Maybe I listed my likes and dislikes, had a little short paragraph, or a few sentences to convey my feelings on the book, but whatever the "review" is, all of them are short and simple. (hence the clever name)
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High school senior Frank Li is a Limbo–his term for Korean-American kids who find themselves caught between their parents’ traditional expectations and their own Southern California upbringing. His parents have one rule when it comes to romance–“Date Korean”–which proves complicated when Frank falls for Brit Means, who is smart, beautiful–and white. Fellow Limbo Joy Song is in a similar predicament, and so they make a pact: they’ll pretend to date each other in order to gain their freedom. Frank thinks it’s the perfect plan, but in the end, Frank and Joy’s fake-dating maneuver leaves him wondering if he ever really understood love–or himself–at all.
Review
I was really looking forward to this book and after reading it I can say that I did like it. There are parts that I am torn about, but this is a great read. I liked that it showed an experience that is not shown in YA very often and Frank's voice was very strong in the book. The writing reminded me of John Green with its use of metaphors. I expected a feel-good book, but this book discusses a lot of more complicated and difficult topics. This surprised me. What I had issues with was mainly the romance. The fake dating aspect of this book was over very quickly, which was disappointing. [highlight to view spoiler] And there is cheating. Yes, I fully expected from the beginning for Frank and Joy to get together, but I am not here for cheating. Their relationship also happened too quickly for me to really believe it, but that might have been purposeful since they do break up in the end. [end of spoiler] Overall, I did like this book, even though I had some issues. I liked some of the things it discussed and the representation. I will read the next book.
I hereby give this book
3.5 Stars
Meaning: I liked it, but it wasn't quite amazing
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In this high concept YA novel debut that’s We All Looked Up meets The Sun Is Also
a Star, three teens must face down the mistakes of their past after they learn that life on Earth might end in less than a week.
News stations across the country are reporting mysterious messages that Earth has been receiving from a planet—Alma—claiming to be its creator. If they’re being interpreted correctly, in seven days Alma will hit the kill switch on their “colony” Earth.
True or not, for teenagers Jesse Hewitt, Cate Collins, and Adeem Khan, the prospect of this ticking time bomb will change their lives forever.
Jesse, who has been dealt one bad blow after another, wonders if it even matters what happens to the world. Cate, on the other hand, is desperate to use this time to find the father she never met. And Adeem, who hasn’t spoken to his estranged sister in years, must find out if he has it in him to forgive her for leaving.
With only a week to face their truths and right their wrongs, Jesse, Cate, and Adeem’s paths collide as their worlds are pulled apart.
Review
The idea behind this book first intrigued me. I love books featuring characters facing the possible end of the world, but focusing on contemporary elements. I was a bit wary because I had been let down by books with this kind of premise in the past. I did find this book to be a promising debut. I liked the three different perspectives and I felt like their voices were authentic. I liked the contemporary focus. There was a mix of sadness and hope in this book and how humanity is portrayed during end times. Some people used the end of days to do whatever they wanted, to create chaos, while others tried to keep hope alive. Two out of three of our main characters were trying to look for family, while another was trying to keep what was left of his family afloat by not exactly truthful means. I did find the ending disappointing. The final ending was not an issue, I liked how open-ended it was, but the entire book builds up to all the characters meeting up and it just did not read as satisfying as I expected it to be. Overall, though, this was an interesting book and I will likely read more from this author.
I hereby give this book
3.5 Stars
Meaning: I liked it, but it wasn't quite amazing
Trees can't tell jokes, but they can certainly tell stories. . . .
Red is an oak tree who is many rings old. Red is the neighborhood "wishtree"—people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red's branches. Along with her crow friend Bongo and other animals who seek refuge in Red's hollows, this "wishtree" watches over the neighborhood.
You might say Red has seen it all. Until a new family moves in. Not everyone is welcoming, and Red's experiences as a wishtree are more important than ever.
Review
This was such a wonderful read! I read The One and Only Ivan a few months ago on audio and loved it! I read Crenshaw and liked it, but it did not wow me as much. I am glad to say that Wishtree will become another favorite of mine. Like the previously mentioned books, Wishtree has unique narration. This time, the book is narrated by a tree called Red who has been around for a while and loves to tell stories, but tree rules prevent speaking to humans. I loved Red's narration and how Red sets the story up. It is amazing to say that I really understood Red's character and perspective. Speaking of characters, the cast was fantastic. Red houses numerous animals and it was entertaining seeing them bicker, as well as seeing how connected they all were (and how much they loved Red). I also loved how Red explained the naming system for every species. Through Red, we also see a young girl, struggling with people not accepting her and her family. She takes comfort under Red's leaves and Red feels connected to her story. We see how this new story connects to past stories, and overall, this becomes a story of friendship and accepting others. This was a fairly quick read but even in the short chapters and the different perspective, this became a wonderful story of acceptance and wishes. It carries universal ideas and ones that the trees have seen again and again. But, the ending put a smile on my face. I hope to read more from Katherine Applegate in the future.
I hereby give this book
5 Stars
Meaning: A new favorite!
Great reviews. I'm definitely planning on picking up Frankly In Love.
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