God, these books are so incredibly good!!! I haven't enjoyed a story this much for a long time. Although I have to admit, the humans in this particulaGod, these books are so incredibly good!!! I haven't enjoyed a story this much for a long time. Although I have to admit, the humans in this particular one are a solid pile of turds. Like you almost don't want them to survive as a species! Anyway, I can't wait to see how this story ends....more
I listened to Frankly in Love as an audiobook – and I would never have it any other way. The story is so balanced, strong and relevant – and is only mI listened to Frankly in Love as an audiobook – and I would never have it any other way. The story is so balanced, strong and relevant – and is only made more captivating and alive by the amazing narrator Raymond J. Lee. He is so talented! I loved every single quirk of his and every little spot of color he gave to the reading. (I especially loved the bits where he put on fake accents!) I'm incredibly grateful to Libro.fm and Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group for gifting me this audiobook, because it enhanced my reading experience tremendously.
First off, you might think it's a funny and upbeat contemporary, perhaps a cute story to pick you up. And, in a way, it is – it definitely made me laugh many times! But that's definitely not all it is (I was surprised to find it's not romance centered.) Frankly in Love gets away with talking about so MANY important subjects in one book that I can't even believe it! And none of it comes across as being contrived at all. It's all natural, passionate and very relatable – even if you've never had these problems yourself, you can still feel what Frank's feeling. And yes – it can be both fun and funny, but in the end, it's a coming of age story that gets serious in all the right places and might even make you cry. But you'll be happy to, because the story is balanced just so well.
Frankly in Love is about identity, family, culture, cultural divisions and finding your place in the world. And yes, of course, about love! I'm sure you'll love it just as much as I did.
How I read this: Free audiobook copy received through Libro.fm
This was a beautiful book. And yet, it took me something around a half a year to finish.How I read this: Free audiobook copy received through Libro.fm
This was a beautiful book. And yet, it took me something around a half a year to finish. I should know at this point that I am absolutely too soft to read any more books about the Holocaust - they just completely break my heart. Not even break, they basically grind it to powder. This is why I kept abandoning the book, and since it has quite a lot of characters, it was a hard one to keep coming back to.
Aside from this (which is completely a personal problem of mine and nothing to do with the book), the story has the same magic and wistful sadness of a typical Alice Hoffman tale which I always enjoy. It was beautiful, poetic, meaningful, and of course - very sad. If you have stronger nerves than me (and if you can handle books with more than 4 main characters), you will enjoy this one.
Naming triggers at this point would be hard because I don't remember all of them, with how scattered my read through has been, but it's a book about the Holocaust, so they are probably more or less obvious to someone who has ever read or consumed any other media on this topic. (view spoiler)[There is a lot of death, assault, attempted rape, constant running, poverty, children in danger, family members lost... There's actually even death by cancer. Ah, the list could probably go on. (hide spoiler)]
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
This was an engaging book, but it also was a bit of a chore to get through, mainly becauHow I read this: Free audiobook copy received through Libro.fm
This was an engaging book, but it also was a bit of a chore to get through, mainly because it was either super depressing, or flat out overdramatic and preachy at times. First of all, some reviewers call it a 'fantastic journey' or an 'adventure', so I was definitely not ready for what it truly was. It's no adventure - it's a chilling, horrifying tale of the atrocities ethnic minorities and poor people had to suffer during the Great Depression. It was no fantastic journey - those kids were running from death, murder, and totally implied rape. It's what made the book so hard to read for me, cause I absolutely didn't expect it.
You'll then wonder why I say it was overdramatic, considering the gravity of these situations? At first I liked the book, but after a while it started getting a little too intense - too Oliver Twist, too Christian. It's funny because the book tries to be 'different' and untraditional, but comes across as so incredibly Christian it's ridiculous. I mean, that wouldn't be a problem if I was a religious and possibly young Christian person, but... I'm not. So I just felt really weird with the semi-preachy dramatics. It's intense, and not in the way I enjoy. (Admittedly, I also think that a lot of the drama can be attributed to the narrator of the audiobook - although I think it was good narration.)
And a little bit about diversity. Yeah, I guess you could say the cast is diverse, and it was talking about important subjects - the awful treatment of Native American children in convent schools and such (and you can tell the author really cares about that!) But it so comes across as white-man-from-the-80s-diversity... Well, you get it. I can't really explain it but I think you get the vibe. There's nothing inherently bad about this book, but I'm surprised it was written today, cause it feels like reading something on a yellowed paper from the old stacks in the library. (Although, then again, it might have been intended for an older audience and perhaps that is the way to speak to that particular audience.)
As for the narrator: he had a beautiful, calming, deep voice and a good pace. He might have dramatized a bit much at times, like I said.
Triggers: Native Americans are called Indians in this book, probably because they were called so in the time period the book is set in. There is a lot of injustice done to them as well as to poor children altogether, and also poor people who can't defend their position. There is a lot of death, even murder, violence. Also, a little random, but there are dangerous snakes.
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.
So an interesting story happened to me regarding this book.
First of all, the reason I downloaded it from Edelweiss as a review copy was because it menSo an interesting story happened to me regarding this book.
First of all, the reason I downloaded it from Edelweiss as a review copy was because it mentioned OCD rep - an ADHD step-brother and OCD step-sister. Interesting dynamic! Plus, I am OCD and there's never any rep - I had to grab it.
And I read it. And I didn't enjoy the rep. I posted a review. And the next morning... I got a message.
Turns out, there was no OCD whatsoever intended in the book. The author wrote me a sensitive message about never meaning to represent OCD, because if she had, she would have never made the character look so... well, evil. (That's why I was so upset about it!) Turns out, someone in the publishing department (or other...) has two left feet instead of hands, I guess, and blurbed the book wrong, and put it up on Edelweiss (you'll notice the book doesn't even seem to have a blurb on Goodreads... at least it doesn't as I'm writing this!) The author had no idea where the OCD came from. Granted, the character in question DOES have some OCD tendencies, but it's all out there, never zoomed in on or commented about too much (that's also part of why I felt like, hey, where's the rep?)
And this is why I'm redacting my review that I had posted about this book on Goodreads yesterday. In light of no OCD rep, this book is great (the wrong blurb made it seem like it was demonizing the OCD character). In short, this is a book about several things: - blended families - divorce and how kids react to it - kids with ADHD and how medication isn't always your enemy - emotional trauma and coming of age
The character that has some OCD-like characters tries to be perfect all the time and has tics and obsessive thoughts (for example, she balances lies with truths and that's kind of an OCD thing), but since it wasn't intended rep and it isn't labelled, it becomes a totally different thing. She is suffering from abandonment and loss, and tries to be perfect because she believes she can get her old life back, and her new "monstrous" brother is ruining everything. The girl does a lot of bad things to get this new family out of her life, and of course there's a lesson in that.
As for the boy and ADHD rep, I can't comment because I don't have ADHD and have not had any experience with it, but he was depicted both as a parents' nightmare and yet a truly kind-hearted, hurt kid. He needed help and understanding, and the world wasn't willing to give it. There's also that whole "medication can sometimes help" thing in there, which I think is good, because a lot of ADHD sufferers probably benefit from the right dosage and it makes them feel better about their lives. The message was that medication is not a demon and it doesn't have to make you a zombie, which is a good message, in my opinion.
I really hope the publisher solves the blurbing issue, because the author said no such thing is even on the blurb of the book for the UK edition, but it's unclear about the US edition. Shame on the publisher.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This didn't affect my opinion.
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
Catherine Ryan Hyde does it again – Stay is a serious, deep and very beautiful, yet realHow I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
Catherine Ryan Hyde does it again – Stay is a serious, deep and very beautiful, yet realistic and down to Earth novel. This is my second book by her, and I was completely blown away by the first one, Where Is Luis Velez, so I was a little bit worried about reading another one
(despite buying up ANYTHING by her that went on sale for the past half a year!)
Because what if I didn't like it as much? It's hard to start reading an author at a 5 star book.
But I needn't have worried – Stay is touching, heartfelt, it has deep subjects, is steeped in a worldview based on kindness,and while it didn't hit me as strongly on the personal level as the first book did
(the problems in the story were less close to my heart)
, it's still a strong 4.5 star and I was incredibly invested in it straight after I started reading.
In Stay, we get to see the world through the eyes of the people who we would ordinarily be told to avoid because "they're not someone you should mix with". Draft Dodgers. Addicts. Mood killers. The simply different. Those who will not bow down to some pointless notions of society. What the book puts out there is that you can't possibly judge them if you know them like the story helped you know them, but if you were to hear about them in passing, you probably would. You might even think they're not very good people. And how many times do we make that kind of a snap judgement in our real lives?
Stay is an amazing book. It warms your heart. It makes life seem more meaningful, if only for a little while longer. It makes you want to believe in humanity again. More reasons to read it here:
Triggers include (view spoiler)[attempted suicide, suicidal ideation, addiction to alcohol and substances, imagery of war, war wounds, losing or injuring limbs, PTSD, children dying in a fatal car accident. (hide spoiler)] This may not be a full list of triggers.
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.
I feel as if I just read a different book than most of my friends, judging by the reviews. It was okay, but that's that. All the senseless death and sI feel as if I just read a different book than most of my friends, judging by the reviews. It was okay, but that's that. All the senseless death and so much melodrama. I guess it just wasn't for me....more
This is basically a sweet fairytale for adults. It's about an old lady who was a pillar for many people in the town. One day she died, and th3.5 stars
This is basically a sweet fairytale for adults. It's about an old lady who was a pillar for many people in the town. One day she died, and then... Sort of came back to life through an odd accident of sorts. Or more like, was wrongly announced dead - you decide. Anyway, she also saw the afterlife and came back to tell all her funny and oblivious neighbours and family members that life isn't about appearances, but rather about just being happy.
Sounds like it would be a religious story, but it's not. It's just sort of steeped in empathy and sweetness. It tries to challenge typical religious views even, although it challenges them in a very limited, comfortable way. Which brings me to the next point.
The story is very sweet and feel-good, but at times simplistic, and incredibly, incredibly white and American. And I don't mean because of the cast (although that's obviously also true), but because of the views. You'll see what I mean if you read it. They were mostly harmless and quaint, but a little dated and incredibly white, to the point where it's kind of funny and eye-rolly at times. Many things are like that in the story, and it's why I docked a star - because otherwise it was a very sweet and enjoyable book. There were many very "white baby boomer" kind of things - even the fact that life's about being happy is kind of a super white and privileged American thing to say. You wouldn't think to say that to someone from the poorer regions of the world where people starve and suffer. But these truths in such books are always supposed to be universal, and heaven is always American.
So like I said. Veeeeery white. But also mostly harmless! And quite cheering and upbeat. It was certainly enjoyable, and it's a super fast read.
Triggers: old lady [sort of] dies, someone loses a cat, there's attempted rape (although not described) and there's also a gay and trans side character mentioned, and they are both painted in a very negative light - not because of their orientation, but they just 'happen' to be written as bad people.
This book was kind of a downer for me. It's about a woman's complicated relationship with her cold and rather alienating parents, and sort of a middleThis book was kind of a downer for me. It's about a woman's complicated relationship with her cold and rather alienating parents, and sort of a middle age crisis in life, and trying to find her way through it. It's tied to treasure hunting, but very loosely. It was meaningful, but incredibly sad, so I didn't enjoy it all that much. I just couldn't handle the amount of misunderstandings between her and her parents, or even how badly her love interest treated her. It's all a valid story for sure, but it's just not for someone who is as prone to anxiety as I am. If you are too, then it's not for you. Otherwise, it could be a meaningful and poignant read.
I thank the publisher for the free ebook through NetGalley in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
I enjoyed this book. It has a very strong vibe to it and artfully uses magical realism in aHow I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss
I enjoyed this book. It has a very strong vibe to it and artfully uses magical realism in a middle grade story setting. It's wistful, sometimes sad, but also full of meaning, and it doesn't dawdle in its pace.
Gail is going through a tough patch in her life. Her sister Kay has always been her pillar, but now that Kay's holed up in her room and wouldn't leave, wouldn't even eat much, Gail doesn't know what to do. Torn between being angry at Kay and simply wanting her back - back to normal, she is in despair. To top it off, both Kay and Gail's shadows suddenly go missing.
When angrily roving the nearby beach caves while trying to find Kay's shadow, Gail meets a girl who tells her that only people who have lost themselves can lose their shadow. There is also a lot Gail feels this little girl isn't telling her - particularly about her brother's strange machines that he seems to be hiding in the mysterious, notorious and allegedly enchanted caves. So Gail and her new friend Mhirran set off on a quest to get the shadows back.
The book isn't just about that - there are actually a few plots coming along all together. I'm pretty surprised that this could be achieved in a relatively short book. It's not happening too fast, it's not too little info - everything is just right. I am usually not a fan of magical realism, unless it's done just right - so I have to say that's exactly how it is in this book. I really liked it. It wasn't too much, it was tasteful and it made sense.
The book delves into depression in kids, loss and trying to work tough situations out without being able to tell adults what's going on in your heart. It also uses magical realism nicely to illustrate all this - it's interchangeably a metaphor and the reality for what's going on in the book. It also subtly draws attention to some environmental problems and how we destabilize the climate, as well as disrespecting endangered species.
I really enjoyed this story.
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.
Fatechanger was hard to get into and I was skeptical at first, but I really loved it in the end. It has a lot of things about it where you have to susFatechanger was hard to get into and I was skeptical at first, but I really loved it in the end. It has a lot of things about it where you have to suspend your disbelief, but it's fiction, and that's (mostly) okay. About the only thing I thought wasn't okay was how a congenital heart disease patient could survive without serious medicine, and I was at first not going to forgive that until I read the acknowledgements, where the author says she wouldn't for a minute believe this was possible in reality either - but it's fiction and she's allowed herself to write it like that. So I've decided not to dock a star, but just mention it instead. I don't think it's good to portray heart disease like this - it's dangerous to go without medicine and the character would have died. Even if it's fiction it's not good. But I'll leave that up to you to decide how you feel about that, and instead I'm going to say that I still was drawn into the book like a toddler into a fairytale. The book transports us to 1915 and it is quite an engrossing, very different world, and it captivates you. I liked Penn as a character as well and thought she was very strong. There's all this intrigue that I admit I was quite wrapped up in, and I didn't even understand why things are going on sometimes, but that didn't really hinder my enjoyment. It's like a good drama, things just keep rolling and you kind of fall in love with the characters.
The book had flaws, but I'll just say this - I CAN'T WAIT FOR PART 2, and I'm absolutely signing up for the author's newsletter. I enjoyed it even despite the flaws. A good story doesn't have to be perfect to be very engrossing and enjoyable.
I thank the publisher for a free copy of the ebook in exchange to an honest review. This hasn't affected my opinion.
Mamaskatch concentrates on the hard youth of a queer Native American boy and his struggles to get out of his situation, but also maintain ties to a faMamaskatch concentrates on the hard youth of a queer Native American boy and his struggles to get out of his situation, but also maintain ties to a family that was entirely dysfunctional due to generations upon generations of cultural erasure by the white man. It was easily readable and had quite a light tone, considering how tough some of the contents were (rape, violence, homelessness, death.)
Mamaskatch doesn't just concentrate on the life experience of the author – it talks a lot about the experiences of his mother and her sisters, cousins – it especially broke my soul to read about the concentration-camp-like convent style schools where these terrible, cruel nuns inflicted impossible damage upon the little Native American girls. I wept when I read about them not being able to have meals or have to walk barefoot on the cold floor over just speaking a word in their language. To be forbidden to use your own language, especially as a child, is one of the cruelest ways to erase a culture. Perhaps I reacted so strongly because my own people had once been abused in a similar manner – I have actually posted about this before, about the book smugglers – because that was the only way to keep our written word, as it was forbidden by the Russian empire to print anything in the Lithuanian language and alphabet.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook through Edelweiss in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Triggers: (view spoiler)[I might be missing some, but there is rape (lots and lots, and not just women), there is death, suicide, there is drug abuse and alcoholism, poverty of course, homelessness, all kinds of abuse by teachers and church people, domestic violence and just plain old violence, a sad story of changing your sex, coming out as gay in a very conservative society (there's even an exorcism for.. being gay. Yes.) Children die, teens die. I don't know where to start and where to finish. I may have missed a lot, but you get the picture. (hide spoiler)]
This was a tough read, and not for just the contents alone. It's written in an odd way, where every other paragraph alternates between third person anThis was a tough read, and not for just the contents alone. It's written in an odd way, where every other paragraph alternates between third person and first person. It was really odd to keep switching and I only got used to it by the end. I also remember that half the book just felt like a chore, despite the contents being interesting. That may also be the translation at fault though.
One thing I was surprised about though, was that I expected the book to have a lot of horrors and maybe even gore, as many books about the times of the Cultural Revolution are like that. It's hard to not have that in your story when talking about a truly terrifying period in history. But Becoming Madame Mao focuses solely on the private lives of Chairman Mao and her. So the events are mentioned, but they lack impact, and there's barely any detail or gore. That might work well for you if you are a sensitive reader, but want to learn about the events. Unlike most books about this time period, this one isn't almost at all triggering.
The book does convey the horror and the insanity that these times seemed to be full of though. Despite feeling like it was something of a chore to read, I'm happy I read it.
Evelina | AvalinahsBooks
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