Tag: life drama

YA

Review: P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Series: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before #2

p.s. i still love you -jenny hanLara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.

She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.

When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Times bestseller To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that’s part of what makes it so amazing.

2.5 Drink Me Potions

Can I just first say that I’ve been DYING for this book for a whole long year? Ever since I read its predecessor, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, which mind you is THE book that got me into writing reviews, I was absolutely ecstatic to hear that there was going to be a second book. Could my life have gotten any better? was the question that flowed through my mind at that point.

And that is where all my hopes and expectations fell.

It literally hurts to write this review which is less than the 5 stars I was expecting. Where shall I begin?

The plot
It was just SO slow. For a good first half of the book, nothing REALLY happened. Yes, Lara Jean was enjoying her newfound relationship with Peter (my heart was screaming YES! ’cause I absolutely adore him…but I’ll get to him later). Everything wasn’t hunky dory or anything. It wasn’t THAT bland. That beautiful hot tub scene from the end of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before? Do you remember that? Well. Let’s just say, it’s become a publicized meme around the school. I know, heartbreaking right?

So Lara Jean is fretting and embarrassed. Her sisters are equally helping her deal with it in their particular ways. But it truly was not worth half a book to focus on. Yes, Peter showed off his gallant side (*happy sigh*), but even that didn’t entertain me for long enough.

The writing style also seemed so disjointed. Some chapters were so short. It was literally one event, and then you jump to the next event which could be a day or whatever later. And then onto the next event in the next chapter. There wasn’t a whole lot of flow, like Jenny Han was sticking short constructed pieces together. It wasn’t the most enjoyable format, especially when things were already going quite slow substance-wise.

Then things just got downright UGLY in the next half. I shall start off with…

Lara Jean
I like that she’s still her unique self, being half Korean and all. Jenny Han is still amazing at integrating such cultural aspects into the story. But I was just SO annoyed with Lara Jean in this book. She was too jealous and mistrustful of Peter’s friendship with his ex. Mind you, I don’t particularly like her either. She’s truly a dog (and I mean that in a not-so-nice way). But to be wrought with jealousy to the point that she would mistrust Peter’s intentions wasn’t pleasant to see unfold.

John What’s-His-Name (he has a REALLY long name – which I don’t care about)
And then there was John. The other guy that the synopsis hinted at. I don’t understand why Jenny Han had to bring him back. Was there really nothing else to give this story substance?

Okay, maybe the answer is yes, considering the first half wasn’t all that great with substance either. But still. He felt so unnecessary. Please. A random love triangle thrown into the middle of the SECOND novel? It was already a little weird with the neighbour/good friend Josh in the last novel, but I actually liked him more because he was someone Lara Jean knew. John just kind of…popped up. She may have known him in the past, but I, as the reader, sure as heck don’t give a crap about him. He wasn’t MY past crush.

I admit I may be a teensy bit biased ’cause I love Peter, but still. My reasoning is sound. Lara Jean shouldn’t have tried to get herself to rekindle such feelings for John when in reality, I felt she was never quite over Peter.

The OTHER characters
That leaves me with the characters I did still enjoy, even with minor irritants.

Margot, Lara Jean’s older sister, seems to have forgiven her for the uh, minor problem with Josh (Margot’s ex and one of the crushes). However, things are NOT la-la land for Margot & Josh. I was a bit sad. I don’t know. I didn’t love them as a couple even in the previous book, but to me, if they weren’t with each other, it just felt weird seeing them with different people.

Kitty, the younger Song sister, was as wild as ever. I’ve always had such a strange liking for her. I wouldn’t exactly want such a manipulative yet still adorable younger sister in real life, but I can’t help but like her. I love that both sisters are so unique and made in a way that both complements Lara Jean as well as showcases what a sisterly relationship looks like. It’s not always perfect, and there may be HUGE differences between the girls, but they have each others’ backs at the end of the day. The Song girls united. I loved that.

Oh, and that brings me to Peter. Ah, Peter Kavinsky. First, I’d like to mention that I missed seeing Josh in this novel. He was rather big in the previous one, and he just wasn’t relevant I suppose in the sequel, considering Lara Jean got over him and what not. Still. I missed his presence as the good family friend he was. I suppose it was realistic. Not everything can go back to the way things were after relationships get complicated.

Okay, back to PETER. He made my day in the story. I was so tired of reading it. That breaks my heart to say. I SO, SO hoped it would have been a fun read. I even bought it on the very first day it came out. But seeing Peter’s actions and dialogue, I think this novel showcased his personality really well. We got to see the better side of him in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, but as a boyfriend? That was something new. He may be a lot of imperfect things, but he tried his best for Lara Jean. I may have despised what she did to him, but I appreciated how the author handled their relationship in the end. It wasn’t as open ended as the previous book, but it gives a lot of hope and a wonderful message.

Relationships aren’t going to be easy, and people may even get really hurt. But at the end of the day, it’s worth jumping into. What’s one of my favourite sayings? It’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. It’s pretty applicable here.

I wish I could say the good outweighed the bad, but I couldn’t handle this book. It may have been my HUGELY escalated expectations, but I think it just didn’t hold the kind of substance I look for in a novel. I’m quite saddened to say I’m rather disappointed.

Overall Recommendation:
I waited forever, or so it seems, for P.S. I Still Love You. I absolutely ADORED To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before that I thought Jenny Han could do no wrong when it came to a sequel that had my very favourite people in it. She has a way with making her characters come alive. From the Song sisters to Lara Jean herself, there is the cultural aspect of being half-Korean and holding onto that heritage, while still giving each girl a very distinct personality. I also hold Peter K to the highest regard when it comes to male protagonists. That being said, with such love comes high expectations, and occasionally, a great fall into disappointment. I’m sad to say that the plot was extremely slow and held far too little substance. The focal points were unnecessary and rather childish in my opinion. So with a saddened heart, I must say that I recommend enjoying the first book and maybe only reading this if you must see how Peter and Lara Jean’s relationship unfolds (and refolds ’cause it’s complicated and messy that way).

YA

Review: Parallel by Lauren Miller

Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

parallel -lauren millerYour plan changes. Your destiny doesn’t.

Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She’d go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she’s in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it’s as if her past has been rewritten.

With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby’s life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby’s senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby’s never even met.

As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that’s finally within reach.

4 Drink Me Potions

We are more real than real, said Abby to Josh, a guy whom she only met through her parallel self taking a different path than she did.

Alternate realities and parallel worlds can be so complex, but Lauren Miller did a fantastic job with this novel. Parallel is just indescribable, in the best way possible.

You ever wonder what it would have been like if you’d just done something differently? For Abby, the decision that set her on two different trajectories in life between her parallel worlds came down to this: taking drama or an astronomy class as her last-minute elective in her senior year.

Parallel alternates between Abby’s senior year, following her parallel self experiencing a different set of events after having to take astronomy class instead of drama, in which that path would have led her to becoming the Hollywood actress she remembered she was from her “real” life, and one year later where she finds herself in Yale. Now, if that doesn’t get complicated enough, every time her parallel self makes a different decision, it could cause HUGE rippling effects onto the reality that Abby is now living with as a student at Yale.

This novel explored how even the smallest decisions or events could have led to almost-lost friendships, or could-have-been moments with someone special. Not only that, but it looked into fate (we have a reason for living) and ultimately, what our destiny is even with the ever-changing realities.

I could gush forever, but Miller’s debut novel was absolutely fantastic. With Abby as an amazing protagonist trying to remain “independent” of her parallel self while dealing with a setting that could change at any moment, it made living the day to day all the more important. The conclusion of the novel was stunning, in the sense that it also covered the topic of soulmates. What if her parallel met someone who could love her in a way no one else can, but Abby in her other life chose differently and thus hadn’t met him? What then?

The answer was simple. Our path or trajectory in life may change based on our day-to-day decisions, but something destined in our lives will find its way. And that’s exactly what happened in Parallel. The ending was perfect. Sure, it was a little bittersweet, but it was still so romantic. Being able to find that someone for you even when it first came through as only memories from your parallel self, that speaks of a love that’s more real than real, with real suggesting it stays true even across realities.

At the end of the day, this novel handled everything amazingly. It was clever. Wildly imaginative and creative. I will end off with one of my favourite quotes from the book.

“Abigail Hannah Barnes,
You changed my life. A year ago today, when you walked into it. ‘Are you here by fate or choice?’ you asked me. I said choice. Now I know better.
-Josh”

Overall Recommendation:
Parallel was an absolute fantastic read. It explored so many philosophical elements, from our changing fate when making decisions in life to the ever-present destiny that we each are supposed to hold and possibly that one person (our soulmate) that lies somewhere in our world to find. It asked questions that made you really think. What if you had done something differently? Would your life have changed in ways you could never imagine? Could you miss out on meeting your soulmate if you made the wrong decision? All in all, this novel was deeply romantic and thoroughly explored elements we can all relate to. A definite page-turner & 100% recommended

YA

Review: Four by Veronica Roth

Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

four -veronica rothTwo years before Beatrice Prior made her choice, the sixteen-year-old son of Abnegation’s faction leader did the same. Tobias’s transfer to Dauntless is a chance to begin again. Here, he will not be called the name his parents gave him. Here, he will not let fear turn him into a cowering child.

Newly christened “Four,” he discovers during initiation that he will succeed in Dauntless. Initiation is only the beginning, though; Four must claim his place in the Dauntless hierarchy. His decisions will affect future initiates as well as uncover secrets that could threaten his own future—and the future of the entire faction system.

Two years later, Four is poised to take action, but the course is still unclear. The first new initiate who jumps into the net might change all that. With her, the way to righting their world might become clear. With her, it might become possible to be Tobias once again.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth comes a companion volume to the worldwide bestselling DIVERGENT series, told from the per-spective of the immensely popular character Tobias. The four pieces included here—THE TRANSFER, THE INITIATE, THE SON, and THE TRAITOR—plus three additional exclusive scenes, give readers an electrifying glimpse into the history and heart of Tobias, and set the stage for the epic saga of the DIVERGENT trilogy.

3.5 Drink Me Potions

I’ve been waiting a long time to read Four’s POV. Yet, I could’ve never imagined that I enjoyed the first 3 novellas more than the The Traitor, which occurs after Four met Tris.

The Transfer, The Initiate, and The Son flowed really nicely from one to the other as we follow Four’s journey in redefining who he was, away from his father’s abuse and rules. I really enjoyed learning where he came from. In some ways, it was more enjoyable than Tris’ efforts at becoming herself, away from the teachings of Abnegation or Dauntless or whatever faction would have her conform to. I think it was because they were novellas and were so much more straightforward with the point. Tobias had a lot of baggage to get rid of, with 1 parent gone, presumed dead, and 1 who caused his worst nightmares. In finding the courage to be someone beyond who anyone would define him as, who any faction would limit him to, he found a way to express even the tiniest bit of the Divergence in him.

How? Through his tattoo. I’ve always admired it, but hearing the whole contextual reasoning for it made me realize just how brave, and possibly reckless, of a move that was. It made me like the guy more.

And that says a lot. I haven’t read the Divergent series in a long time. I remember the major scenes, but most definitely not the intricate details or underlying chemistry he had with Tris. For that reason, I felt this story made Four likeable, whether or not someone had read Divergent and just really liked him ’cause he was Tris’ boyfriend. At the end of the day, who doesn’t have fears to conquer and demons to relinquish? He did it all, in the best way he could by shedding his old self and becoming anew.

Speaking of which, I think that’s why The Traitor didn’t sit as well with me. I mean, it was nice to kind of remember these scenes from Tris’ POV and now see it from Four’s, but I sure didn’t remember their chemistry enough to really love the extra perspective. It was kind of just repeating the same scene again, in my opinion. If I had time to have re-read Divergent, it probably would have been a better experience. I definitely recommend doing that if you were excited for these scenes between the two of them.

Anyway, I know novellas are getting ridiculous with popular YA series these days, but I really liked this one just because it wasn’t necessarily re-telling the same story from someone else, and instead showcased how far Tobias pushed himself in order to become the guy he was when Tris met him, as Four.

P.S. but did anyone else think the scene on the Ferris Wheel would be in this story? Come on, the cover is so pretty – and misleading.

Overall Recommendation:
First note, probably should re-read Divergent at least in order to get the best experience out of Four, unless your memory is spot-on of the chemistry between Tris and Four. It would’ve been what I would redo. But, even without that, Four proved to be a really nice read, diving into the mind of a guy I had admired in the series, but now am seriously respecting and even loving him. It takes a lot of perseverance and determination for an Abnegation, a “Stiff”, to redefine himself so well with barely anyone else’s help. All in all, this story doesn’t just complement the series, but it went a long way in baring Tobias’ character to the world. That’s what makes it good, and not because fans just love him for his part in the bigger series.