Fans of the Impossible Life

The Bookworm says... Yes!!!!! Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa is an amazing book. Jeremy has been alone since the incident last spring. 

Mira comes into his life when his English teacher, Peter, forces him to start an art club. Mira is the first member. Mira has been practically alone, with just Sebby by her side, since she got out of the hospital last year. Sebby comes to art club with Mira, and Jeremy suddenly feels complete. As Jeremy adapts to the way Mira and Sebby orbit each other, he realizes the challenges they face daily and the lengths they go to to keep them invisible. This is the story of Sebby, Mira, and the boy who loves them both. 

Fans of the Impossible Life is excellent. The characters all have a good side to them- Mira her knack for fashion, Jeremy for art. They all have bad sides as well- Mira her depression, Sebby his shoplifting. What is truly unique about Kate Scelsa's characters is that you can see aspects of their "bad side" in their "good side". They let their troubles shape them, and it really shows. The ending was so perfect I wanted to scream. The last page. Oh my. Simply put, this book is a masterpiece. 

"They rolled up the maps of their bodies until they were two continents of interlocking roads and rivers and dreams, and she thought, This is how I will leave to live again."

DISCLAIMER: review is based on an uncorrected proof. Publication date is September 8, 2014. 

Never Always Sometimes

The Bookworm says… Maybe. Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid is extremely disappointing. Dave and Julia are best friends. Entering their freshman year of high school, they make a list of clichés they would never do- be recognized by a lunch spot, dye their hair extravagant colors, and lots of other typical high school clichés. The most important thing on the list: never date your best friend. With only a few months left of their senior year, Julia and Dave decide to try to do every Never on the list. By doing the Nevers, Dave and Julia break out of their comfort zones and do things they never dreamed of doing. They get into trouble, and they get out of it. Most of all, they learn things about themselves, each other, and their feelings for each other that they wouldn’t know if not for the Nevers.

            I was so disappointed by this book. I was a huge fan of Let’s Get Lost (also by Adi Alsaid), and I had very high hopes for this book. I would go so far as to say that this was one of my most anticipated releases of 2015, and I was greatly let down. The writing was not bad, but it was not remarkable. While the concept is interesting, the way the plot unfolds is lackadaisical.  I got bored with it very fast. There was some notable character development, but some characters could have benefited from a little bit more.

Previously reviewed by Adi Alsaid: Let's Get Lost 

“Human beings are more or less formulas. Pun intended. We are not any one thing that is mathematically provable. We are more or less than we are anything. We are more or less kind, or more or less not. More or less selfish, happy, wise, lonely.”

DISCLAIMER: Review is based off of an unedited proof. Official release date is August 4, 2015.

To All The Boys I've Loved Before

The Bookworm says... Yes! To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han was great! Lara Jean is the type to be consumed by love. She falls in love, and can't concentrate on anything else. So, she writes love letters to the boys she loves. Once she writes, seals,  stamps, and locks away her letters in a box, she can finally go about her daily life. One day, her letters get mailed. Lara Jeans secret love letters to her loves throughout the years have been delivered, and whether the boys knew about her feelings before, they're about to find out. 

I had heard so much about this book, it would practically be a crime not to read it. I had very high expectations, and it met them! My only complaint would be that after about 90 pages, the rest of the book is fairly predicable. However, that didn't make it less enjoyable! 

"My letters set me free. Or at least they're supposed to."

The Sky is Everywhere

The Bookworm says... Yes! The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson was a  great book! Not as good as her other novel, I'll Give You The Sun, but good all the same. Bailey's death tears everyone apart, especially her sister Lennie. Her heart overflowing with grief, she needs to find a way to relieve herself. Toby, her dead sisters boyfriend. Joe, the hot/mysterious/musical prodigy new boy. One boy helps her remember how good it is to be alive, and the other helps her forget everything. She needs them both, yet she knows she can't have them. Hearts collide, as do universes. 

To be quite honest, this book was not as good as I hoped for it to be. The beginning seemed to drag on. I did, however, love the poetry. Beautiful. 

"Lennie, the sky is everywhere, it begins at your feet."

Previously reviewed by Jandy Nelson: I'll Give You The Sun

Read Between the Lines

The Bookworm says... Yes! Read Between the Lines by Jo Knowles was a lovely book that I had the pleasure to read an advance copy of. The release date is set for March 2015. Living in a small town, the whole cast of typical high school characters is there: the nerd, the jocks, the (almost) high school dropout, the cheerleaders, the closeted basketball star, and the one cheerleader that always seems to be overweight. The day begins with Nate breaking his finger in gym class. His middle finger, earning him the nickname "Finger Boy". Throughout the day, throughout different points of view, relationships will end, they will begin. People will lose friends, people will find friends. They will defend their pride. And most of all, they'll let their middle fingers fly. This was an excellent book and I can not wait for the official release! 

"I don't know when finding Grace's boyfriend's parties became more important than trying to find ourselves. Maybe it's because we became afraid of what we'd find." 

**official release is March 10, 2015!

Love Letters to the Dead

The Bookworm says... Wow. Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira left me speechless, in the best possible way. It starts as an English assignment: write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain, because May loved him. The letter to Kurt Cobain becomes a notebook full of letters to Kurt, Janis Joplin, E. E. Cummings, River Phoenix, Amelia Earhart, and Amy Winehouse. Laurel writes to them about starting high school, her new friends, her parents splitting up, and learning to grieve for her sister, May. It's not until Laurel has written down her truth that she can begin to tell other people. She can finally accept that May was not perfect, nor was she. 

This book was stunning, for lack of a better word. It explored all the hardships of loosing someone dear to you, entering high school, and facing the world. Terrific. 

"There are two most important things in the world- being in danger, and being saved."