Girl Online: Going Solo by Zoe Sugg | Book Review

Girl Online: Going Solo by Zoe Sugg

Reading Group: High School+

Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Given Summary: Penny’s life is back to normal.

As Penny starts the school year she’s ready to face the world—alone. Noah has gone off the radar after ending his world tour early, and no one, including Penny, knows where he is. So when she accepts Megan’s invitation to visit her performing arts school, it seems like an opportunity to make some new friends.

Helping everyone else seems to be the right remedy—Elliot needs her friendship more than ever, and she meets Posey, who she can really help with her stage fright. But is charming Scottish boy Callum the right kind of distraction? And can Penny truly move on when Noah’s shadow seems to haunt her around every corner?

Cover: All of the Girl Online books have similar covers, so it is very clear that they are in a series.  On the cover of this novel, there is a masquerade mask, sparklers that make a heart, a camera, and tickets to a "West Side Story" play.  There also seems to be a picture of some type of plant, which may represent the speech about the tree Leah Brown gives Posey.  All of the images on the cover have meaning within the book, and it's always been fun when you get the book to see how they all relate to the storyline.      

My Review: For anyone who has been here for a while knows that I hold a special place in my heart for the Girl Online series because it was one of the first book reviews I ever did, so it's a little sad for me to see the series come to an end.  I did really like this book, though.  I was so sad that Penny and Noah weren't together at the beginning because it was unclear to me how they ended things in On Tour and I got nervous when Callum came into the picture.  However, I was so glad when Noah came back, and there wasn't some big decision Penny had to make.  She took Noah back pretty quickly which I was glad for because obviously, they belong together.  I probably would have been more upset then Penny was if I found out my ex-boyfriend was living in my town and not an ocean away, even if he did have a good reason.  I think this book included a lot of learning for Penny.  She discovered that sometimes friendships fall apart, but other relationships come back stronger than ever.  She also learned that although she loves photography and is really good at it, she also realized that she liked to help people.  The fact that Penny has anxiety has always been such a big part of this series because it's something Zoe Sugg knows a lot about and, although it's beginning to become a common topic in books, it's still not something that is fully understood.  Plus, anxiety is different for everyone and Penny is a great character for someone who suffers from anxiety because she doesn't let it stop her from doing what she loves, but she doesn't ignore it either.  This series was so fun to read, and I'm excited to see what Zoe comes out with next.

Click to stay connected:

Main Twitter: @juliann_guerra

Second Twitter: @writerjewels

Instagram: juliann_guerra

Second Instagram: writerjewels

Tumblr: juliann-guerra

Goodreads: Juliann Guerra

Wattpad: @writerjewels

Pinterest: Juliann Guerra

Spotify: juliann.guerra

Bloglovin: Juliann Guerra

Twisted by Hannah Jayne | Book Review

Twisted by Hannah Jayne

Reading Group: High School+

Personal Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Given Summary: Guilty until proven innocent...

Bex has always been her daddy's little girl. After her mother left, it was just the two of them. Sure he spoiled her with clothes and jewelry, but what father doesn't dote on his daughter?

Except Bex's dad is alleged to be a notorious serial killer. Dubbed "The Wife Collector" by the press, her father disappeared before he could stand trial. And Bex was left to deal with the taunts and rumors. Foster care is her one chance at starting over, starting fresh.

But Bex's old life isn't ready to let her go. When bodies start turning up in her new hometown, the police want to use her as bait to bring her father in for questioning. Is Bex trapping a serial killer or endangering an innocent man?

Cover: The cover of this book shows a standard backyard with someone standing in the shadows.  The person is standing just outside the light and it's hard to tell which way they're facing.  The person could be facing the light, debating whether or not to make themselves known, or they could be facing the shadows, wanting to remain hidden. 

My Review: This was a great book.  Bex wants a normal life, but to have it she basically needs to lie about her entire life before she goes to her foster parents.  Her dad is an alleged serial killer and Bex wants to believe he didn't do it.  She wants to believe he was framed and that someday they can be together again and be a family.  Reading the novel it's pretty clear that Bex is in denial about the fact that her dad murdered multiple women, but I think that goes to show that we know a good version of someone we don't want to believe there's a bad version.  Especially when it's a parent because they're our protectors and they taught us our morals and we're fifty percent of each of them so if one of them is a serial killer is it more likely for their kid to become one too?  Plus, being a product of a killer isn't exactly a brag so Bex doesn't want anyone to know who she is, but the constant worrying of who knows what spikes her anxiety to high levels and she always seems to be paranoid.  I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely recommend it to friends, but the one thing I wish was in more detail was Zach's character.  He definitely knew more than he let on, and Bex thinks she sees the light of his camera when she and her friends find a body, but his character just kind of disappears.  I wish he was more than a character used to throw the reader off because even though I didn't think he was bad, I thought he could have been more important than he was.  

What creepy books are you reading this October??

Click to stay connected:

Main Twitter: @juliann_guerra

Second Twitter: @writerjewels

Instagram: juliann_guerra

Second Instagram: writerjewels

Tumblr: juliann-guerra

Goodreads: Juliann Guerra

Wattpad: @writerjewels

Pinterest: Juliann Guerra

Spotify: juliann.guerra

Bloglovin: Juliann Guerra

Scorched by Jennifer L. Armentrout | Book Review

Scorched by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Reading Group Rating: M for Mature (sexual content and sensitive subject matter)

Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Given Summary:Sometimes life leaves a mark...

Most days, Andrea doesn't know whether she wants to kiss Tanner or punch him in the gut. He is seriously hot, with legit bedroom eyes and that firefighter body of his, but he's a major player, and they can't get along for more than a handful of minutes. Until now.

Tanner knows he and Andrea have had an epic love/hate relationship for as long as he can remember, but he wants more love than hate from her. He wants her. Now. Tomorrow. But the more he gets to know her, the more it becomes obvious that Andrea has a problem. She's teetering on the edge, and every time he tries to catch her, she slips through his fingers.

Andrea's life is spiraling out of control, and it doesn't matter that Tanner wants to save her, because when everything falls apart and she’s speeding toward rock-bottom, only she can save herself.

Sometimes life makes you work for that happily ever after...

Cover: I don't even know where to start with this cover.  So it's obviously Andrea, looking almost like she's in pain or frustrated or crying.  All of which could have to do with her depression and anxiety.  She is also on a bed so maybe she's trying and failing to fall asleep.  She does have trouble sleeping and has to take medication so that is possible.  Or maybe she never went to sleep at all.  There does seem to be a bright light coming in from her side.  Maybe it's the sun, coming as a way of saying that it's a new day, a new start, and everything is going to be okay.  Or maybe it's headlights.  There do seem to be little sparkles around the edges, maybe those are stars.  It could be representing her accident.  Also, really the only color on the cover is her red hair.  Red is a color to show love and anger, two things Andrea battles with when it comes to Tanner.  It also shows superhuman heroism to the Greeks.  Andrea was able to be her own hero when she finally agreed to get help and then stayed in her rehabilitation program longer than necessary to make sure she was okay.  Red is also the color of fire.  Which leads me to the title of this novel, Scorched.

Sorry about how blurry this image is.  That happened because it had to shrink to fit in the post.

Scorch means (1) burn the surface of something with flame or heat.  Andrea (not to be too cliche, but I'm going to be) was like an onion in this novel (*cringes*)  and every once in a while you saw through another layer.  A layer would burn away and you would learn something new about her.  However it was still only the surface compared to what was to come.  She didn't completely burn and shed her skin until she was in that car accident, until she was finally able to admit that something was wrong and she needed help.  You could look at it from her and Tanner's relationship as well.  Tanner had no idea what he was getting into when he fell for Andrea.  He knew who she acted to be, but he didn't know her thoroughly.  He had to scorch the surface of her to do that, which he did entirely wrong and induced a panic attack from her, but he had to know who she was.

Scorch also means (2) move very fast.  Everything Andrea did she did at 180mph.  She was constantly changing her house around.  She drank quickly so she could get drunk.  When a panic attack was coming she quickly put it out or it quickly tore her apart.  She was driving fast when she was in the accident.  Even her and Tanner, one second they're throwing insults at each other, the next second they love each other.

And also, when you think of the word scorched, you probably think of fire.  And Tanner was a firefighter.  He was trained to deal with fires and he knew how to put them out.  He is the only one who would be able to handle Andrea and love her for who she is, even if part of who she is involves some pretty pretty frustrating issues. 

My Review: You guys!  This book, let me tell you.  First of all I found it because of Amazon recommendations and when I read the summary I was like, okay it's your typical romance novel, boy and girl love each other but they don't tell each other until they've already broken up and then they live happily ever after.  WRONG!  So all of that stuff does happen in this novel, but it so much more than that.  This novel covers topics about depression and anxiety and alcoholism and how they all correlate and can be happening to someone who you love and you may not even fully understand the levels of it.  This book was amazing.  I read it from cover to cover without putting it down.   I give an accurate time it took me to read because for some of it I had the TV on so I was only reading during the commercials.
I think because so many people with serious issues like depression and anxiety and drinking, even if it seems only like binge drinking and maybe that's not as serious as all the time drinking (P.S. It is) this book can really hit close to home.  People also suffer with not being so secure about their bodies. And people suffer from massive crushes on people they think they have no chance with, even if they already are in the same friend group.  Those issues are real and sometimes one person feels them all at once, just like Andrea.  I think her story shows that it's okay if you have those problems, but don't wait until you almost kill someone or yourself to get help.  The people you surround yourself with care about you, they want what's best for you and for you to be happy and healthy.  And if they don't care, you deserve better people in your life.  Jennifer Armentrout does a beautiful job of relating sensitive topics to a normal girl in this novel while still being able to make it a funny, lovable book.

P.S. After writing this I went to put it on my GoodReads account and this is the second book in the series!  Second!  The first one is called Frigid and it's Sydney and Kyler's story.

Quotes:  Having depression didn't make me think less of her.  Honestly, if anyone thought less of someone because of that, they could go fuck themselves. 

The thing about alcoholism and depression, I was learning, was that it wasn't a one-person problem.  At affected everyone you came into contact with, sometimes in ways you didn't even know, and not necessarily negatively either.  People wanted to help you.  You just had to let them. 

Smile!  I'll talk to you soon!xxx

Stay Connected:

Main Twitter: juliann_guerra

Second Twitter: writerjewels

Instagram: juliann_guerra

Tumblr: juliann-guerra

Goodreads: Juliann Guerra

Wattpad: writerjewels

Pinterest: Juliann Guerra

Spotify: juliann.guerra

Bloglovin: Juliann Guerra

Blogger: Juliann Guerra 

After Dark by M. Pierce | Book Review

After Dark by M. Pierce

Click Cover to Purchase

Reading Group Rating: M for Mature

Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 

Given Summary: Matt Sky is trying to return to normal, having faked his death and come back to life. He and Hannah move back in together, and Matt attempts to put his demons to rest as they strive to grow their relationship into something durable and honest. But as the two become more and more entangled, and the heat between them intensifies in all the best possible ways, Matt's desire for Hannah ignites cravings he has kept at bay for a long, long time.

Hannah finally has the life she's always wanted: she's pursuing her career as a literary agent at Granite Wing Agency, she is writing her first novel, and she is living with her hot, passionate lover. But as Matt and Hannah explore a new intimacy, Hannah finds that there are parts of Matt-dark, wild, uncontrollable parts-that he has yet to show her…that he has yet to show anyone.

Under the surface of Matt and Hannah's domestic bliss, deeply buried secrets burn, and all of a sudden, the least foreseen obstacle threatens to shatter everything they've worked so hard for.

Cover: This is the third book in the Night Owl series and if you line all three books up against each other the ribbon connects and weaves through all three covers.  I love this feature of the books.  I think it's really cool and creative.

Summary: Find out why I no longer write summaries 

My Review: This is the third and final novel in the Night Owl trilogy!!  It was a little sad to see it come to an end, but I did like how it ended.  Everything just kind of fell into place.  Well, minus Seth of course (*cries*).  This novel dealt with some regret on Matt's side as he wasn't on the best terms with Seth because of what happened with him and Hannah back in Last Light.  It majorly discussed family and what you're willing to do for your family.  Nate flew to Matt and tried to help him instead of going to Seth's funeral.  Matt adopts Chrissy's baby, even without Hannah's permission, because he knows that's the right thing to do.  Hannah find the perfect house with Matt in mind.  Hannah also does some new things sexually that she never imagined doing before meeting Matt (*blushes*).  A lot of the book is everyone trying to make Matt happy, but he does suffer from some serious anxiety so little things that maybe wouldn't bother us so much have a huge impact on him.  I love that they got married!!!!  They went through a lot together and they didn't know each other for years and years like some people do, but honestly who else were they supposed to end up with of not each other?  Matt, at least, would have been single forever.  It takes a very special girl to put up with everything he put Hannah through.  I'm saddened to see this trilogy end, but I'm excited to see what m.pierce comes up with next!
P.S. I totally think m.pierce is a woman...what do you think?

Smile!  I'll talk to you soon!xxx

Stay Connected:

Main Twitter: juliann_guerra

Second Twitter: writerjewels

Instagram: juliann_guerra

Tumblr: juliann-guerra

Goodreads: Juliann Guerra

Wattpad: writerjewels

Pinterest: Juliann Guerra

Spotify: juliann.guerra

Bloglovin: Juliann Guerra