I'm not a huge fan of memoirs, but I somehow got my hands on this novel and I thought I should just give it a shot. I love cooking, and I love going out and discovering new restaurants, so this sounded like the non-fiction I would enjoy the most.
Surprisingly, I did really enjoy the book! The writing was my favorite part because it was super descriptive and I really felt like I was there at every scene she described. There were some parts where there was huge blocks of text that seemed super daunting to get past because of how descriptive she was, but once I started reading the page I no longer felt intimidated. Another amazing part was just how tenacious and string Erin herself was. I never knew a book about a chef would involve so many life lessons and tradeged. “Finding Freedom” is a marvelous read, an emotionally charged story that is equal parts heartbreaking and uplifting.
Oh man this book wrecked me. I knew from reading that the synopsis that What Beauty There Is would be an emotionally charging book, but I was not prepared at all for all that I just read.
Things I liked:
I thought this would be a more character-driven book so I had low expectations for a thrilling plot, but this books totally defied those expectations. This book is classified as a thriller on Goodreads, and I would agree with that. It is action-packed and what’s at stake for the characters is very high. The plot fast-paced and kept me on the edge of the seat the entire time, and I really appreciated the short chapters.
All the characters were super well-developed! Jack was a compelling character; he would do anything for his little brother Matty and that was what motivated throughout the entire book, sending him on his dangerous journey of trying to save his younger brother. Ava is very interesting, and I really enjoyed whenever we had hr perspective. I was rooting for Jack, Matty and Ava the whole way through and it was so full of twists and turns that I really had no idea whether or not it was all going to work out for them in the end.
The writing was beautiful! I couldn’t believe that this was a debut book, as the writing was so atmospheric and descriptive. It aided the suspense of the plot and the desperation of the characters so well, and I had a hard time putting this books down.
Overall, this was such a strong debut, and I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an emotional rollercoaster.
From Erin French, owner and chef of the critically acclaimed The Lost Kitchen, a TIME world dining destination, a life-affirming memoir about survival, renewal, and finding a community to lift her up
Long before The Lost Kitchen became a world dining destination with every seating filled the day the reservation book opens each spring, Erin French was a girl roaming barefoot on a 25-acre farm, a teenager falling in love with food while working the line at her dad's diner and a young woman finding her calling as a professional chef at her tiny restaurant tucked into a 19th century mill. This singular memoir--a classic American story--invites readers to Erin's corner of her beloved Maine to share the real person behind the "girl from Freedom" fairytale, and the not-so-picture-perfect struggles that have taken every ounce of her strength to overcome, and that make Erin's life triumphant.
In Finding Freedom, Erin opens up to the challenges, stumbles, and victories that have led her to the exact place she was ever meant to be, telling stories of multiple rock-bottoms, of darkness and anxiety, of survival as a jobless single mother, of pills that promised release but delivered addiction, of a man who seemed to offer salvation but in the end ripped away her very sense of self. And of the beautiful son who was her guiding light as she slowly rebuilt her personal and culinary life around the solace she found in food--as a source of comfort, a sense of place, as a way of bringing goodness into the world. Erin's experiences with deep loss and abiding hope, told with both honesty and humor, will resonate with women everywhere who are determined to find their voices, create community, grow stronger and discover their best-selves despite seemingly impossible odds. Set against the backdrop of rural Maine and its lushly intense, bountiful seasons, Erin reveals the passion and courage needed to invent oneself anew, and the poignant, timeless connections between food and generosity, renewal and freedom.
My Review:
Thank you to Celadon for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for a review.
I normally don't read memoirs, but because I won a copy of Finding Freedom in a giveaway, I thought I would give it a go! Finding Freedom was such an unexpected read that I really ended up enjoying. I will say that I was very hungry reading all the descriptions of food, so have a snack handy if you decide to pick it up.
Things I liked: - I loved learning about Erin's journey of becoming the renoundchef she is today. You really see her strength and her vulnerability, which made the book feel really raw at times. I can't help but admire her strength and tenacity and hope to find myself. Her journey with her mental health/addiction was an unexpected turn of the book that I really appreciated. She is very honest and forthcoming of her struggles throughout this book, and that inly added to my admiration for her. - I'm not a big foodie, but after this book I think I might be one now! I adored all descriptions of the food. From the set up/decor of the restaurant, to the many dishes they serve, it was all so vivid. Like I mentioned before, I would really recommend having a snack handy when reading this book.
My only complaint was that there was so much description at times that I had a hard time paying attention. It wasn't uncommon to turn the page and see giant blocks of text without paragraph breaks.
House of Hollow was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it did not disappoint. I read Sutherland's debut novel Our Chemical Hearts the year it came out and enjoyed it; it was very John Green-esque. House of Hollow had a completely different feel, one that is much more up my alley. It's filled with grotesque imagery of overgrown and rotting plants, and some of it even grows out of human flesh. It reminds me of Wilder Girls by Rory Power. Both have that "weird/unexplained" element that almost seems supernatural.
My favorite part was the lore of the sisters and how they went missing as children. The mystery surrounding the whole situation had me super intrigued and I was hooked into the story and plot immediately. Iris, the main character, was someone I really rooted for, and her sisters had me invested as well. Tyler was the most fun character, and I loved any chapter he was in. His banter with Iris and Vivi was the star of the show. The plot twits in towards the end were slightly predictable, though there was one that took me completely by surprise.
Overall, this was such a spooky and atmospheric read that I will be revisiting in the future! I'd highly recommend it of you enjoy some body horror and weird books.
From Erin French, owner and chef of the critically acclaimed The Lost Kitchen, a TIME world dining destination, a life-affirming memoir about survival, renewal, and finding a community to lift her up
Long before The Lost Kitchen became a world dining destination with every seating filled the day the reservation book opens each spring, Erin French was a girl roaming barefoot on a 25-acre farm, a teenager falling in love with food while working the line at her dad's diner and a young woman finding her calling as a professional chef at her tiny restaurant tucked into a 19th century mill. This singular memoir--a classic American story--invites readers to Erin's corner of her beloved Maine to share the real person behind the "girl from Freedom" fairytale, and the not-so-picture-perfect struggles that have taken every ounce of her strength to overcome, and that make Erin's life triumphant.
In Finding Freedom, Erin opens up to the challenges, stumbles, and victories that have led her to the exact place she was ever meant to be, telling stories of multiple rock-bottoms, of darkness and anxiety, of survival as a jobless single mother, of pills that promised release but delivered addiction, of a man who seemed to offer salvation but in the end ripped away her very sense of self. And of the beautiful son who was her guiding light as she slowly rebuilt her personal and culinary life around the solace she found in food--as a source of comfort, a sense of place, as a way of bringing goodness into the world. Erin's experiences with deep loss and abiding hope, told with both honesty and humor, will resonate with women everywhere who are determined to find their voices, create community, grow stronger and discover their best-selves despite seemingly impossible odds. Set against the backdrop of rural Maine and its lushly intense, bountiful seasons, Erin reveals the passion and courage needed to invent oneself anew, and the poignant, timeless connections between food and generosity, renewal and freedom.
My Review:
Thank you to Celadon for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for a review.
I normally don't read memoirs, but because I won a copy of Finding Freedom in a giveaway, I thought I would give it a go! Finding Freedom was such an unexpected read that I really ended up enjoying. I will say that I was very hungry reading all the descriptions of food, so have a snack handy if you decide to pick it up.
Things I liked: - I loved learning about Erin's journey of becoming the renoundchef she is today. You really see her strength and her vulnerability, which made the book feel really raw at times. I can't help but admire her strength and tenacity and hope to find myself. Her journey with her mental health/addiction was an unexpected turn of the book that I really appreciated. She is very honest and forthcoming of her struggles throughout this book, and that inly added to my admiration for her. - I'm not a big foodie, but after this book I think I might be one now! I adored all descriptions of the food. From the set up/decor of the restaurant, to the many dishes they serve, it was all so vivid. Like I mentioned before, I would really recommend having a snack handy when reading this book.
My only complaint was that there was so much description at times that I had a hard time paying attention. It wasn't uncommon to turn the page and see giant blocks of text without paragraph breaks.
Hello friends! I'm back with another review of one of my highly anticipated reads of the year.
About the Book:
Debut author Angeline Boulley crafts a groundbreaking YA thriller about a Native teen who must root out the corruption in her community, for readers of Angie Thomas and Tommy Orange.
As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. Daunis dreams of studying medicine, but when her family is struck by tragedy, she puts her future on hold to care for her fragile mother.
The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team. Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, certain details don’t add up and she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into the heart of a criminal investigation.
Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, but secretly pursues her own investigation, tracking down the criminals with her knowledge of chemistry and traditional medicine. But the deceptions—and deaths—keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home.
Now, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she'll go to protect her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.
Review:
Firekeeper’s Daughter struck a place close to home that I didn’t expect. Daunis, the main character is biracial (half white and half indigenous). As a biracial reader, I really related to her experience of limbo between two cultures she cares deeply for, and struggling to belong to both. I’m not Indigenous, but I’m half Chinese and I think the biracial representation is pretty universal.
This book is heavier than I expected as it tackles some heavy subject matter including racism, sexual violence, violence against women, drug/alcohol addiction, and grief. It was hard for me to read at around the 70% mark because of the sexual violence and the off-page rape scene, so I think it’s important for reader to know about the content matter before diving into this book.
My only criticism was the pacing of the book, sometimes it felt like so much was happening that it was hard to keep up, and other times it dragged a bit. But overall, I think Firekeeper’s Daughter is an amazing crime thriller combined with a coming of age story that is filled with rich traditions and customs of the Ojibwe tribe.
Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I didn’t really know what to expect when I went into this book because I don’t read a ton of thrillers. I was a bit intimidated, but I really enjoyed this book!
My favorite thing about Every Last Fear was the characters. Most of them were extremely smart and deeply flawed, but still likable to an extent. I adored Agent Sarah Keller and her husband Bob. Evan and Bob are devoted husbands and fathers and in the thriller genre that is very unusual but so very refreshing. Even Matt's friends were a devoted and loyal group and provided him a support system he so desperately needed. The characters were all given clear and concise voices.
Another thing i really enjoyed was the writing! The writing and storyline flowed easily, and it was full of suspense!
This was a fabulous introduction to an author I’m confident we’ll be seeing more of in the future.
In The Genome Odyssey, Dr. Euan Ashley, Stanford professor of medicine and genetics, brings the breakthroughs of precision medicine to vivid life through the real diagnostic journeys of his patients and the tireless efforts of his fellow doctors and scientists as they hunt to prevent, predict, and beat disease.
Since the Human Genome Project was completed in 2003, the price of genome sequencing has dropped at a staggering rate. It’s as if the price of a Ferrari went from $350,000 to a mere forty cents. Through breakthroughs made by Dr. Ashley’s team at Stanford and other dedicated groups around the world, analyzing the human genome has decreased from a heroic multibillion dollar effort to a single clinical test costing less than $1,000.
For the first time we have within our grasp the ability to predict our genetic future, to diagnose and prevent disease before it begins, and to decode what it really means to be human.
In The Genome Odyssey, Dr. Ashley details the medicine behind genome sequencing with clarity and accessibility. More than that, with passion for his subject and compassion for his patients, he introduces readers to the dynamic group of researchers and doctor detectives who hunt for answers, and to the pioneering patients who open up their lives to the medical community during their search for diagnoses and cures.
He describes how he led the team that was the first to analyze and interpret a complete human genome, how they broke genome speed records to diagnose and treat a newborn baby girl whose heart stopped five times on the first day of her life, and how they found a boy with tumors growing inside his heart and traced the cause to a missing piece of his genome.
These patients inspire Dr. Ashley and his team as they work to expand the boundaries of our medical capabilities and to envision a future where genome sequencing is available for all, where medicine can be tailored to treat specific diseases and to decode pathogens like viruses at the genomic level, and where our medical system as we know it has been completely revolutionized.
Review:
★★★
I won this book in a giveaway, so I had no idea what I was getting myself into reading this. I would like to first off that genome stuff is really complicated, and even though Ashley makes it more simple to understand, I still had a little trouble. What's nice though is that I'm currently studying genomes in my Bio class, so I was able to discuss some of these concepts with my professor, so that helped a lot.
My favorite thing about The Genome Odyssey was that it didn't read like a textbook. Ashley made the story of all the experiments really interesting and engaging; so much so that I felt like I was with the team working on their projects. I also loved how the author focused on the human element of science and discovery. He really cares about the families and people he encountered over the course of his research. It made the book so much easier to read because I actually connected with a lot of the people involved.
So if you're looking for a well written book that'll teach you loads about genomes, look no further!
Rose Szabo's thrilling debut is a dark and thrilling novel about a teen girl who returns home to her strange, wild family after years of estrangement, perfect for fans of Wilder Girls.
Eleanor Zarrin has been estranged from her wild family for years. When she flees boarding school after a horrifying incident, she goes to the only place she thinks is safe: the home she left behind. But when she gets there, she struggles to fit in with her monstrous relatives, who prowl the woods around the family estate and read fortunes in the guts of birds.
Eleanor finds herself desperately trying to hold the family together — in order to save them all, Eleanor must learn to embrace her family of monsters and tame the darkness inside her.
Exquisitely terrifying, beautiful, and strange, this fierce gothic fantasy will sink its teeth into you and never let go.
Review:
★★★★
Oh man I'm such a fan of weird book with creepy and sinister vibes, bonus points if there is some body horror. What Big Teeth checked all those boxes, and was unlike any other YA book I've read for a long while. It has similar vibes as a Tim Burton movie, and other people describes this as The Addams Family meets Wilder Girls- both some of my favorite creepy stories.
This book follows Eleanor, who is returning home after years away at boarding school. But when she arrives home, her family is not how she remembers them and the story unfolds from there.
My favorite thing about this book was the slow reveal of everything. Elenor's family are really creepy from the page we meet them, but we only begin to find out why piece by piece. It made for a slow but suspenseful pace that had me on the edge of my seat the entire book. And the supernatural elements also added to the atmosphere of the book!
If you love monster families, creepy gothic houses, and the supernatural, then What Big Teeth is definitely the book for you!
Thanks so much to the publisher and Bookish First for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for review!
Synopsis
A debut collection from an extraordinary new talent that vividly gives voice to the men and women of modern China and its diaspora
Gripping and compassionate, Land of Big Numbers depicts the diverse and legion Chinese people, their history, their government, and how all of that has tumbled—messily, violently, but still beautifully—into the present.
Cutting between clear-eyed realism and tongue-in-cheek magical realism, Chen’s stories coalesce into a portrait of a people striving for openings where mobility is limited. Twins take radically different paths: one becomes a professional gamer, the other a political activist. A woman moves to the city to work at a government call center and is followed by her violent ex-boyfriend. A man is swept into the high-risk, high-reward temptations of China’s volatile stock exchange. And a group of people sit, trapped for no reason, on a subway platform for months, waiting for official permission to leave.
With acute social insight, Te-Ping Chen layers years of experience reporting on the ground in China with incantatory prose in this taut, surprising debut, proving herself both a remarkable cultural critic and an astonishingly accomplished new literary voice.
Review
★★★
This was a book I didn't remember entering the raffle for, so I was surprised when I won and it showed up at my door. To be completely honest, Land of Big Numbers is a book I would have never picked up normally, so I'm glad that Bookish First granted me the opportunity to review it because I did end up enjoying it.
Land of Big Numbers is a short story collection, each following different characters touching on aspect of Chinese culture. It covers a large range of topics, and most of the stories have a speculative element that I loved. Some have more obvious connections to an element of Chinese history/government, and others have a more broad insight into the culture and human nature in general. I am a Chinese American, so some aspects were more new to me than others, but I think it would be more difficult for someone non-Chinese or someone unfamiliar with the culture to completely understand. That's not to say that this book is hard to follow along, as I think you can still gain a lot from this book no matter where you're from.
If you enjoy short story collections, or something about human nature then Land of Big Numbers is definitely a book you should check out!!
So I won this book in a giveaway, but I wasn't really sure what to expect from it. I didn't know it was middle grade so that was a nice surprise!
Starfish follows a young girl named Ellie, who faces many bullies at school for her weight. In addition, her best friends moved away leaving her feeling lonely and friendless. Her mother also keeps making snide comments at home, and leaving hints for her to get a weight-reducing surgery that Ellie is terrified to even consider. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is.
My favorite part of Starfish was that it was written in verse. There were short half poem half vignette style snippets that were simple but also extremely profound. I could really empathize with Ellie and her self-hatred, and it was so heartwarming seeing her begin to open up to her therapist and realize her self worth. I think that this will be an amazing book for young girls to read and feel validated.
If you’re looking for a teen romance that doesn’t require much commitment, then look no further. Super Fake Love Song was a cute read, and I loved how cheesy it was, but I wasn’t the most invested in it. It played on typical tropes, but put a little twist on it and I enjoyed that aspect of the book. My favorite part was the friendship between Sunny and his best friends. Their banter was so fun and I actually chuckled at a few lines. I also loved how obviously he crushed on Cirrus. He was so adorable, and I didn’t finds character as annoying as the protagonist from David Yoon’s previous book. The representation was awesome, and I’m so pumped about the rise in Asian MC in YA.
A couple things that prevented me from really loving this book was the piling miscommunication between Sunny and Cirrus. I know that the plot rides on him and his little white lie about being in a band. I think its a lazy plot device and it’s way overused at this point. Other than that, I think this is a sweet love story about a boy finding himself and learning about his own interests!
This book is amazing! I love that it brings back vampires (an old favorite), but in a very different way. Celine was such a lovable main character! I loved how snarky, smart, and sweet she was, and she deserves the world. Her story arch was so satisfying to watch unfold. The whole time I was rooting for her and Bastien :) The chemistry between the two was great, and I was desperately wanting them to kiss. Also, Bastien was just so precious!
Plot wise, the mystery kept me on my toes. I thought I had predicted the twist, but I was totally off! New Orleans is such a rich and sinister setting, and Renee Ahdieh made it feel so atmospheric.
Overall, I just loved about almost everything in this book and need a sequel stat!
I don't think it is fair for me to give a rating since I DNF'ed this book at 200 pages, but it was just soooo unbelievably boring. I only cared about the bits following Keralie, but the book alternates between her perspective and one of the queens. I didn't care why they were dying, and how their storyline related to Keralie's. I don't even really know what I wanted, but it wasn't this :( I really wanted to like this book since it got so much hype and the cover is just gorgeous, but sadly this just isn't for me.
I will say the writing was good for a debut novel, so I would definitely consider reading Astrid Scholte's books in the future! I just hope the plot and characters are more interesting than this one :(
So while I have had this book for a while now, I didn’t pick it up until recently because I was scared I wouldn’t love it as much as everyone else did. But I am glad to say that I LOVED IT. This is such an important story, and it clearly deserves all the hype. Even though Star and I are very different, I still found myself identifying with certain aspects of her. She was scared and confused, but believed in her relationships with her friends and family, but most importantly she believed in herself to stand up for what she believed was right. I recommend this to anyone who hasn’t read it yet!
This is another hyped book that I was skeptical about. I have seen it all over Instagram and I know that it was a Fairyloot book as well. Originally, I wasn’t interested, but then one of my friends recommended it to me, and Brigid Kemmerer is coming to a bookstore near me with Kasie West, so I decided to pick it up. Boy am I glad I did. This was such a good retelling of Beauty and the Beast; it may even be one of my favorites. The representation is awesome and important as you don’t see many fantasy books with disables main characters (Harper has cerebral palsy). I couldn’t put it down and devoured this!
After enjoying A Curse So Dark And Lonely, I wanted to check out Brigid Kemmerer’s other books. Letters To The Lost was such a surprise. Going into it I knew it dealt with grief, but actually reading it and being in both the main characters heads made me feel so many emotions. It was hard reading about Declan’s self destructive behavior was painful to read, and the whole time I wanted to grab his shoulders and shake him to realize that he deserves so much more. Juliet has her own hardship and grief to overcome, writing letters to her mother to cope. She was so strong, and their friendship and eventual romantic relationship was balanced so well and developed naturally. I will definitely check out more of Brigid Kemmerer’s books.
I’m still debating between a 3.5 or 4, so for now I’ll round it to a 4. Going into this, I had pretty high expectations. And while I still really enjoyed it, Always Never Yours was not my new favorite book. I love the whole Romeo and Juliet “retelling” following a modern Rosalind idea. The Shakespeare references were fun and I loved Megan’s character. The love interest Own was also really sweet and genuine, and throughout their whole friendship I was giggling at how cute they were together. The one thing that I really didn’t like was the cheating aspect. i think it could have been easily avoidable :(
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Here are just some of the books I am really hoping to read this Summer!
-The Raven Cycle Quartet
I read The Raven Boys about two years ago and really enjoyed it! I don’t why I haven’t continued this series considering how much I loved the first book, but I’m hoping to rectify this over the summer. Plus my library has all the audiobook, so I have no excuse not to get to them!
-The Merciful Crow
I received an early copy from a friend who works at a bookstore and I still haven’t gotten to it :) I hope to read it before it comes out, which is like a couple weeks, so I better get a move not it!
-The Poet X
I recently acquired this book, and I’m hoping to read it soon. I’m pretty sure it will be a quick read since it is told in verse. I also might check out the audiobook since Elizabeth Acevedo narrates it herself!
-The Last True Poets of the Sea
Same as The Merciful Crow, I received an early copy and I really want to get to it before it releases! But this one doesn’t come out until October, so I still have some time :) (Plus it is blurbed by Madeline Miler! How can I not read it now?)
-Looking for Alaska
Since I am so excited for the 8 episode Hulu mini series adaptation of this book, it is only fair that I read the book first! Also, I have the Penguin mini edition, and it is so darn cute and pocket sized, so I can bring it anywhere ;)
-Bright We Burn
After finishing Now I rise about a month ago, I am in desperate need to pick up the conclusion of this trilogy! And I Darken and Now I Rise are two of my favorite books of this year, and I have no doubt that I will absolutely love this one as well!
-Aurora Rising
The Illuminae Files are some of my favorite books of all time, and I was super sad when the series came to an end last year. When Amie and Jay announced their new book together, I immediately preordered it! So this is at the top of my TBR haha :)
-We Hunt the Flame
This is the July pick for the Barnes and Noble YA book club (that meets every second Thursday of the month), and I have to read it by the 11th of July
“I believe in love. I believe in the love Lucy shows me, the kind I'll try hard to give back to her in full. I believe in things I can't put into words, but things I know to be true.
I believe in us. I believe in this.
Amen.”
Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry follows 17 year old Michael who begins at a catholic school as an atheist. His father’s job made his family relocate, moving again, and Michael desperately needs friends. So when a girl named Lucy in his theology class stands up against their teacher, he thinks she might be the perfect no-catholic friend. However,, Lucy isn’t an athirst, she’s an aspiring priest. Instead, she introduces Michael to the outcasts of St.Clare, and together they can all be themselves, forming a secret (vigilante-ish) club they call Heretics Anonymous.
This book was unexpectedly funny. While listening to the audiobook, I found myself laughing out loud multiple times. Michael was snarky and sarcastic, but the book was still respectful of other’s religion. While the topic of religion was consistently challenged, it wasn’t anti religion, and the underlying theme and core message was acceptance and tolerance. It shows that everyone’s beliefs can be (and are) different, but we should all be able to coexist peacefully and respect others beliefs. Michael, the main character has many flaws, like being extremely stubborn, a bit obnoxious, and impulsive , but it adds to the overall narrative when you see how much he grows from the beginning to the end. His relationship with his father is very strained, as he blames his fathers job for moving for moving their family around so much and uprooting him from friends that he continues to make over and over again. As they tiptoe around each other until Michael has enough and drama ensues. Their relationship grows so much by the end, and it made me really happy to see them understand and eventually forgive one another.
In addition, I loved the whole Heretics Anonymous gang! Lucy is a fierce feminist, aspiring to be a priest, and who does not take shit from anyone, including Michael. She challenges unjust and prejudiced aspects of her religion, but still learns a great deal from Heretics Anonymous, especially Eden. Lucy is a loyal Catholic that recognizes its faults, yet still remains adamant in her faith. Ari was so fun to read about, and was fiercely protective of his friends. Max was super quirky and so damn precious, and Eden was totally badass!
All together, the group enlightened one another and introduced them to new perspectives, creating an amazing, healthy friendship that was an absolute pleasure to read! 4 stars, I recommend this book to anyone looking to learn, laugh, or just read about really good friends :)
"I don’t believe in God, but that doesn’t mean I believe in nothing."
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I inhale sharply. “I might like you more than the shawarma.”
"Damn. Shawarma was basically why you wanted to come back and study abroad again in the first place."
I went into Again, But Better with pretty low expectations. There were many, many mixed reviews and I didn’t know what to expect. I knew that this book had a magical element in the second half and that the main character, Shane, was heavily based on Christine herself. I think knowing to expect these things before starting to read this heightened my enjoyment of this book.
Again, But Better follows Shane, who has been doing college all wrong, and is determined to reinvent herself by deciding to study abroad in London. There she meets a slew of new friends and a cute boy named Pilot (like the pen). Along her journey of self discovery, she travels to new countries and experiences everything from first kisses to finding her passion in life.
This book is as much of a romance between Shane and Pilot as it is Shane discovering what she wants to do with her life. The first half followers her breaking out of her shell and putting herself out in the world, like spending a semester abroad in London, and exploring cities like Rome and Paris. The travel aspect of this story was authentic and a joy to read, as you could clearly tell Christine drew from her own abroad experiences. While this book received some backlash of how similar Shane is to Christine, I didn’t mind the similarities. The constant references to things in 2011 did get a little excessive at some points, and I can definitely see why many people did not enjoy that aspect.
The jump from 2011 to 2017 was a surprise for me, and I find the approach that Shane took to find closure a little strange. While the character growth was obvious, I just found it unbelievable she was “stuck” in the situation she was in with her life a couple years later. Why did it take her six years to suddenly realize she was unhappy in her current relationship and still hung over Pilot? Why didn’t she reach out to him beforehand if she was still not over him? Also the whole subplot with Amy was really messy. (spoiler) I don’t understand why the cheating that was included in this book because it doesn’t really add anything other than the driving force that keeps them apart. The force that could have kept them apart could have been Shane trying to balance boys and her passion like it did in the latter half. Instead the cheating just made me extremely frustrated and dislike Pilot.
Overall this was a 2.5 star read (rounded to 3 stars) since there were many aspects I enjoyed, like the travel and the parts about Shane’s internship, but also parts I couldn’t stand like the whole Amy situation.
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