Review- What Light by Jay Asher

 BOOK SUMMARY:

From Jay Asher, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Thirteen Reasons Why, comes a romance that will break your heart, but soon have you believing again. . . .
Sierra's family runs a Christmas tree farm in Oregon—it's a bucolic setting for a girl to grow up in, except that every year, they pack up and move to California to set up their Christmas tree lot for the season. So Sierra lives two lives: her life in Oregon and her life at Christmas. And leaving one always means missing the other. 

Until this particular Christmas, when Sierra meets Caleb, and one life eclipses the other.

By reputation, Caleb is not your perfect guy: years ago, he made an enormous mistake and has been paying for it ever since. But Sierra sees beyond Caleb's past and becomes determined to help him find forgiveness and, maybe, redemption. As disapproval, misconceptions, and suspicions swirl around them, Caleb and Sierra discover the one thing that transcends all else: true love.

What Light is a love story that's moving and life-affirming and completely unforgettable.

Release date: October 18th 2016

Published by: Razorbill

Page numbers: 251

REVIEW: 

After reading Jay Asher's dark and daunting Thirteen Reasons Why, I was pleasantly surprised by What Light, which I thought would be along similar lines, but it ended up being a very nice read, which I'm surprised I liked so much because I'm not the biggest fan of romances. But then again, as much as I hate to admit it, I am a sucker for love stories set during Christmas. There's just something warm and welcoming about such stories which always leave me with a smile on my face.

In What Light, Sierra's family, who lives in Oregon, owns a farm where they grow and sell Christmas trees in California, which means every Christmas is spent there. Sierra basically lives two lives and she adores both equally, but this time, when she visits California for Christmas, there is a lovely surprise for her in the form of Caleb. Sierra was an absolutely well developed, sensible and very likeable character who I adored. Just like her, Caleb was a gem too, and their story was so dazzling that I ended up falling in love with it.

This book is so different from Jay Asher's previous book that it almost feels like it's not the same author who has written it. The writing, not very surprisingly, was smooth and clear. I was actually in awe of the slow burn romance that Jay Asher so brilliantly nailed. I really don't have much else to say, other than the fact that I highly, highly recommend this book to fans of Young Adult/ New Adult contemporary romances.

Buy the book: AMAZON

Review- Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Hi, guys! So I read Thirteen Reasons Why a long, long time ago, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring out this review that's been collecting dust in my drafts. I'm posting it now in honour of the web series on the book being started. 

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

 BOOK SUMMARY:

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

Release date: June 14th 2011

Published by: Razorbill

Page numbers: 288

REVIEW: 

I actually came across Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why when I read and reviewed a book called 34 Pieces of You by Carmen Rodrigues. A great number of reviewers compared the latter to the former and while I wasn't very fond of 34 Pieces of You myself, I was highly intrigued by Thirteen Reasons Why since I love suicide plot lines. I was on a hunt for the book since then and once I got it, I couldn't wait to devour it. Somewhere, I feel I was going to like this book anyhow, anyway, no matter what. And that's what I did. 

Thirteen Reasons Why is the story of Hannah, who leaves a packet of thirteen tapes that she recorded before committing suicide and that she wishes are passed around to nine people, who were, in some minute and tiny way, responsible for her giving up on life. The person from whose point of view we read the book and listen to the tapes is Clay. From the beginning, I was hoping for some dangerous and torturous reason why Clay was on the tape, but the real reason left me awestruck. It was breathtaking in its own way. I loved the story the two shared. 

I read that the book made readers change the way they are. It left them feeling that being nice is the least and the best thing one can do to anyone else. Jay Asher actually shows how something that we do- that might seem insignificant and silly to us- actually has an impact on someone else. It affects their life and the way they look at things. I admire stories that go beyond the ordinary and explore what really lies underneath all the covers and masks that we built. 

Thirteen Reasons Why is an intriguing, peculiar and completely mind-blowing story that's written in a very somber yet sparkling and slightly creepy manner. I literally couldn't put the book down. Once I read a few pages, I had to read a few more and that kept me occupied for the time that it took me to read the book. It was highly addictive and really well put down. I especially love the way it  ended- it was perfect. It's a book that's going to stay with me. 

Buy the book: AMAZON (IN)