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A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar | ARC Book Review
Title: A Million to One
Author: Adiba Jaigirdar
Publisher: Harper Collins
Published Date: December 13th, 2022
Genre: Historical Fiction, YA, Contemporary, LGBTQIA
Source: Netgalley & Harper Audio
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Goodreads Summary:
Adiba Jaigirdar, author of one of Time‘s Best YA books of all time, gives Titanic an Ocean’s 8 makeover in a heist for a treasure aboard the infamous ship that…
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#4 stars#a million to one#adiba jaigirdar#blogmas 2022#contemporary#getting my netgalley under control#harper audio#harper collins#Heist#historical fiction#LGBTQIA#netgalley#YA
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Rating: 4/5
Book Blurb: From the author of Aces Wild: A Heist comes a hilarious and compassionate romantic comedy for fans of Casey McQuiston and Netflix’s Love is Blind!
“My mouth still hurts from all the smiling.”—Sonora Reyes, National Book Award Finalist
Now that Wren Martin is student council president (on a technicality, but hey, it counts) he’s going to fix Rapture High. His first order of business: abolish the school’s annual Valentine’s Day dance, a drain on the school’s resources and general social nightmare—especially when you’re asexual.
His greatest opponent: Leo Reyes, vice president and all-around annoyingly perfect student. Leo has a solution to Wren’s budget problem—a sponsorship from Buddy, the anonymous “not a dating” app sweeping the nation. Now instead of a danceless senior year, Wren is in charge of the biggest dance Rapture High has ever seen. He’s even secretly signed up for the app. For research, of course.
But when Wren develops capital F-Feelings for his anonymous match, things spiral out of control. Wren decided a long time ago that dating while asexual wasn’t worth the hassle. With the big night rapidly approaching, he isn’t sure what will kill him first: the dance, his relationship drama, or the growing realization that Leo’s perfect life might not be so perfect after all.
In an unforgettably quippy and endearingly chaotic voice, narrator Wren Martin explores the complexities of falling in love while asexual.
Review:
Who knew trying to get rid of a Valentine's Day dance would lead to possibly falling for your rival. Wren Martin wants to fix Rapture High and the first thing he wants to do is to get rid of the school's annual Valentine's Day dance that drains all the school's resources, the only issue is that his opponent is Leo Reyes, vice president and one of the most perfect students who gets under Wren's skin. Wren is asexual and wants nothing to do with the Valentine's Day dance but Leo offers an alternative to Wren's budget problems, he'll get sponsorship from Buddy, the anonymous "not dating" app that has been sweeping the nation. Wren agrees but he hates the dating app, yet when he is convinced to try it he suddenly finds himself befriending and possibly falling for his anonymous match, yet he is also spending more time with Leo, his supposed enemy who he is realizing he doesn't really know outside of the supposedly perfect image he has of him. Wren is struggling with working through his feelings and trying to understand dating while he is asexual yet his feelings are growing and Wren is going to have to face the chaos of it all, that is unless he ruins it. This was a fun and cute rom com about an asexual individual discovering his feelings and dating app shenanigans. This was a cute time and I think it's a quirky overall enjoyable read.
*Thanks Netgalley and Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink, Peachtree Teen for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
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e-ARC Review: An Island Princess Starts a Scandal
A HUGE thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS: Manuela del Carmen Caceres Galvan is soon to be trapped in a loveless marriage. Invited to show her paintings at the 1889 Exposition Universelle came at the perfect time, Manuela has given herself one last summer of freedom in Paris. Cora Kempf Bristol, Duchess of Sundridge, is known for her ruthlessness in business. She chases power to secure her position among her rivals. There is an opportunity to secure it with the purchase of land for a railway. How difficult could it be to convince the mercurial Miss Caceres Galvan to part with land she’s sworn never to sell? Tempted by Cora’s offer, Manuela proposes a trade: her beloved land for a summer with the duchess in her corner of Paris. A taste of the wild, carefree world that will soon be out of her reach. What follows thrills and terrifies Cora, igniting desires the duchess long thought dead. As they fill their days indulging in a shared passion for the arts and their nights with dark and delicious deeds, the happiness that seemed impossible moves within reach…though claiming it would cause the greatest scandal Paris has seen in decades.
RELEASE DATE: May 30, 2023
See my full review under the cut!
What better way to close Lesbian Visibility Week than with a review of a steamy sapphic romance you won’t want to miss?
An Island Princess Starts a Scandal is actually a second book in a series. Adriana Herrera first introduced readers to most of the cast in book one of Las Leonas: A Caribbean Heiress in Paris. While you don’t need to read the first installment to understand or enjoy the second, I do caution readers who are afraid of spoilers to start from the beginning. There is an overlapping timeline which naturally leads to minor spoilers for the first installment.
That said, let’s get right to the good stuff.
I adored this book! Manuela and Cora are clearly founded in some time-honored romcom tropes (example: sunshine one loves grumpy one). But they bring fully realized backstories and personalities that prevent them from feeling like placeholders. Neither woman is perfect. Each has her flaws that get in her way. Manuela is simultaneously impulsive and flighty but still terrified to free herself from her controlling, homophobic family. Cora is generous and courageous, but she can also be highhanded and controlling. Each has to work on herself in order to make their love successful, and Herrera gives them both the necessary scope to do so.
I also enjoyed the way that Herrera clearly used research into the era to ground her story in actual history. Though I complain frequently about the fact that it’s hard to find happy sapphics and electricity in the same story, I do have to admit that it was a joy to see Herrera make use of a real, thriving, and loving queer community for her fiction. Not all of history is about pain and homophobia. We’ve always been here, and we’ve always found ways to bring our light to the world.
Finally, I salute the way that Herrera writes the actual acts of women loving women. Cora and Manuela are described in real ways. They are bodies that one can actually picture instead of imagining some idealized barbie doll forms. And Cora and Manuela describe each other’s realistic bodies with genuine desire. Their sexual encounters feel grounded in a genuinely sapphic perspective. This isn’t meant to titillate pruriently curious straight people. These are two women who adore every inch of each other and do so fearlessly. The reader can feel their love--and attraction--in every description.
So, if you’re looking for a steamy, tender romance full of love and joy? I can’t recommend this book strongly enough. It’s the perfect way to kickstart Pride for women who love women.
#an island princess starts a scandal#adriana herrera#las leonas#earc review#sapphic#wlw#lesbian#lgbt reads#queer lit
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Review: Over My Dead Body by Sweeney Boo.
In the days leading up to Samhain, the veil between the world of the dead and the living is at its thinnest.
One day, everything was exactly as it was supposed to be. And the next, the closest thing Abby ever had to a sister, Noreen, was just… gone.
Distracted by the annual preparations for the Samhain festival, Abby’s classmates are quick to put Noreen’s disappearance aside. The Coven will find her, Abby’s friends say. They have it under control.
But Abby can’t let it go. Soon a search for answers leads her down a rabbit hole that uncovers more secrets than Abby can handle. As mounting evidence steers her toward the off-limits woods that surround the academy, she begins to see that Noreen’s disappearance mysteriously has a lot in common with another girl who went missing all those years ago…
As soon as anyone says witches I am there and in an academic setting, oh you are speaking to me! So I was really pleased when my request was successful on Netgalley to get to read this!
The plot really does get started on the first page, and the mystery of who has done this and what has happened really does keep you gripped. The characters and the school which here is a character itself really does spring to life on these pages and make you really root for them. A great cast of characters really work together to make you invest this story and make you care about Noreen and what has happened to her (the finale is so good!)
The art though, the art is beautiful, from the details in the clothes and beautifully pointed hats (I can't explain why something so simple here looks so good, but it does) to the school and grounds, the artwork is gorgeous and the characters? They feel so real thanks to how incredibly they are drawn in this.
I really liked this! I would love more from this school and the characters and I hope that happens!
Definitely the perfect thing for Halloween.
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You Love Me by Caroline Kepnes
1. Where is the Love?
Joe is out of a toxic situation and now he is ready to start fresh, what a surprise…NOT! So, hello there Mary Kaye DiMarco “MK”, you’re next! He sees her and he knows this time will be different, this time he will do it right. But…will there be a but? Knowing Joe, I went into the book waiting for all the but’s and red flags to fly in my face.
2. The Good Guy Syndrome
Joe is adamant, this time around, to do things right; to be the good guy, whatever that means to him. So, can he get his creepy side under control? Or will he let it run wild and just blame everyone else’s for his misery? I was excited to see Joe attempting to be the good guy and I had hope that this time, things might just turn out in his favour.
3. Kill them with Kindness
As part of his reform, Joe is trying to lower his body count, so he tries to win MK the old-fashioned way while keeping his hands clean. The struggle must be real! Being in Joe’s mind is always a conflicting experience. He is meant to be likeable but also not so likeable. In his mind, it is never his fault. He is a good guy and why all of these questionable characters making it hard for him, when all he wants is to love and be loved in return, is that too much to ask for?
4. The End! Wait, What?
When it’s all said and done, I was left staring at the last page, not quite sure how to feel about the ending. Was it rushed? Was it too much or was it too little? There was something about that ending that bothered me but that’s probably because I had high expectations for it and so I was bound to be let down; the ending somehow failed to live up to how good the rest of the book was.
5. The Final Verdict
In a nutshell, it was a delight to be inside Joe’s mind for the third time. The highs and lows, the twists and turns make this book worth a read, maybe two. I would definitely recommend!
I would like to thank the Publishers, NetGalley, and the Author for sending me a copy of this thrilling book.
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Goals for 2024
get two more Salesforce certifications
Learn how to cook
Go to the gym regularly
DNF more books
Stop indulging in self deprecating humour
Apply for new jobs
Get married
Actually write things for my blog
80% on Netgalley
Get finances under control and build savings
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ARC Review: Proper Scoundrels by Allie Therin
Preorder:
Add to Goodreads:
Publishing Date: December 28, 2021
Synopsis:
Don’t miss this standalone spin-off in Allie Therin's acclaimed Magic in Manhattan universe!
Their scandalous pasts have left them wounded and unworthy—and hopelessly perfect together.
London, 1925
Sebastian de Leon is adjusting to life after three years spent enthralled by blood magic. The atrocities he committed under its control still weigh heavily on his conscience, but when he’s asked to investigate a series of mysterious murders, it feels like an opportunity to make amends. Until he realizes the killer’s next likely target is a man who witnessed Sebastian at his worst—the Viscount Fine.
Lord Fine—known as Wesley to his friends, if he had any—is haunted by ghosts of his own after serving as a British army captain during the Great War. Jaded and untrusting, he’s tempted to turn Sebastian in, but there’s something undeniably captivating about the reformed paranormal, and after Sebastian risks his own life to save Wesley’s, they find common ground.
Seeking sanctuary together at Wesley’s country estate in Yorkshire, the unlikely pair begins to unravel a mystery steeped in legend and folklore, the close quarters emboldening them to see past the other’s trauma to the person worth loving beneath. But with growing targets on their backs, they’ll have to move quickly if they
My Review:
★★★★★
I was a little apprehensive about this at first because I *loved * the trilogy this spins off from, but I needn't have worried. Now that I've finished it, I love this one too. Possibly even more, as Wesley was a delightfully cynical curmudgeon gone soft for Sebastian alone and I adore that trope.
This was satisfactory as a standalone, though it would also have been lovely if it had been expanded a bit. I hope we get more from this world in the future. And more Wesley because he's possibly more fun than even Rory.
I enjoyed the mystery aspect, but the best part was Wesley the cynical curmudgeon with a deeply buried heart of gold, and Sebastian the "dangerous marshmallow" as they slowly became closer and let one another see what they let no one else see. (They were terribly entertaining together from practically the moment they met. I highlighted SO many passages.)
Also, paranormal art!
This is a book (along with the series it spins off of) that I will most definitely be reading again because it thoroughly stole my heart. Historical paranormal MM is apparently my thing XD.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Carina Press for providing an e-arc for review.
Favorite Quotes:
...she claimed the ridiculous creature's affections eased her rheumatoid pains. What a load of sentimental rot. Everyone was miserable; it was no excuse to dote on a yappy speck of fluff.
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"Are you all right, Lord Fine?"
Wesley had some bruises, some scrapes, and blisters on his arms. But he was alive, and free, and most importantly, not on fucking fire anymore, so what came out was, "Yes."
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"Are you serious right now?" said Lord Fine incredulously. "You're handcuffed to my bed at gunpoint and you're more upset that the English hunt foxes?"
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God, everyone was always so unflatteringly surprised that he was capable of sympathy. He'd be insulted, if he wasn't, well, himself.
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A paranormal earl, yes, that was exactly what Wesley wanted to learn existed.
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There were not enough cups of tea in the world to deal with this morning.
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Was--was Wesley being flirted with?
Wesley might have just been flirted with.
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"Some people don't like my accent, or my Spanish."
"Some people don't like opera. The world is full of classless philistines."
Sebastian blinked.
"Xenophobia is a waste of time," Lord Fine went on, like he hadn't just paid Sebastian something of a compliment. "Everyone is a foreigner somewhere. Foreigners are just people and all people are universally terrible, so what's the point of disliking foreigners in particular?"
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"I said, I think you're the witch, because when I'm with you, I remember how to be free."
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Sebastian blinked. "Is everything okay?"
No, it isn't. You've just uttered the most romantic words anyone has ever said to me, in a Yorkshire pub over chips.
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Oh, Christ. Wesley was not equipped to experience feelings, this was completely unacceptable.
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And he did, despite Wesley's pessimism--maybe with magic, obviously that was going to be Wesley's explanation for everything now...
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But I will admit there is one tiny place in this godforsaken world that isn't cold and miserable, and that's the corner you light up."
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"If you stay with me, there might be a lot of magic."
"I'll be thoroughly enchanted either way," said Wesley, and went back in for another kiss.
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#allie therin#magic in manhattan#proper scoundrels#m/m romance#lgbt historical romance#lgbt#netgalley#arc review#shilo reads
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ARC Review: How To Be A Wallflower by Eloisa James
3/5, releases March 29.
Cleopatra Lewis wants to be a wallflower. The result of of her late mother's scandalous marriage, Cleo has only recently met her aristocratic relative, and the grandfather who intends to throw her into the social season for a respectable match. Valuing her independence (and her status as an heiress) Cleo ends up at a costume emporium in order to buy purposefully unflattering dresses.
Therefore she meets (and frustrates) American Jacob Astor Addison, who is infuriated when Cleo buys the emporium out from under him. Engaging with Cleo in a light battle of wits, Jake quickly becomes her genuine friend--before realizing that she may actually have a claim to his heart. But Cleo belongs to English society, and Jake can't possibly measure up. How will they make it work?
So here's the thing about me and Eloisa James. I'm beginning to realize that while I greatly admire her prose and her ability to know and nail her audience... I may not be a part of that audience. I don't know. I feel like I haven't read enough to know for sure--but James's books are so light and frothy and wonderful in that sense... And I live for angst and turmoil and dirty "so wrong it's right"/"hurts so good" books.
There is really nothing wrong with How To Be A Wallflower. It's cute. The chemistry between Jake and Cleo is palpable (and American heroes in English historicals are definitely having a moment--I'm thinking of Bombshell by Sarah MacLean last year and Crying Wolfe by Kerrigan Byrne dropping next month). But there's something very twee about all of it that I can't quite sink my teeth into. The idea of Jake and Cleo besting each other through costumes, the jokes about her father's family making "commodes".... It's all a bit too... Cutesy? For me, at least.
Don't get me wrong. They do get down to business. Eloisa James won't deny you a sex scene (thank God, in these trying times). But I will give you a heads up: condoms are practically a plot point in this book. French letters, what have you. And I will give James credit for writing about birth control in a historical romance. But I'll be honest: I kind of suspend disbelief with historical romance and pretend that pulling out and various herbal remedies are more effective than they actually would be. Why? Because look up a French letter. Look that shit up right now. This shit needed ties. That shit got crusty. That shit often needed to be soaked in water before you could put it on. I do not want to think about people in a historical romance novel using those condoms (condoms you must keep in a special box) for their vigorous and active sex.
I will not lie, reader. It did somewhat kill my boner.
So with that being said, if you're looking for a cute romantic comedy that involves low stakes and some discussion of things like condoms and toilets, you'll love this. For me, it wasn't quite on the mark.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
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Why do you always make edits for books that haven't been released yet? I always get so excited about the plot only to find out I won't be able to read the book for months
hello!! i'm terribly sorry for that! i mostly make edits for books that haven't been released yet because that's mostly what i've been reading lately.
i get quite a few ARCs (mostly through netgalley), and so sometimes if i'm feeling particularly inspired + if i love love love the book, i'll go and create an edit for it. mostly, i've been trying to just spread the buzz for books i really love. and that's not to say that i don't love other ARCs/other books i've been reading; just that i haven't really had the inspiration to edit much lately.
one of my goals for 2022 is to edit more in 2022 (possibly an edit for every 5 star read, and then some editing challenges?), since i miss being creative in other ways, and i'm hoping to get my ARCs under control, so hopefully i'll be able to edit some non-ARCs soon! i usually (if i do edit), edit right after i've finished a book, since i'm still in that ~ world~ so maybe instead of posting them immediately, i'll try to save them in my drafts to be posted closer to release date!!
hope you're doing well and staying safe! 🤍
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I'm the Girl by Courtney Summers | ARC Book Review
I’m the Girl by Courtney Summers | ARC Book Review
Title: I’m The Girl
Author: Courtney Summers
Publisher: Wednesday Books, St.Martin’s Press
Published Date: September 13th, 2022
Genre: Mystery, LGBTQIA, Realistic fiction, YA
Source: Netgalley and Publisher
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ .5
Goodreads Summary:
All sixteen-year-old Georgia Avis wants is everything, but the poverty and hardship that defines her life has kept her from the beautiful and…
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#book review#courtney summers#getting my netgalley under control#im the the girl#mystery#realistic fiction#received for review#sadie#st.martin&039;s press#wednesday books#YA
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Rating: 2/5
Book Blurb:
The start of a swoony, high-energy duology that Emily Lloyd-Jones, author of The Bone Houses, calls “reminiscent of classic fairytales yet brimming with a charm all its own.”
Iselia “Seelie” Graygrove looks just like her twin, Isolde…but as an autistic changeling left in the human world by the fae as an infant, she has always known she is different. Seelie’s unpredictable magic makes it hard for her to fit in—and draws her and Isolde into the hunt for a fabled treasure. In a heist gone wrong, the sisters make some unexpected allies and find themselves unraveling a mystery that has its roots in the history of humans and fae alike.
Both sisters soon discover that the secrets of the faeries may be more valuable than any pile of gold and jewels. But can Seelie harness her magic in time to protect her sister and herself?
Review:
Twins Iselia “Seelie” Graygrove and Isolde are on the run, forced to become thieves to survive. Iselia is almost exactly like her sister... except that she is an autistic changeling left in the hhuman world by the fae as an instant. She has magic she cant control and has to deal with her emotions that spiral. When both girls end up on a hunt for fabled treasure, their heist goes horribly wrong and now they are forced to team up with a mysterious healer and an aggravating shifter who have much more at stake than either realized. Force on the run to find the treasure while running from the owner of the compass they stole, Seelie will have to learn to control her magic before it’s too late and she ends up hurting someone else. This is the first book in a duology and while it started off interesting it unfortunately fell off for me the more we got into the book. There seems to be an actual lack of movement in the story and you can definitely feel that this is the first book in the story. The majority of the book is spent with Seelie arguing with Raze, the hawk shifter who gets under her skin but they both might have a very very LIGHT romantic hinting at while also avoiding to try and learn magic and dealing with her emotions, guilt, and spiraling of the pressures of the journey. I love that we got an autistic main character and always appreciate more representation. My only issue was that I didn’t end up caring that much for any of the characters or their actual journey because it felt like it dragged on and there wasn’t much happening. Overall, this one just didn’t work for me but definitely give it a go if you are looking for a book with character representation.
*Thanks Netgalley and Inkyard Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
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Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales Book Review
TRIGGER WARNING: Bullying, abuse, biphobia
ARC kindly given by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
After reading Only Mostly Devastated, I was absolutely over the moon to have received an ARC of Perfect on Paper. I loved the first book I read from Sophie Gonzales and had extremely high hopes for this one especially after reading a blurb that encompasses everything I could've wanted from a romance/contemporary.
Perfect on Paper follows Darcy Phillips, a sixteen year old girl who in her spare time gives the student body helpful relationship advice through her anonymous identity as "Locker 89."
She's bisexual and she has a major crush on her best friend, Brooke who does not know about Darcy's "extracurricular activity." If word gets out about it, some unfortunate events would come out and Brooke may never talk to Darcy ever again. Not only jeopardising their friendship but also Darcy's chances at turning it into something more. Luckily, Darcy's got everything under control and so far in the years that the anonymous locker has been run, nobody had ever uncovered her identity.
That is until one afternoon where she gets spotted taking letters out of Locker 89 by none other than Alexander Brougham, an annoyingly hot swimmer who blackmails Darcy for her privacy in exchange for her help in getting his ex girlfriend back. What could possibly go wrong with that plan?
A lot apparently and this book encompassed it all whilst still giving me relationship advice and an educative lesson on biphobia and what it truly means to be queer.
I genuinely enjoyed how this book explored different relationship types and styles and I loved how this book showed me that there were so many different ways to love another person. This was mainly done through the letter format where we got to see the kind of advice Darcy was giving to other students. Most authors would steer away from showing that kind of relationship advice but I think that for this book it really worked since it gave another dimension to Darcy's characterisation. She was a flawed character and that was made so by the character revelations made along the way. My only issue with her was that I never could pick up on her personal issues until she pointed them out. Although she was at times an afraid and anxious character, I followed through with her but didn't understand why she did some of the things she did until she explained them. I would've liked for it to have been a bit more clear and obvious but it didn't take too much away from the story so I still enjoyed it overall.
What made me super happy though were the many Aussie references. We almost never get represented in books apart from maybe #LoveOzYA which is often set in Australia anyway. To see a character that was not only an Aussie but from my own home town too was so heartening to see. We also got so much information about Australian dialects even I learnt something about my own that I didn't know before. Just for someone to reference the Australian-British accents in the Southern parts of Australia made me jump for joy. Oh, and let's not forget the Jimmy Barnes, Midnight Oil and Cold Chisel references and the multiple mentions of fairy bread. My Aussie soul was 100% satisfied.
But my Aussie fangirling aside, it was definitely the characters who made this book. I already mentioned Darcy but this book was so layered with the character development it's not even funny. It dealt with so many hard topics like abuse, biphobia and bullying whilst still being light-hearted. I really loved reading about them all especially Brougham who was so patient and caring yet so held together in a world where, behind closed doors, was falling apart around him. I felt so sympathetic towards him and just wanted to give him a big hug. In fact, I think all the characters deserved a big hug.
Raina was the only character I wanted more of since we barely got anything from her end. I wanted her to have more of a presence but her short page-time didn't bother me too much. I think the book made up for it with Ainsley who, after Brougham, was my second favourite character for her bubbliness and for her crazy ideas and imagination. I was never bored reading about her and I loved reading about hers and Darcy's sisterly connection and how they always had each other's backs. It was really awe-inspiring to read.
All in all, I genuinely enjoyed this book. Compared to Only Mostly Devastated I think I liked the other one more but I definitely wasn't disappointed with this one.
ACTUAL RATING: 4.3 STARS
#bts#perfect on paper#sophie gonzales#book reviews#new release#book lover#bibliophile#books#ya#young adult#bts memes#bts taehyung#bts jungkook#gifs#ya romance#romance#ugly crying#aussie#aussie memes#australia#food#lady gaga#loveozya#only mostly devastated#grease#musicals#bookstagram#lgbtq#lesbian#bisexual
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book battles: the art of saving the world
the art of saving the world by corrine duyvis
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review! this has not affected my review in any way, all opinions are mine.
2.5/5
hazel spent her entire life confined to a 1.5 mile radius to keep a dimensional rift under control, until her 16th birthday, when the rift moves, more hazels appear, and everything hazel thought she knew changes drastically.
[click to read more, there are no spoilers in this review!]
we're starting with the things i liked because that's easiest. i did end up liking the conflict with the powers that be. i wasn't sure how deep that line would go, so i appreciated where it went and the characters' reactions to it. without going into any spoilers, i thought that aspect was really interesting and THAT was a part of the story i really liked and wished it hadn't taken so long to get to. (the resolution i'll talk about later) i liked how the hazels were so different but similar, but maybe that's because i'm in a child psych class and interspersed reading this and reading about how we develop from our environment as well as genetics. i liked the hazel dynamics! i thought they were a fun group and got attached to them very quickly. i thought how the magic weapon came about was interesting. and, hey! dragons are fun! the sexuality rep was pretty good, and there were some funny lines and moments!
but also.. there were so many frustrating moments where it was just...an exposition dump. both the reader and hazels have information hidden from them for so many pages and then it's just all revealed because ??? we're given a reason, but i personally didn't find it satisfying, and it made hazel prime passive for a huge chunk of a story where she was meant to be becoming MORE active after a life of passivity. i'm ALL for passive characters, but the way hazel's active- or passiveness was handled became frustrating. i think it just fell a little too much into the telling over showing for me. it also made the pacing feel really uneven. the first 2/3rds were really rough in that regard for me, while the ending really picked up the pace and i found to be the most enjoyable part.
also i think this was an attempt to subvert the "chosen one" trope, but it fell flat to me. while i truly did enjoy a lot of the anxiety scenes around the concept — the clapping scene in particular i found i really liked — it didn't really feel like ALL that new of a take on the chosen one. maybe that could've gone further? i'm not sure.
this is a tiny thing, but it really bothered me that four never got a name. i can't say colors are all THAT much better, but they at least were identifying factors (before red changed out of her dress). even alpha got a different name. but four was just...four. and four NEVER got a distinct personality in my mind. i can think of one (1) difference between her and prime, and that really bothers me. there was so much exploration of how the hazels were different and a few identity crises, so it felt like four n e e d e d to be more distinct by the end and she just! wasn't! like what did she add to the story other than being fourth? i literally couldn't tell you. i get that there's l i t e r a l l y a conversation about this about 2/3rds through the book but it doesn't matter because it still deeply bothered me
the resolution to the climax made me mad and the ending just left me...sad and empty feeling. i wasn't expecting things to end perfectly, or tragically. they honestly ended very realistically but it just didn't....hit right? it felt not impactful enough and just a touch too real for there to be anything satisfying about it. i got the point but...i don't know. it was sad, but not cathartic. if hazel prime had changed more i'm not sure if that would've been a better ending. i don't know if there IS a better ending. i'm just left feeling like...yes this is how anxiety works. this is realistic. and i struggle with it every day. maybe that's why it's upsetting, because it's just too similar to me. there isn't enough of a change, it's just some small steps. maybe i'll feel different about the ending tomorrow but right now, right out of this book, i feel upset and conflicted
i think, in the end, the struggle this book has is that it both wants to be plot driven and character driven. and it can be both — there are plenty of stories that have adventurous plots entertwined with deep character exploration — but i think this book missed the mark for the majority of it. it came together toward the end, but that means you have to get through the clunkier beginnings to hit the smoother parts. for at least the first half, to explore hazel, or the hazels as a collective, the action would stop dead. i think there was a way that this exploration could happen alongside the action of saving the world without the sometimes jarring switches between action and character, but unfortunately, we didn't get it
while reading this book, i spoke to friends about it, as it's kind of in my nature to liveblog things i read and watch. and at some point around halfway through, one of my good friends said "ngl i cant tell if you hate the book" and that might be a good stance to stand by.
it was interesting. it was fun to talk about. i don't know if i actually liked it, and so i've had to look at it more from a craft point of view, which i don't actually do for most books. most of my ratings are based on my emotional reaction and mine to this one was just sort of... eh. so a 2.5/5
(also random fun fact, i know they're all blonde but rainbow, but i literally couldn't stop imagining red as dahlia hawthorne from ace attorney because they paired dress with the word red. i know her dress is red. i know she changes out of it early on. i tried so hard to unsee it. i failed miserably)
goodreads page for the art of saving the world
author's website
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REVIEW
The Binding Mark by Sophie Williamson
Witch Trials #2
I came into this book with high expectations. I had hopes that Sadie and Gabriel would find a way to move forward without too much trouble and that the Thornber and Sadler groups would forge an alliance that would benefit the couple. Instead of the strong magical smart being that Sadie was in book one I found Sadie the miffed, rather juvenile, gullible, quick to make decisions, person that I wanted to sit down and talk to. Gabriel didn’t get a lot of time on the page but did come across stronger, wiser, and more in tune with the real world than Sadie did. I think that if they were not fated mates they would not be my first pick for one another.
The storyline dealt with wicked witch Lavinia with a coven that she wants Sadie to join. It requires a lien and after Sadie’s experience with a lien, was surprised she jumped on that bandwagon so quickly but not surprised by the repercussions. There were vampires, a court case or two, hiccoughs in the relationship between Gabriel and Sadie, situations I found mind boggling and unbelievable, and a conclusion that did wrap up some things but leave the door open for a potential romance between Sadie’s brother Brendan and Gabriel’s right hand person Nikki. There are at least three potential sources of conflict I have identified that could be issues in book three.
So, my takeaway from reading this book is that book one was better. Book two was okay but didn’t pack the punch that book one had and wasn’t intense, believable, and easy to follow. I was disappointed in Sadie and many of the choices she made. I might try reading book depending on the synopsis when I read it. This is a book I think will appeal most to New Adult readers who enjoy this genre
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm for the ARC – This is my honest review.
2-3 Stars
BLURB
Sadie Sadler is a powerful witch; a daughter of the dominant magical clan in the north; and probably the soulmate of Gabriel Thornber, the scarily attractive half-demon who’s her family’s longstanding enemy. If only she wasn’t always trying to run as far away from him as possible…
Back in London, Sadie's tranquility is shattered when a mysterious letter arrives from Lavinia Morven, the enigmatic head of the London Coven. To stay in the city, Sadie must be bound by a lien – a promise to serve the coven, whatever’s asked of her. And while she’s not thrilled about putting her magic under Lavinia’s control or getting embroiled in more messy witch drama, she’s not going to humiliate herself by crawling back to the very person she came here to escape.
Sadie might have left Gabriel Thornber in the north, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t visit her nightly in her dreams. Part of Sadie would give anything to be back in his arms again… but she fears the price for giving in is more than she’s willing to pay. Meanwhile, Gabriel didn’t just get into Sadie’s bed and her heart over the summer—he also schemed his way into a deal with her family. And it turns out that the new alliance has interests that conflict with Lavinia’s.
Suddenly, Sadie finds herself in the shadow of a dangerous new ally, with no choice but to work against the combined forces of her family and the man she both detests and desires . It’s not long before Sadie must confront Gabriel in court once again. She gave up her magic and her body to him before… with the dark powers of the London Coven behind her, will she be able to break free from his grasp for good?
#Sophie Williamson#NetGalley#Storm#Witch Trials 2#Paranormal#Fantasy#Romance#Witches#Vampires#sacrifices
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By the way...
Followers may have noticed that I’m publishing a hecklot of reviews all of a sudden. I went on holiday to Thailand and it rained for the first 5 days, so I read 10 books in 5 days and then another 6 over the next 4. So I’ve got a bit of a backlog of reviews to post.
Serendipitously, this ties up perfectly with @netgallery-blog running a #Reviewathon, from July 22 to August 30, to encourage reviewers to get their TBR lists under control.
Well, my TBR list still has 27 books on it (and that’s just the NetGalley list!) but that’s down from 36 and my feedback ratio is up to 93%! Shooting for 95% (I’ve NEVER had it that high) before I go on another clickspree requesting new reads!
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Title: Like a Love Story
Author: Abdi Nazemian
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 432
Review copy: Netgalley
Availability: On shelves now
Summary: It’s 1989 in New York City, and for three teens, the world is changing.
Reza is an Iranian boy who has just moved to the city with his mother to live with his stepfather and stepbrother. He’s terrified that someone will guess the truth he can barely acknowledge about himself. Reza knows he’s gay, but all he knows of gay life are the media’s images of men dying of AIDS.
Judy is an aspiring fashion designer who worships her uncle Stephen, a gay man with AIDS who devotes his time to activism as a member of ACT UP. Judy has never imagined finding romance…until she falls for Reza and they start dating.
Art is Judy’s best friend, their school’s only out and proud teen. He’ll never be who his conservative parents want him to be, so he rebels by documenting the AIDS crisis through his photographs.
As Reza and Art grow closer, Reza struggles to find a way out of his deception that won’t break Judy’s heart—and destroy the most meaningful friendship he’s ever known.
This is a bighearted, sprawling epic about friendship and love and the revolutionary act of living life to the fullest in the face of impossible odds.
My thoughts: Love, love, and more love can be found all through this book. Sibling love, friendship, romance, and of course all the wonder and pain love can bring. Oh, and so much love for Madonna.
In the midst of all this love, there is also a massive amount of fear. Reza is afraid to be honest about himself because he’s unsure of how his family and peers will react and AIDS is a nightmare that haunts him daily. Just seeing anyone with AIDS paralyzes him. Judy is also dealing with fear about her uncle’s health, but also about this new relationship with Reza. She falls for him hard, but he sends some very mixed signals.
In addition to fear, anger is alive and well. There’s so much to be angry about. The injustice is enough to make someone want to burn everything down. The homophobia and the indifference and callousness of so many people – even people who would claim to be followers of Christ is infuriating. This anger fuels people like Judy’s uncle. Stephen is part of the organization ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power). Art is angry not only with the broader homophobia and hate directed at the gay community, but also at the refusal of his family to accept and love him as he is. Since Stephen won’t allow him to participate in the more risky parts of the activism, Art’s job is to photograph and document what is happening when they protest. Art’s photography is how he makes sense of the world and how he communicates his feelings and ideas.
The book bounces between Reza, Art, and Judy’s perspectives. This was a way for readers to get to know each character from the inside as well as through each other’s eyes. I appreciated hearing the different voices and it’s how we find out that under the anger and fear, sadness is also lurking. Love doesn’t erase all of these feelings, but it does help the teens navigate them.
Nazemian includes Judy’s voice, but also makes a point to mention the many women, including women of color, who were part of the resistance. In the ARC, unfortunately, he did not specifically mention Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera when Stonewall is discussed, but in other instances, women are spoken of many times as a powerful part of the movement. This reinforces the theme of the unity and strength of a diverse community. And of course, Madonna is almost on the level of a goddess in the eyes of these teens. It helps to be somewhat familiar with her music since there are many, many references to songs and lyrics, but it’s not necessary. While I was reading, I kept heading to Spotify or YouTube to reminisce or jog my memory. When I was almost finished reading, I realized that Nazemian had created a Spotify playlist. I highly recommend at least listening to some of the songs mentioned if possible. Madonna is not without her issues, but she was certainly an icon of the time and she inspired people with her refusal to conform and her desire to express herself.
Another aspect of this book is revolution. So many people in this book are part of a revolution between ACT UP, Madonna, and the teens. The general public is standing by while thousands die. A revolution is necessary for change.
Art is all about the revolution and Reza isn’t sure revolution is what he wants at all. He’s controlled by fear. He’s realizing he’s a sexual being, but is trying desperately to keep this buried for self-preservation. Kissing is great and more is excruciatingly tempting, but getting past the fear seems impossible.
Recommendation: This coming-of-age novel is truly a love story on many levels. It will speak to many and will also be a window into the past. Teens are often unaware of the full extent of the AIDS crisis and the activism required to get the government and health care community moving on treatment and a cure. It also provides a glimpse into some Persian culture and the experience of Iranian families living in the U.S. following the revolution. Get it soon if you enjoy historical fiction or love stories.
Extra:
Epic Reads Video with Abdi talking about Like a Love Story
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