Fangirl is filled with adorable, cutesy moments but also holds depth and meaning. The relationships that fill this book are complicated and deep but also full of love and emotion. I seriously loved almost ALL of the characters, I loved their interactions and banter, I could feel everything Cath was going through and felt like I was going through it with her.
Following Cath on her journey to find herself, independently from her sister Wren, was at times heartbreaking. She's kind of thrown into the situation by force and at times has a hard time staying afloat. Cath felt very real to me; her struggles, her anxieties, her fear of change..it all spoke to me. I felt like I was living through her. To me it's an amazing book when I can relate to a character so well that I feel like they are a part of me.
Fangirl is beautifully written and when the end comes around you feel completed, even if you are sad that it's over. This has easily become one of my favorites of all time.
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The Deep End of the Sea is told from the POV of Medusa. I know enough about the story of Medusa to know that this version of her story was a different take on it and I loved it. I loved the idea of her not really being the monster everyone claimed her to be. I especially loved her friendship/relationship with Hermes, he definitely became Medusa's knight in shining armor (as much as I love a girl who can kick ass I also love when a handsome man swoops in to save the day). The main group of characters that Medusa interacts with are fantastic and I really felt their love for each other. It's the type of family group you want to be a part of.
Throughout the book I had constant feels ranging from sympathy to anger to giddyness. And when I put the book down it was with a contented goofy grin. It was excellently paced but there were a few grammar issues and for some reason my Nook edition had underlined text throughout the entire book but it wasn't bad enough to turn me off of it. All in all I highly recommend it!
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The writing was well done and the characters were decently developed. The story is told from each person's view points and I found that my favorite characters were EJ, Hayden, and Coop. I'm torn between whose team I want to be on. I really love Coop because he's the type of guy I find yummy but Hayden has some redeeming points too. But back on point, since I preferred certain people I found myself skimming through Kyle and Cami's story, it seemed like most of the exciting stuff was happening with EJ so that could be why she's my favorite.
It's mostly your run of the mill contemporary YA romance but the ending really took my breath away. It was a quick read (I read it at work and had it finished by the end of my 8 hour day) and a fun one.
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Cat Winters did an excellent job in making the characters and community feel real. I could really sense the feelings of suspicion and the sheer terror of death lurking around every corner. Due to the war and the spanish influenza people trust no one yet put all their faith into "spirit advisors and photographers". It's just crazy to think about wearing masks all the time, eating and bathing in onions in hopes of warding off the flu, and to think that part isn't fiction, it really happened. The pictures that were added to the book really gave me a glimpse into what everything looked like, made it feel all that more real. It really added a spooky element to the story.
The story is an intense ride that follows the MC along as she tries to help her lover boy come to terms with a horrible truth. I was dying in suspense wondering what was really going on and hoping beyond hope that it would end happily.
In the Shadow of Blackbirds was a different read than what I'm used to but I'm happy to say that I loved it.
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All gifs shamelessly stolen from other people. Keep shipping!
The story is told from the POVs of Beth and Ryan but it was very well done and I had absolutely no problem connecting with both of them (which is usually my big issue with multiple POVs).
They each have their own issues and neither of their families are perfect, the difference is that everyone thinks Ryan's family is perfect. There are some intense situations brought up and I don't mean sexual tension (although there is that too).
Beth's family is messed up. Tangled up in drugs and abusive boyfriends Beth's mom is anything but motherly. Beth's past has really made her tough and scared to trust, lucky for her Ryan comes along. Ryan on the other hand is dealing with a family that is falling apart right before his eyes after his brother Mark let them know who he really is. Ryan's main struggle is with trying to figure out his future, thinking baseball is it and then dealing with the thought that maybe he wants something more.
I'm trying to think of any issues I had with the book but there really wasn't any. Although it would have been great to see some more connection between Beth and Lacy, I felt like their friendship could be epic but it doesn't really get a chance to develop.
I really loved Beth and Ryan together and I really enjoyed reading their story. It was intense and exciting, not once did my mind wander while reading it. I highly recommend Dare You To (you could say I dare you to read it, ha ha, I know not funny..) I can't wait to read more of Katie McGarry's books!!
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