Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak by Charlie Jane Anders
3 out of 5 stars Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. “No matter what you love, there will always be countless other people who think you’re loving it the wrong way.” – Princess Constellation I want to preface this review with a disclaimer: I am not a Sci-Fi reader, so this review is going to be a bit short. Victories Greater Than Death saw Tina Mains and her best friend Rachael end up in space on an intergalactic mission. This follow up, Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak focused on Rachael and the aftermath of book one, as well as Elza and her journey to become a princess. I really liked that this book focused on the other characters. It was nice to get the different perspectives, especially as we see the characters going on different missions and paths. I found myself getting confused sometimes with the jump back and forth between the two perspectives, but that might just be me. Overall, I can’t really write much because I’m honestly not sure I understood everything that happened. So much happens in this book and it was difficult for me to follow, but like I said, this genre is not my thing. But I enjoyed the book and I plan to read the third. And I will recommend them to others. What keeps bringing me back to this series is the setting. And I don’t just mean space– I mean the characters, the culture, everything. I love that all introductions include names and pronouns. I love that they always ask before hugging/touching someone else. Even if I don’t really understand what is happening, there is just something that keeps me coming back.
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Review of Two Truths and a Lie by April Henry
2 out of 5 stars Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. What happens when a group of teens get snowed in at a roadside motel with a killer? That right there was enough to get me to read this book. Honestly, anytime a book is about people getting stranded somewhere, only to realize they’re trapped with a murderer, I will read it. Don’t judge me. Because I read books like this so much, it’s hard to surprise me. Because of that, I saw a lot of the twists of this book coming. I don’t want to say that I had it all figured out, but there were no “GASP!” moments with the twists. Nell and her school’s theater group friends are on their way to a competition when the snow storm begins As it gets worse, they are forced to seek refuge at a nearby motel. They are soon joined by a group of robotics students, a trucker, and a couple other strangers. All seems to be going okay, considering the circumstances, until the kids decide to play a game of Two Truths and a Lie. The game starts off innocently enough, until Nell pulls out a slip that reads:
Then (of course) they decide to play with a Ouija board. Then (of course) the power goes out and the teens must deal with the idea that there is a murderer snowed in with them. Most of the issues I had with the book are spoilers, so I won’t include them here (scroll to the end to see), but overall I just wasn’t impressed. While this book kept my interest, it just didn’t do anything new. If you’re looking for a quick, fast-paced thriller, give it a try. But if you’re looking for something that will knock you off your feet, this may not be the book for you. ***Scroll for spoiler-filled ramblings*** Spoiler-filled ramblings:
Review of "The Wolves Are Waiting" by Natasha Friend
4 out of 5 stars Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. After going to the Frat Fair, 15-year-old Nora wakes up on a golf course. She has no idea how she got there or what happened the night before. But she doesn’t want to think about it. She knows nothing happened, and she knows her parents would freak out if they found out. Her father is the local college’s athletic director and a beloved figure in their town– if people found out that Nora ended up in such a compromising position, it could hurt his reputation. But Nora can’t help but think about what could have happened that night. Cam just wants to be there to support Nora. She and Nora had an argument, so Cam didn’t go to the Frat Fair with her. Instead, she went to another party…and ended up kissing Nora’s brother. Now, she’s trying to be there for Nora, while also keeping her budding relationship a secret. Adam is working on his baseball skills on the golf course when he comes across a group of guys and an unconscious girl. After running the guys off, he realizes it’s Nora, who he’s had a crush on for years. He doesn’t know Nora well, but he would do anything to protect her. While Nora tries to come to terms with what happened to her, Cam and Adam decide to team up to investigate, in hopes of finding who is responsible. What they don’t expect is to uncover a history of secrets that will cause a rift through their entire town. This is a powerful book about friendship, family, and growing up as a girl in society. It also creates a frighteningly realistic small town, where “boys will be boys” is the common attitude. It’s a timely topic and I think it’s handled really well in this book. I really appreciated how it explored the inner struggles of each of the three characters. While Nora knows that it wasn’t her fault, she can’t help but wonder “what if”? What if she hadn’t gone to the party? What if she hadn’t dressed the way she had? Blame is placed on women all the time, while men get a free pass. Cam just wants to help Nora, even if Nora doesn’t want help. She wants to get justice for her friend, but is it her place to go after it? Adam has had a huge crush on Nora for years, so of course he’s willing to help her. But what are his motives? And he knows that this isn’t the right time to pursue Nora. Overall, This was just a really impactful book. It’s timely, realistic, and explores the situation from a variety of perspectives, which we don’t always see. ***SCROLL FOR SPOILER-FILLED RANTINGS*** Spoiler-filled rantings
Review of Daughter by Kate McLaughlin
4 out of 5 stars Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Scarlet is used to life with her overprotective mother– so used to it, that she knows just how to keep secrets about the parties she’s actually attending. She’s counting down the days until she can go to college somewhere far away and finally be free. Then, the FBI shows up at Scarlet’s house and she discovers that she’s not the only one who’s good at keeping secrets. It turns out that Scarlet’s father isn’t actually some random guy who ditched her mom– he’s actually a notorious serial killer, and Scarlet’s mom took her and went into hiding during his trial. Scarlet’s whole life, including her name, is a lie. But now, her father is dying and promised to give the FBI the names of more of his victims– but only if Scarlet will visit him. At first, I thought this book sounded interesting, but I wasn’t sure how original it would be. It seems like a plot I’ve read before. There’s a serial killer in custody, someone comes in to interview/speak with them, forms some type of relationship, the killer escapes, and so on. But I was pleasantly surprised! This book does not go down a cliche path. It focus on the murders or Scarlet’s father. It focuses on Scarlet and her inner struggle. She’s furious at her mom for hiding so much from her, but she also understands why she did it. She’s never had any family other than her mom, and now she’s able to connect to the family her mom left behind. She finally knows who her father is, but how can she reconcile the fact that he is a monster? Did her mother really not have any suspicions about her father? Some people think she was in on it, but that can’t be true, right? This book focuses on the women in the story: Scarlet, her mother, and the victims. It really focuses on the importance of recognizing the victims of serial killers. Everyone remembers Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy, but what about their victims? Why are these killers’ names everywhere, but the victims are forgotten? This book examines this question as Scarlet tries to cope with the aftermath of learning her father’s identity. The relationships in Scarlet’s life are worth noting as well. She has friends who stand by her no matter what, and makes new friends who are genuine and caring. I loved that this book doesn’t lean on common YA tropes of friend or boy drama. It’s really about Scarlet, her mother, and their support system. This book definitely hits hard when discussing the extent of Scarlet’s father’s crimes. It clearly states that he sexually assaults his victims both before and after murdering them. It doesn’t go into too much detail, but it’s enough to turn your stomach, so proceed with caution. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It subverted my expectations and was an interesting and powerful read! ***SCROLL FOR SPOILER-FILLED RAMBLINGS*** Random observations:
Hello, world! My February Wrap-Up is a bit short, but I am working on two full reviews coming soon!
Hope you enjoy! February 2022 Wrap-Up 1. Dustborn by Erin Bowman 2 out of 5 stars I struggled with this book. It took a while for me to get into it, and then so much was going on it was hard to follow. Yet, nothing really surprised me? And it wrapped up very quickly. But I do appreciate that it was a standalone and didn't end on a cliffhanger. It's not a bad book by any means, it just wasn't my cup of tea. 2. The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni 3 out of 5 stars This one took me a bit to get through. It was an interesting premise, but also had a lot going on. And that ending. I don’t know if it pissed me off in a good or bad way. Still debating on reading the second book, but there’s a good possibility that I will. 3. The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix 2 out of 5 stars I went into this book with high hopes, but I just wasn't feeling it. There was so much going on that I was confused part of the time. While the references to slasher movies were fun at first, it got old pretty quick. I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn't quite get there. But I do appreciate that it discusses the importance of honoring victims rather than glorifying the killers. This is a very important message. 4. These Deadly Games by Diana Urban 4 out of 5 stars This was another solid twisty thriller from Urban. Yeah, some of the twists weren't particularly surprising to me, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. 5. Daughter by Kate McLaughlin Full review to come! 6. Starfish by Lisa Fipps 5 out of 5 stars I loved this so much. It really shows how cruel some people are, whether they're classmates, strangers, or your own family. I am also going to be using the term starfish from now on because I love it. 7. The Wolves are Waiting by Natasha Friend Full review to come! 8. Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds 4 out of 5 stars I really loved the format of this book. The art and the words really come together to tell a beautiful story of family, the pandemic, and the state of the world. 9. Vinyl Moon by Mahogany L. Browne 4 out of 5 stars This book is beautiful. It's a combination of vignettes and poems, which come together to tell the story of Angel, whose life has been shaped by domestic violence. I loved getting to see Angel's character develop through this book. |
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AuthorI'm HaileyAnne! I'm a queer librarian who loves books and kpop. Archives
August 2023
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