January 2018 | Mini Reviews

I thought I’d share all my mini-reviews for the month! I enjoyed all of these book to varying degrees – some I really loved, others weren’t for me – but I still wanted to give you my thoughts on them! So here are some mini-reviews from books I’ve read this month or that release this month.

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Busted by Gina Ciocca

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Release Date: January 1, 2018

Busted was a fun read. It was cutesy, dramatic, and so easy to read. I was initially drawn into the story because of the PI situation the protagonist, Marisa, finds herself in. And I ended up liking all the spying, scheming, and the tangled web of secrets that starts to come unraveled in a natural way through the story. I really liked Marisa’s jewelry making hobby – it’s something I’ve dabbled in myself and a unique hobby we don’t normally see in YA. But there was also a lot of pettiness and immaturity that kept me from really loving the book. Characters were called on their actions, and others apologized for theirs – and I really liked that a lot, but the blatant immaturity and selfishness was a little much. Overall, this was a fun read and was the perfect inbetween book for me to read between 2 SFF stories.

I received a copy of the book from Sourcebooks Fire via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

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Love and Other Train Wrecks by Leah Konen

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Release Date: January 2, 2018

“‘Here goes,’ I say, without turning to her.

I slide the safety latch on the bottom. Then I grab the long handle in the middle. It turns under my weight, easier than it should be. The door opens, and there it is. The whole world in front of us.

Our adventure, beckoning.”

This is a good winter season contemporary, but I only really connected with one half of the couple, so the entire story fell a bit flat for me. I love the meeting and sense of serendipitous adventure that Ammy and Noah find themselves in – even with the many snags, their journey is nice to see. And I did think the romance was sweet and fluffy, with a healthy dose of snarky and angst. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Ammy. I just didn’t really connect with her, and our personalities didn’t mesh well. Plus, I found her to be annoyingly indignant at times, and it kinda rubbed me the wrong way. Despite not loving Ammy, I thought the story was nice and enjoyable for the most part.

I received a copy of the book from Katherine Tegen Books via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. All quotes are taken from an uncorrected proof.

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The Last Girl on Earth by Alexandra Blogier

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (1.5 Stars)

Release Date: January 23, 2018

“I know I have no choice. I know this is my life. But this life is a lie.”

I’m disappointed. That’s probably how I can best summarizes me feelings about The Last Girl on Earth. I thought the premise had so much promise – Li as the lone human on Earth and her personal and emotional struggle, plus I was excited to learn more about the alien race that had taken over Earth and what lead to the alien apocalypse. Unfortunately, I felt like the story glossed over everything. The story seemed to read as more of a fleshed out outline than an actual novel. The worldbuilding was done so hastily and the character introductions only briefly mentioned, I never felt like I knew what was going on. I did really love the found family aspect that Li has with her adoptive dad and sister. It was so genuine and actually impacted me emotionally. Unfortunately, the other relationships felt rushed and underdeveloped. A sad miss.

I received a copy of the book from Delacorte Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All quotes are taken from an uncorrected proof.

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Have you read any of these books? Are you going to pick up, or avoid, any of them now? Share below!