Tell Us Something True

The Bookworm says... Yes! Tell Us Something True  by Dana Reinhardt is a cute new YA coming of age novel. Penny breaks up with River, but it's more like she just took his soul and crushed into tiny pieces and scattered them around the country. He hopelessly tries to get back with her, but it is to no avail. In his despair he finds himself at a support group for troubled teens, A Second Chance. River fakes his way through the meetings, trying to blend in with Los Angeles's most corrupted teens. By attending these meetings on Saturday nights, River learns more than he could've hoped for about himself, Penny, love, addiction, and life in general. 

Tell Us Something True was definitely an enjoyable book to read! It's sweet, romantic, comical, and sad, all wrapped into around 200 pages. There were "aweee!" moments, "haha!" moments, and some "oh noooo :(" moments as well. Though at some points a tad slow, I would say that the novel developed very well to reach an enthralling climax at the end. This book isn't the book to read if you are looking for something to blow you away, but it's good if you just want something quick that you know you will enjoy- the ending WILL take you by surprise, I promise. 

"Don't let perfect be the enemy of good."

DISCLAIMER: review is based on an uncorrected proof. Tentative release date is June 14, 2016. 

Holding Up the Universe

The Bookworm says... Yes! Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven has been one of my most anticipated new novels for a while now, and trust me- it did not disappoint! This YA novel follows Libby Strout, formerly known as "America's Fattest Teen", and Jack Masselin, popular kid with a secret neurological disorder. Following her mother's death, Libby stayed close to home, attempting to recollect herself and deal with her grief. She gained so much weight that she was housebound for six months. For as long as he can remember, Jack hasn't been able to remember faces- every time he sees someone it's as if it's the first time. Self diagnosed with prosopagnosia, Jack makes his way through the day by using identifiers (the arrangement of freckles, catch-phrases, etc.) to recognize people, and by making sure never to get too close. After a cruel game is played, Libby and Jack's worlds collide in a group counseling session. At first less than thrilled to see each other, they begin to realize that spending time together may not be so bad after all.

I really, truly enjoyed Holding Up the Universe. As many of you know, Jennifer Niven's other YA novel All The Bright Places was my number one read on 2015 (see my top ten here) Clearly, that set a very high bar for this one. While I can't say that Holding Up the Universe was as incredible as ATBP, it was amazing in its own way. It is a very unique story about issues that do not get talked about- bullying, obesity, and rare neurological  disorders. Before reading this book, I had never heard of prospagnosia. It has the same educational effect as Wendy Mass's A Mango Shaped Space, which follows a protagonist with synesthesia. Libby is such a fierce, independent character that I wish I knew her. I wish I could have her personality. The more I think about it, the more I realize why Holding Up the Universe didn't overcome ATBP- it's significantly less simple to relate to, yet I feel that that is a further advantage. It's not often that I read a book in which the main character is so different from myself, yet so similar once I take the time to examine them more. To sum up my thoroughly scatter-brained review (Jennifer Niven, this is what your writing does to me!)- Holding Up the Universe is a fabulous new novel. Ignore the naysayers that will tell you otherwise, and run to the bookstore on October 4th to get a copy of this fantastic book.

"It's been my experience that the people who are most afraid are the ones who hide behind mean and threatening words."

Previously reviewed by Jennifer Niven: All The Bright Places

DISCLAIMER: review is based on an uncorrected proof. Tentative release date is October 4th, 2016.

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.