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Book Review: “The Names They Gave Us” by Emery Lord

Title: The Names They Gave Us 

Author: Emery Lord

Published: June 1st, 2017

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Find the Author: Goodreads 


I received this book for review on my blog! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

From acclaimed author Emery Lord comes a vibrant, compelling story of love, loss, faith, and friendship.

Lucy Hansson was ready for a perfect summer with her boyfriend, working at her childhood Bible camp on the lake. But when her mom’s cancer reappears, Lucy falters—in faith, in love, and in her ability to cope. When her boyfriend “pauses” their relationship and her summer job switches to a different camp—one for troubled kids—Lucy isn’t sure how much more she can handle. Attempting to accept a new normal, Lucy slowly regains footing among her vibrant, diverse coworkers, Sundays with her mom, and a crush on a fellow counselor. But when long-hidden family secrets emerge, can Lucy set aside her problems and discover what grace really means?

Emotionally-charged and unforgettable, Emery Lord’s storytelling shines with the promise of new love and true friendship, even in the face of life’s biggest challenges.

First Thoughts

When this arrived, I can quite easily say I FLIPPED and hugged it. Everyone who reads PLM knows how much I adore YA, but more importantly, when Emery contributes to it with her amazing characters and flawless world-building. The premise for The Names They Gave Us sounds like it’s going to make me smile/cry/repeat and it went to the top of my TBR so fast.

Review

I have never started a review with my rating for it (not that I can ever remember going back to 2012 when I started my blog) but right here? We have the biggest FIVE star book I’ve read this year, hands down, swear on all my bookshelves. I was expecting greatness (it’s an Emery Lord book, obviously) but this is just some kind of magic. Let me tell you why: Lucy is just like us. What I’m trying to say is that she feels real, like she’s my best friend or someone I went to school with. I felt for her with personal empathy for the things she was going through with her Mother’s cancer, and for the unwinding spiral of her life as she tried to maintain some kind of control over it.

The Names They Gave Us isn’t all about cancer, despite Lucy’s story being intertwined with it, or about Religion despite Lucy being a firm believer in God. In fact, because of Lucy’s Mom being sick, she decides that for once, it’s okay to not follow the lines of her religious beliefs and to let herself be Lucy; opening herself up to things that she previously wouldn’t have done, namely because the Summer Camp job she has switches to a different kind and it makes her sceptical about what this Summer will bring, along with the fact that her boyfriend just paused their relationship (how dare he!). But then, she meets the characters that truly shape this book for the better: a diverse, amazing, beautiful array of people that as secondary characters, light up the pages with their own radiant spotlight. 

I just CAN’T explain how much this book affected me. It’s heartbreaking, raw, true and beautifully messy and I thoroughly loved Lucy’s strikingly honest POV and how much she trusted her faith. Overall, The Names They Gave Us is a YA Book unlike any other (I know, it’s a cliche to say that, but it’s so, so true) and Emery has truly outdone herself with her latest novel! I’m always amazed at how much her writing can make me laugh and cry at the same time at these characters that you just want to hug and be friends with. This can’t get a higher five stars from me.

Rating

Have you read The Names They Gave Us?


What did you think?


Let me know in the comments or at @LittleMemoirs on twitter! 


happy reading!

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🎡 Review: Whisper To Me by Nick Lake 🎡

Title: Whisper To Me 

Author: Nick Lake

Published: May 3rd, 2016

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Find the Author: Goodreads | Twitter

Reviews also by this Author: There Will Be Lies

I received this book for review! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

A remarkable story of strange beauty and self-discovery from Printz Award winner Nick Lake

Cassie is writing a letter to the boy whose heart she broke. She’s trying to explain why. Why she pushed him away. Why her father got so angry when he saw them together. Why she disappears some nights. Why she won’t let herself remember what happened that long-ago night on the boardwalk. Why she fell apart so completely.

Desperate for his forgiveness, she’s telling the whole story of the summer she nearly lost herself. She’s hoping he’ll understand as well as she now does how love—love for your family, love for that person who makes your heart beat faster, and love for yourself—can save you after all.

When I read There Will Be Lies last year, it was a clear hit for me. So when I saw the twist of a new kind of novel from Nick, I was excited to see what was inside this Ferris Wheel picturesque masterpiece cover.

After reading Under Rose Tainted Skies, a whole new world of YA Fiction was opened up in my eyes. It was so refreshing to see mental illness and real life issues in the Young Adult community, so when I started reading Whisper to Me, and realised Cassie also suffered these issues, I was enthralled to see if it would be acted out realistically and true to life. 
Cassie, our main character, hears voices. But it’s not like the voice that we sometimes hear, like our inner voice, but another. A voice that tells Cassie things. The book is written like a letter, one that Cassie is writing to the boy who’s heart she broke, but it’s hard to explain to him just why everything happened did. She can’t find the right words to explain why she had to hold him at arm’s length. The writing is honest, thought provoking and lively.
Cassie is this multidimensional character with this huge heart. She’s embarrassed about the voices she hears so sincerely, giving her some real life down-to-earth aspects. Her voice made me laugh, then cry, and root for her so much. Her Dad is extremely protective of her, coming across as more abrasive than most, but he cares a lot for Cassie and wants to shield her. Paris, on the other hand, took Cassie under her wing. Their friendship was out there, but in a good way. They had a quirky sense of friendship, even though they both at times felt broken and not normal, but together they found a new kind of normal. Through the letter, explaining whys and whens and things that she is sorry for and why she broke the boy’s heart were heart-wrenching. Everything in her life comes into play with her words to the boy, all leading her to the dark parts of her life. She wants to change things, she wants to say things to him and apologise for something she has done, that ultimately makes her doubt herself.
Overall, if Whisper To Me were the weather, it would be a dark sky with the brightness of stars radiating goodness through the blackness, meaning that though Cassie’s story might be dark at times, she had goodness in her life. Five stars, of course. 

Everyone.

Have you read Whisper To Me?


What did you think?


Let me know in the comments or at @LittleMemoirs on twitter!


happy reading!

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Book Review: “I Was Here” by Gayle Forman

*May contain spoilers*

Title: I Was Here

Author: Gayle Forman

Published: Janurary 29th, 2015

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

Find the Author: Goodreads


I bought this book myself. As always, my reviews are fair and un-bias.



From the bestselling author of If I Stay – this summer’s YA blockbuster film.

This characteristically powerful novel follows eighteen-year-old Cody Reynolds in the months following her best friend’s shocking suicide.

As Cody numbly searches for answers as to why Meg took her own life, she begins a journey of self-discovery which takes her to a terrifying precipice, and forces her to question not only her relationship with the Meg she thought she knew, but her own understanding of life, love, death and forgiveness.

A phenomenally moving story, I Was Here explores the sadly all-too-familiar issue of suicide and self-harm, addressing it in an authentic way with sensitivity and honesty.

Cody has just lost her best friend Meg, to suicide. She found out in an email, detailing the vague reasons why and how it isn’t her fault. But that’s all Cody can think – is this her fault? Did she push Meg away when they went separate ways in life? How did she not know Meg was suicidal? A thousand questions rush around in Cody’s head as she tries her best to comprehend a world without her best friend, this piece of the puzzle that makes up who she is. Now it’s gone, there’s this emptiness like a hole in who she is now. That’s why she searches for answers, knowing this can’t just be a straightforward thing. 
With the help of Meg’s roommates at college, Cody learns more about Meg than she even thought possible. How desperate she was to end her life and how very little she actually knew about her best friend. I was enthralled by the determination that Cody had in finding out the reasons why and if anyone had known about how Meg felt. She had a courageous spirit, not just getting answers about Meg but about discovering who she was herself – how love came into the equation – and how to understand the cards that life had dealt her. 
Gayle Forman is one of those authors who just knows exactly what to write, how to give us the feeling that we’re reading something that isn’t a work of fiction, but real life. For the characters in I Was Here, that is the case. 
Many people lose friends, family and people they know, to suicide. The journey that Cody took was a brave one, to try and get justice for her best friend; Meg. She learnt more about the friend she thought she knew so well, and even found a piece of herself she lost along the way. She learnt strength, forgiveness and how unexpected life can be at throwing us a curve-ball of disastrous chaos. 
I Was Here moved me, changed me and opened up a world behind closed doors that I hadn’t really read a lot about. It made me question my own life and how sacred and precious our family and friends are to us, and how we treat people and assume things that we know about them. And most of all, just how unpredictable life can truly be, how we have the power to help people who were like Meg, if we just opened our eyes more to the possibilities of knowing not everyone is doing okay. That sometimes, everyone needs help. 
A five star novel that was compelling, tragic and powerful, one I know I will never forget. Reading this will change you, too. It’s a novel you can’t miss out on.

You. 

 What did you think of I Was Here?

Did you think reading it changed you too?

Let me know in the comments!

happy reading!
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Book Review: “We Were Liars” by E. Lockhart

Title: We Were Liars

Author: E. Lockhart

Published: May 13th, 2014

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Find the Author: Goodreads


I bought this myself and is in no way affiliated with any publisher. As always, my reviews are fair and un-bias.



A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.
We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.
Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

Let me start off by saying that We Were Liars was one of the best books I read last year and probably one of the best I’ve ever read. It took me a while to get the words of just exactly how I felt before I could contemplate understanding the book itself. Anyone who’s read We Were Liars will know it’s one of those rare gems that just knock you off your feet in amazement – from the plot to the characters to the gorgeous setting – it was an all around spectacular that still has me in a little daze. 

Candace Sinclair Eastman is the narrator of the book. Every summer, she vacations to Beechwood, a private island that her Granddad owns. Her Aunts and Cousins all stay there, the whole summer a cool breeze of friendship, fun and times without a care. Candace’s family is rich to say the least, so each Aunt – daughters of Candace’s Grandfather – had their own house on Beechwood. Mirren, Johnny, Gat and Candace called themselves the liars, a theme that fitted each moment I witnessed how beautifully broken their friendship truly was. Gat was the only liar not related to Candace, the nephew of her Aunt Carrie’s boyfriend, which added the twisted, cracked and sweet love story that weaved it’s way into the novel. 

It’s true what everyone is saying – you’ll never guess how We Were Liars will end, no matter how you pick apart the chapters. The twist is brilliant and genius, and I’m pretty sure every other want-to-be writer out there wishes they had written this – just like I wish. Even as the summers pass between the chapters, the characters still drift from exciting to suspicious to broken and subsequently the story unfolds into something bigger than ever. We Were Liars never failed to keep my attention fixed on it’s wonderment and beautifully tragic ways. It’s hard to say much about the novel without giving away the twists and secrets you’ll so desperately want to keep to yourself and like E. Lockhart wrote in my signed copy my sister got me for Christmas (thank you, Sophie!), please lie about this book. So I’ll keep it short and sweet – mystery and alluringly fractured characters spin our simple summertime memories into something worth lying about and lying for. 

Five stars will never be enough. 

EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS.

 What did you think of We Were Liars?

Did you think it was one of the best books of 2014?

Let me know in the comments!

Happy Reading!
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Blog Tour: “Perfect Couple” by Jennifer Echols (+Giveaway)

 *NO SPOILERS REVIEW*


Title: Perfect Couple (The Superlatives #2)

Author: Jennifer Echols

Release date: January 13th 2015
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Purchase: Amazon


I received this for review from Simon Pulse for review/blog tour. As always, my reviews are fair and un-bias.


Synopsis via Goodreads:
In this second book in The Superlatives trilogy from Endless Summer author Jennifer Echols, Harper and Brody think they’re an unlikely match, but the senior class says they belong together.

As yearbook photographer, Harper is responsible for those candid moments that make high school memorable. But her own life is anything but picture perfect. Her parents’ bitter divorce left her wondering what a loving relationship looks like. And ever since the senior class voted her and star quarterback Brody ‘Perfect Couple That Never Was’, her friends have been pushing her to ask Brody out.

Brody doesn’t lack female admirers, but Harper can’t see herself with him. He’s confused about the match too. Yet they find themselves drawn together; first by curiosity about why the class paired them, then by an undeniable bond.

The trouble is, though they’re attracted to each other, they have a hard time getting along or even communicating well. If they’re the perfect couple, this shouldn’t be so difficult! Soon it becomes clear their class was wrong, and they throw in the towel. But they feel so changed from making the effort, they can’t forget each other. What if this match made in hell is the perfect couple after all?


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jennifer Echols was born in Atlanta and grew up in a small town on a beautiful lake in Alabama—a setting that has inspired many of her books. She has written nine romantic novels for young adults, including the comedy MAJOR CRUSH, which won the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the drama GOING TOO FAR, which was a finalist in the RITA, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Book Buyer’s Best, and was nominated by the American Library Association as a Best Book for Young Adults. Simon & Schuster will debut her adult romance novels in 2013, with many more teen novels scheduled for the next few years. She lives in Birmingham with her husband and her son.

Jennifer Echols is one of the best YA Contemporary Authors out there, and if you’ve picked up just one of her novels, you would know that straight from the start. Her mix of humor, romance and capturing the drama and realistic aspects of life in High School are just a few of the things that make me love the Superlatives series in particular. 
The second book in the Superlatives series is Perfect Couple, which is my favourite so far. Harper is yearbook photographer and it’s her job to capture the memories of the times that everyone will one day look back on. She’s great at that, except her life is anything as perfect as the pictures she takes. Her parents divorce have left her at a loss for any relationship in her own life even though the senior class voted her and Brody, the quarterback, “The Perfect Couple That Never Was”. Harper can’t see herself with him, even though her friends pester her to ask him out. 
Although Brody is startled as to why they were deemed a “Perfect Couple” too. They’re opposites, and have nothing in common. Except being labelled as the Perfect Couple That Never Was, that is. And that’s what ignites the fire between them, the hesitation over their senior class giving them this label, and then, they discover that maybe they’re not as far apart as they thought. But even the “Perfect Couple” get lost along the way and Harper and Brody do before long. Still, they can’t seem to forget each other no matter what’s happening in their lives. Almost like a magnetic pull, they can’t seem to stay away from each other in thoughts or in person. 
Perfect Couple was everything I expected it to be. Dramatic, realistic and utterly flawless. Jennifer never fails to deliver a romance that swoons, surprises and lights up like fireworks on the pages. Anything less than five-stars would be criminal. 

Perfect Couple is perfect for YOU.

Check out the other tour stops for Jennifer here. 


Favourite Quotes

But if the purpose of a picture was to capture the memory of a moment, I didn’t need one. I would carry this feeling in my heart forever. For once I honestly didn’t care how this looked. I put my hand on his wet hair and kissed him back.


“Because he’s a local celebrity and I’m not?” 

“No, because he broke his leg in sixth grade, trying to jump a palmetto grove in his go-cart.” 

“I see your point.”


“Then you get elected Perfect Couple, and you realize that other people see you as something more than a walking, talking brain. Or, something different. That’s how I felt when I was voted Biggest Flirt. I mean, hello? I was so worried about what my parents would think.”


“Ah-ha,” he said. “See? You don’t know. You think you prefer to work alone because you’ve never had a good-looking guy to carry all your camera equipment.”

 “It’s a tripod and one small bag,” I said. “You just want to grovel to me all afternoon and talk me out of being mad.”

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What’s your perfect couple in literature?


Have you read Perfect Couple?


Let me know in the comments!


happy reading!

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Blog Tour: “Diamonds In The Rough” (The Secret Diamond Sisters #2) by Michelle Madow

I’m beyond excited to welcome Michelle to my blog today and that I got to ask her the question I’ve been dying to know, and get to read the incredible addition to the Diamond Sisters series! 

Title: Diamonds In The Rough (The Secret Diamond Sisters #2)

Author: Michelle Madow
Genre: Young Adult – Contemporary 
Release Date: October 28th, 2014
Published by: Harlequin Teen

Get a Copy:  Amazon | B&N | IndieBound| Book Depository



★ I received this from Kismet Book Touring in exchange for an honest review as part of a blog tour. As always, my reviews are fair and non-bias. ★ 

All-access doesn’t mean no problems.

 The three Diamond sisters survived the summer in style after coming to live with their long-lost billionaire father. But making a place for themselves at their exclusive new Las Vegas private school is throwing them any number of gold-plated curves. Savannah’s YouTube stardom turns into a Sweet Sixteen reality show extravaganza—with complimentary enemies on the side. Dangerous flirtations don’t keep Peyton from a gamble that will risk far more than she planned to bet. And when Courtney and the sisters’ archenemy, Madison, uncover two explosive secrets, it will rock even this town of glittering illusion—and turn their lives upside down all over again.

 Sisterhood, first crushes, and scandalous secrets explode in book two of Michelle Madow’s riveting series, The Secret Diamond Sisters.

I love, love, loved the first book in the Diamond Sisters series, so it’s no surprise that I was over the moon to get to read Diamonds In The Rough early. And Michelle is such an amazing writer, I knew I’d get hooked in right away. 

This is a Spoiler Free review!
If I loved The Secret Diamond Sisters, then they’ll need to invent a new word for how much I adored Diamonds In The Rough. The drama, romance and secrets that broke at the seams were bound to win my book-loving heart and they did completely. 
In the second book, I loved the characters more than ever. With four different POV’s, it wasn’t a problem to keep myself hooked to the plot, with Michelle’s amazing way of giving each person their own recognizable way of acting and talking. My favourite character has always been Peyton, but slowly, Courtney was creeping in to stealing the top spot. Although Madison’s feisty characteristics and ways of spilling the Diamond Sisters’ secrets made her their enemy, she is still one of my favourite “enemies” from any series I’ve read. And I could just picture Savannah singing and winning over hearts with her gorgeous voice. That’s the thing I love about Michelle’s writing, that the story comes to life within my mind and it’s no longer just words, but an actual story. 
Las Vegas is one of my want-to-go places and in Diamonds In The Rough, it’s only encouraged that more. The bright, lively and extraordinary sights were in my mind the whole time I was reading (and peaking at the gorgeous cover art!). 
Overall, this series is clearly not to be missed. With unique, vibrant and compelling characters, there has to be a place on your shelf for the Diamond Sisters. Michelle created a world where three sisters lives had been turned upside down by finding out that their long-lost father is a billionaire, and the mayhem doesn’t even end there – it’s just beginning! Fabulous, daring and charming, Diamonds In The Rough is a five-star read that I’ll be telling anyone who will listen to read. 

 ALL OF IT.

Book-lovers of Young Adult Contemporary novels!


How it all started:


About The Secret Diamond Sisters
Goodreads 

Get a Copy: Amazon | B&N | BAM | Book Depository


Savannah. Courtney. Peyton.
The three sisters grew up not knowing their father and not quite catching a break. But it looks like their luck is about to change when they find out the secret identity of their long-lost dad—a billionaire Las Vegas hotel owner who wants them to come live in a gorgeous penthouse hotel suite. Suddenly the Strip’s most exclusive clubs are all-access, and with an unlimited credit card each, it should be easier than ever to fit right in. But in a town full of secrets and illusion, fitting in is nothing compared to finding out the truth about their past.


A Talk With Michelle


• If the books were turned into a movie/tv show, who would be your ideal cast?
I think The Secret Diamond Sisters would make an amazing television show, since the series is so character focused, and because Las Vegas is so beautiful on screen! Here’s a list of my ideal cast:
Savannah Diamond: For Savannah, I see Danielle Bradbery. She has Savannah’s petite features, and since she won The Voice, I know she has Savannah’s singing voice! I’m not sure if she’s an actress, but she looks exactly like Savannah. Another actress who I think would be a perfect Savannah is Peyton List.
Courtney Diamond: Alexandria Deberry is my first choice for Courtney Diamond. She has Courtney’s sweet look, and long blonde, wavy hair. She just looks so nice in her pictures, and I can see her in the role perfectly. I can also see Ashley Bensen, from Pretty Little Liars!
Peyton Diamond: Tracy Spiridakos is my top choice for Peyton. She has Peyton’s high cheekbones, and tough attitude. Add a few blue streaks, and she’s perfect! Carlson Young would also be a good choice.
Madison Lockhart: Nina Dobrev is my perfect Madison! She has the long dark hair — all she would need is blue contacts. Plus, she’s an excellent actress, as proven by how she plays both Elena and Katherine on Vampire Diaries.
Oliver Prescott: Cody Christian (who plays Aria’s brother in Pretty Little Liars) is perfect for Oliver! Dark hair, and he totally has that confident player vibe about him. A young Sean Harris would also work.
Brett Carmel: I’ve pictured Steven R. McQueen as Brett since the first draft of the book! He has that intense, artsy, brooding thing about him — but it looks like he can also be super sweet and loyal to the people he cares about.
Damien Sanders: Robbie Amell is exactly how I pictured Damien! Dark hair, dark eyes, and built from going to the gym often. He’s not a teen anymore, but I also always imagined Damien as looking the most mature for his age.
Nick Gordon: Nick is the hardest for me to cast, because I’ve always had a perfect image of him in my mind — blonde curly hair, blue eyes that sparkle when he smiles, round face, and just a very all-American look. The closest I’ve found so far is Jeremy Sumpter.
Adrian Diamond: Peter Facinelli. Yes, I know he’s Carlisle from Twilight. But I’ve always seen him as Adrian!
Rebecca Carmel: Charisma Carpenter would be a great Rebecca! She’s dressed a little more scandalously in most of her photos than how Rebecca would dress, but she still has the right look.

Michelle Madow wrote her first novel, Remembrance, in her junior year of college. Remembrance is the first book in the Transcend Time Saga, a three part series about reincarnation and true love that Michelle successfully self-published. The series was inspired by Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” music video. Michelle’s upcoming YA trilogy, The Secret Diamond Sisters, about three sisters who discover they are the secret heirs to a Las Vegas billionaire casino owner will be published by Harlequin TEEN in Spring 2014.
Michelle graduated from Rollins College in 2010, cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and the International English Honor Society Sigma Tau Delta. She received the Charles Hyde Pratt Award for Excellence in Creative Writing in 2010.

She lives in Boca Raton, Florida, where she is writing more novels for young adults. She loves reading, spending time with family and friends, traveling, shopping, sunshine, Disney fairy tales, Broadway musicals, and spends way too much time on Facebook and Twitter (@MichelleMadow).

Each tour stop is offering up a copy of either THE SECRET DIAMONDS SISTERS or DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH, and one winner will receive a fantastic grand prize package including the following Harlequin Teen titles: THE SECRET DIAMOND SISTERS, DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH, LET’S GET LOST by Adi Alsaid, CRASH INTO YOU by Katie McGarry and THE BREAKUP ARTIST by Philip Siegel. 


Please enter via the Rafflecopter form. Giveaway is open to US/Canada.

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Tour Schedule

Monday, October 20th – Bumbles and Fairy Tales – Guest Post
Wednesday, October 22nd – Harlequin Blog – Guest Post
Friday, October 24th – DanaSquare – Character Interview

Monday, October 27th – Bookish – Guest Post
Wednesday, October 29th – Pretty Little Memoirs – Guest Post
Friday, October 31st – Eater of Books – Author Interview

Have you read The Secret Diamond Sisters or Diamonds In The Rough?

What did you think?


Tell me in the comments, on twitter or by using the hashtag #DiamondSisters

 

happy reading! 

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Book Review: “Zac & Mia” by A. J. Betts

Title: Zac & Mia

Author: A. J. Betts
Genre: Young Adult – Contemporary 
Release Date: July 24th, 2014
Published by: Text Publishing


I received this from Text Publishing in exchange for an honest review. As always, my reviews are fair and non-bias. 

Winner of the 2012 Australian Text Prize
“When I was little I believed in Jesus and Santa, spontaneous combustion, and the Loch Ness monster. 
Now I believe in science, statistics, and antibiotics.” So says seventeen-year-old Zac Meier during a long, grueling leukemia treatment in Perth, Australia. A loud blast of Lady Gaga alerts him to the presence of Mia, the angry, not-at-all-stoic cancer patient in the room next door. 
Once released, the two near-strangers can’t forget each other, even as they desperately try to resume normal lives. The story of their mysterious connection drives this unflinchingly tough, tender novel told in two voices.

From the synopsis, Zac & Mia looked like the perfect book to make a reader feel something when they’re enveloped in the topics it covered within Zac and Mia’s relationship, so I was looking forward to getting wrapped up in their story.


Straight away, I got that The Fault In Our Stars vibe. It wasn’t a bad thing, it was actually reassuring that there was a book that crossed the similar topics that I already knew I loved, so Zac & Mia’s story felt that little bit extra personal to me. 
Our main characters; Zac and Mia, are quite unalike. I felt Zac was more understandable and likeable, and although I liked parts of Mia’s personality, she had an edge to her character that kept me from getting to know her completely. Zac and Mia meet in hospital, where they’re both cooped up. Zac is in the middle of cancer treatment when he meets the girl who moves into the room next door to him. 
Their bond is undeniably strong from the start – their differences don’t matter when they’re in this new friendship that Mia at first wasn’t sure she wanted to be in. But Zac, being the witty and charasmatic character he was, was her friend no matter what they were individually going through.
Zac & Mia’s tale is full of comedic lines, moments to tug on heartstrings and a plot that kept me hooked. It was fascinating, and I could tell that A. J. Betts had researched everything down to the small details. The friendship that she created was beautiful and it really stood out as the highlight of the novel. Even though romance wasn’t the sole focus, their bond was instead, and I think that was sweet and totally not forced like some relationships can be. The character development of Mia and Zac was gradual and I really feel like A. J. Betts did their story justice by the end. Although I would’ve loved to see Mia’s character open up a little more and we see beneath that edge of hers, I believe that Zac & Mia’s story was an inspiring, compelling novel of a true friendship. 


Zac’s moments, definitely. He was that kind of character that you can’t help but laugh with and understand. 

YA Contemporary readers for fans of books that tug on your heartstrings.

Have you read Zac & Mia?


What did you think?


Tell me in the comments, on twitter or by using the hashtag #ZacAndMia


happy reading!

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