BOOKNERD ADDICT BLOG TOUR: Book Review of "The Color Project" by Sierra Abrams

My rating: ★★★★★

Author: Sierra Abrams

Series: Standalone

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Page Count: 462 (Paperback)

Release Date: July 18th, 2017

Publisher: Gatekeeper Press


Places to order:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository

Add to:
Goodreads

About Sierra:

At 7 years old, Sierra Abrams decided that one day she would publish a book. For over a decade, in between exploring other career options, she kept coming back to that very first dream. Now her life consists of writing books of all kinds... Kissing books, angsty books, killing books, whimsical books, and sometimes books that are all of the above. When she's not writing, you can find her reading, traveling, consuming sushi, or daydreaming about Henry Cavill.

Website // Twitter // Instagram // Goodreads

Synopsis:

Bernice Aurora Wescott has one thing she doesn't want anyone to know: her name. That is, until Bee meets Levi, the local golden boy who runs a charity organization called The Color Project.

Levi is not at all shy about attempting to guess Bee’s real name; his persistence is one of the many reasons why Bee falls for him. But while Levi is everything she never knew she needed, giving up her name would feel like a stamp on forever. And that terrifies her.

When unexpected news of an illness in the family drains Bee's summer of everything bright, she is pushed to the breaking point. Losing herself in The Color Project—a world of weddings, funerals, cancer patients, and hopeful families that the charity funds—is no longer enough. Bee must hold up the weight of her family, but to do that, she needs Levi. She’ll have to give up her name and let him in completely or lose the best thing that’s ever happened to her.

For fans of Stephanie Perkins and Morgan Matson, THE COLOR PROJECT is a story about the three great loves of life—family, friendship, and romance—and the bonds that withstand tragedy.

My review:

First and foremost, a HUGE applause to my dear friend Sierra Abrams for writing a spectacular novel. I am SO FREAKING PROUD and SO EXCITED for TCP to finally be out in the world this July for everyone to read and flail over! And a big thank you to Sierra for sending me an ARC back in December and for letting me spam you with a million texts after finishing it hahaha. MASSIVE thank you (x10000) to Helena and Receba from Booknerd Addict for letting me be a part of this blog tour and for the latest e-ARC of TCP! Now, on to the *non-spoiler* review!

When I first read TCP back in December 2016, I was a complete mess after reading it.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

Like most of my reviews, I will be writing about each individual character (*non-spolier*) and then talk about the overall story! First off, we have Bee!

Bee. It didn't take long for me to absolutely adore Bee; for me, she has to be one of the easiest characters I was able to relate to (besides Lara Jean). Her inner monologue made me laugh through most of the book, because on more than one occasion in the book, I would think the same thing as Bee. But besides that, one thing I found really meaningful in TCP was how Bee has a close relationship with everyone in her family, especially her father, which is something I really admire since there aren't too many YA books that I've read that have a focus on the family dynamic. And the fact that she flails and gets easily flustered made this book so much more enjoyable, because who doesn't love a main character that flails when she sees a cute boy or gets angry at herself for doing something embarrassing? Again, relatable.

Levi. Omg this boy had my heart from the start. It was hard not to love Levi once he came into the story, because like Bee, he also had a quirky side; he wears really bright colored clothes and is super cute whenever he is around Bee. It does not go unnoticed that he is privileged, but he uses his privilege for good, which is more than I can say for most people. I can't even imagine starting up a charity, but he did and he's using it to help others. He is truly selfless and has a heart of gold. And even if he is all smiles on the outside, there are a few hardships that he's going through on his own as well. This is another thing I like about Levi: he is a multi-dimensional character instead of a surface-level one.

Gretchen. If you don't have a friendship like Bee and Gretchen's, y'all need to find one (I'm kidding, sort of). I love how that despite how far apart these two are from each other, Gretchen has no filter and says (most of the time) what's on her mind. They have the strangest conversations and flail hardcore with each other despite the long distance friendship. She is someone that Bee talks to about Levi and her troubles and is always there for her when she needs it. I can see my best friend in Gretchen, but at the same time, there is no one else like Gretchen.

I know I only talked about these three characters, but that's because I want to talk about the book as a whole and mention the other characters collectively. In regards to family, Bee has three other siblings (Tom, Astrid, and Millicent) and loves them all dearly and with all her heart. I don't have any siblings myself, but I would like to imagine having siblings like Bee's siblings. When it comes to her mom and papa, it's not hard to tell that Bee admires their relationship with one another and loves them both so so much. But Bee was also very aware that something was going on with her parents that she was too afraid to ask or talk about—that, I can relate to. Aside from her family, I really enjoyed Bee's other friends (mostly Tom's friends) who work at the garage, because in a way, the guys were like brothers to her too, especially Michael and Keagan since they tries to look out for her when Tom isn't around. Speaking of friends, Levi's group at The Color Project charity are a lively bunch. Albert is a favorite since he has a strange love for glitter and throwing it a rude people LOL.

Overall, there are a bunch of characters that any reader might be able to relate and enjoy reading about. Personally, I loved the relationships Bee had with her papa, Gretchen, and Levi the most because the scenes she had with these characters showed different dimensions of herself that made her even more lovable and relatable. Now that I've talked about the characters, here is a list of pros and cons to help you, as readers of this post, see what I saw (and loved) while reading TCP.


PROS:

• Story is equal parts family and romance
• THE FEELS (AND AGONY)
• Bee's internal monologue
• Well-rounded cast of characters
• Unique and interesting storyline (girl works at flower shop, boy works at a garage and runs a charity.... that's pretty interesting to me)
• The heart in this story (idk how much I cried, but IT WAS A LOT)

CONS:

• Cant' really think of anything, so just get this book because you won't regret it :)

"The Color Project" is not merely a story about falling in love; it's about family and going through hardships that life throws your way. Bee is a strong character and has an incredible life, but like any other person, she faces more than a handful of obstacles that she has to learn to overcome and survive through. In all honesty (and aside from being Sierra's friend), TCP is truly one of my favorite contemporary novels to date. I haven't been able to relate to a main character like Bee since Lara Jean when I first read "To All The Boys I've Loved Before." And there aren't many books out there (from what I've read) that circles around family and the joys and sorrows that families (not all) face together. If anything, this story is about celebrating life and living to the fullest through the pain to find happiness.

Again, a huge thank you to Sierra (for creating the story and sharing it with the world) and to Helena and Receba for hosting this blog tour! I can't wait for its release in just a few short weeks, so make sure you pre-order! I promise you that this book will deliver and tug at your heart. It is truly a colorful story (PUN INTENDED). And it's only fitting that I end this post with a Henry Cavill gif, so here yah go.

Happy reading!
Whitney Lauren

"Gates of Thread and Stone" by Lori M. Lee

My rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5)

Author: Lori M. Lee

Series: Book #1 (Gates of Thread and Stone series)

Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Romance, Young Adult

Page Count: 333 (hardcover)

Release Date: August 5th, 2014

Publisher: Skyscrape

Places to order:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository
IndieBound

About Lori:

She has a borderline obsessive fascination with unicorns, is fond of talking in capslock, and loves to write about magic, manipulation, and family. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband, kids, and a friendly pitbull.

Website // Instagram // Twitter // Tumblr // Goodreads //

Synopsis:

In a city of walls and secrets, where only one man is supposed to possess magic, seventeen-year-old Kai struggles to keep hidden her own secret—she can manipulate the threads of time. When Kai was eight, she was found by Reev on the riverbank, and her “brother” has taken care of her ever since. Kai doesn’t know where her ability comes from—or where she came from. All that matters is that she and Reev stay together, and maybe one day move out of the freight container they call home, away from the metal walls of the Labyrinth. Kai’s only friend is Avan, the shopkeeper’s son with the scandalous reputation that both frightens and intrigues her.

Then Reev disappears. When keeping silent and safe means losing him forever, Kai vows to do whatever it takes to find him. She will leave the only home she’s ever known and risk getting caught up in a revolution centuries in the making. But to save Reev, Kai must unravel the threads of her past and face shocking truths about her brother, her friendship with Avan, and her unique power.

My review:

I received a e-copy of "Gates of Thread and Stone" from Netgalley and Skyscrape in exchange for an honest review! This review will have a non-spoiler and a spoiler section since this was released 3 years ago and so that anyone can read this! Hope you all enjoy it! 

It took me a long time to finally pick this book up, but on August 7th, 2016, I was able to start and finish this book in less than 4 hours because IT WAS AMAZING AND GAVE ME ALL THE FEELS AND RIPPED OUT MY HEART! So, to start off my review, I will do the non-spoiler section for those who have not read this book yet and then I'll have the spoilery section below! 

NON-SPOILER SECTION 

When I initially started this book, I didn't reread the synopsis (I did read the synopsis long ago, but chose not to reread it) and went into it with an open mind, which got me to pay more attention to the details of the story and world building!

In the beginning, we see that the story is told in first person by Kai, our main protagonist. The setting definitely reminded me of the book "Of Metal and Wishes" by Sarah Fine since Lori's novel *almost* gave off a steampunk kind of feel, and the world felt similar to Sarah's "Of Metal and Wishes" world.

As usual, I wrote small sections about the main characters, but I also keep in mind not to do spotlight sections for characters that might be part of a spoiler.

Kai. Early in the book, we—as the readers —are told that Kai doesn't remember anything before the age of 8 and that Reev found her one day and decided to become her adopted older brother, making them family. It's really refreshing to read books with characters that have an extremely strong relationship with their siblings, and even if they aren't blood, it makes them ever closer. As it says in the synopsis, Reev disappears 

Reev. My heart swelled a bit while reading and learning about the things he does for Kai and their relationship with one another. They have such a strong bond and loyalty to one another that made me really happy to see in a YA novel since there aren't very many YA novels that I can think of at the top of my head that have such a strong sibling relationship. Reev found Kai when he was around 18 years old (she was around 8 years old at that time) and instead of leaving her on the streets, he helped her and loved her as his sister. Despite that she didn't share blood with him, he treated her like any older, protective brother would treat his younger sister. I'm excited to see more of his character development in the next book since there are things that happen in this book that will change him in a way that will allow us (as the readers) to see a different side of him.

Avan. Oh my word, would I like to be "friends" with him *wink wink*. Avan is a year older than Kai since he graduated from school a year before she did, and he is Kai's only friend. I can't blame for her having a crush on Avan because DAYUMM. He's got tattoos on his neck, shoulder, AND CHEST, plus he has an eyebrow piercing *passes out*. He's secretive, brooding, quiet, kind, and loyal... and I love all of these aspects about him *GRINS*. But on a serious note, he is one of those complex characters that you don't realize contribute a fair amount to the story until later. His relationship with Kai is much more than romantic (that's later)—they have a deep sense of trust between each other and remain loyal to one another. 

PROS:

• Strong sibling relationship (KAI + REEV)
• Not super heavy on romance 
• Even and steady pacing (never felt too slow or too fast, in my opinion)
• Great world building (never got confused about the magical aspects or creatures in the book)
• Briefly explores the sexuality of a certain character (I think the character is bi, as far as the book explains it in a few lines)
• Unique idea about the Infinites 
• THE PLOT TWISTS

CONS:

• Wishing sexuality could have been explored more for that certain character or for other characters (maybe that will be in the next book?)
• Introduced one or two characters that could have been introduced in Book 2

Books that reminded of GoTaS: 

• Of Metal and Wishes (by Sarah Fine)
• The tones seemed somewhat similar—in my opinion
• Percy Jackson Series (by Rick Riordan)
• Gods and demi-gods parallel the Infinites and mahnos in the GoTaS

Regarding the plot and overall concept of this book, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed reading about this world and learning about the Infinites and mahnos (you learn about these two in the book). Kai is a character that I feel a lot of people will root for, because she has went through various hardships and was brave enough to travel across lands to find her family, despite the dangers that lurked in those lands. I think that this series has great potential to grow and expand since it is a new world, and there's potential to have (or create new) characters that

SPOLIER SECTION

*POINT OF NO RETURN FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT READ THIS BOOK*

OKAY, I'm not going to lie and say that it wasn't hard to figure out that Reev was a sentinel and that Kai was the daughter of Time since, you know, she can literally BEND TIME, and we find out about other "Infinites" such as Irras (Famine), Kalla (Death), Star (Strife), and who each represent a specific power or whatever. I was really impressed with the idea behind this story regarding the Infinites and mahnos, because Lori created a new world with multi-dimension characters and was able to execute the plot well. 

Also, did anyone else kind of get Percy Jackson vibes while reading about the Infinites and mahnos? They reminded me of gods and demigods (or the horsemen of the apocalypse) since Infinites were immortals and had offspring/descendants with powers called mahnos. Interested to find out who Kai's mother is (The River?) and what she is—since she's neither an Infinite nor a mahnos since her true form in not human.

Anyone else die a little bit when Reev was brainwashed and almost killed Kai? Because I did and it was so painful to read him fighting her and not remembering her. I figured out that Kai would be fighting Reev when it was shown on the board that she would be fighting someone named "Number 22," because I'm pretty good at predicting sad scenes like that hahaha. But it was hard to read them fighting each other since they have such a strong bond and since Kai had JUST found him UGH MY HEART.

Not sure how I feel about the reveal of Kai's father (aka Kronos, or known otherwise known as Time), because I wasn't expecting him to appear until the sequel, and it felt like he was introduced too early, if that makes any sense. I did, however, like the reveal of Kalla and how she played a role in Kai's life since the beginning of book when Kai encountered her in the alley and then again at the Raging Bull in a different form. When Kalla gave her the knife then, I was a little suspicious about that scene since I found it strange for a woman at the Raging Bull to be carrying around a knife and then again when the Sevs stopped pursuing Kai (and Avan) in the Void while she was holding the knife. So I knew the knife played an important role but the fact that its true form is a scythe was pretty cool.  

Now here's the part where I talk about THE SCENE (aka when Avan dies because of Kronos). OH MY SWEET LORD, my heart was ripping into pieces and being set on fire because that was just TOO MUCH FOR ME.

I think it did occur to me in the very deepest part of my conscious that Avan could be Kai's guardian, but I never gave it a second thought, so you can imagine my surprise AND PAIN when I found out that KRONOS made Avan her guardian and that he had to die because Kronos altered time on his life UGHHH. And when Reev had to hold Kai back to keep her from going to Avan.... THAT WAS JUST TOO CRUEL, LORI. HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO MY FRAGILE HEART.

I was sitting on a bus to my house from the airport while finishing this book as was literally crying quietly in the back because of this scene (you'll see the GIF above as an accurate representation). It was pretty damn depressing and after all the crap that she had to go through. Thank god I had napkins in my backpack or else I would've had to wipe snot and tears on my Captain American zip-up jacket and lord knows THAT wouldn't happen lol. 

One of the things I'm dreading that could possibly happen in book 2 is that Avan won't remember her for a really long time and that Kai will get together with Mason, because she couldn't wait for Avan to remember anymore AND THEN Avan will all-of-a-sudden remember everything and shit hits the fan. It seems like a cliche but if it did happen, it would be entertaining and rip me apart AGAIN.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book for all sci-fi and fantasy readers. It has a great pace and lots of different aspects to love (i.e. sibling relationships, romance, magic, action, etc.). After finishing this book, I immediately went onto Amazon and bought the sequel because I COULDN'T WAIT ANY LONGER. Interested to see how the sequel is compared to this book since A LOT of things have changed and if this book will carry a heavier sense of intensity (if you catch my drift).

Hope you enjoyed this review! I'll be sure to post more reviews soon (and more often)! :D

Happy reading!
Whitney Lauren