Wicked Review: The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon

Format Acquired: Paperback

Date Published: November 1, 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

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Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

This book is painful and all the while thought provoking and just all around amazing. So, here's Natasha who is about to be deported to Jamaica, where she knows nothing and no one about. All she's known is America, the land where she was born and the land that somehow accepted her despite her nationality. This book is so timely with all the issues regarding nationalities and citizenship in America. Or, well, at least that's how I thought it is. So there.

“To be clear: I don’t believe in fate. But I’m desperate.”

She does everything in her hands just so that she and her family can stay in America so that she can fulfill her dreams. But the law is the law. There's only so much you can do to bend it to your will. I can sort of empathize with Natasha. Moving away is never easy. It's painful. Even though, you're still with your family in this strange new place, it will never be the same again.

I love alternating POVs. It helps me understand the story more because I always believe that there is two sides to every story. But well in this book, not only does it alternate with the POV between the two main characters, it also goes around with the minor characters.

Now, enter Daniel Jae Ho Bae, Korean born in America. He's an aspiring poet who writes about heartbreak, as if he gets his heart broken so many times already. Growing up in an Asian family, there are high expectations. Being an artist is never an option. It's always either a doctor or a lawyer or a banker or a teacher even. He's bound to be one of those if he follows his parents' wishes and not his.

But that's the least of Daniel's worries, I think. He's head over heels in love with Natasha already. Clearly. I do have issues with insta-love. But well, I guess, I can make an exception for Daniel and Natasha.

“There’s a Japanese phrase that I like: koi no yokan. It doesn’t mean love at first sight. It’s closer to love at second sight. It’s the feeling when you meet someone that you’re going to fall in love with them. Maybe you don’t love them right away, but it’s inevitable that you will.”

And so, Daniel tries to make Natasha fall in love with him with just one day. But, Natasha is, in her own words, a realist. She deals with facts. She likes facts. She doesn't believe one bit that she will fall in love with Daniel. But eventually she will.

Nicola Yoon grew up in Jamaica (the island) and Brooklyn (part of Long Island). She currently resides in Los Angeles, CA with her husband and daughter, both of whom she loves beyond all reason. Everything, Everything is her first novel.

 

Wicked Review: The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Published: March 22, 2011

Publisher: Speak

Acquired: Paperback

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Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life - and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey's boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie's own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they're the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can't collide without the whole wide world exploding.

This remarkable debut is perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Francesca Lia Block. Just as much a celebration of love as it is a portrait of loss, Lennie's struggle to sort her own melody out of the noise around her is always honest, often hilarious, and ultimately unforgettable.

To say that I fell in love with the book is a massive understatement. This book is amazing. Sure, I've read a lot about loss and how the characters have dealt with it. But The Sky Is Everywhere is more than that.

We have Lennie Walker, a clarinetist who lost his older sister, Bailey. She walks in the shadow of her older sister who's a bona fide star in their small town. Bailey dreams of becoming a theater actress one day. They were almost inseparable until Bailey's own heart took her life away.

My sister will die over and over again for the rest of my life. Grief is forever. It doesn't go away; it becomes a part of you, step for step, breath for breath. I will never stop grieving Bailey because I will never stop loving her. That's just how it is. Grief and love are conjoined, you don't get one without the other. All I can do is love her, and love the world, emulate her by living with daring and spirit and joy. 

I felt Lennie's grief, so much so that her actions through the course of this book is almost selfish. I have never lost anyone dear to me so I wouldn't really put myself in Lennie's shoes. But everyone around Lennie-Toby, Bailey's boyfriend, their Grandmother, their Uncle Big-has also lost Bailey. They were also grieving. They lost a piece of themselves when Bailey passed away.

The sky is everywhere, it begins at your feet. 

Lennie met Joe Fontaine, new guy who plays so many instruments. He's such a sweetheart. *insert heart eyes emoji* Where Lennie was overcome with grief over the loss of her sister, Joe comes to save the day. He's the epitome of a good life in my book. I just love him.

Each start of the chapter, there's a poem at the side. All those poems are written by Lennie and I think, those poems help understand Lennie's feelings and her relationship with her sister. She leaves those poems everywhere and writes on all sorts of known surfaces. I think I'll try that some time.

The.World.Is.Not.A.Safe.Place.

Messentialism. It's the word the often came up in this book. We live in a big mess. Each situation we're in, it's a mess. I believe that one hundred percent. Jandy Nelson provided me with a book that is greater than life. It was everything I expected from Jandy Nelson and then more.

Jandy Nelson, like her characters in I’ll Give You the Sun and The Sky is Everywhere, comes from a superstitious lot. She was tutored from a young age in the art of the four-leaf clover hunt; she knocks wood, throws salt, and carries charms in her pockets. Her critically-acclaimed, New York Times bestselling second novel, I’ll Give You the Sun, received the prestigious Printz Award, Bank Street's Josette Frank Award, and is a Stonewall Book Award honor. Both Sun and her debut, The Sky Is Everywhere, have been YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults picks (Sun, a Top Ten on Both YALSA and Rainbow Lists) and on multiple best of the year lists including the New York Times, Time Magazine, NPR, have earned many starred reviews, and continue to enjoy great international success, collectively published in over 47 countries. I'll Give You the Sun has been sold to Warner Brothers and screenwriter Natalie Krinsky is currently writing the adaptation. Jandy, a literary agent for many years, received a BA from Cornell University and MFAs in Poetry and Children's Writing from Brown University and Vermont College of Fine Arts. Currently a full-time writer, she lives and writes in San Francisco, California—not far from the settings of her novels.

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Backlist Revival Tour: One Night At The Palace Hotel by Bianca Mori

The Backlist Revival Project, in case you don't know, is where books released some time ago are back in the spotlight. These books deserve some love too, you know. For the month of January, One Night At The Palace Hotel by Bianca Mori is on the spotlight!

Publication Date: February 14, 2014

Buqo

It's the night before The Palace Hotel opens, and the entire city is abuzz with what everyone is calling a throwback to the Gilded Age. Everyone, that is, except Consuelo De la Red. Faced with a destiny picked out for her and a dream she just can't forget, she confronts the choices she has made and the man she was forced to reject. When the past comes crashing into the present, will she listed to her duty, or give in to the urging of her heart?

One, I'm a sucker for high society stuff. Anything and everything about old families and their dramas, I'm in. Two, I love romances like these.

Consuelo, or Sue, is a trustfund princess. Her family came from the old money. Surely, being born in that type of family has a reputation to put up with. Sue has heard stories of her other relatives who were driven by their passion and determination to live their own lives away from the gilded cage that their last names represent.

So, when Sue met Sam, she almost did just that. The two met in Chicago and immediately fell in a whirlwind romance. Until Sue was forced to come back to Manila or else she will be disowned. Six years later, Sue is back in the good graces of her family and their golden circle of friends now that she has a boyfriend they approve of.

Things took a turn during the opening night of The Palace Hotel. The architect who so lavishly designed the hotel is none other than Sue's old flame, Sam. Sam wants Sue back. To say that I fell in love with Sam is an understatement. Here he is, a hardworking man who's smart, funny. handsome, good natured, I mean, what more could a girl ask for> Frankly, I'd rather have someone who got rich by working hard day in and day out than someone who was born rich. His love for Sue is so strong and Sue couldn't deny that Sam is the one she wants to be with.

Can I just say that Bianca Mori did a good job in this book? Everything about this book is so vivid-from the design of the hotel to what the characters are wearing to what the characters are feeling. They all came alive in this book.

Bianca Mori is the author of "One Night at the Palace Hotel" and "Tame The Kitten." She is interested in exploring power in romance and enjoys reading about demimondaines, pin-up girls and Jazz Age personalities and hopes to reinterpret these in her stories. She lives with her family and a hyperactive pug.

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Wicked Review: Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

Published: October 14, 2014

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Series: Snow Like Ashes #1

Acquired: Paperback

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A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

For a debut novel, Sara Raasch did a fantastic job with Snow Like Ashes.

Since Winter fell into the hands of Angra, King of Spring, Meira and seven other Winterians have scaled Primoria for the other half of Winter's magical conduit in the hopes of defeating Angra and restoring Winter back.

The lore about the Royal Conduit, items that hold the magic in Primoria, is pretty confusing at first but then as the story drew on, I understood it better. There are eight kingdoms in Primoria, four Seasons and four Rhythms. I'm a fan of high fantasy novels and this one captured my attention. It was beautiful.

The storytelling was set in a moderate pace which makes this book perfect for newbie high fantasy readers out there. The characters are very unique. They can stand alone on their own, especially Meira. She was, for me, the most real out of everyone. I felt her emotion. I felt her need to save Winter, her determination to prove herself to others without having to sacrifice her identity.

I'm very excited to read the sequel, Ice Like Fire, which is out now. The preview of the second book is very, very intriguing. I can't wait.

Sara Raasch has known she was destined for bookish things since the age of five, when her friends had a lemonade stand and she tagged along to sell her hand-drawn picture books too. Not much has changed since then — her friends still cock concerned eyebrows when she attempts to draw things and her enthusiasm for the written word still drives her to extreme measures. Her debut YA fantasy, SNOW LIKE ASHES, the first in a trilogy, came out October 14, 2014 from Balzer + Bray. It does not feature her hand-drawn pictures.

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Wicked Review: Welcome To Envy Park by Mina V. Esguerra

Published: January 2015

Publisher: Anvil Publishing

Acquired: Paperback

Amazon || Get this for only P185 at your nearest National Bookstore (PH readers)

Moira Vasquez is a doer. A planner. A get-up-and-goer. At twenty-two, she left her hometown to work in Singapore, to satisfy a need to travel as well as give her savings account a boost. Five years later and she's back in Manila, with a shiny new apartment to her name, but no job, no career, no boyfriend. She meets Ethan Lorenzo, the quiet hunk of an IT consultant on the ninth floor of her condo building, and he's a welcome distraction during this period of having absolutely nothing going on in her life.

But she has a plan - of course she does - and this is just a short layover on the way to the next country, the next job, the next big thing. Or will she be missing out on something great that's already there?

As a twenty-one year old, I long to live independently, have a stellar career, maybe be in a relationship, ensure that my mother and my brother are doing well, travel to different places, and have the best life ever. I know I still have my whole life ahead of me.

But with Moira Vasquez, those things or at least one of those things should be a done deal already. She's twenty-seven years old. She spent five years in Singapore to work and experience life in another country. To others, that would've been the life. That was it! She was in a different country, a more progressive one at that. So imagine the surprise of Moira's family and friends when she moves back to the Philippines to look for a job.

Now, Moira has moved in her new swanky unit in an expensive place. She has no job as of the moment. But she does have a hot neighbor. In this book, I realized that uprooting yourself is hard. She spent five years in Singapore, for crying out loud, only for her to come back in Manila without a name for herself. Moira thought that when she came back, everything will be the same. Her good friend, Roxie, has a stellar career even if she stayed in the Philippines. This is where Moira struggled. She had to go through the motions again.

Mina Esguerra has introduced me to different characters who are so full of life and reading the book in Moira's perspective, I learned a lot about life. Some of them are well better off than her, some are going through some of the toughest experiences she couldn't even imagine having to go through at her young age. Welcome To Envy Park isn't really a romance novel. It really is about choices you make in life and how you live with those choices. It's very easy to read and very engaging. I learned a lot from this book.

Mina V. Esguerra writes contemporary romance and young adult novellas. She has a bachelor's degree in Communication and a master's degree in Development Communication, put to good use in her work as trainer and content management consultant. Mina lives in Metro Manila, Philippines, with her husband and daughter.

She finds inspiration in the lives and experiences of other people, so the answer to "Is this story based on you?" is always, always "No."

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Wicked Review: The Boyfriend Backtrack by Dawn Lanuza

Published: September 2015

Publisher: Spark Books

Acquired: Paperback

Amazon || Get this for only P185 in your nearest National Bookstore! (PH readers)

If they say that life flashes right before your eyes when you die, do you also get a flashback of your exes when your perfect boyfriend is proposing to you? At least that's the case for Regina Cortez. There's her dramatic high school boyfriend, her first college crush, the irresistible heart breaker, and the ever elusive one. By backtracking to her past, will Regina make it to 'I Do'? Or will she just keep running away?

There are those exes who make you question why the heck did you even date them in the first place.

There are those who are so unforgettable that they leave destruction in their wake (aka YOU)

No matter the cause, exes are a constant reminder of our past, even if we so desperately want to forget them. This is why Adele, Taylor Swfit, and Ed Sheeran exist. This is why partying till you drop exist. This is why a makeover exist. Exes. They are one of the topics you and your friends constantly talk about. Exes.

The Boyfriend Backtrack starts with a proposal. Regina is doing well. She has a stable job, a place of her own and a boyfriend. That's what most twenty-somethings wish to have. She and her boyfriend share the same love for photography. Kevin is a nice guy, really, the kind of guy you bring home to Mom and to those horrible family reunions. Sure, he travels a lot but then he would always come home and spend his time with Regina.

When Kevin popped the question, Regina said yes. Just when you think all is right in the world because she uttered that three letter word, well, hold your horses. Regina had flashbacks of her exes. ALL OF THEM. If I were Regina, it's pure torture. I mean, here you are, about to embark on the next chapter of your life and certainly, exes are the least of your concerns.

Most of Regina's exes were jerks...legit jerks. Like, there's Dirk, who wrote a song about Regina and called it "Devil Woman". I mean, really? Then there's Thomas...don't even get me started on that guy because he's such a -- the D-word -- and I swear to God, like, all of my exes are like him. Hah.

It was good fun. Reading The Boyfriend Backtrack was like reading my history of exes, not that they were many okay but the whole thing was pretty bad. It was so real and that's what I love about this book. I also love the relationship between Regina and her two friends, Leslie and Jules. Even if they don't see each other on a daily basis, they are a tight knit group of girls.

But there is one ex that Regina never had. Chase Sevilla. How do I begin to explain just how perfectly lovable Chase Sevilla is? *dreamy sigh* He's a dreamboat. I swear. I just...ugh. Why can't he be real? I have no idea. Technically, they didn't "date". But they kissed once. No, wait, twice. All of a sudden, both of them fell off of the face of the earth after that.

The Boyfriend Backtrack will make you want to rethink your relationship choices, both old and new. It will make you want to go out with your girlfriends or guy friends and have a drink and talk about how fate, love, and all those things are so fickle. I'd like to think that exes, even if thinking about them annoys us, makes us a better person, one way or another.

Dawn Lanuza started writing stories when she was just a kid (they weren’t good or even finished). She works for the music industry by day and writes meet cutes and snappy comebacks by night. ‘The Boyfriend Backtrack’ is her first book. She currently lives with her family and an adopted dog.

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Wicked Review: Savor by Kate Evangelista

Published: September 2015

Publisher: Spark Books

Series: Vicious Feast #1

Acquired: Paperback

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 Mature and explicit content. Not recommended for readers below 18-years-old. Yup, you've got to be that old to read my story. Consider yourself warned.

I’m Dakota Collins, a tough talking, eye patch wearing, workaholic photography student. Why am I important? Well, maybe because I get to spend an entire month with Vicious, only the sickest indie rock band out there.

You see, I needed a subject for my Spring Showcase introspective in order to graduate. During a chance encounter at a club I’d been sent to cover for the Daily Gossip, our ironically named college paper, the features writer I usually teamed up with introduced me to the band—by accident, I might add. It involved a run in with a scary, bald bodyguard. Anyway, long story short, I signed a contract to take pictures of Vicious.

I should have known their handsome, yet way too serious for his own good bassist, Luka Visraya, wouldn't be able to keep his hands to himself. He’s gorgeous and all, but the way he smiles spells trouble with a capital L. I’m in for a long month with him around.

Crazy shit happens and then some. So, if you want the skinny on Vicious and the events revolving around my stay at Lunar Manor, read my story.

Again, refer to the warning above.

Yup, my emotions. I don't even know where it went. I have a strong feeling the lovely Kate Evangelista has it. She probably had it while she was writing Book 2 of this series. I don't know. Or maybe it was with Luka Visraya the whole time. Normally, I would be angry. But not today. To hell with my emotions. I don't want them! (Kidding!) 

We have Dakota Collins who is a photographer. She's proud of her work and her skills even if the whole world doesn't know her yet. She just hasn't found the right subject for her project until she stumbles inside Sacrifice where the hot indie rock band, Vicious, is playing.

I wish that Vicious was a real band. I mean, the way Kate Evangelista wrote how Vicious is as a band, I had a hard time picturing in my head how the band sounded like. It was unique. Vicious has four members: Phoenix, the vocalist, Dray, the drummer, Demitiri, the guitarist, and Luka, the hottest bassist I have ever read in my entire life. Okay that was way out of hand.

I mean, blonde hair, blue eyes, with a piercing on his brow, and that sexy stare. He's a walking sex god basically. You get the picture.

Things fall into place when the band agrees to be Dakota's subject for her project. In return, she has to live with the band in the mysterious Lunar Manor. Lunar Manor is where the band lives, records their music, and makes their music. It belongs to Luka's family. The way it was written on the book was, well, quite ludicrous really. Dakota had her own quarter. Not a room. A FREAKING QUARTER.

Said quarter is a few steps away from said hot bassist.

As Dakota goes along with her project, saving Luka as the last, she can't help but be drawn to the bassist. She enjoyed her time at the manor. The days trickled into weeks and she had befriended the members of the band. She has gotten to know them better than any of their fans. She knew their strengths and weaknesses. Or at least, that's how Kate Evangelista wants me to think because I know there are some things about the characters that isn't completely out there yet. Hence, book 2.

It's beautiful, enchanting, sexy as hell, mysterious, and perfect. I have never read something like this in my life. You have to read this. (When you fall in love with Luka Visraya, which of course you would, hit me up on Twitter! Or comment below. You know where to find me.)

When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department and never looked back. Today, she is a graduate of De La Salle University - Manila with a Bachelor of Arts in Literature. She taught high school English for three years and was an essay consultant for two. Currently she writes full-time and is based in the Philippines.

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