1/30/2020 0 Comments Normal People by Sally RooneyNormal People is a very emotional, intense and honest read, with a very unique voice. When I first started reading it, I wasn’t so sure about this book though. I thought it was good, but so different from other books and the ordinary narrative that I didn’t know or couldn’t see where it was going to go. But luckily, that all changed very quickly and I was completely sucked in to the bittersweet story about Marianne and Connell. This book traces the ever-shifting dynamics between Marianne and Connell, told in the form of conversations between them. Even though it revolves around their relationship from high school through university, it’s not a very romantic book. It’s more of a deep psychological study of two people struggling to maneuver through life and how the two protagonists develop as people.
Marianne was the weird one in high school while Connell was the popular jock, but in university their statuses flip, which they never fully recover from. There were so many unspoken words and lost moments between the two take them on different paths that change their lives. Sally Rooney portrays such an honest, raw and real relationship, and aspects such as modern love, class and politics and the lasting effects of trauma. Normal People is a dark and intense book, exploring the impact of how our life experiences shape who we become in such a quiet, gut-wrenching way it made my heart ache. I definitely recommend it even though it broke my heart to see these characters hurting so much. Rating: 4 stars Get your own copy: Bookshop.org Amazon Book Depository Author info: Sally Rooney
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The Queen of Nothing is the third and final book to The Folk of the Air trilogy and the dark tale of Jude Duarte and her sisters, and their struggle as mortal in a faerie world. This book has received some mixed reviews, but I honestly do not understand why. I loved this book and thought that it was a perfect finale to the trilogy. It was fast-paced (I finished it in one sitting) and it had action, twists and intrigues that kept you hooked until the very end. I actually think this was the best of all three books in the series, but that might be because I’ve had some mixed feelings about Jude and Cardan’s relationship previously.
The second book ended with Cardan, High King of Elfame, making Jude his Queen, only to exiling her and shoving her back into the human world. Now, even though they started off from a bad place, we eventually got to see them shedding their armor and opening up to each other, showing more affection and softer sides. In my review for the second book, I said that “I can’t see their relationship ever becoming a good one. There will always be this unhealthy undercurrent, a hint of violence and abuse, that you don’t want anyone ever get caught up in.” But I think I have to take that back now. The way the relationship evolved in this third book, with Cardan being vulnerable and admitting his true feelings changed all that. All in all, this book wrapped up the series in a very satisfying way and made me like the characters even more than I did before. I definitely recommend it and even think that it might be my favorite book of all three in the series. Rating: 5 stars Get your own copy: Bookshop.org Amazon Book Depository Author info: Holly Black 1/14/2020 1 Comment Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire SaenzThis book is a beautiful story of friendship, coming of age and finding out who you truly are. Aristotle (Ari) and Dante meet at the swimming pool one summer and become instant friends, despite seemingly having nothing in common. Ari is an angry, socially awkward, boy with a brother in prison and a father suffering from PTSD, who has more or less built a wall around himself. Dante is a sweet, kind, gentle, boy who loves art and poetry and who is not afraid to express his feelings and show his vulnerability. But as they spend the summer together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. At first I had some problems to connect with Ari. His anger and cynical way of looking at the world made him much harder to like than the sweet, wonderful Dante. I did love Ari’s relationship with his mother though. They had such an honest and humorous relationship, full of bantering and snarky comments. Generally, this book contains such beautiful portrait of all the parents and how they are real persons with their own sad stories, feelings and shortcomings.
This book is one of the most intelligent YA books I’ve ever read. It’s built around Ari’s and Dante’s conversations about life, the meaning of it, the problems with family and growing up, and love. It’s written in such a tender way, gently describing how Ari and Dante explore their identity and sexuality, and eventually find their place in the world. It’s a wonderful, authentic, painful and honest LGBTQ story, reminding us all how love always should be without shame. Rating: 5 stars Get your own copy: Bookshop.org Amazon Book Depository 1/14/2020 0 Comments Wayward Son by Rainbow RowellThe story was supposed to be over… Simon won the war. He got the man (vampire) of his heart. Now it’s time for the big Happy Ever After. It’s time for his life to start for real. Only problem is that Simon is depressed and spend his days on the couch starring into the wall… Wayward Son is the sequel to Carry On, which followed the Chosen One Simon Snow and his witchery friends and (to be) boyfriend, Penny and Baz, as they fought the evil Humdrum, and which was one of my favorite books ever. When Rainbow Rowell decided to give us this sequel I was over the moon, but also a little bit anxious that the sequel wouldn’t to the first book justice. But I’m so relieved and happy that it did and that Rainbow Rowell gave us another wonderful story with my favorite OTP SnowBaz! I loved how we got to see what life looks like for a hero after everything has been fulfilled, after every mission has been carried out and the evil enemy has been defeated.
“This is what happens when you try to hang on after the end. When your time has come and passed. When you’ve done the things you were meant to do.” Simon believes that his only purpose in life was magic, to be the chosen one that everyone needed. Now that it’s over, he fears that Baz and Penny don’t love him, that they only ever did because of his power. So, while Baz is at university, thriving, and Penny is… well, Penny, Simon is spending his day sulking on the couch. To cheer him up, Penny comes up with the idea to go on a road trip through America to visit their friend Agatha, who has not been hear of for weeks, and her boyfriend Micah. After that, this book then turns into a magical adventure following our friends on their wild and crazy road trip. I love Rainbow Rowell’s writing style with all the different POVs and the fast pace, the characters and their dialogues. The light banter between Penny, Simon and Baz was hilarious, I didn’t realize just how much I missed Baz’s snarky retorts. This series is not the traditional fantasy one, it’s more of a magical adventure written in a contemporary, quirky style with amazing characters and relationship. It was the characters and their feelings and the dialogues that lead the story in such an amazing and addictive way, not the fantasy plot. It was also such an unusual take to follow ex-heros and show what happens after the epic battle has been won. Not to mention how it shows mental illness and takes a pretty serious look at depression and PTSD. While yet managing to make it a fun read! Not an easy task! I love how Rainbow Rowell adds so much depth and dimensions to the characters by displaying their shortcomings and problems. And how she managed to make Simon and Baz’s relationship just as heart-wrenching and dramatic as in Carry On, even though they were supposed to be in an easy relationship and enjoying their new quiet life together. I did however miss their relationship really going somewhere in this book though, but I have my hopes up for some more relationship growth in the final installment of this series. All in all, this book captured my heart and I cannot wait for the next book and, hopefully, more glorious SnowBaz moments! Rating: 4.5 magical stars rounding up to 5 Get your own copy: Bookshop.org Amazon Book Depository Author info: Rainbow Rowell This is the first book in the paranormal YA series about the ancient witch family Caster, and the Southern town Gatlin with a long history of hidden secrets. I loved the magic system, the strong and fierce characters and the Southern Gothic vibes. I actually picked this book up after having watched the film adaptation that I highly enjoyed, so I had very high expectations, which luckily were more than met. The two main characters are teenagers Ethan and Lena. Ethan has lived in small town Gatlin his entire life, but has never really fit in. After the death of his mother, Ethan’s father shuts himself away, and Ethan can think of nothing but leaving Gatlin and never returning. But the arrival of a new girl in town rocks his whole world. Lena is the niece to the mysterious Macon Ravenwood who lives in the ‘haunted’ manor outside town, but more than that she is the girl Ethan has been dreaming of in these weirds dreams where he sees a girl falling but never succeeds to catch her but wakes up with sheets covered in dirt and mud, the smell of rosemary and lemons, the song “Sixteen Moons” playing.
Ethan and Lena are immediately drawn to each other and soon it is revealed that Lena is a Caster witch who on her 16th birthday will either be claimed by the Light or the Dark based on her true nature. Hence the song Ethan has been hearing… I really loved the different set-up with the old town history, the Gothic vibes and that the boy was the “week mortal” and the girl the fierce and not purely good witch. There were a lot of well developed and interesting characters, and a captivating magical world building. Overall, it was such a captivating story with all secrets to be revealed, the threat of the spell claiming Lena, the conflicts and disapproval of Ethan’s and Lena’s relationship from both their families and the doubts of Lena’s true nature. I enjoyed this book immensely and can’t wait to continue the series! Rating: 4.5 magical stars rounding up to 5 Get your own copy: Bookshop.org Amazon Book Depository Author info: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl |
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September 2023
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