This book was a miraculous roller coaster. The Way I Used to Be is a young adult fiction novel by Amber Smith that explores mature themes of sexual violence in an incredibly personal and intimate way. The novel follows Eden, a young girl in high school, and the adversities she faces when trying to speak up about being a victim of assault. Normally, I'm not the type of person that gets emotional about books, but the way Amber Smith approaches serious themes is truly inspiring.
This book was a piece of heart and something I would see my soul to read again. It was so beautiful and heart shattering at the same time as Evelyn experiences love, cheat, betrayal, glamor, power, fame, money, and heartbreak all at the same time. Evelyn’s story discusses her rise in Hollywood along with the challenges, media, the public eye, sexualization, and more. She demonstrates what it was like being a powerful woman in a demanding and toxic environment at an early time. She has 7 marriages, in which she discusses each love or reason.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a teen fiction book by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Evelyn Hugo, famed actress from the 1950s-80s, has finally decided to do a tell all with Monique Grant, a talented reporter without her big break. In the present the reader follows Monique’s perspective and her life problems and how learning Evelyn’s story had affected her. As Hugo tells her story we switch into her perspective in the past and follows her life. I loved the complexities of these characters and the life lessons we can l
Navigating Early is a story about two boys who meet at a boarding school and decide to go on an adventure through the Appalachian Trail in hopes to heal from past issues. This book was a beautiful read. If you like hearing people engage in deep conversations about any subject under the moon, you will enjoy this. I know I did for sure.
The Color of Lies is a mind-bending story that will keep you hanging by the edge of your seat. When the main character, Ella, meets the mysterious Alec, her world gets turned upside down. Together they will unleash deep family secrets that will change Ella’s life forever. The imagery the book possessed was surreal, it really felt like I was living inside the story.
The Ghosts We Keep is a heartbreaking story that contains realistic scenes of death, love, and healing. Liam’s brother, Ethan, was killed in a hit and run. While the family grieves over the death of Ethan, Liam struggles with maintaining relationships with friends and dealing with grief. He seeks comfort in Ethan’s best friend, Marcus, and learns secrets about Ethan that weren’t known when he was alive. Though this book is contains tons of tragedy, it will leave you feeling empowered at the end.
