We Were Liars

Title: We Were Liars
Author: E. Lockhart
Genre: YA Contemporary
Pages: 242
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
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Cadence spends the summers on a private island owned by her family with her three closest friends who also happen to be her cousins. Summer after summer things go smoothly, Cadence spending her days lounging on the beach, sleeping in her mom's mansion, and eating food prepared for her by the kitchen staff. But everything changes one summer when... well, Cadence doesn't exactly remember what happened, but she knows something did.

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This book was something completely crazy. In a good way. I was truthfully left trying to figure out what to do with myself after finishing this novel.

As you know, it takes place on a luxury island that Cadence's rich Grandfather owns. Being someone who does not, in fact, own an island, I thought it was fun to read about this lifestyle. This lifestyle where you can sleep in until noon, go to bed as late as you want, never have to do the dishes or cook your own meals. A lifestyle where you sleep in one of three mansions on the island. A lifestyle where you can spend your days with your closest companions, on the beach, in the sun. 

Honestly, Cadence has it pretty good. 

But besides me loving the summer vibes I got from this book, I really did enjoy reading it. It's the type of book that you go into thinking the book's going to be a nice, easy summer read, and then BOOM, it's not. 

Of course, I don't want to tell you too much, but I will say that there is a mysterious atmosphere, and you're not quite sure what's going on, but you are sure that you want to know exactly what left Cadence's memory. 

I'm giving We Were Liars four and a half stars for being a suspenseful, heart breaking story that was also somehow fun to read? Anyway, please go and read We Were Liars. I put it off for so long, and I wish I'd picked it up sooner. It truly is an amazing read. 

Click here to view We Were Liars on Goodreads

November 9

Title: November 9
Author: Colleen Hoover
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Pages: 310
Rating: 5/5 Stars
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The day is November 9, and mere hours away from moving all the way from LA to NYC, Fallon sits down at a table in a restaurant to talk to her self-obsessed father. However, things take a turn when 18 year old Ben slips into the booth next to her, completely altering her life.

Despite how enamoured the two are with each other, they agree that it'd be best if they both only meet each other once a year, on November 9th, allowing each to live a full life, distraction free, until Fallon has reached the age of 23. Because she'll have her life figured out by the time she's turned 23 according to her mother, and 23 is the only safe age to fall in love.

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You ever open a book, just kind of reading it to tick something else off your TBR, and it ends up blowing your mind. That's November 9 for me. This book was absolutely heart stopping. I've never read any Colleen Hoover before, but this novel has definitely convinced me to try out some more of her works. (Any suggestions?) 

We start off with 18 year old Fallon, explaining to her movie star father that she's moving all the way across the country to start up a career in Broadway. Fallon was an actress for film/TV before she got seriously injured in a fire while sleeping at her dad's house exactly two years prior. The fire scorched her skin, giving her long scars that marred her left side. At the time, she'd been staring in a big TV show, jumpstarting her career as an actress. However, after the fire, the company broke her contract and she found herself unable to land a role. 

So she's talking to her father about how she wants to take up theatre, and he has the audacity to tell her she's no longer pretty enough to act professionally. Infuriated from the nearby booth, Ben slips into their table and goes off on Fallon's dad. Afterwards, they sort of fall for each other. With the prospect of Fallon moving away looming ahead, they agree to meet every year on that same day- November 9. 

I thought it was such a unique idea. I literally knew nothing about this novel going into it, but my interest was immediately grasped- right from the start. From Fallon's interesting condition to the crazy agreement the two set up, this book is a completely new and unique storyline. 

And it was just completely addicting, I couldn't stop reading. It wasn't your typical, straightforward romance novel- it was something completely new and completely original. Nothing was predictable. Plus it was kind of cool reading about Fallon trying to cope with having her self confidence stolen away, as a subplot to the actual story. And watching her relationship develop with her movie star father was another subplot I enjoyed.

I highly, highly recommend you read November 9 by Colleen Hoover. It was an absolutely amazing read, and it fully deserves the five stars I'm giving it.

Click here to view November 9 on Goodreads