Reviews of Teen Books by Genre: Romance

The Selection
Cass, Kiera
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

I can honestly say that this book is my favorite book that I have ever read.
The selection is a book about a class system that divides society into groups within a monarchy. However, the extremely handsome Prince Maxon is holding a selection process to find his next princess. Thirty-five girls from all classes are selected to stay in the palace with Maxon for a chance and being his wife. America Singer is from one of the lowest classes, but by staying true to herself and never conforming to the Prince’s wishes she catches his eye. After a spark ignites in and Maxon falls in love with America, he struggles to decide if she will be suitable for the kingdom and fit to rule by his side.
Reviewer Grade:12

Reviewer's Name: Madison S
Me Before You
Moyes, Jojo
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

his novel brought every single emotion to mind while reading. Whether it was joy, love, anger or sadness; this novel made me feel many things. This romantic novel brings you through the road of love and romance as well as heartbreak and tragedy. Louisa Clark is a young woman leading an extremely mundane life, that is until she finds a job as the caretaker for the wheelchair bound Will Traynor. Through the adventure of love and romance, Louisa learns from Will that life is too short to waste and that she deserves more from life. This novel is absolutely riveting but also teaches a lesson on the importance of living your life to the fullest.
Reviewer Grade: 12

Reviewer's Name: Madison S
My Life Next Door
Fitzpatrick, Huntley
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

A beautiful romance, and a classic boy next door love story. A young girl, Samantha Reed lives in a home in which messiness is avoided at all cost.
Samantha can’t help but look at the alluring chaos across the fence at her neighbors, the Garretts. She becomes swept up in a whirlwind romance with the extremely handsome Jace Garrett. This novel was extremely riveting and cute, it wasn’t predictable like most romance novels and always kept me reading and wanting more.
Reviewer Grade: 12

Reviewer's Name: Madison S
Under a Painted Sky
Lee, Stacey
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

Under a Painted Sky is a fictional western story set in 1849 on the Oregon Trail. It is about two girls named Samantha and Annamae who after some unfortunate luck leave their home, Missouri, behind to start a new life, but they must first survive the Oregon Trail. While traveling along the Oregon Trail, Samantha and Annamae disguise themselves as boys to avoid unwanted attention and they join a group of cowboys, but will Samantha and Annamae be able to trust them? Under a Painted Sky is a story about friendship and self-discovery that leaves you wanting to read more. Overall, I really enjoyed reading Under a Painted Sky because Stacy Lee developed the characters very well and I would recommend reading it.
Reviewer Grade: 8

Reviewer's Name: Emma G
If I'm Being Honest
Wibberley, Emily Siegemund-Broka, Austin
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

I picked this book up from the library, not really knowing what to expect. I ended up falling in love with the book and I finished it up in a day. If I'm Being Honest, cowritten by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, is a tale about a girl named Cameron who has it all. She's popular, pretty...but most importantly extremely honest to the point where she hurts people. The book begins when Cameron decides she wants to hook up with a boy named Andrew. She and Andrew have been friends for a really long time and for the past year she's realized she wants to step up their relationship a little.
However, when Andrew rejects Cameron because he sees her cruelty up close, Cameron decides she needs to prove to him that she's a good person. Next, Cameron makes a lost of people who she needs to make amends with, one being a boy named Brendan Rosenfeld. Cameron ruined Brendan's social status in sixth grade when she gave him a mean nickname. The more people she makes amends with, however, the more she realizes that she might not be doing it just for Andrew after a while.

Reviewer Grade: 10

Reviewer's Name: Elizabeth P
Our Chemical Hearts
Sutherland, Krystal
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

I bought the book Our Chemical Hearts a couple years ago, but it remained untouched on my shelf for a long time. This summer, however, when I realized I needed something new to read, I picked it up and wondered why I started it so late. Our Chemical Hearts, by Krystal Sutherland, is a love story with lots of drama and twists and turns. This book will fill you up and break your heart simultaneously. The main character of the book is named Henry Page.
Henry, a highschooler, has been single for pretty much his entire life. He's watched his friends go in and out of relationships, with the trend of every relationship ending in heartbreak. When a mysterious girl with a cane dressed head to toe in boy clothing transfers to Henry's school, he never imagined he'd fall for her. This girl's name is Grace and she has a sketchy past. As he gets to know her more, Henry wonders if they will work out together because she is just so very broken. This book is very beautifully written, deep, authentic, and would be great for fans of books like Eleanor and Park, Holding Up The Universe, or All the Bright Places.

Reviewer Grade: 10

Reviewer's Name: Elizabeth P
The Unexpected Everything
Matson, Morgan
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

The Unexpected Everything, by author Morgan Matson, is a novel with an underlying that sometimes life doesn't go as planned, but that's okay; sometimes even the unexpected things are the best and most enjoyable things you ever experience. The main character of the Unexpected Everything is a girl named Andie. Her life has been pretty rough for the past years. With a father who is a congressman, she feels like she has to always put on a sort of "facade" and this is something that seems to be constricting for her.
Andie's mother, whom she loved dearly passed away a few years back from ovarian cancer and, even though it's been quite a while since her death, Andie still hasn't come to terms with this loss. Andie has some plans for this summer. She is going to take a premed course, as she hopes to find a career in medecine in the future. However, when her plans change, Andie is flustered and realizes that her vision of this summer has now fallen apart, and she has no choice but to make new plans. This book is fun, cute, and full of adventures as well as drama. I have now read all of Morgan Matson's books and love them! I'd recommend this novel to anyone who is into romcoms, adventures, or anyone who is looking for a fairly easy read. You won't be able to put this book down!

Reviewer's Name: Elizabeth P
The Girl in the Picture
Monir, Alexandra
1 star = Yuck!
Review:

The Girl in the Photo is of the mystery genre but nowhere in this book could I find anything mysterious. From the beginning of the book I wanted to throw it out the window. The writing is so overdramatized and so typical hollywood highschool that nothing in it could be called suspenseful.
The writing is simple, juvenile, and overly predictable that you can pretty much guess ‘who done it’ in the first few chapters. I would not wish this book on anyone.

Reviewer's Name: Maddie K
Everything Everything
Yoon, Nicola
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

I really enjoyed this book. Though cheesy, it was full of cute romantic scenes. If you are into romance, you would LOVE this book. The medical element of the story was very interesting and added some meaning to the story. However, the unrealistic relationship in this story can become irritating further through the book. It follows two main characters (Madeline and Olly) on a journey finding love despite Madeline's deadly illness that prohibits her from being outside. Away from the world for almost her whole life, Madeline has gotten used to being alone with her mother and nurse. But Olly changes everything, and soon she doesn't want to be trapped outside anymore.
This book's twist at the end made me rate it 4 stars rather than 3, because its is executed beautifully and smoothly and will make you gasp out loud in surprise. I highly recommend this book for the romantic type, or if you liked the book "The Sun Is Also A Star". Though this book starts out slow, it later picks up pace and becomes more interesting and attaching. If you are willing, give this book a try. You won't regret it!
- Reviewer Grade 8

Reviewer's Name: Anna C
All Our Broken Pieces
Crichton, L. D.
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

All Our Broken Pieces is the story of Lennon, a teenage girl with OCD and a tragic backstory, and Kyler, a teenage boy with a sad past of his own. When Lennon moves in with her dad in the famous neighborhood of Bel Air, Los Angeles after a tragic accident, she expects to feel wildly out of place. But then, she is assigned to work with Kyler for a school project and that sparks the beginning of a raw and beautiful romance. This gritty honest novel is a work of art, read this book if you want a heart wrenching, realistic teen romance.

Reviewer's Name: Emma R
P.S. I Still Love You
Han, Jenny
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

In the follow up to To All The Boys I've Loved Before, Lara Jean continues to charm and delight us in another unique story of love. Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky are together-- for real this time. Lara Jean is trying to figure out how to make a real relationship work when another boy who she sent a love letter to-- John Ambrose McClaren, suddenly re-enters her life. At the same time, Lara Jean begins volunteering at a nursing home, and makes memorable friends who help her navigate her high school life. Lara Jean is just as charming and relatable as in the first book of the series and I immensely enjoy her voice and personality. Readers should know that this book focuses a lot on Lara Jean's middle school years, and explores her friendship with Genevieve more than in the first book. By the time the novel is over, readers will feel as if they have known Lara Jean all of her life. Lara Jean's family is still as much an important part of the plot as her relationships are, and fans will be delighted to know that Kitty is just as sprunky and unique as in the first novel. The reason why I only rated it 4 stars is that the book takes a confusing turn with Lara Jean's feelings for John Ambrose. I personally did not enjoy their connection because it felt like she was forcing Peter out of her life for someone who she thought was better. I also felt that she was overly nostalgic and pained about why her and Gen's friendship ended in the first place. All in all, I enjoyed this installment to the series, but not as much as the first one.

Reviewer's Name: Allie S
The Glittering Court
Mead, Richelle
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

This is the best book if you like multiple things in books. If you like fashion, adventure, romance, mystery, and royalty, then you'll love this novel that embraces the true nature of finding ones own path and defying the odds of those who doubt you are capable of things that you can already achieve. No matter what this book has a pure essence of perfection.

Reviewer's Name: Skyla N.
Amy and Roger's Epic Detour
Matson, Morgan
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour, written by Morgan Matson, begins with communicating the past of the main character, whose name is Amy Curry. Amy is a girl whose passion is drama. She often played the main role in her school's musicals. This was before something very tragic took place in her life; something she keeps blaming herself for. The past year for Amy has been pretty awful. Her mother decided on a whim to move to Connecticut, forcing Amy to somehow get their car from their home, California, all the way across the country. The biggest problem is that Amy has been terrified to be behind the wheel since the fatal car accident she got in which killed her father.
Also, her twin brother has been a mess since their father's death. He was stoned regularly and went out late to friend's parties. That was before their mother decided, also on a whim, to send him to rehab in North Carolina. Now Amy is forced to be alone in her home in California which is seeming less and less like home as strangers come in with the realtor checking out the house.
Next, Amy's roadtrip gets started, but with an unexpected visitor named Roger, and the tables turn. I think this book is a beautiful display of picking one's life up after tragedy, and rediscovering who you are once dreadful obstacles get in your way. The characters are very round and developed and the book is impossible to put down! I recommend this book to anyone who has recently gone through something traumatic or anyone who is into fresh starts and adventures.

Reviewer's Name: Elizabeth P
The Fault in Our Stars
Green, John
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

Hazel Lancaster is battling cancer and has been sense she was 13. Now she is 16 and has had more than one near death experience. This book is an amazing book that could make you smile and cry at the same time. I would definitely recommended this book to people who have read 100 days by Nichole McInnes. It is a romantic tale of Hazel Lancaster and Augustus Waters trying to find answers to there favorite book while battling cancer. I would recommend the book for tweens, teens, and adults.

Reviewer's Name: Natalie M.
P.S. I Still Love You
Han, Jenny
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

P.S. I Still Love You, by Jenny Han, is the second book to the To all the Boys I've Loved Before trilogy. The central character is a girl named Lara Jean. She is a quirky shy girl who loves to bake, enjoys scrapbooking, and is into fashion. The first book of the series begins with a crazy start.

Lara Jean wrote love letters, five in all, to boys that she used to be in love with when she was younger. One day, her young sister Kitty, who previously got in a fight with Lara Jean, decides to get back at her sister by sending out all of these private letters. This changes Lara Jean's life completely. P.S. I Still Love You is a good continuation to Lara Jean's story but I'm trying not to spoil it so I suppose I'll leave it at that. Overall, I love Jenny Han's writing technique. She adds suspense and plot twists to keep the books going and keep things interesting. This trilogy is a must read for fans of chick flicks or romantic comedies; you can't put it down.

Reviewer's Name: Elizabeth P
My Heart and other Black Holes
Warga, Jasmine
4 stars = Really Good
Review:

Aysel is a girl who is held back by her dark past and whose life is influenced greatly by her violent father and his sins. Instead of working, Aysel explores a disturbing website called "Smooth Passages". This website includes different people who wish to commit "partner suicide". Aysel is a very depressed girl and is intrigued by Smooth Passages. She soon discovers a boy who lives close by and contacts him but the closer and closer it gets to their suicide date, the more Aysel wonders if maybe living wouldn't be so bad after all. I thought that this book was fairly well written but the only problem I had with it was that it was predictable. All in all, i enjoyed the book but it wasn't my all time favorite.
Reviewer Grade 10

Reviewer's Name: Elizabeth P
Five Feet Apart
Lippincott, Rachel
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

This book is so amazing and special! It is the story of Stella Grant and Will Newman, two teens with cystic fibrosis, a disease in the lungs.
Because of the possibility of transmitting germs, two people with cystic fibrosis (CF) are not permitted to get within six feet of each other. Will and Stella are polar opposites when they meet, but as they start spending more time together, they find out they have more in common than they initially thought, and start to fall in love despite the six foot rule. This book is engaging, funny, heartbreaking and powerful all at the same time. It makes you appreciate the life you are given so much more, and reminds you to never waste a second of time with someone who you love. This is one of the best books I have ever read!

Reviewer's Name: Allie S
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Han, Jenny
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

This is a wonderful book for anyone who's ever wondered what it would be like to have all of your crushes find out that you liked them-- at the same time. Lara Jean is a high school junior and her life goes from boring to out of control overnight when her secret love letters to her crushes are mailed out. At the same time, one of her crushes, Peter, breaks up with his girlfriend and the two decide to start a fake relationship to make Peter's ex-girlfriend jealous, and so Lara Jean's real crush, Josh, doesn't find out that she likes him. This book is funny, detailed and true in a way that very few romance books are. It pleasantly surprised me with the humor and heart of this novel. Peter and Lara Jean have wonderful chemistry and it is hard not to fall in love with this book!

Reviewer's Name: Allie S
Matched
Condie, Allyson
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

This book is truly amazing! It leaves you wondering what will happen next, to where you cannot put the book down! This is the first book of a trilogy by Ally Condie, all of which are fantastic. I usually don't like reading but I checked this out, and could not put it down! I read it in a week or so because it was so enthralling. I would recommend this book to anyone! It's futuristic, comical, dramatic, and romantic all at the same time.

Reviewer's Name: Ashlynn B.
Five Feet Apart
Lippincott, Rachael
5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome!
Review:

-----Possible Spoiler Alert!---------
Stella Grant is a cystic fibrosis patient who actively uses social media to cope with her illness and tries to live a normal life. Stella absolutely loves babies and spends most of her days at the NICU or where they keep the babies. She meets another CF patient, Will Newman, who is at the hospital for a medication trial, in an attempt to get rid of the bacterial infection in his lungs B. Cepacia. He follows her to the NICU while his friends use his room for stuff. CF patients are strictly kept six feet apart to reduce the risk of bacterial infections from other CF patients can be life-threatening. Stella is determined to keep the and dislikes Will initially, who likes to break the rules and take dangerous risks. Stella notices that Will isn't taking his treatment regimen and gets him to agree on one condition he can draw Stella. Will and Stella begin to fall for each other and go on their first to the hospital pool, they reveal scars from
their past surgeries. The day after that Stella made a scavenger hunt for his birthday, which catches him by surprise. It ends with Will meeting up with Stella, who leads him to a room for a surprise dinner party, put on by Stella and Poe, Stella's best friend and a fellow CF patient. After that, Poe dies and Stella is sad because she never got to hug him. Stella decides that she is living her life too strictly. Stella and Will decide to leave the hospital with her in order to view the lights from the city. Stella suddenly grabs Will's hand, scarring Will. However Stella argues that she has gloves on. They come across a pond and decide to slide around on the pond. During this, the hospital is notified that they had a pair of lungs for Stella to get a transplant. She ignores it so she can spend more time out with Will . When Will finds out that Stella can get a transplant, he pleads with Stella to take the transplant. Stella refuses, before falling through the ice. Will is able to pull her out of the water, but Stella is unresponsive. Despite the risk of infection, Will performs CPR and Stella wakes up. They are then brought back to the hospital by ambulance. At first Stella is hesitant but Stella agrees to do the transplant after Will convinces her to do it for him. The transplant is successful. Will finds out that Stella did not contract his infection.When Stella wakes up from her surgery, she sees Will through the glass window of her room. He has set up a display of lights outside of her room, saying that his only regret was that she did not get to see the lights so he brought them to her. He tells her that his drug trial isn't working, and he doesn't want her to have to deal with his eventual death. Confessing his love for her, Will makes her close her eyes, because he says he won't be able to leave if she is looking at him. Stella closes her eyes and Will walks away.

I would recommend this book to others because the book tells you that just because you might be different you can still find love. This book is a good romance novel that takes two people that think that they don't have anything in common to them falling in love.

Reviewer's Name: Hannah L.