A Family Chosen (Volumes 1-4)

A Family Chosen by Sloane Kennedy

Age: Adult
Category: LGBTQIA+ / Erotica
Rating: 3.5 stars

Helen Thinks: This is a Sloane Kennedy’s entire story arc. It consists of twenty novels from four of her individual series but all the characters intermingle so Kennedy has bundled them into these volumes. I was going to individually review every novel but I really didn’t think you would want me writing twenty long reviews about how amazing these novels are - because seriously that’s all the reviews would be! For two weeks straight (would have been a lot shorter time if life didn’t get in the way!), I read these novels one after the other and I couldn’t put them down.

Three out of twenty novels are M/F pairings but the remaining seventeen are M/M or M/M/M. Kennedy does explain for those that prefer only to read M/M then you can skip the M/F ones if you really want to but as much as I love my M/M novels, I couldn’t skip the M/F ones and I wouldn’t advise that any of my M/M fans do either. Those of you that aren’t massively into the M/M I beg of you not to skip these books over. Lauren; my sister; has always stated that she wouldn’t read the M/M books on my kindle but then started reading the first novel - Gabriel’s Rules - which is M/F and I explained to her that the third one of the trilogy was M/M and she decided to give it a go anyway because she couldn’t not read the third book in a trilogy. Safe to say, she’s now halfway through the books and is just as addicted as I am. So praises to Kennedy for getting my sister to try something new and for it to be that well written she can’t put them down.

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A Year Agreement (Trilogy)

A Year Agreement (Trilogy) by Kenadee Bryant

Age: Adult
Category: Contemporary / Romance
Rating: 4 stars

Helen Thinks: Jenna Howard was left by her mother at five years old and emancipated herself at seventeen to find out life doesn’t get any better just because you’re an adult. Working two dead end jobs just to keep herself above water, Jenna believes her life is just one big disappointment until a customer at the strip joint offers her the deal of a lifetime - marry him and he’ll pay her one million dollars. Despite her immediate convictions towards a stranger offering her this deal Jenna knows that the amount of money offered will change her life forever so she agrees. What she didn’t bargain for was the fact her husband-to-be could be quite cold and cruel towards her nor did she bargain for the fact that maybe - just maybe - she likes him more than she should?

I’ll be honest with you and admit that it was the cover of the first novel that grabbed my attention one day when I was perusing through the “recommended for you” category on amazon. I immediately downloaded it - big bonus it’s available on Kindle Unlimited for those of you that subscribe to that service - and read it within a couple of hours. I literally could not put it down. I also kept texting Lauren (my sister for those of you who aren’t aware or who have forgotten) throughout her night shift telling her that she must read it!

Liam was a bit of a douche at times and I know that’s what she was going for but sometimes some of the comments he came out with was a bit too much. However, once his gruff exterior was chipped away at by our heroine, I did find myself liking Liam very much and believe that Jenna and Liam were written very well by Kenadee Bryant.

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The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald

Age: Adult
Category: Contemporary
Rating: 3 stars

Helen Thinks: Sara has never left her home country of Sweden so when her elderly penpal, Amy, from Broken Wheel, Iowa, offers her the chance to stay at her house for two months she jumps at the chance. Unfortunately for Sara, Amy’s funeral is just coming to a close when she arrives. However, the residents of Broken Wheel were all under instructions from Amy to ensure that Sara remained there and felt welcomed. Broken Wheel is a small dying community in the middle of nowhere so they are stunned that Sara wishes to remain there, as well confused to her love for the written word. In return for their generosity and for something to do, Sara opens a bookstore with Amy’s books for the people of Broken Wheel and the residents become fond of Sara.

I’m not going to lie to you but the beginning of this book was slow going. Sara, for me, started off as a particularly dull character that had no dimensions whatsoever. Her inner thoughts were rambles about published books that you may or may not have read. I understand being a book lover - I’m a massive book lover - but it was focused on a little too much for my liking. However, Sara did begin to grow on me as she started to interact with the residents of Broken Wheel and we started to see snapshots of their lives. From Andy and his good friend Carl that owned the bar, Grace that owned the local diner and Caroline that was always there to help out and organised everything. There was a handful of supporting characters and they were all individual enough that you could see who Bivald was talking about.

I felt like a great touch was that each alternate chapter was a letter from Amy to Sara so that despite Amy’s death in the novel we still managed to meet Amy as well as get a look at the friendship that had formed between the two women. In their letters they spoke of books and of what books meant to them as well as us seeing what Amy’s relationships were with the residents of Broken Wheel.

Despite me saying earlier that this book was slow starting, I managed to read it in one afternoon once I tackled the first thirty or forrty pages that made it a struggle. I was in love with the characters of Broken Wheel so all I can say is that Helen from A Drop of Romeo highly recommends that you give this book a chance.

Addicted to You (Addicted #1)

Addicted to You by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie

Age: Adult
Category: Contemporary, romance
Rating: 3 stars

“The fear of losing each other is always stronger than the pain we cause.”

Marta Thinks: Addicted to You is set in Pennsylvania which is where its two main characters, Lily Calloway and Loren Hale, go to university. They are rich and immensely privileged (it is thanks to their parents, after all, that they attend such a prestigious school) and their lives would be easier than everyone else’s if it weren’t for one thing…they’re both addicts. Loren is an alcoholic, who jealously guards his bottles and drinks himself into oblivion every night, due to the influence of a father who encouraged him to drink ever since he was young. Lily, instead, is a sex addict who medicates her insecurities and anxieties by hooking up with strangers. They both crave for a release: just in different ways.

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Errant Prince

The Errant Prince by Sasha L. Miller

Age: Young Adult / Adult
Category: Romance, fantasy, LGBTQIA+
Rating: 3 stars

Rosie Thinks: Ever since Prince Tamsen ran away from the palace seven years ago, he's been living the secluded life of a hermit, surrounded by his herbs and his books. Guardsman Myron has been charged to find him and bring him home. No others have managed to force him back to the palace, so Myron tries a different tact: patience.

Myron is an easily loveable character, easy-going and mischievous, and stubborn enough to outlast Tamsen. Tamsen, on the other hand, isn't what Myron was expecting at all. Despite acting like a brat at times, Tamsen relishes his simplistic lifestyle and isn't keen on being dragged away from it. The book spent the first half in Myron's POV, then the second half in Tamsen's. I'm never usually a fan of alternating POVs, but the rigidity and consistency of this actually served to improve the storytelling, for once!

This isn't a long book - only 40 000 words - but Sasha L. Miller still manages to weave a unique and realistic story within that. It deals with a whole range of issues, including personal identity and acceptance, court politics, a transexual character, and the romance weaved into all of it. Despite it being a romance, there's nothing explicit, making it a story that can reach a wider age range.

If you're looking for an in-depth character study, you won't find it here. Instead, this story is a sweet romance that doesn't focus on the unnecessary drama that so many other romances seem to - in particular, I'm referring to the grand 'misunderstanding' that always seems to appear in love stories these days. Myron and Tamsen actually communicated, like the grown adults they are! That's not to say that they didn't have their troubles along the way - rather, the author was more creative in creating drama that was realistic and interesting.

This story was like a breath of fresh air, staying away from the usual stereotypes of a romance story that I'm sick of seeing. It's not overly complicated, but consistently remains a cute romance throughout, and one that I would recommend to anyone!

Losing Ground

Losing Ground by Sasha L. Miller

Age: Young Adult / Adult
Category: Romance, fantasy, LGBTQIA+
Rating: 3 stars

Rosie Thinks: This is only the second book I've read from Sasha L. Miller, but I'm really beginning to like her. Both books have been unique, including the storylines and the surroundings, and she's stayed away from the cliches of the m/m romance genre. HOORAY! Not much upsets me more than a story that I feel like I've read a thousand times before.

Losing Ground is set in a world like ours, yet different - it's modern, but it's broken up into territories which are owned by wizards or witches. There wasn't too much world-building past that, but since it wasn't an overly long or complicated story, it didn't need it. The magic is elemental, and the story is told from the POV of earth wizard Carter Bellwood. He is set to inherit the territory once his ailing mother passes, but his powers are comparatively quite weak and they are both struggling to rid their territory of the disease that is killing all plant life. When super-strong earth wizard Tai enters their territory, Carter thinks he's found the solution. But Tai is running from something and might not stick around, despite the friendship developing between the two men.

I guess you could class this as a 'slow romance', but I'd prefer to call it realistic. They become friends first, and it takes a while for Tai to lower his guard enough to let Carter in. It develops from there into a romance that was sweet and understated. The main action comes from the two men fighting the disease and Tai's past catching up to him, so it stayed interesting, suspenseful and intriguing throughout.

I felt like Miller did a great job at creating an urban fantasy world, but I would've liked to have seen a bit more romantic development between the two. It took a backseat to the action for most of it, and I think the story as a whole could've benefited from one or two extra scenes of just Tai and Carter, without the plot intruding. Other than that, it made for a lovely, easy read that didn't disappoint.

The Fountainhead

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

Age: Adult
Category: Classic
Rating: 3 stars

“My dear fellow, who will let you?”

“That’s not the point. The point is, who will stop me?”

Marta Thinks: Howard Roark is a young architect who believes modern architecture is the intellectual culmination of architecture and vastly superior over classical and traditional architecture. This viewpoint goes against the opinion of the both the public and professionals and The Fountainhead therefore follows Roark’s struggle in exposing his artwork to a world where it is largely scorned. Alongside Roark, there are four other essential characters: Peter Keating, a vapid architect who moves up the social ladder due to his sycophantic nature; the mercurial and passionate journalist Dominique Francon; Gail Wynan, owner of a famous newspaper who yearns to be more, and Ellsworth Tooheny, who seeks to undermine Roark at every step. Each character meets Roark and each one is deeply and profoundly disturbed by him because, according to Ayn Rand, he is the ideal man. Indeed, Roark fully embodies her philosophy of promoting individualism and selfishness (which Rand believes is a virtue, while selflessness is a vice).

The Fountainhead itself seems to mirror Roark’s architecture: neat and straight-forward but almost coldly impersonal, detached from the reader, almost as if going, “This is how I am and I don’t care what you think.” It leaves you a bit reeling, a little overwhelmed, though not emotionally moved. But this is exactly why I think it is worth recommending — because it makes you think. You might not end up agreeing with Ayn Rand’s views or find Roark admirable (I, personally, did not) but that hardly matters. What matters is that a book has violently challenged you and you’re going to have to defend yourself. So while The Fountainhead might not the best book I’ve ever read, it has certainly been the most interesting.

Rites of Passage

Rites of Passage by Joy N. Hensley

Age: Young Adult
Category: Contemporary
Rating: 3 stars

Rosie Thinks: Sam's never been able to turn down a dare. But this dare was the last one given to her before her brother passed away: be one of the first girls to go through Denmark Military Academy. She's from a military family herself, so knows exactly what to expect. What she isn't expecting is the brutal hazing she's put through, and the outright violence towards her for not giving up.

There are quite a few books like these out there - girl joining military school, book then letting down all your expectations and hopes. But, surprisingly, this one didn't! Sam herself truly made this book stand out to me. She's strong, stubborn to a fault, but with an underlying vulnerability that she is determined not to show. At times, she came close to falling into the stereotypical Strong Female Character, but that vulnerable streak I mentioned before prevented that, thankfully! She became an inspiring character - despite all the oftentimes violent opposition to her being at DMA from almost everyone around her, she stood for what she believed in, and I loved that. Sometimes, because of all this opposition, it became a bit of a hard read, but it is definitely worth it to keep going.

I'm gonna be honest here: I know nothing about military schools. Are they even in Australia? Maybe? Maybe not? Regardless, the amount of detail in this was on point and gave me a much more in-depth image than any other TV show or book before it. And it turns out, Hensley herself attended a military school, so she knows what she's talking about! I love how she didn't hold back on any of the brutality, sexism or homophobia that was present in the novel. She gave a no-holds-barred view of military schools that felt incredibly accurate to me (not that that means too much, since I know nothing about them anyway!).

The romance in this book takes a while to come to fruition, but it is lovely and satisfying when it does. It served to further the story, rather than the amazing plot line becoming secondary to it like I see so often. The misogyny in this story made me want to throw my Kindle against the wall, but the ending definitely made my crankiness throughout it worth it!

The Deep End of the Sea

The Deep End of the Sea by Heather Lyons

Age: Young Adult / Adult
Category: Romance, fantasy
Rating: 3 stars

Rosie Thinks: This is the story of Medusa, like you've never heard it told before. To me, Medusa's always been evil and horrible, deserving of her punishment. The backstory is the same as the legend: Medusa was brutally raped by Poseidon in Athena's temple, then the goddess cursed her and exiled her to live for eternity alone. But Medusa herself is completely different: she has the gentlest of hearts, kind and caring and always despairing when someone unwittingly stumbles upon her and she turns them to stone. The only bright points in her life is Mikkos, the old, blind sailor who visits her, and Hermes, son of Zeus, who has slowly wormed his way into Medusa's heart.

From the summary, I thought this story would be quite static: staying in the same place on Medusa's island as she throws a pity party or a hundred. But it wasn't like this at all - the plot moved fast, and I never got overly frustrated with Medusa. Despite having so many things happen to her, she still retained her inner sanity and goodness. To be fair, she did cry a lot, but it was valid. Her character growth was impressive to see and real. She started off as a shut-in, hurt by the world and not ready to trust easily again. Indeed, it took Hermes over a thousand years to break through her shell. But slowly, she discovers who she really is and what it means to stand up for herself. Most importantly, the incredibly sensitive issue of sexual assault was dealt with properly and very, very well. There are so many books where rape is used as a plot device and given no real exploration of the depth of trauma it causes, but Heather Lyons handled it so perfectly.

The romance between Hermes and Medusa was beautiful. It's one of the healthiest relationships I've ever read about: Hermes doesn't ever push Medusa, knowing her history, and loves her for her, as opposed to her appearance. The other minor characters are lovely as well, and I loved the way they interacted with Medusa and helped her grow. I only wish that the gods and goddesses weren't so black and white: some were good, some were bad. I prefer the grey area, where the villains aren't truly evil and the good people aren't all light.

This is a great book for anyone interested in Greek mythology, but it takes a modern twist on it that I found intriguing. For me, this lies in the grey area between young adult and new adult - it reads like a YA novel, but there are some scenes that are a bit too explicit for YA. Either way, it is an amazing romance that has a solid plot that carried the rest of the novel, and great characters.

Jenny Pox (The Paranormals #1)

Jenny Pox by J.L. Bryan

Age: Young Adult
Category: Fantasy
Rating: 3 stars

“She felt the skin on her lower face bubble and pop as bleeding sores formed on her lips. Pustules cracked open on her face, extruding curls of pus like tiny white worms.”

Marta Thinks: Jenny Morton inflicts a deadly plague on everyone she touches: the so-called “Jenny Pox”, which is as far from an original name as you can think of, but considering it was coined by Jenny’s nemesis, Ashleigh, at a young age, I can let that one slide. The novel begins from Jenny’s childhood with an especially horrifying image: Jenny holding a deadly snake in her hands, believing it to be a rattle toy, and it sets the tone for a dark story.

The plot itself is nothing extraordinarly original: Jenny, for example, meets Seth, a boy who is resistant to Jenny’s fatal touch and is, also, Ashleigh’s boyfriend. However, J.L. Bryan diverges from the usual path by not presenting these aspects in the usual way, and not shying away from the ugly details either. Jenny, for example, is bullied at school and is poor and her hardships are not pushed aside, but dwelled upon carefully. This allows Jenny herself to become a likable character -- one that is trying to survive despite the circumstances yet tries not to engage in endless pity parties.

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The Soldier of Raetia

The Soldier of Raetia by Heather Domin

Age: Adult
Category: Historical, romance, LGBTQIA+
Rating: 3 stars

Rosie Thinks: This story focuses on Manilus Dardanus, a soldier who is sent by his father to try to be sponsored by Cassius Valerian, a famous general with no heirs. Set in Ancient Rome, this story paints a vivid and accurate picture of the time, and the insights into daily military life, of the soldier and the officers, was fantastic - I'm an ancient history buff, and if you're interested in Ancient Rome, then I can't recommend this book enough. At the end, Heather Domin discusses what is real in the story and where her creative licence took control. The depth of research she put into this is huge, and her knowledge pays off.

However, this book isn't a study on Ancient Rome - rather, it is the story of Dardanus' develops from naive and idealistic into a man who is self-assured and confident is his own skills, on the battlefield and off it. It is also about the slow, steady relationship that is created between Dardanus and Valerian. While the beginning was slow, it set up the characters and action well, and by the time the plot truly began to move, I was hooked. The campaign was complex, but explained in a way that made it easy to follow. The climax was well thought out, with a villain that was unique and incredibly interesting. This story follows no pre-set cliches that are usually everywhere in the m/m genre, and I was super glad for that! There was no insta-lust or love - I can't even explain how much this made me happy. The two main characters didn't trip over their feet or become stunned when they met. Rather, their relationship was a slow burn that built on solid foundations of mutual respect, friendship and, eventually, love.

This book contained angst and passion enough to keep the romance-lover in me satisfied, while the plot was also enthralling. It is neither a story that is based around the legion or the romance - the balance of both of these made it stand out for me. Although I've mentioned Dardanus and Valerian a lot, the other characters are definitely worth a mention. Each of them had their own hopes and dreams; a personality of their own. They moved the plot along and helped with the main themes of the novel: trust, ambition, greed, and honour.

Delancey: A Man, a Woman, a Restaurant, a Marriage

Delancey: A Man, a Woman, a Restaurant, a Marriage by Molly Wizenberg
Age: Adult

Category: Contemporary
Rating: 3 stars

Marta Thinks: In her deliciously fun and earnest memoir, Delancey, Molly Wizenberg talks about the creation of her husband’s pizza restaurant and how the process of opening it was anything but easy. The format is fairly simple and straight-forward (chronological chapters, photographs, recipes); there’s nothing ground-breaking about it but perhaps that’s what makes it so appealing. The book gives a sense of warmth and comfort, the sort of atmosphere you’d expect from a cosy pizza-place. And it helps that Wizenberg’s voice shines through her book, frank and introspective, charismatic enough that you want to keep on reading. All night. (Yes, I speak from personal experience.)

I loved reading about the small details the most, most probably the part where the search for a name is not at all easy: from Avenue Q to Midwood, nothing seems to work, until Brandon, Wizenberg’s husband, sees the Delancey Street subway station sign. Thus the christening of Delancey. The connotations held with such a name are described gorgeously and are a testament to Wizenberg’s writing abilities: “It felt classy and old-fashioned, like a pub lined with dark gleaming wood and frequented by old men with tweed suits and cigars.” If Brandon cooks as beautifully as Wizenberg writes, then the food must be very savoury indeed.

However, while the uncomplicated presentation does bring some advantages, it poses the disadvantage of lacking an innovative style which might have given the book a higher quality rating. If you’re looking for something out-of-the-world, something that will give you a lasting, inspiring impact, then this isn’t the book for you. But if you want a sweet, comfortable read that will leave you a warm feeling, here’s a winner.

Shadow and Bone

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Age: Young Adult
Category: Fantasy
Rating: 3.5 stars

Rosie Thinks: I didn't really know what to expect out of this book. It looked like a solid fantasy, set in a world based around historical Russia and with an interesting magic system. But then came the reason why this book stayed as a sample on my Kindle for months and months - LOVE TRIANGLE. Oh, those two words make me want to throw my Kindle onto an eight-lane highway, then put my head through a wall and claw my eyes out. For me, there's not much worse than a dreaded, Twilight-style love triangle - I hate them. So, so much. But this book had been taunting me for months, constantly appearing on my 'recommended' list on Goodreads, so I finally decided to take the plunge (mainly because I was stuck in an area with limited internet and no other samples on my Kindle). And I'm seriously glad I did! It was completely enthralling, and the LT was nowhere near as bad as I thought it was going to be. It was really only torturous for about twenty pages - manageable.

Now that I've got my LT rant out of the way, what's this story actually about? Mal and Alina have been the closest of friends since they were brought up as orphans together in the same household. As they grow older, Mal starts to shine and Alina's left in the shadows, pale and withdrawn. This all changes when they're attacked and Alina saves the day by letting loose an incredibly rare and near-mythological power, heralding her as a Sun Summoner. The Darkling, leader of those with magic ('Small Science'), realises her potential and whisks her away to learn to become one of the magical Grisha - it's about this area where the novel really began to pick up pace and hook me in.

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And One Last Thing

And One Last Thing by Molly Harper

Age: Adult
Category: Romance; contemporary
Rating: 3 stars

Marta Thinks: Chick-lit is often underestimated. Yes, there is romance, and yes, it can be superficial at times, but arguably, you could apply that to a book in every genre. Take my word for it: chick-lit can be good. ‘And One Last Thing…’ is a perfect example of this. Molly Harper begins her novel by introducing Lacey, a woman who finds out her husband is having an affair via a drunk florist. After a number of events, Lacey decides to move to a remote cabin by a lake where she meets Monroe, her only neighbour. And what a neighbour! He’s gruff and reluctantly honourable, a famous author who spends half his time writing and the other half avoiding lonely and desperate divorcees. He warms up to this divorcee though. Lacey has that effect on people. 

As aforementioned, you can’t have chick-lit without romance, so obviously there’s some here. It’s so well done. It’s smart and honest, real and utterly engaging. It subverts your expectations too: you expect Lacey to wear Monroe out, or for them to be complete antithesis of each other, but it’s not like that at all. Not really. I won’t share more about their relationship - the different aspects of it are fun to read about, and are not to be spoiled - though I will say that it was refreshing to find the man in the relationship who wants to take it further, rather than the female. That was unique, at least in my experience.

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The Rules

The Rules by Stacey Kade

Age: Young Adult
Category: Science fiction; romance
Rating: 3 stars

Melissa Thinks: To start, I would like to point out that despite the fact that this is a sci-fi story, there won’t be much science fiction in it. I like to think of this as more of a character driven story rather than a plot driven one. That being said, the plot was still intriguing albeit cliché at times. So, let’s dig in shall we?

Ariane is not your typical teenager. She lives by a set of rules put in place by her adoptive father; never trust anyone, they are always searching, don’t get involved, keep your head down, don’t fall in love. These restrictive rules are there to keep her safe and for the last ten years of her life living on the Outside, Ariane has followed them closely. Now she finds herself in the middle of some typical high school drama surrounding one Rachel Jacobs and her stereotypical jock friend Zane Bradshaw. To get back at Rachel for her childish bully behavior, Zane and Ariane team up to give her a taste of her own medicine. What Ariane wasn’t expecting was for Zane to turn out to be an okay guy. In fact, he’s more than okay; better than she could’ve imaged. She’s breaking all her father’s rules for him, but when their “fake” relationship comes to an end, will they stay together? How long can Ariane pretend she’s a normal girl? How long until Zane finds out she’s half alien?

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Isla and the Happily Ever After

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Age: Young Adult
Category: Romance; contemporary
Rating: 3 stars

Juliet Thinks: It is hard to forget Stephanie Perkins’ debut novel, Anna and the French Kiss, because of all of the praise it received from the YA community. Followed by Lola and the Boy Next Door and Isla and the Happily Ever After, these standalone novels are tied together with cameos from the different main characters of the books. I have to say that this book was my least favorite of the series, but I enjoyed it all the same.

Isla and the Happily Ever After centers around Isla, a studious hopeless romantic in her final year at the School of America in Paris. And then there’s Josh, the son of an American senator with a rebellious streak and artistic talent. Upon having an actual conversation for the first time, their romance escalates rather quickly with a love story that is very bold and rampant. With cameos from Anna, Etienne, Lola, and Cricket, and mentions of the Olympics, the novel grants the reader a sense of continuity and closure.

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Confessions of an Angry Girl

Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett

Age: Young Adult
Category: Contemporary
Rating: 3 stars

“Bad things happen whether you're scared or not, so you might as well not bother being scared. It's a waste of time.”

Marta Thinks: The angry girl in question is Rose Zarelli. As the summary states, she’s angry for three reasons: (1) Her family is a mess after her father’s death: her mother is barely-there and her brother deserts them for university; (2) Regina, popular and gorgeous cheerleader, is out to get her blood. Why? Easy - Rose kissed her boyfriend (or semi-boyfriend. High school is confusing), Jamie; (3) She feels as though her best friend, Tracy, is a stranger. She has nothing to say to her. Oh yes, Rose Zarelli is feeling enraged.

Despite some features I didn’t exactly appreciate (Jamie’s whole ‘Not good enough for you’ speech and Rose’s falling in-and-out friendship with Tracy), this was actually an extremely fun read. I think it touched on important issues that are most commonly present during high school - dating, popularity, bullying, sex, drinking - and Rose’s personal growth in facing these topics was interesting to see. There was also a touch of humor here and there (courtesy of Angelo) which managed to stop the book from sinking into non-stop drama. Initially, there is some confusion as to whether Rose can be properly deemed an angry girl, and to be honest, at the beginning, she is not. She’s quiet, brutally honest and frustrated and there’s an increasing build-up, but anger is not her defining quality. Only at the end of the book we see a true demonstration of rage, but that’s something you’ll have to find out on your own.

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