Everything, Everything - by Nicola Yoon

Title: Everything, Everything

Author: Nicola Yoon

Published: 1 Sep 2015

Series: -

Rating: 5 stars

Synopsis:

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.
But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.
Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

Wanting just leads to more wanting. There's no end to desire.

I received this book as an ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

It was interesting reading about 'bubble baby disease' as I hadn't heard much about it before. The name of the disease is fairly self-explanatory, but it was still interesting to hear about the bits I hadn't known before.

Something I've noticed in many TV shows, movies and books I've watched and read seems to be that most people say "Welcome to our new home!" when they get to a new house. I still have no idea why people do that.

It's nice how Madeleine is half-Japanese and half-African American but it's not a big deal. But I think that my favourite character in the book was probably Olly, followed by Carla as they both cared for Madeleine and both had a sense of humour.

I'd like to know more about her dad and her brother - what her mum remembered them being like, the little things her brother would do for his younger sister, the jokes her dad would tell...

Spoilers!

Why is there usually a "breath/tension they didn't realise they'd been holding" variation in YA? Beginning to get sick of seeing that.

I did love that Olly was good to her and that he cared for her, but I also feel like there was a sort of insta-love too.

Zach being gay was great as Olly and Madeleine didn't make a big deal about it - it's just part of who Zach is as a person.

Why yes, I did indeed cry at the ending.

End Spoilers!

Tiny Pretty Things - by Sona Charaipotra & Dhonielle Clayton

Title: Tiny Pretty Things

Author: Sona Charaipotra & Dhonielle Clayton

Published: 26 May 2015

Series: Tiny Pretty Things #1

Rating: 3 stars

Synopsis:

Black Swan meets Pretty Little Liars in this soapy, drama-packed novel featuring diverse characters who will do anything to be the prima at their elite ballet school.
Gigi, Bette, and June, three top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet school, have seen their fair share of drama. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance—but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette's desire to escape the shadow of her ballet-star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever.
When every dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best.

Trigger Warning: eating disorder, drugs

I listened to this as an audiobook.

The book alternates between three points of views - Gigi, Bette, and June's. Gigi is one of only two students at the school that are black with a medical condition, Bette is the younger sister of a school celebrity, and June is a half-Korean and half-white student. 

I wasn't sure that Cassie had a British accent until it was mentioned that she was from London so I'm not sure whether that's because of the narrator or because of my own brain. At the start it also sounded a bit like the characters sounded a bit blah and a little monotone, but as the book went on it got better.

Ballerinas have their secrets.

Sometimes felt like this book went on forever. It's a good book and I liked listening to this audiobook, but there are times when I thought that it was going to finish but it just never did. When the book finally did end it was on a cliff hanger anyway.

So much drama. Everywhere. Both relationship drama and drama between the girls in general.

I did wonder if the practice room that Gigi keeps going to was Cassie's.

But there are also some good lessons to be learned from this book too:

1. Not being ready for sex is okay
2. Be your own person, not what someone else wants you to be
3. Everything isn't always what it looks like from the outside
4. Sometimes we ignore things that are important because we don't like what it makes us think about
5. Not every person is the same - some are nice, some are mean, some care about us, some don't...

Perfection comes at a price.

My main question was who kept threatening Gigi? Bette and Will both seem like possible options, but I don't think either option would have done everything though. I'm not entirely sure on that point...

Spoilers!

Lots of family and relationship triangles and circles in this one. Will likes Henri who dated Cassie, who is cousins with Alec, who is now dating Gigi, who is roommates with June, who likes Jai-He, who is dating Seijing, who seems to hate June, who gives ballet tips to Bette, who is roommates with Eleanor who adores Adelle who is sisters with Bette who was friends with Liz...

I also guessed that Will was probably gay, and I was right. However I did also guess that Cassie committed suicide after all Bette's pranks and I was wrong about that one, so it sort of evened it out. I'm also wondering if June is lesbian or bisexual or whether that was just a one time thing...

The more you read, the more you realise how many problems the girls do (or probably do) have. My guesses/knowledge? Bette's mother is an alcoholic, Bette's addicted to Adderall, June and Liz seem anorexic, Gigi sounds depressed and has a hole in her heart.

End Spoilers!

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All books in this series:

    1 | Tiny Pretty Things
    2 | Shiny Broken Pieces