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Dana (24 KP) rated Snow like Ashes in Books

Mar 23, 2018  
Snow like Ashes
Snow like Ashes
Sara Raasch | 2014 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
8.3 (13 Ratings)
Book Rating
I was very interested by this book. I had gotten it as a Christmas present from one of my family members, but I had never actually picked it up to read. So when I decided to, I was pleasantly surprised.

I have been reading a lot of high fantasy novels as of late, and this had may similarities to them, but they were good commonalities.

I have been falling more and more in love with the kick ass lead female character in novels. It has been really great to see strong females emerging more and more each year.

The characters were fleshed out very well, but in the next book, I would like to see more of what they are doing and why they are doing it. I want to see the consequences of their actions. It was fun to see how the characters interacted with one another.

One of my favorite parts of high fantasy novels is the character names. I love how unique they are and this novel had just that. The creativity of the names is very refreshing.

Even though there was a bit of a love triangle, it was very tastefully done. It was refreshing to see that the entire story wasn't centered around the love triangle and that the main character was making choices, not based on the guys in her life, but what would be best for her and her people.

I loved the idea of the novel and how there were eight realms, the four seasons and the four other places. To add to this I loved how the names of the capitals were named after months in those seasons.

Even though I called the ending before I read it, it was still interesting to see how it would all play out.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes high fantasy novels, the different magical abilities people can have, or if they just want a great read.

I can't wait until the next novel!
  
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Girls in Books

Feb 8, 2018  
The Girls
The Girls
Emma Cline | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
6
6.1 (17 Ratings)
Book Rating
Evie is a listless teenager in California, drifting through life, when she spots a group of girls in the park one day. Evie is immediately captivated, especially by Suzanne, an older girl with long black hair. She soon becomes ensnared by the girls and drawn back to their ranch, where she meets their leader, Russell, a would-be musician who has an entire group under his thrall. While the ranch is decrepit, and its inhabitants often hungry, Evie finds it a welcome alternative to life at home with her mother, or her boring best friend friend. She also finds herself more and more enthralled with Suzanne. But as Evie gets drawn into the group, it's hard for her to see the darkness surrounding her new friends--and what it may lead to.

I tend to either read "It" books immediately, or shy away from them. I was hesitant to read this one for a while, but finally caved while on vacation. While I found it an interesting read, it didn't live up to the incredible hype that swirled around the novel. I found Evie a lackluster character--and while part of that is the point, and what allows her to be drawn into Russell and Suzanne's web, I just found myself lacking any empathy for her whatsoever. The story itself goes seemingly nowhere for a good 2/3 of the book, only picking up near the end (yet, Evie isn't really involved in the novel's major plot impetus - it's very strange).

The juxtaposition of Evie looking back on her life, telling the story of her teenage years is an interesting one, but we don't get much further development about her present life. Overall, I enjoyed Cline's writing style and pieces of the book, but was disappointed in the novel as a whole. I didn't care about the characters or much of the plot, nor did I find the story as captivating as I'd hoped, based on all the raving reviews. Still, it was a fairly quick and interesting read.
  
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Girls on Fire in Books

Feb 8, 2018  
GO
Girls on Fire
Robin Wasserman | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.5 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Hannah Dexter has led a fairly mundane life in the small town of Battle Creek, where everyone knows everyone else and everything that happens to everyone. But her life is turned upside town by two events: the suicide of a local boy, Craig, and the arrival of a new girl, Lacey, who quickly becomes the town's resident bad girl. Hannah and Lacey unite over their hatred of the town's "it girl" Nikki Drummond. Lacey transforms Hannah into Dex--a darker version of Hannah--who adores Lacey and Kurt Cobain's music (this is the early '90s after all). But Hannah doesn't realize that Lacey is hiding a secret from her, a pretty big one, which threatens to destroy the very fabric their friendship is based on.

"Girls on Fire" is an oddly captivating and compelling novel. The story unfolds before you and you're powerless to stop the events as they occur. It's told mainly from the alternating points of view of Lacey and Hannah, and we slowly learn about the events that led to their friendship and its aftermath-- and also Craig's suicide. The book wasn't a particularly fast read for me, but it was fascinating. It's an accident where you can't look away, even though you know something horrible will happen. This book is dark and disastrous and makes you afraid to ever send your children off to high school.

Parts of the novel are a bit cliched (it's almost too dark, too awful) but it doesn't stop it from being intriguing and captivating. It pulls you in to Lacey and Hannah's world and as time somehow moves forward, yet we learn about what happened to Craig in the past, Wasserman does an amazing job of unfurling her plot. I was drawn to the book and the characters. Tragic Lacey, confused Hannah, evil queen Nikki: you can see them so clearly in your head. The book almost casts a spell over you as it sucks you into its world. The writing is intense, the storyline is intense, and you're left almost breathless at the end. I didn't really enjoy the book, per se, but I appreciated it. It's a wild ride, a dark one, and definitely one worth taking.

I received an advanced copy of this novel from Edelweiss (thank you!); it is available everywhere on 5/17/2016.