The Trouble With Flying by Rochelle Morgan - A Review

Synopsis: Sarah doesn’t talk to strangers. It’s awkward, stressful, and there’s the uncontrollable blushing to worry about. When she boards a plane to fly home after an overseas holiday, she plans to stick her nose in a book and ignore everyone around her.

Aiden’s terrified of flying, and it’s his first time on a plane. If he can distract himself by talking non-stop for the entire flight, he will. Too bad for Sarah he’s sitting right next to her.

Against all Sarah’s expectations, she ends up enjoying Aiden’s company. They laugh, argue, concoct stories about other passengers, and accidentally hold hands during the turbulence. When the time comes to say goodbye, Sarah can’t help the crazy thought that she shouldn’t let Aiden go. 

Then he kisses her.

And then he’s gone.

With her world turning upside down in more ways than one, Sarah has to make a decision: stick with the safe, predictable life that’s been mapped out for her, or find the courage to go after what she truly wants.

Genre: YA/NA Contemporary

Rating: 4.5/5

Thoughts:

I'm an absolute sucker for a good romance novel, and this book did not disappoint me. I actually found it to be very interesting, for a variety of reasons. First, it's set in South Africa! As an American reader, I'm used to books being set in America (or in a fantasy or science fiction location that doesn't exist!) Despite the foreign location, I found myself intrigued by the culture and customs that were mentioned, like the gates around the house and the different name for beef jerky.  Second, I just found the characters and their actions to be so realistic and believable. Rochelle Morgan's writing definitely kept me engaged and interested all the way through. I read this book in a single day, sneaking in pages between my other daily tasks. 

While some might think that the romance between Aiden and Sarah couldn't happen in real life, I disagree. Life is full of weird coincidences. While I'll admit that some of the twists and turns felt too convenient for real life, I was willing to suspend my disbelief for the sake of the story, which already had me hooked from the very start.

Speaking of the start, I really loved the first chapters of the novel, which all took place on the airplane or at the airport. I think that they did a really good job of setting up the characters, their personalities, and part of their pasts. The author did a great job of peppering in minor details that hint at things, but at the same time don't give anything away.

I think that Sarah is a very relatable character, especially for college students. She's not sure about her current relationship or her college major, which I'm pretty sure that a lot of people worry about. Her reactions and emotions throughout the novel felt very real, and, given that she's the first person narrator through which we experience the novel, I could sympathize with her a lot. She's a writer just like me, so I really liked her as a character.

As for the drama in the book, that's where I'm deducting half of a star. I won't spoil anything, but it felt sort of hollow and drawn out. Of course, watching Sarah figure out her life and the cute romance scenes were what I really wanted to see, the drama just seemed a bit lackluster to me. 

All in all, I'd definitely recommend this book. I was able to read it for free because I'm an Amazon Prime member, and there's a prime reading library that you can borrow books from! I'm super excited to check out the other books available there, and to review them here! Fans of Gail Forman's Just One Day will love this swoon worthy read featuring unlikely, foreign romances!

The Other Side Of Gravity by Shelly Crane - A Review

Synopsis: My name is Maxton and I’m a trader.

I live on a soulless planet where gravity, oxygen, and everything else are sold to the highest bidder on the black market. People are sold on the black market, too. You have to work really hard not to become one of those people. Pay your taxes, keep your friends and family close, and more than anything else—don’t get caught by the Militia. But all the rules changed for me the day I found her.

My name is Sophelia and I’m a stowaway.

I’ve been a slave for almost as long as I can remember. Waiting for the one day, one second, for my proprietor to turn his head so I could run and never look back. Now I'm on the run. And on a planet where no one is on your side and people would turn you in for a good meal or a piece of a silver, being on the run on Landu is the last place you want to be. Until he found me.

I won't survive without him.

I can't breathe without her. 

Rating: 5/5

Thoughts: *I received a free ebook copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.* 

Oh. My. Gosh. It's been a while since I've read a book that I've really enjoyed. I've been so busy with schoolwork and finishing up my high school career that until recently, I've had to put this blog on hold. I'm pleased to be back with new book reviews, as well as new content.

The Other Side of Gravity is a book that I made time to read during my studies. I would sneak a few pages during dinner, before going to bed, or between long study sessions. With some books, this would have never worked, but this fast paced and action-packed novel kept me on the edge of  my seat whenever I got a chance to read. 

The plot of the novel is quite interesting, and the narrative features both Sophelia's and Maxton's alternating point of views, which allowed for different insight on the same events. In some novels, this can be a bit annoying, as the same events are described by both characters, but in this novel, the point of views pick off where the other left off for the most part, with repeated sections only for the sake of clarity or to show drastically different ideas. 

There were plenty of quotable moments, and I made sure to capture many of them with the highlight feature of my kindle for future reference. Here are a few of my favorites:

• "Because your soul, on this soulless planet, sticks out like one star in a starless sky. And it’s beautiful."
• "He said that people don’t make mistakes, they just make a learning curve for everybody else."
• "You are worth more than what is in your pockets. You’re worth what’s in your mind and what’s in your heart."

These quotes encompass just a small fraction of the lovely lines and dialogue that inhabit this novel. The author's way with words certainly shines, especially in the dialogue between Maxton and Sophelia.

Speaking of the characters, they were actually quite believable. Maxton is the perfect blend of respectful, realistic, and daring. He's a black market dealer who knows what he wants and needs for his family, but also knows that other people's lives are important as well. He's compassionate, and just the person that Sophelia needs. 
Speaking of Sophelia, she's simultaneously broken and strong, with a quick wit, a protective shell, but also a sense of duty and justice. Both characters are definitely characters who could be looked up to as role models for teenagers. 

I'm excited to see where this new series will go, and I can't wait to read the second book. Shelly Crane obviously knows her craft, and creates intricate and intriguing worlds and characters that come to life in the reader's mind. Fans of Marie Lu's Legend and Veronica Roth's Insurgent will love this book.

Creep Con by Kim Firmston - A Review

Synopsis: Feeling like an outsider in a new city and at a new school, Mariam finds that her love of comic-book superheroes overlaps with the interests of a new friend who is otaku, crazy about manga and anime. Together, Mariam and Tya plan their costumes for the big fan convention. Mariam is comfortable with her choice of character, partly because as Haruhi, she can dress in a costume that doesn't bare too much skin.

When Tya can't go to the convention, Mariam is relieved to meet up with some boys who are dressed as the rest of the group from Haruhi's manga. Rick, dressed as Haruh''s love interest, insists that Mariam spend all her time with him, doing things that their characters like to do and playing out their romance. When he tries to physically force himself on her, Mariam realizes that Rick is taking the game way too seriously, but how can she escape his attention?

This novel explores the appealing world of comic books and graphic novels that has growing numbers of young people exploring role playing and attending fan conventions. 

Rating: 3/5

Thoughts: *I received a free ebook copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.* 

As a fan of anime, manga, and comic books, I felt at home with this novel. Many recognizable shows and characters, such as Haruhi of Ouran High School Host Club and the countries of Hetalia, were mentioned, some of which even come to play big roles in the plot. 

Despite this book having references to things that I'm interested in, it fell short for me in a variety of ways. 

The plot was very slow at the beginning, and it felt like there was less of the actual Con than Mariam's personal life, which consists of her extremely over protective mother, (even my mom isn't that over protective!) her new friend Tya, who gets her interested in Anime, and her trying to keep in contact with her old friends via video chat. The characters seemed to be mostly stereotypes, with the sweet, yet manipulative prince charming, the overly-excited

To be honest, Mariam felt like a bit of a push-over. Sure, she was dealing with manipulative characters (Rick, and to some extent, Tya,) but she should have had more of a backbone in order to keep from doing things she wasn't comfortable with. I believe that she could serve as an example of what not to do, such as leaving crowded areas while in dangerous situations and always going with a friend in crowded unfamiliar places. She was our main character, and she seemed to be a very flat character. There was nothing about her that really made me want to root for her, and I didn't feel any connections aside from our shared love of comics and anime. 

Still, I won't say that it wasn't a good book. There were plenty of amusing pop culture references and it's definitely an eye opener for people who go to cons. No matter what they say about cosplay and consent, there are always people who will abuse the fun of the con and ruin it for others. People planning to go to cons will probably learn a bit from this book. 

Fans of Gamer Girl by Mari Mancusi will enjoy this novel, as well as anyone who wants to read about Comic/Anime culture and conventions. People planning on attending a con in the future will find this to be an enlightening cautionary novel. 

We Own The Night by Ashley Poston

Synopsis:
As a candy store employee by day, and mysterious deejay "Niteowl" by night, eighteen-year-old Ingrid North is stuck between rock 'n roll and a hard place. She can't wait to get out of her tiny hometown of Steadfast, Nebraska (population three hundred and forty-seven) to chase her dreams, but small-town troubles keep getting in the way. She can't abandon her grandmother with Alzheimer's, or her best friend Micah--who she may or may not be in love with.

But for one hour each Saturday, she escapes all of that. On air, she isn't timid, ugly-sweater-wearing Ingrid North. She's the funny and daring Niteowl. Every boy's manic pixie dream girl. Fearless. And there is one caller in particular-- Dark and Brooding--whose raspy laugh and snarky humor is just sexy enough to take her mind off Micah. Not that she's in love with Micah or anything. Cause she's not. 

As her grandmother slips further away and Micah begins dating a Mean-Girls-worthy nightmare, Ingrid runs to the mysterious Dark and Brooding as a disembodied voice to lean on, only to fall down a rabbit hole of punk rockstars, tabloid headlines, and kisses that taste like bubble tea. But the man behind the voice could be surprising in all the right, and wrong, ways.

And she just might find that her real life begins when Niteowl goes off the air.

Rating: 5/5

Thoughts: *I received a free ebook copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.* 

As of this late, contemporary, post-high school, pre-college books are officially my thing. Saying goodbye to the past, embracing the future, and experiencing new things are all part of my near future as I prepare to graduate from high school (I'm graduating today, actually!) and leave to college next year, as they are part of Ingrid North's life in this novel. While our lives are very different (I attended a large school with a graduating class of about 700 versus her class of 30-ish students, and I run a book blog, as opposed to her saturday night radio show) I think that the experience of making big life decisions and letting go of the people you've always known is one shared by many people in the 17-19 age range.  

In addition to making big life decisions, there's also the concepts of unrequited love, unaware love, and family love. I won't say how or in who, but the relationships that Ingrid forms with those around her are very realistic. There are fights and moments of irrationality and dark emotions, which is so much better than in some novels in which the friends never fight. There are real life issues as well, such as grief, bullying and health issues. This novel isn't just about Ingrid's radio show; it's about her experiences just after high school graduation, which just so happens to include her radio show and potential internship.

Speaking of the that, author Ashley Poston expertly balanced the different aspects of Ingrid's life, making sure that her family, friends, and radio show all got their time. Additionally, the band Roman Holiday, which I just found out is from the companion novel to this book, called The Sound of Us, is interwoven throughout the book, be it through suggested hints during the radio show, or actually mentioned by the characters. We Own the Night is actually the "sequel" to The Sound of Us, but rest assured that you don't need to read them in any particular order! You're not missing out on anything. I am excited to actually read the Sound of us, though. It's next on my TBR list!

All-in-all, this book is great for those in the transition period after high school, or for high school seniors ready to leave the nest. Fans of Cori McCarthy's You Were Here will love this contemporary young adult novel. 

Be sure to pick up your copy when this novel comes out next month on June 28th! For now, add it to your Goodreads TBR list!

What We Left Behind by Robin Talley - A Review

Synopsis: From the critically acclaimed author of Lies We Tell Ourselves comes an emotional, empowering story of what happens when love may not be enough to conquer all.

Toni and Gretchen are the couple everyone envied in high school. They've been together forever. They never fight. They’re deeply, hopelessly in love. When they separate for their first year at college—Toni to Harvard and Gretchen to NYU—they’re sure they’ll be fine. Where other long-distance relationships have fallen apart, theirs is bound to stay rock-solid.

The reality of being apart, though, is very different than they expected. Toni, who identifies as genderqueer, meets a group of transgender upperclassmen and immediately finds a sense of belonging that has always been missing, but Gretchen struggles to remember who she is outside their relationship.

While Toni worries that Gretchen won’t understand Toni’s new world, Gretchen begins to wonder where she fits in Toni's life. As distance and Toni’s shifting gender identity begins to wear on their relationship, the couple must decide—have they grown apart for good, or is love enough to keep them together?

Rating: 4/5
Thoughts: *I received a copy of this book in a goodreads giveaway for an honest review*

Let's talk about this novel. I was really excited to read this, and after waiting a couple of months after the giveaway ended, I finally received my sturdy hardcover copy. I immediately got to reading it, often pausing during holiday decorating to sneak in a few pages.
Now, is this the best book I've ever read? No, not by far. It's a New Adult (NA) novel that deals with LGBTQ+ characters and their struggle to find their identities. I must say that we have a lot of representation in this novel, not just in terms of sexual and gender orientation, but also in race. Because this novel takes place at college, there are many students who are minorities, including two new friends of Toni.
Now... those are some of the strong points, the characters, the identities, and the minorities. The concept is there, but for me, it wasn't executed in the best way. I myself am not trans or genderqueer, so I can't vouch for the accuracy of the portrayal of the characters, but I found myself getting confused very often. From how the novel explained it, Gender queer is sort of an in between stage between being transgender or cisgender, but from my understanding from outside sources, it's not just a transition phase of figuring out one's gender. Some people identify always as gender queer, not totally cis, not totally trans, but finding themselves in the space between. This novel made it seem like something else, and I feel that for people seeking to educate themselves of sexuality and gender might confuse themselves or believe in something that isn't entirely true. However, I have a feeling that this may have been done in order to show the confusion that the characters, particularly Gretchen, felt while trying to figure everything out with conflicting sources.
As for the story, it's about two girls going off to different colleges, and the relationship struggles that they face while there. If it sounds like your typical NA college novel, you're right. We've got the trust issues, the new friends, and the self-discovery that comes along with college and long-distance relationships. I found myself liking Toni's story more, as she dealt more with the self-discovery, while Gretchen dealt with trust issues and new emotions and opinions about their relationship. To be honest, Gretchen and one of her new friends got on my nerves, and toward the end, something very strange happens between them that honestly just confused me greatly.
In the end, I'd recommend this book, but keep in mind that I don't know if this is an accurate portrayal of LGBTQ+ people. Other reviewers might be able to tell you differently, but in my own opinion, it was a good NA novel that for once didn't deal with finding a new relationship, but maintaining and figuring out what they left behind.

Anything You Want by Geoff Herbach - A Review

Synopsis:  Expect a bundle of joy—er, trouble—in this hilarious, heartwarming story from the award-winning author of Stupid Fast Geoff Herbach

Taco's mom always said, "Today is the best day of your life, and tomorrow will be even better." That was hard to believe the day she died of cancer and when Taco's dad had to move up north for work, but he sure did believe it when Maggie Corrigan agreed to go with him to junior prom. Taco loves Maggie- even more than the tacos that earned him his nickname. And she loves him right back.

Except all that love? It gets Maggie pregnant. Everyone else may be freaking out, but Taco can't wait to have a real family again. He just has to figure out what it means to be a dad and how to pass calculus. And then there's getting Maggie's parents to like him. Because it would be so much easier for them to be together if he didn't have to climb the side of the Corrigans' house to see her...

Rating: 1/5

Thoughts: *I received a free ebook copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.*
I... I don't know what to say. In all of the long years I've spent reading, there have been very few books that have made me so frustrated and annoyed that I literally want to throw the book across the room and never pick it up again. Unfortunately, I read this book on my kindle, so I wasn't going to throw the book. Instead, I settled for aggressively shutting the cover on it.
The synopsis of Anything You Want suggests good potential. Teen pregnancy, unsupportive/absent families, and still a positive outlook on life? Sounds great, huh? Well.... no.
Reading this, I found myself frequently cringing and almost giving up on the novel. To be honest, the only thing that allowed me to finish this book was the idea of writing a review when I finished. I wasn't going to let my thoughts on this novel stay locked away in my head forever. Others need to know as well.
So... I think that the main problem I had with this novel was the writing style that results from the POV of the novel. It's told directly from Taco's point of view. As I said on a "Currently Reading Sunday" a few weeks ago, I honestly think that "Taco" has some mental problems. He's so optimistically pleasant, even in the worst situations. In some characters, such a child, it could be endearing. In Taco, it's the most annoying thing. He's so madly in love with his girlfriend that he gets himself into serious trouble in so many ways, including police incidents and the pregnancy that this book is about. He's immature, does completely idiotic things, and there are some sections where calls himself, other characters, and possibly the reader a dingus. Thing is, coming from an Econ class where dingus almost became a term of endearment, it's a bit weird to hear it like this, used in a strange grammatical way. It just didn't flow right.
We do get to see Taco mature a little bit throughout the novel, as he comes to terms with certain elements of his life and makes responsible choices that help him and those around him. However, I still couldn't find it in myself to enjoy the novel. I think I kept flipping pages just so I could see how the whole semi-idiotic affair would end (note: While I was not very impressed, I was satisfied, all things considered.) I'm not trying to malicious in this review; this is my honest opinion about the novel. I won't say that it was the worst book I've ever read, because I've read some awful novels in my time, but... it's getting there.
So.... in conclusion, if you're looking a nice contemporary novel, stay very far away from this book. If you're looking for something cringe-worthy and hard to read, by all means, go read this. You probably won't enjoy it, but... do whatever you want, dingus.

Top Ten Tuesday: Some Music Related Books that I Love!

Hello Starlight-Readers! Today's prompt for TTT was a freebie, so I decided to go over some music related books that I love!!!

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