Review: Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher

NEVER NEVER Author: Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher Publication Date: 01/07/2015 Audience: YA, NA Genre: Romance, Mystery

Goodreads Archive Review: Dont Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

DON'T LOOK BACK

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publication Date: 04/15/2014

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Romance

Goodreads Archive Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

WE WERE LIARS

Author: E. Lockhart

Publication Date: 05/13/2014

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Contemporary, Mystery

 

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

 

Picture and Summary From Goodreads

 

 REVIEW 

 

This book was one heck of a ride.  There isn't a lot I can say about it without giving away spoilers so I'm going to stick to the basics.

 

The logistics:

The writing was crazy good, almost lyrical.  I actually had a little bit of a hard time getting into the rhythm of it but I'm glad I didn't let that deter me because before long I found myself captivated. 

 

We Were Liars is told from the POV of 18yo Cadence who has grown up in the lap of luxury where things aren't as shiny and happy as they appear.  For most of the story Cadence is trying to piece together what happened the summer she turned 15.  All she knows is that it was bad enough to cause her to suffer from amnesia.  There were a few times that I thought I was on to something only to turn the page and be left completely stumped again. I had no problems staying focused on the story but at the same time I couldn't wait to get to the end, just so I would know what happened.

 

It was a small book compared to some of the monsters on my shelf but I found that it took a little bit longer for me to get through.  I chalk this up to the fact that I found myself stopping and thinking about the story as I was reading it.  Not that I don't think about stories as I read them normally but there were parts of this book that required me to put more thought into it.

 

 

Bottom Line:

You really need to go into this book knowing nothing about it.  Give it a chance when you first start it, don't be scared off by the different (beautiful) writing.  And just enjoy it.

 

 



Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN #1

Author: Ransom Riggs

Publication Date: 06/07/2011

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Paranormal, Mystery

 

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

 

Picture and Summary from Goodreads

 

 

REVIEW

 

All you need to know about this book is that there was no main focus on romance and yet I was captivated by the story every time I sat down to read....which is saying a LOT. 

 

The story itself is absolutely brilliant and mystifying.  The pictures just made it that much more real, so much so that it is my opinion that you should own a physical copy rather than an ebook of it.

 

Really, that is all you need to know...it's one of those things that unless you have read it you wont truly know if you like it or not.  You just have to take a risk on it.  In my experience I was not disappointed.

 

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

HOPELESS

HOPELESS #1

Author: Colleen Hoover

Publication Date: 12/19/2012

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Mystery

 

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

 

Picture and Summary from Goodreads

 



 

REVIEW

 

*sigh* Now that was an amazingly great read.  Full of laugh out loud moments paired with swoon worthy romance and a serious issue at heart, Hopeless has easily made my favorites list. 

 

Right off the bat I instantly connected with Skye.  The interactions between her and her two best friends really brought out the fun in the book. The interactions between Skye and Holder gave me hot flashes. 

The romance was heart stopping, the friendship heartwarming, and the mystery surrounding Sky's past suspense worthy.

 

Hopeless was a delicious read that kept me enthralled, there was no putting the book down.  If everything she writes is this good, I have a feeling I will be going on a Colleen Hoover book spree.

 

 



"Let me inform you of something," he says in a low voice. "The moment my lips touch yours, it will be your first kiss. Because if you've never felt anything when someone's kissed you, then no one's ever really kissed you. Not the way I plan on kissing you."

p. 126, Paperback edition

Unravel by Calia Read

UNRAVEL Author: Calia Read Publication Date: 02/15/2014 Audience: New Adult Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Mystery  

 

Six months ago, I was happy. I was simply Naomi Carradine.

One month ago, I was admitted into a psych ward.

Yesterday, Lachlan visited me. Kissed me. And told me that I’m starting to lose my mind.

Hours later, Max haunted my thoughts, reminding me I’m not crazy and that he needs my help.

A few minutes ago, I drifted further from reality, trying to unravel the past.

And now...everyone thinks I’m insane. But, I know he's real, and I know he needs me.

Do you believe me?

  Picture and Summary from Goodreads     REVIEW

 

Oh my gosh I am having a time contemplating reality after reading Unravel. I mean I literally felt the MC's world unravelling around her. The story is told from the POV of Naomi, who starts the story in a Psychiatric Hospital. The entire book is spent glimpsing into her past while she tries to explain to her doctor why she's in the facility. To be truthful I had no idea until the last few chapters where the story was going. Now I feel like I need to reread it because I feel that there were clues...more Oh my gosh I am having a time contemplating reality after reading Unravel. I mean I literally felt the MC's world unravelling around her. The story is told from the POV of Naomi, who starts the story in a Psychiatric Hospital. The entire book is spent glimpsing into her past while she tries to explain to her doctor why she's in the facility. To be truthful I had no idea until the last few chapters where the story was going. Now I feel like I need to reread it because I feel that there were clues dropped along the way that I missed. The book itself is well written and fast paced. The story was a new experience for me, to put myself in the head of someone struggling with a psychiatric experience was mind warping, that plus the main issue at the heart of the story made the book an intense read.   ~ Goodreads ~