The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

The Unexpected Everything
Morgan Matson
YA Contemporary
Paperback, 519 pages
3rd May 2016 by Simon & Schuster

Goodreads Ratings: 4.12/5
My Rating: 4/5

Andie had it all planned out. 

When you are a politician’s daughter who’s pretty much raised yourself, you learn everything can be planned or spun, or both. Especially your future.

Important internship? Check.

Amazing friends? Check.

Guys? Check (as long as we’re talking no more than three weeks)

But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might change her whole life.

Because here’s the thing - if everything's planned out, you can never find the unexpected. 

And where’s the fun in that? 

“It was like someone had turned off the sun. The center of everything was suddenly gone.” 

The Unexpected Everything is a classic Morgan Matson. All those summer-y vibes, tingling sensation, good ol' summer romance, amazing friendships and family bonds.

The only problem here is that, its TOO PAINFULLY DRAGGY WITH LOTS OF UNNECESSARY DETAILS. I could do without the first 130 pages tbh. I know Matson wanted to introduce the characters and the settings to the readers but u can do that in 30 pages or so. Not 130 pages. I gave up the first time because of this before picking this book up again.

Luckily after the 6th-7th chapter, it starts to kick in and it gets pretty damn good from then onwards. AND AND AND CLARK AND ANDIE IS SO CUTE OMG????? lots and lots and lots and lots of kissing there :p

Another thing worth mentioning, I really really really love Andie and her father's relationship development. One of the best parts of the book, actually. Matson always excels at this whole family bonding thing. OOH AND THE FRIENDSHIP ELEMENT IS GOLD TOO.

Overall, I would recommend it if ur up for some good old fluffy contemporary, but heh bare with this book for the first 150 pages to get to the good parts.

p.s. I LOVE the booksigning event scene.

Graceling (Graceling #1) by Kristin Cashore

Graceling
(Graceling #1)
Kristin Cashore
YA Fantasy
Paperback, 370 pages
3rd September 2009 by Gollancz

Goodreads Ratings: 4.1/5
My Rating: 3.5/5

In a world where people born with an exceptional skill, known as a Grace, are both feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of a skill even she despises: the Grace of killing.

Feared by the court and shunned by those her own age, the darkness of her Grace casts a heavy shadow over Katsa’s life. Yet she remains defiant: when the King of Lienid’s father is kidnapped she investigates, and stumbles across a mystery. Who would want to kidnap the old man, and why? And who was the extraordinary Graced man whose fighting abilities rivalled her own?

The only thing Katsa is sure of is that she no longer wants to kill. The intrigue around this kidnapping offers her a way out – but little does she realise, when she takes it, that something insidious and dark lurks behind the mystery. Something spreading from the shadowy figure of a one-eyed king...

“When a monster stopped behaving like a monster, did it stop being a monster? Did it become something else?”

Um..... okay.

Truthfully, I can't even state clearly what I feel about this book. I'm going to make this into point forms so my thoughts can be a bit coherent.

1) Cashore's writing style is okay but at times the dialogues sound a bit formal and too.... awkward

2) The first part of the book has so many resemblances with Throne of Glass (or should I say ToG has so many resemblances with Graceling because Graceling was published in 2008 while ToG 2012)

3) BUT KATSA IS WAY BETTER AS A PERSON AND HER STRONG, UNBEATABLE FIGHTING SKILL IS MUCH MORE REALISTIC THAN CALAENA HEH SORRY

4) Po is okay. Not really my type lol.

5) Somewhere in the middle of the book, it gets painfully boring I lost all mood to read

6) But then somewhere around the last 150 pages things start to kick in and the story gets really interesting, its a bit too late though. Hence, the low rating.

7) PO AT THE LAST FEW CHAPTERS THOUGH OH MY GOD

8) Bitterblue reminds me of Quintana at times, but not as ferocious

9) The ending/last page is so abrupt and sudden??????

I'd definitely read the sequels, that's for sure 

“Mercy was more frightening than murder, because it was harder.” 

The Revolution of Ivy (The Book of Ivy #2) by Amy Engel

The Revolution of Ivy
(The Book of Ivy #2)
Amy Engel
YA Dystopia
Paperback, 290 pages
3rd November 2015 by Entangled

Goodreads Ratings: 3.96/5
My Rating: 4.5/5

Ivy Westfall is beyond the fence and she is alone. Abandoned by her family and separated from Bishop Lattimer, Ivy must find a way to survive on her own in a land filled with countless dangers, both human and natural. She has traded a more civilized type of cruelty--forced marriages and murder plots--for the bare-knuckled brutality required to survive outside Westfall's borders.

But there is hope beyond the fence, as well. And when Bishop reappears in Ivy's life, she must decide if returning to Westfall to take a final stand for what she believes is right is worth losing everything she's fought for.

I LOVE THIS DUOLOGY. 

The Book of Ivy duology is not perfect. It has a lot of flaws, I can list them one by one. But I still love these 2 books all the same.

The Retribution of Ivy starts immediately after The Book of Ivy ends. This time around, it highlights on survival. From here on, you can see how Ivy's character has developed from her weak self. I like the decisions that she made and I can even understand why she did what she did. I like how Amy Engel gives a few chapters at the beginning solely for Ivy, to show to us what is it like being out there and how she copes with all that. The rawness of the survival, the choices one has to make in order to stay alive. Bishop, meanwhile, is always as perfect as he is. 

“The scars are just something that happened to me. They aren't me. Not anymore.” 

The romance part in book 2 delivers!!!!!! Their relationship has developed way more as it should be. I love every single thing about Ivy and Bishop's take on relationship, and how they handle theirs. I love how they talk to each other through everything. There is nothing about them as a team that I dislike. I treasure them both with all my entire heart. 

“You don't stop loving someone just because they disappoint you.” 

I really appreciate how Ivy was indecisive about Bishop's sudden appearance, how she didn't just throw herself to Bishop. I understand her excuse and insecurities. Her actions make it all seemed more realistic. 

And gahhh I really love how this book is wrapped up. How everything finally settles and comes to an end. I'm immensely satisfied, and dear God I appreciate the epilogue so SO much. 

I wish we could see more of Caleb and Ash, though. It's just not enough. :(

I personally think that Amy Engel is an amazing writer, and I'll look forward to more of her books in the future. 

Whatever happens to Ivy and Bishop now, I hope they get all the happiness they deserve.

“No one controls who we turn into but us.”