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Debbiereadsbook (1202 KP) rated I've Got You in Books
Jul 3, 2019
a stunning follow up!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is sort of the second book in the set, Let Me Show You is the first, and you really should read that one, I think, to give you the full picture of what Scott did to Carter in that book, and why he feels so bad about himself in this one. Not totally NECESSARY, but I think it would help a great deal.
Scott was awful to Carter, and then came out to him, which made what Scott did all the worse. When Scott kisses Davis, Tanner’s best friend, at Carter and Tanner’s party, Scott runs. It takes a great deal of Carter to bring Scott out of himself. Davis is profoundly affected by that kiss, and he knows what Scott did to Carter was bad, but when Davis sees Scott, really SEES deep into his eyes, Davis knows Scott is desperately unhappy with his lot. But can the newly outed vet be happy with the single dad? Can he be happy, at ALL?
Like I said, I think it would help a great deal to read Carter and Tanner’s book before this one. If only to give you the full picture of what Scott did to Carter, and why Tanner is reluctant to forgive Scott, even if Carter does, and just why Scott hates himself so much. You need that bigger picture, I think. Just my personal opinion, is all.
Scott is hurting. He knows what he did was wrong, and the fact that Carter has taken it upon himself to become Scott’s best friend shocks him but gives him hope. He doesn’t know if he will ever be truly happy with himself for that, but he has to try. Meeting Davis at Carter and Tanner’s party was a bit of a revelation. He doesn’t know why he kissed Davis, but he liked it, a lot. Getting to know Davis seems like a good idea, but a deeply scary one for Scott, especially since Davis has a baby daughter.
Davis is lovely! I loved his patience with Scott, he knows Scott is hurting, and he knows Scott is newly out, so he understands explaining stuff is hard work, but very quickly, very early on, Davis knows Scott is the man for him. He just has to bide his time while Scott gets himself sorted. When Scott comes to work in Davis’ coffee shop, it gives Davis the ideal opportunity to get close to Scott. And when Scott meets Libby?? Davis is smitten, deeply!
There is, for Scott, a great deal of soul-searching in this book. Davis is an open book here and Scott is not. It takes time for Scott to come out of himself, and for the relationship between Davis and Scott to develop and I loved that. In Carter and Tanner’s review, I said I loved being made to wait for the main event but here? I wasn’t even sure we would GET the main event! It’s a close thing, I tell ya. But it’s right and proper that these two take their time, and get to know each other properly, I think.
It has some sexy time, some deeply emotional time, some funny moments and some shocking ones. Both Davis and Scott have their say, in the first person. Both voices are very different, and each change is clearly headed at the beginning of a chapter.
It also has some very homophobic comments from a shocking source, where you don’t expect them, but once you know, you understand why Scott was in a bad place before.
We leave this little town, with Scott and Davis, and Carter and Tanner happily settling down to their new lives together. We also get to meet Scott’s sister. I’d like her to be happy too. She had it tough for a long time, and reconnecting with Scott gives her the courage to do something about her life. She deserves the kind of happiness her brother has found, too, please Ms Seymour!
Not quite as warm and fuzzies and too stinking cute as Let Me Some You, but it’s a very close thing! Still. . .
5 full and shiny stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is sort of the second book in the set, Let Me Show You is the first, and you really should read that one, I think, to give you the full picture of what Scott did to Carter in that book, and why he feels so bad about himself in this one. Not totally NECESSARY, but I think it would help a great deal.
Scott was awful to Carter, and then came out to him, which made what Scott did all the worse. When Scott kisses Davis, Tanner’s best friend, at Carter and Tanner’s party, Scott runs. It takes a great deal of Carter to bring Scott out of himself. Davis is profoundly affected by that kiss, and he knows what Scott did to Carter was bad, but when Davis sees Scott, really SEES deep into his eyes, Davis knows Scott is desperately unhappy with his lot. But can the newly outed vet be happy with the single dad? Can he be happy, at ALL?
Like I said, I think it would help a great deal to read Carter and Tanner’s book before this one. If only to give you the full picture of what Scott did to Carter, and why Tanner is reluctant to forgive Scott, even if Carter does, and just why Scott hates himself so much. You need that bigger picture, I think. Just my personal opinion, is all.
Scott is hurting. He knows what he did was wrong, and the fact that Carter has taken it upon himself to become Scott’s best friend shocks him but gives him hope. He doesn’t know if he will ever be truly happy with himself for that, but he has to try. Meeting Davis at Carter and Tanner’s party was a bit of a revelation. He doesn’t know why he kissed Davis, but he liked it, a lot. Getting to know Davis seems like a good idea, but a deeply scary one for Scott, especially since Davis has a baby daughter.
Davis is lovely! I loved his patience with Scott, he knows Scott is hurting, and he knows Scott is newly out, so he understands explaining stuff is hard work, but very quickly, very early on, Davis knows Scott is the man for him. He just has to bide his time while Scott gets himself sorted. When Scott comes to work in Davis’ coffee shop, it gives Davis the ideal opportunity to get close to Scott. And when Scott meets Libby?? Davis is smitten, deeply!
There is, for Scott, a great deal of soul-searching in this book. Davis is an open book here and Scott is not. It takes time for Scott to come out of himself, and for the relationship between Davis and Scott to develop and I loved that. In Carter and Tanner’s review, I said I loved being made to wait for the main event but here? I wasn’t even sure we would GET the main event! It’s a close thing, I tell ya. But it’s right and proper that these two take their time, and get to know each other properly, I think.
It has some sexy time, some deeply emotional time, some funny moments and some shocking ones. Both Davis and Scott have their say, in the first person. Both voices are very different, and each change is clearly headed at the beginning of a chapter.
It also has some very homophobic comments from a shocking source, where you don’t expect them, but once you know, you understand why Scott was in a bad place before.
We leave this little town, with Scott and Davis, and Carter and Tanner happily settling down to their new lives together. We also get to meet Scott’s sister. I’d like her to be happy too. She had it tough for a long time, and reconnecting with Scott gives her the courage to do something about her life. She deserves the kind of happiness her brother has found, too, please Ms Seymour!
Not quite as warm and fuzzies and too stinking cute as Let Me Some You, but it’s a very close thing! Still. . .
5 full and shiny stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Turn It Up! in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<i>Turn It Up!</i> was a totally random pick I chose from my library's OverDrive catalog because they didn't have the book I so desperately wanted in my hands right at the very moment. <span style="font-size: small;">Come on, American Panda. Come to meeee.</span>
Or maybe they did but I didn't feel like reading any fantasy. I've been wanting more and more cute contemporary romances lately. <b>Give me all the cute contemporaries, bookwyrms.</b> I need to feed my latest addiction until I'm tired of it and go back to my usual fantasy groove.
Anyways...
<b>Jen Calonita's latest novel is about acapella groups.</b> I love and admire acapella (Pentatonix is one of my favorite groups) so this novel caught my eye <i>really</i> quick. <b><i>Turn It Up!</i></b><b> is essentially Pitch Perfect set in a high school setting instead of college.</b> I was hoping that I would enjoy the book a lot since it <i>is</i> about music and acapella.
Unfortunately, <strong>the book focuses too much on Lidia's and Sydney's problem with little to no progress</strong> and an ending that was basically handed over to the characters on a plate adorned with musical notes and shoes. <i>Boom.</i> Happily ever after for everyone.
This is basically the summary of the book:
<ul>
<li>Girl has a crush on a guy</li>
<li>Other girl ends up falling in love with the guy</li>
<li>Girl catches other girl and guy kissing, creates tension among friendship</li>
<li>Girl develops other interests and chases after it because it conveniently keeps her away from other girl and guy as well</li>
<li>Other girl tries to push guy but really, she's in love but she values friendship</li>
<li>Girl falls in love slowly with another guy</li>
<li>Guy somehow gets between girl and other guy by accident - oopsies</li>
<li>Girl and other girl realizes they don't have to be this way</li>
<li>Somehow they become best friends again and everyone lives happily ever after</li>
</ul>
I was expecting more... I don't know, music to be involved? There's certainly conflict among the acapella group, but it felt like the musical angle wasn't even needed to create drama among the characters since there seemed to be issues well before the acapella group became a thing. 🤷
A lot of the issues seemed to have roots since middle school/early high school - they just seemed to have escalated. And <strong>while the Pitch Perfect movie had their drama, it was at least entertaining and catchy.</strong> I can't say the same for the book.
<strong>The writing felt off</strong> - there were times where it felt awkward due to punctuation usage, mainly exclamation points. Sentences that didn't need an exclamation had one, or maybe it's just the phrasing of the sentences themselves. It didn't really help me enjoy the book more.
And then there were the characters. I don't know if it's just me, but I have a hard time thinking of how old most of the characters are. I know <i>Turn It Up! </i>is set in high school, but there were times where I felt they were a little younger. 🤔
<b>But hey, there were <em>maybe</em> a few parts that were good!</b>
<ul>
<li>Eventually, everyone got past their differences - hooray</li>
<li>There <em>is</em> a cute romance, and I definitely ship it</li>
<li>Sometimes I wanted to smush the two characters together</li>
<li>Lidia's family is cute and adorable</li>
</ul>
Anyways, those smol little bits that were good didn't make up for the bad. I wanted more from <em>Turn It Up!</em> and <strong>I got a Pitch Perfect version in book form that was less entertaining than the movie.</strong>
<a href="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/turn-it-up-by-jen-calonita-ya-pitch-perfect/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Or maybe they did but I didn't feel like reading any fantasy. I've been wanting more and more cute contemporary romances lately. <b>Give me all the cute contemporaries, bookwyrms.</b> I need to feed my latest addiction until I'm tired of it and go back to my usual fantasy groove.
Anyways...
<b>Jen Calonita's latest novel is about acapella groups.</b> I love and admire acapella (Pentatonix is one of my favorite groups) so this novel caught my eye <i>really</i> quick. <b><i>Turn It Up!</i></b><b> is essentially Pitch Perfect set in a high school setting instead of college.</b> I was hoping that I would enjoy the book a lot since it <i>is</i> about music and acapella.
Unfortunately, <strong>the book focuses too much on Lidia's and Sydney's problem with little to no progress</strong> and an ending that was basically handed over to the characters on a plate adorned with musical notes and shoes. <i>Boom.</i> Happily ever after for everyone.
This is basically the summary of the book:
<ul>
<li>Girl has a crush on a guy</li>
<li>Other girl ends up falling in love with the guy</li>
<li>Girl catches other girl and guy kissing, creates tension among friendship</li>
<li>Girl develops other interests and chases after it because it conveniently keeps her away from other girl and guy as well</li>
<li>Other girl tries to push guy but really, she's in love but she values friendship</li>
<li>Girl falls in love slowly with another guy</li>
<li>Guy somehow gets between girl and other guy by accident - oopsies</li>
<li>Girl and other girl realizes they don't have to be this way</li>
<li>Somehow they become best friends again and everyone lives happily ever after</li>
</ul>
I was expecting more... I don't know, music to be involved? There's certainly conflict among the acapella group, but it felt like the musical angle wasn't even needed to create drama among the characters since there seemed to be issues well before the acapella group became a thing. 🤷
A lot of the issues seemed to have roots since middle school/early high school - they just seemed to have escalated. And <strong>while the Pitch Perfect movie had their drama, it was at least entertaining and catchy.</strong> I can't say the same for the book.
<strong>The writing felt off</strong> - there were times where it felt awkward due to punctuation usage, mainly exclamation points. Sentences that didn't need an exclamation had one, or maybe it's just the phrasing of the sentences themselves. It didn't really help me enjoy the book more.
And then there were the characters. I don't know if it's just me, but I have a hard time thinking of how old most of the characters are. I know <i>Turn It Up! </i>is set in high school, but there were times where I felt they were a little younger. 🤔
<b>But hey, there were <em>maybe</em> a few parts that were good!</b>
<ul>
<li>Eventually, everyone got past their differences - hooray</li>
<li>There <em>is</em> a cute romance, and I definitely ship it</li>
<li>Sometimes I wanted to smush the two characters together</li>
<li>Lidia's family is cute and adorable</li>
</ul>
Anyways, those smol little bits that were good didn't make up for the bad. I wanted more from <em>Turn It Up!</em> and <strong>I got a Pitch Perfect version in book form that was less entertaining than the movie.</strong>
<a href="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/turn-it-up-by-jen-calonita-ya-pitch-perfect/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
A Bibliophagist (113 KP) rated Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe #2) in Books
Feb 5, 2020
Characters (4 more)
Plot
Pacing
Worldbuilding
That ending
A great sequel
I picked up Scythe in a challenge to myself to read something I wasn't interested in, and I chose two books popular on my feeds. One with a cover I hated (Throne of Glass) and one with a cover I liked (Scythe). I really didn't expect to love Scythe as much as I did (check out its review through my profile!) but I did! So I immediately picked up the even prettier Thunderhead. This cover is just beautiful, and as an illustrator, seeing her thank her cover artist on one of the first pages was wonderful. This review may contain minor spoilers for Scythe, so don't read it unless you've read Scythe!
We pick up where Scythe left off, after Citra gives Rowan immunity, sparing him from being gleaned even though she is chosen and takes the name, Scythe Anastasia. He goes on the run instead of being imprisoned by the Scythdom until his immunity runs out. After leaving his self imposed exile with Scythe Faraday, Rowan dons a cloak of his own, becoming a vigilante and killing (and burning) Scythes who abuse their power. The world dubs him Scythe Lucifer and everyone is trying to find him. Scythe Anastasia is learning her place in the Scythedom, a beacon of hope for the old guard, they hope she will inspire the new Scythes to turn away from the new order. Following Rowan's disposal of Scythe Goddard, the new order has made a martyr of him. The Schism amongst the Scythedom continues to grow, and all is not well. Scythe Curie and Scythe Anastasia are targetted by unknowns, attempting to kill them (permanently). Meanwhile, the Thunderhead reflects on its choice to be separate from the Scythes, Fearing what is becoming of the Scythedom, but unable to do anything, it inlists a boy, Greyson, who was essentially raised by it, to act as a liaison, never telling him to do anything in particular, but implying enough that Greyson sacrifices everything to try and help Scythe Curie and Anastasia and fulfill the Thunderhead's goals. This sacrifice doesn't go unnoticed, as a reader it felt palpable, I felt for him. On top of all this, something is stirring, ghosts are coming back to haunt the Scythedom and a shift of power puts Anastasia and Marie in the crosshairs of danger, forcing them to not only stand up for MidMerica but the entire Scythedom, even if that means facing the Grandslayers.
Shusterman does a wonderful job of continuing the story. Sticking to the world that he previously laid out and delving deeper with new perspectives like Greyson, and rather than the Scythe Journal interludes we have Thunderhead interludes which are exceptionally interesting. We learn more about this "perfect world" they now live in, and we see actual character development as both Rowan and Citra come to terms with their new lives. On top of this, the plot just continues to thicken and brew, building upon itself until it finally explodes in the finale. Holy Moley the finale. I let out an audible noise at that cliffhanger, so audible my partner checked to makes sure I was okay. I also IMMEDIATELY bought the next book. That was the cliffhangers of cliffhangers.
One of the things I applaud in these books is the romance between Citra and Rowan, it's so understated (at times, too understated) not lusting after each other, or thinking about how hot each other are. This is just an honest two people coming together who have been through crap together. It's a deep connection, and while I found it eh and slightly too understated in the first book, I grew to appreciate it's the subtlety in the second.
At times this book had larger than life moments, but even these Shusterman was able to write so well I didn't mind them, they didn't make me roll my eyes. He made his world believable, even if it sounds ridiculous when I try and explain the plot to others. This book made me cry, it made me gasp and it made me feel a full gamut of emotions. Things I didn't know a YA book could make me feel. Also, did I mention that freakin CLIFF HANGER?
Good job Shusterman, Good Job.
We pick up where Scythe left off, after Citra gives Rowan immunity, sparing him from being gleaned even though she is chosen and takes the name, Scythe Anastasia. He goes on the run instead of being imprisoned by the Scythdom until his immunity runs out. After leaving his self imposed exile with Scythe Faraday, Rowan dons a cloak of his own, becoming a vigilante and killing (and burning) Scythes who abuse their power. The world dubs him Scythe Lucifer and everyone is trying to find him. Scythe Anastasia is learning her place in the Scythedom, a beacon of hope for the old guard, they hope she will inspire the new Scythes to turn away from the new order. Following Rowan's disposal of Scythe Goddard, the new order has made a martyr of him. The Schism amongst the Scythedom continues to grow, and all is not well. Scythe Curie and Scythe Anastasia are targetted by unknowns, attempting to kill them (permanently). Meanwhile, the Thunderhead reflects on its choice to be separate from the Scythes, Fearing what is becoming of the Scythedom, but unable to do anything, it inlists a boy, Greyson, who was essentially raised by it, to act as a liaison, never telling him to do anything in particular, but implying enough that Greyson sacrifices everything to try and help Scythe Curie and Anastasia and fulfill the Thunderhead's goals. This sacrifice doesn't go unnoticed, as a reader it felt palpable, I felt for him. On top of all this, something is stirring, ghosts are coming back to haunt the Scythedom and a shift of power puts Anastasia and Marie in the crosshairs of danger, forcing them to not only stand up for MidMerica but the entire Scythedom, even if that means facing the Grandslayers.
Shusterman does a wonderful job of continuing the story. Sticking to the world that he previously laid out and delving deeper with new perspectives like Greyson, and rather than the Scythe Journal interludes we have Thunderhead interludes which are exceptionally interesting. We learn more about this "perfect world" they now live in, and we see actual character development as both Rowan and Citra come to terms with their new lives. On top of this, the plot just continues to thicken and brew, building upon itself until it finally explodes in the finale. Holy Moley the finale. I let out an audible noise at that cliffhanger, so audible my partner checked to makes sure I was okay. I also IMMEDIATELY bought the next book. That was the cliffhangers of cliffhangers.
One of the things I applaud in these books is the romance between Citra and Rowan, it's so understated (at times, too understated) not lusting after each other, or thinking about how hot each other are. This is just an honest two people coming together who have been through crap together. It's a deep connection, and while I found it eh and slightly too understated in the first book, I grew to appreciate it's the subtlety in the second.
At times this book had larger than life moments, but even these Shusterman was able to write so well I didn't mind them, they didn't make me roll my eyes. He made his world believable, even if it sounds ridiculous when I try and explain the plot to others. This book made me cry, it made me gasp and it made me feel a full gamut of emotions. Things I didn't know a YA book could make me feel. Also, did I mention that freakin CLIFF HANGER?
Good job Shusterman, Good Job.
Lottie disney bookworm (1056 KP) rated The Winter Duke in Books
Oct 13, 2020
A duchy of ice and snow above, a duchy of water and magic below, separated only by a lake of ice. Both dependent upon one another and both as violent as they are beautiful.
Ekata is a middle child within the Avenko royal family: a family who are intent on murdering each other to get to the throne. However, Ekata has no interest in the throne at all: her interests lie in biology rather than brokering treaties and she wants nothing more than to leave Kylma Above and attend university.
However, at the age of thirteen, Ekata wakes to find herself the only member of her family who has not been cursed into a permanent sleep. Suddenly, she is the Grand Duke and is expected to prove herself worthy to rule Kylma Above: conquering the world of politics and magic in order to find a way to wake her family and avoid death herself.
The Winter Duke spans only six days in its storyline. Nonetheless, this does not diminish the journey that Bartlett takes her readers on: there are twists at every turn and almost everyone seems like a villain; neither Ekata nor the reader knows whom they can trust.
Although this is very much Ekata’s story, there are so many characters surrounding her that there is a danger some of these may seem undeveloped. Thankfully, I didn’t feel this way at all. Bartlett brings something different to each character she introduces: from Sigis’ immediate repulsiveness; Eirhan’s deadpan nature and Inkar’s flirty charms. All the characters have their part to play and, although keeping track of all the ministers could be difficult at times, this only added to the overwhelming suffocation that Ekata must be feeling.
Ekata herself is an amazing protagonist: at just thirteen she makes a number of impulsive decisions which end disastrously – so why do we, as a reader, not get frustrated with her? Again, I feel that this is due, in part, to the dizzying number of secondary characters. The reader witnesses the sheer number of commitments that fall onto the shoulders of one who never aspired to this role: we attend unwanted proposals; hear the accusations of murdering her own family; comprehend that she is used as a pawn by her Prime Minister and constantly see Ekata’s authority undermined due to her sex. It is impossible not to empathise with her desperate need to return to her normal life.
Sexism plays a large part in Ekata’s story, with Sigis immediately heralded as the solution to her problems due to his position as a strong man with an army. Inkar is also underestimated due to being female: before she then shatters these perceptions with her axes, her willingness to fight and her protective nature over Ekata.
However, The Winter Duke has to be commended for the gender fluidity within its pages. The brideshow is made of men and women, at least one minister is non-binary and the only romance within this novel is between two queer females. This was such a natural romance as well, slow-burning and cautious due to the politics involved but one that, when the walls of both women came down, could achieve the impossible.
The world building by Claire Eliza Bartlett in this novel is second to none. Kylma Above is impressive with its ice palaces and winter roses invading every corner. However, Kylma Below, the duchy below the ice is magical and sinister in equal measure. With fields of magic, sharks used in tribunals, and coral gardens, it wasn’t only Ekata who wanted to explore further.
Quite a few YA novels recently have included queer women smashing the patriarchy. This is the first one I have read where they smash the autocracy.
Ekata’s journey to find out what kind of ruler she will be is encapsulating and riveting. In a story where the betrayal just keeps coming, Ekata remains loyal to the end – despite the epilogue proving that this is never appreciated. The world of Kylma was immersive and the themes of politics, murder, sexism and violence are swept up by the breezy writing style to create a book that was impossible to put down.
Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this wonderful novel.
Ekata is a middle child within the Avenko royal family: a family who are intent on murdering each other to get to the throne. However, Ekata has no interest in the throne at all: her interests lie in biology rather than brokering treaties and she wants nothing more than to leave Kylma Above and attend university.
However, at the age of thirteen, Ekata wakes to find herself the only member of her family who has not been cursed into a permanent sleep. Suddenly, she is the Grand Duke and is expected to prove herself worthy to rule Kylma Above: conquering the world of politics and magic in order to find a way to wake her family and avoid death herself.
The Winter Duke spans only six days in its storyline. Nonetheless, this does not diminish the journey that Bartlett takes her readers on: there are twists at every turn and almost everyone seems like a villain; neither Ekata nor the reader knows whom they can trust.
Although this is very much Ekata’s story, there are so many characters surrounding her that there is a danger some of these may seem undeveloped. Thankfully, I didn’t feel this way at all. Bartlett brings something different to each character she introduces: from Sigis’ immediate repulsiveness; Eirhan’s deadpan nature and Inkar’s flirty charms. All the characters have their part to play and, although keeping track of all the ministers could be difficult at times, this only added to the overwhelming suffocation that Ekata must be feeling.
Ekata herself is an amazing protagonist: at just thirteen she makes a number of impulsive decisions which end disastrously – so why do we, as a reader, not get frustrated with her? Again, I feel that this is due, in part, to the dizzying number of secondary characters. The reader witnesses the sheer number of commitments that fall onto the shoulders of one who never aspired to this role: we attend unwanted proposals; hear the accusations of murdering her own family; comprehend that she is used as a pawn by her Prime Minister and constantly see Ekata’s authority undermined due to her sex. It is impossible not to empathise with her desperate need to return to her normal life.
Sexism plays a large part in Ekata’s story, with Sigis immediately heralded as the solution to her problems due to his position as a strong man with an army. Inkar is also underestimated due to being female: before she then shatters these perceptions with her axes, her willingness to fight and her protective nature over Ekata.
However, The Winter Duke has to be commended for the gender fluidity within its pages. The brideshow is made of men and women, at least one minister is non-binary and the only romance within this novel is between two queer females. This was such a natural romance as well, slow-burning and cautious due to the politics involved but one that, when the walls of both women came down, could achieve the impossible.
The world building by Claire Eliza Bartlett in this novel is second to none. Kylma Above is impressive with its ice palaces and winter roses invading every corner. However, Kylma Below, the duchy below the ice is magical and sinister in equal measure. With fields of magic, sharks used in tribunals, and coral gardens, it wasn’t only Ekata who wanted to explore further.
Quite a few YA novels recently have included queer women smashing the patriarchy. This is the first one I have read where they smash the autocracy.
Ekata’s journey to find out what kind of ruler she will be is encapsulating and riveting. In a story where the betrayal just keeps coming, Ekata remains loyal to the end – despite the epilogue proving that this is never appreciated. The world of Kylma was immersive and the themes of politics, murder, sexism and violence are swept up by the breezy writing style to create a book that was impossible to put down.
Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this wonderful novel.
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated Nothing Tastes as Good in Books
Jun 24, 2019
I happened to see this book by chance, in my local library. I was drawn to it because it's cover, it's title - I'm anorexic, and I happen to be drawn to things relating to mental health. It doesn't expressly say on it that it's about anorexia, but the cover made it pretty obvious to me. A warning to anyone that wants to read it: it's hard. If you suffer from something like this, like me, then you will probably have difficulty reading something so close to home. Especially if you're recovering. But it gets better. (I mean the book; I'm not using that "life gets better" crap.)
So Annabel is dead. I'm studying The Lovely Bones at school so the whole beyond-death narration isn't that special to me now. But Hennessy does it pretty differently to Sebold.
We don't know much about Annabel, not at first. But we begin to learn about her while she helps her assigned "soul-in-need" - The Boss (definitely not God) has promised her a final communication with her family if she helps Julia. And this looks easy, at first - Julia is from Annabel's old school, with a loving family and good grades. Everything is fine, except she's fat. Annabel thinks this should be easy - after all, she's an expert in weight loss. She lost weight until she died.
But Annabel soon finds out that Julia's issues are a whole lot more complex than her weight. At first, losing weight helps. But then her old scars come back to haunt her, and Annabel realises that maybe losing weight isn't going to fix all her problems.
Aside from the obvious issue, this book does talk about a lot of important topics. It covers friendships and relationships, like most YA novels do, but it also combats ideas on feminism, affairs with older men, and people all having their own hidden demons.
At first, I wasn't keen on Annabel. I wanted to like her - I felt I should, because I could relate to her story so much. But she was a bitch. She wanted other people to be like her, and rather than encouraging recovery and health and happiness, she shared tipped on weight loss. It really did hurt to read. Her ideas on "perfection" and being weak for eating just really hit a nerve for me. Not because it was wrong (though I'd never encourage an eating disorder in someone else), but because it's exactly how I'd think about myself. Her behaviours, her worries, her anger - they were so real.
But Annabel, despite being dead, grows alongside Julia. Yes, she tells Julia to starve herself and run on an empty stomach and hate herself, but eventually she starts to feel for her. She wants Julia to combat her issues, to actually be happy. And she realises, despite having been so upset with her old friends for recovering, that maybe she wasted her life. Maybe she could have been something more, rather than striving to be less.
I found this really emotional. Annabel's love for her sister, the sister she neglected for years while she was focused on her goals, and the future she cut short. The way Julia's life changed when her passion for writing and journalism was overtaken by her obsession with food, calories, exercise. It's so real and so sad. And the ending isn't "happily ever after" - Annabel's still dead, Julia's in counselling - but it's real. It gives hope that things can change, that Julia can really achieve happiness.
At first, I didn't like this that much. I know Annabel is just a character, but I just didn't like her. She was one of those girls that makes anorexia sound like a choice, a lifestyle, and I hated that. But later she realises she is sick, and I actually felt sorry for her. I was sorry that she had been brainwashed by her illness into believing she was doing what was right.
The only reason I'm giving just 4.5 stars to this book is because Annabel was a bitch. Yes, she is a character, and yes, she grows considerably throughout the novel, but her encouragement of EDs just drove me insane. Personal pet peeve, I guess.
So Annabel is dead. I'm studying The Lovely Bones at school so the whole beyond-death narration isn't that special to me now. But Hennessy does it pretty differently to Sebold.
We don't know much about Annabel, not at first. But we begin to learn about her while she helps her assigned "soul-in-need" - The Boss (definitely not God) has promised her a final communication with her family if she helps Julia. And this looks easy, at first - Julia is from Annabel's old school, with a loving family and good grades. Everything is fine, except she's fat. Annabel thinks this should be easy - after all, she's an expert in weight loss. She lost weight until she died.
But Annabel soon finds out that Julia's issues are a whole lot more complex than her weight. At first, losing weight helps. But then her old scars come back to haunt her, and Annabel realises that maybe losing weight isn't going to fix all her problems.
Aside from the obvious issue, this book does talk about a lot of important topics. It covers friendships and relationships, like most YA novels do, but it also combats ideas on feminism, affairs with older men, and people all having their own hidden demons.
At first, I wasn't keen on Annabel. I wanted to like her - I felt I should, because I could relate to her story so much. But she was a bitch. She wanted other people to be like her, and rather than encouraging recovery and health and happiness, she shared tipped on weight loss. It really did hurt to read. Her ideas on "perfection" and being weak for eating just really hit a nerve for me. Not because it was wrong (though I'd never encourage an eating disorder in someone else), but because it's exactly how I'd think about myself. Her behaviours, her worries, her anger - they were so real.
But Annabel, despite being dead, grows alongside Julia. Yes, she tells Julia to starve herself and run on an empty stomach and hate herself, but eventually she starts to feel for her. She wants Julia to combat her issues, to actually be happy. And she realises, despite having been so upset with her old friends for recovering, that maybe she wasted her life. Maybe she could have been something more, rather than striving to be less.
I found this really emotional. Annabel's love for her sister, the sister she neglected for years while she was focused on her goals, and the future she cut short. The way Julia's life changed when her passion for writing and journalism was overtaken by her obsession with food, calories, exercise. It's so real and so sad. And the ending isn't "happily ever after" - Annabel's still dead, Julia's in counselling - but it's real. It gives hope that things can change, that Julia can really achieve happiness.
At first, I didn't like this that much. I know Annabel is just a character, but I just didn't like her. She was one of those girls that makes anorexia sound like a choice, a lifestyle, and I hated that. But later she realises she is sick, and I actually felt sorry for her. I was sorry that she had been brainwashed by her illness into believing she was doing what was right.
The only reason I'm giving just 4.5 stars to this book is because Annabel was a bitch. Yes, she is a character, and yes, she grows considerably throughout the novel, but her encouragement of EDs just drove me insane. Personal pet peeve, I guess.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Before I Let Go in Books
Jan 5, 2018
Easy to read (1 more)
Honest portrayal of mental illness
Lacks full character development (1 more)
Difficult to discern full point
Quick read that falls a little short
When Corey gets the call that her best friend, Kyra, has passed away--falling under the ice in their frigid hometown of Lost Creek, Alaska--she is devastated. Corey has been gone from Lost, as it's known, away at boarding school, corresponding with Kyra only via letters. She was due to visit in a few days and now her best friend is gone. Lost always shunned Kyra because she was bipolar and had maniac episodes. The small, insulated town couldn't understand Kyra's highs and lows. She stood out too much in a place where being different was wrong. But the seven months that Corey's been away has been long enough for the town of Lost to turn on her and now deem her an outsider. Since Corey's departure, Lost has suddenly embraced Kyra, though Corey isn't sure why. Even worse, they are calling Kyra's death meant to be, her time. They've rallied around in her death and they want nothing to do with Corey. Kyra always said she would wait for Corey to return: why didn't she?
I definitely have some mixed feelings about this one. It's billed as a YA mystery, and I can see its drama appealing more to teens, perhaps, but I could never really fully tell what the book was truly about or what it was trying to be. It has weird unexplained mystical elements thrown in--think Carol Goodman or Jennifer McMahon, but they aren't fully fleshed out or well-explained. I believe the intent is to slowly build up suspense and creep you out, but they don't slowly build up (they sort of start out full force and stay there, or almost trickle away... it's hard to explain) and they never really seem to have a purpose. So it's just one element of the book that leaves you hanging. The ending, too, leaves you with little closure.
The novel is told mainly from Corey's perspective, but we also get weird snippets told as if in a play format (like we're hearing from the town), but those aren't fully formed either. It's very strange. I liked Corey, but she comes in angry at her town and we don't get a lot of explanation into her character or real background into her friendship with Kyra, despite being assured that they were best friends up until Corey left.
It's sad, because I was really drawn to the character of Kyra (you get flashbacks to the girls' friendship and life before Kyra's death). I thought the book did a fairly good job of portraying mental illness and honestly Kyra--despite her death--seemed to be the most fully formed character in many ways. She implores Corey not to fix her, that she's not a puzzle to solve, and she discusses her manic spells in a very mature and very thoughtful way. It's one of the reasons that I'm keeping a three-star rating for this one; I'm hoping the portrayal of her illness can help and inform others.
There are also a variety of relationships portrayed in the novel--albeit, I thought, rather superficially--lesbian, pansexual, asexual, gay, etc. I wouldn't say any relationship is at all fully delved into, but I appreciate that Nijkamp at least wanted to try to be representative with her characters.
The other thing is that Nijkamp's books are just so darn easy to read. I remember that about This Is Where It Ends, too. I read almost this entire novel in one setting. Her writing draws you in so easily, even if you don't always agree with what you're reading, or if you wish for more character development. You could pick this up and fly through it in a day.
In the end, this certainly wasn't what I expected. The strange mystical elements seemed out of place and they, along with most of the characters, weren't really fleshed out. I was a fan of how easy the story was to read and the mental illness portrayal, though, as well as how easy the story was to read. I was drawn to the character of Kyra and wished I could have learned even more about her. The story was compelling and Nijkamp did an excellent job making you feel the cold of the Alaskan setting and the similar coldness of the townspeople. At the same time, while I could certainly see a small town being incredibly close-minded (and they were), some of the other plot points seemed a little overboard. A quick read, especially for teens.
I definitely have some mixed feelings about this one. It's billed as a YA mystery, and I can see its drama appealing more to teens, perhaps, but I could never really fully tell what the book was truly about or what it was trying to be. It has weird unexplained mystical elements thrown in--think Carol Goodman or Jennifer McMahon, but they aren't fully fleshed out or well-explained. I believe the intent is to slowly build up suspense and creep you out, but they don't slowly build up (they sort of start out full force and stay there, or almost trickle away... it's hard to explain) and they never really seem to have a purpose. So it's just one element of the book that leaves you hanging. The ending, too, leaves you with little closure.
The novel is told mainly from Corey's perspective, but we also get weird snippets told as if in a play format (like we're hearing from the town), but those aren't fully formed either. It's very strange. I liked Corey, but she comes in angry at her town and we don't get a lot of explanation into her character or real background into her friendship with Kyra, despite being assured that they were best friends up until Corey left.
It's sad, because I was really drawn to the character of Kyra (you get flashbacks to the girls' friendship and life before Kyra's death). I thought the book did a fairly good job of portraying mental illness and honestly Kyra--despite her death--seemed to be the most fully formed character in many ways. She implores Corey not to fix her, that she's not a puzzle to solve, and she discusses her manic spells in a very mature and very thoughtful way. It's one of the reasons that I'm keeping a three-star rating for this one; I'm hoping the portrayal of her illness can help and inform others.
There are also a variety of relationships portrayed in the novel--albeit, I thought, rather superficially--lesbian, pansexual, asexual, gay, etc. I wouldn't say any relationship is at all fully delved into, but I appreciate that Nijkamp at least wanted to try to be representative with her characters.
The other thing is that Nijkamp's books are just so darn easy to read. I remember that about This Is Where It Ends, too. I read almost this entire novel in one setting. Her writing draws you in so easily, even if you don't always agree with what you're reading, or if you wish for more character development. You could pick this up and fly through it in a day.
In the end, this certainly wasn't what I expected. The strange mystical elements seemed out of place and they, along with most of the characters, weren't really fleshed out. I was a fan of how easy the story was to read and the mental illness portrayal, though, as well as how easy the story was to read. I was drawn to the character of Kyra and wished I could have learned even more about her. The story was compelling and Nijkamp did an excellent job making you feel the cold of the Alaskan setting and the similar coldness of the townspeople. At the same time, while I could certainly see a small town being incredibly close-minded (and they were), some of the other plot points seemed a little overboard. A quick read, especially for teens.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Zombies Vs. Unicorns in Books
Feb 15, 2019
<b>Book Review</b>
I had heard about this feud soon after it started, so when news that a book was coming out I had to read it. C'mon, zombies and unicorns, this is a combination I couldn't miss out on. After a lackluster and disappointing start, with many stories I didn't like at all, I was starting to think I'd have a hard time finishing the book, even with the different authors. It wasn't until The Children of the Revolution by Maureen Johnson on page 147 that the stories picked up and I ended up enjoying the rest, though my enjoyment deviated from okay to great. The "arguments" between editors Holly Black (Team Unicorn) and Justine Larbalestier (Team Zombie) were usually quite amusing, though they themselves don't contribute to the book. I, for one, would have liked to have read their takes on their chosen teams.
I'm not going to review each story individually, but list them with my (very) basic impression of the story. The book has varying degrees of gore, cursing, sexual innuendo and references, bestiality (you read that right, but it's more referred to than shown, thank goodness), suicide, and other violent acts.
<u>Stories</u> (in order of appearance):
*The Highest Justice by Garth Nix (Marked as a unicorn story, this is actually both unicorn and zombie. A decent story.)
*Love Will Tear Us Apart by Alaya Dawn Johnson (Zombie. Did not care for this at all)
*Purity Test by Naomi Novik (Unicorn. Didn't hate this story, but wasn't fond of it either)
*Bougainvillea by Carrie Ryan (Zombie. Didn't like.)
*A Thousand Flowers by Margo Lanagan (Unicorn. Also wasn't fond of.)
*The Children of the Revolution by Maureen Johnson (Zombie. Rather twisted, but so am I, so I enjoyed it.)
*The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn by Diana Peterfreund (Unicorn. My favorite story in the anthology.)
*Inoculata by Scott Westerfield (Zombie. Pretty good.)
*Princess Prettypants by Meg Cabot (Unicorn. Very tongue-in-cheek, I liked this story a lot.)
*Cold Hands by Cassandra Clare (Zombie. Interesting world created here. Definitely passed my likability test.)
*The Third Virgin by Kathleen Duey (Unicorn. An okay story.)
*Prom Night by Libba Bray (Zombie. Second favorite of the book and very close to a tie with Peterfreund's tale.)
The unicorn stories went in many different directions, with all sorts of unicorns, while most of the zombie stories stayed where you would expect them and had typical zombies, though there were a few surprises still in store. I went into this as Team Zombie, and while my favorite was a unicorn story, I still firmly remain with the shamblers. Overall, I ended up enjoying the majority of the book, so if you're interested in zombies, unicorns, or especially both, pick this up for an interesting assortment of stories.
3.5 stars for the print version
<b>Audio Review</b>
This unabridged CD set includes ten discs, which average a little over one story each, though generally there is one whole story bookended by the end of one preceding it and the start of another afterward that will continue onto the next disc. They have very short chapters, generally less than a minute and I could tell when each chapter ended and the next began, which didn't make for totally smooth listening but it also wasn't too bad either. I would have rather have had longer chapters that had a clearer starting and stopping point to make it easier to find my place again. Most of the readers, both male and female, sound fairly young, which makes sense since this is a YA anthology, but the majority also sounded as if they were reading to school children, which makes for annoying listening. I found most of the voices grating and unfortunately none of them are named for me to be more specific. However, the one male was fine and the woman who did Diana Peterfreund was good and I believe she also narrated one or two others in the book. The use of sound effects break up stories, a groan that also says "brains" for zombies and trumpets and a horse whinny for unicorns. Immediately after is the intro from the editors with their ongoing debate that became increasingly irritating as I read on; this may have to do with how they performed those discussions. As written word, these exchanges are far more entertaining. For the most part, I really didn't enjoy listening to this and much prefer reading it in print.
2 stars for audio
I had heard about this feud soon after it started, so when news that a book was coming out I had to read it. C'mon, zombies and unicorns, this is a combination I couldn't miss out on. After a lackluster and disappointing start, with many stories I didn't like at all, I was starting to think I'd have a hard time finishing the book, even with the different authors. It wasn't until The Children of the Revolution by Maureen Johnson on page 147 that the stories picked up and I ended up enjoying the rest, though my enjoyment deviated from okay to great. The "arguments" between editors Holly Black (Team Unicorn) and Justine Larbalestier (Team Zombie) were usually quite amusing, though they themselves don't contribute to the book. I, for one, would have liked to have read their takes on their chosen teams.
I'm not going to review each story individually, but list them with my (very) basic impression of the story. The book has varying degrees of gore, cursing, sexual innuendo and references, bestiality (you read that right, but it's more referred to than shown, thank goodness), suicide, and other violent acts.
<u>Stories</u> (in order of appearance):
*The Highest Justice by Garth Nix (Marked as a unicorn story, this is actually both unicorn and zombie. A decent story.)
*Love Will Tear Us Apart by Alaya Dawn Johnson (Zombie. Did not care for this at all)
*Purity Test by Naomi Novik (Unicorn. Didn't hate this story, but wasn't fond of it either)
*Bougainvillea by Carrie Ryan (Zombie. Didn't like.)
*A Thousand Flowers by Margo Lanagan (Unicorn. Also wasn't fond of.)
*The Children of the Revolution by Maureen Johnson (Zombie. Rather twisted, but so am I, so I enjoyed it.)
*The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn by Diana Peterfreund (Unicorn. My favorite story in the anthology.)
*Inoculata by Scott Westerfield (Zombie. Pretty good.)
*Princess Prettypants by Meg Cabot (Unicorn. Very tongue-in-cheek, I liked this story a lot.)
*Cold Hands by Cassandra Clare (Zombie. Interesting world created here. Definitely passed my likability test.)
*The Third Virgin by Kathleen Duey (Unicorn. An okay story.)
*Prom Night by Libba Bray (Zombie. Second favorite of the book and very close to a tie with Peterfreund's tale.)
The unicorn stories went in many different directions, with all sorts of unicorns, while most of the zombie stories stayed where you would expect them and had typical zombies, though there were a few surprises still in store. I went into this as Team Zombie, and while my favorite was a unicorn story, I still firmly remain with the shamblers. Overall, I ended up enjoying the majority of the book, so if you're interested in zombies, unicorns, or especially both, pick this up for an interesting assortment of stories.
3.5 stars for the print version
<b>Audio Review</b>
This unabridged CD set includes ten discs, which average a little over one story each, though generally there is one whole story bookended by the end of one preceding it and the start of another afterward that will continue onto the next disc. They have very short chapters, generally less than a minute and I could tell when each chapter ended and the next began, which didn't make for totally smooth listening but it also wasn't too bad either. I would have rather have had longer chapters that had a clearer starting and stopping point to make it easier to find my place again. Most of the readers, both male and female, sound fairly young, which makes sense since this is a YA anthology, but the majority also sounded as if they were reading to school children, which makes for annoying listening. I found most of the voices grating and unfortunately none of them are named for me to be more specific. However, the one male was fine and the woman who did Diana Peterfreund was good and I believe she also narrated one or two others in the book. The use of sound effects break up stories, a groan that also says "brains" for zombies and trumpets and a horse whinny for unicorns. Immediately after is the intro from the editors with their ongoing debate that became increasingly irritating as I read on; this may have to do with how they performed those discussions. As written word, these exchanges are far more entertaining. For the most part, I really didn't enjoy listening to this and much prefer reading it in print.
2 stars for audio
Debbiereadsbook (1202 KP) rated Claimed (Breaking Free #7) in Books
Mar 19, 2019
5 star series!!
**verified purchase Jan 2019**
This is book 7 in the Breaking Free series, although there are 8 books, with a short that spans across 3 and 4. I would STRONGLY, HIGHLY, ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY recommend that you read the other books before this one. BUT while I do say that, this one is far more a stand alone than the others. Things are recapped and caught up, but it takes a different path, as well as winding with the on-going story arc that continues through the other books.
We met Brandt, an Alpha, along the way: he is boos to the other police officers in the series, boos to ALL of them. He lost his pregnant mate, Ollie, ten years ago without a trace and has finally decided he should (mostly) move on. Going to an anonymous sex party seems the best way to get some sexual relief, without the commitment he cannot make. Meeting Little Blue, however, makes him change his mind. We met Demir, a beta, in book four, Found. He is Isa Higgs youngest son and was 15 at the time. Now an adult and betrayed by the person he thought he loved, Demir also attends said party. Big Red is just the person who pushes all of Demir's buttons and then some. There is a true connection between these two, but when they discover who Brandt is to Demir's father, they keep their relationship a secret, for now. Oliver is in the province to speak at a conference about omega trafficking. He cannot remember a time before ten years ago, when he was found in a van wreck. Meeting Brandt makes him feel . . . .something . . . .he's not sure what though. when Brandt explains who he is to Oliver, things begin to drop into place. But when Brandt tells Oliver about Demir, and that he simply cannot choose, Oliver presents a solution that will at least give them all a chance. Can they make it work?
This one, I found, was like a watching a train wreck coming at ya,it really was. You KNOW there is going to be fall out when Demir and Brandt find out who they are to each other. You KNOW there is going to be a big ole mess when Brandt and Ollie come face to face again. You KNOW that Ollie is going to fight this with every fibre of his being. You bloody well KNOW the Oliver's brother in law is not as . .pure . . in his intentions to Oliver after the death of his husband. An you KNOW, that when Isa finds out about the three of them, he is gonna go nuts. And there ain't a damn thing you can do to stop it! You just watch, and read, and wait and see how it all turns out! Amazing reading, I have to say.
I loved that it was OLLIE who came up with the solution to their predicament. That HE suggested they at least try to be a poly-family, since in his home of the last ten years it really is quite common. Loved that Ollie took Demir into his heart very quickly, the younger man making him feel as safe as Brandt did.
But Isa?? I wanted to punch Isa bloody Higgs so bad! After everything he has told his sons about being betas, that they can do anything, be anything they want to, as much as the alphas can, and he goes and says THAT to Demir! Not saying what, but if you've read these books, you can probably guess. He does redeem himself, but still, a punch was heading his way!
All the other guys pop up in this books, at some point or other, and it's great watching the babies grow up together. Seeing them already forming bonds: alpha, beta and omega all together is great. It would be amazing to catch up with these babies, as they grow and have babies of their own!
So, now, I'm sad! I only started this series because books one and two were shared with me, and I needed something to clear my head after a particularly heavy book. I thought this might be a good hangover cure! And BOY was I wrong, in the best way! Not a hangover cure, not in the least, but another deep dark book that pulled my into an eight book series, that did NOT let me go!
Thank you, Ms Arthur, for pulling into your worlds. I have some other books to read next!
5 amazing, but sad to see it end, stars
**same worded review ill appear elsewhere**
This is book 7 in the Breaking Free series, although there are 8 books, with a short that spans across 3 and 4. I would STRONGLY, HIGHLY, ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY recommend that you read the other books before this one. BUT while I do say that, this one is far more a stand alone than the others. Things are recapped and caught up, but it takes a different path, as well as winding with the on-going story arc that continues through the other books.
We met Brandt, an Alpha, along the way: he is boos to the other police officers in the series, boos to ALL of them. He lost his pregnant mate, Ollie, ten years ago without a trace and has finally decided he should (mostly) move on. Going to an anonymous sex party seems the best way to get some sexual relief, without the commitment he cannot make. Meeting Little Blue, however, makes him change his mind. We met Demir, a beta, in book four, Found. He is Isa Higgs youngest son and was 15 at the time. Now an adult and betrayed by the person he thought he loved, Demir also attends said party. Big Red is just the person who pushes all of Demir's buttons and then some. There is a true connection between these two, but when they discover who Brandt is to Demir's father, they keep their relationship a secret, for now. Oliver is in the province to speak at a conference about omega trafficking. He cannot remember a time before ten years ago, when he was found in a van wreck. Meeting Brandt makes him feel . . . .something . . . .he's not sure what though. when Brandt explains who he is to Oliver, things begin to drop into place. But when Brandt tells Oliver about Demir, and that he simply cannot choose, Oliver presents a solution that will at least give them all a chance. Can they make it work?
This one, I found, was like a watching a train wreck coming at ya,it really was. You KNOW there is going to be fall out when Demir and Brandt find out who they are to each other. You KNOW there is going to be a big ole mess when Brandt and Ollie come face to face again. You KNOW that Ollie is going to fight this with every fibre of his being. You bloody well KNOW the Oliver's brother in law is not as . .pure . . in his intentions to Oliver after the death of his husband. An you KNOW, that when Isa finds out about the three of them, he is gonna go nuts. And there ain't a damn thing you can do to stop it! You just watch, and read, and wait and see how it all turns out! Amazing reading, I have to say.
I loved that it was OLLIE who came up with the solution to their predicament. That HE suggested they at least try to be a poly-family, since in his home of the last ten years it really is quite common. Loved that Ollie took Demir into his heart very quickly, the younger man making him feel as safe as Brandt did.
But Isa?? I wanted to punch Isa bloody Higgs so bad! After everything he has told his sons about being betas, that they can do anything, be anything they want to, as much as the alphas can, and he goes and says THAT to Demir! Not saying what, but if you've read these books, you can probably guess. He does redeem himself, but still, a punch was heading his way!
All the other guys pop up in this books, at some point or other, and it's great watching the babies grow up together. Seeing them already forming bonds: alpha, beta and omega all together is great. It would be amazing to catch up with these babies, as they grow and have babies of their own!
So, now, I'm sad! I only started this series because books one and two were shared with me, and I needed something to clear my head after a particularly heavy book. I thought this might be a good hangover cure! And BOY was I wrong, in the best way! Not a hangover cure, not in the least, but another deep dark book that pulled my into an eight book series, that did NOT let me go!
Thank you, Ms Arthur, for pulling into your worlds. I have some other books to read next!
5 amazing, but sad to see it end, stars
**same worded review ill appear elsewhere**
Olivia (102 KP) rated Under Rose-Tainted Skies in Books
Mar 27, 2019
If you want an accurate representation of what it's like to live with mental health issues, read this book. Please.
Going into this book I was worried about two things:
1. Is this a story of a boy magically curing a girl?
2. Will the representation of mental illness be good/accurate/consistent, or will it just show up every couple of chapters to move the story along?
Rest assured, it is neither of those negative things.
The struggles of mental illness are on every single page. And they aren't underplayed. They aren't made to be cute and quirky. Norah bites her hand, scratches until she bleeds, curls up into herself, has horrible panic attacks and so much more. I cannot express how important it is for these things to be shown. They aren't exactly fun or easy to read, but neither is experiencing those things first hand.
It's so important to see this type of representation in media, it doesn't make everything better, but it helps make a person feel less alone, so a huge thank you to Louise Gornall for sharing her experiences and her brain-child with the world.
The relationship was so sweet, what a great fella that Luke is. He doesn't magically cure her, he doesn't pull her out of her house and take her to a crowded venue to experience what life is. He is understanding, and when he doesn't understand he puts the effort in to fix that. He's just such a great guy and I want me someone like that in my life. Someone who won't push, but who won't let you burrow into yourself either.
Whilst being a quick read, it was far from being an easy read. As someone with mental health problems, I related heavily to many of the moments in the books, and that was difficult. It makes you view the way you think and behave from a different perspective. When I'm doing or saying or thinking something self-destructive, I feel like I deserve it. But seeing someone else go through maybe not the same, but similar things... it really makes you look at yourself and forces you to reevaluate your actions. It's not a cure, but it makes you think, and sometimes that's a much-needed thing.
There is a self-harm scene that's difficult to read, not because Gornall makes it this bloody disgusting mess, but because she takes you through the thought process. Before it happens, while it's happening, immediately after it happens and then a minute or so after. It's rough to read, but again, very important for it to be represented in a way like that. I've never read another book that deals with self-harm like that. Even more so, the book goes into how self-harming takes many forms, it's not just cutting. It's digging nails until your flesh breaks, not eating, peeling back your cuticles. Again, it's a lot.
As heavy as this book can be, it's also one that'll make you smile. Not just for the witty lines such as:
"Beyond the fire and brimstone, everyone has their own idea of hell. Shopping, doing Common Core math, fish-nibbling-at-your-feet spa treatments, or having to spend an eternity surrounded by people who click pens"
And
"It means we take all our clothes off, and he turns into a koala, clinging to me like a tree while we watch TV."
As much as I love seeing someone bash Common Core and make sex jokes with their mom, that's not the only reason why I was smiling throughout this book. It was impossible to not feel a connection towards Norah. She is just a character that you will find yourself constantly rooting for. With every small achievement she made, I couldn't help but smile. It was like watching your best friend stress and worry about something for weeks just to see them finally do the thing and see how okay they are, how happy they are. That's how this book made me feel towards Norah. That odd sense of pride.
Really the only thing that bothered me from time to time was that the authors British showed, such as the way characters would speak or the words used that aren't commonly used in America, as the story takes place in California. Also, the pacing was a bit weird to me, but not so much so that I couldn't enjoy the book.
Seriously, if you want a book that deals with mental health in an accurate way, read this. Of course, everyone experiences things differently and all that, but this is seriously one of the most realistic portrayals in YA that I've read.
Going into this book I was worried about two things:
1. Is this a story of a boy magically curing a girl?
2. Will the representation of mental illness be good/accurate/consistent, or will it just show up every couple of chapters to move the story along?
Rest assured, it is neither of those negative things.
The struggles of mental illness are on every single page. And they aren't underplayed. They aren't made to be cute and quirky. Norah bites her hand, scratches until she bleeds, curls up into herself, has horrible panic attacks and so much more. I cannot express how important it is for these things to be shown. They aren't exactly fun or easy to read, but neither is experiencing those things first hand.
It's so important to see this type of representation in media, it doesn't make everything better, but it helps make a person feel less alone, so a huge thank you to Louise Gornall for sharing her experiences and her brain-child with the world.
The relationship was so sweet, what a great fella that Luke is. He doesn't magically cure her, he doesn't pull her out of her house and take her to a crowded venue to experience what life is. He is understanding, and when he doesn't understand he puts the effort in to fix that. He's just such a great guy and I want me someone like that in my life. Someone who won't push, but who won't let you burrow into yourself either.
Whilst being a quick read, it was far from being an easy read. As someone with mental health problems, I related heavily to many of the moments in the books, and that was difficult. It makes you view the way you think and behave from a different perspective. When I'm doing or saying or thinking something self-destructive, I feel like I deserve it. But seeing someone else go through maybe not the same, but similar things... it really makes you look at yourself and forces you to reevaluate your actions. It's not a cure, but it makes you think, and sometimes that's a much-needed thing.
There is a self-harm scene that's difficult to read, not because Gornall makes it this bloody disgusting mess, but because she takes you through the thought process. Before it happens, while it's happening, immediately after it happens and then a minute or so after. It's rough to read, but again, very important for it to be represented in a way like that. I've never read another book that deals with self-harm like that. Even more so, the book goes into how self-harming takes many forms, it's not just cutting. It's digging nails until your flesh breaks, not eating, peeling back your cuticles. Again, it's a lot.
As heavy as this book can be, it's also one that'll make you smile. Not just for the witty lines such as:
"Beyond the fire and brimstone, everyone has their own idea of hell. Shopping, doing Common Core math, fish-nibbling-at-your-feet spa treatments, or having to spend an eternity surrounded by people who click pens"
And
"It means we take all our clothes off, and he turns into a koala, clinging to me like a tree while we watch TV."
As much as I love seeing someone bash Common Core and make sex jokes with their mom, that's not the only reason why I was smiling throughout this book. It was impossible to not feel a connection towards Norah. She is just a character that you will find yourself constantly rooting for. With every small achievement she made, I couldn't help but smile. It was like watching your best friend stress and worry about something for weeks just to see them finally do the thing and see how okay they are, how happy they are. That's how this book made me feel towards Norah. That odd sense of pride.
Really the only thing that bothered me from time to time was that the authors British showed, such as the way characters would speak or the words used that aren't commonly used in America, as the story takes place in California. Also, the pacing was a bit weird to me, but not so much so that I couldn't enjoy the book.
Seriously, if you want a book that deals with mental health in an accurate way, read this. Of course, everyone experiences things differently and all that, but this is seriously one of the most realistic portrayals in YA that I've read.
Eilidh G Clark (177 KP) Jul 4, 2019