All posts tagged book reviews

Naughts & Crosses

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Naughts and Crosses

What would life be like if hardcore racism still ran amok, except darker-skinned people had all the power and white people didn’t? This is the story of Naughts & Crosses.

Callum is a naught, or a white person in this world. His best friend in the whole wide world is Sephy, who is a cross. Callum’s mother used to work for Sephy’s family and they grew up together. When they were young, they didn’t think anything of it. As they grew older, they had to sneak off to be together.

Things start to get real when Callum and a few other naughts are allowed into Sephy’s school. It was really just a political move; the crosses don’t really want them there. Callum believes that he needs to pretend that he’s not Sephy’s friend when they’re at school, yet Sephy doesn’t understand why. This causes a lot of problems, because nobody thinks naughts and crosses should be friends.

At the same time, a group of naught terrorists is trying to fight for equality using violence. Tragically, they are pulled apart over time, even though in their hearts, they still love each other. I won’t tell you how their story ends, but this is not the book to read if you’re looking for a traditional happily ever after.

This is one of those books that is designed to make you think. A lot of the events in this book must have been inspired by history, such as the integration of schools in the United States, where the national guard had to be called in to ensure the black kids got to school safely. The Liberation Militia, the terrorist group of naughts in this story, could have been inspired by the more violently minded wing of the civil rights movement. There were little details, such as band-aids coming in colors for light-skinned people, that were also brought up in this book. My son experienced this the other day; some of his Halloween makeup was unusable because it was made for white people.

I enjoyed the book and the pages practically flew by. Will I read the next four books in the series? Maybe. The main characters in the next stories are different and so it’s not my top priority though.

While I don’t know about the rest of the series, I recommend Naughts & Crosses. Don’t read this book if you’re in the mood for a happily ever after, but if you’re in the mood for a tragedy that makes you think, this might be just the book for you.

Color Outside the Lines

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Color Outside the Lines cover

Color Outside the Lines was one of the books that I was really excited about at the beginning of this year. My family is an interracial family, and I was looking forward to reading about couples who don’t look like each other. I did enjoy several of the stories; however, it didn’t quite live up to the hype that I initially gave it. Like all anthologies, I enjoyed some stories more than others. Thank you to Edelweiss and Soho Teen for providing me with an advanced reader copy!

The Good

Color Outside the Lines had a lot of variety to the stories. They weren’t all contemporary. Some were contemporary, while others were historical or even science fiction. There were different cultures involved, including made up cultures and there was one story about an adoptive family. Each couple had different challenges.

What I Might Have Liked Better

I like to read love stories with happy endings. I can’t really think of any truly happy endings in this book. At best, there are several that are open-ended and hopeful. There are a few that are heartbreaking though.

In many of the stories, there is a disconnect because of the cultures. You get the feeling that maybe it won’t work out because of the cultural difference. It kinda left me sad because I know that interracial couples today can work out just fine and nobody really cares. If this book had been written twenty-five years ago, I might have agreed with the way these stories are presented, but unless teens are more racist than adults (which I doubt) I think this book places a little more disconnect into intercultural love than actually happens these days? Or maybe I’ve just lived in a little Pollyanna bubble for half my life and everybody else experiences difficulties that I have not.

Overall

Overall, I did enjoy the stories in Color Outside the Lines, although it didn’t quite live up to the hype I placed upon it in my head. The picture of intercultural relationships it seemed to radiate: one where intercultural relationships are hopeful at best and sometimes heartbreaking, and where misunderstandings abound, has not been the situation that I’ve seen. Oddly enough, one of the most hopeful stories, “Something Gay and Magical” was written by Adam Silvara, who wrote They Both Die at the End. Who would see that coming? Although I liked many of the stories, they didn’t really leave me with the same sense of joy that other books like Summer Days and Summer Nights have. It is worth borrowing from the library though.

Every Stolen Breath

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Every Stolen Breath cover

Wasn’t there a time several years ago where people were organizing mobs on Twitter to attack people? Or maybe that was just me. In Every Stolen Breath by Kimberly Gabriel, that exact thing is happening, except in this book, the mobs are getting together for murder.

As soon as I read the description for this book, I knew I wanted to read it. Thank you Netgalley and Blink for allowing me to have early access to this title!

A “death mob” killed Lia’s dad several years ago. Now, she knows that they’re going to attack again. She doesn’t want to let them get away with it. She’s found out where the next attack will be, and she’s ready for them. With her cell phone handy and ready to record, she’s going to catch the perpetrators on camera and make sure the police can arrest them.

Only, it doesn’t work out as well as she’d hoped. Somehow, they figure out what she’s doing, and she has to flee to save her life. She loses all her evidence. Does she let that stop her? No. Lia is a strong character with her mind on a mission. She’s determined to bring her dad’s killer’s to justice, even if it puts herself into danger.

This was a great book. What isn’t scarier than people organizing themselves into mobs on Twitter to go out and attack people? Every Stolen Breath is a lot more complicated than that; the group is organized and its fingers reach farther than Lia originally expected. I enjoyed being Lia’s journey as she (sometimes foolhardily) tries to solve this crime spree.

Lia is a great character with a believable life. She is more reckless than I would have been, but unlike in some books where the main character goes out on her own to solve a crime, at least Lia makes an attempt to be careful. She has great friends, and even meets someone along her journey. There’s a little bit of a romantic subplot in this story.

The Chicago setting is great (I’ve only visited it once in person once and then virtually through books like Divergent). I could imagine being at the different places the author describes.

Every Stolen Breath is suspenseful and makes you want to read more. It was an exciting book that I read in less than two days. If you’re looking for a suspenseful book that reads like it could actually happen, I highly recommend it. The book will be released on November 5th, but you can pre-order it now.

The Shadowhunter’s Codex

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The Shadowhunter's Codex

I read The Shadowhunter’s Codex all the way back in August (which really wasn’t that long ago but feels that way when the world has been shut down due to snow). It originally didn’t seem that exciting, but I saw some pictures of the inside and decided to read it after all. It was not like I expected. If you’re looking for something Shadowhunter to read while you’re waiting for Chain of Gold to come out in a little more than four months, you might want to check this one out.

The Shadowhunter’s Codex reads like a D&D Manual. It’s supposed to be the book that’s given to all new Shadowhunters. I know, that really doesn’t sound all that exciting. However, this book has been read (and commented in) by Clary, Simon, and Jace. That is what makes this book fun to read.

If you love the Shadowhunters books, then you’ll probably find the information on demons, Shadowhunter history, and the like to be interesting, but some of that might be review. Clary’s drawings and the three teenagers’ comments back and forth to each other throughout the book make this book worth reading though. They all have different handwriting, so it’s easy to tell who’s writing what.

Would I read The Shadowhunter’s Codex before I read any other books in the Shadowhunter’s universe? Absolutely not. The book assumes you know who Clary, Jace, and Simon are, and care about what they think. You could probably read and enjoy this book if you’ve read The Mortal Instruments. I’d probably read all of the main series before you read this one though. While it’s an enjoyable book, it doesn’t contribute to the overall Shadowhunter’s story arc and should probably be read after you’ve read all the main books in this universe.

The Beautiful

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The Beautiful Cover

October has been an amazing month for new releases! I recently read Renée Ahdieh’s The Beautiful. I believe it is part of a duology. This story is set in New Orleans in 1872.

I originally didn’t have any interest in reading this book, because I wasn’t really interested in reading a “vampire book”. I don’t read a ton of paranormal type books (although I love the Shadowhunter books, they don’t really seem paranormal). At any rate, it wasn’t until I read the first couple of chapters when it was over at Bookish First that I decided that I wanted to read it. I really liked it.

Celine is escaping her past by moving from Paris to New Orleans. The local convent is putting her up for a while, which starts to cause problems when she’s invited to make a dress for Odette, who must have been quite the scandalous lady back in those days. There, she meets Sébastien Saint Germain, who is wealthy, but isn’t exactly a gentleman. They have an instant attraction, but it doesn’t look like they can be together.

People start ending up dead around the city, and a lot of them have some connection to Celine. So now the question is, what’s causing it? Can it be stopped? You’ll have to read the book to find out more.

The Beautiful was great for several reasons. First, I loved the characters. Celine is a strong girl who won’t be bullied and stands up for herself. She may have had some problems in her past, but I don’t really blame her for what happened. Bastien seems to be her perfect match, personality-wise. The other characters that surround them seem lifelike and have their own lives apart from Celine. We get to see glimpses of the villain throughout the story, but we don’t exactly find out who he is until the end. This book might need a reread at some point, just to be able to read it knowing who the villain is.

The setting is good too. I loved being immersed in New Orleans after the Civil War. There is a lot of French (and a handful of Spanish) used in this book. It’s generally easy to understand, although I’m a polyglot, so maybe I’m not the best person to ask about that. The characters discuss pop culture references of the day, including Les Misérables (which I’m currently about halfway through listening on audiobook). Reading this book feels like being transported to another time and place.

If you’re looking for a book that’s a little creepy and also has a little romance, you might like The Beautiful. Vampires aren’t a huge feature of this book, but that was okay with me. I suspect there will be more vampires in the second book of this duology, but I can’t be sure. October might be almost over, but there’s still one day left, and a little murder mystery can be read any time of year.

Song of the Crimson Flower

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Song of the Crimson Flower cover

I recently had the privilege of reading Song of the Crimson Flower by Julie C. Dao. I have to thank Bookish First and Philomel Books for the Advanced Reader Copy. If you’d like to get physical ARCs for review, it’s a great place. If you use referal code 56cf541090ca608b4 you can start earning free books and help me at the same time!

Song of the Crimson Flower was a beautiful book. Lan is in love with a boy, Tam, who seems reluctant to marry her (but he’s very romantic). Bao is an orphan boy who works for Tam’s father as a physician’s assistant. He’s been in love with Lan for years, but his lack of social status and shyness have made him reluctant to tell her.

After a brush with death reminds Bao of how short life is, he decides to tell Lan the truth. She harshly rejects him. After he runs away, Lan feels bad for how she treated him, but by that point, he’s been magicked into his flute. He has a body only if someone he loves touches him periodically. The only way for Bao to break the spell is for him to find someone to love him in return within two weeks.

I loved these characters. Bao is such a soft, squishy, cinnamon roll boy and I can’t help but want good things for him. Lan is a sweet girl too, although like everyone, she can sometimes make mistakes. There’s also an evil antagonist who’s the hero of her own story, along with other people that they meet along the way who have their own wants and desires. Ms. Dao does a wonderful job creating complex characters that you can’t help but love.

The setting was unique and complex. Song of the Crimson Flower is a companion to the Rise of the Empress series, which I have not read. My guess is that I would enjoy this book more had I read the other two books in the series, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns and Kingdom of a Blazing Phoenix, first, but I didn’t. You don’t have to read the other two books to enjoy this one though. I suspect that the two other books in this series contributes to the lifelikeness of this setting.

The book has a good message to it. Don’t let society’s expectations cause you to be pushed into a lifetime of unhappiness. While you may think that you can figure out the ending just by reading the synopsis, there is a twist to it that I particularly enjoyed (but won’t give away here).

If you’re looking for a sweet love story in a beautiful fantasy setting, I highly recommend Song of the Crimson Flower. Although it was the first book I read by Julie C. Dao, it certainly won’t be the last. I will probably go read the other books in the series and read other books she writes in the future. The book hasn’t been released yet, but will be available on November 5th.

Ninth House

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Ninth House cover

So many amazing books have come out this month and Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House is one of them! This is a book that can be read any time of year, but if you’re looking for something a little creepy in October, you might want to check out this one.

You may have heard stories about creepy secret fraternities over at Yale like Skull & Bones before. George Bush was a member and… was he involved in the occult? Ninth House takes the idea of creepy Yale fraternities and makes an awesome tale about it. It has ghosts, murder, and creepy fraternity magic.

Alex Stern sees ghosts. You might think that’s kinda cool, especially at this time of year, but for her, it nearly ruined her life. Before she learned to keep her mouth shut, people thought she was crazy. But it did land her at Yale, so there’s that. The Lethe House, or Ninth House that oversees all the other creepy fraternities, could really use her skills.

Still, Yale isn’t a picnic. Alex needs to keep up with her classes, along with her fraternity activities. It can be pretty stressful. When a girl is murdered, Alex decides to investigate–then discovers that there’s a lot of bad things going on at the campus.

There’s a lot of things to like about this book. Creepy fraternities? Yes! Bad guys getting what they deserve? Also there… well, kind of. This is Yale we’re talking about, and people with lots of money sometimes use that money to keep things quiet. There’s quite a few bad people in this book, and some of them do get what they deserve.

I love the character of Alex Stern. She’s had such a hard life, but she keeps on going. Ninth House doesn’t give you all the answers right away; you’ll want to keep on reading to find out what actually happened in her past. There are still a few unanswered questions by the end of the book. It looks like this book is a duology, so we’ll have the opportunity to find out what happens… in the next book.

The creepy Yale fraternity setting is great. There’s a map in the front, which I found useful, but the book does a great job bringing you into this world. I’ve never been to Yale, so it was a lot of fun being immersed into the life of another college.

This book does have some trigger warnings you should be aware of. There is sexual assault. Drugs. Murder. I didn’t think there was anything gratuitous, but your reading mileage may vary.

Overall, I really liked Leigh Bardugo’s adult debut, Ninth House. I do plan on reading the next book sometime after it comes out. If you’re looking for a creepy book for October, you might want to check this one out.

Pumpkinheads

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Pumpkinheads cover

I recently read Pumpkinheads, a graphic novel by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks. To be honest, I initially didn’t have interest in reading this book. I don’t really care for the title and I don’t read too many graphic novels. However, I’m really glad that I read it because it is cute and funny. It’s definitely worth five stars.

Josiah and Deja have worked at the pumpkin patch together for the past few years. Now they’re seniors in high school, and it’s their last night working together. They’re a little sad about it. Josiah is additionally sad because there’s a girl that works here that he has a crush on. The only thing is, he hasn’t been able to work up the nerve to talk to her for the past three years. Deja is about to make him change that.

The two spend the evening tracking down the girl of his dreams. Hilarity ensues, because this girl is not easy to find. Eventually, he does find her, but I won’t say what happens.

Pumpkinheads is appropriate for YA readers of all ages. Older middle grade readers might enjoy it also. I loved the two main characters. They have such a sweet friendship. The pumpkin patch setting is really cute too. There’s a map in the front of the book where you can follow their journey as they look for Josiah’s dream girl.

I loved the illustrations. I haven’t read a lot of graphic novels yet, but I enjoyed Faith Erin Hick’s style and would be interested in reading more books illustrated by her.

Pumpkinheads is the perfect October read if you’re looking for something that makes you think of Halloween but isn’t scary. I borrowed this book from the library, and there was a waiting list for this book. Happily, I got to borrow it before the Thanksgiving and Christmas season is upon us. I often read books several weeks (or more) before I get around to posting my review, but I wanted to make sure that I shared this excellent graphic novel with you while it’s still the season to read it. This is a quick read that I highly recommend. I’m passing it along to my boy to read before it’s due back at the library.

Across a Broken Shore

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Across a Broken Shore cover

If you like historical novels set in the 20th century, I highly recommend Across a Broken Shore. I recently had the opportunity to read it (thank you to Netgalley and North Star Editions for the Advanced Reader Copy) and I thought it was fantastic.

Willa is an 18 year old girl in an Irish Catholic family in 1937. She has four older brothers, but since she’s the only girl, her parents expect her to become a nun (it’s tradition). The only problem is, she’s drawn to medicine instead. Her life changes after she meets a female doctor and she’s invited to become her medial assistant.

I love the setting in this book, which occurs in San Francisco during the Great Depression. Workers are building the Golden Gate Bridge; even then, men are clamoring to work there (even though the job is dangerous). Poverty is rampant; some people aren’t getting enough to eat. Although Willa’s family owns a tavern, she faces her own hardships. People don’t take women in medicine seriously. Parents feel like they can direct their children’s lives.

Willa is a great main character. She is torn between her family’s expectations and her own desires. On top of that, she feels guilt over an event that happened when she was twelve. She’s selfless and heedless of danger. Over the course of Across a Broken Shore, Willa learns to stand up for herself. She gains courage. I won’t tell you what her ultimate decision is, but for a while, I didn’t know which path she would take.

There is a little romance in this book. This is the 1930s, and Willa expects to go into a convent, so the book stays family-friendly. Across a Broken Shore is a YA book, although younger YA readers might not find the subject matter to be all that interesting.

Across a Broken Shore comes out on November 5th, but you can pre-order it now. If you enjoy books set in the Great Depression, books dealing with families and the pressures that they can put on you, or books about young ladies learning how to stand up for themselves in the world, this might be the book for you. I thought it was great.

The Bear and the Nightingale

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The Bear and the Nightingale cover

Katherine Arden’s The Bear and the Nightingale is a story that reminds me of cold winter nights in front of a fire — which is why, after reading this book in April (when we were still receiving snowstorms in Colorado) that I thought it probably wouldn’t be a great idea to publish this review in July. This is a cold-weather tale.

The Bear and the Nightingale is set in early Russia, which is what drew me to the story in the first place. Some of the characters and places in the story were real, and the folklore is distinctly Russian as well, allowing you to immerse yourself into the life of an early Russian boyar family (boyars were wealthy landowners). Despite the characters being wealthy for their day, compared to the modern day, it feels very rural and peasant-like.

Vasilisa is the youngest daughter of one of these boyars, but she’s not like the other girls. She has the ability to see and communicate with the spirit world. She’s not interested in the two main career options available for young ladies at the time: marriage or life as a nun.

Her stepmother rejects the old folk religion in favor of Russian Orthodox Christianity. When a new priest comes to the village, he convinces the villagers to give up their old ways and to stop paying homage to the old spirits. This ends up having disastrous affects on the village. People end up blaming Vasilisa. She has to decide exactly what she wants, even if it means she has to risk even her life to get it.

The Bear and the Nightingale has this beautiful fairy-tale quality to it. It has the slow pacing of a medieval villager’s life, with gorgeous prose that evokes a life vastly different than our own. Yet, amongst the superstition and the harsh realities of village life, there’s the shining Vasilisa, who has the kind of determination and strength that was probably rare to see in that era.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced thriller, this isn’t it. But if you’re looking for a book that will evoke a long ago era, with a strong female character fighting a system built by overbearing men, you might like this book. It’s the kind of book that you want to read while sitting next to a fire while the snow softly falls outside the window.

While I thought the book was beautiful and I loved the main protagonist, it’s not a book I’m likely to gush about for the next several years. Still, I enjoyed it enough that I’d like to read the second book — probably sometime after the snows start falling again this winter.