Mini-Reviews #1

I was inspired by Nic @ Irresistible Reads to do this Mini Reviews post. :) The following mini-reviews are for ARCs I've read. I didn't write full reviews for these for different reasons, but I hope I managed to get my feelings across in each of these mini-reviews.

Dreamland Social Club by Tara Altebrando / Released: May 12
When I started this book, I was really intrigued and I liked the strangeness of the characters. But as I continued reading, I felt like the main character wasn't making much progress in learning more about her mother (convenient how her own father doesn't seem to know anything, huh?). I'm sure by the end she would have learned just about everything, but I think it's taking too long, especially since I started finding the story less and less interesting. It took me two weeks to get halfway with this book, and it's been months since I picked it back up. I really wanted to like this book, but I don't see myself continuing it at the moment. Rating: None / DNF

Stay with Me by Paul Griffin / Release: Sept. 8

A fast-paced novel told in alternating POVs between fifteen-year-olds Mack and Céce over the course of one hundred and two days. Reading through this book was a struggle for me at first. I could not connect with the characters. Didn't feel much of anything for them. The relationship between Céce and Mack.... It seemed like I blinked and they were already all over each other, saying how much they were in love. I felt like I missed something. Eventually I just let it go, and after that I was able to appreciate the story more. By the end, I was a bit more connected with the characters. I think the ending was fitting, but I felt sad about the whole situation. Because stories like this happen all the time. Life isn't always fair, and people end up making terrible mistakes. All you can do is move on and have hope that things will get better. I wish these characters all the best. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin / Release: Sept. 27
Huh... That was... I don't even know... What?? I liked Mara Dyer. But sometimes the choices she made (or tried to make) and her reasoning behind them frustrated me. A lot. I also liked Noah. However, in the beginning, he was hard to figure out, and there were a few things about him I didn't like. But, he ended up being...not that bad, actually. It's just...yeah. I know I'm not making much sense. I just felt the need to type a little something because I'm still trying to figure out what I just read. What's real and what's not real. Very original and unique story. Overall, I liked it and can't wait to read the sequel. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars