- there’s a cat whose name is Sunday Justice. - this cat is part of a series of chapters talking about loneliness and human connection an3 Stars
Pros:
- there’s a cat whose name is Sunday Justice. - this cat is part of a series of chapters talking about loneliness and human connection and it was the most moving part of the book - I was here for Tate the science nerd and soft boy - this is sloooowwwww burn - it’s also really gorgeous and in love with it’s setting. it respects and loves nature in every word.
Cons:
- everybody was real quick to forgive Tate for anything he did - honestly everyone gets forgiven for all their sins very quickly and some of them felt very big to brush past to me - why did we play around with the timelines so much and skip around. Did it add tension? Maybe the first time.... did we need it every other chapter? - The moral of the story basically equates to the moral of every hallmark or lifetime movie ever —> just open your heart! And love will find you!! - It’s kind of hokey in places - Also I’m southern born and raised but if I had to read about grits one more time I was going to scream - seriously, so many pages of her just cooking grits and waxing poetic
”Whatever you are physically,” he said, “male or female, strong or weak, ill or healthy—all those matter less than what your heart contains
4 Stars
”Whatever you are physically,” he said, “male or female, strong or weak, ill or healthy—all those matter less than what your heart contains. If you have the soul of a warrior, you are a warrior.”
Pros:
Okay dammit. Everyone loves Jem and Will and I’m no different.
Jem’s a precious soft boy who seems to genuinely care....I would drag myself through broken glass to see him get a happy ending. Bi-racial, empathetic, been-through-hell AND STILL SMILING... why isn’t this series named after him?
Will is that bad-boy-with-a-heart-of-gold archetype teenage me was obsessed with. But it actually works ....maybe because he talks about being bad all the time but does many good things?? His sarcasm and deflection levels were perfect. There just better be a good reason for all this jaw clenching and steely gazes.
IN THIS HOUSE WE LOVE AND RESPECT THE MOM FRIENDS OF THE WORLD. Which meant I related to and loved Charlotte. All the other side characters were interesting, but she was my fav.
The setting is handled really well? Both in the stylistic descriptions and physical setting, but also the way the time period affects Tessa’s perception and how she grows out of it.
Overall Tessa is a really fun protagonist. She’s tenacious, learns quickly, and has interesting abilities. I’m kind of hoping she gets more of a GOAL next book because her she just kind of seemed along for the ride. But she’s already years ahead of Clary
Cons:
Disability isn’t a bad word. There’s a section here where it’s perceived as something of an insult, and that made me a little comfortable.
I’ve only really only read City of Bones but does this whole anti-Downworlder thing ever get addressed? Because it seems like each book says “we don’t think all downworlders are bad!” But then the shadowhunters act like each downworlder they meet is pure evil.
Why is Jessamine so casually racist and it’s never addressed. Like I get that it’s supposed to be part of the time period and her character is very into stereotypes... but what did this add?? Why am I supposed to sympathize with her?
How can so many beautiful words be so boring. I had to force myself to finish this one—every time I picked up the book, I read three pages before deciHow can so many beautiful words be so boring. I had to force myself to finish this one—every time I picked up the book, I read three pages before deciding I needed to do laundry or clean my room or anything else
”It was just easier to consider the possibility that he’d changed his entire personality overnight than it was to believe he would cheat.”
4 Stars
”It was just easier to consider the possibility that he’d changed his entire personality overnight than it was to believe he would cheat.”
I loved this brief, but honest look at four people sadly disillusioned by their marriages in the mid 70s. Carrie’s husband is having an affair with Janet, Ken’s wife, but rather than confronting them, she writes a letter to Ken. Their resulting correspondence felt vulnerable and real.
All four characters stand on their own and parallel well together—mainly because I think, none of them thought their lives would turn out like this. Each must confront the expectations they had for themselves with what they really want. Also a really fascinating discussion about how love functions as a choice. You don’t just suddenly fall out of love with someone.
I think the ending was a little rushed, particularly when it comes to Janet’s character. And I also feel Carrie still hasn’t fully grappled with her perception of self, rather than just throwing herself into another person? (But maybe that’s interesting in itself)
Overall: Grab a glass of red-wine and key up the record player, folks.
(About halfway through I started up my 60s&70s playlist and finished reading to Janis Joplin’s throaty growls and it was honestly so therapeutic.)...more
"It's a cruel, cruel world. And the people are the worst part."
I just want to preface this review by saying I think this book is extremely3 Stars
"It's a cruel, cruel world. And the people are the worst part."
I just want to preface this review by saying I think this book is extremely important. It's historical fiction with zombies, sure, but it also centers on a very strong, biracial woman. I can't speak for the representation as a whole, but I will say I loved how unapologetic Jane is.
Taking place in an alternate US where zombies rose up during the Civil War, this takes a long hard look at institutionalized racism. Jane is a student at 'Miss Preston's School of Combat' where she trains to fight the zombies (or "shamblers") for 'privileged white folk.' She's also razor-sharp and precisely aware of how others perceive her.
This also has some wonderful discussions about femininity, as both mains are (very different) young women. Jane initially resents Kate, as Kate is more traditionally feminine, and with lighter features that allow her to "pass." Not only do these two learn to work together, but their initial dislike and Jane's assumptions are addressed.
There's also great ace and bi representation
But as amazing as these discussions were-- and as much fun as the zombie slaying was, the plot is a mess. It honestly felt like two different books combined into one, as the entire first half is dedicated to a setting and characters that rapidly shift to something entirely different. Instead of a linear plot that builds things just happen.The story doesn't build much tension, instead relying solely upon character arcs while chaos occurs.
(Side note: I loved how smart and intuitive Jane was, but she also somehow seems to correctly guess everything??)
Jane's letters back home are intriguing and tell a completely different story in-between chapters-- but it adds up to set-up for three separate stories Sadly to me, so much of this build up led to a tiny (and kind of random) conclusion. There's a lot of set up for the rest of the series, but there's still something dissatisfying about how completely unfinished everything is.
Overall: I have a feeling this is going to be one of my most unpopular opinions, as I can see this being very successful (and I hope it is!) But while there were so many great things about this book, the haphazard plot really detracted from them for me.
I received an ARC through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review! Thanks to Balzer + Bray for the opportunity! (Quotes not final!)...more
There's a lot to love here, with a strong focus on female friendship, fun adventure, two awesome new side characters and asexual representation3 Stars
There's a lot to love here, with a strong focus on female friendship, fun adventure, two awesome new side characters and asexual representation. But the pacing was off? Like you kind of know where the whole thing is headed from the first page but it takes 400+ to get there and a ton of travelling and side quests I couldn't seem to care about.
It was like as much fun as the characters and ideas where, the plot just wasn't there?...more
“No one forgets the truth; they just get better at lying.”
Alternate titles for this book include:
Not-So-Subtlety Talking About Masculinity 3 Stars
“No one forgets the truth; they just get better at lying.”
Alternate titles for this book include:
Not-So-Subtlety Talking About Masculinity Gender Roles Suck Everyone is Really Unhappy Gatsby Thought He Had it Bad
Vonnegat once compared this to Gatsby, and I think that's incredibly accurate. If Gatbsy is about the American Dream in the 1920s, this is a fantastic disillusion of 'achieving' that dream in the 1950s.
Frank is a narcissist obsessed with preserving his own masculinity-- the secretary in the office wore that dress just to taunt him, damn it!
April was... hard to figure out? Her whole character arc revolved around her not even knowing who she was, so it was hard for me to feel connected to her at all.
It was very hard to rate this, because I appreciate what it was trying to say-- I just don't think I agree with it? The whole premise of people being stuck in 'mediocre lives' is inherently depressing and disregards a lot of the wonder in everyday life....more
Bumping my rating up because I forgot how great the discussion of chronic illness is here. Honestly some of the best representation I4.5 Stars
Re-read:
Bumping my rating up because I forgot how great the discussion of chronic illness is here. Honestly some of the best representation I've seen.
"It isn’t easy and it isn’t very enjoyable but this is what I’ve got to live with. This is who I am, and I don’t think I’m insane. I don’t think I should be locked up and I don’t think I need to be cured of it for my life to be good."
Otherwise I pretty much stand by my original review:
-----------------
4 Stars
Original Review:
“I swear, you would play the coquette with a well-upholstered sofa.”
"First, I would not. And second, how handsome is this sofa?”
Hey look, historical fiction that isn’t all pain, bloodshed and boring people! (Also not just old white men!)
Taking place in the early 1700s, Mackenzi Lee's latest focuses on Henry Montague (or Monty) and his parent's last ditch attempt to 'tame' him. Monty sets off on his coming-of-age tour of Europe with his sister (Felicity) and his best friend (Percy). They get detoured by highwaymen and end up in a scheme involving Alchemists and the French Aristocracy in a plot that rivals any adventure flick. But also a lot of introspection, as Monty struggles with finding his place and dealing with his massive crush on Percy.
Pros:
This is just so much fun. The story is bizarre and different, and takes you to several different lands as everything slowly starts to come together. It’s all a bit of roller-coaster ride, but really engrossing and hard to put down.
It’s simultaneously hilarious and heartbreaking? Like in one scene we have Monty calling a horse a leggy sausage then the next we have someone discussing the ramifications of chronic illness. Both the serious and silly topics are handled well.
Especially the discussion of sexuality. Like damn. At one point Felicity and Monty sit down and discuss his penchant for attractive men and the whole discussion blew me away. It fits perfectly into the historical context, so they both really lack language we have now—like orientation and sexuality. But despite matching their characters and the time-period, everything they discuss feels so relevant.
This is so tropey but does it so well. I will never tire of the mutual-pining and oh-no-we-have-to-share-a-bed tropes and I won’t even apologize for it.
I want to be Felicity when I grow up. She’s seriously such a strong character and I love her. We discover half-way through the book that she’s interested in medicine, though it’s not ‘appropriate’ for women at the time. She has a really sharp wit about her and her functioning as the group’s quasi-doctor was an incredibly fun touch. ”Ladies haven’t the luxury of being squeamish about blood.”
Other wonderful things this book contains • Bisexual representation • A man running naked through Versailles • Prominent gay POC • A baby referred to as “The Goblin” • Epilepsy representation • Privateers turned pirates • A minor-fantasy-sci-fi-sorta element
Al of these elements are told through a very strong narrative. Not only does the writing reflect the voice very well, but it accurately sets the historical tone without coming across dry or boring.
Cons
Coming in at 525+ pages, I couldn’t help but feel this was just too long. As much as I enjoyed the wacky adventures and how it all unfolds, this takes a good 20% to get going, and then the real plot only kicks in around 40%.
Overall, the writing is excellent but there were several paragraphs and sentences that could have been more concise, especially towards the end. There also was a pattern of repeating words that just felt really clunky. Examples:
“No one but me had had to see her to realize…” “We’re breathing so hard it seems a miracle that that alone doesn’t give us away.”
I think I expected a little more for Monty's character development? It's certainly there-- in bits and pieces that rush together at the end. As much as we are told he's changed, I don't feel we were properly shown. Though he has lovable traits, he still seems incredible selfish, and I'm not certain why they put up with him at times.
In Conclusion
Really fun, LGBT-themed, historical adventure. Though not without some pacing and structure issues....more
Most of the reviews I’ve seen for this book dub it genre-defying, and I’m not sure there's a more apt description. It seems like a mix betw 3.5 Stars
Most of the reviews I’ve seen for this book dub it genre-defying, and I’m not sure there's a more apt description. It seems like a mix between character-driven literary fiction and… Horror? Supernatural?? It’s also what I would technically call a Historical Fiction (taking place in 1983) that tends to give an alternate depiction of events.
Taking place in a small, coastal town at the height of the Cold War, this book focuses on four characters and how their lives intersect. After a body is unearthed, more and more questions about their town and their lives come to light.
Unfortunately, I’ve lost my reading-notes for this, so I’m going by memory here.
I received an ARC of this through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Pros:
While it’s the mystery element of this book so prominently mentioned in the blurb and tags, I would really argue it’s a side-plot. The true focus of this novel (to me) was definitely the four main characters, who were each fleshed-out and interesting in their own way:
Trina—Born deaf, this 9-year-old appears to sublimate her anxious and helpless feelings regarding her mother’s recent death into worry about a possible nuclear apocalypse. She was my absolute favorite and such a creative, sweet character.
Sam—Trina’s 18-year old brother, who longs to leave his town but struggles to find his footing after their mother’s death. His character really seemed very determined, but like he didn’t know what about; just a wayward sort of soul and I really enjoyed it.
Nick—A Vietnam Vet turned police officer, he was my least favorite character up until the end. Very self-destructive tendencies and he seemed to be struggling with PTSD, and watching his character toe the line between “keeping it together” and "losing it" was very interesting.
Dave-- The aging chief of police, recently widowed. His longing for his wife and passion for his job were depicted slowly and steadily, and cultivated in a very interesting overall arc.
There were some really great and fascinating descriptions here. Because I lost my reading notes, I don’t have any examples to list, sadly. But this truly was an atmospheric novel.
The characters themselves were all very dynamic, with multiple good and bad facets of their personalities being expressed. As more was revealed about how intertwined these four people were in each other’s lives, the similarities and contradictions between them were very strong and oddly beautiful.
At several points their lives would twist and turn while intersecting, and each of these twists took me by surprise.
Again, I’m really ranking this so high because I truly did love the characters and the way they were portrayed. Their dialogue was organic and the interactions overall felt subtle and every day, but still important. I had specific mentions of this in my reading notes, but since these have disappeared I’m just gonna say that Rosson really highlighted the overall similarities in human relationships. We’ve all laughed about something with someone we love so hard that we chuckle thinking about it months later, and moments like this were used to illustrate these relations and grief.
Cons:
Overall, I really did enjoy the writing style. But my biggest complaint with this book is that it was so description heavy. There were some fantastic descriptions, especially of the characters and settings. I really felt immersed in this town, and could picture the characters. But a lot of these really great descriptions seemed smothered by the sheer volume of descriptions. Most of the sentences were loaded with clauses and just exceedingly long (I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a story with as many semi-colons) and they built on each other to form huge paragraphs. I know I was reading this on an e-reader, so the pages were smaller, but I still don’t see a need for a paragraph to be three pages long.
I want to rate this higher, because I did very much enjoy the character aspect of this, but I wasn’t overtly happy with the way this ended. I think I was expecting the supernatural/thriller/mystery aspect to have more of an impact on the end result, but it surprisingly didn’t? To me the actual end seemed… what’s the opposite of dues ex machina? Instead of divine intervention that saved the day? The exact opposite.
Again, I did enjoy the writing style, but I was confused about a lot of repeating phrases? Particularly there was a lot of talk about skulls? Like when describing different characters it would mention someone’s skull, a dead body was found and the skull was described multiple times, and dead animals were always depicted based on their skulls. I don’t know if this was intentional and I’m just missing something… or maybe just a quirk of the author?
While I loved her character, I couldn’t help but think Trina acted older than the nine-years she was supposed to be. I understand she’s had a very difficult life and had to mature quickly, but she would often ponder the meaning of the universe, what nuclear war would mean for her, and if other girls asked these same questions. If she’d been a few years older, I’d have bought it.
This may be a personal preference, but there were several sections of this that just seemed needlessly crass? It’s not something I particularly dislike, but it just felt odd here. A character would be talking about how he married his wife, their life together, the dogs they raised and how much he missed her—and then he would go masturbate. It was disorienting, and I’m not sure I understand the reasoning.
In Conclusion:
The literary fiction and Supernatural lovechild, with perhaps the literary fiction aspect being carried better....more
“Truth might be stranger than fiction, but it needs a better editor. ”
Inspired by David Benioff's grandfather, this story takes 3 Stars
Overview:
“Truth might be stranger than fiction, but it needs a better editor. ”
Inspired by David Benioff's grandfather, this story takes place during the Leningrad Blockade, which occurred from 1941 to 1944 and resulted in up to 4,500,000 deaths. In the midst of this, Lev is a Jewish 17-year-old who is arrested for looting a German corpse. The Soviet police pair him with Koyla, a deserter with artistic ambitions and gives them a mission: Find 12 eggs in the desolate, war-torn city.
Prior to writing this book, Benioff worked on screenplays for X-Men films, and in a weird way, I think it shows. Comics and Comic-based movies often rely on a dark or sarcastic humor despite the intense story-lines. This novel was absolutely peppered with crude humor as Lev and Koyla became friends, but it was detracting to the story at times.
Pros:
All of the characters are very strong and dynamic, and I enjoyed the way they all contrast with each other. Lev is more reserved, while Koyla is vibrant and poetic. They both have dreams and ambitions that extend beyond the reach of their destroyed town. Every character they came in contact with seemed to have their own realistic ambitions and goals, even if only present for a chapter or two.
Lev and Koyla frequently discuss sex or make sex jokes, and while it was off-putting at first, by the end of the book it became clear these jokes served as a way for them to disengage from the horrors around them. This seemed realistic and clever storytelling, even if I did not enjoy it all the time.
This was not a subdued view of the War. It was dark, gritty and painful. Some of the images the story built were absolutely haunting.
Cons:
In some ways, I really wish I could rank this higher. It had so many strong elements and I do believe Benioff is a talented writer.
However, I think because of this dark humor I was actually pulled out of the story. This was filled with very intense subject matter, but all the joking seemed to keep me from ever feeling anything about it. The characters were well written, but everything was so detached I didn’t ever have the emotional connection I wanted to have.
The ending seemed almost… predictable? If that makes sense. That’s a weird criticism for something based on a true story, but it just seemed almost an easy way to end things. And perhaps a little hokey. Really made me wonder which parts of the story Benioff embellished, as he admits in the beginning.
In Conclusion:
Very intense subject matter hidden by crude humor, friendship and a somewhat zany plot. Still paints a very haunting picture of WWII era Leningrad....more
I stand by my original review for this one! It's important and well-written, but also a very difficult read.
------------Re-Read with Sapphic Squad 🦋💖
I stand by my original review for this one! It's important and well-written, but also a very difficult read.
---------------
4 Stars
Overview:
“Maybe I still haven't become me. I don't know how you tell for sure when you finally have.”
You ever read a book that just feels too real?
Like everything starts fine, but then the narrative starts vocalizing feelings you’ve tried to place before? And before you know it you’re completely immersed and trying to understand why your chest aches?
That was this book for me. It’s gorgeously written, and parts of this hit me hard.
Aside: As powerful as this story is, it can be very triggering within the LGBT+ community. Not sure where to say that, but I haven’t seen it mentioned and I think it should be.
Pros:
The antagonists aren’t demons.
Instead, they are fleshed-out characters, with their own quirks, motivations and mistakes. Instead of simply committing horrible crimes in the name of revenge or power—they honestly believe they’re doing the right thing.
I don’t know about you, but to me that’s terrifying. And it was expertly handled.
This is hyper-realistic and really reads like an autobiography. (It is an own-voices novel and shows)
Emily M. Danforth truly knows how to set a scene, and everything from the gorgeous descriptions of Montana summers to the minute details of Cam’s day reflect this. The pace is very gradually and overall incredibly atmospheric.
The characters are never explored completely, but instead we sort of receive snapshots of them at specific points This was very interesting to me, especially since the characters were fairly diverse and dynamic.
Cons:
This is sloooooooowwwwwww
It seems weird I would put that under Cons and Pros, but it’s the truth. It’s one of the strong points, but it can also be very detracting. Sometimes it was hard to reach for this book when I knew I was going to get pages and pages of daily activates and descriptions.
This is somewhat overstuffed with drug usage, alcohol and sexual situations all involving very young individuals. It gave the book a realistic vibe and was always handled in a way that felt true to the characters, but again—made it hard to reach for.
There’s not a lot of resolution for anything. The ending just sort of happens, and I'm not sure how to feel about it.
In Conclusion:
As engrossing as this was for me, it’s interesting it wasn’t a 5-Star read. But I think at 500+ pages it might have all been a bit much without really reaching a clear conclusion.
I created a new shelf because of this book: Best-Books-I-Never-Want-To-Re-Read....more
I've read a fair amount of historical fiction that takes place in the early 1900s, and most of it usually revolves around eit 4 Stars
Overview:
[image]
I've read a fair amount of historical fiction that takes place in the early 1900s, and most of it usually revolves around either WWI or WWII. It’s usually something broad and all-encompassing that shows the devastation of war or the people behind it—but this was something else entirely.
This painted an intimate portrait of a husband and wife running a lighthouse who ‘miraculously’ stumble upon a baby shorty after their own stillbirth. Due to their complete isolation, it was easy to be swept up in their reasoning when they decide to keep the child. While the ramifications of war were certainly present, the focus of this novel was much more about the ramifications of that one choice.
Pros:
At its core, this story was ultimately a very complex and intricate dilemma. It never once felt as simple as good vs evil or antagonist vs protagonist. All the characters were very flawed, dynamic individuals with strong motivations for their actions, and surprisingly, I felt for all of them.
I know several people had problems with Izzy and the decisions she made, but I think she was supposed to be manipulative. She was a very flawed and sometimes desperate character. For the first portion of the story, Tom seemed in awe of her every word and action. He was very much a man beaten down by his life and still processing the effects of the war, then she entered very whimsical and caring—and he was completely enamored with her. It wasn’t until further into the plot, when her desperation became clear, that I think he took her off the pedestal. It was a fascinating disillusion and I enjoyed watching their relationship play out, especially once they were on equal footing.
Again, this sheer desperation fueling Izzy’s actions was very interesting to me. This book really addressed women’s ‘roles’ in the early 1900s. One particular chapter compared having children to the piano lessons Izzy had to take as a child, something she’d been required to take and her brother’s had not. While she had never particularly expressed displeasure at the piano, she noted it was more something expected of her than a decision she made. When your role in society is to have children, and you can’t fill that role, how do you measure your worth?
This same theme was paralleled with several other female characters in the story, particularly when it addressed how women “weren’t supposed to” really grieve over their miscarriages or children who died as infants, but rather “continue on.” This theme was never beaten into the ground, but rather briefly mentioned a few times. I thought it clearly illustrated motivations for several characters and also opened a fascinating discussion of something that impacted women throughout most of history.
Love, love, love, love this writing. The descriptions were all fantastically inventive and unique, while doing an incredible job of establishing a picturesque setting.
Cons
Okay, like. I get the kid is cute, but did we really need sooooo many pages of her playing with toys? It was very repetitive and got boring very fast.
The tense continued to change throughout this? I don’t understand why, but the majority was written past tense, but every few chapters would recap things in present tense. It kept pulling me out of the story and I just didn’t see a reason.
There’s one scene where a man tells a woman she shouldn't report a potential sexual assault, as it’s heavily implied her assailant has PSTD from the War. I found this pretty problematic, though it was a very small side-plot.
In Conclusion
Gorgeous descriptions of a heartbreaking situation involving very flawed but loveable characters....more
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