I wish that Stephanie Perkins would hurry up & release "Isla & the Happily Ever After." If she doesn't do it soon, some readers (myself included) are just going to stop caring. I read "Lola" back in 2011... nearly 3 years ago!!! SO.NOT.COOL. :(

Maida wrote: "I wish that Stephanie Perkins would hurry up & release "Isla & the Happily Ever After." If she doesn't do it soon, some readers (myself included) are just going to stop caring. I read "Lola" back i..."

She's been very open about the reason Isla hasn't come out yet. She fell into depression and had some personal issues. It's definitely coming out in a few months. She and her agent both announced that the book was finished and ready to be print. August or something, I think. I prefer she write it in her most stable mental emotional place instead of trying to force this kind of book depressed. These books are so good cuz they are light and breezy and romantic. A depressed mind could not have those results.

I had read the statement that she released (back in 2012) in which she said that she was taking a 1-year hiatus b/c she was burned out after writing the first 2 books. I HAD NO IDEA that it was more serious than that. :( I know from firsthand experience how personal issues can derail EVERYTHING in life. She seems like such a sweet & fun lady, & her upbeat personality is reflected in her writing. I agree that it would be better for her to write the last installment of this series when she's in a better place emotionally.... I wonder how she'll account for the time gap b/w "Lola" & "Isla." Weren't all of the characters supposed to travel to Europe for the Winter Olympics? Thanks so much for the info, Naoms! Stephanie Perkins is one of my favorite authors, & it's good to know that she's doing better. :)

Maida wrote: "I had read the statement that she released (back in 2012) in which she said that she was taking a 1-year hiatus b/c she was burned out after writing the first 2 books. I HAD NO IDEA that it was mor..."

Winter olympics? Lol I don't remember that. I wonder, too. Though, just because it's been 2 yrs since we read it, doesn't mean it has to be 2 years for the characters. I have faith in Stephanie. She seems really pleased and her agent seems really, really pleased. She seems really up beat and excited which I hope translates into her writing.

I liked Josh, so hopefully he grew up to be really really great and romantic and loveable. :-)

I liked Josh, too. And Isla was so sweet in Book 1. ;) Stephanie Perkins has a talent for writing the most lovable characters ever!!! It's a good sign that both she & her agent are happy w/ the 3rd book. And I truly hope that Stephanie is doing better. She's just so talented, & I think that she's greatly needed in the YA genre. She offers a fresh & positive voice, & unlike some authors that we've encountered lately (Tareheh Mafi, for example), Perkins always has a way of staying true to the characters that she's created.

Maida wrote: "I liked Josh, too. And Isla was so sweet in Book 1. ;) Stephanie Perkins has a talent for writing the most lovable characters ever!!! It's a good sign that both she & her agent are happy w/ the 3rd..."

Don't bring the Shatter Me author up to me! And don't even get me started on Jenny Han. I saw a girl buying one of her books at barnes & noble the other day and i wanted to snatch it away.

You're right YA does need Stephanie Perkins I remember Anna wishing "for what's best for her." And I thought, whoa that is rare!

Mafi & Jenny Han are my two LEAST favorite YA authors, as well. I still have symptoms of BookPTSD whenever anyone mentions either of these author's books.... One thing that I love about Stephanie Perkins is that you never have to worry about your favorite characters suddenly getting a personality transplant. They're still the same characters they were at the beginning of each novel, but they're only a little older & wiser than they were when their journeys began.... Mafi's Adam & Han's Jeremiah, on the other hand: WTF?!? I've never seen such rapid 180-degree shifts in characters. And then you have freaking Belly, whose emotional age stayed at 15 throughout the entire series, even when she was supposed to be in her 20's. It was totally outrageous.

Maida wrote: "Mafi & Jenny Han are my two LEAST favorite YA authors, as well. I still have symptoms of BookPTSD whenever anyone mentions either of these author's books.... One thing that I love about Stephanie P..."

I KNOW! I KNOW. The Jeremiah thing really hurts me. REALLY hurts me. Also, Han's complete disregard for him as a character is disrespectful as a writer. When he reads the note from his mother to his brother about the girl he is about to marry and then it's just like over! Can you imagine? UGH. Lets not talk about it.

I totally agree. I read the series back in 2011, & I still get sick every time I think about that 3rd book. That letter!!! UGH. It was SO revolting. :( I kept on rereading certain passages b/c I was sure that I was reading everything incorrectly. I kept on thinking to myself, "Surely this can't be right." Definitely one of the worst & most infuriating novels I've ever read.

I agree that we shouldn't discuss it. I'm getting upset just thinking about it. I will NEVER read another book by that author ever again. :(

We should start the "Never Read Jenny Han Again" club! Or just a "Never Read Again" club!

For sure!!! Jenny Han & Mafi should be at the top of our list. ;) The club is actually a great idea b/c we're going to need moral support if these authors publish any future novels. Everyone on Goodreads will be raving about them, & we'll have to hold ourselves back from caving in & reading the books along with everyone else.

Maida wrote: "For sure!!! Jenny Han & Mafi should be at the top of our list. ;) The club is actually a great idea b/c we're going to need moral support if these authors publish any future novels. Everyone on Goo..."

I honestly wouldn't cave in on Jenny Han. Mafi, could be misguided in this first attempt and do better. Jenny Han. Her next book is called "To All the Boys I've loved Before," because that is all she thinks is important. Honestly, what was Belly's goals besides Jeremiah and conrad? Not a damn thing.

That's one of the things that pisses me off the most. Jeremiah was always portrayed as second-best, & he was portrayed as someone who didn't have concrete career goals. We weren't even told what Jeremiah ended up doing in the end... only that he showed up at the wedding with a date. (BARF!!!) Belly never mentioned school that much either, & it wasn't until the epilogue that we find out that she studied abroad. Still, we have no idea what she ended up doing with her life. Like you said, there was SO much emphasis placed on the love triangle, but in the end we never even got all of the answers that we wanted in regards to the triangle. It was resolved in literally 2 pages.... So I'm not surprised by the title of Han's next book. Authors like Han just make me appreciate Stephanie Perkins all the more. Although all of Perkins' novels involve love interests, each character is SO well-depicted. And each character has goals that he/she pursues with a passion-- Anna & cinema; Cricket & science; Lola & her fashion designing, etc.

Maida wrote: "That's one of the things that pisses me off the most. Jeremiah was always portrayed as second-best, & he was portrayed as someone who didn't have concrete career goals. We weren't even told what Je..."

Oh my gosh, I can't even believe how mad that series made me too, Maida! Reading this thread made my blood boil all over again. But I am sooo excited for Isla's story! I seriously loved the first two books in this series and I'm with both of you guys...I love Stephanie Perkins :)

Amber wrote: "Maida wrote: "That's one of the things that pisses me off the most. Jeremiah was always portrayed as second-best, & he was portrayed as someone who didn't have concrete career goals. We weren't eve..."

Welcome to the party! We should get shirts made up!

Amber wrote: "Maida wrote: "That's one of the things that pisses me off the most. Jeremiah was always portrayed as second-best, & he was portrayed as someone who didn't have concrete career goals. We weren't eve..."

OMG, you too, Amber? Naoms is right, we should totally get shirts made!!!! ;) I can't even tell you how upset I was over that Jenny Han series. First of all, it's a series. So we've already bought the first 2 books & invested time and money into them. Then she builds up this love triangle that she resolves 1) by altering Jeremiah's personality & by portraying him as the "second choice" 2) by writing a 2-page epilogue at the end that doesn't answer ANY of the questions that the readers have (except for who Belly ends up with). But we don't know how or why. It was just crap. :(

Stephanie Perkins is awesome! She writes the best characters. She stays true to her characters, and I totally trust her to resolve ALL issues before the book ends. I'm excited for Isla too! Do you guys remember how sweet she was to Anna on Anna's first day at the new school? And I'm assuming that the 3rd novel will be set in Paris AGAIN!!! Yippee!!! :)

Unfortunately, yes, me too! We should make shirts! Ha ha. I couldn't STAND what she did to Jeremiah. If you want, you can read my review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
It makes my feelings pretty clear. I actually tried to post it on Amazon too and they rejected it! I guess I was too angry.

Yes, I totally remember Isla from book one! I actually hoped her and Josh (was that his name? It's been forever) would end up together, especially after she was so sweet to Anna. I so loved her! I just read the other two books last year, so the wait hasn't been as long for me. I can't WAIT! And yes, give me more Paris, please!

Oh, and I have never heard of Mafi, but after what you guys have said in this thread, I'm staying FAR away!

Amber, Mafi is the author of the paranormal trilogy: "Shatter Me." There's "Shatter Me," "Unravel Me," & "Ignite Me." The author draws you in with the first novel. But in the 3rd novel, she gives the three main characters personality transplants (I mean, it's as if she just disregarded everything that she built in the first 2 books). She changes the main characters drastically in the 3rd novel, to try to facilitate the love triangle & to have Juliette (the heroine) end up with the person that she did. It was total character annihilation. I doubt that I'll ever read any of her novels ever again....

I'm going to read your review on "The Summer I Turned Pretty" series. I'm so glad to know that I'm not alone in my feelings. What the author did to Jeremiah was just criminal. Are we really supposed to believe that Jeremiah would actually cheat on Belly? This is the same Jeremiah who (instead of going out with his friends) stayed home to teach Belly how to drive. Jeremiah spent time with Belly that summer, while Conrad was off brooding & being an ass.... The author had always alluded to Jeremiah as being "second best," but she held nothing back in destroying him in the 3rd novel. That letter from his mother, addressed to Conrad but accidentally placed in an envelope with Jeremiah's name scrawled on the front, was the nail in the coffin for me. It was SO incredibly cruel... and at that moment, I vowed to NEVER read anything written by this author again. I absolutely abhorred the 3rd novel, from beginning to end.

Maida wrote: "Amber, Mafi is the author of the paranormal trilogy: "Shatter Me." There's "Shatter Me," "Unravel Me," & "Ignite Me." The author draws you in with the first novel. But in the 3rd novel, she gives t..."

Oh, good to know! I actually have the first one of that series on my to read list. I'll be taking it off now! I can't stand it when characters all of a sudden change in the middle of a series. No thank you! Thanks for the heads up!

Amber wrote: "Maida wrote: "Amber, Mafi is the author of the paranormal trilogy: "Shatter Me." There's "Shatter Me," "Unravel Me," & "Ignite Me." The author draws you in with the first novel. But in the 3rd nove..."

Amber, there are A LOT of things which are disturbing about this series (in addition to the sudden personality shifts). (view spoiler)[In the end, Juliette ends up with Warner-- the guy who kidnapped & imprisoned her & held her at gunpoint. This novel is YA, & it's an awful message to send to young females. This guy is a total control freak (and SOCIOPATH, IMO), but the author tries to make readers sympathize with him b/c he had a "bad childhood." The author gave the other guy (Adam) a complete personality transplant in the 3rd novel, for the sole purpose of "facilitating" Juliette & Warner's relationship. There is nothing even remotely healthy about Juliette & Warner's pairing. He disrespects her, tries to intimidate her, he invades her privacy by stealing her diary, etc... and as I mentioned before, he kidnaps & imprisons Juliette & holds her at gunpoint. WTH?!? And you should see how the fangirls swoon over Warner on Goodreads. It's rather disturbing. Some have even referred to him as their favorite "book boyfriend." (hide spoiler)]

I agree. Extremely ridiculous the shatter me ending. Soooo stupid and abusive and unrealistic in terms of character relationships.