Whisper by Lynette Noni

4.5 Stars

Does anyone else get the feeling that dystopian YA novels are coming back into fashion?
As my re-entry to this genre, I can say this novel was exactly what I needed. Ngl, there were a LOT of tropes in ‘Whisper’, but they weren’t anything that really bothered me (although I can see others finding them frustrating)
‘Whisper’ was like Shatter Me meets The Young Elites. It was really thrilling in that old dystopian way that I miss. And maybe that’s why I loved this so much, and why many others will too. People my age will reminisce over their favourite dystopians from years and years ago. And in all honestly, this is the best book to do that with!
Y’all who read Angelfall, Reboot and Delirium will salivate reading this one (that sounded weird, but just go with it, ok?)
Reading Whisper was like watching X-Men if they were short episodes with giant cliffhangers at the end. It was intense, and fun, and had all of those cool scenes like a training montage, a slow-burning romance and really, really funny side characters with awesome powers. Plus who doesn’t love a mad scientist/crazy doctor? Ngl, I love me a mad scientist. They tend to be the most scary villains in any sort of show/book (I’m talking to you The 100 s02 and World After by Susan Ee)
And like most dystopians, you always finish up with the best family of characters. By which I mean cast of characters but they’re so sweet, crazy and ridiculous that they make your heart warm and you’re like WELCOME HOME FAM but they’re not really your fam and you’ll never really get to meet them (wow, that’s a downward spiral if I’ve ever seen one). Long story short, buy one book, get one fam free.

The Art of French Kissing by Brianna R. Shrum

3.5 Stars

As someone who absolutely adores dramas (Korean/Japanese/Taiwanese) about cooking, this may have felt like it was written for me. There is something about fictional stories detailing people’s adventures in cooking that is so alluring and extremely entertaining.
Strangely enough though, we don’t actually get that many YA cooking novels, even though everyone cooks literally all the time in real life. Is that not super strange? I mean considering the fact that literally everyone watches shows like Masterchef, My Kitchen Rules, Family Food Fight and Hell’s Kitchen all the time. A novelised version of one of those shows should be the holy grail of all novels – or at least your guilty pleasure. Because let me tell you, this was a guilty pleasure of mine.
While the title, ‘The Art of French Kissing’ makes me slightly uncomfortable (I’m sorry but it does, shhh), the book was super comforting and super adorable.

The storytelling is simple, which is great and I think totally fits the whole TV-cooking-genre thing. It’s all about the competition of cooking and the hate-to-love relationship (you have to admit, it’s one of the best tropes) between two of the competitors.

The main character definitely gave me a lot to think about. It was a love-hate relationship for ME with our protagonist, Carter Lane. Carter at first comes across as this somewhat shy character, but then it’s like she’s a bubble of fury and passion waiting to burst. And that at moments can definitely come across at times as quite brash and condescending. Which I like? Question mark? I questioned this as I was reading because occasionally I’d think gawd, I cannot stand this girl right now – why did she have to say that? But then I thought about myself, and how I say dumb things in a moment of spontaneity and I was like welllllll yeah that definitely makes sense.
Sometimes I feel like I’m so forgiving and accepting of characters in the books I read but I can’t help but try and relate myself to everyone and try to understand them. *shrugs* What can ya do?

As I said before, I am a big fan of the hate-to-love trope because it shows a real development of character, and because it generally makes a really adorable story. I think this book was a perfect example of that development, because at first you see the characters at face-value, pretty 2-D where they’re pretty naive, innocent creatures *sighs* before they develop (3-D/4-D WHOAH) and you suddenly realise that the characters are older than you thought and then that sigh turns into a blush.
It totally gave me the feels that you get during those classic rom-com movies that are always screening on TV, which I definitely think shows this was a success.

You want a guilty-pleasure read that is an adorable version of Masterchef? This is the book you want *Jedi Mind-Trick activated*

The Disappearance of Sloane Jacobs by Gia Cribbs

4.5 Stars

This book left me an emotional wreck.
As I got near the end my first thought was – how cliche, but then things took a turn and I ended up wanting to cry my heart out. Consider my heart strings pulled.
The whole idea of witness protection programs is so unspoken (duh, of course, that’s how it works I know) so it was really cool to have a thriller story set around WITSEC.
All the characters were also SO adorable. I felt an emotional connection with all of them, particularly my fav of them all, Mark, the Marshal watching over protagonist, Sloane.
The characters were brilliantly sculpted, and their development as people was absolutely fabulous!
One of the BEST THINGS this book does is the back-story thing. You know books that switch between the past and the present and how almost 100% of them are super annoying + frustrating? This was one of those rare books that got it so right!! I didn’t actually want to rip my hair out in frustration (my scalp is v. thankful) it’s a miracle, holy wow. I actually CARED about the past stories and they fit in so fluidly with the main plot line. If that’s not enough to make you go ‘I NEED THIS BOOK IN MY LIFE’ I don’t know what is.
Just in general, this was a highly engrossing book. I don’t often read thrillers, because they scare me (Oi don’t laugh tyvm) however this was the perfect amount of scary anxiety I needed in my life. Also thrillers tend to have those lulls in plot, but this actually didn’t have that – buy your lottery ticket now kids ^^ (jks)
To conclude this short review, if you want a fun, thrillery, fast read, add this to your Book Depo cart ASAP bc I can guarantee it’ll be a good time :)))

Bonjour Girl by Isabelle Lafleche

2.5 Stars

You know how people say ‘wooooow that’s a look’?
This book was ‘woooooow this was a journey’.
This book gave me turbulence it was so up and down for me. I’d have heart eyes one second and then the next it would be those squinty deadpan ones.
SOOOOOOOO because I’m weird I present you with a PRO and CON list!

Pro
It was like Carrie Diaries meets Anna and the French Kiss.

Con
In saying that, it was super juvenile one moment (and the main character is 19, so not the best look) and then suddenly it was like the protagonist just aged 30 years. Clementine was super naïve all the time, and greeted the world with starry eyes. And then other times she’d say things that just didn’t suit her age – words of wisdom, vocabulary, etc.

Pro
A cute cast of characters, perfect for a Hallmark TV movie (I would watch that) They had spunk, and the ideas that all the characters had for the fashion industry were actually really interesting.

Con
Everything is always tied up in a neat little bow for Clementine and works out exactly right. How is that possible? (Pls let me know cuz would love to know the secret ^^)

Pro
The front cover is so adorable it makes me swoon

Con
Why does nearly every chapter end with one of those annoying foreshadowing questions that are so juvenile I want to cry? It was consistent. Things like (these aren’t what are in the book word for word, but it’ll give you the gist) ‘things were working out perfectly for Clem, too bad that would change soon’ . Major cringe factor.

All in all I did enjoy this book as it was a quick cutesy read, but I think it should really be targeted at the lower half of the YA audience as I think they would get the most enjoyment out of it.