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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
If you’re into a high school bully trope, then this would be a great book for you. You have the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks who just wants to survive high school and get out of dodge. You also have the ultra-rich elitist kids from the rival high school that mostly think only about themselves and their social status.
I don’t normally read high school tropes, but it was written by LJ Shen, one of my go-to authors so I had to dive in. It took a hot minute to get into the hormonal high schoolers but once I did, I could not put this book down!
Penn was by far my favorite character. To say his home life was horrendous is an understatement. But I loved how he kept pushing through everything that was thrown at him. I loved his inner monologue. At the end when I found out why he called Daria “Scull Eyes” was everything!
Daria was every bit the spoiled and vicious princess. I didn’t like her at first but then after I was able to dive more into her character, my heart broke for her. There was so much growth to this character from start to finish. I was so happy that she and Penn - after a lot of angst - were able to get their HEA.
I think my favorite part of this book was the last scene at the Snake Pit. I’m not going to drop any spoilers but suffice it to say it was absolutely perfect!
There were so many great secondary characters and I look forward to reading their stories in the rest of the series.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I don’t normally read high school tropes, but it was written by LJ Shen, one of my go-to authors so I had to dive in. It took a hot minute to get into the hormonal high schoolers but once I did, I could not put this book down!
Penn was by far my favorite character. To say his home life was horrendous is an understatement. But I loved how he kept pushing through everything that was thrown at him. I loved his inner monologue. At the end when I found out why he called Daria “Scull Eyes” was everything!
Daria was every bit the spoiled and vicious princess. I didn’t like her at first but then after I was able to dive more into her character, my heart broke for her. There was so much growth to this character from start to finish. I was so happy that she and Penn - after a lot of angst - were able to get their HEA.
I think my favorite part of this book was the last scene at the Snake Pit. I’m not going to drop any spoilers but suffice it to say it was absolutely perfect!
There were so many great secondary characters and I look forward to reading their stories in the rest of the series.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Is there anything that this author cannot write?
Every book that this author has written I have gobbled up as if her words were cheese and I was the mouse. Her gift with words is truly the stuff of legends. She is the Babe Ruth of writing and while there are many in the game she is the true MVP. It doesn't matter what the genre she writes she picks up the gauntlet and runs with it. This book was just another example of hitting a grand slam.
To say that I have been looking forward to this story would be an understatement. At first, I wasn't sure if it was because I just loved the men of All Saint's High so much that I didn't want them to ever go away. Gradually, it became so much more. The teasers and anticipation had me needing to know answers. In particular, how could the child of my favorite Hothole (Jaime) have a daughter such as Daria? Entitled I could see but a mean girl. Never. This story breaks it down. I loved the glimpses of the hotholes and especially Jaime and Mel again(because let me be frank I LOVED them and anything about them is food for my soul) but I really loved watching the dynamic between the kids. The kids remind me so much of their parents. Which again, surprised me considering that Daria could be a mean girl. Yet, she is so much more than that. This story reminds me that not everything is as it seems and not always is the grass greener on the other side of the fence.
I found myself reading certain chapters from various perspectives, (Melody's in particular at a time I REALLY needed to understand her actions concerning her daughter--nice touch to the author on this one) and would find myself so caught up in the moment that I later realized that I had tears sliding down my cheek. Who can do that? This author can it seems. This is a story filled with angst, betrayal, and heartbreak juxtaposed with butterflies, redemption, and love. In a nutshell, this story blew the others out of the park. I say that with every LJ Shen book but this one felt different. The hotholes might have been the start of all this (literally and figuratively) but these kids are going to leave them all in the dust.
Daria and Penn were perfect. Truly perfect. They will make you fall in love while simultaneously break your heart. They will remind you that sometimes not everyone is your enemy. They will also make you see why there was something so precious about the movie Lady and the Tramp. I was right to love Daria even when others were quick to misunderstand her. People tend to lash out when they are on the defensive.
I recommend anyone that reads this to be prepared for a bumpy ride. It will be rough but trust me when I say the wait for this book was worth it. I cannot wait for the next book, if what is think is happening with Knight, Luna, and Vaughn then I am one happy girl.
Every book that this author has written I have gobbled up as if her words were cheese and I was the mouse. Her gift with words is truly the stuff of legends. She is the Babe Ruth of writing and while there are many in the game she is the true MVP. It doesn't matter what the genre she writes she picks up the gauntlet and runs with it. This book was just another example of hitting a grand slam.
To say that I have been looking forward to this story would be an understatement. At first, I wasn't sure if it was because I just loved the men of All Saint's High so much that I didn't want them to ever go away. Gradually, it became so much more. The teasers and anticipation had me needing to know answers. In particular, how could the child of my favorite Hothole (Jaime) have a daughter such as Daria? Entitled I could see but a mean girl. Never. This story breaks it down. I loved the glimpses of the hotholes and especially Jaime and Mel again(because let me be frank I LOVED them and anything about them is food for my soul) but I really loved watching the dynamic between the kids. The kids remind me so much of their parents. Which again, surprised me considering that Daria could be a mean girl. Yet, she is so much more than that. This story reminds me that not everything is as it seems and not always is the grass greener on the other side of the fence.
I found myself reading certain chapters from various perspectives, (Melody's in particular at a time I REALLY needed to understand her actions concerning her daughter--nice touch to the author on this one) and would find myself so caught up in the moment that I later realized that I had tears sliding down my cheek. Who can do that? This author can it seems. This is a story filled with angst, betrayal, and heartbreak juxtaposed with butterflies, redemption, and love. In a nutshell, this story blew the others out of the park. I say that with every LJ Shen book but this one felt different. The hotholes might have been the start of all this (literally and figuratively) but these kids are going to leave them all in the dust.
Daria and Penn were perfect. Truly perfect. They will make you fall in love while simultaneously break your heart. They will remind you that sometimes not everyone is your enemy. They will also make you see why there was something so precious about the movie Lady and the Tramp. I was right to love Daria even when others were quick to misunderstand her. People tend to lash out when they are on the defensive.
I recommend anyone that reads this to be prepared for a bumpy ride. It will be rough but trust me when I say the wait for this book was worth it. I cannot wait for the next book, if what is think is happening with Knight, Luna, and Vaughn then I am one happy girl.
Is there anything that this author cannot write?
Every book that this author has written I have gobbled up as if her words were cheese and I was the mouse. Her gift with words is truly the stuff of legends. She is the Babe Ruth of writing and while there are many in the game she is the true MVP. It doesn't matter what the genre she writes she picks up the gauntlet and runs with it. This book was just another example of hitting a grand slam.
To say that I have been looking forward to this story would be an understatement. At first, I wasn't sure if it was because I just loved the men of All Saint's High so much that I didn't want them to ever go away. Gradually, it became so much more. The teasers and anticipation had me needing to know answers. In particular, how could the child of my favorite Hothole (Jaime) have a daughter such as Daria? Entitled I could see but a mean girl. Never. This story breaks it down. I loved the glimpses of the hotholes and especially Jaime and Mel again(because let me be frank I LOVED them and anything about them is food for my soul) but I really loved watching the dynamic between the kids. The kids remind me so much of their parents. Which again, surprised me considering that Daria could be a mean girl. Yet, she is so much more than that. This story reminds me that not everything is as it seems and not always is the grass greener on the other side of the fence.
I found myself reading certain chapters from various perspectives, (Melody's in particular at a time I REALLY needed to understand her actions concerning her daughter--nice touch to the author on this one) and would find myself so caught up in the moment that I later realized that I had tears sliding down my cheek. Who can do that? This author can it seems. This is a story filled with angst, betrayal, and heartbreak juxtaposed with butterflies, redemption, and love. In a nutshell, this story blew the others out of the park. I say that with every LJ Shen book but this one felt different. The hotholes might have been the start of all this (literally and figuratively) but these kids are going to leave them all in the dust.
Daria and Penn were perfect. Truly perfect. They will make you fall in love while simultaneously break your heart. They will remind you that sometimes not everyone is your enemy. They will also make you see why there was something so precious about the movie Lady and the Tramp. I was right to love Daria even when others were quick to misunderstand her. People tend to lash out when they are on the defensive.
I recommend anyone that reads this to be prepared for a bumpy ride. It will be rough but trust me when I say the wait for this book was worth it. I cannot wait for the next book, if what is think is happening with Knight, Luna, and Vaughn then I am one happy girl.
Every book that this author has written I have gobbled up as if her words were cheese and I was the mouse. Her gift with words is truly the stuff of legends. She is the Babe Ruth of writing and while there are many in the game she is the true MVP. It doesn't matter what the genre she writes she picks up the gauntlet and runs with it. This book was just another example of hitting a grand slam.
To say that I have been looking forward to this story would be an understatement. At first, I wasn't sure if it was because I just loved the men of All Saint's High so much that I didn't want them to ever go away. Gradually, it became so much more. The teasers and anticipation had me needing to know answers. In particular, how could the child of my favorite Hothole (Jaime) have a daughter such as Daria? Entitled I could see but a mean girl. Never. This story breaks it down. I loved the glimpses of the hotholes and especially Jaime and Mel again(because let me be frank I LOVED them and anything about them is food for my soul) but I really loved watching the dynamic between the kids. The kids remind me so much of their parents. Which again, surprised me considering that Daria could be a mean girl. Yet, she is so much more than that. This story reminds me that not everything is as it seems and not always is the grass greener on the other side of the fence.
I found myself reading certain chapters from various perspectives, (Melody's in particular at a time I REALLY needed to understand her actions concerning her daughter--nice touch to the author on this one) and would find myself so caught up in the moment that I later realized that I had tears sliding down my cheek. Who can do that? This author can it seems. This is a story filled with angst, betrayal, and heartbreak juxtaposed with butterflies, redemption, and love. In a nutshell, this story blew the others out of the park. I say that with every LJ Shen book but this one felt different. The hotholes might have been the start of all this (literally and figuratively) but these kids are going to leave them all in the dust.
Daria and Penn were perfect. Truly perfect. They will make you fall in love while simultaneously break your heart. They will remind you that sometimes not everyone is your enemy. They will also make you see why there was something so precious about the movie Lady and the Tramp. I was right to love Daria even when others were quick to misunderstand her. People tend to lash out when they are on the defensive.
I recommend anyone that reads this to be prepared for a bumpy ride. It will be rough but trust me when I say the wait for this book was worth it. I cannot wait for the next book, if what is think is happening with Knight, Luna, and Vaughn then I am one happy girl.
Thank you to Bloom, L.J. Shen, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of Pretty Reckless in exchange for an honest review.
The character development in this book? Fire. If there is one thing that I love about any good book is that there is always solid character development. Where the character starts at the beginning of the book is vasty different from where they end up when the book comes to a close. The same can be said for Daria and Penn. Both characters are greatly misunderstood at the beginning of the book. Yet their journeys demonstrate just why you should not judge a book by its cover or a person based on what they appear to be. When a chance meeting gets vastly out of hand, Daria and Penn go down a path of hatred. But what happens when circumstances force them to live together, albeit unwillingly? One thing I really appreciated about this book is that the two of them really saw each other, and the different difficulties that they were each going through. Neither let their feelings cloud their opinions on the other person's situation. They are willing to go above and beyond to help each other out when they need it, and everything about their relationship feelings natural. To anyone who is a fan of going on a journey of personal growth with the characters, I highly recommend this book.
The character development in this book? Fire. If there is one thing that I love about any good book is that there is always solid character development. Where the character starts at the beginning of the book is vasty different from where they end up when the book comes to a close. The same can be said for Daria and Penn. Both characters are greatly misunderstood at the beginning of the book. Yet their journeys demonstrate just why you should not judge a book by its cover or a person based on what they appear to be. When a chance meeting gets vastly out of hand, Daria and Penn go down a path of hatred. But what happens when circumstances force them to live together, albeit unwillingly? One thing I really appreciated about this book is that the two of them really saw each other, and the different difficulties that they were each going through. Neither let their feelings cloud their opinions on the other person's situation. They are willing to go above and beyond to help each other out when they need it, and everything about their relationship feelings natural. To anyone who is a fan of going on a journey of personal growth with the characters, I highly recommend this book.
I had this book on my wishlist for a while and received it from a book exchange (with broken knight as well). And let me tell you if you are a fan of shows like Gossip girls and Euphoria as well as bully romance than you will love this series!
This book was a wild ride and I was here for it! You have drama, angst, tension, romance and families that will do anything for their own. I loved seeing chapters from the parents point of view it was unique and oh so good!
Daria is a “mean” girl in reality she is just honest and has no filter. Underneath her tough exterior is a girl looking for love and approval from her mother. Penn grew up on the “other side of the tracks” he has watched Daria from afar for a while until he encounters her alone and they have a moment and share a kiss and a secret. But when Penns sister goes missing he blames Daria and sets out to make her life miserable.
Penn and Daria have a toxic relationship at the beginning and I am here for it! When Penn starts to see through Daria and her tough exterior he has internal struggles with what he set out to do to her. I loved watching Penn struggle with hate and love. When he realizes his sister isn’t all he thought she was you can see him struggle with love for family and his love for Daria. And Daria my girl has been through it all and she still comes out so strong. Let me tell you Penn knew how to grovel!!
I read this book so fast that I read the whole series in one weekend! I need to read the first generation series
This book was a wild ride and I was here for it! You have drama, angst, tension, romance and families that will do anything for their own. I loved seeing chapters from the parents point of view it was unique and oh so good!
Daria is a “mean” girl in reality she is just honest and has no filter. Underneath her tough exterior is a girl looking for love and approval from her mother. Penn grew up on the “other side of the tracks” he has watched Daria from afar for a while until he encounters her alone and they have a moment and share a kiss and a secret. But when Penns sister goes missing he blames Daria and sets out to make her life miserable.
Penn and Daria have a toxic relationship at the beginning and I am here for it! When Penn starts to see through Daria and her tough exterior he has internal struggles with what he set out to do to her. I loved watching Penn struggle with hate and love. When he realizes his sister isn’t all he thought she was you can see him struggle with love for family and his love for Daria. And Daria my girl has been through it all and she still comes out so strong. Let me tell you Penn knew how to grovel!!
I read this book so fast that I read the whole series in one weekend! I need to read the first generation series
Penn & Daria
It had a trying beginning, but I ended up loving it!
It had a trying beginning, but I ended up loving it!
I genuinely loved this book so much, however, THIS WAS SO LONG. I was indifferent but the multiple POVs, this book need multiple trigger warnings that I don't remember reading, please be advised while reading this. Penn is such a cute name and character. Daria is the bad B*** queen bee you wish you could be.
Oh man, das war glaube ich einfach nicht mein Buch. Ich habe mich wirklich sehr schwer getan mit dieser Geschichte und ich glaube, hätte ich es nicht als Hörbuch gehört, hätte ich das Buch nicht unbedingt beendet. Ich finde die Grundidee der Geschichte wirklich interessant und es behandelt auch Themen und Charakterzüge, von denen ich so noch nichts gelesen habe, weshalb ich wirklich gespannt war, aber im Endeffekt hat mir das ganze Buch nicht zugesagt. Die Hauptprotagonisten waren ganz okay, aber alle anderen sind mir eigentlich auf die Nerven gegangen. Ich habe mich in dem ganzen Setting nicht wirklich wohl gefühlt und wurde einfach nicht warm mit den Geschehnissen. Einzelne Stellen fand ich ganz nett und das Ende war meiner Meinung nach auch gut gelöst. Insgesamt war es also leider wirklich nicht mein Buch, verschiedene Aspekte waren aber ganz okay.
⭐️ 5 "Skull Eyes" Stars ⭐️
If you’ve read The Sinner of Saint Series, you’ve probably been waiting for The All Saints High Series with eagerness! Pretty Reckless absolutely lived up to the hype!! L.J. Shen created amazing multi-faceted protagonists with Daria and Penn, brought the angst and high school drama, but also offered emotional as well as amusing moments. Her beautiful prose and unique voice made this read unputdownable and captivating!
"You think you are so fake
But you're the realest thing I've ever seen
Painful to watch
Beautiful to see
Shattering to touch"
At first view, Daria Followhill is a true queen bee: popular, captain of the cheerleader team, conniving and a bitch! I love reading about these kind of characters, because of the growth possibility during the story. It’s exactly what this book is about. It would be so easy to hate Daria’s mean personality, but with each page I got to understand how she feels and the reasons behind her actions. She’s far from the perfect girl she appears to be. Under her armor, she’s insecure and jealous.
Penn can relate to her, because he’s the same. He’s considered a rebel and difficult teenage boy, but deep inside he’s such a great guy. His true self is so apparent when he first meets Daria when they’re fourteen. They’re complete opposites, but they share a moment of true connection.
"You were never a drizzle Penn Scully. When I fell for you, you came beating down, and I felt you everywhere. You were hail."
When he comes to live with Daria’s family four years later, it’s only animosity between them. Penn certainly has a cocky side I particularly enjoyed and antagonizes Daria like it’s not possible. He’s still hurt by her actions of years before and doesn’t miss a chance to provoke her. They’re sworn enemies, but the see behind the façade each other shows to their crowd. Living with the Followhills make Penn see how Daria truly feels about her home life and most particularly her difficult relationship with her mother. He sees her insecurities. The growing of their relationship is captivating and well-paced. You get the angst, passion, heartbreak and beauty of these two.
This novel isn’t all about this amazing couple. We also get to see our beloved Hotholes and their children. We get to learn more about Vaughn, Knight and Luna and it only make things more exciting for the next novels. Knight is a real buffoon, so similar to his father. Vaughn’s moody and intriguing nature is so magnetic. Luna with her goodness is intriguing too!
"You rise up to the circumstances when they are presented to you. We are so much stronger than we think we are. But sometimes, we go through decades without having a reason to be tested."
Overall, Pretty Reckless was everything I expected and more! It kept me hooked all read long and gave me all the feels. L.J. Shen started The All Saints High Series with a bang and I just want more of all the gang!
**ARC received in exchange for an honest review **