Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA, some language, a few kisses
Length: 280 pages
Author: Kati Gardner
Publisher: North Star Editions / Flux
Release Date: August 21st, 2018
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

ALL THE FEELS.

Reminiscent of The Fault in Our Stars, Brave Enough follows two main characters who are struggling with their own afflictions. Cason, currently dealing with cancer, and Davis, who previously had cancer. The difference in this book is what Davis brings to the table, drug addiction.

Everyone has their own trials, but few go through what these characters do. As I read, it made me consider just how true these feelings are. Pain, turmoil, loss of dreams, none of it is easy. Cason was previously a ballerina who has to come to terms with her new identity.

Gardner draws on her own life story (she survived childhood cancer), and creates a beautiful, fictional version.

The love story is sweet, and real. Davis and Cason both had to deal with their own internal issues before they could find solid ground to stand on together. The ups and downs may not be full of “drama,” but you feel for their stories all the same.

It was a good, quick read that was different from my normal choices. There is some language, and of course discussion of the turmoil that is drug addiction (and the potential fall-outs).

Thank you to Netgalley, and the Publisher for sending me a digital ARC. The length, release date, and page counts were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA, little language, lots of killing, no love scenes
Length: 504 pages
Author: Neal Shusterman
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: January 9th, 2018
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

WHAT JUST HAPPENED.

I have no words. For a second book, this was FANTASTIC.

How in the world did Shusterman fit all of this into one book? The drama, the friendship, the angst, the betrayal, it was a collaboration that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I have so much to say and I’m trying to formulate it without adding spoilers, *SIGH*, but I digress.

I love a good romantic component to books, yet this is one where it plays maybe a 5% portion and I can’t help reading faster and faster to get to the end. The twists and turns create great plot lines that weave a tangled web.

The world building is so CRAZY. I spent half of my reading wondering what kind of world it would be if we had a Thunderhead (who’s to say that won’t happen though??). I can’t even fathom scythes, gleaning, and a cloud controlling the universe. It makes these novels all the more enticing.

Everything draws me in about this series. Some portions were left open that will definitely craft an insane finale. I feel like using character names will give too much away though, so mums the word! I’ll sit in anticipation for book 3 because all hell has broken loose in MidMerica.

His characters are complicated, intense, and without remorse. I love them all. (Well, I could name a few I’d glean myself…).

Very little language, lots of death (to be expected, haha), no love scenes. Overall, a clean book if you’re okay with all of the gleaning.