beadyeyedgal

[beadyeyedgal]

Spookathon 2017

Hello friends!

So this Halloween, I thought I will read up some spooky books as part of the Spookathon challenge. I bought a few thrillers and was all worked up to read them. Guess what? I didn’t end up reading those because, well, I am a chicken. Yeah I know. I am 25 years old and still can’t handle a good old horror story. Well, you can’t blame me for how my mind reduces normal situations to freaking Conjuring ghost scenes. If I know myself, I would stop going to the bathroom altogether for three days if I am reading a real horror story. I would pester people around me to take me with them anywhere they go. To prevent such mishaps from happening, I put the real horror stories aside and ended up reading two children’s ghost stories (common, not Goosebumps!). And they turned out pretty okay for me. :)

The first book is The Witches by Roald Dahl. This was a real page-turner for me. Simply because the sentences were very easy to read and the story was interesting. There’s witchcraft involved and it was unlike what I was used to reading from Harry Potter books. :D This book was funny and crazy. I guess they had tried to keep it that way because children would be reading them. Duh.

The story revolves around a boy living with his grandmother. His grandmother is a believer of witches and goes on telling stories about them to the boy. The boy realizes the stories told by his grandmother are coming true. The second half of the book reveals how they deal with a terrible witch named The Grand High Witch who has incredible power to destroy all the children of Britain.

The story was as intended, childlike. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it. This popular author makes the plot run through like a stream. I liked the prose, the way the characters were portrayed and the cute illustrations. An added benefit, one can finish this book in one sitting. :)

Favorite lines:

“What’s so wonderful about being a boy anyway? Why is it necessarily better than being a mouse?.. Little boys have to go to school. Mice don’t… Mice don’t have to worry about money. When mice grow up, they don’t even have to go to war and fight against other mice. Mice, I felt pretty certain, all like each other. People don’t.”

The second book I got myself reading for this Spookathon is Coraline by Neil Gaiman. The story is about a girl named Coraline (not Caroline!). She is homebound during her summer vacation with her parents. She lives with them in a middle flat of an apartment. She is an explorer in nature. One day she finds herself unlocking a door to another world which is similar to her real world, only that her parents are not her real parents. They look very much like them, but the other mother is evil and ghastly. The other mother has black beads for her eyes. She wants to turn Coraline into a bead-eyed girl. She wants to keep Coraline with her forever and own her soul. She punishes Coraline’s real parents and everyone around her to have what she desires. The story then unfolds into whether Coraline escapes this other world or not.

What I noticed about this book is the creepiness that comes with it. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the creepiest, the book deserves a real 6 or 7. I was surprised that a children’s book could get creepy for an adult. But it did. Not as much as a horror movie but still! There were these moments when I wanted the story to end quickly because I didn’t want to keep going through the dangers that Coraline was about to face. I felt that the book was a bit of a drag at times. I couldn’t sit through with it for more than an hour a day. That said, there are certain things that I like about the book. I love the way Coraline is shown in the story. She is immensely bold and courageous. She turns herself into a problem solver instead of staying scared. I am sure children reading this story will be inspired by Coraline’s brave heart.

Favorite lines:

“Someone had once told her that if you look up at the sky from the bottom of a mine shaft, even in the brightest daylight, you see a night sky and stars. Coraline wondered if the hand could see stars from where it was.”

I give both the books a rating of 4 out of 5!

Finally. I am glad I could catch up on some reading for this year’s Spookathon even though I couldn’t read the real horror novels that I bought for myself. I am sure I will find the courage to read them in the future! :D

What did you read for this Spookathon? Let me know in the comments. Until next time.

Love, Preethi

#spookathon #spooktober #spookathon2017 #roald dahl #the witches #neil gaiman #coaline #booktube #bookreview #spoilerfree #horror #childrensbooks #bookworm #bibliophile

[beadyeyedgal]

Little Monsters (Spookathon Challenge) - Spoiler Free Review

Little Monsters by Kara Thomas

This book is the first book that I have picked for the Spookathon challenge. I am telling ya, thrillers are the best! I enjoyed this story a lot! It was mysterious and thrilling at the same time.

It is about a girl named Kacey who meets her dad after 17 years of childhood spent with her abusive mom and gets to live with his family in a different town. She finds her new family (dad, stepmom and two siblings) loving and makes sure she doesn't bother them with any bad behavior from her side. Her best friends from her new school are two girls named Jade and Bailey. The story takes speed when one of these girls goes missing. I wouldn't want to give away much on what happens next because duh, it's a thriller. :)

The story is kind of high-schoolish. It deals with the lives of teenagers (which is invariably about gossips, guys, ghost stories or gangs). That said, it was entertaining for sure. The characters are strong and sensibly written.

Although I almost figured out what would have happened before the big reveal was made about the missing girl, the author makes sure that the suspense is not lost until the end of chapters. The story takes into directions that we don't expect it to go towards and hence, maintains the suspense. I for sure would recommend this book to YA readers who are into thrillers.

Personal note: I am someone who gets freaked out by ghost stories and wouldn't go to the washroom alone for days after. So if I am able to read this without going nuts, I guess it wasn't super spooky after all or that I grew up. :D I hope you take a chance and dig in too!    

Few lines from the book:

When everyone is sleeping, I am going to burn this journal. There's too much in here that can fuck me over. There are things I said that are terrible, and there are things I want to hold on to because the way I have poured myself onto these pages is more than I've ever been able to do with another person. Maybe once it's done, I'll buy a new notebook. I'm thinking tomorrow, at work. There's something sexy about a blank notebook anyway. Just think of all the possibility.

Writing: 4.5/5

Plot: 4/5

Suspense: 4/5

Characters: 5/5

Overall rating: 4.5/5

I have picked up two other books for the Spookathon challenge and will be putting up their reviews before the end of this month. So wait up! :)

With love, Preethi

#spookathon #spooktober #halloween #thriller #yathriller #youngadult #karathomas #littlemonster #little monsters #bookworm #booktube #book tumblr #Book Recommendations #spoilerfree

[beadyeyedgal]

The Raven Cycle - Series Review (Spoiler Free)

Creative, ravishing, historic, adventurous, beautiful and friendly!

From where you begin the story, it is about dreamers. Dreamers going on a limb to find what they set out for, dreamers dreaming things unseen, making them thrive in their dreamland and bringing some of the creatures/objects back into the real world.

The Raven Cycle is about four (five) teens in the town of Henrietta, trying to find a sleeping Welsh king named Glendower from hundreds of years ago. The Raven World is a marvelous world filled with grace, magic, and nuance that begins to grow on you through the entire series of four parts. There is so much depth in each of the characters that you’ll start associating a part of yourself with theirs.

Blue Sargent - an energetic soul, strong and adventurous, Adam Parrish -  tough and beautiful, Ronan Lynch - the enigma, carefree & pure, Noah Czerny - sensitive & lovely and finally Gansey. Gansey, Gansey, Gansey. Oh, how much I love Gansey. He is the leader, he is the Aglionby Boy that everyone admires, he is that guy who always does the right thing. Each one of them has either a unique magical quality or is determined enough to be great without magic.

The series goes into the lives of these four characters and their mothers and fathers and sisters and cousins and lovers. The past few weeks have been absolutely engaging since I binge-read all the books together in one go.:)  I especially enjoyed the third book of the series - Blue Lily, Lily Blue. So engaging and adventurous.

I would recommend this series to Young Adult readers who enjoy magical realism or historical fiction. This series will keep your imagination running and get you out of the reading slump.

Favorite lines - “Right after he spoke, Blue threw her arms tightly around his neck. Right after he spoke, she pressed her face into the side of his. Right after he spoke, she held him like a shouted word. Love, love. love. He fell quietly from her arms. He was a king.”

Final rating - 4.5 stars! :)

#the raven cycle #the raven boys #maggie stiefvater #book review #book recommendations #young adult #young teen #historical fiction #magical realism #richard gansey #blue sargent #ronan lynch #adam parrish #blue lily lily blue #the raven king #book series #bookworm #bookworld #dream thieves #noah czerny

[beadyeyedgal]

jon wakes up from just being out cold and the first thing he sees is daenerys and he doesn’t take his eyes off of her for a second until she tells him to get some rest and is gone i’m yelling. 

[beadyeyedgal]

"What if you were the spark that could ignite a revolution?"

#an ember in the ashes #sabaa tahir #young adult #fantasy books #ya lovin #ya lit #i read ya #book photography #bookstagram #bookish #booktube #books #bookworm #bookworld

[beadyeyedgal]

“The Labels We Are Given” @preethishreeya

[beadyeyedgal]

“There’s a lot about life that cancer has prepared Jeffrey for, but there’s also a lot that’s brand new. Now is the time for him to stop surviving, stop worrying and start living again.”

#bookstagram #books #booklover #nofilter #after ever after #jordan sonnenblick #teenreads #bookish #booktube #bookphotography #bookphile #booknerd #young adult

[beadyeyedgal]

This month's read!

#book haul #books #nofilter #bookstagram #book lover #bookworm #book nerd

[beadyeyedgal]

Book Review - Furthermore

#MinimalSpoilers

Thoroughly adventurous, magical, delightful, and a touching story. I’ve found the love of reading books on children and their magical adventures through this one! This lovely book expanded my imagination to a great extent.

The story is about a girl, Alice, trying to find her father lost in a magical land. A boy named Oliver accompanies her to this unknown land full of adventures. This beautiful journey changes Alice from feeling unworthy to appreciating life for its innate specialness. She begins to realize and trust in her abilities after going through pain and sufferings that had made her feel invisible to the world around.

While reading the book, I smiled more than a dozen times from ear to ear out of joy and thrill. Sometimes, the characters’ realizations hit us hard at several places in the book. The transformation of Alice, her lively spirit, the friendship that’s shared between herself and Oliver, and the love that she has for her family will move us to believe in ourselves and not take our lives for granted.

Many of us might feel out of place and like a misfit in this world. It can be because of societal pressure or our own lack of recognition of strengths. When such things happen, when the world expects us to be someone whom we are not, it is right then that we should start loving ourselves for what we are rather than change us into someone whom we are not. We could be gems hidden in the forest, you never know. :)

The story is packed with a gorgeous detailing of landscapes that will make us want to live in these places. 

For the adorable story, magical characters, and life changing insights, I rate the book with 5 stars! :)

Favorite lines:

“She tore off running. Out the door and down the path and through the meadow and into the field, past the pond and across the bridge, and over the hill and up and up and up the tallest tree in all of Ferenwood. There she sat, heart bumping into bone, and decided she would not leave this tree until she died. Or until she got bored. Whichever came first.”

Love, Preethi

#furthermore #tahereh mafi #book review #book recommendations #bookswelove #bookstagram #bookstuff #books #booknerd #bookworm #bookoholic #fantasy #young adult #book cover

[beadyeyedgal]

Book Reviews - The Sun is also a Star | We are okay

#MinimalSpoilers

Hello there, Daredevils! How are you doing?

I was fortunate to have had time to read two books last week. I am going to review them for you and by doing that, I hope I pique your interest in reading them someday yourself.

I present to you the two books that I read. Tada!

The Sun Is Also A Star -  Nicola Yoon

Reading time - 2 sitting (12 hours)

Okay, this one is very dear to me. The story is delightful, emotional, and heart-wrenching. I am sure I’m going to remember it for a very long time.

When I picked up this well-hyped book, I knew that it was going to be good. But let me tell you, it exceeded my expectations for a romance novel. When I finished reading it, I had tears in my eyes. The last part of the book is extremely pulling and emotional. I will straight away recommend this book to all Young Adult fans who are into contemporary.

Summary:

The story is set in America. It revolves around a Jamaican-American girl, Natasha and a Korean-American boy, Daniel. (I know right, talk about diversity!) The entire story narrates the events of the day the girl and her family are being deported to Jamaica. Natasha’s born in Jamaica but she’s been an American all her adult life. So it is safe to say that this is the worst day of her life. Call it fate or coincidence, she meets this lovable boy Daniel on this very day. These two people are of two contrasting natures - Natasha, a gloomy yet bold girl, and Daniel -  a hopeful, mellow young fellow. But this doesn’t stop them from falling in love.

What I love about the book:

* The sequencing of the story - The author’s well- structured writing is astonishing to me. I sure do like her other book - Everything, Everything. But this one, the entire narration is on a whole new level. To think of the effort the author must have put in deconstructing the novel is laudable! The book is highly addictive. I simply couldn’t put my phone away for the whole two days while I was at it.

* Curiosity breeding characters - The two main characters are from diverse backgrounds. Hence we get to read about their cultures, their footing in a country that is far away from their birth nations and their other varied interests. The novel threw some light on the livelihoods of people from different races.This was pretty interesting for me!

* Getting our feet wet on the positivity of Chaos theory  - 1. Things happen for reasons we don’t foresee. 2. Good deeds will reap rewards that we won’t otherwise have believed in accomplishing. 3. In one way or another, what we do today changes the fate of things tomorrow. Such intense, virtuous elements of the story leave us optimistic! 

* Inculcating belief in destiny -  I am going to say nothing more than that. Because if I do, then I will have to reveal much more than I would like to.

And going into stuff that I don’t like, I will say there is little to least of those. I thoroughly enjoyed a book after a long time in its entirety.

Favorite lines: “We pop the eggs into our mouths. I watch as her eyes widen. I know the moment the yolk burst in her mouth. She closes her eyes like this is the most delicious thing she’s ever tasted. She said not to stare but I’m staring. I love the way she feels things with her entire body. I wonder why a girl who is so obviously passionate is so adamantly against passion.”

Final rating: I am going to give it 5 stars! :)  

Now let’s jump into the second book.

We Are Okay - Nina LaCour

Reading time - 3 sitting (12 hours)

Pick up this book if you are someone who loves fluid and easy reads. Now you know why I did!

Summary:

We Are Okay is a story about a girl named Marin and her relationships with her grand father and best friend Mabel! It’s a simple and straightforward story about the loss of a loved one.

Marin is a teen girl who lives with her Gramps in a house on the sea side. She has never met her father and her mom passes away by drowning in the sea when Marin’s a child. Her best friend Mabel lives near to her house and they love each other very much, more than friends do. 

Marin and her gramps give each other a lot of freedom inside the house. They respect each other’s privacy and meet only during breakfasts or dinners in the common living room. Gramps, being the cute Grandpa that he is, lectures Marin and Mabel on anything that he finds “lecturable” under the sun. The correct names of coffee establishments, the duplicity of nuns, the difference between carnal love and love for one’s soul and much more. Marin listens to them patiently and loves her gramps for sacrificing his life to take care of her. She thinks that her life is normal until her gramps disappears one day.

What I like:

* The simplicity of writing is absolutely enjoyable. I liked the book from start to finish. The flow of words is so smooth that it didn’t matter if the plot had twists or turns to keep me up with the story.

* The writing allows me to connect with Marin on a personal level. Her innocence, emotions, strength in character is being portrayed beautifully.

 * This story makes me sit with a particular emotion for long! It forces me to feel morbid for a while and then lets me hold on to hope for eternity.  

* The book conveys the power of love between people of the same gender. The story showcases how natural and common it is to feel a different kind of love with someone of the same gender.

* The importance of family is being given the spotlight it deserves. The feeling of being home and comfortable with things around is essential for all. The ending does justice in a way that creates contentment for us, the readers.

Other thoughts:

The storyline is quite simple. Definitely emotional, but simple in nature. I personally find that to be relaxing amidst novels that are focussed on keeping us amused all the time with new characters and their complexities. Although I fear that, in a way, this story could be restrictive to certain audience groups. Only the ones who are into reading a novel for the characters, live through their inward experiences, will enjoy the book as much as I did. If you’re looking for a story with intense background and twists, this may not serve you. 

Favorite lines: “You go through life thinking there’s so much you need. Your favorite jeans and sweater. Mascara. Your music and your favorite books.. yearbooks, school dance photos. Irish breakfast tea.. Your dreamcatcher, your bedspread, your underwear. You think you need it all. Until you leave only with your phone, your wallet and a picture of your mother.”

Final rating: 4.5 stars! For the adorable writing!

That’s all for now. Let me know how you like them. :)

Take care, sweet people! Until next time.

Love, Preethi

#book review #book recommendations #the sun is also a star #nicola yoon #we are okay #nina lacour #bookstagram #booksreview #booklove #bookcover #book fandoms #book photography #book addict

[beadyeyedgal]

“Because everything looks like chaos up close. Daniel thinks it is a matter of scale. If you pull back far enough and wait for long enough, then order emerges. May be their universe is taking longer to form.”

#nicola yoon #the sun is also a star #book quotes #book lover #book stuff #young adult #made me cry #pink books #bookworm #booknerd #contemporary #books #booksforlife

[beadyeyedgal]

Book Review - Rebel of The Sands

#MinimalSpoilers

Hey, Peeps! I’m here with a new book review on Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton.

I picked up this book since it is talked about by almost every BookTuber on the internet! Also because I was in the mood for a short, fantasy read! You know what, let me solemnly pledge right away that it is, in fact quite a fantasy novel that did quench my fantasy needs. :D

Summary:

Alrighty, this book is about a beautiful girl, Amani, from a mystic other-worldly Arabian kind of a desert. She is internally driven to find a better life than what she’s been living. Her village is called “Dust Walk” (what an appropriate name for a village in a desert, right? ;)).

Amani has blue eyes and taught herself the skill of shooting a rubber band that flies in the air more than a kilometer distance away (heck yeah)! Her people are not so nice to be around. She has lost her parents. Her uncle is an ass. In spite of troubled surroundings, she journeys through life with a strong conviction that she deserves a better life elsewhere. This gripping story is about how her life gets completely transformed into something that she has never dreamed of, after meeting a mystic foreigner boy named Jin.

What I enjoyed:

Opening scene The first few pages were what pulled me into the book! So intense and action packed! It just set my mind on an unknown race trying to figure out what might lead to what and so forth!

Strong characterization of the lead, Amani She is someone I would want to be like in a way, you know. She is that girl who proves someone wrong for undermining her qualities because of her gender orientation and other such preconceived notions. She pushes through and meets her fate head on, irrespective of what’s been told to her otherwise. She is over-zealous and full of energy! She says what she thinks is right, although that sometimes gets her into real trouble! And man she gets out of her troubles like a girl! *victory gesture*

Amani growing into a better person with time and knowledge The author has done a fantastic job of keeping us in touch with Amani’s inner thoughts and feelings throughout the book. She goes from this cow boyish, incautious kid to a responsible and thoughtful girl!

Spiritual anecdotes that travel in this fantasy story One can very easily draw a parallel to these anecdotes into our worldly affairs and learn a thing or two from them (if you are the spiritual type, that is)

Romance Amani and Jin share a surreal romance that is expressed in a lovely fashion. It makes us realize the truth of the saying that one can live a thousand lives through reading books.

Here’s a snippet of what I mean:

“We stood close, anger pulsing between us. My heart was beating fast - or maybe that was his. We were breathing each other. Just him and me. I opened and closed my hands, wanting to reach for him. “Jin”, Bahi’s voice broke the moment.”

Creative writing The writing is great! It isn’t because the author is super duper proficient with the language or anything like that. The writing is put together nicely for us to enter into this fantasy world that is well imaginable and relatable at the same time. Serves the purpose, right?

What I disliked:

While the story was gripping and all, there were moments when I felt that I wasn’t able to exactly grasp certain descriptions of the narrative unless I reread those paragraphs twice or thrice.

It could be because fantasy novels generally showcase thousand varieties of unknown, mystic stuff to us and sometimes it gets difficult to keep up. I still think the composition could have been a bit different in such confusion-triggering places. Anyway, each has his own style, and that’s what makes authors special! Right? May be if I give the book a second read, I might love it more! :)

Whom do I recommend this book for:

Young girls who believe in purpose in their journeys

YA readers who are into fantasy and romance

Note: This book is the first part of a trilogy. Although I would say that the book pretty much falls into the Standalone category since the author doesn’t let us hanging in the end so much. So you can very well dive into the book, if you got some time on hands.

And now for the final moment.

*Drum rolls*. . *Drum rolls*

My overall rating: 4 stars out of 5!

Sayo Nara!

Love, Preethi

#rebel of the sands #alwyn hamilton #bookreview #book recommendations

[beadyeyedgal]

Guess what? It is my mom’s birthday tomorrow! I am no artist but since my mom loves paintings, I made this one for her. How do you like it? Will you be happy if you were my hypothetical mom? 😀

Drawing inspiration - Alicia Souza

Love, Preethi

#birthdaygifts #moms birthday #kangaroo #artlovers #art #artworld #artists on tumblr #artphotography #artstagram #artkid

[beadyeyedgal]

Tribute to Yoga with Adriene

She came into my life when I got out of a two-year old job and moved into my parents’ home with the intention of taking a break from the fast moving world! Also, to think and figure out the next step of my life. So I guess it was a time of apprehension and anxiety. 

One fine morning, I opened YouTube and came across a channel called “Yoga with Adriene”. I was intrigued to browse through it because I have always respected Yoga and Yogis although I had never made Yoga as part of my life myself (for reasons that can very well be classified as excuses). While I was glancing through the videos, I noticed this calm, serene, beautiful and chilled out person teaching Yoga from her home in Texas to lakhs of people around the world through weekly videos. Her followers displayed utmost gratitude towards her in the comments section and on the internet in general. Given all of this, there was something else that grabbed my attention that led me to take a chance and dive in. It’s the motto of the channel that goes, Yoga to “Find What Feels Good”. I have had Yoga experiences before, like when I was in high-school. I have not had anyone tell me to look for what feels good to me in Yoga. All I can remember is that there were instructions, a little guidance and less freedom to try what I liked. Even with quite such restrictions, I remember feeling good whenever I did Yoga. 

Thinking back, I didn’t know my life was going to be changed by someone through Yoga. I’m glad it did!

I knew I had to take the bet and trust Adriene to be my Yoga Guide when I watched the first video of “30 Days of Yoga Camp with Adriene”. I knew I wouldn’t lose interest in Yoga if I had her as my guide. She is so humble, funny, relatable and charming. She is soothing to the eyes and the ears. She speaks about things that I care for. Sometimes, I wonder how wise she is! When I heard her say, “Yoga ultimately guides us back to the best version of ourselves, and the idea is that we already are that! We already have all the goodness in us, we just have to peel back the layers that are holding us back.”, I had already surrendered the next thirty days to Yoga with this comforting, brilliant, and genuine person, Adriene (the name sounds lovely too!).  

I have so much to thank her for. Practicing Yoga with her is like an out-of-the-body experience for me. Thoughts, confusions and everyday drudgery of life fly out of the window during those 30 - 40 mins of Yoga with her. 

She is amazing in the sense that she knows when to guide and when to let us explore what we like. Nothing is rushed on, she believes in taking time with each pose to enjoy the reward and so do I. She trains us subconsciously when a difficult pose comes along. Whenever I fall out, she always brings me back into the game with ease.

What’s more? She is so funny that sometimes I laugh in the middle of a difficult asana and talk to her through the screen to celebrate her jokes.:D

The guitar intro to every video that she has made is like a tranquilizer to my brain. I also like her adorable wolf-like dog! And the clothes, the mat and the floor she practices on! Basically, as you can see, I’m a BIG fan of her and of the art of yoga she preaches.

Today, I am completing the 30 days of Yoga Camp series and this post is a tribute to my favorite Yogi, Adriene for showing me how to love myself! I feel stronger, calmer, much more confident and grateful than I was ever before. 

Thank you for being alive and changing lives, one video at a time. You are a gem of mankind!

30 days Yoga Camp for ya’ll - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLui6Eyny-Uzx5BRNB2_Kvycrn5h9OsaHC

Love, Preethi

#yoga #yogaeverydamnday #yogalove #yogalover #yogilife #yogi #yogadaily #yogaday #yogaliving

[beadyeyedgal]

Ha! Still haven’t gotten to them yet.

#queue #bookhaul #longstanding #booklovers #bookstagram #bookcollection #bookobsessed #bookverse #bookstack #bookphotography

[beadyeyedgal]

Reading at the moment

Picked up this book because of the many good reviews on Google Bookstore. Also, I gather that the author Haruki Murakami is amazing! Let’s see how it goes. :) 

Love, Preethi

#haruki murakami #nextread #bookcover #popularebook

[beadyeyedgal]

Book Review - Everything, Everything

#MinimalSpoilers

Hello, homies! How are you doing there? I am feeling calm as an owl while I am writing this, how do you line with me? :) Okei, doke. Let’s jump into the review!

Reading time: 9 hours

Summary:

Everything, Everything is about an eighteen-year old girl, Madeline, who gets isolated from the entire world, besides her mother and her nurse, as she suffers from a rare disease called SCID. It’s an immune deficiency disorder that makes her allergic to any kind of unsterilized environment. Hence, she is confined to her home right from her childhood and doesn’t get to go out into the world for these 18 years of her life. She reads clean books, takes Architecture classes through Skype and finds relief in her favorite “sun room” inside the house which is perfectly designed to imitate tropical weather of the outside. Her mother, a doctor by profession, takes care of her with the help of a nurse, day in and day out. The story transcends into how Madeline gets to meet a boy next door, fall in love and come up against her inner struggles, given that she hasn’t experienced life like most of us.

Thoughts while reading the book:

Madeline’s life, her thoughts, and expectations are beautifully portrayed by the author. She is a strong girl and yet sensitive. Her love for her mom is infinite. She understands the sacrifices that she makes for her. Her mother is committed to the well-being of Madeline in her own way and makes sure that she lives a contented life despite her illness.

She is strict, but for the good of Madeline! In her efforts, she gets Madeline home-schooled, buys her a lot of books, plays silly games like Pictionary and Scrabble with her, often. She tries to give her a life that she doesn’t complain on. 

Until Madeline meets a boy - the sprightly and cute Olly! Olly is a guy whom you’d want to know more about. He’s interesting, wise, lovable and pure. He is very different from Madeline and at the same time, very much the same.

Reading this book made me realize that there are people in this world who are living their lives in unimaginable ways. Most of the time, I take the freedom I have for granted but life is altogether different and hard for many. The writing of the author is so real and touching that you’ll get hit in the stomach with the feels - be it with love, despair, fear, or happiness.

The nurse is one of the sweetest characters you’ll get to read in books. She is empathetic enough to know what to provide for Madeline and what not to. She is like a second mother to her and gives such truthful pieces of advice that you’ll want her to be your mom. I have something here that she says to Madeline. :)

Thoughts after finishing the book:

My mind was like Goodness! Is this real? Why? I get it but I don’t. The pain that I felt, the fear that I had before and after the book ended is indescribable. The ending was such unexpected that I wasn’t sure if I was ready to accept it. I read that many readers guessed the ending but I didn’t! It just blew my mind and heart away. For the last few pages of the book, I just had a heavy feeling that made me kind of numb with fear. You’ll have to read it to agree with me.

Without giving away any further cues, here is my final rating for the book!

4.5 stars out of 5!

I definitely enjoyed reading the book for the characters and the general attitude of the main character to want to live rather than survive.

Whom do I recommend this book for:

For readers who get excited about love and look for meaning in life. Also, for the ones who can comprehend craziness as part of life. 

Favorite lines:

“In two weeks my skin will have no memory of Olly’s hand on mine, but my brain will remember. We can have immortality or the memory of touch. But we can’t have both.”

“Loving someone as fiercely as my mom loves me must be like wearing your heart outside of your body with no skin, no bones, no nothing to protect it.”

Love, Preethi

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