Showing posts with label Friendship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Friendship. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han 5 ✭

Title: 
P.S. I Still Love You
Author: 
Jenny Han
Publisher: 
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Series: 
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Genre: 
Young Adult, Contemporary Romance, Social & Family Issues
Publish Date: 
May 26, 2015
Sold by: 
Simon & Schuster
Pages: 
353
Ages: 
12 & up
Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭
Jenny Han has continued Lara Jean's story in the most adorable and total Lara Jean way possible. At the time of my review, Netflix IS going to make a sequel. It deserves it in my opinion. This saga is just so perfect. I will watch the hell out of it.

Since the story is a little changed from the first book to the movie, I can see how the second book will be changed. Although, I don't see it really having to change much. I mean, really what was changed was some character backstory. Who was a first kiss and how, how they all know each other and just a little more background? It's why you can read the books and watch the movie so easy. Again, I am predicting that the book and movie will complement each other just like they did before.

Lara Jean and Peter are actually dating in this book, for real this time. It is sweet and fun. However, Lara Jean has a lot of trouble with the fact that Peter still talks to his ex, Gen, all the time. This is a very real situation. I had a similar one when I was 16. The boy is trying to be friends with the ex, but also trying to still be your boyfriend. You want to hate that he isn't 100% only loyal to LJ, but really if he was able to ditch his ex so easily, what kind of person would that make him? Right so, with that in mind, there is VALUE to this book, other than it being a teen love. Also, another love letter recipient and LJ start getting close. LJ is in a confusing time with her boyfriend always being with his ex, and getting this new fresh attention from a new boy. It is a really confusing time for her. Again, this plays out so natural that you can read right through it so fast.

Another aspect of this story other than the total teen triangle is the affect dating has on a family. Yes, you see this in the first book. The first book was Margot relationship and its effect. This is how LJ's relationship/friendships affect their whole family. How it changes interaction with a sibling and even the parent. There are different ways that LJ father changes for a couple of scenes just because of events that have happened, however, her father isn't there too much to really see that impact. It's more about Kitty. Kitty has been attached to both her sisters' boyfriends. I can relate my little sister still remembers and adores my one ex. She knows nothing of the problems we had, but to her, he was just the best.

I love these characters. I love how the story is playing out. I hope with the final book Peter starts acting like he is growing up because I feel like the progression for him is stagnant. We will see. Always and Forever, Lara Jean is next. I'm hoping to enjoy this one as much as the others.


You should check out a Free Sample read of P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han below, without even leaving the page!

Monday, December 10, 2018

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han 5 ✭


Title: 
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Author: 
Jenny Han
Publisher: 
Simon & Shuster Books for Young Readers
Series: 
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Genre: 
Young Adult, Romance, Social & Family Issues
Publish Date: 
April 15, 2014
Sold by: 
Simon & Schuster Books
Pages: 
368
Ages: 
12 & up
 Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

My sister and I have been talking about this movie non-stop for a week. She's in her early 20's and I just turned 33 this month. I am a reader, and she really isn't. So I grabbed the book set on Amazon. I got it at a steal using coupons and stuff, $13. For example, there is currently a coupon for $5 off a $20 paperback purchase, which is one of the ones I used when I got my books. I got a set for me and my sister. I'm pretty sure she is going to read these books. She already said she would so that is her Christmas Present.

So I am a big fan of the movie, and I can say, so far, I am a fan of the first book just as much. There are definitely changes between the book and movie. However, it doesn't really make one better than the other in my opinion. They just sort of enhance each other in different ways. It's like the movie Serenity and the show Firefly to me. They are essentially the same story, just done a little different from the same people. You can really see the actor's from the movie fitting in these rolls of the book. I've watched the movie I think three times and just finished the book. All in a couple weeks. This book is definitely something that can be read multiple times, just like the movie.

This book is supremely relatable to a young girl and her first crushes. You get to hear from Lara Jean's perspective of her past major loves that she has moved on from. You get to see more of each individual boys letter that she has written. Jenny Han has done an amazing job of making you understand what Lara Jean is feeling and has gone through. It is believable and realistic. I mean, hell, I still remember mine. I remember all my crushes and my absolute love and the ridiculously embarrassing love letters I wrote to those boys. I can't wait for my daughter to read these when she hits that age because I think these are a sweet way to see another person going through the motions of multiple strong loves. I remember my mom talking to me about boys when I was a kid, and it was embarrassing and I didn't even want to relate to my mom. I feel like as a mom now, who was a boy-crazy teen, I can see these (and the movie) being a really good way to talk to my future teen daughter.


Other than the basic breakdown of the book. I don't have much else to say. I think it is an amazing book. I am really happy that I got this book set. I plan on reading the next book now. As a mom, I would recommend this. To the mom, and to the teen. 

Check out a Free Sample read of Jenny Han's amazing book below without even leaving the page!

Saturday, July 21, 2018

The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead 3 ✭

Title: 
The Glittering Court
Author: 
Richelle Mead
Publisher:
Razorbill
Series: 
The Glittering Court
Genre: 
Young Adult, Romance, Historical
Publish Date:
April 5, 2016
Sold by: 
Penguin Group (USA) LLC
Pages: 
403
Ages: 
Teen
*Box or No box? Look at previous posts to see the difference in set up. I feel like trying something different.
Rating: ✭✭✭

So I am really not sure what to rate this one. I am really not. I have read 2 series by Richelle Mead and I have really loved them. I couldn't get into the one with the little alchemist even though I enjoyed the vampire academy series.

I did borrow an audiobook version of the story and while I listened I felt like I was getting a story of beginning settlements in America. But the names of countries were changed. I guess that's the part that I felt wasn't necessary. If you are going write a period piece that sounds historically like a specific situation, then say that. Call a spade a spade, ya know. It just felt like reading/listening to a great American settlement story and then trying to sound a little more trendy so like let's give the places some new names, but the same accents you would anyways.

The characters are worth the read at least. You have your strong female lead, Adelaide, who expresses her opinions and stands up for others. The men are written pretty well with devious and intelligent sides. Adelaide's friends are good side characters that provide an extra mysteriousness and humor. So you have a cast of characters that bring a lot to the book. You even get this common lackey type of character found in a lot of movies. You know the one that less intelligent and is always nasty with words. I really would go into the characters more, but that's the whole story really and don't want to spoiler it. The whole story is basically the interaction of Adelaide, Cedric, her friends, and the young governor once she's in America, I mean Adoria.

If I am not mistaken the other books in the series are about Adelaide's two best friends that she met in the finishing school she didn’t need. The second book is about Mira who is looked down upon because she is a refugee trying her best to get her freedom. And the third and final book is the other best friend in the trio, Tamsin's story. From what I see it almost looks like it may take place simultaneously as the first book. So these aren't your typical chronological romance series, nope these sound like they are different perspectives of the same events. This idea really makes me interested in the series. Adelaide's book was just cut and dry and basic. But there were seems where Tamsin was lost at sea, and then maybe lost at sea again. And Mira is mysterious and always running off, or hidden somewhere. So there really is a possibility for the story to really get me into it. I just don't know if this intro to the world and people were enough to pull me in.


If you would like to read a free sample of The Glittering Court,
you can do that below without leaving the page.