Review: Borrowed by Lucia DiStefano

Borrowed by Lucia DiStefano

Expected Publication: November 1st 2018 by Elephant Rock Productions, Inc.

Number of Pages: 264 Pages (Paperback)

Series: No

  Love, mystery, and danger collide in this new literary thriller with the dark heart of a Gillian Flynn novel and the lyrical prose of Jandy Nelson's I'll Give You the Sun.

   An triumph of authenticity, grace, and nail-biting suspense, Lucia DiStefano's ingenious debut is an unflinching, genre-bending page-turner.

   As seventeen-year-old Linnea celebrates the first anniversary of her heart transplant, she can't escape the feeling that the wires have been crossed. After a series of unsettling dreams, inked messages mysteriously appear on her body, and she starts to wonder if this new heart belongs to her at all.

   In another Austin neighborhood, Maxine braces for a heartbreaking anniversary: her sister Harper's death. Between raising her brothers and parenting her grief-stricken mother, Max is unable to ignore her guilty crush on Harper's old flame or shake her lingering suspicion that her sister's drowning wasn't really an accident. With Harper as the sole connection, Linnea and Maxine are soon brought together in fantastic and terrifying ways as the shocking truth behind Harper's death comes to light. (goodreads.com)

* Thank you to Elephant Rock Books for providing me with an 

eARC in exchange for my honest review *

   Borrowed was nothing like what I expected it to be, and I mean that in the best way possible. This is a tale of grief, life, bodily autonomy, toxic masculinity, and survival told through the eyes of fascinating protagonists in a story filled with thrill and plot twists.

   The story starts out innocent enough with a feeling of coming-of-age and a look into the lives of two girls one year after one lost her sister and the other got a second chance thanks to a heart transplant. But, soon the story begins to twist and turn, accompanied by a writing style that will capture you and won't let you go until you're done. I had a couple of guesses along the way for what would happen next or who did it, but I never got it quite right and there were many things I didn't see coming, which I always appreciate.

   Linnea and Max were great protagonists and I loved getting to know them better, see Max trying her best to keep her family alive, take care of her younger brothers and her mother, and Linnea wishing to become a proper pastry chef and go to school for it. Both had distinct voices, making it easy to differentiate between their chapters even if you forgot which name was at beginning, and sounded their age.

   Ezra, Daniel, and Chris were also very different and played varyingly big roles in the story leaving me wishing we could've gotten to know some more than others. Some were the types of guys you'd want to date, or see your sister date, and others the very type you'd never want to come across even in your worst nightmares. But, that's the reality of things, men like the monster in this story exist and they are even more horrifying in reality than a story can make them seem.

   I've read Borrowed in less than two days and I've absolutely loved it. Lucia's writing style and way with words was captivating and enchanting, simple at times yet more than enough overall without giving you multi-paragraph descriptions or on the nose explanations, instead making you see what's between the lines and putting the pieces together right along with the characters. The story also taught me something I didn't know before about heart transplantation and cellular memory, which was both incredibly interesting and creepy. 

   I'm really happy I got to read this book early and spread the word about it because it's amazing and I recommend it to everyone, though there are a few trigger warnings that probably should get mentioned for violence, and especially violence against women (psychological as well as physical), so if you're sensitive to that, please be careful or come back to it at a different time.

I give Borrowed by Lucia DiStefano 5 out of 5 stars.

Pre-order

Amazon // Barnes & Noble // Book Depository

Check out the rest of the blog tour for Borrowed:

August 1: Cover reveal at YA Interrobang

September 4: Review at Alice Reeds

September 10: Author interview at Alice Reeds

September 24: Cover reveal at BubblersRead

October 15: Review at BubblersRead

October 21: Author interview at YA Outside the Lines

November 5: Author interview at BubblersRead

November 12: Author guest post at BubblersRead

And more to come!

Review - Neanderthal Opens The Door To The Universe by Preston Norton

Neanderthal Opens The Door To The Universe by Preston Norton

Published: May 22nd 2018 by Disney-Hyperion

Number of Pages: 400 Pages (Hardcover)

Series: No

   Cliff Hubbard is a huge loser. Literally. His nickname at Happy Valley High School is Neanderthal because he's so enormous-6'6" and 250 pounds to be exact. He has no one at school and life in his trailer park home has gone from bad to worse ever since his older brother's suicide.

   There's no one Cliff hates more than the nauseatingly cool quarterback, Aaron Zimmerman. Then Aaron returns to school after a near-death experience with a bizarre claim: while he was unconscious he saw God, who gave him a list of things to do to make Happy Valley High suck less. And God said there's only one person who can help: Neanderthal.

   To his own surprise, Cliff says he's in. As he and Aaron make their way through the List, which involves a vindictive English teacher, a mysterious computer hacker, a decidedly unchristian cult of Jesus Teens, the local drug dealers, and the meanest bully at HVHS--Cliff feels like he's part of something for the first time since losing his brother. But fixing a broken school isn't as simple as it seems, and just when Cliff thinks they've completed the List, he realizes their mission hits closer to home than he ever imagined. (goodreads.com)

* Thank you to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing me with 

an eARC in exchange for my honest review *

   Neanderthal Opens The Door To The Universe is a marvelous read about grief, friendships, the struggles of high school and the ups and downs of life narrated with an authentic sounding teenage voice filled with pop culture references, funny but also heartfelt, thoughtful moments.

   Cliff and Aaron are fascinating and multi-faceted characters and their friendship was crazy and unique from beginning to end. Their conversations and the situations they get into together are hilarious but also scary at times, but luckily everything works itself out in the end, even if the way there is filled with twists and doubts. Their relationships with the other characters were interesting and watching them evolve over time was amazing. Cliff and Tegan were great together, the nerd squad with their love of all things geeky and debates about Apple were brilliant but also so true to life, Aaron and Lacy definitely had a lot of issues they certainly needed to work through but watching it all slowly happen over the course of the book was great. Nothing felt rushed or forced or unrealistic.

   As previously mentioned the voice of the narrator, being Cliff, was incredibly on point and perfectly represented a sixteen year old boy's thoughts and reasonings. They were a bit weird and wtf inducing at times, but that's how teenagers are, not every decision they make is perfect, or even reasonable at times. Honestly I loved Cliff as narrator and seeing him slowly grow, evolve, learn and change across the story was amazing, his character arc perfectly and realistically paced.

   I can easily say that Neanderthal Opens The Door To The Universe was one of my favorite 2018 releases and I'm really happy I got a chance to read it way earlier. It's one of those contemporary stories that, upon first glance, seem silly or just plain dumb, like some sort of comedy no one will take serious, but this story is so much more than that. I highly recommend it.

I give Neanderthal Opens The Door To The Universe by Preston Norton 5 out of 5 stars.

Review: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Published: June 27th 2017 by Katherine Tegen Books
Number of Pages: 513 Pages (Hardcover)
Series: Yes, #1 in the Guide duology (?)

   Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.

   But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

   Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores. (goodreads.com)

“God bless the book people for their boundless knowledge absorbed 

from having words instead of friends.”

   Whenever there is a lot of hype around a book, I'm weary of picking it up. Usually extremely hyped books are either a complete flop for me, or prove to be worth every praise. I was prepared to not really be into this, since historical fiction isn't my thing at all, but I was very pleasantly surprised to find myself hooked after just half of the first chapter.

   The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue is hilarious and filled with twists and turns, adventures, action, and cute moments, as well as some that make you want to shake some sense into Monty, the protagonist and POV character. As we follow Monty, his best friend Percy, and Monty's sister, Felicity, across Europe the story turns more and more intriguing and we get to know the 1700's version of Europe, so different than now yet so much more interesting than I honestly expected when going into this, lots of characters and settings that were fascinating and fun to read about.

   "Just thinking about all that blood." I nearly shudder. "Doesn't it make you a bit squeamish?"

   "Ladies haven't the luxury of being squeamish about blood," she replies, and Percy and I go fantastically red in unison.

  I picked up the audiobook version of this, since I was sick and my eyes hurt, and it was the best choice I could've made. The narrator, Christian Coulson, did a brilliant job of nailing Monty's personality and giving all the other characters distinct and fitting voices. It made everything even more fun and Monty seemingly even more snarky and sarcastic than he already was.

   Speaking of which, Monty was such a fun character and he went through quite a bit across the story. Finding out more about his relationship with his father, piece by piece, was heartbreaking yet it explained so much about him. His relationship with Percy was amazingly developed and transformed quite a bit from the beginning to the end of the story, and his pining was honestly everything. Definitely one of the cutest romances I've read about in a while, hands down. Felicity was also a brilliant character, and I'm so happy there will be a sequel with her as main character. She was strong and smart in ways I hadn't seen coming at the start of the story. She went and smashed through all social norms for girls at the time, a fierce feminist, and I was so here for it. The secondary characters were very well developed, for the most part, and I would've loved to find out more about some of them, especially the pirates.

“Against the sky, the stars crown him, marking the edges of his 

silhouette like he is a constellation of himself.”

   The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue is an amazing read, but despite its air of hilariousness, quick wit, sass, and adventure, it also deals with more serious topics such as child abuse, illness, ablism and racism. As much as for Monty it's no big deal that Percy has dark skin, since they grew up together and everything, it was sad to see how other characters looked at, treated, and spoke to Percy, see Monty slowly realize that not everyone thought the way he did and that the lives of non-white people were so very different than the life of privilege he grew up in.

   There was also the fact that Felicity was interested in medicine, wanted to go to school and get a proper eduction, but school for girls didn't really include any of that eduction she craved. I loved reading about how Monty got to know a side of his sister he didn't think she had, realize that she wasn't reading stupid romance novels but actually soaked up anything about science and educational she could get her hands on, hiding it behind the covers of romance novels so she wouldn't be questioned about it.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to go courting trouble, is all.”

“We’re not courting trouble,” I say. “Flirting with it, at most.”

   All in all The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue was more than worth all the hype it received and I don't know why it took me so long to finally read it. It was the perfect blend of a brilliant lead trio, an adventurous and intriguing plot, a historical setting, and just a whole lot of fun. I never thought I'd love a historical fiction book just this much, but this one completely blew me away and I couldn't stop listening to it. So good! I definitely recommend it!

I give The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee 5 out of 5 stars!

Blog Tour - Review: True North by L.E. Sterling

   Thank you so much to YA Reads for making me part of the blog tour for True North. When I saw the sign up post for this tour, and L.E. Sterling had tweeted me (and a few others) about it, I just knew I had to be part of it.

True North by L.E. Sterling

Published: April 4th 2017 by Entangled TEEN

Number of pages: 400 Pages (Hardcover)

Series: Yes, #2 in the True Born Trilogy

   Abandoned by her family in Plague-ridden Dominion City, eighteen-year-old Lucy Fox has no choice but to rely upon the kindness of the True Borns, a renegade group of genetically enhanced humans, to save her twin sister, Margot. But Nolan Storm, their mysterious leader, has his own agenda. When Storm backtracks on his promise to rescue Margot, Lucy takes her fate into her own hands and sets off for Russia with her True Born bodyguard and maybe-something-more, the lethal yet beautiful Jared Price. In Russia, there's been whispered rumors of Plague Cure.

   While Lucy fights her magnetic attraction to Jared, anxious that his loyalty to Storm will hurt her chances of finding her sister, they quickly discover that not all is as it appears…and discovering the secrets contained in the Fox sisters' blood before they wind up dead is just the beginning.??

   As they say in Dominion, sometimes it’s not you…it’s your DNA. (goodreads.com)

* Thank you to Entangled TEEN and NetGalley for providing me 

with an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion *

   Ever since I read True Born last year, I was anticipating book two, curious to see how the story would continue. After reading True North I can safely say that I wasn't disappointed and that the wait was definitely worth it. Now the only problem I have is that I'd like to read book three right about now.

   Since this is a second book in a trilogy I don't want to say too much so I won't spoil anything, so I'll start off by saying that I love the cover. It's just as amazing as the cover of True Born, so I can't wait to have both books on my shelves sooner or later to show them off.

   Okay, let's go into plot and character thoughts but trying to stay spoiler free, of course.

   I loved following Lucy throughout the story once more as she tries to find Margot and figure things about with Jared. They are amazing together and their tension is off the hooks. She remains an amazing and interesting character which makes following her and her thoughts a lot of fun once more. True North is full of mysteries and also a few answers, though leaving a lot of them still unanswered and thus the reader hooked and thirsty for more and more. The world building continued to amaze me in this one, adding more details to the world L.E. Sterling created. Also the fact that we go to Russia made me happy because I love books that play there in any sort of way.

   All in all True North is a worthy successor to True Born, fast paced and amazing beginning to end. I am definitely looking forward to the final book in the series and seeing how everything ends, even if saying goodbye to this trilogy will be a sad moment.

I give True North by L.E. Sterling 5 out of 5 stars.

About the Author

   I was a voracious devotee of sci-fi and fantasy novels all through my childhood, so I suppose it doesn’t come as much of a shock that I’ve returned to the genre with a vengeance.

   For a while I turned my back on the genre in favour of ‘high-brow’ literary texts. Ironically, it was my doctoral degree that saw me circling back. There’s something about the way postmodern literature plays with the arcane that had me utterly fascinated, and it wasn’t long until I fell headlong back into my old ways and haven’t looked back since.

   My first novel, which isn’t in the Urban Fantasy or Fantasy genres, isn’t high literature, mind you, even if it tangles with some serious statements about politics and the way our western world runs. My editor described it as something between Charles Dickens and The Catcher in the Rye: Serious Fun, in other words.

   My second novel, Pluto’s Gate, is where I’ve come home to myself: it’s a contemporary retelling of the Demeter-Persephone-Pluto story from Greek mythology. Folded into the mix is a Shaman-in-training, a magical book, Underworld Gods, a world covered in ice, a three-headed dog, and one lousy ex-boyfriend.

   But I’ll tell you this much: I believe in the power of words and stories to transform our inner worlds. Whether the characters be vampires or vagabonds, a good narrative sucker punches so-called reality anyhow.

Website // Goodreads // Twitter

Read the first 6 chapters HERE

Blog Tour: Remember Yesterday by Pintip Dunn (Review)

Remember Yesterday by Pintip Dunn
Released: October 4th 2016 by Entangled TEEN
Number of Pages: 400 Pages (Hardcover)
Series: Yes, #2 in the Forget Tomorrow Trilogy

   The sequel to the NYT Bestselling and RITA™ Award-winning novel, Forget Tomorrow, is a twisting, turning roller-coaster ride—the perfect sci-fi futuristic read.

   Sixteen-year-old Jessa Stone is the most valuable citizen in Eden City. Her psychic abilities could lead to significant scientific discoveries, if only she’d let TechRA study her. But ten years ago, the scientists kidnapped and experimented on her, leading to severe ramifications for her sister, Callie. She’d much rather break into their labs and sabotage their research—starting with Tanner Callahan, budding scientist and the boy she loathes most at school.

   The past isn’t what she assumed, though—and neither is Tanner. He’s not the arrogant jerk she thought he was. And his research opens the door to the possibility that Jessa can rectify a fatal mistake made ten years earlier. She’ll do anything to change the past and save her sister—even if it means teaming up with the enemy she swore to defeat.

* Thank you to Entangled TEEN for providing me with an eARC 
in exchange for my honest opinion *

   I was beyond excited to get my hands on Remember Yesterday because I absolutely loved Forget Tomorrow last year (review here). Luckily I not only received an eARC but was also invited to be part of the blog tour for it, which was just double amazing.

   When it comes to sequels I'm always a bit worried that they might turn out to be nothing more than fillers building up to the finale and nothing more. Remember Yesterday definitely didn't feel like a filler but like a worthy sequel to Forget Tomorrow.

   Unlike the first book, this one is told my Callie's sister, Jessa. At first I wasn't quite sure what I thought of that, but I knew that that was the only option for the sequel to work and happen. Quickly I started to really like Jessa and enjoyed her narration and voice, which sounded definitely different then Callie's in the first book.

   The plot was filled with twists and turns, exciting revelations and lots of moments that amazed me, made me swoon and move to the edge of my seat. It offered a lot of things we didn't have in the previous book, which I can't name of course because spoilers, but if you worry that the plot might somehow repeat itself, there is no need for it. Remember Yesterday is completely different then Forget Tomorrow.
   Also, the ending? Still didn't recover. 

   The love interest in this one was interesting and very different then the one in the previous novel. Tanner was an interesting character with a truly sad backstory which I enjoyed getting to know piece by piece. Though I'll admit I'm really not fond of the name Tanner. Seeing the way he acted toward Jessa change throughout the novel was interesting, especially as certain things were revealed and he understood different moments from his past he didn't understand before.

   I honestly cannot wait to see how the trilogy will end, what will happen with Chairwoman Dresden and if Jessa and the others will be able to figure out how to defeat her. Also, I really enjoyed the look into technologies we heard about in the previous novel but never explored in detail.

   Another thing that stuck out to me was how certain parts from the sequel played into the previous book and tied the plot together even more. Anyone who's read both will know what I'm talking about. It really showed, again, how much thought Pintip put into planning out these books and how much love to detail went into them.

   All in all I think Remember Yesterday is more than a worthy sequel to Forget Tomorrow offering many twists and turns, exciting revelations and swoon worthy moments. I cannot wait to read the final book in the trilogy, though it'll be sad to say goodbye to the characters and the story. Also, I cannot wait to see what the title will be for the third and final book because I've been loving the titles and covers so far! I cannot recommend these two books enough, so if sci-fi is your jam, definitely give them a try. Forget Tomorrow didn't win an award for nothing after all.

I give Remember Yesterday 5 out of 5 stars.

* * *

Buy Remember Yesterday here:

Amazon US // Barnes & Noble // iBooks // Kobo // Amazon UK // Amazon CA

   Giveaway

   One (1) winner will receive a limited, annotated hardcover of Forget Tomorrow

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author

   Pintip Dunn is a New York Times bestselling author of YA fiction. She graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B. in English Literature and Language. She received her J.D. at Yale Law School, where she was an editor of the Yale Law Journel.

   Pintip is represented by literary agent Beth Miller of Writers House. Her debut novel, Forget Tomorrow, won the RWA RITA® for Best First Book. Her other novels include The Darkest Lie and the forthcoming Remember Yesterday.

   She lives with her husband and children in Maryland.

Website // Twitter // Facebook // Goodreads // Newsletter // Instagram

Review: The Weight of Zero by Karen Fortunati

The Weight of Zero by Karen Fortunati

Expected Publication: October 11th 2016 by Delacorte Press

Number of Pages: 400 Pages (Hardcover)

Series: No

   Seventeen-year-old Catherine Pulaski knows Zero is coming for her. Zero, the devastating depression born of Catherine’s bipolar disorder, almost triumphed once; that was her first suicide attempt.

   Being bipolar is forever. It never goes away. The med du jour might work right now, but Zero will be back for her. It’s only a matter of time.

   And so, in an old ballet-shoe box, Catherine stockpiles medications, preparing to take her own life before Zero can inflict its living death on her again. Before she goes, though, she starts a short bucket list.

   The bucket list, the support of her family, new friends, and a new course of treatment all begin to lessen Catherine’s sense of isolation. The problem is, her plan is already in place, and has been for so long that she might not be able to see a future beyond it.

   This is a story of loss and grief and hope, and how some of the many shapes of love—maternal, romantic, and platonic—affect a young woman’s struggle with mental illness and the stigma of treatment. (goodreads.com)

* Thank you, Karen, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review *

   There are books you know you will like, and there are books that manage to exceed all your hopes and expectations. The Weight of Zero was high on my list of anticipated reads of 2016 and it didn't fail to deliver, beat all my expectations by a tenfold and easily stands a giant chance at being my book of the year 2016, even though it's only April.

   The Weight of Zero belongs to my favorite kind of books, those contemporaries that deal with hard topics such as depression and bipolar, as in the case of this one. Knowing that, I was painfully aware, and afraid, of all the tropes that could possibly litter this one, but, thankfully, I found none of them. The Weight of Zero shows a very truthful and realistic, raw and honest portrayal of those two mental illnesses, of life, friendships, and love with them, and it does it brilliantly.

   Our protagonist in The Weight of Zero is Catherine who, as mentioned before, is suffering of bipolar and depression which drives her to the decision that, at some point in the foreseeable future, she wants to commit suicide. That sounds really sad, might be discouraging to some, but her tale isn't sad. It's very honest, intriguing and funny at times, offering insights into both the social and psychological aspect of living with a mental illness, or multiple ones. 

   I absolutely loved Catherine. Her voice felt like that of a young adult with quirks and thoughts that felt like ones something someone of her age would actually have. I loved how passionate she was about their history project, loved her relationship with her new friends and the way she started to change over time. Her character arc was amazing and I loved every second of it. She wasn't one of those perfect Mary Sue type girls who only realized their true worth and everything because of a boy, no, she does it all on her own and it's beautiful to watch. Something else that stood out to me was how she learned to differentiate between her self and her illness, understanding that they are two different things, not a single one.

   Speaking of her friends, I loved Kristal. She was an amazing character, a wonderful friend, and just generally someone I would love to be friends with in real life. I loved every scene in which we saw the two of them interact, even the sadder ones, because it really felt like reading about two young girls and not forty year old philosophers.

   And Michael was just perfect in every way. He wasn't your typical swoon worthy "Mr. Six pack I could have every girl I want and I'm a bad boy" type love interest, but rather an ordinary boy with a wonderfully crazy family. He was amazing, toward Catherine and his friend. He also seemed like someone I would have loved to be friends with during my school times.

   Another thing I loved about The Weight of Zero was the fact that it showed that the right medication and psychiatrist can really have very positive effects on you and your journey with mental illnesses. Usually, we only see medication shown in a either neutral or negative way, but here we see the positive one, which is definitely something I wish we could see more often. The same goes for Catherine's psychiatrist who is great at his job and shows that they are really there to help you and not make you feel worse or force you into talking and doing things you don't want to my manipulating you.

   When it comes to Karen Fortunati's writing style, I can only say that I think it's amazing and her voice for Catherine was intriguing, realistic and great. Her trains of thoughts made sense, the way she described certain scenes and moments was captivating, and it really made you feel whatever it was that was happening to Catherine. I cannot wait to see what Karen will write next because I will definitely read it.

   All in all, I think The Weight of Zero is one of those wonderful examples of a hard topic book done very much very right. It shows a really realistic view at mental illnesses and living with them, it gives you hope and shows that you can still have a normal and happy life despite them, that even during dark moments, there are still good ones. So I can only dearly recommend this book on so many levels, no matter if you're looking for a book with wonderful friendships, a cute romance or a hard topic book in general, this one is a very good choice fitting all three of them.

I give The Weight of Zero by Karen Fortunati 5 out of 5 Stars.

Review: Binge by Tyler Oakley

Binge By Tyler Oakley

Published: October 20th 2015 by Gallery Books

Number of Pages: 303 Pages (Hardcover)

Series: No

   Pop culture phenomenon, social rights advocate, and the most prominent LGBTQ+ voice on YouTube, Tyler Oakley brings you his first collection of witty, personal, and hilarious essays written in the voice that’s earned him more than 10 million followers across social media. (goodreads.com)

Check him out online!
YouTube Channel
Twitter: @tyleroakley

“I was taught that being myself was not only okay, but encouraged - and by being unapologetically yourself, you thrive and inspire others to thrive.”

   Binge by Tyler Oakley is a honest and intimate look behind the scenes of what we don't get to see each week on YouTube, through tweets or pictures on Instagram. Throughout Binge the reader is guided through all sorts of different stories taken straight from Tyler's life, from childhood stories up until 2015. As always, he is unapologetic about who he is and what he's been through so far in life and isn't afraid to share and talk about many different things, including his father's reaction to him being gay, his eating disorder or the dark time he faced back in 2014.

   As someone who watches YouTubers will a burning passion, I can safely say that sometimes you find yourself thinking that these people you watch, that they lead the perfect, happy, successful life free of concerns and problems, because all you get to see are these perfectly edited 3-10 minute videos. Binge proves that there are actual humans behind these videos, that Tyler went through lots of things to be where he is today.

“When life throws a wrench in your plans, catch it and build an IKEA bookshelf.”

   I love the fact that, because Tyler himself wrote Binge, his brilliant personality and sense of humor transcends through the pages flawlessly. If you happen to listen to the audiobook, like I did even though I also have a physical copy of it, the fun is even greater because you get to listen to Tyler read you the book.

   Binge is very informative and interesting, no matter if you already know him through YouTube or stumbled across the book on accident at the bookstore. There are many things you can learn through the stories Tyler tells, and also through the different themes discussed. Tyler shows that being gay is okay, awesome even, nothing one has to be ashamed of, which I think is something many kids and teens could find useful while they face trying to figure out their sexuality.

   Furthermore it also shows that although being a YouTuber might seem like such an easy job from the outside, it's actually just like any other job, too. You still have stress and pressure, the fear of letting people down, of not delivering what others might want to see, that you have to always be better and better, do more and more, even to a point where you just feel exhausted beyond all measures. I think it's amazing that Tyler felt brave enough to talk about this, that being a YouTuber can sometimes even be scary when attending conventions after you reach a certain number of subscribers, which I am quite sure not many people think about.

“Every relationship ends, unless one doesn't. And everything we've learned from the relationships leading up to that last one has been the training we needed to make that final one last.”

   As I mentioned before, Binge talks about hard things like Tyler's eating disorder, dark thoughts and even abusive relationships, many things that I'm sure were not easy for him to go back to and discuss in a book for everybody to read. Nonetheless I think it's important and valuable that he did because now, whoever might read Binge, might learn the importance of asking for help, seeking out what makes you unhappy and fixing it, but also that sometimes love isn't enough to excuse another person's behavior toward you.

“Sometimes doing what's right for your conscience is not always the most popular decision, but I can guarantee that in retrospect you won't regret the choice you made.”

   But personally, my favorite thing about Binge was the fact that I now feel like I actually know Tyler, despite the fact that I've unfortunately never met him before. Through the way Tyler narrates Binge you feel like you're sitting right next to him over a coffee listening to him tell it to you personally, which is great.

   The best things you can take away from this book are such things like the value of taking chances, the importance of pushing beyond our comfort levels, dusting ourselves off after humiliations, and remaining open to the life, feelings and possibilities that are happening while we are busy either chasing success or trying to outrun our fears. Thank you, Tyler.

   All in all, Binge is a very honest and apologetic novel showing the reader the world behind the scenes, the real life of Tyler Oakley. The book offers a thick layer of the typical Tyler humor along with very honest stories chronicling his life and experiences offering many lessons to be learned. I think, no matter if you're a fan of his, a casual viewer or someone who has no clue who he is, you can still enjoy this book. It's unapologetic and 100% Tyler Oakley. It will make you laugh out loud, think and relate to him.

I give Binge by Tyler Oakley 5 out of 5 stars.

Review: The Amazing Book is Not On Fire by Dan Howell and Phil Lester

The Amazing Book is Not On Fire by Dan Howell and Phil Lester
Expected Publication: October 8th 2015 by Ebury Press
Number of Pages: 224 Pages (Hardcover)
Series: No

   Hello reader,
   In this book is a world. A world created by two awkward guys who share their lives on the internet!
   We are Dan and Phil and we invite you on a journey inside our minds! From the stories of our actual births, to exploring Phil's teenage diary and all the reasons why Dan's a fail.
   Learn how to draw the perfect cat whiskers, get advice on what to do in an awkward situation and discover which of our dining chairs represents you emotionally. With everything from what we text each other, to the time we met One Direction and what really happened in Vegas... (goodreads.com)

   This was an incredibly fun read that made me laugh loads thanks to Dan and Phil's humor that so nicely translated onto paper. As someone who really likes to watch their videos having the ability have something from them, especially in book form, standing on my shelf is really nice, which I guess is also exactly what they've been going for. For this review I will try to keep my inner fangirl at bay and try to be as objective and unbiased as possible.
   When the first YouTuber book wave hit the news I groaned inwardly because when I think of a book I imagine a novel and not a collection of stories, pictures, or pieces not even written by the YouTubers but someone else. But, when I heard that danisnotonfire and AmazingPhil were working on a book I got really excited and hoped for it to be something fun. Luckily I got just that.

   I enjoyed this conversation type vibe that a big chunk of this book had going on because it almost felt like reading a transcript of their video(s). I also really liked how different their writing styles were, which was also underlined by two certain stories that can be found inside the book(those who have read it will know which ones I mean). Dan uses longer, wonderfully articulated sentences, whereas Phil's parts felt a bit simpler, typically Phil like (which will probably only make sense to those who've watched his videos), but funny and intriguing nonetheless.
   Another good thing was that despite the fact that, for example, I've seen almost all of Dan's videos, and a number of Phil's, I still learned so much new stuff about them in this book. I really enjoyed the way they described their University life and, once again, felt awe when reading that Phil is so smart and has a Bachelor and a Master.
   The format of this book was also quite fun. There were many colors used, many really cool and interesting pictures to look at, and the story about what really happened in Vagas was brilliant. Let's also not forget the part where they talk about the time they met One Direction. Even someone like me who isn't really involved in the One D world nor really listens to their music, I could feel the emotions that Dan and Phil were describing and I could perfectly understand them. I applaud them for that.

   All in all I think The Amazing Book is Not On Fire is incredibly funny, interesting, and immensely entertaining. I finished it in under twenty four hours because I could just barely make myself stop. This was definitely a YouTuber book that did not disappoint me, but rather made me want to pick up more of them, though I only think there is like one more out there that I really want to have. So if you're a fan of Dan and/or Phil, I think you're very likely to enjoy this read, and even if you're not, you could still give it a try even if only for the laughs and giggle.

I give The Amazing Book is Not On Fire by Dan Howell and Phil Lester 5 out of 5 Stars.

Review: The Martian (Movie, 2015)

Title: The Martian
Release: 2015
Runtime: 141 minutes
Cast: Matt Demon (Mark Watney)
Jeff Daniels (Teddy Sanders)
Sean Bean (Mitch Henderson)
Chiwetel Ejiofor (Vincent Kapoor)
Based on The Martian by Andy Weir

During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. (IMDb.com)

   Last year I read the book that this movie is based on and loved it. It was one of my top 5 favorite books of 2014 and I told basically everyone I know about it. So when I heard that there will be a movie I was both super excited and scared. Most of the time book to movie adaptations, with the exception of very few, are not quite good, or at least not as good as fans of the books would wish them to be. But, The Martian was amazing.
   Ever since I saw the first trailer for it, which I've also reviewed and teared up while watching, my expectations shot sky high which only made me more nervous when I went to see it with my friends yesterday (thanks Germany for making me wait a week). But, as previously mentioned, I was not disappointed and my expectations were met, a huge relief really, because I wouldn't have forgiven Hollywood and Ridley Scott if he would have messed this up.

   I'm having a hard time with figuring out how to transfer my thoughts and emotions about this movie onto a review that would make sense so maybe let's start at the beginning of the movie.
   We start off right before the incident that leads to Mark being left behind on Mars since his crew thinks he is dead, though he obviously isn't. I enjoyed the fact that there wasn't some long made up stuff before that but that we were thrown right into the story just when everything got messy, though we started off with a joke about Mark having found dirt on Mars which I thought was actually funny.
   I know from articles and YouTube videos that the sandstorm is more fiction then non-fiction, but the author needed a reason for him to be left behind so that's okay, considering how scientifically accurate everything else that happens in the movie is. That brings me to my next point, the fact that this isn't one of those action filled space stories but one filled with actual survival, science and jokes. I liked the fact that the movie, and book, showed just how hard it would be to save an astronaut due to the cost and distance between the Earth and Mars. They didn't just mud that over and make it unrealistic and easy, but in a way that felt realistic which I always appreciate. Everything had a scientific base, though the movie science was a little easier to understand then some of it in the book.
   Next up, as someone who first read the book with no real knowledge how all things Mars missions look like, I definitely appreciated the fact that I now know how the rover really looks like or the HAB in which Mark lives during his Mars time. While reading I had no actual clue how these things look like and I can tell you that my imagination was very far of from how everything actually looks like.

   As for the actors, especially Matt Damon, I really liked all of their performances, even though Sean Bean did not die in this movie. Can you believe it? I've never been much of a fan of Matt Damon so when I first heard that he would play Mark Watney I wasn't sure if I liked that casting choice. But now that I saw the movie and his performance I definitely changed my mind. He played Mark amazingly and believably. Surprisingly enough he fit the role really well which is always a plus point. 
   I really like Mark's character and the fact that he never gave up, never just sulked around and contemplated how high the chance is of him dying. Every day he got up and kept himself busy to stay alive a while longer, to make his chances of surviving a little bigger. I cannot even imagine how hard that would be in reality and how lonely he felt but I guess in his situation you would try to not think about it since that could just ruin your motivation and you could run into just giving up which wouldn't really help you.
   We didn't get to see the rest of his crew that much throughout the movie but what we did get to see of them was also really good. I liked how mixed the cast of characters was and how well the actors fit their roles. That also goes for the NASA members. Usually when movies involve nerds or super intelligent people we only get to see them portrayed in a very stereotypical way but not in this movie. There were many different ones around and, as far as I've heard, the fact that they use Lord of the Rings references is also a thing that actually happens so that's awesome.

   The scenery shots of 'Mars' were breathtaking. I enjoyed all the wide shots of Mark driving around in his rover that allowed us to see more of the 'planet' and proved even more just how hard it would be for a real astronaut to survive on a planet like that completely on his own.
   What I also liked was that many of the jokes from the book made it into the movie, though it's too bad one of my favorite quotes about duct tape didn't. Even the Iron Man joke made it, though in the movie it was a little bit sillier then in the book but that's okay.

   All in all I loved The Martian and how true to the book it was. Sure, a couple of things didn't make it into the movie and others were changed a little to make the movie more interesting but that's not big of a surprise. I'm happy with how the movie turned out, with the actor's performances and everything.  I definitely want to see the movie again, many times though for that movie tickets are too expensive. I think this might so far be my favorite movie of 2015 so I recommend it to basically everyone. It's not scary, doesn't involve aliens or random jump scares and idiocy. It's a brilliant movie about survival on a planet that is definitely not made for humans as is.

I give The Martian 5 out of 5 Stars.

Review: Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider

Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider
Published: May 26th 2015 by Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 336 Pages (Hardcover)
Series: No

   At seventeen, overachieving Lane finds himself at Latham House, a sanatorium for teens suffering from an incurable strain of tuberculosis. Part hospital and part boarding school, Latham is a place of endless rules and confusing rituals, where it's easier to fail breakfast than it is to flunk French.
   There, Lane encounters a girl he knew years ago. Instead of the shy loner he remembers, Sadie has transformed. At Latham, she is sarcastic, fearless, and utterly compelling. Her friends, a group of eccentric troublemakers, fascinate Lane, who has never stepped out of bounds his whole life. And as he gradually becomes one of them, Sadie shows him their secrets: how to steal internet, how to sneak into town, and how to disable the med sensors they must wear at all times.
   But there are consequences to having secrets, particularly at Latham House. And as Lane and Sadie begin to fall in love and their group begins to fall sicker, their insular world threatens to come crashing down. (goodreads.com)

“Being temporary doesn't make something matter any less, 

because the point isn't for how long, the point is that it happened.”

   Extraordinary Means is extraordinary, gripping, beautiful and honest. I loved it from page one on.
   I have a thing for stories which feature teens with diseases, physical or mental, so when I first heard of this one I knew I had to have it and read it. The gorgeous cover sealed the deal. Robyn Schneider's voices for Lane and Sadie were amazing, very distinct and truly interesting. Whereas Lane started out as this laser beam like focused student who only thought of getting the best grades, getting into collage and the career he planned on having, Sadie was a free mind. She was creative, a photographer and happy in her own way despite being in a place like Latham House.

   The idea of a new stem of TB (tuberculosis) which is immune to drugs is truly interesting and the portrayal of this camp like place for teens, far away from everyone, was both terrifying and captivating. The way those who were healthy looked at those with TB was very honest, no sugarcoat, which is always good to see. I loved the fact that the question of "what will happen once we'll he healthy and left back into the world?" was quite present and dealt with in a very good way. I also liked it a lot that the thought that they might never leave Latham House, except in a bodybag, was always present, not in speech or thought, but you could still feel it. It's always good to see that the author doesn't forget about details like that halfway through the novel, but rather that they come up again and again, just like they would come up in a real life situation.

“There’s a difference between being dead and dying. We’re all dying. 

Some of us die for ninety years, and some of us die for nineteen. 

But each morning everyone on this planet wakes up one day closer to their death. 

Everyone. So living and dying are actually different words for the same thing, 

if you think about it.”

  Besides our two main characters, Lane and Sadie, I loved their friend group. All of them had very distinct personalities and a life even outside of interactions with our main characters. The twists and turns were very smooth and natural and, what kind of surprised me, was just how funny some of the dialogues and scenes were. The humor was on point, filled with references to, for example, Harry Potter which, let's face it, most of us love. I loved seeing them have fun, laugh and have a good time even when all odds were against them, even when they were stuck at Latham House.

   Something that, although it didn't surprise me, creeped up on me was the ending which was heart wrenching but extremely honest and true. I love that, even though the author could have chosen the easy path of writing a book with a cotton candy happy fluffy ending, she decided to stay real because in life, not all endings are happy and fluffy. So, even though I was really sad, I was also happy that everything happened the way it did, which sounds really weird and twisted, I'm aware of that.

“And the thing about trying to cheat death is that, in the end, you still lose.”

   All in all I enjoyed reading Extraordinary Means a lot. The tone was very honest and sometimes heartbreaking, but also a lot of fun, laughs and giggles. Robyn Schneider created a amazing story filled with realistic characters and a situation which felt very real and wasn't sugarcoated even in the hardest of times.

I give Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider 5 out of 5 Stars.