genieinanovel's Reviews (752)

Callie moves from California to go to school at the prestigious Harvard University, and she's in for a ride that is completely unlike Legally Blonde. First of all, her roommates couldn't be any more different from one another and then there are the guys across the hall. Let's just say that Callie is in for an interesting first semester.

Going into this, I was very interested because I love books set on campuses and the fact that it was college could give me the experience I missed since I was a commuter student to my university (and then online for my master's). However, I didn't end up liking this as much as I thought I would. The book is good and for the most part, but it didn't have that 'click' that I have with other books. 

I just feel like this book kind of jumped around a little in terms of there would be a scene and then the next thing I knew it jumped to something else and I thought I missed something in between. It also jumped to other characters randomly, which made it a bit disorienting. Also, I think there was just a tad too much drama for one character. The thing with Callie's ex was a good little twists that weaves its way into the story later, and then there's one other surprise that I liked and is why I'll go onto the next book. 

As for the characters, I didn't feel close to any of them. Generally, I mostly liked them, but there was something missing from them that gave me a reader connection to them. I do adore O.K. and Matt - they were sweethearts all around. On the contrary, I did not like Greg or Cliff. They were just too generic for me and I didn't find either of them swoon-worthy. 

So overall, I didn't hate this but didn't love it. I'm going to continue to the next book eventually because of the little cliffhanger at the end, but I don't think this will end up in my top favorite series.

THIS. BOOK.

So good. Highly recommend. All the stars.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

I honestly want to leave my review at that, but I should probably write a better one. So, this book is about a writer, which is a complete “yes, please” for me, as I love writing. Then add that the writer takes his late student’s plot because, hey, it’s going to go to waste otherwise since the student passed away, only to get a message after it’s a wild hit that someone knows he stole the idea.

Right away in this book I was invested because I felt Jacob’s struggle as a writer when he hit a block on his novel. All writers have been there, and it sucks, so I felt bad for him at the beginning. when Jacob found out about Evan’s death three or so years later, he realizes that Evan never finished his book that he was working on. The one with the great plot. The one that deserved to be written.

So Jacob writes it himself.

That’s not to say that he stole the entire story word for word or anything, but the concept, yeah. He did. The words were all this, the characters were different, and the setting was. Despite this, there’s still that part of Jacob that feels bad for taking this plot and running with it because what happens if someone finds out it wasn’t his idea at all? Well… that happens. And it’s a mystery how this person knows if Evan never shared his idea because he kept it tightly under wraps (except for that one night in Jacob’s office).

This book had me so invested that it was all I could think about over the days of reading it, and for the first time in a while, I took my time with it (as much as I could anyway) because I was enjoying it so much. Every time I thought I knew what was going on, I second-guessed myself as I tried to figure out who the person behind the messages was. I love books that keep me guessing like that, and this was one of the top.

So, as I mentioned in my first thoughts of this book… I highly recommend it. Especially if you’re a writer.

4.5 stars

Ever since Macy’s dad died, her family has been strained and she’s been trying to achieve perfection – having the perfect boyfriend, keeping her grades up, and doing whatever she can to please her mom. But that has taken its toll on her, and when she decides on a whim to work with a catering company in addition to her library job (which is only temporary as she’s covering for her boyfriend while he’s away), Macy has to keep it a secret because her mom doesn’t approve.

Working for the catering company, which is a family business, has an affect on Macy. She’s relatively introverted and doesn’t get out of the house much since she’s normally doing schoolwork, but her new coworkers convince her to come out after a few tries and she finally starts to enjoy herself and breaking out of her mold. So the only question is will she like and embrace the new Macy?

There was a lot I liked about this book, a lot of it being the characters. The group from Wish Catering – Kristy, Wes, Monica, and Bert – were all super lovable and I personally loved how Kristy took on a big sister/best friend role for Macy. She pushed her to come out of her shell, but not in a pushy way and she let Macy do it in her own time. I loved Bert and his childish antics, but also trying to prove he’s old enough to be responsible, as well as Monica’s lack of talking and clumsiness. Then, of course, Wes with his artistic ways and past – he was a character that was complex and I just loved him.

Then of course there was Macy’s boyfriend, Jason, who’s just a little douche in his genius way, along with his girl-buddies from the library who ware outright rude to Macy when she starts covering for Jason. I work in a library and let me tell you, my coworkers and I wouldn’t have put up with their crap and how they treated another coworker. Especially considering they’re high school students… that wouldn’t fly at my library.

All in all, I enjoyed this book and it’s one of my top Sarah Dessen books that I’ve read so far. I still have a lot to go, but I think it’s just under Lock & Key (for me, anyway). I knocked off half a star because Macy didn’t clock those girls at the library, or Jason for that matter, because I sure as heck wanted to. Though her exit from the library was still fantastic. Definitely recommend this one.

Eden thinks she knows her best friend Bonnie inside and out. After all, she’s the most reliable and predictable person Eden knows… until Bonnie runs away with her boyfriend. The only thing Eden knows about the boyfriend is that his name is Jack, but then it’s revealed to her that he’s actually their music teacher. Now Eden finds herself torn between telling everyone where Bonnie’s heading or keeping her best friend’s secret.

The story is told from Eden’s point of view only, so we have no idea where Bonnie is or even if her “running away” was something she agreed to or not. We only get bits of Bonnie’s well-being through her text messages with Eden, which attempt to assure Eden that everything is fine and to continue keeping the secret that she’s not in touch with Bonnie. At first Eden is all for keeping Bonnie’s secret because she’s sure that her best friend won’t miss their exams. However, as the days go by, it doesn’t seem like Bonnie is coming back and Eden isn’t sure how much longer she should keep the secret.

What I like about this being told from Eden’s perspective is that you have no idea what is really happening with Bonnie. All the readers know is what Bonnie tells Eden, but many of those texts can be interpreted another way. We also see how much Eden cares for her best friend because she’s so torn about wanting to tell her parents and the police what direction Bonnie is heading, but also wants to be a loyal best friend and not say anything. We also see that Eden herself isn’t perfect, which is another reason why she wants to be loyal to Bonnie, because Bonnie was the only one to befriend her and stay.

The only character I didn’t like in this book was Bonnie’s mother. She was so judgmental of Eden because of her past that she kept verballing attacking Eden. It also seemed like she didn’t care for her daughter as much as she cared for the image her daughter projected – a perfect daughter. And perfect daughters don’t run away with their teachers.

I felt like the book’s ending could have been better, though I did like how it showed where Eden and Bonnie’s friendship stood after everything. It just felt like something was missing or maybe it all came to a close a lot quicker than it should’ve… or it just could’ve ended differently.

Either way, I recommend this book because it was a great read about friendship and family.

Collins Pruitt is at Rutherford Institute for one reason only. To get close to and destroy the Mahoney brothers. She has her reasons, and she plans to go on with this mission of hers. What she doesn’t expect is to actually start falling for Jasper Mahoney along the way.

I found most of the story to be interesting, especially pertaining to why Collins was out to destroy the Mahoney family in the first place. I can’t say I didn’t see the reason coming, but there were other shocks along the way that did take me by surprise. I always love a boarding school setting; there’s just something about it that makes the story better, even if the story falls short. Unfortunately, the story did fall a little short for me. I still liked it, but it didn’t meet my expectations.

I can’t say I liked any of the characters, except for Sebastian. He was kind of fun and I loved how he kept calling Collins by her full name. I felt bad for him, actually, because he seemed to genuinely like Collins but she wouldn’t give him the time of day because of her “mission.” That said, Collins spent a lot of time talking about her “mission” more than anything, so I didn’t really feel the chemistry between her and Jasper at all. She was just yammering about how she had to get close to him and break his heart because that’s what she was at Rutherford for. It got too repetitive.

The monthly sections ended with a little flash forward to the end of the story, which I liked. It gave me some wonder as to what exactly was happening and who Collins was with in each flash-forward. It was the flashbacks that got a little hard for me to follow because it seemed like that was also half the story instead of where Collins was presently.

Overall, I did like the book, I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I would have liked to.

Up all night is a collection of short stories that take place with the characters staying up all night long. Some are romance and some are about friendships breaking up or beginning (or making up). I can say I've heard of most of these authors and have read some of their work before. I think the theme of this anthology is great. So, as I like to do, I'm going to break down the stories with their own separate ratings.

Never Have I Ever by Karen M. McManus ☆☆☆☆☆ - I thought this was a great one. Sure it was short and the twist at the end had me going back to see if I had missed something, but I think that's what made it so clever. A great start to this anthology!

Like Before by Maurene Goo ☆☆☆ - This one was sad for sure. Not in the crying kind of sad, but just kind of left an empty feeling at the end and feeling bad for the main character.

Old Rifts and Snowdrifts by Kayla Whaley - ☆☆☆☆.5 - This one was adorable about two old best friends that haven't talked in a year, and they're forced to talk when they're stuck together for the night.

Con Nights, Parallel Hearts by Marieke Nijkamp - ☆ - I'm finding that I'm not a fan of her books, as much as I try to read them or they sound interesting. And honestly, I skimmed this one because I just wasn't interested.

Kiss the Boy by Amanda Joy - ☆☆☆☆.5 -  This one was cute and a fun read! I enjoyed the characters and their friends and thought it was just a cute story about senior night with your friends and long-time crush.

Creature Capture by Laura Silverman - ☆☆☆☆☆ - Probably my top favorite of the stories. It's loosely based on Pokémon Go and since I recently had an addiction to it (I know, a late bloomer) I thought the story was cute and showed how you can't judge people and you'll make friends in unexpected places.

Shark Bait by Tiffany D. Jackson - ☆☆☆ - A horrible ending in my opinion (in the sense of, 'wait, what? why?') but otherwise a good story that tackles the issue of racism and how to respond to it.

A Place to Start by Nina LaCour - ☆☆.5 - A little story about new step-siblings who try to learn more about each other the night their parents leave for their honeymoon. Not one that I remember too well, but it wasn't bad.

When You Bring Your Dog to Prom by Anna Meriano - ☆☆.5 - A cute story about prom night, but not one I found memorable or that stood out in anyway. 

Missing by Kathleen Glasgow - ☆☆.5 - A little thriller about a group of friends investigating an abandoned asylum that's rumored to be haunted. A bit creepy, but if you like that kind of story it's not too bad.

What About Your Friends by Brandy Colbert - ☆☆☆.5 - Another sweet story about two best friends who fell apart, this time after high school and no romance involved, that I enjoyed reading and made me appreciate my friendship with my bestie.

Under Our Masks by Julian Winters - ☆☆ - A good idea, but I wasn't a fan of the execution. Not memorable for me.

The Ghost of Goon Creek by Francesca Zappia - ☆☆☆☆.5 - The one I skimmed the most. I wasn't into it at all, so I let myself get the gist of it and that's about it.

Overall, I enjoyed at least half the stories, and the ones I did enjoy were ones I liked a lot. Probably loved. Again, I love the theme of this collection and I also love that it wasn't just romance stories. Friendship was also a main theme and I feel that theme is one we should see more of in YA literature.

After living next door to each other for nearly their entire lives and just after they finally revealed their feelings for one another, Max and Aggi’s siblings die in an accident. Now their fathers are at a lawsuit war with one another, and have forbade their kids to see each other. So for a year, Max and Aggi are just neighbors who ignore each other, but the feelings never go away.

One night, all the kids who live on the lake are invited to a party, including Max and Aggi. Their best friends, Henry and Ume, decide its finally time for the two to talk and try to get the two together during the night. But when Aggi’s little sister disappears in the lake, Max risks the freezing cold water to save her and eventually force a dialogue between him and Aggi. It’s short, but it’s a start. Soon after the two are talking and realizing that their feelings have never gone away and what’s more, they don’t want to be without each other again.

Now, my favorite characters were not Max and Aggi. While I liked them and felt their internal struggle on how they felt they could’ve prevented the accident their siblings were in, I found that I liked their best friends a little more. Henry and Ume were the entertainment in a melancholy tale – Henry with his outlook on life and how he believes in the power of love, and Ume with her bluntness. They were the perfect pair to compliment their best friends and help them through their troubles of the past year.

Throughout the story I really felt for Aggi. Her family was literally falling apart after her sister’s death – her mom began to neglect the daughters she still had, her father drank more and yelled over little things, her little sister was sent to live with their mom’s friend, and on top of that, they were in danger of losing their home. There wasn’t much shown of Max’s family, though he thought his father was wrong to start the first lawsuit in the first place, but he did understand his father’s anger. Max was angry too, but more at himself than anyone else.

What I liked about this book was how it showed that people manage their grief in different ways. They process it differently, and some are able to get past it more than others. Or someone else’s grief can prolong another’s. There were sad moments, sweet moments, and just all-around moments in this book that hit me in the feels. That’s probably why I read it in one sitting. I do feel there was something missing, but maybe that’s just because I wanted more from these characters and their story. It’s definitely a book I’d recommend.

Imagine your a parent of a young child and one day someone shows up on your doorstep to tell you that your child isn’t your child, but theirs? That would strike a multitude of emotions into anyone’s heart. And that’s exactly how this book starts. The Riley family finds out that their son, Theo, isn’t theirs and they meet the family of those who do have their real son.

What begins as an amicable agreement to keep the children where they are, but have the families interact on a regular basis to get to know their own biological children soon turns into a battle of custody, and no secrets are safe. In fact, it might be believed that one of the children isn’t safe, either, with everything that comes into light. But Pete and Maddie, despite some questionable things of their past, are indeed good people and fight with all they have to keep their son, and maybe gain their biological son as well.

Although I thought the first thirty percent of this book was a little slow, it was still intriguing and kept me hooked. I just got impatient for the dirt to start flying and before the halfway point, I got my wish. The story was so interesting, even the background story of Pete and Maddie being at the hospital with their son and how the boys could have possibly gotten switched. Everything that comes to light are things you might or might not expect, not just with them, but with the other family as well. You can definitely feel the tensity rising as you turn the page. I read the last sixty percent of this book in one sitting because I couldn’t stop reading!

All in all, this book was fantastic. Another way I would describe this is as Switched At Birth with a thriller twist. This was a topic that interested me greatly and I’m glad that my expectations for this book were met because there was a very good premise here. I highly recommend it!

Lila is an anonymous book blogger (and no one but her best friends knows) just looking to get more hours at the Bookworm Inn so that she can help ease some of the financial burden to go to college for premed. However, her request for more hours is denied because the Bookworm Inn is getting a new temporary employee – Teddy, the nephew of the owner. And after a disastrous first shift together, Lila is ready to avoid him at all costs.

Until their phones get switched.

This book was actually much better than I expected for a young-adult holiday read. Though I guess with a book blogger for a main character, you can’t go wrong. Lila’s passion for her blog and books was one of the things I loved about her, along with her strong love for her family and not wanting to disappoint them. And Teddy was not nearly as much of a prick as I thought he was going to be. In fact, he was the opposite. He was sweet and funny and liked to push Lila to realize that her real passion was in writing, not becoming a doctor.

What I also enjoyed was how both Lila and Teddy had their secrets, not from each other, but from their families. They pushed each other to come clean about their secrets because they had their share of guilt over everything. The budding relationship and banter between them was adorable, and when Lila had Teddy watch the movie that their town was famous for… I was dying at his reaction! So cute! These two had a fun journey over a short course of time and I loved how it all came together in the end.

As a bonus, I loved seeing Lila’s blog posts throughout the book!

Overall, a cute holiday read that I would definitely recommend!

Rating: 4 stars

*I received a free e-galley from NetGalley of this in exchange for an honest review*