Tag: YA Contemporary

Reviews

Loveboat, Taipei Review

by amyleighreads2 Comments on Loveboat, Taipei Review

45730524Loveboat, Taipei is about an 18 year old Chinese American named Ever who just wants to dance. However, her very strict parents won’t hear of it and insist that she goes to school and becomes a doctor. They decided for the summer before college to send her to Taipei to study Mandarin. Little do they know this the program is actually an infamous teen meet-market nicknamed Loveboat, where the kids are more into clubbing than calligraphy and drinking snake-blood sake than touring sacred shrines.

I actually really enjoyed this book. I had a feeling after seeing the cover and reading the synopsis that I would enjoy this book and it was exactly what I had envisioned. It was a quick, entertaining, fun read full of mischief and antics.

Ever was a little too naïve at the start of the book for me. She really lets her parent’s walk all over her and won’t stand up for herself at all. I understand there are cultural differences and the expectations that Ever’s parents have put on her would have weighed her down over the years. I did appreciate transformation she undertakes over the course of the plot, where she finally finds her voice and passion and decides to pursue what she loves.

I found the romances progress a little too quickly. Ever definitely comes across as quite innocent and wholesome, so the fact that after only knowing these boys for a few weeks she makes the decision to sleep with them didn’t quite make sense to me. I think she mentions that she hasn’t even had a boyfriend before so it was just a little strange. Other than that detail I enjoyed the banter between them all. I mean it was a little bit predictable to be honest but the entertainment factor kept me from being too bothered!

I loved all of the culture that is interwoven with the plot. From all the different foods that Ever discovers and the nightlife over in Taipei as well as meeting all the other Chinese Americans and how they all differ. It definitely adds a layer of realism and depth to the story and I really enjoyed seeing these differences from Ever’s point of view.

⭐️4/5 stars Kind of like a YA version of Crazy Rich Asians

Reviews

Sadie Review

by amyleighreads5 Comments on Sadie Review

*SPOILERS*

34810320._SY475_This was interesting!

Sadie is a mixed format story revolving around two sisters, one has been murdered and the other is on a mission to extract revenge.

Sadie is a character that you can really put your support behind. She is very straightforward and driven and you can relate to her in a way. If I was in a similar situation I would have probably done the same thing. She will do absolutely anything for her sister and it kind of broke my heart as we learn throughout the course of the plot what she has had to endure. I thought she was brave, focused and devoted to her cause.

I have to say I really enjoyed the different formats and timelines of the story. West following Sadie and trying to extract the truth and dig deep into their history and her motivation behind running away and then having Sadie doing her own digging and finding out where Keith is now, and uncovering all the details about Silas as well. The mystery aspect of the story was very well done and the buildup of anticipation through the pacing and the tone of the book enraptured me.

Every single character in the book served a purpose and made some form of impact upon Sadie and drove her to the next location. I like that we see how West makes these same discoveries for himself and kind of comes the same conclusions as Sadie following all of the clues and picking apart their conversations and trying to find out what her motivations were was highly engaging.

The ending is a point of contention for me. I think I have come to the conclusion that I don’t really like open endings. I need a resolution, I need to know whether or not Sadie is alive and I really wanted to see what happened in those last few minutes.

⭐️4/5 stars This was fast, purposeful and highly impactful

Reviews

Paper Towns Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Paper Towns Review

6442769Paper Towns is a YA Contemporary following Quentin Jacobson a high school senior living in Florida and his neighbour Margo Roth Spiegelman whom he has had a crush on his entire life. Margo enlists Quentin’s help in a series of late night pranks and when she goes missing the following day Quentin finds clues he thinks Margo has left him to find her whereabouts.

Quentin’s character at times felt a little unrealistic to me. His obsession for Margo and figuring out her clues just seemed a little improbable. He seemed like the kind of student who would not let anything get in the way of his studies and school and a few times over the course of the storyline we see him missing school and even skipping his graduation ceremony in order to find Margo.

I just thought what did Margo really do to deserve this kind of spotlight? I kind of found her to be a little spiteful and vindictive right from the get go and she seemed the kind of person who would manipulate people in order to get what she wants. I think maybe Quentin is seeing her with some rose coloured glasses and is projecting his own feelings onto her personality. Even at the end when they travel all that way because they were so worried she may have killed herself only for her to tell them to wait a sec. It just left a bad taste in my mouth.

I liked the pacing of the book, it did keep me entertained and I was invested in figuring out the clues alongside Quentin. I found the characters to be quite distinct and diverse and they all complimented each other well.

It wasn’t a favourite of mine but there really wasn’t anything inherently wrong with the story either. I just found at times I was thinking what the purpose of this book is, was it about Quentin’s growth over the course of the story or the fact that sometimes his expectations don’t match the outcome?

⭐️3/5 a little unremarkable

Reviews

Birthday Review

by amyleighreads3 Comments on Birthday Review

39863399Perfection!

Birthday is a story about two kids Morgan and Eric who are born on the same day and have made a pact with each other to spend every birthday together.

Eric and Morgan are both such complex characters. They are both very different from each other and have their own unique voice and it seems at times they might drift apart yet they work so hard to maintain their friendship in spite of the many obstacles that they have had to overcome.

Morgan’s journey throughout the storyline was everything! All of the anguish and denial and self-hatred and depression she had to deal with over the years culminating in an explosive scene that broke me only to claw her way out and finally express who she truly is to the two people who matter most in her life was beautiful. I loved everything about Morgan. There were times when I wanted to give her a hug and then there were times I was like what are you doing. Though I can’t fault any of those moments because it was her journey that she had to undertake and I definitely would not be able to relate so how would I know how I would react in the same situation you know…

I thought Eric was the perfect contrast to Morgan. His arc over the course of the book was a joy to read as well. We see him really struggle with the pressures that are put on him constantly, be it by his father or just the expectations of his peers, being the football star yet still being friends with Morgan. We see him kind of bow to these expectations a lot in the beginning of the story, wanting to just fit in and seem normal, giving up his guitar playing and blowing Morgan off to hang with the jocks and staying with his girlfriend even though he thinks she only likes him because of his pursuits on the field. Then in the latter years he really starts to see the error of this ways, especially when he sees how much Morgan is struggling.

I loved the unique format of the book; it really drew me in straight away. Just showcasing this one day a year allowed the story to really go into the minute details of Morgan and Eric’s life that I feel would be written out if it was a traditional novel. Going through their days and then when it ends knowing that there will be a whole year in the interim where so much can happen was keeping me highly invested and engaged in the story.

There are sooooooo many touching scenes in this book. So many profound moments that brought a tear to my eye, I absolutely loved this book! It was relatively short and was a pretty quick read, but I know it’s going to last with me for a very long time!

⭐️5/5 READ THIS BOOK!

Reviews

What If It’s Is Us Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on What If It’s Is Us Review

36341204This gave me Serendipity vibes!

This book follows the story of Arthur and Ben who ran into each other at the Post Office. Arthur is in New York for the summer and has an internship at his mother’s law office and Ben just broke up with his boyfriend and was trying to post a box with all of his ex’s things. They have a conversation and immediately feel a connection but loose each other in a crowd.

First of all this was hella cute! I was pretty much immediately enraptured by the storyline and was highly engaged throughout. I loved seeing them going about their lives after this pretty small interaction but unable to forget each other because of the connection that they felt for that brief period of time.

I found Arthur terribly endearing and adorable. He felt very genuine and real in his awkwardness. He hasn’t had a lot of experience with other boys and he has lived a very sheltered life in comparison to Ben. I like how honest Arthur is with everyone and isn’t afraid to share his feelings. I liked that he finally spoke up and shared his feelings with his friends and they eventually explained what was happening and why. Ben I liked but didn’t really love. He has his own insecurities and idiosyncrasies and also isn’t afraid to speak up for himself. I loved the relationship he shares with Dylan and how comfortable they are with each other.

I like that both characters are flawed and regularly make mistakes and say the wrong thing but the other will definitely call them out on it and they both grow together. Their whole relationship was quite charming and their dates were hilariously disastrous.

The premise as a whole I thought was interesting and had me intrigued. The overall plot was a little bit predictable though and the ending was a little underwhelming for me but it was also pretty realistic so I can’t really complain. Happy endings don’t always happen in real life and summer flings sometimes don’t last.

⭐️4/5 A super cute, diverse, contemporary summer romance!