A Book a Day Keeps the Insanity Away: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

Book I'm writing about today: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

     Five years ago, Andie Bell was killed by Sal Singh. Everyone knows he did it. It's a closed case. But growing up in a town consumed by the horrific murder, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn't so sure Sal is guilty. In fact, she thinks he is completely innocent. 

     When Pippa chooses the topic Andie Bell's Murder for a school project, she starts to dig deeper and deeper into the dark secrets of her town, secrets that someone -- maybe the killer -- wants hidden. Someone who will do whatever it takes to make sure Pippa doesn't find out the truth.

     WOW. Wow wow wow wow wow! This book was SO GOOD. Exhilarating. Thrilling. Bit by bit, Pippa uncovered secret after secret, answer after answer. Everything came together perfectly at the end, like a puzzle. Pippa's adventure was very fun to read. I don't think there is a lot more to say except go read the book! :)

Genre: Young Adult (Mystery / Thriller)
Main Character: Pippa
Other Characters (in no particular order): Ravi, Andie, Sal
Themes: Murder, mystery, secrets, cover-ups
Sad Rating: 0 out of 5 (there were some sad bits, but they weren't super important to the                        story line)
Satisfying Ending Rating: 5 out of 5
*There is a second book in the series and a third and forth book expected to come out in 2021-2022*

Read this book if you like a spunky girl who uncovers lots of secrets and questions where the answers click together perfectly at the end to reveal dark truths.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Thank you so much for reading!!! Comments below! :)
Noa 📚

A Book a Day Keeps the Insanity Away: Phantom Limbs

Book I'm writing about today: Phantom Limbs by Paula Garner

     13-year-olds Otis and Meg were attached at the hip -- and in love -- until an accident tore them apart, leaving Otis's little brother Mason dead and causing Meg to move away abruptly. During the three years of no contact with her, Otis becomes amputee Dara's "project". After losing an arm and her swimming career because of one stupid mistake, Dara is convinced that Otis is eligible for the Olympics, and will do anything to get him there, no matter how much he doesn't want it.

     When Otis gets a text from Meg, telling him that she is coming home for three whole weeks, he is forced to face the accident that tore them apart, and the secrets that come with it. But Meg isn't the same girl who left him behind, the one who never left his thoughts for a single second, and that's becoming painfully clear. 

I really liked reading this book. Bit by bit, what happened that dreadful night, at first very vague, but then becoming more and more detailed, becomes painfully clear. I got to know Otis and Dara's (completely platonic) relationship, and Otis's close to non-existent relationship with Meg. Although Meg was traumatized and maybe even a bit depressed, I do NOT think Meg was good enough for Otis. Okay, I won't say anymore, I don't want to spoil it. :)

Genre: Young Adult Fiction (Contemporary / Relationships)
Main Character: Otis
Other Characters (in no particular order): Dara, Meg, Mom & Dad
Themes: love/relationships, self-love, friendships
Sad Rating: 2 out of 5
Satisfying Ending Rating: 2 out of 5

Read this book if you like books about someone confronting their past trauma and old friendships/loves.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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As always, thank you so much for reading this!! Please leave feedback below as I am fairly new to this kind of stuff :)
Noa 📚

A Book a Day Keeps the Insanity Away: The One Memory of Flora Banks

Book I'm writing about today: The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr

     Flora Banks has not made a memory since she was ten years old, when she had a tumor removed from her brain that took her short term memory with it. Her memory resets itself every few hours. She has to write notes every second documenting everything that she does and relies on mostly her parents and her best friend Paige to help her in her day to day life. 

     Everything Flora ever thought she knew changes in a single night, when she kisses Paige's boyfriend and remembers it. Now that boy is gone, somewhere in the Arctic, and she sets off to find him to fix her memory. But how can you trust one boy to fix you, when you can't even trust yourself?

     This book was heartbreaking to read. Flora constantly talked about the luxury of having memories and even made me feel a tinyyyyy bit guilty for having a functioning brain. Experiencing Flora's journey with her made me appreciate the little things I have in life, like being able to remember what I had for breakfast that day, what my friend's name is, and even my own name. The end of the book shocked me with a huge twist; I even cried at times for Flora. The One Memory of Flora Banks is a remarkable book about trust, finding out who you are, and the true meaning of love. 

Genre: Young Adult (Families and Relationships)
Main Character: Flora
Other Characters (in no particular order): Drake, Paige, Mom & Dad, Jacob
Themes: Love, self-love, trust, relationships 
Sad Rating: 4 out of 5
Satisfying Ending Rating: 4 out of 5

Read this book if you like sad books about a troubled teen and her relationships with the people around her.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Thank you so much for reading. Feedback is encouraged! :)
Noa 📚

A Book a Day Keeps the Insanity Away: Everything that Makes You

Book I'm writing about today: Everything that Makes You by Moriah McStay

     Everything that Makes You is about a girl named Fiona Doyles, who had an accident when she just five years old, leaving her with scars all over the right side of her face. She silently loves Trent McKinnon from afar, spending most of her time writing songs in her Moleskines on her guitar that she is too afraid to sing in public. But things are changing, and she can't hide behind her scars anymore.      

     But what if the accident never happened? Every other chapter, Fi Doyle has no scars on her face. She is the best female lacrosse player in the state and has a full ride to Northwestern College. All of a sudden lacrosse seems less important when her best friend Trent McKinnon starts to act differently after a small kiss and everything else gets ugly. Now, one stupid incident holds her back from doing what she loves.

     
     I loved how this book was written mysteriously and super what-if-y (I know that is probably not a real thing) and how the same characters somehow found their way into both Fionas' lives. What fascinated me the most were the tiny things that were constant in both Fionas' lives, a name of a book or a friend's friend's girlfriend, and the things that were the complete opposite in both lives, for example, in Fiona's life, Lucy Daines is her best friend, but in Fi's life, they hate each other. Everything that Makes You is an amazing book about self-respect and self-love, what-ifs, friendship and love.

Genre: Young Adult Fiction (Families and Relationships)
Main Character: Fiona/Fi 
Other Characters (in no particular order): Ryan, Marcus, Jackson, Lucy, Trent, Mom & Dad
Themes: Self-love, what-ifs, friendship, love/relationships
Sad Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Satisfying Ending Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Read this book if you like reading about teens who overcome problems with a bit of love mixed in.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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I hope you enjoyed reading this!! Let me know if you have a book you want me to read or review. This was (sort of) my first time writing something like this so feel free to leave me some criticism :)
- Noa 📚