Wither by Lauren DeStefano (thoughts)
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From the back cover:

"In the not-too-distant future, because of genetic engineering, every human is a ticking time bomb-males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. To keep the population from dying out, girls are kidnapped and sold into polygamous marriages.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine is taken, she enters a world of wealth and privilege that both entices and terrifies her. She has everything she ever wanted-except freedom. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to escape before it is too late."

My Thoughts:

Wow! So there has been a ton of hype surrounding this book and lots of love/hate reviews. I loved it myself and found that I could not put this book down. The author has created such a realistic, horrible world that Rhine is living in and trying to escape from. Rhine's character was easy to relate to and came across very realistically. She was confused at times throughout the story as she tried to deal with everything that was happening to her...the wealth and luxury that she was now living in, her scary father-in-law, and her supposed "husband" who really knew so little of what was going on. This book had me constantly on my toes waiting to see what was going to happen next. I grew attached to Rhine from the very beginning of the book and wanted to see her both safe and free. It is a dystopian novel so I knew from the very beginning that there might not be a happy ending. This thought in the back of my head kept me turning the pages as fast as I could to see what would happen next, to ensure that Rhine would be okay. I just didn't want to put this book down. And what I liked about it best is that the ending left things open but in a way that was okay to me as the reader. I'm SOO looking forward to reading the next book in this trilogy as I can't wait to see what happens next! Highly recommended to both fans of adult and young adult books!

Disclosure- I was kindly sent a copy of this book for review free from the publisher. My thoughts are my own :)
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This is the second standalone novel that I have read by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I also read Don't Look Back and I really that one, and I really liked The Problem With Forever, as well. Now that I think about it, I think I actually prefer her contemporary books more than her paranormal series. I mean, those are great too, but there's just something about her standalones and her Wait for You series that draws me in.

Ok- enough rambling.

The Problem With Forever also deals with sensitive issues. The main character, Mallory (aka Mouse), had a horrific past, and has been making strides to overcome her issues that have resulted from her abuse. She's attending a public high school for her senior year and she is ready to be thrown back into society again. I really liked Mallory, and found her to be sweet, kind, and for her whole character to be believable. I read another book about a character who didn't speak much, and I didn't really buy the whole story (sorry). Mallory doubted herself at times and I understood why she didn't speak up for herself. I'm not saying that it was good, but I totally understood why. One thing that I really appreciated was the consistency of how her character and  personality were written. Certain traits didn't come and go, just because she felt like it or because she met 'that guy', and although she felt comfortable around certain people, she still struggled to get her words out.

I wasn't sure what to think of Rider at first. He sort of upset me at the beginning and I didn't like how he could be a little cold towards his girlfriend. I didn't think it was fair, to be honest. With that said, he did grow on me. I like that he was respectful towards Rosa and Carl, and that he looked out for Mallory and tried to help her.

The Problem With Forever was filled with some ups and downs. There was happy, funny moments and there were a few times that I teared up a little. I adored all the side characters- Jayden, Hector, Paige, and Ainsley. Ainsley was another character that grew on me. She kind of annoyed me at first, but then later I could see why she was Mallory's friend. Oh, and I want to thank Ms Armentrout for painting homeschooling and homeschoolers in a positve light! So often they are given a rep in Teen/YA books, and I don't think that's always fair.

 I know I am probably in the minority here, but I really liked Paige. I would actually like for her to get her own book. She appeared to be strong, without being obnoxious, and she didn't stoop to catty behavior. Yes, she got pissed (and rightfully so), but I could kind of see her reasoning. Yes, there were times when she could me a little mean, and I don't excuse that. But I still want to know here story and to see if she can find happiness.

I am looking forward to another standalone book by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I know that whatever it it is, it will be great!
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I've only read two books by Sarah Dessen before reading The Moon and More and I liked both. I especially LOVED The Truth About Forever, which is one of my all-time favorites. With that said, plus with Dessen being one of the reigning queens of contemporary YA today, I had high hopes for The Moon and More. Unfortunately, I read this novel during a time I was experiencing a reading slump (as well as stressed because I was working on my AP Lit paper at the time) and I initially scrabbled to keep up with the story, but eventually Emaline's character and what was happening in her life come together in my mind's eye.

But I am glad I stuck with it and I'm happy to say I very much enjoyed The Moon and More.

Despite my reading slump and my preoccupation with school stuff, I was able to keep reading and I think it has a lot to do with Dessen's excellent voice and writing. I found my reading experience with The Moon and More wonderful and refreshing.

It did start a bit slow, though. I was not able to immerse myself into the story until the drama of the novel picked up about 150 pages in or so. One of the expectations I had for The Moon and More was that it will be a quick and easy. It's not. In retrospect I shouldn't have expected that because while Sarah Dessen's books may have fluffy/cute looking covers, they are not in fact fluffy or cute. Her books tend have heavier elements and ideas to them that makes you reflect during and after reading.

It was not different with The Moon and More. Here, ideas about love, the unknown versus the familiar and relationships were discussed and explored. So, although not an easy summer read, it was a great and diverting read nonetheless. How the themes of the novel were explored were so vivid and honest. Even now, days after I finished it, I still find myself thinking about Emaline and the lessons she learned and locking them away in my mind to remember for later because a year from now I am going to graduate from high school and I may find myself in Emaline's shoes.

I really like that Emaline and her friends and family live in a beach town. I can totally relate to that since I live on Maui. However, I couldn't connect with her as much as I wanted to. We have different values--for example, a big part of the novel is Emaline being very content living in the town where she's born, not wanting to live anywhere else while I am dying to get out of Maui and explore the world.

I thought that the characters were well-developed. They were real people with real lives. I liked watching each of the characters go through a gradual change throughout the book, either for the better or worse--where they ended up at the end of the novel was what they deserved or was in line with their character.

While I had issues with The Moon and More, most of them were personal issues and nothing for anyone to get discouraged by. The Moon and More is a good summer read, especially if you like a more introspected, thoughtful read. If you enjoyed Sarah Dessen's novels in the past then this one is worth picking up.

A Beach Read-Approved by Michelle & Leslie's Book Picks.

Reviewed by Leslie for Michelle & Leslie's Book Picks book blog (it was originally posted on the blog on 7/11/2013).
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This review found originally on All The Stacks [...]
If I had to pick my favorite new-to-me author of 2012, I would pick Lauren Oliver. I was first introduced to Lauren Oliver through her first book Before I Fall (my review can be found on my other blog here). I loved it so much, I had to pick-up Delirium which is amazing and let me to read book two in the series, Pandemonium.

Lena is now in the Wilds, having made it over the fence alone, at the end of Delirium. The chapters are broken up into Now and Ten which depicts Lena when she is first found in the Wilds and the present, where she is working for the resistance. The concept of dual personas, remains throughout Pandemonium. Lena is a broken shell when she is first found, weak, heartbroken over all that she has lost. She starts to build up walls against feeling the pain and tries to put the past behind her.

On her first mission for the resistance, she is forced to confront the two Lena's and decide if she wants to continue not to feel. If she wants to let society, either the zombie society of the cured or even that of the resistance, to tell her how she should feel. Through Oliver's deft writing, the choices Lena makes begin to unfold until she decides to take a stand for what she knows is right.

I really enjoyed the many shades of gray throughout Pandemonium. The lines blur between the good guys and the bad guys. Lena is forced to make her own path, even if she has to do it alone. The passion and feeling of young love is written beautifully. You get just a taste to feel some of what the characters are feeling. That fleeting hint of young love and passion.

Pandemonium is a great follow-up to Delirium. The progress that Lena makes leads us effortlessly into book three without Pandemonium feeling like filler. I am anxiously awaiting the conclusion to this wonderful series.
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Pre-reading Thoughts:

First I would like to say thank to Jonathan Ball Publishers for sending me this book to review. And secondly, this synopsis is was different from the one that I got on my book. Nonetheless, I am still excited to see where this story will take me. I am not known to be a huge fan of contemporaries but I have a feeling that this one might be up my alley. I am ready to see who this anonymous texted is as well as what secrets the other characters in this book have. Please note that in no way has receiving this book affected my opinion. All thoughts are my own.

Writing Thoughts:

The pace in this book was slow particularly in the beginning. I am generally a fast reader but it took me an hour to get through less than fifty pages. However as we reached the 100 page mark, the book sped up because more was happening and the main character and her friends actually started to solve the problem that was at hand. I applaud the author for recovering from the slow pace in the beginning of the book.

Plot Thoughts:

There was so much that I didn't like in the beginning of the book. It was almost enough for me to put the book down and never pick it up again. However I decided that I would give the book a chance because it is one that I have received for review. The plot and the problems that were brought forth in the beginning defiantly got better. The plot became clearer and fast paced. The problems that I had faced in the beginning faded away almost immediately once the true plot began to unfold.

Character Thoughts:

I did not like our main character at all. There were just so many things that I didn't agree with. Kara seemed whiny and spoiled. I was happy that things sort of calmed down once our main character met her new friend Alex. I liked Alex because she was everything our main character wasn't. Which might seem a bit rough but it was true. Alex just spoke to me more than what our main character did.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, the book wasn't too bad. I enjoyed the ending more than the beginning and honestly, I won't be reading this book up any time soon. There were a lot of things that counted towards my negative perception of this book, however there were a few things that redeemed this book. Once again, I would like to thank Jonathan Ball Publishers for sending me this book to review. Whilst I may not have liked it all too much, I am still incredibly grateful to receive this book.
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I am a huge Sarah Dessen fan.  I have enjoyed all the books I've read by her, and Along for the Ride was no exception.  I actually think that this book is my second favorite Dessen novel, next to Just Listen (which I truly believe nothing will ever compare to, in my mind).

What really made me fall in love with this novel was the character of Auden.  Just like Annabel in Just Listen, I saw a lot of myself in Auden.  I have never been particularly good at making good girlfriends and understanding the ways groups of girls work.  I have always been slightly socially awkward and, especially in my elementary and middle school years, always felt really shy and out-of-the-loop around most of my classmates.  As a kid, I also preferred books and learning to actual people.  I really "got" all of these aspects of Auden's personality.  I remember losing myself in my studies in high school and even college as a way to not deal with all the stuff in my life I couldn't control or didn't want to think about.  My connection to Auden definitely solidified my feelings for the book.  Right from the start, I liked her, I understood her, and I rooted for her through the entire book.

And just as in Dessen's other novels, Along for the Ride had fantastic secondary characters too.  I (of course) loved Eli and was so intrigued by his and Auden's budding relationship.  I also REALLY liked Heidi, Auden's stepmom.  I liked how even through Auden's eyes, I was able to see how normal Heidi was and what a great person she truly was, how she was trying so hard to make her family work.  She was just so real that I couldn't help but feel for her.  I did not enjoy either of Auden's parents, but I don't think the reader is supposed to like them - although they, like the rest of the characters, were definitely realistic.

The story of this book was pretty great too.  I do think that Dessen's novels have a sort of formula to them, but I think that for her, it works.  I had a pretty good idea of how the book would turn out, and I still loved where Dessen took the story.  And I always appreciate how in a Sarah Dessen novel, everything is NOT solved just by getting the guy in the end.  Sure, usually the guy and girl end up together in some way, but there's always more to the story than that.  And it doesn't always equal perfection, either.  I just think that her books are a much more realistic portrayal of life than a lot of teen novels.  Along for the Ride definitely fit that description.  I loved this book - if you are a fan of YA fiction, you will too.
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I had read and enjoyed Wither and was very much looking forward to reading Fever. The book was good, but not as good as Wither. I will definitely read the next book when it comes out. However, Fever seemed like more of a transition book to progress the story without adding much. For example, Rhine and Gabriel's relationship really doesn't progress at all. If you are expecting the same romance from the couple that was in Wither, you really won't get much, although there is hope for future romance.
Also, this isn't a book to read if you are feeling sick. Pretty much at all times during this book, someone is sick or drugged. Rhine is drugged for a good portion of the book (not by will), which is maybe why there is less development of the story in this book than the first.
All in all, I enjoyed the book. It kept me engrossed, and I don't feel like I wasted my time reading it. If you enjoyed Wither, you should read Fever as well.
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After You was the 2015 sequel to Jojo Moyess 2012 bestselling book, Me Before You.

Its some 18 months since Will Traynor committed assisted suicide, ending his life that saw him as a successful business and sportsman, but that took a drastic turn after an accident left him a quadriplegic. Louisa Lou Clark was his companion and care-giver for six short months; six months in which she fell in love with Will, struggled with his decision to end his life and was inspired to expand her own small world because of the fire he lit in her.

But its hard to live life to the fullest when you're still grieving  and somewhat angry at the person whose life changed yours, but still decided to end his own. Lou, we discover, did as Will instructed and lived for herself  for a little while, at least. But she grew exhausted and lonely, and the further she got away from memories of Will, the more she finds herself doubting everything they had and shes become.

When we catch up with Lou again, shes living an uneventful half-life in the London apartment she bought with money Will left her. Shes working a dead-end waitressing job at the airport, and her family are worried for all the ways shes letting life slip through her fingers again  but then a terrible accident, and an unexpected visitor conspire to turn Lous life around again.

So, I was really reluctant to read this book. Hence, why I didn't pounce on it when it was released last year. Me Before You was my first Moyes book, and I loved it. I was obsessed with it, and couldn't stop thinking of Lou and Will for days after that book wrecked me  and when I heard Moyes was writing a sequel (not just a novella catch-up shortish story, but a proper 416-page book!) I didn't want to read it. I thought Me Before You was perfect as-was, and I hesitated to read Moyes revisiting this story  I was worried that it wouldnt be anywhere near as good, or Id find no point in revisiting. Thankfully though, I had no reason to worry. Moyes has as many important themes and bruises to discuss and poke at, and Lou is in a riper place than ever for a reflection story/journey.

I love the fact that this is Moyes looking at grief, and the fact that theres no guidebook or expiry-date on missing someone. This is something Lou struggles with  both for how short a time she knew Will, she wonders if shes allowed to have this depth of feeling and missing for him;

But its also Lou struggling to live life to the fullest like she learnt to do with Will  but that becomes hard to do with the drudgery of life and needing to support yourself, and when just living day-to-day while grieving is a task in itself. Suddenly all those wisdoms Will imparted seem impossible to fulfil.

There is a little romance for Lou in this book, which is something else she has to tackle through the lens of grief and guilt. But theres a bigger story in here too, about another unexpected way the memory of Will intrudes on Lou trying to live her life and move on  when this arc revealed itself I did a little internal eye-roll at the clich of it, but Moyes pulls it off with aplomb by infusing a grittiness to the questions this character and story throws up. I also appreciated that there was an aspect to it that connected to what happened to Lou as a young woman, when she was raped while out partying one night. All of this really grounded the story, and bought new dimensions to Lous new life and growth for me.

I also loved that Lous family have their own dramas playing out  her mother has taken a feminist school course, and her father is feeling threatened by the woman his wife is suddenly becoming after decades of steady marriage.

I shouldnt have held out so long to read this sequel. Im glad that watching the trailer for the movie adaptation of Me Before You prompted me to revisit Lous world, because After You was absolutely fulfilling and a phenomenal read. I did love that Lou got another little romance here, but theres bigger things happening in her life that made me even think Id like to revisit her for a third time round
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Taken from my blog: [...].

My Thoughts: I always tend to like these kind of stories. When I first saw this one in people's mailbox posts, I automatically knew I had to read this. It reminded me a bit of His Eyes by Renee Carter which I really loved. We meet Jesse and Sam. They grew up with each other and have been best friends since they were little kids. Jesse had another friend Pete and a girlfriend Cindy. Than he got sick and things went downhill fast. He was diagnosed with cancer and the only one he could stand to be around was Sam, because Sam really knew him and they had always been around each other. Sam started to stay with him all the time, even staying the night. Jesse started going through treatments while Sam stood by him.

Jesse and Sam started to get closer and closer, and became more than friends.

I won't spoil this novel but I just want to say a few things. First off, when someone gets sick, its hard. Jesse was going through so much pain, but so was Sam. They both knew he was going to die and all that they had was time. Time to spend with each other and try to enjoy their last moments together. There were so many times I wanted to cry, and so many times I felt proud of both Jesse and Sam for being so strong. If you want to find out what happens, read the book.

 Overall: Really liked it. I especially Jesse and Sam's first time. Thats about how it goes too! Really good book!

 Cover: I've seen two different versions of the cover but they are both cool.
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I finished this book last night and I'm still trying to decide if I liked it enough to want to read the other two books in the series. Usually when I read comments that a book is unrealistic, I think that it's fiction and it doesn't have to always make sense. Now I'm one of those people. There were way too many times in this book that I wondered how they could be so clueless, e.g. not worrying about finger prints; moving a car in a parking lot and not thinking it won't be reported especially when one of them gave their name; leaving something behind in that car; driving cars home even though it explained why they thought it was safe. I also would have liked for the author to tie up their involvement to the incident at the end (the Bugatti sitting in the parking lot).

It was also difficult for me to get past the hard life these boys were living, i.e. their father being the way he was and them never knowing if they would have enough money to eat or stay in their home. While I know there are many people who live like that, I felt it took up too much of the book for it to be my idea of what I want in a romance...it just made me sad.

I liked Logan, loved the picture of him on the cover, loved how he was with his brothers and even how tolerant he was with his father even though he was very unlikeable. But I also found him to be very frustrating at times and I'm not sure he would be someone I could have stayed with. Yes, he could be very loveable at times, but after his actions at her party especially the bathroom scene, I wasn't sure I even wanted to continue reading the book because I disliked him so much at that point. I can't imagine forgiving him!

I really liked Maddie so that helped me want to finish the book. She was funny, loveable, very forgiving, wanting only the best for Logan and his family. I was very happy with her actions at the end.

I would like to read more about his brothers but I think I will have to wait to read reviews before I can buy the next book. It won't be an automatic pre-order like most series I read.
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Lee Fiora is a middle class teenager from Indiana attending a New England prep school on scholarship. She has severe social anxiety and a huge crush on the popular guy, Cross Sugarman.

I remember seeing Prep on the shelves in the bookstore when it was initially published and thinking that I might be interested in reading it, but I never picked it up. A while back I added it to my Goodreads list and a few weeks ago I chose it for my audible purchase. I was expecting something funny, perhaps a more mature Gossip Girl. I never expected what I read to be so frighteningly true.

Ive never read such perfect descriptions of social anxiety. **This book shows what social anxiety feels like.** I specifically remember the scene where Lee is at the airport and someone invites her to sit with a group at a restaurant and she talks herself into doing it, but then she doesnt know where to sit when she gets there, and doesnt know what to say once she sits down, wonders why she was even invited in the first place. Fear of that feeling used to stop me from so many social interactions. I know it so well.

Lee wants things to happenI remember being a child and wishing something _interesting would happen_ but when they do, she panics:

I always thought I wanted to know a secret, or I wanted an event to unfold  I wanted my life to start  but in those rare moments when it seemed like something might actually change, panic shot through me.

The book is full of so many of these little truths that speak to what its like to be painfully shy. I wonder if few books are written about the painfully shy, since its difficult to write a character who doesnt engage in much dialog. I think Curtis Sittenfeld engages Lee in dialog with herself and with the reader. Shes telling this story in the past, and she includes all the pieces that were floating around in Lees head then, and on occasion, how Lee thinks about them now.

I decided that I wanted to say to Sin-Jun, I like your skirt. But sometimes speaking is so hard! It's like standing still, then sprinting. I kept rehearsing the sentence in my head, examining it for flaws.

Lees relationship with Cross was, to me, one of the less interesting parts of the book, although I did see myself in the state of anxiety she allowed herself to go through in-between their meetings. After having gone though someting like that, theres something wonderful about being with someone who never makes you guess their feelings. I found myself wanting that for Lee, because by the time I ended the book, after being inside her head for so long, I had a hard time not thinking about her as real.

At that time in my life, no conclusion was a bad conclusion. Something ended, and you stopped wishing and worrying. You could consider your mistakes, and you might be embarrassed by them, but the box was sealed, the door was shut, you were no longer immersed in the confusing middle.

I loved this book. I talked to myself in the car listening to this book. I said, Yes, yes, this is what this feels like. This is exactly what this is like.
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Like Matched, this is another internalized dystopia from a female perspective (which, honestly, is an interesting and worthwhile take on the slightly tired genre). While I enjoyed Wither, I thought it was slightly lackluster and not quite my cup of tea. Rhine doesn't take enough initiative for my liking, secondary characters are not as well developed as they really could be (with the possible exception of Rhine's sister wife Jenna, who is haunting in her deeper understanding of their situation and attempts to help Rhine), and the reader is not given much information about the society. Many of those quibbles could be addressed in the sequel, Fever, due out in February 2012, but many readers may not want to wait.

I'd like to give this 3.5 stars, but that is not currently possible on Amazon.

[...]
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Tumble & Fall was one of the books that I was most looking forward to in 2013, so I was super stoked when I received it as a Christmas present. I started reading it a few months ago, though I just couldn't seem to get into it. This was maybe around Februaryish. I saw it sitting on my bookshelf a few months later and decided that it was about time I finally finished the book since I had been looking forward to it so much.

The one thing that I really enjoyed about this book was the switching point of views. I've always been a fan of multiple point of views because it allows you to see what the world is like through different eyes, so you get all the contrasting thoughts in your head. In Tumble & Fall, the three point of views are Caden, Sienna, and Zan. Each of these characters is just so unlike the other, yet they are all trying to cope with what's to come: the end of the world.

Caden was my favorite character out of all of them. He gets kidnapped by his own father, though he lives with his alcoholic mother. When he gets to their house, he meets Sophie, who is his father's girlfriend. Caden really likes Sophie and he finds it extremely odd that she's with his father, because his father doesn't seem like the type to be with her. Come to find out later on that there is, of course, more to the story than what meets the eye.

Sienna gets taken to the island with her father after she gets out of the medical center for drinking. Her father really wants her to be there and spend tons of family time together before the end of the world, though he is really controlling about this. I mean, Sienna wants to live the last of her days doing things she enjoys as well, and she doesn't want to be forced to spend family time, especially when her dad is going to get married to another women.

Zan's boyfriend Leo died in a car accident a while ago, though she still misses him a lot. When Leo's sister gives Zan a book and she finds something about a girl named Vanessa, she goes on an adventure to find out who this mysterious girl is along with Nick, Leo's best friend.

I really liked how all of the stories were really different yet they intertwined at the same time in ways. I think I was just a bit disappointed because I had been so excited for this book and I was expecting it to be so amazing. I mean, don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed it, but the hype I made up in my head definitely disappointed me a bit.
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*~.Book Analysis.~*
Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as a reader :)

*~.PROS.~*

Beautiful and perfect writing with a fresh setting in Praga  am I the only one that loves finding YA books set in places outside of the US? I mean, I do love me some North American YA, don't get me wrong, but European YA Oh, my. Also, I really freaking loved the intake on how magic works that Laini brings us and the fact that the main character has blue hair  Oh, oh, and can we talk about the beautiful cover?? And, and the sidekicks?! BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL PERFECT!

*~.CONS.~*

But Annelise, you just highly praised the book. Why only a 3 stars rating?

True. You see, here things get tricky with me. While I adored many, MANY things on Daughter of Smoke and Bone, the ones I disliked were more like I hated them. Lets begin.

Im not a fan of past lives romances, like we met in another life and are bounded to be together now. Its just not my cup of tea. Then, I found highly unbelievable many of Karous reactions towards the big revelations on the end of the book  if Akiva had done only a third for me and my family that he did to Karou, I would have killed him on the spot. To finish my rant, I felt like this book was heavily fueled by instalove, which also happens to be a cup of tea that I run like crazy from, given the chance.

While I loved most of the aspects regarding Daughter of Smoke and Bone and don't regret picking it up, the cons were so strong in my heart that I do not think Ill finish the series.

*~.RECOMMENDED FOR.~*

Fans of awesome writing, YA romance, urban fantasy, angels and soul mates
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Based alone on the summary of this novel, I was very hesitant about it. Dystopian.. I am there. Polygamy.. not so much. While there is so much I want to say about this novel, I know that I must refrain so that I don't spoil anything. But let's just say that it is a jem.

Wither is absolutely brilliant. And DeStefano is a magic maker. She takes a novel that has elements that should not work together and makes it blend so perfectly that you just become lost in what she has created. There were plenty of times that I simply forgot that I was reading a book. The characters, the setting, the mood.. it all just worked for me.

What hit me most about Wither is how raw it is. DeStefano does not shy away from any topic. Whether it is death, marriage, or anything in between, DeStefano has it covered. And it is covered in a realistic and believable way that left me speechless.

Wither is the perfect novel to make you say WOW! I never imagined the profound feelings that I would have after finishing this novel, but wow, were they there. Wither is simply one novel that is not to be missed.
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Been waiting a long time for this book. Finally got to read it :) It was different from what I thought it would be. A tiny bit disappointed about that. But I still loved it a whole lot, because it was a good book. I have read Brenna's other two books; The Replacement and The Space Between. Enjoyed them both. I like her writing, for the most part. And I like the way she tells stories. And I did enjoy Paper Valentine very much. Just yeah. Wish it never to end :) It says 368 pages on hardcover on Goodreads. Not true. It's just 304. Wish it had been longer. :)

I fell in love with the cover. It's just so pretty and unique and just gorgeous. I love it. And oh. The book outside of the cover art is gorgeous. So, so pretty. Yeah. I love this book a lot ;p I thought this would be a book about murders and that we would get a lot of dead people and such, and terror. It kind of is. Nothing graphic, though, which I'm kind of disappointed in. I love horror :D But yeah. I also enjoyed this book so much.

There is dead people, though. There is a murderer. There is ghosts. But there is also a broken girl and a broken boy. And oh. The boy is perfect. I might not have liked him at first, because he was so different from what I have read before in love interests. But I changed my mind very fast. Finny was amazing. So kind and sweet. He's big and scary, with a lost finger. And bleached hair. But oh. He was so adorable. So sweet. A bit of an a** as a child though, but I didn't blame him at all. Sobs. Felt so sorry for him. He is perfect, though. So amazing.

I had some trouble reading this book in the beginning. Was a bit bored. But that might just be me, since I'm a bit tired today. It picked up really well, though. I enjoyed almost everything in this book. The romance is very sweet and real. I wish it had been even more, though. But I loved what there were. It was just so sweet, and I adored Finny and Hannah. This is kind of a weird book. And I liked that. See, Hannah is seeing the ghost of her dead best friend, Lillian. It's kind of creepy. But awesome too.

Lillian was just sad. So heartbreaking. She's with Hannah all the time. But no one else can see her. Hannah did seem a bit crazy at times, but I adored her. And her little sister April. But yeah. Lillian was sad. She died six months ago, and the way she died was just goddamn awful. She died of Trevor. Which you will understand when you read the book. It isn't a person. And it's awful and sad and so real. Also, I hated their friends. I just didn't like them at all. Which I kind of liked, to be honest with you all.

I did like the mystery of the murders. Of all the dead young girls. It was kind of creepy. But yeah. Not creepy enough. Wish it had been more. But I did enjoy reading about it all :) Was just a tiny bit disappointed in the murderer. Maybe. I'm still unsure about it all. But I did like the mystery. And the surprises. The writing is mostly good, and I enjoyed reading Paper Valentine a lot. There is some action. Which was good. And oh. Yeah. I enjoyed the romance a lot, like I mentioned :) It was just so sweet.

Because yeah. Finny was an amazing character. He was just so broken, to be honest. He seems like a big scary guy. And he kind of is. But he's also very soft-hearted, and kind and sweet and protective. He's nice. And he and Hannah fit together really well. He's been bullied a lot because of how he dress and looks and such, and it wasn't fair. It was just mean and cruel and heartbreaking. And I loved it very much. Giving this book a four star, because while I loved it, I had a few tiny issues with it as well.

Anyway. Not sure what else to say about this book. I liked the characters a lot. I liked the story and the writing. Wish the book had been much longer, and that there will be a sequel. But I did enjoy this book very much. Hannah was a great main character. She changed a lot in this book, which was good. I think you should read Paper Valentine. It is different from what I thought it would be, but it was also amazing.
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Oh my goodness did I resonate with this character. Not with her past, but with her being. I loved the intense friendship from the very beginning. I love the entire getting to know the character because it's real. 180 seconds is intense. There were many times I was laughing out loud, but there were also raw moments that left you feeling exposed. It shows the amazing side to social media and the dark side which more people than we would like to think experience.

Moments that had me crying or just emotional. (I won't go into details, so it hopefully won't spoil anything. Hopefully it doesn't make sense unless you read it. Which you should :))

The dog shelter<3 - it's sooooo important to adopt or even volunteer. Give those babies some love<3

The rusty red pickup truck<3

The sisters<3

The business man <3

The whole cabin <3

The bachelorette <3

The bikers <3

Heartbreak and love at the same time <3

180 Seconds <3