Someone Else's Shoes

Title:  Someone Else's Shoes

Author:  Jojo Moyes

Publisher:  Pamela Dorman Books

Date Published:  February 7, 2023

Genre:  Fiction, Contemporary

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Thoughts:

-  Nisha is a wealthy socialite from America. She and her husband are visiting England on business, and while Nisha is at the gym, her scum of a husband cuts off all her money and access to the hotel. He won't even speak to her, and she is left on the streets of England with no resources. She doesn't even have her own clothes because someone has taken her bag. 

Sam is struggling in multiple areas of her life. Her husband is depressed and can't move from the couch each day. He refuses to get help, and Sam is left taking care of him, their daughter, and their house. Her boss is a total jerk and constantly demeans her. When Sam accidently grabs the wrong bag from the gym she is visiting for the first time, she discovers some incredible clothes inside. The shoes give her a boost of confidence that she desperately needs. 

-  I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters, and I didn't think I would like Nisha, but she really grows on me. Sam tugged at my heart, and I loved cheering for both of these women. 

-  The first half of the book progressively made me angrier. I wanted the people in Nisha and Sam's life to get their comeuppance, and I wanted it to be evil and awesome! The ending wasn't what I wanted or expected, but it was still satisfying. 

-  My favorite part of the book was women helping other women. I loved how Nisha found people to help her, and I loved Sam's friend. I loved how a group of women helped he each other out for the sake of sisterhood. 

-  I loved Nisha and Sam's character arc. I loved how Nisha had to come to grips with the reality of her life. It was a hard pill to swallow, and she goes through a lot of emotions. I also loved Sam's growth. She was always amazing, but she didn't realize it. She deserved so much more than what she was getting. 

-  I can't stop thinking about this book. It was so good! This was my second Jojo Moyes book, and I am excited to read more of her stuff. 

My Thoughts in a GIF:

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry

Title:  My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry

Author:  Fredrik Backman

Publisher:  Atria Books

Date Published:  June 15, 2015

Genre:  Fiction, Contemporary

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Thoughts:

-  Elsa is a very observant and wise child. Mentally, she is beyond her years. Elsa and her grandma are best friends, and grandma is full of moxie. They live in an apartment complex with a cast of unique and quirky characters. Grandma loves to tell Elsa stories about the Land of Almost Awake. Grandma sends Elsa on a quest, where she must deliver notes to different people in the building, but Elsa has to find the notes in a sort of treasure hunt. 

-  I adored this book! The characters are so well written and thought out. At first they don't seem important, or they are portrayed a certain way, but as the story unfolds, each character becomes endearing and relatable. 

-  It was interesting to read an adult fiction book from a child's perspective. There were some heavy subjects, and I enjoyed seeing them through Elsa's eyes.

-  Backman is a master storyteller. The way his stories unfold and connect is genius. I have loved every book of his that I've read. 

-  The emotions this story elicits were deep and heartfelt. I laughed out loud, I grieved, I was sad, angry, torn, melancholy, etc. In the end, I felt a hopeful joy. This was pretty much a perfect book for me. 

-  I read this for book club last month, and we had a very engaging discussion about various things. It was a lot of fun. 

My Thoughts in a GIF:

The Liz Taylor Ring

Title:  The Liz Taylor Ring

Author:  Brenda Janowitz

Publisher:  Graydon House

Date Published:  February 1, 2022

Genre:  Adult Fiction, Contemporary

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐

My Thoughts:

-    Lizzie and Ritchie have a romance for the ages, much like Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, but Ritchie's gambling problem causes trouble in paradise. After a 9 month separation, Ritchie gives Lizzie a big-a diamond ring. It is similar to the one that Burton gifted to Taylor. Flash forward a couple decades and the children of Lizzie and Ritchie all have different stories about what happened to the ring, so no one knows what to think when the ring suddenly shows up again. 

-    The story starts out great. I was highly invested in the family and the mystery, but I slowly lost interest. Towards the end, I felt like circumstances and happenings were convenient and unimaginative. 

-    I loved all the Elizabeth Taylor references, and I loved Lizzie and Ritchie's relationship. 

-    The book made me want to watch all the Elizabeth Taylor movies.

My Thoughts in a GIF:

The Love Hypothesis

Title:  The Love Hypothesis

Author:  Ali Hazelwood

Publisher:  Berkley Books

Date Published:  September 14, 2021

Genre:  Adult, Romance, Contemporary

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐

My Thoughts:

-    Fake dating is plaguing my life right now. I don't know why, but I feel like it is everywhere. 

-    Olive's ex-boyfriend and best friend are attracted to one another, but Olive's friend doesn't want to hurt Olive by dating her ex, so Olive impulsively kisses a random guy in the hallway to make her friend think she has moved on. I don't understand the logic, but whatever. The guy she kissed is a professor who is renown for being an unapproachable jerk. Of course the random professor decides to help her with the ruse, and of course they fall in love. 

-    I didn't hate the romance, in fact I really liked Olive and Adam as a couple, but I didn't like the fake dating trope. 

-    Yes, I crushed on Adam. It helped that from his description, I pictured him as Richard Armitage, so ya. His good looks combined with his undying loyalty, silent longing, and sexy protectiveness made for a very crush worthy guy. 

-    I'm not one for erotic books, and I was unaware of the sex scene. It was a little too steamy for me. I know we are supposed to read outside our comfort zones, but I'm okay not being that intimate with other's relations. 

-    I loved the book setting, and I loved the representation of women in STEM. 

-    I'm glad I finally got around to reading this book, but I think it is over-hyped. *ducks projectiles*

My Thoughts in a GIF:

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

Title:  The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

Author:  Gabrielle Zevin

Publisher:  Algonquin Books

Date Published:  April 1, 2014

Genre:  Adult Fiction, Contemporary

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Thoughts:

-    I don't have the adequate thoughts or words to describe how incredible this book is. It's amazing!

-    A.J. Fikry is a grumpy widower who is set in his ways. He owns a small book store in a small secluded town. His highly sought after and highly valuable book by Edgar Allan Poe gets stolen, and it starts a chain of events that changes Fikry's life for the better. 

-    I loved Fikry. His character development was heartwarming and gave me all the feels. I loved his interactions with Maya, Amelia, and everyone else.

-    The emotions! I cried, I laughed, I got frustrated, and everything else. I was so immersed in this story.  

-    This book is a champion for books. There are so many wonderful quotes and messages for book lovers. There were so many times I wanted to stand up and yell, "YES! EXACTLY!" 

-    I don't know what else to say. Read it! It is amazing! Thank you Jenny for recommending it. I wish I had read it sooner. 

My Thoughts in a GIF:

Instant Karma

Title:  Instant Karma

Author:  Marissa Meyer

Publisher:  Feiwel & Friends

Date Published:  November 3, 2020

Genre:  Young Adult, Contemporary

Rating:  ⭐⭐

My Thoughts:

-    I have been dreading this review. I usually love Marissa Meyer's books, but this one was a big disappointment. 

-    Prudence (a terrible name) is a self-righteous, judgmental, selfish, wound up so tight she should be on blood pressure medication perfectionist. She is constantly complaining about her lab partner slacking off, to the point of obsession. For some reason, the universe grants her the power to inflict karma, good or bad, on random people. After getting a subpar grade on a report, she is determined to redo her project, but she has to work with Quint, her lab partner. Prudence ends up volunteering for a sealife rescue shelter, and guess who's mom runs it? Yup, Quint's mom owns and runs the shelter. Prudence and Quint work together for a few weeks, and you get the picture. You know what happens.

-    Prudence annoyed me from the very beginning, but what really irked me was that there was no character growth. Prudence learns a few lessons throughout the story, but in the end, she is still a selfish, self-righteous, judgmental jerk. The only thing that changes is her opinion of Quint.

-    Quint is a sweet guy. I didn't mind him as much, but I feel like he was pretty dumb to pine after Prudence. He could do SO much better. 

-    I couldn't get behind the story because I didn't like the characters. 400 pages of Prudence is WAY too much Prudence. 

-    The only thing I liked about the story were the cute sea lions and seals. I am all about animal rescue shelters. Sadly, it wasn't enough to change my opinion of the book. 

-    I lied, I also liked the beach town setting. Meyer did an amazing job with the town and ocean. I had no problem visualizing the place. So there were two things I liked about the book.

-    I will continue to read Meyer's books. I still think she is an amazing author. I'm just sad this one was a bummer. 

My Thoughts in a GIF:

Trigger Warnings:    Animal injury, Drinking

Lies, Love, and Breakfast at Tiffany's

Title:  Lies, Love, and Breakfast at Tiffany's

Author:  Julie Wright

Series:  Proper Romance 

Publisher:  Shadow Mountain

Date Published:  November 6, 2018

Genre:  Romance, Adult Fiction, Contemporary

Rating:  ⭐⭐

My Thoughts:

-    I told myself I wasn't going to read any more of the proper romance books, but then they released one that is highly influenced by Audrey Hepburn. *sigh*

-    Silvia is an up and coming film editor in Hollywood. She is determined to make Hollywood a more female friendly and equality friendly place to work, which would be easier if her boss wasn't a slacker and a jerk. Silvia's old boss, Ben, saves her and her job one night, and Silvia decides to notice how appealing her ex-boss/kinda friend is. Silvia's life has been mildly influenced by Audrey Hepburn and her movies. Her glass eye is even named Audrey. 

-    I loved the quotes at the beginning of the chapters. I knew them all! 

-    Silvia's relationship with Audrey Hepburn was a little weird for me. She wasn't really a fan, she was just a look alike with cancer in common. Silvia's grandma was the true Audrey Hepburn fan, who appreciated Hepburn and her work for it's amazingness. 

-    Speaking of the grandma, I wish the book had more about her. Grandma was the most interesting part of the story. She was my favorite character, and her story interested me way more than Silvia's. 

-    Besides the Audrey Hepburn parts and the grandma parts, I was bored. The romance and the story just weren't doing it for me. 

My Thoughts in a GIF:

Ginger Pye

Title:  Ginger Pye

Author:  Eleanor Estes

Illustrator:  Edward Ardizzone

Series:  The Pyes #1

Publisher:  HMH Books for Young Readers

Date Published:  1951

Genre:  Middle Grade, Contemporary

Rating:  ⭐

My Thoughts:

-    Okay, so the Pye boy really wants one of the new puppies from a neighbor's house. He even has his puppy picked out and everything. He has to raise a dollar to buy the puppy, and he finds out another boy wants to buy his particular puppy as well. After doing a chore for a friend, he gets his dog. The family loves the dog, but a mysterious person with a yellow hat keeps spying on them and the dog. Sadly, the puppy gets stolen, and they spend a ridiculous amount of time trying to find out who took the dog. 

-    Gnome and I were incredibly frustrated and bored with the story and the characters. It was so blatantly obvious who took the dog, but the kids were so wrapped up in some "unsavory" character that they made up that they couldn't figure it out. Gnome and I frequently looked at each other and commented on the stupidity of the characters, even the adults. 

-    You know that type of old person that likes to go off on random unimportant tangents while telling a story, and the story becomes this long, winding, boring, and kinda useless story? That was this book! The random tangents were SO obnoxious and pointless.

-    This makes Newbery Award book number 31 for me. I hope and pray that the next book is better.

Trigger Warning:  Animal Abuse

Starry Night

Title:  Starry Night

Author:  Debbie Macomber

Publisher:  Ballantine Books

Date Published:  October 8, 2013

Genre:  Christmas, Romance, Contemporary

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐

My Thoughts:

-    This was my very first Debbie Macomber book. I don't know why I chose this one out of all of her Christmas books, but it has been on my TBR for a while.

-    Carrie is tired of writing for the society column in her local magazine? newspaper? whatever. She makes a deal with her boss that if she can score an interview with the very famous and very elusive author, Finn Dalton, she can have her pick of assignments. Carrie is determined to succeed where other reporters have failed. After some convenient things happen, she gets stuck with Finn in his secluded cabin for a couple days. Obviously the two fall for each other, and Carrie has to decide whether she is going to publish her article or not. 

-    I am not the biggest romance fan. I found the script to be very convenient and predictable. There were some cute and funny moments though. I did enjoy the time they were snowed in and were forced to talk to each other, but I got a little bored with everything that came after. 

-    My favorite part about the book was the setting in Alaska. The frigid yet beautiful landscape was delightful. I want to visit Alaska some day and see the northern lights. 

-    Overall, I did enjoy the book while I was reading it. . .mostly. It was a light and fluffy story that suited the Christmas time spirit. If you are a Hallmark movie junky, you will probably love this book.

-    Out of curiosity, how many Debbie Macomber books have you read? Are her books a Christmas time tradition for you?

Starfish

Title:  Starfish

Author:  Lisa Fipps

Publisher:  Penguin Young Readers

Date Published:  March 9, 2021

Genre:  Contemporary, Middle Grade, Books In Verse

Rating:  ★★★★★

My Thoughts: 

-    Starfish is getting a lot of buzz this year, and it deserves all the praise. It is such an important message about bullying and body image. I think everyone should read this, and it should be in all the schools. 

-    Ellie is bigger than most of the kids in her school, so she is teased and bullied relentlessly. What is even worse, is her mother is also fat shaming her relentlessly. Ellie doesn't care about her weight, she just wants to be loved and accepted for who she is. She has let her weight define her, but she is so much more.

-    I loved Ellie's journey. She was able to overcome her outside influences and negative inner voice. It was such a beautiful journey to self-love.

-    I love books in verse. I know they aren't for everyone, but I think books in verse are so poignant and beautiful. 

-    I think this book could teach a lot of people to be kinder to others and ourselves. 

I Am the Messenger

Title:  I Am the Messenger

Author:  Markus Zusak

Date Published:  January 10, 2002

Genre:  Contemporary, New Adult

Rating:  ★★★★☆

My Thoughts:

-    This was a re-read for me, but I only remembered a couple of things, so it was almost like reading it for the first time.

-    Ed Kennedy lives a pathetic and mediocre life. He lied about his age to become a cab driver, and he doesn't particularly like his job. He is in love with his best friend, but she doesn't want to be with him. His family gives him grief, and his friends are kind of jerks, but they grow on ya. Throughout the story Ed receives a series of playing cards with random info written on them. Ed has to find the person the card is directing him towards, figure out what they need, and help them. Some of them are easy, and some of them are scary hard. 

-    I love how much is packed into this one story. I love that the story helps readers realize that everyone has story. Everyone has struggles and stories to tell. It made me stop and think about all the people I pass throughout my day. What are their stories? I also love that Ed changes and becomes a better person because he is helping others. 

-    I love the Doorman. Ed's dog reminds me of my dog, and he is one of the most endearing pets I've ever come across in a book. 

-    The author breaks the 4th wall a couple of times. It is so random and weird, and I don't even know how to feel about it. 

-    Sometimes Ed comes across as a creeper. I get that he has to observe these people to help them, but sometimes he comes across as a creeper, especially when he keeps ogling all the girls. 

-    The book can be crude at times, but I think it is supposed to be crude on purpose. There is a point to it all, so I'm not sure if I like it or not. 

-    The ending! THE ENDING! WHAT!?

-    The writing is beautiful, and each word is so purposeful. Zusak is such a unique and lovely writer. There will never be another author like him. 

Content Warning:  Sexual Abuse, Violence, Language, Grief, Sexual Content

Goodbye Stranger

Goodreads Synopsis:    Bridge is an accident survivor who's wondering why she's still alive. Emily has new curves and an almost-boyfriend who wants a certain kind of picture. Tabitha sees through everybody's games—or so she tells the world. The three girls are best friends with one rule: No fighting. Can it get them through seventh grade? 

This year everything is different for Sherm Russo as he gets to know Bridge Barsamian. What does it mean to fall for a girl—as a friend? 

On Valentine's Day, an unnamed high school girl struggles with a betrayal. How long can she hide in plain sight?

My Thoughts:

-    There was a lot packed into this book. It was thought provoking and humorous.

-    Some of the issues that were covered were a little heavy for a middle grade novel, but they were important issues that all kids and parents should be aware of.

-    The pacing of the story was perfect. I was hooked from the beginning, and I didn't want to stop. 

-    I wanted to scream and yell at Emily to stop texting that boy, but alas, I knew she wouldn't hear me. I didn't like how forgiving Emily was. She should have been livid at that boy. Why did she believe his story? I don't believe anything he said.

-    I liked Bridge's growth, and how she learned who she was and how she fit into the world. Middle school is an awkward age. 

-    I'm excited to read more from this author. 

The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett

Goodreads Synopsis:    Hawthorn wasn't trying to insert herself into a missing person's investigation. Or maybe she was. But that's only because Lizzie Lovett's disappearance is the one fascinating mystery their sleepy town has ever had. Bad things don't happen to popular girls like Lizzie Lovett, and Hawthorn is convinced she'll turn up at any moment-which means the time for speculation is now.

So Hawthorn comes up with her own theory for Lizzie's disappearance. A theory way too absurd to take seriously...at first. The more Hawthorn talks, the more she believes. And what better way to collect evidence than to immerse herself in Lizzie's life? Like getting a job at the diner where Lizzie worked and hanging out with Lizzie's boyfriend. After all, it's not as if he killed her-or did he?

Told with a unique voice that is both hilarious and heart-wrenching, Hawthorn's quest for proof may uncover the greatest truth is within herself. 

My Thoughts:

-    This book was WAY different from what I thought it would be. I thought Hawthorn was going to completely immerse herself into Lizzie's old life and find out things about her, but it wasn't like that.

-    I didn't like the characters very much. Hawthorn was so self-absorbed, and she didn't stop to think about how her actions affected others. Enzo was totally using Hawthorn, and that bugged me. I don't understand why he was so willing to hang out with her and do whatever.

-    Hawthorns parents were lame. I would love a story where the parents are a little more involved and actually care about their kid.

-    I want to know more about Lizzie!

-    The whole werewolf theory bugged me. Hawthorn dragged that on for WAY too long.

-    The ending gave me a lot to think about. I liked that Hawthorn saw the error or her ways and grew up a bit at the end.

By Your Side

Goodreads Synopsis:    When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.

Only he doesn’t come. No one does.

Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?

My Thoughts:

-    This book pleasantly surprised me. I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected.

-    When I heard the library in this story was patterned after my own library, I knew I was going to read it. I love my library!

-    I thought the characters were going to spend the whole book in the library, but I was happy that they didn't, and I got to read about the aftermath stuff.

-    I liked that this wasn't just a romance. Dax and Autumn had issues to deal with. I like that Autumn was sensitive about her anxiety. A lot of people are scared to be open. 

-    I liked the characters, and there was great character development.

-    There were some eh moments, and there were some eye rolling moments, but overall it was a fun fluff book. 

Eliza and Her Monsters

Goodreads Synopsis:    Her story is a phenomenon. Her life is a disaster.

In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, and friendless. Online, she’s LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of the wildly popular webcomic Monstrous Sea. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves the online one, and she has no desire to try.

Then Wallace Warland, Monstrous Sea’s biggest fanfiction writer, transfers to her school. Wallace thinks Eliza is just another fan, and as he draws her out of her shell, she begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile.

But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart.

My Thoughts:

-    This was a really great story about figuring out who you are, what you want to be, and how you fit into the world. 

-    This reminded me a little bit of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.

-    I liked Eliza. I could relate to her on several levels. 

-    I also liked Wallace. I liked how he was shy and only wrote notes to her at first, but then he talks more and more. 

-    I loved all the webcomic stuff. It made me want to get back into it and read a bunch. 

-    I definitely understand having an identity online and wanting to live in that space, but reality doesn't go away. I wish Eliza had come out of her shell a little more and had a bit more character development. I feel like her problems were only semi-solved.

-    Eliza's parents were so clueless and pushy. If they really wanted to get to know their daughter, they should have shut up and listen. Not everyone is the same!

-    I liked the little excerpts of the webcomic and Eliza's artwork.

-    Overall, this was a good read. 

Falling for You

Goodreads Synopsis:    Rae's always dreamed of dating a guy like Nathan. He’s nothing like her abusive stepfather—in other words, he’s sweet. But the closer they get, the more Nathan wants of her time, of her love, of her...and the less she wants to give. 

As Rae’s affection for Nathan turns to fear, she leans on her friend Leo for support. With Leo, she feels lighter, happier. And possessive Nathan becomes jealous. 

Then a tragedy lands Rae in the ICU. Now, hovering between life and death, Rae must find the light amid the darkness…and the strength to fight for life and the love she deserves.

My Thoughts:

-    I loved this book! 

-    I'm really glad I didn't judge this book by its cover or title, or I probably wouldn't have read it. The cover is a really bad representation of the story. The book is by one of my favorite authors, so I had to give it a whirl.

-    I love the use of poetry. The author has a such a way with words and poetry. I picked up a poetry book because of this book, and I'm not a poetry reader. 

-    I loved Rae. I really felt for her and her situation. I thought dating Nathan was bad judgement on her part, but considering where she was coming from, I understand why she would jump at something like that.

-    This was such a page turner. I couldn't put it down. I just had to get to the end. 

-    What Leo does for Rae is so sweet and amazing. I wasn't sure about him at first, and I just wanted Leo and Rae to stay friends, but he proved his quality. 

-    The story is full of misery and sadness, but it is also full of hope, love, and kindness. It is such a great read! 

What Alice Forgot

Goodreads Synopsis:    What would happen if you were visited by your younger self, and got a chance for a do-over? 

Alice Love is twenty-nine years old, madly in love with her husband, and pregnant with their first child. So imagine her surprise when, after a fall, she comes to on the floor of a gym (a gym! she HATES the gym!) and discovers that she's actually thirty-nine, has three children, and is in the midst of an acrimonious divorce. 

A knock on the head has misplaced ten years of her life, and Alice isn't sure she likes who she's become. It turns out, though, that forgetting might be the most memorable thing that has ever happened to Alice.



My Thoughts:

-    A-MAZ-ING! I loved it! I devoured it! I couldn't put it down! 

-    The writing and the story were so addicting. I couldn't stop reading, and when I did, I couldn't stop thinking about it. 

-    I was so immersed in the story, and I loved the characters. I feel like Alice and I are good friends now. We have gone through a lot together. 

-    The story really makes you think about life and the relationships you have with different people, like spouses, children, siblings, friends, etc.

-    I loved how the story tackled several issues, and it was real, and it was hopeful. It was so tactful and sensitive. 

-    The ending was perfect! 

-    Read this! All the hype is deserved! 

Going Vintage

Goodreads Says:    When Mallory’s boyfriend, Jeremy, cheats on her with an online girlfriend, Mallory decides the best way to de-Jeremy her life is to de-modernize things too. Inspired by a list of goals her grandmother made in1962, Mallory swears off technology and returns to a simpler time (when boyfriends couldn’t cheat with computer avatars). The List:
1. Run for pep club secretary
2. Host a fancy dinner party/soiree
3. Sew a dress for Homecoming
4. Find a steady
5. Do something dangerous
But simple proves to be crazy-complicated, and the details of the past begin to change Mallory’s present. Add in a too-busy grandmother, a sassy sister, and the cute pep-club president–who just happens to be her ex’s cousin–and soon Mallory begins to wonder if going vintage is going too far.

My Thoughts:

-    The first time I tried to read this, I quite. I wanted to give it another chance though because I love the author. I finished this time, but my feeling towards the book didn't change.

-    The characters were pretty lame. I wasn't a fan of any of them, especially Mallory. She was SO over dramatic, and her motives for things were really immature and stupid. Not only did Mallory cut herself off from technology, she cut herself off from people. She wasn't listening to her sister, friends, grandma, or parents. She was so self absorbed.

-    I was really hoping that Mallory was going to go full on 1960s, but her efforts were a sad attempt. I don't think her heart was really in it. She was just being a drama queen.

-    I wish there had been more about the grandma and her life in the 60s. Her life was WAY more interesting than Mallory's.

-    There was no point to this book. There was no lesson learned. What was Mallory trying to accomplish? Nothing! 

-    I was really disappointed with this one, but I really Lindsey's other books.