Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

What. A. Ride!

I haven't been this thoroughly entertained in quite a while. This book had me hooked from the beginning and that opening scene. I read the Grisha Trilogy and I loved Leigh's storytelling, but this book shows immense growth in her writing style. The plot was somehow dark, heartbreaking, intense, fun, lighthearted, and had just the right amount of romance all at the same time. The best part for me, aside from the wild ride of the heist, was the character development. I loved all six of our crew. Everyone had such a well developed backstory that I really wanted to route for them. This band of six misfits who had all had such a rough start to life and yet here they were toughing it out in the slums and getting by. But, when they banded together for the heist they did more than just exist together and occasionally interact as part of their gang, the Dregs. They really all came together as a cohesive unit and got to know one another on a more personal level. They developed into real friends who had each other's backs. As the story progressed it was really fun to see them get more relaxed with each other and I loved the scenes where they developed that banter that had me laughing several times throughout at the exact right moments. Leigh's comedic timing was impeccable.

Aside from the friendships, there were the complicated relationships between all of our crew. Nina and Matthias had the most interesting dynamic and the biggest issues to overcome. Matthias was raised to hate what Nina was and she was raised to hate what his people did. Somehow they found themselves letting down those walls and preconceived notions about one another and yet still having a hard time getting past those issues. It was interesting to see them war with themselves and the outside world telling them to hate each other and how they couldn't quite manage it even when they tried. Kaz and Inej had another really interesting relationship to watch develop. We could see from the beginning how Kaz leaned on her and the backstory of him rescuing her and creating this strong tough girl persona for her was nice to see. Once we learned Kaz's heartbreaking backstory it was really interesting to see how even when he was being ruthless and building his crew that he was picking the underdogs and in his own way helping them. It's not clear if he even realized he was doing it, but he was helping them in the way no one helped him when he was alone. Then we have the fun development between Jesper and Wylan. They brought the comic relief and levity at the exact right moments when the heist was falling apart and we didn't know if our crew was going to pull it off. It's going to be really fun to see how they continue to develop in book two.

I cannot wait to dive right into Crooked Kingdom which is the conclusion of this duology. I want to see what becomes of all six of our band of misfits. This was a fun, emotional, and intense adventure from beginning to end. I didn't think I would love it as much as I did but, I could not put it down. I highly recommend this one if you want to escape and be completely enthralled by the fun cast of characters. Go...right now! Pick it up. You won't be sorry.

Review: Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

Wow. I just finished reading the second installment in this trilogy and I am without a better word to describe my current state of mind. Just wow. 

I don't want to get too far into the details because this book is amazing and the less you know going in the better it will be. I do want to talk about the religious parallels that are so present in this series. The Thunderhead is this all knowing and all powerful sentient technology that people can talk to and get guidance from. It's almost like if people were able to talk to God and get an immediate response. The Thunderhead itself makes these comparisons of itself to a religious deity. It is watching humanity make mistakes and it wants to stop us from destroying ourselves, but is bound by the restrictions of it's own laws and the things that it's creators purposely hid from it. Humanity created it so it is like the child, but also it has grown so powerful that it has now become the parent figure. It's as if humanity created it's own God. 

The entire plot and concept creates a lot of questions and really good discussion topics. We have this world that the Thunderhead has made perfect for people. No death, disease, hunger, despair, war...it's a utopia. However, mankind, in our infinite selfishness is about to ruin everything the Thunderhead has tried to do by being evil and destructive. It's the Garden of Eden scenario and we are about to bite the proverbial apple. Mankind is inherently self destructive and even the Thunderhead cannot stop us. The plot eventually culminates in one of the most mind bending, never saw it coming, surprise endings I've read in a while. I was completely taken aback by the way everything unfolded in the last few chapters. I was simultaneously shocked and dismayed which was balanced by being impressed with the plot twists and writing.

We are left with one major cliff hanger and I for one cannot wait to see what happens in the final installment in this thought provoking trilogy. I purposely kept this review vague because this book is so full of wow moments that it's better to go in knowing less. Trust me, it's amazing and you should definitely go pick this one up. 

Review: Scythe by Neal Shusterman

In Scythe we are introduced to a utopian future world where mankind has conquered death. There is no disease, famine, or anything else unpleasant as the world is monitored and managed by the evolved internet that has gained consciousness and is now called the Thunderhead. However, in order to avoid overpopulation in a world where people live forever, Scythes are a necessary part of life. They have to meet certain quotas of people they must glean or kill in order to maintain population control. This is where we are introduced to our two main characters, Citra and Rowan. Both are selected to be Scythe apprentices in order to learn the craft. After a series of events the two are separated and forced to compete with each other for one Scythe position. The winner must glean the loser upon being ordained. Rowan is placed with the particularly evil Scythe Goddard who sees himself as a God and enjoys the killing. Citra is placed with the infamous Scythe Curie where she learns to be empathetic toward the grieving families of those they glean. We then follow their very different paths toward the inevitable end where only one will prevail.

What I enjoyed most about this first installment in the trilogy is that I did not see any of the plot twists coming. When you are an avid reader, it becomes easy to see where the story is heading, but not with this sly book. Just when I thought I had it all figured out I was completely shocked in a good way. The story zigged where I thought it would zag and I could not put it down. I powered through the second half of this book voraciously just waiting to see what excitement the next page held. This is a true testament to great storytelling. The world building was fantastic and vivid. The characters were well fleshed out and dynamic. The plot was well thought out and unpredictable in the best way. This book will make you think about humanity in a very different way once you are immersed in the world. It was definitely one I could not put down and I am anxious to dive into book two immediately. I would highly recommend this one if you are in the mood for a page turning, plot twisting, and system shocking ride.

Review: The Book Club Widowers by John Michael DeMarco

I received this book from the author for an honest review. 

First, this is not a genre I normally would have gravitated to. That being said, however, I was completely taken away with the story of three women who went on a weekend retreat with their book club and never returned. We follow the husbands and families dealing with the aftermath of their mysterious disappearance while trying to help the investigators solve the puzzle of their missing loved ones. 

The story is very well laid out and detailed. I never quite knew where it was going which was initially a little frustrating for a type A personality like mine, but I eventually enjoyed not knowing where I was being lead. For someone who has never really read a story like this I did greatly enjoy it and will definitely look forward to future books by Mr. DeMarco. If you are a fan of mystery this is a must read. 

Review: A Girl's Guide to Moving On by Debbie Macomber

I have been in one major reading slump this year so this is my first time posting a review in a while. I wish I could start off with something I enjoyed more than this.

Let's start with my issues with the plot. In this story we follow Leanne and Nichole who have both recently left their unfaithful husbands. Leanne is Nichole's mother in law and her son learned his cheating ways from his father so she feels responsible for the breakup of Nichole's marriage. Leanne finally takes a stand against her own husband in a show of support only when Nichole leaves her son. This is already a bit of a strange setup for a story in my opinion. Leanne put up with the infidelity for 35 years and only left when Nichole left her son? A bit of a stretch for me to believe that would be the final straw if she allowed herself to be a doormat for that many years. Then we add in the trite characters meant to be the new men in their lives which is a whole new level of cliché and was just too much for me to handle at points. Leanne meets Nikolai who is from Ukraine and has been in America for five years already when he finally decides to take her English as a second language class. Nichole simultaneously meets Rocco who is a blue collar toe truck driver who is short tempered and an Italian stereotype straight out of Jersey Shore. The ex-husbands weren't any more original unfortunately. Leanne's ex, Sean, and their son, Jake, who is Nichole's ex are completely uninventive cutouts of slick businessmen who are not used to being told no.

I liked the premise and thought it had a lot of potential for evoking real emotion based on the subject matter. I was wrong. The entire story made me angry at these women. Let's start with Leanne. She lived in a loveless marriage where she cooked, cleaned, and entertained for her husband in order to maintain his perfect image at the country club. All the while she was fully aware of his multitude of affairs and made a conscious decision to look the other way. When she finally did leave she met Nikolai who was one of her students. Now Nikolai's accent and broken English were just too much to bear at many points. He was made to sound stupid and after five years in America I found it hard to believe his English and understanding of idioms was still that bad. He was almost stalker like in how he followed Leanne everywhere and the insta-love was a bit unnerving with these two. But when he finally met Sean who has a health crisis and needs Leanne's help after two years apart, Nikolai lost all points for me. He physically held onto Leanne while she spoke to Sean, stared him down, later told him off and that Leanne was his woman now. He laid down the law for her so to speak and told her she was not allowed to cook or clean for Sean anymore. He was possessive to a degree that was unacceptable. The way the author seemed to want to make this a romantic gesture on Nikolai's part was truly scary and sends an awful message for women and young girls alike. 

Moving on to Nichole and her new love interest, Rocco. Nichole is portrayed as a strong woman who immediately left her husband, Jake, the moment she found out about his infidelity. She fought him for two years in court to get the divorce finalized. But the moment it is, she breaks down. Now this was understandable and one of the only real emotional moments in the story where I could feel the genuine heartbreak one might feel in that situation. But, then she meets Rocco and it's downhill from there. Rocco is a stereotypical blue collar man who hangs out in biker bars and has a shady past. We are meant to believe that Nichole, who is a country club princess with a taste for expensive fashion and handbags immediately starts to fall for this man who is the complete opposite of everything she has ever been attracted to. She meets his drunken friends at a bar and just fits right in while eating her pizza with a knife and fork and ordering wine in a biker bar. He tells his friends she is "his woman" and she just smiles up at him. It was not believable in any way that a well to do, educated woman who stood up to her husband and fought him in court for two years would just go along with being possessed the way Rocco tried to possess her. Rocco also had violent outbursts when they fought and she just cried and felt responsible for his overblown and out of control reactions. At one point she slips on ice and is laying on the sidewalk unable to move and Rocco just sits in his truck and lets her lay there because they are fighting. It was more than I could handle and I almost didn't finish the book because of it.

These seemed like two weak women who married for money and status and then settled for possessive and frankly emotionally abusive men when those marriages failed. They just traded being trophy wives for their executive husbands to being owned by overly aggressive, possessive men who had unhealthy obsessions with them and they just kowtowed to please them. I wouldn't waste my time on this book or it's extremely unhealthy portrayal of relationships.

Review: The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

So it’s been a while since I’ve made it all the way through a book and done a review, but I’m glad to be back. Please bear with me while I get back into the swing of this.

I gave this book two stars and had a difficult time finishing it. In this contemporary by the author of Simon vs. The Homo Sapians Agenda, we follow Molly who is a 17 year old girl who developes crushes on people and never lets them know. Her twin sister, Cassie, is her complete opposite, confident and goes after whoever she wants without hesitation. This only magnifies Molly’s insecurities. I like the premise of this book and think the story had potential, but in my opinion it suffered from trying too hard. Now let me say this before I make my point of why it felt forced: I am an ally and supporter of the LGBTQ community. I enjoy diversity in my reading. However, it seemed like this book made an overt point to include every sexual orientation and identity within a small group of people and it seemed at times to awkwardly throw it in just for the sake of doing it. There was no flow or anything natural in these random characters existing. They were not relevant to the story other than to make sure they were all mentioned at least once so the author can say they were represented. We are supposed to be following Molly as our main character and her journey to find love for herself as well as develope the confidence to finally have more than a crush. But instead what I read was a parade of random and unnecessary characters thrown in who were homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, and transgender. Now I for one would love to read a well thought out and honest story about a character of any sexual orientation, but when it’s so thoughtlessly thrown in to a story about this girl, it feels wrong. It took away from Molly’s journey. It became more about who she knows than about her. The one scene I did love though was where one of her moms takes her to see the Whitehouse lit up in rainbow colors when marriage equality was passed. I got goose bumps and teared up. That was a meaningful moment between her and her mom that was relevant to her journey. I enjoyed that very much and thought it added to her growth as a character. If the rest of the storyline had been that well written and emotionally relevant this could have done so much more for me. Overall, this was just ok for me and I will never reread it. If you have nothing else on your shelf then pick this up, but if given any other option, I would take it.

Review: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

I went into this book with really high expectations because of the hype surrounding it but, I was sorely disappointed. This is a very loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast that falls so far short of the mark it's nearly unrecognizable. I am very disappointed because I wanted to continue with the next book but, I honestly don't think I will subject myself to this world anymore.

I think where it began to fall apart for me was the world building. It's not very well fleshed out in so many ways. There is a magic system that isn't fully explained so it can be confusing. There are political movements being made that are just glossed over so the reader never really understands what is happening or why. The writing style assumes that the reader knows and understands the world without any of it being explained. It's almost as if we are to just accept what is happening with no reasoning behind it.

Then there are the conversations between our main characters Nyx, Ignifex, and Shade. I can only describe it as if you were overhearing parts of a conversation already in progress and not understanding what you are hearing. So much of this book needed to be more descriptive. It also moved at a very slow pace in the beginning and took way too long for the story to pick up and hold my interest. At that point I was not only bored and confused but also frustrated because I wanted to like it. I loved the premise and it had so much potential to be a really intriguing take on the Beauty and the Beast story but, it was not well executed.

Overall, I would suggest saving yourself valuable reading time and picking up something else.

Review: The Last Boy and Girl in the World by Siobhan Vivian

To be fair, this was actually more of a 3.5 stars for me. When I first saw this on the shelf I walked by it more than once. I kept thinking based on the title and the cover that it was just going to be another cheesy YA contemporary. I finally stopped to picked it up and the premise really grabbed me so I decided to give it a chance. I'm glad I did. This was a thoroughly entertaining story from page one.

Our main character, Keeley, has three main relationships that we watch develop as she deals with the reality that her town is slowly being flooded. Keeley helps her father fight the local officials to keep the town from being condemned. In a government land grab for a lucrative waterfront deal in the next town over, the town of Aberdeen is scheduled to be flooded and turned into a lake to save the deal. At first the residents band together, but as the bad weather continues and more homes are destroyed, the town begins to fall apart.

While this is happening, Keeley discovers that the boy she's been infatuated with for years, Jesse, may be just as taken with her. They both deal with difficult situations with humor and by trying to make everyone around them have a good time. They gravitate toward each other more and more the harsher their reality becomes. They share a similar penchant for destructive behavior and pushing away anything that gets too serious. Keeley will need to decide if this is the kind of relationship that can be sustained without the current bubble of pressure they are living in.

Perhaps her most shocking relationship arc is with her best friend, Morgan. They have been friends since birth and even their mothers have been best friends since they were kids. They seem destined to always be there for each other. The two girls deal with what is happening to their town in completely different ways. Keeley starts acting out and pulling crazy stunts for laughs while Morgan gets serious and pulls closer to another friend. The abrupt change in their relationship catches Keeley off guard and she has to figure out how to grow on her own in order to be the friend Morgan needs.

Then there is Levi, who is Keeley's friend and enemy in equal parts. They couldn't be more opposite. Where Keeley is silly and wild, Levi is straight laced and follows the rules. We see that he obviously has feelings for her pretty early on, but Keeley, who rejects anything serious, tends to be very dismissive of him. She makes fun of him with Jesse, she ditches him all the time, and doesn't appreciate the things he tries to do for her. But, when she needs someone to be there for her, it is always Levi she turns to not Jesse. She will need to figure out what type of relationship she wants before the town is gone for good.

This story kept me captivated from the very beginning. As a reader you are swept up in the chaos right along with the characters. One day everything is fine and then it begins to rain. Within weeks their world is unrecognizable. The destruction of something that feels so permanent and safe makes you realize that any of our lives can change completely in a moment. It is how we deal with these changes that makes us who we are. I really enjoyed the growth that Keeley goes through as she learns who it is she wants to be. There are several points in the story that caught me completely by surprise. It is refreshing when you don't see major plot twists coming. The only thing that could have made this book better for me would have been more character development for the side characters and perhaps an epilogue since many of the major twists happened in the last few pages. Overall, this was a wonderful book that I am so glad I picked up.

Review: Under the Lights by Abbi Glines

This was such a disappointing follow up to Until Friday Night for me. I think that having just lost my father when I read Until Friday Night I may have related to the main characters in that book as they had both lost parents as well. That may be why I was able to overlook so many of the flaws that I found with this follow up. I struggled through three quarters of this book before any part of the story held my interest. I was on the verge of not finishing it more than once. Only the satisfaction of knowing I finished it anyway is making me feel the slightest bit better about the time I feel was wasted on this.

In this unfortunate follow up, we are introduced more thoroughly to Gunner Lawton and Brady Higgins who were friends to West Ashby in Until Friday Night. We discover that the two of them shared a childhood friend who had left six years ago named Willa Ames. At various points in their adolescence both boys had crushes on her, but she left when they were all eleven before anything got awkward. Now she is back and has a dark past she is trying to recover from. Gunner is also dealing with his own twisted family secrets. The two of them understand each other much in the same codependent way West and Maggie understood each other in the first book. It's like the people in this town can only form relationships based on mutual self destructive behavior and shared pain. It's all very unhealthy and disturbing. More disturbing is the way the male characters treat the female characters in these books. The football players all sleep with the same girls and just pass them around without a care for the girls' feelings. They refuse to call any of these girls their girlfriends or form actual relationships with them beyond sex. Then when the girls want more the guys all call them clingy and treat them horribly to make the point that they aren't interested in them for anything other than sex. Girls are called bitches repeatedly for wanting relationships with the guys they sleep with. At least two incidents of rape were mentioned in this book and both women were called liars and bitches for trying to ruin the good names of the men they accused. Neither was believed and both were openly ridiculed. This sends a horrible message to anyone who has ever been a victim. Behavior like this is why rape so often goes unreported and in this book it is just glossed over and made to seem perfectly acceptable for all these guys to act this way. The misogyny was overwhelming.

Another less important issue I had was that the dialogue would sometimes stray away from how the character spoke throughout the rest of the story. The guys all cursed a lot and spoke like southern teenage boys most of the time and then would suddenly say something that sounded entirely too formal and out of place in the rest of the conversation. It happened numerous times throughout and it would seem so out of character it was almost silly. This is a much smaller complaint in the scheme of downplaying rape allegations, but it still bothered me.

Overall this was such a huge letdown for me. I realize now that my view of the previous book may have been tainted by what I had just experienced and that I may have emotionally bonded with the characters because the loss of a parent was so fresh for me. I had so looked forward to this, but now having had time to heal from my own loss, this story was so overwhelmingly bad that I don't even think I will be able to bring myself to read the conclusion to these companion novels. I'm not sure I want to revisit Lawton and it's disturbing trend of unhealthy pain filled relationships and the mistreatment of all the female characters who are not the immediate love interest. I need a shower to wash this one off. I do not recommend wasting your precious reading time on this when there is so much better material out there.

Review: Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

Let me start by saying how much I loved this. Nicola Yoon has a wonderfully whimsical writing style. It feels real and also fanciful at the same time. You relate to the characters as though they are people you know in real life. The inner monologue of Madeline is funny and sad all at the same time. I adore the emails and IMs of Madeline and Olly. It's a great way of illustrating a very well read girl with wit and charm. Olly is a charismatic character who pulls you in from the beginning with his secret love of math covered under all his black clothes, tragic family and careless front. I like that both of our main characters are smart. They are portrayed as naïve in some ways, but in most ways they are written as very self aware and intelligent which is nice to see in a YA book. I think the best part of the story for me was that they fell in love almost virtually. Most of their interactions were online or through a window. Yet, somehow they were able to see each other better this way.

All that being said, the twist was a little predictable for me. I called it about half way through the book. I could see the subtle hints with Madeline's mother and the backstory of her father and brother. It may have been a little unsurprising, but the writing style and loveable characters more than made up for any shortcomings I found. I actually wish there was a second book so we could see how Madeline and Olly move on with their lives.

Overall, this was a wonderful book that I am so glad I finally read. I wish I hadn't waited so long. Many times there is a lot of hype around books and they don't always live up to it. That is not the case with this book. It was worth every ounce of praise and I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for something that will make you smile.

Review: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Stephanie Perkins has done it again. She is my go to contemporary author when I need to smile. I read Anna and Lola quite a while ago, but thanks to the intertwining story lines I was able to get closure on both of their journeys as well. Without any spoilers there was one scene in particular that brought us full circle and brought me to tears. Stephanie has the ability to touch on the insecurities we all have and also has a wonderful talent for teaching a lesson about overcoming the obstacles that can seem overwhelming at the time. By the end of her books you feel like anything is possible.

In the final book in this companion series we are brought back to SOAP in Paris and also to New York, where both Isla and Josh live. We follow their difficult path to happiness and each other after years of pining for one another. We also get cameos from Anna and St. Clair, Lola and Cricket, and even Meredith shows up for the reunion. It's a real full circle experience even if it's been years since you read the other books. You will immediately be transported back and fall in love all over again.

If you haven't read Stephanie's books before, I highly recommend that you do. She has the amazing ability to create quirky, loveable, and flawed characters as well as weave them all together in complex and realistic relationships and friendships that aren't always perfect, but are perfectly messy. It's rare to find a contemporary that leaves you feeling so satisfied, let alone three fantastic books that are sure to leave you with a smile on your face. I, for one, am glad to have completed the journey at last.