Review: On the Plus Side by Sabrina Morgan

 

I read this book as an advanced reader copy from Reedsy Discovery.

Annabeth Miller moves to a new school with her brothers following the death of her parents. She's a bigger girl, used to the bullying that fat people face in our society. She doesn't expect anything different at this new school and although she makes a few friends right away, the popular bad boy decides to make her life more difficult by mocking her. The only thing is, Luke Ryder has feelings for this girl deep down, but he's the popular bad boy used to dating thin cheerleaders. He has a reputation to uphold and he can't be caught crushing on a fat girl. Despite his efforts to resist her, he finds himself becoming more and more interested in Anna. Eventually, he has no choice but to admit he finds her attractive and make an effort to redeem himself to her. Luke and Anna have their fair share of secrets that further complicate their blossoming attraction.

I love the found family aspect of this book. The characters really do care about each other which is such a comfort. Anna is realistic, she admits her insecurities about her body, but she never says she wishes she wasn't fat which is a refreshing view on fatness. I do wish that Anna's body wasn't such a huge focus in the book as I worry about the impact it could have on readers' body image. The romantic tension in the book is built up perfectly. The book reads a lot like a teenage movie: romance, drama, action, friendship, shenanigans, etc. It was overall a pretty fun read. The only things I didn't enjoy were the use of the word "females" to refer to women repeatedly and how quickly some things happened in the book. The "females" usage just felt a little sexist to me and I know other readers can find the term somewhat uncomfortable/offensive. However, it didn't overshadow the book itself. As far as some things happening fast, the love story is built up very nicely but some of the side plots happen very quickly so they might be confusing or random. However, I think everything tied together nicely in the end.

I think that anyone looking for a high school romance that reads like a good romance movie will enjoy this book. It was an overall fun read despite the sad and sometimes dark aspects of the story. I will warn readers there is fatphobia, attempted rape, physical violence, and murder in this book. (For more content warnings, go to StoryGraph, although as of now, the warnings have only been added by me). These things go along with the nature of Anna being a fat woman and Luke's involvement in semi-illegal stuff so it doesn't really spoil anything and it's good for readers to be prepared. Overall, I enjoyed the book and recommend it to those looking for a fun, cheesy romance novel.

As always, happy reading.

Review: The Princess and the Scoundrel by Beth Revis

 

Here's another book my boyfriend and I read together. He's a big fan of the Star Wars books and I am obsessed with the books about Padme. I grew up watching Star Wars as a little girl, so the stories have always held a special place in my heart. Let me say this first, if you and your partner are readers, I highly recommend reading books together. There's just something really nice about enjoying the same story. We don't always have to be in the same room when we're reading it, but it's nice to hear each other's thoughts on what is happening later on. (I did also learn that my boyfriend reads slightly faster than me. My competitive side is a little hurt by this.) 

The Princess and the Scoundrel is about Han Solo and Princess Leia. The two get married at the beginning of the book (the descriptions seem so lovely) and then embark on a honeymoon cruise. It's interesting to see Han and Leia's relationship dynamic in a more in-depth view than portrayed in the movies. I was always somewhat skeptical about their relationship, they're both so headstrong, and I was even at the beginning of the book, but there's a lot of growth. I liked watching the two of them learn how to function as a part of a couple (although it's probably best to do that before getting married). 

The descriptions of the settings in this book are absolutely breathtaking. I loved reading about the ship, the Ewok village, and the ice planet they visit. Also, for those who are concerned about a Star Wars romance book, worry not, it's Han and Leia, of course, there's going to be action. I highly recommend checking this book out if you like Star Wars and want to see a closer look at Han and Leia's relationship. It was a pretty fun read. For those of you wondering, my boyfriend enjoyed the book as well. He gave it a five out of five and texted me plenty of times about how sweet Han is to Leia. 

I would say the content warnings for this book are pretty minimal. There's war, mentions of death, kissing, and sexual implications (most likely someone under 14 would not be able to tell what was happening). As always, I suggest checking StoryGraph although the warnings there are limited as well. 

Happy reading and I hop you're enjoying the fall. 

Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Narrated by Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne

 

There's a lot that could be said about this book. It is about a man whose wife mysteriously disappears under somewhat suspicious circumstances on their fifth wedding anniversary. This man, Nick Dunne, is not a likable character. I found myself pretty quickly hating him and hoping he got arrested for his wife's possible murder even if he hadn't done it. He is a snob, a horrible husband, and a horrible man in general. And to be completely honest, I think he might've killed his wife himself if she hadn't disappeared. He's a horrible misogynist even if he claims that it's only towards his wife, which it is not. He feels an absurd amount of rage for literally any woman who does anything that upsets him. He is not a character that you want to root for.

Then there's the wife, Amy, whose perspective you also see, in the form of diary entries. I felt bad for her somewhat, but she was also pretty terrible. A snobby, conceited rich girl who thought she was better than every other woman and "not like other girls" in the worst way. I couldn't make myself hope she was okay. I kept reading about them and thinking, wow, they're horrible, they deserve bad things, do I really want to read this book? 

I kept listening to the audiobook though despite thinking it was maybe awful and maybe I shouldn't read it. As awful as Nick and Amy were, I found the story interesting. The mystery was complex, Amy was incredibly smart, and I really wanted to see bad stuff happen to Nick. That's probably not the best reason to keep reading a book, but oh well. It was a long one too, the audiobook is nearly 20 hours long. 

I can't go too much into detail to avoid spoiling it for those who haven't read it. It's a wild ride though. Nick is called by a neighbor and told that his front door is open on the day of his fifth wedding anniversary to Amy. When he comes home to investigate, he finds his wife gone and what looks like a crime scene in his house. The police and his inlaws and the world are originally on his side, but as more evidence appears and there seem to be no other suspects, Nick is the one to blame. While this is unfolding, Nick is going on the scavenger hunt his wife makes him every year for his anniversary and finds himself falling back in love with Amy. As the story unfolds, pieces of their relationship are revealed showing that things were not well for the Dunnes. The twists in this book are completely unexpected and fascinating. 

If you're looking for a book to keep you on your toes, I highly recommend checking this one out, just be prepared to hate Nick and Amy. The narrators in the audiobook also did an excellent job. They change their voices when reading the dialogue of other characters, show the emotions of the character they are (either Nick or Amy), and really added to the story. If you like audiobooks, this would be a good one to check out. 

Due to the nature of this book, there are a lot of content warnings to be aware of, some of which may be spoilers. I will list a few and point you to StoryGraph for a more robust list of warnings provided by readers. Some content warnings include murder, dementia, cancer, alcoholism, death, mentions of abuse, and more. 

As always, happy reading, and I'll see you soon with more reviews. 

Review: The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond

 

This book is so good. It has the perfect vibes for the spooky season and comes out on October 4th. It is a young adult novel about twin sisters who can interact with the spirit world. These sisters work for a traveling mediums show where they pretend to use skills as mediums without using their existing skills. The story follows Edie who can enter the spirit world. Her sister, Violet, can channel spirits into herself. While Violet is channeling a spirit for one of her clients, something unexpected happens and Edie is forced to enter the spirit world to help. What she finds brings her back to her mother's demise and she makes a choice not to share it with her sister. She has to embark on a journey to solve this problem on her own. Only a pesky journalist named Laws keeps inserting himself into her work. 

The atmosphere of this book was perfect for the story. The 1880s Sacramento, California, home to many different mediums with the rise of women being thrown into asylums for mediomania (I'm definitely not spelling that right). The sisterly love, the relationships between women, and the showing of the hustle of women is just so interesting. I absolutely loved this book. I love mediums, seances, and anything to do with the spirit world (although you will not see me actually doing any of these things, I have zero desire to be haunted). I love books where the relationships between women are vital to the story. 

If you're looking for a good read for the Halloween season if you like spooky stories and seeing the friendships between women. If you like a love story that doesn't overpower the central message and the character's goals, I highly recommend reading this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and honestly, it was a pretty quick read. It does come out on the 4th of October which is this Tuesday, so be sure to check it out. 

This book does have some minor content warnings. There is discussion of asylums, although I would say in a more tasteful way. There is discussion of death, murder, blood, gore, etc. As always I recommend StoryGraph for a full list of possible content warnings as noted by the reader. 

Happy reading and see you soon!