contemporary ya

The Fault in Our Stars

July 26, 2017

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Published by Dutton Books on January 10, 2012
Genres: YA Contemporary, YA Romance
Pages: 313
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"I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, then all at once."

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green's most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

Catfairy’s Booktape

Enjoy my angsty playlist inspired by The Fault in Our Stars!

...”There is always a hamartia.”

Catfairy’s Thoughts

This book has literally broken my heart and it was definitely a “privilege” in the words of the ever so eloquent/thought-provoking/unique/utterly charming Augustus Waters. (I just love that name. I will name my future child after Augustus.) It’s rare for me to find a book with such unique, witty and smart teenage characters who live their lives with such self-awareness that it’s a bit scary. If only there were more teenagers like Augustus Waters and Hazel Grace…it would definitely make the world a more interesting place.

… “I liked that he was a tenured professor in the Department of Slightly Crooked Smiles with a dual appointment in the Department of Having a Voice That Made My Skin Feel More Like Skin.”

…”Oh I wouldn’t mind Hazel Grace. It would be a privilege to have my heart broken by you.”

Catnopsis

This starry-eyed/teary-eyed book is about two teenagers who have lived with cancer for most of their lives. The narrator of the story Hazel Grace has terminal thyroid cancer that has completely destroyed her lungs and she has to lug an oxygen tank around to be able to breathe. She goes to school and has an obsession with re-reading Peter Van Houton’s book a million times and terrible reality shows. She goes to a cancer support group that she is dragged into even though she prefers to watch endless marathons of America’s Next Top Model and who can blame her? Fortunately, missing marathon episodes of models in stage cat fights weren’t so bad when she met the “metaphorical cigarette hanging” Augustus Waters in the support group. Augustus Waters leg was claimed by a malignant bone tumor. Before he had the tumor he used to play basketball but now resents his past. He also goes to school as well and has a penchant for “Call of Duty” style video games and The Price of Dawn sci-fi series. Augustus is basically your classic geek with hunka hunka good looks and body.

…”What a slut time is. She screws everybody.”

Catfairy’s Pop Culture Time Warp

If you loved The Fault in Our Stars and you want to cry some more I highly recommend you give A Walk to Remember a go! For anyone that has seen A Walk to Remember didn’t it kill you a little bit inside when Mandy Moore said…”You have to promise you won’t fall in love with me…”

SHE IS EVIL!

Catfairy’s Final Thoughts

This story is not your stereotypical story about two cancer kids that fall in love. It’s about these two amazing characters that view the world in such a completely and devastatingly honest way than any of their peers. They embrace life for what it is…the good and the bad. They don’t sugarcoat their cancer at all. Hazel even calls herself the side-effect when it comes to her cancer at all. They live their lives with wild abandon and if that means having their first kiss in Amsterdam on a tour of the Anne Frank house then so be it! Although at the same time these characters are aware of what their fates are. It’s the kind of story that will make you appreciate the simplest things such as breathing without relying on Phalanxifor (which is fake by the way) and being nostalgic about running around a playground which sadly these characters didn’t have the luxury to do. These are one of the few books where I read the ending about 10 times till I was satisfied and realized that I still wasn’t. Isn’t that like life?

“Ok…bye.”
…”You gave me forever within the numbered days, and I’m grateful.”

Five Charlie Chuchi Stars!

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Have you read The Fault in Our Stars and what book just made you ugly cry after reading it?

I See London, I See France (GIVEAWAY INCLUDED)

July 17, 2017

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I See London, I See France (I See London, I See France, #1) by Sarah Mlynowski
Published by HarperTeen on July 11th 2017
Genres: YA Contemporary, YA Romance
Pages: 378
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I see London, I see FranceI see Sydney’s underpants.

Nineteen-year-old Sydney has the perfect summer mapped out. She’s spending the next four and half weeks traveling through Europe with her childhood best friend, Leela. Their plans include Eiffel-Tower selfies, eating cocco gelato, and making out with très hot strangers. Her plans do not include Leela’s cheating ex-boyfriend showing up on the flight to London, falling for the cheating ex-boyfriend’s très hot friend, monitoring her mother’s spiraling mental health via texts, or feeling like the rope in a friendship tug-of-war.

In this hilarious and unforgettable adventure, New York Times bestselling author Sarah Mlynowski tells the story of a girl learning to navigate secret romances, thorny relationships, and the London Tube. As Sydney zigzags through Amsterdam, Switzerland, Italy, and France, she must learn when to hold on, when to keep moving, and when to jump into the Riviera… wearing only her polka dot underpants.

Catfairy’s Mix Tape

When I first went to Paris and Italy all I could listen to was the Marie Antoinette soundtrack from the Sofia Coppola movie (Who is a genius btw.). So here is a mix of some songs from the Marie Antoinette movie and some other songs that remind me of Sydney and Leela’s summer craziness in Europe!

Catfairy’s First Thoughts

Sarah Mlynowski is an author I have heard about through the Whatever After children’s series and when I found out she was writing a book about two best friends that go on an insane European adventure I just had to pick it up!

One of the first things I love about this book is the title of the book and the cover! The overall representation of the book just sucked me into my own little book vortex and I just had to gobble it up asap! The writing of this book is light and fluffy without a lot of descriptions.

“Coffee shops in Amsterdam do NOT sell coffee. They sell pot. So. Much. Pot.”

-Sarah Mlynowski

Mlynowski’s book was chock full of many crazy moments that I enjoyed with their visits to the “coffee shops” in Amsterdam, sex shows, (Yes sex shows.), the crazy run in’s with Leela’s ex-boyfriend, and running around topless in the South of France! Now you might think that this book is a bit risqué based on the sex show and the running around topless part but it couldn’t be further from the truth! The way that Mlynowski describes all the shenanigans that Sydney and Leela get into is all in good fun that will just make you laugh out loud!

When I picked up this book I was excited about it because of the traveling around Europe part and anybody that knows me know that I am obsessed with all things Europe! Even though I love the European trip aspect, the characters didn’t grab my attention in the story. I left not caring so much about the characters once I was done reading the story. Usually, when I finish reading a story that I love, I usually get attached to the characters and I just want to have them be a part of my world! But Sydney and Leela just left a bland taste in my mouth in the end.

Catnopsis

The book starts with Sydney who goes to college and takes care of her mom who suffers from acrophobia and she lives with her younger sister who has a stuttering problem.

Her best friend Leela originally planned a trip around Europe with Sydney who is her best friend but Sydney feels guilty leaving her mom who suffers from the mental illness agoraphobia. Instead, Leela decided to go with her (asshole) boyfriend Matt.

When Leela and Matt break up, she convinces Sydney to jump on this once in a lifetime opportunity and they go on a whirlwind trip all around Europe.

They go to London…

“Chips are French fries, by the way. And please, for the love of Prince Harry, don’t be a tourist and ask for ketchup.”

-Sydney

They go to Florence and Venice…

“Do you think there are water Ubers?”

-Leela

They literally go almost everywhere around Europe from Amsterdam, Belgium, Paris, Switzerland, Juan-Les-Pins, Monaco, and Greece! I was so jelly and I would have gladly kicked off Leela and gladly taken her place on this amazing adventure! (More about Leela in a min!)

Meet Sydney played by Maia Mitchell

Sydney is a 19-year old girl that is just trying to do right by her family by taking care of her divorced mother who suffers from agoraphobia. She is described as a goody two shoes kind of girl who has a passion for reading in the beginning but throughout the story, you see that she has a bit of a wild side especially when she falls for Leela’s ex-boyfriend friend Jackson.

Sydney is a natural caretaker and a nurturer because of her mom and because of this she is always there to take to pick up the pieces for her best friend Leela. Although her nurturing side gets used and abused by Leela and there were many times where Sydney was made out to be a pushover.

Throughout the story, I didn’t particularly care for Sydney until she finally stood up for herself and she told off Leela!

Meet Leela played by Alia Bhatt

Leela is described as Indian which is bonus points for diversity in Mlynowski’s novel and she is described as someone who always wants everything to be done for her. Leela is also an extremely needy person and can’t seem to get over her asshole of an ex Matt who cheated on her twice right in front of her!

Leela was the character that infuriated me the most because she kept taking advantage of Sydney’s good nature based on her mood and emotions. When Leela decides to get back with her ex-boyfriend Matt she basically ditched Sydney and when she has to break up with Matt a second time she wants Sydney to be miserable along with her when they are in FREAKING EUROPE! NO WAY JOSE! I felt that Leela is a manipulative and selfish person who only cares about herself and Sydney should have dumped her butt somewhere in Europe a long time ago!

Meet Kat played by Serena van der Woodson

Even though Kat was a minor character in the story she was one of my favorite characters in the book! She made everything light and fun and she always made Sydney smile when Leela was being LEELA! Kat also became good friends with Sydney and this made Leela crazy jealous and possessive like a typical Blair and Serena relationship…

Kat is described as a New Yorker that comes from money and is always partying it up whenever she has the opportunity! If that isn’t your classic Gossip Girl Serena van der Woodson, I don’t know what is!

Catfairy’s Final Thoughts

Sarah Mlynowski has a way of telling a great story and I was along for the ride! She made a fun and accessible read overall. Also, I enjoyed the parts where she added the tips that Sydney learned from each country that she traveled. Mlynowski also had Sydney be the narrator in the story but it felt like it was written as a voiceover and it reminded of something out of the Wonder Years…

When Mlynowski had Sydney play the narrator the writing of it felt out of place and awkward at times…

Even though I loved the story I felt that there needed to be more character development and in the end, the characters fell very flat for me. I felt that there were so many things lacking with the characters and I just wanted more from them. I See London, I See France will teach you to let go, have fun, grab your best friend, and have a crazy adventure before it’s too late! This story gets three stinky slices of cheese in Europe out of five for me!

Now tell me if you can go anywhere in Europe where would you go? This is a sweepstakes giveaway! The winner will be chosen at random! The winner will be announced officially on July 20th! Answer this question and you will win the author signed arc paperback copy of Sarah Mlynowski’s I See London, I See France! Only lower 48 states apply.

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Three Charlie Chuchi Stars!

Lucky in Love

July 7, 2017

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Lucky in Love by Kasie West
Published by Point on July 25, 2017
Genres: YA Contemporary, YA Romance
Pages: 333
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Goodreads

In this new contemporary from YA star Kasie West, a girl who wins the lottery learns that money can cause more problems than it solves, especially when love comes into the picture.

Maddie doesn't believe in luck. She's all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment --

She wins!

In a flash, Maddie's life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she's talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun... until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now, Maddie isn't sure who she can trust.

Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn't seem aware of Maddie's big news. And, for some reason, she doesn't want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret?

With tons of humor and heart, Kasie West delivers a million-dollar tale of winning, losing, and falling in love.

Catfairy’s Mixtape

When I think of a Kasie West playlist it is filled with songs that are fun, light, and with a youthful spirit! Here is my millennial-inspired poppy Spotify playlist with some lottery inspired songs peppered in there!

Catfairy’s Thoughts

Kasie West has been an author that I have been hearing about many times lately in the book vlogging community and this is my first introduction to the contemporary queen known as Kasie West!

Now I started out with mixed feelings about this novel. At first, I was expecting this novel to be more of a contemporary young adult novel but I felt that the writing of the novel is more appropriate for middle-grade readers. The writing is very simplistic and the characters were written in a very one-dimensional fashion but I have to say the story is a fun read overall.

Catnopsis

Lucky in Love is about a character named Maddie who is your play by the rules senior in high school who adores Reese Pieces candy, study dates with her best friends Blair and Elise, and most of all her family. She lives in a small town in Tustin, California. Maddie is having problems on the home front. Her parents are facing foreclosure of their home and her mom is the only one working in the family while her father is unemployed. Her brother Beau is also struggling financially because he is facing mounting student loan debt.

Maddie is someone who never believed in the lottery and would always tell people that they have a better chance of being struck by lightning than winning the lottery. Until one day on her birthday, she bought a lottery ticket on a whim because of the coaxing of the gas station clerk Maxine (Who is an extremely annoying and judgmental character btw!) and her world was never the same again…

Meet Maddie (Played by Dove Cameron)

“Was learning a hobby?” –Maddie

Maddie is someone that is always doing what other people expect of her and wants to be in control. She is very focused on getting into a university and winning a scholarship until she wins 50 million dollars and she definitely has no scholarship worries at all!

I feel that Maddie is still a lost soul and she is trying to figure out what she wants in her life. She works for the zoo and she has a passion for animals. She wants to be a vet one day which is amazing but throughout the whole story Maddie is mostly described as someone who loves animals and is extremely (Maybe a little bit too much.) studious. That’s it. The character was very one note for me. I wanted more from the character. I felt that there isn’t many dimensions or much character development to her story. She is always underestimating herself and taking the safe route instead of trying to find herself.

Meet Seth (Played by Ross Butler)

“Magic cannot be explained. It can only be experienced.”

Seth is Maddie’s love interest and co-worker at the zoo. He is a really sweet and genuine guy who has a passion for filmmaking. Although I have to say that he has some terrible filmmaking ideas. Anyone interested in seeing a rabbit thriller? I think not!

Seth is an Asian-American and he lives in Tustin, California where the Asian population is few and far between. He hates it when people try to categorize him and assume that he wasn’t born in the United States. I felt that Seth was an interesting character and that Kasie West should have developed him a bit more. I wanted Seth to have more depth to him but it just wasn’t there.

The chemistry between Seth and Maddie is awkward throughout most of the story, that is until they go on the first date. I felt that the dialogue between Seth and Maddie felt very stilted. It felt like they were reading from a script.

Although Seth gets some huge brownie points for creating the best date ever! I don’t want to give it all away but it involves a carousel ride and an E.T. movie! (And please tell me why Maddie has never seen the movie E.T. Freaking millennials!) Honestly, the date melted my heart and gave me a toothache from eating too many of Maddie’s Reese’s Pieces candy!

Catfairy’s Final Thoughts

Even though, Maddie is described as being a smart girl with a 4.2 something GPA she is definitely lacking in the street smart department. After her lottery win, she was taken advantage of so many times throughout the book that I wanted to shake her silly! For example, what the heck possessed her to give $1,000 to a high school band to play in her yacht party?! And why would she throw away her money on a yacht?! Where are her parents?!?!

Her parents kept telling her to schedule an appointment with a financial advisor and that just dragged on toooo long! I felt that she was just giving away her money to the whole world and it frankly drove me insane!

The way that Maddie was throwing away her money on absolute crap was like a Preston Waters from Blank Check only he was an 11-year old child!

via GIPHY

In the story, Maddie is stuck between her choice of two universities. She doesn’t know whether she wants to go to UCLA which is closer to her family or Stanford which is farther away from her family. She is always worried about her family’s financial issues and wants to be with them during their times of crises.

“She tilted her head in a “poor naïve” girl” expression.” –Blair (The only person that calls her out on being naïve and stupid when it comes to giving away her money.)

One of Maddie’s best friends Blair (Who is really the main voice of reason in this book.) tells Maddie that she is being stupid and that she needs to focus on her goals and that she has no control over her family. Not only did Maddie get taken advantage by her friends after winning the lottery, her family took major advantage too! Her family was more excited about her winning the lottery and how it would benefit them instead of herself! Her brother was also a piece of work. I just couldn’t stand that while Maddie was worried about leaving her family to go to college, her family didn’t seem to care too much about her welfare! It’s her money damn it!

One of the things I loved about the story is how they don’t only focus on Maddie winning the lottery. They focus on how it affects the entire family. Throughout the story, her parents face a lot of marital issues and I felt that the dialogue and the way that the parents would interact with one another was very raw and realistic. You can feel the tension and how uncomfortable it was for Maddie and her brother Beau.

Even though there were some really frustrating aspects about this story and the characters were underdeveloped I was entertained by the concept of the story. This story teaches you to let go and learn to live your life for yourself and not for others. When I finished reading Lucky in Love I wanted to initially give the book 2 stars but then I decided on 3 stars because I thoroughly enjoyed the story as a whole and thought it was a cute contemporary novel! This will not be my last Kasie West novel!

3 Meowsweet Stars!

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Now if you won 50 million dollars what would you do with it? Comment below!