Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino

"she was perfect... poetry in motion- the evidence of a life burning well and bright."

I do not say this lightly... This is one of the best contemporary books I've ever read. If you know me, then you know contemporary is my least favorite genre. There are some thing I'd like to clear up right away though. BWWS isn't an action packed book with a massive slap you plot twist, and for some reason it is classified in the YA section of the book store. This novel is simply what it says it is, a sweet feel good read, which is one of it's best qualities. Second in my opinion it should be filed under New Adult. It does straddle the line of Ya and Na, but to me it falls into the latter. This is also a plus for this book.

BWWS is a novel following two main characters. Matt who is a photography student and Grace who is a music major. Matt is really starting to discover who he is as an artist when Grace falls into his life. Matt is perfection when it comes to leading males. He is everything we want in a lead while bring something new to a protagonist. He is confident, charismatic, and so sarcastic. Completely loved everything about his character. I liked his charm and was consumed by his thoughts. I loved how he never second guessed who he is as a person. He has easily became one of my all time favorite leading males. Grace however was his opposite. She is confident, but is so clearly closed off. She is broken and lost. The way Matt knows who he is, is the way Grace struggles to feel herself out. As their relationship grows so does both their personalities.

They're relationship y'all, is perfection. It feels so real. You will really feel like you're going through everything with them. They're ups and downs will feel like yours. You will be experiencing all the emotions and pain right along with them, and it's flipping fantastic. The way these two feed off each other is amazing. They had me laughing, grinning, blushing, and breaking my heart. Sometimes all those feelings were happening at the same time. I probably cried ten times while reading this book. I wasn't even half way through and I had cried at least four. These two are a couple from the moment they meet you'll want to have a happy ending. I'm a sucker for books that the couple are friends first (legit friends) then turn into something more. Carlino makes this process seem effortless... Like she was born with a laptop in hand to deliver us friend first romance.

The plot is as I said above, steady. It's not a book where something is just going to jump out at you. This is 100% okay! The pacing was completely fine for me. I usually hate the mild speed of contemporary books, but not with BWWS. Their journey is sweet and perfectly timed. I was super worried reading because the first half the book was so strong, I feared the last half wouldn't live up. I thought the jump from past to present would do the same. I was taken back when neither of these things turned me off. I thought that the gape in time would leave a lot to be wanted and it wasn't an issue either. I wont however lie to you... YOU WILL KNOW WHAT IS COMING!!! I saw it coming the moment it was winked at, I thought this would in the long run make me lower my rating. NOPE. When it happens and everything comes to light I was still (continued to be) a big blubbering mess. Not exaggerating at all... mess like-sitting in the middle of my bed, wrapped up like a burrito, using the bottom of my shirt as a tissue with no shame-mess.

Before We Were Strangers was a very pleasant surprise. I definitely under estimated how much this book was going to effect me. A book I simply thought would be a fill-in read till I figured out what I wanted to really dive into next. Turned out to be a huge punch to my heart. Anything that might be considered a "flaw" is wiped away by the pure beauty of Carlino's writing and by the way she will pull you into this love story. A book where the romance scenes are soul warming and the love feels authentic. Carlino takes us on an emotional rollercoaster of a read, and doesn't miss a chance at pulling at our heartstrings. Before We Were Strangers is the definition of "all the feels".

10/10 Stars
-Angela

Just a little side-note too, I thought the cover and title of this book were gorgeous but after reading it realize just how amazing they really are.

Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum

"Everything about Jessie is wrong. At least, that’s what it feels like during her first week at her new ultra-intimidating prep school in Los Angeles. Just when she’s thinking about hightailing it back to Chicago—the closest place she has to something like home—she gets an email from a person calling themselves Somebody/Nobody (SN for short), offering to help her navigate the wilds of Wood Valley High School. Is it an elaborate hoax? Or can she rely on SN for some much-needed help?" -Goodreads synopsis 

"Perfect days are for people with small, realizable dreams. or maybe for all of us, they just happen in retrospect; they're only now perfect because they contain something irrevocably and irretrievably lost."

I'm finding this review hard to write... That typically happens when I'm so angry at a book that I can't even see straight. This isn't the problem I'm facing with TMTT. I liked it so much that there is so many things I want to say. I've truly never faced this issue before with a contemporary book before. It's my least favorite genre to read. Not including John Green books, I don't think I've ever been excited to finish a contemp book before this... I really thought about it too and nothing comes to mind.

I'm going to do this review a little different and stick with the common theme that TMTT and I'm going to tell you the three things that made me love this book.

1) The "Dear Reader" note. It really isn't often I read these. This time I figured why the heck not. So glad I did. Julie explains why this book means so much to her, and why it was this book was so easy and so hard for her to write. She talks about the loss of her mother and how it really changed her whole life. This personally meant so much to me because I too lost my mother way before her time. What really hit home for me is when she quotes her main character Jessie. "She will never see who I grow up to be-that great mystery of who I am and who I am meant to be-finally asked and answered". This hit way to close to home. It's such a selfish/non-selfish reason to think this, but it is so very true. It took me years to realize that my mother wouldn't be there for events and that's when everything really hits you.

2) Jessie. She is an outstanding lead. She is the perfect combination of raw real human emotion and comical teenage girl. She gives the right emotions at the right time and talks to her age. She is beyond relatable and will completely pull you into her story. When Jess struggles, loves, gets lost you feel like you're right there with her. The funny dialog she manages to keep up through out this story is just great. Julie also hit the nail right on the head with how teenage girls think. Jessie's life has so many typical YA tropes in it that it could have easily taken this down a mundane path that would have ultimately lead to me having the same issues that I do with others. However Julie makes the typical something new and fresh. Jessie is a breath of fresh air along with all the other side characters.

3) The mystery. When you read the synopsis of the book you figure out right away that there is basically a "who done it" style plot. Jessie starts receiving emails from an anonymous sender going by the username Somebody/Nobody (SN). This style would normally annoy the crap out of me. I've read plenty of books that have done this and almost 100% of the time I find myself skipping ahead, not caring about the story, getting bored, just not caring, and sneaking to find out the answer. With TMTT this wasn't at all the case. I was so interested in the story and going through things with Jessie that I didn't want to find out until the last possible second. The mystery as you can tell is all about who is SN. You, like Jessie, will go back and forth about who you think it will be. I will say that I had a pretty good idea about who it might have been, but I often found myself second guessing. Second guessing made reading this book so much fun. Warning: Julie will leave you guessing until the last second. The only thing I will suggest is that you keep maybe a little scrap piece of paper to write down the names of the guys in this book. Once all the key players were introduced once or twice I had to stop and remind myself who was who and who had what traits. When I jotted it down I was right back on track. Also kind of made me feel like I was playing a game of clue or something.

Tell Me Three Things will without a doubt be my favorite contemporary all year. So thankful to have gotten an early copy of this, and am excited for others to get to read it too. This book has so much heart, so much fun to read, and left me with a huge giddy grin on my face.

10/10 Stars 
-Angela  

Angelas 2015 Wrap-Up

220! Yes you read that right, 220 books this year!!!! I'm typing this up on the 28th and I don't think I'll be reading anymore while I'm on vacation. I think this is my final number and it has to be some kind of record. I'm even blowing my own mind right now! Guess you could say it was an amazing year reading wise. I have no clue how I'll ever be able to top these numbers. Next year I have more traveling planned so my reading wont nearly be as hardcore. This year my goal was 185 books, in 2016 it'll be 100. Hopefully it'll be more of a quality over quantity kind of thing.

Below is the list of everything I read this year  (I believe I got them all)! Enjoy the massive insane list that was my year. I bet you can guess who was my most read author was this year.... Yep, Colleen Hoover. It's also so fitting that the first book I read this year was Apollyon since Apollyon Con is the first event Leah and I will be going to this year. The last book I read was Manwhore. interesting title, I know, but it was super fun and a perfect read to end the year. 2015 you were alright.

Also don't forget to check out the list of our 2015 favorites!

The 5th Wave- Rick Yancey (Re-Read)
The Infinite Sea- Rick Yancey (Re-Read)

Elixir- Jennifer L. Armentrout 

Apollyon- Jennifer L. Armentrout
Sentinel- Jennifer L. Armentrout
Stay With Me- Jennifer L. Armentrout Broken Skies- Theresa Kay
Fractured Suns- Theresa KayRed Rising- Pierce Brown Golden Son- Pierce Brown Never Never- Collen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher Slammed- Colleen Hoover Maybe Not- Colleen HooverPoint of Retreat- Colleen Hoover  Never Never pt 2- Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher  Maybe Not- Colleen Hoover (Re-Read/Audio Book)
Ugly Love-Colleen Hoover (Re-Read)Confess- Colleen HooverHopeless- Colleen HooverThis Girl- Colleen Hoover

November 9- Colleen Hoover

Finding Cinderella (Hopeless 2.5)- Colleen Hoover

Friend-Zoned- Belle AuroraLev- Belle Aurora
Shatter Me- Tahereh Mafi (Re-Read)
Unravel Me- Tahereh Mafi (Re-Read)
Ignite Me- Tahereh Mafi (Re-Read)Bad Romeo- Leisa RayvenBroken Juliet- Leisa Rayven

The Red Queen- Victoria Aveyard

Glass Sword- Victoria Aveyard Obsidian- Jennifer L. Armentrout (Re-Read)Onyx- Jennifer L. Armentrout (Re-Read)Opal- Jennifer L. Armentrout (Re-Read)Origin- Jennifer L. Armentrout (Re-Read)Opposition- Jennifer L. Armentrout (Re-Read)

Every Last Breath- Jennifer L. Armentrout

Hardline- Michelle Wilds
Hardpressed- Michelle WildsHardwired- Meredith Wild

Lovely Vicious- Sara Wolf
Savage Delight- Sara Wolf
Brutal Precious- Sara Wolf

Sea of Stars- Amy Bartol

Darken the Stars- Amy A. Bartol

The Law of Moses- Amy Harmon

Making Faces- Amy Harmon 

Kaleidoscope Hearts- Clarie Contreras

Paper Hearts- Claire Contreras

Torn Hearts- Claire Contreras

Beautiful Stranger- Christina Lauren

Beautiful Player- Christina Lauren 

Beautiful Secret- Christina Lauren

Beautiful Beloved- Christina Lauren 

Sweet Filthy Boy- Christina Lauren
Dark Wild Night- Christina Lauren
Dirty Rowdy Thing- Christina Lauren

Unteachable- Leah Reader (Re-Read)

Black Iris- Leah Reader

Angelfall- Susan Ee
World After- Susan Ee

End of Days-Susan Ee

Clockwork Prince- Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Princess- Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Angel- Cassandra Clare

Because of Low- Abbi Glines

While it Last- Abbi Glines 

Until Friday Night- Abbi Glines
The Vincent Boys- Abbi Glines

Fallen Too Far- Abbi Glines

Never Too Far- Abbi Glines

After- Anna Todd

After We Collided- Anna Todd

After We Fell- Anna Todd

After Ever Happy- Anna Todd

Darkfever- Karen Moning
Bloodfever- Karen Moning

Faefever- Karen Moning
Dreamfever- Karen Moning
Shadowfever-Karen Moning

Clipped Wings- Helena Hunting
Inked Amor- Helene Hunting

Untethered- Jax Spenser 
Singularity- Jax Spenser 
Freefall- Jax Spenser  
Coherence- Jax Spenser 
Redshift- Jax Spenser

Saga Volume 1- Brain K. Vaughan

Saga Volume 2- Brain K. Vaughan

Saga Volume 3- Brain K. Vaughan

Saga Volume 4- Brian K. Vaughan 

Saga Volume 5- Brian K. Vaughn

Y: The Last Man Volume 1- Brain K. Vaughan

Y the Last Man book 2- Brian K Vaughn

Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone- J K Rowling (re-read)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets- J K Rowling (re-read)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban- Jk Rowling  (re-read)

Twilight- Stephanie Meyer (re-read)
New Moon- Stephanie Meyer (re-read)

Heir of Fire- Sarah J. Maas (re-read)

Queen of Shadows- Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses- Sara J. Maas The Devil's Intern- Donna Hoise

The Devil's Dreamcatcher- Donna Hoise
 East of West Volume 1- Jonathan Hickman
East of West Volume 2- Jonathan Hickman

Suicide Squad Volume 1- Adam Glass

Suicide Squad Vol. 2- Adam Glass
Suicide Squad Volume 3- Adam Glass

Harley's Little Black Book Issue 1- Amanda Conner

Harley Quinn Hot in the City- Amanda Conner

Inexcuseable- Chris Lynch

Hooked on the Game- C.M Owens

The Conspiracy of Us- Maggie Hall

Bound by Duty- Stormy Smith The Invitation- Roxy Sloane

Losing It- Cora Carmack Blackbird- Anna Carey
Reborn- Jennifer RushFlawed- Kate Avelynn

Ignite- Lily Paradis

Dark Places- Gillian Flynn

The Duff- Kody Keplinger

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children- Ransom Riggs
Collide- Ella AdamsTen Tiny Breaths- K. A. Tucker
Let the Sky Fall- Shannon Messenger
Hexed- Michelle Krys
This Song Will Save Your Life- Lelia Sales

I'll Give You the Sun- Jandy Nelson

Snare- Clarissa Wild 

Invaded- Melissa Landers

Me Before You- Jojo Moyes

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe- Benjamin Saenz

Insurgent- Veronica Roth (Re-Read)Royal Saga- Geneva Lee
Transparent- Natalie Whipple
Conviction- Kelly Lou Gilbert
My Heart and Other Black Holes- Jasmine WargaBeautiful Disaster- Jamie McGuire
To All the Boys I Loved Before- Jenny Han
The Last Time We Say Goodbye- Cynthia Hand
Keep Me Safe- Maya Banks
Sisters of Shiloh- Kathy Hepinstall
We All Looked Up- Tommy Wallach

Chase Me- Tessa Bailey

Me Early and the Dying Girl- Jesse Andrews

Easy- Tammara Webber

Ready Player One- Cline Ernest

The Brilliant Light of Amber Sunrise- Matthew Crow

Aftermath- Tom Lewis 

3:AM Kisses- Addison Moore
Sweet Submission- Roxy Sloane

Silence- Natasha Preston

The Heir- Kiera Cass

Anomaly-Tonya Kuper
An Ember in the Ashes- Sabaa Tahir

Fangirl- Rainbow Rowell

Ugly People Beautiful Hearts- Marlen KomarVelvet- Temple West
Stargazing at Noon- Amanda Torroni
Hunted- Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki 

The Martian- Andy Weir  

Ugly People Beautiful Hearts- Marlen Komar  

The Wrath and the Dawn-  Renee Ahdieh

A Song of Ice and Fire- George R.R. Martin

White Bird in a Blizzard- Laura Kasischke
The Cage- Megan Shepherd

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close- Jonathan Foer

More Happy Than Not- Adam Silvera
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist- Rachel Cohn, David Levithan

Maud's Line- Margret Verble   

Warm Bodies- Isaac Marion

No Country for Old Men- Cormac McCarthy
Black Out- Robinson Wells

You- Caroline Kepnes

Stolen- Lucy Christopher

The Statistically Probability of Love at First Sight- Jennifer E. Smith

World War Z- Max Brooks

Amber to Ashes- Gail McHugh

Thicker Than Blood- Madeline Sheehan

Everything Everything- Nicola Yoon

The Paper Swan- Leylah Attarr

Illumiane- Amie Kaufman

Sleepless- Cyn Balog

The White Rose- Amy Ewing 

Steelheart- Brandon Sanderson

Room- Emma Donoghue

Romeo and Juliet- William Shakespeare
The Girl of Fire and Thorns- Rae Carson

Six of Crows- Leigh Bardugo
Addicted to You- Kristia Ritchie
Everything Leads to You- Nina LaCour

The Fall Up- Ally Martinez

Going Bovine- Libba Bray

Unravel- Calia Read

How I Live Now- Meg Rosoff

Revival Vol. 1- Tim Seeley

Day 21 (The Hundred 2)- Kass Morgan

Bared to You (Crossfire 1)-- Sylvia Day

The Deal- Elle Kennedy

Tell Me Three Things- Julia Buxbaum

Preacher Book 1- Garth Ennis

Green Arrow #46- Benjamin Perry

Six of Hearts- L.H. Cosway

Complicit- Stephanie Kuehn

The Scorpion Rules- Erin Bow

Love in a Time of Global Warming- Lia Block

Deathstroke #12-Tony Daniel

Wolf by Wolf- Ryan Graudin

Low Volume 1- Rick Remender

Manwhore- Katy Evans

An Abundance of Katherine's- John GreenThe Elfstones of Shannara- Terry BrooksBefore, During, After- Richard BauschThe V Girl- Mya Robarts

Soundless- Richelle Mead

Diamonds- K.A. LindeThe Heart of Betrayal- Mary E. Pearson

Till 2016

-Angela

Angela's December Wrap-Up

Goodbye December you will be missed! But I wont lie, I'm ready for January. December was a massive slack month. Don't let my list fool you. I basically started the month out so strong that by the time it hit the two week mark I was so over it. I wanted to read a different book every other day for the entire month, but it just didn't happen. I only got to do some of my "Angela does December" list. Looks like it'll be an "Angela rolls this TBR list into the new year" list now. It's okay though. It'll give me something to go off of for the New Year. Also think I spent more time buying books then I did reading book... Like that's a problem! AM I RIGHT!!! I'll more than likely do a post in January of all my Owned-TBR books, because it's kind of insane right now. Speaking of TBRs PopSugar put up a list of their 2016 Reading Challenge and it looks amazing! Pretty sure it'll be the one I'll be doing. Also posted my 2015 favorite covers. Anyways, on to my reading list and favorites.

Soundless- Richelle Mead

Glass Sword- Victoria Aveyard
Before, During, After- Richard Bausch

The V Girl- Mya Robarts

Harley's Little Black Book Issue 1- Amanda Conner

Harley Quinn Hot in the City- Amanda Conner  

The Elfstones of Shannara- Terry Brooks

Suicide Squad Volume 3- Adam Glass

Green Arrow #46- Benjamin Perry

Six of Hearts- L.H. Cosway

Complicit- Stephanie Kuehn

The Scorpion Rules- Erin Bow

Love in a Time of Global Warming- Lia Block

The Infinite Sea- Rick Yancey

Deathstroke #12-Tony Daniel

Wolf by Wolf- Ryan Graudin

Low Volume 1- Rick Remender

Manwhore- Katy Evans

Children of Men- P.D. James

My favorites of December are... *Drum Roll*: Childern of Men, Harley's Little Black Book, Wolf by Wolf, The Infinite Sea. Those were all my five (10) star reads. I also want to mention my four (9) star reads because they were both super close to being perfect. Those are: Manwhore and Six of Hearts. Children of Men is a book that freaked me out in the best way possible. A world where children are no longer born. Harley's Little is a new start in a series and I'm loving it so far. They come in these mystery bags and you don't know what cover you're going to get. The Infinite Sea is obviously a book I've read several times before, but decided to pic up again because the movie comes out so soon. Lastly of my five star reads I have Wolf by Wolf. Which was AMAZING! A girl escapes a Nazi death camp. After she enters a motorcycle race where the winner gets an audience with Hitler. If she wins she plans on killing him. This book was amazing, unique, and a complete page turner.

Six of Hearts is like a smutty version of Now You See Me. Manwhore is like a smutty version of Never Been Kissed. Both are excellent picks if you're looking for a fun-fluffy NA read.

My fail picks for this month are: Soundless, Before During and After, The Scorpion Rule, and Love in a Time of Global Warming. I'm sure by now you've heard about Soundless. The new standalone book my Richelle Meads... Well sorry to announce but this book was so boring! Struggled so hard to even finish it. The Scorpion Rule, well I don't even know where to start with this one. It was so freaking weird! And it was all about goats, which is also weird. Lastly, Love in a Time of Global Warming. Again another book that was so boring. The title of this book is so stunning I thought this read would be a knock out. It wasn't.

Yup, that's it. That was my entire December. Wasn't very thrilling. I spent way to much money and not enough time reading. Just so excited for 2016!

-Angela

Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover

Layken and Will have proven their love can get them through anything; until someone from Will’s past re-emerges, leaving Layken questioning the very foundation on which their relationship was built.  

When I first stared reading Point of Retreat I didn't want to. I was too afraid that Colleen would do what she always does and have me sobbing like a baby. So I put it off for about two weeks, but at last I caved and picked it up.

"If I were a carpenter, I would build you a window to my soul. But I would leave that window shut and locked, so that every time you tried to look through it all you would see is your own reflection. You would see that my soul is a reflection of you.” 

When I started reading a few chapters in I went to Leah and said "I don't like Wills point of view, and I don't think I'm going to like this book as much as I loved Slammed"... I know y'all can't see me but right now I'm slapping myself in the face... I'M SUCH AN IDIOT!!! Of course Colleen Hoover wouldn't let me down, she never has, and here's too hoping she never will.

I loved Point of Retreat maybe even as much as Slammed. Didn't think I would, but I did. After reading it it took me HOURS to get back to normal. This book hit me like a train going a million miles an hour and I was just as messy afterwards. Point of Retreat picks up shortly after were Slammed ended. When I read the synopsis I wont lie I was kind of turned off by the idea of "something from Will's past" coming back up... Because if you've read book one than you KNOW what it is. I thought the story was going to focus around that, that I would be annoyed hearing about it, and it was something I was far from interested in having this book circle around. I was pleasantly surprised when it didn't. Colleen's books always do that to me. They have me thinking that a story is going to go one way then out of nowhere it goes somewhere else. That aspect never lets me down. Will and Lake are as amazing as they are in book one. Both so stubborn, persistent, and will show you what love is suppose to be like. They are both still amazing role models, realistic, and more than that they are such strongly written characters. If you loved them in Slammed then you'll love them just as much in Point of Retreat. There are a few new characters introduced into this book as well which help take this story to a new level. Kristen and Sherry are amazing. Kristen almost stole the show. She is probably the funniest child I've ever had the pleasure of reading about. Her quirk, charm, and yes under-aged wisdom is priceless.

The pace of this book was amazing. The perfect mixture of slow paced beautiful moments and heart racing tear jerking scenes. Like I said above, this story had me thinking it was something it wasn't. I am again thankful that people have kept Colleen's plot twist secret. I know like a lot of other reviews of Colleen's I've done this will be more vague than others but this is a series you MUST pick up. It might be for just very personal reasons but this series has hit closer to home than any other book or series ever has. Point of Retreat had me crying harder than Slammed and I never thought that would be a possibility. This is a series that takes so many different unique aspects with a heavy hand in family beliefs and give you so much. By the end of this book I could barely see the pages. Point of Retreat was just so perfect. I was an emotion wreck.

I continue to hate Colleen Hoover for always perfectly breaking my heart one novel at a time. 

10/10 my sweet stars 
-Angela 

(Point of Retreat Bookdepo) 

Revisit a book: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was by accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. The world is in shambles and no one has time to worry about the 17 year old girl. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war and The Reestablishment has changed its mind about her... Maybe Juliette is more than an untouchable body. They're seeing her with new eyes, and seeing her as a weapon.

Leah and I decided around the end of last year that we were going to try to do this thing where we go back and read books that we loved and see if we still feel the same way about them after so much time. I figured since I'm currently waiting on a book shipment this would be the perfect time to pick up an oldie. Decided my first one this year would be Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. I've seen this book popping up here and there again, and a lot on insta lately. Shatter Me is a book I read end of 2013 begging of 2014 (give or take some time). After reading it I gave it a five star rating and threw it on my all time favorites shelf. I wont lie either after all this time and after you finish a series, all the books involved in it kind of run together. So I remembered what happened in the series but couldn't remember what happened in which book.

So after all this time do I still love it? Do I still feel the same about it? Is it still one of my all time favorites? 

The answer too those question is YES. 

I looked up my old review for this book one goodreads and re read it to jog my memory... and decided that I'm going to post the review that I wrote for that and put a few alterations in it. Because there are a few minor things I need to add...

Breathtaking, wonderful, and stunning.... I could use any of those words to describe this series but they would all be understatement. Mafi's writing is beyond refreshing and unique. It's something so hard to describe or even put into words, and I know that my review wont do it true justice.

I found myself drowning in her words and not wanting to come up for air. I wanted the waves of her writing to crash over me and pull me further and further out. I'm pretty sure I held my breath the whole time I was reading this series (which might I add at the time I finished in less than two days).  Never has a writer made me fall so in love with characters and made me feel like whatever happened to them was happening to me. Her characters will steal your heart and soul. Juliette will make you feel empowered and brave. Adam will make you remember what love feels like. Warner will show you everything you secretly want and OH BOY WILL YOU WANT IT, and Kenji will be the friend you've always wanted.

The characters are truly on a level all their own. We all know it's one thing to fall in love with a character(s) but it's a whole other thing to fall in love with a writing style. Mafi's writing had me head over heels. Every single sentence could be quoted. It's one lyrical and poetic verse after another.

“My body is a carnivorous flower, a poisonous houseplant, a loaded gun with a million triggers and he's more than ready to fire.”   

I could go on for days... weeks... no years about this book. I would go so into detail and fine tooth comb and break down every chapter if I could, but I wont because I would never want to tarnish, or give out any details to someone who hasn't had the chance to read this masterpiece, because that's what this series is. It's the Mona Lisa of ya novels. A slight mysterious smile that you can't turn away from. It makes you want to scream out loud and kiss Tahereh's forehead and thank her for writing something so on point. so on point. I could read this book again and again with no shame. The plot never slows down, the sub characters will sweep you are your feet, and the "OMG" moments are always short of small. The only thing I really need to change from my original review is I remember more of an OMG moment at the ending, and I don't fully remember why I freaked out as much as I did. It doesn't really end on a cliffhanger, but even that being said I am still completely in love with how it did end.

I could seriously keep going, but I'll spare you the novel of a review I could write and leave you with this.....
You know how you meet someone with such passion for what they do and all you can think is "wow, this person was born to do this" well Tahereh Mafi was meant to be a writer, and I'm SO very thankful that she is! Thanks for the permanent goose bumps, tears, laughs, and never ending book hang over that you have rewarded me with. I am forever in your debt. Even after a year plus you  made me fall in love all over again. So, I'm pretty sure at this point in time I don't really need to say if I still did or didn't love this novel...

10/10 Stars
-Angela