“I believe my purpose is to bring joy to people, to make them laugh, and to share my story to help them. To show people that no matter what, they matter, and they can succeed. No matter how bad things go, no matter how dark your life is, there is a reason for it. You can find beauty in it, and you can get better. I know, because I’ve done it. That’s why my comedy so often comes from my pain. In my life, and I hope in yours, I want us to grow roses out of the poop.” – 3.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: comedy nights, domestic abuse, car accidents, groupons, bar mitzvahs, reading difficulties, pimps, celebrities, marriages, parties, free bags, foster care system, pain, growth and success.

Placed in the foster care system as a teen, and struggling to read at a basic level in ninth grade, Haddish found that humor and jokes helped her endure. When offered a choice between the Laugh Factory comedy camp or counseling to help recover from issues within the foster system, she chose the former and found her calling. In her first book, Haddish recounts her early life straight through to her powerhouse success both on the comedy circuit and in Hollywood with the 2017 film Girls Trip.

Wow, Tiffany went through a lot in her life. I never knew much about her other than what I saw in a few interviews in random talk shows, but to me she always came across as a very funny and humble person. After reading this book I found out she had a very difficult life – not only growing up, but also as an adult -, which surprised me because she always looks so positive and happy. She went through some crazy things, but it’s really inspiring to me how she always kept her smile and kept going to overcome her problems. 

But even though I love her and I think she’s hilarious, I wish her book was just as amazing. First off, I will say I understand the many bad reviews this book has. Throughout the book, Tiffany uses her comedian humour to go through her good and bad life experiences, but her humour can sometimes come across as insensitive. There are some chapters in this book that not everyone is going to enjoy – like for example, the Roscoe chapter. This chapter in particular will rub off a lot of people the wrong way, and I completely understand it. I personally don’t think she comes from a bad place when she is telling some of these stories so I didn’t get angry about what she said, but I know not everyone is going to enjoy this book for her choice of words. So keep that in mind if you decide to read this book, because you may find some of the things she says offensive and problematic.

Another big thing for me was the pacing and timeline of the book. I felt like the book was lacking in structure, connection and depth. Some chapters were composed by really random stories that had no connection with each other, some stories required some more depth and the timeline got very confusing. Overall, the quality of how the book was put together did not impress me, and unfortunately that reflects on my rating.

Other than that, I thought the book was very funny. I just kept laughing and thinking “this girl is absolutely crazy” the entire time. Of course there are happier stories in here, but there are a lot of sad stories like the story of her ex-husband. I would say the bar mitzvah old man story and the pimp story were two of my favorites – I almost peed my pants laughing at the end of this last one! Another thing I liked is how honest she is in her book. For a celebrity book, she was bold to be this honest! But I appreciate the authenticity of her words.

I listened to the audiobook version and I loved it because she is the narrator. I’m not sure I would like the book as much if I read the digital/physical copy, because the audiobook version feels very authentic. It’s like your friend is telling you her crazy stories, so it feels like a casual and relaxed conversation. I would definitely recommend the audiobook version.

Tiffany is a very humble, strong person. She definitely deserves her success and recognition.

xoxo,

“You don’t get to decide what your life means to anyone else.” – 4.25/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: trophies, sketches, bedtime stories, suicide letters, black labradors, identical twins, bathing suits, pills, donuts, statues of Jesus, graveyards, tattoos and family secrets.

Not every mistake deserves a consequence. Sometimes the only thing it deserves is forgiveness.

The Voss family is anything but normal. They live in a repurposed church, newly baptized Dollar Voss. The once cancer-stricken mother lives in the basement, the father is married to the mother’s former nurse, the little half-brother isn’t allowed to do or eat anything fun, and the eldest siblings are irritatingly perfect. Then, there’s Merit.

Merit Voss collects trophies she hasn’t earned and secrets her family forces her to keep. While browsing the local antiques shop for her next trophy, she finds Sagan. His wit and unapologetic idealism disarm and spark renewed life into her—until she discovers that he’s completely unavailable. Merit retreats deeper into herself, watching her family from the sidelines when she learns a secret that no trophy in the world can fix.

Fed up with the lies, Merit decides to shatter the happy family illusion that she’s never been a part of before leaving them behind for good. When her escape plan fails, Merit is forced to deal with the staggering consequences of telling the truth and losing the one boy she loves.

Unlike most of Colleen’s books, this is a true young adult book. She usually mixes things up and does mostly new adult and adult, so I wasn’t expecting a full on young adult book – and I loved it! 

This story is about a girl named Merit. She lives with her family in a repurposed church, but she doesn’t get along with any of her family members except for her four year-old step-sibling. And why not, you may ask? Well, long story short: she doesn’t get along with her twin sister because they’re polar opposites; she barely speaks to her older brother; her mother is afraid of leaving the basement where she currently lives and, to top it all off, her dad lives in the same house… with his current wife and new kid. Crazy enough for you? Spoiler alert: it gets worse; but you will have to read the book to find out! Merit is tired of all the family secrets she holds and to feel like an outsider, so she decides to expose every secret and leave them for good. But things don’t go as planned… and that’s all I’m going to tell you.

I went blindly into this book – like I usually do – because I wanted to be surprised. And I was. I think what makes this story so memorable for me is how weird it is. Merit’s household was insane! Everytime you feel like your family is crazy, just go back to this story and I guarantee you will feel better.

This is the kind of book that will make you think and give you a new perspective. A big thing I took away from this book is how we underestimate communication so often. If Merit and her family talked about their problems to each other, they would grow closer. Also, people always say twins have a strong connection to each other, but this book made me wonder if that applies to every set of twins. I never entertained the idea of having identical twins that don’t share a connection, but it makes sense right? Not everyone is going to get along.

What also surprised me was how full of triggers this book was. Of course there is romance, but it’s not the main theme of the book. Topics like mental health, depression, suicide and substance abuse are only a few of the most important ones mentioned in the book.

I listened to the audiobook, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the narrator. She did a great job narrating the book, but she sounded way too old for a seventeen year old.

It was a good, entertaining book. I know I will never forget it because it was very different and unique.

xoxo,

“Lions don’t know they are lions.
They don’t know how brave they are.” – 3/5 stars!

In Dearly, Margaret Atwood’s first collection of poetry in over a decade, Atwood addresses themes such as love, loss, the passage of time, the nature of nature and – zombies. Her new poetry is introspective and personal in tone, but wide-ranging in topic. In poem after poem, she casts her unique imagination and unyielding, observant eye over the landscape of a life carefully and intuitively lived.

While many are familiar with Margaret Atwood’s fiction—including her groundbreaking and bestselling novels The Handmaid’s Tale, The Testaments, Oryx and Crake, among others—she has, from the beginning of her career, been one of our most significant contemporary poets. And she is one of the very few writers equally accomplished in fiction and poetry.  This collection is a stunning achievement that will be appreciated by fans of her novels and poetry readers alike.

I didn’t know what to expect, but I didn’t love it!

The majority of the poems were about travelling, her sister – I’m assuming she lost a sister from what I’ve read – and the environment. There are also sprinkles of other topics here and there – like the poem where she talks about her grandmother, for example.

One thing I found interesting is the amount of animal references this book has. The author mentions so many animals,from spiders, slugs, birds, wolves, bears, whales and much more! She’s clearly very inspired by nature and I loved how she took that inspiration and made clever metaphors.

I will say I liked how the collection of poems felt so personal. It’s obvious she poured her heart into these poems because it shows. Some of my favorites were “If There Were No Emptiness” and “Shadow”. She is clearly very talented and I’m surprised this is her first collection of poetry in over a decade!

There were some poems I liked and others I didn’t like as much. The book overall just wasn’t my style, so I’m going to keep myself neutral in this one. Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it.

xoxo,

“A heart of stone can still be broken.” – 3.75/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: bubble tea, tails, a basket of bones, stories and stone hearts.

An irresistible return to the captivating world of Elfhame.

Once upon a time, there was a boy with a wicked tongue.

Before he was a cruel prince or a wicked king, he was a faerie child with a heart of stone . Revealing a deeper look into the dramatic life of Elfhame’s enigmatic high king, Cardan, his tale includes delicious details of life before The Cruel Prince, an adventure beyond The Queen of Nothing, and familiar moments from The Folk of the Air trilogy, told wholly from Cardan’s perspective.

This new installment in the Folk of the Air series is a return to the heart-racing romance, danger, humor, and drama that enchanted readers everywhere. Each chapter is paired with lavish and luminous full-color art, making this the perfect collector’s item to be enjoyed by both new audiences and old.

I was super excited to pick this up because I fell in love with this trilogy when I first read it. The world of Faerie was one of the most interesting settings I’ve read about this year, so I was more than happy to return to it! 

I could describe what this story is about by using two quotes from the book: “a heart of stone can still be broken” and “boys change and so do stories”. This novella – unlike the trilogy – is not about Jude… it’s about Cardan. If you read the series you know how poorly he treated Jude, and this novella explains some of his actions and attitudes. We are given a small window to his life and we get to see what he has been through while growing up and how much he has changed. Oh, and did I mention there are also BEAUTIFUL drawings throughout the story?

The story has its own sparkle and uniqueness, but it’s not a novella you HAVE to read (in my opinion). A few interesting things are brought up but it doesn’t add too much to the main story. I would say the coolest things about this novella were the tales and the drawings, because they brought the story to life and gave it the perfect fairytale feel.

It’s a simple book, but if you read the books from the trilogy and you liked it you will probably enjoy this too. It was entertaining!

xoxo,

“It’s not that we need more wolf hunters,” you say. “It’s that we need men to stop becoming wolves.” – 4.25/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: broken necks, old sayings, french expressions, menstruation, lapis blue necklaces, farmhouses, sickle moons, Halloween parties, poems, fresh bread, improbable friends and big bad wolves.

You are alone in the woods, seen only by the unblinking yellow moon. Your hands are empty. You are nearly naked.

And the wolf is angry.

Since her grandmother became her caretaker when she was four years old, Bisou Martel has lived a quiet life in a little house in Seattle. She’s kept mostly to herself. She’s been good. But then comes the night of homecoming, when she finds herself running for her life over roots and between trees, a fury of claws and teeth behind her. A wolf attacks. Bisou fights back. A new moon rises. And with it, questions. About the blood in Bisou’s past and on her hands as she stumbles home. About broken boys and vicious wolves. About girls lost in the woods—frightened, but not alone.

I swear I’m going to read EVERY retelling that comes from this author. After reading Damsel – which easily became one of my favorite books of all time – I was very excited when this book was published and I couldn’t wait to finally pick it up. I knew it would also be a retelling with a feminist twist just like Damsel, so I had high expectations!

Red Hood follows a teenage girl named Bisou, who lives with her grandmother in a small house in Seattle. Right after finding out she was menstruating for the first time, she finds herself in the woods in front of a terrifying wolf. It attacks her, but she easily fights it and kills it with knowledge she didn’t even know she had. The next day she finds out a boy from her school was found dead in the woods. Of course, this brings a lot of questions to Bisou, but fortunately her grandmother was waiting for the right time to have a very important talk with her.

For starters, I’m not sure I would consider this a retelling because the story is very different from Little Red Riding Hood. Sure, we have the same main elements – the girl, the grandmother, the wolves, the european references – but other than that, there is not anything else in common with the original story other than inspiration.

The book started out strong. That first chapter was… something. I know it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but I personally really liked how raw this book is. I applaud the author for talking about topics like menstruation and sex in a very natural, non-taboo way. I was also surprised to find out this was written as a contemporary story instead of an historical one. I confess I was skeptical about this when I started reading the book, but it turned out better than I thought. The story is told in second person, so it’s told like the reader is the main character. I can’t remember if I ever read a story in this format before, but I thought it was cool and different!

But this story has a bigger purpose. It’s very obvious that the main topics of this book are abuse, double standards and consent – but it’s all said in a metaphoric way. Some men are wolves – not all of them, of course – and they take women as prey. Like I said, I wouldn’t consider this a retelling but I love the way the author uses fairytales and recreates them to encourage important conversations. The book talks about toxic masculinity, rape culture and “incels” (which I never heard about before until I read this book) and it encourages consensual relationships and gender equality. Overall, I would say this is a great story about woman empowerment. We live in a world where women are constantly being labeled, sexualized and shamed for their bodies instead of being accepted for who they are as a whole. It’s about taking our power back and accepting our bodies without feeling bad about them.

It’s not a beat-around-the bush kind of book because it will tell you everything as it is, whether you are comfortable or not! I honestly think it’s a great book that brings to light a lot of issues women have while dealing with “wolves”. It’s feminist, it’s raw and it’s empowering.

xoxo,

“You are not what happens to you. You are far greater than the sum of all events and circumstances that happen in your life. Don’t identify with them. Rise above them!” – 4/5 stars!

This is one of those books you will always want to keep near you. In fact, I swear this book came to me in the best time possible. I like to think of myself as a positive person, but the truth is that sometimes we go through phases in life that bring us down and make us question some things. Fortunately for me, there were some great things in this book that reminded me to put things in perspective and to reset my mindset.

I feel like the title doesn’t convey the true meaning of the book because when I first read it I was expecting a technical, rigid book… but instead I got a nice, wholesome conversation. It was easy for me to comprehend a lot of things the author said because I already try to follow this kind of mindset in my life, but I think this book would open a lot of people’s eyes to their attitudes and thoughts.

The book is composed of ten chapters and a small conclusion, focusing on different essential aspects that contribute to our happiness. I personally identified better with topics like how you shouldn’t care about other people’s opinions and to not let fear stop you from your goals, because that was what I needed to hear – or in this case, read. One thing I also liked about this book is how it’s filled with stories and examples. The author reinforces his lessons through both fictitious and real inspirational stories. Every story presented went really well with what the author was trying to say, and I appreciate how he incorporated people from different backgrounds (from fashion to technology)!

There is just one thing I wish was different. I had the opportunity to read a finished, published copy, so I was surprised to find some errors throughout the book. Not only that, but I found sentences that didn’t make a lot of sense and were written in a confusing way. It was nothing too bad and I was able to understand everything, but unfortunately this makes the book look a bit unprofessional. I wish the book was revised a few more times before actually being released to the market, but in all honesty it was not a huge deal to me because I was more focused on the content and these things can easily be fixed in the next edition.I’m not sure if an audiobook version is available, but I think it would be a great option to consider when picking up this book. Like I said, the book feels like a conversation, so I think that would work well in that specific format. Despite the errors, I honestly think the book is really good and it’s completely worth reading. It’s motivating and  very easy to read and to go through. It’s one of those books you can (and should) revisit from time to time, just so you can refocus on what’s really important. I recommend it for everyone who wants to live their best, happiest life!

***A big thank you to the author Alex Neumann for the free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review***

xoxo, Neide

“Maybe there is a beast… maybe it’s only us.” – 3.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: shiny conchs, flies, broken glasses, fruit, fires, pig heads, smoke and a set of rules.

I read this for the first time when I was in seventh grade and I remember thinking “what the hell did I just read?”. I’ve been thinking about it because more than a decade has passed and I forgot most of the story. It’s unfair to rate a book like this without giving it a fair shot, so I thought I should read it again now that I’m older. Also, I never saw the movie so I had almost zero memories of what the story was about. So… I finally picked it up.

The story is about a group of boys who gets stuck on a deserted island. They have no adults around, so they had to organize themselves to find food, build shelters and create smoke to signal their presence in case a boat passes by the island. Needless to say that things go south very easily when they understand how free they are. Their made up society quickly falls apart and savagery takes place instead.

So my thoughts after adult Neide read this are: I was honestly surprised to find out that my experience wasn’t that much better compared with the first time I read the book. Sure, I understood things on a different level now, but I completely understand why young Neide didn’t like the book as much. It’s not really about the story, but how slow paced and descriptive it is. I got bored so many times that at some point I just wanted the book to be over. I do appreciate the story and I honestly really liked the concept and the meaning behind it: it’s almost a reminder of how fragile our society and rules we live by are. It’s a very smart approach to the concept of utopia, society and the true nature of humanity. I still think it’s worth picking it because it is a memorable book, but if you don’t like very descriptive books, you may find this one a bit dreadful and slow paced.

xoxo, Neide

“Attraction isn’t something that only happens once, with one person. It’s part of what drives humans. Our attraction to each other, to art, to food, to entertainment. Attraction is fun. So when you decide to commit to someone, you aren’t saying, ‘I promise I’ll never be attracted to anyone else.’ You’re saying, ‘I promise to commit to you, despite my potential future attraction to other people.’” I look at Clara. “Relationships are hard for that very reason. Your body and your heart don’t stop finding the beauty and the attraction in other people simply because you’ve made a commitment to one person. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you’re drawn to someone else, it’s up to you to remove yourself from that situation before it becomes too hard to fight.” – 4.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: suckers, watermelon jolly ranchers, group projects, nosy neighbours, free movie tickets, Starbucks coffee, the colour orange, secret letters, hotel rooms, birthday boards, films, cute babies and promposals.

The queen Colleen has done it again. This is such a good book! I’ve learned by now that Colleen’s books never disappoint me, so I just grab them and start reading. She always creates such unique stories with the craziest elements, and this one was no exception.

I didn’t know what the book was about when I picked it up and I decided to keep it that way because I knew there were going to be a lot of surprises and twists along the way. And I was right, the story was an emotional rollercoaster from beginning to end. The only things you should know if you decide to pick this up is that it follows the relationship between Morgan and her teenage daughter, Clara. Their POV alternates between chapters, so you’ll know what each one of them is thinking and feeling. Clara feels like her mother is always predictable and boring, and she wants to be different than her. Meanwhile, Morgan is just trying to prevent her daughter to make the same mistakes she did when she was younger, which led her to never pursue her dreams to take care of her family. And in Colleen’s old fashion, something very tragic happens and we get a lot of surprises… and that’s all you need to know 🙂

And yes, there is romance here! In fact, both of them have their own romance story, which makes the book even more special. The story is very emotional, so keep tissues near you while you read because you will need them. The progression and pacing were great, the characters were fantastic – especially the grandpa – and the romances were super cute. And to top it all off, the ending was the sweetest thing ever!

My only negative point – and the reason why I’m giving it 4.5 instead of 5 stars – was Clara’s behaviour. I know she was going through a lot, but I just can’t get over what she did to the poor boy. But I don’t know… maybe I’m being insensitive, so take my opinion with a grain of salt!

I really loved this book and I highly recommend it if you like dramatic romances and if you are a fan of the author’s previous work. It’s completely worth it!

xoxo, Neide

“Everything will definitely be alright” – 5/5 stars!

Attention! This series contains: unbreakable spells, penguin slides, cameras, cute handmade outfits, pink wands, high tech gadgets, yummy cakes, ghosts, stuffed bears, festivals, kimonos, sakura season and a set of nineteen magical cards.

*Review of the original 12 volumes*

*There will be some spoilers and comparisons to the anime throughout the review! Proceed with caution!*

I can’t even express how much I love this series. I watched the anime version of Cardcaptor Sakura when I was younger and it easily became my favorite anime of all time. Recently I found that it was available on Netflix and I decided to watch it for fun, but all my childhood memories came to life stronger than ever. This basically triggered in me a huge desire to read the original manga. I’m very happy to say that my first experience reading manga was very positive and I became even more in love with the story.

In case you don’t know what the story is about, it follows an elementary student named Sakura Kinomoto who accidentally sets free a set of magical cards – each one with it’s only special power and personality – that were guarded by Cerberos. The cards are running free and are causing chaos, so now she is responsible to get them all back and seal them again. With the help of Kero (Cerberus) and her best friend Tomoyo, she begins her mission to bring peace again to her town, Tomoeda.

It was interesting to see that there are a lot of differences between the manga and the anime, but I still think the core of the story was respected and kept. In the manga series we only have nineteen cards, while in the anime we have fifty-two (plus the seal card that only appears in the first Cardcaptor Sakura movie, so fifty-three)! Most of the characters are present in the original work, but there is no mention of Meilin or Wei – contrary to the anime -, so Syaoran travels and lives alone in Japan.

For me, Sakura is one of the best female main characters ever. She was such a huge inspiration to me when I watched the series for the first time, reminding me to always do my best and to be kind to everyone. There were times she was afraid, but that never stopped her from catching the cards and helping her friends. A true queen! Then you have Tomoyo, Sakura’s best friend and cousin… and she is also in love with her. I’m not even going to get started on the amount of incest relationships going on here between cousins because we don’t have an entire day, but I will say I feel bad for the poor girl. She is perfectly okay with Sakura’s love interests, because the most important thing for Tomoyo is her happiness. It was kind of sad that Tomoyo didn’t have her own shot at love, at least with another character. And as a side note, I wish I knew what happened to Tomoyo’s dad, but I know the authors keep it a secret on purpose!

I also found the manga version a little bit more “shocking” than the anime version. They definitely toned down on the animated series when it comes to relationships, because the manga version got crazy sometimes! There are not one, but TWO relationships between adults and elementary students! This was really shocking to see, and even though the first volume came out in 1996 and times were different back then, I still wish the kids kept the relationships within their peers. But what I REALLY wish happened was a bigger development in Touya and Yuki’s relationship! They’re absolutely perfect for each other and I wish they would develop more of their love story here, but to be honest there are not a lot of differences in the anime.

Now the main romance…. where do I even start? Are there even words to describe how perfect it is? This is a true slow burning, innocent and the sweetest romance ever… and all started from rivalry. Things are confusing at first because not only do they start their relationship as rivals on capturing the Clow Cards, but also when it comes to grabbing Yukito’s attention. They are both attracted to him, so the romance between them two only starts to blossom later on, on Syaoran’s side – because Sakura is completely clueless and it’s hilarious! We are presented with a lot of sweet and innocent moments between them, and their romance was definitely one of my favorite things of the manga.

I’m also glad that we get a lot of explanations that are never mentioned in the anime series. For example, we get to know the reason why Sakura feels all HANYAN around Yukito and Mizuki, while Syaoran is only attracted to Yukito. And there is also a major plot twist involving Sakura’s dad that I would never have expected!

I had to take a moment and wonder why I have such a strong love for this series. Sure, I watched the anime when I was younger so it’s natural I have a soft spot for it, but this never happened with any other tv show I watched when I was a kid. I really thought about it, and I realized that the manga is full of a lot of my favorite tropes. There is a strong female heroine who is a regular girl just trying to do her best; there is a slow burn cute romance that started from rivalry; there are a lot of references to yummy food and cakes; there are so many real friendships; there are special, inspiring outfits handmade just to catch the cards; the innocence of it all; and of course… Sakura’s magic is any little girl’s dream.

I swear I could talk about this series forever. I know I’m going to read and reread this for a very long time because I’m so in love with it. And now it’s time for Clear Arc! I confess I’m holding back a bit because the series is not finished yet! I know I will want to finish it in one sitting, so while I wait… I’ll just rewatch the anime 😉

xoxo, Neide

“Look around. Look at everyone else,” Shaila whispered into the huddle. “They wish they were us.” – 2/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: lost letters, red headbands, courage tests, text messages, Jell-O shots, diamond studs, raw cookie dough, preppy kids and true friendships.

I genuinely thought this would be a five star read, but the truth is that I almost DNF this book… three times! The characters were really annoying and I often wondered why I was wasting my time reading this book. I made an effort and I still finished it, not because I ended up liking the book – because I didn’t – but because I wanted to give it a fair opportunity. My main issues with this book were:

1. I predicted who murdered Shaila about halfway through the book – and I was right;
2. The only character I liked was Shaila. Yes, the most likeable person in this book was dead… I think that says a lot. 
3. I tried to feel some sort of empathy for Jill but it just didn’t happen. Her problems felt too futile and privileged for me to feel sorry for her.
4. I didn’t like the “challenges” that they were submitted to. It was all just stupid and too much in so many different ways.
5. I didn’t understand why Graham did what he did the night Shaila was murdered – I won’t say too much because I don’t want to spoil anything, but if you already read the book you’ll probably know what I mean by this.

On a more positive note, I will say the book is realistic. I can see how something like this could happen in real life – especially the tests to enter an elitist group and the sexism. And I applaud who made the cover because it was absolutely beautiful!

Overall, it was boring and the chapters felt neverending! I usually don’t write such negative reviews but I’m just disappointed with this. I thought this would be right up my alley and I would love it, but it just wasn’t that good in my opinion.

xoxo, Neide