From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon

Title: From Twinkle, With Love
Author: Sandhya Menon
Pages: 328 pages
Release Date: May 22nd, 2018
Source: Hardback from the library
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Rating: 4/5 stars

Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy—a.k.a. Sahil’s twin brother? Dream come true x 2.

When mystery man “N” begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it’s Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she’s fallen madly in love with the irresistibly adorkable Sahil.

Twinkle soon realizes that resistance is futile: The romance she’s got is not the one she’s scripted. But will it be enough?

Told through the letters Twinkle writes to her favorite female filmmakers, From Twinkle, with Love navigates big truths about friendship, family, and the unexpected places love can find you.

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Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi | Mini Review + GIVEAWAY!

Title: Emergency Contact
Author: Mary H.K. Choi
Pages: 391 pages
Release Date: March 27th, 2018
Source: Hardcover from Simon Teen
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Rating: 4/5 stars

For Penny Lee high school was a total nonaevent. Her friends were okay, her grades were fine, and while she somehow managed to land a boyfriend, he doesn’t actually know anything about her. When Penny heads to college in Austin, Texas, to learn how to become a writer, it’s seventy-nine miles and a zillion light years away from everything she can’t wait to leave behind.

Sam’s stuck. Literally, figuratively, emotionally, financially. He works at a café and sleeps there too, on a mattress on the floor of an empty storage room upstairs. He knows that this is the god-awful chapter of his life that will serve as inspiration for when he’s a famous movie director but right this second the seventeen bucks in his checking account and his dying laptop are really testing him.

When Sam and Penny cross paths it’s less meet-cute and more a collision of unbearable awkwardness. Still, they swap numbers and stay in touch—via text—and soon become digitally inseparable, sharing their deepest anxieties and secret dreams without the humiliating weirdness of having to see each other.

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Emergency Contact is a mature and adorable novel about two young people falling in love. Don't let the pink and light ambiance of the cover fool you. This book touches upon topics like alcoholism, drug abuse, sexual assault, and anxiety. I wasn't expecting it to be as hard hitting as it was, and it made every minute of reading this book completely worth it.

We usually read books to get off our cell phones and escape this age of mass texting and social media. Because people have become so consumed with their cell phones, communicating through text and social media has since received a bad rep. There has long been a debate over whether cell phones are doing more harm than good to users. Sure, it distracts students from schoolwork and diminishes the chances of face-to-face interaction. But it also brings communities of people together and connects long-distance relationships. Also, I'm not the first to admit that meeting people face to face can be daunting.

At the beginning of the book, Sam has a panic attack. As someone who has experienced what it's like to have a panic attack, it was incredibly hard to read. But after I made it through that part, I was grateful that Choi added it in the first place. It's an experience everyone should be familiar because it's incredibly hard to understand what someone goes through during a panic attack. And of course, Sam's experience will mirror everybody's, but it's a start to talking about mental health in young adult literature.

Emergency Contact is not your topical meet-cute contemporary novel. Penny's fear of confrontation and her awkwardness makes her such a relatable character in the story. The fact that this book also took place in a college setting was just the cherry on top. I feel like we don't get enough college YA's that actually have scenes where the character is in a class! If you're even in the slightest bit interested in picking this one up, consider entering my giveaway below!

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Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

Title: Finding Audrey
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Pages: 288 pages
Published: June 9th, 2015
Source: ARC from Penguin
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5/☆☆☆☆☆ 

An anxiety disorder disrupts fourteen-year-old Audrey's daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother's gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she's never been able to do with anyone before. As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family.

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I received an ARC from the publisher in the early stages of this book's publication and made the stupid mistake of not reading it at the time. I'm a stinkin' dumbass. Don't be stupid like me and pick up this book before it's too late. 

My favorite booktube Zoe (readbyzoe) loves reading Sophie Kinsella. She talks about her all the time in her videos and I'll be damned if I don't at least give her a try. I had a Sophie Kinsella book in my shelf, so why not? Now I pretty much fully understand the hype. Sophie Kinsella's writing is contemporary but I finished this book in one sitting! Just ask my sister who is a testament to me staying up till 2 a.m. to finish this book. I wasn't surprised, of course. With the way Zoe talked about her, I knew I wasn't going to be able to put this one down easily.

I respect authors that can take a fragile subject and craft an entire story around it. In this case, the main character has an anxiety disorder. Anxiety orders and depression are no easy topics to explain to someone who's never seen an anxiety attack or depression firsthand. What Ms. Kinsella did was make me feel just as anxious as Audrey felt when she was experiencing these attacks. Anxiety attacks-- better known as panic attacks-- aren't fun, to say the least. I've seen people have panic attacks firsthand and on video. Your heart pounds in your chest and you can't breathe. It'll almost feel like you're dying or going crazy. I was impressed that the author decided to tackle such a topic. 

The story is so much more complex than girl has problem, girl meets boy, and boy fixes girl's problem. From the synopsis you're probably even thinking that's where this story leads. Get your head out of the gutter because that's not the case at all! Audrey's family is a mess. Her mom get's stressed about everything and overreacts. Her dad basically doesn't have a mind of his own and practically regurgitates everything her mom says. Her brother, Frank, is struggling to explain his passion to their parents. And not to forget her little brother, Felix, who is too young to understand the family's predicament.

Her family tries to do the best they can to help her with her disorder but there is only so much they can do to help their daughter with a condition they know nothing about. Sure, she has Dr. Sarah to help her through the hoops and obstacles but Audrey knows that if she's really going to get better, it's all up to her. Then comes Linus. I know what you're thinking! You're like, this is totally insta love. I mean she likes him because he's the only guy that she feels comfortable being around. I'd like to disagree by saying he was the one that approached her and she wasn't even interested at first.

The growth of ALL the characters in this book is terrific. Not only is Audrey learning to cope with her disorder but her entire family seems to blossom from this chaotic mess to a family built off of learning from each other's mistakes and failures. What an exceptional story about family and love! I'm glad this was my first Sophie Kinsella book.

The only person I held a grudge with the entire book was the mother. She was slightly -- okay, I'm being too generous -- annoying in the beginning. When I say slightly, I mean REALLY annoying and especially when she repeatedly tells Frank to get off the computer. I understand how much she worries about her son but I mean, it's his future not yours!

Other than that, this book held the attention of a non-contemporary reader. The story goes by so quickly, you won't believe it's over when you reach the end. A documentation of not only one girl's recovery but her entire family's as well. Well done, Ms. Kinsella :D

The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle

Title: The Accident Season 

Author: Moira Fowley-Doyle

Pages: 288 pages 

Published: August 18th, 2015

Genre: YA Thriller, Mystery

Source: Barnes & Noble Hardcopy 

Rating:

It's the accident season, the same time every year. Bones break, skin tears, bruises bloom. 

The accident season has been part of seventeen-year-old Cara's life for as long as she can remember. Towards the end of October, foreshadowed by the deaths of many relatives before them, Cara's family becomes inexplicably accident-prome. They banish knives to locked drawers, cover sharp table edges with padding, switch off electrical items- but injuries follow whenever they go, and the accident season becomes an ever-growing obsession and fear. 

But why are they so cursed? And how can they break free? 

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If you read that synopsis and aren't already intrigued by this book, you aren't a human being. Readers, let's face it. We're always lured into the hands of publishers and booksellers when we hear a book such an amazing premise as this one. I've got to say that this book makes me more excited than presents on Christmas! I was so ready to dive in and prepare myself for the best.

Plot

The plot follows 17 Cara as she navigates through her life. Towards the end of every October, her family becomes accident-prone. Doesn't make sense? Well, think of it as a time of bad juju or bad luck. At this point in October, they just get some really bad bad bad luck and when I say bad bad bad luck, I mean so bad! They get bruises, scars, and sometimes someone is even killed during the accident season. Being apart of Cara's life for so long, she's learned to live her life with her mom, brother and sister normally, to say the least, but always aware that she has to be even more careful than she normally is. The entire book follows Cara and her family as they discover why this is happening and how can they stop it. 

An important thing I wanted to talk about with this book was the writing style. This is a debut author so I had no idea idea what to expect from her writing, except I was thinking about sort of a Maggie Stiefvater style, since she likes to write about both magical realism and mysteries as well. The tone of her writing is immensely beautiful and it's so very eerie. The entire storyline follows a mysterious and magical realism theme but doesn't fail in bringing the best of both words because, yeah, you could be magical and creepy at the same time. 

The story is so well put together and composed, it's like reading a post off of The Huffington Post. It's cryptic and yet up to self-interpretation. The concept was not hard to follow and it wasn't confusing me, but it might sound confusing to you guys when you're first reading it in the synopsis. 

Characters

The characters are weird and eccentric, all things I find admirable in mystery novels and every character in this book had their own personality. The three four main characters in the book- Cara, Sam, Bea, and Alice- resembled teenagers in the olden days where life was just about drinking, popularity, and going to parties instead of studying. They were carefree and all so lovable that even their faults didn't cause a rift in the story. 

What I loved most about these characters was that they weren't all perfect. Their flaws are made clear from the beginning and is carried out through the rest of the story. If it's one thing I don't like it's perfecting and cockiness, which this book took no part in showing. Cara, with her insecurity and inability to stand up for the things she wants most. Bea, with her freakishly weird talent of reading tarot cards and talking to ghost (I think). Sam, mostly with his shyness and same problem as Cara. Finally, Alice, with her scared mouse personality who wasn't able to stand up for herself when things got out of control. 

Romance 

Warning, there is a hell of a lot kissing. I didn't expect this book, especially because it's so wrapped up in it's plot and storyline, to have such a huge romance aspect. It hits you unexpectedly and the people that you think are going to end up together in the beginning, don't go out exactly as planned in the end. 

These romances are a bit weirder than usual, but I assure you they all come down to one thing: true love. I couldn't have matched the pairs in this book better than Moira did. 

The Accident Season is for those who don't want a straight-forward story and are looking to dip deeper with the characters as the book moves along. If you're looking for a good chill. Or maybe even just some strange characters. It tells of an incredible story of a family that doesn't just get bruised on the outside, but also on the inside. And it's for those who are looking for a real narrator to follow, someone who won't change the story or hide her feelings. Someone who will show you her scars, no matter how deep they go. 

Have you read The Accident Season? What did you think? 

Absolutely True Lies by Rachel Stuhler

Title: Absolutely True Lies 

Author: Rachel Stuhler 

Pages: 352 pages 

Published: May 26th, 2015

Genre: Contemporary YA 

Source: Paperback from Touchstone

Rating: 

Struggling writer Holly Gracin is on the verge of moving back home to upstate New York when she gets hired to write the memoirs of eighteen-year-old Daisy Mae Dixson, a former Nickelodeon child star who has moved seamlessly into both blockbuster movies and pop music. 

Holly quickly realizes that Daisy's wholesome public image is purely a work of fiction, as Holly finds herself trailing the star as she travels around the world on yachts, gets stalked by paparazzi, and sneaks out of five-star hotels in the dead of night. 

As Holly struggles to write a flattering portrait of a teenage millionaire who only eats "nightshades" and treats her employees like slaves, Daisy has a public meltdown- and suddenly, her book is the cornerstone of resurrecting her image. But working at all hours trailing a pop star has taken its toll, and Holly must decide if becoming the ultimate inside if worth losing a starring role in her own life. 

Fun, juicy, and inspired by Rachel Stuhler's own stranger-than-fiction experiences as a celebrity ghost writer, Absolutely True Lies is an entertaining look at how the lifestyles of the rich and famous aren't always what they seem. 

Get it now! 

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** I received a copy of this book from the publisher. This has not affected my opinion on the book whatsoever.** 

I really don't know where to start off with this book other than say that this is not your ordinary YA contemporary read. This book was amazingly special and unique that I've never heard about before until this book. It completely blew me away because I went into it solely not knowing anything and keeping in mind that this was not hyped about around Booktube or the blogosphere. Not often do we see a YA book about a main character whose already graduated from college and is now living off on her own to make a living for herself.

My Thoughts 

I can see this book following true events in the author's life. Oh wait hold up, these are are real-life experiences! The events of the story are based on her experience of being a celebrity ghost writer!! The story follows Holly as she struggles to sculpt this reputation as a writer first in the real world and then into the world of this glamorized Hollywood superstar life. Her life completely changes when she is called by the manager of famous actress Daisy Mae Dixon to have an opportunity to ghostwrite her autobiography. Because she has accepted this job, Holly enters this life of high, elite society with Daisy and her family to learn more about her in order to write the book. 

I found the writing style to be the most quirkiest thing ever. It's not sophisticated or incredibly beautiful but it's real and it sounds like any normal conversation you'd find on the street between two people. The lines were snarky and amusing. They also played a huge role in characterizing the characters and allowing the reader to connect to the characters. You would definitely find yourself snickering in between chapters when you'd least expect it. I also got those weird stares from my parents when they saw me laughing to myself and just didn't understand what was so funny. 

The comedy was unreal. This book takes YA comedic relief to the next level and there is only so much comedy you could put into contemporary before it goes over into the actual comedy genre. This book had the perfect balance of contemporary romance and comedy.

A fun and engrossing look at the underside of fame. Told from the viewpoint of an ordinary woman who gets sucked into the dizzying orbit of a superstar, this snappily written debut benefits greatly from Rachel Stuhler's real-life experience as a celebrity ghost-writer --Sarah Pekkanen 

Not only does this book give us a VIP pass into the life of a celebrity, but it shows us that fame and fortune is not as easy as it looks. There is a great contrast between out two characters Holly and Daisy. Holly is assigned to learn more about Daisy by following her around the day and as she does this, Holly realizes that she really would rather live her mediocre life than wish herself into the life of a famous Hollywood celeb. It's harder than you think, and I think this book made a huge statement towards that cause.

I honestly have no idea what age this group this is geared towards. I'm kind of stuck between YA and NA since this book follows an older protagonist but the YA is still there, I feel. This is a coming of age story that follows a protagonist that has matured but still hasn't just about learned everything in life. Holly finds herself pinned against herself wondering if she's doing the right thing and in the process of working inside the life of a celebrity, she learns a w hole lot about herself. A contemporary that sets itself apart from the others.

A story packed with quite a punch. YA and NA come together to form a story that reels you in slowly as it progresses. 

Have you read this book yet?