Doll Bones

Zach, Poppy, and Alice have been friends forever. And for almost as long, they've been playing one continuous, ever-changing game - a game that takes place in a world populated with pirates and thieves, mermaids and warriors, Ruling over them all is the Great Queen, a bone-china doll imprisoned in a cabinet, cursing those who displease her.

But the three friends are in middle school now, and Zach's father is pushing him to give up make-believe for basketball. When his father gives him no choice, Zach quite the game and lies about the reason. It seems like their friendship might be over, until Poppy declares she's been having dreams about the Queen- and the ghost of a girl who will not rest until the bone-china doll is buried in her empty grave. 

And so Zach and Alice and Poppy set off on one last adventure to lay the Queen's ghost to rest. But nothing goes according to plan, and as their adventure turns into an epic journey, creepy things begin to happen. Is the doll, or is there something more sinister at work? Has Poppy been telling the truth, or is she tricking them into playing a new game? And if there really is a ghost, will it let them go now that it has them in its clutches? - excerpt from book.

Doll Bones by Holly Black is a book about adventure and though it is for middle grade I still picked it up as this author is my favourite. I won't be giving a long review as this was a short and nice book to read. It had just the right amount of adventure and mystery to it. Even though the cover looked creepy it was not scary at all. I loved the setting of the book and how the plot progressed. There were a good amount of twists in the story to keep it interesting.

The characters were really cute as they just entered their middle school years and this story definitely talks about growing up. I liked their friendship and it's really good to read about their interactions with each other. The characters are really typical teenagers that you'll encounter in real life. I had a good time reading this book as it's a different intended audience from the author, but you could still read her style of writing in the story which is what I love about her. I definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy Holly Black's writing because don't let the middle grade part fool you, she still wrote this book well.

The Sky Is Everywhere

Adrift after her sister Bailey's sudden death, Lennie finds herself torn between quiet, seductive Toby - Bailey's boyfriend who shares her grief - and Joe, the new boy in town who bursts with life and musical genius. Each offers Lennie something she desperately needs....though she knows if the two of them collide her whole world will explode.

Join Lennie on this heartbreaking and hilarious journey of profound sorrow and mad love, as she makes colossal mistakes and colossal discoveries, as she traipses through band rooms and forest bedrooms and ultimately right into your heart.

As much a celebration of love as a poignant portrait of loss, Lennie's struggle to sort her own melody out of the noise around her is always honest, often uproarious, and absolutely unforgettable. - excerpt from book.

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson is the author's debut book. I've actually read the second book first and it impressed me much to pick up her first book. I was really impressed by this book too, it was such a heart-warming story on family love, The grief written in the book felt so real, it really touched my heart and it made me tear a bit. The characters' reactions and personality really catches my attention and I absolutely loved their interactions with each other. The character development was very good, I liked the heroine a lot. 

The way this book was written is so lovely as there were parts with the past which at the same time letting the readers get to know the character who is already dead in the heroine's perspective. The relationships that the heroine have is quite exciting and complicated which got me flipping the pages non-stop. I also really like that the author inserted small notes and poems in the chapters as it extends the plot. Generally the plot has a nice pace, exciting twists and the ending was just wonderful for me.

This book easily crept into my favourites for this year as the message of the book was really good. I hope that everyone who read this book would learn the same meaningful message that I did. I highly recommend this book to readers who loved I'll give you the sun. I also recommend this to contemporary lovers as this was such a touching story, you will not be disappointed. Below is a part of the book I absolutely love but it might a bit of a spoiler so do not read it if you do not wished to be spoiled:

Beside  me, step for step, breath for breath, is the unbearable fact that I have a future and Bailey doesn't. 

This is when I know it.

My sister will die over and over again for the rest of my life. Grief is forever. It doesn't go away; it becomes part of you, step for step, breath for breath. I will never stop grieving Bailey because I will never stop loving her. That's just how it is. Grief and love are conjoined, you don't get one without the other. All I can do is love her, and love the world, emulate her by living with daring and spirit and joy. - page 256 line 25 to page 257 line 7.