Book Review

Undead Girl Gang // Book Review

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Title: Undead Girl Gang
Author: Lily Anderson
Published: 2018
Genre: Young Adult/Paranormal
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Synopsis
Meet teenage Wiccan Mila Flores, who truly could not care less what you think about her Doc Martens, her attitude, or her weight because she knows that, no matter what, her BFF Riley is right by her side. So when Riley and Fairmont Academy mean girls June Phelan-Park and Dayton Nesseth die under suspicious circumstances, Mila refuses to believe everyone’s explanation that her BFF was involved in a suicide pact. Instead, armed with a tube of lip gloss and an ancient grimoire, Mila does the unthinkable to uncover the truth: she brings the girls back to life.
Credit: Google Books

From what I’ve seen and heard, this book isn’t very liked. However, I found it to be a funny and thrilling. Their were some twists and turns that I didn’t see coming, but loved. At first, I thought this would be fun, witchy contemporary, but it surprisingly has a lot of thriller aspects.

To be honest, the writing isn’t the best, so that might turn some readers off. Yet, I found that the writing fit the story perfectly. The entire book felt like an old-school teen movie. It was lighthearted, but had spooky elements too. I noticed that there were a lot of pop-culture references throughout the book.

These days a lot of contemporary seem to be full of pop-culture references. Perhaps authors believe that they’ll relate more to the younger generation if they talk about ‘Instagram’ and ‘HP’ in their stories. I personally don’t care when authors do this, but I know some readers find it annoying. I will say that those references worked well in this case, since the story was very campy.

“You wouldn’t understand. It’s a dead girl thing.”

The best part of the book was the twist at the end. Now, I am not the best at solving mysteries. So I found the reveal at the end to be shocking. However, I can see how some could find it underwhelming. Looking back, there were a lot of red flags when it came to the killer that I seemed to have overlooked.

Personally, my favorite thing about the book was the dialog. For a spooky YA story, I found it to be pretty funny. The author did an amazing job mixing a mystery-thriller with a cheerful contemporary. I probably wouldn’t rereead the book, since I already know the big twist at the end. Still, I will recommend it to others looking for a more tame YA thriller.

Let me know your thoughts on the book in the comments. And, like, share and follow the blog. Please and thank you!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Hocus Pocus and the All New Sequel // Book Review

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Title: Hocus Pocus and the All New Sequel
Author: A.W. Jantha
Published: 2018
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy
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Synopsis
Hocus Pocus is beloved by Halloween enthusiasts all over the world. Diving once more into the world of witches, this electrifying two-part young adult novel, released on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the 1993 film, marks a new era of Hocus Pocus. Fans will be spellbound by a fresh retelling of the original film, followed by the all-new sequel that continues the story with the next generation of Salem teens.
Credit: GoodReads

The idea of a Hocus Pocus sequel is awesome. Especially, now that one is officially happening. However, I was unprepared for the concept of the book. Part one is the Hocus Pocus movie we know and love. I listened to this on audiobook, which is my preferred method of reading these days. But it was as if I was listening to the movie instead of watching it. Of course some parts were different, and scenes were omitted, but overall they were one in the same.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of the 90s film. There is just something strange about an author taking a movie and trying to adapted it into a book, while still making it their own. I guess I shouldn’t be so unimpressed by this since Hollywood has been adapting books into films for years. Nevertheless, I’d much rather just watch the movie. Don’t lie you know you would too.

However, the first half of the book did keep me entertained. The author tried their best to bring the movie story to life in a different way. And, give us all the feels we get from watching the film. Part two of the book was a whole new story; thus the sequel. It follows Max and Allison’s daughter, Poppy. All her life she’s heard stories about the Halloween her parents and aunt brought back the Sanderson sisters. Usually she laughs them off, because the story is too unbelievable to be real. But on Halloween night, Poppy and her friends sneak into the Sanderson museum and accidentally bring the witched back from the dead once again.

This sounds like a solid concept, but it was very lackluster. I wasn’t invested in the characters, which made me not care if they lost against the witches. The author tried to play off readers love for the movie by adding cameos of some of the movies characters. However, those characters felt out of place and didn’t fit it the story. And, it was clear that the author didn’t know how to right Max, Allison and Dani as adults.

Max and Allison were so far off from their original personalities. Allison was lawyer, which made no sense to me. Max was a teacher, which was weird as well. I would have mad Allison a teacher instead. Max seemed very creative, so I would picture him going that route. Maybe writing fiction books that stemmed from his experience with the Sanderson sisters. As for Dani, she was portrayed very childish. Like an adult, who think they’re still in high school.

“Oh, look, another glorious morning. Makes me sick!”

Throughout the book, Poppy talked about how her parents always freaking out on Halloween. They didn’t ever celebrate the holiday most years. This is another fact that was unrealistic to me. Sure three witches almost taking over Salem would probably change anyone perspective on Halloween, but that drastically. I think not. You would think that over time the story would start to sound fake even to them. They might even chalk it up to a nightmare of sorts. When paranormal thing happen most people convince themselves that their mind is playing tricks on them. So why wouldn’t these characters.

For me, the book was so-so. I would have preferred a ‘what if’ type story. Kind of similar to the Disney twisted tale books. Now that would have peaked my interested. Let me know your thoughts on the book in the comments below. Don’t forget to like and share this post. If you are a book lover follow my blog for book reviews and more.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Five Feet Apart // Book Review

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Title: Five Feet Apart
Author: Rachael Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry, Tobias Iaconis
Published: 2018
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary

In this moving story two teens fall in love with just one minor complication—they can’t get within five feet of each other without risking their lives.
Source: Goodreads

I wasn’t sure if I should give the book 5 or 2 stars, because it truly broke my heart. However, I settled on 4 stars. I loved the writing style and the plot isn’t too far from John Green’s ‘Fault in Our Stars’. I was not a fan of Green’s book, yet it is very beloved. This book is not nearly as popular, but captivated me in ways ‘Faults in Our Stars’ didn’t. This was much more than a love story, even though that was a big part of the plot. It focused on death, illness, and not always getting what we want.

Stella is a major control freak with Cystic Fibrosis, waiting on new lungs. Will also has CF, but has contracted Cepacia as well, which is terminal to patients with CF. However, the two are drawn together after meeting during their most recent hospital stays. The only catch is that they must stay six feet apart at all times. I adored both characters, and watched their relationship grow organically. The book takes place solely in the hospital, and tries to paint the picture of what living with a chronic, life threatening condition is like.

“Everyone in this world is breathing borrowed air.”

I felt every heartbreaking thing Stella and Will felt. I hated their disease right along with them. And, I cried when the ending came. I don’t want to giveaway spoilers, because I do think that everyone should read this book. But this book doesn’t have a “happy” ending. Yes, the ending is somewhat great, still it breaks the readers heart in many ways.

The book was beautifully written and will give you great cry. I finished it in a day, which for me says that the plot was very engaging. I would have given it 5 stars, but I will probably never read it again. Only because it made me extremely sad. However, I could just be an overly emotional reader.

Remember, this isn’t a lighthearted ‘sick kids falling in love’ story, but it all works out in the end. But if you are looking for a book that will leave an impression on you, and give you a good cry, then you should give this book a read.

Remember to like and share this post, and follow my blog to get notified about my new content.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Sunkissed // Book Review

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Title: Sunkissed
Author: Kasie West
Published: 2021
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary

Fan favorite Kasie West is back with another unforgettable summer romance that reminds us falling in love is full of wonder, heartache, and—most of all—surprises.
Source: Goodreads

Reading six of Kasie West books has made her one of my favorite authors. I love her writing style and lighthearted young adult romances. When I heard she was releasing a summertime contemporary this year I 100% thought it would be a 5 star read. However, this book frustrated me to no end. I am going to try not to make this a rant review, but it might end up that way. Sorry.

The book is set at a summer resort where there is no cell service or internet. Are main character, Avery, and her family are staying there for a month. Right off the bat, the love interest left me with a sour taste in my mouth. He completely judged, Avery, and never truly apologized for it. Also, his whole broody musician personality was so annoying. I get it you’re dealing with a lot of shit, but so is everyone else.

“Sometimes staying in the box we’ve made for ourselves is so easy. It’s comfortable and familiar in there. And a lot of times, the people around us want us to stay in there, too, because that’s how they’ve always known us: in that box.”

Probably the biggest issue I had with the story was Avery’s personality. She was so passive it drove me insane. Honestly, she is exactly like my mom, who I love her to death, but found that I cannot read a character like her. She would let everyone walk all over her, and never stood up for herself. Her excuse was that she didn’t like conflict, but sometimes in life conflict is necessary. Another infuriating thing was how rude her so called “love interest” friends were towards her at the end of the book. At one point her “boyfriend” did stick up for her, but in my opinion it was too little, too late. I guess bros over hoes.

I did enjoy some of the resort worker we got to know, and that they welcomed Avery into their group with open arms. Avery’s sister Lauren was another one of my favorite characters. At first, Lauren comes off as self-absorbed but really she was just immature. By the end, you could tell she cared about her sister and wanted her to be happy. I enjoyed seeing their relationship grow and transform into a nice sisterly bond. Besides the sisterly aspect, I don’t feel like family was a major aspect of the story. It is more of a story about self-discovery and finding your passion.

I am not here to say that this book is trash. I am glad that I picked it up and it hasn’t turned me off from Kasie West. Because her writing style is still amazing. This book just didn’t give me the feels her past ones had. Hopefully her next release will redeem this book.

Let’s chat in the comments about this book. Also, like, share and follow the blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

There’s Someone Inside Your House // Book Review

- Bunny 2 Comments

Title: There’s Someone Inside Your House
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Published: 2017
Genre: Young Adult/Thriller

2.5/5 Stars


Makani Young thought she’d left her dark past behind her in Hawaii, settling in with her grandmother in landlocked Nebraska. She’s found new friends and has even started to fall for mysterious outsider Ollie Larsson. But her past isn’t far behind. Then, one by one, the students of Osborne Hugh begin to die in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasingly grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and her feelings for Ollie intensify, Makani is forced to confront her own dark secrets.
Source: Goodreads

I was a fan of Stephanie Perkins’ contemporary books, so I was interested to see her take on a thriller. I had heard that it was reminiscent of ‘Scream’, which I loved. This book follows a high schooler, Makani, who has moved from Hawaii to Nebraska to live with her grandmother. But Makani has a dark secret that she is hiding. Now this wasn’t the most captivating book, and it dragged at times. I enjoyed that last half of the book, but that is about it. It was very romance heavy, which is strange for a thriller. The romance was very instant lovey and based on physical attraction. However, I didn’t feel like there was much chemistry between the characters.

Her friends were barely a factor in the book at all. When we did seem them, they were always throwing shade at her boyfriend. She even mentioned countless times how she felt like the third wheel in her friendship, which seemed pretty toxic to me. Ollie, the love interest, was probably my favorite character. He had a tragic past, but a dark sense of humor as well.

As for Makani’s dark past, it was pretty underwhelming. For a teenager it might have seemed life shattering, but it wasn’t all that horrible. I didn’t understand the reasoning behind her selfish, absent parents. It seemed as though the author added that so we could empathize with the main character. I would have enjoyed it better if she had told her parents off, because her mother was a witch with a B.

“Everybody has at least one moment they deeply regret, but that one moment…it doesn’t define all of you.”

Now the thing that ticked me off the most was the killer reveal and motive. Without giving too much away. The killer was so random and the reveal wasn’t shocking at all. There were times when I thought I knew who the killer was going to be, which kept me interested in the plot. However, I was completely disappointed in the identity of the killer. The motive was on a whole other level of annoyance. Totally ridiculous. I understand that people kill for all different reasons, but I thought it was altogether a terrible ending. It seemed as those the author didn’t know where she was going with the story, and threw a motive together at the last minute.

The best part of the book was the killer’s last attack. This character fought like hell, and wasn’t going to let some serial killer take her life. She was pretty bad ass. I am not disappointed by the book, but I was hoping for more from the story. I probably wouldn’t recommend it to readers unless you are a die-hard Stephanie Perkins fan. Once thing that I wanted to note was that the killing scenes where somewhat graphic, so keep that in mind before you pick it up.

As always, like and share this review with others, and remember to follow the blog to get notified whenever I post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

My Blogging Process // Creating Content

- Bunny 2 Comments


Hi Friends,
Today, I will be doing a post on how I write my blog posts. I know this may seem like a weird topic for a blog post, but I thought it would be interesting to share. Here’s how I formulate my blog post ideas, edit post and keep track of reviews. I try to stay extremely organized regarding blog posts. Especially since I put up 3, sometimes 4, posts a week. I have to plan out all my posts for the month and then some. Currently, I have a list of blog post ideas that will last me until November. However, a true blogger knows that things change and you have to move posts around all the time. I just prefer having a master list of ideas that I can pull from at any given time.

I feel like I am constantly writing posts and thinking of ideas. So to make it easier on myself, I try to write my posts for the coming week on Sundays. I edit them and schedule them to go up. Now that doesn’t always work out thus, I am writing this post Monday, August 16th and it is going up on my blog today. Some quick post ideas are tags, top five favorites, and recommendations. Usually I like to have back-up posts ready to go live on days like today, but that isn’t always the case.

As for reviews, I try to jot down my thoughts throughout reading the book. This way I have my thoughts while reading the book and my overall final thoughts. It takes a lot of trial and error to perfect blog reviews, and come up with something you like. Right now I like my review style, but I am sure it will change later in my blogging life. As for editing posts, I am terrible at grammar. There are some free grammar and spell checker tools on the internet. There are paid versions as well.

I have noticed that grammar editors tend to change your writing style, so keep that in mind before investing in one. Luckily, I have my husband who is willing to proof read my posts. I will typically do one final proof read myself just for safety. A big tip when writing posts is not to focus so much on SEO. As a blogger that is something we are all trying to prefect, but sometimes your writing style and SEO aren’t going to agree. It is better to put out a post that reflects you instead of one that checks off all the SEO boxes.

I hope that this post interests you in someway. Please check back for other bookish and lifestyle posts.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

They Wish They Were Us // Book Review

- Bunny 4 Comments


Title: They Wish They Were Us
Author: Jessica Goodman
Published: 2020
Genre: Young Adult/Mystery


Freshman year Jill’s best friend, the brilliant, dazzling Shaila Arnold, was killed by her boyfriend. After that dark night on the beach, Graham confessed, the case was closed, and Jill tried to move on. Now, it’s Jill’s senior year and she’s determined to make it her best yet. After all, she’s a senior and a Player–a member of Gold Coast Prep’s exclusive, not-so-secret secret society. Senior Players have the best parties, highest grades and the admiration of the entire school. This is going to be Jill’s year. She’s sure of it. But when Jill starts getting texts proclaiming Graham’s innocence, her dreams of the perfect senior year start to crumble. If Graham didn’t kill Shaila, who did? Jill vows to find out, but digging deeper could mean putting her friendships, and her future, in jeopardy.
Source: Goodreads


This was one of my first introductions into YA mystery. I figured since I love thriller movies, then thriller books should be right up my alley. I had been anticipating reading this book for a while, but had seen some mixed reviews on it. I’ll start off with the negative aspects of the book, so we can end on a good note. I wasn’t a fan of the slow moving plot. I felt as though nothing had happened, but I was already at the 1/3 mark.

Another problem was that I could instantly tell who the killer was going to be. I feel that a thriller is more interesting when there are a lot of suspects, and you don’t know who to trust. I found all the characters to be fairly shallow, and only cared about their social status. I never went to high-school, so I don’t have any frame of reference on how other teenagers act. But I hope they aren’t as bratty as they were portrayed in this book.

My biggest problem was the female lead’s indecisiveness. For the majority of the book, she bounced back-and-forth between helping or just staying out of it. Even though she had many doubts about her friend’s killer, she tried to talk herself out of helping an innocent person go free. There’s not wanting to get involved, and then there’s just turning a blind eye. Now, moving on to happier things! I enjoyed Goodman’s writing style tremendously. I could see her writing some amazing, lighthearted contemporaries in the future.

I thought that the killer’s motive was done very well. I didn’t expect it at all. One of the most redeeming points is that I find this to be a great first step into the YA thriller, murder mystery genre. It is on the tamer side, but has solid writing and plot. Don’t be afraid to give me some YA thriller and horror recommendations in the comments. Subscribe via email to get notified whenever there’s a new post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Legendborn // Book Review

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Title: Legendborn
Author: Tracy Deonn
Published: 2020
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus. A flying demon feeding on human energies. A secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down. And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw. The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.
Source: Goodreads

This book is filled with twist and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This is a new fantasy book series with a lot of elements to it. I enjoyed certain aspects of the story. Others, not so much. At first, I didn’t know how to feel about the main character, Bree. She was very guarded, which I’m not usually a fan of. However, it worked for her, considering she was still going through the motions of her mother’s death.

I enjoyed the magic system that the author created in the story. By the end of the book everything fell into place and worked well together. It was pretty mind-blowing. As for the world-building, I found it somewhat complex. There was a lot of pieces to the society and it got hard to follow at times. I could see the struggle to navigate the world lowering a readers enjoyment of the story. The author probably should have simplified things, since it was only the first book in the series.

“Don’t make your life about the loss. Make it about the love.”

One of my least favorite aspects was the romance. Bree’s relationship with Nick started off fine, but it quickly became that prepackaged ‘insta-love’ that we’ve all had served to us in just about every way imaginable. Nick was falling hard and fast for Bree. He needed to simmer down. He was a little immature, too – always acting hurt when she didn’t tell him things, or trying to defend her. Yes, Bree was stubborn, but she was strong too. She was no damsel-in-distress.

My favorite character was Sel! Although, he wasn’t the main focus of the book, I think he had strong character development throughout the book. On the outside, he has a tough, devil-may-care attitude, but inside he is kind and protective. I can completely see Sel and Bree together, but then again, I love a good hate-to-love romance any day.

The best part of this book was, hands-down, the ending. It was exciting, jawdropping, and left me wanting more. The way the author added a twist that you never saw coming, but worked it in so well, was amazing. I cannot wait for the sequel, and to read more of Tracy Deonn’s work.

Have you read this book? Is it on your TBR? Let me know your thoughts on ‘Legendborn’ in the comments below.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

One Last Stop // Book Review

- Bunny 2 Comments

*This review might include information that some might see as a spoiler.*


Title: One Last Stop
Author: Casey McQuiston
Published: 2021
Genre: New Adult/Contemporary


2.5/5 Stars

Casey McQuiston’s One Last Stop is a magical, sexy, big-hearted romance where the impossible becomes possible as August does everything in her power to save the girl lost in time.
Source: Goodreads

I wouldn’t call this book a YA, but it isn’t exactly adult either. It falls somewhere in the middle, which I would call new adult. First off, I want to say that I tried really hard to enjoy this book. Also, I’m proud of myself for not DNFing it. I just had so many issues with the book, and can already say I wasn’t a fan. The premise of the book sounded very intriguing, and had the potential to be a 4 or 5 star read, if executed well.

Let’s start with the main characters and love interests. August and Jane’s relationship seems to come out of left field. One or two meetings with this girl, and August has suddenly found her soulmate. Their attraction to one another progressed too quickly for my liking, and wasn’t based off much besides looks and a few small conversations. As the story developed, I didn’t see the two having much in common or any real chemistry.

“I fell in love with you the day that I met you, and then I fell in love with the person you remembered you are. I got to fall in love with you twice. That’s— that’s magic.”

I want to point out that there are some – *cough* – scenes in the book. Honestly, I don’t know if you could call them outright objectionable, but they are pretty intense. Let’s just say if you don’t like public displays of affection = especially doing the deed in public = then this book isn’t for you. Yep, this book goes there.

August’s roommates were fun, diverse characters, who added most of the humor to the story. However, there were a lot of characters, and it was hard to keep track of them all. Most of the extra characters were unnecessary to the plot. On top of that, there seemed to be multiple plots going on. There was a lot thrown into one book.

The biggest flaw for me, however, is the story itself. I never full understood the connection between August and Jane. The author tried their best to create a reason for their intense connection, but it didn’t really work for me. There was even an interesting twist at the end of the book. Still, it didn’t make up for the story as a whole. I absolutely hated the ending, and it played on one of my least favorite things about time travel plots. People from the past can’t, and shouldn’t, stay in the present!

Overall, I liked this book a lot less than expected, but I feel that most of my issues came from personal tastes rather than from the story itself. I have heard great things about Casey McQuiston’s young adult work, so I might give them a try in the future. Please like and share this review with all of your bookish friends!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Cool For The Summer // Book Review

- Bunny 2 Comments

Title: Cool For The Summer
Author: Dahlia Adler
Published: 2021
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary

Lara has everything she ever wanted: a tight-knit group of friends, a job that borders on cool, and Chase, the boy of her literal dreams. But if she’s finally got the guy, why can’t she stop thinking about the girl?
Source: Goodreads

If you enjoy a messy, queer love triangle, then this is the book for you. This book is about coming into your own and discovering your sexuality. From the start, Lara’s emotions and desires are all over the place. She isn’t sure what she wants or how she feels. I think that she portrays a lot of people who are trying to figure out their sexuality. The book flips between two time lines. The present day and the recent summer. I enjoyed both timelines, and it was interesting to see how Lara acted away for the summer versus at school.

There wasn’t one character that stood out to me, but I did enjoy Chase – Lara’s male love interest. He seemed genuine and understanding. His interest in Lara did seem random, but in adolescence, sometimes attraction happens out of the blue. One of my biggest problems with the book was the characters. I felt like nobody talked to anyone. A lot of the problems the main character faced could have been avoid by just communicating with others.

“Just because you’re telling a good story, doesn’t mean it’s the right story. And I think that it’s really important to tell the right story.”

It felt juvenile at times, and I wanted to scream at the characters to have a conversation with one another. One character’s actions would make another character do something, which would create a vicious cycle that ultimately prolonged the love triangle. One of the biggest annoyances was that the main character knew who her heart wanted, but continued to string both, love interest, along. I understand that she was confused, but instead of playing with people’s hearts, she should have taken the time to come to terms with her feelings.

The writing style was different than I was used to, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It was slower, and took a while to get into. Personally, I wasn’t a fan of the writing style, but don’t think it had a negative effect on the story. Actually, I think the writing style fit the book well.

If you have read this book, leave your thoughts in the comments below. As always, you can share and like this post to support my book blog. Don’t forget to follow, to get notified when I post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny