Hello Bookworms, welcome back to another MINI-REVIEW! In this mini-review, the books I am covering are Death Prefers Blondes by Caleb Roehrig and What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli. And speaking of What If It’s Us….. I just found out that the sequel is being published in 2021!!!!!! CAN YOU HEAR ME SCREAMING? Anyways, I am VERY happy that both these books were amazing!!!! Soooooo we DON’T have any disappointing reads to cry about today!!
Summary :
Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it.
Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things. But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them?
Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated. Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.
But what if they can’t quite nail a first date . . . or a second first date . . . or a third? What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work . . . and Ben doesn’t try hard enough?
What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play?
But what if it is? (goodreads)
My thoughts :
My heart is just so happy. Whenever I read this book(which is a lot…), I fall in love with the characters all over AGAIN. Now, putting my very strong feelings aside, this book did have ~some~ issues. When I look back on this novel, the problems I had with the ending, some parts of Arthur’s character and the overall ~cringiness~ are fairly minuscule. I still love this book to pieces but without going into too much detail, I felt that the writing dived WAY too deep into Arthur’s character, and he transformed from this stunning character to someone overly dramatic and high-maintenance.
Talking about the writing style, despite some issues, it complimented the characters SO WELL. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where two authors were able to write so seamlessly. I am honestly BURSTING to read the sequel.
I would recommend this novel to the ages of 14/15 – 20. If you are looking for a quick contemporary read with the cutest characters, who are also realistic teenagers then go read this! You won’t be disappointed(at least not too much).
Summary :
Death Prefers Blondes is a high-stakes YA thriller featuring a rebel heiress and butt-kicking, jewel-thieving drag queens from Caleb Roehrig, author of a BuzzFeed Best YA Novel, Last Seen Leaving.
Teenage socialite Margo Manning leads a dangerous double life. By day, she dodges the paparazzi while soaking up California sunshine. By night, however, she dodges security cameras and armed guards, pulling off high-stakes cat burglaries with a team of flamboyant young men. In and out of disguise, she’s in all the headlines.
But then Margo’s personal life takes a sudden, dark turn, and a job to end all jobs lands her crew in deadly peril. Overnight, everything she’s ever counted on is put at risk. Backs against the wall, the resourceful thieves must draw on their special skills to survive. But can one rebel heiress and four kickboxing drag queens withstand the slings and arrows of truly outrageous fortune? Or will a mounting sea of troubles end them — for good? (goodreads)
My thoughts :
I listened to this novel on Audible, and I DO NOT regret a thing. Despite most YA mystery novels, this book did not hook me from the get-go. In fact, I have been trying to read this novel for months, but could not get passed the first few chapters. But I guess third time’s a charm because a few days ago I tried listening once more and I couldn’t stop!
After you get the first few chapters over and done with, the rest of the novel is fast-paced and VERY OVERWHELMING! But it’s the good type of overwhelming. Trust me. This psychological thriller kept me on my toes, and every time I thought I had this book figured out, Caleb threw something else at me. Compared to all the other characters, I had the hardest time loving Margot, our protagonist. But towards the end of the novel, I found that I enjoyed EVERY PART of this book. From the intricate plot to the well-crafted, relatable queer characters it was just such a FUN and compelling read.
Now if someone FORCED me to say what I disliked about this book it would be about listening to it as an audiobook. And I am sure that anyone who has ever listened to an audiobook can agree when I say that after 13 hours of listening to the same woman….. her voice gets a ~little~ annoying.
If you love books with multiple plot twists, a riveting plot and unforgettable characters, then Death Prefers Blondes is for you! I would recommend it to the ages of 15+!!
Reading On A Star 
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