Final books are hard. Readers dive in with so many expectations, hopes and fears, and let's not forget the ships. I suspect it must be at least a littFinal books are hard. Readers dive in with so many expectations, hopes and fears, and let's not forget the ships. I suspect it must be at least a little daunting for an author to want to give their readers everything and stay true to their story. Friends, for me, Marie Rutkoski has done just that. This story has taken me on a remarkable journey, capturing my heart and and melting my emotions in one fell swoop.
The Winner's Kiss is a perfect conclusion to an expertly crafted series. And as always there are many familiar reasons to love the final installment as much as its predecessors while containing quite a few twists that kept me anticipating the turn of each page. Our protagonists, Kestrel and Arin, experience a lot of growth as previous choices finally reach shocking, climatic consequences, many of which I was unsure how they'd move past. I definitely didn't expect the changes Kestrel underwent; she is both the same and vastly different, exploring physical and mental strength of female characters.
You don't need to be gifted with a blade. You are your own best weapon.
The unpredictability of this novel is its greatest weapon as Rutkoski clearly shows she's not afraid to make you beg for your favorites' survival. She's heartlessly brilliant like that.
What I didn't expect was how much I enjoyed Roshar's character. I give his sarcastic, witty remarks an A++ and loved how he reminded me of a rougher version of Sturmhond from The Grisha series. It was smart for him to have as much page time as he did since The Winner's Kiss contains romantic tension to the max with a few scenes causing me utter desperation—moments where I was throwing buckets of water out of my ship, lest it sink, screaming "Noooooooooo!" fiercely at my ceiling.
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I still admire the writing and how it manages to convey so much more than is actually written. It's made me re-think my stance on 3rd person narration, usually my least favorite. But the fact that I, too, now feel as though I can translate Kestrel and Arin's Epic Starring Contests, Roshar and Arin's Bromatic Body Language among a host of other tells, just goes to show you the quality of writing. No words are wasted, and always feel so carefully deliberate while still maintaining its raw honesty.
Perhaps what The Winner's Kiss succeeds at the most is its ability to straddle that fine line between a character driven and plot driven novel. Neither side took over the other, out-shining or lacking in development. The relationships were given the proper amount of time and dignity. Not only is there a focus on Kestrel and Arin's, but also of another that's made very clear it's just as important, and maybe even more so. And, yes, in case you were wondering, this book does indeed pass the Bechdel test, something which I'm always pleased to see in a YA novel.
The plot was excellent. Surprisingly detailed battle scenes, strategies and political maneuvers are at the front without making my eyes glaze over with confusion. And I loved that Arin's cultural religious beliefs along side Kestrel's disbelief was handled with a great amount of respect and love. It really highlighted an ongoing theme of tolerance and respect of others' differences, and that is so incredibly relevant. And, of course, I really enjoyed how the novel began and ended with A Winner's Curse, bringing the entire series full circle. Nice touch.
I am fiercely in love with all things Kestrel and Arin. Their relationship struggle in the novel was so real. Finally a YA book where it's not the fantasy world keeping them apart, but actual real relationship bumps that plagues us all: break down of communication, acknowledgements of individual changes and growth, trust issues, accepting faults along with strengths, understanding personal struggles, guilt of hurting the one you love the most, forgiveness, and above all, mutual respect.
Favorite quote:
"He changed us both." She seemed to struggle for words. "I think of you, all that you lost, who you were, what you were forced to be, and might have been, and I—I have become this, this person, unable to—" She shut her mouth. "Kestrel," he said softly, "I love this person."
It's sad for me to come to the conclusion of a favorite series, one that I never expected to adore so much. But I loved every minute of this ride and can't wait to revisit.
Highly recommending.
Excellent series is excellent.
An ARC was provided by the publisher. No monies or favors were exchanged.
Black Iris is the story of Bonnie and Bonnie on Bitch Better Have My Money quest with a Bad Blood mentality. It's not a Redemption, Coming of Age or Happily Ever After story. So if you are looking for those elements, look elsewhere. It's more of a Bitches Get Shit Done tale with a pinch of romance. Let me make this clear, Black Iris has a bunch of fucked up characters that you're not always going to like, if ever. But that's cool, because they don't really care if you do. And anyway, this really isn't about if you like them or not. It's about straight up revenge.
I was a huge fan of Unteachable by Leah Raeder. It had intrigue, sexual tension, sexy times like whoa, amazing prose and more. Black Iris takes that to a new level. The prose is a lot more pretentious and lyrical and I'm not going to lie, I can see this distracting some people. However, it was appropriate in this case because our main character Laney is a writer and she's a very unreliable narrator. It allows Raeder to really make her scenes and tone to be mentally distracting so the ending packed maximum punch. Unfortunately, it also makes Black Iris extremely hard to review without spoiling the plot.
So instead of just reviewing Black Iris, I'm going to just highlight some of my favorite aspects of the book.
Guys, I loved how mental illness was handled. These days, there are so many books popping up that cover mental illness in a variety of ways, and so many of my friends are quick to recommend me these books. Unfortunately, I usually dislike them because the illness is romanticized, misrepresented or not taken seriously enough. That's not the case with Black Iris. Raeder took specific care to not gift her characters with a Magic Pill or Happily Ever After that cures them of their illness. She doesn't send the message that in order to be happy, you have to be free of your illness. Because sometimes your illness is apart of you and always will be.
There was one moment in particular that I loved. When her mom described why she disliked being medicated, I completely connected.
"I need the highs and the lows."
That one little sentence gets it perfectly right. As a person who has been medicated for depression, I understand the difference and the inability to truly tap into yourself. I used to tell my husband that I couldn't get to myself, couldn't feel my emotions, couldn't reach my sadness or my happiness, and that I needed certain feelings to feel human, motivated and alive. Medication can feel like its own little cage even though it's there to help you. In many ways, finding the right medication and then adjusting to how it possibly changes you, is its own journey. (Note: this is not to say medication is bad, totally not saying that! See your doctor, please, and take care of yourself absolutely!) And, oh wow, I did not mean to get this emotional, but here I am again, bleeding into this review. Take me as I am, friends.
I also loved how sexuality and attraction was handled. Laney is bisexual and it's described in the most beautiful way. I love how she never expected to fall for Blythe. I love how everything got so incredibly messy and questionable. And oh, yes, I loved the sex scenes. I hate to bust out a Pitch Perfect line, but... "John, these girls could turn me!" If you thought Unteachable was hot, you haven't seen nothing yet. Sexual tension was through the roof and Leah let that shit build up just right and then there's splooge, literally and figuratively.
[image] Wow, Steph, that escalated quickly.
The narrator was pure perfection and had this wonderfully deep voice that fit Laney's voice excellently. Her tone wrapped around every syllable and played with Raeder's prose. Every scene was different and she depicted Laney's highs and lows very realistically. I was also really impressed with the narrator's ability to pull off a realistic Australian accent for Blythe's character. Really, I couldn't have asked for a better job done.
The ending was a completely shock to me and I NEVER would have put that together. I worried that Laney may have lost herself in her search for revenge as many in these situations do. She showed no let up even when loved ones tried to pull her back. It's a constant seesaw effect with her and the unknowing creates a real sense of urgency for the reader. Will she go through with her plans, will she abandon them? But that's apart of the appeal of the novel. Sometimes it's nice not knowing until the very end.
Another strong novel from Raeder. I continue to be wowed and impressed by her messy, complex characters. I have Cam Girl loaded on my kindle and I can't wait to see what she does with my emotions next. Highly recommended.
ARC was provided by the publisher for an honest review. But I later purchased the audiobook with my very own Audible credits. Best decision, tbh.
Writing reviews for contemporaries are the hardest for me, especially the ones that involve Important Topics About Life. Mosquitoland is su3.5 stars.
Writing reviews for contemporaries are the hardest for me, especially the ones that involve Important Topics About Life. Mosquitoland is such a novel, so if this review seems lacking, it's because of my inability to properly convey thoughts. But I'll humor you.
The running motto of Mosquitoland is "Mim is not okay," and she really isn't. She's a hot mess, if I'm being perfectly honest. The girl has had a rough life, one that many teens her age have to deal with: she's watched her family crumble and it, ultimately, led to her parents divorcing, her dad remarrying a month later and moving from Ohio to Mississippi. So when Mim learns her mom is sick, she steals her stepmom's tin can filled with $800 and purchases a Greyhound ticket. Along the way, she runs into an interesting and strange cast of characters that leave significant impressions on Mim.
The strongest part of Mosquitoland, and the part that immediately impressed me, was the writing style and Mim's voice. The novel is narrated two ways: What's actually happening to Mim on her trip and diary entries that form a letter to a character named Iz. The latter tells of her life prior to the move and allows the reader to see what happened to her family. This coupled with a few flashbacks from Mim from time to time, paints a picture of the life she desperately misses with her mom. She also gives a List of Reasons for why she is embarking on the journey in the first place. Many of them range from seemingly pointless (her "war paint"--more on that later) to the obvious (her mom may be dying). The two narrations never felt jarring and worked well to compliment each other. Together they pieced together Mim's life without resorting to the dreaded info-dumping that commonly plagues many YA novels.
Mim is also very pretentious, in my opinion, but not annoyingly so like a John Green novel. Simply put, she has a very realistic and fresh voice. She's witty, and while she doesn't always make the best decisions--because let's be honest, her entire trip to Ohio was probably a bad idea in hindsight--she learns and grows a lot.
But back to the writing because I just realized I completely dropped that teaser and moved on. (See, I told you I'm terrible at this Reviewing Contemporaries thing.) The best thing I could say about Mosquitoland in this regard is that I just wanted to quote the hell out of it. Beautiful, beautiful writing galore.
I'll take this time to fill this spot with a few of my favorite quotes.
I think about how quickly things have changed for me. But that's the personality of change, isn't it? When it's slow, it's called growth; when it's fast, it's change. And God, how things change: some things, nothings, anythings, everything... all the things change.
You spend you life roaming the hillsides, scouring the four corners of the earth, searching desperately for just one persons to fucking get you. And I'm thinking, if you can find that, you've found home.
I swear, the older I get, the more I value bad examples over the good ones. It's a good thing, too, because most people are egotistical, neurotic, self-absorbed peons, insistent on wearing near-sighted glasses in a far-sighted world. And it's this exact sort of myopic ignorance that has led to my groundbreaking new theory. I call it Mim's Theorem of Monkey See Monkey Don't, and what it boils down to is this: it is my belief that there are some people whose sole purpose of existence is to show the rest of us how not to act.
So those are some things I loved about Mosquitoland and because this is a review, regardless of its Blog Tour Status, I must mention to you some of the negatives and possibly confusing qualities of the novel. There's a little controversy surrounding the trailer.
Mim has this thing she does when shit gets really rough: she takes out a tube of lipstick (her "war paint") and paints her face in the tradition of Native Americans, mostly in secret and never in public on purpose. Now, to be fair, Mim is partly Native American. I say "partly" because her mom's mom is part Cherokee. Mim herself acknowledges that this makes her one-sixtieth Cherokee, but it never stops her from continuing to play up the Native American whenever she feels like it. Anyway, the point I'm trying to make here is that Mim was not raised knowing much of anything about her Native American heritage.
But even today, there are times--most notably when I wear my war paint--when I really feel that Cherokee blood coursing through my veins, no matter its percentage of purity. So from whatever minutia of my heart that pumps authentic Cherokee blood, I pass this phrase along to you: have a vision, unclouded by fear.
So from what I gather, her "war paint" is a way for her to feel strong in situations that are tough. What's even more interesting, for lack of a proper word, is that she does seem to know this is wrong and potentially problematic:
I wonder: What would it be like if she walked in the room right now? If she found me painting my face life some politically incorrect Cherokee chieftess? What would I tell her? The truth, I hope. That in my longing for originality and relational honesty and a hundred other I-don't-know-whats, this action, while strange and socially awkward, makes more sense that just about anything else in the world. And even though it's cryptic and more than a little odd, sometimes cryptic and odd are better than lying down for the Man. Maybe I would tell her how the war paint helped get me through a time when I felt like no one else cared about what I wanted, or who I was. Maybe I could muster the courage to speak those words so few people are able to say: I don't know why I do the things I do. It's like that sometimes.
This might not be an adequate explanation for some readers, and I don't blame them. It's puzzling and I still don't think I get why she chose to use the lipstick as war paint of all things (and a good deal of me would have preferred that she didn't do that at all). However, it makes me question if that was the point. Did Arnold include this to make us question Mim and her actions?
I will now take you back to more good from Mosquitoland: We also have a fascinating cast of characters, none of which are completely good or evil: Walt, a teen boy with Down Syndrome; Beck, and older college boy who Mim crushes on; Kathy, Mim's stepmother who Mim chooses to label as The Bad Guy; and Mim's Dad who believes she is mentally ill. They all serve purposes that are woven into Mim's journey to Ohio, allowing Arnold to touch on a variety of topics such as mental illness, personal accountability and even rape.
There's a lot of that goes on in Mosquitoland and it's pretty much impossible for me to go into it all without writing my own book, and I've already written so much more about it than I thought I had in me, so I'll just leave you with this: Read it for yourself. It's certainly readable, enjoyable and will definitely make you question a multitude of things. It's deep and layered, one of those books that might make you consider reading it a second time to pick up on the things you missed the first time around. But there's one thing I do know: I'll be watching David Arnold for future books (in a totally non-stalkerish way, I assure you) and you should, too.
The Wrath and the Dawn has all the elements of an amazing story. It has a strong heroine, intriguing plot,Actual rating is somewhere around 3.5 stars.
The Wrath and the Dawn has all the elements of an amazing story. It has a strong heroine, intriguing plot, moral ambiguity, a complex cast of characters that inspire all sorts of internal emotional turmoil. Basically, set phasers to LET ME LOVE YOU. Even for those like me who haven't read A Thousand and One Nights, can appreciate the rich setting and visually stunning descriptions. And I can't tell you how happy I am to say that I really enjoyed The Wrath and the Dawn and I'm hoping many of my friends will give it a chance.
Sharhrzad (Shazi), desperate to avenge her best friend's murder, decides to volunteer as tribute to be the next wife of the Caliph of Khorasan, Khalid. He's known as a ruthless ruler, who kills all his wives at dawn the day after he weds. Why is a mystery to everyone including Shazi, who really doesn't care either way, and I don't blame her. Of course, as the reader can surmise from the synopsis, there's something more going on than meets the eye. As Shazi gets to know Khalid, she learns he's not what she thought he'd be and is conflicted that she finds it increasingly difficult to hate him, and more importantly, to kill him. And while that is all going on, we have Tariq, who, for all intents and purposes, was Shazi's boyfriend/betrothed before she took on the suicidal task of killing the Caliph. He struggles with his own feelings of Shazi's impending death (really, no one expected her to live to see the day after her wedding night) and is determined to rescue her at all costs. Little does he know, Shazi falls in love with Khalid and things get a little... messy.
Told in a 3rd person point-of-view, The Wrath and the Dawn seeks to cover a lot of story, which it both succeeds and fails at. I'm not usually a fan of 3rd person because it makes me feel detached from the characters and their feelings, but in this case, it worked out well for me. The reader is able to get a good feel on all the characters' intentions and struggles, and that's a feat consider how many characters are introduced over the course of this novel.
The downside to this is that I wasn't able to fully connect with any characters on an emotional level, let alone the romance, because it simply didn't get much page time. For that reason, I would have preferred for this book to have been longer OR less page time for the supporting cast for at least the first half so that I could see Shazi and Khalid's interactions more. I didn't have enough build up to have the emotional response lines like these should have set off:
“My soul sees its equal in you.”
And...
“Love is—a shade of what I feel.”
Believe me when I say these were beautiful scenes, but I didn't swoon, and that makes me rather sad. Currently, the romance is getting huge praise from other reviewers, so your milage may vary, but, I felt it lacked a certain spark.
The writing itself is very lovely and flows in a magical fashion befitting the setting of the novel. Ahdieh's set the perfect tone with her descriptions and the dialogue was both thought provoking and witty a good portion of the time. Some of my favorite lines came from Despina, Shazi's handmaiden:
“We women are a sad lot, aren't we?" "What do you mean?" "Strong enough to take on the world with our bare hands, yet we permit ridiculous boys to make fools of us." "I am not a fool." "No, you're not. Not yet.”
This is probably why 3rd person worked so well in The Wrath and the Dawn. The characters and their interactions always felt genuine and personable and not flat like cardboard. They weren't always likable, especially Khalid with his tug-a-war like personality, but he was consistently complex. I would guess that my feelings toward him mirrored Shazi's frustration at his lack of trust. He spends much of his time trying to atone for what he's done, but can't bring himself to fully trust her with his secret and the reason behind the deaths of his previous wives.
Yet, while beautiful and lush in its own right, The Wrath and the Dawn is not without its faults. You do have your obligatory mentions of the love interest's eyes and how the female main character seems to be the only one to ever truly bring the love interest out of his broken shell. The former is what bothered me the most throughout the novel simply because I couldn't really see what it was about Shazi that he was drawn to. Was it her snarky bluntness? Her beauty? The fact that he didn't understand why she volunteered to be his wife, knowing what her fate would be? I have no idea. I was also a bit surprised (and disappointed?) that Shazi's only plan to survive the dawn was to tell the Caliph a story and deliberately end it on a cliffhanger as the sun rose to generate anticipation from Khalid. Well, okay. It certainly gives new meaning to stories having power, that's for sure. [Again, I haven't read A Thousand and One Nights]
Then there were times when Shazi felt deliberately obtuse when it came to Khalid and his secrets. When there were multiple attempts on her life and Khalid himself jumps to save her and reprimand those who tried to do her bodily harm, she still continues to blame him for the attempts. That seemed odd and out of character for Shazi since she is written as very observant and sharp. To her credit, she does start to question happenings shortly after, but this misstep felt too contrived and forced.
The final 30% is where this novel truly shined for me since all chips are laid out on the table and characters' true intentions are revealed. I admit to being pleasantly surprised and saddened by one in particular. The stakes will definitely be higher in the sequel, The Rose and the Dagger and I look forward to seeing things get complicated. Also, I'm really hoping for a magic carpet ride.
All in all, The Wrath and the Dawn is a strong start to a promising new series. The pros in the novel far outweigh the small cons, which could admittedly be attributed to my cynical mind and lack of a functioning heart. Don't let that stop you from picking this up.
ARC was received from the author in exchange for review.
Listen up, Fantasy nerds. I'm going to give you six very good reasons why you should make The Girl at Midnight a prioriActual rating: Strong 3.5 stars
Listen up, Fantasy nerds. I'm going to give you six very good reasons why you should make The Girl at Midnight a priority on your TBR list.
1. Do you like snarky dialogue? Yes or yes?
Echo's snark game is on point. I personally love a main character who can pull her own weight and let her snark flag fly free. There were several times where I legit laughed out loud. Considering I am a robot, that was impressive. Well played, Grey.
2. Are you on the market for a new book boyfriend? Yes or yes?
Who doesn't enjoy a troubled, brooding, howt dragon-humanoid type guy? Amirite? Even though The Girl at Midnight isn't exactly centered on the love life of Echo, she does have moments where there's noticeable romantic tension with Caius, the Drakharin prince. Honestly, I ship it like Fedex.
3. Do you enjoy vivid descriptions in your novels? Yes or yes?
One of the best parts of The Girl at Midnight is the writing. Grey takes her characters to various parts of the real world and the fantasy world, allowing plenty of opportunities for her to show you her way with words. From artifacts, food and architecture, I always felt like I could easily picture the scenes.
4. Do you enjoy stories with great friendships? Yes or yes?
I was surprised that The Girl at Midnight took care to include other relationships that were not romantic. In a lot of YA there is special emphasis placed on the love interest, and I'm cool with that. But it's always really great to see the same about of attention applied to friendships, specifically between two female characters. The friendship between Echo and Ivy is prominent from the start and remains a big part of Echo's story until the end. Not only is Echo mostly concerned for her friend instead of a potential love interest, but she and Ivy have conversations that don't always revolve around boys at all. In fact, I would guess that majority of the time they are talking about something entirely different. This was one of my favorite aspects.
5. Are you a fan of Daughter of Smoke and Bone? Yes or yes?
The rumors are true. The Girl at Midnight does feel a lot like Daughter of Smoke and Bone, especially in the beginning. They both feature an orphan, human girl, living amongst fantasy creatures. They both struggle to be accepted by the characters in the fantasy world. And they both have a connection to someone on the enemy's side that they don't understand at first. However, somewhere along the way, The Girl at Midnight stood a part from Daughter of Smoke and Bone thanks to the romance not being in the forefront and a well-timed plot twist. I'll admit thinking it would go in the same direction that DoSaB did, but was pleasantly surprised by the end when I was wrong. They didn't personally distract me from the story, but I can see it being an issue for other readers. The good news is, considering the ending, I doubt we'll continue seeing those similarities in book 2 anyway.
But if you enjoy stories that keep you guessing, involve traveling to different cultures, ancient wars and the like, you'll probably not mind the similarities. I know this is also compared to The Mortal Instruments, but I honestly do not see the parallels at all.
6. Do you like series that don't end in a cliffhanger for each book? Yes or yes?
Thankfully, this book does not end in a cliffhanger! There will be 3 books total, but I feel like I'll be okay waiting for book 2 since things were wrapped up nicely. But I will not turn down an ARC. *ahem* (I am shameless.)
I am nothing except this: a girl reborn of the deep ocean silence, meant for nothing but vengeance.
Oh boy. This book left me on the edge o
I am nothing except this: a girl reborn of the deep ocean silence, meant for nothing but vengeance.
Oh boy. This book left me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't flip pages fast enough to uncover the truth! Frances was such a fascinating character and I took her in, rage, flaws and all. If this isn't on your TBR list, fix that. I can see fans of Dangerous Girls eating this one up. I know I did. Review to come.
-------------- Oh, Carrie, what have we here? Something else to haunt my dreams? You know I can't resist. ...more
What the hell am I? I thought. Too old to be a real teenager, too young to drink. Old enough to die in a war, fuck grown meActual rating: 4.5 stars
What the hell am I? I thought. Too old to be a real teenager, too young to drink. Old enough to die in a war, fuck grown men, and be completely confused about what I was doing with my life.
One of the most important points I see argued when it comes to the classification of New Adult novels is, where does it fit? The debate seems to be evenly spit with each side categorizing it as either YA or Adult with a smaller portion claiming it is of its own category. And I get, because it is a hard to place, especially when YA itself frequently blurs the lines. In the case of Unteachable, however, I think the above quote really nails down what some are trying to say. There is a time in our lives when people feel neither teenaged or adult, neither fully grown or child-like. Certain privileges are afforded to you, while others remain outside your grasp. Through it all, you struggle to find a way to fit into this small space that passes by in the blink of an eye.
It would be a mistake to call Maise your average teenager, because she's far from that label with her drug dealing mom and broken home. Forced to grow up at an early age and take care of herself, she sees the world entirely differently than her classmates. But she also seeks out older male lovers to fill the void of a male figure in her life.
Thanks, Dad, for leaving a huge void in my life that Freud says has to be filled with dick.
Maise is blunt, unpredictable, hot-headed, strong-willed, independent, flawed, brave, passionate and insecure all in one. After a night of of passion with a guy she meets at a carnival, she finds out that he is her new film teacher. Instead of breaking things off like she probably should have, they explore the limits of their relationship. Secret meetings away from school and make-out sessions after class make up the most of their relationship. But things get complicated when other classmates start to notice Maise's odd behavior and familiarity with their teacher and the risks the couple start to take.
My face lit up with dark glee. "I can be discreet. I can be Harriet the fucking Spy."
Unfortunately for Maise, she was no Harriet the Spy. And if anyone remembers what happened to poor Harriet, she got sloppy and found out by the end. The moments when Maise did a few stupid things had me shaking my head. It was fascinating to see their relationship because Maise constantly wondered what it was about Mr. Wilke that attracted her. Was is a legitimate connection between two people? Or was it just the taboo of having private after school sessions her teacher?
Is falling in love with someone twice your age gross, weird, amazing, or all of the above? The secrecy insulated me in a vacuum-sealed bubble. I could only ask myself, How does this feel? Is this good? Is this right? And the only answer I ever got was my own echo.
I couldn't help but wonder if Maise was even emotionally ready for such a relationship when it seemed to turn into an obsession for her. Suddenly, keeping Mr. Wilke was all she could think about, she second guessed herself more, she got desperate for his attention and jealous. But at the same time Mr. Wilke displays uncertainty of the "rightness" of his actions and struggles with his feelings for Maise.
"I can't hold on to you. You're like that shooting star. Just a trail of fire in my hands."
I admit to being drawn to this book simply for the taboo factor. As much as I love YA, every once in a while, it's nice to branch out to something completely left field. I mean, realistically, there is only so much pent-up sexual frustration, coupled with teenaged wangst, I can take before my head explodes. So thank goodness that Unteachable was around to give me the sexy times and love in such a poetic, lyrical way.
Part of falling in love with someone is actually falling in love with yourself. Realizing that you're gorgeous, you're fearless, and unpredictable, you're a firecracker spitting light, entrancing a hundred faces that stare up at you with starry eyes.
What I loved best about Unteachable was Raeder's prose. I love how Maise is a pretentious protagonist without actually seeming unrealistic. *Cough* The Fault in Our Stars *Cough* I love how hard I could relate to her feelings of not truly fitting into her world or society. I love how she could infuriate me on one page, make me laugh on another and root for her fiercely by the last. I love how Raeder's prose wrapped itself around my brain like a blanket and set off fireworks in my mind.
"I'm not pulling the age card, I swear. But there's something I believe. You should love something whole you have it, love it fully and without reservations, even if you know you'll lose it someday. We lose everything. If you're trying to avoid loss, there's no point in taking another breath, or letting your heart beat one more time. It all ends." His fingers curled around mine. "That's all life is. Breathing in, breathing out. The space between two breaths."
And I love how by the end of this book I cared so deeply for the characters, my feels fell out of my eyeballs.
[image]
Very rarely do I see myself re-reading a book, but, guys? THIS BOOK. I would re-read the shit out of it. In fact, I would read anything Raeder wrote. Unteachable is a gem that gave me a bazillion happy sighs. It's lyrical, brilliantly addictive and passionate. HIGHLY recommended.
*And since Unteachable had so many delicious sexy time moments and it's a Kindle lending title, I'm sending it to Kat for some Cuddlebuggery Reading Time. ;)
A year ago when I first heard about The Winner's Curse, it was during the Fierce Reads tour where I had an opportunity to interview a few MacKids authA year ago when I first heard about The Winner's Curse, it was during the Fierce Reads tour where I had an opportunity to interview a few MacKids authors, including Marie Rutkoski. It was a lot of fun and remains one of my favorite interviews I'd ever conducted. I really enjoyed The Shadow Society, Marie's YA debut novel, and loved her writing style, so I knew I'd be more than eager to check out any of her future works. I asked what she and the other authors where working on and she mentioned The Winner's Curse, which I mistakenly called in my mind "The Winter's Curse." When she explained the premise, I was instantly intrigued. Later, when Kat and I were offered the opportunity to be early readers, we were both honored and delighted but, admittedly, hesitant. A novel exploring a relationship between slave and master can only go one of two ways: really awful or amazingly well. And for us, there's always that fear of disliking a book written by an author you like personally.
Our fears were unnecessary.
I remember it being well after midnight when Kat texted me saying she had finished the book. In one sitting. The same day we received it. She immediately demanded that I finish so we could gush. Gush? That was all the incentive I needed to carve out a few hours of the next day for reading. Me, being the slow reader that I am, sat reading all day and into the night. When I finished, it was late, my house was quiet and I was alone on my couch. It was the perfect opportunity to have a good cry. Kat and I FaceTimed and chatted about our favorite parts, swooned over Arin, admired Kestrel's tenacity and wit, discussed the intricately woven theme of Bite and Sting, fangirled over Marie's prose and cried together over the heartbreaking ending because parting from this book and characters was such sweet sorrow.
We knew this book was special so we did what any self-professed book nerd would do when they read an amazing book: We leveled up to Book Pushers and, as Gillian from Writer of Wrongs would say, started flinging this book at any and all of our blogger friends' faces. Many of them have loved it just as much as we did and have reviewed it to the point where I'm not sure what else I could say about it. So here I am, a year later, after reading The Winner's Curse twice and listening to the audiobook. Anyone who's chatted with me over the years would know that I don't re-read books at all. I don't have the time or usually the inclination, but I made time for this one because it really did a number on the feels, yo.
I'm going to give you five reasons why you should read this book and even consider giving the audio a chance.
1. The narrator, Justine Eyre
One word, guys: BOSS. The accent that she did was fantastic. It really put me in the rich setting of the Valorian society. My reality faded away as I listened to her describe the clothing, the buildings and the people. She has this gritty quality to her voice, that perhaps may turn some off, but for me it was perfect. It held so much emotion, especially when she did the dialog for Arin. When he talked to Kestrel, I could feel his heart breaking, his sorrow, his regrets, his resolve wavering. And when she did Kestrel, I could feel her resolve, her uncertainty, her sadness, her wavering loyalty between Arin and her people.
I was really, really surprised with it because I'm picky when it comes to narrators. Everyone knows a narrator can make or break an audiobook, and for me, Justine Eyre enhanced a novel I already loved. In fact, I come out feeling like I loved the audio slightly more than the print.
2. Arin & Kestrel's relationship
This isn't your usual romance. Theirs is a complex love that doesn't blossom overnight -- yay, no instalove! -- but it also sneaks up on you in a way. You get a sense that they have grown fond or used to each other, but you don't know if or when it's ever going to manifest into something else until it does. The problem comes with the issue of slavery. While they have these feelings for each other, the question remains on if it's real if the other doesn't have the true freedom to choose. Can you really love your master? They both know that a relationship between them won't be true unless they are both equal. Unfortunately for them, neither of their societies don't see them as such.
What I really loved about the book was that even though at the heart of the story it's a romance, neither Arin or Kestrel allows their relationship to dominate their common sense. In the midst of their feelings, there's a war and it is a very real threat. Both have high stakes in this game of love and war: family members, friends, loyalty to one's country. It's complicated. It's not so easy for them to run away from their responsibilities to be with each other, and that's what makes their relationship so fascinating and complex. There's no right or wrong answer and, as a reader, it makes it more unpredictable.
3. The Setting
I love how The Winner's Curse feels both Fantasy and Historical at the same time. The women wear gowns equipped with daggers, are allowed to fight in the army and have influence. The society lives for lavish balls, duels, high social gatherings and gossip. They are in no way technologically advanced since they rely on lanterns and horse or boat travel. It's one of those books where I'm not exactly sure what genre it would fall under. Let's shelve it on the Awesome Shelf, shall we? Because that's essentially what it is and that's the only thing that matters to me.
If you've read other reviews that mention the world building a little lacking, it's true. However, this did not bother me and I think it's less apparent with the audio version. I got such a great feel for the culture, that didn't get a sense that I was missing anything. It seems to me, based on how The Winner's Curse ended, that that'll be elaborated more in books 2 and 3. So I'm not too worried in that respect. There's was enough going on without having the geographical locations of all cities thrown into the mix.
4. Kestrel
Kestrel isn't your usual heroine. She's not a Katniss or a Rose or even a Tris because she's not a fighter. That's not to say she is weak by any means, but she's different. She, instead, is one of the smartest heroines I've read about. What she lacks in fighting skills, she more than makes up with her mind. She is sharp and even her father, a high official in the army, notices her tactical mind. He urges her to enlist and use her talents to help her country. However, Kestrel doesn't have any interest in joining the army and is faced with marrying, another choice she dreads making.
One of my favorite scenes with Kestrel involves a duel that she wins not by strength, but with strategy. She's cunning and the type of character you'd want in a game of chess. Or if the zombie apocalypse came, Kestrel would be the one to come up with the plan to get to the safe house. She might not do you any good protection wise, but the plan would be solid.
She's also fiercely determined. Kestrel knew her limitations, but still, she didn't let that stop her from her goal. She would find unique ways around her problems that didn't require brute strength or violence.
5. The Pier Scene
The first half of the novel may read slow to some, but then you hit the climax and everything from then on is pretty fast paced. It's where Arin and Kestrel's feelings for one another truly shine through despite the problems that arise. The tables turn and Kestrel finally understands Arin better, and because of what Arin went through for years, he doesn't want the same for her. And the feels, the feels, the feels!
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The Pier Scene, and even the one before when Arin sings to Kestrel, was easily my favorite scene in the book. I don't even think there is much dialogue at that part, but wow. When Arin looks at Kestrel with that longing and she him with want, but resolve. It really emphasized how complex things were for them and it was so hard for me to read. I wanted one thing, but NHFHDJDBJFBFLFKDMGVDJBHJJVH!!!!!
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Man, spoilers, I tell ya. I can say no more! But by the end it was like my soul was hurting from the emotional turmoil. Marie, why did you make me feel these things?
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It's no secret I loved this book, guys. I'm not sure what else to say but: THIS BOOK, READ IT.
This book had everything I wanted. It's much too early to put a review up, but trust me, YOU WANT THIS.
It had some of this:
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With a little of this:
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And romance between two of the best characters that made me go:
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And then my feels all went and 'sploded all over the place and made me feel something like this:
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And with that ending just smothered in perfection, I'm not ashamed to admit some of this happened after I realized I'd have to wait until 2015 for the sequel:
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Basically, I'll be re-reading this book soon and that's pretty much the highest praise I can give it.
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Disclaimers: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher for review. I also received the audiobook for review. However, I ended up purchasing the audiobook with my hard-earned cash money, so there's that. No monies or favors were exchanged for my review and high praise. I loved it all by my lonesome.
Thank goodness this didn’t fall victim to Second Book Syndrome. While I do think I enjoyed The Archived a tiny bit better than The Unbound, this was sThank goodness this didn’t fall victim to Second Book Syndrome. While I do think I enjoyed The Archived a tiny bit better than The Unbound, this was still up there as a tightly-plotted and well-written book. The best thing about both books is that the mystery is really solid. My mind was constantly trying to figure out who the bad guy was or how things would turn out in the end, but it surprised me. Also, more Wesley FTW! The thing that bugged me was Mac’s inability to trust Wesley. I understand why she held back, but I felt very frustrated when he obviously wanted to help. At the same time, he was holding back from her and it looked like a convenient and deliberate attempt to give the romance tension. Man, I hate when that happens. The worst part is that I’ll never know how it turns out since Disney didn’t pick up the third book. BOOOO, DISNEY! I really hope Victoria considers self-publishing it, because I’d totally buy it....more
For whatever reason I didn’t quite enjoy Champion as much as I loved Prodigy. Trilogies have to be incredibly difficult to eActual rating: 3.5 stars.
For whatever reason I didn’t quite enjoy Champion as much as I loved Prodigy. Trilogies have to be incredibly difficult to end and this one didn’t wow me. Cons? The explanation for Day’s brother’s blood and June’s was very rushed. I would have loved to know more, but it seems most of the focus was on the war. Understandable, however, it left the book feeling incomplete. The action was pretty fantastic and Lu is excellent at building anticipation as she did in Legend and Prodigy. There were times when I didn’t know who would survive. For those that are wondering if this features a similar ending like Allegiant, I’m not telling. :P But I will say that you’ll either feel satisfied or unhappy because it’s a semi-open ending end. I ended up enjoying it, though....more
Wow. Favorite new Paranormal Romance series, thy name is Lux. I've said before that from the moment I first started seeing the Lux b Actual rating: 4.5
Wow. Favorite new Paranormal Romance series, thy name is Lux. I've said before that from the moment I first started seeing the Lux books floating around, I avoided them. But the thing that finally convinced me to check it out was Julie's review over at All Things Urban Fantasy, where she said, "As much as I enjoyed OBSIDIAN, ONYX was even better." Confession time: Sometimes I start a book series just to get to a certain book in that series. The best example would have to be Julie Kagawa's The Iron Queen from The Iron Fey series or even Richelle Mead's Shadow Kiss from Vampire Academy. Even though I do believe that each book in a series should be able to stand on its own merit, I will often tell people to read those series just to get to that special book. And I know that there is more to come from the Lux series, but until then I'll be saying to read this series to read Onyx. Because where Obsidian was fun, addictive and sexy, Onyx does it so much better.
Armentrout wasn't fooling around with Onyx. From the very beginning it seemed she had a plan to really up the ante with book two and I'm happy to say it didn't disappoint. We have a noticeable amount of deeper character growth for both Daemon and Katy, all-around better plot, and of course, more banter & steamy scenes. So obviously that makes this a more difficult review to write without spoilers.
Onyx picks up shortly after Obsidian and we have Katy, still sarcastic as ever, and Daemon, determined to prove to Katy his feelings are true and not just the result of their newfound alien connection. In fact, the biggest change in Onyx is Daemon and his attitude for Katy. Gone is the "douche canoe" from the previous novel and let's just say I can totally see when the dude has a Facebook page called Daemon Invasion. ;) But Katy pushes Daemon away at every chance she gets. And while this did get a bit frustrating as a reader, I can understand her reluctance to him considering his past actions, no matter what his intentions were. Unfortunately, her stubbornness ultimately ends with devastating consequences that I honestly never saw coming. I'm not going to give it away, but I'll say I shed a few tears.
One thing I was sad about was Dee's character being slightly put on the back burner in this novel. I missed the relationship between her and Katy. Instead, Katy's time in Onyx is almost completely monopolized by a new character, Blake, or as Daemon would call him: Bozo, due to his jealously that he manages to marginally hide from Katy. I wish I could tell you more about Blake, but that would give away way too much of the plot. However, I did think there was a love triangle brewing... and I'm happy that I was wrong. But the best part of this new character? Fun, fun, fun banter!
"Jesus." Blake rubbed his throat. "You have anger management problem. It's like a disease." "There's a cure and it's called kicking your ass."
That's all I'm saying about that.
The plot is so much deeper, suspenseful and complex too. I thought I had an idea where things were going at the end of Obsidian, but I was so wrong. There were so many twists in this book and not a shred of a Twilight similarity, I might add. ;) What I once thought was simply black and white (the DOD, Dawson and Bethany's disappearance, Katy and Daemon's connection) was turned upside down. Just... wow.
And the steamy scenes between Katy and Daemon? I knew based on a guest post at Xpresso Reads that Armentrout didn't plan on shying away from sex in a YA novel, because really, it's a part of life and coming of age. But, oh, my damn.
Time stopped for us. The world and everything I'd been part of only existed outside the closed bedroom door, but in here, it was only us. And for the first time, there was nothing between us. We were open, vulnerable to each other. Pieces of our clothing disappeared. His shirt. Mine. A button came undone on his jeans... and on mine, too.
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Anyway, I'm not sure what it is about the Lux series or Armentrout's writing that has me begging for more, but I know I am now desperately waiting for Opal. And if the cliffhanger at the end of Onyx is an indication of anything, it's that the Lux series is like a fine bottle of wine, getting better and better with age.
Pivot Point, I'm not quite sure what you are... but I think I kinda loved it. I have this issue where I feel the need to categorize things. I can't exPivot Point, I'm not quite sure what you are... but I think I kinda loved it. I have this issue where I feel the need to categorize things. I can't explain it, I guess that's just the way my brain works. Pivot Point was really an enigma for me because I just couldn't tell what genre it would fall in. From the blurb, it clearly screams sci-fi, but when you start reading it feels so contemporary. And that was a very, very pleasant surprise because the novel kept me guessing from beginning to end.
Addison lives in a little community that is very different from our world. Everyone she knows has abilities similar to those right out an X-Men comic book. She herself can see into her future by Searching different paths for her to take. Unfortunately for her, she has to use this ability to choose which parent she wants to live with when they spring their divorce on her. So what does she choose? Door number one or two?
Throughout the course of the novel you have two of Addie's future telling one story. Her POV effortlessly bounces back and forth, revealing clues to the ultimate ending. It's a very clever way of telling a story. Time after time, I thought I would get lost due to the flip-flopping, but that was never the case. West wove both futures together allowing them to compliment each other and somehow not detracting from the story. I really have to give her major props there because this book could have gone very wrong, but it went so very, very right for me.
Now, what I didn't expect from Pivot Point was the very well assembled plot. West's ability to build just the right amount of anticipation reminds me of Beth Revis' Across the Universe series. Regardless of what you may be feeling while reading, you're going to be flipping pages. I really feel it's a skill that I don't see very often these days. So many times I found myself really hooked so much so that as I was carrying on the most mundane of tasks throughout the day, my eyes diverted to the book across the room. At that's mostly do to all the great moments in Pivot Point: From the witty dialogue, the mystery, the uniqueness of the story, to the character development of Addie.
And then there's Trevor. *sigh*
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AWESOME. Guys, there's this part in the book where Addie learns some THINGS and he's there to hold her and says some really sweet THINGS and, I swear, I cried because that scene was just utter perfection for me.
But what I really loved about the book was the ending. I love how Addie didn't let her feelings for one guy to dictate which path she should choose. Her choice is ultimately based on love for her friends and kindness for others at the expense of her own happiness. I loved her for that and I wish I saw more YA heroines of this same quality.
In case it wasn't clear: I LOVED Pivot Point and highly recommend it. I thought it was just going to be a cutesy little book, but it slowly became more and more complex and intriguing as the novel wore on. It took me completely by surprise and I'm so ready for that sequel!
*ARC was provided by the author for a review. Thank you!
The Bone Season is easily the most hyped book of 2013, surpassing even the conclusion of the Divergent series, Allegiant. As tActual rating: 3.5 stars
The Bone Season is easily the most hyped book of 2013, surpassing even the conclusion of the Divergent series, Allegiant. As the first in a seven book series, it's already been optioned for a movie and did appear on the New York Times Bestsellers list its debut week. But when I heard the magical words "the next J.K. Rowling" my interest, along with many, was instantly piqued due to my severe lack of will-power. But like any book surrounded by a massive amount of hype, there's concern that it won't live up to it. And, in my opinion, The Bone Season both did and did not, leaving me very conflicted at its conclusion. For every one thing I loved about it, the yin wasn't far behind.
It's clear that The Bone Season's strength lies with the world building. As frustrating as it is fascinating, London 2059, under Scion rule, was one imaginative place that kept me in a state of awe over such creativity of all the intricate layers to Paige's world. In fact, it's so imaginative and complex that the first few chapters show the novel's biggest flaw: info-dumping. (Though, this didn't bother me too much in my reading experience, I can see it being an issue for others who may have less patience. My advice to anyone who struggles with the beginning is to power through because the ending does not disappoint.) Learning the workings of the underground crime syndicate, remembering the order of clairvoyance and their abilities, understanding what Paige herself can actually do as a dreamwalker, a rare type of clairvoyance, is a lot to take in, and doesn't really get easier as the novel goes on. That coupled with the novel's slang and the constant addition of other explanations, was enough to make my head spin. But there is more, of course, when Paige is captured, adding another layer of complexity and another set of rules the reader has to learn... all within the first 40% of the book. Then, there's a chart of the order of clairvoyance, a map of London, a map of Oxford, a glossary for the slang, fancy words I don't use and bloody Roman Numerals!
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Suffice to say, reading The Bone Season is not for the faint of heart and, at times, was a bit of a chore to keep up with.
Do not get me wrong, this is not necessarily bad thing at all. It's not everyday I read a book with the level of depth as The Lumatere Chronicles, Star Wars,Harry Potter or possibly even, Lord of the Rings. Shannon's imagination was definitely working overtime with The Bone Season. But unlike the aforementioned works, I'm not sure it possesses the same level of fines to tie it all together. It holds enough intrigue to keep you reading and "your wheels a'turnin'," because even when I wasn't reading, I was thinking about the book and what would happen next (and even after finishing it, I'm still thinking about the ending!). That's not something I can say for most books.
One thing I did really love were the characters. Paige was the perfect kind of heroine for me, neither badass nor weak, leaving her with room to grow as a character, but not possessing a few of the more annoying traits of other main characters. She's smart, but still makes a few careless mistakes, giving her a more realistic feel. She's someone I could sympathize with and understand. I also think the members of the Seven Seals, Paige's gang, were very well-developed. Though, they don't have larger roles in the novel until the end, through Paige's dreams we learn about each of their personalities and whims. Unfortunately, I didn't quite feel that way about Warden, a big player in The Bone Season and Paige's Keeper at Oxford. Throughout most of the novel, Paige attempts to figure out Warden's secrets and plans, but even at the conclusion, I don't feel like a have a firm grasp on his motives.
The plot was slowly paced and may frustrate some readers, but I found it worked well in this situation and helped build the anticipation for the growing rebellion at the ending. My only qualm is that the book reads long (at 480 pages, with smaller print and long pages, I guess that explains it). And with so many things happening and so many new things being thrown at the reader constantly, you really have to pay attention to everything. This may seem like a lot of work to read a book, but it does suck you in fairly quickly and is so very addictive. I didn't like being away from this book for long and was always hungry for the next chapter. It was also never boring despite the slower pace, and by the end, it's pretty much non-stop action. The amount of detail and care that went into arranging everything was evident and impressed me. And the ending. It was pretty damn brilliant and the best part of the novel. When Shannon hit her stride, things definitely came together nicely.
I do have three personal issues, which I'll hide in spoiler brackets are below, but just know that it never really detracted from my reading experience.
1. (view spoiler)[I'm not really sure how I feel about the romance in The Bone Season. This book already had a lot going on that I feel it was unnecessary. Not to mention, its believability. I couldn't suspend belief long enough to accept that two characters, who didn't trust each other (one of which hated the other for about 75% of the book), could then have all these strong feelings for one another out of nowhere. It was apparent that this was supposed to be building, but I never really got a good sense of that, especially since one of the characters' personality consisted of him being devoid of emotion. So much time was spent on explaining the world and the rebellion plans and not on the couple's growing feelings, that it didn't feel organic. Instead, it felt as if it just manifested to add an extra layer of complexity, something that this novel did not require. (hide spoiler)]
2. (view spoiler)[I waited until the end of the novel, hoping my one biggest question would be answered and it never was. Why in the world did Nashira keep the Scarred Ones alive after the first rebellion? What was the purpose in that? And more importantly, why give one of them the important role of Blood-Consort? I really hope this is addressed in the next novel because it bothered me to no end. Or perhaps this was explained and I simply missed it. o.O (hide spoiler)]
3. (view spoiler)[Paige always seemed to be shivering. I don't know why this bothered me, but I really wanted to buy the girl sweater. I hope she finds one in book 2. (hide spoiler)]
To conclude, The Bone Season is a very imaginative novel that will take your brain for one hell of a joy ride. If you've been searching for book with more complex world building and plot, this may be it. I can see this being enjoyed by YA lovers and Adult readers alike with its strong paranormal-fantasy-dystopian roots. Despite my reservations, I can safely say I'll be checking out the next book because this has the potential to be one serious kickass series. And with the high stakes ending The Bone Season had, I look forward to seeing where Shannon will take this story over the course of the next six books.
Disclaimers: ARC was provided by the publisher for an honest review. Thank you! I have also met this author and think she's a lovely person. I promise her loveliness did not sway my thoughts in this review. Pinky swear!
I enjoyed this finale much more than I did Days of Blood and Starlight. There’s just something about seeing Karou and Akiva steal away precious momentI enjoyed this finale much more than I did Days of Blood and Starlight. There’s just something about seeing Karou and Akiva steal away precious moments in the midst of impending death. However, I wasn’t completely satisfied with the ending. Taylor chose to introduce new characters and it felt a bit jarring for a final book. Out of nowhere, characters who I’d just met suddenly became extremely important to the plot when all I really wanted was more Karou and Akiva. The sexual tension and want between those two was through the roof and I JUST NEEDED THEM TO KISS ALREADY. What I find interesting is how with Daughter of Smoke and Bone I quickly labeled this series as PNR, but now that doesn’t feel accurate. Sure, there is a love story at its root, but has become so much more than that. It feels more Fantasy and less PNR by the end, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t left craving more of that romantic spark I felt in Daughter of Smoke and Bone. A part of me wants to read a straight PNR from Taylor just so my feels can burst into flames. Overall, I loved this book and this series still remains a favorite.
(There better be a spin-off planned, because I smell a spin-off.)
Without a doubt Crewel is the most creative novel I've read so far this year. When I first read the blurb I thought, "A dystopian society where people Without a doubt Crewel is the most creative novel I've read so far this year. When I first read the blurb I thought, "A dystopian society where people are weaving time?! YES! Gimme! Tell me more!" The dystopian genre has really taken off lately and sometimes it can be hard to find a novel that separates itself from the pack. Crewel does just that and does it well. It completely stands out with its complex concept, feisty heroine and a plot that kept me guessing over and over. Whoa. Can I pull out the winning gif?
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The beginning of Crewel reminded me a lot of Matched by Ally Condie. Now before you start cringing and exiting out of this browsing window, let me assure you that it's not what you think. The set up is only similar because both societies involved tight monitoring of its citizens. This means they are given a small pool of marriage options, limitations on the amount of children they can have, restricted access to other parts of the society, jobs chosen for them, etc. That's where our similarities end and where the awesome begins.
Adelice, our main character, has the ability to weave time on an actual loom. It is a highly coveted ability in her society because it pretty much guarantees a woman a higher social status and a comfortable lifestyle without needing a husband. I'll admit I was worried about how Albin would pull off a society that was generally misogynistic. There are really only two outcomes for that: fail really hard or win. Even though woman were considered second-rate in this world (needing a husband, only having secretarial type jobs, no real positions of power, can't travel without a man, etc.) and were held to unfair higher standards than their male counter parts (Spinters had to remain "pure", women were expected to always appear a certain way in public: Make-up, dressed up and heels, act like a "lady") I never felt that this was ever accepted by the main character or by other secondary characters. And while I contemplated how I could ever survive in a society that forced me to wear heels ALL THE TIME (I freakin' live in my Converses, dude), I realized that these ideals were being challenged especially through Adelice's character. She was a strong, formidable heroine who did not back down or allow anyone to push her around. She took action at her own personal risk. She was bold, gutsy and witty. I was like, "YES! You tell that man, girl. Give 'em a piece of your mind!"
As for Arras, this is yet again another book that makes talking about the world building difficult, mostly due to how Albin tells the story. She doesn't lay out the world building in the beginning over the first few chapters like most dystopians. In fact, for the first half of the book I still had quite a few questions on how the society in Crewel actually functioned. But the reader is given pieces bit by bit. As I learned more about the world, the plot continued to open up along the way. At first I wasn't sure how I felt about that style because I like my world building straight up, but it grew on me and by the end of the book I had an appreciation for how it was told.
One thing I have to mention was the plot twist. This is again why I'm reminded of Matched because they were forced to either marry or stay single. Anyone see a problem with that? I almost thought Albin was going to go down that same tired road Condie did with an unrealistic world. But then Albin threw in that plot twist when I was least expecting it. She must have known I was questioning the validity of a society that didn't even mention gay people. Then BAM! The plot twist came out of nowhere and backhanded me. All I could do is sit back, ice my face and nod my head in silent approval.
[image] Oh, Albin, I totes see what you did there.
"But, Steph!" you say. "Why aren't you giving Crewel 5 stars? This book sounds amazeballs!" Why, yes it was amazing, but I still had a few questions (if the neighborhoods are segregated by gender of the children, what happens if a couple has a boy and a girl?) not to mention I didn't fall in love with the *gasp* triangle of love. That really doesn't shock me because I'm usually not a fan of love triangles in the first place. I could probably count on one hand how many I actually did like. Crewel's love triangle didn't bother me to the point of "headdesk-ation", but I did feel that the relationships were underdeveloped and generally unnecessary. To me it felt like you could easily take out the romance of at least one beau (preferably Jost) and the story wouldn't suffer one bit. But the story is not yet over. Who knows what could happen!
Overall, I really like Crewel and think dystopian fans who are looking for something completely different, will eat this up. I don't usually say this that often, but Crewel is definitely a debut that lives up to the hype and will have readers hungering for more. I know I am.
ARC was provided by the publisher for review. Thank you, Macmillan!
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