Flipping the Script by Danice Mae P. Sison

So now what? Are we a thing? Do I want us to be a thing? Would it be so wrong if I say that I do? What do I do with these feelings, exactly?

Synopsis

Miri dela Merced’s film director grandfather and Pabs Paglinauan’s studio head grandmother had a huge falling out that ended Lolo Ikong’s career. At seventeen, Miri finds herself in the same summer film internship program as the down-to-earth film studio heir Pabs, whom she’s decided to automatically write off, just because of his lineage. As Miri gets a crash course in her expectations vs the reality of what it's like to work on a real movie, her true feelings for Pabs become harder and harder to ignore. In between attending outdoor screenings of classic Pinoy movies and battling monster production assistants together, can flipping the script on a decades-old grudge be only a few sequences away?

My Review

Title: Flipping the Script

Author: Danice Mae P. Sison

Genre: YA/Contemporary Romance

Release Date: February 2019

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Omg the cuteness! In Danice Mae P. Sison's debut YA contemporary romance Flipping the Script, we meet Miri, a film nerd who is just about to start a potentially life-changing film internship the summer before her final year at high school. Miri comes from a long line of filmmaking royalty; her mother was a beautiful actress in her prime, and her grandfather was a director who made fantastical adventures that, due to a falling out with the production company, have sadly been lost and Miri hasn't even been able to see the films. Still, she wants to follow in her Lolo's footsteps and learn everything she can from this internship to help her further her film career. She is shocked to find out that the host for the internship is none other than the company that she believes tanked her Lolo's career.

Over the summer, Miri bonds with her fellow interns, gets yelled at a lot by their intern supervisor, and, despite her resistance, starts to warm up to a fellow intern, Pabs. Pabs and Miri have a cringeworthy but so good meet-cute that I won't spoil here, but it nonetheless causes her a lot of anxiety having to work alongside him all summer. Add to this the fact that he happens to be the heir to the production company that has caused her family so much grief, and she decides it's better to play it cool with him and not get too close. In spite of all this, Pabs is still super sweet to her and understands why she low key hates his family, and the trials of the internship and their mutual love for film starts to bring them together.

I loved the shared interests between Pabs and Miri, and the respect they both have for each other and what they want to do with their future film careers. It was adorable to read about them nerd out over film restoration equipment, squee over classic films, and go to outdoor film screenings together. As a fellow movie nerd, I immediately connected with all of the movie magic throughout the book, and the whole time I was reading their story I just had a huge smile on my face. This is the perfect story to read when you're looking for a sweet, summer love story that is cool, funny, and charming all at the same time. It will definitely want to re-watch your favorite movies and maybe see them in a new light.

I also appreciated the growth of the main characters throughout the book. I love Miri, but she is definitely not perfect and has a lot of growing up to do before she's ready to really become a filmmaker. Pabs, meanwhile, needs to learn how to stand up for himself and be his own person apart from his family. I thought the journey they went on was realistic and I would love to read more about these characters. Their fellow interns were a great example of supportive friendship and forming bonds with people who are completely different from you but who share a passion for the same thing. Overall, I recommend Flipping the Script if you love contemporary stories with strong setting, funny, relatable characters, and nerding about movies. Plus, if these types of books are your jam (they're definitely mine), check out other #romanceclass books here.

Get your copy of Flipping the Script here (PH version), here (International Version), or here (Kindle version).

Happy reading!

About the Author

Danice Mae P. Sison realized she wanted to be Harriet the Spy when she was very young. Since then, she has been digging out from real life experiences, pop culture obsessions, and her growing TBR pile of young adult and romance books for inspiration. She works in pay television as a channel manager, and has previously contributed as an author on the anthology Start Here. Flipping the Script is her first book.

Note: I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and participation in the Flipping the Script Blog Tour.

Review: Spectacle by Jodie Lynn Zdrok

Title: Spectacle
Author: Jodie Lynn Zdrok
Genre: YA/Historical/Fantasy/Mystery
Release Date: February 2019
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Spectacle is an atmospheric YA debut that promises thrills and horror and, fortunately, the story delivers; set in 1887 Paris, we begin the story following Nathalie, a 16-year-old burgeoning reporter who is tasked with writing the morgue report for Le Petit Journal. While visiting the morgue, which is open to the public, to research her daily article, Nathalie finds herself supernaturally entangled in a mystery of a serial killer, and discovers she may possess unique gifts that could help the police unmask the murderer. Aided by her best friend Simone and a cute young investigator, Nathalie puts her journalism skills and her unique gifts to work in unraveling a gruesome mystery.

Throughout the book, Zdrok does an excellent job capturing the morbid fascination with true crime that was as true in the 19th century as it is today. In Nathalie's world, Parisians view corpses at the morgue with their toddlers in tow, visit wax museums depicting scenes of murder victims, and enjoy celebratory drinks after watching a public execution. Even though this book takes place in the summer, it has a very eerie vibe and the setting really drew me into the story with its cafés, cabarets, and catacombs.

There were def some Penny Dreadful vibes

In addition to the time period and the setting, I also really enjoyed being in Nathalie's head; she's smart and rational, so I wasn't constantly yelling at her like I find myself doing so often with mystery books. I also loved that Nathalie actually had friends who were fully developed and had their own lives, only adding to the realism of her world, and her parents really added to the story instead of fading into the background, which I find happens all too often in YA novels. I don't want to discuss too much of the plot in this review in order to avoid spoilers, but I thought there actually were a good amount of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. I almost didn't trust a single person throughout the story, especially due to the elements of mysterious magic, missing memories, and visits to the insane asylum (I'm telling you, this book has it all). At times, the middle of the book was paced a bit slow, but it quickly picked up and sucked me back in.

I found this debut to be an excellent read that I would recommend to lovers of historical mysteries (I read all of the Lady Julia Grey books, so I'm the target audience) who also enjoy fantasy and horror elements thrown in as well. This is kind of a dark read with some gruesome details, but to me that adds to its appeal. I hope there are more books planned set in this world, because I'm dying to find out more!

Note: I received a digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Teen for providing me this copy!

Unboxing: February Uppercase Box

I was recently gifted a subscription to Uppercase Box, which is a YA-focused monthly subscription box featuring one signed new release and a few little bookish goodies. So far, I've been loving my boxes! My first one came last month and I was super impressed with the book choice and the quality of items, and when this month's box came I literally gasped.

February Book of the Month

This is one of my most anticipated reads of 2018! I almost bought this book the other day because I had ordered it for my library and for some reason it hadn't come in yet and I was dying to read it, so when I opened my Uppercase Box and found The Queen's Rising by Rebecca Ross inside, I died! And the edition included is beautiful; cover is gorgeous and the pages are all deckled edges and super thick, plus it's signed by the author. This is the kind of book that is worth subscribing over!

Other Goodies

This box also included an exclusive sticker to go along with the book (last month had a magnet; if I'm being honest, I prefer a magnet), plus a cute little notepad and, my favorite goodie included, a library-themed whole-bean coffee. I think that Uppercase Box definitely knows its' audience.

Overall Thoughts

So far, and I've checked out quite a few other subscription boxes, Uppercase Box has easily become my favorite. The book selections are consistently books that I want to read and would love to own, the extra goodies are always fun and useful, and the special features like author videos and book playlists that are available through their website make the reading experience a bit more exciting. I would 100% recommend subscribing if you like YA new releases but aren't sure which ones to buy, or if you are looking to gift a book lover. Shout out to my mom for getting this subscription for me during the holidays.

Did you subscribe this month? How do you feel about the selection?

What I Read: January Wrap-Up

Young Adult

  

 

 

I accidentally read so much YA in January! And, for the most part, I enjoyed pretty much all of them. A Line in the Dark made for the perfect page-turner airplane read when I was flying back from a vacation in Florida on the January first. I love Lo's writing, the unreliable narrator, and the mystery of the story. I read a couple ARCs that aren't out yet, and both I would highly recommend! The Way You Make Me Feel is an awesome contemporary romance that also focuses on female friendship, father-daughter bonds, and finding identity. Meanwhile, Emergency Contact, by Mary H.K. Choi, is a slow-burning character study and sort-of romance about a college freshman named Penny and a young man she meets named Sam. It totally brought me back to my college days with how intense relationships could feel at the time, and the whole awkward transition from a high school teen to somewhat older but much more independent teen in college. If I were you, I would definitely pre-order it! Olivia Twist is another upcoming release that is a gender-swap of the classic tale of Oliver Twist, except Olivia is a young lady trying her best to leave her past life on the streets behind her, until she reconnects with the Artful Dodger. I don't know about you, and maybe this is a booknerd thing, but I always theorized that the Artful Dodger was super hot and this book only supports that theory. It's a fun historical that's plot-driven and a fast read.

Lastly, I finally got around to The Last Namsara, which I had checked out from the library and kept renewing because I didn't have time to get to it yet. The book initially appealed to me because there are dragons, and I did enjoy it, but it wasn't my favorite YA fantasy that I've read recently. The writing was pretty good and the world was intriguing, however I felt that both the world and the characters could have been fleshed out more. Overall, though, a solid debut. The Epic Crush of Genie Lo left me feeling similarly; I loved the mythology behind it (based on Chinese myths, in particular the Monkey King) and I thought the concept would have made for an awesome urban fantasy TV show. However, I just didn't connect with the writing style. It was a little too tongue in cheek for my taste, but I think readers who enjoy snarky urban fantasy would really like it.

Graphic Novels

 

I was in the mood for graphic novels in January, and I picked these up because my favorite kind of graphic novels is the sort that is sad, slice of life, and introspective. These pretty much fit the bill! Spinning follows the author's journey from a child figure skater to professional artist, and each chapter was broken down into a different skating move. I liked the simple art and was really drawn into the story. I'm Not Here is one of the most beautiful graphic novels I've seen in a long time. I loved every panel, and gg's style really resonated with me. It's sad, and short, and a good re-read.

Non-Fiction

 

Alison Weir's Queens of the Conquest was an excellent narrative history of the queens of England following the Norman conquest. It brought me back to my undergrad days (I majored in history with a focus on medieval England), and I was pleasantly surprised how much I remembered about the many queens named Maud. It was a good read, and I think she has more books in this vein coming out soon. Braving the Wilderness, meanwhile, was not my favorite. In fact, I kind of hated it and the saving grace was that it was short. I know everyone loves Brown, and I think she sounds like a really nice person who does put forth some ideas that can be helpful to people, but I just could not connect with it and I found myself ranting out loud quite a bit while reading this one.

Historical Fiction

This book was sooooo good! It was kind of a slow start, but basically it traces a fictionalized version of the life of Aemilia Bassano, who is often credited as the first woman in England to publish poetry for profit. The story follows her childhood, which was marked with tragedy but also encouraged in her a passion for the arts and for learning, up through her days as a courtesan, then wife, mistress, and eventual widow. I loved Mary Sharratt's writing, and there were some awesome moments of Elizabethan female empowerment going on that made me cheer. Sharratt has another historical fiction coming out soon called Ecstasy that I am 100% going to check out.

What I'm Reading Next....

Currently, I'm reading Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri as part of my Around the Year in 52 Books challenge. I also started and am slowly reading Mary Oliver's essay collection, Upstream: selected essays. I have a few ARCs downloaded from NetGalley that I want to start soon, and I also have a few other reading challenges that I'm working on. Overall, we'll see what I'm in the mood for in February. I'm thinking lots of romance.

What are you looking forward to reading in February? 

Happy Reading!

Review: The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo

Title: The Way You Make Me Feel
Author: Maurene Goo
Genre: Contemporary YA
Release Date: May 2018
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Maurene Goo is quickly becoming one of my favorite contemporary YA authors! I loved I Believe in a Thing Called Love and, to be honest, when I first started this book, I wasn't sure if it would live up to my expectations. Our main character is Clara, whose best friends are two prankster guys, and she loves joking around, playing pranks, and basically distancing herself from emotions and just having a good time. When one of her pranks goes too far, she's sentenced to work on her dad's Brazilian-Korean fusion food truck all summer long with her apparent enemy, Rose, who is a high achiever that Clara can't relate to at all. Meanwhile, a cute boy who frequents the food truck may make the summer a little more interesting.

At the start of the book, I straight up could not stand Clara. She was so obnoxious!!! And why didn't she have any female friends? But then, as I kept reading, I got to experience Clara's growth and see how she evolved throughout the story, and her relationships changed and grew, I found that I related to her quite a bit. I don't want to spoil the story so I won't elaborate much more, but basically this book has all the feels, and has a good balance of a romance but also focuses on friendships and family relationships, too. I always get a little annoyed in YA books when the parents are basically non-characters and the teens just live their lives-- it's so unrealistic! Goo does an excellent job including the familial relationships and giving depth to her characters, even to minor ones. Also, this book will make you incredibly hungry so make sure you have snacks handy while reading.

All the feels

I would definitely recommend this book to lovers of contemporary YA, readers who love stories about characters finding their identities, and lovers of feel-good romances with a good dose of comedy and emotional moments. Ahh it was so good! I can't wait to read more books by Maurene Goo. These are 100% books that I wish I could give to teenage me.

Me as I finished this book

Note: this ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

Title: The Belles

Author: Dhonielle Clayton

Genre: Fantasy/Young Adult

Release Date: February 2018

Rating: 5/5 stars

The Belles is a rich, engrossing fantasy story set in a French-inspired nation called Orléans, where Beauty is a goddess to be worshipped and blessed beings known as the Belles bestow her beauty amongst the rest of society. In the creation myth of this world, humans were cursed after Beauty was accused of caring for them too much, and they were turned into the Gris, with gray skin and devoid of traditional marks of beauty. The story follows Camellia, who is just graduating from her Belle upbringing to begin working to make people beautiful. Camellia is a sort of over-achiever, and longs to be the favorite of the royal family and be stationed as the official palace Belle. However, she finds that life at court is not what she thought it would be, and she's faced with choosing between following the strict rules of society and being an agreeable Belle, or finding what she truly believes in and standing up for herself.

How I pictured the world, except with less white people

What I loved about this book was definitely the beautifully imagined world that Dhonielle Clayton created. Every detail is richly described, and I was immediately transported into the world. The world-building was excellent, and the magic system, known as the Belle's arcana, was unique and well-done. The Belles is not a particularly short book, but it's highly addictive and definitely draws the reader in with its' beautifully rendered world, high-stakes drama, and strong, kind heroine, Camellia, as well as the supportive side characters such as her sister Belles and her servant, Bree. There are a lot of complicated women in this story, which makes it even more interesting. At times I thought that the villain was a little much (think Marie Antoinette meets Joffrey from Game of Thrones), but her actions didn't hinder the storytelling at all. Overall, an excellent start to the series and I can't wait to see how these characters evolve as the story continues!

Note: I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann

Title: Let's Talk About Love

Author: Claire Kann

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Young Adult

Release Date: January 2018

Rating: 4/5 stars

This book has been getting quite a bit of buzz on book Twitter as the lead is black, female, and biromantic asexual, which is not typical of the leads of most romance books. I thought the premise itself sounded interesting (I always love a good contemporary romance), and once I saw the cover, I was sold. Let's Talk About Love follows Alice, who is nineteen and a sophomore in college, right after her girlfriend breaks up with her because of the lack of sex in their relationship. Alice hasn't exactly come out as asexual to the world (only her two best friends, who are also dating, know), and she fears that she'll never find the romance that she craves because of who she is. Shortly afterwards, she meets Takumi, who is beautiful and kind and understanding, and she begins to question what she wants out of a relationship and if Takumi might be the one for her.

At its' core, this book is a romance but it's also a whole lot more. Alice is not only dealing with relationship stuff, but she's also struggling with her identity in other ways; she worries that her friendships won't survive adulthood, she struggles with the career path that her parents want her to follow versus discovering what she's truly passionate about, and she's still trying to figure out how to adult and be a good person. Meanwhile, Alice remains funny and endearing (despite her faults) and goes through some real growth throughout the story. The characters are bit older than most in YA romances (her love interest has just finished getting his teaching credential, and her best friends are planning to get married), but I think many teens enjoy reading about characters who are a few years older than them but who still haven't figured out who they are and who they want to be. Let's Talk About Love is a really good balance of squee-worthy romance and some coming-of-age character development. Definitely recommended, especially for readers who enjoyed Maurene Goo's I Believe in a Thing Called Love or who are looking for some diverse rep in their contemporary romances.

Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

What I Can't Wait to Read: YA 2017

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

Release date: March 14th, 2017 (today!)

This contemporary, geek-centric story focuses on best friends, fandom, a super convention, and what happens when lifelong friendships evolve into something more. It sounds super cute and like a lot of fun to read, plus the hot pink hair on the cover is amazing. I'm really looking forward to picking this one up now that it's out!

I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo

Release date: May 30th, 2017

I am always looking for more YA books with Asian heroines, and the addition of K dramas in this book takes my fangirling for this release over the top. High school senior Desi Lee decides to take some inspiration from K drama in hopes of winning over her crush, and something tells me that won't go exactly as planned. Plus, the cover is so cute! 

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Release date: May 30th, 2017

I'm not going to lie, the cover definitely pulled me in to add this book to my TBR. The colors and the sheer joy in the cover make this book look like a really fun read. Plus, this book focuses on a contemporary romance between opposites and I love opposites attract love stories. 

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

Release date: May 2nd, 2017

Although the Lara Jean books were intended as a duology, I was thrilled when Jenny Han announced a third installment. I loved Lara Jean's love story with Peter, going from a pretend romance to something real, and enjoyed watching her character grow and evolve on her own without her older sister present to shape her life. Some readers find Jenny Han books a bit too sappy, but I think she balances it out with a good dose of humor. I pre-ordered this one and will probably due a review of the whole series once I read it.

Dear Reader by Mary O'Connell

Release date: May 9th, 2017

This book is billed as Gilmore Girls with magical realism, which means I added it to my TBR immediately. I'm not sure how apt that comparison is, but it also is a sort-of retelling of Wuthering Heights, which I also find intriguing. Hopefully the male lead in this book isn't as terrible as Heathcliff, but you never know. It still sounds like a fun read and I can't wait to check it out!

The Authentics by Abdi Nazemian

Release date: August 8th, 2017

Again, the font and cover design definitely drew me in to this one, but I'm also intrigued by the story of an Iranian-American teen, Daria, who is proud of her culture and background but still learning more about it, not all of which she agrees with. I love contemporary YA about self-discovery and figuring out how to stay true to yourself, so this sounds like a good read.

The Library of Fates by Aditi Khorana

Release date: July 18th, 2017

I had to throw a fantasy title in here since all my most anticipated reads seem to be contemporaries. Plus, look at the cover of this book! This book infuses fantasy with Indian folklore and follows the story of Princess Amrita who begins the story offering herself as a bride to save her people, but ends up a fugitive and on the run. I have high hopes for this book!

Hello, Sunshine by Leila Howland

Release date: July 11th, 2017

This looks like a fun summer read in the vein of Morgan Matson, and follows Becca as she moves to L.A. in hopes of making it as an actress. It sounds like a fun, inspirational book and I'm intrigued by the possible love interest not being a white guy (his name is Raj). Also, how cute is the font for the title?!

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

Release date: September 19th, 2017

This one is coming out a little later this year than the other books I'm excited about, but I had to include it. I loved Jennifer Mathieu's Devoted, and when I saw she had a new book coming out I added it to my TBR right away. Plus, the main character in this book is the child of a 90's riot grrrl who decides to fight the patriarchy at her high school with zine making (I may have written my senior thesis on 90's riot grrrl and third wave feminism). It sounds so, so good!

Note: release dates are what is listed on Goodreads, and may change in the future.

Review: Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Title: Rebel of the Sands

Author: Alwyn Hamilton

Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: October 2015

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Rebel of the Sands follows the story of Amani, a girl gunslinger in a remote desert town. Amani dreams of fleeing her oppressive family and doing something more with her life. While competing in a gun shooting competition with the hopes to win enough money to leave her small town of Dustwalk behind, she meets a mysterious foreigner named Jin, who draws her into an adventure that's bigger and more complex that she could have dreamed. This book has been widely reviewed and is known for being a mix of a classic Western and a Middle Eastern-inspired fantasy, with a mix of Wild West gunslinging and train robbing, plus djinni and other magical desert creatures.

This book was hard for me to determine a rating for, as there were aspects of it that I loved and other aspects that really lost me. Overall, I enjoyed Amani as a character. She was flawed and made mistakes, but learned from them. She was often unsure and had to learn how to survive in the new world that Jin introduced her to rather than being preternaturally gifted right away. Plus, her sassy interactions and dialog, especially with Jin, were a highlight of her character. A few of the side characters, who appear later in the story, are also well-drawn and easy to connect with. I also thought that the setting was well-described and I could see how this story could be seen as immersive, if only it was better executed.

This unique setting was one of the aspects of the book that I struggled with. The story starts as a spaghetti Western, turns into a 1,001 Nights fantasy, then into a political military uprising. It was like the author couldn't decide which story to tell so they just included everything. The blend is unique, but not entirely believable. Miraji, the imagined country where the story takes place, reads like a mix of medieval Islamic culture and occupied India. Characters and places have a blend of Arabic and Persian names, there are calls to prayer and prayer rugs, a dash but then there are also gun factories and I swear Amani is wearing a cowboy hat in the beginning of the book. The characters aren't Muslim (there aren't any named religions as far as I can tell), but there are elements of Islamic culture that exist within the world. It just felt a bit off to me, and I had trouble buying into this kind of world.

The world was clearly inspired by reality and imbued with magic, which I think would have worked fine if this story could just decide what it wanted to be. Instead, it felt like two separate worlds mashed together, with well-written characters unfortunately drawn into it. This may be because it's a debut and this lack of cohesiveness will improve throughout the series. I'm hoping that the world building matures, because overall the writing is good and the characters are great; if so, I could see subsequent books being four or even five star reads.