The Seven Ways we Lie (3 out of 5)

The Seven Ways we Lie
Riley Redgate

                             I received a free reviewers edition copy from NetGalley. Thank you to Riley Redgate and ABRAMS kids publishing.


       The seven ways we lie is an interesting take on a high school multi POV novel, with each of the characters representing one of the seven deadly sins. This book follows seven different characters, all who go to the same high school, and all who have different problems and developments.

        I enjoyed this book, but it wasn't amazing. The book didn't focus on the seven deadly sins as much as I would have liked, and it was hard to tell which character represented which sin. I personally am really interested in the seven deadly sins, so this was a bit of a letdown. Aside from that, the book is a great teen novel, and presents many different teenage problems, so everyone can find something to relate to in this book. One grammatical error this book has is that there are no seperate paragraphs or even quotations for most of the dialogue, so it gets very confusing trying to figure out who is talking. This error might be because the version I read is probably not a finalized version, but it bugged me so much I thought it was worth nothing. Overall I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars. It was good, but had some flaws.

                  Thank you for reading another one of my reviews, I will be sure to come back with lots more in 2016. Thanks for a great six months and Happy New Year!!

Fangirl (4/5)

Fangirl
Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl is about a college freshman named Cather (Cath) who s adjusting to college life away from her extroverted sister, Wren. Cath balances college, family drama, and her fame as a fan fiction writer.

I liked this story. A lot better than Eleanor and Park at least. Rainbows writing style is fantastic, and I can't wait to read more of her books. Cath annoyed me at the beginning however, she was willing to quit school for a boy and her name reminded me a lot of a cathoder. Overall, I gave this book 4 stars. Fantastic story and writing style, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone.

Eleanor and Park (3/5)

Eleanor and Park
Rainbow Rowell

                              Eleanor and Park is a young adult romance about two misfits who fall in love in high school, realizing it probably wont last, but hoping that it will. Eleanor Douglas is a curvy redhead who lives with an abusive, drunk stepfather and five siblings in a small house where the bathroom has no door and she doesn't even have a toothbrush. Park Sheridian comes from a typical suburban home. The son of a war veteran and well known around the neighborhood as the weird Asian kid. The book follows their love story, as well as the events that affect their lives, and ultimately, their love.


                                  I'm gonna be honest, this book is hard for me to review without giving away spoilers. Most of my problems with this book are at the ending, so I will talk about as much as I can without giving anything away. I don't like how Park seems to be head over heels in love with Eleanor, but she never once says "I love you" to him. I guess it is implied, but it feels as if Eleanor does not reciprocate the same amount of love for Park. The plot was also very week. There didn't seem to be any problems in the relationship besides what happens at the end, but for some reason the ending implies that the relationship was full of problems. It's honestly really hard for me to describe the plot of this book, simply because it isn't really there. Most of what kept me hanging was Eleanor's relationship with her stepfather as well as her troubles with school, not really the romance between the two. And I did not like the ending. I have so many problems with it, but alas I cannot vent to you without spoiling the story.

Overall I gave this book a 3 out of 5 stars because overall it was a good read that I enjoyed, I just feel like the lack of plot and the ending made me not really define the book as great.

Thank you for reading another one of my reviews, I'll see you soon with more.

You were Here. (5 out of 5 stars!!!!!)

I received a reviewers copy of this book from NetGalley. Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and Cori McCarthy.


You were here is about a girl named Jaycee Strangelove, who has been mourning her brothers tragic death for five years. Every year on the anniversary of her brothers death, she visits one of his favorite places to hang out and relives everything he might have done while he was there. Jaycee is joined one year by an old friend Natalie and her two friends, who decide that its time for Jaycee to let her brother go. They go around Ohio on an adventure to visit every place Jaycee's brother visited.


I gave this book a five out of five stars, and I honestly can't stop telling people about how much I love this book. This book is told in the point of each character. What I think is super cool is that one of the characters is a selective mute, so his chapters are in graphic form. The art in this is fantastic, as well as the ideas and character development. Each character has thier own inner struggles. Every reader can relate to at least one character in this book. Especially seniors in high school, who are either excited to go away, or scared for everything to change. You need to read this book. As soon as it comes out. Like right now.

Unfortunatley this book will not be released until March of 2016, I will be putting up a review on my youtube channel when the release date comes closer.

Thank you guys for reading another one of my reviews, and I will see you guys later!

Anti-Bullying Read-a-thon wrap up!

Hello everyone! Usually I would make a video about this, but my camera somehow deleted my footage, so I decided to just make a post about it. For the Anti-Bullying Read-a-thon that happened this past week, I read 3 out of the 4 books that I had planned to read.



The first book I read was Simon vs. the Homosapiens Agenda by Becky Allbertalli

This book is about a boy named Simon who is black mailed by a classmate. When this classmate outs him, Simon has to go through the struggles of being a teenager, as well as being tormented for his coming out that was not even his own. I gave this book a four out of five stars because it was a great read, with a lot of feeling and suspense. 

The next book I read was Smile by Raina Telgemeier

This book is about a 10 year old girl named Raina, who has an accident that knocks out her front teeth, causing her to go through countless corrective measures, all while growing up, finding herself, and dealing with a hoard of  bullies pretending to be friends. I gave this book a four out of five stars because it is a great story with great art, as well as very helpful for teens growing up and finding themselves.

The final book I read was Wonder by R. J. Palacio

This is a book about Auggie, a ten year old boy with a face deformity. The story follows Auggie adjusting to his new school, Unfortunately people aren't so kind to Auggie. I gave this book a four out of five stars because it is a wonderful story about accepting people and not being quick to judge people by their features. Definatley something that every young/ middle grade child should read. (In my opinion it should be taught in schools)

Thank you guys for reading another one of my reviews, and I will see you soon with more!

Will Grayson, Will Grayson (4 out of 5)

Will Grayson, Will Grayson
John Green & David Levithan


                            Will Grayson, Will Grayson, is about two boys, both named Will Grayson, and how their stories intertwine. WG1 hides his feelings, with an attitude of "Shut up and don't care" his best friend is the flamboyant Tiny Cooper, who falls in and out of love faster than Taylor Swift. While Tiny is organizing a musical about his life, WG1 meets Jane, a punk rock princess who likes underground bands and memorizes peoples locker combinations. WG1 really likes Jane, but doesn't know how to express it.

                              WG2 is a closeted gay boy who lives about 30 mins away, has a depressing best friend who only brings him down, a mom who is severely lonely, an online boyfriend, and a severe case of depression. WG2 goes to Chicago to meet his boyfriend, but ends up meeting the other Will Grayson instead


                             This book is only classified as an LGBT+ book because it has gay characters, which i think is kind of dumb. It's not really about being gay as it is about accepting yourself and learning to trust and love other people. But nonetheless, this book is great. The character development is absolutely amazing, and the plot is so full of ups and downs it keeps you on the edge of your seat. I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars, because it wasn't so good it became a favorite, but it was very good.


                           Thank you for reading another one of my reviews. If you have read this book and would like to hear my thoughts on it, check out my book talk on this book on my you tube channel. I'll see you guys soon with another review!

Nail Polish and Feathers (4/5)

Nail Polish and Feathers
Jo Ramsey


                            I received this book through NetGalley. Thank you to Jo Ramsey and Dreamspinner Press.


                             Nail Polish and Feathers is about a 16 year old boy named Evan, who has no problem with being himself. He is openly gay, and wears nail polish as well as other "feminine" items to school. Unfortunately, this comes with struggles; and when bullies start to go to far, Evan has to choose between blending in, and being himself.


                              I love this book. Even is such an inspiring character, even though the things that happen to him are truly barbaric. Evan is proud of who he is. The story is very sad, but also gives people going through the same situations hope. I also love drag queens, Courtney Act and Alaska Thunderfvck 5000 being my favorite, so this book also got points for that. Overall, I give this book a four out of five stars, because it was great, but It's not one of my favorite books. This book is the first installment in the Deep secrets and hope series, and I can't wait to read the rest.


                              Thank you for reading another one of my reviews, and I will see you soon with more.

Killing at the Carnival (2 out of 5 stars)

Killing at the Carnival (Cassie Pengear Mysteries #1)
L.A. Nisula.


                        I received a free reviewers edition of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Red Adept publishing (Which auto-approved me!) and L.A. Nisula.


                         Killing at the Carnival is about an American woman name Cassie Pengear who likes to solve mysteries and poke her head into places where the authorities think she doesn't belong (Think Nancy Drew, but a steam punk version). Set in Steam punk Britain, Cassie is attending a carnival with her landlady and his nephew when they visit a cowboy show. But the gun trick isn't a trick, and the volunteer doesn't get back up. Now the police have arrested the wrong man, and Cassie must solve the case before it's too late.

                       This book is about 100 pages, and is a nice cozy mystery. I gave this book two out of five stars, however, because it was a little too whimsical to be a mystery to me. There wasn't enough suspense, and I found as if the police were just too dumb. I mean, there barely did any investigation. How convenient right? It's a nice story however, and someday I will eventually read the other books in the series. If you like cozy mysteries that don't have too much suspense, then this book is for you.

Thank you for reading another one of my reviews, and I will be back with more soon.

Breaking up Point (3 out of 5 stars)

Breaking Up Point
Brian McNamara


                                 I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Bold Strokes Books, Inc. and Brian McNamara.


                               Breaking Up Point is the sequel to Bottled Up Secret. I have heard from others that the books are better read in order, so I would recommended reading Bottled Up Secret if you plan to read this book. the story follows a college freshman named Brendan who has just started his freshman year the Ohio State University (Thumbs up for repping my home state!). Brendan is in a relationship with his high school boyfriend Mark, who is not out of the closet yet, forcing Brendan to keep his relationship from his friends and family for a year. But now that hes in college, he no longer wants to hide who he is, which tries Mark and his relationship.

                            This is one of the first LGBT+ books I have read, and overall I enjoyed it. I like how Brendan deals with his 5 sisters, some who can't accept his sexuality, others who don't. However the entire book did not revolve around Brendan's sexuality. It also told about his classes, friendships, and a workout regiment that I would never have the discipline to do in college. I give this book three out of five starts because it was a good story, but the story started to drag towards the middle, and it felt like I was just reading through unnecessary scenes that were there just to fill pages.


                            Breaking Up Point was released a few days ago, and is available on Amazon or wherever you buy books. Thank you for reading another one of my reviews and I will see you soon with more. Bye!

Coffee will make you black

Coffee will make you black
April Sinclair



                         I received a free review copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to April Sinclair and Open Road Integrated Media.


                         Coffee will make you black, set in the 1960's, follows an African american girl named Stevie and her struggle to mature and grow as a person in the pressures of high school. Stevie deals with racism, accepting herself as an African american woman, figuring out her sexuality, and other issues that every teenager struggles with. Stevie learns throughout the course of this book that she has to make decisions for herself and not based on what other people expect of her.

                          I really connected with Stevie, and I really admired the way she refused to be what everyone expects her to be. This book is funny, and also shows how teenagers face the same problems now as they did back in the late 60's. There is a sequel to this book, which I haven't read yet, but Its definatley on my tbr. I don't really have anything bad to say about this book, because my only complaints were about stuff i didn't understand. (There was this one part where a couple would pee together? Like literally just urinate next to each other. That confused the hell out of me. Either because the times were different back then or maybe it was a metaphor that this innocent little tot did not understand) I'm not going to give this book 5 out of 5 stars just because i did not really connected with the book. I give it 4 out of 5 stars because it was great but not the best I've read.

                         Thank you so much for reading this review. Be sure to check out my YouTube channel (Kelsey Jackson) if you want to see more book related things, or just me being stupid in front of a camera. See ya next time!

Blood Echo (3 out of 5 stars)

Blood Echo
Melissa Simonson



                             I received a review copy of this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

                            Blood Echo follows Iris Avery, a debutante on the Upper East side who lives off her families trust fund and her best friend Estella Blake. The Twist? Estella is dead, supposedly of a suicidie, and she is only present as a voice inside Iris' head. But when people start dying, and Iris is being stalked by a mysterious murderer who seems to know all her secrets, Iris' stress builds up as she tries to figure out who could be doing all this, and why.

                          This tale of mystery and obsession reveals secrets and scandals, and leaves you asking questions. The book doesn't really get interesting until about half way through, and I found myself trudging through it until I could get to the part where the book actually got good. That being said, from there I could not put it down. Amidst scandals, secrets, and little plot twists, this book kept me coming back for more. And then the end happened. This book has the biggest plot twist I don't think anyone could ever see coming, and I uttered an inhuman groan/scream upon finishing this book.

                          I am giving this book 3 out of 5 stars, because the ending was slow, but the entire story is very interesting and really good. It's kind of like Pretty little liars but with older girls and a lot more cocaine.

                         Thank you very much to NetGalley, Red Adept Publishing, and Melissa Simonson for providing me with this book. This book is already in print, and you can get it wherever you buy your books. Thank you for reading this, and I will see you soon with more reviews.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (10/10)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Stephen Chbosky




                      I read the Perks of Being a Wallflower as a part of this year's booktube-a-thon. (The Challenge was to read someone else's favorite book.) The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an amazing and insightful story about a teenager named Charlie who writes letters about his life to an unknown recipient. The letters tell about his highs and lows through High School and almost act like a diary.


                      I loved this book. It isn't one of those books about a depressed teen that you can easily tell it was written by a white 40 year old man who has never experienced clinical mental problems but it still trying to write about them. (You probably just thought of a book that just fit that description.) This book is so relate-able.  it's scary. Even though it is set in the 90's it is still relevant today, considering I could relate to how Charlie felt easily. Even if I hadn't gone through the same experiences as Charlie, the way Chbosky describes Charlie's feelings and experiences makes me feel as if I'm going through exactly what Charlie is going through. This book has a huge plot twist at the end (Which of course you have to read to find out what it is), as well as other events that made me upset, but also made me smile with joy. Charlie is the most profound and eloquent teenager I have ever read about, and there are ideas in this book that are so true they should be taught in schools. I give this book a 10/10 because I love it that much. It's easily one of my favorites. If you want to be a writer or just want to read a great story I definitely  recommend you read this book.

                   Thanks for reading another one of my reviews, I will see you in the next one.

Booktubeathon TBR!

Hey Guys! Booktubeathon is this week and I posted my TBR on my main channel if you guys are interested. Booktubeathon is a really fun marthon week of reading and its like one big reading party. Definatley something you should check  out if you are interested.

Orange is the New Black
Piper Kerman




                             Orange is the new black is a true memoir about Piper Kerman, a woman who carried a suitcase full of drug money in her youth and is sentenced to 15 months in prison for it 10 years later. It has a popular T.V show based on the book, however it is loosely based, considering the show is a comedy full of lesbian sex. (Which believe it or not, that's not actually what a woman's prison is like.)


                              I found the book very insightful to the American penal system and how unhelpful to the prisoner it actually is. There are is no help on reentry, and the punishment really doesn't teach anyone the consequences of thier actions. All the women Piper meets are unique in their own ways. Some make you cry when they leave, and others just make you laugh. The book really shows how female bonding is the only way any of these women survive the hardships of prison. (i'm not sympathizing with prisoners, they are there for a reason.)

                      The book is a bit slow and hard to get through at times, but other than that the book is a very insightful story. Overall I give it a 7/10, which is pretty good considering I am not a big nonfiction fan.

                    Thank you for reading another one of my reviews and I will see you soon with another.

Bleed (8/10)

Bleed
Dax Varley


                  I was given this book for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is also one of my books that counts for Booktuber-a-thon, happening this week.

                Bleed is a story about a girl named Miranda who bleeds from her palms uncontrollably, a curse she's had since she was nine. When he family is involved in a scandal, she moves to Huston, Texas and starts going to a school nicknamed "Suicide High", due to the mass amount of unexplainable suicides in the past year. Miranda meets Jake, a cute guy with physic abilities. When Jake and Miranda realize that the suicides are being caused by a higher force of evil, they team up with other kids who have strange powers do bring peace back to their school.


              This book is a great YA read, with supernatural elements and a huge plot twist at the end that one can't possibly see coming. It has romance in it, which even gets a little hot and heavy at points, as well as a lot of cursing, so younger readers be warned. Overall I completely enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone. My only complaint is that Varley's writing style is a bit unrealistic. The characters sometimes say things that real teenagers wouldn't actually say and it makes the scenes cheesy. However I would still give this book an 8/10 because of the way it captivates readers and successfully blends humor and horror.

             This book will be released on September 1st, 2015, and will be available wherever books are sold, as well as on mobile platforms.

            Thank you very much to Dax Varley as well as Garden Gate Press for choosing me to send a review copy too. Also thank you very much for reading another one of my reviews, and I will be back with more reviews in the future. Adios!

Unbroken (7/10)

Unbroken
Laura Hillenbrand

          I had to take a picture of the book cover from the internet since I returned the book back to the library before writing this review. Any who, lets get started.

           Unbroken is a true story that takes place during World War 2 and is written by Laura Hillenbrand, the author of Seabiscuit, ( I have personally not read Seabiscuit but it is mentioned in big letters on the cover so I assume it is a popular read.) tells the true story of Louis Zamperini, an air bombardier in World War 2 whose plane crashed over the Pacific ocean while on a rescue mission. From there he goes on a 3-4 year odyssey to try to get back to his home and his family.


                  *This part of the review has some minor spoilers, so if you absolutely want to have no idea what happens in the book, you might want to skip this next paragraph*

          Louis goes through hell and back to try to get back to his family, and some of it is hard to take it. Whenever we learn about WWII in school, they always focus on the horrors of the holocaust and how horrible america was to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. I used to think that the bomb was a dumb and stupid way to end the war, but after reading this book it honestly seems like it was the only way. Nobody ever talks about the horrors of Japanese POW camps and how they didn't comply with the Geneva Convention or the rules set in place by the Red Cross. Louis is beaten daily, starved, and horribly sick. And how he survives years in a hellhole like this seems

like a miracle. I remember reading how an officer violated (yes, its exactly what you're thinking) a cute little duck simply because it brought joy to the POW's. I had to put the book down and stare out the window of my car for a little bit before i could open the book and continue reading. Even after the war ends and Louis is set free, he struggles with PTSD which really takes a toll on him and his loved ones, and it takes awhile before he can truly feel peace.


                This book is powerful and really gives a respect for our soldiers and all they really go through to fight for our country. i could go on about the lack of respect for veterans, but I'll keep this to a review of the book. I'd give this book a 7/10 because while the story is inspiring and heartfelt, the writing could have been better. Hillenbrand tended to jump around in the plot which I found confusing, and she also spent a little too much time describing things in great detail. I've never been a fan of combat books or anything to do with technical things such as the inner workings of an airplane, so I really had to force myself to trudge through this book at times. Overall I would reccommed this book for mature audiences only, because it is slightly graphic and may be hard to read, especially if you are younger. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my review and I will be back with another soon. Ciao!

Ali's Pretty Little Lies
Sara Shepard




Ali's pretty little lies is the last book in the pretty little liars series, (a riveting series until you figure out who Ali's real killer is, then its just a tedious and repetitive plot line that is made up of throwing love interests at the main characters and other unnecessary developments.) Written by Sara Shepard, the author of two NYT bestselling series, this book follows Courtney DiLaurentis, and her last month of life, and serves as a prequel to the entire series. Courtney is the twin sister of Allison, the it girl of Rosewood Day and the girl who pushed and pushed Courtney to pretend to be her, threatening that she would hurt her if Courtney did not obey. Whenever Courtney tried to tell her parents, Allison would always remain calm and talk her way out of the situation. After Courtney snaps and almost strangles her sister, she is diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and is sent away to a mental hospital, which is exactly what her evil sister wanted. Now years later, Courtney switches places with her sister and gets her sent off to a mental hospital while she gets to live the rest of Allison's life. The only problem? Allison wants revenge. and Courtney's lies start to build up.

This book is in my opinion one of the better ones since the first four, and really digs deep into the desperation of a young girl who just wants to be loved and to be free. It also deals with jealousy and revenge, secrets and scandals, all things that make up a good YA fiction book. While the characters are all rich and pretentious, it makes up for it with the amount of dirt going on behind closed doors. Overall this book specifically deserve an 8/10. While the entire series is a different story. It's a good read if you enjoy thrillers and scandals.

Thanks  for checking out my first review! I'll be back with more in the future. Au Revoir!