A Court of Wings and Ruin

Title: A Court of Wings and Ruin

Author: Sarah J. Maas 

First Published: May 2nd 2017

Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #3

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 699

My Copy: Ebook

My Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Goodreads Summary

Looming war threatens all Feyre holds dear in the third volume of the #1 New York Times bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's manoeuvrings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit – and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords – and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.

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Lord of Shadows

Title: Lord of Shadows

Author: Cassandra Clare

First Published: May 23rd 2017

Series: The Dark Artifices #2

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 701

My Copy: Physical copy

My Overall Rating: 9/10

Goodreads Summary

Would you trade your soul mate for your soul? 

A Shadowhunter’s life is bound by duty. Constrained by honor. The word of a Shadowhunter is a solemn pledge, and no vow is more sacred than the vow that binds parabatai, warrior partners—sworn to fight together, die together, but never to fall in love.

Emma Carstairs has learned that the love she shares with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, isn’t just forbidden—it could destroy them both. She knows she should run from Julian. But how can she when the Blackthorns are threatened by enemies on all sides?

Their only hope is the Black Volume of the Dead, a spell book of terrible power. Everyone wants it. Only the Blackthorns can find it. Spurred on by a dark bargain with the Seelie Queen, Emma; her best friend, Cristina; and Mark and Julian Blackthorn journey into the Courts of Faerie, where glittering revels hide bloody danger and no promise can be trusted. Meanwhile, rising tension between Shadowhunters and Downworlders has produced the Cohort, an extremist group of Shadowhunters dedicated to registering Downworlders and “unsuitable” Nephilim. They’ll do anything in their power to expose Julian’s secrets and take the Los Angeles Institute for their own.

When Downworlders turn against the Clave, a new threat rises in the form of the Lord of Shadows—the Unseelie King, who sends his greatest warriors to slaughter those with Blackthorn blood and seize the Black Volume. As dangers close in, Julian devises a risky scheme that depends on the cooperation of an unpredictable enemy. But success may come with a price he and Emma cannot even imagine, one that will bring with it a reckoning of blood that could have repercussions for everyone and everything they hold dear.

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Lady Midnight

Title: Lady Midnight

Author: Cassandra Clare

First Published: March 8th 2016

Series: The Dark Artifices #1

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 698

My Copy: Physical Copy

My Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Goodreads Summary

In a kingdom by the sea… 

 In a secret world where half-angel warriors are sworn to fight demons, parabatai is a sacred word.  

A parabatai is your partner in battle. A parabatai is your best friend. Parabatai can be everything to each other—but they can never fall in love. 

Emma Carstairs is a warrior, a Shadowhunter, and the best in her generation. She lives for battle. Shoulder to shoulder with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, she patrols the streets of Los Angeles, where vampires party on the Sunset Strip, and faeries—the most powerful of supernatural creatures—teeter on the edge of open war with Shadowhunters. When the bodies of humans and faeries turn up murdered in the same way Emma’s parents were when she was a child, an uneasy alliance is formed. This is Emma’s chance for revenge—and Julian’s chance to get back his brother Mark, who is being held prisoner by the faerie Courts. All Emma, Mark, and Julian have to do is solve the murders within two weeks…and before the murderer targets them. 

Their search takes Emma from sea caves full of sorcery to a dark lottery where death is dispensed. And each clue she unravels uncovers more secrets. What has Julian been hiding from her all these years? Why does Shadowhunter Law forbid parabatai to fall in love? Who really killed her parents—and can she bear to know the truth?

The darkly magical world of Shadowhunters has captured the imaginations of millions of readers across the globe. Join the adventure in Lady Midnight, the long-awaited first volume of a new trilogy from Cassandra Clare.

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A Court of Mist and Fury

Title: A Court of Mist and Fury

Editor: Sarah J. Maas

First Published: May 3rd 2016

Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #2

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 640

My Copy: Kindle Edition

My Overall Rating: 9/10

Goodreads Summary

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

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Summer Days & Summer Nights

Title: Summer Days & Summer Nights

Editor: Stephanie Perkins

First Published: May 17th 2016

Series: Stand alone

Genre: YA, Romance

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 400

My Copy: Physical copy

My Overall Rating: 8.25/10

Goodreads Summary

Maybe it's the long, lazy days, or maybe it's the heat making everyone a little bit crazy. Whatever the reason, summer is the perfect time for love to bloom. Summer Days & Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories, written by twelve bestselling young adult writers and edited by the international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins, will have you dreaming of sunset strolls by the lake. So set out your beach chair and grab your sunglasses. You have twelve reasons this summer to soak up the sun and fall in love.

Featuring stories by Leigh Bardugo, Francesca Lia Block, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Brandy Colbert, Tim Federle, Lev Grossman, Nina LaCour, Stephanie Perkins, Veronica Roth, Jon Skovron, and Jennifer E. Smith.

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The Shadow Society

Title: The Shadow Society

Author: Marie Rutkoski

First Published: October 16th 2012

Series: The Shadow Society #1

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Romance

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 416

My Copy: Physical copy

My Rating: 8.5/10

Goodreads Summary

Darcy Jones doesn't remember anything before the day she was abandoned as a child outside a Chicago firehouse. She has never really belonged anywhere—but she couldn't have guessed that she comes from an alternate world where the Great Chicago Fire didn't happen and deadly creatures called Shades terrorize the human population.

Memories begin to haunt Darcy when a new boy arrives at her high school, and he makes her feel both desire and desired in a way she hadn't thought possible. But Conn's interest in her is confusing. It doesn't line up with the way he first looked at her.

As if she were his enemy.

When Conn betrays Darcy, she realizes that she can't rely on anything—not herself, not the laws of nature, and certainly not him. Darcy decides to infiltrate the Shadow Society and uncover the Shades' latest terrorist plot. What she finds out will change her world forever . . .

In this smart, compulsively readable novel, master storyteller Marie Rutkoski has crafted an utterly original world, characters you won't soon forget, and a tale full of intrigue and suspense.

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Half Lost

Title: Half Lost

Author: Sally Green

First Published: March 29th 2016

Series: Half Bad #3

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 352

My Copy: Physical copy

My Rating: 9/10

Goodreads Summary 

This is the final battle. 

The Alliance is losing the war, and their most critical weapon, seventeen-year-old witch Nathan Byrn, is losing his mind. Nathan’s tally of kills is rising, and yet he’s no closer to ending the tyrannical rule of the Council of White Witches in England. Nor is Nathan any closer to his personal goal: getting revenge on Annalise, the girl he once loved before she committed an unthinkable crime. An amulet protected by the extremely power

ful witch Ledger could be the tool Nathan needs to save himself and the Alliance, but this amulet is not so easily acquired. And lately Nathan has started to suffer from visions: a vision of a golden moment when he dies, and of an endless line of Hunters, impossible to overcome. Gabriel, his closest companion, urges Nathan to run away with him, to start a peaceful life together. But even Gabriel’s love may not be enough to save Nathan from this war, or from the person he has become.

Set in modern-day Europe, the final book in the Half Bad trilogy is more than a story about witches. It’s a heart-achingly visceral look at survival and exploitation, the nature of good and evil, and the risks we take for love.

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A Thousand Pieces of You

Title: A Thousand Pieces of You

Author: Claudia Gray

First Published: November 4th 2014

Series: Firebird #1

Genre: YA, Sci-Fi, Romance

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 360

My Copy: Physical copy

My Rating: 9/10

Goodreads Summary

Cloud Atlas meets Orphan Black in this epic dimension-bending trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray about a girl who must chase her father's killer through multiple dimensions.

Marguerite Caine's physicist parents are known for their groundbreaking achievements. Their most astonishing invention, called the Firebird, allows users to jump into multiple universes—and promises to revolutionize science forever. But then Marguerite's father is murdered, and the killer—her parent's handsome, enigmatic assistant Paul— escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite refuses to let the man who destroyed her family go free. So she races after Paul through different universes, always leaping into another version of herself. But she also meets alternate versions of the people she knows—including Paul, whose life entangles with hers in increasingly familiar ways. Before long she begins to question Paul's guilt—as well as her own heart. And soon she discovers the truth behind her father's death is far more sinister than she expected.

A Thousand Pieces of You explores an amazingly intricate multi-universe where fate is unavoidable, the truth elusive, and love the greatest mystery of all.

Every Last Word

Title: Every Last Word

Author: Tamara Ireland Stone

First Published: June 16th, 2015

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance, Mental Illness

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 368

My Copy: eBook

My Rating: 9/10

Goodreads Summary

If you could read my mind, you wouldn't be smiling.

Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can't turn off.

Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn't help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she'd be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam's weekly visits to her psychiatrist.

Caroline introduces Sam to Poet's Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more "normal" than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.

Made You Up

Title: Made You Up

Author: Francesca Zappia

First Published: May 19th 2015

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance, Mental Illness

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 448

My Copy: eBook

My Rating: 9.5/10

Goodreads Summary

Reality, it turns out, is often not what you perceive it to be—sometimes, there really is someone out to get you. Made You Up tells the story of Alex, a high school senior unable to tell the difference between real life and delusion. This is a compelling and provoking literary debut that will appeal to fans of Wes Anderson, Silver Linings Playbook, and Liar.

Alex fights a daily battle to figure out the difference between reality and delusion. Armed with a take-no-prisoners attitude, her camera, a Magic 8-Ball, and her only ally (her little sister), Alex wages a war against her schizophrenia, determined to stay sane long enough to get into college. She’s pretty optimistic about her chances until classes begin, and she runs into Miles. Didn't she imagine him? Before she knows it, Alex is making friends, going to parties, falling in love, and experiencing all the usual rites of passage for teenagers. But Alex is used to being crazy. She’s not prepared for normal.

Funny, provoking, and ultimately moving, this debut novel featuring the quintessential unreliable narrator will have readers turning the pages and trying to figure out what is real and what is made up.

Carry On

Title: Carry On

Author: Rainbow Rowell

First Published: October 6th 2015

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 522

My Copy: Physical copy

My Rating: 8/10

Goodreads Summary:

Simon Snow is the worst chosen one who’s ever been chosen.

That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right.

Half the time, Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he sets something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around wearing Simon’s face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here—it’s their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up.

Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story—but far, far more monsters.

Heir of Fire

Title: Heir of Fire

Author: Sarah J. Maas

First Published: 2nd September 2014

Series: Throne of Glass #3

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 562

My Copy: Ebook

My Rating: 7.5/10

Goodreads Summary:

Celaena Sardothien has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak—but at an unspeakable cost. Now she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth...a truth about her heritage that could change her life—and her future—forever.

Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. To defeat them, Celaena must find the strength to not only fight her inner demons but to battle the evil that is about to be unleashed.

The king's assassin takes on an even greater destiny and burns brighter than ever before in this follow-up to the New York Times bestselling Crown of Midnight

Crown of Midnight

Title: Crown of Midnight

Author: Sarah J. Maas

First Published: 27th August 2013

Series: Throne of Glass #2

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 418

My Copy: Ebook

My Rating: 8.5/10

Goodreads Summary:

"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached. 

It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend." 

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

A Court Of Thorns And Roses

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Author: Sarah J. Maas

First Published: 5th May 2015

Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #1

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 416

My Copy: Ebook

My Rating: 9/10

Goodreads Summary:

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it... or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

Winter

Title: Winter

Author: Marissa Meyer

First Published: November 10th, 2015

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #4

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 827

My Copy: Ebook

My Rating: 9/10

Goodreads Summary:

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend—the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

Cress

Title: Cress

Author: Marissa Meyer

First Published: February 4th, 2015

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #3

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 550

My Copy: Ebook

My Rating: 9/10

Goodreads Summary:

In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. 

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

The Probability of Miracles

Title: The Probability of Miracles

Author: Wendy Wunder

First Published: January 1st, 2011

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: YA, Contemporary Fiction, Romance

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

My Rating: 8/10

Goodreads Summary:

Dry, sarcastic, sixteen-year-old Cam Cooper has spent the last seven years in and out hospitals. The last thing she wants to do in the short life she has left is move 1,500 miles away to Promise, Maine - a place known for the miraculous events that occur there. But it's undeniable that strange things happen in Promise: everlasting sunsets; purple dandelions; flamingoes in the frigid Atlantic; an elusive boy named Asher; and finally, a mysterious envelope containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies. As Cam checks each item off the list, she finally learns to believe - in love, in herself, and even in miracles.

A debut novel from an immensely talented new writer, The Probability of Miracles crackles with wit, romance and humor and will leave readers laughing and crying with each turn of the page.

When I picked up this book and saw it was about a girl with cancer, my mind immediately jumped to The Fault in our Stars. I wondered if this book would be as sad as that one.

I'm happy to say it's not (as) depressing.

In Promise, Maine, everything seems to be looking up for Cam. She's getting better, she's making new friends and meeting new people... Especially the cute guy Asher. Their relationship grew on me. At first, I didn't really see them together, but at the end, you can really tell that they love each other.

So, steering clear of any spoilers, this book was really well written and it makes you appreciate life a lot more. The ending was realistic, which I preferred.

So, if you liked TFIOS, this is a good book for you. Funny, deep and terribly sad at times, it reflects our lives and what it means to live.

My Chosen Quote:

"The magic thing about home is that it feels good to leave, and it feels even better to come back."

Scarlet

Title: Scarlet

Author: Marissa Meyer

First Published: February 5th 2013

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #2

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 464

My Rating: 9/10

Goodreads Summary:

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

The thrilling sequel to Cinder! Based on Little Red Riding Hood, following Scarlet's story. Living in France, Scarlet's missing grandmother seems to be a piece of the puzzle. Not before long, the two girls are thrown into the chaos. With Queen Levana hot on Cinder's heels, she must learn to trust her allies and her instincts.

I can't believe how different but similar Cinder and Scarlet are. Cinder is our calm, level-headed cyborg. A.K.A Princess Selene. But nobody needs to know that yet... Scarlet is different. She's more fiery and acts on her instincts, no matter what everyone else tells her. But their similarities are also present. Both are strong characters - willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. The alternating chapters from Cinder and Scarlet really show us in depth what is going on and the events that link both girls together.

Cinder is definitely not the same girl she was at the start of Cinder. She's no longer the mechanic girl, the person nobody knows. Now? She's a fugitive, running from all forces. This has changed her ultimately. She's still struggling with her Lunar abilities, and she's also afraid to use them on people. Reading about her fears of becoming like Levana, it really tells us much about Cinder. Is she using her powers for the greater good? Or will it makes things worse? I wonder if she will eventually embrace her Lunar side. For her personality, she has a cold demeanour to her, probably because of all the deaths and dangers she faced.

Introducing a new ship! Wolf and Scarlet have come to town. I love their chemistry and how Wolf is willing to sacrifice himself to save Scarlet. Those two make a really good team. I really hope Cinder and Kai are reunited, but I don't know if their relationship can be repaired. Kai certainly thinks Cinder betrayed him and that everything he felt for her was a lie...

I really like how Marissa Meyer chooses different countries around the world and incorporates them into the books. Like how Cinder is from New Beijing and Scarlet is from a small town in France. Two completely different countries, two completely different settings. It's fun to read about!

Scarlet is a great book to read, but I preferred Cinder better. I wonder if the following books of the series will be good. I sincerely think so!

My Chosen Quote:

“I think I realized that I would rather die because I betrayed them, than live because I betrayed you.”

99 Days

Title: 99 Days

Author: Katie Cotugno

First Published: 2015

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: YA, Romance

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook

My Rating: 7/10

Goodreads Summary

Day 1: Julia Donnelly eggs my house my first night back in Star Lake, and that’s how I know everyone still remembers everything—how I destroyed my relationship with Patrick the night everything happened with his brother, Gabe. How I wrecked their whole family. Now I’m serving out my summer like a jail sentence: Just ninety-nine days till I can leave for college, and be done.

Day 4: A nasty note on my windshield makes it clear Julia isn’t finished. I’m expecting a fight when someone taps me on the shoulder, but it’s just Gabe, home from college and actually happy to see me. “For what it’s worth, Molly Barlow,” he says, “I’m really
glad you’re back.”

Day 12: Gabe got me to come to this party, and I’m actually having fun. I think he’s about to kiss me—and that’s when I see Patrick. My Patrick, who’s supposed to be clear across the country. My Patrick, who’s never going to forgive me.

Molly just screwed up big time. Cheating on her boyfriend, with her boyfriend's brother? And then having her own mom turning this into a bestselling book so the whole town finds out? This isn't your dream summer. Now, with 99 days until Molly can leave to college, she just has to endure it. But is it that easy?

I thought this book falls under the category of 'Messed-up Relationships' and 'Annoying Lead Character'. Molly is having a hard time choosing between Patrick and Gabe, the two brothers that she both had a relationship with. And with all her previous friends ignoring her, she finds some new ones. Tess and Imogen treat her kindly, ignoring the past, but Molly still manages to screw it all up. She's happy with Gabe but she still goes back to Patrick. Honestly girl! Make up your mind! What is worse is that Tess is Patrick's current girlfriend. In the end, Tess breaks up with Patrick (partly because of Molly) and stops being friends with Molly. So, she's stuck with no friends.

Which is an absolutely great thing. I'm not trying to sound mean, but Molly really deserved that. She acts like the victim for most of the book, and although she deeply regrets her decisions, she still doesn't do much to solve her problems. Instead, she runs away from them. I'm sorry but Molly got on my nerves throughout the book. She just doesn't really think about how her actions may be affecting the people around her. Fortunately, Molly's character development does end up well. She finally sees her mistakes and vows to be a better friend to others in the future.

Overall, this book was really well written. Told in Molly's POV and each 'chapter' is one of the 99 days until Molly leaves for college. I loved the ending, especially how Molly makes peace with everything and she leaves to start a new life; turn over a new leaf. And that was the best part.

The Beginning of Everything

"There's a big difference between deciding to
leave and knowing where to go."

Title: The Beginning of Everything

Author: Robyn Schneider

First Published: 2013

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: YA, Romance, Contemporary, Coming-of-age

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook

My Rating: 9/10

Goodreads Summary:

Golden boy Ezra Faulkner believes everyone has a tragedy waiting for them—a single encounter after which everything that really matters will happen. His particular tragedy waited until he was primed to lose it all: in one spectacular night, a reckless driver shatters Ezra’s knee, his athletic career, and his social life.

No longer a front-runner for Homecoming King, Ezra finds himself at the table of misfits, where he encounters new girl Cassidy Thorpe. Cassidy is unlike anyone Ezra’s ever met, achingly effortless, fiercely intelligent, and determined to bring Ezra along on her endless adventures.

But as Ezra dives into his new studies, new friendships, and new love, he learns that some people, like books, are easy to misread. And now he must consider: if one’s singular tragedy has already hit and everything after it has mattered quite a bit, what happens when more misfortune strikes?

Ezra Faulker? The popular guy, tennis champion, prom king. Well, that was all in the past. A twist of events leaves Ezra back to square one. No friends, no nothing. Not even the teachers are as fond of him as before.

Then, enter Cassidy Thorpe: the wild, crazy, unique girl- everything Ezra needs to pick up his life and continue living. But of course, not everything turns out as planned and maybe Cassidy will teach Ezra more than he could ever learn in a lifetime.

The Beginning of Everything is told from Ezra's perspective, giving us a clear view of his thoughts, and what goes on in his mind of his. It's a Teen-Fic, if that's what you call it. Ezra slowly develops a crush on Cassidy, hanging out with her group of friends and doing all sorts of crazy stuff together. Cassidy teaches Ezra a lot about life and all the great possibilities it brings. Then, boom! Here comes the tragedy. Ezra finds out (keeping this as vague as possible to avoid spoilers) something that links him to Cassidy, something not so great.

It really depends on how you look at it, but this book does have a happy ending. Well, Romeo and Juliet may not end up together, but sometimes, love may not be the most important thing at this time of your life.

Cassidy, as a character, is like an idol for Ezra. She is the person he believes he can trust whole-heartedly and without limits. But as we progress through the book, we eventually see that we don't know a whole lot about Cassidy and her life before. The mystery just defines her as a character, especially the fact that she is hiding something. She wants to live in the moment, something we should all learn to do.

My Chosen Quote:

“Life is the tragedy,' she said bitterly. 'You know how they categorize Shakespeare's plays, right? If it ends with a wedding, it's a comedy. And if it ends with a funeral, it's a tragedy. So we're all living tragedies, because we all end the same way, and it isn't with a goddamn wedding.”