book review – Page 5 – Zakiya N. Jamal

Book Review: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Posted on May 9, 2017May 8, 2017 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

Incredibly funny and poignant, this twenty-first-century coming-of-age, coming out story—wrapped in a geek romance—is a knockout of a debut novel by Becky Albertalli.

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Review

It’s been way too long since I read a LGBTQ centered novel so I was happy to pick up this one. Simon has been sitting on my shelves for about a year now and for some reason I just never got around to reading it. However, after hearing there’s going to be a movie and needing a quick read after the behemoth that was a A Court of Wings and Ruin, I decided to give it a chance and I’m so glad I did.

The novel is told in the first person POV of Simon Spier who’s gay but not out yet. Though he’s not really afraid to come out and knows he’s lucky enough to have family and friends that will except him, he’s just not ready yet, which is perfectly fine. However, his life gets complicated when his fellow classmate Martin discovers Simon’s secret emails to “Blue,” another gay student who Simon met through the school’s unofficial Tumblr.

Martin uses the emails to blackmail Simon, leading to a lot of problems for Simon who is basically put in the position of either agreeing to help Martin or being outed. Yeah, I’m not Martin’s biggest fan either. Though this is obviously a terrible situation for Simon to be in Becky Albertalli somehow managed to make this novel both funny, romantic, and very heartfelt.

Simon’s sense of humor had be literally laughing out loud and I loved reading his emails with Blue. They’re so incredibly cute together and I loved the mystery of trying to figure out who Blue was. For me, Blue’s identity was surprising enough that I loved the big reveal but wasn’t so surprising that it felt like it came of nowhere. Basically, it was perfectly done.

Besides, Simon and Blue’s epic romance, I also really loved almost every character and for different reasons. Simon’s group of friends includes his best friends Nick and Leah, and relatively new girl Abby, who causes some friction in the friend group, mainly because Leah’s jealous of her. Though Leah annoyed me at points I also found her to be relatable and grew to love her. I really liked Nick and Abby from beginning to end though, especially Abby. She was my favorite.

I also loved Simon’s family. He has an older sister Alice and a younger sister Nora, and I liked that they were so incredibly close but also all had their own secrets. Additionally, I thought Simon’s parents were so funny and I liked that they felt like real parents, meaning they were dorky and embarrassing but also loving and not adverse to handing out the occasionally grounding.

Lastly, I really liked Simon’s teacher Ms. Albright for a long list of reasons but mainly because she’s that kind of teacher that you’d totally be friends with on Facebook after you graduate. She’s chill but also a force to be reckoned with if you cross her.

Overall, I just really loved this novel. My copy is now filled with so many tabs it’s a little absurd. I’ve already reread my favorite scenes at least three times and I could reread this book from beginning to end right now, I love it that much. If you haven’t read this book yet I highly recommend it. Honestly, I’m mad it took be this long to finally give it a read.

Borrow or Buy: Are you serious? Buy it. Like yesterday.

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“White shouldn’t be the default any more than straight should be the default. There shouldn’t even be a default.”

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Book Review: A Court of Wings and Ruin (Spoiler-Free)

Posted on May 4, 2017May 4, 2017 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis:

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin’s maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit-and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords-and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.

Purchase From:

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Review

*Warning: While this is spoiler-free for ACOWAR there will be spoilers from the first two books in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. Read at your own risk.*

First, I think it’s worth noting that we, the fandom, overhyped this book. We were too hype. A Court of Mist and Fury was an amazing novel that is still my favorite book out of the three and I think everyone went into this novel with very high expectations that would’ve been difficult for any author to meet. With that being said, though I definitely don’t feel like A Court of Wings and Ruin met my expectations, I still throughly enjoyed this book.

The novel began where ACOMAF left off. Feyre was now in the Spring playing the doting… something to Tamlin. It doesn’t seem like the term girlfriend exists in this world but they weren’t exactly engaged either so I’m not sure what you’d call it. Regardless, Feyre played her role well and that’s where we found her at the start of the novel. One of the first things that bothered me about this novel was that I really hoped it would be told in alternating POVs between Feyre and Rhys and that was not the case.

Ninety-eight percent of the novel was told in Feyre’s POV, which was fine, it is her story after all. I just would’ve loved to see more of Rhys’ POV. I wanted to know what was going on at the Night Court while Feyre was away. How was the Inner Circle handling things? How were her sisters? I understood why Sarah J. Maas wrote it out this way. If we, the readers, saw what happened at the Night Court it would’ve been redundant when it was revealed to Feyre. Still, I just really wanted more Rhys.

That aside, I truly enjoyed this novel. The wittiness was still there, making me literally laugh out loud at times. I also legitimately cried at least twice, so badly I couldn’t see what I was reading, so look forward to that. I also loved that we got to know Azriel more. Because he’s so quiet and literally hides in the shadows, I think he went unnoticed at times in ACOMAF. He’s way more involved in this novel and he became one of my absolute faves. I 100 percent support a book just about Azriel. He’s too good for this world, honestly.

What I loved most about this novel was the world building. We got to see so much more of Prythian in this novel and learn more about the other courts and High Lords, which I really enjoyed. Because of this, the novel was also more diverse, including more characters of color and LGBTQ characters, which was a very nice improvement.

There was one character’s sexuality that really took me by surprise though and I’m still not sure how I feel about it. To me, personally, it seemed to come out of nowhere and while I love inclusivity this kind of felt forced, especially because it was revealed closer to the end and the situation around the reveal wasn’t really resolved, if that makes sense. This brings to what I believe is a lot of people’s issue with the book: it didn’t feel like a conclusion.

In theory, this is the end of Feyre’s story, however, there will be three more books in the ACOTAR world as well as two novellas. For some reason, everyone’s under the assumption that these three books will be another trilogy, which would make sense, however I don’t believe SJM ever said that would be the case. If it is great, but I’d be interested to see how she connects all the loose ends in this novel into another trilogy. To me, it felt like she laid the groundwork for multiple different stories to occur, but it’s possible that’s what the novellas are for and the three books will indeed be a trilogy that follows another character, just as this trilogy followed Feyre.

I say this all to say that I too felt very unresolved with this ending. Particularly, there was one major plot twist that left me confused because the people involved in that twist don’t even know about. I kept waiting for Feyre to say something and yet she didn’t, which I thought was so strange. I wanted to see that reveal, wanted to know what happened when they found out and then it didn’t happen. That irritated to me, but again I’m almost 100 percent positive SJM purposefully left that open ended and I’ll have to wait until we get more information about what these next books will be about before I can truly decide how I feel about this ending. (If you’d like to know the specific questions I’d like the next books to answer you can find them here. They’re spoilers, obviously.)

Additionally, this specific plot twist that I’m referring to also kind of annoyed me because it felt way too similar to a plot twist that occurs in SJM’s other series, Throne of Glass. If you’ve read that series, you’ll know what I mean when you read this book. I also kind of felt that way about the sexuality reveal I was talking about as well. It just felt like I’d read that before and while I enjoyed the twist it just felt too similar for me to be really excited about it.

Lastly, while I did enjoy the novel overall and was for the most part satisfied with the ending, I did kind of feel like it was a cop out though I did appreciate the full-circle feel to it. I can’t really explain what I mean without spoiling it so I’ll just leave it at that. Still, faults aside, this was a great novel, and I have so many tabs in this book of scenes and quotes I want to reread. I can’t even begin to imagine all the merch that is going to come from this book. I already want all of it.

If you’ve finished ACOWAR already, what were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below. If there’s a spoiler in your comment please put in a spoiler alert so you don’t spoil it for anyone. Thanks!

Borrow or Buy: Buy it! Like I said, I’d give it a reread.

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“I missed you. Every second, every breath. Not just this but…talking to you. Laughing with you. I missed having you in my bed, but missed having you as my friend even more.”

Book Review of A Court of Mist and Fury (ACOMAF)

Book Review: A Court of Mist and Fury (Reread)

Posted on May 2, 2017 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis:

Feyre survived Amarantha’s clutches to return to the Spring Court-but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can’t forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin’s people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms-and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future-and the future of a world torn apart.

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Review

*This review will contain spoilers for ACOTAR and ACOMAF. For the spoiler-free review of this book please click here.*

In prep for the release of A Court of Wings and Ruin, which came out today, I decided to reread the first two book in the series and it was probably the best decision ever. I finished my reread of A Court of Mist and Fury and then went back and started rereading it again. Can you tell I’m obsessed with this book? I’m not even sorry.

So where to begin. Going into this reread I was honestly a little nervous that I wouldn’t love it as much as I remembered. I was scared I’d realize Rhysand isn’t actually that great and I just hyped it up in my memory, but boy was I wrong. I loved it even more the second time around, for a variety of reasons but mainly because I really got to see Feyre fall in love with Rhys.

I think the first time I read the book I was so focused on Rhys’s obvious affection for Feyre and being mad at her for not really what was right in front of her face, that I missed Feyre’s own realization of her feelings. I may have also been distracted by all the smut. I loved Rhys and Feyre’s flirting and wit and how fun they were with each other the first time but during that first reading I was kind of surprised when Feyre told Rhys she loved him. I expected it but I also kind of didn’t. Even with the reveal that they were mates, I understood why she ran. To be, that was a big deal that I felt she probably wasn’t ready for. However, during my reread, there was one scene I totally forgot about.

After they went to the Court of Nightmares, which was a very good scene, Feyre and Rhys got into this whole fight and Rhys stopped talking to Feyre for a day. It was during that time when it was clear to me how deep her feelings for him really were. And then Starfall right after was so good and I was like, “Feyre you are so in love with him!” It was perfect. I reread that part multiple times.

There were also just a lot of things I forgot. For example, one of my favorite lines, “There are good days and hard days for me even now—Don’t let the hard days win,” I thought Rhys said that but it was actually Mor. There were a few other instances like that where I forgot who said what and just scenes that were so fun to read again.

I honestly feel like I could reread this book again right now but it’s time to dive into the next book and I’m excited and nervous to see what happens next.

Stars

Favorite Line:

“I am broken and healing, but every piece of my heart belongs to you.”

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Book Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses (Reread)

Posted on April 25, 2017April 22, 2017 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis:

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin–one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin–and his world–forever.

Purchase From:

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Review

*This review will contain spoilers for ACOTAR and ACOMAF. For the spoiler-free review of this book please click here.*

In preparation for the release of A Court of Wings and Ruin, I’m rereading the first two books in this series, and thus far it’s been a blast. There were so many things that occurred in ACOTAR that I totally forgot about so let’s dive right in.

First of all, it was super strange to read about Feyre falling in love with Tamlin, knowing that Rhysand is her mate. I ended up cringing a lot during this book, especially during particular points that I thought were warning signs for Tamlin’s over protectiveness that turned abusive in ACOMAF. For example when Tamlin said this to Feyre:

“No, I don’t want you to live somewhere else. I want you here, where I can look after you—where I can come home and know you’re here, painting and safe.”

This sounded really nice and sweet in the moment but when combined with the way Tamlin locked up Feyre in ACOMAF, it doesn’t sound all that sweet anymore. That being said, I did find some sympathy for Tamlin after rereading ACOTAR. Sarah J. Maas affectively turned her fandom against Tamlin with the utter change in character of him and Rhys in the second book but I think a lot of us forgot why we liked Tamlin in the first place because of it. My reread reminded of all the reasons why I did like him.

Feyre says it best in ACOMAF, when she says Tamlin was good for her at the time that she needed him. Yes he was overprotective with her and was more than happy to take care of, and that’s what Feyre needed when she was human. Tamlin didn’t treat Feyre poorly, she just hadn’t wanted anything more than to be pampered and loved by Tamlin. His problem began when he failed to realize how much Under the Mountain changed Feyre and after having to watch her die, it’s easy to understand why he became so protective and controlling. Was Tamlin wrong? Without a doubt, yes. Do I know understand where he was coming from? Also, yes.

Besides Tamlin, I didn’t know how to feel about Rhys. I was at war with myself while reading. On the one hand, I knew why he did all the things he did but on the other hand, I wanted to tell Rhys to chill and at least try to be nicer to Feyre. There’s one point right before he makes the bargain with her, where he grabs her injured arm and twists and I literally cringed. Why Rhys, why?

Still, there were also a lot of one liners that meant so much more to me, knowing how he truly felt. My personal favorite was when he sees Feyre for the first time at Calanmai and saves her from those other faeries.

“There you are. I’ve been looking for you.”

I think I literally swooned, especially when Feyre referred to him as, “the most beautiful man I’d ever seen.” So good! (Side note: Rhysand probably heard her think that. That probably made him even more cocky.)

Another one of my favorites was when Rhysand sees Feyre dressed for the party in the throne room Under the Mountain.

“You look just as I hoped you would.”

That means so much more knowing how he felt about her. For Feyre, she thinks he’s joking at her expense but in reality he really means it and it’s so cute and also so heartbreaking because at this point Feyre hates him so much. Another moment that broke my heart was when Feyre heard the music that gave her a slither of hope. That moment also meant so much more knowing it was Rhys that sent it.

Also, through my reread I realized all the many hints SJM put in about Feyre and Rhys being mates. There’s literally so many references to the night and stars that I’m honestly a little mad I didn’t catch on sooner. It was so obvious! SJM is amazing. I truly can’t take it.

My reread also reestablished my distaste for Feyre’s sisters and my love for Lucien. Hopefully my reread of ACOMAF will make me like Nesta and Elain again. As for Lucien, I’m still upset with him for the things he did in ACOMAF but I remember now why I loved him so much and I hope he’s redeemed in ACOWAR. I kind of hope Tamlin’s redeemed too but to be perfectly honest, if he died I wouldn’t cry over it. Sorry, not sorry.

Overall, I think I liked ACOTAR even more the second time than I did the first. The start was still just as slow as I remember it being but because I knew where the story was heading that was enough to keep me reading and interested. I highly recommend giving this book a reread after reading ACOMAF. It takes on a whole new meaning and it’s really interesting seeing how drastically the characters change between books.

What are your thoughts on the ACOTAR series? Let me know in the comments below.

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“Be glad of your human heart, Feyre. Pity those who don’t feel anything at all.”

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Book Review: Smoke

Posted on April 11, 2017April 7, 2017 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis:

Pattyn Von Stratten’s father is dead, and Pattyn is on the run. After far too many years of abuse at the hands of her father, and after the tragic loss of her beloved Ethan and their unborn child, Pattyn is desperate for peace. Only her sister Jackie knows what happened that fatal night, but she is stuck at home with their mother, who clings to normalcy by allowing the truth to be covered up by their domineering community leaders. Her father might be finally gone, but without Pattyn, Jackie is desperately isolated.

Alone and in disguise, Pattyn starts a new life as a migrant worker on a California ranch. But is it even possible to rebuild a life when everything you’ve known has burned to ash and lies seem far safer than the truth?

Bestselling author Ellen Hopkins continues the riveting story of Pattyn Von Stratten she began in Burned to explore what it takes to rise from the ashes, put ghosts to rest, and step into a future.

Purchase From:

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Review

*Warning: There will be spoilers from Burned by Ellen Hopkins. Read at your own risk!*

After reading Burned, I had very low expectations for Smoke. Not that I expected Smoke to be bad, just that I didn’t want to get my hopes high that Pattyn would actually get a happy ending. That just didn’t seem like Hopkins style. That being said, I was surprisingly satisfied with how this book ended and I’m so glad she gave us a sequel to Burned because I needed that closure.

Smoke is actually told in alternating POVs of Pattyn and her younger sister Jackie. The novel begins with Pattyn on the run after the death of her father and Jackie dealing with the repercussions (or lack there of) of what happened prior to her father’s death. Both Pattyn and Jackie’s stories are heartbreaking to say the least. They’ve gone through a lot, beginning with their father’s physical abuse and then dealing with death and in Jackie’s case rape (this happens at the start of the novel so you’re not being spoiled).

I truly liked nothing about Pattyn and Jackie’s mother. I wanted to be sympathetic because her husband was abusive but I believe there’s a difference between being a victim of abuse and than using that as an excuse for not taking care of your kids. Especially in the case of Jackie, her mother was not there for her at all and it was painful to read just how much her mother threw Jackie under the bus in order to satisfy her own needs.

It was also painful to see Pattyn continue to mourn the deaths of Ethan and her unborn child. Going on the run while dealing with that pain and then the confusing feelings about her father’s death was hard to read.

As always though, Hopkins writing was beautiful poetic and even the parts that made me cry sounded beautiful. I love Hopkins writing style and loved it even more in this novel. She handled so many issues in this novel, including hate crimes, with such sensitivity that you know this book was written with care.

Also liked the introduction of new characters like Adriana, Angel, and Gavin. I won’t say where they come in because that would spoil it but I thought they were all great for the Von Stratten sisters and I’m glad Pattyn and Jackie had them, as well as Aunt J, Kevin, and another family member that made a surprise appearance.

Though I’ll probably never read this book again because it was incredibly dark, despite the beautiful ending, I still think you should buy it just because I now what to share with everyone. Go read this book if you haven’t already.

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“Hell is alive in hearts emptied of love.”

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Book Review: Burned (Reread)

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis:

It all started with a dream. Just a typical fantasy, but for a girl raised in a religious—and abusive—family, a simple dream could be the first step toward eternal damnation. Now Pattyn Von Stratten has questions. Questions about God, and sex, and mostly love. Will she ever find it? Pattyn experiences the first stirrings of passion, but when her father catches her in a compromising position, events spiral out of control.

Pattyn is sent to live with an aunt in the wilds of rural Nevada to find salvation and redemption. What she finds instead is love and acceptance, and for the first time she feels worthy of both—until she realizes that her old demons will not let her go. Those demons lead Pattyn down a path to hell—not to the place she learned about in sacrament meetings, but to an existence every bit as horrifying.

In this gripping and masterful novel told in verse, Ellen Hopkins embarks on an emotional journey that ebbs and flows. From the highs of true love to the lows of loss and despair, Pattyn’s story is utterly compelling. You won’t want this story to end—but when it does, you can find out what’s next for Pattyn in the sequel, Smoke.

Purchase From:

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Review

The first time I read Burned I was in high school and I remember loving it even though it broke my heart. Therefore when I heard there was a sequel I knew I had to read it but since I read Burned so long ago I knew I’d have to do a reread and I’m so glad I did.

The novel follows protagonist Pattyn who grew up in a Mormon family where it was believed that women were only there to provide children and their husband would have to pull them into heaven when the time came. Pattyn’s father was abusive and as Pattyn began to question her religion more and more she also began to act out. Her parents decide to send her to live with her aunt, and it may have been the best thing they ever did for her.

Out there she began to realize there was a different way to live and that there’s more to life than what she had been taught. However, don’t expect this story to have a happy ending. As Pattyn foreshadows often, her sense of freedom doesn’t last forever.

Even though I knew how this novel would end it still broke my heart again. While I love this book I hate how it ends, mainly because I want so much more for Pattyn. I’m currently reading Smoke now, which I like a lot, but I refuse to get my hopes up for Pattyn to have a happy ending. Ellen Hopkins has broken my heart too many times for that.

Overall, I thought this was a great read, even the second time around. If you haven’t read it yet definitely check out it. Just be prepared to cry. Also, while this is one portrayal of Mormon life this isn’t the case for all Mormons so don’t take it as such.

If you have read Burned let me know your thoughts on it below.

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“Live your life right. Love with all your heart. Don’t hurt others, and help those in need. That is all you need to know.”

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Book Review: By Your Side

Posted on March 28, 2017March 27, 2017 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis:

When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.

Only he doesn’t come. No one does.

Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn at first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?

Purchase From:

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Review

I love Kasie West’s novels because they’re quick reads that usually make me swoon, and By Your Side was no different. The novel is told in Autumn’s first person POV and begins with her getting trapped in the library over the holiday weekend. Little does she know she’s not there alone.

Trapped alongside her is resident “bad boy” Dax, who Autumn only kind of knows. Although they don’t get along at first, due to their own presumptions about each other, they quickly find that the other isn’t so bad after all.

I really liked the romance between Dax and Autumn but more than that I really liked Autumn as a character on her own. I don’t want to spoil it so I’ll just say that Autumn has a secret that she’s been keeping from her friends but she’s able to confide the truth to Dax and he’s able to be there for her in a way her friends can’t.

I also liked that although there kind of is a love triangle between Autumn, Dax, and Autumn’s friend Jeff, there really isn’t. Again I don’t want to spoil it but basically Jeff isn’t around that much and when he does come around Autumn’s pretty much already head over heels for Dax.

Still, there is conflict so this book wasn’t boring and despite it’s predictability it still took me by surprise a few times, mainly because unlike so other books the whole plot isn’t given away in the synopsis. In fact, this book was actually more complicated than I expected and I really liked it.

West deals with some heavy issues in this novel, quite possible her heaviest yet, and she did so with care and the same level of romance you expect from her novels. This is definitely a must read.

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“You won the best heart in the world, so take care of it.”

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Book Review: The Opposite of Loneliness

Posted on March 23, 2017March 22, 2017 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Borrow

Synopsis:

An affecting and hope-filled posthumous collection of essays and stories from the talented young Yale graduate whose title essay captured the world’s attention in 2012 and turned her into an icon for her generation.

Marina Keegan’s star was on the rise when she graduated magna cum laude from Yale in May 2012. She had a play that was to be produced at the New York International Fringe Festival and a job waiting for her at the New Yorker. Tragically, five days after graduation, Marina died in a car crash.

As her family, friends, and classmates, deep in grief, joined to create a memorial service for Marina, her unforgettable last essay for the Yale Daily News, “The Opposite of Loneliness,” went viral, receiving more than 1.4 million hits. She had struck a chord.

Even though she was just twenty-two when she died, Marina left behind a rich, expansive trove of prose that, like her title essay, captures the hope, uncertainty, and possibility of her generation. The Opposite of Loneliness is an assemblage of Marina’s essays and stories that, like The Last Lecture, articulates the universal struggle that all of us face as we figure out what we aspire to be and how we can harness our talents to make an impact on the world.

Purchase From:

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Review

While I don’t think I’d ever read this book again (hence why it’s a borrow) I found this book to be interesting. Overall, I liked Marina Keegan and was both impressed and jealous of how great of a writer she was at her age, which made it even more heartbreaking that she lost her life before she really got to reach the level of success I’m sure she would’ve found.

I’d never read “The Opposite of Loneliness” but I vaguely remember hearing about Keegan’s passing and seeing the essay being shared on social media. Reading the essay now as someone who graduated college two years ago and preparing to enter grad school, it hit me hard and made me think, which is probably why it went viral. It’s well written just like pretty much everything else Keegan wrote that was included in this book.

Though there were some essays I certainly skimmed and a few short stories that I just couldn’t get into, with every piece I recognized how good they were. Maybe the story about the exterminator wasn’t my cup of tea but while it was non-fiction Keegan made it feel like an interesting (albeit kind of gross) story. Similarly, while I was confused by how some of her short stories ended they also left me wanting to read more because I liked the characters.

I say this all to say that don’t let my decision to never purchase this book dissuade you. This book was pretty great and it’s sad that Keegan didn’t get a chance to see how her writing touched so many people.

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“I want to devote my life to the things that I love. I want to create something lasting that I’m really proud of.”

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Book Review: Roomie Wars

Posted on March 21, 2017March 21, 2017 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Borrow

Synopsis:

Zoey

Turning thirty is overrated. Who said you had to be married with a fabulous career and three kids? I had a great life. Single, freedom to do whatever I please, and best of all, stay home on a Friday night in my sweats, eating pizza while listening to the best of the ’80s.

I’m fine.

Drew

When a woman says she’s fine, she’s not fine. Zoey had it all. Stunning looks, ambition, the whole package. Then he fucked her up. He broke her.

And now I’m left picking up the pieces…again.

Zoey Richards, strong-willed and driven, settled on the geeky struggling med student to share her apartment with, not the perfect-in-every-way stud who would just distract her and undoubtedly break her heart.

When her ex comes back into the picture, Zoey seeks revenge and enlists her roommate’s help. All Zoey and Drew need to do is pretend to be a couple for one night. But one night can change everything. Refusing to break their “roomie code,” and in an effort to deny their feelings for each other, a war erupts between Zoey and Drew.

She lives in the past; he, for the future. If opposites attract, will these two gamble their friendship for a chance at love?

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Review

I’m officially taking a break from erotica. All these books are starting to sound the same to me, which is why this book was particularly disappointing. At the start Drew is actually an average guy who’s a little chubby and is nervous around Zoey, who’s interviewing him to become her roommate. I thought this was cute and endearing and was ready to read a story where the guy isn’t some chiseled muscle man but is actually your average every day Joe. I should’ve known better (especially because of the cover; duh).

After the prologue the book jumps forward four years and Drew is now a health nut with a hot bod and now Zoe’s gained some weight and has become a slob because a terrible boyfriend she had that broke her heart. How stereotypical. If this didn’t already annoy me, Zoe and Drew’s personalities definitely did.

The book is told in alternating point of views and I didn’t find myself relating to Zoe nor did I find Drew particularly swoon worthy. Moreover, I found their jump from just roommates to something more strange because of how it played out. The synopsis makes it sound like it’s the return of her ex that sparks these feelings between Zoe and Drew but that’s not the case, it happens prior to that. I don’t want to spoil it so I’ll just say I found Drew’s quick flip to suddenly realizing he liked Zoe a bit unrealistic. Then again this is fiction so I guess I can allow that.

What really bothered me was Zoe and Drew’s relationship after they realized they had feelings for each other. It became this strange back and forth where they both knew they had feelings for each other but then for some reason or another they decided not to pursue those feelings. I think I would’ve been okay with this if it didn’t take them literal years to finally get together. Literally, the last quarter of the book starts jumping around in time from months to years before you finally get the happy ending you expect from a romance novel and by then the ending seemed strange because after all they went through it then just took one small move from Zoe for them to finally be together. Thus begging the question, why fill these last 20 pages with a will they/won’t they saga that came from left field?

Overall, I obviously detested this novel. However, if you’re looking for a quick romance novel that you don’t have to think too hard about Roomie Wars is a decent choice. There’s a bit of smut and Drew and Zoe’s flirtation was fun at times but overall they’re indecision and the strange way their love story played out ruined this book for me. Definitely a borrow, although I was able to buy this book for free so if you’re curious I’m sure you can get for free on Kindle as well.

Stars:

Favorite Quote:

“I like you just the way you are, Zoey Richards. Don’t change for anyone.”

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Book Review: The Distance Between Us

Posted on March 14, 2017March 15, 2017 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis:

Money can’t buy a good first impression.

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers learned early that the rich are not to be trusted. And after years of studying them from behind the cash register of her mom’s porcelain-doll shop, she has seen nothing to prove otherwise. Enter Xander Spence—he’s tall, handsome, and oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and the fact that he seems to be one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But just when Xander’s loyalty and attentiveness are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. With so many obstacles standing in their way, can she close the distance between them?

Purchase From:

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository

Review

I can’t believe I forgot to review this book. I read it a while back and I really liked, even though it wasn’t my all time favorite Kasie West novel. Let’s dive in.

First, if you’re making your way through Kasie West’s books like I’ve been doing recently I recommend reading The Distance Between Us before On the Fence because they take place in the same town so there’s some overlapping characters and The Distance Between Us was released first. Truthfully though it doesn’t really matter, which order you read them in since nothing’s given away but I would’ve preferred if I’d read them in order.

Moving on, I loved Caymen and Xander. They were so cute together and made me swoon. I also liked that we got to see their relationship play out. A lot of romance novels wait to the end for the characters to get together and then there’s only like a chapter where they’re actually together but this book wasn’t like that. You actually get to see their romance play out, which was nice. I also really liked Caymen’s humor. She’s super sarcastic and witty and I loved how Xander played off that but could also see through it when she was using her humor to deflect.

My biggest issue with this novel was Caymen’s mom. I found her to be super irritating but thankfully she’s not around that often so it didn’t bother me too much. Other than that I really like this novel and want to buy it so I can read it again. Once I finally read By Your Side I plan on doing a full ranking of all of West’s romance novels and I’m pretty sure The Distance Between Us will be close to the top. Definitely give it a read if you haven’t already.

Stars:

Favorite Line: