I was in a mood yesterday and Chris Cannon's YA romances almost exactly typified that mood. Unfortunately, I had run out of her romances. So I gave thI was in a mood yesterday and Chris Cannon's YA romances almost exactly typified that mood. Unfortunately, I had run out of her romances. So I gave this a shot and it fit the bill well enough I'm glad I did.
Meena and Jake are sweet and I really enjoyed their explorations as the veil is ripped off the supernatural in their small town (for them, personally, that is). They team up early and I really liked their interactions. They felt like the inexperienced teens they were supposed to be as they tried to be both kind and honest and sometimes failed but mostly succeeded. I liked them coming to depend on each other and handle the weird thrown at them.
The premise is a bit weak, though, and the plot a bit haphazard. I mean, how does a small town support a population of supernatural parasites that large? And Bane is a little too over-the-top with actions that are sometimes cruel, sometimes indulgent, but always unpredictable. At least he wasn't a tool of the author or something that made him feel manufactured or fake. But it made it really hard to factor into the plans of our protagonists or what his role was going to be beyond simple marplot. Which means the plot meandered a bit. And that's not helped by having great gusts of exposition wandering around the scenescape at large, either.
So this makes for a wobbly four stars with a lot of my indulgence being that I was in the right mood and this really hit the spot. I like the main characters and their building relationship was great (mostly - (view spoiler)[Jake as vampire was a weird episode and I'm not sure I buy the explanations for his change in attitude as given. There's something hinky going on there and I'm sure that'll come up in future books (hide spoiler)]). So I was entertained and look forward to the next when it comes out.
A note about genre: I'm not sure where to place this. It isn't urban fantasy (though I'll tag it as such) and not just because it's a small town. The supernaturals and powers/competence of individuals wasn't as foreground as a UF would presume. This is probably a candidate for Contemporary Fantasy, but I admit I'm struggling to understand that category.
A note about Chaste: Both Meena and Jake are young and read young, and that includes in romance and intimacy. So we have kissing and even a pretty innocent overnight scene based on circumstances but there's no sex, onscreen or off. So I consider this pretty chaste.
Merged review:
I was in a mood yesterday and Chris Cannon's YA romances almost exactly typified that mood. Unfortunately, I had run out of her romances. So I gave this a shot and it fit the bill well enough I'm glad I did.
Meena and Jake are sweet and I really enjoyed their explorations as the veil is ripped off the supernatural in their small town (for them, personally, that is). They team up early and I really liked their interactions. They felt like the inexperienced teens they were supposed to be as they tried to be both kind and honest and sometimes failed but mostly succeeded. I liked them coming to depend on each other and handle the weird thrown at them.
The premise is a bit weak, though, and the plot a bit haphazard. I mean, how does a small town support a population of supernatural parasites that large? And Bane is a little too over-the-top with actions that are sometimes cruel, sometimes indulgent, but always unpredictable. At least he wasn't a tool of the author or something that made him feel manufactured or fake. But it made it really hard to factor into the plans of our protagonists or what his role was going to be beyond simple marplot. Which means the plot meandered a bit. And that's not helped by having great gusts of exposition wandering around the scenescape at large, either.
So this makes for a wobbly four stars with a lot of my indulgence being that I was in the right mood and this really hit the spot. I like the main characters and their building relationship was great (mostly - (view spoiler)[Jake as vampire was a weird episode and I'm not sure I buy the explanations for his change in attitude as given. There's something hinky going on there and I'm sure that'll come up in future books (hide spoiler)]). So I was entertained and look forward to the next when it comes out.
A note about genre: I'm not sure where to place this. It isn't urban fantasy (though I'll tag it as such) and not just because it's a small town. The supernaturals and powers/competence of individuals wasn't as foreground as a UF would presume. This is probably a candidate for Contemporary Fantasy, but I admit I'm struggling to understand that category.
A note about Chaste: Both Meena and Jake are young and read young, and that includes in romance and intimacy. So we have kissing and even a pretty innocent overnight scene based on circumstances but there's no sex, onscreen or off. So I consider this pretty chaste....more
This was pretty good as a YA romance. I liked the nerd troping and the characters were engaging. I wish I hadn't left this review so long, though. I rThis was pretty good as a YA romance. I liked the nerd troping and the characters were engaging. I wish I hadn't left this review so long, though. I remember having some qualms around romance-landia issues. Like Wes being a giant coward and keeping his identity secret in a way that I don't think would actually work.
And Stella's family seemed a bit like a Saturday Morning Special phone-in from central casting. Only that's a little too harsh because they actually deliver fairly well on heart and the complexity of those personal relationships being both support and challenge.
So I'm going with four stars and a well-told story.
A note about Chaste: Sex doesn't seem to be much of a thing for either of the protagonists. Well, they aren't dating anyone through the course of the story and neither has had time with their academic pursuits. So that's cool.
Merged review:
This was pretty good as a YA romance. I liked the nerd troping and the characters were engaging. I wish I hadn't left this review so long, though. I remember having some qualms around romance-landia issues. Like Wes being a giant coward and keeping his identity secret in a way that I don't think would actually work.
And Stella's family seemed a bit like a Saturday Morning Special phone-in from central casting. Only that's a little too harsh because they actually deliver fairly well on heart and the complexity of those personal relationships being both support and challenge.
So I'm going with four stars and a well-told story.
A note about Chaste: Sex doesn't seem to be much of a thing for either of the protagonists. Well, they aren't dating anyone through the course of the story and neither has had time with their academic pursuits. So that's cool....more
This is third in a series and the characters of this are setup in the second book. I highly recommend reading at least that one first.
It has been nearThis is third in a series and the characters of this are setup in the second book. I highly recommend reading at least that one first.
It has been nearly a month since I finished this and I wish I had reviewed it sooner. I'll relate what I remember I was going to talk about in a review, but I've probably forgotten some. The primary thing I recall is that it seems that Cannon doesn't do as well with stories that have characters from another book. The characters aren't as good a fit for the story and their relationship doesn't feel as natural. Delia and Jack would make a good enemies to lovers (in the High School sense) story but I couldn't help thinking how temporary their connection felt.
Of course, Cannon does the usual fine job giving us relatable teens you don't mind spending time with. I really love Delia's independent streak. And I love her loyalty and sense of honor, even when the target or that honor doesn't deserve it. I really love what Cannon does with Aiden, and that includes his abuse of her friendship. Aiden doesn't mean to exploit Delia's sense of honor, but he does and I can't really blame him for it. He's young and still figuring things out and I'm so glad that Delia was the kind of person who would be reliable when it counts, even when it brought her so much pain.
And that episode was the biggest disappointment with Jack, too. It wasn't until he figured the truth out on his own that he gave Delia the benefit of his trust. Yeah, I can see that would have been hard. But he had enough to know Delia's character by that time and I can't help thinking that his lack of trust is indicative of how far he still has to come to be the kind of guy Delia needs. I wish there had been some indication that he would get there, but if there was, I don't remember it.
So this is a solid four stars. Cannon is just so good with this age group and their lives and romances and concerns. Her YA romances are always engaging and draw me in fully, every time.
A note about Chaste: As in previous books, this is the start of a teen relationship and the characters are in no way ready for deeper physical intimacy. So there is some kissing, but nothing passionate or that goes beyond simple making out.
Merged review:
This is third in a series and the characters of this are setup in the second book. I highly recommend reading at least that one first.
It has been nearly a month since I finished this and I wish I had reviewed it sooner. I'll relate what I remember I was going to talk about in a review, but I've probably forgotten some. The primary thing I recall is that it seems that Cannon doesn't do as well with stories that have characters from another book. The characters aren't as good a fit for the story and their relationship doesn't feel as natural. Delia and Jack would make a good enemies to lovers (in the High School sense) story but I couldn't help thinking how temporary their connection felt.
Of course, Cannon does the usual fine job giving us relatable teens you don't mind spending time with. I really love Delia's independent streak. And I love her loyalty and sense of honor, even when the target or that honor doesn't deserve it. I really love what Cannon does with Aiden, and that includes his abuse of her friendship. Aiden doesn't mean to exploit Delia's sense of honor, but he does and I can't really blame him for it. He's young and still figuring things out and I'm so glad that Delia was the kind of person who would be reliable when it counts, even when it brought her so much pain.
And that episode was the biggest disappointment with Jack, too. It wasn't until he figured the truth out on his own that he gave Delia the benefit of his trust. Yeah, I can see that would have been hard. But he had enough to know Delia's character by that time and I can't help thinking that his lack of trust is indicative of how far he still has to come to be the kind of guy Delia needs. I wish there had been some indication that he would get there, but if there was, I don't remember it.
So this is a solid four stars. Cannon is just so good with this age group and their lives and romances and concerns. Her YA romances are always engaging and draw me in fully, every time.
A note about Chaste: As in previous books, this is the start of a teen relationship and the characters are in no way ready for deeper physical intimacy. So there is some kissing, but nothing passionate or that goes beyond simple making out....more
This is a pretty good YA with a light romance and excellent characters. Rallison does a lot right with this story, though the beginning was a bit hardThis is a pretty good YA with a light romance and excellent characters. Rallison does a lot right with this story, though the beginning was a bit hard for me.
Dakota has a ways to go to mature into a reasonable adult to start this story. She is clinging to the past and the father who died four years ago, wanting to be loyal to him. Unfortunately, she reads that as permission to sabotage her mother, and not just in dating (though that's the biggest manifestation). She is smart, so her manipulations are initially quite successful and she feels a bit smug in being able to pull it off in ways she terms as "having control" over her life when what she really means is controlling others.
Fortunately, Rallison is very good with this age group and Dakota's journey felt authentic as she begins to realize how broken her actions are and to start asking herself what kind of person she really wants to be. This is helped along by her mother (who I liked rather a lot) as well as her paying attention to her own happiness and how it affects her when she gives in to her meanest impulses.
This ended up being a very solid four stars with characters I grew to love. The initial meanness was hard for me to get over, even as I acknowledge how important it was to the story and eventual character arc. But it was well worth for how it progressed and I loved the end more than a little.
A note about Faithful: Dakota's family is strongly religious. They attend church and her youth group plays a strong role in the story. Being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (and knowing Rallison is a member), I detected a lot of our structure in the story, but Rallison keeps it pretty low-key. So there are no identifying or confirming aspects that would tag this as specifically LDS turning this into a really strong Christian representation that readers can probably map easily to their own faith community experience.
A note about Chaste: The romance doesn't progress far enough for sex, or even intimacy, to be a question, so this is very chaste. Frankly, given the strong Christian elements, it would have likely been strongly chaste regardless....more
I made it most of the way through this, though mostly by forcing myself to continue. It's not that it isn't well written. I just don't like Shani. SheI made it most of the way through this, though mostly by forcing myself to continue. It's not that it isn't well written. I just don't like Shani. She's young, so I gave her some slack, but there isn't a moral choice in this story where she doesn't fall short. She's awful to her mom and I don't care how often you think to yourself "I should be better to my mom and maybe apologize" but if you don't do anything about it, you're kind of a little snot. And don't get me started about exploiting the teen guy crushing on her that she's flirting with just for free coffee. And then laughing about it! The only moral choices she excels at are the things she wants to do anyway.
My last straw was when she's thinking "I should confess this thing to May. This is the time to confess my thing. It's going to be bad if this thing comes out later, I should tell her." And she doesn't ever tell her the thing. At that point, I'm all "why am I bothering with this person who can't make a good choice to save her life?" Every time a thing is hard, she blows it. Morality is about when it's hard. The things you'd do anyway? Those aren't to your credit. And Shani never once passed that test.
I'm giving this a second star because the writing is fantastic and evocative and has depth. And the cultural background was multi-layered and interesting. I wish the story had been better....more
I'm having a hard time coming up with anything definitive to say about this story. It's a serviceable YA with LGBT characters in the forefront. And AdI'm having a hard time coming up with anything definitive to say about this story. It's a serviceable YA with LGBT characters in the forefront. And Adler does a reasonable job giving us their concerns and interactions and with enough layers to be interesting. And with lead protagonists that were engaging.
And there's a flatness to that description that is probably justified but I still want to do the book justice because I enjoyed it and never felt like putting it down or moving on. The thing is, it probably shouldn't have been as engaging as it was. The romance is a bit surface with Jack and Amber pretty much falling for each other immediately with the equivalent of an "I'm into you, are you into me?" discussion that was kind of fun in the moment. And I liked seeing Amber take the chance in a moment of bravery I wanted to see more of.
There are two main sources of conflict in the story but neither one felt as enduring as it needed to be to hold up that long. The main one is everybody remaining in the closet at school out of fear of their peers' reactions. They're all out to their families and each other, and have love and support within that group. But they fear the football player/cheerleader/popular kid response should they be exposed (or, you know, honest) and that fear seemed increasingly weak as the story progressed. This isn't helped by the second big issue of the unreasoning veneration of the now-dead "hero" quarterback that our inner circle knows was a homophobic snotrag. Everyone giving Jack a hard time for stepping on his "legacy" (that seems to have consisted of a lot of failure and partying) got old fast.
So I was impatient with all that drama and this made it hard to engage with Amber's fear of exposure that drives almost all of the relationship angst. And I worry about the veneration of the closet as a thing. Look, I know outing someone not ready to own who they are is a horrible act of betrayal. It should totally be their choice and making it for them is a major violation. But there's something to be said for honesty and being yourself that can come into conflict with that principle and that needs to have some nuance I feel we're suppressing. Okay, I can feel the need to be specific. I don't consider this a spoiler as all of the elements are there early because we learn that Amber and Miquel's relationship is a cover for them both being gay. So what do you do when one of them wants to come out and the other is all like "but then they'd suspect me". And that's totally true. So you have them locked in a death spiral of maintaining a painful sham because one is ready to be out and the other isn't. And discussions are completely shut down because the closet is sacrosanct. And maybe it should be, I dunno. I never bothered being in and didn't see the point, for myself, but that's me as a secure adult surrounded by people I knew loved me. But it felt to me reading this book like there was a lot of nuance in this conflict that couldn't be explored because of the sacred closet roadblock. Trapping one person in a misery they're ready to shed needs to have some weight, too.
And I feel like I've done nothing but complain about a book I enjoyed. And I still haven't gotten to the bi-erasure with Amber who starts off with saying she's bisexual only to find that she isn't sure of her sexuality, after all. She contemplates her labels at one point and I'm sure a wikisexuality (I made this up, though it seems like something that should exist) article exists somewhere containing her eventual diagnosis. But then why start with the bisexual claim? I dunno, am I being oversensitive much? Probably.
So I feel like I've bagged on this and yet, I enjoyed it thoroughly. A lot of that is Jack, who I liked unabashedly from start to finish. She's completely herself and nothing but herself and unapologetically owns it one hundred percent. She has some huge hurdles to overcome with her new team and sometimes things look pretty grim. I totally sympathized with those times she felt like just giving up. And I was thrilled with her finding the strength to push through. She won my heart early and kept it all the way.
I'm going to say this is 3½ stars that I'm rounding up because I loved Jack so much. Even that seems a little low because, like I've said, I never hesitated in continuing the book for all some elements felt fairly flat. So it probably deserves the flat-out four stars if I'm being completely honest. Only then I remember the (view spoiler)[totally unearned turn-around of Cara at the end (hide spoiler)] and maybe I'll stick with 3½ after all.
A note about Chaste: We get a lot of references to making out. And there's a scene at the end where clothing comes off and more is on the way. But we don't get any details and there's a lack of heat that allows me to characterize this as chaste. But it's a close call so if you're at all sensitive this one likely crosses the line....more
Queer experiences in the United States are a broad spectrum. There has been a lot of progress in acceptance and outreach and education so finding answQueer experiences in the United States are a broad spectrum. There has been a lot of progress in acceptance and outreach and education so finding answers, allies, and support can be relatively painless for some queer youth. On the other hand, there are places, communities, and individuals who still carry a lot of animosity for anything "other" and being queer in that environment can still carry with it a lot of scarring attitudes and events. Both experiences can, and should, be represented in our fiction, I think.
This story is of the latter variety. Elkhorn is a backwater in Washington state where small-minded bigots are the norm and queer youth can expect little sympathy and less support. And it's pretty bad, particularly at home for Mara. I wish I could say that Mara's mother is unlikely or cardboard, but she's exactly like the mother of my nephew who is living with us after being thoroughly rejected and persecuted by his parents. Actually, Mara's mother was milder than my sister-in-law in her antagonism and manipulation. Which may be why I had a hard time with that aspect of the story (it hit close to home).
So yeah, some of Mara's story was hard for me to read because it broke my heart as I recognize that we have a long way to go, still, in individual cases; and I have to acknowledge that these things do exist and do happen.
What I found harder to engage with is the rather one-note depiction of cishet white men—a depiction reinforced by both direct attribution and by description as groups and as individuals. We have a couple dozen in Mara's team, at her school, in church, and at home. Of those, three or four are recognizably human with the rest varying from a scary psychopath (and his hyena-like cohorts) to simple sociopaths. They have, as a group and individually, zero empathy and their very best motivations boil down to "you make me uncomfortable so I don't care what happens to you, however awful or unfair."
I worry about this in general as a background message in queer fiction and it bothered me in this story in particular. Depicting a huge group of fellow citizens as 80% sociopathic is a disservice to both them and you. And here I have to be careful because my problem is that this is a one-note depiction. You can absolutely find communities where a large percentage don't know what to do with a queer kid. Bigotry, misperceptions, even misguided attempts to help (convert) are all damaging in their own ways and it isn't at all unreasonable that Mara might find little support in her community. The problem is that, at least in this story, an entire population has a single reason for their treatment of Mara and her friends. None of them want to help. None of them have any sense of honor or fair play. None of them are misguided or misinformed. Cishet white men are simply sociopaths who don't care about the suffering of others because they are cishet white men. This is particularly problematic when it is adults who work with children who have zero empathy for those children when they aren't cishet and white (I mean one of them might be that kind of monster, sure. But all of them?!?).
And this might not have interfered with my engagement with the story if it hadn't been such an overwhelming aspect of it. I liked Mara. I particularly liked how strong her sense of self was, how certain she was about who she wants to be and how she is going to deal with the hard parts of her life. She knows the pain that will rain down on her in her family if she ever came out to them. She makes compromises (some work, some don't) and she tries to stay true to herself while knowing that sometimes, there's not a lot she can do until she gains adult-level autonomy. And I liked her friends. Mostly. Carly was hard to take because she's such a strident misandrist, though given the story she lives in, I guess it makes perfect sense. And I liked all the friends she made along the way. Though once I realized that we were getting an "all girls are tolerant and accepting all the time" drumbeat I found them less believable as a whole.
Which is why I'm going to come in with three stars for the book. Mara was kind of outstanding. But the setting and side characters were rather shallow and that undermined the more fleshed-out aspects that might have had an enormous emotional resonance (like Mara's mother and how her expectations and punishments lead to deep emotional scars that might never heal).
A note about Chaste: There's a bit of a romance, but it's buried and fraught and doesn't come to the foreground until nearly the end of the story. As such, there's a bit of light kissing but nothing more. So I consider this pretty chaste....more
I made it to about halfway on inertia alone. The sad fact is that I don't like anybody in this story. Both Rhodes and Iliana are mean, angry, and selfI made it to about halfway on inertia alone. The sad fact is that I don't like anybody in this story. Both Rhodes and Iliana are mean, angry, and self-destructive.
Rhodes is deep in depression with an anxiety kicker that nobody else can see, possibly because the characterization is just that poor. I mean, her mom is pretty much evil incarnate (on the "using others for her own gratification" axis) so no surprise she doesn't see it, but neither can anybody else. The author has made Rhodes an active malevolence and that just doesn't fit my experience of someone both depressed and anxious to the point that she's literally failing everything and everybody in her life.
Iliana is a giant bundle of prickly self-involvement who is so busy with her own pain that nobody else even registers. Even her "best friend", Sarah, is merely an occasional visitor to her little world of vengeance and aggrandizement.
And even the anonymous, online relationship is fraught with misunderstandings and recrimination. So even in their curated selves where they feel closely connected, they manipulate and whine and dump emotional payloads all over the place.
All of which spells romance to me! Sorry, someone turned the sarcasm scale to "ludicrous". The single star shouldn't be a surprise at this point. I wasted enough time on it already....more
This was pretty good as a YA story, though the romance didn't thrill me any. I really liked Avery and the relationship with her sister felt genuine anThis was pretty good as a YA story, though the romance didn't thrill me any. I really liked Avery and the relationship with her sister felt genuine and endearing. Their parents were a bit strange, at times harsh and others fairly caring. But that made them feel pretty real, too.
I had a bit of trouble with Avery because she's very much a people pleaser and fairly weak about it. The story arc was clearly going to include her growth on that dimension, though, so I stuck it out. And I'm glad it worked out as well as it did.
The music angle was a sideline for too long, but it turned out stronger than I expected. Indeed, the final bit with Avery and Brooks exchanging some banter over their music felt so genuine and engaging I totally got the appeal for their audience.
And I know that all sounds pretty tepid for a book I'm giving four stars. That speaks to West's skill as an author and having some stand-out side characters and enough plot to keep the pace up. A lot of this was outside my taste and I was still engaged throughout.
A note about Chaste: Avery and Brooks are both a bit gun shy for reasons of character. So they don't really do much more than kissing, and that late in the story. So this is extremely chaste, I think....more
I'm having a really hard time approaching this review. I enjoyed this book. I was fully engaged to the end. Even as I recognize that so much of this jI'm having a really hard time approaching this review. I enjoyed this book. I was fully engaged to the end. Even as I recognize that so much of this just couldn't work.
Take the adults. All of them. Not one makes any sense as a person. Both mothers are too ideal, with only a trait and/or passion or two to their characterization. Both fathers are broken disappointments with little to recommend them, really. And Brett comes across as a bit effeminate, even as he's a little too ideal as support/enabler for Becca.
And yet. I really liked spending time with them. Even when the completely unreasonable dark moment hit, I wasn't ready to give it up. And the thing that is breaking my head is I have no idea why I liked this! I can dispassionately list all the things that don't work. And it's a decent-sized list. And I can't figure out anything I liked that much that could outweigh this list of not-working bits. I mean, I liked both protagonists well-enough. And I definitely liked them together. And Becca's ex-best-friend story arc was unexpectedly good and had some juicy nuance. And maybe that's enough? It doesn't seem like it should be, is all.
Anyway, my four stars is my admission that I liked this story and was entertained. I wish I could tell you better why that is. I'm usually able to pick a story apart and figure out what works and what doesn't. Or, more importantly, what I liked and what I didn't. I'm at a loss with this one.
A note about Chaste: There's some good kissing. And the relationship progresses to spending alone time that included sex, though it's elided enough you could convince yourself it didn't if you like. So there's nothing on-page that's terribly racy. Which I consider chaste enough to earn the tag. Others could reasonably disagree....more
I had trouble with Millie, as a character, and that kept me from fully engaging with this story. The side characters, most especially Oliver, kept me I had trouble with Millie, as a character, and that kept me from fully engaging with this story. The side characters, most especially Oliver, kept me going as there is a rich tapestry of people close to her that I enjoyed very much.
There's a desperation to Millie based on a years-old video of her that went viral. And then was memed. And that ended up hampering her in auditions for parts as people only associated her with that video and its cute presentation. She has withdrawn from auditioning since then and has been reinventing looks for herself in order to gain separation from it. And nothing says "I've overcome my youthful awkwardness" like enrolling in a "precollege" theater program that would take her to LA for her final year of High School. A program that accepted her after months of auditions and sneaking and assuming that her father would go along with it.
He doesn't go along with it.
So the plot is Millie trying to find her mother for reasons that are mostly emotional and have to do with arranging a counterbalance to her father's refusal. At least, I think that was the motivation. The thing is, once she identifies a couple likely candidates (her father isn't forthcoming about who her mother actually is), she gets weirdly shy all of a sudden. Which seems out of character. Even more out of character is lying and hedging and, frankly, doing everything in her power to avoid actually finding the answer to a question that is relatively urgent.
So I spent the entire book going "why is she dorking around with these subterfuges when a flat-out question or two would get her exactly what she wants and without all the ancillary embarrassment?" And the only answer my brain could find was "so there would be a book". And that sat poorly with me.
That said, I was entertained. A lot of that is Oliver, as I mentioned above, but some of it is also all the fallout of the awkward lies. Having a friend group from college essentially rediscover themselves, and that they still have lots in common, drew me in very well. And the messages of family and support and love were kind of cool, too.
I'm almost tempted to bump up this rating, but when Millie decided to disregard credible guidance that went against her precollege plan for no good reason (I mean, beyond keeping the story going) that kind of tanked the building good feelings for me. So let's say three stars for being basically entertaining, but not something I'd care to repeat.
A note about theater kids: I was theater-adjacent in High School, so some of the personalities and shenanigans resonated with me. But I was only casually adjacent, so I didn't find it nostalgic or particularly endearing. I'm willing to bet that readers who have a background more closely theater-involved will find this very engaging for those aspects of the story alone. It's very well presented and felt authentic to me.
A note about Chaste: Millie and Oliver should probably have been together years ago as they are pretty perfect for each other. An old misunderstanding and some subsequent antagonism prevented that so this book is mostly them finding their way to a détente that extends into understanding and, eventually, trust, friendship, and love. There's some hand holding, and a kiss or two, but that's all. So it is very chaste....more
**spoiler alert** My issues with this include heavy spoilers and some happen in the latter half of the book. So I'm tagging the whole review as a spoi**spoiler alert** My issues with this include heavy spoilers and some happen in the latter half of the book. So I'm tagging the whole review as a spoiler. I'm sorry.
I really wish this book hadn't tried to make cheating okay. Evie walked in on her dad with another woman (not quite in flagrante, but enough) the day after her parents gave them the "we're separating for a divorce" talk. So she knows he's a cheater and a huge portion of this story is her coming to terms with losing her father. They were close. She adored him. So knowing he's actually a scumbag is causing her some pain. At one point it is described as grief and I think that's about right. Or should have been.
And so Evie is down on relationships because if the best man she knows is a cheater, what hope is there, really? And I'd have had more trouble with it if it weren't a YA and if Yoon hadn't instilled so much heart into Evie and her friends. I was completely drawn into her attempts to cope with the change in her life circumstances and being so down on love.
And I even liked it when a touch of the magical hits and Evie finds herself with the ability to see an entire relationship when she witnesses a couple kissing. She sees the start, some highlights, and the end. And she becomes obsessed with the fact that every one of the relationships she sees ends in either heartbreak or grief. And again, she's young, so I was along for the ride as she struggles to figure out why people would even want this. And falls in love herself.
I should have hated X. Stupid nickname, though if your parents will name you Xavier, I suppose it's about the best can be expected. He's kind of a parent's worst nightmare, though. A tatted up singer in a rock band who dropped out of high school to pursue his dream? And yet Yoon gave him enough depth to show why he's so important to this story. He's exactly the catalyst Evie needs and bouncing off of his brand of joie de vivre was a big part of how she gains peace and finds love. And yeah, some of that is the sappy kind of love, but more is the accepting kind that Evie really needs for many of those in her life. Only. I'm not so happy with the dad thing because cheater.
This book transitions from merely great to brilliant when Evie fails to close her eyes in one of their kisses. Yes, it precipitates a completely necessary dark moment. But really? She needed to make a choice and seeing things she shouldn't have propelled this story into greatness. And setting her up for the power-granter to ask why she could see all that joy and only notice the pain.
So I'd have given it bunches of stars if it weren't for the whole cheater thing. And it's not even that her dad cheated or that Evie is eventually going to have contact with him again for his upcoming wedding with his hussy. He's still her dad and willing to step up for her in important ways. You know, except for the whole "being faithful to mom" thing. But the story goes beyond that. And I'm not upset that dad's hussy isn't a scheming harpy or calculating kobold or even evil in any way. Nice people can make mistakes and then try to make the best of them. But we get a whole batch of scenes with her family that just don't sit well. We're shown some people who seem to be truly good and kind and loving people who are celebrating. Worse, they're honoring Evie's dad as just the man for their girl. Condoning his betrayal is bad enough. Celebrating it takes that to a whole new level.
And then Yoon cheats. Evie attends the wedding with her relationship-voyeur power intact. And I'm waiting for the verdict on this cheater-relationship when they kiss. Only Yoon has Evie avert her eyes to "give them privacy" or some such lame excuse. Which is very mature of her, I thought! Until I thought again. Yes. That's very mature. Uncharacteristically mature. Even suspiciously so... And it also lets Yoon side step a pronouncement about that relationship. Rather conveniently.
And now I'm really torn. Because there's a lot of lovely stuff about this story. And a lot of really powerful things about love and acceptance and relationships. And I particularly loved where Evie ends up with X, even though she knows it is going to end. It's a really powerful statement and shows her great strength. And there's dancing, and that was fun (though kind of unrealistic if you think about it much). I think I'll go with four stars, but I kind of hate that I am. Because seriously? When an author has to cheat to give a cheater a pass, that's just not right.
A note about Race: I don't want to include this section because race is so fraught in the US right now and there's really no upside to including it. But I try to be honest and when an author does such a fantastic job making her characters part of a minority and shows the beauty and strength along with the downsides, I have to take notice. This was seamlessly well-done, and not least with choosing a narrator who does all of the characters justice. So a shout out to Nicola Yoon and Bahni Turpin for making it look effortless.
A note about Chaste: Evie is down on relationships for most of the story and X is good with taking things slow (once they take things at all, that is). And this was great. There's a scene or two that makes it clear that sex happens, but it pulls back quickly and without detail (at least in part because it was in vision)....more
I had a really hard time with Scottie in this book. The key to so much of the story is wrapped around her ex, Tally, and I just found it tiresome. I tI had a really hard time with Scottie in this book. The key to so much of the story is wrapped around her ex, Tally, and I just found it tiresome. I truly don't understand remaining attached to someone who was obviously toxic. And that's pretty much the throughline for the entire story.
I enjoyed very much seeing Scottie and Irene connect. I liked Irene immensely and her fundamental kindness and strength were outstanding. I liked her determination to prove herself in the important ways while discarding the feedback and opinions that didn't matter or would drag her down. And I liked the friend groups that ended up mixing in interesting and important ways.
So a lot of this story was engaging even as I didn't attach particularly well with Scottie. Okay, that's not entirely true. I loved her love of basketball and determination to excel and support her team. I loved that whole narrative built around raising the skills, as well as the visibility, of their team so that they could have the success she felt they could. It was great to see her take such an active and beneficial role there.
But her destructive attachment to the unstable Tally just went on and on and on. Which was particularly bad as it became obvious that Irene was falling for Scottie. I mean, Irene's patience was outstanding. And I loved that they had the hard conversations, even if I didn't always enjoy their outcomes. And the analysis of some of my favorite movies and their applicability to love and romance was great even before they showed how to apply them to good effect.
So there's a lot to like in the story. But man that plot-drag just killed me. So I'm going to go with three stars and recognize that the only thing that dragged it so low was my impatience. I'm not even saying that it was unreasonable. I've known people, particularly teens, who wrapped themselves up in someone that toxic for that long. And longer. I just don't find it engaging or interesting to spend all that time in their head while they do.
A note about Chaste: There's some oblique talk about sex, but nothing explicit let alone on the page. So it's pretty chaste, I think....more
This is very much a queer fantasy story. Indeed, Seven Hills is pretty much a queer Hogwarts, though accidentally rather than intentionally (i.e. all This is very much a queer fantasy story. Indeed, Seven Hills is pretty much a queer Hogwarts, though accidentally rather than intentionally (i.e. all the queer students just happen to enroll here rather than invitations going out by whatever the queer equivalent of owls would be). Also, there's no magic (except for the magic of being gay—sorry, I couldn't help myself. And no, I have no idea what that means). So it's a place where you have tons of queer representation with many characters being "out" and a wide-open dating/gossip pool.
There are two main viewpoint characters, though Seth is kind of an afterthought. So mainly it's Evelyn. Evelyn went through a horrible experience in her home district where she was outed maliciously and then ostracized. So she's more than a bit skittish. The story is very much her finding her way to claiming her queer identity and learning to find strength in who she is. As such, it's an in-community-focused story, targeted at queer acceptance and it wasn't a surprise when the author included a note hoping it'd be a welcoming place for other queer kids, letting them know that they are seen and appreciated. I think it does pretty well at doing that.
Unfortunately, the plot is messy beyond reason and it warps the characters in very poor ways. Like, Seth and his boyfriend have a messy dark moment that was as much manufactured by the author as it was by the villain. Indeed, all of the ending drama is manipulation central and rather painful. So first, Seth is made stupid to confront the villain without telling anyone or planning for what they might do in retaliation. Then his boyfriend is made stupid to believe the dumbest thing possible about the boy he adores. Then Noelle is made stupid to comply with the scary, dangerous villain (right, two villains, this second one coming completely out of the blue, though there are vague hints about it along the way). And then everybody does things that shouldn't have worked, but do because that's how the plot had to manufacture reconciliation, realizations, and catalyze growth arcs. Oh, and I think some laws of physics are violated in there somewhere (I clocked some cops approaching light speed at one point and I'm pretty sure that's against the speed limit).
So this is three stars for characters that were interesting and a queer-acceptance story that, while preaching to the choir (queior?), did well enough that it has a good chance of reaching people who might find comfort and identity in its pages.
A note about the author: Philline Harms is very young to have produced something as good as this is. Yes, I went over a ton of weaknesses in the plot. And the overall story is rather surface when all is said. But it's an amazing achievement for one so young. My rating doesn't reflect this acknowledgement at all (I didn't rate up just because I'm amazed a teen wrote it). So I want to express my appreciation for it and I hope the author continues to mature as she produces more work.
A note about controversy: Working against the author writing anything ever again is an outcry about Noelle. Noelle is specifically black and Harms wasn't careful in investing this detail with the weight it needed. So while the queer rep is strong, the POC rep is not. Personally, I'm inclined to give her the kudos for trying. But I'm a white guy so that carries exactly zero weight. Or possibly negative weight. It'd make me sad if she were to internalize that and give up writing as a result. It'd be a shame and we'd lose a potentially very powerful writer if that happens. I hate to see marginalized groups eat their own just because someone doesn't get it perfectly right first try. In software development, we have a saying that "the perfect is the enemy of the good" and this is an illustration of that in action, I think.
A note about Steamy: Noelle and Evelyn end up having sex and it's explicit enough that I'm tagging this as steamy. It is baaarely that much because it pulls back pretty quick. So this is the lightest possible steam and I thought it was exactly perfect for the story to handle it that way....more
This is very much a "give it the premise" story, but it flows pretty well once you do. I mean, what are the chances that you'd be a princess of Japan,This is very much a "give it the premise" story, but it flows pretty well once you do. I mean, what are the chances that you'd be a princess of Japan, really? I thought it was a bold stroke pulling in the current imperial family of Japan in what would be a huge scandal. Not that royals aren't prone to scandals, but when is the last time you heard of one coming out of Japan? Well, okay, now that I think of it, I'll bet you'd hear about that kind of thing much more if you were in Japan... and now I'm running myself in circles on a dumb tangent.
Suffice to say that this is an excellent YA story with a great protagonist and interesting plot. Izumi is instantly sympathetic, and that's enough to pull me through the unlikely bits (like the royal bodyguard who is young enough not to trip squick meters for the still-in-high-school Izumi). Further, I really loved seeing Izumi become attached to her heritage and to see her growing love for the culture and people. I very much enjoyed seeing Japan through her eyes and with her appreciation for the things she was learning.
Anyway, if this sounds interesting at all to you, I recommend indulging the impulse. I will say that the romance itself is a bit thin, though. I'm not sure I buy them together, really, which may impact my desire to pick up future volumes in the series (I understand the author has made noises about adding more). I hate when a teen romance spends the next three books pulling you in and out of a young relationship just to keep plots going a bit longer...
At any rate, this was a solid four stars and a story I very much enjoyed.
A note about Chaste: There isn't really any room for any sex in the story, so I'm glad none was shoved in. There are some kissing scenes and a dance or two. And those were lovely. But also pretty chaste. There's not even any real discussion of sex, though some juvenile humor does go a little crude....more
I finished this two weeks ago and had things to say. I even remember some of them. I apologize for the quality drop for this review, though.
Anyway, thI finished this two weeks ago and had things to say. I even remember some of them. I apologize for the quality drop for this review, though.
Anyway, this was remarkable for showing a blended cultural background. Hani and Ishu are both Bengali, but Hani is Muslim and Ishu is (I think) Hindi. Interestingly, both were fairly devout, which lead to a realization on my part that I might or might not elucidate. What fascinated me was that "Bengali" was a cohesive cultural unit in Dublin so they went to many of the same functions and had many of the same cultural rituals, despite having different religious backgrounds. Which I get intellectually is a thing but kind of loved seeing it play out so clearly in this story.
And it was fascinating that Hani, the faithful Muslim girl, was the one who was out to her parents and friends as bisexual before the story even starts. My cultural religious reference is an institutional one with an authoritative body who can do things like excommunicate. My realization in this story, and don't hate me that I'm so late to this, is how distributed that makes the designation "Muslim". With no worldwide authority, each community creates its own norms and Hani's community was accepting of non-heterosexual relationships so while it was an adjustment for her parents, it wasn't one that was wrapped up in their faith. Indeed, one story arc that I really liked was Hani acting as religious compass for her father (who had largely lapsed previously).
What didn't work so well was Ishu's motivations. She's ostensibly using Hani (openly, not clandestinely) to gain social traction to become her school's "head girl" the following year. Which is apparently up to a popular vote. And two things about that sat poorly with me. The first is that her motivation is largely an outgrowth of emotional abuse by her parents. They're hard-core success orientated and Ishu has seen that in how they're treating her older sister. So she knows (credibly) the consequences should she falter. And that's fine as a motivator, but I kept waiting for the story to acknowledge the obvious damage this abuse was causing its protagonist. Like, could someone acknowledge that this just ain't right? Hani kind of does, but Ishu passes it off like any abuse victim would. This never got resolved, though I did like the older sister becoming a lifeline for Ishu eventually.
The second part of that motivation issue is that Ishu isn't stupid, but this goal decidedly is. She's not warm and fuzzy and there's zero chance she's going to win a popularity contest in her school. So her plan is surface, at best. Which might have worked if there was an undercurrent of her using it to get together with Hani due to some secret, unacknowledged yearning, maybe, but there's no hint of that. So it felt contrived, to say the least.
And it doesn't help that the rest of the Dublin environment was so lopsidedly bigoted. This kept niggling at me throughout the story and it wasn't until near the end that I realized what my problem was. There are literally no good white people in this story. None. Hani's friends are horrible racists. Their principle and teachers all support the white students over the brown ones, every time. And when some shenanigans emerge with one girl pulling some desperately shady tricks against one of our protagonists, the principle goes from maximum punishment for brown girl to handling it private and unofficial for the white girl when it's proved white girl was the instigator. And he's unofficially supported in doing so by every white person, student, faculty, or parent, who learns of it along the way. Seriously?!? Like this wouldn't be the scandal of the year if his duplicitous malfeasance were to come out? And one of our protagonists, who by this time are together enough that it doesn't matter which one, has a father involved in politics so he has a platform from which to nail this weasel to the wall and not one person goes "hey, are you sure you want to pull this racist crap in an official capacity speaking for the school?"
So. There's enough that bothered me that I can't really go above three stars. I loved the community and how well the author conveyed it. And I loved gaining a new understanding of practical religion with insights I hadn't made before. But those other weaknesses kept pulling me out of the story and made it hard to fully commit.
A note about Steamy: Okay, I'm really paying for this now because there's kissing and some passion, but the steam was light if it was present at all. I really wish I could remember details at this point. I seem to recall a couple scenes that progressed far enough to qualify as steamy, but they weren't long or detailed so if it's there, it's very light....more
The heart of this story is really, really weird. Addison is best friends with Alexander (Ander). They're completely platonic, but due to weirdness at The heart of this story is really, really weird. Addison is best friends with Alexander (Ander). They're completely platonic, but due to weirdness at Addison's home, she has been living in his bedroom and sharing his bed, for years. Including during this story when they're seventeen. So they share intimate space and don't have any body shame but there's no hint of them being more than platonic. And all the adults around them don't have any issue with this. And they're both explicitly heterosexual so you just have to accept that this is how it is.. And if you can roll with that, it's still weird, but at least you can buy the story as written. I had to suspend a huge load of disbelief to go along with this. But it was worth it in the end, I think.
Christopher (Topher) is older by a couple of years, but hanging out at home after graduating for a thing that might be an actual thing in their private school in Australia but I just rolled with because it let him be in the story. So same house as Addison and Ander. And it sounds like they didn't much like him when he was at their school years prior because he's a popular kid and kind of a jock and they're in the "alt" crowd and into skateboarding so culture clash and all. Only Topher starts playing up to Addison and they kiss and don't hate it and it turns out that he's a really nice guy and totally into her and I really liked him.
And I liked him and Addison together as she grows past some of the things at home that suck and the fractures in their school group of alt kids. I enjoyed them getting to know and accept one another. And the dynamic with the best friend/younger brother were interesting, but only on their end. Because the problem with the entire story is that Ander is a giant snotbag. They talk about being best friends and "love you forever" but he says one thing and behaves counter to those things over and over again. And he makes Addison miserable. And it creates all this tension that made it really hard for me to stay engaged with Addison because this is the guy she wants for a best friend? In short, he is a horrible friend, let alone best friend, let along someone who claims to have her back forever.
So I'm being told their relationship is one thing but I can see that it really, really isn't. Which might have been cool if the story had dealt with that tension or break. I don't think it really did, in the end, and that broke me a bit. I mean, I loved Topher and Addison. I liked them together and I loved how caring he was and supportive. He was the best friend she deserved and kowtowing to the snotbag actually worked to make me like them both a little less.
Anyway, this ends up 3½ stars that I'm rounding up on Topher with an assist from the engaging and lovely Aunt Jelly. Oh, and I should pull out that the copy editing of this is atrocious. I nearly rounded down on how disruptive it was to have words in the wrong places or mangled sentences. The publisher did not cover itself in glory on this one.
A note about Steamy: They talk about sex and eventually have some. There is enough intimate description that I count this as being "steamy". But Stevens pulls back very fast and we don't get anything like a play-by-play. Or any details at all, really. So it's the lightest possible steam....more
This was an incredibly engaging YA romance and I fell in love with it completely. Britton is 18 and a senior in high school and pretty much just grittThis was an incredibly engaging YA romance and I fell in love with it completely. Britton is 18 and a senior in high school and pretty much just gritting through her newest foster placement to get to where she can be on her own as an adult. And I can't tell you how refreshing it was to meet the Cahill family. Foster parents often get a harsh read in fiction because they're an easy source of background trauma. The Cahills may be a touch on the "too perfect" side, but I've known people exactly like them and I can't tell you how fun it was to sink into their family and watch Britton blossom under their care. And I particularly like how well Zimmer showed the depths and sorrows that were also part of their lives once you got to know them well enough to see below the surface. This was so fantastically well-done.
And I liked how Britton had trauma, yes, and damage from some experiences in her past, but she was still a nurturer at heart. She was a complex mix of bravery and need and I loved seeing Avery and Spence peel back her layers. And while it was a little contrived having Britton form the exact friendship needed to reconcile a two year-old rift, seeing her fit naturally into the breech and provide needed healing that opens the possibility of reconciliation was outstanding.
So this is a great story of hope and family and love set in a background of loss and hurt. And I fell into it, loving every moment. So while some aspects could be criticized for being a bit too on-the-nose or too ideal, maybe, I was completely onboard. So yeah, all the stars and I really hope the author will produce more just like it.
A note about Steamy: There's frank talk about sex and a single explicit sex scene putting this on the low end of my steam tolerance. I thought it was incredibly well-done, frankly, and I loved seeing them struggle with the dilemma of their situation and how they had to work to understand one another and communicate through their uniquely intimate circumstance....more
I let this review go too long and that makes me sad. I'm not entirely sure this works, though I was engaged throughout. The setup is a bit too ideal fI let this review go too long and that makes me sad. I'm not entirely sure this works, though I was engaged throughout. The setup is a bit too ideal for delivering a "message" and that makes it seem a bit manipulated. I mean, it doesn't take long to figure out that the group Holly leaves is rather awful, including her "best friends". They are kind of crap people, so she's actually treated better by the group she finds herself on the outside of (with extra suspicion and hard feelings).
And Xander is kind of ideal, too. He's rich, but not full of himself. He's confident but kind. And it turns out that all of Holly's preconceptions are a combination of believing the lies told about the rich kids and taking things out of context to show them in their worst light. So kind of like politics, really. Which is maybe not that far off of a high school experience.
So the story of Holly learning to trust Xander moves along in their fake relationship that eventually turns real and what kept me going is that Stevens does great characterization (even though it doesn't sound like it given my complaints above). So I was engaged with Holly and I very much liked being along as she learns to trust her new friends and come to terms with her past (both the betrayal and the shame of participating in some not-so-nice bits along the way). It was sweet and I really liked Xander, even if (because?) he was a little idea.
The final message is pounded in a little hard with an unlikely public gesture and that put the final nail in any hopes this could rise above four stars. Which is actually pretty good given how manipulative some aspects of the background felt. And yes, it got that high all on the strength of the characters and their interactions. Seriously strong chops, there.
A note about Chaste: While Xander and Holly are pretending to be together, and make out a bit (okay, more than a bit), they don't do anything explicit on page. So this is fairly chaste. If you count talking about sex and planning for sex and such, well, that's a different story. So if you like to think that teens aren't thinking about or having sex, this isn't for you....more
This is second in a Paranormal series (it's right in the title) that builds plot and character over time. So read in order.
Well, I can't say I was surThis is second in a Paranormal series (it's right in the title) that builds plot and character over time. So read in order.
Well, I can't say I was surprised or anything. I still like the core group. They are very sincere. And the conflict was finally outlined in this one, so there's that. But the whole thing is a little shallow on a lot of levels. The "secret society" thing is hackneyed as Grey fills it with cardboard dimwits and preening blowhards. Well, except for Jordan. She's mildly interesting. But every other one was broadcasting "we're stupid and probably evil" so loudly I was a bit ashamed at Raven and Rage for being gullible idiots.
But the thing that grated the most, and the reason I'll not continue the series, is that Grey seems to think that you build tension by withholding information. So the drip-drip of detail is held in suspension with each revelation grudgingly dribbled well past its time. This is not how you build tension, at least, not with me. This is a natural instinct as people build stories because the teller knows the through path and tends to naturally filter noise from it. That's part of the storyteller's gift—filtering all the mundane things out to craft something interesting. But in mystery, thriller, or other suspense-based stories, it's better to build tension by letting that filter drop a bit. Suspense is having too many details and trying to decide which are important. That draws the reader into the dilemma of the protagonist and has them weighing and judging and thus engaged with the tale. Simply withholding details (like at Christmas when the gang is mysteriously called away early before Rage's mom could drop a truth bomb or two that she was clearly familiar with) frustrates readers and makes them impatient. And when there aren't any other datapoints to distract and engage that becomes deadly.
If you're into the core group and Raven and Rage as a couple this is probably a lot more engaging. And I do like those things. But the story is shallow and the information withholding as protection theme is frustrating (even though at least part of the message of this book is "don't do that"). I mean, Raven's parents are stone-cold morons, at this point. I guess they could be evil, but Grey goes out of her way to tell us that they aren't. So morons it is. I mean, who sends their daughter off to an elite academy with "Bloodshed" in its title and keep key secrets about their own time at that very academy from her? It's the rankest form of hiding under the covers so the monster doesn't eat you and adults who supposedly care for their daughter don't do that! I mean, you might as well send your teens off to college without letting them know that sex can get you pregnant and beer can make bad ideas seem reasonable. I mean, they didn't even do the supernatural equivalent of "Sex is evil and alcohol leads to pregnancy"!
Anyway, this isn't as bad as all that sounds, really. I'm saying 2½ stars that I'll round up to three due to really liking the developments within the friend group.
A note about Steamy: There are a couple of explicit sex scenes. Like, one and maybe more? So the low end of my steam tolerance. And again, Grey tends to go there when relationship-relevant things happen, so this turns out to be one of her better skills....more
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