A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom

A Tragic Kind of Wonderful 
by Eric Lindstrom 

Source: Finished copy provided for review. Thank you!

My Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads/ Amazon/ TBD

Summary:

How can you have a future if you can’t accept your past?Mel Hannigan doesn’t have it easy. Mourning the death of her firework of a brother, trying to fit back into a school she’s been conspicuously absent from and struggling to deal with the loss of three friendships that used to mean everything. Struggling to deal with a condition that not even her closest friends know about.So Mel tries to lock away her heart, to numb the highs and lows, to live quietly without hope – but also without pain. Until someone new shows her that it can be worth taking a risk, that opening up to life is what can make it glorious…
And that maybe, Mel can discover a tragic kind of wonderful of her very own.

*****

I have no words to tell you how much I loved this book. Literally, no words. There’s just too much I’d like to say, but I’d probably end up saying “I loved it” again and again and again.

I think the only way to “review” this book is listing the 10 things I loved the most about A Tragic Kind of Wonderful.

So, here you are.

1.       The main character. Mel Freaking Hannigan is one of the best main characters I’ve ever read. And… Seriously, Mel is so “me”. I don’t have bipolar disorder, but I’m very (very!) paranoid and it was kind of freeing to see how much I can relate to her AND in a good way.

2.       The main character works at an elderly people home. Just like I did! I think there’s so important so see this in YA books; I don’t remember if I’ve ever a book that made me aware of how much older people needs help and company.

3.       The bipolar disorder rep was so well done. Like I said, I don’t have bipolar disorder, but I have two friends who have it. I’m also glad the book touches the importance of meds and psychiatric help. This is something so, so important!

4.       The characters were diverse and fun and likable. Except for the typical “mean girls” at school (okay, I’m not even going to lie, it bothered me a bit that the mean girls were Latinas, but it didn’t bother me too much) everyone was lovely and it made me so happy!

5.       The friendship. Mel’s friends are such good friends. They have ups and down, they make mistakes and they say the wrong things sometimes, but they loved Mel and even when they weren’t part of the same group, they were nice to each other. (This reminded me so much of my high school/church friends).

6.       The romance. The romance was almost inexistence, but I liked it that way. A Tragic Kind of Wonderful was about Mel coping with her mental illness and the grief of her brother’s dead. The romance wasn’t even necessary, it wasn’t the center of the book, but it was a plus. David and Mel were so cute together!

7.       The mystery. From the first chapter you know something tragic happened to Nolan, Mel’s brother. Until the end of the book, I made a hundred and more theories. What really happened wasn’t really unexpected, but it was gut wrenching and heartbreaking.

8.       The writing was fast-paced and addictive. I think I’ve said this everywhere, I had an ugly eye disease and surgery and I haven’t read almost anything this year and when I read it takes me at least a week to finish a book, but I read ATKOW in two days!

9.       There’s a LGBT rep I wasn’t expecting. Okay, we know from the start that Zumy is lesbian, but she’s not the only LGTB character. There’s a bi out there, and I loved it.

10.   The ending wrapped everything perfectly. I’d still love to read more about Mel Hannigan, but this ending gave me enough to feel good about saying goodbye to this characters.

Now you see. A Tragic Kind of Wonderful was kind of wonderful. A huge thank you to Harper Reach for the chance to read this beautiful book… now I can’t wait to read the other book by this author.

Read More

Review: Girl In Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow

Girl in Pieces

by Kathleen Glasgow

Source: Provided for review. Thank you!

My Rating: 6 stars *Favorite*

GoodReads/ Amazon/ TBD/ B&N

Summary:

Charlotte Davis is in pieces. At seventeen she’s already lost more than most people lose in a lifetime. But she’s learned how to forget. The broken glass washes away the sorrow until there is nothing but calm. You don’t have to think about your father and the river. Your best friend, who is gone forever. Or your mother, who has nothing left to give you.
 Every new scar hardens Charlie’s heart just a little more, yet it still hurts so much. It hurts enough to not care anymore, which is sometimes what has to happen before you can find your way back from the edge.  

A deeply moving portrait of a teenage girl on the verge of losing herself and the journey she must take to survive in her own skin, Kathleen Glasgow’s debut is heartbreakingly real and unflinchingly honest. It’s a story you won’t be able to look away from.

******

I think I’ve said this everywhere, but here I am saying it again: GIRL IN PIECES by Kathleen Glasgow was my best surprise of this year!

I started reading this book without high expectations. I didn’t add it to Goodreads, because I never put attention to it before, but it amazed me from the first chapter. The writing of this book is raw and beautiful. I just couldn’t stop reading.

Girl in Pieces is about Charlie’s journeys to overcome her dark past. She’s probably the most broken and damaged main character I’ve met yet. Her story is heavy and painful. It was brutally honest.

There are so many things I loved about this book. It was perfection.

Writing: Beautiful, poignant, haunting.

Characters: Realistic, well developed, unforgettable.

Plot: Brutal, honest, gut-wrenching.

This book made me feel! It made me understand Charlie in a way I would never before. This book was hard to read sometimes because it’s cruel and there’s so much pain, but it was necessary. This book is POWERFUL.

All characters in this book are dealing with their own problems, just like every person in real life. Sometimes Charlie is with wrong people for the wrong reasons, like you, like me.

And just when I thought: “Finally! Something good’s about to happen” I was wrong again. There were so many things I didn’t see coming.

I don’t think I have enough words to describe how wonderful was this book, but I do think it’s a necessary read. Kathleen Glasgow’s debut is one of my favorite pieces of literature of this year. I  would never forget it.

Girl In Pieces is a beautiful book with messed up characters learning from their mistakes. It’s heartbreakingly captivating and hey, there’s a word I learned just to describe this book: spellbound.

I loved it. I highly recommend it to everyone. 

Read More

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Hi there!

Thanks for stopping by.

I’ve been absent the last couple of months because I’m trying to go back to college and I have to approve an admission test, but I don’t remember much about, well, math, so I’m studying like crazy.

Anyway, I’ve read a few books these days and one of those was “Te daria el sol” the Spanish edition of I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson.

I'll Give You the Sun

by Jandy Nelson 
GoodReads/ Amazon/ TBD
Summary.

Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

*****

I’ll Give You The Sun felt exactly like The Sky Is Everywhere. I mean, if you read Jandy Nelson’s debut novel and had all those crazy feelings while doing it, then you have to know that I’ll Give You The Sun will break your heart and then heal it and make you cry and smile at the same time.

Jandy Nelson writing is beautiful. Her characters are complex and complete.

The plot was a little predictable, but for the first time I didn’t care that I guessed the twist right, because the beauty was in the writing, in the character’s personalities, in the family dynamics.

Jandy Nelson gets me. And this is a completely personal opinion. The weirdness of her characters, their love for art, and their love for the family… all those things feel real to me. There’s magic inside of those pages. I can’t help but feel happiness every time I read a book by her.

I know I’m not saying much, except for how much I loved this book. But let me tell you this: if you need a book to make you feel light, then you should give a try to this book.

I’ll Give You Sun is radiant and electric. It doesn’t need a ton of romantic scenes or drama to make you swoon or cry.

I am in love with this book and if you read it, I bet you at least will enjoy it a lot.

Have a great day and keep reading. 

“Meeting your soul mate is like walking into a house you've been in before - you will recognize the furniture, the pictures on the wall, the books on the shelves, the contents of drawers: You could find your way around in the dark if you had to.” 

Read More

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES

Author: Jennifer Niven

My Rating: 5 stars

GoodReads/ Amazon/ TBD

Summary:

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him. Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death. When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.

******

The first time I read anything about ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES, it was because I read a comparison to John Green’s The Fault In Our Stars. As a really huge fan of that book, I immediately added All The Bright Places to my TBR pile.

I’m so glad to say it didn’t disappoint me at all.

One of the things I love the most about books, are those larger-than-life characters.

I know people also hate them because they’re too smart or arrogant. But I love them because they are unforgettable! I would never be able to forget Augustus Waters, or Richard Gansey, or Jace Wayland, just to mention some of the most loved-hated characters I’ve heard of. And now I would never forget Theodore Finch.

Jennifer Niven’s characters were spectacular and lovely and interesting.

I loved Violet and Finch, their very different POVs, the dynamics between them and how their relationship was built.

The author did an amazing job even making me HATE Finch’s family. I detested them, but at the same time I was stunned at how realistic they were (I met myself a family like them once).

I finished this book with tears in my eyes and a huge smile on my lips, because even when I was heartbroken, I was glad I’ve found a new favorite book.

All The Bright Places is a beautiful book. Not only the story, but the author’s note after it.

The GR summary says: For fans of John Green, Jay Asher, and Gayle Forman. And indeed, if you liked those books you’ll probably like this one. I should add, too: for fans of Maggie Stiefvater. I don’t know why but these MC reminded me of how much I love Maggie’s characters.

I really, really hope that if you haven’t read it, you give it a chance!

Read More

Book Review: Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Graffiti Moon

Author: Cath Crowley

Pages: 272

My Rating: 6 stars/ Special rating.

GoodReads/ Amazon/ TBD

Summary

Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He's out there somewhere—spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night—and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for. Really fall for. Instead, Lucy's stuck at a party with Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells her he knows where to find Shadow, they're suddenly on an all-night search around the city. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.

******

 

This was such a wonderful book!

I have to thank Ari @ Reading After Midnight for always recommending the most awe-inspiring stories.

I don’t really know why it took me so long to finally read Graffiti Moon. The moment I started reading I knew I’d love it, and I did.

I read it in a few hours because it’s a very short book and it was impossible to put it down.

There was something magical about Graffiti Moon. It was the writing, the plot, and conversations.

It was funny and delightful.

It all takes place in one night. And one night was all I needed to fall in love with the characters.

Ed, Lucy, Leo, Jazz, Dylan and Daisy…

And last but no less, Shadow and Poet. They were mystery for the girls, but a thrilling reality for the readers.

I love graffiti, and I love glass. Maybe you love them, too, or maybe not, but I’m sure you’ll enjoy this fantastic story.  Because Graffiti Moon is art. The characters are art, the writing is art, the things they do are art.

I am officially in a book hangover since I read it.

If you’re a fan of contemporary books and Aussie brilliance, this is a must read.

“Every time he looked at me I felt like I'd touched my tongue to the tip of a battery. In art class I'd watch him lean back and listen and I was nothing bust zing and tingle. After a while, the tingle turned to electricity, and when he asked me out my whole body amped to a level where technically I should have been dead. I had nothing in common with a sheddy like him, but a girl doesn't think straight when she's that close to electrocution.”

Read More

Mini-Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Pages: 445

My rating: 6 stars, special rating

GoodReads/ Amazon/ TBD

Summary:

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

My thoughts.

I’ve always said that I wasn't the biggest fan of Eleanor & Park. I liked it, yes, but I didn't love it like everyone else.
That’s why I was really reluctant to read Fangirl. But one day, I just did.
I was just looking my “later” list on my kindle, and it caught my attention because I was bored and after the first chapter I couldn’t put it down.
For God’s sake, I don’t even know how to tell you how much I loved this book.
It’s realistic.
It’s funny.
It’s touching.
FANGIRL has those dialogues that I love from authors like John Green and Michelle Hodkin. They were smart, sarcastic and absolutely brilliant.
This book has amazing relationships: Cath and Wren. Cath and Nick. Cath and Levi. Cath and Reagan. Cath and her dad.
In fact, this book has absolutely wonderful characters and incredible descriptions of them.
Even those excerpts of Simon Snow were refreshing and amusing.
Rainbow Rowell’s writing is magnificent. Light and fast paced.

Even though it has more that 400 pages, the time flies. You end up wanting more.
Words cannot express how much this book melted my fangirl heart. This is a must read.

Read More

My thoughts on: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

City of Heavenly Fire

Series: The Mortal Instruments #6

Author: Cassadra Clare

Pages: 725

My rating: 6 stars (special rating)

GoodReads/ Amazon/ TBD

Summary:

In this dazzling and long-awaited conclusion to the acclaimed Mortal Instruments series, Clary and her friends fight the greatest evil they have ever faced: Clary's own brother.

Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell.

The embattled Shadowhunters withdraw to Idris - but not even the famed demon towers of Alicante can keep Sebastian at bay. And with the Nephilim trapped in Idris, who will guard the world against demons?

When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Alec must flee - even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned...

Love will be sacrificed and lives lost in the terrible battle for the fate of the word in the thrilling final installment of the classic urban fantasy series The Mortal Instruments!

So, this not a review at all, just a lot of thoughts about the last book in the series that turned me into a reader.

I guess that the reason I’ll never say anything bad about TMI, because if it wasn't for City of Bones, five years ago, I would have never been a reader. I would be a boring and angry zero-girl.

Anyway, even If I wasn't thankful for this series there’s no reason to say something bad about City of Heavenly Fire.

It was perfect.

It was an emotionally draining rollercoaster.

It was an incredibly satisfying ending.

I devoured this book even when I was trying to read it as slowly as possible. It was impossible. Cassandra Clare’s writing is addictive and phenomenal! I cannot even believe I read 725 pages and I never got bored, I never wanted to stop, I never got tired of any of these characters.

I still have a book hangover because after all these years loving every characters, every challenge against the Shadowhunters, loving the world-building, the stories, it’s impossible not to feel like a part of your life is missing.

“There are memories that time does not erase... Forever does not make loss forgettable, only bearable.”

City of Heavenly Fire is epic, beautiful and heartbreaking.

I’m still amazed about how different each character is. The plot developed perfectly and the romance was always there, sweet and painful and real.

Oh, and well, I guess this is the part where I say that Simon Lewis is my favorite character ever! Yes, favorite, in the whole bookish world.

But is not just Simon that I love, I love all of them. Jace was my first book-boyfriend, Clary and Izzy are my heroines. And the others, well, I would NEVER forget their names. They’re immortal to me.

So, about City of Heavenly Fire again… It was unforgettable. It had a lot of different POVs. Each of them was unique and important for the plot.

Betrayals, passionate romances, the strongest friendships and a thrilling and unforgettable last battle. City of Heavenly Fire is the best book I’ve read this year.

“Heroes aren't always the ones who win... They're the ones who lose, sometimes. But they keep fighting, they keep coming back. They don't give up. That's what makes them heroes.”

Read More