Blog Tour: When I Am Through With You by Stephanie Kuehn (Review & Giveaway)

When I Am Through With You by Stephanie Kuehn
(standalone)
Published: August 1, 2017 by Dutton Books for Young Readers
Source: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for review as part of the blog tour. All opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Summary from Goodreads:
“This isn’t meant to be a confession. Not in any spiritual sense of the word. Yes, I’m in jail at the moment. I imagine I’ll be here for a long time, considering. But I’m not writing this down for absolution and I’m not seeking forgiveness, not even from myself. Because I’m not sorry for what I did to Rose. I’m just not. Not for any of it.”

Ben Gibson is many things, but he’s not sorry and he’s not a liar. He will tell you exactly about what happened on what started as a simple school camping trip in the mountains. About who lived and who died. About who killed and who had the best of intentions. But he’s going to tell you in his own time. Because after what happened on that mountain, time is the one thing he has plenty of.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | iBooks

I don't have much experience with thrillers or mysteries, but when I read the synopsis for WHEN I AM THROUGH WITH  YOU, I was immensely intrigued and knew I needed to read this novel! I'll admit, this is more of a survival story than a thriller, so it wasn't quite what I expected, but there were still so many wonderful things about this book! 

The characters in this book and their relationships with each other were phenomenally done. That was by far the most fascinating aspect of this story. Here we are with a group of teenagers, all broken and flawed and hoarding their secrets, but just trying to do their best. I was so invested in figuring out the intricacies of this group. Who is lying to whom? Who is sleeping with whom? Who hates whom? That was the most thrilling part for me, unraveling their truths. They were all kind of shitty, but that was most of the fun. 

From the very beginning, Ben, the narrator, tells us he is locked up, that he killed his girlfriend Rose and he doesn't feel bad about it. He tells us that he's not explaining everything because he's seeking to lighten his punishment. He just wants the truth to be out there. Interesting, no? Of course, the main appeal of the novel is to figure out why he killed Rose, but from the beginning, I had a hunch and my hunch was correct, so the ending wasn't as shocking as I would have liked. But, once again, it was amazing to see Ben transform with each page, to see how he reached that point, how he ended up in a cell. 

While this book had plenty of plot, it felt more character driven for me. I just found the plot to be...slow toward the second half. As far as thrillers go, I wasn't particularly thrilled. And I guess that's because this book is more of a survival story than a thriller. That's the only reason this book wasn't a five-star read for me. Because, while the writing was incredible and the characters were enticing, I found myself slogging through certain parts. Plus, it's a dense book, so even though it's only like 300 pages, it felt much longer than that. 

My rating: 

3.5/5

•3 copies of WHEN I AM THROUGH WITH YOU by Stephanie Kuehn will go to 3 winners 

•1 winner will receive a copy of WHEN I AM THROUGH WITH YOU & THE SMALLER EVIL by Stephanie Kuehn

•4 winners total

•US Only

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

August 2nd

Pink Polka Dot Books- Welcome Post

August 3rd

Book Princess Reviews- Review

Hauntedbybooks13- Review

August 4th

Bookish in Bed- Revew & Fave Quotes

Never Too Many to Read- Guest Post

August 5th

Here's to Happy Endings- Review

Literary Meanderings- Q&A

August 6th

FicGal- Review

A Dream Within a Dream- Review

August 7th

Reading in the Rain- Review & Fave Quotes

The Left-Handed Book Lover- Review

August 8th

Serial Bibliophile- Review

Tales of the Ravenous Reader- Guest Post

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Pinterest | Tumblr

I grew up in Berkeley, California, which is a quirky sort of a place with many wonderful bookstores. When I was fifteen, my very first job was working in one of those bookstores. It’s where I would go after school, and I’d read everything that I could. Back then, some of the books that had the greatest impact on my life were young adult novels, and now, as an adult, I’ve found my own passion in writing for teens.

Other passions of mine include mental health advocacy, social justice, and sports of all kinds. When I’m not writing or reading (or studying for graduate school), I’m usually outside running or playing with my family. I currently live in Northern California with my husband, three kids, and our menagerie of pets. Life is loud, joyous, and filled with animal hair.


Oh, and in case you’re wondering, my last name is pronounced keen. I know! I don’t get it either.

Lefty's Lowdown: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
(standalone)
Published: April 14, 2011 by Dutton
Source: Received in a trade

Summary from Goodreads: 
Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.

When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.

What would he say . . . ?

After being wowed by Fangirl, I vowed to read everything by Rainbow Rowell. Let me tell you, Attachments did not disappoint me. This book is clever, addicting, and different. 

I'll admit, I had a few problems with this novel when I was reading. In the beginning, I thought Lincoln was a bit too mopey for my tastes, but I did respect how realistic and (even though some might not like to admit it) relatable his character was. Socially awkward, stuck in a job he hates, and living with his mother again, Lincoln was definitely stuck in a life slump. In a way, his transformation almost reads like a coming of age novel (even though he's almost 30). All in all, though, he was a good guy and I really enjoyed reading about him once he starts getting his life together. 

The other problem I had was that the ending felt very rushed. This whole novel builds up to Lincoln and Beth meeting in person, so the way things went down when they finally did meet was not what I was anticipating. I just thought what took place was a bit strange, and I could feel myself reading with furrowed brows. 

Aside from those two things, though, I thought this book was brilliant! I just adored getting to know Beth and Jennifer exclusively through their emails back and forth with each other. They were so much fun and so so so clever! Their emails were definitely my favorite part of the novel. In the beginning, when I wasn't so much vibing with Lincoln's narration, I found myself eagerly awaiting their email exchanges. You know Rowell is doing something right when she gets me super invested in these two characters through just emails! 

I also think it is really neat that this book deals with the turn of the century AKA the Y2K debacle. I'm a bit too young to remember the panic that centered around this event, so it was so cool to see it in a book, and to read about the transition into a more technology-driven era. 

Despite minor issues, this book had me really hooked, and feeling very happy by the end of it. I love that Rainbow Rowell's books leave me with this deep-seated feeling of contentment when I finish the last page (NOT ELEANOR AND PARK THO). Anyway, this book was quick, addicting, and super enjoyable! 

4/5

Lefty's Lowdown: Isla and the Happily Ever After

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
(Anna and the French Kiss #3)
Published: August 14, 2014 by Dutton
Source: Purchased (in Ireland--how cool is that!)

Summary from Goodreads: 
Love ignites in the City That Never Sleeps, but can it last?

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.

Featuring cameos from fan-favorites Anna, Étienne, Lola, and Cricket, this sweet and sexy story of true love—set against the stunning backdrops of New York City, Paris, and Barcelona—is a swoonworthy conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series.

I was in a pretty bad slump before reading this book. I'm happy to say that Stephanie Perkins brought me out of that with Isla and the Happily Ever After. I basically spent all my time thinking about this book when I wasn't reading it, and it made me remember just how beautiful reading is. It had been a while since I read the other two books in this series, so I forgot just how wonderful Stephanie Perkins is! I fell in love with the characters she created, the love story she wove, and her writing. 

One thing I really loved about this reading experience was the different settings that Perkins takes us to. This gem takes place mostly in Paris and the Paris boarding school that we read about in Anna and the French Kiss, but we're also taken to Manhattan (the city my heart belongs to) and Barcelona. It's so much fun to read about these vastly different cities, to watch the characters explore them and fall in love in them. She describes them so beautifully and makes me want to go see the different historical landmarks for myself. My wanderlust was definitely intensified after reading this novel.

And of course there are the characters. I challenge you to read a Stephanie Perkins novel and not fall in love with the characters. We're introduced to Isla and Josh, who both had me practically cackling out loud as I was reading. They're funny and do their best to be kind, but they're flawed and they're real. I cannot stress enough how real Perkins's characters are. I loved getting to know their backgrounds, their insecurities, their quirks, their complicated relationships with others. But what's even better is that it's not only the main characters that she gives so much life to. We also get to know the secondary characters pretty well. Isla's best friend, Kurt, has autism and he has trouble understanding jokes, sarcasm, and some social protocols. He loves routine and maps. He was just a really interesting character to read about and I loved seeing him grow throughout the novel. I became emotionally invested in all of these characters and could not stop turning the pages to see how their stories played out. 

Last but not least: the romance. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore Isla and Josh together. Every time they kissed I got butterflies. However, the romance is the one place in this book that I have issues with. Isla and Josh's relationship happened pretty quickly (not insta-love, though) and it was intense. Some people might not like that, but I did. I also loved the way they complemented each other and the way that they obviously wanted to make each other happy. It was all very adorable and made me wish for a relationship like theirs. What I didn't love is when Isla got super obsessive. I can't say much without revealing spoilers, but I will say there came a point where she revolved her life around Josh. She was thinking about him non-stop and always waiting on his calls. It was a little too New Moon for me. That was only a brief portion of the novel, though. Before that, I shipped Isla and Josh soooo hard. After that, when things were resolved, I shipped Isla and Josh soooo hard. It just made me lose a wee bit of respect for Isla. 

Guys, I am so happy I read this book. I liked that it was light and fun but still complex. I liked becoming attached to the characters and remembering what it is like to seek solace in fiction. 

Rating:

4/5