Haters (2016)

By: Jesse Andrews

A young man and his best friend decide to go to a Camp Rock-esque band camp, meet a girl, and then decide to leave to start their own band. The story follows their shenanigans trying to book gigs, find places to stay, and landing themselves in a hippie harem sort of place.

Though it was an interesting story, there was the cliché of both guys liking the same girl, and the subsequent fallout from that. Plus, there were a lot of inappropriate situations, that I’d found unexpected. I also couldn’t get into Andrews’ writing style. I enjoyed the text-like rapid conversations, but other things that shouldn’t have been elaborated on, undoubtedly were.

Don’t give this book to someone unless you think they’re old enough to watch South Park.

Enclave (2011)

By: Ann Aguirre

I loved this series. In a dystopic future, 15-year-old Deuce is cast out her underground home, and must try and fend for herself on the surface—which is supposed to be toxic to humans. It turns out the surface isn’t poisonous, but it is treacherous. There are zombie-like creatures that could kill them at any turn, and a Mad Max-like group of cannibals hunting her and her partner, Fade.

This book helped me believe in YA books again. Honestly, I loved Deuce’s strength, and I loved the pacing of the story. Everything unfolded in just the right way. And the world was built in a believable way. It sort of reminded me of Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies series, but grittier. 10/10 read these books.

Outlander (1991)

By: Diana Gabaldon

I started reading this novel when I was planning my trip to Scotland with my best friend. It follows the story of a WWII-era nurse that gets transported back to eighteenth-century Scotland and falls in with some highlanders. To save her life, she must marry one of the Scotsmen, though she still hopes to return home to her husband and her time.

Though I enjoyed the book when I started reading, I found it was so long, that I wouldn’t be able to finish it before I felt for Scotland. Plus, it was all very long-winded. Personally, I enjoyed watching the TV show more, which suited my needs just fine. That being said, I won’t be watching anything after the first season, given how it ended. But that’s just due to personal tastes about rape being in literature. I understand full well that it was a part of the time period, and is a very serious matter, but I prefer not to read about it.

Other than that, if you’re a fan of the series, of Scotland, of history, and/or of romance, check it out. Jamie and Claire are pretty adorable, and the story is compelling.




Ultraviolet (2013)

By: R. J. Anderson

One minute, Allison was arguing with Tori, and the next, Tori disintegrated into nothing. Allison goes into shock and is subsequently placed in a mental institution for a psychotic break. There, she has to discern if she’s, indeed, mentally unstable, or if there’s another explanation for what happened to Tori.

I loved this book. It was unlike anything else I’d read. Somehow both a sci-fi, mystery, and romance all wrapped into one, it checks a tone of boxes, without falling on clichés. If you’re looking for a decent sci-fi and some neat abilities, check out this book.