Book Review: The Similars by Rebecca Hanover

Book Title & Author: The Similars by Rebecca Hanover
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire on January 1st, 2019
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2
Synopsis:When six clones join Emmaline’s prestigious boarding school, she must confront the heartbreak of seeing her dead best friend’s face each day in class.
The Similars are all anyone can talk about at the elite Darkwood Academy. Who are these six clones? What are the odds that all of them would be Darkwood students? Who is the madman who broke the law to create them? Emma couldn't care less. Her best friend, Oliver, died over the summer and all she can think about is how to get through her junior year without him. Then she comes face-to-heartbreaking-face with Levi—Oliver's exact DNA replica and one of the Similars.

Emma wants nothing to do with the Similars, but she keeps getting pulled deeper and deeper into their clique, uncovering dark truths about the clones and her prestigious school along the way. But no one can be trusted…not even the boy she is falling for who has Oliver's face.

Review:
Oh boy, let's see if I can do this crazy-awesome book justice, because it really deserves it. I was nervous about this one because I've been disappointed in the first next year book I've read. I wanted to be totally obsessed with this book, but I was terrified I'd be disappointed. But I wasn't. I was totally thrilled with this book. 

It took me on a wild roller coaster ride that just never let up. I love books where I get pulled into the story immediately and that's exactly what happened with this one. It started off really promising and before I was even a quarter of the way through it, I was hooked! Love when a book can do that. Especially a book that has science fiction elements, murder mystery elements and boarding school elements. Boarding school in particularly is a buzz-phrase for me. If I see a book takes place at a boarding school, I'm gonna wanna read it. That's just the way it is.

Emmaline was a fascinating character. My heart broke when I learned of her losses. Yes, she had lost more than her best friend in her lifetime and that was hard to read about. She seemed to have a good friend in Prudence though, so at least she had someone to turn to when things got really hard. I couldn't imagine how Emmaline was feeling when Oliver's Similar appeared at Darkwood. Obviously it wasn't easy for her and it also wasn't easy for the Similar, Levi, as well. Both of them struggled knowing that Levi's face & his DNA was the same as a dead boy's.

I loved the element of the Ten students. It actually reminded me a little bit of Dead Poets Society, one of my all time favorite movies. It was like a secret society, only it wasn't secret. It was exclusive, only the brightest students who earned the highest "stratums" or scores would be inducted into the Ten. It didn't really surprise me how many of the Ten's family members had also been Tens in their times at Darkwood.

Some of the Similars got really fleshed out, and we got to know them well. Levi, Pippa and Maude were all really fleshed out and I could see them in my mind. Then again, Theodora, Jago & Ansel were not as fleshed out as I was hoping they would be. I don't know a whole lot about those three as opposed to Levi, Pippa and Maude. I wanted more information on Theodora, Jago & Ansel. I wanted to know so much more about them other than who their Originals were.

I really want to just keep talking and talking about this book because it gets even better and crazier as the book continues. But, I want to avoid spoilers and there's a lot that I could spoil about this book.

Final thoughts: If science fiction or boarding school or murder mysteries are you thing, you need to pick this book up when it's released.

Book Review: The 11th Hour by Kristine Scarrow

Book Title & Author: The 11th Hour by Kristine Scarrow
Published by: Dundurn on February 24th, 2018
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 192
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
🌟
Synopsis: Annika Dietty thinks her future is with Dylan Sopick — until they run away together.

One day, after weeks of secret planning, seventeen-year-old Annika Dietty leaves home at dawn to run away with her boyfriend, the charming and popular Dylan Sopick. She tried telling her friends and family how amazing Dylan is, but seeing as they all seem set against the relationship, she’s decided their only chance is to run away together.

But not everything goes according to plan, and Dylan seems to be having more and more trouble dealing with every obstacle they encounter. At first Annika is sympathetic, knowing that he’s had a harder life than she has, but very soon Dylan’s behaviour becomes unsettling, and Annika realizes that her safety is at stake. She finally admits to herself that Dylan needs help she can’t provide. She wants to get him to help — if she’ll get the chance.

Review:

I think this book is one of the worst books I've ever read. I cannot believe I just said that because I was really excited for this book. I really thought it would be a really good, possibly even thriller-y, kind of book. I should have checked how long this book was because it's nearly impossible to write a good book with this synopsis under 200 pages. In fact, I think it IS impossible.

I really should have DNFed it early on because I knew very early on that this book wasn't just bad, but it was terrible. The book itself was boring, the characters were boring and nothing really happened plotwise.

Annika drove me absolutely insane. How she constantly defended Dylan honestly made me want to scream. How she couldn't understand why her parents AND her friends couldn't stand Dylan. I get it "love is blind" and all that crap, but come on, when EVERYONE is against your boyfriend, maybe you should reconsider dating him? Just a thought Annika.

Sorry, not gonna give a pass to Dylan just because he has a mental illness. I'm sorry he struggles with a mental illness, but that's no reason to be an absolute dick to everyone he meets. Even Annika's longtime platonic guy friend. So what, Annika has a guy friend, that doesn't automatically mean he wants to get into her pants. In fact, I think this book does a huge disservice to those who have a mental illness. I actually think this book could be quite dangerous to those who are vulnerable. 

This book does not sing the praises of medication or therapy, which is dangerous. Medication and/or therapy is vital to those with mental illnesses and this book demonizes those things. I cannot like a book that does that.

We will never know if Dylan's mental illness caused his extremely controlling nature, but aside from his mood swings, Dylan's controlling personality was what stuck out to me. I kept yelling at Annika to get a freaking backbone, which she didn't until much later. Later when things got more messed up and there was blood on human hands.

Final thoughts: Given the way this book handles mental illness, I will absolutely not be recommending it. Give this book a VERY wide berth.

Book Review: If Only by Jennifer Gilmore

Book Title & Author: If Only by Jennifer Gilmore
Published by: HarperTeen on July 31st, 2018
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 288
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
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Synopsis: Before:

When Bridget imagined her life at sixteen, it didn’t look like this. She didn’t think that her boyfriend would dump her for another girl. And she certainly didn’t think that she would be pregnant. With just a few months until she gives birth, Bridget must envision an entirely new future—one for her baby. But as she sifts through the many paths and the many people who want to parent her child, she can’t help but feel that there is no right decision.

After:

Ivy doesn’t know much about her birth mother. She knows that she is now the same age Bridget was when she placed Ivy for adoption. She knows that Bridget was the one who named her. And she knows that fifteen years ago Bridget disappeared from Ivy’s and her adoptive moms’ lives. Ivy wants to discover more about herself, but as she goes to find Bridget, she can’t help but feel that the risks might far outweigh the benefits of knowing where she comes from and why her birth mother chose to walk away. 

Review:
I absolutely hate to be disappointed in books. In fact, I think it's my least favorite feeling ever. I had very negative feelings about her YA debut, We Were Never Here, but I decided to give her second YA book a shot. After all, it was a topic hardly ever broached in YA, so I was hoping it would be beautiful.

Not only was it not beautiful, but it was confusing as heck. Not only were there alternating timelines: Bridget's & Ivy's lives 17 years apart, but there were also random chapters about what would have happened to Ivy if Bridget had chosen another family for her. For each family Bridget considered, there was a what if chapter about their lives with Ivy. There were way too many characters involved in this book and none of them were developed well.

I was excited about this book because teen pregnancy & adoption stories are so rare in the YA universe. I was totally uninterested in either Bridget or Ivy's stories. Bridget had this irritating idyllic nature about her that really drove me insane. I know she was 16, but she was so naive about what it takes to raise a baby and how hard it was going to be. She wanted to raise the baby with her best friend Dahlia. Personally, I think Bridget had feelings for Dahlia, but they were ones she could never explore because of her super religious upbringing. Bridget's sexual orientation was never talked about, but was definitely insinuated.

Also, she really let the baby's father, Baylor get away with a LOT of crap. Like most importantly, not insisting that he meet ALL of the adoptive families Bridget was considering. He only met the first one and the last one. I actually happened to agree with Bridget & Baylor's parents: He was there for the beginning, he needed to be there for ALL of it.

I did want Ivy to meet her mother. I was super excited and hopeful for that scene. I was desperately hoping for some character development for Ivy at least. Bit we didn't get any of that. In fact, Ivy & Bridget's reunion happened off the page and I am still really, really annoyed by that. I wanted to see it on the page. I wanted to feel the emotions that were so completely lacking in this book. But nothing. 

I felt nothing positive the entire time I read this book and I really hate saying that.

Final thoughts: From the underdeveloped & flat characters to the massively confusing timelines to the addition of dozens of characters that were just there, this is a book that I would not recommend.

Book Review: Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry

Book Title & Author: Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry
Published by: Katherine Tegen Books on August 7th, 2018
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 336
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Synopsis:Michael is an atheist. So as he walks through the doors at St. Clare’s—a strict Catholic school—sporting a plaid tie, things can’t get much worse. His dad has just made the family move again, and Michael needs a friend. When a girl challenges their teacher in class, Michael thinks he might have found one, and a fellow nonbeliever at that. Only this girl, Lucy, is not just Catholic . . . she wants to be a priest.
But Lucy introduces Michael to other St. Clare’s outcasts, and he officially joins Heretics Anonymous, where he can be an atheist, Lucy can be an outspoken feminist, Avi can be Jewish and gay, Max can wear whatever he wants, and Eden can practice paganism. After an incident in theology class, Michael encourages the Heretics to go from secret society to rebels intent on exposing the school’s hypocrisies. When Michael takes one mission too far—putting the other Heretics at risk—he must decide whether to fight for his own freedom, or rely on faith, whatever that means, in God, his friends, or himself.

Review:Okay, so clearly I have a thing for secret societies. I don't think I realized that until I finished this book. I guess, to me, secret societies mean that people, usually teens are fighting for change. In our current world, standing up against things we don't agree with is brave & awesome. Fighting for change is awesome and that's just what Heretics Anonymous does.

I was super stoked about this book because I was raised Catholic. I even applied to a super competitive all girls Catholic high school, but I didn't get in. I ended up at a teeny tiny Lutheran school. So technically, I had 2 different religions and my own personal beliefs fighting for room in my brain. I was familiar with everything St. Clare's did in terms of Mass, communion and the majority of the Bible. I generally try to avoid books about religion because I'm always afraid they'll get too preachy and make me want to scream and throw stuff, but I was really excited about this one.

By Michael's age, I'd already realized I was an atheist. I was an atheist going to a Lutheran school, having been raised Catholic. It was a weird feeling and it definitely made me feel like even more of an outsider than my physical disability did. So I was able to relate to Michael in a way that I never relate to male MCs, so kudos to Henry for that.

I was worried that Lucy was going to be "too preachy" and that I was going to hate her. But she wasn't and I didn't. I didn't love the romance between them, and in fact felt like it took something away from the book. I felt like they were better as friends. Lucy ended up being a surprise for me. I ended up enjoying her friendships with Avi, Eden & Max. Lucy was a tiny bit judgmental towards Eden, which really irked me and definitely irked Eden, but I was able to move past it.

It was weird because I actually liked the male characters in this book more than I liked the female characters. I'm not even sure why bu Michael, Avi & Max were standouts in this book, I definitely wish there was more of Avi & Max and a little less of Lucy & Eden.

I won't get into all the crazy stuff they do, only because I want everyone to read this book and I don't want to spoil it for you. They spend the book challenging the Catholic teachings, the double standards, the dress codes etc. 

There's one scene in this book that really struck me because they are talking about kids preparing for their First Communion and how St. Clare's wants to help support them in this choice. What choice? They're kids, 8 years old in fact. They don't get a choice in this. I didn't. I loved that segment because it was the truth. Kids don't get to decide stuff like this.

This book was such a nice surprise with decently developed characters and all the non-preachy discussions on religion. I was really excited about this one and I'm so happy that I wasn't disappointed in it.

Final thoughts: I would recommend this book for very specific people. I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure a devout Catholic would feel the same way.

Book Review: Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage

Book Title & Author: Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage
Published by: St. Martin's Press on July 17th, 2018
Genre: Horror
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
🌟🌟🌟

Synopsis:Sweetness can be deceptive. 

Meet Hanna.

She’s the sweet-but-silent angel in the adoring eyes of her Daddy. He’s the only person who understands her, and all Hanna wants is to live happily ever after with him. But Mommy stands in her way, and she’ll try any trick she can think of to get rid of her. Ideally for good.

Meet Suzette.

She loves her daughter, really, but after years of expulsions and strained home schooling, her precarious health and sanity are weakening day by day. As Hanna’s tricks become increasingly sophisticated, and Suzette's husband remains blind to the failing family dynamics, Suzette starts to fear that there’s something seriously wrong, and that maybe home isn’t the best place for their baby girl after all.

Review:
Okay, first thing you should know is that this is an Adult title. I would definitely, DEFINITELY not classify it as YA. I don't generally read a lot of adult titles, so this was a change in direction for me. Doesn't hurt that my mom read it right before me and LOVED it. My mom & I have similar tastes in books, so I was fully prepared to love it just like she did.

I didn't love it. I liked it, but I didn't love it.

There were some startling similarities with my own life, which really threw me for a loop. Suzette's health problem was Crohn's Disease and my teen brother was just diagnosed with that in April 2017. So whenever she talked about her health, I was able to follow it and it wasn't like she was speaking a foreign language or anything. Also, the book takes place in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Squirrel Hill. My grandmother grew up near there and my great aunt still lives near there. I haven't been there since I was little, but I was still startled by that.

Alex was the weakest link in this whole book. I kept calling him a wuss because he was just blinded by how perfectly Hanna acted in front of him and he couldn't imagine her behaving the way Suzette said she was behaving. I desperately wanted him to stand up for Suzette and stop letting Hanna manipulate the situation. It just drove me bananas. It was infuriating how he couldn't see Hanna's behavior and the only reason he couldn't see it was that he was always working. I so badly wanted Suzette to tell him she was going on a trip and that he had to stay home with Hanna. But then I would realize that Hanna would never show Alex her dark side. Because she loved her Daddy and Mommy was a Bad Mommy.

Mommy was a Bad Mommy because she wouldn't go away and leave Hanna alone with her Daddy. That was what Hanna wanted most of all. For her Mommy to go away and for it to be just Hanna & Daddy together. I started to wonder if there was something sexual going on between Hanna & Alex and the only reason I wondered that was because of a particularly graphic scene that involved Hanna in a sexual scenario. I would love to say more about that scene, but it kinda gives stuff away, so I won't say anything more. 

Hanna is mute except for when she informs Suzette that she's not Hanna. She's Marie-Anne Doufosset. At this point, I start to wonder if something else entirely is going on. As the book continues, we learn more about Marie-Anne and who she is and why Hanna is so fixated on her.

"Nobody approved of the ways she had fun."

 Hanna's schemes go from relatively harmless to downright dangerous and I start to actually worry that she might actually do what she set out to do-kill her own mother. The ways Hanna has fun would make any normal child or adult absolutely horrified. There's a lot in this book that creeps me out, but there's one particular thing she does near the end of the book that made me cringe and made me feel exactly what Suzette was going through.

The ending was hugely anti-climatic and it really brought the book down for me, rating wise. I wanted more from the ending. It did leave it open for a sequel though, so we'll have to see if that happens.

Final thoughts: Overall, this book was good. Hanna was written super well and I actually felt like she was the most developed character. There were some slow parts & the fact that I don't think Suzette nor Alex were as well developed as they could have been. Plus, the ending was disappointing.

Book Review: And She Was by Jessica Verdi

Book Title & Author: And She Was by Jessica Verdi
Published by: Scholastic on March 27th, 2018
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 361
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2
Synopsis: Dara’s lived a sheltered life with her single mom, Mellie. Now, at eighteen, she’s dreaming of more. When Dara digs up her never-before-seen birth certificate, her world implodes. Why are two strangers listed as her parents? 

Dara confronts her mother, and is stunned by what she learns: Mellie is transgender. The unfamiliar name listed under “father”? That’s Mellie. She transitioned when Dara was a baby, shortly after Dara’s birth mother died.

But Dara still has more questions than answers. Reeling, she sets off on a road trip with her best guy friend, Sam. She's determined to find the extended family she’s never met. What she discovers—and what her mother reveals, piece by piece over emails—will challenge and change Dara more than she can imagine. 

From rising star Jessica Verdi, this is a gorgeous, timely, and essential novel about the importance of being our true selves.

Review:
I just love Jessica Verdi's books. I've been a fan of hers since I started blogging and have read the last 3 of her books, including this one, in ARC form. She just has this ability to write diverse stories with diverse settings & interesting characters and this book was no different.

June was the perfect month to read this book because of course it's Pride Month. I was excited to dive into this book and really see what happened with Mellie & her eventual transition and what happened with Dara's biological mother. I wanted to see how Dara found out and how she would react to the news.

Dara frustrated me a lot of the time. She took it so personally that Mellie never told her about her past. She was so angry with her mother and that really bothered me. I know Dara was only eighteen, but compassion and empathy go a long way. Dara frequently stated that her mother was selfish for never disclosing this earth-shattering secret, but Dara herself was being selfish with her insistence that her mother lied to her about her whole life, never even thinking about what the past eighteen plus years had been like for Mellie. She was just so angry with Mellie for "lying" to her, but like Mellie told her, it's not a crime to not come out as trans. It's not Dara who gets to decide who knows about Mellie's transition. It's Mellie.

I had issues with the budding romance between Dara & Sam. I liked them so much better as just friends. Their romance seemed forced to me, and I didn't see a whole lot of chemistry between them. I do think the book would have been stronger without the romance subplot. I did like how Sam called her out on her attitude and then later corrected people who misgendered her mother. Sam seemed to understand the trans issues a lot better than Dara did, and he seemed more willing to learn about than than Dara was.

I loved the emails about Mellie's past that she sent to Dara while Dara & Sam were on the quest to find Dara's biological maternal grandparents. I felt like that gave an extra something to the book rather than just having Mellie explain everything at the kitchen table or something as equally cliche. 

After awhile, the reasons Mellie distanced herself & Dara from both sides of the family became abundantly clear and even Dara couldn't argue with them. There were parts that I was horrified over, sickened over and downright angry about. But, to Mellie's credit, she let Dara figure it out on her own and that allowed her to form her own opinions.

Final thoughts: A book about a trans parent is so rare in the world, and I really wish there were more of them, but this is a start. Pick up this book if you are looking for a book about a trans parent or if you just want a really good book that tackles important issues head on.