From New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White comes a new fantasy series reimagining the Arthurian legend, set in the magical world of Camelot.

There was nothing in the world as magical and terrifying as a girl.

Princess Guinevere has come to Camelot to wed a stranger: the charismatic King Arthur. With magic clawing at the kingdom's borders, the great wizard Merlin conjured a solution--send in Guinevere to be Arthur's wife . . . and his protector from those who want to see the young king's idyllic city fail. The catch? Guinevere's real name--and her true identity--is a secret. She is a changeling, a girl who has given up everything to protect Camelot.

To keep Arthur safe, Guinevere must navigate a court in which the old--including Arthur's own family--demand things continue as they have been, and the new--those drawn by the dream of Camelot--fight for a better way to live. And always, in the green hearts of forests and the black depths of lakes, magic lies in wait to reclaim the land. Arthur's knights believe they are strong enough to face any threat, but Guinevere knows it will take more than swords to keep Camelot free.

Deadly jousts, duplicitous knights, and forbidden romances are nothing compared to the greatest threat of all: the girl with the long black hair, riding on horseback through the dark woods toward Arthur. Because when your whole existence is a lie, how can you trust even yourself?

I received a free copy from the publisher via Netgalley and chose to leave a voluntary review. Thank you!*

DNFed at 50%

I was super excited when I received this book from Netgalley, sadly this book was not for me. I normally really like her books and her retellings but this was just fell short for me. It just didn’t hold my interest at all and I finally DNFed it at around 50%. For one it just felt like the story or Guinevere, who by the way bot really Guinevere (not a spoiler it states it right in the beginning) ll over the place, we bounce around a lot in the story.  It also was a bit on the slow site and it felt like never ending.

I also had a hard time connecting with the characters, Arthur who was not there a lot but mentioned and talked about I liked but again it was hard for me to connect to him if he is hardly there. Guinevere seemed lost herself and all over the place with no real direction so I had a even harder time to connect to her.

Of course there were another people but most just were meh….. I had some thoughts about what is about to come and will be a plot twist so I asked a friend who read it all how it ends and such. But I was not surprised and basically everything I thought would happen did happen.

Overall, meh book for me. I really wanted to like this book but I just couldn’t get into it this time around. I’m sure there will be plenty of people who will love it.

I rate it 2 ★

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This book started interesting me, of course, when the movie came out. I usually staunchly refuse to see any book-based movies before I read the book, but my parents broke me down when they marketed going to the movies as a “family event,” so I didn’t get to reading it beforehand, which meant it got pushed way down my to-read list. When the Pokemon Go challenge came up and had a hyped-up book category, I decided to finally get this off my to-read list and see how the book compared to its film version.

My first reaction is that it’s different in surprising ways. I won’t ruin it for people who have yet to read it, but the problem the way they solve the maze in the novel is a bit more complex and the ending is just the littlest bit different. The characters also had a bit of a different flavor to them, but I think that’s true for anything when your imagination is supplying interpretations rather than an actor. The one character whose introduction and personality is remarkably different is Teresa, which I thought pretty interesting. In the movie, she’s fierce to the point of being rabid when she’s introduced — in the movie, she’s calm and very rarely loses her temper. I’m not sure what this says about cinema portrayal of females or the people who adapted the book for the film, but it’s an interesting difference.

Regardless of the changes, I feel the same way about this book as I do about the movie: It’s fine. I don’t hate it, I don’t love it, and the plot is mostly interesting, though I hope future books provide a lot more growth and development from the characters. The way things were set up in this first book, it was mostly about discovering who they were themselves, so they remained mostly stagnant throughout. Without having read the sequels, it’s not something I can firmly recommend, but I am looking forward to reading the sequels — hopefully they deliver.

Can we start with the cover art? Because wow. It is illustrated by the folks over at Good Wives and Warriors, and you should click on over to their website if you’re at all interested in detailed, vibrant art. Honestly, the cover art is so intricate that it’s breathtaking. I seriously want a poster of this book cover to hang on my wall and stare at all the time. Anyone got the hookup?  Major heart eyes for the jacket design that encases and displays this book to the world.

I read this book cover to cover in an estimated 4 hours. Those five hours were not spread out over time. I read this book in two sittings. It would have taken me a lot longer if this was a text-heavy book, but Yoon incorporates instant messaging, drawings from Maddy’s journal, and renderings of official documents into her short chapters. Short chapters are such a trap for me. I’ll see the end of the chapter and keep thinking “I totally have time for one more!” And then I look back three hours later, and that one more chapter has turned into . . . well, most of the book. Short chapters keep me turning the pages, as does the use of mixed media, so Everything, Everything was perfect for quick reading.

Maddy – the protagonist – has a voice that is so compelling and full of life. She hasn’t been Outside her house since she was a baby, but she spends lots of time learning about what life on the Outside is like. The thing about learning the world’s history? Most of the events that are in the textbooks probably happened Outside of Maddy’s house.

The whole book had a fairy tale atmosphere. You know, it’s kind of like the cozy cottage secluded in the woods. You know the person inside – the dwarves, long-lost princesses, and/or enchanted woodland creatures – is about to have their world rocked. Maddy, our book’s princess(-like figure) feels safe in her home, and has a mother who cares for her very much – what more could she need? Things get complicated when Ollie moves in and for the first time Maddy begins to keep secrets from her mother. And just in case you were wondering, even though fairy tales are not exactly known for subverting sexist character tropes, Maddy is no damsel-in-distress here. Well, maybe she kinda is at the beginning . . . but the reader soon finds that she is a stubbornly independent and courageous young woman. 50 brownie points if you can guess which fairy tale this book turns into before you get half way through!

I’ll admit, I had guessed what fairy tale Maddy’s story was turning into, but the end was still shocking for me. I knew the basic outline that the plot should follow, but Nicola Yoon plays with that formula and opens it up for contemplation. You finish the book wondering who (or what) the bad guy is in Everything, Everything.

Maddy was extremely relatable to me because first of all, she loves books, and will defend their importance in the world if someone challenges it. Books are how she knows anything about Outside. They’re how she escapes the confines of her medical prison. Some mentioned more than once: The Little Prince,and Jane Eyre. I find this so fascinating. One of the questions that crossed my mind as I was reading and had these titles in the back of my brain was whether Maddy was this story’s Jane Eyre or if she was destined to become the madwoman in the attic. I’m not going to give away the ending, but comparing Maddy’s story to that of Jane Eyre is extremely thought provoking.

Everything, Everything is serious business. It deals with topics such as child abuse, emotional manipulation, and mental disorders, so if any of those might be triggers for you, read with caution. However, it’s also a teen romance. I kept thinking back to the days when I used to read Sarah Dessen voraciously and frequently. The love story is so genuine to teenage romances. Especially when Maddy is scrutinizing Ollie’s IMs to try to squeeze out every ounce of meaning. The mysterious “Hey.” turns out to have a multitude of possible interpretations.

I can’t speak for everyone, but I think that a lot of people will like Everything, Everything a lot. You should Definitely, Definitely read this book!

I was looking for a quick read and hence my decision to read this title.. This title is different from what I have come to expect from the harlequin desire line. If you like your romance stories hot and steamy then this book is not for you. If on the other hand, you like sweet romance stories with light, love scenes where you have to use your imagination then you will love this book.

This story was told from the POV of the main characters. Some readers may find the switching between the two POVs distracting. I don’t mind it as it provided me with insight into their thoughts and emotions.

Stormbound with a Tycoon tells the story of Jessica McGuire and Dylan Russell. Jessica had a crush on Dylan since she was fifteen years old; however, to Dylan she was his best friend’s sister and nothing else. Fast forward sixteen years later, these two had moved on with their lives, but it did not turn out as was expected.

Jessica is a divorcee, who is determined to get her life back on track and prove that she does not need a man to define her. Dylan is an ace at making lucrative business deals; however, after a deal gone bad he began to question his judgement as a result he decided to re-evaluate his life. To do so he asked his best friend for the use of his cabin. Jessica, unaware of this arrangement decided to stay at the cabin to get some much needed rest. The two became stranded as a result of a storm and was forced to endure each other company throughout the duration of the storm.

There were a lot of internal battles of emotions in this title. Both characters had their inner demons to deal with and found it difficult to express their feelings. I thought Jessica was a bit judgemental when it came to Dylan. She is willing to think the worst of him. In spite of this she had difficulty fighting her attraction to him.

This is a story of love, self-discovery and acceptance. Overall, I found this to be an ok read.