Posts

Showing posts with the label Hardships

Book Review: Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich | A Story of a Boy Who's Not Having The Best Day

Image
When a letter that was never meant to be seen by anyone draws high school senior Evan Hansen into a family's grief over the loss of their son, he is given the chance of a lifetime: to belong. He just has to stick to a lie he never meant to tell, that the notoriously troubled Connor Murphy was his secret best friend. Suddenly, Evan isn't invisible anymore--even to the girl of his dreams. And Connor Murphy's parents, with their beautiful home on the other side of town, have taken him in like he was their own, desperate to know more about their enigmatic son from his closest friend. As Evan gets pulled deeper into their swirl of anger, regret, and confusion, he knows that what he's doing can't be right, but if he's helping people, how wrong can it be? No longer tangled in his once-incapacitating anxiety, this new Evan has a purpose. And a website. He's confident. He's a viral phenomenon. Every day is amazing. Until everything is in danger of unraveling and

Book Review: The War Outside by Monica Hesse | Two Girls, One War, Every Country Against Them

Image
It's 1944, and World War II is raging across Europe and the Pacific. The war seemed far away from Margot in Iowa and Haruko in Colorado--until they were uprooted to dusty Texas, all because of the places their parents once called home: Germany and Japan. Haruko and Margot meet at the high school in Crystal City, a "family internment camp" for those accused of colluding with the enemy. The teens discover that they are polar opposites in so many ways, except for one that seems to override all the others: the camp is changing them, day by day and piece by piece. Haruko finds herself consumed by fear for her soldier brother and distrust of her father, who she knows is keeping something from her. And Margot is doing everything she can to keep her family whole as her mother's health deteriorates and her rational, patriotic father becomes a man who distrusts America and fraternizes with Nazis. With everything around them falling apart, Margot and Haruko find solace in their

Book Review: This Heart of Mine by C. C. Hunter | How One Love Solves A Murder Mystery

Image
A new heart saved her life—but will it help her find out what really happened to its donor? Seventeen-year-old Leah MacKenzie is heartless. An artificial heart in a backpack is keeping her alive. However, this route only offers her a few years. And with her rare blood type, a transplant isn’t likely. Living like you are dying isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. But when a heart becomes available, she’s given a second chance at life. Except Leah discovers who the donor was — a boy from her school — and they’re saying he killed himself. Plagued with dreams since the transplant, she realizes she may hold the clues to what really happened. Matt refuses to believe his twin killed himself. When Leah seeks him out, he learns they are both having similar dreams and he’s certain it means something. While unraveling the secrets of his brother’s final moments, Leah and Matt find each other, and a love they are terrified to lose. But life and even new hearts don’t come with guarantees. Who knew livin

Book Review: All Rights Reserved by Gregory Scott Katsoulis | The Hunger Games's Silent Friend Has Come

Image
Speth Jime is anxious to deliver her Last Day speech and celebrate her transition into adulthood. The moment she turns fifteen, Speth must pay for every word she speaks, for every nod, for every scream and even every gesture of affection. She’s been raised to know the consequences of falling into debt, and can’t begin to imagine the pain of having her eyes shocked for speaking words that she’s unable to afford. But when Speth’s friend Beecher commits suicide rather than work off his family’s crippling debt, she can’t express her shock and dismay without breaking her Last Day contract and sending her family into Collection. Rather than read her speech—rather than say anything at all—she closes her mouth and vows never to speak again, sparking a movement that threatens to destroy her, her family and the entire city around them. Discussion: " I was an agitator. I was a fool. I was brilliantly devious. I was a mental deficient. I was an unpatriotic threat to the nation. I was a

Book Review: Sparrow Squadron by DL Jung | A Blog Tour Palooza, Flying Planes over Russia, and Fueling My Addiction for Anything and Everything World War II

Image
Today, I have a blog tour review for Sparrow Squadron by DL Jung. I have written a review to peak some of your interests, an introduction to Dl Jung and his work, and a giveaway, which has kindly been done through YA Bound Blog Tours and the author, for each of you to try your luck at. I hope you all enjoy; however, as I am probably getting your hopes up(as my reviews are always promised to be super good), I will begin...NOW! World War II. June 1941. Hitler's war machine turns to the Soviet Union. Escaping her hometown ahead of the Nazis, 16-year-old Aelya Makarova seizes a chance to live her dream. Obsessed with flying, she joins a women's fighter squadron to defend her homeland against the invaders. She'll go faster and higher than she's ever gone before. But the harsh reality of Air Force life shatters her expectations and forces her to grow up fast. The squadron is split by petty rivalries, male pilots treat them like a joke, and the ideal country she thought sh

Book Review: Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur | Unpopular Opinions, Hitting "Enter" Millions of Times, and Getting a Craving for Milk and Honey

Image
Milk and Honey  is a collection of poetry and prose about survival. It is about the experience of violence, abuse, love, loss, and femininity. It is split into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose, deals with a different pain, heals a different heartache.  milk and honey  takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look. Discussion: 2/5 stars There have been few books that I have read from Amazon's Prime reading since I have started book blogging, and this happens to be one of them. I know that I am currently swimming in a pile of books(and book reviews); however, this book is so short. How can I pass up a really short book that would not really matter if I did not like it or not? The other reason why I decided to pick this up was because of the hype other people have put on it. I heard so many people saying that this was their favorite boo