REVIEW: When We Collided by Emery Lord

Title: When We Collided
Author: Emery Lord
Publication Date: April 7th 2016
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's
Part of a Series?: Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: Bloomsbury India (THANK YOU!)

Blurb Description: Seventeen year old Jonah Daniels has lived in Verona Cove, California, his whole life, and only one thing has ever changed: his father used to be alive, and now he's not. Now Jonah must numbly take care of his family as they reel from their tragedy. Cue next change: Vivi Alexander, new girl in town. 
Vivi is in love with life. A gorgeous and unfiltered hurricane of thoughts and feelings. She seems like she's from another planet as she transforms Jonah's family and changes his life. But there are always consequences when worlds collide …
A fierce and beautiful love story with a difference, When We Collided will thrill fans of All the Bright Places and I'll Give You the Sun. 

“Even the constellations can see us now: we are seventeen and shattered and still dancing. We have messy, throbbing hearts and we are stronger than anyone could ever know.”

When I saw, as a part of my surprise Bloomsbury parcel, an Emery Lord book in there, I FREAKED. My first book from this legendary author, and I could NOT WAIT!

Not to mention, for the first few days before I actually opened the book, I found myself staring wistfully at that cover - it is minimal and colourful and so so so gorgeous. Not to mention, as an afterthought, a perfect summary of the book.

So, what do I think of my first Emery Lord book?

“I wish for nothing. How could I dare? How could I dare, when I have all this?”

Vivi Alexander (aka Phoebe Buffay from Friends) took all of seven days to commit a part of her ever wandering soul to Verona Cove. A secluded town in California, it’s not at all what you would expect. It makes you feel like you’ve entered another world. And maybe she did…

Jonah Daniels is a townie. For all his life, Verona Cove has been his home, and his life was set in stone. Until his father, his rock, died from a heart attack and left him stranded with no way back, and a family of six to manage. He’s been surviving, and not living, until the tornado called Vivi bursts into his life.

Vivi and Jonah are different, they aren’t afraid of the dark places and most of all, they know how to do what the other needs; they know how to listen.

And When We Collided is a love story for the ages.

While this was a lot deeper than I expected, I had certain likes and dislikes that I must talk about:

What I liked about the Collision:

1.       JONAH AND THE DANIELS FAMILY: This was the BEST part of the book. I ADORED that Jonah’s five siblings had such a big part in in the book. They were there for a lot of the scenes, not forgotten and ALWAYS in the fun. They were boisterous, well-rounded characters and I won’t forget them for a while to come.

2.       COVER LOVE: You know what I’m talking about right?

3.       THE ROMANCE: *Warning* this book contains some serious Insta-Love, but it was quite well done, and I ACTUALLY DIDN’T MIND IT. I would, usually, be ranting about how IT JUST DOESN’T HAPPEN LIKE THAT, but Emery Lord made this BELIEVABLE (??) (MAJOR POINTS HERE)

What I didn’t like about the Collision:

1.       MENTAL HEALTH: I might’ve started this book with the prior knowledge that Vivi was *spoiler* bipolar, but I don’t think not knowing would have differed how I feel about it now. It felt like these elements were there, BUT NOT ENOUGH OF THEM. NOT NEARLY. There was even some depression, but it just felt so RUSHED.

It just felt like it was a quirk to give the characters some more depth, and not something genuine. It was well done, but not enough.

Four stars, THERE WAS CHEMISTRY, an AMAZING family, almost there mental health issues and SUCH AN EATABLE COVER!

* A HUGE thank you to Bloomsbury India for my review copy. All thoughts and views are entirely my own.

Have you read an Emery Lord book? Which one is your favourite?

Do you have any good book with Mental Disorder that I just NEED to read?

It's SUMMER (I'm Burning) But BEACH READS! (Top Ten Tuesday #7)

INDIA IS THE HOTTEST PLACE EVER. I have (LITERALLY) spent everyday since April 1st cowering inside my bookshelf with the air conditioner on the lowest possible temperature, SINCERELY hoping I don't evaporate because my poor skin could not handle the sun.

AND I WILL DEFINITELY NOT BE GOING TO THE BEACH (until the entire Earth freezes over)(or my seven year old brother DEMANDS it's time to get on a horse - Indian Things, don't ask) but here are my top ten beach reads that I would love to imagine reading on the beach:

1. How To Love by Katie Cotungo: 
While this wasn't my favourite-est book ever, mostly becaase I had SUCH high hopes for it, it still seems like a REALLY Beach-y read. This is about a girl in love with a boy she could never get, who got her pregnant and then left. AND NOW HE'S BACK. It might have gone against my principles but when Sawyer stood up to his parents, I died.

2. The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes: 
THE ART OF WAR. PLUS A GUY WITH SPIKY HAIR THAT ISN'T PERFECT? Oh c'mon. If the weather was better (DARN YOU, SUN. DARK YOU.) I would definitely be chilling with this baby on the beach.

Also, Paula Stokes is pretty much the nicest person IN THE WORLD, sending all of the above pictures swag to INDIA. *GAAH* *DIES IN GRATITUDE*

3. Shopaholic and Baby by Sophie Kinsella:
This is my favourite book in the Shopaholic Series because THE DRAMA! AAAAHHH! If this was anything but Becky Bloomwood, I would have hated all the non-tackled issues like fat-shaming while pregnant, but HOW CAN YOU NOT LIKE BECKY BLOOMWOOD? She's a SHOPAHOLIC.

Also, is it just me, or is Luke (swooon) ALWAYS in some financial crisis or the other?

4. Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson:
I read this book when I was 11 YEARS OLD, AND I STILL LOVE IT. It is the world's BEST story, and if you're a reader that hasn't read this Amazon-setting book that I cannot even describe, YOU HAVE NOT LIVED. I MEAN IT.

PLEASE READ IT. PLEASE.

5. Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot:
And by this I mean you should take ANY Meg Cabot book with you to the beach, because (most of them) are adorable. I didn't love this one too much, it's sort of like Cabot couldn't rhink of something better, so HERE: EAT MORE PRINCESS DRAMA AND WONDER WHERE THE FUCK YOUR MICHAEL IS.

Sigh. Michael.

6. I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson:
THIS IS SO GORGEOUS. SO SO SO SO BLOODY BRILLIANT I MIGHT STILL BE DEAD. I CRIED.

Also, *lame joke warning*  I WILL GIVE YOU THE SUN, ANYONE WHO TAKES IT AWAY FROM ME. PLEASE.

7. Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate:
This book had a ship that hit me from NOWHERE, that was so SO SO cute, I actually stopped, put it down, and did a dramatic swoon (I might have fallen on the floor, but that's a story for another day)

Anyway, this book is beyond brilliant (and not preachy, if you think it's kind of a Christian seven sins thing.)

Also, TOTAL BEACH COVER LOVE! (Does that make sense?)

8. The Girl Who Fell by Shannon Parker:
Probably not the happiest, but if you;re planning on reading this on a rainy beach day, with your car parked and the ocean as your view with rain falling down your windshield, THIS WOULD BE PERFECT. PERFECT, I TELL YOU.

This is such an amazing amazing book, and I wish you would eat it up like I did.

9. The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella:
An ADULT BOOK? OMG, ADITI? WHY? Well, if you read it, you would know. This is about a high powered lady who quits her job after a terrible mistake and finds herself interviewing for a house keeper's job in Cornwall, and SHE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT HOUSEKEEPING. It's standard Sophie Kinsella hilarious. HEHE.

10. THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER/ JUST LISTEN/ THIS LULLABY/ ALONG FOR THE RIDE by Sarah Dessen:

AREN'T MY COVERS THE COVERS THE COOLEST THINGS YOU'VE EVER SEEN? I ADORE THEM. Also, these are my four favourite Sarah Dessen books.

They're BEYOND BRILLIANT.

Are you a sun/ beach/ summer person? Do you die in the heat, of hide in your bookshelf hoping you don't evaporate?

Would you take any of these to the beach with you?

Link me up! I can't wait to see your beach reads!

A Double Serving Of ARC Reviews #3

Title: Summer of Supernovas
Author: Darcy Woods
Publication Date: May 10th 2016
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Part of a Series?: Standalone!
I Got A Copy Through: NetGalley
Buy Links: Amazon US

Blurb Description: Fans of Jennifer E. Smith and Jenny Han will fall in love with this heartfelt and humor-laced debut following one girl’s race to find the guy of her cosmic dreams. When zodiac-obsessed teen Wilamena Carlisle discovers a planetary alignment that won’t repeat for a decade, she’s forced to tackle her greatest astrological fear: The Fifth House—relationships and love.  But when Wil falls for a sensitive guitar player hailing from the wrong side of the astrology chart, she must decide whether a cosmically doomed love is worth rejecting her dead mother’s legacy and the very system she’s faithfully followed through a lifetime of unfailing belief.

“One day you’ll be fluent in the language of the stars.” 

The Plot Steps of All ‘Happy’ Contemporaries:

1. Girl Meets Boy
2. Girl and Boy have undeniable chemistry
3. Girl and Boy Face Undefeatable Problem 
4. The Girl Boy Faces The Worst Time in Their Life (sick relative/ divorcing parents)
5. Girl and Boy realise they are soulmates and have fallen in love with each other (separately)
6. One Great Reunion to end the book

I’m right, you know I am. 

And yet, even while contemporaries mostly follow the same storyline, there are some that manage to stick to the norm and beat it hollow altogether.

Summer of Supernovas is (mostly) one of those rare novels. 

“You’re kind of an unusual girl. No offense, Wil.” I grin. “Yeah, well, I tried ordinary once and got bored.” 

This had some elements that were GREAT: (AKA. I FELL MADLY IN LOVE WITH)

1. Astrology: I loved how this wasn’t put to the side as just some quirk of Wil’s to make her seem more interesting. This was really well done, when it was mentioned. In fact, I, non-believer in anything of this sort, started wondering is Astrology actually had some truth to it!

2. CHEMISTRY: This is a love triangle, okay? But the CHEMISTRY with both boys was REALLY REALLY good! 

3. BAKERY/ CUPCAKES: Because, well cupcakes are AWESOME. And bakeries are even more awesome. 

This also had elements that were so cliché, they made me cringe:

1. The Best Friend: Irina was an AWESOME character, okay? AWESOME. I would read a story just about her and not get bored because she is AWESOME. And yet, in Wil’s story, she was this character that only showed up when the story required her, and she vanished otherwise. POOF. It just didn’t feel very real.

2. The Sick Relative: FOR GOD’S SAKE. STOP. The person our protagonist loves the most has a sudden medical ailment and the boy that was alienated comes running back. 

While this book could have been better, could have been as brilliant as a supernova, it fell just a little short.

The chemistry was BEAUTIFULLY done, the cute scenes were swoon worthy, the food was mouth-watering, and I, overall, had a fun time reading Summer of Supernovas.
4 Stars!  

*****

Title: OCDaniel

Author: Wesley King

Publication Date: April 12th 2016

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Part of a Series?: No, Standalone!

I Got A Copy Through: NetGalley

Buy Links: Amazon

Blurb Description: From the author of Incredible Space Raiders from Space! comes a brand-new coming-of-age story about a boy whose life revolves around hiding his obsessive compulsive disorder—until he gets a mysterious note that changes everything.

Daniel is the back-up punter for the Erie Hills Elephants. Which really means he’s the water boy. He spends football practice perfectly arranging water cups—and hoping no one notices. Actually, he spends most of his time hoping no one notices his strange habits—he calls them Zaps: avoiding writing the number four, for example, or flipping a light switch on and off dozens of times over. He hopes no one notices that he’s crazy, especially his best friend Max, and Raya, the prettiest girl in school. His life gets weirder when another girl at school, who is unkindly nicknamed Psycho Sara, notices him for the first time. She doesn’t just notice him: she seems to peer through him.

Then Daniel gets a note: “I need your help,” it says, signed, Fellow Star child—whatever that means. And suddenly Daniel, a total no one at school, is swept up in a mystery that might change everything for him.

With great voice and grand adventure, this book is about feeling different and finding those who understand.

“I didn’t think… I didn’t know it was a disorder. I thought I was the only one.”

I was once on the phone with a couple of friends, and one of them used the words “I’m SO OCD about my kitchen” and another yelled saying that neither she, nor any of us have ANY idea as to what it’s like being someone suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. 

I won’t lie, I used to be one of those people, saying I was so OCD about my bookshelf and other such things, and it was only when my friend yelled did I realise that I was undermining what people that really have this disorder go through. And I hate doing that, so I’ve stopped. Because this, like any other mental disorder, or disorder in general is real. Very, very real and to everyone that says “I’m so OCD…” it’s time to stop, yeah?

Daniel seems like your average, slightly strange teenage boy. He’s a bit awkward, a bit in love with a girl out of his league, a bit out of place in the football team, and a bit ‘crazy’ (as he puts it) with his strange Zaps and Routines and the worst of all, The Great Space.

All Daniel wants is to be normal – to be cool like his older brother Steve or his best friend, Max. And all he wants is for Raya Singh to notice him, and to either get off the football team or avoid it all together. Except Daniel is the furthest thing from normal, and a mysterious note from a girl who talks to nobody at all twists everything he knew about himself.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK. Daniel might have been OCD, but he was a brilliant, honest narrator that absolutely NAILED what it is to be a teenager that’s a little out of place. Despite this being about his OCD, it WAS NOT everything we learnt about him, and that was my favourite part of this book. His insecurities, his shortcomings, his nervousness, his friends and his self-confidence – I LOVED every minute of it, and even at seventeen, I could understand every word of what he said.

All in all, OCDaniel is a great piece of literature, inside the mind of somebody that REALLY struggles with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and I would most definitely recommend it. 

QUOTES I LOVED: 

“I could never date her, because I was crazy. And I was afraid.”

“I told you… I have a plan.”
“That usually gets us into trouble.” “And this will probably be no exception,” she said. 
**Quotes are subject to my ARC.

Do you know someone with OCD? Or any other mental disorder? What is your opinion of comtemporaries? And astrology?

Let me know what you think, and leave me links so I can stop by your lovely blogs!

TAKE TWO... AND ACTION: Books I Feel Differently About After Time Has Passed

I think I can pinpoint my addiction to young adult literature when I first discovered Meg Cabot and Sarah Dessen during my seventh grade.

It was my 12th birthday, and as I unwrapped my gifts after my party, there was this HIGE pile of books just lying there - the perfect gift for me, according to my friends. It is one of the happiest days of my life. BOOKS.

And, since then, as I'd like to think, I've grown (mentally) and my reading tastes have hightened. And now, as I stood in front of the bookshelf, trying to come up with this list (Mother: What Are You Doing? Me: Blogging. Mother: But you're staring at the bookshelf holding your laptop? Me: Nevermind.) these are my top ten books that I feel differently about now the time has passed. 

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith 

(Take Two? Throw It Away!)

The first time I read this book, I was morbidly fascinated. It was crude, gag-worthy, mind twisting and seriously MESSED UP, but I was still fascinated. Thinking about it now, though, just leaves me with that messed up, that's so gross I'll never touch it again feeling. Sigh.

The Death House by Dawn Kuragitch

(Take Two: WHAT EVEN?)

The very idea of Disassociative Personality Disorder has always intgrigued me, and this book had an even more unusual premise. Upon reflection, while about fifty percent of this book was brilliant, the rest of it just turned to crap. All that nonsense about shamans and evil and things I can't remember currently give me bad vibes.

The One by Keira Cass

(Take Two: WHAT WAS THAT ENDING?)

THIS ENDING WAS SO BADLY DONE, OKAY? It was like Keira Cass decided she needed drama, GOT BORED in the MIDDLE of writing it and finished it. 

I used to think this was GREAT but, and kindly excuse me, I read this whole series in one day, and utterly sleep deprived, formed by opinion of it.

Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

(Take Two: NOBODY'S WINNING THIS THING.)

TWO MAGIC SAPPHIRES. WOW. And a kingdom on the verge of breaking down, and a girl that knows nothing about it. I had actually read some not so great things about it, so I went in expecting very VERY little, and I got something better.

In retrospect, WHAT WAS THAT? It was badly done, and all that fear was over TWO SAPPHIRES? WHAT?

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

(Take Two: WHAT IS THIS WORLD?)

I wrote a very favourable review right after I read the book, but as I stare at in on my shelf wondering why in the world I didn't pick up the second book, IT'S BECAUSE I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE WORLD IN BOOK ONE? What in the WORLD were all those kingdoms that were so briefly mentioned, and I'M SO CONFUSED, I'M GOING TO GO SLEEP NOW.

Cress by Marissa Meyer

(Take Two: I STILL DON'T KNOW)

Read a 500 Page book in one sitting, that happens to be book three in a series, and you're probably like me. I was EXTREMELY pissed that there was NO PLAN, and everything seemed SO UNLIKELY in this series, but Winter was did alleviate my opinions of this series, and now, I don't know whether to hate this or not? 

The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

(Take Two: Why hello you copycat)

This book was so SO cover love, and while I was reading it in Dubai, I might've liked it a lot, but COME ON, this was just a TFIOS rip-off.

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

(Take Two: MENTAL ILLNESS CANNOT BE CURED WITH A BOY)

If you're human, you would have heard of the shopaholic series or seen the movie, and when I heard that Sophie Kinsella was writing a YA novel, I knew I needed it. When I first read it, it was HILARIOUS, in all sense of the world, but now, I'm thinking ALL OF HER MENTAL PROBLEMS SUDDENLY DISAPPEARED WHEN SHE STARTED DATING THE GUY (???)

I understand her problems were caused be a STILL UNEXPLAINED trauma, but still. CLOSURE. COME ON.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

(Take Two: THIS IS SO GOOD. WHERE'S BOOK TWO?)

After the Grisha Trilogy, this book GOT SO GOOD. Every time I think about it, it just keeps getting better in my head. Not to mention that this is a return to one of my favourite worlds. AND IT WAS SO GOOD.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

(Take Two: GET'S EVEN BETTER!)

I DON'T HAVE WORDS. SOMEONE GIVE ME SOME INFORMATION ABOUT BOOK THREE, BECAUSE I NEED IT. I'll die otherwise. 

What books have you read, and then, after a while, POOF, you suddenly felt differently about? Let me know or link me up and I'D LOVE TO VISIT YOUR LOVELY BLOGS!

A Double Serving of ARC Reviews #2

I have been loving All of the ARC's I've received this year, and these two below were certainly different! Shari Goldhagen's 100 Days of Cake has a lot of MOUTHWATERING cakes (EEEK!) and Surviving High School by Lele Pons and Melissa De La Cruz is about Vine Internet Fame.

These were both four star reads to me, and I hope you do decide to pick them up.

Title: 100 Days Of Cake
Author: Shari Goldhagen
Publication Date: May 17th 2016
Publisher: Antheneum Books for Young Readers
Part of a Series?: Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: NetGalley
Buy Links: 

Blurb Description: Get well soon isn’t going to cut it in this quirky and poignant debut novel about a girl, her depression, an aggressive amount of baked goods, and the struggle to simply stay afloat in an unpredictable, bittersweet life.
There are only three things that can get seventeen-year-old Molly Byrne out of bed these days: her job at FishTopia, the promise of endless episodes of Golden Girls, and some delicious lo mien. You see, for the past two years, Molly’s been struggling with something more than your usual teenage angst. Her shrink, Dr. Brooks isn’t helping much, and neither is her mom who is convinced that baking the perfect cake will cure Molly of her depression—as if cake can magically make her rejoin the swim team, get along with her promiscuous sister, or care about the SATs.
Um, no. Never going to happen.
But Molly plays along, stomaching her mother’s failed culinary experiments, because, whatever—as long as it makes someone happy, right? Besides, as far as Molly’s concerned, hanging out with Alex at the rundown exotic fish store makes life tolerable enough. Even if he does ask her out every…single…day. But—sarcastic drum roll, please—nothing can stay the same forever. When Molly finds out FishTopia is turning into a bleak country diner, her whole life seems to fall apart at once. Soon she has to figure out what—if anything—is worth fighting for.

First, I’d like to squeal over the fact that this title has the word CAKE in it. 

*half an hour passes*

Second, I’d like to tell you that just THINKING about all of these amazing cakes gave me foodgasms. Mocha Madness? Red Velvet? WHAT IS THIS, TORTURE? 

*runs to the cake store*

*settles in to eat cake and write review*

*finishes cake and has not written review*

*whoops*

Cake orgasms aside, though, I LOVED every minute of 100 Days of Cake. It was flawed, there were certainly things that could have been handled better but it was still a lovely book. The beginning was a bit strange, though, as I got to know Molly and everybody around her, but things started flowing better after that. 

Let’s get to it though, the things I liked:

1. THE CAKES

2. Alex
3. Molly’s FABULOUS mother
4. Elle
5. FishTopia
6. Peaches
7. THE CAKES. GIMME.

The things I didn’t like:

1. I’m no expert on mental health, being seventeen and all, but I have read a few books about depression. I know what it’s supposed to be portrayed as, but not what it feels like personally, so maybe I’m not 100% accurate with this: 
Whatever said and done, you don’t just feel ‘free’ after one session with a new therapist, right? I’m under the impression that depression consists of good days and bad days and so on. Which was PERFECTLY done throughout the book, until the end, where everything MAGICALLY turned bright and sunshine-y AFTER she found out her father had committed suicide.

I guess I would have just liked the ending to have been a little more in theme with where 95% of the book was, and not oh-everything-is-all-right-again. Realism, people. That's what we need.

2. Slut-Shaming. I understand liking a boy, I DO. But that’s not an excuse to even think things like that about your sister. I even know that there were SO many attempts as saying “I’m not one to slut-shame, but…” and yet saying those words doesn’t make it any less slut shaming, right? It’s like saying “No Offense, but…” IT’S OFFENSIVE. 

3. Molly’s therapist. GHASTLY. Make some boundaries, you Ivy League educated swine. Oh, also, YOUR DEPRESSED SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD PATIENT IS NOT ASKING FOR IT. I know I know that it was a part of the storyline, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

That’s about it though. I really liked the book, I REALLY DID. I ADORED THE CAKES, and all my issues with it? Well, they constituted barely 3% of the book, but it still bothered me and so I needed to mention it.

All in all, this is a book I would definitely recommend! CAKE! YAY

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Title: Surviving High School

Author: Lele Pons and Melissa DeLa Cruz

Publication Date: April 5th 2016

Publisher: Gallery Books

Part of a Series?: Standalone

I Got A Copy Through: NetGalley

Buy Links: 

Blurb Description: Vine superstar Lele Pons—“one of the coolest girls on the web” (Teen Vogue)—teams up with #1 New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz (The Isle of the Lost) in this lovable debut novel about the wilds and wonders of high school that’s as laugh-out-loud addictive as Lele’s popular videos.

Ten million followers and I still sit alone at lunch. Lele is a bulls-eye target at her new school in Miami until, overnight, her digital fame catapults the girl with cheerleader looks, a seriously silly personality, and a self-deprecating funny bone into the popular crowd. Now she’s facing a whole new set of challenges—the relentless drama, the ruthless cliques, the unexpected internet celebrity—all while trying to keep her grades up and make her parents proud.

Filled with the zany enthusiasm that has made Lele into Vine’s most viewed star, this charming novel is proof that high school is a trip. From crushing your crushes (what’s up with that hot transfer student Alexei??) to throwing Insta-fake parties with your BFFs and moaning over homework (GAH) with your frenemies, high school is a rollercoaster of exhilarating highs and totally embarrassing lows. Leave it to Lele to reassure us that falling flat on your face is definitely not the end of the world. Fans of Mean Girls will love this fun and heartwarming fish-out-of-water story.

I received an ARC from NetGalley from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own

To be honest, I hadn’t heard of Lele Pons before reading Surviving High School. To be honest, I was probably living under a rock. Maybe I still am.

If you’re like me (HELLO ROCK BUDDY) and don’t know who she is, Lele is an internet personality with over 10 MILLION followers due to her six second Vine Videos. Surviving High School is based on her rise to fame in her junior year of high school, and it is HILARIOUS.

#WhereAreMy10MillFollowers?

To make this a better review, I decided to watch a couple of Lele Vines before writing this. Um. So. My thought? WHAT IS SIX SECONDS? JUST, HOW?

It took you all of six seconds to READ that sentence above, so how do you make a FUNNY video that gains a BILLION views on that? #Impressive

Anyway, while I have officially decreed that Vine isn’t my thing, I might have mentioned before how WEIRD PEOPLE TOTALLY ARE! I’m a weirdo, I embrace it. I love correcting people’s English, concocting elaborate murder plots, pretending I’m in a fictional world while the teacher drones on about Calculus. I also, um, cannot walk straight without tripping (AKA – GRAVITY CHECKS), threw my iPod in the washing machine and once almost lost my contact lens in my eye.

So. ANYHOO. Enough about me and back to Lele Pons – High School Star and not High School Girl Who Fell Down The Stairs At A Movie.

I LOVED THIS GIRL. I ALSO ENVIED HER. Then again, don’t you? With her $10,000 earnings to put in an appearance at a party, Coachella invites and other things that come with being famous.

I loved how she was so, no matter what was happening, herself. Unapologetically, brilliantly, honestly herself. DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD THAT IS? There’s all the societal pressure and peer pressure and internal pressure to just be ‘normal’ and she EMBRACED weirdness.

I loved reading about her rise to fame, and how it is hard, and about her wacky friends and just the general crazy tone of this book.

POINTS FOR: Lele, WEIRDNESS, Alexei, those epic parents, wacky chapter names wacky fast paced book.

POINTS AGAINST: Um. I’m left with a WHAT DID I GET FROM THIS FEELING? I mean,

I have certainly not figured out ‘How To Survive High School.’ Except to get 10,000,000 followers. Um. 

Do you know who Lele Pons is? Am I the only person living under a rock? 

What's your favorite cake flavour? CAKE IS AWESOME, RIGHT?