I apologize in advance as the following review may contain book spoilers. "The Sun Is Also A Star" is by Nicola Yoon (the same author that wrote "Everything Everything"). The novel focuses on two teenagers named Natasha and Daniel; who are strangers at the beginning of the book. Years ago, Natasha’s Dad travelled to the States illegally in order to pursue an acting career (but has not found any success in this field). Eventually, Natasha and the rest of her family also come to the U.S. (illegally). Their illegal immigrant status is discovered when Natasha’s Dad is pulled over by a police officer for drunk driving. At the beginning of the story, Natasha and her family are hours away from being deported back to Jamaica. Despite this fact, Natasha is determined to figure out a way to stay in the States; talking tirelessly to immigration officers and lawyers. On the other hand, Daniel is from a Korean family that owns a store that sells hair care products. At the beginning of the novel, Daniel is on his way to an admissions interview at Yale (Daniel’s parents really want him to go to Yale but Daniel is more interested in writing poems). Daniel believes that it is fate when two teenagers end up crossing paths. As a result, Daniel follows Natasha and tries to convince her that they are meant to be together. In the process of trying to make it to Daniel’s Yale interview and trying to get to Natasha’s various lawyer appointments, Natasha and Daniel start to develop a deep connection with each other and start to fall in love with each other. In the end, even though things don’t work out exactly how Daniel and Natasha hope, they end up discovering that their seemingly chance encounter was in fact fate. “Everything Everything” is one of my favourite books and I thought that this book (by the same author) was just as enjoyable and engaging. Spoiler alert, my favourite part of the book was when Natasha and Daniel (finally) fully expressed their feelings for each other while they were at the karaoke restaurant. My least favourite part was when Natasha’s family was deported; I was really hoping that Natasha’s hard work would paid off so that her family could stay in the States. I was also quite upset that Natasha’s lawyer let the drama in his romantic relationships interfere with his job; if the lawyer didn't waste his time dealing with his romantic drama, I think that he could have seriously helped Natasha. I definitely wish that I could have changed this part in the book. Regardless, I liked how things seemed to work out for both Natasha and Daniel in the end; there also seemed to be hope for Natasha and Daniel to rekindle their romantic relationship. I would definitely recommend this book. I think that anyone who enjoyed “Everything Everything” would also love “The Sun Is Also A Star”. This book would be best suited for a teenage to adult audience (male or female) who enjoys romance, drama, and comedy. I am giving this book a 4 out of 5 butterflies rating because it was so good that I did not want to put it down but I was disappointed that things didn’t work out the way that I wanted them to with regards to Natasha’s immigration status. "The Sun Is Also A Star" photo credit: "Goodreads" Book Rating: 4/ 5
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I apologize in advance as the following book review may contain spoilers. “Rebel with a Cupcake” is about Jesobel Jones (a.k.a. Jess); a school-aged girl who is enjoys baking and is confident in her own skin despite the fact that she is overweight. The book begins with Jess and her friends Hannah and Izzie getting ready for “own clothes day” at their school (which usually requires them to wear uniforms). All is well until Jess has a wardrobe malfunction and is forced to go the rest of the school day with bare legs under her skirt (instead of leggings). Also, a popular girl named Zara calls Jess “fat”, which seems to bother her for the first time. Jess gets accused of being a bully after her confrontation with Zara (which ends up getting posted on the internet) so Jess decides to skip the rest of the day of school. Jess goes home and makes a gingerbread model of the school and posts it online (claiming that she is “the girl who eats life”). When Jesobel’s crush Matt takes an interest in her (as a result of her recent internet fame), Jess decides to go on a diet in the hopes of looking more attractive to Matt and fitting into a one-size too small dress her Mom bought. With encouragement from her Mom and sister Cat (who are skinny and don’t really eat), Jess starts to severely limit and restrict what she eats and starts exercising; as a result, Jess does lose enough weight to fit into her new dress but she feels sick and hungry all the time and even passes out. Jess and Cat (who usually aren’t that close) bond over the fact that they both experience rejection at a party. But things get better for Jess when a popular blogger named Imogen (who is also overweight) takes Jess shopping; Jess starts to bake and eat more again and regains her confidence about her looks. At the end of the book, Jess finds her true love and she appears to be closer to her family members. I really liked the character of Jess; I feel like a lot of people can relate to her struggles with weight, body image, and confidence. I really enjoyed reading this book; Jesobel’s fun and sassy personality made this book a good page-turner once you got a few chapters in. My favourite part of the book was the ending when Jess ended up with her true love (I’m not going to say who it is because I don’t want to spoil it). My least favourite parts of the book took place when Jess was struggling with her confidence levels; she seemed to be quite grumpy, hungry, and not very true to herself during this time. I don’t think that I would have changed anything it this book; I think that the story flowed nicely and everything seemed to work out well for all of the main characters in the end. I would definitely recommend this book to others; I think that it would be best suited for a female teen or young adult audience who enjoys contemporary, realistic, and relatable romantic comedies. I gave this book a 3.5 out of 5 butterflies rating because I thought that it was an entertaining book with relatable characters but it was an easy and fast read and nothing super exciting happened. Book Rating: 3.5/ 5
I apologize in advance but (even though I tried not to) the following book review may contain spoilers. “Sisterhood Everlasting” is the fifth book in the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” series by Ann Brashares. The book takes place 10 years after the events of the forth book (“Forever in Blue”). Note that something major happens at the very beginning of the book but I tried not to spoil it. At the beginning of the book, Lena is a teacher at the Rhode Island School of Design and is dating Drew (although, she is still in love with Kostos). Bridget is living in San Francisco with her boyfriend Eric but is reluctant to settle down. Carmen is engaged and is working as an actress in New York. Lastly, Tibby has moved to Australia with Brain and has recently had almost no contact with the other girls…until she invites them all to come with her on a trip to Greece. The girls are all super excited for the trip and to reconnect with each other. The girls’ sisterhood-like bond is threatened when everyone but Tibby arrives in Greece. Throughout the book, the girls are all trying to figure out more information about Tibby’s life in Australia while dealing with some major crises and life decisions/ changes. In the end, they all learn that their bonds of sisterhood are everlasting. I did like this book and was happy with how the book ended but I didn’t like it as much as the other four books in the series. Furthermore, I did not like how the book began (because of the major event that happens – again I don’t want to spoil it) but loved how everything ended. I was glad that Ann Brashares wrote this fifth book as it allowed me to find out what the future held for some of my favourite literary characters. This book showed how the girls’ bond is truly everlasting (and something to strive for in my opinion). It also showed how strong the girls are; they have the strength to overcome any challenge that they encounter. If I could change anything, it would definitely be to get rid of the big event that happens at the beginning of the book as I found it really devastating (that’s all I can say without spoiling it). Although, I would not change the ending because I was happy that everything seemed to work out o.k. for the girls. I would definitely recommend this book to any “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” lover; you definitely have to read the first four books in the series before readings this book. But, a note of caution, if you really liked how the fourth book (“Forever in Blue”) ended and don’t want anything to change, you may not want to read “Sisterhood Everlasting” as the girls experience some major changes in their lives. In my opinion, this book (along with the rest of the series) would be best suited for a female audience (aged middle school to adult) who like romance, adventure, and coming of age novels. Sorry for the spoiler but it is important to note that this book deals with some difficult topics such as suicide. I gave this book a 3 out of 5 butterflies rating because, even though I enjoyed the book in the end, I did not like the beginning of the book and it wasn’t as good as the other 4 books in the series. Lastly, if you like this series, I would also recommend the movies; the first movie is based on the first book and the second movie is based on books 2-4. I would also recommend “3 Willows” by Ann Brashares (it is a spin-off of the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” series about 3 girls who have heard of and want to be like Carmen, Tibby, Lena, and Bridget; it also contains cameos from some of the characters in the original books). "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" full series photo credit: "Much Ado About Books" (WordPress.com) Book Rating: 3/ 5
I apologize in advance as the following book review may contain spoilers. The main character of “Turtles All the Way Down” is Aza; a high schooler who suffers from anxiety and OCD (she is constantly worried that she has/ will get C. Diff and is constantly re-opening a callus on her finger to drain out possible infection). When Aza and her best friend Daisy learn of the disappearance of local billionaire and fugitive Russell Pickett (and the reward for any information on his whereabouts), they decide to investigate. While successfully searching for evidence on the Pickett property, the girls are caught by a security guard who takes them to see Davis Pickett (Russell’s son and Aza’s childhood friend). In an attempt to dissuade the girls from turning in the evidence and pursuing the case any further, Davis gives the girls the reward. Davis and Aza start to develop a romantic relationship but it doesn’t go very far as Aza is constantly worried about the spread of germs/ infection. Aza also gains some more clues about the case while she is hanging out with Davis. After Aza reads Daisy’s “Star Wars” fan-fiction for the first time, Aza realizes that Daisy is using the fan-fiction to complain about her. The girls have an argument and eventually end up having an accident which requires Aza to stay in the hospital (where she has a really difficult time dealing with her anxiety and OCD). Eventually the girls make-up and attend Daisy’s boyfriend Mychal’s art exhibition in an unfinished drainage tunnel system. In the tunnel, Daisy gains a better understanding of Aza’s anxiety/ OCD and the girls make a huge discovery about the case. I did like this book but it was not my favourite book by John Green (I love “Paper Towns” and “The Fault in Our Stars”). I disliked how the book seemed so dark in nature. But, I did enjoy reading about Aza and her struggles and triumphs with her mental illnesses. The book was also a good page-turner because I wanted to figure out what happened to Russell Pickett. I think that Aza’s mental illnesses were portrayed very realistically in this book. I think that most people who, like Aza, struggle with anxiety, OCD, or similar mental illnesses would be able to relate to her. Therefore, I think that this would be an awesome read for someone who is struggling with a mental illness like OCD or anxiety (and their family members/ friends) or anyone who wants to learn more about and gain a better understanding of what it is like to have a mental illness (like anxiety or OCD). I would also recommend this book to adults who enjoy mystery and love stories. I am giving this book a 3 out of 5 butterflies rating because, even though I liked how Aza’s mental health experiences seemed very realistic and the book was a good page-turner, it wasn’t as good as other books by John Green (in my opinion). Support Ribbon Photo Credits: Pinterest, Pinterest, and "Instituto Familiar de la Raza" Book Rating: 3 / 5
I apologize in advance as the following book review may contain spoilers. Rachael West has spent the past few years working at her family farm in a small town in Australia and caring for her Mother who has fallen ill. Shortly after her Mother’s funeral, Rachael receives an invitation to her ex-boyfriend Matthew’s wedding to Bonnie in Paris (which includes an all-expense paid trip). Even though she is initially hesitant, she eventually agrees to take advantage of the free trip with her best friend Sammy (with the hopes that seeing Matthew get married will finally help her to let go of the past and move on). So with Rachael’s Sister Tess (and her family) looking after the farm and a few of Rachael’s hand-made dresses packed, Rachael and Sammy leave for Paris. Initially, Rachael is very homesick and depressed but, when she starts to develop a relationship with the wedding photographer, Antonio, Rachael starts to imagine new possibilities for her life. Things get complicated for Rachael when she learns of potential job opportunities in fashion and journalism in Europe, learns that Sammy and her husband Marty have been having some serious troubles in their marriage, and learns that Matthew has regrets about his new life and may want Rachael back. In the end, Rachael has to make some major decisions about her future; whether to stay on the farm and do what she has always done or be adventurous and try to become a professional dressmaker in Europe and whether to go back to the man she has always loved even though so much time has passed or finally move on with a new love interest. My favourite character in the book was Rachael; I loved how she was so creative and fashionable. My least favourite parts of the book were in the first half of the book; it seemed to take a long time for the book to get really interesting. Therefore, my favourite parts of the book took part during the last few chapters of the book since this is when most of the drama happened; the book turned into a real page-turner. I also loved reading about Rachael’s adventures in Paris and Rachael’s spectacular dress creations. I don’t think that I would change the ending of the book as I was happy with the decisions that Rachael made. However, I would have maybe condensed some of the text at the beginning of the book; that way it would have taken less time to get into the drama and action. I would definitely recommend this book to others. I think that the ideal audience would be females who enjoy the romantic genre. I also think that this would be an awesome read for anyone who is thinking of going to Paris as it offers great descriptions of some of the sites there. I gave this book a 3½ out of 5 butterflies rating; even though the book turned into a really interesting page-turner at the end, the beginning was quite slow. Book Rating: 3.5/ 5
I apologize in advance as this book review may contain spoilers. “The First Husband” by Laura Dave is a compelling romance novel about Annie Adams; a travel writer that lives in LA. Annie’s life is turned upside down when her long-term live-in boyfriend, Nick, decides to break-up with Annie to pursue an old crush. Sad about the break-up, Annie goes to a bar and meets Griffin; a chef from rural Massachusetts that is totally different than Nick. Within a few months, Annie and Griffin are married and starting a new life together in Massachusetts. Shortly thereafter, Annie starts to experience challenges and doubts in her marriage when meets her new in-laws, loses her job, discovers secrets about her new husband, and finds out that her old boyfriend Nick wants her back. I definitely liked this book because it was so compelling; I found myself switching sides, between wanting Annie to forgive her old boyfriend Nick and wanting Annie to stay with her new husband Griffin, the entire time I was reading. I finished the book fairly quickly as I wanted to find out who Annie chose in the end. Despite enjoying the book, I found that I couldn’t relate to Annie’s story as I am not married and I haven’t moved to a different Province/ State. My favourite parts of the book were when Annie and Griffin started their relationship and when Annie gets her dog Mila back from Nick (he got the dog in the break-up). I also loved the ending (but I don’t want to spoil it for you by describing it). My least favourite part was when Annie meets Griffin’s ex-girlfriend (Gia), which causes Annie to start to have doubts about her own relationship with Griffin. Regardless, I don’t think that I would change the plot of this novel in any way; I think that it was quite engaging to reading and the book ended the way that I wanted it to (again, I don’t want to spoil it by describing it). I believe that this book would typically be best suited for an audience of women that enjoy contemporary romance novels or “chick lit”. I give “The First Husband” a 4 out of 5 butterflies rating; I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it to others but it wasn’t very action-packed and Annie’s story wasn’t very relatable to me. “The First Husband” photo credit: “Luxury Reading” website Book Rating: 4/ 5
I apologize in advance as this book review may contain spoilers. “Still Me” by Jojo Moyes continues the story of Louisa Clark; that is described in “Me Before You” and “After You” (both by Jojo Moyes). At the beginning of “Still Me”, Louisa arrives in New York in order to start her new job as a companion for Agnes (the young second wife of the wealthy Leonard Gopnik). Louisa starts to get more comfortable in her new surroundings when she finds a vintage clothing store in New York, starts to attend protests to save a local library, and starts to gain more confidence in her new job. But, things get interesting for Louisa when she and Sam break-up and Lousia starts dating Josh (who looks exactly like her deceased true love Will Traynor), Louisa finds out a huge secret about Agnes’ past and eventually gets fired and loses her living arrangements in an attempt to keep Agnes’ secret, Louisa’s sister Trina starts dating again, and there is an unexpected death in the Clark family. But, when Louisa finds a new job and living arrangements with Margot DeWitt (and her dog), a lonely and elderly neighbour of the Gopniks’ who shares Louisa’s passion for clothes, things start to turn around for Louisa. In the end, Agnes’ secret comes out, Louisa is able to help Margot, and Louisa is able to finally make some big decisions about her life (choosing between Sam and Josh, living in New York or going back to England, and continuing to work as a caregiver or taking on a new challenge). My favourite character throughout the “Me Before You” trilogy is Louisa Clark because I love her funky and cool personality and clothing style. I loved this book because I felt like I was a perfect ending to Louisa’s story (although, I still hope that Jojo Moyes will write a fourth book about Louisa Clark). My favourite parts of the book were the last few chapters (but I don’t want to spoil it for you by describing it). I was happy with all of the choices that Louisa made at the end of the book; I don’t think that I would have changed anything. I also loved how the majority of the novel was set in New York; I have been to New York before (and loved it) so it was cool to read about Louisa going to some of the places that I had visited. A few things that I disliked about the book were that the action was slow to start and (although I think it was a great book) this book wasn’t as good as the first book in the trilogy (“Me Before You”). I would definitely recommend this book (as well as the rest of the “Me Before You” trilogy) to others. This book would be perfect for anyone who has read and enjoyed “Me Before You” and “After You”. I think that this book would also be a great read for an adult female audience who enjoys romance novels. I am giving “Still Me” a 4 out of 5 butterflies rating; even though I loved the book, it wasn’t as good as “Be Before You”. "Still Me" photo credit: Penguin Random House Book Rating: 4/ 5
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