Half in Love With Death

The Bookworm says... Yes! Half in Love With Death by Emily Ross is a great YA thriller and coming-of-age novel wrapped in one. Caroline's older sister, Jess, was always the "problem child" of their family, if you will. She was, after all, the reason they had to move across the country. One night, Jess sneaks out of the house after their parents are in bed- nothing out of the usual. What is unusual- she doesn't come home. Before Caroline can even think about what's happening, her older sister is missing and nobody seems to care about what Caroline has to say. Tony, Jess's boyfriend and local  bad-boy, is the only person that is there to comfort Caroline. Tony is convinced Jess ran away to California, and he begins to convince Caroline of the same. Caroline starts hanging out with Tony's group, and by the time she realizes the bad-boy act might not be an act, she may be in too deep.

I really enjoyed Half in Love With Death! The plot kept my attention in a tight grip, and I found my thoughts drifting back to Caroline and Jess even after I put the book down. The setting, Arizona in the 1960's, provided a unique twist to the story. Though I would say the ending is kind of predictable from early on, I do not think that that took away from the experience of reading it whatsoever. Bravo, Emily Ross!

"Was the one thing that I'd dismissed as a dream the only thing that had actually been real?"

**SPECIAL NOTE: If you happen to be residing in the South Shore area of Massachusetts, there's an excellent opportunity to attend a YA author event featuring Emily Ross! The event is being held at Buttonwood Books and Toys in Cohasset on Sunday, April 10th at 1:00. For more information, you can call 781-383-2665, visit buttonwoodbooksandtoys.com, or send me a message!

The Smell of Other People's Houses

The Bookworm says... Absolutely! The Smell of Other People's Houses is an outstanding debut novel for Alaska Native Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock. Ruth, Alyce, Dora, and Hank are all faced with very different situations that similarly challenge their wit, ability to survive, and overall strength and perseverance. Their lives intertwine as they all try to deal with what they were given. Who could have guessed that four teenagers, a secret, a passion for dance, a need to escape your roots, and a plot to run away from home could draw four people together and provide such unlikely success for each individual.

The Smell of Other People's Houses is new, fresh, different, and brilliant in more ways than I can count. Set in Alaska in the 1970's on the verge of entering statehood, the novel doesn't appear to be something modern young adults could relate to. That observation, however, is immediately disproved upon reading the first chapter. The writing style is incredible- Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock is a voice that has been sorely needed in the world of young adult literature. The manner in which she brought together all of the characters in her novel was beautiful, and I was left speechless upon turning the final page. With a beautiful cover, intriguing name, and an exquisite plot, everything about this book screams, "READ ME!

"We don't have to be blood to be family."

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

The Bookworm says...No. I really did not enjoy Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews. Greg Gaines has mastered the method of staying invisible in high school, there in making a friend out of everyone. He acknowledges that without any friends, just people he is friends with, he is deprived of a normal high school experience, though he doesn't seem to mind. Greg is also a very unsuccessful filmmaker; he makes films with his business partner, Earl Jones. Very bad films, to be clear. When a girl Greg dated in his prepubescent years, Rachel Kushner, is diagnosed with leukemia, Greg's mom forces him to befriend her. Simply acquainting himself with Rachel is the flaw that brings down Greg's entire, carefully structured life, but also gives it a a new meaning.

This book is written from the point of view of Greg, as a book that he is writing for an unknown reason. This gives the reader direct insight into Greg's teenage mind. I did not like this book, as you may have seen above. I didn't particularly enjoy the writing style, and I thought the plot was dry and boring. A read that I wished to be finished before I was halfway through.

"I mean, you can know someone is dying on an intellectual level, but emotionally it hasn't hit you, and then when it does, that's when you feel like shit."

My Top Ten Books of 2015

With 2015 coming to a close, I've decided the best way to wrap up my year of literature is to make a list of my top ten best reads of the last 365 days. Each of the books on this list has taken a special part of my heart with it as I turned the final page, and I am sure that these will become staple books in my collections that I will reread in the years to come. Every one of these books is a piece of brilliant artwork, and they have truly changed my life for the better. Without further ado, here are my top ten books of 2015:

1. All The Bright Places

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven is decidedly my favorite book of the year (and maybe ever!!). After I read it, it stayed on my mind for weeks. Everything I read following it paled in comparison. I began to recommend it to every one of my friends. Before I knew it, I had a pack of teenage girls confronting me with anger that I made them love a book so much. I haven’t met a single person that had anything bad to say about this book, nor have I met a person who didn’t sob like a baby at the end. ATBP is truly a masterpiece, which is apparent in the way it rests in my mind months after reading.

Read my full review: All The Bright Places Review

“You are all the colors in one, at full brightness.”

2. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz is an extremely close second favorite of 2015. This book has the undeniably best ending I have ever come across. Ever. The last page is so good that after I finished the book, I would go back and reread the last page. In fact, I’m about to do just that. From the introduction- “To all the boys who’ve had to learn to play by different rules”- I knew that I had found a gem. I recommend Aristotle and Dante to almost every single person looking for a romance that falls outside the box. The characters developed throughout the novel are incredible, and finishing the book leaves the reader resentful that it is, in fact, a work of fiction, and no, Aristotle Mendoza cannot be their new best friend. With all the time in the world, I could not fully express the beauty of this book, and the love I have for it.

Read my full review: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe Review

“Another secret of the universe: Sometimes pain was like a storm that came out of nowhere. The clearest summer morning could end in a downpour. Could end in lightning and thunder.”

3. Fans of the Impossible Life

Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa is, again, a very close third favorite book of the year. This book was so, so incredible. I honestly don’t know whether or not a book has ever affected me as this one has. Every chapter, every page, every character, every sentence, every word of this book carved itself into my heart. It is just so fully and completely outstanding that I feel no words I can provide will adequately describe this masterpiece. After I read this book, I felt understood in a way that I never had before. Only a truly magical book can make its readers connect to feelings they didn’t know they were feeling. I finished it, in awe, of how satisfying it was to finally feel like somebody got it. Fans broke my heart and put it back together again. I remember feeling an urge to thank Kate Scelsa for writing this book. Fans of the Impossible Life is completely and heartbreakingly honest, and if I’m being completely honest- you’re wasting your time if you have yet to read this book.

Read my full review: Fans of the Impossible Life Review

“May we live impossibly… Against all odds. May people look at us and wonder how such jewels can sparkle in the sad desert of the world. May we live the impossible life. "

4. More Happy Than Not

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera is the only book I read multiple times this year, if that can begin to express the caliber of my adoration for this novel. The first time I read it, it was an ARC a few months before release. The next, a few months after its release, in anticipation of seeing Adam Silvera at Boston Book Festival. My plans fell through and I didn’t end up attending the festival, but I still jumped at the opportunity to reread this amazing book. The themes of this book are very similar to those of the three novels listed above: coming of age, struggling with sexuality, and mental health issues. It is most similar to Aristotle and Dante, which may have been the reason I loved it so much. In More Happy Than Not, Adam Silvera confronts what others wouldn’t dare: the true struggles of being different in a place where it is best to stay inconspicuous; for example, being gay while living in the Bronx. When I saw the first published hardcovers on the shelves, my heart was racing like it was my own debut novel. I’ve been known to become excessively proud of the things/people that I care deeply about. Adam Silvera leapt into YA fiction with this outstanding gem of a novel that is absolutely unforgettable.

Read my full review: More Happy Than Not Review

“The boy with no direction taught me something unforgettable: happiness comes again if you let it.”

5. Beautiful Music For Ugly Children

Beautiful Music For Ugly Children by Kirstin Cronn-Mills is short, sweet, and so very real. I picked it up on a bus ride to Quebec City. Before we even hit the Canadian border, I had finished the book and I was a blubbering mess. At that point, I’m sure my classmates were finished with me. The emotion displayed by every character in the book is so raw and true, it makes the reader look inside himself for signs of the same feelings. What I found most notable about this book is how it changed my perspective about so many things. After reading it, I paid much closer attention to the feelings of those around me, and what I could do to make strangers and acquaintances more comfortable in any given situation. If you are looking for a short, sweet read, this is not for you. But, if you are looking for a short, emotional read- pick up Beautiful Music For Ugly Children.

Read my full review: Beautiful Music For Ugly Children Review

“You shoved me off the cliff. Turns out I can fly.”

6-10:

I had started writing this post with the intention of listing my top ten books of 2015, in order, with a short blurb on each one. After reaching number five, I found that I could no longer put them in order because I love them all so much. Here are books 6-10, in no particular order.

• Confess by Colleen Hoover
• Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (and the other two books that go along with it, Isla and the Happily Ever After and Lola and the Boy Next Door)
• The Accident Season by Moira-Fowley Doyle
• Suicide Notes for Beautiful Girls by Lynn Weingarten
• Trouble is a Friend of Mine by Stephanie Tromly

Notable Mentions:

And of course, what kind of person would I be if I didn’t mention my other favorites of the year.

• Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan
• The Fog Diver by Joel Ross
• Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
• The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes
• Broken Skies by Theresa Kay
• I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson
• Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira
• Fault Line by C.Desir

If you are interested in hearing more about any of these books, there is a review of each one posted on this blog. Head over to the Review List and find it from there! I hope you all had as successful of a year in literature as I did, and I hope to hear from you in 2016. Happy New Year, and cheers to another year of great books and great friends! 

Just My Luck

The Bookworm says... Yes! Just My Luck by Cammie McGovern is an uplifting story about having a family member with a disability. The summer before fourth grade, Benny's best friend moves away. He's trying to find a replacement, but it's to no avail. Another thing Benny can't succeed at- bike riding. His older brother, George, who has autism, can ride a bike better than he can. While Benny's dad is trying to help him learn to ride, an accident happens and days later, Mr. Barrows is in the hospital. Benny is trying to follow his mother's advice: be kind to everyone, especially when you are experiencing a hard time. But with his dad in the hospital, possibly because of him, this is easier said than done for Benny.

I really enjoyed Just My Luck! I had previously read Cammie McGovern's Say What You Will, and though the stories have a similar baseline, I don't think that they can be compared to each other. I am very glad I didn't form my opinion of Just My Luck based on Say What You Will, because I do not think I would have liked it as much as I did. Benny is a prime example of what it feels like to be the sibling of a child with a disability, especially being the sibling that knows best how to respond to their quirks. A household struck by chaos has never been depicted so truly- if you are struggling to understand how to prevail in a time of chaos, or if you are trying to understand what it's like to love someone with a disability- READ THIS

"Everyone has bad days. You have to make the good ones."

DISCLAIMER: This review is based off of an uncorrected proof. Tentative on-sale date is February 23, 2016.

Blue Voyage

The Bookworm says... Yes! Blue Voyage by Diana Renn is a thrilling story of teen rebellion, travel, and smuggling rings. After a series of events send Zan's picture perfect life into a downhill spiral, her mother decides it would be best If she and Zan visit Zan's Aunt Jackie in Turkey. They meet Jackie at the dock to catch a Blue Voyage cruise that her recently deceased husband was supposed to be a guest speaker on. In an attempt to forget the pressures waiting in America and mourn her late Uncle Berk, Zan tries to make the best of the trip that seems like a punishment. However, it's hard to enjoy a cruise when you find yourself wrapped up in an international smuggling ring. Suddenly, Zan is the prime suspect, accused of trying to smuggle stolen artifacts across country lines. If she can't find a way to clear her name, Zan may find herself stuck in Turkish prison- forever.

I cannot express enough how much I loved Blue Voyage. It had been catching my eye on the shelf for a while, and I was meaning to pick it up. But then, I had the chance to attend a writing workshop with Diana Renn at Buttonwood Books and Toys and picked up a copy then. Her personality was so endearing that I knew any writing that she produced would be incredible. This book is perfect for not only people who love adventure and crime novels, but for lovers of travel and history of artifacts as well!

"The beckoning counts. Not the clicking latch behind you."

Humans of New York: Stories

The Bookworm says... Wow! Humans of New York: Stories by Brandon Stanton is truly fascinating. Humans of New York began as a photography blog on tumblr. Then, Brandon began to ask for short quotes to accompany the photos. Eventually, he was conducting fifteen to twenty minute interviews with all of his subjects. HONY is a concept that is taking social media by storm, and having a lasting impact in American hearts through it's latest featured segment on Syrian refugee families.

In Humans of New York: Stories, Brandon Stanton includes hundreds of stunning photographs with captions ranging from nothing at all, to a short quote, to a whole story. Some stories are heart breaking, and some heart warming. Some are just plain adorable ("Today in microfashion...). I can't think of a simpler way to say it: HONY is so cool. Read this, and then mail Brandon Stanton an aggressively long letter thanking him for doing this, because that's what I'm about to do. There is no better way to get to know the real New York City than to read this book.

"There are two books in America: one for the rich and one for the poor. A poor person does a crime and gets forty years. A rich person gets a slap on the wrist for the same crime"(241).

Find Brandon Stanton and Humans of New York:

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/humansofnewyork
Official Website- www.humansofnewyork.com