Book Review: The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre

AUTHOR: Ann Aguirre
PUBLISHER:  Feiwel & Friends
PAGES: 328
STAND ALONE/SERIES: Stand alone
SOURCE: E-Arc from Netgalley
OUTLINE:
Sage Czinski is trying really hard to be perfect. If she manages it, people won’t peer beyond the surface, or ask hard questions about her past. She’s learned to substitute causes for relationships, and it’s working just fine… until Shane Cavendish strolls into her math class. He’s a little antisocial, a lot beautiful, and everything she never knew she always wanted.

Shane Cavendish just wants to be left alone to play guitar and work on his music. He’s got heartbreak and loneliness in his rearview mirror, and this new school represents his last chance. He doesn’t expect to be happy; he only wants to graduate and move on. He never counted on a girl like Sage.

But love doesn’t mend all broken things, and sometimes life has to fall apart before it can be put back together again…

MY THOUGHTS

Can I just say how much I absolutely adored this book. 

I continue to be amazed by Ann Aguirre's writing. I've enjoyed her Dystopian books, NA books, and now her contemporary book. ( I still have to read Mortal Danger, but I have faith.) I think in my heart of hearts I knew I would love The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things because it has the feels that her NA books have, but with a younger protag. :)

Sage definitely had a hard life growing up, but she tries her best 

to be positive and do everything she thinks is right so as not to upset her life now. We all know that sometimes life doesn't allow us to do that though, and we will eventually slip. When we do slip it is up to us to stay in control, and I think for the most part Sage did just that. At times Sage referred to Shadow Sage (which at times was annoying, but we later learn what  she was meaning to tell us with that.) I love that even through the hardest of times she marched through it like a solider, and to me that's what makes a character memorable and real. I know had I been her I probably would have been broken and possibly not even fixed. (Yeah it's alright I'm a baby I admit it.) She looked beyond the exterior of people, and found good in them. I love that she didn't give up on Shane, or her best friends.

Speaking of Shane.....Can I just swoon for a moment...

........

......sighs......

........

Ok! I loved Shane from the get go, and to watch Sage and Shane come together and compliment each other like they did was great. Even when Shane didn't want "help" Sage was there.

I'll admit I became a bit of a nervous wreck at the end when stuff happened, but sometimes things have to happen. life's not all fairytales and rainbows.