Happy Friday guys!
I hope everyone's as excited for the weekend as I am. :)
I'm here today to post my review on Jennifer L Armentrout's The Problem With Forever.
Pub Date: May 17th, 2016
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: Library
Summary:
For some people. silence is a weapon. For Mallory "Mouse" Dodge, it's a shield. Growing up she learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it's been four years since her nightmare ended, she's beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back with last a lifetime.
Now, after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents, Mallory must face a new milestone-spending her senior year at public high school. But of all the terrifying and exhilarating scenarios she's imagined, there's one she never dreamed of-that she'd run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn't seen since childhood, on her very first day.
It doesn't take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet the deeper the bond grows, the more it becomes apparent that she's not the only one grappling with lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider's life spiral out of control, Mallory must make a choice between staying silent and speaking out-for the people she loves, the life she wants and the truths that need to be heard.
Review:
Young adult fiction is without a doubt my favorite genre, and I always love getting to read new YA contemporaries, especially by authors I've come to love their books over the years. This new read by Jennifer L Armentrout was definitely not a disappointment, and I loved getting lost in the the pages of this amazing book for a couple of days. I also love how Jennifer L Armentrout isn't afraid to write about deep and dark stuff throughout her books, and while this one definitely has it's happy moments, it also had me tearing up at many points, and had several elements that reminded me of Simone Elkeles' Perfect Chemistry, and Katie McGarry's Pushing The Limits, which are some of my all time favorite contemporaries. There's a lot of times when I prefer lighter contemporaries, but when I'm in the mood for something that will really leave me reeling after reading it, Jennifer L Armentrout is definitely one of the first authors I will turn to.
Cover:
Oh my goodness! Can I even begin to describe how gorgeous I think this cover is. There's something about all the colors blending together that just hints at this being a deep book, and an amazing story, and honestly whoever created the cover art for this book is a genius. They had an advertisement for this book at RT Booklovers in April when my hubby and I went, and I literally couldn't get over just how beautiful it was. In this case, I definitely think you can judge a book by it's cover, because the cover definitely did justice to the beautiful story contained within!
Setting:
I really liked the fact that Jennifer chose Baltimore as the setting for this book. It's a city I'm not very familiar with, and that I haven't seen used too often as the main setting in a book. and so I thought that was unique and kind of different. I also felt that the way she wrote about the city made it relatable to everyone, and it was a good setting for the story overall.
Characters:
Mallory: Mallory was an amazing protagonist. At first, I thought she was going to be a typical damsel in distress waiting for her knight on the white horse, but I loved how she develops into a much stronger character throughout the course of the story, and her finally finding her "voice" was one of my favorite aspects of the entire novel.
Rider: Rider was not your typical bad boy like I initially expected either. Instead, he's someone with a huge heart who's biggest failure in life is feeling like he can't help everyone, and stretching himself to thin in the quest to do so. You can tell he really cares about Mallory right from the start, but that he needs to come to terms with the present day Mallory, and not the "mouse" he's been remembering her as from their horrific childhood.
Rosa and Carl: Rosa and Carl were actually pretty awesome parental figures throughout the book. They, of course make their share of mistakes, and have to come to terms with letting Mallory learn to live her own life, but throughout the story it's definitely shown just how much she means to them, and that she saved them just as much as they saved her.
Keira: I loved Keira's sassiness and spunk throughout her developing friendship with Mallory, and also how Jennifer L Armentrout definitely didn't make her a stereotypical cheerleader.
Ainsley: Ainsley's story was heartbreaking, especially since she's such a vibrant character who's so full of life. You can tell just how close her and Mallory's friendship is throughout the story, and I loved the fact that their friendship stood the test of time. I really hope that Jennifer L Armentrout chooses to write her story in the future, as I would love to get to continue reading about this particular character.
Jayden: Lastly, Jayden was one of my favorite characters. I loved the comedic elements he brought to the book, and often his cocky statements had me laughing right out loud. His friendship with both his brother Hector, and Rider, was so sweet, and I really loved that aspect of the novel.
The Plot:
The plot honestly ran smoothly from start to finish. I've read a lot of books about teens currently in the foster system, but it was really interesting getting the different perspective on teens who grew up in the foster system, but have since been moved out of it. You could definitely tell that Jennifer L Armentrout had done plenty of research before writing this, and that made it seem that much more real. As well, this book is over 400 pages, but with how well done the plot was, I felt it didn't seem that long at all, as I honestly flew through it.
Romance:
I thought the romance was beautiful. Rider and Mallory are automatically drawn to each other from their childhood connection, but it never felt like insta love which everyone knows I can't stand. It's soon apparent to both of them shared childhood experiences can't be the only thing they have in common, and I really loved getting to watch them re discover who each other were.
Conclusion:
I loved this book, and ended up rating it four out of five stars. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a new YA contemporary with deeper elements, or anyone who's been a fan of Jennifer L Armentrout's books in the past. As well, if you're a fan of either Simone Elkeles or Katie McGarry like I am, I also recommend giving this a chance, as it really reminded me of those amazing authors as well.
Thanks for reading everyone! I hope you enjoyed this review, and that you'll consider giving this book a try. I'll see you all again on Monday, and I hope you all have a great weekend :)
This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners.
I hope everyone's as excited for the weekend as I am. :)
I'm here today to post my review on Jennifer L Armentrout's The Problem With Forever.
Pub Date: May 17th, 2016
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: Library
Summary:
For some people. silence is a weapon. For Mallory "Mouse" Dodge, it's a shield. Growing up she learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it's been four years since her nightmare ended, she's beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back with last a lifetime.
Now, after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents, Mallory must face a new milestone-spending her senior year at public high school. But of all the terrifying and exhilarating scenarios she's imagined, there's one she never dreamed of-that she'd run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn't seen since childhood, on her very first day.
It doesn't take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet the deeper the bond grows, the more it becomes apparent that she's not the only one grappling with lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider's life spiral out of control, Mallory must make a choice between staying silent and speaking out-for the people she loves, the life she wants and the truths that need to be heard.
Review:
Young adult fiction is without a doubt my favorite genre, and I always love getting to read new YA contemporaries, especially by authors I've come to love their books over the years. This new read by Jennifer L Armentrout was definitely not a disappointment, and I loved getting lost in the the pages of this amazing book for a couple of days. I also love how Jennifer L Armentrout isn't afraid to write about deep and dark stuff throughout her books, and while this one definitely has it's happy moments, it also had me tearing up at many points, and had several elements that reminded me of Simone Elkeles' Perfect Chemistry, and Katie McGarry's Pushing The Limits, which are some of my all time favorite contemporaries. There's a lot of times when I prefer lighter contemporaries, but when I'm in the mood for something that will really leave me reeling after reading it, Jennifer L Armentrout is definitely one of the first authors I will turn to.
Cover:
Oh my goodness! Can I even begin to describe how gorgeous I think this cover is. There's something about all the colors blending together that just hints at this being a deep book, and an amazing story, and honestly whoever created the cover art for this book is a genius. They had an advertisement for this book at RT Booklovers in April when my hubby and I went, and I literally couldn't get over just how beautiful it was. In this case, I definitely think you can judge a book by it's cover, because the cover definitely did justice to the beautiful story contained within!
Setting:
I really liked the fact that Jennifer chose Baltimore as the setting for this book. It's a city I'm not very familiar with, and that I haven't seen used too often as the main setting in a book. and so I thought that was unique and kind of different. I also felt that the way she wrote about the city made it relatable to everyone, and it was a good setting for the story overall.
Characters:
Mallory: Mallory was an amazing protagonist. At first, I thought she was going to be a typical damsel in distress waiting for her knight on the white horse, but I loved how she develops into a much stronger character throughout the course of the story, and her finally finding her "voice" was one of my favorite aspects of the entire novel.
Rider: Rider was not your typical bad boy like I initially expected either. Instead, he's someone with a huge heart who's biggest failure in life is feeling like he can't help everyone, and stretching himself to thin in the quest to do so. You can tell he really cares about Mallory right from the start, but that he needs to come to terms with the present day Mallory, and not the "mouse" he's been remembering her as from their horrific childhood.
Rosa and Carl: Rosa and Carl were actually pretty awesome parental figures throughout the book. They, of course make their share of mistakes, and have to come to terms with letting Mallory learn to live her own life, but throughout the story it's definitely shown just how much she means to them, and that she saved them just as much as they saved her.
Keira: I loved Keira's sassiness and spunk throughout her developing friendship with Mallory, and also how Jennifer L Armentrout definitely didn't make her a stereotypical cheerleader.
Ainsley: Ainsley's story was heartbreaking, especially since she's such a vibrant character who's so full of life. You can tell just how close her and Mallory's friendship is throughout the story, and I loved the fact that their friendship stood the test of time. I really hope that Jennifer L Armentrout chooses to write her story in the future, as I would love to get to continue reading about this particular character.
Jayden: Lastly, Jayden was one of my favorite characters. I loved the comedic elements he brought to the book, and often his cocky statements had me laughing right out loud. His friendship with both his brother Hector, and Rider, was so sweet, and I really loved that aspect of the novel.
The Plot:
The plot honestly ran smoothly from start to finish. I've read a lot of books about teens currently in the foster system, but it was really interesting getting the different perspective on teens who grew up in the foster system, but have since been moved out of it. You could definitely tell that Jennifer L Armentrout had done plenty of research before writing this, and that made it seem that much more real. As well, this book is over 400 pages, but with how well done the plot was, I felt it didn't seem that long at all, as I honestly flew through it.
Romance:
I thought the romance was beautiful. Rider and Mallory are automatically drawn to each other from their childhood connection, but it never felt like insta love which everyone knows I can't stand. It's soon apparent to both of them shared childhood experiences can't be the only thing they have in common, and I really loved getting to watch them re discover who each other were.
Conclusion:
I loved this book, and ended up rating it four out of five stars. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a new YA contemporary with deeper elements, or anyone who's been a fan of Jennifer L Armentrout's books in the past. As well, if you're a fan of either Simone Elkeles or Katie McGarry like I am, I also recommend giving this a chance, as it really reminded me of those amazing authors as well.
Thanks for reading everyone! I hope you enjoyed this review, and that you'll consider giving this book a try. I'll see you all again on Monday, and I hope you all have a great weekend :)
This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners.
Happy Friday! My first line is from "The Color of Love" by Kimberly Rae Jordan:
ReplyDelete"Charles Beaumont Allerton Junior tugged at the hem of his button-up shirt, hoping to work out some of the wrinkles that his rapid - and poor - packing job had created."