Reading Roundup

I was very disappointed in myself last month and I made a promise that April would be better. It had to be if I wanted to keep on track with my Goodreads challenge. April has been a fantastic month for reading, despite having more deadlines looming, people visiting and starting a new job. So, here it is, my roundup for April, a record breaking month (for me, at least).

 My Life Next Door

Rating: ★★★★

I was expecting some Sarah Dessen-esque vibes, and I definitely got that. It was summer, it was romance, it was dramatic. It was everything I love in a book, with a gorgeous cover to match. 



Peter Pan

Rating: ★★★★★

I completely understand why my friend is so enchanted by this book. It's the kind of magic that isn't in your face. It's easy to accept and it pulls you in to a world that holds so much potential. It's an adventure you want to go on time and time again. I really enjoyed it, and can't believe I've only just got around to reading it properly.


Think Twice

Rating: ★★★★

I waited so. Long. For this book. And it snuck ahead of the next books in my TBR list. It was always going to be hard for Think Twice to live up to Don't Even Think About It. The initial experience of the unusual point of view and intriguing premise was gone, lowering the impact of this sequel. Despite that, I still thoroughly enjoyed revisiting all the characters. 




Am I Normal Yet?

Rating: ★★★★★

I'd heard very good things about this book, and can honestly say that it really deserves every good review it gets. If you're a fan of YA fiction this is a must-read. 





Those are all the books that got reviews this month, but for uni, I also got through Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce, and Coraline by Neil Gaiman, both in one day I might add *beams with self pride*. And the quickest read of the month was The Sleeper and the Spindle, also by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Chris Riddell (who, fun fact, I've been told is the first Children's Laureate to be both a writer and an illustrator). It's a beautiful little fairytale, a very subtle retelling of Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. 

So that brings my total this month to seven. SEVEN books in a month...not to mention the quarter I've already read of How Hard Can Love Be? 

Review: Think Twice by Sarah Mlynowski

Title: Think Twice (Don't Even Think About It #2)
Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Edition: Orchard Books, 2016

Rating: ★★★★

Synopsis

What's worse than having telepathy in high school? Having telepathy in high school, and then losing it. When class 10B got their flu shots and developed the unexpected side effect of telepathy, it seemed like the worse thing ever. But two years later, they've got used to their powers. They've even come to like them. And as they prepare to leave school, they're all making exciting plans - plans that involve them being Espies. So when one by one they suddenly begin to lose their powers, they know they can't let it happen. Can they save their telepathy before it's too late? Or will they have to learn how to survive without them once again?

Review

I first read Sarah Mlynowski when I picked up her book Ten Things We Shouldn't Have Done (which I recommend to fans of Kody Keplinger). After that I picked up Don't Even Think About It. And, boy am I glad I did. 

This two-book series has the most incredibly premise, and the voice is even more amazing. I have never read a book with this perspective before; I'm not even sure what to call it. It's first person (third person?!?), past tense...but plural. As in, not 'I' but 'we'. When the group is all together it reads as first person. But when the focus shifts between individual characters it's third person. Whatever you want to call it, as a writer, I find it incredible. It elevates the entire novel's theme of friendship and intimacy. I may write a review in the future dedicated to Don't Even Think About It, but for now I'll focus on Think Twice.