Sunday, April 9, 2017

#Review: Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher


Rating:  + 

                 5/5 Book Emojis 


Format:

- Paperback

Publisher- Penguin Publishers
Pages- 288

Review:

"As the stories go by, one by one, I find myself relieved when my name isn't mentioned. Followed by a fear of what she hasn't said yet, of what she's going to say, when my turn comes. Because my turn is coming. I know that. And I want it to be over with. What did I do to you, Hannah?"

Music GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY Thirteen Reasons Why is the story of Hannah Baker, a new girl in High School who commits suicide after a series of tragic events that took place in her life. She doesn't leave a note or any goodbye. Or is there something? It all comes into play when Clay Jensen receives a wrapped shoebox on his doorstep with seven cassettes tapes and a total of thirteen reasons that led her to taking the decision of swallowing a handful of pills to end it, once for all. A rumor, based on a kiss, is just the beginning.

Thirteen stories about thirteen people in her life. The rules are pretty simple. There are only two. Rule number one: you listen. Number two: you pass it on. Hopefully, neither one will be easy for you (from Cassette 1: Side A)

I started reading this book after getting notified about the Netflix adaptation that got released on March 31st. The excitement was all the more thrilling when I decided to watch each episode along with each chapter. Unfortunately, by the fifth episode, I realised that the show is pretty different from the book and I shouldn't let the show change my opinion about the book.

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The writing style is quite exceptional and the author is able to tell the very important story to us all in less than 300 pages. Jay Asher has aced in dealing with such an important issue like Teen-Suicide through the means of this fast-paced and thrilling plot. The book is definitely a perfect combination of what a Young Adult book should consist of - humor (wherever possible), moments gushing with the power of adrenaline, grief, romance and most importantly, the hope for a better tomorrow.


Hannah surely strives hard to make her way out of the mud in high school and to the utter sorrow of all of us readers, she fails miserably. Clay's character is also perfectly written as a high school wallflower boy who tries too hard to figure his place out in the fast-paced life that revolves around him. The rest of the characters that come into play in this book are really very strong and Jay hasn't compromised at all in making their importance felt. By the end of this book, I'm sure, the readers will sympathise with Hannah and be left with hope for every other person mentioned in this story. The inevitable aftermath of this book will be much-required conversations about mental health and our need to curb the stigma surrounding it.


sahlooter GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY CONCLUSION: Not only did I absolutely love this book, but also, I want to share the love with everyone. This is a very important story that I believe every person should read, to understand the need to deal with Mental Health, High School bullying and also that depression is not a fault in a person's character but in their chemistry.




Tuesday, March 14, 2017

#BookishMerch from Create Explore Read

Hello reader fam!

Today, I want to tell you about this amazing company called 'Create Explore Read' by the also amazing - Emilie, where you can satisfy all your bookish needs for bookmarks, mugs, tote bags, t-shirts, hoodies, phone cases and many more items with BEAUTIFUL bookish prints.

I'll never tell you to get something unless I've used it myself and hence, this store is #ArjunApproved. 


As you can see in the photo above, I've tried (and loved) the book mark, the sticker and the mug. Expecto Patronum bookmark is absolutely gorgeous and it has a canvas-like texture to it. The 'Always' mug is perfect for all coffee lovers and Harry Potter fans.

You can get the merch for yourself from her following stores:
1. Society6 - (Join Society6 using THIS LINK and get FREE $10 on a purchase of $40) 
2. RedBubble
3. Etsy

___________________________________________________________________________

  • Follow Emilie on her Instagram page where she is currently hosting her 13k giveaway! 
  • Also, check out her super cute YouTube channel where she makes really great bookish videos. 
Happy Reading! :)

Sunday, January 8, 2017

#Review: History is All You Left Me - Adam Silvera

Rating: 

5/5 Book Emojis 

Format:

- Advance Uncopyedited Edition (ARC)



Review:

*Note: This book was provided to me by Penguin Random House for an UNBIASED review. The views expressed below are solely my own. Thanks for the copy!

"You left us alone. Your death made us each a piece in this awkward puzzle that doesn't completely come together, but it's enough to make out this image: two boys in love with someone who is never coming back." (*quoted from the advance copy: may have been subjected to changes in the final copy)

History is All You Left Me is the story of Griffin who's ex boyfriend Theo died in a drowning accident. Griffin is mourning his death along with Theo's boyfriend Jackson, who might be the only person who'd understand what Griffin is going through. But, Griffin and Jackson have their own versions of the history that Theo left them, that they need to share.

the feelsThe story runs parallely between History and Today: History being the memories of Theo with Griffin and the story of first love; Today being the time where grief stricken Griffin is going through the period of mourning over the loss, while talking to deceased Theo. The book starts with the funeral as 'Today' and Griffin and Theo falling in love as 'History'. Because of the way the book has been written, you're loving the relationship between the two, at one point and in another you're left to grieve alongside Griffin.

What I feel is that you always need to mentally prepare yourself before starting an Adam Silvera novel because he is an expert in making you smile and sobbing within the course of a few chapters. I was in tears in the first 40 pages, because the author was able to make you understand exactly what Griffin was going through. There are moments of wit that are appropriately placed and there are moments where you just don't want to damage the book with tears. The loss of a loved one is too much for anyone to bear. This is a kind of a book that you've got to read in sittings that you've got to read in sittings that don't have gap days between them because you might risk your interest.
MGM Christmas christmas family hug holidays
As the story moves forward in time and as we reach the time where Griffin's history with Theo and his death come close, secrets are revealed and Griffin gets to know more about his first love, helping him to move on in life. By the time you near the ending, you're feeling all of these emotions like shock, grief, love, happiness and contentment. You're sad but are left with some hope in your heart that is a perfect way to end this book.

CONCLUSION: I definitely recommend this book. Give Adam Silvera a chance to grab your emotions and take you on an exhilarating ride of #TheFeels!