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Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed [Adorkable Teens meets Politics]

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I flew through this adorkable story of first loves, politics, and two teens finding their voices.

Standing up for what you believe in is actually super…hard. And being gaslit or diminished for your emotions and passions as a teen happens a lot, so it was nice to read a book that addressed that. It definitely has a big political angle, but it also wove the story around being awkward, having loud and loving families, first loves, and the heartache of friendship breakups. Plus there’s super fun banter and dialogue — which is what I always expect from an Albertalli novel! This is also co-written by Aisha Saeed who I need to read more from, though I have read her book Written In the Stars.

So just how political is it?

I was a bit nervous going in because, okay first of all: I’m Australian and our politics aren’t remotely like the US ones. 😂 But I wanted to read this because of love for the authors — aaaand look, so, I liked the characters and the dialogue! I loved the teens’ passion about politics, but the explanation about canvassing and and bills and legislations sort of lost me. And it did feel a little preachy at times. (“If you’re not doing everything you can to stop bad politicians then you’re a bad person too!” is not my favourite take.)

Plus I do feel sad for the authors, because obviously this book is to motivate teens to be proactive for the 2020 US elections…and instead we get COVID-19 and everyone stays indoors. But the relevance of being aware of what’s happening in the world is still a good point.

“No one person can fix it all,” my father says. “All our actions are little drops that collect into a groundswell for change. It’s the only way most change happens. Ordinary people doing everything they can. You’re doing that, Maya. I’m so proud of you.”

Buuuut…let’s talk about the characters who really make the book for me!

Oh they are LOVELY. We have two genuinely lovely people here: Jamie Goldberg and Maya Rehman. Jamie’s a total marshmallow who folds if you poke him, and Maya knows a bit more how to stand up for her beliefs and ideals. But they’re both really gentle and kind people. They get volunteered to go door-knocking (aka canvassing) by their mums, and their long-forgotten childhood friendship is renewed too. But they’re 17 and awkward and both going through a lot soooo…it takes a while for them to realise they actually need this friendship.

  • Maya: I loved her so much! She’s Muslim and the book starts off while Ramadan is on, so I humbly appreciated learning more about that. She’s kind of reserved and has the One Best Friend (Sara) who is leaving for college soon, so the longing and heartache there is intense. Plus her parents are having a trial-separation and Maya is super distraught. It takes her a bit to open up to Jamie, but then they fall into this easy friendship where they both fill this hole they have in their life for close friendship.
  • Jamie: he is like the ultra soft Hufflepuff of awkwardness. He’s like bordering on social anxiety but I got the feeling the book didn’t want to rep that so just made it “adorkable awkwardness”. Jamie is so so loveable. He has a super affectionate and caring relationship with his exuberant little sister, and he gets really passionate about politics and helping people, even though talking to crowds makes him want to vomit. He’s also Jewish and there’s also a lot of Jewish culture here too!

And then they both proceed not to confess they like each other the entire book!! So cute!

It had all the good contemporary moments too.

Lots of eating out (once Ramadan finished!) and they gushed over chocolate cake. The soft ease of their friendship was so lovely and made my heart ache. I loved the family moments! The banter, the quips, every time Sophie was just way over the top. (Sophie is the BEST.) The friendship breakup that Maya went through with Sara hit me deeply too. And there were just so many satisfying little subplots, it was easy to be invested in their lives. And despite the page count, I sped through reading it!

This is definitely one to try if you like contemporaries with a thoughtful and political edge.

I loved that it also focused on super sweet moments and messily awkward teens who are learning how to use their voices and make a difference. Even if it’s just a drop in the sea; it matters. You matter. (And racist trolls and politicians CAN be stopped.)

Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the ARC! Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli & Aisha Saeed is out now!

Jamie Goldberg is cool with volunteering for his local state candidate – as long as he’s behind the scenes. There’s no way he’d ever knock on doors to ask people for their votes…until he meets Maya.
Maya Rehman’s having the worst Ramadan ever. Her best friend is too busy to hang out, her summer trip is cancelled, her parents are separating and now her mother thinks the solution to her problems is political canvassing – with some awkward guy she hardly knows …
Going door to door isn’t exactly glamorous, but maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world. After all, the polls are getting closer – and so are Maya and Jamie. Mastering local activism is one thing. Navigating the cross-cultural crush of the century is another thing entirely.

Goodreads | Book Depository | Booktopia | Amazon

do you read many books with political angles (i really liked Red White & Royal Blue!) and have you read/liked any other books by these authors? 🤗

 

Chosen (Slayer #2) by Kiersten White — hello paranormal sass squad

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You know those books that are just here to give you a really good time?

HERE is one. It just makes me nostalgic for my paranormal craze, when all I did was inhale Supernatural episodes and read Shadowhunters and wonder if I would look badass in all-black with epic knives. (Um, the answer to that is very very firmly no?? No, Cait??? Ever heard of coordination?? No you haven’t.) Chosen just fits with that mood perfectly. Sass. Humour. Epic group squad dynamics. DEMONS. Bit o’ betrayal from loved ones. More sass to cover up the pain. It’s perfect.

But first, two confessions: (1) I loved reading Slayer last year but I, um, still haven’t seen any Buffy episodes. I distinctly remember writing my review with “oh I will watch some now!” and proceeded to not do that. (2) I don’t remember Slayer perfectly and didn’t have time to reread. BUT it didn’t affect my enjoyment! I was a little confused at the start, but settled in just fine, ready for popcorn and mysteries and hellgod content.

“”I am! I really am! I’m, like, the only Hufflepuff the Watcher society ever had! Everyone else is pure Ravenclaw or Slytherin. I just want everyone to be so happy! And love each other! And love me! Except lately, I also want to hurt and kill and maim things. But that’s okay too, right? I mean, if you’re good at something it’s important to develop your talents.”

The best part, for me, is definitely the characters.

A good books has to have epic characters that I fall in love with and this has them all! Nina is a sassy Hufflepuff disaster, struggling with grief and confusion. Her “urge to kill” tendencies have indeed risen and she is scared of her own Slayer powers. She can barely control them and she doesn’t know what’s wrong with her. But she’s still SOFT and she’s so loving and protective of her friends, sassy when stressed, and pulls some badass moves. I actually adore Nina.

Then we have the excellent spread of secondary characters: Rhys and Cillian are absolutely the best, my gay nerds. One of my favourite moments was they had a little domestic fight and Cillian stood on a book to make Rhys angry. (THE AUDACITY.)  This is so adorable I can’t 😂 Cillian also has a lot more backstory mysteries to unravel which was excellent. I also loved the teleportation demon, she was cuuute. Jessi aggressively protecting the Littles was adorable. Am HERE for Doug, the absolute nicest demon who gently is cross at Nina’s depth of sadness until she lets him be there for her. It’s just such a solid friendship 🥺 This sequel also has chapters from Artemis’ POV…and honestly I didn’t really get what she was doing and she just felt petulant and annoying. But the book is also such a clash of sisterly war and love — and that kept me riveted to the page.

And the writing is just so good! Fun, easy to read, engaging!

No dull moments, perfect pacing. Honestly that’s what the story is for me: a comfort read. The stakes were still high, but it just followed good ol’ paranormal fantasy patterns so I enjoyed that! And I lived for the cookie-eating-gentle-domestic moments between the badass fighting scenes. The mystery unravelled epically too! (And there is no such thing as eating ONE COOKIE. Nina deserves all the cookies.)

I thoroughly recommend the Slayer books for anyone who loves the sass of paranormal creatures who protect, eat too many cookies, and have messy emotions and the best found-family squad dynamics.

“The darkness isn’t going anywhere. But there’s a difference between walking through it and becoming it. It doesn’t control you. You got more of it than you should? Good. Use it. Use it all.”

Thanks so much to Simon & Schuster for the review copy! Chosen (Slayer #2) by Kiersten White was published February 1, 2020.

Now that Nina has turned the Watcher’s Castle into a utopia for hurt and lonely demons, she’s still waiting for the utopia part to kick in. With her sister Artemis gone and only a few people remaining at the castle—including her still-distant mother—Nina has her hands full. Plus, though she gained back her Slayer powers from Leo, they’re not feeling quite right after being held by the seriously evil succubus Eve, a.k.a. fake Watcher’s Council member and Leo’s mom.
And while Nina is dealing with the darkness inside, there’s also a new threat on the outside, portended by an odd triangle symbol that seems to be popping up everywhere, in connection with Sean’s demon drug ring as well as someone a bit closer to home. Because one near-apocalypse just isn’t enough, right?
The darkness always finds you. And once again, it’s coming for the Slayer.

Goodreads | Simon & Schuster | Book Depository | Booktopia | Review of Slayer (Book 1)

do you like classic-style paranormal books? anyone watch Buffy? (or Supernatural!!!) and tell me if this series is on your TBR!

 

Slayer by Kiersten White (A Buffy Spinoff Ft. The World’s Most Awkward Chosen One)

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Despite having never seen a single episode of Buffy…I enjoyed reading Slayer!

And shshhh yes I know you’re going to go yell at me to go watch it…but can we acknowledge how many books there are in the world and that I am trying to read them all? Fitting in tv shows is the Real Struggle.

I really adore Kiersten White, especially after her And I Darken series which was both bloody and badass. I also have her Elizabeth Frankenstein retelling! Which I will get to! (This is why I haven’t watched Buffy ok? So. many. books.)

 

➸ Is it enjoyable if you don’t know the original Buffy show?

A resounding “YES!” from me. I actually thought it would be about Buffy, but it’s about Nina and her hidden group of Watchers in a castle in Ireland. It’s set after Buffy apparently broke the world and killed magic…so the backstory was a bit hazy to me. But this is where we’re at. Nina hates Slayers because her dad died because of Buffy…but irony is a jerk, so Nina’s destiny is, in fact, to be a Slayer. (I do question why there was ever supposed to be “just one Slayer”. I mean hi @ the rest of the world? Do they just get to drown in their own vampires or…?? Thx, America.)

 

➸ It gave me immense Supernatural TV show x Shadowhunters vibes.

Ok yes look I know I just said “I have no times for shows!” but I have seen 11 seasons of Superantural in my youth (lol a few years ago). So Slayer had all the trappings of these types of things: (1) secret magical organisation, (2) everyone is steeped in flawed tradition, (3) there are Slayers and Watchers, (4) killin’ demons, researchin’ in the big archaic libraries, (5) let’s leave the saving of the world to a bunch of 16 year olds!

So lots of tropes? Yes. But also lots of heart, diversity, and really relatable messages and great themes. Like even when Nina’s undeniably proved to be a Slayer, people are STILL telling her “Yeah, honey, but you don’t really know what you’re talking about.” Most teenage girls get dismissed like this. Nina is relatable and her decision to take hold of her own fate was super empowering. (Plus Nina is just a sweetie and bubble of sunshine who could ALSO CRUSH YOUR THROAT WITH HER FIST. So! Love her!)

 

➸ Gonna be here with my new demon hunting crew forever, thanks.

Squad goals! Let’s talk about our crew (and even though there were a lot of characters, I loved their dynamics and didn’t get lost!)

✧ Nina: an awkward bundle of sunshine. Will break your jaw and then say sorrysorry!!!! also has yelled “here doggy” at a hellhound before and nearly died.
✧ Artemis: Nina’s twin sister and The Power Child, favourite of their mother, the one everyone expects to be badass and powerful. Power lesbian with knives. Her and Nina have a complicated sisterhood…relationships are strained here ok.
✧ Rhys: wears glasses, loves books, is apparently a “leader” but would rather snuggle with his boyfriend. 0/10 has no idea what is going on but is very Ernest and Supportive.
✧ Cillian: human boyfriend of said Rhys. British-Nigerian. Has a witchy mother and knows about Slayers/Watchers even though he shouldn’t. Will make puns before they nearly die. Has kept a demon in his shed before and tried to make it comfy. Likes Eurovision. Has 100% more common sense than anyone who’s supernatural and trained in combat.
✧ Leo: old crush of Nina, Latinx, went missing but is now b a c k and hot. Acts smooth and confident but absolutely can’t keep up with Nina at all and is probably exhausted.

I also appreciate that it was squad > romance. The romance thread is tiny and honestly didn’t do anything for me haha. Except for:

Romance Spoiler Mentioned
How it turned out that Leo was actually a demon and his mother was a Super Demon. So THAT was fun and I loved that. Also he died, and that was so much easier than having to have a flat romance! I’m heartless! Yes! How are you! 

 

Also Nina and Cillian being Best Bros was giving me life in my bones. Basically them:

Nina: can u keep a demon in your shed for me???
Cillian: SURE
Cillian: what would he like on his sandwich!
Cillian: also will he kill me idk might be good to ask this too

 

➸ As for the plot…

You know that feel when something is super predictable but you love the characters, the writing, the sass, and are just having a good time anyway? This is me here. It was also 400pgs so I think it could’ve been a bit faster/tighter instead of meandering along? But really all I can think about is how I want book 2 so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

 

Slayer is a super enjoyable adventure of magical catastrophes, mistaken “Chosen One” feels, and fighting demons with your friends. (Friends who slay together, stay together!) Overall it was pretty predictable, but sassy and fun. It was like a book of an good ol’ favourite ice cream flavour.

 

Into every generation a Slayer is born…
Nina and her twin sister, Artemis, are far from normal. It’s hard to be when you grow up at the Watcher’s Academy, which is a bit different from your average boarding school. Here teens are trained as guides for Slayers—girls gifted with supernatural strength to fight the forces of darkness. But while Nina’s mother is a prominent member of the Watcher’s Council, Nina has never embraced the violent Watcher lifestyle. Instead she follows her instincts to heal, carving out a place for herself as the school medic.
Until the day Nina’s life changes forever.
Thanks to Buffy, the famous (and infamous) Slayer that Nina’s father died protecting, Nina is not only the newest Chosen One—she’s the last Slayer, ever. Period.
As Nina hones her skills with her Watcher-in-training, Leo, there’s plenty to keep her occupied: a monster fighting ring, a demon who eats happiness, a shadowy figure that keeps popping up in Nina’s dreams…
But it’s not until bodies start turning up that Nina’s new powers will truly be tested—because someone she loves might be next.
One thing is clear: Being Chosen is easy. Making choices is hard.

Goodreads | Simon & Schuster | booktopia | book depository

 

➸ You might also like…

   

is there a tv show you’d like to see a book spin-off series for? have you seen buffy? is Slayer on your tbr?

 

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott (Let’s Talk About Chronic Illness Rep in YA)

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I am always super keen to read books with chronic illness and disability rep and this one features two teens with cystic fibrosis.

I’m also super wary of books with disability rep because a lot of hurt can easily be spread — whether intentionally or not. I tried to find some #ownvoices reviews for CF but didn’t come across any (let me know if know of any and I can link to them!). So I went into this book cautious but hopeful. And I do think it was a good story…

…but I was also worried about some things (I felt) were problematic. Not having CF, of course, I’m just coming from this from a place of someone knowledgeable on disabilities, but not chronic illnesses. So pls bear that in mind.

Also it has a curious origin story! As far as I understand, it was written off the screenplay. The movie came first! I’d still like to see the movie and I was totally picture Will as Cole Sprouse (Jughead vibes lmao) the whole time. This book was made for his attitude haha.


 

EDIT UPDATE! I since have watched this CF vlogger do a reaction to the trailer and they seemed super positive about the rep! So that’s definitely great. I would be curious, however, to know what a CF person thought of the ending though.

➸ The story…

Ok we all know it’s here to tug on heartstrings. It’s classic YA #sicklit (totally brought back TFIOS vibes) and it’s easy to be invested in the story! Plus it’s short, written in an easy manner, and honestly I just whipped through it.

Will and Stella were both intriguing protagonists. They had the potential to be unlikeable, with Will all into self-destructive “screw the world!” vibes and Stella being obsessively controlling. But when you stop to think about why they were like that?? I really felt for them.

On the outside we have Will being a privilege little brat and skipping expensive treatments and declaring he’s running away from hospitals as soon as he’s 18…but the kid is super super depressed. He’s basically been told he’s going to die, but also hi, here are hospital walls for the remainder of your short short life. There’s no cure for his strain of CF, so yes: he’s got a countdown on his head. And with Stella: she’s trying to hold her parents’ marriage together and wearing herself out being positive and perky because people find that more “inspiring” than if she shows she’s actually struggling. It’s the “Ooh look at this suffering girl, doing great no matter what!” She’s basically made herself inspiration porn just to try and cope. It’s so so sad and exhausting.

You kind of expect how the plot will unfold…I mean, forbidden romance. CF patients are highly contagious to each other and need to stay away. Will and Stella flirt around the edges of the rules. They’re each other’s only “option” in a long hospital stay where they’re lonely and their families don’t “get” what they’re going through. I don’t like instalove in books, but this also made sense for their situation.

 

➸ Let’s talk about the themes though…

I’m  uncomfortable with some of the themes, though of course this is just my interpretation.

1) This whole “can you love someone you can’t touch?!”…I truly find it frustrating that people can say love must rely on physical interaction. So many people are have severe touch-aversion. So many people have epic internet friendships.

2) The message of “you’re not living unless you’re EXPERIENCING THE WORLD!” This is such a danger zone ugh I will throw up a little. They did this in Everything, Everything and I’m still upset. Don’t tell kids and teens that they’re not “living” unless they’re having abled experiences. You can have a beautiful and fulfilled life, even if you’re not able to go places. Now obviously this book is about chronic illness and two kids who are facing short life spans too. That’s horrible and unfair and I ached for them. Plus they wanted to travel and see the world, and if you WANT that, then having your body rob you of that opportunity is super unfair. However society has a history of saying people who are ill/disabled have “lesser lives” and it’s truly a message we need to stop insinuating. I also don’t feel comfortable with plots that end up to the “I’d rather have LOVE than have LIFE”. Anyway, long ramble, but this is just to say: it’s fair to hate your illness, to hate how it can wreck your life. But it is not fair for books to keep on hammering in this line about how life isn’t worth living if you can’t do everything. I just would like to see these themes explored with more nuance.

3) Also full warning for a very problematic trope. There’s no excuse for this being in here.

Click For Problematic Trope Mentioned
The only POC/queer character dies. This needs to stop. It’s 2019 and we are done making tragic queer storylines to advance the straight/white main characters’ storylines.

While there was plenty to like about Five Feet Apart, with characters who had complex emotional reactions…I’m too cautious of some of the messages it promotes. But Will and Stella both had amazing character arcs though and it does bring aaaall the feels.

 

Thanks Simon & Schuster for the review-copy! Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott was published January 2019.

Can you love someone you can never touch?
Stella Grant likes to be in control—even though her totally out of control lungs have sent her in and out of the hospital most of her life. At this point, what Stella needs to control most is keeping herself away from anyone or anything that might pass along an infection and jeopardize the possibility of a lung transplant. Six feet apart. No exceptions.
The only thing Will Newman wants to be in control of is getting out of this hospital. He couldn’t care less about his treatments, or a fancy new clinical drug trial. Soon, he’ll turn eighteen and then he’ll be able to unplug all these machines and actually go see the world, not just its hospitals.
Will’s exactly what Stella needs to stay away from. If he so much as breathes on Stella she could lose her spot on the transplant list. Either one of them could die. The only way to stay alive is to stay apart. But suddenly six feet doesn’t feel like safety. It feels like punishment.
What if they could steal back just a little bit of the space their broken lungs have stolen from them? Would five feet apart really be so dangerous if it stops their hearts from breaking too?

Goodreads | Booktopia | Simon & Schuster | Book Depository

 

➸ YOU SHOULD ALSO TRY…

   

have you read many books with chronically ill characters? are they stories you like or…too sad?! are you going to see the movie for this one?

 

Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi || Book Tour + Giveaway…Also My New Favourite Contemporary!?

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You know what this book is?! Absolutely EXCELLENT.

I’m so excited to be on the blog tour! I’m literally bursting out of my small socks with happiness, because this book was just that good and has already sneaked onto my list of 2019-favourites and also taken over my whole heart.

You can see the full tour schedule here and also there will be a giveaway at the end of this post! (I desperately need everyone to read this book omg.)

 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for having me on the blog tour!

For Penny Lee high school was a total nonevent. Her friends were okay, her grades were fine, and while she somehow managed to land a boyfriend, he doesn’t actually know anything about her. When Penny heads to college in Austin, Texas, to learn how to become a writer, it’s seventy-nine miles and a zillion light years away from everything she can’t wait to leave behind.
Sam’s stuck. Literally, figuratively, emotionally, financially. He works at a café and sleeps there too, on a mattress on the floor of an empty storage room upstairs. He knows that this is the god-awful chapter of his life that will serve as inspiration for when he’s a famous movie director but right this second the seventeen bucks in his checking account and his dying laptop are really testing him.
When Sam and Penny cross paths it’s less meet-cute and more a collision of unbearable awkwardness. Still, they swap numbers and stay in touch—via text—and soon become digitally inseparable, sharing their deepest anxieties and secret dreams without the humiliating weirdness of having to see each other.

Goodreads | Simon & Schuster | Book Depository | Booktopia

Mary H.K. Choi is a Korean-American author, editor, television and print journalist. She is the author of young adult novel Emergency Contact (2018). She is the culture correspondent on Vice News Tonight on HBO and was previously a columnist at Wired and Allure magazines as well as a freelance writer. She attended a large public high school in a suburb of San Antonio, then college at the University of Texas at Austin, where she majored in Textile and Apparel.

Twitter | Website | Instagram

 

I am absolutely wholly and messily in love with this book.

It totally caught my heart and I turned into an invertible bucket of soapy emotions. I just??? loved everything about it. The anxiety rep was SO GOOD. Not to mention I am half in love with Penny and Sam and by the end I just wanted to tuck this book to my chest and hold it forever.

I knew I’d like it…but noooo. I LOVED it.

➸ It’s a story of college and the awkwardness of growing up and anxiety.

I really like books about upper-teens, early-20s, because there’s so much to unpack with those first feels of being out of home and discovering who you are as a person when no one else knows you. Both Sam and Penny have messy relationships with their parents and both are stuck. Penny feels like a veritable blob that no one cares about or finds interesting and she’s scared to be open or get close to people (with good reason but…spoilers shh). Sam is crushingly in love with his ex who does NOT love him back and he’s got about $17 bucks to his name and can’t even pay for college. He literally lives in the coffee shop where he works and he’s spiralling into an anxious depressed heap.

 

➸ I found them both SO relatable.

They both narrate and maybe I liked Sam’s chapters a little more. He is a soft boy™ and he bakes (HE BAKES!!!) and if his hair is fluffy, he’s feeling the softest (I was WAITING for his hair to get fluffy for Penny afjdkslad). Penny wants to be, to actually exist, after a life of non-existing. She’s Korean-American and tired of casual racism and being the tagalong friend. They meet because of a mutual friend, but then Sam basically has a panic attack AND FAINTS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION and Penny scrapes him off the ground and they become “emergency contacts”. Aka they text. All the time.

IT IS SO ADORABLE. I DIE. Their relationship was SO well built up that I rooted for them as friends, and then…just kiss, you little onions. Just kiss.

 

➸ I loved all the diversity in the book too!

From the #ownvoices Korean-American representation (there is an EXCELLENT dialogue in Penny’s writing class about writing diversity that was just…so important) to the anxiety rep (they both struggle with it for different reasons and it was wholly relatable to me). It also was about being poor and had body-acceptance messages. AND IT HAD A+ BAKED GOODS REP. What we all deserve.

 

➸ Basically what I want from a book? MAKE ME FEEL.

And I felt all the things for these two afjdksald. The book is basically: “NOBODY has their shit together, it’s ok to lean on your friends.” And I love that??? There is no “their love cures them!” but instead it’s about how you do. not. have. to. be. alone when you’re going through stuff. It is full of little everyday emergencies and twisty complex feelings and the slowest gentlest romance that was just so frikkin’ sweet, my heart melted. It made me care about Sam and Penny. 10/10 would do anything for them.

 

 

Australian only!

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what’s a book that surprised you by how much you loved it?? and have you read Emergency Contact yet?!

What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera || Does It Make Or Break Hearts?!

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This book is so adorable and makes me laugh and then proceeds to throw my face-first into the void.

Which is a skill. I acknowledge this skill. I admit that firstly (1) I said “ooh I’ll review this later!” and forgot everything about it of ever, so I have in fact read it twice in 2018! And also (2) I do have mixed feelings about it (particularly the ending) but it’s still a good story.

Also I’d like to acknowledge that this is the DREAM COLLAB TEAM. The bio says that said they were collabing on this like right after their debuts sold!!!! They are so amazing!! I love both Becky Albertalli (Simon Vs is my fav from her) and Adam Silvera (History Is All You Left Me is my fav from him) so so much. Their signature styles and quirks were STRONG here and I loved how it combined.

WHAT TO EXPECT

✧ ok this is most definitely a romcom so squishy lovey feelings ARE the focus!
✧ it is a little bit about fate pushing two people together but also about how relationships take work
✧ it is queer here, there, and everywhere
✧ huge focus also on friendship dynamics and how they change as you move through highschool
✧ DESSERT APPRECIATION (if you take a chocolate chip cookie from Arthur then his face will collapse like the saddest puppy)
✧ dorks being adorkable
✧ scenes that will make you laugh so. much. ahhh!!!
✧ there are Easter Eggs about the Love Simon movie and one to Adam’s book (History Is All You Left Me!!)

The focus of this story?! CHARACTERS and solely characters.

I’m liiiiving for this because I just read a book that was so plot-centric that I missed getting to know characters so entirely and wholly. Ben and Arthur’s lives are the kind you can easily get caught up in. Both the boys wobble so delicately on the line that is “yes you are being a nasty little slug” vs “you are having tremendous growth and I love it you’re doing great sweetie”. Honestly my heart IS caught by both of them.

☆ ARTHUR: He is actual most hyper thing ever with zero chill. I mean, seriously, he can’t shut up, he is on speed 10000 at all times, he’s freaking hilarious. I love !! Arthur!! Although, honest time right now: I was frustrating how he was so so jealous/possessive of Ben and so easily jumped down his throat. But Arthur is 16. When I was 16, I was immature and deluded and jealous and also had never eaten a churro. So I think Arthur could be grit-your-teeth-frustrating, but he was so sweet and energetic and adorable. I have a weakness for characters with no chill.
☆ BEN: He is the softest introvert™ and just the fact that he loves living in his head, playing Sims and writing fantasy novels, afjdksald it just made me really connect to him. I absolutely think it was too early for him to get into a relationship after 2 weeks-post break up with Hudson but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ the universe decreed apparently. Seriously Ben stole my heart and I adore him. I think he was a lot more humble about his faults too and willing to do better.

THESE TWO. Seriously the characters were incredible and just leapt off the page with the BEST banter.

The secondary characters were all great too! Dylan reminded me of someone who faceplanted out of a John Green novel. And both boys had such wholesome (albeit messy) parents which was nice!

 

Themes of “friendship breakups” were explored as well as romance.

I think that’s so important. And sure the focus of the story is Ben/Arthur with the “will-they-won’t-they-work-out” story line, but I appreciated how ti talked about friendship dynamics changing and how friendship-breakups can ALSO break your heart. I don’t think this gets discussed enough in YA!! How many of us have had a devastating friendship-fall-out as teens?! I sure have and it still haunts me 7 years later, so I’m glad this book explored both (A) forgiveness and working through it, and (B) letting go.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

It’s also a Quiet YA™ story.

I did like that about it. The world is about BEN and ARTHUR and their universes collide and tremble and change, but the world just moves on around them. It touches on homophobia and failing school and worry about divorce…but the central conflicts are mostly Ben and Arthur needing their heads knocked together because they ARE NOT PERFECT. Adorkable. But wow do they need work.

Can we have a sec to talk about the ending?!

SPOILERS!! Click at OWN RISK.
  • I’m actually a little doubtful if Ben and Arthur were truly compatible. Their rocky start isn’t so much the problem, more that they didn’t KNOW each other all that well in like 1 month of dating. They were so so cute, but Arthur was way immature.
  • I don’t understand how Arthur was so jealous over Ben even looking at Hudson, but then epilogue is Arthur is kissing boys, choosing colleges far from Ben, making no effort to get them back together…except for chats?!
  • BUT Ben is wAITING FOR HIM.
  • YOU JUST BROKE MEEEEE.
  • And my interpretation of those last 2 chapters was solidly: “Yay let’s be bros.” Like they decided the universe brought them together as friends???
  • um
  • did u boys not read the book that I read about u two hello
  • So I feel I have massively invested in 400 pages of their angst only to be rewarded with a cupcake made of sand.
  • Anyway. I CHOOSE to believe at some point Ben marched over to Arthur’s college, yelled at him, and they got back together.

So basically it is soft and sweet and entirely captivatingly written and dID THINGS to my feels. 

Maybe the ending leaves me annoyed, but the rest makes up for it. Like the writing just draws you in and the characters utterly steal hearts. I can’t even. This book has so little chill I love that. (I just really love when books crack me up!) Although I don’t think it has the complexity of the authors’ other books.

ALSO BY THESE AUTHORS

    

THANK YOU TO SIMON & SCHUSTER FOR THE REVIEW-COPY. What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silver is published October 2018.

★★★★☆

Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it.
Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things.
But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them?
Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated.
Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.
But what if they can’t quite nail a first date . . . or a second first date . . . or a third?
What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work . . . and Ben doesn’t try hard enough?
What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play?
But what if it is?

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ok tell me some of your dream-author-collabs!! who would you pitch together?! and have you read this one or any of Becky/Adam’s work?? Tell me your favourites!

The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke || Soft Murder and Beautiful Prose

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The Boneless Mercies is the kind of atmospheric book that you just want to soak in.

I love the contrast of it being about these four girls who do literal “mercy” killings for sick people — but yet it’s so beautiful written with ethereal settings at time. It’s like: HEY THIS IS PRETTY and also HEY THERE IS DEATH! Like way to go for this combo.

This is only my second read by this author, and I loved her book Wink Poppy Midnight. Although that’s magical realism so I confess I thought The Boneless Mercies was going to be too. And then it’s like BAM. No this is epic fantasy. Apparently a Beowulf retelling?? But I have 0% clue what that is (ALL THE ENGLISH MAJORS JUST SCREAMED AT ME) so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Let me live in my ignorance.

It’s also a standalone which is cool! I don’t think we get enough standalone fantasies.

SOME THINGS YOU CAN EXPECT

★ the four girls are killers bUT they are also soft™
★ it has a viking/Norse setting!!
★ there are witches, so so many witches, and they are the sweetest OR will stab you
★ get you a witch that can do both
★ there are also monsters and curses
★ even though the girls do “mercy” killings, they will occasionally off an abusive man or two, which…ya know…have at it
★ there is a lot of snow
★ there is also a very soft™ boy who just wants to learn to heal things while the girls stab things
★ friends who slay together stay together

Let’s talk about our band of Mercy killer girls, shall we?!

It’s told in 1st person by Freya but there is quite a big cast. Plus they’re travelling so hello lots of strangers on the road. I actually am not a huge fan of huge casts because I get very very confused very very easily. You should see me try to name my 7 nieces and nephews (spoiler: I cannot). Anyway it was intense meeting a group of 5 right in page one. And while I really grew to love the group, I never felt like I got to know anyone. Possibly because it’s a small book —> but big world.

  • FREY: She’s the most selfless Gryffindor of ever. KILL THE BAD THINGS! SAVE THE GOOD PEOPLE! I admired her but I confess I didn’t really connect/care about her.
  • RUNA: She is the feisty one. She has bitten you, she will bite you again. Contrary and epic, so I loved her.
  • OVIE: She is so quiet, like that steady rock in a steady stream. IDK that’s it though.
  • JUNIPER: Okay here is my acTUAL GORGEOUS SOFT SWEET TREASURE. She is a sea witch and so kind! So sweet! She is the youngest of the group and basically everyone is like “THERE IS DANGER STAB IT” and Juniper is like “or we could befriend it and pray” so bless Juniper.
  • TRIGVE: He’s the sole boy of the group (not allowed to be a mercy killer) nad the absolutely literally picked him up off the side of the road like their mopey puppy. He is so soft and everytime they tell him to go get a life he is like: “but I love you all I have to stay.” And then gives them puppy dog eyes. (Ok the last bit I just made up BUT I FEEL LIKE HE WOULD.)

I also really appreciated the Norse setting! The world was huge and harsh and beautiful! The book was like a peek through a window into a world you just get to see the edge of. It’s a style I don’t encounter much, so I was intrigued. It’s so vast and it throws people of different religions and nationalities at you, and then adds in dozens of countries and groups too. I loved the Quicks, who felt like Robin Hood type guys! They go through many towns. There’s magic! There’s poverty. There’s the hint of war. There’s oppression because of your sex or birthright. It was all very very interesting, but at times overwhelming because it just touched the surface???

 

My only real disappointments were: (1) it could have had epic sapphic rep and it absolutely felt like it was leading up to it !!! only to…dissolve. And (2) what romance was there completely baffled me.

 

This is the story of witches and bones and honeyed bread and curses and whippings and axes and marshes and gold and justice.

It is literally a delicious feast for the eyes with the writing! It’s so beautiful! I wanted to get to know the characters deeper but apart from that?!? A fantasy that is both pretty and harsh. AND THAT COVER THO AHHH.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the review-copy. The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke was published October 2018.

They called us the Mercies, or sometimes the Boneless Mercies. They said we were shadows, ghosts, and if you touched our skin we dissolved into smoke … 
Frey, Ovie, Juniper, and Runa are Boneless Mercies – death-traders, hired to kill quickly, quietly and mercifully. It is a job for women, and women only. Men will not do this sad, dark work.
Frey has no family, no home, no fortune, and yet her blood sings a song of glory. So when she hears of a monster slaughtering men, women, and children in a northern jarldom, she decides this the Mercies’ one chance to change their fate.
But glory comes at a price …

Goodreads  Publisher  Booktopia  Book Depository

 

 

  

 

ok tell me a book you thought was one genre buuut it turned out to be something else!? and have you read this book? do you wish there were more standalone fantasies?

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

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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?!

Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices #2) by Cassandra Clare // SO GOOD I LOST MY MIND

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All I can say is that Lord Of Shadows was so so so so so so so so so so so so EXCELLENT.

And if you thought this review was going to start off with a coherent and emotionally charged sentence of passionate and triumph…hahaha. You’re adorable. LET’S JUST SAY I AM SHADOWHUNTER TRASH AND AM REDUCED TO A WILD MESS EVERY TIME I READ ONE OF THESE PERFECT BOOKS.

I AM CURRENTLY A BROKEN PIECE OF RUIN. I JUST LOVE IT THAT MUCH.

IT WAS SO GOOD.

NOTE #1: This is the sequel to Lady Midnight! There will be mild spoilers for the first book in this review. But NO spoilers for Lord of Shadows! (Or they’ll be hidden by tags anyway.)

Note #2: If you haven’t read The Mortal Instruments…can you read Lady Midnight? Why yes…yes you can. I think it’s better to have read both The Mortal Instruments and the Infernal Devices first, however, because there are small spoilers in Lady Midnight for them. But as an introduction to the Shadowhunter world — it can work on its own!

 

+ I AM ABSOLUTELY DYING. IT WAS JUST THAT GOOD.

It’s been like 4 days since I read it and I’m still obsessing about it. I’m basically an ANXIOUS WRECK because the story has so captivated me and ajfsdkaldajkd. I’m in that level of love for it. THAT LEVEL. I think all the Shadowhunter books are perfection, but Lady Midnight took it up a notch with the most beautiful Blackthorn family, faeries, mental health acutely accurate disability representation. It’s extraordinarily crafted, with plots tying in from older stories and everything stitching so seamlessly together I can only SHRIEK. And suspect Cassandra Clare is a warlock of great power. The humour! The sass! The beautiful sensory description! The complex and detailed characters! I JUST MELTED MY MIND EXCUSE ME.

 

+ As far as sequels goes? Lord of Shadows was perfect.

No second book blues here!! Except for, well, (a) the cover is blue, and (b) I’m kind of blue in the face from being so excited over it and falling over. I will admit it slowed down around the 70% mark, but when I’m so in love with the characters, I really don’t care if all they’re doing is eating toast in a cottage and sassing each other. I will take the lowkey scenes as eagerly as the action.

+ Plot? OBVIOUSLY I LOVED IT.

I swear it’s pure WIZARDRY how a small thing from the TMI series will mean something BIG here. And how this plot fits perfectly with that series and etc. etc. IT’S INCREDIBLE. THE SHADOWHUNTER WORLD IS SO INTENSELY COMPLICATED AND INTRICATELY DESIGNED. The foreshadowing (har har get it??? SHADOWS) makes my heart beat faster.
I also 500% admit my favourite thing about The Dark Artifices is how it’s very faerie-centric. I love how deliciously evil and terrifying the faeries are. THEY ARE THE BEST. Also the description for their culture and lands is marvellously gorgeous. A sky full of jewels? Like sure, just let my heart gallop out of my chest for appreciation for the description. I probably shouldn’t love the evil faeries so much but…hi.

 

+ Okay so let’s talk about the characters?!? WHAT WE’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR.

I’m just gonna flail. For 900000 years. These are some of my all time favourite characters of ANY book.

  • JULIAN: he is so so Slytherin in this book it’s kind of scary and I love it. <3 <3 <3
  • EMMA: I think she has some secret badass magic powers that no one knows about yet?!? I suspect. And I actually appreciated how the book wasn’t JUST focused on Julian/Emma so much this time too. Also: Emma’s sass and sarcasm levels GIVE ME LIFE.
  • MARK: MARK IS MY PRECIOUS AND MY FAVOURITE AND MARK MARK MARK HE IS THE REASON I LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH MY ULTIMATE FAVOURITE CHARACTER OF ALL NO I WILL NOT USE PUNCTUATION I WILL JUST SHOUT HOW MUCH I LOVE MARK. Although I aggressively ship him and Kieran. Just saying. (AND STILL NOT EVEN SLIGHTLY EXAGGERATING HOW MUCH I LOVE MARK.)
  • KIERAN: Who is a Slytherin also and I love him and I know he’s such a vicious faerie…but he’s still precious. Don’t fight me on this. And I love how his hair changes colours. Such beautiful hair.
  • CRISTINA: I always will like Cristina, who is a sweet and kind cotton fluff. But she’s really really…good. And I prefer characters who frolic in the dark side. Plus she’s interrupting my Mark x Kieran ship so I’m a peeved at her.
  • KIT HERONDALE: OKAY MR. CHRISTOPHER HERONDALE IS MY THE BEST. He is such a mini-Jace! He’s also a huge thief, adorable, hugely sarcastic, will fight if needed, and is super sweet and supportive of Ty without question. The fact that his first reaction to Ty’s autism is “okay how can I support you” makes me want to cry. <3 <3
  • Ty: The fact that there is an Autistic Shadowhunter who is not only accurately represented, but really beautifully and thoughtfully written — I JUST CAN’T STOP BEING SO HAPPY ABOUT IT. I’m also glad Ty (and Livvy) had more room to actually be badass Shadowhunters. Julian totally smothers them, but he is their brother and they are his babies. C’mon though. LET THE BABIES FIGHT. (Clary and Jace were 15 when they broke the world…oh wait. Maybe this is why you don’t let the babies out…)
  • LIVVY: She isn’t such a big character, but her love and protection of her twin is gorgeous and wonderful. I still don’t really know her personality though.
  • DRU & TAVVY: They’re kind of like the Blackthorn babies no one talks about. Dru unfortunately feels like a spare wheel most of the time. I hope she gets more of a plot soon?
  • MAGNUS BANE: is here in a burst of glitter and narcissism and I love him. Also YES we get to see more of Alec and the kids! I also quite severely suspect that their blue adopted warlock child is actually the lost baby of Lazlo Strange. Excuse me.
  • ZARA: I wish to would fall off a cliff.
  • PERFECT DIEGO: He can join Zara on the cliff.
  • ANNABEL BLACKTHORN: Is terrifying, dead, and therefore excellent. I have a soft spot for the dead ones. She has such severe PTSD and I kind of hate her but also think she needs to be understood.
  • UNCLE ARTHUR: My feelings of caring are basically 0%.
  • DIANA: I LOVED finding out Diana’s backstory! Although lowkey think her romance with Gwyn was kind of boring/distracting from MY PRECIOUS BLACKTHORN BOYS.

+ And I will always cheer appreciatively for the Autism rep!!

It is not only thoughtful and complex, it is so so accurate. Ty is so precious and I just love how carefully Cassandra Clare weaves in how different his brain is wired and his habits and tics, with the Shadowhunter world and magic. It’s perfect. I live for the day when all fantasy books have careful and loving disability rep, because we are in sore need.

 

 

+ So so much shipping is to be done.

Obviously Julian x Emma are an incredible ship of angst. Although I appreciate how the angst levels didn’t swallow the book. I hate hate hate the love triangle with Mark x Kieran x Cristina. Mostly because I FREAKING LOVE MARK X KIEREN and Cristina is boring. Plus I also think Cristina only likes Mark because he’s a fearie and she’s obsessed with faeries?!? So that’s not fair. Ty x Kit will make a super cute ship someday. But otherwise I ship Kit and cookies.

+ DIVERSITY IS A+.

We’ve touched on this already but I just looove the diversity. With featuring POC and queer romances, plus adding in mental health and disabilities in characters, and different cultures, including heavily featured Spanish characters.

 

+ Cliffhanger?? Haha…you didn’t want…to be calm…ever again…did you.

JFAKDLFAJDSKLJ AKLFSJDAKL JFKDASL THE CLIFFHANGER AJDKFLASDJFAKLDJ.
WHY ARE WE NOT GETTING THE 3RD BOOK FOR 2 YEARS WHAT IS THIS MADNESS. WHATEVER DID WE DO TO DESERVE THIS.

+ SPOILERS ABOUT THE ENDING:

So obviously DO NOT open these tags unless you want to see major spoilers. You’ve been warned, you grape.

SPOILERS!!!

Unfortunately I was spoiled and heard there was a “big death”. I hoped it was going to be Emma. HA. I’m sorry! I just think that would’ve made book 3 super interesting. However, it was Livvy and like I’m sad about it, but she did feel like a dispensable character. (Sorry. #heartless #vulcan #here) I’m reaaally scared this is going to destroy Ty in the next book.

Also I 100% predict that Julian is going to use the Book of the Dead to raise Livvy from the dead. AND HE’LL DESTROY THE WORLD FOR IT. AFJDKSLAFD JULIAN NO. But he is such a Slytherin and will literally drug his uncle, outwit the clave, and do anything for his siblings. Would he kill for them? I PrEDICT.

Also freaking out with worry over Magnus?!? WHY IS HE SICK.

I’m so so so destroyed over that ending though ghahghhghghgh. It was such a cliffhanger. I hope Perfect Diego hasn’t kidnapped Kieran to kill him. I hope hope hope Mark is ok. I hope hope hope hope THIS SERIES ENDS RIGHT. YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE HOW DISTRAUGHT I AM. I LITERALLY DID NOT SLEEP ALL NIGHT BECAUSE I WAS OBSESSING OVER IT. I will be beside myself if my Mark x Kieran ship doesn’t sail, too.

Also ugh, why am I so invested. I actually don’t like being so into a series. I DON’T LIKE ALL THESE EMOTIONS THEY CAUSE ME SO MUCH PAIN. I CAN’T TURN OFF. WHY DO WE HAVE TO WAIT TILL 2019??????????????

 

+ Perfect book is perfect.

There is no other word for it.

Help.

I am so wildly in love with this series.

THANK YOU TO SIMON & SCHUSTER FOR THE REVIEW-COPY. Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices #2) by Cassandra Clare was published May, 2017.

★★★★★

Emma Carstairs has learned that the love she shares with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, isn’t just forbidden—it could destroy them both. She knows she should run from Julian. But how can she when the Blackthorns are threatened by enemies on all sides?
Their only hope is the Black Volume of the Dead, a spell book of terrible power. Everyone wants it. Only the Blackthorns can find it. Spurred on by a dark bargain with the Seelie Queen, Emma; her best friend, Cristina; and Mark and Julian Blackthorn journey into the Courts of Faerie, where glittering revels hide bloody danger and no promise can be trusted. Meanwhile, rising tension between Shadowhunters and Downworlders has produced the Cohort, an extremist group of Shadowhunters dedicated to registering Downworlders and “unsuitable” Nephilim. They’ll do anything in their power to expose Julian’s secrets and take the Los Angeles Institute for their own.
When Downworlders turn against the Clave, a new threat rises in the form of the Lord of Shadows—the Unseelie King, who sends his greatest warriors to slaughter those with Blackthorn blood and seize the Black Volume. As dangers close in, Julian devises a risky scheme that depends on the cooperation of an unpredictable enemy. But success may come with a price he and Emma cannot even imagine, one that will bring with it a reckoning of blood that could have repercussions for everyone and everything they hold dear.

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are you into the Shadowhunter books???! PLEASE FLAIL WITH ME IF YOU ARE. which is your favourite series? character? ship?? is anyone else screaming after finishing Lord of Shadows? did you prefer book 1 or 2 in The Dark Artifices?!?

The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid // Stabtastic Yet Adorable Anti-Hero Tale

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The Diabolic is a very stabby book…so OF COURSE I LOVED IT.

I, well ahem, have a small love for all things stabtastic (shh, that’s a word) and I’m sure that’s normal and fine and nothing to be worried about. I loved how The Diabolic promised a vicious, weaponised, anti-hero, non-human protagonist — AND WE ACTUALLY GOT ONE. There will be blood tonight! (Points if you get that reference.) So despite not liking one of the finale plot twists, I really enjoyed this book!

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LIKE

  • It’s set in space! I don’t read much sci-fi so this was actually quite exciting for me! STARS AND SPACE STUFF WOOO! I love these futuristic settings where they mix an ancient Imperial court (kind of Roman? Greek?) with modern technology and spaceships. It’s like ANCIENT GOODNESS IN OUTER SPACE. #win
  • So much stab. I mean, blood doesn’t fly everywhere, so if you’re squeamy, you’ll be fiiiiine. But it’s actually quite vicious and the characters don’t hold back!c1d1e2340987ab9b851de1e1b4416cd5
  • BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT PEOPLE DO. #goodtimes
  • Nemesis is an adorable deadly cinnamon roll. She’s a genetically engineered weapon, made as permanent bodyguard programmed to love and protect her mistress, Donia. All Nemesis wants in life is to PROTECT HER DARLING DONIA. She’s can be quite a robot, with you know, the whole stunted-feelings-and-Vulcan-outlook-on-life….exceeeeeept: she secretly has feelings. Which leads to secretly wanting to be human. WHICH LEADS TO SECRETLY BEING AWESOME. She is equal parts fierce and fiercly loving. I like.
  • Ooh, look! Manipulation and mind games. I love mind games. This is full of plot twists, blackmail, political intrigue, plots, conspiracies and mind-manipulation amongst the Emperor and his backstabbing family. YAS.
  • We must mention Tyrus, of course. He’s the emperor’s nephew and next in line for the throne and QUITE MAD. But I really loved how clever he was. Plus he wasn’t exactly nice which is brilliant — OH STOP RUNNING AWAY FROM THIS REVIEW. COME BAAAAACK. I SWEAR IT’S NORMAL TO LIKE MEAN CHARACTERS. I may seem to be psychotic sitting here saying “Ooh yay mean characters!” but they were actually “mean” as in “these-are-characters-I-can-root-for-because-they-love-fiercely-and-stab-just-as-fiercely”.200
  • Also there is a super cute dog! And by “cute” I mean it was an ugly brute and Nemesis, aka “cold hearted and unfeeling”, was an absolute marshmallow to her dog. I LOVE THIS. SO MUCH CUTE.
  • It was exciting! I get cautious when books are set in imperial courts because it can tend to end in dull tea-parties and the odd cup of poisoned tea. Never fear. There are plenty of near-death and total-death experiences (AND POISONED TEA) and the occasional nice dance where my OTP threatens to break each other’s necks. Which leads me to…
  • YES I SHIP IT. Tyrus and Nemesis are damaged, slightly evil, totally poisonous, and darkly good underneath all that. THESE are the kind of characters I love reading about.

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DISLIKE

  • It did vaguely feel like a huge mash up. Look there’s nothing new out there. But when you’ve read a loooooot of books (aka me) you start to feel rather unsurprised by things. Basically this book has a LIST of things it reminds me of. For instance: 
    • The Winner’s Curse = Grecian/Roman setting with politics and mind games written in a similar style to The Diabolic
    • Spark = genetically modified people designed specifically to protect other people
    • Red Rising = Grecian/Roman setting with the stabby aspects, plus the carving/changing of people’s bones and things
    • The Hunger Games = Capitol fashion and amusement tastes + dictatorship that benevolently kills the lower class
    • Red Queen = backstabbing royal family + sci-fi elements
  • I mean, OKAY THAT’S A LOT OF BOOKS IT REMINDED ME OF. And books aren’t ever going to be fully original, right?? But as I was reading I couldn’t help going “Yeah I saw that plot twist in Red Queen” and “Oh that’s exactly what they did in Red Rising”….and it took some of the excitement out of things.
  • Let’s talk about the dog. But with spoiler tags to be fair to the populace.
SPOILERS
the freaking dog GOT MURDERED and I am THIS CLOSE to just slamming shut a book that ever mentions a dog and throwing it across the galaxy BECAUSE STAHP KILLING THE DOGS, YOU MONSTER AUTHORS. STAHP STAHP STAPH. *throws self weeping to the ground. And no. I am not okay. If you wondered. I loved this dog. I loved it so much.giphy-1
  • The plot twist at the end WAS ANNOYING. Arghghgh. It’s grating me to pieces. If I was a piece of cheese, I would be grated so finely you could spread me on your pasta sauce and rename me parmasen sprinkles. Not happy. In fact, I want to spoiler discuss this too:
MORE SPOILERS
It was just so freaking obvious that the evil mother of the emperor was lying. I mean, DUH?!?!??! Nemesis KNOWS she’s a rat, she KNOWS the empress wants everyone dead, particularly her annoying nephew. This has been established the WHOLE BOOK. But then at the very end when Donia is murdered by poison and the empress is like “Oh Tyrus is behind this” and Nemesis just believes her straight away??? I don’t buy it. In fact, it was annoying. Nemisis was clever and intelligent for the whole book and then in a heartbeat she just believed something unbelievable? Why would she believe the grandmother over Tyrus? Like, yeah sure, trust your enemy and hate your lover FOR NO GOOD REASON AT ALL YOU INSUFFERABLE MULBERRY.

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Despite a few squinty glares, I really did totally enjoy this book!

Sure it wasn’t perfect for me, but mind games??? Stabbing?? Starships??? Conspiracies to take down an empire??? Forbidden romance??? Inhuman characters finding their emotional sides??? (Of which that is my favourite trope, okay.) An ending that leaves me wanting more?? Plus a ship that is totally unstable and dangerous and deadly and lovely??? This just ticks so many “YES YES YES” boxes for me that I am notoriously pleased with this book. Go read it, immediately, I say good sir!

 

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THANK YOU TO SIMON AND SCHUSTER FOR THE REVIEW COPY. The Diabolic by SJ Kincaid was published November, 2016.

4 stars

the-diabolicA Diabolic is ruthless. A Diabolic is powerful. A Diabolic has a single task: Kill in order to protect the person you’ve been created for. 
Nemesis is a Diabolic, a humanoid teenager created to protect a galactic senator’s daughter, Sidonia. The two have grown up side by side, but are in no way sisters. Nemesis is expected to give her life for Sidonia, and she would do so gladly. She would also take as many lives as necessary to keep Sidonia safe.
When the power-mad Emperor learns Sidonia’s father is participating in a rebellion, he summons Sidonia to the Galactic court. She is to serve as a hostage. Now, there is only one way for Nemesis to protect Sidonia. She must become her. Nemesis travels to the court disguised as Sidonia – a killing machine masquerading in a world of corrupt politicians and two-faced senators’ children. It’s a nest of vipers with threats on every side, but Nemesis must keep her true abilities a secret or risk everything.
As the Empire begins to fracture and rebellion looms closer, Nemesis learns there is something more to her than just deadly force. She finds a humanity inside her that is true and pure – more so than that of most humans she encounters. Amidst all the danger, action and intrigue, her humanity just might be the thing that saves her life – and the empire.

Goodreads  Publisher  Buy

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red-rising spark reboot

 

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do you like characters who are inhuman weapons of mass (feels) destruction?? and do you ever feel like books are all starting to sound the same? and do you like stabby books? DO YOU?? (i hope you do because you’re reading my blog and I review a lot of them) and if you’ve read this one, do tell me your thoughts so we can chat!