The Struggle

As every summer for the past two years I've posted a review about a book in a series that I absolutely adore. And when I say adore, I really mean lots more than that word can ever describe. The book I want to talk about today is also one of that series and also written by one of my most favorite authors! If you followed around on my blog, you might already know how much I love this author and her books: The Struggle by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

WARNING For the ones here that haven't read the first in this series, I recommend you not to read on since there will be further developments to the characters and to the plot. This will create a less pleasant read of The Return  and The Power because you know more information than you already should. Therefore, I recommend you not to read the review of The Struggle but to read the review about the first in the series: The Return or the second in the series: The Power. Just clicking on the title will open a new page with the review on the first book. 

This book series is also a sequel to the Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. If you haven't read that series yet but plan on reading it I also suggest to not read any of these books first, since they reveal details of the ending of the Covenant series which comes before these books! If you're interested in finding out what the Covenant series is I also wrote review on those! By clicking on the title of the first book a new page will open and reveal the review: Half-blood. 

Everyone is doubting of what Seth has become. Only one person trusts him with her life and she's the only one willingly to seek him out and this time help Seth to become who he really should be. Believing that Seth isn't a monster, Josie starts to seek him all over the world. However this won't stop the Titans from attacking and getting what they've always wanted: absolute power and control. As they strike their battles against Josie and her friends, the other demi-gods are still in danger and Josie being one of those gods the Titans want doesn't mean anything good. Running from the titans and meanwhile searching for the person she loves, Josie will be in complicated situations where she has to choose between her own life or his. The question is, will she ever find Seth before it's too late?

As always we'll start with the characters and start with Josie! I really have to say that I admire Josie so much. I've always thought she was a very strong woman, especially with how she handles everything and because her world totally got turned upside down and she kept going. This book really brings another facet to that, in the other books I felt like the focus was on her not being able to defend herself physically and her learning that she could do this on her own. This time around you really felt the emotional part where she was strong and independent for someone else she felt really strong about. Josie really is the only one who wants to help Seth now he is what he is, which we don't even really know. I really admired Josie being strong for someone else and willing to fight for others and not just think about the greater problem which were the titans. 

Once again we really saw another side of Josie's strong character which I think is a great asset to the series in general as well. It's really amazing how the author can still make us see new facets and parts of a character, and Jennifer L. Armentrout really did that with Josie. As always I admire her in every way possible and grow to love her even more. Especially because she'll have to endure a lot more during this book than she has in every other book before. And it doesn't only stays with physical strength or mental strength, the author really does make sure that Josie can prove to be a strong female character in every way possible. An amazing well written character she is, she really amazes me each time around!  

As for our other main character Seth, I really was feeling so happy when he finally got into the book! The author really leaves us in suspension at the beginning of the book, making us wait on SETH! Although I have to say this really gave a big boost to my excitement of seeing him and also brought mystery to where he was and what he was doing, I was so happy to finally see him! 

Seth really will be a big mystery for most of the beginning of the book which I think is marvelous when you think about it. The author gave us such a strong character that changes so much from how we once knew him in the rest of the books. He's such an amazing person to Josie and his friends, very protective but gentle and still has this cockiness from time to time. However last time around in The Power, Seth changed and nobody knows if it was for the better or not. We only know he left Josie which is a big thing for the both of them and will have major impacts. 

I can't really say much more than that because that would totally ruin the read. All I want to say is that whatever happened to Seth will become clear during the read, but the author really made us wait for it which I think isn't a bad thing but really adds to our mystery and excitement. When he does come around though I really loved Seth, as usual, and really was glad to see him in the picture again. More I won't say because that might give away how his change affected everything around him, his relationships and his personality. Just know: I heart Seth, okay?

What I can say more about the relationship between Josie and Seth is that Seth being gone and being whatever the heck he's being really will affect their relationship. In what way I can't tell since that's something for you to find out, but I can say that it reaches another level and deepness I never thought was possible between the two. Once again the author made sure we could see more and root even deeper for these two and I think that's the best thing she could ever give us! Above that the author has this major surprise during this read that involves both of them and you guys cannot even guess how exited I am for that!

Now the plot because oh wow the plot. Of course there's this big problem that the book will focus on: the Titans. This is a problem that's been overshadowing this whole series and what it really is about. Defeating them will therefore be a major thing in this book. Last time in The Power, they were already searching for other demi-gods which now will continue. I have to say that these demi-gods really will give an impact that leaves you chilled and feeling things you never thought you'd ever feel. I personally hadn't seen coming what will happen with them as it also involves one of the characters we've been looking at closely during the books. 

The titans will also be involved with this situation of the demi-gods which really gives it a lot more suspicion and thrill. The thing with the titans is, is that in The Struggle they will really start to come forward and will be more involved. We'll see more of them, their behavior and their motives, than we did in any other book before this. This is something I really enjoyed because they're the enemy and being able to situate them was a really good thing during this read. It also gives way to thinking about how we can defeat them and how they'll approach the rest of our characters. A really good plot part in my opinion to boost the series!

Of course next to the overshadowing problem of the series there's Seth being something we don't know what. As I mentioned before we really get to wait it out and drown in mystery! That's the thing I really loved most about this book: the big question about Seth. Him being this whole other thing really divides the group of friends he has and will also majorly affect everyone and the situation. Even if we don't know what he is and if he changed for the better or not, this will bring feels all over the place and that's what I really adored. The impact this will all have on his relationship is also something highly discussed during the book and also something I could really agree was necessary. I can't go too deep into this one especially because it's a big thing in the book, all I can say is that the author really wrote some major surprises during this book and really made sure we totally understood the situation.

Speaking of surprises there's this one thing that surprised me so much and involves our two main characters! Yes, I can't tell but know that surprise is waiting for you and the author did something I never thought would ever happen. Next to being in for surprises during this book and a lot of revelations, I really know that this book will give the readers all they wanted and were waiting for in this book. Once again it has so much thrill and new aspects that boost the book and never make it boring. It makes you exited, it makes you feel so many things and above that the titans will be more involved which will bring situations you never thought would happen involving Josie, involving the other demi-gods and even just the gods. I have to say I was not disappointed at all during this read and the things that will be revealed... oh holy book gods, be ready for it! There's another book after this one and we have to wait so long once again but the wait will be so worth it!

Such non real characters but such REAL feelings! Gah, just absolutely amazing!
As always I have nothing to complain about when it comes to Jennifer L. Armentrout. Her stories are filled with thrill and romance that makes your head spin and your heart race. And once again, even if it's the 3rd book in the series, she managed to present an amazing book that won't make you stop reading. I fell in love even more with the main characters as both really make life changing decisions and try to find out what's best for either of them. Of course we finally get answers to questions and get more thrill in this book than I had ever anticipated. The Struggle is also topped of with a lot of unexpected twists and turns I never thought we'd get to read in Seth and Josie's story and believe me when I say that I was that excited and scared that I probably needed medical help! I really couldn't get enough of this book as it contains surprise, romance, changes, decisions, action and of course amazing characters that might or might not make thrilling changes because of... things. I absolutely LOVED this book. If you haven't read Seth's sequal: BE ASHAMED! And pick it up. 

"A bloody path has been chosen. The Great War fought by the few is coming and in the end the sun will fall..."

Children of Eden

Today I bring a book that has the most stunning cover of all times! And I know I say that a lot but honestly, I fell in love with the book because of the cover. I saw it on a friends bookstagram and I was sold. I wanted that book so badly and I didn't even know what it was about yet! I'm talking about Children of Eden by Joey Graceffa and Laura L. Sullivan! Also, Joey is a Youtuber, something I didn't know! 

 The world is dead. Humankind has destroyed it, even after all the warnings by Aaron Al-Baz. Luckily for the remaining population, Aaron also made a world after: Eden. A world where people are divided by circles and the elite is in the center of it all. A world where second children are not allowed. Rowan is one of those second children and has been hiding inside for 16 years. Sick of her captivity she decides that she should be allowed to going out. Desperately leaving her house, she also leaves with consequences for those actions. And finding a friend leads to a great tragedy with loss and new threats...


Honestly, I don't know how to feel about this book. I went in with high expectations, the subject about a world after, the world being death but there's still something there that awaits the newborn word. It all sounds so good for a book but I've been left with a mixed feeling!

First of all, I found it really hard to connect with the main character, Rowan. She's a second child and her desperation to breath air from outside her house is totally understandable. At times she just seemed really too desperate and that made me back off a bit. What I did love about her is her determination, during the story she'll receive new information about her being the second child from her mother and this will set everything into motion. Although she loves her mother and her twin brother, Ash, she can't be bothered with staying inside anymore. Another thing that shows her determination is that she'll fight for her loved ones, even if it brings herself in danger.

I loved it that the character started deciding things for herself and that she took her life into her own hands, although I would've done it a bit more prepared! Rowan is more the thinking and directly doing which is a nice trait for a character but not something I can really relate with. Rowan hasn't got a clue to how people act, what to do herself and so on, yet she finds a friend of her bother who'll help her out. 

Which brings me to the next character: Lark. Lark is a friend of Ash and I did NOT like this character at all. She's too possessive, she feels like a know-it-all and as if she knows what's best. I just couldn't love this character at all, sure she has a big influence on the story but I just felt like she was a bit insane. Lark also comes into the story at times that I didn't think were very logical with the rest of the story and I just really couldn't appreciate this character. If all, she made things harder. 

There will be a few more characters coming and going and there's one very important one coming but I don't want to go too much into detail because that character was a surprise that I did see coming but still made this book better! 

As for the plot, now here were things that went completely wrong for me personally! The story builds up so rapidly, there was no time for making the events evolve and to make you feel it. I'm not a real fan of stories that go really fast but if you are, then this one is one you'll enjoy. I was just really bothered by how fast everything goes, there was no time to stop and think or feel what might happen next, because the following event was already happening. 

Secondly I like to say that I am left with too many questions to feel satisfied. During the plot we'll meet new characters that each have their own mission, we'll find out secrets about the founder of Eden, we get new details and nobody does anything with it. The ending did not give me answers on how they'll get around to that mission or what they'll do with that new information they have gathered. I know nothing and that really bothered me a lot. Also the end... oh god the ending! We know new information again yet again we will never know an answer! This is what they call an "open end" and I know that, but I hate open endings. And I hate this one most because on top of the open ending, I know nearly nothing about my other questions I thought I'd receive answers for. 

Of course I want to also add the things I did really enjoy and first of all that must be the theme. It's a dystopian about the world in the future, we destroyed and someone saved the last bit of humanity. For me that's a very interesting thing. Especially because also the people are being ranked! The poor live in the outer circles, the rich in the inner circles. I love it when books do that because it immediately sets off a vibe about that world. Also, just the thought of our world destroyed and a new place to wait for the world to be reborn is something I absolutely enjoyed. The nature being affected by us and the results of it will get a personal spot and we'll see consequences and everything put into perspective. How they have resolved everything will also be explained well and I was keen on that part. I know this book is fictitious but I also like to say that what happens to nature and humankind in the book is not something that I don't see in the near future. All is possible. 

Also another great thing is: everybody lies to everybody and nobody is trustworthy! When a book gives off that vibe, I can't do anything but feel happy. Rowan is a second child, she should not trust anybody and she should be aware of being lied to. Yet Rowan also has never been outside her house, she doesn't know the outer world and how people work. This sets off a nice contrast between knowing how everything goes and not knowing. She's a bit on an exploring adventure and makes mistakes everyone in her position would make: trust people. Especially in a world where second children aren't allowed or will be murdered, where the poor don't get anything and the inner circle everything, trust is not a word you should use. Lies will be everywhere in this book and trustworthy people will be so hard find and I really wish the book would have gone further on it and provide more buildup around this but it all stayed fairly superficial. 

What are we missing in this world? Action, but no worries there is going to be so much! First of all, Rowan will have to escape that's the first action we see. Then she comes across greenshirts, these are authority figures, police really and they know she's a second child so she needs to escape once again! Now she's known, her family will be in danger and this makes sure there's going to be a rescue party. That rescue party, ladies and gentlemen, was the best part filled with action because it was so good. There was so much surprise in this part and I was so excited when they went to rescue the family. It was great! For action you'll be good in this book, but as I said before it comes together way too fast in my opinion.

Lastly, what  is a book without a bit of romance. Now this romance was... I don't know. I was ready to pull out all of my hair! I was so frustrated! Probably because I shipped Rowan with one of them and not the other one, but she just kept giving signs to that other person I don't like! Still with me? No? There's a love triangle people and it's amazing that it makes you so frustrated! Especially if you have a ship and disgust the other character! Yet I wonder if it's really about romance. 

Rowan gives us signs throughout the book that she doesn't know how this works. She doesn't know anything about people and she thinks it's normal yet she doesn't know what these feelings she feels mean. It might be pure platonic then, or it might be love. This is something a bit confusing and also nothing we'll get any answers on.

I don't really know what to think about this book. I loved it but at the same time I didn't. It might be the fact that I didn't find it easy to connect with the main character, at the same time I was left with an ending that I didn't really love at all. Many things remain unresolved and that makes me not like the book. I did really enjoy the dystopian world that's created in this book and lies to its population that's been ranked. Everyone lies to everyone and trusting someone can be a mistake and I love it when a book give you that vibe. 

Also the whole concept about the world being destroyed by us is a very interesting subject and also gets a nice light onto it! However the book builds up fairly rapid and leaves me disappointed because I didn't receive the answers I was looking for. To conclude this I just like to say that I don't think it's bad but also don't think it's the best and I am left undecided. I do recommend reading the book because it's possible you'll love it, especially if you're into books that create a dystopian about the future and if you don't mind a rapid buildup.

“But alone is good. Alone is safe.” 

Belated Book haul

It's been a while since I have done a book haul, so I thought it was about time to do one! Also, I bought these books in September, which means I'm running late with this post but doing it anyway! Beginning of September, I was still home because I didn't have any school until the 20th so I had time to kill with reading. Yet we all know what happens when a bookaddict becomes bored... yep, you start checking out books! 

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Now my eyes fell on a book I've been looking at for a while: Me Before You, and it wasn't until this time around that I saw there was a huge discount on it! So of course I wanted to buy it but there was one problem: they don't charge extra money when you have €20 euros in total... and I had a book on discount...

Of course you could say, so? Pay extra! But if you use my "bookaddict theory", you'll see why that is a bad thing! Either you buy 1 book and pay! Or you buy 2-3 books and get it for free. Oh, god this is actually such illogical theory! Obviously I pay more with the latter... but hey, it works for my bookmind so why not?! The conclusion of all this is just that I bought Me Before You (along with some more books). This book also turned into a huge movie, which I adored, but for the ones that don't know the story here is the synopsis of the book!

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.
What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.
Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.
What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

I've heard a lot of good things about this book and I also watched the movie. I know, I should've read the book first and I planned to but I just really wanted to see the movie and I didn't have the book until now so it just happened...? Anyway, I'm expecting a lot! I have pretty high expectations, it's something I haven't experienced in a while so I hope it won't disappoint me. Although I highly doubt that!

"You only get one life. It's actually your duty to live it as fully as possible."

Dash and Lily's book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Another book I bought to get to my €20 total, was a book that was recommended to me by a friend. Her exact words were: "I LOVED this book omg! I didn't know if I was going to like it that much but OH MAN!" which means my expectations became a bit higher! 

Apparently it's set in winter which would make it the perfect winter read but, well it's fall and getting colder so I think it'll also make the perfect fall read! Also, if you didn't know the book, I'll tell you a little bit about it:

Lily left a notebook full of dares onto the shelves in a bookstore and she hopes that that way, a boy will get to it. And not just any boy but really the right guy! It's filled with dares that he needs to do and the guy who found it is Dash. The only question remaining is: is he the right guy? Or is this just a lovely time of doing the dares, sharing dreams and then wrap it up and they'll forget about it? 

Who knows right? I'm really excited for this read because I think it sounds pretty romantic to leave a book with dares behind for someone to find! Above that, my friend loved it a lot which can only mean good things since we're into the same kind of books. I'm really looking forward into reading this! "

"I want to believe there is a somebody out there for me. I want to believe that I exist to be there for that somebody."

The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan 

Guess what? I still needed €2 euro to get no charge! And then I started to think ahead! Also this year I wanted to have a great Christmas read and look what I found?! This book didn't get published until October so that meant I only needed to hold myself for 2 months instead of 3 before reading it. This adventure concluded itself with me preordering the book!

Now I'm not going to tell you the synopsis because it's the second part in the series about Dash and Lily so who knows? Is this a book where they're together? Apart? Finding each other again? Dead? The latter maybe is a bit over-dramatic, although I don't know! I'm really leaving things in between because I don't want to spoil you guys, but when Christmas is there and the atmosphere is cold and not enjoyable, I'll be here with a review to warm y'all up or make you all colder because it was bad. (I'm hoping the former!)

And that's how I had a price over €20 euros but with two books that were on a discount and one book that I would've bought anyway for the Christmas time! Yet a bit later, I got another discount! And it was only usable until the beginning of October so I bought books... again.

The Distance From Me to You by Marina Gessner

This time there's a book that contains adventure! It's also a book that has been standing on my "books I want list" for a very long time, I think over a year. When I was in the bookstore in Ghent I had seen it in Dutch and I really felt like it was time to get it. And I got it...


McKenna Berney is a lucky girl. She has a loving family and has been accepted to college for the fall. But McKenna has a different goal in mind: much to the chagrin of her parents, she defers her college acceptance to hike the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia with her best friend. And when her friend backs out, McKenna is determined to go through with the dangerous trip on her own. While on the Trail, she meets Sam. Having skipped out on an abusive dad and quit school, Sam has found a brief respite on the Trail, where everyone’s a drifter, at least temporarily.

Despite lives headed in opposite directions, McKenna and Sam fall in love on an emotionally charged journey of dizzying highs and devastating lows. When their punch-drunk love leads them off the trail, McKenna has to persevere in a way she never thought possible to beat the odds or risk both their lives.

I really love books like this. I would never go on a trip by myself like this character but in a way I do but then through a book ;-). I'm really curious to where this book will lead, especially because they'll get off the trail. Will it make them closer? Or will they irritate each other? Who knows! The book just really caught my attention as well as with the plot as with the cover. 

"Wild meets Endless Love"

When We Collided by Emery Lord

Another book that had caught my attention by its cover! It has 3.85 on Goodreads which to my opinion still is a lot so I have some expectations. The theme in this book is also something I'd totally read...

Two teenagers both meet in summer. Their summer changes forever. Neither of them expected anything like this and also didn't expect to meet a person like this. Yet things will not always go as smoothly, the past will catch up and old wounds will be opened. Meeting one another will change their lives forever. 

Past catching up? Old wounds reopened? YES! That is my thing... I really love to read books like this because most of the time people get stronger out of it. I don't know if the book here will show us the same but I will see. Since it is my theme I am having a bit higher expectations than I already had.

"Two teens find that when you collide with the right person at just the right time, it will change you forever."

This concludes my belated book haul! Of course, each of these books will receive a review and so we will see if they were worth it or not. If you still have book recommendations, don't hesitate to drop them in a comment!

How hard can love be?

Time for a very realistic read! Lately, I read a lot of paranormal things such as wolves and people who can make a world collapse by their tears and so on. I was also in a little reading slump and decided to open up a new book that could get me out of it: How Hard Can Love Be? By Holly Bourne was the book that got me out of the slump and also made me crave to the summer holidays again! 

Amber will finally see her mother after two years of radio silence. She's a bit scared of what she'll come across because she knows how her mother is. Tired of not talking or seeing her, Amber wants to create that mother-daughter bond again but this acquires flying to America. Once there, she needs to help out at the summer camp that's being run by her stepfather and mom. What Amber didn't count on was her mother not being that cooperative when it comes to creating a bond. In fact, her mother totally shuts down and Amber can't do anything but open up to another person she never expected to find here.

This book really is one of those more realistic ones and also one that I really, absolutely enjoyed! But before I go into that a little more, we'll dig in with the characters. First off is Amber. The first impression I had from her was that she had a difficult life. Her father has a new family and her mother has a new family but neither of those make her truly happy. Her stepmom is awful because she manipulates her dad so he's always on her side, and her stepdad took away her mother across the ocean. For short, she's not living the idealistic life we all would want. 

Another thing that you might come across is the fact that she's very bitter and angry all the time, but later in the book she'll explain to the readers and herself why it is that she always seems to bite towards people. Although Amber is a very bitter person at times, you can see how insecure she actually is. She blames herself a lot for her mothers departure. Although she will tell you many times how much she hates Kevin, her stepfather, for taking away her mom, she will give little hints where you can guess she's actually blaming herself and questioning herself. She's also determined that no one will ever love her, this insecurity will be taken care of in the book. This side of her really makes you warm up to her and makes you willing to understand her. 

Yet that's not all to Amber! She's also a feminist. This book will take a closer look to this side where many of us might be interested in these days. Feminism will play a role in it and it will shine through in this character. More about the feminism side of this book will come later. I just really adored this side of Amber because it showed the reader how passionate she really is about this. She's also a very passionate and creative person because of her art skills, which don't surface in the book as much as I wanted it to. That aside, I really enjoyed this character, she'll make sure you know you can't fool her but all the while she's very insecure and hides her feelings for others while being open about her passion for feminism and art. 

A few more characters I'd like to discuss are Lottie and Evie, this book is from a series of three and the other two books are each about one of these characters. Lottie and Evie are Amber's best friends and are also part of the Spinster Club. The Spinster Club is their way of being able to express how they feel about what's happening with women, and so again the topic feminism will be led into the book. What I adored a lot is that you really get to know Lottie and Evie throughout the book. I've read books where the best friends of a character won't resurface the plotline once the main character is on its way to adventure. How Hard Can Love Be? will make sure these best friends come back frequently and that way you really get to know them.

Each of them is really unique. Lottie is someone that loves big words and is a real blabber mouth (if that's the English word?). In other words, she says what she thinks and this can cause her to get very excited which does make you smile a lot. Evie, on the other hand, is very calm and really thinks things through, there's also something going on with Evie but this book doesn't get into much detail. If you'd want to know more about these characters, I recommend reading the other books in the Spinster Club-series! 

What I adore so much about them was that they were always there for Amber. They are in England and she's in America yet if Amber was in trouble and needed girly advice, they'd wake up immediately and help her out. They were always ready to give advice and worry when needed, I really appreciated that in these characters. They'll also provide a lot of entertainment that makes the reader laugh and truly enjoy it.

A few people from the Camp Amber's working at that I'd like to discuss are: Kyle, Whinnie and Calvin. First of Kyle, Kyle's a nice guy. And believe me when I say you'll read that sentence a lot in this book, but it's the truth. He's always there to help out, he tries to help Amber out when she steps foot on American ground and he's always nice. I really loved this character because of how nice and understanding he really was but throughout the book, yet also his mask will fall off. Kyle might be nice and handsome (from all the descriptions we got) but he does doubt himself a lot. I adored to see this side even more, he was a nice guy all the time and then it's really nice to see him open up to the other characters and say how he feels! He'll also worry a lot about the situation between Amber and her mother which will make sure that Amber opens up to him which she never expected to happen but it did...

Whinnie on the other hand is a character that made me laugh a lot. She's easy going and very sweet and she'll give you wise advice because of Whinnie the Pooh. Believe me, it'll all get clear when you read it and it might sound ridiculous now but actually, while you read it: it's not. The things she said really made sense and it felt as if I was getting a secret message from the author, or well Whinnie the Pooh. Whinnie is one of my favorite characters because she was so easy going. Other characters didn't need to pretend with her, they could be just them and she'd gladly accept that. She's also a very supportive character which I enjoyed even more. 


Lastly, Calvin. I'm keeping it short with this character but I found that he deserved a special spot in this review too. Calvin is one of the kids at camp but he's a sturdy kid and gets laughed at and excluded from groups. We might not see a lot of him in this book but I did see him grow! Amber really took care of him, even if she risked him getting in love with her but it also made Calvin become a lot more open which I loved to see. He shows everyone not to hide when people laugh at you or exclude you, life goes on and so do you. I loved this little fellow!

Now the plot! The biggest question you'll get in the beginning of the book is "what's going on with her mother?". Amber is all being secretive about what has happened that made her mother run away but it doesn't take long before the author presents us flashbacks. Yet these flashbacks only make you create scenarios that might be possible but not make you any wiser, for now. How Hard Can Love Be? will really take you onto a trip to memory lane and let you discover together with Amber how and when things went wrong and who's fault this actually is, if it's anyone's. 

This also means the plot will concentrate a lot of Amber's repressed feelings towards her mother and her questions to why she never called or came to visit. I enjoyed this in the plot because this gave you a purpose with the character: find out how to deal. The character has many thoughts to share with you which I was a great fan of. The whole story with her mother will also show certain developments in Amber and we'll see her change as will her mother. 

Yet her mother will not give answers easily and you will get frustrated with her. This creates a lot of feels but also a lot of tension you desperately want to get away from which you will. The moment her mother excludes Amber more than she already has, Amber will find new horizons that will open up to her and will make her become happy again: her camp mates. 

The plot really describes the camp and its activities very well. It's not just a scenery so you can visualize it, it'll play a role and that's what I really loved. The camp gave it a very new and refreshing touch while it was dealing with family drama. You'll get to know some kids, you'll get to know their routine and their activities and of course their staff. The staff will open up to Amber and although she's very hesitant about it in the beginning she'll adapt fully.

It's also them and especially the Nice Guy that'll look after her when she's having a breakdown because of her mother. This then causes that she's going to see a lot more of America than originally planned and this makes sure we often get a little pause from the camp scenery which is always a pro to the plot in my opinion. 

What I was also very keen on in this book were the alternations between "Amber in America" and "Amber in England". The book has to cover a difference in language and a difference in culture which it'll do amazingly. You'll learn differences in words and those situations will create funny moments where you can really laugh and enjoy it. What I also mean with these alternations is that we see her friends she met in America but we'll also see her friends from England, which as already said, I absolutely craved for. 

Lastly, a little bit more on the feminism topic. The girls, Amber, Lottie and Evie, are very passionate about it and are real feminists. I really loved it that the plot made time for their Spinster Club meetings because it also dips you under in that topic aside from differences in culture and family drama. You'll get a clearer view on the topic and will be part of discussion through Amber's eyes. I really loved it that the author took time to really incorporate it in the book instead of making it a little detail of the main character and move on from it. 

For short, the plot will alternate between many things in the book. It'll try to solve the family drama and try to explain how to deal with things like this, It'll give you time apart from that and give you a brewing love story with many doubts and will give you a good dose of feminism which is a very nice addition to it. You'll begin with questions and get them answered but you'll also create feels and fall head over heels. 

Before I jump to my conclusion, I'd also like to point out the "Situations that are destined to fail.", before each chapter there's a sheet with this on top and a few key words that introduce the following chapter. I was really keen on it because it was a nice touch-up and made you want to read on because it was so secretive! It also links to the character's insecurities and her finding her way to become more confident so it'll lead to "Situations that won't fail if you don't let them." 

As a total, we can conclude that this book contains absolutely amazing characters that'll each come to struggle with their insecurities and find a way to overcome those. They're also very passionate which makes sure the book gets an extra boost and the plot won't make it boring at all. How Hard Can Love Be? is a book that really makes you crave the summer and a camp full of friends. I totally recommend it!  

"Failure is never getting hurt. Because that means you've not done anything you cared about."

Teardrop

When I was on my holiday, I found out my niece had the same book with her as I did. Together we decided to read the book together so we could discuss the book and see how we liked it! We finished it together in three days and now that I'm back, I'm writing my thoughts down in this review about the book we read together: Teardrop by Lauren Kate.

If Eureka knows one thing it's that she should never, ever cry. Not even when her mother died in a car accident, not when her heart gets broken, not when she's having a hard time. Never. Now her mother is gone, Eureka's having a very hard time living her life. Her stepmom sends her off on many appointments to go talk to someone but nothing really helps. It isn't until a boy comes around, Eureka starts to ask questions about what has happened the night of the car accident. Even more so, she discovers that they're coming for her. 

This is only my second book written by Lauren Kate. The first book I read by her was Unforgiven, and then I remember myself saying I really wanted to read some more of this author. I guess the time has finally arrived to make true to my promise!

First off, Eureka! Eureka gave a very stoic impression at first. She never really showed any emotion, she never cried. It was really weird to read those few pages where she explained everything that happened but there was never the part where she teared up on the fact that her mother died. It's from that moment on, I started to ask myself questions. Especially because the back of the book says she should never, ever cry. Alarm bells were ringing because, well why would she never cry? 

Further more Eureka explains she needs to see doctors because she tried suicide after her mom left. Which does show us that her mother was a very important person to her and that's a thing I enjoyed reading about. Eureka would make us see her mother as she saw her by retelling old stories or give more information about her mother. This information is really important because it'll help us out later in the book with discoveries that we made.

The further we go into the book, the weirder it gets for Eureka and we can really notice that she's not feeling at ease. This is the first big change in this character after being really stoic. And many changes follow with this character until she grows to a very strong teenager that won't let the bad overthrow her again. These changes in this character are incredible because it shows her evolution in one big and fluent line. 

As for the boy that came to tell her they're coming for her. He's all mystery! My niece and I really wanted to know more about him, especially because we know what he did when things went south for Eureka and her mother. But the author really wants us to be patience and makes Ander return only a couple of times in the book.

From the few times we see him, I did notice a difference with the people he grew up with. He will believe what he wants and he's determined that things can change. This character will really convince you that you don't need to follow the others but can stand for your own ideas and be okay with those. Other than that I also noticed that this character is really protective but has a very gentle and sweet side to him, even though most of the times I felt like he was a stalker and could be a potential bad guy. I really enjoyed his presence in the book but I really did miss him a lot. I wish we could have seen a bit more about this character, but not all might agree with this because him not being around a lot does create more mystery. 

Now, we don't know much about Ander or his relatives but we do know a lot more about Eureka. Eureka has two friends that will be important in this book. First off, we have Cat! In the beginning I was not really fond of her, she was at times too enthusiastic and it felt like you couldn't trust her with a secret but as the story developed itself more you get to know her much better. Eventually, I can conclude she really grew on me. She's just very eccentric and she did prove herself to be this awesome best friend Eureka could count on. Next to being eccentric she's also a very supportive friend.


Another friend of Eureka is Brooks and oh my, I can say I was totally sold to him from the beginning. Brooks has a very mysterious air having around him and you just want to get close to him. So I agree with all the girls in the book that want Brooks close, he's absolutely amazing. Yet I began to doubt Brooks a lot and he'll also create a lot of mystery and suspense that has to do with the bigger story of the book. Eventually Eureka begins to doubt Brooks and that's the moment you know as a reader, your intuition might have been correct, or not? 

Brooks is a very funny guy but also very protective when it comes to Eureka. He'll always support her and he knows how to handle her now she's so down after her mother died. I was really keen on that aspect of Brooks. Yet also he changes a lot in this book and grows to become hot and cold all the time. We don't know what's going on with Brooks, so this makes sure we have another mystery to solve together with Eureka! 

Lastly her family, as I said, we will get to know her mother through many flashbacks and stories but her mom seems to have two faces nearing the middle of the book. I can't say much about it just mark my words. The flashbacks and the stories are an asset to the book and I'm also glad her mother is put into the book a lot because it creates more clues to a possible explanation. 

As for her father... he's great! I absolutely adored him! He's also having a hard time, even though he was divorced you can really see he's suffering too. Eureka's dad also has a hard time with getting through Eureka. He really tries and that's what I absolutely appreciated in him but after all, it seems he doesn't have much luck. 

Together with him comes Rhoda, the stepmother and can I say I absolutely hated her! I don't know what it is, but in each book the parents are so well written you just hate them! The power of a writer: writing it so well you can feel the same as the main character! Absolutely brilliant! She really pushes people to do what she wants and that's what really irritated me most with her. She doesn't know what's best for everyone but she does act as if she does. As I said I'm not fond of her at all but I do want to congratulate the author on writing her as brilliant as Lauren Kate has. 

Lastly and also very briefly, the twins! Rhoda and Eureka's dad have twins and they're absolutely adorable, yet they won't be spared from all the danger that's coming. Not only Eureka has melted because of them but also Brooks. I really enjoyed the twins because they bring more life and more feels (such as worry, anxiety, love,...) to the story. 

Now the plot. In the beginning, Eureka will give you a lot of information. This information only creates a lot of questions but not a lot of answers. If you read the back of the book really well, you even start with questions but by then nothing will be explained since even Eureka doesn't know anything about that... yet.

The plot will take major turns when Ander comes around and when Brooks starts to act strange and all hot and cold. This will create more mystery not only in the story but also with the characters. This is a great asset to Teardrop because it makes it so much more than it already was. Next to these plot twists there's also a lot that has to do with Eureka's mother and Eureka who's being followed by Ander. 

As a reader you'll really start to question everything you come across because you don't have much to work with. You'll have to use your intuition to try and solve things because Eureka will have a moment of disbelieve and just go on with her life. 

The mystery around who Ander is and what's going on with Brooks will also feed the question: who is Eureka really? And why does she never cry? It really takes a while before we get new answers and before Eureka will start to act but when she does, the story has a lot in store for you. 

There will be betrayal, more questions, mystery, there will be funny moments and moments you don't trust people but there'll also be thrill and tension, anxiety and murder. I can't tell you how much this book will do to you. It really starts slow and you might have to wait long on some answers but this will only cause the book to go out with a bang and give you everything it has, that's what I was really keen on in Teardrop. 

If that isn't enough there will be a big plot twist at the end but if I have to give one remark on this book, it'll be the ending. It was good, don't get me wrong but there were some details I didn't really find as spectacular as the big things that were happening. This is only a little remark, nothing big because the end battle still really surprised me! 

Another thing I want to say is that the people who want to get Eureka, for whatever reason you will find out during your read, are only seen three times in the book. In the beginning, once in the middle and than at the end. I really missed that a lot because they are important to this story and its further developments. I hope they come around much more in the next book.

Still, I recommend this book to people who want a mysterious read and who want to investigate some things themselves. The book will make a slow start but will give so much more near the ending. Also the epilogue will clear a lot of things for you which is a great thing and this will also make you want to read the following book. The characters are great and each very different from each other. You get background information to events form the past that will guide you in the future which is again a great asset. I think we can conclude that Teardrop is really a good book that's really worth to look into further if you're interested! 

"Can everything you love be washed away?"

How it all started, my book adventure

Unbelievable, one year ago, at this time I posted my first blog post. It's been a year! I can't believe it! Back then I was busy constructing my blog and really trying to find the best ways to present things to the visitors that might be coming around. Now, I have everything put together and have my four themes for each season, I have my weekly review I try to hold on to between homework and only a year later but I'm still addicted to books. That said I think it's time to open up the "how it all started" post because I think it's about time I try and explain how I became a bookaddict. 


It wasn't always like that, in fact it wasn't until I was in my fifth year of high school that books actually started to become an addiction. I remember having a few phases in my teen years where I went to the library every week to get a few new books. Or even buy a few books, that was the time when I was really into Alyson Noël's series Evermore. Believe me, I was obsessed with it! I remember coming home at noon and eat fast so I could read on in the book. I was 14 at that moment and I also did my book presentation with Evermore. I was so enthusiastic that it got everyone's attention and people followed me around school because they needed and wanted to read the book. I was so proud on myself, because I made people want to read! But those phases of reading always faded away for whatever reason there might've been. 

Skipping forward to the fifth year of high school, we had these different tasks for our portfolio and you could pick one. Either it was keeping up with awards that were being given to books or visiting the annual book fair in Antwerp. At that point, I only read books I was obligated to read. 

My choice? Visiting the book fair in Antwerp. It was "only" visiting and writing a "top 5 things you had to see on the book fair". I wasn't there for the books really, I was there because I really wanted to write that article and make something cool of it. So the day started and my family and me went to visit it without a lot of expectations...

Yet at a certain point during the visit, I turn my head to one of the corners there were at that point and I see it. I see that angel wing and I start to freak out. It was the third book in the Hush Hush series! Now skipping back a few years, when I was in a phase of being into books...

I was just wandering around in the library and just wanted to checkout when a book with a feather on the side caught my attention. I grabbed it, I read it and I brought it back only so I could take the second book with me. I was sold to this series and I did my research back then, just as I do now when I start a series, there were two more books! Yet the library didn't have those and back then I never bought books at all. I just lend them from the library and that was that. So I never finished up the series, I had accepted that by then.

But now I saw it, and I freaked out and I might have been a little loud at that moment because I saw the book laying there and well, what do you do when you see a book you wanted to read so badly? Yep, you buy it. You read it. And you damn right devour it! That was the moment I was sold again to being into books. I read the Dutch version of Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick. When that was done, I went to my local bookshop and ordered the last book in this series. I remember being curled up in bed while reading it. It was also that phase where I didn't really care that my spines broke, which absolutely changed later on! 

After that I really started looking for more books that were angel-demon themed because Becca Fitzpatrick just rubbed it off on me and I couldn't resist. This was the book series that really got me to read again. When I finally found a book that I was interested enough in, I did it again! I bought a book! It is really shocking looking back at it because I never thought that that would be the beginning of the end. After Hush Hush came my first ever English books: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins. I said to myself: "Okay, you read slowly because it's English and you need to understand it all!" but when I was through the prologue... let's say I just finished the book very quick all of a sudden! 

When that series was done, I started the LUX-series by Jennifer L. Armentrout and although it took me a few months to finish up the series, I finished it. The phase of reading this time didn't end, I wasn't fed up with it. I kept ordering books, I kept reading and reading and fast forward to now: I'm still reading! I guess it's therefore safe to say that this phase probably won't die out. I admit to have had a few reading slumps though! But here are a few tips I learned on my journey to my book addiction to get out of those: 

1. If you're in a reading slump, try to open up a new book! That way, you're in a total new world that might be more appealing than the one you were in before.
2. If you're in a reading slump, try to reread some chapters of your favorite books! That way, you get a feeling of nostalgia and you might want to read again.
3. If you're in a reading slump, try to read together with a friend or relative in the same book. There's nothing more exciting than reading with somebody else. It makes you want to read on so you can laugh and talk about the characters together and form your own theories.

Although I had those reading slumps, I always got back to reading because it made me a very happy version of myself. I had moments where I came down screaming because my book ended on a cliffhanger (yep, my first ever cliffhanger...) and I absolutely needed the next book! The first time for that was when I finished The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen. And now, I read more than 100 books on a time-span of two years without stopping entirely! It's now that they buy me books for my birthday because what else would make Erica happy? It really is an obsession but a good kind of obsession! 

Things didn't only stay with reading and putting it on the shelves though. Goodreads came along, a platform where everyone who loves to read can go to. You can make friends, you can find books, you can recommend books or update the progress you're making. I absolutely love it because you really feel like you're in that book community.

There is also another way to find the book community: Instagram. It took me until the summer of 2015 to finally decide to enter that world too. The book community on Instagram is pretty simple: you make pictures of books and you post it. I really fell in love with that too, just making pictures of the books I owned and go outside during Fall to make pictures of it. It's also that way that you can find new books you might really enjoy or make new friends that love the same themed books as you. 

The summer of 2015 was also the time for me starting to realize I didn't want it just to be reading. I wanted more, I wanted to review! I started reviewing a few books and posted it on my Tumblr blog but that died down because all the pictures I reblogged made them invisible. However, the idea of reviewing the books didn't die down. Eventually, on the 12th of October 2015 I asked my mother how Blogger really worked. My mother is a very creative person and she makes all sorts of beautiful tags and colorful cards and projects but she also made me a few bookmarks. My mom also does workshops so other people could learn certain techniques. For all of her projects, cards and tags she made a blog a long time ago: http://acoloredmind.blogspot.be/ so she new how things worked on it. It was that day that my idea became a reality.

Bookmarks made by my mom, go check out her blog HERE

I started my own blog! Hurray! I could actually, really, truly, start reviewing books and they wouldn't be invisible between reblogged pictures! I was really excited and really had this whole layout envisioned. When I got everything there was to get about Blogger, I had my own blog and as I had wanted it to be all along. Until this day, which is one year people, I still review books and I still post. I'm really proud that I came all this way and still feel satisfied because I can do this. 

Of course, in the beginning things were pretty new and I didn't know if people would actually read this but it turned out people do! I also had some help and tips from Peter. He's from Denmark and also has a website where they review books and talk about books and really everything about books which is amazing: http://youthculturedenmark.com/ . Those tips really helped me out to make the blog become it's ultimate self and so that it could improve. 

If you're also someone who'd love to start a blog to review books, I'd suggest you do because it's pretty amazing to be able to share your thoughts about the book you just read and help people to make their decisions. Some may really base whether or not they want to read that book by your review. To think that you, as a reviewer, can help them to find their perfect book, that's actually pretty amazing! Here are also a few tips to create your blog:


      1. Choose a name and choose wisely! 

I remember really struggling with finding a name. At that time I was really "Bookangels" because that was how my Instagram was called but I knew people wouldn't immediately guess that I wrote reviews. After weighing off a few names, my mom and me decided that picking "To Read Or Not by Erica" was the best. It suggested the idea of reviews more and it was more appealing.

     2. Choose a platform to put your reviews on! 

There are a few platforms to make blogs on like Blogger or such as Wordpress but each and every one of them will give you something else. Also their technology and "how to use" is often different. Therefore pick the platform you think is more easy for you or attracts you the most since you have to work on it. I chose Blogger because my mom could really explain the basics and it wasn't very hard to comprehend yet these things just differ from person to person.

     3. Choose a layout that attracts and makes you feel happy! 

It's your blog after all! You do what you want and improve along the way. There will be people to help out with it if need be. For example, I had a tip for the layout from Peter. He told me the fond was really tiny and to make it bigger. What looked for me as something okay was actually too hard to read and would "scare" people away. Which brings me to #4

     4. Ask friends, family or total strangers to check out your blog! 

Not only does it create new visitors and therefore possible followers, it'll also make sure that they can review the blog and give tips and tricks to improve it such as "make the fond bigger". 

     5. A tip that I'm still working on after a year: try to post frequently. 

Once you have a lot of people, it's great. I was so happy when there were many people visiting the blog but then I didn't post for a while and that made the visitors drop and made it hard for them to come back. I know it isn't the easiest things to do at all, I still have times where I don't post anything because I didn't finish a book. But if you can, you might as well try! It doesn't need to be every day, it can be once a week, it really differs from how fast you can finish and review a book. You can also just schedule your blogpost! I had a period where I read a lot of books but decided to only post one review a week. This caused that I had two months filled with reviews on a frequent base.

     6. Lastly, share it! 

If you are on Goodreads and you say that you finished your book, you can always put up a review about the books and give it its stars worth. You can either copy paste your whole review in it or, as I do it, copy paste just a part of the review in it and also give the link to your blog. That way you lure people to click the link and check out the full review on the blog. You can do whatever way you prefer it! If you're on Instagram, posting pictures of your books, you can also edit your photo on your computer or phone and put the link on the picture with the word "Review". At first glance, people will see there's a review available and therefore might want to click the link in your description or type over the one on your picture to check out your blog.

These were tips I found really helpful during my journey to make my blog but I'm still open for tips! If you guys made it this far and read this: give tips if you want to! I have a contact box at the right of the screen and you can just put them there, that way I'll see them in my inbox and make improvements. Also, book recommendations are always welcome!

This pretty much concludes my journey through the book adventure. I read and fell in love with it, I became addicted so hard that I go to Book Fairs and buy books online and I became part of the book community only to end up here with my own review blog. It's been one year since the latter and I feel very proud! If you've been around for a while, then thank you for going on this journey with me because it's because of you that I kept going with writing the reviews! Thank you. 

Now, let's celebrate by reading a good book! 

"Books give a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything"

~ Unkown