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All the Crooked Saints
All the Crooked Saints
Maggie Stiefvater | 2017 | Paranormal, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
7.8 (12 Ratings)
Book Rating
Music (2 more)
Mental Illness
Family
Owls (0 more)
Saints Have Darkness, Too
Forget all you know about Stiefvater's previous books.

Okay, don't forget everything. Let me make it a bit clearer. Forget the characters you've known before. Forget the twists and turns, plots, and bits of information before. You'll need your mind clear to process All the Crooked Saints because a whole new world has been created in 1962 Colorado on a ranch in Bicho Raro where miracles take place, yet not the type of miracles you may have in mind.

The Sorias have a gift to perform these miracles on people who come, called pilgrims, where the darkness within a person becomes tangible. Some come believing once it is done then all is well. This is not the case. Drawing out the darkness is the first part. The second part is on the pilgrim to figure out on their own or darkness shall overcome the Soria who attempts to help. This is how it has always been. This is what the Sorias have been told. This is what the cousins, who the story is greatly based around, have been told. Yet is this the truth?

This is what the cousins (Beatriz and Joaquin) are trying to figure out when Daniel, the oldest of their trio, breaks the rule in aiding one of the pilgrims. They know neither can directly interfere. So Beatriz goes out on a limb using the radio system she has built for Joaquin to see if the broadcasting can help the others and let Daniel know he is not alone until they figure out how to change his fate. They've noticed the broadcast has done well for the other pilgrims, so why not their dear cousin, too? They have to figure it out before he dies out in the valley from the darkness, starvation, dehydration, or the elements.


However, there may be a slight problem with this plan. Well, two problems. One, Pete Wyatt arrived with a pilgrim to do odd jobs around the ranch to earn the box truck. The very box truck Beatriz fixed up and built the radio station in. As well as he is doing Pete may earn the truck before they can help Daniel. It's hard enough working under the time frame they have without the ticking time of Pete. Two, a Soria recognized Joaquin's voice. This means their secret is no longer a secret. This means they may not be able to help Daniel anyway.

They're pressed for time. Can Pete be talked to? Can Daniel, the saint, who should have known better, even be saved from his darkness? Or will the little bit of work be all in vain?


All this can be found out in the tale that will have you turning pages to find out if Daniel can be saved from his darkness, why he risked his life, and if the other pilgrims can be helped without bringing darkness to them all.
  
Stargirl (Stargirl, #1)
Stargirl (Stargirl, #1)
Jerry Spinelli | 2000 | Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult (YA)
8
7.7 (12 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Stargirl</i> is a popular young adult novel by Jerry Spinelli, originally published in 2000. But what is it that has kept it a favourite sixteen years later? The story is told by Leo Borlock, a student in the 11th grade at Mica Area High School. This year there is a new girl who calls herself Stargirl and, like her name, is completely different from everyone else. She has an outlandish dress sense, plays the ukele at lunchtimes, knows and celebrates everyone’s birthdays. The only word the school can think of to describe her is “HUH?”

Despite the weirdness surrounding her, Stargirl quickly becomes popular. People are entertained by her, want to be with her, want to be her. Leo is equally fascinated by her and is shocked when she begins to pay him attention. However, after a while the novelty of Stargirl wears off. Students begin to despise her and shun her. Stargirl does not care, but Leo does. He tries to change Stargirl, tries to make her act normal like everyone else.

<i>Stargirl</i>, like the titular character, is a breath of fresh air. It is quick and easy to read with the benefit of added humour. It also contains a powerful message. Although Stargirl is not affected by the behaviour of her fellow students, it is shocking the extent that the entire student body goes to in shunning her. This is a form of bullying, something that a child in the real world faces everyday. And that child will be bothered by it, will be hurt, and will be upset. It will probably affect their future.

Leo’s behaviour is something that everyone will be able to recognize in themself. Conforming to the norm. Leo wanted Stargirl to change, to go by her real name, Susan. To stop wearing eccentric clothing. To stop drawing attention to herself. Ultimately, what Leo was asking was for Stargirl to stop being herself. And that is really sad. I have lost count of the times people have said to me “Just be yourself,” but do they mean that? Perhaps they are really saying, “behave like everyone else, and you’ll fit in”?

Spinelli’s most important message in <i>Stargirl</i> is that we should not be afraid to be ourselves. It is unlikely that anyone is as bizarre as Stargirl, yet if everyone stopped being so scared to reveal their true feelings, likes and dislikes etc, perhaps schools would become less intimidating places?

<i>Stargirl</i> is suitable for teenage and adult readers who want something quick to devour. It will entertain, and, although it has a rather ambiguous ending, nothing disastrous happens in the book. It will hopefully leave you feeling as care free as its main character.
  
Copping an Attitude (Sin City Uniforms #2)
Copping an Attitude (Sin City Uniforms #2)
Morticia Knight | 2019 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
a far darker read than book one!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 2 in the Sin City Uniforms series, and while it is not really necessary to read book 1, All Fired Up, for you to follow this one, I think you should read it. If only because I said so! ?

Slade ran away from one kind of hell, straight into another one and has been surviving on the streets, being pimped out or facing the consequences. Till a beat cop spots something in Slade that makes him wish for things that can never really be. Parker knows he shouldn’t get close to the young man, but something about Slade pulls to him. And so, it seems, does Slade’s pimp. Can Parker really keep Slade safe; can he get him FREE, even?

I really enjoyed book one, but this one I LOVED!

It’s a far darker read, dealing with prostitution and drug/alcohol use, trafficking and basically the underbelly of Las Vegas in all its gory detail.

Parker has an immediate pull towards Slade, and he doesn’t know why. His eyes draw Parker in, and Parker cannot keep away. Finding Slade badly beaten sends Parker’s protectiveness into overdrive and neither man can fight the attraction that builds over time.

Slade is surviving, not living. He knows he will never get away from the streets, but a man can hope. And that’s what scares him the most: the fact that Parker gives him so much HOPE I hurts, down to his soul. Slade never really had that before, and Parker gives it to him.

It’s very emotional in places, drawing great wracking sobs out of me when Slade is so desolate and full of despair. It’s super sexy too! I was surprised how good Slade felt with Parker, so quickly. The fact he was CHOOSING to have sex with Parker was what threw him the most, since it had never, EVER happened before.

Trent and Shawn pop up, and I refer back to what I said about not NEEDING to read their book first. There is some recap here on their story, enough, I think, to give you the low down. It’s fabulous that they DO pop up, cos I love to catch up with previous characters in a series.

A certain someone is hard done by here, when Parker does what he really should have done a long time ago, but I’ve read the blurb for some other upcoming books in this series, and he does get his own (hopefully) happy every after.

And after reading all the blurbs, I’m so very hoping I can get my grubby little mitts on them all, I really am!

A far darker read, but I read it in one go, and could not put it down!

5 full and shiny stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
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