Autoboyography - Book Review

Autoboyography by Christina Lauren

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Description from the Author

Goodreads Choice Nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction 2017

Audible Best of the Year Finalist 2017

ALA Rainbow List Finalist

30th Annual Lambda Literary Award Finalist 

Vulture Best Queer YA Novels

Fangirl meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda in this funny and poignant coming-of-age novel from New York Times bestselling author Christina Lauren about two boys who fall in love in a writing class—one from a progressive family and the other from a conservative religious community.

Three years ago, Tanner Scott’s family relocated from California to Utah, a move that nudged the bisexual teen temporarily back into the closet. Now, with one semester of high school to go, and no obstacles between him and out-of-state college freedom, Tanner plans to coast through his remaining classes and clear out of Utah.

But when his best friend Autumn dares him to take Provo High’s prestigious Seminar—where honor roll students diligently toil to draft a book in a semester—Tanner can’t resist going against his better judgment and having a go, if only to prove to Autumn how silly the whole thing is. Writing a book in four months sounds simple. Four months is an eternity.

It turns out, Tanner is only partly right: four months is a long time. After all, it takes only one second for him to notice Sebastian Brother, the Mormon prodigy who sold his own Seminar novel the year before and who now mentors the class. And it takes less than a month for Tanner to fall completely in love with him.

My Review
Page Count: 407 pgs/9 hrs., 19 mins. 
Narrator: Deacon Lee, Kyle Mason
Genre: YA Comtemporary, LGBTQ, Romance
Stand-Alone Novel

I listened to the audio book. The narrators were excellent. 

I really loved this book. I noticed on Goodreads that some people said that there were some issues with the writing, but I found the story line so endearing that those issues didn't bother me. This book made me feel so many things, that it is hard to process them all at once. I definitely think that this is a book that will stick with me for a long time. 

This book touches on very important issues pertaining to the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS/Mormon) and homosexuality. One of the protagonists has to come to terms with his sexuality while he tries to reconcile how he feels with the Church's teachings that he has believed for his entire upbringing. 

Tanner and Autumn's friendship is wonderful. She is part of the LDS church, but she accepts Tanner completely. They have a sweet, easy way about them, and their friendship perseveres despite some of the conflicts that arise. 

Tanner's parents are WONDERFUL. They accept him and love him unconditionally, and treat him like a person, not a project to be fixed. It was so nice to read about happy family dynamics. 

Overall, I highly recommend this book. It took me through a roller coaster of emotions, and I feel like I learned a few lessons along the way. Go check it out!

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Ace of Shades

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Description from the Publisher

Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets…and secrets hide in every shadow

Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.

Frightened and alone, Enne has only one lead: the name Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn’t have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne’s offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems. 

Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless Mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi’s enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city…

And she’ll need to play.

My Review

Page Count: 411 pgs; 12.2 hours

Genre: YA Fantasy

Series: The Shadow Game

CW: Violence, Pedophilia (viewed as abhorrent in the story) 

I read most of this book by listening to the audio book. The narrator is Saskia Maarleveld. I found the narrator to be very enjoyable to listen to, and it was easy to differentiate the characters. 

Amanda Foody's writing style is very descriptive and easy to follow. She made the city of New Reynes come alive because the history and atmosphere are so rich. She also includes excellent context clues for idioms and phrases from New Reynes, so it is easy to figure out what the characters mean. The world building in this novel is excellent. 

The magic system in this book is unique. Each person is gifted with two talents based on their family names (one from each parent). The talents are varied, from dancing to aura reading to counting/arithmetic. It was interesting to learn about which talents are associated with which family as well as how the family are cast in the class system. 

The character development in this novel is excellent. The characters are very realistic with very human flaws. Enne, the protagonist, grows a lot as a character throughout the novel. Levi is not the typical "bad boy," but he does toe the moral line at times. I love that Amanda Foody wrote Levi as a man that can be manly but also fragile and sensitive. Vianca was also an interesting character. As the dom of a crime family, I expected her to be completely ruthless and cliche, but she was more subtle with her ruthless role, especially combined with her talent. 

Overall I really enjoyed this book. Some facts of the story could have been a bit more fleshed out, but this was a very minor issue for me because I loved the story so much. It ended on a wonderful cliffhanger, and I cannot wait to read the next book, King of Fools!

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We Are Okay

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Description from the Publisher

You go through life thinking there’s so much you need. . . . Until you leave with only your phone, your wallet, and a picture of your mother. Marin hasn’t spoken to anyone from her old life since the day she left everything behind. No one knows the truth about those final weeks. Not even her best friend Mabel. But even thousands of miles away from the California coast, at college in New York, Marin still feels the pull of the life and tragedy she’s tried to outrun. Now, months later, alone in an emptied dorm for winter break, Marin waits. Mabel is coming to visit and Marin will be forced to face everything that’s been left unsaid and finally confront the loneliness that has made a home in her heart. 

An intimate whisper that packs an indelible punch, We Are Okay is Nina LaCour at her finest. This gorgeously crafted and achingly honest portrayal of grief will leave you urgent to reach across any distance to reconnect with the people you love.

My Review
I LOVED this book! Reading We Are Okay feels like you are experiencing a depressive episode just like the protagonist, Marin. This book isn't so much plot-driven as it is character-driven. The focus is on Marin and her journey of processing the death of someone close to her and finding out the truth. Meanwhile, she is working through repairing a damaged relationship with her best friend, Mabel. 

The Good: 

• I loved how this book switched between past and present. It allowed Marin's story to reveal itself slowly and gives readers a little bit of breathing room. 
• The accuracy of depression. Nina LaCour's writing allows readers to experience the heavy, hopelessness that is depression. Her prose is beautiful. 
• The issues in this novel were addressed wonderfully. Issues include depression, mental illness, grief, friendship, family, first love, bisexuality, homelessness, loneliness, lack of belonging, and growing up. 
• Marin's character development. Because this was a character-driven novel, we really get to see Marin grow through her thoughts and actions. 
• I ugly sobbed throughout this book. The story was so incredibly touching. 
• I related to Marin's depression. Readers who have experienced a loss of a loved one will find solace in this book. 
• Because this book dealt with loss, it made me remember good memories of my father and grandmother. Their deaths were so traumatic for me, and it was nice to be reminded of why I love them so much. 
• Marin really connected her self to Jane Eyre, one of my favorite classic novels. 
• This book has my heart. 
• This book shows that while depression feels like it is never going to end, there is hope, and we will be okay. 

The Not-So-Good:

• While this book is meant to mirror depression and it's ups and downs, the book did feel a bit slow in the middle. 

“I was okay just a moment ago. I will learn how to be okay again.” 

“The trouble with denial is that when the truth comes, you aren't ready.” 

“I wonder if there's a secret current that connects people who have lost something. Not in the way that everyone loses something, but in the way that undoes your life, undoes your self, so that when you look at your face it isn't yours anymore.” 

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The Dream Thieves

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Description from the Publisher

The second installment in the all-new series from the masterful, #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater! Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after...

My Review

I liked this book a lot more than The Raven Boys. In The Dream Thieves, we get to learn more about the characters, particularly Ronan, and we get to see where the story is going. I cared a lot more about the characters in this book, and I flew through it because I wanted to see what happened next. I honestly fell in love with Ronan because of this book. He is a complex character who tries to do what he thinks is right. I also enjoyed the addition of a few new characters, including The Grey Man. 

Oh my God, THAT ENDING! Can you say cliffhanger?! I am so glad that I purchased the entire series before I started reading them. I am jumping right into Blue Lily, Lily Blue! 

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The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Description from the Publisher

Now a Major Motion Picture
TODAY Book Club pick
TIME magazine’s #1 Fiction Book of 2012

“The greatest romance story of this decade.” —Entertainment Weekly

-Millions of copies sold-

#1 New York Times Bestseller
#1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller
#1 USA Today Bestseller
#1 International Bestseller
#1 Indie Bestseller

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning-author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

My Review

This is my second time reading this book, and I still love it. I chose this book because I have read John Green’s other works more recently, so I wanted to refresh my memory on this novel. John Green’s writing style is easy to follow and draws you in from the beginning. His character development in this book is really well done, especially the development of Hazel and Augustus. The protagonists are realistic, witty, and smart. They don’t pity themselves, and treat each other like human beings. They also make mistakes and have flaws. Hazel is an excellent narrator, and this book is laugh-out-loud funny. The Fault in Our Stars gives readers a realistic glimpse into the everyday lives of teens with cancer and shows the realities of the ups and downs that go with it. This is a beautiful, heartbreaking, wonderful book.

Because of the heavy themes in this book, I would recommend it for eighth grade and up.

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