[Review: Everything Leads To You by Nina LaCour]

"Everything Leads To You"
Author: Nina LaCour
Series: None
Pages: 307
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Date Published: May 15th, 2014
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Format Read: Hardcover from the library

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Summary:

A love letter to the craft and romance of film and fate in front of—and behind—the camera from the award-winning author of Hold Still.

A wunderkind young set designer, Emi has already started to find her way in the competitive Hollywood film world.

Emi is a film buff and a true romantic, but her real-life relationships are a mess. She has desperately gone back to the same girl too many times to mention. But then a mysterious letter from a silver screen legend leads Emi to Ava. Ava is unlike anyone Emi has ever met. She has a tumultuous, not-so-glamorous past, and lives an unconventional life. She’s enigmatic…. She’s beautiful. And she is about to expand Emi’s understanding of family, acceptance, and true romance.

-Goodreads

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My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To Everything Leads To You,

You were finally a LaCour book that I liked. Not only were you different, but you also dived into an interesting part of Hollywood that people don't usually pay any attention to. On top of that your words were really pretty. Overall I liked you.

-The White Unicron

I've only read one other LaCour book (The Disenchantments) and I have to say that I wasn't that impressed. I felt like there was no way that her main character was actually a male, and I said in that review that I wished that he would have been a lesbian, because I felt like he would have seemed more honest. Well, as soon as I heard that Everything Leads To You featured a lesbian protagonist, I knew that I had to read it, just to see if my hunch was correct. I have to say that I really liked this book. Emi's voice was honest, and she held all the sincerity as a character that I was missing with my first LaCour experience. 

The thing that is so refreshing about this novel is that it doesn't feel like a statement piece. Sure there is a love story between two girls, but it isn't the main focus of the story. There is a huge mystery, Hollywood antics, the filming of an Indie movie, and finding yourself, playing in the background. LaCour fits so much into this book, that you find yourself pulled right in, and the diversity of the characters adds to the story. 

  

I loved all the Hollywood history in the book. Emi and her best friend find a note in a dead western stars' vinyl record that they bought at an estate sale, and the story gets going right away as they try to get the letter to its rightful owner. This leads them to Ava. 

There is an ongoing mystery as Ava tries to figure out things about her life. And there is also an Indie film being made that Emi has signed on to be the set designer for. So, no matter where you look, you're surrounded by the backstage parts of the movie business. I loved the details that made it into the book. Emi's job is one that you never hear talked about like this, and I have to say that it was one of my favorite bits of the story.

If you're looking for a love story that has something new to offer, and if you love Hollywood glamour, than may I suggest this delightful little story. I think you'll love it!

Rating:

4 Unicorns = Close to perfect!

[Review: The Fault on Our Stars by John Green]

"The Fault in Our Stars"
Author: John Green
Series: None
Pages: 318
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Date Published: January 12th, 2012
Publisher: Dutton Books
Format Read: Gifted eBook

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Summary:

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

-Goodreads

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My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To The Fault In Our Stars,

So, thanks for taking my heart strings and turning them into a huge pile of scrap metal.  That was so nice of you book, super nice of you.  But who am I kidding, I refused to read you for years (literal years) which was one of the most ridiculous things I've ever done in my life.  Sure you demolished my heart, but you also brought so much laughter and joy and one of the best book boyfriends that I've ever read in my life to my door.  But let's not forget about Hazel and how awesome she was too.  Honestly, I have no complaints about you, at all.  Okay, the heart shattering wasn't cool, but I get it, so I'll let that slide.

-The White Unicorn

Why haven't I read any John Green books before.  This man is a genius with words and even better then that he's the master of dialogue!  Seriously, the conversations in this book were perfect.  They were real and they made you feel all the feelings in your soul.  It takes a really talented writer to handle dialogue like Mr. Green and I'm glad that I finally gave in and read TFiOS.  Sometimes being a rebel comes back to bite you in the butt, that's all I'm saying.

TFiOS deals with cancer, but it's how Green deals with it that really makes this book something special.  He doesn't soak the book in depression, sure he dips it in every once in awhile, but that's to be expected.  The thing is that this book is full of insurmountable amounts of hope and laughter and snark and reality that will blow your mind away.  This book is hilarious, like hold your gut and gag on air funny.  These characters are witty as all get out.  It's really a beautiful thing, on so many levels.

I also have to thank Green for creating one of my favorite contemporary male leads ever.  Augustus Waters is as close to perfect as it comes!  He's snarky, he's funny, he's got just the right amount of "hero complex" without it getting out of hand and he's the sweetest.  He was the perfect other half for our girl Hazel.  And I'm pretty sure that he's been stealing the hearts of girls all over the world.

Speaking of Hazel, she's someone who I'd be friends with any day.  Being inside of her head for the whole book was really a privilege.  She was the perfect voice for this story.  She wasn't afraid to try to live her life as all of the side affects of dying were trying to get at her, but she also knew that her time would come at some point.  She had so much dignity as well as huge amounts of correctly used dark humor.  

But those two aren't the only people who will warm your heart in this book.  Hazel's parents are the coolest book parents I've ever read.  I loved that her dad cried so much.  And Issac was the best friend these kids could have had.  And how can we forget about Patrick and his ball-cancer?  

TFiOS is character driven to the max and it's executed so well that it still has a lot of action happening too.  Trips to foreign countries, blind video game playing and more exciting things get covered in the story.  Honestly, if you haven't read TFiOS, take a tip from me and dive right in.  Don't let the fact that you'll need a whole box of tissues make you miss out on this wonderful book!

Rating:

   5 Unicorns = Get your hands on this NOW!