I'm like 99.273% sure (shoutout to Joey and his infamous rating system) that you guys are fed up with my shit. When I posted my raving review for I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson, I was all like, " yeah ya'll I'm back or whatever, I'll post when I feel like it, I'm just letting things flow . . " NAH. Fuck letting things flow. I miss my blog -- I miss giving the real tea on books, (ya'll know I live for a good rave or drag session) and most importantly, I really, really miss you guys.
So here I am, back on FangirlConfessions to blog consistently. Not every now and then, or once in a blue moon, CON-SIS-TENT-LY, and to start off my comeback, I thought that I'll share some quick thoughts on a few titles I've read recently, and trust me it's LIT.
Okay I'm lying, these titles aren't recent reads, but I needed a good way to close out my introduction so boom.
Bad Romance
This is hands down, my favorite YA contemporary at the moment. I read this forever ago, and like I told everyone on Twitter, this. shit. had. me. SHOOK. Shameless Plug: Follow a real G @astoldbyFANGIRLIf you're a veteran reader of my blog, then you will remember my 10-page dissertation of how much I loved I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios. I probably talked about that book for MONTHS, and honestly, I didn't think she could top it, but after finishing the first few chapters of BD, I was literally blown away. Please don't let this beautiful cover fool you -- Bad Romance isn't a pretty book. AT ALL. It's supercharged with raw emotion and packed with so many gut punches, I literally had to take small breaks to get my wig together. (It shifted quite a few times cause I was nervous and sweaty and a fucking messss let me tell you) Having a window into Grace's life was interesting because it was real. This was far more than just fiction. A real-life situation spoken with the voice of a fictional character, man it was surreal af. Heather's writing already has a way of sucking you in, but the plot surrounding Grace's relationship with not only her parents but with Gavin, it was a fucking train wreck waiting to happen, and I was far too enamored to look away. Though the tough topics are handled flawlessly, they aren't sugarcoated, giving the story such an unfiltered feel. It's heartbreaking, it's important, it's unadulterated realness that's needed in today's YA. It's phenomenal.
The Animal Under The Fur
If the word LIT was ever made into book form, TAUTF would be it.
I really didn't know what to expect from TAUTF. Natasha from Bookbaristas had raved about it quite a bit on her Instagram, so I sorta kinda stalked stumbled across the author's feed, obviously because I wanted to know more about the book. Aka I was being nosy.
I'm such a big fan of a story told in a dual perspective, and E.J Mellow put a really different twist on how her characters told their POV's. One belongs to swoon-daddy Carter, the lover-boy assassin extraordinaire, but the other two views are told from Nashville and her alter ego 3. Having a mc with a dual narrative made things so fun and interesting, and surprisingly all three are written in such a distinguished manner. 3 (her operative name) was beyond a kick-ass character. She was a young Angelina Jolie, fierce, sexy, and oh so confident, but she still had a bit of a soft edge to her which is where the narrative from Nashville came in. The enemies to lovers trope was written in the best way possible, allowing Carter and Nash to actually build a friendship before diving into a full-blown romance. Most authors miss this as if there isn't a grey area, but I feel it's important to have a friendship to bridge the gap between the hate to love stages. Set in a few different countries, including a long stint in Mexico, we follow the assassins on a crazed mission, where secrets threaten to spill over, action is fast-paced and hella entertaining, and a slow burn romance blossoms with hilarious banter that for once, wasn't the focal point of the story. Hallelujah!
When Dimple Met Rishi
Can we all just take a moment to appreciate all things Dimple? Seriously, she's hands down, one of my favorite YA heroines, and for many awesome reasons. What I enjoyed the most about WDMR, was that Dimple wasn't the " typical " female in YA. This sparked many discussions on social media, as you most likely know the " likable vs unlikeable " character debate, and it's really no surprise which side I ended up on. In my opinion, she was dominant, headstrong, independent, and incredibly fierce, characteristics that are often missing from female MC's. With or without Rishi she shined, (listen, homegirl knew where tf she was going and how she was getting there) and that in itself is a message I'll happily stand behind. However, this wasn't just a one-woman show. The dynamic between Rishi and Dimple worked incredibly well. He was oh so sweet -- overall just a pretty chill guy, while she was this . . force to be reckoned with. But, there was balance (an awkward and super cute balance) and like I said, it worked.
Another favorite, which was one of the main aspects of the story, was the culture. Ya'll this book was rich with it, and while the culture is a completely different one from my own, there were definitely things I easily related to. A point I think everyone will take to, is the fact that both characters are from the same background, but are walking along different paths. While Dimple was more rebellious towards her family, (and not so much in a bad or disrespectful way, she just wanted independence they - at first - weren't willing to give), while Rishi was pretty much obedient. It was interesting to see how similar, yet different the two characters were, which goes to show not one person is the same. So, I've said all of that to say this, read this shit now! If you haven't already that is.
Usually, I wrap up my reviews with a conclusion about the book(s), but instead, I wanted to take the time to show my appreciation. Thank you so, so, much for sticking with Fangirl Confessions through my absence, and thank you all in advance, for sipping all this good tea that shall be spilled here on the blog.
Now, who's throwing my welcome back party?
I like Henny and Patron btw.
And wings, don't forget the wings.
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