Barry Lyga's book takes a different look at gun violence and the way it can destroy a family--and it's very successful. Most young adult books that deal with this topic look at the way that a teen might become a school shooter. But Lyga's take feels refreshing; Sebastian wasn't old enough to know how dangerous the gun was when he shot his sister, but he lives with this incredible guilt for the rest of his life.

The other topic that this novel deals with gracefully is "the friend zone." Sebastian, inevitably, develops feelings for Aneesa who doesn't develop feelings back. In the end, he realizes it was his fault and not Aneesa's, and he writes her a letter about it. This subject is rarely dealt with in young adult fiction, but I think it needs to be discussed more, and in a tasteful way like this.

All in all, I picked this book up as a light read and wasn't able to put it down until I was finished. With strong characters and relevant topics, this is a book that more people should be talking about.

Read more at between-the-shelves.com!

In line with authors like Jason Reynolds and Angie Thomas, Nic Stone doesn't shy away from the truths that exist within our own society when it comes to race. Ultimately, Dear Martin is about Justyce finding his voice against the injustices he sees and experiences in the world. Lyrical and powerful, this is a book that everyone should read.

Read more at between-the-shelves.com!

Let me begin with this: Becky Albertalli is one of the best at accurately capturing the voices of teenagers. Leah is snarky and honest and and her voice absolutely carries you through to the very end. The appearance of other characters from Simon help to make the world even stronger and easier to fall into. Those who loved Simon will absolutely love Leah.

Overall, I blew threw this because I absolutely love Albertalli's writing style and her characters are always well rounded, even the ones included in the background.

Read more at between-the-shelves.com!

Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera are two authors who are basically on my auto-buy list; anytime I see that either one of them are publishing something new I know that I have to read it. AND I was lucky enough to trade with someone on Twitter (thank you, universe!) to get an advance copy of this book, and I couldn’t have been happier. I think I basically read this in a day once I got it; and then I immediately shipped it to Ohio for some of my friends to read. Quite honestly, it’s the perfect romance to end the summer with.

One of the funny things about the pairing of Albertalli and Silvera to me is that I would classify Albertalli’s writing on the somewhat lighter side of things (Leah on the Offbeat had some absolutely hilarious scenes), and Silvera is definitely on the darker side of things (have you read They Both Die at the End?). You can definitely see each of their styles shine in each of their respective characters, which makes for a perfectly balanced book. You get funny and sad and sappy and romantic and harsh reality and I loved it.

Read more of my thoughts at between-the-shelves.com!

Liz Long sent me copies of these books in exchange for my honest review, and I have to say, they one hundred percent fit into my reading interests. Long created a unique futuristic world and achieved something many YA dystopian authors have been criticized of--she included diversity. Not only does Reina have (multiple) female love interests, she also is a person of color, supported by many other people of color throughout the story.

While there were scenes within the book that felt similar to those in other YA dystopian texts (particularly The Hunger Games), the majority of these were included at the end, leaving the rest of the story feeling fresh and original. There were also a lot of parallels between this duology and real life--things that maybe felt way too familiar. Some people might find that this is a bad thing; however, I like when a text closely aligns with the political issues in real life, as it can provide hope to its readers.

Read more over on my blog at between-the-shelves.com

I wasn't disappointed in this book, though it isn't necessarily my favorite of his (probably a tie between More Than This and A Monster Calls). The premise is just as weird as you might imagine, if you've read any of his other books. I'll admit, it took a couple of chapters to get adjusted to the whales as narrators, particularly because of the way they refer to the ocean.

It was all exceedingly creative, and I can't wait to see the book with the final illustrations because I think both together will be breathtaking. If nothing more, this book makes you think. I finished it weeks ago and I'm still thinking about it. I'll probably buy it when it comes out on the 4th and continue to think about it. It's just one of those books. 

And the Ocean Was Our Sky is Patrick Ness in all his weirdly creative glory, and I can't wait to see what comes after this. Read more of my thoughts at between-the-shelves.com!