In a Nutshell Reviews

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.

Fat Girl on a Plane
Kelly deVos
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Rating:  4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Don’t miss this unforgettable debut novel, told in two timelines, about smart fashion, pursuing your dreams, and loving yourself!

FAT.

High school senior Cookie Vonn’s post-graduation dreams include getting out of Phoenix, attending Parsons and becoming the next great fashion designer. But in the world of fashion, being fat is a cardinal sin. It doesn’t help that she’s constantly compared to her supermodel mother—and named after a dessert.

Thanks to her job at a fashion blog, Cookie scores a trip to New York to pitch her portfolio and appeal for a scholarship, but her plans are put on standby when she’s declared too fat to fly. Forced to turn to her BFF for cash, Cookie buys a second seat on the plane. She arrives in the city to find that she’s been replaced by the boss’s daughter, a girl who’s everything she’s not—ultrathin and superrich. Bowing to society’s pressure, she vows to lose weight, get out of the friend zone with her crush, and put her life on track.

SKINNY.

Cookie expected sunshine and rainbows, but nothing about her new life is turning out like she planned. When the fashion designer of the moment offers her what she’s always wanted—an opportunity to live and study in New York—she finds herself in a world full of people more interested in putting women down than dressing them up. Her designs make waves, but her real dream of creating great clothes for people of all sizes seems to grow more distant by the day.

Will she realize that she’s always had the power to make her own dreams come true?

When I heard this book was about fashion and a fat girl, it had my attention, but this was not just a story about a fat girl on a plane, it was about the pursuit of her dreams and her journey to loving herself.

• Pro: Cookie was by far the very best thing about this book. Her voice immediately took me hostage, and I found myself so invested in her story. 
• Pro: The story was told via two timelines - fat and skinny. Fat followed Cookie during her pre-diet and early dieting days, while skinny followed her once she had achieved her goal weight. I thought the dual timeline was utilized quite well, and deVos did a great job contrasting Cookie's life before and after the weight loss. 
• Con: I struggled a little with the "skinny" romance. I totally understand what deVos was going for here, but I just couldn't get fully onboard with it. 
• Pro: All the fashion and construction stuff was fun to read about. My daughter has a BFA in costume design, so it sort of brought me back to that world for a little bit, and I was happy to visit. 
• Pro: We had a little trip to Argentina, and I have never been there before in a YA book. 
• Pro: deVos highlighted a lot of issues with a focus on body image and the fashion industry's bias against larger women. 
• Con: The ending made me want to throw the book out the window. I was enjoying this book so much. I was smiling, laughing, tearing up a little, raging when it was appropriate, and then the ending happened. It didn't ruin the whole book for me, but I really didn't feel like it accomplished anything. I was definitely not sated by that ending.  
• Pro: This book featured a fantastic grandmother, who I will adding to my YA-grandmas-I-love list. She loved Cookie with all her heart and made so many sacrifices for her, but she also called Cookie out when she was wrong, and challenged her to be a better person. 
• Pro: There was a lot of times in this book, where I found myself getting really emotional. Cookie's life was no cakewalk, and she had experienced many disappointments. All that plus the way society treats overweight people made my heart ache for Cookie, who was brilliant, smart, talented, witty, and just had so much to offer. I rooted for her to find her happy. 

Overall: An entertaining and sometimes emotional look at one young woman's journey to learning to love and value herself.

Learning to Breathe
Janice Lynn Mather
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Simon & Schuster BYR
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Indy struggles to conceal her pregnancy while searching for a place to belong in this stunning debut novel that’s perfect for fans of Amber Smith and Sara Zarr.

Indira Ferguson has done her best to live by her Grammy’s rules—to study hard in school, be respectful, and to never let a boy take advantage of her. But it hasn’t always been easy, especially while living in her mother’s shadow.

When Indy is sent to live with distant relatives in Nassau, trouble follows her. Now she must hide an unwanted pregnancy from her aunt, who would rather throw Indy out onto the street than see the truth.

Completely broke with only a hand-me-down pregnancy book as a resource, Indy desperately looks for a safe space to call home. After stumbling upon a yoga retreat, she wonders if perhaps she’s found the place. But Indy is about to discover that home is much bigger than just four walls and a roof—it’s about the people she chooses to share it with.

In her home village, they referred to Indy as "Doubles". They said she looked like her mother and probably shared her promiscuity as well. She thought Nassau would be a new start, a place she could escape her mother's reputation, but it seemed that trouble followed her from her home village and brought even more with it.

• Pro: Indy was so damaged by her past, and she lost her support system, when she left her grandmother for Nassau. Her fear and loneliness broke my heart, but I never lost faith in her, because there was always this spark and strength inside of her. 
• Pro: Mather gave Indy some unlikely allies, and I loved that she did that. There were a few characters I wasn't sure about, but they ended up being some of Indy's staunchest supporters. I like surprises like that. 
• Pro: The yoga retreat was one of my favorite places in the book. It was not only an sanctuary for Indy, filled with some really wonderful people, but it sounded like it was a really beautiful place too. There was food as well, and Mather had my mouth watering for some of that retreat food. 
• Pro: Churchy really annoyed me at first, but he grew on me as I got to know him better, and I really loved him by the end of the book. 
• Pro: Indy's inner struggle regarding her situation was so real. Her emotions were all over the place, and she experienced many highs and lows. She even went through the whole blame cycle. It pained me when she tried to blame herself, and I am glad she had some reliable people in her life to help her see that she was blameless in this situation. 
• Pro: This is not an easy book. It deal with sexual assault and harassment among other things, but Mather integrated each topic in such as thoughtful way. It made me sad that Indy was forced to grow up so soon, but I thought she more than rose to the challenge. 
• Pro: The ending left me in a good place. I was happy with the outcome Mather gave Indy.  

Overall:  This story was about not letting circumstances break you. Indy had so many setbacks, and many times it appeared as if there was nobody on her side, but she kept dusting herself off and pushing through until she found her "family".

Meant to Be Broken
Brandy Woods Snow
Series: Carolina Clay, #1
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Filles Vertes Publishing
Rating:  3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Rayne Davidson is perfectly happy fading into the background. Her mama’s antics garner enough attention in their small Southern town for the both of them, but when Rayne catches the eye of all-star QB, Preston Howard, she’s enamored with the possibilities. Too bad Preston doesn’t make her heart thump—but his brother does.

Gage Howard doesn’t mind the town’s stares, probably because he doesn’t get them. Growing up in his older brother’s shadow, Gage shrugs off the endless parade of girls Preston brings home—until Rayne.

But there are unwritten rules that shouldn’t be broken, like cheating on your boyfriend or betraying your brother. Rayne and Gage deny their growing attraction, neither willing to hurt Preston—until the town finds out.

They think overcoming the gossip will be the hardest obstacle.

They’re wrong.

Rayne’s mama has a secret, and its revelation could divide the town, the families, and the new couple.

Can love really exist if it’s all built on a lie?

Life in a small town could be pleasant, but it could also be filled with lots of drama, especially if you fall for your boyfriend's brother.

• Pro: As I was reading this, I kept thinking it was sort of in the style of Abbi Glines' books, which is a good thing, because I love her books. It had that soapy drama quality, which I hunger for from time to time. You know, lots of delicious drama and southern charm, peppered with scandals. I was into it. 
• Pro: I was a BIG Gage fan. He was this down to earth guy, who was loyal and loved fiercely. There were a few times I worried he was going to disappoint me, but he eventually self-corrected and got back on track. I found myself rooting for Gage to find his happy, because I thought he really deserved it. 
• Con: I felt like Snow was very ambitious with how many plot lines she wanted in this book. Though I thought it flowed well, the books was a little bit on the longer side, because it was trying to accomplish so much.  
• Pro: I was a a fan of the romance. The banter between Rayne and Gage was lots of fun, and their attraction and ardor was very believable. They were so sweet together, and their actions spoke volumes for how much they cared for each other.
• Pro: The setting was utilized in a great way for this story. Snow focused on a lot of the negatives, but also highlighted some of the positive aspects we expect in a small town setting. 
• Pro: Of the three books in this edition of Nutshells, this one had the best ending. With all the pain and suffering me and the characters had to endure, we deserved that ending. It made left me in such a good-feels way. 
• Pro: There were times I wanted to shake Rayne, because I couldn't understand her choices, but she had to recover from multiple setbacks over the course of this book, and as a result grew tremendously. 
• Pro: I am curious to see where Snow goes with this series, because I can see quite a few possibilities. 

Overall:  An engaging story filled with swoony romance and juicy drama. 

** ARCs received in exchange for honest reviews.

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