Book Review | Winger by Andrew Smith

Today's book review is brought to you because of book hype. That's right, I picked up Winger by Andrew Smith purely because of the repeated praise I heard from fellow book lovers. Whether or not that was a good choice will be revealed through this review.

Winger is the story of Ryan Dean West. He's a fourteen-year-old junior in high school, and attends a boarding school where he is two years younger than his classmates. The story is told from Ryan's first-person-perspective, and he tells readers that he ended up in the dormitory for all of the trouble makers because he stole a teacher's cell phone the previous school year.

Ryan Dean is extremely nervous about this new living status. He quickly finds himself in some pretty risky situations, and deals with serious peer pressure from his new bunkmates. As the story continues, readers follow Ryan Dean along his high school journey as he figures out who his friends are. Of course, there is also a love story along the way.

Unfortunately for me, I knew in advance that there was a "big, emotional plot twist" at the end of the novel. Thus, while I was reading Winger, I was looking for hints along the way. It became clear to me quite early in the book what was going to happen at the end, and once I reached that point in the story I was left completely underwhelmed. The ending was thus predictable for me, and that left me with a sour taste in my mouth.

I also strongly disliked Ryan Dean. Many people love him as a character, but I found him extremely annoying and immature. Yes, he does face some bullying and peer pressure, but that is no excuse. Ryan Dean makes all of the wrong decisions in this book, and I couldn't respect him even though he is a young teen who is bound to make poor choices. In addition, I could have done without all of the drawings in the book. I feel like they distracted me from the novel instead of being a helpful addition.

When rating Winger on Goodreads I tried to take into account the fact that the book hype did affect my reading experience. I gave the book a four out of five star rating, because the writing is good and I think if I wasn't anticipating a twist of an ending, I would have enjoyed the read much more. Winger is the first book in a new, young adult contemporary series, so I'm going to reread the book when the sequel is released and give it another chance. I'm hoping in hindsight I'll like the story, and Ryan Dean, much better.

If you've been wondering about Winger, here's my advice: read it with an open mind. Don't look for clues along the way, but enjoy the story in the moment. If you're expecting a shock, you'll most likely be let down as I was. However, Winger is a solid contemporary read, and still deserves a chance. You can purchase Winger on Amazon HERE. The second book in the series Stand-Off is due to be released this January. Please let me know your thoughts on Winger in the comments!

I use Amazon Affiliate links so you can find the books I mention easily. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Book Review | Branded by Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki

Today's book review is very exciting for me, as this is the first blog tour in which I've ever taken part! The authors of Branded, Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki, reached out to me and asked if I would review their book, and I decided to go for it. I'm so very glad I did!

While originally released in 2013, the authors revamped Branded to make the story even better. Branded is a young adult, dystopian novel, and the first in a new series entitled A Sinners Series. The book begins with protagonist Lexie Hamilton being snatched from her home in High Society and taken to The Hole. Ever since The Commander rose to power, all citizens who were accused of sin were brought to The Hole to live together in a giant, prison-like sector of society. Sinners immediately get branded around the neck with a tattoo representing what sin she has committed. Lexie's brand is blue, signifying lust. 

Lexie is given a personal guard, Cole, who must watch over her day and night. Those with blue brands don't usually last long, Cole informs Lexie, as they either die of disease or take their own lives. Lexie is given a job at The Hole's hospital, where she learns first hand the true horrors of The Hole – she finds her first patient dead, and others have a strange virus that the doctor can't cure.

As the story continues, we learn more about The Hole, and Lexie's life prior to being accused of sin. The story is told in first-person through Lexie's point of view, and is beautifully written. I raced through Branded quite quickly. I grew to love each and every character, including Cole's dog Zeus, and even shed several tears (okay, I broke down a bit), during some emotional scenes. Though Branded, like all dystopian novels, comments on the serious topic of humanity, it also has many lighthearted moments, and even made me laugh out loud at some points. And yes, there is a love story (and a really great one at that!).

I really enjoyed Branded and am giving it a 4.5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. The ending was fabulous, and definitely got me excited for the next book in the series. The only reason I docked a half star was because the love scenes were just a bit too much for me, and I could have done without some of the details (if you know what I mean). Otherwise, Branded was a fabulous read! I would say more, but as always, I don't want to spoil you one bit. If you love a good dystopian novel, or are simply looking for an action-packed book, I highly recommend Branded. You can purchase the book on Amazon HERE (the Kindle version is just $2.99 if you're on a budget).

Have you read Branded?! Please share your thoughts in the comments!

The book featured in this post was provided for my unbiased review, and the link above is an Amazon Affiliate link. All my opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.