Half Life – Book Review

Author – Lillian Clark

Genre – YA/Science Fiction

Publisher – Knopf Books

Year – 2020

Ratings – ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Synopsis –

Lucille is a perfectionist. She does everything as per by the rules and as she is supposed to be doing. She doesn’t have enough time to go out with friends, act on silly crushes or enjoy life as she wants. Because she needs to prepare for a flawless future.

So when she gets an email from Life2 for beta testers to enroll in an experimental clone program she agrees to it. Finally she can be a normal teenager and be an overachiever too. But what happens when her clone, Lucy starts living Lucille’s life better than her? Lucy does what she really wants to, not what she thinks she should want to, and Lucille is left wondering how much she was even a part of the perfect life she’d constructed for herself.

Review –

The issues discussed in the books makes for a home run. Every individual can relate to being able to get all or to achieve all the things they desire. There is a constant pressure to better ourselves. To meet the expectations of others regarding us. But what do we want? Do we really want what others expect from us? Or we are just choosing an easier path so that we can always blame others when things don’t go as per plan.

This same issue is with Lucille. She is not living her life as she wants to but as she is expected to. And thus she is always running behind something, trying to achieve everything and unintentionally starts judging and blaming everyone around her when things go wrong.

This is such a sensitive topic and author has nailed it. Lucille is a character with whom everyone will connect. In the starting you feel pity and bad for her but as the story progresses, through Lucy you understand the other side of the situation.

The Science Fiction part is written with such ease and simplicity that it is not complicated or over the top at all. You understand each and every scientific phase of the book. Author has excelled at the main elements of the book, the emotional content and the science fiction content.

Only the ending was quite rushed. I felt such a huge world shocking news to have a clone was taken very lightly and everything got solved very quickly. I was waiting for some big earth slipped from my feet kind of ending, but everything was as normal as discovering a twin not a clone.

Aside from that if you are looking for YA Science Fiction that this book is an ideal choice. It has teen friendships, academic expectations. romance, over thinking everything and a mirror that shows you how to do better in your own life.

Thank you theffbc for making me a part of this blog tour.

The Falling In Love Montage – Book Review

Author – Ciara Smyth

Genre – YA/LGBTQIA Romance

Publisher – HarperTeen

Year – 2020

Ratings – ⭐⭐⭐⭐🌟/5

Synopsis –

Saoirse doesn’t believe in happy endings or long term relationship. After her mother diagnosed with dementia which can be hereditary Saoirse is sure one day she will forget everything. So what is the use of having a degree or a relationship. She believes in kiss and forget strategy. But everything changes when she meet Ruby at an end of term party. She writes a set of rules for this summer fling and the most important one of them is don’t fall in love. What follows is summer of fun, complete with every cliché, rom-com montage-worthy date they can dream up—and a binding agreement to end their romance come fall.

But the most important thing in those RomCom is love always happens when its over.

Review –

Emotionally Flawed Characters – Check
Meets at a party – Check
Summer Fling – Check
Cheesy Romantic Dates – Check
Complicated Family – Check
A Big Fight – Check

This book is a perfect recipe for a cheesy but mature love.

The first and most important thing in the book is the normalization of LGBTQ love. Author has wrote such characters which can be identified in every couple. And this is so important because love has no gender. Any type of relationship can exist between any two people.

Romance is so good and chemistry is totally burning. They go on all the cheesy romantic dates but at the same time they are not that cheesy and predictable. Their romance matures with them while maintaining the cuteness.

Saoirse is such a difficult character to understand in the start but as the book progresses you realise she is just a normal teenager who has gone through a lot without any proper emotional support. So to protect herself from any further heartbreak she chooses to close her heart, lock it and throw the key away. Her character development is huge and you can see Saoirse growing and being mature little by little throughout the book.

Relationship between Saoirse and her father is complicated and you may even feel angry or irritated towards them. But it is just their way to cope up from the sadness or resentment they feel because of their actions. This complicated family is so real and so raw it will just warm up your heart and reminds you everything need not be perfect.

The writing is so fresh, funny and quirky that you will just crave for more. It has some very sensitive and highly emotional scenes and author has written in such a way that you feel the emotions but they don’t seem heavy to carry.

This is the perfect book to read in June pride month. And even if you want to read a really good representation of LGBTQ Romance without any stereotypes or drawback then just go for this book.

Thank you so much theffbc for making me part of this blog tour.

Every Reason We Shouldn’t – Book Review

Author – Sara Fujimura

Genre – YA/Romance/Contemporary/Sports

Publisher – Tor Teen

Year – 2020

Ratings – ⭐⭐⭐/5

Synopsis –

Olivia Kennedy’s dream of being an Olympian is crushed. But she is trying to be a normal teen as much as possible. But its not that easy being the daughter of Olympians Michael Kennedy and Midori Nakashima. Enters Jonah Choi who is training at the Ice Dreams which belongs to Olivia’s parents. Olivia connects with him instantly and he understands him in a way no one else does. But is that enough? What about Olivia’s dream of achieving Olympic gold? Will Jonah choose Olivia before his own dreams?

Review –

The writing and the premise of book is really interesting. It keeps you hooked from the start. Characters are well thought and you can see them developed throughout the book. The title does not go with the book at all.

I like the side character Mack way more better than the protagonists. She is badass, caring, mature, fun, quirky and super intelligent.

Sometimes you really feel sad for Olivia because her family is not caring at all, they don’t even have any idea what is going on in her life. But at times she is obnoxious and feels she is extra just because she is in sports and won a gold medal. The way Olivia and Jonah thinks normal teens do drama all the time is really wrong in so many ways and on the other side those teens were always kind and supporting.

Author is trying to discuss too many issues at one time but she has more miss than hits. Food habits of Olivia and Jonah is not normal and any sensitive person going through body issues can be triggered by it. Lockdown situation in school was deal with very casually. Like the next day no one is even talking about it. Even Olivia’s own mother doesn’t realize about it until next day and all she says is sorry and nothing else.

There are too many sports terms used in the book. I wish author could have simplified it or added any notes explaining them. Because of this the ending is just too confusing for me. I couldn’t understand it and there were so many subplots that remain open. Ending was too rushed and felt author just want to wrap it up everything very quickly.

The premise of the book has so much potential because it deals with a lot of issues in teen life which can be relateable but author couldn’t executed it properly. And in turn felt like Olivia and Jonah were actually very extra which was not needed at all.

What about kissing someone you actually thinks like a brother? Egg Olivia’s rink partner was really negative in my opinion. Using a kiss to add drama to your performance and except that it has no purpose or affect in the overall story at all. Abandoning a minor in the other state and everything is just fine at the end I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. Plus he was being total mean in that scene.

Even with all this issue the book is really good and has some really cute moments and I would recommend this book only for Mack. She is superstar of the book and she deserves all the praise. And I would really like a sequel based on the life of Mack.

Thank you so much theffbc for including me in your blog tour.

Frozen Beauty – Book Review

Author – Lexa Hillyer

Genre – YA Contemporary Mystery

Publisher – Harper Teen

Year – 2020

Ratings – ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Synopsis –

Three Malloy sisters Kit, Tessa and Lily each different from the other from their hair to their nature to their passion except Boyd. Boyd a boy who lives next door is a part of their growing up and each sister loved him in their own way.

But what happens when one secret turns Kit dead and all the evidence points toward Boyd. Lilly is the one who saw Boyd with Kit at that night but Tessa is sure about Boyd’s innocence. Will one secret and one boy will tear three sisters apart?

Review-

I really like the writing of the author its very descriptive and easy to imagine the scenes that unfold. The characters are very distinctive and interesting to read. But I believe Lilly’s character was somewhat flat and predictable as compared to Tessa and Kit.

The plot is very intricately written with every aspect related to one another. Before gives an insight on the relationship of the sister and Now tells us the impact of the murder on Tessa and Lilly.

Though the POV continuously shifts but at no point it creates confusion. And the constant change in POV makes it more interesting to read. As on one page they are happy and sassy and in next page they are sad and heartbroken. It keeps you hooked emotionally throughout the book.

The murder mystery is very brilliantly created with every person being a suspect but the hype and the twist were so good that it didn’t match upto the expectation at the end. The murderer was definitely shocking and impressive but the way murder took place I felt it was quite unplanned. The murder scene was just written in haste without giving proper attention.

The school life and the teen romance also plays an important part in the whole book. It gives the perfect YA vibe with the murder mystery. But don’t get your hopes high on the romance part because suspense part is overwhelming in every aspect.

The book gives you a cold December vibe so keep your blankets and coffee ready while reading this book because it will definitely give you chills and keep you hooked to the end.

Thank you so much FFBC for including me in this blog tour.

The Degenerates – Book Review

Author – J. Albert Mann

Genre – YA Historical Fiction

Publisher – Simon & Schuster

Year – 2020

Ratings – ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Synopsis –

The Massachusetts School is for moron and imbecile. Once you enter the school there is no escape as there is no cure for feeble minded people.

Maxine who despite knowing the reality dreams of having a beach house, being a singer and an escape from this institution along with Rose. Rose whom everyone thinks knows nothing, but she knows more than she lets on. Alice who is accustomed to institution routine and lifestyle says nothing and shows no emotion because showing emotions means letting your weaknesses known to another.

Maxine, Rose and Alice are not happy but they have accepted their faith and living their life with as much normalcy as possible. But everything turns upside down with the entry of London. She is determine to escape this place as soon as possible. But what will her freedom cost?

Review-

First and foremost if you are a sensitive reader you have to be careful of some explicit and some dark emotional scenes. Being a sensitive reader myself it affected me quite hard.

This book is gut wrenchingly emotional. The institution, their routine, the situations of the girls, their enmity, their hope, their dreams and their reality will shook you from your core.

The writing is impeccable. It hooks you from the first page itself and the ending just live you in tears. Characters are way different from each other but still they fit perfectly well with each other.

Author has not shy away from writing some hard hitting emotional scenes. She is unapologetic and raw and real. Among all the unpleasant scenario an unbreakable bond of sister and a pure love is like fresh air while drowning. It helps you survive from all the other heavy situations in the book.

The plot is meticulously woven and shown how each character survives in their own way. But some parts were quite not believable. Like the changing of the shifts and obtaining certain things.

The ending was definitely not what I was expecting. Though I felt it was quite rushed but it was shocking and part satisfying. Why only part satisfying? For that you have to read the book.