Book Review: Walk the Edge by Katie McGarry

Title: Walk the Edge

Author: Katie McGarry

Series/Standalone: Thunder Road Trilogy (Book #2)

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary

Pages: 426

Publisher: Harlequin TEEN

Year Published: 2016

Format: Hardcover Copy (Own It)

"One moment of recklessness will change their worlds.

Smart. Responsible. That's seventeen-year-old Breanna's role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of the line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyber-bully's line of fire- and brings fellow senior Thomas 'Razor' Turner into her life.

Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don't belong. But when he learns she's being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them- a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness- he knows it's time to step outside the rules.

And so they make a pact: he'll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she'll help him seek answers to the mystery that's haunted him- one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they're both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they're going from here."

My Rating: 3.5/5

I really do think that these would have been my shit when I was younger, but at my age they're just fun. Although this series does deal with very heavy topics (self-harm, depression, cyberbullying, etc.) it also has some pretty sweet romances within the motorcycle club. I liked the subplot of figuring out what was happening within the club in the past. I love the trope of the good girl falls for the bad boy, but there were more than a few moments that Razor acted in a way that was red flag, after red flag. If someone I was related too was dating a guy who punched drywall, I would not be on board with it. I'll probably keep reading the trilogy for fun, but I'm not in a huge rush to pick up the next one. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry

Title: Nowhere But Here

Author: Katie McGarry

Series/Standalone: Thunder Road Series (Book #1)

Genre: Young Adult, Romance

Pages: 496

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Year Published: 2015

Format: Paperback Copy (Own It)

First Line: "Top three awful moments of my life:"

"Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father- the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent- but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns into an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're ... family. And while Emily- the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member- is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on Is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home."

My Rating: 4.75/5

I really loved this book which I wasn't expecting. I didn't think that a young adult biker romance would really do it for me but this book is exactly what I needed. I do wish that it was a new adult rather than YA but I understand why the author made the decisions she did. The characters in this book were dynamic, the atmosphere was great and the world was interesting. This book has a few makeout scenes, but obviously, it has no smut so if that's what you're looking for this is not for you. But if you want a slow burn, forced proximity romance between people figuring out who they are, I would recommend it. I plan to continue reading the series asap.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Four Weeks, Five People by Jennifer Yu

Title: Four Weeks, Five People
Author: Jennifer Yu
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Mental Health, Young Adult, Contemporary
Pages: 384
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Year Published: 2017
Format: Hardcover (Own It)
First Line: "A few words of advice for those attending Camp Ugunduzi for the first time:"

"They're more than their problems.

Obsessive-compulsive teen Clarissa wants to get better, if only so her mother will stop asking her if she's okay.

Andrew wants to overcome his eating disorder so he can get back to his band and their dreams of becoming famous.

Film aficionado Ben would rather live in the movies than in reality.

Gorgeous and overly confident Mason things everyone is an idiot.

And Stella just doesn't want to be back for her second summer of wilderness therapy.

As the five teens get to know one another and work to overcome the various disorders that have affected their lives, they find themselves forming bonds they never thought they would, discovering new truths about themselves and actually looking forward to the future."

My Rating: 4/5

I think that this book is an important read for all youth, but I also think that it was just a case of right book wrong time for me. In another time I might have rated this book a 5/5, but it just didn't seem to click with me 100% this time when I read it. That being said, I really loved the characters and the diverse cast. I think it's important to realize with mental illness that it doesn't just have one face, gender or race. It can look different on everyone. 
I also appreciated the idea that it takes time to heal and get better, it's not immediate and not all the characters in the book were magically "cured" which is something I hate.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Spoiler: Four Weeks, Five People by Jennifer Yu

I think that I explained my thoughts in the review about how this book probably would have been 5/5 stars if I had been in the right mindset. It was really promising to start but I found the potential romances to be slightly annoying. That being said I enjoyed the diversity of the characters and their illnesses. It wasn't stereotypical, as the characters were not miraculously cured. It really makes you think about the time it takes to feel better and how it isn't a forever cure in most cases. 

Characters:
Adam: He broke my heart into a million pieces. I understood how he felt so helpless and how he wanted to get better but wasn't able to do the follow through because the idea of being better was amazing, but the getting there was harder than expected. I would hope with time he would be able to recover.

Stella: I think that I related to her the most. The feeling of giving up and rationalizing whether recovering is even worth it. I'm viewed often as being the most pessimistic in my friend group.  Also, the way she reacted to those around her, she seemed callous but the more you got to know her the more you realized that she was too scared to become attached.

Clarissa: I was very interested in her perspective, especially since at the start of the story her OCD was influencing her life so negatively, but as I read, I was a little disappointed that it seemed her relationship with Ben is what really helped her. At the same time, I think that being around people who have similar conditions.

Ben: I was also curious about the way his emotions flowed. I was curious to see how that would pan out in the everyday world and continue to wonder about this.

Mason: This is something I think that was hard to swallow, his character flaws are actually mental illness symptoms.

Jessie: I'm not sure I agree with her tactics of breaking Stella out of her shell, but it seemed to work better for her than the hippie-dippie stuff. 

Josh: I think his hippie ways kind of made me happy. He really believed in what he was doing and that it would work to help these teens. 

Moments to Remember:

Final Line: "And maybe, for now, that's good enough for me."

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Book Review: Firstlife by Gena Showalter

Title: Firstlife
Author: Gena Showalter
Series/Standalone: Everlife (Book #1)
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Dystopian
Pages: 438
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Year Published: 2016
Format: Physical Copy
First Line: "Duuude."

"I've been told history is written by survivors. But I know that isn't always true. My name is Tenley Lockwood, and very soon, I'll be dead. This is my story- but the end is only the beginning.

Tenley 'Ten' Lockwood has spent the past thirteen months locked inside the Prynne Asylum. She's earned her rep as the craziest of the crazies, but that doesn't stop the torture. Ten can leave, but only if she allows her parents to choose where she'll live- after she dies.

There is an eternal truth most of the world has come to accept: Firstlife is merely a dress rehearsal, and real life begins after death.

In the Everlife, two realms are in power: Troika and Myriad, longtime enermies and deadly rivals. Both will do anything to recruit Ten, including sending their top Laborers to lure her to their side. Soon, Ten finds herelf on the run, caught in a wild tug-of-war between the boy she's falling for and the realm she wants to support. Who will she choose? Can she stay alive long enough to make a decision?"

My Rating: 2/5

This book was a lot more religious than I expected. I should have guessed based on the premise but unfortunately I didn't expect there to be a totally right and wrong choice. I also didn't expect the book to take a whole evil on one side approach. I was interested in the idea, and had planned to continue the series but after how underwhelming this story is, I also don't believe that I'll be continuing this series anytime soon.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Spoiler: Firstlife by Gena Showalter

Overall I really didn't enjoy this book. The writing style and the content were not all I had hoped for. At first I thought that the book was intriguing especially when it opened in an asylum. I also thought the idea of having a second life to live was interesting. Thats when the story took a wild turn into what is right and wrong. It also made me think about religion, in a way that I don't really care to read about. 

Characters:
Ten: She was an interesting character to read from, but this was a way to intense novel for what it was and it was obvious at what it was pointing fingers at. The idea of not chosing a side.

Killian: I liked him, even though he was evil, but he wasn't all that and a bag of potato chips.

Archer: I liked him the most he was willing to stand for what was right when he knew it was right, and do what he could to help those around him. 

Van: I wonder how the Everlife will treat him. If he will dare to try to cross into Myriad.

Sloan: She was one bad ass, but not all I wished she could be.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny