tell me then
about all these changes
the life imagined
a place of familiarity
where
problems
no
longer
exist
tell me about
how we came here
the wrongdoings
of our actions
and we no longer
dream of the
life imagined
tell me then
how love no longer
lives in our homes
and about the times
we forgot to live
because we became
so busy in our minds
Many months ago, I had stated that I was only going to do seasonal book hauls because I don’t buy much books. Well my friends, that was a mothereffin lie. I have so many physical books/ebooks to show you. I can’t believe I acquired 22 books in only two months. I need to stop!!!
*the title of each book will lead you to the Goodreads page
thoughts???? let’s chat in the comments! any of these on your TBR or on your read shelf?
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Goodreads: Gretchen (ChicNerdReads)
Title: The You I’ve Never Known
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Genre: YA, Verse, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ+
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Book
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I will not be placing a synopsis because it gives the whole plot and purpose of the book away. If you’re really interested in checking it out on Goodreads, then click here. I’m going to summarize the book the best way I can, however I really do recommend to start this one blind =)
Told by two different characters, Ariel and Maya. All Ariel knows is moving around the USA with her dad, she doesn’t know stability and staying in one place. She doesn’t know friendships, education, or a household. According to her dad, home is wherever the both of them are since Ariel’s mom abandoned them when she was little. However, for once in Ariel’s life, her and her dad (Mark) have stayed in Sonora, California for a little over a year and Ariel finally feels normal. Ariel has friends, she’s been to school for a full grade, she’s feeling optimistic about the future, and maybe her and her dad will stop moving around so much. Ariel is also shaken up because she’s experiencing internal battles with herself and sexuality. And having a father who’s a homophobe, living in Sonora that is super conservative, she doesn’t know who to talk to about these feelings she’s experiencing for both Monica and Gabe (I’ll get to them later on in the review).
Maya is trying to run away from her mother who happens to be obsessed with Scientology and Maya wants nothing to do with her and that “cult” as Maya likes to call it. She blames Scientology for changing her mom and her parents divorce. Maya cannot stand her mom because she can’t even have a relationship with her father. All of a sudden her father dies and she even goes to his funeral without consent of her mother because she would’ve refused. Maya’s mom wants to move them to LA to be a part of the Church of Scientology but Maya has other plans.
And somehow in all of this, Maya and Ariel meet and things take a turn.
I loved the writing! The book is written both in verse and prose but mostly verse. Ariel’s POV is verse and Maya’s POV is in prose. I don’t know if any of you know this but Ellen Hopkins is one of my all time favorite authors and a big inspiration to me because of the way she writes her books. As a poetry writer myself, Ellen is like my mom lol.
Ellen Hopkins uses different techniques when she writes in verse. Sometimes she’s saying two different things in the same page and I’m still trying to figure out HOW she does that. With a few words, Ellen Hopkins will paint you the world and characters with vivid emotions.
I feel like I touched based a little too much with Ariel and Maya in the summary/plot, therefore I will move onto the other characters in this book that we get to meet. I want to discuss a little on Ariel’s dad, Mark. I found him to be a complete asshole, however Ariel makes so many excuses for him and you can clearly see the abuse that is going on between child and father. Mark is an abusive father; physically, emotionally, and mentally. He is a very manipulative character. Not just to Ariel but his girlfriend Zelda as well. Both victims to his schemes and lies. Ariel always playing protector since it’s always been him and her and her dad always spoke so bad about Ariel’s mom and that she never questioned him. He is very good in gaslighting.
We also get to meet “The Freak Club” which consist of Ariel, Monica, and Syrah. They call themselves that because they all have “dysfunctional” things going on. And I use quotation marks because not all is wrong. Monica is a Lesbian Mexican American who is not out to her family because she feels like her family wouldn’t accept it. I loved Monica’s character and even though her character felt just slightly stereotypical to me (the Latina bff who always has to say something in Spanish here and there to her non-spanish speaking friends, you know, in order to prove to us the reader that they’re Latinx), Ellen Hopkins wrote her really well. When Hopkins wrote in Spanish, she got the accents right and she even got the Mexican food right! It’s so important to me as a Latina myself that when people write about us, they get our language and culture correct. Monica and Syrah are both very supporting characters towards Ariel and what she’s going through with her internal struggle of bisexuality. Monica and Ariel have feelings for one another but Monica knows that Ariel is having a hard time. And I love that Monica is still willing to be there in the end for Ariel no matter what happens. I love the female friendships in this book because I feel like we don’t get much of that in YA. We definitely see a lot of Monica and Syrah throughout the book.
Gabe is introduced a little later in the book, he is Zelda’s (Mark’s girlfriend) nephew and he comes into town to stay a while with Zelda while he tries to figure some things out. Gabe and Ariel hit it off which confuses Ariel even more. Gabe, another supportive character is just a sweet charming guy trying to get by. He sees the abuse of Ariel’s father and tries to protect her but there’s only so much someone can do.
I loved this book. You might be wondering why I say love when I gave it a 4 star. The reason why I gave it a 4 star was because it got repetitive at times and I wish that what happened more towards the end was extended and the repetition was cut off. Ellen Hopkins writes truths in this book. She writes about how bisexuals are perceived and how even Ariel perceives herself because of social standards towards bi people. Ellen Hopkins also leaves a Authors Note talking about how she wrote this book based off her own experience which had me crying at the end. And I won’t discuss the authors note because it will lead to the spoiler and plot of the book. With Ariel moving so much and the way Ellen Hopkins talks about the instability of staying in one place and even sleeping in the car with her dad for weeks at a time, I asked myself about her health. Hopkins, covered all my questions about how her health was and even her lack of education. I liked the diversity of this book, Ellen never disappoints with her diverse cast of characters and their situations. Maya’s story was short but touching and to the point. Which is why I don’t talk much about her because her story is pretty much a major spoiler. The abuse that both Ariel and Maya experience in their own journeys are heart wrenching and sad. I would definitely recommend this book!
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Hi everyone! I thought I would participate in WWW Wednesday today. This meme is hosted by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. You can link your blog post to Sam’s website that way we can interact and find other bloggers =)
The questions are:
1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?
I am currently reading Gilded Cage (Dark Gifts #1) by Vic James. So far I am really enjoying it and I’m hoping to finish it by (tomorrow) Thursday. Thankfully I got a ARC at NYCC/BookCon, this book is due to release on Valentines Day.
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Not all are free. Not all are equal. Not all will be saved.
Our world belongs to the Equals — aristocrats with magical gifts — and all commoners must serve them for ten years. But behind the gates of England’s grandest estate lies a power that could break the world.
A girl thirsts for love and knowledge.
Abi is a servant to England’s most powerful family, but her spirit is free. So when she falls for one of the noble-born sons, Abi faces a terrible choice. Uncovering the family’s secrets might win her liberty, but will her heart pay the price?
A boy dreams of revolution.
Abi’s brother, Luke, is enslaved in a brutal factory town. Far from his family and cruelly oppressed, he makes friends whose ideals could cost him everything. Now Luke has discovered there may be a power even greater than magic: revolution.
And an aristocrat will remake the world with his dark gifts.
He is a shadow in the glittering world of the Equals, with mysterious powers no one else understands. But will he liberate—or destroy?
I recently finished The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. One of my favorite reads of 2017. This book was magical and beautiful. The world was fascinating and wonderful. I also love that it’s a standalone! I have a full non spoiler review for this book here.
Ellen Hopkins came out with a new title “The You I’ve Never Known” which was released yesterday (1/24/2017) and since I took the day off as a “self care day”, I decided to hop into Barnes and Noble to buy it! I was going to read something else after Gilded Cage, however, I know myself. My mood instantly changed and I cannot wait to start The You I’ve Never Known. Ellen Hopkins is queen of writing in verse and writing about hard hitting topics in YA. Hopkins isn’t your lovey-dovey magic happy ending type of writer. I love that about her.
Synopsis from Goodreads:
How do you live your life if your past is based on a lie? A new novel in both verse and prose from #1 New York Times bestselling author, Ellen Hopkins.
For as long as she can remember, it’s been just Ariel and Dad. Ariel’s mom disappeared when she was a baby. Dad says home is wherever the two of them are, but Ariel is now seventeen and after years of new apartments, new schools, and new faces, all she wants is to put down some roots. Complicating things are Monica and Gabe, both of whom have stirred a different kind of desire.
Maya’s a teenager who’s run from an abusive mother right into the arms of an older man she thinks she can trust. But now she’s isolated with a baby on the way, and life’s getting more complicated than Maya ever could have imagined.
Ariel and Maya’s lives collide unexpectedly when Ariel’s mother shows up out of the blue with wild accusations: Ariel wasn’t abandoned. Her father kidnapped her fourteen years ago.
What is Ariel supposed to believe? Is it possible Dad’s woven her entire history into a tapestry of lies? How can she choose between the mother she’s been taught to mistrust and the father who has taken care of her all these years?
In bestselling author Ellen Hopkins’s deft hands, Ariel’s emotionally charged journey to find out the truth of who she really is balances beautifully with Maya’s story of loss and redemption. This is a memorable portrait of two young women trying to make sense of their lives and coming face to face with themselves—for both the last and the very first time.
what do you think of these titles? do you plan on reading any of them or have you? let’s chat in the comments!
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Twitter: @ChicNerdReads
Goodreads: Gretchen (ChicNerdReads)
my daughter is here
and i’m really happy
that she is.
we don’t force her to
come to church.
she willingly came today.
one thing i can always say
about her is that she listens.
and i want her to listen to this.
you know, one day
someone told me
“you will keep traveling
the world, but your
daughter will travel
more than you.”
and at the time i
didn’t understand,
i asked myself how
because she doesn’t
come to church.
till she sat down
with us and told us
about the projects
she’s working on.
and what that man
told me many months
ago clicked.
i have a big feeling
that 2017 will be
an amazing year
for my daughter.
– my father during his sermon on christmas day. i cried like a baby.
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking The Spine. On every Wednesday you discuss a book that you are highly anticipating.
I’m kind of mad at myself because I completely forgot to mention this book at last weeks Top Ten Tuesday: 2017 Anticipated Releases because this author is like my Queen and Teacher of Verse lol. But at least she get’s her own post now, right? Thanks to Payton @ Payton’s Book Thoughts for the kindly reminder in her post lol. Check her blog out, she’s so cool and fun =)
This weeks pick is:
Release Date: January 24th, 2017
Synopsis from Goodreads:
How do you live your life if your past is based on a lie? A new novel in both verse and prose from #1 New York Times bestselling author, Ellen Hopkins.
Arielle’s life is a blur of new apartments, new schools, and new faces. Since her mother abandoned the family, Arielle has lived nomadically with her father as he moves from job to job. All she’s ever wanted is to stay in one place for an entire school year, and it looks like she might finally get her wish. With a real friend, Monica, who might be even more than a friend soon, things are starting to look up.
But Arielle’s life is upended—and not by her father, but by her mom, who reveals that she never left Arielle. Instead, Arielle’s father kidnapped her, and her mom has been left searching ever since. She wants to take Arielle away, but Arielle has no connection with her mother, and despite everything, still loves her father. How can she choose between the mother she’s been taught to mistrust and the father who sewed that suspicion?
THAT SYNOPSIS!!! THAT COVER!!! OMGOMGOMGOMG!! I cannot wait to have this book in my hands and devour all of it. I’ve always loved Ellen Hopkins writing and she’s very honest with it all. Ellen Hopkins is known for her writing in verse. She’s also a YA Realistic Fiction writer. She does not hide the reality of situations, she does not give you happy cute stories. She gives you emotion filled writing that will have you crying and feeling sympathy for all these characters.
If you have yet to read any of her books, I would suggest reading Identical, Crank, Burned, and Tricks.
Have you read anything from Ellen Hopkins? What are your thoughts? Let’s chat in the comments!
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he comes around
once in a while,
wondering
how I’m holding up.
he’ll ask to go out for coffee,
I say no.
then he leaves again for months.
for some reason,
he wanted to have a full blown
conversation about his love life.
I listened.
I didn’t need to.
I’ve missed you.
I wonder about you
from time to time.
okay.
are you dating anyone?
you still with that guy?
since when do you care?
I fucked up big time.
[pause]
he’s probably thinking.
why are you still single?
is that what you want me to ask you?
you know me so well.
my mom got involved in my last relationship.
she was crazy, way too jealous.
she fucked it up, I mean, I fucked it up
cause I let her in the way.
have you tried getting her back?
I’ve tried but its lost.
ohhhhh.
so I’ve been fucking around.
I don’t want nothing serious.
that’s not for me.
but I saw this girl today,
she reminded of you.
okay.
you’re too much of a good girl
for anyone to be messing around
with you.
i don’t want you getting hurt.
and losing this last one,
is my karma
for
what
i
did
to
you.
and the world keeps on spinning.
Hey everyone! Here I am with another Mini Review Monday created by me, where you write a short review for a book/series you haven’t reviewed on your blog. Because either you read the book before you started blogging or you never got around to it. If you decide to participate in this new meme, please feel free to leave a link to your post in the comments below. Also! Let the people know if it’s a non-spoiler/spoiler review.
Title: Identical
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Genre: YA, Realistic Fiction, Verse
Published: August 26, 2008
Read: Autumn of 2008
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Do twins begin in the womb?
Or in a better place?
Kaeleigh and Raeanne are identical down to the dimple. As daughters of a district-court judge father and a politician mother, they are an all-American family — on the surface. Behind the facade each sister has her own dark secret, and that’s where their differences begin.
For Kaeleigh, she’s the misplaced focus of Daddy’s love, intended for a mother whose presence on the campaign trail means absence at home. All that Raeanne sees is Daddy playing a game of favorites — and she is losing. If she has to lose, she will do it on her own terms, so she chooses drugs, alcohol, and sex.
Secrets like the ones the twins are harboring are not meant to be kept — from each other or anyone else. Pretty soon it’s obvious that neither sister can handle it alone, and one sister must step up to save the other, but the question is — who?
I will never forget my feelings and thought process while reading this book so many years ago. Till this day, this stands as one of my favorite books ever. It impacted me.
Ellen Hopkins is not only an author who writes in verse but she writes Realistic Fiction that has tons of trigger warnings. I’m not much into Realistic Fiction, however, Hopkins has always been an exception for me.
Identical isn’t only about twin sisters living this teenage rebellion. It’s about mental illness and survival. If you haven’t read any Ellen Hopkins books, please start with this one. You will not regret it.
Identical is told by both sisters, Kae and Rae. We the readers get to see the minds of these twins who look exactly like one another living separate lives with so many secrets. Family plays a really big role here too with their actions and way of living because the twins are trying to prove something to each parent. But is that ever enough?
Identical will make you think what is right and wrong. Will make you think outside the box. This is not a light and fluffy read. This is a painful read with hard truths.
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