A rom-com? About dramas? And it's a novel? This is all my dreams come true. I picked this book up in hopes that it wouldn't disappoint. And thankfully, it didn't.


Desi Lee is so likeable. She probably is one of my favourite YA contemporary characters because she's so realistic. She's not flawless nor painfully flawed. She just is. Though she is good at a variety things that I'm terrible at, it's apparent she worked hard to get there. A few things come naturally to Desi but she does still work hard. I'm also very glad that the author didn't squeeze the most out of the dead mother thing. Desi accepts what had happened to her and is able to move on. She knows her weaknesses and doesn't dwell too much on them but plays to her strengths. Desi is what a lot of high schoolers aspire to be.

As for the secondary characters, the representation was great. Her best friend was a lesbian and Desi's father was an immigrant and ESL. The dynamic between the characters was very positive too. No fighting over stupid things or unnecessary miscommunication that doesn't add to the plot. Also Desi's relationship with her father is amazing. You can tell from the book that he's very caring and she does respect him. You don't see that in YA fiction a lot and it's beautifully written in this book. 

Luca Drakos is such a sweet guy and he treats Desi so well. He's not super bad boy nor is he the weird angelic Bible study kid. He's an artist and he truly does care for Desi. I also loved the fact that we get to see his emotions. Most of the time with male love interests their emotions are either unknown or angry. Never sad or happy. Luca Drakos goes against all the stereotypes and really opens up to Desi. Sometimes I wished he would listen a little more but other than that he was a great character.

Regarding the k-drama inclusion, I was not disappointed. (I'm actually quite proud I recognized some of the titles.) It was adorable the way that the list was acted upon and I loved how even after Desi wasn't supposed to act on the rest of the list, the events still coincided with it. Nothing too heavy happened and it was so entertaining. 

About the ending, I like the fact that it was happy enough. Desi didn't get everything she wanted but she got enough to keep her happy. It provided closure about where Desi was going and how her and Luca turned out. It was a great ending to a lighthearted romcom and it made me feel at peace. 

Final Thoughts: Definitely read if you want something light and funny. Actually, definitely read in general. 

(Psssssssst... Like this review? Check out https://willreadanything.wordpress.com.)

This book is about one of my likelier fears. In the new age of technology basically anything can happen and that it terrifying.

First off, Kyla Cheng was tolerable. To some people she may seem like the worst person in the entire world but she was okay. I wouldn't kill to be her best friend but she wasn't that bad. She did what she had to and just because she fell under the title of popular didn't mean she was an awful human being. Most of the time. What she got was unfair and mean and there wasn't a good enough reason for it. 

I couldn't figure out if this book was set in the future or an alternate universe. Every fact supported the future theory except one thing. It is constantly stated in the book that no mere citizen has the technology to edit a face onto a video when it's clear that anyone could in our society. Video editing software is expensive and somewhat tedious to use but it can be done. If I had the time and money, I could probably do it under a month. This book makes it seem that CGI editing is basically impossible unless your in the government when that is definitely not the case (just take a look at Youtube videos). It's a major nagging plot hole that I couldn't shrug off. 

I'm surprised that no of the adults did anything about the problem. I'm pretty sure sexually explicit videos of minors, even if they're fake, is illegal. If this is supposed to take place in the future, wouldn't the laws have become even more strict considering how technology based society is? Why did no one seem concerned that someone basically ruined this girls future and it wasn't even real. 

The plot overall was fast paced and engaging, which I liked. It was very well written. The dialogue with all the weird saying was a bit difficult to get used to, but once you did it wasn't that bad. The characters were pretty well fleshed out and I liked how they interacted with each other. Overall, the book was a good read. 

*SPOILER WARNING*
Why wasn't anything done about the guy even before it happened to Kyla? Did no one care? The general apathy in this book astounded me. What he was doing wasn't legal yet no one stopped him. That's a major problem.
Also, I'm surprised that someone would do something so big just because she was ditched in middle school. Really? That's really immature. Not enough of a reason to ruin someone's life I think. I'm not sure what it was supposed to accomplish either. 

Final Thoughts: Read for an unrealistic yet engaging plot. 

(Pssst... Like my review? Check out https://willreadanything.wordpress.com)

The thickness off this book was intimidating. Until I realized that it had pictures. 

The format this book was written in is really intriguing. I haven't read a diary-esque book in a long time so I was really excited. I felt the diary entries were a little long (and filled with seemingly meaningless details) but I loved the illustrations that went with it. Overall, I did really like the writing style. 

Piper was an okay character. Often the problem with characters that have a "passion" for something is that they fall either into a stereotype or end up being bland because all they're personality comes form their hobby. Piper, unfortunately, wasn't an exception to this. Everything was just about her art and how much she loved art and how much she wanted to go to NY. It's stated so many times in the book I just started skimming over it. Also, the session with Andy Warhol. It wasn't incorporated subtly and felt forced into the narrative. Piper seemed pigeonholed into this one type of art and, even though her friends were doing different things, she just seemed to appreciate traditional forms. 

The other characters were weirdly written and but intriguing nonetheless. They started off as quirky props but eventually fleshed out into characters. I really hated the sister and skimmed through the scenes she was in. I didn't know why no one was doing anything about her. Why was she allowed to move back in? I never felt any sympathy for her and she seemed almost like a caricature or a villain in a kids movie. There wasn't anything for me to analyze.

As for the college aspect, I was surprised that she was allowed to apply for one college. Who actually thinks like that? And did no one think that maybe they should have looked into the tuition if she was going to get in? The whole thing seemed careless and made Piper look naive and bratty. It was a really disappointing subplot.

The main problem I had with this book is the lack of closure. We say Piper rise and fall but the ending seemed abrupt. We never found out what happened to the other characters or even what happened to Piper. A lot of assumptions had to be made to even get a slight idea of what was happening. 

Final Thoughts: Read this book if you're an artist or like books about artistic characters. 

(Psssst... Check out my blog for more reviews! https://willreadanything.wordpress.com )

I resent main characters that are social pariahs. It's okay if they're a group of social pariahs, but just a lone soul in high school that's an outcast because she likes to read? Unrealistic. I was hoping I could push that aside because the plot seemed intriguing. 

Flannery was the worst. She was filled with this woe-is-me teenage angst but still tried to make everyone believe that she was truly more mature than every other girl in the school. Her desperate need for validation was nauseating and I wouldn't have wanted to be in the same class with her in real life. If she was okay with being an outcast, she may have been tolerable, but she was hellbent on the idea that the only reason she wasn't liked was because she wasn't like those girls. In turn, she hated them. In addition to that, she has this unhealthy obsession with Ms. Sweeney. I had teachers I related to and liked but they never dictate by inner monologue. That's pathetic. But seeing that Flannery is as shallow as a kiddie pool, I'm not surprised. She was also super pretentious. She truly believed that she only had the right ideas and only because the other girls read icky YA fiction instead of good, wholesome, old books. In short, Flannery was the worst character I've ever read. 

Ms. Sweeney was literally Flannery as a grown woman except even more pretentious because she already went to Columbia! She knows everything! She is right all the time! I don't even think she deserved to be a teacher with the attitude she had toward her students. I know that, ideally, your students should be engaged in the syllabus but if they're doing their work without and problem doesn't that mean they deserve a good grade? Just because their views aren't on par with your own doesn't mean they need to be punished. I'm also convinced that the author had never talked to a teenager before. What AP senior student says that Anne Frank is boring? A badly written fictional one. Ms. Sweeney seemed so engrossed in her life that she could barely work efficiently rather be a good teacher. And every time she cried "feminism" I wanted to rip this book. Feminism isn't pitting perfectly good students against each other because only one side shares the same opinions as you on books. This is books we're talking about not rights. 

The writing itself was too flowery and over the top. I could care less for Ms. Sweeney's corrections, I just wanted to read the story. What surprised me the most was how the author constantly criticized teens who read popular YA fiction when that's exactly who this novel is catered book. Surprise! Girls who pick up your chick lit novel have probably read Twilight and Hunger Games! How can you actually criticize the reader of your novel? The same audience you're trying to appeal to? This novel was filled with the pretentiousness of a person whose read all the classics and somehow thinks that makes them superior. 

The plot was all over the place and super unrealistic. Flannery should've been dead at the end of this book because she really shouldn't be talking to that many strangers. Meaningful topics were used as cheap plot devices (see: mental illnesses) and the shallow characters only did what was expected of them. There was no closure and the ending still made no sense. Basically all characters, except for Flannery, disappear off the face of the Earth.

Final Thoughts: I don't know who this book would be engaging to. And I apologize for the rant. 

(Pssssst... Like this review? Check out my blog https://willreadanything.wordpress.com.)

I don't usually read crime thrillers but this book looked interesting so entered the Goodreads giveaway for it. Surprisingly, I won but that does not affect my review in any way.

Helen Grace was a likeable and a realistic character. She had enough emotional characteristic to make her seem real but she wasn't super emotionally taxing. At times I felt sad about her circumstances but I never felt that she was being too emotional.

The plot was fast-paced and easy to follow (especially considering I haven't read the previous books). The narrative was riveting and I couldn't put the book down. I especially liked the fact that the chapters in the point of view of the supporting characters were kept short so that I could focus on the main storyline. There were quite a few plot twists that kept the book interesting and the writing captivated the reader. 

Though the book was good, at some points it seemed to unrealistic and almost rushed. I wish some parts were more detailed so I could understand how certain situations happened. A little more detail could've made the surprise ending more believable. 

Final Thoughts: A riveting thriller worth reading again.

I'm all for redemption arcs. I love me some misunderstood villains. But when these arcs aren't done right is where the problem really happens.

This book is really progressive and diverse. I love basically all the characters except the one I was supposed to pity. She's too arrogant, ignorant and bigoted for me to take her seriously and even after the ending the author couldn't really bring me to stop hating her. She got basically everything she wanted and her actions were cruel so there really was no reason for any of the character to open up to her.

Overall, disappointing.

Some parts of the story dragged on and some parts seemed trivial and unnecessary. But otherwise a compelling novel about how mental illness affects not only those diagnosed but others around them. Some of the characters I didn't feel for as much as I should but overall a good book.

I cant even explain to you how good of a book this is. I highly recommend it to everyone. Emotional and well thought out male characters but also gray areas. Its amazing. A definite read.

I liked a lot of this book. I actually liked most of it. The characters were fleshed out, the plot had clear definition. The main problem I had with this book is how the main character blatantly refuses to listen to her doctors. After the abortion she refuses to do basically everything the doctor tells her to do. Though I believe in some sort of realistic portayal of teenage rebellion, this seemed dangerous and unnecessary. Otherwise a great novel and would definitely recommend.

An amazing novel that really makes you FEEL. I want expecting a lot from this book considering how short it was but I was proven wrong. The characters feel so real and the ending is very nice closure. Definitely recommend.