Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous by. Suzanne Park | ARC Review

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Title: Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous

Authors: Suzanne Park

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 6/1/21

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Categories: Social Media, Young Adult, Romance, Summer Camp, Contemporary

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A social media influencer is shipped off to a digital detox summer camp in this funny coming-of-age story, perfect for fans of Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty and Love and Gelato .

Sunny Song’s Big Summer Goals:
1) Make Rafael Kim my boyfriend (finally!)
2) Hit 100K followers (almost there…)
3) Have the best last summer of high school ever

Not on Sunny’s list: accidentally filming a PG-13 cooking video that goes viral (#browniegate). Extremely not on her list: being shipped off to a digital detox farm camp in Iowa (IOWA??) for a whole month. She’s traded in her WiFi connection for a butter churn, and if she wants any shot at growing her social media platform this summer, she’ll need to find a way back online.

But between some unexpected friendships and an alarmingly cute farm boy, Sunny might be surprised by the connections she makes when she’s forced to disconnect.

I thought this was a fun premise for a story. Youtuber gets sent to technology detox camp to reconnect with life again and learn about what’s important in her life. Sunny isn’t even a big time social media influencer but someone trying to get to that level but her parents thinks whatever she is doing is enough to send her to camp.
Sunny is a fun character – she’s from L.A. and gets sent to Iowa. For the most part she is bored without all her technology. She makes some friends at camp and even meets a boy who works at the farm. She comes off self-centered because she is very focused on her youtube career but I did like how she stood up for herself when dealing with microagressions on the farm because she is Korean-American.
Sunny and Theo’s romance is very cute and sweet. The two of them are opposites in every aspect. She’s a city girl, he’s a farm boy. He’s traditional, she’s a risk taker. I liked seeing their relationship grow.
I did like the message in the story – which is about finding a life with balance. Sunny makes good points about why technology is needed and helpful. I also loved that she stands up to Theo and Ms. Davenport about her choice to become a social media star and she works hard at her craft to try and reach her dreams. I like that she made it clear that going to college isn’t the only way to success these days. I agree and I went to college haha. But Coach, the “counselor” at camp makes good points too about making human connections face to face. I like how she connects with the elderly, it reminds me of the times I volunteered as a teen in nursing homes. So I like how this story shows how connecting online and offline is a good thing.

Triggers: microagression
This one is a quick, lighthearted read. It’s light and cute with the romance and nothing that went too deep into the issues.
Not sure why one of the campers, Wendy, really hated on Sunny. Competition? She just didn’t like her? I’m not sure and it’s not really addressed.

I think we all could be reminded now and then, or everyday, how connecting online and offline can be a great thing when there is a balance between the two. The author conveyed this message very well in the story. I found this book to be an entertaining, quick, lighthearted read with a good message and sweet romance. This one is perfect for teens and young adult readers.

📚 ~ Yolanda

When We Were Infinite by. Kelly Loy Gilbert | Book Review

My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Title: When We Were Infinite

Author: Kelly Loy Gilbert

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 3/9/21

Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Friendship, Romance, Abuse, Mental Health, Identity, Contemporary

All Beth wants is for her tight-knit circle of friends — Grace Nakamura, Brandon Lin, Sunny Chen, and Jason Tsou — to stay together. With her family splintered and her future a question mark, these friends are all she has — even if she sometimes wonders if she truly fits in with them. Besides, she’s certain she’ll never be able to tell Jason how she really feels about him, so friendship will have to be enough.

Then Beth witnesses a private act of violence in Jason’s home, and the whole group is shaken. Beth and her friends make a pact to do whatever it takes to protect Jason, no matter the sacrifice. But when even their fierce loyalty isn’t enough to stop Jason from making a life-altering choice, Beth must decide how far she’s willing to go for him—and how much of herself she’s willing to give up.

This story starts off so happy and then it’s a slow descent into heartbreak and then healing. It starts off as this story about a tight knit group of five friends, most of them Taiwanese except for Grace who is Japanese American, and Beth who is half-white and Chinese, who has no deep to connection to either side of her cultures. These kids are smart, goal oriented, talented and have everything going for themselves, their futures are so bright and they all seem so perfect – on the outside. Their friendship is a beautiful thing but even though they are the closest and most supportive of friends, there were things they couldn’t prevent. Through Beth we see that as their time comes to an end in high school, pressures start building, more for Jason the boy she’s in love with, and a series of events happen that shakes their tight knit group.
But let’s talk about Beth. We are in her head a lot and I was scared at times being in that head because some things I could really relate to. She’s the most quiet among her friends, and so talented with a violin. She is that type of person ready to appease everyone, at least she is with her friends. Beth lives her life in a way so that she won’t repeat the mistakes of her mother who she blames for the divorce and making her dad leave. As a teen, I would have understood Beth a lot with the anger at her parents. Now that I am a mom and way older, Beth was breaking my heart blaming her mom for everything. She comes off selfish (when it comes to her mother) but so unselfish when it comes to her friends and Jason. The story comes around full circle from Senior year in high school to them being in college which I’m glad about because there were so many things Beth needed to learn about herself, she needed to actually grow without these amazing friends of hers and she does. It’s not easy, but she does it, little by little.
Mental health is a big topic in this story. From the very high expectations of immigrant Asian parents (I know how that feels but not to the extent of what Beth and her friends are going through), abuse in a family and is it considered “abuse” and should you tell anyone, dating someone with mental health issues, and seeking help when you do have mental health episodes among other things.
I love how music is interwoven into the storyline because of Beth and her friends being in the school symphony club. The place Beth is her true self is with her violin. Music is what brings her back to life that is worth living.
This story is written beautifully and I hope to read more of this author’s work. I was really drawn into this story of perfect friends as thing unraveled. By the end of it, I wanted them to all be fixed and the ending made me cry. I think I was just so happy that Beth and Jason were okay despite everything.

Triggers: attempted suicide, anxiety, divorce, abuse, panic attacks

This is heavy reading material and so very triggering. Beth’s anxiety chaffed at me, it gave me anxiety. I wanted to shake sense into her because I’m an adult now but I saw some of myself in her. Jason’s withdrawal made me nervous for him. I felt helpless for both of them. I felt quite drained by the end of this book, so read at your own pace if any of these topics are a trigger for you.
The romance between Jason and Beth in the end becomes a beautiful thing but the beginning of it is toxic. It’s a bad idea, but Beth is diving into it head first, she is all in without a care for her own well-being. To me their love story wasn’t something comforting to me at all when it began…but by the end of the book, I was tearing up because they both did a lot of work to meet each other half way.

When We Were Infinite is an emotional journey about at a time when the transition from high school to college is full of pressure. It’s a story about Beth, who seems okay at the beginning of the book and we slowly uncover all the layers to see she is not doing okay at all at home, or at life in general. I was invested in the story the whole way through and saw parts of me in it that made me uncomfortable but seen, which I appreciated. This is a powerfully layered story that will stay in my head for awhile.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes from the Book:

Sloppy Firsts by. Megan McCafferty | ARC Review

My Rating: 3/5 STARS

Title: Sloppy Firsts

Author: Megan McCafferty

Format: ebook (NetGalley)

Pages: 298

Publication Date: 5/4/21 (first published 8/4/01)

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: High School, Young Adult, Friendship, Family, Coming of Age

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

The first book in the beloved, New York Times bestselling series—now with a new foreword from New York Timesbestselling author Rebecca Serle

Jessica Darling is devastated when her best friend moves away from Pineville, New Jersey. With Hope gone, Jessica has no one she can really talk to. She doesn’t relate to the boy-and-shopping obsessed girls at school, or her dad’s obsession with track meets, and her mom is too busy planning big sister Bethany’s lavish wedding. Jessica is lost more than ever, and her nonexistent love life is only making things worse.

Fresh, funny, and utterly compelling, readers fell in love with Jessica Darling’s poignant, hilarious voice and have stayed with her through her ups and downs (and her mixed-up feelings about her first love, Marcus Flutie). A modern classic, readers will be excited to return to Pineville, New Jersey and Jessica Darling’s world with Sloppy Firsts.

I read this when it was first published years ago and at that time, I thought Jessica’s voice was very strong, even though at most times she is really unlikable. But I like a problematic character and she has a lot going on in her family and her best friend moving away.
It doesn’t shy away from high school students having sex, using drugs, and all the gossiping.
This is written like how one would speak because it’s like a diary – it was funny to me 20 years ago because I was a young adult back when it came out! Today as I read it, as an adult, it was a little too loud and too much for me. There is a lot going on in Jessica’s head, and we are in her thoughts 24/7. I found a lot of it nostalgic and some of it, wondering if teens today could even relate?
The main thing I loved about this series and it still stands today as the thing that sucked me into this series is the Jessica and Marcus love story. It’s definitely dramatic and it still got to me as I re-read this book. It’s a slow burn with not much happening in this first book until the end of it.

Triggers: drug use, grief
Reading this twenty years later, I feel like so much of the first half could be cut out – get to Marcus and Jessica quicker! I have no time to be in Jessica’s thoughts.
Ha! I saw my Goodreads star review I gave this years ago (I didn’t have Goodreads in 2001 so I posted it in 2014) and I gave it a 3 star rating like I’m giving it today.

Twenty years later, I can still say I read this whole series because of Jessica and Marcus’ love story. I can’t say I remember how it ended? But I do remember being on this journey with Jessica at a time when she was going to college in the series (I was just out of college), so this story is full of nostalgia for me. This is an all out, in Jessica Darling’s head, coming-of-age teen young adult story. Jessica is lost, she hates her parents, sad that her best friend moved, navigating the jungle that is the high school social scene, and falling for Marcus Flutie, of all people. Will young adult relate to it in this day and age? Not sure ~ it was a mess then and still a mess now, but it was one I totally related to back in the early 2000’s.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Concrete Rose by. Angie Thomas | Book Review

My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Title: Concrete Rose (The Hate U Give, #0.5)

Author: Angie Thomas

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 360

Publication Date: 1/21/21

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, Coming of Age, Family, Fatherhood, Gangs

International phenomenon Angie Thomas revisits Garden Heights seventeen years before the events of The Hate U Givein this searing and poignant exploration of Black boyhood and manhood.

If there’s one thing seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter knows, it’s that a real man takes care of his family. As the son of a former gang legend, Mav does that the only way he knows how: dealing for the King Lords. With this money he can help his mom, who works two jobs while his dad’s in prison.

Life’s not perfect, but with a fly girlfriend and a cousin who always has his back, Mav’s got everything under control.

Until, that is, Maverick finds out he’s a father.

Suddenly he has a baby, Seven, who depends on him for everything. But it’s not so easy to sling dope, finish school, and raise a child. So when he’s offered the chance to go straight, he takes it. In a world where he’s expected to amount to nothing, maybe Mav can prove he’s different.

When King Lord blood runs through your veins, though, you can’t just walk away. Loyalty, revenge, and responsibility threaten to tear Mav apart, especially after the brutal murder of a loved one. He’ll have to figure out for himself what it really means to be a man.

Angie Thomas is a must-read author for me. Her writing is so good! Once I start reading, I feel my body just settling into her words, into the story and there I am watching things unfold for Maverick in real time, at least that’s what it feels like for me. It’s an enjoyable reading experience, and it’s almost soothing even though the topics in Concrete Rose are anything but calming.
This story is about a teen boy turning into a father too fast – and honestly, I grew up in this period that the story is set. Pagers were the thing to have (my parents never let me have one), Boyz to Men was being played everywhere, and teenage pregnancy was happening at a high rate. All my high school male cousins, some drop outs, all got their girlfriends pregnant in high school so they were very young dads. A few female friends of mine also got pregnant in high school, so I love that this was from Maverick’s perspective and his struggles of becoming a father almost overnight, because it is relatable to me. I was baby-sitting my cousin’s kids a lot and I was barely in high school myself! Parenting at any age is hard, but doing it when you barely have money and a high school diploma is rough.
Maverick isn’t perfect – he sells drugs to make ends meet, he is in a gang, he is grieving, but he tries his best when Seven (his son) comes into his life to do the right thing. He gives up the high paying drug business and gets a regular low paying job, he goes to school even though he is failing, he is helping his mom pay the house bills (his dad is in jail), he has no time to hang with friends…but his struggle to stay on the good path is hard, especially when having no money is a problem. I felt for him but was seriously proud of him too for trying to own up and be a “man” so his son could have a father around. He had to make a few tough decisions on different matters and I’m so glad he chose to do the right thing.
His community had his back. Yes, he thought it was the King Lord gang that had his back and maybe they did in some ways when it came to protection in their neighborhood but it was his neighbors and family that really got his back. They gave him a job, gave him advice/direction/a listening ear/patience/forgiveness, they helped him babysit Seven and that was a beautiful thing!
I feel like this one didn’t have much action, like The Hate U Give but it works…it’s beautiful and introspective as we get to know Maverick and his struggles. Very well done!

Triggers: gun violence, violence, drugs, teen pregnancy, grief

There were a lot of parenting advice in this one that I wasn’t expecting but it was relatable and I’m in my 40’s! So I definitely loved all the parenting advice in this one.
There was a moment I thought it was like the Boyz n the Hood movie (has anyone seen that? Talk about my childhood, that movie was big and eye opening) and I was scared for that “moment” to happen. 😭
Speaking of movies, all of Angie’s books should be movies.
I may be biased because I am female, but I always gravitate to stories about girls, young women, women – because it’s been so hard for us to be heard. But this story reminded me boys need to be understood too. As I was reading, I was wondering if this was how my boy cousins felt when they had gotten their girlfriends pregnant and became teen dads. Did they feel the pressures, the fears and behaved in ways to get away from those feelings? I connected to Maverick as a parent especially in those first few months of parenthood.

Concrete Rose is the perfect prequel to The Hate U Give. We get Maverick’s point of view and learn about his relationship with King and how Starr, his daughter and Seven, his son, came to be. We see his struggles and there is many coming from school, parenting, working to make ends meet, his parents, his ex-girlfriend, losing family and friends. Angie Thomas is one of my favorite authors and her books always has a powerful message. There are many messages in this book about parenting, owning up to your mistakes, and trying to change your life path. Teens and young adults should definitely read this one, but adults can enjoy this one as well, just like I did.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes from the book:

Hurricane Summer by. Asha Bromfield | ARC Review

My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Title: Hurricane Summer

Author: Asha Bromfield

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 5/4/21

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Coming of Age, Identity, Family, Culture, Contemporary, Romance

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

In this sweeping debut, actress Asha Bromfield takes readers to the heart of Jamaica, and into the soul of a girl coming to terms with her family, and herself, set against the backdrop of a hurricane.

Sometimes the storm is inside of you…

Tilla has spent her entire life trying to make her father love her. But every six months, he leaves their family and returns to his true home: the island of Jamaica.

When Tilla’s mother tells her she’ll be spending the summer on the island, Tilla dreads the idea of seeing him again, but longs to discover what life in Jamaica has always held for him.

In an unexpected turn of events, Tilla is forced to face the storm that unravels in her own life as she learns about the dark secrets that lie beyond the veil of paradise—all in the midst of an impending hurricane.

Hurricane Summer is a powerful coming of age story that deals with colorism, classism, young love, the father-daughter dynamic—and what it means to discover your own voice in the center of complete destruction.

Hurricane Summer is a story about a girl, Tilla who is sent to Jamaica from Canada, with her sister for the summer to spend time with her father and other family members. The family members she meet though aren’t as welcoming as she thought they would be and her father is as non-existent in her life as ever.
Colorism and classism is evident in this story and even though I’m Filipino-American, I could relate to it a little, especially when my parents brought me to the Philippines to visit for the second third time. The first two times I was too young to notice these things. The lighter the skin in Filipino culture, the prettier you are. In Hurricane Summer, Tilla witnesses colorism in her own family, as one of her cousins has the darkest skin out of them all. The way they treat Andre, her cousin, is horrible and not something Cilla understands. Classism shows when her cousin Diana interact with her and the fact that she gets to go to school and not the country boys was an interesting dynamic.
Tilla’s relationship with her father is so sad because she is yearning to understand why he doesn’t want to be a part of their family. He really just dumps them off in the countryside of Jamaica – really? I was so angry at him. But I’m glad in the end she reaches some heart breaking conclusions about her relationship with him.
Tilla’s trip to Jamaica really is a hurricane – she’s is a swirling mess of emotion, rage and hurt. So much took place in this one trip, I likened it the summer from hell! The way her family members treated her, the way her cousin sabotaged her, I was livid at them in some parts in this story. But Tilla’s relationship with Andre was the best part! At least she had one cousin who had her back, thank goodness.
The ending is powerful. Tilla’s emotions and her confrontation with her dad and her feelings was so deep. I was highlighting sentences that spoke to me, that I needed to hear myself. So many of her thoughts resonated with me a lot and I appreciate seeing her take the steps to start to heal what was broken inside of her.

Triggers: abuse, bullying, slut shaming, death, grief, sexual assault

This is not at easy read – there are so many heavy topics going on in this book. There is physical, emotional and sexual abuse happening in the family. Tilla’s family members slut-shame her, and her own cousin does something so reprehensible – I wanted Cilla to cut them off forever! I’d never go and visit them if that was my family, I’d have called my mom up ASAP and tell her to book my flight back to Canada.
Tilla has some moments on the island where she’s meeting boys and yes, she is attracted to a guy who’s already spoken for but it’s complicated because of how it’s set up. There were a few times I was frustrated with Tilla because I could see what was about to happen but I also understood how she wanted to escape everything that was going on. But I’m glad Tilla realized her interest in these guys was because she was trying to fill a void left by her dad. I understood that deeply.
The story takes place in Jamaica so the language of the island, Patois, and the story uses the language throughout. There is a glossary of words and their definition. After awhile though, you catch on to their way of talking and meaning.

This story swept me away to Jamaica, but we get to see the parts of Jamaica that aren’t the tourist destinations, we get to see it as someone’s home in the countryside. This story is about Tilla coming to find some truths there that are hard to face. She goes through a hurricane of life events in one summer that tests her resolve but she comes out stronger in the end. This is not an easy book to read but there is so much in it that resonated with me. Hurricane Summer is raw, heart wrenching, cathartic and powerful.

⛈ ~ Yolanda

Better Than the Movies | ARC Review

My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Title: Better Than the Movies

Author: Lynn Painter

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 5/4/21

Categories: High School, Rom-Com, Enemies to Lovers, Movies, Music, Young Adult, Contemporary

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

In this rom-com about rom-coms, in the spirit of Kasie West and Jenn Bennett, a hopeless romantic teen attempts to secure a happily-ever-after moment with her forever crush, but finds herself reluctantly drawn to the boy next door.

Perpetual daydreamer Liz Buxbaum gave her heart to Michael a long time ago. But her cool, aloof forever crush never really saw her before he moved away. Now that he’s back in town, Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar—and maybe snag him as a prom date—even befriend Wes Bennet.

The annoyingly attractive next-door neighbor might seem like a prime candidate for romantic comedy fantasies, but Wes has only been a pain in Liz’s butt since they were kids. Pranks involving frogs and decapitated lawn gnomes do not a potential boyfriend make. Yet, somehow, Wes and Michael are hitting it off, which means Wes is Liz’s in.

But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael so she can have her magical prom moment, she’s shocked to discover that she likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must reexamine everything she thought she knew about love—and rethink her own ideas of what Happily Ever After should look like.

I grew up in the age of amazing rom-com movies so this story is nostalgic with the movie quotes and the music soundtrack/playlists. It was just a fun blend of humor and romance combined!
Liz and Wes are neighbors and enemies that become frenemies so that Liz can get the guy she really wants, Michael. Who doesn’t love a boy-next-door, fake-dating, enemies-to-lovers trope? I can’t get enough of it! I love Liz and Wes’ banter, it made me laugh out loud and honestly as I read this I wished this WAS a movie. I love them together!
Now Liz isn’t just romance loving girl trying to find her own happily-ever-after, she does have some issues going on. Her mom died years ago in a car accident, she has a new step-mom and with Senior year coming to a close, she misses her mom as she hits all these milestones. Keeping things to herself starts making her hurt people that she cares about, even if it’s not intentional.
This book is funny, especially because Liz, who is unique, finds herself in the most crazy situations like getting barfed on at a party.
The romance of Liz and Wes getting together was perfection. I loved it all from them hating each other, to pretending to be into each other and then of course, the falling in love. And it stays pretty PG rated with maybe one hot kiss but it was enough to put some sizzle into the book without going overboard.

The best friend storyline was the only thing that made me want to shake Liz, that, and of course when she is mooning over Michael when Wes is perfect for her. Supposedly Joss is her best-friend but she lies to her the whole time about Wes just because she knows she’ll judge her. It would have been nice if Liz could trust her best friend and tell her stuff about missing her mom during Senior year. But I’m glad they talk it out in the end.

Better Than the Movies would actually make a great teen movie. I love Liz and Wes’ relationship, it really did remind me of those rom-coms that were popular years ago. I’ve been missing them a lot lately! Like Liz, I love rom-coms too and I used to always have a “soundtrack” to my life also. I think that’s why I related so much to her personality. This story left me feeling giddy, happy and smiling. If you love rom-coms, I think you will definitely enjoy this one.

🍿 ~ Yolanda

Take Me Home Tonight | ARC Review

My Rating: 3/5 Stars

Title: Take Me Home Tonight

Author: Morgan Matson

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 5/4/21

Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Teen Readers, Friendship, Family, Romance, Coming of Age, Contemporary

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off meets Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist in this romp through the city that never sleeps from the New York Times bestselling author of Since You’ve Been Gone, Morgan Matson.

Two girls. One night. Zero phones.

Kat and Stevie—best friends, theater kids, polar opposites—have snuck away from the suburbs to spend a night in New York City. They have it all planned out. They’ll see a play, eat at the city’s hottest restaurant, and have the best. Night. Ever. What could go wrong?

Well. Kind of a lot?

They’re barely off the train before they’re dealing with destroyed phones, family drama, and unexpected Pomeranians. Over the next few hours, they’ll have to grapple with old flames, terrible theater, and unhelpful cab drivers. But there are also cute boys to kiss, parties to crash, dry cleaning to deliver (don’t ask), and the world’s best museum to explore.

Over the course of a wild night in the city that never sleeps, both Kat and Stevie will get a wake-up call about their friendship, their choices…and finally discover what they really want for their future.

That is, assuming they can make it to Grand Central before the clock strikes midnight.

The title ALWAYS makes me sing that 80’s song, “Take me home tonight, I don’t want let you go till you see the light…” – it’s such a good song and reminds me of my childhood! Such a fun title!
Everything happens in one night in NYC of all places which is always a good time, right? It’s such an exciting city, so I loved the setting. It’s the perfect place for nightly shenanigans.
I did enjoy Kat and Stevie’s friendship. At the start you just know they are tight, and they do get separated during their wild night in NYC but it helped them deal with their own issues for a few hours before meeting up. I like their separate emotional journeys and when they come back together, they are better for it.
Kat has a cute little romantic encounter, but I loved Stevie’s interactions with her family even more. We get to meet her step-siblings and watch her deal with family issues, I thought it brought the emotional feels in the story.

I appreciate the whole Adventures in Babysitting references with Teri’s storyline but I mostly skipped it. It didn’t work for me because I was more interested in Kat and Stevie’s adventure and it really went off in a whole direction with Teri. In the end I thought it was sorta funny and cute but during the story, it would take me out of the story.
This would make an entertaining movie.
More suited towards teen readers.

This story is about one wild night in New York City shared between two best friends who have a falling out along the way but find their way back to one another. There is Teri’s storyline who is on an Adventures of Babysitting kick and it’s funny in the end but unfortunately took me out of the story multiple times. I think teen readers will enjoy this one and relate to Kat and Stevie’s personalities and friendship.

📚 ~ Yolanda

The Beautiful Ones | ARC Review

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

Title: The Beautiful Ones

Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 327

Publication Date: 4/27/21

Categories: Romance, Paranormal, Alternate Historical Fiction

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic comes a sweeping romance with a dash of magic.

They are the Beautiful Ones, Loisail’s most notable socialites, and this spring is Nina’s chance to join their ranks, courtesy of her well-connected cousin and his calculating wife. But the Grand Season has just begun, and already Nina’s debut has gone disastrously awry. She has always struggled to control her telekinesis—neighbors call her the Witch of Oldhouse—and the haphazard manifestations of her powers make her the subject of malicious gossip.

When entertainer Hector Auvray arrives to town, Nina is dazzled. A telekinetic like her, he has traveled the world performing his talents for admiring audiences. He sees Nina not as a witch, but ripe with potential to master her power under his tutelage. With Hector’s help, Nina’s talent blossoms, as does her love for him.

But great romances are for fairytales, and Hector is hiding a truth from Nina — and
himself—that threatens to end their courtship before it truly begins. The Beautiful Ones is a charming tale of love and betrayal, and the struggle between conformity and passion, set in a world where scandal is a razor-sharp weapon.

This is the first novel I’ve read from this author, though I have Mexican Gothic on my TBR list and I fell in love with this story as it just pulled me in and didn’t let go. I don’t know what I really expected from it, but I found the writing so engaging, and beautiful.
I became a reader through romance novels so this was everything I want in a romance. I really was swept away and could not put the book down. There is passion, jealousy, betrayal, romance and love. I felt like my heart was being squeezed by the end of the story but in a good way.
I liked how this was an alternate historical fiction story, even though the places resembled high society in England some time in the early 1900’s perhaps, whatever time period where motorcars were being introduced. The characters attended balls, a season of parties, socializing and summer in the countryside. A fun twist is that Nina and Hector both could do telekinesis. In this world of The Beautiful Ones, it’s an extraordinary skill but looked down upon in high society. It makes Nina stand out in unpleasant ways, whereas Hector thrives with the skill being a performer. The two feel less alone when together.
Nina isn’t beautiful like her cousin’s wife Valerie, but she comes from a well known family. Unfortunately she’s too different, she talks when she’s not supposed to and it’s usually about inappropriate things like bugs, plus she can do telekinesis. She’s never made friends easily because she is different but I like how it didn’t stop her from being who she is and enjoying life. And thank goodness for her supportive family who loves her just as she is.
I love how Nina and Hector’s love grow. Their love is not quite a slow burn because Hector has been burning for Valerie, Nina’s cousin-in-law. I liked how the story explored burning passion and love versus something that forms into friendship and grows steadily into love.

Valerie ~ she is hateful but her character was done so well. So well that I hated her. Here was this woman who had the love she always wanted but he was poor. As a woman she had to marry well and she did, breaking the heart of her first love in the process. When he comes back to her, she revels in his obsession with her, they are both obsessed with one another, but whereas Hector believes it’s love, for Valerie, it’s possession. Nina is the innocent miss but Valerie is the hard, calculated woman and I was fascinated with her downward spiral.

The Beautiful Ones swept me off my romantic feet. I was hoping Nina would get some satisfaction over Hector and Valerie’s games and she does come out triumphant. This story is emotional, tragic, hopeful and everything I want in a romance. I am a new fan of this author and look forward to reading more books from her.

🦋 ~ Yolanda

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega | Book Review

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Title: Fat Chance, Charlie Vega

Author: Crystal Maldonado

Format: eBook – borrowed (Overdrive Library)

Pages: 308

Publication Date: 2/2/21

Publisher: Holiday House

Categories: Teen/Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Body Image, Family, Friendship, Dating, Coming of Age

Coming of age as a Fat brown girl in a white Connecticut suburb is hard.
Harder when your whole life is on fire, though.

Charlie Vega is a lot of things. Smart. Funny. Artistic. Ambitious. Fat.

People sometimes have a problem with that last one. Especially her mom. Charlie wants a good relationship with her body, but it’s hard, and her mom leaving a billion weight loss shakes on her dresser doesn’t help. The world and everyone in it have ideas about what she should look like: thinner, lighter, slimmer-faced, straighter-haired. Be smaller. Be whiter. Be quieter.

But there’s one person who’s always in Charlie’s corner: her best friend Amelia. Slim. Popular. Athletic. Totally dope. So when Charlie starts a tentative relationship with cute classmate Brian, the first worthwhile guy to notice her, everything is perfect until she learns one thing–he asked Amelia out first. So is she his second choice or what? Does he even really see her? UGHHH. Everything is now officially a MESS.

A sensitive, funny, and painful coming-of-age story with a wry voice and tons of chisme, Fat Chance, Charlie Vega tackles our relationships to our parents, our bodies, our cultures, and ourselves.

Love the message for girls and guys in here about body image and loving yourself no matter what size you are, no matter what skin color you are, no matter who you love. Charlie has to live with a mom who has chosen a fitness lifestyle and is trying to get Charlie to do the same. It causes Charlie’s self-esteem to take a beating and her relationship with her mom is strained. It was very relatable. It’s hard growing up in a family that points out every time you gain weight, I can definitely relate!
Charlie deals with a lot of body issues but the one thing she excels at is her writing, which is fantastic. I love that she has that outlet for her creative ideas and she’s good at it.
Charlie and her best-friend Amelia have an amazing relationship until Charlie finds a boyfriend. But they have a long hard talk about what came between them and I love that they had this moment. Charlie needed to speak her truth and Amelia as well. I love that even though they took some time apart, the came back together, maturely and talked it out. That’s what makes a friendship grow, when you can get through the rough parts.
Charlie’s romance with Brian is sweet because it starts as a friendship and I love that for her. Even the drama that came with it was realistic, especially because Charlie has some emotional issues to deal with that have nothing to do with Brian.
The cast of characters are quite diverse in this story, Charlie is half white/puerto rican. Brian is Korean with two mothers, and Amelia is black and pansexual.

Triggers: grief, fatphobia
Charlie’s mom really gets on Charlie to adopt a healthy lifestyle and to lose weight. It comes between them a lot. At times her mom seems to understand where Charlie is coming from and then the next scene it’s back to normal, shoving diet drinks in Charlie’s face. Even after Charlie lets her know how she feels, I felt like her mom didn’t truly get it.
The beginning was slow for me, it was turning out to be just an okay read for me because it seemed liked a story that was only about Charlie’s self-image but the second half of the book is where it gets really good and emotional.

Charlie Vega, despite her weight and self-image issues comes out shining in this story. She goes through some challenges with her mother, her first attempt at dating and best friend drama but she gets her happy ending. This book is great for teens and young adults because it’s totally relatable. I enjoyed this one, even though I thought it had a slow start, the second half came through with lots of emotion.

💛 ~ Yolanda

Quotes from the book:

Slingshot | ARC Review

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Title: Slingshot

Author: Mercedes Helnwein

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 4/27/21

Categories: Young Adult, Mature Situations, Romance, Family, Abuse, Boarding School, Coming of Age, Contemporary

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

An exciting debut contemporary young adult novel perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell and Mary H. K. Choi

Grace Welles had resigned herself to the particular loneliness of being fifteen and stuck at a third-tier boarding school in the swamps of Florida, when she accidentally saves the new kid in her class from being beat up. With a single aim of a slingshot, the monotonous mathematics of her life are obliterated forever…because now there is this boy she never asked for. Wade Scholfield.

With Wade, Grace discovers a new way to exist. School rules are optional, life is bizarrely perfect, and conversations about wormholes can lead to make-out sessions that disrupt any logical stream of thoughts.

So why does Grace crush Wade’s heart into a million tiny pieces? And what are her options when she finally realizes that 1. The universe doesn’t revolve around her, and 2. Wade has been hiding a dark secret. Is Grace the only person unhinged enough to save him?

Acidly funny and compulsively readable, Mercedes Helnwein’s debut novel Slingshot is a story about two people finding each other and then screwing it all up. See also: soulmate, friendship, stupidity, sex, bad poetry, and all the indignities of being in love for the first time.

Grace is a MESS. She’s 15, at a boarding school, unlikable, mean, a jerk, lacking social skills, says whatever she wants to say usual not caring about the consequences and she doesn’t believe in love. In a way she’s courageous, for not giving a crap but in lots of ways she’s afraid (of love) but wouldn’t admit it out loud until Wade and even Beth comes into her life. Also, she and her mom are her dad’s secret family so it’s no wonder she doesn’t believe in love. The blurb says “acidly funny” and all that acid comes from Grace haha!
Watching Grace navigate all her emotions was riveting and I could not put the book down. She’s all over the place. This girl is in love with her teacher then hates him when she finds out she was basically delusional about it. She pretty much scars a guy she hates, then sleeps with him and then unknowingly breaks his heart. If she went to my high school, this girl would have been getting into a lot of fights – she’s that girl. Despite her psychotic tendencies – I related to her thoughts about relationships, falling in love and sex because the relationships I saw growing up were totally dysfunctional too.
As for the romance with Wade ~ they start off as unlikely friends. Then best of friends into the possibility of something more and then into love. So it wasn’t instant which was nice, because Grace has a lot of issues but it was a sweet spot in the book. Wade is a good guy but we don’t know much about him until almost the ending. His life is complicated too.
Bittersweet ending – in true fashion, Grace falls for Wade, has this amazing time with him and it all comes crashing down. One thing is for sure with Grace, who basically hates everyone…she doesn’t hate Wade. And because Wade is so good, she learns to open up a bit…even make some friends and let some in. It’s not a total happy ending but realistic? I think so.

Triggers: student/teacher crush (one-sided), abuse, bullying
Grace crushes on her Bio teacher – hard. She thinks he reciprocates her feelings but ugh…he surely does not. And she basically does crazy stuff to him because she’s angry at him (breaks his pencils, writes him notes, tells him off) ~ this is how we are introduced to Grace and honestly from then on, I knew she needed therapy! This might turn people off to this book right away but seriously, it’s all one-sided.
Kind of bummed that Grace let all her grades go because of that whole teacher crush heartbreak – obviously this girl is SMART just lacking so much social skills and is almost hungrily studying others around her, hating them, judging them, needing praise (even it’s from some random guy like Derek who she hates) – dooming herself to loneliness because in the essence of it all she thinks her father never wanted her. Doesn’t love her.
I felt called out when Grace says she was into older music like 80’s/90’s and starts jamming to Smashing Pumpkins and Rage Against the Machine. 🤣 Talk about nostalgia – that was the music of MY high school years! Yes I’m old, but damn it the music was good!
This book totally could be a tv series, it’s quirky and dark enough, and Grace is so problematic.

Do not be fooled by this pink, happy book cover…this is not a fluffy, cutesy love story. Grace is a mean, cold, hurt, lost teenager trying to navigate all these feelings of love, sex, and friendship. She takes it out on everyone around her, and then Wade comes along and she tries to be better, for him. This story will not be for everyone, Grace has no filter ~ but she reminds me of someone I befriended in my younger years and things turned out okay for my friend. Moral of the story, we are all flawed, the teenage years are angsty and emotional, but we can still turn out okay.

🖤 ~ Yolanda