Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

1.)  To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before ★★★★
2.)  P.S. I Still Love You ★★★

“One day all of this will be proof, proof that we were here, proof that we loved each other. It’s the guarantee that no matter what happens to us in the future, this time was ours.” 

Some books just give you that warm and fuzzy feeling that has you crying happy tears almost every page. Well, that’s this book. I feel an intense need to redo high school because I’m having some serious regret about never writing love letters and having them sent out into the world (where can I find my Peter Kavinsky???) But in all seriousness, this book still maintained the same sweet, fun, and lightheartedness that made me fall in love with the series, while also tackling real life themes of choosing a school, the uncertainty of the future post-high school, and saying goodbye that most YA stays away from.

Lara Jean and Peter are in the midst of senior year—a year of uncertainty about the future, of goodbyes, of last chances, and of change. But Lara Jean doesn’t like change. So what should she do when the future she’s always imagined for herself suddenly isn’t a possibility and the two paths laid out before her will require she follow either her head or her heart?

“I guess that’s part of growing up, too—saying goodbye to the things you used to love.”

I’m way past my high school days, but this book took me back to my senior year, and now we’re going to get personal for a second so I can tell you why this book resonated with me so much. I always thought I was going to pursue musical theatre (for some reason high school Lindsay thought she was talented enough to make it on Broadway) and when I say pursue, I mean working on audition songs and monologues with my vocal and acting coach and only looking at BFA programs. But I realized in the fall of my senior year that I simply wasn’t talented enough, and it wasn’t going to work out. Every school I’d looked at and planned on applying to was geared toward musical theatre—there were no backup options, or at least there were none I actually wanted to go to. Except one. But it was also a reach school. I applied early decision, having fallen in love when I visited and just had that gut feeling it was the school for me. I didn’t get in. I’d gone from being certain about everything to certain about nothing. I was more scared and anxious about my future than I’d ever been, and like Lara Jean, I don’t do well with change or uncertainty.

Reading Always and Forever Lara Jean now made me wish I’d had it with me when I was going through my senior year, because Jenny Han is able to capture the fear and uncertainty of not knowing what your future holds, the teenage need to romanticize and perfect our last moments of high school, and yet also the magic of having all these possibilities up for the taking, if you follow your heart and are brave enough to take them.

“Never say no when you really want to say yes.”

Always and Forever Lara Jean managed to recapture everything I loved about To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (yes, including Lara Jean and Peter’s relationship) while adding a maturity to it that the first two books lacked. Lara Jean is growing up, she has grown up, and her story will forever hold a very special place in my heart, but this book especially.

“At college, when people ask us how we met, how will we answer them? The short story is, we grew up together. But that’s more Josh’s and my story. High school sweet-hearts? That’s Peter and Gen’s story. So what’s ours, then? I suppose I’ll say it all started with a love letter.”

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P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

1.)  To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before ★★★★

“Let’s go all in. No more contract. No more safety net. You can break my heart. Do whatever you want with it.”

Fun, charming, and heart-felt, P.S. I Still Love You takes place right after the events of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before with Lara Jean trying to clean up the mess she’s made with Peter and attempt the relationship for real. I flew through this book almost as quickly as I did To All the Boys, and I wish I could also say I was just as entranced, but unfortunately, this book had a lot of problems.

Lara Jean’s immaturity lacked the same true-to-life feel it had in the first book, and I frequently found myself upset with both her and Peter. They both told lies of omission and said/did things that honestly made me uncomfortable. There was some resolution in the end, but not enough to ease my discomfort heading into Always and Forever, Lara Jean.

I was also very upset with the inclusion of the love triangle. It honestly wasn’t needed, and it felt as though this character only served as a foil to Peter as opposed to adding to Lara Jean’s story. I didn’t like how perfect this character was made to be, especially because his good qualities only served to highlight Peter’s flaws. A good love triangle is meant to be dynamic and compelling on all sides, but this triangle fell flat and felt very forced by the author.

“I don’t think it was our time then. I guess it isn’t now, either. But one day maybe it will be.”

Honestly, my favorite part of this story was the family dynamics. In my review of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before I talked about how nice it was to see the inclusion of the family in a YA novel, and those dynamics were only explored more deeply in this book. I loved Kitty and Lara Jean’s relationship and how much they act how real sisters do, and I really appreciated how much more fleshed out Lara Jean and Margot’s relationship was with them behaving more as equals as opposed to Lara Jean a child and Margot her surrogate mother. Daniel Covey is such a great father and I was really pleased to see him, his personal life, and his relationships with the girls play a more prominent role in this book!

One thing I do really want to talk about is how much the conversation about and attitude towards sex changed in this book. One of my biggest complaints with To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was the sex-negative undertones, but I was SO happy to see sex talked about in a positive way in this book. P.S. I Still Love You has a lot of conversations about sex between Lara Jean and various people in her life, and thankfully it was handled in a much more mature and open way than it was in To All the Boys. I think Jenny Han did a fantastic job of creating a sex-positive dialogue that is still age appropriate for the younger YA readers.

“In memory, everything seems to happen to music.”

Overall I did enjoy P.S. I Still Love You, and it was as un-put-downable as To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, but it was just lacking that same magic I found in the first book. I’m definitely going to read Always and Forever, Lara Jean, and I hope the aspects I found troubling about the relationship will be fully resolved in the third book!

“You have to let yourself be fully present in every moment. Just be awake for it, do you know what I mean? Go all in and wring every last drop out of the experience.”

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Wonder Woman: War Bringer by Leigh Bardugo

“Sisters in battle, I am shield and blade to you. As I breathe, your enemies will know no sanctuary. While I live, your cause is mine.” 

This book was so much more than I expected. Diana Prince is an Amazon, but because she was born on the island, Themyscira, and hasn’t technically earned her spot on the island as an Amazon warrior, she’s never felt as though she belongs with her sisters. When Alia, the Warbringer, is drowning after a bomb has destroyed her ship, Diana is faced with a choice: save Alia and risk the fate of the world, or let Alia die and prevent an age of war. Choosing to save her, Diana and Alia must then embark on a quest to find “the place where Helen rests” yes, the Helen, in order to cleanse the Warbringer and end the cycle.

This book had everything I wanted and more—mythology, adventure, danger, a touch of romance, plot twists, a diverse cast of characters, and above all, empowering female friendships.

“I am done being careful. I am done being quiet. Let them see me angry. Let them hear me wail at the top of my lungs.”

In a story titled Wonder Woman you’d expect Diana Prince to be the main focus, but Alia shows just as much, if not more, strength, bravery, and courage. Both of these characters, as well as Nim and Theo, are complex, three dimensional, and experience great character development. I cared so deeply for each of our main characters, and the depth of their friendship was truly inspiring.

*SPOILER*
I was truly shocked by Jason’s betrayal and felt just as hurt as our main characters,
but what made it so real was that Leigh Bardugo did what she does best when it comes to villains and anti-heroes—she made us understand Jason’s motivations, and a part of me sympathized with him.

His story was wonderfully heartbreaking, and he got the ending he deserved.
*END SPOILER*

“We can’t help the way we’re born. We can’t help what we are, only what life we choose to make for ourselves.”

This book did what all great books do—it made me a better person after reading it and changed me for the better. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

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The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

1.)  The Bear and the Nightingale ★★★★★

“She was the wind, the clouds gathering in the smoky sky, the thick snow of deep winter. She was nothing. She was everything.”

Haunting. Dark. Lyrical. Magical. The Girl in the Tower contains everything I loved about The Bear and the Nightingale while allowing the characters to grow, the world to expand, and the story to deepen.

Picking up shortly after the events of The Bear and the Nightingale, Vasya is left with two options: join a convent or marry. Either choice leaves her confined within physical walls and the inescapable walls of her society. And so, Vasya chooses not to decide, disguising herself as a boy to live a life on the road as a traveler.

“Every time you take one path, you must live with the memory of the other: of a life left unchosen. Decide as seems best, one course or the other; each way will have its bitter with its sweet.”

I simply don’t have the words to describe how much I adore this book and this series. Katherine Arden uses beautiful language and draws from both historical and fantastical Russia to create a haunting story of bravery, fear, family, the roles of women in society, and what it means to challenge those roles.

My love for Vasya only grew in this story as she tried to carve her own path every time those around her tried to place her in a metaphorical and physical tower. While she still has her reckless spirit and courage that I adored in The Bear and the Nightingale, loss, age, and understanding have made her wiser. What I love most about Vasya isn’t that she is fearless— it is that she is courageous and strong even when she is scared; it is that we see her bravery falter and then watch her stand taller. Vasya has become my favorite female character of all time, and she is the kind of protagonist I want young readers to look up to.

“That love of maidens for monsters, that does not fade with time.”

Of course, I could not finish this review without talking of Morozko—the frost demon and the winter king who has my heart. I didn’t think it was possible, but I love him even more in this book than I did in the first as we begin to truly understand him and his position. Without giving anything away, I’ll say this: Morozko broke my heart and brought me to tears in a way that a fictional character has not done in a long time, if ever.

“You cannot love and be immortal.”

If you loved The Bear and the Nightingale, then you’ll love The Girl in the Tower perhaps even more. It maintains all of its strengths from the first book, particularly the atmosphere, while adding new layers to these beloved characters and introducing a new storyline where the stakes are raised.

“Think of me sometimes,’ he returned. ‘When the snowdrops have bloomed and the snow has melted.’”

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The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

“I would walk into the jaws of hell itself, if it were a path of my own choosing. I would rather die tomorrow in the forest than live a hundred years of the life appointed me.” 

The Bear and The Nightingale is about a girl named Vasya who must save her village and loved ones from a threat that should belong in the fairytales her nurse Dunya told her. But more than that, it’s about family dynamics, gender roles in society, and the courage to stand up for what you believe in.

“In the north, the wind had teeth that bit after sunset, even in summer.”

This book’s strengths really come through in the setting. Katherine Arden has created a rich and atmospheric world. A hybrid of a Russia rooted in history as well as fantasy, you feel as though you live in this world with the characters. As I was reading I could feel the cold, the chill of the Winter Demon’s words in my ear.

In terms of characters, I loved Vasya, it was impossible not to. She’s wild, she’s fearless, she stands up for what she believes in, she doesn’t conform to what society expects of her, and she has a kind heart. She endures a lot from not only her stepmother, but also her village, but does so with such strength. She has a wonderful relationship with her brother, Aloysha, which was wonderful to read, because so often the most important relationship for a female character will be the one between her and her romantic interest.

“Sleep is cousin to death, Vasya. And both are mine.”

Speaking of romantic interest…I really hope something more develops between Vasya and Morozko because between the scene with them after her nightmare and the kiss, I’m dying to see more interactions between them in the sequel.

Overall, I loved this book so much and I can’t wait to pick up the sequel, The Girl in the Tower! I’ve left more of my favorite quotes below!

“Wild birds die in cages.”
“Vasya felt cold despite the steam. ‘Why would I choose to die?’ ‘It is easy to die,’ replied the bannik. ‘Harder to live.’”

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The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

“Guard Your Mortal Heart.” 

HOLLY BLACK DID THAT. I am dead, I did not guard my mortal heart against this book, and I demand book 2 NOW.

Holly Black gave me everything I ever wanted in a book and more—a luxe and dangerous world, drama, political intrigue, magic, spies, bloodshed, twists, nastiness, and just the right amount of romance.

The Cruel Prince opens with 7 year old Jude watching her parents murders, and then being swept away to the High Court of Faerie by her parents’ murderer along with her twin sister, Taryn, and her older, Vivienne. Flash forward 10 years and Jude lives amongst the fey, is bullied by her fey classmates, and despite everything she has seen of their world, wants to be them.

No, she wants to be better than them.

“Because you’re like a story that hasn’t happened yet. Because I want to see what you will do. I want to be part of the unfolding of the tale.”

Everything about this book kept me on my toes—the world, the characters, the political games— and I loved every dark, sexy, gut-wrenching, horrific moment of it. All of our characters are sinfully flawed, and Jude may be the darkest and most flawed of them all. Although perhaps Cardan, our titular “Cruel Prince”—who might be more than what he seems and who has certainly stolen my heart—could be nastier and cleverer than Jude.

If you aren’t convinced by now that Holly Black is the queen of all things fae, then go read The Cruel Prince while I not-so-patiently wait for book 2.

“If I cannot be better than them, I will become so much worse.”

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An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

“Life is made of so many moments that mean nothing. Then one day, a single moment comes along to define every second that comes after. Such moments are tests of courage, of strength.”

Harrowing. Breath taking. Heart wrenching. Beautiful. An Ember in the Ashes is Sabaa Tahir’s debut novel about a slave, Laia and a soldier, Elias. Both of them belong to the Empire and neither of them is free.

“All the beauty of the stars means nothing when life here on earth is so ugly.”

An Ember in the Ashes is a haunting story about what it means to be free, how far people can be pushed, what it means to lose our humanity, and the power of fighting back in an brutally ugly world.

Laia begins as a meek character, very much unlike the callous female assassins we’re now used to seeing in YA, and I loved it. Throughout the book, Laia grows into such a brave character who’d rather die fighting for her loved ones than run away and see them hurt. She has one of the strongest character arcs I’ve seen in YA. Her fear is something readers will be able to connect with, and her spirit, resilience, and determination will inspire them.

Our other main character, Elias, is one of the most beautifully written and complex male characters I’ve ever encountered. Elias, from the beginning, does not support the Empire, but is forced to be a soldier and defend its corrupt and inhumane ways. Like Laia, he is not free. But, Elias constantly has to hide from the people he loves because he is a martial and expected to not only support, but to also continue and enforce the ways of the Empire. Elias’ anger, sadness, powerlessness, and then resistance was heart aching to read, and he was by far my favorite character in this book.

“The field of battle is my temple. The swordpoint is my priest. The dance of death is my prayer. The killing blow is my release.”

I don’t have enough words of praise for this masterpiece that Sabaa Tahir has created. I felt every emotion ranging from anger, sadness, hope, fear, and happiness. This world is cruel and unforgiving, our characters are so heartbreakingly real, and their story is sweeping and much bigger than any of them can imagine.

Thank you Sabaa Tahir for writing this book and for sharing these characters, their world, and their story.

“You are an ember in the ashes, Elias Veturius. You will spark and burn, ravage and destroy. You cannot change it. You cannot stop it.”

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The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

“This is the problem with even lesser demons. They come to your doorstep in velvet coats and polished shoes. They tip their hats and smile and demonstrate good table manners. They never show you their tails.” 

When Leigh Bardugo does dark, she does it masterfully with nastiness, twists, romance, and sometimes a glimmer of hope. The Language of Thorns is a collection of fairytales from the Grishaverse. But leave behind any expectations you may have about fairytales, heroes, villains, princes, and monsters because Leigh Bardugo will shatter them.

“You know how the stories go. Interesting things only happen to pretty girls; you will be home by sunset.”

Going into this jewel of a book, I thought I would know how the tales would end—with shining princes, damsels saved, monsters slain, and wicked step-mothers foiled. But Leigh Bardugo draws inspiration from tales we know and love: Hansel and Gretel, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and The Ugly Duckling to name a few, and subverts our expectations. Leigh Bardgo manipulates language in the most beautiful way and challenges her readers’ beliefs.

“There is no pain like the pain of transformation.”

Each of these tales is dark, rich, and haunting in their own ways. They are universal with characters, stories, and lessons that will stay with the reader long after the final page has been turned. My personal favorites were “Ayama and the Thorn Wood,” “The Soldier Prince”, and “When Water Sang Fire,” but each of these tales was wonderful.

This collection was especially delightful for fans of the Grishaverse. I could imagine characters I loved from the Shadow and Bone trilogy and the Six of Crows duology growing up with these tales.

“This is the problem with making a thing forbidden. It does nothing but build an ache in the heart.”

This is such a delightful and dark collection, perfect for fans of the Grishaverse and those with dark romantic hearts. Bardugo is a master writer and storyteller, and I can only hope this will be the first of many short story collections.

“We were not made to please princes.”

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The Diviners by Libba Bray

“But what was the point of living so quietly you made no noise at all?”

Unique. Thrilling. Atmospheric. Fun. The Diviners follows Evie O’Neill as she moves to 1926 New York City to live with her eccentric uncle who is the curator of the Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult and help him solve the mystery of the Pentacle Killer. But, Evie has a secret gift she’s determined to keep hidden; a gift that just may be the key to solving the murders.

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when I picked up this book, but I was completely surprised, and I mean that in the best way possible. Bray does a fantastic job of weaving together so many seemingly unrelated storylines and characters and bringing them together seamlessly. This book is perfect for fans of the occult, the supernatural, and the unexplainable who are looking for all these things along with the drama and glamour of 1920s New York City.

“There is no greater power on this earth than story.”

What I love most about this story is the world and the characters. Bray does a fantastic job of researching the culture of 1920s New York City, and there is an authenticity to the world and the characters that is often lacking in time period specific fiction. Her characters speak and think so specifically to the time and place that I never forgot when and where the story occurred and even found myself reaching for my phone at times to look up certain slang and terminology.

“I salute your spunk, but I question your sanity.”

Every character in this book is fully fleshed out and their own person, even those who only have one page told from their perspective. I really appreciate the way our supporting characters—Memphis, Jericho, Sam, Mabel, Theta, and Henry—are all connected to one another in some way and have complex relationships with each other outside of their relationships with Evie.

Speaking of Evie…

Evie O’Neill is a fabulous main character full of spunk, tenacity, charisma, and wit; but who is also a girl full of fears and insecurities and can be selfish. Evie experiences amazing growth throughout the book, and I’m excited to continue to follow her throughout this series.

“People always fear what they don’t understand, Evangeline. History proves that.”

The hidden gem in this book, for me, is how political it is. I’m not going to say much on this because Bray does it much better than I ever could and with a mastery few authors are capable of.

Really, the only reason why this isn’t a 5 star read for me is because I was able to predict certain aspects of the ending and felt as though a lot of the tension and suspense was taken away from Evie, Uncle Will, Jericho, and Sam’s investigation of the murder because the reader knows from the very beginning who the murderer is. But, that didn’t take away from my overall love and enjoyment of the book, and it was entertaining to watch Evie and company piece everything together.

“People will believe anything if it means they can go on with their lives and not have to think too hard about it.”

Highly enjoyable and atmospheric with a lovable cast of characters, The Diviners is a great supernatural and mysterious book that ends with enough closure to leave me satisfied, but with just the right amount of loose ends to have me already itching to get my hands on the sequel, Lair of Dreams.

“Life don’t come to you, Memphis. You gotta take it. We have to take it. Because ain’t nobody handing it to us.”

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Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

“I won’t let your ignorance silence my pain”

WOW. I don’t normally find myself at a loss for words after a book, but Children of Blood and Bone has left me speechless. This is a book that will take you on a wild ride and shake you down to your core, making sure you feel every emotion possible. I laughed, I raged, I grieved, and I loved every moment of it.

“Reality told us we would fail. But again and again, we fought. We persevered. We rose.”

Featuring an entirely non-white cast (YASSS!!!) Children of Blood and Bone follows Zélie as she fights to bring magic back to her people after it was taken by the king who killed her mother. Told from three different perspectives, CBB follows Zélie, Amari, and Inan.

Zélie has been oppressed and beaten down by the royal regime her entire life because she is a diviner—a person with the potential to become a Maji, someone with the gift of magic—and she is an angry and fierce warrior who has experienced so much grief and trauma. She has been chosen by the gods to bring magic back to Orïsha. Amari is a princess whose best friend was a diviner. She turns her back on everything her father has taught her about the Maji in order to aid Zélie in her quest to bring magic back to Orïsha. Our third POV is actually the antagonist, Inan, Amari’s older brother and the crown prince of Orïsha, who is determined to prevent magic from coming back.

“It doesn’t matter how strong I get, how much power my magic wields. They will always hate me in this world.”

I don’t know how Tomi Adeyemi did it, but CBB is an incredible story. Fast-paced. Heart-wrenching. Beautiful. Children of Blood and Bone is the best YA debut fantasy on the market. Adeymi did an amazing job of not only writing an amazing and harrowing story, but also one that is relevant and speaks to larger issues in our society. I was angry with the world Zélie lived in and all of the hate, trauma, and oppression she endured—a world that holds up a mirror to our own. It is worth reading Adeyemi’s author’s note at the end of the book where she discusses her inspirations for CBB.

“As long as we don’t have magic, they will never treat us with respect. They need to know we can hit them back. If they burn our homes, we burn theirs, too.” 

I adored Zélie’s character and her transformation of learning how to channel her anger and grief and conquer her fears in order to become the leader her people need. Tzain, her brother, is perfect and his love, strength, and loyalty broke my heart over and over again. Amari experienced such beautiful growth throughout the book, transforming from a timid girl and to a brave one, unafraid to stand up to a world of hatred. The one character I wasn’t crazy about was Inan. There were times when I sympathized with him and really enjoyed having him as a POV, but I felt as though a lot of his thoughts and actions didn’t make sense and were tailored more so to fit the plot than his character.

“The gods don’t make mistakes.”

Children of Blood and Bone is a chilling, powerful, emotional, and stunning story that everyone needs to read. There is a reason why this is the book that is taking over the world. Read it, savor it, love it, and shout about this book until everyone you know has read it. Thank you Tomi Adeyemi for giving this story to the world and for revolutionizing YA fantasy.

“Courage does not always roar. Valor does not always shine.”

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