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    Calendars 5 by Readdle

    Calendars 5 by Readdle

    Productivity and Utilities

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    Calendars 5 is complete re-imagining of what the best mobile calendar experience should be. ...

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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Girls in Books

Feb 8, 2018  
The Girls
The Girls
Emma Cline | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
6
6.1 (17 Ratings)
Book Rating
Evie is a listless teenager in California, drifting through life, when she spots a group of girls in the park one day. Evie is immediately captivated, especially by Suzanne, an older girl with long black hair. She soon becomes ensnared by the girls and drawn back to their ranch, where she meets their leader, Russell, a would-be musician who has an entire group under his thrall. While the ranch is decrepit, and its inhabitants often hungry, Evie finds it a welcome alternative to life at home with her mother, or her boring best friend friend. She also finds herself more and more enthralled with Suzanne. But as Evie gets drawn into the group, it's hard for her to see the darkness surrounding her new friends--and what it may lead to.

I tend to either read "It" books immediately, or shy away from them. I was hesitant to read this one for a while, but finally caved while on vacation. While I found it an interesting read, it didn't live up to the incredible hype that swirled around the novel. I found Evie a lackluster character--and while part of that is the point, and what allows her to be drawn into Russell and Suzanne's web, I just found myself lacking any empathy for her whatsoever. The story itself goes seemingly nowhere for a good 2/3 of the book, only picking up near the end (yet, Evie isn't really involved in the novel's major plot impetus - it's very strange).

The juxtaposition of Evie looking back on her life, telling the story of her teenage years is an interesting one, but we don't get much further development about her present life. Overall, I enjoyed Cline's writing style and pieces of the book, but was disappointed in the novel as a whole. I didn't care about the characters or much of the plot, nor did I find the story as captivating as I'd hoped, based on all the raving reviews. Still, it was a fairly quick and interesting read.
  
IY
If You Could See the Sun
Ann Liang | 2022 | Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Alice Sun strives to be the very best of her class at her elite Beigin international boarding school, where she is the only student with a (partial) scholarship. She’s around China’s most rich and influential teens and she needs to do everything she can to get a leg up. But one day, she starts to turn invisible, as in, no one can actually see her type of invisible.

When she realizes she can use her new power in exchange for money she desperately needs, especially since her parents have dropped the bomb shell that they can no longer afford her school tuition after this semester, Alice will discover all the secrets her classmates have.

But as the tasks escalate from petty scandals to actual illegal crimes, Alice must decide what it's all worth.

This was a very quick and engrossing read for me and I was very interested in how it would all play out. I also enjoyed how the power Alice has of invisibility is never quite mastered and she doesn’t know when she will have the ability.

This is the second book I’ve read recently where the main character absolutely hates their rival and they then become friends with said rival and the rival is utterly confused by the actual hatred and then they fall in love. I couldn’t love it more! Ann Liang does the rivalry so perfectly that within the first few pages I was cheering for Alice to open her eyes and for them to kiss.

Overall, I stayed for the love trope between Alice and Henry, but also to see how Alice would handle the big situation she got herself in. Will be recommending this to quite a few people whom I know will enjoy it.

*Thank you Inkyard Press for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
  
    QVC for iPad

    QVC for iPad

    Shopping and Lifestyle

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    Customer-requested enhancements! Now you can get more of what you love with QVC for iPad®. The new...

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Ali A (82 KP) rated The Last Confession of Autumn Casterly in Books

Mar 3, 2020 (Updated Mar 4, 2020)  
The Last Confession of Autumn Casterly
The Last Confession of Autumn Casterly
Meredith Tate | 2020 | Young Adult (YA)
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Sisters Ivy and Autumn couldn’t be any more different. Ivy is a band-geek with a tight knit group of friends she loves to play board games with. Autumn is the school’s drug dealer and hasn’t trusted anyone, even Ivy, in years.

After a drug deal gone wrong, Autumn is beaten, bound, and hidden away. Tittering between life and death, Autumn leaves her body trying to find help - the problem is the only one who can really sense her is Ivy.

When Autumn doesn’t come home, Ivy knows her sister is in trouble, even though she’s done this before, this time is different. Following chills and intuitions she can’t explain, Ivy follows clues that bring her closer to Autumn’s dangerous location. But soon, dots are connected that lead to the truth - both where Autumn is being kept and what secrets Autumn has been keeping.

This book was so much more than I originally thought it would be. I read it in a day and a half and that was only because I had work in between. The book has a bit of everything… coming of age, sister relationships, broken families, suspense, and mystery… something for anyone who likes something heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time. I’m not someone who reads a lot of mysteries, but this novel grabbed me within the first few pages and I couldn’t let go until I knew what happened.

The viewpoint shifts between Ivy and Autumn and it allows you to see more in depth of each sisters’ side of the story, allowing you to dig deeper into the layers of Autumn’s past. I connected with both Ivy (her Nerd Herd is something I would have called my group of friends back in the day) and Autumn (the chip on her shoulder she has after her mother died is one I also had after my father died). Meredith Tate has such an amazing writing style that even the side characters are realistic and have so much depth that it makes you care for them as well. Tate is definitely an author that I will have on my ‘To Read’ list for any future releases.
The Last Confession of Autumn Casterly is a book I would recommend to those of all ages who like suspense but also something heartwarming as well.

I was given an advance copy of this book through BookishFirst in exchange for an honest review.