Title: Ask Me Anything
Author: Molly E. Lee
Rating: 3.5 - 4/5
Thanks to Entangled Publishing, LLC and NetGalley for letting me receive a digital copy of this book.
I should’ve kept my mouth shut.
But Wilmont Academy’s been living in the Dark Ages when it comes to sex ed, and someone had to take matters into her own hands. Well, I’m a kickass coder, so I created a totally anonymous, totally untraceable blog where teens can come to get real, honest, nothing-is-off-limits sex advice.
And holy hell, the site went viral overnight. Who knew this school was so hard up.
Now the school administration is on a war path to shut me down, and they have Dean—my coding crush—hot on my trail. If he discovers my secret, I could lose his trust forever. And thousands of teens who need real advice won’t have anyone to turn to.
Ask me anything…except how to make things right.
I've read so many great things about this book and every review made me feel bad for putting mine on hold, trying to gather my thoughts around it in order to write something that actually means something. Empowerment? Check. Great topic? Check. Nerdy? Check. And yet... I totally understand this book being hyped. And it totally deserves it, too. It's just that I missed the certain spark. And I'm only talking about me here. I can see why other people loved it so much. I did too. Ask Me Anything is fabulous and so unlike any other young adult novel.
These days, people think that speaking up about sex-ed and everything involved in it is given. That's why I think this book is so important, because surely, there are schools and people that would like to just close the door on teens. They aren't informed about what they would like to know. Just because you don't talk about sex with teens, doesn't mean they won't have it. And I loved that message in the book, too. Because it's true. The less attention you give to such an important topic, the more likely it is teens will just try, know nothing about protection and end up in a bad situation. Why be so closed off? Why not just talk about it?
As I'm writing this, I realize how hard it is to actually review Ask Me Anything. There will always be people disagreeing with sexual education and there will be tons of discussions about it. Though we're living in the twenty-first century, this is still something we have to address, to fight for as well. Fighting for a healthy sex education system? Definitely. The principal of Amber's school will probably remain one of my least favourite characters in the history and sure, his point of view on sex-related things was way over the top, but I can totally imagine this happening at schools - no matter where in the world. And we can't have that.
So Amber took matters into her own hands, starting a blog, answering sex-related questions. As a virgin. Yes, there's a teenage virgin as main character. And I think the author actually thought something when she created her, which is why I'll decline to comment on that. Talk about empowerment. Amber wants to make a change and she does. Only nobody knows the girl pulling the strings of the blog is her. The questions she was asked... Seriously, teens should read Ask Me Anything. The questions are so good, the emotions so well-captured and it's so exciting to read along. The author gave teens a voice, you never once get the impression those questions were formed by an adult author who has no idea what teenagers are thinking about.
The only thing bothering me was that often used hacker language. The actual reason why Amber even created her blog is because she had a challenge going on with her crush Dean. Both of them are computer nerds, hacking and programming the hell out of everything. And while I liked Dean, liked his point of view (very solid!), I clicked off whenever the two of them talked about codes, about the different programmes you could use and all that stuff. I wonder if the author herself knows so much about it or if she had to do research. Just out of curiousity. Anyway... The way things develope between the two of them is great. I liked the chemistry and I adored them. Especially their first date. As I'm looking back, I find more and more things that I enjoyed very much.
Ask Me Anything isn't meant to teach teenagers things, I think. It's to make people think about stuff, find out what informations are being kept from them, learning about oneself, trusting oneself, knowing when to speak up, inspiring someone. It's about so many things, addresses so many things (not only the sexual education part). I support the meaning of this book and I hope it'll spread the word.
Title: I Spy the Boy Next Door
Author: Samantha Armstrong
Rating: 3/5
Thanks to Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before its official release date.
Four p.m. spy sessions are the highlight of Mallory Taylor’s day. Observing the boy next door—one with a body and an attitude to match—has her perched beside her window so often it can't be healthy.
When she finally convinces her mom to let her go to public school, Mallory comes face to face with her neighbor, Troy Parker. And he makes it clear he wants nothing to do with her. His rejection awakens a newfound tenacity and maybe even a touch of recklessness. But when Troy starts to show up when she needs him the most, Mallory can’t help but wonder if there’s more to him than he’s let on.
Taking chances, breaking rules, and following her heart is all new to Mallory. And no one warned her just how fickle hearts can be. When she discovers that Troy isn’t at all the guy she imagined him to be, secrets rise to the surface that will change her life forever.
I Spy the Boy Next Door started off great. I randomly started reading it, expecting nothing and everything at once and was pleasantly surprised when I found myself refusing to put it down. Soon enough, I got the impression that the story could have started somewhere at 20% of the book and it would have been a bit better since some things were just unnecessarily mentioned. But I still enjoyed it. A light young adult read was what I had been missing for some time without realising it.
Troy, the ultimate book boyfriend of the story, is the one Mallory is spying on - her neighbour. She's not really spying as much as she's crushing on him and always just watching him come home. Seriously, the 'spying' in the first chapter is as spy-like as it gets. The rest is pretty simple. Since there was a Travis Maddox remark by the author (Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire), I couldn't help but picture Troy just like I have been imagining Travis for years. There are so many similarities as well, the main similarity being the boxing Troy does professionally and also illegaly. It's so easy to compare these two characters and I actually feel sorry for it. There's just so much an author can think of without making their character appear to have been copied out of another book. It can't always be an extryordinary original character. I get that. It didn't feel like cheating or copying.
Mallory had to grow on me, and just as soon as I started liking her, some things made me dislike her again. Me growing fond of her was when the author decided to give her a little confidence boost. Going out that much out of a sudden didn't seem all that natural for me, but I still liked to think that Mallory was finally doing something for herself, finding herself and who she wants to be. I mean, she never really got the chance, her parents being very strict, homeschooling her because of their angst.
And her friendship with Nic was a very special aspect for me. Nix is Mallory's best friend, her only friend up until some point of the story and her internet friend. They've never met. And what can be considered creepy is described as a well-functioning friendship. Which I loved. Seriously, more books should include that. All people having found friends online via boards (they used to be a thing around 2007), social media or something else will understand. There's always a danger involved online, but I'm glad the author didn't focus on that. It wouldn't have fit to the story.
While the beginning was a bit dragged, toward the end things were speeding up way too fast for my taste. Mallory's behaviour wasn't something I understood or could relate to - her change was way too sudden. The genre changed from young adult to new adult without warning (and without the characters aging), but the characters' behaviour giving that away. And there was just too much happening all at once. It was hard to keep track. So many informations to process, so many actions to understand. Sometimes less is more. It wasn't messy exactly, but the structure was missing. As though the author was surprised by her invention of that weird plot twist (it's really weird, coming out of the blue) herself and had too many thoughts going on, wanting to write down everything.
I Spy the Boy Next Door is a book I'd recommend to anyone who hasn't read a young adult novel in a while but is looking for a solid one. Also for those who don't mind that huge genre jump in the middle of the book. It can't be considered as my new favourite, but I still enjoyed it, kept reading because it had me hooked.
Title: Serious Moonlight
Author: Jenn Bennett
Rating: 3/5
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK Children's for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before its official release date.
Raised in isolation and home-schooled by her strict grandparents, the only experience Birdie has had of the outside world is through her favourite crime books.
But everything changes when she takes a summer job working the night shift at a historic Seattle hotel. There she meets Daniel Aoki, the hotel’s charismatic driver, and together they stumble upon a real-life mystery: a famous reclusive writer—never before seen in public—is secretly meeting someone at the hotel.
To uncover the writer’s puzzling identity, Birdie must come out of her shell, and in doing so, realize that the most confounding mystery of all may just be her growing feelings for Daniel.
Truth be told, it took me months to finally finish Serious Moonlight. I could blame my phone's battery, but that would only be partly true. See, I considered reading novels by Jenn Bennett before, but something about the storylines always felt odd to me. And because her stories become more popular, it had me suspicious. It was actually the cover for Serious Moonlight that had me hooked. And then I wanted to dive in, but then the beginning of the book was pretty boring, which I already feared it would be.
Big surprise, my mind couldn't help but compare bits - compare the main character Birdie - to Agatha Christie. And I've had a hard time with the only book I read by her, too. The cover of Serious Moonlight mislead me. There was a certain vibe I expected of it. And I got disappointed. I was annoyed by the detective behaviour, annoyed by the case Birdie tried so solve.
So I put this one aside - lots of times. I didn't want to know how things would turn out between her and Daniel. Though their encounter (happening before the book picks up) is an extraordinary one. I liked that idea, but I still wish the author would have made more of that - so many possibilites gone to waste. Instead, Birdie is naive, they talk about the issue a hundred times without coming to a real conclusion, without moving forward just the tiniest bit. And sometimes it's all a very wild chaos. That might be because of Birdie's crazy aunt Mona. I really liked her as a character. She always knew what to say and never crossed a line despite her crazy self. However, her own story was predictable and I wished for something else. To me, that wasn't very creative.
About 30% in, Serious Moonlight grew on me. I didn't expect that, but was glad for it. It picked up some pace, the scenes and settings were good and the idea of the plot seemed more figured out and thought-through. Not as messy anymore.
Sadly, I'm not sure whether I will give another Jenn Bennett book a chance since this one took me forever to finish. Her writing style was good, but sometimes it seemed like she just wanted to use some fetch English words, making the sentences themself sound great, but had the reader thinking if there wasn't an easier way to express herself and explain situations. Considering I liked the book during the middle, I still give it a "good" rating.
Title: You'd Be Mine
Author: Erin Hahn
Rating: 4 - 4.5 / 5
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before its official release date.
Annie Mathers is America’s sweetheart and heir to a country music legacy full of all the things her Gran warned her about. Superstar Clay Coolidge is most definitely going to end up one of those things.
But unfortunately for Clay, if he can’t convince Annie to join his summer tour, his music label is going to drop him. That’s what happens when your bad boy image turns into bad boy reality. Annie has been avoiding the spotlight after her parents’ tragic death, except on her skyrocketing YouTube channel. Clay’s label wants to land Annie, and Clay has to make it happen.
Swayed by Clay’s undeniable charm and good looks, Annie and her band agree to join the tour. From the start fans want them to be more than just tour mates, and Annie and Clay can’t help but wonder if the fans are right. But if there’s one part of fame Annie wants nothing to do with, it’s a high-profile relationship. She had a front row seat to her parents’ volatile marriage and isn’t interested in repeating history. If only she could convince her heart that Clay, with his painful past and head over heels inducing tenor, isn’t worth the risk.
I haven't watched A Star Is Born, but if it's anything like this book, it must be amazing. There are so many things I want to metion in this review, let's start by saying I'm not into country music or novels that include music as subject, though recently, I've read quite a couple and maybe I'm more into it than originally thought. Because they were all great so far. And it's safe to say that You'd Be Mine ruined me for all the other music related books there are.
Despite the author's effort trying to point out Annie and Clay/Jefferson aren't like Johnny and June Carter Cash, they are. Oh, they so are. It's all present: the country music, the fame, the drugs, the alcohol, the heart-eyed girl wanting to save the boy. Sometimes, it felt like I was watching Walk the Line for teens. And I mean that in a good way. I didn't know I needed such a story until I read it. I didn't know I longed for an up-to-date version of Johnny and June until I got to know Annie and Clay/Jefferson. So, thanks for that, Erin!
There's a lot of family drama involved from both sides. And both of the characters got their own ways of dealing with them. I wouldn't want to trade places with either of them, and just because Annie avoids drugs doesn't mean she's dealing with her grief and her anger in a healthy way. That shows pretty good during the end of the story. I loved that scene when it all came crashing down on her. I'm kind of sad the story lost its greatness to me there as well, though. It was rushed, Annie found herself pretty quickly again, gaining her cool back, pretending like nothing happened. I didn't get that. And that's the reason I can't give five full stars to this amazing story, sorry.
The most important thing, I think, was the friendship in You'd Be Mine though. Next to the beautiful romance, of course. Kacey and Jason and also Fitz were this great team. A bunch of friends anyone would be grateful to have. I think what's saved Annie and Clay/Jefferson was having each other, but also their friends. Even more so, I guess. They always had their backs and there were never any hard feelings, no fights, which I was really susprised at actually, but found refreshing. I liked that. Also, their friendship shows that family's who you choose.
Next on, the lyrics. It was hard for me imagining melodies along to the lyrics, but words speak louder to me than anything else, and so I let them sink in. Of course, You'd Be Mine, Annie's personal lead, is my favorite, but I also liked to find out that the importance of the messages behind their songs were what Annie and Clay/Jefferson really thought about. They didn't want to sing these shallow songs, other people wrote for them. It's nice of the author to point that out.
I don't know if it had to do with the ARC-file I was provided, but sometimes, the time jumps were a bit too much for me. They happened in the same line, no change of paragraph, that's why I felt a bit lost sometimes. There should have been a visible switch.
Lastly, I'd like to point out the one thing five shining stars worth for. Always. This is Erin Hahn's debut novel. And you'd never actually guess this, because the way this author writes just blew me away. It's extraordinarily beautiful. It's like reading a huge poem. Every word's so well thought-through. That's what's having me lost for words, finally.
Title: Risky Play (Red Card #01)
Author: Rachel van Dyken
Rating: 4/5
Thanks to NetGalley and Skyscape for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before its official release date.
What else can a virgin do when she’s ditched at the altar? Seattle heiress Mackenzie Dupont is treating herself to a single-girl honeymoon in Mexico and a desire to relinquish her innocence to a gorgeous one-night stand. Fake names. True pleasure. But when she wakes up alone, Mackenzie realizes just how much anger is left in her broken heart.
Suffering a tragic personal loss, pro soccer player Slade Rodriguez has his reasons for vanishing without a goodbye. Right or wrong, he’s blaming the beautiful and infuriating stranger he never wants to see again. They’re both in for a shock when Mackenzie shows up as his new personal assistant. And they both have a lot to learn about each other. Because they share more than they could possibly know, including a common enemy who’s playing his own games. And he’s not afraid to get dirty.
Now there’s only one way Mackenzie and Slade can win: to trust in each other and to stop hiding from the lies they’ve told, the secrets they’ve kept, the mistakes they’ve made, and the attraction that still burns between them.
See, writing this review is a huge problem for me right now. I’ve read Risky Play several weeks ago (months, actually). I should’ve written a review as soon as I finished it, but of course I read lots of other books since then and naturally, I don’t remember every single detail about Rachel van Dyken’s latest novel now. Which is a shame, because I remember loving it so much, even considering it as my favorite of hers. That probably isn’t the impression of whoever is reading this review, but I know I really liked this one. I’ll just try to prove it.
Mackenzie has just witnessed what no woman ever wants to – she was left by her fiancé. At the very last moment, too. Right in front of every one of her wedding guests. Trying to overcome the loss of him, who was also her best friend since they were children, she decides to get away to Mexico. What should have been her honeymoon, changes into a single trip. Soon enough, she finds herself in the arms of Slade, a soccer player transferring from an English club to Seattle. It seems like the two of them have nothing in common, but their mantra is he same – to hell with it! Being attracted to each other doesn’t hurt either and so their vacation in Mexico turns into something else entirely. And it’s all based on lies – both of them using wrong identities. Can you really trust a stranger? Obviously not since Slade takes off, making Mackenzie feel like she’s reliving a familiar situation. But what happens when Mackenzie and Slade run into each other again?
If you’ve read van Dyken’s The Bet series, some scenes may seem familiar to you. Like, Mackenzie and Slade meet on an airplane and the way they act around each other reminded me so much of the characters in The Bet. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, I just expected something new, but thinking of all these hundreds of books Rachel has written to date, I’d say it’s kind of surprising the author comes up with new ideas anyway. Really, it’s no big deal to me, but I just wanted to make sure I mentioned it.
The story held me captive from page number one. There’s just this certain vibe in all of Rachel van Dyken’s latest books, whether it’s in Fraternize or now in Risky Play, that’s rapidly becoming addictive. I can’t quite figure out what it is, but the setting, the vibes – it’s really making you dive into the story and wanting to get lost in it. You’re not just a reader with her books, you’re actually feeling whatever the characters are feeling. Rachel probably has a way with words. It must be the words.
Anyway… I’m a soccer fan, so I’m always up for any young adult and new adult books published in the US picking up that topic. I like to think that novels might help bringing some attention to that sport since it’s not the most popular one in the United States. Of course I wouldn’t like the romance to suffer just because of the author trying to tie in an underrated sport. Surely, that’s not the problem with this author, she knows what to do. You get a glimpse of what it might be like to be a soccer player, reading about the plays, the strategies and also some friend-or-foe battles going on behind the scenes, but it’s never too much. It’s just the right amount of it – a good balance.
There has to be some drama included and that’s what happens after Slade takes away Mackenzie’s virginity, leaving her alone at the hotel, flying off to his family (there’s a reason for that and if you come across other reviews, they’ll probably spoil that for you, but I choose not to). Yes, she’s a thirty year old virgin. And while I’ve read some bad reviews now, criticizing exactly that, I don’t even mind this detail. I think it’s great that the author always tries to cover up all kinds of women out there. Because there are thirty year old virgins in this world and why not pick this idea up and use it for one of her books?
So, I think you won’t want to miss out on this one if you’re fan of Rachel van Dyken. Risky Play won’t leave you disappointed. Also, no matter what community you feel like you belong to – second-chance-romance-lovers, hot-romance-lovers or heartbreak-lovers – this one includes it all.
Titel: Golden Dynasty - Größer als Verlangen
Originaltitel: Moonlight Sins (de Vincent #01)
Autorin: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Bewertung: 4/5
Danke an NetGalley und HarperCollins Germany (Mira Taschenbuch) für das digitale Rezensionsexemplar dieses Buches vorab der Veröffentlichung.
Eine Familie, aufgebaut auf Sünden und Skandalen. Julia ist fassungslos, dass dieser berüchtigte Clan sie als Krankenschwester engagiert hat. Aber noch mehr schockiert sie, dass sie einen der Brüder bereits persönlich kennt. Sehr persönlich. Mit Lucian, dem jüngsten und wildesten Spross der Familie, hatte sie erst gestern eine heiße Nacht. Und er könnte ihr gefährlicher werden als alle Intrigen und dunklen Geheimnisse, in deren Strudel sie hinter den Toren des prächtigen Anwesens gerät …
Sicherlich mag man mich als voreingenommen bezeichnen können, denn ich liebe Jennifer L. Armentrouts Werke einfach. Müsste ich mich zwischen ihren Veröffentlichungen im Young Adult und im New Adult Genre entscheiden, hätte ich es ganz schön schwer, denn ihr Schreibstil passt sich beiden Genres perfekt an, sodass sie zu gleichen Teilen wunderbare Bücher schreibt. Ich bin teilweise ziemlich abgehängt, was ihre neueren Erscheinungen angeht und komme nicht hinterher, aber ich konnte es mir auf keinen Fall entgehen lassen, die De Vincent-Reihe anzufangen, als ich sah, dass der erste Band auf NetGalley verfügbar war.
Meine Erwartungen? Ich hatte ehrlich gesagt mit Vampiren gerechnet. Im englischen Original - Moonlight Sins - da lässt der Name darauf tippen. Außerdem ist das gesamte Buch hinweg eine sehr düstere, mystische Stimmung zu spüren, sodass man gar nicht umher kommt, zu denken, die Familie könnten Vampire sein und die Protagonistin nun in ihren Fängen gefangen. Liest sich hieraus schon ein kleiner Spoiler ab? Wie auch immer… Ich war überrascht, dass sich der Piper Verlag nicht der Reihe angenommen hat, und sie unter seiner Sexy Crime Reihe vermarktete. Von der Stimmung der Geschichte ausgehend hätte es auf jeden Fall gepasst.
Der Anfang des Buches, so leid es mir auch tut das zu sagen, hat sich doch etwas zu sehr gezogen. Die Protagonisten des Buches – Julia und Lucian – kannten sich nicht und so hat man erst von ihren Geschichten erfahren, ehe sie das erste Mal gemeinsam eine Szene bekamen. Aber diese Szene machte all meine leichte Enttäuschung wieder wett. Die Chemie zwischen den beiden stimmte von Anfang an und obwohl die Umstände, wie Julia überhaupt zu den de Vincents stieß etwas merkwürdig war, wurde hier wieder die mystische Stimmung aufgegriffen und lies alles sehr plausibel wirken.
Zur mystischen Stimmung passt auch der Fluch, von dem Lucian Julia eines Tages berichtet. Dass alle Frauen der Familie auf tragische und kuriose Weise ums Leben kommen. Weshalb ihm umso mehr an Maddies Sicherheit liegt. Bei Maddie handelt es sich um die Schwester der de Vincent Brüder, die seit ihrer Rückkehr (keiner weiß, wo sie in der Zwischenzeit, als sie die Familie verlassen hatte, war) weder spricht, noch sich eigenständig bewegt. Sie ist auch der Grund, wieso Julia zur Familie stößt – als private Pflegerin soll sie die jüngere Schwester der Brüder betreuen, vielleicht sogar dafür sorgen, dass Maddie aus ihrer Starre erwacht.
Ich bin kein Krimi-Fan, aber wann auch immer Jennifer L. Armentrout all die Aspekte, die dieses Genre ausmachen, in ihre Bücher integriert, bin ich vollkommen begeistert. Ich würde sogar soweit gehen zu sagen, dass Golden Dynasty - Größer als Verlangen teilweise gruselig erschien. Oder vielleicht bin ich einfach zu dünnhäutig.
Das Buch wirft jedoch auch viele Fragen auf. Zum einen möchte ich nun wissen, wie es mit Gabe – einem von Lucians Brüdern – weitergeht. Etwas unpassend empfand ich dagegen die Geschichte rundum Julias Ex-Mann. In den wenigen Szenen, in denen er vorkommt, wirkt er wie ein Stalker. Plötzlich respektiert er allerdings Julias Wünsche und ruft sie nicht mehr an. Vollkommen aus dem Zusammenhang. Ich verstehe bis heute nicht, wieso ihr Ex-Mann für die Geschichte des Buches irgendwie von Relevanz sein sollte. Das war er nicht. Das alles fühlte sich an wie ein unpassender Lückenfüller. Und was ist eigentlich mit Julias Freundin Anna, die sie bei ihrem Umzug in die Stadt des Anwesend der de Vincents zurücklässt? Von ihr ist nie wieder die Rede, die beiden sehen und sprechen sich nie. Das fand ich etwas schade, denn so wirkte es, als wäre Julias ganzes Universum von Lucian eingenommen – zum Teil auch von Maddie, aber seien wir ehrlich, es ist eher Lucian.
Deswegen wird Golden Dynasty - Größer als Verlangen nicht zu meinem Lieblingsbuch der Autorin. Gefallen hat es mir dennoch, so erfrischend neu wie diese Spannung für mich war.
Title: Five Feet Apart
Author: Rachael Lippincott
Rating: 3/5
Thanks to Simon and Schuster UK Children's and NetGalley for letting me receive a digital copy of this book.
Stella Grant likes to be in control - even though her totally out of control lungs have sent her in and out of the hospital most of her life. At this point, what Stella needs to control most is keeping herself away from anyone or anything that might pass along an infection and jeopardize the possibility of a lung transplant. Six feet apart. No exceptions.
The only thing Will Newman wants to be in control of is getting out of this hospital. He couldn’t care less about his treatments, or a fancy new clinical drug trial. Soon, he’ll turn eighteen and then he’ll be able to unplug all these machines and actually go see the world, not just its hospitals.
Will’s exactly what Stella needs to stay away from. If he so much as breathes on Stella she could lose her spot on the transplant list. Either one of them could die. The only way to stay alive is to stay apart. But suddenly six feet doesn’t feel like safety. It feels like punishment.
What if they could steal back just a little bit of the space their broken lungs have stolen from them? Would five feet apart really be so dangerous if it stops their hearts from breaking too?
Usually, books get turned into movies. It's the exact opposite with Five Feet Apart from what I've heard so far. And the book is out before the movie, as well. So that's a first for me. I requested this book without even knowing about it, but then I saw OverDrive changing the cover to its movie poster. So, anyway... I'm surprised, but I was super excited to start reading Five Feet Apart.
It's about Stella and Will, both Cystic Fibrosis patients, meeting each other at the hospital. First thing: I am super glad such a disease gets a voice. There are so many books about cancer, so many movies about it as well, and of course it's awful. Of course we all want a cure. But I also like giving attention to not so widely known diseases, and CF is one of them. My mom's a nurse, so I know a few things about it. However, it was different to read about characters actually affected by it in a book. I don't know if refreshing is the right word for it, but I don't know how else to describe it.
As I said, I was really excited to read this one. And then as a reader, I experienced so many ups and downs. Not only about the story and Stella and Will's road, but also about the writing. Some of it was good, some of it was bad. I felt like I was on a bumpy ride. The disease itself wasn't described well. Or did I miss it? I liked the way Stella dealt with it, using social media and all that. The story was really up-to-date with that. But still, the reader doesn't really understand why Stella and Will have to stay apart. Why the hell five feet?! Was the reader ever told?! I'm starting to doubt myself here. Maybe I missed it, maybe I didn't. Anyhow, I missed the lack of description.
Other than that I loved the romance. It was so sweet and light and everything a reader is looking for in a young adult novel. And I was surprised at how well Stella and Will's romance worked, even though they couldn't touch. As a reader, you feel sorry for them but also admire them for still feeling the way they do, for not fighting it, for trying to find ways to be together, for still having fun and for always supporting each other. And Will was such a clown. Sure enough, it's all for show and Stella gets to see his real self, but I liked his humor. Despite all the romance and fun, Five Feet Apart isn't always light. Take a wild guess - yes, there's also death included. And I cried. Like, a lot. Believe me. You don't really expect it. You think it's all sunshine and rainbows and there's gonna be a cure and everyone gets to live happily ever after. And then your fantasy gets shattered. And to make matters worse, I think this is actually important to show. That families grieve because of CF, that friendships and relationships end because of it. It's sad and tragic and I hate it. But it also teaches you to fully enjoy your life and live it to its fullest.
Having said all I can think of for now, I am excited for the movie. Just to make sure, I'm going to take tons of tissues with me, because there will be tears. No doubt about that.
