This book was way better than I expected. I thought it would be a contemporary romance, but it was more than that.

I fell in love with the writing in this book. I read We Were Liars quite a long time ago and I did not remember the writing to be that good, even if I liked it. I really enjoyed it in this book.

The plot is not the best, honestly; not a lot happened in the book. But the idea behind it was really original.

The characters were complex and I really liked discovering more about all of them. Frankie is such an amazing character; I wanted to know more about her. She wants to belong and she would do anything for it. She really is determined to achiever her goals. That is something I liked about her. What I did not like that much was how she reacted to her boyfriend and to men in general. But I think it was important to the development of the book and it was well done in my opinion.

This book is full of interesting lessons, it made you think about a lot of different issues and I liked that. Like in We Were Liars, you expect something light and end up with quite a heavy book.

I totally recommend reading this. Also, it is not really long and I read it really quickly because I could not put it down, it was entertaining, fun but also really interesting!

Today I thought that I'd share my favorite reads from 2015. I've been posting these on a Goodreads shelf all year long, but some of them are books I'd also marked as favorites in 2014: Made You Up by Francesca Zappia, Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma, The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski, and The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon. Those I read in 2014, though they were officially published in 2015 -- would still recommend reading those! Last year I only made a video as a means of recommending books to people who didn't like YA much, but this year I wanted to make a full list!

Great contemporary reads --

Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed, Dumplin' by Julie Murphy, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart, Delicate Monsters by Stephanie Kuehn, and Black Iris by Leah Raeder

Written in the Stars is a heartfelt exploration of an arranged marriage in Pakistan, written simply to maximize its impact and our identification with the main character on her horrific journey. Dumplin' is a romantic coming-of-age about a fat girl who competes in a beauty pageant to regain her confidence and self-love. About a girl trying to break into a men-only secret society, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is another great read from E. Lockhart. And what happens when you take three self-destructive, morally grey people and force them to interact with each other? A high stakes psychological thriller from Stephanie Kuehn, potentially her best work yet in Delicate Monsters. Black Iris is Leah Raeder's heart book, sexy, romantic suspense layered with questions about gender identity and sexuality. All are wonderful explorations of growing up in a patriarchal world.

You can read my reviews of: Black Iris, Delicate Monsters, and Dumplin'. I nominated Dumplin' and Delicate Monsters in theEpic Reads Book Shimmy Awards, and encouraged others to be excited for the release of Dumplin'.

Magical realism that takes risks in its narrative --

Chime by Franny Billingsley, Bone Gap by Laura Ruby, and The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle

YA magical realism is a wonderful expanding genre that's pushing the boundaries of the typical YA narrative. All three of these stories are told in their own cyclical, winding ways, and all three have absolutely gorgeous writing. Chime tells the story of a girl regaining her confidence as she discovers the truth; Bone Gap tells a story about perception and beauty; and The Accident Season tells the story of a family broken by a tragic past. Highly recommended, and can't wait for more magical realism to crop up.

I discussed Bone Gap and The Accident Season here. I nominated Bone Gap in the Epic Reads Book Shimmy Awards.

Female-led historical journeys --

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson, Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein, and Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

Elizabeth Wein is a reigning queen of YA historical fiction, and Rose Under Fire was a gorgeous tale of female friendship tested under terrible circumstances. Walk on Earth a Stranger is about a girl with a fantastical ability to discover gold on an Oregon Trail-like, self-discovery journey to California, and it's as fantastic as that sounds.Daughter of the Forest is loosely based on the legend of the Children of Lir and "The Six Swans," a fairy tale told by the Grimms and many more. It's gorgeous and I absolutely adore the commingling of tender romance, Celtic atmosphere, and fantastical curses.

You can read my review of Walk on Earth a Stranger. Because of my love for Daughter of the Forest, I wrote a recommendation list of adult fiction for YA readers. I nominated Walk on Earth a Stranger in theEpic Reads Book Shimmy Awards, and encouraged others to be excited for its release.

Er, the only Urban Fantasy recommendation I have is Burned by Karen Marie Moning. A few years ago, I got caught up in adult urban fantasy, which is often sexy and led by kickass heroines. At this point, I'm not reading much adult UF (though feel free to recommend me some books!); only the Fever series remains on my tbr list.

Fantasy! Fantasy! Fantasy!

The Golden Specific by S.E. Grove, Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman, Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith, Uprooted by Naomi Novik, Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge, Serpentine by Cindy Pon, Eon by Alison Goodman, Poison Study by Maria Snyder, and A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston

Goodness, where to start? The Golden Specific is a part of the MG trilogy I said was most inventive MG fantasy I've read since Harry Potter. Shadow Scale is the much anticipated sequel to Seraphina, and is, like its predecessor, a wonderfully written masterpiece. Crown Duel is the most fun I've had with fantasy in a while. As Small Review said: "It's like a fantasy Pride and Prejudice with an imperfect main character who grows throughout the book, a swoony slow burn hate-turned-love romance, and lots and lots of political intrigue." Uprooted has a side plot of slow burning hate-to-love romance, a determined, spirited heroine who learns to wield magic with skill, plenty of plot twists and an absolutely wonderful main female friendship. Plus, of course, a creative fairy tale world, with a cinematically creepy evil Wood. Crimson Bound is very much of the same ilk as Uprooted; enjoyed one, and well, you should read the other. At its core, Serpentine features a wonderful main female friendship which runs well alongside a sweet romance, lush setting inspired by Chinese folklore, and an innately discussable premise about a girl with a power that makes her feel Other. Eon is an epic fantasy inspired by Japanese and Chinese mythology, full of daring adventure and heartbreaking action and romance, and layered with questions on gender identity. I'd definitely recommend Poison Study to fans of Throne of Glass; Poison Study is about the food taster to the Commander of a military regime, and the political intrigue, magic, and romance she unexpectedly finds. A Thousand Nights is a loose epic fantasy retelling of 1001 Nights, and features a heroine who defies the odds in not only surviving the threat of murder from her husband but also in becoming a stronger leader and a goddess in her own right. ALL FANTASTIC FANTASY READS!

You can read my reviews of: A Thousand Nights, Eon, Serpentine, Crimson Bound, Uprooted, Shadow Scale, and the Mapmakers trilogy. I discussed Crown Duel and Poison Study here. I nominated Serpentine and A Thousand Nights in theEpic Reads Book Shimmy Awards.

Science Fiction for your Star Wars craving --

Stone in the Sky by Cecil Castellucci

 This week I felt the need to go to the library, and it is a good thing I did. My library has a used book store filled with lots of good books and they were having a book sale. So, in addition to the 6 library books I checked out, I also bought 13 books from the bookstore. I paid a grand total of $3.65 for 13 books. Pretty sure that is some kind of record for me!

My Library Books:

The One by: Kiera Cass - Third book in the Selection Series! ( I finished this one and it is the best book in the series so far! Looking forward to the next one!)

The Assassins Blade by: Sarah J. Maas -Selection of novellas from the Throne of Glass Series. (I finished this one last night, and adored it! Can't wait for Queen of Shadows!!)

Eon by: Alison Goodman - First book in the series.  (Currently reading, really good so far!)

The Kingdom of Little Wounds by: Susann Cokal - Not sure if this is a standalone or if it is the first in a series.

Ruby Red by: Kerstin Gier - The First book in a time travel trilogy.

Cruel Beauty by: Rosamund Hodge - A Beauty and the Beast Retelling.

Books I Purchased from my Library

(NF) Age of Kings by: Charles Blitzer -This is a history book. (I don't really know anything about it other than that)

(NF) My War by: Tracy Sugarman- This is a book that is a non fiction account of a husband and wife during WWII.

(NF) I Remember Laura by: Stephan W Hines -This is a biographical account of Laura Ingalls Wilder. I believe it is focused more on her adult life.

(F) Crane by: Jeff Stone -I honestly have no idea what this is about.

(F) Brothers in Valor by: Micheal O. Tunnell - This about three German boys during WWII

(NF) Life in a Medieval Castle by: Joseph and Frances Gies -Since I have been to a medieval castle I thought this would be an interesting read.

(NF) Jane Austen the Woman By: George Holbert Tucker - This is a biography about Jane Austen!

(F) The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks by: E. Lockhart -I have no idea what this is about.

(F) Restoring Harmony by: Joelle Anthony -This is a dystopian novel set in the future.

(NF) The Discovery of the Titanic by: Dr. Robert D. Ballard

(F) The Knife of Never Letting Go by: Patrick Ness -Heard really good things about this book.

(NF) The Devil in the White City by: Erik Larson -This sounds really interesting, it involves a World Fair and a Serial Killer

(F) War Without Friends by: Evert Hartman - A WWII book about some kids in occupied Holland.

I suppose I should feel guilty for all of the books that I bought, but with how much I paid for them I feel no guilt! I hope you enjoyed reading this!

Yours Truly, signing off!

Kenzie

Frankie’s new boyfriend is a member of the all-male secret society that is responsible for pulling the biggest pranks in school history. Frankie desperately wants to know what happens during the society’s secret meetings, but every time she asks, her boyfriend lies to her. What he doesn’t know is that Frankie is controlling the society. She’s the one coming up with the pranks and pulling all the strings. She can make her boyfriend and his friends do whatever she wants just by sending an email.

Frankie is a great character. I can’t say that I understand her or relate to her, but she’s fascinating to read about. She’s power-hungry and ambitious. She doesn’t want to be a nice, sweet, sensitive girl who does whatever her boyfriend asks. Frankie is obsessive and refuses to be underestimated. She has goals, and she’ll do whatever it takes to achieve them, even if it means manipulating people. She’s far from your typical YA heroine. So, if you read a lot of YA, Frankie is a refreshing change.

I like the detached way that this story is written. The third-person narrator examines Frankie’s behavior and shows how much calculation she puts into every decision. The book is almost written like a cautionary tale or an old-school children’s book, but it’s not preachy or heavy-handed. The writing style creates a mysterious tone. It made me keep reading because I needed to know what Frankie did to get herself into so much trouble.

I do have one big criticism of the book. It’s marketed as YA, but I think a lot of YA readers would find it juvenile. Some aspects of the story seem more middle grade than YA. I had a hard time staying interested in the plot because I couldn’t force myself to care about high school pranks. I didn’t even care about pranks when I was in high school. The story wasn’t interesting to me, but kids and younger teens would probably love the suspense, mystery, and humor.

Frankie is a wonderful character, but I wish the book had more going on in the plot. It mostly focuses on pranks, so I’d recommend this book to younger readers, but older readers may want to skip it.

The book started off slow and nothing really happened throughout, but I loved it anyway. I love Lockhart's novels.

Frankie is a strong and clever young woman who feels as though she is as deserving, maybe more so, to be a part of the all-male secret society at the boarding school she attends. She is determined to prove that she is more than just a pretty girl who needs to be protected.