P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

P.S. I Still Love You 

by Jenny Han

Released: May 26, 2015

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Series: To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Book 2

Preceded By: To All the Boys I've Loved Before

Page Amount: 337, US Hardback

POV: 1st Person (Lara Jean)

Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-18/20
Characters-18/20

Creativity-18/20

Writing-18/20

Pace-9/10

Ending-8/10

=89/100 B

★★★★/5

SUMMARY:

Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter. She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever. When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once? -Goodreads.com

REViEW:
I read this book in one sitting, something I rarely ever do. I ran to the bookstore the day it was released, came home, crawled into bed, and then read until four in the morning. The sleepiness that resulted the following day was worth it. I really enjoyed this book. I have always been a fan of Jenny Han's books ever since I first read The Summer I Turned Pretty, and I have yet to be disappointed by her. Her books are light and airy, perfect reads for summer. However, this book also had a bit of drama and developed a more complex plot.

This book picks up right where To All the Boys I've loved before ended. Lara Jean is wrestling with having real feelings for Peter Kavinsky and is on her way to give him an apology letter. However, of course drama ensues as soon as she talks to Peter again. Eventually, John Ambrose McClaren enters the picture again, which creates quite the love triangle. Then Genevieve once again enters the picture leading to a love square. Needless to say, Lara Jean is confused. I found the plot of this book very entertaining because first loves are a little messy and confusing. It was interesting to see how Lara Jean wrestled with her feelings for the other three characters. This book also encompasses an Internet scandal, family dynamics, secrets, and the difficulty of friendships. Each of those additional plotlines and aspects of this book made it real and totally relatable. Once again, I loved seeing how Lara Jean interacted at home with her sisters Margot and Kitty. This book is more than just a love story. It's a depiction of one girl's journey through high school.  

These characters were very well developed throughout this book. Lara Jean is a typical sixteen year old girl. She didn't think sometimes which could found a little frustrating, but to me that made her voice all the more realistic. I really loved getting inside of her head. She went through a lot of feelings that every teenager does, and I loved being able to see how she handled them. Contrary to many readers though, I'm not a huge fan of Peter K. I believe Lara Jean deserved better. Peter is arrogant and a stereotypical "cool" jock. He was not very good at all at communicating with Lara Jean which led to many problems in their relationship. For being such a manly man, I would've thought he would fight for his love. On the other hand, we finally get to officially meet John Ambrose McClaren. John is a good guy and a good friend. I loved seeing how John's relationship with Lara Jean grew throughout the book. However, Kitty was by far my favorite character. She is fierce. Her relationships with Lara Jean and Peter were really fun to read about. I also loved how she kept trying to set her dad up on dates. All in all, the characters all brought different personalities which made for some interesting scenarios.

The ending did not end exactly how I wished it would, but it was still a satisfying conclusion. Personally I still dislike Peter. I feel like he was rarely heartfelt with Lara Jean. I don't think he's ready for a serious, committed relationship yet. I loved how all of the storylines were tied up, especially John's. I also thought that it was fitting that not everything went Lara Jean's way even at the end. If Han had made everything go instantly perfectly, this book would have lost its realistic feel. All in all, I loved reading this book. This series holds a soft spot in my heart. I cannot wait to see what Jenny Han is working on next! 

My Favorite Part: The "do you want to build a snowman" scene!


ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, most definitely! This duology is such a quick, fun, light read.

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Fire with Fire by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Fire with Fire by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian 
Released: August 13, 2013
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Series: Burn for Burn, Book 2
Preceded By: Burn for Burn
Followed By: Ashes to Ashes
Page Amount: 528, ARC
POV: 1st Person (Mary, Kat or Lillia)
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-19/20
Characters-20/20

Creativity-19/20

Writing-20/20

Pace-8/10

Ending-9/10

=95/100 A

★★★★★/5

SUMMARY:

Lillia, Kat, and Mary had the perfect plan. Work together in secret to take down the people who wronged them. But things didn’t exactly go the way they’d hoped at the Homecoming Dance. Not even close. For now, it looks like they got away with it. All they have to do is move on and pick up the pieces, forget there ever was a pact. But it’s not easy, not when Reeve is still a total jerk and Rennie’s meaner than she ever was before. And then there’s sweet little Mary…she knows there’s something seriously wrong with her. If she can’t control her anger, she’s sure that someone will get hurt even worse than Reeve was. Mary understands now that it’s not just that Reeve bullied her—it’s that he made her love him. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, burn for a burn. A broken heart for a broken heart. The girls are up to the task. They’ll make Reeve fall in love with Lillia and then they will crush him. It’s the only way he’ll learn. It seems once a fire is lit, the only thing you can do is let it burn...-Goodreads.com

REViEW:
When I saw that Fire with Fire ARCs were going to be given out at the Book Expo of America, I knew I had to go. Yes, I trekked all the way to New York City during my finals week (I took them all early in order to go) for the sole purpose of being able to read Fire with Fire early. It was totally worth it! After that cliffhanger at the end of Burn for Burn, I needed to get some inner peace. Once again Han and Vivian have written an intriguing and unique read that is impossible to put down. The beginning of the book focuses on the effects of the Homecoming revenge and then soars right into their next dose of revenge. Sure, the revenge these girl's commit is intense but these two amazing author's pull it off realistically. I loved Burn for Burn and this book has everything I loved in the first book times 100.   

The characters were even better than in the first book, if that's even possible. Lillia is the star and main character of this installment. Her character is more developed in this book and I enjoyed seeing her grow closer to Kat and Mary. Lillia isn't just some popular girl, she has a lot more depth than that. I really liked the drama surrounding Reeve and Lillia. Reeve seems to be just an insensitive jerk but there may be more to him then expected. Honestly, I think he deserves all the revenge he has to undergo, but I am happy about how things ended with Lillia and Reeve. Kat and Mary's stories were not the focus or drive of this book, but they were intriguing nonetheless. Kat has to deal with college application stress and the memory of her mother. Mary has to find out who she really is, and what Aunt Bette and the rest of her family never told her. Then we have popular Miss Rennie, who I have a love hate relationship with. I started to like her towards the end. The authors probably did that to tear at our heartstrings at the end.   

The ending...just WHAAAAAAAT?!?!? My mind is so blown, like how? It doesn't make sense! But the next book will probably explain it all. I just can't get this ending out of my mind. It was so amazing! Definitely not what I expected, that's for sure. At first, I wasn't sure if I liked the direction the series was going with the paranormal aspect, but now I love the uniqueness of the plot. I really cannot stop thinking about what's going to happen in the last book. I feel like the publisher is punishing us with having to wait a whole year for the third book. Don't hesitate to buy this series because it is a unique blend of mystery, contemporary, and paranormal elements. The YA world needs more books like this.   

My Favorite Part: The twists and turns toward the end. Like my mind is blown haha.

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Please preorder it now!!! I need someone to talk about it to!
Will I be reading the next book? I don't think I can a wait a whole year! So excited!!!

Thanks for reading! If any of you have read this book please don't hesitate to email, tweet, comment, ect. because I would love to discuss all the twists with someone!!! :D

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian 
Released: September 18, 2012
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Series: Burn for Burn, Book 1
Followed By: Fire with Fire
Page Amount: 358, US Hardback
POV: 1st Person (Mary, Kat or Lillia)
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-19/20
Characters-19/20

Creativity-19/20

Writing-20/20

Pace-10/10

Ending-7/10

=94/100 A

★★★★★/5

SUMMARY:

BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY...THEY GET EVEN. Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister. Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay. Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him. Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.-Goodreads.com

REViEW:
I read this book in January, it was the first book that I read this year and I can still remember it as if I finished it yesterday. The basis of the plot was Lillia, Kat, and Mary planning to get revenge on each of the people that ruined their lives, but there's a lot more depth to tit then that. I've never read a book about revenge before so this premise was very unique to me. Sure, not everyone goes to extreme measures to get even, but that didn't make this book any less relatable. I was able to bond with most of the characters, including the main girls as well as the popular people. This book was a fast and easy read because Lillia, Kat and Mary's world captivated me and I felt as if I was part of the story. This book is told from alternating perspectives of the three girls, but it was not confusing at all. It added so much more to Jar Island and really engulfed me in each of their lives. Revenge might not be the right thing to do, but these targets have it coming to them.  

The characters were really interesting. I started out not really liking Lillia, but as the book progressed, I started to get an understanding of all she had to undergo and felt some sympathy about what happened at the party. Mary also had a very sad backstory, but I feel like that wasn't a very very strong reason for leaving town. I loved Kat's character and liked how she pulled all of the girls together. I think their secret friendship really made this book thrilling in a way. Rennie, the popular girl, friend of Lillia, and ex-best friend of Kat, was just that, a popular, snobby girl. I did really like to see the struggle of Lillia backstabbing Rennie, I cannot imagine how hard that'd be. Reeve is ridiculous, I can't believe what he did to Mary, but he's basically just an immature teenage boy. I developed a small crush on Alex, the other main guy, because of how good of a friend he was for Kat and Lillia at the beginning. Now he's even making me suspicious.   

The ending contained the one thing that made me a little unsure about the rest of the trilogy. The ending was pretty great with all that action, but there was that one twist that kind of upset me. The reason why I loved this book so much was the realness of it and that it was contemporary fiction, but then that paranormal twist came. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I trust Han and Vivian to make it as realistic as possible. All in all, I loved this book. It was the first book I read this year and as of now it is still the best!

My Favorite Part: I loved the revenge! It was so unique and absolutely intriguing!

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Absolutely!
Will I be reading the next book? I'm reading the ARC now! :D Expect a review soon!

Thanks for reading! Be sure to follow my blog with Bloglovin! You can do this by clicking the link at the top of right sidebar! 

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han
Released: April 26, 2011
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Series: Summer Series, Book 3
Preceded By: It's Not Summer Without You
Page Amount: 291, US Hardback
POV: 1st Person (Belly)
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-18/20
Characters-17/20
Creativity-19/20
Writing-20/20
Pace-9/10
Ending-9/10
=92/100 A
★★★★★/5



SUMMARY:
It's been two years since Conrad told Belly to go with Jeremiah. She and Jeremiah have been inseparable ever since, even attending the same college-- only, their relationship hasn't exactly been the happily ever after Belly had hoped it would be. And when Jeremiah makes the worst mistake a boy can make, Belly is forced to question what she thought was true love. Does she really have a future with Jeremiah? Has she ever gotten over Conrad? It's time for Belly to decide, once and for all, who has her heart forever.-Goodreads.com


REViEW:
I am so sorry I was a lazy bum and did not write this review in the summer. I know it's fall and you all probably don't want to be reminded of the Heaven that is summer vacation. I just really wanted to write this review! If you read my reviews for the other two books in the Summer series, you'll know that although I know these books aren't perfect, they are still amazing books to read. I loved The Summer I Turned Pretty and then really liked It's Not Summer WIthout You. This book was my ultimate favorite of the series though. I can't decide exactly why, because I did have some problems with this book. First off the plot surrounding Belly and Jeremy wanting to get married was really intriguing. I loved all the different reactions from Belly's mom and from Jeremy's family. They made this book feel really realistic. It made the book really go fast for me. I really liked the romance and the drama surrounding the love triangle. Ms. Han really did a great job at portraying young love in this book.

The characters were a little bit irritating at times. Well not all of them, just Belly. I think she was a reckless, blinded by love girl. I think she made some rash decisions to get married at such a young age. I also really hated how through it all I knew who she truly loved, even when she didn't. I don't understand why Belly didn't just think about her choice at the very beginning, but I guess that wouldn't make for a good book. On a happier note, I once again loved the guys in this novel. I did get frustrated with Jeremy at some points, but overally I think his character was consistent thorughout all of this series. Same with Conrad. I understood why he did some of the things he did and felt for him. I just wish he would have showed Belly that he actually loved her sooner. Minor characters like Belly's mom were fantastic. I loved how Belly was a typical teenager thinking her mom would be cool with Jeremy and her getting married, when in reality her mom was furious. I loved the honest portrayal of this situation.

The ending was a perfect conclusion to a even more wonderful series. I really thought Belly ended up with what she really needed and I loved how much she grew up in the ending. It was really great. I definitely feel like this ending really fulfilled all my hopes for Belly's life. It made me happy.

My Favorite Part: I don't know why, but what is coming to mind is how Belly was conflicted between the two brothers.

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, I really enjoyed it! This is an amazing series!

Thanks for reading! I know it's not summer anymore, but I really wanted to review this book before I forgot all about it. Expect some more reviews throughout the week.

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby
Released: May 3, 2011
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Page Amount: 232, US Hardback
POV: 1st Person (Anna)
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-17/20
Characters-19/20
Creativity-19/20
Writing-17/20
Pace-9/10
Ending-8/10
=89/100 B
★★★★/5

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SUMMARY:
I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both.
Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface.While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever. -Goodreads

REViEW:
This book intrigued me from the summary. I love plots that involve family secrets and mysteries. This book had a lot to do with Anna wondering why her mother died. As morbid as it sounds, that really drew me in. I connected with the story because I could feel Anna's mother's emotional struggles through flashbacks. The plot was interesting, but I felt as if some things were prolonged a little more than needed. I felt like some things needed to be connected more, because at some points the story seemed disjointed.

The characters added such emotion to this book. Anna was an interesting protagonist. She was the typical new girl in a new town. I really liked her journey to find out more about her mom. Her emotional struggle was evident and I loved how at times she felt hopeless and other times she was strong. She was realistic. So was the heartthrob of the book, Tyler. Tyler was the off-limits lifeguard that immediately fell for Anna. I loved the way he loosened Anna up and made her feel comfortable. He really added to this book because he helped Anna overcome her fears. The characters all fit together in their broken ways, and I really enjoyed that. There more little stories within Anna's.

The ending was pretty good. I liked the events leading up to the very end a little more though. I enjoyed the ending nontheless, it was a little bit simple, but it was still touching and emotional. I'm glad it all worked out. I can picture Anna having a wonderful time in Crystal Cove, which is amazing!

My Favorite Part: Anna's finding out why her mother died.

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, it's a pretty touching read.

Thanks for reading! Sorry I haven't posted much... I just got back from a vacation and have to catch up on all the homework I have avoided to do.

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥