I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo

Posted on by LibrAriel Book Adventures

c+E3loN5QcykIQPFTL+u4wGenre: Contemporary Young Adult Romance Fiction
Pages: Print 312
Release Date: May 30, 2017
Author: Maurene Goo
Rating: ★★★.5

Disclaimer: This review is solely my opinion. I checked out a copy of this book from my library. The comments in this review do not reflect the views of the author or the publisher. The copy used in this review is a finished print copy.

Goodreads Synopsis 

Desi Lee believes anything is possible if you have a plan. That’s how she became student body president. Varsity soccer star. And it’s how she’ll get into Stanford. But—she’s never had a boyfriend. In fact, she’s a disaster in romance, a clumsy, stammering humiliation magnet whose botched attempts at flirting have become legendary with her friends. So when the hottest human specimen to have ever lived walks into her life one day, Desi decides to tackle her flirting failures with the same zest she’s applied to everything else in her life. She finds guidance in the Korean dramas her father has been obsessively watching for years—where the hapless heroine always seems to end up in the arms of her true love by episode ten. It’s a simple formula, and Desi is a quick study. Armed with her “K Drama Steps to True Love,” Desi goes after the moody, elusive artist Luca Drakos—and boat rescues, love triangles, and staged car crashes ensue. But when the fun and games turn to true feels, Desi finds out that real love is about way more than just drama.

Final Thoughts

This contemporary young adult fiction follows the journey of Desi, an overachiever Korean American teenager raised by a single father. Desi is smart but seems to fall short when it comes to dating. Desi is starting her Senior year of high school off with a bang of embarrassments. She fails at an attempt to go on a date with a guy who is clearly interested in her and also fails as noticing when a guy is flirting with her. That is until she meets Lucas, a new boy in town who seems to be interested in Desi depict her lack of dating skills. Desi sets her mind on attaining Lucas, disregarding all social norms, and consulting her dad’s favorite K drama series as a source for dating advice. As the story unfolds, we watch as Desi learns that not everything can be controlled and how listening to those around you is something that always needs to be done.

The author took a common approach when developing this love story. I literally just grabbed this book randomly off the shelf at my library and decided to give it a read. I typically enjoy contemporary young adult romance novels but this one fell a little bit short for me. The huge scene toward the end of the book wasn’t actually that thrilling and left me wanting to making it more thrilling. I am not looking for a sparks to fly when something dramatic happens but I am looking for something more realistic. The emotions displayed by Desi when her secrets start to unravel felt real but the moment leading up to Lucas discovering them, was not. I personally wanted more depth in the story and more realism when it came to meeting the parents, going to a big event, and an accident. It is like there was a complete disregard for what would happen in the real world if someone did this. I mean I am no wizard in the dating scene but I somehow managed to snag my current boyfriend with me being myself. However, I do commend the author on showcasing the importance of being yourself and I did like the scene at the end. Unfortunately, I got to a point in the book where I was getting anxious and wanted it to end. I read as Desi went through a lot of unnecessary antics to gain the attention of a boy but in the end the truth came out. If the goal of this book was to be a mushy young adult romance novel then it did its job and more. If you are interested in getting your sweet tooth itched with contemporary young adult novel, then this is your book. Otherwise I suggest reading something a little more tame with more depth in the storyline. I recommend this book to early teens and adults interested in novel with a potential happy ending ( I will not spoil the ending). Sometimes the geeky, overachiever, underdog can have things malfunction but still learn from their mistakes.

Happy Reading and I hope you enjoyed my honest opinion of this novel!

Enjoyed this review or have book suggestions? Leave a comment below!

Contact me at librarielbookreviews@gmail.com for book reviews.

 

Borrowing Christmas by Kat Bellemore

Posted on by LibrAriel Book Adventures

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Genre: Adult Romance Fiction
Pages: eBook 253
Release Date:
Author: Kate Beasley 
Rating: ★★★★

Disclaimer: This review is solely my opinion. I was provided a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.  The comments in this review do not reflect the views of the author or the publisher. The copy used in this review is a finished digital copy of this book.

Synopsis 

Two weeks before Christmas, Katie is kicked out of her apartment. Again. Rather than wander the streets and continue to work for a dirty cop, she decides to leave the city and disappear for good. But her car breaks down in a New Mexico town, and everything is threatened when she falls for the charming mayor.

Sam Freedman is the first bachelor mayor of Amor. After convincing the locals that having a mayor without family responsibilities means he can dedicate all his time to the community, townspeople watch his every move. Then Katie Andersen shows up. Against Sam’s better judgement, he hires her to replace his event coordinator. Now he can barely think straight, let alone run a town.

In the midst of half-truths and outright lies, Katie and Sam desperately search for the place where honesty and trust lead to love. Can they find it before the past catches up with them?

Final Thoughts

This book follows the life of the main character Katie who has been put in a challenging situation. She is forced to make fast decisions to either salvage the life she had or build a new life in a new town under a new name. She struggles to answer the following questions: 

Can she run from her past forever? Will her past catch up with her? Can she start a new life based purely on lies? 

Katie is developed as a strong character who has been given a short hand at life. She wants to run and start over but there are consequences for her actions. As she tries to restart her life in the small town of Amor, how ironic of the name as this is a romance novel, she meets a handsome gentleman who has more power than she could imagine. She continues to grow as a person and grows those around her. She grows close to the town bachelor, making enemies, friends, and making changes. Along the way she runs into problems as the lies she has told start to causing her problems. Soon she will realize she cannot run from her past forever. 

Overall I thought this novel took a unique approach to a romance. The main character is developed in a way that allowed for an understanding of her past and present. There are portions of this book that made me think, “yep this is a fictional novel, stuff like this doesn’t happen in real life.” This novel has the happy ending theme attached to it and I knew the ending before I finished based on the way the story was written. If you are looking for a fast paced romance adult novel then this is the novel for you. I personally would have loved for more of a character development and more depth added to Katie. I understand she had a hard life but I wanted to know more about her past to better understand her. I also wanted a bigger plot twist. The action/drama filled scene toward the ending fell a bit short for me. I was holding my breath the entire novel waiting for something big to happen but it fell short for me. There were also pieces that I felt was missing from the story, like how did I get from point A to point B. Overall, I thought this was a great novel and I would recommend this to anyone who is into adult romance. 

Interested in me reviewing your book or have suggested reads? Email me at librarielbookreviews@gmail.com

Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda

Posted on by LibrAriel Book Adventures

img_0895Title: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Author: Becky Albertalli
Genre: Young Adult LGBTQ Romance
Print: 303 pages
Rating: ★★★★

Disclaimer: This review is solely my opinion. I purchased a copy of this book from my local bookstore. The comments in this review do not reflect the views of the author or the publisher.

Goodreads Synopsis 

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

Favorite Quotes:

“…I’ve been basically picturing this moment for ten hours, and now that it’s here , I don’t have a clue what I’m supposed to say. Probably something awesome and witty and not school-related.” – Simon

“It’s strange, because in reality, I’m not the leading guy. Maybe I’m the best friend.”- Simon-

“This was supposed to be–this is mine. I’m supposed to decide when and where and who knows and how I want to say it.” -Simon-

Final Thoughts:

Simon Spier is a hundred percent sure that he is gay, but he is also a hundred percent sure that he is not ready to share this information with anyone else. He is so entranced with the fact that someone else at his school is also a “closeted gay” that he forgets to log out of his email at the school library. Simon has had a secret, email, relationship with a student attending the same school as him. However, he has no idea who this student is, and from the looks of the pseudonym Simon is using, he’s not ready to reveal his true identity either. Martin, however, is prepared to use any information he has against Simon to advance his love life. This story follows the life of Simon Speir, a teen male in high school trying to figure out a way to get through his junior year without any hiccups. Martin is a straight teen male who merely wants to get closer to Alice, Simon’s best friend, by any means necessary. Will Martin win the heart of Alice or will his attempt at blackmail fail? Will Simon ever figure out who the other closeted gay in his school is? Will Simon ever feel comfortable to tell anyone about his sexuality before Martin does?

Overall, I thought this book had a lot of potentials. I am a fan of Becky Albetalli and her other works such as “The Upside of Unrequited,” but I thought this book fell a little bit short for me. I wanted more from the author in this tell-all LGBTQ novel. I guessed who the secretly closeted gay was at the beginning of the book. However, I felt inclined to finish the entire story, and I am glad that I did. The book started off a bit slow for me, but I did love the email interactions between Simon and Blue. I enjoyed reading the responses from both parties. I also liked the writing style in this book. The author did a great job portraying the drama and using adequate descriptive terms for all the supporting characters. I was able to channel my inner imagination to create what I assumed Simon’s best friends looked like. There was an adequate amount of drama, romance, tears, and friendship turmoil. I wanted more information about Leah, but overall the author did a great job with this book. I especially loved the developed drama between Martin and Simon and I legitimately almost cried during the epic scene towards the end. I would say that I should not have watched the movie trailer before reading the book. I had preconceived notions of what would happen and how the book began. I recommend this book to any teen looking for a fun, heart-wrenching, LGBTQ romance novel that focuses on the right side of coming out.

Read any good LGBTQ novels lately and want to share it with me, comment below!

Interested in me reviewing your book or have suggested reads? Email me at librarielbookreviews@gmail.com

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Posted on by LibrAriel Book Adventures

img_2886Title:The Poet X 
Author: Elizabeth Acevedo 
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Pages: Print 357
Release Date: March 6, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

Disclaimer: This review is solely my opinion. I was provided a copy of this book from @KidLitExchange #partner in exchange for my honest review. Thanks again to @KidLitExchange  #partner for access to review a free copy of this book! The comments in this review do not reflect the views of the author or KidLitExchange. The  copy used in this review is an uncorrected copy from Epic Reads.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about. With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself.

So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out, much less speak her words out loud. But still, she can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.

Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.

Favorite Quotes:

“Their gazes are words are heavy with all the things they want you to be.”

“It is ungrateful to feel like a burden. It is ungrateful to resent my own birth.”

“….she should be remembered as always working to become the warrior she wanted to be.”

“If I were nothing but dust would anyone chase the wind trying to piece me back together?”

Final Thoughts: 

The Poet X is a compelling young adult novel written about the challenges faced by a young Xiomara. In a world that never hears her, she must find her voice and speak up. Xiomara and her twin brother are seen as their parent’s gift from God. Her parent’s struggled to have children, and the twins were their miracle. The two have to live up to the high expectations of their mother and the lack of awareness from their father.

Growing up in a Catholic household, Xiomara is taught not only the ways of her Catholic mother. She is continuously scolded when she breaks any rules. She learns to explore her feelings for the opposite sex while trying not to get caught. She experiences her first love, shares her first kiss, and hides a secret about her brother. Mami continues to put immense pressure on Xiomara, expecting her uphold to a high set of standards or be punished. X continues to be exploited solely for her looks instead of for her intelligence or words. Her only place of solace in the poetry club at her school. Her English teacher encourages her to apply for the poetry slam in the upcoming months. Xiomara expresses her feelings through her poetry until one day she goes mute after a terrible thing between her and her mother. Can she ever forgive her mother? Will her mother ever accept her? How long can she keep Twin’s secret?

Overall, I thought this was a great novel, and I enjoyed the relationship between Xiomara and her English teacher. I like the concept that teachers have a significant influence on students. It is always great to read about teachers encouraging their students. I think the author did a great job with the writing of this book and I enjoyed the poetry format. I felt more connected with each character as the emotions were eloquently displayed. I recommend this book to young adults between the ages of thirteen and up. I had a teen ask about poetry books recently, and I suggested this book.

Interested in me reviewing your book or have suggested reads? Email me at librarielbookreviews@gmail.com

Just For A While by Zoe Haslie

Posted on by LibrAriel Book Adventures
just for a while
The following image is taken from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38102679-just-for-a-while

Title: Just For A While 
Author: Zoe Haslie
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Pages: E-Book
Release Date: January 21, 2018
Rating: ★★★★.5

Disclaimer: This review is solely my opinion. I was provided a copy of this book from the author #partner in exchange for my honest review. The comments in this review do not reflect the views of the author. The  copy used in this review is a final copy of the published book.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Charlotte Harrington is capable of love, but the feelings of love, of letting anyone close to her, scare her. Seventeen-year-old Charlotte’s life turns brusquely when her mother sends her away to spend the summer before college with her father—a man she knows nothing about and cares even less for. Thus, forced by a promise she made to her mom, and having secretly thrown her future away, Charlie finds herself stuck for an indefinite time in the coastal town of Rosetown. Raised by a single mother, Charlotte grew up to be an independent, suspicious, and lonely girl. To make matters worse, she is stubborn to the bone. Moving in with Daniel proves to be a challenge for both of them, as he will try his best to get to know her, and she will systematically undo his every attempt.
When Misha Breckenridge literally bumps into her life, along with his mesmerizing black eyes and his challenging ways, Charlotte finds herself stepping in quicksand. Despite her attempts to keep him —and every other person, for that matter—at a safe distance, Misha will soon find his way into her heart, making her lower her guard and open her long-closed heart to love.

As the summer unfolds, Rosetown and its memorable inhabitants inevitably start to grow on Charlotte. But, will she ever manage to forgive Daniel for walking out on her and her mother? Will she be able to let him into her heart and her life.

Favorite Quotes:

“But all those worries, all those ugly memories, and all that sadness now belonged in the past.”

“Charlotte Harington was truly remarkable at keeping her distance from anyone who might jeopardize her emotional safety.”

“I loved the feeling of not being charge for  a change and having no other choice but to let go, and hope for the best.”

Final Thoughts: 

Just For A While, is a debut novel for upcoming author Zoe Haslie, and I think she did a fantastic job with this book. I usually am leaning more towards fantasy novels, but this book exceeded my expectations of a romance novel. I loved the hint of drama and family relationships throughout this book. Charlotte struggles with learning how to love herself before she can genuinely open herself up to new relationships. Charlotte must learn not to let the failed relationship of her parents and the disease that has caused pain to her mother, affect her life. She has to learn to regain those feelings she put aside to support her mother and learn to accept her father. Charlotte learns to accept the new town she is living in and learn to be a friend to a person in need. She steps up to the plate when needed, taking full responsibility for her actions. In the end, will she find love, or will she lose more than she thought while protecting a friend? The growth of Charlotte as a character is something that I loved about this book. The author did a great job highlighting the struggles of having a parent that is battling something you cannot control.

Overall, I thought this was a well-written book. I enjoyed the heartfelt moments, the building of relationships, and the ending. This book filled with swoon-worthy moments that had me feeling warm and fuzzy on the inside. I felt the plot twist a bit last luster, and some parts could have developed more. For example, I wanted to know more about Charlotte’s mom, Natalie, and more about Daniel’s relationship with Olivia’s mom. I thought there was a hint of something more, but then it was not explored in the book. I did like the explanation of the relationship between Natalie and Daniel. I did, however, want to know more about the letters that discussed in this book. I gave this book a four-star rating because of the areas that I felt could have been developed more. I think the author did a fantastic job on this book and the overall story-line is clear. I recommend this book to anyone interested in a heartfelt, family drama filled novel that follows the journey of a girl who just wants feel love.

Interested in me reviewing your book or have suggested reads? Email me at librarielbookreviews@gmail.com

ARC Review: Let’s Talk About Love

Posted on by LibrAriel Book Adventures

Title: Let’s Talk About Love
Author: Claire Kann
Genre: Young Adult LQBTQ Romance
Pages: Print 277
Release Date: January 23, 2018
Rating: ★★★★.5

Disclaimer: This review is solely my opinion. I was provided a copy of this book from @KidLitExchange #partner in exchange for my honest review. Thanks again to @KidLitExchange  #partner for access to review a free copy of this book! The comments in this review do not reflect the views of the author or KidLitExchange. The  copy used in this review is an uncorrected copy from Swoon Reads.

Goodreads Synopsis:

College student Alice Johnston, 19, is in the closet—sort of. Her friends and family know that she is bisexual, but what they don’t know (and what Alice isn’t really ready to tell them) is that she’s also asexual. Alice is hurt when Margot, her roommate and girlfriend, breaks up with her, but she isn’t surprised. Giving up on love seems to be the best solution until Takumi enters the picture. Registering an unprecedented “black” rating on Alice’s “Cutie Code,” Takumi makes Alice’s heart beat faster than normal, and their developing friendship allows Alice to slowly begin to reveal things about herself, her friendship with Feenie and Ryan (her now-engaged best friends from high school), and her family. Debut novelist Kann thoughtfully tackles what it means to be asexual and gives Alice a platform to discover who she is and what it means for her relationship with Takumi. Asexual readers will appreciate the visibility, and those—like Alice’s ex—who know poorly understand it, will gain a better sense of what love without sex can look like.

Favorite Quotes:

“A curious, nervous sensation wriggled and rooted itself inside her chest.” -Alice’s first impression of Takumi, this gave me warm and fuzzy feelings.

“You’ve exceed my Cutie Code,” she said. “You’re the reason why I retired it. I don’t need it anymore.” -Alice to Takumi

Final Thoughts:

Let’s Talk About Love is a young adult fiction romance novel that sheds light on LGBTQ issue. The main character, Alice, must learn to accept herself while trying to figure out exactly who she is. This ranges from her selecting a major, being in a relationship, and the relationships with her friends and family. The book starts with Alex, who identifies as asexual, getting dumped by her girlfriend Margot for not feeling a physical attraction. Alice blames herself the entire novel while trying to move forward into a new relationship with the new worker at her library. Alice seems to struggle with every relationship in her life. Her parents and her siblings are presurring her to go to Law School throughout the entire novel. I felt this book could have been developed more to shed light on the challenges of being asexual. However, I did get to see a glimpse of the challenges as Alice came to terms with her sexuality. You watch her build relationships and struggle with connecting with Takumi. Will he understand her sexuality? Will be accept her for who she is or will she be alone forever?

I recommend this novel to anyone interested in reading a young adult romance novel. This book had me entranced the whole time. I loved the awkward moments of Alice and seeing her learn. I commend the author on writing a truly informative novel. I would have loved for a bit more and there were small details missing that I thought were important. Overall, I did not want to put this book down until I finished it.

Interested in me reviewing your book or have suggested reads? Email me at librarielbookreviews@gmail.com

Busted by Gina Ciocca

Posted on by LibrAriel Book Adventures

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Busted by Gina Ciocca is a contemporary young adult fiction novel that follows the journey of the main character Marissa. Marissa has been placed in a position that she did not necessarily want to be in after helping her best friend. Busted focuses on the lengths of friendship, trust, forgiveness, high school drama, and deciding how far you will go to capture the story.  Marissa is a spunky main character who wants to go to college to study journalism, but when choosing how to pay for school, an option is thrown into her lap. This new option may or may not have consequences. This new opportunity is thrown into her lap by her ex-best friend Kendall. Kendall reenters Marissa’s life after finding out that Marissa helped her best friend Charlie, who goes to a different school than Marissa, bust Charlie’s boyfriend cheating. Kendall begs Marissa to do the same with her boyfriend after she assumes that he is cheating. Marissa attends the same school as Kendall’s boyfriend and accepts the new challenge. The story continues with a lot of twists and turns and betrayal. Marissa must learn to put her feelings aside during the investigation and not get tangled in Kendall’s love life. This story has high school drama written all over it.

This is the synopsis of the book found on Amazon:

And her next case? It’s for ex-frenemy Kendall. She’s convinced her boyfriend, TJ, has feelings for someone else and persuades Marissa to start spying on him. But the more Marisa gets to know sincere and artistic TJ, the more she starts to fall for him. Worse yet, the feelings seem to be mutual. Marisa knows she needs to give up her investigation—and the spoken-for guy who may just be the love of her life. Then she uncovers new secrets about Kendall and TJ, secrets that take “cheater” to a whole new level…

I purchased this book after reading the portion of the synopsis above. This sounds like it is going to be amazing, right? I thought that it would be amazing.  I liked this book and thought it had a good storyline but the plot twist was a lacking. There was a lot of build-up to the plot, but I did not think it met my expectations. I assumed there would be more drama or connection between the characters. I mean everything felt a little bit forced. Of course with most contemporary novels, it has a cliche happy ending. I wanted more development in this story. There could’ve been more done with this book with the title. It is definitely a contemporary drama, mystery, romance novel. I did love the development of the friendship between Charlie and Marisa. I love the style of writing but not necessarily all the content.

I would recommend this book to someone who is interested in a bit of cliche high school drama with a little bit of romance and betrayal.

Disclaimer: This review is solely my honest opinion. I purchased this book on my own from Barnes and Noble. Below is a link for you to purchase the book as well. The opinions in this review do not reflect the views of the author.

You can purchase a copy of this book from Amazon  or Barnes and Noble. This book was published on January 2, 2018.

We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen

Posted on by LibrAriel Book Adventures

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This is a young adult contemporary fiction novel focus on the challenges faced by twin high school teenagers whose lives are intertwined. Stuart and Ashley are two teens who must face their own challenges and learn to get along. This book discusses divorce, family, friendships, bullying, sexual assault, and new relationships. It’s a great contemporary novel to give to any teen facing problems in school. Stuart is a friendly kid who has been bumped up a grade because he is “gifted.” His dad tells him he should not tell that to everyone. Ashley is a popular freshmen in high school who just wants to have all the attention. Her parents are divorced and her dad is gay. She wants to keep her dads sexuality a secret from her friends. As Stuart’s dad and Ashley’s mom make the decision to move in together, things start to get complicated. Can these two teens get along? Will Ashley ever accept Stuart as her step brother?

I loved the plot twist and kind of hated Ashley the entire story. In the end Ashley changed but that took the entire story. You definitely get the popular girl vibe from Ashley and the geek vibe from Stuart. Stuart wants to do what’s right and protect his new family member, while Ashley just wants to be popular. I wanted more from the title and I wanted more from the story. Overall, it had a great message but it was predictable in some places and the end was kind of cheesy. I would definitely recommend this to other teens who are interested in this book but only to older teens who are okay with LGBTQ reads. It was a bit mature for younger teens but very well written.

I give it a 4 out of 5!

Illusional Reality by Karina Kantas

Posted on by LibrAriel Book Adventures

68AA5AEC-42A0-42BE-96A5-BC1123764D06.jpeg*I was given a copy of this book for my honest opinion.*
This book was a very interesting read. It is a fantasy fiction YA novel that provides a bit more on the romance side. The main character Becky is transported to a new place where she is deemed to rule. In the beginning she thinks she is dreaming. The challenge this novel faces to resolve is the challenge of saving her new found land from evil. What happens if the evil is destroyed? Will peace ever be restored? This is a lot of pressure for someone who has lived a life her whole life unaware of the powers she possesses.

I liked the romance and the action but I wanted to know more about the unique power that Becky possesses. I also wanted to know more about the people and their unique powers. Why is she so strong and why aren’t their others like her.

The novel is well written and I would recommend it to others who like a contemporary fantasy YA novel. I give this book  4 out of 5 stars.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Posted on by LibrAriel Book Adventures

IMG_1158*Rating:5 out of 5 stars*

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard is a Young Adult Fantasy Fiction Novel. The story begins with Mare, a seventeen-year-old thief, who picks pockets to feed her family. She does not have an apprentice and expects to be sent to the war on her eighteenth birthday unless she gets a job. The novel begins with a battle in the arena against the Reds and the Silvers. The Silvers have unique abilities of the high court while the Reds are left to fill servants jobs and live in unlikely conditions. Victoria Aveyard did a fantastic job with novel and explained each classes abilities extensively. As we journey through the book and learn more about Mare and the King’s court, we grow to love Mare and find out she is more than what meets the eye. Mare is given a chance to work for the Kings court as a servant, not knowing how she received the job but suspecting a connection. She is shocked when she finds out who is behind her new employment. (I am not going to spoil this for you. There are a lot of plot twists in this novel.) Mare faces many challenges as she discovers who she is and what fight is worth fighting. She must decide how many lives must be sacrificed for a more significant cause and determine if someone is an ally or an enemy. The ending is one of the best ends in a book I have read so far. It makes you question the entire novel, and it is definitely worth it.

This book is fantastic! I did not think I would love a book that focuses on class, but I do. I love the clash between the different classes and how some classes have powers while others do not. The plot twist is my favorite part. I do not want to ruin the book for anyone who has not read it, but you should read it. It has this historical fiction vibe to it, and the teens who are the main characters are portrayed well. Imagine being so rare that you present a problem and a solution. Imagine if you realized your whole life was a lie and now you are confused. If you are intrigued by this, then you should read this novel. The more I read the novel, the more I understood the title and the heavy meaning behind it. Red Queen is the first installment in the Red Queen series, and I am planning on reading the next few novels.

I did not want to provide too much information because I want you to read this book and find out more about Mare and the Kings court on your own. Just know, there is a lot of betrayal, love, loss, and defiance exhibited in this novel. If this does not entice you to read it, then nothing else will.

I give this a 5 out of 5 stars. It left me on the edge of my seat wanting to choose between sleep or finishing this novel.