Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales
4 out of 5 stars Would you go on reality TV for a chance to get revenge on your lying, cheating ex-boyfriend? Maya never wanted to see her ex, Jordy, again. Especially since he cheated on her. But when your ex’s sister marries a crown prince, he finds a way to charm the world. And paint you as the crazy ex-girlfriend. Skye has always guarded her heart, but Jordy managed to find his way into hers. Until he suddenly stopped calling. Maya and Skye are invited to star in a new reality dating show, Second Chance Romance, along with four of Jordy’s other exes. Maya agrees, determined to expose Jordy as the manipulative liar he is. Skye agrees, thinking maybe she and Jordy can pick up where they left off. But neither are prepared for the connections they make during filming– especially as they grow closer to each other. Y’ALL. I was so excited by the premise of this book. Bachelor-style reality TV, but two contestants fall in love instead? Yes, please. Also, Sophie Gonzales? At this point, I’ll read anything she writes. While this book was pretty predictable, I enjoyed it thoroughly. Jordy was the perfect villain– a toxic, self-absorbed, misogynistic asshole. Unfortunately, this was so realistic, and honestly I saw some of my exes in his behavior, which made me root for the girls even more. I loved the relationships between all the girls. They’re all competing against each other, but (aside from the very beginning), there is very little drama between them. They aren’t trying to tear each other down, which I really appreciated. Like I said, the conclusion is pretty predictable, but it was still satisfying. And it did not take away from my enjoyment at all. Overall, this book was so fun, funny, but also heartfelt. Did I mention this book was super fun?
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Wow! August was a busy reading month. I think this is the highest book count I've had all year so far. I read some great books, and some not so great ones. So, without further ado, here is my August 2022 Wrap-Up!
1. The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes 4 out of 5 stars Content Warning: Bullying, suicidal ideation I can see this book being very important to a lot of teens. Yami's journey of trying to make her mother proud, take care of her brother, and hide her sexuality is heartbreaking and powerful. I laughed. I cried. All the feels. 2. The Well by Jake Wyatt and Choo (illustrations) 4 out of 5 stars Beautiful illustrations and a great story with interesting magic/folklore. 3. Amazona by Canizales 2 out of 5 stars I really appreciate the story and the perspective of this graphic novel. It's a story that should be told. But in the end, it wasn't one of my favorites. 4. Nothing Burns as Bright as You by Ashley Woodfolk 3 out of 5 stars I wasn't really sold on this book until the author's note at the end. That put it into perspective to me and made the book hit harder. Overall, it was good, but not great for me. 5. Message Not Found by Dante Medema 4 out of 5 stars This book is a gut punch from the very beginning. I really liked the way it explored grief and how everyone grieves differently. I also enjoyed the part narrative/part text message format. This author really knows how to write good, emotional books. 6. Hummingbird Heart by Travis Dandro 2 out of 5 stars I really liked the illustration style for this book, but the story just didn't hit for me. 7. Alice Austen Lived Here by Alex Gino 4 out of 5 stars I loved this. I had never heard of Alice Austen before and enjoyed the bits of queer history sprinkled throughout the story. 8. The Name She Gave Me by Betty Culley 4 out of 5 stars This is a really beautiful book. Told in verse, it follows Rynn as she deals with an abusive mother, a father who seems oblivious, and her desire to find her birth family. 9. Flamer by Mike Curato 5 out of 5 stars Content Warning: homophobia, bullying, suicidal ideation "I hate that word. Gay. It makes me feel . . . unsafe." This book. It will rip your heart out...but in a good way. It deals with so much, but it handles it all really well. From Aiden's struggles with his home life, his weight, bullies, and his sexuality, every issue is discussed with care. Reading as Aiden tries to come to terms with his sexuality in regards to his faith is heartbreaking. I can see so many kids relating to this story. 10. Blackwater by Jeannette Arroyo & Ren Graham 4 out of 5 stars "Heartstopper meets Teen Wolf" is actually a really great description of this graphic novel. It's a fast-paced, sweet story with some great horror elements. I really enjoyed it. 11. No One is Alone by Rachel Vincent 4 out of 5 stars This book will repeatedly punch you in the heart. It's a powerful story about grief, family, and high school theater 12. Snapdragon by Kat Leyh 5 out of 5 stars This was just so delightful. I loved the story, the art, and the representation. Everything. 13. Pilu of the Woods by Mai K. Nguyen 5 out of 5 stars My heart. The illustrations and the story are both so beautiful. It's a sweet story about understanding your emotions- or "monsters"- and how to handle them. It was just so good. 14. Flight of the Prince (Wynd, #1) by James Tynion IV and Michael Dialynas (Illustrations) 4 out of 5 stars This is an interesting story with beautiful illustrations 15. Master of Iron by Tricia Levenseller 5 out of 5 stars I have never considered myself to be a high fantasy reader, but this duology was SO GREAT. The world and magic is so interesting, for one. But my favorite part is the way it discusses Ziva's anxiety. It's so refreshing to read about a character with anxiety outside of a contemporary, realistic setting. And as someone with anxiety, her struggles are so relatable. These books were just really, really great. 16. Hollow by Shannon Watters, Branden Boyer-White, Berenice Nelle (Illustrator), Kaitlyn Musto (Colorist) 4 out of 5 stars See full review here. 17. Here and Queer: A Queer Girl's Guide to Life by Rowan Ellis 4 out of 5 stars This is a really good introduction and overview for young queer girls. I appreciated how inclusive it was for trans and nonbinary individuals, as well as people on the ace/aro spectrums. 18. Zatanna: The Jewel of Gravesend by Alys Arden 2 out of 5 stars I liked the concept of this. The illustrations were beautiful and the story was interesting. But I also felt confused at times. Maybe if there are future volumes, they will explain things more? Overall, it was just okay to me. 19. Galaxy: The Prettiest Star by Jadzia Axelrod, Jess Taylor (Illustrator) I really enjoyed this. The illustrations are beautiful, I loved the story, AND there's a corgi robot. Need I say more? 20. Aces Wild: A Heist by Amanda DeWitt 1 out of 5 stars See full review here. 21. And They Lived… by Steven Salvatore 4 out of 5 stars Content Warning: homophobia, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, suicidal ideation There is a lot to this book, but not in a bad way. We see Chase struggle with school, friendships (and former friendships), romantic relationships, his eating disorder, and trying to understand his gender identity. While that might seem like too much to be packed into one book, I thought it worked. All of these issues are linked in ways, and they are all things that teens/young adults deal with. I really liked how the themes of fairy tales were weaved throughout, especially focusing on the endings. But one of the things I liked the most was Chase's exploration of being nonbinary. He doesn't feel nonbinary enough (which, yeah. I've been there. Still am sometimes) and is fine using he/him pronouns. I really appreciated this perspective, as everyone's experiences with gender identity are different and that doesn't make them any less valid. 22. M is for Monster by Talia Dutton 4 out of 5 stars I kind of wanted to cry through this whole book. Frances just wanted her sister back, and M just wants to make Frances happy. M also wants to be her own person, but is afraid that if she doesn't act as Maura, Frances will experiment on her again. It's heartbreaking, but also a really beautiful Frankenstein retelling. 23. Saigami, Volume 1: Re(Birth) by Flame by Seny 4 out of 5 stars This was a really interesting first volume. I liked the story and the magic and I'm excited to read more! 24. Thirsty Mermaids by Kat Leyh 5 out of 5 stars This starts off as a funny tale about drunken mermaids, and ends up being a beautiful story of purpose, identity, and found family. I honestly wasn't expecting much from it, but I actually really loved it. 25. The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 5 out of 5 stars This was a reread, but I loved it just as much the second time. |
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AuthorI'm HaileyAnne! I'm a queer librarian who loves books and kpop. Archives
August 2023
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