The Geography of Lost Things by Jessica Brody

Title: The Geography of Lost Things
Author: Jessica Brody
Pages: 458 pages
Release Date: October 2nd, 2018
Source: Hardcover from Simon Teen
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

After Ali’s father passes away, he leaves his one and only prized possession—a 1968 Firebird convertible—to his daughter. But Ali doesn’t plan on keeping it. Not when it reminds her too much of all her father’s unfulfilled promises. So when she finds a buyer three hundred miles up the Pacific coast willing to pay enough money for the car to save her childhood home, Ali can’t wait to get going. Except Ali has no idea how to drive a stick shift. But guess who does?

Ali’s ex-boyfriend, Nico. And Nico has other plans.

He persuades Ali that instead of selling the car, they should “trade up” the items they collect on their trip to eventually reach the monetary amount Ali needs. Agreeing with Nico’s crazy plan, Ali sets off on a unique adventure that is unlike anything she ever could have expected.

And it’s through Ali’s travels, through the strangers she meets and the things that they value—and why they value them—that Ali eventually comes to understand her father and how his life may not have been as easy and carefree as she previously thought. Because just like the seemingly insignificant objects Ali collects, not everything is exactly as it appears.

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**I received an unsolicited copy of this book from the publisher. This has not affected my opinion of the book.**

Road trip contemporary stories are my kryptonite. This book tickled my desire to read a cute contemporary story about a road trip but also delivered in other aspects. I despise how I initially thought this was going to be yet another "road trip romance book", fitting the mold of all the road trip contemporaries I had read in the past. Beyond the surface, it is so much more. In fact, this book is one of the strongest contemporaries I've ever read.

I love contemporaries that are good at being cute and romantic, but I also appreciate when they succeed in teaching me valuable life lessons. I mean, going on a road trip with your ex-boyfriend? Straight from the start, I knew this book was going to be juicy! However, I did not think I was going to tear up, much less feel any emotional attachment to the characters in this story.

The relationships in this book are fragile and complex. In fact, there were so many relationships that could have each had their own books written about them! Ali and her father, Ali and her mother, Ali and Nico, Nico and his mother... Too many to name! I cared for these characters' well-being and carried their emotional burdens with me as I read on. I found the ex-boyfriend, Nico, to be especially interesting because from the start of the story he's introduced as this mystery.

There are some really small details in this book that I appreciated and GOD, THEY MADE ME LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH MORE. The story is so well thought out and the author pays so much attention to details like the information she puts in at the beginning of each chapter. You're going to have to read the book to find out what I mean. As you can see, I'm trying really hard right now to keep the spoilers out of this review!

There are so many beautiful things about this book, but mostly the true beauty lies in the lessons and message the book imparts. Messages about forgiveness and finding value in things and in relationships. This book isn't your typical road trip YA. It will tug your emotional heartstrings and possibly make you see the world in a new way. Although this book is nearly 500 pages long, it didn't feel that long. It was fast-paced and it almost felt like I was embarking on the road trip with these characters.

I was really nitpicky with my rating, which is perhaps the only reason I didn't end up giving it a 5-star rating. The book alternates from present to past with flashbacks, but I often felt it quite confusing determining whether we were in the present or the past. But overall, this book exceeded my expectations and I couldn't recommend it more. Brody's writing is reminiscent of a Morgan Matson book, which is probably why I flew through this one. For you die-hard contemporary readers, you will devour this book. For those who haven't read much contemporary, this one would also be perfect to start out with.

Notes On A Book: Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian

"Notes On A Book" is new series on the blog hosted by blogger Gabrielle (Gabby). These post-it notes resemble real notes that she took while reading the book. This series will provide a quick, succinct review that will give readers insight into what Gabrielle was thinking at the exact moment of reading each page of the book. 

Title: Stay Sweet
Author: Siobhan Vivian
Pages: 368 pages
Release Date: April 24th, 2018
Source: Hardcover
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

A summer read about first love, feminism, and ice cream.

Summer in Sand Lake isn’t complete without a trip to Meade Creamery—the local ice cream stand founded in 1944 by Molly Meade who started making ice cream to cheer up her lovesick girlfriends while all the boys were away at war. Since then, the stand has been owned and managed exclusively by local girls, who inevitably become the best of friends. Seventeen-year-old Amelia and her best friend Cate have worked at the stand every summer for the past three years, and Amelia is “Head Girl” at the stand this summer. When Molly passes away before Amelia even has her first day in charge, Amelia isn’t sure that the stand can go on. That is, until Molly’s grandnephew Grady arrives and asks Amelia to stay on to help continue the business…but Grady’s got some changes in mind…

Buy it now!

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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.

Buy it now! 

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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!

ENTER TO WIN AN EMERGENCY CONTACT PRIZE PACK!

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BLOG TOUR | The One Memory of Flora Banks Guest Post + GIVEAWAY!

Title: Flora Banks

Author: Emily Barr
Pages: 303 pages
Release Date: May 2nd, 2017
Source: ARC from publisher
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Seventeen-year-old Flora Banks has no short-term memory. Her mind resets itself several times a day, and has since the age of ten, when the tumor that was removed from Flora's brain took with it her ability to make new memories. That is, until she kisses Drake, her best friend's boyfriend, the night before he leaves town. Miraculously, this one memory breaks through Flora's fractured mind, and sticks. Flora is convinced that Drake is responsible for restoring her memory and making her whole again. So when an encouraging email from Drake suggests she meet him on the other side of the world, Flora knows with certainty that this is the first step toward reclaiming her life.

With little more than the words "be brave" inked into her skin, and written reminders of who she is and why her memory is so limited, Flora sets off on an impossible journey to Svalbard, Norway, the land of the midnight sun, determined to find Drake. But from the moment she arrives in the arctic, nothing is quite as it seems, and Flora must "be brave" if she is ever to learn the truth about herself, and to make it safely home.

Get it now! 

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Hey everyone! Today I have a special guest joining me today on my Flora Banks tour stop. It's the one and only Emily Barr, author of The One Memory of Flora Banks. I'm sure you've all seen this book floating around the blogosphere, but if it still hasn't piqued your interest then I'm hoping this post will. In books, I am captivated with the idea of memory loss. A lot of the books I have read that include characters that lose their memories have been thrillers or mystery books. I've never seen a contemporary one. I took this tour opportunity to ask the author Emily Barr about the research that was required to write about a character with anterograde amnesia and how she was able to capture this essence in a young adult book. Here is her answer. 

Research About Amnesia
by Emily Barr

It sounds so easy to write a book about amnesia. In fact I’d wanted to write one for ages but had held back because the ‘knock on the head/ can’t remember anything’ trope felt so clichéd and I didn’t know anyone in real life who’d had anything remotely like that happen to them. It felt as if fiction-amnesia was a whole different thing from real-amnesia.


I did, however, have experience of older people with dementia, losing their recent memories while remembering things from long ago. I remember, as a young child, visiting my grandfather who had Parkinson’s with the associated memory loss. It was incredibly distressing. I also knew people with younger family members who had experienced different kinds of memory loss and I could see that brains were complex, incredible things.


When I started writing The One Memory of Flora Banks I knew I had to do everything I could to get it right. I read books by Oliver Sacks (who is an absolute hero of mine: The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat is a brilliant starting point for anyone writing about anything brain-related). I read anything I could find about anterograde amnesia. I got in touch with an old university friend who works in this field, and he sent me all kinds of reading material, and looked over my plans for Flora to tell me what was plausible and what wasn’t.


I went through the book again and again, doing everything I could to make it logical. Because Flora can remember things from before she was ten she has the basics about how things work: I have a ten year old of my own and she certainly know about charging phones and laptops and those kinds of daily-life things. However, I kept catching myself letting Flora remember things she shouldn’t have remembered. In fact, I’ve never written so many drafts of anything.


I am left with the overwhelming feeling that the human brain is a remarkable thing, that memory is not a static objective thing, but a weaving together of impressions of sights and smells and sounds and tastes, and the way things make us feel. We can forget things, and we can remember them, and we can remember them wrong. A tiny change in those mechanisms can make an enormous difference to a person’s life, and that is, in the end, going to happen to a lot of us.

 GIVEAWAY! 

Enter for a chance to win one (1) of five (5) copies of The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr (ARV: $17.99 each).

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between 12:00 AM Eastern Time on May 1, 2017 and 12:00 AM on May 22, 2017.  Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older. Winners will be selected at random on or about May 24, 2017. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

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Emily Barr

Emily Barr (www.emilybarr.com) began her career as a journalist at the Guardian before realizing that she was drawn more toward books. After taking a year to go backpacking for a column assignment, she returned home with the idea for her first book, the New York Times bestseller Backpack, and never looked back. She has since written 11 additional books for adults. The One Memory of Flora Banks is her young adult debut. Emily lives in Cornwall with her partner and their children. You can follow her on Twitter @emily_barr.

#ReadADessen | Best Literary Friendships + GIVEAWAY!

Hey guys! I'm so glad to be apart of this campaign curated by Penguin Teen in anticipation for Sarah Dessen's newest novel, Once and For All. I haven't read much Sarah Dessen in my days, so I thought this was the perfect time to be reacquainted with her. In an effort to countdown Dessen's already published titles, bloggers are going to be sharing some content from her books in their own little posts! This week's post will center around That Summer and Someone Like You. 

Title: Once and For All
Author: Sarah Dessen
Pages: 400 pages
Release Date: May 29th, 2017 

Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance 

Louna, daughter of famed wedding planner Natalie Barrett, has seen every sort of wedding: on the beach, at historic mansions, in fancy hotels and clubs. Perhaps that's why she's cynical about happily-ever-after endings, especially since her own first love ended tragically. When Louna meets charming, happy-go-lucky serial dater Ambrose, she holds him at arm's length. But Ambrose isn't about to be discouraged, now that he's met the one girl he really wants.

Sarah Dessen’s many, many fans will adore her latest, a richly satisfying, enormously entertaining story that has everything—humor, romance, and an ending both happy and imperfect, just like life itself.

Pre-order now! 

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This post is inspired by... 

Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen. This novel features two best friends, one who loses someone dear to her and the other who must lend her shoulder to that friend. The relationship between these two young ladies is unparalleled, and it inspired me to reminisce about my favorite friendships in YA history. 

I feel like Cinder and Iko is one of the most iconic duos in YA. Made popular by the Lunar Chronicles series, these intergalactic retellings showed the true power of friendship as well as the lengths one would go to in order to protect each other. Their friendship is valuable because in a world where betrayal is commonplace and trust is not given easily, it's best to have someone you know you can count on by your side. 

Tis' true that Paige and Warden from The Bone Season series get involved romantically in the future, but they begin as friends. Wait no. Friends is maybe too generous of a term. I think accomplices is the best term to describe their relationship. Although reluctant to trust each other in the beginning, they soon begin to realize that their trust towards each other is the only thing keeping them alive. I personally think they have the best literary friendship because their bond is stronger than most. Their hearts and minds are also connected when it is generally shielded from others. Although not quote obvious, I definitely think their relationship was based more on their respect for each other rather than their hatred. 

We Are Still Tornadoes tells the story of two best friends Scott and Cath. Best friends are separated when Cath decides to go to college and Scott stays home. The entire story is told through correspondence as the two are writing back and forth to each other about their different lives, new friends and new relationships. I didn't think it was possible to tell an entire story through letters and emails but authors Michael Kun and Susan Mullen sure proved me wrong. Their letters are extremely detailed and filled with emotion without being too long. I also think if you're into books that take place in the 80's, you'd like this title. It's riddled with old song titles and nostalgic vibes. I really like how through their constant messaging and being apart, they realize that they might mean something more to each other. Their relationship really transcends throughout the novel. 

If you know me at all, this is my favorite classic of all time. I own more than three copies of this book and so, of course, I had to include it. Nick and Gatsby have a friendship that I'm envious of. I think a great thing to note is that Nick isn't Gatsby's friend because of his money, like the reason as to how a majority of people are acquainted to Gatsby- because of his money. It's safe to say that their relationship translates to that of two brothers. They protect and worry for each other. Nick stays by Gatsby's side when no one else does, and that itself is admirable. 

Sarah Dessen

Sarah Dessen is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen novels for teens, which have received numerous awards and rave reviews. Her books have been published in over thirty countries and have sold millions of copies worldwide. She is the recipient of the 2017 Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association for outstanding contribution to young adult literature for her novels: Keeping the Moon, Dreamland, This Lullaby, The Truth about Forever, Just Listen, Along for the Ride, and What Happened to Goodbye. Her newest novel, Once and for All, will be released in June 2017. An NC native, she currently lives in Chapel Hill with her family.

Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

GIVEAWAY!

Enter for a chance to win one (1) set of Sarah Dessen’s books in paperback (ARV: $132.00).

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between 12:00 AM Eastern Time on April 17, 2017 and 12:00 AM on May 29, 2017.  Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older. Winners will be selected at random on or about June 1, 2017. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

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All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven | Mini Book Review

Title: All the Bright Places
Author: Jennifer Niven
Pages: 378 pages
Release Date: January 6th, 2015
Source: Hardcover
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

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.

Buy it now! 

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I may not write a book review for every book I read, but I felt especially compelled to write about this one. Long story short, All the Bright Places moved me. It’s changed my perspective on life, and at some parts, I was able to relate to the story. Never before had I read a book that made me tear up, and want to bawl, while reading in a crowded subway car. Not even ACOMAF (I saved the tears for when I got home). Constant tears welled up in my eyes, and blurred my vision as I read through the last hundred pages of this beautifully written tale.  

But enough rambling about my reading experience, let’s get into the parts that made All the Bright Places so emotionally wrecking.

This is the story of Finch and Violet. Finch is a boy who thinks of suicide on a daily basis, yet wants to keep living. Violet is a girl who started considering suicide after a tragedy. The two meet unconventionally, and a sort of unreciprocated romance develops. Finch becomes obsessed with her, while Violet takes some time to reciprocate Finch’s love. But eventually they find each other, and their story is absolutely heart breaking. And I mean you’re gonna want to prepare a few boxes of Kleenex for this read.

I loved Finch and Violet’s wanderings. Their post-it notes. Their Facebook messages. All the Bright Places is a love story, that has that warm TFIOS feeling, but an ending uniquely it’s own. I can’t tell you the exact page when I fell in love with Finch, and consequently the story, but it was definitely within the first twenty pages. And I’ll be honest in this part of the review-and this is difficult to talk about, but I related to many of Finch’s inner thoughts. When Finch described being Asleep, I thought back to the times when I was physically alive, but felt dead and empty on the inside. When Finch talked about not mattering in this world, I remembered the times when I was alone in my thoughts, and didn’t think anyone would remember me if I simply disappeared, though suicide was never a thought that I fathomed. Regardless, Finch had insecurities and numerous flaws, and he was the first character I read about that reminded me of myself. He was a relatable character who opened my eyes to the gravity of suicide and the power of actually living your life.

So even though this story has utterly destroyed me, it's also made me stronger as a person. Jennifer Niven has inspired me to go out, and explore-to go out and wander. And having lived in New York City for nearly my entire life, it's occurred to me- for the first time- that there are so many hidden gems left to be seen in this bustling city and that I've taken so much of this special place on Earth for granted for the past decade. And NYC is special with its own secrets, but even if you don't live in a large metropolis, All The Bright Places shows you that there’s beauty everywhere you go, even in the quietest of towns; you just need to be willing to find that whimsy.

Whether you’re able to connect to this book personally, or are looking for a rather short, fast paced contemporary, I highly suggest All The Bright Places. I finally picked up this book (after being spoiled a year ago) since many of my non-reader friends became obsessed with it (one of them even reread the book three times). But if the topic of suicide is something you would prefer not to read about, that’s okay too. I know that for me, I had put off this book for so long because it dealt with suicide and insecurities and I was afraid to read it, and I regret that decision now. Finch and Violet go on the most incredible adventures, taking you along for the ride. The humor in this story is spot on, and Finch, ya gotta love Finch. So please, I encourage to pick up this book, and give it a try, it might end up being your favorite book of all time.

The Weight of Zero by Karen Fortunati | BLOG TOUR

Title: The Weight of Zero
Author: Karen Fortunati
Pages: 400 pages
Release Date: October 11th, 2016
Source: ARC from the publishers
Genre: Mental Health, Young Adult, Contemporary
Rating: 4/5 stars

Seventeen-year-old Cath knows Zero is coming for her. Zero, the devastating depression born of Catherine’s bipolar disease, has almost triumphed once, propelling Catherine to her first suicide attempt. With Zero only temporarily restrained by the latest med du jour, time is running out. In an old ballet shoebox, Catherine stockpiles meds, preparing to take her own life when Zero next arrives.

But Zero’s return is delayed. Unexpected relationships along with the care of a new psychiatrist start to alter Catherine's perception of her diagnosis. But will this be enough? This is a story of loss and grief and hope and how the many shapes of love – maternal, romantic and platonic – impact a young woman’s struggle with mental illness.

The manuscript was awarded the 2014 SCBWI Work-in-Progress Grant in the Contemporary YA category, named a finalist in the 2015 Tassey-Walden Awards and won the Serendipity Literary Agency 2013 YA First Page/Novel Discovery Contest.

Buy it now! 

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**I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way.**

This is definitely one of the best books encompassing mental health I've read all year, if not the best. What sets itself apart from other similar books on the market is simply the perspective of mental health in which the author has decided to write about.

Catherine Pulaski is a 17-year-old girl who suffers from bipolar disorder. She spends her days living in fear that one day Zero will return for her. Zero, the devastating depression born of Catherine's bipolar disorder, which almost triumphed through her first suicide attempt. She knows Zero will come back for her, and she will take whatever time she has left before she ultimately decides to end her life when Zero makes its imminent arrival. But before that... she's got a bucket list of things to do.

Fortunati really emphasizes the longevity of Catherine's mental illness, something that is often neglected in most of the mental health-related books I've read. I feel like some books portray a character's mental illness as this hurdle to be knocked down or conquered and that once it's treated, it's gone forever. I believe quite the opposite actually. Mental illness is something that stays apart of a person forever and all one can do is not 'treat it' or 'extinguish it', but just to learn how to live with it. Even embrace it, in some cases.

Catherine may be one of the most compelling characters I've ever read about. Her perspective on her own life is so morose and grim. In the beginning of the book, she's literally just waiting for Zero to come so she can take her own life. She believes herself to be such an inconvenience to her teachers, her (ex) friends and to even her mom. These parts of the book were often most painful to read about, as I can imagine so many other teenager girls and boys feeling this way.

There was also some dark humor, which was pretty obvious through Fortunati's word choices. It gave the story this light-hearted sense and quelled the fact that, yes indeed, we're talking about mental illness and depression.

"It's actually a pretty easy decision when you get right to it. And honorable, I think. I'm intrinsically damaged, so I'll switch out my life for my mother's...."

"I will take whatever time I have left and kill myself when Zero makes Catherine-landfall. When he's entrenched in my head and has poisoned my world alien and gray. I will do it with the contents of tis shoe box. A conscious decision to refuse to live my life this way, under the conditions."

- The Weight of Zero by Karen Fortunati

I found myself marking the pages with the phrase '#relatable' on more than one occasion. As someone who has experienced mental illness, I found everything that Catherine felt to be true to my personal experience. Even the little things like how her throat would tighten to the bigger things such as how alienated she felt from the world. My ability to empathize with the main character made my reading of her all the more enjoyable.

The side characters played as big a role as the main protagonist did. This isn't a story about just Catherine's struggle, but the struggle of so many others she has touched and met along the way. For example, we learn a lot about her mother's hardship between juggling 2 jobs and worrying about if and when her daughter might try another attempt on her life. She's a single mom who is obligated to pay for all of Catherine's medical bills and put food on the table. I loved Catherine's mom so much! She was such a trooper and through all the sacrifices she made for Cath, I wanted to pat her on the back for being such a supporter. We also meet Kristal, who is a fellow patient at the St. Anne's support group. Kristal is a recovering patient of an eating disorder. Rarely do I read books where the side characters play just as an important role in the story as the main character.

I liked the symbolism scattered throughout the book. One really important symbol was her stockpile of meds she keeps in an old ballet shoe box. I thought they were a concrete visualization of her control of her own life. She had the power to take her own life in her hands, yet she refused on more than one occasion. If I were to reread this book, a closer analyzation of this symbol would have to be in order!

Catherine was such a complex and endearing character, who was in this constant battle with her depression. As the reader, you could see Catherine getting better with each visit to the support group and her interactions with her friends and family. Due to her grim perspective on her illness, however, Catherine fails to see that and plunges in further into the abyss of her bipolar disorder. It wasn't so much of Catherine using her strength to fight off her illness, but more like her having to find that strength through the duration of the book.

I've read a lot of books that romanticize mental health, and I'm so so so so so glad that this book wasn't one of them. There was a romance in this book, don't get me wrong, it's just that the romance wasn't the main focal point of this story. Catherine didn't find her strength through meeting and falling for Michael. Their relationship is even awkward at times, which I thought was very realistic and well-done. Yep that's right people, the princess saves herself in this one.

I'm surprised this book isn't getting more hype. It was beautifully written and such a great addition to the genre of mental health. I'm ready to jump into anything else Karen Fortunati has for me to read!! 

Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland + Post-Heartbreak Advice | BLOG TOUR

Title: Our Chemical Hearts
Author: Krystal Sutherland
Pages: 256 pages
Release Date: October 4th, 2016
Source: ARC from Penguin
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Henry Page has never been in love. He fancies himself a hopeless romantic, but the slo-mo, heart palpitating, can't-eat-can't-sleep kind of love that he's been hoping for just hasn't been in the cards for him—at least not yet. Instead, he's been happy to focus on his grades, on getting into a semi-decent college and finally becoming editor of his school newspaper.

Then Grace Town walks into his first period class on the third Tuesday of senior year and he knows everything's about to change.

Grace isn't who Henry pictured as his dream girl—she walks with a cane, wears oversized boys' clothes, and rarely seems to shower. But when Grace and Henry are both chosen to edit the school paper, he quickly finds himself falling for her. It's obvious there's something broken about Grace, but it seems to make her even more beautiful to Henry, and he wants nothing more than to help her put the pieces back together again. And yet, this isn't your average story of boy meets girl. Krystal Sutherland's brilliant debut is equal parts wit and heartbreak, a potent reminder of the bittersweet bliss that is first love.

Buy it now! 

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**I received an advanced copy from the publisher for review. This has not affected my review in any way**  

As I sit here at 2:09 in the morning after finishing this book I think to myself, "what the fuck did I just read?" In a good way, of course, because sometimes you're going to have those moments when you've just arrived at the end but you never saw it coming! Our Chemical Hearts is a story about first love, friendship, obligation and even heartbreak.

For some reason, it took me quite a while to get into this book. But I have two perfectly good explanations as to why: 1) I had just finished Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo so I wasn't in any place to be reading contemporary and 2) I was comparing it too much to John Green's previous works.

JOHN GREEN? Now before you bring out your pitchforks and say "no one can compare to John Green", I swear on all the books on my bookshelf that this book will appeal to the John Green fans out there. My first thought in the first 50 pages was that it reminded me a lot of Paper Towns. I thought the main character, Henry Page, could have been Augustus Waters lifted off the pages of TFIOS and Grace Town could have been freakin' Margo from Paper Towns. Holy shit, now that I think of it, Grace's last name is Town. Maybe it's not a coincidence after all!

Besides the comparable characters, you could actually feel this John Green-vibe emanating from the pages of this book. The writing style was so similar, I often times found myself thinking I was reading a JG book. The writing was humorous with a side of sophistication and intelligence. Once again, all fingers point to JOHN GREEN!!

I think the thing that made this book so perfect was the fact that it was super relatable. Everyone (and I mean every single person in this freakin' world) can relate to this book because it's about how love is NOT perfect. If you've been reading YA for years (like me) that message tends to get lost in all the books we read. From every YA I've ever read, I've learned that there's always a happily ever after/prince waiting on the other side even if you have to fight a dragon, win the Hunger Games or defeat a power-hungry Erudite lady to get to it. Our Chemical Hearts basically dispels that whole stigma about love being this easily-attainable and wonderful thing. This book reveals the not-so-pretty and even awkward parts of love.

When I first read the synopsis to this book, I immediately assumed I wasn't going to like it. Do you want to know why? And I swear it's for the most horrible and terrible reason ever but trust me, we've all thought of it at some point. The reason was simply because the female character was described as the opposite of what we think is 'beautiful'. Now I don't know if it's because of all the YA books I've been reading or the TV I've been watching, but for some reason I have this ingrained image in my mind of what beauty is. In pretty much all the books I've read, female characters are skinny, gorgeous, blonde and model-status. But Grace, oh my, she seriously set standards for a new kind of beauty. She was dark, broody and not your average dream girl, but she was beautiful.

It's hard for me to admit that I wasn't going to like this book at first solely because of how a certain character was described, but that should paint a little picture as to how influenced and accustomed I've become to 'pretty characters' in books. Anyways, that's a different discussion for another day.

It's 2:41 am now, and I don't quite know why I'm still awake. All I do know is that you have to read this book. If it's not because it bears some semblance to John Green's writing, then it must be for the rude awakening it brings to the table. Our Chemical Hearts will change your perspective and it will screw with everything you've ever known. As this review comes to a conclusion, I hope you've noticed that I've decided to keep the plot points out of my thoughts. The main reason is because the story revolves around understanding the characters and to understand the characters, you have to read the book.

Our Chemical Hearts is the kind of book you stay up late for to find out what happens to the characters in the end. It's the kind of book you expect to make a huge impact on your life (ahem ahem cough cough just like John Green's!). It's the kind of book you recommend to people over and over again just to see their reaction.

POST- BREAKUP ADVICE

Hello everyone! Welcome to my Our Chemical Hearts tour post!! The one thing I've gathered from reading this book is that first love is always disastrous. [And] Contrary to popular belief, I've actually experienced heartbreak before. Yeah that's right people! Booklovers aren't just the quiet people in the background. However, my first real relationship was now a thing of the past and I'm here to help all you lovelies still mourning over your first heartbreaks. 

1. Try the age old ritual: commence in singing some of T-Swizzle's most popular breakup songs 

In any breakup, Taylor Swift will be your guide. She will hold your hand through the pain and empower you to get up and try again, only to get your heart broken once more. But seriously after I broke up with he-who-shall-not-be-named, I proceeded in listening to all of Swift's top hits. Among my Taylor Swift binge, Shake It Off was played on repeat the most. That song just makes me want to shake the shit out of my problems and take control of my life. Don't be a stranger, listen to some Taylor Swift! 

2. Think of your former significant other at their lowest 

This one's actually pretty devious, not gonna lie. I'm trying to be brutally honest with this post because I actually want to help you survive this breakup. IF THIS HELPS: Every time you think of your ex, think about him/her pissing their pants in front of the whole school. That always makes me grin a little. Do this privately though. Don't go off making shallow comments about your ex! I'm not condoning going to war with your ex. 

3. Get drunk!

Drink your problems away! (WARNING; I've actually never tried this option, duhh I'm underage, but I've heard that it works like a charm)

4. Read about some of the worst breakups in Hollywood

Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise. Ariana Grande and Big Sean. Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus. You've literally got an entire scroll to choose from. Trust me, someone out there has it worse than you. 

5. Hit that delete button

Cut all ties! I REPEAT CUT ALL TIES! You don't want to be a Lingering Lauren. LOL I totally just made that nickname up. Point is, you don't want to be the girl/guy who's still hunger your ex. If you don't say goodbye sooner or later, you'll never leave room for growth and starting anew. 

6. Do something extraordinary

Show your ex that he/she will have wished they'd never broken up with you. Give them something to sob over. Become a published author, set a world record, get an internship with a popular company, become Instagram famous, literally anything to make your ex seethe with anger over the fact that he/she didn't keep you close. For me, that was starting this blog and my Youtube Channel. 

7. Treat yo'self

The method that I prefer! The day after I broke up with my ex, I bought a ton of books home with me. My parents didn't even question me! Go out and buy something that will make you feel better about the breakup, whether it be clothes, makeup, books or even food!