Hot Summer Reads (That Will Make You Sweat) | NA Recs

Is it just me or has it gotten a lot hotter in the city? Every day this week it's been 90 degrees or more with a slight chance of a thunderstorm and rain shower. Even though summer is coming to an end, the hot weather is here to stay and with it these summery reads. Today I share my top summer book choices ideal for any 90+ degree day and a few that will make you sweat, whether it's because of angst or just the heat.

Let's give a huge book birthday shoutout to...

Title: The Summer That Melted Everything
Author: Tiffany McDaniel
Pages: 320 pages
Published: July 26th, 2016
Genre: Adult Fiction, Contemporary

Fielding Bliss has never forgotten the summer of 1984: the year a heat wave scorched Breathed, Ohio. The year he became friends with the devil.

Sal seems to appear out of nowhere - a bruised and tattered thirteen-year-old boy claiming to be the devil himself answering an invitation. Fielding Bliss, the son of a local prosecutor, brings him home where he's welcomed into the Bliss family, assuming he's a runaway from a nearby farm town.

When word spreads that the devil has come to Breathed, not everyone is happy to welcome this self-proclaimed fallen angel. Murmurs follow him and tensions rise, along with the temperatures as an unbearable heat wave rolls into town right along with him. As strange accidents start to occur, riled by the feverish heat, some in the town start to believe that Sal is exactly who he claims to be. While the Bliss family wrestles with their own personal demons, a fanatic drives the town to the brink of a catastrophe that will change this sleepy Ohio backwater forever.

Buy it now! 

Goodreads | Barnes & Noble | Amazon

THIS BOOK IS...

Unique + The Devil + Haunting story

Now now I know this is a Young Adult book blog but lately I've been getting into some NA contemporaries that are oh-so-swoon-worthy. For today's post, I've decided to share some NA contemporaries that are as hot as this new release! Because although we may not like to admit it, we're all yearning for some hot summer reads with even hotter guys.

Playing With Fire by Gena Showalter

Powers + Romance + Crazy Scientists

Gena Showalter is on my list of auto-buy authors. As you can see from my tab above, I have a whole project surrounding her work. It's my mission to read everything she's ever written. She can seamlessly weave a story of romance with paranormal/supernatural elements. Her female characters are ALWAYS snarky and never fail to stir up some kind of trouble. I'm more a fan of her Young Adult novels because they're less sexual, but this was one NA novel from her that I extremely loved.

Paper Princess by Erin Watt 

5 sexy guys + Mansions + 1 badass female protag

Be mindful of the fact that I'm only 100 pages into this, and I already bought the sequel on my kindle. It essentially follows a girl who is snatched from the slums by a rich man with 5 snotty sons and her life is turned upside down. I'd describe it as Gossip Girl meets Boys Over Flowers. If you're looking for good writing, great character development and a full thought out plot, then this book probably isn't what you're looking for. Why read it then? Sure it's riddled with flaws, but this book is highly addictive and hilarious. Be prepared to stay up late to finish this book.

Confess by Colleen Hoover

Art + Secrets + Great relationships

Colleen Hoover is the established Queen of Contemporary. Just give her the crown already! Despite the fact that she's written so many books in the same genre, they all tend to be so different in terms of plot and character development. What I love most about her writing is the character arc. Her characters usually go from being disabled in some sort of way in the beginning until they meet 'the one'. I would argue that her romances are very practical, but then again others would disagree. 

Come Back To Me by Mila Gray

Unrequited love + Loss + Tears

Get ready for the tears. I know you don't want to be crying in this 90 degree weather but my friend Gabrielle thinks this book should be on your NA radar. It's a novel about unrequited love and loss. A young Marine falls in love with his best friend's sister, even though she's off limits. Unable to fight off his love for her, they embark on a romance that changes everything. When it's finally time for him to deploy, they're both not ready to let go. This sounds amazing and utterly heartbreaking. Why do I have a feeling this is going to end up like Me Before You? Oh no... 

Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker

Incredible writing + Car accident + Emotional

The book follows Kacey as she struggles with the aftermath of a car accident, in which she was the only survivor. Trusted reviewers have claimed that this book is realistic, entertaining and emotional. Although Kacey might be dealing with the trauma of the accident, she tries to move on from that event. She's incredibly strong in the face of tragedy and grows throughout the book. Ten Tiny Breaths is a quick read that will draw you in with its eloquent writing. 

Stay With Me by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Broken family + 'Experiences make everything'  + Six feet of hotness

Did you think that I'd write a NA recommendation post without including Jennifer L. Armentrout? Our female protagonist Calla hasn't done a lot of things. She's never been kissed, never seen the ocean or been to an amusement park. She's got scars from her past life that will never go away and a strung-out mother who wants nothing to do with Calla. Her life is in ruins... that is until she meets Jax. He's everything she needs but she's got to be careful... This wasn't my favorite JLA novel but it's definitely worth checking out if you want swoon, snark and a book you can finish in one sitting. 

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

College + TRAVIS MADDOX + Good girl

This book holds a trope I can never get tired of reading. It's the 'good-girl-meets-bad-boy' trope and it's extremely irresistible. Despite the book's cliche and unoriginal synopsis (it's the type we've all heard before), I have a craving to pick this up. After writing up this post, I'm going to go on a NA shopping spree and buy all these books that I'm telling you about. Oh lord, I'm having chills just thinking about adding all these books to my cart. This book is no exception! 

What are some of your hot summer NA contemporaries?

Pokemon GO Book Tag | GOTTA READ THEM ALL!!

All graphics are taken from Aentee @ Read At Midnight unless stated otherwise

I'm so proud of myself for not giving in to the Pokemon GO hype just yet. I've never felt this socially excluded in my life. All I hear on Twitter is Pokemon this, Pokemon that. I figured the only way I could introduce myself into the hype without downloading the app was to do this book tag. Thanks to the lovely creator Aentee over at @ Read At Midnight for creating this super fun tag!

It's weird that I don't own physical copies of the series and yet they were the first books I read (and loved) that jump-started my love for reading. I borrowed these from the library when I was a kid (GASP shocking I know) and closely followed the release of each of the books in the series. At the time, they hadn't all been released and I had to wait for the next books to come out. This series will always go down as my top favorite even though it's middle grade, and I probably wouldn't enjoy it as much today. I will never forget the way I felt while reading each of the books and being immersed in Pseudonymous' obscure and mysterious world. I was so obsessed that I actually emailed the author and requested an interview (receiving no reply). I highly recommend this if you've got kids or younger siblings and want to get them into reading something other than Animorphs and Magic Tree House. 

Of course it had to be a book I was forced to read in school because I wouldn't be reading classic's on my own time. Although I liked George Orwell's Animal Farm, I enjoyed 1984 far more because it was brutally realistic. If you've read this book, you'd know that the ending takes a turn for the worst. The MC's actions are overshadowed by this totalitarian government, which doesn't seem so far off into the future. The book talks about one thing that today's society lacks  and it's privacy. Just like the society in 1984, we too are being watched by the government. Our every move, documented. Our conversations, recorded. I just know that sometime in the future I will want to revisit this book and have real world discussions.

Lady Renegades is the third and final installment in the Rebel Belle trilogy by Rachel Hawkins. I read Rebel Belle early in its release and to be totally honesty, it's one of the books that got me into blogging. I loved it so much considering how much of a naive teenager I was. I always got sucked into the crazy and chiche YA stories because I didn't think there was anything else to i t. After reading the first book, I was so excited for the second installment and was lucky enough to receive an ARC from the publisher, however I found myself not liking it as much as the first. Actually the events that went down in the second book were so messy and ridiculous that I wasn't looking forward to the final installment. You can read my review for book two here. 

Prior to this book's release, the synopsis immediately captured me with its promise of historical elements and a secret society. However, I did not intend for there to be one of the biggest tropes in YA. And that, my dear friends is the stupid and annoying LOVE TRIANGLE. Yes, there is a freaking big and ugly love triangle in this book, which to be 100% honest was super angst-y and annoying. As much as I hate to admit it there is indeed a very cliche YA trope! But I will continue to love this book and follow the series because of the authors many historical references, character development and incredible imagery. I was shocked at how the author could fit so many places in just one book! 

If I had a nickle for every time someone told me to start this series, I'd own the bank. It's not often that I let large books intimidate me. After all, I did trek through all of Sarah J. Maas' books and anyone who's read those must know how big those monsters are. I know most of this book is compiled of documents and pictures, which in turn makes it easier to read and faster to get through. I just can't handle how freaking large it is. I'm also not familiar with the author's previous works so it's not as easy for me to just pick up the book and ensure myself that I will enjoy it. I know I'm a huge let down to all that are obsessed with this book and are circling Jay Kristoff like a swarm of bees in anticipation for the sequel.  

I remember when I first started reading this book, it was 12 a.m. in the morning. I normally read my books around that time. It was foolish of me, actually, to read a Sarah J. Maas book late in the night. But I did it anyway because I didn't have a chance to read ACOMAF when it first came out. I waited. Waited for the hype to die down and for someone to tell me that the matter was life and death. And... HOLY. SHIT. I swear that I didn't stop reading until the sun was banging on my window. This book. If not for the swoon-worthy romance scenes, it'll keep you up just because there are twists at the end of every chapter. If you read ACOTAR and thought it was mehhh, I would suggest trying the sequel. It will make you feel things you've never felt before. 

#FEYSAND!! NEED I SAY MORE? 

Colleen Hoover has a knack for writing romance novels. In one way or another, we are all suckers for a good romance. I can't exactly pinpoint what about Hoover's books that make them so fast-paced and easy to get into. They just are! I'd recommend reading any of her books for readathons, as they are extremely gripping romances that'll keep you guessing till the very end. 

I know this is a book tag, but I can't come up with any book series I've read recently with spinoff series. The Vampire Diaries movie got a spinoff series called The Originals. You could say that I liked the spinoff series 100x more than the original show. They take place in the same time span but the characters and setting of The Originals interest me more. 

Sadly, not a big fan of the TMI series. If I had read it earlier in my years I think I would have really enjoyed it. I was hesitant to start this series because of all the hype surrounding TMI. But in all honesty, this series wasn't as hyped up as TMI when I was reading it. It seemed like a good decision at the time, and I'm glad I picked it up. Otherwise, I would have never been introduced to my one true love, Will Herondale. 

Oh lordie. Yes, I'm reading Harry Potter for the first time this month. Yes, I'm loving it so far. Yes, you can chat all about it in the comments or to my DM on Twitter. I can't tell you how many people congratulated me on finally starting this series.

I never really repurchase books but when a collector's edition releases for a book I really enjoyed, I don't mind spending the extra money. I own the collector's edition of Insurgent and so I'd like to purchase the other two books as collector's edition. 

Girl In Pieces is Kathleen Glasgow's debut novel that releases on September of this year. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from the author, so you can only imagine how eager I am to get into my copy. It's about a girl named Charlie who, at a young age, loses a lot of people in her life. In an attempt to forget all about it, she depends on self-injury to numb her misery. Early reviewers have praised Glasgow's touching story saying that it brings hope and . I'm glad to see authors taking that giant step to writing about sensitive topics in YA. 

At this point, I will buy anything that Sarah J. Maas conjures out of her fantastic head. After reading ACOMAF it's clear to me that whenever I read her books, I'm immediately sucked into the world and the characters. I feel things that I often never feel when reading books from any other author.

We, Sarah J. Maasians, understand how great writing takes time. And so we have patience...

I CHOOSE YOU...

Talina @ Sassy and Dangerous

Emily @ Paging Serenity

Melissa @ The Reader & The Chef 

Requesting ARCs | Advice From Publishers

If you follow me on social media, you'd know that I recently attended Blogboundcon. It's a book blogger convention that featured panels with different authors, publishers and bloggers and celebrated the 'career path' we know as book blogging. I've learned a lot through my two years of being a book blogger, but it's nothing compared to what I learned from the wonderful panelists during Blogboundcon. So if you missed out on the event, don't fret! I was a good girl, and I took notes that will be shared in today's post.

ARCs? What's the big deal? 

Yeah I know, I know. ARCs are now considered a sensitive topic among the blogging community because of the recent mishaps that have unfortunately plagued the blogosphere. This isn't my first post about ARCs but if it's the first for you, just know that an ARC stands for an advanced reader's copy. They are proof copies of books that have not released yet but are sent to librarians, booksellers and book reviewers for early review and hype.

Whether you're a new blogger or someone who's been around the block longer than the rest, you can attest to the sheer craziness of receiving ARCs. Because when the ARCs come out, it's really every blogger for her/himself. I'll admit that while I was at Blogboundcon, the main thought that was rushing through my head was 'where are the ARCs? where are the ARCs?' And it's sad really to see what this community has become because of the rarity of these titles and how everyone wants to be the first (or one of the first to read them). You don't have to admit it but you know it's true. 

I'm not even going to touch upon the recent dilemma or any ARC-mishaps that have occurred. Sure, you can get ARCs for free at book events and giveaways. Those are the most common ways. But what if you actually want to use your blogging stats and social media stats to attain one. Doesn't that sound more like an accomplishment? ARCs are very limited. Okay, not every blogger can receive one, especially if it's for a book that's super popular. And if it's your first time requesting an ARC, you've come to the right place. With the help of the publishers from the panel @ Blogboundcon, I've created a list of things to keep in mind when requesting ARCs. Trust me, you're going to want to stay for this!

Requesting ARCs is different for every publishing house. Some use newsletters and Google forms to see which books are requested the most. These newsletters and forms are usually seasonal. Then there are ARC emails, which are probably most commonplace. You know what they say... If you want something, just ask for it! I will be touching upon the emailing process in this post! 

Things to Keep In Mind 

1. Request books you really want to read. Remember: There is a very limited amount of ARCs published for a book. Publishers want to make sure that these limited copies are going to readers who will potentially enjoy them. Sure, you're not obligated to love it and write a 5-star review. But keep in mind, publishers want the best publicity for the book so if you request a book you know you're not going to enjoy, how does that help anyone?? Save yourself and the publishers from the disappointment. 
2. In your ARC request email, always mention WHY you want to read the book you're requesting. The publishers on the panel said that this was such a common thing that requests were missing. This will help them get to know why you think the book is a good fit for you. They even mentioned how some of the reasons won them over because they were so passionate and heartfelt. If you're requesting an ARC of a book from your favorite author, be sure to mention that! 
3. Link all social media (and of course your blog link duh) This should be common sense by now but if you haven't heard it enough times yet, here is your daily reminder! The publishers also said that they basically stalk your Twitter, Instagram and blog links once you send a request in. This will give them a basic idea of how you interact with your followers and that you're not just linking your reviews over and over again, but sharing your love for reading. 
4. Don't forget your shipping address. The panelists stressed the importance of leaving your address because so many bloggers often forget! Don't assume that these publishers know who you are! Even if you've received copies from them before, always include your shipping address at the end of your email. 
5. Once you receive the ARC, don't disregard the basic directions given to you by the publisher. This is a really important one that people seem to misunderstand. Usually when you receive an ARC that you requested, there are some strings attached. A review is expected, as it is also common courtesy since you literally requested it. If it's unsolicited, that's a different story! It's very common for your ARC to come with a corresponding email or letter with basic instructions and hashtags to allow the book and your review to be shared with maximum exposure. Tagging the publishers and using the given hashtags are great ways to get their attention and let them know that you're doing what you can to get the word out there. They might even consider working with you again! 
6. Suggest fun ideas on how to promote the book. The publishers can't do all the work! If you suggest writing something other than a review to help promote the book they might consider giving you the ARC rather than to somebody who just wants to review it. It's all about creativity and imagination. 
7. Email etiquette. Be mindful that you are talking to the superiors of the book industry so you have to format your email in a way that is respectful. Start with a greeting. Don't just get into what you want. At the end of the post don't forget to thank the publisher for taking their time to read the email. 
8. Don't say the same thing for every email. With all the review requests you're going to be sending, you're going to be tempted to copy and paste everything from one email into another. First of all, that leaves more room for mistake. You might easily forget to change the publisher's name on the greeting and that is just embarrassing. But also, if you send more than one review request to the same publisher. They're going to get tired or reading the same thing or they might notice that you've just been copying and pasting and will think you are a lazy bum. Hehe, that was totally me in the beginning of my blogging career. 
9. Don't make demands. Keep in mind that they get to decide whether or not you get the ARC. Don't think so highly of yourself and start demanding ARCs. You're way out of line! 
10. In your email refer back to other books you reviewed under their publishing company. Show these publishers that you have a love for their work and you're willing to review some more for them! 
11. Don't ask other bloggers for their publicity contacts. A few emails, rejections and responses later, you should have a number of publishers talking to you via email. You can consider them to be your personal contacts and should you be interested in reviewing anything from their publishing house, you can shoot them an email and ask. These personal contacts shouldn't be shared for many reasons. One reason is because this contact may have responded to your request because they think you're a good fit to review books for their house or they're interested in working with you. You can't give the email to your friend and assume that the same contact wants to work with somebody who contacts them randomly. It puts a lot of pressure on the person you're contacting when the email is directed specifically towards them instead of the public publicity email (public publicity emails can be found on the publishing house's website)

A Good (well, in my opinion) Email Example 

I wrote this email to Simon & Schuster and received an early finished copy of The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson. 

Hello Simon & Schuster,

I'm Alex, a YA book reviewer at my blog The Book's Buzz and my Youtube Channel! I'm emailing in regard to a book that hasn't been released yet but one I'd be interested in reviewing early on my blog and other social media outlets. I'm interested in reviewing this book because I've read and reviewed other works by the same author. She's one of my favorite contemporary authors, and I'm so excited for her newest installment! Along with posting reviews on my blog and Youtube channel, I also post on Goodreads and on all retailer sites where the book is going to be sold. Additionally, I'm very active on Instagram and take creative pictures of books. I really hope you consider my request :D

Blog Link:
Bloglovin Followers:
GFC Followers:
Youtube Channel Link:
Youtube Subscribers:
Instagram:
Instagram Followers:
Twitter:
Twitter Followers:

Book I'd Like to Review:
The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
May 3rd, 2016
Simon & Schuster

Shipping Address:

Thank you so much for reading! I really hope I'm considered :D 

A Bad Email Example 

Can I get a copy of The Unexpected Everything please? I will review on the blog, Youtube channel and Goodreads. I'm a very good reviewer and have at least 500 followers on my blog via GFC. I've also reviewed books for you before like Since You've Been Gone.

Shipping Address:

Please send it before the publication date.

What would you ask a publisher for next week's post?

The Experience of Buying New York Comic Con Tickets

Although this is a highly not book related post, I just wanted to share my very first New York Comic Con ticket buying experience.

A little over a week ago, tickets for the 2016 New York Comic Con went on sale. Now this was my first time ever, buying tickets for NYCC. From the stories that I had heard from people who bought tickets in previous years, the experience is hell- literally. As soon as tickets went on sale, you would be put in a virtual queue (a virtual waiting room/list) and you would get to buy tickets when it was your turn in “line”. This year, ReedPop, the organization that plans NYCC, made sure all ticket buyers had to be fan verified. Essentially, if planned on getting a chance at going to NYCC, you had to make an online profile. This, they said, was to prevent scammers and ticket resellers.

So when fan verification was released, I created my profile, and patiently waited until ReedPop announced the date that tickets would go on sale. I started getting anxious in that time, no doubt thinking that I never received the email to buy tickets and the tickets were already sold out. Anxiety. Anxiety. Anxiety. But on June 27^th, I got the email! Tickets would finally go on sale at Noon on June 29^th. Luckily, I was out of school by then and when Wednesday came around, I set alarms for 11:00AM, 11:30AM, 11:45AM, 11:55AM, and 11:59AM. And as I watched the hands of the clock on my phone reach high noon, I hurriedly pressed my cursor on my personalized link to buying tickets. I might have clicked too soon (11:59:59 AM) because the page I was directed to said the link still wasn’t available.

So mere seconds later, I clicked the same link (again) and was redirected into the virtual queue. Was I relieved? No. Stressed? Yes. Anxious? Very. As I waited for my turn in the virtual queue, I started chatting with Alex, who was also in the queue. Twitter was exploding with tweets with the trending hashtag, #NYCC. That was probably a mistake –checking Twitter. My anxiety grew as the minutes passed and soon it was 20 minutes past noon. 

People were buying and celebrating their purchases while I was biting my nails, sweating, watching the same Virtual Queue page as the clock ticked, ticked, and ticked, unsure whether to refresh the page or leave it the way it was. As 50% of the 3-Day Passes quickly became sold out, you could almost feel the virtual tension of the people all waiting in the virtual queue, holding a collective breath.

Fortunately, at around 12:38 PM, I got through the virtual queue *celebration* and luckily, the 3-Day Passes were still available. ReedPop gave each person a limit of 15 minutes to complete their purchase, and I have to say, that was the quickest I ever punched in the numbers of my credit card (sort of felt like the Flash for a brief instant). Needless to say, that experience is now over. The literal hell of waiting in the queue has passed, though I may have gotten a few new gray hairs.

But what could make the ticket buying experience better? Having a number in the virtual queue that let you know where you were in line. Maybe an estimated wait time? Although fan verification did help to cut down on the number of scalpers this year, there were still resellers. Within the hour of release, 4-Day Passes were already being sold for $600 on various online stores. ReedPop gives ticket purchasers 14 days to assign names to each ticket purchased, which means people who were fan verified could buy tickets, resell them, and assign them to a different name. Then this brings up the question, what's the point of fan verification? Overall, NYCC is a large and stressful event (for attendees and organizers both). I commend ReedPop for working hard to organize this event for fans and for trying to make an improvement from past years, but there still remains room for more improvement. 

If you have ever purchased tickets for New York Comic Con, or any other Con, share your experience in the comments below! And if you’re going to NYCC this fall, also let me know! I’d love to meet y’all, especially with the ongoing BookCon at NYCC this year!

Let us know: What's the worst experience you've had with purchasing tickets for an event?

A Sudden Appearance of Hope by Claire North | The Most Interesting Book You'll Ever Read

Title: The Sudden Appearance of Hope
Author: Claire North
Pages: 480 pages
Release Date: May 17th, 2016
Source: Hardcover from Hachette
Genre: Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction
Rating: 4/5 stars

My name is Hope Arden, and you won't know who I am. We've met before - a thousand times. But I am the girl the world forgets.

It started when I was sixteen years old. A slow declining, an isolation, one piece at a time.

A father forgetting to drive me to school. A mother setting the table for three, not four. A teacher who forgets to chase my missing homework. A friend who looks straight through me and sees a stranger.

No matter what I do, the words I say, the people I hurt, the crimes I commit - you will never remember who I am.

That makes my life tricky. But it also makes me dangerous . . .

Buy it now!

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

** I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review **  

You have to understand that this book is far out of my comfort zone. When I first requested a copy from the publishers I only knew two things - 1) Regan from PeruseProject on Youtube adored this book and 2) the synopsis was too good to pass up. Memory loss is a tricky thing to accomplish in literature, and I was simply blown out of the water with this one. 

You know that saying 'out of sight, out of mind'? Hope Arden is the personified form of this saying. You can talk to her, have a real connection with her and even fall in love with her. But once she's out of your sight, you'll forget all about her. And you think you're living a hellish life? Think about how Hope feels. To be forgotten by your own parents, lovers, friends and siblings. What kind of life is that? However, being forgotten is not all bad. It enables Hope to be a jewel thief, and a good one at that. 

We are introduced to a global software known as Perfection. It's described as a cellphone app kind of system that gets access to the user's personal contacts, emails, calendars and basically a whole person's life. The idea behind Perfection is to shape and mold a person into the perfect version of themselves, thereby changing their lifestyle, friends, habits and attitude to make a person 'perfect'. Now it gets interesting. Hope Arden resents everything about Perfection and the so-called 106 club, an exclusive group of people who have achieved a high number of points through Perfection. And one of the perks about being forgotten is that you'll seemingly blend in against the rich and snobby elite who are always remembered. Hope is the perfect candidate to infiltrate the system and shut down Perfection, forever. That's exactly what she does.

Sound a little confusing? Just know that the book is way more than what it says on the synopsis. It's more than just a chronicle on Hope's life. It's about a world that has lost its image and a girl who is trying to retrieve it because unlike so many others, she doesn't believe in the world perfect.

I took a chance with this one, and I'm so glad I made that leap from YA. Literary fiction is just one of those things you have to test out for yourself. You know, dip your toes in the water. It's not to say that this book wasn't slow... The first few chapters were not as fast-paced and thrilling as the middle and ending, but I couldn't ignore the fact that we got a lot of background information and history of Hope Arden, who by the way is the single-handedly most interesting protagonist I've ever encountered.

This was such an impactful book that made me realize our point of view on the word perfect is quite linear. We usually associate that word with perfect teeth, a perfect smile, a slim and fit body, and long and gorgeous hair. And for a girl like Hope, who doesn't have to care about being perfect because she's never remembered, to say that she hates Perfection is like a pebble being thrown in the water. It's a game changer. No one may remember the girl who isn't perfect, but they will remember who destroyed Perfection.

Some of my favorite parts of the book had to be the moments when Hope met with the same person many times and each time, they never remembered her. In Hope's desperate struggle to be remembered, she meets someone with the same 'condition'. He, too, is not remembered. I think North took a huge risk in creating this character with a similar condition because, just imagine, two people who aren't remembered?? Then how do they remember that they don't remember each other? I have to say that Claire North handled this concept very well. It was straight-forward and easy enough to understand. I could tell that my brain was working a lot harder to analyze what was going on, and I appreciated the challenge!

One of my main concerns going into this book was that it would be way too confusing for me to understand. As I've tried to read hard-hitting fiction such as Gone Girl, The Girl On the Train and All the Light We Cannot See, I find that I have trouble understanding the storyline and characters as easily as I have with YA. And I think the only thing I can say to that is I just wanted to know what would happen to Hope in the end. It's not like skipping to the end will help because the book flashes back and forth in time, so don't even try to be sneaky (heheh, I caught you!).

Ironically for a book about a girl no one remembers, I sure won't be forgetting the name Hope Arden anytime soon.

In the book, Hope searches the word 'perfect' on Google. I thought I'd do the same thing