While not perfect, I’m not rounding up. Iron Widow deserves all five stars. For one thing, the story is irresistible and entertaining.
One reason it’s While not perfect, I’m not rounding up. Iron Widow deserves all five stars. For one thing, the story is irresistible and entertaining.
One reason it’s irresistible is the main character, Zetian, is angry and doomed, so very, very angry and so very doomed. Her unrelenting anger is really quite a shock. I haven’t encountered a narrator this angry since Judge Teoh in The Garden of Evening Mists. Of course, we see that Zetian has a chance, but the pacing is wonderful, and things rarely look promising. For example, Zetian has bound feet and can barely walk. How can she realistically survive this situation or that situation or that, yet the author pulls it off well.
The story takes place in an alternative universe, an alternative China with alien invaders and giant mech robot weapons that people drive. I’ve never been a fan of giant robots and all that. I can’t even cite which movies/books they appear in, because I’m not and have never been interested, okay? For some reason, that didn’t stop me from giving this story a chance. In fact, it made me curious, I guess. I’m so glad.
I’ve read a lot of stories with a feminist outlook, but this one has an extremely angry feminist outlook, because of Zetian, so it’s interesting the two other most important characters are men. Information dumps do not drag down the story, but it still manages to critique a lot besides gender roles or gender expectations, including political systems that perpetuate poverty and protect the wealthy, political systems that make things unfair or impossible, and cultural traditions that make everyone culpable and pit the weak against each other.
The execution of the story may have flaws, but they’re not necessarily the ones that often come up in YA debuts and they’re not very substantial, so I’m not going to bother with the details. Instead, you should go to the author’s YouTube channel, Xiran Jay Zhao, and watch the video titled “How I became a #1 Best-Selling Author”. She’s hilarious....more
I read a few 2 star reviews before writing mine, because that was where I decided this was probably heading.
This is the first John Green book I’ve reaI read a few 2 star reviews before writing mine, because that was where I decided this was probably heading.
This is the first John Green book I’ve read. If it wasn’t a John Green book I’d probably round up to 3 stars, but I don’t feel bad about a 2 star rating, because it’s not going to put a dent in John Green’s pie. And it’s certainly not personal. I like John Green. He’s a good writer who constructs readable sentences and does a very good job of evoking high school/teenage life, though it seemed a bit exaggerated to me, aka a John Hughes movie, except that works better for me in a movie than in a book… I’ll try another John Green book eventually, because I hope its various elements will suit me better.
This one was just okay. The characters, including Alaska, were just not that fascinating. But people have written songs about this book, so I may have just aged out. I tried to imagine my high school self, through the cobwebs of time, and am pretty sure I would not have found Alaska very mysterious then either. I probably would have liked and lusted after her and hung around her, but I just wasn’t buying it when the story seemed to insist that Alaska was so much more interesting than Lara.
And, sorry, Alaska was a Manic Pixie Dream Girl. She was more well-rounded than some MPDGs, I suppose, but she existed to inspire Pudge and for some somewhat unknown reason she succeeded… Is there anything wrong with that? Well, yes, not that I’m confident I can explain why. Maybe it’s the eccentric personality quirks. And the presumption that Alaska should feel so unique to us. Or the presumption that everything she did or said was mysterious or profound even when it wasn’t. I guess I think Alaska would have been a better character, a more interesting character, without all that presumption and pressure. Maybe MPDGs suck, because they would be better and more real on their own terms.
I could go on about the pranks and the Colonel, who was an okay guy, more interesting to me than Pudge, but not deserving at such a young age of a nickname like the Colonel, especially since the name was never explained, but I won’t go on. Other 2 star reviews can fill you in.
PS In the end, it doesn’t matter how famous John Green is. I just couldn’t round down. He seems a decent sort....more
Some of the 1 and 2 star reviews for this one took me by surprise. I don’t think the story was slow for 200 pages, though I admit I had thoughts arounSome of the 1 and 2 star reviews for this one took me by surprise. I don’t think the story was slow for 200 pages, though I admit I had thoughts around p. 78 that things were getting monotonous. That feeling didn’t last, because the threat of violence was so strong. I was often on the edge of my seat and afraid. Holly Black makes great use of Faerie courts and Faerie lore here, including glamorized mortals who slave away as house servants and a host of creatures as beautiful and dangerous as nature. Jude, a mortal, lives among Fey with her sister and tries to navigate their cruel world. They are schooled with Faerie royalty but are resented for it. They have advantages: their “father” is a Faerie general, but they must forge their own path within the capricious and ruthless world of Faerie. The story takes bullying to unprecedented levels of despair. Some readers may need trigger warnings.
Jude cannot possibly prevail… even when she gets a tiny and surprising foothold. Events at around p. 230 get chaotic, and Jude hustles to grasp the reins of a runaway world. Throughout the story she makes choices and you want to intervene, but you can’t, and as much as you dread the trouble that could result, you wonder how she’ll cope. She is not as much of a loner as V.E. Schwab’s Delilah Bard, but her relationships with almost everyone are ambiguous, or worse, including the boys, who don’t impress her Faerie father or me, though Jude may be undecided. The uncertainty about everyone and everything adds to the anticipation that things will go wrong. Her ruthlessness is understandable, but if either of my children bring home a fan of Jude’s (or Delilah’s), I may have to suggest they read the books and trust no one!...more
Chapters alternate between two characters, June and Day. They come from two extremes of an alternative future, authoritarian society in a country callChapters alternate between two characters, June and Day. They come from two extremes of an alternative future, authoritarian society in a country called the Republic. They both live in LA but she’s wealthy, elite, talented, and bound for the military. He’s a criminal in hiding who works alone, mostly, and can’t even reveal to his mother that he’s alive without putting her at great risk.
I enjoyed the beginning and middle more than the end. June learns truths about the Republic that unnerve her. Some of those truths are personal, some are about the Republic. I enjoyed that. When she meets Day, she’s undercover. She’s looking for Day but does not realize she’s met him. I enjoyed that too.
Perhaps Day’s just a little too good, in a Robin Hood kind of way. And perhaps the villains, functionaries of the Republic, are a little too doctrinaire, though I suppose that exists where loyalty is valued over everything else, say, such as, by a certain President of the United States named Donald.
The setting of Legend isn’t completely satisfactorily laid out - I could not visualize some things well, but parts of the city, such as the part where Day’s family lives, suffer from various plagues. That’s integral to certain plot points and interesting because the author was supposed to visit my school in Tokyo, and others, but the visits were canceled due to school closures due to coronavirus and I'm reading this book now due to school closures due to coronavirus, so... oddly timely.
Oh yeah, there’s a dog too: Ollie. If he appears in Book 2, don’t ruin it for me....more
I have doubts about YA novels in verse. I agree with those who suspect the poems are just prose sentences arranged with line breaks. Some stories thouI have doubts about YA novels in verse. I agree with those who suspect the poems are just prose sentences arranged with line breaks. Some stories though, confessional-type stories like this one, seem particularly suited to verse, and I guess that means the authors do make choices they wouldn’t make had they done prose, but the sticky point for me is that those choices have less to do with poetic technique and more to do with how they roll out their story. YA verse novel poems don’t regularly surprise me with playful, powerful language like poem poems often do. Piecing together scenes with so few words and so many titles must be an interesting challenge though.
That said, I’m not the target market but an interloper. However, I got opinions in spades. I can’t unload them all but here’s a sampling:
Xiomara’s need to express herself, to be heard, and therefore to write, reminded me of Brown Girl Dreaming. I don’t struggle to understand that need. Even some 50-something white guys are in that boat. It’s different and the same, isn’t it?
Family is supposed to nurture you. Religion is supposed to comfort you and make you strong. Parents can error badly.
Xiomara deals with all this. Because of who her mother is, how her mother is, some simple or common events like attending a poetry club and a first kiss get blown sky high. Xiomara’s mother’s expectations are draconian. If a lot of kids can relate, that pains me.
The turning points in this novel might not ordinarily be huge, huge events, but here, they are. And it works. The build-up is somewhat slow, but almost everything important is internal, especially near the end. The resolution contains a surprising little twist. It’s easy to miss, I think, but if you’re religious, you should note that Xiomara’s mother’s extremes have not necessarily ruined religion for Xiomara. Time will tell.
It is sad that basic emotional/psychological needs can be unmet and get so convoluted and/or complicated in families. I do remember that. Books like this help me remember that. There are two teenagers in my house, and maybe they feel a lot or somewhat like Xiomara, for whatever reasons. It’s hard to tell. Ironically, they're not all that communicative… (Maybe I'm too busy reading and reviewing books to listen... I dunno...)...more
For the most part, I enjoyed this debut YA romance. Unfortunately, I empathized from the inside out with some aspects of both Penny and Sam’s ways of For the most part, I enjoyed this debut YA romance. Unfortunately, I empathized from the inside out with some aspects of both Penny and Sam’s ways of being. I sympathize with readers who found them unlikable. It reminds me why I was once too much, at times, for some people when I was younger… It was amusing to note!
Penny and Sam both come from single parent homes led, kinda, by broken, dis-spirited women, although I guess that describes Penny’s vision of her mother more than it describes her actual mother, perhaps. In many ways, that bumpy background bonds them together, makes them who they are enough so that they are open to each other. However, when people write about romance novels, they often write about rooting for the characters. That might be hard with these two, because they are a bit ornery.
Penny starts her freshman year at college. Sam dropped out and works at a coffee shop. They connect through Penny’s roommate, Jude, who is sort of Sam's family. There’s more to Jude and other supporting characters than meets the eye. That’s a pleasant aspect of the story, that the romance isn’t the only thing that takes up space. Sam’s just gotta figure out who he is and how he is going to find his place. Penny’s less existential, maybe, but she’s working on writing and on her outlook in general. They start texting each other and only meet in person (I had to Google IRL) a few times. That sounds annoying and tedious, but it worked well and made me wonder if I, if we, if my generation, had missed out because we were unable to text each other in college.
I’m rounding up to four stars. There are some bumps along the way, like a few talking head situations without enough grounding in setting and a poignant moment that the author cops out from showing (view spoiler)[We don’t see/feel Penny read Sam’s confessional email. (hide spoiler)]. Once and awhile the writing is confusing. There are things that don’t work or ring true, but luckily they didn’t overwhelm the narrative for me or block out the many details that did speak truths, at least to me.
Sam muses about Penny: “…she made zero effort to hang out… immune to the mechanics of flirting… wondered if she found him attractive.” In the end though, I wasn’t quite convinced that Sam fits Penny’s “heart exactly”. We see them get together, but I’m not convinced they’ll last. Maybe I'm more convinced they won't!...more
This had more bite than I expected. Not at first, but eventually, which is a good thing.
After an initial chapter that frames the book as a story aboutThis had more bite than I expected. Not at first, but eventually, which is a good thing.
After an initial chapter that frames the book as a story about “mistakes and redemption”, the narrative starts during Jack’s last years of high school. Written for teens, the telling is lively, straightforward, and entertaining. He does not preach, hold back, or draw simplistic conclusions.
Eventually he’s out of high school and one thing leads to another. Part Two describes the crime, which is a simultaneously mundane and tense boat ride from the Virgin Islands to New York City. All the while his big dream is to be a writer, and he reads a lot.
When he is caught and convicted in Part Three, the text is more reflective and heavy but never dull. The threat of violence in prison is scary. The text does not go there explicitly, but it feels like it could have been so easy for Jack Gantos to not get through the experience of prison and succeed later. He did not blame anyone else, including the smugglers he worked with, but some of the people in the system felt unreasonably vindictive at times, frighteningly fickle. Since then, Jack is always smartly dressed in suits in photos and, I think, in person. I remember finding that somewhat perplexing before, as with Tom Wolfe. Now I wonder if Jack’s sartorial choices relate to his imprisonment and a need to exert control. In a Q and A section with Matt de la Pena at the end, he describes a disciplined writing routine and lifestyle that certainly seems... punitive?...more
It ends really well, and I'm not surprised that it was a bestseller. Harriet Manners, the main character and first person narrator, is a geek who takeIt ends really well, and I'm not surprised that it was a bestseller. Harriet Manners, the main character and first person narrator, is a geek who takes advantage of an opportunity to be a model in order to re-invent herself, or try. I have no problem with the message, or the cast of characters mostly, though Wilbur, who works for the fashion agency that picks up Harriet, is tiresomely one-sided and Toby's stalking is alarming. I liked Wilbur, but he veered into caricature terrain. That was partly the problem with the whole story actually. While Harriet was enjoyable and her voice must be what sold the book, I wasn't completely convinced she was "true". Teenagers can be almost like her, close to her, but like Wilbur, I sometimes felt she was too over the top, too exaggerated. There aren't a lot of events, and Harriet's voice is supposed to pull us through, but frankly, I got bored at times. Another reviewer (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) commented about Harriet too, saying that "it caters to what twelve year olds think and dream about what happens when you’re a teenager." The librarian at my school must agree. This book was marked YA, but it was in our elementary school library. That said, a lot of people like exaggerated personalities......more
I had The Bone Witch on the table at a breakfast place, so a woman asked me about it. I had only read one chapter and my mind was on pancakes so I couI had The Bone Witch on the table at a breakfast place, so a woman asked me about it. I had only read one chapter and my mind was on pancakes so I couldn’t commit. I hope she didn’t take that flip-flopping the wrong way, because I ended up loving more than hating and recommend you read it.
The gist I got from other reviews is praise for the world-building and the descriptive language, tempered with a yearning for more plot. I’m an outlier, I guess. Plenty happened! Enough happened. Sheesh. The main character, Tea, goes from being a little girl in her village to walking her world’s equivalent of the corridors of power. Not all is shown, but it worked. The structure has something to do with that. Each chapter is preceded by short, italicized text, told from the point-of-view of a male bard - a device I had to warm to. The italicized text takes place in a present where Tea is still young but possesses, and is in control of, her powers. The juxtaposition builds tension and terror because Tea appears almost unhinged in the italicized text, even as we get to know her and see her rise from rags and anonymity in the regular chapters.
Actually, I had to look past flaws involving the world-building and the descriptive language to enjoy all that and the other good things, such as the dark magic. The sentence constructions are sometimes overwrought, almost gimmicky. The cultures in Tea’s world seem too diverse for such a small region, in my unschooled understanding of how societies might develop. Given all the world-building praise, I expected more coherence. It happens in particulars though. For example, the world of Japan’s geisha inspired the district famous for witches. Witches entertaining powerful men did not suit my particular tastes, but it was an interesting detail and a good example of how to use details from cultures on Earth to build a world.
Although many aspects of the world-building and the language didn't work for me, specific details in individual scenes won me over. That and Tea. Therefore, I officially disagree with reviewers who dis Tea’s personality. She isn’t exactly flashy as she grows, but the contrast between her in the italicized text and the regular chapters gives her a lot of depth and mystery. Her latent powers scare everyone. It’s awesome! Her interest in the prince is thankfully undeveloped. Yes, her love for a prince is problematic and a disappointment because of her humble origins and generally thoughtful reaction to the larger world she is discovering, but I forgive her. My friends date and break-up with the wrong people. Characters may as well too.
I love the dark magic in this world and the descriptions of Tea using it. Her magic contrasts sharply with the magic of most witches in her world, and that engenders prejudice. Rin Chupeco does not mine Japanese culture for its traditional attitudes toward death, but a Zen-like attitude toward death might not be possible in this world. A gulf exists between what we glean of Tea from the italicized text and the final glimpse we see of her apprenticeship in the regular chapters. I want to learn how she gets from A to B and will read the next volume eventually, hoping to find out....more
I finished this a few weeks ago while on vacation and not writing reviews, so this one will be short. (I don’t have much to add to the reviews alreadyI finished this a few weeks ago while on vacation and not writing reviews, so this one will be short. (I don’t have much to add to the reviews already out there.)
Gumiho is a debut with some pacing flaws that did not ruin what was good. Miyoung is a gumiho - “a nine-tailed fox who survives by consuming the energy of men.” Although that process kills the men, Kat Cho made me sympathize with Miyoung and, to a lesser extent, with her mother. Miyoung is half-human and goes to school with humans, but she isn’t very happy or social or warm. When she starts a new school in Seoul, Jihoon is motivated to get to know her after meeting her before her first day of school. Unlike Miyoung, he has a few friends. Like Miyoung, he is guarded.
I agree with another reviewer who felt that the main events mainly culminated near the half way point, a very suspenseful sequence. However, I tolerated a long wrap-up and ignored some character lack of communication, because I enjoyed Miyoung and Jihoon and the story world. I really didn’t mind sticking around with them as they worked out a few things....more
I’m so glad I didn’t let the zombies scare me away. This book is fun and flawless.
After writing that I read some reviews that named flaws, but even thI’m so glad I didn’t let the zombies scare me away. This book is fun and flawless.
After writing that I read some reviews that named flaws, but even the ones I agree with didn’t disagree with me that much. For example, Jane, the tough independent lead, never bored me. I can’t imagine hating her at first or ever, because she had my attention, even when she filled in some backstory in the middle of conversations or action. Justina Ireland pulled that off somehow, making the vivid fight scenes and exposition all flow, which is one reason I think the book is flawless. Other reasons include the way she worked shady politics and political bamboozling into her alternative history, without weighing down the emotion.
Jane had my attention because she’s opinionated and assertive. I shared the book’s dedication with a few people as I read, and the story lives up to it: "For all the colored girls. I see you."
I really can’t believe anyone rated this below 5 stars!...more
One way this is a winner is there are dangerous fairies, the Folk. The Folk inhabit a forest near an otherwise ordinary town and their presence makes One way this is a winner is there are dangerous fairies, the Folk. The Folk inhabit a forest near an otherwise ordinary town and their presence makes Fairfold, the town, a tourist destination. However, some tourists don’t make it home.
In general, inhabitants of Fairfold, are safe, though they occasionally misstep and end up dead too.
So one way this began strong is the setting. I love it in fantasy when the ordinary world, like teenagers partying in the woods, mixes with the extraordinary. Another strength is the narrator, Hazel. She can’t commit and kisses too many boys and, when she was younger, hunted fairies with her brother, Ben, and she even killed some with a sword she found. Hazel is attracted to Ben’s best friend, Jack. Ben is interested in boys, one in particular. All that romance lights up eventually. It gets in the way at the end IMHO, but that’s the kind of thing, perhaps, that adults can’t complain about when they deign to read YA.
So, I can’t say The Darkest Part of the Forest ended as well as it began and middled, but that was mostly like eating a desert and ending up with some chocolate around the mouth. Chaotic, not perfect, a little confusing - some elements tied up in ways that weren’t completely to my liking, but overall, I had a good time. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is on my list for 2019....more
The characters in this story and the story’s execution frustrated me at times, though some elements worked and I admired the vision.
How much of that iThe characters in this story and the story’s execution frustrated me at times, though some elements worked and I admired the vision.
How much of that is subjective? I guess, a lot. I read and agreed with parts of one star reviews and five star reviews, though I was surprised by those high and low ratings. Some of the things that bothered me are obviously not universal.
One of the main things that didn’t work for me was the repetition. Liba repeats her feelings and motivations a lot in her internal monologues. Sometimes her thoughts are counterproductive… In real life, we probably do that, but Liba’s confused thinking didn’t just show us that she was confused. It forced me to re-read information I had already filed away, multiple times, and I think it somehow muddled up some events themselves, blunting the power of the narrative. Liba didn’t always act on things she knew! During part of the middle, I nearly had whiplash as the characters went back and forth from the sister’s cottage to Dovid’s home, back and forth, without the story moving forward much. Characters are supposed to be complex with lots of goals and concerns, but authors trick us somehow into acknowledging that complexity while focusing on one thing, or mostly one thing, at a time. Some interesting events near the end felt rushed to me, and therefore less powerful, so ultimately, ideally, I guess it is a matter of proportion and pacing. The author gave more word count to things that mattered less to me. How dare she! (If I didn't have grandmothers, a mother, a wife and a daughter, I'd probably be tempted to use the phrase Ted Yoho used to describe Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, right? (view spoiler)[Not! (hide spoiler)]
The author set out to accomplish big things. For example, Liba and her sister Laya are meant to commemorate sisterhood. They are very different in many ways and the text itself emphasizes that. Liba’s chapters are prose; Laya’s chapters are narrative poems. I didn’t mind that, though ultimately I felt I knew Liba best. We get to know Liba very well. I didn’t always like her though. I also don’t think the power of her bond with Laya is entirely successful. Maybe I needed to see more of them together early on for a wave of emotion to truly swell at the end.
Other high targets the author set for herself involve the setting. It is a big challenge to take on history, fairy tales, culture, and religion and try to immerse readers into them while getting a story going. I suspect readers who gave this five stars are the ones who really appreciated and enjoyed the setting / atmosphere aspect of The Sisters of the Winter Wood. Characters transform into bears and swans. There is the woods, and all that implies in a fairy tale, and a small village. There are traveling enchanters and dangerous magic. At the same time, there are gossipy villagers, murders, and pogroms. I’m not Jewish, or very religious, but I enjoyed that aspect of the setting too, mostly. You get lots of Yiddish and Hebrew (and Ukrainian) mixed in, as well as a sense of a conservative, religious upbringing, though the girls do ditch the teachings/rules for romance so quickly it’ll make your head spin and you’ll wonder about its effectiveness. Both sisters pursue love and experience desire, which was refreshing and realistic. Finally, the layers upon layers of history, fairy tale borrowings, and Jewish religion complimented each other and built up into something less tangible: theme or atmosphere. I can imagine this story as an anime. It has the bucolic rural setting and the mysterious vibe.
I don’t mind the missing parents trope, but Liba and Laya don’t talk openly with each other even after the parents leave, and that not communicating is a trope I find hard to forgive… It also may be the reason I did not experience their sisterly bond as a powerhouse. They never really talked, especially when it mattered!
This is a debut. Even if you loved or will love it, I suspect this ambitious author’s best work is yet to come. A big question I had was not answered at the end, but that was okay the way she did it. Cool....more
My daughter’s really into Harry Potter. I’ve only read the first one, but I decided I may as well make an attempt to read others since my third grade My daughter’s really into Harry Potter. I’ve only read the first one, but I decided I may as well make an attempt to read others since my third grade class this year had a clique who were into it and the whole phenomenon does not seem to be going away. I felt guilty while buying Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, because JK Rowling really does not need the money or the support, so, knowing Girl Mans Up is a debut, I picked it up as a counterweight.
I’m glad I read it first. The main character, Pen, is a girl. She prefers to dress like her older brother, Johnny, and wears a lot of his clothes. She likes to play online games and is good at it and hangs out, in general, with guys. At the start of the story her best friend, one of her best friends, is a guy named Colby. They met years ago and he’s always been tolerant, even supportive, of Pen being Pen. She’s attracted to girls but has not started dating at the beginning of the story...
So Pen’s story encourages readers to think about identity and gender and sexuality. I’m not an expert on these issues and am not seeking to become one, but I care about people and therefore characters and have an open enough mind, I suppose. Perspectives on gender and sexuality have multiplied since I was in high school and college and in ways that have kinda almost left me behind. It does make me feel old to notice a discourse has gone beyond what I ever thought possible. I suppose I may be slightly less of an old guy for realising that... maybe...?
Anyway, Pen is young and has not figured everything out about herself or the world. She has not gathered the necessary tools and experiences to be completely comfortable or self-assured, but it was interesting, a pleasure, to see her living and dealing and getting a start. She’s not perfect, that’s for sure, and you may find her offensive at times, or frustrating. She’s a teenager, not a symbol.
The story and Pen, however, are not just vehicles for exploring identity, gender, and sexuality. That’s part of it, of course, but a bigger part of it, at least a significant amount of it, is about changing friendships. Pen has her reasons for teaming up with Colby, but sometimes, we outgrow our friends or re-evaluate them, especially when we are forming or reforming our identity. And that can be hard and painful. This story held my attention because of all that. For me, what I gleaned about gender and sexuality was icing on the cake. The supporting cast was also fantastic and enriched the story. Pen’s brother Johnny is an understanding hot-head, and I have a soft spot for Olivia, which I suspect makes me a goof of some sort. Her problems entwine with Pen’s story in ways that also made this a very engaging read. It’s a debut, and everything’s not perfect, but I really enjoyed it, so five stars!
PS We should all get together somewhere and write a fan fiction piece called Colby Mans Up and give it to M-E Girard for Christmas. Someone’s probably already on it....more
This YA story takes place in a near-future Taiwan where climate emergency can’t be denied. Cascading effects include social, political and economic diThis YA story takes place in a near-future Taiwan where climate emergency can’t be denied. Cascading effects include social, political and economic disruption, so I was pleased and impressed, because I really don’t think people are taking climate change seriously.
The story has a nice blend of elements that worked really well for me. It opens with a kidnapping from the point of view of the kidnapper. A group of have-nots decide to fight back, so there is class conflict between the super-rich and the other probably 99%. The main character, a have-not, ends up with a love interest who is super-rich, and that actually worked. In fact, the love story did not distract or destroy the fun. I didn’t object when love took center stage. There’s real desire depicted and depicted well.
I liked the cast of characters, including the gang of have-nots, and the technological flair such as the breathing suits they wore and the flying motorcycles. There was even an evil corporation with an evil businessman that bordered on caricature but did not ruin things for me. If it ruins things for you, I'll see you in court....more
Police officers have an awesome responsibility. No one should take that job on unless they are prepared to be scared and not shoot, unless they are prPolice officers have an awesome responsibility. No one should take that job on unless they are prepared to be scared and not shoot, unless they are prepared to be scared and maybe even get shot. That’s why police officers deserve respect. They must face difficult situations and keep their cool. And risk death. Don’t join the force if you lack that temperament. I couldn’t do it. I keep my cool, in general, I guess, but I avoid trouble. Police officers chase it down. I remember being left in the dust by a police officer acquaintance who ran off down a street toward trouble. By the time I got my bearings, I really just wanted to slink off in the other direction.
The police officer in this story, Officer Cruise, must have been in way over his head. You can feel sorry for him, but he killed a person, a teenager, when he should have erred on the side of risking his own life. That was the job he committed to doing. There are situations where an officer shoots as a last resort, but the situation depicted in this book was not one of them, not at all.
And anti-white? Huh? I was made more uncomfortable by some 1 star and 2 star reviews of the book I read here on GoodReads than by the content of the story. That got me thinking. If anything, Angie Thomas pulls her punches. I almost want to accuse her of being too nice. If this story offends you, I’m at a loss. Even if everyone in this story was racist, and they’re not, it would not mean the book is racist, or “reverse racist”. The sixteen year old narrator, Starr, is not perfect, but nothing she says erases the overall intent and aim of the story and the way it is written.
I did not feel weird because the book felt anti-police or anti-white. I felt weird at times because it sometimes read like dystopian fiction to me. The fear Starr felt. The neighborhood and the dominance of the gangs. I know about those things, but it really hit home that this is America, and no matter how imperfect my childhood was or how overwhelming my obstacles are/were, they do not compare.
Most of the time, I enjoyed reading about Starr and her family. Her hard-working mother has a career and her father is an ex-con and ex-gang member with a good head on his shoulders and a perspective I respect. In many ways, Angie Thomas could be accused of being more anti-black than anti-white. She does not mince observations. Thomas depicts dysfunction in Starr’s neighborhood as well as Starr’s household and others, especially her half-brother’s. Thomas depicts Starr as someone who has issues. Starr’s white boyfriend and other friends at her school, including Hailey, do not outweigh/override Thomas’ critical portrayal of the black community. In fact, King, a gang leader, ends up a bigger villain than Officer Cruise, it seems to me.
I agree with people who felt the story dragged in the middle. I thought there was some unnecessary repetition and that the story was too long. I have mixed feelings about the denouement. The strong writing falters a few times, notably, interestingly, during some lighter moments, but I’m rounding up to four stars. What a debut! Don’t look for a reason not to read it, even if you think you agree with the thoughts of some of the 1 star and 2 star reviewers. Starr and her family are cool. You really wouldn’t mind if they moved into your neighborhood or occupied your mind for a few hundred pages....more
Let me try to explain how I picked up a YA romance, which may be a first since there aren’t even vampires involved:
I had a few days until summePreface
Let me try to explain how I picked up a YA romance, which may be a first since there aren’t even vampires involved:
I had a few days until summer vacation ended and wanted to start something I could finish.
The story takes place in Tokyo, where I live and work as a teacher.
Although it’s not about elementary school students, I know plenty of former elementary school students and thought it might be amusing to see what their minds might be up to, at least from Celcilia Vinesse’s point of view, since she apparently attended a Tokyo international school sorta somewhat recently.
It’s a debut:
Helping the author out is good karma.
It may give me insights into what is publishable... : ) : (
The Skinny
Although I never read a contemporary YA romance before, I apparently had expectations. This book did not meet them - in a good way! The main character, Sophia, has seven days left in Tokyo. I must have assumed she would experience a whirlwind insta-love with some gorgeous guy. It’s more complicated than that. Some of those complications astounded me.
Everyone’s moody. I expected that.
Another dashed expectation: There’s no love triangle, though multiple players with various levels of commitment are in play.
You may dislike the lot of them, including Sophia, unless you are a teacher trained to adore children, including young adults, no matter what. Sophia, for example, is awkward and even obnoxious, but so realistic, I thought. She does not know what she wants and acts like it. Her friend Mika is more experienced and teenage-jaded, but in the grand scheme of things, sophistication-wise, we know she’s not too many steps removed from Sophia. They also hang out with David and by extension, David’s girlfriend Caroline, who Sophia is kinder to. David grew up with Mika. They live in the same building, but he’s a bit of a jerk.
Jamie returns to Tokyo after years away. His first week back is Sophia’s last...
Sometimes it’s hard to understand what glue holds this group of friends together. That did not bother me though. I don’t quite understand why, but it added to it. Maybe because it demonstrated something key about the teenage years. There’s an abundance of mixed-up actions, bad decisions, bruised feelings, and regrets. Enjoy!
This debut novel manages a tricky balance. Although the main character is an assassin, I remained sympathetic to her perspective throughout. I really This debut novel manages a tricky balance. Although the main character is an assassin, I remained sympathetic to her perspective throughout. I really wondered if that was possible, since I love villains but do root for good. (Granted, the story chronicles a part of her life when she is too busy saving her own skin and seeking revenge to spend time on contract kills.)
She experiences a lot of setbacks and roams an interesting world filled with angry ghosts and active gods and goddesses, though they rarely appear. That bit, that the assassins kill as a form of worship, is one of my favorite elements of the setting.
There is romance, including echoes of Romeo and Juliet, but you won't gag on it. I passed the book on to my thirteen year old son because I'm betting he'll enjoy it too. "Romeo" is a jerk, and "Juliet", thank the gods, figures it out.
P.S. My son read it in a day or three and requested the sequel, which I bought. He likes the series, he said, and expressed interest in learning about when the third book is due....more
Brenda Drake is an extremely generous and supportive person. Her commitment to the writing community and to nurturing new writers is matchless, pricelBrenda Drake is an extremely generous and supportive person. Her commitment to the writing community and to nurturing new writers is matchless, priceless, and greatly appreciated. (Google Pitch Wars and you’ll see what I mean.) Therefore, I decided to check out one of her books.
Unfortunately, Thief of Lies was not quite my walk in the park. I liked Gia and the use of libraries as gateways. I liked the world she discovered there, the family she left behind, and the task she had to undertake. However, romance and insta-love is a bigger draw here than I generally look for in a fantasy and that curtailed my fun some. Furthermore, I preferred Bastien to Arik, and I think we’re supposed to root for Arik......more
This is Heidi Heilig’s debut. Its strengths far outweigh its weaknesses.
Strengths include a winning premise, descriptive writing, and a boatload of faThis is Heidi Heilig’s debut. Its strengths far outweigh its weaknesses.
Strengths include a winning premise, descriptive writing, and a boatload of fantastic ingredients like a diverse cast of interesting characters, a tall ship, pirate antics, time travel, magic, mythology, romantic comedy and a heist. Like others report, Kashmir often stole the show. However, Nix, was no slouch. I understand the complaints, but female main characters can’t all start as material for the late, great Carrie Fisher. In the meantime, Nix’s a hard worker, damn it, and a reader! She’s quiet and thoughtful, a planner and observer. Once she steps out of her father’s shadow, I think we’ll see more of her own attitudes and opinions. We’ll learn more about her passions.
As far as weaknesses goes, I experienced the confusion others describe about some events, but I did not think the plot as a whole boomeranged all over the place without purpose. I was surprised when they ended up in China once the climatic end sequence was underway, but I did not mind, especially after what happened when they returned to Hawaii. That really made me smile.
The slow beginning and occasionally odd pacing did not lose me because the characters and their world were worth a long look. Heilig’s themes about love and letting go and parental responsibility and social justice are not expressed and integrated with a master craftperson’s flair, but they’re there and they’re important enough to give me the warm fuzzies.
// I've never inserted a gif into a review. I was almost inspired to insert one of warm fuzzies here. Maybe later. //
Definitely, Heidi Heilig is an author to keep an eye on. ...more
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