Take a photo of a barcode or cover
_everysecondbook's Reviews (239)
[4.5/5 stars]
"Another thing about the rules
They weren't meant to be broken.
They were meant for the broken
to follow."
This novel is so powerful and impactful, and the fact that it's written in verse suits it so well.
This story follows Will, a teenage boy who's older brother was shot and killed by an unknown shooter. Will then follows the three rules: don't cry, don't snitch, get revenge. He takes it upon himself to kill the person he is convinced killed his brother. This book takes place in an elevator, over sixty seconds, during which Will comes face-to-face with people from his past.
I personally love poetry, so I cannot say if this had any influence on how much I enjoyed this story. But I will say that I think this book being written in verse is what gives it so much beauty and power. I think it is what makes it so impactful. I truly felt everything for this character. When he described his brother's death, it resonated with me on such a high level, something I've truly never felt when reading a novel in verse.
Although it is a different style of writing, I believe the author does a beautiful job of connected you with Will, and his personal struggle. Although this is something I could never imagine, and a struggle I cannot personally identify with, I felt connected to Will, which I think is something incredibly important.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in looking inside the mind of someone going through something so unimaginable and dark. It is truly a powerful and intense read, but is also so important.
"Another thing about the rules
They weren't meant to be broken.
They were meant for the broken
to follow."
This novel is so powerful and impactful, and the fact that it's written in verse suits it so well.
This story follows Will, a teenage boy who's older brother was shot and killed by an unknown shooter. Will then follows the three rules: don't cry, don't snitch, get revenge. He takes it upon himself to kill the person he is convinced killed his brother. This book takes place in an elevator, over sixty seconds, during which Will comes face-to-face with people from his past.
I personally love poetry, so I cannot say if this had any influence on how much I enjoyed this story. But I will say that I think this book being written in verse is what gives it so much beauty and power. I think it is what makes it so impactful. I truly felt everything for this character. When he described his brother's death, it resonated with me on such a high level, something I've truly never felt when reading a novel in verse.
Although it is a different style of writing, I believe the author does a beautiful job of connected you with Will, and his personal struggle. Although this is something I could never imagine, and a struggle I cannot personally identify with, I felt connected to Will, which I think is something incredibly important.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in looking inside the mind of someone going through something so unimaginable and dark. It is truly a powerful and intense read, but is also so important.
[5/5 stars, ADORABLE]
THIS BOOK WAS 56 PAGES OF MUSHY ROMANCE AND I LOVED IT
This graphic novel is short but sweet (literally the sweetest). And I am obsessed with the way the author handled the diversity in this, and by handled I mean, treated it like anything else. I love how the diversity was handled in this, it is truly one of my favourite aspects of this story.
This story follows Hazel, a bisexual woman who's in a polyamorous relationship, and is currently visiting her parents. While on this visit, she meets Argent, a gay dominatrix, and their love blossoms like the most beautiful of flowers.
The only issue I had with this is the fact that Argent has two tattoos on each knee, of bees, and literally NO ONE MADE THE JOKE OF THE BEES KNEES.
This story is just so fantastic and I encourage everyone to read it. It took me fourteen and a half minutes (seriously, I timed myself), surely you can take fourteen and a half minutes out of your life to read this adorable, diverse story.
THIS BOOK WAS 56 PAGES OF MUSHY ROMANCE AND I LOVED IT
This graphic novel is short but sweet (literally the sweetest). And I am obsessed with the way the author handled the diversity in this, and by handled I mean, treated it like anything else. I love how the diversity was handled in this, it is truly one of my favourite aspects of this story.
This story follows Hazel, a bisexual woman who's in a polyamorous relationship, and is currently visiting her parents. While on this visit, she meets Argent, a gay dominatrix, and their love blossoms like the most beautiful of flowers.
The only issue I had with this is the fact that Argent has two tattoos on each knee, of bees, and literally NO ONE MADE THE JOKE OF THE BEES KNEES.
This story is just so fantastic and I encourage everyone to read it. It took me fourteen and a half minutes (seriously, I timed myself), surely you can take fourteen and a half minutes out of your life to read this adorable, diverse story.
[4.5/5 stars]
DO NOT READ THIS STORY IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH SEXUAL CONTENT OR ILLUSTRATIONS
I like this graphic novel waaaaaaaaay more than I thought I would. I picked it up randomly when I was in a bookstore look for Archie (go figure). I went into it thinking it would be a fun, three star read, and I actually loved this story. Plus I was actually laughing, out loud, which rarely happens to me with books.
The main thing that drew me to this was the concept. We follow Suzie, for whom orgasms stop time, yup you heard me. Every time she has an orgasm, time around her freezes. Then she meets Jon, someone who has the same thing happen to him. So ~obviously~ they take this new found relationship and use it to rob banks. There is sex, there is robbery, there are sex police, it is hilarious, what's not to love?
One of the things I really enjoy about this story is the openness about sex. It is not a taboo subject at all, I mean, it is called sex criminals. But it also slightly addresses issues in the world of sexual education, and the reputations that come with being so open about sex during certain points in your life. There were also some graphic illustrations in here so be aware of that it if is something that makes you uncomfortable.
The only issue I had was that I was slightly confused at times. The book tends to jump around time periods, and sometimes it took me a minute to figure out if we were following Suzie or Jon, and if it was past, slightly closer past, or present. But it didn't take long to decipher and once I figured it out I was fine.
If the content of this story is something you are interested in and okay with (ie: graphic sexual content) then I would definitely recommend picking this up. I read it and loved it, my boyfriend read it and loved it, and we are both definitely planning on continuing on with the series.
DO NOT READ THIS STORY IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH SEXUAL CONTENT OR ILLUSTRATIONS
I like this graphic novel waaaaaaaaay more than I thought I would. I picked it up randomly when I was in a bookstore look for Archie (go figure). I went into it thinking it would be a fun, three star read, and I actually loved this story. Plus I was actually laughing, out loud, which rarely happens to me with books.
The main thing that drew me to this was the concept. We follow Suzie, for whom orgasms stop time, yup you heard me. Every time she has an orgasm, time around her freezes. Then she meets Jon, someone who has the same thing happen to him. So ~obviously~ they take this new found relationship and use it to rob banks. There is sex, there is robbery, there are sex police, it is hilarious, what's not to love?
One of the things I really enjoy about this story is the openness about sex. It is not a taboo subject at all, I mean, it is called sex criminals. But it also slightly addresses issues in the world of sexual education, and the reputations that come with being so open about sex during certain points in your life. There were also some graphic illustrations in here so be aware of that it if is something that makes you uncomfortable.
The only issue I had was that I was slightly confused at times. The book tends to jump around time periods, and sometimes it took me a minute to figure out if we were following Suzie or Jon, and if it was past, slightly closer past, or present. But it didn't take long to decipher and once I figured it out I was fine.
If the content of this story is something you are interested in and okay with (ie: graphic sexual content) then I would definitely recommend picking this up. I read it and loved it, my boyfriend read it and loved it, and we are both definitely planning on continuing on with the series.
(4/5 stars)
"You can have whatever therapy-related breakdown you need. I have my chicken. Everybody's happy.
This was a fantastic follow up to the first volume of Sex Criminals. It goes deeper into Jon's past and introduces a whole flock of new side characters. It delves deeper into Jon's mental illness and introduces a new person who has similar abilities.
I did enjoy this, not as much as the first one however. I didn't find it as funny as the first one, I was literally laughing out loud at the first volume. I was also confused for a large portion of the story, when we started following a character we had never seen before. Looking back through it now, I am not confused because I am aware of their presence, but when reading it for the first time, I didn't know who we were following or what their significance was to the story.
I liked the expansion of Jon's mental illness, and I did love the psychologist he began seeing. I didn't understand how some of the side characters were introduced, it seemed quite random, and certain situations were simply used to bring them into the story.
Overall, I really enjoyed this volume of Sex Criminals, and I will continue with this series, probably in the very near future.
"You can have whatever therapy-related breakdown you need. I have my chicken. Everybody's happy.
This was a fantastic follow up to the first volume of Sex Criminals. It goes deeper into Jon's past and introduces a whole flock of new side characters. It delves deeper into Jon's mental illness and introduces a new person who has similar abilities.
I did enjoy this, not as much as the first one however. I didn't find it as funny as the first one, I was literally laughing out loud at the first volume. I was also confused for a large portion of the story, when we started following a character we had never seen before. Looking back through it now, I am not confused because I am aware of their presence, but when reading it for the first time, I didn't know who we were following or what their significance was to the story.
I liked the expansion of Jon's mental illness, and I did love the psychologist he began seeing. I didn't understand how some of the side characters were introduced, it seemed quite random, and certain situations were simply used to bring them into the story.
Overall, I really enjoyed this volume of Sex Criminals, and I will continue with this series, probably in the very near future.
(4/5 stars)
"I'm Jory and I really have no idea what is happening right now"
This was a fun, light-hearted read that I really enjoyed. It really made no sense, but made lots of sense at the same time, and I felt confused and not confused all at once while reading it. It was definitely one of the most bizarre things I've ever read, but nevertheless I still thought it was fantastic.
This story follows a group known as the backstagers, a group of teens that runs the backstage of their all-boys school's drama productions. It begins with Jory, a new student at the school, interested in joining the school play, but because of two very intimidating leads, ends up backstage and joins the crew.
Sounds like a fairly normal, typical story about a high school club right? WRONG! Because when you get backstage, there are doors, and tunnels, and bridges, all that lead to other doors, and tunnels, and bridges. There is a missing group of backstagers from 1987, there is an entire, fantastical world backstage that literally no one knows about, and half of which hasn't even been explored yet.
This story takes so many random turns, but in a good way. I really enjoyed the story, and the world that it takes place in. It is a pretty funny read, and heart-warming at times. I definitely plan on reading volume two pretty soon, because it does end on a bit of a cliff-hanger.
"I'm Jory and I really have no idea what is happening right now"
This was a fun, light-hearted read that I really enjoyed. It really made no sense, but made lots of sense at the same time, and I felt confused and not confused all at once while reading it. It was definitely one of the most bizarre things I've ever read, but nevertheless I still thought it was fantastic.
This story follows a group known as the backstagers, a group of teens that runs the backstage of their all-boys school's drama productions. It begins with Jory, a new student at the school, interested in joining the school play, but because of two very intimidating leads, ends up backstage and joins the crew.
Sounds like a fairly normal, typical story about a high school club right? WRONG! Because when you get backstage, there are doors, and tunnels, and bridges, all that lead to other doors, and tunnels, and bridges. There is a missing group of backstagers from 1987, there is an entire, fantastical world backstage that literally no one knows about, and half of which hasn't even been explored yet.
This story takes so many random turns, but in a good way. I really enjoyed the story, and the world that it takes place in. It is a pretty funny read, and heart-warming at times. I definitely plan on reading volume two pretty soon, because it does end on a bit of a cliff-hanger.
Reread: 21/02/18 (audiobook)
(5/5 stars)
"Why is straight the default"
I FREAKING LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH. If you asked me why I rated this book four stars six months ago, I wouldn't be able to tell you, I think because it was one of the first YA contemporary books I ever read, so maybe I didn't know what I was supposed to expect? But I can tell you now that this book is adorable, and so meaningful, and I love it. I didn't actually review it the first time I read it so I'm going to make up for that now.
This story follows Simon, a closeted teenage boy who is pretty okay with how his life is going. He likes his friends, Nick and Leah, he likes his parents, he likes his sisters, Nora and Alice, and he likes his school. The only problem is, none of these people know his secret, he's gay. The only person who knows this is a boy from his school, Blue. Simon and Blue have been emailing back and forth, telling each other things no one else knows about them, like the fact they are both gay. Simon even finds himself starting to fall for Blue. The only issue is, Blue isn't his real name, and Simon is signing his email with Jacques. And then when a fellow theatre club actor starts to blackmail Simon with these emails, Simon has to figure out how much he actually wants to keep this a secret.
I think part of the reason I like this story so much, is the fact that Simon isn't necessarily afraid to come out because he's gay, he is pretty sure everyone will accept him for who he is. It's mostly because he's sick of "coming out". Every time something about him changes, he has to reintroduce himself to the world and he doesn't want to do that anymore.
I also really like the fact that Simon is in theatre club, he has all these friends in theatre club, and then his best friend is on the soccer team and he has friends from that aspect of his life. Then his other best friend has different interests besides, and she has her own friends, and they all sit together at lunch. I often find when reading YA novels set in high school, that it is never really reminiscent of my high school experience, we didn't really have cliques based on your interests, we all just had friends. I found this story to be relatable in that sense.
I also quickly have to shoutout one of my favourite side characters from this book: Ms. Albright. She is genuinely who I aspire to be as a teacher. And one of my favourite quotes from the book is "Just know those assholes are getting suspended. I'm not even kidding. I will make it my hill to die on"
While I read the physical book the first time and loved it, this reread was done via audiobook and I highly recommend it. It's narrated by Michael Crouch and he does a fantastic job.
This book is really amazing, in so many ways, it continues to be one of my favourite books I've ever read. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. I even got my boyfriend to listen to the audiobook with me, and he also enjoyed it (4/5 stars). I truly believe there is something in it for everyone to relate to.
Original: 08/08/17
(4/5 stars)
(5/5 stars)
"Why is straight the default"
I FREAKING LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH. If you asked me why I rated this book four stars six months ago, I wouldn't be able to tell you, I think because it was one of the first YA contemporary books I ever read, so maybe I didn't know what I was supposed to expect? But I can tell you now that this book is adorable, and so meaningful, and I love it. I didn't actually review it the first time I read it so I'm going to make up for that now.
This story follows Simon, a closeted teenage boy who is pretty okay with how his life is going. He likes his friends, Nick and Leah, he likes his parents, he likes his sisters, Nora and Alice, and he likes his school. The only problem is, none of these people know his secret, he's gay. The only person who knows this is a boy from his school, Blue. Simon and Blue have been emailing back and forth, telling each other things no one else knows about them, like the fact they are both gay. Simon even finds himself starting to fall for Blue. The only issue is, Blue isn't his real name, and Simon is signing his email with Jacques. And then when a fellow theatre club actor starts to blackmail Simon with these emails, Simon has to figure out how much he actually wants to keep this a secret.
I think part of the reason I like this story so much, is the fact that Simon isn't necessarily afraid to come out because he's gay, he is pretty sure everyone will accept him for who he is. It's mostly because he's sick of "coming out". Every time something about him changes, he has to reintroduce himself to the world and he doesn't want to do that anymore.
I also really like the fact that Simon is in theatre club, he has all these friends in theatre club, and then his best friend is on the soccer team and he has friends from that aspect of his life. Then his other best friend has different interests besides, and she has her own friends, and they all sit together at lunch. I often find when reading YA novels set in high school, that it is never really reminiscent of my high school experience, we didn't really have cliques based on your interests, we all just had friends. I found this story to be relatable in that sense.
I also quickly have to shoutout one of my favourite side characters from this book: Ms. Albright. She is genuinely who I aspire to be as a teacher. And one of my favourite quotes from the book is "Just know those assholes are getting suspended. I'm not even kidding. I will make it my hill to die on"
While I read the physical book the first time and loved it, this reread was done via audiobook and I highly recommend it. It's narrated by Michael Crouch and he does a fantastic job.
This book is really amazing, in so many ways, it continues to be one of my favourite books I've ever read. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. I even got my boyfriend to listen to the audiobook with me, and he also enjoyed it (4/5 stars). I truly believe there is something in it for everyone to relate to.
Original: 08/08/17
(4/5 stars)
(4/5 stars)
Audiobook
THIS BOOK WAS SO STINKIN' CUTE I LOVED IT! This book is super funny, and super cute. It has that hate to love aspect which I either love or hate, and I looooooooved this one. I found it to be so well done.
This story follows Ana, a history scholar that ends up having to work with James, who works with technology and apps. The twist is they were both at school together, and Ana sees James as a big tormenter. EXCEPT James doesn't recognize Ana from high school, he thinks she's a stranger with a strange vendetta against him, and he doesn't know why. The book switches between their two points of view.
Ana was a bigger girl in high school, and was not in the popular crowd, and was constantly picked on all throughout school. Now she is thinner and considered more beautiful by the masses. The main fear I had going into this book was that this aspect was going to be really mishandled, but I think it was done very well. I didn't think it was mean to any body size, or disapproved of any body size.
I found this book to be very funny. From what I could tell, there was also a lot of British humour throughout, mostly references, that I didn't necessarily understand every time. But that's no reflection on the author.
The audiobook of this is fantastic! The narrator is phenomenal, she is British so if you have trouble following that accent, I would listen to it on a slower speed. She did such a great job differentiating between the different characters using voices.
I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a chick-lit contemporary, hate-to-love, hilarious read. And I definitely recommend the audiobook. I will be reading more by this author in the future.
Audiobook
THIS BOOK WAS SO STINKIN' CUTE I LOVED IT! This book is super funny, and super cute. It has that hate to love aspect which I either love or hate, and I looooooooved this one. I found it to be so well done.
This story follows Ana, a history scholar that ends up having to work with James, who works with technology and apps. The twist is they were both at school together, and Ana sees James as a big tormenter. EXCEPT James doesn't recognize Ana from high school, he thinks she's a stranger with a strange vendetta against him, and he doesn't know why. The book switches between their two points of view.
Ana was a bigger girl in high school, and was not in the popular crowd, and was constantly picked on all throughout school. Now she is thinner and considered more beautiful by the masses. The main fear I had going into this book was that this aspect was going to be really mishandled, but I think it was done very well. I didn't think it was mean to any body size, or disapproved of any body size.
I found this book to be very funny. From what I could tell, there was also a lot of British humour throughout, mostly references, that I didn't necessarily understand every time. But that's no reflection on the author.
The audiobook of this is fantastic! The narrator is phenomenal, she is British so if you have trouble following that accent, I would listen to it on a slower speed. She did such a great job differentiating between the different characters using voices.
I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a chick-lit contemporary, hate-to-love, hilarious read. And I definitely recommend the audiobook. I will be reading more by this author in the future.
(4.5/5 stars)
CW: Murder
"Don't steal the skeleton. His name is Mr. Nelson. Be nice to Mr. Nelson. He's here to teach you about what's inside of you, inside all of us."
This book was an absolutely fantastic YA mystery. Seriously, y'all are sleepin on this one, it's so great.
The story follows Stevie, a true crime "fanatic" (some might say aficionado), determined on solving the age old Truly Devious case of Ellingham Academy. She gets her big chance when she is invited to study at Ellingham Academy, a fully funded boarding school designed to help extremely talented individuals, develop their area of talent further.
This story goes back and forth between the present day, and the time during the Truly Devious murders. The writing is really great, and I am not usually someone to notice writing, but I found myself being able to imagine the world quite clearly. I found the characters to also be very well-written, I felt as though I was really getting to know them, which is great considering this is a trilogy.
The reason this is a 4.5 and not a 5 is because there is a romance that, to some, may feel slightly forced and unnecessary. I do not hold this opinion, but I understand that it could bother some people.
Considering this is a mystery, I don't want to say any more than I've already said, as I believe this is the kind of story that needs to unfold for the reader as they read it. I definitely recommend it as a good YA mystery. It's not too heavy on the YA aspect as I find some of this genre to be. It's truly a fantastic read.
CW: Murder
"Don't steal the skeleton. His name is Mr. Nelson. Be nice to Mr. Nelson. He's here to teach you about what's inside of you, inside all of us."
This book was an absolutely fantastic YA mystery. Seriously, y'all are sleepin on this one, it's so great.
The story follows Stevie, a true crime "fanatic" (some might say aficionado), determined on solving the age old Truly Devious case of Ellingham Academy. She gets her big chance when she is invited to study at Ellingham Academy, a fully funded boarding school designed to help extremely talented individuals, develop their area of talent further.
This story goes back and forth between the present day, and the time during the Truly Devious murders. The writing is really great, and I am not usually someone to notice writing, but I found myself being able to imagine the world quite clearly. I found the characters to also be very well-written, I felt as though I was really getting to know them, which is great considering this is a trilogy.
The reason this is a 4.5 and not a 5 is because there is a romance that, to some, may feel slightly forced and unnecessary. I do not hold this opinion, but I understand that it could bother some people.
Considering this is a mystery, I don't want to say any more than I've already said, as I believe this is the kind of story that needs to unfold for the reader as they read it. I definitely recommend it as a good YA mystery. It's not too heavy on the YA aspect as I find some of this genre to be. It's truly a fantastic read.