Right from the first beginning we’re told that the main character, Clementine is dead. We relive her life through her diary entries. It was evident right from the start that Blue is the Warmest Color is a sad book but it wasn’t cheapened by shocking anyone with Clementine’s death. No, this graphic novel focused on the journey. In doing so, it shed light on her hopes and dreams, and struggles and despair.
FALLING INTO PLACE by Amy Zhang
When I first finished reading Falling into Place, I didn’t know how to rate it. It spoke to me in the most painful manner. No other book in recent memory has made me cry so much. When I wasn’t crying, I was on the verge of tears. The rest of the time I was uncomfortable. Liz wasn’t a nice person and yet I felt a connection because a lot of her thoughts had been mine before.
THE RULE OF THIRDS (Pippa Greene #1) by Chantel Guertin
Let’s start with the best part of The Rule of Thirds: photography is front and centre! Pippa Greene loves photography. She lives and breathes it, is in the school photography club and is gearing up to take part in a photography competition. As someone who loves photography, I’m always sad at the lack of it in the books I’ve read. A lot has been written about music and art but photography has mostly been missing. Well, here we have a good book in The Rule of Thirds.
THOSE GIRLS by Lauren Saft
There are so many reasons to hate Those Girls. Yet when I step away from the content and simply think about the structure of Those Girls as a novel, it actually holds up pretty well. This is why I think Lauren Saft has what it takes to become a successful author but I don’t have it in me to like this book much.
LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR by Stephanie Perkins
What do you make of a book that everyone has already loved to shreds? How do you pick up those pieces and see what others saw before you? Hype has a way of bringing awareness to certain books. At the same time, it can negatively impact one’s enjoyment. Without the hype I wouldn’t have loved Lola and the Boy Next Door. With the hype, I came to feel indifferent.
