Review: Reasons to be Happy by Katrina Kittle

This book came as a total surprise to me. Based on the title, I did not at all expect the emotional rollercoaster this book would send me on. It’s a very emotional book touching on a lot of touchy subjects, namely bulimia and self esteem issues. It was so wonderfully written that I can honestly put myself in the main characters place and feel what she is feeling.

The book is about a young girl named Hannah, who from the outside would seem to have the perfect life, however she is dealing with her sick mother, alcoholic father and self esteem issues, all of which spiral out of control. This book really hits home with the very dark subject matter but remains a hopeful, optimistic read. The ending is exactly what you’d want it to be, and its so satisfying.

8/10

Review: Tangled by Carolyn Mackler

Oh my goodness, I loved this book so much. I honestly did not want it to end. I wanted to know more and more about what happened with the characters. Especially Jena and Owen. This book was a very quick and light read but it was so so sweet. Nothing too heavy, but interesting nonetheless. I couldn’t put it down!

Basically, the book is spit into 4 parts, in the POV of 4 different characters during different months. The characters have their own unique stories, while only overlapping with each other minimally. Jena, a bubbly, self conscious girl who collects quotes, Skye, a spoiled actress, Dakota, a troubled guy dealing with the death of his girlfriend and Owen, a loser with a laptop. Their stories are all so interesting and engrossing. I love how Mackler was able to give all four of them their own unique voices. You could truly feel the change with each section of the novel.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book. There are definitely a few giggle-worthy awkward parts and you are left with a few questions at the end, but it’s a really interesting and enjoyable read.

P.S How lovely is the cover???? So cute.

8.5/10

Review: What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton

Trigger warnings: rape, eating disorders

This might just be my favourite book out of the ones I’ve read so far this summer. I found myself getting to the last few chapters just wishing for it to be longer. It was so incredibly heartbreaking and such an honest portrayal of what it’s like to be a naïve teenager just wanting to feel loved, accepted and wanted.

It starts off with young Sid Murphy, going away on a ski trip and experiences a horrible tragedy. The rest of the novel is her coming to terms with the fact that she is forever changed and how she will move forward and deal with what has happened to her. I’ve read so many books where the protagonist suffers some kind of tragic event, but not many have hit me as hard as this one did. You don’t really see it coming, and once you discover what has happened, you yourself feel betrayed and hurt just as Sid does. Clayton really handles the topic so well and writes in a way that you can really feel the emotions of the character. Each character is so well special in their own way and I honestly fell in love with each of them.

SPOILERS://  I honestly commend Colleen Clayton for the tasteful yet honest and real way of handling the topic of Sid’s rape. It was so heartbreaking and authentic. The only complaint about the story is the questions I was left with in the end. Did Sid’s rapist end up getting caught? And did Sid get professional help for her eating disorder? Though she eventually realized that she had lost too much weight and her illness had gone too far, it takes more than that epiphany to get better. And finally, what happens in the end with Sid and Corey? Do they end up going to New York together? ://SPOILERS

Colleen Clayton wrote a very raw and honest portrayal of violation and recovery in a very unique way, taking a heavy, difficult topic and presenting it in a way that is not too overbearing and dark. I really really loved this book and recommend it to anyone.

9/10

Review: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Hi there! It's been a while! I've been working a lot, so I haven't had too much time to post reviews, but rest assured, I've read quite a few books and I'm working on getting reviews up for each one!

Anyway, on to the review.......

I really loved this book. I thought it was so sweet, and a refreshing change from your typical YA romance novel. I loved that you can see their relationship grow, and feeling them fall in love. Being able to see both points of views added so much to the character and relationship development and made it all feel so much more believable.

The story centers around Eleanor, a misfit girl with an abusive home life who meets and slowly creates a wonderful friendship/relationship with Park, your average boy dressed in black who loves comic books and music. The book is set in the 1980’s and it so much more realistically paced than most YA novels I’ve read to date. Seeing their relationship blossom from the awkward discomfort to that intense first love is something most people can relate to.

Rowell has such a spectacular way of writing, that even a scene where nothing but Eleanor and Park holding hands can just take your breath away.

I loved that their characters, especially Eleanor, were both so unique and engrossing. Though they are such different and atypical characters, you can still relate to what they’re feeling, creating a genuine attachment to them.

Although not very much happens in the book (it has a slow, comfortable pace), it is still so interesting to read and incredibly captivating. Rowell paints such an intriguing picture and you truly become attached to the characters. The ending was lovely in my opinion. Not your fairytale everything-works-out kind of ending, but a refreshing, hopeful way to tie together the whole novel (but also a little painful and tear jerking).

I would definitely recommend this book to people searching for a more realistically paced romance (I can’t be the only one annoyed with those novels where the couple seems to fall in love in a day?)

8/10

P.S I heard there’s talks of this book becoming a movie! I’d love to see that, and hope the cast can do these incredibly unique characters justice!