Sea Breeze Academy by Bryant A. Loney

A group of boarding school teens in season five of a Cali-based sitcom begin to realize they are in a TV show. 

A missing student, or maybe several.

Embedded marketing, sushi, token friends, and cacti.

The sound of the Pacific waves in the background.

Smothering darkness. The threat of Alaska.

Another perfect, perfect day.

Happiness lives here.

Brooklyn, Matthew, and the gang are ready to rock their last few weeks of junior year at their elite boarding school on the California coast. But something is amiss. In the fifth and potentially last season of this award-winning television series, the struggle between truth and network censorship just might destroy their bond once and for all. Can they hold out for the summer? Will life ever be normal again?

Experimental and subversive, Sea Breeze Academy is a smart love letter to the Nickelodeon and Disney Channel sitcoms you grew up with. Are you ready?

I had a really difficult time reading this book. As the description says, it's about a reality show that takes place in California, which isn't entirely untrue, but this 'book' is a script for that show…not actually a book in the traditional sense. I wish I had known that going in, because I was NOT prepared for the story to be told in that way.

I really liked the cover - it's what made me excited to read this in the first place…that and the promise that this would be a love letter to my favorite Disney and Nickelodeon shows from childhood. To say it wasn't even close is an understatement.

As I mentioned before, the story is told in a script format. If you do want to read this book I would seriously consider finding a book club to read it with and everyone plays a part. That could make the experience a little more tangible and the characters more memorable.

Another aspect I didn't like was the fact that we started in 'season 5' of the show. We get no introduction to the characters or their backgrounds, the scene is set and off you go! I feel like that might come off better on screen, but since this is NOT a real tv show, that made the story even less accessible and I was even less motivated to read on.

Lastly, there are these in-between sections with person 1 talking to person 2. There is no explanation of them (I'm assuming they're tech guys working on the show?) but they have no names and no context - it felt like an afterthought to move between scenes/chapters.

Honestly I can't believe this is a book that will be published. It's a poorly written tv show at best with no strong emotional connection to any characters or storyline. I think the last line sums up my feelings pretty well, "I am but a yogurt-covered pretzel in the void."

Thanks Verona Booksellers for the ARC, but maybe this one should have stayed unpublished.

This Is Us (2016 - present)

This Is Us is an American television comedy-drama series created by Dan Fogelman that premiered on NBC on September 20, 2016. The ensemble cast stars Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Sullivan, and Ron Cephas Jones. It is about the family lives and connections of several people who all share the same birthday and the ways in which they are similar and different.

This show is amazing! I love the writing, the story and the characters are just so loveable you can’t help but get sucked in from the pilot. I was a little weary of this show at first because of all the hype (how many network shows are promoted shamelessly regardless of their quality??), but it actually lives up to everything I’ve heard. Primetime tv has been missing a good family drama ever since Parenthood ended and This Is Us is a great replacement. All the stories are interwoven together so you get to see the evolution of the family almost immediately which is GREAT for my inner-binger, but the story is so well written that you don’t get all the info at once so you have to keep coming back for more – so smart!

I think my favorite storyline is ‘the parents’. I love the filter they use to really set the mood, their story is adorable, I just love Mandy Moore, and best of all you get to see all the kids when they were little and how they grew into the people they are today.

I can’t give it 5 stars just yet because there are some slow parts in the early episodes (to set up the plot understandably). I don’t think I’ll be watching re-runs of it though, it loses the magic when you know how everything is going to unfold. But other than that it scores really high in my book!

I just can’t gush enough about this show and it’s only midway through season 1. I’ll definitely be watching this through for as long as it’s on tv. If you haven’t yet you really should check it out!

4 stars

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Greg Gaines is the last master of high school espionage, able to disappear at will into any social environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time making movies, their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics.

Until Greg’s mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel.

Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia—-cue extreme adolescent awkwardness—-but a parental mandate has been issued and must be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turning point in each of their lives.

And all at once Greg must abandon invisibility and stand in the spotlight.

Now I know everyone has already read this book, seen the movie or both, so I'm gonna keep this review brief since I'm so late to the game.

This book was different. It was very off the cuff and real, Greg is the most lovable and relatable character around and I just loved his telling of events. Sometimes it was painful to read how little confidence he has, but that just made me root for him more. Earl, on the other hand, was not my favorite character, but his interactions with Rachel opened up a whole new side of him to the reader. He was suddenly very self-aware, goal-oriented and very kind-hearted which we don't see from Greg's POV. Lastly, Rachel was the classic dying girl: she was every cliché in the book. She was really only there to help develop Greg and Earl's characters. But I'm ok with that, because that’s kinda assumed walking into any book with cancer as a main plot device.

Now to semi-review the movie: it didn't do the story justice. I'm not a huge fan of this type of film style (I didn't like Perks of Being a Wallflower either) and after reading the book you just can't get the same POV from Greg because you just can't be in his head when you're watching him on the screen. If that was translated better to the screen, I could happily love the movie as much as the book. I just couldn't form the same loveable bond with any of the characters while watching the movie - except Rachel. I liked her more in the movie for whatever reason - I still can't pinpoint what it was.

All in all, I loved the story the book told and I just feel like we missed out on that in the movie. Had I watched the movie first I might feel differently, but that's the way the cookie crumbled.

4 stars

Survive the Night by Danielle Vega

In a tunnel nearby, Casey regrets coming to Survive the Night, the all-night underground rave in the New York City subway. Her best friend Shana talked her into it, even though Casey just got out of rehab. Alone and lost in the dark, creepy tunnels, Casey doesn’t think Survive the Night could get any worse . . .
               
. . . until she comes across Julie’s body, and the party turns deadly.
 
Desperate for help, Casey and her friends find themselves running through the putrid subway system, searching for a way out. But every manhole is sealed shut, and every noise echoes eerily in the dark, reminding them they’re not alone.
 
They’re being hunted.
               
Trapped underground with someone—or something—out to get them, Casey can’t help but listen to her friend’s terrified refrain: “We’re all gonna die down here. . . .”

Where do I even start with this book? Unfortunately, this was not as gripping, terrifying or just plain amazing as Danielle's other books. I had pretty high hopes based off the title, but the story was slow to get going, the characters weren't very developed, and the ending just wasn't satisfying enough.

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

So first the story: we start off with Casey in a creepy AF rehab and she's leaving to go home after recovering from her oxycodone addiction. In my opinion, this was the best part of the book. Her rehab-mates are weirdly deformed and mentally scarring. Why we didn't get this story I don't know. (lowkey hoping for a prequel because I would read that in a heartbeat) But anyway, Casey is going to a sleepover at her friend's house to bond with the soccer team she used to be on. Some of her old druggie buddies show up and whisk her away to NYC for a night of fun and partying. All of this is fine and good except for they end up getting stuck in the abandoned subway tunnels at a rave: Survive the Night (why's it called that...we don't know!!! It's catchy, but as far we know no one else is dead??). BTW - it took about half the book to get here plotwise, Casey and her friends are not very interesting; that part dragged like nobody's business. One of their friends is found strung up (Jesus-like) and dead. Cue the chaos for the rest of the book.

Now reading that back I would still read that story because the set up was so good! I really kept wanting to be horrified but I just wasn't. When we finally figure out what was in the tunnels it was weirdly anti-climactic and not very terrifying; not to mention it didn't really make sense with what happened in the beginning of the book. The set up was just so misleading in my opinion.

About the characters...they were the high school cliches, which is fine for the teen horror genre, but I honestly forgot most of their names about halfway through. All Casey does is whine about Shana and Sam so they were the most memorable, but otherwise until someone died I pretty much forgot about them. Also, when they died I didn't really care. Wanted to, but didn't.

Lastly, the ending. It was terrible. I hate when suddenly there's an alien or 'monster' without any reason for it. Once we find out that there are tentacles in the tunnels - that's what's killing everybody I'm intrigued, but we never know how they got there, why they're there, or if it's even part of some giant octopus. It's always just 'the tentacles'. End of story. I really had a feeling that Casey was high the whole time and Shana went crazy and killed everybody. The ending kind of alludes to that, but it's one of those 'what ifs' and literally the book just ends. THE END. I was so frustrated and now I'm mad that I bought the book before reading the reviews. I trusted the talent of the author and she let me down this time.

Don't get me wrong though - this book may have been a bust, but I'm definitely going to finish the rest of The Merciless series - those are AMAZING!!!

3 stars

The Merciless II by Danielle Vega

Sofia is still processing the horrific truth of what happened when she and three friends performed an exorcism that spiraled horribly out of control. Ever since that night, Sofia has been haunted by bloody and demonic visions. Her therapist says they’re all in her head, but to Sofia they feel chillingly real. She just wants to get out of town, start fresh someplace else . . . until her mother dies suddenly, and Sofia gets her wish.

Sofia is sent to St. Mary’s, a creepy Catholic boarding school in Mississippi. There, seemingly everyone is doing penance for something, most of all the mysterious Jude, for whom Sofia can’t help feeling an unshakeable attraction. But when Sofia and Jude confide in each other about their pasts, something flips in him. He becomes convinced that Sofia is possessed by the devil. . . . Is an exorcism the only way to save her eternal soul?

So creepy!! I love reading this type of book in the fall. Something about the season just makes me want to get all cozy with a blanket, a cup of coffee and some intense literary violence. One caveat though - this book is classified as 'horror' but in my opinion, it was more of a suspense thriller with some gore thrown in. If you are not the kind of person who enjoys that type of thing, well just squint your eyes and read anyways - this book was amazing!!

First I have to mention the book itself. That's what made me buy the first one and get sucked into Sofia's story. The second cover is just as beautiful and doesn't have a book jacket WHICH I LOVE. (Book jackets are the main reason I hate hardcover books; they fall off, get bent or rip leaving my book looking like it survived world war III. Not cool. So whoever made the original decision to leave this book naked, thank you!! *steps off soap box*)

Now, more about the plot...

I will say that early on in the book I wasn't totally sold on the concept. It was a lot of 'previously in The Merciless...' which I totally needed since it's been quite a while since I read the first one, but enough is enough. Suspense/thrillers thrive on fast-paced action scenes, not 'but my therapist says...' scenes.

Once we finally get over that 'it's just guilt' hump and get into some real action the story really picks up and I was reminded of why I love Vega's writing so much. I'm not the kind of reader to focus on the details, I'm more of a big picture person. Apparently so is the author because we don't spend time focusing on how musty and old the buildings are or how crisp and fresh the snow is...nope, we get how raw the main character's cuts are and how she perseveres through even the toughest of situations that just keep coming her way. It's actually pretty admirable.

Lastly, I cannot wait for the next book to come out. It's been a while since I've been this invested in a series while it's still relevant. So publishers HURRY UP AND GET THAT BOOK OUT!!!

5 stars

The Way We Fall by Cassia Leo

Houston has kept a devastating secret from Rory since the day he took her into his home. But the tragic circumstances that brought them together left wounds too deep to heal.

Five years after the breakup, Houston and Rory are thrust together by forces beyond their control. And all the resentments and passion return with more intensity than ever. Once again, Houston is left with a choice between the truth and the only girl he’s ever loved.

I love this story, I love this author and I love getting lost in a book. Cassia Leo just has a way of writing that I really connect with. A lot of romance authors are really mushy, hopeless romantic types whose characters always overcome hardships in the end. Cassia writes real stories with real characters and real problems. This is not my first Cassia Leo book nor will it be my last. She is an amazing author and I highly recommend this book!

Rory is a very down to earth girl with a past. She's been broken by love and just can't seem to get over it. Houston knows something Rory doesn't. That's pretty much all we get for the first third of the book. It's this mystery that propels the story forward and slowly more is revealed over time through flashbacks and coincidental events. I don't want to give away too much of the plot because everything really does come full circle in the end.

I will say that Rory is not my all time favorite character. I appreciate that she has flaws, as do we all, but she's just not a very mentally strong person. I have a hard time identifying with that because I am usually an optimist and I will set my mind to something and get it done. Rory needs that push, but no one in her life is there to give it to her which breaks my heart.

Likewise, Houston isn't Mr. Perfect either. Through the entire book he clearly has something to say but just can't get it out - most times it's because Rory won't let him, but there are times when he just folds under the pressure. I don't understand this either, because once we find out the truth of what he's hiding (or most of it anyway) it really makes no sense why he was hiding it in the first place. (I mean I wouldn't be rushing to tell everyone about it, but still the person you have called multiple times your soul mate you can't tell this to?? Houston's a giant coward and he knows it.)

Clearly both characters are flawed, their romance is flawed, and life has been rocky for them. It sounds terrible, but it makes a really good story.

5 stars - save this one for a rainy day, the clouds will set the mood.

Mindspeak by Heather Sunseri

Seventeen-year-old Lexi Matthews keeps two secrets from her elite boarding school classmates—she’s the daughter of a famous and controversial geneticist, and she can influence people’s thoughts. But after new student Jack DeWeese heals her broken arm with an anything-but-simple touch, he forces Lexi to face a new reality—her abilities reach much further than speaking to the minds of others.

After Lexi’s father goes missing and she receives threatening emails, she can’t decide whether to fall into Jack’s arms or run and hide. As Lexi seeks answers to what she and Jack are, she discovers a truth more unsettling than anything her science books can teach. And letting Jack into her life of secrets is not only a threat to her very existence, but it just might break her heart wide open.


This book was actually a surprising read. It was free on apple books so of course I wasn't expecting much but it ended up reeling me in. Not to say this story isn't without its flaws but it is first of a series of four books so there's room for more explanation later on.

Lexi was just an ok main character. I wish we had gotten to know her better before everything started because there was a lot of stuff that she did without motivation. I understand that as the main character AND narrator she already knows everything about herself and doesn't need to repeat it, but we only got snippets of her past. There were so many questions along the way that the author forgot about or just didn't feel like going into: why was she on meds? why did her grandmother take care of her? was her dad always on the run? why didn't he take Lexi with him? I'm really hoping this is expanded on in some of the later books.

Also, her abilities weren't described very much. It's assumed early on (and explicitly stated later on) that she's the hero all the crazies want but we don't know why. Yes, she's special, but just because you can read minds and such doesn't make you the all powerful savior...again, unless there's more I don't know about in later books.

I feel like that's a recurring theme in this review - there's got to be more in the rest of the series or this author really likes to write action scenes. Not a bad thing, but action means nothing unless we know the motivation behind it. It's hard for me to feel sad about a character sacrificing themselves (which I'm sure Lexi will do at some point) if I don't know what they have to lose.

That being said, her relationship with Jack was annoying. The story from day 1 is that they were bred to be together but in the end, that's the not the case. Suddenly there's a whole host of kids like them but it's still not explained why only they have a special bond (there's no way it's just super special teen love. there's no way I'm buying that). I'm honestly hoping for a Luke and Leia thing here: oops, you guys are actually related. Awkward love story shut down.

Another frustrating thing about the book is that the villain keeps changing. First, it's Jack, Then the program people, Then Kyle, who literally came out of nowhere. I'm not sure who to hate.

So all this stuff sounds bad but it actually was a pretty interesting book if you suspend reality for a while. Obviously, people can't control brains just by touching them (no matter how much 'special science' is used) but that makes life more exciting so I'm along for the ride. If the other books are free I'm down to continue the saga for a while. If not, then I guess Lexi's story ends here for me.

3 stars, solid but needs editing. I guess you get what you pay for.

November 9 by Colleen Hoover

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.

So many people recommended I read this book and even though I was clearly against it (I hated the movie Just One Day) I figured, what's the worst that can happen? and read it anyway. I'm SO glad I did!

This book had me from page 1. I can smell sass from a mile away and Fallon has got heaps of it, especially in the early chapters. And in case you didn't already know, I LOVE sassy characters (possibly because I have been known to give some 'tude every once in a while). But it wasn't just the characters that sold me on this book. The execution really made it great. I mentioned my extreme dislike for Just One Day, and this book even brings that up: in that story the two characters are in each other's lives all year round. These two only spoke on November 9th each year. No phone calls, no emails, literally NOTHING for an entire year. That takes commitment and it was very interesting to read about because that's all we got. Each section of the book was labeled 'first November 9th' and so forth. We only learn about what happened the past year when the two meet up to discuss it. I loved that because there was no re-telling. Fallon doesn't experience something with just the reader then have to convey that to Ben later; we are just as curious as Ben is when they meet up because it's all new to ALL OF US.

The parts I did not like in this book are when Fallon suddenly becomes 'clairvoyant'. Out of nowhere, she knows what's best for everyone and just goes with it without explanation. There was a section where I was literally yelling at my book because reading from Fallon's POV, then Ben's, then Fallon's again; it was starting to come together (finally!!) until it all fell apart (naturally...*sigh*). Every book needs a plot twist and something to shake things up story wise but this was just frustrating, but in the best way possible. It's a classic contemporary novel dilemma, so I can't be mad at Ms. Hoover for using it, I was just hoping this would be an easier love story.

Since I'm trying to make this as spoiler free as possible I can't go into too many details, but let me just say this: if you think you know where this book is going you don't. I don't care if you're Nancy Drew reincarnated or Sherlock Holmes' great, great, great grandchild you don't know what's coming. And that is why this book was so great.

I want to apologize because I don't even think I can call this post a review. I'm 99% sure it doesn't make any sense, but that's how infatuated I am with this book. It was so good - exactly what my book slump needed - and I will definitely be reading more Colleen Hoover books in the future. I can happily give it 5 stars because I know I'll be re-reading it; this is definitely a great book. In short: just go read it.

5 stars

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

WARNING MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter. She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever. When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

Ughhhh I really wanted to hate this book. The first one wasn’t that great in my opinion, it left me just curious enough to want to continue on the Lara Jean train. Damnit Jenny Han. I still don’t know how she turned a high school love story into something so readable. In every aspect this book is your basic summer beach read: girl loves boy – they date – they have issues – they are resolved – end of book. I don’t understand why I want to keep reading about these characters so much. Lara Jean is so innocent and she never holds back what she’s thinking, to the reader or the other characters. She’s the adorable 16-year-old that every girl was or wanted to be. I still don’t understand how she had two guys fighting over her though. THAT seemed a bit much…but I still wanted to read it!! All the feels! This book has all the feels!!

But before I get too far, let’s back track…Lara Jean is dating Peter and they are in the puppy love stage of the relationship. They just recently became official and this is LJ’s first relationship ever. She wants to do everything right, but Peter just got off a bad break up with his on-again, off-again ex: Gen. Gen is the girl that every other girl compares herself to in high school. Pretty, rich, has it all, etc. LJ just doesn’t feel like she can ever measure up to Gen so relationship drama ensues. *Cue entrance of other insanely hot guy* (because what would a love story be without a triangle??) New guy John is super into LJ from day 1 and she’s the only one who doesn’t see it…naturally. Peter is so jealous of John while LJ is super jealous of Gen…see where this is going? Yeah, this is the same old high school love story but it’s also not. AND IT’S BUGGING ME THAT I CAN’T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS ONE IS DIFFERENT.

Part of the reason I thought I wasn’t going to like this book is because halfway through I realized that this was literally the same story as book 1. Except Peter and LJ decide to be real from the beginning – sort of. They still make a contract for their relationship, they’re still trying to get everyone’s approval (both at school and at home), and LJ still measures herself against Gen constantly (to the point of this could have taken a turn towards a lesbian relationship early on). I was basically reading the same book.

Once things finally got interesting *John ;)* the story started to pick up a little. Finally, we are seeing the fruits of labor after reading 4 or 500 something pages. I liked the back and forth of LJ and Peter and LJ and John. It finally showed that she wasn’t such a goody-two-shoes, and it forced her to grow up a little.

The part I didn’t like was whenever the ‘assassin game’ entered the picture. The time capsule was great, almost rekindling of old relationships was great, but then whoever’s idea it was to start that stupid game is permanently on my blacklist. LJ took that thing so serious it got to the point of ridiculousness. The first ‘hit’ was cute, when she teamed up with Chris; but after that…OMG girl needs to take a chill pill. She didn’t even see Peter for those days just because she thought he might have her name and would gang up on her with Gen. AND that’s the other thing I don’t understand: the winner of this ‘game’ gets a 1 wish granted from the group. LJ wants to win soooo bad, so when she does win – SHE DOESN’T EVEN MAKE A WISH!! Repeat from book 1: the story stops and now we have to wait for installment 3. Ms. Han you are seriously testing my patience with this series. Like seriously.

The ending was cute. I’ll give it that. LJ and Peter finally decide to go all in on their relationship, possible broken hearts and all. Then end of story. Ugh. Why can’t I live in a world where endings are satisfying?!?

Rating: TBD (until 2017 I guess, because that’s when the internet says I’ll get the next one)

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

This is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

So everyone and their cat told me to read this book and the cover just didn't sell me on it. It's very middle school girl meets world and I just wasn't feeling it...until I hit my book slump recently. So I figured, why not? and picked it up anyways. End result: mixed feelings.

First, look at this cover. If you're not a middle school girl, does it really appeal to you??

And the premise is just a little too, well, girly. She writes love letters to all her crushes and keeps them hidden away never to be seen by anyone. I can understand that writing your feelings can be therapeutic (I write a blog so I can sympathize there), but isn't this just asking for something to go wrong? Maybe I'm just a more private person, but if I was gonna write love letters to my secret crushes I would have to burn them afterward just to make sure no one EVER saw them.

But long story short, her letters get out and she has to deal with the backlash of all these boys learning that she loved them. (hence my burning idea) The worst one is definitely her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh.

To be honest I pretty much hated Josh. He had his nice qualities but he played every one of those sisters and knowingly or not convinced them to fall in love with him. NOT COOL DUDE. He only actually dated Margot (the eldest sister) but when he found out Lara Jean had feelings for him he didn't turn her away. He basically was like 'why didn't you tell me? we could've had something??' to which Lara Jean replied 'ummm no. you're dating my sister.' So he kissed her and she was like 'NO YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH MY SISTER!'

He really made a mess of everything and showed little to no remorse about it. By the end of the book I really hated Josh. Not sure if that's how I'm supposed to feel, but that's what happened.

Peter, on the other hand, was the one redeeming quality of this book. Not to say that I didn't like Lara Jean, I did, but she was just very wishy washy. Understandably so, I was once a teenage girl so I get it. But Peter was lovable. He had flaws, but owned up to them and in the end I was team Peter. Even if Lara Jean wasn't...or was. The ending was very abrupt and THAT I was not a fan of. I honestly couldn't tell you what happened after the ski trip. The book just stops. Good on the author for making me buy the next book just to see what happens, but as the reader...WTF!?!?

Sidenote: I related to Margot the most out of all three sisters. She decides to go away to school, partially to have new experiences and partially to see if they still need her. I did the exact same thing when I went to college. The most emotion I felt the entire book was when she comes back for winter break and sees that they did all the family traditions without her. That first year when I came home it was weird because I didn't help put up the Christmas tree, or bake cookies, or decorate the house. It was all done and it was like a really hard smack in the face. The book is from Lara Jean's POV so Margot's feelings were glossed over but I could totally understand her struggle and I really didn't like how it was brushed aside so we could go back to totally focusing on Lara Jean. But that relationship between both sisters spoke to me the most because a few years ago that WAS me and my little sister. So from that perspective I liked those segments of the book the most, even though that was probably not the author's intention.

I knew going in that this book wasn't a standalone, but still. Every book deserves an ending of some sort. In the end this book became a really long prologue that just makes you read the second book anyway. Since I haven't started the sequel yet I'm still miffed about the cliffhanger.

Rating: TBD (if the sequel goes well then this review may become more optimistic in the future)