Books I Read in July - Reviewed but No Spoilers

I love to read, but like most people, I just don't do it enough but because I am now on my summer holidays, I have plenty of time to be reading lots of new books. As well as this, I also got a few new books for my birthday and so I have been feeling super motivated to read. That is basically an explanation of why this post has come about, but like I have already said, I am trying to mix up my content so if you like this post then let me know and I will do it more often. Today's post is just going to be mini-reviews of all of the books I have read last month which by the way, are not a lot but I will be going into detail about each book so hopefully, it will still make a good post.

It Only Happens In The Movies - Holly Bourne

Rating: 3/5

This was the first book I read in July as I was super excited to read a good YA romance and after reading the blurb, I did have high expectations for this book. Just to summarise, this book is about a girl called Audrey who is in her final year of sixth form and the book is basically about how she is learning to move on and deal with her past relationships with her friends, family, and an ex-boyfriend. Audrey always had a love for movies and drama so when a media project comes up, she decides to base it off how rubbish romance films can be which is mainly due to the relationships she watches die in front of her. The book starts when Audrey gets a new job at the cinema and she meets this boy called Harry and it sort of follows their relationship from Audrey's perspective and how she can pursue this new relationship as well as tackling her humiliating and traumatic past. I will say that, yes, the concept is quite predictable but I cannot get enough of books like this, although, this one was not my favourite. 

The main reason I didn't like this book was shared between Audrey as a character and the ending. Starting with Audrey, because it's written from her perspective it is almost crucial that you like her as you see her internal thoughts and exterior actions, but I just didn't like her. I found her to be very unlike me and some of the situations she was in, I would have acted or responded completely differently. I found her to be quite overdramatic and selfish at times and that just made her very unappealing to me but I will say that her point of view was insightful and eye-opening as I would never have thought of some of her reasoning for her actions. However, I loved Harry as a character, I thought he was very funny and romantic at times, especially near the ending. Harry, I would say is your typical love interest in a book like this, as he has some bad boy reputations but he has so much depth to him and one of the things I really loved was that he had such a passion for filmmaking which I think added so much dynamic to his character. 

As for the story, it was definitely unique in a way but also quite typical. I like that the book is driven by snippets of Audrey's media essay about how ridiculous romance movies are and I think that the book really follows this concept based on movies and how unrealistic they can be which makes it a very interesting read as personally, I love films, especially romance. Throughout the book, you do sort of question films a bit like Audrey and I think a lot of people can relate to some of her opinions on romance. It definitely opened up my eyes to the way relationships are presented in a film versus real life encounters. The book also tackles basic female struggles as a teen including relationships, sex, and heartbreak. I think the most important one, in this case, was how Holly Bourne spoke about sex and how it can be quite 'embarrassing'. It is quite graphic at times, I will say, but as you come to understand what Audrey is going through, I think a lot of teens could take something from it as I feel as though it happens more than what people would think. As for the ending, that was the biggest disappointment for me. Personally, I love an idealistic ending because the whole reason I read romance is to live in this perfect world with a perfect boy and I know not everyone is the same, but that is my own preference. I'm warning you now, this ending is not idealistic and I was very sad about it. It is definitely a twisted ending but parts of it are positive and realistically, it probably was the right ending. Another problem I found with the ending was that there were a lot of unfinished situations and unanswered questions. You do sort of discover a lot in this book and none of it really gets concluded by the end which was just so frustrating with me. Even the smaller issues Audrey deals with, I would have rather them have been solved or completed in a way that was fulfilling but it just didn't happen.

Finally, for the author herself, Bourne's writing was so descriptive and clear, you could really envision each situation. I love that the chapters were short as it made it super easy to complete and read through, you do also get left on some cliffhangers occasionally. The layout of the chapters is also really interesting as they sort of start with a section of Audrey's media essay and then go into her realistic encounter within the same topic, e.g. the big kiss in a romance film. You also get some flashbacks near the start of the book which make it really easy to put yourself in Audrey's position and as you slowly read on, more and more of the flashbacks get revealed.

The book I think is a reasonable length, maybe not for how much is unsolved at the end but I did read this in three days as I found it super easy and light to consume. I would definitely recommend this book if you are into a teen romance that is more on the realistic side, especially if you love a good film.

Orbiting Jupiter - Andersen Press

Rating: 5/5

This was my next read of the month and it is definitely very different from the first one. It is basically about a young boy called Jack who has a new foster brother. His new foster brother, Joseph, holds a bad reputation as he tried to kill a teacher, but he also has a daughter called Jupiter, who he has never met. The book follows Jack's perspective as he and Joesph go about their daily lives but all Joesph wants is to meet his daughter and it is about how far Jack is willing to go to help him. This book talks a lot more about family and how relationships can develop. I will warn you now though, if you do read this, you will be heartbroken by the end. 

Firstly, about the characters. I love that this book is written from Jack's point of view, he is a very young character, I think he is age 12, so his view is very innocent but also relatable. You definitely see why he acts the way he does and he is such a loving character and his innocence makes him see only the best in people. I will also say that Joseph's character is just as lovely, he is a little older, I think he is 14 but because of his difficult life he is so driven in what he wants and everything he does is out of love. Throughout the book, you slowly learn more and more about Joesph's past, you learn about the girl he got pregnant and how he has learned to deal with the consequences. You see a lot of growth in this book between both Jack and Joesph. Jack grows because he learns not to listen to what other people say, he learns to think for himself and stand up for himself and others. You really see him build an understanding of Joesph which causes a beautiful friendship in this book. I also love a lot of the minor characters, Jack's parents are so loving and how they behave I think is so meaningful and caring, I also love a lot of the teachers as they begin to put their efforts into a student like Joesph.

For the plot, it's unlike anything I have ever read before. Joesph got a girl pregnant at such a young age that you almost don't believe it but I think it shows progression and how, even at a young age, you can learn right from wrong and grow from it. Joesph's difficult past and also current situation is also very original in the sense of how he deals with it. There are parts of the book where you see him struggle with his past as affects his daily life but you also see that change as he begins to trust people again. As you get nearer the end, you start to get an idea about where it is heading and so I did actually predict the ending correctly. Saying that it doesn't make it any easier. The way in which the ending is written is so devastating and it just makes your heartache. I cried for so long after reading the final few chapters because you saw it coming but it is still just as heartbreaking.

As for the author, Press writes beautifully, it is so sharp and the descriptions are so vivid, you really build a picture when you read this. The book is also straight to the point so it doesn't drag whatsoever. It is definitely an easy to follow book even though the concept seems complicated at first. The chapters are longer than the first book which isn't normally my favourite but because this is so easy to read, you can still follow along simply. This book is also really short, it is about 180 pages long and you would probably think that not a lot happens but actually you get so much action and development throughout this book. I did actually read this in two sittings because it is so short. It is definitely not super gripping but your curiosity does grow as you read on further because of how you watch the characters change.

I do really love this book as it is so heartwarming and beautiful, I definitely think that everyone would love a book like this. It was not my usual genre but it is probably one of my favourite books I have read this year.

More Than We Can Tell - Brigid Kemmerer

Rating: 5/5

Brigid Kemmerer is probably my favourite author after I read Letters to the Lost earlier this year so when I found out that she was releasing another book that links to Letters to the Lost, I knew I had to get my hands on it. In Letters to the Lost, it focuses on the characters Juliet and Declan but it gets revealed that Declan's best friend, Rev has a lot of depth to him and so More Than We Can Tell focuses on Rev's story as well as Emma's. This book covers both Emma's and Rev's stories and how their problems cause them to meet each other. Emma is obsessed with gaming but as she follows in her dad's footsteps, she gets exposed to the sexist industry. She tackles multiple issues from friendships to family issues to cyberbullying. Rev, on the other hand, lives with his adopted parents but he is still dealing with his traumatic past. Once his past catches up to him, he feels helpless and searching for answers, this is when he meets Emma. They both manage to solve and help the other's problems and the book simply follows their relationship and their individual development.

As for the characters, I love all of them. I know the majority of them from Letters to the Lost, but even the new characters are great. Rev has always had a special place in my heart after the first book and throughout this book, he continues to be selfless, truthful and thoughtful. Rev's story is something I struggle to relate to but I can relate to how he handles his situations, throughout the book, he has nothing but good intentions. I have never come across a character like Rev but I love him and the people he surrounds himself with. As for Emma, she definitely grew on me as I continued to read the book. She is definitely very confident and she knows what she wants, however she has this inner conflict within herself that causes her to push away the closest people in her life which is something I can definitely relate to. I like how she grows from this inner conflict and I like how she rebuilds these relationships. She is definitely a vulnerable character and that definitely makes you sympathetic towards her by the end. As much as I love all of the characters, another one I really loved reading about was Mathew who is Rev's recently adopted foster brother. He also grows a lot as a character and the relationship he builds with Rev is so lovely to experience. 

As for the plot, I love how Rev's and Emma's worlds collide and how they meet each other. They help each other to sort through their own problems and through that they begin to learn a lot about each other. There are a lot of different plots in this book but they all intertwine with each other. You definitely can predict a few of them because of the way the story is told but you definitely don't see all of them coming. I definitely loved the twist right at the very end of the book as it was quite a lot of action but it concluded the book really nicely. This book tackles a lot of different family issues and you see Emma and Rev learn to cope with these issues but at the end of the book. Their relationship is also so lovely to read, it is romantic but natural and they definitely have their ups and downs. If I was to say something, they definitely argue a little too much for my liking but it all leads to something else. There is definitely something in this book that you can relate to and that's what I love so much about this plot.

The main reason I do love this book though is that of Kemmerer's writing. She writes so clearly, so straight to the point and so perfectly. I love how she alternates perspectives as it gives you a greater insight, but also that ability to change for one different character to the other and for it to make sense is so rare for me to find. Everything Kemmerer writes is so purposeful and none of it is irrelevant. I love how she writes dialogue and how she describes the scenes, they are so vivid.

This is a book I would recommend to everyone, it is a great YA novel and I think there is a lesson for everyone in it. What I will say though is that I suggest reading Letters to the Lost first because I think it is slightly better, mainly because I relate to it more, but also because there are little details in this book that link back to Letters to the Lost that make it such a fulfilling read. 

The Vampire Diaries, The Awakening & The Struggle - L.J. Smith

Rating: 2/5

This book probably shouldn't count as I haven't finished reading it yet but I feel like I should because I will probably not finish this book for a long time, which I will get into in a minute. The majority have probably heard of The Vampire Diaries as a hit TV show and this is the novel that the show is based off. The original story is actually a seven-story series and so this book contains the first two. In case you don't know it's about, The Vampire Diaries is set in high school and focuses on a girl called Elena. Her parents have recently died and it is all about how she grieves them while meeting the new boy Stephan and discovering his deepest secret. For me, I have never really loved The Vampire Diaries TV show because I hated Damon and Elena together but that is another story. Anyway, I thought that if I didn't like the show then maybe I should read the original story to see whether I like that or not. To keep it short, I don't even know whether I will finish this or not but I will get into why now.

With having already watched the TV show, it is a little harder to go into this book with no understanding so, in the back of my mind, I did already have most of the characters in my head. Saying that their descriptions are very different from the TV show and so it made the book that bit more confusing to read as the characters in my head from the tv show were nothing like the ones in the book. Without spoiling it, for example, Elena has blonde hair in the book but brown in the tv show and in the book she is portrayed much more negatively, a bit like the evil queen bee in high school which is nothing like her portrayal on the screen. As for the characters though, there are some new ones and I do enjoy a lot of the characters in terms of their personalities. I find Elena an interesting character in the book as she puts on this front convincing everyone that she is powerful and in control when really you see her internal thoughts and how unsure of herself she is. I also love Stefan. He is your typical mysterious boy that appears to be perfect in every which way. Like I said earlier, I haven't finished the book yet so I haven't seen a lot of character development yet but so far, I have enjoyed a lot of the character's interactions with one another as their language and actions are very unpredictable sometimes.

As for the plot, there honestly isn't really one. I feel like because this is the first one in the series, you sort of just get introduced to everyone and then a plot will start to build. I am still yet to see a strong plot now though and I about halfway through. Right now, the book is driven by Elena's desire to be with the new boy, Stefan and slowly the mystery builds as more things start to happen to the high school students. The book, currently, is building suspicion but there hasn't really been a huge dilemma, or reveal or anything that could be resolved right now and so the 'plot' is going nowhere. 

Finally, for the author, Smith's writing style is super clear and quite descriptive but the main issue why I can't finish this book is because there is nothing intriguing about the book. There is really nothing that makes me want to read on, there are no cliffhangers, no strong characters that I can really warm too and no huge plot. This book is also written in the third person which is definitely not my preferred choice of perspective but I do think the author does a great job or portraying each character in a way that is still imaginable and clear. The book also alternates between Stefan and Elena as you see them go about two completely different lives and internal struggles. 

I really don't want to leave this book unfinished so I am going to try and finish it but it is definitely not a good book in my opinion and I can't see it getting any better unless there is a total change in writing and development. I definitely think that if I hadn't seen the TV show then I would probably like this book a little more as I do know briefly what is going to happen and so the mystery of it has already been ruined which I think is the only entertaining element to this book. Therefore, if you have seen the show then I would suggest that you just don't read the book series, I don't think I am going to get round to reading all seven in the series as this has not impressed me at all.

This blog post was definitely very different for me but hopefully, you liked it and if so, let me know so that I can do more of them. Books are definitely something I want to talk about more on my blog as I love reading and feel as though I love to talk about books. Let me know if you have any book recommendations in the comments, I would love to hear what you suggest.

Grace xx