REVIEW: Blackout

Blackout by Chris Myers
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Thriller/Mystery, Contemporary
Published: April 2015 by Chris Myers
Pages: 400
Format: Kindle Edition
Rating: 5.5/10
Description:  No restraining order will stop Dare from protecting Teal. The blackouts started happening when Teal was eight. There are long periods of her youth she doesn't remember. She has woken up in strange places, feeling disoriented and unaware of how long she's been out. After two years abroad attending a private school and sessions with a top-notch psychiatrist, she's been deemed cured. The blackouts have ceased, or so Teal thought, until she wakes up in a ditch back home in North Carolina. Dare, the man pulling her broken body from the wreckage, has a restraining order against him. He’s no longer the clean-cut boy she went frog gigging with but road-hardened. His lean, muscular arms, riddled with tats, drag her out of the SUV. She should fear him, but instead, his touch sparks memories that tell her she once worshiped him with all her heart.

Blackout is a physiological thriller, a romance, a mystery book all rolled into a New Adult format. It was a very interesting book that had a compelling premise. There is a great romance and a lot of cool physiological aspects. There is a fantastic, dark mystery that we get to explore, limited by our protagonist's memory loss. However, I found that a lot of potential was lost with the book as I found a couple problems with it.

Let's start with the good. The ambiance was executed very well. The unease and disquiet of an unfinished mystery in this town is definitely exemplified through the writing. The murder story that we only receive bits and pieces of throughout the book keep the story interesting and thrilling. It was much like a "whodunit." The narrative was engaging. The wrap-up in the end was very well done, bringing all the pieces and clues together to form a shocking and satisfying conclusion. The romance was steamy and passionate, and I did enjoy the relationship of Dare and Teal. I always looked forward to those scenes.

Some of the problems I found with the book was mostly to do with the characters. Most, if not all, of the characters were very flat and static, most of the supporting characters were just flat out stereotypes. Our protagonist, Teal, is a very typical "girl-next-door-turned-hot" character. I was annoyed with her at times by her ignorance to how attractive she is. Literally, every man she sees hits on her and she get's embarrassed and blushy every time. Her character was not very believable at all. Also, many of her decisions were pretty dumb. (*Spoilers: Her arm is broken and she decides to drive a car! She found out a boy got slaughtered and she goes to a distanced swamp with only one other person as protection! She knows she has a stalker and she walks home alone in the dark!)
There were a lot of potential side story lines that I felt could have made the story much richer.

I found that the book was very heavily focused on physical appearance, which did take away a lot from the story itself. Teal is beautiful, Dare is beautiful, Graham is beautiful, Kami is beautiful, everyone is beautiful and attractive, and there would be pages and pages going on about how pretty every character is. This did take away from actual character building for me. The characters turned into nothing more than there appearance. The Tuckers were nothing more than the hot family. There are also a lot of cat calls and just random compliments that are thrown at Teal which seem misplaced and odd. It just felt weird for me and that did distract me from the story.

Overall, Blackout is a strong book in terms of the setting, the ambiance, and the story line, but weak in terms of character building. There was a great accompanying romance, however the dialogue and personas in the book fell flat for me. There is a lack of deep or believable characters. Blackout is recommended to those who wish to read a New Adult with some suspenseful elements.

*I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.*

REVIEW: To All The Boys I've Loved Before

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
Published: April 15th 2014 by Simon & Schuster Books 

Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance, Chick Lit, Realistic Fiction,

Pages: 288 pages

Format: Kindle Edition
Rating: 8.5/10
Description: This is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

Let me just say: This is easily my favorite novel by Jenny Han. I wasn't impressed with her "The Summer I Turned Pretty" series at all; Maybe because it's for a younger demographic, but I digress. But, this book... It was so good. It pulled me in with it's funny, flawed characters, and it's tottally relateable premise. It had a lot of pop culture references (I highly appreciated the Harry Potter and LOTR ones). It was romantic, and cringe-worthy, and everything that you could ever want in a contemporary romance YA.


The Characters? I loved them so much. From Kitty, the sassy and adorable younger sister, to their father, the laid-back, kind dad. Lara Jean was such a relateable protagnoist. She doesn't give into peer pressure, has crushes, writes love notes, has a crazy relationship with her sisters. I loved her sisters and father! The awesome dynamic between the family was so refreshing. I loved Peter SO MUCH. The constant sassy bickering between them and the slow yet sweet descent into falling for each other was so well done. Margot's organization and bossiness was a great trait to see, especially in a young adult novel.

The Setting? Absolutely refreshing! The Korean/Asian household was just so fresh and stimulating. It was very relateable. I loved the descriptions of the Korean dishes that Lara Jean would prepare, and the descriptions of their customs. I liked the Korean household wasn't a huge stereotype. It didn't feel forced or anything. It felt real and fit right into the story. I suppose it's because Jenny Han herself grew up in a similar setting with her very own sister. Whatever the reason, Jenny Han wrote a terrific and genuine setting.

The Plot? The plot wasn't too complex. However, I was so invested in the story! The humor was spot-on. As a mentioned earlier, the references to Harry Potter, LOTR, ect. were so well placed. I felt like some potential with lost with the letters, though. It's a super cool premise, but I felt like the element with the letters could have been more implemented.
Other reviews were complaining about Lara Jean and about how a sixteen-year-old should be more mature. Um, no. I thought Lara Jean was perfectly normal sixteen-year-old. As I was just sixteen last year, I can tell you that her mind-set's were similar to mine. We're supposed to fret and fuss over little things, and write love letters, and do stupid things. I highly enjoyed Lara Jean's voice.
The loved the romance. I am a sucker for love stories like this: two people who conjure up fake love each other, and in actuality, argue and bicker with each other then end up falling in love them for real. I just love! I don't know why! I love it! And I loved Peter! And I loved Lara Jean with Peter! It was great.

Overall? One could probably deduce that I really, really, really, loved this book. From the cringe-worthy yet sweet romance, to the refreshing and loving family dynamics, to the funny pop-culture references, To All The Boys I've Loved Before is the perfect contemporary romance. I loved it.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell because of several things. Firstly, because of the sister dynamic. Cath and Wren are taking different paths and that's putting a wedge in their relationship while Lara Jean and Margot are separated due to school and the lack of communication puts a wedge in their relationship. Secondly, the Harry Potter references? Do I need to say more? And thirdly, the unlikely romance. Both are YA contemporary's and I enjoyed both of them immensely. 

5 Summer Must-Reads



Ahh, summer. The time for sipping iced tea by the pool, roasting marshmallows by some magnificent bonfire, and readings! The following are some summer book recommendations! The theme is light, juicy, and overall summery books!
 
"To All The Boys I've Loved Before" by Jenny Han
 Jenny Han is great at writing light, romance reads. All her books are easy to breeze through! To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.


(I'll be doing a review of this soon. I. Loved. It. So. Much.)
This represents any light, romance reads!



 



"The Summer I Wasn't Me" by Jessica Verdi 
She never meant for her mom to find out. And now she's afraid that what's left of her family is going to fall apart for good. Lexi knows she can fix everything. She can change. She can learn to like boys. New Horizons summer camp has promised to transform her life, and there's nothing she wants more than to start over. But sometimes love has its own path...
This represents any books with the central theme surrounding summer! 



 
   
"The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss 
I chose this because I personally didn't pick this book up until summer started because it's just massive! School, work, friends, family, plans always get in the way of reading my big, fantasy epics. Summer is the perfect time to lose yourself in a different world. You have time to immersive yourself! Go read that big fantasy! 
Told in Kvothe's own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen. The intimate narrative of his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story unrivaled in recent literature. A high-action story written with a poet's hand, The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that will transport readers into the body and mind of a wizard
This represents any long epic fantasy series or just any massive book or book series sitting on your bookshelf that you've neglected reading because of it's size! It's time.


 



"Summer on the Short Bus" by Bethany Crandell 
Spoiled, Versace-clad Cricket Montgomery has seventeen years of pampering under her belt. So when her father decides to ship her off to a summer camp for disabled teens to help her learn some accountability, Cricket resigns herself to three weeks of handicapped hell. Her sentence takes a bearable turn as she discovers the humor and likeability of the campers and grows close to fellow counselors. Now, if she can just convince a certain Zac Efron look-alike with amazing blue eyes that she finally realizes there's life after Gucci, this summer could turn out to be the best she's ever had. Summer on the Short Bus is a very non-P.C., contemporary YA with a lot of attitude, tons of laughs, and a little life lesson along the way.
This represents any light, contemporary reads!  







"Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte
Orphaned into the household of her Aunt Reed at Gateshead, subject to the cruel regime at Lowood charity school, Jane Eyre nonetheless emerges unbroken in spirit and integrity. She takes up the post of governess at Thornfield, falls in love with Mr. Rochester, and discovers the impediment to their lawful marriage in a story that transcends melodrama to portray a woman's passionate search for a wider and richer life than Victorian society traditionally allowed.
With a heroine full of yearning, the dangerous secrets she encounters, and the choices she finally makes, Charlotte Bronte's innovative and enduring romantic novel continues to engage and provoke readers.
This represents all those classics that you've promised yourself to read, but neglected to because classics take more time and effort to read. You've got time, now add some effort! You can do it!



 


I hope you enjoyed some of my reccomendations! It's up to you, of course, what books you want to read. Have an awesome, book-filled summer!