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Showing posts with label Jennifer Niven. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jennifer Niven. Show all posts

5/19/2017

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven | Book Review




Book Review:
All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven



Spoilers?
Maybe.

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Title - All The Bright Places

By - Jennifer Niven

Publication - January 8th, 2015 by Penguin

Format - Paperback, 388 pages

Genre - Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Mental Health

The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Elle Fanning!

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.

The Rating :




My Review:

My review in a gif. Which equals 4 stars.

via GIPHY


The Cover:
Although they say never judge a book by it's cover I believe the cover should represent what the book is going to be like or at least some aspect of it.
I think the cover is very simple and pretty and it makes you think of how the notes are involved in the novel. and I also have to appreciate the pastels and the little doodles signifying the main characters.


The Story:
This is the story of a girl who decides to go up the school bell tower and climbing the rails only to see that she's not alone. There is a boy right next to her


Relationships:
There were more than one couples and relationships in this book but I will only talk about one of them.

Violet x Finch
Their relationship was different than relationships in YA that I have read before. And have in mind I haven't read that many YA books. They had a bit of a toxic relationship because of the circumstances they met in and how it progressed. Though I thought that them helping each other out in their low times was good and supportive. 

Family Dynamics:
As for Violet’s family.
We start the story with Violet telling us that her big sister has died. It's in the beginning so no spoiler. And how her family is very worried about Violet’s mental state as well as how she had changed from the Violet before the death. They care about her and not in a way that is them not wanting to lose another daughter alone but that they genuinely care about how she is doing.


Settings:
I think my favorite places were the ones they visited as well as Finch's car. Every scene that wasn't there was so memorable in a way and I liked it.


Overall:
I read it months ago so I don't remember much of my thoughts on the book but I do remember how it reminded me a bit of the movie The Dressmaker. You have to both see the movie and read the book to know what I'm talking about but yeah.


via GIPHY



Like I said I don't remember much, but I do remember not being emotional in the end. It was either me, or I just didn't find the ending all that sobbing/rolling on the floor with cries of agony. It was sad but I was just not taken by that sadness and what happened.

I think out of the entire book I only liked a quarter of it. But it was well executed, both with the writing style and the way the characters developed. I just didn't feel anything towards the ending, bits in the beginning and  the middle. Other than that its fine, but then again that's most of the book. Still, I gave it a 4 out of 5 because it didn't make me want to not read it, and never finish it again. Plus, it was one of the books my mother had given me for my birthday last year, and I can't take that for granted.





Get a copy at:
Barnes&Noble  |   Amazon US

Or get it here using my affiliate link. Please:
Book Depository

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3/15/2017

Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven | Book Review




Book Review:
Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven

Spoilers?
Maybe.

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Title - Holding Up the Universe
By - Jennifer Niven

Publication - October 4th 2016 by Knopf
Format - Paperback, 388 pages
Genre - Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Everyone thinks they know Libby Strout, the girl once dubbed “America’s Fattest Teen.” But no one’s taken the time to look past her weight to get to know who she really is. Following her mom’s death, she’s been picking up the pieces in the privacy of her home, dealing with her heartbroken father and her own grief. Now, Libby’s ready: for high school, for new friends, for love, and for every possibility life has to offer. In that moment, I know the part I want to play here at MVB High. I want to be the girl who can do anything. 

Everyone thinks they know Jack Masselin, too. Yes, he’s got swagger, but he’s also mastered the impossible art of giving people what they want, of fitting in. What no one knows is that Jack has a newly acquired secret: he can’t recognize faces. Even his own brothers are strangers to him. He’s the guy who can re-engineer and rebuild anything, but he can’t understand what’s going on with the inner workings of his brain. So he tells himself to play it cool: Be charming. Be hilarious. Don’t get too close to anyone.

Until he meets Libby. When the two get tangled up in a cruel high school game—which lands them in group counseling and community service—Libby and Jack are both pissed, and then surprised. Because the more time they spend together, the less alone they feel. Because sometimes when you meet someone, it changes the world, theirs and yours.


The Rating:



My Review:


My review in a gif. Which equals 5 stars.

via GIPHY


The Cover:
Although they say never judge a book by it's cover I believe the cover should represent what the book is going to be like or at least some aspect of it.

I like the blue water color and the marble. For me, it signifies the two main characters relationship with one another. 
The font is also very simple and beautiful too.


The Story:
 Libby used to be Americas Fattest Teen now she lost most of the weight and has to start high school. Hoping most people had forgotten she tries her best to be herself. A dancing maniac with a heart of gold.
And then there's Jack whose the popular kid that everyone knows. Except that he's been hiding the fact that he has a condition that makes it difficult for him to see or remember people's faces. Even his family.


Relationships:
There werent many couples in this, so I'll just talk about the main ones.
Libby x Jack
I was so rooting for them since the beginning. Jack did mess up by doing what he did but he was the perfect gentleman after. 
I like how by reading the story you notice that they were kind of meant to meet and be friends. I like that. I also like how they looked out for each other in their own way. Libby helped Jack with his condition and Jack helped Libby realize she was awesome.


Family Dynamics:
As for Libby’s family.
I want to give Libby's dad a huge bear hug. I admire that man so much for being there for his daughter even in the hardest of times. 
Losing his wife the way that he did and then seeing his daughter spiral like that must have been hard but he never wavered. He did the best that he could with what he had and that deserves a real golden 'Best Dad Ever' trophy.
Her mom sounded kick ass too. 
Awesome mom + awesome dad = YAY!


Settings:
As for my favorite settings in this story:
I don't think I was paying attention to the settings but the car scenes where Libby is driving or where she's with Jack are the best. I also like where Jack and Libby are on their date and their dancing like it's nobody's business. 


Overall:
I adored every part of this book. 
Libby was amazing. Beyond what I thought she was going to be. She was so inspiring and so strong and courageous. I loved her as a character. 
And Jack was an ass for most of it, but he was just lost. And I liked how Jennifer Niven portrayed that. Cause sometimes when we get lost we become bad guys and assholes.


Is it weird that I thought of Footloose while reading this? 
I mean a dancing maniac (Libby) goes to a new school (Martin Van Buren High School) where no one knows him (kinda). And even though he just wants to dance and be free everyone around him, especially the town (the Martin Van Buren High School Damsels) don't want him to dance. But then a beautiful girl comes into his life (Jack) and they dance together.

Granted it has been a long time since I've watched Footloose and I never finished it from start to finish. So I don't know if I'm right.


Get a copy at:
Barnes&Noble  |  Amazon US

Get a copy here using my affiliate link. Please:
Book Depository

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11/20/2016

Stacking The Shelves - 4


Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where bloggers share what books they got throughout the week!



Reviewed:

   

Last week I didn't do one of these, because I had nothing to talk about but this week I do. I not only wrote the reviews of two books but I finished one two.
I had read The New Guy (And Other Senior Year Distractions) by Amy Spalding. But I hadn't written the review until a few days ago.

As for Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell. I also wrote the review to this.


As For Update:

    

I stopped reading All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, and in turn tried to read through We Are Still Tornadoes by Michael Kun & Susan Mullen. Im halfway through it and hope to finish it soon. I have to say that I really like the way it was written. It's fun and easy to read through. I would have finished it by now if it wasn't for my english project that is due on monday.
As for A Week of Monday by Jessica Brody. I actually finished it when I wrote this (which is on Thursday) and I will write a review for this book as well.
Hint: I really, really liked it.

(Click on the covers to visit their individual goodreads)









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11/06/2016

Stacking The Shelves - 3


Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where bloggers share what books they got throughout the week!



Reviewed:


This week I finished 3 books on the day I wrote the last Stacking The Shelves. I finished Santorini Sunset by Anita Hughes and wrote the review. I also read The New Guy (And Other Senior Year Distractions) by Amy Spalding. Review Pending! As well as Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell




As For Update:


All The Bright Places has been going slow. I think I read like five or ten pages. With We Are Still Tornadoes by Michael Kun & Susan Mullen I've done 42 pages and I really like it so far.
I did try to start another of the books that I borrowed, A Week of Monday by Jessica Brody. And I'm 81 pages in so far and I'm liking it too. 


(Click on the covers to visit their individual goodreads)







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10/30/2016

Stacking The Shelves - 2


Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where bloggers share what books they got throughout the week!


So this week I only got one book in the mail. I've also been busy wit exams and my blog, but I've managed to fit in some reading tie. I've started giving myself an hour just to read. Like, I actually use a timer and everything and it's been helping me a lot.


For Review:


This week I got a book from the lovely publishers over at St Martins Press. It is a Christmas book called Oliver, the Cat Who Saved Christmas by Sheila Norton. It is from the point of view of Oliver himself. I mean, if that doesn't sound cute then what does, right? Here are the links to the photo I took of the book on my instagram.


As for Update:
This week, much like last week is homework and studying for test, driven. But by giving myself an hour just to read I've managed to get a bit of reading done.
I have just the other night finished reading Santorini Sunset by Anita Hughes. Which was sent to me for review. I will definitely do a review of it in the near future.

I've also read a bit more of The New Guy (and Other Senior Year Distractions) by Amy Spalding. I’m on page 154.
And also All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. With 70 pages.
Then as soon as I finished Santorini Sunset I decided to pick Kindred Spirit by Rainbow Rowell up and finished it an hour or so later. I will also review this in the future.  Because it was a short book and I managed to finished it in one sitting. I was quite proud of myself for finishing two books in one night. This is also one of those books my friend has lend me.

(Click on the covers to visit their individual goodreads)












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