The Accidentals is the emotionally poignant story of seventeen year old Rachel Kress, and the upheaval of her life after her moth
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★5 STARS★
The Accidentals is the emotionally poignant story of seventeen year old Rachel Kress, and the upheaval of her life after her mothers tragic passing.
Although her father has been absent throughout her life, she’s never been in any doubt of who he is. The “he" in question is grammy nominated and multi award winning rock star, Freddy Ricks. His musical presence has been the soundtrack to her childhood, but the reality of his enigma and physical presence strike notes of discord between what she thinks she knows, and the answers she still seeks.
The testament to my instant investment in this story is the result of Sarina’s flawless writing. I was immediately endeared to Rachel and the grace and bravery she exhibited at such an uncertain period in her life. The relationship between father and daughter was seamless yet fraught as they danced around the the painful decisions of the past. I felt her hesitation and curiosity and met them with my own hopeful need for her to have the happy ending she so deserved.
An additional dynamic to the story was the adorable romance between Rachel and her fellow classmate Jake. He’s sweet relief from the heaviness of home and I was grateful it gave her the reprieve to be a kid again.
With perfect pacing and development, The Accidentals is an emotionally sophisticated Young Adult debut from an author i’ve long been in adoration of.
As the result of a tragic accident which killed her elder sister Beth’s parents are overprotective to the point of suffocatio
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★3- 3.5 STARS★
As the result of a tragic accident which killed her elder sister Beth’s parents are overprotective to the point of suffocation. They are intense and afraid, and the way in which it manifests itself only serves to further isolate Beth from them. At times she feels guilty, whether it be the guilt of being alive, or the guilt of being alive but not truly living. She lives her life on rote of her parent’s demands but finds herself lasing out in destructive ways when their demands interfere with her future.
An act of teen rebellion brings with it the most shocking of consequences. Beth finds herself connected to the person who is the source of her families despair. There is plenty of inner angst and turmoil and at times I would have loved to have had a balanced voice within it all. Beth is in a position which should evoke nothing but empathy but admittedly I found myself becoming frustrated with her and those surrounding her. The environment becomes a breeding ground of judgement and I felt disappointed in the behaviours at people who were supposed to set examples, for instance some of the adults and teachers.
By way of characters I found Chase the most likeable. He’s tormented by his mistake but even so his unwavering concern of Beth, and steadfastness made him a worthy hero. He had paid for his transgressions and I felt him truly remorseful, but the repercussions of his actions brought out the ugliness of how carelessly we can sometimes treat each other. Emotionally I felt this message was a huge takeaway from the story, and it serves an appreciative reminder. Although on a whole not all aspects worked; this one small thing that had a lasting impact on me.
Emma Chase goes to the top of the class with her first instalment from the Getting Some series. GETTING SCHOOLED is a top scoring
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★5 STARS★
Emma Chase goes to the top of the class with her first instalment from the Getting Some series. GETTING SCHOOLED is a top scoring second chance romance between high school sweethearts Garrett Daniels and Callaway Carpenter. Although the teenage dream team spilt when it came time to go to college there was nothing childish about the level of devotion they had to one another.
Many years have passed and Garrett has gone from popular quaterback to beloved high school coach. He loves his town and his pupils but it’s the return of Callie that truly brings him a sense of home and peace.
The shock of getting a call to say her parents had been in an accident pales to the force of emotion when she experiences when comes face to Garrett after all this time. She knows she’ll have to settle in town for the forcible future to aid her parents recovery, but what she doesn’t expect is how easy it would be to revert to the life she had before she left.
I adored the ease of this romance. Garrett and Callie were transparent with the resurgence of their feelings and and it made for a highly enjoyable sweet and flirty read. The additional elements of comedy combined with some emotional scenes gave it an edge to it’s otherwise wholesomeness.
If you're looking for an education in the perfect romance read, you really ought to be Getting Schooled.
Comet Caldwell lives a fragile existence. Separated from total loneliness only by her two best friends and her books, she sits on
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★4 STARS★
Comet Caldwell lives a fragile existence. Separated from total loneliness only by her two best friends and her books, she sits on the fringes of total obscruity in school, and at home is dimmed under the brilliance of her artist mother and writer father.
With a name like Comet one would envisage a trailblazer. A loud and outgoing individual whose mantra would be to seize the day. In actual fact Comet is a girl whose teenage insecurities are compounded by the knowledge the friendship she has grown to rely on becomes more tentative by the day, and the “relationship” with her parents has ceased to exist. She’s long come to acknowledge her parents are selfish and self absorbed, but even so, it doesn’t stop the hurt she experiences every time they remind her how little they see her.
If nothing Comet is a girl with a plan. She loses herself in writing her poetry and has big dreams of moving to America for University. School is important to her and the arrival of an new American student in her classes brings disruption in more ways than one.
Tobias King causes a stir of excitement and the handsome American soon has most of the student body vying for his attention. He’s instantly popular and runs with a unsavoury crowd. Begrudging Comet acknowledges he’s a thing of beauty but she's less than impressed by his disruptive antics in class and his blatant displays of self sabotage. It’s mortifying for her to be paired with him for a class project. She’s incredibly intimidated by him but as they spend more time together the lessons of the classroom pale in comparison to the lessons they learn about themselves.
THE FRAGILE ORDINARY is an explorative story of life, love and self realisation. Not only was it an incredibly emotional and inspiring read but also a stark reminder of the the care we need to take with one another. Comet is Heroine in the truest sense of the word, and we should be so lucky to have piece of her in all of us.
Over the years Hudson and Alayna’s relationship,family and business have flourished. But with this brings unwanted attention fro
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★3.5 STARS★
Over the years Hudson and Alayna’s relationship,family and business have flourished. But with this brings unwanted attention from an anonymous source determined to bring them down. Owing to their colourful past there are a whole host of suspects that could be behind the malicious threats they are facing. As expected it causes a strain on the relationship, but it’s the core love and determination I’ve admired from the start sees them through these challenges.
I really enjoyed the nostalgia that came with reading Fixed Forever. Picking up with Hudson and Alayna seven years down the line not only satisfied my curiosity, but gave some insight into characters previously introduced. There was mystery and some frustration, but on a whole I found myself easily seduced back into the world of Hudson and Laynie.
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