How I read this: free review copy for blog tour (via NetGalley)
What Beauty There Is was a tough read, and it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted. ItHow I read this: free review copy for blog tour (via NetGalley)
What Beauty There Is was a tough read, and it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted. It was a good thriller, but for a sensitive reader like me, there was too much gore and it was simply depressing, which took away greatly from my enjoyment of reading it. However, we can’t ignore that kids and teens in dangerous and precarious situations do exist, and these books are written so we would know more about these issues in society, and for that reason, they are important. Plus, the book did have really interesting and well-written characters. So if you like thrillers and have a tough skin for violence in books, you will probably enjoy this!
I thank the publisher and The Write Reads tours for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
Well, I am HOOKED. This was a cute and inspiring story, where a little girl and an old man,How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
Well, I am HOOKED. This was a cute and inspiring story, where a little girl and an old man, both with their own set of problems, accidentally end up together during a typhoon. The city gets destroyed by the wind and water, and the little girl doesn't even know if her family's alive, but she chooses to instead save others and bring them food and water. It's all about not giving up.
The ending was a total cliffhanger! Now I must find out what happens next.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
What an amazing book! Maud & Addie was one oUPDATE: I've interviewed the author right here!
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
What an amazing book! Maud & Addie was one of the two books that brought me out of a massive reading slump. I just couldn't pry myself away. You really get invested in the characters and their situation, plus how they mature as they go through a survival or death situation. It's a book about sisterhood, even friendship – and it's unforgettable. And the characters just jump off the page from the very start – it's very well written.
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
This was a warm, touching, and ambitious middle grade story. I say ambitious, because how dHow I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
This was a warm, touching, and ambitious middle grade story. I say ambitious, because how do you write about such heavy and complicated things such as parents' cheating on each other, a brother you never knew about along with the problems his mother is having with drugs, and a beloved grandmother who suddenly doesn't remember who you are because of rapidly developing Alzheimer's - and still retain the feel of innocence that comes with a well-written middle grade novel? Well, Rule of Threes does that, and it's no small feat.
I thought it was very brave of the author to tackle these difficult themes in the book. What's more, an author will usually choose ONE theme and write about that - but as you can see, Rule of Threes, just like the name states, rather chooses three larger problems to tackle (I wonder if that was intentional - cause that's not why the book is named that way!) At first, when I was starting the book, I wondered that maybe there topics were a little too heavy for a children's novel - but then I slapped my silly head and realized that some of those children HAVE cheating dads and a brother who suddenly came out of nowhere, and maybe those other problems too (although hopefully not all of them at the same time...) So OF COURSE it needs to be written - those kids need it. And so do their friends, to form an appropriate way of responding to such situations.
For me, the biggest challenge was that the dad cheated in the past and has another child which eventually has to come live with them, but all of the problems are written equally well. (I must also mention that the dad was not demonized for this, but he also wasn't acquitted as if it was nothing - the fact of his cheating many years ago is dealt with as 'it happened and now we have to deal with everything, but we are here now'.) It was also very sad to read about the bit where the girl's grandmother gets Alzheimer's, and she doesn't know how to deal with it. The problem with the brother's real mother and drugs was definitely there, but it was presented softer than in most books - there is a great distance retained, there is barely any detail - so all we see is the child's perspective, but not the addict's perspective, which is great in my opinion for a kids' book, because with so many heavy topics, going into it with more detail would probably be too upsetting and dark.
What I loved best about this story, was that contrary to your first hunch - the brother and sister don't fight. We are used to half brothers and sisters hating each other's guts in these stories - not so here. It's very wholesome. Through the whole book, the main character learns to respect others more and develops greater compassion, but she does it in a very soft and gentle way - there are no grand revelations, rather than gradual changes. It's all done very well.
So when I say the characters are dealing with three heavy problems - they are, but the book isn't heavy at all. It's warm and slow, and not even too stressful, just sad in places. It even talks about ambition and shows the kids as greatly able in their area of interest (in this case, interior design - and I could say I learned a lot of facts I didn't know about it as well!) It was a great middle grade and it's definitely worth the read.
Triggers: (view spoiler)[mother in rehab, OD (no death), social workers, changing schools, divorce topics, cheating, Alzheimer's, some family fights. Please check other reviews too as I don't know if I've listed everything. (hide spoiler)]
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
How I read this: borrowed through BookBeat audio subscription
3.5 stars, rounded up. It was a great story, but simply heart-breakingly sad. I had to puHow I read this: borrowed through BookBeat audio subscription
3.5 stars, rounded up. It was a great story, but simply heart-breakingly sad. I had to put it away for a few weeks, because wow, couldn't bear to keep going.
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
On the way to Birdland is a story about how sometimes we need to cover physical distances, How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
On the way to Birdland is a story about how sometimes we need to cover physical distances, only so that we could open doors inside of our own selves. It’s a rather heavy story, but it’s very good YA, and I think it could resonate with a lot of young people – especially those who have dealt with some kind of trauma, perhaps even PTSD, those who are lonely or who have been betrayed, have family trouble. That, and it had quite a few twists, big twists along the road! Definitely worth a read.
How I read this: Free ebook copy received from publicist
This book was so good!!! I don’t even know where to start. I wish I could write a better revieHow I read this: Free ebook copy received from publicist
This book was so good!!! I don’t even know where to start. I wish I could write a better review for Prepped – cause it was amazing and it deserves it. But all I have is this bundle of emotion in my heart after finishing it, and I can’t translate it into words! It was so MUCH, and it was about so many things – abusive households, fanaticism, people not caring – but also love, caring for your close ones, fighting for your future, belief in the decency of others. I don’t know how to put it into words, but this book is definitely worth a read, and all I know is that when I finished the last page, I looked up and said “WOW”. And that’s why I think you should read it too.
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
Wow, I blazed through this one, literally started reading at 11 in the morning and was finiHow I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
Wow, I blazed through this one, literally started reading at 11 in the morning and was finished after dinner. And I'm going to be very unoriginal and give this yet another 5 stars, like I do for most books by Catherine Ryan Hyde, because they're just that awesome.
This story involves seven perfect puppies, as per the title, a really mature and cool teenager (loved her), her mother who's in an abusive marriage, and a really really decent man who has just been widowed. The rest is in the book itself, and it's way more fun if you read it than if I tell you! Suffice it to say, the author touches on the same important subjects she often talks about in her books - domestic violence, the will and courage to allow yourself to say no, compassion for living beings and dealing with grief. And above all of it - kindness. There's always kindness!
I was on the edge of my seat reading this one. Especially a sore subject for me, (view spoiler)[cause I was born in an abusive home unfortunately, and my mother also escaped my father - I remember being scared and crying when my dad was hitting my mom (in fact, it's my first memory). (hide spoiler)] So I was reading the book with sweaty palms. As usual in her stories, Ms. Hyde is brilliant with building tension and keeping you flipping the pages fast. You just want to know what happens.
And then there are the puppies. The book reminded me of this book called Atticus: A Woman’s Journey with the World’s Worst Behaved Dog a little bit! How the power of DOG changes people's lives for the better (lol). There should be more wholesome stories with dogs, where NOTHING. HAPPENS. TO. THE. DOGS!!! (Everyone always asks. This book is safe to read!)
Anyway, not a very coherent review this time, but you should definitely read the book!
Thank you Catherine Ryan Hyde, for writing these stories. They are important, they are also uplifting and so emotional. I'm so happy your books exist.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
I don’t believe I’ve ever said anything else about a book by Catherine Ryan Hyde, but I enjHow I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
I don’t believe I’ve ever said anything else about a book by Catherine Ryan Hyde, but I enjoyed My Name is Anton a lot. If you’ve liked her previous books, I’m sure you’ll like this one too. It’s another story about integrity, kindness and selfless love – although with a flavor that I haven’t seen in the past 3 or so books I’ve read of CR Hyde’s! (view spoiler)[IT'S A ROMANCE! (hide spoiler)]So this story has all the right elements, plus a little surprise in its make-up. What’s not to love?
The Cousins was a good twisty mystery of sins done in the past and family grudges still running strong How I read this: free review copy for blog tour
The Cousins was a good twisty mystery of sins done in the past and family grudges still running strong – it wasn’t one of those stories where you’re stressed or scared while reading it, which is a good thing – it’s more like a laid back, summer kind of read, but with a fast-paced and tense ending and quite a solid mystery. It’s definitely a good read!
Although slow to start, this was a good thriller. I liked the characters, and the main story was quite wild in the end. About the only drawbacks I can think of is the slow start and somewhat lacking execution of the final reveal (I felt like I wished the parents’ personalities came through more than they did, maybe more time was devoted to their backstory). However, I really did like the ending, and after the midpoint, the book kept me racing through the pages. If you want a rather light, but definitely engrossing mystery about family secrets, this will be right for you!
I thank the publisher and The Write Reads tours for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
How I read this: borrowed through Audible free trial
WOWOWOWOWOWOW. This was so amazing!!! It's been a while that I've read something this active, fillHow I read this: borrowed through Audible free trial
WOWOWOWOWOWOW. This was so amazing!!! It's been a while that I've read something this active, filled with so many themes and just... It just kept me at the edge of my seat - not to even mention the great production quality. This is essentially a show/movie, but with only sound. Even more fitting, because the main character is blind, but she's such a kickass, you can't take her with your bare hands.
There was so much that was awesome about this audio, I can't even begin to explain. It's a hilarious story, as well as it is serious and good-paced. But what I liked the most, perhaps, is that this is about a time before the internet, and yet - the people, they crave for the same thing - the shared spaces online, the way it can bring people together where without a connection they'd never be able to even talk. And it was so interesting to think about this low-tech world, despite which teens will still hack into anything that can let them express themselves, find like-minded individuals and just basically let themselves go.
Phreaks is really worth a go! I hope I find a book as good as this one soon. I've been on a five-star roll and I'm not sure how long it can last xD
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
DNF @ 20%
I was very happy to be approved for this book, and I'm very sorry to be unable to How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
DNF @ 20%
I was very happy to be approved for this book, and I'm very sorry to be unable to finish it and give a proper review. When I requested it, I didn't know it would severely trigger me. I will not be able to comment about what triggered me because it's highly personal, but the book may be triggering to victims of abuse, so please read other people's reviews to learn more about the triggers before you pick this book up.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
This book brought me straight back to high school. Even though I'm not Chinese, I could relHow I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
This book brought me straight back to high school. Even though I'm not Chinese, I could relate to a lot of things David lives through because my high school rhythm was similar to his - I graduated with honors and spent most of my time studying. Well, thankfully, I didn't have to work evenings after that as David did! Being a straight A's student is already hard enough, without the added work.
And although I don't normally enjoy being brought back into my teen memories as it wasn't my best time, I enjoyed this book - because David seems to be handling things much better than I did. I really liked his character, and sometimes I wondered how things would be now if I had it in me to get out of the situations the way David managed.
I liked the story, and it wraps up very nicely, and reads quickly. It doesn't have very big dramatic events - just regular things in the life of a Chinese teen, growing up in America - but all the better, because daily struggles are just as real as life drama. So I can definitely recommend this read.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
Izzy is unhappy with her family's move to a new location. She's had to abandon her friends How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
Izzy is unhappy with her family's move to a new location. She's had to abandon her friends and her entire life, and for what? For the sake of her genius little brother who got a star scholarship at a gifted kids school. Izzy loves her brother, after all, they're twins - but at the moment, she can't stand the idea of him. That's because the move has made Izzy feel like she's unimportant, 'the dumb twin' and also totally alone. That's a hard thing to handle, when you're twelve.
Izzy's real problem isn't 'being dumb', though. She's smart enough - what gets in the way of her using the smarts is her quick temper and inability to manage her anger. This comes up quite a lot as the story progresses and the kids get into this Jumanji-style board game with real life pirate battleships and whatnot. The story involves the kids getting sucked into the game and facing dangerous tasks, so it's quite a lot like Jumanji (even to the point that (view spoiler)[of course the kids try to cheat and they find someone who's been stuck in the game for 100 years. (hide spoiler)]) But the story is fun to read, and it supports the drama between the main characters. It was a fun, quick read.
About the characters themselves, I enjoyed the story, but I found the 'smart kid', Izzy's brother Noah a little far-fetched and annoying. He's 12, but he talks like he's some ancient wizard in an RPG game, talking pompously and using antiquated words and whatnot. I could practically see his white beard! It's kind of a silly 'smart kid' stereotype. You can be sciencey without sounding weird an ancient. Kids who are into tech and science aren't like that, they're also often into games and youtubers and funny TikTok dances. They'd be the last people to talk like a 70 year old dude who won a Nobel prize in the 60's. I'd rather read about realistic kids than caricatures.
Izzy, on the other hand, comes off as a quite realistic kid, and her character struck me as believable. There is another important character in the story, but I will not go into detail about him because it is closely related to the plot details, and I don't want to spoil.
There was, however, one thing I was quite uncomfortable wih. I wasn't a fan of the kids trying to choke each other way more than I'd like to witness them do that. I mean, sure, kids can punch and kick and do many mean things when they fight, but WHY would you write about kids choking each other? MULTIPLE TIMES? I don't know any normal, functioning person who would seriously choke someone, because that's dangerous. Kids don't seriously do that, do they? (Cause if they do, then my belief in humanity may suffer a serious blow.) Choking is not for a kids book. Choking and strangling is dangerous and absolutely off limits. Have them fight and punch. Keep it soft. Keep your characters' hands off each other's throats!! Or do you want them to read the book and try to choke their little brother..??? (Am I being stupid about this?)
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
I feel like if I wanted to give The Royal Abduls a proper review, I’d have to write a wholeHow I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
I feel like if I wanted to give The Royal Abduls a proper review, I’d have to write a whole other book about it – I just can’t see how I would put it all into a single-post review. This story was great, and it’s just so full of everything – it covers a large variety of topics, but the most important thing – it does it all very well. It’s not too much, and every subject goes in pretty deep.
In short, it’s a book about not knowing where you belong – both culturally, as well as individually, but it’s also a book about abandonment, growing up with divorce, without roots. It’s about assumptions, labels people give each other, things we think about others and ourselves and how those things can be unexpectedly different – in both good and bad ways.
It’s also about helplessness, perhaps helplessness we train ourselves into, and all-engrossing loneliness that seems to be becoming more and more ubiquitous. And, to be honest – those are not even all of the topics. For example, a sprinkle of women’s struggle in academia is also definitely there.
Even if I wanted to, I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to name everything that was covered in The Royal Abduls – it felt that extensive. And that’s exactly why I strongly recommend to read it. But read my full review if you want to learn more: https://avalinahsbooks.space/royal-ab...
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I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
How I read this: Free audiobook copy received through Libro.fm 4.5 stars, rounded to 5
It's a very sad story of LGBT (especially trans) teens, and it's How I read this: Free audiobook copy received through Libro.fm 4.5 stars, rounded to 5
It's a very sad story of LGBT (especially trans) teens, and it's hard to say anything more without giving away spoilers. The most interesting part of this story is that you don't know what story you're being told, until you find out. So I'm going to spoiler tag the next part and you can decide if you want to read more about it.
(view spoiler)[The book is like a life of a trans person up to their decision of change - it's long and things only open themselves up by the very end, after which nothing is the same. In the case of Vivek Oji, it doesn't end well, and what happened stands as a monument of what trans teens have to face to be themselves, what a high price that is and what the consequences can be. Perhaps the saddest thing about the story was that if only Vivek had been able to trust his family to be who he was around them, the might have been safe. But instead, he had to hide, and this is what led to his death. This isn't even completely correct when I say it like this, but I must respect spoilers even under a spoiler tag, because I never saw THAT ending coming. This book just wraps you around its finger.
It might not end in death in most cases (thank god for that), but this seems to be a common theme - that many trans teens do not feel safe enough to uncover their truth to their families, and rightly so. Many of them are faced with danger because of it. The Death of Vivek Oji illustrated that painfully, but perfectly. Some die from danger and violence. And some are destroyed by the perceived, looming danger. The dread. (hide spoiler)]
Aside from spoilers - my copy was an audiobook. I loved the narration, and it really brought the book to life. It's great to listen to a book set in Nigeria, narrated by people who use authentic local accents. They gave the story so much more depth than if I had simply been reading it. It was narrated very well and I enjoyed it.
This book is wonderful, but it's also incredibly painful to read. If you're a sensitive reader or if you're in any of the communities directly or even indirectly affected by these dangers, please read a few reviews before you pick it up - it might be hard and triggering to read.
I thank the publisher and libro.fm for giving me a free copy of the audiobook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
How I read this: Free audiobook copy received through Libro.fm
4.5 stars, rounded to 5
Ha, I can't believe I didn't start this book earlier, cause it'sHow I read this: Free audiobook copy received through Libro.fm
4.5 stars, rounded to 5
Ha, I can't believe I didn't start this book earlier, cause it's totally about someone like me. The book starts with one of the main characters, Leena having a panic attack sort of breakdown at work and talking about how she's always on top of things, and how she's only had a breakdown once and flown by the seat of her pants through the end of university. I laughed when I heard that, because that's literally me - I also burned myself out on the last semester and flew by the seat of my pants - although as it turns out, what I consider as 'the seat of my pants' is probably just 'normal level of effort' - because I still finished with all top marks and I honestly don't know how, because I was working so deep below my regular standards. But I just couldn't keep going anymore, and stopped caring - for the first time in my life. That was the first time ever that I understood how I ruthlessly and needlessly overwork myself to reach perfection. I really vibed with that bit in the book.
Leena's just like that. And the situation is written so well, from the perspective of a person who's been through it. I knew I was going to enjoy the book straight away.
As much as I could relate to Leena, I straight up fell in love with her grandmother Arlene. She and Arlene change places for a few months (hence, The Switch) and Arlene moves to London to have her 'big adventure' - and to possibly find someone to date. Arlene is 80, but she has more zest for life than I have ever had, for sure! She is a small town lady, which makes her very good at chatting up people, such as neighbours and other people she just chances upon. But that's not done in a place as big as London - big city culture is very different like that. And yet, Arlene won't have that - she wants to make friends, and she's fascinated with the interesting people she gets to meet on the way. I wish I could be more like Arlene! She feels like such a wholesome character who connects to others so very well.
The narration is brilliant, by the way. I loved how the voices on the phone are done sort of on the actual phone - I don't know how, it just sounds different and far away. It really gave the book a good feel. The voice actors / narrators for this one were purely brilliant.
The only drawback for me was the sort of 'obligatory' romance that felt sort of as an afterthought. It felt like the book would have probably been just as good, if not better, without it, and it was almost as if it was added at the very end to check some checkbox. But I do recognize that for this format of book, there is almost always some form of romance, and perhaps the publisher thought it wouldn't sell if it didn't have it. Well, it certainly doesn't ruin the book - but I don't know if it was necessary. Perhaps other readers won't agree with me though! I took away a half star for that, but since Goodreads STILL doesn't have a half star system, I will round it to 5.
Long story short, The Switch is definitely worth a read, or even better yet - a listen!
I thank the publisher and libro.fm for giving me a free copy of the audiobook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley (for a blog tour)
The Inheritance Games is so good I just don’t know where to begin! It jusHow I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley (for a blog tour)
The Inheritance Games is so good I just don’t know where to begin! It just draws you in and you kind of don’t want to stop reading to even grab a bite. It’s a mystery, a game and a thriller all in one - it's kind of like Donna Tartt’s Secret History, if it was YA.
The main points I loved: 1. Riddles, riddles, RIDDLES - they were amazing 2. There are four brothers and the dynamics are PERFECT, the trope is done JUST RIGHT! 3. Twisty twistiness 4. Was it 3 or 4 libraries??!!
Evelina | AvalinahsBooks
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