4.75☆

Characters-
 I'm obsessed with the characters in The Girls I've Been. The three friends were all so different from each other yet had similarities that brought them together. I felt that the real life versions of these characters would definitely be friends in reality. Some books have friend groups where the chemistry is just not quite there but this was not one of those books. They all had different traumas and demons and they all dealt with them in different ways that were reminiscent of coping mechanisms I've seen in real life. Another thing I absolutely loved was the nonchalant representation for queer girls. It wasn't like this huge topic, but it was there and as a queer girl I loved it. One of the characters also has endometriosis which I personally do not have, but I do not see representation for it often and I would love to see an own voices review for this aspect.

Plot-
 The plot of this novel was a complete roller coaster. It was fun, fast and slightly scary at times, but I loved it. The main plot was exciting and I loved the way it was split into minutes as well as the lists at the top of the chapters detailing certain assets the characters could use to get out of their situation. I also really enjoyed the flashbacks. The chapters set in the past really built a strong background for Nora and explained how she became the badass she is.

Writing- 
 I really enjoyed the author's writing in The Girls I've Been, but it wasn't extraordinary or spectacular enough in my opinion to give this book a full five stars. There was nothing wrong with the writing, but it didn't particularly stand out either.

Overall, I absolutely adored this book; it was almost perfect.

I was provided with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

4.25☆

Characters-
The characters in this book were so adorable and real. Set mostly in the 1950s, I thought the author did a really great job keeping the characters and their relationships in this book accurate to the time. The struggles the main character Lily faced were not only realistic to the 50s, but realistic in present times. Many teens still aren't educated on different sexualities, so when they start questioning their own they feel a sense of isolation and wrongness. This shouldn't be the case, but I loved how the author explored this. The romance between Lily and Kath was also very adorable and cute. I felt it represented their ages well unlike other books I've read.

Plot-
The plot of this book was not as enjoyable as I wanted it to be. The pacing was definitely off, and this made the book hard to get through at some points. It started out good, got very slow and almost boring in the middle, and then 100 things started happening at once towards the very end. This was kind of jarring and took me out of the reading experience at various points in Last Night at the Telegraph Club.

Writing- 
Although it wasn't extraordinary or anything super special, the author's writing style and skill is good. I specifically liked how she included Cantonese and Mandarin characters when characters spoke these languages and then had footnotes giving their English translations. I thought this was really cool and a great inclusion, so I applaud her for that.


Overall, I did really enjoy this book. The characters were great and the writing was good, but the pacing and the plot didn't click with me which is why I gave the book a little above 4 stars.

I was provided with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

5☆

Characters-
The main character Beckett was one of my favorite YA characters ever. She had the perfect balance of flaws and strengths unlike a lot of characters I see in YA contemporary. She felt very realistic and so did the relationships she had with those around her. Her friendships, romantic relationship and sibling relationships felt real and I could relate to them as a teenager myself. I really appreciated this about Every Single Lie.

Plot-
The premise of this book was very interesting to me which is why I requested the ARC in the first place. I've heard several stories of this happening in real life, but never read or heard of a fictional story where it was part of the plot. I also thought that the heavy nature of the premise was dealt with really well. 

The grief aspect along with Beckett's father's recent passing was incredibly sad, and although I've never experienced anything like that, I know many kids have. Knowing people that have lost a parent and hearing them talk about it, some of the dialogue from the family in this novel felt very reminiscent of things I've heard in real life. I think the author wrote this aspect very respectfully and realistically.

When it came to the thriller part of the book, I absolutely loved the reveal. It was realistic and surprising yet there were enough hints that made it not seem like it came from nowhere. I actually was crying throughout the couple of chapters where things are explained because it was so emotional.

Writing- 
I enjoyed the writing style because it wasn't too complex nor was it too simple. There was a good in between that I love for YA contemporary novels.


Overall, I absolutely adored this book, and it is now one of my favorite books of 2020. I have nothing negative to say about it, but I would definitely check out what some trigger warnings could be if you need them.

This book for me was average. I definitely wanted more from it and I was left unsatisfied at the end. Chlorine Sky was extremely short and although I do enjoy short books, this one could have benefited from some more length. Also, in comparison to Elizabeth Acevedo's novels in verse, the author's writing here was far less impactful and didn't strike me with the beauty that novels in verse tend to do. Overall Chlorine Sky had important messages, but the writing and characters didn't click with me in the way I wish they would have.