June Wrap-Up (2018)

Hey everyone,  Victoria here! Today I'm going to be sharing with you my June wrap-up! I read 4 books in June, which I'm happy with since I was a bit busy this month. And I read books that I mostly highly rated this month, which is great!  So, let's just jump right into the wrap-up...


1.) Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️  ⭐️ ⭐️    / ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️  (5/5!)



I loved this book and plan to read the sequel at some point!! I already did a review on this book, which you can check out HERE!


2.) Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️   / ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️  (4/5)



This book surprised me with how much I enjoyed it! I didn't know too much about it before going into it except that it was about Simon, who is gay, and how he navigates the obstacles of high school. I really liked the dynamic and diverse set of characters and they made the storyline flow really well. I also didn't predict the outcome/plot twist of this book, so it kept me guessing the whole time I was reading it. I adore Becky's writing style and I am looking forward to reading some of her other works including The Upside of Unrequited  and What If It's Us (which she co-wrote with Adam Silvera and it comes out this October!) I don't think I will be reading the sequel/companion to Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, Leah on the Offbeat, since I like how the story ended in this book and I'm not super invested in Leah's story. Overall, I would definitely suggest giving this one a try if you're looking for an enjoyable, fast-paced read. I am also going to be watching the movie, Love, Simon, very soon!! :)

3.) The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith
Rating: ⭐️  ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️  / ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️  (5/5!)




*TRIGGER WARNING- RAPE (graphic). This book also involves a lot of consensual sex and substance use throughout.

I flew through this book so quickly because it was EXCELLENT! This is the heartbreaking story of the trauma the main character, Eden, faces after being raped by her brother's best friend. I was crying so many times while reading this book even though I haven't experienced what Eden went through. Amber Smith's writing is so detailed and graphic, it's hard to ignore how much you feel Eden's pain. The characters and family dynamic were great, as well as the school setting, which shows how mean teenagers can really be to one and other. I particularly loved one of the love interests, Josh, oh my gosh I wish I had a boyfriend like him (insert extreme SWOON here). If you like powerful, dark, and hard-hitting books, I cannot recommend this one enough! Please read this!!

4.) The Summer of Us by Cecilia Vinesse
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️  / ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️  (3/5)



I didn't particularly like this book, but I also didn't hate it...it just sort of fell flat for me. I was expecting this extraordinary summer European travel novel filled with romance and sight-seeing, but what I got was DRAMA. The amount of complaining and drama from these characters is like nothing I've ever experienced, and it was not the enjoyable type of drama, it was whining. So obviously the excess drama lowered my rating. I also found that not much of the European travel aspect of this novel was explored. I found the drama overtaking everything and not much description or detail went into describing the setting. I did like the lesbian relationship between two of the main characters, but the other relationship just made me annoyed. This was a quick read which was nice, but overall, there was so much potential that was not lived up to.



These are all the books that I read in June Be sure to check out my TBR for July to see what I'm planning on reading this month and let me know in the comments if you read any of these books! See you next week with another new post!

-xoxo Victoria

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