Monday, April 2, 2018

In a Nutshell Reviews

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.


Relative Strangers
Paula Garner
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Candlewick
Rating:  4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Why is there a gap in Jules’s baby album? A wry and poignant coming-of-age novel about finding the truth in lies, salvaging hope in heartbreak, and making peace with missing pieces.

Eighteen-year-old Jules has always wished for a close-knit family. She never knew her father, and her ex-addict mother has always seemed more interested in artistic endeavors than in bonding with her only daughter. Jules’s life and future look as flat and unchanging as her small Illinois town. Then a simple quest to find a baby picture for the senior yearbook leads to an earth-shattering discovery: for most of the first two years of her life, Jules lived in foster care. Reeling from feelings of betrayal and with only the flimsiest of clues, Jules sets out to learn the truth about her past. What she finds is a wonderful family who loved her as their own and hoped to adopt her — including a now-adult foster brother who is overjoyed to see his sister again. But as her feelings for him spiral into a devastating, catastrophic crush — and the divide between Jules and her mother widens — Jules finds herself on the brink of losing everything.
I absolutely adored Phantom Limbs, and just had to read this book. I was so intrigued by this premise of Jules discovering this whole missing part of her life, and was quite moved by her journey.
  • Pro:  I was glued to the this book for the first half. Fully rapt by Jules and her story, I could not put the book down. 
  • Con: BUT the story took a few turns in the middle there that I was not too pleased about. 
  • Pro: HOWEVER the ending was really strong. 
  • Pro: This was a pretty thought provoking look at how complex relationships can be, between both family and friends. 
  • Pro: Jules was a really interesting character. She loved old things and making ramen based meals in under 15 minutes (girl after my own heart). She didn't get the emotional support at home that she needed, but she was able to find a surrogate family through her friends. It contributed greatly to who she was and how she turned out the way she did. 
  • Con: The alcohol and drug use would not have bothered me so much, if Jules did not directly question her predisposition to addiction given that she was the product of an addict. Garner's treatment of that issue was a little too cavalier for me, and all the drug use seemed wholly unnecessary for the story. 
  • Pro: Garner didn't hide Jules' mom's flaws, however, she did help me understand why she was the way she was, and sort of let her redeem herself in her own way. I feel like she grew along with Jules over the course of the story, and I was really pleased with the ending Garner gave to each of them. 
  • Pro: That cameo!!!! I think I squealed there towards the end when an old friend made an appearance. Well done, Ms. Garner. 
  • Pro: At its heart, this is a story of family and what makes a family. I really enjoyed the exploration of all the different "familial" relationships Jules had, and how they all contributed to the woman she became. 
Overall: A beautiful and emotional story that examines intricacies of families and friendships and how they mold and shape us.


As She Fades
Abbi Glines
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Rating:  3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
From the #1 New York Times- and USA Today-bestselling author of the Rosemary Beach and The Vincent Boys series, Abbi Glines delivers another smoldering, compulsively readable YA romance with As She Fades.

On the night of her high school graduation, Vale McKinley and her boyfriend Crawford are in a terrible car accident that leaves Crawford in a coma. They were supposed to spend the summer planning for college, for a bright future full of possibility. Together. Instead, Vale spends long days in the hospital, hoping Crawford will awaken.

Slate Allen, a college friend of Vale's brother, has been visiting his dying uncle at the same hospital. When he and Vale meet, she can't deny the flutter of an illicit attraction. She tries to ignore her feelings, but she's not immune to Slate's charm. Slowly, they form a cautious friendship.

Then, Crawford wakes up . . . with no memory of Vale or their relationship. Heartbroken, Vale opts to leave for college and move on with her life. Except now, she's in Slate's territory, and their story is about to take a very strange turn.
I have now read 28 books by Abbi Glines, and I keep coming back to her, time after time, because she fills a certain reading need of mine. Though this book was a lot lower drama than her previous books, it still had many of Glines' signature elements, which never fail to delight me.
  • Pro: One of my favorite things in this book was the family focus. Vale was the youngest of five, with four protective older brothers and loving, present parents. I really enjoyed my time with the McKinley family, and was glad Glines shared so many of their family moments with us. The way the Mckinley family welcomed Slate in his time of need tugged on my heartstrings, and I was happy knowing he had a support system. 
  • Pro: Slate was quite the interesting character. He had a reputation, but there was really so much more going on beneath that. Between his backstory and the lovely relationship he shared with his uncle, I really grew to like him a lot.
  • Pro: Underneath it all, this was a story about self growth and the belief that we can grow and change. Vale had to face that she was not the same person she was before the accident, and after dealing with ill uncle, Slate realized that he wanted more from his relationships than he had in the past. 
  • Pro: After a traumatic event, many people will reevaluate their lives, and Vale recognized that her perfect relationship wasn't so perfect. I thought her struggle was very genuine and I was both happy and sad for her, when she reached her resolution
  • Pro: The twist was interesting. I kept thinking back to the "before" part of the book, to look for clues. There are actually a lot of things I would discuss with you right now if this was book club, but since we have not all read the book I will just say, it was a very intriguing approach, which I enjoyed. 
  • Con: The ending seemed a little rushed. It was sweet, but everyone knows how greedy I am about endings.  
  • Pro: Glines made me feel a bunch of things, and I even cried a little. That's always something I am looking for when I read a book. 
  • Pro: I don't know if it was tongue-in-cheek or unintentional, but I think Glines acknowledged her love for odd names via a character in this book. 
Overall: A touching journey of growth and change with a sweet romance and a surprising twist.


Frat Girl
Kiley Roache
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Sometimes the F-word can have more than one meaning….

For Cassandra Davis, the F-word is fraternity—specifically Delta Tau Chi, a house on probation and on the verge of being banned from campus. Accused of offensive, sexist behavior, they have one year to clean up their act. For the DTC brothers, the F-word is feminist—the type of person who writes articles in the school paper about why they should lose their home.

With one shot at a scholarship to attend the university of her dreams, Cassie pitches a research project: to pledge Delta Tau Chi and provide proof of their misogynistic behavior. They’re frat boys. She knows exactly what to expect once she gets there. Exposing them should be a piece of cake.

But the boys of Delta Tau Chi have their own agenda, and fellow pledge Jordan Louis is certainly more than the tank top wearing “bro” Cassie expected to find. With her heart and her future tangled in the web of her own making, Cassie is forced to realize that the F-word might not be as simple as she thought after all.
I have really been enjoying all these YA-goes-to college books lately, and I was really curious to see what Roache had planned for us with Frat Girl. I will say, I was nervous when I first started reading this book, but then, I was pleasantly surprised by Roache's approach to many of the issues addressed in the story.
  • Pro: What really won my heart were all the wonderfully drawn characters in this book. When I was first introduced to some of them, I thought they were going to be one dimensional stereotypical characters, but they weren't. In fact, many of them often surprised me, and Roache also allowed them to experience some growth over the course of the story. 
  • Pro: Speaking of characters that never stopped astounding me - Peter! He was definitely the best character in the book, and it was because he was so multifaceted and kept surprising me again and again. 
  • Pro: This story was really political, and again, I was worried, because it seemed to only be showing one side of every issue, but as I read further, that did change. I appreciated how Roache tried to show the issue from multiple points of view, and even acknowledged that there are grey areas, that good and bad can co-exist. 
  • Pro: This idea that grey areas exist and was acknowledged by Cassie was the real coming-of-age part of the story for me. That moving from seeing the world as purely black and white showed her growth. 
  • Con: As a sorority woman, I felt the depiction of sorority women was entirely movie/TV stereotypical. Maybe it's because I went to school in the northeast and not California, but my chapter had diversity, and I remember my pledge class being read the riot act, because our GPAs needed to be higher. I also got to spend 3 1/2 years with some of the most intelligent women, who were also campus leaders, and are now featured and honored as leaders in their fields. #IAmASororityWoman. 
  • Con: With that said, I wish there had been a look at greek organizations that did not ascribe to the Animal House mentality. Like with everything, there's a spectrum. 
  • Pro: Here it comes - I really enjoyed the romance in this book. It was sweet and honest and I could not have asked for a better romantic interest for Cassie. 
  • Pro: Roache did a great job with her treatment of the college setting in the book. Usually, we see mostly parties and classes are in the background, but she really brought us into that tricky balancing act that successful college students must master. 
  • Pro: This could serve as a jumping off point for some great discussions or inspire someone to learn more about some of the issues regarding different feminist movements and sexism. Though a little heavy handed at times, there are many ideas presented that made me think. 
Overall:  A fun look at college life, which also tackled some relevant issues. 


** ARCs received in exchange for honest reviews.









Have you read any of these books?
Let us know in the comments!

24 comments:

  1. These are all new books to me. I'm glad you enjoyed the ending of Relative Strangers despite the turns in the middle. I don't think I've read a book by Abbi Glines since The Vincent Boys. I should pick up another by her sometime. Frat Girl sounds interesting too, though a bummer it's a little stereotypical of sorority life.

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    1. I loved the Vincent Boys. As She Fades is different from that, but still good. Not as drama filled or as angsty.

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  2. I haven’t read any of these, but Relative Strangers sounds intriguing. I usually like books about family secrets. Great reviews!

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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    1. There are some really deep things revealed in Relative Strangers and it's an interesting look into a different side of foster care.

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  3. Great reviews! I haven't read any of these but I want to read Frat Girl and Relative Strangers

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    1. All were good, but I would say Relative Strangers was my favorite of the bunch. I liked the emotional journey in that one.

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  4. I'll be reading Relative Strangers soon and I'm excited since I loved Phantom Limbs. I'm curious about the revelations in the middle!

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    1. Relative Strangers was a solid book for me, I just wanted some things to go in a different direction.

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  5. Frat Girl sounds so interesting to me - I was actually in a co-ed service fraternity in college, so I would love to read a book about that part of college life.

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    1. It was a fun book, with some interesting thoughts about college and sexism. The friendships that developed and the romance were my favorite bits.

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  6. I am glad you stuck with Relative Strangers for the ending! I find it challenging if a book takes a crazy turn for me. Great reviews!

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    1. The turn in the plot wasn't enough to make me put the book down, I just wanted it to play out in a different way.

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  7. I've been eyeing As She Fades for a while now, and though I've never read anything else by the author (SHOCKING, I KNOW!!), this one sure sounds great! I might tray something older by the author before getting around to this one though. Relative Strangers and frat Girl sound so promising and this is the first I'm coming across either. Thanks for bringing them on my radar, Sam! Great reviews! <33

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    1. As She Fades was a good book, but when I think of Glines, I think of Rosemary Beach or Sea Breeze. They are all the OTT, soapy drama that I love from Glines.

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  8. I'm a big fan of books that have college as their setting so Frat Girl has been on my radar. That is a bit disappointing to hear that the portrayal of sorority girls was so stereotypical though. I was a sorority girl too and my chapter was also diverse and filled with incredibly smart women who were leaders, both on campus and in the community.

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts on these books!

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    1. I would like to think with respect to stereotypes, that we have moved beyond that, but we haven't. It didn't ruin the whole book for me, because, like I said, I thought the author presented things from multiple sides, which is really important for a moderate like myself, but I did roll my eyes into the back of my head when the sorority women shared the page.

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  9. I agree with quite a few things you said with Relative Strangers- I do think that the addiction bit should have been handled a bit more delicately, but I really did enjoy it- I am with you, I could not put it down! I am so curious about the parts you didn't like in the middle though. I had umm issues because I wanted things to work out the way Jules wanted them to, even though I maybe wasn't supposed to? Oops?

    I have mixed feelings on the sorority thing. I had a friend who had a truly horrific experience with a sorority, and I helped her through it, and there were a LOT of tears and awfulness, to the point where her parents were about to intervene with the school. BUT I also know people who have had great experiences, so I think it's hard. I don't think I'd like to read it necessarily though if it has the "Animal House" vibe, just because... well, I'd rather read about your kind! I am glad you had a great experience!

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    1. Yes! That was EXACTLY my problem in the middle with Relative Strangers. I was frustrated with the way it all went down.

      I think every chapter of a sorority is different, which is why I put in the disclaimer that I went to a school in the northeast. When I saw the chapter for my sorority at my daughter's school they were NOTHING like the women at my home chapter, but that has to do with who attends the college.

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  10. Relative Strangers is on my TBR - one that I’ll probably get from the library. I’m glad to see this was a fairly strong read for you, despite a couple issues. The drug use does seem questionable in light of the MC knowing the circumstances. I’m positive I’ll read As She Fades at some point. I just can’t seem to say no to Abbi Glines. Even though I have have issues with her characters (especially in her YA novels where all the guys seem to act like cavemen) I can’t help myself. And I like that this one seems to be less angsty than normal. Bonus!

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    1. I liked the Glines book. It was different for her, but still good. The book is a journey, so I liked the characters more towards the end than at the beginning of the book, but that just shows how much they grew and changed.

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  11. I've not heard of any of these books but Relative Strangers sounds so interesting. A girl finding her own family and learning that the distant parents of hers weren't her parents for part of her life is shocking and sounds like a fantastic book to read about. Your review has me convinced, your cons don't seem like massive issues so I totally want to read.

    Abbi Glines is such a hit or miss author for me and her type of stories tend to nvolve that bit too much drama for my liking. Every so often I can sink into one and it's exactly what I fancy reading but that's every so often, otherwise I just can't get into the story at all. Glad to see you enjoyed it, she is definitely an author with something which draws people back in because I'm always seeing her name about.

    Frat Girl sounds kind of cool. College set YA is rare, it frequently takes a more romantic angle and that's why new adult has a bad rep. I think this sounds like a good read and even if the representation of the greek fraternities and sororities could be a bit stereotypical it does sound like the story was good and yay for a cute romance too.

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    1. My cons were not HUGE issues. I still enjoyed Relative Strangers. One of the cons is just me, and not a story issue or a thing that makes the book "problematic". It's just me being a little whiny and wanting something different.

      There are been books I loved by Glines and ones that were good. I never hated any of them. She is pretty much an auto-read for me.

      Despite my cons, I did enjoy Frat Girl. The author set out to explore sexism, and I think she accomplished that. A lot of people wanted her to do more, but she had her goals, and I think she carried them out well. I was a little perturbed with some of the stereotypes perpetuated in the book, but the character grows and addresses her biases, so that meant something to me.

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  12. I have never read an Abby Glines book before but I always see them everywhere so I am actually pretty curious about her work. It sounds like she handles important topics and really handles exploring them in depth throughout the characters development and actions well. A shame about the rushed ending but it seems like that was the only let down point!

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    1. Glines' Rosemary Beach and Sea Breeze books are my soapy-OTT-go-to books. They always filled that need in my reading life. This one was a lot lower drama, different, but still enjoyable.

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