WHAT IF IT'S US by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera | Book Chat with Kenzie

12:39 PM
By Kenzie
8 Comments

If you know me then you must know that my tbr pile is quite fearsome at the moment. (I say that like there might actually be a day when it isn't lol we know that's not true.) And I'm only referring to my physical pile-- my goodreads tbr pile is thrOUGH THE ROOF. But... Guys. I totally caved on this one. EpicReads was giving away free pins to whoever preordered the book and I just had to.

I am super excited to talk about this adorably gay contemporary with y'all. Becky's writing is one of my favorites, and despite this being my first Adam Silvera book, I'm very eager to check out some of his books. If anyone has read an Adam book, please let me know which one I should pick up first! She asks as if her tbr pile isn't haunting her enough already.

The Plot

What If It's Us is a meet cute, insta-lovey story. It's about two boys who meet at a post office and find themselves interested in one another. However, they leave without giving each other any sort of contact information (or names for that matter!). The first part of the book is about them trying to find each other in hectic NYC.

The story centers around the concept "was this meant to be?" and "is the universe bringing us together or pulling us apart?" which was totally up my alley. It felt very real because in life, certain moments occur and you sometimes you feel like they were meant to happen.

Have you ever read a book or watched a movie that was so cute and light and funny that you didn't want to finish it because you didn't want it to end? This book was that for me. It wasn't something super groundbreaking as compared to Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda. In a way, I felt like it was more simple than that. You know what I mean? The characters are what really made the story.

The Characters

I'm a sucker for really good characters. Like, forget the plot. What even is a plot? ALL I WANT ARE REALLY LOVEABLE CHARACTERS WHO MAKE MY HEART BURST WITH HAPPINESS. And Arthur and Ben did just that.

The book switches POVs between the two boys and I loved how I was able to know who was Becky's creation and who was Adam's instantly. ;)

Arthur is a #hopelessgay who literally bursts with sunshine and rainbows. He is super extroverted and has a very contagious smile (I know this because I couldn't stop smiling while reading his parts). He's never been in a relationship before but he is so ready to be the best boyfriend eVER.

Ben is a bit more introverted. Even though he is also a hopeless romantic, he is still a little more reserved than Arthur. WHICH MAKES THEM SO PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER.

What I loved most about these characters were their flaws. WE LOVE CHARACTERS WITH FLAWS. Arthur is insecure due to never having been in a relationship and has so much love to give, he feels he isn't getting the same in return. Meanwhile, Ben has a hard time showing his feelings through actions. He's afraid of getting hurt again due to his ugly break up with his ex-boyfriend.

There were so many moments where I wanted to just grab Ben and ask him "what the heck are you doing??" But at the same time, I related to him a lot. And I related to Arthur! Flaws in characters are good, people. We can relate to them more.

Another thing I loved where the side characters! Ben's best friend Dylan was tHE BOMB. He had me cracking up every time he entered the scene. I loved his relationship with Ben and how loyal the two are to each other. I even loved both of their parents. They were super funny and cute and loving and just asdfghjkl. <3

Writing Style

Perfect as always. Reading the book felt like I was watching a rom com. (And now I can see why it is being turned into a movie! I really hope it will be a Netflix original because I feel like it would do soooo well as that. Like To All The Boys I've Loved Before but gay.)

Creativity

I don't think the story itself was super creative and unique... In a way it was, yes. Because there certainly aren't a lot of light gay rom coms out in the world. The story didn't center around the subject of their sexuality or coming out-- it was just a meet-cute love story about two boys! I really liked that and it makes me even more excited for the movie to come out (hehe pun not intended).

Aesthetic

The aesthetic was so vivid and made me feel like I was walking down the streets of NYC with my precious cinnamon rolls. :')

Pace

Okay, so it is an insta-lovey story which means the pacing in here is pretty quick. The events of the book happen within the course of three weeks, I believe? Yeah... I mean, it didn't bother me but it might for some people. In the book, Arthur is only staying in NYC for the summer until he returns back to Georgia. So, in a way, it did feel like their relationship was rushed into given their circumstances.

Cover

SO CUTE. CAN'T EVEN. OH MY PRECIOUS BOYS. <3333 Whoever did the cover design... Can you please move into my home and draw my favorite characters every day? Thanks. ^-^

Overall

It's very much a 4.5 star book but when I think about the characters and how much I actually enjoyed the book... I gotta give it that other .5 mark. ;)

TALK TO ME!

Have you read this book yet? What did you think? ARE YOU A FAN OF BECKY OR ADAM'S WRITING? Which book of Adam's should I read first? DO YOU FLAIL OVER CUTE ROM COMS? BECAUSE SAME.

Caution warnings

language, minor drinking, vivid discussions about sex, a non-detailed sex scene, a scene where Arthur and Ben encounter a homophobic father on the subway that made me want to cry.

blogging collab

Let's Talk (about books) | collab with Nabila

12:00 PM
By Kenzie
9 Comments

I was a little awestruck when Nabila asked me if I wanted to do a post with her. She does awesome collabs all the time and I've secretly prayed that I would get to do one with her one day... and guess what? Today is the day! I am collabing with the Nabila from Hot Town Cool Girl and we are going to talk about booooooooks (specifically reading them).

We came up with the idea to do a book collab because Nabila recently read and loved a few reads I've been talking about non-stop (I'm so proud of you, girl). So we decided to try out this tag and... here we are!

Let's Talk About Books (ft. Nabila)

1. WHAT SPARKED YOUR LOVE FOR READING?

Nabila: Two things. Number one my dad. He used to force me to read when I didn’t like reading which wasn’t that much fun but he was the one that got me to read in the first place. Number two percy jackson. I fell in love with that book and then I just had to read more.

Kenzie: So... I never liked reading much. I didn’t crave it. There were a few childhood books that I enjoyed but while my sister was whipping off this book and that book, I preferred to do more “crafty/creative” type things with my time. My mother tried to encourage me to read (especially those recommended classics) and it was always really hard for me to get into them...

Until I read The Hunger Games. That was when I fell in love with books and wanted nothing more than to smoosh my face up against those glorious pages.

2. WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR BOOKS?

Nabila: Mostly the library. I don’t have a job or anything so buying all my books is out of the question and my whole family is a library family so it works great. Fun fact, the library I used to go to flooded during Hurricane Harvey, so now I go to a makeshift one in the community center near me. Very small but I can still request books which is really all I need.

Kenzie: I wish I can say that I take advantage of my glorious library but I buy my books. I was never encouraged to go to the library (because, to be honest, it was gross there) so I usually bought them or they were given as gifts. I have a bit of ocd when it comes to having to own all the books that I have read. When my library got a makeover, I did try reading a few books from there but I just felt the need to buy them afterwards because my collection felt “off”.

So, I usually give all my money to the holy trinity:

Barnes and Noble (this place owns my soul)

Amazon (plz just take my money)

Book Outlet (I bought all my christmas gifts from here last year and I have zero regrets) (why yes, I did purchase my own christmas presents and wrap them. no I do not have any shame)

And then the other 25% is received through gifts. The thing with Book Outlet is that it carries books that are “flawed” ever so slightly. The condition varies a little bit but for the most part, they’re in pretty good shape. However, their inventory changes all the time so you’ll just have to go back and keep checking what books they currently have.

3. WHERE DO YOU READ?

Nabila: There are three main places where I read. Number one the living room. Once it’s time to get off electronics (around 8:30 for me) I basically just read. Number two my room. At night (if I’m kicked out of the living room) I just lay on my bed and read. Number three school! It’s actually kind of crazy how much free time I have to read during the school day to read haha.

Kenzie: I love reading outside. It allows me to enjoy the lovely weather and do something I enjoy. But when the weather is yucky, I usually read on the couch or in our big fat recliner... And my bed. You have no idea how excited I get to crawl into bed with my lil’ night light and my current read. I’m like a little kid after Christmas morning.

I also like reading in the car and it doeSN’T MAKE ME CAR SICK. BLESS.

4. WHEN DO YOU READ?

Nabila: I basically answered this above but to recap: in the morning, at night, when the internet goes out, and school. So basically like always lol.

Kenzie: *heavy breathing* o-o every. chance. I. can. get. (Which is mostly in the afternoon to early evening to late at night-- the only time I ever stay up past 1 is if I’m deep into a book and I can’t put it down.)

I will sometimes, on rare occasions, read right when I wake up. I’ve found that it helps me be more productive and excited about my day. I’ll just lay in bed for an extra hour and give myself a little treat before entering the world.

5. WHAT GENRES DO YOU READ?

Nabila: I read lots of different genres including YA, dystopian, realistic fiction, historical fiction, memoirs, drama, romance, poetry, and graphic novels. One genre I’ve noticed I don’t really like is fantasy. What I mean by that though is books that are totally set in a different world. For example I liked Harry Potter. But I didn’t like The Ranger's Apprentice.

Kenzie: *skips around and tosses confetti in the shape of Ys and As* I don’t think I’ll ever be able to step away from it. But since I do buy all my books, I have to be picky about which ones I choose so I’m not waSTING MY ENTIRE EXISTENCE. I usually go by what is popular (I know that sounds bad but if it’s popular, yah bet it’s got to be worth a lil’ of my time). And if those popular books happen to be in the adult genre then so be it!

Although, I do have a couple favorite genres I tend to lean toward when I’m looking for a new read:

Contemporary

Fantasy

I have such a soft spot for contemporary books because they’re usually quick to read and they make me squeal. *cough* To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before *cough* Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda *cough*-- man, my allergies are acting up.

6. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE CHILDHOOD READS?

Nabila: Basically all of Rick Riordan's books. Except for the first Percy Jackson series. The first book was good and started my love for reading. The rest of them though? Not good. Butttttt like every other book by him is absolutelly great. I also don’t think he gets enough credit for how much diversity is in his books! There is both a gay couple with Apollo having awesome commentary in the Apollo books and there is someone who is gender fluid in the new Magnus Chase books. That’s so cool! Some really little kid books though would be Where The Wild Things Are and The Daring Book For Girls book. Those were great.

Kenzie: Like I said, I never did a lot of reading when I was younger. My two favorite books from when I was really young were The Giving Tree and Goodnight Moon. Then in middle school I’d read American Girl books or my dad would read to my siblings and I and we always enjoyed The Magic Treehouse books as well as those Narnia books.

7. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE BOOKS?

Nabila: This is sooooooo hard but some of my faves would be The Selection series, The Hunger games series, The Giver, In The After, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (aka Love, Simon WHICH I STILL HAVEN’T SEEN BUT I REALLY FREAKING WANT TOO), Ready Player One, How To Be A Bawse, The City Of Ember, The School For Good And Evil series, I Become Shadow, I Am Princess X, I Am Malala, and like twenty thousand more.

Kenzie: DUDE. THIS QUESTION IS THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE. I do have one ultimate favorite book that I will never ever get sick of. I literally can’t find anything wrong with it- it’s perfection. Hehe, I’m sure you’ve already guessed it but I’ll just say it anyway

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

That book is mY CHILD. I will protect it at all costs so fiGHT ME. (Softly, because I’m a sensitive little bean.)

But since you did ask books with an s, I’ll list a few other favorites:

Everything, Everything

The Sun is Also a Star

All The Bright Places

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before

Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Eleanor & Park

The Dangerous Art of Blending In

The Fault in Our Stars

The Hate U Give

The Mortal Instruments Series

The Throne of Glass series

The 5th Wave series

Mara Dyer series

Anything by Rainbow Rowell

anD MORE

Also... NABILA. Come over to my house and we will watch Love, Simon together and we’ll eat rainbow skittles and oreos, m’kay? It is not an option anymore.

8. DO YOU READ FAST OR SLOW?

Nabila: Compared to most people I know pretty fast. I can go through a book in a day. Sadly lately I just haven't been reading that much which makes me really sad.

Kenzie: Compared to most people, I’m a slow reader. I’ve gotten a bit faster over time but it takes me like a month to get through a fantasy book and I’ll usually take 3 days to get through a contemporary.

9. DO YOU SET READING GOALS? WHAT ARE THEY?

Nabila: I actually did a Goodreads goals this year (feel free to friend/follow me on there) which was 50 books. At the point that I’m writing this I’ve only read 27 and I’m kind of scared I’m going to fail haha.

Kenzie: YES SIR! Every year I make a Goodreads goal and it’s usually small (since I am a slow reader). I made it to my goal last year (barely) and I just need to read one more book to make it to my goal of 30 for this year!

10. HOW DO YOU TRACK YOUR READS?

Nabila: I never have until this year but now I do on Goodreads.

Kenzie: Goodreads. It saved my life. I can’t live without it. We’re actually married. Sorry you missed the wedding.

11. DO YOU BINGE-READ?

Nabila: Yeah sometimes I have these periods of time where I just read read read. Sometimes it will be a week or a day or a day or a month but I’ll just be in this reading mode where I almost can’t stop.

Kenzie: Here’s the thing. I can’t not be reading a book. If I don’t have a current read then I feel like I’m missing a limb. However, I’ll go through streaks of just reading, reading, reading... and sometimes it’ll take me longer to finish a book over other times. I usually binge-read if I’m reading a really good contemporary and I can’t breathe unless the book is finished. But whenever I finish a book, I have a really hard time picking up another book. I don’t know why, it’s just really hard for me to start a book over finishing one??

12. DO YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH CHARACTERS?

Nabila: Sometimes but it’s always cause I think they're adorable and sweet and I fall in love with them as like this adorable person but in a platonic way. I've never had a crush on a fictional character.

Kenzie: BWHAHAHAH IS THAT EVEN A QUESTION. I fall in love with characters more than I should. Sometimes I’ll be going about my day and I’ll start thinking about said character and I’ll just think: i rlly luv u.

13. DO YOU BUDDY-READ?

Nabila: If this means like read a book at the same time as someone not really. I will make my friends read the books that I love though so that we can gush over it together.

Kenzie: If it means reading in the same room as someone then yes, sometimes. My sister, Lila, loves all the same books I do so she’s usually reading a book I recommended to her. Or I might read while my brother reads his comics.

Or if it means reading the same book at the same time with someone and chatting about it... I do it sometimes but it doesn’t really work out the greatest. I’ll either be too far ahead or too far behind and the vibe gets lost in between.

14. DO YOU RE-READ?

Nabila: No, not unless the book is amazing and I have nothing else to do and I haven't read it in a while. I don’t like rewatching movies or shows either.

Kenzie: I used to be like Nabila but I’m guilty of it. I have such a horrid memory so it makes it pretty easy to re-read books. This year I re-read A LOT of books. I couldn’t help myself! I’ll usually do it if the sequel or movie is coming out to refresh my memory.

15. WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING A READER?

Nabila: Being able to go into this whole other world and persons life whenever you want. It’s like being a shapeshifter or time traveler or something but with a smaller chance of dying.

Kenzie: YOU’RE NEVER BORED AND THERE’S SO MUCH TO CHOOSE FROM. Plus, it gives you an escape from the real world and allows you to be more educated on certain subjects.

16. WHAT IS ON YOUR TBR?

Nabila: Soooooooo many things (find full list here) but a couple book I’ve been wanting to read for a bit include Fangirl, Carry On, Leah On The Offbeat, The rest of The Lunar Chronicles, Illuminae, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, Queens Of Geek, Little Fires Everywhere, Warcross, A Thousand Perfect Notes, and like twenty thousand other books haha.

Kenzie: Umm... oh, idk... WAYWARD SON?????????????

According to Goodreads, I have 1,439 books on my to-read. I’m not even going to get into that because there are just so many. Too many. That doesn’t include the physical tbr pile I have in my room. Yeah, my tbr is trying to murder me at the moment. We are not on the best of terms. It’s okay, after a little couples therapy we should be fine.

therapist: so, I believe communication seems to be the problem here.

me: *is reading carry on for the 24984728912th time* hm?

tbr pile: you think??

17. WHICH AUTHOR WOULD YOU DIE OVER MEETING?

Nabila: Oh my gosh. There are soooooooooooo many authors that I just lovvvvve so I’m pretty sure like all of them???? One author that I would love to meet currently is Becky Albertalli who I know Kenzie actually got to meet (I’m super jealous!!!). I’m currently reading Leah On The Offbeat and I of course read Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens agenda a couple years ago and I’m obsessed with both books!!! Leah On The Offbeat is sooooo good it seriously lifts my mood. I love the narrator and all of references to pop culture and how I feel like it could literally be the mind of someone right now. It feelllllls sooooo current which of course it is but even more than other books because of all of those comments. I have laughed out loud multiple times while reading it. :)

Kenzie: I’ve met a lot of authors in my time but I know for a fact that I will fall face first on the floor if I ever enter the same room as Rainbow Rowell. I don’t think I’d be able to handle the amount of feels that would come with meeting snowbaz’s mama??

Thank you so much for doing this collab with me, Nabila! As you already know, talking about books and reading makes my soul 10000000x happier and talking about those things with you just made my soul EVEN MORE HAPPY. Who knew that was possible??

Everyone, please go check out Nabila's blog. She is super sweet, supportive, accepting, and beautiful sunflower child.

TALK TO ME!

What are your thoughts on the questions we discussed? WHAT ARE YOUR ANSWERS? Let us know! Want to try this tag out? GO FOR IT. Just don't forget to share the link to your post with us! Happy reading!

xx Kenzie

p.s. Lisa informed me that she does not receive notifications for my blog posts via her blogger new feed. Does this happen for anyone else? Do any of you know how to fix it? Asking for a friend. (Whom is very clueless when it comes to the tech part of blogging. Hint: it's not Lisa.)

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LOVE & GELATO by Jenna Evans Welch | Book Chat with Kenzie

11:15 AM
By Kenzie
14 Comments

*insert commercial guy's voice here* Are you looking for a poolside read? Something that is cute and pure? Something with a #aestheticallypleasing cover that makes you want to moosh your face up against it? WELL HAVE NO FEAR!

I got you covered. ;)

I got Love & Gelato a little while ago and I didn't know much about it but recently, I had been seeing it around on the interweb so I decided to finally read it! I'm glad I did because it was the perfect summer read.

It's a really cute story that takes place in Italy with a lot of city-exploring, gelato, and Italian style pizza. I really loved the vivid description of Italy, it made me feel like I was lying in bed and watching a romcom on Netflix, but... there really should have been more gelato and pizza discussions. LIKE COME ON.

The Plot

The beginning of the book was a little meh for me because I had just finished Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum, which was very meh for me and the plot seemed almost similar to it. Once I was able to fully get into the story, I was thankful it wasn't that typical cliche ugh my mom died and my dad is annoying and i hate this school and everyone in it. (I'm sorry, those stories just bother me so much because they're like every teenage movie I've seen when I was younger.)

But this one had a little bit of an exciting romantic sort-of-riddle to it. The main concept is that Lina goes to Italy to stay with her father, whom she has never met, after her mom dies and tries to piece together why her parents had broken up by reading through her mom's journal entries.

The Characters

Her father, Howard, is like a gentle giant. HE IS SO SWEET AND CARING TOWARDS LINA. And I like that Lina actually likes him, too!

Lina definitely grew on me. I was kinda worried that she was going to be that girl wHO HATES THIS PLACE AND WANTS TO GET OUT ASAP. And she was in the beginning... But then she meets Ren!

Ren was my FAVORITE part of the book. My biggest complaint was that there weren't enough cuTE AND FUNNY SCENES BETWEEN THEM. *pounds fists against keyboard* I. wanted. more. Ren.

What I loved most about Ren:

- He speaks Italian

- He lives in a GINGERBREAD HOUSE

- He's terrified of Howard (you'll know why)

- He plays soccer

- He's like this little ball of PURE HAPPINESS AND I LOVE THAT. I don't understand why people feel the need to make boys broody to express how masculine they are. I like happy boys.

And I loved his relationship with Lina. They started off as great friends and their personalities just CLICK. It was perfect! I just wish that the story focused on them a bit more rather than her mother's past... I mean, don't get me wrong, I love how her mother's past ties in with the rest of the story but IT FELT LIKE SOMETHING WAS MISSING. Maybe not missing but I felt like it could have been better in a way?

there's this adorable little gelato place near where i live and sometimes i bike there to get spaghetti sundaes (yes, you heard me) or my second favorite, strawberry gelato.

The Writing

SPEAKING OF LINA'S MOTHER. Her journal entries sounded too much like Lina. Plus, they also seemed to modern, if that makes sense? She mentions cell phones and Nutella a lot and I know they probably existed in that time but it still felt too contemporary. They're about her mother being in college, which was probably in the 90s so I think there should have been more reference or clarity on that.

Another thing that bothered me was how the events in the story haPPENED WITHIN THE COURSE OF FIVE FREAKING DAYS. Well, I think it was more like a week? Which is so not realistic in my opinion. o-o I think all the events should have happened within a course of a month whilst building up Lina's friendship/relationship with Ren.

Overall

Plot: 6.5/10

Characters: 8/10

Writing style: 6/10

Creativity: 7/10

Pace: 5/10

Cover: 10/10

Conclusion: cute cute cute

The ending, however, makes me want to rethink my rating from 3 stars to 4... IT. WAS. SO. DARN. CUTE.

I wouldn't say this is the greatest book I've read beCAUSE I PREDICTED PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING OOPS but it surely feels like something you'd watch on Netflix with the summer breeze coming through your window. I recommend it if you are looking for something quick and easy to read that also has some cute and lightheartedness to it.

TALK TO ME!

What are some cute summer reads you've enjoyed? DOES ANY OF THEM REMIND YOU OF A NETFLIX MOVIE BECAUSE SAME. Do you feel like some of them could have been... better? DO YOU LIKE MY BOOKISH CHATS? Please let me know! I'd hate to bore you.

xx Kenzie

Caution warning: there's not much to warn because this book was pretty pure for the most part, aside from mild language (not much), some drinking, and a short scene where the main character is sexually harassed. I don't think the scene was necessary. But, perhaps, if you've read the book, you can give me your input on it? I'd love to chat!

becky albertalli

THE UPSIDE OF UNREQUITED by Becky Albertalli | Book Chat with Kenzie

12:00 PM
By Kenzie
15 Comments

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THE HATE U GIVE by Angie Thomas | Book Chat with Kenzie

6:40 PM
By Kenzie
22 Comments

I have been wanting to read this book since it came out but I don't think I would have picked it up if my brother hadn't gotten it for me. (He loves to feed my book obsession hehehe.)

And I am so glad I did.

The Hate U Give is about sixteen-year-old Starr who lives in a poor neighborhood but attends a private school where she is constantly balancing two different version of herself. After witnessing her best friend get shot by a police officer, Starr has to deal with the pressure of speaking up against the hurtful headline directed toward her friend. What she does and does not do, will affect her life.

Plot: 9.5/10

Characters: 10/10

Writing Style: 10/10

Creativity: 9/10

Cover: 10/10

Overall: asdfghjkl love

The Hate U Give was one of those books you read and you think about long after you've finished it. It's definitely a classic and is SO worth reading. It made me laugh. It gave me the chills. It made me understand and feel more appreciative towards the topic of race and police/gun violence- which is something hard to tackle but Angie Thomas did it soooo well.

The book pretty much starts right off with the main character (Starr) who is the eyewitness of her best friend's murder. I was kind of expecting the book to go through a series of big events which would eventually lead to the climax but instead, it focused more on Starr's daily life after the shooting and her fighting the fear to speak up.

And I'm pretty sure you can guess what my favorite part of the book was. ;) YES SIR, YOU KNOW ME SO WELL. It was... THE CHARACTERRRSSSS!!!!! I honestly found myself laughing A LOT. I loved, loved, LOVED the writing and narration style. It felt like Starr was actually talking to you and making sarcastic side comments.

The best.

lol don't ask me what is in the water there, i have absolutely no idea

And can I just say how much I love her family?? FAMILY REPRESENTATION IN BOOKS IS SO IMPORTANT. They were all so supportive and caring for one another. I just devoured every scene with them. And honestly? You don't need to have a book with all these big scenes that are supposed to leave your heart racing-- all you need are scenes to make you fall in love with the story. UMMM CAN WE JUST TALK ABOUT HOW CUTE HER BROTHER SEVEN IS? AND DEVANTE?! AND DON'T GET ME STARTED ON HER UNCLE CARLOS (honestly, husband goals). Oh, and CHRIS? LOVE THAT BOY. He was so freaking cute, I can't even.

I really admired Starr's character, too. She had her sassy and sarcastic side, but she also had her sensitive side. Like, this girl was not afraid to cry AND I LOVED THAT. I loved how she was fighting this crazy amount of fear and learning that you can be brave and scared at the same time. It was so realistic.

Another thing I really liked about this book was that it showed both sides of the story. If that makes sense? I mean, obviously, there is the ONE side of the story but it wasn't afraid to shine a light on every aspect. For instance, it showed how hard it is for someone to get wrapped up in gangs and how difficult it is to get out of them. I have so much respect towards Angie for being able to put this on paper.

This book was a breath of fresh air and is a MUST read. It makes me want to march around with signs and tell the world to just loVE ONE ANOTHER PLZ.

TALK TO ME!

What are some YA books that you KNOW will be classics? ARE THERE ANY THAT YOU STILL THINK ABOUT TODAY? Am I the only one who wants The Hate U Give movie ASAP?? I thought it came out next month but now I have to wait until October. Grrr. But Amandla is the perfect Starr like... yasss kween.

xx Kenzie

caution warning: this book contains mentions of sex, brief scene with teen drinking, violence, gangs, language

WHAT IF IT'S US by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera | Book Chat with Kenzie

The Plot

The Characters

Writing Style

Creativity

Aesthetic

Pace

Cover

Overall

TALK TO ME!

Have you read this book yet? What did you think? ARE YOU A FAN OF BECKY OR ADAM'S WRITING? Which book of Adam's should I read first? DO YOU FLAIL OVER CUTE ROM COMS? BECAUSE SAME.

Caution warnings

Let's Talk (about books) | collab with Nabila

Let's Talk About Books (ft. Nabila)

1. WHAT SPARKED YOUR LOVE FOR READING?

2. WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR BOOKS?

3. WHERE DO YOU READ?

4. WHEN DO YOU READ?

5. WHAT GENRES DO YOU READ?

6. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE CHILDHOOD READS?

7. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE BOOKS?

8. DO YOU READ FAST OR SLOW?

9. DO YOU SET READING GOALS? WHAT ARE THEY?

10. HOW DO YOU TRACK YOUR READS?

11. DO YOU BINGE-READ?

12. DO YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH CHARACTERS?

13. DO YOU BUDDY-READ?

14. DO YOU RE-READ?

15. WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING A READER?

16. WHAT IS ON YOUR TBR?

17. WHICH AUTHOR WOULD YOU DIE OVER MEETING?

TALK TO ME!

What are your thoughts on the questions we discussed? WHAT ARE YOUR ANSWERS? Let us know! Want to try this tag out? GO FOR IT. Just don't forget to share the link to your post with us! Happy reading!

xx Kenzie

p.s. Lisa informed me that she does not receive notifications for my blog posts via her blogger new feed. Does this happen for anyone else? Do any of you know how to fix it? Asking for a friend. (Whom is very clueless when it comes to the tech part of blogging. Hint: it's not Lisa.)

LOVE & GELATO by Jenna Evans Welch | Book Chat with Kenzie

The Plot

The Characters

The Writing

Overall

Plot: 6.5/10

Characters: 8/10

Writing style: 6/10

Creativity: 7/10

Pace: 5/10

Cover: 10/10

Conclusion: cute cute cute

TALK TO ME!

What are some cute summer reads you've enjoyed? DOES ANY OF THEM REMIND YOU OF A NETFLIX MOVIE BECAUSE SAME. Do you feel like some of them could have been... better? DO YOU LIKE MY BOOKISH CHATS? Please let me know! I'd hate to bore you.

xx Kenzie

THE UPSIDE OF UNREQUITED by Becky Albertalli | Book Chat with Kenzie

Plot: 9/10

Characters: 10/10

Writing Style: 10/10

Creativity: 8/10

Pace: on the "little quick" side

Cover: LOVE

Overall: supah cute. squeal worthy

TALK TO ME!

xx Kenzie

THE HATE U GIVE by Angie Thomas | Book Chat with Kenzie

Plot: 9.5/10

Characters: 10/10

Writing Style: 10/10

Creativity: 9/10

Cover: 10/10

Overall: asdfghjkl love

TALK TO ME!

What are some YA books that you KNOW will be classics? ARE THERE ANY THAT YOU STILL THINK ABOUT TODAY? Am I the only one who wants The Hate U Give movie ASAP?? I thought it came out next month but now I have to wait until October. Grrr. But Amandla is the perfect Starr like... yasss kween.

xx Kenzie

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