Category: Five Star Reads

When Tragedy Becomes Incredibly Important: Violent Ends by Shaun David Hutchinson | ARC Review

Posted September 14, 2015 in Five Star Reads, Reviews / 4 Comments
When Tragedy Becomes Incredibly Important: Violent Ends by Shaun David Hutchinson | ARC Review

My Review When I was at ALA this summer, I was pitched this book by an editor at Simon & Schuster when I asked specifically for heavier contemporary recommendations. The editor had worked on the collection himself and was SO excited about it, and it’s one of those instances in which I’m seriously glad that I asked for recommendations because it may not have been a title I would have picked up myself. I’m so glad that I spoke with that editor at ALA because this book is so intense and so bold in what it does: it doesn’t essentialize […]


The Wrong Side of Right by Jenn Marie Thorne- My New Favorite Contemporary Novel

Posted April 14, 2015 in Books, Five Star Reads, Reviews / 16 Comments
The Wrong Side of Right by Jenn Marie Thorne- My New Favorite Contemporary Novel

  “It’s amazing how much one person can change the world, even if they don’t know they’re doing it.” This is the BEST contemporary YA novel I’ve read so far in 2015! I don’t say this lightly. I requested this book on a whim from my library when I saw this novel was being compared to The Princess Diaries (and you all know what a weakness I have for Meg Cabot). The novel follows a teenage girl, Kate, who finds out her absentee dad is a senator, specifically a senator who is running for president. Kate is thrust into the […]


Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas | A Review of Redemption

Posted March 25, 2015 in Books, Five Star Reads, Reviews / 20 Comments
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas | A Review of Redemption

  “Then Celaena and the King of Adarlan smiled at each other, and it was the most terrifying thing Dorian had ever seen.” I’ll admit, I was a skeptic. Going in, I was NOT expecting this to be a five star, or even a four star read. I was really underwhelmed by Throne of Glass, and I felt like a total outlier because of it. Everyone raved about the series, so when I was at the bookstore the other day looking for a new paperback, I decided to give the series another shot. And I am SO glad I did, […]


The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski | Review

Posted March 19, 2015 in Books, Five Star Reads, Reviews / 27 Comments
The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski | Review

  “People in brightly lit places cannot see into the dark.” How did I not read this book sooner? Sure I’d heard about it enough. I just went about my business, thinking this was nothing more than the usual and currently popular fantasy/dystopian YA love story. I am so delighted to have been proven wrong. I loved everything about this book, from the plot to the characters to the beautiful writing to the Greco-Roman inspired society. I don’t think I’ve been so passionate about a book since I finished Trial By Fire in January. The Winner’s Curse is the book […]


5 Reasons Why Fairest is Everything a Novella Should Be

Posted March 2, 2015 in Books, Five Star Reads, Reviews / 14 Comments
5 Reasons Why Fairest is Everything a Novella Should Be

It’s no secret that The Lunar Chronicles is a fan favorite for most YA fans. After the perfection that is Cress, I could hardly contain my despair at having to wait for Winter’s release date. When Marissa Meyer (who is a literary goddess, I mean, she’s influenced by fairy tales AND Sailor Moon) announced that there would be a novella chronicling Levana’s backstory, I knew it would be fabulous. However, even I underestimated how #flawless it would be. Below are 5 reasons why Fairest is the standard to which I will forever hold all YA novellas up against. Villainous Characters […]


Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell- Review

Posted January 22, 2015 in Books, Five Star Reads, Reviews / 25 Comments
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell- Review

  “…you look like a protagonist…You look like the person who wins in the end.” Eleanor & Park was the last Rainbow Rowell book I had left to read. I had devoured and loved all of her other novels, yet Eleanor & Park was the most hyped of her works, and with hype always comes the potential for disappointment. I decided to take the plunge and read it after picking up a signed and special edition copy as well as seeing it featured as the January 2015 book of the month at She Reads A Lot. I was 110% not […]


Flailing Everywhere Over Trial By Fire by Josephine Angelini- A Raving Review

Posted January 19, 2015 in Books, Five Star Reads, Reviews / 15 Comments
Flailing Everywhere Over Trial By Fire by Josephine Angelini- A Raving Review

  “A crucible’s craving is her mechanic’s mandate.” I usually write very calm, analytical reviews. In fact, I pride myself on it. I like being able to look back on my reviews and have a clear and coherent message as to my thoughts on a book. However, much of that I fear is going to go out the window with this review because I cannot stop flailing over how much I loved this book. It’s only the second book I’ve picked up so far in 2015 but it’s already become my first five star read of the year! Reading this […]


Don’t Look Back by Jennifer L. Arementrout | Review

Posted October 29, 2014 in Books, Five Star Reads, Reviews / 8 Comments
Don’t Look Back by Jennifer L. Arementrout | Review

I could do nothing else while I read this book. I carried it with me in the car, to meals, to the gym, read it while waiting at the DMV, neglected getting enough sleep to continue it, and finally finished it less than 24 hours later. It was the epitome of a can’t-put-down-until-you-know-the-ending (semi) psychological thriller. I’ll be honest- this was the first novel I’ve read by Arementrout that wasn’t part of her Lux series, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was a completely different type of YA novel, a stand alone, and a different publisher (her Lux […]


The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin-Review

Posted September 4, 2014 in Books, Five Star Reads, Reviews / 3 Comments
The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin-Review

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin My rating: 5/5 Stars! Publisher: Simon & Schuster (2012) Length: 527 pgs Series: Mara Dyer Trilogy, #2 Format: Paperback, purchased from Amazon Goodreads Synopsis: Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past. She can’t. She used to think her problems were all in her head. They aren’t. She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets. She’s wrong. In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer […]


Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas- Review

Posted July 22, 2014 in Books, Five Star Reads, Reviews / 11 Comments
Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas- Review

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas My rating: 5/5 Stars! Publisher: Simon Pulse (2013) Length: 400 pgs Format: Paperback, purchased from Amazon Goodreads Synopsis: It’s Spring Break of senior year. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and a few other close friends are off to a debaucherous trip to Aruba that promises to be the time of their lives. But when Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna finds herself trapped in a country not her own, fighting against vile and contemptuous accusations. As Anna sets out to find her friend’s killer; she discovers hard truths about her friendships, the […]