Okay, at page 156 this crossed over from boring to painful to read.
And it's not that I don't understand what the author is trying to do here. Low selOkay, at page 156 this crossed over from boring to painful to read.
And it's not that I don't understand what the author is trying to do here. Low self-esteem country girl, bully misogynistic husband, starting a new life and all that. It's probably mostly realistic. I've met enough couples like this - particularly country lads who couldn't wipe their asses without a woman around to help them with it. It's just that nothing happens. It's such a long, drawn out boring tale of lunch meeting after lunch meeting after coffee meet up and then a dinner meeting thrown in to round it off.
And whilst I understood why the main character was so painfully, ridiculously, annoyingly dumb, and even felt that her actions were in line with the character - this simply made that novel horrible to read.
But I'm nothing, if not, all about the edumacation, folks. So I'm going to provide a list of things to do, that this character definitely should have done, in case you ever find yourself in a similar situation.
Things you should do if you're leaving your partner:
1. Make copies of all financial papers. Bank statements, recent sales, deeds, debts, assets, superannuation details, payslips etc. (If you quit work to stay at home for your partner/family - remember to consider the superannuation that you've lost out on when calculating your financial worth.)
2. Seek legal advice. Make sure this lawyer or firm is not representing your partner. If you can't afford a lawyer and don't qualify for legal aid, investigate a mediator.
3. Make note of the date of separation.
4. Close any joint accounts.
5. Get your name off utilities as soon as you leave.
6. Don't sign anything without having it viewed by your lawyer.
7. Fuck everyone else. Seriously, just fuck them. Do what you need to do for yourself....more
I’m not sure how to proceed with this review WITHOUT resorting to a shit ton of gifs. I just really feel like some kind of crazy wild action would betI’m not sure how to proceed with this review WITHOUT resorting to a shit ton of gifs. I just really feel like some kind of crazy wild action would better represent how I feel than words ever could.
I mean, I could say that The Eternity Cure is one badass tale that left me desperate for more because this story was fucking awesome. Or I could just do this:
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Which is, no joke, my exact facial expression upon finishing this book. I think it actually stayed like that for a full two minutes.
I could tell you that Allison Sekemoto was such an unmitigated badass that I am prepared to lay my sword down at her badass feet and swear my fealty to her as the god of badass forever. Or I could just do this:
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See how much easier that is? I can’t write this bloody review because I’m too busy stalking Julie Kagawa and thinking of ways to beg her to hurry up and give me the next book. I need it. Seriously. And I can’t even talk about this book much, because I don’t want to spoil anyone. But I will let you know some vague things that you can expect:
1) Allison Sekemoto continues to be a stone-cold, kick-ass, awesomely awesome protagonist.
2) There are smoochies.
3) Things need to be killed and Allison is exactly the person to do it.
4) This is a creepy fucking book and I still shiver occasionally when thinking about it.
5) Some people in the book are horrifically horrible and terrifying.
6) Some people in this book are kind of sweet and make me smile.
7) Kanin <3
8) There is a return of a character I didn’t expect and he was fuckin’ ACE, man.
9) Be prepared to want to have everyone’s babies. Just everyone’s.
10) Read it. That is all.
I have to admit, like The Immortal Rules, it started out a little slow. Allison’s naivete and willingness to trust scumbags annoyed me. However, it didn’t take long before I fully endorsed pretty much each and every decision she made. She’s just so… cool. Kagawa throws the readers right back into this creepy, desolate, and somewhat hopeless world. But somehow, when the characters in this book teamed up ready to go kick ass, I just felt this rightness. Like, “Hell yeah! It’s ASS kicking time!” For those who don’t know, ass kicking time comes right after Balls-to-the-wall crazy time, and briefly before Cleaning-blood-out-of-your-clothes time.
I am so very, very glad I picked up another Maria V. Snyder book by getting my greedy little hands on Touch of Power, because I so very much love AvryI am so very, very glad I picked up another Maria V. Snyder book by getting my greedy little hands on Touch of Power, because I so very much love Avry and the world Snyder has constructed in Healer. The question is, can it hold up to the first book? Maybe it depends on the type of reader you are. For me it almost did, but not quite. That’s not to say that it wasn’t still a pretty damn enjoyable book.
There was much less of the long walking scenes in this novel and much more of Avry doing what she should be doing. Avryfying the world with her badassery. Allow me to list the good things about Scent of Magic:
1. Avry rocks.
2. Kerrick’s around but he’s not (Yup. You can see why I’m such a well-regarded reviewer, right?)
3. Kerrick becomes like 20% cooler. Like he went from being Douchetastic to likable. It was amazing, actually. Like magic.
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4. The shit that happened that I can’t tell you about because – Spoilers! (Doctor Who fans, just imagine I said that in a River Song voice with a cheeky wink.)
So this book is a lot more suspenseful and has a whole lot of new characters – which is the plus. Less walking, also a plus.
But it wasn’t perfect. If you’ve already read the reviews then you’ve likely heard the desperate pleas of fans for the ending which was just… no. I refuse to speak of it. That ending? Gah!
But the issue with the book was inherent in Touch of Power too, so it’s a little silly to complain about. But those Death/Life lilies are turning into a deus ex machina – and they were already a little bit like that in book one. However the magical discoveries of this majestic plant keep cropping up. It’s weird. You’re immersed in a magical, high-fantasy world where a woman can absorb people’s injuries but these freakin’ lilies seem unrealistic?!
Anyway, end result is that I am definitely reading the next one. This series isn’t perfect but there is addictive qualities to it as well as my not-insignificant crush on Avry.
Review copy provided for me by Harlequin AU for reviewing purposes. No money or gifts were exchanged for this review. Only love. Sweet, sweet loving....more
I’m not going to be short with the praise here. I loved Shadows on the Moon pretty hard. But this isn’t a light-hearted novel to be embarked upon by jI’m not going to be short with the praise here. I loved Shadows on the Moon pretty hard. But this isn’t a light-hearted novel to be embarked upon by just anyone. Hardcore epic fantasy fans used to large tomes, new worlds, language and speech that they’re not previously familiar with and novel pacing that takes its time, will be the ones who really get this book.
Suzume is a complicated character with an intense story to tell. Shadows on the Moon chronicles this sprawling, high fantasy tale faithfully and with great attention to detail. Once again, this will probably be something those familiar with the genre will appreciate. The nerdy details and pedantic chronicling of a new world and submersing yourself into it occupies a particular reading niche that’s not going to endear itself with everyone. This is a book for a patient reader, someone easily swept up in something different and amazing. A lot of it hinges on how you relate to Suzume, who I personally adored.
She’s not a typical heroine in that she is vengeful and very dedicated toward that revenge. Bloodthirsty and, at one point, vicious. She doesn’t lie to herself to make nice with the world, she doesn’t make up excuses for other people being horrible. She is an astute observer of human nature, intensely aware of the people around her – flaws and all.
The novel is flush with rich language, and gorgeous writing. Marriot takes her time in description to give form and purpose to every aspect she focuses on. I assure you I don’t want to wax poetical about this and, I’m about to sound really wanky when I say that she often manages to describe the essence of something just as much as what it is.
Steph will say that it just kind of moseyed along and stalled at points. I have a very respectful, well-thought out argument to the contrary.
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Don’t go giving me your reasonable, understandable criticisms! I won’t have it!
Of course, there’s two absolute scene stealers in the book: Otieno and Kano. Kano Akira, the fairy godmother, because she was just delightful and sweet and hilarious. Then Otieno because he was delightful and sexy as hell. I loved him so hard and that little lawn scene between him and Suzumi? DAMN girl!
Over all, I loved the writing, the attention to detail, the story telling and the characters. This is most certainly not going to be a book for everyone but it is one of the best damn Cinderella retellings I’ve ever read.
I avoided reading this book for a long time. I’d loved Poison Study but the word on the street was that the rest of the Study series wasn’t gre[image]
I avoided reading this book for a long time. I’d loved Poison Study but the word on the street was that the rest of the Study series wasn’t great and that Poison Study had been beginners luck. But I was kind of blown away by how much I loved Touch of Power. I simply couldn’t put it down and that flabbergasted me.
This is one of those walking fantasy books where the characters spend a LOOOOOOONNNNGGGG TIIIIIIIIiiiimmmmeee goooooooooiiiiiinnnng plaaaaaaaaceeeees. However, there’s also heaps of action, world-building and just a bit of naughty-no-no shenanigans, so keep that in mind too. In fact, it was the perfect blend of walking, kick something’s ass, flirt and walk again to keep me glued to the page like some kind of junkee holding out for their next hit.
We’re in this recently plague-ridden world that’s trying to pull itself back together and multiple kingdoms are struggling to reclaim power after many of the old ones have collapsed and fallen. Avry’s trying to live in this world but the problem is that she’s this badass healer and everyone is trying to kill her. Enter Kerrick.
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He kidnaps her against her will to heal his prince and thus begins our merry adventure. Let’s start with the fact that Avry kicks butt, I love her and I hope that one day I can find a girl just like her to marry and spend the rest of my life with. Kerrick, on the otherhand, can die a fiery death in the Pit of Despair for all I care. Avry was too good for you! Okay, so he eventually became bearable and I eventually stopped plotting his demise. The point is, when you hold all tickets for the Annoying Douche Train then you need to seriously consider riding it all the way to Getthefuckoutsville, dude.
But, luckily, there is this cast of characters that I just loved with the passion of a thousand One Direction fans who’ve just read a Harry/That scrawny one fanfic. Belen and Flea particularly were adorable whilst Loren and Quain tended to blend into each other. It was also the bad guy, Tohan, that kind of helped make this book. He was so psychotic – swinging like a pendulum between titillatingly evil and just plain terrifying.
The writing was certainly fantastic with rich and vivid descriptions of the countryside and people. It was very well paced, never boring or painful to read. The world building was interesting even if there were a couple of strange oddities to construction of Avry’s abilities and the over all way it ties into the story.
But in the end, I was left bereft when this finished. Desirous of the sequel like a widow who just lost her lover. In the end, isn’t that what matters most? Otherwise what are we all here for?
This review, and others like it, can be found on my blog, ...more
Steph, baby, honey-munchkin. You are going to love this one. I usually don’t do Dystopians much anymore. Steph still loves them though, so I’m kind ofSteph, baby, honey-munchkin. You are going to love this one. I usually don’t do Dystopians much anymore. Steph still loves them though, so I’m kind of excited to see how she’ll feel about it. I didn’t know what to expect because I hadn’t loved Bracken’s previous work, Brightly Woven. Yet this book was getting rave reviews. All I can say is, my god that writer’s done her work. This was a massive improvement on both a technical level and story-telling level.
Ruby lives in a world where an entire generation of children spontaneously sprout super-human powers. This results in her being towed off to a concentration camp where she is raised under constant threat of death and inhumane conditions. But when Ruby breaks out of Thurmond, the Dystopian equivalent of an Auschwitz, she finds that life on the outside isn’t much better. She meets up with a group of kids and the adventure goes from there with a lovable cast of characters. The back drop of this hauntingly close dystopian world begins to unfold.
As I said, Bracken’s writing has improved dramatically. Her only real issue involves vague writing in connection to action scenes and I would have ideally preferred a smoother, tighter plot. The scene where a van is attacked is a good example. It’s a confusing hot mess to figure out what exactly happened. The writing, uncharacteristic considering the rest of the novel, was not smooth at all and there was a strange disjointed feeling – the same one that had plagued Beautifully Woven. This is a pretty significant development. Almost as good as getting out a near perfect debut novel, is learning and developing and improving so much on the next, which Bracken has clearly done. Especially when I read it thinking, “Is this even the same author?” For this, Bracken, I salute you!
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But this is a very character driven novel and as such, the characters are a big part of what makes it a great read. Liam, Chubs, Suz, Clancy – these are the big characters that keep you reading alongside Ruby. If you don’t connect to Ruby or these other characters, then you will struggle to enjoy it at all. The novel races almost from start to finish – though readers will have to excuse a little bit of a bumpy beginning. Darkest Minds seems to have something to say about true freedom, but I can’t actually decide what main theme it’s working on. It’s not a perfect novel, there’s still plenty of improvement to be had in tightening the plot, technicalities and smoothing out some of the narration. The romance between the two leads wasn’t as convincing as I would have liked. It’s never ideal when a reader wonders what even connects them, let alone binds them in love, but I felt it was an enjoyable book.
In fact, this would be the one aspect of Bracken’s writing that I feel has been neglected. North and Sydelle had a much more believable connection with a more developed romance than Ruby and Liam got. However, the story manages to move along at a brisk pace without ever really falling into being stagnant or boring. Darkest Minds mostly hits all the high notes and, in my opinion, it’s well worth checking out. People keep saying that Dystopia is a dead genre, but I think Steph and I are very happy to see it fighting the odds!
The ARC was provided to me for review purposes. I did not receive any money, gifts, favours or dragons for reviewing it. Though I'd have liked the dragons./>
I propose we begin a foundation. Survivors of the Everneath Series Anonymous. Because this book seriously gave me ALL the feels:
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I’m going to trI propose we begin a foundation. Survivors of the Everneath Series Anonymous. Because this book seriously gave me ALL the feels:
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I’m going to try to do this without spoiling the last book or this one, kay my friends?
Nikki needs Cole’s help in the Everneath. She has to make it through three mazes, avoid zombie-like wanderers, the Queen of the Everneath and the Shades or she and Jack are going to die.
And can I just say: GOD THIS BOOK! WHY?! WHY!??!!?! Ashton, do you feed on our tears? Do you use them in your magic spells? Do you boil them in your brews? How could you give us such an ending – AGAIN!?
I read the last page of this book with the colour draining from my face, shaking my head and going, “No! No! Noooooo! She got me again!” I mean, there’s just so mean you can be to your readers before they’re justified in kidnapping you and forcing you to hand over any and all sequels!
Nikki continues to improve as a character – taking leaps and bounds as a stronger, more amazing character. She is not afraid to hit back at life and she doesn’t hesitate to kick butt when it needs kicking. However, the scene stealer is most definitely Cole who will charm the pants off you, then charm your pants, then steal your pants. Because that boy is evil and if I were to ever translate myself into a fictional world in order to meet him then I’d probably slap him, kiss him and then slap him again for good measure.
Seriously, this sequel was amazing and has set the bar very high for the third book in the Everneath series which I absolutely need. NOW!
This review, and others like it, can be found on my blog, ...more
Regardless of whatever else I say in this book – Such a Rush is a good book. Well-written, funny, smart, heart-touching. I devoured this book in a matRegardless of whatever else I say in this book – Such a Rush is a good book. Well-written, funny, smart, heart-touching. I devoured this book in a matter of hours. I ignored family on Christmas day to read it – which is okay, because they’re used to that.
But this doesn’t mean it was a perfect read. Leah was a brilliant but, other than Mr Hall’s brief appearance, she was the singularly likable character in this book. Smart, focused, complex, interesting – everything you want out of a main character except not a single other character in this book deserved to bask in her presence let alone be her friend or date her.
Ready to meet the grand poobah of douchebag love interests? You thought Daemon from Obsidian was bad? You thought Daniel Grigori or any other of those dudes was bad? In my opinion Grayson Hall would probably mop the floor with them. Daemon might have been rude, Daniel Grigori might have been a prick, but at least none of them assumed the main protagonist was a whore and blackmailed her into dating some other guy!
Grayson treats Leah despicably. Utterly, utterly despicably and her mercy for him and continued attraction to him was inexplicable to me. His concern with how much of a whore Leah was, was exceedingly frustrating. “I’m really attracted to you. It’s a shame I need to whore you out to my brother and that I’ve convinced myself you’re a filthy creature who has sex with anyone to get her way. Damn shame.” Don’t even get me started on her best friend, who I think I might have cheerfully taken out the back and slapped silly.
There is an annoyingly heavy focus on female purity, with the underlying text supporting the importance of not just the abstinence of sex – but the appearance of it too. This was misleading for me because the beginning of the novel didn’t seem like it would head this way. It was refreshingly free of the guilt-burden in relation to how young Leah lost her virginity. Some of the sexual elements were necessary to show the basic facets of Leah’s life. The rest of it was annoying in its persistence in punishing Leah for having a sex drive.
This novel, whilst I loved it, infuriated me. I was left yelling at the book – yelling at all the “rich kids” and their stupid faces and how they treated Leah again and again. How she always just let them off. The ending was also a little hodge podge and rushed.
Ultimately, though, it was a marvelously thrilling, lovable story. Prepare to want to hug and hold Leah, to bare your teeth at the world and want to try and make things right for her....more
You just never know what you’re going to get with a Hannah Moskowitz novel. Other than that it is something good. Really good. But is it going to be sYou just never know what you’re going to get with a Hannah Moskowitz novel. Other than that it is something good. Really good. But is it going to be something happy? Something heart-wrenchingly sad? Both? Is she just going to straight up gut you and leave your innards lying on the floor at your feet while you hollowly ask, “Why, Hannah? WHY!?”
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“Don’t know! Seemed like fun to make you give up on humanity and despair for the world!”
Marco Impossible is one of those books that will make you laugh, laugh some more, fall in love with all the characters and float around buzzing afterwards. Marco and Stephen are so effortlessly charming and wonderfully fun. Moskowitz has captured that awkward balance between child and teenager. Marco and Stephen are just at the tipping point and the grand Heist in this novel is their last hurrah before life takes them in different directions. The novel perfectly captures that ennui of two friends close to saying goodbye to childhood and each other and their desire to also charge forth and grow older and mature. Throughout the novel there is an intense tug and pull between the two. Between wanting to play and solve mysteries, and looking for something deeper and intransient.
As always, Moskowitz’s signature ability to create characters that jump out of the page with their complexity and personality is here on display. From big loud Marco and quietly suffering wingman, Stephen. Two words to describe them and this story? Utterly charming. Words to describe how much I want to lock Hannah Moskowitz in a basement and force her to write 24/7 for my own personal satisfaction: Restraining Order.
It’s short, it’s sweet, it’s just about perfect. I’m very likely sneaking it into our local Catholic High School library, and the local council library, and every school library we can possibly get it into. If you’re a teacher, a librarian or a parent – this is a great book that I highly recommend.
It’s coming to the end of 2012 and I’ve already read all of Moskowitz’s 2013 books. I can’t express how depressing that is for me.
If you're looking at reading this book then you probably should. This is a collection of his Goodreads revieDo you know Manny Rayner? Do you? DO YOU?!
If you're looking at reading this book then you probably should. This is a collection of his Goodreads reviews, brilliantly edited and organized into a cohesive, strangely comprehensive narrative.
Stop and think about that for a second. What would you come up with if you took your Goodreads reviews and tried to publish them? I know what I'd get and it would probably look like this:
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And it would probably end up being a bunch of nonsensical scribbles with incoherent screaming and ranting written in my blood.
But that's the thing about Manny. He just spends so much damn time being interesting and intelligent. He almost never throws feces at random strangers. When he writes a review it is intensely interesting and when you put them all together they make sense, and they're excellent.
Manny is this Goodreads celebrity of sorts. He's been around the site forever and he somehow continues to be very popular despite not writing popularist material or reviewing big, common books. Interesting things about Manny:
-He once convinced me to read Madam Bovary. -When I didn't like it he convinced me to read it in the original French. -When my French was rusty, he sent me a care package of some French books to improve my reading comprehension enough to be able to read it in the original French. -Once wrote a poem dedicated to my boobs (said poem is published in this book) -He creates and propagates some of the most fun, and interesting activities on Goodreads like the Goodreads God Test and the Character Death Match
What would Pooh have said to Dante? Have you ever asked yourself that question? Can you reasonably imagine the answer to that question? Do you want to know? Then maybe check this book out. Particularly if you are looking at becoming a great reviewer, and if you want to see fun, wonderful and different ways to approach talking about literature. Because, frankly, Manny does things that nobody else does on this site and he does them brilliantly....more
Taylor’s gift is her ability to infuse every page with magic and emotion. I admire her writing even when my critical self finds fault with the story itself. Somehow, Dreams of Gods and Monsters is both far superior and somewhat inferior to Days of Blood and Starlight. Though neither can compare to the perfection of Daughter of Smoke and Bone.
I actually thought it was illegal for a novel with a cover this good to be so painful. Illegal! But when I checked with my lawyer, she said I should gI actually thought it was illegal for a novel with a cover this good to be so painful. Illegal! But when I checked with my lawyer, she said I should get out unless I was going to pay her – and I am definitely not going to pay her! Pfft. So I’m still not sure about that. But what I am sure about is that Amanda Sun has a lot of potential as a writer, even if this book was a painful mess for me. I know that doesn’t seem to make sense. Even I can’t explain it.
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It’s redeeming feature is that, once the relationship between Katie and Tomo was underway, the story did pick up considerably due to the not-insignificant sexual chemistry between the two. No points if you’re able to guess the reason for that!
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Okay, I lie. I never really got Katie’s Tomo obsession. I can tell Amanda Sun has a talent and knack for manufacturing a sweet and tender relationship. When Tomo and Katie were together, it was the only time I really liked them. Individually, though, meeeeehhhhhh. Tomo was more like the paper drawings he made – just a bunch of ink on the page.
Katie fares only marginally better. This girl must seriously be a 9/11 truther or false flagger. Everything makes her suspicious. Give her a look and she’ll stalk you for months! Teenage boy spends time alone? Most normal people would rightly assume excessive masturbation on his part. Not Katie. Something’s gotta be up with that, amirite? I could make fun of her all day, but you have to give it to her. Crazy stalker or not, the girl has agency. She believes in her instincts, stands up for herself and makes her own decisions. Especially when it comes to the decision to stalk. Gotta give that girl some serious stalking props too, may I add.
So the characters can be flat and irritating, but the story still has entertainment value and the setting itself is detailed and almost lovingly illustrated for the reader. But, and here’s the big BUT. Narratives are a bit like pitches. If you see them coming too often then it’s gameover. Ink has so many tells, I hope it doesn’t play cards. The characters are always about five steps behind the reader and every plot point is thoroughly predictable.
Ultimately, it’s not a horrible book. It’s just generic, which is the most disappointing of all. Because for many people out there, Japan and everything related to it holds a special place in our hearts. So when an author is setting their novel there, it really needs to be something amazing. It needs to be near perfection to live up to all our hopes and dreams. There’s a lot of power in fulfilling hopes and dreams. And you know what they say about great power?
This ARC was provided to me by the publisher for reviewing purposes. This did not entice me to be any less annoyingly opinionated than I would otherwise be....more
It’s been so long since I actively disliked a book that I wasn’t quite sure what to do with myself. The more I tried to separate my dislike for the chIt’s been so long since I actively disliked a book that I wasn’t quite sure what to do with myself. The more I tried to separate my dislike for the characters and storytelling and try to analyze it impartially, the more I found myself saying, “Bugger this! Drink anyone?” to the empty air around me.
Crewel is a post-apocalyptic dystopian world in which women are oppressed and tightly controlled. It is a world where matter and people can be weaved and stitched through special looms that Spinsters use. This should have been right up my alley. It was definitely right up something, but it wasn’t my alley.
Unfortunately, Crewel is a heavily character-based novel. I say unfortunately because there isn’t a single character with more complexity or depth than a kiddie pool and certainly none of them are even a fraction of the fun. Even the main character, whose head we live in, is so vague and two dimensional that any actions and emotions she displays felt disconnected from the reality of the novel. This story, even in its most intense moments, was emotionless and the opposite of affecting. It was like watching a play only the stage is at the bottom of the cliff and you’re at the top. So far removed that you can see what the actors are doing but engaging in them or the story is impossible.
There are a number of characters the narrator expects us to care about: Elanor, Valery, Amie, Jost, Erik, Pryana. However, most of these characters barely even have a role. Most of Valery’s speaking lines come after the Great Tragedy that befalls her – and they’re still only a few lines. Elanor as well, while having a slightly bigger role, is little more than a convenient plot device and represents one of the only semi-positively written female characters. Her role is so tightly packed into being a convenient tell-machine for the narrator to pass information, and to resolve a later plot point that there is nothing else to her.
The plot itself is a hot mess with no direction or focus. It flits around distractedly, trying to accomplish everything and achieving nothing. Don’t even get me started on the ending! The main selling point of this novel is the weaving – which Adelice does almost none of since she spends more time making goo goo eyes are boys than she ever does interacting with women or doing the damn thing this book was named after.
This is made even worse when you consider the face that the romance in this book is justifiably scoff-worthy. There isn’t even enough material between them for one convincing romance. Since Adelice is about as interesting as wet cardboard, it’s hard to imagine anyone falling for her. Each boy barely fares better. Their personalities combined still wouldn’t save them from being inhumanely dull. They are just two more wooden puppets in a whole cast of wooden puppets.
For a novel that is supposed to be about the struggles of women in a highly patriarchal world, this novel was dreadfully sexist. When I spoke to a friend about this issue, they said, “I tend to disagree with a lot of the criticism re: the book being sexist, but think you could probably make a more compelling case.”
Well, buckle up your seatbelt, sunshine*! Here’s my case!
*Seatbelt not actually required.
Readers can and should make a deal about the slut-shaming and complete lack of positive female characters. That’s an issue all in itself. But then, I guess, one could also sweep that aside with justifications. Because there are unpleasant and horrible women out there – because women are people, and people come in a mixed bag. And a society so entirely preoccupied with purity would result in citizens slut-shaming girls for acting outside of those bounds. So there’s obviously an important discussion to be had on those topics, even though they are not definitely sexist on their own, only kind of sexist.
For me, the true test came when I considered what my Southern and Imaginary mother always told me and that is, “Honey cupcake, y’all should know that actions speak louder than words.” So true, Southern and Imaginary mother. So true. So whilst this book may have given lipservice to how unfair life was for women and how that TOTALLY wasn’t right or good, what service did the narration and plot actually have to say about women? Put it this way: When comparing the relevance and representation given to male and female characters in relation to their contribution to the novel, what does it say about women?
Almost every single male character we meet is important. Cormac, Jost, Erik are the three big ones. There are only a handful of other males with speaking roles in this book and they’re fairly neutral in their representation. People just doing their job. Only one male with a speaking role is depicted badly, which is a drunk, handsy official at a party – and he is still not portrayed worse than the woman trying to vie for his attention. At least, the characters narrating the situation focus on how disgusting she is, while he only gets a passing mention. I think there may be a waiter who has a speaking role for the purpose of showing how segregated and unfair they world is, but that’s it.
Compare that to the novel’s complete and utter lack of focus on women – which is pretty disgraceful for a novel that’s supposed to be about women’s struggles in a patriarchal society. The only important women in this book are Adelice and the women who torment her. We are introduced to whole batches of women, who are immediately dismissed by the character and text as meaningless and valueless. The girls from Adelice’s hometown? Just simpering morons waiting to get mated. Even her own younger sister cares for little else. It seems no one is as deep and thoughtful as Adelice. Then when she enters Coventry with a large group of her peers, they are immediately shown to be jealous and power-hungry, but ultimately completely inconsequential. We don’t meet any of them ever again whilst Jost, Erik and Cormac receive the large bulk of Adelice’s, and the narrative’s attention. Because they’re what really matters, ya know? What the menfolk are doing. The only exception to this rule, because it is a pattern repeated yet again when Adelice joins the Spinsters who are also cliquey and immediately dismissed from the narrative as pointless and worthless like the literally dozens of other women we meet, is Maela and Pryana. Maela is a power-hungry psychopath and Pryana is a power-hungry, vicious, idiot. Both are stupid and extremely ineffective at what they do. Female solidarity doesn’t exist in this novel. Unless you’re referring to the convenient plot-device that is Elanor. She is the sole exception.
Add to this the fact that the women in this novel all act inexplicably irrational. There is evil Cormac, and evil Maela and evil Pryana. Only one of them acts intelligently and with rationale – I’ll let you pick which one. You can depend on the evil women to be emotional, lashing out and sometimes hysterical. Behaviour that is never depicted in the men. For example, Maela asks Adelice to remove a strand from the weave. The strand is a person who doesn’t need to be removed and doing so could harm the weave, so she refuses. Maele takes her scalpel and tears into the weave out of anger. It turns out this was a school where Pryana’s sister lived. So Pryana… blames Adelice?! Because that totally makes sense. And she spends the rest of the novel irrationally tormenting Adelice. Valery, similarly blames Adelice for things that are entirely out of her control. It is so manufactured and senseless that it made the novel ridiculous. Almost as ridiculous as the fact that Adelice spent the novel entirely focused on boys. The plot went something like this:
Adelice’s family dies
Cormac
meets horrible girls
boy
boy
Cormac
stuff about weaving
boy
boy
boy
boy
Cormac
More horrible girls
boy
boy
boy
Cormac
Cormac
Even Loricel, supposedly the one, decent woman in power in this book is little more than a caricature. You can’t claim a feminist text when the narration itself, despite constantly being surrounded by women, decides that all the male characters are so much more interesting and worth focusing on. When the few male characters are afforded exponentially more important roles than any of the many, many female characters – many of whom don’t even get the honour of a name or mention outside of just Horrible Female #35 who says horrible thing to Adelice. When the rate of decent male character so far outstrips the demonstration of decent female characters that there isn’t even room for comparison, you have a problem. You have a book that wants to say something about women, but ignores them in favor of focusing on men.
That is really fucking sexist. So… Bugger this! Drink, anyone?...more
West has a brilliant imagination and she’s jammed packed it into this book like it’s got an expiry date and needs to be used up. What she’s done here West has a brilliant imagination and she’s jammed packed it into this book like it’s got an expiry date and needs to be used up. What she’s done here is weave a lovely narrative of two different realities into one coherent story and I think she’s done that very well. Let’s face it. It’s not easy to mix two completely different but chronologically equal events into one cohesive product. I have to admit to wondering, before I picked it up, if West had bitten off more than she could chew. And to be honest, if a lesser author had taken it on, it’s very likely their head would have exploded. In fact, sometimes I’d be like, “Dude! She just intergrated that plotline from the other story and we’re seeing phases of it here! Awesome!”
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Addie was a fantastic character – full of personality, charm and wit. She almost completely won me over and I think her struggles and achievements in this book were well telegraphed. Because she felt so deeply, it helped connect to the story and give it a great emotional investment.
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Feelcopter – it’s coming for you.
The book explorers to alternate lives for Addie and she has to decide which of two realities she has to chose to go through with. It’s actually really great to watch how she grows in each life – because she grows in two different ways and becomes two kind of different people who just happen to look alike. Mixed in with this coming of age story is a mystery and the overall plot which kind of rocks.
Both alternate realities have different boys in them: Trevor and Shitforbrains. Her relationship with Trevor is insanely sweet and refreshingly lovely. They have a complex and understandable friendship and chemistry. As for Shitforbrains, well, the best thing I can say about him is:
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All up this is a very proficient book by an insanely lovely author, which you’d know if you saw our interview with her. This was a pretty high concept novel which meant that West didn’t really get the opportunity to fully embrace and lovemonkeyschnuggle with it all as much as it’s obvious she wanted to. What I generally found with West’s writing was that it was a very pragmatic, spartan kind of writing. Almost the opposite to Spooner’s writing in Skylark. There wasn’t anything wrong with West’s writing, but I didn’t necessarily feel inspired by it or in awe of it either. For some people, that’s going to be something they need to consider – for others it’s a freakin’ relief.
In the end, if you want to sit down and look into two alternate futures – one where you read this book and one where you don’t, you’re probably going to be favourable to the one where you do. It’s a refreshing, enjoyable change of pace to the usual suspects of Paranormal romances and dystopian Sci-fi.
*An ARC of this book was provided to me by the author. No goods or services were exchanged for this review. Not that I didn’t want them too. I have the biggest girl crush on Kasie West. But, you know, she’s married and I’m married and we could never find the right time or place to meet up…
Pushing the Limits, excuse my profanity, is a bastard to follow up on. It was such an emotional, powerful book, so neat and well-constructed, that I wPushing the Limits, excuse my profanity, is a bastard to follow up on. It was such an emotional, powerful book, so neat and well-constructed, that I was wary to pick up the next one. I needn’t have been entirely terrified, Dare You To is still a pretty good book with enjoyable things to reccomend it. I simply didn’t love it as much as I wanted to. I didn’t even cry once. It made me question, for a moment, if McGarry had lost her touch to regularly make me bawl like a little baby who got pricked by their first vaccination.
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A big, angry, devastated baby
To me, it’s construction and execution didn’t seem as tight and effortlessly fluid as Pushing the Limits. In Pushing The Limits, it really felt like the the characters and their relationships with each other, with the world, with their flawed perceptions were all part of an intricate dance in a wonderful universe where everything made sense. WHY DOESN’T EVERYTHING MAKE SENSE, MCGARRY?! WHY?! MAKE IT BETTER FOR ME!
In Dare You To, Beth, Noah’s goth friend from Pushing the Limits, is separated from her drug-addicted mother and forced to live with her rich uncle. This means:
New school
New town
New friends
No drugs, drinking or random hook ups.
This would be a lot of difficult life changes on their own but then comes Ryan. Perfect awesome school dude who has his own set of problems.
Only Ryan’s life isn’t perfect. His brother’s been kicked out of home and his parents hate each other. The unlikely couple is forced together and form a relationship that is sweet and respectful and nothing that Beth has ever had before.
So first issue: Dude, what happened with Isaiah? And no disrespect because this author is badass and everything. I just happened to kind of be shipping toward Isaiah/Beth because things just seemed to be driving at break neck speed in that direction. The direction in which my heart sings, double rainbows break out and I get to go live in Equestria with all my pony friends (Rainbow Dash, we would be the best of friends).
But, you know, I liked Ryan in the end. He was cool. Real cool. Romantic too. There were some nice gestures there, bro.
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In fact, he was so nice, the only real relationship I ended up contesting was Beth and her uncle’s. Ultimately, I could imagine Beth deciding she didn’t love Isaiah. That’s cool. Ultimately I could reconcile Beth’s 180 change in characterization, despite my issues with its story line. But the one thing I struggled with was the relationship between Beth and Scott, because this was a really pivotal relationship for Beth’s character development, and I was totally not feeling it. A good portion of the initial respect and tolerance between them is developed off page.
And then it just kind of takes a jagged, cutesy path that I didn’t feel was a natural progression. Of course, it doesn’t help that Beth had to change a lot in ways that I felt were unnecessary. Like you can’t be a good character if you dress like a goth, smoke some weed and like to drink occasionally. I guess I just felt it was hard to watch Beth change to other people’s expectations when a lot of those were a result of needs that didn’t seem to be met.
“I need to be there for my mother! I’ll give everything to help her- no wait. I’m cool. Totes seen the error of my ways. Let’s party, aye, Ryan?”
However, no matter how you feel, it’s still a well written, nice contemporary romance that made me all squishy inside. Up to individual tastes, but most people will mostly like it, so go ahead!
I’m not entirely sure if this review made sense because alcohol, drugs, and dressing in black seem to be a bad combination according to this book. But I guess, what I wanted, was more acceptance of Beth’s actual issues, as opposed to the outward issues. And that never seemed to be addressed fully. Her pain, her issues, were kind of swept aside with platitudes.
And, frankly, I was just in the mood for hardcore truths and badass emotional situations. Having a nice, lovely novel was good, but it just wasn’t the awesomeness I expected from McGarry. Because I love her. And I kind of wanted Unicorns and double rainbows, and Rainbow Dash to read me my favourite book.
Wait… I can still get that, right?
This ARC was provided to me by Harlequin. No money, gifts or favors were exchanged for this review. I mean, I tried to get some but they wouldn't answer my calls and then they were always busy...
Look, last time I knew Ethan he was a five years old. Please tell me I'm not the only one conflicted about the boy on the cover! I almost didn't want Look, last time I knew Ethan he was a five years old. Please tell me I'm not the only one conflicted about the boy on the cover! I almost didn't want to read this book because I kept expecting Chris Hansen to come in and tell me to take a seat.
Then I'd be like, "I swear! He's sixteen! I just READ about him when he was five! He's totally of age now!"
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Then I'd cry dramatically JUST like this.
But, facts are facts, folks. Ethan's aged like a fine brandy if brandy had washboard abs and a butt built for spanking. AAAAAAaaaaaannndd, I just reach my creepy quota for the review. Wow. That didn't take long.
So Ethan meets up with Love-Interest while trying to avoid the Fae working their darndest to ruin his life. To save his and the Love-Interest's life they escape into Fairyland to track down his sister and solve the mystery and try to save the world.
More Facts: you don't need to have read the Iron Fey series to read this book. There's enough back history and explanatory exposition to make it through. I certainly haven't read The Iron Fey series and I managed to enjoy this one as a standalone.
Like angst? Ethan's your main dude. Seriously. Kid could bottle that stuff. I'm sure there's a roaring trade in teenage self-pity tears. But he's balanced out so nicely with Kenzie who would, by herself, be kind of a meh character. I might have found them both insufferably frustrating except they seemed to bring out the best in each other. So if teenage hot boy angst is your thing - hit this one up! It has it in spades.
Other than that you have all your old friends back. Meghan, Ash, Grimalkin, Puck et all and then you have some newer ones and then you have a pretty decent and solid mystery/action story going on.
Julie Kagawa's come along way since the first novel of hers that I read, The Iron King. I didn't get bored, kept eye rolling to a minimum and largely enjoyed the narrative.
There's one young man in the book though, I won't mention who he is. But I will say this: Son. SON! Don't go breaking our hearts, m'kay? You've reduced me to quoting Elton John here. It doesn't get more serious than this.
So, over all summation is that I want to hunt down the Iron Fey series and read that. Then I want to hunt down the novellas and read them. Then I want to start badgering the Harlequin Teen's publicist to put me on the list for the next one. I'd say that's a ringing endorsement. Wouldn't you?...more
Skylark is the most technically proficient and well-written novel that I’ve ever struggled to finish. No doubt Spooner is an author to watch.
ThSkylark is the most technically proficient and well-written novel that I’ve ever struggled to finish. No doubt Spooner is an author to watch.
The world building of Skylark is both imaginative and rich. It has a fascinating backstory set in a dangerous and vivid world. By the end of the novel I was rather attached to the characters and invested in Lark’s and Oren’s struggles. I cheered them on and felt a little heart palpitation at the impossibility of their circumstances.
Your enjoyment of this novel will hinge on what kind of reader you are. Do you like writing so animated and dynamic that it leaves you feeling as if you’ve reached through the pages and felt everything the author intended you to feel? Do you like a slow and sensual walk through a character’s journey as if you are taking it yourself? Then, by all means, go get this book. Read it. You will love it.
I was simply the wrong reader. I don’t typically like journey stories with lots of walking from A to B where every ache along the way is explored. I like fights. I like blood. I like sex. I like action. I like suspense. This novel has a lot of that (Well not the sex) but I wasn’t feeling it due to the plot which simply wasn’t gripping enough to keep me coming back. I enjoyed the book while I read it, but struggled to muster the enthusiasm once it was put down.
But I really have to hand it to Spooner. It’s just been so long since I’ve seen writing like this that I almost wish I’d loved it more.
“Then I looked up.
And saw the sky.
The wind had blown the day’s thick cloud cover away, and a bottomless blackness yawned above, pockmarked with stars. A sliver of moon cast the sickly, color-leaching hint of light across the ruined city. There was no end to the sky, nothing holding me down on the ground. I felt it reach down to me, threaten to swallow me. I seemed to fall upward, and threw myself down to stop it, knocking the breath out of my lungs.”
I could literarywank to that for hours. I feel the vertigo hit me every time I read this passage. There’s like three passages including this one about the sky and I read them while feeling my lungs constrict in sympathy. I felt her terror like I’ve rarely felt physically for a book character before. I could see that exact sky above me, waiting to drag me up into the nothingness.
While reading this book, I often just went back a reread passages of some of the most superb writing I’ve seen in a long time. It was enough to make me shake my head, stare glumly at my own manuscript and start pressing ‘delete’. Truly, I just wish that the story had focused more on the necessary story telling elements instead of covering every missed meal and blistered foot. But that’s a personal thing and it’s going to be different for every reader.
I will be desperately looking our for Spooner’s next novel in the hopes that the plot and pacing is more to my speed, but that her wonderful quality of prose hasn’t diminished.
*An ARC of Skylark was provided to me by the publisher. No money or favours were exchanged for this review....more
So somebody told me this book was like Beautiful Disaster but not completely horrible, woman hating and nonsensical. I snorted, thanked thSo somebody told me this book was like Beautiful Disaster but not completely horrible, woman hating and nonsensical. I snorted, thanked them for the rec and went on my merry way.
So let me express this in the most calm and reasonable way I can. Easy by Tamara Webber is fantastic and wonderful and that person was 100% right.
I have to admit, the book and I didn’t get off to a great start. It begins with Jacqueline at college, bummed from getting dumped by her longterm boyfriend, almost getting raped before Lucas rescues her. So, for someone who is adamantly against rape being used and glossed over just to further a plot or have the hero seem heroic, I was decidedly unimpressed.
But it soon becomes clear that Webber has taken the topic of rape extremely seriously. In fact, by the end of the novel I was cheering and punching the air because this book was the best I’ve ever read an author handle the subject for contemporary readers.
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Normally, in books where the female MC is almost raped and saved by the hero, the rapist gets beaten up and left behind and the heroine goes on her merry way. And sometimes the rapist harasses her and the author covers the trauma for the heroine until the rapist is killed by the hero in the final battle and those two get to run off into the sunset.
What a freakin’ relief that Webber takes it really damn seriously – even though the beginning of the novel would lead you to believe that she wouldn’t. There was a point near the end of the novel where Jacqueline has to talk to a bunch of sorority girls about rape and I wanted to cry and cheer and do a little girl power dance.
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So I loved Jacqueline, I loved Lucas, I loved most of this book. I thought it was well written and reasonably well-paced and you know what? Seemed like it was actually written about college kids who actually do college things. I’m really glad I picked this one up. It was, indeed, a really fun, lovely read that I highly endorse. Also, Jacqueline’s slap down on Kennedy was epic – right to the end. She kicked serious butt....more
Some novels are debatable in their quality. Sometimes a novel can be like junkfood, but completely satisfying. Other novels are clearly made of betterSome novels are debatable in their quality. Sometimes a novel can be like junkfood, but completely satisfying. Other novels are clearly made of better stuff though less able to hold the simpler demographic. Speechless has the happy coincidence of being made of better stuff, but clearly satisfying on a simpler level.
Throughout my entire life, my father has had one reoccuring expression. This doesn’t include his, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right” speech which I’ve heard a thousand times and, YES, DAD. YOU’RE RIGHT. But his other thing that he says to me all the time in the hopes that I’ll eventually listen: “God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason. Use them in that ratio, girl!”
Now that one I’ve never paid much attention to but I recognize the value in it. However, Chelsea Knot really gets it. One day her gossipy, thoughtless ways deeply and negatively impact another human being and she takes responsibility for it in a story that is worth telling and worth reading. She decides on a vow of silence as punitive response and in doing so learns a valuable lesson about life, friendship and love.
Let me just say, firstly, that this novel was very well written. Harrington clearly has a grasp on raw and emotive translations of concepts and she presents them in such a way that they feel natural and simple. I don’t like “Issue” books. Bullying, drugs and sex books that are built around hot topic issues and become something akin to those cheap and nasty 80′s PSAs about sharing and caring. Nobody wants to be symbolically slapped in the face with moralizing and hand-wringing. Especially when it’s stuff we all technically know.
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Speechless clearly addresses the issue of bullying, but first it addresses the issue of being a novel with a compelling cast of characters, a great story and a complicated moral playground – something infinitely more interesting.
Chelsea is a great character. She’s charismatic, interesting and is given lots of room to grow and change throughout the novel. But it’s her decision to go speechless, not speaking at all for the forseeable future, that really sets her apart and distinguishes her from being an ordinary teenage girl. Her gossiping and thoughtless ways land someone in the hospital and she faces a huge decision – face social pariah by turning in the culprits, or ignore her culpability and keep being a Teen Queen.
Chelsea ultimately chooses pariah and takes a vow of silence in the hopes that her big mouth won’t ever hurt another person the way it hurt Noah – but the fallout is harder and more difficult than even she imagined. Faced with finding a new way of life, new friends and a new Chelsea – Speechless shows her journey as she does all three.
Sam and Asha, Chelsea’s new and unlikely friends carry the story alongside Chelsea’s hilarious and incisive inner-monologuing and her many amusing attempts to communicate without using words. Sam and Chelsea’s burgeoning romance is made sweeter by the extra roadblocks to communication as he learns who she is by her actions and not her words.
This was seriously just a feel good book that occasionally had me feeling a little teary. Very well written, very thoughtful and full of lovely, endearing characters!...more
Blade Song is one of those rare creatures. Just when I think I can't possibly take yet another Urban Fantasy, kick ass female investigator working amoBlade Song is one of those rare creatures. Just when I think I can't possibly take yet another Urban Fantasy, kick ass female investigator working amongst pushy, powerful Supes - this one comes in and knocks me around.
In an overcrowded market of very similar stories, Blade Song manages to be fun, entertaining and highly enjoyable! Especially for fans of Kate Daniels waiting for another novel.
Kit is an intelligent, strong protagonist - Damon's your usual alpha male hunk and there is mystery a'foot! It's SOLVIN' TIME!
Seriously, I didn't expect the fun. I didn't expect to enjoy it. Which is not to say that it was perfect. Kit narrates the beginning of this novel like it's been waaaaaaayyy too long between her psychologist appointments. "Leave some mystery, Kit!" I wanted to say. She has some serious shit to get off her chest - but none of it is stuff that didn't already come up later in the novel and could have been revealed to the reader as part of the narrative/character revelations to each other. So the info dump at the beginning is truly curious.
I thought I'd have to take a jack hammer to Damon's soft and tender parts at the beginning of this novel - but I didn't have to. Kit sorted him out nice and good for me which is just so satisfying!
This is a book for those familiar with UF genre, looking for a light fun read. Those who want original world building will not enjoy this at all. It really is Urban Fantasy Lite - perfect for switching off your brain, enjoying blood, death and sex, and having a good ride.
I had an issue with the resolution at the end of the novel, but I shan't reveal it here for spoilers. Basically, I think this is more than worth the price and I would love to read more from this author. A truly delightful surprise.
Kat Kennedy
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