My favorite Kasie West so far ☺️

WHAT TO SAY NEXT by Julie Buxbaum

Published: July 2017
Genre: Romance
Age-range: YA
Pages: 290
Themes: Autism-Spectrum/ Asperger's; Grief; Bullying
Setting: USA

RATING

Main character: 10 (David)
Side characters: 7 (Kit, Parents, Davids Sister)
Writing: 8
Plot: 6
Enjoyment: 10
Diversity: 10 (Good Autism Rep)

Total: 8,5 --- 4,5 stars

Notes: I loved David with all my heart, he is a very good representation of high functioning autism in my opinion and experience. Even though autism is of course a very diverse topic as I know having it and studying it I think the insights into his mind were well done. Kit is actually a second main character but I didn't like her and her perspective which is why I'm rating her with the side characters to give David all the points he deserves. The plot wasn't great sadly and my rating relies heavily on Davids perspective.

Read: January 9th 2019

DEAR EVAN HANSEN by Val Emmich

Published: October 2018
Genre: Contemporary
Age-range: YA
Pages: 358
Themes: Suicide, suicidal thoughts, depression
Setting: USA

RATING

Main character: 10 (Evan)
Side characters: 9 (Connor, Connor's parents, sister)
Writing: 9
Plot: 8
Emotions: 12
Diversity: 9 (Mental Health topics)

Total: 9,5 --- 5 stars

Notes: I had never seen the musical before but I think it works really well as a novel. I loved Evan as a flawed character, I cried at the end and the soundtrack made me cry even more. I felt like I could understand Evan at least in some ways.

Read: January 7th 2019

Initial Reaction: Pushing it up to 5 the soundtrack together with the book made me cry so hard 🙈

A MILLION JUNES by Emily Henry

Published: May 2017
Genre: Magical Realism
Age-range: YA
Pages: 391
Themes: Grief, Family feud
Setting: USA

RATING

Main character: 8 (June)
Side characters: 10 (Saul)
Writing: 9
Plot: 9
Emotions: 12
Atmosphere: 10
Intrigue: 9

Total: 9,57 --- 5 stars

Notes: I love magical realism because it makes me feel so much. I can’t even describe it - it wasn’t the mystery or the plot or anything like that - not even the characters or the romance - it was the raw emotions I soaked up through this book that made this rating crystal clear for me and I stand by that with all my heart. But I also loved the atmosphere in the memory scenes, Sauls character and the writing.

Read: January 6th 2019

A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN by Sarah J. Maas

Published: 2017
Genre: Fantasy
Age-range: New Adult
Series: #3
Pages: 699
Themes: war against Hybern, sex, politics,...
Setting: Velaris/ Night Court

RATING

Main character: 8 Feyre
Side characters: 10 Rhys, Cassian, Azriel, Mor, Amren, Lucien, Elain, Nesta
Writing: 8
Plot: 9
Enjoyment: 10
Atmosphere: 10
Diversity: 9 LGBTQ side characters
Intrigue: 10

Total: 9,25 --- 5 stars

Notes: I hated Feyre in every other book but in this one I could stand her, I'm definitely reading this for everyone else but her :D, I don't exactly know why this book is my favorite but it is. I consider this whole series a guilty pleasure of mine, though I am not ashamed of liking this. We have two LGBTQ characters, one is another High Lord and

Mor

. I wasn't scared for any of the characters though because all over social media everyone says there's a new book for this and that character coming and they do this and that in ACOFAS so whatever that's how it is :D

Read: 31.12.2018

Fun Fact: The whole time I thought Hybern was the Name of the King until I realized that all of his soldiers are called "the Hybern" too and then I was confused :D also there is a new audiobook narrator for this one and I like her much more than the one from books 1 and 2

THE POLAR BEAR EXPLORERS' CLUB by Alex Bell

Published: 2017
Genre: Fantasy
Age-range: Middle Grade
Series: #1
Pages: 298
Themes: Adventure in a polar setting
Setting: the Icelands

RATING

Main character: 9 Stella
Side characters: 10 Shay, Beanie, Ethan
Writing: 8
Plot: 8
Enjoyment: 10
Atmosphere: 10
Diversity: 10 a kid with autism symptoms, one with PTSD
Intrigue: 9

Total: 9,25 --- 5 stars

Notes: I LOVED the creatures like their pet polar bear and their pet miniature dinosaurs, I liked the half-elf with autism symptoms and could really relate to him, I liked the character of Ethan who never knew what friendship is and who is traumatized, I loved the different scenes - it felt so vivid and I could picture them like in a movie (this would be an amazing adventure movie), I loved the different explorers clubs and can imagine great future adventures through those, the writing was good - and all in all - this was just tons of fun.

Read: 18.12.2018

SKYWARD by Brandon Sanderson

Published: 2018
Genre: Science Fiction
Age-range: Young Adult
Series: #1
Pages: 510
Themes: Grief for her father, pilot school, another planet, ongoing war between species
Setting: another planet

RATING

Main character: 9 Spensa
Side characters: 10 Doomslug, the ship AI, Jorgen, Cobb
Writing: 10
Plot: 10
Enjoyment: 10
Atmosphere: 10
Intrigue: 10

Total: 9,85 --- 5,5 stars

Notes: This is my new all time favorite book! EVERYTHING WAS BRILLIANT! This writing oh my god, how Brandon Sanderson writes space battles! I would have never thought this could be so good, and the characters, the animal sidekicks, the super snarky AI, I am lost for words. I loved everything about it and I'm mad at myself for not picking up Sanderson before! The atmosphere was amazing, I read a 500 page book in 3 days and didn't get bored once! There was a hint at a romance to establish in book 2 but the first book does not have romance. If there's a romance in book 2 I'm definitely dying for it because that would be my favorite trope.

Read: 15.12.2018

Fun Fact: I'm buying all covers of this I can get.
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Initial Reaction:

A true masterpiece funny, engaging, thrilling, I remembered why I loved sci fi and definitely going to check out his other works