The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things

Ann Aguirre

Apr 2015 · Sold by Feiwel & Friends

About this ebook

Sage Czinski is trying really hard to be perfect. If she manages it, people won't peer beyond the surface, or ask hard questions about her past. She's learned to substitute causes for relationships, and it's working just fine . . . until Shane Cavendish strolls into her math class. He's a little antisocial, a lot beautiful, and everything she never knew she always wanted.
Shane Cavendish just wants to be left alone to play guitar and work on his music. He's got heartbreak and loneliness in his rearview mirror, and this new school represents his last chance. He doesn't expect to be happy; he only wants to graduate and move on. He never counted on a girl like Sage.
But love doesn't mend all broken things, and sometimes life has to fall apart before it can be put back together again. . . .

Ratings and reviews

Some of you know that the dark past bit usually sends me running in the opposite direction, but somehow The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things manages to do it without being overly angsty or frustratingly depressing. I was rooting for Sage from the get-go, and then Shane won me over just as soon as she got to know him better. What they go through together is heartbreaking and healing, and I can honestly say it’s one of the few YA novels that is both appropriate for younger readers and thoroughly entertaining for those of us who are beginning to forget what those younger years felt like. While the characters’ backgrounds aren’t exactly fluffy, somehow the story reflects hope and genuine friendship alongside first love and growing up. ***FicCentral received this book from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group (via NetGalley) for free in exchange for an honest review.

I don't have enough words to tell you how wonderful this book is. It's a young adult novel, but readers of all ages will enjoy it. It's real, emotional, and captivating. It'll make you laugh and cry. I was so involved in the story I didn't even realize I was crying. This is my first book by Ann Aguirre. If she writes with this same intensity and passion in all of her other books, I'm a lucky reader. If you haven't picked up one of her books yet, start with this one and fall in love with Sage and Shane just like I did.

I don't usually read these kinds of books, but after reading the enclave trilogy i gave it a shot and i have no regrets. Finished it in two days.

About the author

Ann Aguirre is the author of the New York Times-bestselling Razorland series (Enclave, Outpost, Horde) and of Mortal Danger. She lives in Mexico with her husband and their children.