We were still alive, and we couldn’t make heads or tails of the darkness, so we couldn’t see how close we were to the end.
Haunting and eloquent, The W
We were still alive, and we couldn’t make heads or tails of the darkness, so we couldn’t see how close we were to the end.
Haunting and eloquent, The Walls Around Us is a chilling story of two girls, whose lives are forever tied together in both life and death. Simultaneously feverish and ethereal, Amber and Violet’s paths towards the truth are both compelling and soul-crushing. The Walls Around Us is a unique ghost story, as it is ultimately about the death of dreams and ghostly lingering of hope.
The Walls Around Us is a desperately, achingly sad book. Nova Ren Suma wove ounces of melancholy into each and every chapter, making your heart ache for all the girls within its pages, and their wasted potential. From Violet to D’amour, each character brought something new to the novel, and without even side characters, the atmosphere wouldn’t be the same.
Despite their actions, both of the main characters were relatable and immensely well written. Throughout everything, Violet has squirreled her way into my heart with her conniving and morally grey ways. Amber, while not personally my favorite in the book, was an extraordinary character whose actions garnered my respect and love. Orianna’s personality was the most likable of all of them, and I felt incredibly sad for her and everything she went through.
The writing is light and airy on one page, and dark and desolate on the next. With poignant detail, the world of The Walls Around Us is hyper-realistic and I could practically feel the cold, harsh walls of the Aurora Hills Secure Juvenile Detention Center and watch Ori’s solo piece from the dance of the Firebird.
Suma’s novels have never been the fastest or the easiest to read. Despite their gift with writing, their books can often be difficult to get through, and fully understand the book. While Suma’s issue isn’t completely resolved and at times I found my attention slipping, I found The Walls Around Us much easier to read than their other books, like 17 & Gone. The plot is much easier to understand here, though some chapters took me a couple extra readings to fully comprehend.
Like most Nova Ren Suma books, the plot feels very faraway, tying everything together but never the focus of the book. While The Walls Around Us is certainly not lacking in plot, it is sometimes hard to find it through the thick prose, and it’s easy for important strands of the story to slip through your fingers.
Told in half truths, the reader is forced to sift through the chapters in order to find the truth. Heavily character driven, Suma focuses on character development in order to tell the story. As we learn about the two girls and their stories, it becomes increasingly obvious what truly happened. The Walls Around Us is most definitely not a quick read, as it requires more comprehension and focus than most books.
Beautifully crafted, Nova Ren Suma continues to delight their readers with stories of guilt, innocence, and the price of the truth. It’s dark and somber, yet strangely beautiful and peaceful. The Walls Around Us is an all-around must read....more
The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a very important book. It's something much more influential and significant than an average contemporary and its iThe Miseducation of Cameron Post is a very important book. It's something much more influential and significant than an average contemporary and its impact is something I can't fully describe. There's something so powerful about well written, fully fleshed out queer lit - it's something that helps validate our identities. Representation is important, but well written representation can change lives because there's something about a well written queer book that tells us that we're worth the time and effort to make a good book.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post is one of these books.
Cameron Post is a remarkable protagonist. She's one of the most fleshed out protagonist that I've encountered, a gemstone of YA lit. Yes, everyone will be able to relate with Cameron Post, regardless of sexuality or gender, the most important thing is that queer kids everywhere will be able to look up to Cameron Post and relate to her and her troubles.
What makes Cameron Post stick out to me is how resilient and headstrong she is. Authors often make the mistake of equating strong characters with unfeeling characters, which is a huge mistake. Strong characters cannot be described in one way but Cameron's strength lies in her resilience. She experiences ups and downs and moments of weakness but throughout her incredible hardships, she perseveres and manages to not only survive it but find light in it too.
The secondary characters are all nicely written and unique and memorable in their own ways. emily m. danforth wrote a bunch of interesting and diverse characters including a disabled lesbian who hides pot in her prosthetic leg and a two-spirit Native American teenager.
emily m. danforth's writing style is gorgeous in a very simple way. It's not flowing or what I would usually describe as gorgeous. There are just some writers that can manage to convey so much more beyond what they said and emily is one of them. It's simple and eloquent and reminds me a lot of the pastels used on the cover.
I can't explain why exactly but pastel is one of the most accurate words I can think of to describe this book. It's summer nights, quiet walks in a park, going out to eat ice cream, fireflies, and pastel colors all rolled up into one. Yeah, it sounds very odd but it's true.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a book that should have been written years ago because there are a lot of queer people out there that needed this book while growing up. But at least, kids like me can look at it and say, "yes, this is who I am and there's no problem with it." Hopefully, emily m. danforth's will make a change for the better in YA lit, opening us up to queer storylines with beautiful prose and even more beautiful characters....more
Brutal Youth tells the inspiring story of three teenagers, each with their own troubles. While, technically, Brutal Youth was written as an anti-bullyBrutal Youth tells the inspiring story of three teenagers, each with their own troubles. While, technically, Brutal Youth was written as an anti-bullying book, it doesn't feel like the average one. Most of the books I've read have extremely heavy messages that bog down the actual story and taint the overall experience. Often the characters are weak and flimsy as well. At the end of the day, the message fails to make a lasting impact with the reader.
However, Brutal Youth doesn't seem to want to go with the flow and instead tells one of the most brutal and harsh stories I've ever read with characters abounding with personality and a story that really resonates with the reader. It's one of those once in a blue moon reads that I'll treasure for a long, long time.
The three main characters -Peter Davidek, Noah Stein, and Lorelei Paskal - were all incredibly realistic and well developed. I couldn't really call any of them likable in the traditional sense, but I enjoyed seeing the story through their eyes. Their individual strengths and weaknesses added yet another layer to the book.
Lorelei was my favourite character in the book, and also one of the most complex characters I've ever read about. Nothing is ever simple with Lorelei. She's selfish and self-centered and an all around awful person. But she's also incredibly pitiful and weak. She is bullied mercilessly by her peers, yet she also does a lot of the bullying herself.
One of the shining aspects of the book was how Breznican addressed the theme of bullying. There's nothing black and white in Brutal Youth. It's all in shades of grey. Even the bullies are bullied.
The main characters aren't completely innocent, like you'd expect from your average book. They're sympathetic while still being at times awful people. It's really amazing what having realistic, multifaceted characters can do to a story. I haven't stopped thinking about this book since I put it down almost a month ago.
Overall, Brutal Youth is one of the best books I have ever read. It's gorgeously written and incredibly heartfelt. I cannot wait to read any other works by this author. I loved it and I recommend Brutal Youth to anyone looking for a book that is unlike any you've read before....more
If you found movies like Inception and the Matrix or games like Catherine even slightly confusing, good luck with White Space. Confusing doesn't even If you found movies like Inception and the Matrix or games like Catherine even slightly confusing, good luck with White Space. Confusing doesn't even begin to cover this book. The plot is so intricate and elaborate. Reading it is truly amazing simply because the amount of work that Bick put into the plot is jaw-dropping.
Thankfully, unlike many books which try to do something similar, everything in White Space eventually makes perfect sense. There aren't any plot holes (that I could find at least and I may have spent many hours obsessing over every part of this book). Every single part of this book fits together - from the character relationships to the writing style.
I've never really been a fan of Bick before this book. But if you spend any time at all in the YA circle, you'll know her name. Ilsa J. Bick is one of the most prominent YA horror writers currently. White Space definitely proves their writing prowess.
White Space starts off with an incredibly confusing chapter with new, strange words that are given no translation till much later in the book and a scene that makes you feel like you've skipped the first couple of chapters. The chapter is very oddly placed, but it makes sense why Bick chose to put it there. While I was okay with its positioning, I know a lot of people are not and will not be as okay with it as I was.
White Space is an incredibly hard book to get into and an even harder one to like. From what I can tell from the reviews, it's a very polarizing book. The lack of concrete answers for most of the book and length of the novel are just two of the common complaints.
Yes, these are two very problematic aspects of the novel (at times), but the payoff in the end and the chase towards the payoff make it, in my opinion, completely worth it.
It's hard to say anything worthwhile without spoiling the book. I have to carefully tiptoe around not only the plot but the characters because everything can be considered a spoiler. (view spoiler)[Even that can be a spoiler. (view spoiler)[
The characters and character relationships are incredibly important to the story, but first and foremost, White Space is a plot driven book. While I understand why Bick needed to go for a more plot driven book, I do think it would have been nice if the characters had more time to mature and grow. Then again, the book is already pushing 600 pages.
Granted, I would have preferred the characters to be more memorable or distinct, but the intricacy of the plot and writing made up for it.
I'd rather not say anything about the plot because White Space is definitely a story that you want to go into with the least possible amount of spoilers or information. I really knew nothing about the book and that made it 100% better.
White Space is a fantastic and original ride that'll take you places that you couldn't have imagined before. Throw everything you ever took for granted out the window and prepare to have your mind completely blown. ...more
Before 2013, zombies were my anathema since before I could remember. I couldn't stand them at all. It wasn't just a casual dislike - I actually vehemeBefore 2013, zombies were my anathema since before I could remember. I couldn't stand them at all. It wasn't just a casual dislike - I actually vehemently hated these undead abominations. Like, what's the point of brain eating monsters when there are interesting monsters? Please note that at that time, my idea of an interesting monster was, sadly, Twilight vampires and that speaks for itself.
However, in early 2013, I got into zombies for the first time - mostly due to copious amounts of The Walking Dead and Jonathan Maberry books. While I'm still not incredibly into the monsters themselves, I've figured out that, for the most part, zombie books make for interesting soap operas and
Now that I've finished boring you with my story, I'll get to the review and hopefully, it'll make sense as to why I started with a stupid story.
Rise Again Below Zero is my first encounter with Ben Tripp and I'm hungry for more. I haven't read the first book of the Rise Again duology but it's really not necessary for one main reason.
Ben Tripp doesn't fall for the same mistake that many authors do in sequels. The relationships between the characters aren't taken for granted, but instead are reinforced and reintroduced in the second novel. Even the characters experience growth throughout the book. This is a fairly rare occurrence in most books and I enjoyed seeing the characters grow.
The relationships were incredibly strong and they played a large part in the book. If you remember the awkward story in the beginning (how could you forget?), I said that I liked the soap opera-ness of zombie books.
I'm less interested in the zombies and more interested in the human interactions. Rise Again Below Zero showcases this aspect of the subgenre incredibly well. Built on relationships, Rise Again Below Zero keeps the reader going because of the fantastically conceived and executed relationships.
In a strange turn of events, I actually really liked Tripp's zombies. From what I can tell, the zombie types were not present in the first book (correct me if I'm wrong) but in this one, they were used very well. While not too strong, the zombie 'classes' were very well done. It was never really overpowering and the focus was still the human characters not the undead ones.
Tripp's main strength is in his character building. Danny is a beautifully flawed character who's actions are not always commendable but understandable and relatable. She's not a delicate flower nor as hard as she'd like other's to believe. I found her incredibly likable.
While the book has a large focus on Danny and her reflections, the secondary characters are incredible in their depth. Rise Again Below Zero is full of genuinely good people, despite their flaws. Tripp was able to create the depth needed for this book and he did it perfectly. He was able to create multi-dimensional characters, instead of making black and white; good and bad archetypes. Good was not completely and utterly pure. Bad was not overly bad or entirely despicable. The 'good' characters had strong flaws but did not let them overcome their inherent goodness.
As heavily character driven book, the plot was not lacking. It could be pretty slow at times, especially during the heavily retrospective sections, but the tension and excitement was perfectly utilized. The circumstances which Danny found herself in were engaging and at times genuinely frightening. The plot twists were brilliant and kept me at the edge of my seat.
Rise Again Below Zero was a fantastic, entertaining read with characters that I felt connected with and genuinely cared for. I recommend it to anyone looking for something other than the average zombie/dystopian book. ...more
I've come to the conclusion that the only place I will truly be happy is in middle grade books. No matter how much I love young adult - and I do - it I've come to the conclusion that the only place I will truly be happy is in middle grade books. No matter how much I love young adult - and I do - it seems like I can only really enjoy middle grade books anymore. Maybe it has something to do with the lack of romance or it could just be because middle grade books have, generally, much stronger characters than young adult.
There are quite a few things that differentiate middle grade from young adult. Obviously there are things like writing style and the censored content but also the characters are very different from what you'd find in a YA book.
YA books are renowned for weak, stereotypical characters. While MG has its archetypes, they're generally a lot more interesting and likable than YA ones. YA girls are often weak, extremely emotional, and useless. The average MG girl is strong, heroic, and capable. While yes, this is an archetype and these characters can lack the depth that YA or Adult characters have, I'd rather, for the most part, read a MG female protagonist than a YA one.
The Mark of the Dragonfly is one of the finest examples of these fantastic MG books. The characters and the plot are absolutely amazing. Piper and Anna are awesome and adorable characters whom I may have given a large part of my heart to.
Piper is a strong, confident character and Anna is a darling little intellectual cutie. The chemistry between the two was all but tangible and I loved seeing them interact and grow together. Piper and Anna weren't incredibly developed characters but I thought they were very well done despite this.
The plot was engaging and drew you in from the first page. The first chapter has the perfect mixture of action, world building, and allure and the rest of the book delivers incredibly well. The twists were incredibly well done and did justice to the interesting mysteries.
On the flip side, the worldbuilding was incredibly lacking. I'm honestly not sure where this is set - whether another world or perhaps a parallel world. It could have even have been Earth, in the future. I'm not sure whether this was intentional or just lazy writing. It could easily be either of them.
The romance was an entirely useless aspect of the book. There was neither chemistry nor need for it in the plot. It wasn't a bad romance per-say, it just felt like it was put in because it could be instead of any other real reasons.
Overall, I really adored The Mark of the Dragonfly. It was incredibly good book with very few flaws. Honestly, the biggest flaw is that it was too short! I recommend this to anyone looking for a break from boring characters and boring plots....more
Skulk starts off very slowly and awkwardly. In fact, these pages were so off-putting to me, that I dropped it the same day I picked it up, around the Skulk starts off very slowly and awkwardly. In fact, these pages were so off-putting to me, that I dropped it the same day I picked it up, around the 60 page mark, for a few weeks before reading it again. The writing coupled with the main character just put me off entirely.
But today I picked it up again. I also finished it on the same day because I didn't stop reading for an hour and a half after finding it again. After the initial hundred pages, the plot picks up at an extraordinary speed and the book really starts. I am so so happy that I did end up picking Skulk up again because I really enjoyed it. It's not a brilliant book in terms of originality or writing or plot, but it's very enjoyable.
The novel begins with Meg, our protagonist, escaping from her house, with a backpack filled with spray paint, with one goal - to cover the walls of her high school with her art. However, things take a turn for the worse when she finds a dying fox. A fox which changes into a man. From then on, her life is forever changed when she develops the ability to shapeshift into a fox and discovers a group of secret organisations of ravens, rats, spiders, butterflies, and foxes.
The first quarter of the book was bogged down by rich girl idiocy, you know the average 'oh my god I'm so rich and ugh my life sucks I'm going to be rebellious because I'm bored'. But it doesn't take Meg to get her head back into the game, thankfully.
One of the first things that will strike you while reading Skulk is how Meg's voice really shines through. She's not your average heroine. She doesn't have an overwhelmingly large hero complex, nor a damsel one. Often, in YA lit at least, you have two types of female characters. The very 'feminine' ones and the very 'butch' ones.
Meg was very likable as she wasn't either of them. She wasn't scared to be assertive or tell people that they're being douches and she also had friends who liked things like makeup and boys. I don't know about you but I think that's pretty cool stuff.
Also, guess what, we've got a larger character (¡main character!) who's pretty fine with her weight and doesn't end up skinny by the end!
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The shapeshifter aspect was pretty unique actually. Instead of the average wolf shapeshifters, we have freaking butterfly and spider shapeshifters. How awesome is that?? I jus t really love it. I've always wanted raven and spider shapeshifters uwu.
Another good thing is that I now know the words for a group of ravens, spiders, and butterflies. Frick yeah.
The plot is like really really good. It's not really original but it's very good. Like, 'I can't put down this book long enough to maintain homeostasis' good. Rosie Best's storytelling is superb and I can't believe this book doesn't have more hype.
I really recommend this book to everyone. The beginning is a bit rocky but the rest of the book makes up for it. It's got everything you'd ever want - a badass main character, shapeshifting, cute boys, cute girls, murder. Go borrow/preorder/buy/steal it now!...more
Fangirl isn't going to be a book for everyone. There are going to be a lot of positive reviews but it's going to have it's fair share of negative reviFangirl isn't going to be a book for everyone. There are going to be a lot of positive reviews but it's going to have it's fair share of negative reviews as well. Fangirl isn't going to become the next big thing. Fangirl isn't going to be everyone's favorite book.
Fangirl is going to be a book for some people because Fangirl is a book for the people who live in world's created by others, whether it be the Harry Potter fandom or the Supernatural fandom.
You may not believe me at first, but once you read the book, it'll become quite obvious. This book wasn't meant for the average reader who casually watches some tv or casually reads. It was quite obviously marketed to the fanperson. While anyone could read the book, this book is much more enjoyable when you can truly understand Cather, and her obsession/love relationship with the fictional Simon Snow.
The main reason I connected with Cather was for the fact that I totally got how her love for Simon wasn't just something she liked - it was so much more important. Cather wasn't always the most likable character but I understood her and her pain of having her best friends live hundreds of miles away. I understood how she felt to see her sister drift away from her and start to dislike her. I got her.
If you can't relate to Cath in any of the ways I mentioned, you'll mostly likely like the book less. Cath does some really irritating and stupid things in the course of the book that should have made me hate her. But oddly, none of them made me like her less but others may be less forgiving.
Cather isn't always a likable protagonist, as I said. She reminded me a bit of myself to be honest- if it's not too vain to say. She was angry and angsty but she was funny and adorable at the same time. She writes fanfiction and her bffs live half way around the country or even the world.
The love interest, Levi, was probably the most adorable thing ever. Granted, he wasn't the most original or fully developed, but I do think the personality and the lack of extreme douchebaggeryness helped. I'm just glad he didn't make any rapey advances or stalk her.
He did do some... less than gentlemanly things during the course of the book. While it wasn't exactly his fault or something that would make me feel like I don't like him, it was certainly not a positive to his character.
One part that was less than positive was the fact that pretty much every character other than Levi, Cather, and Wren were absolutely irritating in every possible way. I wanted to slap practically every single character because they were all bitches for no goddamn reason.
Even the characters I liked could be so irritating and annoying that I just wanted to scream and ragequit, which doesn't happen very often. I can usually take irritation and anger fairly well but this was magnified by the fact that the rest of the book was just so amazing.
The plot was a fairly standard find-yourself thing but I really enjoyed it. I really like writing (in case you haven't noticed) and a book revolving around writing and Cather's inability to write anything other then Simon Snow fanfiction left me all but drooling.
The fanfiction aspect left me very satisfied but some readers might find this very gimmicky and tacky. If you didn't like the gimmicky aspects of How to Lead a Life of Crime, this may be very forced and annoying.
However, I found it absolutely amazing. How can a few snippets of fanfiction of a series that doesn't even exist make me want to read more? Um, because it's amazing - that's why. Absolutely fucking fantastic. If I don't see more Simon and Baz, I will probably be very disappointed.
(view spoiler)[Rowell, this would be an awesome time to tell me that you're writing a novella about Simon and Baz thnx (hide spoiler)]
This review is getting a bit way too fangirly so here's the tl;dr version (in hannibal gifs because yay):
The only reason I read this book was because of Renae's review. I couldn't have been any less interested in the book, to be honest. It sounded like anThe only reason I read this book was because of Renae's review. I couldn't have been any less interested in the book, to be honest. It sounded like another boring dystopian with a hint of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE.
I'm so happy to say that WHEN WE WAKE was different from everything I'd ever read in the genre. Dystopian and science fiction are my favorite genres, and have been ever since I was a kid. I don't often get lucky with them however and I tend to find most of my favorite books in the fantasy and contemporary genres.
I got lucky.
WHEN WE WAKE is set in 2127 where the world is very different from how it is now. But in a good way (for the most part). The world is greener, for one. Mankind learned to live by the land and follow the three 'R's of recycling. Homosexual love isn't viewed any different than heterosexual love - which is awesome. Yet the world is certainly not perfect as racial tensions are higher than ever.
Tegan wakes up to this world - like she literally woke up. She was cryogenically frozen for 100 years after being accidentally shot and 'killed'. This is the point where you have to just go with the flow. It doesn't make any sense that Tegan could sign up for being frozen without actually knowing what she was signing up for.
Tegan faces the obvious cultural shock of walking up a hundred years into the future, not to mention the grief that comes with the realization that all of Tegan's friends and family have been dead for a very long time. She also faces the trouble that comes with being the first successful awakened person, target of a cult, and being used by various institutions and people.
Thankfully, Tegan is more than apt to care of herself. She's one of my all time favorite heroines. Tegan is strong and willful. She's definitely not afraid to speak her mind when and wherever she chooses.
"It was the truth," I said. "Truth! We didn't put you on camera to speak the truth! We needed a pretty face!" "Well, tough," I snapped. "You got me instead. I guess your little clockwork doll broke down." -page 189
"I am so tired of being used. The army tried to do it, Tatia tried to do it, and now you're trying to do it. I'm a person, not a symbol, not property, and not a prop. If you want me dead, I can't stop you, but I won't make it easier for you either. Dirty your own fucking hands." -page 273
The quotes remind me a bit too much of MOCKINGJAY, the finale in the Hunger Games series. Katniss was being used by both the rebels and the formal government for much of the book. What disappointed me was how well Katniss took it. All I wanted was for her to say what Tegan did.
She didn't.
I really love Tegan even though it's not like she was ever the most original character. I like that about her in this case. People can be brave without being a superhero - it's actually possible. Tegan was a brave, wonderful girl who wasn't a superhero, nor did she try to be. I think she was perfect without being... perfect.
While the book deals with a lot of really serious and deep issues like racial discrimination, Healey doesn't fill her entire book with that. She instead fills her time with needed character development and the most important thing to any book - character interaction. Each and every one of Healy's characters are well rounded. I feel like Bethari, Joph, and the others could be in my life and that they could be my friends.
What I truly love about the characters is how different they are. They all come from different religious backgrounds, ethnicities, and sexual orientations. This is very much lacking in most YA (and Adult) literature. The characters are usually white, very rarely anything other than a Christian or an Atheist, and straight. There is nothing wrong with white Christian straight people but I do really love when authors add characters that break the average mold.
Tegan and the other characters were definitely my favorite aspect to the book but the moral and ethical problems that were introduced were another one of my favorites. There are a few that I wish were more elaborated on but for the most part, I felt that they were a very nice addition to the book.
Before I end the review, I want to say that I, like some other reviewers, am very sad to hear that there is a sequel to WHEN WE WAKE in the works. I found the ending perfect for the book and wouldn't want it any other way. I will probably end up reading the sequel just because I want more Tegan but I highly doubt it will be anything like WHEN WE WAKE. But then again, you never know. Healy is probably talented enough to pull it off.
WHEN WE WAKE is an intelligent, beautiful dystopian that really challenges the norm of dystopian novels. With this book, I have a bit more hope that, just maybe, other authors will realize that there is more to dystopian fiction then love triangles. I recommend this book with all my heart and will be seeking out Healy's other books....more
“Because blood is blood, and every family has its own force. Its own flavor. Its own charm and strange.”
Charm & Strange is a beautifully haunting bo
“Because blood is blood, and every family has its own force. Its own flavor. Its own charm and strange.”
Charm & Strange is a beautifully haunting book about a hurt little boy and a confused young man. It's a heartbreaking and painful read, yet completely worth it. In many ways, Charm & Strange reminds me of another book that I read last year called Liar, and if you liked that one, it's very likely that you'll like this one as well.
In this case, the less you know about the book the better. I found this book after reading a very poorly worded library summary and it greatly diminished my overall enjoyment around this book. Charm & Strange is one of those books which, ideally, should be picked up without knowing anything about it.
Suffice it to say, Charm & Strange is about a boy with a wolf inside of him that is begging to come out and show itself to the world.
Kuehn's expertise and ingenuity is what really sells this book. Their skill in storytelling is absolutely unmatched and gorgeous. Charm & Strange, for much of the book, is told in chapters alternating from Antimatter (past) and Matter (present). At the beginning, the chapters aren't very clear, but as the story continues, things slowly come into place and the harshness of the world becomes more and more apparent.
Andrew is one of the complex characters I've encountered. He's the Will Graham of the book, where you can practically see the flimsy threads that hold him together. Throughout the book you watch, one by one, the threads snapping and the wolf growing.
The supporting characters are weaker - especially those from the Matter chapters - yet I didn't mind it all too much. It gave Kuehn more room to toy with Andrew and strengthen his character.
In my opinion, I felt the ending was a bit too neat. Everything came together and people were happy. It felt out of place in the book. While I wasn't expecting a soul crushing ending, I just wish that it were a bit less 'happily ever after'.
Charm & Strange is a marvel of YA literature and literature in general. It encapsulates the reason why I still read YA books. Kuehn's debut is a novel that which still lingers in the back of my head and will continue to do so for a time to come....more
Cat Clarke has an incredibly unique writing style. Undone is a dark and complex reading experience that no one could mistake for being a simple, one sCat Clarke has an incredibly unique writing style. Undone is a dark and complex reading experience that no one could mistake for being a simple, one sided story. It toys with your feelings over and over again, and refuses to give you any peace even after the last page.
Undone is a truly haunting book. Throughout the book, I felt increasingly uncomfortable and uneasy with the events of the book. It was an incredibly unsettling and edgy read but it was worth it at the end (even though the ending shred my heart up).
The story is told in shades of gray. All the characters are confusing and I can never tell whether I"m supposed to like said character or absolutely despise them. Morality is a very subjective concept in the book, especially to Jem who seems to find it inconsequential. Morally grey doesn't even begin to cover her.
Then again, Jem isn't really the most… stable of individuals.
Jem Haliday is a very volatile girl who after her best, and seemingly only, friend kills himself, she finds it impossible to go on without getting revenge of the people that were responsible for bullying Kai to death. Oh, and her revenge consists of ruining their lives completely.
At first, I completely empathized and understood Jem's reasons for wanting revenge. It's the only natural response for most people. However as the book goes on, Jem's mission for revenge begins to get more twisted and more disturbed as time goes on. It's incredibly unnerving to see exactly what ends Jem would go to just to get revenge.
Jem takes us on a ride that will not be soon forgotten. It's a riveting, uncomfortable, and wholly unique trip that not only makes the reader want to cry but punch a hole in the nearest wall.
Cat Clarke's strength lies in her protagonists, if you couldn't already tell. The whole book revolves around these gorgeously flawed and despicable characters. As the novel goes on, piece by piece, Jem's character is revealed to be A DISGUSTING AWFUL PERSON an awful person and it's amazing.
The supporting characters all bring something new to the playing field. Every character is different and exciting and I love every one of them in a different way. They're highly problematic but somehow likable at the same time.
Undone is a hard book to read. It's gritty and unsettling but gorgeously written all the same. Cat Clarke is definitely one of my new all time favourite authors and I'll definitely be on the lookout for more books by here....more
Stockholm Syndrome is a very interesting topic to read about. It's also a harder one to successfully execute. I could very well decide to write a bookStockholm Syndrome is a very interesting topic to read about. It's also a harder one to successfully execute. I could very well decide to write a book about Stockholm Syndrome but there is a 100% chance that I would fail miserably. It's true. But, there are some people who can do it successfully, like Lucy Christopher. I haven't read any other Stockholm Syndrome book, so perhaps my thoughts are a bit biased.
I have to admit, this isn't a perfect representation. I obviously have no experience with having Stockholm Syndrome but I don't think it works exactly like this. There was no build up. Gemma goes from hating him to loving him in a few days.
(view spoiler)[Gemma tries to escape numerous times and declares how much she detests Ty all the time. Then, one day, something changes. She doesn't ever question her hatred for Ty before. And then suddenly, she adores him. It's kind of weird to be honest. (hide spoiler)]
Characters Gemma was an interesting character. I don't find her as a ver strong individual but she wasn't weak either. She ran but gave up easily at the same time. The ending showed a stronger Gemma but I still wasn't convinced about her character personally.
I don't think I hate her but I don't love her. In most reviews, I have three types of characters (and those three usually cover most). The three types are amazing, meh, and terrible. Gemma wasn't exactly likeable, relatable, or hatable. She wasn't meh because I did like her at times. I also disliked her at times.
Ty was very likeable and I hated him as well. He's very... Ty. Extremely likeable and detestable at the same time. He can be easily summed up with this gif ((view spoiler)[yeah, my first gif in an actual review - is this good or bad? (hide spoiler)])
[image]
I really don't need to say anything more about him because well, I already said everything I could. There are no other characters other then those two, because 95% of the book takes place in the middle of nowhere, completely isolated.
Plot and Writing: Plot: This is a very character driven story. The plot is very basic and does not involve any side plots or twists other then if you consider Gemma being kidnapped a twist. Which it isn't. The Stockholm isn't a twist because it's quite clear what this book it about.
The plot that is there is nicely written but paced too oddly. Sometimes I'm flying through the book and other times I'm just barely awake. A good 20% is Gemma complaining about her situation and thinking about how she should escape.
I'm not saying that's a bad thing. If you were kidnapped, wouldn't you try to escape or feel bad for yourself? With Gemma however, that's all she did. She really didn't do anything except for when she was escaping which quite frankly, bored me.
Writing: The writing was very descriptive and the feelings were very real. So real in fact that many readers found themselves falling for Ty *cough* Oceana *cough*. I was not included in this but I did start to like him. I guess the fact that I kept reminding myself that he freaking abducted a girl stopped me from loving him.
The writing was simplistic but perfect for the story that Christopher was telling. It wasn't overly descriptive or lyrical but sort of hazy and dreamlike. Everything felt dreamlike but real at the same time - if that makes any sense (which it probably doesn't).
What I liked and what I didn't: Liked:
* the atmosphere * the characters * the plot
Disliked:
* it wasn't very realistic Stockholm
In conclusion: I did like the book, a lot in fact. But, I have to admit that the book isn't perfect. I do recommend it to everyone but with a warning - this book is very creepy. ...more
Before Tiger Lily, I had never cried reading a book. I had been sad, I’ve shed a few meager tears, but I have never full on criedWarning: Long Review!
Before Tiger Lily, I had never cried reading a book. I had been sad, I’ve shed a few meager tears, but I have never full on cried. Not in John Green’s Our Fault in the Stars, not in Stormdancer, never. I cried reading Tiger Lily. I locked myself up in the bathroom and bawled. I also cried after reading it.
Tiger Lily tells the story of a darker Neverland. One where love doesn’t win and Peter Pan kills. The book is about the thrills of first love: wild, crazy, and untamable; the pain of loss; and cruel nature of betrayal. Narrated by Tinkerbell, the story has an angle to it that otherwise would be unattainable. Peter and Tiger Lily’s love is shown in full honesty: including the ups ands downs, everything leading up to destruction.
The emotions that Anderson put in is just astounding. I spent the night unable to sleep for a while because I was so giddy. The book acted like a drug. It has its ups, where you’re soaring along with the book, and its downs were you are crying along with the characters. I loved that feeling and I wish that I found it more in books. Maybe it’s because I am very disconnected with most books that I can’t relate to them. idk.
Characters: Tiger Lily is solemn, only truly understood by one person. She is harsh, but merciful as shown by her unwillingness to kill a weeping man. Peter shows her a life beyond the small tribe where she wasn’t truly happy. She very much reminds me of Katniss, except without all the drawbacks that Katniss had as a character. Tiger Lily fears, loves, and hopes. I found her very pleasing as a character though, I wouldn’t want the book to be narrated by her and I am glad it’s not.
Pine Sap is Tiger Lily’s single friend. He is kind, thoughtful, and quiet which mean that the rest of the boys shun him. He is obsessed with birds and Tiger Lily. He is adorable and you really just want to hug him. I think he should have been in the story more, but then again the story wouldn’t have progressed very well if he was as much a main character as Peter or Tiger Lily.
Peter Pan. He’s a character who you will love. I almost guarantee it. Peter is such an enigma. I found myself as much in love as Tiger Lily which added to the feelings of hatred I felt to a particular Wendy bird. He is carefree, yet haunted; happy, yet lonely; silly, yet solemn; he was such an amazing, deep character that I just can’t describe.
Tik-Tok, the transgender shaman of the Skyeater tribe (Tiger Lily’s tribe). He is also the adopted guardian of Tiger Lily. Do you know how long I’ve waited for a good transgender character? Forever. I have not read many books with a good one. Tik-Tok wore dresses, had long hair, and everyone respected him. They never shunned him but they happily accepted and respected him for who he is. Then some bastard (pardon my language) had to come in and ruin it all.
Tinkerbell is our trusty, mute companion through the book. She sees everything and has her own story and feelings, which doesn’t detract from the story. Tinkerbell is in love with Peter as well, but too loyal to her friend to try to ruin it for them. She protects her friends and provides insight which normally we wouldn’t read. Being narrated by another person, who is in the story yet detached makes the story much better and in my opinion , it was probably one of best choices for the story.
Our villains were of course the pirates. But, instead of demonizing them and making them villains just, well because they are, Anderson gave a background to them. James Hook was a charming man on a mission for youth. Failing, he resorted to drinking and fixated upon Peter. Smee was obsessed with killing those he admired, loved, or respected. His mission? Kill Tiger Lily because he loved her.
Plot and Writing: Plot: If you do not like slow-moving plots, without much action, this book might not be for you. It is slow. Instead of cutting to the action, it focuses on developing characters and romances. Nothing is under developed in my opinion. The romance between Peter and Tiger Lily is insta love free and not perfect. In fact, it’s quite realistic. I found the pain, lust, and anger very relatable and I never felt detached.
I read the story in three sitting because I, despite the slowness of the story, could not detach myself from it. In fact, when I woke up I immediately picked the book up instead of checking my email. ^.^
Writing: I want to marry the book. I swear this has to be some of the loveliest prose I have ever read. It brings so much feeling into the book that I can’t explain. I felt like I was in Neverland, I was with the lost boys. It was a truly magical reading experience that I hope all of my readers can enjoy some day.
Romance: I am skipping the usual “What I liked and What I Didn’t” because I feel like this section is more important to write. Plus, I think if you’ve read this far, you know what I like and that I loved everything about the book.
The romance between Peter and Tiger Lily was the book in a way. Everything built from that. Usually, I don’t like books like this but I found it nice. Seeing everything from the eyes of Tink, the relationship was shown to be rocky. You saw it, you knew it, but you just can’t help but love it. To quote one of my favorite reviewers (please read her review as well: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...)
Jodi Lynn Anderson made my heart swoon and swell with the gradually slow but sweet romance, and then ripped it violently out of my body, leaving me sobbing and bleeding on the floor.
That summarizes my thoughts very well.
In conclusion: Tiger Lily is my favorite book of the year yet and it has definitely earned a place in my all time favorites. I beg you, read this book. You won’t regret it.
————————————————————————————– Favorite Character: Tiger Lily/Tik-Tok/Tink/Peter/anyone but Giant and Wendy Favorite Quote:
Did you know I always thought you were braver than me? Did you ever guess that that was why I was so afraid? It wasn’t that I only loved some of you. But I wondered if you could ever love more than some of me.
Speechless first drew me in, like many readers before me, because of its cover. The original one I mean, not the one with the Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Speechless first drew me in, like many readers before me, because of its cover. The original one I mean, not the one with the girl. It had no girl on it, no dress, no flowers, no ornate background - just a plain white background with one word on it.
Sure, the author's name wasn't on it so chances are I knew it wasn't a permanent cover and there would be another one, probably with a girl on it (there is) but I still love it all the same. It's so beautifully simple but it really conveys the feeling of silence well, which is what the book is about.
I read a few select five star reviews before I decided to request this on Netgalley. Keertana's review and Ashleigh Paige's review all are why I decided to go ahead and read this book.
Characters: As a very character driven novel, I felt that the characterisation was crucial to the progression of the story. Thankfully, I do not have to count lack of characterisation as one of my downsides. The characters were all very well formed - if not all likeable.
Chelsea is a very difficult character to like. She reminded me of Sam from Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, but she was not at all like same really. Though they were both the "it" girl who gets reformed, the two were very different in how they were characterised. While I felt Sam truly grew from someone I hated to someone I genuinely admired, I did not feel as great of a feeling about Chelsea.
Chelsea did grow throughout the novel but not as drastically as I hoped and expected. Sam as a character was more relatable and realistic then Chelsea was. Chelsea's change wasn't really subtle, but I'm not saying Sam's was. I don't know how I should phrase this but, I prefer Sam to Chelsea.
The beginning of the novel made Chelsea and my relationship very strained. Chelsea, quite publicly, tells everyone at a New Year's party that Noah, a gay student, is with his boyfriend in one of the bedroom. Her gossiping leads to two jocks to barge in to the bedroom and leave Noah in the hospital.
Yes, I do understand how Chelsea was not meant to be likeable during the beginning on the book but this instance made me doubtful that I would like her by the end. Her constant use of fag also furthered her journey into the hall of Lisbeth's-Worst-Book-Enemies.
Chelsea sure took her own sweet time to mature. Constantly she was thinking some extremely vapid and shallow thoughts such as (I'd like to thank Vanessa for these):
I'm only here [in Art] because it's the easiest elective available, and it sure as hell beats Shop (what a misleading title!), or Personal Finance (my only interest in money is spending it, not budgeting it). - Page 50
I don't associate with [geeky freshman] freaks. - Page 67
Eventually, Chelsea developed a brain and decided to use it. She matured very fast after some key moments and became the character I expected. Still, she wasn't anything like Sam, but she was very much her own character. I decided that she wasn't that bad after all and started to like her a bit more. She wasn't perfect but hell, are the perfect characters really perfect?
The side characters, especially Asha, Andy, Lou, Dex and Sam, were all wonderful characters to read about and they were done pretty well but Andy particularly stands out to me.
He was the boyfriend of Noah who by all means has the right to hate Chelsea - which he does. He is brutally sarcastic (which isn't always a bad thing) and uses it to the full extent against Chelsea. Rightfully he isn't considered a bully. As the novel progresses, he starts to hate her less and eventually forgive her as best as he can.
Asha was the quintessential adorable, quirky, and nerdy girl who Chelsea befriends. She's Indian - obviously. I did like her but looking back, she's very stereotypical and not exactly original. She is not fleshed out as much as most of the other characters either. She is a fun addition to the story however.
Lou and Dex were an adult couple who ran a diner. I remember liking them a lot but can't remember any outstanding and original qualities to them. I'm glad for the inclusion of adult characters in a young adult book.
Sam is another stereotypical character who is in the place of the "sweet boy next door who the main character falls for" archetype. He was not special or noteworthy in anyway. I didn't hate him but he was a very "meh" character for me.
-1 star for Chelsea
Plot and Writing: Plot: The plot was cheesy and predictable. Gossip girl reforms into pure angel. Yeah, so the story isn't original but I did like it a lot, hence the 3.5 rating I am giving it. It goes through a fairly standard process which isn't that hard to guess. The character personalities and settings are not that original either. Nerdy girl. Sweet guy. Angry guy. Two extras. Diner setting. Highschool setting.
... *yawn*
- .5 stars for lack of originality
Writing: Pretty good writing for a second book. I found it very easy to read, especially in short bursts. I found that I could read quite a bit of this book pretty fast. I remember very clearly sitting/lying in various positions (most including hanging off the bed) and reading for an hour+ till I finished it. That memory for some reason has to be one of my highlights of the year.
Theme: Bullying: This is a new segment that will be added to many of my reviews, especially for books with very clear themes such as this one. The book was largely about bullying, both inflicted by the main character and inflicted upon the main character.
Through bullying is where most of her development takes place. Though I do not commend Chelsea for how she dealt with it (not speaking to her parents or anyone), I do find her journey through bullying very realistic (remember this is coming from a person who has never been bullied).
What I liked and what I didn't: Liked:
* Most of the Cast. * The setting * The story - cliched as it was. * The reading
Disliked:
* Chelsea * Minor problems with lack of characterisation in a few characters * Lack of originality
In conclusion: Speechless is not a deep book or a very subtle book. It's very "in your face" I suppose. The message isn't really concealed behind deep characters but very blatant, even to the casual reader. I did really enjoy reading this book however and I count it to be in my top reads this year. It is by no means perfect but still a very enjoyable read. I recommend it to people who are willing to read a book with obvious flaws just for the pure enjoyment of it.
I received my ARC of this book from Netgalley....more
A little heads up, this book is adult, not YA. It may not be appropriate for younger readers. That being said, there are no sex scenes till the third A little heads up, this book is adult, not YA. It may not be appropriate for younger readers. That being said, there are no sex scenes till the third book. It does have it's erotic moments though.
The story is classified as a romance. For a "romance", I love the lack of romance in it. This book (I can't say anything for the next books yet) is a mystery with a paranormal aspect to it. And instead of vampires, it's got fae. Ok, there are vampire-like things but it's about fae. Once I finished this book I realized something, I want to go to Dublin. Like, right now.
Characters: Mac is a young Georgia girl who reminded me of the song Georgia Peaches by Lauren Alaina (I'd post a link but the video is horrible). She was bubbly, in love with her hair, and is pretty much a little Barbie Doll, except this doll is able to stand up for herself without being invulnerable, naive without being idiotic, and generally great. Her voice is very unique and she reminded me a bit of Percy Jackson, except she's not 12...
Mac has joined the group of my favorite characters along with Percy Jackson (hey, it's my inner 9-year-old), Seraphina from the book with the same name, and Rose from Vampire Academy.
Barrons is a little petunia (you'll get it if you read the book). Many readers find him appealing, maybe he softens up a bit but right now, I find him annoying and a huge jerk. What I love is the Mac feels the same way. She's not swooning over his big muscles and hard abs. Neither of them like each other and that's that.
I'm hoping we get to know V'lane a bit more in the latter books. He's so funny! V'lane is a (as Mac calls him) death-by-sex fae, which as you probably guessed there are some pretty funny scenes between Mac and V'lane.
Plot & Writing: Plot: I can honestly say that I did not see all the twists coming. By the end, I had no idea what would happen. It was foreshadowed a bit and I bet a lot of readers guessed it but it might have been because I was reading at 11 PM and wasn't fully awake. I better read the end again.
The story was wonderful. I loved the, well everything. I guess I getting the I-hate-every-book-I-read rep, which is NOT true. I like some of them :P
Writing: Between the stellar descriptions and the awesome narration, I can truthfully say, I love Karen Marie Moning. The descriptions were vivid without being overly descriptive which can seriously mess with the flow of a book. Mac's voice was snarky and entertaining and I have my kindle book highlighted everywhere. I can't wait to see her writing grow into something even more amazing.
What I liked and didn't: Liked: * Mac * The descriptions * Barrons and Mac's chemistry * The Writing and Plot
Disliked: * Barrons lack of respect for Mac
In conclusion: I loved this book! I'm so glad that I have the rest of the books sitting on my shelf ready to be read.
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Favorite Character: Mac of course! Favorite Quote:
Movies tell you what to think. A good book lets you choose a few thoughts for yourself. A movie shows you the pink house. A good book tells you there's a pink house and lets you paint some of the finishing touches, maybe choose the room style, park your own car out front. My imagination has always topped anything a movie could come up with. Case and point, those darned Harry Potter movies. That was so not what the part-Veela-chick, Fleur Delacour, looked like.
Lisbeth Avery {Domus Libri}
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