In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.
Suzanne Park
Series: Perfect Escape, #1
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Nate Jae-Woo Kim wants to be rich. When one of his classmates offers Nate a ridiculous amount of money to commit grade fraud, he knows that taking the windfall would help support his prideful Korean family, but is compromising his integrity worth it?Both Nate and Kate were looking to escape. Nate was weighed down by his economic circumstances. While Kate, needed to break free from the prison her emotionally unavailable and controlling father had created for her. A zombie survival competition might have been just the solution they were looking for.
Luck comes in the form of Kate Anderson, Nate’s colleague at the zombie-themed escape room where he works. She approaches Nate with a plan: a local tech company is hosting a weekend-long survivalist competition with a huge cash prize. It could solve all of Nate’s problems, and Kate needs the money too.
If the two of them team up, Nate has a true shot at winning the grand prize. But the real challenge? Making through the weekend with his heart intact…
- Pro: Nate was a character, who was easy to root for. I admired his drive and ambition, and though at first, he seemed obsessed with money, I learned that he had good intentions as more was revealed.
- Pro: Nate's family was struggling, but they had a lot of love, and were there for each other. Whereas, Kate's situation was heartbreaking. Still grieving her mother's death, she was left on her own for long periods of time, and longed for normal human contact. I thought this was a great way to show that money could not replace human connection.
- Pro: Nate and Kate were adorable together. They came from vastly different backgrounds, but were able to connect despite that. There was a push and pull thing going on for a while, but I had no trouble shipping them.
- Pro: Park's humor worked well for me. I found myself laughing out loud and often. I loved the mom jokes and all the snarky banter, as well as many of the situations Nate and Kate encountered.
- Con: I wanted more of the romance. I really did adore these two together, but the romance felt secondary for most of the book. The ending, however, held a promise of things to come, which placated me a bit.
- Pro: Zombies, zombies, everywhere! As if the escape room didn't provide enough amusement, Park brought us to a weekend zombie survival competition. The action really ramped up there, and it was a great way to drive the plot forward.
Kelly Quindlen
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Seventeen is nothing like Codi Teller imagined.This summer Codi was feeling restless. She was thinking about all the things she had never done, and was itching to gather some new experiences. Though she wholeheartedly loved her two best friends, she felt boxed in by their perception of her, and began keeping secrets from them. Was this the end of a long and storied friendship or would her best friends accept that she was evolving?
She’s never crashed a party, never stayed out too late. She’s never even been kissed. And it’s not just because she’s gay. It’s because she and her two best friends, Maritza and JaKory, spend more time in her basement watching Netflix than engaging with the outside world.
So when Maritza and JaKory suggest crashing a party, Codi is highly skeptical. Those parties aren’t for kids like them. They’re for cool kids. Straight kids.
But then Codi stumbles upon one of those cool kids, Ricky, kissing another boy in the dark, and an unexpected friendship is formed. In return for never talking about that kiss, Ricky takes Codi under his wing and draws her into a wild summer filled with late nights, new experiences, and one really cute girl named Lydia.
The only problem? Codi never tells Maritza or JaKory about any of it.
From author Kelly Quindlen comes a poignant and deeply relatable story about friendship, self-acceptance, what it means to be a Real Teenager. Late to the Party is an ode to late bloomers and wallflowers everywhere.
- Pro: It's so normal to feel like you are outgrowing your life, and I thought Quindlen did an incredible job exploring the idea. She also deftly brought me into Codi's head, and I had a good understanding of the whys, as well as the emotions she was experiencing.
- Pro: The friendship between Codi and Ricky was so unexpected and so wonderful. They had such a symbiotic relationship. They each gave in equal amounts to one another, and I was happy to see them growing together.
- Pro: Codi had been missing the close bond she once shared with her brother, and it warmed my heart to see them renew that bond. When they finally broke down and had that heart to heart, they realized they were harboring quite a few misconceptions about the other, which were so easily dispelled via open and honest communication.
- Pro: Though it was great to see Codi experiencing so many new things, and feeling like she found her people, she was sometimes inconsiderate. It was good that she was called out on this behavior, but even better that she learned from and atoned for it.
- Pro: The schism between the trio was somewhat painful, but it seemed like such an important part of their journey. It was a cataclysmic event, which ignited their personal evolution, and I think all three emerged a better version of themselves.
- Pro: I can't even tell you how much I smiled as I got to observe those early stirrings of like and attraction between Codi and her love interest, and I was miles of smiles, when they finally got together.
** ARCs received in exchange for honest reviews.
Have you read any of these books?
Let us know in the comments!
Let us know in the comments!
I like the sound of Late to the Party. I like when certain circumstance kind of force (or at least speed up) a connection between characters. (Not sure of I'm explaining that well.) But those almost instant connections that are rare but really do happen in real life, particularly as teenagers.
ReplyDeleteLate to the Party was an interesting story. There was a heart to heart towards the end, where the three besties confront each other, and it was amazing to see how differently they remembered how their friendship began. There were quite a few ups and downs in this story, but the focus on friendship and exploration of it from many angles was great.
DeleteYou liked Perfect Escape more than I did. I was disappointed in the romance and that the whole zombie thing, was only like the last maybe 20% of the book. Maybe the next one will be better though? Either way, glad you liked these both!
ReplyDeleteI didn't come for the zombies, so I guess what was included was enough for me, and I have to say, Park packed a lot of action in that survival weekend bit. I did want more of the romance, but because the ending left me in a good and promising place, I was ok with it.
DeleteThe Perfect Escape sounds really fun. I'll have to try it!
ReplyDeleteFeed Your Fiction Addiction
I found it fun, while also taking on some issues.
DeleteLate to the Party sounds like one that I'd really like. It reminds me of the movie Book Smart actually, which I loved.
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
You have mentioned that film before. I never saw it, but I know of it. I guess it starts with that idea, but there's more to it, with respect to the character feeling boxed in by her friends.
Deleteglad you enjoyed them both. we can use some chuckles right now. :-)
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
TRUTH, Sherry!
DeleteLate to the Party sounds like an awesome read! It's a little sad that the MC does all this without her friends, but it sounds like she makes some great new ones, too.
ReplyDeleteIt's a friendship story, that comes full circle. The best part was how they all grew over the course of the book
DeletePerfect Escape sounds fun and Late to the Party sounds like a book I would really connect with. Great reviews, Samantha!
ReplyDeleteI really did find Late to the Party relatable, and I feel like a lot of people will
DeleteThe Perfect Escape sounds like the perfect way to escape at the moment, I'm fully immersing myself in books to self care and try to ease my anxiety. I'm really curious it being a series rather than a standalone and wonder if book two might be about different characters that appear throughout the storyline? It sounds like a fun weekend read despite the romance needing to be a bit more prominent. Brilliant reviews Sam, so glad you enjoyed these!
ReplyDeleteIt was fun and cute, while still taking on some issues. I am not sure if it will be more of a companion series or serial type thing. There is no description on GR (yet), but I wouldn't mind catching up with this couple, because their romance was really only getting started towards the end of the book.
DeleteI love that these are both about characters figuring out who they are and taking control of themselves but are oh so different and awesome!
ReplyDeleteWhich I think it so relevant for the target audience.
DeleteThe Perfect Escape sounds super cute to me. I hate to hear that it slacked in the romance, though.
ReplyDeleteThe author did accomplish quite a bit, but yeah, I wanted more romance. Most YA books are not romance heavy. The characters are always dealing with other issues, and then there is some romance in there. But this was marketed as a rom-com, so I expected more romance. It was fun for me, and I enjoyed it.
DeleteI love the focus on the friendships in that second book.
ReplyDeleteIt's the way it examines the ups and downs, that I thought was really great. Every relationship is bound to have some bumps, and seeing how they dealt with those bumps was something I liked a lot
DeleteI'm torn over which I'd read first. They both sound good.
ReplyDeleteGlad to put them on your radar
DeleteI love both synopsis! And you do build a strong case Sam!
ReplyDeleteThanks. I enjoyed reading them both
DeleteI didn't know The Perfect Escape is part of a series. Did the author leave a note if the next book will still have them as the main characters?
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing on Goodreads about the sequel. I wouldn't mind spending more time with this couple, as their adventure was just beginning after their escape, but it could be fun to have another couple too
DeleteLoving the theme of the escape room in The Perfect Escape and I think I can relate to sometimes needing some kind of escape from everything. That's why I read after all :D Late to the Party makes me smile. Last semester of university my friend who I didn't know but eventually became really close to was also doing the thing where she wanted to experience more and was trying all the new things. It was nice to be there along the journey with her and form a tight friendship as wel travelled together, and that book sounds like it is going to feel nostalgic in some sort of way for me if I read it!
ReplyDeleteThose scenes were fun, while the survival weekend ones were pretty intense. It's awesome, that you were able to sort of be your friend's "guide" as she spread her wings. That's what friends are for.
Delete