Stars Above (#4.5) by Marissa Meyer

13 May 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, Audiobook, Fantasy, Young Adult Tags: , , , , , ,

Published: 2 February 2016 (print)/14 June 2017 (audio) Goodreads badge
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends/Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd
Pages: 400/9 hrs and 28 mins
Narrator: Rebecca Soler
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
★   ★   ★   ★ – 4 Stars

The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier, Wolf, transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard, Jacin, realize their destinies?
With six stories—two of which have never before been published— Stars Above is essential for fans of the best-selling and beloved Lunar Chronicles. 
Meyer gives readers a collection of stories that could easily have been in the main books it felt so familiar. You fall right back into the world and it is like you have never left. Reading these short stories after finishing the entire series was a great way to revisit well known characters and see their origins and learn how they ended up where we find them in the main storyline. Some stories are heartbreaking, well, most are heartbreaking in their own way, while others are a fascinating exploration about details and moments that were once only snippets and moments briefly mentioned that we now get to explore more fully. Meyer has given us a chance to delve deeper and see the full story of how these characters came to be who they are.
My favourite stories would have to be the ones where we see how Cinder ended up with Scarlet’s grandmother and seeing Winter and her life in the palace. Meyer tells such a compelling story I was drawn right into the tension and the drama, fearful for young Scarlet and the secret that was hidden on the farm and loved to see Winter’s life in the palace. These aren’t necessarily stories we do not know, these histories are explained in the main story by various characters, but never at this depth; so while we learn how Cinder was kept safe, being able to read it as it happens through the eyes of Scarlett’s grandmother Michelle Benoit was a different experience entirely.
The final story is one set after the events of the novels. The entire cast come together and we learn what has been happening with everyone since the end of Winter. It was the perfect ending to the series, it wrapped it up without feeling unnecessary or rushed and being able to know the futures of this mix of characters I’d come to know and love was amazing.
This conclusion to the series goes beyond doing it justice. We’re given origin stories, answers, a more in-depth exploration of character back stories all with the same magical and familiar feel of the books. I loved every story in this, including the new stories, it was fabulous to read and work out from the clues which fairytale was being retold. This is perfect for any fan of The Lunar Chronicles and a fantastic farewell to the series.

You can purchase Stars Above via the following

QBD |  Dymocks | Booktopia

Wordery |  Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

Long Lost Review: Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

08 May 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, LGBTQIA, Long Lost Reviews, Young Adult Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Long Lost Reviews is a monthly meme created by Ally over at Ally’s Appraisals which is posted on the second Thursday of every month. The aim is to start tackling your review backlog. Whether it’s an in-depth analysis of how it affected your life, one sentence stating that you only remember the ending, or that you have no recollection of reading the book at all. 

Published: 2 May 2023Goodreads badge
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pages: 416
Format: Paperback
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
★   ★   ★  ★  ★ – 5 Stars

With humor and insight, #1 New York Times bestseller Becky Albertalli explores the nuances of sexuality, identity, and friendship in this timely new novel.

Imogen Scott may be hopelessly heterosexual, but she’s got the World’s Greatest Ally title locked down.

She’s never missed a Pride Alliance meeting. She knows more about queer media discourse than her very queer little sister. She even has two queer best friends. There’s Gretchen, a fellow high school senior, who helps keep Imogen’s biases in check. And then there’s Lili—newly out and newly thriving with a cool new squad of queer college friends.

Imogen’s thrilled for Lili. Any ally would be. And now that she’s finally visiting Lili on campus, she’s bringing her ally A game. Any support Lili needs, Imogen’s all in.

Even if that means bending the truth, just a little.

Like when Lili drops a tiny queer bombshell: she’s told all her college friends that Imogen and Lili used to date. And none of them know that Imogen is a raging hetero—not even Lili’s best friend, Tessa.

Of course, the more time Imogen spends with chaotic, freckle-faced Tessa, the more she starts to wonder if her truth was ever all that straight to begin with. . .

Sometimes you read too many books too fast and then suddenly what you think you read only last year turns out to have been read in 2023. Where does the time go? But this is a good Long Lost Review because my notes on it are few, the vibes are good, and I think it works based on what I remember about the story. The worst part is, this was in my Top Five of 2023 and it still didn’t get a real review so it’s a shame really to be reduced to a LLR but here we are.

This is a great exploration of identity and is a fantastic story about how being a passionate advocate for queer lives can also be damaging and toxic. Albertalli demonstrates with remarkable skill and grace, even a bit of compassion, that there still exists toxicity in queer spaces and there is always a chance of going too far.

Imogen’s journey of self-discovery is a wonderful reminder that there is no age limit on finding out who you are. Her inner monologue shows how unsettled she feels in herself, while also feeling so sure of who she is at the same time. As this becomes upended as the story goes along we follow this path as Imogen navigates her feelings, her friendships, and the lives of those around her to work out who she really is.

The cast of characters in this book are well rounded and complex. Even with so many characters in play they each get attention and are fully developed. It is easy to fall into their banter and support, as well as experience their ups and downs with them.

Gretchen is a great character in that she is a terrible but she is a perfect representation of what it means to police other people and to try and gate keep and control how other people experience their own lives. The challenge of having a friend like her, while also trying to be supportive and guided by their experiences and not your own, means Imogen tries her best to be an ally but at the same time deals with the problems Gretchen creates.

Being an older YA makes this story sit right at the cusp of leaving school/entering uni which is wonderful representation for anyone feeling like they need to have themselves worked out by the time they are 16 or before, like many queer YA books demonstrate. I enjoyed how it showed there is no time limit on discovering yourself and what makes you happy.

Full of realism and representation, Imogen, Obviously is a sweet and romantic story that deals with current and evergreen issues in the queer community from both inside and out. It’s light-hearted but not without conflict, and highlights the importance of friendship and being true to yourself.

#AussieYAChallenge Update

30 Apr 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in Aussie YA Challenge, Young Adult Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

My first update of the year was looking a tad woeful for a while but then I found a few Aussie YA on audio which bumped my numbers a little at the last minute. In the end I did three audio, one ebook, and one physical so that was exciting. The books I read were pretty awesome, all unique, and had that wonderful Australian feel to them.

I’d forgotten how convenient it can be to have an ebook too. It’s really no less convenient to have an audio except you don’t need to worry about headphones or being able to hear the narrator if you’re in a loud area. Granted the reading ones took a long time, but it really helped me savour the story, and I looked forward to coming back to the story when I had a chance to keep reading.

One fun thing about this challenge is it’s making me try any Aussie YA that I come across because it fits my criteria. Which may not be the best approach, and the book still has to sound ok, but I am taking chances on stuff because is a #LoveOzYA title or the author is Australian. I definitely found some beautiful reads this way so far.

The list so far:

All I Ever Wanted by Vikki Wakefield

 Tin Heart by Shivaun Plozza

 Because of You by Pip Harry

Wrong Answers Only by Tobias Madden

 100 Remarkable Feats of Xander Maze by Clayton Zane Comber

 

Because of You by Pip Henry was a gorgeous story of a young girl experiencing homelessness and the school girl who volunteers at a shelter she visits.

Tin Heart is an emotional story about a transplant recipient who wants to show her thanks but risks crossing a dangerous barrier of the no contact rule from her donor family.

All I Ever Wanted follows Mim who is living in the suburbs with a criminal family and a need to escape.

Wrong Answers Only was one I’d looked forward to for months and I’m glad it paid off. A story of taking chances and being brave, about expectations and the battles against your body, your mind, and letting go.

100 Remarkable Feats of Xander Maze had a great voice and was another story about being brave, taking chances, and discovering how small decisions can change your whole life.

Like all books not every one of these were perfect, amazing, or to my exact taste, but I am still glad I read them. I got to see these stories of characters in different situations and experiences. This is what I love about Australian YA, we have these big bold stories, often in very short compact books that are about the teenage experience but aren’t confined to the playground or classroom dynamics.

I already have a few titles in my TBR list and I certainly have a massive stack of physical books piled up at home so I look forward to seeing what the next update brings.

I hope your own Aussie YA Challenge goals are going well and you have discovered some amazing reads yourself. Feel free to shout out in the comments some you have read so far, or even those you are looking forward to reading. If you’re interested in signing up it’s not to late, head over to my info page and declare your goal on social media, your website, or in the comments of this years post.

Isla and the Happily Ever After (#3) by Stephanie Perkins

29 Apr 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 2 Stars, Audiobook, Romance, Young Adult Tags: , , , , , ,

Published: 14 August 2014 (print)/14 August 2014 (audio) Goodreads badge
Publisher: Dutton/Books on Tape
Pages: 339/8 hrs and 37 mins
Narrator: Grace Experience
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Young Adult Romance
★   ★  – 2 Stars

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.

Featuring cameos from fan-favorites Anna, Étienne, Lola, and Cricket, this sweet and sexy story of true love—set against the stunning backdrops of New York City, Paris, and Barcelona—is a swoonworthy conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series.

I can’t really complain, it does what it says on the tin, it is a happily ever after. It’s a book of a perfect romance and a perfect love. Can’t really argue with that.

But I am still going to.

I disliked it from quite early on. I don’t know whether it was Isla’s voice or when I realised it was all falling into a perfect set of circumstances. I know it’s a romance, but even the romances I have read don’t lay it on so thick.

It is saccharine and aside from that technically there was nothing wrong but it felt uneventful. Isla and Josh have always loved each other, they get to be together, everyone is ok with it. The minor issues are barely issues and are overcome, and nothing bad ever happen. So much so something has to be fabricated to have some kind of conflict but it felt hollow. Like Perkins needed to have something bad before she wrote a book that sounded like a fairy tale romance. But even a fairy tale romance has some kind of real drama to overcome.

So we put up with this everything is perfect for the first half of the book, and by now I am begging for something to happen. Not dire, but some real conflict or consequential plot. I ended up skipping chunks, even the promise of cameos from other characters in the series wasn’t enough to keep me going. They are a blink and you’ll miss it moment so they may as well not be there. I ended up skipping through a lot of the second half of the book. Which from what I’ve read is more of Isla being utterly obsessed with Josh and their relationship and having no other personality.

I’m pretty sure I liked Josh on his own, but I needed him to stop treating Isla like a perfect and innocent person. Isla even does it herself by mentioning how she shocks people when she swears because no one expects someone so petite to swear. What does that even mean?

I did like how Isla and Kurt’s friendship was demonstrated. I liked how she fought for him, and stood up for their relationship. I also liked how she took him for granted, it gave some realism to the story about how knowing him for ages meant she sometimes became selfish and overlooked his needs. It was a nice break from the lovefest. I needed more of Kurt in the book though because Isla was exhausting and Josh and Isla together were exhausting.

Having someone knocked up on pain meds is a great way to break through the shyness barrier and have your characters confess things to each other, but the story needed to bring itself down to earth for the rest of the story. Even though the ending was ok, I didn’t have any interest in them because of course everything was going to work out for both of them. Everything was fixed and they were living their best lives. At least there was a small amount of growth you could point at.

You can purchase Isla and the Happily Ever After via the following

QBD |  Dymocks | Booktopia

Wordery |  Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

Lola and the Boy Next Door (#2) by Stephanie Perkins

15 Apr 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, Audiobook, Young Adult Tags: , , , , ,

Published: 1 June 2011 (print)/11 October 2011 (audio) Goodreads badge
Publisher: Usborne Publishing/Books on Tape
Pages: 384/8 hrs and 59 mins
Narrator: Shannon McManus
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Young Adult Romance
★   ★   ★ – 3 Stars

Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood. When Cricket, a gifted inventor, steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

I am well behind the hype for Perkins’ series, though I did experience all the Anna hype at the time, it took me a few more years before I got a chance to read it. But then I never continued with the series. I’m not sure whether Anna didn’t drive me enough to want to keep reading, or it was one of those ‘one day’ books and then suddenly years have passed. The important thing is, I was not a fan.

I don’t think enough was put on the fact twenty one year old Max got together with Lola at sixteen. I know Lola is our perspective so it’s not going to be balanced but I didn’t like it. By the time the story starts Lola is seventeen, Max is twenty two, and they’ve been dating a year was a surprise, I thought it was relatively new. I couldn’t understand why a guy in a band, who tours the country, old enough to drink and be in bars would be ok dating a sixteen year old. One still in high school, with all the childish drama, and be happy with that? It’s not like he was eighteen or nineteen. Are we meant to think it was because he really cares about her? It adds another level when he starts calling her Lolita and all the red flags already raised are suddenly waving around.

Lola’s parents do the best they can in her situation – making Max have weekly meals with them, keeping track of what they’re doing in a non-invasive way. Lola admits that they know if they enforce anything harsher or make them stop seeing each other it would only push them closer. It doesn’t stop her lying and sneaking around though despite the trust they’ve put in her.

Her dads were great characters, and I really enjoyed their scenes and their relationship with Lola and one another. They were fun and interesting and supportive. The Norah element was interesting and spread nicely through the story. You can definitely see Lola being burned before by her birth mother and being the selfish person she is having little understanding of what it means beyond her own feelings.

Aside from the Max thing, the actual story was fine. Lola is a quirky girl who goes to extreme effort in her outfits and how she presents herself. It’s amazing she gets away with it at school, but it is a creative hobby for her.

The whole story arc with Cricket and his family was interesting and I liked how it naturally came together by the end. I can see how everyone thinks it’s sweet and it is, but at the same time Lola doesn’t deserve Cricket. He’s too nice for her.

So much of the praise for this book goes towards Lola and her relationship with Cricket, which isn’t for most of the book. She’s angry at him, wary of him, slowly comes to be ok with him all while still dating Max. Her issues with him are valid, though her absolute fear at them returning was a tad over the top.

Once the story focused more on Cricket and Lola’s friendship the story was better, with a title like this you know how it will end, I just wish there’s been a better way to get them together without having to read about creepy Max. There was enough hurt feelings and history to build on where we didn’t need to normalise that kind of relationship.

You can purchase Lola and the Boy Next Door via the following

QBD |  Dymocks | Booktopia

Wordery |  Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

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