The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

The Lonely Hearts Club was an awesome girl power novel. After Penny gets her heart broken , she decides to swear off boys. When word gets around school, it turns out that lots of other girls share her feelings on the subject and the Lonely Hearts Club is born.

Every girl out there will be able to enthusiastically relate to thinking that boys can be a pain sometimes (or all the time, depending on the boy in question.) I really like that the story revolves around the concept that loving yourself and your friends should take priority over boys. I can admit to forgetting this important rule from time to time with less than stellar consequences so this story was especially poignant to me.

Beatles references were woven into the story nicely. From the characters names to the chapter titles, everything related back to Penny's favorite band.

 The Lonely Hearts Club was an adorable, girly, and positive read. I enjoyed every page! I'm very impressed with Elizabeth Eulberg's debut and look forward to reading more from her.

The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy

I picked up The Cinderella Society from my local library because I liked the cover and the info on the inside flap sounded cute and interesting. However, cute and interesting doesn't quite cover everything that TCS was. It had a serious side as well.

TCS follows Jess Parker as she gets initiated into a secret society whose mission is to balance out forces of evil. There are makeovers, wardrobe overhauls, and boy dilemmas involved. Teen readers will have no trouble relating to bullying and needing backup in order to rise above peer pressure. I liked that Jess starts out as an underdog and slowly realizes her potential to shine. This reminds us that regular people ("reggies") have the power to make a difference. Kay Cassidy makes that message loud and clear without sounding too preachy.

Jess was a very real character. She was smart, funny, and full of insecurities.

Overall, TCS was super readable and a lovely debut for Kay Cassidy. It was such a great girl power read. I'm already pining for the continuation!

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

I recently finished reading Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves and I'm excited to tell you what I thought of it. I haven't written a review in months but I'm looking forward to getting back in the swing of things. Since it's summer now I anticipate having lots of time to devote to reading and reviewing books. Anyway, on to the review!

Bleeding Violet follows Hanna Jarvinen as she navigates the unusual town of Portero, Texas and reunites with her very estranged mother. While Hanna battles her own psychiatric problems, her new home is a bit more supernatural than she can believe. I was drawn in to the dark, disturbing world that Dia Reeves laid out and couldn't put Bleeding Violet down.

Hanna was such an unusual character and I loved being able to get inside her head to see what shocking things went on there. I enjoyed exploring Portero and unlocking the towns dark secrets with Hanna. Her story was filled with crazy, unexpected twists but it all made perfect sense in the end.

Whatever you're looking for, Bleeding Violet has it all: mental illness, romance, death, estranged parents, monsters, and girl power. But beware - there are zero rainbows and cupcakes involved here. It's very mysterious, dark, and thrilling. Bleeding Violet was an exceptionally unique take on YA paranormal and I loved every page. Extra points for daring to push the limits of what's been done before. This was an amazing debut for Dia Reeves - I predict that she has great things in store for readers in the future.