REVIEW: KINGDOM OF ASH BY SARAH MAAS.

Title: Kingdom of Ash
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #7
Edition: First Edition, Hardbound
Publication: October 23rd 2018 by Bloomsbury YA
Source: Bought from Fullybooked
Pages: 992
Genre: High Fantasy, Romance

Synopsis:
Years in the making, Sarah J. Maas’s #1 New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series draws to an epic, unforgettable conclusion. Aelin Galathynius’s journey from slave to king’s assassin to the queen of a once-great kingdom reaches its heart-rending finale as war erupts across her world. . .

Aelin has risked everything to save her people―but at a tremendous cost. Locked within an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. Aware that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, though her resolve begins to unravel with each passing day…

With Aelin captured, Aedion and Lysandra remain the last line of defense to protect Terrasen from utter destruction. Yet they soon realize that the many allies they’ve gathered to battle Erawan’s hordes might not be enough to save them. Scattered across the continent and racing against time, Chaol, Manon, and Dorian are forced to forge their own paths to meet their fates. Hanging in the balance is any hope of salvation―and a better world.

And across the sea, his companions unwavering beside him, Rowan hunts to find his captured wife and queen―before she is lost to him forever.

As the threads of fate weave together at last, all must fight, if they are to have a chance at a future. Some bonds will grow even deeper, while others will be severed forever in the explosive final chapter of the Throne of Glass series.

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This is my first review in forever so I am not really sure how to go about this but just express how I felt overall. Without going too much in to it to avoid spoilers.

We've all waited so long for this finale and I did savor each page of this beast - yes, up til the acknowledgements ("to whatever end" was literally the motivation haha). But to be absolutely honest, it felt like it dragged until about halfway through the book. There's a chunk of it that felt unneeded, it would eventually convey how it all ends but I am not complaining. I mean, I finished it. I just wish it clocked at around 500 pages so I could totally say I loved it so damn much and not just I liked it because it saddens me.

Aelin also felt like a stranger to me in KoA. Maybe because of the torture she endured and her "borrowed time" reality. There's so much lacking and at the same time so much growth in her character it made me rediscover what I loved and hated about her.

And then there's Manon. Damn, gurl. Why did SJM leave me hanging like that? There should be a separate book about this character and I am praying that she would be given enough time to feel things and heal. Damn, damn, damn.

KoA though is still the perfect ending to a series that saved me from despair over and over again. I am sad that this is the end for my Celaena (she will always, always be Celaena to me) but also happy they wouldn't suffer anymore.

My reviews:

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord

The Assassin and the Desert

Throne of Glass

Crown of Midnight

Heir of Fire

Queen of Shadows

Empire of Storms

Tower of Dawn

"Let's make this a fight worthy of a song."

REVIEW: THE PROBLEM WITH BEING LAURA BY AVA FELIZ.

Title: The Problem with Being Laura
Author: Ava Feliz
Series: Standalone
Edition: Paperback
Publication: February 2017 by Spark Books
Source: Finished copy provided by the publisher
Pages: 104
Genre: New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

Laura Bayani is the most rigid person you’ll ever meet, from her white long-sleeved blouses with starched collars to her knee-length black skirts to her three-inch high heels. While her colleagues value her efficiency, it hasn’t won her any friends. For a promotion at work, Laura is advised that she has to prove she has the social skills to be an effective manager. Her colleague, Mikaela Perez and her brother, Miguel, agree to help. However, her every effort is met with disaster, and Laura feels increasingly unsure as she tries to break free from her self-imposed chains.

Will Laura have the courage to find herself, and maybe even love, to achieve things beyond her wildest dreams?

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Laura is an achiever and a breadwinner. She cannot afford to lax due to her responsibilities at home and this pushed her to be serious at work. She was then bullied, called 'Ice Queen' and she's always the center of rumors. These made her keep to herself and not talk to anyone, it's like she's always sarcastic or mad when she does. She learned not to smile and shut the world around her. Until social skills is her key to get that promotion.

I absolutely enjoyed The Problem With Being Laura. From seeing her get bullied to freeing herself slowly with the help of her friends, it's something remarkable and definitely a thing I could relate to. It's always magic to witness how love (in any form) can transform lives. Laura showed me the side of life where lemons make people so salty they turn to stone and she also showed me how it could be undone. Laura's determination and open-mindedness helped her find the real her which led her to her happiness and I kinda envy that. The 'steps' she took cracked her hard core shell bit by bit and that is so fascinating to watch her development unfold. It's practically seeing a cocoon be a beautiful butterfly. (I cannot think of a better analogy, sorry)

I love her ways of getting what she wants and I truly understand why she sometimes snaps at her friends. She's lucky she has friends - namely Mikaela and Miguel.

Speaking of Miguesl.. Ahem, Miguel, ahem!!!! Miguel is not only dreamy but I think he exists only in fiction and dreams! The way she pursued Laura IS. EVERYTHING! He's such a big help in cracking Laura's armor and their "dates" (Kart racing, plane riding etc) are all drool-worthy. I mean, GOALS.

The Problem with Being Laura is such a feel-good read and definitely recommendable! Adventurous and quirky, this book is magic!

Thank you Anvil Publishing for the copy!

"She looked at him, standing so close to her. This guy who leaped from being a stranger to someone who could read her and her wishes, and tried to make them come true. This guy whose brown eyes and actions had been telling her something the past few weeks."

REVIEW: ; (SEMICOLON) BY NAVEED KHAN.

Title: ; (Semicolon)
Author: Naveed A. Khan
Series: Poetry
Edition: eBook
Publication: February 4th 2013
Source: Free on Amazon
Pages: 125
Genre: Poetry

Synopsis:
A collection of poetry by xq, published in February 2013. The pseudonym "xq" was adopted by writer Naveed Khan as an experimental anonymous release. Other works by this author include Cheap Therapy, Wrapping Paper, and Decaf.

One day, I might perhaps become something so small and insignificant to you that you only think of me as often as you think of the little particles of dust that you can see floating around the window in the late afternoon sun.
If I'm lucky enough, you'll think of me as often as never thinking of me again at all.

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The same forces that bring two people together are the same ones that pull them apart.

I only read a handful of poetry books and Semicolon definitely stands out. The beauty of words showered me with feels and the captivating emotions within this little book gave me a heartwarming experience. A few pages in and I knew I'd love this. The passion of the author is something else. You can feel it leaking as your turn every page. I am absolutely happy that I stumbled upon this poetry book! My heart is so SO full right now and don't you wish someone loves you this deeply, freely and tenderly?

OMG, what an amazing book! I highly recommend this to fans of Lang Leav! Semicolon is a feel-good and swoony book!

"I remember feeling the most alive
the moment I realized that it hurts
far more to miss something I never had
than to miss something I did."

"I learned to love you quietly, because I know you prefer silence"

"We grow together as we fall in sync with our inconsistencies"

BLOG TOUR REVIEW: HOW TO DISAPPEAR BY SHARON HUSS ROAT.

I would like to thank my amazing friend, Hazel of Stay Bookish, for allowing me to be a part of this blog tour! I really enjoyed How To Disappear and hopefully you would, too!

Title: How to Disappear
Author: Sharon Huss Roat
Series: Standalone
Edition: Kindle // Paperback
Publication: August 15th 2017 by HarperTeen
Source: eARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss // ARC loaned by Hazel
Pages: 384
Genre: Contemporary, Mental Illness, Romance

Synopsis:
Vicky Decker has perfected the art of hiding in plain sight, quietly navigating the halls of her high school undetected except by her best (and only) friend, Jenna. But when Jenna moves away, Vicky’s isolation becomes unbearable.

So she decides to invent a social life by Photoshopping herself into other people’s pictures, posting them on Instagram under the screen name Vicurious. Instantly, she begins to get followers, so she adds herself to more photos from all over the world with all types of people. And as Vicurious’s online followers multiply, Vicky realizes she can make a whole life for herself without ever leaving her bedroom. But the more followers she finds online, the clearer it becomes that there are a lot of people out there who feel like her— #alone and #ignored in real life.

To help them, and herself, Vicky must find the courage to face her fear of being “seen,” because only then can she stop living vicariously and truly bring the magic of Vicurious to life.

In this beautiful and illuminating narrative, Sharon Huss Roat shines a light on our love of social media and how sometimes being the person you think you want to be isn’t as great as being the person you truly are.

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Vicky is an invisible girl in her high school who is only getting through the day with the help of her best friend, Jenna. She has social anxiety and it is so hard for her to go out and be around people. Jenna moved to another state and Vicky is having a hard time adjusting to life without her. It started getting worse when Jenna butt dialed her and mentioned to her new friends that Vicky is pathetic. But Jenna dumps her but Lipton enters the picture. Vicky then started photoshopping herself in different photos and uploading them on Instagram under the handle @vicurious. This helped her find her people and it helped her a little bit to cope. She never thought she'd gain more than 2 million followers and that she'd finally be seen. She started feeling a little bit okay until Jenna texted her and implied she's suicidal.

First 50% of the book is where the build-ups happened. It was excruciating because there are moments I couldn't really understand what Vicky wants. She wanted to be seen but she's trying so hard to be invisible and she clearly shuts everyone out. It was also excruciating because I feel like it's started dragging and that I am starting to also get tired of Vicky and her mother to be honest. I powered through holding on to the fact that Lipton is there, and that I wanted to really know how the events would unfold.

I only started to connect to her through those small moments I can identify with what she's going through. It is at times frustrating but by watching her tell her story, I gained focus. It's hard when your brain is not functioning the way it's designed and it's harder when the people around you add to the pressure and keeps pointing out what is wrong with you. Vicky was alone in her battle and she's always at war with herself. I am just so glad she found her people even just from social media because I know she did feel accepted in there. I loved how her huge following didn't get to her head and that she welcomed help at the end. The most important thing is when she confronted her mother. I also felt like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. It was a relief and very crucial that family is there for us.

How to Disappear is a battle against invisibility, bullying, name-calling, slut-shaming, peer pressure, depression and anxiety. It is also an eye-opener for those who are clueless as to what is really happening in our heads. It implies such a strong message: You are not alone in this fight, I see you.

Thanks you Hazel and HarperCollins International for the galleys!

"I cringe at the pictures of cut marks, of blood dripping down pale arms or thighs slashed and raw. Of too-thin bodies, and mascara-stained cheeks. People are liking their photos, which feels wrong. Is that what they want--positive reinforcement of their suffering? Or maybe it's just acknowledgement. To be seen. They expose their deepest paint for a handful of little red hearts."

"Joy attracts and misery repels."

"But the kissing? This is something worth living for."

REVIEW: THAT THING WE CALL A HEART BY SHEBA KARIM.

Title: That Thing We Call a Heart
Author: Sheba Karim
Series: Standalone
Edition: Paperback
Publication: May 9th 2017 by HarperTeen
Source: ARC provided by the publisher
Pages: 288
Category: Contemporary

Synopsis:
Shabnam Qureshi is a funny, imaginative Pakistani-American teen attending a tony private school in suburban New Jersey. When her feisty best friend, Farah, starts wearing the headscarf without even consulting her, it begins to unravel their friendship. After telling a huge lie about a tragedy that happened to her family during the Partition of India in 1947, Shabnam is ready for high school to end. She faces a summer of boredom and regret, but she has a plan: Get through the summer. Get to college. Don’t look back. Begin anew.

Everything changes when she meets Jamie, who scores her a job at his aunt’s pie shack, and meets her there every afternoon. Shabnam begins to see Jamie and herself like the rose and the nightingale of classic Urdu poetry, which, according to her father, is the ultimate language of desire. Jamie finds Shabnam fascinating—her curls, her culture, her awkwardness. Shabnam finds herself falling in love, but Farah finds Jamie worrying.

With Farah’s help, Shabnam uncovers the truth about Jamie, about herself, and what really happened during Partition. As she rebuilds her friendship with Farah and grows closer to her parents, Shabnam learns powerful lessons about the importance of love, in all of its forms.

Featuring complex, Muslim-American characters who defy conventional stereotypes and set against a backdrop of Radiohead’s music and the evocative metaphors of Urdu poetry, THAT THING WE CALL A HEART is a honest, moving story of a young woman's explorations of first love, sexuality, desire, self-worth, her relationship with her parents, the value of friendship, and what it means to be true.

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That Thing We Call a Heart is a book I absolutely enjoyed. Here I was able to meet two amazing Muslim-American characters who have one thing in common: their friendship. Shabnam is the hopeless romantic in the duo while Farah is the rational and more adventurous one. What I adored in these two characters was the friendship dynamics we don't get to always see in books. How Shabnam felt excluded when Farah decided to wear a headscarf while Farah felt rejected by bestfriend because of her decision. I don't encounter these things all the time and it's amazing to feel enlighted about how other cultures value their traditions. Their friendship was bridged by their love for each other and I am so glad they made their differences work for them.

The book showcases a glimpse of how rich Pakistani culture is. One part of it is the Urdu Poems! They are so beautiful I kept reading the verses over and over. It isn't just romantic but the depth/technicalities of it are breathtaking. But it truly broke my heart when Shabnam made one but only to find out that the person didn't deserve it. Because damn, that was a knife in the heart. I was also starting to fall in love with Jamie in this story because his character was so well-intentioned at first. But sometimes, even being well-intentioned is just a facade.

The family dynamics also had me hooked. Shabnam's dad is the type who could care less (he's just really not that good in expressing himself) and the mother is the sentimental type and cares too much (which is what moms do). I hated how Shabnam treated her mother because Muslim or not, it was just an awful thing to scream at your mom. But she tried to make up for it and I am absolutely touched by how little things started changing for them at the end.

That Thing We Call a Heart is a story of discoveries you'll gladly follow along with. Enjoyable yet heartbreaking at times, this book knows it's ways to the heart.

Thank you so much, HarperCollins International Sales for the ARC!

"It's easy when you're climbing something. Don't look down, or even too far ahead. Focus on where you are in that moment."

REVIEW: THIS IS HOW IT STARTS BY DAWN LANUZA.

Title: This is How it Starts
Author: Dawn Lanuza
Series: Standalone
Edition: Kindle
Publication: June 24th 2017 by Indie Sisiw Books
Source: Bought from Amazon
Pages: 62
Genre: Poetry

Synopsis:

Not all
heartbreaks
have to end
with you
broken.

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Amazon

Another short masterpiece by my lovely Dawn! This is my second poetry book by her and I loved it! I just feel so sorry for my heart after reading this. The things you read in here would either rip you apart or uplift you (but mostly rip you apart). Don't be fooled by how quick this read is because the feels could probably smack you down. Exquisite book! The cover and illustrations are cute and I know this would be perfect once printed! Can't wait for the print copy!

"We're no longer present in the future
We once imagined in the past."

REVIEW: A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC BY VE SCHAWB.

Title: A Darker Shade of Magic
Author: V.E. Schwab
Series: Shades of Magic #1
Edition: Hardbound
Publication: February 24th 2015 by Tor Books
Source: Bought from Fullybooked
Pages: 400
Genre: Fantasy

Synopsis:
Kell is one of the last travelers--magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes connected by one magical city.

There's Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, and with one mad King--George III. Red London, where life and magic are revered--and where Kell was raised alongside Rhy Maresh, the roguish heir to a flourishing empire. White London--a place where people fight to control magic and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. And once upon a time, there was Black London. But no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red traveler, ambassador of the Maresh empire, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.

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*pinches bridge of nose*
*exhales*

Why? Why did this book have to dra-a-aaag? I understand, I do, why it had to be slow. To build up the world, the magic, the backdrop.. But it would have been absolutely perfect if it didn't dra-a-aaag. Man, I just got no time. (Obviously *my* issue, not the book's LOL)

Also, the last few parts just got so predictable and easy? I was expecting a bit more struggle but I felt like the fight scenes were staged. It said in the beginning that the antagonists weren't easily defeated but what happened at the end? Don't tell me the protags got lucky? No, no no noooooo. I didn't shell out huge money for this book just to be let down.

But I did shell out huge amount of money for a book that I believe is astoundingly expensive but worth it. (Just borrow it from the library before buying just in case or go for the paperback) ADSOM popped my Schwab v-card and I can say I am impressed. The parallel worlds blew me away, the characters were all given justice and the story was amazing (some parts felt LOTR-ish and HP-ish). I enjoyed walking the different Londons with Kell, meeting Lila the badass (my absolute fave female character after Celaena), Rhy et all and unwrapping mysteries of ADSOM.

Trusting authors to be your ally in this life is a huge mistake because they prey on you. They bait you. And you easily fall for them and made you want to be their bffs then once you start falling for their characters, they brutally kill them off. I had a bunch of what-the-fuck moments in this book, not only because the characters I was rooting for didn't survive. There's also an elimination pattern. It can be easily spotted. It was impressive in the beginning how you would vie yourself that the character would stay alive but then it starts to feel flat by end because they were all the same.

I wish there were more magic spells as opposed to the very limited AS *word*. It wasn't convincing enough for me but they have this very alluring sound when the Kell casts them. (Obviously *my* issue again, not the book's LOL) And my favorites are As Travars and As Hasari.

This review may sound negative which is the tone I am trying to avoid so I'm sorry, I could find the right words. I rated this book 4 stars because a) cover b) there are so many possibilities in this vast world c) IT IS REALLY AMAZING d) Parrish and Barron e) Lila. She's one of the best female lead characters I've ever come acrossed. She's her own hero, independent, achiever, wanderlust, tough, DAMN BOYISH SHE DIDN'T NEED A GOWN TO BE PRETTY FUCK THEM ALL, she's so goddamn witty and ASPIRING PIRATE?! YES TO ALL. Lila is a dream-come-true character and I've been searching for her my whole life. How to be you, Lila?

A Darker Shade of Magic is one hell of an expensive book. It may have fallen short in some aspects but compensated so much more in others! This book is not hard to love at all!

"Hesitation is the death of advantage."

"You have a house if not a home," she spat. "You have people who care for you if not about you. You may not have everything you want, but I'd wager you have everything you could ever need, and you have the audacity to claim it all forfeit because it is not love."
"I--"
"Love doesn't keep us from freezing to death, Kell," she continued, "or starving, or being knifed for the coins in our pocket. Love doesn't buy us anything, so be glad for what you have and who you have because you may want for things but you need nothing."

"Battles may be fought from the outside in, but wars are won from the inside out."

REVIEW: WHAT ABOUT TODAY BY DAWN LANUZA.

Title: What About Today
Author: Dawn Lanuza
Series: Standalone
Edition: Paperback
Publication: January 2017 by Anvil Publishing
Source: Review copy provided by the publisher
Pages: 115
Genre: Young Adult, Romance

Synopsis:
Aiden's stuck working for his family's amusement park, Funtastic World, for the whole summer. Nothing amuses him, until he met this terrified girl.

Gemma's stuck in Funtastic World thinking she could handle the park's rides. She couldn't. Good thing she met someone to guide her.

As the day comes to a close, Aiden and Gemma ask themselves if one day is ever enough to decide if they were better off as friends or strangers.

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Quick review for What About Today - it was so cute I could pinch its cheeks so hard I won't let go! Dawn is obviously pretty good with what she does and it just legit makes me so hooked to her stories.

In What About Today, we meet Aiden and Gemma in a amusement park. Two different people leading two different lives but interwine in a very unexpected way. Their differences created a link for them and the ways of hearts took it from there. They've known each other only for a brief moment but Dawn was able to expand the experience and feelings to a level where potentials and opportunities are endless. What I liked about this is even though most of us are rooting for romance, it could also lead to a beautiful friendship (or disaster because the last line harhar). Dawn kind of gave me that option to think freely or like, imagine a different ending for myself.

Jen E. Smith meets Kasie West, What About Today is a delightful contemporary that keeps me wanting for more. Nostalgic and fluffy, it's a feel-good story that can easily be everyone's fave!

Thank you Anvil Publishing for sending me a review copy!

"Maybe this was here wish coming truw even before she wished it"

"Can we stay on the line?"

REVIEW: THE BOYFRIEND BACKTRACK BY DAWN LANUZA.

Title: The Boyfriend Backtrack
Author: Dawn Lanuza
Series: Standalone
Edition: Paperback
Publication: September 2015 by Anvil Publishing
Source: Bought from National Bookstore
Pages: 161
Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary

Synopsis:
If they say that life flashes right before your eyes when you die, do you also get a flashback of your exes when your perfect boyfriend is proposing to you? At least that's the case for Regina Cortez. There's her dramatic high school boyfriend, her first college crush, the irresistible heart breaker, and the ever elusive one. By backtracking to her past, will Regina make it to 'I Do'? Or will she just keep running away?

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HELLEW CHASE SEVILLA YOU BEAUTIFUL HUMAN BEING YOU OMG I AM BABBLING

What? I loved The Boyfriend Backtrack by Dawn Lanuza like I love Blueberry Cheesecakes! This book is a quick read and truly an enjoyable one! I am now obsessed with Dawn's writing and I cannot wait to breeze through her other works!

The Boyfriend Backtrack is just the perfect New Adult novel for me. AS IN PERFECT I-NEEDED-THIS-BOOK-AT-THIS-VERY-MOMENT PERFECT. The setting is here in the Philippines and I am of course familiar with where this one took place and it gave me funny feelings because OMG FINALLY A BOOK I CAN HONESTLY SAY "I KNOW THAT DAMN PLACE!" (Especially the hospital because I've been there a lot of times) It's funny how Reg spaced out and had a flashback of all her exes when Kevin proposed to her. At the beginning of the book, I knew she's skeptical about the engagement because it's pretty much obvious but what I didn't expect was Reg legit went back tracking her exes for closure. I mean, that's just freaking weird, like, after years of not seeing seach other, you had to go find them just to tell them, like, why it didn't work out and stuff? DAMN CRAZY, RIGHT? I can relate to having anxiety/panic attacks when meeting people you actually don't really want to me at all but you kind of have to? Or like those confrontations you have to go through to finally close like whatever chapter in your life? All the feels right there! And she has this ex who wrote a song for her titled Devil Woman HAHAH OMG THAT IS JUST CRUEL BUT FUNNY BECAUSE WOW EX REALLY?! Her exes are weird af and Reg's face if so readable I was just laughing the entire time.

A slight downside though, the first person POV and narration's tense confused me a little bit.

Then we have Chase Sevilla who is actually a close friend of Reg since college. More like best friends. I loved Dawn's way of getting around this trope because I practically fell head over heels with Chase. He's the kind of guy one would actually fall for - SMART, handsome, tall, sexy, sweet, I don't want to say kind but he actually is - aaaah a lot more! He's sooooo easy to be with and he's probabaly the type I could talk to 24/7 because he's like that - like, you can just talk and he would be there for you anytime? Chase is not shallow but he can be for you just to keep the conversation going? He's that type! He's also a little bit cheesy aaaaah all I am saying is he's THE perfect package! (He's also a doctor so that's a MAJOR bonus!)

Maaaaaan, if you need a refreshing read and a story you can 100% relate to, pick up The Boyfriend Backtrack. This book is a source of happy feels!

"You only fall in love once, The rest are just endless rebounds."

REVIEW: AMY & ROGER'S EPIC DETOUR BY MORGAN MATSON.

Title: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour
Author: Morgan Matson
Series: StandAlone
Edition: Hardbound (signed)
Publication: May 4th 2010 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: Bought from National Bookstore
Pages: 344
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Travel, Realistic Fiction, Romance

Synopsis:
Amy Curry is not looking forward to her summer. Her mother decided to move across the country and now it's Amy's responsibility to get their car from California to Connecticut. The only problem is, since her father died in a car accident, she isn't ready to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger. An old family friend, he also has to make the cross-country trip - and has plenty of baggage of his own. The road home may be unfamiliar - especially with their friendship venturing into uncharted territory - but together, Amy and Roger will figure out how to map their way.

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Amy and Roger's Epic Detour has been on my book radar ever since I laid my eyes on its glorious hardcover copy. It took a while (as always) for me to get a hold of one and I would just like to thank National Bookstore for not only getting copies but also for inviting Morgan Matson for a signing here! It was just one of the best moments ever!

This book is the first road trip themed novel I've read and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I loved the scrapbook entries so so much and how intricate the details of each place is! My wanderlust heart is suddenly so full because of this book and I can't help but be adventurous - like Amy - along the way. Definitely a book I would re-read and recommend.

Amy obviously is going through a hard time accepting such a huge loss and adjusting to the absence of her father. I felt her pain and how it is just so darn hard to miss someone that much. I also felt her regret and the self-blame I believe is understandable. I wish that her mother though helped her instead of going away to mend her own heart. Leaving her children like that is an act of selfishness - but somehow, still understandable from a different point of view. What felt a little off for me is the insta-romance and how romance-centered the plot turned out to be. (What was I expecting, a fantasy? This is a roadtrip romance story, silly!) I mean, there's gotta be other ways to develop romance. Even though Roger is cute and sweet, I find him too good to be true. (I might be biased here because I have a thing for villains). Can't they just get off as friends or whatever? The romance was just iffy to me.

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour is an epic story that made me giggle, cry, mad and happy. This one is a ride I would not hesitate to follow again!

"The best discoveries always happened to the people who weren't looking for them."

"It's not about the destination. It’s getting there that’s the good part. - Leonard"

"...You can do something extraordinary, and something that a lot of people can't do. And if you have the opportunity to work on your gifts, it seems like a crime not to. I mean, it's just weakness to quit because something becomes too hard.."