Welcome back to Reading, Reading, Reading!

It is currently November 4, 2019, when I am writing this, and it is crazy to believe that when you are reading this we are already a few weeks into 2020! Pure insanity! Last year, I managed to read all of Karen M. McManus’s books, and throughly enjoyed her first two publications, so it’s no surprise that I enjoyed this one as well!

Synopsis (Goodreads.com):

Come on, Bayview, you know you’ve missed this.
A ton of copycat gossip apps have popped up since Simon died, but in the year since the Bayview four were cleared of his shocking death, no one’s been able to fill the gossip void quite like he could. The problem is no one has the facts.
Until now.
This time it’s not an app, though—it’s a game.
Truth or Dare.
Phoebe’s the first target. If you choose not to play, it’s a truth. And hers is dark.
Then comes Maeve and she should know better—always choose the dare.
But by the time Knox is about to be tagged, things have gotten dangerous. The dares have become deadly, and if Maeve learned anything from Bronwyn last year, it’s that they can’t count on the police for help. Or protection.
Simon’s gone, but someone’s determined to keep his legacy at Bayview High alive. And this time, there’s a whole new set of rules.

While this book is being marketed as a sequel for McManus’ first book “One of Us Is Lying”, I would argue that this is more of a campion novel. If you read a spoiler review of OOUIL, you could easily read this book without confusion. One of my biggest reasons for not reading many sequels is simply because I do not remember all of the characters and their relationships that take place during the first book, so I was very happy to find that this book focuses on the secondary characters in OOUIL with just a touch of the main characters spread throughout it.

I really loved all of the characters in this novel. I was truly invested in each of their stories, and I enjoyed reading from all of their perspectives. Sometimes when I read a three-person POV, I am only interested in one or two of the characters points-of-view, but in this book, I genuinely enjoyed reading from all three! I liked how they were all somehow connected to the “Bayview Core Four”, but they were all very different characters at the same time.

While Karen M. McManus’s writing is some of my all-time favourite YA writing, I will admit that at times the story seemed to drag on. I am somebody who wants to see all scenes of a novel connect and contribute to the flow and conclusion of the story, and I do not think all of the scenes were very relevant in this book.

That being said, the final plot twist in this novel was SHOCKING. It will probably be one of the most hyped and talked about ending twists of 2020… and for good reason! This is one plot twist that I would have never predicted, which is really surprising since this book falls in the YA category.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and rated it 4/5 stars. Thanks to Penguin Teen Canada for the ARC! Be sure to pick up a copy of this book as soon as possible, as it officially releases in stores today!

Good Night Book Owls!

Welcome back to Reading, Reading, Reading!

When I first heard that Cynthia Hand was publishing a new book, I immediatley knew I wanted to get my hands on it. Cynthia’s 2017 release THE AFTERLIFE OF HOLLY CHASE was my second favourite books of 2018! Even though her new 2019 release, THE HOW AND THE WHY, is a very different book, I was still so excited to get my hands on it! Fortunately, I got my hands on an ARC of it at the HCC Frenzy Presents event I attended in August!

Synopsis (Goodreads.com):

A poignant exploration of family and the ties that bind, perfect for fans of Far From the Tree, from New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand.
Today Melly had us writing letters to our babies…
Cassandra McMurtrey has the best parents a girl could ask for. They’ve given Cass a life she wouldn’t trade for the world. She has everything she needs—except maybe the one thing she wants. Like, to know who she is. Where she came from. Questions her adoptive parents can’t answer, no matter how much they love her.
But eighteen years ago, someone wrote Cass a series of letters. And they may just hold the answers Cass has been searching for.
Alternating between Cass’s search for answers and letters from the pregnant teen who gave her up for adoption, this voice-driven narrative is the perfect read for fans of Nina LaCour and Jandy Nelson.

WOW. This book was breathtaking.

The characters in this novel were so well developed and crafted. I felt that I knew each character so well, and they all seemed very real to me. Cass’s closeness to her parents and overall value/importance of family was one of my favourite parts of the story. You could tell that she cared so much for them and loved them with all her heart.

The writing in this book was so effortless but meaningful. This book had some of the most beautiful ending chapter quotes I have ever read, and I truly loved some of the messages that were written in them. One of my favourite aspects of this novel was the flash backs that were written as letters from Cassandra’s biological mother. They gave us an insight to her biological mother’s life, while also sharing her hopes and aspirations for her future daughter, even though she was giving her up for adoption. These letters were so touching and beautiful, and often resulted in multiple tears being shed!

The overall story was so fantastic! It flowed at a perfect pace, and did not include any scenes that weren’t important to the story.

Overall, I loved this book and gave it 5/5 stars! Thanks again to HCC Frenzy for the ARC!

Good Night Book Owls!

Welcome back to Reading, Reading, Reading!

Last month I had the pleasure of reading FULL DISCLOSURE by Camryn Garrett (courtesy of an ARC provided by Penguin Teen Canada). This book blew away my initial expectations, and I am so excited to share my full review with you!

Synopsis (Goodreads.com):

In a community that isn’t always understanding, an HIV-positive teen must navigate fear, disclosure, and radical self-acceptance when she falls in love–and lust–for the first time. Powerful and uplifting, Full Disclosure will speak to fans of Angie Thomas and Nicola Yoon.
Simone Garcia-Hampton is starting over at a new school, and this time things will be different. She’s making real friends, making a name for herself as student director of Rent, and making a play for Miles, the guy who makes her melt every time he walks into a room. The last thing she wants is for word to get out that she’s HIV-positive, because last time . . . well, last time things got ugly.
Keeping her viral load under control is easy, but keeping her diagnosis under wraps is not so simple. As Simone and Miles start going out for real–shy kisses escalating into much more–she feels an uneasiness that goes beyond butterflies. She knows she has to tell him that she’s positive, especially if sex is a possibility, but she’s terrified of how he’ll react! And then she finds an anonymous note in her locker: I know you have HIV. You have until Thanksgiving to stop hanging out with Miles. Or everyone else will know too.
Simone’s first instinct is to protect her secret at all costs, but as she gains a deeper understanding of the prejudice and fear in her community, she begins to wonder if the only way to rise above is to face the haters head-on…

As I shared above, this book obliterated my expectations. Everything about it was done perfectly and with purpose.

The characters in this book felt so real. While I didn’t personally connect with the main character, Simone, it was so interesting to read from a perspective of a girl that is HIV positive. The side characters were all so supportive of the main character, which was obviously so great to read about. I LOVED Miles (Simone’s love interest), as he treated her like any other girlfriend that he would have, regardless of her HIV. Simone has two fathers raising her, which was a fantastic addition to an already diverse novel.

Like I said in the previous paragraph, this book had a wide variety of representation. From Simone having two fathers, to a POC HIV-positive main character, there are a lot of things that YA readers will read in this novel that they may not have read before.

The overall plot was great. The story was very interesting and beautiful written. While I thought that some scenes in the story dragged on a little bit, I understand why they were written in. The overall flow of the book was great, too!

Possibly my favourite part of the book was the writing style. It went so perfectly with the overall importance of this story.

Overall, I absolutely loved FULL DISCLOSURE and rated it 5/5 stars! Thanks to Penguin Teen Canada for sending me the ARC! I highly encourage you all to pick up this book, especially since it comes out today!

Good Night Book Owls!