so powerful, really resonated

Love is a Revolution – Renee Watson

Love, dating, self-acceptance, social action, Jamacian Americans, Harlem, New York, Young Adult, POC representation, fiction. 

Rating 10/10

Nala goes to an open mic night with her cousin for her birthday. When one of the poet activists, Tye, goes on stage her attention is drawn to him. She makes herself more relatable to him by omitting lies and she struggles to keep them straight as she is falling more and more for Tye. Her relationship with her cousin isn’t easy either and Nala learns to stop and reflect. She needs to love herself first and in turn love Tye. 

My heart vibed with what the author wanted to express through this narrative. Love can really change and inspire a person to love themselves better. I loved the place and this felt so real that I was there. I was witnessing everything happening with Nala and her interactions. Everyone needs to go pick up this book and read this novel. I can’t express how much I love this book. I did borrow this from the library and I am definitely going to buy the book. Then most likely read it again because it was so good. I finished this book in one day and it’s that type of book that can be read in one sitting because the pacing is perfect. I do not see enough hype but this book deserves so much more hype.

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yummy romance

My Favorite Half Night Stand – Christina Lauren

Romance, comedy, social media, dating apps, fiction. 

Rating 9/10

Millie and Reid get incredibly drunk and have a one night stand. After that night, they talk to each other about remaining friends and only friends. Millie doesn’t want to remain friends and neither does Reid. Millie helps set him and their mutual friends up with dating profiles. She makes her own and a fake one. The fake one matched with Reid so she accepted the match. Reid doesn’t know that this Cathrine was really Millie. This goes on for a while until Reid finds out the truth. Millie attempts to fix their friendship that leads to both of them confessing their feelings to each other. 

I loved this book. The characters are incredibly lovable and the plot is purely amazing. I was thrilled and intrigued at the idea that Millie was being herself through Catharine and yet Reid was totally oblivious. I binged this book a little fast because I was wanting to know if and when Reid would realize. I have to say that he was sort of a bad friend for not knowing Millie that well as he should have. Either way, I loved this book and I do recommend this novel.

the benefits of being a dog walker…

The Unexpected Everything – Morgan Matson

Fathers and daughters, friendship, love, social issues, family, young adult, fiction.

Rating 7/10

Andie has had everything mapped out and preplanned and rehearsed in her life so there would be no surprises nor changes in plans. She usually is very organized to the point she had her summer planned. She would go to work as an intern hopefully. When plans fall through Andie had to make alternative plans, meaning she has to resort to being a dog walker. She meets Clark, an older teenager, who unexpectedly transforms her life and perspective.

I was all right with this novel. Was not my favorite but it was somewhat good. The growing romance between Andie and Clark was cute at least and the father daughter relationship evolved into a deeper connection. My favorite character would have to be Clark for his mysterious and social awkwardness personality was intriguing and relatable. The mere fact that he got her to do things she had never done before nor considered doing.

that was dark…

Friend Request – Laura Marshall

Psychological thriller, social media, friends, stalkers, fiction.

Rating 9/10

Louise gets a Facebook request from Maria Weston, a supposed dead high school teenager that they went to school with long ago. Louise wonders if she is actually alive or if this was just a prank or a hoax. Louise reminisces their time together as well as what she had done to Maria. The action she did haunted her entire life and this friend request sends her off the rails. When messages start appearing, things take a dark turn. Louise finds out the truth behind Maria Weston and is scared for her life.

This novel was intriguing for sure and did have a plot twist I didn’t expect to read. Well, actually a few plot twists I didn’t see coming. I was predicting one outcome but got another that was better than what I had originally expected. When reading this, do not have any expectations other than to have chills sent down one’s spine and expect the unexpected for sure. This author really done a good job with this specific genre and cliché. Changed it and morphed it into a thriller page turner.

Isolation Can Be BAD

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine – Gail Honeyman

Single women, social isolation, intergenerational relations, friendship, computer technicians, Glasgow, Ireland, psychological, contemporary women, fiction.

Rating 7/10

Eleanor Oliphant is a woman with an interesting personality and ideology for life due to her past trauma involving a psychotically mentally ill mother. Eleanor has a schedule that consists of Monday through Friday working at her job. From Friday to Sunday, she drinks one bottle of vodka throughout the weekend and doing her usual routine. Eleanor is fine with this lifestyle. When unusual and unpolite behavior comes across her way, she tries to understand life through her own ways of interpretation. Raymond comes into her life and he changes her life. Raymond shows her that life should be way better than just fine. Through life changing events, Eleanor heals from past trauma and becomes herself the way she wants to be.

I did like this book in the beginning. As I saw one of my college professors reading this novel and spoke about the novel with deep interest. I personally saw Eleanor as antisocial, but I had guessed due to past traumas. Overall, this book was fine and was short but with a thick plot that should’ve and could’ve been expanded into a lengthier story. I just did not like the climax, but the ending sufficed enough. Maybe in the future I will reread this novel and give the novel another chance possibly.