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The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons [Oh But I Ferociously Loved It]

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I FINALLY FINISHED READING THE RUIN OF KINGS.

I take a moment to self-five myself just because I’ve been reading for 3 months okay. (Although partially this was my fault as I was listening to an audiobook and didn’t have a lot of time to listen vs I would’ve been faster reading it with my own eyeballs. But the audio is A+ and I’m completely satisfied with my reading choice there.) The thing I love most about this book is it completely enchanted me. I go through phases of being obsessed and then turned off epic fantasy. And this just came at a point where I was obsessed. It made me obsessed. It had weak patches (in my opinion) but overall it just captivated me. Complex. Wicked. Sassy. Intricately detailed. It’s what I crave.

She pushed a dagger into my hands. “And now you are a man with a knife. Woe to the Empire.”

[the story]

It had a lot of trappings of a good ol’ epic fantasy: an empire built on the backs of slaves, dragons, assassin guilds, demons and wizards. It had an insanely complex family tree — made 500 x more complex by the fact nobody could stop swapping their fREAKING SOULS AND BODIES. (“Yes I am your relative, just soul-swapped so now I’m not technically related but still!!”) And they all lied about their identities. And then there were complex family trees. And ancient civilisations merging into newer ones. (I imagined the vanē as elven type people please no one correct me because Taraeth is my new Legolas.) And THEN ON TOP OF THAT we have reincarnation and rebirth!!!!!

Are you confused!!! I was confused!! At one point the footnote writer said, “Look. It’s complicated and confusing don’t worry about it.”

SIDE POINT: there are footnotes and god bless these footnotes they are so hilarious. And once I knew who was writing them I liked it even more. It basically went like:

Character: And then this happened which mean this.
Footnote writer: Well they’re WRONG and uNEDCUATED and Khirin is dumb!!!! But nevermind keep reading.

Bless.

📖 If you don’t want to die while reading, Tor helpfully has chapter-by-chapter breakdowns.

So yes it was complicated in plot, but enticing and intriguing.

And while at times I felt dizzy, I thoroughly loved being absorbed into a complexly layered world with juicy, violent history. And at the end so many reveals just made me just up and scream. My only disappointments were (A) Taraeth just got FORGOTTEN in the finale?!? He was as useless as a cobblestone. I can’t even I was so disappointed. (B) Khirin is dumb. This doesn’t come as a surprise but I was just sitting here all 😑 boy learns nothing. But it was still a phenomenal ending and like I said, I screamed.

(I also think maybe the effort of getting through a 27hr audiobook had me just as ecstatic at myself as the book. 😂😂)

[characters]

Look I listened to the audio so I don’t even want to pretend I can spell names. I also can’t even remember half of everyone since I took so long to read it. (I freaking love this book?! But I am a disaster.). The important thing was: I did love Khirin D’Mon, our protagonist. He was sassy, stupid, classic Gryffindor, heartfelt and completely unable to be squashed. He bled and I felt for him. He did something clever, and I cheered for him. Loving the protagonist is the most important thing for me in a book, so this scores well.

  • I absolutely freaking loved Tareath, a bisexual disaster, who just lived to pick fights with Khirin right up until he suggested they sleep together and Khirin was like “YOU HATE ME” and Taraeth was like “what has that got to do with anything.” Idiot. I love him. I also will continue typing both Taraeth and Tareath because I don’t know. Also he cast illusions and gave me strong Loki vibes. Also his character was criminally underused and I’m crushed.
  • Tyentso the sea-witch turned Black Brother recruit turned — [holds breath] okay I won’t tell anymore but I LOVE HER and I. absolutely. screamed. at. her. finale. plot. twist. Oh my god. You know that moment when something is so viciously satisfying? Yes.
  • Then we have Kemezra. Me @ phonetically spelling something. Mother of dragons. She’s old and knows everything and doesn’t tell anyone anything. Stan.
  • The whole D’Mon family was great. They’re a royal family, with Khirin being their long lost son, and they’re absolutely corrupt, poisonous, messed-up murders and demon conjurors and oblivious fools and I loved them. Darzen was despicable. Therin was fantastic for being so damply useless. Lady Miah WAS AMAZING. Love Galen, my poor soft dumb gay Hufflepuff. His and Khirin’s quick bonding as newly found brothers was adorable.
  • I should probably mention Ola and Surgeyuh (hm I don’t think I’m even trying with the spelling now) but I don’t actually care about them. Khirin’s backstory was a bit basic here and I’m a little annoyed at how he grow up in “Velvet Town”, aka, in the brothels, but we made sure to know he was still pure. It’s such a problematic trope and cliche.
  • Then we have Khirin. Idiot. Sassy-mouth. Really earnest and sweet. (Only displeased about his taste in women and his obsessive infatuation.) Thief. Reluctant royal. And OH HIS BACKSTORY. I mean, his other backstory. He has several. His whole life is a rollercoaster that just flew off the rails and everyone is screaming and barely clinging on while Khirin has his hands in the air saying “yeehaw” right before he realises he’s about to die and then he starts screaming. (However I wish there’d been a little more nuance in the mental health rep overall.)

[this is an epic fantasy that set my heart blazing]

I loved it while also being confused and frankly wanting more from the finale. It’s socomplexly layered, ambitious in its history, and daunting in size, but unrelentless in its pursuit to tell a phenomenal story. And IT DID. I’m just stoked. I can’t wait to start book 2.

ps. i do admit I actually thought it was going to be more queer and I don’t know if I misread someone talking about it then? there is queer rep but as far as I can tell, not for Khirin. I need queer epic fantasy though. 🥺 Where is it.

Thanks Tor Publishing for the review-copy! The Ruin Of Kings (#1) by Jenn Lyons came out February 2018.

What if you weren’t the hero?
Kihrin grew up on tales of long-lost princes and grand quests – despite being raised in a brothel, making money as a musician and street thief. One day he overreaches by targeting an absent noble’s mansion, hunting for jewels. There he witnesses a prince performing a terrifying dark-magic ritual. Kihrin flees but he’s marked by a demon and his life will never be the same again.
That night also leads to him being claimed as a lost son of that prince’s royal house. But far from living the dream, Kihrin finds himself practically a prisoner, at the mercy of his new family’s power plays and ambitions. He must also discover why his murderous father finds Kihrin more valuable alive than dead. Soon Kihrin attempts to escape his relative’s dangerous schemes, but finds himself in far deeper waters.
He becomes tangled in a plot to kill the Emperor, rob the Imperial Vaults, claim a god-slaying sword and free bound demons to wreak havoc across the land. Kihrin also discovers the old tales lied about many things: dragons, demons, gods, prophecies, true love – and the hero always winning. But maybe Kihrin isn’t fated to save the empire. He’s destined to destroy it.

Goodreads | Book Depository

do you read much adult epic fantasy?? tell me your favourites and some on your TBR!! and let me know if you’ve read this one!

 

One Of Us Is Next (#2) by Karen M. McManus [Oh I Am Addicted]

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I am utterly basking in the feels of having just finished a good book.

BASKING, I tell you! The twists in this were so clever, so intricately woven. Getting to the end and discovering how many characters’ lives were tangled up together — not to mention that circular finale!!! — just had me in full appreciation of the story and the author’s cleverness. This is just [clenches fist] a very good book.

I admit I didn’t actually love the first book, but I adored McManus’ second book (Two Can Keep a Secret) so I was interested to try the sequel to One of Us Is Lying…and GAH I’M SO GLAD, because I’m lowkey obsessed.

📖 Find One Of Us Is Lying (Book 1 on Goodreads)
📖 Review of Two Can Keep A Secret (standalone)

Can you read this sequel without having read One Of Us Is Lying?

Technically YES. Because I remember like 3% of OFUIL and I still fully enjoyed this. However you’ll get more references and understand the background characters’ connections better if you’ve read the first book. (Basically I recommend always reading a sequel in order. But if you’re chaotic ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  go for it.)

[a small peek at the plot]

I firmly believe thrillers are best when you know next to nothing about them — so I don’t want to go into details! But basically this story involves:

  • a deadly game of Truth or Dare (an anonymous person texts you “truth or dare” and if you don’t take the dare, they’ll reveal a horrific life-ruining secret truth about you).
  • everyday family and teen drama and angst (which I LOVED).
  • Maeve’s worried about her childhood lukemia coming back; Knox is wilting under his father’s sneers that he’s too soft; Phoebe is losing her connection to her family from grief after her dad died and truth of a terrible secret with her sister.
  • MURDER, JOHN.

What hooked me the most? The characters. Then I cared more about the plot.

[characters]

We have three narrators: Phoebe, Maeve, and Knox. Each have really complex lives and they three become tightly woven together as they unravel the mystery of who’s behind this life-ruining anonymous game of Truth or Dare. And YES there is murder in this book. There’s also fear-mongering, horrific gossip, and dangerous secrets revealed. It took me a bit to warm up to Phoebe’s chapters, but I reeeally loved Maeve!! And Knox is SO SOFT and I do love the soft boys. Also I loved that he was hounded by toxic masculinity but he didn’t give up and change himself. 😭Bless Knox, I love him.

The only thing that was an issue for me is: so. many. characters. Every main character had a huge circle of minor-characters in their lives, including siblings and friends, ALL with histories and connections. Plus there were the characters from book one returning in the background. I panicked a little that I’d never keep up (my brain melted) but by the end, I was into it and remembering almost all (lol) the characters names.

I just loved how it balanced sibling strife and love + relationship angst and crushes + intense friendships to adore. All the good stuff of a contemporary pLUS muystery and murder. I melt, I am soft butter. I am a fan.

[how thrillery was it?]

Admittedly, it wasn’t very dark. This was more character-centric, but the stakes were high, and I loved the characters so much that even their smallest pain amped up the tension. And how it all fit together, tying in so many characters, was INTRICATELY AMAZING. I am so impressed. I only guessed one twist!

Open for SPOILERS

Just a few quick spoiler thoughts:

  • I didn’t guess anything except — Owen’s involvement!! I was so proud of myself lolol. And just the horribleness of that circular perfection!? Brandon got away with murder as a child and now Owen gets away with murder as a child. Owen falls to the same sin that Brandon’s family protected him with and !!! It couldn’t be more painful!!! You can SEE how people do horrible things out of love.
  • I want a sequel, 5 years from now, just about Owen. 😭he was so soft and sweet.
  • I didn’t guess it was Emma behind the game, because I forgot who she was every time she wasn’t on page LOL. I did suspect Knox once but I’m also dumb. I loved all the bread crumbs at the beginning that didn’t click into place until the end!!!

[honestly just read this book]

It was captivating, tricky, and intriguing, and just left my Slytherin heart smouldering with satisfaction. It wasn’t the darkest thriller ever, but it was addictive and entertaining and stressful with excellent characters to love and sobering plot twists and reveals.

Thank you to Penguin Australia for the ARC!! One Of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus came out January 9th, 2020.

It is a year after the action of One of Us Is Lying, and someone has started playing a game of Truth or Dare.
But this is no ordinary Truth or Dare. This game is lethal. Choosing the truth may reveal your darkest secrets, accepting the dare could be dangerous, even deadly.
The teenagers of Bayview must work together once again to find the culprit, before it’s too late . . .

Goodreads | Book Depository | Penguin

do you like when contemporary-setting books get sequels?! have you read any Karen McManus books yet? and oooh tell me if you often guess thriller twists or are you always surprised?

 

 

Arc of Scythe (Whole Trilogy Review!) By Neal Shusterman [Ft. Murder And Loveable AIs]

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I finally finished up the Arc of Scythe trilogy today — ending with the massive finale: The Toll!

2019 has been such a year for epic finales, which seems fitting: end of a decade, END OF OUR EMOTIONS!!!! I have reviewed the first two books before, but I thought I’d walk us through my feelings on the whole trilogy.🤗I’ve read quite a few Shusterman books, and I’m pleased I finished up this trilogy although I think my favourites of his collection are Unwind, Dry, Bruiser, and Challenger Deep!

“Therein lies the paradox of the profession,” Faraday said. “Those who wish to have the job should not have it…and those who would most refuse to kill are the only ones who should.”

✨no spoilers, hopefully!! but I am talking about the 3rd book will inadvertently give hints about the first two, so you’ve been warned!✨

Scythe | Goodreads

The first book is definitely my favourite of the trilogy. It introduces us to a perfect world, where no one dies…unless they’re gleaned strategically by scythes, who keep the population balanced. Citra and Rowan are taken on as apprentices and they have to learn to kill. For a good cause. Failure equals their lives forfeit. Basically it’s a utopia, with rotten threads under the surface. Those kind of narratives, I LOVE, because there’s so much intrigue and mystery. Also Schusterman has such a wonderful writing style. You just get swept up in it and — boom — next thing you know, you’ve read 4 of his books already and you’re thinking too much and you’ve named your firstborn fish THUNDERHEAD.

Citra and Rowan were the reason I got invested. They’re good kids: wholesome, a little snarky, and I loved their friendship. Also PS. the entire series is really focused on friendship over romance!

Thunderhead | Goodreads

This one really amped up the stakes and it was POWERFUL. This was intense and full of plot twists and politics and muRDeR. The actual plot of this one is kind of slow, but very thoughtful. I definitely enjoyed it, although it was super long, so there were a ton of scenes here thought I wished were more concise. However, I really loved how twisty and schemey everything turned out?! Citra is over here doing the political side of the scythedom and Rowan is over there just murdering bad scythes like a righteous angel of death. Gotta stan our child-disaster-scythes.

But this was when I really started to love the Thunderhead (hi title of the book!). He reminds me of AIDAN in Illuminae (less murdery though and more chill) and I love how it was everyone’s caring mother, but also calmly ordered deaths. The Thunderhead was the mum-friend who also would maybe stab you a little.

And this one? Left you internally screaming over the cliffhanger.

The Toll | Goodreads

So in a well-ordered universe I would’ve reread the first two before picking up the finale, but I had no time and while I’ve liked the series very well, it hasn’t sparked me into an exploding Christmas tree lightbulb of infatuation. I DO feel a bit bad about that. So I went in feeling a bit lost…and remained lost for 90% of the book. I  fully admire how politically applicable this series is, and how the story is clever and intricate and very very intelligent.

But it’s really plot-driven. Rowan and Citra were barely in it, and I just wasn’t invested. The storyline is about scythes and the world falling and how the Thunderhand had a plan of clever subterfuge to save them all. But we dodged from so many narratives (from a lot of people I don’t care about oooops), that I couldn’t feel locked into the story. And at 600pgs with Rowan and Citra maybe gracing about 50pgs all up? It lost me. (I still loooove the Thunderhead and ship it and Greyson.🥺)

For me, the finale finished up as something I admire as an intelligent pice of art, even if it wasn’t my favourite storytelling style. Scythe is my pick of the three!

| what do you think? |

have you finished any series this year??? have you been reading this one? tell me your thoughts!!

 

10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston (Ft. Big family Christmas Shenanigans + GIVEAWAY)

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10 Blind Dates is the equivalent of a Christmassy peppermint hot chocolate of wholesome goodness.

This was so much fun, alright!? I read a lot of stressful books, so sometimes I just want one where the pages are bursting with big family chaos, Christmas baking, and a good dash of dating mishaps. 😌 Here for it. Plus it wasn’t without some weight drama in the background, so it’s not all whipped cream froth.

I also have a giveaway going (partnered with Disney Book Group) for this on my instagram RIGHT NOW so don’t forget to enter!!

It has…

→ big Italian extended-families (cousins and aunts and uncles and siblings GALORE)
→ blind dates that go both horribly right and wrong (some include puppies)
→ a nona who bakes something to celebrate…uh, literally everything (I’m hungry)
→ oblivious crushes-in-denial
→ cinnamon scrolls (both literal ones and fictional character ones)
→ sister love!!!
→ the kinda cutest cover ever

blind date time

Sophie overhears her boyfriend say she’s “boring” which is a delightful way to start your Christmas break, yes? With a bit of yelling, she takes off to spend Christmas break with her huuuuuge extended big Italian family. Her Nona decides to cheer her up, everyone will set her up with 10 blind dates. (CAN’T GO, WRONG.) Seriously, one must love grandma logic.

Look this is an excellent trope and I 10000% think Netflix needs to pick this up. The book is full of quirky funny wildness, with dates at a live Nativity play and a puppy iceskating rink and Game of Thrones themed bowling. Sophie dreads the whole thing, but also has fun.

I decided after about 2 pages that her (ex)boyfriend Griffin needed to fall into a hole and wE WILL DIE for Wes, aka a childhood best friend she “totally” does “not” “like” in “that way”. (HA.)

big families!! everywhere you look, more family!!!

I always say YA needs more big-family centric book and [waves at this one] it delivers my wishes specifically. This is an extended family, so Sophie has one sister (who’s about to have a baby; also the sisters’ relationship is super tight and I loved their texting!!) and the house is just STUFFED with cousins and uncles and aunts etc. Billions of them, everywhere you look. I also have unwillingly obtained a pile of siblings and niblings, so can 10/10 say the chaos here was accurate. The banter! The flow! Someone getting milk poured onto them at breakfast! So relatable.

Sophie used to be particularly close with two of her cousins, Olivia and Charlie, and the boy next door, Wes. I wish we’d had more tension behind why they drifted apart. But they were an epic squad, and Charlie’s quips were besssst. West was So Soft™ and am truly loving the rise of the cinnamon boys in YA too.

christmas

I read precious little christmas books so this was a fun change from me, being an absolute grinch. Lots of big-family Christmas traditions (like wearing matching PJs?!) and general holiday shenanigans are always fun to read about. The focus was on the specific dates, but Sophie’s cousins were always around — so it was honestly just as much about reconnecting with family as it was about the dates.

this is the festively soft and wholesome holiday read you’ve been looking for 🤗

though lowkey WARNING for how hungry it makes you (why has no one made me christmas cakes?? hmm???) It could’ve gone a little deeper with some of the relationships, but it was so engaging and fun and such a quirky read. I love looooove big-family stories so SOLID WIN for me. It leaves you with a sticky chocolatey minty Christmas hug, reminding you that relationships are important and don’t let them slip away. 😘

Thanks to @LetsTalkYA and Disney-Hyperion for the review-copy!

Sophie wants one thing for Christmas-a little freedom from her overprotective parents. So when they decide to spend Christmas in South Louisiana with her very pregnant older sister, Sophie is looking forward to some much needed private (read: make-out) time with her long-term boyfriend, Griffin. Except it turns out that Griffin wants a little freedom from their relationship. Cue devastation.
Heartbroken, Sophie flees to her grandparents’ house, where the rest of her boisterous extended family is gathered for the holiday. That’s when her nonna devises a (not so) brilliant plan: Over the next ten days, Sophie will be set up on ten different blind dates by different family members. Like her sweet cousin Sara, who sets her up with a hot guy at an exclusive underground party. Or her crazy aunt Patrice, who signs Sophie up for a lead role in a living nativity. With a boy who barely reaches her shoulder. And a screaming baby.
When Griffin turns up unexpectedly and begs for a second chance, Sophie feels more confused than ever. Because maybe, just maybe, she’s started to have feelings for someone else . . . Someone who is definitely not available.
This is going to be the worst Christmas break ever… or is it?

Goodreads | Booktopia | Book Depository | Amazon | Barnes & Noble |Books-A-Million | Indiebound

 

| what do you think? |

do you like books with big extended families? or tell me a romcom you wish was a movie!! 👀and let me know if you’ve read 10 Blind Dates and what you think

 

What Is Your Shadow Frost Affinity Power? (Ft. Quiz for Shadow Frost by Coco Ma + INTL Giveaway!)

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In celebration of Shadow Frost’s release…I have made a quiz!

It’s been halfway to forever since I made a quiz, so I’m super happy to be presenting to you a highly scientific (stop rolling your eyes) quiz based on the novel Shadow Frost by Coco Ma! I’m part of the Creative Tour for this as hosted by MTMC Tours (who are the besssst) and if you stop by my instagram right now there is: an epic INTL giveaway for 3 x copies of the book + Q&A from Coco in my Stories!

Shadow Frost is the first book in an epic YA Fantasy trilogy coming out on October 1st, 2019 from Blackstone Publishing.

and now 🙌🏻 let’s see how you go with my Shadow Frost Affinity Powers Quiz!

 

Be sure to tell me your answers in the comments!!

The sigils represented the nine affinities — the nine elements, each hailing from a different kingdom and bloodline. The three core infinities making up the fundamental trinity — earth, water and fire — cornered the triangle, the other six falling in between: ice, wind, sky, air, light, and illusion.

Shadow Frost was such a delightful collision of magic and mayhem, demons and secret identities, and enough sass to make my heart content.

(I stand by the fact that all books are better with characters snarking at each other.) It’s about hunting demons, but it’s also about secrets and trust. I definitely am here for this amount of plot twists too. It’s such a book of layers — nothing is what it seems.

other things I adored

→ sassy princess who fights tooth and claw
→ also totally oblivious when someone has a crush on her :’)
→ epic squad! do they get on? no. are they amazing anyway? YES
→ Harry, just Harry ok that’s my entire point
→ wholesome queer rep!!
→ elemental magic, but daaaark
→ shadowy demons, shadowy gods
→ monsters
→ meddling gods
→ alllll the banter
→ general mayhem, especially when they’re left alone to try and bake a cake

I really enjoyed the writing style too!

Some epic fantasies take a lot of adjusting to fall into, but Shadow Frost felt very accessible, with modernish banter and quips. The action scenes are balanced with domestic mayhem (CAKE BAKING) and it focused on the characters first!

…aka let’s talk about The SQUAD!

I am forever am trash for books with squads. The team was fantastic, from Asterin, our princess who is all trouble and peppercorns. To Orion, her loyal bodyguard, a total Soft Gay. The newcomers, wanting to protect Asterin as she finds and fights the demon: Rose (who has SECRETS) and Quinlin (who has a CRUSH on Asterin that she ain’t noticing). Then there’s Luna, the lovely and dedicated lady in waiting who longs for her own magic. Eadric, the Mum Friend, also captain of the guard and trying to keep a bunch of idiots alive. He is stressed. And lastly HARRY who I can’t say too much about but like, hands down, total fave.

This is the start of an addictive, fresh, and twisty fantasy series that will definitely keep you wanting more.

It utilises the secret of “make the reader fall in love with the characters and then you’ve got ’em, hook line and sinker” which I am so so here for. A fun and captivating fantasy! I want book twoooo.

Thanks so much to MTMC Tours, Blackstone Publishing, and Coco Ma!

When Asterin Faelenhart, Princess of Axaria and heir to the throne, discovers that she may hold the key to defeating the mysterious demon terrorizing her kingdom, she vows not to rest until the beast is slain. With the help of her friends and the powers she wields — though has yet to fully understand — Asterin sets out to complete a single task. The task that countless, trained soldiers have failed.
To kill it.
But as they hunt for the demon, they unearth a plot to assassinate the Princess herself instead. Asterin and her companions begin to wonder how much of their lives have been lies, especially when they realize that the center of the web of deceit might very well be themselves. With no one else to turn to, they are forced to decide just how much they are willing to sacrifice to protect the only world they have ever known.
That is, of course… if the demon doesn’t get to them first.

Blackstone Publishing | Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Coco Ma is a Canadian-Chinese author and pianist. She wrote her first novel, Shadow Frost, at the age of 15. Since she began playing the piano at the age of five and a half, she has also performed on some of the world’s greatest concert stages and graduated with a pre-college diploma in piano performance from The Juilliard School in New York City. Currently, she studies at Yale University. When she isn’t practicing piano, writing, or studying, you might find her bingeing Netflix or eating cake. Lots of cake.

Website | Goodreads | Instagram | Twitter

| what do you think? |

is Shadow Frost on your TBR pile?? tell me your thoughts if you’re read it!! and what affinity power did you get in the quiz? does it suit you? 👀

 And don’t forget to enter the INTL giveaway on my instagram! 

 

The Surprising Power Of A Good Dumpling by Wai Chim (Ft. Oh This One Stole My Heart!)

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Oh I am here to tell you I just read the most WONDERFUL story.

The Surprising Power Of A Good Dumpling was absolutely incredible. I’m so full of emotions right now! You know a book is special when you (a) can’t put it down, and (b) cannot see a single flaw in it, and (c) just want to hug it to your chest and give all the love to the characters. It’s such a sweet but also heart-wrenching story that talks about the darkness of mental illness with such nuance and respect. I bawl softly. with love.

As always I have such a deep respect for #ownvoices stories

You can tell how much love and heart went into this! Anna is Chinese and has grown up in Australia to immigrant parents. She struggles with diaspora at times, feeling she’s not a “good” Chinese daughter since she speaks very basic Cantonese and doesn’t fit in with the other Chinese kids at school. Anna just wants to cook and she’s upset that her parents AND school dismiss her passion.

(Also side note: freaking LOVED how the book talked about how there was nothing wrong about aspiring to work, not go to uni. You aren’t less for not “aiming to your full potential”. I mean, who’s saying what “full potential” has to be anyway?!?)


discussion on mental health

As someone who struggles with depression, I get super emotional reading books where the rep is good. And this? This is GOOD. Anna’s mother has undiagnosed mental illness (possibly bipolar) — she can’t get out of bed, she goes into rages, she sometimes has psychotic episodes. She was hard to love, she could be unfair and cruel to her kids. Anna got the burnt of so much blame. And her dad just ignored what was going on. I think there was a lot of cultural perspective to be had here too, with how some Chinese families approach mental illness (ie: ignoring it).

We also have it contrasted with Rory’s (Anna’s boi) depression. UGH I LOVE RORY. He is slowly rebuilding himself after being in an excruciatingly dark place; and his sweetness but honesty that he’ll never be “normal” again, but he can be okay — I adore for those breadcrumbs of hope.

The fight is worth it. You are worth it.

can we talk about Anna??? I would fite for Anna

She is the absolute Softest™ and broke my heart with her dedication and desperation to be everything she “should” be. Keeping her siblings going. Filling in her mum’s shoes. Helping out at her dad’s restaurant (she wants to do this though!!! her passion). Lily is 13 and Michael is 5 and I adored them too.😭💛Lily is a fire and Anna is sweet and Michael is an angel and WILL PROTEC THEM.

Anna also carries a lot of invisible emotional trauma through the book. Just having to deal with it all, but silently…it’s a huge thing to bear. She gets snipey a few times though and omg I love her. Her arc? 100% perfection. She grew into herself so so much and I love that moment when she realises the stigma of pretending to be okay is harmful. It’s OKAY to NOT be okay.

please buckle up for the cutest romance

Rory + Anna = the ship I NEED. Anna meets Rory at her dad’s restaurant (he’s a delivery boy) and he is the Softest just like her. I loved how their relationship grew. It was just so so wholesome and tentative (and not angsty!!!).

and hi, i just couldn’t put it down

At all. I mean, I planned to do other things this afternoon, and I looked up and I’d just read 3/4 of a book and the afternoon was gone.😂SIGNS of an excellent novel. It was easy to read, addictive, and really well paced. I loved all the scenes: at the restaurant, at home with the siblings, anything with Rory… 🤗

look, this is just the kind of contemporary to put on your tbr immediately

I have read the most wonderful GEM and I want the whole world to know!! It made me feel warm and it filled my heart. The sibling strife was relatable (oops haha) and their love for each other was incredible too. The arcs! The loving discussion of harsher darknesses. The pain. The aching. Anna’s soft strength. All so so excellent.

thank you Allen & Unwin for the review-copy! The Surprising Power Of A Good Dumpling by Wai Chim came out in August 2019

Anna Chiu has her hands pretty full looking after her brother and sister and helping out at her dad’s restaurant, all while her mum stays in bed. Dad’s new delivery boy, Rory, is a welcome distraction and even though she knows that things aren’t right at home, she’s starting to feel like she could just be a normal teen.
But when Mum finally gets out of bed, things go from bad to worse. And as Mum’s condition worsens, Anna and her family question everything they understand about themselves and each other.
A nourishing tale about the crevices of culture, mental wellness and family, and the surprising power of a good dumpling.

Goodreads | Booktopia | Book Depository | Amazon | Allen & Unwin

| what do you think? |

what food always makes YOU feel better? 🤗 is this one on your TBR? tell me your thoughts if you’ve read it!

 

Sword And Pen by Rachel Caine (Ft. Epic Giveaway, Excerpt, & My Feels About This Finale!)

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It’s time to celebrate the finale of the Great Library series!

And to capitalise on the pun opportunity I have been given — it was great. 😂🤭Ok I’m good now, I’m fine…

But truly this series is exquisitely incredible, thrilling and heart-wrenching and full of violent Ravenclaws (which, quite frankly, is amazing to read about). I don’t often stick with long series because I have the attention span of a gnat. But I’ve craved every book since Ink & Bone released back in 2015!

Today I’m part of the blog tour for Sword and Pen.

It’s really sad to say goodbye 😫But it was also a stunning ending.

Keep reading for some immensely epic giveaways + my review + and an excerpt from Thomas!

 

(And huge thank you to Berkley Pub and Rachel Caine for having me as part of the tour!)

➢ Catch up on my reviews of the first 4 books:

Goodreads | Booktopia | Book Depository | Amazon

With the future of the Great Library in doubt, the unforgettable characters from Ink and Bone must decide if it’s worth saving in this thrilling adventure in the New York Times bestselling series.
The corrupt leadership of the Great Library has fallen. But with the Archivist plotting his return to power, and the Library under siege from outside empires and kingdoms, its future is uncertain. Jess Brightwell and his friends must come together as never before, to forge a new future for the Great Library . . . or see everything it stood for crumble.

Rachel Caine is the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of more than fifty novels in a diverse range of genres and categories. She’s been honored with multiple awards from RT Booklovers Association and the Texas Library Association, and was honored with two spots on the 2012 “Most Favorite Books of UK Schoolchildren” list. In 2006, she created the Morganville Vampires series in young adult, and premiered the TLA-listed novel Prince of Shadows in 2015, and the new Great Library series with Ink and Bone in 2016. Rachel and her husband R. Cat Conrad live and work in Fort Worth, Texas.

Twitter | Instagram | Website | Facebook

Open for an excerpt

Open For excerpt from THOMAS

“No, not like that,” Thomas said, and elbowed the Artifex Magnus aside. He was sweating, stripped of his jacket, and he hardly recognized that he’d just shoved a member of the Great Library’s Curia out of the way until it was far too late. “Sorry,” he mumbled, but not with any real regret. “We have little time.”

“Yes, I know that, son,” Artifex Greta Jones said. She was American, which was a curiosity in and of itself—a round, pleasant woman with more than enough talent at engineering for nearly any task set before her. A rich, slow accent like melting butter. “Easy now. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it.”

There was no time to be polite, or easy. Thomas knew he could do better. That wasn’t modest, but it was true. He quickly unscrewed the bolts holding the gigantic crystal in place and gently lowered it to the worktable nearby. Everything looked fine, but he could read from the power consumption curve that it was not fine at all. “It’s not performing as expected,” he said as he unbolted the platinum casing that held the crystal. “The power cycle should have been longer, and recovery shorter. There’s something—”

As soon as the casing was off, he saw it, and his heart sank. Something had been off in the measurements, just the tiniest bit, and the distribution of stress must have thrown the calculations off and caused vibration. Vibration had caused a flaw.

The crystal was useless. The crack within it was tiny, a flaw that would have been meaningless for any other purpose … but not this one. It could be recut and the flaw eliminated, but he’d custom-built the casing for this stone to exacting specifications.

And they didn’t have time to machine new parts and cut a new crystal now.

The Artifex looked at the crystal, and he could tell she saw what he did. “It’ll crack straight through the next time we use it,” she said. “You were right. I’m sorry I doubted you. We could recut it, but that will reduce power …”

“It will,” he confirmed. “I’ll have to have the jewelers cut another crystal while I make a different kind of casing. One that can adjust to different crystal dimensions, in case we must change it more frequently. Put this one back, reduce the power output, and pray that they don’t force us to use it again more than once before the replacement is ready.” The Lighthouse ray was, in effect, a giant bluff, a gamble that he and the Artifex had decided was worth the risk. Now more than ever it had become more threat than reality.

Sword And Pen was stressfully brilliant, powerful and absolutely destroying.

I actually had to take a moment to breathe after I finished because, like Jess, I spent most of the book gasping and dying between paragraphs that were obviously designed to spear me right through the feels. This books was so so intense and it delivered everything I needed in a finale. Including making me not know if a single character I liked would get through. I was tHAT stressed!! I was so stressed!!!!

things I did while reading:
(a) pressed the entire ARC to my face and scream/cried at Santi calling Jess his and Wolfe’s son
(b) panicked about Jess’ life expectancy
(c) said I hated it and loved it in a single breath
(d) took too many photos for my bookstagram
(e) died and came back as a library haunting ghost of appreciation

Last books are always hard to review because I don’t want to give spoilers! 👀

But this totally delivered with a tight-action-packed plot, that was full of war and battles, super high stakes, and valiant sacrifices. It also had tons of stupid teenagers thinking they’re invincible (I love them) and Wolfe getting grey hairs because his kids are irresponsible about their health (I love him). It had so so so many satisfying plot twists. I was just beaming by the end.

It managed to be painful on the feels, heartbreaking at times, and also intensely right and satisfying. That’s a hard balance to pull off in a finale, and I applaud the entire series for constantly delivering to my super high expectations.

A little run down about what the characters were up to…

  • Jess gets himself seriously seriously hurt and I definitely ached for him through the entire book. His ptsd and depression spiral is gut-wrenching. I love him so much ahhh.
  • Wolfe and Santi didn’t have a lot of chapters in this one but I loved every scene they were in. Their devotion to each other is incredible; gay dads of the century. We stan. 😭🙌🏻I also love that Santi gave up hoping people would be sensible and just started pairing everyone off so at least the hot-heads had someone to temper them down.
  • Thomas is off solving lots of puzzles; also being a super weapons genius while being the softest bean ever.
  • Dario is such a snake I love him. Tbh he bad more chemistry with Jess than Morgan/Jess did but ok.
  • Khalila no spoilers but AHHHH SHE IS A QUEEN AND I LOVE HER. She really just proves herself in this one and I adored her arc.
  • Glain has always been like the smallest part of the squad but she is badass and I do like her.
  • Morgan was super powerful and kinda scary with it, but I did appreciate her whole storyline for this finale.

 

Spoilers About The Finale

(seriously DON’T click until after you’ve read it!)

open for finale SPOILERS
I very very much thought it was setting up Jess to DIE. I was freaking out.😭😂 I always feel like a journey is pointless if the protagonist doesn’t make it sooooo…I was worried. But my son, my love, Jess got through. His emotional pain and ruination over Brendan dying in his arms really followed him through this book and I broke with him. Grief = exceptionally written. 

I just wish there’d been like a “5 years later” epilogue showing us what everyone is up to!!!

→  Also Wolfe and Santi being at his hospital bed at the end, threatening to murder his dad, saying TEHY WERE HIS NEW DADS??? 10/10 best moment of the book. My HEARTTTTT.

→ Morgan’s death was super sad, but it also felt well handled and right. And tbh she was never my favourite and I never felt she and Jess fit perfectly. So she’s in a bodyless dimension being free and I’m just like! Ok!

→  And YES that Khalila got to be the Archivist. SO deserved. Best and most satisfying ending.

I also love how the book balanced destruction, violence, and hope.

Ultimately, the series is about fighting for what you believe, for making sure no one person has the ability to dictate the spread of knowledge through the world. The book is about knowledge being power…about found-family being the truest part of your heart…and about freedom. It got so so dark in this book. But it gave us those slivers of light that we needed to cling onto.

It was perfect. Freaking perfect. I’m NOT over it and will be melting inside for at least 600 years.

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And click here to enter an exclusive giveaway just for my followers!

| what do you think? |

have you read this series or is it on your TBR?? tell me which cover is your favourite too!! (mine is Paper & Fire because I love orange so much)

 

Ghosts of the Shadow Market by Cassandra Clare (Ft. Short Stories If You Miss Your Old Faves!)

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It’s always a satisfying pleasure to be back in my favourite Shadowhunter world.

I just adore it all so much, ok? I’m in deep. I love that we get backstory and extra time with favourite characters. I love the indulgence of seeing characters grow up over the course of all the series and get married and have kids. Like, ok sometimes it’s totally sappy. But I don’t CARE. I am a soft leaf of grass these days. Let me be happy with my kids.

This is a collection of 10 short stories.

They’re set from the 1900s to 2012 and all sort of incorporate the Shadow Market. Most are through Jem Carstair’s eyes (when he’s a Silent Brother and when he’s free) and dude is a miserable eloquent mop and I love him so much. I was #TeamJem the whole way ok (he deserved better), so this was just nice to be back with him as he searches for the lost Herondale line as a tribute to Will.

TL;DR version of my feels

  • love love love because it’s Shadowhunters ok
  • the Shadowhunter family tree is convoluted and exhausting
  • I resent everyone in TID growing up to name their children all after each other. I cannot tell anyone apart or know who belongs to who.
  • I really don’t like the Thule!Jace storyline I just…thought I’d get onboard but I am not. That’s my only criticism for the whole series oops.
  • Freaking HERE for a certain couple having a baby at the end.😍
  • Magnus/Alec are a GIFT; eternally.
  • I’m so glad Clare keeps gifting us with little in-between moments and giving these domestic scenes + action and relaying important info. (But the domestic scenes make me heart eyes.)
  • I really loved the art starting each story!!

Cast Long Shadows

This was the hardest to follow because we have like ALL the TID kids here and holy heck I could not keep them straight. Fairchilds and Herondales and Lightwoods galore. They all had so many kids hahah. Anyway it was sad? But rather made me think Matthew was an idiot for trusting a faerie potion instead of talking to his parents.

Every Exquisite Thing

Butch lesbian appreciation. We stan. I also just loved this quiet love and acceptance of queerness by Anna’s parents!! Also Jem being badass and solving Shadow Market mysteries.

Learn About Loss

Brother Zachariah (cough*Jem*cough) and Sister Emilia go to a carnival to discover more about the Lost Herondale line. And look, Jem has a dream where he and Will run hand-in-hand across a moonlight rooftops and u tell me that’s very heterosexual.

A Deeper Love

Oh wow this one was STRESSFUL. Jem gets hurt and Tessa freaks out and it’s set in WWII and also features Catrina Loss! I really liked this one. Nothing like some good wretched feels.

The Wicked Ones

This was like…ugh [throws up a little] a 17yo shadowhunter crushing on Stephan Herondale (23yo and married) so much that she’ll do anything to make him fall in love with her. These are Jace’s parents! And it shows more how Valentine controlled his inner circle.

Son of the Dawn

ok this one made me laugh because it has Raphael in it (LOVE Raphael) and Lily Chen, who ends up calling Jem “Brother Snackeriah” which ya know. She is not wrong. They also go pick up baby!Jace (he’s like 10 or something, but a baby) from being shipped to the Lightwoods on a boat loaded with drugs. Also Jace is so deeply damaged. Also BABY ISABELLE AND ALEC. They’re adorable.

The Land I Lost

100000% my favourite story of the book. Laughed out LOUD. Wanted to cry. Omg. This is when Alec finds and adopts little Rafe and I just!!! Ok I am a mess for Alec/Magnus domestic scenes and while this was mostly Alec being badass alone in Buenos Aires and finding the Institute there is super corrupt…it still had the most ADORABLE scenes in it. Also Rafe was such a feral little thing and every time Alec was just holding him comfortingly. 😫💛 Also Magnus’ line of “you left for 3 days and adopted a child…imagine if we let you roam for a week.” I LOVE THEM.

Through Blood, Through Fire

Jem and Tessa are still looking for that Lost Herondale kid. They are not good at this hide and seek. This one is angsty but I appreciate Jem/Tessa together. Aw.

The Lost World

Finally we get some BLACKTHORNS. This is mostly by Livvy, but some of Ty’s POV. I really miss Ty and I’m crying…he is so sad. He refuses to acknowledge he has a hole in his life without Kit. Shows more of what Livy can do now…I liked it but made me SAD that we don’t get Wicked Powers for so so long….I want it now.

Forever Fallen

Ok this was soft sweetness with Baby Carstairs and Kit stopping being an abandoned orphan. LOVE the Carstairs family 100%. Also more of Thule!Jace who I do not understand and do not want to see ever again 🤗 I assume this is warning that there will be lots of Thule storyline in Wicked Power and bleh. Do not want. But I do want Ty and Kit and will die for them. So. (Yes, I’m chill about it.)

Also the last sentence is: “This evening, the whole sky was bronze, as though to summon wicked powers.”

SCREEEEAMING

Thank you to Walker Books AUS for the review-copy! It released June, 2019.

Goodreads | Booktopia | Walker Books | Book Depository | Amazon

The Shadow Market is a meeting point for faeries, werewolves, warlocks and vampires. There the Downworlders buy and sell magical objects, make dark bargains, and whisper secrets they do not want the Nephilim to know. Through two centuries, however, there has been a frequent visitor to the Shadow Market from the City of Bones, the very heart of the Shadowhunters. As a Silent Brother, Brother Zachariah is sworn keeper of the laws and lore of the Nephilim. But once he was a Shadowhunter called Jem Carstairs, and his love, then and always, is the warlock Tessa Gray.
Follow Brother Zachariah and see, against the backdrop of the Shadow Market’s dark dealings and festive celebrations, Anna Lightwood’s first romance, Matthew Fairchild’s great sin and Tessa Gray plunged into a world war. Valentine Morgenstern buys a soul at the Market and a young Jace Wayland’s soul finds safe harbor. In the Market is hidden a lost heir and a beloved ghost, and no one can save you once you have traded away your heart. Not even Brother Zachariah…

| what do you think? |

tell me your favourite Shadowhunter series! and have you read these short stories yet? are they on your TBR?

 

Kingdom Of Souls by Rena Barron (Ft. Western African Inspired Dark Fantasy!)

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Kingdom Of Souls was such a deeply complex, richly dark fantasy.

It me intrigued from the very first page. 👀 I do like my epic fantasy daaaark and this definitely delves into that side of magic, with witchdoctors gone rogue and demons breaking free and unsolved murders. It’s both badass and chilling, powerful and empowering. And though it’s very dark it’s not hopeless! Arrah has no maic and she’s spurned by her mother and treated as less by her clan — but she’ll stop at nothing to defeat this darkness.

We stan a Gryffindor heroine. 😭🙌🏻

// #ownvoices West-African inspired mythology

Kingdom of Souls fiercely focuses on Arrah and her relationship with magic (aka she has none) and her mother (a powerful witchdoctor with ptsd from being tortured for years by her predecessor) and how children start to go missing and no one seems interested in looking into it.

I always find fantasies overwhelmingly intense at first as you find your footing amongst the world building. I do admit this had a lot of characters and as someone who struggles with names (dude, I don’t even remember my nieces’ names), I did falter keeping everyone straight. Plus there’s a lot of gods and tribe names.

The whole story is packed full of witchdoctors, dark magic rituals, years-being-traded-for-magic, dangerous curses and gods gone rogue. The whole story was woven with love and care, depth and heartfelt magic.

// it packs a lot in

The plot is super, super intense! It’s not always action scenes and there’s lot of focus on the world and the politics of Arrah’s people. It crams a lot into the 500pgs.

// characters

Ok Arrah was precious and I did love her so much. She strives so hard to be enough but is always found lacking by her mother who is an infamously cold and powerful woman. I also loved her friendship with Rudjek. It has a bit of a Romeo x Juliet vibe, since Rudjek’s father is Arrah’s mother’s enemy. I shipped them but…it is not an easy ship eeep. The book also hugely focuses on family…and I can’t give spoilers but I love how it explored this.

And can we take a moment to appreciate a book featuring FEMALE VILLAINS!??! Best. Love. Thank you so much.

// a dark epic fantasy to capture your soul

Definitely try this one if you love YA fantasy with complexities, dense worlds, and evil that does not sleep. 🤗 It does take a lot of concentration because it’s meaty, and I do admit to being lost at the end. It’s a hardcore adventure full of cultural pride and messy families and a girl who dares to believe she’s worth something despite being different.

 

Releases on September 3rd, 2019!

thank you to the author for the ARC!

Goodreads | Booktopia | Book Depository | Amazon

Arrah is a young woman from a long line of the most powerful witch doctors in the land. But she fails at magic, fails to call upon the ancestors and can’t even cast the simplest curse.
Shame and disappointment dog her.
When strange premonitions befall her family and children in the kingdom begin to disappear, Arrah undergoes the dangerous and scorned process of selling years of her life for magic. This borrowed power reveals a nightmarish betrayal and a danger beyond what she could have imagined. Now Arrah must find a way to master magic, or at least buy it, in order to save herself and everything she holds dear.
An explosive fantasy set in a world of magic and legend with a twist you will never see coming.

 

| what do you think? |

tell me some black authors’ books you’ve read and loved recently!! and is this one on your TBR? what do you think of dark fantasy?

 

[Double Diversity Review] The Million Pieces of Neena Gill by Emma Smith-Barton & All The Bad Apples by Moïra Fowley-Doyle

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It’s time for a double-review of two books that are dismantling stigmas.

And w o w they are powerful. I feel in a total whirlwind of thoughts and feels right now, because they’re very thought-provoking and hard-hitting books. Both were very different, but centred around mental illness, feminism, abuse, and queer history. So be ready for a tangled knot of FEEEEEELINGS.

I also am putting them together because they’re both Penguin books AND set in the UK! I bought All The Bad Apples for myself (apparently it’s out Oct 1st in Australia? I must’ve bought the UK version), but The Million Pieces of Neena Gill was an ARC gifted from Penguin Teen Australia. Thank you!

 

The Million Pieces of Neena Gill by Emma Smith-Barton

This is such an aching story of loss and mental health spirals. Neena is a really unreliable narrator so as you get deeper into the story…you really second-guess everything. It’s so intensely in her perspective that you can’t help but ache with her. Her decisions are so problematic, but at the same time…you get it?! Neeeeena, don’t DO IT. 😫

➢ #OwnVoices Rep

I really appreciate #ownvoices books because they bring a layer of power and intimacy; you can feel the heartache on the page. I have an ARC and the author wrote this incredibly heartbreaking letter, talking about how she had severe anxiety and has been in dark places, as well as helped someone else through a mental breakdown. It’s also #ownvoices for Pakistani-British rep! It really explored that too: Neena’s own assumptions about her culture as well as how her parents viewed mental illness as weakness. It was hard to read their dismissal of her illness…but overall there were solidly good learning arcs.

➢ it had a messy disorientated style — which suited Neena’s mental state perfectly

Her brother is missing and she loved him so much. Neena is just not…coping. She’s a wreck; drinking and sneaking out to parties, having massive anxiety spirals and being erratic. It was so sad.

➢ healing as well as heartbreaking

It did focus on rebuilding too. It wasn’t just a mental illness spiral — which I think is important to show all sides. “Sometimes you need to remind yourself who you are, don’t you?” The book also discussed problematic tropes (ie: Nina thinking romance would fix her, she viewing her parents’ Pakistani strictness as her villain, all the drinking etc.) and unpacked them really well! It’s about dismantling stigmas and being honest with yourself. I appreciated the whole book a lot, even though overall the style wasn’t my favourite.

Goodreads | Penguin | Booktopia | Book Depository

Published July 16th, 2019

How can I hold myself together, when everything around me is falling apart? 
Neena’s always been a good girl – great grades, parent-approved friends and absolutely no boyfriends. But ever since her brother Akash left her, she’s been slowly falling apart – and uncovering a new version of herself who is freer, but altogether more dangerous.
As her wild behaviour spirals more and more out of control, Neena’s grip on her sanity begins to weaken too. And when her parents announce not one but two life-changing bombshells, she finally reaches breaking point.
But as Neena is about to discover, when your life falls apart, only love can piece you back together.

All The Bad Apples by Moïra Fowley-Doyle

This is the kind of story that will make you ache and RAGE all at once. It was bitterly and deeply moving and you end wanting to choke  on angry tears as well as feel deeply empowered. It’s a feminist book, and it also dives deeply into the abuse and trauma suffered by queer people and women in the 1900s.

➢ this is no fluffy read

It’s beautifully written; gorgeous words and style (I was obsessed with The Accident Season back in 2015!! so I was excited to read another book from Fowley-Doyle), but I thought (wroooong) that it was about a girl finding her sister. Like maybe some creepy woods, idk. It was much darker and harder hitting than that.

Deena is 17 and basically raised by her older twin sisters (who are in their mid-30s). Their mother is dead, their father the strict horrible old religious type who is a threatening force but also absent in their lives. Mandy (the troublesome sister) vanishes and it’s assumed she killed herself. But Deena refuses to believe and goes searching. Overall the book is like set over 3 days. But it’s also half set in the past. Deena reads these letters detailing what happened to their great-great grandparents how the family Rys “curse” started. All the “bad” troublesome girls are cursed apparently and they need to break it.

So the historical part is set in the 1920s+ in Ireland and…wow it was hard to read. Like there so much viciousness in the Catholicism and just how they treated women and queer people. And just how society destroyed women. It talks about rape and abuse, about how unmarried women were stuffed into these workhouse/nunneries and worked basically to death. Had their children ripped away and put in schools where they were maliciously beaten. All the abuse was coded as “cleansing your sin” and it’s sickening. Queer people were murdered. Midwives were called witches. Like…all this stuff truly happened and it’s so brittle and brutal to read. 😫 So. much. suffering.

The story is HERE to do that though: to make us think and burn with the injustice.

“…the past will only keep repeating itself as long as we’re kept powerless by our silence.”

➢ favourite vs least favourite things

Ok so truly the book was super thought-provoking AND important. At first I wasn’t super engaged because all the back-story scenes were just telling-telling-telling. It felt like a family history and I was just ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ As I read on, I saw the messages it built and the structure it was taking. So I enjoyed last 50% a lot.

And I loved loved LOVED Deena; our soft queer teen of heartache as she uncovers her family secrets. She meets Cale on their journey (also queer girl who Deena is 😍) and her best friend Finn is bi and black. I really loved the diversity.

➢ I’ll be thinking about this one for a long long time…

I won’t lie: it was difficult to read. It isn’t pleasurable to read about queer pain, abused women, or destroyed lives. But the book is speaking out on these things. The tagline is literally “shatter the silence” and I’m so glad it exists to add to this conversation.

“Like Ida said, sometimes you have to feel the past to believe it.”
“It needs to be told like a story in order to be heard,” I said.
“Right. Exactly.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, shrugged. “It’s the story itself that’s fucked.”

Goodreads | Booktopia | Book Depository | Penguin

out Oct 1 in AUS // August 1st in UK

When Deena’s wild and mysterious sister Mandy disappears – presumed dead – her family are heartbroken. But Mandy has always been troubled. It’s just another bad thing to happen to Deena’s family. Only Deena refuses to believe it’s true.
And then the letters start arriving. Letters from Mandy, claiming that their family’s blighted history is not just bad luck or bad decisions – but a curse, handed down through the generations. Mandy has gone in search of the curse’s roots, and now Deena must find her. What they find will heal their family’s rotten past – or rip it apart forever.

| what do you think? |

do you read a lot of UKYA books? are either of these on your TBR because I’m super curious to share thoughts!!