review: the bride test

Title: The Bride Test
Author: Helen Hoang
Published in 2019 by Atlantic Books
Genre: Romance (adult)
Rating: ★★★ – it was okay

I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions—like grief. And love. He thinks he’s defective. His family knows better—that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride.

As a mixed-race girl living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a potential husband, she can’t turn it down, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn’t go as planned. Esme’s lessons in love seem to be working…but only on herself. She’s hopelessly smitten with a man who’s convinced he can never return her affection.

I went into this book with high expectations because I absolutely adored Helen Hoang’s previous novel, The Kiss Quotient. Getting approved for this book on Netgalley was such a joyous moment, not only because it was one of my most anticipated reads of the year but also because being an international reader on Netgalley at the moment is rough.

Unfortunately, I didn’t love The Bride Test nearly as much as I did The Kiss Quotient and I’ll get into the reasons why today.

First, let’s discuss what I liked about the novel.

The autism representation is one of my favorite aspects of Helen Hoang’s novels. It is #ownvoices in that regard as well. Both The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test have main characters who are neurodiverse. Khai is autistic, like Stella is in the previous novel. While both are autistic, I think the author does a fantastic job at showing that people experience autism in extremely different ways. Khai can’t handle light touch, as it causes him physical pain. He’s not great with touch in general, and needs warning beforehand so he can prepare. I love that the main characters communicate on this, and that Khai tells Esme what he needs and what she can’t do. It’s so important to have a proper discussion, and I’m glad that happened.

Another aspect of the book I adored was the importance of family. I love a good family in novels because I feel that for a lot of people, family is one of the most important parts of life. Khai’s family is so wonderful and supportive, even though his mom went to Vietnam to find a wife for him… In Esme’s life, family is equally (if not even more) important. Her mom, grandmother, and daughter are her entire life and she wants to give them the world.

Lastly, I also really loved Esme’s story. She moves to the US for two months, and has to adapt to living in an entirely different country and culture. Helen Hoang shows the difficulties of that experience through small things like not noticing the smell of fish sauce, startling at the lack of a garbage smell, etc. Esme’s story line is about making your own path in life, and not letting the opportunities you get pass you by. I absolutely loved it.

[Something I forgot to mention before posting this review this morning… I really appreciated how the first sex scene unfolded between these two characters. While it was intensely awkward to read about and I was suffering from secondhand embarrassment the entire time, it was so real. It wasn’t “perfect” like it so often is in romance novels.]

Unfortunately, it’s time to move on to the aspects I didn’t like.

Maybe it’s because I haven’t read a lot of adult romance novels lately, but I was caught off guard by some things in this book. Like the neverending references to Khai’s dick. I’m not even kidding. I can’t tell you how many (terrible) euphemisms I had to endure. In the first 20% of the novel, it’s on almost every page. EVERY PAGE has a reference to his genitals, and I’m tired. I’m also side-eyeing the author for the incredible unsubtle ways of telling the reader that he is… well-endowed. Why did I need to know that??

The sex scene at about 85% of the way through the ARC also made me incredibly uncomfortable. If you’ve read the book, please talk to me about this.

I was also irritated by what I started to call Esme’s absolute idiot moments. Throughout the novel, Helen Hoang tells us that Esme is quite smart through different ways, for example the test she takes at the end of the novel. However, those are all things told to the reader. What we are shown, is the complete opposite. She knows Khai’s mom is rich because of her clothes, bag, restaurant, etc. And while Khai doesn’t live in a villa, he doesn’t hesitate to spend money on things he deems worthy of it – like his car. So why does Esme constantly remind us that she doesn’t understand why everyone thinks Khai is rich? It just makes no sense to me. It’s these small things that undermined what the other told us about Esme.

Lastly, I can’t help but wish they had the conversation about Khai being autistic earlier. They bring Esme to the US for him, make her move in with him, and never tell her about it. It makes absolutely no sense to me? Obviously, if they want her to win his heart wouldn’t it be easier if she knew what not to do at the very start? That way, she would never do something that causes him pain or discomfort. Instead, they let her blunder around, causing both of the characters pain. It makes no sense to me.

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While I enjoyed quite a few aspects of this novel, I was a tad disappointed by the overall reading experience. I still adore Helen Hoang’s The Kiss Quotient, and will continue to read the novels she releases. This one simply wasn’t it for me.

Have you read The Bride Test? What did you think of it?

 

review: the wrath and the dawn

Title: The Wrath and the Dawn
Series: The Wrath and the Dawn #1
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Published in 2015
Genre: retelling
Rating: ★★★ – it was okay

In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad’s dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph’s reign of terror once and for all.

Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. 

The Wrath and the Dawn had been on my to-read list since its release in 2015. It was one of the most hyped book in the bookish community at the time, and as always, the hype scared me. I kept putting it off because I didn’t want to end up disappointed. High expectations can really kill a reading experience, which seems rather unfair to the novel. After about 4 years and seeing some mixed reviews pop up, I decided it was finally time to read it. Unfortunately, I still found it to be a disappointing read.

The premise makes it seem like an epic read. Shahrzad volunteers to be the King’s wife, even though he kills them come morning. One of his past brides that was killed was Shahrzad’s best friend, and she is determined to get revenge. Doesn’t that sound incredible?

Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. Shahrzad hates the king (obviously), who has killed countless of women after marrying them – including her best friend. This level of hatred, these things he has done, you cannot overcome. What I wanted from this book was a revenge story. Yet only a few days after she comes to the palace (I can’t exactly remember how long it took), Shahrzad begins to waver. She starts to notice how handsome the king is, and just doesn’t understand how he could have done such monstrous things. Because we all know attractive people are inherently nice… With every little tiny act of kindness, she proclaims he can’t be a monster after all.

Listen, girl. Killers aren’t going on a rampage every single second. A person can be perfectly charming and kind, and still murder others. They are not mutually exclusive! I hated how fast she gave up on hating him, how their “love” story developed in .2 seconds, and how she seemed to forgive him for everything. I just couldn’t deal.

Let’s be honest, this was a case of insta-love. She hated him, sure. However, after being kind of nice to her for 2 days, she was ready to throw it all away to be with him. I found myself rolling my eyes for the majority of the book, because it just seemed so unrealistic and ridiculous to me.

Of course, I knew there would be a romance in this story, an enemies-to-lovers one. I didn’t expect it to develop so fast though. That took me out of the story, and made me genuinely disinterested in reading it.

For the life of me, I can’t remember what happened in this novel aside from the romance between the two main characters. The only other person I can recall is Tariq, a character I actually enjoyed. He should have ended up with the girl, in my opinion. I guess that could still happen, because I haven’t read the sequel, but I highly doubt it.

Lastly, let’s talk about the reveal on why Khalid kills his brides every morning. Obviously, I won’t spoil what the big secret is, in case you haven’t read it. When I came across the reveal, I honestly couldn’t believe it. It made me so angry, to be honest. If you’ve read this book come talk to me on Twitter in the DMs, because I need to discuss this with you all. To me, this was such an obvious ploy to make Khalid seem more likeable, and I hated it.

All in all, this book just wasn’t for me. The romance killed what could have been an epic read for me. I simply lost interest in the story, and won’t pick up the sequel.

 

mini reviews: illuminae, gemina + obsidio

Title: Illuminae
Series: Illuminae Files #1
Authors: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Genre: science fiction (YA)
Rating: ★★★★★ – a new favorite

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

Everyone in the bookish community has been screaming about The Illuminae Files since the release of the first book in 2015. I always avoided this novel because I simply didn’t think it would be one I’d enjoy. When I had to take a 7-hour train journey last December, I decided it was finally time to give the audiobook of Illuminae a try. And I promptly fell in love with the novel.

As this is a full-cast audiobook, which most of you probably already knew, it’s an incredible reading/listening experience. It adds so much to the story, and helps bring it to life. I found myself laughing at the snarkiness, rooting for the main characters, and being filled with horror at some of the events that happened. I’m also both terrified and protective of AIDAN.

Illuminae reminded me somewhat of The Martian by Andy Weir because both are set in space with characters in extremely dire situations, yet are humorous as well. The humor doesn’t take away from the gravity of their circumstances, which I really enjoyed.

Obviously, I adored the characters as well. Did I neally need to clarify that?

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Title: Gemina
Series: Illuminae Files #2
Authors: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Genre: science fiction (YA)
Rating: ★★★★.₅ – loved it

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.

 

After loving Illuminae, I knew I didn’t want to wait too long to continue the series. I had to know what would happen next! In April, I listened to the sequel, Gemina. Actually, I devoured this book even though I listened to the audiobook. In one weekend, I had listened to the entire thing! Usually audiobooks take me far longer than that.

While this is a sequel to Illuminae, it follows two different characters. The main characters in the first novel were Kady and Ezra, while in Gemina we follow Hanna and Nik. I admit that it took me a bit longer to get into the sequel than it did for the first book. That’s why I couldn’t justify giving it 5 stars. The start of the novel felt too slow for me, especially after the ending of the previous book. I had grown to love Kady and Ezra so much, why would I care about Nik and Hanna?

After a while though, I grew attached to the story. Nik ended up being one of my favorite characters in the entire series, after his cousin and AIDAN of course.

This series is so action-packed. Every time you think it can’t get worse for our heroes, the authors prove you wrong.

Like I mentioned earlier, while it did have a bit of a slower start I do think Gemina is a great sequel. We got introduced to some fantastic new characters, and the list of people we would protect with our own life grew longer.

I don’t have much else to say about Gemina, other than THAT ENDING.

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Title: Obsidio
Series: The Illuminae Files #3
Authors: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Genre: science fiction (YA)
Rating: ★★★★ – really liked it

I won’t provide a synopsis as that would truly spoil the previous two books in the series. If you want to read the premise anyway, you can click on the cover of the book or the title above to go to its Goodreads page.

 

 

 

As you can see from my rating, Obsidio was my least favorite book in the trilogy. While I was happy to be back with some of my favorite characters, and excited to find out where the story would take us, I can’t help but feel that the stakes weren’t as high in this book. Their journey and space battle is coming to a close, but their circumstances are very different from the previous two books. I didn’t feel as terrified for the lives of my faves, which made it into a less exciting or nail-biting read.

It wrapped up a little too neatly for me, to be honest. I felt like the authors might have been afraid to make certain choices, even though they would have been more believable in my opinion. I know that it’s science fiction and thus being “realistic” doesn’t really matter, but if you’ve read the book you might understand my point.

I don’t want make this mini review sound too negative, because I did really like the book! I gave it 4 stars after all. It’s a good conclusion to a series I fell in love with, and I’m very happy I binge-listened to them all.

By the way, that last line. What??

Have you read The Illuminae Files? What did you think of it?

review: the three-body problem (an epic Chinese science fiction novel)

Title: The Three-Body Problem
Series: Remembrance of Earth’s Past #1
Author: Cixin Liu
Translator: Ken Liu
Published in 2014 by Tor Books
Rating: ★★★★.₅ – loved it

In 1967, physics professor Ye Zhetai is killed after he refuses to denounce the theory of relativity. His daughter, Ye Wenjie, witnesses his gruesome death.

Shortly after, she’s falsely charged with sedition for promoting the works of environmentalist Rachel Carson, and told she can avoid punishment by working at a defense research facility involved with the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. More than 40 years later, Ye’s work becomes linked to a string of physicist suicides and a complex role-playing game involving the classic physics problem of the title.

The Three-Body Problem had been on my to-read list for ages. When it comes to translated works, especially in science fiction and fantasy, it is one of the most well known and loved ones. I sent in an acquisition request for this book at my local library, because a) adult SFF is incredibly expensive, and b) I didn’t know how well I’d fare with hard sci fi.

I’m happy to say I really liked this book, and I hope someone else will discover this book at my local library as well. That’s why I love acquisition requests. It helps broaden the horizons of other people in my local area.

storyline

Here comes the difficult part. I’m not quite sure how to explain the storyline of The Three-Body Problem. There’s a lot going on in this novel, and most of it is not easy to convey to others who haven’t read it. I’ll try my best.

This book follows three main storylines.

First, we have Ye Wenjie, who witnesses her father’s death by his ex-students during the cultural revolution. As physicists, Wenjie and her father were targets of the Red Guards. After his death and being accused of sedition, she starts working at a remote defense research facility that is heavily guarded and shrouded in secrets.

Second, in modern day times there have been an inordinate amount of physicist suicides. They have been dying at an alarming rate, choosing to commit suicide. While the strings of death do not appear to be related to one another, it can’t be a coincidence either.

Third, Wang Miao is a nanoscientist who has been called in to work with the police and investigate the mysterious deaths. He stumbles upon a game called Three Body, and becomes obsessed with it.

It takes quite a while to understand how these storylines tie together while reading the book. The first half of the novel left me somewhat confused, because we seemed to jump from plotpoint to plotpoint without them being truly connected. As Liu gets more time to develop the world and story, we see the three different stories come together. The second half of the book was far easier to get through for me. It was more captivating, and the stakes were higher.

I found the deaths of the scientists and the Three Body game to be the most fascinating aspects of the story, though I was intrigued by the secrecy surrounding the defense base as well.

I have to admit that a lot of the explanations and details on astrophysics and the Three-Body Problem went way over my head. Well, not just a lot of it. Absolutely all of it. I did feel kind of dumb and lost at times because I simply couldn’t comprehend what they were talking about. In the end, I just adopted the principle of accepting what the main characters stated as correct and not thinking about it further.

characters

What I find absolutely fascinating about reading books translated from other languages is the difference in writing style. In the few Japanese books I have read, for example, I have noticed that there’s more of a distance between the reader and characters. In North America and Europe, we usually try to connect with the characters and their development is often pushed forward in the reading experience. In Japanese novels, it’s usually far more subtle which can lead to a more distant feeling.

I’m not sure whether this goes for Chinese novels as well as I can’t recall having read many, but it is certainly the case for The Three-Body Problem. It’s a style I had to get used to at first, but can now appreciate. It allows you to get to know the characters on a different level, as you are actively searching for the slightest change in demeanor or posture described. It’s a subtle way of writing, and I do enjoy it.

overall thoughts

I think this is an incredibly fascinating book. As I do not speak and cannot read Chinese, I can’t speak for the accuracy of the translation. However, as a reader, I think Ken Liu did a phenomenal job at bringing this story to an entirely new audience. I’m glad I finally took the plunge and read it, and have since sent in an acquisition request for the sequel at my library.

Will some of the scientific explanations on physics go over your head? Most likely, yes. However, it remains a captivating and intriguing book, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

review: the shadowglass, the conclusion to one of my favorite fantasy trilogies

Title: The Shadowglass
Series: The Bone Witch #3
Author: Rin Chupeco
Published in 2019 by Sourcebooks Fire

I won’t provide a synopsis because this is the third book in the trilogy and would contain spoilers for the previous instalments. If you want to read the premise of The Shadowglass, you can click on the title above or the cover, which will take you to the Goodreads page.

My review on the first book, The Bone Witch.

 

 

The Shadow Glass was one of my most anticipated releases of 2019, and one of the only books I pre-ordered. I’ve been in love with this trilogy ever since receiving an e-ARC of the first book in 2016. I was both excited and scared to read this conclusion, because it would wrap up one of my favorite stories. Would it be a good ending? I’m happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed by this book at all.

Obviously, I can’t say much (or anything at all really) about the plot or storyline of the book because it would spoil the events of the previous two novels. I’ll keep it very general and abstract for you.

I absolutely love the twists and turns in this story. Throughout this entire trilogy, I found myself doubting every character and interaction. I didn’t know who to trust, much like Tea doesn’t know who she can rely on. I was taken by surprise multiple times throughout this book, which doesn’t happen all that often anymore. It was a wild ride, and I even shed a few tears at some point.

That is the nature of tyranny, young Tea. Maintaining power is their sole intention. Why worry about retaliation and revolution when they have always intended to wield the sword?

What makes this trilogy stand out to me are the characters. They’re all so well-developed, given their own time, and have their strengths and flaws.

Tea is a badass woman, but she isn’t infallible either.

“We all admired her, Knox.” Lord Besserly raised his glass. “Let’s raise our glasses to the Dark asha. As strong and mighty as we are, able warriors one and all – may nothing we do piss her off.”

She’s way too impulsive and emotional at times, which leads to rash decision making. The great part is that she’s very aware of her personality flaws and they don’t overtake the story – if that makes sense. Love, family, and friendship are incredibly important to her, which shows in the way she treats her friends. She’d do absolutely anything for them. While she has a strong sense of duty, she won’t let it overshadow her humanity, or her as a person.

“I am selfish. I am not the compassionate woman she is. Sometimes I feel she is far too kind for her own good. I will serve the kingdoms, but not at the cost of my health.”

Another character I want to bundle up in a blanket and protect forever is Likh. In the entire trilogy, we’ve seen how fluid gender is through Likh’s story. While the rest of the world considers Likh a boy, she has always been drawn to the asha (female witches) over the Deathseekers (males capable of drawing runes and magic). Likh loves the intricate hua of the asha, the way they perform and carry themselves. In The Shadowglass, we see Likh realize which pronouns actually fit her and how she explains it to the others. Seeing this transition, this realization and acceptance, was wonderful.

Aside from gender, there’s also diversity in terms of sexuality. There’s an f/f relationship I absolutely adore, but I feel is more prominent in the second book rather than the third. There’s a male character who is primarily attracted to other men as well.

If you haven’t read this trilogy yet, please give it a try. I promise it’s worth your time. I’m so happy to say that this Asian-inspired fantasy series written by a Filipino author belongs on my favorites shelf. 

review: winter garden

Title: Winter Garden
Author: Kristin Hannah
Published in 2010
Genre: contemporary/historical fiction
Rating: ★★★★★ – a new favorite

Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard: the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father falls ill, Meredith and Nina find themselves together again, standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, who even now, offers no comfort to her daughters. As children, the only connection between them was the Russian fairy tale Anya sometimes told the girls at night.

On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise from the women in his life: the fairy tale will be told one last time – and all the way to the end. 

I have put off writing this review for months now, because I’m not sure how to explain my love for Winter Garden. However, I’ve realized that not talking about it at all is not an option either. I’ll try to sort out my thoughts today, and hope that the resulting review is at least somewhat coherent.

When the novel kicks off, Meredith and Nina’s father is dying and the family has to come to terms with losing the linchpin of their household. Their mother has always been standoffish and cold, which is why the sisters have a much deeper connection with their father. Aside from dealing with the grief of losing a loved one, they also have to find a way to connect with their mother now that their dad isn’t there to mediate anymore.

The two sisters couldn’t be more different, really. Meredith is the “responsible” one. She’s the oldest, has a husband and two adult children, and works for the family company. When their father passes away, she takes over the family business. Nina is the “free” one. She’s a photojournalist, and travels around the world capturing photos of heartbreaking scenes. One is portrayed as uptight, strict, and a creature of routine while the other is free and following her dreams.

At first, I disliked Meredith and loved Nina. As someone who loves to travel and consider themselves independent and free, her character spoke to me more. Whereas Meredith spent a lot of time judging her sister’s choices at the start of the book. About halfway through the story, my perspective on the sisters changed. I started to see Nina as not only free, but also more of a selfish person than Meredith (which is not always a bad thing, people). Meredith is the one who shoulders the responsibility to make life for her loved ones easier, and that’s not an easy role to take.

There’s this weight of guilt and responsibility that comes with taking care of your family. How do you find a balance between taking care of them enough, yet not losing yourself in the process? Meredith reminded me of my mom, in a way, since she is the one who is always working for others and always ready to help, yet never seems to receive any thanks in return. It’s something I’ve been trying to work more on, to say thank you more often, because I don’t want people’s efforts to go unappreciated.

The main plotline of the story is related to the fairy tale their mother tells. I don’t want to give much away here because that would take away from the impact of this story, but just know that it is absolutely heartbreaking. I wanted to hug this woman so badly.

If you’re interested in adult contemporary fiction or adult historical fiction, I would highly recommend this story. While it isn’t my favorite Kristin Hannah novel, it still had the emotional impact I expected from her stories.

Have you read Winter Garden?

review: the sacred lies of Minnow Bly (the YA cult novel everyone should read)

Title: The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly
Author: Stephanie Oakes
Genre: contemporary, mystery (YA)
Published in 2016 by Speak
Rating: ★★★★.₅ – loved it

The Kevinian cult has taken everything from seventeen-year-old Minnow: twelve years of her life, her family, her ability to trust. And when she rebelled, they took away her hands, too.

Now their Prophet has been murdered and their camp set aflame, and it’s clear that Minnow knows something—but she’s not talking. As she languishes in juvenile detention, she struggles to un-learn everything she has been taught to believe, adjusting to a life behind bars and recounting the events that led up to her incarceration. But when an FBI detective approaches her about making a deal, Minnow sees she can have the freedom she always dreamed of—if she’s willing to part with the terrible secrets of her past.

I bought this book during YALC 2018 in London because I remembered hearing some buzz about it prior to its release. I’ve always been fascinated by cults, so this book seemed perfect for me. I can’t believe it took me almost a year to read it, because it was incredible.

This novel follows Minnow Bly, whose parents joined the Kevinian cult when she was 5. She grew up in their compound in the middle of nowhere, following the rules of their prophet. Minnow’s doubts about the prophet have been increasing for years, and she gets punished more frequently as she gets older.

The story is divided into the past and the present. In the present, Minnow is in juvenile detention for a crime she committed after escaping. In the past, she is growing up in the cult and meeting a boy who lives with his dad in the woods close to their compound. As the novel continues, Minnow’s story unfolds and you slowly learn how she lost her hands, and how she eventually escaped.

That’s right, I said ‘how she lost her hands’. One of the few things you know going into this book is that the Prophet ordered her hands to be cut off for disobeying him (and thus, God). I have to admit that reading how this happened, and why, was devastating. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

In those moments, I wish I could’ve articulated how unremarkable brutality is. How common.

I couldn’t possibly pick a favorite timeline in this book. Both had their fascinating, heart-breaking, and thought-provoking moments, which is why this was such a fast read for me. I didn’t want to put it down at all. I think this is the perfect book for those in a reading slump because the compelling nature of it will make you want to read it in one sitting.

What stood out to me most is Minnow’s life in juvie. She meets a ton of other girls there, whose lives mirror hers in one aspect or another.

Here, my scars are the only part of me that could be called normal. It seems like every girl here has had their own personal Prophet.

It truly made me think about the huge amount of girls who grow up in abusive homes, have abusive partners, or grow up in poverty. The odds are stacked against them from the start, and there’s barely a way out of that life. When they finally fight back against their abusers in the only way accessible to them, they get sent to juvie/jail.

It left me stuck in this grey area of morality. Of course I don’t think we should all murder or assault people. But what else were some of these girls supposed to do? Just take the abuse forever? They have no power, and need to take some back in one way or another. I just felt so much for them, and it makes me want to do more research on juvenile detention centers in my own country.

Aside from Minnow’s life in juvie, a large part of the book also takes place at the cult’s compound. I don’t want to say too much about this part, because this is where the mystery aspect of the story comes into play. What I will say, is that the intriguing part of the cult is the different way it affects the followers.

Part of her doubting the teachings of her Prophet results in her trying to get others to leave the compound with her, to escape. She’s baffled when she realizes that not everyone wants to leave. I think the author did an incredible job portraying the mindsets of the cult people. The ones who are so indoctrinated, the ones who are simply to afraid to take action, and the ones who would do anything to leave.

But the offer of freedom doesn’t mean anything to people who already think they’re free.

This story does partly revolve around love, as Minnow meets someone while she lives at the compound and falls in love with him. The romance aspect never takes over the rest of the story, however. It’s an important part of the main character’s life which is why it’s entangled in her memories. But it’s not the core of the story. I loved the way the author managed to intertwine all these different aspects of a person’s life, without allowing one to overwhelm and overtake the others.

I don’t know how else to convince you to pick this book up. If you haven’t read it yet, I hope you’ll give it a try. It’s a brutal read, and will make you doubt humanity once again, but it’s an important read as well. Family, friendship, and love are all prominent parts in Minnow’s life, and Stephanie Oakes portrays both the beautiful and ugly parts of the relationships in the main character’s life.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

 

review: his majesty’s dragon | Napoleonic war + dragons

Title: His Majesty’s Dragon
Series: Temeraire #1
Author: Naomi Novik
Genre: historical fantasy (adult)
Published in 2006 by Del Rey
Rating: ★★★★ – really liked it

Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors ride mighty fighting dragons, bred for size or speed. When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes the precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Captain Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future – and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature. Thrust into the rarified world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle. For as France’s own dragon-borne forces rally to breach British soil in Bonaparte’s boldest gambit, Laurence and Temeraire must soar into their own baptism of fire.

His Majesty’s Dragon is the story of Laurence, a captain in the marines, and Temeraire, his dragon. Laurence’s crew captures a French ship and discover that it has an unhatched dragon egg on board. They’re months away from reaching land, however, and the egg might hatch at any moment. It’s crucial that the dragon bonds with someone as soon as it hatches so they can strengthen the British Aerial Corps. Some unexpected things happen, and Laurence ends up bonding with the dragon, Temeraire.

This book is set during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 1800s. I like how Naomi Novik managed to fully immerse the reader in the time period itself, through different tactics.

First is the writing. As I was reading this book, it occurred to me that the writing style reminded me of Jane Eyre. It has that same sentence structure and feeling to it. After looking it up, I realized that Jane Eyre was published in 1847. I don’t think I’ve ever read a fantasy novel in which I could tell the era it’s set in from the writing itself.

There’s also the obvious difference placed between men and women. It shows in little things, like how surprised Laurence was when a woman wore pants, or in the “proper” way he felt like he needed to interact with them, or in the way he would not give a female trainee the same privileges as the male ones because he needed to “protect” her. Is it annoying that this happens? Yes. However, Naomi Novik managed to show both history and present here. She added those things to the novel for historical reference, but challenges them as well. Either it’s someone else pointing his discrimination out to Laurence, or it’s him realizing how unfair it is.

I will say that my knowledge on the Napoleonic Wars is very limited, and it showed. I was quite confused at times, because you’re thrown in the middle of the war and have to figure out what’s happening by yourself. The sheer amount of places mentioned as well as the tactics and strategy behind the battles went over my head at times.

The story itself is a good mix between battle, training, and character exploration. The pacing never felt off, and it made for a pretty quick read even though the writing is not as easy to digest as most contemporary writing is.

First, Laurence and Temeraire have to get to know one another after the hatching. While I love both the main characters, my heart goes to Temeraire. I love that dragon! He made me laugh out loud multiple times, and I wish to protect him from all evil. As their bond deepens, their affection towards another is so sweet.

I do have a question though. The dragons all talk out loud in this book. In most books I’ve read, it’s more of a telepathy thing. How odd must it look when a dragon talks out loud? How do their mouths form the necessary shapes?

Laurence was an interesting character for me because I usually read about thieves, assassins, mercenaries, etc. when it comes to fantasy novels. Here, we follow a guy who is devoted to his country and duty, and prides himself on being a gentleman. It is so fascinating to read about someone focused on doing his duty and being a good citizen, even if it makes you want to push him into some mischief at times.

The one downside to this book, I would say, is that it’s clearly a set-up for a long series. You have the main characters meet, get to know one another, and train together, so that they can become a well-oiled machine for the battles to come.

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I’m glad I finally picked this book up. It sat on my shelf, unread, for years… A few days after finishing it, I went to a used bookstore I love and discovered the next 3 books in the series there! I can’t wait to discover more of Laurence and Temeraire’s adventures. I would highly recommend this series, if the premise sounds at all appealing to you. 

my thoughts on 3 YA contemporaries I never reviewed

I’m so far behind on my reviews, it’s not even funny. A little while ago, I realized that there are 3 YA contemporaries I read but never reviewed on this blog. Sometimes, I don’t have all that much to say about a book which leads to me never reviewing it at all. To combat that, I’ll try to make more of these combined mini reviews. Here are my thoughts on Leah on the Offbeat, I Believe in a Thing Called Love, and I Was Born For This.

Title: Leah on the Offbeat
Series: Creekwood #2
Author: Becky Albertalli
Rating: ★★★★ – really liked it

When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat—but real life isn’t always so rhythmic. An anomaly in her friend group, she’s the only child of a young, single mom, and her life is decidedly less privileged. She loves to draw but is too self-conscious to show it. And even though her mom knows she’s bisexual, she hasn’t mustered the courage to tell her friends—not even her openly gay BFF, Simon.

So Leah really doesn’t know what to do when her rock-solid friend group starts to fracture in unexpected ways. With prom and college on the horizon, tensions are running high. It’s hard for Leah to strike the right note while the people she loves are fighting—especially when she realizes she might love one of them more than she ever intended. 

When Leah on the Offbeat was first announced, I couldn’t contain my excitement. I loved the first book in this companion duology/series, and wanted to know more about Leah as a character. After its release, the book started to get some mixed reviews which made me incredibly nervous. What if I didn’t like it?

I shouldn’t have worried. I absolutely loved this book, and read it in one sitting. It’s not a perfect novel, which I’ll discuss later, but I don’t really believe that exists. The reason most people didn’t like this book is because they disliked Leah as a character or person. I would be a complete hypocrite if I were to say that though, because Leah is basically me as a teenager.

As a teen, I was horribly insecure. Yes, I’m still somewhat insecure, thank you for bringing that up. I was afraid of being the one in the friend group who didn’t really belong, and couldn’t really talk about my feelings. I pushed my friends away and distanced myself from them instead of talking it out, because that’s all I could deal with. I could see so much of myself in this teenage girl, which is why I loved this book so much. I’m happy to say I’ve grown out of that mindset though.

The reason I can’t give this book 5 stars is because of the way Leah reacts when someone comes out to her. She basically denies their sexuality and claims it can’t be true, and honestly it’s just the worst way to react. It isn’t challenged in the book, which is why I feel like we need to address it.

Overall, I absolutely adored this book. I’m so grateful to have gotten to know Leah better.

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Title: I Believe in a Thing Called Love
Author: Maurene Goo
Rating: ★★★ – it was okay

Desi Lee believes anything is possible if you have a plan. That’s how she became student body president. Varsity soccer star. And it’s how she’ll get into Stanford. But—she’s never had a boyfriend. In fact, she’s a disaster in romance, a clumsy, stammering humiliation magnet whose botched attempts at flirting have become legendary with her friends. So when the hottest human specimen to have ever lived walks into her life one day, Desi decides to tackle her flirting failures with the same zest she’s applied to everything else in her life.

She finds guidance in the Korean dramas her father has been obsessively watching for years—where the hapless heroine always seems to end up in the arms of her true love by episode ten. It’s a simple formula, and Desi is a quick study. Armed with her “K Drama Steps to True Love,” Desi goes after the moody, elusive artist Luca Drakos—and boat rescues, love triangles, and staged car crashes ensue. But when the fun and games turn to true feels, Desi finds out that real love is about way more than just drama.

I picked this one up because a) the hype surrounding it, and b) the main character tries to win over her crush with tips she got from her favorite K-dramas. Doesn’t that sound wonderful and hilarious? I love K-dramas, no matter how cliche they might be at times, so I figured this would be the perfect light and fluffy read for me.

I was wrong. I ended up giving this 3 stars, but I’m still somewhat conflicted on my rating for this book – even though it’s been a year since I finished reading it.

One the one hand, I enjoyed a large part of this book. I loved all the K-drama references and little tidbits you learn about Korean culture while reading. Desi’s dad is one of my favorite characters ever, and I wish to protect him forever. Lastly, I’m also glad this wasn’t a love triangle. I was kind of scared that would happen when I first started reading. All in all, this is a quick and enjoyable read.

On the other hand, I hated what Desi did. Yes, I’m aware of how cliche dramas can be, and how they are full of tropes that aren’t necessarily healthy especially when it comes to relationships. However, Desi took it to a whole new level in this book. What she did was incredibly dangerous and completely insane. The worst part is that there were really no consequences to what she did. I can’t really accept that as a reader, so I decided to lower my rating. It truly tainted the entire book for me.

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Title: I Was Born For This
Author: Alice Oseman
Rating: ★★★.₅ – liked it

For Angel Rahimi, life is only about one thing: The Ark – a pop-rock trio of teenage boys who are currently taking the world by storm. Being part of The Ark’s fandom has given her everything – her friendships, her dreams, her place in the world.

Jimmy Kaga-Ricci owes everything to The Ark too. He’s their frontman – and playing in a band is all he’s ever dreamed of doing. It’s just a shame that recently everything in his life seems to have turned into a bit of a nightmare.

Because that’s the problem with dreaming – eventually, inevitably, real life arrives with a wake-up call. And when Angel and Jimmy are unexpectedly thrust together, they will discover just how strange and surprising facing up to reality can be.

I read this before going to YALC in July 2018, because I wanted to read all of Alice’s books before meeting her. I Was Born For This is Alice Oseman’s latest novel. It revolves around the frontman of a band called The Ark and one of their fans called Angel.

Angel is preparing to go to The Ark’s concert with her best friend, who she is meeting for the first time. They’ve been fangirling over The Ark online for ages, and became friends along the way. Now, they’re going to see their favorite band live.

This is a story of friendship, fandom, fame, and family. Ah, the alliteration. I couldn’t help myself. While I think this novel explored these aspects incredibly well, I didn’t fall in love with the book itself. I loved what Alice had to say about how fandom and sexism and (online) friendships. I tabbed certain passages because I was so glad to see my thoughts written in a book.

I was also quite intrigued by some of the characters. Jimmy, the frontman of The Ark, has to deal with fame and addiction as well as being outed against his will by someone else, and the transphobic comments still thrown his way. I wish I could have read more from all the members of The Ark, because I found them to be the most fascinating.

While I loved a lot of the concepts of the book and some of the characters, I just couldn’t connect to the book itself. The entire time I was reading, I knew it would end up as a 3.5 star-read. One that is okay, or just good. Not great, but not bad either. Just okay.

 

review: fence volumes 1-3 > I need more.

In March 2019, I saw that 12 issues of the Fence graphic novels written by C.S. Pacat were available on Scribd, and immediately decided to give them a try. I’d heard so many people on BookTube rave about this series! However, I didn’t want the hype to have an impact on my enjoyment of the issues either so I tried to lower my expectations before going in. I needn’t have worried about being let down whatsoever. I ended up binge-reading all 13 issues in one day, and am now desperate for news on the next volumes.

Yes, I am fully aware that Fence volume 3 technically hasn’t been released yet. However, that vol.  includes issues 9 through 12, which I read separately. It was easier to mark the three volumes as read rather than the 13 separate issues.

Fence by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad, Joana LaFuente – ★★★★★ – a new favorite

Nicholas Cox is determined to prove himself in the world of competitive fencing, and earn his place alongside fencing legends like the dad he never knew, but things get more complicated when he’s up against his golden-boy half-brother, as well as sullen fencing prodigy, Seiji Katayama.

Nicholas, the illegitimate son of a retired fencing champion, is a scrappy fencing wunderkind, and dreams of getting the chance and the training to actually compete. After getting accepted to the prodigious Kings Row private school, Nicholas is thrust into a cut-throat world, and finds himself facing not only his golden-boy half-brother, but the unbeatable, mysterious Seiji Katayama…

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I was a bit hesitant to pick this up because I know absolutely nothing about fencing, and was afraid I would miss out on a lot of the story or find it boring.  That definitely wasn’t the case here.

This is the story of Nicholas Cox, who is determined to prove himself as a competitive fencer so he can show everyone he is just as good as his dad. Nicholas grew up quite poor, and his dad was never around. Coming face-to-face with his golden-boy half-brother, the one who does receive all the attention from their father, angers Nicholas to no end, and he is determined to prove to the world he is just as good.

However, fencing is an incredibly competitive and expensive sport. Nicholas is at a clear disadvantage as he has never been able to afford the private tutoring needed to push him to the next level. Until he gets a scholarship to Kings Row private school. In order to keep his scholarship though, he needs to make it on the fencing team.

That’s not the only goal Nicholas has in mind though. He also desperately wants to beat Seiji, who has never lost a match. Their rivalry pushes Nicholas to train more and more, and intrigues Seiji as well.

I can’t tell you how much I love these graphic novels. I couldn’t stop reading them! The entire storyline is so tense, because you can’t help but root for Nicholas, who is definitely the underdog in this scenario. Watching him play match after match, trying to figure out whether he’ll make the team or not is incredibly nerve-wracking. It makes for a very captivating read.

While there’s a tense feeling throughout the volumes, I have to admit that the story itself is quite slow. You don’t progress much through the story or time with each volume. At first, that didn’t really bother me because it allows you to get to know the characters more. It also allows the author to make some space for the development of side characters. However, when you reach the end of volume 3 and still have virtually no answers, it becomes somewhat annoying. Especially since I can’t find any information on issue #13 or volume 4.

I presume that when the graphic novels develop further, there will be an M/M romance at the forefront. There’s plenty of chemistry and tension already, so I can’t wait to watch that happen. Seriously, I can’t wait. When will the next volume be released?? Someone help me!

Here’s what it all comes down to: I love the story, I love all the characters, and I love the artwork. I love every single thing about this series.

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I feel like I can’t really say much more about this story without ruining all the fun for you all. At this point, all I can really point out is that if you haven’t read the graphic novels yet, you should pick them up. They’re fun and captivating reads. I promise you won’t regret it. I still have to buy myself some paperback volumes because I read them on Scribd earlier but definitely want to own my own copies. Have you read these graphic novels? What did you think of them? Is there any news on the next volume yet?