The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas | BOOK REVIEW

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Non-spoiler

I’m actually ashamed of how long it took me to read this. The Hate U Give is a massively important and emotional book and I found myself captivated through the entire thing. The characters were lively and vibrant and the different relationships were so realistic and heart-warming. The message of this book was enlightening and I completely understand why it’s as hyped up as it is.

Starr is a great protagonist. I love that we got to see her grow and speak up despite her fear and despite the risks. Her perspective on the world was eye-opening and I really enjoyed reading about her. I also thought the contrast between her school life and home life was interesting and it was great to see that, throughout the book, the two versions of her started to blend together until she was just 100% herself and wasn’t ashamed of any part of herself.

What I loved most about this book was the range of different relationships we got to see and explore. Starr and her relationship with Chris, her parents, her siblings, DeVante, her school friends, Kenya, her Uncle. There were so many different dynamics which made it easy to fall in love with these characters. My personal favourite dynamic was Starr’s mum and dad- they were so sweet and obviously in love and I’m obsessed with them! I also thought her dad was one of the most amazing parents I’ve seen portrayed in fiction- his dedication to his children and family melted my heart.

Roomies by Christina Lauren | BOOK REVIEW

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Non-spoiler

I’ve heard a lot of hype about Christina Lauren books but, after reading Twice in a Blue Moon, I felt a little underwhelmed. Roomies, however, was a vast improvement and made me more excited to jump into the backlog of Christina Lauren. It was cute concept and the characters were easy going and loveable.

I really liked Holland as a protagonist. She was an inspiring writer which made her very relatable to me and I loved the exploration into her purpose and insecurities. She wasn’t 100% sure of what she wanted in life and struggled to put what she wanted before others and I appreciated her journey to discover herself before she truly committed to someone else.

Calvin was a standard, good love interest. He was charming, sexy and loveable. (He also had a Irish accent which wins immediate brownie points for me). I thought he was well-suited to Holland and I enjoyed watching their relationship develop. Roomies had an interesting take on the ‘fake dating’ trope which worked really well and the pages turned themselves.