Book Review: The Things We Can't Change Series by Kassandra Kush

Hi There!

"Just because something doesn't feel good, doesn't mean it isn't good for you."

3.5/5

So I am currently on a book phase. I recently bought a Kindle, even though vowing I never would because I would miss turning the page of a book so much, but I DO NOT regret it at all! The ease of being able to buy a book and straight away read it is sooo appealing, and it has definitely made me read a heck of a lot more. And this series of books was on the top of my lists to read! It may be relatively old (if you class the first book coming out in 2013 old!), but that would never put me off, and hopefully it wouldn't put any of you lot off either!!

So what is this series about? There is wayyyy too much going on for me to explain. But let me try and simplify it for you. Evangeline Parker and Ezekiel Quain could not be more different in terms of lifestyle. One is rich, has a "perfect life", a boyfriend that loves her, while the other has a strained family life, works as much as possible, and a front that is always up. Their paths cross after Evie's boyfriend Tony is caught abusing her and Zeke tries to intervene. You'd think it would be simple from here and Tony would stop, but that wouldn't be much of a book, yet alone a series, would it! You get to follow both of their stories through the five short books. How their lives interconnect, their relationship, and how they need each other through the hard times they experience. But most of all, they need each other to help heal.

The best part of this series is seeing Evie and Zeke's relationship evolve. They are people from completely different backgrounds with completely different groups of friends. But once they find they need each other, they have to adapt as Evie starts to face the brunt of a lot of rumors that Zeke is involved in to. The way Zeke learns how to help Evie handle her issues, and how Evie learns how to get Zeke to deal with his feelings is one of the most realistic things. Not everyone deals with situations the same, so you need to learn how to help others who are not like you, and that is exactly what these books teach you. You want to see these characters succeed and successfully handle their problems, but not only that, you are also willing them to get together because I mean. COME ON! They are the cutest people. (when you read the end of book 3 just be prepared for feels okay!)

The problem though is that this books becomes slightly unrealistic in terms of how bad things can get. If anything bad in the world can happen, it will happen to either Zeke or Evie. I know some people in life can be extremely unlucky, but if you read these books you'll think your life is as cheery as anything because they definitely have worse lives than you. 

These books teach readers many things. The feelings of being in an abusive relationship, helping someone in an abusive relationship, feelings of grief, feelings of abandonment. This series has everything. Reading it at the time I have, where I am going through a loss in the family, I have found it has actually helped. Some of the ways Evie and Zeke were helping each other helped me to understand the way I am feeling. Don't get me wrong, sometimes these books got so dark I had to give myself a break from reading them, but then I guess it's all part of life. 

If you ever want to read a short collection of books, this series is one for sure. The issues these books deal with are some few people you know may experience, but the feelings are something everyone deals with. It helps you to understand how you need to act to help others, and how your feeling is normal. 

So go on and read them! Stop reading this! But get used to cliffhangers, they are killer ones!

Girl Without A Plan, Making Plans

xoxo

Book Review: What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Hey There!

"Suddenly, you edge your way to the end of your second ten years and BOOM. Your choices matter. Not chocolate or vanilla, bridge or pier, Sandy Claw or Abenaki. It's your whole life. We're suddenly this close, like Nic said, to the wrong move. Or the right one. It matters now."

4/5

So this was one of the books I took on holiday this year, so I can say I finished this book within 2 days. I'm one of those people where I cannot put a book down once I start reading it, and then I have to re-read it so I can fully review if I actually enjoyed reading the book. This is one of those books I definitely enjoyed reading. It is a typical Young Adult romance so if you enjoy that genre this book is definitely for you. 

This book focuses on Guinevere (Gwen) Castle and her summer in Seashell Island. She lives in a small house, needing maintenance, along with her Mum, her younger brother Emory, Grandpa Ben, and her cousin Nic. On the other side of the island, closer to the beach, there are more expensive houses where the people are much wealthier. Gwen spends this summer, instead of working for her Dad at his restaurant, Castle's Ice Cream, working for Mrs Ellington to "keep her company." Gwen also has to deal with Cassidy Somers, who we learn she has a history with, as he works for Island maintenance. Throughout the story we learn through Gwen what their relationship status is and what her backstory is, as she is perceived to have a certain reputation among the swim team at her school. 

One of the positives I found with this book was how Gwen managed to stay strong no matter what people were saying either to her, or behind her back. She has to deal with this reputation she has, which in fairness she has created herself. But the way she did not allow this to knock her back, but instead ignore what people were saying and come out the other side is something that should inspire other girls with potentially the same problem. As a girl, it is easy for what people are saying to get you and effect you in day-to-day life, but Gwen managed to take these words and throw them back in the faces of the people that were saying them. 

This book does not just focus on this issue. There is a focus on a class divide as well through Gwen's job, and the fact that Gwen wants to get off the Island but the responsibilities she has are holding her back. But going away from Gwen, we also learn about Gwen's cousin Nic, who happens to be dating her best friend Viv. We are able learn about their "perfect" relationship, but you learn that seeing relationship from the outside can be completely different to actually being in that relationship. 

I couldn't find many faults with this book to be honest. I guess I could just say I found it rather predictable. I don't know if that is through reading so many books and watching so many different TV shows, or if it was through the writing. But this did not stop me from enjoying the book at all! I mean, who can't love an ideal teenage relationship where everything seems all rainbows and unicorns (I'm up for it if there are any takers!!). 

I would recommend this as a summer read for everyone, even if you aren't going abroad. The way Fitzpatrick writes about the beauty of the island through the beaches makes it easy to imagine yourself there at a bonfire party. Having that vision of summer really lifts the mood (especially if you live in Britain where we have ONE day of sun) and makes you want to jump on a plane as quickly as possible!

Tell me what you think and other books you recommend for reading over the summer!

Girl Without a Plan, Making Plans 

xoxo

Book Review: Gone Series by Michael Grant

Hi There!

'Welcome to the FAYZ. Wherever, whenever or whyever that is.'

I may be late on the bandwagon reviewing this series of books, but believe me when I say I had the first Gone book just after it came out, and since then got them on their release dates, but I've only now got round to finishing reading Light (the final book). I have no idea why it took me so long to read it, but I'm so so SO glad I finally got round to finishing the whole series! I would rate the whole series of books as 4.5/5 for sure! It would have been a 5, but I have my reasons. 

So getting on to a summary of what these books are about. Well. Where do I even start. In simple terms, everyone above the age of 15 disappears (poofs!) under a dome, so there are only kids left. Some of them have developed powers, others have stayed normal. These kids have to deal with struggles of power, food, and mutated animals. And it is definitely a true struggle!!

I loved in these books how action packed each turn of a page is. These are just normal kids whose lives have been turned upside down, and seeing how they deal with this great change of events is extremely interesting. Of course, I couldn't love this book unless there was a hint of romance. And of course there is! (Sastrid all the way!!!!). 

The one problem I found through this whole series of books is that it is sometimes very hard to keep up and picture everything that is being described in the books. For the first couple I was able to manage, but then I started to get more confused and these books became much more complex than I ever imagined!! That was the main reason why I couldn't give it 5/5! Hopefully a TV show might help me imagine these things ;)

So who would I recommend this book to? Well, it's aimed at young adults, but I would say fully grown adults will love this book as well! It will help them understand the struggles of the younger generation as they are also focused on in these books, but it will also explain that given their independence there are some younger children that can step up to the mark. You also obviously have to have a sort of sci-fi/fantasy mind as well because otherwise you would definitely get confused with this book. No doubt about it!!

If I could, I think I'd have the power to think of an item and then have it appear in front of me. What kind of power would you like if you could??

Girl Without a Plan, Making Plans

xoxo

Book Review: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Hey There!

'He kept making her feel like it was safe to smile.'

I loved a majority of this book I have to admit. I made me want to start reading lots of young romance novels, even though these are books that I normally stay away from. I would rate this book 4.5/5. 

If you haven't read this book, it is focused around 2 main characters; Eleanor, who is the new girl with big ginger hair and a random sense of style, and Park, who is the Asian kid at school who likes to keep himself to himself. They end up sitting next to each other on the school bus, and from here their relationship is able to grow through a mutual love of comic books and mix tapes. They both have issues to deal with, Eleanor more than Park, but these issues allow their relationship to build. It is through different point of views we are able to understand how both characters are feeling and how much we are able to empathise with them. 

For me, I really wanted to give this book a rating of 5, and within the first hundred pages I knew I was going to. But for me, the ending really let me down. It definitely came as a shock to me, but don't get me wrong, I still loved this book, and there is the possibility to read it again. I loved the way we were able to go on the awkward journey with these characters. We were able to be happy for them through certain parts, and then want to cry along when things were going wrong. The way this book was written was absolutely stunning. There were moments on nearly every page that you were able to remember, and be able to take a quote and feel something inside that just made you fall in love. 

I would recommend that every teenager and young adult read this book. It perfectly captures the awkwardness of falling in love at a young age, and the complexity of family life. And I can't stress enough, be prepared for a shock ending!!!!!!

Girl Without a Plan, Making Plans

xoxo

Book Review: All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Hi There!

'You are all the colours in one, at full brightness.'

This book for me is definitely a solid 4.5/5   It was a wonderful read for me and definitely made me go through a whirlwind of emotions. There were moments when I wanted to laugh, and then moments when I wanted to cry and I felt like my heart was being ripped out. It has definitely made me want to wander and explore the town that I live in to find some hidden treasures.

So the basic outline of this story. It is written from two different points of view. Firstly, a boy called Theodore Finch who wants to kill himself, and secondly from a girl called Violet Markey who is suffering the after effects of the loss of her sister. They both meet at the top of a clock tower where Violet is debating taking her own life. Finch manages to talk her down and the story goes from there. There are ups and downs in their relationship and as a reader you feel as if you are third wheeling the whole way through as you are experiencing the same feeling as they are. 

The main focus of this story is mental illness, and more specifically on depression. The way that Niven describes the feelings of depression and people who know others who have depression show she has first-hand experience, and she is trying, through her writing, to help others who may be dealing with the same issues. One of the key moments of this book I found was Finch's chapter about 'Quicksand'. In this chapter Finch explains the 8 stages of trying to survive 'Quicksand', and this can be related to trying to survive the drowning feeling that you have when you are tackling an illness like depression. Being able to compare the two circumstances makes it easier to understand how, as a character, Finch is feeling. 

Overall, I would recommend this book to absolutely everyone. Not only does it highlight key issues to do with mental illness, but it has you hooked from the first couple of pages as you want to know what happens between Violet and Finch (and believe me, you need to know what happens!). 

Now everyone, GO AND READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!

Girl Without a Plan, Making Plans

xoxo