Thank you to Edelweiss and Scholastic Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When I heard that Alan Gratz was writing a new boThank you to Edelweiss and Scholastic Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When I heard that Alan Gratz was writing a new book, this time about the events of 9/11, suffice it to say, I was excited. And this novel did not disappoint. Ground Zero is told in dual, third-person perspective, and weaves two stories together in an intricate and resounding way.
Brandon's dad works at the World Trade Center in New York City, and on the morning of September 11, 2001, Brandon's life is changed forever, as he witnesses an event that will change the course of history itself. Over the course of his parts in the book, he and the other survivors must find a way to work together and make it out of this nightmare alive.
Reshmina lives in present-day Afghanistan, in village torn apart by war, but still holding fast to her peaceful ideals. Her life is turned upside-down when she decides to help an American soldier and learns that her brother wishes to join the Taliban. It's up to her to help make amends of the mess she's made, and learn a thing or two along the way about this war.
The book is written in an interesting way that captivates you from the very beginning and doesn't let go. The characters are likeable but also believable, and you'll find yourself rooting for them in their individual positions as the story goes on. That being said, the character growth isn't very present, but made up for by all the action.
This book is one that touches on important and relevant topics. I can definitely see this book as something that can be enjoyed by younger readers and more mature ones alike, and it definitely has the capacity to spark important conversations as well.
Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who's trying to get more into historical fiction, or is looking for two compelling stories that are slowly tied together.
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will read literally anything by this author....more
guess who doesn't remember anything from this book (not that anything happened in it lmfao), wants to read the last book, but is unwilling to reread aguess who doesn't remember anything from this book (not that anything happened in it lmfao), wants to read the last book, but is unwilling to reread and suffer again >:D
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(2.5/5)
I honestly don't know how to review this book.
While I really liked Serpent & Dove, there was something about this book called second-book-syndrome that really made me hate it. It failed as a sequel.
All the funny banter from the first book/Lou and Reid's dynamic as a whole? Gone. Instead, we're given Lou and Reid being horny in the woods for the first third of this book, then relationship drama all around for the next third, and mutual pining for the last.
I was able to look past a lot of the problems with plot pacing in the first book because I loved the characters and the romance made up for most of the things regarding the plot. However, this time around, Lou and Reid grated on my nerves with all their angst/refusal-to-fight-inner-demons, and drama in general.
This book did absolutely nothing for the characters, or the story. In fact, whatever character growth had been going for Lou and Reid was pretty much crumbled back to dust with this book. After their honeymoon period ""expired"", they did the same damn thing every YA couple does: go through some hardships where they almost leave each other, OnLy To CoMe BaCk StRoNgEr ThAn BeFoRe. Yeah, if I wanted to hear that I'd go on a Pinterest binge or something.
I'm pretty sure there are only 2 reasons why this book was saved from the wrath of my hate shelf: 1. THAT ENDING 2. Coco, Ansel, and Beau
That ending... Oh my god! ASJDKAJDSLKJALKJS WHAT IS GOING ON???!!!! I'M FREAKING OUT OVER HERE AND YOU'RE TELLING ME I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL AUGUST OF NEXT YEAR???? Basically, Shelby Mahurin has a way of writing endings that make me want to forgive the rest of the crappy book. That which feels vaguely familiar to something I've read earlier this year.
And of course, I couldn't forget Coco, Ansel, and Beau. Even though they were having some sort of weird love-triangle crap going on, I will always love these guys. More than Lou and Reid. Always. To whatever end. Okay? Okay. [insert other cliche YA replacements for "i love you"] (view spoiler)[ANNNNNSSSSSEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLL NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SHELBY WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY *broken sobbing* (hide spoiler)]
So yeah. I hated this. But I loved it at the same time? I don't know either. All I know is that I NEED the next book like regular people need air. You know what? Here's a summary of what I thought of this book, in gifs, of course:
Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled: Teen for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
(actual rating: 3.5/5)
I really liked how certain tThank you to Netgalley and Entangled: Teen for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
(actual rating: 3.5/5)
I really liked how certain topics were addressed in this book, but I still think certain things could have been done better.
A Curse of Roses weaves an interesting OwnVoices retelling from a Portuguese legend, telling the tale of Princess Yzabel, betrothed to the King of Portugal, but more importantly, cursed to turn food into flowers, watching on as she and the common people around her starve. In a desperate bid to break the curse, she seals a deal with a kiss to an enchanted Moura, Fatyan. But what starts out as a mutually beneficial deal soon spirals into something much greater.
Loathe as I am to admit it, I've got a bit of a complicated relationship with this book. For one, there's the matter of the pacing of this book. Things start off very quickly, but as we progress into the middle of the book, the plot, disappointingly enough, starts to slump. It starts to get a bit repetitive, which was sad because I had pretty high expectations for this book.
However, things start to turn around for the better with the last quarter or so of the book. The action and plot start to pick up again, and the character development really hits home. Not to mention the romance.
I really loved the way that the author was able to portray religion and homosexuality, and the conflict that occurs in people who are told to believe or act in a certain way. Yza's inner conflict between her innate desires and her devout respect and adherence to her religion was just so real, because even if it was part of the reason this book seems to lag in the middle, it was vital to the development of her character.
Speaking of which, Yza's character development was simply *chef's kiss* perfection. It effectively showed how she was able to grow over the course of the story, from a meek and naive girl, willing to please everyone, to someone who was able to stand up for ideals, morals, and actions.
The romance was adorable. That's all I can say.
That being said, I think I need to address the writing itself. At times, it was incredibly beautiful. Perfectly descriptive without seeming pretentious, or overly so. I do think that I found a few exaggerated or ridiculous comparisons, but for the most part, it was perfectly fine. Although, I noticed that while all the rest of the characters spoke formally, King Denis himself spoke very anachronistically, at least for me.
And while I get that this book wasn't focused on it that much, as it didn't pertain to the plot, the magic system and general world-building in this book seemed... weak. There were times when a certain place was mentioned in relation to something else, or an event, and I would find myself scrambling to remember, or even skipping back a few pages to do so.
Something to keep in mind, however, is that this book is a debut, and an excellent one at that. As someone who usually doesn't enjoy character-driven books and would much rather engross herself in a thriller for a couple of hours, this book was a pleasant surprise.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this to others who actually like character-driven plots, an almost slow-burn sapphic romance, or would just like to read something with a lot more representation than we (unfortunately) usually see....more
don't get me wrong, i've seen so many rave reviews about this book that i'm not entirely surprised that it was as good as it this book was so good ???
don't get me wrong, i've seen so many rave reviews about this book that i'm not entirely surprised that it was as good as it was. however, my track record with mystery/thriller books when i was reading this was,,, less than ideal.
at any rate, i was quite excited to get into reading this. the book had initially caught my interest when i saw the cover on display at a local bookstore. yes, in 2020. yes, it took me two years to get around to reading this. i'm not proud of it either so don't blame me.
travis and emma, the main characters, absolutely had me hooked from the very beginning, not just from their own individual backstories, but also the writing style. it's extremely straight to the matter, without much purple-prose-like embellishments to speak of, and it really works for both the story being told and the underlying suspense present throughout.
although it can be argued that emphasis was placed on the plot over the course of the book, as it no doubt was, i have to say that the characters, emma in particular, were really well crafted. it was easy to get in their heads and see things happening from their view, as a result of everything that they had experienced.
the plot was *chef's kiss*. clearly the selling point of this novel. it's very much a serial killer mystery-thriller novel, and it doesn't try to sugarcoat any of it. i especially enjoyed reading about everything that was going on the investigative side, because i feel like most novels that are based on this topic are centered around rouge investigations trying to figure out who the killer is in spite of official efforts, however effective they may be, while this book highlighted and focused on the official, fbi nature of things instead.
overall, this made for an excellently gripping read, and while that ending felt a bit ambiguous, i really think that it went with the story—you get exactly what you expect....more
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I believe that if I were to say that I am disapThank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I believe that if I were to say that I am disappointed, it would be a bit of an understatement.
I, personally, believe that the best part of this book was the cover. It's absolutely gorgeous and was basically the only reason I wanted to read this book. I probably wouldn't have even thought about reading this if I knew what it was actually about.
'Meet Me in Bombay' tells the tedious tale of Maddy and Luke Devereaux and how their love for one another prevails. Unfortunately, this book is set in colonial India (hence the title), effectively invalidating the suffering of an entire group of people, as the book lacks the poise and discussion needed to justify its setting.
To begin, I need to address the issue of where the book was set. I truly felt that this book could have been set in literally any other country during the same time period and it would not, in any significant way, impact or affect the plot. Seeing as to how the time period that the book is set in is World War I era, there was plenty that was happening in the world, and a different setting could have actually made the story more meaningful.
I found it hurtful and ignorant that this book was set in early twentieth-century India, yet the entire issue of colonialism wasn't spoken of very much. There were no Indian characters that held any significance to the plot whatsoever, and British rule in India was underplayed to the point where it seemed like far less of a problem than it truly was.
While I will not pretend to know whether this was done intentionally or out of ignorance, I can only ask that the author works to do better. There may still be a long way to go, but we as a society have come so far in terms of racial equality, that books like this, which undermine the struggles of people who had their freedoms and lives taken away from them, only set us back.
Apart from that, I found the story itself to be quite monotonous, to the point where reading this book felt like a chore. It felt like the same thing was being rehashed over and over again, and, as a result, we never got anything meaningful for all the time we spent reading it. I truly do not understand all the rave reviews claiming this book to be an emotional masterpiece when the strongest feeling I could summon was a mild annoyance for how long yet repetitive the book was.
The romance was just not it for me. It was insta-love at its finest, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that. While Luke and Maddy may have felt that 'pull' the second they saw each other, and there is some time that passes between when they first meet and when they first kiss, I felt that there was no chemistry between the two; nothing that could entice me to root for them to stay together despite all that they go through.
The characters were interesting, if irritating. Maddy's defining character trait seems to be that she's in love with Luke, and she becomes downright infuriating during all of the drama with Guy. She doesn't stand up for herself, and plays the role of the HeLpLeSs MaIdEn In NeEd Of ReScUiNg.
Believing that there's someone out there who's willing to rescue you is a nice enough sentiment, I suppose, but there's a point where you have to realize that no one's going to solve your problems but yourself, and Maddy clearly didn't understand that, allowing her problems to become huge and all-consuming, before deciding to do something about it too late.
Luke was alright. To be honest, his character did not show up as much as I thought it would, and almost all of his perspective is told from many, many years after the events of the story have taken place. As such, he's a fairly unreliable narrator, but even so, you begin to notice a pattern and realize that, despite all that is happening, and however long it takes them to get there, Maddy and Luke Devereaux will get their happy ending.
(This realization was probably what took most of the emotions that I was expecting to experience while reading this away from me, which is a shame, but ultimately reflects on the book itself.)
There was no character development to speak of, and the side characters do not play much of a role in the story but for the sake of creating interpersonal drama and drawing out the book. The world-building seemed as though it were based on what one would expect colonial India to look like through a colonizer's view (which it was), and it felt at times that the historical context was disjointed or confusing.
The writing style was flowery and showy at times, but fundamentally quite vague. Specific information is revealed to the reader while other isn't, in an attempt to build suspense and drama. This results in some confusion as far as the timeline of the story is concerned, as well as what actually happens vs what is perceived to be happening.
Overall, I thought that this book was firmly mediocre and not deserving of all the praise that it has been given. I would not recommend this book to anyone seeing as to how the cover is a trap, I wasn't given the EmOtIoNaL mAsTeRpIeCe that I was promised, and the harmful way colonialism was dealt with (or rather, neglected). I would rather recommend a book about colonial India featuring Indian characters and their struggle for freedom instead of this.
All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and are not indicative of the views of the author or publisher.
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oh god, somehow this was more problematic than i expected. rant to come :D...more
Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
(actual rating: 2.5/5)
I really wanted to enjoy thiThank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
(actual rating: 2.5/5)
I really wanted to enjoy this one, but I suppose it just wasn't meant to be.
Thea Hope is a budding alchemist under her mother's tutelage in the midst of the French Revolution, working to create the Philosopher's Stone, a fabled stone said to turn any metal into gold and the creator immortal. However, when a bout of madness compels her to destroy it just before their hard work pays off, Thea is sent to Oxford to live with her father for her own safety. But when news spreads that Thea knows how to create the Philosopher's Stone, it becomes apparent that some alchemists will do absolutely anything to attain such power, and that Thea is no longer safe - from both those willing to go to extreme measures to get what they want, and the Stone itself.
The beginning of this book is set up quite well and develops intrigue right away. The book was written so beautifully that it was a definite let-down that I didn't like it. I was interested enough in the beginning, but things quickly started changing for the worse by the time I was halfway through. The book itself is quite slow-paced, and didn't have the action that I felt I was promised in the premise. The ending tried to tie things up with a bow, but I felt that it failed to acknowledge/resolve certain plot points, and overall left me feeling quite unsatisfied.
While there wasn't a lot of plot, I felt that there was a fair amount of character growth and development, but that didn't stop me from disliking Thea and especially her mother. I hated Will with every atom of my being when reading this and still do. While the characters certainly are interesting enough, I wasn't drawn to them; they didn't feel realistic or 3-dimensional to me, and that was a huge hindrance to my enjoyment of this book.
Personally, one of the only redeeming qualities of this book was probably the somewhat immersive-ness of the setting. Even though not much truly happened in the book but for the last few chapters, I liked the way the author wrote about and described the people and the places that were involved in the story. While I certainly felt like this book could have been far better, it wasn't completely horrible either.
Overall, I would recommend this book to someone who wants a fairly slow read but wouldn't mind it, or is looking for the same thing in a YA historical fantasy. It was alright, I suppose. I just didn't like it....more
As someone who lives in America, I'm embarrassed to say that this is one of those topics that I don't know all that much about. While I know that it hAs someone who lives in America, I'm embarrassed to say that this is one of those topics that I don't know all that much about. While I know that it happened, I don't know to what degree, or what actually happened. And while I blame the education system here as always, I blame myself, too. I've never made a conscious effort to really learn about this event, the way I have with other events (especially in this period of time), and it's imperative that this cycle be changed.
Kiku is taken back in time, living through her grandmother's memories of the American Internment camps. She isn't in touch with her Japanese culture, and hasn't learned much about this event in school either, considering that a lot of the information has only been declassified recently. When she's transported back to modern times, after living in the internment camp for a year, she's more aware of the prejudices so prevalent in today's society, recognizing that history is on the brink of being repeated.
I really liked the concept and execution of this book - it gives a lot of information without seeming overly info-dump-y. The art was just detailed enough to do its job. I also really liked the way that the whole 'taking-a-stand-in-the-face-of-modern-injustices' angle towards the end of the book.
Definitely a must-read for anyone who wants to learn, historical fiction that it is.
A big thank you to my local library for providing me with an ARC... even if it was a couple of months late :)...more
what is there to say about this book that hasn't already been said? even if i were to sing it's praises for a week i wouldn't be able to get to the crwhat is there to say about this book that hasn't already been said? even if i were to sing it's praises for a week i wouldn't be able to get to the crux of what makes this book so enjoyable.
i absolutely adored this, from the characters and their relationships (!!!), to the historical setting, and especially the plot. everything was developed just right and written so well that i was completely drawn in and immersed the entire time i listened to this book. AND ALL OF THE ROMEO AND JULIET REFERENCES- ...more
An interesting read with a fairly good mystery as well, despite the slow beginning. It tackles important and at times difficult topics, which makes meAn interesting read with a fairly good mystery as well, despite the slow beginning. It tackles important and at times difficult topics, which makes me wonder why this is book is described as/categorized under juvenile fiction. (This also happens to be the first physical book I've read in about a month...)...more
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