This Raging Light

This Raging Light by Estelle Laure

Age: Young Adult
Category: Contemporary, romance
Rating: 4 stars

Brittany Thinks: I love reading realistic YA fiction - perhaps because I discovered YA in a time before Twilight and magic and Dystopia shaped the books that lined shelves. When YA, like a true young adult, was really trying to find its place in the literary world and in the general societal subconscious. I love a good Fantasy YA read, but every once in a while I totally dig losing myself in a world where human beings have human problems and they make a bigger mess of things on the way to the truth. This Raging Light by Estelle Laure felt like the YA books that made me fall in love with the genre and I really want all of you to have the chance to love it, too.

The title attracted me first, because I assumed (correctly, fortunately) that it was a reference to my favorite Dylan Thomas quote, “Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light”. That’s exactly what Lucille has to do when she wakes up to find her parents have both left town and she has a 10 year old sister to care for and a mountain of bills to pay. I know that people have an amazing capacity to keep it together through unimaginable things, but I was so enthralled by her character. She was strong without being dramatically closed off and vulnerable without being obnoxious - and either of those alternatives would have been entirely understandable in her situation, too. I also really liked Eden, Lucille’s best friend, and Digby, Eden’s brother. They were so kind, so supportive, and so great at times that I envied their relationships.

I think my favorite part of this book is that it’s so dark, but also so filled with goodness. There is another trend in YA that leans more towards the sad of late. Some of my favorite reads of the last 5 years in this genre have been soul crushing. And this book could have taken that path, but it reminded me of another quote from a dude I love, Mr. Rogers: “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping”. I think everyone could use a reminder of that sometimes and this book is filled with people caring about people when they don’t really have to.

Definitely check out This Raging Light. The writing was beautiful, I bought it six hours ago. It’s absolutely worth your time.

Carry On

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Age: Young Adult
Category: Historical
Rating: 5 stars

Brittany Thinks: Rainbow Rowell is one of my favorite authors writing today. From her first adult novel Attachments to her smash hit YA novel Eleanor & Park, I have devoured every one of her novels in one sitting every time. Carry On just might be my favorite. I’ve already read it twice since picking up a copy in February and I’m sure I’ll read it a few more times before the year is through.

Now this might get a little bit meta and confusing so hang in there, but Carry On is kind of a novel from within a novel and you may want to read Fangirl before digging into it. Fangirl is a novel about a girl who adores a set of fictional characters to the point where it distracts her from really living. She writes a web-hit fan fiction about these characters and fans fell in love with them. So did Rainbow. Carry On is Rowell’s version of what happens to those characters. Still with me? Good. I read Fangirl first, but it definitely isn’t necessary. I’d suggest it only because it’ll make you love these characters before even cracking the spine of Carry On.

Rowell herself has said that Carry On is her take on some of the best series of the last 20 years - namely Harry Potter and Lev Grossman’s The Magicians. It follows Simon Snow through the course of his last year at Watford School of Magicks as he tries to make sense of why every one thinks he’s “The Chosen One” and why his roommate Baz hates him so much. This is a fun, exciting read and, like all of Rowell’s books, it’s absolutely hilarious. She has such a wit and clever tone to her novels that I always find myself snickering or all out laughing. Simon and Baz have a great love/ hate chemistry going on and I lived for the scenes that featured both of them.

As a real fan girl of Harry Potter and anything a bit magical, I loved this. As a lover of character development and coming of age novels, I was even more satisfied. Seriously, writing this review makes me want to read it again. And then reread everything by Rainbow Rowell, because I just love her so much. Definitely pick this one up. It was perfect.

The Problem with Forever

The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Age: Young Adult
Category: Contemporary
Rating: 4 stars

Brittany Thinks: Jennifer L. Armentrout typically writes sci-fi or paranormal romance and I’ve always enjoyed her grasp of plot arc and character development. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on “The Problem with Forever” even though I knew it was a change for her in terms of content. I was not disappointed.



The Problem with Forever is the story of Mallory, a young girl from a troubled past who is about to start her senior year of high school. When we meet Mallory, she’s already done a ton of work to recover from the trauma that she experienced as a young girl, but she still has a long way to go. On her first day of school, she runs into the boy who served as her protector – Rider - when they were both very young and the reunion tears their lives apart. I can’t really tell you more about the plot without mega spoilers, but whoa. I would liken it to a tamer Colleen Hoover or a more contemporary Sarah Dessen novel. 



I absolutely loved reading this book. I think Armentrout handled a sensitive subject with so much grace and understanding. I loved the emotional journey of both Mallory and Rider. I was riveted from the first page and read it from cover to cover in one day. One of my coworkers said she found the book to be a bit slow and I think that’s a fair assessment. It’s not the most action packed read out there and might not be your cup of tea if character development doesn’t keep you interested, but that wasn’t a problem for me. I love a story about growth, learning, and struggling and “The Problem with Forever” was one of the better examples that I’ve come across. I really came to care about Mallory, Rider, and all of their friends and the relationship between Mallory and Rider was just so dang cute! “The Problem with Forever” is a great read to curl up with on a sunny warm day and lose yourself. I have a feeling that you’ll love Jennifer’s worlds as much as I do.

Confess

Confess by Colleen Hoover

Age: New Adult
Category: Contemporary
Rating: 4 stars

Brittany Thinks: As a life long reader of Young Adult who is arguably still in the stage between YA characters and Adult fiction characters in my own life, New Adult is an exciting new genre for me. New Adult stories are still humorous coming of age tales, but for characters a bit older than the typical YA heroes and heroines. NA characters know a bit more about who they are, but they still have a lot to figure out before they’re fully settled. I’ve been devouring the most popular New Adult titles lately, and my newest addiction is Colleen Hoover.

Confess is the story of Auburn Reed. When we first meet Auburn, she is desperate for money to hire a lawyer - I’d tell you why, but then you’d have to kill me - and she finds herself taking a job with a quirky and intense artist named Owen. Confess follows their story as their lives intertwine and fall apart. It’s a roller coaster of emotion and I’d love to tell you more about the plot, but discovering on your own is seriously the best part. Colleen Hoover will always keep you guessing, unsure of who to trust or what awaits you on the next page.

One of the coolest parts of the book is Owen’s art. He runs a gallery called Confess, where patrons submit anonymous confessions and Owen uses some as inspiration for his art. Hoover actually found an artist to make art based on a few confessions and the paintings are beautiful, vibrant, and one of the neatest additions to a novel that I’ve seen in awhile. They add depth to the story and allow the reader to feel the emotions of the characters in an entirely different dimension. I loved it.
In a lot of ways, Colleen Hoover reminds me a bit of Sarah Dessen for an older audience. For years I’ve said that no one can do character development like Dessen can and that has always held true for me - until now, that is. Hoover is a master of the character and drops bombshells on every page that will leave you gasping for breath - and wishing you could shake some sense back into your favorite characters. If you’re looking for a fun, fast-paced read with well-developed characters and a page turning plot, definitely pick up Confess. Colleen Hoover is an author to watch.

Remembrance

Remembrance by Meg Cabot

Age: Young Adult / Adult
Category: Science fiction, romance
Rating: 4 stars

Brittany Thinks: In high school, Meg Cabot was my favorite author. She really introduced me and so many other young readers to the YA genre with her interesting stories that portrayed real teens with real problems. And, yeah, a lot of those problems stemmed from something insane in their life, - like discovering they were royalty or seeing ghosts or saving the President - but they still fought with their friends and hated doing homework. Her books made me feel like I wasn’t alone.

I’ve grown out of my Meg Cabot phase over the years, but I was thrilled when she announced that she’d be writing Adult follow ups to two of my favorite - and her most popular Young Adult series. Remembrance is the second book in her nostalgic project and, to be honest, the venture I was most excited for. If any of you were fans of the original Mediator series, - 6 fun, quick reads about a girl who discovers it’s kind of her family’s duty to help ghosts move on - then I am thrilled to tell you that Remembrance totally holds up. Sure is still the stubborn, strong, funny lead that we grew up reading about and Jesse still made my knees a little weak. Cabot touches base with all of our favorite characters and it’s great to see where they are now. The case itself carries the same depth - even if Suze is a little more prepared to carry out her duty than before.

I think that Remembrance would still be an interesting read for those unfamiliar with the story. Some connections or discussions may be a bit confusing and may not carry the emotional punch without reading the originals, but Cabot explains everything well and the story works as a stand alone. All in all, it’s a fun, fast read full of mystery and strong characters. I was pretty apprehensive to read anything from Cabot’s nostalgia project at first, because I was afraid the books would feel forced rather than necessary. That wasn’t the case with Remembrance. I read the Mediator books when I was the same age as Suze in the original series and it was fun to read about “Suze the adult” now that I’m an adult, too. It was like catching up with an old friend now that we know a bit more about ourselves and I’m grateful that Cabot provided fans with that opportunity.

The Mara Dyer Trilogy

The Mara Dyer Trilogy by Michelle Hodkin

Age: Young Adult
Category: Romance, fantasy, mystery & crime
Rating: 5 stars

Brittany Thinks: I have read a lot of Young Adult series over the years and The Mara Dyer Trilogy by Michelle Hodkin is absolutely one of the best. In fact, it may crack the top ten for one of the best series I've ever read in my life in any genre. As a lifelong reader and an English major, I've been well trained for years to figure out any story long before the big reveal, but these books kept me guessing until the final page. The plot was unique, refreshing, and kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't read fast enough.

It's difficult to give too much information about the plot of these books without spoiling them, but suffice it to say that you've never read anything like this before, even though what I can give away seems like it fits the mold of common YA tropes of late. When our story begins, Mara Dyer is a 17 year old girl beginning her first day at a new school a few months after experiencing a terrible tragedy. She is the sole survivor of an accident that killed her three best friends and she can't remember a moment of what happened - not that anyone believes her. Soon she finds that it's harder to escape her past than one might guess as her life unravels even more. In her "new" life she makes new friends - and meets a new guy - who might just be able to help her uncover the truth of what happened to her.

The characterization is phenomenal in these books. Though Mara is absolutely likable and interesting, I'd call her more of an antihero than a heroine. Her chemistry with Noah Shaw is off of the charts and he is probably one of my favorite male leads of the past few years. Rounded out with a supporting cast of funny, interesting, well-developed characters, the people in this story make the story.

Be prepared for a rollercoaster with this trilogy that will keep you lost and enthralled from the very first page. It's creepy, romantic, confusing, thrilling, and one of the best YA series around. Just make sure you have your hands on all three books before opening The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, because you will never want them to end!