In a Nutshell Reviews

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.

I Have Lost My Way
Gayle Forman
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: New Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Penguin Teen
Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

A powerful story of empathy and friendship from the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of If I Stay.

Around the time that Freya loses her voice while recording her debut album, Harun is making plans to run away from everyone he has ever loved, and Nathaniel is arriving in New York City with a backpack, a desperate plan, and nothing left to lose. When a fateful accident draws these three strangers together, their secrets start to unravel as they begin to understand that the way out of their own loss might just lie in help­ing the others out of theirs.

An emotionally cathartic story of losing love, finding love, and dis­covering the person you are meant to be, I Have Lost My Way is best­selling author Gayle Forman at her finest.

My love for Gayle Forman is not a secret. I have read and loved all of her books, but it's been a while since her last release. All I have to say is, Gayle Forman it is wonderful to have you back, because this book was so touching, beautiful, hopeful, and full of feels.

• Pro: The three protagonists met via an accident, and I just thought the way Forman brought them and their stories together was brilliant. I knew within the first chapter, that this book was going to be something special. 
• Pro: Harun, Freya, and Nathaniel were so wonderful! I loved and cared for all three of these beautifully broken people right away, and hung on every one Forman fed me, because I needed to get to the root of how they lost their way. 
• Pro: The diversity in this book was so organic. The story was set in New York City, which is a little microcosm of the world. I really loved all the cultural aspects Forman wove into the story with respect to Harun and Freya, and thought they added a little something special to this tale. 
• Pro: This idea of human connection was so beautiful, and I adored the way a wonderful friendship was born from so much pain. 
• Pro: The story was told in a way that heightened the emotional impact for me. It's like a camera panning from Freya to Nathanial to Harun, and with each glimpse into their present, we also got a look into their past. It was really well executed. 
• Pro: Though many serious issues are part of the story, Forman blended in some fun bits, which kept the story from getting too heavy. 
• Pro: I liked that each character had some closure. They faced those things that were keeping them from moving forward. Some endings were happier than others, but at least they were ready to move forward. 

Overall: A poignant story of losing one's way, and the human connections that can help them find their way back, which left my heart bursting with joy.

The Midnights
Sarah Nicole Smetana
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rating:  3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Susannah Hayes has never been in the spotlight, but she dreams of following her father, a former rock star, onto the stage. As senior year begins, she’s more interested in composing impressive chord progressions than college essays, certain that if she writes the perfect song, her father might finally look up from the past long enough to see her. But when he dies unexpectedly her dreams—and her reality—shatter.

While Susannah struggles with grief, her mother uproots them to a new city. There, Susannah realizes she can reinvent herself however she wants: a confident singer-songwriter, member of a hip band, embraced by an effortlessly cool best friend. But Susannah is not the only one keeping secrets, and soon, harsh revelations threaten to unravel her life once again.

I am always up for a good grief and loss book, and The Midnights absolutely fit the bill. It was filled with the pain we associate with losing a loved one, and the ways one may go about trying to fill the hole left in their heart.

• Pro: Smetana beautifully depicted the emotional pain experienced by the characters in this book. The grief and suffering was utterly palpable. 
• Con: I know it's realistic for some people to spin a little out of control when they are grieving, but I had such a hard time with the choices Susannah was making.  
• Pro: The music references were so awesome. I really loved being pulled into Susannah's musical world, and I was truly fascinated by her songwriting process, her performances, and the bands who influenced her life. 
• Con: The book was kind of long, and had some parts, which didn't really seem necessary to the story. 
• Pro: I have been keeping track of where books are set, and it seems like a ton of books are set in California. However, I really thought Smetana's approach to describing the setting was different and interesting. She often focused on the weather elements, and connected them to the musical elements, which was different and a welcomed surprise.  
• Pro: The Midnight sessions Susannah shared with her father were quite special, and I thought it was brilliant the way these different "midnights" kept popping up throughout the story. 
• Pro: I had quite a fondness for Susannah's grandmother. She was a tough lady, but she was wise, and I really appreciated the way she tried to help Susannah see things from a different angle. 
• Pro: I was really proud of Susannah towards the end, and loved that she grew up a bit over the course of the story as she healed.  

Overall: An emotional and affecting look at one teen's struggle with grief, and her attempt to move on.

In Her Skin
Kim Savage
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Mystery
Publisher: Farrar, Staus & Giroux
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old con artist Jo Chastain is about to take on the biggest heist of her life: impersonating a missing girl. Life on the streets of Boston these past few years hasn’t been easy, and Jo is hoping to cash in on a little safety, a little security. She finds her opportunity in the Lovecrafts, a wealthy family with ties to the unsolved disappearance of Vivienne Weir, who vanished when she was nine.

When Jo takes on Vivi's identity and stages the girl’s miraculous return, the Lovecrafts welcome her back with open arms. They give her everything she could want: love, money, and proximity to their intoxicating and unpredictable daughter, Temple. But nothing is as it seems in the Lovecraft household—and some secrets refuse to stay buried. As hidden crimes come to the surface, and lines of deception begin to blur, Jo must choose to either hold onto an illusion of safety, or escape the danger around her before it’s too late.

I knew from the synopsis, that this was going to be a darker, grittier read, but wow! This was quite a twisted tale of a con that didn't got exactly go according to plan.

• Pro: Savage's writing in her last book was quite beautiful, but the style she employed here was very different, and perfectly fit this story being told from Jo's point of view. She was not refined or polished, and the writing reflected that, which I thought did a fantastic job of painting a complete picture of this young woman. 
• Pro: Savage made an interesting choice of having Jo speak directly to Temple throughout the narration. It was different and really captured Jo's almost obsessive fascination with her. 
• Pro: The book is divided into three parts - Vivi, Temple, Jo. I liked the way Savage set the focus in those parts, and it was a good way to partition the story. 
• Con: This is just me, but I like breaks when I read. The Vivi section took up the majority of the book, and it did so as one continuous chunk. Though this was not something that bothered me, I have read enough reviews to know there are readers, who do not like the "telling versus showing" style. We spend a lot of time in Jo's head, but I feel it was a good choice because of the nature of this story.  
• Pro: Jo was so damaged and broken, and Savage magnificently painted this picture. It helped me have some sympathy towards her BUT
• Con: There were like zero likable characters in this book. The plot was strong enough to keep me interested, but as a character driven reader, I sort of need a likable characters in a book to make it next level for me. There was one character I sort of liked, Wolf, but he had very little page time.  
• Pro: The strongest thing about this book was the story. The whole concept of Jo slipping into the missing girl's skin and assuming her life had me captivated. Even the way it all started. How she picked her mark, did the research, and planned it all out. It was morbidly fascinating. 
• Pro: I was surprised by the path this story took. The power struggle was interesting, and as the truth was slowly revealed, I found myself shaking my head in bewilderment. 

Overall:  A dark and twisted tale of a broken girl, who in a bid for survival, slowly loses pieces of herself. 

** ARCs received in exchange for honest reviews.

Have you read any of these books?

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