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Hi guys! I hope you’re doing well this fine Sunday afternoon. I’m back again with a review of this fantastic book — Internment by Samira Ahmed. This is Samira’s second book, and it’s absolutely riveting. I couldn’t put it down! I want to do a special thanks to The Novl for sending me a copy for review!

Title: Internment

Goodreads | Amazon

Author: Samira Ahmed

Publisher: Little, Brown BFYR

Expected release: March 19, 2019

My rating: 5/5 Goodreads Stars

Rebellions are built on hope.

Set in a horrifying near-future United States, seventeen-year-old Layla Amin and her parents are forced into an internment camp for Muslim American citizens.

With the help of newly made friends also trapped within the internment camp, her boyfriend on the outside, and an unexpected alliance, Layla begins a journey to fight for freedom, leading a revolution against the internment camp’s Director and his guards.

Heart-racing and emotional, Internment challenges readers to fight complicit silence that exists in our society today.

I was riveted from page one in this book! It was absolutely fantastic. I feel that I don’t even have enough words for this book. Yes, there were some parts where I felt some of the dialogue was kinda cheesy, but genuinely, it didn’t matter.

This world created was scary familiar. I like how real Ahmed made this world. It operates in the same world as today, and the parallels are very realistic. The way things unravel and how people are interned in the book are extremely realistic, and I believe Ahmed did some research into this. I really appreciate how she reminded people that America has done this before with Japanese Americans and Japanese people. This part of American history isn’t talked about enough, and we need to remember that there is precedence for what is happening now in this nation.

I love all of the characters in the book. They made the book something incredible. As much as I hated the director, he was very compelling. I feel like he was the vitriol of hate in one person.

Layla was awesome as a character. There were a few times that I felt that she had some corny lines, but they didn’t take away from the book as a whole. Her flaws made her real, and that was what I loved the most about her.

I highly recommend this book! It puts a lot of things into context and makes you reflect a lot on yourself.

Happy reading,

Sophie 🙂

Book Chat: Dumplin’ & Other Book-to-Screen Adaptations

Hello there, and happy Wednesday! I’m here today chatting about book-to-movie adaptions. With Netflix and Hulu especially, we can look forward to more (hopefully!) amazing adaptations in the coming years.

Book-to-movie adaptations are hard because usually there’s already an established fanbase of the book. They have certain things that are imperative to following from the books, and some details, unfortunately, have to get left out. Some adaptations are so bad that the author doesn’t even endorse the movie (can anyone say Percy Jackson?).

Today I want to talk about some of the best book-to-movie adaptations that I’ve seen and loved.

1. Dumplin’ Originally a YA novel by Julie Murphy, this movie hit the small screen on December 7, 2018. Thanks to Netflix, people everywhere (in America at least, I’m unclear about the rights within other countries) were able to see this fantastic movie. This movie follows Willowdean Dickson, the fat daughter of a beauty queen. Grappling with the loss of her aunt, Willowdean goes searching to become the woman her aunt always saw in Willowdean. Willowdean decides to rebel by entering the pageant her mother won all those years ago. Let me tell you, guys, I had so much fun watching this movie! I felt that it was a great one with proper representation. This one is definitely one you want to consider watching over and over again. Be sure to check out the book first! You can add it on Goodreads and read my review of it here.

2. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

I was super excited for this book to become a movie. I absolutely adore Jenny Han, and this series means a lot to me. I was not disappointed! Released in late summer, this movie was perfect to wrap up the season and get people back in the mood for that sweet high school romance. This movie is an ode to sisters and makes itself right at home among the classic 80s movies starring Lana Candor and Noah Centineo. This movie also does a great job with representation thanks to Han fighting for the Song Sisters not to be white-washed. Don’t miss out on this movie! (Unfortunately, it’s only available on Netflix as well.) I highly encourage you reading the book first! Add it on Goodreads.

3. The Hate U Give

For some reason, it took me a little bit of time to really read this book, but once I did, it was awesome. This movie was phenomenal. I saw it twice in theaters, and both times I cried. The story follows Starr Carter, a girl who feels caught between her worlds of living in her poor neighborhood and going to a wealthier private school across town. When she witnesses her childhood best friend get shot by a white cop, Starr becomes the key witness on the case. Tensions rise and sides are taken. Make it a double-feature and add the book on Goodreads.

4. Love, Simon

Originally titled Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, this movie is the perfect one to watch on your night in. I absolutely loved the book and when I found out it was becoming a movie I think I squealed out loud. Love, Simon follows Simon Spier, a not-so-out gay teen in Georgia, when he begins exchanging emails with the elusive Blue, another gay student at his high school. As Blue and Simon get to know each other more, their secrecy is threatened when someone blackmails Simon with the emails. Navigating an increasingly tense friend group and his suddenly uncertain relationship, Simon finds he needs to step out of his comfort zone. I highly recommend you read this book first! It was so good, and I love all of Becky’s novels. Add it on Goodreads and read my review.

What are some of the YA adaptations that you have seen lately? Have you seen any of these? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy reading,

Sophie 🙂

Sneak Peek Sunday: The Antidote by Shelley Sackier

Hi and happy Sunday! I’m here again with another installment of Sneak Peek Sunday, and today I’ll be discussing The Antidote by Shelley Sackier. I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher!

Title: The Antidote

Goodreads | Amazon

Author: Shelley Sackier

Publisher: HarperTeen

Expected release: February 5, 2019

My rating: 3/5 Goodreads stars

Magic is not allowed, under any circumstances — even if it could save someone’s life. Instead, there are herbal remedies and traditional techniques that have been painstakingly recorded in lieu of using the mystical arts. Fee knows this, so she keeps her magic a secret.

Except her best friend, Xavi, is deathly ill. He’s also the crown prince. Saving him is important, not only for her, but for the entire kingdom.

Fee’s desperation to save her friend means she can barely contain the magic inside her. And after the tiniest of slips, Fee is thrust into a dark and secretive world that is as alluring as it is dangerous.

If she gives in, it could mean she can save Xavi. But it also means that those who wish to snuff out magic might just snuff her out in the process.

Review

I have to be real with you guys, I didn’t really like this book. It wasn’t really my cup of tea. I found the world to be a bit confusing, and I couldn’t really parse out who I was supposed to ship together and who I wasn’t supposed to like other than Princess Quinn.

Part of what was confusing to me was the world itself. I didn’t really understand the rules. It seems like part of it was a fake country, but they also had the same rules as an old European country, but also they had magic? I felt this wasn’t explained very well and I felt confused the whole time reading it.

I think another part that made me iffy on this book was the dialogue. I felt that it was very stilted and didn’t work in some parts. It didn’t always move the scene forward, and I felt that I got minimal information from it.

In the end, I didn’t quite like this book. It wasn’t my cup of tea, but I think you should give it a try!! My opinion isn’t the end all, so you should read it for yourself.

Happy reading,
Sophie 🙂