REVIEW; Frosh: First Blush (Frosh #1), by Monica B Wagner

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Genre: New-Adult, Contemporary, Young Adult

Recommend: Yes

Book 1

NO SPOILERS!!! 

Summary:

At Hillson University the drama is like no other; Ellie, an aspiring journalist, will learn just what it means to "do what you need to do to get the story". Grant is a star football player trying to live up to everyone's expectations. Devon is Queen Bee, and will stop at nothing to get Grant and parade him around on her arm. And then Charlie is about to change his nerdy, shy attitude in order to catch Devon's attention. What could go wrong? 

My Thoughts:

I quite enjoy books that move between a lot of POV's. In this case the story revolves around the four main characters - Ellie, Grant, Devon and Charlie. It reminds me of reading series like The It Girl about 7-8 years ago. 

I think a main thing to note from the start, is that this is rather predictable. Nothing really happened that was a huge shock or was a twist, so if that's what you're looking for, keep looking. But it does serve for a good light summer read that I read in one day. 

Ellie: She is a typical innocent and fresh heroine, starting university with high hopes and dating not on her agenda. I feel she was a little weak though. It all felt too convenient, with how Tanner instantly took a shine to her (although there were other reasons) before he even knew who she was and simultaneously Grant also noted her as a woman of interest quite early on. But why do these heroines always have to be so naive and dis-trusting. I'm so tired of a heroine seeing/hearing something and totally jumping to conclusions. I understand there is need to keep a plot turning, but can authors not think of other ways? Like, I really felt sorry for Grant because she was pretty cruel to him, even if it was out of defense, she still didn't even allow him a chance to explain his side of anything, and that to me is such a frustrating trait. 

Characters: There were a lot of characters in this, with their own agendas, and at times I did get confused with the secondary characters and how they were all inter-related with different main characters. But they all had a substantial difference to them, so every character felt like they served purpose and were distinct. I enjoyed the suspense and secrets surrounding Devon's drama and uncovering her family secrets. I really liked Charlie though. He was such an adorable character and I always loved reading about his nerdy t-shirts. I think he was the one I felt for most and was really rooting for, being the underdog and letting Devon treat him like shit but then he'd stand up for himself and it would be amazing! 

I don't really like when there is cheating in books, and there wasn't really in this, but the love triangles gave me a headache. Ellie liked Grant, but also Tanner liked Ellie. Charlie liked Devon who was after Grant. Then Grant went out with Devon and Ellie with Tanner and it was just a bit messy for my liking. Appeared more like high school drama than university... 

I read a similar review that actually mentioned legal drinking age and I feel that's a really good point. At this point, all the characters are underage as per American law. Whereas in Ireland (where I grew up) and the UK (where I now go to Uni) the legal age is 18. So by the time I got to uni I was already 18, and one of the youngest in my year, and most people had those rebellious alcoholic years behind them (save a few dodgy nights!) but on a whole, most people drink responsibly so the drama levels are not the same. 

Overall:

I'm sure a lot of NA readers would enjoy this, but personally feel it's more suited at YA due to the maturity levels and drama. I can't really relate to the characters and the scheming as being that of 18+. 

Goodreads

ARC REVIEW; Mirror Me, by Tara St. Pierre

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Young-Adult, Contemporary 

Recommend: Yes

Standalone

NO SPOILERS!!! 

Summary:

Hannah now attends a prestigious, strict school, as a last effort of her mother's to tame her. After a rebellious past and an event involving Hannah's best friend, Hannah can't look at herself in the mirror. When she does, her reflection doesn't match what she expects, and Hannah fears for her sanity. When objects become displaced, screens appear backward, and Hannah is accused of going places & doing things she has no recollection of, Hannah debates if she can even trust herself. 

My Thoughts:

***Thank you to the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review***

Wowww! The blurb provided doesn't really allude to the extremities of what occurs and I was SO hooked. There are so many questions; What happened with Nikki? Is Nikki alive? Who is really to blame? Is Hannah seeing things? What is going on with her reflection? Who is moving her phone? The list goes on. 

It's actually quite a difficult book to review without giving spoilers away as you need to nearly go into this book half blind. 

Hannah: I think Hannah was a brilliant main character. We know she has had a rebellious past and is now paying the price under the strict rule of her mother. She has had to move away from her old life, her best friend, Nikki, and doesn't even get to keep photos of her life. She is now trying to keep her head down, get good grades and just stay out of trouble, but it's not good enough in her mother's eyes. As a teenager, she also has the ongoing drama of school life and friends and trying to fit in and be a part of things as much as her mother will allow. Her mother only approves of one friend solely because she believes she helps Hannah's grades and that's all that counts. As the story builds, you really feel for Hannah and her loss of control over her life as the unthinkable drama unfolds. 

Story: This is such an original concept, brought to life so well. Slowly, Hannah is being accused of doing things she has no memory of; plagiarizing and sneaking out, getting her in further trouble, and we have no idea how it's all happening. Told from Hannah's POV, the reader is left with the same wonder and questions as Hannah, not knowing the importance of mirrors and the messages left. Added with the mystery of Hannah's past and it's quite a page turner! The pacing is executed brilliantly; there's enough ongoing drama to prevent any dragging, balanced perfectly with answers, so it's not just an ending filled with all the answers we had.

Characters: I really liked that there weren't too many characters in this. They all held purpose and had distinct personalities and reasoning, that made them so realistic. I think I would've liked a teeny bit more of an insight into the beginning of Hannah's relationship with Cole, but then again, Hannah also missed out on most of that too! Hannah's mother is just awful, with absolute no emotional bond with her daughter, but yet even with her there is character development and attempted justification. 

I thought I had figured out what was happening as we got a little bit more revealed, however the "twist" near the ending really got me (a positive). When the why is revealed, it's a bit like a punch to the stomach (in a good way) and there lies a great underlying message about forgiveness. Everything is finished off expertly, and it feels like the whole story is justified with solid reasoning rather than just being an unexplained event.  

Overall:

This is an extremely original and captivating read with great twists. There is a thread of Fantasy genre intertwined with a solid, thought-provoking theme regarding growing up and forgiveness. A magical YA read. Tara St. Pierre has one of the best imaginations!

Goodreads

REVIEW; Malik (Carter Brothers #1), by Lisa Helen Gray

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Genre: New-Adult, Romance

Recommend: No

Book 1

SPOILERS!!! 

Summary:

Harlow Evans has moved into her Grandmother's following the murder of her parents. Next door, 5 boys live with their grandfather - The Carter Brothers. On her first day at her new school, Harlow makes an enemy who will stop at nothing to humiliate and ruin her life. 
One Carter brother, Malik, claims Harlow as his, as they all fight to protect Harlow. 

My Thoughts:

I really don't know where to begin. The amount of notes and highlights for this book surpass any other - and not in a good way. 

Writing: I appreciate self-publishing and love that it's becoming such a huge thing. But come on! At least get an editor of some kind. It's known you can't self-edit as you read what you expect to have written and not see it for the first time, but the standard of writing in this is abhorrent. I was honestly so shocked, especially as it is so highly rated and yet very few comment on the grammar. There are no typos (congrats on using spell check) but the grammar is horrendous. 

“Whose going to be there?’’ - Who's surely?

"Myles goes back to reading his health and social workbook, and go back to the laptop." - Yep, makes sense...

“Or they were click flicks,’’- Chick Flicks or is click flicks a thing? 

"No one has lived there in over eighty year's" - It should be "years ", without apostrophe due to it not being possessive. (If it were, e.g. "she had eighty years' experience)

"he turns to study his food, with his one hand resting on my thigh" - using "his one" suggests he only has one hand and it doesn't read well. 

The author clearly had an aversion to commas; none would be used when using a name e.g. "What do you want Craig?" and it should read "What do you want, Craig?" It's vocative case and therefore is separated from the direct address!! This error was ALL THROUGHOUT THE DAMN BOOK! I learnt a lot of punctuation rules from reading alone, and then a little research over the years for essays and further understanding - this should be a basic trait picked up by the author if she actually reads! 

Also would be good if the headings weren't left as Word default - really added to the unprofessional nature. 

SHOW, NOT TELL. The unwritten rule of writing a good story, yeah? You plant ideas in the readers mind to leave them to piece together feelings, or emotions... or jokes! 

"The name sounds like bust-her-cherry and not Buster Cherry"

Thank you, for pointing the joke out. Would never have worked it out myself.

Harlow: What an annoying heroine. She appeared to only be affected by the murder of her parents when it suited her. Day to day life - there was no grieving whatsoever! She also happened to be a curvy, hourglass girl with brown hair and blue eyes... an hourglass figure which APPARENTLY all boys despise... um... what? Then to add to her innocence of ignorance, she never wore makeup!!! Oh, Em, Gee! A naive, innocent, poor orphaned 17 year old virgin, who is soooo beautiful and doesn't know it, but doesn't even attempt makeup as her parents said she didn't need it. Sorry, but if a teenage girl is insecure about how she looks, she will try makeup to boost her confidence, regardless of what her parents say... 

She also did my head in regarding her relationship with Malik. I get the whole being scared to trust shit, I'm the least trusting person there is, but I wanted to smack her. She was so dense she believed BULLIES WHO HATED HER over her boyfriend. Like, they've tripped you up, humiliated you countless times, and yet you still believe what they say about the guy who has been by your side since day one? Whatever. 

Carter Brothers: Now, there is a great opportunity for the series here- five insanely hot and witty brothers and their individual issues blah blah, wonderful. But 5 of them? And all 5 of them good looking and well built? Maybe 3 would've been realistic but I felt like I was reading a story from a teenage girl's fantasy of the perfect scenario. Oh, and all having names beginning with M? F sake. 

Insta-Love: Christ on a bike. THERE WAS F ALL ROMANCE IN THIS BOOK ANYWAY! Day one, and Malik just CLAIMS Harlow, and this is meant to be absolutely breath-taking and romantic?! WTF? There's no emotion or build up to their relationship (not to mention zero chemistry) and Harlow flips from being a scared little virgin to a flirty daring minx as quick as the wind changes. Come on. 

Bullying: I think authors have great power in what they write. Books often provide solace for struggling teenagers and therefore triggering topics should be presented well and dealt with carefully. It was all over the place here. It was all just used to propel the plot, with no real emotion behind it. Even rape was included and not very respectfully. 

Why were Harlow's parents murdered? Why did the murderer come back to kill her? NONE OF THIS WAS ANSWERED! I'm surprised it wasn't the classic death by car crash. At least you aren't left wondering why they were killed. A murderer returning to kill the daughter would suggest more than a mugging or random killing. But nope. Never got to know any of that. 

The story read like it was set in America. Even the names. Malik/Mason/Maverick/Myles - kind of all American names! There was some American english/terminology used too. The only giveaway to the setting was once or twice Pound Sterling currency was mentioned. 

Overall:

I think maybe YA would enjoy this more, as it all plays into the perfect fantasy of damsel in distress being saved by 5 guys.  

Goodreads

REVIEW; Rumor Has It (Limelight #1), by Elisabeth Grace

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Genre: New-Adult, Romance, YA

Recommend: Yes

Book 1

SPOILERS!!! 

Summary:

Ellie has returned to live with her mother following graduating college. After being the star of an embarrassing viral video, all she wants to do is keep a low profile. After falling through the bathroom window of a villa rented by a famous hip-hop artist, that low profile is heavily jeopardised. Mason Nash is taking time off work for a few weeks, and the pair agree to enjoy their time together while it lasts. But when Mason is signed up for a reality tv show, Ellie is thrust into the limelight and they each have to work out what or who they really want. 

My Thoughts:

Ellie: I think ultimately I liked her, although annoying at times. She definitely read as a vulnerable character who was trying to remain true to herself and protect herself from further harm and keep from damaging her career prospects. I feel like she seemed more like a 17 y/o rather than a university graduate though. I appreciate her desire to remain out of the spotlight and she was adapting to the celebrity culture quickly, but she just didn't carry the maturity or personality that I feel a graduate, who lived away from home for a few years, would have. 

Mason: he's not on his way to the book boyfriend list, however he was rather amusing and charming. I didn't really appreciate his brash attitude in assuming Ellie's actions incorrectly. I accept it warranted for the necessary plots, but just felt after ALL they'd been through together, it was rather out of character of him to not even allow Ellie to explain herself, especially after his huge speech re trusting her explicitly. Although I am not a fan of hip-hop, I liked that we got to see some of Mason's family history and his personal life rather than his celebrity one. 

Story: I'd nearly say this is suited for YA readers, apart from perhaps the sexual content, although it was not really explicit. But the interaction and drama screamed YA in my head. The book was written in dual POV and unfortunately I feel this affected my rating; had it been presented from a single POV, the reader could approach the story with the same missing info and make the same judgment of trust, but in allowing us see both sides of the story, it left little to be worked/found out by the reader. 

I feel like there was the attempt to build a solid relationship and chemistry between Ellie and Mason, but a big part of me felt it was a tad Insta-Love like. Quite soon on Mason just "knew" Ellie was different and his interest piqued from their first meeting and that instant attraction put me off a little and I just didn't connect with their chemistry.  

Overall:

I think due to the immaturity of the characters/events, this is perfect for younger readers. It's a decent light story that is well written. 

Goodreads

REVIEW; Pieces of You & Me (Pieces #1), by Pamela Ann

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Genre: New-Adult, Romance

Recommend: No

Book 1

SPOILERS!!! 

Summary:

Olivia and Greyson fell in love in third grade. Until Olivia broke his heart and a mutual hatred began. After returning home following a summer in Sydney, Olivia discovers her mother's new boyfriend is Greyson's father, and they will be living together. All Olivia has to do is get through her final year of high school before returning to Sydney for University with her boyfriend Liam. 
But Greyson won't let Olivia slip through his fingers again and will do anything to make her acknowledge their mutual feelings. 

My Thoughts:

Olivia: I didn't like her... Sorry! Back in third grade she was blackmailed into breaking Greyson's heart and causing the hatred between them for the remainder of their school years. Seriously?! Grow a back bone. Ok, as a young child you don't really know how to react but surely going through the teen years she could've just explained to him! She also gave in so quickly even though not giving in. Like, she agreed to be his date, asked him to sleep in her bed, asked to go with him racing - there was no real effort of rebelling against the feelings. 

Greyson: I didn't like him much either to be honest. I didn't think we got much of an insight into his character, other than his apparent disregard for every other woman except for Olivia who he was in love with - with no reasons really given. There was a lot of telling us that he loved her but, for me, no real signs to make me believe him one bit. He was such a possessive arrogant egotistical boy who tried to act alpha male as a romantic gesture and just no! I despise this in a male character we are meant to be rooting for. 

Story: I think there's a good premise of this story but for me it lacked. Maybe if I had been 16 or 17 reading this I would've soaked it all up, but I'm past all this empty romance. The book ends on a cliffhanger - something I don't mind - but again the drama was focused on miscommunication and that's such a pet peeve of mind in books (I think due to being my pet peeve with people in my life) and I just couldn't enjoy the book. I wasn't racing to pick it up and delve into their world. I didn't care about the characters. 

Also, read on kindle, the story ends at 82% and with a cliffhanger, and in that case I hate it. I never read excerpts of other books that are added at the end so just another negative for me! 

Overall:

Overall, probably wouldn't recommend this due to the lack of connection with the story and the characters. I just couldn't follow it or the drama/twists. 

Goodreads

REVIEW; #Nerd (Hashtag #1), by Cambria Hebert

Rating: ★★★☆☆
Genre: Young-Adult, Romance

Recommend: Yes

Book 1

SPOILERS 

Summary:

Rimmel is solely focused on her studies to ensure she keeps her scholarship. Considered a nerd, she keeps to herself and hides beneath baggy and frumpy clothes. Roman is the star football player but with slipping grades, is looking at losing his spot and his college dreams. 

Until Rimmel is set as his tutor and Roman soon faces a dare for initiation involving wooing Rimmel and obtaining photographic evidence. But as time goes on, the two opposites form an unlikely bond and friendship, as the drama ensues. 

My Thoughts:

This book was on my wishlist for ages, and I regret not reading it sooner. This is definitely a YA novel and I would say totally unsuitable for NA. However, I will try to review it by my younger self and rate it as it is. 

Plot: The plot is totally cliché and predictable; a popular hot jock falling for the nerdy girl that everyone looks down on and bullies. The whole hashtag aspect had an ounce of Gossip Girl to it, with the secrets of campus being revealed on social media, making life hell for those reported on. Although it sort of worked to bring the typical story into modern days. 

Rimmel: I really warmed to her. She wasn't the typical underrated heroine that can easily exist in these type of novels. She didn't fawn over Roman at first glance and stuck to her morals at all costs and stayed strong. I was totally rooting for her! I think a lot of readers will relate to Rimmel. I especially connected with her feeling of not belonging and finding solace with animals. She was a gem. 

Roman: I feel he is a huge reason as to why this is a 3 star read. I struggle to find novels depicting a teenage boy as teenage boy and not have traces of the female mind interwoven in his actions. He has internal struggles which made me slightly warm to him, but overall, I didn't like him that much. I feel like he switched over from his notorious player persona to the sweet dutiful boyfriend too quickly and I just didn't fall for him. 

Overall:

This is a sweet and cute young adult read. It's a safe comfortable story with some drama and although predictable and cliché, would still recommend for those who love a good love story between two from the opposite sides of the track. 

Goodreads

REVIEW; By Invitation Only (Gilt #1), by Geneva Lee

Rating: ★★★★☆

Genre: YA, Romance, Suspense

Recommend: Yes

Book 1

NO SPOILERS 

Summary:

Emma Southerly feels out of place at Belle Mère Prep, just outside of Las Vegas. Her mother has left and upgraded to a rich husband and Emma is left with her alcoholic father. 
When her best friend invites her to a party hosted in the home of her father's arch enemy, Emma knows she should say no... There she meets Jameson, hiding out from the crowds and the party and Emma has the best night of her life. But waking up in the morning she discovers Jameson is now the prime suspect in a murder, and she is thrown into the mess of truth and deception.

My Thoughts:

Story: I feel like this was a guilty pleasure read. Definitely YA and for younger readers but I loved it. The Romeo and Juliet vibe runs through this but in an adorable way, and the added mystery of "Romeo" being a murder suspect really adds a thrilling side to it. There's a great mix of romance and excitement with the captivating plot twist of a "who dunnit?" 

Emma: I felt so sorry for her. Her mother left and "upgraded" her whole life, leaving poor Emma with her alcoholic father and grieving over the loss of her sister. She is then forced to attend the party of the rival family, And then she unknowingly falls for his son and has to keep him a secret from her father. She is then fired into doubt and wonders if he truly is responsible of murder and the poor girl can't just get a break!

I'm not so much a fan of how the books have been split up. Usually with a series I like each individual book to have at least some story resolve but we don't get many answers in this so feel pressured into buying book 2 to find out anything about this story. As a result, this all felt like a build up but you need to get the 2nd installment for the actual climax. This type of thing usually just annoys me so much I don't want to bother with the next book as I feel it's cheating a little. I don't mind cliffhangers, but give us SOMETHING! 

Overall:

Despite feeling short-changed, I still enjoyed this and got swept up into Emma's world. Recommend for YA readers who enjoy a 90210/Pretty Little Liar's mash up. 

Goodreads 

REVIEW; Perfect Chemistry (#1), by Simone Elkeles

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Genre: Young-Adult, Romance,

Recommend: Yes

Book 1/3 (standalone stories)

NO SPOILERS 

Summary:

Brittney Ellis is from the North side and is the perfect girl: gorgeous looks, expensive clothes, new car, perfect blonde hair and the other half of the Golden Couple. At least that's how it all seems. Behind closed doors Brittney is struggling to keep it together with her absent father, arguing with her mother and caring for her sister. 

Alex Fuentes from the South side and is part of the Latino Blood gang. After his father's murder he stepped up to protect his mother and younger brothers. He doesn't have a bright future and is destined to continuing up the gang ranks. 

The north and south side people don't mix. But Brittney and Alex become chemistry partners and soon discover they have more than chemistry together. Love, secrets, lies. They have to try beat the odds to make a life together. 

My Thoughts:

It took me a while to get into this. I found a lot of the writing quite juvenile and there were a good amount of typos. 

Writing: there was too much tell and not just show. Nearly everything was explained to the reader, even when it was already clear and self-explanatory.

"My sister smiles wide when she sees me. 'Bwiee!' My sister can't enunciate words, but she uses verbal approximations. 'Bwiee' means 'Brittany,'" 

"Mario laughs, not believing for a second his girlfriend would cheat on him." - this line really irked me. It was obvious when he laughed that it was all banter and joking, it just didn't need the explanation that he knew it was all a joke etc. Give the reader some credit! 

Romance: the premise of this story is really heartwarming and cute. Two people from different sides of the track, coming together to bridge the gap. Their relationship is extremely slow and fragile 

- at least from Alex's side it was all down to win a bet. This definitely wasn't a steamy story, extremely tame and PG but yet in the same story there were gang fights and murder... If we can witness a bloody murder can we not handle more than a kiss between the two? 

Brittany: I hated her at first. I was on team Alex who viewed her as the fake blonde, wrapped up in appearing perfect even when her life was falling apart. But gradually we see the glimpses of her life that explain why she is so adamant to appear like she has everything together, as in reality, appearing like she's ok is the only thing she has that is ok! By the end I really felt for her and almost cried for her in the hospital scene. She's a huge advocate for stereotyping and not judging people based on what they seem. 

Alex: he wouldn't make it on to my book boyfriend list but he is sweet. He was part of a dangerous gang but I never felt scared of him. I felt he needed to be a little more intimidating, mostly at the start concerning Brittany, to really convince us of how dangerous his world was. We saw a huge inner turmoil and emotional battle with him, which showed his vulnerable side. The reader was exempt from the harsh version of him all the North sisters feared. 

Overall:

I enjoyed this but it was a simple read. I think it needed some work to really draw focus on the emotional scenes between Brittany and Alex. Cute story overall. 

Goodreads 

REVIEW; Across The Hall, by N.M. Facile

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Genre: Young Adult, Romance

Recommend: Not really

Standalone

SPOILERS 

Summary:

Sylvia had her heart broken when Quinn ended their relationship together before heading to college. 4 years later, Sylvia is still hurting but trying to move on with her life. But when Quinn moves to the same university, and is living across the hall, Sylvia has to struggle with battling her old feelings. Meanwhile, she is trying to move on with bad boy Beau, but she soon realises she got more than she bargained for by dating him. 

My Thoughts:

Sylvia: I tried really hard to like her as the main character, but I failed. I found her to be insecure, dramatic and rather boring. Her relationship ended four years ago and she's still suffering like it was 4 weeks. Yes, he may have been the love of her life, but I doubt she has reason to still be so wrapped up in Quinn, especially as there was no contact between them to keep her hopes up. She is also extremely shallow; introduces the reader to her friends by describing them physically and on their looks alone, as if their personalities were irrelevant. I really don't understand why she stays with Beau for so long either, when dating him was such a chore for her to begin with. She needed to grow a damn backbone. 

Quinn: the chapters in this changed POV between Quinn and Sylvia. I usually like this in this a novel as it allows the author to both give snippets away to the reader, and also deliver the story from two different personalities. But in this it didn't work. Quinn was to female minded. None of his inner dialogue was from a realistic male perspective. He was so cringe and yet meant to be a gorgeous hot guy with great confidence but yet came across as unsure and insecure. 

Friends: The secondary characters in a story are always important for me. But in this, they were all insufferable. To be blunt, they were shit and cliché. They were all coupled off in serious relationships and everything was just too perfect. Kai is the typical quirky little Asian and Kerrington is a tall perfect blonde. They also believe being a good friend is acting like Quinn was a murder when he showed up. Give the guy a break!? Alright he broke her heart so take her side, but there's no reason to treat him so horribly before even getting to know him! 

Writing: This was way too descriptive in showing but then also telling, there was nothing left for the reader to put together. In the end, there was so much internal monologue that I had to skip loads to just get on with the actual story. It opens with an info dump load of who Sylvia is, her past, her friends, what she does, her friends' boyfriends etc. Slow. It. Down. 

Ending: it's nicely delivered so we slowly discover they're grandparents and all that they achieved in their life together. But again - huge information overload to which child belongs to who. We didn't need to know about Kai and Kerrie's children and grandchildren - it wasn't their story. I felt it was all too cliché in the end - especially with the accidental pregnancy drama. 

Overall:

I wouldn't really recommend this. It's an ok story but both main characters are highly unlikeable. Everything was too immature and there was nothing left for the reader to piece together. 

Goodreads 

REVIEW; The Force of Gravity, by Kelly Stevenson

Rating: ★★★★☆

Genre: New-Adult, Romance

Recommend: Yes

Standalone

NO SPOILERS 

Summary:

Kaley Kennedy has the perfect life of an 18 year old. She is dating one of the most popular guys in school, got accepted to her number one college and has great friends. 
But when her Math teacher passes away and Mr Slate walks in as replacement, she can't help but get lost in his stare and presence. Her home life begins to crumble around her and she realises she is unhappy in her relationship with her boyfriend and Mr Slate becomes her lifeline as her other relationships suffer. It's clear he cares  for her, but what are the consequences if he chooses to cross the line and be with her? 

My Thoughts:

Told from Kaley's POV, we embark on a 400+ page whirlwind journey of risk and addiction.

Romance: I think this is one of my favourite love stories. It's a taboo topic of student/teacher romance but yet this one is treated and explored so beautifully. There's no deceit about who each of them are - they meet as student and teacher so it's all honest and real. There is a little case of insta-love, where the two become interested in each other after just locking eyes. I would've preferred some more interactions at the beginning to initiate some real feelings... but oh well. It builds a suitable and exciting pace as the drama and risk increases and they face consequences for their actions. I got so swept up in their world and the story.

Kaley: I loved her! I liked the strength of her character - she was reasonably popular and dating one of the stars of the school and was perceived as "having it all". But when meeting Mr. Slate she realises what she should be feeling in a relationship and what was holding her back with Tommy. It made her notice the different sorts of love one can have and experience. She also wasn't some damsel in distress over ridiculous scenarios - she had common family issues and concerns that meant she needed someone, but the author didn't get carried away with the plot so everything was "every day issues" in that, they're scenarios that occur in so many lives that makes Kaley a character you can relate to. But, it was still clear she was a high-school student with her insecurities and habit of jumping to conclusions. 

Mr Slate: Woah! That man knows self-control. He was the perfect blend of respect and fun. He cared for Kaley and her future and put her needs consistently before his own and still put his career on the line just to look out for him. At times I thought he was a little careless as he was easily shooting himself in the foot and living it close to the edge, and possibly being a little unbelievable. I really wish there were chapters from his POV as I found it difficult to understand why he liked Kaley. She acted her age and was a lot less emotionally mature than he, and I failed to see what the allure was, so reading from his mind would have helped solidify the authenticity of his feelings. 

Overall:

I read this in a whirlwind and was totally sucked into the drama and fell for it all. Maybe some insight needed into Mr Slate's mind to really hit home the affection, and lose the insta-love aspect for it to be a 5 star read. Definitely a great read!

Goodreads 

REVIEW; 18 Things (My So Called Afterlife #1), by Jamie Ayers

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Genre: Young-Adult, Death, Paranormal

Recommend: Yes

NO SPOILERS 

Summary:

Olga Gay Worontzoff is crushed when her best friend and crush, is going to Prom with someone else. In an effort to show she wasn't bothered, she invited him out sailing. But, in a freak lightening storm, Conner got killed and Olga is sent down a spiral of guilt, leading to her suicide attempt.

At therapy, Olga meets Nate, who soon becomes her best friend and helps her forgive herself about Conner's death. He also helps her compile her list of 18 Things, suggested by her therapist. A list of 18 accomplishments to be achieved in the year of being 18. 

But as she crosses off the items on her list, her therapist admits there was a much deeper and vital meaning to her list... one Olga never once dreamed of. 

My Thoughts:

I'm a little confused with the genre of this novel - I was expecting the paranormal aspect to hit a LOT sooner. And even still, it's not so much paranormal and more so just a little strange twist... 

Writing: The writing in this really threw me off and took away from the story. "true dat" was said by nearly every character, "da bomb." It's just incredibly cringe worthy. And then childish language like "nearly touched her ta-tas". This is a YA novel, so why not just say breasts/boobs/chest? Why chose such juvenile words? Also, this novel could pass as a song-book for the amount of pages filled with lyrics... which I got very quickly bored of as ultimately without music I find it hard to care for song lyrics, especially when from an original song that's unknown. 


Olga: I didn't really warm to her as much as I wanted to. I was of course expecting the grief journey and guilt, but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to care for her well-being and I don't know why. She was so uptight with her list and then pushing Nate away when it was obvious he cared for her. It all got a bit tiresome and relentless and her constant mental battle between Conner and Nate. I only kept reading to find out what the twist was.


Paranormal: I won't give the twist away but ugh... As it neared the end I could start to predict what it was, although it wasn't all explained (I felt) as how it all worked out for the reader to have an explanation of what we had read meant and fitted together involving all the characters. It's probably better labelled as being more of a religious theme than anything, and if I had known there was such an interwoven religious thread, I probably wouldn't have read this just due to my own beliefs, but it wasn't too heavy, more so just at the end. 

Romance: There's deep feelings but little actual romance in this. No more than a kiss.

Overall: 

I feel 2.5 stars is an accurate rating for this. There is a solid concept that's good, but it just needs a lot of work IMO. Language and writing needs a lot of development and some better built characters. Relatively decent read.

Goodreads 
Amazon

Why New Adult Novels Aren't Realistic

It's clear my most read genre is NA Romance... and used to be YA. For me, reading was a huge escape and the words became my reality (sort of). Reading can be an escape for many but what authors fail to notice is that for some, their words have effect and are heavily weighted with influence. As I have gotten older, and become officially an adult, *gulp* and lived in the world I often read about ... I have repeatedly been tormented by the inaccuracies that plague the genre and need to go on a rant share my thoughts on this...

1: Male Characters - Getting Involved

No matter what situation is happening (usually relationship drama) a male character will approach the girl and either talk through it and rationalise with her or go and kick some sense into the currently disliked love interest to wake up and go get the girl/ do the right thing... THIS NEVER (RARELY) HAPPENS! 

Men and women are chemically different and are wired differently and no amount of wishing or convincing will change how either sex works. A girl could pour her heart out to a male friend about some issue she is having with another guy, and the chances are that as soon as the girl has left the room the whole issue is forgotten. It's not that they don't care - they just never see it as their place to get involved. End. Of. 

2: Male Characters - Saying the Right Thing at the Right Time

Really authors?! The amount of young guys in NA novels who know instantly their girlfriend is upset (or that they've caused her upset - even more rare in real life) and know EXACTLY what to say to make things better is absolute bull. Now granted, males are not bad-hearted or anything, but usually if you display any issue or upset, they shuffle awkwardly and don't really say anything helpful or tell you "not to worry" as if it's all the simple and that's just that. 

They can't solve your problem and can't give any helpful advice so they won't even bother. But in the world of NA Romance? Oh, they have the wisdom of a man married for 30 years who has been trained how to respond very carefully as if dodging mines. 

3: Clingy = Romantic

There are some novels where it's a dramatic Damsel in Distress story and that's okay. But in nearly all of them there's a pathetic situation where the girl always needs saving in some way (metaphorically or not) and needs the man to really be some Knight in Shining Armour or a need for him to go Caveman with her. I don't know how to pin-point it specifically, but there's a recurring theme of it being the norm for a girl to somewhat become the man's possession... Okay, so this could seem romantic - a man declaring his love with "you're mine and only mine" sort of thing. But clingy behaviour in real life destroys relationships and it's being romanticised so much where in reality it's annoying and can turn into jealousy and obsession quite quickly. 

4: Good Girl Changes/Saves Bad Boy

I love a good girl/bad boy novel as much as the next person but to say the plot has been rinsed dry is an understatement. I'd predict over 50% of romance books that I've read include a lovely innocent "good" girl who manages to clinch the ultimate bad boy / tattooed rocker etc and changes him for the better. Or the amount of times the witty player converts to husband material overnight.

IT'S JUST SO UNREALISITC! Very few young men want relationships - even if they fall for their ultimate girl, that doesn't mean they can forfeit their want for freedom or shake off the uneasy feeling they get at the thought of that much commitment. Most of them just aren't emotionally prepared for it. But in NA world, aaaalllllll of the bad boys don't even flinch at the thought to declare their undying love as they've finally met the one. This is just such a huge issue for me as it's not that simple and young and impressionable teenagers are getting it into their heads that women can change a guy. 1% of cases, perhaps, yes. But overall, if a man doesn't want to change or is not ready to change, it won't happen. Again, all back to the chemicals in our brains. 

5: Young / Teen Marriage

Alright... this bothers me a LOT. I'm nearly 21 and read about characters that are younger than me and tying the knot. WHAAAAAT?! I'm not doubting that they're in love or doubting their significant other to be The One, but they're always super excited to get married and never ever have commitment issues or concerns for the future or anything. I'd love to read about a happily in love young couple where the idea of marriage freaks them out, but it all seems to be a sought after next step that fills them with excitement.  

Not to mention how the parents (if they even exist as apparently most of them are MIA) never seem to have much objection once they see how happy they are. I don't think proposing to someone is a sign of their undying love at all and young teens could come to think of it as the natural relationship progression without thinking about individual futures / wants / family circumstance / careers etc. 

Now, of course some of these are needed here and there. We read to escape the harshness of reality, right? So these are meant to be fantastical and a sort of dream. But I think there's a fine line for the escapism element and also giving false hope to young teens. It was a bit of a shock for me when I moved to university and realised it was NOTHING like that from books I'd read. And that men do NOT think how girls would love them to - and if I'd read books more appropriately representing young men as they truly are... it would have prevented a lot of arguments!