This book could not be more of a plagiarized Hunger Games if the author tried. Also Red Queen, Shatter mMe, The Darkest Minds, Defy the Night. It’s alThis book could not be more of a plagiarized Hunger Games if the author tried. Also Red Queen, Shatter mMe, The Darkest Minds, Defy the Night. It’s all those books with all the scenes from those books with characters with different names and some gender swapping. It’s one thing to take inspiration from a book, quite another two little use the same scenes in your book....more
Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing me with a finished copy and egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressThank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing me with a finished copy and egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. First things first, I did not know this was third in a series. When the publisher contacted me, I read the summary and it sounded like a cute YA romance. I love a cute YA romance so I said yes! I'm not sure if perhaps having read the first two books and being introduced to some of the characters before hand would have made this one better for me or not. This can totally be read as a stand alone. But there are cross over characters and I would be interested to see if knowing them may have changed my opinions. Jordan Edelman is going to Nantucket to spend the Summer with her cartography researching father. She's hoping to be able to bond with him from this shared experience. She's also sworn off any potential messy romance as they have never gone well for her. She has an encounter with a boy on her boat ride to the island who turns out to be her father's assistant that she's heard about for the past few summers: Ethan Barnabel. She has a streak of jealousy over this boy's relationship with her father that she's determined to overcome. But as she and Ethan are put in more and more situations where they must interact, including her living in his parent's house for the summer, something blossoms. Can she have the romance that's always alluded her? Or will being with Ethan ruin her? I love the setting of this book. This is not the first book series I've seen set on Nantucket. I love the idea of being at the beach all summer; surrounded by the ocean, sand and sun. There's something about this setting that is very romantic for me and it becomes the perfect back drop for summer love to blossom. It takes me back to the days I used to spend on the shore of Long Island or New Jersey when I was a young girl. This nostalgia really drew me into the book. The plot was just ok for me. I liked the science behind what was presented: astronomy, cartography. But I did find the plot was slow to move. I really wanted something a little more fast paced for a YA book. The inclusion of history was interesting, though I think a bit overdone. While I enjoyed the journal entries the author included, I thought there were way too many of them. It seemed a little overdone and I didn't feel like they all were related to the story. It actually took me out of the story many times and slowed down my reading pace. I had to push to get through them so I could see what else might happen between the main characters. My other plot line issue was the Judaism. Its inclusion just seemed so side bar to me. Like it was included because the author wanted to show the characters as Jewish. It didn't seem to truly lend anything to the characters' development. Using Shabbos and talking about the high holidays just seemed to be thrown in to try and give the story Jewish identity. But it didn't do that for me as a Jew. I wish the author would have used that identity more. It felt I would have liked to feel more of a connection with the characters. I didn't find Jordan appealing. Ethan was romantic and fun but it was hard to get to truly know him having only seen him from Jordan's point of view. And their romance seemed a bit forced. I didn't feel the chemistry I wanted to feel. I didn't feel like there was anything really connecting them. Sure, they had her father in common, but in the end them being together seemed odd. And them wanting to stay together even more so. There was no real closure to their romance. Overall this book was just ok for me, nothing special. I can see how it might appeal to the more scholarly teens overall. But for the most part I didn't feel excited to move through it, I just wanted to get to the end. 3 stars...more
I want to thank Random House Children's Books and NetGalley for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opiniI want to thank Random House Children's Books and NetGalley for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. When you need money, you'll go to just about any extreme to get it. That's why Natalie Hart signs up for the reality TV show, Wild Adventures. But when her sunshine is paired with grumpy Finn Marcum, she's sure she's chosen wrong. Through their adventures, they grow close, and from the forced proximity a friendship, and more, evolves. But can they ultimately win the money, and each other's hearts? I love a good YA romance. They are clean and fun and the tension between the characters is fun to watch. I was prepared for a slow burn from this one but the love interest actually took off sooner than I thought it would. Either way it was fun to watch the two main characters have their adventures. Natalie started off as a high maintenance girl. She fills her backpack with all types of skin care products she refuses to leave behind. And, being a drama major with the hopes of becoming an actress, she talks up the cameras a lot. At first it turned me off a bit. But then she slowly transforms into more than just what you see on the outside. She has so many nuances to her character. Hill did a great job in helping her evolve and develop. It was fun to watch her learn. Finn, on the other hand, is Mr. Grumpy, and I was not a fan of his at first. He was very standoffish and definitely erected a wall between himself and Natalie. But she slowly wears that wall away, and helps him find more of his own sunshine. I wasn't all in for the chemistry with these two. I think this was mostly because it was told in first person from only Natalies point of view. For me, romances work so much better in dual point of view. It seemed to me the author was more interested in telling Natalie's story than Finn's but at the same time, I don't feel like I truly go to know Finn. Natalie's personality and character overshadowed him. The plot was fun. I love a good survivor type show and this one gave me those feels. It was also nice to see the history of the Appalachian Trail worked into the story line. I enjoyed learning the tidbits the author chose to share. I don't know much about Kentucky or Tennessee so it was fun to learn that a bit. I especially liked that the author chose to incorporate Natalie's anxiety into the plot line. This is such a wide spread mental illness that so many do not even know they have. The author took good care to show the spirals that happen with anxiety and also giving the audience information on how such things can be handled: therapy, medications, meditation, etc. I felt like the side characters were fun but would have liked to see a bit more of them. I feel like the only character I understood anything about was the female enemy. We got what she was all about right away. Overall the characters were relatable and real. I can see how people would easily see themselves in these characters. The pacing was good with this book. I wasn't truly hooked until the romance took off, to be honest, which seemed to be about half way through the story. I enjoyed watching the banter between this unlikely couple. Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It was cute. This was my first Hill book and it seems her books are connected through her characters. But you can definitely read this one as a stand alone. I think readers who enjoy Lynn Painter, Kasie West, and Stephanie Perkins will enjoy books by this author....more
I truly wanted to like this book. I was excited for an own voices book about a POC. And for it to be fantasy, which is one of my favorite genres. I loI truly wanted to like this book. I was excited for an own voices book about a POC. And for it to be fantasy, which is one of my favorite genres. I love dark academia, as well. Unfortunately, it just did not settle well with me. I felt the language was forced more than authentic. Like it was being used because it had to be used to make a point, rather than used because that is truly how the characters spoke. I felt the book was hitting on all the stereotypes people want to get away from. The world building wasn't there at all; super important when you're writing fantasy. I feel like the author didn't do his research at all when it came to magical systems and how they might be perceived or used in a modern world. And, the elements that were used were almost directly from Harry Potter. It was unoriginal. The characters were poorly developed, as well. I had zero connection to them. I could not find empathy for them. And, most of all, it felt like it was being written by a white person who was trying their hardest to write as a Black person. What a shame as this book, having been done right, could have really been special for young Black boys and for those wanting to learn more about POC. Finally, this book could have gone through a lot more editing. I feel if it had, the above surely would have been realized and changes could have been made to make it feel more genuine. I see it slated to be a trilogy and I hope the publisher and author can see the constructive criticism in the reviews that are posted and use them to their advantage. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin RandomHouse for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give my honest review....more
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give an honest review. The opinions expressed Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. Ellie splits her life according to two things: Ellie at home and Ellie at the hospital. She doesn't want them overlapping. But when they crash into each other, she's forced to take a good look at her friends, boyfriend, and those who surround her while she's undergoing testing and treatment for her current bought of illness. Can she learn something new this time around? I was excited to read a story about someone with chronic illness. The summary made the book seem like we'd be seeing a lot of Ellie's life overlapping. And, while there was some, much of the focus is on her hospital stay and the people she interacts with there. I will say, I'm not sure how she kept so much a secret from her friends. I cannot see how this would happen with a chronic illness. How could she not see this would cause problems when things were revealed to her friends and boyfriend. It just made no sense to me. And how can she even know what they will and will not understand and accept if she never allows them to see who she really is. Her chronic illness should not define her but at the same time it is part of who she is and sharing this with those you care for would be essential for me. Ellie's character honestly annoyed me. She was super jaded. And while I can understand this, she just didn't seem to even want to grow. She's super stubborn and barely sees the good around her. I was super frustrated with her during the whole story. I will say. I scanned much of the book towards the end just to get through it. The pacing for the story was super slow and I felt like I was always waiting for something to happen and it just never did. Overall, I didn't love the progression of the story. I'm sure it's for some but just wasn't really for me. CHF 1/4/24...more
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