Book Review: Everything That Makes You

As author Moriah McStay's debut novel for teens, Everything That Makes You certainly gets her literary reputation off to a good start. Filled with well-rounded and relatable characters, as well as a unique storyline, this book is definitely one to add to your reading list.
Everything That Makes You begins by introducing two alternate versions of the same teenage girl. In one, Fiona struggles to find her inner strength after her face was deeply scarred as a child. Meanwhile, Fi is excelling at lacrosse and has a scar-free face, having never been subjected to the accident that Fiona had to endure. The teenage lives of these two girls plays out, revealing how even the smallest experiences can dramatically change the course of events in a person's life.
There are numerous elements that make this novel a great read. Firstly, the creative storyline that splits the book between two versions of the same character is very intriguing. It makes for a compelling read that will hold your interest. The characters in Everything That Makes You are also very well-written and dynamic. Both main characters, Fiona and Fi, are real in the sense that the author makes a point of making sure that they are complex, with relatable emotions and interests. This book also does a good job with creating a wonderfully written storyline. Little touches such as altering the font between the two main characters and adding poetry and song lyrics makes it that much more absorbing for the reader.
Clearly I found many more pros than I did cons with Everything That Makes You, but there were two slight issues that I did have with this book. The first is that, at times, I would confuse details of Fiona's storyline with Fi's. This being said, I do think that the way the author wrote the book did a great job of creating the two different plots, but sometimes they blurred together. The other issue that I had with Everything That Makes You was simply the predictability of it. There were no surprises, and several major moments in the plot I saw coming long before they were introduced to the reader.
Overall, I would definitely recommend Everything That Makes You to anybody looking for a unique teenage fiction book that exemplifies real-life issues and challenges. With its relatable characters, creative storyline and compelling synopsis, it is certainly worth picking up at your local bookstore.
Author: Moriah McStay
Genre: Drama/Romance/Teen Fiction

Pages: 344

Year Published: 2015

My Rating: ★★★★☆

Molly's Recipes: Easy & Delicious Vegan Pancakes

Pancakes are often written off as something that you just cannot make without eggs and milk. When the occasional recipe for vegan pancakes does pop up, most people automatically assume that they will either taste bad or be way too convoluted to make. However, this recipe disproves all of these assumptions big time! Not only are these pancakes fluffy, yummy and ridiculously easy to make, they're also inexpensive too. So give em a try and let me know what you think in the comments.

Ingredients:
-1 and 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer
-2 tablespoons water
-1/2 cup milk alternative (I use almond milk)
-1 cup Bisquick original pancake mix

1. Start by mixing the egg replacer and water together in a medium-size mixing bowl. Beat until thoroughly combined.

2. Add the Bisquick pancake mix and milk alternative to the egg and water mixture and stir well, until all ingredients are combined.

3. Place a frying pan over medium heat. After the pan has heated up, pour 1/2 cup portions of the batter onto the frying pan. Cook pancakes for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side until they are golden brown.

4. Serve while hot, and make sure to pour some pure maple syrup on top to make them even yummier!

Serves: 1-2

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Notes: using 1/2 cup scoops of batter will make 3 large pancakes. You can opt to instead use 1/4 cup scoops to make 6 small pancakes which will serve two people instead of one. You can also double this recipe to make pancakes for a larger group of people.
This recipe is also one that you can make tons of additions to. Just a few ideas include mixing cinnamon into the pancake batter before cooking, adding blueberries or chocolate chips, or making a fruit compote to serve on top of your finished pancakes.