I don’t read many Romance books, but I got this one recommended to me and I’m so happy for that and for giving this book a chance. Mists of the Serengeti is such a beautiful and gripping story about coping with grief and loss and finding new purpose in life. It’s a romantic story about finding love where you least expect it. And a story about a journey to Africa, full of beautiful scenery and a thrilling race to save a group of endangered children.

This is an absolutely brilliant book, but also one of the most devastating, painful, dark, depressing and brutal stories I’ve ever read. I’ve never felt as uneasy and as completely emotionally wrecked after reading a book as I did with this one. I know it’s a book that will stay with me and that I will never forget, even though I almost wish for it.

A Little Life has won just about any prize there is and is so worth all the awards and praise. But at the same time, it made me feel so uneasy, heartbroken and just too sad to fully appreciate it. Therefore, I can only give it a four star rating, even though I recognize that it is an amazing book and future classics.

The story follows four classmates from a small Massachusetts college with the scarred Jude as their center of gravity. In glimpses it’s slowly revealed how Jude got his scars and how his unspeakable childhood keeps haunting him and the degree of awful trauma he’s suffered, as well as how the four friends’ relationships and life develop over the decades.

This book has so many trigger warnings, such as self-harm, sexual abuse, torture, toxic relationships and more, that I strongly advice you to consider before reading this book. Even though I read this book more than a year ago, I just can’t forget some of the most traumatic scenes and just thinking of this book makes my heart break all over again by the cruelty and lack of humanity. I honestly can’t recommend this book to anyone unless you feel confident you can handle the trigger warnings. But if you read it, it’s a story that you will never forget and that will scramble your heart and your mind.

Rating:
​4 stars

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​Author info:
Hanya Yanagihara ​

I love Simone Elkeles’ slow-build romances and her bad boy characters with good hearts. Better Than Perfect (formely Wild Cards) is another adorable bad-boy-good-girl-can’t-help-falling-for-each-other book, but with a bit of a new take in that the main character, Ashtyn, is kicker and captain of her football team. So a bit tougher than the usual good girl, and with motivation and drive to carry out her plan to catch the attention of college football recruiters and get a scholarship. Derek on the other hand is trouble. Cocky, getting kicked out of school and with no real plans for life at all. The relationship between them starts out as antagonists, but slowly, it turns into something else.

This book was another cute, romantic read, but not one of her bests. I was a bit irritated with Ashtyn from time to time, for being so clueless about her boyfriend being a douche-bag and for acting too girly when she was supposed to be this tough football girl. And there wasn’t the usual spark in the romance, not the same tense and smoldering chemistry as I’d expected from a Simone Elkeles’ book. But still, both Ashtyn and Derek were very lovable and the story was sweet and heartwarming. It was one of those happily-ever-after-stories we all need once in a while. 

Rating:
4 stars

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​Author info:
​Simone Elkeles

This is one of the most beautiful, heart-wrenching, sad and gripping stories that I’ve ever read. It’s a story that will stay with you for a long time and that will break your heart in pieces.

It’s almost impossible to describe the book in a way that does it justice. And I also just want to write about the ending, but I promise, I will make sure not to give that away… Starting from the beginning instead, this is a story about teenagers Theodore Finch and Violet Markey who meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school. They are both thinking about ending their lives by jumping off it, but instead they end up saving each other. Finch is fascinated by death, but also searching for the romantic notion of the ‘perfect day’. Each day he plans to kill himself, but every time, something good or beautiful stops him. Violet’s life has been shattered by the death of her elder sister in a car accident, that Violet feels responsible for. When Finch and Violet pair up for a project at school to discover the wonders of their state, they both discover way more. About each other and themselves.

All the Bright Places is such an important book about mental illness and suicide that everyone should read. But most of all, it’s a beautiful book that will grip you and make you fall in love with the characters and make you cry your heart out. I love the writing and how the chapters are divided by the alternating POVs of Finch and Violet. I love the wanderings and how wonderful, strong and unique Finch is. I love the use of book quotes to add an extra layer to the characters’ thoughts and feelings. I love the raw feelings and that Jennifer Niven does not hold anything back. The only thing I did not like was Finch’s ignorant, abusive parents, but they are vital for the story.

Overall, this is a story that will bring tears to your eyes and break your heart, but that you in the end will be glad that you have read. I truly love this book and recommend it with all my heart, regardless if you like contemporary, YA or sad readings or not! This is truly a book that anyone will be affected by and start to rethink one’s own life after reading. 

​Readers have even said that this book spoke to them in their darkest hour and saved their life. That’s how important this book is, and how important it is to raise awareness about mental illness and suicide. ​

Rating:
5 stars

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​Author info:
Jennifer Niven

Red, White & Royal Blue is a contemporary read, but it takes place in a parallel (better) world, where Trump never happened and instead the first female president was elected. Her son, Alex Claremont-Diaz, is an overachieving cocky aspiring politician in his early twenties. Since an episode in the past, Alex despises his British counterpart, Prince Henry.

“You can’t just call him my ‘archnemesis’,” Alex says [to his sister Julia]. “Archnemesis implies he’s actually a rival to me on any level and not, you know, a stuck-up product of inbreeding who probably jerks off to himself.”

So, the story starts off as a hate-to-love one, with Alex and Prince Henry having butted heads whenever they meet, until an incident at the royal wedding of Henry’s older brother lands them in the tabloids and they need to do damage control by faking a friendship. But soon they start to see each other for who they really are and the bitter rivalry evaporates into something more tender. And soon starks start to fly and after a surprise-attack kiss the First Son of the United States realizes that he’s in love with a Prince of England and that they’ve loved each other for a long time.

“True love isn’t always diplomatic.”

That’s for sure. But it’s also a fact that diplomatic Anglo-American relations have never been so much fun as in this book.

The characters are so loveable. Not just Alex and Prince Henry, but I also love Alex’s parents and his sister Julia and friend Nora (called “The White House Trio”, where ”Alex pushes them. June steadies them. Nora keeps them honest.”) and Henry’s sister Bea and the White House staff… Casey McQuiston does such an amazing job in making them feel real and making you love them. And there were so many wonderful scenes and twists and dialogues. The writing is so good and fun! Easy banter, sassy retorts, just everything you could possibly wish for.

Still, there are so many emotions in this book. So much love and vulnerability, friendship, angst, and the hardship and struggle of finding out who you are and stay true to that or remaining closeted. In fact, Alex doesn’t even realize that he is bi until he falls for Henry.

“Like, he’s pretty sure he’s straight. But he thinks about Henry, and, oh.”
“He needs a list. So: Things he knows right now.
One. He’s attracted to Henry.
Two. He wants to kiss Henry again.
Three. He has maybe wanted to kiss Henry for a while. As in, probably this whole time.”

This book is a gorgeous mix of love, hate, witty banter, strong characters, but also of ignorance and prejudices. It makes the important point that queer love is often forgotten by popular history, but Casey McQuiston reminds us about that so cleverly through Alex and Henry’s letters and gives us hope that a First Son of America and a Prince of England could make history together through their relationship. In short, the sentence printed on t-shirts after their love letters leak – “History, huh?”.(“Bet we could make some.”)

I hope we will get to see a love story like this in real life too soon, but until then go read this book and take its message to your heart!

“Take everything you want and know you deserve to have it.”

You are perfect just the way you are! You are beautiful and you are allowed to love whomever your heart desires!

Rating:
​5 stars

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​Author info:
Casey McQuiston

Like A Love Story is an amazing and gripping story about three somewhat misfit teenagers in New York City in 1989, trying to find out who they are and where they belong. It’s also such an important, necessary, story about the LGBTQ movement, the AIDS crisis and the ACT UP activism, giving voice to the heroes behind the formation of a queer community fighting for everyone’s right to be themselves against homophobia and prejudices. But most of all it’s a story about friendship, finding the courage to be true to who you are and learning to love and be proud despite all discrimination and cruelty around you.

“The most important four-letter word in our history will always be LOVE. That’s what we are fighting for. That’s who we are. Love is our legacy.”
 
The characters are amazing, so lovable and unique. I don’t even know where to start… There’s Reza, an Iranian boy who is new at school and terrified that someone will guess the truth he can barely acknowledge about himself; that he is attracted to boys. But all he knows of gay life are the media’s images of men dying of AIDS. Then there’s Art, the school’s only out teen and the flamboyant, rebellious son of wealthy and conservative parents, and Judy, an aspiring fashion designer and hopeless romantic. And last, but absolutely not least, Judy’s uncle Stephen, an ACT UP activist and Hollywood fanatic, dying of AIDS. Art and Judy have always been best friends, spending every Sunday night watching old movies at Uncle Stephen’s and telling each other absolutely everything. But, when Reza stumbles into their lives and starts dating Judy (and Art starts catching feelings), things get a little bit more complicated.
 
These characters are what made the story! I adored every single one of them as the story unfolded. Abdi Nazemian describs them with such integrity and empathy, allowing them to be real, with flaws and less likeable traits, and in a way that made you fall in love with them and break your heart when theirs did. Reza, Art, Judy and Stephen immediately seared themselves into my heart. And the side characters are just as loveable. Judy’s parents, Reza’s wonderful supportive and rebellious sister, and even Reza’s stepdad and stepbrother in the end.
​
And Madonna! This book is also a wonderful homage to Madonna. She’s almost like a character in the book, that’s how big her part is. I absolutely love how the importance Madonna has, and has always had, for the queer community and the courage to self-expression and individually, is so knowledgeable described. I couldn’t stop myself from humming her songs while reading, like a soundtrack.

The way Abdi Nazemian writes is simply amazing. This is such a fast read, I felt like I was flying through this book. From the very first page, the story just pulled me in and I couldn’t put it down. I read it feverishly and finished it in one sitting! The topic is heavy at times, with the fear of dying, the fear of condemnation and of being rejected and humiliated, but the way Abdi Nazemian writes about those who were dying is so respectful, yet honest and realistic. There is absolutely no glorification of AIDS, all the grit and horror that went along with it are kept real. I loved the detail with Uncle Stephen keeping a jar with jelly beans for each friend who has died. It’s not often that you find a new voice in YA literature, but the storytelling in this book is completely unique and refreshing. It’s so raw and honest, so vivid in the description of the fear of AIDS and discrimination, cruelty and violence, but also so hopeful and loving, so full of activism, friendship and community, courage and pride.

“Don’t forget me. Us. All of us. What we did. What we fought for. Our history. Who we are. They won’t teach it in schools. They don’t want us to have a history.”

Well, with this book, Abdi Nazemian has changed that. Uncle Stephen, Art, Reza and all others in the queer community of the late 80’s now have a history. A history that will be taught in schools.

Rating:
5 stars

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​Author info:
Abdi Nazemian