P.S. I Still Love You Book Review

P.S. I Still Love You (To all the Boys I've Loved Before #2)
By: Jenny Han
Publication Date: May 26,2015
Simon & Scuhuster. 337 pages
Source: Bought it from B&N

Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.
She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.
When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Times bestseller To All the Boys I've Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that’s part of what makes it so amazing. 
-description retrieved from Goodreads




The long awaited novel, P.S. I Still Love You. In my review for To All the Boys I've Loved Before, I raved about the book and declared my love for the novel. And I was so excited for this one as well. Although, I am a bit sad because this wonderful, amazing series has come to an end. But again, everything has to come to an end. So let's get crackin on this review because it is going to be a long one.

P.S. I Still Love You continues from the first novel and Lara Jean and Peter start a relationship. Of course, they are absolutely adorable with each other, but something bad leaks out that is about Lara Jean. And there's tension about Peter's closeness with Guinevere. Also, a guy from her past comes into her present and Lara Jean is developing feelings for him too.

Onto the cover! I think that is the same girl in the first book. The first book was a beautiful hot pink and the second book is a Tiffany blue color which is a gorgeous color as well. I like the covers of both books, they are aesthetically pleasing and attractive-looking. So no bad words for the cover.

So the main part of the review! I bought this book immediately and finished it the day I got it. So I'm going to say this flat-out that I loved this book. It was so good and just thinking about it, makes me crack into the biggest smile ever. Reasons why I loved it: first, I love the Peter-Lara Jean dynamic, they have such amazing chemistry and are absolutely adorable with each other. I didn't like Margot in the second novel, but in this one, I liked her a lot more and she even reminded me of my older sister in this novel. Lara Jean was a bit frustrating because she was constantly comparing herself to Guinevere as she dated Peter which really peeved me off. But she realizes that later on and fixes it. The fact that she was falling for this other guy, also, peeved me off. Again, I enjoyed the family relationships in this novel and the sister trio. The book was a little slow-paced in the middle, but it definitely picked up. When Lara Jean is in the senior center and talked to the senior citizens that part kind of bored me. This book was a emotional roller coaster, I will admit it, I totally cried. And did it twice. The book was definitely a lot more emotional and dramatic than the first one. The first one is more light-hearted and humorous. The second book still consist humorous just not as much. But gosh, it was so frustrating and so sad. But I'm quite an emotional person so that could explain that.

Onto the characters! I love Peter, he is one of my favorite characters! He is too perfect, it is a bit frustrating. At first, you are not going to like Peter, but at the end, Jenny Han makes you adore him. Peter is sweet, funny and really sincere, so in other he is unrealistically perfect. Lara Jean was a bit eh in this novel because she was so insecure about her relationship and she was kind of ruining it for herself. Margot was a lot better in this novel, she was that caring older sister and she listened and advised Lara Jean. Kitty was enjoyable as well, she always sticks to Lara Jean which is really nice. Also, I enjoyed Sam's character as well who adds a bit of a humorous element in the novel. I always hated Guinevere; I hated her in the first novel and in the second novel, I don't hate as much. I still don't really like her, but the feeling of hatred as lessen for reasons in the novel. Josh had a minimal role in this novel, he wasn't very important.

I highly recommend this to any contemporary novel lovers out there because this is THE contemporary series. I think this is perhaps my favorite YA contemporary series because it has all the right elements. It is funny, sweet, frustrating and emotional. I love all the characters even though I act like I don't, I really do. I am truly sad that such a wonderful series came to an end, but I'm definitely super psyched to see what else the wonderful Jenny Han will write.

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-Skimmy.

The Infinite Sea Book Review

The Infinite Sea (The Fifth Wave #2)
By: Rick Yancey

Publication Date: September 16, 2014
Putnam Juvenile, 320 pages
Source: Bought it from B&N

How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.

Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate.
-Description retrieved from Goodreads



Sorry, I broke my post everyday pact. But gosh, I was busy during the week because I constantly have to volunteer and ugh, just a lot of work in general. Also, I was out of town for two days so I didn't have direct access to a computer. But let's skip over these lousy excuses and start on the review.

The second book to the Fifth Wave. I really enjoyed the first book. I liked how Rick Yancey showed the true nature of humans and that they will do anything to survive. His first book was pretty deep because underneath all of the killing and scheming, he revealed that evil nature of humans. I don't want to get caught up too much in that topic, so let us go forward with this review.

This book focuses mainly on two point of views which are Cassie and Ringer. It does jump into other point of views, but most of the book are between the views of those two girls. There are mainly two different stories. One of them focuses on Cassie who is with the majority of the other characters and Ringer who is basically by herself.

The cover is okay, it doesn't blow me away. It has a cool-look to it and an aura of mystery, but nothing really stands out to me.

So the actual meaty part of the review. Overall, I liked this novel, I will admit there was a bit of confusion for me throughout this novel because a lot happened. I thought it was interesting for the author, Rick Yancey to include Ringer's point of view because the first book had Zombie's (Ben's) point of view. I thought Ringer's point of view was quite interesting and her character developed more depth and a backstory. I always thought Ringer was an intriguing character from book one and so getting more of her was enjoyable. I thought her part was a little confusing towards the end especially when the twist came that part I had to re-read again and probably another time. We also, got Cassie's point of view like in the first book and I liked Cassie's point of view and found it less confusing because it was more clear. Furthermore, Cassie had more side characters with her so that appealed to me more. Both views were interesting and continued to capture my attention. One thing, I didn't like was when the author bounced to other point of views that didn't belong to Ringer or Cassie because I was really confused and it threw me off. Also, I had to hard time keeping up with the side characters that doesn't include Evan Walker, Ben/Zombie or Nugget. I got them jumbled up, but if you're good about that, it won't bother you, but I'm bad at keeping who's who clearly. In the beginning of the novel, I felt like Cassie's point of view was more interesting than Ringer's and I was longing for Cassie's POV more, but towards the end, they both got equally interesting.

So onto the characters because I'm quite picky. I like Cassie's character in general; I liked in the first book and it continued in the second book. Ringer's character is a bit more difficult to like because she's so damn perfect or at least nearly. Ringer seems like that smart, beautiful and cold/mysterious person. So I felt Cassie was a lot easier to relate to her, but Ringer seems like that cool girl, you kind of idolized because you admire for being such a badass. I feel like Ringer and Cassie are pretty much opposites because Cassie is the compassionate one while Ringer can be cold-hearted. I've always liked Ben/Zombie and I feel like he's the one who adds the humor element of the novel and Evan, I've always had mixed feelings about.

I really recommend this series to any dystopian lovers because this is a good series. I think people who don't like dystopian would like this as well because I feel like this book has really good character building and get really deep on the psychological level.

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-Skimmy.

All the Bright Places Book Review

All the Bright Places
By: Jennifer Niven
Publication Date: January 6, 2015
Knopf, 388 pages
Source: Bought it from B&N

The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.
Soon to be a major motion picture starring Elle Fanning!
 
Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.
 
Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.
 
When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.
 
This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.

So I'm experimenting with my post because I want to make them more concise and better quality for you guys so you guys comment below what you guys enjoy better.

This book is about a girl, Violet who's sister died and a boy, Finch who is going through depression. Both of them live total opposite lives, but they meet together when Finch keeps Violet from jumping off a tower. And Finch becomes intrigued with Violet and they decide to work together on a project to explore the wonders of the state of Indiana.

I like the cover, I think it is cute and quirky. The violet and the finch on the cover pertain to the names of the characters in the novel. I like that the cover carries a simplicity and minimal-look. I prefer things that have a clean look with it and isn't too flashy.

So onto the actual content of the book. I really enjoyed this book. There are a good amount of YA books that deal with mental issues especially depression. But this book took a different approach on that topic. I feel like the author took a good approach on it and made this book stand out from the bunch. The author had an alternating point of view for this novel and I enjoyed both views. Both were intriguing and I wasn't favoring or longing one point of view over another. But the ending was a total shocker for me and Jennifer Niven shows a clear, precise view on the thoughts of someone dealing with depression. The plot was well-paced and I felt that she captured my attention throughout the whole novel. After, reading this book, it carries a sad ending and I can see some people crying at the end, but I didn't. This book does have that type of ending that makes you think about it for a long period of time which the good books have that effect. You can see that Violet's and Finch's lives are inversely proportional.  Niven really gave us the realistic view of depression and that it is like a domino effect. Some authors sometimes make it seem peachy keen, but she gave us the dark side of it.

Guess what? It is character time! I liked Violet, she was an interesting character. It is really easy to sympathize with her. I think I enjoyed her character a bit more than Finch who is practically the opposite of Violet. Finch is irrational and unpredictable, although, his character is more fascinating and dynamic than Violet. He's very different and the one to add the humor element. I loved how he
chased and pursued Violet.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes a genuine contemporary novel. This book is probably not the best choice for those who want a light-hearted read because this book is very deep. So if you're looking for a romantic, swoon-worthy read, this isn't a good choice. But if you want a profound, in-depth book then I would highly recommend this read.

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-Skimmy.

Addicted to Twitter

Hey, you guys! I just got a Twitter for this blog, Between Book Pages and I'm getting addicted to it. Especially since Jenny Han has liked two of my posts and Wendy Higgens followed me! So if you guys want to follow or just scroll through my posts which are book related, of course.

Here is my Twitter name: @Btwnbookpages

Blog Ideas?

So you guys, it is my personal goal to post at least one blog post every day. Is that too unrealistic? The problem is that no way, can I read a book every day so I'm trying to extend my blog posts outside of book reviews. So do you guys have any suggestions? If you do, please comment below because I want to hear your thoughts?

I was considering doing a top ten Tuesday where I'll give you my top ten favorite contemporary or dystopian. I'm also, going to start an annual series that will feature my bookshelf which is filled with books. I was thinking of taking a photo of my shelf and explaining my thoughts and things about the book. What do you guys think of that? Another idea is to have a re-read Friday where I re-read books and post reviews on them.

I'll definitely post book hauls that I have and try to expand outside of book reviews. Obviously, book reviews will remain as the a steady, essential content, but I want to offer more and be less homogeneous.

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-Skimmy.

I'll Give You the Sun Book Review

I'll Give You the Sun
By: Jandy Nelson
Publication Date: September 16, 2014
Dial Books, 371 pages
Source: Bought it from B&N

Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

This radiant novel from the acclaimed, award-winning author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.
-Description retrieved from Goodreads


Sorry, I've been gone for a while. I was reading Bell Jar which is an adult novel and this blog is mostly for Young Adult so I don't feel right posting a review for it. But if you guys, want one, comment below if you do. So let's get crackin' on this novel. I've been eyeing this novel for a while because its recommended to John Green and Rainbow Rowell fans and I am definitely fans of both.

Wow, just look at the cover, its's stunning. I love it, honestly. It's vibrant and colorful, it is very eye-catching. I like the cover because I feel like it fits perfectly with the novel. It follows the theme and yeah, it is beautiful.

So onto the actual book, this was a really good book and I am quite pleased with it. It was interesting to read an alternative point of view and both point of views take place in a different setting. Jude's point of view takes place in the present while Noah's point of view occurs in the past. I think that formatting of point of view made this book more interesting and intriguing. It also allows an aura of mysterious because the reader is constantly kept in the dark, but I feel like it is easy to connect the dots as you read. So there's a big twist and I don't know if the author wanted it to be hard to know or was building up to it, she was probably building up to it, but it quite easy to predict and I figured it out. And this is me we're talking about, the girl who has a horrible time predicting or foreseeing what could possibly occur.

Character analysis time! So what did I think of the main characters? I liked both of them, they both had their flaws, mistakes and downfalls. I liked Jude a little better because she was a bit of the 'underdog' because her brother, Noah was supposed to be the artist one, but Jude turns out to have it in her as well. I like Noah as well and it is quite easy to sympathize with him as well. But some of the mean things to Jude, makes me deduct points from him. Although, I'm not saying Jude was a saint. But both of them are easily likable. Also, there's another major character, Oscar who's British and has that bad-boy-esque aura surrounding him. Oscar adds a sense of humor into the novel. Another reason, I like Jude is that I really enjoy her point of view because she's very superstitious and quirky, it is quite cute and humorous. I really liked the trio of Oscar, Jude and the artist, And a major plus, there are a bunch of swoon-worthy quotes in this novel.

I recommend this to anyone who's a big fan of contemporary and want something different from other YA novels because this book is quite different, straying from the cliches. I really enjoyed it and I feel like many other will too. It seems a general crowd pleaser.

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-Skimmy.

YA Books Turning into Movies/TV

So is it just me or are a bunch of YA books being turned into movies or TV? There is already two movies based on YA books coming out this summer which most of you guys probably know one of the two I'm talking about; yep, I'm talking about Paper Towns by John Green which has been long anticipated. But also, there's Earl and Me and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews which also looks good and received some awards from Sundance Festival. In this post, I'm going talk about possible movie/TV adaptations coming up. And I have literally everything you need to know linked and they are not affiliated.

The Paper Town's trailer does look good and gosh, Cara Delevingne looks like an absolute goddess. Also, Nat Wolff looks adorable as well and it generally, just seems amazing and I'm super pumped for this movie.

Another great trailer, but less known is Earl and Me and the Dying Girl. It looks good and strays away from the stereotypical romance, immediately-fall-in-love cliche that people assume are in YA novels. This seems more heartfelt and deeper than Paper Towns and I'm excited for this as well.

Some other possible adaptations which has became an endless list. Honestly, the surge of adapting YA novels is really contributed by the Hunger Games which is probably the most successful one out there. There has been fails of course, like The Mortal Instruments and also, successes like Divergent and The Fault of Our Stars.

The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey is in the midst of adaptation with Chloe Grace Moretz (Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dark Shadows) playing Cassie, the main character (Source). Also, Elle Fanning (Maleficent and Super 8) was just cast for the main female character, Violet for the adaptation of the novel, All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven (Source). Another adaptation is Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs which is being directed by Tim Burton. It stars Ella Purnell as Emma (Never Let Me Go and Maleficent) and Asa Butterfield (Merlin, Ender's Game and Hugo) as Jacob. (Source). Another possible adaptation is Wither by Lauren DeStefano which is a dystopian novel and this shocked me because I haven't heard much buzz about this book and I read it as well. But I looked up the possible adaptation, apparently, the author denied a renewal so it is not happening. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is in the midst of being produced and they haven't got a cast  yet, but Summit Entertainment has picked it up so cross your fingers if you're hoping for an adaptation (Source). Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is also in the midst of being created, it was picked up by 20th century Fox and currently, going through the process. If there was a movie coming out for Shatter Me, I would be supremely excited. Matched by Ally Condie, a dystopian novel similar to Delirium was picked up by Disney (Source). Another adaptation forming is Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor which is really exciting and that has been picked up by Universal Studios (Source). This one I'm personally super psyched about which is Smoke and Bone by Leigh Barbado which Dreamworks acquired the rights and it will be produced by the same producer of Harry Potter (Source). The Lunar Chronicles' by Marissa Meyers rights have been acquired by a studio and it is kept a secret (Source). And finally, Legend by Marie Lu has been picked up by CBS Films and the producer of Twilight is producing it and the director of 50/50 will direct it (Source).

Books are also being adapted to TV shows as well. ABC Family picked up The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare has a new show for the 2016 and has already assembled the cast (Source). It is called Shadowhunter.

Comment below, telling me which adaptations you guys are the most excited for!

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-Skimmy.

Top Ten Books for the Upcoming Summer

I'm so sorry for the short haitus I took, but gosh with school coming to a closure, things were getting intensely busy and schoolwork was starting to pile up. But summer has come it's way and I am excited to blog again. So what other way to start then adding a book list with the pending summer? While summer is smoking hot, my town has been getting serious rain and cool weather which is quite unusual. But anyways, with summer coming, I can read more and re-read books as well. So enough blabbering, let's get started!

P.S. I Still Love You (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #2) by Jenny Han

Confession time: I already read the book. Sorry, I couldn't help it, but I'm not going to reveal much on this post and there will soon be a review on the novel. And it is going to be a long one for sure.

Red Queen  by Victoria Aveyard

I've been wanting to read this book for a while, but never got to it. So finally I ordered it and I'm excited for it. I think I'm going to make it my next read. I know it has been out for a while, but better late than never, right?

Mosquitoland by David Arnold

I've read really good reviews for me and the blurb interests me. I haven't seen much attention towards this novel, but it looks like a low-key goodie.

Off the Page by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

This book has also pretty good reviews and the blurb really intrigues me as well. I've been eyeing this book and I know I'm going to have to read it soon.

The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkosi

I've read the first book and I really enjoyed it so obviously I'm going to read the second book. Especially since the first book left you hanging from your fingers.

Made You Up by Francesca Zappia

Just by reading the blurb, this book seems a lot different than other YA novels and has a very unique plot which intrigues me. Also, it seems like it fits the category of books I've been craving for these days.

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler

First, I love a good light-hearted contemporary novel and this fits that quota perfectly. It seems cute and fun and I really want to read this novel.

A Court of Thorn and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

I've been seeing this book everywhere like I literally see ads for it while I'm watching TV so this book must have a lot of backing. But I've heard so much about this book and I'm simply just following the hype and I'm pretty sure Maas will give us something good.

My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Wanga

This seems like another interesting contemporary novel, but instead of lying on the light-hearted side, it seems more in depth and deep which doesn't bother me. Sometimes, I like to read books on the other half of the spectrum. 

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

I've heard a lot of good things about this book and it seems like an interesting dystopian novel. Sometimes, I need a break from contemporary and get a bit dystopia.

One Page at a Time

-Skimmy.