In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.
Caleb Roehrig
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Mystery
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Teenage socialite Margo Manning leads a dangerous double life. By day, she dodges the paparazzi while soaking up California sunshine. By night, however, she dodges security cameras and armed guards, pulling off high-stakes cat burglaries with a team of flamboyant young men. In and out of disguise, she’s in all the headlines.This book is making the rounds right now, and I keep seeing a bunch of the same comparisons. It's a little RuPaul's Drag Race, a little Ocean's 11/8, a little Hamlet, and a little Bling Ring, and I say, YES! to all of it.
But then Margo’s personal life takes a sudden, dark turn, and a job to end all jobs lands her crew in deadly peril. Overnight, everything she’s ever counted on is put at risk. Backs against the wall, the resourceful thieves must draw on their special skills to survive. But can one rebel heiress and four kickboxing drag queens withstand the slings and arrows of truly outrageous fortune? Or will a mounting sea of troubles end them — for good?
- Pro: I say this EVERY time I finish a Roehrig book. He does such an amazing job blending a myriad of different story elements. This book was a mystery, but it also had a little romance, a bunch of action, lots of family drama, and most importantly, a fantastic friendship.
- Pro: Each of the main characters had such a compelling backstory, and their reasons for seeking a life of crime varied widely, but I truly fell in love with each and every one of them. I was super invested in their futures, and needed them to pull off their last, big heist.
- Pro: So FUN! I am a fan of Roehrig's brand of humor, and once again, he had me laughing, giggling, and smiling widely.
- Pro: I am not a huge action/adventure type reader, I am pretty much all about the characters, but I was fascinated by the intricacies of the heists this crew pulled off. There was integration of some really fantastic gadgets and science too, which totally piqued my interest.
- Pro: This little band of misfits shared quite a special bond, and I am a sucker for a great friendship story. I got to witness some really beautiful moments and adored the way they went out on a ledge and made sacrifices for one another.
- Pro: I am a character driven reader, and I really appreciated the way Roehrig gave us a strong plot, while still pulling us into the heads of each of the main characters. I wanted to know their emotions, feeling, and thoughts, and it was all there for me to enjoy.
Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Only when she’s locked away does the truth begin to escape…Hannah knew she was more intelligent than her peers, and she also knew that everyone was wrong about what happened to Agnes.
Four walls. One window. No way to escape. Hannah knows there's been a mistake. She didn't need to be institutionalized. What happened to her roommate at her summer program was an accident. As soon as the doctors and judge figure out that she isn't a danger to herself or others, she can go home to start her senior year. In the meantime, she is going to use her persuasive skills to get the staff on her side.
Then Lucy arrives. Lucy has her own baggage. And she may be the only person who can get Hannah to confront the dangerous games and secrets that landed her in confinement in the first place.
- Pro: This story started fast right out of the gate and just kept going and going, until the truth revealed itself.
- Pro: I will be the first to admit, that Hannah was not the most likable character, but as the story unfolded, I found myself empathizing with her more and more, and in the end my heart actually ached for her, for the challenges she would face, and for the parents, who did not strike me as supportive. Sheinmel created such a real sense of all Hannah's emotions. I felt her disdain, joy, happiness, sadness, panic, fear, and resignation so strongly. I absolutely thought I was in her head.
- Pro: The thing, which made this story successful for me, was the strength of the storytelling. I thought Sheinmel approached Hannah's story brilliantly and loved the way she let it unfold. The way the threads wound together and unraveled added tension, and also pushed me to question what was happening or had happened.
- Pro: It was interesting that this was NOT a story about Hannah's illness, but rather, about her learning about her illness. It was very thoughtful and emotional at times, and this was the aspect of the book, which resonated the most with me.
- Pro: The characters featured heavily in the book were intriguing and engaging. I especially enjoyed Lucy and the friendship she shared with Hannah. She provided some lighter moments, while also challenging Hannah and allowing me to see a different side of her.
- Pro: I don't read a lot of books, which make me feel this way, but this book made me suspicious. I guess it's a side-effect of an unreliable narrator, but there was more to it, as I learned. I rather enjoyed constantly questioning what I was reading, and the twists just added to my enjoyment.
Kara McDowell
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Amberjack Publishing
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Mommy blogs are great . . . unless the blog happens to belong to your mom.In this day and age, when social media plays such a big role in our lives, Claire wanted to escape it all and be "just Claire", but after playing her role for so long, she first needed to figure out who "just Claire" really was.
Twin sisters Claire & Poppy are accidental social media stars thanks to Mom going viral when they were babies. Now, as teens, they're expected to contribute by building their own brand. Attending a NY fashion week and receiving fan mail is a blast. Fending off internet trolls and would-be kidnappers? Not so much. Poppy embraces it. Claire hates it. Will anybody accept her as "just Claire"? And what should Claire do about Mom's old journals? The handwritten entries definitely don't sound like Mom's perfect blog persona. Worse, one of them divulges a secret that leaves Claire wondering what else in her life might be nothing but a sham . . .
- Pro: I have a love/hate relationship with social media, and I really appreciated all the different sides of internet fame McDowell presented. She showed the good, the bad, and the ugly of it all, as well as the perceptions of both fans and the internet stars. Lots of interesting commentary in there without being judgmental.
- Pro: This book was a LOT deeper than I expected. There were some pretty major issues touched upon with respect to family, loyalty, grief, and self fulfillment, among others, and it was done in a thoughtful way without making the book too heavy.
- Pro: The friendship and romance between Claire and Raphael was really fun and cute. She was living her life online, while he insisted on in person meetings and eye contact. They were seemingly different yet so good together. These two definitely supplied me with some of my favorite scenes.
- Pro: The inclusion of the different media - emails, texts, posts, was a lot of fun and nice touch for a book centered around the use of electronic media.
- Pro: Claire was the star of this story, and I adored her. From her awkward attempts at romance to her fantastically nerdy coding t-shirts, she was a girl after my own heart. She was grappling with so many different things in this book - feeling like the odd man out, worrying about her safety, her sense of being less than, and her waning desire to partake in the family business. Her struggle with what she wanted and what her family wanted came across well, and I felt for her as she tried to come to terms with her emotions regarding her online life PLUS all the other things, which precipitated over the course of this story.
- Pro: The family dynamic was a big driving force in this story, and it was interesting to observe. I know I formed a lot of instant opinions, which I then had to nullify as I learned more of the details, and also as other characters gave their two cents on the situations.
Overall: An compelling look at life online, which was thoughtful, fun, sweet, and adorable.
Have you read any of these books?
Let us know in the comments!
I've never read any of these books before but they all seem super intriguing, great reviews!
ReplyDeleteLotte | www.lottelauv.blogspot.co.uk
Two are from authors I have enjoyed in the past, and I was happy that their new books were good for me as well.
Deletetow of these are new to me. I am so happy to hear you enjoyed them all. I am always looking for a good contemporary. I am so so picky. So I am adding just for clicks. death prefer blondes sounds pretty amazing too.
ReplyDeleteClicks was just so surprising. I originally wasn't going to read it, because when I downloaded the mobi I realized it was really a pdf. It took me a lot longer than normal to read, but it was worth it. Roehrig is always fun. His humor is great, and I loved all the characters in this book.
DeleteI like the sound of Just for Clicks! I love books that revolve around social media commentary. They are always thought provoking. And there's romance too!
ReplyDeleteI thought the author approached it all really well. I think my expectations for the book were very different, and it was a good surprise. A very slow burn romance, but so adorable.
DeleteDeath Prefers Blondes arrived yesterday. Excited to read it soon.
ReplyDeleteI hope you like it. I laughed a lot.
DeleteI really want to read A Danger to Herself and Others! I think it would be a very interesting tale and I just think it has a horror/thriller vibe written all over it. I am so glad you liked it. I can't wait to read it myself. I also want to read the other two just not as much as that one.
ReplyDeleteMary
It's not really horror/thriller. It's about Hannah facing her illness, and due to her psychosis, it's hard to tell what is real and what's not.
DeleteGlad to hear these were all a hit for you, Sam! I don't read YA much, but Death Prefers Blonds sounds like fun. I might have to check it out. :)
ReplyDeleteBlondes was really fun and super action packed. I laughed a ton too, which is always a plus.
DeleteA Danger to Herself and Others sounds so interesting. I can see where Hannah might not be the most reliable narrator and that always adds an interesting twist to the narrative. It’s impressive that Sheinmel managed to create empathy for Hannah despite her starting off as maybe not so likable.
ReplyDeleteIt was an interesting journey with Hannah, and when I finally saw what Sheinmel was trying to do there, I got a lot of feels.
DeleteHaven't read any of them but the first two sound fabulous and something I would want to read.
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
Now that I look at the three together, they are very, very different, but I really enjoyed them all.
DeleteI have Just For Clicks on my TBR and I am even more excited to read it after reading your thoughts. It sounds like quite an interesting concept. I am happy that all of these books were hits for you. Off to GR to see if they are on my TBR. :)
ReplyDeleteI expected it to be internet fluff, but there was a lot more to Claire's story, and I liked the way McDowell approached it. It was still kept on the not too heavy side, and very feel good in the end.
Deletethese are all new to me, so I'll have to add them all to my TBR wishlist :D I love a good heist story
ReplyDeleteThe detail Roehrig went into with the heists was impressive. Very Ocean's 11.
DeleteDarn! You make me want to reread "A Danger to Herself and Others" now... I didn't really like it
ReplyDeleteIt was a really different kind of story, but I was able to to see what the author was striving for. I think maybe because I could relate to it, I found it very compelling.
DeleteI won Death Prefers Blondes from Goodreads and, shockingly, got it!!! & I had pre-ordered it. So hopefully I will find time to read it soon. I adore the way her writes relationships.
ReplyDeleteKaren @ For What It's Worth
It's always nice when your prize arrives (I don't put a GRs win on my STS until the book is in my hands.) I hope you enjoy it!
DeleteI am most intrigued by Just for Clicks. I want an in depth view of Social media for teens these days, plus I like that it strong family dynamics.
ReplyDeleteIt is really a story about Claire, but there is a lot of ideas concerning the curation of life due to social media in there.
DeleteJust for Clicks sounds like such an interesting read. The whole premise sounds so interesting, and your review made me believe even more. I definitely might have to check it out! Wonderful reviews, Sam! :)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed it a lot. The romance was sweet and the family interactions were compelling.
DeleteA Danger To Herself and Others looks really interesting to me now after reading your thoughts. I was thinking Death Prefers Blondes sounded fun, then I read on and now A Danger to Herself has me heading over to amazon lol.
ReplyDeleteI liked the way Sheinmel let that story unfold. I can almost remember the moment my heart cracked open for Hannah. I say well done, if you make me feel that way. Blondes was lots of fun, which is what I always expect from Roehrig, and it had a lot of great heartwarming and feel good moments too.
DeleteI love books that take a look at how social media has become a huge part of our lives, so Just for Clicks really appeals to me!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was nodding my head as Claire shared her thoughts, but honestly, I was very invested in her and her finding her happy.
DeleteI love your idea for "in a nutshell reviews." There are so many books that I read that I really enjoyed but don't have enough to say about them to fill a full review.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any of these books yet, but they sound interesting!
I am a fan of mini-reviews, and found a format where I can sort of get to the point (I did limit myself to 6 bullet points, because it was getting away from me when I first started).
DeleteWow. Gotta love it when you get some many great reads. I've not read any of these yet.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I have a good handle on what I like, and I don't feature the books I didn't enjoy 🤣
DeleteI DNF A Danger to Herself and Others but based on your review I want to give it another chance!
ReplyDeleteHannah was hard to like in the beginning, and the story took a while to get to where I was hooked, but as I got further, and further in the story, and realized what was really going on, I wanted to get to the end.
DeleteOMG Sam it seems you had a great reading week!!! I only see the Pro here above LOL Sophie @bewareofthereader
ReplyDeleteI only lists cons when I can pinpoint exactly what it was that didn't work for me or irked me. None of the above have 5-stars, so they weren't perfect for me, but they were very good with not real glaring cons.
DeleteDeath Prefers Blondes sounds just as fun as I hoped it would. Can't wait to read that one and check out the others as well. :)
ReplyDeleteIt was really fun, and if you like action type books, there is plenty of that in there too.
DeleteI feel like the cover of Just for Clicks is a little misleading- it looks like pure fluff (and therefore something I'd avoid) but then it sounds like it was so much MORE, which I actually think I'd like. These are all books I have been on the fence about wanting to read, but now I am definitely leaning more toward reading them all, especially Just for Clicks! Fabulous reviews as always!
ReplyDeleteFrom the cover, I was expecting fluff, and was surprised by all the readers saying how SURPRISED they were by it. I feel like you have to appreciate Sheinmel's style. I have read three of her books and liked them all, but I can understand why her books don't work for everyone. I love Roehrig's humor and I think he always writes interesting relationships. So, he's an auto-read for me.
DeleteJust for Clicks is on my TBR too. I am glad that you loved it. Can't wait to read it.
ReplyDeleteIt was so much more than I was expecting and I really enjoyed it. I hope you get to it.
DeleteI just wrote a long comment but blogger just ate it :( I will try to redo it. I thought Just for Clicks sounded too shallow from its synopsis and skipped over it but your review makes it sound like it is a lot deeper than I expected so I will definitely be reading it now! I feel like the situation with the twins could happen with how we use social media now. Also, I am SO reading Death Prefers Blondes. I love cross-genre books - its actually my favourite kind of read. So that sounds perfect.
ReplyDeleteI was expecting fluff from Just For Clicks, but it was a lot deeper than that, and it was done well. It takes on the curating aspect of online life, as well as some HUGE family issues, which I did not see coming.
Delete