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Mandy and G.D. Burkhead (26 KP) rated The Grey Bastards in Books
May 20, 2018
Shelf Life – The Grey Bastards Exemplifies Grimdark Fantasy at Its Damn Finest
Contains spoilers, click to show
The Grey Bastards is a fun, foul-mouthed read. If you’re turned off by bad language, steamy sex, or a good plot with plenty of action and twists, then this book isn’t for you. The Grey Bastards falls into the fantasy sub-genre known as grimdark. Where high fantasy has your Tolkien beautiful and noble elves, dwarves, humans, and wizards with epic battles between good and evil, grimdark takes all of that and covers it in shit, pus, and blood. Notice how in high fantasy nobody ever takes a piss or fucks? In grimdark, everyone does.
But don’t be fooled into thinking this book will be any less intelligent, epic, or heartfelt for it. The Grey Bastards is all of that and more. The novel follows Jackal, a half-breed orc living in the Lot Lands, the barren desert wasteland of Hispartha. He is a Grey Bastard, one of many half-orc hoofs, each protecting its own small town in the Lots. Members of a hoof are elite warriors that ride out on their Barbarians—giant warthogs—and slaughter invading bands of orcs.
Hispartha is a vibrant world, with a mix of fantastical species (orcs, half-orcs, elves, humans, halflings, and centaurs) with unique cultures and religions. Hispartha itself takes influences from Reconquista Spain, which is especially noticeable in the nomenclature, geography, and architecture.
The primarily atheistic half-orcs recently won their freedom from slavery at the hands of humans. Humans treat the half-orcs like second-class citizens, but tolerate them because of their strength, using them as a shield from the orcs. The elves are beautiful, reclusive, and probably the most cliché; there is one important elf character, but for the most part, we don’t get a good look into their culture in the first book. The centaurs worship Romanesque deities and go on crazed, Bacchanalian killing sprees during the blood moon.
Besides the half-orcs, the halflings are perhaps the most interesting. I still have a hard time visualizing them, trying to figure out if they are thin, pixie-like creatures or more stocky like dwarves. Their small stature and black skin makes me think of pygmies. They worship a god they expect will reincarnate someday, (view spoiler)
One thing that has always annoyed me about fantasy is that many authors feel that the characters of their world, being pre-industrial and thus “medieval,” must all be white, straight, Christian (or proto-Christian), cisgender males. If a woman appears at all is to act as the damsel, prize, or, if she’s lucky, a mystical enchantress to guide the heroes or provide a maguffin. It has come to the point in which this has become a tired and accepted baseline for fantasy. I don’t necessarily think that these fantasy authors are intentionally trying to be uninclusive, so much as they just seem to forget that other groups of people can exist in fantasy thanks to its fathers, Tolkien and Lewis.
But enough with my rant, the purpose of which is to highlight why I am often drawn to grimdark fantasy: at the very least I know that women, people of color, lgbt people, and other religions will be present, even if they are often victimized. This is because grimdark fantasy honestly depicts the horrors of rape, war, murder, slavery, and racism (or rather, speciesism in most cases) and has heroes and villains that are morally grey.
However, many authors describe these atrocities and then leave it at that, assuming that simply depicting them is enough to make a book mature and meaningful. They often fail to make any sort of statement on evil, and thus can seem to be, at best, blindly accepting it and, at worst, glorifying it (this often happens in the cases of magnificent bastard characters, who are absolute monsters but are so charming you almost respect or like them).
Jonathan French, however, does not fall short of the mark as many authors do, and for two main reasons: humor and humanity.
Let’s start with the humor. This book is hilarious. I mean in the I literally laughed out loud while reading it way. Sure, the jokes are often crass, but I have a dirty mind, so inappropriate humor is my favorite kind. The dialogue is especially top-notch, and the interactions between Jackal and his friends Fetching and Oats feel genuine, full of in-jokes, insults, and sexually-charged humor, all of which are exactly how I interact with my own close friends. And every major character in this book is so damn witty that I’m honestly jealous of them. If I could be quick enough to make even one of their zingers at the right time in a conversation, I would feel proud of myself for the rest of the day.
Humor is necessary to prevent any grimdark fantasy from becoming too over-the-top or depressing. And honestly, humor is needed most when the world is a dark and frightening place. But too much humor could accidentally downplay the point of grimdark: the brutally honest depiction of the atrocities that people are capable of.
And this is where it is important to have an element of humanity. By this I mean that the “good guys” must make some action or statement on those atrocities. Too often I read or watch hardened badass characters with no emotion who can watch a person get tortured and killed without flinching (maybe even do it themselves) and who never stop to question the nature of their society (even as part of their character growth), and I have difficulty finding them at all relatable or even the least bit interesting.
Now, often for this type of character, he or she is dead inside as a coping mechanism and part of their character arc is learning to allow themselves to feel their repressed emotions: heartbreak, anger, fear, etc. This can be done very well (see The Hunger Games for a great example—dystopian scifi and grimdark fantasy have very similar undertones). But most times it just ends up falling flat.
But Jackal already starts out with more personality than most grimdark protagonists. He is a humorous and light-hearted person. Sure, he lives in a desert wasteland, his race is entirely created by rape, he’s treated as a second-class citizen, and his life and the lives of those around him are in constant danger of rape and/or murder by invading orcs or blood-crazed centaurs. But despite all of that, he still has a sense of humor, people he loves, a community, ambitions, moral code, and all of the other things that these protagonists are often lacking.
Don’t get me wrong, he can be an asshole, and he’s often acts rashly before he thinks. But the scene that really stuck with me the most was [when Jackal and the wizard Crafty come across an unconscious elf sex-slave. I was expecting him to say something along the lines of “There’s nothing we can do for her, we have to save ourselves” or “This isn’t any of our business” or “It would be best to just put her out of her mercy.” These are the typical lines that a grimdark protagonist might utter while their companion—accused of being a bleeding heart—frees the slave. But this was not the case. Jackal and Crafty both immediately set out to free the girl and steal her away from her owner, despite the danger to themselves. And when he comes across an entire castle-full of these women, Jackal again sets about freeing them without a moment’s hesitation. (hide spoiler)]
And it’s no surprise that Jackal has a serious problem with rape. As I’ve mentioned before, half-orcs are entirely the product of roving bands of orcs raping human, elven, or even half-orc women. [When Jackal learns that Starling, the elf slave he rescued, is pregnant with a half-orc baby, he is not only furious with the orcs that gang-raped her, but also disturbed by the fact that elven society shuns any of their women who have been raped, and that these victims often end up taking their own lives rather than give birth to an impure half-elf. (hide spoiler)]
Furthermore, Jackal, unlike many people in Hispartha, does not buy into misogyny or sexism. His best friend Fetching is the first female half-orc to have joined a group of riders. Not only does Jackal respect Fetching, he understands the emotional turmoil that she is dealing with being the first female rider and how she overcompensates as a result to earn the respect of the other men.
While there is quite a bit of speciesism (pretty much none of the species get along with one another), the inhabitants of Hispartha come in every skin color and nobody gives a damn. Furthermore, sexuality is primarily treated as each person’s individual preference and nobody else’s business. While characters may make jokes about acting “backy” (gay), these are made in good humor between friends, and nobody gets particularly offended by them. Fetching is herself openly bisexual (though she seems to suppress her heterosexual desires more than her homosexual ones out of that same need to be “one of the boys”), and Oats and Jackal are one of my favorite bromantic pairings.
Grimdark fantasy can often be depressing to read. But Jonathan French does an excellent job of infusing hope into his narrative. The story actually has a happier ending than I was expecting. [I was especially pleased when Jackal chooses Fetching to be the new leader of the hoof (she is voted in unanimously by the other riders). I find it incredibly annoying in books and movies when revolutionaries/usurpers decide to appoint themselves leaders, as the former does not qualify you for the latter. Part of Jackal’s arc is realizing that he is not meant to lead the hoof like he’d once desired. (hide spoiler)]
For the sequel, The True Bastards, I’m hoping to see [if a cure can be found for the thrice-blood child now infected with plague, how Fetching is doing leading the hoof, and what the mysterious Starling is up to (I don’t buy for a second that she’s killed herself). And of course, I fully expect that Jackal is going to have to fulfill his empty promise to the halfling’s resurrected god, Belico.
But don’t be fooled into thinking this book will be any less intelligent, epic, or heartfelt for it. The Grey Bastards is all of that and more. The novel follows Jackal, a half-breed orc living in the Lot Lands, the barren desert wasteland of Hispartha. He is a Grey Bastard, one of many half-orc hoofs, each protecting its own small town in the Lots. Members of a hoof are elite warriors that ride out on their Barbarians—giant warthogs—and slaughter invading bands of orcs.
Hispartha is a vibrant world, with a mix of fantastical species (orcs, half-orcs, elves, humans, halflings, and centaurs) with unique cultures and religions. Hispartha itself takes influences from Reconquista Spain, which is especially noticeable in the nomenclature, geography, and architecture.
The primarily atheistic half-orcs recently won their freedom from slavery at the hands of humans. Humans treat the half-orcs like second-class citizens, but tolerate them because of their strength, using them as a shield from the orcs. The elves are beautiful, reclusive, and probably the most cliché; there is one important elf character, but for the most part, we don’t get a good look into their culture in the first book. The centaurs worship Romanesque deities and go on crazed, Bacchanalian killing sprees during the blood moon.
Besides the half-orcs, the halflings are perhaps the most interesting. I still have a hard time visualizing them, trying to figure out if they are thin, pixie-like creatures or more stocky like dwarves. Their small stature and black skin makes me think of pygmies. They worship a god they expect will reincarnate someday, (view spoiler)
One thing that has always annoyed me about fantasy is that many authors feel that the characters of their world, being pre-industrial and thus “medieval,” must all be white, straight, Christian (or proto-Christian), cisgender males. If a woman appears at all is to act as the damsel, prize, or, if she’s lucky, a mystical enchantress to guide the heroes or provide a maguffin. It has come to the point in which this has become a tired and accepted baseline for fantasy. I don’t necessarily think that these fantasy authors are intentionally trying to be uninclusive, so much as they just seem to forget that other groups of people can exist in fantasy thanks to its fathers, Tolkien and Lewis.
But enough with my rant, the purpose of which is to highlight why I am often drawn to grimdark fantasy: at the very least I know that women, people of color, lgbt people, and other religions will be present, even if they are often victimized. This is because grimdark fantasy honestly depicts the horrors of rape, war, murder, slavery, and racism (or rather, speciesism in most cases) and has heroes and villains that are morally grey.
However, many authors describe these atrocities and then leave it at that, assuming that simply depicting them is enough to make a book mature and meaningful. They often fail to make any sort of statement on evil, and thus can seem to be, at best, blindly accepting it and, at worst, glorifying it (this often happens in the cases of magnificent bastard characters, who are absolute monsters but are so charming you almost respect or like them).
Jonathan French, however, does not fall short of the mark as many authors do, and for two main reasons: humor and humanity.
Let’s start with the humor. This book is hilarious. I mean in the I literally laughed out loud while reading it way. Sure, the jokes are often crass, but I have a dirty mind, so inappropriate humor is my favorite kind. The dialogue is especially top-notch, and the interactions between Jackal and his friends Fetching and Oats feel genuine, full of in-jokes, insults, and sexually-charged humor, all of which are exactly how I interact with my own close friends. And every major character in this book is so damn witty that I’m honestly jealous of them. If I could be quick enough to make even one of their zingers at the right time in a conversation, I would feel proud of myself for the rest of the day.
Humor is necessary to prevent any grimdark fantasy from becoming too over-the-top or depressing. And honestly, humor is needed most when the world is a dark and frightening place. But too much humor could accidentally downplay the point of grimdark: the brutally honest depiction of the atrocities that people are capable of.
And this is where it is important to have an element of humanity. By this I mean that the “good guys” must make some action or statement on those atrocities. Too often I read or watch hardened badass characters with no emotion who can watch a person get tortured and killed without flinching (maybe even do it themselves) and who never stop to question the nature of their society (even as part of their character growth), and I have difficulty finding them at all relatable or even the least bit interesting.
Now, often for this type of character, he or she is dead inside as a coping mechanism and part of their character arc is learning to allow themselves to feel their repressed emotions: heartbreak, anger, fear, etc. This can be done very well (see The Hunger Games for a great example—dystopian scifi and grimdark fantasy have very similar undertones). But most times it just ends up falling flat.
But Jackal already starts out with more personality than most grimdark protagonists. He is a humorous and light-hearted person. Sure, he lives in a desert wasteland, his race is entirely created by rape, he’s treated as a second-class citizen, and his life and the lives of those around him are in constant danger of rape and/or murder by invading orcs or blood-crazed centaurs. But despite all of that, he still has a sense of humor, people he loves, a community, ambitions, moral code, and all of the other things that these protagonists are often lacking.
Don’t get me wrong, he can be an asshole, and he’s often acts rashly before he thinks. But the scene that really stuck with me the most was [when Jackal and the wizard Crafty come across an unconscious elf sex-slave. I was expecting him to say something along the lines of “There’s nothing we can do for her, we have to save ourselves” or “This isn’t any of our business” or “It would be best to just put her out of her mercy.” These are the typical lines that a grimdark protagonist might utter while their companion—accused of being a bleeding heart—frees the slave. But this was not the case. Jackal and Crafty both immediately set out to free the girl and steal her away from her owner, despite the danger to themselves. And when he comes across an entire castle-full of these women, Jackal again sets about freeing them without a moment’s hesitation. (hide spoiler)]
And it’s no surprise that Jackal has a serious problem with rape. As I’ve mentioned before, half-orcs are entirely the product of roving bands of orcs raping human, elven, or even half-orc women. [When Jackal learns that Starling, the elf slave he rescued, is pregnant with a half-orc baby, he is not only furious with the orcs that gang-raped her, but also disturbed by the fact that elven society shuns any of their women who have been raped, and that these victims often end up taking their own lives rather than give birth to an impure half-elf. (hide spoiler)]
Furthermore, Jackal, unlike many people in Hispartha, does not buy into misogyny or sexism. His best friend Fetching is the first female half-orc to have joined a group of riders. Not only does Jackal respect Fetching, he understands the emotional turmoil that she is dealing with being the first female rider and how she overcompensates as a result to earn the respect of the other men.
While there is quite a bit of speciesism (pretty much none of the species get along with one another), the inhabitants of Hispartha come in every skin color and nobody gives a damn. Furthermore, sexuality is primarily treated as each person’s individual preference and nobody else’s business. While characters may make jokes about acting “backy” (gay), these are made in good humor between friends, and nobody gets particularly offended by them. Fetching is herself openly bisexual (though she seems to suppress her heterosexual desires more than her homosexual ones out of that same need to be “one of the boys”), and Oats and Jackal are one of my favorite bromantic pairings.
Grimdark fantasy can often be depressing to read. But Jonathan French does an excellent job of infusing hope into his narrative. The story actually has a happier ending than I was expecting. [I was especially pleased when Jackal chooses Fetching to be the new leader of the hoof (she is voted in unanimously by the other riders). I find it incredibly annoying in books and movies when revolutionaries/usurpers decide to appoint themselves leaders, as the former does not qualify you for the latter. Part of Jackal’s arc is realizing that he is not meant to lead the hoof like he’d once desired. (hide spoiler)]
For the sequel, The True Bastards, I’m hoping to see [if a cure can be found for the thrice-blood child now infected with plague, how Fetching is doing leading the hoof, and what the mysterious Starling is up to (I don’t buy for a second that she’s killed herself). And of course, I fully expect that Jackal is going to have to fulfill his empty promise to the halfling’s resurrected god, Belico.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Crossing in Books
Dec 24, 2017
Harry Bosch is back on a case - but for the first time, it's no longer for the LAPD. After being forced to leave the LAPD (before they could fire him), Harry is "retired" and looking for a way to occupy his time. He reluctantly agrees to work for his half brother, Mickey Haller, a well-known defense attorney. Mickey brings an interesting case to Harry's attention - a reformed former gang member is in jail for a crime he swears he didn't commit (and for which Mickey is convinced he's innocent). It's a brutal rape and murder, and Bosch isn't sure he can stomach working for "the other side." Is this case worth his reputation and betraying the morals Bosch has lived by for his entire life?
So, full disclosure, I have an incredible sense of love for Harry Bosch. I stumbled upon Connelly's books in my dad's basement and picked up "The Poet" (of all books) first. I became addicted to his writing and eventually read every book in the Bosch series. I read the majority while pregnant - huge and uncomfortable, unable to sleep at night - with my twin girls. I still maintain to this day that if they'd been boys, they would have been named Hieronymus and Bosch.
So I read this book with a bit of trepidation... what would my beloved Bosch be like without his LAPD badge? I'm glad to say he's still the Bosch we know and love. In the novel, Bosch certainly struggles with the new and different mindset he must face on the other side -- the struggle of seeing the case versus the bigger picture. His brother, of course, cares only for how the facts affect the case and his client. But Bosch, being Bosch, has a bigger end state in mind - if Mickey's client didn't do it - who did?
This helps propel Bosch as he wrestles with his morals and where he belongs now, without the LAPD to back him up. That's not to say the book is simply about Bosch struggling with his own issues. Connelly presents his usual well-structured and plotted mystery, with a cast of interwoven characters. We follow along as Bosch uncovers clues from his perspective and also hear from the so-called bad guys. It's a compelling and layered mystery.
It's also interesting to see Bosch and Haller interact - this novel does an excellent job of setting up just how different the two (half) brothers really are. Still, it's always a treat to have them both in the same book.
Overall, an excellent book. Always wonderful to have Bosch in our lives again, even if briefly. I hope Connelly continues his story (hopefully he'll have to, as Bosch and Haller's lawsuit against the LAPD is still unresolved).
So, full disclosure, I have an incredible sense of love for Harry Bosch. I stumbled upon Connelly's books in my dad's basement and picked up "The Poet" (of all books) first. I became addicted to his writing and eventually read every book in the Bosch series. I read the majority while pregnant - huge and uncomfortable, unable to sleep at night - with my twin girls. I still maintain to this day that if they'd been boys, they would have been named Hieronymus and Bosch.
So I read this book with a bit of trepidation... what would my beloved Bosch be like without his LAPD badge? I'm glad to say he's still the Bosch we know and love. In the novel, Bosch certainly struggles with the new and different mindset he must face on the other side -- the struggle of seeing the case versus the bigger picture. His brother, of course, cares only for how the facts affect the case and his client. But Bosch, being Bosch, has a bigger end state in mind - if Mickey's client didn't do it - who did?
This helps propel Bosch as he wrestles with his morals and where he belongs now, without the LAPD to back him up. That's not to say the book is simply about Bosch struggling with his own issues. Connelly presents his usual well-structured and plotted mystery, with a cast of interwoven characters. We follow along as Bosch uncovers clues from his perspective and also hear from the so-called bad guys. It's a compelling and layered mystery.
It's also interesting to see Bosch and Haller interact - this novel does an excellent job of setting up just how different the two (half) brothers really are. Still, it's always a treat to have them both in the same book.
Overall, an excellent book. Always wonderful to have Bosch in our lives again, even if briefly. I hope Connelly continues his story (hopefully he'll have to, as Bosch and Haller's lawsuit against the LAPD is still unresolved).
Lee (2222 KP) rated The House (2017) in Movies
Jul 14, 2017
Worst movie I've seen in a very, very long time
Usually when I review comedies I start off by complaining about how disappointing they tend to be these days. Sometimes they manage to prove me wrong (Bad Moms), sometimes they’re not quite as bad as I was expecting (Baywatch). The last time I was seriously annoyed about how bad a comedy was it was Office Christmas Party, but even then that managed to raise a laugh or two. The House though, well that goes way beyond that, taking it to a whole other level by having absolutely no laughs in it at all!
Will Ferrell is Scott, Amy Poehler is his wife Kate. When their daughter Alex gets into the university she wanted, they’re over the moon. Especially as the town runs some kind of scholarship program, paying for one lucky students education each year. This years lucky recipient is due to be Alex but when sleazy city councilman Bob decides to cancel the program in favour of building a huge pool for the town, Scott and Kate need to come up with another way of raising the money. Recently divorced neighbour Frank has a big empty house and between them they hit upon the idea of building a casino in his home, somewhere for the locals to come and spend all their money. Things go well for a while, then things get way out of hand. Cue the opportunity for some riotous, hilarious humour…
Only there’s none of that. It’s riotous, but this is just such a lazily written movie that the humour is non-existent. Featuring a date rape ‘gag’ within the first five minutes(?!) it just gets progressively worse from there. Pointless, nonsensical playground style bickering, name calling and random violence feature heavily throughout in a scatter-gun attempt at trying to raise a laugh. All of this ends up coming across as either poorly written, badly improvised, or both. Even the editing is a total disaster – in one scene Amy Poehler has a guy standing right behind her, cut to another camera and he’s gone, cut back and he’s there again, cut back and he’s gone!
The biggest disappointment about this is the complete waste of talent. Admittedly, Will Ferrell is on a downward spiral anyway since his Anchorman days and the brilliant Step Brothers, but you’d still expect more from him than this. One of my favourite TV shows, Parks and Recreation, stars Amy Poehler as the hilarious Leslie Knope, so I’d expect way more from her too. Even her movie roles haven’t been too bad so far. I guess it just proves that if you’ve got a seriously dud script on your hands, there isn’t really much that anyone can do to fix it. This isn’t just a bad comedy, it’s a bad, bad movie.
Will Ferrell is Scott, Amy Poehler is his wife Kate. When their daughter Alex gets into the university she wanted, they’re over the moon. Especially as the town runs some kind of scholarship program, paying for one lucky students education each year. This years lucky recipient is due to be Alex but when sleazy city councilman Bob decides to cancel the program in favour of building a huge pool for the town, Scott and Kate need to come up with another way of raising the money. Recently divorced neighbour Frank has a big empty house and between them they hit upon the idea of building a casino in his home, somewhere for the locals to come and spend all their money. Things go well for a while, then things get way out of hand. Cue the opportunity for some riotous, hilarious humour…
Only there’s none of that. It’s riotous, but this is just such a lazily written movie that the humour is non-existent. Featuring a date rape ‘gag’ within the first five minutes(?!) it just gets progressively worse from there. Pointless, nonsensical playground style bickering, name calling and random violence feature heavily throughout in a scatter-gun attempt at trying to raise a laugh. All of this ends up coming across as either poorly written, badly improvised, or both. Even the editing is a total disaster – in one scene Amy Poehler has a guy standing right behind her, cut to another camera and he’s gone, cut back and he’s there again, cut back and he’s gone!
The biggest disappointment about this is the complete waste of talent. Admittedly, Will Ferrell is on a downward spiral anyway since his Anchorman days and the brilliant Step Brothers, but you’d still expect more from him than this. One of my favourite TV shows, Parks and Recreation, stars Amy Poehler as the hilarious Leslie Knope, so I’d expect way more from her too. Even her movie roles haven’t been too bad so far. I guess it just proves that if you’ve got a seriously dud script on your hands, there isn’t really much that anyone can do to fix it. This isn’t just a bad comedy, it’s a bad, bad movie.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Summer of Salt in Books
Mar 6, 2019
Beautifully well-written with excellent characters and a powerful message
In Georgina Fernweh's family, it's just accepted: the Fernweh women have magic. Every female in Georgina's family has received their magic by age of eighteen. Georgina is almost eighteen, though, and she's shown no sign of getting her magic. Her twin sister, Mary, has floated since birth. Mary and Georgina live on an island, By-the-Sea, which isn't a regular place to grow up. Strange things happen here: it could snow one minute and be sunny and 70 the next. Their mother concocts sleeping potions when the girls can't sleep. And every summer people flock to the island to watch a three-hundred-year old bird who may or may not be a Fernweh ancestor. But when something terrible happens on the island, the Fernweh family (and their magic) comes under a suspicious light. And Georgina starts to wonder about her past--and future.
I picked up this book thanks to my Goodreads friend Melanie, whose review convinced me that this was worth reading. I so rarely read a book that wasn't planned, so thanks! This was totally worth it. This is a beautiful book--it's well-written, lyrical, and a magical read, both in content and writing.
The storyline on this one is amazing--I have a soft spot for tales about twins. I really liked the dynamic between Georgina and Mary: it was very realistic. The characters are well-developed, and I fell for Georgina immediately. There's also a wonderful lesbian storyline, which is always a plus. The book weaves a mystical, magical tale--if you can't suspend disbelief easily, it might not be for you. But it's so easy to get caught up in the plot, and at its core, it's a story about families and love.
"'Well, you won't have me at college, so you'll have to make some new friends.' 'Ugh. That sounds exhausting. They should assign you friends like they assign you a roommate.'"
There's also some serious parts to this book and some just freaking amazing quotes related to sexual assault and rape that I wanted to blow up and put on the walls of every high school everywhere. I won't quote most of them here, due to spoilers, but wow--this is a powerful, powerful novel that had me pumping my fist and cheering for the characters. There's some real strength here and a message everyone should read, especially in our current times.
"Because there was nothing in a girl's history that might negate her right to choose what happens to her body."
Overall, this was a great book. It's beautifully well-written with excellent characters and a powerful message. This is one where I would love a second book to follow these characters.
I picked up this book thanks to my Goodreads friend Melanie, whose review convinced me that this was worth reading. I so rarely read a book that wasn't planned, so thanks! This was totally worth it. This is a beautiful book--it's well-written, lyrical, and a magical read, both in content and writing.
The storyline on this one is amazing--I have a soft spot for tales about twins. I really liked the dynamic between Georgina and Mary: it was very realistic. The characters are well-developed, and I fell for Georgina immediately. There's also a wonderful lesbian storyline, which is always a plus. The book weaves a mystical, magical tale--if you can't suspend disbelief easily, it might not be for you. But it's so easy to get caught up in the plot, and at its core, it's a story about families and love.
"'Well, you won't have me at college, so you'll have to make some new friends.' 'Ugh. That sounds exhausting. They should assign you friends like they assign you a roommate.'"
There's also some serious parts to this book and some just freaking amazing quotes related to sexual assault and rape that I wanted to blow up and put on the walls of every high school everywhere. I won't quote most of them here, due to spoilers, but wow--this is a powerful, powerful novel that had me pumping my fist and cheering for the characters. There's some real strength here and a message everyone should read, especially in our current times.
"Because there was nothing in a girl's history that might negate her right to choose what happens to her body."
Overall, this was a great book. It's beautifully well-written with excellent characters and a powerful message. This is one where I would love a second book to follow these characters.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Crossing in Books
Feb 1, 2018
Harry Bosch is back on a case - but for the first time, it's no longer for the LAPD. After being forced to leave the LAPD (before they could fire him), Harry is "retired" and looking for a way to occupy his time. He reluctantly agrees to work for his half brother, Mickey Haller, a well-known defense attorney. Mickey brings an interesting case to Harry's attention - a reformed former gang member is in jail for a crime he swears he didn't commit (and for which Mickey is convinced he's innocent). It's a brutal rape and murder, and Bosch isn't sure he can stomach working for "the other side." Is this case worth his reputation and betraying the morals Bosch has lived by for his entire life?
So, full disclosure, I have an incredible sense of love for Harry Bosch. I stumbled upon Connelly's books in my dad's basement and picked up "The Poet" (of all books) first. I became addicted to his writing and eventually read every book in the Bosch series. I read the majority while pregnant - huge and uncomfortable, unable to sleep at night - with my twin girls. I still maintain to this day that if they'd been boys, they would have been named Hieronymus and Bosch.
So I read this book with a bit of trepidation... what would my beloved Bosch be like without his LAPD badge? I'm glad to say he's still the Bosch we know and love. In the novel, Bosch certainly struggles with the new and different mindset he must face on the other side -- the struggle of seeing the case versus the bigger picture. His brother, of course, cares only for how the facts affect the case and his client. But Bosch, being Bosch, has a bigger end state in mind - if Mickey's client didn't do it - who did?
This helps propel Bosch as he wrestles with his morals and where he belongs now, without the LAPD to back him up. That's not to say the book is simply about Bosch struggling with his own issues. Connelly presents his usual well-structured and plotted mystery, with a cast of interwoven characters. We follow along as Bosch uncovers clues from his perspective and also hear from the so-called bad guys. It's a compelling and layered mystery.
It's also interesting to see Bosch and Haller interact - this novel does an excellent job of setting up just how different the two (half) brothers really are. Still, it's always a treat to have them both in the same book.
Overall, an excellent book. Always wonderful to have Bosch in our lives again, even if briefly. I hope Connelly continues his story (hopefully he'll have to, as Bosch and Haller's lawsuit against the LAPD is still unresolved).
So, full disclosure, I have an incredible sense of love for Harry Bosch. I stumbled upon Connelly's books in my dad's basement and picked up "The Poet" (of all books) first. I became addicted to his writing and eventually read every book in the Bosch series. I read the majority while pregnant - huge and uncomfortable, unable to sleep at night - with my twin girls. I still maintain to this day that if they'd been boys, they would have been named Hieronymus and Bosch.
So I read this book with a bit of trepidation... what would my beloved Bosch be like without his LAPD badge? I'm glad to say he's still the Bosch we know and love. In the novel, Bosch certainly struggles with the new and different mindset he must face on the other side -- the struggle of seeing the case versus the bigger picture. His brother, of course, cares only for how the facts affect the case and his client. But Bosch, being Bosch, has a bigger end state in mind - if Mickey's client didn't do it - who did?
This helps propel Bosch as he wrestles with his morals and where he belongs now, without the LAPD to back him up. That's not to say the book is simply about Bosch struggling with his own issues. Connelly presents his usual well-structured and plotted mystery, with a cast of interwoven characters. We follow along as Bosch uncovers clues from his perspective and also hear from the so-called bad guys. It's a compelling and layered mystery.
It's also interesting to see Bosch and Haller interact - this novel does an excellent job of setting up just how different the two (half) brothers really are. Still, it's always a treat to have them both in the same book.
Overall, an excellent book. Always wonderful to have Bosch in our lives again, even if briefly. I hope Connelly continues his story (hopefully he'll have to, as Bosch and Haller's lawsuit against the LAPD is still unresolved).
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated My Sunshine Away in Books
Feb 13, 2018
One evening, on a quiet suburban street in Baton Rouge, fifteen-year-old Lindy Simpson is raped. Her rape changes the fabric of her neighborhood, as narrated by her fourteen-year-old male neighbor, who had a huge crush on the lovely Lindy, a popular track star. He takes the readers through the various suspects--all members of the neighborhood--and one of whom is himself. We meet the many members of this quiet block, where not everything is as perfect as it seems. What really happened to Lindy that night? And is our narrator truly to blame?
I really wanted to like this book, as I'd heard such good things, and was really excited to finally to read it. But honestly, I found it disappointing, tedious, and slow. It was a real let down after all the rave reviews. Our narrator does a good job, I suppose, of highlighting the self-centeredness of teenage boys, but oh my goodness. He talks and talks and talks - endless diatribes about this and that. Pontificates about everything while trying to tell us the meaning of life. I found my eyes glazing over as I skimmed paragraphs, just wanting to find out what happened to poor Lindy, who is basically forgotten in his story -- she's just an object of lust -- not a real person.
This book had the potential of being a love story in many ways -- that of the love between a son and his mother, between teenagers, etc., but it just seemed to flounder. Moments of brilliance poked through, but most of the time, I found myself frustrated and wondering what the point was. Instead, it seemed to be a treatise on how boys and men should *not* treat girls and women. It is at it's best when looked at as a story of neighborhood - the sad side story of a neighborhood family will hurt your heart in many ways - but it gets lost in the narrator's endless rants and discussions. At one point, we get a whole chapter on the effects of Hurricane Katrina on Baton Rouge. All well and good, I suppose, except the majority of this book takes place in the late 80s/early 90s. Why are we hearing about something take place decades later?
Overall, I wanted to like this one, and I spotted moments of good peeking out, but I was mostly just frustrated and waiting for it to end. Definitely a disappointment.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley (thank you!); it is available for purchase everywhere. You can read this review and many more at my <a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">blog</a>;.
I really wanted to like this book, as I'd heard such good things, and was really excited to finally to read it. But honestly, I found it disappointing, tedious, and slow. It was a real let down after all the rave reviews. Our narrator does a good job, I suppose, of highlighting the self-centeredness of teenage boys, but oh my goodness. He talks and talks and talks - endless diatribes about this and that. Pontificates about everything while trying to tell us the meaning of life. I found my eyes glazing over as I skimmed paragraphs, just wanting to find out what happened to poor Lindy, who is basically forgotten in his story -- she's just an object of lust -- not a real person.
This book had the potential of being a love story in many ways -- that of the love between a son and his mother, between teenagers, etc., but it just seemed to flounder. Moments of brilliance poked through, but most of the time, I found myself frustrated and wondering what the point was. Instead, it seemed to be a treatise on how boys and men should *not* treat girls and women. It is at it's best when looked at as a story of neighborhood - the sad side story of a neighborhood family will hurt your heart in many ways - but it gets lost in the narrator's endless rants and discussions. At one point, we get a whole chapter on the effects of Hurricane Katrina on Baton Rouge. All well and good, I suppose, except the majority of this book takes place in the late 80s/early 90s. Why are we hearing about something take place decades later?
Overall, I wanted to like this one, and I spotted moments of good peeking out, but I was mostly just frustrated and waiting for it to end. Definitely a disappointment.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley (thank you!); it is available for purchase everywhere. You can read this review and many more at my <a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">blog</a>;.
Leah Lopez (7 KP) rated Gone Girl in Books
Nov 6, 2019
This book had many key elements to keep the reader constantly entertained.
1) The characters had their own voice; their own emotions and thoughts which was clearly recognised through per chapter dedicated to them. My mind alternated between which character I liked/hated understood/or not worth understanding. At the beginning of the book I was on Nick's side. It seemed Amy was some "nagging wife" and it would be easy to become annoyed by all her "stupid traditions" but then, I read Amy's side and then I was like..."Okay, now I understand why the traditions are important and how much she loves Nick..." When he come home to find his wife had disappeared and his house looked "ransacked" I began questioning the possible theories to her disappearance. I thought:
S.P.O.I.L.E.R. A.L.E.R.T
She hasn't been taken. She isn't dead. It is all but a set up: to get Nick to realise how much he loves Amy and he be lost without her. I thought she has just gone away for a few days.
My first shock? Nick cheating on Amy
but then; had it been a shock/ plot twist shock, or did I just not want to believe that of him?
It was easy from this point to hate Nick. He had been having an affair, he was violent, he was a liar.
I began siding with Amy.
Still...it became clear through Nick's request on finding out the truth that she too was a liar; but a more-well trained liar and not spontaneous? She was evil; she played people to her needs. She used them to better herself.
Towards the end of the book; when she came back home and reported her "kidnap and rape" from Desi it was here I thought this is going to end pretty shit now...but once again I was surprised. I began to hate Amy and like Nick. Still Nick demonstrated his violence towards Amy by strangling her and detailing his enjoyment of her pulsating struggle for breath. When Amy came back and explained the truth, and furthermore...I wanted her to be arrested; to find that tiny bit of evidence she didn't think of...something none of us would have thought of but maybe read and thought nothing of it at the time. Still, she still had things up her sleeve and still ten steps in front of Nick-the semen and her way of permanently keeping him in her life. I knew it had to end, but I think it would have been more entertaining on something she left out, rather than her once again winning.
Overall:
a great suspense-filled book that makes you yo-yo between liking/hating the characters!
Will be looking for more books written by her!
1) The characters had their own voice; their own emotions and thoughts which was clearly recognised through per chapter dedicated to them. My mind alternated between which character I liked/hated understood/or not worth understanding. At the beginning of the book I was on Nick's side. It seemed Amy was some "nagging wife" and it would be easy to become annoyed by all her "stupid traditions" but then, I read Amy's side and then I was like..."Okay, now I understand why the traditions are important and how much she loves Nick..." When he come home to find his wife had disappeared and his house looked "ransacked" I began questioning the possible theories to her disappearance. I thought:
S.P.O.I.L.E.R. A.L.E.R.T
She hasn't been taken. She isn't dead. It is all but a set up: to get Nick to realise how much he loves Amy and he be lost without her. I thought she has just gone away for a few days.
My first shock? Nick cheating on Amy
but then; had it been a shock/ plot twist shock, or did I just not want to believe that of him?
It was easy from this point to hate Nick. He had been having an affair, he was violent, he was a liar.
I began siding with Amy.
Still...it became clear through Nick's request on finding out the truth that she too was a liar; but a more-well trained liar and not spontaneous? She was evil; she played people to her needs. She used them to better herself.
Towards the end of the book; when she came back home and reported her "kidnap and rape" from Desi it was here I thought this is going to end pretty shit now...but once again I was surprised. I began to hate Amy and like Nick. Still Nick demonstrated his violence towards Amy by strangling her and detailing his enjoyment of her pulsating struggle for breath. When Amy came back and explained the truth, and furthermore...I wanted her to be arrested; to find that tiny bit of evidence she didn't think of...something none of us would have thought of but maybe read and thought nothing of it at the time. Still, she still had things up her sleeve and still ten steps in front of Nick-the semen and her way of permanently keeping him in her life. I knew it had to end, but I think it would have been more entertaining on something she left out, rather than her once again winning.
Overall:
a great suspense-filled book that makes you yo-yo between liking/hating the characters!
Will be looking for more books written by her!
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated A House of Lies: The Darkest Lies Hurt the Most in Books
Feb 4, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
A House of Lies: The Darkest Lies Hurt the Most by Barbara Sales is an extremely hard read because of the subject matter. Secrets, lies, and domestic abuse take center stage in this heart-wrenching book. I was unable to put it down and ended up finishing it in one day.
This book primarily focuses on Izzy, her mother Charlotte, and her father Harry. Harry loves his little princess more than anyone else but is extremely mean to her mother. He can’t seem to understand why Izzy is cold to him after seeing him beat her mother and even blames her mother for turning Izzy against him. Both Charlotte and Harry have their secrets though and one day after one of their fights everyone’s lives change forever.
Harry ends up dying in the hospital after crashing his car and it is a bittersweet time for Charlotte. While she is happy to be free from his abuse she still has their daughter to worry about. On top of all that Charlotte finds that Harry had more secrets than she originally thought and now has to get the family out of the financial mess that Harry has left them in. However, Charlotte is not without her own secrets and one day the biggest one will be her undoing.
Considering the topic I found it interesting that the story was told from both the male and female perspective, usually, these types of stories are one-sided. I also really enjoyed the backstories into each character and the surprise twist at the end really caught me off guard. On occasion I found myself getting Charlotte, Margaret, and Annabelle confused though I am not sure why. It may have just been because of how closely their lives lined up. Now that I have finished the book I know exactly who each person is or was.
Adults and mature readers are the only ones who should open this book. Containing everything from foul language to abuse and rape this book touches on some very tough subjects. Readers have been warned, there are many triggers in these pages. I rate this book a 3 out of 4. It is a well-written story of secrets and lies that one family hides for many generations. Once I started reading this one I did not want to stop and was once again able to finish an entire book in one day.
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This book primarily focuses on Izzy, her mother Charlotte, and her father Harry. Harry loves his little princess more than anyone else but is extremely mean to her mother. He can’t seem to understand why Izzy is cold to him after seeing him beat her mother and even blames her mother for turning Izzy against him. Both Charlotte and Harry have their secrets though and one day after one of their fights everyone’s lives change forever.
Harry ends up dying in the hospital after crashing his car and it is a bittersweet time for Charlotte. While she is happy to be free from his abuse she still has their daughter to worry about. On top of all that Charlotte finds that Harry had more secrets than she originally thought and now has to get the family out of the financial mess that Harry has left them in. However, Charlotte is not without her own secrets and one day the biggest one will be her undoing.
Considering the topic I found it interesting that the story was told from both the male and female perspective, usually, these types of stories are one-sided. I also really enjoyed the backstories into each character and the surprise twist at the end really caught me off guard. On occasion I found myself getting Charlotte, Margaret, and Annabelle confused though I am not sure why. It may have just been because of how closely their lives lined up. Now that I have finished the book I know exactly who each person is or was.
Adults and mature readers are the only ones who should open this book. Containing everything from foul language to abuse and rape this book touches on some very tough subjects. Readers have been warned, there are many triggers in these pages. I rate this book a 3 out of 4. It is a well-written story of secrets and lies that one family hides for many generations. Once I started reading this one I did not want to stop and was once again able to finish an entire book in one day.
https://facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
https://smashbomb.com/nightreader
https://www.austinmacauley.com/book/house-lies
Ross (3284 KP) rated The Eleven in Books
Apr 23, 2020
Fantastic characters and original story
* I received an advance reader copy from the author and netgalley in exchange for an honest review *
Quite simply: this is a fantastic book.
The characters involved are all well-crafted and unique. They have their own back-stories that we learn over time, appreciating who they are, what they have been through and why they are how they are.
The main character is Keira, a human who spent a large part of her late childhood imprisoned, tortured and raped by the upper echelons of the government. She escapes and seeks revenge on her abusers, but needs Courage to achieve this. We first meet her as she begins her attack on the first such abuser.
She teams up with Rowan, an assassin, though the circumstances of their meeting don't become clear until later, and travels to a magical realm to track down more of her tormentors. The details of Rowan's current assignment are somewhat mysterious and only revealed later.
They eventually meet Dess, who we have started to get to know, an elf-like magical scholar who has had his own issues in adolescence and is seeking revenge on the people involved in the murder of the love of his life.
And finally we have Sirris, a funny little slave creature who seeks escape from his life of misery, abuse and servitude.
Those back-stories are gradually woven together over the course of the book in a very ambitious, and flawlessly executed, series of split timelines. Fans of Mark Lawrence's knack for splitting a story into separate timelines will love the way Gaskill has done this and more here. We have the "present" story, told from a number of different viewpoints and places, as well as each of the main characters' backstories. Over time we learn to understand how people met, what tensions there are (or could be lurking under the surface) and what each is trying to achieve. These interactions, conflicts and tensions are masterfully written and revealed.
The action throughout the book is fairly gruesome and gritty, and some of the sexual scenes of torture and rape are a little hard to take. Rather than being gratuitous on the whole though they do serve to give the reader a better appreciation for the terrors the characters have been through.
Over the course of the book we see Keira ticking the names off her list of the eleven, albeit out of sync due to the split timelines.
This really was a wonderful book that got me out of something of a slump, keeping me engaged and guessing the next revelation all the way through.
I sincerely hope Gaskill writes the hinted at follow-up book, as there certainly is scope for it in the world he has masterfully created and the cast of (surviving) characters.
Quite simply: this is a fantastic book.
The characters involved are all well-crafted and unique. They have their own back-stories that we learn over time, appreciating who they are, what they have been through and why they are how they are.
The main character is Keira, a human who spent a large part of her late childhood imprisoned, tortured and raped by the upper echelons of the government. She escapes and seeks revenge on her abusers, but needs Courage to achieve this. We first meet her as she begins her attack on the first such abuser.
She teams up with Rowan, an assassin, though the circumstances of their meeting don't become clear until later, and travels to a magical realm to track down more of her tormentors. The details of Rowan's current assignment are somewhat mysterious and only revealed later.
They eventually meet Dess, who we have started to get to know, an elf-like magical scholar who has had his own issues in adolescence and is seeking revenge on the people involved in the murder of the love of his life.
And finally we have Sirris, a funny little slave creature who seeks escape from his life of misery, abuse and servitude.
Those back-stories are gradually woven together over the course of the book in a very ambitious, and flawlessly executed, series of split timelines. Fans of Mark Lawrence's knack for splitting a story into separate timelines will love the way Gaskill has done this and more here. We have the "present" story, told from a number of different viewpoints and places, as well as each of the main characters' backstories. Over time we learn to understand how people met, what tensions there are (or could be lurking under the surface) and what each is trying to achieve. These interactions, conflicts and tensions are masterfully written and revealed.
The action throughout the book is fairly gruesome and gritty, and some of the sexual scenes of torture and rape are a little hard to take. Rather than being gratuitous on the whole though they do serve to give the reader a better appreciation for the terrors the characters have been through.
Over the course of the book we see Keira ticking the names off her list of the eleven, albeit out of sync due to the split timelines.
This really was a wonderful book that got me out of something of a slump, keeping me engaged and guessing the next revelation all the way through.
I sincerely hope Gaskill writes the hinted at follow-up book, as there certainly is scope for it in the world he has masterfully created and the cast of (surviving) characters.
Why Britain Hates Men: Exposing Feminism
Book
PLEASE NOTE: The content of this book is virtually identical to the content of 'Exposing Feminism',...