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Ali A (82 KP) rated We Deserve Monuments in Books
Dec 8, 2022
Trigger Warnings: Generational trauma, racism, mentions of alcoholism and verbal abuse, homophobia, character death
Avery Anderson’s life is uprooted when her family moves from Washington DC to Bardell, Georgia her senior year of high school to look after her maternal grandmother, Mama Letty, who’s in her final stages of cancer. Avery only remembers one visit with her grandmother, cut short by an argument, when she was very young. Bardell is a small town with only two high schools - one public, and one private, the latter being founded by one of the town’s many racist forefathers. Avery quickly gets adopted into the friendship of two girls: Simone Cole, Mama Letty’s next door neighbor, and Jade Oliver, a descendent of one of Bardell’s oldest families.
Avery’s relationship with her grandmother is far from easy. Mama Letty isn’t easy to get to know, especially when she only answers questions in grunts and gruffs. It also doesn’t help that the tension between her mother and grandmother is so thick you can cut it with a knife, but both of them are refusing to address it.
Avery sets out on trying to mend the broken and split relationship but there are events many are refusing to talk about. It isn’t until Mama Letty begins to open up to Avery about her past, that Avery is able to piece together her family history that was shaped by the town’s racist history. As more events come out of the shadows, Avery must decide if finding out the truth is worth damaging the relationships she’s built in Bardell, or if some things are better left buried.
I absolutely loved and adored this book very much. Jas Hammonds masterfully tells this layered story of a young woman finding out about her family’s past within a novel that’s about generational trauma and racism. The amount of trauma the three generations of women must peel back is constantly met with tension. The story is hard to read at times, especially when you’re reading about Mama Letty’s past and the town’s racism, but this book wrapped its arms around me and refused to let go until the Harding family’s story is told.
Alongside Avery finding out about her family’s past, the relationship between Simone and Avery grows deeper and the way the two of them find their footing to their sexuality was well written. I wish I had grown up with a place like The Renaissance where you were accepted no matter what.
Overall, this novel is going to be one I’m going to talk about for months to come. It was beautiful, heartbreaking, hopeful, and captivating. Any readers who love reading about family and their dynamics, relationships, and hope will really enjoy this book.
*Thank you Roaring Brook Press and NetGalley for an electronic version of this book in exchange for an honest review
Avery Anderson’s life is uprooted when her family moves from Washington DC to Bardell, Georgia her senior year of high school to look after her maternal grandmother, Mama Letty, who’s in her final stages of cancer. Avery only remembers one visit with her grandmother, cut short by an argument, when she was very young. Bardell is a small town with only two high schools - one public, and one private, the latter being founded by one of the town’s many racist forefathers. Avery quickly gets adopted into the friendship of two girls: Simone Cole, Mama Letty’s next door neighbor, and Jade Oliver, a descendent of one of Bardell’s oldest families.
Avery’s relationship with her grandmother is far from easy. Mama Letty isn’t easy to get to know, especially when she only answers questions in grunts and gruffs. It also doesn’t help that the tension between her mother and grandmother is so thick you can cut it with a knife, but both of them are refusing to address it.
Avery sets out on trying to mend the broken and split relationship but there are events many are refusing to talk about. It isn’t until Mama Letty begins to open up to Avery about her past, that Avery is able to piece together her family history that was shaped by the town’s racist history. As more events come out of the shadows, Avery must decide if finding out the truth is worth damaging the relationships she’s built in Bardell, or if some things are better left buried.
I absolutely loved and adored this book very much. Jas Hammonds masterfully tells this layered story of a young woman finding out about her family’s past within a novel that’s about generational trauma and racism. The amount of trauma the three generations of women must peel back is constantly met with tension. The story is hard to read at times, especially when you’re reading about Mama Letty’s past and the town’s racism, but this book wrapped its arms around me and refused to let go until the Harding family’s story is told.
Alongside Avery finding out about her family’s past, the relationship between Simone and Avery grows deeper and the way the two of them find their footing to their sexuality was well written. I wish I had grown up with a place like The Renaissance where you were accepted no matter what.
Overall, this novel is going to be one I’m going to talk about for months to come. It was beautiful, heartbreaking, hopeful, and captivating. Any readers who love reading about family and their dynamics, relationships, and hope will really enjoy this book.
*Thank you Roaring Brook Press and NetGalley for an electronic version of this book in exchange for an honest review
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated All I Ever Wanted in Books
Apr 27, 2018
All I Ever Wanted really made me happy, and got me hooked on Kristan Higgins. This is why:
First, I loved the characters. Some were quirky (Louis the mortician, Noah her one-legged grandfather), some were funny (Her sister Hester! ROFL) Some were just mean. (MOM.) And some had the biggest heart in the world (Our hero, Ian). The relationships and the characters played out in such a real tangible way, and I loved every minute of it. Although I’m glad my family isn’t like Callie’s… it’s fun to sit back and watch.
Second: I was very pleased with the fact that the characters, dialogue, and plot weren’t perfect (happyland syndrome.) Some of you may know that happyland syndrome—everything working out perfectly all the time—will make me close a book in three minutes. All I Ever Wanted had nothing of the sort. It felt like real life, and because of that, it was relatable.
Third: It was a very sweet, very real, very good romance. And it was CLEAN. Yes! No skipping chunks of pages and trying to avoid unnecessary scenes! This pretty much made my day—maybe my week—that I’ve found a good romance author who doesn’t write sex scenes into her novels. Thank you Kristan Higgins, you’ve just made my bookshelf.
So that’s why I loved it. And that’s why I’ll be reading more of Higgins’ work in the future.
Content/recommendation: little language, very few sexual references. Ages 14+
First, I loved the characters. Some were quirky (Louis the mortician, Noah her one-legged grandfather), some were funny (Her sister Hester! ROFL) Some were just mean. (MOM.) And some had the biggest heart in the world (Our hero, Ian). The relationships and the characters played out in such a real tangible way, and I loved every minute of it. Although I’m glad my family isn’t like Callie’s… it’s fun to sit back and watch.
Second: I was very pleased with the fact that the characters, dialogue, and plot weren’t perfect (happyland syndrome.) Some of you may know that happyland syndrome—everything working out perfectly all the time—will make me close a book in three minutes. All I Ever Wanted had nothing of the sort. It felt like real life, and because of that, it was relatable.
Third: It was a very sweet, very real, very good romance. And it was CLEAN. Yes! No skipping chunks of pages and trying to avoid unnecessary scenes! This pretty much made my day—maybe my week—that I’ve found a good romance author who doesn’t write sex scenes into her novels. Thank you Kristan Higgins, you’ve just made my bookshelf.
So that’s why I loved it. And that’s why I’ll be reading more of Higgins’ work in the future.
Content/recommendation: little language, very few sexual references. Ages 14+
Micky Barnard (542 KP) rated A Court of Thorns and Roses in Books
Mar 2, 2019
Fall down the rabbit hole with this series
This was everything it promised to be by those who recommended it and its the first book I've read by Sarah J. Maas. I have to say, that it is exquisitely written.
The premise for the book is a beauty and the beast tale. Feyre is a young woman, from a family that once had wealth and position but brought to poverty and near starvation by bad debts. The setting is fantastical, with humans and fairies living in the same lands with a wall separating their kinds. Feyre has become the hunter in her family, keeping them just about fed. It is a stark life with no pleasure. One day she kills a wolf who was one of the fairie. She knew this, but still went ahead. Now Tamlin has arrived from the land of the High Fairie to pursue revenge with her life lived in his lands. This is a twisty, completely absorbing tale. The creatures are light and dark, scary and warm and the relationships are so compelling. The culmination of this tale is utterly unpredictable and it is left wide open for the next book. I cannot wait to read more.
Audio update: this was brought to life most wonderfully by Jennifer Ikeda. I got even more from the story and characters through audio. I even developed a sympathy for Rhysand.
The premise for the book is a beauty and the beast tale. Feyre is a young woman, from a family that once had wealth and position but brought to poverty and near starvation by bad debts. The setting is fantastical, with humans and fairies living in the same lands with a wall separating their kinds. Feyre has become the hunter in her family, keeping them just about fed. It is a stark life with no pleasure. One day she kills a wolf who was one of the fairie. She knew this, but still went ahead. Now Tamlin has arrived from the land of the High Fairie to pursue revenge with her life lived in his lands. This is a twisty, completely absorbing tale. The creatures are light and dark, scary and warm and the relationships are so compelling. The culmination of this tale is utterly unpredictable and it is left wide open for the next book. I cannot wait to read more.
Audio update: this was brought to life most wonderfully by Jennifer Ikeda. I got even more from the story and characters through audio. I even developed a sympathy for Rhysand.
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Boy: Broussard and Fourcade Book 2 in Books
Mar 28, 2019
2nd novel in Tami Hoag's Broussard and Fourcade series
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
The Boy by Tami Hoag is the 2nd novel in her series about Broussard and Fourcade, a husband and wife team who are detectives in Bayou Breaux, a little town in Louisiana. I often read detective fiction and enjoyed the pairing of Detectives Nick Fourcade and Annie Broussard. The novel focuses mostly on their police pairing but does have some sections about their home life. The dynamics of the relationships of the people surrounding the investigative team are well formed but not the main focus of the story. The boy is. Well, the murder of the boy is.
Hoag shows her characters' flaws but she does not make them the focus of the characters. Broussard and Fourcade are like every married couple and have difficult days. Again, Hoag does not make those days the focus of the story. The boy is. The story has twists and turns. Some of the reveals were expected but not all of them. Hoag surprised me with several details.
I have had Tami Hoag on my "want to read" list for years but never got around to reading any of her work. After reading The Boy, I am disappointed I have not read her sooner.
Review published on Philomathinphila.com on 3/27/19.
The Boy by Tami Hoag is the 2nd novel in her series about Broussard and Fourcade, a husband and wife team who are detectives in Bayou Breaux, a little town in Louisiana. I often read detective fiction and enjoyed the pairing of Detectives Nick Fourcade and Annie Broussard. The novel focuses mostly on their police pairing but does have some sections about their home life. The dynamics of the relationships of the people surrounding the investigative team are well formed but not the main focus of the story. The boy is. Well, the murder of the boy is.
Hoag shows her characters' flaws but she does not make them the focus of the characters. Broussard and Fourcade are like every married couple and have difficult days. Again, Hoag does not make those days the focus of the story. The boy is. The story has twists and turns. Some of the reveals were expected but not all of them. Hoag surprised me with several details.
I have had Tami Hoag on my "want to read" list for years but never got around to reading any of her work. After reading The Boy, I am disappointed I have not read her sooner.
Review published on Philomathinphila.com on 3/27/19.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Skinny Me in Books
Apr 9, 2019
Jennifer is overweight and miserable. She has recently lost her mother and even more recently, her job. After a party at her cousins house, she is feeling even more miserable about her life. She decides to make a chand and finally lose some weight. She joins a gym and when she finds out her trainer is her cousin, Autumn's hot boyfriend, it's all the motivation she needs. If she loses the weight she knows she will be so much happier. She just has to reach that goal weight. But with so many other issues plaguing her life is this really what is going to make her happy? Will lusting after someone she knows is taken make her happy?
I could relate to Jennifer in some ways. There are days when I look in the mirror and am completely unhappy with my reflection. Then there are other days when it is no big deal. There are so many women with body image issues all over the world regardless if they are overweight or not. It's good to see Charlene Carr tackling an issue such as this one. Jennifer's issues were more than just the number on the scale and until she was ready to face those issues and deal with them head on. Along the way she ends and mends relationships and finds the person her family always knew existed, but hadn't seen behind all of the anger.
I could relate to Jennifer in some ways. There are days when I look in the mirror and am completely unhappy with my reflection. Then there are other days when it is no big deal. There are so many women with body image issues all over the world regardless if they are overweight or not. It's good to see Charlene Carr tackling an issue such as this one. Jennifer's issues were more than just the number on the scale and until she was ready to face those issues and deal with them head on. Along the way she ends and mends relationships and finds the person her family always knew existed, but hadn't seen behind all of the anger.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Tag (2018) in Movies
May 14, 2019
Lag
#tag is a drag of a movie that takes a cool concept & does nothing exciting with it at all. #tagmovie from the #trailer looked quite a #fun & #original #film so it was to my surprise when I found myself 40 minutes in without #laughing or with a desire to continue watching. My biggest problem with this movie was I found experiencing it boring/bland & ultimately I was confused as to why a film about such a fun & exciting game was failing to hold my attention so much. Maybe it was the unlikable characters, the non believable relationships, the childish repetitive humour & over used weed #jokes, the silly thoughtless set pieces, the constant plot holes & the lack of any omph/urgency or tension (thus not allowing us to feel the excitement we did when playing this game as a kids). They even have a character around that follows the main ones about that just constantly spurts out exposition & gives a reason to explain the games rules which is exhaustingly monotonous. All in all Tag felt like they made it all up as they went along, not much happens & when it does its #dumb/pointless & just a really uninteresting watch & a big missed opportunity. Overall I can't recommend Tag at all & would of rather took my chances with #patrick instead. #odeonlimitless #odeon #sundayfunday #weekend #cinifile #moviecritic #hot #funny #silly #jeremyrenner #edhelms #islafisher #comedy #moviereview #truestory #game #school #review #playground #stupid
I have no explanation for why young adult story anthologies are SO. GOOD. But they are. This particular one revolves around queer teens in historical times. That's about the only commonality; the genres vary from normal fiction to fantasy to magical realism. There are gay, lesbian, transgender, and asexual teens represented. I am a little annoyed that there don't seem to be any bisexual teens in the anthology; it could be argued that at least one if not more are bi simply because they had opposite-sex relationships before the same-sex romance in the story, but that's also common before realizing your sexuality/coming out. No one is explicitly bisexual in this book. There were also two transmen but no transwomen.
There was a decent amount of cultural diversity while remaining mostly centered in the US; Chinatown in 1950s San Francisco, 1870s Mexico, Colonial New England, 1930s Hispanic New Mexico, Robin Hood-era Britain.
The stories were really good, I just wish they'd included a bisexual story and a transwoman. They did have an asexual girl, which is a sexuality often overlooked, so that was nice.
It's a great collection of stories, just limited in scope. They could have cut a few F/F stories and added in bisexual, nonbinary, and transwomen, and lived up to the open umbrella of the "queer" label a bit more. I really enjoyed it, I think I'm just a little disappointed because I was expecting more of the spectrum.
There was a decent amount of cultural diversity while remaining mostly centered in the US; Chinatown in 1950s San Francisco, 1870s Mexico, Colonial New England, 1930s Hispanic New Mexico, Robin Hood-era Britain.
The stories were really good, I just wish they'd included a bisexual story and a transwoman. They did have an asexual girl, which is a sexuality often overlooked, so that was nice.
It's a great collection of stories, just limited in scope. They could have cut a few F/F stories and added in bisexual, nonbinary, and transwomen, and lived up to the open umbrella of the "queer" label a bit more. I really enjoyed it, I think I'm just a little disappointed because I was expecting more of the spectrum.
Jenny Houle (24 KP) rated Dogtology: A Humorous Exploration of Man's Fur-Ocious Devotion to Dogs in Books
Jan 17, 2018
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased opinion.
And two days after I received it (before I could even begin reading it), our "CEO", my service animal, and our "fur child", passed away. So I went into reading and reviewing this book raw, and somewhat unable to keep my opinion unbiased.
DOGTOLOGY is a humorous look at the growing dog worship in our culture. It's factual, even if it breaks the news to the dog-obsessed gently that they are, in fact, dog-obsessed. It gives helpful reminders of things like the difference between what we think dogs need versus what they actually need from us. It also helps remind those who are practicing Dogtologists in regards to relationships with those outside their practice.
I'm so grateful I had this book to turn to as we grieved in our household. There were parts I could share with my partner for us to laugh over. Parts that made me cry tears I wasn't sure I was able to cry yet. It made it clear to both of us, though we hadn't really had doubts before, that we are, and have been, Dogtologists even when we have not been "dog owners" during our relationship, and that will always be the case for us. And when we are ready, emotionally, it will be time for us to find a new CEO for our household.
And two days after I received it (before I could even begin reading it), our "CEO", my service animal, and our "fur child", passed away. So I went into reading and reviewing this book raw, and somewhat unable to keep my opinion unbiased.
DOGTOLOGY is a humorous look at the growing dog worship in our culture. It's factual, even if it breaks the news to the dog-obsessed gently that they are, in fact, dog-obsessed. It gives helpful reminders of things like the difference between what we think dogs need versus what they actually need from us. It also helps remind those who are practicing Dogtologists in regards to relationships with those outside their practice.
I'm so grateful I had this book to turn to as we grieved in our household. There were parts I could share with my partner for us to laugh over. Parts that made me cry tears I wasn't sure I was able to cry yet. It made it clear to both of us, though we hadn't really had doubts before, that we are, and have been, Dogtologists even when we have not been "dog owners" during our relationship, and that will always be the case for us. And when we are ready, emotionally, it will be time for us to find a new CEO for our household.
Serena Marie (7 KP) rated Turtles All The Way Down in Books
Jan 23, 2018
Mental Health Issues (3 more)
Plot
Characters
Quoteable
John Green Does It Again
I will start off by saying that I love John Green. His books have always been a favorite of mine. Looking For Alaska is a book I will gravitate towards over and over again. He has such a great writing style with the most beautiful quotes. I can't get over it if we're being honest.
Mental health is a big and important topic. With something so big comes a lot of responsibility when writing about it. John Green nails it. The way he talks about Aza's OCD and how he describes her thought processes is amazing. You really start to bond with the character and feel for her. BUT, not only do you feel for her, you get frustrated with her because you start to get invested. The way that she navigates her life, her thoughts, her relationships, her everything is so well thought out by John.
I think this book has started a lot of really important conversations. People are talking about OCD. How to cope with someone who has OCD. How to cope with having it yourself. How to seek help and know that there ARE great resources out there that people don't know about. Best of all, it's helping to take away the awful stigma that seems to be attached to mental illness and mental health.
Thank you, John Green. Your books bring me peace.
Mental health is a big and important topic. With something so big comes a lot of responsibility when writing about it. John Green nails it. The way he talks about Aza's OCD and how he describes her thought processes is amazing. You really start to bond with the character and feel for her. BUT, not only do you feel for her, you get frustrated with her because you start to get invested. The way that she navigates her life, her thoughts, her relationships, her everything is so well thought out by John.
I think this book has started a lot of really important conversations. People are talking about OCD. How to cope with someone who has OCD. How to cope with having it yourself. How to seek help and know that there ARE great resources out there that people don't know about. Best of all, it's helping to take away the awful stigma that seems to be attached to mental illness and mental health.
Thank you, John Green. Your books bring me peace.
Dana (24 KP) rated Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children in Books
Mar 23, 2018
I enjoyed this book. I think it was a great set up for what is to come in the rest of the series. Working with a world that is so complex, like this one, is very difficult and requires a lot of world building which I think this book did very well.
The pacing was slow at parts, but even in those moments, it was enjoyable.
The characters were all very interesting and well thought out. I hope that in the next books there is more building on the relationships of the characters and reactions to the consequences of what they had done. I want to learn more about their Peculiarities and how they work as well.
I wish we could get more background on how the mechanics of the Home works, but I think we may get that in the next books.
I loved the integration of the images in with the story. I think it worked very well in this book, something that does not always reign true with all books set up like this.
I was lucky enough to meet Ransom Riggs at Yallwest in 2015 and he is so nice! I am so glad I finally read the book after owning it for a few years!
I would love to pick up the next two books to continue the series! I can't wait to see what they are going to do with the movie as well!
The pacing was slow at parts, but even in those moments, it was enjoyable.
The characters were all very interesting and well thought out. I hope that in the next books there is more building on the relationships of the characters and reactions to the consequences of what they had done. I want to learn more about their Peculiarities and how they work as well.
I wish we could get more background on how the mechanics of the Home works, but I think we may get that in the next books.
I loved the integration of the images in with the story. I think it worked very well in this book, something that does not always reign true with all books set up like this.
I was lucky enough to meet Ransom Riggs at Yallwest in 2015 and he is so nice! I am so glad I finally read the book after owning it for a few years!
I would love to pick up the next two books to continue the series! I can't wait to see what they are going to do with the movie as well!