Author: piperreads

Book Of The Week: Catch and Cradle

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Hello everyone! I’m back with the Book of The Week and I’m delighted to share this book with you as I enjoyed it very much. I did have a hard time trying to narrow it down as there were other books that I read this past week. But, I finally did so let’s get started.

The Plot:

Becca swore she woudln’t fall for another teammate after the experience she had on her UNS Lacrosse Team in her first year but she can’t get one of them out of her head and it’s driving her nuts. Her teammate and girl she’s crushing on Hope is dealing with the aftermath of a terrible breakup three months prior by her boyfriend in a very public way. Trying to get over the heartbreak, she is grappling with her crush on Becca, the team captain of the UNS Lacross Team. What happens next is going to take Becca and Hope on a journey of self-discovery, hope, belonging, and healing from a broken heart.

The Characters:

They were all so wonderful especially Becca, I felt a connection to her with reading hte POV’s throughout the book. I love Hope but Becca’s chapters were filled with so much yearning, heartache, and belonging that I just wanted her to be happy and figure out who she is and fully accept that. I loved how the POV’s alternated between the characters as it really helped not only build up their characters but set up for the eventually romance, it felt very real and raw. I felt the chemistry between Hope and Becca and it didn’t feel forced and I was rooting for them from the beginning. I felt that all the characters even the side characters were interesting, unique, well developed, and had their own parts to play.

Overall:

This was a super enjoyable book and the writing was a big plus, it helped bring the reader in and feel a part of the atmosphere. I feel a connection to the story and characters. I normally read longer books so I did wish it was a little longer but that will be something other readers like and that’s fine. But, highly recommend this book as it was a super enjoyable love story with complex characters.

Amelia Unabridged by Ashley Schumacher

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Rating: 4/5

“I like to imagine my used books as little soldiers that have gone off to serve their duty elsewhere before coming into my hands. Books are something to be stepped inside of, to be occupied and lived in.”

The Plot:

Amelia Griffin is obssessed with the famed series, Orman Chronicles by reclusive and young prodigy N.E. Endsley as not only does she enjoy them but they’re the books that brought her together with her best friend after her father left and her family imploded. When Amelia and Jenna get the opportunity to meet the famed author, they both can’t wait but things don’t go as planned as Jenna gets the opporutnity to meet the author but not Amelia. It leads to a big blow out between the girls and before they can mend things, Jenna dies in a tragic accident leaving Amelia, grief-stricken and lost. Now Amelia must find her way through it and be able to carry on Jenna’s memory and come to terms with events that happened in the past.

The Characters:

All the characters were really great especially Amelia, I thought she was a very relatable main character and I did like the dynamics between Amelia and her best friend, Jenna. They both had their own struggles and I felt for Amelia when Jenna tragically died and Amelia had to work her way out of the guilt she felt about the fight leading up to the accident. Schumacher does a really nice job of portraying how grief impacts people and that it’s different from person to person because I think this is very important to understand as people are raised in environments where grief is displayed different. Just beacuse someone is outwardly expressing their grief doesn’t mean they’re not grieving and how it was displayed in the book is very real.

The Writing:

This is my first introduction to Schumacher and I enjoyed her writing. She really knows how to display grief in a way that the reader understands and how grief can be healed. The writing was well paced and thigns weren’t as predictable as they can be in YA novels which can often push readers away especially readers like me. I felt like eveyrthing flowed very nicely from beginning to end and this a very heartwamring read about grief, finding yourself, and being open to new experiences in life. So check it out if you want!

Darling by K. Ancrum

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Rating: 4/5

The Plot:

A dark and twisted retelling of an old classic, Peter Pan which tells the story of Wendy Darling who has just moved to Chicago with her parents. Wendy feels like her life will never get any better until her first night, a young boy by the name of Peter appears at her window and invites for a night on the town. Wendy is ready for a night on the town and expects the two to hit a party but instead they’re heading to the underground. While Wendy adapts to this new experience, she not only makes friends but enemies along the way and has to face her own struggles and insecruties of feeling like she’s trapped where she is with no way out. But, if she’s not careful she might make it out alive at all.

“Hearing the other teens laughing fake and loud made Wendy feel like she was about to pass out. People don’t get good at doing things like that unless they needed to. Unless they’ve done it often and for their own protection.”

The Characters:

While I did enjoy the characters, I actually felt like there were too many characters. I found them interesting but I was also flipping back and forth and feeling confused. I think it would’ve been better if there weren’t so many because it was hard to know who was being talked about and I also felt like it took away from the story in a way. Peter is very flawed as are the other characters, Detective Hook, Wendy, Tinkerbell which was very realistic and uncomfortable at the same time especially with Detective Hook and Peter Pan. Ancrum doesn’t shy away of showing how Peter’s toxic behavior and grooming of the disadvantage lost boys and how things get complicated once Wendy comes into the picture. Oh the other hand Detective is far from the hero as he reeks of incompotence, enables police brutality, among other things. The LGBT representation is also really good in the book and there’s even disability rep so that’s always a plus.

The Writing:

This was my first introduction to K. Ancrum and I really enjoyed her writing. She has a way with words and making super compex and uncomfortable subjects raw and real without overdoing it. This was a very interesting retelling of an old classic but people should take trigger warnings seriously before reading this book.

What I Carry by Jennifer Longo

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Rating: 4/5

“Don’t ever not get angry. You’ve got every right. No reason to hold on to it forever of course, just always give anger it’s due. Let it show sometimes. Respect it.”

The Plot:

Wow, this book was exceptionally good. It was such a heartwarming and wonderful tale about a young girl who is about to be released from the foster care system. Muir, the main character is ready to age out, start college, and start a life that she wants for herself. What she doesn’t know is that her last year in the foster care system is going to change everything and send on a journey that she never saw coming.

I loved the plot, I thought it was a very powerful yet simple with a profound message of belonging, acceptance, and feeling comfortable in their won skin after years of being shuffled around from home to home never getting close to people of past experiences. I feel like this is something many people can relate to especially those who grew up in abusive/neglectful or even chaotic environments where there was lots of dysfunction.

The Characters:

Muri, Sean and Kira were wonderful characters who had their own struggles while finding common ground with one another. I love the bond that they share throughout the book. I felt for Muir throughout the book as she struggles with her own insecruties and actually making bonds with her foster mom, Francine and struggling to feel okay with things going well for her. She’s lived her entire life moving from home to home in foster care and I felt bad for her because it was obvious she wanted friends, family, and a sense of belonging but because how she was shuffled around in foster care, she had a hard time accepting good things that came her way. Everyone needs friends, family, and feeling like belong and are accepted and having to go through the foster system or dealing with abuse/neglect can make that really difficult. I felt for all of them and I just wanted Muir to be happy.

The Writing:

This was my introduction to Jennifer Longo”s writing and I am defintely going to be checking out more stuff by her as I felt drawn into the world that she created. The way she described things, her characters, the plot, and the atmosphere really helped intertwine everything to make easy to follow. I thought that the pacing was done just right and I didn’t feel like there was anything that she could improve on. It was a really well done book on a very serious and important matter.

Book of The Week: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder Series

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Book: A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder series by Holly Jackson

Rating: 4/5

Before I get into talking about the series, I just wanted to preface this and say I finished these books quicker than I expected. This series is fantastic. From the plot, characters, writing, dynamics between the characters, pacing, and atmosphere, it was done really well. I had heard from a few people that the series was fun, easy to read, entertaining, and a true mystery but I didn’t expect it to be so good.

The series main protaganist, Pippa Fitz a high school student who isn’t so sure that Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Sighn even though everyone says he did it. Pippa is determined to solve the case herself and use it as a class project for her senior year but the more she tries to uncover, the more danger waits in the darkness. Pippa begins to find that there are more questions than answers and someone is desperate to keep those secrets kept hidden. The more Pippa digs, the more dangerous it becomes and those close to Pippa are worried that she could be next.

The first book did a great job at setting things up for the next two books but the way the pacing was done really helped. It was right in the middle, not too slow and not too fast. The second and third book were just as good as the first one and I’m sad that it’s over but I couldn’t put the books down. It was a such a nail biter to the end as I felt like the twists, jumps, and turns were done so well that you didn’t even seen them coming. I loved Pippa as I found her a very fleshed out well written character who had a good head on her shoulders and wanted to make those around feel safe. She can be a bit brash and acts before she thinks but throughout the series, there is growth to her character that I found believable. I found her interactions with other characters well done and the dynamics were great. The other characters were great, they were all unique and had their own struggles and conflicts especially with Pippa.

The second and third book were filled with just as much excitement, terror, suspense, action, heart-warming moments as the first book which made me happy. As sad as I am that the series is over, I wouldn’t want a fourth book as everything is tied up nicely in the third book and I feel doing a fourth book would slightly ruin the series. It’s good to know when to stop and not drag things out and annoying readers in the process as that can happen. A truly great mystery/thriller series that will keep you wanting more so check it out!!

Favorite Quotes:

“The people you love weren’t algebra: to be calculated, subtracted, or held at arm’s length across a decimal point.”

“But sometimes remembering isn’t for yourself, sometimes you do it just to make someone else smile. Those lies were allowed.”

“I think we all get to decide what good and bad and right and wrong mean to us, not what we’re told to accept.”

“A quietness settled over the room, a quietness that wasn’t the absence of sound, it was its own living thing, stifling in the spaces between them.”

“But sometimes remembering isn’t for yourself, sometimes you do it just to make someone else smile. Those lies were allowed.” 

The Hand On The Wall by Maureen Johnson

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Rating: 4/5

“Anxiety does not ask your permission. Anxiety does not come when expected. It’s very rude. It barges in at the strangest moments, stopping all activity, focusing everything on itself It sucks the air our of your lungs and scrambles the world.” 

The Plot:

I feel like this book wasn’t very necessary as it couldn’t have been included in the 2nd book, it just felt dragged out and the more scenes that had David, the more I wanted to punch him. I disliked him in the previous books. Stevie Bell now believes Ellington Academy is cursed as three peple are now dead. All three happened at the wrong place at the wrong time. All which happened at the moment of Stevie’s greatest triumph as she has now solved who truly devious is. or that’s what she thought but now she’s not so sure as with the recent events have made it difficult for her to focus on anything. 

The Characters/Writing:

Compiling this is one because I had issues with the characters and the writing in this book. I didn’t like David before but he is utterly unlikeable in this book. There were so many times I wanted to smack him the back of the head especially with how he treated Stevie. With the writing, I felt like some of it was rushed and while the pacing was good, I felt like something was missing. I was a little bummed about not liking this as much.

We Regret to Inform You By Ariel Kaplan

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Rating: 2.5/5
y
“Just your friend?”
“There’s no just about being friends.” 

The Plot:

When Mischa Abramavicius, an overachieving star student doesn’t get into any of the universities she applied for, she knows that something isn’t right because how could she not get accepted into these schools. While pondering her future, she decides to take matters into her own hands and find out what happened but the m0re she digs, the more questions she has. Mischa is determined to find out what happened even if it means her own safety.

This plot was interesting at first glance but throughout the book, it starts to become very silly and I for one don’t buy what actually happened. it just felt far fetched to me.

The characters & writing:

The characters needed better development because I couldn’t really connect with any of them. I didn’t see any growth with any of the characters. The writing was a bad in my opinion as there was way too much detail in some parts and not enough detail in other parts. It is fun and cute during some parts but I just couldn’t get into it which sucked but maybe other people will find this more enjoyable than I did.

It happens but onto the next book!

The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson

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Rating: 4/5

“All the money, all the power—none of it compares to a good book. A book gives you everything. It gives you a window into other souls, other worlds.” 

The Plot:

While Stevie Bell may have solved the murder of her classmate, she now finds herself into a new brew of trouble as strange things keep occurring and before she can investigate, her parents pull her out of the academy for her own safety. They want her to move on from this obsession and focus on other things but Stevie feels isolated, disconnected, and alone. To add insult to injury, she finds herself thinking of David, the boy she kissed but also the boy who lied to her. Stevie doesn’t want to ever seen him again but when David’s father, Edward King makes a visit and wants Stevie to come back to the school to make nice with David. He tells her that he’s in the middle of a campaign and can’t afford for David to cause any trouble. If Stevie is there, he will make nice.

The prospect of returning to Ellington Academy is to exciting to turn down as Stevie knows she’s close to solving the murder. But, the path to truth is much more dangerous than before and Stevie must be careful or she could be next.

This novel takes a very unexpected turn that I didn’t see coming, I nearly gasped and threw my book but I loved it at the same time. The plot is what I love the most as it’s unique, entertaining and keeps you guessing what will happen next.

The characters:

So much growth for Stevie, I really enjoy her as a protagonist. She’s very real and relatable and I loved seeing her grown as a character. I felt for her when she was back home and feeling disconnected from everything as that can be really difficult and in addition to that, she felt hurt by David. I can’t say that I blame her for being hurt that he lied to her as I would feel the same. I already had a feeling that she would seen David soon and while David does improve and grow, I still can’t like him as much I liked Stevie. I did enjoy their banter and the dynamics that they have in this telling but I don’t buy the romance, it’s awkward and feels forced.

The writing:

Johnson’s writing is what I love the most. She knows how to write unexpected twists and turns in a way that you don’t even seen coming until it happens. I really enjoy how she’s able to create an atmosphere that’s so real and she does a great job with the dynamics between the characters. Overall, a very entertaining, edge of your seat thriller that keeps you wanting more!

For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing

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Rating: 4/5

“Being loved is one thing, being hated is another, but there is nothing worse than being ignored.” 

The Plot:

For Your Own Good is a wild, campy, vindictive, and murderous tale that follows the lives of students, teachers, and other professionals at the prestigious, famed, wealthiest Belmont Academy. Teddy Crutcher is a dedicated, hard working, by the books and willing to do anything to help out his students even if they don’t ask him to do it. Soon, the school is thrown into a tailspin when a parent is found murdered. While this would cause concern for any rational person, Teddy isn’t too bothered by nosy students. He’s more concerned with helping his students tap into their potential and wishing that his fellow staff, administrators, and other school personnel started treating him like the gift that he is and stayed out of his way.

The Characters:

Teddy is an unbelievably entertaining main character with flaws and all that make you love and hate him at the same time. His teaching methods are less than conventional but he is willing to do whatever it takes to get the best out of his students even if that means going a little too far. While Teddy is the main focus on the book, there are other characters who you hate and love at the same time. The way the characters are written adds to the devious and dark plot and also makes you question them but Teddy is the person you question the most. He’s so bad but you can’t help but love him.

The Writing:

This the first book by Downing that I’ve read so I didn’t know what to expect but she’s very good at describing the atmosphere and setting the tone. While I did like the different POV’s, I wanted to know more about Teddy and why he was the way that he was and also felt like there way too many chapters. Some of the chapters could be condensed because I felt like I was never going to finish it. So, it took away from my excitement by the end of the book and I didn’t feel as gratified as I wanted to feel. Downing also excels with keeping you on your toes with the twists and turns that you read throughout the book and that’s always a plus in particular for me. I get bored with predictable twists and turns and lose interest but the way they are written is very well done.

Final Thoughts:

Even with the unnecessary chapters, this is a fun, wild, and entertaining ride that will you leaving you wanting more. It’s dark, devious, hysterical, and will to make you second guess the twists and turns. It will also make you wonder who will win at the air as the way Downing writes it leaves it up in the air.