Maddie Kopecki

Ironically, some of the scariest experiences of my life took place in an airport in Florida on two different occasions. And no, they had nothing to do with my irrational fear of heights or the terrifying notion of the giant metal box I was trapped in plunging out of the sky. I mean the time I accidentally brought a kitchen knife into my carry on, or the time I accidentally kidnapped someone’s infant. In my defense, I still have no clue how the knife ended up in my bag. And I know, I know, it wasn’t a good idea to stand near a toddler as said toddler failed to lift her baby brother into the stroller beside her. Nor was it a good idea to turn towards the terrible wailing sound and accept the child when the little girl handed him to me. I guess I instinctively held the kid, but I swear I never set out to take the kid. It was almost as if his sister held him out to me like she was saying “tag, you’re it.” I’m sure the baby was absolutely frightened by the random stranger holding him, and ...

High school is one of the most overwhelming experiences of my entire life. When I began as a freshman in 2016, I'll admit that I didn't think it would be. I entered high school one thing, and now, two and a half years in, I'm a completely different person, new and improved, and sure of who I am. The funny thing is, from middle school, we're taught that junior year is the most important academic year on transcripts. We're taught that it's the most stressful part of high school and that people go crazy trying to achieve perfection. Needless to say, I wasn't exactly stoked to start this critical academic year. My first day came and went, and I thought everything was great. I didn't have too many assignments, my teachers (except for my math instructor) were fantastic, and life was generally fine. Then, just a few weeks later, my to-do lists started to look like this: For context, I'm enrolled in a fairly rigorous course load, but nothing extre...

1. It's not your fault that other people decided to hurt you, don't make excuses for them. 2. Hurt people hurt people. 3. It's okay to push yourself out of your comfort zone. 4. It's also okay to stay in your comfort zone. 5. Friendships need to have equal give and take to be healthy. You are not The Giving Tree . End the toxic friendships. 6. Make new friends. It's okay to make new friends. 7. Do what you love, love what you do. 8. Be kind, especially to yourself. 9. You don't have to justify yourself to anyone. 10. Your past shouldn't scare someone away. If it does, they aren't worth your time. 11. Treat mental illness like a physical illness. It's not in your control, and you wouldn't be frustrated with yourself if you had a cold. Being sick is being sick, no matter how you look at it. 12. Not all country music is terrible. 13. (See above) The same goes for rap. 14. Friends can be found in unexpected places. 15. More people thin...

Dear Senators, When I was a little girl, I believed that I lived in the greatest country in the world. I thought to myself that this place was amazing, a place where women had equal rights and voices, where I could be anything I wanted to be and anyone I wanted to be and nothing could stand in my way. But as I grew older, I lost my rose-colored glasses and began to see the world for what it is: a place where women still have demons to fight in order to find success because there are still barriers to fight through. I am a liberal Democrat. I am proud to say that I know what I believe, but I am also proud to say that I don't mind the nomination of a Republican candidate to the Supreme Court. Despite my disagreement with his political views, my issue with him comes down to a couple of glaring problems, and none of them have to do with differences of opinion. I want you to understand the gravity of your vote. You voted 'yes' to a man who has been accused of sexually as...

I loved the Vampire Academy series. Don't let the cheesy titles fool you- the books are amazing. You can imagine how excited I was when I found out Adrian was going to be in a new series! I had to read it! It was strange getting to know Sydney's character, but she ended up being as rich and fun to read about as Rose. Though, she was definitely more grounded and less impulsive. I liked how many side characters are being introduced. I think they definitely deserved their own story. I devoured the original Vampire Academy series, so I made sure to slow down a bit and actually write reviews for these books. At first, I thought the plot might be a little too predictable, but I found that wasn't the case in the end. I didn't see the twists coming, which goes to show how masterful Mead is as an author. This new series definitely didn't disappoint, and I can't wait to see where it goes! I ship Adrian and Sydney so hard ahjdlxincrdbkejwbcnowho3w

I consider myself a love story connoisseur. I write it, I read it. From young adult to new adult to just plain adult, I've read so many different stories featuring a romantic subplot. From science fiction to fantasy to contemporary, there's no genre I won't read so long as it features a love story. So why am I talking about this? Good question, reader. The reason I'm discussing love stories is that there are a number of things I don't like when it comes to romance novels. Today, I'll be breaking down a few tropes that need to die a slow and painful death. This is only part one, so anticipate I'll probably do a part two soon. One. Possessive Guys These are probably most common in young adult and new adult fiction. You know the type; he who thinks his love interest is a territory and therefore belongs to him. Don't get me wrong, it's adorable when a male love interest refers to the main character as "his girl" and even I adore that. Bu...

Disclaimer: There will be spoilers, and also potentially typos. I have so much to say and I'm trying to get it out in a timely manner. Whoa. Considering I pulled yet another all-nighter for a Colleen Hoover book, I don't think I can stress enough how amazing her writing is. Even if she's pretty humble about it, I hope she realizes how talented she is. I'm sixteen, so maybe I don't have a lot of life decisions to write about, but one of the best ones by far must be preordering this book. I got it at midnight last night, and stayed up until five in the morning to read it. All Your Perfects may not be my new all-time favorite, sorry to say, but I definitely believe that it is one of the most touching books written by Hoover and, quite possibly, one of the most touching books written this year. Quinn and Graham experience a failing marriage, and in a parallel storyline, they experience a beautiful romance that becomes an all-consuming, passionate love. Bo...