I think we might actually be in spring. Finally! Never mind that overnight freeze we had three days ago, let's not talk about it. Everything's blooming, the grass is growing in thick, and the kids are able to play outside without jackets. I'm calling it. And this is absolutely the best time of year to sit outside with a book. I can sit in the sun and be the perfect temperature and love every second of it. I better do it quick before summer sets in though. I don't know where you live, but here... Spring lasts about three seconds before the boiling temperatures flood in. Anyways, lots of outdoors days on the horizon. Let's get into what I read in April. Did you read anything exciting? Drop me a comment and tell me all about it!
"That's Not What Happened" by Kody Keplinger
When the Virgil County High School Massacre happened three years ago, Sarah died proclaiming her faith. At least, that's what everyone thinks happened. The truth? Sarah's best friend, Lee, was in the bathroom stall with her and knows that's not what happened. She was ready to let it go, so that everyone could move on in their own way. But when Sarah's parents start talking about publishing a book depicting her death, Lee knew she had to step in. To put an end to it once and for all. It wasn't fair to Sarah and it wasn't fair to the girl who actually did profess her faith. The only other girl in the bathroom that day.
This book is loosely based off the Columbine shooting and Cassie Bernall. It was a very messy situation then and Keplinger depicts something just as powerful, emotional, and heartbreaking in this book. We're not only focusing on Lee and Sarah, but a number of other survivors from that day. We look at how they are dealing with their trauma and also how the media has spun their stories and unapologetically put them in the spotlight, when all they wanted to do was put the pieces of their lives back together. This was such a great read, I loved how it was put together. I highly recommend this one, but be warned, this book is about a school shooting and there are bits of graphic detail throughout.
"Allegedly" by Tiffany D. Jackson
Nine-year-old Mary Addison killed a baby. Allegedly. When the authorities asked questions, she didn't answer. Therapists proclaimed it as trauma and shock, the jury and media called it something else. After six years in baby jail, Mary is finally in a group home. But it's far from a happy arrangement. The only happiness she finds is in Ted, an older boy she meets while doing community service. After realizing she's pregnant and that the state plans on taking away her baby, Mary decides enough is enough. The time to be silent is over. The only problem? Momma. Can Mary save herself and her unborn child by finally breaking her silence about what happened that night? Will Momma allow her to tell the truth this time?
This book was electric. I was on the edge of my seat every second, just waiting for the story to break, for the truth to finally come out! And the last five pages really did me in. I didn't appreciate this ending in the slightest. I'm starting to think I don't actually like Jackson's writing style. This is the second book of hers I've read and they've both been absolutely amazing, until the last few pages. It's like she throws in a huge twist at the end just to say she did it. It made both books feel incomplete and disappointing. The rest of this book was incredible. Jackson writes about hard hitting socio-economic issues and how the system is skewed when it comes to people of color. Really powerful stuff. This is a really good book, let's just not talk about those last few pages.
"Final Girls" by Riley Sager
Ten years ago, Quincy went on a weekend getaway with some of her college friends. Little did she know the horrors that would fall upon them. In a matter of minutes, Quincy became a final girl. The girl that walks away from a bloody massacre after fighting off the killer. It's an elite club that only two other women belong, but no one seems to enjoy it much. Now, Quincy is happy. She's living her best life with her almost fiance in a nice apartment and is on her way to being a viral blogger. Quincy's moved on from her tragedy. It's in the past. Besides, she can't even remember what happened that night, much to chagrin of just about everyone in Quincy's life. She's better now. But is she? After first final girl, Lisa, is found dead in her home under suspicious circumstances and second final girl, Sam, shows up on her doorstep, Quincy is plunged back into everything she never dealt with; that night. With Sam by her side, urging her to confront her past, Quincy finds her herself reliving that night at Pine Cottage, finally, after all these years.
Ok, wow. This book was incredible. I absolutely love Sager's writing and this was better than I could've imagined. We have Quincy who can't even remember her tragedy, but carrying all the trauma anyway and she really just wants to move on. But she can't. And we have Sam, the second final girl, and she was just perfectly written. She was like a wisp of smoke and it was just clever writing. The pace of this book was fantastic and Sager did a really good job writing the gory bits without it being graphic. There's a very fine line there and he toed it the entire time. Bravo. I highly recommend this book.
"You Should See Me in a Crown" by Leah Johnson
All Liz Lighty wants is to get out of her small, backwards, Midwestern town and go to Pennington College. Liz is tired of being the poor, black girl in a town full of rich, prom-obsessed elitists. But when her scholarship from Pennington falls through, Liz has a crazy idea. If she can win prom queen, she can win the scholarship that comes with the crown. It sounds easy enough. But Liz isn't prepared for how much this campaign can break a person. The only person getting her through the madness is Mack, the new girl. Soon, Liz has to start making hard decisions. Fall for Mack and risk losing the crown and with that, her chance at her dream school? Or fight?
This book was everything I never knew I wanted. It completely blew me away. First of all, the representation here was amazing. And this book just reminded me of my home in the absolute worst way. The town I grew up in is very similar to the one depicted in the book. I think people like to think towns like this don't exist anymore, but they very much do. I think this book was incredible and I'm so happy I finally decided to read it. Also, can I just fan girl here a minute; this is Leah Johnson's first novel?! Just. Wow. Read it. Please.
Alright, that's what I read in April! Such a great group of books, it's been a minute since all my books were winners. Is there something you think I should read? Any genres you think I should focus on? Drop me a comment! I've already lined up my May reads and I'm very excited. I'll see you in a month, book nerds. Happy reading!
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