I loved being back in this world. I loved the writing, the familial angst/trauma, the riddles and Not quite The Cruel Prince but I enjoyed this a lot.
I loved being back in this world. I loved the writing, the familial angst/trauma, the riddles and twists and turns (though I guessed some). I enjoyed Wren as a narrator, though not as much as Jude, but I doubt I will ever come to see Oak as sexy. He's stuck as a little boy in my mind. Also-- hairy feet and hooves? Not my jam ...more
“Some scars are carved into our bones - a part of who we are, shaping what we become.�
You know, I didn't think I'd be saying this, but I was so he
“Some scars are carved into our bones - a part of who we are, shaping what we become.�
You know, I didn't think I'd be saying this, but I was so here for this romantic angst.
That's not all I liked, but it is the most surprising part. Daughter of the Moon Goddess pretty much opens almost straight onto a chase scene, with Xingyin fleeing the only home she has ever known to hide her existence from the Celestial Emperor who imprisoned her mother on the moon. So it's quite exciting from the get-go.
Through a combination of chance and quick-wittedness, Xingyin moves from being a servant to a student to a soldier. A bond forms between her and her study partner, none other than the emperor's son, but he has a duty to his kingdom and they can never be anything more than friends with lusty glances.
I found the mythology fascinating, as I did all the questing. Mostly, I think, because Xingyin's motives to finally free her mother were an emotionally-engaging and worthy cause. The stakes seemed high, especially if Xingyin should be discovered before she'd proved herself to the emperor.
There is a love triangle, if that's something that bothers you, but I found it realistic and felt that it made sense within the context of this story. Plus it adds some delicious tension that I, frankly, couldn't get enough of!
The only thing I wonder is if the author will be able to sustain the excitement through the second book now certain aspects key to this installment seem resolved. If the second book is all about winning wars, I'm not sure I'll like it the same....more
I think the premise of this book is excellent-- South African urban fantasy with veilwitches, prophecies, curses, and girls getting angry. Savannah isI think the premise of this book is excellent-- South African urban fantasy with veilwitches, prophecies, curses, and girls getting angry. Savannah is descended from Hella, a slave during colonial times who cursed her enslaver and all his descendents to die young, not knowing his child was growing inside her.
Now it's Savannah's turn to face the curse and she isn't about to go down gently.
Sounds fantastic, right?
Unfortunately, I don't think it ever really came together. The mythology - which so intrigued me at the start - quickly became convoluted and I won't pretend I understood everything that was going on with the Jackal, the Arrow, the Claw and the Worm. A lot of plot points lacked cohesion: this happened, then this happened, then this happened and it felt a bit like stopping and starting, never running smoothly together.
In fact, the whole book was a bit like that. I would just start to get interested in something, then the story would get bogged down with forgettable side characters and scenes that didn't seem important (like the romance, which did nothing for me). It made it very difficult to stick with it. But I did stick with it and the ending was quite good... it is only unfortunate that I wasn't more invested in the story throughout, as I think that would have given the ending a bigger impact.
Also, a major factor that drew me to this book was this part of the blurb:
Because I love angry girls. I get angry girls. It's why I like Courtney Summers, Elana K. Arnold and, more recently, Louise O'Neill. But Savannah's anger at the unfairness around her is, we quickly discover, an anger brought on by supernatural means, which was less interesting to me....more
I won't spend too long complaining about this. I don't get the hype, but then books like this-- clearly aimed at a younger teen audience --were not reI won't spend too long complaining about this. I don't get the hype, but then books like this-- clearly aimed at a younger teen audience --were not really written for me, were they?
I found this a very basic murder mystery with one-dimensional characters and a predictable conclusion. None of the main cast stood out as memorable to me and I found their dialogue and actions often leaning towards cliche.
I don't often complain about writing. Or, well, if I do then it's usually criticising overly flowery metaphor-laden prose, not simplicity. But here I really did find the writing quite juvenile. Which, of course, is fine if it's aimed at middle-schoolers, but given some of the themes in this one (sex, drugs and depression, to name a few) I suspect that wasn't the case(?)
My lack of connection to the characters, among other things, made it a boring read....more
This book made me feel sixteen again, with all the pain of a teenage broken heart to go with it. And Dwyer has really perfected what I Wow. This hurt.
This book made me feel sixteen again, with all the pain of a teenage broken heart to go with it. And Dwyer has really perfected what I can only call "sad sexy".
I shut myself away with this book whenever I could this weekend, in a little bubble of hurt and anxiety. It's been a long time since a book made me feel like this. It made me recall early Gayle Forman books like Where She Went, and Melina Marchetta. I don't mean it's stylistically similar, just that it made me feel raw in the same way.
It's hardest to write reviews about books that got to me the way this one did. Themes of social class, family (both the ones life hands you and the ones you make), self-determination, addiction, mental health and self-destructive coping strategies all encircle the relationship at the centre of this story. Every single character in this book matters, feels alive and important, and I will miss them all.
Ellis has been going around to the warm, messy love of the Albrey's house since she was eleven years old. Over the years, it's become a haven to escape from her own parents, who struggle with addiction, amongst other things. Sandry and Ben became a kind of mother and father to her. Tucker and Dixon became the silly, teasing lovable brothers she never had. And then there's Easton.
The story begins in the now and alternates between the past and present, leading up to the circumstances that left Ellis feeling shattered. And me. I felt shattered too.
Thankfully we have the wonderful Albrey family, especially Tucker, to add some light and humour to this heart-shredding book. It needs it. The relationship between Ellis and Easton is definitely not the only source of heartache in this book. It's also about caring for someone who lets you down again and again.
My dad is not a bad man. Not always, at least. He’s just the kind of broken that stabs and cuts anything that tries to hold it.
But, most of all, this book really captures the pain and passion of first love in a visceral way. I pined, I cried, I felt green with envy on Ellis's behalf. I wanted so so badly for things to be okay in the end.
Read it if you enjoy books that destroy you....more
“I mean it,� she said. “You’re dead.� He gave her his familiar solemn smile, the one that he’d given her all the time at the house. “Aren’t we all,�
“I mean it,� she said. “You’re dead.� He gave her his familiar solemn smile, the one that he’d given her all the time at the house. “Aren’t we all,� he said. “Somewhere on the timeline.�
Only a Monster, as of my writing this, does not release for another five months. I didn't actually mean to read it right now. I was just going to sample the arc, read a few pages, see if it was something that might interest me down the line... then somehow I seem to have ended up here at the end, a little bleary-eyed and disoriented.
I burned myself out on YA urban fantasy some years back, but it looks like I'm ready to get back in the game because I inhaled this. It contains some tropes of the genre-- teen girl comes into new powers, hints of a love triangle, heroes vs villains --but it subverts some too. In this book, you find yourself on the side of the monsters: moral dilemmas, grey areas, and all.
“Monsters look like giant spiders,� Joan said. “Or like robots.� She’d seen enough cartoons to know. Gran sometimes told jokes without smiling. Maybe this was one of those times. But Gran’s eyes weren’t shiny with a held-in joke. They were serious. “That’s pretend monsters,� she said. “Real monsters look like me and you.�
The protagonist, Joan, comes from a family of time-travelling monsters on her mother's side. They can leech time from humans, essentially shortening their lifespan, in order to travel through time themselves. But there's long been rumours and myths about a hero who will come along and slaughter them, saving humans from their life-sucking powers.
As luck would have it, it turns out said hero is much closer to Joan than she could ever have guessed, and his presence causes a horrible tragedy that threatens everyone Joan cares about. She is forced to travel back in time to try and right some wrongs before they even happen.
I found a lot of this story thrilling. The stakes were high, the potential losses catastrophic, and the secrets mysterious and exciting. Different monster families have different powers and discovering them all is an adventure in itself. I also loved the references to British history and the strong sense of place I got from all the different settings. I am very glad to see we can expect two more books, though, because I still have SO MANY QUESTIONS. Not in a bad way. I can't wait!
“You’re a hero and I’m a monster,� she whispered. “There’s only one way that story ever ends.�
As for the romance(s), I didn't mind it. To be fair, while there were some flirty elements, the romance mostly waits in the wings until the end of the book. Unless the author is my kind of evil, I think it's pretty obvious what the endgame is on this front. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m going for the main ship. Partly because star-crossed isn’t my jam, and partly, I think, because I’m a masochist who likes to hitch myself to sinking ships. (view spoiler)[Also, Aaron is just more fun than Mr Morality over there. (hide spoiler)]
The ending wraps up this chapter, but it is FAR from over. Now, I wait.
Quotes taken from advance review copy and subject to change....more
But there are two sides to every story. The hero and the villain. The dark and the light. The blessing and the curse. And what the miller had not u
But there are two sides to every story. The hero and the villain. The dark and the light. The blessing and the curse. And what the miller had not understood is that the god of stories is also the god of lies.
2 1/2 stars. I'm still deciding my rating as I write this review. I liked... some of this book. The first hundred or so pages were fantastic, really well-written and compelling, right up to where the first round of straw has been spun into gold. After that, I thought things got repetitive, convoluted and a bit boring.
Gilded is one of those books where I liked the idea of it more than the actual reading experience. I love, for example, that Meyer wove so much German folklore into this retelling, not just that of the Rumpelstiltskin tale, but also the Erlking, Shrub Grandmother and Nachtkrapp. You can tell that Meyer did her research.
A major problem here, I feel, is that Rumpelstiltskin is a short tale and Meyer attempts to extend it to over five hundred pages of novel. Part of this is achieved by adding in all the mythology extras above, which is exciting, but also makes it unnecessarily convoluted at times. Part of it involves adding in lots of side characters and padding, most of which I did not care about. I know the tale, I know Serilda is going to be brought back to the king's palace again, so all the dithering around until he shows up really dragged the story down.
I also did not care for what is ultimately at the centre of this story-- the romance. The chemistry was not there for me and it felt like there were too many important things going on for me to invest in the two of them giving each other googly eyes. Also, part of it may be my fault for initially assuming Meyer was going to (view spoiler)[redeem the Erlking and have him as the love interest. Because evil fae kings with a sensitive side are absolutely my thing. (hide spoiler)]
I must confess that I did not realise until the very end that there would be a sequel and now I'm even more convinced that this book should have been a 350 page novel, not a 500 page one. Hype might convince me to give it a try, but right now I'm thinking I'll pass on the sequel....more
It's biggest selling points are the steamy semi-graphic sex scenes between two characters who spend most of the book insulting each other. Love/hate, flirtatious bickering, followed by passionate sex is not without its appeal, but love/hate relationships are delicate, difficult to craft, and, if not handled carefully, they come across as merely inconsistent and unbelievable. Which is what happened here, in my opinion.
The characters acted a certain way then suddenly seemed to change their mind and become at odds with their previous characterization because... drama? This happens multiple times throughout and it became hard for me to suspend disbelief. I found myself thinking Come on, really?? when the make outs started.
Violet herself gave a lot of lip service to being tough and badass and preferring to "run among wolves than be devoured by them" but I'm not sure exactly what she did here outside of dream and get hot for the prince.
Outside of this, I found the politics and magic plot completely uninteresting. It acts as a backdrop for the romantic angst and never truly feels fleshed out and believable. Tidbits of information pop up-- often in Violet's dreams, as she is a seer --about dying Fairywood and horned beasts, but if we were really supposed to be concerned about what this meant for the fate of the characters and Auveny then the gravity of the situation was never felt by me.
Also (view spoiler)[I knew there had to be something up with Dante. He was the most dull nice character ever, so of course he was hiding something. (hide spoiler)]
Comparing this to The Cruel Prince is a huge mistake, if you ask me. I recall how deliciously addictive that book was, how well-plotted and impossible to put down, with side characters as unforgettable as the central pair and twists and turns that literally made me gasp out loud... this book had none of that. ...more
2 1/2 stars. This is my least favourite by Holly Bourne so far. It's an easy read and I can see the beginnings of a lot of the themes that she will ha2 1/2 stars. This is my least favourite by Holly Bourne so far. It's an easy read and I can see the beginnings of a lot of the themes that she will handle better in her later books, but I got the impression that this was the early work of a writer who hadn't quite developed her style yet.
I really struggled with the protagonist, Bree, which has never been a problem in Bourne's books before. It might be because The Manifesto on How to Be Interesting is written in third person, unlike her other books, but I also just felt that not only did Bree do a lot of horrible things, but she also learned all the wrong lessons. I felt like it was implied that the end justified the means, and her actions seemed excused and celebrated at the novel's close.
The story borrows heavily from Mean Girls. Bree is unpopular, but with a makeover and a new wardrobe she is able to infiltrate the "perfects" for research and revenge. Of course, her "research" ends with her getting caught up in the suffocating world of popularity and maintaining perfection, and she cruelly ditches her old friend to be accepted.
Bree tested the boundaries of how much I can feel sympathetic toward an unlikable character. She came from an extremely wealthy family and complained endlessly about it. Her "uncaring" parents seemed to care a great deal about her. And, miserable as she was about being unpopular and uninteresting, she is able to change everything overnight with a haircut and makeup. Right.
But I could sorta forgive this. Who wasn't a bit dramatic and woe-is-me as a teen? Who actually survived their teen years without being a dick to someone? I think, ultimately, my problem was with the overall way the book handled it, treating Bree as a victim even when she was being a total shit to others. Everything she does is okay, I guess, because she exposes the falseness of teen royalty.
The most interesting thing touched upon by the book was the discussion about popular vs quality, mass appeal vs individuality, lowbrow vs highbrow pleasures. I think this could have gone a lot further, and it is something I am personally interested in. Bree laments (obnoxiously) how her totally deep and creative manuscript keeps getting rejected because it is unmarketable. Parallels are made between this and the question of whether it is better to be what society wants and receive popularity and adoration, or stick to your own individual expression and be "got" by only a few.
I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, of course I favour individuality and creativity that results in unique and thought-provoking books, films, and people. On the other, is there anything more annoying than a snooty hipster with Debussy on their bluetooth record player?...more
Who are you going to trust? The calm boy whose voice doesn't wobble, who can explain reasonably and using examples, why everything is fine-- or the
Who are you going to trust? The calm boy whose voice doesn't wobble, who can explain reasonably and using examples, why everything is fine-- or the crying girl saying she can feel something is wrong?
Over the last few years, I've become a big fan of Holly Bourne. Her contemporary novels combine some humour and charm with more serious issues, like abuse, sexual assault, and mental illness. I'm not sure which I'd consider her "best" work, but The Places I've Cried in Public was certainly one that shattered me.
At first, I wasn't completely sold on it. I like reading about tough subjects, but not books that are overly maudlin in tone, and I was initially put off a little by the MC doing nothing but crying. It begins to make sense very quickly, though.
I personally related to Amelie in a number of ways. Both of us are Yorkshire girls, both of us left the comfort of the world we knew to go to the south of England where people say "bath" like "barf", yet make fun of our accents, and don't know that gravy on chips is the best thing ever. For Amelie, though, the change was much harder. She left her friends and loving boyfriend right in the middle of her A levels, out of necessity for her dad's job. She went to a new town and school where she had no friends, no support group, no one to "get" her and make her feel important.
Until Reese.
I swelled under the compliment and he looked at me with such wonder that I found myself believing him. Maybe I do have a way with words. Maybe I am wise for my years... There's nothing more intoxicating than seeing your best self through the lens of someone's adoring eyes.
You've probably guessed this already, but it's not a romance. This is a book about that insidious form of emotional abuse that grows, slowly, out of a relationship you thought was wonderful. Very few authors manage to portray this right, I think. Very few successfully show how someone can fall in love with a person who is manipulating and hurting them. Bourne does, though, and it makes for an emotional and skin-crawling read.
I burned with fury while reading this book, and I hurt for Amelie so much. There was one horrible part of the book (CW: (view spoiler)[sexual assault (hide spoiler)]) that I do find myself wishing wasn't added, just because I really appreciated the way this book focused on a more covert kind of abuse that I've seen too often and is harder to pinpoint. I cannot tell you how many friends I've comforted because the guy they were seeing was playing mind games, making plans then cancelling last minute, blowing hot and cold, or making snide comments about their appearance, clothes, or interests.
Nothing that incriminating, of course. Nothing that couldn't be shushed away with a "you're too sensitive/needy/clingy/crazy". But damaging, nonetheless.
My first day of high school began with a mandatory icebreaker and ended with me getting hit by a Ford F-250 pickup truck. In the grand scheme of th
My first day of high school began with a mandatory icebreaker and ended with me getting hit by a Ford F-250 pickup truck. In the grand scheme of things, it’s difficult to say which experience was worse.
Hands up if you're rapidly becoming a Zack Smedley fan ...more
4 1/2 stars. Did I think Deposing Nathan was a good book? Well, if by that you mean “did it completely destroy me?� then yeah, it’s a good book.
It on4 1/2 stars. Did I think Deposing Nathan was a good book? Well, if by that you mean “did it completely destroy me?� then yeah, it’s a good book.
It only appeared on my radar after my GR friend Amy said "I hated this book. And it was phenomenal" which, you know, how could I turn away from a statement like that? And it sums the book up completely. I devoured it in two sittings, completely immersed in the lives of these characters in a way I haven't felt from YA Contemporary in a while.
Sometimes the best kinds of stories are those that take a familiar concept - in this case, a religious teenager figuring out he might not be straight - and breathe new life into it. While Nate wrestling with his sexuality is at the core of this book, it's also about several complex, nuanced characters, about religion (as someone who doesn't usually care for this in books, I thought it was done surprisingly well), and about abuse.
What made this an especially emotive read for me is the way it explored some of the grey areas of abuse that precede the more overt kind. The gradual crossing of the fine lines between protective and abusive. Thinking back over it right now, I have bumps rising along my arms. My response to this book was deep and visceral; I can't stop thinking about it.
I also think one of the things that made this book stand out is that the characters were charismatic and their dialogue really funny. Even in scenes where there was little plot progression, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it because of the hilarious conversations between Nate and others.
Many parts of this book had me on the edge of my seat, or else on the edge of tears. And the ending damn near broke me.
I'm going to take this opportunity to recommend a song I recently discovered that seems quite relevant - ....more
Despite how it might seem, this is not a love story.
My friend had to convince me to read Instructions for Dancing. I've read both of Yoon's previous books and felt... incompatible with them. I felt like Yoon's cutesy starry-eyed romances were not for me, especially as someone who is super picky when it comes to the romance genre. But I was right to give this one a shot.
Figures I'd like the only one of Yoon's books to make me cry.
The opening quote is accurate. Though love is central to Instructions for Dancing, it is not a love story. At least, not in the way we would usually expect. It's more about the narrator, Evie Thomas, who has become disillusioned and cynical about love ever since her dad had an affair and left her mother for another woman, finding it in herself to take a chance on love (and heartbreak).
Not everybody can dance good, but everybody can dance.
Sorry if this is a bit cheesy, but it struck me as appropriate that a book dealing with these issues was also about dancing because it reminded me of that Garth Brooks song .
And now I'm glad I didn't know The way it all would end, the way it all would go Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain But I'd have had to miss the dance
It's really all about saying, yeah, sure, you might get hurt and it might all end up in flames but, hell, maybe it's worth it for all the love and joy?
I did not know this until the author's note at the end, but Yoon was dealing with a lot of pain while she wrote this book and I think she channelled a lot of that heartache into her writing. It's a very bittersweet story, and maybe that's why it felt truer to me? Sometimes love ends, doesn't work out, falls apart, dies. But, then again, sometimes it doesn't....more
A.S. King has long been one of my favourite YA contemporary authors, though she has often skirted close to the line on how much surrealism I can take.A.S. King has long been one of my favourite YA contemporary authors, though she has often skirted close to the line on how much surrealism I can take. And I have to say it: Switch was just way too abstract for me.
There were times I had literally no clue what was happening. I managed to gauge what the author was trying to say with it all (to be honest, the author's note helped me out)-- and I do like the underlying themes of the way we use time to put so much pressure and deadlines on ourselves, and especially on young people who haven't figured themselves out yet-- but that just didn't make up for a book that felt largely nonsensical. Or else dry as a bone.
Many chapters of the book begin like this:
Night Shift
ZENO OF ELEA At rest / I am moving / with my crowbar.
ROBERT PLUTCHIK Anger / Anticipation / the switch.
I'm certain for some readers this is the height of cleverness, but I felt so emotionally disconnected from the story. I am familiar with the psychologists and philosophers mentioned throughout, but even that brought little clarity to the narrative.
Parts were written in a weirdly disjointed format that was maybe supposed to be free verse, but I'd be lying if I said I knew for sure. I get that the incomplete abbreviated sentences are supposed to invoke a feeling of the rushed panicky sensation many people feel with regards to time, but it sure made for a dry read. More like reading someone's scrawled notes for a story than an actual story itself.
Those with a high tolerance for surrealism should read Switch. King is good at what she does and it's a quick read, but this just isn't my cup of tea....more
I just felt like Barnes couldn't keep the exciting puzzle-solving tension going through this book. The plot becameFinished this one just to finish it.
I just felt like Barnes couldn't keep the exciting puzzle-solving tension going through this book. The plot became convoluted and messy, and I found it harder to suspend disbelief for. Also, I'm over both Grayson and Jameson at this point....more
After giving this some thought, I think I was only rating this book 3 stars because I had loved the early books in this series and was reluctant to beAfter giving this some thought, I think I was only rating this book 3 stars because I had loved the early books in this series and was reluctant to believe I'm just not enjoying them anymore. Truth is, the last two have been really disappointing.
Across the Green Grass Fields was actually quite boring for me. Unlike with the characters in the earlier books, I never felt any strong emotional ties to anyone, and I found the fantasy story here-- centaurs, unicorns etc. -- dry and uninteresting. I did not personally have a horse phase so I think some of the equestrian love was lost on me.
Perhaps I'm just tired of this concept after reading six books circling a similar theme. And, don't get me wrong, that theme is one that's very close to my heart: that there's no right way to be a girl. That's what's at the heart of all these books and it is a much-needed message, but I'm at the point in this series now where I'm getting deja vu. I feel like I'm reading about the same things and the same characters with names and certain details changed.
I will wait and see what the reviews say for Where the Drowned Girls Go, but I'm just not the type of reader who keeps coming back for exactly the same thing over and over again. I hope McGuire does something exciting and fresh with the next book....more
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