26 Kisses by Anna Michels
Published by Simon Pulse on May 24, 2016

26 Kisses by Anna Michels sounded like such a fun read. A heartsick girl who wants to make a change and decides to spend the summer before her senior year kissing her way through the alphabet. Unfortunately, the way Veda went about her task left a trail of hurt feelings and upset people in her wake. What could have been a sweet coming of age tale was instead the story of Veda hurting friends and family on her quest.

The plot of 26 Kisses had promise and some great moments. However, the path the main character took to get what she wanted left a lot to be desired. The writing of Anna Michels was good. She was able to make me understand the feelings of Veda and how she felt during the summer. Emotions are hard to express in writing and she did it well. The pacing had some issues. At times weeks would pass then only a day, it wasn’t consistent in the telling. The world created was very well done. Nice and detailed I had a great visual of the locations and where the action was happening. There were a lot of emotions in the book, but not all of them good. Veda had a way of only seeing what she wanted and not caring about the people around her and that led to some seriously negative feelings. The characters were okay, not awful but not great. Veda was weak and followed the lead of her best friend, Mel, almost without question. The sweet boy Killian was my favorite character and he was so good that he tempered a lot of my negative feelings.

26 Kisses had a lot of potential. Decent plot line, dreamy guy, cute goal for the main character. Unfortunately, it did not deliver. I particularly disliked the fact that Veda was called a slut after kissing like three guys. That type of shaming should not have been included as it turned the story into something distasteful. Also the way Veda went about some of the kisses is “cute” for a girl to do, but would be sexual assault if a boy did it. Anna Michels had some great moments and I wish they would have carried throughout the book. This was a read with some great promise that just wasn’t able to meld all of the pieces together.

I received this book for free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Faerie by Eisha Marjara
Published by Arsenal Pulp Press on June 7, 2016

Faerie by Eisha Marjara could have been a powerful read. Dealing with an anorexic teen girl, Lila, and her desire to die before her eighteenth birthday should have made me an emotional wreck. Instead, I was annoyed with Lila’s whiny self-indulgence and the people around her perpetuating her disease. Lila is a patient at a hospital where they are attempting to help her overcome her eating disorder. Badly in my opinion. Never searching her room for hidden food yet wondering why she is not gaining weight. When another patient comes in and befriends Lila, they find solace and comfort in each other.

The plot of Faerie had such potential, however it never reached it as it did not focus on recovery, rather it focused on continued destruction. The writing of Eisha Marjara was good, she was able to detail a very real world in the hospital and in the emotions of Lila. Since the hospital was the only real location we saw, the world building was successful in incorporating it. The pacing was also a little off. Time would jump in uneven increments, so at times it was hard to determine just when we were at. This should have been a sob-fest with the subject matter, however I was never emotionally invested in the characters. The characters were very flat to me. All of the adults were useless and clueless and the teens were full of angst and self-pity. There was no one that I could attach to and it made for a trying read.

Faerie was not a bad read. I just expected more from the deep subject matter. Eisha Marjara was able to craft some very good scenes, they just did not contain the depth I was looking for. I may have a bias for certain storylines, as I believe they should be taken very seriously and used to teach a lesson and not just entertain. This to me was not a success as the lesson was not there.

I received this book for free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey is touted as a comic look at social justice warriors. True environmentalists that strive to bring the land back to its natural state. Um, no. That is not at all the book I read. What I read was a book steeped in misogyny, homophobia, stereotyping and stupidity. From the derision of Native Americans, to showing the only Mormon member of the group as a polygamist, this book played everyone as a buffoon.

The plot was a grand look at what a bored drunk man will concoct when he gives no thought to others. George is painted as a lover of the natural state who is upset by the creeping industrialism on the desert he calls home. He decides that action must be taken, extreme action. Because blowing up bridges is cool but littering is just fine – “Of course I litter the public highway. Every chance I get. After all, it’s not the beer cans that are ugly; it’s the highway that is ugly.”  The writing was a mishmash of clichés and was difficult to read at times due to the constant changing of tone and pace. The world built was also difficult to navigate as locations moved frequently and at times I was unsure what state they were even in. The emotions and the characters were also all over the place. Everyone but the “gang” was painted as ignorant and useless and it became quite grating.

Some books get better with age and become classics. The Monkey Wrench Gang is not one of those books. It was a draining experience to read it and I cannot understand why it is considered by many to be so good. It has a 4.3 star rating on Amazon but I cannot fathom how. An example of the comedic showcases, to me, what was once thought great, but I just see it as super lowbrow.

“All this violence,” Doc said. “We are a law-abiding people.” “What’s more American than violence?” Hayduke wanted to know. “Violence, it’s as American as pizza pie.” “Chop suey,” said Bonnie. “Chile con carne.” “Bagels and lox.”

As for the connection to Utah, I did not really see it as an overall. Utah was not mentioned until 60% into the book and then as more of a joke (see the polygamist). Sadly my home state of Arizona fielded most of the action with New Mexico coming in second and Utah as third. The Glen Canyon Dam, the featured target, is also in Arizona not Utah, so again, I have to wonder if the EW staff read the books before placing them in the states.

The five players are Dr. and Mrs. Sarvis, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and their communal probation officer, a young fellow named Greenspan, who is a relative newcomer to the state of Utah. (Newcomers are always welcome in the Beehive State but are advised to set their watches back fifty years when entering.)

100 Days of Cake by Shari Goldhagen
Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers on May 17, 2016

I have read one of Shari Goldhagen’s previous books, In Some Other World Maybe,  and have her other, Family and Other Accidents, but have not gotten to it yet. I really liked the one I read and I was excited to see that she was coming out with her first YA, 100 Days of Cake. I was not sure what to expect from a story about a depressed teen girl who pretty much only leaves the house for therapy and to work in a fish store. I was afraid it would minimize her mental illness or make it a plot point, but not real. I was very happy while I was reading to discover that Goldhagen treated Molly with dignity and showcased her as real and did not use her depression as a way for a boy to fix her (as I have seen in some other YA reads).

I liked the plot of 100 Days of Cake. It was unique and really showcased what someone living with depression feels like. There was one plotline with Molly and her therapist that I did not care for, as it just seemed unnecessary to me and I felt like it threw off the heart of the story, but it was a minor dislike. Shari Goldhagen’s writing was on point. Full of unexpected depth and subtle and not so subtle humor, it was fun reading. The pacing has a few minor jumps that were not fully fleshed out, but it was not enough to hamper my enjoyment of the story as a whole. The world created was nice and detailed. Set in just a few locations, each was presented well and made sense in the story. There were plenty of emotions in this read. I particularity enjoyed the interplay of Molly and her sister as they were able to really pull the feelings into a scene. I enjoyed most of the characters. Molly and sister were great and their mom, while not a major player in the book as a whole, had some amazing moments and her quest to bake 100 cakes in 100 days fed into the entire story. I did not care for one character in particular as I found him morally gross, but that is just me

I enjoyed 100 Days of Cake. Shari Goldhagen presented depression in a realistic light. Molly was never fixed or cured, she continued in therapy right up to the end of the book and I loved that. I applaud Goldhagen for her way of treating the mental illness in this book, as it is not a fast fix issue and people do not just get over it. It was nice to see Molly treated as a realistic person with real issues. Now there were a few things I didn’t love as much, but as a whole this was a great read. I hope Goldhagen continues to write with such a true voice and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

I received this book for free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye
Published by Balzer + Bray on May 17, 2016

I have heard some amazing things about Evelyn Skye’s debut The Crown’s Game for months. I was so excited when it finally came up on my “read this week” list that I bumped all the others down a spot. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into and hoped I would enjoy the read. I am happy to say that the story was engrossing and unexpected in such a great way. Twenty years ago the Royal Enchanter of Russia died. His power went back into the land awaiting the next to be born who can wield it. Two are born, Vika and Nikolai. They each are able to wield half of the power. But two half powered enchanters are not what will protect the land, so the Crown’s Game is ordered. Two enchanters, five turns each to impress the Tsar and attempt to kill the other. At the end, only one can live.

The plot of The Crown’s Game was unique and had more depth than I expected. There was the standard YA love triangle that was meh, and a subplot of someone returning after a long time that I found tedious and unnecessary till the very end, but as a whole the story worked very well. Pitting two magical teens to the death is not a writing feat to take lightly and Evelyn Skye did it very well. She was able to write with emotion and clarity that I found refreshing. The pacing had a few weak spots in the build-up to the games, but as a whole was extremely successful. The world created was vivid and bright. I could picture the locations and see the streets they walked on. I was very impressed with the detail given to even the smallest of things, such as a rat. Hoo boy, the emotions ran high in this one. From fear and rage to love and hatred every emotion was presented with a reason and with a purpose. The characters were mostly great. I loved Vika and Nikolai. Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and the heir to the throne was endearing and engaging, but his sister, Yuliana was more annoying than anything. I really loved the mentors to each of the enchanters, they knew what they were getting into with their charges but they still loved and cared for them and tried to provide the best lives they could to them.

I was impressed by The Crown’s Game as a whole. I kept thinking I knew where the story was going and then I would be completely blindsided by a revelation. The end, oh lord the end, was not at all what I thought would happen. I also appreciated Evelyn Skye as she did not take the easy way out in her story telling and that made the read so much more than average. I am always surprised when an author makes something happen that you never thought would, but yet it is exactly what needed to happen. I cannot wait until book two comes out, as I need to know what happens next.

I received this book for free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Stirred by Tracy Ewens
Series: A Love Story #5
Published by Tracy Ewens on May 10, 2016

There is just something about Tracy Ewens’ books that I enjoy. Smart, sharp romances with intelligent females and good guys. There is no posturing, no reforming a bad boy, just two people on a path to each other. Stirred is the story of Sage a mixologist and Garrett, who runs his big family farm. He puts work first, family second and his love life last. Sage has loved him quietly for almost two years and has given up on him ever getting his crap together. She embarks on a self-help book’s plan to open up and embrace her inner naughty girl. Garrett has taken care of his family since his mother left him and his two younger siblings and doesn’t have time for dating or romance. But suddenly, Sage is breaking through his barriers and he just might want a little more than friendship.

The plot of Stirred was great. A love story with a lot of heart, some steam and some people who really deserve happiness. I have always enjoyed the writing of Tracy Ewens. She is able to craft smart women who know what they want and are willing to go after it. She has a way of writing to the emotions of a story and letting that be her guide. The pacing did have a few small bumps where a larger than expected period of time passed, but the story would quickly take over and it did not hamper my enjoyment at all. The world built for the main story was minimal. This is the fifth book in the series and all of the players and places have already been structured. However, there was build up to, what I believe, will be the next group of people that will be featured in the series. I felt that some of that transition was clunky and interfered with the main story, but it does make me wonder what will happen next. There were plenty of emotions in this read. It was nice to see a male character struggle with his feelings and not just be a macho man. The characters are where Ewens shines. Full of life and attitude, I loved Sage and found her to be a refreshing lead. Garrett was a sexy farmer with a hardened heart, so of course I had to love him.

Tracy Ewens’ A Love Story series is one I will happily continue to read. Fun and fast, they are a welcome break from some of the more serious books I read. Now, don’t take that as a bad thing, because it is not at all. Sometimes we just need a book that will make us happy and Stirred is one of those. I was unsure of where the series would arc after this book, as everyone featured in the world has been paired, but I am pretty sure I see where the next three books will go. If there are another three in the A Love Story series I happily say, sign me up.

I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Mirror Thief by Martin Seay
Published by Melville House on May 10, 2016

The Mirror Thief by Martin Seay was an impressive melding of three very different stories into one. Starting at the Venetian casino in Las Vegas in 2003, Curtis is seeking a man named Stanley who owes a gambling debt. Tracking him through the city, Curtis comes upon a book. The book is Stanley’s favorite and as he is told the story of how Stanley found it we are taken back to Venice Beach in 1958. Stanley is a runaway teen living in a squat and seeking out a poet who wrote the book he holds dear. As he finds the author he is then told the tale of the writing and we sink into Venice Italy in 1592. There a man named Crivano is seeking a way out with his new mirror technology.

The Mirror Thief had quite the plot. It wrapped three stories in three distinct times together in a way that made total sense while reading it. I must say, I did enjoy the first story with Curtis in Las Vegas and the third story of Crivano in Italy the best but understand why the middle portion was needed. The writing of Martin Seay was impressive. It takes a true wordsmith to be able to combine such different time frames, locations and characters and it was done well in the book. The pacing did create some confusion for me, particularly in Stanly’s story arc. I had a bit of trouble keeping up with his actions and when they were happening. The world built was massive and had a feeling of being a sketch rather than a fully realized drawing. It actually worked well for this story as if too much detail had been added it would have been a 1,000 page plus read. There were some emotions in the writing, however I felt that the actions of the characters were prominent and not how they felt about what they were doing. The characters were a large and diverse cast including card counters, security, beatnik poets, hipsters, and Italian whores. They should not all work together but they actually do.

The Mirror Thief is quite an undertaking of a book. Martin Seay crafted a set of stories that do not seem as if they will fit together, but somehow they do and it all makes sense. I really enjoyed the ride I was taken on with this read and can see why it has already gotten such great buzz. This was Seay’s debut and he is one to watch. I can only imagine what will come next.

I received this book for free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Immortal Crown by Kieth Merrill
Published by Shadow Mountain on May 3, 2016

Why, oh why do I keep requesting sweeping epics? I know I will be confused, I know I will hate all of the description used but yet I still persist in wanting to read them. The Immortal Crown by Kieth Merrill is a true grand tale. Full of intrigue, hidden identities, plotting and magic, it covers all of the necessary bases. So was I confused? Yup. Did I like it? Yup? Will I read the next while cursing the fact that again I picked a super complicated book? Yup.

The plot of The Immortal Crown was an immense conglomeration of people, places and things. Essentially there are three main plots circling around the central idea. There is a prophecy of an immortal king rising to power in the land of Kandelarr. The king will be the child on no man and there are three options offered up. Drakkor a dark warrior, Ashar a young man in training to be a religious leader and Qhuin a slave with no past. The writing of Kieth Merrill matched the epicness of the story. Nuanced and deep, I really enjoyed it. The pacing did have some issues where there were large time jumps and it took me a bit to catch up, but it did not hamper my enjoyment. The world built was massive. There was a grand scale of locations and so much detail. I was a little bogged down with the details as I always find epics to be a bit too heavy-handed but it still worked for me. There were a plethora of emotions in this read. Deceit, longing, loss and hope abounded. There were many many characters. I was confused by who some people were and where they fit in, but once I found Qhuin’s story line I had my point of reference for everyone else.

Kieth Merrill crafted an immense world in The Immortal Crown that really did suck me in. Once I got down the three main factions I was able to navigate the story a little better than when I started. In particular, the story arc of the slave Qhuin was fantastic. I could read an entire book just on him and his journey (hint, hint). I will continue to read the Saga of Kings series knowing I will be confused and frustrated, but also knowing that I will enjoy the entire ride.

I received this book for free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Congratulations On Everything by Nathan Whitlock
Published by ECW Press on May 1, 2016

Congratulations on Everythingby Nathan Whitlock is a read I saw similar to an updated Cheers. A bar, the Ice Shack, is the heart of the story and those who work and drink in it are featured. The tale focused on Jeremy the bar’s good guy owner and Charlene one of the waitresses with an army of side characters filling in the gaps. While touted as humorous, the book seemed more of a cautionary tale to me, of what happens when you fill your sense of self with a thing or an idea and not with people.

The plot of Congratulations on Everything is interesting but not deep. A bar owner who wants to prove that he is a good guy at the heart of everything. The writing of Nathan Whitlock was good, but he tended to ramble a bit in his narrations and I would get lost sometimes in the dense barrage. The pacing had some issues as time sometimes skipped forward when it felt like the section before had not been finished. The world built was sparse but worked. Almost the entire book revolved around the bar, so that was the only thing that really needed to be showcased. This was not an emotion heavy book. The characters created their own issues and while I could feel for them, I never felt with them. Charlene as a secondary min character never clicked with me, and I think if Jeremy had been the primary focus I would have enjoyed it more.

While Congratulations on Everything is categorized as a dark humor book on Amazon and in the synopsis it states that it is a dark and comic novel, I found Nathan Whitlock’s tale to be more sad than funny. Jeremy is a character that I sympathized with and understood, however he was at the root of all of his own issues. His need to be seen as successful and a good ole boy hampered everything he did. I understand that was the heart of the message, but I just can’t click with a read where there is no attempt at character growth. I did enjoy a good portion of Whitlock’s writing, I just think the subject matter hampered my enthusiasm.

I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Girls on Fire by Robin Wasserman
Published by Harper on May 17, 2016

Oh dear god yes. This book brought back all of the angst of high school, toxic friendships, lies compounding lies, a social stratus that defines all and so much more. Girls on Fire by Robin Wasserman is a book about teenagers that is not a YA in the best way. Dark and even sinister at points, it shows how deeply a person will go when they are truly obsessed with another.

The plot of Girls on Fire reminded me of the best of the dark parts of Heathers andJawbreaker with a smattering of Mean Girls thrown in. Hannah gets so wrapped up in the friendship of Lacey that she will literally change everything about her self including her name and the downward spiral is a delight in an almost perverse way. Robin Wasserman wrote a tale of friendship that surpasses the ordinary. She had a lyrical way of phrasing that made even the awful parts intriguing. The pacing had a few issues where I felt it jumped too much but it was quickly brought back down and did not detract from the read as a whole. The world built was rich and I got a great image of each of the scenes. There were plenty of emotions  in the book, most of them very deep. This was such a nuanced ride, that even some of the scenery played a role. I loved the two main characters. They were each attempting to alter themselves in different ways and relied on the other to make them whole. I did not care for any of the parents, and one plot line with Hannah’s father was really not necessary and did detract from some of the overall story.

Girls on Fire by Robin Wasserman brought me back to my teen years where I had a friend very similar to Lacey. She ran the show and we were all her puppets; dressing like her, listening to the same bands, ganging up on whoever she declared not cool for the week. I read this book and it made me anxious and uncomfortable and I loved that. I always enjoy a book that takes me so out of my comfort zone and this one did it in a way that I really enjoyed.

I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Oh look at how pretty that cover is. And the synopsis, a bad boy returns and turns the summer of a girl upside down. So dreamy, it has to be good. Right? It should be amazing, please be amazing. I have so much hope… But sadly no, The Last Time We Were Us was a mashup of some of the worst YA offenders and almost the entire read annoyed me.

The plot that sounded so very good, was instead a blend of awful people, places and things. The Last Time We Were Us featured a mother trying to force her teen daughter on the “upstanding citizen rich boy”, said horrible douchy rich boy, a sister who threatens to kick our young heroine out of her wedding every time she breaths wrong, a best friend only concerned with being popular and boys liking you, and the dreamy bad boy really just being super bland. Between the peer pressure to have sex, ’cause that’s what makes boys swoon and want to make you their one and only, the desperately trying tension of “the incident” that happened and the repellent social-climbing of the mother I was super turned off.

Now I will say that there were a few things I really enjoyed. The kids cursed. They are teenagers, they do that. They had sex. They did not have fuzzy fairy tale time under the sheets. However these few things were not enough to make me enjoy this read. Leah Konen did have some good runs in her writing that saved this from being a completely bad read, but was sadly so mired in stereotype that even with the best of writing could not have saved The Last Time We Were Us. 

The Last Good Girl by Allison Leotta
Published by Touchstone on May 3, 2016

I don’t generally like getting into a series at any point after book one. I like to have a grounding in the character and the history of them. I was unaware that The Last Good Girl was part of a series when I requested it. I loved the synopsis and was intrigued on how the story would play out and did not look to see what else the author had done. I can happily say that I was not disappointed by Allison Leotta and her series, even though I came in at number five.

The plot of The Last Good Girl was very much a Law and Order type “from the headlines” story. It worked well as I think everyone is familiar with the very public cases of rape on college campuses from the last few years. The writing of Allison Leotta was, for the most part, gripping. When she spoke of the characters, their emotions and feelings, it was as if I was there with them. unfortunately a few procedural parts were very dry and I would find myself skimming past them. The pacing was very fast and constantly rolled forward. There were a few less than perfect spots where the action bounced around but they did not distract from the whole. The world built was vast. I was a little lost at some points as I think most of the build-up was done in the previous books, but I was able to catch up quickly. The characters were an area I had some trouble with. Since this is book five, the recurring faces were nit well introduced and I had to guess a bit at their connections. The new characters were very well developed, but for the most part unlikable, but they were supposed to be so it was fine. The emotions were great. Between the main story line of the girl who was assaulted and Anna and her sisters love lives, it packed some real depth in.

While I was confused by some of the details in the book, as they came from books one through four, I still very much enjoyed the read. The Last Good Girl was twisty and deep and kept my attention the entire read. Allison Leotta has crafted a vast and interesting world in her Anna Curtis series and I am now going to go back and find the others as I really want to know what happened to bring Anna and those around her to this point. Sometimes jumping into the middle works and sometimes it doesn’t and this is one where the majority of the read was successful as Anna was such a strong character and the plot worked well as a standalone.

I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Outliers by Kimberly McCreight
Published by Harper Collins on May 3, 2016

The Outliers by Kimberly McCreight was a mismash. The author has some great writing skills and some not so good story telling skills. A girl who is afraid to leave her house leaves by deep breathing and closing her eyes. A boy she doesn’t trust becomes her ally almost instantly. When shit starts going south they don’t, I don’t know tell an adult or the police that their friend has been kidnapped, they decide to save her themselves. It was kindof a mess.

I am going to start with the best first. The writing of Kimberly McCreight was great. Super detailed and full of some really good descriptions, she wrote some great lines. Unfortunately the plot of The Outliers was ridiculous. Full of unnecessary twists and turns and some just odd decisions it was difficult to make sense of what was happening at times. The pacing had some issues with trying to push a lot of action into a scene so that the time seemed to pass in an odd manner. The world built was shaky. There was very little build up to certain key parts and way too much detail on other items. There was very little balance. The emotions were also all over the map. You were supposed to feel tension and fear for these teens on their mysterious mission but really I just felt confused as to what they were doing. The characters were odd. There are certain things that a normal person would do in a situation, and they strove to do the exact opposite at all times. I know this is fiction, but seriously they should have a bit of common sense.

I understand that The Outliers is fiction and not true to life, but good lord, these kids were just ridiculous. I really did like the way Kimberly McCreight put her sentences together but not the story they were set in. A super shocking plot point was very obvious and I just never truly connected with the characters. Now, I will not seek out the rest in this series as ugh, but I would be open to reading another of her books as long as the plot is vastly different.

I received this book for free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The A to Z of You and Me by James Hannah
Published by Sourcebooks Landmark on May 3, 2016

The A to Z of You and Me by James Hannah wraps a cautionary tale around lost love and a children’s game. Ivo is in hospice and has had no visitors. His nurse, Sheila, is concerned for him and suggests he starts playing the A-Z game – think of a body part for each letter in the alphabet and then a story to go with it. As Ivo travels through the alphabet you discover that most of the issues in his life have been caused by him and that his one chance at true love is no longer.

I was intrigued by the plot of The A to Z of You and Me initially, however the A-Z aspect lost its appeal pretty quickly. The writing of James Hannah was good, but there was no hook to it. Despite the sad situation I was never sucked into it. The pacing had a few rough spots with flashbacks not quite fitting in but as a whole it worked. The world building was minimal as the story is being told from the mind of a hospice patient on painkillers. There were some good emotions in the story but since Ivo caused most of his own pain I couldn’t empathize with him too much. The only characters really in the book are Ivo and his nurse Sheila, everyone else was very much on the periphery. Sheila was a fantastic character, she was genuine and caring, but Ivo tended to push everyone away.

I did like reading The A to Z of You and Me I just did not connect with the book. James Hannah did convey the pain of Ivo well, I just didn’t really like him. I find it hard to love a book when I don’t like the main character. I also realized as I read this that I don’t love disease dramas. I have found some that were great, but I just don’t think the premise of someone dying is enough to make me connect with a character. There were a few really good moments in the story and they pushed the rating up a half star. I have seen much love for this book out in the wild and if you are a fan of the main character being ill the entire book this may be a great read for you.

I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.