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Fawkes by Nadine Brandes || Historical Retellings With Magic and Guy Fawkes’ Son!? Yes Please

I’m always here for a good bit o’ dark magic and assassination plots, so I was excited to read Fawkes!

I actually know nothing about the original Guy Fawkes (except that isn’t there a day each year to burn pyres of him??? The British aren’t letting this go). So Fawkes is a reimagining of London (but with MAGIC) and follows the point-of-view of Guy Fawkes’ son! It has a devastating stone plague, an intriguing colour-based magic system with masks, and the whole point is to blow up the king. Because what else would one do on the weekend, I guess.

The whole premise was so unique!

Thanks so much to the author for sending me this ARC! (Nadine is the loveliest okay?!)

It’s narrated by 16-year-old Thomas Fawkes, who is hopelessly and dutifully honourable.

Awww!! He is the ultimate Gryffindor. HONOUR! GOODNESS! GENTLEMANLY PLEDGES! Giveth me mine sword and I shALL DEFEND THE WORLD. He’s such a good-hearted little dork, look at him go. But his life is in shambles because: (a) he needs his dad to gift him a mask so he can become a magician, and his DAD DIDN’T, and (b) Thomas is also infected with the plague, which will turn you to stone eventually. He’s blind in one eye and ostracised because of this. I actually get worried about “cure” storylines…but I felt the plague functioned a lot like cancer, and since it’d kill him eventually, he was absolutely desperate for the cure.

I really felt for Thomas as he grappled with the fear of his own illness killing him. And omg there was this one scene?! The writing so vividly described his agony that my hEART LURCHED.

(Although full disclosure…I am a Slytherin myself, so Thomas’ honourableness made me laugh aaaand it probably wasn’t supposed to. And I wish he’d been more messy and dynamic. I’m sORRY I’M A TERRIBLE PERSON.)

The magic system was also awesome!

It’s based on masks and colours! So my Phantom-of-the-Opera-obsessed-youth is delighted. Thank you. Basically everyone speaks to magic via colours —> but you can only do so when you have your mask. Thomas is maskless, plagued, and dismissed by his father, Guy Fawkes, so the story begins with Thomas doing everything he can to track down Guy and get his frikkin’ mask.

Do we have father/son issues? Why yes we do. Honestly Guy was horrible?! There was NO REASON to deny Thomas his mask, but he diiiiiid. But I do love books that focus on messed up family dynamics (WHO WANTS FUNCTIONALITY) and Thomas trying to decide if he (a) likes his dad, (b) and believes in the cause to blow up King James, and (c) what side of the warring magicians he’s on….it was all captivating.

Emma was my FAV secondary character. She’s badass, paints, isn’t going to let a sucky society pin her down, and the relationship between her and Thomas is slow and tentative. No instalove here!

The other secondary characters were historically accurate (!!) super cool. But I also got them all mixed up haha. I am bad with names, ok. I called my latest nephew Angus today. His name is…not Angus. It’s Atlas. Which isn’t even, close, Cait omg fix your life.

  • It’s a historical RETELLING (!) but there’s still plenty of accurate history there which made things so interesting
  • I like how it did a twist on the warring religions in London, but made them magicians!
  • The colour-coded magic was GREAT because I literally colour-code my life. Relatable content.
  • EMMA THO.
  • Lots of backstabbing.
  • Conspiracies!
  • Torn loyalties.
  • The ending is pretty frikkin’ tragic.
  • GUNPOWDER AND TREASON.

Fawkes is an enjoyable retelling of the infamous Guy Fawkes, but with magic amongst the gunpowder. It’s not fast paced at all, but it crafts such a detailed view of London! I enjoyed this twist and how everyone was rather dubiously morally grey!

Fawkes by Nadine Brandes is out July 10th!!

★★★★☆

Thomas Fawkes is turning to stone, and the only cure to the Stone Plague is to join his father’s plot to assassinate the king of England.
Silent wars leave the most carnage. The wars that are never declared, but are carried out in dark alleys with masks and hidden knives. Wars where color power alters the natural rhythm of 17th century London. And when the king calls for peace, no one listens until he finally calls for death. But what if death finds him first?
Keepers think the Igniters caused the plague. Igniters think the Keepers did it. But all Thomas knows is that the Stone Plague infecting his eye is spreading. And if he doesn’t do something soon, he’ll be a lifeless statue. So when his Keeper father, Guy Fawkes, invites him to join the Gunpowder Plot—claiming it will put an end to the plague—Thomas is in.
The plan: use 36 barrels of gunpowder to blow up the Igniter King.
The problem: Doing so will destroy the family of the girl Thomas loves. But backing out of the plot will send his father and the other plotters to the gallows. To save one, Thomas will lose the other.
No matter Thomas’s choice, one thing is clear: once the decision is made and the color masks have been put on, there’s no turning back.

Goodreads  Book Depository  Author Instagram  Author Website

 

  

is there a time in history you wish was retold?! (with like magic or anything??) and have you read Fawkes?? tell me aaall your thoughts!

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Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein || New Favourite #LoveOZYA Thriller?!

Okay WOW, I absolutely glued my face to Small Spaces! It was so good!

I started off reading last Sunday afternoon thinking, “Eh I’ll read a few chapters before working” and then it’s an hour later and I’m flipping pages anxiously after shouting at the sun and checking under my bed 57 times and saying, “whAt iS GoING ONNNN.”

Solid stuff here. Am a fan.

Also three things to note: (1) I literally can’t check under my bed because my bed is on the floor?!??!!? So look what this book has done to me. And (2) I don’t actually usually like thrillers (I’m never thrilled #sob) but I enjoyed this one so so much!! My thriller-opinion is CHANGED. And lastly (3) I actually read an ARC so the first picture of this post is badly photoshopped. Enjoy my skills ah ha ha.


✓ The amazingly created characters is what made this one stand out for me! I do like a good solid twisty plot, but charactesr who are complex, diverse, dimensional and LEAVE ME FEELING THINGS?!? Heck yes I’m more here for that. Tash is an anxious (and slightly neglected) wreck. Morgan is like an over-excited puppy of love. Sadie is here to be so fabulous you can see her glorious light shining from the moons. Mallory is soft™ and must be protected at all costs. I!! love!! them!! Books that focus on characters first always make me care —> which makes the plot way more compelling.

 

 

✓ The plot was also frikkin’ fine. It’s about Tash, now 17, still trying to recover from her traumatic childhood where she (a) had a creeptastic imaginary friend named Sparrow WHO WAS LIKE AN EVIL SPLOT YOU’D FIND IN THE BASEMENT, and (b) she witnessed a 6 year old little girl get kidnapped. But obviously when an 8-year-old says “My imaginary friend kidnapped her!” everyone just writes her off as an attention-seeking brat.

My heart really broke for Tash and the way her mental health was treated. It was infuriating who everyone diminished her as “attention seeking” when she was obviously anxious, even as a kid. And her mother was awful and condescending (argghh) and I think the book really highlighted how isolated you can feel with mental illness and not being believed.

 

 

✓ So is the imaginary friend real or not?! It keeps you guessing and second-guessing yourself the entire time! Is it paranormal? Is Tash really seriously seeing things? Is someone mucking up her life? IS THIS THE BROTHER OF STEPHAN KING’S IT OR SOMETHING??? Obviously I give no spoilers. (Mwhahaha.) But I LOVED how it was handled. Sparrow was so flipping creepy. I was genuinely CREEPED. If I say “creep” one more time you can creep over and turn me into a crepe or something. I mean.

#CREEPIFIED

 

 

✓ The whole plot tied together reeeeeally well at the end. Possibly it was a bit tight/clean/tidy, but more importantly I’m sitting here lowkey wishing for a sequel from this fantastic-friendship-squad, who are all slightly damaged but super adorable little boxes of trauma! Aww.

 

✗ My only quibble is that it was slow to warm up. But we also know I have the attention span of a refried gnat, so take that onboard! I just felt it dragged a little too much at the beginning (although I get it was to build tension and set the scene) and some of Tash’s decisions were like: “WHYYY TASH WHYYYY.” I mean she literally had a traumatic experience at her aunt’s creepy house as a kid and now, at 17 is like, “I’M SURE IT’LL BE FINE TO REVISIT.” aGhighajfffsss Look once I ate a piece of lettuce and it had a grasshopper near it, so now I can never eat lettuce again. Be like me. Be safe. Learn.

Small Spaces is one of my new favourite thrillers! A+ characters who had me invested within mere pages and the type of creeptastic imaginary friend that will make you ban yourself from imaginary games forever! Such fun! I will take 9 more!

THANKS TO WALKER BOOKS AUS FOR THE ARC! Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein was published April 2018!

Tash Carmody has been traumatised since childhood, when she witnessed her gruesome imaginary friend Sparrow lure young Mallory Fisher away from a carnival. At the time nobody believed Tash, and she has since come to accept that Sparrow wasn’t real. Now fifteen and mute, Mallory’s never spoken about the week she went missing.
As disturbing memories resurface, Tash starts to see Sparrow again. And she realises Mallory is the key to unlocking the truth about a dark secret connecting them. Does Sparrow exist after all? Or is Tash more dangerous to others than she thinks?

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alrighty do you read many thrillers?!? and did you ever have an imaginary friend as a kid?? and tell me what you think of Small Spaces!!

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I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman || Little Blue Bundle Of Emotions Told Over One Day

I Have Lost My Way is a little blue bundle of damaged characters, family angst, and emotional destruction.

Awww.

I had very little idea what this new Forman book was about but I really loved If I Stay (and the movie was also so good?! also #emotions…I do have feelings apparently) and I Have Lost My Way also tugged at those heart strings. So that was GREAT. However it wasn’t quite the perfect book for me, but we’ll get to all those reasonings soon. Patience.

Also SHOUT OUT to the Australian cover because it absolutely resembles my headphones when I put them in my pocket for two seconds.

+ It’s a Told Over One Day™ story!
Which is a trope I both love and hate. LOVE = how it’s short and powerful and I got so so attached to these characters after just seeing them over one day! HATE = how a romance over one day never works for me haha. Maybe that’s just me though considering I usually am not sure what someone’s name is after one day (names are hard to remember ok) so how the heck do you fall in love. However. There was no “WE’RE SOUL MATES” or romantic soliloquies here. So. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ It was instalove (in my opinion) but not unbearable! And they were cute!

 

+ It also has 3 narrators: Freya, Harun, and Nathaniel.
It’s written so their backstory comes in 1st person chapters, but the bulk of the book (set in the present day) is written in 3rd. (Also 3rd person/present tense IS MY LIFE so I loved that!) Even though the book is really short, I felt we got to know these three characters so well. My only negative is that Harun’s narrative didn’t seem to really fit?? He had a great story with a full arc and everything…but you could’ve cut him out and it wouldn’t have affected the plot. #imSorryButISaidIt

  • FREYA: She’s a rising-star singer who suddenly can’t sing. We’re never sure if it’s nerves or a medical condition, but just one day she couldn’t sing anymore. She feels SO lost and is terrified that she’ll be fired from her singing contract and forgotten and never loved again. She’s also biracial/Ethiopian and has a sister, Sabrina, who started singing with her but then…#yikes.
  • HARUN: He’s from a strict Muslim family and very closely closeted and starts off the book planning to run away from his family due to something he’s agreed with that HE REALLY SHOULDN’T HAVE. He’s just broken his boyfriend’s heart and is totally lost and alone.
  • NATHANIEL: He is a very smol sad cinnamon son (WHOM I LOVED THE MOST) who’s very depressed after his home-life falls apart and so lonely. And so soft™ and sweet and will eat anything you put in front of him bless him.

 

+ They have the best #meetcute ever.
Freya’s on her phone lamenting the loss of her career and she trips and falls off a low bridge and knocks out Nathaniel. He is super concussed. Pukes on her shoes. Harun is nearby and offers to help because he recognises Frey’s fammmmous and thinks hanging out with her might get his boyfriend back. I JUST LOVED THIS. The three end up spending the day together and facing all their devastating tear-filled pasts.

 

+ It’s definitely got the emotional slap you’re looking for. 
I got caught up in the story quite fast and wanted to know where everyone would end up! The themes of loneliness and loss and love where just poured so heartfeltly (shh that is now a word) onto every page.

 

+ I do have a few problems, because I am a sad egg deep inside.
As much as I like Harun as a person, his story honestly didn’t fit to me. It was completely disposable to Freya/Nathaniel’s story?! And being queer, brown, Muslim, and having the only fully tragic storyline of the three felt…Well, I’m never going to point fingers and say “who gets to write what story” but I wasn’t comfortable with the telling. I think Muslim (especially just featuring the negative parts) and tragic/queer stories should be told by #ownvoices. And also Nathaniel/Freya’s romance was FAST. So fast, mate, so fast. And surely we didn’t need so many POV changes in the one chapter?! And, lastly lol lol, it didn’t feel YA. The characters are 19+ and in college or work and it didn’t have the feel or essence of YA in my opinion.

Overall I did like I Have Lost My Way! It’s a short punch about grief and loneliness and finding people to share your struggles with. It’ snot about “love cures” but more “hey if you’re struggling, people CAN and WILL be there for you”…which is so so important to say! And the ending is SO oPEN and I kind of love it for all the unanswered questions.

 

THANK YOU SIMON & SCHUSTER FOR THE REVIEW COPY. I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman was published April 2018.

Around the time that Freya loses her voice while recording her debut album, Harun is making plans to run away from home to find the boy that he loves, and Nathaniel is arriving in New York City after a family tragedy leaves him isolated on the outskirts of Washington state. After the three of them collide in Central Park, they slowly reveal the parts of their past that they haven’t been able to confront, and together, they find their way back to who they’re supposed to be.
Told over the course of a single day from three different perspectives, this is a story about the power of friendship and being true to who you are.

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do you like stories told over one-day?!? (any others you’ve read?) and how many narrators do you like in a book? also have you read this one and is it on your TBR?!

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Chaos Walking 10th Anniversary Edition #Giveaway + 7 Reasons You Should Be Obsessed With This Trilogy

I just want to give a warm and happy CONGRATS to the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness for its 10th anniversary of destroy hearts!

Bless it.

Sometimes bookworms joke around and say they want happy books, but NO. What they really want are trilogies like this one that are complex and emotional and full of heart-wrenching moments and characters you love and die with that will ultimately change your life. And make you cry a little. Ha ha. Or a lot! It’s flexible. So nice of it!

I’m teaming up with Walker Books Australia to giveaway a complete set of the 10th anniversary editions which have pages stained as black as our hearts probably. It’s SO gorgeous.

But before we get to that, I’m listing 7 reasons you absolutely need to start reading these books! I mean, obviously I should just say “READ IT” and you all will. But in case you need convincing…

 

1. I THINK IT’S WORTH NOTING IT HAS THE BEST TITLES EVER.

Look sometimes I just fall a little bit in love with titles. And I find it especially cool as, the more I read, the more the titles make sense until they’re absolutely freaking clever and I just have such admiration for them. And I really really love saying “CHAOS WALKING” which is basically how I announce myself in the mornings anyway.

So just trust me that (A) the titles mean something big for EACH BOOK, (B) they’re so so epic, and (C) they gradually get shorter as the trilogy goes on to be symbolic of how much of your heart there is left to break. *

 

* I’M JOKING…but really…

2. IT’S A SCI-FI TRILOGY ABOUT SETTLERS OF A NEW WORLD AND HOW THAT ALL GOES SOUR SUPER FAST.

Which gives it this nearly Western vibe at times because everyone speaks slang and education is nobody’s priority and everything is about farms (!) survival (!) settling (!) destroying natives (!…) and doing all that other fun stuff that men do when they enter a new place.

I also think it critiques white men’s way of “conquering” because heck, they do a bad job. There’s some alien natives on this planet they’ve taken over and it’s war —> slavery basically. UGH PEOPLE.

3. IT HAS UNIQUE FORMATTING WHICH IS MY FAVOURITE THING RIGHT AFTER BREAD.

Bread is great. But UNIQUE FORMATTING!! I’m not going to lie, I absolutely adore when books think outside the box. And I feel this trilogy doesn’t so much think outside the box, as frikkin’ kicks the box over. It’s great.

The people in New World are affected by this alien-germ that makes all the men’s thoughts be heard. They call it Noise and the book often uses like this wild font to demonstrate how overwhelming and intense it can be.

4. OKAY BUT SPEAKING OF THE “NOISE” HOW HORRIBLE WOULD IT BE TO HAVE ALL YOUR THOUGHTS OUT IN THE OPEN????

I am so…not a fan. Ahem. But only the men are affected by this, and I kind of wonder if this is a subtle point at how men say “oh women are impossible to understand and read”…and in this book it’s exploded 100 x over. Plus Todd, when he meets his first girl and can’t read her Noise, acts like she’s dead and dumb inside because he doesn’t understand her. And I just feel like that’s a parallel of that to how we, in today’s society, treat people who communicate differently to us and then use it as an excuse to be horrible to them.

Or maybe I’m reading way too much into it ah hahaha, but I’m having fun, don’t stop me. I feel like this story has so so many deep layers.

5. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE TODD, OUR NARRATOR, AND HIS VOICE IS SO STRONG AND EMOTIONAL.

It’s in 1st person and it’s so personal and close. You aren’t reading Todd, YOU ARE TODD. He narrates the first book solo, and then Viola co-narrates the second. But TODD. I really love him. The emotion and the panic are all splattered across the page as he and Viola take this cross-country run to get away from an army and warn a town that they’re about to be destroyed.

Also Todd is a Hufflepuff and you can fite me on this but I won’t back down.

Plus Todd + Viola’s relationship is so thick and complex and emotional…it just fills my heart and guts me all at the same time. I love love love how it’s written.

6. IT WILL KEEP YOU ABSOLUTELY GLUED TO THE PAGE AT ALL TIMES UNTIL YOU ARE ONE WITH THE PAGE.

Honestly, they’re just that addictive. The plots! The running! The terror! The questions! It is like MASTER of unanswered questions. Todd is basically thrown into his speedy journey at the beginning by his adopted-dads with 0% information because they couldn’t have people reading it out of his Noise. So the whole time: Todd is asking questions, WE are asking questions, tHE WORLD IS ASKING QUESTIONS.

And when you get some answers? You get more questions.

The book is master of half-stories and lies and twists. And when it comes clear, ohhhh it packs such a punch.

I’m also so impressed at the amount of psychological subplots?! There’s mind control and manipulation and the badies are SO BAD and the goodies are BAD too and, yes, everyone is morally grey. Everyone. Trust only Todd and Viola, I tell you.

War makes monsters out of men.

7. IT DOES NOT GO EASY ON YOUR FEELS. IT IS HERE TO DESTROY YOU AND YOU WILL BE GLAD.

Honestly this trilogy HURTS. And I think that’s really special and perfect?! Books that get an emotional response, that stick to your bones, that make you think and think??? Those are the kind of books I want in my life. This trilogy is one of my utter new favourites. Everything from the raw writing to the storyline to the heart winning characters, to the terrible terrible things it discusses?! It just hits me so much.

PAIN IS NOT SPARED HERE, OK, YOU MAY CRY. GOOD LUCK.

OPEN TO AUSTRALIA ONLY

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okay tell me a series/book that’s made you really emotional over the characters?!? and have you read The Knife of Never Letting Go or any other Patrick Ness books??

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White Night by Ellie Marney || Cults And Cookery Boys And Heart-Stopping Ending

White Night is this lovely slowly unwinding tale about highschool and first-love and sustainability and then the end is like — BAM. PUNCH YOU IN THE FEELS SO YOU CAN’T GET UP.

Nice. I did see the ending coming, but it was like this sickening feeling of watching a train hurtle off a cliff so I couldn’t look away. But wow. It manages to be light and also heavy-hitting. And I really did like it! The meandering pace isn’t usually my thing buuuut I’ve been on such a contemporary kick lately it just suited me.

Also shout out to Ellie Marney’s Every Breath series and 10/10 you must read it or I’ll eat you. It’s an Aussie Sherlock Holmes (Mycroft is smol and sad and precious) and I do quietly pick them as my favourite over White Night…but they’re really wildly different?! So I am trying not to compare!

The cover was so shiiiiny which I like in real life but the glare for the photos was a frikkin’ nightmare.

+ The story is told by Bo, who is a fantastic collision of contrasts.
He’s like this blokey block — all into impressing his dad, doing football, using super slang. BLOKEY. (If the Americans pass out in confusion here, I will revive you with Vegemite.) At first I was like “Eh” to him but then it turns out he loves cooking (!!) and family (!!) and he’s really respectful of different opinions but still cares to make his own. This kid is just such good news. I loved his narration! Except for the part where something bad happens in his family and instead of listening to an explanation he runs out the door. I swear this happens in books so much. Why doesn’t anyone LISTEN!? I’M CURIOUS. I’D LISTEN.

BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENS

Dad: Here let me explain this betrayal.
Bo: nO
Bo: *runs out of the house*
Bo: noOOOOOOOOO
Me: Dammit I want to hear ok. go on anyway dad dude. some of us are listening

 

+ Bo also meets this super nice girl called Rory who’s part of a local self-sustaining hippy community.
Rory was homeschooled but she decides to try school and Bo becomes besotted with her. It’s slow and sweet and there’s so many “will they/won’t they” moments and AH! I loved their relationship.

The community is called “Garden Of Eden” because you’re not off-the-grid until you’re collecting cliches. But it was really interesting! It presents at first as such a lowkey, harmonious place. Really chill. Not hyperbolically “THE WORLD OUTSIDE IS EVVVVVIL”…although it gets more culty and intense as the story goes. This group believes humans are ruining the world, but they’re also really tight-knit and loving. They grow their own food. Use solar. Make pottery, etc. Rory embodies this whimsical, green, free-spirited lifestyle of quirkiness…but she was also complex and emotional! Such good writing. I know people will call her a pixie dream girl –> BUT SHE’S NOT.

 

+ I do feel it is Quiet YA™
Which is a term I made up just now. Embrace it. Eat it. Whatever. But the plot has lots of school, pottery making, conversations, frolicking about in gardens, bike rides, etc. etc. Bo had family drama, but it wasn’t highkey enough for me to panic over it. And I loved the subplot of Bo’s friend Sprog (THIS IS SO AUSSIE) who is a complete bogan but then tidies himself up to be proactive in saving the skate park from being closed down. He has a horrible home life and he was funny and dorky and just (!!!) petition to read a book just for Sprog. But overall I was a bit surprised at how little went down??? I liked the writing (except the slang was sometimes confusing to me, and I am Australia, so woah) and I was interested in the character’s lives so it wasn’t boring. I just wanted more…moreness.

 

+ Ending = INTENSE.
Like I said: I saw it coming but still. The build up was intense and excruciating and leaves you feeling gut-punched way before it happens.

White Night is a balance of the average tough Aussie outback life vs a closed-off gardeny cult commune. The good and the bad of both. It had a lot to say about social issues and didn’t over-preach (!!) and Bo was a fantastic cook so, ya know, that’s my language. I just tried not to turn myself into an inconspicuous scone and mail myself to Peru every time they talked football. I don’t sport. But otherwise: GREAT.

THANK YOU ALLEN & UNWIN FOR THE REVIEW COPY. White Night by Ellie Marney was published March 2018.

★★★★☆

In Bo Mitchell’s country town, a ‘White Night’ light-show event has the potential to raise vital funds to save the skate park. And out of town, a girl from a secretive off-the-grid community called Garden of Eden has the potential to change the way Bo sees the world. But are there too many secrets in Eden?
As Bo is drawn away from his friends and towards Rory, he gradually comes to believe that Eden may not be utopia after all, and that their group leader’s goal to go off the grid may be more permanent – and more dangerous – than anyone could have predicted.
A wonderfully compelling novel from the acclaimed author of the Every series.

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have you ever grown a garden? (or…idk, even gone outside without a book?) and do you like books with vaguely cult happenings? thoughts on White Night and will you read it?!??

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Scythe by Neal Shusterman || Dystopian of Perfect Murders Because “Thou Shalt Kill”

So Scythe is basically about murder and death and deathly murder. Exciting!

I feel like everyone and their dog and their aunt and their friend’s semi-literate fish has been begging me to read this…and look I finally did! It’s definitely worth all the rave reviews (although I confess to loving the author’s Challenger Deep and Unwind more).

And look, I keep whingeing on about how “I’m just not into dystopians anymore” but for two weeks in a row I’ve enjoyed them. So there we go! The world is full of murder and surprises.

+ In this dystopian universe, it’s a perfect world with no death. So people become scythes to keep the balance.
If you think that sounds like a terrifically flawed idea. WELL DONE! YOU ARE RIGHT! Humans are so good at mucking everything up. I do so love this world (it reminded me of The Giver) and amongst the perfectness, the scythes still h ave the ability to be cruel and warped. Although I confess even giving the scythes an opportunity to be violently cruel (with guns and flamethrowers and knives etc.)…kiiiind of lost me. Why even give them the option?! shouldn’t everyone get pacifist deaths?! Like a murder-pill or something??? If humanity is supposedly  “perfect”???

 


+ But hello look at the cover. The scythes had freaking awesome robes and I want one.
No no, I don’t want to be a scythe. Just the robe. I NEED ONE. I mean I MIGHT JOIN THE SCYTHEDOM FOR ONE. I DON’T KNOW. GIVE ME THE OPTION AND WE’LL SEE.

 

+ It’s dual narrated by Citra and Rowan.
The story is split between them (plus little journal excerpts from other scythes between their chapters). Both have been basically forced into apprenticeships to Scythe Faraday and at the end, one has to glean the other. I enjoyed both their perspectives! Citra is a bit of a Slytherin go-getter and Rowan is a self confessed “lettuce” (aka: unimportant and forgettable). And if you put a Slytherin and a Hufflepuff together…I just ship it. I do. However, I did feel their narration was distant (which is weird as I generally adore 3rd person the best) but I was super keen to see how their story would unfold. Their relationship was also marvellous. SO CUTE. But if you don’t like romance, this actually has very very little.

ALSO THE BOOK IS VERY MEAN TO ROWAN AND MY POOR HEART.❤💔

 

+ It is kind of long though.
I felt it was a teeny tiny bit rambly, and it took me a while to get invested because there wasn’t much plot besides Citra and Rowan training to be scythes. However it was still enjoyable to read. I just…am not so big on the “now we FIGHT AND TRAIN” narratives that are everywhere.

 

+ AND THEN THE TWISTS CAME.
Like hit me in the face with a brick, why don’t you. One of the twists had me kind of going “OH. OH. I DIDN’T WANT THAT” which is a masterfully great feeling. Who needs happiness?! Not bookworms!

 


+ And I really appreciated the detail of the world building.
It’s a “perfect” society and everyone can reset their ages and live in comfort (although they still had to work/strive). The whole world just felt so CHILL. Apart from, you know, rogue scythes doing mass murders due to corruption. But what can we say. These things happen. The details of the world just really made it so easy to get lost in.

I was late to the Scythedom highway-to-hell but I’m HAPPY I’M HERE NOW. It wasn’t a “perfect” read for me as I wasn’t emotionally invested, but it was full of questions and things to make you think. There is death, corruption, feels and knives. Yes please and thank you.

THANK  YOU WALKER BOOKS FOR THE REVIEW-COPY. Scythe by Neal Shusterman was published February 2018.

★★★★☆

Thou shalt kill.
A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.
Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

Goodreads  Publisher  Buy

  

 

okay tell me a book people keep telling YOU to read?!? (and are you going to read it?) also what do you think of Scythe?!? ?

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#MiniReviews || Library Edition (Ft. Books I’ve Wanted To Read Since Forever?!)

It’s MINI REVIEW time and do you know what’s endlessly fun?!

Inheriting an ancient castle full of books in Scotland! Um, wait, haha, sorry I have mixed up my notes. Ok what is really fun and what we are about to talk about today is: LIBRARY BOOKS.

I love libraries! I also don’t have a good local one since I moved…which is pretty much like having my soul in a permanent meltdown on the ground. The library here is one room and there’s one shelf of YA and I’ve read them all??? I’ve been moved for 8 months and not even bothered getting a card. What is this life.

But whilst I was away visiting my sister this February (surprise: I am back home now by the way) I devoured her library like the starving skeleton I am. And then I visited ANOTHER SISTER’S LIBRARY on the roadtrip home.

From this we can take away:

  • I have too many sisters.
  • But this is a good thing when they have library cards!! So no more complaining from me!!
  • I will not threaten to sell them this time!!
  • I read a lot this February.
  • I actually got to read a lot of books I’ve wanted to read for ages because LIBRARY! Free!! How lovely!!
  • Now it’s time to hit you with some mini reviews of them.
  • But I won’t put all of them here because I’m kind and I realise you have planets to eat today and can’t read my blog for 25 hours. Which is odd, but I’ll try to be understanding.

WARCROSS BY MARIE LU

★★★☆☆

Full Review  Goodreads

WHY DID I WANT TO READ IT? Um everyone keeps talking about this?!? So while I know I’m not a huge fan of Marie Lu books (IT PAINS ME TOO), I still couldn’t resist!

DID IT MEET EXPECTATIONS? It did because I had none ah ahah.

WHAT AM I GRUMBLING ABOUT? 

  • Sooo predictable. I saw every plot twist from a mile away.
  • Zero’s identity was laughably obvious?!
  • I don’t understand a world where 90% of humanity is addicted to this game…like I wouldn’t be?! I don’t understand the gaming lure that much!
  • I couldn’t quite visualise if they had to move to play Warcross…or stand still!? Because sometimes you got points for like watering a plant in THIS REALITY. So how where they not moving in the virtual one then?!

WHAT DID I LIKE?

  • Emi was an hopeless do-gooder but also complex and slightly badass!
  • Hideo was SUPER interesting. I like where his character went ah haha.
  • The whole thing was visually arty and colourful and nice?!
  • TOKYO! It’s awesome to see other countries featuring in YA!

HUNTED BY MEAGAN SPOONER

★★☆☆☆

Goodreads  Full Review

WHY DID I WANT TO READ IT? I actually [insert awkward cough] had an eARC of this and like…I just never got to it?! So there was a physical copy in the library so = boom.

DID IT MEET EXPECTATIONS? Woah NO. It was a wild fail and I was surprised.

WHAT AM I GRUMBLING ABOUT? 

  • LIKE EVERYTHING. I’ve read more compelling cereal packets, but that’s because you can eat them and that makes them more useful.
  • It was slow.
  • Literally nothing happened except hunting and walking through the woods.
  • Yeva’s ONLY passion was hunting and like…I enjoy books where they hunt to survive, but Yeva hunted for pleasure…at the same time as being portrayed as this nice sweet girl. And I just?!? Eat/kill animals to LIVE not because you enjoy the sport.
  • I’m frowning.
  • hOW DO YOU EVEN FALL IN LOVE WITH A WOLF IN THE WOODS.
  • WHAT IS THE DRAW.
  • GET THIS WOMAN SOME PEPPER SPRAY.
  • Exceptionally and endlessly sexist.
  • Nothing h a p p e n e d.

WHAT DID I LIKE?

  • I did enjoy the historical-fiction Russian setting!
  • The mythology was SO FINE and A++ I love Russian fairy tales, let’s all run off, live in the would, we can make it 5 miles and turn into a beast.

STALKING JACK THE RIPPER BY KERRIE MANISCALCO

★★★★☆

Goodreads  Full Review

WHY DID I WANT TO READ IT? Everyone is always talking about these books?! And recommending them to me. I CAVED.

DID IT MEET EXPECTATIONS? It did! Probably exceeded them too because I don’t generally like Historical Fiction but I liked this!

WHAT AM I GRUMBLING ABOUT? 

  • It was soo predictable. (OR DO I READ TOO MUCH?!) But I’ve literally read this whole plotline in These Shallow Graves whoops.
  • I did get a bit bored in the middle because I’d guessed everything.
  • I’m glad all the sexism WAS fought against, but I still am so. tired. of reading sexist books. (I mean, obviously this is Historical Fiction. But still.)

WHAT DID I LIKE?

  • LOTS OF BLOOD AND A SPOT ‘O TEA WHILE CUTTING UP BODIES.
  • I loved the forensic parts and how it actually went into details about cutting up the corpses.
  • ….um yes I am a worry.
  •  I loved how feminist Audrey Rose was. It was refreshing and all her quips were perfect.
  • Plus she loved being feminine AND was into medical forensics. Like this is great?! I never get to read this! For once the book doesn’t equate masculinity to strength. #HERE FOR THIS.
  • Thomas Cresswell was still a gift. He flirts shamelessly the whole book and then at the end Audrey Rose is like “Oh you like me????” While Thomas is there all: “YOU ARE DENSE AS A BRICK OMG.”
  • Loved the writing!
  • Want the next book!

MONSTER (GONE SERIES #7) BY MICHAEL GRANT

★★★☆☆

Goodreads  Full Review

WHY DID I WANT TO READ IT? Because the Gone series was a HUGE love of my teenagerdom and … memories ok.

DID IT MEET EXPECTATIONS? Nooooo. It definitely wasn’t as good as the original series.

WHAT AM I GRUMBLING ABOUT? 

  • SO MANY THINGS UGH I’M WEEPING ON THE FLOOR.
  • Like I am complete trash for the original series and characters (SAM FRIKKIN GRYFFINDOR TEMPLE) but the author is super problematic and I can see a lot more evidence in that in the diversity rep.
  • Like one of the main characters is trans which is great! But it starts off with the trans kid getting beaten up and rescued by a straight kid…and then the rest of the book the trans kid is the tag-along sidekick. Plus deadnaming.
  • Most of the bad characters were mentally ill…and I just??? Why would you do this.
  • I didn’t even LIKE any of the new characters.
  • Lots of boring government conspiracies and honestly it just was boring in parts.
  • I didn’t understand the “Dark Watchers” and I preferred the superpowers in the first books.

WHAT DID I LIKE?

  • I LIVED FOR ALL MENTIONS OF SAM TEMPLE.
  • Plus Dekka narrates and I love Dekka!!
  • I’m basically here for the nostalgia okay.
  • I still got emotionally invested because of the old characters eughgihg.
  • And I DO love the writing and the world and I need Villain so badly and this frustrates me because obviously I can’t say goodbye.
  • Seriously considering rereading the Gone series but also don’t want to know all the problems with it?! #Pain

EVERY LAST WORD BY TAMARA IRELAND STONE

★★★★☆

Goodreads .  Full Review

WHY DID I WANT TO READ IT? I love reading books about mental health AND my friend Maraia recommended this to me waaaaay back.

DID IT MEET EXPECTATIONS? Absolutely AND THEN SOME.

WHAT AM I GRUMBLING ABOUT? 

  • Literally nothing ah haha.
  • I mean it just didn’t hit me as emotionally as other books, but it’d be like a 4.5-star rating.

WHAT DID I LIKE?

  • EVERYTHING?! IT WAS SO GOOD!
  • Excellent mental health rep that was respectful and the author’s note talked about how she (a) based it off someone she new with OCD + talked to multiple health professionals to get an accurate depiction. And wow wow you can tell.
  • Also it’s positive about therapy and medication + has family support + no romance cures!
  • The whole book really cares about mental health rep and just was so downright healthy?!
  • Sam was an excellent narrator, balancing her interests in swimming and her secret poetry life plus still trying to balance the “in-crowd” and her old friends who are seriously poisonous. But they were still dimensional AND I totally understood why Sam was scared to give them up and be alone.
  • Sam has OCD, more obsessive thoughts than actions.
  • AJ + Sam = the cutest ship ever.
  • Also I LOVE how it says you can still be mentally ill and have a good life.

ONE OF US IS LYING BY KAREN

★★☆☆☆

Goodreads .  Full-Review

WHY DID I WANT TO READ IT? It’s kind of famous?! So look: the hype shouted and I came.

 

DID IT MEET EXPECTATIONS? It basically bottomed out ah haha. SORRY.

WHAT AM I GRUMBLING ABOUT? 

  • Oh so much. So so much. It always sucks when a hyped book falls flat, but this one just soooo didn’t work for me.
  • It was so cliche! And I KNOW the point is that it’s about 4 cliches and they break out of their “mould”, but I don’t think they did enough.
  • And I HATE when the “plot twists” are centred on mental health and sexuality. Let’s cross out making those “stunning plot twist reveals” okay?! It’s 2018. Get it together.
  • So so many characters and I was SO CONFUSED.
  • All the 4 narrators had the same voice which didn’t help…if they’d narrated at least in 3rd it would’ve helped?!
  • I just didn’t CARE about anyone and if the characters don’t make my little heart beat then what am I here for.

WHAT DID I LIKE?

  • The storyline was definitely still addictive!
  • I didn’t guess who Did It, so I was pretty invested until the end.
  • The writing was easy to devour!

 

have you read any of these!? THOUGHTS?? what’s a book you were really hyped about recently but it didn’t meet your expectations??

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The Dangerous Art Of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis || Incredible #Ownvoices Book To Mangle Your Heart

The Dangerous Art of Blending In was really brutal…but also hopeful.

No, no, you didn’t need your heart intact in anyway and if you thought you did…ah ha. No. Read this book and cry a little on the inside (and hey this got me all emotional and I’m a well-known Vulcan piece of bread). This book hugely features domestic violence and hiding who you truly are because of fear and how it feels to just desperately crave love. It’s also #ownvoices and you can really feel the ache of the author’s personal experiences in here.

Someone get me a bucket. I’m cosplaying a waterfall.


+ The domestic violence aspect was so heartbreaking.
Evan is beaten and psychologically abused by his mother, who claims he’s “evil” and full of “sin”. So it is a bit of a look at how people can hide their mental illness behind religion too. (I don’t think the book says “religion is bad” at ALL, but I do think it points out how often it can let down minorities). It’s…it’s so hard to read…Evan is really broken inside as well as out and believes he’s ugly and unworthy and festering with sin. He’s trying to be the “perfect Greek son” but he’s an artist (an unworthy occupation according to his mother) and also gay.

And, worse, everyone in his life just stands back and lets it happen!?? His dad never stands up for him and just takes him out for donuts to “make up for it”. It’s important that the book pointed at this though: SO OFTEN people in abusive situations are left because others pretend it’s not happening.

 

+ Evan is such a lovely character!
He’s an artist but has a really low opinion of his work (EVAN YOU IS KIND, YOU IS SMART, YOU IS IMPORTANT). He’s the most precious cinnamon but also pushes away people who ARE nice. He literally doesn’t know how to handle kindness. I’m glad the book showed the psychological damage of abuse, not just the bruises.

+ It’s not a “salvation through romance” story at all.
(SO RELIEVED.) I loved Henry and Evan and how they were best friends first! I do wish we’d known Henry a little deeper though?! But my favourite thing is how loyal he was to Evan, even when things were awful, and they are a delightful cinnamon pair and I want them to have a good lifeeeeee.

 

+ So much Greek Culture!
All the food and the church gatherings and the family dynamics…hELLO GREEK! Also the food sounded delicious and I may have eaten my paperback.

+ Also this is such a personal #ownvoices story.
The author’s note at the back is 500% guaranteed to make you realise your STONE COLD HEART IS ACTUALLY BEATING. OMG. The author says this is super close to his own story and was a way of actually working through his own past and…afjdksld. It makes my heart very full when authors really share intimate pieces of their lives like this. MUCH RESPECT. I know this book is really going to help so many struggling teens know they’re not alone.

 

+ My only critique is that it felt like a debut.
Haha okay that was super specific, Cait, you bucket. SORRY. And look, I’m a debut author this year, so I’m not judging! I’m going to be the same haha. To me, the dialogue often felt clunky and didn’t flow, and it needed more body language to make the emotional lurches believable. (Everyone just went from 0 to 100 real quick.) And there were a lot of HIGH TENSION scenes that could’ve been a little more…terrifying. (WAIT. AM I A BAD PERSON HERE.) Only nitpicks. I can’t wait to see this author’s writing grow with more books!!

ANYWAY I’m a wreck, how are you.

Books like this always stick with me for so long! This is an emotional picnic of the bittersweet reality, heartache, and art. I also think it’s so relatable for people trying to find their way in the world and accept themselves. I was anticipating this book sooo much and it didn’t disappoint. ACK. EMOTION.

THANK YOU TO PENGUIN AUSTRALIA FOR THE REVIEW-COPY. The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis is published February 2018.

Seventeen-year-old Evan Panos doesn’t know where he fits in. His strict Greek mother refuses to see him as anything but a disappointment. His quiet, workaholic father is a staunch believer in avoiding any kind of conflict. And his best friend Henry has somehow become distractingly attractive over the summer.
Tired, isolated, scared—Evan’s only escape is drawing in an abandoned church that feels as lonely as he is. And, yes, he kissed one guy over the summer. But it’s his best friend Henry who’s now proving to be irresistible. It’s Henry who suddenly seems interested in being more than friends. And it’s Henry who makes him believe that he’s more than his mother’s harsh words and terrifying abuse. But as things with Henry heat up, and his mother’s abuse escalates, Evan has to decide how to find his voice in a world where he has survived so long by avoiding attention at all costs.

Goodreads  Publisher  Buy

  

 

have you read any super emotional books this year!?? let me know which ones!! and what do you think of The Dangerous Art of Blending in?! is it on your TBR?

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Blood and Sand by C.V. Wyk || Genderbent Spartacus Retelling + Stabbing!

Blood and Sand was an actual bloody explosion of sand (SURPRISE) and epicness.

This is absolutely a good time for us all to wave swords around and shout “SPARTACUS!” valiantly as Rome falls. Epic, okay? It was all so epic. I also have such a weakness for genderbent retellings, and this one is a historical retelling Spartacus. It reminded me of And I Darken, also a favourite, and I wish for 501 more retellings like this. *

This book also manages to be at least a little bit frikkin’ devastating. Excellent.

 

* Someone do an Alexander the Great = but as a WOMAN. I also could totally be down with the Napoleon wars okay?! Little time jump there, but we’re keeping up.

+ So HI we have Rome and Gladiators and slaves and rebellion.
Stab stab stab. This is a recipe for an epic book or an epic caesar salad! Exciting! I grew up reading historical fiction set in Rome, so it wasn’t startlingly “new” for me but I LOVED the spin on it and pretty much glued it to my face. (Also it smelled good. I don’t know if that counts for a good book, but it should.) The details of the Roman life and history felt super realistic and carefully done — although, full warning, this isn’t a “fully accurate tale”. The author’s note says there are creative liberties done. But HEY if you weren’t there in 79 AD, how do you even know what went down, hmm? This totally could be 100% honest.

C’MON I HAD TO USE THIS GIF.

 

+ It is pretty dark, but not graphic.
Look the Romans weren’t nice and the book definitely doesn’t shy away from mentioning the horrors people went through, especially the slaves. Conquests were not chill. Gladiators did not walk away from fights calmly. It talks about rape and murder and torture of slaves (but I think it kept it very YA geared).

 

+ Attia was flippin’ epic.
She’s the badass heroine I long to read about: equal parts terrifying and also emotional. She’s been raised a Thracian war princess, but she still has a HEART. Even if she tries to deny it. Basically what went down:

Attia: I will cut out your heart.
Attia: I will have revenge and bath in the blood of my enemies.
Attia: I will–
Servant: ok but you have to be nursemaid to your master’s 6yo niece
Attia: I hate children
Child: *whispers* hi
Attia: omg

Attia was not faking the badassery and every scene where she fought was BRILLIANT. But she also was super protective over the little girl she has to look after while she’s enslaved and Attia’s aesthetic is basically: KNIVES BUT ALSO HEART EYES.

+ The other narrator is Xanthus who is a cute and deadly cinnamon scone.
I’m calling it: he’s such a Hufflepuff. Loyal to people who haven’t even earned it (DUDE) and super sweet when he can be (DUUUUDE) and yet a gladiator and completely terrifying (D U D E). He’s so respectful of Attia and even though she’s gifted to him as “his slave” he never never presumes anything of their relationship except to help her if he can. I only wish his storyline had been a bit deeper.

 

+ The romance was good but too fast.
The book is only 300pgs, and to get Attia who hATES EVERYTHING to fall for a guy she just met and was literally gifted to him as a bed slave…like. My dude. That takes some time getting over. But they went from “hey don’t touch me or you get a knife in the ribs” to “I WOULD DIE FOR YOU” super fast. Anyway, I liked them both! Just not sold on them together.

 

+ The story did seem slow despite being so short.
I definitely enjoyed it but felt not enough was always happening to move the plot in a direct fashion!? OR AM I JUST PICKY. It wasn’t boring but just some scenes were only Attia stewing in her soup and Xanthus would just be having an identity crisis somewhere else because he’s A BAD GLADIATOR but wants to be GOOD. I swear. He’s so freaking precious.

+ There were a lot of characters.
With a lot of Roman names. I have 7 people in my family and I don’t even have a clue what their names are half the time. So books with a hUGE cast and very similar names (Lucius, Lebuin, Lecretia???!?!?) have me frantically sweating.

 

+ And I don’t think you have to be a history nerd to enjoy it!
And by “history nerd” I just mean know ANYTHING about Spartacus (which I didn’t…ah hahahah). This is still epic and gripping and full of bloody and excellently complex characters.

Basically a heckin’ yes to this book.

It’s powerful and feministic and Attia will punch you for assuming she is a lesser being. Her comebacks are GOLD and the entire book was just empowering and exciting. (With a few cute scenes thrown in to make you “aww”.) Definitely an epic read and I would like mORE THANKS.

THANK YOU TOR TEEN FOR THE REVIEW COPY. Blood and Sand by C.V. Wyk was published January 2018.

★★★★☆

The action-packed tale of a 17-year-old warrior princess and a handsome gladiator who dared take on the Roman Republic―and gave rise to the legend of Spartacus…
For teens who love strong female protagonists in their fantasy and historical fiction, Blood and Sand is a stirring, yet poignant tale of two slaves who dared take on an empire by talented debut author C. V. Wyk.
Roma Victrix. The Republic of Rome is on a relentless march to create an empire―an empire built on the backs of the conquered, brought back to Rome as slaves.
Attia was once destined to rule as the queen and swordmaiden of Thrace, the greatest warrior kingdom the world had seen since Sparta. Now she is a slave, given to Xanthus, the Champion of Rome, as a sign of his master’s favor. Enslaved as a child, Xanthus is the preeminent gladiator of his generation.
Against all odds, Attia and Xanthus form a tentative bond. A bond that will spark a rebellion. A rebellion that threatens to bring the Roman Republic to its end―and gives rise to the legend of Spartacus…

Goodreads  Buy  Publisher

  

is there a historical story you’d love to see retold?!? and do you wish there were more genderbent retellings? ALSO have you/will you read Blood & Sand?!

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Kids Like Us By Hilary Reyl || Autism, French Food, And Bookworms…Wow I’m In Love

If you are looking for a story that is delicious and beautiful — Kids Like Us is here for you.

It had such an epic combination of things to love: it’s set in France, there is so much food, there’s a boy who’s obsessed with a book (#relatable) and it features a beautifully accurate representation of autism! As I mentioned recently, I’m on the autism spectrum too and finding books that represent it well is heckin’ hard. SO PLEASED THIS BOOK EXISTS.

Also I want to sit in a flower too. These are my life goals.

 


+ It’s set in FRANCE. And that is very very pleasing.
I have a completely irrational love of France (no, I’ve never been, but it’s always been somewhere I’m slightly obsessed with). It is a place of croissants and magic. I have done the research. I really loved how authentic the setting was! It actually talked about language differences and French abbreviations and the difference between learning France and actually SPEAKING it with locals. Details made the whole A+ immediately.

+ DID WE TALK ABOUT THE COVER.
I would like it on my wall or as a hat.

+ I absolutely adored Martin.
He’s adorable and winning and extremely thoughtful and intelligent. I loved that he was into cooking! Like he enjoyed preparing complex meals and also just staring at bakery windows to see the beautiful cakes. Where might I sign up to be friends with Martin forever. He’s also super in love with this old French book. Books are 98% of my life (I save room for snacks see) so he was automatically relatable and winning and super sweet!

+ The romance…
Hahaha. No. Martin gets obsessed with a girl he thinks is out of his book: but obviously she’s not. I loved his journey of discovery and accidental hypocrisy of wishing her to be someone she’s not (aka a girl from a book) when he hates that people do that to him (wishing away his autism). It was so well done and woven into the story. But I honestly didn’t think romance was a like the main focus of the story. And I didn’t like Gilberte. We didn’t get to know her enough, so she felt shallow.

+ And a moment to talk about the autism representation?!?
I honestly LOVED how Martin was written. He isn’t a stereotype!! Can we like take a moment to appreciate that?!? I LOVE THIS MOMENT. This is so freaking refreshing. See, stereotypes are hard because yes — people always fit them. That’s how they exist in the first place. But the problem with stereotypes is that media will just latch onto one or two things and erase SO MUCH of what it is to be an individual on the spectrum and turn you instead into a caricature. Kids Like us skipped the caricatures and developed a boy who is complex and interesting and autistic.

It also included a lot of autism trademarks I NEVER see in books. For instance:

• Martin does a lot of echolalia — meaning he repeats back what he’s heard instead of saying his OWN words. I loved how they unpacked this topic, with Martin struggling with the idea that he isn’t original. But like…nobody is original?? All words and phrases have been said. And while he repeats things a lot, his THOUGHTS are original.
• He mixes up his pronouns! I loved seeing this on page because it’s an overlooked part of ASD! It obviously doesn’t fit everyone on the spectrum (no symptom does!) but it’s nice to finally see it on page! My autistic nephew struggled with this and while I personally didn’t, I did grow up quoting movies as expression like Martin quotes his book.
• Martin stims with voice tics and music. So pleased to see these!
• His anxiety was represented SO SO WELL. Just A+ mate, you’re doing marvellously.
• He also diverged from a few other ASD stereotypes. Aka, he loved lots of different food and he’s good at sports/swimming and he detects sarcasm even if he doesn’t like it.


+ I did wish it’d been more conclusive about its discussions on how others see autism.
The people around Martin where depressingly awful at times. Not intentionally?? But it still happened. His mother is definitely after a “cure” although she’s not meaning to be awful. Which is heartbreaking. I did like how it talked about balancing living in your “autistic world” to “popping the bubble” and joining society — but I don’t know that it had entirely good conclusions. It said you need both, which you DO, but you don’t need to be ashamed of either which I don’t feel it said. And they did start talking about “cure culture” (WHICH IS A NO) but the discussion was so painful and honestly anxiety inducing for me (AND MARTIN) but it didn’t get shut down properly. Martin disagreed but very feebly. Which is realistic, OK, that’s terrifying to be told you’re broken. But, as a book that would really really encouraging teenage autistics, I would’ve liked to see some more definite NOs underlined. The book was onboard with the no, but…a little clearer, thanks?

+ And my only downside to the storytelling is how Martin keeps quoting his old French book.
IT WAS SUPER BORING. Haha, excuse me. My eyes just glazed over those bits because what the heck was he talking about. Not having read the book myself, I felt confused.

+ BUT THERE’S SO MUCH FOOD and now I want rhubarb jam and croissants.
Honestly books that bother to tell us how delicious the food they’re eating is, are perfect members of society and need to be put on shelves of glory. I am so here for foodie fiction.

I am free. This is what Layla and her activists are trying to tell me. This “locked” personality of mine is the creation of all the people who watch me from the outside. Inside, I’m not locked at all.

Kids Like Us was a really perfectly beautiful story!

I loved the writing and the sparse but well placed details. I thought this was a thoroughly accurate and interesting exploration of the autistic mind and feelings and experiences. I didn’t always agree with their conclusions and I hated how people often (although not always!) treated Martin…but that’s the point. Books are about uncomfortable and real things. For such a smol book, it gave me a lot to think about and I quite approve.

I’m also thinking about croissants. But I mean…like also literary things. I can think about literary things…

(and croissants)

 

Thank you to Text Publishing for the review-copy! Kids Like Us by Hilary Reyl is published 30th of October, 2017!

★★★★☆

Kids Like Us is the delightful, heartwarming story of Martin, a teenager on the autism spectrum, who falls for Gilberte-Alice, a ‘normal’ French girl. While spending summer in the French countryside with his mother, Martin mistakes Gilberte for a character in a novel he is obsessed with—Marcel Proust’s masterpiece In Search of Lost Time. He gradually realises she is not Gilberte, the fantasy girl, but a real person named Alice. Falling in love, in all its unpredictability, teaches Martin that he can in fact connect, can get out of his bubble.
Offering a valuable window into the mind of a high-functioning autistic kid, Kids Like Us is also the ultimate book about acceptance. Perhaps we are all in our own bubble; perhaps the line between reality and imagination does not have to be fixed. We meet Martin’s adorable older sister, Elisabeth, his friend Layla and her very useful ‘moth’ theory. And there’s lots of great cooking. The prose is sharp, original and brimming with empathy and humour.

Publisher  Goodreads  Buy

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okay tell me about a book that made you SO VERY HUNGRY?? and would you ever like to go to France? (or have you been? or live their now?…please adopt me) and is Kids Like Us on your TBR because it should be!!

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2018 Reading Challenge

2018 Reading Challenge
Cait (Paper Fury) has read 12 books toward her goal of 200 books.
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C.G. Drews’s books on Goodreads

A Thousand Perfect Notes
A Thousand Perfect Notes

reviews: 344

ratings: 614 (avg rating 4.27)


The Boy Who Steals Houses
The Boy Who Steals Houses

reviews: 12

ratings: 3 (avg rating 5.00)


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