The Yesterdays of Tomorrow

Time to review a book that's been sitting unfinished for a long, long while. The reason why I haven't finished it yet is because I haven't been able to really get into the book. I did decide to try once again to read the book and when I was around page 80, I finally felt really pulled into the story which was a good thing because the rest of the book... waw! This is a very nice end in this duology: The Yesterdays of Tomorrow by Jessica Hernandez! 

Note: this book is not a first in a series! It's the second and last book in this duology. I highly recommend not reading on since further developments and changes have been happening in The Yesterdays of Tomorrow. If you're interested in this series, I do have a review on the first book which was a great story! Review on Capering on Glass Bridges HERE!


A year later and the curse is still roaming over the lands. Kaia and the rest are doing everything they can to restore the lands and lift the curse. However, not all darkness has been gone and many secret plans are still around. It's getting harder and harder to know who to trust and who is lying to who. When the curse will be lifted, if it ever will be lifted, would everything be back to normal? Or is there new darkness coming their way? War is coming... Kaia and her friends will be going through tough times and desperate times ask for desperate measures.

First of all the characters because wow, do they know a development! Kaia has been really the most surprising. At the end of Capering on Glass Bridges, I already knew this character would have a lot of potential to grow further and to become a very strong woman as a character. And I was not surprised to see that indeed she did make this change!


Kaia will really get into the learning to fend for herself and defeat the ones that go against all that is wrong. I really loved to see how she grew to become a very strong and independent girl. Although I already thought she was very independent and mature of nature, she showed us in The Yesterdays of Tomorrow that she really can be even more and learns to fend for herself! 

What shocked me the most is what she'll do to lift this curse. I never thought she'd really go through with these drastic measures to lift the curse and to fight off all the darkness that comes with it. The desperate times that she'll meet will really ask a lot of her and when I thought she wouldn't go through with it she always went further and made many sacrifices. I really admire her for all she does in this story, for the people and for the lands because wow... she'll do things I had never in my life in this book had expected her to do! A very great character that knew a very big development!

As for the other characters in the book, I feel like this book was more about Kaia than the others as she will part ways at some points. However I did notice slight changes in each of the characters and also felt that family bonding they had going on once again. I'm really keen on the fact that the brothers slash princes, Kaia and her sister have such a strong bonding and work so well together. It really melts my heart. I also really adore the brothers, they sometimes bicker but I like that! Their connection to one another and what they'll do for one another is yet another thing to really admire in them!

This also means I still really enjoyed the bond between sisters! In my review on the first book, I had already told you how keen I was on the sisters. Even though this book concentrates on Kaia's quest and the sisters being a part for a while, they're still going strong and I still was a great fan of them when they were reunited. What a strong pair they are!

Also, can I just point out Kaia and Warren? Like in Capering on Glass Bridges I felt like they'd be such a great team and yes, this book will give us some more perspective on these two friends. I really adored seeing them together as I secretly hoped they'd be together. They were my OTP from the very first beginning in Capering on Glass Bridges but if something will ever come out of it is a question you should find the answer on by reading this book! 

Which actually brings us to the plot, talking about my OTP's I remember there be little to actually no romance in the first book in this duology. Did I regret that? No, it was a really new thing for me to have a book that doesn't contain some sort of love. I really was keen on seeing the strong build of the plot that wasn't about romance at all in Capering on Glass Bridges, however the second book will make a bit of space for romance and can I say I actually adored it?

It won't be a book filled with love but it'd be rather something subtle, raw and tender. The main focus will still be on solving the problems on the lands and do things for the greater good. Even though the focus wasn't on romance, I did really appreciate the little love being there and make it something oh so sweet! 

This plot was also a lot more surprising than I had first anticipated, I really had thought this would be about lifting the curse and problems with trying to reverse what has happened to make the curse come into place. Although there will be some things to be handled to help lift the curse, there's another thing that will be a greater concern!

What would happen after the curse is lifted? Will the curse ever be lifted? I really feel like I can't say a lot because I don't really want to go spoiling it since it really surprised me. What I really do want to say is that I was shocked by the amount of trust issues that will arise and the lies that will be told. All of a sudden things seem even more dangerous and it will make sure that our main character will have to make hard decisions.

People will be parted, reunited, re-found, there will be loss and love and tears. Really, tears. And I really had never anticipated for all of this to happen. These hard decisions will make sure that Kaia has to fight for the ones she loves when they're in need and also means she'll prepare for whatever is coming her way. I really can't say this enough but the suspense and the betrayal are real! I did have some suspicion to some characters in the first book but then my feeling told me: it's nothing! Waw, my feeling was right! 

But it's not only Kaia that will do whatever it takes to free the lands and fend for her family and friends. Many of the characters will make sacrifices that'll cause so much loss and heartbreak with the reader, like really I couldn't do this! But then BAM the author hits us with a plot twist and things seem lies and not what they once were, or were they? The reader will be pulled into the position of trying to figure out what is going on: lies or truths? Twisted truths? Especially because the characters will have mixed feelings. Some will think someone has betrayed them, others won't believe that someone would ever do that and so the game of truth and loyalty begins. 

Loyalty will also be one of the main things in The Yesterdays of Tomorrow! Loyalty to your king, loyalty to your family and loyalty to your duties. I really loved to see how each of these loyalties were turning onto each other and how this would influence the story further on. Family will also be a very important thing in this story and you'd be amazed when you know who is tied to who. 

Also speaking of family, we'll get to see more of that as well. The princes' will turn towards their family as desperate times are heading their way into the lands. The sisters' family will also make a comeback and I also enjoyed that part. The best thing to this whole family thing though was the fact that Kaia finally gained some answers, as did the readers and I was really pleased to that as well!

If there's one thing I really want to point out is that I really missed the recapitulation in the beginning of the story. It might've been that that made sure I wasn't pulled into the story. Many things had been very deep in my mind on the first book as it had been a while since I read the first book before I started into the second book. So I would suggest to read these two books not too far away from each other, unless you have a much stronger brain than me and know the details even after a few weeks! 

As for the ending WAW, oh waw. I can't believe the author did this to us. When you read it you will know what I mean! I am shocked and lost for words but I really enjoyed the book and that ending made it a stunning ending to the whole duology.

Lastly I really want to thank Jessica Hernandez for granting me this opportunity to read her duology for review. I'm really pleased and happy that I could do this and am really happy she wanted to share the story with me! Thank you!

©Jessica Hernandez

<3 finally="" p="">Although I loved the story, I really had a very hard time to get into it. The author also doesn't take a lot of time to recapitulate what was happening, therefore I felt like I fell in a little void as it had been a while since I read the first book in the series! However, I really did enjoy the book when I reached page 80, the plot then really pulled me in and made me live in the world where the curse must be lifted. The characters will have a hard time and our main character goes through a huge development which I really appreciated! As for the plot, things were really heightened and I never had expected to see everything turn like this! The suspense, the thrill, the trust issues, the lies, the betrayal, the loss, it was ginormous and I devoured it eventually! This is a last in a series so the author has one end of a story ready for you and I was so shocked, a lot of things came as a huge surprise in this book. Even the end! I did enjoy the story, even though I didn't get into it very easily, and really recommend this series. The Yesterdays of Tomorrow is a thrilling and surprising end but oh so good!
<3 finally="" p="">
<3 finally="" p="">"We’ve won and lost."

Capering On Glass Bridges

A little while back, I received a YA Fantasy novel by a debut author for review. It's been a while since I've read a fantasy and I was glad to read this one! Although I do have a few remarks regarding the book, I did find it very unique and did enjoy it. Also the cover of Capering On Glass Bridges by Jessica Hernandez is absolutely stunning.

Send by the Utdrendans, a group of strong saviors is on their way to the dark lands of Mar. Normally, nobody would step foot in the land since it's full of dark creatures and danger, ready to kill you when the darkness falls over the land. This time around Kaia and the others will do anything to step foot on the lands of Mar and bring the most important message to the king: you can safe your kingdom. The curs that has fallen over Mar can be destroyed and the land can become one of the greatest again. But Kaia and the rest won't get through Mar that easily... where there is darkness, there is a great danger. Will Kaia and the others be prepared to leave everything they love behind and try to safe the kingdom of Mar?

Starting of with the characters: Kaia Stone! From the very beginning a mysterious vide hangs around Kaia. The land she's from has a pairing ceremony, this means that each of the citizens will receive a Canonipom. This is a mythical creature that complements its owner and is also a friend in times of loneliness. Kaia doesn't have a Canonipom, but the rest of her family does and this makes sure the reader already starts with forming questions and dig in further in the story. This was something I really did enjoy, and the best thing about it is that our questions will be answered if you're really reading attentively.

Kaia not being paired brings a few of her characteristics to the surface, for instance Kaia is a bit doubtful about herself because she doesn't understand why she's not being paired. And a bit of jealousy will tip at the corners of this character. I loved to see this side of Kaia, especially because it makes her sensible! This isn't the only side we'll get to see of her...

Kaia is send by the Utdrendans, another population in this book, to bring a message to the King of Mar, the cursed land. This does make sure that the character feels like she has a purpose in life and isn't 'the girl who wasn't paired'. It also brings the wise and strong, more confident side out of Kaia. This characters has so many qualities that it's hard not to love her! 

As for her sisters, those were amazingly written too! Although Elania was the one that got my attention most. She's the eldest of the family and when Kaia leaves for Mar, she's the one to join her. Elania seems like a very supportive character in this book and doesn't want her sister to be stuck alone in Mar if the curse isn't lifted. That's what I really appreciated about this character! Especially because she's willing to do anything for her sister and that's a beautiful side to her. 

Other characters that were important to the story were Aylin, the princes and Pelliab. As for Aylin and the princes, they were a very nice addition to the group going to Mar because they brought a certain happy, family vibe to the group and that lifted everyone's mood including the one of the reader's. As for Pelliab, here's another character that has a very mysterious vibe hanging around him.

Pelliab is also one of the chosen ones to deliver the message to the king in Mar but he's a very introverted person. This also means that he doesn't talk a lot and is very composed! That won't stop the reader from getting suspicious about him and this will also be an asset to the story because Pelliab does have some things in store for us near the end of the book. 

Other things regarding the characters are the mythical creatures that lure around all the lands. As I already said before we have the Canonipom but there are also the turned ones in Mar, the Flirds and many more to come across in this book. These sure were a great asset to the book because they made sure you used your full imagination and also made the story more interesting and enjoyable because you're totally into the fantasy novel. 

The little remark I have about the characters was that in the beginning I was quiet confused with who everyone was and what their connection was to one another. It wasn't totally clear in the beginning and did brought a bit of confusion with me, but the further you go in the story the more you'll begin to understand. 

Now the plot, the plot is something very intriguing and unique! I haven't read a fantasy that describes the scenery as this one so you're in for a whole new world that's described fantastically. 

Also, as I already mentioned before, they're send with a mission: to help lift the curse. It's pretty soon we find out that our character Kaia is determined to help out and act on her purpose, that's also why she's such a strong character but her parents aren't okay with it at all. Well, her father isn't. This will also make sure the plot will take a turn to how she's going to do what she wants to do without hurting her family too much. 

When Kaia is on her way to the land and is together with the rest of the savior party, the plot has a lot in store for them. It isn't a secret that the land of Mar holds dark creatures and is very dangerous. It therefore doesn't take them all too long before having a first obstacle. And the plot will keep surprising you with these kind of things before they can get to the king.

I think this was something amazing about the plot, the author had enough imagination and fantasy to create a lot of hard obstacles and problems the characters needed to overcome or get through so they could do what they came to do. You're in store for so much and it's also not predictable at all, there is a high level of surprise each time something happens and I was fond of that!

Even when they arrive and want to talk to the king, we see that their adventure isn't quiet over and there were already so many things that had happened before! Also after they spoke and delivered the message the plot has things in store for us, as well as a very big secret that will be revealed. I have to say, I was shocked at that point!

An asset to the story were the few tales or legends that we got during the book. We get to know the land of Kaia and how it was created but we also learn more about the mythical creatures and how or why they were created. 

The remarks I have concerning the plot were the fact that I often missed details. At certain moments during the book, I was lacking who was saying what. There was a huge conversation which was entertaining but I couldn't make out who was talking at that moment and this led to some confusion on my part. I also had a few scenes where I loved to have some more scene setting to add to my imagination and also so I could understand it more properly. 

The ending left me a bit disappointed because it was incomplete. Although it does make sure that the readers will be eager to read the second part, The Yesterdays Of Tomorrow, due to its ending, I wasn't that satisfied with it. 

©Jessica Hernandez

Although I lacked the scene setting at times and details to who was talking, I did enjoy this book. It will make up for the confusion I had during the book by using a lot of my imagination but also because of its strong characters. Each character is very unique and determined to act on the purpose they were send for and this will add to the story. If that doesn't lure you in yet, the mythical creates are also a very intriguing side to the story and the land of Mar has a lot in store for you. Capering On Glass Bridges is very unique and intriguing book with the surprising element each time the group experiences the darkness of the cursed land during their quest to safe the people. Also, I want to thank Jessica Hernandez for giving me this opportunity to read her book so thanks a lot!

"No darkness, no turned ones"

TBR of March

Again, I'm sorry that I haven't posted a lot lately but there's so much work for school! And I'm studying to get through my theoretical exam for the car. So I haven't read all too much lately, and I haven't really finished a book. I am busy in books though but my TBR of February isn't totally complete.

Also this month is when my birthday takes place! Yep, the 5th of March and that means more books are probably on the way. Which also means that I probably won't be able to keep myself at the TBR of this month but I can always try. Last month I didn't finish Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, it's taking me a while to get into the story too. So I'm going to finished that one hopefully this month.

I'll give you the sun by Jandy Nelson

A book that I also got for Christmas was this guy together with The Sky is Everywhere by the same author. I'll give you the sun was actually the first book I ever had in my hands by Jandy Nelson and I was really curious to where the plot was going to go. 

The book is about a pair of twins: Jude and Noah. Noah is the one that isolates himself from a very early age while his twin Jude is the one who talks for the both of them and who does things that are very adventurous. They have a very close bonding until that stops at a sudden point. Both, brother and sister, don't know what has happened but also don't know that they both have half the story.

When I read that I was very curious to what the author meant and suddenly it became clearer! The first few years are told in the point of view by Noah and the other half of the story is told by Jude. So the author really plays with this through the book. 

I'm just very curious to how this will change their bonding and if they'll ever find each other again. Especially because it seems that both are very different from each other. 

The Sky is Everywhere didn't disappoint me at all, on the contrary it really made me want more by this author. Therefore my expectations are a little higher with this book, also because it has so many great reviews. 

"Maybe some people are just meant to be in the same story."

La fille de papier by Guillaume Musso

It's that time of the year again where we get books for our French class. I'll be reading La fille de papier. I also already started in it because you know, deadlines and all! And I have to be honest... I'm really enjoying this book! 

I actually hated every book I had read for my French class. I either just didn't understand the plot or it was boring and very dreadful. But this book... man, it could make me read more books in French! Just kidding! But I am going to write a review of this book which might be later this week? Beginning next week? I'm almost through it! 

It's about an author who falls in love with for what looks to him "the one" but Aurore decides she doesn't want to stay around. Devastated the author decides to stop writing and the last book of the trilogy will never be a thing. However, the last sentence he wrote in this book will change his decisions. Especially when a girl emerges who looks exactly alike his main character.

I don't want to spill to many beans but I do recommend this book already, even though I'm not through it yet. I'd even recommend it in French! The author uses quotes at the beginning of every chapter which is an asset in my opinion but the characters are also very lovely and nice to read about. It's also not very difficult to understand which I'm really happy about because that means I finally understand a French book! For once. And the plot is... WAUW! You just keep turning those pages. But more will come in a review, stay tuned! 

"Les liens se font et se défont, c'est la vie."

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia 

A book that's been adapted to a movie. I saw the movie and I wasn't all to excited about it really, there are better fantasy movies in my opinion. BUT I've heard a lot of good things about the books! And I got the book as a present which is very nice because now I'll actually read the book instead of waiting around to buy it. And the cover! So, so beautiful! And I really can't wait to get into this story. I also thought it was a standalone but it seems like it's a series: Caster Chronicles. Which means more fun to read! 

The book has a female main character who's struggling with her powers. Keeping it for herself and concealing it is becoming very hard for her. But there's more: a curse, one that's been haunting the family for many, many generations. 
The male main character on the other hand can't wait to get out of this town that he hates. And then he also gets those weird dreams with a girl in. He thinks he's crazy until he sees the girl and immediately is drawn to her. But what secrets is she hiding?

It does sound a little predictable but that doesn't mean the plot will be dreadful and boring. I think most synopsis make you think that it's a predictable story but then it turns out to be this major book with so many feels. So yeah, I'm really excited to start reading this book too! 

"Sixteen Moons, Sixteen Years. Sixteen of your deepest fears. Sixteen times you dreamed my tears. Falling, Falling through the years."

Yet those are the only books I'll be reading for my TBR. Only because of what I said earlier: it's my birthday this month! Many books will come, I have ordered some books myself and then I often get sidetracked on my real TBR. But we'll see at the end of this month! What is your TBR for March?

Also if you'd like to participate in a photo book challenge! Make sure to go check my page "Challenges I'm participating in" because there's a new challenge up there for March!   

1984

It's that time of the year again where you need to read a book for school. I still don't like it when I need to do that, unless I can choose which book I want to read! Unfortunately, we need to pick books from a list. This time I chose the book 1984 by George Orwell. Last year, my Dutch teacher already talked about it and I was really interested but it's only until now that I gave it a try.

In 1984, the world is divided in three parts that are always in war with each other and will never stop fighting against each other. In one of those three parts lives Winston, he's being ruled by one group and above them stands Big Brother. Big Brother is watching you. 
People don't have any privacy and everybody needs to think only good things. In fact, it'd even be better if nobody thought at all. In this world you're being watched, and spied on by your own children. Big Brother is watching you in your own house. There's no escaping to him and his accomplices. And if you do think and it's bad or can be dangerous for the hierarchy... you'll be taken away. Gone forever. You're sick. They'll take you in your sleep, grab you from your family if you have any left. You'll be stabbed, slapped, hurt, broken. There'll be nothing left of you because they'll keep torturing you until you're no longer sick and worship Big Brother. And you can only hope that they don't make you go to room 101... What's in room 101? You already know what's behind that door, Winston.

And again, I don't really know how to feel about this book. I've really got mixed emotions about this dystopian book but I did like it slightly better than Life of Pi! Though I do have some remarks I want to point out after reading this book.

First of all, I was confused a lot. Eventually we get a lot of information about this new world, but it's more towards the end and at times I really missed having information. It just made it a little bit less pleasant to read because I was so lost with the words in this book.

Also, there are parts that happen all of a sudden. The main character was hating another character and BAM two pages later, without talking to that other person, he's okay with that other character. I kind of missed the story around this because he hated that character so much, what changed his opinion? And other things happen but then don't happen at the same time? I can't really give an example because then I'd spoil and I don't want that but this book just confused me at times...

I did like the story though, sometimes it was a little bit dreadful and boring but later it got better because of the dialogue. I really want dialogue in books, I need dialogue to make it interesting and in some parts I really missed that in this book but that made me eager to read on and find dialogue!

I really loved the main character Winston though! In the beginning I was a little bit like 'meh' but he did grow on me and I really thought the same as him. So that was really nice because at most times with books I need to read for school, I can't connect with the character. This time I really could.

He's really doubting with how this world works. This makes him question things a lot while he shouldn't be questioning at all. He's bringing himself in danger. I was really keen on that because he wanted to see change and was really seeking it. So he got deeper into the whole hierarchy and I got to understand the story better. 

Another character that comes around is Julia. I didn't like her, I did like that she was in the story because she really contributed to it and really made it a great book. It was just her personality, she was so unstable in my point of view. At a time she acts all nice and then she just can't be bothered. She hated the people that rule over her yet at other times she just doesn't care. And I really thought that was sad because I think her madness could have given more to this story.

The plot was like I already said sometimes a bit boring and confusing, nevertheless I did enjoy reading the book. Although it did take me a while to get into it! A very good aspect about the book was that you were like Winston. It felt like you were being spied on too because you had your own thoughts about this world. You get betrayed, you get thrilled and get scared and get your own suspicions when certain things enroll. I really liked it that the book made you feel so many things that the people in the book felt because they're constantly watched. 

So I did have mixed feelings about this book but I didn't regret reading it! I could connect with the characters and really felt like I lived in the book. It's a pity that I was confused sometimes and had some boring parts that I had to crawl through but I do think it's a good dystopian book that I had to read for school. I would only recommend it to people who like dystopian though because it's not a nice world and people who don't like to read dystopian might get easily bored out because of this book!

"War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength."

If I stay

This is the book I need to read for my school project. This is the book that I have to compare with the movie. This is: If I stay by Gayle Forman. I saw the film before I read the book and what I remember from the film is that it was very emotional and really captured every moment of the 'maybe end'. I really liked the movie so much! And it only gave me high expectations for the book.


Mia has a good life. She has a family that loves her and accepts her for who she is. She has a best friend that's always there for her and a boyfriend that supports her choices. She has her cello and her passion for music. That passion gives her many choices in life, choices she doesn't always know how to face. The biggest choice of them all? Stay true to her first love, music, even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?
But all those choices are wiped away on a cold February morning and everything changes. Mia is only left behind with one choice. One that she never thought she'd have to face. One that's the hardest of all the choices she has had in her life. And it's the only one that matters.

Did the book meet my expectations? Not entirely. It might be because I'm reading the book for school and that I read too deep in it. It might be because the movie just left me speechless and nothing can add up to it. I don't know which factor has influenced my view on the book, but I just thought it was okay. 

The book shows, as always, a lot more of what's going on around the main character. If I stay uses a lot of flashbacks and that was something that I could appreciate. You only saw a little moment of Mia's present life so I was happy that her world around her started to build with every flashback I read. 

Did I like Mia? She was okay. I think that in the book she was a little bit more innocent in a way that she'd never fully enjoyed other things than music. That's how I really experienced it. She'd also always feel like an outsider to things. Feel like she didn't belong. In the beginning I liked to see her thoughts about it and see her deliberate what's right and wrong but towards the ending, I felt like it was an aspect that came a little too much at the surface of the book. And that made it for me a little bit less appealing. 

The movie showed a lot more of emotional aspects too. Every family member that was important and that we knew things about from the flashbacks came to her, talked to her, made her make her choice. In the book there are a lot of family members, I was happy about that. It shows that she has a lot of family that accepts her and supports her and even though she thinks she doesn't belong, she does. I do wished that some family members were explained, who they were, in what way they were important to her. I missed that in the book.

I did love all the parts where Adam, her boyfriend, came in. Although in the movie I felt like he had more emotions that he showed, this book held back his emotions. I think in the book he was a more closed person than in the movie, but there's nothing wrong with that. They're very opposite of each other. Adam is punk, Mia is classic and I was fond that their difference was showed but nevertheless they still supported each other. So I was very eager to the parts with Adam.

As for her best friend, Kim, I liked Kim more in the movie. Here she was kind of the same as Adam, she held things back. When Mia described Kim, I could really visualize how she looked but it also made me feel like she was very introvert. In the movie she's a little more open which in my opinion was better. But I am of the opinion that we knew Kim better than in the movie, which is something good for me. We knew her religion, we knew her relationship with her mother, more about her hobbies. So it was nice to get to know her for 'real'. 

Even though Mia used the flashbacks and the people around her to make her choice, the book didn't make me feel as much as the movie did. I really thought it'd bring up so many feels but it actually didn't which I found very disappointing. But as I said it might be because I saw the movie first, it might be because I read the book for school. I tend to dislike more books or think they're just 'okay' when it's for school. That's why I rely more on the comparison with the movie in this review. I gave it a 3.5 stars on Goodreads but I don't know if I'll really recommend it. I also won't read the second part in this series. 

“Sometimes you make choices in life and sometimes choices make you.” 

Because You'll Never Meet Me

If you're looking for a story that'll be moving and close to reality then this is your next read: Because You'll Never Meet Me, a story of an impossible friendship and hope from a brilliant new writer Leah Thomas. Ollie UpandFree and Moritz have stolen my heart!

The story is about two boys. A fourteen-year-old from Michigan and a sixteen-year-old from Germany. The two of them meet by a common friend, on the first sight you'd think so? But this isn't any ordinary friendship.

Both boys are sick, Ollie UpandFree is allergic to Electricity while Moritz needs his electric pacemaker or he'll die. Which leads to the conclusion that both will never meet in person, will never touch each other and will never use words out loud to communicate.  Even if they'd meet each other, one of them would kill the other. You Could Kill Me. 
The author of the book gives us a fierce bond in the making through handwritten letters. When Moritz tells him the key to their shared, disturbing past, their friendship is put to the test that neither of them expected. 

I can't underline enough that this book was absolutely stunning. This friendship that evolves just by handwritten letters, no internet, it's nothing like how we make friends nowadays. Above that their diseases make sure they can never ever meet but both of them don't even care about that. 

The book is build up with chapters, each chapter is a written letter by either Oliver or Moritz. And you'll know who is writing or speaking through words because the book uses a different fond for each letter. Oliver's letters are neat, simple and slim while Moritz his letters are thicker and really dark from color. I already loved it that the author chose to pick two different kinds of fond because it made things more clear and as if you actually had the letters in your hands. Reading their conversation. 

Oliver or as he calls himself Ollie Ollie UpandFree lives in the woods only because of his disease. He has never seen a television show, never heard music with an Ipod. He hasn't seen anything that we nowadays do have seen and get bored of because it's nothing new. Today, we live in a fast and technical generation, we want new stuff, new updates and very fast. 

This book only shows us that there are people out their who can't even witness it, who are locked up or are very sensitive to all our new technologies because of this allergy. The author might be showing a very worse case of it but does that matter? It made me, as a reader, stop and think about it for a while. Especially because he feels alone. He's out there in the woods with his mother with zero friends and only his Glockenspiel and a lot of books. 

One day though, when he was younger and was challenging a power line, a girl passes him. He's immediately inspired and he wants to be with her all the time. Liz is very open, she says what she think, whenever she wants to say it. She just throws her feelings and thoughts out there. Ever since that day, Liz has come every Wednesday to see Ollie...

Until she stopped coming. Ollie describes how he feels when he's waiting at the power line for her, wishing she'd arrived on her bike as always. He tells Moritz how he feels whenever she's around and how she made him change. How their friendship was made. Unfortunately, Liz doesn't come when he's waiting for her and that only breaks Ollie's heart. It hurts him so deep he locks himself into his room, writing to Moritz and telling him why she hasn't come around anymore.

Moritz lives far away from Ollie with his own thoughts, own feelings and own big problems. In my opinion, we see him change the most in this book. He tells Oliver what he thinks about Liz even if it's very blunt.He speaks up for himself and might be a little distant in the beginning of the book. He also says no to Oliver's nickname for him: Mo. I am no Oscar Wilde and no Mo.

The thing with Moritz is that he's had a very hard past, one he's not very proud of and even scared of. And there's more then his disease, there are more secrets to tell. Throughout the book he'll reveal them and it'll surprise the reader very much. He tells them to Oliver because there are truths you can only tell a stranger but with those secrets a big test comes down onto their friendship. 

Both boys suffer from each their own personal problems and the other just really listens, even when it's through letters, both boys pull each other up. Ollie UpandFree by his energy, enthusiasm and optimism while Moritz tries to use Oliver's energy to get Oliver back on his feet or even by his wisdom. 

This book was so moving and emotional but stunning. Their friendship makes you want to long for something as fierce and strong as theirs. And all of that combined with the reality check you get. It really made me think about all the boys and girls that have these problems.

Their disease prevents them from meeting someone else, prevents them from getting friends. But it also prevents them from being happy, this due to the society of this generation. When their bond was created I thought it was beautiful but I was very curious to how this book could possibly end...

That's when events started happening. Things I didn't see coming at all! This books just surprises you while you're already enjoying their friendship. But it also makes you a little bit scared and gives you a thousand questions! What's going on? Where is he? What's he doing? What does he mean? What's going to go down? 

It gives you that extra thrill to read even faster than you already did. Only to have more feels, more emotions at the end of the book. The ending was absolutely beautiful! I leaves room for your own imagination too and that's something I normally don't enjoy. 

I'm the kind of person that wants to know how it ends, how it really ends. This book on the other hand made me happy that their was room for that. I'd love to see a flash forward of this friendship but I doubt the writer will ever write something like that, it might ruin all the magic and impact this book has on the reader.

This book deserves 5 stars out of 5. It has everything it needs to move the readers and at the same time, let them crave for more. If you want to read a book that's closer to reality, this is what you'll need. This friendship with all the human flaws is exactly you'll get.

"There are truths you can only tell a stranger."

Unforgiven

Last week I did a bookswap for the third time in my life! I never had people around me that liked books until this year, weird right?! So it's only been this school year that I swapped books with Fien, my niece and last week with Nina. She's a good friend of mine and somehow we started talking about books. In the last holiday we went to Ghent and bought books let's just say it like that... So we started talking about the books we bought and I talked about Red Queen and then we decided to swap books. It's as easy as that really! So that's the story behind reading the book: Unforgiving by Lauren Kate.

Someone made a bet with the devil. Cam has 15 days to make sure a girl, he has lost sight of for decades, falls in love with him again. I say decades ago but it's actually 3 millennia, then he broke her heart and ever since that she's being punished because of the crimes he committed. She hates him but who wouldn't hate the person that you loved most when he or she made sure you'd be punished? 
With the deadline and the devil looming around and his love's high school prom is just around the corner, Cam has everything to play for. If he succeeds and makes her fall in love with him again, she'll be set free from this pain she's been living in. They'll be reunited in their love for one another. But if he fails, there's a special place in Hell waiting for him and it won't be the throne. 
Heaven is being with the one you love, Hell is being kept apart. Where will Cam fall?

First things first: it's about Angels and Demons. More importantly the Devil. I can't say how good that already was for me and then we had the cover... God help us! First time you'd look at it, it just seems some pretty boy but then if the lighting is right... Man! He has wings! I hope you guys can see it on the pictures, I wanted both wings to come out but one of them is always half there, half gone.
So for me, I was already excited and I didn't even start yet.

It only became better actually. I was at chapter 3 and I had officially fallen for Cam, he's adorable when he wants to achieve something and he's driven. I guess everything we seek in boys, pity that I only met guys like that in books. So I liked Cam, not only because he's special but also because he wants to achieve and make her fall in love with him again.
As for the Devil, I hated him in this book. I guess it's only because of which part he was fulfilling because a Devil is a Devil and they're bad. I just didn't like the way he made events go, he's a bastard which is what a Devil should be so he's doing his job.
The girl was very intriguing, she loved music. Some way I also could connect with her for some parts which I don't want to get into too much before I spill things. I liked her but I also could tear someone apart because of how she acted toward Cam. That's all because of the Devil so I can't blame her directly but still. 

The story was also amazing, Cam has a deadline and the book makes use of that. Also, it has flashbacks to millennia ago to show what exactly happened between the lovers. Above that there are scenes that were absolutely stunning and cute and I just loved those! What I liked most about the book though was that it had parts where the girl's point of view was explained and then parts where Cam was the voice behind the story. I've always been a fan of books like that because it also gives you the thoughts about the other protagonist.

So the verdict is that I liked the book, the story was good, the characters even better. I've never read a book by Lauren Kate but now I'm eager to find more stories written by her. She has an easy writing style that's still intriguing. I'm curious to what other stories she has to tell but I'm pretty happy with how she wrote this one. She showed that 'every love story has a dark side' which I'd connect with the words 'up and downs' because that's how love stories go. 

"Tick-Tock."