My Favourite Underrated Young Adult Books (Part 4)

I hope you've been enjoying this series on my favourite underrated YA novels. Let's continue to champion lesser known and underrated books!

Another reminder that you should definitely check out the #quietYA hashtag, started by @DailyJulianne for tons of great under the radar suggestions.

Here's the 4th and final part of my list, with a reminder that stats were gathered on April 6, 2015 and may have changed since then...

Underrated Young Adult Novels:

Threads and Flames by Esther M. Friesner [409 ratings, 3.89 average]
I read this book for an underrated books event, so it's not a surprise to me that so few people have heard of this one. It is an incredible shame, though, because Threads and Flames is a deeply touching book. It's a novel, but it describes the real-life events of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and in doing so it also describes what living and working conditions were like for immigrants in NYC in the early 20th century. This book is so hard hitting and emotional, I highly recommend it.

The Princess in the Opal Mask by Jenny Lundquist [617 ratings, 3.87 average]
This is the start of an exciting duology, filled with political factions and plotting nobles. It contains issues of family, friendship, and romance all tied together under the plot about the kingdom. Recommended for fans of Throne of Glass or the Seven Realms series.

The Holders by Julianna Scott [756 ratings, 3.87 average]
Loved the world, the plot, and the narrative voice. This is the type of book where you’re not necessarily surprised by anything that happens, but you love the journey getting there. There’s a total X-Men vibe to this story, but it holds its own with unique characters and story.

Spies and Prejudice by Talia Vance [1,286 ratings, 3.47 average]
Veronica Mars meets Pride & Prejudice. Fun and effortlessly high concept. It's not often you get the contemp YA feels with friends, family, and romance AND an action packed plot with spies and corporate espionage.

Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell [1,806 ratings, 3.95 average]
An absolutely hilarious and moving story about traveling off the beaten path and being willing to let go of best laid plans.

Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly [2,223, 3.92 average]
A very beautiful and emotionally honest book. The main character, Drea, is obsessed with music and she also happens to have Asperger’s. I liked how the author wrote that the book wasn’t about Drea and her “conditions”, but that it was a book about a person’s journey who happens to have a diagnosis.

When You Were Here by Daisy Whitney [2,912 ratings, 3.83 average]
I'm actually devastated that so few people have read this book. It is gorgeous! So sad and moving, meaningful in both its portrayals of grief and of renewal and hope. Bonus points for: male narrator, an important POC character, a great platonic friendship between a guy and girl, and a fab dog character.

The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman [4,061 ratings, 3.57 average]
If you enjoy foreign locations, treasure hunts, history, and relationships that will leave you reeling (and who doesn't?!), then this is definitely a book for you. This is kind of like a YA Da Vinci Code, but full of emotional intensity and character depth.

Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller [5,757 ratings, 3.83 average]
This is a gorgeous book about family, identity, and making your own choices. I absolutely lovedddd it! I adored the Florida setting, the big Greek extended family, the steamy and sweet romance, and all the layers to this story.

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready [Book 1: 11,156 ratings, 3.89 average; Book 3: 2,964, 4.18 average]
This book alone is not necessarily very low key -- there's over 11,000 ratings on Goodreads for it. But by the time you get to Shine (Book 3) it's down to only a few thousand, which is a SHAME because this is one of my favourite trilogies. It's epic, it's romantic, it's heartbreaking and hopeful. I highly recommend you read Shade and continue on with the series. It's got ghosts, teenage angst, lots of music love, science/astronomy, and a hot Scot (#TeamKilt, anyone?).

So many good books! You can check out all my recommendations by looking at the Underrated Label on my site.

My Favourite Underrated Young Adult Books (Part 3)

I love all books, but the ones that most need shout outs are the ones that aren't known to a lot of people. So today I'm continuing my underrated YA series with some more little talked about but AWESOME reads.

Again, I also recommend you check out the hashtag #quietYA, started by @DailyJulianne for tons of great under the radar suggestions.

Here's part 3 (with a reminder that stats were gathered on April 6, 2015 and may have changed since then)...

Underrated Young Adult Novels:

Torched by Andrea Colt [392 ratings, 3.97 average]
A fun and swoony contemp romance meets compelling high school set mystery. Loved the two main characters and their interactions so much!!

Behind the Scenes by Dahlia Adler [591 ratings, 4.00 average]
Dahlia has such a dynamic internet presence that it's hard to believe only 591 people have rated this book. This is a Hollywood YA story, one that I think would appeal both to those who normally love and those who normally loathe the typical Hollywood YA books. Cute, charming, swoony, with great friendship and family issues. A perfect YA/NA hybrid.

Searching for Beautiful by Nyrae Dawn [652 ratings, 3.61 average]
Nyrae Dawn always crafts such complex characters who feel truly real. She writes with an emotional honesty that I adore. This book in particular is a great read for any fan of contemp YA, with a fabulous message of finding the beauty in yourself which comes across in such a natural way.

Forget Me by K.A. Harrington [1,231 ratings, 3.73 average]
Forget Me is a straight up contemporary mystery/thriller, which we don’t see a lot of in YA. I loved this book because it was so hard to predict! It could have gone so many ways, and I really enjoyed the journey it took me on. Bonus points: the creepy/eerie feel a lot of the scenes had, and a strong friendship between two females who were unflinchingly loving to and supportive of one another (yes!!).

Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales [1,298 ratings, 3.50 average]
This book is so delightful, so funny, and so honest. It perfectly captures the angst and humour of being a teenager. Such a fabulous friendship book as well. I highly recommend all of Leila’s books.

Something Real by Heather Demetrios [2,173 ratings, 4.01 average]
This is an amazing contemporary that really spoke to me. It has such great characters, a crazy interesting plot (the main character and her siblings have grown up as part of a reality TV show!), a slow burn romance, and that certain unknowable quality that made it "unputdownable".

If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Wilson [2,873 ratings, 3.99 average]
I’m so surprised more people haven’t read this one! It’s a heartbreaking love story with strong themes involving class and race. I’m sad that it’s still relevant – maybe especially relevant – these days, but the work itself is gorgeously written.

Roomies by Sara Zarr & Tara Altebrando [3,383 ratings, 3.64 average]
I adored what this book had to say about friendship, romantic relationships, growing up, and change. It tells the story of two girls from totally different parts of the country, with very different lives, who are going to become college roommates. This is a great book which features a very meaningful friendship which grows online, and some incredibly well defined secondary characters. I love NA, but this is the type of college related story that I find relatable.

Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker [4,426 ratings, 3.80 average]
This is a book about a lost friendship. A book about a summer sailing trip. A book about family, about romance, about endings and beginnings. If you’re looking for an emotionally satisfying contemp YA, this is one to check out. Bonus awesome: Clem’s little sister Olive, one of the best sibling characters I can remember reading about.

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord [6,192 ratings, 3.94 average]
I am a sucker for stories about people with connections to famous people, so this book where the main character is the BFF of a Taylor Swift-esque figure and goes on tour with her for the summer is kind of like my crack. Reagan is a prickly main character who you can't help but root for. I loved the friendship, the road trip-esque aspect, and the romance. Just soooo much amazingness going on here.

Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergen [Book 1: 12,330 ratings, 4.08 average; Book 5: 705 ratings, 4.45 average]
Again, decently high number of people reading this book, but when it comes to the last book in the series only around 700 have marked it as read. You can see by the high ratings that this book is beloved. Time travel to 14th Century Italy, anyone? I loved the family aspect to the series, the history, the romance – basically everything about this book and the series is done so well.

Just writing about these books makes me want to re-read them!! I hope you'll check out some of these recommendations, and stay tuned for Part 4!

My Favourite Underrated Young Adult Books (Part 2)

I posted Part 1 of my favourite underrated YA books awhile ago, and today I'm back with Part 2. You can check out the first post for my thoughts about the meaning of underrated vs what people mean what they say it. I also recommend you check out the hashtag #quietYA, started by @DailyJulianne for some great under the radar suggestions.

Alright, here's part 2 (with a reminder that stats were gathered on April 6, 2015 and may have changed since then):

Underrated Young Adult Novels:

Apparition by Gail Gallant [190 ratings, 3.84 average]
Canadian set YA ghost story? Yes please! I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. The ghost part was eerie but never truly scary (a good thing IMO). I loved the characters and their relationships. This felt like a real contemporary novel where there just happened to be a paranormal element, which is something I always enjoy.

Another Little Piece of My Heart by Tracey Martin [544 ratings, 3.67 average]
This is a contemp with a great mix of heavy and light emotions. It has a music theme to it, and it tells a great story of boys, family, and growing up. I especially liked that it featured exes who were both to blame for the break-up, and I thought that the author did a great job of telling a “will they, won’t they” story.

Kiss. Kill. Vanish. by Jessica Martinez [640 ratings, 3.61 average]
This book is exciting, romantic, and thrilling. There’s a certain twistiness to the story, a real slow reveal of what happened to Valentina (or Jane, as she’s calling herself in Montreal). I can’t say too much except I was still thinking about this book months after I read it. I truly believe this is the strongest of Jessica’s books yet, and I was a huge fan of Virtuosity as well.

Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker [1,028 ratings, 3.50 average]
What I wrote in my review for this book: ‘Small Town Sinners’ is an incredibly compelling and touching novel. Melissa Walker offers a very nuanced and non-judgmental examination of religion, belief, and truth. I get that the topic of this novel will turn some people off, but I honestly find it such a relevant and honest novel that a lot of teens may be able to relate to. It's not easy to reconcile faith and modern society, and Small Town Sinners takes on one aspect of that.

Stir Me Up by Sabrina Elkins [1,735 ratings, 3.85 average]
Please ignore the over-used cover models and focus on the inside of this book. This was released as YA, but I definitely consider it a hybrid NA book. It features an aspiring chef and a wounded war veteran. Sooooo much character growth in this book, such an amazing story of finding your path in life, and the romance is absolutely beautiful. When you can do family, friends, and romance well in one book I am a happy contemporary lover.

The Reece Malcolm List by Amy Spalding [2,077 ratings, 3.89 average]
If you’re looking for a book about a complicated mother/daughter relationship I’d highly recommend this one. Also great in this book: teens acting like real teens, show choir/musical theatre, and a cute (nerdy!) boy.

Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross [2,315 ratings, 4.18 average]
Sporty heroine and sporty hero. Swoony, sweet romance. Complicated (but also amazing) family dynamic. I could keep going and going listing all the things Julie Cross has added to this book and done such a good job portraying. I loveddddd this novel and how it made me feel, and it makes me so excited for her hockey book to come out next year.

Shadows by Paula Weston [3,260 ratings, 4.00 average]
This is an Australian novel, and it's been out in North America for about a year and a half now. I highly suggest you drop everything and READ. THIS. BOOK. I'm so serious about this. This very quickly became one of my absolute favourite series. Fabulous characters, including tons of strong females. Epic, explosive chemistry between two of the leads. Wonderful world building and HIGH STAKES for the characters. Plus I love the setting and general tone of the book.

Star Crossed by Elizabeth Bunce [5,178 ratings, 3.81 average]
Such an interesting fantasy read, with fabulous characters and amazing world building. If you enjoy fantasy novels involving magic, court politics, and religion I definitely recommend this one. Celyn (or Digger) is a delightful main character, so strong, intelligent, and loyal.

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood [Book 1: 10,826 ratings, 3.91 average; Book 3: 1,431 ratings, 4.17 average]
A trilogy about sisters, witches, feminism, and about love in its many forms. I love this magical alternate history. Such a smart, emotional, romantic, feel-the-emotions-in-your-stomach series.

I hope you'll check out some of these recommendations, and stay tuned for Part 3!

Lion Heart Blog Tour: Guest Post from A.C. Gaughen

Lion Heart by A.C. Gaughen
Release Date: May 19, 2015
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Pages: 348
Series: Scarlet #3

Synopsis:

Scarlet has captured the hearts of readers as well as the heart of Robin Hood, and after ceaseless obstacles and countless threats, readers will finally find out the fate of the Lady Thief.

Imprisoned by Prince John for months, Scarlet finds herself a long way from Nottinghamshire. After a daring escape from the Prince's clutches, she learns that King Richard’s life is in jeopardy, and Eleanor of Aquitaine demands a service Scarlet can’t refuse: spy for her and help bring Richard home safe. But fate—and her heart—won’t allow her to stay away from Nottinghamshire for long, and together, Scarlet and Rob must stop Prince John from going through with his dark plans for England. They can not rest until he’s stopped, but will their love be enough to save them once and for all?

Buy the book:
Kobo | Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | iBooks
Chapters-Indigo | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

How I Spent My Summer Vacation by A.C. Gaughen

Let’s break it down!

Writing
FIRST, the week of June 8th, I’ll be heading down to New York to start the Boldly Bookish tour! I’m rocking out with Tiffany Schmidt, Trish Doller and Emery Lord, and I’m basically expecting it to be a five-city sleep over. That’s what grown ups do, right?

After that, I’ll have time off this summer--I’ve been working as a teaching fellow for the past year, so that means I get to write—all the time! Which is pretty fantastic, because as soon as I get home from tour, I’m diving into revisions for TERRA, the first book in my new Elementae series that my editor at Bloomsbury just acquired. The first book will be out in 2017, so I need to get cracking!

Life Stuff
I’m hearing wedding bells in surround sound this year. Launch week is also the week of my third of seven weddings this year, but it is by far the most special—my older brother is getting married! So right after launch I’m resting my toes to get ready to dance the whole weekend away. Then I have another wedding in July, and it’s formal so I get to wear a long, pretty dress! Then I can relax until the next wedding in September. Plus Fourth of July and fun stuff in the sun (ok, under a hat and an umbrella and counting the minutes until I’m in the water or air conditioning).

But yes, in general, my summers consist of hiding from the sun, looking like a lobster no matter what I do, and hanging out on a boat (when I’m not jumping off the boat with my rascally, water-lovin’ goldendoodle Lucy!).

Thanks for sharing, Annie! I wish the Boldly Bookish tour was coming near me, because it sounds like it will be awesome. Speaking of awesome, Terra sounds absolutely epic. Everyone, you can add it to Goodreads here.

About A.C.:

I am shamelessly addicted to staying up far too late (it feels like stealing time), diet coke (it burns so good), Scotland (stupid country stole my heart and won't give it back. Interpol has been ineffective for prosecution) and thieves (so I guess I'm not that mad at Scotland).

Where to find A.C.:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Giveaway:

Prizes = 3 complete sets of the SCARLET series. US Only. Copies will be sent out from the publisher at the end of the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Favourite Underrated Young Adult Books (Part 1)

I love all books. I love bestsellers, I love books with buzz, I love indie books, I love lesser known books. There's something special about that last category, though. Those gems that not many people seem to known about. I have to admit that I read a lot more commercial books or books that are well known. It makes sense: after all, those are the ones by authors with a track record or the debuts that get tons of buzz (read: marketing budget from the publisher).

It's hard to say what to define "underrated" as... Dictionary.com defines the word as "to rate or evaluate too low; underestimate." So I suppose that a book could be read a hundred million times, but because of its low rating on Goodreads or Amazon be considered "underrated" by some. But I think what most people mean when they say a book is underrated is that not many people have read it. It doesn't have a lot of buzz -- it's an amazing book that not a lot of people are talking about.

There was an article a few weeks ago that talked about "underrated book series" that YA readers should read. I understand it was from community suggestions, and while I may not have a firm definition on what an "underrated book" is, I do know that if I see a book on the New York Times Bestsellers list or a movie based on that series, it's definitely not underrated.

So in that spirit I've gathered a list of books that I believe are amazing books, well worth reading, that just happen to have a lower amount of ratings on Goodreads. I tried to stick with books that had 5,000 or fewer ratings. Some have more, and some have way less. I've also included a few series where the first book was fairly well read, but by the next (or last) book the numbers went down drastically.

Without further ado, here are my first picks, with statistics gathered the week of April 6...

Underrated Young Adult Novels:

Waiting for the Storm by Marie Landry [108 ratings, 4.20 average]
My heart, it aches. Everyone who is at all a fan of contemp YA stories needs to stop and read this masterpiece. Full disclosure that I consider Marie a friend, but I was reading her books before I got to know her as a fellow Canadian blogger. This is a quiet and emotional story about dealing with grief and change. It’s a great family story, but it also contains an incredibly swoony romance.

Relic by Renee Collins [462 ratings, 3.67 average]
Magical, exciting, and unique. Relic is a Western style alternate history involving magic relics (bones of long dead magical creatures). There’s a mystery which the main character has very high stakes in, and some light romantic elements.

Exile by Kevin Emerson [634 ratings, 3.61 average]
This book has a great concept, and it’s executed beautifully. You have a girl who’s worrying about her romantic relationship, who’s working hard to truly manage a band (she goes to a performing arts high school where this is taken Very Seriously), and she’s helping to solve a mystery involving a dead rocker. Everything is so well done, and I had a blast reading this one.

How I Lost You by Janet Gurtler [801 ratings, 3.78 average]
How have so few people read this book?! I am actually hurt by this. Janet writes some absolutely amazing contemporary YA, reminiscent of Sarah Dessen, Elizabeth Scott, and Deb Caletti. This book is probably my favourite of hers, a great story about a toxic friendship. It features a girl who wants to be a college paintball player, which is definitely something I haven't seen before. It also has a very sweet romance featuring an incredibly nice guy.

Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer [1,231 ratings, 3.65 average]
As the title declares, this is a book about rivalry. It’s about female friendship and the complexities of that, especially in high school. It’s also about a competitive singing group, which is done so well. Bonus points for a full on nerd boy character and awesome mentions of fanfiction and dorky online hobbies.

Rites of Passage by Joy N. Hensley [2,854 ratings, 4.01 average]
Sam is one of the first girls to attend Denmark Military Academy, and her story is not an easy one to read. I was absolutely enthralled with this book, flipping the pages as fast as I could, but I also can’t remember when a book made me more angry -- in a good way, sort of? The author’s writing was so powerful and the treatment Sam receives so despicable that I was practically shaking with anger for a lot of the book. This is a compelling read about an incredibly strong girl (not just talking physically, either).

Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally [3,363 ratings, 4.08 average]
I feel like Miranda Kenneally gets pretty good buzz in the YA blogger community for her amazing contemp YA romances. But this book has less than 10% the amount of readers Catching Jordan does, which is a huge shame because it's an AMAZING book. This is another book which portrays grief and loss beautifully. Miranda's books are always smart, interesting, and swoony, but this is really one of my favourites of hers, if not the favourite.

Amplified by Tara Kelly [4,589 ratings, 3.75 average]
Tara Kelly is the best at writing about music. You can tell that she loves it just by the way her characters love and describe it. I loved how lively and fun the band in this book was, and I absolutely adored the romance. Love/hate chemistry and flirty banter? Yes please!

Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson [6,537 ratings, 3.80 average]
This is a genre-bending read which thoroughly caught my attention. I loved the general setting (Sudbury, ON, Canada) and the more direct setting (mental institution!). I can't really say much more about this book because it has a certain twist to it, but know that it is incredibly interesting and compulsively readable.

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen [Book 1: 14,134 ratings, 4.01 average; Book 2: 3,307 ratings, 4.11 average]
This is a book with a decently high amount of readers where the amount of readers for Book 2 drastically dropped. What happened? Was it readers who didn't mesh with the dialogue style of the book? Was it just less marketing that led people to forget about the series? Either way it needs to be remedied, because while Scarlet is a great book, Lady Thief may be even better. You NEED to read this book where Will Scarlet is actually Scarlet, a girl, with another secret identity under her belt. I'm incredibly excited for the series closer to release on May 19.

I hope you'll check out some of these recommendations, and stay tuned for Part 2!

Rivals in the City by Y.S. Lee

Rivals in the City by Y.S. Lee
Release Date: March 10, 2015
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pages: 304
Series: The Agency #4
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

In a tale steeped in action, romance, and the gaslit intrigue of Victorian London, Mary Quinn’s detective skills are pitted against a cunning and desperate opponent.

Mary Quinn has a lot on her mind. James Easton, her longtime love interest, wants to marry her; but despite her feelings, independent-minded Mary hesitates. Meanwhile, the Agency has asked Mary to take on a dangerous case: convicted fraudster Henry Thorold is dying in prison, and Mary must watch for the return of his estranged wife, an accomplished criminal herself who has a potentially deadly grudge against James. Finally, a Chinese prizefighter has arrived in town, and Mary can’t shake a feeling that he is somehow familiar. With the stakes higher than ever, can Mary balance family secrets, conflicting loyalties, and professional expertise to bring a criminal to justice and find her own happiness?

My Thoughts:
Reading this book was like coming back to an old friend: it was so good to hear from Mary again. I love James/Mary and how they interacted in this book. I would have loved even more of them together, but I like how the circumstances allowed us to hear a bit from James' POV for the first time. Rivals in the City is about the return of a familiar villain, which brings Mary back into the Agency's fold.

This is much less a mystery than the previous books in the series, as it’s about catching a specific person they already know has committed a crime. The plot allows for some interesting involvement of Mary's heritage and getting some answers about her father's missing years. The book is also about Mary facing her past and considering her future with James. Considering the book description I expected this to be a bigger conflict, but it really only came up a few times.

One thing I found missing in the book was Octavius Jones. I so expected this character to make a return, and I was very disappointed when he didn’t have a presence in the book. I also found the ending to be a little bit abrupt, though it was still a good one.

I was a little disappointed in this book, probably only because I had such high expectations for it after the long wait and after I loved Book 3, The Traitor in the Tunnel, so much. Nevertheless it was still a very decent read, and I think fans of the series will find something to enjoy in it. Mary is an amazing character, and overall I highly recommend this series. It offers a different side of Victorian London than we see in a lot of books, and stars an incredibly intelligent and tough POC lead.

The Cover:
Gorgeous!

Rating:
[3.5/5]

Purchase Links:
Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Chapters-Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

The Truth About Us by Janet Gurtler

The Truth About Us by Janet Gurtler
Release Date: April 7, 2015
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 304
Series: n/a
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

The truth is that Jess knows she screwed up.
She's made mistakes, betrayed her best friend, and now she's paying for it. Her dad is making her spend the whole summer volunteering at the local soup kitchen.

The truth is she wishes she was the care-free party-girl everyone thinks she is.
She pretends it's all fine. That her "perfect" family is fine. But it's not. And no one notices the lie...until she meets Flynn. He's the only one who really sees her. The only one who listens.

The truth is that Jess is falling apart – and no one seems to care.
But Flynn is the definition of "the wrong side of the tracks." When Jess's parents look at him they only see the differences-not how much they need each other. They don't get that the person who shouldn't fit in your world... might just be the one to make you feel like you belong.

My Thoughts:
My first thought upon finishing The Truth About Us was “wow!!”. I found it to be a very strong book with an incredibly interesting premise and great character transformation. I think I say this every time I read a Janet Gurtler book, but she does such an amazing job of telling stories that balance friendship, family, and romance. Those are my favourite types of contemporary YA, and I always enjoy what Janet has to offer.

Jess is the main character of this book, and she’s dealing with family issues -- or rather she’s not dealing with them. Bad things have happened and Jess feels ignored, so she just checks out. She acts out and has "friends" who she doesn't really seem to like. Jess is playing this part until she takes it too far and her uber strict dad steps in.

Flynn is someone who is so opposite from Jess in many ways, and yet he's so similar too. There’s a connection there between them that no one else seems to see. Flynn comes from completely different circumstances than Jess, and I think this book is very realistic about how differences of class can matter even now, when there's so much disparity between the two. I understood everyone being concerned about Flynn and Jess, and yet I also raged at how heavy handed people were at trying to keep them apart.

This is the story of Jess and Flynn, but it's also the story of Jess, of her finding her way back to who she wants to be. It’s the story of Jess’s family growing back into place, but especially of her mom trying to move past what's happened to her. I loved how Jess changed as she worked at the shelter, how she learned about the world and connected with people she normally wouldn't. I loved the granddaughter/grandfather banter relationship she had with Wilf, and the sister/brother and friend one she had with Flynn's little brother, Kyle.

The Truth About Us is a truly lovely book that made me feel so many things. It made me feel the butterflies of a crush and the feelings of it becoming something more. It made me feel the anguish over lost friendship. It made me feel disgust at people's horrid assumptions and rage at people thinking they knew everything and trying to control Jess and Flynn.

I highly recommend this book to all fans of contemporary YA, especially to fans of Sarah Dessen, Morgan Matson, and Emery Lord.

The Cover:
Honestly not a fave at all.

Rating:
[4/5]

Purchase Links:
Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Chapters-Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre
Release Date: April 7, 2015
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 334
Series: n/a
Review Source: eARC for review through Raincoast Books

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

Sage Czinski is trying really hard to be perfect. If she manages it, people won’t peer beyond the surface, or ask hard questions about her past. She’s learned to substitute causes for relationships, and it’s working just fine… until Shane Cavendish strolls into her math class. He’s a little antisocial, a lot beautiful, and everything she never knew she always wanted.

Shane Cavendish just wants to be left alone to play guitar and work on his music. He’s got heartbreak and loneliness in his rearview mirror, and this new school represents his last chance. He doesn’t expect to be happy; he only wants to graduate and move on. He never counted on a girl like Sage.

But love doesn’t mend all broken things, and sometimes life has to fall apart before it can be put back together again…

My Thoughts:
For a writer who has predominantly made her career in the SF/F category, Ann Aguirre sure knows how to pack a punch in the contemporary genre. I've loved her New Adult stories, and this first contemporary YA offering impressed me just as much. Two things all of Ann's books have in common, regardless of genre, are a well developed protagonist and strong, interesting relationships between characters.

The Queen.. is so many things. It's a fun book, a sweet book, a sad book, a borderline angsty book. It encompasses all of those strong emotions that go hand in hand with being a teenager. Sage is someone who has had an incredibly rough past (things are hinted at, but you don't get a completely clear picture of her past until close to the end), and she's determine to be The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things: someone who is known for being nice and showing kindness to others. She's genuinely a good person, but she's always scared of going back to the scared and angry person she was, so she hides the "bad" parts of herself.

A big part of this book is the relationship between Sage and Shane, and I absolutely adored them. Shane is a little bit damaged from his own less than ideal past, but he's also very sweet and hungry for affection. I think both Sage and Shane are desperate for someone to love them, which could turn out badly, but instead they come together in a very healthy way, becoming a couple who support each other and build each other up. There are so many cute moments between these two, and so many realistic little fights that (shocker for the romance genre) they resolve quickly, using the experience to learn about each other and how to communicate and interact.

Of course this book is also about Sage as a person, learning about herself through this romantic relationship and through new friendships. I especially loved her friendship with Lila and how supportive they were of one another. Sage also has a great relationship with her Aunt Gabby, who she lives with, and what she learns about herself and her environment make this bond even stronger.

I highly recommend The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things to all contemporary YA fans. It's a book which I fell for right in the first couple of pages, and that connection never let go. I mean, I actually burst into tears and got goosebumps at one of the parts close to the end of the book (minor spoiler: the scene when Sage gets the post-it's from everyone else /end minor spoiler), I was so overwhelmed with emotion. Bottom line: this is an incredibly well-written book filled with realistic teenage characters. At this point I think Ann Aguirre could write anything and I would love it.

The Cover:
GORGEOUS!! I absolutely adore it.

Rating:
[5/5]

Purchase Links:
Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Books-a-Million | Powell's | IndieBound

About Ann:
Ann Aguirre is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author and RITA winner with a degree in English Literature; before she began writing full time, she was a clown, a clerk, a voice actress, and a savior of stray kittens, not necessarily in that order. She grew up in a yellow house across from a cornfield, but now she lives in sunny Mexico with her husband, children, and various pets. Ann likes books, emo music, action movies, and she writes all kinds of genre fiction for adults and teens, published with Harlequin, Macmillan, and Penguin, among others.

Where to find Ann:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Newsletter | Goodreads

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Excerpt from The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things:

When I walk past the music room, I hear something that stills me in my tracks. People push past; I've become a rock in the middle of a rushing stream, but I can't move. Then someone shoves me from behind, not on purpose, but the result is the same. I slam into the lockers past the classroom and bounce. The underclassmen who were wrestling don't even notice that my brain has stopped firing.

Shane Cavendish plays like it's his reason for living.

I don't write that on the Post-it, of course. That would just get him beaten up even harder. Instead I scrawl, You’re awesome on the guitar, because the jocks might think that’s cool and leave him the hell alone. It's a long shot, as I don't have any particular cred with their crew, but being a musician is pretty spectacular. I can't breathe for how good—how remarkably talented—he is. And I suspect that if he found out anyone was paying attention, he'd stop playing.

Backtracking to his locker will make me late for class, but it's worth it. I stick the note just below the vents, as I always do, but this time it feels weightier, more somehow, like this is a turning point. Shaking off the odd sensation, I dodge into Econ with a mumbled excuse. Sadly, it holds no weight with Mrs. Palmer. Unlike the male teachers, she isn't impressed with talk of 'female problems', so I get my first detention of the year, only the second I've ever had.

Since tomorrow is Friday and I have standing plans with Ryan, I ask, “Can I just get it over with tonight?”

I calculate; school lets out at 2:45. An hour of sitting in silence, and I’m supposed to be at work at four. If I hurry, I can still make my shift at the Curly Q. Which sounds like a diner, but it's actually a hair salon. I'm not qualified to do anything but wash hair, sweep up, and answer the phone, but it's better than fast food. I work two afternoons a week from four to eight, which earns me spending money for the week. Since I'm under eighteen, I get paid fifty cents an hour less than an adult; that makes me a bargain. After detention ends, I’ll just need to ride hard to keep Mildred from yelling at me.

Mrs. Palmer glances up from scribbling down my doom. “Can you get a ride home?”

“Yeah.”

I’ve always got my bike out front, and the town is small enough that I can ride anywhere I need to go from school. This is the one positive aspect of living in a tiny berg like this, especially given my opinion of privately-owned fossil fuel burning vehicles, which covers nicely for my lingering fear.