Review: The Universe Is Expanding and So Am I

The Universe Is Expanding and So Am I by Carolyn Mackler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Virginia Shreves is finally getting used to having a boyfriend and is slowly working on her relationship with her brother after he had been accused of date-rape. She has many lists and many rules, especially about big girls and dating. She thinks she has fallen out of like with her boyfriend but isn’t sure she should end it, because what if she doesn’t get a second chance at a boyfriend. As her feelings begin to change toward Froggy, she finds herself attracted to a new boy, but he has some issues of his own and they must keep the relationship on the down low. Will Virginia find love, even if she is a big girl? Will they be able to keep their family drama out of their relationship?

The Universe is Expanding and So Am I is the second book in the Virginia Shreves series. Yes, you read that right. Nearly 15 years after The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things was release, Mackler has finally given fans a little more information about Virginia’s life. This story can be read independently or after the original and readers will still have a wonderful reading experience. I recommend that everyone add this book to their TBR list.


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Review: Moonlight And Midtown

Moonlight And Midtown by Christina Bauer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Bry is ready to finally attend a regular high school after years with the evil aunties. Or is she? She is still having trouble controlling her wolf and with the general public getting picture happy, the last thing she needs is to un-shift in the nude. Now Bry has a group of strangers following her around town and her best friend Elle is willing to help her confront them. Can Bry determine who these strangers are? Will the answers uncovered change how she looks at her future?

Moonlight and Midtown is an in-between novella from the Fairy Tales of the Magicorum series. This book is just a tease of what may be awaiting us when the second novel comes out. Bauer does spend a little bit of time recounting events from the first novel, but quickly the new story unfolds and readers will be pleased with the outcome. There are magical creatures, an adventure and even some romantic tension mixed in. A fun read for those who enjoyed the first book.


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Review: From Twinkle, with Love

From Twinkle, with Love by Sandhya Menon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Twinkle Mehra has always been on the outside, but she has had her best friend to keep her company. Now Maddie has some new friends and Twinkle is not welcome to join them. She feels even lonelier and left out until Sahil offers to help her produce a film for the Summer Festival. Twinkle could finally follow her dream of becoming a filmmaker and let her voice as a director be heard by many. Her life becomes more complicated when a secret admirer begins emailing her and she thinks it is Sahil’s twin brother. Will Twinkle’s ego let her complete the film and keep the friends she has made? Will she find love along the way?

From Twinkle with Love is a stand-alone romance novel that is perfect for young adults of all ages. Menon has created a cast of characters that are easy to relate to and a plight that many readers can understand. Most of the story is told as letters from Twinkle to female filmmakers she admires and some of the story is told through other characters’ text messages and other writings. Although the romance along the way was not surprising, it was refreshingly easy without a lot of drugs or violence. From Twinkle with Love is a feel good novel that will be enjoyed by most readers who enjoy a nice young adult romance.

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Review: Aftermath

Aftermath by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It has been three years since Skye’s brother was killed in a school shooting and her family made her move away. Due to her grandmother’s health issues, she is forced to move back to the town of the shooting and attend school with some of the victims’ families and friends. What makes the move even more complicated is the fact that her brother was not a victim, but one of the shooters. Will Skye be able to overcome the hatred of the teens and adults around her? What truths will be uncovered along the way?

Aftermath is a stand-alone novel about school violence and the untold impact it has on the community. This story will pull on the reader’s heartstrings, yet the mystery woven throughout will make readers not want to put it down. Armstrong has done a wonderful job creating characters that are believable, lovable and despise-able. I recommend everyone who loves to read realistic fiction to add this to their TBR list, even if you don’t normally read young adult novels.


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Review: Run, Hide, Fight Back

Run, Hide, Fight Back by April Henry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Everyone thinks it is just another day at the Portland shopping mall when masked men open fire and start killing people in the food court. Some make it out, some are taken hostage and a group of teens hide in a store. This group has three choices. They can run, they can hide or they can fight back. What they don’t know is that the men with the guns are not the only people with secrets. Do these teens have what it takes to get out alive? What sacrifices will they need to make along the way?

Run, Hide, Fight Back is a stand-alone novel that will have readers turning page after page without pause. Henry has included a variety of characters with many flaws and strengths that give vibrancy to the story. Unfortunately, it is a tough topic that is in the news too often lately, yet readers will come away feeling as if they were given a fair interpretation of all sides. Readers will want to get to the end as quickly as they can, so that they may know who survives and who gets what they deserve.


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