shannonrygg

[shannonrygg]

My Netgalley ARC review of I KISSED A GIRL by Jennet Alexander:

⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

The best one-sentence summary I have for this book is that it is a 21st Century Sapphic Hallmark Movies and Mysteries Rom-Com. Featuring characters readers love to love and characters readers love to hate, readers also experience their favorite tropes like only one bed, miscommunication, and locked in a room. This book also includes poly, trans, and non-binary representation, though brief or minor. 

Noa is a proud Jewish lesbian (and this book actually says “lesbian” which is important and one star is for that alone) and Lilah is a shy Jewish bisexual. They make a fantastic pair to read about. The tension throughout all of the stages and changes of their relationship was solid. I really enjoyed seeing how their religious beliefs and traditions carried on through their relationship. It was not stereotypical, and it was a refreshing natural take on Jewish culture, practicing and non. 

The mystery element to this book had me on edge. The great ground work in the initial revelation to the reader of the stalker carried on with great build up to high tension. I had my suspicions, but the reader doesn’t get enough clues until the story wants the audience to know. It was handled perfectly, in my opinion.

This is more than just a love story. It is an adult coming of age sprinkled with mystery and lots of special effects makeup. This book will be loved by readers into cheesy horror films and costuming and special effects. Alexander really delivered on details and brings the set right into the lap of the reader.  

The only reason this is half a star shy of a five star read is because this isn’t one I’d immediately gravitate to wanting to pick up again and again, though that’s due to personal taste. I will absolutely be recommending this book before and when it comes out.

#i kissed a girl #jennet alexander #netgalley #book review #4.5 star

[shannonrygg]

My Netgalley ARC review of IT ALL COMES BACK TO YOU by Farah Naz Rishi:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I had in mind to start this book, get at least a third if not halfway through it, and then pick it up the next day to finish and then evaluate. Suddenly, it was ten thirty at night and the book was finished, so that already makes this a great read. Its a five-star read because of the details and the fact that it fit my particular taste.

Kiran's sister Amira is near set to marry Faisal, who happens to be the older brother of Deen, Kiran's secret ex, who on the side plays as Foxx in an MMORPG whose online best friend is Kas, who just so happens to be played by Kiran, through neither of them know that. This was what I understood by the top of chapter two and I had an inkling from that knowledge alone that this would be one of my favorite reads of the year. I was so glad to be proven correct.

The chapters alternate between Kiran and Deen's first-person POVs, but they were both distinctive, and I could easily get into their emotional state from the first page or two. The in-between chapters were either chat logs from Deen and Kiran's past or their in-game personas, and those also helped the reader to take a step back from being in the mind of one character, allowing for a limited third perspective, and then back to first for the other MC.

The time and plot progression was very smooth. There wasn't anything that happened that took me out of the book, other than reminding myself where each character was, as the bulk of the book flips back and forth between Philly and NY/NJ.

Kiran was very realistic to me; all of her actions, though sometimes awful and misguided, made sense for her character and the place that she was in in her life. Same goes for Deen, though I (perhaps as an older reader aligning myself with the older character) found it easier to connect with his actions over hers. The ending also made a lot of sense for them and I was glad to see the author took a realistic approach with everything, rather than giving a fairytale happy ending.

The fairytale came in the descriptions of everything: the food, the clothing, the wedding-- it was all described so vividly I was able to get a very good picture of each scene.

If I had one wish, I would have asked for, perhaps, another paragraph and then maybe a few more at the end of the last chapter, because the ending had me catching my breath and wanting more. The title is the perfect fit for this book.

Yes, I will be recommending this book and I will absolutely be getting a copy for myself in September.

#it all comes back to you #netgalley #book review #farah naz rishi #5 star

[shannonrygg]

My Netgalley ARC review of XOXO by Axie Oh:

⭐⭐⭐⭐

For a book that mentioned the dramatics and convolutions of K-dramas, this story was a watered-down version of one itself, and I highly enjoyed that. It had its dramatic moments, but not to the point where I felt it was too cringy or had to set the book down and walk away out of second-hand embarrassment (an inevitable when watching K-dramas).

Both Jenny and Jaewoo were great as the MC and LI. I did not want to put this book down and read nearly the first half of it in one sitting I was having so much fun. There wasn't a character I didn't like; all of them were enjoyable to get to know. For the most part, each of the side characters, with perhaps the exception being Sori, were there as support for Jenny and Jaewoo since none of them stood out as having involved subplots, but it didn't feel like they existed only as props for the main characters. I would have liked some kind of resolution or further explanation concerning Sori and Nathaniel, but there was just enough detachment from that drama that I didn't feel I needed it. It was also the sort of detachment that gave me the impression their story could be told as a follow-up or sequel. If possible, that is a book that I would be interested in.

This book is Jenny's story, which includes her relationship with Jaewoo, an idol, so the group XOXO is not the primary focus, and I liked it that way. There were brief mentions of the idol industry, but it did not go too deep into exploring it's negativities or positives; it was more of a neutral commentary. The boys were students who were also idols. In some books, the student has family drama. These students have work drama. Their work just happens to be very public. I would have liked to see a pinch more of Sun, though it is understandable due to his age why there wasn't more of him, but what we did get was executed well and he was a likable character. 

I really appreciated that this book portrayed a healthy relationship between two teens . It made it explicitly clear that they are both their own person and do not need a significant other to be happy or successful, but they want to be with each other. That maturity was refreshing, and it was able to be shown because these two are so mature in their own lives, professionally and otherwise. That is a really important message for young adults. 

For about the middle 70% of this book, the pacing was great. The first ten percent, the meet cute, I would have loved maybe an extra chapter in there, just to solidify that the moment was truly world-altering for the both of them. And then if I could have gotten another thirty-forty pages to this book near the end to really emphasize that three months had passed and to show how that time effected Jenny and her relationships (with her mom, grandma, and Jaewoo), it would have really strengthened the ending. I don't think any events or plot points were unnecessary or should have changed, I just wanted more: more descriptions of events and emotions associated with each scene. 

I will be recommending this book and am likely to pick up a copy for myself.

#xoxo #axie oh #netgalley #book review #xoxobook #4 star

[shannonrygg]

Note: I can only review a book as well as someone with my experiences and background can. If a book ever deals with topics that I do not have lived-in experience with or knowledge of, those aspects will not be critiqued, as it is not my place to critique what I do not know. Please always seek out reviewers with lived-experience to get further information!

#book review

[shannonrygg]

My Netgalley ARC Review of KIND OF SORT OF FINE by Spencer Hall:

⭐⭐⭐✨

I was really excited to read this book, however it did not end up reaching the expectations I set based on the premise. The story had great pacing, and the relationship and friendship developments were very realistic over the span of an entire year. I enjoyed reading from both Hayley and Lewis’s perspectives. Both of their voices were distinctive and they were both likable characters. The way different relationships were treated was very nice to read; the evolution of friendships, the downfall of friendships, the changing of the guard (so to speak), and the growing of feelings overtime from friends to more. It all worked well in the narrative. From the onset, this book set up one overarching theme for each of them: mental health for Hayley and body image for Lewis. The mental health was addressed throughout and I was satisfied with that representation (though I felt there was a bit to be desired form the therapist as she felt too attached to Hayley, more than a doctor would be with a patient). The body image, however, had such great groundwork and then left me so disappointed when there was no follow-through. I thought Lewis was going to maybe find he did enjoy running in the evenings, but learned to accept and love his body in whatever form it was. That he found running to be a form of escape when the stress of senior year became too much, but he wasn’t doing it to be a better or more attractive person. By the end, he’s lost weight but it was never addressed how he felt about it, or even why. The premise felt ditched, and I was let down. Hayley was a stronger character than Lewis. I felt that Lewis had barley any context outside of existing for Hayley’s characterization. He could have been built up by his own body image issues but as it fell flat, so did he. He and Cal (a minor character) were nearly as rounded as each other, and for a main character who’s perspective we are reading from, it was not enough. I would label this book as a lighthearted, easy, and quick read for teens (not adults reading YA) but I would not purchase it myself.

#kind of sort of fine #spencer hall #book review #netgalley #3.5 star

[shannonrygg]

My Netgalley ARC Review of JAY’S GAY AGENDA by Jason June:

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Small-town gay becomes big-city gay and, now having the ability to spread his wings, crams every stupid teenage boy move into the span of a single semester while trying to accomplish the goals in his Gay Agenda. I finished this book in one evening; it was a very fast read that I did not put down. One of the best parts of this book is the fact that, above everything, friendship is lauded as the most important relationship, even over every other romantic first. This is a book about a messy teenager, but Jay is messy because he'd never had the chance to be before, so he makes a lot of mistakes in a very short amount of time. As a reader, his blind ambition annoyed me, but that was also how I knew this book had been written accurately from a teenage boy's perspective. I could really feel the anxiety building along with Jay; the writing evolved the tension well. It was refreshing to see only accepting families in this, the conflict happening amongst the teenagers (& college students) only. In fact, there really was only acceptance in this book, for example the QSA running homecoming, which is refreshing. The parents were welcome moments, but though we saw lots of Jay's dad, there was very little of his mother. Yes, she was understandably busy with her new job, but I think an added moment of her presence would have made her more significant rather than the diminished entity she read as. Thanks to the character development shown in this book, I would love to read an entire sequel about Max, his relationship to Reece, and friendships with Damon and Cami. But within this book, I would have liked to see more of Albert's friends. They were props for him, not characters in their own right, and when they reappeared near the end (only for the second time) I struggled to remember their significance. This book is sex-positive, which is great, but it also talks about and shows relationships at all levels of intimacy and at different stages, which I think is even more important. Overall, 4/5 stars. Quick fun read that queers classic teen romance drama.

#jay's gay agenda #jason june #netgalley #book review #4 star

[shannonrygg]

My Netgalley ARC review of FLASH FIRE by TJ Klune:

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Just like with the first book in The Extraordinaries series, Nick’s perspective and voice written by Klune drew me in immediately. I particularly like his writing style. I was also pleased that the biggest moment of second-hand embarrassment came within the first 5% of the book, so I was mentally prepared for other awkward teenage moments thought the rest of the story. Seth and Nick’s relationship evolution was great, same with Jazz and Gibby’s. All of the things I assumed would happen or be discovered in this book did happen, but it all occurred within the first half of the book, and there were still new characters and secrets for me to discover, which kept me intrigued. This was a very plot-driven installment, in comparison to the first where it was more character-driven to introduce the reader to everyone. That said, I wish there had been a little more Jazz and Gibby, but everything we got was gold. The new extraordinaries were fun to meet. I appreciated the introduction of Gibby and Jazz’s parents, but would have appreciated either more or less. Though, because of reasons stated below, I know their presence was necessary. I would be remiss if I ignored the positive outlook on law enforcement in the first book, but Klune, from my limited white perspective, did a good job bringing it up early on in the book with Gibby’s parents confronting Nick’s dad, and holding all characters (including Nick) accountable for their thoughts and actions in glamorizing the police. By the end of the book, it felt much more realistic to me and was glad for the major change. However, my white opinion means very little on this subject. Simon Burke has truly shown his cards as a villain. Though we do not have the full explanation regarding why he does the things he does, I didn’t feel it was necessary for this book to include that, though I will want it in the last installment. The, what I like to call it, “after-credits scene” had me pacing and using exclamatory terms. It was a great hook for the next installment and am very intrigued to see how it all shakes out in book three!

#flash fire #the extraordinaries #tj klune #book review #netgalley #4 star

[shannonrygg]

My Netgalley ARC review of IF THIS GETS OUT by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I am giving this book 5 stars because I had a fantastic time cover to cover. The writing was just to my taste. The plot progression was a decent speed, it had moments when I physically felt the emotions the characters gave off, and it met the expectations I had for it. I loved the MCs, I loved the relationship the band had with each other, and I loved the band as a whole. I think that this book is really getting hyped up right now, and eventually it will be overhyped despite the fact that is is truly a good YA self-discovery/romance. However, with the pub date being so far away, I think it was an excellent move to allow people to read and review now, which then gives the book time to settle while any kinks get worked out before it all ramps up with a creative preorder campaign. I will certainly be purchasing this book when December comes.

#if this gets out #book review #netgalley #sophie gonzales #cale dietrich #5 star