Down Among The Sticks And Bones by Seanan McGuire Review

Down Among The Sticks And Bones by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children #2)

Publisher: Tor Books

Release Date: June 13, 2017

Pages: 189

Summary: Twin sisters Jack and Jill were seventeen when they found their way home and were packed off to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children.

This is the story of what happened first…

Jacqueline was her mother’s perfect daughter—polite and quiet, always dressed as a princess. If her mother was sometimes a little strict, it’s because crafting the perfect daughter takes discipline.

Jillian was her father’s perfect daughter—adventurous, thrill-seeking, and a bit of a tom-boy. He really would have preferred a son, but you work with what you’ve got.

They were five when they learned that grown-ups can’t be trusted.

They were twelve when they walked down the impossible staircase and discovered that the pretense of love can never be enough to prepare you a life filled with magic in a land filled with mad scientists and death and choices.

My Rating:★★★★☆ 

My Thoughts: Dark, gothic, and atmospheric, Down Among The Sticks An Bones is a a prequel which follows twins Jacqueline & Jillian and their adventures in the Moors set before the events of Every Heart A Doorway!

What I love about this series, is how McGuire is able to pack in so much story and character depth into such few pages! Every Heart A Doorway was just so unique and magical, I was happy to be getting more tales from this world💖~

Having a twin sister myself, I was beyond heartbroken at the forced separation that Jack & Jill were grown into from the very beginning and seeing the rift between them grow with each turn of the page. Reading passages of their resentment and just few feelings they had for each other, left me feeling so sad!

I felt the story started out completely strong with the background on their parents (Serena & Chester) and how their decision to have children really impacted how Jack & Jill would grow and see themselves. It really set the stage and tone for the rest of the story.

With their parents having their own selfish desires for what they wanted their perfect children to be, Lousie Wolcott (Chester’s mother) did her best with the time she spent with them to remind the girls to be themselves and not let anyone control who they want to become.

This quote resonated with me throughout the rest of the story “She had tried to make sure they knew that there were a hundred, a thousand, a million different ways to be a girl, and all of them were valid…“(34).

Jack was molded by Serena and forced to be a proper lady in her mothers eyes, while Jill was forced to be more of a tomboy, by Chester. Up until the age of 12, they lived very different lives under the same roof and there was a rift between them because of it.

Later they soon find a doorway that leads them to the Moors and their 5 year journey begins.

Jack and Jill go their separate ways and undergo their own personal journey and we get a better understanding of who they are and how they try to break free of their parent’s molds.

Additionally there is an f/f relationship that develops nearing the middle/end of the novel!

I felt the 3rd person narrative really gave a broad scope at the world and each character in this story, which made it easy to get a sense of each character, Jack & Jill’s home life + their new life at the Moors. However, there’s just something about this novel (from the writing-style) that delivered a more “telling” rather than “showing” at times, which made the novel feel rather flat in some aspects.

While the story really did resonate with me, I couldn’t help but still feel a disconnect through the writing. Additionally, unlike Every Heart A Doorway, I felt this novel’s pacing felt much slower, which took me out of the story.

Honestly I have so many conflicting feelings about this book, because while there’s a lot that I really loved about it, I loved Every Heart A Doorway a little more~ 😭❤️🚪

Aside from those minor issues, there was still so much that I really loved about this novel. The uniqueness of the plot itself, the atmosphere of the world, and I also loved the positive messages about what it means to be a girl.

Down Among The Sticks And Bones introduces a much darker and brutal world compared to the first novella, it also delivers such powerful messages on who we are vs. what we become as a product of our environment.

Through thought-provoking writing, McGuire sets the stage for a dark but whimsical fairy tale-like world where the choices we make impact who we become.

While I had a few issues, I really enjoyed this sequel and cannot wait to read how this trilogy wraps up in Beneath A Sugar Sky!

The Island At The End Of Everything by Kiran Millwood Hargrave Review

The Island At The End Of Everything by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Publisher: Chicken House

Release Date: May 4, 2017

Pages: 288

Summary: Ami lives with her mother on an island where the sea is as blue as the sky. It’s all she knows and loves, but the arrival of malicious government official Mr Zamora changes her world forever: her island is to be made into a colony for lepers. Taken from her mother and banished across the sea, Ami faces an uncertain future in an orphanage. There she meets a honey-eyed girl named for butterflies, and together they discover a secret that will lead her on an adventure home. Ami must go back to the island of no return, but will she make it in time?

My Rating:★★★★☆ ½

My Thoughts: The Island At The End Of Everything is a captivating tale of adventure and courage, with such lyrical writing and messages of hope, this novel also heavily discusses themes of family and friendship.
I adored Kiran’s debut The Girl Of Ink And Stars and was eager to read her next book.

Along the similar lines of her previous novel, Hargrave uses a poetic and lyrical 1st person narrative as her stories follows young women on journeys of friendship, family, and finding their way home.

What made this novel different from her previous one, was that it was based more on history than just fantasy. 

Set in the early 1900’s Philippines, we follow Ami as she lives her life on the beautiful Culion Island with her mother. However, many of the people who live there have leprosy.

When government official Mr. Zamora arrives, her world is changed forever. Not having leprosy herself, she is forced to leave her mother and her home to Coron Island, where she will live in an orphanage with other people not having leprosy, to avoid getting it herself.

What I love about Hargrave’s writing style so much is that each sentence brings the story, characters, the lush setting of the Philippines, everything to life. Its lyrical and beautiful. As you read The Island At The End Of Everything, you can tell each sentence is put there for a reason and from the beginning to the very end, you’ll be in awe at how the story comes together through the writing!

I’d never read a novel set in the Philippines before or one that discussed this part of history. I’d never heard about this leprosy outbreak until I’d read about it in this novel, but I’m glad a novel like this exists for middle grade readers to learn about it.

Reading from Ami’s POV gave so much depth to this novel, not only to bring the setting to life, but also the characters. From her mother, to her local neighbors like Bondoc, Capuno, the Sisters, Mari, every single character felt so real!

Ami is heartbroken to be leaving her home and mother behind. However, when she reaches Coron, she finds solace with her new friend Mari. Ami was so brave and just reading from her POV was so empowering, reading about her journey to get back home and see her mother again.

Additionally, this novel is very diverse! Almost all of the cast of characters are Filipino + Mari is shown to have a disability (withe her hand) with her hand and Hargrave discusses it with so much care.

The 2 develop a beautiful friendship and over the course of the story, Mari becomes a very central character + such an important friend that Ami is grateful to have.

What I love about Hargrave’s novels, is the emphasis she puts on family, friendship and independence. Those themes are present all throughout this novel.

While Hargrave’s novels are marketed as middle grade, they are novels that can honestly speak so much to readers of any genre. Her novels have messages that anyone can relate to (Understanding who you are, discovering friendship, and the emphasis and importance of family).

My only issue is that the epilogue did feel rushed and I did find the pacing to be slow towards the middle.

Aside from that…

The Island At The End Of Everything is a tale of friendship, family, and finding your way home. Hargrave’s writing is captivating, bringing the setting and characters to life as we follow Ami and her journey to find her way back home! Highly recommend this novel!

The Royal Tutor Volume 1 by Higasa Akai {Manga Review}

The Royal Tutor Vol. 1 by Higasa Akai {TRT #1}

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: May 23, 2017

Pages: 192

Summary: Accepting the post of royal tutor at the court of the king of Granzreich, Heine Wittgenstein is a little professor with a big job ahead of him! Each of the kingdom’s four princes has a rather distinct personality. Does their diminutive new instructor have what it takes to lay down some learning? It’s a comedy of educational proportions!

My Rating:★★★★☆ ½

My Thoughts: Following Heine Wittgenstein, he is the new tutor of the 4 princes in the kingdom of Granzreich! With starkly different personalities, Heine attempts to secure his role as their new tutor! The Royal Tutor is both comedic and heartfelt!

 I first figured out about this series, when I picked up a poster for it at one of Barnes & Noble’s Get Pop-Cultured events & I’m so glad I did! Its been a while since I’ve read manga and I think I’ve found a new favorite series~

Heine Wittgenstein heads to Weisburg Palace as the newest tutor to 4 of the 5 princes. He is requested by the king to tutor them and make them eligible for the throne, should something happen to the firstborn prince. He finds himself working with the difficult princes and while they’ve caused all the previous tutors to quit, Heine isn’t giving up so easily!

Heine himself is a mystery. Not much is known about how he became such a professional tutor (though some hints are given in the beginning), much of his background is a mystery.

This manga was so funny, from the running joke about Heine looking like a kid to the princes themselves! There were always funny moments in this volume 😂😂

As for the characters, I loved how different and unique the princes were. They all have their particular reason as to why they don’t like tutors, so it was interesting to see how Heine worked with each prince and learned more about them.

Licht (5th): The playboy

Leonhard (4th): The athletic & stubborn

Bruno (3rd): The braniac

Kai (2nd): The quiet and tough-looking prince who appears to be dark and broody, but is actually quite shy & loves cute things (´▽`ʃƪ)

The pacing was so well done and the story never dragged, it was a pretty quick read ( I finished this first volume within a couple hours). Essentially the plot surrounds Heine getting the prince’s to accept him as their new tutor, while learning more about them and their personality as he attempts to give them a test to see their strength + weaknesses in academics.

As for art style, I really loved how it showcased the backgrounds and outfits of the fictional locations of Weisburg Palace + Granzreich.

A few tidbits of info are given to learn more about Heine, but it was great to learn a little but more about him nearing the end!

I also really loved that even though they didn’t like Heine at first, by the end they saw how dedicated he was to work with/challenge them and help them, compared to their previous tutors who never made much of an effort.

Out of all the princes, Leonhard got the most development over the course of this first volume! He’s always feared tutors since he had a strict tutor when he was young and wants to avoid Heine at all costs. But Heine understands the differing sides to the princes and while Leonhard is still wary, he’s willing to try.

While there was so much I loved about The Royal Tutor, my only minor issue is that I do wish there was more background on the world. A lot of general info was given, but it would have been great to get more (though I’m sure it will be explored more in future volumes).

Hoping to learn more about the Queen, get a little more depth to the princes + 1st prince too, who was only mentioned briefly in the beginning!

I also managed to watch the first 3 episodes of the anime along with Volume 1 & I really loved it! It does add in maybe 1 or 2 scenes that are different from the manga (from what I remember), but I loved it so much & am hoping to watch more along with the other volumes! ❤ ❤

The Royal Tutors definitely makes it into the list of my new favorite mangas! I cannot wait to read volume 2!

The Royal Tutor is fast-paced, comedic manga that will have the pages flying by as Heine gets to know the 4 princes! With non-stop humor, great character-development and a few twists and turns along the way, this manga is a great start to a new series!

Warcross by Marie Lu ARC Review

Warcross by Marie Lu (Warcross #1)

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons BYR

Release Date: September 12, 2017

Pages: 368

Summary: For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

My Rating:★★★★★

My Thoughts: This action-packed masterpiece is filled with intrigue, phenomenal setting, characters, and plot, Warcross immerses you from page 1!

I flew through this book in less than a day and want to go back and read it all over again!😭✨

Everything, from the world to plot, characters, etc. that Marie Lu constructed was absolute genius!~😭❤️❤️

Warcross was a novel I went into with super high expectations, b/c obviously its Marie Lu (one of my all-time favorite authors) + I love video games/gaming! So its pretty obvious I was stoked about this book and it did not disappoint!

From the very beginning you are transported to this bright, colorful and intriguing story following Emika (Emi) Chen. She catches criminals for a living and is a brilliant hacker.

With her father having passed away, absentee mother, and one else to care for her, Emika works as a bounty hunter for the police to just get by. The novel starts off with her tracking down a gambler in the streets of Manhattan.

With the wide-spread popularity and accessibility of Warcross, rules are set up by the government to prevent players from gambling through it. And Emika finds herself catching these gamblers, among other people who use Warcross illegally!

However the hunt doesn’t go quite as planned and she doesn’t walk away with the money she needs. With roughly $13 left to her name, she’s unsure of what to do. To make matters worse, she has an eviction notice on the apartment she shares with her roommate Keira. With all the stress she’s under, to escape the real world for a little, she enters Warcross.

But after hacking herself into Warcross, she finds herself becoming an overnight celebrity and gets a call from Hideo Tanaka, her childhood idol + creator of Warcross!

Then, she’s headed to Tokyo to meet Tanaka because as it turns out, he needs her help as a bounty hunter to spy on this year’s Warcross tournament! Not only to find out about a hacker infiltrating the game, but also put an end to whatever they may be planning.

There is so much heart to this novel and you can clearly see it through Marie’s writing + Emika’s POV with the vibrant world building, clever gaming references (that I definitely picked up on), plot, setting, dialogue, everything!!

Another aspect of the world I really loved, was the futuristic tech introduced which had the ability to translate different languages, among other things and just seeing the impact of this technology on so many people was fascinating!~

Marie really brings the game of Warcross to life and after finishing this book, I wish it was real! 😭✨🕹🎮❤️💛💜

The plot itself goes in directions I was not expecting and there is so much intrigue, mystery, action/adventure and Marie balances all those aspects perfectly!

I loved all the characters equally and loved that there was tons of diversity in this novel! There’s a character who is in a wheelchair, and characters who are Latinx, Indian, Japanese, Chinese, and gay representation!

My only minor issue, was that I wanted Emika to interact a little more with the side characters, because they were all written so wonderfully and I just really wanted to know more about them.

Because this book doesn’t come out for another month or so, I really want to avoid spoilers, but yes it was phenomenal!

It even pulled me out of my reading slump! The story was fun, fast-paced and just AMAZING!~ ❤

After turning the final page, you’ll be wishing Warcross was real! This fun, fast-paced, action-packed adventure with intrigue, phenomenal character-development and world-building is not one to miss!

+ Keep an eye out on the blog (around release day) for a Warcross Reading Playlist! 😍✨🎧📚

July 2017 Wrap-Up

# Of Books Read: 5

1. One Italian Summer by Keris Stainton

One Italian Summer Full Review

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Release Date: May 4, 2017

Pages: 245

My Rating:★★★☆☆ ½

Overall Thoughts: There was a strong theme of sisterly bonding between the the 3 sisters Milly, Elise & Leonie throughout the whole novel which I loved, as they take a trip to Italy w/ their mother to celebrate a relative’s wedding. There’s also a theme of grief as the girls come to terms with their father’s death. Stainton really captured and kept the themes of sisterly-love + grief throughout the whole novel. However, there is a romance that I felt began to overshadow the plot (since its told through 1st person POV) + the atmosphere of Italy wasn’t quite there and I was hoping for a little more description. Aside from that, it was a pretty enjoyable YA Summer Contemporary!

2. This Is How It Happened by Paula Stokes

This Is How It Happened Full Review

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: July 11, 2017

Pages: 384

My Rating:★★★★☆ 

Overall Thoughts: Genevieve Larsen comes to terms with her boyfriend Dallas Kade’s death in this YA Contemporary that discusses mental health, family, friendship, acceptance, and the impact of social media/internet! Kade was an up-and-coming singer and his fans mourned for his loss. Gen learns to accept and cope when truths come to light about what happened.While there were some moments of slow pacing + the romance feeling a little rushed, Stokes’s YA Contemporaries always manage to integrate a number of themes and topics into her novels that give them such depth!

3. The Library Of Fates by Aditi Khorana

The Library Of Fates Full ARC Review

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: July 18, 2017

Pages: 354

My Rating:★★★★☆ ½

Overall Thoughts: The Library Of Fates is a perfect YA Fantasy if your looking for a character-driven +thought-provoking tale! When Princess Amarita’s castle is attacked, she goes on a journey to reclaim her kingdom and change her fate! There’s female friendships, a rich mythology that really shines throughout the novel, and little to no romance! The plot kept me surprised with each and every page! While there were a few moments of slow pacing towards the middle + wanting a little more expansion on world/characters, Khorana’s novel was a tale that immersed me from the very beginning!

4. Lucky In Love by Kasie West

Lucky In Love Full ARC Review

Publisher: Scholastic

Release Date: July 25, 2017

Pages: 333

My Rating:★★★★☆ ½

Overall Thoughts: Maddie’s life changes when she wins the lottery, however she makes some mistakes along the way as she is so overwhelmed with all the money she has! There’s a cute friendship/romance that develops with Seth Nguyen (one of Maddie’s co-workers), discussion on finances/financial struggles, + themes of friendship & family. While some of Maddie’s decisions did frustrate me, this novel is a fun and fast-paced contemporary that will have the pages flying by!

5. No More Heroes by Michelle Kan

No More Heroes Full Review

Publisher: CreateSpace Publishing

Release Date: June 27, 2015

Pages: 265

My Rating:★★★★☆ ½

Overall Thoughts: No More Heroes is a perfect read if your looking for Urban Fantasy, action, mystery, love superheroes/superpowers, and are looking for a diverse cast of characters! (Seriously there is so much representation ❤ ❤ A majority of the cast are characters of differing ethnicites (Samon, Chinese, Indian, Cambodian + Maori  & characters who identify as aro-ace, gay, genderfluid, have anxiety + ADHD) In the City, we follow 3 teens who have Abilities who find themselves teaming up with Vigilantes (or those who use their Abilities to take down bad guys) as Vigilantes start mysteriously being killed off!  Kan does a fantastic job at building the element of mystery throughout! The world-building is so unique from the setting to the explanation for how the differing Abilities work! There is such a big emphasis on friendship throughout the whole novel + no romance! I did want a little more description/expansion in terms of world+characters, but above all No More Heroes was a unique and fascinating story that has me awaiting a sequel!

Additional Posts + Miscellaneous From This Month:

All Systems Red by Martha Wells Book Review (Originally read in July)

Misc*~ If you didn’t know, I love video games and after so long, I finally got back into playing them again! So, in July what took up a lot of my free time when I wasn’t reading was Fire Emblem Awakening!✨🎮 Its a tactical role-playing game where your a skilled tactician who wakes up from amnesia to find yourself helping out a prince, his sister and their guard in their fantasy kingdom of Ylissie as you defend the kingdom from monsters! I don’t really wanna give too much of the plot away, but yeah this game is tons of fun! I adore it, the characters, plot, world, everything, one of my new favorite video games for sure!! I made it about 1/2 way through the game in July & I’m hoping to finish it this month!😍💖🎉 ~

No More Heroes by Michelle Kan Review

No More Heroes by Michelle Kan

Publisher: CreateSpace Publishing

Release Date: June 27, 2015 (Feb. 2017 for 2nd edition)

Pages: 265

Summary: The peaceful nights are kept under the clandestine and watchful eye of young, gifted vigilantes the world over. But a sudden rash of vigilante deaths heralds the arrival of a new and unfamiliar enemy – one whose motive is as unclear as their identity. Someone or something seems determined to disturb the peace, and they’re going straight for the watchmen to do it. In a city where those who are gifted make up their own rules, who will step forward when the threat of a swift end is real and there stands so little to gain?

No More Heroes is an urban fantasy action/adventure novel about young, would-be heroes who get more than they bargained for when they delve deeper into a world they never knew they were a part of. Featuring a diverse cast of players, discord, a mystery to be solved, plenty of literary action and high-stakes battles, No More Heroes is a story about self-belief and camaraderie, persistence in the face of trials, and what it means to be the best version of yourself.

My Rating:★★★★☆ ½

My Thoughts: This action-packed and character-driven urban fantasy, follows a diverse cast of characters who have superpowers! No More Heroes is a tale about friendship and what it means to be a hero!

No More Heroes had me hooked from page 1! Vigilantes (or those who use their Abilites to protect the City) mysteriously seem to be getting killed off 1 by 1!

A group of teen Vigilantes: Clare, Linus, and Mallory (who are fairly new to it), become involved when they rescue Vigilantes (Shockwave +Resonance) from a burning building!

Resonance tells them more about what Vigilantes do, but to stay safe!

Over the course of the novel, Linus, Clare, and Mallory become more involved in this mystery of surrounding the Vigilantes. They soon join Shockwave, Resonance (much to her dismay), and a few other Vigilantes as they uncover more behind who could be behind these attacks.

This novel really put a focus on character development and I loved that so much! There is also so much representation, which is amazing!

There’s Samoan representation (Linus), Chinese (Resonance aka Fang), Indian, Maori+ Cambodian rep.! Also characters who have ADHD (Clare) and anxiety (Resonance). There was also characters who identify as aro-ace, gay and genderfluid!

I also really felt connected to Resonance as it gets mentioned that she has anxiety! As the novel progressed, I picked up on certain actions/moments that showed Resonance’s anxiety, but no matter what she pushed on and continued to be a strong leader, despite it! Even when she encountered some obstacles along the way,  she was so brave and so determined to keep her friends safe!

With the mystery that surrounds who’s been killing off the Vigilantes, I was surprised when it gets revealed! Kan did a great job at keeping the element of mystery present throughout the story!

As for world building I found it to be so unique. The novel takes place in the City, a fictional city that has numerous skyscrapers, buildings, etc. and has a mainly cool/foggy weather. It was fascinating and with night being a big element of the setting I felt it really added to the mysterious tone of the story! Continuing with the world building, I also loved the explanation for why Vigilantes mainly work at night-time/evening (b/c a theory suggests that the night enhances Abilities). It was an additional little tidbit of info, but for me it added much more to the knowledge of Abilities and above all the direction Kan took with superpowers/abilities was so unique!

+ I really loved Clare’s ability (being able to travel through fog) it was so unique and I loved learning more about it!

Also if your looking for a novel with no romance, this is the book for you! No More Heroes really focused on its characters + story and friendship was a theme present throughout the whole novel.

I loved the friendship/dynamic between Clare, Linus & Mal so much ❤ ❤ (+ Shockwave/Resonance)!!  Its clear from the very beginning that they are all looking out for one another and have each other’s backs! While I really loved Clare + Linus’s dynamic, it would have been great to get more between Mal + Clare too, but I loved their dynamic all the same!

As the story progressed, there was also expansion on some of the older/ more experienced Vigilante’s motives which touched upon some characters showing morally grey sides/elements of antihero and that really added another layer of depth to these characters who already had so many differing sides to them.

While I am usually pretty hesitant with 3rd person narration, Kan did a fantastic job! It really helped to expand on the large cast of characters and overall went perfectly with the story! I do hope for future novels there is more development + expansion on the characters! I really loved each of them, but felt I needed to known so much more about them~

As to why I took off 1/2 a star: I wish there was more description/expansion on the City! Its such a fascinating setting and it would have been great to get more development + same goes for the characters (as mentioned above)! I adored them and felt they were all so unique & amazing, I just wanted to learn more about them~ ❤

With the way the novel wraps up, it sets up for a great sequel! I’ve read online that there is another novel in the works and I’m so happy about that b/c I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to these characters and the fascinating world just yet! :’)

No More Heroes is a perfect read if your looking to get into urban fantasy or really love stories about superheroes! This novel is filled with diverse characters, action, perfectly planned mysteries, fantastic character dynamics, emphasis on friendships and above all a fun and fascinating plot that will keep you turning the page!

Lucky In Love by Kasie West ARC Review

Lucky In Love by Kasie West

Publisher: Scholastic

Release Date: July 25, 2017

Pages: 333

Summary: In this new contemporary from YA star Kasie West, a girl who wins the lottery learns that money can cause more problems than it solves, especially when love comes into the picture.

Maddie doesn’t believe in luck. She’s all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment —

She wins!

In a flash, Maddie’s life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she’s talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun… until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now, Maddie isn’t sure who she can trust.

Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn’t seem aware of Maddie’s big news. And, for some reason, she doesn’t want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret?

With tons of humor and heart, Kasie West delivers a million-dollar tale of winning, losing, and falling in love.

*Got ARC from a festival*

My Rating:★★★★☆ ½

My Thoughts: Lucky In Love is a fun+ fast-paced YA Contemporary that follows Maddie as her life changes when she wins the lottery!

I read my first Kasie West book last year, P.S. I Like You and absolutely loved it! So, of course I was super excited to read her next novel Lucky In Love! ❤ 

Maddie is a planner and focused on school, prepping for college and hoping she gets into her dream university! She loves her job at the zoo and hanging out with Seth Nguyen ❤

However, her family’s finances are quite tight. It causes quite a bit of problems, with her parents getting into arguments + her brother still having debt.

And her birthday doesn’t go quite as planned! Her best friends Blaire+ Elise had other responsibilites, her parents continue to argue about finances, among other academic/financial anxieties, she decides to head to her local mini-mart!

When she wins $30 million after getting a lottery ticket there later in the evening, her life changes! She can now pay for college, support her family, and so much more, yet it comes with some downsides.

I loved the discussion/inclusion of financial struggles that people face + how it can impact a family!

Once Maddie wins the money, one of the popular girls at school, Trina is recommending she should splurge and have fun! Trina had good intentions, but I felt it just caused problems for Maddie.

While I understand Maddie being overwhelmed with the money she’s just received, I couldn’t help but be frustrated with her at times too b/c she blindly followed what people wanted /expected her to do with her own money (like paying more than she needed to for a car + buying other expensive things she knew she didn’t really want)!!

The whole time I was like: “No dummy \0/ don’t listen to them! Just do what you think is best!!”

Her parents were recommending her to get a financial adviser + friends recommending her to spend wisely, but no one really helped her go through with it, so she was left making decisions on her own. She was not being guided at all, which led to many of her problems!

Her friends were by her side, as novel progresses, but she (mainly towards the middle/end but gets resolved <3) finds they aren’t making time for her and believe she’s changed. So, Maddie finds herself hanging out with Trina more.

It made sense cause she felt her friends were abandoning her, however it just caused me to be more frustrated b/c Trina would keep telling her how she should spend her money and Maddie, a majority of the time just followed what she or others would say.

Well aside from that, I really loved the romance! It’s clear that Maddie has a crush on Seth and I loved their adorable banter/friendship throughout the novel! + It was great to read more diversity in Wests’s books! (Vietnamese rep. + exploring the impact of finances)

While it may seem that this novel is romance heavy, it really isn’t! It really focuses on Maddie and her journey with her lottery win + school + college, etc!

I understood when Maddie felt the need to not tell Seth about her lottery win, with all that was happening, it made sense, yet I completely understood when she felt guilty about it too! With their friendship continuing to grow, she felt she wasn’t being fully honest.

In addition to the adorable romance + while I was a little frustrated with some of her decisions sometimes :’) Overall reading from Maddie’s pov was great! She was so kind + trusting (even if there were times it got her into financial issues)! I felt connected to her character + just wanted her to finally understand what the best decision was for her + her lottery money.

She was very focused in her schoolwork & getting into college but also wants the best for her family now that she’s won the lottery, but even when the money caused her some troubles/issues along the way, she kept moving forward! However, she learns to focus more on herself and what she wants in life and put herself first more often (whether it has to do with college, her money, or other things).

While it may seem like I was pretty frustrated with this book 😂 Overall I really enjoyed it! ✨🍀💕

Lucky In Love is a perfect YA Contemporary if your looking for a fast-paced and fun read! Following Maddie and her lottery win, there are themes of family, friendship, finding one’s self + the perfect mix of romance!
Definitely recommend checking this book out!