How To Make Out Review

How To Make Out
By: Brianna R. Shrum

Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Renley needs three thousand dollars for the math club’s trip to New York City, and she knows exactly how to get it: she’s going to start a how-to blog where people pay for answers to all of life’s questions from a “certified expert.” The only problems: 1) She doesn’t know how to do anything but long division and calculus. 2) She’s totally invisible to people at school. And not in a cool Gossip Girl kind of way.

So, she decides to learn to do . . . well . . . everything. When her anonymous blog shifts in a more scandalous direction and the questions (and money) start rolling in, she has to learn not just how to do waterfall braids and cat-eye makeup, but a few other things, like how to cure a hangover, how to flirt, and how to make out (something her very experienced, and very in-love-with-her neighbor, Drew, is more than willing to help with).

As her blog’s reputation skyrockets, so does “new and improved” Renley’s popularity. She’s not only nabbed the attention of the entire school, but also the eye of Seth Levine, the hot culinary wizard she’s admired from across the home-ec classroom all year.

Soon, caught up in the thrill of popularity both in and out of cyberspace, her secrets start to spiral, and she finds that she’s forgotten the most important how-to: how to be herself. When her online and real lives converge, Renley will have to make a choice: lose everything she loves in her new life, or everyone she loves in the life she left behind.

How To Make Out was one of those books you can never put down until you read every single page twice. On the outside, the story looks to be just one of those normal "chick flicks" type books. But beneath the surface, in-between each page, is a beautiful story of a broken girl and how much she misses her run-away mom, wants her dad to notice her, and aches for true love. The depth to Renley is deeper than the ocean and she keeps it locked away. It takes a few mistakes for her to learn her true potential and who she really is as a person. 

I have never rooted for a fictional character more. Shrum had me on my toes between two beautiful, and kind men for Renley. I about held my breath at the end, and then spit out my water I was drinking at her choice. The author crafted this beautiful love story in a way that's not cliche or a love triangle in any form, but a raw and soft love, thats relatable to any teenager. 

Each chapter has it's own set of laughs, jokes, and embarrassing moments that will make you cringe. But as you read the story, you will grow with the main character, and ultimately come out for the better.

How To Make Out are for the girls who need a good love story late at night, that shows, your prince is out there. It just may take a blog, and a best friend to figure it out. 

Rating: 4/5

Playlist: 

Ride by: Chase Rice

The Mess I Made by: Parachute 

I Hate You, I Love You by: Gnash 

Everywhere We've Been Review

Everywhere We've Been

By: Sarah Everett

Addison Sullivan has been in an accident. In its aftermath, she has memory lapses and starts talking to a boy who keeps disappearing. She's afraid she's going crazy, and the worried looks on her family's and friends' faces aren't helping.
 
Addie takes drastic measures to fill in the blanks and visits the Overton Clinic. But there she unwittingly discovers it is not her first visit. And when she presses, she finds out that she had certain memories erased. 
 
Flooded with questions about the past, Addison confronts the choices she can't even remember and wonders if you can possibly know the person you're becoming if you don't know the person you've been.

Now, usually I am not a fan of books with lost memories, and the whole plot is them trying to figure them out but wow this story took that concept and twisted it up into a new obsession for me. 

Addison Sullivan is an average girl with a love for the viola (it is not a violin).  Insert a tragic accident resulting in some strange occurrences by a boy who nobody but she can see. Which is basically like me and every fictional boy ever to date. 

Meanwhile we get a flash back on what happened eighteen months ago and the adventures she goes on, mistakes she makes, and the things she does. Piece by piece, you start to put two-and-two together and things start to shift. But you won't be ready for the ending. Nope. Which I am dying to spill but for the sake of you, I won't. 

This book brought out so many emotions in me; I would sit up in my dorm bed and be reading for hours. My roommates literally made fun of me for how invested I got into the story. It's a typical love story but with a huge twists and cute unique dates that I hope my future boyfriend will do for me. 

The message behind the story will haunt you after you read and forever. It teaches us why the past is important, and we shouldn't try to escape the bad memories.  We should focus on the good. What happens before will shape us into our today, and we can't ignore that. 

Overall, this book was a win, and deserves a 4/5 stars. 

Book Playlist: 

Before:

The Words by: Christina Perri

Love You Like The Movies by: Anthem Lights

Closer by: The Chainsmokers

Someone New by Hozier

After: 

Down by Jason Walker

I Will Return by: Skylar Grey

When I Look At You by: Miley Cyrus (Addison to her viola) 

Morning in America by: Jon Bellion 

Glitter Review

Glitter
By: Aprilynne Pike

Outside the palace of Versailles, it’s modern day. Inside, the people dress, eat, and act like it’s the eighteenth century—with the added bonus of technology to make court life lavish, privileged, and frivolous. The palace has every indulgence, but for one pretty young thing, it’s about to become a very beautiful prison.
When Danica witnesses an act of murder by the young king, her mother makes a cruel power play . . . blackmailing the king into making Dani his queen. When she turns eighteen, Dani will marry the most ruthless and dangerous man of the court. She has six months to escape her terrifying destiny. Six months to raise enough money to disappear into the real world beyond the palace gates.
Her ticket out? Glitter. A drug so powerful that a tiny pinch mixed into a pot of rouge or lip gloss can make the wearer hopelessly addicted. Addicted to a drug Dani can sell for more money than she ever dreamed.
But in Versailles, secrets are impossible to keep. And the most dangerous secret—falling for a drug dealer outside the palace walls—is one risk she has to take.

Out in stores October 25th

I went into this book with a very blind eye. I knew it had something to do with drugs, and a kingdom, but other than that I couldn't really wrap my mind around the setting of this story.  So I'll explain it for the confused ones not understanding the synopsis: 

The rest of the world is normal, jeans-wearing, improper humans. But in Versailles, France, a billion-dollar company bought the city and transformed it into their kingdom. Where everyone dresses like they were in the Marie Antoinette days (with an actual reason but I don't want to spoil that). 

From the very first page I was intrigued. Sure, I was super confused for the first few chapters until they finally explained why the heck they dress and act like they do, but it was interesting nevertheless.  I have always loved princesses and evil kings so this book was right up my ally. 

Characters: 

Danica is a girl with ambitions that doesn't include being a Queen and wife to a killer. She wants out, something her mother has never allowed and now she has a very small time-frame to escape this life she has been forced into. 

Saber: Mysterious, hot, kind, basically everything we all want in a love interest. The hot love scenes will not disappoint and his backstory will make you want to cry. He is the type of guy we all want to rescue us and make his princess. 

Justin: Anger issues, power issues, bipolar... he's just got a lot going on in his big King brain (probably cause his head is so big and the small crown is cutting off his circulation).

Plot: Basically a breaking bad mixed with royals. I can't say who would be who character wise but it does have the same elements and deaths scattered throughout. You think you know what's going to happen, but when it does occur, it's not quite like what you would expect... times a million. It makes you yearn desperately for the sequel. I'd even bribe the author with Glitter to receive it if it was real...

Originality: Ten billion stars for this whole original plot. I've never read anything close to it.  How did Pike come up with this? Was she just sitting at a table eating breakfast and decided she wanted to write a book about a girl stuck in a Marie Antoinette life trying to escape it by dealing drugs? This whole book could get it's own genre and I can see it sparking other ideas for authors on how to push the envelop of the world. 

I give this book a 5/5 stars for its Characters, Plot, and Originality. I held onto each page for dear life and never wanted it to end. You can bet I will be waiting for the sequel. 

Book Playlist: 

Theme Song: Gasoline by Halsey 

You've Got Me Flush by Future Generations
Any Other Way by We The Kings
Thief by Alexander Jean
Inhale Exhale by Rebellion 
Iris by Hannah Trigwell
Kiss From A Rose by Seal

*Was provided with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Outward Blonde Review

Outward Blonde

By: Trish Cook

Sixteen-year-old Lizzie Finkelstein is a hard-partying socialite who lives a charmed life with her mother in Manhattan. After a public drunken escapade results in both an arrest and an embarrassing viral video online, Lizzie’s parents stage a late night intervention. Lizzie finds herself whisked away to Utah to learn a lesson or two about taking responsibility at Camp Smiley, a wilderness survival program for troubled kids.

Camp Smiley is a far cry from Lizzie’s high society life in New York. Without her stable of luxury hair/makeup items, her teacup Pomeranian, contact with the outside world or access to social media, Lizzie must face the harsh conditions of the outdoors. Grouped with troubled campers in which she’s certain she has nothing in common (except Jack, who’s pretty hot), Lizzie must now learn to dig her own toilet in the woods and build a fire by rubbing two sticks together before the camp will ever let her go back to her former existence. She has a choice: get with the program, or get out of there.

I don't know what I would do if my parents sent me to camp against my will; let alone one that makes you hike ten miles in a day for fun. I can barely do ten push ups without being winded. So when I cracked open the book and was transported into the world of Lizzie Finkelstein, I could relate a little with her. 

She hates outdoors, loves shopping, fashion know-it-all, and generally a nice person (most of the time). Though she does have a lot to work on: Rude, harsh, spoiled, manipulative... to name a few.

But yet through this book you see the journey of a broken soul trying to find her way back. Which is something we can all relate to. Lizzie represents teenagers everywhere trying to find themselves in a society that determines it for you by look. 

Positives:

- Relatable Protagonist
- Underlying meaning
- Comedic gold
- Douche bag guy
- Adorable love interest
- crazy back stories

Negatives: 
- Spoiler to back stories
- Not enough connection to love interest
- Sometimes awkward language used

There was a page around the third chapter that had a documentation of the "campers." Along with the descriptions of what they did. I liked the little commentary documents but these I didn't enjoy. I think the anticipation would have been better if we had to figure out what they did to get sent to the camp on our own.  A huge plot twist could have been made then. 

I also think the spark formed between Lizzie and him (not going to give it away don't worry) should have grown a little more. In a way it wasn't there but there at the same time. I love the love interest and think he would be perfect for Lizzie... I just wished the love would have grown and been shown a little more before the huge reveal. 

Also when Lizzie is texting her friends, sometimes she would use slang and weird stuff teenagers don't really use anymore... or ever. 

For the long haul I liked the book. The plot and one-liners were great, and the ending was adorable. I'd give it 3.5/5 stars. It reminded me a lot of Legally Blonde in a way because of the different world Lizzie is transformed into... and how she deals with it. 

Fans of Legally Blonde and Miss Congeniality will eat this book up and not want to put it down. The comedic writing style with the few sentiment and important moments will keep you hooked. 

*Was provided with an ARC in exchange for an honest review