This is… cute? It does have some important things to say? I just never connected and all the apparent 3 Stars
Friendly reminder that I’m dead inside.
This is… cute? It does have some important things to say? I just never connected and all the apparent connections to the Native American boarding schools…. Is odd and never really addressed?
Idk, I never connected like I wanted to. You may now begin yelling at me ...more
”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?
I just inhaled this graphic novel and it was so beautifully atmospheric an immersive? The art is gorgeous and scaled to match the slow-building4 Stars
I just inhaled this graphic novel and it was so beautifully atmospheric an immersive? The art is gorgeous and scaled to match the slow-building story.
The story focuses on Rose, as she returns to the beach cottage her family visits every summer. This year things are different... but only in the way that they feel different. This excellently tracked that transitional period between childhood and being a teenager.
Including experimenting with adult things you don’t understand. Rose hears repeats sex terms and watches slasher movies, but all of these attempts are tinged with the fact that she’s still more of a kid than she thinks. There’s a lot of nuance she doesn’t understand, and that shows. I understand how this can come across as problematic, but I don’t think the terms or behavior she exhibits are confined. Instead they are called out.
My only problem is I wish there had been a little more focus on Rose growing up or realizing she misunderstood some things. As it stands now, the ending was poignant, but a little rushed. ...more
“Why did everyone no longer a teenager automatically dismiss any feeling you had then? Who cared if he’d grow out of it? That didn’t make it
5 Stars
“Why did everyone no longer a teenager automatically dismiss any feeling you had then? Who cared if he’d grow out of it? That didn’t make it any less true in those painful and euphoric days when it was happening.”
Sometimes a book comes into your life at the perfect moment and that was this for me. I read Mrs. Dalloway a month-or-so ago, so it was still fresh on my mind when I started this book heavily inspired by Woolf’s work. This book follows a day in Adam’s life as, like Mrs. Dalloway, he prepares for an explosive party that evening.
Adam is a gay-teen living under the control of his evangelical father, preparing to say good-bye to his ex-boyfriend and best-friend, and navigating his own perception of himself. This story beautifully explored the nature of identity and family in ways that made my chest ache.
“They're your parents. They're meant to love you because. Never in spite.”
All the Great Things:
Adam and his best friend (who sometimes swings towards girls) Angela have a conversation about labels and how for some people labels are comforting and for other restrictive. So many books sort of fall on one side of the other instead of acknowledging both are true. This was SO great??
So the side-plot with the dead-girl and the spirit faun thing is confusing and strange.... but it was so interesting. And it ties with Adam’s story so fantastically well? I adore magical realism even when it means I don’t always get answers so maybe that’s why I feel this side-plot is almost magical-realism.
This has the best discussion of sex I’ve ever seen in YA. The sex scenes were explicit, but they weren’t designed to titillate. These scenes highlight the power of choice and the way we treat ourselves, our bodies and those we love. This important discussion is still rare for teens at all, but it’s especially hard to find for queer teens.
This book also includes a nuanced discussion of sexual harassment. This is so important— especially for teens working crappy part-time jobs, as the constantly-in-flux nature of retail and corporate power-imbalances often hide assailants. This story directly tackles those practices as well as the further complications that arise for teenage boys, toxic masculinity and victim blaming.
Linus is the softest theater gay who wears bowties and looks out for his boyfriend and I loved him a lot.
Adam’s struggle with himself and his self-worth was hella-relatable.The overall theme is about acceptance and love, but never manages to seem hokey. Instead, it felt intensely real for someone who was raised where religion is used as a tool to make you hate parts of yourself.
This story also emphasizes the importance of found family. Being blood-related doesn’t always mean someone’s love is unconditional, and this portrayed that in all its devastating nuance. It’s the family Adam chose and the support system that chose him back that held actual power, and this is so important.
In Conclusion:
I’ve read exactly two Patrick Ness books and I’ve five-starred both of them, so excuse me while I run out and buy everything this man has written....more
I’ve been trying to read this for actual weeks now so I’m giving up. The first few chapters almost immediately resolve the cliffhanger from DNF @ 25%
I’ve been trying to read this for actual weeks now so I’m giving up. The first few chapters almost immediately resolve the cliffhanger from the last book so the rest seems to be setting up pointless drama?
I want to continue liking Peter Kavinsky, so I’m just going to pretend this all ends like it did in the movie.
This was a sort of Buddy-Read with Solo (who I will tag when off mobile) but really it was him diligently reading the whole series and me spacing out. (BUT THE FIRST BOOK WAS ACTUALLY GOOD WHAT HAPPENED??) ...more
”I didn’t lose my faith or anything, I just never had it in the first place. I never believed in any kind of God.”
I want to start this rev3 Stars
”I didn’t lose my faith or anything, I just never had it in the first place. I never believed in any kind of God.”
I want to start this review with a bit of a disclaimer. Though I wasn’t sent to Catholic school, I was raised in a very religious environment. I was homeschooled, meaning most of my education and activities growing up revolved around church. I have experienced first hand growing up queer and non-religious in a church environment. Because of this, this book felt very personal for me, and I’m incapable of remaining fully impartial. There’s a lot others loved about this book that didn’t work for me, but I’m not saying I believe it’s a bad book.
This story starts with Michael, a self-proclaimed atheist whose parents have just enrolled him in Catholic school. Along the way he befriends Lucy, a Catholic feminist, Jewish Avi, and Wiccan Eden. This is the first YA book I’ve encountered that directly grapples with religion. I loved that Michael’s friend-group was diverse and supported each other despite their disagreements. This is also the first book I’ve read that actually uses the word atheist.
I loved that this book wasn’t afraid to showcase the dark-side of institutionalized religion. Michael’s school is filled with sex-shaming propaganda, subtle homophobia and antiquated gender roles. This never seemed over-the-top and instead was handled with sensitivity and at times felt hyper-realistic. But this is not a conversion book. In the same way Michael isn’t pressured to ‘find God’ the book does not try to insist that religion is inherently bad. These harmful behaviors are challenged by many characters and it is strongly indicated that being religious is not what determines your morality—good OR bad.
So while this is a big, important discussion, the rest of the book operates under the pretense that “church” and “community” are synonyms. A church can be community but you do not need church to have a community. And while a church is a community for some, it can be very isolating for others.
“Why?” Eden asks. “It hurts people you care about. It hurts you. Why can’t you leave?”
“Because it’s my home!” Lucy bursts out. “And it’s a mess. I know it’s a mess. But it’s my home, and I’m going to stay, I have to stay, and make it better.”
If an organization and its people are consistently belittling and marginalizing you and your friends you are not obligated to stay.
“What happened to Ms. Simon isn’t my fault.” “If you put money in the collection plate, you’re supporting them. You’re literally financially supporting what they do.”
This conversation occurs after Avi (who is gay) learns a teacher was fired simply for her same-sex marriage. Avi is understandably upset that his friend, Lucy, continues to support an institution that is blatantly homophobic. This argument sort of fizzles out and the overall theme is that everyone needs to be tolerant of each other. Tolerance shouldn’t include being complacent in your friends marginalization.
“There will always be people you have to listen to,” Dad says. “There will always be rules you think are wrong or unfair, and you know what? Too bad. You’ll have to learn to make better choices.”
I’ve had a really hard time articulating why this book didn’t work for me, and I think I just personally disagree with part of the ending. I don’t agree that being tolerant of different religions means accepting the injustices of organized religion. The narrative states many times that being religious doesn’t mean someone has to be homophobic or sexist, and holds out hope that the younger generations will change these churches and practices that are. I don’t agree that being part of a community means sometimes accepting practices that are harmful.
In Conclusion:
Maybe it’s me. Maybe my experiences have impacted what I took away from this book. I have several friends who really seemed to enjoy it and have vastly different perceptions than me. *insert shrugging GIF here*
————— Buddy-read with Ad Rocks Socks (Who is being super kind for putting up with me taking 80 years)...more
- action starts from the first page and remains high-adrenaline the whole way through. T2 Stars
Mini review because this was pretty unremarkable?
Pros:
- action starts from the first page and remains high-adrenaline the whole way through. This is difficult pace to manage, but somehow worked? - The dialogue feels pretty realistic for a group of teenagers
Cons: - the plot feels really formulaic - LIKE REALLY formulaic. So many tropes from slasher movies and a villain right off of the CW - all everyone did was fight like 24/7 - the lover interest was boring, and the only romantic conflict felt created by the protagonist - all the characters were introduced very quickly, without really standing out... and I couldn't keep them straight/care to? - Jude's whole plot revolves around being super angry at the world because he had two dads and oh god, what if people think he's gay too??
In Conclusion: Meh
I received an ARC of this through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you SOURCEBOOKS for the opportunity! ...more
”I mean, here’s the thing I don’t get. How do people come to expect that their crushes will be reciprocated? Like, how does that get to be
3 Stars
”I mean, here’s the thing I don’t get. How do people come to expect that their crushes will be reciprocated? Like, how does that get to be your default assumption?”
I’ve officially three-starred every Becky Albertalli book and no one is more disappointed than me. Because here’s the thing— Albertalli really and truly understands being a teenager. She gets the dark/silly humor. She gets texting conversations. She gets the awkwardness and she gets the uncertainty and anxiety that can come with trying to decide who you are and what you want.
Molly is an exceptionally relatable narrator to me, and shows Albertalli also understands what being a plus-sized teenager can be like. While Molly’s friends and twin sister have flourishing love lives, she only seems to crush from afar. The way Molly relates her perception of self (and the notable ways she doesn’t) to her continued single-status open some really important discussions about society’s expectations and how it can warp our own. Molly is comfortable in her own skin, but she also never assumes her crushes could like her back.
There’s one point after Molly’s sister (Cassie) starts dating her girlfriend (yes there’s also awesome lesbian and Pan rep!) when Cassie’s dating advice is just “tell them you like them” and Molly is flabbergasted. She doesn’t comprehend how that could not be embarrassing. This hit me hard and spoke so honestly about so much of my high-school experience I wish I could rate this higher.
But unfortunately, Molly continues to define herself through her relationship status. At first it just seems part of her character arc— her determination to finally be kissed, finally be in a relationship and finally feel wanted are the driving force of the whole book. I hoped she’d realize how her identity was tied solely to what others (especially boys) think of her. I was thinking this single-minded intensity was purposeful... and... kinda? But instead of developing her own sense of identity Molly gets that big-first kiss and suddenly feels validated.
So in a way, all the agency Molly acquires in the end feels bittersweet. Because it almost feels like confirming her earlier assumptions— that getting a boyfriend did validate her. Because until a man considered her attractive, what right did she have being confident???
Overall: All the stars for the honest, realistic portrayal of adolescence and the representation this offers.
No stars for the harmful defining-myself-through-men mentality....more
“And I think about all the things we could be if we were never told our bodies were not built for them.”
15-year old Xiomara lives in a w4 Stars
“And I think about all the things we could be if we were never told our bodies were not built for them.”
15-year old Xiomara lives in a world where her mother controls her life at home and society tries to limit her elsewhere. But Xiomara will not be silenced. She discovers the world of slam poetry and finds her voice.
The whole story is written in verse, and I found the audiobook particularly powerful, as Xiomara uses her poetry to articulate and fight against the daily injustice in her life. This includes her complicated relationship with her very religious and controlling mother, the rape culture prevalent at her school, and how she’s been taught to view her femininity negatively. These were all important topics handled with depth and care.
Overall, I found these poems incredibly intimate and raw. You don’t just spend time in Xiomara’s head, but instead in the gaping wound in her chest. You feel what she feels. Because of this, her development felt particularly personal and I stayed completely invested.
I do feel the resolution was slightly rushed. Certain abuses were forgiven very easily and it made me a little uneasy. While I liked the ending, it felt less organic than the rest of the story.
In Conclusion:
This is an intense story that focuses on a complex girl and the power of voice....more
“She probably thinks Troye Sivan's songs are about girls.”
Somewhere around chapter two I entered this state-of-confliction and never lef2.5 Stars
“She probably thinks Troye Sivan's songs are about girls.”
Somewhere around chapter two I entered this state-of-confliction and never left. I think this book makes some really important statements but nothing about the way it said them felt natural?
Pros:
- The diversity in this series is amazing and I love it.
- In case you missed it: fat, snarky, bisexual MC!
- As a native-Atlantian I feel a stab of joy every time Waffle House was mentioned (ALTHOUGH NO ONE CALLS IT WAHO AND NO ONE GETS WAFFLES SCATTERED AND SMOTHERED. THAT’S ONIONS ON YOUR WAFFLE AND AKIN TO ANARCHY)
- Leah had such a small-part in Simon, I’m so happy seeing more of her and seeing their friendship expanded upon.
- Abby Suso is a badass and deserves everything
- Seriously, there’s a point were Abby talks about how hard she’s worked for everything and how people still assume she gets by easy?? (Just give this girl the world, please)
- *first-book-spoiler* and Simon are adorable and I just loved seeing happy-relaxed Simon so much???
- I love love love that Simon isn’t the only LGBT+ kid in his squad. We all bond together before we ever know, y’all.
Cons:
- Leah tried a little too hard to be E D G Y
- Okay. I get it. I do. I understand Leah’s snark is a defense mechanism. I understand it’s probably part of her anxiety. But it’s still never addressed.The girl is mean She makes a not-so-subtle comparison to Draco early on, stating:
“I hate when writers make Draco sweet. Sorry, but Draco's a bitch. Own it. I mean, yeah, he's a ball of mush underneath, but you have to earn it with him.”
So… obviously… we are suppose to connect Leah’s characterization of Draco to her own characterization right? That she’s a bitch with a mushy center? Why do we never see the mush? She never apologizes… or says anything nice?
- And I’m conflicted. Because female characters are totally allowed flaws. But she’s condescending to everyone about everything. From their music tastes to their own sexuality. (At one point someone is coming-out to Leah and she shuts them down)
I shake my head. “Lowkey bi, a little bit bi. Just be bi. Like, come on.” “What? No.” She draws herself up. “You don’t get to decide my label.” “It’s not a real label!”
It would be different if this were part of Leah’s development or even simply addressed later on… but it’s not? The pair then go on to act like this never happened. As a bisexual person, let me tell you, coming out isn’t easy. Especially since the world already has so many opinions about what is/isn’t/how-to-be bisexual. This sexuality policing made me uncomfortable—especially since it’s never addressed.
- Without spoiling, a particular character from the first book gets a complete rewrite so a particular romance can happen… and it just doesn’t sit well with me?
- Also like. My best friend lives in Athens and it’s not an overnight-roadtrip-drive? It’s like 45 minutes… mayyybbee an hour from Atlanta? This sounds nitpicky, but there were a lot of details glossed over that didn’t make sense? Like how Abby knows somebody who knows somebody who just vacates their apartment for a night so Leah and Abby can stay there? There were a lot of convenient occurrences just to make this plot work.
- Who were all these new characters? And was I supposed to care?
- Okay. I’m just gonna say it. It feels really obvious this wasn’t Albertalli’s original vision of the characters. Stories absolutely should be able to evolve, but parts of this almost felt like fanfic?
Overall:
Again, I think this book is very important. I’m so excited to see a happy-bi-girl story on the bestseller list. But a lot of this felt forced.
“How do you know if a goal is worth it until you get it? We work hard for a lot of stuff. Should we not put in effort because the reward mig
3 Stars
“How do you know if a goal is worth it until you get it? We work hard for a lot of stuff. Should we not put in effort because the reward might not be what we thought?”
It’s been 84 years since I read this so take this mini-review with a grain of salt
Pros:
- A book that actually addresses the crazy pressure high-school kids are under and the big-decisions we ask them to make -Own-voices, Jewish representation! -The romance is cute and they are nerdssss - There’s a great dynamic between MC and his best friend. Friends who grow up together but there's not that stereotypical drama and instead they just feel like family.
Cons:
- Like…. This could have been a short story. Everything is really ground and feels super realistic to the overachieving high-school experience. But you get the point by the end of the first chapter. - Also the characters are cute and their world feels really grounded, but nothing about them really drew me in. I felt for Ariel’s struggles… but probably more because they are so relatable, than because I was invested in him as a character.
In Conclusion:
It a startlingly accurate depiction of high school. It’s cute, has super important representation and overall enjoyable -- but there’s not a ton to sink your teeth into.
But if you read this and enjoy it, I strongly recommend Girl Out of Water which is an entirely different book, but one I really enjoyed....more
There are some reads so poorly constructed I don’t hesitate to slap a one-star on them and move on. But this book 1 Star
Fetishization ≠ Representation
There are some reads so poorly constructed I don’t hesitate to slap a one-star on them and move on. But this book has lingered in my thoughts for weeks... because it’s a completely different kind of awful. Because this really, really tried. It really wants to open a discussion about how some girls—especially queer girls find a place in fandom. But this discussion devolves into an incredibly misguided, tone-deaf monologue.
Our main character, Claire, is obsessed with the TV show Demon Heart. It’s pretty obvious from the start this is a thinly-veiled parody of Supernatural, but when Claire asks a question during a Q&A panel that’s basically a recreation of real events… it’s even more obvious. So how does something based on a real-word occurrence lose all sense of realism? It makes no sense that the producers would spend so much money bringing Claire to every stop on this tour. It makes no sense that her mother just lets her 16-year-old daughter run around all these different cities without asking any questions. The way Claire and Forrest (the actor who slighted her) speak to each other is extreme, stilted and comes across like some sort of parody. None of this feels genuine or possible.
At one point, Claire literally blackmails the showrunner and holds him hostage while she ‘convinces him’ to make her ship canon. This is!not!normal! In the real world we’d see a story about this ‘deranged fan’ on the nightly news. But making matters even worse is Claire’s insistence she’s not taken seriously simply because she’s a teenage girl. The fact that we are supposed to sympathize makes it feel like the narrative believes this irrational behavior IS completely normal for a teenage girl. This is insulting. Claire screams, cries and threatens only to then play the victim and devalue the voices of those actually facing discrimination.
While most of this book is singularly focused on one girl’s experience, there is some diversity added with Tess, Claire’s love-interest. Tess identifies as homoromantic pansexual and is vocal about the lack of POC characters on Demon Heart. At first, I absolutely loved this and was hopeful Tess would aid Claire down the path of some development… instead their relationship turns into a toxic push-n-pull. They both show very little respect for the other, cumulating with Tess outing Claire to her mother. The fact that Claire’s mother is accepting and kind then paints this whole event as inconsequential and neither girl really apologizes.
But perhaps the singular point that pushed this book to dumpster-fire levels is the absurd amount of M/M fetishization that occurs. Despite Claire insisting she doesn’t only ship SmokeHeart because of the sex… she makes every discussion about it revolve around sex?? The first chapter literally starts with Claire googling porn so she can ‘properly’ finish her fanfic. Claire insists that she is focused on the importance of representation… but she’s literally incapable of discussing anything but the physicality of the relationship. To the point that she insists she won’t be ‘satisfied’ until she sees it manifest on the show.
Claire writes real-world fic about the actors of the two characters having sex, and then is flabbergasted when Forrest is upset by this. (Side note: Forrest also has some development regarding his own internal homophobia, but saying that’s the only reason he’d be upset by such fic… feels real gross) Both girls also joke about writing/reading incestuous, smutty Jonas Brother’s fic. They defend this by saying that “slash fic is just more fun!”
Overall:
*camera pans to me, still screaming into the void*
I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review, thanks to Freeform for the opportunity! No quotes were included in this review, as I’m currently unable to compare them to the final printed book....more
“Love is a word we scarcely hear in the ocean. It exists only in my song and on the lips of the princes I’ve killed.”
I really wanted to l3 Stars
“Love is a word we scarcely hear in the ocean. It exists only in my song and on the lips of the princes I’ve killed.”
I really wanted to love this. And in a way, I can see why so many of my GR friends did?? This is a hate-to-love adventure that’s not afraid to get dark. Our main characters don’t just talk about being vicious— the first chapter literally opens with a siren using their song to murder someone.
But somewhere in trying to maintain that dark atmosphere... it just became too much. Every single verb is heightened and at some point it leaned towards melodrama. People don’t just laugh, they cackle. They don’t just walk, they storm. They don’t shout, they bellow. Even the most mundane actions and descriptions were written with an illustrious intensity. Eventually.... if everything is intense.... NOTHING is.
(Not to say the writing style is all bad, as there are several places this heightened sensory detail and verbage work well. It’s just TOO much)
The romance also feels unnecessary. I enjoyed both characters, and I enjoyed how they learned and grew together. I really enjoyed their grudging friendship. But the romantic aspect just felt rushed and only seemed to exist for one convenient plot point?
While most of the ending felt rushed, the finale battle was so vivid. I’ve never read a fight scene I could picture so clearly, and it was easy to get invested.
Overall: A fun adventure with a strong narrative voice that’s perhaps TOO much...more
”We might be Paper Girls, easily torn and written upon. The very title we’re given suggests that we are blank, waiting to be filled. But w
4.5 Stars
”We might be Paper Girls, easily torn and written upon. The very title we’re given suggests that we are blank, waiting to be filled. But what the Demon King and his court do not understand is that paper is flammable. And there is a fire catching among us.
You know that special pain that comes when a book with an amazing premise fails to live up to expectations?
Now imagine the exact opposite. THAT was this book for me. That special kind of joy when a book with high expectations delivers
Lei lives in a world dominated by a magical caste system. Those with demon blood, (Moon) those with human blood, (Paper) and those with both (Steel.) This caste system quickly opens a dialogue about the nature of oppression. Especially when Lei is chosen as one of the Moon King’s concubines or “Paper Girls.”
At its core, this book is about sexual assault and girls reclaiming themselves. The story doesn’t shy away from discussing the nature of rape or the many faces abusers may wear, but it also focuses on the process of healing. This extremely personal and varied activity was reflected in the large cast of girls, each with their own form of processing. The cast is predominantly female, and seeing this focus on female support and friendship was amazing. The varied character dynamics were all nuanced— and really show how much more room there is to explore when there’s more than two token women.
Even more, this slow-burn, beautiful romance is delightfully sapphic. The relationship isn’t over sexualized, but their femininity is beautifully expressed and celebrated. Lei’s journey with herself and her feelings was constantly contrasted with the views of those around her. It’s when she begins to challenge these expectations that the romance really flourishes and so it feels like a natural character progression instead of gimmick.
As a whole, this book offers so much representation for identities often excluded. It’s fierce Asian girls in love, and while I can’t speak for the representation as a whole, I know how much it matters.
The writing is actually so beautiful and it’s astounding that this is a debut? There’s this almost-resplendent quality as the world builds around this lush, devious kingdom. While there’s little use of magic itself, the writing still holds a magical quality.
My only complaints are that I found the caste system a bit gimmicky? I loved the discussion it opened, but the actual demon magic and animal appearance seemed almost irrelevant to the story? And that Lei is hard to connect with until she finds her drive in the second half. At first she’s understandably distraught and disoriented, but once her goals are established she became a much more dynamic and interesting character.
Overall: This subject matter is really intense, and I recommend making sure you’re in the right head space first, but this really lives up to expectations.
I received an Arc in exchange for my honest opinion, thanks to Jimmy Patterson Books!...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
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