Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Love ignites in the City That Never Sleeps, but can it last? 

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart. 

Featuring cameos from fan-favorites Anna, Étienne, Lola, and Cricket, this sweet and sexy story of true love—set against the stunning backdrops of New York City, Paris, and Barcelona—is a swoonworthy conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series.

Okay, so of all the three books so far in this series (Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door, and this one), I liked Isla and the Happily Ever After the most. Isla was by far the most likable leading lady that Perkins was able to come up with. It's a pet peeve to me that all her guys seem to be perfect nice guys (ugh), but perhaps it's because we're reading it from the lady's rose-tinted and infatuated point-of-view.

I liked this book a lot because there was less bullshit. It's a slice-of-life story, and Isla is a breath of fresh air. She's shy, patient, and understanding... and even if we're reading it from her point of view, its obvious from the conversations and inner turmoils she has. Josh, on the other hand, is quite endearing. He's sweet but also oblivious to Isla's insecurities, which is where most of the book's conflict comes from.

And my favorite part of the book? Kurt. Kurt is Isla's childhood friend who has high-functioning autism. He's blunt and rude and can't tell a lie (which gets Isla and Josh expelled), but he's just so incredibly sweet and caring. I think he's actually the reason I like Isla a lot more than I liked the other leading ladies of Stephanie Perkins. Through him, you can actually see how good a person Isla is because she refuses to keep relations with people who don't care for Kurt's company.

As for Isla and Josh's relationship, it was more of chance that they got together, but they did appear to complement one another. Isla's conversation with a friend later on in the book explains why Isla and Josh work. It's simply because Josh is brash and Isla is gentle, and rather than push, they listen.

I'm giving this book a 3/5. It's no literary masterpiece but it makes a good, light read.

Review: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green, David Levithan

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green, David Levithan

Genres: Young adult, contemporary, romance, glbt, realistic fiction

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.

Hilarious, poignant, and deeply insightful, John Green and David Levithan’s collaborative novel is brimming with a double helping of the heart and humor that have won both of them legions of faithful fans.

John Green and David Levithan did a good job on this collaboration. What I liked best about it is just how much it captures the reality of teenage drama. Really, this book is all about Tiny, and the two Will Graysons in his life. Tiny is an amazing character, he's hilarious and confident, with all these insecurities that he tries to hide.

Another character that I ended up liking a lot if Jane. She's the type that just grows on you, alongside Will Grayson (the straight one).

Green writes in his typical manner, with wit and sensitivity. In contrast to Levithan, I found that Green's chapters had a more upbeat feel to them, which can possibly be attributed to the fact that Levithan's Will Grayson was suffering from depression. Levithan's writing was... unique. No words were capitalized and dialogues were done in chat/script form. It took a while to get used to but once you did, you kind of see that it's probably the way his Will Grayson really would have done it anyway.

Truth be told, the ending appeared a bit lacking to me. I enjoyed how they tackled the depth of Tiny and straight Will's friendship, but the ending seemed to lacking and, sorry to say, corny. It was done in a flashy way that I guess Tiny appreciates because it's Tiny, but from the reader's perspective, there could have been more to it.

Rating: 3.5/5

Review: Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski

Review: Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski

Genres: Young adult, romance, contemporary, chick lit, realistic fiction

Summary: 2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house - parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have. If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up "Skipping School" (#3), "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um, "Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them.

This is your average chic lit, young adult (more specifically, teen) book. I found it funny though the plot was not anything extraordinary. What stood out best in the book were the characters... they all seemed very real. Each of them had their own issues and personalities (yay!).

At first, I found it confusing that the author kept going from the present and then showing snippets of the past. It was a lot of back and forth, and it was also quite difficult to remember who's who, because suddenly there's just this myriad of characters in your face. But once that passes, you get into it, and you actually start rooting for someone. What I found nice about it is that I could actually empathize with the characters, though there came a time when it got tiring that all the protagonist did was be depressed and selfish and punishing. And also, oblivious. I do feel for her because it's true that she was going through some tough stuff, but for a reader, it became redundant to read the same musings again and again.

Anyway, I recommend this to people who like slice-of-life books with impressive characters who don't mind a plot that doesn't go that deep.

Rating: 3/5

Review: The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen 

Genres: Romance, magical realism, chick lit, fantasy, mystery, contemporary

Summary: It’s the dubious distinction of thirty-year-old Willa Jackson to hail from a fine old Southern family of means that met with financial ruin generations ago. The Blue Ridge Madam—built by Willa’s great-great-grandfather and once the finest home in Walls of Water, North Carolina—has stood for years as a monument to misfortune and scandal. Willa has lately learned that an old classmate—socialite Paxton Osgood—has restored the house to its former glory, with plans to turn it into a top-flight inn. But when a skeleton is found buried beneath the property’s lone peach tree, long-kept secrets come to light, accompanied by a spate of strange occurrences throughout the town. Thrust together in an unlikely friendship, united by a full-blooded mystery, Willa and Paxton must confront the passions and betrayals that once bound their families—and uncover the truths that have transcended time to touch the hearts of the living.

The Peach Keeper is a book which I had randomly picked out of the shelf at National Bookstore. I thought the cover was nice (I judge books by their covers, so judge me), so I purchased it and put it aside. It had been with me for a few months before I finally started to read it. It's the first book I've read from Sarah Addision Allen, and from what I've read from other reviewers, it's not her best work.

I thought the premise was interesting. It mixed mystery, magic, romance, and friendship. What I didn't like, however, was that it was fast-paced and anti-climactic at the same time. The characters appear to just breeze through their problems, fall in love, make friends, and then the book ends. The whole mystery is summed up in a single chapter (towards the end), and at that point, the only thing I could think of was... who cares? The whole mystery was unnecessarily dragged out that there's no surprise once it's finally 'solved'. The book tried too hard to be deep that it became difficult to relate to the characters.

The book had a certain enchantment to it though, and while the characters were not really that worthwhile, you're still pulled in by the magic and the mystery.

My rating: 3/5