Bookmas Day 3 — Comic Books

♫On the third day of Bookmas, the book blogger gave to me, comic book thoughts, a list of writing tips and a book rec for a mystery...♫

Hello and welcome back for the third day of Bookmas! Today I thought I'd discuss a medium I haven't talked much about on here, but one I adore. Comic books! I started exploring comic books in greater depth during last year, and since then, I've been trying to read a variety of different stories.

Last year, I started with, typically enough, The Avengers. I read The Coming of the Avengers by Stan Lee, followed by Ultron Unlimited by Kurt Busiek and George Perez. I then moved in a very different direction, and read The Umbrella Academy: The Apocalypse Suite and also the second UA, Dallas, by Gerard Way. I then strayed back into Marvel to read Ms Marvel: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson, which is still one of my favourite comics today. Shortly after, I read some more Gerard Way, The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (which is, strangely enough, the comic book story for one of my favourite My Chemical Romance albums, which goes by the same name), before crossing over into, dare I say it, DC Comics to read Batwoman: Elegy.

That was just a quick overview of my comic book experimentation so far. A lot of these comics have been amazing, from the stories to characters to art. I find that comics are a starkly different storytelling device to novels, and the stories consequently are interpreted in a different way. So, I am going to give a quick recommendation of the aforementioned comics, where you can find out what they're about, and whether they're for you.

The Coming of the Avengers, Stan Lee

Marvel

The Avengers is a classic. This comic, written in 1963, is stylistically very classic comic book style.

The art and font is very classic and whimsical, and it's really fun to read because of the vintage feel. I would start here if you're interested in superhero comics, or if you've enjoyed Marvel movies or more recent Marvel comics. It's a fun blast from the past!

Ultron Unlimited, Kurt Busiek and George Perez

Marvel

This is a more modern Avengers comic. The art is more sleek and detailed, and the colours are much more bright. It is less whimsical than The Coming of the Avengers, and is slightly darker and more angst-filled. This follows a classic Avengers tale, the one of villain Ultron. If you went to see the second Avengers film, Age of Ultron, you might want to give this a go to see one of the original comics which starred the villain, characters and world you've seen portrayed on the big screen.

Umbrella Academy, Gerard Way

Dark Horse Comics

This dark, cynical, superhero sci-fi tale is so starkly different from any other comic book I've read.

Gerard Way, the lead singer of one of my all-time favourite bands, My Chemical Romance, is such a unique story teller, and his visions for the story are clearly something special. The comic follows a group of seven children who were born spontaneously, and are adopted by a millionaire inventor for no discernible reason. These children discover they have powers, and from the age of ten, start to fight evil. But after disbanding, ten years later, their adoptive father's death brings them all back together... to save the world again. I would recommend this comic to lovers of clever, cynical wit, steampunk themes, disgruntled, angsty superheroes and unique world-saving.

Ms Marvel: No Normal, G. Willow Wilson

Marvel

Ms Marvel follows Kamala Khan, an unassuming Muslim girl from Jersey City, who admires superheroes like Captain Marvel. When she discovers she has strange powers, Kamala must begin a journey of discovering who she is, what her powers are, how she should use them, and how to live her life as a normal girl (if she can). Kamala is a strong, lovable female lead, and her story is empowering and enthralling. This comic has an air of classic comic conventions, but it also has new themes and lots of representation that seems to be lacking in a lot of comics, and pop culture in general. I would recommend this comic to fans of books such as I Am Princess X and lovers of good, strong female-led stories.

The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, Gerard Way

Dark Horse Comics

When I heard Gerard was writing out the comic story of Danger Days, I got very excited. That album had always captured my imagination, especially with its playful, comical (yet undeniably dark) music videos. This comic book does not disappoint. It follows the journey of the Girl, who is stranded in a post-apocalyptic city ruled by Better Living Industries. Years ago, the Fabulous Killjoys, her heroes and the closest thing she had to family, died fighting BLI. Now, she must avenge them, and tackle BLI. But first and foremost, she must survive the world BLI now runs. This comic is bright and the art is distinctive and edgy. It seems whimsical and playful on the surface, but it is quite dark. The themes and underlying messages are meaningful. This is another incredibly unique comic. With a distinctive dystopian backdrop and a strong selection of characters, I would highly recommend Killjoys.

Batwoman: Elegy, Greg Rucka

DC Comics

Ordinarily, I'm strictly a Marvel girl. But it is worth crossing the floor to read a female-led comic starring a super-villain inspired by Alice in Wonderland. This comic is dark and edgy, and the art reflects it. Being my first DC Comic, I found it was a lot less humorous than anything Marvel I've read. The themes are just as poignant, however the surface dialogue and story does little to hide it. The story follows Kate Kane, or Batwoman, and her fight against Gotham's latest threat — a crazed madwoman leading covens of witches, who quotes Alice in Wonderland. This comic is similar to the Batman comics and films, with its stoic heroism and "fist of justice" attitude. I would highly recommend this comic to fans of Batman and other DC stories.

If you consider yourself a comic book aficionado, or just someone who's still learning like me, let me know in the comments below or via any of my socials and we can discuss! I have loved experimenting with comic books and I don't plan to stop any time soon, so if you have any recommendations or just want to share your experience, I'm definitely willing!

As always, feel free to strike up a conversation about anything via my socials! I'm always willing to chat with y'all. Additionally, my email (mywordsarearrows@gmail.com) is always open for business inquiries, feedback, questions about my book, or just to say hi!

I hope you've enjoyed this post, and I'll see you tomorrow with another Bookmas post.

Lily xo

Bookmas Day 1 — Dangerous Girls Recommendation

♫On the second day of Bookmas, the book blogger gave to me, a book rec for a mystery...♫

It's officially the first day of Bookmas! And as promised, here is my first post... a recommendation of
one of the best books I read during this year, a book called Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas.

Have you ever read a book that left you questioning your existence and sitting in a pool of your own tears and horror? That is what Dangerous Girls did to me. It is enthralling, mind-bending, incomprehensible and un-put-down-able. I started reading it just casually, and I didn't put it down again until I'd read the whole thing cover to cover. Then, I proceeded to reread the book, because I could not imagine reading anything else. I went through a brief Dangerous Girls-induced reading slump, because it was just so good, I couldn't read anything else.

Dangerous Girls is a psychological thriller/murder mystery, so now you probably understand why I love it so much. Except, believe me when I say, this is THE BEST psych thriller I have ever read, the best mystery I've ever read, and I'm deeply upset that I didn't write this book.

Dangerous Girls follows the journey of a group of friends who are spending their spring break in Aruba, enjoying an adult-free, responsibility-free, repercussions-free holiday. Our main character, Anna, is so happy with her life. She has an amazing best friend, Elise, and an amazing boyfriend, Tate. The three of them and a few other friends begin their holiday shopping, drinking, partying, relaxing at the beach. But then, Elise is found brutally murdered in their holiday house, and someone must pay for her death.

Whilst dealing with her best friend's death and the deterioration of her life and everything she ever knew, she is faced with vile accusations, and she and Tate are under suspicion for Elise's murder. Anna must now fight for her innocence in a foreign country, discover horrific and painful truths about friendship and love, and wait anxiously for the judge's decree.

The writing in this book is perfect for it. It is enthralling, and the way it is structured, with time jumps, TV and phone call show transcripts and more, makes this book impossible to put down. It's so messed up and intense, don't allow yourself to be fooled by the jovial start, the friendly banter of the group. This book gets progressively more twisted, until you find yourself wondering how these kids are even the same ones from the start.

The characters are all well rounded and developed, and they're all shown just a little bit guilty. It's easy to get lost in the story and the characters, to be hanging off every word and wondering who did it. I fell into the world and the pages dissolved in my fingers as I read, because I was so desperate to know, to get more of it.

This book is just so good, I don't think I can fully explain without spoilers, but everything about it is twisted and crazy and breathtaking. The best way for me to describe this book is that it's like not being able to exhale until you finish the book, because you just simply cannot breathe properly until you know.

I would highly, highly recommend this book, and I am so excited to read and review Dangerous Boys, the sequel, which I already own! This book would be perfect for fans of Lauren Oliver, and books like Cooper Bartholomew Is Dead and Beautiful Dead.

If you know of any good psych thrillers similar to Dangerous Girls, let me know, because they are my jam! This is exactly the sort of book I looooove. If you want to discuss this book, because let's be real it's so mental and upside-down you just need to talk about it, contact me and we can rant and discuss! As per usual, you can contact me via any of my socials if you want to recommend me a book, discuss a book, talk business things like ARCs, or just to say hi! And, of course, my email is always open — mywordsarearrows@gmail.com.

I hope you have enjoyed the first day of Bookmas, and I'll see you tomorrow with another post!

Lily xo

I Am Princess X Recommendation

So for this week's recommendation, I have a pretty unique book to show you. It's a little bit graphic novel, it's a little bit super hero comic, it's a little bit YA contemporary, it's a little bit Nancy Drew-style mystery. It was so interesting and fun, and I really enjoyed it.

It's called I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest, and it's a recent release, published earlier this year in May. You can check the goodreads profile for it here, and read the synopsis below:

Once upon a time, two best friends created a princess together. Libby drew the pictures, May wrote the tales, and their heroine, Princess X, slayed all the dragons and scaled all the mountains their imaginations could conjure.

Once upon a few years later, Libby was in the car with her mom, driving across the Ballard Bridge on a rainy night. When the car went over the side, Libby passed away, and Princess X died with her.

Once upon a now: May is sixteen and lonely, wandering the streets of Seattle, when she sees a sticker slapped in a corner window.

Princess X? 

When May looks around, she sees the Princess everywhere: Stickers. Patches. Graffiti. There's an entire underground culture, focused around a webcomic at IAmPrincessX.com. The more May explores the webcomic, the more she sees disturbing similarities between Libby's story and Princess X online. And that means that only one person could have started this phenomenon---her best friend, Libby, who lives.

If that and the beautiful cover doesn't intrigue you, I don't know what will. The book, which focuses heavily on Princess X and her story, features snippets from the web comic about the Princess. It also has beautiful little drawings, illustrations and splashes of purple throughout it. The cover is spectacular, for sure, but the interior design (of the hardcover copy, at least... I don't know about any other medium) is gorgeous. The chapters all have a brilliant purple header of Princess X, and the book physically is so beautiful I was tempted to buy it without even looking it up on goodreads.

Not only is the book's design, interior and exterior, spectacular, but the story is also incredibly intriguing and cutesy. The main character, May, although a tiny bit dry, is our narrator most of the time, in third person. She is dedicated and loyal, and a through-and-through conspiracy theorist. She meets many other friends, including a snarky, law-bending hacker and a peroxide blonde punk in her quest to figure out who is behind the new Princess X site and whether Libby is still alive.

Though the book is somewhat childish in its nature, with very tame, comic book like themes, the clues and the actual mystery is captivating and keeps you guessing. The parallels between the Princess X web comic and the actual storyline May is living are spine-tingling to watch unfold, and you will start to piece together the mystery, slowly, for yourself.

It's not the most intellectual mystery ever, but it's a cute, adorable tale of bravery, super heroes and friendship. May and Libby will make you want to grab a friend and create things together, and their friendship is wonderful to read. In saying that, this book does get dark in its themes at time, with murder and serial killers and psychopaths, but the way it's written, with comic book style motifs and lovable characters, makes it hard to be too menacing.

I would recommend this book to anyone in need of a fluffy, cutesy, original contemporary with a bit of a mystery and a happy ending. I would suggest it to fans of comics like Ms Marvel, and books like E. Lockhart's The Disreputable History Of Frankie Landau-Banks, and other books with mysteries, friendship and strong female role models.

If you do read I Am Princess X, and you'd like to discuss with me, contact me via the comments below, or any of my socials (in the banner at the top of my blog, under the header). If you'd like to contact me for business, my book, or just to chat, send me an email: mywordsarearrows@gmail.com :)

You can also add me as a friend on goodreads, or like my facebook page, to keep up to date with what I'm reading and posting.

Hope you have a wonderful day, and I'll see you soon with another post!

Lily xoxo

TV Shows That Are Definitely Worthwhile

Hey! So I spend 97% of my time on here discussing books, and so I should, because, well, it is a book blog. But we can't all be super-readers chewing through 500-page fantasy epics all the time, and so I thought today I'd write up a post about TV shows I've enjoyed over the past year and a bit, in between this post and my last TV shows post.

TV shows are a great way to just chill out after an exhausting day. I often watch a few episodes of something before I go to bed and read. So sit back, make some tea and hit up Netflix with these recommendations!

Parks And Recreation

Summary: Parks And Rec follows the life of the Parks and Recreation department of the small town Pawnee, Indiana. Leslie Knope, the deputy head of the department, is an ambitious, fun loving energizer bunny, and the story starts with her promising to fix the giant hole behind a civilian's house. Mayhem and hilarity ensue as she tries to fix every problem for the town and gives her all to make Pawnee a better place.

No. of Seasons: The show finished earlier this year with seven seasons. The episodes are twenty minutes long.

Why It's Amazing: Parks And Recreation, which was made by the same people who made The Office, is hilarious. It's deadpan, it's funny, it's smart and the characters are so loveable. The whole show just makes me feel happy and bubbly, and it's just what you need after reading or watching something dark and heavy.

Star Rating: I couldn't not give this show five stars.

Pretty Little Liars

Summary: Pretty Little Liars follows the story of four girls whose best friend disappeared. The show starts off a year after her disappearance, when her body is finally found. However, after her funeral, the four friends who've now grown apart all receive a threatening message from the mysterious A. The friends slowly grow closer together as these messages quickly turn more menacing and into actions against the girls, their friends and their families. The show continues on following the major question every character and viewer has- who is A?

No. of Seasons: PLL is in the middle of it's sixth season, and there will be seven seasons in total. The episodes are forty minutes in length and there are normally twenty four episodes in total per season.

Why It's Amazing: PLL is the perfect mix of mystery and high school drama, both of which I love tremendously. The show always keeps you guessing and the frequent unexplained plot twists inspire a strong obsession with the show. The characters may not be the smartest girls ever (like seriously, if you think there's someone in your house, you don't yell out "who's there?" and alert them to exactly where you are!) but their friendship with each other is beautiful to watch. The show mightn't be the most intellectually written TV series ever, but it's certainly very entertaining and addictive.

Star Rating: Four stars.

Sherlock

Summary: In this modern adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's famous books, Sherlock Holmes is and arrogant, impersonal detective looking for a flatmate. John Watson is an army veteran with no job and PTSD. Naturally, the two begin living together, and John gets dragged into many of Sherlock's cases and weird experiments around the house. The two become the famous detective duo, facing the classic Holmes villains- Moriarty, Magnussen, the Hounds of the Baskervilles.

No. of Seasons: Three, and the episodes are an hour and a half long. There are three episodes per season (we don't talk about that, though). There is a Christmas special and another season coming out at the end of this year and the start of next year.

Why It's Amazing: I always talk about Sherlock on here, and rightly so, because it's truly an amazing show. The script writing in impeccable and the editing is superb. The acting is amazing and I love this show. I always loved the original Sherlock Holmes stories, and I feel like this show really does the original material justice.

Star Rating: Five stars.

Gossip Girl

Summary: Gossip Girl follows the lives of schoolkids living on Manhattan's Upper East Side. These kids have enormous amounts of wealth, and are terribly behaved. The show starts with the reappearance of Serena Van Der Woodsen, the elite "It Girl" who disappeared to boarding school unannounced after a year of extreme drama. The society is rocked by her reappearance as everyone, including Serena's ex-best friend Blair, deal with her mysterious disappearance and with her back in the social spotlight. The show goes on to follow the lives of these students, with all the drama and hilarity that you might imagine.

No. of Seasons: Six, with roughly twenty two episodes per season. The episodes are forty minutes in length.

Why It's Amazing: Don't judge me, friends, because I genuinely love this show. Sad, lonely rich kids are the way to my heart, no lie. Anyways, this show is completely enjoyable for me because I love the characters. I must admit that I have a special affinity for Blair, Chuck and Jenny, although I desperately care for (almost) all the main characters. The show isn't the most intellectual thing I've ever watched, but it sucks me in and I love it. The drama and storyline is addictive in the most undefinable way ever. Of course, my feelings for Chuck and Blair make it very easy to be addicted. The first episode is quite boring, but you really need to get through a few episodes, and then you get to the good stuff.

Star Rating: Four stars (but five for enjoyment factor).

Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Summary: Brooklyn Nine-Nine follows the lives of an NYPD division. They're funny, deadpan, silly and just all round fantastic entertainment. In the style of Parks and Rec and The Office, this comedy is an all-round crowd-pleaser. The main character, Detective Jake Peralta, is a hilarious. He's childish and silly but also an incredibly good detective (when he's not setting things on fire or arresting people with no evidence). Despite having the best arrest record, Jake is constantly creating troubles for himself both inside and out of his job, but with the help of his competitive partner, Detective Amy Santiago, and the rest of his team at the 99th Precinct, he always manages to pull himself out — and catch the bad guy.
No. of Seasons: Two currently, though there is a new season coming out towards the end of September. The episodes are twenty minutes long, and there are roughly 20 per season, so there's plenty to watch!
Why It's Amazing: It's a solid hit of goofiness and hilarity. It's funny, heartwarming and a great show to whack on if you're not feeling like the drama of PLL or GG. Not only is it inventive and a fun crime show, it is first and foremost and comedy, and the writers do a fantastic job in making it hilarious.
Star Rating: Four stars, simply because sometimes, it lacks distinct plot and the more intelligent writing comedies like Parks have. But other than that, this show is a pure injection of happiness.

So those are my top five TV shows I've discovered. I'm sure my tastes in TV are fairly obvious now! I'm not a huge fan of epic dramas, mysterious and serious shows, despite being fond of those sorts of books. My idea of TV is something I can just chill out watching, with some snacks and a warm blanket.

I hope these recommendations are of some use to you! If there is a TV show you think I'll like, please let me know in the comments or via any of my socials (all above in the little banner). Also, if you'd like more posts like this, where I discuss shows, movies, maybe even music, let me know! I will totally be cool with catering to what you guys want to read!

As always, feel free to comment below, send and email to mywordsarearrows@gmail.com or send me a message to any of my socials if you want to ask questions, request a free copy of my book in exchange for a review, or just to say hi.

See you next week with another post!

Lily xoxo

Aristotle And Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe Recommendation

I am so sorry for my absence over the last few weeks. I have been busy with so many things (including an untimely reading slump preventing me from writing any worthy reviews) that I have somewhat abandoned you. Fortunately, I'm back to stay now!

So after a long, irritating process in trying to purchase the hardback copy of Aristotle And Dante
Discover The Secrets Of The Universe (do you have any idea how hard it is to get hardbacks in Australia? Well I'll tell you. It's near impossible. And expensive.), it finally arrived and IT IS BEAUTIFUL. The cover, the writing, the characters, the setting, the plot, literally everything about it is beautiful. This is a coming-of-age contemporary by Benjamin Alire Sanez, and I would recommend it to everyone, regardless of age, gender, whatever. Read it. The synopsis is below;

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

First of all, characters. Because we all know Lily loves characters. Aristotle and Dante are the most realistic, loveable, different characters I've ever read. They were wise beyond their years, but not in an obnoxious way. They still retained oodles of boyish-charm that was just perfect to see in contrast with their childish-wisdom. Ari was tough and clearly just needed a hug, and I wanted to dive into the book and wrap him in a blanket, hand him a mug of tea and hug him. The poor kid was so beautifully written he feels real to me. Dante, as the book was not from his point of view, was harder to pin-point, but he was equally as loveable. He was the peace to Ari's anger, and it was more than clear to see that they fir together perfectly. Dante was clever, he was friendly, he was unabashedly open about his feelings, and seeing him next to Ari was beautiful.

The setting worked perfectly. The late 80's were a beautiful backdrop for this gem of a story, and it was really a refreshing break from all the YA that's set in nowadays-ish-era.

The plot was slower than usual, but it didn't feel slow. The book flowed at a nice, consistent pace that really aided the movement of time in this novel. The novel spans over a year or two, but the book never felt like it was dragging on. It had the distinct coming-of-age contemporary feel, and so it wasn't very fast-paced.

Ari and Dante's changing relationship was done so well and I am in awe of how well Benjamin Alire Sanez was able to write their interactions and relationship in such a way that was completely consistent with their characters.

There isn't much more I can say about this book, but I will say that it is completely worth reading. It is adorable and dorky and meaningful, and I have a feeling it will make its way onto my favourites list.

Share your thoughts on Aristotle and Dante below in the comments. As always, feel free to hit me up on any of my social media accounts to discuss all things bookish, and also, if you'd like to buy my book, head to Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes & Noble Online and more to get your physical or e-copy. If you'd like a free copy in exchange for a review on your blog, goodreads etc, please email me at mywordsarearrows@gmail.com and I will get you a copy :)

Have a lovely week and I'll see you soon with a new post!

Lily xoxo

This Shattered World- Recommendation

Hey! So today I will be recommending a book called This Shattered World by Aimee Kaufman and

Meagan Spooner.

This Shattered World is the sequel to These Broken Stars, which you may remember from a recommendation I did a while back (you can see it here).

TSW follows the story of two brand new characters, still living in the same world as Lilac and Tarver from TBS. These two characters, Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac, are sworn enemies, their people battling each other for the planet Avon. Here's the synopsis-

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.

It's another sci-fi space romance, and it's fantastic. There's cameo appearances by both Lilac and Tarver, and both Jubilee and Flynn are amazing characters in their own right. They're also really different from Lilac and Tarver, which was something I was worried wouldn't happen. Where Lilac is a wealthy socialite, Jubilee is a broken, hard war-orphan and soldier. Where Tarver is a strong, survival-oriented soldier, Flynn is 

This book also built up on the world we'd previously explored in TBS, and it was so interesting seeing it through brand new eyes. The world building was fantastic and it's really easy to lose yourself in the book because of it.

If you've read These Broken Stars and you're hesitant to pick This Shattered World up, I highly recommend you do. You won't be disappointed.

If you've not read These Broken Stars, I would suggest you read it before you read this one, as there are just little spoilers here and there for TBS. Although, if you really wanted to, there's no real reason you couldn't read This Shattered World first.

Share your thoughts in the comments, to my twitter (@lilypherondale) or to my tumblr sherlockcrumpets. Like my facebook page to keep up with my posts and what I've been doing lately! You can also send me an email for business inquires or just to say hi and share your thoughts to mywordsarearrows@gmail.com.

See you next week for another post!

Lily xo

All The Bright Places- Recommendation

Hey! So it's that time again- time for a recommendation.

Since my reviews often have spoilers and I don't nearly buy enough books to do a bookhaul every second week, I am reintroducing my recommendations. For those who are new to My Words Are Arrows, recommendations are where I discuss a book with NO SPOILERS and say my feelings on it (which are mostly positive).

So this week I'm going to recommend All The Bright Places, by Jennifer Niven.

Here's the goodreads synopsis- 

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

It also says that this is like John Green's writing. It's not. It's so, so, so much better. Where John Green seems to use the same storylines over and over and the characters are basic and used purely as accessory to their love interest, Jennifer Niven's characters are well developed in their own right, and they're all brilliantly unique.

This book is heart-wrenching and beautiful and perfect. It's beautifully crafted and spectacularly written. It's a contemporary with almost four hundred words but they fly by, and you get sucked into this world with these wonderful characters.

It does have some pretty heavy themes of suicide and mental illness, so if you're not so good with that sort of stuff, I would caution you before you read this.

All in all, All The Bright Places is incredible. I really, really enjoyed it, and I would definitely recommend. A solid five-stars.

(Also I would recommend getting the hardback. I don't normally buy two copies of books, but I simply could not resist the hardcover version. It's beautiful.)

Share your thoughts (with no spoilers) in the comments below, or shoot me a tweet at @lilypherondale or a tumblr ask to my tumblr, sherlockcrumpets. You can also like my facebook page here to see what I'm reading and see my posts in your feed! If you want to chat about anything, like ARCs and other business things, or just to say hi, hit up my email address at mywordsarearrows@gmail.com :)

I also have a brand-new header with my logo! That's right, I finally have my own logo. Let me know what you think about the new logo and header!

See you next week with another post!

Lily xoxo