Month: May 2018

Inside cover blurb:

“Debuting on the New York stage, Zara is unprepared—for Eli, the girl who makes the world glow; for Leopold, the director who wants perfection; and for death in the theater.

Zara Evans has come to the Aurelia Theater, home to the visionary director Leopold Henneman, to play her dream role in Echo and Ariston, the Greek tragedy that taught her everything she knows about love. When the director asks Zara to promise that she will have no outside commitments, no distractions, it’s easy to say yes. But it’s hard not to be distracted when there’s a death at the theater—and then another—especially when Zara doesn’t know if they’re accidents, or murder, or a curse that always comes in threes. It’s hard not to be distracted when assistant lighting director Eli Vasquez, a girl made of tattoos and abrupt laughs and every form of light, looks at Zara. It’s hard not to fall in love. In heart-achingly beautiful prose, Amy Rose Capetta has spun a mystery and a love story into an impossible, inevitable whole—and cast lantern light on two girls, finding each other on a stage set for tragedy.”

-from publisher

Thoughts:

This book is goooood. But I don’t know how to describe it?

It’s reminiscent of the feeling of being indoors wrapped in blanket while it’s cold and raining outside. It’s cozy, but in a totally unsettling way.

The writing is lush and gorgeous and Zara is written so perfectly, it’s amazing. You feel her anxieties and the pressure she is under, but also her hope and her embodiment of Echo. Zara and Eli’s relationship is beautifully portrayed. In fact, all of the supporting characters are well done and have thoroughly thought out backstories which influence their actions. I almost wish the book had a prequel to unravel some of their stories further.

But there’s also a murder mystery? And a seedy underbelly to the production of their play that affects each one of the characters. There are a lot of subtleties in that plot that I probably didn’t catch.

This book will definitely leave you with a lot to think about- it’s very timely in its portrayal of how our society idolizes creative genius.

Plus: Beautiful writing, stories within stories, a strong and relatable female lead.

Minus: It’s hard for me to critique much about this one. There are probably plot points that I would have liked to see turn out differently, if I really had to pick something.

If you like this book, try:

Aftercare Instructions by Bonnie Pipkin- Very different writing styles, but similar in that both main characters go to New York to pursue dreams of acting. Both are great reads.

Inside cover blurb:

“Empress

With a revolution brewing, Rhee is faced with a choice: make a deal with her enemy, Nero, or denounce him and risk losing her crown.

Fugitive

Framed assassin Alyosha has one goal in mind: kill Nero. But to get his revenge, Aly may have to travel back to the very place he thought he’d left forever—home.

Princess

Kara knows that a single piece of technology located on the uninhabitable planet Wraeta may be the key to remembering—and erasing—the princess she once was.

Madman

Villainous media star Nero is out for blood, and he’ll go to any means necessary to control the galaxy.

Vicious politics and high-stakes action culminate in an epic showdown that will determine the fate of the universe.”

-from publisher

Thoughts:

I remember reading Empress of a Thousand Skies and being so PUMPED for the sequel to come out!

But when I started reading Blood of a Thousand Stars, I realized that maybe the first book wasn’t as memorable as I thought. I remembered the vague plot- girl on the lam because she’s next in line for the throne and there’s a powerful creepy man trying to steal control of the government.

Aaaand that’s all I remembered. Reading Blood of a Thousand Stars was like watching season 6 of a show you’ve never seen before.

It was still pretty enjoyable, but I found that I wasn’t so invested in the story anymore. Particularly since the narrative jumps between 3 or 4 narrators. I can’t even remember how many there were.

To be fair to the author, I did have to rush through it pretty quickly because it was going to expire off my Kindle. But I didn’t feel like I was missing much by speed reading.

Guess this one is a duology, so at least I won’t have to feel bad about bailing out on a third installment.

Plus: Good characters and the sci-fi setting is actually pretty well done.

Minus: Definitely not as enjoyable as the first one. If you’re just starting on these, you might want to read them back to back so you don’t lose momentum.

If you like this book, try:

Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner- Currently reading! A bookish boy and a scrappy girl break into an alien temple for completely different reasons. So far it’s thoroughly enjoyable- stay tuned for my review!

Inside cover blurb:

“Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother’s stories are set. Alice’s only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”

Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother’s tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong. ”

-from publisher

Thoughts:

Plus:

The Hazel Wood is dark, like pitch black. The stories written by Alice’s grandmother are very Brothers Grimm- the original ones where everyone dies in gruesome ways to teach children lessons. But don’t worry they’re included within the narrative, so you’ll get to read all about them.

I had no idea what was going on most of the time. Alice is being chased by what seem to be creepy characters from her grandmother’s stories. That part all made some sort of sense. But it was the why that I didn’t see coming.

The Hazel Wood was unexpected, I will give it that. People die and they stay dead. You don’t often see that in YA books, which tend to lean toward the happy ending.

It’s like if Neil Gaiman wrote Inkheart. That’s the best way I can think of to describe The Hazel Wood. Definite Coraline vibes.

Plus: It will definitely give you the creeps, if you’re into that kind of thing. Maybe just don’t read it before bed.

Minus: I didn’t like some of the plot choices, but that’s part of what made it so unpredictable. The author doesn’t at all take you where you want to go.

If you like this book, try:

Coraline by Neil Gaiman- I meant it when I said Coraline vibes. This easily could have been one of the Hinterlands stories.

Inside cover blurb:

“Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.”

-from publisher

Thoughts:

Oh my god. I am so glad that I purchased this book on a whim last weekend.

My first experience with Becky Albertalli was last year when I attempted to read her second book, The Upside of Unrequited. I didn’t get very far before it was relegated to my Did Not Finish pile.

So imagine my surprise when I picked up Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and finished it in about 3 hours!

It’s really quite enthralling- Simon is a wonderful narrator, his friends and family are very entertaining, and the plot is actually not as bad as it sounds. Mm no it’s still bad, Simon is genuinely being blackmailed about his sexuality, but what I mean is that the blackmailer and other less educated characters seem to show growth. And that’s what’s important.

So the story manages to make us empathize with it’s characters who may or may not be different than ourselves, and it’s a flippin’ adorable coming of age story. What more could you want?

And did I mention the sequel just came out?? Sign me up. I might even give The Upside of Unrequited another chance.

Plus: Great characters, cute plot points, an overwhelmingly enjoyable read.

Minus: Heavy on fluff, light on the substantial issues. This book poses interesting ethical questions for me…read it and see what you think!

If you like this book, try:

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy- Another fantastic coming of age story that also happens to have a sequel on the way!

Inside cover blurb:

“At seventeen, Mei should be in high school, but skipping fourth grade was part of her parents’ master plan. Now a freshman at MIT, she is on track to fulfill the rest of this predetermined future: become a doctor, marry a preapproved Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer, produce a litter of babies.

With everything her parents have sacrificed to make her cushy life a reality, Mei can’t bring herself to tell them the truth–that she (1) hates germs, (2) falls asleep in biology lectures, and (3) has a crush on her classmate Darren Takahashi, who is decidedly not Taiwanese.

But when Mei reconnects with her brother, Xing, who is estranged from the family for dating the wrong woman, Mei starts to wonder if all the secrets are truly worth it. Can she find a way to be herself, whoever that is, before her web of lies unravels?”

-from publisher

Thoughts:

I had actually said to myself that I would never read this book because the cover and title were so unappealing. But I saw it available for checkout from the library on my Kindle and thought, “Eh, why not.”

And for the most part, I ended up really liking it! But man, does this book really need a different cover/to be marketed entirely differently.

Everything I’ve seen about this book makes it out to be a fun, romp of a novel. There are some funny parts sure, but it’s mostly pretty heavy. Mei’s parents are very intense and she’s under incredible pressure to make them happy. They’ve completely disowned her older brother, for crying out loud!

I liked Mei a lot, and I thought she was a very compelling character. She’s also extremely germophobic, to the point of OCD, which the book doesn’t take much time to address, since there are so many bigger fish to fry.

Honestly, I’m surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this book and I fully recommend it. But I really thought the overwhelming majority of the book was sad, especially toward the end. The cover really does it no justice.

Plus: An in-depth look at culture clash between first generation children and their parents. Diverse reads! Taiwanese culture. A YA book set in college- there really don’t seem to be many of them.

Minus: That cover. So bad.

If you like this book, try:

Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi- SO AMAZING!!! Aspiring nerdy writer meets aspiring spiraling documentarian. Check out my review here!