Tag: Stephanie Perkins

Review: My True Love Gave to Me Anthology

Posted December 3, 2014 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

my true love gave to meRowena’s review of My True Love Gave to Me by Stephanie Perkins, Holly Black, Ally Carter, Gayle Forman, Jenny Han, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Myra McEntire, Matt de la Pena, Rainbow Rowell, Laini Taylor, Kiersten White.

If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME: TWELVE HOLIDAY STORIES by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins.

This book felt like it had a million short stories in it but I jumped in anyway because a lot of my favorite YA authors penned stories in this one so I was all about it. I’m going to briefly review each short story and hope that this review doesn’t end up being longer than the book. 🙂

“Midnights” by Rainbow Rowell: This was my favorite story in the entire book. Oh, how I adored Noel and Mags. I loved seeing how they met and then their anniversary celebrations each year. The way that their friendship blossomed over the course of their short story was too freaking cute and I just adored this book to pieces.

Grade: 5 out of 5

The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link: This story was short but I didn’t connect with Miranda at all and that she fell in love with a ghost did absolutely nothing for me. I read through the whole thing waiting for that moment when I’d connect with Miranda and the story and sadly, it never happened.

Grade: 1 out of 5

Angels in the Snow by Matt de la Pena:  This story felt like it took me a million years to read it. I didn’t connect with either Shy or Haley. I wanted to smack Shy every time he lied to Haley and then when we get to finally know about Haley, I wanted to smack her too. I wasn’t at all mad that the story ended.

Grade: 1 out of 5

Polaris is Where You’ll Find Me by Jenny Han: I haven’t read any books by Jenny Han (though I do have her latest release waiting to be read on my iPad) but I was really excited to read this one since I’ve heard a lot of good things about her books.  I’m sad to say that this book didn’t work for me at all. It was just…weird. Natalie grew up on the North Pole, having been adopted by Santa Claus? She lives amongst the elves and even has beef with one elf in particular because that elf is dating the elf she wants but can’t have? The only part that I thought was cute was the end when Flynn hands her what she wanted all along but even that wasn’t enough for me to like the entire story.

Grade: 2 out of 5

It’s a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins: I was excited to read this story. I adore all things Stephanie Perkins and I thought she delivered a great short story. Both North and Marigold were cute characters that really came to life in such a short amount of space. I laughed, I sighed and I grinned my way through this story. It was cute.

Grade: 4 out of 5

Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan: I haven’t read any books by Levithan but was hoping for great things since he’s a pretty popular author of LGBT YA fiction. Unfortunately, this story dragged and the longer it went on, the more I just wanted to skip to the next story. The bitchy sister got on my nerves but I did think that it was sweet of the boyfriend to play dress up to make his boyfriend happy. I just wish that I could have connected with the characters more.

Grade: 2 out of 5

Krampsulauf by Holly Black: Another story that was just …weird to me. It’s a contemporary YA but with some fantasy elements thrown in and throughout the entire story, I kept wondering, “What the heck am I reading?” when it was finally over, I was glad to move on to the next story.

Grade: 1 out of 5

What the Hell have You Done, Sophie Roth by Gayle Forman:  This is one of the stories that I was most looking forward to reading when I first got this book for review. I love Gayle Forman and knew that she would deliver another great story. I’m so glad that I wasn’t disappointed. I thought this story was well written, cute and I loved seeing Sophie fumble her way around Russell. It was just all around cute and I enjoyed this one.

Grade: 4 out of 5

Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire:  This story was cute. Bad boy doing bad things and Good Girl not casting any judgments, seeing the good in him. Something that not anyone else sees. I thought they were a cute little couple. I loved seeing them work together to try to fix the problems that were all around them. I’ve never read anything by McEntire before but I’m keen to try something else.

Grade: 3 out of 5

Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White: This was another great addition to the book. I loved getting to know both Maria and Ben. They were a fun duo. I thought it was cute that Ben had a sixth sense for what customers and employees of the diner would want or in some cases, need. He brought life into that diner and in turn, into that town and also to Maria’s life. I loved seeing them grow closer with each passing day and I thought White did a good job of telling their story in such a short space. I enjoyed this one.

Grade: 4 out of 5  

Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter: This was one of those change places with someone and see how they live, or well, close enough to that kind of story line.  I was interested enough in the story to read it but there were times when I just had to roll my eyes down the street. Still, in the end, I was glad that I read this book and would definitely read more from this author because, Ethan was a cutie pie.

Grade: 3 out of 5

Overall, there were some pretty great stories but there were also some pretty bad stories. I’m not at all mad that I read this book though because while it wasn’t perfect, the stories that I did enjoy were just fabulous.

This book is available from St. Martin’s Press. You can purchase it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Isla & the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Posted September 18, 2014 by Rowena in Reviews | 3 Comments

Rowena’s review of Isla & the Happily Ever After (Anna & the French Kiss #3) by Stephanie Perkins.

From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.

I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of this book.  I am a huge fan of this series and I’m sad that this is the last book we’ll be getting from our friends at SOAP. Stephanie Perkins has done such a great job of writing this book that I went into this book with high expectations and I’m so happy to report that Perkins met every one of my expectations.

So in this book, it’s Josh’s turn to get his story told.  If you read the other books then you’ll remember Josh as being the younger best friend of Etiene St. Clair.

Isla has had a fierce crush on Josh since freshman year. She’s miserably watched him and his ex-girlfriend Rashmi make out in the hallways and around school.  She never thought that Josh would ever notice her but when she’s back home in New York over break, she’s delighted to run into him at a coffee shop she frequents.  At the time that she runs into him, she’s high as a kite from having her wisdom teeth pulled but that doesn’t keep her from talking to Josh.  She hangs out with him and then crashes right at the table while Josh is drawing her and Josh ends up paying her bill and walking her home.

Isla was equal parts embarrassed and over the moon over her night with Josh.  She was so excited that she went back to that coffee shop again the next night in hopes that Josh would be there but night after night, he doesn’t show up and Isla goes back to school, a little defeated.

But then the school year begins and Isla and Josh strike up a friendship. They’re in to the same things and a friendship is blossoming.  And the closer they get, the deeper they fall for each other.

I can’t even begin to tell you guys how cute this book is. From the time Josh is brought onto the scene, I adored him. I thought he was the cutest thing in the world and with each turning page, my love for him grew. I loved the way that he fell in complete love with Isla and I loved seeing them fumble around to find their way. There were times when Isla’s insecurities made me want to smack her around but never once did I not like her. I loved seeing Isla grow and learn from living her life, making choices and taking risks. And I loved that through everything that they went through, Josh’s feelings for her were constant and unchanging.

Gah, I grinned my way through this book like a sappy lovesick child but I don’t even care, cause I loved the hell out of this book. Stephanie Perkins wrote a fantastic story about two beautiful kids who found something remarkable and special and those feelings stayed with me long after I finished this book. As much as I loved Anna and the French Kiss, I think this one tops that book on my love meter.

This was the perfect ending to a fantastic series and I’m going to miss these characters (all of them from Anna and Etiene, Lola and Cricket and even Meredith and Kurt) but I know that Stephanie Perkins will introduce some new fabulous characters for me to love. I loved this book.

Grade: 5 out of 5

This book is available from Dutton. You can purchase it here or here in e-format.

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Listen Up West Coasters! YA or Bust! 2012 Group Tour

Posted April 20, 2012 by Rowena in | 8 Comments


Hey guys!

All you West Coasters and Contemporary YA fans, the YA or Bust 2012 Group Tour is coming to a town near you (hopefully). Gayle Forman, Stephanie Perkins and Nina LaCour will be touring different west coast cities and if you’re in the area, you should definitely check them out.


Here are the deets!

  • 4/20: Chaucer’s Bookstore in Santa Barbara, CA at 7pm
  • 4/21: Los Angeles Book Fair in Los Angeles, CA at 12pm
  • 4/23: Children’s Book World in Los Angeles, CA at 6:30pm
  • 4/24: Barnes and Noble in Huntington Beach, CA at 7pm (OMG, this is near my work)
  • 4/25: Mysterious Galaxies in San Diego, CA at 7pm
  • 4/26: Roosevelt High School in Seattle, WA at 7pm

I’m definitely going to try to make my way over to B&N in Huntington Beach on Tuesday because it’s about ten minutes away from where I work and I’ll already be out here since I get off at 6pm. Woot!

..and that’s your scoop!

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Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Posted October 18, 2011 by Rowena in Reviews | 7 Comments


Main Character: Lola Nolan
Love Interest: Cricket Bell
Series: Companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Website|Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

*MAJOR SPOILERS ALERT*

This review is going to contain spoilers so if you want to read the book and don’t want to be spoiled, steer clear of this review because everything will be talked about.
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I’m serious, I will spoil this book for you so go away and come back after you read the book.
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You have been warned, don’t get mad at if you go ahead and read this review after I told you about all the spoilers.

In this companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss, two teens discover that true love may be closer than they think

For budding costume designer Lola Nolan, the more outrageous, the outfit – more sparkly, more fun, more wild – the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins move back into the house next door.

When the family returns and Cricket – a gifted inventor and engineer – steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

This is the book that I’ve been most looking forward to reading all year. Ever since I finished Anna and the French Kiss, I had to get my hands on this book. When it finally came in and I held it in my hands, I did my happy dance. I cracked this sucker open in the morning and by the early afternoon, I was finished. I read every single word and was a happy camper.

I can’t say that I loved this book more than I loved Anna but I did enjoy it a whole lot. I absolutely adored Cricket, more than I adored St. Clair (which was shocking because I LOVED St. Clair).

I noticed in this book that I spent a great deal of the book annoyed with Lola. I felt the same way with Anna in her book. I just felt that it took her way too long to break up with Max. She’s got this whole “relationship” thing blossoming with Cricket and yet she’s still with Max. She’s keeping secrets from Max and she wonders why Cricket’s sister was pissed at her? Even after the truth comes out about what really happened those two years ago that made Lola hate Cricket, she stayed with Max. It was obvious by that point that the relationship was over and yet, she stayed with him. I can chalk it up to her being young but I won’t because she should have known better.

Aside from Lola taking forever and three months to break up with Max (and stringing Cricket along the whole time), I really enjoyed the book. I enjoyed seeing Lola’s parents and their hands on approach to parenting (the bad cop, good cop thing made me smile). I really enjoyed getting to know Cricket and I liked Lola’s friends. It was good to see Anna and St. Clair back in action and I think a lot of romance authors should take a page out of Stephanie Perkins book where recurring characters are concerned. In the romance novels that I’ve been reading lately, the recurring characters (who are couples) that come back are so cheesy and corny that it chips away from my love for them. In this book, Anna and St. Clair are in the picture but they don’t steal Cricket and Lola’s thunder and they’re not so cheesy that I wanted to vomit. Perkins does a great job of including them in the story.

Overall, this story was really good and I enjoyed it a lot. I was happy with the way that it ended and for me, Cricket was the best part of this book. He’s everything that young girls should be dreaming about and I just absolutely adored him. I would definitely recommend this book to lovers of the first book, fans of the author and fans of contemporary YA in general. This book is a definite treat.

..and that’s your scoop!

Buy the book: B&N|Amazon|Book Depository
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com

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Book Watch: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins.

Posted March 25, 2011 by Rowena in Promotions | 7 Comments


From Stephanie Perkin’s website:

Coming September 29, 2011:

In this companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss, two teens discover that true love may be closer than they think.

For budding costume designer Lola Nolan, the more outrageous the outfit—more sparkly, more fun, more wild—the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins move back into the house next door.

When the family returns and Cricket—a gifted inventor and engineer—steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

I thoroughly enjoyed Anna and the French Kiss so it’s not a surprise that I’m anxious for more from her. She’s bringing us more with her upcoming release, Lola and the Boy Next Door. It sounds like the perfect contemporary YA romance and I’m more than a little anxious to get to it already. Mark your calendars because if you were a fan of Anna and the French Kiss (and seriously, who wasn’t?) then you’re going to want to give this one a go, I just know it!

..and that’s your scoop!

Pre-order the book: B&N|Borders|Amazon|Book Depository
Picture and blurb credit: http://stephanieperkins.com

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