Book Reviews – Page 11 – Zakiya N. Jamal

Book Review: The Sun is Also a Star

Posted on November 15, 2016November 14, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis:

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

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Review

*I received a free advanced reader’s copy of this book from First in Line and B-Fest. This did not influence my review of this book in anyway. This is an honest review of the novel as I saw it.*

Nicola Yoon knows how to make me feel all the feelings. At first I wasn’t sure I would like this novel because it’s written in an interesting way. Not only do we get the first person perspectives of Daniel and Natasha but we also get the history and future histories of other characters. We learn what’s to come for Daniel’s brother, Charlie, and Natasha’s father’s history of regret. Yoon not only gives us insight into almost every character that Daniel and Natasha come into contact with but she also gives us the history of African-American hair care, the meaning of fate and love, and many other things.

In the beginning I wasn’t a fan of these extra little side stories and histories and just wanted the Natasha and Daniel parts of the novel but then I ended up actually loving those sections that weren’t about Natasha and Daniel. I started worrying about Irene, the security guard, and Jeremy, the lawyer. I wanted to know how their stories would end and what their future histories would look like. Yoon made me become invested in characters that weren’t even main characters and that’s what’s truly remarkable about this book.

Yoon expertly weaves a love story that’s also an exposé on how our actions, whether they’re big or small, can affect the lives of the people around us. How one moment or one day can alter someone’s life forever. The Sun is Also a Star takes place within the span of a day but we see so much more than just what happens in this one day. We see what led to this one day in Natasha and Daniel’s lives and what comes after and it’s beautiful and heartbreaking to read. This novel deals with not only romance but immigration, racial tensions, a lot of science, and poetry.

If you’re looking for a love story that will make you swoon Natasha and Daniel definitely give you that but The Sun is Also a Star isn’t just a romance novel. It’s so much more than that. It’s a story about people, and how despite our differences we’re all connected in some way. Definitely give this book a read if you haven’t yet. It’s worth every penny.

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“Love always changes everything.”

Other Reviews

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"This Girl" by Colleen Hoover Book Review

Book Review: This Girl

Posted on November 13, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis:

There are two sides to every love story. Now hear Will’s.

Colleen Hoover’s New York Times bestselling Slammed series has brought countless readers to their knees with a whirlwind of love, passion, and heartache. Layken and Will’s love has managed to withstand the toughest of circumstances and the young lovers, now married, are beginning to feel safe and secure in their union. As much as Layken relishes their new life together, she finds herself wanting to know everything there is to know about her husband, even though Will makes it clear he prefers to keep the painful memories of the past where they belong. Still, he can’t resist his wife’s pleas and so he begins to untangle his side of the story, revealing for the first time his most intimate feelings and thoughts, retelling both the good and bad moments, and sharing a few shocking confessions of his own from the time when they first met.

In This Girl, Will tells the story of their complicated relationship from his point of view. Their future rests on how well they deal with the past in this final installment of the beloved Slammed series.

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Review

*Warning: There will be minimal spoilers about Point of Retreat in this review. Read at your own risk.*

I was nervous to read this book because I didn’t really like Point of Retreat but surprisingly I loved This Girl. It turns out a lot happened in Slammed that we (and Layken) didn’t know about it and it was interesting learning these new things. I really loved how Colleen Hoover wrote this novel. Unlike Losing Hope where she just started from the beginning of the events in Hopeless it was like we were learning about Will’s past with Layken.

We began with them in their hotel on their honeymoon and Layken is asking Will questions about their past and what he thought about all the things that happened between them. Then we got the answer to these questions in the form of little short stories, some of which we’d already heard from Layken but other’s that we’d never heard before. It was also nice getting to see Layken’s mom again and my heart was broken once again over Layken’s loss.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and thought it was the perfect ending to Layken and Will’s love story. I also really liked how the title played into the story as well. Still, I definitely skipped/skimmed the poetry as I did with the other two books in this series. I just wasn’t into it, especially the poems we already read in Slammed. Besides that though I thought this book was great and I recommend it.

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“Sometimes two people need to fall apart to realize how much they need to fall back together.”

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Book Review: Caught Up in Us

Posted on November 10, 2016November 9, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Borrow

Synopsis:

A second chance at first love… Five years ago, Kat Harper fell into a dizzying summer romance with her brother’s best friend Bryan. It was a mad, crazy love full of kisses all through the night — but he broke her heart and she had to move on. Five years later, Kat is finishing her graduate degree and building her business as a jewelry designer, when Bryan, head of his own successful company, walks back into her life. Bryan has been assigned to Kat as her new business mentor and the rules are clear. No hanky panky permitted. Kat can handle that because she’s totally over him… right? Except, he still makes her laugh, and he remembers all the things she likes. Not to mention that he’s even more handsome now than he was then. Then there’s the spark between them — the simply undeniable chemistry, and the tender ways he shows he still cares for her. Can they resist each other the second time around or will first love trump all?

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Review

Typically I love Lauren Blakely’s writing but this book just didn’t do it for me. The novel is told in the first person point of view and it’s Kat’s point of view. Unfortunately I didn’t like Kat. I found her to be annoying. However, I did like Bryan and the romance between him and Kat was swoonworthy so that made this book okay for me but I didn’t love it.

What drove me crazy was Kat’s attempt at trying to pretend she still didn’t have feelings for Bryan and the lengths she want to try to pretend those feelings weren’t there. On the one hand I tried to me empathetic. I know what it’s like to like someone and not want to but hearing Kat’s thoughts about it drove me crazy. Just get over it already! Or tell him how you really feel. Just do something! It was so frustrating.

Still, even though I didn’t love this novel it was a quick, romantic read. It took me only a day to get through and there were some very steamy scenes that were fun to read. Besides that though I wasn’t all that interested in this novel and won’t be reading the other books in this series.

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“He was a movie kiss, he was the name above the title. He was the one you wanted the heroine to wind up with so badly that your heart ached for her when they weren’t together, then soared when they finally were.”

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Book Review: Queen of Shadows

Posted on November 8, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis:

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire-for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…

She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

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Review

*Warning: There will be spoilers about Heir of Fire in this review. Read at your own risk.*

Queen of Shadows is my favorite book in this series so far. I haven’t read The Assassin’s Blade but I feel confident in saying Queen of Shadows is my absolute favorite. Everything about it was great. There was a lot of action, drama, romance, and there were a lot of twists and secrets revealed. The novel began with Aelin back in Rifthold to start making moves to take back her kingdom and ultimately save the world from the dark clutches of the King of Adarlan. Unfortunately a lot had changed since Aelin was last in Rifthold.

Dorian was under the control of a Valg prince do to the nice little choker his father put on him after Chaol escaped from the castle. Aedion, Aelin’s cousin, was imprisoned in the castle awaiting his execution and people kept disappearing in Rifthold while the rebels in the city tried to save them all. Not to mention the fact that Aelin also needed to pay the Assassin King a visit because he had one of the Wyrdkeys. Needless to say Aelin had a lot of work to do in this novel and as per usual she handled it with a high degree of sass and swagger. Her plans continued to surprise me (and the other characters in this novel) and I never knew what to expect, which made this novel so fun to read.

It was heartbreaking to read the chapters about Dorian and his enslavement. I wanted to cry every time we had one of those chapters but I pushed through. This novel also contained some new characters that I fell in love with, mainly Lysandra and Nesyrn. I love all the bad ass women we get in this series and these two were an amazing addition to the growing cast of characters in these novels. We also learned more about Manon and the witches in this novel but honestly I didn’t really care all that much about them. Although I do love Manon’s wyern, Abraxos. He’s the best.

Like I said I absolutely loved this novel and I think you should buy it immediately if you haven’t already. It’s worth every penny and I’ve already reread it because I have no self-control. Sorry not sorry.

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“You make me want to live, Rowan. Not survive; not exist. Live.”

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Book Review: Heir of Fire

Posted on November 3, 2016November 3, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews

Synopsis:

Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak-but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth . . . a truth about her heritage that could change her life-and her future-forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?

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Review

*Warning: There will be spoilers about Crown of Midnight in this review. Read at your own risk.*

I was so excited to finally get to Heir of Fire because there were some characters I desperately needed to meet including Rowan, who I didn’t like as much as I thought I would. At least not at first. He has since grown on me and I love him now but I had to get used to him and how he interacted with Celaena. It was pretty harsh but I’m getting ahead of myself here.

Heir of Fire begins with Celaena now in Wendlyn where Chaol sent her thinking he was protecting her, which he kind of was but little did he know she’s also Aelin, the Queen of Terrasen, and kind of his enemy. Oops. Regardless, Chaol doesn’t really regret his decision but Celaena doesn’t exactly know what she’s doing. We find her in a pretty bad state when the novel begins, which is kind of understandable since she went through a lot of crap in Crown in Midnight. Enter Rowan and Maeve.

Maeve is kind of Celaena’s aunt (it’s complicated) and a goddess who wants to unleash Celaena’s power. Though Celaena would prefer not to she knows she has to do something if she’s ever going to fulfill her promise to Nehemia. So off Celaena goes to learn about her powers and how to shift into her Fae form from the formidable Fae prince, Rowan. As you may imagine their relationship doesn’t start on the best foot but just as Rowan grew on me they grow on each other.

Meanwhile, Chaol and Dorian are adjusting to life in the castle without Celaena, especially now that her cousin, Aedion, has arrived. Chaol is desperate to keep Celaena’s secret causing a rift between him and Dorian that only gets deeper when Chaol becomes interested in the rebel cause. Thankfully Dorian is able to make a new friend that helps keep him (and his magic) in check.

I really loved this novel and getting to see what was happening to Celaena, Chaol, and Dorian. I really fell in love with Dorian in this book. I liked him before but this book really made me feel for Dorian and everything he has to go through. It was great getting to meet new characters as well, especially the demi-Fae Celaena comes into contact with. There wasn’t too much romance in this novel, especially compared to the other books in this series, but there was enough to be satisfied if you’re looking for that type of thing. This book was more about action scenes, magic, and dark twists.

I’m pretty sure I actually cried by the end of this novel because it tore me apart, which is saying something because Crown of Midnight was pretty heartbreaking but I didn’t cry when I read it. I say this all to say read it at your own risk. But seriously, read this book. It’s fantastic.

I’m almost done with the Throne of Glass series so if you don’t like this series sorry but I’ve got three more reviews coming your way. And then I’m done I swear.

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“She was the heir of ash and fire, and she would bow to no one.”

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Book Review: Crown of Midnight

Posted on November 1, 2016October 31, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews

Synopsis:

She is the greatest assassin her world has ever known.
But where will her conscience, and her heart, lead her?

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king’s contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.Keeping up the deadly charade-while pretending to do the king’s bidding-will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she’s given a task that could jeopardize everything she’s come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon — forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice. Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she willing to fight for?

Purchase From:

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Review

*Warning: There will be spoilers about Throne of Glass in this review. Read at your own risk.*

I’m speeding through this series and I’m loving it. I literally cannot put these books down; I’m hooked. Crown of Midnight begins a bit after Throne of Glass. Now that Celaena is the King’s Champion she’s being sent all over to kill rebels for him, which is particularly difficult for Celaena because she hates the King with a passion. Still, the King has warned her if she disobeys his order he’ll kill Chaol and Nehemia and Nehemia’s family so Celaena has no choice but to be obedient. Or at least to pretend to be.

At the same time, now that her relationship with Dorian is over Celaena has moved on and she and Chaol begin to really acknowledge their feelings for each other, which puts a strain on Dorian and Chaol’s friendship. The romance between Celaena and Chaol gave me all the feels and I can see why people love Chaol now. Despite the romance though, this book got pretty dark and I was surprised by it. This book was the first sign that Sarah J. Maas doesn’t pull punches and I felt like I got hit right in the gut multiple times throughout this book. What really got me though was the ending.

Although I knew the twist at the end beforehand I loved how it all played out and the big reveal. It was the perfect conclusion to this book and I’m so glad the next book is already out because I can’t even imagine what that must’ve felt like if you had to wait a year to read the next one.

I’ll be posting my review of Heir of Fire on Thursday since I already finished it. Like I said, I can’t put these books down. I don’t think you need me to tell you to buy these books but just in case here’s me telling you to buy these books ASAP. You won’t regret it.

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“The kiss obliterated her. It was like coming home or being born or suddenly finding an entire half of herself that had been missing.”

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Book Review: Everything, Everything

Posted on October 25, 2016October 24, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis:

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

Purchase From:

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Review

I had to renew this book twice from the library before I finally got around to reading it. What can I say, YA contemporaries aren’t typically my thing. But after much persuasion from my friend and the fact that the due date was coming up again I figured why not give it a chance. I finished it in a day. Literally started it Sunday morning and finished it by Sunday night. Needless to say I loved it.

Maddy is my heart and soul. She was sweet, funny, and much more forgiving than I am. Seriously she is goals for me. I hope to be able to love people and forgive people the way she does. Although I loved Maddy I fell in love with Olly. He was cute, funny, wears all black, and is just the perfect person for Maddy. Their love story sucked me in hard but what really kept me on the edge of my seat was Maddy’s illness and how it affected her life. I can’t imagine not being able to leave my house, not being able to touch people, not having a “normal” life. What I could understand though was Maddy’s love for books and her little reviews cracked me up as did her definitions.

I loved the drawings in this book as well, which were done by Nicola’s husband, David, which I thought was super cool. Overall I think what I loved most about this book was really just the plot. The romance between Maddy and Olly was perfect but the story that Yoon weaved left me speechless. I was shocked, enraged, and saddened with the last 100 pages of this book. I didn’t know what to feel and had to let my friend know that I was emotional wreck. Truly I did not sign up for all these emotions but I loved every second of it. If I could shove this book into everyone’s hands I would because it’s absolutely marvelous. It also makes me happy that Maddy’s biracial and her nurse, Carla, is from Mexico (diverse characters!). Speaking of Carla she was amazing and I absolutely loved her. I typically don’t care for the “grown-ups” in YA novels but Carla was the best.

In summary, if you’re like me and have put off reading Everything, Everything please rectify this problem immediately and read it. Honestly it’s so great and it’s also a pretty quick read. This is definitely one I need on my shelves.

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“In my head I’ve been in love before, but it doesn’t feel like it. Being in love with you is better than the first time. It feels like the first time and the last time and the only time all at once.”

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Book Review: Throne of Glass

Posted on October 24, 2016October 27, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis:

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king’s champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass–and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

Purchase From:

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Review

After reading A Court of Thorns and Roses everyone told me I had to read Throne of Glass. Well after waiting for the latest book to come out I’ve decided to binge read the whole series and I’m loving it so far. I just made it to book three and I’m so hooked. For now though I’m just going to discuss the first novel, which was a great start to the series.

The novel follows Celaena, an assassin that was enslaved after being betrayed. Now she’s made a deal with the Crown Prince, Dorian. In exchange for her freedom she will compete to become the King’s Champion and if she succeeds she will work for the King for a few years and then finally be really free. Of course nothing comes easy and living in the castle along with the nobility and the other criminals and warriors competing for the Champion title is difficult for Celaena. Especially when Dorian sees her as more than just his Champion and her friendship with the Captain of the Guard, Chaol, is so tumultuous it’s difficult to tell how he actually feels about her. Worse than anything, though, is the mysterious secrets the castle holds and the evil that’s lurking around every corner. Celaena will have to keep her guard up at all times to face off against threats but to also keep her own secrets.

Like I said I’m totally hooked. I couldn’t put this book down. There was romance, hilarity, mystery, and adventure. I absolutely love Chaol and he’s definitely my favorite but I also really liked Dorian and Nehemia, who befriends Celaena. This book made me laugh a lot but also made me swoon and a little concerned for my favorites. I was on the edge of my seat throughout this book and never knew what would happen next.

I’m excited to continue this series and see where it goes from here. I know I’m in for a lot of despair and crying but thankfully I’ve been warned enough that I feel emotionally prepared. At least I hope so. The point is you should really read this series if you haven’t already. As my friend once said, it’s never too late to join the bandwagon. So hop on my friends! It’ll be a wild ride.

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“You could rattle the stars. You could do anything, if only you dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That’s what scares you most.”

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Book Review: The Midnight Star

Posted on October 18, 2016November 13, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis:

There was once a time when darkness shrouded the world, and the darkness had a queen.

Adelina Amouteru is done suffering. She’s turned her back on those who have betrayed her and achieved the ultimate revenge: victory. Her reign as the White Wolf has been a triumphant one, but with each conquest her cruelty only grows. The darkness within her has begun to spiral out of control, threatening to destroy all she’s gained.

When a new danger appears, Adelina’s forced to revisit old wounds, putting not only herself at risk, but every Elite. In order to preserve her empire, Adelina and her Roses must join the Daggers on a perilous quest—though this uneasy alliance may prove to be the real danger.

Purchase From:

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Review

*Warning: There will be minimal spoilers about The Rose Society in this review. Read at your own risk.*

I don’t think I’ve ever been so satisfied with the conclusion to a series before. The Midnight Star was the perfect end to this trilogy. It was everything I wanted and more. Literally when I finished it I cried because it was absolutly amazing and I was so sad it was over. I truly want to read it again right now but alas there’s so many other books I must read. Seriously though, I need to everyone to read this trilogy; it’s truly a work of art.

Okay, now that the fangirling is out of the way let’s get down to it. I had the opportunity to go to the NYC launch of The Midnight Star and meet Marie Lu, which was amazing. At the event she said this book was the darkest one in the trilogy and the hardest for her to write and I can believe it. This book went dark. Adelina’s mind is totally corrupted, both from her actions but also from her abilities. Her visions/illusions are out of control and it’s kind of heartbreaking to watch, despite all that Adelina has done.

Differently than The Rose Society, The Midnight Star jumps ahead a year from where The Rose Society left off. This kind of threw me off a little bit but the time jump kind of made sense. In this novel we got a lot of point of views including Adelina, Maeve, Raffaele, Teren, Magiano, and Violetta, however all of these were necessary for a reason and we got some POVs more than others. My love for Magiano only grew with this novel and he’s my absolute fave. The romance in this book was perfect but the plot itself was also fantastic. There was great action, mystery, and we learned a lot about the Elites and where their powers came from. What made me the most happy was the explanation behind the title. At the launch event Lu said she couldn’t explain the title without spoilers and I’m so glad she left it a mystery because finding out the truth behind it was so worth it. That’s partially why I cried, to be honest.

This story was so well done and I’m happy with how this story ended for all the characters. Please read this series if you haven’t yet. It’s so worth it!

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“You cannot harden your heart to the future just because of your past. You cannot use cruelty against yourself to justify cruelty to others.”

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Book Review: Losing Hope

Posted on October 13, 2016October 13, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews

Synopsis:

Sometimes in life, in order to move forward you must face the past…

#1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover held readers spellbound with her novel Hopeless, the story of what happened when a troubled girl named Sky encountered a long-lost childhood friend, Dean Holder. With Holder’s help, Sky uncovered shocking family secrets and came to terms with memories and emotions that had left deep scars.

Hopeless was Sky’s story. Now, in Losing Hope, we finally learn the truth about Dean Holder.

Haunted by the little girl he couldn’t save from imminent danger, Holder’s life has been overshadowed by feelings of guilt and remorse. He has never stopped searching for her, believing that finding her would bring him the peace he needs to move on. However, Holder could not have anticipated that he would be faced with even greater pain the moment they reconnect.

In Losing Hope, Holder reveals the way in which the events of Sky’s youth affected him and his family, leading him to seek his own redemption in the act of saving her. But it is only in loving Sky that he can finally begin to heal himself.

Purchase From:

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Review

*Warning: There will be minimal spoilers about Hopeless in this review. Read at your own risk.*

Hopeless broke my heart but Losing Hope completely wrecked it. In Hopeless we’re discovering everything right along with Sky and though I was able to guess at a lot of the truths there was still so much that shocked me. Differently, with Losing Hope I thought I already knew the truth because it’s just Hopeless in Holder’s point of view. I was mistaken. With Holder we learn more about his sister, Leslie, and what she went through. We also learn more about Holder’s family as a whole and his memories of Hope.

What really teared me up was the new scenes and the letters Holder wrote to Leslie after she died. You can feel his heartache and how much he misses his sister. It’s heartbreaking. However, although this book definitely had it’s sad moments it also had it’s happy and romantic ones too. I’m always nervous about reading the same story just from a different character’s point of view because I’m scared it’ll just be the exact same thing but just from another character’s perspective. Losing Hope isn’t like that. Yes we do get some of the same scenes but only the ones that are crucial to the story.

Besides that Colleen Hoover took out some scenes between Sky and Holder from Hopeless and replaced them with new scenes that were just as amazing and made me swoon. Have I mentioned I love Holder yet today? Because I do. My biggest issue with this book was the appearance of Holder’s “best friend” Daniel. I just thought it was odd that we never heard about Daniel once in Hopeless and he apparently goes to the same school. Daniel definitely felt like a character Hoover just made up to add to Losing Hope. I liked Daniel a lot and thought he was a great addition it was just hard for me to believe he was there the whole time since we’d never hard of him before.

Other than that I thought Losing Hope was a great novel and I immediately started rereading it after I finished it because it hit me in the feels. I loved this novel even more than Hopeless but you have to read Hopeless before you read Losing Hope, otherwise you’ll just spoil Hopeless for yourself. Definitely read both books though. They’re both amazing and returning them to the library was the hardest thing I had to do this week. I need these on my shelves!

Stars:

Favorite Line: