Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, 483 pages

Fangirl is a YA contemporary novel, based around a college-bound teen who is addicted to writing fan-fiction. This has been on my to-read list for as long as I can remember, and since I've been into YA contemporary lately, I decided to finally read it. I know so many people that really love this book, but unfortunately, I didn't. There wasn't a single character that I truly enjoyed and found the characters extremely immature for the age group that Rowell was trying to portray. I did enjoy Levi  & Cath's relationship, so that made me stick it out until the end. I have other novels by Rowell on my to read list and hopefully they'll be a better fit for me!

The Chaos of Standing Still by Jessica Brody, 417 pages

The Chaos of Standing Still is a YA contemporary romance that centers around two teens who are stranded at the Denver Airport during a severe snow storm. Ryn & Xander don't know each other, but are thrown together when they cross paths while stuck at the airport. Both teens are dealing with hardship in their personal lives and are struggling to overcome the hardships they're faced with. They both end up leaning on each other in more ways than they originally thought they would. 

I was looking for something that was a cutesy, feel-good read and this was certainly that. This book fell flat for me in regards to the characters because none of the main characters had much depth and there was plenty of room for it. This was fast paced and held my attention enough, but it doesn't stand out in it's genre. 

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han, 352 pages

Always and Forever, Lara Jean is the last book of the To All the Boys I've Loved Before series. I had a couple people tell me that they didn't like this book as much as the other two, but I loved it just as much. Lara Jean and Peter have grown so much as not only a couple but individuals and it was a great goodbye seeing them venture into adulthood. I was so glad that Han ended the series with LJ and Peter together and it was hard for me to finish this one knowing that it was the last of the books. Han says that she won't write another book starring Lara Jean but I'm holding out hope that she will change her mind. The only plus side of not having another book is that Lara Jean and Peter will live on together forever in my mind!

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han, 352 pages

P.S. I Love You was the sequel to To All the Boys I've Loved Before and I was a little nervous that I wouldn't love it as much as I loved the first one and was happy that I did. Lara Jean had even more development in this book and it was once again centered around her relationship with Peter, which I LOVE! This is another quick but good read for anyone who loves contemporary romance. My only complaint is that it may be difficult for older readers to connect with the characters due to the age gap. 

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han, 369 pages

I've been on a YA/Romance kick for a couple of weeks now so I thought it was a good time to finally read To All the Boys I've Loved Before. I really wanted to read this after the Netflix movie came out. I was surprised with how much I loved this book. I fell in love with the characters instantly, especially Lara Jean and Peter. I was impressed with main character Lara Jean's character development and emotional growth throughout the book and the entire series overall. I did find LJ's character to be a little immature for the age that Han was trying to portray her as, but I'm not sure that my maturity level was any better at 16. This is a quick and easy read with a ton of feel-good moments packed in it.

The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen, 440 Pages

When I was younger, Sarah Dessen was always one of my favorite authors. I've strayed away from the romance genre as a whole but I decided to give Dessen's newest novel, The Rest of the Story, a shot and I'm so glad I did. This was such a sweet story of young love, heartbreak and how magical summer is when you're young. I really enjoyed this book and was so sad when it was over. I'll apparently always have a soft spot for anything written by Dessen and I look forward to reading more from her in the future. 

All The Rage by Courtney Summers, 336 pages

All The Rage by Courtney Summers is a contemporary young adult novel. It'd been on my to-read list ever since I read Summers' other book, Sadie, which I loved. All The Rage tackles a lot of tough topics, and the entire story is based around the aftermath of a young woman being raped. This is definitely not an easy read, and a lot of the book is hard to digest due to the intensity of the topics. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and thought it was an eye-opening read. I thought that the writing was absolutely beautiful, and Summers really projects her writing on to you, making you feel every single gut-wrenching feeling that the main character, Romy, is feeling.

The Mermaid's Voice Returns in This One by Amanda Lovelace, 208 Pages

I've fallen in love with Amanda Lovelace's work, and recommend it to anyone who is interested in poetry but struggles with it, like myself. Lovelace's poems are very contemporary and I find them easier to connect with in my own life, which makes it a more enjoyable read, in my opinion! This is the third book in her Women are Some Kind of Magic series.

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas, 452 Pages

I was very nervous to read this book because I had such high standards for it. Angie Thomas's first book, The Hate U Give, was a life-changing book for me. Not only was the book phenomenally written, but the story itself is so important. It is one of the few books where I fell in love with the characters, and my heart broke a little bit when I had to let them go. I'm happy to say that On the Come Up lived up to every expectation I had! This is another story that is so well written, and another set of characters that you can't help but feel attached to. Angie Thomas has quickly became one of my favorite authors, and I will read anything and everything that she puts out there.

Bri knows one thing: She wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all-time. Following in her now-dead father's footsteps, Bri starts attending rap battles. Just as she begins to win the battles, and things look like they might start looking up, her mom loses her job and they're on the verge of being evicted. Bri knows that the one thing that would get her and her family out of this situation and out of her neighborhood is making it big. The only problem is, is that the one person who can help her do it expects her to rap about things that aren't an actual part of her personal life- guns, drugs and gangs. She battles an inner-turmoil of doing what she knows will get her top, or staying true to herself.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, 444 pages.

I've seen all the buzz around this book and also the film adaptation, but I never gave it the time of day. I honestly didn't even know what it was actually about until around a week ago, and decided to check it out. I am SO glad that I did. This was by far the best book that I read in 2018. I think that with how society is today, this is something that everyone should read and could learn from. I found myself hysterically laughing, hysterically crying and everything in between. I had chills when I read the line, "When I was twelve, my parents had two talks with me. One was the usual birds and bees. The other talk was about what to do if a cop stopped me." I had to stop and collect my thoughts for a few minutes after reading that line because, to be honest, it never occurred to me that that was a "thing". When I'm stopped by a cop, I'm thinking of every way I can possibly get out of the speeding ticket I'm inevitably going to get. This book really opened my eyes to the privilege that some people have just by being a different race, sexual orientation, etc.

Starr Carter basically lives a double life. She is a typical sixteen-year-old female while attending the prep school her parents pay for her attend, an hour away from their home. When she's at home, Starr is a not so typical sixteen-year-old who has witnessed her best friend, Natasha, being murdered in a drive-by shooting at the age of ten. Starr has learned to balance the two lives she lives, but everything comes crashing around her when another life-long best friend, Khalil, is murdered by a white cop during a supposedly routine traffic stop. To make matters worse, Khalil was completely unarmed. Now, Starr's life is turned upside down, and her neighborhood has turned into a war zone. His death has become a national headline, and said headlines are slandering Khalil, calling him a drug dealer and a thug. Starr knows that is far from the truth, and is also the only one who knows in entirety what happened that night. The only problem with that is that Starr has been scared into silence thanks to the violence that is surrounding her home, and also the threats coming from a local drug lord.