it was, in fact, Jade who revealed who she was when she lost control of herself in front of Mark and when she slapped Mel and shouted in her face. So much for being a good detective, Cain.

What the fudge...

In the summary of this book it says, "Mark begins to investigate their seemingly perfect sitter, what he discovers shocks him to his core. He’s met Jade before. And now he suspects he might know what she wants..." Well, no, I don't think Mark investigated Jade and I don't think he recognized her until she practically tell that to their face. I also don't think that he knew what she wants. Or maybe I missed it all because I practically skim read throughout the latter part. This is poor.

My Verdict

This was okay. Well-written but it's annoying. 

MY RATING

★★☆☆☆

Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle #3) by Maggie Stiefvater // BOOK REVIEW

“I'm glad you misdialed."
"Well. Easy mistake to make," she said. Might do it again." A very, very long pause. She opened her mouth to fill it, then changed her mind and didn't. She was shivering again, even though she wasn't cold with the pillow on her legs.
"Shouldn't," Gansey said finally. "But I hope you do.”

Book: Blue Lily, Lily (The Raven Cycle #3)

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Paranormal

Synopsis: Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs.

The trick with found things, though, is how easily they can be lost.

Friends can betray.

Mothers can disappear.

Visions can mislead.

Certainties can unravel.

What I think about it…

The Characters

I believe this book is more focused on Blue, her psychic family (including Calla and Persephone) and Adam.

There’s the introduction to new characters such as the man behind Mr. Grayman and then we get to meet Malory this time. Just a little spoiler, I honestly don’t see the sense of Malory coming to Henrietta. I don’t reckon he did something particularly remarkable while he was there. Also there are deaths here that I don’t think is necessary. It’s just sad and distasteful.

The Story

They are now looking for some caves that might be where Glendower was buried. But the dilemma is there are three sleepers. One who they should wake up, one who they should never wake up and the last is the one in between.

What I liked less…

I used to love history. It was one of my favorite subjects way back in high school and I even topped the history quiz bees for two consecutive years but here I am getting super bored and overwhelmed by how confusing the back story of this book is. I mean I love the idea, the plot of this book and at this point (come on I’m already on the third book) I should have understand everything that is going on and yet I’m so clueless, so lost. I cannot say anything bad about the author’s writing cos I find it quirky and funny at times so I would say that what I didn’t like about the story is that when the characters started to act dumb just like in horror movies when the protagonist is in a house and the lights went off and he should run for his life and yet what he did is to continue entering the said house to locate the light switch and that’s when the serial killer appears. It’s like that dumbness in this book. The characters here know how dangerous scrying is and yet, and yet…

My Verdict

I am confused as ever but and I don’t dwell on my irritation cos I love the characters in this book. There is so much going on and yet I feel like nothing is actually happening. I’m wondering how this story is even progressing and yet here I am in book three.

MY RATING

★★★☆☆

Have You Seen Luis Velez? by Catherine Ryan Hyde // BOOK REVIEW

“Living long is a gift denied to many, and so it comes with a responsibility to make the most of it. At very least to appreciate it. People gripe about growing older—their aches and pains, how much harder everything is—as if they had forgotten that the alternative is dying young.”

“We just made the mistake of putting it off. We thought we would lose nothing by putting it off. We thought we had plenty of time. I guess that was our key mistake, right? We thought there would always be more time. Why do we do that? I mean, not just Luis and me. Everybody. Why does everybody do that? Think we'll have more time?”

Book: Have You Seen Luis Velez?

Author: Catherine Ryan Hyde

Genre: Fiction, Contemporary

Synopsis: Raymond Jaffe feels like he doesn't belong. Not with his mother's new family. Not as a weekend guest with his father and his father's wife. Not at school, where he's an outcast. After his best friend moves away, Raymond has only two real connections: to the feral cat he's tamed and to a blind ninety-two-year-old woman in his building who's introduced herself with a curious question: Have you seen Luis Velez?

Mildred Gutermann, a German Jew who narrowly escaped the Holocaust, has been alone since her caretaker disappeared. She turns to Raymond for help, and as he tries to track Luis down, a deep and unexpected friendship blossoms between the two.

Despondent at the loss of Luis, Mildred isolates herself further from a neighborhood devolving into bigotry and fear. Determined not to let her give up, Raymond helps her see that for every terrible act the world delivers, there is a mirror image of deep kindness, and Mildred helps Raymond see that there's hope if you have someone to hold on to.

What I think about it...

This book is both heartbreaking and heartwarming for me.

Heartbreaking because, even though I know its fiction, I know there really are children / kids who feel out of place inside their own home – that one place where they should feel they are loved and wanted. It is so saddening to see that the person who’s most suffering in the separation of a husband and a wife is their child. I felt so sad for Raymond for being in that situation. I was kinda happy, though, that at least his Dad cares for him but I also don’t think that he has some balls to stand up for his own son.

But it is so heartwarming for me because Raymond found his family in Mrs. G and in other Luis Velezes. It’s just so ironic that sometimes people who are not related to you are the ones who make you feel like you’re family. I’m tearing up just by recalling how wonderful this book is.

The Ending

Wow. I thought I was not really gonna enjoy what’s gonna happen in the end but you know, Catherine Ryan Hyde didn’t really promised anything in the end and that made it more realistic. It is so realistic that it may be happening to someone right now. It’s just so amazing and it’s really not the kind of ending I was hoping but it’s as good as it gets. There are so many things that’s gonna happen in the future and who knows what’s in there until we get there, right? We just have to be positive and hope for the best.

My Verdict

Amazing. Must-read. Most recommended.

There are so many great takeaways here that I kept highlighting here and there. Guys, if you’re looking for a book that will give you the feels… This. Is. It.

It taught me that we can’t really change the world, alone, especially for the people we care about for them to like it better or for them to not feel any more pain/hardships. But what we can do is to let them go through whatever it is they have to go through and just be there for them.

“The world is terrible and wonderful at the same time. One doesn’t negate the other, but the wonderful keeps us in the game. It keeps us moving forward.” 

MY RATING

★★★★★

The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz // BOOK REVIEW

“If someone is not treating you with love and respect, it is a gift if they walk away from you. If that person doesn't walk away, you will surely endure many years of suffering with him or her. Walking away may hurt for a while, but your heart will eventually heal. Then you can choose what you really want. You will find that you don't need to trust others as much as you need to trust yourself to make the right choices.”

Book: The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom

Author: Miguel Ruiz

Genre: Self Help, Non-fiction, Spirituality, Philosophy

Synopsis: In The Four Agreements, don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love. The Four Agreements are: Be Impeccable With Your Word, Don't Take Anything Personally, Don't Make Assumptions, Always Do Your Best.

What I think about it...

This book has given me great insights that I will definitely treasure. I finished reading it and I will read it again and again until it’s imprinted in my mind. There are so many takeaways from this book and I’ve read serious accusations against the author but personally, I can’t comment/respond to what Miguel Ruiz did or did not do. The teachings I’ve found in this book are so powerful and inspiring. This book talks about the four agreements that we need to adopt to transform our lives:

• Be impeccable with your word

• Don’t take anything personally

• Don’t make assumptions

• Always do your best

This is a must-read book for everyone. And if you’ve read this already, what agreement coincides with you the most?

MY RATING

★★★★★

Everfound by Neal Shusterman (Skinjacker #3) // BOOK REVIEW

“We can lie to ourselves, saying we believe one thing, and sometimes we convince other's it's true, with the hope that by convincing others, we can convince ourselves. Wars are often waged not because of what we believe, but because of the things we want others to believe.”

SPOILER ALERT!!!

Book: Everfound (Skinjacker #3)
Author: Neal Shusterman
Genre: Young Adult, Fiction

Synopsis: While Mary lies in a glass coffin aboard a ghost train heading west, her minions are awaiting her re-awakening by bringing lots of new souls into Everlost to serve her. Meanwhile Jackin’ Jill has met Jix, a fur-jacker—a skin jacker who can take over the bodies of animals, most notably jaguars. Jix serves a Mayan god who collects Everlost coins, and has his own agenda. In the concluding volume of The Skinjacker Trilogy, Neal Shusterman reveals new sides of the characters of Everlost, who are pitted against each other in a battle that may destroy all life on Earth.

What I thought about it...

This one is painful. I have to bid goodbye to my newfound friends.

Though I've only met them a few days ago, I felt like I know them all and ending this series, I kind of felt sad and happy. 

Sad because for that short amount of time I felt like they became a part of my family and being away from them made me feel incomplete.

But happy because finally, they're going to the light. They're going somewhere they need to go.

So I'll try not to be selfish and let them all go.

Anyways, back to the story. As I've said in my Everwild review, this is kind of depressing. It bothers me that kids are dying and I tried so hard to convince myself that this is just a fiction, not real and I don't have to fret. But it felt so real, I just can't help it.

Also, that ending. I know just because it's not the kind of ending that I want doesn't mean it's a bad book. I was actually kind of torn with the ending. It's still beautiful though. I was kinda teary-eyed when Mikey bid Allie goodbye and I was even more emotional when Allie said her goodbye to Nick. I don't ship them anymore, but I admire the kind of bond they have. As Allie said, Nick is like her ghostly twin and Mikey is her soul mate. It warms my heart that Nick will always be in her heart. And with that I'd like to share that ending between them...

     "I remember the first time I saw you," Allie said.

     "I thought you smelled me first."

    "Right," said Allie. "The chocolate. But then I saw you as I sat up in the dead forest, thinking I knew you. At the time, I thought I must have seen you through the windshield when our cars crashed... But that wasn't it. I think, way back then, I was seeing you as you are now. Isn't that funny?"

     "Not as funny as the way I always complained, and the way you always bossed me around!"

They embraced and held each other for a long time.

    "Don't forget me," Nick said. "No matter where your life goes, no matter how old you get. And if you ever get the feeling that someone is looking over your shoulder, but there's nobody there, maybe it'll be me."

    "I'll write to you," said Allie, and Nick laughed. "No really. I'll write the letter then burn it, and if I care just enough, it will cross into Everlost."

I'm also sad that Nick was left there, not totally alone, but all his friends either sunk in the bottom of the earth, gone into the light in the tunnel or gone back to the living world. He was left there and it is very uncomforting to think why can't he cross that tunnel? Although I know he still have his mission, but still...

Again I felt bad that I was kinda sad that Allie chose to come back to the living world and not be with Mikey. But maybe they'll see each other again at the end of the tunnel. So I was kind of hoping that Neal Shusterman will write at least something about the Afterlights' life beyond that tunnel? In the light?

My Verdict

I like this series. Amazing. Creative. Very, very good.

I was just so happy I finished a trilogy in less than a week!

MY RATING

★★★★☆

Everwild by Neal Shusterman (Skinjacker #2) // BOOK REVIEW

“...And perhaps you can sense, in some small twisting loop of your gut, the convergence of the wrong, of the right, and of the woefully misguided. If you do, then pay sharp attention to the moment you wake, and the moment you fall asleep...For maybe then you will know, without a shadow of a doubt, which is which.”

SPOILER ALERT!!!

Book: Everwild (Skinjacker #2)

Author: Neal Shusterman

Genre: Young Adult, Fiction

Synopsis: Everlost, the limbo land of dead children, is at war. Nick the “Chocolate Ogre” wants to help the children of Everlost reach the light at the end of the tunnel. Mary Hightower, self-proclaimed queen of lost children and dangerous fanatic, is determined to keep Everlost’s children trapped within its limbo for all eternity. Traveling in the memory of the Hindenburg, Mary is spreading her propaganda and attracting Afterlights to her cause at a frightening speed.

Meanwhile, Allie the Outcast travels home to seek out her parents, along with Mikey, who was once the terrifying monster the McGill. Allie is tempted by the seductive thrill of skinjacking the living, until she discovers the shocking truth about skinjackers.

What I thought about it...

Whenever I read fantasy books, the gears in my head started turning looking for plot holes...

And I become suspicious...

But this book or series is different. Maybe it has plot holes. I don't know or I'm not sure because I don't mind.

Because...

The Characters

Many characters were introduced here like Jackin' Jill, Milos, Moose and Squirrel to name a few. I dreaded that I have to keep up with a lot of names every time I read something in the fantasy genre but I find it not a problem in reading this book.

Also, I like the character progression of each leads but can I just add that it sadden me to see Lief go. And now I felt bad for seeing someone go somewhere they need to be just because it doesn't make me happy. Goodbyes are difficult when you get attached to people... be it in real life or in fiction.

Back to the character progression...

Nick became the Chocolate Ogre and it's saddening. Like he really became a mud of chocolate in the end. 

Can I also add that I shipped him with Allie in book one til the second half of this book. But then Mikey McGill appeared and he now became my most favorite character (with Nick closely behind). I was so brokenhearted, though, with what he saw between Allie and Milos. And with that I hated Allie. I thought she is so insensitive and that she deserved it when Mikey left her.

My Verdict

I read Everwild as soon as I finished Everlost because I was afraid that boredom will get the best of me. I enjoyed Everlost but I felt like it was just okay even if I don't finish the series. But good Lord, I picked up Everwild and I can't put it down. I didn't regret one bit.

But this series is kinda depressing. It was like survival of the fittest. The living world is in danger with Afterlights - beings that they cannot see. And it scared me because, really, what if there really is another world out there?

Anyways, I recommend this book. Oh my gosh, it's good.

MY RATING

★★★★☆

Everlost by Neal Shusterman (Skinjacker #1) // BOOK REVIEW

“But we can't choose what we forget. The more we try to forget something, the more we end up remembering it.”

Book: Everlost (Skinjacker #1)

Author: Neal Shusterman

Genre: Young Adult, Fiction

Synopsis: Nick and Allie don't survive the car accident...

...but their souls don't exactly get where they're supposed to get either. Instead, they're caught halfway between life and death, in a sort of limbo known as Everlost: a shadow of the living world, filled with all the things and places that no longer exist. It's a magical, yet dangerous place where bands of lost children run wild and anyone who stands in the same place too long sinks to the center of the Earth.

When they find Mary, the self-proclaimed queen of lost kids, Nick feels like he he's found a home, but Allie isn't satisfied spending eternity between worlds. Against all warnings, Allie begins learning the "Criminal Art" of haunting, and ventures into dangerous territory, where a monster called the McGill threatens all the souls of Everlost.

What I thought about it…

The Writing

I thought the plot is so clever and creative. Wow, just wow. It is so beautifully written though it was kinda depressing. I’d like to commend Neal Shusterman for he was not afraid to make a plot this sinister and I thought he executed it perfectly. There are books with promising plot but failed in the execution but Everlost is not that kind of book. It is kind of refreshing and very different because it is not your typical demon, werewolves, vampire, witches fantasy novel. It opens my eyes to another world. This is the second young adult / fantasy that captured my imagination (next to Uglies Series).

The Characters

I love them all. I was a little indifferent with Allie, at first, but I started to like her eventually. I didn’t like Nick’s character too, in the beginning ‘cos I thought he was kinda petty but it turned out he was my most favourite character in this book. And with Lief, I felt like I found another little brother in his character. I like that Allie cares about them. Actually, I like how thoughtful the main leads are towards each other. They are mature and responsible for their age and I admire it.

What I liked less…

Mary. The moment she appeared in the book, I already knew there was something odd about her. I like, though, how motherly she is to the other kids and even taking them under her wings. But I don’t like her for reasons I can’t explain. Later on I realized why... my intuition never fail me.

Also, I don’t like what happened to Nick, though it didn’t affect how I rated this book, I don’t see how it is necessary for his character but the next two books was so amazing it makes up for everything.

My Verdict

Finishing this book one made me feeling...

It is a gem.

Trying yet another young adult / fantasy is kinda dreadful for me since the Clockwork Angel failed me in so many ways. But upon seeing that this is in my To Read shelf for three months now, I thought I’d give it a try. And I was not disappointed.

MY RATING

★★★☆☆

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness // BOOK REVIEW

"You be as angry as you need to be," she said. "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Not your grandma, not your dad, no one. And if you need to break things, then by God, you break them good and hard."

Book: A Monster Calls

Author: Patrick Ness

Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Young Adult

Synopsis: Conor has the same dream every night, ever since his mother first fell ill, ever since she started the treatments that don't quite seem to be working. But tonight is different. Tonight, when he wakes, there's a visitor at his window. It's ancient, elemental, a force of nature. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor. It wants the truth.

Patrick Ness takes the final idea of the late, award-winning writer Siobhan Dowd and weaves an extraordinary and heartbreaking tale of mischief, healing and above all, the courage it takes to survive.

               

What I thought about it...

The Storyline / Writing

It is a quick read but you know, it pierced through the heart. I’ve read short books before but it never captured my heart and attention like this one did. It amazes me how Patrick Ness made it just 237 pages and yet it is both magical and emotional. There was never a chapter that I don’t like and this is one of those books that I didn’t lose my focus and emotions on. There is something about books about kids (whatever genre it may be, but especially Fantasy genre) that captures my heart and soul like this one and like Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane did. I ugly cried after reading both these books.

The Characters

Conor felt like a little brother to me. I was so sad and broken hearted for him. I don’t know what he’s feeling or how much he’s hurting but all I know is that it hurts so much. Losing your parent at that young age, I can’t imagine.

And there’s that yew tree that made me cry when I watched the trailer of the movie adaptation of this book.

My Verdict

I loved it. I can’t say anything much about books that I love aside from the fact that I love them. There are books that stay with me for a few days or months but this one will definitely stay tucked in the corner of my heart, forever.

MY RATING

★★★★★

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus // BOOK REVIEW

"When you come into the world with another person, they’re as much a part of you as your heartbeat."

SPOILER ALERT!!!

Book: Two Can Keep a Secret

Author: Karen M. McManus

Genre: Mystery, Young Adult, Contemporary

Synopsis: Echo Ridge is small-town America. Ellery's never been there, but she's heard all about it. Her aunt went missing there at age seventeen. And only five years ago, a homecoming queen put the town on the map when she was killed. Now Ellery has to move there to live with a grandmother she barely knows.

The town is picture-perfect, but it's hiding secrets. And before school even begins for Ellery, someone's declared open season on homecoming, promising to make it as dangerous as it was five years ago. Then, almost as if to prove it, another girl goes missing.

Ellery knows all about secrets. Her mother has them; her grandmother does too. And the longer she's in Echo Ridge, the clearer it becomes that everyone there is hiding something. The thing is, secrets are dangerous--and most people aren't good at keeping them. Which is why in Echo Ridge, it's safest to keep your secrets to yourself.

What I thought about it...

The Storyline / Writing

Well-written, I would say.

The story alternates between Ellery and Malcolm’s POV. It was a mediocre story for me – not so bad and not so, so good, too. I would not say though, that it intrigues me or that I’m excited with what’s gonna happen in the next chapters. The ending I did not expect because I didn’t expect anything much at all. But what kinda puts me on edge is that this small town has a lot of stuffs to deal with, huh. And that’s what confused me, actually. But it’s good that all the confusion died down in the end cos everything was well-explained there.

The Characters

I like all of them especially Nana – Ellery’s grandma. I think Sadie (Ellery’s Mom) is kinda cool, too. Ezra, the twin brother, is fine by me and I would like to have a friend like him. I can’t comment on other background characters though cos they don’t have enough exposure but I hate Katrin (Malcolm’s stepsister) and Viv (the school’s journalist) that I think they deserve far worse ending than that ending. I wanna see them catch up with their karmas, I guess.

I love Malcolm though. I was so drawn to his character because I think he is so reserved and well-mannered and I like that in a guy. Ellery, on the other hand, I felt indifferent with her. I don’t like that she’s making assumptions and putting her nose on things that are not her business. I actually thought that if, in the end, she’s gonna be right about all her crazy theories, I will throw this book to the ground and say goodbye cos the police can’t solve this crime and she can? What? But well, she’s not right… so here I am.

Also, is it weird that I kinda like to know more about the town’s drunkard Vance Puckett?

MY VERDICT

I find this book really problematic because of a lot of crimes involved – Sarah’s disappearance from more than two decades ago, the hit and run, the vandals all over town, the death of the Homecoming Queen five years ago, the disappearance and the eventual death of another girl who’s one of the Homecoming court and the twin’s father. But overall, a fairly pleasant read and again, I got all the answers to my questions in the end. So, great.

MY RATING

★★★☆☆ 

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong // BOOK REVIEW

“Because the sunset, like survival, exists only on the verge of its own disappearing. To be gorgeous, you must first be seen, but to be seen allows you to be hunted.”

Book: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous

Author: Ocean Vuong

Genre: Fiction, Poetry, Contemporary, LGBT

Synopsis: On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read. Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family's history that began before he was born — a history whose epicenter is rooted in Vietnam — and serves as a doorway into parts of his life his mother has never known, all of it leading to an unforgettable revelation. At once a witness to the fraught yet undeniable love between a single mother and her son, it is also a brutally honest exploration of race, class, and masculinity. Asking questions central to our American moment, immersed as we are in addiction, violence, and trauma, but undergirded by compassion and tenderness, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is as much about the power of telling one's own story as it is about the obliterating silence of not being heard.

With stunning urgency and grace, Ocean Vuong writes of people caught between disparate worlds, and asks how we heal and rescue one another without forsaking who we are. The question of how to survive, and how to make of it a kind of joy, powers the most important debut novel of many years.

What I thought about it...

The Writing

This is a fiction. Yes. I thought, at first, this is a true story of Ocean Vuong and finishing it made it more difficult for me to believe that this is actually a fiction because it felt so real.

This book is beautifully written that I really think I’m not prepared to read books that discussed what’s happening in our world today. I found the answer to my question why I didn’t enjoy All the Bad Apples and books like that – because I’m not prepared to be confronted by the harsh reality. You see, I’m reading books to escape reality but this book made me realize that I should face it and become involve in what’s happening around me.

There are so many, many dialogues here that I’ve highlighted. Reading this book has awakened a lot of emotions I didn’t know I have. As I’ve said it discusses a lot of issues the world is facing today but to name a few that struck me to the core are issues about sexuality, race, language, how other people still think that female is the weaker sex and of course that the life we’re living is not really ours, that we or someone we love will be gone in just a snap. What saddens me more is that people still look at other people’s skin color. And it is so shallow. People are people no matter what the color.

Also if you’ve read my previous book reviews that LGBT genre is not my cup of tea, this one is different. I actually like it. The sex scenes felt so real and tender that I don’t mind reading it at all. I’ve learned so many, many lessons from this book that I felt insane. I have so many feels for this one.

The Characters

This book is divided into three parts with Part I mainly focused on his mother, Rose; Part II on Trevor, his friend from tobacco farm/lover and; Part III that narrates more about his grandmother, Lan. The boy’s name here is Little Dog and the book is actually a letter of him to his illiterate mother. Why Little Dog, I don’t know why or if it has some metaphor meaning I didn’t know.

Personally, I think that the characters are all so miserable and that what they’ve been through is so, so painful. I’m sad for them. I’m hurting for them.

MY VERDICT

This is so great, so heart-warming, so empowering and is an eye-opener for me. I am recommending it to everyone. EVERYONE. It made me realize that in this world there's suffering and so much pain but there's also joy. You know what they say, there's always rainbow after the rain.

And because I feel like I have to reiterate what Ocean wrote in the end, again, we are not born from war. We were born from beauty.

MY RATING

★★★☆☆

Until Friday Night (The Field Party #1) by Abbi Glines // BOOK REVIEW

"Pain came to all of us at some time or another. It was how we learned to cope with it that determined our future. In this moment I chose to speak."

Book: Until Friday Night (The Field Party #1)

Author: Abbi Glines

Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance

Synopsis: To everyone who knows him, West Ashby has always been that guy: the cocky, popular, way-too-handsome-for-his-own-good football god who led Lawton High to the state championships. But while West may be Big Man on Campus on the outside, on the inside he’s battling the grief that comes with watching his father slowly die of cancer.

Two years ago, Maggie Carleton’s life fell apart when her father murdered her mother. And after she told the police what happened, she stopped speaking and hasn’t spoken since. Even the move to Lawton, Alabama, couldn’t draw Maggie back out. So she stayed quiet, keeping her sorrow and her fractured heart hidden away.

As West’s pain becomes too much to handle, he knows he needs to talk to someone about his father—so in the dark shadows of a post-game party, he opens up to the one girl who he knows won’t tell anyone else.

West expected that talking about his dad would bring some relief, or at least a flood of emotions he couldn’t control. But he never expected the quiet new girl to reply, to reveal a pain even deeper than his own—or for them to form a connection so strong that he couldn’t ever let her go…

What I thought about it...

I was kinda dreadful about starting a new series, I’m actually not a fan of it (aside from The Selection), but after reading the synopsis, I thought, ‘Okay, I must give it a try,’ because that synopsis was something.

Until Friday Night is book one of The Field Party Series by Abbi Glines.

The Characters

Again, the synopsis tugged my heart but... but the characters killed it for me.

I liked West Ashby in the beginning. I have a thing for tough guys who have a soft spot for their parents/families. But towards the end he became a madman ready to kill anyone, literally anyone, who would try to make a conversation with Maggie. He’s even jealous of Brady, his best friend and Maggie’s cousin, when Maggie smiled at him. Wow, not even a family can talk to her now??? He became possessive and toxic and Maggie saw that but how did the author resolved it? By West finally saying he loves her? And then ta-dah! They’re back together. No, love is not an excuse to own/be possessive with somebody because if you really love someone you’ll let them grow. I also don’t like that he seemed so hung up with Maggie's looks but then sl*t-shamed other girls the next minute.

Maggie, on the other hand, was kinda okay. But I was annoyed with her. People are trying to protect her because of what happened to her but she doesn’t like that. She doesn’t want Brady telling her what to do and even said she understands others more than Brady does, but how? She gave up her all (and I mean all) to someone she barely knew and Brady was just protecting her because he knows that his friends have tendecies to be a**holes. I also don’t like the fact that he only talks to West. Like, there are people who obviously love her and want what’s best for her but she doesn’t talk to them but when a problematic hot guy comes along, she talks to him. WOW.  It also became very, very cringey when they became a couple. Err.

Now, this book really lost me in the part where these two seemed to invalidate other people’s sufferings because other people, they said, don’t know what they have been through – losing a parent. I understand that, okay, it’s hella difficult (I might die next if this happened to me) but that doesn’t mean other people don’t understand what they’re going through especially their friends. Pain is pain, there’s no use saying one feels more pain than the others because the point is, we’re all suffering.

MY VERDICT

I was disappointed. But I like Brady and Nash and I’m really hoping that their characters are not as shallow as West’s because that would really be frustrating. That being said, I will continue reading this series and will skip the parts of Maggie and West in the other books whenever their characters appear.

MY RATING

★☆☆☆☆

Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple // BOOK REVIEW

"Maybe that's what religion is, hurling yourself off a cliff and trusting that something bigger will take care of you and carry you to the right place."

Book: Where’d You Go, Bernadette?

Author: Maria Semple

Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Adult, Humor

Synopsis: Bernadette Fox has vanished.

When her daughter Bee claims a family trip to Antarctica as a reward for perfect grades, Bernadette, a fiercely intelligent shut-in, throws herself into preparations for the trip. But worn down by years of trying to live the Seattle life she never wanted, Ms. Fox is on the brink of a meltdown. And after a school fundraiser goes disastrously awry at her hands, she disappears, leaving her family to pick up the pieces--which is exactly what Bee does, weaving together an elaborate web of emails, invoices, and school memos that reveals a secret past Bernadette has been hiding for decades. Where'd You Go Bernadette is an ingenious and unabashedly entertaining novel about a family coming to terms with who they are and the power of a daughter's love for her mother.

What I thought about it...

I expected it to be more than this. I was hoping I'm not wrong in picking up this book after a series of frustration with the last two books I've read... but saying that I was disappointed with this is an understatement.

The Writing

The first few pages I was confused and I don't know what I was reading that I have to watch the movie trailer for this. After a few pages again, I needed to re-read the synopsis because I realized I have no idea what's it about. But I gave it the benefit of the doubt ‘cause you don't always fall in love with the book in the first 20 pages, right? So I gave it a try and finish it.

The Characters

I feel indifferent towards all of them. They’ve made so many stupid things that made it so difficult for me to like them. They are all so detestable.

Also, I’d like to point out some things:

1. I thought Bernadette is, was, is a genius? So how come she just gave out their personal information to someone online like a candy without even thinking about their security? Too trusting, Bernadette. Too trusting.

2. When I finished Part II, I was dizzy like, did I just read a whole chapter that contains Bernadette’s never-ending rant? (I’m referring to her letter to Paul). Also, her missing letter to Bee contains unnecessary details that I just kept skimming! She said she’s not running away from her problems, but I say, what did you do? Where did you went? What the heck?

3. I’d also like to quote this from Part II:

Elgie once gave me a locket of Saint Bernadette, who had eighteen visions. He said Beeber Bifocal and Twenty Mile were my first two visions. I dropped to my knees at Bee’s incubator and grabbed my locket. “I will never build again,” I said to God. “I will renounce my other sixteen visions if you’ll keep my baby alive.” It worked.

There, she said it, she’ll never build again. But does that include not fixing their house even if it, as Elgie (her husband) puts it, was literally returning to the earth? Their daughter may have survived whatever illness she had as a baby but living in that uninhabitable house may kill her.

4. Bernadette talks waaaaay too much. I kinda understand Elgie for going earlier to work and for staying there late. She’s overbearing. But of course, that’s not an excuse for Elgie to cheat.

5. Though I know that Manjula is a fraudster, I was confused in the beginning, is she a virtual assistant or a shrink? Bernadette sure thinks Manjula is a walking diary.

My Verdict

I am angry. How can this be listed as a humor? I can’t find any humor in it. It is actually sad, for me. And I’d like to end this review (or rant, rather) by saying that I was kinda hoping that Bernadette really fell off that ship or that she, I hoped, was not found. Stay where you are, Bernadette.

  

MY RATING

★★☆☆☆ 

Say You Still Love Me by K.A. Tucker // BOOK REVIEW

"I'm an addict and Kyle is my drug of choice."

SPOILER ALERT!!!

Book: Say You Still Love Me

Author: K.A. Tucker

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, New Adult

Synopsis: Life is a mixed bag for Piper Calloway.

On the one hand, she’s a twenty-nine-year-old VP at her dad’s multibillion-dollar real estate development firm, and living the high single life with her two best friends in a swanky downtown penthouse. On the other hand, she’s considered a pair of sexy legs in a male-dominated world and constantly has to prove her worth. Plus, she’s stuck seeing her narcissistic ex-fiancé—a fellow VP—on the other side of her glass office wall every day.

Things get exponentially more complicated for Piper when she runs into Kyle Miller—the handsome new security guard at Calloway Group Industries, and coincidentally the first love of her life.

The guy she hasn’t seen or heard from since they were summer camp counsellors together. The guy from the wrong side of the tracks. The guy who apparently doesn’t even remember her name.

Piper may be a high-powered businesswoman now, but she soon realizes that her schoolgirl crush is not only alive but stronger than ever, and crippling her concentration. What’s more, despite Kyle’s distant attitude, she’s convinced their reunion isn’t at all coincidental, and that his feelings for her still run deep. And she’s determined to make him admit to them, no matter the consequences.

What I thought about it...

The Writing

Finally, a breath of fresh air. If my memory serves me right, this is the first romance book I’ve read where the girl is the billionaire and the guy is on the wrong side of the tracks. It is so empowering to read a book where the female lead is strong and independent and has the say in a lot of things and not like some hot, billionaire, bachelor guy stereotype.

It is written in Piper Calloway’s point of view and the chapter alternates between the Then, where she narrates her time in Wawa Camp when she was 16 years old, and the Now, where she’s currently 29 years old and a VP of Calloway Group – a real estate company headed by her father.

The exchange of lines are, wow. I felt the whole d*mn zoo inside my stomach during their Wawa Camp days and I felt like a teenage girl falling in-love for the first time again... it’s amazing. It reminded me of my every firsts – first kiss, first hug, first love and first heartbreak.

The Characters

I like the Now Piper more than the Then Piper. I actually felt indifferent towards the sixteen-year-old Piper and the seventeen-year-old Kyle. Though I love the Young Adult genre, I always find making-out of teens at that age cringey. But in general, I find it cute anyways. Their exchange of lines made me giggly as early as chapter four. But there are things she did (at the camp, e.g. PDA with a guy she barely knew) that made me detest her and she kinda lost me midway.

With Kyle, I like him, very much actually. He’s so mysterious and strong and vulnerable all at the same time. What a set of balls!

I also like the background characters like David just being a douchebag and self-centered and Eric's goofiness. I ship David with Reneé and Eric with Ashley. I was left heartbroken at the end, though, knowing what happened to Eric. I really want him to end up with Ashley cos they looked cute together. I want all of them to be happy!

My Verdict

I love second chances but I’m not a fan of childhood love story so I’m kinda doubtful about reading this... but dang! I enjoyed it at first before it slowly bores me. Reading it gave me tons of feelings. However, I felt like the author was just dragging the story. It lost me at the end and bore me cos the story progressed so slow from the moment Kyle told her why he went away thirteen years ago. On that note, I am more curious as to what’s gonna happen on her career than contemplate if she’s gonna turn her back on her Dad or pursue her relationship with Kyle. I’m contemplating as well if I’m just gonna put this book behind me and move to a new one or just get it over with.

It is awesome, but not awesome enough for me to finish it in one sitting.

P.S. Can I just share what the seventeen-year-old Kyle Miller looked like to me? Well, here.

He’s not every bit of Kyle as described in the book but I’ve watched him recently so his beautiful smile lingers. And it doesn’t help that he’s a security guard in his next lakorn series. Talk about timing.

MY RATING

★★★☆☆