The Lost Girls of Camp Forevermore
by Kim Fu

I finally finished this book after a bit of struggling. I have difficult times with books that jump around in time periods, because inevitably I find one storyline more involving and interesting than the other. In this case, the plot of what happened on the island was what pulled me along to read it first, and then go back and read the chapters about the lives of the girls later.

Still, the writing was solid and readable. I recommend it to those who enjoy life stories and adventures.

Pasadena
by Sherri Smith

This was kind of a hard book to read. It deals with the suicide of our main character’s best friend. Memories of her are interspliced with the main narrative as the main character tries to prove that her friend was murdered instead. Writing-wise, it’s actually an easy read, chapters blend into one another very well and keep you reading. There’s just a lot going on. I recommend it for fans of YA and who don’t mind reading about heavy topics.

We Were Liars
by E. Lockhart

Bro, this shit made me cry, and I’m not a crier, like, ever. We meet the three cousins and one friend at the start of their foursome friendship. There’s romantic love blooming and suspense building. I picked this up from my library because I kept seeing people recommend it, and boy howdy, was it worth it. At first there’s a lot to get through reading about how rich they are (I mean, their families own a freaking island), but the story gets better the more it focuses on the relationships between the four main characters.

Our main lead is involved in something that makes her block out memories of her fifteenth summer on the island. When I found out what it was and what was really going on, I burst into tears. It’s so tragic yet sweet at the same time. There’s a good reason the blurb tells you to lie about how it ends. It’s such powerful twist.

Universal Harvester
by John Darnielle

I don’t even know how to sum this up and I just finished reading it. It has a very House of Leaves eeriness about it, along with its own particular cadence. It feels very Midwestern, sprawling, yet small, focused, yet worldly. I definitely recommend it if you like having your mind lowkey fucked while you’re reading. It’s a trip.