Now, I definitely wouldn’t describe myself as someone who enjoys reading New Adult novels. They are just not typically my cup of tea. However, [image]
Now, I definitely wouldn’t describe myself as someone who enjoys reading New Adult novels. They are just not typically my cup of tea. However, once in a while I just feel like reading something a little fluffier, that doesn’t require too much thinking. A quick, enjoyable read to break a heavy reading slump.
I have definitely been going through a bit of a slump and I decided to look for something a little more fun and upbeat, such as a new adult novel that could potentially break the spell. As I was browsing through different new adult novels on Goodreads, I found that all of their synopsis sounded too generic and boring or just altogether unappealing. That is until I stumbled across Trust The Focus by Megan Erickson.
I have read quite a few novels that centre around a gay main character and these novels have been some of my most favourite books of all time. That being said, I had never read a new adult novel that dealt with gay main characters.
For those who are unaware, new adult is a genre that is one step above young adult. The new adult genre still contains the cute and fun moments that you would find in a young adult contemporary, but also includes a few sexier scenes that you might find in an adult romance novel.
I was unsure how I would feel about Trust The Focus, not because of the LGBTQ+ themes, but because I just simply am not that that into reading new adult. That being said, I really did thoroughly enjoy this novel! Sure, Trust The Focus had its fair share of sex scenes and maybe just a little bit of fromage, but it also taught some amazing life lessons. It was a coming of age story, a coming out story as well as an extremely heartfelt story.
Trust The Focus tells the story of Justin, a young man who has just graduated from college and decides to go on a cross country road trip with his out and proud best friend Landry to spread his recently deceased father’s ashes at the locations that he loved to photograph before he passed away. What Landry doesn’t know is that Justin has been in the closet since high school and has been too afraid to come out.
I enjoyed the way the story was written as, for the most part, the new adult genre can be quite a bit cheesy for my tastes. In the very limited amount of previous new adult novels that I have read, sex scenes are thrown in left right and center just for the hell of it and the dialogue has mostly been cringe worthy. That was not the case with Trust The Focus. The dialogue was believable and it felt quite real and genuine. The sex scenes were limited and included in the story where it felt right.
I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this novel as much as I did and it was actually quite the pleasant surprise. I know there are sequels to Trust The Focus, which are more like spin-offs as they deal with different main characters. I’m not too sure if I will continue with reading them all, but I wouldn’t completely eliminate the possibility. Overall, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this story and I suggest picking it up if you are looking for something a little different when it comes to the new adult genre.
--
Initial Post Reading Thoughts:
Now, I'm not huge on reading the New Adult genre, but I had never read a M/M New Adult story before and I decided to give it a try! I must say, this was pretty damn good! It wasn't too cheesy, it wasn't just a bunch of sex scenes thrown in for no good reason and it delivered an amazing message. I enjoyed it A LOT more than I thought I would!...more
While I loved this arc and the way that the story progressed, the ending felt a little rushed for me and I wish we could have gotten a[image]
4.5 stars
While I loved this arc and the way that the story progressed, the ending felt a little rushed for me and I wish we could have gotten a little more. Overall, this was a solid series! I loved all three volumes and I highly recommend them all!...more
The action definitely picked up in this volume. There's a lot more action and suspense and it perfectly sets up the third and final volume...wh[image]
The action definitely picked up in this volume. There's a lot more action and suspense and it perfectly sets up the third and final volume...which I can't wait to pick up and read! ...more
I didn’t know much about Alex + Ada before I started reading it. All I really knew was that it centered around the idea of artificial intellige[image]
I didn’t know much about Alex + Ada before I started reading it. All I really knew was that it centered around the idea of artificial intelligence in a futuristic time period. First of all, if you couldn’t tell already, I absolutely love futuristic story lines. Especially when they’re so incredibly realistic and don’t feel too far off from the near future. I love the idea of technology waking up, even though it can also be a scary thought in reality, it makes for a great fictional story. Volume one was a great introduction into this three part series and I have already ordered volumes 2 & 3!
--
Initial post reading thoughts:
I LOVED this. I'm definitely picking up volumes 2 & 3 ASAP. I love how futuristic it is. I love the idea of technology "waking up". I love the characters. I need more now!...more
“I love you, Gretchen Lang. You are my reflection and my shadow and I will not let you go. We are bound together forever and ever! Until Halley[image]
“I love you, Gretchen Lang. You are my reflection and my shadow and I will not let you go. We are bound together forever and ever! Until Halley’s Comet comes around again. I love you dearly and I love you queerly and no demon is bigger than this!”
—
The moment I saw My Best Friend’s Exorcism in the flesh, I knew I wanted it. It’s formatted to look like a high school yearbook, which is honestly such a cool concept. The bright colours on top of the 80s feel of the photographs really sets the tone for this novel. If you are familiar with the work of Grady Hendrix, you know that his earlier novel, Horrorstör, is formatted to look like an IKEA catalog. Awesome right? I’m so glad I picked this one up as it was the perfect book to get me out of my recent mini reading slump.
--
What I Liked
The chapter titles. I mean, I don’t know about you, but 80s music is the best music. Am I right? Each chapter title within this novel was the title of a song from the 80s and I absolutely loved that. Not only were they great song choices, but they were perfect descriptors for the chapter you were about to read.
The friendship. Gretchen and Abby have an amazing friendship. They were always there for one another from the beginning to the end. Abby knew something was wrong with Gretchen, only a best friend would, and she always searched for a solution to bring her best friend back to normal. Even when everyone doubted her and started to believe she was insane, she never gave up. That’s true friendship is you ask me.
The descriptive visuals. Oh man, there were scenes in this novel that were described so well that they provided the most intense visuals. Honestly, there were certain moments in this novel that would be absolutely PERFECT for a film adaptation. This could easily be adapted into a film with the same vibes as Jennifer’s Body or something along those lines. It definitely has some comedic moments (um, the Lemon brothers?) mixed in with some seriously creepy scenes.
--
What I Didn’t Like
The how? It really may have been that I missed this tiny important detail, but how exactly did Gretchen become possessed? I’m a little lost on how this whole story came to be. She ended up lost in the woods and then what? Did some random teenagers preform some sort of ritual with her? For some reason this just wasn’t very clear for me.
The fast forward. I’m not sure how much I liked the idea of the time jump at the end of this novel. I kind of wish that we stayed in the time period of Gretchen and Abby throughout high school. I’m happy to know that their friendship went on after that, but I do wish it stuck with a single time period.
--
It’s no secret that I really enjoyed My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix. A horror story, mixed with a bit of comic relief that takes place in the 1980s? Count me in. I highly recommend checking out this novel! Before you go, check out my blog post of this review by clicking the banner above, where I have decided to quickly put together a Spotify playlist based on the chapter headings throughout the novel! Enjoy the 80s greatness!
--
Initial post reading thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book! It was entertaining and I could easily see it being adapted into a horror/comedy in the style of Jennifer's Body or something along those lines. The only thing that bothered me slightly was the way in which Gretchen was possessed. Did I miss something? Or was it never really explained?...more
“We eat together. No one distracted by phones, no one politicking for money or stature. No loud egos. No one more impor[image]
Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars
“We eat together. No one distracted by phones, no one politicking for money or stature. No loud egos. No one more important than anyone else…how sweet the simplicity is.”
I grabbed this first volume of Tokyo Ghost on a whim while attending Fan Expo Canada at the end of the summer. I had heard of it previously because (if you don’t know this yet, where have you been?) Deadly Class, also written by Rick Remender, happens to be my favourite comic series of all time. While exploring the other works of Remender, I came across Tokyo Ghost and knew I needed to pick it up as soon as I could. Well, I finally did…and even though it took me forever to finally read it, I’m super glad that I did.
—
What I Liked
The writing. Rick Remender just never disappoints. The first time I read anything by him was Deadly Class, and the writing was so instantly relatable, it hooked me right in. It was no different with Tokyo Ghost. The writing is phenomenal and I absolutely fell in love with it.
The art. Tokyo Ghost contains some of the most intricate and detailed artwork I have ever seen. Not only is the art style beautiful in itself, but the colouring is unlike anything I’ve seen in a comic before. There were moments where it may have felt a little too busy, but for the most part, Tokyo Ghost is visually stunning.
The creative storyline. I mean, how unique is this. A futuristic setting in which the drug of choice is technology. Honestly, this doesn’t seem very far off from a possible future reality.
The characters. I won’t lie, at first I wasn’t really connecting with either Debbie or Led, but then we got to learn more about their back stories. That’s when I fell in love. Their story is just perfect and I was not expecting that at all from this comic. Not only were our two main characters fantastic, but we also got to meet quite a few memorable side characters.
—
What I Didn’t Like
The slow start. It took a little while before I really started feeling the story and the characters. Tokyo Ghost starts with a very action packed scene and it took me a while to understand everything that was happening. I’m glad I stuck with it though, because things definitely got interesting.
—
While Tokyo Ghost was slow to start, and maybe slightly confusing at first, it definitely picks up and is just as action packed, well written and beautiful as I expected. I have already ordered volume two because Rick Remender is the master of the cliffhanger.
--
Initial post reading thoughts:
Rick Remender wrote it...so I bought it. It took a while to get started and I'll admit I was a little confused at first, but once the story got going, I was totally into it. I loved the writing, the art, the story and the creativity of it. This one is definitely worth checking out!
I would like to thank Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing me with an ARC of A List Of Cages in exchange for an honest review. This does[image]
I would like to thank Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing me with an ARC of A List Of Cages in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my personal rating.
-
“But why can’t good things feel like forever? […] I want to spin it back…slow it down. Why is time like that? Why does it slow down in the places you don’t want it to, but it speeds away when you’re happy?”
This book. This book completely broke me. It was devastating, yet beautiful. Does that even make sense? Probably not, but honestly…read this book. Please. If you have to choose just one of my recommendations, choose this one for your TBR in 2017.
-
What I Liked
Absolutely everything. Okay, I promise to delve deeper into what I liked in the next few paragraphs, but honestly…this is probably going to be the book that I recommend to everyone in 2017.
The friendship. Who wouldn’t want a friendship like Julian and Adam’s? They hadn’t seen each other in years and yet Adam acts like Julian has been a part of his life the entire time. He makes sure Julian shows up to his counseling sessions every week at school. He makes sure Julian has friends to hang out with. He makes sure Julian has a place to sit at lunch everyday. Most importantly though, he instantly knows when something is wrong. Julian genuinely cares about Adam. Adam makes him feel safe even in the worst situations. They both need each other and their friendship is beautiful.
That it didn’t hold back. A List of Cages deals with the heavy topic of child abuse. It’s not an easy topic to write about and it definitely is not an easy topic to read about. I found myself not wanting to read the next sentence, not because it was written badly, but because I just couldn’t bare to find out what horrible things would happen next. A List of Cages did not hold back. This book is heavy and dark, but it’s so important that this book exists.
The writing. I read this book in 3 sittings. If I had the time to read it one, I probably would have. It was super fast-paced and a really quick read. Even though it felt like I read this book in 5 seconds, so much happened. I just couldn’t put it down. While I was at work, I was itching to read it. While I was taking the bus home, it was all I could think about (damn you motion sickness). It was beautifully written and everything flowed perfectly.
The dual perspectives. A List Of Cages is told in the dual perspectives of Julian and Adam. It didn’t alternate at every other chapter, but changed perspectives at random and yet it was still super easy to follow. It was great to see the story told from both characters as it provided a look at two very different lives and how they ended up connecting.
-
What I Didn’t Like
As you can tell, I loved everything. The only thing that maybe bothered me a little was that I really wanted to know where Russel was going when he would disappear for days on end. But that detail is so small and insignificant when the rest of the story was so amazing that I’m not going to dock any points for it.
-
As you can tell, I absolutely adored this book. It’s beautiful and devastating all at the same time. This book will break you, but I promise you will also fall deeply in love with it. Please read this book!
--
Initial post reading thoughts:
This was so good. It was heartbreaking and it broke me, but it was so good. ...more
"As I walked him to the station John said, 'I wish we could hold hands properly.' The weight of what he said sank in. 'Maybe one day, when thin[image]
"As I walked him to the station John said, 'I wish we could hold hands properly.' The weight of what he said sank in. 'Maybe one day, when things change.'
Holding The Man is a memoir written by Timothy Conigrave about growing up and living as a gay man in the 1970s and 1980s in Australia. Tim realizes he is gay at a young age and the novel begins with his self discovery and experimentation with a few different boys, until he meets John Caleo. John is the captain of the high school football team and what at first seems like an unlikely relationship, becomes one of the most heartbreaking stories I have ever read. We get to experience their relationship and all of the ups and downs that they had to overcome together. Whether it was coming out to their parents and friends or dealing with the HIV and AIDS pandemic of the 1980s, Holding The Man felt so real and personal and it is a true treasure of a novel.
The 1980s have always been a decade in which I wish I could have lived. Hell, even the 1970s would have been awesome to experience. However, there are times when I read books or watch movies that take place in this era and I realize how much we take today for granted. I didn’t grow up hearing about the AIDS pandemic on the news. It was something we learned about in school and through pop culture, but I never experienced the scare of this new virus going around and killing people without any real explanation or form of medication that could help. Reading Holding The Man helped me understand what that must have been like, how scary it must have been. To know that you were one hundred percent going to die if you got this disease, I just can’t even imagine how that must have felt.
"Later that night my head was filled with AIDS, young people dying in pain. My relationship with John is not forever. Either we break up or one of us dies. There was no relief from this thought."
Timothy Conigrave is such a phenomenal writer. He didn’t hold back a single detail, no matter how shocking, risqué or depressing it was. I think that’s probably part of what made this book feel so real, other than the fact that it is indeed a true story of course. Tim didn’t romanticize anything. He poured his heart and soul out into this memoire by telling his story exactly how it was. Was his relationship with John perfect? No. I watched the film adaptation of this novel, before realizing it even was even based on a true story/memoire, and I can tell you right now that the film definitely took some liberties. While it did explore Tim’s need to experiment, it didn’t nearly go into the level of detail that the novel had. Although Tim and John had their rough patches, these two were clearly soulmates. One could not live without the other. To be together for 15 years, even if it was off and on, definitely means something. They never left each others side and they were always there for one another when they needed love and support the most.
While I had no idea what I was getting myself into as I watched the film, I was well aware of what I was getting myself into as I read the book. I cried both times. Probably from shock while watching the film as I had no idea the direction that it was about to take, but probably from complete and utter sadness while reading the novel. Even though I knew what was coming, the book provided an entirely new level of detail and emotion that just got to me. Honestly, I think that this book would make anyone who reads cry. It’s completely devastating, but also extremely beautiful.
"On the way home I thought about what Mark had said, and slowly the things that John did came into my head. The way his hand brushes mine as we are walking, his little finger hooks mine, our secretive version of holding hands. The smile that breaks out on his face when he sees me. His pet names for me...and my favourite, him playing with my hair while my head is in his lap as we watch television. I was warmed by these memories and realized that I only had to look around to see that he indeed loved me."
--
WHAT I LIKED
I absolutely loved everything about this book. I loved that we got to experience the relationship between Tim & John as they were growing up from high school students to adults. I loved that their relationship was far from perfect. I loved how truthful and raw the writing was. I loved learning about how each of the boys’ family and friends reacted to them as a gay couple and then again as they were both diagnosed with AIDS. This book was hands down one of the most beautiful novels and one of the most heartbreaking true stories I have ever read.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
As mentioned, I absolutely loved EVERYTHING about this book. I wouldn’t change a single thing about it. Everyone needs to read this wonderful novel. I’m truly grateful that I was able to come across this beautiful true story.
I would like to thank Candlewick Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Light Fantastic by Sarah Combs is a book that gave me a new perspective on common everyday life in the United States of America. As a Canadian, you would think our lifestyles and our daily way of life would be similar considering how close we are to one another…I mean we’re literally attached for crying out loud. So why is it that our lives are so very different from one another? I’m not saying that as a Canadian I live this perfect and sheltered life, but tragedies such as school shootings that are the main focus of The Light Fantastic, just aren’t as common here as they are in the United States. They definitely happen in Canada, don’t get me wrong…but even while watching the news at home, I hear so many horror stories that come out of the States that genuinely shock me.
The Light Fantastic takes place in a few different states and is told in the multiple perspectives of different characters throughout each of these states. The story takes place not too long after the Boston Marathon bombings that took place in 2013. It deals with the aftermath of that terrible event and how it has effected multiple teenagers throughout America. The Light Fantastic is definitely a dark read as it deals with some pretty heavy, and all too realistic, topics.
“…real-life shootings kept happening. All the time. No: all the time. These things could barely get a WTF out of anyone anymore, such was their frequency.”
While I typically enjoy multiple perspectives as a storytelling device, I found the amount of perspectives in The Light Fantastic to be a little confusing. I found it difficult to keep track of which characters were from which state and I found it hard to differentiate the characters from one another. Because this story was relatively short and due to the multiple perspectives, I found it really hard to connect to any of the characters. They felt a little flat and I didn’t feel as though I really got to learn much about them as people. There was definitely the potential to have interesting and dynamic characters throughout The Light Fantastic. I wanted to learn more about April and her memory. I wanted to learn more about “The Mastermind” and what made him tick and why he was the way that he was. While I did find the amount of perspectives to be a little much, I did love how they were all connected in varying ways regardless of the fact that they were all from different locations across America.
The Light Fantastic is such an important read, especially because of how realistic and truthful it is. As a Canadian, The Light Fantastic gave me a new perspective on what living life in constant fear of the next attack must feel like. I’m lucky enough to have grown up in a country with strict gun laws and I’m honestly really grateful for it. Once again, it’s not like terrible things don’t happen here, but I’m so glad that it isn’t something that feels like a common everyday occurrence.
“So I sit back down, go back to the only place there is to go, the last place I want to be: inside my own mind. It’s getting dark in there.”
The Light Fantastic definitely opened up my eyes to something that is happening right next door. It is an important read that deals with topics that need to be discussed more frequently. I hope that one day soon, these tragedies will feel less like the norm and more like a thing of the past.
--
Initial post reading thoughts:
While this book dealt with extremely important and all too real topics, I was a little underwhelmed by it. It was pretty slow and didn't pick up until the final chapters. I'm left with a few questions and the writing style just wasn't for me....more
I came across Romeo and Jude during my daily morning visit to the Audible website. Every day, Audible has a Daily Deal in which they feature an[image]
I came across Romeo and Jude during my daily morning visit to the Audible website. Every day, Audible has a Daily Deal in which they feature an audio book at a significantly cheaper price. Romeo and Jude caught my eye for some pretty obvious reasons. One, it was obviously a take on Romeo and Juliet and two, it quite clearly featured a gay relationship. Consider me intrigued.
--
What I Liked
The classic retelling with a slight twist. Romeo and Jude is set in modern times as an amateur theater company in a small town plans to put on a production of Romeo and Juliet. The only catch is, they have a very avant-garde director who feels like she wants to follow in the path of Shakespeare and use a male actor to play Juliet. What starts out as an awkward on-stage situation between the two male leads ends up turning into an off-stage love affair. I thought this was a unique and interesting take on a classic Shakespearean play.
The audio drama. I listened to this as an audio drama, making it the second one I have ever listened to, the other being Locke & Key. I absolutely love the idea of audio dramas as it feels as though you’re watching a film…minus the visuals. A lot of the storytelling is being done by the multiple voice actors as well as the many sound effects and musical score. Audio dramas are honestly one of the best things I have come across since I started using Audible.
The multiple voice actors. It was easy to determine who was who as each character was portrayed by a different actor. This also helped me visualize each character, especially our two lead men as there is supposed to be a considerable age difference between the two of them. I think this was conveyed perfectly based on the choices of Owen Teale and Matthew Tennyson as our lead voice actors.
--
What I Didn’t Like
The slight change of the ending. The entire audio drama was basically following the main points of the classic tale of Romeo and Juliet…until the very end. Why follow the story so closely only to change the ending? Everyone knows how Romeo and Juliet ends. Everyone knows what to expect and what they’ve gotten themselves into when they start reading. The ending is probably the most memorable thing about the original…so why change it?
Tyrone. The Tybalt of this version of Romeo and Juliet. He was just despicable. I know that his character is supposed to be, but man did he ever grind my gears while listening to this story. It may have also been the way he spoke…which wasn’t with your typical prim and proper British accent compared to the other actors in the cast.
--
Overall, Romeo and Jude was definitely worth the listen. It was a unique and different take on a familiar story that we all know very well. It was refreshing and wonderful to listen to in its audio drama format. I highly recommend checking it out, or any audio drama for that matter. They’re always a fun experience!
--
Initial post listening thoughts:
I mean. I knew where this was going. It's a retelling of Romeo and Juliet for crying out loud. But that one minor change at the end irritated me slightly....more
“Imagine you’re a fish, swimming in a pond. You can move forward and back, side to side, but never up out of the water.[image]
Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars
“Imagine you’re a fish, swimming in a pond. You can move forward and back, side to side, but never up out of the water. If someone were standing beside the pond, watching you, you’d have no idea they were there. To you, that little pond is an entire universe. Now imagine that someone reaches down and lifts you out of the pond. You see that what you thought was the entire world is only a small pool. You see other ponds. Trees. The sky above. You realize you’re a part of a much larger and more mysterious reality than you had ever dreamed of.”
Dark Matter is one of those books that makes you think. I mean seriously, it made my brain think in ways it has never had to think before while reading this complex yet fast-paced new novel by Blake Crouch.
—
What I Liked
I loved the science-fiction aspect of this thriller. I’ve read quite a few thrillers in the past and it is definitely one of my favourite genres, but with the added aspect of a science fiction twist on things, Dark Matter really stood out as an interesting and unique read.
I loved how fast paced it was. Thrillers and science fiction in general have the tendency to be slightly long winded. They can be over descriptive and feel like they’re dragging on forever. However, Blake Crouch managed to write one of the most fast-paced novels within this genre that I have ever read. His writing style was so quick and to the point and while it dealt with a bit of science jargon, I was able to understand almost everything that was going on.
I loved that it made me think. Dark Matter seriously made me consider all of the possible life choices I have ever made. It kind of freaked me out a little…but I liked it?
The idea of multiple alternate timelines. This isn’t a unique concept per se (Community, Misfits and Back To The Future have all dealt with the idea), but it was done in such a way that was creative and original.
What I Didn’t Like
I had a few moments of confusion, and I suppose I have been left with a few questions, but honestly, I REALLY enjoyed the heck out of this novel.
—
So now I’m left with my thoughts. What if I had made a different choice at some point in my life many years ago and it completely altered the way I live my life today? What are all the other Marias doing right now? Excuse me while I go and contemplate all of the choices I have ever made throughout my entire lifetime. *existential crisis ensues*
--
Initial post reading thoughts:
So...this was a mindfuck. Dark Matter made my brain think in ways it has never had to think before. It was extremely intriguing and very unique. I won't lie, it definitely lost me a little at some points, but it always found a way to reel me back in. Excuse me while I go think about all the choices I've made throughout my entire existence....more
It had been a little while since I read volume 1, but I was able to jump right into this volume no problem. The second I started reading, I was[image]
It had been a little while since I read volume 1, but I was able to jump right into this volume no problem. The second I started reading, I was able to jump right back into the story. I loved the element of time travel in this volume. I know it was introduced in the first volume, but it really went all Back To The Future in this one. We saw multiple versions of one of the characters which was pretty awesome! I still have a few questions, especially about the extreme future timeline and what the hell is going on over there. Also, is Apple the mecca of the world in some sort of futuristic timeline? I need volume 3 now!
--
Initial post reading thoughts:
This was super entertaining and action packed! My brain hurts a little...but like, in a good way? Man, I love time travel....more
"People should just be allowed to look in the mirror and see all kinds of possibilities. Everyone should be able to feel nice when they look in[image]
"People should just be allowed to look in the mirror and see all kinds of possibilities. Everyone should be able to feel nice when they look in the mirror. They should at least be able to see themselves reflected in there, even if they look all weird."
--
What I Liked
Pen. I absolutely loved Pen. I thought she was a well-written ad well-developed character. I loved her relationship with her friends and especially her relationship with her brother. She was an extremely relatable character for me and I’ll be expanding on that in the next paragraph.
How relatable Pen was. I was able to relate to Pen quite a lot. I’m not Portuguese, and my parents were born here in Canada, but I do come from an Italian family. My grandparents immigrated to Canada from Italy. My grandparents would take care of my sister and I after school so we grew up in a pretty traditional European setting. Our family is pretty much just as large as Pen’s and although I’m 24 years old, I still get seated at the kids table during holiday get-togethers. No, I don’t wear men’s clothing all the time, but I would much rather wear a formal outfit that consists of pants rather than a skirt or dress. I’m definitely not on the same level as Pen, but I’ve never really felt comfortable as a stereotypical girly-girl type either. I’ve always enjoyed things that are darker in nature or maybe things that aren’t the “norm”. I grew up collecting Hot Wheels, watching Hockey and falling in love with the Fast & The Furious movies. Pen really spoke to me as a character and I was able to understand where she was coming from and the way that she was feeling.
The writing style. Although I’m no longer in high school, and I haven’t been for about 7 years now, the writing style is perfect for that demographic. It was very casual and I can definitely see my teenage self speaking in the same way that Pen and her friends talk to one another. I think that M-E Girard perfectly captured the voice of the teenage demographic.
—
What I Didn’t Like
The repetitive-ness. There were a few moments that felt a little repetitive. The multiple arguments between Pen and her parents felt a little too similar and there wasn’t really any benefit to them. The first one or two were okay because they set the tone in the relationship between Pen and her parents, but after a while it started to feel a little repetitive for me.
Colby. He was just vile. He pissed me off so many times and I just could not stand him.
Overall, I really enjoyed Girl Mans Up by M-E Girard. As you may have noticed, it was extremely relatable. I loved Pen and I loved her character development. I thought the writing style was fantastic. Girl Mans Up is a wonderful debut novel by M-E Girard and I’m super excited to see what she’ll be coming out with next!
--
Initial Post Reading Thoughts:
A great coming of age story! I felt like I could relate with Pen on many levels while reading this novel. I love that it featured a young girl. I loved that it took place in Canada. There were just a lot of things that I loved and that I could relate to....more
I’ve been waiting for this one ever since I finished reading volume 1! Archie has been a part of my life ever since I was a kid. I would read t[image]
I’ve been waiting for this one ever since I finished reading volume 1! Archie has been a part of my life ever since I was a kid. I would read the comics all the time as my mom would bring the digests home for me every once in a while. This second volume picks up right where the first left off. Archie (as always) is bouncing back and forth between Betty & Veronica while obtaining important advice from his best friend Jughead. I’m not sure if I enjoyed this volume as much as I enjoyed the first one, but I did really love reading it!
--
Initial post reading thoughts:
Good ol' Archie. I don't think I'll ever get tired of Archie comics. This volume was full of poor Archie getting mixed up in many different scenarios...as per usual!...more
I would like to thank the author, Tiffany McDaniel, for contacting me and providing me with an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest [image]
I would like to thank the author, Tiffany McDaniel, for contacting me and providing me with an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating: 4.5 Stars
“Why, upon hearing the word devil, did I just imagine the monster? Why did I fail to see a lake? A flower growing by that lake? A mantis praying on the very top of a rock? A foolish mistake, it is, to expect the beast, because sometimes, sometimes, it is the flower’s turn to own the name.”
The Summer That Melted Everything is one of those books that just had me completely stunned after reading it. What started out as something that felt unique and quirky, quickly turned into something extremely dark and depressing. This story went places that I definitely did not see coming. I’m left in shock, especially after reading the final chapters.
The Summer That Melted Everything begins with an open letter, printed in the newspaper, inviting the Devil himself to visit the town of Breathed, Ohio. The Devil himself indeed shows up..in the form of a young 13 year old boy. As the Bliss family takes the boy in as one of their own, a slew of dark and unfortunate events surround the family and the rest of Breathed, all during the hottest heat wave the town has ever experienced.
“I know the sins of everyone who comes to hell. That’s part of my misery. To know and feel theirs.”
The Summer That Melted Everything takes place during the summer of 1984. I don’t know about you, but I have always wished that I could have been alive during the exciting decade that was the 1980’s. However, I keep reading books that take place in this decade that make me realize that maybe it wasn’t the most ideal decade to have grown up during. Drug abuse was at an all time high, an epidemic known as the HIV/AIDS virus had begun to spread and all of this formed into a decade of mass chaos. The Summer That Melted Everything was another one of those books that allowed me to realize that the 1980’s weren’t as amazing as they may seem in my mind.
The story opens with Fielding Bliss, an elderly man, telling the story about his past in the summer of 1984 and the endless amount of tragic events that plagued his family. I loved the back and forth in the story telling between Fielding as an older man and Fielding as a 13 year old boy in 1984. At first this shows the stark difference between who he was as a child and who he became as an older man. As the story continues, we begin to witness what could have happened to make this sweet caring boy become a bitter and depressed old man.
“I am not the ruler of hell. I am merely its first and most famous sufferer turned custodian with the key to the gate in my back pocket.”
I loved the unique take on the “devil” character depicted as a young teenaged boy. I’ve come across the devil as a character in many other forms of pop culture, but I can’t say that it has ever been described as a child before. Demons yes, but the actual devil himself? I don’t think so.
As the story progresses you begin to learn that there is a lot more going on. Everything starts to reveal itself and the novel unravels and we begin to learn the truth behind this mysterious young boy. Is he really the devil or is it just a coincidence that all of these terrible and tragic events are occurring during the one summer that he shows up?
“The more holes we dig, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the less solid ground any of us will have to stand on.”
There are moments in this story that were completely heartbreaking and they all happened so quickly, one right after the other. There was one moment towards the end of the novel that had me completely shocked and feeling broken. I wasn’t expecting something like that to happen and it truly did upset me. The Summer That Melted Everything definitely contains its fair share of extremely dark and depressing themes. So many that I thought, “there can’t possibly be anything worse that could happen next.” Of course every time I thought that, something terrible was right around the corner.
The writing style of Tiffany McDaniel is amazing. The quotes I have highlighted throughout this interview don’t even begin to showcase the level of writing found throughout this novel. I found myself re-reading sentences so I could find the deeper meaning hidden behind them.
The Summer That Melted Everything truly is an amazing debut novel by author Tiffany McDaniel that will have you thinking about it long after you have finished reading. This novel made me go through some serious emotions and touched me in ways that I was not expecting.
--
Initial post reading thoughts:
Damn. What started as interesting and quirky turned dark and depressing as the story continued. I thought that this novel was written beautifully as it deals with some serious themes. There were moments that had me feeling extremely upset while others had me smiling....more
The Wicked + The Divine contains such a unique storyline that it’s impossible to ignore. The individual issue covers a[image]
Actual rating: 3.5 Stars
The Wicked + The Divine contains such a unique storyline that it’s impossible to ignore. The individual issue covers are stunning in themselves, but the story within is just as fantastic. However…even with the alluring title “Rising Action”, this volume wasn’t the best for me. It was slightly hard to follow at time and when I finally got into it…it kind of just ended.
--
What I Liked
The rising action. They weren’t kidding with this title. This fourth volume of The Wicked + The Divine definitely picked up in terms of the action sequences. It was super fast paced and shit went down.
The art. After the third volume tried something a little more on the experimental side, The Wicked + The Divine: Rising Action decided to bring it back to the normal art styling of Jamie McKelvie & Matt Wilson. I’ve loved the art ever since I picked up the first volume so it was definitely a bit of a bummer to see that it had been changed within the third volume. I was so glad to see it return to normal this time around.
The characters. I’ve always loved the characters within this series. They’re all pretty diverse and interesting with their own individual character traits and god-like special abilities. Obviously, I like some more than others, but they’re all still interesting and intriguing in their own unique way.
--
What I Didn’t Like
The confusion. It took me until almost half-way through this volume to get a grasp on what was going on. With the flashback type storyline of volume 3, we didn’t get the answers to the cliffhanger ending of volume 2 until now which made it especially difficult to remember what had even happened. I technically could have re-read the existing issues before picking up this instalment, but even so, I think the opening to volume 4 felt pretty vague until we started to get a few answers about half way through.
The ending. It was pretty underwhelming. There wasn’t really any kind of cliffhanger or anything that has be hyped up for the next volume. I’m usually left with the anxious feeling of being unable to wait for the next volume…but not this time around.
--
As mentioned, this wasn’t my favourite volume, but it also wasn’t terrible. Something was just lacking this time around for me. I do love that the art was back to normal and I’m still loving all of the characters, but it was just lacking a little bit of je ne sais quoi. I’m eager to see what will happen next, but I’m not exactly in any hurry.
--
Initial Post Reading Thoughts:
While this was definitely the most action packed volume to date, I found it a little hard to follow at times. It didn't really come together and make sense until about half way through. I did, however, absolutely love the art and the colouring as it is now back to normal. It was visually amazing!...more
Firstly, I would like to thank Jesse from Books At Dawn for introducing me to this series and for giving me his extra copy of Falling Kingdom[image]
Firstly, I would like to thank Jesse from Books At Dawn for introducing me to this series and for giving me his extra copy of Falling Kingdoms to read and enjoy! And that’s exactly what I did. I enjoyed the hell out of this book.
I remember when I first met Jesse, we were talking about some of our favourite books and he brought up the Falling Kingdoms series. I looked it up on the handy-dandy Goodreads and I was immediately intrigued by the premise. I also noticed that there were four books already released in the series which can be a little intimidating for me. If I feel like I’m already to far behind, I tend not to pick up books in that series. However, I decided to add it to my to-read list because it came so highly recommended.
It wasn’t until recently that Jesse and I got to talking again and we made a pact. He would read We Are The Ants (my favourite book of the year so far and maybe of all time) if I read Falling Kingdoms, the first book in his favourite series. And that was that.
I started reading Falling Kingdoms earlier this month and I was hooked right from the start. It was extremely fast paced and it waited no time before getting right into the action. I instantly fell in love with the fictional land of Mytica and the three countries within. Limeros, Paelsia and Auranos may come together to form Mytica, but they could not be more different from one another. Limeros is the northern, icy country while Auranos is the warm and flourishing southern country. Paelsia falls in between these two countries and is the poorest of the three. While Limeros and Auranos have royal families that lead their respective countries, Paelsia has no royal leaders. After an unfortunate event causes a stir between each of these countries, it seems as though a war may be on the horizon.
Each chapter takes place in one of these three countries and are told in the perspective of different characters. In Limeros we have Prince Magnus and his sister Princess Lucia. Magnus is the heir to the Limerian throne and he is keeping a painful secret hidden from those around him, especially his sister. Lucia has a secret of her own as she is starting to discover that there may be more to her than meets the eye. In Paelsia we have Jonas, a young man and the son of a wine-seller. After a tragic event alters his family forever, he vows to seek vengeance on the people who caused his family, and the country of Paelsia, such pain. Finally, in Auranos, we have Princess Cleiona, a young girl who gets mixed up into a terrible situation that sparks the war of Mytica.
I love the vast cast of characters within this series. Usually, it is difficult for me to keep track of tons of characters and to remember who’s who. In this case, because each of these four characters have the opportunity to tell the story from their perspective, it helps them to stand out and differentiate themselves from one another. There was also a list of the characters and which countries they belonged to at the beginning of the novel which was a huge help in remembering them all.
I love that the book starts with being told from different perspectives in different countries and as the story goes on these characters start to intertwine and blend together until their storylines meet. I love that one event caused a major chain reaction that brought all of these characters together.
I know I probably shouldn’t say this out loud, but I actually really enjoy Magnus as a character. I know, I know, he’s done evil things, but there’s just that little spark of good in him and I hope that he isn’t stuck in a dark place for much longer. Yeah, I have a bad boy complex, I know. I just really enjoyed reading the story from his perspective. While the other characters are fantastic and well developed, none of them have stood out as being my favourite just yet.
There was a bit of insta-love that I could have done without to be honest, but I guess it kind of set up the future for another character. Sorry, I’m trying really hard to avoid spoilers here.
The amount of death within Falling Kingdoms is insane. I recently went to an author signing that Morgan Rhodes was a part of, this was before I started reading the series, and she mentioned there being a lot of death within the Falling Kingdoms series, but it was on a whole other level compared to what I was expecting. I mean there was A LOT, and no character was safe. Just when you started to get attached, boom, dead.
About halfway through reading Falling Kingdoms, I already knew that I was going to continue on with the series. I have already acquired the second book and I plan to read it next month! I’m super eager to see where this series will go, especially after the events of the final chapter within the first novel.
This was a fantastic first novel and I’m no longer intimidated by my late start into a long series.
--
Initial post reading thoughts:
What a wonderful start to a series! I'm super eager to keep on reading!...more
Boy Robot has been on my watch list for a while now. I had first heard about it a while back when a few other book blogger friends of mine had [image]
Boy Robot has been on my watch list for a while now. I had first heard about it a while back when a few other book blogger friends of mine had been discussing it. I was then offered the opportunity to read an advanced copy thanks to the lovely people over at Simon & Schuster Canada! I was way to excited when I found it in my mailbox and I absolutely could not wait to dive in. Boy Robot turned out to be more than I expected. I didn’t really want to know much about it before starting it and I’m glad that I decided to go in blind.
--
What I Liked
The characters. Isaak is a sweetheart. I just want to hug him and tell him everything is going to be okay. It makes me sad knowing that he so harshly judges himself and questions his humanity…or lack thereof. We also meet some other fantastic characters that are there to help Isaak on his journey of self-discovery. There’s Azure, Kamea & JB who are all members of a secret organization that try to save each new manifested robot. While I wish we could have learned more about each of them, I’m sure we will in the future upcoming novels.
The vignettes. In between each chapter featuring Isaak, we see little snapshots of the lives of other robots through quick little vignettes. These were probably my favourite part of the entire novel. They showcase the struggle that each robot goes through as they discover what they are and the impact that it has on their family life. Some of these vignettes were so dark and pretty hard to read, but they were effective in really making you feel for these robots.
The deeper meaning. One of the biggest discussions throughout this novel is about humanity. What makes someone human? Is it biology? Is it the way that they think? These robots grew up living as humans, unaware of what they were until the age of 18. As they manifest they begin to question whether or not they are human. They have special abilities and other qualities that differ from humans, but they still have thoughts and emotions. I loved the deeper meaning within Boy Robot.
—
What I Didn’t Like
The length. There were moments that just felt a little too dragged out. There were a few scenes that felt a little redundant and similar to other situations that happened throughout the book. I kind of wish a few of these were cut out.
--
Overall, I really enjoyed reading Boy Robot by Simon Curtis! It was different from what I expected in the best way possible! I still have a lot of questions and there was a bit of a cliffhanger, but I’m super eager to continue on with this series as the new books are released!
--
Initial Post Reading Thoughts:
Boy Robot was definitely an interesting and action packed read. I wasn't really sure what to expect when going into it, but it totally exceeded my expectations. Although there was a pretty interesting cliffhanger and although there are still a few questions that I would like answered, I'm confident that the future books in the series will give me all of the answers that I need. And I NEEEEED them right now....more
I was provided with an ARC of Fate Of Flames by Sarah Raughley from Simon & Schuster Canada in exchange for and honest review.
3.5 Stars
The first time I had heard of Fate Of Flames, it was marketed as Sailor Moon meets Avatar: The Last Airbender. Let me tell you, they had me at Sailor Moon. I grew up watching that show and to come across a novel that has a similar aspect? Consider it sold.
--
What I Liked
Our home and native land! Yes, this book partially took place in Canada! Also known as, my home and native land! One thing that has always bothered me about dystopian stories, or even blockbuster action movies for that matter, is that they all take place in The United States of America…majority of the time in New York City. My constant thought it always, “What about the rest of the world? Is everything falling apart for them too?" While, Fate of Flames does momentarily take place in New York City, it also explored other countries around the world (including my home of Canada) and I’m honestly extremely grateful for how fresh and new that is.
The concept. I loved the idea of four girls with Sailor Moon-like powers. I love that while each girl is one of the only four Effigies in the world, they are all very independent. They live in, or grew up in, different countries and they all have different unique character traits which makes each girl awesome in her own right.
The characters. As mentioned above, I really did enjoy a majority of the characters. Yes, even the villains. Each of the four Effigies were completely distinguishable from one another. They each had different personalities and the fact that they’re all from different places and cultural backgrounds is one of the best things about them. I loved the diversity between each of the characters as well. While I did enjoy the villains, I really do wish we could have learned a little bit more about them. I love a good backstory.
--
What I Didn’t Like
World building. I’m still not really sure how this world came to be. Why are there all of these phantoms? Where did they come from? Why do the phantoms and the Effigies have more in common than they realize in terms of their biology? I wish we got more answers, but I suppose that’s what a series of novels is eventually meant to do…answer everything later.
The lack of clarity. I won’t lie. I was pretty confused about the whole Nick, Marian, Alice thing. I still don’t quite understand their story and what it all meant. I really do like the idea of each Effigy containing a piece of the previous Effigy before them. While this was an awesome idea, I wish I could have learned more about each of these characters. We had an amazing opportunity to learn more about them this way, but their story just ended up feeling a little bland.
The repetitive-ness. There were a lot of action-packed battle scenes. While the first one was intriguing, it just kept happening throughout the story. These moments felt a tad redundant for me and I found myself struggling to get through them.
--
While I did get what I promised in terms of Sailor Moon-like badass women, there were bits and pieces of this story that were lacking for me. If we got just a little more detail on some of the morally questionable villains and maybe a lower number of similar and redundant battle scenes, Fate Of Flames could be something great! I could easily see this story blowing up and becoming popular with readers all over the world!
Don't forget to visit Big City Bookworm by clicking the banner above to read an exclusive Guest Post by Sarah Raughley!
--
Initial post reading thoughts:
Fate of Flames was definitely action packed and full of a great cast of characters, but I found myself feeling a little lost from time to time. I also felt like some moments were a tad repetitive and drawn out. However, I loved our four Effigies and their supporting cast of characters. I really did enjoy the idea of the villains, but I wish they were explored a little more. I also felt a tad bit lost with the whole Marian/Nick/Alice storyline....more
I would like to thank Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!
Actual Rating: 3.5 Rated Up
The first thing about Overdrive that caught my eye, wasn’t the cover surprisingly. It was the fact that it has been compared to films like Gone in 60 Seconds and The Fast & The Furious franchise. The Fast & The Furious films are actually one of my favourite things, like ever, so the fact that Overdrive has been compared to them instantly intrigued me.
I had never read anything by Dawn Ius previously so I didn’t really quite know what to expect in terms of writing style. I’m not going to lie, when I started reading the first paragraph, I started to get a little worried. The writing already started to feel like something I wasn’t particularly going to enjoy. It felt a little cheesy and stereotypical in terms of YA contemporary. However, I decided to push on through and continue reading.
I’m glad to say that I’m happy that I decided to continue reading Overdrive. While it wasn’t the best book I have ever read, it definitely turned out to be a fun, fast-paced and action packed novel! I had just recently finished reading some books that were heavy and darker in nature, and Overdrive turned out to be the perfect light and energetic contemporary that I didn’t know I needed.
Overdrive tells the story of Jules, a teenage girl who is currently bouncing from one foster home to the next with her younger sister Emma. Jules also happens to have a little secret, she’s an expert at hot-wiring and stealing cars. She gets herself into quite a large amount of trouble after an attempt at stealing a car goes wrong and she is afraid that she will be arrested and separated from her sister for good. However, a man by the name of Roger Montgomery offers to foster Jules and her sister, with one very important and dangerous condition. Jules, along with a few other teens that Roger has “fostered”, must work together to steal seven of the world’s most expensive and rare cars within a seven week time frame.
I noticed that this book was marked as a thriller on Goodreads and while I suppose I can understand why, I don’t think I would have classified it as such. I thought this felt like more of a fast-paced action novel, with hints of the typical contemporary romance. While I wasn’t the biggest fan of the writing style, there’s no denying that Overdrive was extremely entertaining. I couldn’t put it down, mostly because I just needed to know what was going to happen next! I needed to know if Jules and the gang were going to get caught or drive away into the sunset. This novel was definitely a guilty pleasure.
I’m not entirely sure how I felt about Jules as a character. There were moments that I loved her and then there were moments that I just found her slightly annoying. The same goes for Nick. I can’t say I liked him very much at the beginning of the novel, but he definitely grew on me as the story continued. I found that the change in his personality and the switch in his feelings towards Jules happened too quickly and out of nowhere. As for Roger’s other two “foster” children, Chelsea and Matt, I don’t think I got to know them well enough. I actually really did enjoy the scenes that featured them and I wish that we got to learn a little bit more about them. I felt like their storylines were a tad rushed and not nearly detailed enough. I want to learn more about Chelsea and her relationship with her real father. I wanted to see more of Matt trying to locate his birth family, but unfortunately these two characters and their storylines were pushed to the sidelines.
One thing that I did like about these four characters is the way that they worked together on their mission to locate and steal these cars. They each had their individual strengths that helped them to form the perfect team. Nick and Jules worked as the thieves and getaway drivers while Chelsea worked as a lock picker and Matt acted as the expert hacker. Bringing the four of them together with their individual roles really helped in creating characters that were unique from one another.
While Overdrive wasn’t my favourite book ever, it was definitely an entertaining one. If you want to read something fast paced and exciting. This is the book for you!
--
Initial post reading thoughts:
This was fun, fast paced and action packed right from the start! I'm a huge fan of the Fast & The Furious series so when I heard this book being compared to the infamous action films I knew I needed to read it! Some parts moved a little too quickly and others felt a little unrealistic, but this was a super fun and light read compared to some of the heavier stuff I've been reading lately....more
Loading...
