Speak By: Laurie Halse Anderson Review

Non-Spoiler Review- 

I know, I know. I am so late to the party on this one. I can't believe I just now read Speak. I've been wanting to read it for ages, but I've put it off because I thought it would be a rough read for me. In some ways it was, but the tough subject matter (insert rape trigger warning here) was handled very well. I loved this one. The end made me cry. I think Speak is a must read for everyone, especially young girls. Thank you Laurie for writing this book and I can't wait to check out more of her books!

Mild Spoiler Review- 

SCROLL TO THE END IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ SPOILERS!!

To be honest Speak is a book that I can relate to all too well. It's so relatable that it's scary and it's been difficult to write this review. I know this character (Melinda) very well. I WAS this girl. I was her age when I was raped for the first time. I had a fear of speaking up, I skipped school, became antisocial, and also had to see my rapist in the halls at school everyday. I won't digress anymore into my own personal experiences, but the point I'm trying to make is this book was first published in 1999. This book was out when I could have really used it and I wish I had known about it back then. Speak is such a powerful and important read that brings to light a difficult topic that unfortunately many girls and women have experience with. The end of this book made me cry because Melinda was finally able to fight back and speak up. If you haven't read this book yet then I highly recommend you do so immediately. 

#SPEAK

#SPEAK

#SPEAK 

I'll Meet You There By: Heather Demetrios Mini Review

Let me start off this review by saying that I'll Meet You There is going on a very short list. A list of books that have made me cry. I REALLY loved this one, but to be honest it also destroyed me a bit too. Here's a tip if you are a sensitive reader, (by that I mean too empathetic, even with fictional characters lol), like me: Be careful when you read this one, it's that emotional. I enjoyed Sky and Josh's characters and their interactions with each other. Even though they both could be so frustrating! I can't recall ever reading a book that went this in depth about PTSD and I think it did a wonderful/accurate job on that tough subject. It's an emotional book you guys, but it's also now one of my favorite books. I can't put into words all of the things that I want to say about it (without spoilers), you'll just have to read this one if you haven't. I highly recommend it for sure!

#KeepTissuesOnStandby

The Hate U Give By: Angie Thomas Mini Review

Don't judge me, I know I am way late on reading The Hate U Give. I swear this was THE most talked about book in 2017. After reading it, I can definitely see why. I'll be thinking about this book for quite a while. I love how Angie Thomas addresses many issues (police brutality, racism, interracial dating, and etc.) that are VERY relevant today. There were moments that had me in tears, but I was surprised that there were some hilarious moments as well. The Hate U Give is such a beautifully written, well rounded, honest, heartbreaking, and thought provoking story. I really love the MC, Starr. I love how her perspective as a teenager is so right on and how her character moves between her two worlds as they collide. Also, she's sweet and sassy all the way! Overall The Hate U Give is a fantastic book and I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it yet. Oh, and I can't wait for the movie adaptation and the next book by Angie Thomas!

#Relevant

November 9 By: Colleen Hoover Mini Review That Turned Into A List

After I finished reading November 9 I sat down to start writing a mini review for it. I ended up making a list instead because I had way too many feels and not enough coherent thoughts after reading the book. :P

So here is my list of 10 Thoughts I Had While Reading November 9:

1. I love CoHo books. I'm so happy that I borrowed this book from the library.

2. Oo it's so good already! This Ben guy is great, he's funny. I'm totally going to binge read this whole book like I always do CoHo books.

3. This book is so HILARIOUS in some parts. The romantic comedy aspect between Ben and Fallon is written very well.

4. Hmm, I don't know about this meeting up only once a year thing. Can they just be together? 

5. Okay, what is the plot twist here. I don't understand why (BLANK to avoid spoilers) happened.

6. Dafuq?

7. My eyes hurt so bad. I should put this down and go to bed. Oh, look at that... next chapter...

8. I don't like that! WHAT JUST HAPPENED? Okay, Erin, chill. There has to be a happy ending. Right? 

9. Holy plot twist. Mind = Blown. I'm not sure how to feel about this reveal at all. 

10. Wow. November 9 is such an amazing book. I have so many feels. #I'mNotCryingYou'reCrying

Okay, sorry guys this is all I could do for my "mini review." I loved November 9 and if you are a Colleen Hoover fan you will love it too! If you haven't read one of her novels yet, I highly recommend any of her books. Her writing is phenomenal and addictive.

#CoHoForTheWinAgain!

Waiting on Wednesday- The Names They Gave Us By: Emery Lord

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature/meme hosted here at Breaking the Spine. The idea behind it is to share upcoming releases that we can't wait to get our hands on! 

My pick for this week is The Names They Gave Us By: Emery Lord. Earlier this year I read When We Collided by this author and I absolutely LOVED it! So when I saw this one I had to add it to my to read list.  I'm really curious about Lucy and the camp for troubled kids. That sounds really intriguing to me. I will be honest though (as a non religious person) I am hoping that the faith part mentioned in the summary is a miniscule part of the story. I don't mind religious plot lines in books as long as it's kept to a minimum. The rest of the summary sounds FANTASTIC so hopefully it will be a good one.

Expected Publication Date: May 16, 2017

Does The Names They Gave Us sound good to you as well? Have you read any Emery Lord books? Also, I love the cover! It's pretty simple, but I love the colors. What are you waiting on this Wednesday?