“But this place is home, baby. And once you have that, there’s nowhere you’d rather be.” – 3.25/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: laundry, ghosts, piano, pamphlets, bathhouses, swimming lessons, Houdini, yoga resorts, red dye, pumpkin cookies and new friends.

Marjorie Glatt feels like a ghost. A practical thirteen year old in charge of the family laundry business, her daily routine features unforgiving customers, unbearable P.E. classes, and the fastidious Mr. Saubertuck who is committed to destroying everything she’s worked for.

Wendell is a ghost. A boy who lost his life much too young, his daily routine features ineffective death therapy, a sheet-dependent identity, and a dangerous need to seek purpose in the forbidden human world.

When their worlds collide, Marjorie is confronted by unexplainable disasters as Wendell transforms Glatt’s Laundry into his midnight playground, appearing as a mere sheet during the day. While Wendell attempts to create a new afterlife for himself, he unknowingly sabotages the life that Marjorie is struggling to maintain.

What a cute graphic novel! I personally liked the story, but it’s not a story that will follow me forever. It’s more of a fun, quick book you can pick up when you don’t want to read heavy books – or in my case, when you’re in the middle of a reading slump. 

The plot and the characters were okay. Not bad, not amazing… just okay. I would say the story has a sad tone – nothing too strong, but it’s definitely there -, not only because of the backstory, but also because the main character Marjorie hardly smiled through the book. Wendell was super cute and he’s probably the character I liked the most. For me, this book was worth reading mostly because of him.

I just wish the author mentioned what happened to Wendell’s parents, because something about them is hinted in the newspaper’s clips. He also says ghosts can’t remember their past because people forget about them, so I’m curious to know why he can’t remember his past. What happened to his parents? He was only eleven…

The color scheme and illustrations are very pretty, and I think the story is cute… but that’s about it. It’s a good fluffy book to pick up and go through quickly.

xoxo,

“Every locked door has a key. Every problem has a solution.” – 5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: rainbow hair, hackers, private planes, hot springs, code lines, championships, limousines, power ups, memories, fancy dinners, glitches and security shells.

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

This story took me by surprise! I liked this way more than I thought I would, to be honest. I usually don’t love books with strong technologic themes, but this story stole my heart. I think it’s really cool that Marie Lu worked as an Art Director at a video game company, because her knowledge is apparent. Maybe it’s because I work as a programmer, but when I read the book I noticed she writes about code and technology in a deeper way – in a way most authors wouldn’t, even if they did some research on the topics. Her love for those topics was crystal clear, and it gave me so much joy to read about it!

The characters were great. Emika was a very likeable character for me, because she was very strong, brave and intelligent. Hideo was probably the character I found the most interesting of all – there was so much mystery around him and the company he built while being so young. The relationships in this book were all pretty good, but I have to highlight the team spirit between the members of the Phoenix Riders. Their sense of companionship and friendship was so sweet!

The romance was the cherry on top for me! I’m a sucker for a good romance – no surprise there – and the relationship between Emika and Hideo was everything I could hope for. I really liked their chemistry and how their relationship developed during the book. Just don’t go into this book thinking it’s mainly a romance novel, because it’s so much more than that… but it’s a nice extra to the story.

I have to admit I saw that plot twist coming so I wasn’t that surprised when the big bomb dropped. With that said, I still liked how things turned out and the way the second book’s direction was set.There are so many great things about this book! The characters, the romance, the mystery that will keep you guessing all the time, the championship… so many great elements. I honestly loved the book and I would recommend it especially to technology lovers – just keep in mind this is still fantasy! I never read Ready Player One, but I feel like this series may have a similar feeling to it… I could be completely wrong, though!

xoxo,

“She’s the victim now, even though she’s unaware of it. The only thing Layla did wrong is fall in love with me.” – 3.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: weird dances, paranormal activity, rope, online forums and cameras.

When Leeds meets Layla, he’s convinced he’ll spend the rest of his life with her—until an unexpected attack leaves Layla fighting for her life. After weeks in the hospital, Layla recovers physically, but the emotional and mental scarring has altered the woman Leeds fell in love with. In order to put their relationship back on track, Leeds whisks Layla away to the bed-and-breakfast where they first met. Once they arrive, Layla’s behavior takes a bizarre turn. And that’s just one of many inexplicable occurrences.

Feeling distant from Layla, Leeds soon finds solace in Willow—another guest of the B&B with whom he forms a connection through their shared concerns. As his curiosity for Willow grows, his decision to help her find answers puts him in direct conflict with Layla’s well-being. Leeds soon realizes he has to make a choice because he can’t help both of them. But if he makes the wrong choice, it could be detrimental for all of them.

I appreciate the author exploring and diving into new genres because some authors just tend to stay with what they are known for. This is a bit different from what I’m used to and to be completely honest, I prefer her other books. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t think the story was bad. The plot caught my attention and I thought the concept was very interesting and different. And of course, the classic Colleen elements of surprise and plot twists were there, and I loved them all – like always. But in general, this kind of story is not really my thing.

Still, I know this would not be everyone’s cup of tea. Not only because of the genre being fantasy/paranormal, but because of the plot itself. It’s a pretty weird book that will give you some weird feelings, especially regarding the characters and their behaviours. 

I don’t think I would recommend this book to you if you are a fan of her other books. I personally liked this, but it’s not my favorite book from her. It was entertaining, different and an interesting look in the paranormal world though.

xoxo,

“Hatred is a one-way emotion.” I take a breath. “It only affects the person holding on to that hate. Take Laney’s ex, for example…” I face him, but he’s already watching me. “Do you think he knows how much you hate him? Do you think he cares that you do? (…) Does he even know you exist?” His lashes lower. “So, what’s the point, right?” I murmur. “Only you carry the burden of hatred, Leo. And it’s a lot easier to let go of that pain than it is to hold on to it.” – 5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: curse words, water towers, terrible birthday cakes, photographs, bikes, rock tumblers, yellow flowers, handmade jewelry, welcome signs, faith and three words.

One single summer changed them forever, and one moment of devastating silence destroyed it all. 

Growing up with six siblings, Leo Preston has always struggled to find his voice.
While his brothers are loud, greedy, and somewhat obnoxious, Leo is forever the quiet one.
The thinker. 
The listener. 
He watches his life pass by as an outsider in his own world, absent and alone. 
Lost.
Until he finds her. 

For Leo, Mia Kovács is like a prize, a gift wrapped in passion and devotion.
And she’s his—his very own secret he doesn’t have to share. 
Together, they can overcome anything…
heartache and destruction, guilt and regret. 

Mia gives Leo everything he didn’t know he needed, 
including her fragile heart. 
The only thing she doesn’t give him… 
are secrets of her own.

This book took me by surprise. Compared to the first two books in the series (Lucas and Logan), this book has a very solid, complete plot – and that’s why it felt so different from the others. 

For starters, I felt a bit intimidated because this book is over 600 pages long, while the others have around 300. What was even more shocking is that I finished the book in 3 days! It was really fast paced and there was so much going on that I was entertained the entire time! I finished reading this book a while now, but I keep thinking about how memorable it was, knowing it was supposed to be a smutty romance. I can’t say the same about the other two books even though I loved them.

I think this definitely deserves the 5 stars! It’s full of romance, the plot is complex and and very well developed, there is the right amount of depth and surprises… it was just perfect!I hope this won’t be the final book of this series because I want to read more! Seriously, I would love to read about the rest of the family. The twins and Lucy don’t have a book yet – and maybe Tom? That would be cool! I would read every single book about this family if the author would write about them. A great addition to the series! *Fingers crossed it’s not over*

xoxo,

“Sometimes I believe personalities are shaped more by damage than kindness. Kindness doesn’t sink as deep into your skin as the damage does. The damage stains your soul so bad, you can’t scrub it off. It stays there forever, and I feel like people can see all my damage just by looking at me.” – 4.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: stray dogs, spontaneous tattoos, shrimp, the ocean, car ferries, bread, hurricanes, memory cards, sunsets, prepaid phones, backpacks, volleyball, poems, luxurious summer houses, dead bodies, tight hugs, heart bones and a lot of secrets.

Life and a dismal last name are the only two things Beyah Grim’s parents ever gave her. After carving her path all on her own, Beyah is well on her way to bigger and better things, thanks to no one but herself.

With only two short months separating her from the future she’s built and the past she desperately wants to leave behind, an unexpected death leaves Beyah with no place to go during the interim. Forced to reach out to her last resort, Beyah has to spend the remainder of her summer on a peninsula in Texas with a father she barely knows. Beyah’s plan is to keep her head down and let the summer slip by seamlessly, but her new neighbor Samson throws a wrench in that plan.

Samson and Beyah have nothing in common on the surface.

She comes from a life of poverty and neglect; he comes from a family of wealth and privilege. But one thing they do have in common is that they’re both drawn to sad things. Which means they’re drawn to each other. With an almost immediate connection too intense for them to continue denying, Beyah and Samson agree to stay in the shallow end of a summer fling. What Beyah doesn’t realize is that a rip current is coming, and it’s about to drag her heart out to sea.

This was really close to becoming one of my favorite books from Colleen, but it felt a bit short for me. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of things happen in this book and I loved it nonetheless, but I still felt like there could be more development when it comes to the romance itself – or maybe that’s just me? And yes, I know her books have very strong themes but this one is a very romance-oriented book. I didn’t mind because I love romance books… and this is a really good one! 

So what can I say about this story? It’s beautiful, sad, full of tragedy and it will hit you like a ton of bricks. Not only that, but it’s paired with a good dose of romance, mystery and secrets – in true Colleen’s fashion. It’s the kind of story that will make you forget everything else around you when you’re reading it.

And of course, it wouldn’t be a true Colleen Hoover book without the drama… and oh boy, there is drama for days! I was just waiting for the big bomb to be dropped – because I knew there would be one even though I had no idea what was going to happen – and when it finally did, I was not disappointed with the outcome! I was so shocked that I devoured the rest of the book in a heartbeat.

This story is gripping and beautiful, I just wished it was a bit longer with more development because it felt a bit rushed sometimes. You’ll probably shed a tear or two, so grab your tissues beforehand… you have been warned!

xoxo,

“Snow lands on top.” – 3.75/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: iridescent snakes, untailored clothes, white long stem roses, mentors, zoo cages, rainbow dresses, essays, guitars, songs, mockingjays, water bottles, compact mirrors and freedom.

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capital, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined — every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute… and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.

When it comes to complete series, I’m always skeptical when an author decides to introduce a new book. And that’s exactly what I felt when I knew this book was coming. On the one hand, I was excited to relive the Hunger Games experience again because it’s one of my favorite stories, but on the other hand I knew there was a great possibility that this addition would be a flop. And to be completely honest, I still don’t know entirely what to feel about this book.

In case you don’t know, this book is about president Snow when he was younger. I wasn’t very excited when I found out it was about him, but I actually enjoyed it more than I thought it would. I liked him when the book started. He was very ambitious and you could tell he was very smart, but what really stood out the most for me were his social skills. The guy could walk into a room and make every single person like him. But I quickly understood he was actually a two-faced b*tch, and this is one of the elements I have mixed feelings about. I respect the way he worked hard to get what he wanted but at the same time, he was such a phony to people he didn’t care about. I just don’t know what to feel about him! I was also really surprised to see how much he influenced the Hunger Games. It was very unexpected to see him suggesting the use of sponsors and gifts to help the tributes and encourage more people to watch the Games.

Lucy Gray was the kind of a character I wasn’t expecting to get in a book like this. She was interesting and colorful and full of life! I spent most of the time thinking about if she was related to Katniss in some way since she’s also from District 12, and what would be her destiny when the book ended – because we all know how Snow turned out in the end. With this said, I don’t have mixed feelings about her, but I do have mixed feelings about the ending. I mean… how am I supposed to feel after that ending?

One thing I found interesting was how we got to see how the Hunger Games were made before. This was the first time where they had a mentors/gifts system going on and the technology was not as advanced. I also thought it was crazy how they kept the tributes in zoo cages and they called veterinarians if someone needed assistance. That’s crazy! I was expecting the book to follow the Hunger Games entirely, but since the book is about Snow, I guess it made sense there would be more to it other than the Games.It was really cool to go back to this story because it’s one of my favorites, and I loved the references to the original trilogy – like the hanging tree song, for example. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it as well. It gives you a good glimpse of what Snow was like when he was younger so if you’re interested in that, you should check the book out… but keep in mind he’s not a likeable character!

xoxo,

“We can swallow our fear or let our fear swallow us.” – 4/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: woods, lottery tickets, white plastic bags, voices, sleeping bags, weird looking clouds, oreos, dead bodies, black line, sewed eyes, dyslexia, abandoned fridges, deers, treehouses, hospital beds and imaginary friends.

Christopher is seven years old.
Christopher is the new kid in town.
Christopher has an imaginary friend.

We can swallow our fear or let our fear swallow us.

Single mother Kate Reese is on the run. Determined to improve life for her and her son, Christopher, she flees an abusive relationship in the middle of the night with her child. Together, they find themselves drawn to the tight-knit community of Mill Grove, Pennsylvania. It’s as far off the beaten track as they can get. Just one highway in, one highway out.

At first, it seems like the perfect place to finally settle down. Then Christopher vanishes. For six long days, no one can find him. Until Christopher emerges from the woods at the edge of town, unharmed but not unchanged. He returns with a voice in his head only he can hear, with a mission only he can complete: Build a treehouse in the woods by Christmas, or his mother and everyone in the town will never be the same again.

I can’t believe I finally finished this book. I started reading it in August and here I am finishing it on Christmas Eve – which actually was a cool coincidence considering what happens in the book. I took a lot of time reading this book because I was constantly intimidated by it. It’s not a difficult book to go through, but every time I looked at this huge book with almost 900 pages (portuguese edition) I had no desire to pick it up. Which was unfair to the book, because I actually enjoyed it.

I would describe this book as horror, but not the aggressive kind. Don’t get me wrong, I got chills reading it and I felt uncomfortable most of the time, but it’s not an in-your-face kind of horror. It’s more of a disturbing kind, like Stephen King’s horror books.

The story was good. Like I said, I was creeped out most of the time because of the way the story kept building up. There is almost nothing comforting about this story other than the relationship between Christopher and his mother. You just feel uncomfortable most of the time – but in a good way! What makes this book so great to me is the combination of writing, characters and overall plot. Stephen Chbowsy is a natural when it comes to storytelling and it shows in this book. He writes in a very compelling way, making you want to know more and uncover the truth. And that plot twist? Oh lord, I did not see that coming.

The characters were amazing. I really liked how we have our main characters – Christopher and his mom – but also a huge set of secondary characters with their own personal stories. In the beginning I was a little lost because there are so many extra characters involved in the story, but after a while you get used to it. You get to know each character’s personal problems and how they fit into the story, so you go down an extra layer when it comes to depth. I don’t think I ever read something like this, but I liked it a lot.

The writing was one of my favorite things about this book. This is Stephen Chbosky’s second book after The Perks of Being a Wallflower, published with a 20 year old gap between books and I was curious to see how he would write horror. I could see some similarities in writing between books, but of course, the stories are very different. This story is very well developed and the pacing was really good until it slowed down a bit towards the end. If you feel intimidated by gigant books, don’t worry about this one because it has small chapters. This helped me a lot!

And can I say this book reminded me a lot of Stranger Things? A mom concerned about her kid, a xerif doing his best to uncover what’s going on, a group of nerdy friends hanging out together, a creepy setting in a small town… there were so many elements that reminded me of the tv show!

What a ride! It was an interesting book to say the least.

xoxo,

“You weren’t made for this world, Fable.” – 4/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: pyre, coppers, daggers, old scars, fake gems, shadow ships, traders, thieves and maps.

For seventeen-year-old Fable, the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home she has ever known. It’s been four years since the night she watched her mother drown during an unforgiving storm. The next day her father abandoned her on a legendary island filled with thieves and little food. To survive she must keep to herself, learn to trust no one, and rely on the unique skills her mother taught her. The only thing that keeps her going is the goal of getting off the island, finding her father, and demanding her rightful place beside him and his crew. To do so Fable enlists the help of a young trader named West to get her off the island and across the Narrows to her father.

But her father’s rivalries and the dangers of his trading enterprise have only multiplied since she last saw him, and Fable soon finds that West isn’t who he seems. Together, they will have to survive more than the treacherous storms that haunt the Narrows if they’re going to stay alive.

This was such a cool story! I usually like to read pirate books, and this is a great one. One of my favorite things about this book is how well this world is put together. It’s obvious the author put in a lot of work to make this story seem realistic – you know, for a fiction story. The way the characters talked and acted, the terms used, the scenery… Everything contributed to create a rich story. This is the kind of book where you don’t know who to trust. You get into Fable’s shoes and you just hope for the best! I will say there were some points the story felt a bit slow paced, but not to the point that would bother me. Still, there is a lot of adventure, danger and secrets to unfold, so if you like pirate stories you are in for a treat!

Fable was a great and interesting main character. Her surviving skills and heart made her very likeable to me. She was a woman with a goal, and she did everything she could to achieve it. But to be honest I liked all characters, especially the ship crew. It was really cool to see their relationship blossom and to see how they become friends after that rocky start.

If you are interested in this book for the romance aspect, you need to know that it takes a while to get there. It’s not a romantic story from the beginning. It develops after a while, but it still takes some time to get there. But I honestly thought it was worth the wait, and now I’m very curious to know what will happen in the next book.

And I have to talk about this… how beautiful is this cover! This cover is gorgeous and if you never saw the cover for the second book, you should see them side to side, because they create this beautiful image of Fable. I liked this a lot!

Overall I liked the story and I was entertained. I’m excited for the second book to come out next year!

xoxo,

“Evil triumphs when good men do nothing. That’s what they say, right?” – 1.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: lab rats, double standards, privileges, electric “bracelets” and silence.

Set in an America where half the population has been silenced, VOX is the harrowing, unforgettable story of what one woman will do to protect herself and her daughter.

On the day the government decrees that women are no longer allowed to speak more than 100 words daily, Dr. Jean McClellan is in denial—this can’t happen here. Not in America. Not to her.

This is just the beginning.

Soon women can no longer hold jobs. Girls are no longer taught to read or write. Females no longer have a voice. Before, the average person spoke sixteen thousand words a day, but now women only have one hundred to make themselves heard.

But this is not the end.

For herself, her daughter, and every woman silenced, Jean will reclaim her voice.

*Some spoilers ahead, proceed with caution!*

Vox disappointed me. When I first read the premise of the book I got really excited to get it and read it. A world where women are controlled to only say 100 words per day? I love dystopian books and this sounded amazing. And it was… in the beginning.

The story starts off nicely. They build the world and tell that women stopped having access to books, passports, information and other small, normal things. But after about a third of the book, the story changes direction abruptly and to me it felt like it was no longer about the main premise. The main idea was lost in things that weren’t even relevant to the story. 

The characters were so flat, plain and unlikeable that I didn’t care for anyone. The first third of the book made me hate Jean’s husband and older son – especially her older son. But I even disliked Jean. I tried to relate to her as a woman and a scientist (I’m not one anymore though), but I just couldn’t find a single relatable thing about her. She kept saying she cared about her kids, but she was selfish enough to get back to that italian (plain) guy just because he was good to her. I will say I liked how her relationship with her daughter was portrayed, but was she really willing to leave her other kids behind just because they were boys? Really? I will say I liked the fact that she had a daughter and sons because it was a good way to show the readers the contrast between gender privileges.

There are so many moments I thought “what the hell is going on”. This story could be realistic, but they seriously worked and developed a drug in weeks? Really? And that ending with her husband…? Oh my God. I had no words for so many reasons. And the way the book ends for Jean? I don’t want to get in too much detail, but this was the nail in the coffin for me. For a book that talks about woman power, the ending was just ridiculous.

I could be here all day to point out all the problems I had with this book, but in a nutshell: the plot is terrible, there is no backstory or explanation, the characters are plain and unlikeable and there are too many unbelievable coincidences and unnecessary stereotypes.

For a book I was so excited to read, I was bored the entire time. I’m honestly surprised I finished this book, but I just kept going because I hoped it would get better. I’m just disappointed because the concept had so much potential but the execution and plot completely ruined the book for me. Better books will come though!

xoxo,