Tag Archives: YA

The Heir — Kiera Cass — The Selection #4

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Romance
Actual Rating: 1.5 stars
Content Warnings: None that I can think of.

“The Heir”, although included within “The Selection” series, has basically nothing to do with the first three books of this series. This books follows Eadlyn, the eldest daughter of Maxon and America, as she goes through her own Selection, the first ever Selection where it’s a princess not a prince doing the choosing.

I understand the need to make Eadlyn’s personality as distant from America’s personality as you could, to differentiate the narrators… but really? So different? Eadlyn does not seem like someone who was raised by Maxon and America. She was so stubborn for the sake of being stubborn, so unpleasant for the sake of being unpleasant. The was almost nothing I liked about this book. I am giving it 1.5 stars only because of Kile and Erik, the only two characters I could tolerate.

I would not recommend this book at all. But I’ll be reading the next and last book in “The Selection” because if I’ve made it this far, I can’t give up now.

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The One — Kiera Cass — The Selection #3

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Romance
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Content Warnings: None that I can think of.

If you’re looking at this review, I’ll assume you’ve read the other two books or at least know the premise to the series. But, essentially, America is a girl in a dystopian future who’s competing to get her country’s prince’s heart.

In my personal opinion, this third installment of The Selection series was so much better than the second one. The characters in “The One” resembled the ones we met in “The Selection” so much more. America was back to being her confident self.

To be honest, I was not happy with the ending. I feel like it was extremely rushed and slightly unnecessary. Oh, and let’s not even mention the epilogue. Is that really all we’re going to get from this book?

I guess I would recommend this book more than I would recommend the second book in this trilogy. There’s more suspense in this once, but honestly this series as a whole as a bit of a disappointment. I was expecting 3 5-star reads, when really the only one I truly enjoyed was the first book.

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The Elite — Kiera Cass — The Selection #2

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Romance
Actual Rating: 2.5 stars
Content Warnings: Beatings and cheating.

In “The Elite”, the second book in The Selection series, America is still stuck fighting for love—she just isn’t sure whose love she’s fighting for. Following the exact same pace as the first book, just with less contestants and more rebel attacks, there is really nothing new to this series.

I think this is the definition of a filler book. I mean, honestly a filler series. It seems like The Selection, The Elite, and The One could have easily been condensed into a single book, tops two books.

And suddenly everything that I loved about America in the first book is completely lost this time around. Maxon and Aspen were both horrible, but America was even worse. Where is her independence? Compassion? Understanding? She seemed like an entirely different character. I’m hoping we get her back for the next book in the series, The One.

I would recommend this series to dystopian fiction and YA lovers. I described the first book in this series to The Hunger Games meets The Bachelor, but I don’t even think that description is accurate anymore. I’ll be reading “The One” because I’ve already committed too much time to this series only to leave it halfway through.

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The Selection — Kiera Cass — The Selection #1

“No, I’m not choosing him or you. I’m choosing me.”

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Romance

Actual Rating: 4 stars

Content Warnings: None that I can think of.

Are you a fan of The Hunger Games and/or tv shows like The Bachelor/The Bachelorette? Well, this book is for you. The Selection follows a girl named America Singer, in a dystopian reality where the United States has a monarchy and people are divided into castes that define their job prospects and future. In a much anticipated tradition, America is selected, along with 34 others girls, to participate in a competition of sorts where the price to win is the prince’s heart (and crown).

The thing about this book is that it’s greatly predictable and there is some character development, but not as much as I expected. None the less, I love this series already. By the time you’ll be reading this, I might’ve even finished The Elite (The Selection #2). It’s that good. I loved how fast-paced this book was, there were no dull moments.

Would it be wrong if I said I fell in love with America? Like, I understand that the main focus is supposed to be loving Prince Maxon versus loving Aspen, but I was just completely blown away my America as a character. Her compassion, her originality, her dreams. I was moved by her greatly.

I guess I already set up the parameters for my recommendation in the introduction, but yeah. If you’ve liked series like The Hunger Games or Divergent, and if you enjoy dating shows like The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, then it seems like this series might be for you. This is a fun, young adult read, I would certainly recommend it as a gift for young, teenaged readers.

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ARC — Serendipity: Ten Romantic Tropes, Transformed — Edited by Marissa Meyer

Authors: Elise Bryant, Elizabeth Eulberg, Leah Johnson, Anna-Marie McLemore, Sandhya Menon, Marissa Meyer, Julie Murphy, Caleb Roehrig, Sarah Winifred Searle, and Abigail Hing Wen

Narrated by: Aida Reluzco, Alaska Jackson, Ewan Chung, Gary Tiedemann, James Fouhey, Jeanette Illidge, Natalie Naudus, and Reena Dutt

Genre: Young Adult
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Content Warnings: None that I can think of.

“Serendipity” addresses different romantic tropes, twisting them into extraordinary and more inclusive versions of the tales we’ve heard a hundred times before. Following prompts like unrequited love, fake relationships, and grand romantic gestures, the stories are sharp and entertaining.

This compilation of stories delivers what’s promised. This book is perfect if you’re looking to delve into different worlds and stories without the time commitment of reading a whole book. Think watching a movie versus watching a short Youtube video. If you’re in the mood for short videos, then this is the book for you.

I was lucky enough to be provided with the audiobook thanks to NetGalley. I found most narrators to be charming and their voices fit their characters perfectly. There was just one occasion in which I felt the voice didn’t match the character I imagined, but even then, listening to this audiobook was amazing.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for short, heartwarming stories. This compilation reminded me of Rainbow Rowell, Maureen Johnson, and John Green (think the Christmas-y compilation they were a part of in 2016, “Let It Snow”, this book kind of has those vibes), so I would recommend this book to anyone who’s liked their writing.

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ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: January 4, 2022 (TODAY!)

ARC — The Girl Who Knew Too Much — Tiffany Brooks, narrated by Stephanie Willing

Genre: Mystery and Thrillers, Young Adult
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Content Warnings: Discusses murder and pedophilia.

“The Girl Who Knew Too Much” follows Riley Ozment as she joins 19 other teenagers in a Survivor-style reality show that’s located on a deserted island off the coast of Brasil. Riley’s hoping to redeem her past and succeed in her future by winning on the show but, mostly, by finding the hidden treasure that’s been lost in the island for hundreds of years.

This is a perfect YA novel. And by that, I mean that the plot is entertaining and different, and the main character is an immature teenager that’s just figuring out who she is. Childishness aside, this is a great (fictitious) adventure book.

Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to listen to the audiobook of this novel and I must say I loved Stephanie Willing as a narrator. I will definitely be looking at other audiobooks narrated by her. I rounded up the rating from 3.5 stars to 4 stars in Goodreads just because of this awesome voice actor.

I would recommend this book to young adults (and YA-literature lovers) who enjoy outdoorsy adventures and reality TV. I can’t recommend this book based on any other book I’ve read before, because it’s that unique. But remember: it’s YA. It is far-fetched at times, and it is ridiculous, but that’s also what makes it fun.

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ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: January 1, 2022

ARC — Long Story Short — Serena Kaylor

“What must it be like to feel so confident in your own skin that wearing another person’s seemed like nothing at all?”

Genre: Young Adult, Fiction
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Content Warnings: None that I can think of.

“Long Story Short” follows Beatrice as she embarks on a Shakespearian summer camp adventure in order to show her parents she’s mature enough to move to another continent in order to attend the university of her dreams. Branching out from a to-do list, she makes friends, breaks rules, and, surprisingly, has some fun in the process.

I found Bea’s inner voice to be very engaging and I absolutely loved the friendships she built as she broke out of her shell. Mia and Nolan were the perfect summer camp friends, and they kind of made me reminisce all the friends I made in summer camps when I was younger. Slow-burn crushes usually aren’t my favorite, but I must say I enjoyed this one very much.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes nerdy YA novels, because oh- does this book get down and nerdy about Shakespeare. But really, you don’t have to know much about Shakespeare to enjoy this book (take it from me, I’ve only really read Twelfth Night and I still thoroughly enjoyed this book). Do not hesitate to pre-order this book, so you’ll get it as soon as it’s published. You will not regret it.

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ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: July 26, 2022

p.s. Nik is essentially Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, and I was there for it.

Yes No Maybe So — Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed

“I would freeze history if I could. Right here, this exact moment, this is my favorite point on the timeline.”

Genre: Young Adult, Fiction
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Content Warnings: Touches the subjects of racism and discrimination.

“Yes No Maybe So” follows Maya and Jamie as they rekindle their childhood friendship, become active in their local government issues, and maybe, just maybe, fall in love. Directly showcasing the reality of racism and discrimination, and how we’re able to fight them with even the smallest of actions, this book could be a great resource for teachers and librarians who’d like to empower young readers.

This was my first time reading Aisha Saeed’s writing, but I can’t wait to read some more of her books. I assume her chapters were the Maya chapters, and I must say these were some of my favorites. Then there’s Becky Albertalli, who is easily one of my favorite authors. I know her books aren’t aimed to my age group, but I still thoroughly enjoy them.

“Yes No Maybe So” is a perfect example of why teenage advocacy is both valid and necessary. Because, yes, even if they can’t vote, their opinions matter.

But you want to know what “Yes No Maybe So” was not? It was not a fair representation of any of the religions and cultural backgrounds (and sexual identities) that were supposed to be included. It felt like these backgrounds were written in just for the sake of being inclusive.

I would recommend this book to high schoolers (and some middle schoolers) who are interested in making a change. And really, I would recommend it to just about anyone who likes YA fiction too. It’s a good book. It’s witty, funny, well-paced, and entertaining. It’s just not as representative as it pans out to be.

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Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything — Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

Genre: Coming-of-age, YA Romance
Actual Rating: 3 stars
Content Warnings: Sexual assault, death

I thought I would like this book more than I did, and, honestly, may this review not discourage you from reading this beauty of a book. It is truly so wonderfully written. There were just so many little things about that plot that didn’t sit well with me, so I couldn’t, in good conscience, give it a higher rating.

This book follows Sia Martinez through her high school experience, having lost her mother to a desert after she had been deported and had decided to walk back. Having also been sexually assaulted. Having been paired up with a cute boy who she’ll eventually get to love.

What didn’t sit well with me was how hyper sexualized the narrative was (after she had been recently sexually assaulted). I could not relate with how Sia reacted after the death of one of the characters. But good for her for getting over things so quickly, I guess?

I would recommend this book to sci-fi lovers and people interested in space and alien life.

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