Rachel Rambles About Let's Get Lost

Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid
From Goodreads:
Five strangers. Countless adventures. One epic way to get lost. 

Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named LEILA. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most. 

There's HUDSON, a small-town mechanic who is willing to throw away his dreams for true love. And BREE, a runaway who seizes every Tuesday—and a few stolen goods along the way. ELLIOT believes in happy endings…until his own life goes off-script. And SONIA worries that when she lost her boyfriend, she also lost the ability to love. 

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila's own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truth— sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you're looking for is to get lost along the way.

Let's Get Lost was one of my most anticipated books from BEA 2014, and I am happy to report that it did not disappoint at all. In fact, Let's Get Lost exceeded my expectations, and I think it's going to become one of my new favorite books.

If you've been around this blog for awhile, you know how I feel about road trip books. I absolutely love them! I'm not sure what it is that appeals to me so much--the physical journey paired with the emotional journey? the shenanigans that always ensue? the traveling to new and exciting places?--but I just can't resist a promising road trip novel. I was beyond excited to get into this book, but I wasn't prepared to fall in love with it so quickly and so strongly. Let's Get Lost captured my heart on the very first page, and I knew within the first ten or so pages that it was something special.

Let's Get Lost follows Leila around as she drives all over the United States in her little red car. Along the way, she meets four different teens, and the story is told from each of their perspectives. When Leila enters these characters' lives, she affects them in ways neither the characters nor the reader could see coming. But this book is not just about the people Leila meets; it's also about Leila's journey. Leila starts out as an enigma, an unexpected but not unwelcome presence in her new friends' lives, but throughout the novel, the reader gets to know Leila better and unravel the mystery surrounding her.

At the beginning of this book, Leila gives off some strong manic-pixie-dream-girl vibes, so it was refreshing to have that illusion shattered as the story continued and the reader got to see the story through Leila's point-of-view. All five of the main characters in this story are thoroughly developed, complex, interesting, and unique people, and I enjoyed the format of this book. Rather than getting an entire book from one character's perspective, the reader gets to experience little snippets of each character's lives. Even though each character only gets a short section of the book, I was impressed by how easily I was able to develop connections to them. For the short period during which I was in each of their heads, I felt like I knew the characters and could relate to them really well. This novel is driven by the characters, and, while each character has a different story to tell, all of the stories are intertwined by Leila's presence in their lives, so the novel flows smoothly and the stories feel like they go together. Also, though each section is pretty short, nothing feels rushed or cut-off. Adi Alsaid manages to tell a full story about each character, so nothing feels unfinished when you jump into the next story.

Let's Get Lost is both fun and heartwarming. There are plenty of adventures and shenanigans and hilarious encounters, but there's also a deeper, more emotional undertone. I was expecting the fun side of this book, but the more serious side was a pleasant surprise. This book seems like it's going to be super light and fluffy and yay-let's-go-on-a-road-trip!, but it's actually so much more than that. It's still a fast and entertaining read, but it has some deep and emotional elements to it.

Let's Get Lost impressed me more than I thought it would. I fell in love with this story and these characters, and I will definitely be rereading this book sometime soon. If you love character-driven books about road trips, there's no doubt in my mind you'll enjoy this book. Let's Get Lost has earned a spot on my favorites shelf, and I can't wait to see what Adi Alsaid writes next.

Random Ramble: Harry Potter World in Universal Orlando (Megan)

Recently I went on a family vacation to Florida and we spent two days in Universal. Now since I'm a huge nerd, that means I basically spent two whole days exploring the Harry Potter theme parks there. I had such a good time that I decided I wanted to capture my experience in a blog post. I know that a lot of fellow Potterheads want to go to the park but haven't had a chance to yet, so maybe this post can give you some much needed ammunition to prove to your parents (or yourself) that it is totally worth every penny to go!

Hogwarts up close and personal :)

First, I'll start with Hogsmeade. This is the part of the theme park in Island of Adventure which has been opened for a few years now. The Hogwarts castle as well as Hogsmeade village and now Hogsmeade station are also located here.

The Hogwarts castle is incredible and I cried when I saw it. If you ever go to Universal, no matter how long the line is, make sure you get on The Forbidden Journey, which is the ride inside the castle. It's a essentially a virtual tour of the castle with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. So many of the characters show up and in the line getting there you walk through Dumbledore's office, the Gryffindor Common Room and other recognizable places. I was fangirling so hard the entire time my family almost killed me.

Hogwarts from a distance

In Hogsmeade there are a TON of shops that you can go into and some that are just store fronts. They also sell butter beer and pumpkin juice here and they are both AMAZING. Butter beer is, as my friend Karla put it, like cream soda on crack (idk if these are her exact words but it was something along those lines. Either way, I AGREE). Pumpkin juice sounds like it would be gross but it's actually like drinking fall. They also have Honeydukes candy shop where you can buy chocolate frogs, Bertie Bots Every Flavor Beans, Sugar Quills, Fudge Flies, and basically all of the candy that is mentioned in the books.

Another awesome attraction was Ollivander's wand shop where they let people in and there is an actual reenactment of a wand choosing a witch or wizard. While I didn't get chosen to do the reenactment, I did get to see it and once it was over everyone gets to go into the wand shop. You can buy any of the character wands in the shop, but you can also buy these super fancy interactive wands. They work on shop windows around Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley and let you cast magic spells. Yes, I bought one of these, yes I walked around waving it like all of the little kids around me, and no I am not at all ashamed.

That's probably the best part about Harry Potter World! All of the staff are super cool and in character! They pretend they don't know what camera flashes are and act like muggle technology confuses them. We even had a girl who was in charge of our compartment on the Hogwarts Express who looked like Luna Lovegood. When my dad told her this, she immediately smiled and proclaimed, "Have fun! And watch out for nargles," before she literally skipped away down the train. People walk around in wizard robes. Basically it is Potterhead heaven.


Next, I'll talk about the Hogwarts Express which is one of the most accurate parts of the entire park. The train connects Hogsmeade and the London Waterfront, which then leads into Diagon Alley. You can ride the train back and forth and images are projected on the door of the compartment you're in as well as on the window you look out of. There are more character appearances here like Hagrid and Mad-Eye Moody. Not to mention all the fun of actually walking onto Platform 9 3/4 where Harry's luggage and Hedwig can be seen.

 The London Waterfront features the Knight Bus, an actual Knight Bus driver complete with the talking head, a telephone booth like the one that takes you to the Ministry of Magic, and 12 Grimmauld Place. If you stand outside Grimmauld Place long enough, you might just catch Kreacher peaking out of one of the windows up top. He stands there scowling for a few seconds and then goes back behind the curtain.

You can sort of see Kreacher in the picture above!

 Then once we braved the HUGE lines (and I mean huge. I was there on the second day Diagon Alley was officially open. YIKES) we were finally allowed into Diagon Alley which is PERFECT! None of the rest of the park is visible from inside and once you go through those bricks it is so easy to pretend you're in the wizarding world. I could have stayed there all day!

Pumpkin Juice!

Weasley Wizard Wheezes was a highlight where they actually sell Puking Pastilles and some of the other famous Weasley inventions. They also sell adorable Pygmy Puffs and hold naming ceremonies for them where they make the whole store clap for you and your new pet. My family did this to me. It was embarrassing. My Pygmy Puff is named Gerald.

Butter Beer!

You can also actually eat in the Leaky Cauldron which looked like I had just walked onto the movie set it was so accurate. They serve very British food like Fish & Chips, Bangers and Mash, and other favorites. Pumpkin Juice, Frozen and Cold Butterbeer, Gillywater, and normal Muggle beverages are also available. The food was amazing and I was in heaven the entire time.

 This post is starting to get crazy long so I'm going to start to bring it to a close by talking about Gringotts. You may have heard the drama about people waiting 7-8 hours or more in line to get on the ride. My family and I took advantage of the single riders line and were able to get on in only an hour. We all agreed that it was a really awesome ride and totally worth it, but we would not have felt the same way if we had waited 7 hours.

There were plenty of cameos from Bellatrix, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Bill Weasley, and even Voldemort himself in this one! Plus Gringotts just looks awesome from the outside and the dragon on top of the building actually breathes fire randomly. I mean real, actual fire. Like you can actually feel the heat of it as it shoots across the sky above your head. It's SO COOL.

 Knockturn Alley is also attached to Diagon Alley and you can really go and see the Vanishing Cabinet that Malfoy used to sneak the Death Eaters into Hogwarts in the 6th book. It's really dark, creepy, and cold back there with a window you don't want to miss if you have an interactive wand. It may involve a skeleton that follows all of your movements that you can make dance. Idkidkidkidk.

If you can't tell by this huge ramble of a blog post, I had the time of my life in Universal. There is even so much more I could talk about! I'm already planning another trip there at some point and hopefully with Rachel and Katherine so they can experience it too! If you get the chance to go I wouldn't pass it up! It's totally worth every second! If you have any questions about Harry Potter World, feel free to comment them below or tweet me (@athleticnerd18) about them! I would love to gush about this with someone!

Top Ten Books I'm Not Sure I Want to Read (Rachel)

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

I haven't made a Top Ten Tuesday post in a really long time, but I decided to join in on Top Ten Tuesday today to talk about the books I'm not sure I want to read. I split the following books into three categories: books I bought but I'm not sure I'm into anymore, hyped books I'm not sure about, and sequels to books I've already read.

BOOKS I BOUGHT BUT I'M NOT SURE I'M INTO ANYMORE

1. Nevermore by Kelly Creagh- I remember ordering a copy of this way back when I first started blogging. I had read a string of positive reviews of Nevermore that had convinced me that I had to read it immediately. Clearly, I did not read this book immediately, and while it still sits on my shelf collecting dust and waiting to be read, I don't know if I'll ever pick it up.

2. Blood Red Road by Moira Young- I'm like ninety percent sure I bought this book at Barnes and Noble on release day (or maybe release week). I took it home and was SO EXCITED to read it, but then obviously never got around to it. Now, when I read the summary, I'm just not into it anymore.

3. The Host by Stephenie Meyer- I bought this book during the period between ages 12 and 14 when I was obsessed with Twilight and all things Stephenie Meyer. I bought this book just because Stephenie Meyer wrote it, and now that I'm over my Twilight obsession, I have little interest in reading The Host.

4. Graceling by Kristin Cashore- Again, I remember purchasing this after reading some really good reviews from bloggers, but now I don't think I'll ever read it. It may have sounded like it was my thing back when I bought it, but I don't think it's my thing anymore.

HYPED BOOKS I'M NOT SURE ABOUT

5. The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski- I've seen so many glowing reviews of this book on blogs and on BookTube, but the summary just doesn't sound like something I'll ever want to pick up. I've had a lot of people recommend this to me though, so maybe I'll have to read it out of curiosity.

6. Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira- I actually started reading this book. I got about 30 pages in before I realized I wasn't in the mood for it, so I returned it to the library with the intention of checking it out again at a later time. Now I'm not so sure I'll ever be in the mood for it. I might just have to avoid this one.

7. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey- Everyone's been raving about this book, but I'm just not feeling it. Whenever I read the summary, I'm simply not interested. Maybe my feelings will change once the movie buzz starts taking over the internet.

SEQUELS TO BOOKS I'VE ALREADY READ

8. Steadfast by Claudia Gray (Spellcaster #2)- I'm a huge fan of Claudia Gray's Evernight series, but I wasn't into Spellcaster as much as I'd hoped I'd be. Part of me wants to remain loyal to Claudia Gray and see this series through, but part of me wants to just quit while I'm ahead and not bother with the sequel.

9. Resist by Sarah Crossan (Breathe #2)- I enjoyed Breathe when I read it for the first time, but I think that my love for it has faded during the time I've spent apart from it. By the time the sequel was released, I realized I didn't have much interest in continuing the story.

10. Deception by C.J. Redwine (Defiance #2)- Defiance was a really fast and fun story that I flew through, but I don't think I have enough emotional investment in the characters to want to keep reading. I'm certainly curious to see where the story goes, but I'm not dying to read the rest of the series.

What about you guys? What are some books you're not sure if you want to read? And what do you think of the books I chose? Should I read them? Leave links to your TTT posts below so I can check them out!

Rachel and Katherine Ramble About The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su and Kate Rorick
From Goodreads:
Based on the Emmy Award–winning YouTube series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

Twenty‑four‑year‑old grad student Lizzie Bennet is saddled with student loan debt and still living at home along with her two sisters—beautiful Jane and reckless Lydia. When she records her reflections on life for her thesis project and posts them on YouTube, she has no idea The Lizzie Bennet Diaries will soon take on a life of their own, turning the Bennet sisters into internet celebrities seemingly overnight.

When rich and handsome Bing Lee comes to town, along with his stuck‑up friend William Darcy, things really start to get interesting for the Bennets—and for Lizzie’s viewers. But not everything happens on‑screen. Lucky for us, Lizzie has a secret diary.

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet takes readers deep inside Lizzie’s world and well beyond the confines of her camera—from the wedding where she first meets William Darcy to the local hangout of Carter’s bar, and much more. Lizzie’s private musings are filled with revealing details about the Bennet household, including her growing suspicions about her parents’ unstable financial situation, her sister’s budding relationship with Bing Lee, the perils of her unexpected fame, and her uncertainty over her future—and whom she wants to share it with.

Featuring plenty of fresh twists to delight fans and new readers alike, The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet expands on the web series phenomenon that captivated a generation and reimagines the Pride and Prejudice story like never before.

Rachel: Hey everyone! Today Katherine and I thought we’d ramble together about The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet, a book we both adored but Megan hasn’t read yet. Hopefully this ramble will convince Megan to 1) watch The Lizzie Bennet Diaries web series and 2) read The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet.

Katherine: And also encourages everyone who has not seen the videos to watch them as well!

Rachel: Yes, if you haven’t watched The Lizzie Bennet Diaries first, you must do so immediately. You’ll fall in love with all the characters through the web series, and then you can read the book and fall in love with them even more. :)

Katherine: This review will stay away from book spoilers, so you can keep reading if you have seen all the videos. If you have not seen the videos, you might want to look away so you can stay spoiler-free when you start watching.  

Rachel: Okay, first of all, can we just talk about how cool it is that The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet is a book based on a web series based on a book? Because seriously, IT’S SO COOL. The transformation from the classic book to the modern web series worked really well, and the transformation from the web series back to a book told in diary format also worked really well.

Katherine: You don’t even need to read Pride and Prejudice to love everything about this! You can read the book and feel like you are watching the series all over again because the book captures Lizzie’s voice so well!

Rachel: Yup, I never read Pride and Prejudice (I know, I know...I’m the worst!) but I can still appreciate both the web series and the book. As I was reading, I went back and rewatched some of the LBD episodes and it really did feel like I was experiencing this story all over again. Every video, every tweet, every little detail from the original web series is captured in the book, and the show and the book fit together perfectly.

Katherine: I am currently re-watching everything with my brother and mom, so I’ve been getting super excited to share all of little secrets and screenshots of the tweets to them. (Especially the ones from the day walking in the city!)

Rachel: (Oh my gosh, those pictures are the best.) It’s so amazing how this story takes place outside of Lizzie’s videos and her diary. There’s a whole world they created with the characters’ social media profiles and updates, and it’s such a developed and realistic world that enhances the story.

Katherine: And The Lizzie Bennet Diaries characters also interacted with characters from Sanditon. All the work that the creators did to make sure that everything worked together really paid off and made following the stories on all front even more exciting!

Rachel: Yeah, and it’s really interesting how some details not mentioned in the videos or social media pop up in the book. So even if you’re a die-hard fan of the videos, there are plenty of things in the book that will surprise you. (No spoilers, but there’s something that happens with Jane that neither one of us was expecting. :P)

Katherine: The book does a great job of staying faithful to the videos as well as including the smaller more secretive details that the viewer wouldn’t know!

Rachel: Exactly. Overall, this book is such a fantastic companion to the videos. I don’t think you can be a fan of the videos and not love this book. It’s just as fun and dramatic as the videos, and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience reading it. Just like the web series is meant to be binge-watched, this book is meant to be read in one sitting.

Katherine: I agree with everything that Rachel just said. Everything about the series is great and I can’t wait to read a book from Lydia’s point of view when it comes out next summer!

Rachel: I had not been aware of this book about Lydia until Katherine told me, but I’m just going to trust her and start getting pumped to read it. :D It broke my heart when I finished watching the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, so I’m incredibly happy that this fandom is still alive and we have plenty of content to keep us satisfied, even without a new video every week.

Katherine: We hope this encourages those who have not read the book yet to go get it and read it to continue the Lizzie Bennet love. Now have some Dizzie to get you through your day!

Rachel: THAT PICTURE STOP IT I CANNOT I SIMPLY CANNOT EVEN KATHERINE. THE DIZZIE FEELS.

Katherine: They are SO CUTE.

Rachel: Anyway, thanks for reading this ramble-y mess. If you’ve read The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet, let us know what you thought of it down in the comments!

Katherine Rambles About the Equilibria Series

Wave Singers by Echo Fox
From Goodreads:
The only future that eighteen year old Merry Malone sees for herself is one involving music. She needs to win a music scholarship or all her dreams will come to nothing. 
However, the discovery of a mysterious locket leads Merry to a faraway land, with strange customs and an even stranger people, the Mer. Music plays a magical role here and Merry finds herself warming to this alternate reality.
In an epic battle to free the Mer from their tyrant king, should Merry trust Leander, her childhood best friend or Dylan, a man of the Mer? 

Earth Drummers by Echo Fox
From Goodreads:

Gentian is tiptoeing uncomfortably around his grieving father and headstrong twin sister, doing as he’s told for the sake of peace. However, when strange fire-filled dreams start to take over his nights, Gentian faces a tricky decision. Should he go ahead with his own arranged marriage, his future all planned out before him? Or should he accept the Shaman’s offer of becoming his initiate and learning about Earth magic? With his animal totem Tern to guide him, will Gentian be able to make his choice before his entire world spirals out of control?

I enjoyed both of these two stories. Both used their fantasy elements well and Glossary was helpful if I needed to review some of the terms used to create it. I also enjoyed the way that some mythology was used. Each story was a little slow getting into, but as the end neared I became more invested with each story.

When Merry finds the locket with her friend Lender she gets swept into a new world she had never known about. The world of the Mer, or mermaids that help her better understand herself. As Merry starts to learn about all the new things the reader is brought along with her on this journey.

I really enjoyed the details that were put into the mermaid’s transformations as well as the descriptions of their appearances as mermaids though at times it was difficult to understand which form the characters were in. The settings varied and were done wonderfully. Some of my favorite part took place within the small village where the journeyed to. It was the perfect place to get more characterization and I was able to understand the characters and their relationships the best here. Somne events and actions begin there that start the movement of the plot.

If I had to choose my favorite between the two I would have to choose Earth Drummers. The ending of Wave singers set up for a new story about the other parts of Pangea. This story focuses on Gentian and his twin sister. I really loved the dynamic between the pair. One of my favorite parts of the whole story was learning about their totems, which are animal guides that each person is granted at the time of their birth. Gentian’s totem Tern has great personality and added to the story. Gentian faces a large decision after experiencing terrifying dreams that maybe could predict the future. I was able to understand the deliberation he went through about how it would affect the way they lived and how it might change the opinions of his father. 

After he decides, the pace of the story picks up and made for a great fantasy read. It shows how his decision affected the Stronghold where they lived and the people around him for the better and the worse. Each action had some form of consequence. Later in the story Gen has the opportunity to see the other parts of Pangea that lead to the set-up for the next stories about the trials and tribulations that are occurring throughout the land.

I enjoyed both stories and am very excited to read the third one when it comes out so that I can learn more about the land of Pangea.

Random Ramble: Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop (Rachel)

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I recently had the opportunity to attend the Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. My experience was so amazing and life-changing that I knew I had to tell you guys all about it. This post is probably going to be long, and it's probably going to be super ramble-y, but hey, that's nothing new.

First of all, I'll tell you a little bit about Kenyon College. It's a fantastic school that's known for it's writing program, so in my college search throughout all of junior year, I found myself doing extensive research on this school. Fun fact: John Green and Ransom Riggs both attended Kenyon (at the same time!), and John's video is actually what made me discover Kenyon and decide to do some research on it. I've determined that Kenyon College is one of my top choices for college, so I definitely plan on applying there. If you're interested in learning more about this school, I recommend going to their website or doing a Google search. Even if you're not looking for colleges to attend, it's a fascinating school full of history and beautiful architecture and scenery, so it's definitely fun to research.

Here is the video John Green made that first introduced me to Kenyon. It gives you an idea of what the school is like and how beautiful the campus is.

Here I am standing next to "the little post thing that everyone touches"

I applied to the Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop back in February 2014, and got my acceptance letter about a month later. I was also lucky enough to be given a full scholarship. Getting accepted into this program was one of the highlights of my life. It has a somewhat low acceptance rate, so it feels like a major accomplishment to be chosen to attend this program. Not to brag or anything, but being accepted has increased my confidence a lot. :)

The workshop lasted for two weeks, and I honestly believe that my time at Kenyon was the best two consecutive weeks of my life. I was surrounded by a hundred other teenage writers from all over the country. A few kids were even from outside the United States. For the first time in my life, I was able to find people with the same passions and interests and hobbies as me everywhere I looked. Literary references were understood and appreciated, nerdiness was the norm, and everyone was so intelligent and open-minded. In school, I always feel like a bit of an outcast because my world is so far removed from the "normal" world most teenagers are living in, but at this workshop, people were like me. They got it. We came from all over the country, with such difference experiences, but we were united in our love of writing.

During the actual workshop sessions--about five hours of hardcore writing per day--I had the opportunity to write alongside some talented, interesting people. We responded to obscure prompts and then shared our work with each other and offered feedback. We read short stories and poems and had intelligent, stimulating, sometimes heated discussions about them. I learned about new (to me) forms of writing like prose poetry and hybrid essays and segmented essays and practiced them. I found that I was willing to try new things and experiment and not worry if it was good or not. It didn't matter if what I was producing was good; all that mattered was that I was writing, and I was falling in love with writing all over again.

My classroom had so much character with its beautiful wooden walls and clock that was stuck displaying 4:35 (you can see the whole classroom in John Green's video)

Outside Ascension Hall, the building in which my classes were held

Sometimes it's easy for me to forget about how much I love writing. I burn myself out every year during NaNoWriMo, which is great practice for writing on a regular basis but exhausting, and then I write blog posts until it feels like my fingers are going to fall off, and then I write countless boring essays for school. It all makes me forget that writing can be fun and creative and it can make me happier than anything else in the world. During this workshop, I wrote because I love creating and expressing myself and just...writing. I write because I love writing, and I don't know exactly why I love writing, I just do. I have definitely rekindled my love of writing, and I hope I won't let myself forget how much I love it again.

The anthology filled with pieces by all the young writers...I guess I'm a published writer now!

In addition to the actual writing, I had the opportunity to experience college life for the first time. I lived in a dorm for two weeks with a roommate and a communal bathroom and a meal plan. I have been looking forward to college since I got to high school and realized how shitty it was (oops, I'll try to tone down the teen angst :D), but it was slightly terrifying to think of all the little details of college life, like sharing a space with a roommate and having to eat in the dining hall and oh god the communal bathrooms! This workshop gave me an excuse to try out college life for a bit, and I am happy to report that it is totally not scary at all! In fact, I think I love it. The whole college environment was so appealing to me, and I think that when I actually go to college for real, I'll thrive. 

During this program, my roommate was the closest friend I made, and the communal bathrooms were totally not a big deal. The dining hall did get a little dangerous with some weird food (macaroni and cheese...on pizza?) and waaay too many dessert options (the Freshman Fifteen makes so much sense now!), but ultimately, it was fine. Plus, I mean, Kenyon's dining hall looks just like the Great Hall, so I just pretended I was at Hogwarts at every meal.

SO HOGWARTSIAN

Now that I've had a taste of what college is like, I don't know how I'm going to survive another year of high school. For two weeks I sat in class with twelve other students who were willing to engage in scintillating discussions about Flannery O'Connor stories and an instructor who treated us like peers rather than students and wrote alongside us. Everyone felt so lucky to be in that classroom, and we all valued the opportunity to learn from each other. After experiencing that, the idea of returning to the toxic environment of high school is beyond depressing. But I only have a year left before I can get the hell out of there and move on to greater things and greener pastures, so I will try to remain optimistic.

I will miss reading on park benches on the beautiful campus

tl;dr... I highly recommend the Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop to any teenage writers out there. It was seriously the best experience of my life. It was so wonderful that being home and back to my normal life makes me sad. I want to go back to this workshop, and I want to go back to Kenyon, and I want to go back to the amazing friends I made, and I want to go back to the inspiring environment, and I want to go back to college. 

And now...some silly photos of my amazing new friends! I hope to stay friends with these smart, hilarious, talented girls for a long time. :)

There is so much more I could say about this experience, but I'll leave it at that for now. If you have any questions about the workshop or my experience or my writing or anything at all, please feel free to ask down in the comments!

Megan Rambles About Since You've Been Gone

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
From Goodreads: The Pre-Sloane Emily didn't go to parties, she barely talked to guys, she didn't do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend—the one who yanks you out of your shell.But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just... disappears. No note. No calls. No texts. No Sloane. There’s just a random to-do list. On it, thirteen Sloane-selected-definitely-bizarre-tasks that Emily would never try... unless they could lead back to her best friend. Apple Picking at Night? Ok, easy enough.Dance until Dawn? Sure. Why not? Kiss a Stranger? Wait... what?

Getting through Sloane’s list would mean a lot of firsts. But Emily has this whole unexpected summer ahead of her, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected) to check things off. Who knows what she’ll find?

Go Skinny Dipping? Um...

Ever since Katherine got me a copy of Amy & Roger's Epic Detour for my birthday last year I have been OBSESSED with that book and Morgan Matson. She knows how to write really heartfelt stories that are still loaded with lots of fun, laughs, and good times. Basically she writes the perfect summer reads and I can't think of a better book to have read this summer than Since You've Been Gone.

When I first started this book I had a few reservations. Readers are first introduced to Sloane as this strange, wild girl who shook up Emily's life and changed it forever until she mysteriously disappeared without a word. Her character was feeling very manic pixie dream girl to me and I wasn't into it at first at all. On top of that Emily didn't seem to be able to stand up for herself at all. As I'm not really a shy person myself this was frustrating for me and I was curious as to how Morgan Matson was going to handle it. 

After  I got into the book it became clear that she was going to make all of my worries go away. The flashbacks that were spread out throughout the book allowed an insight into Sloane and Emily's friendship before Sloane left, which made Sloane seem more like real person. I really enjoyed that by the end of the book I was totally in love with their friendship and could completely understand why Sloane is the way she is. 

Watching Emily grow and change throughout the book was awesome. She starts out being so timid and lost without her best friend to guide her every movement. I loved watching her learn not only how to stand up for herself but also to be bolder and to just speak her mind instead of going along with everyone else. By the end of the novel she didn't feel like an invisible girl who was just going to float along doing what she was supposed to do. Instead, Emily became the kind of girl that people notice and want to spend time with. 

Now let's take a minute to talk about Frank Porter. Because I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE him! At first he comes across as the kind of picture perfect try-hard that would drive me insane but he is yet another character in this book who surprised me. Frank is much more complicated and interesting than just the typical class president who overachieves in everything he does. By the end of the book I was totally in love with him!

I also loved Collins and Dawn, the other two friends that Emily makes along the way during her crazy summer following Sloane's list. They were both funny but were involved enough to not be just supporting characters who fade into the background. Emily's younger brother Beckett was also so cute and I loved reading about the relationship between the two siblings. Emily is a really caring older sister who makes sure to take care of her brother while her parents are busy writing. 

Since You've Been Gone is a story about a girl finding how to be a better version of herself through a bunch of crazy adventures in one amazing summer. It's the kind of summer that every teenager hopes to have at some point in their lives. But this book is also a story about two best friends and that is the part I connected with the most. As someone who is about to be a senior in high school I know that all of my friends and I are going in separate directions soon. Reading about Emily and Sloane's friendship struck a cord with me and I'm really glad I read this book when I did.

Basically if you love Morgan Matson's other books, you will love Since You've Been Gone. If you love summer, adventure, a tiny bit of road-tripping then you will love this book. If you are looking for a read that starts out being light and fun but then becomes so much more, then this book will not disappoint. Definitely one of my favorite reads so far this year and I would give it a billion stars if I could! This is the kind of book that stays with you long after you put it down and I highly recommend it to everyone!