Arrows Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway


Arrows by Melissa Gorzelanczyk

 Release Date: January 26, 2016
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: Edelweiss
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository ● B&N ● iTunes ● Kobo
Goodreads ● Website
A modern cupid story set in present-day Wisconsin combining the fantastical elements of Greek mythology with the contemporary drama of MTV's Teen Mom.

 People don’t understand love. If they did, they’d get why dance prodigy Karma Clark just can’t say goodbye to her boyfriend, Danny. No matter what he says or does or how he hurts her, she can’t stay angry with him . . . and can’t stop loving him. But there’s a reason why Karma is helpless to break things off: she’s been shot with a love arrow. 
Aaryn, son of Cupid, was supposed to shoot both Karma and Danny but found out too late that the other arrow in his pack was useless. And with that, Karma’s life changed forever. One pregnancy confirmed. One ballet scholarship lost. And dream after dream tossed to the wind.

 A clueless Karma doesn’t know that her toxic relationship is Aaryn’s fault . . . but he’s going to get a chance to make things right. He’s here to convince Danny to man up and be there for Karma. But what if this god from Mount Olympus finds himself falling in love with a beautiful dancer from Wisconsin who can never love him in return?

 This fast-paced debut novel explores the internal & external conflicts of a girl who finds herself inexplicably drawn to a boy who seemingly doesn't reciprocate her  feelings, touching on the issues of love, sex and responsibility, with a heroine struggling to control her destiny--perfect for fans of Katie McGarry's novels and MTV’s 16 and Pregnant.

 There’s been a lot of hype for this novel, so when I got the chance to be part of the blog tour, I jumped at the chance. Arrows was such a great novel–it was so original and yet there were elements of it that were similar to other young adult novels that it made it a comfortable read. I devoured this book in one sitting, and there’s no doubt now that I’m a fan of Melissa Gorzelanczyk.

 I’ve been feeling kind of iffy when it comes to YA heroines, especially (as it seems) more recently, but I really loved Karma’s character. Even if she did have a typical “annoying” moment, it didn’t really seem like that because–according to the magic in this book–it truly isn’t her fault. I honestly feel so helpless as a reader when it comes to protagonists, or more generally female leads or counterparts, like her because she doesn’t see what kind of relationship she’s in. Danny is very high on my characters-I-would-punch-in-the-face list, that SOB. Aaryn on the other hand? Total heartthrob. Absolutely swoonalicious (definition, make them girls go loco). I liked the switch in perspectives because we start to see how Aaryn falls in love with Karma, and the struggle Karma goes through day-to-day.

 What I wanted more from this book was Greek mythology, because I unfortunately didn’t get too much. I’ve never read a YA novel about Cupid before, but there wasn’t too much of the myth involved or even an explanation for some of it, so other than the random bits about this supernatural way of making people fall in love, this was a pretty normal contemporary. Seriously though, we do need more books about Greek mythology in the modern world–I love it so much when the two collide!

 An impressive debut, Arrows is a straight shot to your heart. Don’t pass the chance to read this one, ladies and gents–Gorzelanczyk is a fabulous writer, and I absolutely can’t wait to find out what’s coming up next. 

If you like this, try...


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MELISSA GORZELANCZYK

Melissa Gorzelanczyk is a former magazine editor and columnist who believes love is everything. She is a proud member of the SCBWI, The Sweet Sixteens and the Class of 2k16. She lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with her husband and family.

Optional: Her debut novel ARROWS is being published by Delacorte Press on January 26, 2016. She is represented by agent Carrie Howland of Donadio & Olson.


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 One (1) signed hardcover of Arrows + a bookmark!

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The Mystery of Hollow Places Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway


The Mystery of Hollow Places by Rebecca Podos

 Release Date: January 26, 2016
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Rated: YA 14+
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository ● B&N ● iTunes ● Kobo
Goodreads ● Website
All Imogene Scott knows of her mother is the bedtime story her father told her as a child. It's the story of how her parents met: he, a forensic pathologist, she, a mysterious woman who came to identify a body. A woman who left Imogene and her father when she was a baby, a woman who was always possessed by a powerful loneliness, a woman who many referred to as troubled waters.

 When Imogene is seventeen, her father, now a famous author of medical mysteries, strikes out in the middle of the night and doesn't come back. Neither Imogene's stepmother nor the police know where he could've gone, but Imogene is convinced he's looking for her mother. She decides to put to use the skills she's gleaned from a lifetime of her father's books to track down a woman she's never known, in order to find him and, perhaps, the answer to the question she's carried with her for her entire life. 

 Rebecca Podos' debut is a powerful, affecting story of the pieces of ourselves that remain mysteries even to us - the desperate search through empty spaces for something to hold on to.

Raving reviews with a gorgeous cover and title to top it off–I knew that I had to get my hands on The Mystery of Hollow Places. I was super stoked when I got a copy in the mail and then got accepted into the blog tour because I could not wait to dig into this beauty. No disappointments here! I really, REALLY enjoyed this one. Every time I’d have to take a break from reading it, I longed to go back to it. I was really captured by the mystery and Rebecca Podos brings to life this wonderful story.

 The book’s mystery wasn’t really like a mystery-mystery. It’s one of those personal stories with a few surprises at the end, the kind that slowly builds up and while the end doesn’t completely blow your mind, like the twist in Shutter Island or whatever, it’s still a super satisfying ending. Personal journeys are important too, people! I also liked that the father was a mystery writer... makes it so much more interesting with the parallels of the detectives that the father writes about and the qualities of those characters that our protagonist Imogene draws upon.

 While I did like Imogene’s character for the most part, it was just a little annoying when she’d start yelling at the people around her trying to help. It was just tedious time to time when they’d try to help but then because of something that we thought she’d let go somewhere in the middle comes back and just makes a whole mess of the situation. But hey, whatever pushes the story! I liked the direction the story took after that, so that whole mess was overlooked by yours truly. Jessa’s character was also super cool–I’d totally want a bestie like her! While the whole “omg she’s so beautiful and I can never be like her” thing coming from Imogene was a *bit* overdone, I still liked that this girl was manipulative, beautiful and helpful. And of course we have Chad...I liked that he wasn’t too swoon-worthy, but just enough because it’s enough to give you the mushy feels but not enough to overpower the entire story.

 The romance wasn’t a huge element in the story, and I’m glad for that. There wasn’t too much of it, now that I think about it... but whatever was there seemed quite necessary for the plot, so there was no overdone infatuation with our protagonist becoming completely sidetracked from her main mission. And hey–there’s an unexpected ending with all of this too.

 I LOVE that this was set in Massachusetts! I could totally visualise and recognise some of the places mentioned in this book, such as Newbury street, and The Friendly Toast (although I’ve never gone). Chad was even a sophomore at BU! LIKE ME!! Which is why it was strange to see Imogene calling him an adult or too old for her, haha. All kinds of awesome in this book with the awesome locations...I totally need to find out if there’s actually the beach mentioned in this book somewhere around here.

 Overall, The Mystery of Hollow Places was a fantastic story with just the right amounts of mystery, laughs, tears, and romance. Rebecca Podos’s debut is gorgeous and I totally recommend you all pick this one up soon! I know I definitely can’t wait to read what comes next from her.

 ▪ ▪ ▪ Thank you so much to Megan at HarperCollins International for sending a copy for review! ▪ ▪ ▪

If you like this, try...
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REBECCA PODOS

Rebecca Podos' debut YA novel, THE MYSTERY OF HOLLOW PLACES, is forthcoming from Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins) on 1/26/16. A graduate of the Writing, Literature and Publishing program at Emerson College where she won the M.F.A. Award for Best Thesis, her fiction has been published in Glimmer Train, Glyph, CAJE, Paper Darts, Bellows American Review, and Smokelong Quarterly. Past Awards include the Helman Award for Short Fiction, the David Dornstein Memorial Creative Writing Prize for Young Adult Writers, and the Hillerman-McGarrity Scholarship for Creative Writing. She works as a YA and MG agent at the Rees Literary Agency in Boston.



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US ONLY.
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Thank you so much to FFBC Blog Tours for having me along!
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Waiting on Wednesday – Week 161

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It’s to spotlight upcoming releases that I’m DYING to get my hands on!
This week’s WoW is:
Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

She’s more gunpowder than girl—and the fate of the desert lies in her hands.

 Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and barren wastes, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still practice their magic. But there's nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can't wait to escape from. 

 Destined to wind up "wed or dead," Amani’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to get her out of Dustwalk. When she meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she figures he’s the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving home, she never imagined she'd gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan's army, with a fugitive who's wanted for treason. And she'd never have predicted she'd fall in love with him...or that he'd help her unlock the powerful truth of who she really is.
March 8, 2016 ● Goodreads

A kickass heroine, a gorgeous cover, AND (by the sound of it) a diverse cast? OH YES PLEASE. I can’t wait for this one–so far reviews have been amazing and I’m sure it’s the start of a wonderful series.

What are you waiting on?
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It’s been a little slow around here...

Hey everyone!

 Things have generally been a little slow around the blog and it’s totally bringing me down. The only thing I’ve got going currently are my WoW posts, which I’d scheduled absolutely ages ago. University has already got me bogged down with work but I’m gonna try super hard to pick up the posts again. I’ve got quite a few blog tours (starting this week) coming up, so that should be exciting!

 Stay tuned for more posts, and hopefully I’ll get back to the normal routine soon.

 Mwah!
Rabiah
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Waiting on Wednesday – Week 160

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It’s to spotlight upcoming releases I’m DYING to get my hands on!

This week’s WoW is:
Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E. K. Johnston
Veronica Mars meets William Shakespeare in E.K. Johnston’s latest brave and unforgettable heroine.

 Hermione Winters is captain of her cheerleading team, and in tiny Palermo Heights, this doesn’t mean what you think it means. At PHHS, the cheerleaders don’t cheer for the sports teams; they are the sports team—the pride and joy of a tiny town. The team’s summer training camp is Hermione’s last and marks the beginning of the end of…she’s not sure what. She does know this season could make her a legend. But during a camp party, someone slips something in her drink. And it all goes black.

 In every class, there’s a star cheerleader and pariah pregnant girl. They’re never supposed to be the same person. Hermione struggles to regain the control she’s always had and faces a wrenching decision about how to move on. The assault wasn’t the beginning of Hermione Winter’s story and she’s not going to let it be the end. She won’t be anyone’s cautionary tale.
March 15, 2016 ● Goodreads

 I haven’t watched Veronica Mars or read Shakespeare’s Winter’s Tale (yet) but I can’t wait for this one. Sounds pretty dark, for sure, but I’m sure it’s going to speak volumes about rape and rape culture, and teen pregnancy, amongst other topics.
What are you waiting on?
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Waiting on Wednesday – Week 159

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It’s to spotlight upcoming releases that I’m DYING to get my hands on!
This week’s WoW is:
How It Feels to Fly by Kathryn Holmes

The movement is all that matters. 

For as long as Samantha can remember, she’s wanted to be a professional ballerina. She’s lived for perfect pirouettes, sky-high extensions, and soaring leaps across the stage. Then her body betrayed her.

The change was gradual. Stealthy.

Failed diets. Disapproving looks. Whispers behind her back. The result: crippling anxiety about her appearance, which threatens to crush her dancing dreams entirely. On her dance teacher’s recommendation, Sam is sent to a summer treatment camp for teen artists and athletes who are struggling with mental and emotional obstacles. If she can make progress, she’ll be allowed to attend a crucial ballet intensive. But when asked to open up about her deepest insecurities, secret behaviors, and paralyzing fears to complete strangers, Sam can’t cope. 

What I really need is a whole new body.

Sam forms an unlikely bond with Andrew, a former college football player who’s one of her camp counselors. As they grow closer, Andrew helps Sam see herself as he does—beautiful. But just as she starts to believe that there’s more between them than friendship, disappointing news from home sends her into a tailspin. With her future uncertain and her body against her, will Sam give in to the anxiety that imprisons her?

For fans of Center Stage, and with shades of The Breakfast Club, this is a compelling novel about body, mind, and the courage that it takes to become who you’re meant to be.
June 14, 2016 ● Goodreads

The cover and typography featured on it is INSANELY cute, and for that alone I would read this one in a heartbeat. It definitely doesn’t sound like a fluffy novel but it seems to have a lot of heart and powerful stuff, so I’ll definitely be on the lookout for this one.

What are you waiting on?
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Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Release Date: October 20, 2015
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Series: The Illuminae Files, Book 1
Rated: YA 14+
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website (AK) ● Website (JK) ● Website (Illuminae Files)
This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

 This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

 The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

 But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

 Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

This one has been very high up on my to-read list. I mean, the hype for Illuminae was HUGE. I couldn’t go down my twitter feed without seeing a few mentions of the book every day. Goodreads was absolutely abuzz with this title. Every Waiting on Wednesday post seemed to feature this book. I was really surprised when I received a copy in the mail. It was great timing too–it arrived just before I left for the airport, heading off to my second year at university. Talk about good luck! Unfortunately though I couldn’t even get to read the book during the semester...there just wasn’t enough time for me to do so with all the work heading my way. It was such a shame that I only got to it now because this one is AMAZING.

 I’ve previously read Kaufman’s These Broken Stars, another collab novel that she wrote with Meagan Spooner, and since it was set in space too and was friggin’ awesome, I knew that this one would be out of this world (literally). My friend borrowed this one from me and constantly gushed about it nonstop so I knew that I had to read this one fast. So far, 2016 is off to a fantastic start because I’ve been reading nothing but amazing books. Glad this one could join the list! 

 The format was MIND-BLOWING. I’ve never had this much fun reading a book–well, okay it wasn’t too much fun because it got serious at parts but the format just went up and beyond every expectation I had. However, this book was so huge I couldn’t get through it in one sitting. Also, I spent absolutely ages just looking at the details on the pages, such as the mock-wiki articles and the chats. The censored material was brilliant (and realistic sticking to the “protocol”) and it was fun seeing how many blacked out words there were per page. I was just a bit sad because some pages were missing artwork, and some (internal) tears were shed when the words “ARTWORK TK” would appear on the page. Ah, oh well. This just means that I should get a finished copy *wink wink*.

 Kady and Ezra are such kickass characters. I love how the story actually starts with them breaking up because it’s rare to see a book where the female and male counterpart (or just the love interests in general) are or have been in a relationship with each other. I liked that both Kaufman and Kristoff have a pretty good handle on how teens talk and message each other–it made reading the IMs and various other forms of communication a whole lot better. You also do get to learn about quite a few other characters that have interesting positions onboard the two ships. AIDAN was actually super creepy but cool. I got some major 2001: Space Odyssey feels from it and I actually think there’s a reference embedded in there. I did however get mixed up with people from time to time just because of random IM names, the various people who got promoted (or demoted) and so ranks changed...it just made it confusing as to who was on what side.

 There some really BIG twists that come your way–things seem one way but they totally turn out different in the end (true for most of the twists!). You seriously have no idea what’s going to happen. The deadly plague that breaks out creates a MAJOR problem and leads to terrifying consequences. Like I said, AIDAN is super interesting to read about. The pages about the AI were fascinating to read. The reactions from other people on the ship also get heard but it’s just little snippets and tidbits here and there.

 Hopefully you can tell how PUMPED I am about this book. Illuminae is an experience like none other–a gripping story of survival presented in an incredible visual format, Kaufman and Kristoff have created an epic story that readers won’t be able to put down. I can’t wait to read the rest of the trilogy, as even though we won’t be returning to Kady and Ezra’s perspectives, we’ll gain more insight into the world of The Illuminae Files and the events that transpired in this novel from other perspectives. Fall cannot get here fast enough! 


▪ ▪ ▪ Thank you so much to Aisha at Random House Children’s Books for sending me a copy for review! ▪ ▪ ▪

If you like this, try...


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Best Books of 2015

Hey! 
It’s that time of year again! 
IT’S ME LOOKING BACK AT 2015 AND DECIDING WHICH 10 BOOKS WERE AMAZING!!

And here they are (in no particular order):

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke by Anne Blankman ••• My Review ● Goodreads
Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith ••• My Review ● Goodreads
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard ••• My Review ● Goodreads
The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani ••• My Review ● Goodreads
The Revenge Playbook by Rachael Allen ••• My Review ● Goodreads
Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley ••• My Review ● Goodreads
Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman ••• My Review ● Goodreads
Every Day by David Levithan ••• My Review ● Goodreads
Shutter by Courtney Alameda ••• My Review ● Goodreads
Journey by Aaron Becker ••• My Review ● Goodreads

There’s definitely quite an array of books here–so many genres, and even a picture book! I would definitely have to say though that my favourite book from last year was Grasshopper Jungle. Andrew Smith’s writing is absolutely BOMB and this book was so different from anything I’ve ever read.

Check out all the books I read in 2015 HERE.

Well, that’s all from me. Hope your reading was amazing in 2015, and here’s to another year of amazing books! Feel free to share your top books of 2015 blog posts or picks down below.
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Waiting on Wednesday – Week 158

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It’s to spotlight upcoming releases that I’m DYING to get my hands on!
This week’s WoW is:
My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton & Jodi Meadows
For fans of The Princess Bride comes the comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey.

 Lady Jane Grey, sixteen, is about to be married to a total stranger—and caught up in an insidious plot to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But that’s the least of Jane’s problems. She’s about to become Queen of England. Like that could go wrong.
June 7, 2016 ● Goodreads

I’m sad to say I haven’t read any of these three authors’ books, or even watched or read The Princess Bride (yet), but I’m absolutely sure that I NEED this book. Like, NOW. Historical-fiction is my THANG people. Cute YA historical-fiction? Even more so. I can’t wait to get my hands on this one... I hope it goes up on Edelweiss soon!

What are you waiting on?
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The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

 Release Date: August 27, 2015
Publisher: Walker Books
Rated: YA 14+
Format: Paperback
Source: Pansing
Buy: Available at all good bookstores!
Goodreads ● Website
What if you aren’t the Chosen One?

 The one who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death?

 What if you’re like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again.

 Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week’s end of the world, and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your ordinary life.

 Even if your best friend is worshipped by mountain lions.

After reading The Rest of Us Just Live Here I know for a fact that I will read absolutely anything by Patrick Ness. ANYTHING. Memoirs? Yup. Scripts? Yup. Grocery shopping lists? YUP. This is only the second book I’ve read by him and I’m absolutely in love. I fell hard with More Than This (but wasn’t too big a fan of the ending despite the brilliance of the book in general), and after this one I’m still pretty stunned. 

 I have always wondered about the people who weren’t the ones saving the world but were rather just watching on the sidelines and who were kind of affected by what was going on. You always see things like Harry Potter according to other people:

But nobody writes a book* about these other people, do they? At least, they didn’t.
*fanfic doesn’t really count–for me, at least. Sorry!

 UNTIL NOW.

 What I love about this is that there are actually two stories running parallel to each other. You do get to know what’s going on with the “chosen one” while the primary focus remains on Mikey and his friends.
❝Not everyone has to be the Chosen One. Not everyone has to be the guy who saves the world. Most people just have to live their lives the best they can, doing the things that are great for them, having great friends, trying to make their lives better, loving people properly.❞
–p. 236, Paperback (UK)

I really liked how “ordinary” Mikey and his friends were. Well, ordinary in the way they behaved, like actual teenagers. Their circumstances on the other hand... Mikey has OCD, his sister went through and is currently recovering from an eating disorder, and his best friend is not all that *ordinary*. Yeah, not really “normal” but more normal than the fearless brave warrior (known as “indie” kids in this book) who’s supposed to save the world.

 Amazing. Just...amazing. Patrick Ness is brilliant and this book is brilliant. Is it too early to say that The Rest of Us Just Live Here is one of the best books I’ve read this year? Smart and funny with a lot of heart (and cats), Ness’s latest novel is bound to be a new favourite.
▪ ▪ ▪ Thank you so much to Sasha at Pansing for sending me a copy for review! ▪ ▪ ▪

If you like this, try...


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Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

 Release Date: January 5, 2016
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Rated: YA 15+
Format: eGalley
Source: NetGalley
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website
Seventeen-year-old Mercedes Ayres has an open-door policy when it comes to her bedroom, but only if the guy fulfills a specific criteria: he has to be a virgin. Mercedes lets the boys get their awkward, fumbling first times over with, and all she asks in return is that they give their girlfriends the perfect first time–the kind Mercedes never had herself.

 Keeping what goes on in her bedroom a secret has been easy–so far. Her absentee mother isn’t home nearly enough to know about Mercedes’ extracurricular activities, and her uber-religious best friend, Angela, won’t even say the word “sex” until she gets married. But Mercedes doesn’t bank on Angela’s boyfriend finding out about her services and wanting a turn- or on Zach, who likes her for who she is instead of what she can do in bed.

 When Mercedes’ perfect system falls apart, she has to find a way to salvage her reputation and figure out where her heart really belongs in the process. Funny, smart, and true-to-life, FIRSTS is a one-of-a-kind young adult novel about growing up.

Firsts shot up to the top of my to-read pile after I read a raving review–I had to know how on earth a book about a de-virginizing service went down. This contemporary truly stood out from other young adult books that I’ve read for one main reason: it deals with sex. While sex isn’t new to YA, it’s generally not the focus of the novel like it is in Laurie Elizabeth Flynn’s book. There aren’t a lot of “promiscuous” young adult books out there and while this one doesn’t go into too much detail, the fact that there is a ton of sex in the book makes it a lot more different from others in the world of teen fiction.

 However, after reading the book I come away feeling a little bit torn. On one hand, I did love that it had a unique premise and was edgier than other YA contemporary novels. This novel was also hilarious at times, despite some of the heavier tones! Also, it’s pretty rare to find a book where the girl isn’t the virgin but actually the more experienced one. On the other hand though–it did come with its own set of problems. I will say that it was a really good read because I couldn’t stop reading, but only after I’d finished the book I started to look back and see some issues with it that I didn’t really think about while reading.

 First of all, while I did like Mercedes’s character at points in the novel I couldn’t help but feel that what she was doing was wrong. Stealing a guy’s first time just so that “he could get it right with her” wasn’t a good enough excuse. You’d want the first time to have some meaning at least! And I mean, if the guys really loved the girls they were with, would they actually “cheat” on them, even if it was just to make them have a better first time? Despite the unique concept I just couldn’t see how it was right in any way. Obviously, there’s a ton of character progression and mistakes are made along the way and realised in the end, but it doesn’t completely justify the reasons to begin with. I also feel that Mercedes’s backstory wasn’t given too much thought. Yes, it’s a pretty traumatic and tragic backstory but when it’s revealed to us readers, it’s almost brushing over it a little. Like, it isn’t important, when clearly it plays a whole pivotal role in the story (well... pre-story).

 A captivating read, Firsts goes where not many young adult novels have gone before. Laurie Elizabeth Flynn’s daring debut cuts to the chase, pulling readers along in this funny, clever and risqué (in the best way) story. While I did have my issues with parts of the book, there’s no denying that this one was fascinating from start to finish. I’m curious to see what this author comes up with next!
▪ ▪ ▪ Thank you so much to Michelle at St. Martin’s Press for an eGalley for review! ▪ ▪ ▪

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