Review: One by Sarah Crossan

Note: I received an advanced reader's copy of this book from Bloomsbury Publishing via Netgalley. This review is my honest opinion.

One is a story told in the point of view of Grace, a girl who's conjoined to her sister. Due to financial difficulties, Grace and her twin Tippi can no longer be home schooled and are enrolled in a public school. They dread being stared at and talked about for being different.

The blurb was what initially drew my interest to this book. Being a twin, I could understand how close of a bond you can have with your sister but I could not imagine what it'd be like to be literally joined at the hip. This book covered a lot of things I was wondering about and more about Siamese twins. I appreciated that it was realistic and not overly dramatic.

I thought the verse format really made the story flow nicely and it was amazing how choice words by the author conveyed so much. However, because of the length of the writing, I didn't believe in the love story line, which felt kind of depthless seeing as we were not privy to many of their conversations and interactions and Grace merely states her quick forming feelings. That was only a small part of the novel though. The main focus was the bond between Grace and Tippi. They were dealt some unfavourable cards and had to face a life changing choice. By the end of the book I was heartbroken. One was a short read but it was one with insight and impact.

Review: Summer of Yesterday by Gaby Triana

Haley is not looking forward to spending time with her father and her stepmom at Disney Fort Wilderness when she'd much rather spend summer with her friends back in her hometown Jupiter. Her father and stepmom decide to keep a close eye on her after Haley had a seizure a few months earlier. One night Haley goes on a scavenger hunt with some new friends in the abondoned River Country waterpark, experiences her second seizure and when she gains consciousness she realises she's been transported 30ish years back to the past, when River Country was open for business.

I loved the setting of this book. It was based on an actual place so it was cool to discover its existence and a bit about its history. The contrast between the fashion and technology in the 80s and now was interesting and I liked how Haley came to appreciate the park which stored so many memories for her father. Romance was a big part of the story but it was a little dramatic seeing as it only spanned three days. The ending chapters could've had a bigger impact if there was more time to develop it. Overall, Summer of Yesterday was a fun and enjoyable story with a hint of bittersweetness.

Review: The Kill Order by James Dashner (The Maze Runner #0.5)

Goodreads summary:
Before WICKED was formed, before the Glade was built, before Thomas entered the Maze, sun flares hit the earth and mankind fell to disease.

Mark and Trina were there when it happened, and they survived. But surviving the sun flares was easy compared to what came next.

Now a disease of rage and lunacy races across the eastern United States, and there’s something suspicious about its origin. Worse yet, it’s mutating, and all evidence suggests that it will bring humanity to its knees.

Mark and Trina are convinced there’s a way to save those left living from descending into madness. And they’re determined to find it—if they can stay alive. Because in this new, devastated world, every life has a price. And to some, you’re worth more dead than alive.

The label Maze Runner #0.5 relates more to the chronological order of events than the order of reading. The book does spoil some of the mystery surrounding the series so it is best read after the whole trilogy.

The The Kill Order is set 13 years before Teresa and Thomas were sent down the Box to the Maze. The books follows Mark and Trina, who have survived the sun flares and the subsequent chaos that followed. It was interesting how we didn't follow the characters from the very beginning but instead, their experiences were only shared when Mark closed his eyes and dreamed about the things they went through. In the 'present' time, Mark and Trina are part of a group which consisted of Alec and Lana, an army nurse and a few other kids. I loved that there were adults in this book who weren't antagonists and brought Mark and the other kids a sense of security and made the whole situation a whole less nightmarish! Everyone was joking around in the beginning of the book but the peace is quickly disturbed when aircraft hover over the town and armed men come out to shoot darts at everyone in sight.

I felt like the whole situation with the infected felt like a zombie apocalypse, with many people losing their minds and a few select remaining clear but succumbing to it slowly. And of course, there's a cure amidst everything and Mark does everything in his power to make sure it's not the end. In saying that, it was a really terrifying and chilling read packed with loads of action. Knowing what happened in the Maze Runner trilogy, you can expect no happy ending. I did put down the book a few times because only bad things kept happening. I think this is one of the books that you have to be in the mood to read or else you wouldn't like it.

Review: Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

Goodreads summary:
An anxiety disorder disrupts fourteen-year-old Audrey’s daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother’s gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she’s never been able to do with anyone before. As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family.

After a bullying incident in school, Audrey hides at home and suffers with anxiety being around new people. The author took a lighthearted approach in telling Audrey's story. It centered around Audrey and her support group; her parents, siblings, her doctor Sarah and a blossoming connection with Linus.

The story was essentially a sitcom and I liked Audrey's filming adventures which gave us a look into some hilariously awkward conversations and funny situations happening in and around the house. I really enjoyed the family dynamics with the bossy loud mother, the gaming-obsessed brother and the non-assertive father.

Audrey finds a sweet and unlikely friend in Linus, a gaming friend of her brother's who visits the house, who helps her to venture out of her comfort zone and integrate back into the world with his encouragements.

I felt the story touched on the very tip of the iceberg in terms of Audrey's anxiety disorder and there wasn't quite a moment which I truly understood the reason for Audrey's fears and insecurities. I guess the main reason was because the bullying incident wasn't delved into much detail. If I had more to go on (was what she experienced so traumatic?) I could probably empathise more.

Overall, Finding Audrey was a different and amusing read.

Note: I received a copy via NetGalley to review. This review is my honest opinion.