Are You a Monster? 'This Savage Song' Review

This Savage Song

Author: Victoria Schwab

Goodreads / Amazon

There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.

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I'm so honored to have an ARC of this book. Thank you, Emily for this ARC. Love you!

I wanted to like this book way more than I did. Sure, I did quite like it, but there were some things lacking.

First and foremost, August Flynn is amazing. He's so human it hurts. I adored him. He's not my favorite Schwab character, (By a landslide, that's Victor Vale) but I could really connect to August. He was caring. And he truly didn't want anyone hurt. A human in a monster's skin. Doesn't everyone feel like that sometimes?
His side of the story hurt my heart. I'd love to see more from him. Really.
(By the way, does anyone else read his name as Augustus? I'm not sure why, but I do.)

I want to touch upon Kate Harker for a quick second. She had an intersecting backstory. And if the story was just her story, I might have liked her more. But she acts so brash, so sometimes that it doesn't work. Yes, I know that's contradictory since I liked the brash Lila Bard from A Darker Shade of Magic, but Kate pushes it too far. And while she seems monstrous, her humanity is so significant that it negates her acts and just makes her a brat.

The second half of the book (With August and Kate on the run) was way more interesting than the two of them talking and getting to know each other. I'll touch upon my thoughts on the first half of the book later, but the second half was much better. I felt more engaged in the story and less bored.
As a reader, I prefer stories with action compared to long pieces of talking. Even if I write lots of dialogue in my own pieces.

And the twist ending. Man, I never expected that. It really shocked me. I never expected that. I guess, looking back, I could have guessed it. But still.

Per usual with Schwab books, the action was amazing. It was heart pounding and descriptive. I felt immersed in the fight scenes. I definitely wanted more.

Victoria Schwab is known for her A+ storytelling and worlds. But the world for this book was a bit confusing. I was a bit lost on how these monsters were created. (Just saying, if a Sunai went dark, wouldn't a new Sunai be created?) Admittedly, it's a new and strange world. But I felt like there were some gaps. Why did the Sunai use music? How exactly are these monsters created? What are their weakness? I was lost on whether this was a book about the monsters or the people in this monstrous world.

And the thing that I disliked the most was the slow start. There is too much time spent with August and Kate at Colton. I honestly didn't care much for the boring talk between the two of them. As I said, I prefer action. If the second half with the action and running had happened earlier, I might have been more interesting. This was a main sour point for me since I really couldn't get into the story. I actually had to put the book down. It was that hard to swallow.

What did you think of the book? Who was your favorite character? And are you a monstrous human or human monster?

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Do You Believe in Magic? 'The Crown's Game' Review

The Crown's Game

Author: Evelyn Skye

Goodreads / Amazon

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.
And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.
Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?
For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.
And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love... or be killed himself.
As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear... the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.
And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.
Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?
For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.
And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love... or be killed himself.
As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear... the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.

Do you believe in magic? Not many people do in 'The Crown's Game'. Magic is limited to four people: two enchanters and two mentors. Because two enchanters exist, they must fight in the Crown's Game.

Likes:

• Surprise surprise! I liked the romance. Okay....I didn't love it. But I felt something. It might be because of a recent love triangle post from a blogger (whose name I can't remember...nor can I remember the post. Sorry.) But I felt like I was seeing a different love rectangle. The romance seemed real. To a certain point. I could believe that Pasha fell for Vika, this dangerous beauty. I thought that was real.
• Wow. The ending felt like such a surprise. I thought there would be a cop-out escape. Both of them living, you know? But it wasn't like that. I might have been coddled by anime and happy endings. So this was a major shock to me. Nice taste of reality.

Dislikes:

• We had three main characters: crown prince Pasha, Enchanter One Nikolai, and Enchanter Two Vika. All of the characters felt very meh to me. They weren't really expanded. I think it's because there were three main characters. You couldn't focus on one for too long to get their emotions and perspective. I wanted more about them, but they didn't get enough time to provide their story.
• The Enchanters, especially Nikolai, overused magic. They used it for everything from cooking to cleaning. I think that they wouldn't survive in reality, without magic. This is one thing. Another is the seemingly godmodded version of magic. There is no end! They can do anything. With limitless resources. I hated that. There was no explanation for the overnight island or the dream benches. Please explain how these happened. OVERNIGHT. No? You can't? See my point?

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What in the World Just Happened? Aka My Thoughts During the Entire 'Wink Poppy Midnight'

Wink Poppy Midnight

Author: April Genevieve Tucholke

Goodreads / Amazon

Every story needs a hero.
Every story needs a villain.
Every story needs a secret.

Wink is the odd, mysterious neighbor girl, wild red hair and freckles. Poppy is the blond bully and the beautiful, manipulative high school queen bee. Midnight is the sweet, uncertain boy caught between them. Wink. Poppy. Midnight. Two girls. One boy. Three voices that burst onto the page in short, sharp, bewitching chapters, and spiral swiftly and inexorably toward something terrible or tricky or tremendous.

What really happened?
Someone knows.
Someone is lying.

This is not the book that pulled me out of my reading slump. But I still loved it. It was complex and confusing. It didn't make any sense. I did love part of it, though.

Likes:

• The toxic relationships intertwined. And I loved them. I'm not condemning toxic relationships, but I loved the way the three teens interacted. Poppy's domineering push towards Midnight. Midnight's shyness and submission towards Poppy. Poppy's confusing relationship with Wink. Wink and Midnight's love story. There was a web of tangled relations. I had to sort through the complicatedness of it all. And the toxicity of the relationships was awful. Truly. You couldn't help but feel for Midnight. But things weren't simple. There were so many sides to each relationship. It was super interesting to see how things played.

• I typically don't like artistic-y stories. They confuse me. I'm left behind. But the way the story was told was understandable for me. I write in the same manner. Repeating words. All that sort of thing. I understood this story much better.

Dislikes:

• The plot wasn't the type of plot I liked. It was kinda dull. There wasn't much pizazz. I wanted more scenes of Poppy in the Roman Luck house. I wanted more conflict. There was conflict, but it wasn't interesting. I wanted more Poppy on Wink. I wanted more of their story. Even if it's not action-y at all. I wanted more Hero and Villain action. There wasn't enough for me.
• The ending was super confusing. What happened? How did Poppy prove it? I wanted more information. Would Midnight go home? Where was home? What was his motivation? I had too many questions and no answers.

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Genius Kids Make Me Jelly: 'Genius the Game' Review

Genius the Game

By Leopoldo Gout

Trust no one. Every camera is an eye. Every microphone an ear. Find me and we can stop him together.

The Game: Get ready for Zero Hour as 200 geniuses from around the world go head to head in a competition hand-devised by India's youngest CEO and visionary.

The Players:

Rex- One of the best programmers/hackers in the world, this 16-year-old Mexican-American is determined to find his missing brother.

Tunde-This14-year-old self-taught engineering genius has drawn the attention of a ruthless military warlord by single-handedly bringing electricity and internet to his small Nigerian village.

Painted Wolf-One of China's most respected activist bloggers, this mysterious 16-year-old is being pulled into the spotlight by her father's new deal with a corrupt Chinese official.

The Stakes: Are higher than you can imagine. Like life and death. Welcome to the revolution. And get ready to run.

Likes:

• Wow. The characters were downright amazing. I fell in love with Cai's sassy personality, Rex's devotion, and Tunde's enthusiasm. They problem solved differently than everyone else. I loved that. I could ignore the fact that they were geniuses. Their characters were so amazing. I wanted to be friends with all of them.
• The tension was palpable! I rarely say that, but, with this book, it's true. I was always on the edge of my seat. Would they fail? Would they win? What would happen? I had to know. The author was very skilled in writing the tension. I was so nervous during the competition!
• And the ending was so full of tension. I was freaking the flip out. What would happen? What is Terminal? What is Kiran's plan? I gots to know! (And I slyly inserted a How I Met Your Mother reference. Self five!)

Dislikes:

• The story didn't have a lot of time for the Game. Which sucked. I wanted more of the Game. Maybe more levels? Something! It was an interesting concept. Young geniuses battling it out? Intriguing. Give me more. I was a bit disappointed by the lack of information about the Game. To me, it passed by too fast. Slow down, bro.
• I didn't understand some of the Nigerian words Tunde used. Okay...I didn't know any of them. There was a lack of knowledge about Tunde's words, and I couldn't really discern what he meant. Was omo a friend? A partner? What did it mean? Typically, books add in a section for definitions. But this one had nothing. I was super confused about this, and I, admittedly, wanted to know more. Sorry for being curious and inquisitive.
• I hate genius kids. I hate them so much. They might be amazing people. I admit that. But I hate their genius-ness. This is mostly because I'm not a genius or even a prodigy. I'm normal. In the most abnormal way. I admit, begrudgingly, that these little geniuses were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic.

About the Author:

Leopoldo Gout is the producer behind many films including Days of Grace, which A.O. Scott of the New York Times called "a potent and vigorous film." He is also a writer, artist, and filmmaker. Leopoldo is currently involved in various film and television projects including major adaptations of the Alex Cross series, with the author James Patterson and the upcoming film adaption of Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life.

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Quote Time!

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___. Then, looking___ ___ ___ ___ ___, ___ ___, "___ ___ ___ ___, ___ ___. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___."

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Magical Sailing Ship? Yes Please!: 'The Girl From Everywhere'

The Girl From Everywhere

Author: Heidi Heilig

Goodreads / Amazon

Nix has spent her entire life aboard her father’s ship, sailing across the centuries, across the world, across myth and imagination. As long as her father has a map for it, he can sail to any time, any place, real or imagined: nineteenth-century China, the land from One Thousand and One Nights, a mythic version of Africa. Along the way they have found crewmates and friends, and even a disarming thief who could come to mean much more to Nix.
But the end to it all looms closer every day.
Her father is obsessed with obtaining the one map, 1868 Honolulu, that could take him back to his lost love, Nix’s mother. Even though getting it—and going there—could erase Nix’s very existence.
For the first time, Nix is entering unknown waters.
She could find herself, find her family, find her own fantastical ability, her own epic love.
Or she could disappear.

This book was one of the most anticipated 2016 debuts. Not just for me but for a lot of people. I'd seen the rave reviews. But when I first started this, I was in a slump. A very bad one, I might add. While this didn't pull me out of said slump, I did quite enjoy this book.

Likes:

• Kashmir was the bomb dot com. He was sassy and brash and loud. I adored his character. (Not that I'd date Kash. I'm spoken for. Twice over.) He was somebody I'd like to be friends with, though. He'd be a good support system. He really did care for Nix. I could rely on a person like Kash. Honestly, if this book was in his perspective, I'd love it a lot more. (Because I don't love Nix. More on that later.)
• Blake had his moments too. He was shy but sweet. His ideals, though, were a bit of a sour point for me. If I had to choose between Kash and Blake, I'd choose Kash as my best friend but Blake as my boyfriend. Why? Blake was steady. A rock. Kash would fly free, but you could fall back to Blake. Always.
• I love fantasy. The dragons and monsters. Ah, just thinking about it makes me happy. And a time traveling pirate ship? Score! While I loved the idea, the actuality was less than lacking. There wasn't a lot of time traveling. Which stinks. I was looking for an adventure. Not a we'll-stay-here-for-the-rest-of-the-book. I don't even know what that is. But I'll still give the idea brownie points for creativity.

Dislikes:

• The plot was kinda dull. I wanted something with more action. I mean...a time traveling pirate ship and no trouble? Impossible. I wanted swashbucklers on swashbucklers. Not boring heists. (And they were very boring. Nix doesn't get to do anything fun.) I wanted more time travel. Where was the time travel? Moreeee please!
• Nix was smart. I'll give her that. And very resourceful. But other than that...not very amazing. I didn't love her relationship with Slate. She didn't understand. He loved Lin. And he wanted nothing more than to return to her. What would you do as Slate? Have a broken heart forever? How about no? So I sorta agreed with Slate. (But he wasn't a saint either. He did do some bad things.) I found Nix was too whiny for my tastes. She was just a mopey, teenage girl. Not my favorite type of protagonist. But Kash would be fantastic as a protagonist. Just switch their roles and life would be better.

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Not Too Into 'Into the Dim'

Into the Dim

Author: Janet B Taylor

Goodreads / Amazon

When fragile, sixteen-year-old Hope Walton loses her mom to an earthquake overseas, her secluded world crumbles. Agreeing to spend the summer in Scotland, Hope discovers that her mother was more than a brilliant academic, but also a member of a secret society of time travelers. Trapped in the twelfth century in the age of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Hope has seventy-two hours to rescue her mother and get back to their own time. Along the way, her path collides with that of a mysterious boy who could be vital to her mission . . . or the key to Hope’s undoing. 

Books with hype are the worst. Why? Because they have unnaturally high standards. And, to me at least, they are only half as interesting as people make them out to be.
This book was one of those hyped books. Of course, there are a lot of hyped books of 2016. But in the winter months, this was one of those hyped books.
So I felt disappointed because I just thought it was meh.

Likes:

• Admittedly, Bran was kinda funny...and kinda cute. His quips were quite well thought out. It was pretty obvious that he was smart. But the quick turn around betrayals just grated on my nerves. He really wasn't putting himself in a good light. But the care he had for his brother kinda explained why. Honestly, I don't think cute and funny guys like Bran fall for quirky but genius girls like Hope. At least...that's what I think.
• I felt like the author had really researched her time period. Not that I know much about 12th century England. But the characters seemed quite accurate. Not that we know exactly what Eleanor might do. I also felt like the research for all the useless facts Hope knew about other things were well-researched too. Not that I know about those things either.

Dislikes:

• I seriously doubt that homeschooled, seemingly-unathletic Hope could do all the flips and jumps she did. She was portrayed as meek and shy in the beginning but somehow gained all the confidence in the world by the end. Highly unlikely? I think so! She slashed and stabbed and jumped and rolled. Since when has Hope ever mentioned exercise? Horse back riding doesn't count here. She magically learned parkour in the few days/weeks between arriving at the manor and leaving for the past. Without Phoebe and Collum, she'd probably be dead.
• The dueling 'families' made me a little annoyed. This idea reminded me too much of Romeo and Juliet for me to like the romance. Also, these two barely knew each other. It was basically another Romeo and Juliet fated star-crossed lovers romance. And...man, do I hate that. The romance was supposed to be hot and one of those 'I feel like I know you' things, but it was barely touched upon. To me, Hope wasn't used to flirting and fell for the first flirt. One of those 'I was isolated but now I'm not' things.
• The cliffhanger ending made me cry in horror. Oh how I hate cliffhangers. I might just continue a series because of a cliffhanger. Even if I didn't feel starstruck. And this is one of those instances. I have no compelling need to continue the series...except for the epic cliffhanger. I WANT MORE.

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Totally Quotable: Sunday Street Team 'Beyond the Red'

Beyond the Red

Author: Ava Jae
Release Date: March 1, 2016
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Get it Here: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Book Depository

Alien queen Kora has a problem as vast as the endless crimson deserts. She’s the first female ruler of her territory in generations, but her people are rioting and call for her violent younger twin brother to take the throne. Despite assassination attempts, a mounting uprising of nomadic human rebels, and pressure to find a mate to help her rule, she’s determined to protect her people from her brother’s would-be tyrannical rule.

Eros is a rebel soldier hated by aliens and human alike for being a half-blood. Yet that doesn’t stop him from defending his people, at least until Kora’s soldiers raze his camp and take him captive. He’s given an ultimatum: be an enslaved bodyguard to Kora, or be executed for his true identity—a secret kept even from him.

When Kora and Eros are framed for the attempted assassination of her betrothed, they flee. Their only chance of survival is to turn themselves in to the high court, where revealing Eros’s secret could mean a swift public execution. But when they uncover a violent plot to end the human insurgency, they must find a way to work together to prevent genocide.

I have put together a short list of five AWESOME quotes from BTR. Enjoy!

"I am Avra, and an Avra never bends."

Page 25

I really love this quote because it shows you Kora's resilience. And she will do anything for her people. I love how much it shows about her. 

And this quote also how the society is built. The leader is stone. The leader is power. The leader is resilient and unmovable.

"Yes, I want to say. How crazy of me, to walk in here, dress up as a slave, and serve you water. I don't know what I was thinking." 

Page 174

This quote is just so sarcastic. I love it! I'm a huge fan of sarcasm. (Not that I'm good at using it in real life... Haha. My brand of sarcasm is vague. And my humor is dark. Fun times, people.) 

"I am fire. I am the suns."

Page 201

This description is amazing. Not that I'm implying I like romance. (No, my stance on romance is firm still.) I am a huge fan of using short phrases and descriptions in my writing. And this quote is the same style as mine. So, yes, I do love this quote

"We'll be with you wherever the stars reach, Esta said, but all I see is empty shadow."

Page 231

This quote is just so beautiful. I love how poetic it is. And the lack of hope seen in Eros's words... It pulls a heart-string. 

"Emptiness feels like a living thing. A parasite growing in the center of your chest, somewhere behind your heart, taking every ounce of warmth and light and happiness and consuming it until there's nothing left. Emptiness feels like exhaustion, like there's no reason to fight, no reason to take another breath, no reason to try to survive.

"But emptiness also feels like freedom. Because it doesn't just take the good, it takes the bad, too--the anger, the bitterness, the pain--and when it's done, it leaves you with just you. A cold, shell-like echo of yourself, but still you."

Page 231

Gosh. How relatable can that quote get? People feel like this every day. I feel like this sometimes. Once, I wanted to be an emotionless robot. Seriously. And putting this into words...amazing.

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Being Human Sucks: 'Symptoms of Being Human'

Symptoms of Being Human

Author: Jeff Garvin

Goodreads / Amazon

The first thing you’re going to want to know about me is: Am I a boy, or am I a girl?

Riley Cavanaugh is many things: Punk rock. Snarky. Rebellious. And gender fluid. Some days Riley identifies as a boy, and others as a girl. The thing is…Riley isn’t exactly out yet. And between starting a new school and having a congressman father running for reelection in uber-conservative Orange County, the pressure—media and otherwise—is building up in Riley’s so-called “normal” life.

On the advice of a therapist, Riley starts an anonymous blog to vent those pent-up feelings and tell the truth of what it’s REALLY like to be a gender fluid teenager. But just as Riley’s starting to settle in at school—even developing feelings for a mysterious outcast—the blog goes viral, and an unnamed commenter discovers Riley’s real identity, threatening exposure. Riley must make a choice: walk away from what the blog has created—a lifeline, new friends, a cause to believe in—or stand up, come out, and risk everything.

My emotions when I saw this book were as follows:
Shock, disbelief
Excitement
Fear
Dread
Though not in that order. People were hesitant with this book since the last genderqueer book didn't accomplish a lot.

Likes:

• This book had real emotions and realistic portrayal. The story of Riley and Riley's troubles could be somebody else's. People get bullied over this. It's somebody's reality. I'm happy that the author wrote about this. He didn't hold back. He didn't hide the truth. He wrote about the bullying. And he went one step farther by showing the cyber bullying. In this day and age, people use social media to lash out at others. Cyber bullying is, sadly, something that happens. We can't prevent it really, unless you never use the Internet ever again. But then you'd be faced with real life bullying. And I'm not sure which is worse.
• The blogging aspect was amazing. A lot of people turn to social media to vent and figure things out. I mean, I do. Even now. Blogs are great outlets, for the writer and reader. I remember that Instagram let me vent and helped me figure out a lot of things. In middle school, I learned more about the world via Instagram. Social media can teach you, but it can also be destructive. I'm happy that this book also had the social media focus. Social media is amazing but also a little detrimental. Also, bloglr just makes me laugh. Bloglr? Haha. Perfect.
• The LGBT community was strong in this story. There was the Q. And the people who read Riley's blog. The sense of family was strong. I wanted more of that. It was intriguing to read. People who are outcasts band together. Even if they have nothing else in common. We're all different. But the same in a way. And we come together to form a community.

Dislikes:

• The lack of plot really annoyed me. It seemed to just go with the flow. There wasn't an overarching story. To put things bluntly, Riley moved to a new school, Riley met new people, Riley was bullied, Riley came out, and Riley dealt with the aftermath. That is putting things in the most simplistic manner, but the story didn't continue past that. I wanted more of Trans Health Con and the coming out, but the story was too focused on the beginning (with the blog and the bullying.) The thing is Riley didn't do much in the beginning. It was a lot about the dysphoria. And not much else. I wanted more of the story. More of the after-coming-out.
• Bec was just tiresome. Her mood swings and her appearances and disappearances were annoying me. I was sick of her. She was so rude to Riley, and she didn't deserve Riley. I just wanted to shake some sense into her. If I was given more about her life, I'd probably be more sympathetic. But this isn't Bec's story. It's Riley's.

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I Wish There Was More Interesting Sound in 'Soundless'

Soundless

Author: Richelle Mead

Goodreads / Amazon

In a village without sound…

For as long as Fei can remember, no one in her village has been able to hear. Rocky terrain and frequent avalanches make it impossible to leave the village, so Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom. 

When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink. Many go hungry. Fei and all the people she loves are plunged into crisis, with nothing to look forward to but darkness and starvation.

One girl hears a call to action…

Until one night, Fei is awoken by a searing noise. Sound becomes her weapon.

She sets out to uncover what’s happened to her and to fight the dangers threatening her village. A handsome miner with a revolutionary spirit accompanies Fei on her quest, bringing with him new risks and the possibility of romance. They embark on a majestic journey from the peak of their jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiguo, where a startling truth will change their lives forever…

And unlocks a power that will save her people.

You'd think that a story about a town without sound would be interesting, right? It's not the case with this book. For me, a lot of things fell flat. The characters weren't interesting. The plot was boring. And the romance was really pushing my limits. While the basic premise was cool, the actual story was not.

Likes:

• The descriptions were pretty cool. The way Fei described sound was different. She didn't understand the concept of sound, but she was adapting to it. Labeling something as a clang or a bang is really something we take for granted. She had to figure all this out. I think we take sound for granted sometimes. It helps us figure out a lot. A scream could be someone in danger. A bang could be something that fell. Things we know because of sound.

Dislikes:

• The concept was interesting but lacking. I started to see holes in the idea. First, why would everyone be deaf? Sure, deafness is genetic, but it isn't always that way. Circumstance can lead you to be deaf. Also, how, after all this time being deaf, can Fei hear? I know there are actual scientific answers to this. (It could have been a self imposed symptom and stuff like that.) But it just doesn't make sense to me. Second, why are there only a few roles in society? Also...why do people need the news via colorful pictures? They can read perfectly fine. Okay...some of them can. Why are there artists and not just reporters? That doesn't make sense to me.
• I didn't like the characters. Li Wei was like the stereotypical All American Boy. Which is not good since he's supposed to be Asian. Really, to me (a Chinese American, born in America), the only 'Asian' thing about them was their names. Back to Li Wei, though. He was nice (in the uber-nice way) and way too strong. Mining is one thing. But being Buffy McBuff-Buff is another. Remember, these people are a lack of nutrients. Muscles need food. Because you can't grow muscles if you're starving. Then...Fei. Agh, she drove me insane. She was so bland. I could barely stand her. To me, she basically had no personality. Her life revolved around her lovely sister and Li Wei. Sounds interesting? Not to me. She was supposed to be brave, but that honestly didn't seem to be the case.
• The plot was flat. There wasn't a lot of interesting happenings until the end. You can't force me to read through flirting and mindless chatter to get to the action. Thrust me into the action or don't give it to me at the end. I wanted something more than the 'precarious situation of climbing down the mountain'. That isn't as interesting as it sounds. And the scene where they 'raised their voices' at the end? Why in the world would that work? If the pixius wanted to help, they would have, and yelling loudly for their help would probably aggravate them more than anything else.
• The romance was highly unbelievable. I don't care if you pull the childhood sweetheart card. You have to make it believable. And what did I think of their awkward kisses and furious hand signals of love? I couldn't. This story would have been perfectly fine without the romance. Fei and Li Wei could have been great friends. The romance just didn't help the story get any better.

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I Didn't Devour This 'Bones and All'

Bones and All

Author: Camille DeAngelis

Goodreads / Amazon

Maren Yearly doesn’t just break hearts, she devours them. Since she was a baby, Maren has had what you might call "an issue" with affection. Anytime someone cares for her too much, she can’t seem to stop herself from eating them. Abandoned by her mother at the age of 16, Maren goes looking for the father she has never known, but finds more than she bargained for along the way. 

Faced with love, fellow eaters, and enemies for the first time in her life, Maren realizes she isn’t just looking for her father, she is looking for herself. The real question is, will she like the girl she finds?

I'm kinda disappointed in this book. You'd think cannibals would be uber-interesting, but this book falls short of my expectations. I wanted so much more from this book. The concept was what drew me in, but the lackluster almost everything else just shooed me out.

I mean...cannibals, right? Supposed to be pretty interesting, you know?

Likes:

• Lee was a normal weirdo with an interesting story. He had an uncaring mother and loving sister. I wanted more about him. He was much more interesting than Maren. He had a backstory. And I was interested in that. Why did he do what he did? How did he come who he was? Did he have cannibals in his family? I had so many questions about/for him.
• Though I didn't particularly like it, Lee's sacrifice showed he cared. I loved how much he cared for Maren, romance or not. He cared enough to do that for her. That shows so much about his character. He cared for this girl, practically a stranger. And I admired him for that. But then again, he kinda had a death wish. Sooo.

Dislikes:

• There really isn't a discernible plot. What is Maren's purpose? What did she want accomplished? I have no clue. She didn't go anywhere. She didn't grow as a person. I felt so annoyed. I needed action, tension, something! I was so completely bored as I read. Thanks but no thanks.
• And Maren was a boring character. She had no interest for me. I wanted more about her past eats. Who were they? What were they to her? Had she controlled her hunger? I wanted to know more about her, but she was too Mary Sue for me. She didn't have a good backstory or motivation. She was an empty shell. She could have been way more interesting, but she fled her problems instead of facing them.
• The concept was fantastic. It reminded me of an anime (Tokyo Ghoul, if you're wondering.) I don't think I've read stories with cannibal side characters, much less featuring cannibals at the star of the show. The idea of cannibals who live comfortably in society raises many questions. How do they live? Are there societies of cannibals? We don't even find out how cannibals exist. Or why they do. There are a lot of unanswered questions. And the author, in the author's note, said the cannibals are more like ghouls. Like...is it hereditary? How do you find out you are with someone who is a cannibal? I had too many questions and no answers.
• And, of course, the romance falls flat. It wasn't captivating. And it wasn't even hinted. There was no spark. Nothing. The romance felt so forced for the reader's entertainment, like a team to root for. But both parties didn't even seem to love each other. Sure, there was a little brotherly love but nothing beyond that.

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Tomato Talks Episode 2: Rated R for Mature Content

Welcome to another episode of Tomato Talks!

Listen here!

https://soundcloud.com/wrenthereader/tomato-talks-episode-2-rated-r-for-mature-content

Today, I talked about the definitions of YA, NA, and MG books. And how blurry the lines between all of these are. What makes a book YA? Or NA? Is it the content? The topics? The character ages? I know ages come into it a lot. 
And I asked if YA readers should read NA? For me, it's a yes. Honestly, some YA books are worse than NA books. And then, I asked if MG readers should read NA books? And that's the iffy part. (And when I say readers, I mean the target audience.)
And then I moved onto talking about censorship. I started to rant/ramble here, so apologies. I asked a few questions about when/if book banning should happen. And if book banning is really about protecting the kids anymore.
So some food for thought!

And here are some interesting links about book banning.
Enjoy!
http://www.ala.org/bbooks/about
http://libguides.butler.edu/c.php?g=34189&p=217686
http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/censorship/bannedbooksthatshapedamerica

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I Didn't Quite Fall in Love With 'The Love That Split the World'

The Love That Split the World

Author: Emily Henry

Goodreads / Amazon

Natalie Cleary must risk her future and leap blindly into a vast unknown for the chance to build a new world with the boy she loves. 

Natalie’s last summer in her small Kentucky hometown is off to a magical start... until she starts seeing the “wrong things.” They’re just momentary glimpses at first—her front door is red instead of its usual green, there’s a pre-school where the garden store should be. But then her whole town disappears for hours, fading away into rolling hills and grazing buffalo, and Nat knows something isn’t right.

That’s when she gets a visit from the kind but mysterious apparition she calls “Grandmother,” who tells her: “You have three months to save him.” The next night, under the stadium lights of the high school football field, she meets a beautiful boy named Beau, and it’s as if time just stops and nothing exists. Nothing, except Natalie and Beau.

Emily Henry’s stunning debut novel is Friday Night Lights meets The Time Traveler’s Wife, and perfectly captures those bittersweet months after high school, when we dream not only of the future, but of all the roads and paths we’ve left untaken.

This book had lots of potential. It could have been amazing. But there were a lot of elements that I liked that were lacking. And, overall, I had too many questions to feel satisfied.

Likes:

• The paranormal aspects were fantastic. But I wanted more. I wanted to know more about the science of the parallel world. Why is everything revolving around Beau and Natalie? There are hints of other people this happens to. Where are they? Who are they? What do they have in common with Natalie and Beau? I didn't feel satisfied about the information I was given. I wanted more.
• Beau was a complex character. But he didn't get enough screen time. I felt that if the book was in his PoV, things would be much more interesting. After all, he had a complex home life. Problems were hinted at in Natalie's home, but they didn't have a lot of meat. He had reasons for his existence, reasons for his personality. But nothing is continued. He's a teenage piano-playing, footballing alcoholic. He's kind and gentle even though his family life is rough. He's good at football but really slacks off in every other way. I wanted to know why he was like that. I felt like he was just Natalie's Beau (haha, I get the joke) and not his own person.

Dislikes:

• The romance was meh. I know this book was about romance. I knew that walking in. But still. I really didn't like the instalove. These two barely knew each other before the first kiss. The story didn't expand on their romance. It was a lot of momentous firsts that aren't really compounded on. I wanted to know why Beau loved Natalie and why Natalie loved Beau. Even if you just gave me the cheesy 'I love your hair. I love your eyes. I love you smile' stuff. I'd actually be much happier if that had been written in. They met maybe three times before the lip locking. Why was Natalie drawn to him? What did she find interesting? His kindness? His warmth? Explain, girl, explain!
• The plot was unsatisfying. If you look at it, not a lot happened. The two met and fell in love. Not a lot happened. Not things that were written outright at least. The story was about their romance, but that wasn't interesting either. Nothing was given meat. The story had so much potential, but it didn't go beyond bare bones.

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