Love and Luck | Book Review (Spoiler free)

Hello, blogosphere! It’s been quite a while since I’ve done a full-length book review…as in over a year…yet I still brand myself as a book blogger. Although I have done book-themed posts, this past year my blog has had more of a focus on writing, bullet journaling, and productivity/lifestyle. My audience seems to enjoy these posts, but I miss writing book reviews! ❤︎ Personally, I’ve had a lot of fun branching out and writing posts other than reviews! When I first starting blogging, my reviews were very simple and dry. This being said, from now on, I’ll add book reviews to the mix!

I hope you enjoy this post!

Synopsis

“I wanted this to be real life, not a detour…”

Addie is visiting Ireland for her aunt’s over-the-top destination wedding and hoping she can stop thinking about the one horrible thing that left miserable and heartbroken — and threatens her future. But her brother Ian isn’t about to let her forget, and his constant needling leads to arguments and even a fistfight between the two once inseperatable siblings.

But when Addie discovers an unusual guidebook, Ireland for the Heartbroken, hidden in the dusty shelves of the hotel library, she’s finally able to escape her anxious mind — and Ian’s criticism.

And then their travel plans change. Suddenly Addie finds herself on a whirlwind tour of the Emerald Isle, trapped in the world’s smallest vehicle with Ian and his admittedly cute Irish-accented friend Rowan. As the trio journeys over breathtaking green hills, past countless castles, and through a number of fairytale forests, Addie hopes her guidebook will heal not only her broken heart, but also her shattered relationship with her brother.

That is, if they don’t get completely lost along the way.

Expectations

I saw this book in a Barnes & Noble a couple of months ago and picked it up because the cute cover and the synopsis. I was in the mood for a cute YA contemporary!

Likes

The book was relatively fast-paced and got straight to the point. Unlike so many other YA contemporaries, there weren’t random spots in the story where nothing happened. Addie, Ian, and Rowan were always adventuring and continuing their journey. The story continued to progress but still managed to incorporate reflective moments where the characters developed.

The story centered around a secret road-trip through lovely Irish scenery. The detail to culture and geographical locations made the novel more realistic and enjoyable. I loved reading the characters grow as they traveled through the Emerald Isle.

The story as a whole was very sweet and included the best elements of a true YA contemporary: adventure, sibling feuds, and a little bit of romance. My favorite element of this novel over all had to be the writing style. Addie’s witty narration carried the story!

Dislikes

In general, the plot was very linear and predictable, all the way to the end. The book never surprised me, I always knew what was going to happen next. Even the major “plot-twists” of the novel were foreseeable. I would have liked to see a little more surprises to match the scenery and the novel’s element of adventure.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this was a cute and fast-paced read with enjoyable scenery and a predictable plot. The best part of this novel is Jenna Evans Welch’s witty and wise writing style. I would recommend this of you’re in the mood for a quick and bubbly YA contemporary read!

Story and plot: ★★★☆☆

Pacing: ★★★★☆

Character development: ★★★★☆

Writing quality: ★★★★☆

Enjoyment: ★★★★★

Overall: ★★★★☆

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Have you read this novel? Do you like reading book reviews? Let me know in the comments section down below.

Keep On Booking,

☆ Katie K ☆

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon | Book Review (Spoiler free)

Greetings bookish friends! Today I am going to be reviewing one of my all-time favorites, a Chinese fairytale called Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. I reviewed this book a while ago on my old blog, The Tweendom Kingdom, but I think it’s time for an update. I hope you enjoy!

• Title: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
• Author: Grace Lin
• Publisher: Little Brown
• AR: 5.5

Young Minli lives in the Valley of the Fruitless Mountain, where she and her parents spend their days laboring away in the fields. At night, Minli listens to her father’s tales about the Old Man of the Moon, who knows the answers to everything. Minli sets out on a quest to find the Old Man of the Moon–he will know how to bring good fortune to her family. Along the way, she befriends many magical creatures, including a talking fish, a powerful king, and a dragon who can’t fly!

Will Minli survive her treacherous journey and bring good fortune to her family? Or will she never even be able to find her way back?

I picked this book up at a Barnes and Noble a long time ago because the cover caught my eye.

I did some more research of my own, from online reviews and what other bloggers though of it, and concluded that it was a really good book. The first chapter was also really interesting.

I gave it a try, and absolutely loved it!

I loved the writing style of this book! Everything is so dreamy and the reader is whisked off to a magical world. The characters were also amazing. Minli is so inspiring, kind, intelligent, and tenacious. I loved Minli’s and Dragon’s friendship. It was so dynamic and heartwarming, and it made the story one million times better!

The illustrations were absolutely gorgeous. They made the book appear more fairytale-like and the combanation of the text and visuals made for a phenomenal story. The short chapters had excellent pacing and have the ability to catch the reader’s attention very quickly.

Not only that, but everything lead up to the climax perfectly. The ending was so suprising and magical! The plot is so unique and creative that it makes it nearly impossible to dislike. Readers were caught up in between Minli’s exciting quest and the sorrow and worry of her parent’s at home. I kept on reading so I could find out what happened when Minli reached the end of the String of Destiny bridge. Grace Lin brilliantly used multipule perspectives throughout the course of the story, showing how Minli, Ma, Ba, Dragon, and what other important charcters were doing and feeling.

I cannot stress how much I love this book. The story is so beautiful and the characters are amazing. If you’re looking for a nostaglic book with an amazing protaganist and cast of characters, this is the book you’re looking for!

I’m sure there are some people who didn’t enjoy this book as much as I did, but as critical as I am when it comes to literature, I can’t say one thing wrong about this book. In my eyes, it is 100% perfect!

 

 

This book was so perfect and I absolutely loved it! The story, pacing, writing style/quality, character developement, and overall enjoyment was amazing!

From the start of the book where Minli found the goldfish to the climax where she finally met the Old Man of the Moon, this book was wonderful. I highly recommend this book! This is a must-read!

Story and plot: ☆☆☆☆☆

Pacing: ☆☆☆☆

Character development: ☆☆☆☆☆

Writing quality: ☆☆☆☆☆

Enjoyment: ☆☆☆☆☆

Overall: ☆☆☆☆☆

Thank you for reading this post. Please follow my blog to receive email updates whenever I post.

Have you read this book? If so, did you agree with my review? Do you want to read it? Let me know in the comments section.

Keep On Booking,

☆ Katie K ☆

Turtles All the Way Down | Book Review (Spoiler free)

Hello everyone! Today I will be doing a book review on Turtles All the Way Down by John Green. This was such an amzing book, even though it did start off slow at first. I hope you enjoy my review of it!

• Title: Turtles All the Way Down
• Author: John Green
• Publisher: Dutton
• AR: 5.6

Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Picket, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Picket’s son, Davis.

Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.

In his long-awaited return, John Green, the acclaimed award-winning author of Looking for Alaska and the Fault in Our Stars, shares Aza’s story with shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of a life-long friendship.

I had heard a lot about John Green’s novels, so I wanted to give one of his books a try. I ordered this one-off of Amazon and started reading! I heard a lot of mixed reviews about this book, some people saying they loved it, and others saying they didn’t like it at all.

 

 

I loved the writing style of this novel. Green has a very detailed and unique style, and it makes his work enjoyable to read and gives an interesting perspective. It’s almost like poetry.

I loved Aza’s character. She was so complex and dynamic. Her struggles teach the reader that you can go through hard times in your life, and still everything will be okay. As sad as the ending was (I won’t go into detail, as this is supposed to be a spoiler free review) I think it left a manful impact.

And lastly, the plot was well executed. There were tons of twists and turns!

There are so many admirable things about this novel. I know it got mixed reviews, and some didn’t like it as much as others, but I loved it!

There isn’t much critique I could give this novel, but the pacing was very slow. In fact, the book moved so slow that I almost DNFed it! It wasn’t until the middle of the book where I felt the plot was starting to come together and where it was actually interesting to read.

 

 

As slow as this book was in the beginning, I still recommend it! The story itself is so beautiful, the characters are so three-dimensional, and the writing style phenomenal!

After I read it, I found so much meaning to the story and reflected about it and how it related to my own life. It is indeed a slow starter, but the middle and ending will not disappoint you!

Story and plot: ☆☆☆☆

Pacing: ☆

Character development: ☆☆☆☆☆

Writing quality: ☆☆☆☆☆

Enjoyment: ☆☆☆½

Overall: ☆☆☆☆

Thank you for reading this post. Please follow my blog to receive email updates whenever I post.

Have you read this book? If so, did you agree with my review? Do you want to read it? Let me know in the comments section.

Keep On Booking,

⭐︎ Katie K ⭐︎