YA

To Be Read // April 2022

- Bunny 7 Comments

Hi Friends,
It’s time for my small April TBR. If you don’t remember, last month I mentioned that I won’t be doing huge TBR posts anymore. I only pick books for three categories, so that I have a lot of room to mood read.

Previous TBR: I put this on my September 2021 TBR. I have read two other books that Rachel Lippincott co-wrote, one being an all time favorite book of mine. I am excited to read one of her solo works. 

“From the #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of Five Feet Apart comes a gripping new romance, perfect for fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda.”

Sequel: I need to finish the series even if I am afraid that it will put me in a reading slump. This is the final book, and I am more than ready to complete this trilogy. 

“The final book in Katharine McGee’s epic New York Times bestselling Thousandth Floor series. When you have everything, you have everything to lose.”

Owned TBR: I have this book both physically, and on audiobook, so I am really hoping to enjoy it. However, I am scared that it might read a bit more on the younger side of YA contemporary.

“Friday Night Lights meets Morgan Matson’s The Unexpected Everything in this contemporary debut where swoonworthy romance meets underdog sports story.”

I wanted to mention that you can join my Novellic book club, The Reading Rabbits. In the month of April, we will be reading ‘All of Us Villains’ by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman. Please like and share this post with other book lovers. And, before you go, don’t forget to follow the blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

How Not To Fall In Love // Book Review

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Author: Jacqueline Firkins
Published: 2021
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary
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Synopsis
Harper thinks romance is a marketing tool. Nothing more. Her best friend Theo is her opposite. One date and he’s already dreaming of happily-ever-afters. He also plays the accordion, makes chain mail for Ren Festers, hangs out in a windmill-shaped tree house, cries over rocm-coms, and takes his word-of-the-day calendar very seriously. When Theo’s shocked to find himself nursing his umpteenth heartbreak, Harper offers to teach him how not to fall in love. Theo agrees to the lessons, as long as Harper proves she can date without falling in love. As the lessons progress and Theo takes them to heart, Harper has a harder time upholding her end of the bargain. She’s also checking out her window to see if Theo’s home from his latest date yet. She’s even watching rom-coms. If she confesses her feelings, she’ll undermine everything she’s taught him. Or was he the one teaching her?

After reading the synopsis, I could tell that I was going to love this book! I might not be the biggest fan of friends-to-lovers stories, but I do love a cute, well written young adult contemporary. The main character, Harper, is both cynical and practical. She had a negative outlook on love because her first relationship ended in heartbreak. Harper’s reaction to getting her heart broken was pretty realistic, since a lot of young people are scared to put themselves back out there after a breakup.

Harper’s best friend, Theo, represented the other side of the romance spectrum. He is a hopeless romantic who is looking for his ride-or-die, so to speak. I liked that the other showed two different types of people, and how they feel about falling in love. I related more to Theo, since I would risk getting my hear tbroken a million times over, if it got me closer to finding the one.

The great thing about this book was how it showcased that opposites really do attract. And, unless you are open to the possibility of love, you tend to ignore your feelings for someone. You also sometimes dismiss all the signs that someone is clearly into you. Harper was not clueless, but she was so guarded that she couldn’t see Theo’s feelings for her.

“I want to love boldly and bravely or not at all.”

The characters were trying to figure out what being in love meant, while being afraid to go all-in with someone. The story focused on how complex teenage love and relationships can be, at times. Although, the plot was fully friends-to-lover there was the underlining message that love is unavoidable. No matter how hard you try to fight an attraction, hormones always win in the end.

I think that, like Harper and Theo, we can all can probably attest to that love – especially young love. It can be hard, scary, and a roller-coaster. But at the end of the day, it really is all worth it. There were a few mature scenes, but they weren’t super steamy. This is a young adult book, after-all. However, I felt obligated to mention it to my readers.

Honestly, this book made me want to read more friends-to-lovers books, which is surprising, I was a fan of the author’s writing style, and as I already mentioned, that plot captured my heart. I managed to read it in just one day, and that’s rare for me. Let me know in the comments if you have read this book! I think it is pretty underrated, which, in my opinion, is a shame. Don’t forget to follow the blog for more bookish content.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

You’d Be Mine | Book Review

- Bunny

Author: Erin Hahn
Published: 2019
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary
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Synopsis
Annie has been avoiding the spotlight after her parents’ tragic death, except on her skyrocketing YouTube channel. Clay’s label wants to land Annie, and Clay has to make it happen. Swayed by Clay’s undeniable charm and good looks, Annie and her band agree to join the tour. From the start fans want them to be more than just tour mates, and Annie and Clay can’t help but wonder if the fans are right. But if there’s one part of fame Annie wants nothing to do with, it’s a high-profile relationship. She had a front row seat to her parents’ volatile marriage and isn’t interested in repeating history. If only she could convince her heart that Clay, with his painful past and head over heels inducing tenor, isn’t worth the risk.

If you are a fan of the  television series ‘Nashville’, or the movie ‘Country Strong’, then I have a feeling you will like this book. I, for one, am a huge country music fan. for the most part. Also, I enjoyed the series Nashville. But there was something about this book that just didn’t work for me.

Honestly, I found the plot rather boring. I became uninterested in the story somewhere around the halfway mark. The book covered a lot of different topics, starting with how one deals with the pressures of fame. The female lead, Annie, was carrying the burden of being the daughter of two big time superstars. She felt a huge weight on her shoulders to be as talented and amazing as her late parents were.

Clay, on the other hand, was the typically rebellious celebrity that kept all his emotions bottled up. Honestly, I have never cared for the brooding bad boy type, i.e. Jess from Gilmore Girls.

“If I had to choose my favorite, you’d be mine.”

As for Annie and Clay’s relationship, some might classify it as enemies-to-lovers, but it was more like first love and a growing bond between ‘co-workers’. I’d guess you could say they had chemistry, but the romance wasn’t a huge element of the story.

The main message was about finding yourself and facing your demons. It was about letting go of your grief, and feeling all the emotions that come with being human. Even the hard ones. Struggles with addiction play a role within the story, and the author tried to shows two different sides of addicts. The ones that let their addictions consume them, and those that realize they’ve gone too far, and come out on the other side.

The book contains many triggering topics, such as tragic loss, suicide, overdose, drugs, alcoholism and more. In all my reviews with books that have major triggers, I recommend the site ‘Book Trigger Warnings. Assuming, of course, that they have the book on the site.

If you like bookish content, then follow the blog for more posts, and do give this review a like. Share and comment too!

Until The Next Chapter,

Bunny

Friday Reads #3

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Hi Friends,
It’s time for another Friday reads post. In these posts I will share what I plan on reading throughout the weekend. I usually have some ambitions reading plans especially since I am 4 books behind in my reading goal.


“Fans of I Was Here by Gayle Forman and Far from the Tree by Robin Benway will be floored by this heartbreaking yet uplifting teen novel about a grieving girl who follows a mysterious list across the country after her older sister’s death.”


“What’s better than one deliciously cozy, swoon-worthy holiday story? Four of them, from some of today’s bestselling authors.”


“Looking for Alaska brilliantly chronicles the indelible impact one life can have on another. A modern classic, this stunning debut marked #1 bestselling author John Green’s arrival as a groundbreaking new voice in contemporary fiction.”


“In this New York Times bestselling sequel to Kerri Maniscalco’s haunting #1 debut Stalking Jack the Ripper, bizarre murders are discovered in the castle of Prince Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Dracula. Could it be a copycat killer . . . or has the depraved prince been brought back to life?”


“From the author of You Must Not Miss comes a haunting contemporary horror novel that explores themes of mental illness, rage, and grief, twisted with spine-chilling elements of Stephen King and Agatha Christie.”

Yep, I most likely will not get to all these books but I am sure as hell going to try. I have been wanting to get some of these books for a while, and what better time than the present. Let me know what you are reading this weekend in the comments. And, give my blog a follow to get notifications for all my bookish posts.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

I Wish Was A Movie // Thriller Books

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Hi Friends,
I love books as much as the next reader, but sometimes I read a book that I wish had been a movie instead. This might sound odd since there are movie adaptions of books. However, if I read the book before seeing the movie I cannot help but compare the two. And, usually the book wins. These are some thriller/horror books that I’ve read and haven’t read that I would preferr being a film.

The Violent Season by Sara Walters: I was lucky enough to get approved for an audiobook ARC copy from Netgalley. Unfortunately, I got 30% of the way through it and had to DNF the book. There wasn’t anything particularly horrible about the plot or characters. But the whole time I was listening to it I could only imagine it as a film. The plot was a bit all over the place, so I think seeing it would have been easier seeing the story play out on screen.

Wilder Girls by Rory Power: This is a feminist retelling of ‘Lord Of The Flies’ by William Golding. It is a sapphic horror that is said to be pretty dark at times. The plot follows a group of girls that must quarantine inside their school due to a deadly toxicson. This straight up seems like a thriller film. It’s like ‘The Faculty’ meets the Hulu Original series ‘Freakish’. I would totally watch this movie, but I’m not necessarily inclined to read the book.

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson: I can already see these books as Netflix original movies. I started the first book, but put it down before even making a dent in the story. The pacing was slow and didn’t grip me. I think that if these books were films or a mini series the drawn-out plot wouldn’t be so bad. Granted I didn’t get very far into story before setting it aside, so it could get better. However, I still think the this book series would be perfect to adapt for film or TV.

There you have the three books I would chose to be films over books. I want to note that these author are all incredible, which their work proves. It isn’t so much the writing, but the plot that screams movie. Before you go do all the fun things like, share and follow the blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Caraval | Book Review

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About The Book
Scarlett’s dreams of seeing Caraval seem lost after her father arranges her marriage—until an invitation arrives. With a mysterious sailor’s help, her sister Tella brings Scarlett to Caraval, only to be kidnapped by its enigmatic master, Legend. Now, Scarlett must race through the elaborate game to find Tella before the five nights end and she vanishes forever.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/4eXaiLx

My Rating

This book was captivating from the start, and the plot never slowed down. The concept of a magical carnival was fantastic, as I find carnival-centered stories fascinating—though I haven’t read many others yet, so my opinion might change in the future.

Scarlett, the main character, often second-guesses herself and is afraid to break rules, which is understandable given her tough home life. Still, I found her likable and didn’t mind her more cautious traits, though I could see how others might find her frustrating. Her sister, Tella, is a bit reckless and immature, yet I understood her desire for a better life for both of them. She came across as stronger and smarter than the book might show at first.

The story kept me guessing constantly, never quite knowing who to trust. At one point, I thought I’d figured everything out—but then something happened, and I was back to having no idea what to expect. I tend to enjoy books with unpredictable plots, which I think resonates with most readers.

The world-building was outstanding. The author brought Caraval to life, making me feel like I was playing the game alongside the characters. Without lengthy descriptions, the author gave enough vivid details to make the Caraval feel real.

“Hope is a powerful thing. Some say it’s a different breed of magic altogether.”

The book explores themes of sisterhood and relationships, though more as a subtle backdrop. It’s dark and whimsical, with the whimsical elements helping keep the story light. The plot ultimately shows that everyone has an agenda and that everything comes at a price.

Another major theme of the book is control, and being controlled. It seemed like almost everyone wanted to control Scarlett—even Tella. I didn’t like how Tella pressured Scarlett into things she was against, even if it was out of love and a desire to protect her. It still felt underhanded. By the end, I really felt for Scarlett. Speaking of the ending, there’s a minor cliffhanger that has me intrigued, and I’m curious to see what comes next!

Despite all the positives, the story didn’t quite make it to a 5-star rating for me. However, Julian, the love interest, was definitely a highlight—he was very swoon-worthy. One thing to know about this book is that, while it’s essentially a fantasy story, it does address some heavy topics. You can check the book’s page on Book Trigger Warnings for more details.

Please share this post with other fantasy readers, and comment with your thoughts on the book if you’ve read it. I love interacting with my readers in the comments! And don’t forget to follow my blog—it truly makes my day!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

You’ve Reached Sam | Book Review

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Authort: Dustin Thao
Published: 2020
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary/Magical Realism
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Synopsis
Seventeen-year-old Julie has her future all planned out—move out of her small town with her boyfriend Sam, attend college in the city, spend a summer in Japan. But then Sam dies. And everything changes. Heartbroken, Julie skips his funeral, throws out his things, and tries everything to forget him and the tragic way he died. But a message Sam left behind in her yearbook forces back memories. Desperate to hear his voice one more time, Julie calls Sam’s cellphone just to listen to his voicemail. And Sam picks up the phone.

I don’t want this review to be completely negative, but I always want to give you my true unfiltered opinion. And, truthfully, the story could have been executed better. The plot had so much promise, and I was hoping for a tear-jerking story. But, it didn’t live up to my expectations. The book started off a week after the male love interest, Sam’s, death. This was interesting, since most books don’t follow someone during the grieving process. This is exactly what the plot of the book was – watching someone, in this case Julie, struggle with their grief.

As the synopsis shows, there is a magical realism component in the story, which is that Julie and Sam can talk via phone to one another. The author’s take on this plot point was interesting, but different than how I imagined. I don’t know what I was hoping for – just that I wasn’t sold on the way this element was developed.

Julie as a character was just okay. But, it was annoying that she was clearly oblivious to the fact that she had Sam wrapped around her finger. She was willing to let him change all his plans for her, and forget about some of his friends in order to spend time with her. Their lives literally revolved around one another. Their relationship was frustrating to read about to say the least. Still, I guess that is how first love is for people.

“We are two parts of a song. He is the music. I am the words.”

Sam got on my nerves a lot. He was apparently such a devoted and kind boyfriend while alive, but in death he was kind of rude. At times he would snapped at Julie, even though she was doing things to make him happy. She might have occasionally overstepped, but he didn’t have to be so salty towards her. He always ‘unintentionally’ made her feel guilty about him dying. He claimed to want her to move on, but every time she tried to, he would make her feel bad about it.

All in all, I assume the moral of the story is that we shouldn’t live in the loss, and to not let grief consume us. You can’t hold on to the hope that the person you lost will come back. The only thing one can do is keep them in our hearts, and try to live on for them. The good thing about the book was that it was a quick read, which was nice for me.

However, I wasn’t emotionally invested in the storytelling. I mean, I didn’t even cry. I would recommend the book to fans of ‘If I Stay’ by Gale Forman. I have never read that book, but I did see the movie. For some reason, I find these two stories to be somewhat similar. Also, in ‘If I Stay’, there was the whole in between element, and I think that Sam was definitely caught in the in between.

Please give me your thoughts on this book, since I am probably going to get a lot of flak for this review. However, one thing is for sure – the book cover is stunning! Don’t forget to give my blog a follow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

All This Time // Book Review

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Author: Mikki Daughtry and Rachael Lippincott
Published: 2020
Genre: Young Adult/Romance/Mental Health
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Synopsis
Kyle and Kimberly have been the perfect couple all through high school, but when Kimberly breaks up with him on the night of their graduation party, Kyle’s entire world upends – literally. Their car crashes and when he awakes, he has a brain injury. Kimberly is dead. And no one in his life could possibly understand. Until Marley. Marley is suffering from her own loss, a loss she thinks was her fault. As Kyle and Marley work to heal each other’s wounds, their feelings for each other grow stronger. But Kyle can’t shake the sense that he’s headed for another crashing moment that will blow up his life as soon as he’s started to put it back together. And he’s right.

I was very excited to read this book, since I was a huge fan of ‘Five Feet Apart’ by this author duo. The only thing I knew about this story was that it was going to be a hard-hitting contemporary. Or so I thought. The story has a very interesting concept, with a few twist and turns.

The plot is less about death and grief, more about life and healing. One of the most interesting factors was that for the first half of the book, you think you are reading one story, but the second half is a completely different story.

The twists were somewhat shocking, but I figured out one of them pretty early. For me, that isn’t necessarily a con, but I know some people would prefer more of a surprise.

“That’s the first thing you said to me, remember? Once upon a time.”

I thought that I was going to bawl my eyes out, as I did with ‘Five Feet Apart’, but that wasn’t the case. I’m not going to say that the book wasn’t touching. Still, I didn’t find it too hard-hitting. In my opinion, if you aren’t into heartbreaking books, then you should be safe reading this one.

The ending was nice, and wrapped up the story well. We should always remember the ones we love, and how they made us feel. Keep their memory alive in our hearts. But there does come a point when the grieving should end. We shouldn’t let loss consume us.

The writing was great. I find the authors to be great storytellers, and I will for sure be picking up more of their books. Let me know in the comments if you have read, or are planning on reading, this book. You can always follow the blog, which really helps it to grow!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Friday Reads #2

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Hi Friends,
I am doing another Friday reads post. This weekend, my reading plans aren’t too crazy, since I feel a reading slump coming on. I only have two books that I hope to finish.

The Ivies by Alexa Donne
I have been in a mystery-thriller mood, so I wanted to pick up one on my owned TBR. This is a private school murder mystery about a group of girls that would do anything to get into the college of their choice.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
I need to finish this book! Like, badly. Me and my husband have been reading this book slowly since last year. I would really like to finally finish it, and move on to the second book in the series.

Fool Me Twice by Carrie Aarons
This is a book that has been on my TBR for a while, and I started it a few days ago. I haven’t gotten too far into it, so I would like to make it to the 50% mark by the weekend’s end.

Those are all my reading plans for the next couple of days. In the comments, tell me what you are currently reading. Also, don’t go before following the blog, which keeps you notified on all my new posts.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Kingdom Of The Wicked // Book Review

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Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Published: 2020
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy/Witchies
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Synopsis
From the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Stalking Jack the Ripper series comes a new blockbuster series. Two sisters. One brutal murder. A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself. And an intoxicating romance.

I am a fan of Kerri Maniscalco’s ‘Stalking Jack the Ripper’ series. Although, it’s worth mentioning that I have only read the first book in that series. However, I am very conflicted on my thoughts of this book. On the one hand I find the premise interesting, but I wasn’t thrilled with the characters, or the overall plot.

The book didn’t enchant me as much as I’d hoped it would. At first, I found the plot to be fast paced and engaging. But as the book went on, I cared less and less about the story. And don’t even get me started with the love plot. I get that this isn’t supposed to be a romance heavy book, which is a good thing. But the growing relationship between the two main characters, Emilia and Wrath, didn’t do it for me.

“Your heart will conquer darkness. Trust in that.”

The shocking twist wasn’t a shocking twist at all, and one could guess the villain, as well as the cliffhanger ending. However, it did at least leaves you wanting more, and anticipating the next book. As the reader, you do want to see what happens next. Are the more twist to come? What is in store for Emilia and Wrath?

Keep in mind that this isn’t a one session read, yet I do know some fantasy lovers can read a heavy fantasy in one sitting, so this could just be a me thing. I found the story to require a lot of focus and attention, which most fantasy worlds do. One of my biggest cons was the slow pacing, because it made the book seem longer than it is actually.

The writing was beautiful, since Maniscalco has a singsong way of telling a story, which makes it hard for me not to pick up the next book. In all honestly, I don’t think this book was my type of book, but I can see a YA fantasy fan really enjoying it. In the comments, let me know if you are a fantasy reader. Please hit the follow button, and share and like this post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny