All posts in Fiction

Tweet Cute

By Brookelorren on Leave a Comment
Tweet Cute cover

When I first saw Tweet Cute up at Netgalley, I knew I had to read it. Fortunately, thanks to them and St. Martin’s Press, I was given an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. I loved it! It’s described as the story of two people who fall in love while sparring on Twitter with witty remarks, but there’s a lot more to this story.

The characters Pepper and Jack are great together. They’re also nicely fleshed out. Pepper is trying to get good grades, which she might take a little too seriously, while Jack is an identical twin who feels like he’s in his brother’s shadow. Their worries are typical of teenagers. I never had to worry about participating in my parent’s business like these two do, but I’m sure that could add a lot of stress to an already stressful senior year.

The enemies-to-lovers romance is well-done, and I can definitely see these two getting together. The story takes place over most of a year, and I love how their Twitter war is first personal, then becomes a game, then goes a little too far.

Although Tweet Cute seems like an adorable story about high school seniors falling in love (and there’s plenty of that deliciousness going on), there’s a lot more depth to this story than the description lets on. It’s a story about family, including parents and siblings that can make life difficult at times, the good and bad things about social media, and misunderstandings with classmates. I didn’t expect this when I started reading it.

If you love food, Tweet Cute is full of gorgeous desserts and yummy deli meals. You might just get hungry reading it. In addition to Pepper and Jack’s parents owning restaurants, Pepper and her sister love to bake. This is one of those books that, if you love to cook, you might just try making some of these recipes yourself.

I personally am not a foodie, but I do like computers and tweet a lot. I was particularly drawn to the computer and technology aspects of this book. Jack is an app developer, and there’s a lot of communication via social media.

There are plenty of reasons to read Tweet Cute. Read it to drool over the gorgeous recipes. The love story between Pepper and Jack is cute. The Twitter conversations and snark is fun. Should I go on? I thought this story was fun. It had a depth to it I wasn’t expecting. It comes out on January 21st, but you can pre-order it now.

This Light Between Us

By Brookelorren on 2 Comments
This Light Between Us cover

I recently had the opportunity to read an Advanced Review Copy of This Light Between Us (thank you Netgalley and Tor Teen!). It’s an important story, historically, which mainly focuses on a Japanese teenager, Alex, whose pen pal is a French Jew. I enjoyed it a lot.

Alex and Charley become pen pals when they’re young. They keep writing to each other as they get older and World War II approaches. Not everything is rosy. Alex and his family are put into Japanese internment camps, while Charley’s letters become more sporadic and her situation becomes more dire as well.

These characters drew me in. Charley is a girl full of life and excitement; Alex is a quiet boy who likes drawing cartoons. I wanted to find out what happens to them. Do they ever get to meet? This book draws you in and makes you want to read more.

I liked the settings in this book as well. Alex grows up in Bainbridge Island, which I’ve been to more than once (although not in the 1940s). The book takes you to Japanese concentration camps and through war-torn Europe (which I’ve also been to, yet not during a war). I didn’t have trouble picturing any of these places. The book does include some French and German in the book, and a very small amount of Japanese. Since I speak German, passable French, and a tiny bit of Japanese, I didn’t have trouble understanding it. I imagine that most people would be able to deduce some of the meaning from the context.

The following paragraph contains a minor spoiler. Not everybody in this book lives happily ever after. If you’re looking for a story that leaves you with joy and happy tears, this isn’t the one. However, it does have a realistic ending.

If you’re looking for a book that takes you into the head of someone in World War II, I highly recommend This Light Between Us. Not enough time has been spent in most history classes talking about the Japanese internment camps in World War II, which is a shame. This book does exaggerate a few historical details, but it does include many that were true (I sometimes look these things up and I love history).

Another book similar to This Light Between Us, where a large part of the story takes place during World War II in an internment camp, is The Last Year of the War (I linked to the review). Although this book is classified YA, this is a book that would also hold interest for adults that don’t often read YA as well (the main character is around 19-20 at the end of the story).

Father of Lions

By Brookelorren on 2 Comments
Father of Lions cover

I recently read Father of Lions, which is about how one man saved some of the animals from the Mosul Zoo. Thank you Bookish First for an Advanced Reader Copy! I was able to get 15 free books from them in 2019; if you’d like to get free books too, you can sign up too, and if you use referral code 56cf541090ca608b4 you can help me get free books too! Anyway, this book takes place in Iraq, which helps me cover that country for my Read Around the World Challenge.

In the last few years, you may have heard the story about how ISIS took over much of the Middle East (and has been ousted from most of the area now). I never really thought about what it would have been like to live through it. This story allows you to feel what it would have been like to live in that area when religious extremists take over.

It primarily follows Abu Laith, an animal lover known as “the father of lions” who looks a little like a lion himself. Most of his zoological education came from The National Geographic Channel. That doesn’t stop him from buying a lion cub and becoming a self-proclaimed zookeeper. The actual owner of the Mosul zoo lives far away and is mostly concerned about the money the zoo brings in. I like this character and his concern for animals.

The world turns upside down when ISIS takes over the city. The residents welcome them at first. ISIS is friendly and takes away the roadblocks. Unfortunately, they don’t stay friendly. They start imposing their version of Sharia law, which is quite restrictive. Food and other resources become scarce. While they have trouble eating, the animals start to starve too.

Abu Laith does the best he can to take care of these animals, even though he’s not trained to care for them. He eventually gets help from outside of the country to save what animals he can. Corruption within the country makes even that difficult. You’ll have to read the book to find out what happens.

I liked this book for several reasons. Father of Lions has a unique setting and describes the living experience of living there well. I also like how this was based on a true story. People who are interested in contemporary history, the Middle East, or in animals would love this story. It’s not a YA book, but it’s a book that would interest people of all ages. I definitely recommend it. You can pre-order this book now, even though its release date is January 14th.

Every Other Weekend

By Brookelorren on 1 Comment
Every Other Weekend cover

Teens have a lot of problems to deal with. Every Other Weekend by Abigail Johnson deals with topics that far too many of them face. I recently had the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review (thank you Netgalley and Harlequin TEEN/Inkyard Press for the opportunity!). I enjoyed this book, which deals with a lot of these topics.

Adam’s parents are separated. He insists that they’re not getting a divorce. Jolene’s parents are divorced. One weekend, they find themselves moving into the same apartment building. Their parents have the same custody arrangement: every other weekend. Over the course of the year, they develop a friendship (which slowly grows into more), learn about life, and deal with problems that many teens face.

Good Things

If you were to break down this book into topics teens face, you’d run into quite a few. Some of the topics covered in this book include parental divorce, forgiveness, and dealing with adults that try to take advantage of their perceived authority. This book also covers being honest with yourself. But this book isn’t preachy.

The characters are great. The male MC, Adam, has anger issues with his parents. The female MC, Jolene, comes with a whole family full of baggage. They work well together, and their fears about the future are valid. I especially wanted to hug Jolene sometimes. She’s so excited about film, yet who knows whether she’ll be able to get into the film program she wants to get into? Her parents are trash.

Adam’s story unfolds slowly, leaving us to wonder for most of the book what happened to cause his parents to separate. I won’t spoil anything here, but I will say I had an aunt and uncle who went through something similar, and it really can be difficult on the family.

I also enjoyed the voices of the characters. We get to read this story from both Adam’s and Jolene’s points of view. I did sometimes get them mixed up? But it wasn’t too big of a deal.

Trigger Warnings

There is an attempted sexual assault in Every Other Weekend, which could be a trigger for some people. You can probably figure out what’s going to happen from a mile away, and it is stopped before it goes too far. However, if that sort of thing bothers you, you might want to skip the chapter it occurs in (which you can probably guess?).

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a feel-good book with teens dealing with separated parents, I highly recommend Every Other Weekend. There were points in this book where I didn’t want to put it down, and I wanted to read just one more chapter. It has great characters, deals with important topics, and is written in a style that made me not want to put it down. The book also has a satisfying and realistic ending. I’d also like to read other books by this author someday.

Every Other Weekend comes out on January 7th.

Echoes Between Us

By Brookelorren on 4 Comments
Echoes Between Us cover

I recently read Echoes Between Us by Katie McGarry. Thank you Bookish First for the Advanced Reader Copy (I love you Bookish First!). If you’d like the opportunity to get free books from them in 2020, you can use referral code 56cf541090ca608b4 and get your own books too (and help me too). I enjoyed this book and am passing on my copy to my niece.

Veronica is a girl who has a secret. She has a brain tumor… and sees ghosts. Some people think she’s weird, but she pretty much likes to do her own thing. The upcoming school year promises to be lonely for her, as her friends are either going off to college or attending high school part-time. It’s going to be a challenge to find someone to do the senior English paper with.

Sawyer is a swimmer; at first glance, you’d think he had everything. He has a secret too: his mom drinks a little too much on the weekends, and he has to care for his younger sister Lucy a lot. When he moves into Veronica’s first floor (which is said to be haunted), their paths cross. Over times, they discover they have feelings for each other.

There are a lot of things I like about this book. The first thing that stuck out to me about this book was the author’s voice. It had a quality that made me want to read more and laugh out loud at times. The other things I liked about this story was the characters and what they go through. The characters were likeable and sympathetic.

Another thing I liked about this book is the situations the characters had to deal with. Veronica believes she’s dying of a brain tumor. Sawyer has an addiction to jumping off cliffs into water; he also has to deal with his mother’s alcoholism. Fortunately, I’ve never had to deal with either of these situations, but these are serious problems that some people have to deal with. The ghosts add interest to the story.

Although this book isn’t heavy on setting (except for a few haunted places) the rest of the story makes up for it. I enjoyed it a lot and highly recommend it if you’re looking for a contemporary YA book. There were places in this book where I didn’t want to put it down. Echoes Between Us doesn’t come out until January 14, 2020, but you can pre-order it now.

The Christmas Pact

By Brookelorren on 2 Comments

Christmas is merely days away, and if you’re looking for something cheery to listen to over the holiday season, you might be interested in listening to one of December’s free Audible Original selections, The Christmas Pact. It’s a cute story about two people who have similar names: Riley Kennedy and Kennedy Riley. They work for the same company, although in different locations. Sometimes their email gets misdirected. Kennedy seems like a jerk: he often reads her email and forwards it with unsolicited advice. Although Riley tries to avoid Kennedy at the company Christmas party, their paths cross.

After Riley mentions that she’s going home for the holidays, Kennedy has an idea. What if Kennedy pretends to be her boyfriend? Riley felt like her mom was disappointed in her because she was single. In return, Riley could accompany him to his brother’s wedding.

And so, the fake dating scheme has begun. As their plan commences, they begin to enjoy each other’s company. They both have pasts that complicate their ability to have relationships with other people. By the time they return to work, they’ve fallen for each other. Neither of them decides to pursue the relationship though. Is that the end for the two? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

The Christmas Pact is only 2 hours and 54 minutes long, so it’s an easy book to get into and finish before Christmas. If you sign up for an Audible membership, it’s free, otherwise you can buy it without a membership. It will be available on Audible Escape in January (after the holidays).

Almost Midnight

By Brookelorren on 2 Comments
Almost Midnight cover

I just finished reading Almost Midnight by Rainbow Rowell. For the past several Christmases, I’ve read a Christmas book every December (this year I read two!). I originally wanted to read My True Love Gave to Me, but it was already in use at the library. I really wanted to reread “Midnights” again. I remembered that Ms. Rowell published a book which contained that book and another Christmas story, and this one was available at the library.

I don’t usually comment about a book’s cover, but Almost Midnight‘s photo online doesn’t do it justice. This book is gorgeous and sparkly (I read the hardback edition). Another thing to note about this book’s physical format is that it’s dimensions are smaller than your typical hardback–it’s about the same size as my Kindle Paperwhite.

There are two stories in this book, “Midnights” and “Kindred Spirits”.

“Midnights”: This was the whole reason I checked out this book. It’s the story about Mags and Noel, who meet at a New Year’s Eve party when Mags is 15. Over the years, they become best friends and slowly fall in love. Every year, they hang out with each other until midnight… and someone else kisses Noel. It’s their first year of college. Noel was away at Notre Dame and Mags stayed in Oklahoma. She absolutely can’t handle watching him kiss another girl at midnight this year. Well… I won’t tell you what happens, but this story makes me happy cry.

“Kindred Spirits”: This was the first year I’ve read this story. Elena is a huge Star Wars fan, and she decides to get in line to wait for The Force Awakens to release. Coincidentally, the book’s climax takes place 4 years ago to this date. She and two other strangers wait outside the movie theater for four days. It’s not exactly what Elena was expecting. There’s a twist that occurs towards the end that I wasn’t expecting. This story has a great ending too.

This book is illustrated, and the illustrations are really cute. I love how the artist, Simini Blocker, captured the characters.

Both of these stories were wonderful and I would definitely read them again (even though I’ve already read “Midnights” three times now). They’re beautiful stories and Ms. Rowell definitely captures the hearts of these teens in this story.

However, this book is nearly $10 for two stories. Unless you really love the illustrations, it might make more sense to buy My True Love Gave to Me and then buy a used copy of “Kindred Spirits” in Paperback or on the Kindle. My True Love Gave to Me is currently $9.22 on the Kindle or $11.49 in paperback (or less for a used hardback), and you can get “Kindred Spirits” for $2.99 on the Kindle. For just a little bit more you get both of these stories plus several other amazing holiday stories. Definitely read these Christmas stories someday, but they’re available in more than one format and this may not be the best bang for your reading dollar.

ABC Book Challenge – W

By Brookelorren on Leave a Comment

Hello! Once again, it’s time for the ABC book challenge! This is where I go through the books on My Books on Goodreads and I pick out the books I really liked or really want to read. Today we’re on the letter W. I first found this over at Me, Myself, and Books, although I believe it was created by The Thrifty Bibliophile.

Warcross cover

I loved Warcross, and it was my favorite book that I read in 2017. I read it on the last day of the year. I love the character of Emika, and I loved the whole hacking/gaming aspect of the book. My major was in computer science, so when I first heard about it I was excited about it.

When Dimple Met Rishi cover

Sandhya Menon was the speaker at the Colorado Teen Literature Conference this year, and since I was going to meet her, I figured I might as well read her books. So I read When Dimple Met Rishi, and I loved it.

When Money Dies cover

When Money Dies is a nonfiction book that deals with the hyperinflation that occurred during the Weimar Republic. I’ve always thought it was fascinating how people dealt with the times when it took a wheelbarrowload full of money to buy a loaf of bread. Along similar lines, a really good book that gives a first-person account of how a teenager lived through this time was Defying Hitler by Sebastian Haffner (although that’s only a small part of that book).

Wicked Fox cover

Wicked Fox had me at the cover. Plus it’s a book set in modern-day Korea.

Wrath & Righteousness cover

I read the Wrath & Righteousness series several years ago and really liked it. It’s one of those apocalyptic kinds of books. I’ll probably reread it again sometime, because when I first read it, I read each episode as they came out. There’s ten small books in the entire series.

So that’s the letter W! Can you believe I only have one book for the letter X next week? I might come up with one more between now and then, but I doubt it. Z is my most difficult letter, but I’m combining that week with letters that start with numbers or letters that are not normally in the US alphabet.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue

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Blue Lily Lily Blue cover

Blue Lily, Lily Blue is the third book in the fantastic Raven Cycle. I could just save you the time and tell you to read the entire series, but then this review would be really short, right?

Instead, I’m first going to warn you that this post contains spoilers for The Raven Boys and The Dream Thieves. If you haven’t read them yet, then don’t read on unless you want spoilers.

Okay, so now that I’ve got all the people who don’t mind spoilers, let’s move on. Blue’s mother is missing! This series is getting a little dangerous. So now the search is getting a little more desperate. In addition to looking for the Welsh king, they now have to find Blue’s mom. Fortunately, they’re probably both located in a magical cave.

In this book, we get to meet Gansey’s older friend Malory, along with a few other characters. Like the rest of the books in this series, the characters are great. I absolutely love how Stiefvater deals with the friend dynamics in this story. Blue and Adam were once an item, but over time, she and Gansey start having feelings for each other. That whole transition phase takes a bit of an adjustment, but I think in real life you’d see that too. We have another couple with a developing relationship in this book, but I’m not giving away spoilers… and this series is a very slow burn in the romance department. But if you’re Blue, do you blame her? If she kisses her true love, he’s going to die!

They’re getting closer to graduation, and some of them have to start worrying about their futures. Blue and Adam have to start worrying, in particular. Blue realizes that her family just doesn’t have the finances for her to go to any school that she’s interested in, and Adam has to worry about finances now. That’s going to cause problems. Adam’s father is a jerk too… more problems.

And then we have another villain, of course.

I don’t want to give out any spoilers, but I will say that, even though I borrowed most of the books from this series from the library, I bought The Raven King. I think it was because the library didn’t have it immediately available and I didn’t want to wait. And you’re going to want to finish this series too, because the book ends in a semi-significant cliffhanger. Blue Lily, Lily Blue does wrap up a lot of its issues, but more are coming. You’ll want to have the next book available if at all possible. At any rate, this is a great series and I wanted to continue reading straight through this one.

I have reviewed the earlier books in this series:

The Dream Thieves

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The Dream Thieves cover

2019 has been a pretty good reading year. One of the books I got to read this year was The Dream Thieves, the second book in The Raven Cycle. This book centers around Ronan. Before we continue, this book contains spoilers for The Raven Boys (link is to that review). So don’t read on if you haven’t read the first book and don’t want spoilers for it.

Okay, so now that we only have people that have read book 1 or are okay with spoilers, let’s continue. The Dream Thieves focuses on Ronan, whom we discovered can take things out of dreams. Being a dreamer can be dangerous, we find out in this book. A treacherous man is searching for him. Although they’re sometimes wild and uncontrollable, Ronan learns how to better harness his dream power in this book.

In addition to Ronan’s dreams, The Dream Thieves further unfolds the drama surrounding Blue and the true love she’ll kill when she kisses him. From the first book, we know who is destined to be Blue’s true love, although she’s with Adam. She won’t kiss him because she doesn’t want to kill him, but she doesn’t want to tell him about her curse either. There is a little bit of kissing in this book (not Blue and Adam though). Nobody dies from kissing yet. You’ll have to read on in this series.

Aaaah! How will this end? Fortunately, since the entire series is out, you don’t have to wait to find out. I loved this book and this series. These characters are great. The book is humorous. I wrote down more than two pages of quotes and reactions from this book in my book journal, including passages like:

Matthew Lynch was a golden, indiscriminate pit into which the world threw food.

The Dream Thieves, p. 170

This book makes you want to keep reading more. Will Blue realize who her true love is? How will that work out? Will Ronan be safe? And they’re still looking for the Welsh king… will Gansey find him and get his wish?

Oh, and you’ll be glad you don’t have to wait another year to read the next book. You might want to be prepared to read that right after this one.

If you liked The Raven Boys, then I highly recommend you continue on with The Dream Thieves. Especially if you like Ronan (but who doesn’t like them all?). It has magic, romantic drama, family drama, killers with a soft side to them, rich private school drama, and more.

My review of the first book in the series, The Raven Boys, is available here.