Starr Carter is situated between two different worlds: the prep school she attends and the poor neighborhood she lives in, overrun by gangs. The two worlds collide when Starr is the only witness of a police shooting in her neighborhood, killing her childhood best friend, Khalil. His death quickly becomes national news, and Starr must decide if she's going to stay in the sidelines or take a stand against the injustice.

This is probably one of the most important books that I've read so far this year, and will probably remain in that spot until the end of the year. Angie Thomas wrote this book inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, and it shows through every aspect of the novel. The injustice that seeps out of this book is an injustice that a lot of people live with every single day, and this novel (and the eventual movie) will help to bring it to light even more than before.

Thomas's prose is exquisitely written, making the reader feel like they are actually there, creating immersive scenes and crafting well-rounded characters that you become invested in the moment that you meet them. In an industry that has often been criticized for its lack of diversity, The Hate U Give shows that hopefully, the young adult literature realm is moving in the right direction.

As Thomas's debut novel, I think we can surely expect more great things from her as the future comes. I will absolutely recommend this to everyone, as I think it's an important glimpse into the way race works in our society.

Quinn Roberts has spent the last six months in hibernation; after the accident, he didn't think he could ever face the world again. Enter: Geoff. Quinn's best friend. One haircut later and Quinn is on his way to his first ever college party. Where he meets a guy. The week that follows has Quinn imagining all sorts of scenarios until he can finally take the reigns back and control his own life story.

This book was given to me by a friend for Christmas, and it was thoroughly enjoyable! Quinn's witty, sarcastic take on life shines through the text and hooks the reader right from the beginning. But it isn't pushed to the extent that Quinn feels fake--in fact, they almost make Quinn feel more real, using his sarcasm and humor to hide his true feelings. They make him more rounded, and they make the book difficult to put down.

None of the characters in this story are flat--they all have their quirks that together, create a cast of characters that you wish could be your friends. Federle is able to write with such an authentic teen voice that this book will be sure to remain in your thoughts long after you finish it.

For a YA debut, Federle has definitely hit it out of the park.

This book was much darker than I thought it was going to be--but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Instead of focusing on a romance between the two main characters (which I also thought was going to happen), Schwab focuses on the struggles each of them faces, and I think that makes the story even richer.

Check out my full review at: http://www.between-the-shelves.com/2017/01/review-this-savage-song.html

Imagine your senior year, saying goodbye to all of your friends, not knowing when you'll see them again--but then add in the suspense of not knowing who will actually make it through senior year. This becomes reality for Mara Carlyle when her fellow classmates begin to spontaneously combust, quickly drawing national attention. But Mara isn't going to let the impending doom of spontaneous combustion get her down. She lives her senior year to the fullest, falling in love, attending crazy parties, and organizing events so she gets to experience her senior year like every other senior in the country.

I first heard about this book when John Green posted about it on Facebook, and it sounded hilarious and fantastic, and out of the box from what I've been reading lately. I was definitely not disappointed; I was drawn into Mara's narration right from the beginning. She's funny and witty and wildly sarcastic. Maybe she's not always likable, but you can always count on her to be honest and real. The story itself is unique and not something I've seen done before, and it was refreshing to read. The narration sucks you into the suspense of wondering who is going to combust next, and it's that aspect that really drives the plot forward.

However. Yes, there is a "however." Towards the end of the novel, some of the plot seems to fall apart, probably about the last 50ish pages or so. Mara goes off the deep end, and the explanations for the spontaneous combustion just get more and more ridiculous, in my opinion. I'm not sure how I wanted this novel to end, but it just kind of--ended. Normally, I'm a fan of open-ended stories, because it makes you continue to think about the story once it's finished, but this one just felt unfinished, leaving me confused more than anything else. I just wanted a bit more, and I wanted Mara to remain true to her character until the very end.

Despite the plot failings at the end, I still really enjoyed this book, and if you're looking for a fun, humorous read, definitely pick this one up!

I finished A World Without You by Beth Revis sometime last week, and it's taken me a bit to process it. A World Without You follows the story of Bo, who believes he has the ability to travel through time. He attends Berkshire Academy, which on the outside is a school for troubled youth, but Bo knows that it's really a cover up for the truth: Berkshire is a place for kids who have superpowers.

After Bo's love, Sofia, commits suicide, Bo has difficulty believing that she's really gone. Instead, he believes that she's trapped somewhere in the past, and that only he as the ability to save her. As Bo gets deeper into his mission to save Sofia, Bo's reality gets more and more muddled until he is no longer sure what is real and what isn't.

The premise of this book sounded awesome to me, which is why I picked it up at the library. Revis drops the reader right in the middle of the action at the beginning of the book, which is a bit disorienting but also mimics the way that Bo must be feeling at the death of Sofia. Revis did an excellent job of constructing well-rounded characters, characters that you become attached to by the end. The portrayal of mental illness here was really strong, giving readers a variety in terms of the way it affects different individuals.

While I think this book is important in the way that it deaths with mental illness, I had issues with the structure of the plot itself. I felt as though there were scenes and parts of the story that weren't needed; eliminating these would have created a more immersive experience for me, as the reader. I also wanted Bo's sister, Phoebe, to take a stronger role in Bo's struggle with mental illness. She was given a strong presence in the book, yet I wasn't exactly sure why, or whether or not her chapters were really necessary. I think the book could have gotten along fine without them.

Overall, if you're looking for an immersive read that positively portrays mental illness, I think I would still recommend this book. Despite the plot flaws (in my opinion), it's super important in terms of the YA mental illness genre.

Quirky and refreshing, I think this is one of the more unique YA novels I've read recently. Though the main character is hard to swallow at times, I like the twist on the coming-of-age story here, and the magical realism is really well done. Not to mention, the title is amazing.

Check out my full review at: www.between-the-shelves.com!