Book Review #146: Shiny Broken Pieces (Tiny Pretty Things #2) by Sona Charaipotra

“Don’t you know by now? You’re not meant to fit in. You’re one of a kind.”

Goodreads Synopsis

June, Bette, and Gigi have given their all to dance at Manhattan’s most elite ballet school. Now they are competing one final time for a spot at the prestigious American Ballet Company. With the stakes higher than ever, these girls have everything to lose… and no one is playing nice.

June is starting to finally see herself as a prima ballerina. However, getting what she wants might cost her everything—including the only boy she’s ever loved. Legacy dancer Bette is determined to clear her name after she was suspended and accused of hurting her rival, Gigi. Even if she returns, though, will she ever regain the spotlight she craves? And Gigi is not going to let Bette—or the other dancers who bullied her—go unpunished. But as revenge consumes her, Gigi may be the one who pays the price.

After years of grueling auditions, torn ribbons, and broken hearts, it all comes down to this last dance. Who will make the cut? And who will lose her dream forever?

My Personal Thoughts

Shiny Broken Pieces actually surprised me a lot. Compared to how I felt with first book, this one surely raised the bar higher. Despite being dark and twisted, everything fell into place which is really great. I love how the characters evolved and how mysteries were unraveled. I like the idea that perseverance, second chances, and moving on were the main ideas that the authors wanted to share to the readers. The writing style definitely is my cup of tea with the second book. I enjoyed it and I felt connected to the characters. There was definitely substance with the story line and plot this time contrary to what I felt initially when I finished Pretty Tiny Things. The authors caught my full and undivided attention. It has a satisfying ending which met my expectations. Liked: ❥ Ending ❥ Bette’s character development ❥ Lessons about friendship and family Disliked: ❥ How things turned out for Gigi initially ❥ How teens can actually think in a criminal way all for Dancing/Ballet ❥ Teacher & student relationship cliche’ Setting: 3⭐️ Character Building: 4⭐️ Writing Style: 4⭐️ Message: 3⭐️ Overall: 4⭐️ Overall, I was pretty happy with how everything turned out in the end. Some characters reconciled whilst others got what they truly deserved. I recommend this to readers who are after a fast paced young adult mystery thriller drama. ~JaNnA~

Book Review #145: Tiny Pretty Things (Tiny Pretty Things #1) by Sona Charaipotra

“The moment you think you’re on top is the moment you’ve lost your passion.”

Goodreads Synopsis

How far is too far?

At one of Manhattan’s most elite ballet schools, wafer-thin ballerinas pull their hair into sleek buns and lace their pointe shoes high, waiting for their chance to shine. But beneath the pretty, polished surface, these girls are hiding some terrible secrets and telling some twisted lies.

Privileged Bette is tiny and beautiful—like a ballerina in a music box. But living forever in the shadow of her ballet-star sister and under the weight of family expectations brings out a dangerous edge in her.

Perfectionist June can turn a flawless plié and diligently keeps her weight below 100 pounds. But she’s never landed a lead role. Tired of always being the understudy, this year she’ll settle for nothing but the best—even if she must resort to some less-than-perfect means to get there.

And new girl Gigi isn’t your traditional ballerina. A free-spirited California girl, she’s not used to the fierce competition. Still, that doesn’t stop her from outperforming every dancer in the school. But even she is hiding a ticking time bomb, and the very act of dancing just might expose her secrets to everyone.

Being a prima isn’t all satin and lace; sometimes you have to play dirty. With the competition growing fiercer with every performance, and harmless pranks growing ever darker, it’s only a matter of time before one small spark ignites . . . and even the best get burned.

My Personal thoughts

Tiny Pretty Things is your typical young adult mystery and thriller story. I was under the impression that I will be mind-wrecked after reading this. Main focus are competitiveness, bullying, and annoying love triangle. It is dark in a way that showcased how teens can be twisted and do everything for fame caused by pressure from family, friends, or from themselves. It is like Pretty Little Liars with all the friendship drama and betrayals but also the feeling of “Who the feck did that?”. It is the only reason why I finished the book, because I wanted to know so badly who was behind the evilness in the academy. There were also sensitive topics incorporated which are bulimia, drug addiction, and bullying so just a warning to readers that it can also be a trigger. I did not like that there was no resolution to the above mentioned issues which are really vital in our society today.

Liked:
❥ Mysterious events
❥ Ballet
❥ Diverse characters

Disliked:
❥ Same old mystery teen thriller story
❥ Not surprising sequence of events
❥ Not a fan of the pairings at all

Setting: 3⭐️
Character Building: 2⭐️
Writing Style: 3⭐️
Message: 2⭐️
Overall: 3⭐️

Overall, if you are after a fast paced story with teen girls fighting over who is the best ballerina amongst them, then this one is for you. Unfortunately, it did not meet my expectations so maybe I will just watch the Netflix Tv series. Who knows!

~JaNnA~

Book Review #144: Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson

“What a woman wears or doesn’t wear doesn’t give anyone the right to touch them. Well, you know he’s had a rough childhood. Abandoned by his mom, didn’t know his father, raised by his grandma who passed. We’ve all BEEN through a lot but that don’t give you no excuse to abuse girls.”

Goodreads Synopsis

Korey Fields is dead.

When Enchanted Jones wakes with blood on her hands and zero memory of the previous night, no one—the police and Korey’s fans included—has more questions than she does. All she really knows is that this isn’t how things are supposed to be. Korey was Enchanted’s ticket to stardom.

Before there was a dead body, Enchanted was an aspiring singer, struggling with her tight knit family’s recent move to the suburbs while trying to find her place as the lone Black girl in high school. But then legendary R&B artist Korey Fields spots her at an audition. And suddenly her dream of being a professional singer takes flight.

Enchanted is dazzled by Korey’s luxurious life but soon her dream turns into a nightmare. Behind Korey’s charm and star power hides a dark side, one that wants to control her every move, with rage and consequences. Except now he’s dead and the police are at the door. Who killed Korey Fields?

All signs point to Enchanted.

My Personal thoughts

Whew! That was one hell of a rollercoaster ride! The story is heartbreaking but beautifully written. Just to warn readers that this can be a trigger as sensitive topics like rape, mental & emotional manipulation, physical assault, and pedophilia were discussed (All in one package which made it too overwhelming). It would have been nice if only one main issue was elaborated and not everything in one go as I felt too stuffed afterwards. It was as if I was in a buffet when I only prefer an ala carte meal. I like the way the author pointed out everything that is wrong with our society but I was disappointed to find out that it was not really more on the crime/mystery/thriller genre. It looked like a story based on real life events which did not really meet my expectations and not my cup of tea.

Liked:
❥ Fast paced
❥ FAMILY’s importance were reiterated on multiple occasions
❥ Bouncing back – RESILIENCE

Disliked:
❥ There was no main point. All messages are scattered everywhere.
❥ The main character was off for me. I just did not mange to understand her at all.
❥ It looked like a story based on real events contrary to being a thriller/crime/mystery

Setting: 3⭐️
Character Building: 2⭐️
Writing Style: 3⭐️
Message: 2⭐️
Overall: 3⭐️

~JaNnA~

Book Review #143: Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

“It is possible to be in love with you just because of who you are.”

Goodreads Synopsis

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can’t seem to live without.

Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human… until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It’s her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human—or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

My Personal Thoughts

Wow! This book was quite the disappointment for me. It has been on my TBR for a while and no wonder I was not picking it up all along. Firstly, I did not like the characters at all. A teen girl who was obsessed with a wolf and sort of stalked this creature who magically turned into a hot bloke and it was love at first sight after. Ugh! Cringe! It gave me the Twilight feels but Edward and Bella are still my favourites. Secondly, I felt like this was one of those books where I just had to finish it because I rarely DNF books and your girl is not a quitter. To sum it all, it is not my cup of tea and I will not read the next books in this series, unfortunately. It is good for a first read though where your expectations where not yet too high when it comes to werewolves, vampires, etc.

Liked:
❥ Finished it quickly.

Disliked:
❥ Annoying female lead character
❥ The story has no substance
❥ I felt detached from the characters

Overall, this book did not meet my expectations.

~JaNnA~

Book Review #142: The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker

“There was something misshapen about Harriet’s face, blood leaking in a steady trickle down her cheek.“

Goodreads Synopsis

“Congratulations, new kid. Welcome to the afterlife.”

What if death is only the beginning?

When Harriet Stoker dies after falling from a balcony in a long-abandoned building, she discovers a group of ghosts, each with a special power.

Felix, Kasper, Rima and Leah welcome Harriet into their world, eager to make friends with the new arrival after decades alone. Yet Harriet is more interested in unleashing her own power, even if it means destroying everyone around her. But when all of eternity is at stake, the afterlife can be a dangerous place to make an enemy.

My Personal Thoughts

Initially, I really enjoyed reading this book considering that I was not into horror books. Horror stories give me nightmares, yep. It was a pretty good start and the characters were really intriguing and promising. Harriet’s journey from being alive to suddenly dying was a mystery in which I had to dig into deeper in order for things to make sense. It was very unique and I have never read one like this before so I was really hopeful. But just when I thought that things are getting intense and gripping, some characters suddenly started to die one after the other and became ghosts as well which disappointed me. Also with what happened to Harriet’s nan, I find it weird and totally did not make any sense at all.

This copy was given to me by Walker Books Australia in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. This, however, does not change my view and opinion.

Liked:
❥ Fast paced
❥ Horror is something new for me
❥ First few chapters were unputdownable

Disliked:
❥ Started great but went downhill
❥ The grandmother’s real character is off and did not meet my expectations
❥ Trying hard love stories amongst the characters

Setting: 3⭐️
Character Building: 3⭐️
Writing Style: 3⭐️
Message: 2⭐️
Overall: 3⭐️

This is not for me but I still recommend it if you are a fan of paranormal stories where there are these kiddos fighting the bad guys.

~JaNnA~

Book Review #141: Real Fake by Aly Mennuti

Goodreads Synopsis

Annie Shepherd is represented by the biggest entertainment agency in the world.
Annie Shepherd has the perfect literary life.

But Annie Shepherd has a secret. A huge secret she’s tried to hide her entire career, which is bought to the surface when her National Book Award winning boyfriend (and Annie’s former professor), suddenly dies.

Now, Annie must rely on her own worst enemy for a solution … her literary agent. The posh, snooty and pretentious Henry Higgins, who has always been disdainful that Annie is his biggest client.

If Annie’s secret is exposed, Henry Higgins will have to take the fall with her. Whilst reluctantly working together to try and protect both their careers and reputations, they learn of something much bigger which unites them … a little something Annie’s been writing about her entire career …

Love.

My Personal Thoughts

Real Fake is a cute and fun new adult contemporary story. I was given an audiobook ARC by Bolinda audio last year but only managed to listen to the book this month. This is about a woman in her thirties who lost her partner due to an illness and how she managed to get back on to her feet. It mainly focused on resilience and moving on despite being disappointed with someone whom you trusted. This is also a story of falling in love with life again after the grieving process is over and how some people are meant to help us heal. This was delivered in a very funny and profane way which made my listening experience superb.

Liked:
❥Cute and Fun Story
❥Life and Love Lessons
❥Audiobook Narrator is Engaging

Disliked:
❥Too many foul language, hence, it should be for mature readers
❥The lies and deception at the beginning regarding the main character’s most kept secret
❥I wanted more

Setting: 3⭐️
Character Building: 3⭐️
Writing Style: 4⭐️
Message: 4⭐️
Overall: 3⭐️

Highly recommended for lovers of romance books who are looking for a quick and fun read.

~JaNnA~

Book Review #140: The Switch by Beth O’Leary

“You were healing. You’re still healing. You’ll maybe always be healing. And that’s OK. It’ll just be part of what makes you you.”

Goodreads Synopsis

Eileen is sick of being 79.
Leena’s tired of life in her twenties.
Maybe it’s time they swapped places…

When overachiever Leena Cotton is ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, she escapes to her grandmother Eileen’s house for some overdue rest. Eileen is newly single and about to turn eighty. She’d like a second chance at love, but her tiny Yorkshire village doesn’t offer many eligible gentlemen.

Once Leena learns of Eileen’s romantic predicament, she proposes a solution: a two-month swap. Eileen can live in London and look for love. Meanwhile Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire. But with gossiping neighbours and difficult family dynamics to navigate up north, and trendy London flatmates and online dating to contend with in the city, stepping into one another’s shoes proves more difficult than either of them expected.

Leena learns that a long-distance relationship isn’t as romantic as she hoped it would be, and then there is the annoyingly perfect – and distractingly handsome – school teacher, who keeps showing up to outdo her efforts to impress the local villagers. Back in London, Eileen is a huge hit with her new neighbours, but is her perfect match nearer home than she first thought?

My Personal Thoughts

The Switch is a very refreshing and fun read. I immediately added the audiobook on my TBR list as I really enjoyed Beth O’Leary’s 1st book. She writes in a humorous and unputdownable way. It is very engaging and modern. Grandmother (Eileen) and granddaughter (Leena) switch lives temporarily whilst both are trying to heal emotionally and having some time off from their usual routines. I was laughing and teary eyed all throughout as it was really beautifully written and sensible. A reader will definitely get so many life lessons in this story. Highly recommended!

Liked:
❥Eileen being sassy
❥Fast read
❥Enjoyable

Disliked:
❥Eileen’s Tinder-ish quest
❥Eileen’s daughter which was no fun at all

World Building: Yorkshire is 5⭐️
Character Building: 3⭐️
Writing Style: 4⭐️
Message: 5⭐️
Overall: 4⭐️

Overall, I highly recommend this to readers of contemporary and funny books. Beth O’Leary never ceases to amaze me with her witty and bubbly characters and engaging writing style.

~JaNnA~

Book Review #139: One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

“Things’ll get worse before they get better.” 

Goodreads Synopsis

The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars, One of Us Is Lying is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.
Pay close attention and you might solve this.
On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
AndSimon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High s notorious gossip app.
Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon’s dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who s still on the loose?
Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them. 

My Personal Thoughts

One of Us is lying has a unique concept of unravelling a mystery. The twist made my heart skip a beat and it exceeded my expectations. It’s been a while since the last time I read a mystery/thriller book with a surprising story and has a sense of purpose. Most thriller books these days are the same and I don’t really get impressed anymore nor get anything out of them. This is “We Were Liars” meets “Riverdale” so I enjoyed it so much! I finished it quickly and was quite satisfied with the ending. Though I enjoyed the first book, I’m a bit hesitant to read the second one as I’m not sure if it will have the same mysterious characters and feels. Liked: ❥Gripping ❥Unputdownable ❥Creative Plot Disliked: ❥The ending is not enough for me and I wanted more ❥Investigators are pretty useless and a bunch of kids outsmarted them (as usual) ❥High School scene with the mean girls and jocks are so cliche’ Setting/World Building: 3⭐️ Character Building: 3⭐️ Writing Style: 4⭐️ Message: 3⭐️ Overall: 4⭐️ Overall, this was an enjoyable and fast read. I really liked the way it was written and I highly recommend it to readers of thriller/mystery. ~JaNnA~

Book Review #138: Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer

“I believe I’m a good person. But what if I’m not?”

Goodreads Synopsis

Chronic overachiever Prudence Barnett is always quick to cast judgment on the lazy, rude, and arrogant residents of her coastal town. Her dreams of karmic justice are fulfilled when, after a night out with her friends, she wakes up with the sudden ability to cast instant karma on those around her.

Pru giddily makes use of the power, punishing everyone from public vandals to mean gossips, but there is one person on whom her powers consistently backfire: Quint Erickson, her slacker of a lab partner. Quint is annoyingly cute and impressively noble, especially when it comes to his work with the rescue center for local sea animals.

When Pru resigns herself to working at the rescue center for extra credit, she begins to uncover truths about baby otters, environmental upheaval, and romantic crossed signals—not necessarily in that order. Her newfound karmic insights reveal how thin the line is between virtue and vanity, generosity and greed, love and hate . . . and fate.

My Personal Thoughts

Instant Karma is cute but not enough for me to feel head over heels about it. It was a very quick and fun read which includes a narcissistic female lead character (Pru) and a guy next doo (Quint) who has a very appealing name and nature. I love the idea that it tackled sea animal’s welfare and rescue and how kind hearted Quint is despite the image that Prudence already convinced herself about him. I did not like the arrogant and judgmental attitude of Prudence thinking she is above everyone else. It actually took me a while to tolerate her character and I honestly believe that Quint is too much for her. The story line is quite ok but not too surprising. I was given an ARC of this last year but only managed to finish it recently. To be honest, my expectations were to high because the author is one of my favourites.

Liked:
❥Sea Animal Welfare & Rescue
❥Light and Fun Read
❥Fast Paced

Disliked:
❥Prudence’s existence
❥Quint being too good for her
❥I was expecting too much because I enjoyed the author’s Lunar Chronicles but I was sort of disappointed in a way

Setting: 3⭐️
Character Building: 2⭐️
Writing Style: 3⭐️
Message: 2⭐️
Overall: 3⭐️

Overall, it was a pretty decent read and recommended for young adult readers who are after a fun and quick read on a weekend.

~JaNnA~

Book Review #137: Meg & Jo by Virginia Kantra

“Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

Goodreads Synopsis

The March sisters—reliable Meg, independent Jo, stylish Amy, and shy Beth—have grown up to pursue their separate dreams. When Jo followed her ambitions to New York City, she never thought her career in journalism would come crashing down, leaving her struggling to stay afloat in a gig economy as a prep cook and secret food blogger.

Meg appears to have the life she always planned—the handsome husband, the adorable toddlers, the house in a charming subdivision. But sometimes getting everything you’ve ever wanted isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

When their mother’s illness forces the sisters home to North Carolina for the holidays, they’ll rediscover what really matters.

One thing’s for sure—they’ll need the strength of family and the power of sisterhood to remake their lives and reimagine their dreams.

My Personal Thoughts

Meg and Jo is a family oriented story which is a retelling of the classic story, Little Women. I haven’t read Little Women but I did enjoy reading this book. I borrowed my audiobook copy via BorrowBox app using my library membership. The narration was amazing as there was never a dull moment. It mainly focused on family, values, and love. I admire the eldest sister’s personality and view of life and marriage. She is a beautiful woman inside out. The second to the eldest daughter is independent and a risk taker which is pretty inspiring and what women just need these days to set as an example of empowerment. The other two sisters are also icing to the cake but the book evolves to Meg and Jo. It was a pretty fun and light read and relatable.

Liked:
❥Fast paced
❥Setting (Country Side)
❥Family Values

Disliked:
❥The other sister were sort of left out and their chracter weren’t built too much
❥The way the possible love interest was not chosen and I was kind of disappointed
❥I wanted more from the mother and father’s relationship side

Setting: 3⭐️
Character Building: 3⭐️
Writing Style: 3⭐️
Message: 5⭐️
Overall: 4⭐️

Overall, this is a highly recommended book if you are keen to read more retellings of the classic stories written by world renown authors.

~JaNnA~