My 2019 4.5 star reads

Hi booklovers

It's time to share with you my 2019 4.5 star reads. 

These books were not necessarily published in 2019.

*Shadows of Self (Mistborn #5) by Brandon Sanderson

This was my favourite of the current three books of Mistborn Era 2.

*The Blinding Knife (Lightbringer #2) by Brent Weeks

This one is filled with a lot of twists and turns and the ending is such a big cliffhanger.

*Skyward (Skyward #1) and Starsight (Skyward#2) by Brandon Sanderson

I really enjoyed both books (I have to admit that I actually read Skyward at the end of 2018 and then reread it before starting Starsight). Starsight didn't go where I thought it would go and I missed some of the characters from Skyward, but I found some new favourite characters as well. I'm very curious to see where book 3 will take us. Unfortunately, it won't be published until 2021 :-(

There is one sci-fi book on this list:

*One Word Kill (Impossible Times #1) by Mark Lawrence

This is Mark Lawrence's venture into YA sci-fi and I enjoyed this a lot. It takes place in the 80s and being an 80s kid myself some things were familiar. I actually listened to the audiobook of this one and the sequel and only recently got the physical copies. I also pre-ordered the final one on audio and I'll definitely be getting a physical copy as well.

The other 3 4.5 star reads were NA contemporary:

*The Risk (Briar U #2) and the Play (Briar U #3) by Elle Kennedy

Elle Kennedy is one of my favourite NA writers and I thoroughly enjoyed both these stories.

*Shacking Up (Shacking Up #1) and Hooking Up (Shacking Up #2) by Helena Hunting

I've read a couple of the books in the Shacking Up series, but these are still my favourite ones.

Btw, these NA covers are so cringe-worthy, it's one of the reasons I read these on my e-reader.

Have you read any of these? What were some of your 4.5 star reads of 2019? Do you use half stars in your rating? Let me know in the comments.

Bye for now

Annelies

Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence - non-spoiler review

Hi booklovers

Today, I'll be reviewing Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence.

This book and I had a very bumpy start. The first time I picked it up, I had never read any grimdark fantasy, hardly any adult fantasy and I hadn't discovered audiobooks yet. These three things made me put down the book after only a couple of chapters.

Last year I decided to give it another try and I'm so glad I did. I gave it 3 or 3.5 stars but somehow I never got around to picking up the second book. Because I wanted to read King of Thorns during the MedievalAThon I decided to reread this one beforehand.

I'm happy to say I enjoyed it even more the second time around. I think the audiobook played a big part in that too. I also knew what to expect when it came to the writing style.

The first thing I want to say is: holy crap, I never thought a 14-year old boy (main character) could be so gritty and morally grey.

Prince of Thorns tells the story of Jorg - a 14-year old boy who leads a band of brothers in his quest for revenge SPOILERS on the count who had his mother and little brother killed. He almost died as well and he has the emotional and physical scars to show for it.

It was fascinating to read how all the men he leads look up to him even though he is a lot younger than they are. He leads his group with a great deal of discipline. On the other hand, though, they do some extremely gruesome things most of the time as well.

Jorg is a very funny, but oh so dark character who only thinks about himself, his pleasures (not only of the flesh, also the killing). We get to know him trough two different timelines: one is the present day timeline and the other takes place four years earlier. In those flashbacks we get to see the events that made Jorg become the person he is today. Even though he has a very twisted sense of right or wrong I couldn't help but like him.

Another character I really like is Makin. He used to be captain of the King's Guard before he decided to follow Jorg. He is one of the few people Jorg really trusts.

There is only one character Jorg himself looks up to and that is the Nuban. Jorg considers him to be like a father since his own father doesn't much care for him (and that's putting it mildly!).

This story is fast-paced and action-packed, but it's definitely not for the faint of heart.

Have you read this book or the trilogy? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments.

Bye for now

Annelies

Champion by Marie Lu - non-spoiler review.

Hi booklovers

 
This is my review for Champion, the third book in the Legend trilogy by Marie Lu.
This will contain spoilers for Legend and Prodigy (click on the titles to read my non-spoiler review).

Title: Champion

Author: Marie Lu

Genre: YA, sci-fi, dystopia

Format: paperback

*Story:

In this conclusion we follow June, Day and Anden in their battle against the Colonies.
 

*Characters:
-June: I liked her better in this book because although a lot of things happened to her that could have brought her down, she held her head high as best as she could. She isn't whiny like she was in the previous book.
 

-Day: His character also goes through a lot of changes and character development. I liked how he kept putting others above himself even though he knew he was dying.
 

-Anden: Even though he's starting to look more like his father as a politician, he is still very much a young man bearing way too much responsibility.
 

-Eden: I really liked Eden, he is such a fighter, despite everything he's been through.

 
*Plot/world building/overall rating:
I really liked the worldbuilding in this one: the contrast between the Republic of America and Antarctica was well explained. I also enjoyed that we got to see how the facade the Republic has put up is nothing more than that: a facade.
Even though the epiloque left me wanting I still gave this book 4.5 stars. This book was a lot more emotional than the previous two. It was also even more action-packed and fast-paced.
SPOILER:
My heart was trampled on when Day didn't recognise June and she decided to let him go.

 
Overall I really loved this trilogy and I really want to get Marie Lu's The Young Elites trilogy.

 
Have you read either of these trilogies? What did you think of them?

 
Let me know in the comments.

 
Bye for now

 
Annelies

Graphic novels - mini-reviews (non-spoiler).

Hi booklovers

A while ago a colleague let me borrow some graphic novels that he really enjoyed. The only graphic novel I had read so far were Fables, Locke & Key and Saga, so I thought it would be nice to discover some new ones.
 

These were the graphic novels he lent me:
 

-Y, The Last Man: Unmanned.
-Transmetropolitan: Back on the Street.
-The Boys: The Name of The Game.
-Scalped: Indian Country.

The only one of these I had ever heard about was 'Y, the Last Man', so I was immediately intrigued by that one - although it still took me a couple of months to finally pick it up :-$

These last couple of weeks, I finally felt like reading them and I even read them back to back and now I'll do a mini-review for each one.

The order in which I'm reviewing them is the order in which I read them:

*Y, The Last Man

I found the concept of all the male species - save two - dropping dead for no apparent reason really 'refreshing'. Throughout this first volume we don't really get an answer as to why Yorick & Ampersand - his male monkey companion - survived, but I'm guessing that will be explained in later volumes. Some of the women in this graphic novel are very weird - yes, Amazones, I'm talking about you - but I'm curious to see if they'll succeed in their plan to get rid of the last two males on earth.
I found this to be a very cool concept and I really liked the drawings. I'll definitely be continuing with the series. I might even start collecting them.

*Transmetropolitan

My colleague 'warned' me that the other three graphic novels were more 'guy-orientated' and this one is definitely a lot more 'graphic'. The drawings in this one were completely different, much more ellaborate and bombastic. The colours were a lot more vibrant, so it took me some time to adjust to that. The story was all kinds of weird. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, but it was unlike anything I had ever read before. That being said, the ending of the first volume left me really curious and I'll also be continuing with the series.

*The Boys:

 

The drawings in this one reminded me very much of the drawings in Locke & Key and I really like those, so I didn't have any problems getting into this one. Again, the story is all kinds of weird with all these superheroes that have gone wild, but there is also a lot of humour in it. I was only on page 6 when I started laughing out loud, which is very weird when you're on a train. The different characters have their own unique personalities and they 'complement' each other very well. Oh and I love Terror the dog :-) Also, be warned that this one is very 'graphic' as well. Out of the four I liked this one the best and I'll definitely be continuing with the series and probably start collecting them. 

*Scalped

I couldn't - for the life of me - get into this one, mainly because of the drawings. I don't know what it was, but they felt off to me. I started it twice and both times I gave up after a page and a half, even though my colleague said the story was very good. I won't be rating this since I never finished it. Needless to say I won't be continuing with the series.

All in all, I think this was a successfull introduction to some new graphic novels.
 

Have you read any of these or other graphic novels. Which ones would you recommend?
 

Bye for now
 

Annelies

Candidate - Rachel E. Carter - non-spoiler review

Hi booklovers

This is my non-spoiler review of Candidate, book three in the Black Mage series by Rachel E. Carter. This book was kindly sent to my by the author - I'm a part of her review team - in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book.

This will contain spoilers for First Year and Apprentice. Just click on the title to read my reviews. I read this book for the Of Wonderland Book Club on Goodreads. February's theme was 'badass females'.

Title: Candidate

Author: Rachel E. Carter

Genre: YA, fantasy

Format: e-book (provided by the author)

*Story: 
This story takes place after Darren announced that both his and Blayne's engagements were off and that he wanted to marry Ryiah instead. It goes without saying that the road to their marriage isn't without obstacles. This book also deals with the upcoming Candidacy, in which the three new coloured Robes will be chosen. Of course, both Ryiah and Darren want the Black Robe, but only one can win and the competion is very brutal. Meanwhile, the rebels also gain strength. During the year leading up to their marriage, Ryiah discovers that not everything is what it seems.

*Characters: 
-Ryiah: After the previous book I had almost given up on liking Ryiah, just because she was so fickle in that story. In this book, however, she totally redeems herself. She again goes through so many changes and emotions it's a miracle she doesn't (completely) crumble.
SPOILER:
Two events made me really feel sorry for her, the first one being when Derrick dies at the hand of Mira. The second one was when she discovered who the real villain is, i.e. Blayne.

-Darren: I really liked how he finally stood up for himself and his love for Ryiah. But true to his nature, he still did things I wanted to strangle him for; like being a very stubborn mule!
 

-Derrick: He really plays a very important part in this story, but I was surprised to see where the storyline eventually took him. We also get to see a totally different side of him during the events of the Candidacy and it wasn't a pretty one.

SPOILER:

What the hell was wrong with him, reacting like that towards Ryiah during the trials. It wasn't her fault what happened to Alex.

-Alex & Ella: We don't get to see all that much of them, but when we do get their story it's packed with - sometimes very raw - emotions.
 
*Plot/Worldbuilding/Overall rating:
This book was so fast-paced and action-packed. Especially the last chapters left my head spinning. I like that we got to see some new places. I also enjoyed that Ryiah gets the chance to be the Combat Mage that she's always wanted to be before she has to stay at the king's palace and her marriage to Darren. Otherwise, it would have seemed like all her training was in vain.
The book ended on such a cliffhanger that I was really happy that book 4 has already been released, otherwise I would have gone mad having to wait to continue reading.

Have you read this book or any of the other books in the series?

Bye for now

Annelies

First Year by Rachel E. Carter - non-spoiler review.

Hi booklovers

I got this e-book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This doesn't affect my opinion of the book.

Title: First Year

Author: Rachel E. Carter

Genre: YA, fantasy

Format: e-book (provided by the author)

*Story:
This book starts with the final scenes of Non-Heir but from Ryiah's POV. We follow Ryiah on her journey to becoming an apprentice at the Academy. She's a lowborn girl coming to the Academy to try and get a place as an apprentice. The only problem is there are only 15 places and there are 122 people starting the year. Through a lot of (harsh) training only those who really have what it takes make it 'till the end of the year. Ryiah has to fight and prove herself from day 1, because she is not one of the highborns who have had years of training and she still has a lot to learn. Also, from the start she has both friends and enemies who all play their part in her journey.

*Characters:
-Ryiah: She is a strong character who doesn't give up at the first sign of difficulties. She grows stronger throughout the story - both litteraly and figuratively speaking. There were, however, moments in the book where I just wanted to grab her by the shoulders, give her a shake and tell her that she should believe in herself and that she knew she had every right to be there.
 

-Ella: I liked how feisty she is and how she didn't let what happened to her with Blayne get her down. On the contrary, it made her stronger and more determined to become a Combat mage apprentice. I really appreciated that even though she was highborn and Ryiah wasn't, she immediately had a connection with Ryiah. I think they really brought out the best in each other. I was really happy that we got to see more of her.
 

-Alex: Ryiah's twin and the complete opposite. He's an extreme flirt and also a bit more confident. But, he also has a soft and caring side to him. That's why he wants to become a Restoration mage apprentice. I loved his bantering with Ella, it made me laugh out loud at times.
SPOILER:
I liked how their love was slow-burning and it wasn't until the very end of the book that they might make a move. I'm curious to see how it will develop. And yay, no love triangle here!

-Darren: Although I had been warned that I was going to want to smack him on the head just like in Non-Heir I found the urge to do so not to be so big. Sure, he is still his arrogant, cocky, brooding self - he is one of the best first year's at the Academy and knows it and acts accordingly - but we also get to see a different side of him. At times, however, I did find it hard  to fathom him completely. Why did he help Ryiah at times and work against her at other occasions?!

-Priscilla: Oh how I hate that character. She has everything and she bests almost every girl at the Academy but it's still not enough for her. She has it in for Ryiah from day 1, because Ryiah is lowborn and Priscilla will use every chance she gets to boycot her. And yet her attitude is partly what makes Ryiah more determined to succeed. So in a way she also helped Ryiah. But that doesn't take away the fact that she's a total bitch.
 

-Eve: I thoroughly regret that we only get glimpses of her throughout this story. I would have very much liked to know more about her first year at the Academy. This is one of the reasons I didn't give the book a full 5 stars.

*Plot/worldbuilding:
I found the worldbuilding to be a bit lacking. Sure, they spend all of their time at the Academy and some parts are 'explained', but I still would have liked to see a bit more of it.
I also found the training and fight scenes to be a bit much sometimes and certain events were even a bit repetitive. I get that there is a certain routine they follow, but still.
What I did immensly enjoy was the magic system: those who have magic have to project what they want to cast. I don't think I've ever read anything like this before. I'm also quite intrigued by the concept of pain casting and I wonder if we'll get to see more of it in book two.
SPOILER:
I liked that not all mages are pain casters and I'm curious to see who'll become the best at it: Darren or Ryiah? Her pain casting is also the reason the Black Mage chose her to be the sixth Combat mage apprentice.

*Overall rating:
The ending of the book had me in tears and they were tears of frustration. Not frustration for the book, but for what Ryiah went through at the very end.
SPOILER:
I know it's stupid because I knew there was no way she wasn't going to become an apprentice. But I was so absorbed in the story that I felt Ryiah's pain and rejection when Priscilla's name was called out as the last Combat mage apprentice.
To me, feeling those emotions when reading a book even though you know things have to work out for the main character, shows that it is a well-written book.

I can't wait to dive into the second book and see how Ryiah comes into her own and if Darren will still be his 'charming' brooding self. (At the moment of posting this, I've actually already finished it :-) )

Have you read this book? Let me know in the comments.
 

Bye for now
 

Annelies

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson - spoiler free review.

Hi booklovers

At the beginning of July I continued my Morgan Matson binge-read, so after rereading Amy & Roger and Second Chance Summer, I went straight on to reading Since You've Been Gone. It was the first time I read this one.

Title: Since You've Been Gone

Author: Morgan Matson

Genre: ya, contemporary

Format: paperback

*Story:

Imagine one day finding out that your best friend for the last two years has just disappeared without a trace. That's what happens to Emily: her best friend Sloane goes missing. She fruitlessly tries to get in touch with Sloane until she gets a letter from Sloane. Actually, it's not really a letter but more of a list. On this list there are thirteen tasks that Emily has to complete. Some of these 'challenges' make absolutely no sense to her and some are very hard for her to do. But Emily is convinced that she'll find Sloane back when the tasks are completed. And so she finds herself spending her summer holiday doing things she would normally never do.

*Character:

-Emily: She's a girl who, at the beginning of the story, is completely lost without her best friend Sloane. It very soon becomes clear that Emily depended on Sloane for a lot of things and at the same time stood in Sloane's shadow. Throughout the story, however, she becomes more and more extroverted by doing things that are totally out of her comfort zone. She almost becomes a totally different person and she actually likes who she is becoming - up until one certain event in the story, that is.

-Sloane: We mostly get to know her through flashbacks and at one point I started to really dislike her because how she treated Emily when she was with Sam. But as you get to know her better, you can tell that she's not really the extrovert, carefree person she pretends to be.

-Frank Porter: He's this very serious, smart guy with a steady girlfriend who suddenly appears in Emily's life. They start to hang out together and Frank helps Emily out with a lot of the things on the list. I really like Frank because he's a bit of a complex character: On the outside it looks like he's got everything planned out and he knows what he wants to do/become. But his life is much more complex than you think. I liked how he was a completely different - even more humane - person around Emily than he was at school. Even though we don't see him at school, his behaviour there is hinted at by Emily.

-Collins & Dawn: Collins is Frank's best friend and a really funny character. Dawn works at the pizza place next to the ice cream parlour Emily works at. They accidentally meet, but they become good friends.

*Plot:

This book deals a lot with (emotional) changes and growth. Not only Emily but also Frank and even Collins become these different people throughout the story. I liked the concept of a 'to-do' list to help Emily become a more confident person. I again enjoyed the flashbacks because they help you to get to know Sloane better.

*Overall rating:

I really liked this story, so I gave it 4.5 stars. I didn't give it 5 stars because of one tiny thing that happens near the end of the story. I know it was 'necessary' for the story, but still. I would have liked to have read a bit more about Dawn and Collins, especially towards the end of the story.

SPOILER:

I liked how the relationship between Emily and Frank evolved slowly and it isn't until the last page of the book that they decide to give their relationship a go. I know you could tell they had feelings for each other rather quickly, but still that wasn't the main focus of the story and that was a good thing!

Oh and, yay, I found the Amy Curry (Amy & Roger) reference again. I'm not sure if there is a Second Chance Summer reference or not.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments.

Bye for now

Annelies

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch - spoiler-free review.

Hi booklovers

I'm hopelessly behind on reviewing the books that I've read, so here's my attempt at getting back on track.

The first book that I finished this year was Snow Like Ashes, so that might be a good place to start.

Title: Snow Like Ashes

Author: Sara Raasch
Genre: YA, fantasy
Format: Paperback
 

*Story:
Imagine being on the run for 16 years because your kingdom was conquered. Meira is one of only eight survivors who managed to escape. The others were taken captive and are used as slaves.

*Characters:
-Meira: She is one of the eight survivors who got away after the Winter kingdom was conquered. She is an orphan. Meira wants nothing more than to join the other survivors when they go on missions to get Winter's conduit back. She's in love with her childhood friend and future king Mather. Like all inhabitants of Winter, she has vibrant white hair, which intrigued me very much.

-Mather: He is the future king of the Winter kingdom. He's trained as a warrior, but he's also being prepared to become king. He's in love with Meira, but they both know there might never be anything more between them.

-William / Sir: He is the leader of the survivors. He's a very strict leader, who doesn't usually show his emotions.
 

-Angra: Evil Spring ruler who has enslaved the Winterians.

-Noam: He is the king of Cordell, one of the Rhythms. Sir asks Noam for help to get Winter back.

-Theron: Noam's son and the future king of Cordell.
 

*Plot:
There are eight countries in Primoria: four countries are Seasons, which means that the season stays the same the whole year around. The other four countries are Rhythms, where the seasons change.
 
The magic system consists of conduits that are used by each country's monarch. The conduit allows the monarch to 'channel' their magic. Each monarch uses their magic for different purposes. In this story the survivors are trying to find the two halves of Winter's locket, so they can put them back together and claim Winter's throne again and free the Winterian slaves.

*Overall rating:
I really liked this book. I especially enjoyed the way Primoria is divided and the way the magic is wielded.

I enjoyed the worldbuilding, you really get to see how people are affected by being in their own kingdom or in another kingdom with a different type of weather. I found the difference between the Seasons and the Rhythms very refreshing.
 
!!!!Spoiler!!!!
The love triangle is maybe a bit tropy, but I still felt sorry for Mather when Meira was promised to Theron to secure the help of Cordell.
 
The pacing of the story was good, for me there weren't any dull moments. Even though I don't really like politics in a story, in this book I didn't really mind it because even though it is important to the story, it isn't overwhelming or confusing.
 
!!!!Spoiler!!!!
I totally didn't see the plot twist coming, so I was completely blown away by the fact that Meira was in fact Winter's rightful queen. A plot twist I really enjoyed was the fact that Meira is Winter's conduit.



I gave this book 4.5 stars on Goodreads.
 
Have you read this book? If so, what did you think of it? Let me know in the comments.
 
Bye for now
 
Annelies

Star jar.

Hi booklovers

Today I want to talk about a little project I'm going to start: a star jar.

I got this idea from Sam from Thoughts on Tomes. You should really check out her channel :-) At the beginning of 2015 she made a video in which she talks about making a star jar and I like it so much that I want to try it for myself.

The idea is that you make an origami star for every book you've read. You choose a different colour for each genre and a patterned paper for a five star read. That way you can more or less keep track of how many books you've read, which genre you've read the most from and how many books you rated 5 star. I'm not sure how that will work out for me, because I hardly ever give a book 5 stars. So, I'm going to use a different pattern for my 4.5 star reads as well.

Genres and colours:

• fantasy: purple
• sci-fi/dystopian: yellow
• NA: blue
• contemporary: red
• paranormal: light green

I know NA is not a genre, but I wanted to include it anyway. 

Genres and patterns: 4.5 and 5 stars:

• fantasy: 

• sci-fi/dystopian:

• NA:

• contemporary:

• paranormal:

Fingers crossed that by the end of the year I will have a jar filled with a variety of coloured stars and hopefully there will be some patterned ones too.
 

Thank you, Sam, for such a lovely idea!
 

How do you keep track of the books you've read? Let me know in the comments.
 

Bye for now
 

Annelies
 

P.S.: Here's the link to a YouTube video on how to make the origami stars.

 

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour - non-spoiler review

Hi booklovers

Summer has officially started - temperature wise, that is - so I decided to read a summery book. 

Title: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

Author: Morgan Matson

Genre: Contemporary, YA

Publication Date: May 4th 2010

If you want to know the synopsis click on the title above.

This was such a fun, quick and perfect summer read. I loved the fact that the book not only consists of the story but also has pictures of the places they've seen, receipts of things they've bought or eaten. All these things are gathered in a scrapbook, which is so cool. I also really liked the playlists that were added to the book. If you want you can listen to the songs while reading - not something I wanted to do, because I hardly ever listen to music while reading unless I'm on the train and it's really noisy.

Throughout the book we find out what happened in Amy's recent past through flashbacks and I really enjoyed that. You immediately know that Amy's father has recently passed away, but you only learn the how of it later on in the book.

Another positive thing about this book is that although the cover suggests otherwise, the story doesn't focus on the romance the whole time. It focuses more on the road trip and discovering oneself and all the emotions involved.

The relationships between Amy and her mother and Amy and her twin brother are also explored, which is nice.

SPOILER WARNING!! (You can highlight the next sentences if you want to read them)

I liked the fact that Roger has an ulterior motive at first and he actually admits it at one point. This makes the book more realistic and believable.

Unlike for some people, this book didn't make me want to go on a road trip, but that's probably because I'm not really the travelling type, so I won't hold that against it :-)

What I didn't like was the cover. When I bought this at Waterstones I was actually looking for the beautiful pink cover to match the blue cover of Second Chance Summer, but they only had the other cover :-(

I gave this 4.5 out of 5 stars. I deducted a 0.5 star because I wanted to read some more of their story after they arrived in Connecticut, maybe in an epilogue or so. 

I couldn't have picked a better book to start my reading summer :-) I already have Second Chance Summer and Since You've Been Gone on my shelf, so I'm definitely going to read them soon!

Let me know in the comments if you've read this book and what you thought of it or if you're planning to read this.

Bye for now

Annelies

Addicted to you - non- spoiler review

Hi booklovers

After watching Jillian's NA recommends video I decided to pick up 'Addicted to you' by twin sisters Krista and Becca Ritchie on my e-reader (it was free at the time, I'm not sure if it still is). 

Title: Addicted to you

Author: Krista & Becca Ritchie

Genre: contemporary, NA

Publication Date: June 13th 2013

I you want to know the synopsis, you can click on the title in the introduction.

What first attracted me to this story was that the female character is the one with the sex addiction. Sex addiction is still a taboo and to read a story about a female sex addict sounded 'refreshing'. This addiction is not the only one in the book. Loren - the male protagonist - is an alcoholic, what they refer to as 'a functioning alcoholic'. He can go through almost every day without people realising he has a drinking problem. Lily and Loren have known each other since they were little and this allows them to cover for each other. They pretend to be in a relationship so they can help each other out. This is important for them, because they don't want their families to find out about their problems.

From the start of this book, you really feel for the characters. Even though the protagonists are both addicted, you immediately sympathise with them. Throughout the story new characters are introduced and you follow the evolution of the relationships. You have front row seats to everything that happens with the characters and you get sucked into the story.

I really liked Lily and Loren's characters. I didn't care much for Lily's sister Rose as she seems a stuck-up little thing at first, but as the story evolves so does her character and she becomes a person you can rely on. 

Connor and Ryke are two boys who come into their lives for very different reasons and even though Lily and Loren aren't used to people being friendly to them and they have a hard time accepting them as friends. At first Connor is really pretentious and Ryke can drive you up the wall, but they turn out to be good guys that stick with Lily and Loren through the rough patches. (I was glad to learn that they have their own stories in the spin-off series. You can find the reading order for the whole series here.)

 

Since this story deals with pretty severe addictions, it's nice that nothing is sugar-coated, so you get a pretty realistic image. (Be advised: like almost every NA story, this contains sexual content, but it also talks a lot about alcohol) That's what appealed to me so much: you actually start to believe in these characters, they are so unbelievably realistic. You can tell that even though they want to help each other out so badly, they aren't good for each other at the moment. But you still want them to be there for each other and be together. They are trying to deal with their problems and I really really want them to be able to work through them. For me that means it's a very good story: I consider them to be real characters. That's why I'm both scared and excited to continue with this series! I want the characters to be okay, but I'm scared they still have a long way to go before they can become better.

The story also shows you that even though your family is loaded, that doesn't mean that you're happy or that nothing is wrong!

It's been a while since I was sucked into a story and felt so much for the characters! That's why I gave it 4.5 stars on Goodreads. (This is the highest rating I've ever given an NA book and even the highest rating I've given any book this year!)

Hope you liked this review and if you're interested be sure to pick up this book, it's worth it.

If you've read this book or are interested in reading it, let me know in the comments! 

Bye for now

Annelies