Things I've Read Recently (55)

If you're new around here, Things I've Read Recently is a series of posts I do that are basically mini-reviews of books that I either forgot to review, didn't have enough to say for a full review, or just didn't want to do a full post about for whatever reason.

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

Published: March 10th, 2015 by Dial Books
Genre: MG Graphic Novel
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 240
Part of a series? Nope.
Got via: The library.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): Twelve-year-old Astrid has always done everything with her best friend Nicole. So when Astrid signs up for roller derby camp, she assumes Nicole will too. But Nicole signs up for dance camp with a new friend instead, and so begins the toughest summer of Astrid's life. There are bumps and bruises as Astrid learns who she is without Nicole...and what it takes to be a strong, tough roller girl.

Thoughts: I don't think I've ever read a book about roller derby before, and especially not a middle grade one. While this has its faults, I thought it was really cute and it was a fun book to read at the beginning of summer.

There are basically two problems I had. One is that it lacks some diversity in its main cast, especially some body diversity/disability diversity. There's no fat characters like at all, and also no queer characters (but there is a part where a character teases Astrid by calling a friend her girlfriend). And the second is, the story that isn't the roller derby parts, has been done a lot before. I've read a couple of these "why did my childhood friend and I stop being friends" recently and I don't think the message about how friendships can change as you get older is a bad one, just not a unique one. And when you read three books in one year with the same subplot, you kinda notice.

But the roller derby angle is unique, and really fun. I learned some stuff I didn't know, and how few male characters are actually in this book is kind of refreshing. It's all about the girls. Astrid's relationship with her mom is also really sweet, and nice to see. They don't always get along perfectly, but you can see how much they both love each other, and it's nice to see such a reasonable parent in a middle grade novel. Overall, I think this could have done a tiny bit better with its inclusiveness, but it's a fun book anyways.

(Although, nitpick time. Pro-tip to authors? You can totally save most colourful hair dyes if you don't use the whole bottle. There's no chemical reaction going on. That's not a thing that they say not to do in the instructions.)

Under Threat by Robin Stevenson

Published: January 1st, 2016 by Orca Book Publishers
Genre: Contemporary YA
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 129 plus the about the author and whatnot.
Part of a series? Nope.
Got via: The library.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): Franny is close to her parents, adores her horse and is head over heels in love with her girlfriend, Leah. But Franny's parents are abortion providers at the local hospital, and an anonymous stranger is prepared to do whatever it takes to stop them. A stranger who phones at all hours. Who knows where they live. Who knows Franny's name.

When Leah's older brother, Jake, refers to her parents as baby killers, Franny starts to wonder if perhaps the threats aren't coming from a stranger at all. If she tells the police about her suspicions, she could lose her girlfriend. But if she doesn't--and if she's right--she could lose her parents.

Thoughts: Okay, let's get something out of the way first - this is short. It's supposed to be. That's the point. Orca books mainly publishes what are sometimes referred to as "hi-lo" books, or high interest low reading level books. That means books with more mature subject matter and low reading levels/simpler vocabulary. These are designed for selective readers, teens who struggle with reading, people learning English as a Second Language, readers with learning disorders, etc. This isn't actually easy, and it takes a lot of skill to do it well. This article discusses 3rd to 5th graders, but it's a good place to start reading. This one, too, explains how much work it takes to write one of these well. If you're going to complain this is short, or that the plot is too simple, realize that this book might not be meant for you, and also you are missing the point completely.

Okay, now let's talk about the actual book. I really liked it. First over, I'm never going to be over seeing YA use the word queer positively. And the relationship between Leah and Franny is an established one, which I haven't seen very much before in YA. They're also, frankly, adorable. Like, Franny calling Leah a dork? That is so freaking cute.

Everything in the book is also handled so respectfully. And I adored that it was unapologetically pro-abortion. Despite everything that happens with Franny's parents, and how scary that is, Franny's opinion that people have a right to choose what they want to do with their bodies and their pregnancies never wavers. The only thing I wish is that the book had stated that not only women can get pregnant/need abortions.

All in all, I was so impressed by this. Queer girls, a really cute romance, frank discussion of anti-abortionists and abortion rights, what it was like to be a doctor before abortion was legal, really supportive parents, and some decent tension in the plot. I very much recommend this one.

Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye

Published: First published in 1997, this edition was released June 1st, 1999 by Simon Pulse
Genre: Contemporary YA
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 272
Part of a series? No
Got via: The library.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): The day after Liyana got her first real kiss, her life changed forever. Not because of the kiss, but because it was the day her father announced that the family was moving from St. Louis all the way to Palestine. Though her father grew up there, Liyana knows very little about her family's Arab heritage. Her grandmother and the rest of her relatives who live in the West Bank are strangers, and speak a language she can't understand. It isn't until she meets Omer that her homesickness fades. But Omer is Jewish, and their friendship is silently forbidden in this land. How can they make their families understand? And how can Liyana ever learn to call this place home?

Thoughts: Something that's been really interesting about doing Diversity Book Bingo is that I've been reading way more newly released books this year than the last couple years. So it's kind of interesting that this is quite a bit older than anything I've read for bingo. This almost would fit more in one of the posts I do of old books!

This does read more like a book from 1997, but considering it's a full twenty years old, it's not as dated as it could be. The emotions of moving to a new place are pretty universal, although modern young readers would probably notice that there aren't a lot of references to email or cell phones - in fact, the Abbouds don't even have a landline for several months when they first arrive in Jerusalem, and Liyana at one point is said to not like computers and only wanting to learn how to type.

The voice is a touch dated, being a bit more of a removed third person, and there's a bit of fatphobia and ableism, but overall the feelings of moving to a new place are pretty universal, and it was definitely an interesting book. Check it out if you want. I think it's worth a read.

Thin Slices of Anxiety by Catherine Lapage

Published: This edition was released April 19th, 2016 by Chronicle Books, but it was originally published in French in 2014 by Editions Somme Toute.
Genre: Adult graphic novel, I think.
Binding: Hardcover
Page Count: 104
Part of a series? Not that I know of.
Got via: The library.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): Not to worry, a book on anxiety is finally here! A clever antidote to everyday angst, this illustrated book captures universal truths and comforting revelations about being human. Artist Catherine Lepage uses her wry humor to help us see that "thinly sliced and illustrated, emotions are much easier to digest."

Thoughts: This is interesting. I'm not really sure how I feel about it, though. It's definitely a short, quick read. I didn't even have time to take any notes. I don't know. There were times where I was like, sold, I completely understand these anxiety feels, but also I'm not sure if there was really time to get a deep connection.

The art was neat, though, and I guess that it's kind of the point that it's not supposed to be that deep. It was different from what I usually read, so that was neat. Lots of thinky thoughts on this one, and I don't think I really have a conclusion. There's probably a metaphor or something there.

Okay, well, I think that's everything! What an unusual round up of books this time

What have you guys been reading?

Peace and cookies,
Laina

Things I've Read Recently (47)

If you're new around here, Things I've Read Recently is a series of posts I do that are basically mini-reviews of books that I either forgot to review, didn't have enough to say for a full review, or just didn't want to do a full post about for whatever reason.

Ms. Marvel, Volume 6: Civil War II by G. Willow Wilson, Takeshi Miyazawa, Adrian Alphonia, and Mirka Andolfo

Published: December 14th, 2016 by Marvel
Genre: YA Comics
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: Goodreads says 136
Part of a series? Yeah, this contains issues #7-12 and I still don't understand why the numbers started over and that's why I read bind-ups. I never claimed to be an expert.
Got via: The library as usual.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): While CIVIL WAR II brews, the next generation of Avengers has bigger things to worry about - like a tri-state academic competition! As rival schools clash, Ms. Marvel's teammates Spider-Man and Nova are now her enemies! But when Kamala gets called to the real battle's front line, she faces a fight she can't embiggen her way out of. She's about to learn a valuable lesson: Never meet your idols! As war intensifies, tragedy strikes too close to home - and Ms. Marvel must choose between her heroes and her family. When friends become foes, Ms. Marvel struggles to put her life and Jersey City back together. Kamala will be forced to grow up fast and find her true place in the world. But will she be an international sensation...or a menace?

Thoughts: Sometimes I have to seriously do research to write these things. Because honestly I read Kamala and I read Lumberjanes, and I know next to nothing besides what I read. So apparently Civil War II is important and also not so well-liked. (Kudos to Alice here for making me aware of this!) Frankly, I know nothing about the main event and also frankly, it doesn't really matter for this volume. When Last Days happened, I felt like I wanted to know more about how this effected the universe. With this, I want to know more about what happens to Kamala next.

Honestly, naming this volume "Civil War II" feels more like publicity than anything, with everything that happens in this. I think nearly everything that happens because of the event, could or would have happened with out. It's just background, really. So if you're wary of the event, don't worry about it here and definitely don't skip these ones because, well. You'd miss a lot.

A great deal of this volume spends more time with Kamala's family, and their history, and how and why they immigrated. More of her family is introduced, too, and I love how they show how strong the women of her family are, and how that has shaped Kamala to be who she is. The support of her family is so incredibly imporant to Kamala, and she couldn't do what she does without them, and I love when they show that.

Also, there's a queer character now! I won't spoil if the person is new or old, or who it is, but if you've been waiting for that (I saw it on tumblr and was desperately waiting) this is when that happens. And it's lovely.

Big, important things happen in this, but they feel organic, not just triggered by the Civil War II event. These feel like things that have been naturally building, things that make sense to the characters, and don't feel shoehorned in for an event. My advice if you're nervous would be ignore the title and take these just as issues 7 to 12, and don't worry about anything else in the Marvel universe unless you wanna go there. This, at least, isn't about anything else. This is about Kamala. And it's well-worth reading. Focus on her, and let everyone else figure out their issues.

Also I kind of want to check out that Champions thing now? Especially because I have to wait until AUGUST for Volume 7. (And it's only January for me! Who knows when I'll post this.)

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

Published: June 7th, 2011 by First Second, but my edition is from Square Fish which is an imprint of MacMillan, and that was in like 2014.
Genre: YA Comic
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 221 plus a Q&A
Part of a series? Nope.
Got via: The library.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): Of all the things Anya expected to find at the bottom of an old well, a new friend was not one of them. Especially not a new friend who’s been dead for a century.

Falling down a well is bad enough, but Anya's normal life might actually be worse. She's embarrassed by her family, self-conscious about her body, and she's pretty much given up on fitting in at school. A new friend—even a ghost—is just what she needs.

Or so she thinks.

Thoughts: This was okay. I liked the art style, but I never felt like I fully connected with the story or Anya. Anya being an immigrant and Russian and everything is a neat dynamic, but she's not a real likeable character, and I don't need characters to be likeable, but I prefer them not to be... so unpleasant that I can't relate to them and Anya sure had unpleasant moments.

There's a decent chunk of fatphobia that is both internalized by Anya at herself, and aimed at other people. She was fat as a kid, but isn't as a teen, and has body issues. That isn't a bad thing, obviously, but her comments about other people are gross. And the only person who really says that it's okay to be fat is Anya's mother, and it comes off like she's very old-fashioned and not actually... right.

And I... I'm going to take a picture (page 48) but basically there's a page where Anya looks at herself in a bathroom mirror and imagines herself fat and it made me really uncomfortable. It is incredibly rare to see bodies that look like mine in graphic novels or comic books and the only time I do when the main character is basically saying how awful it would be for herself to look like me? Vera's mother, who the drawing is obviously modelled after since the clothing is the same, is the only kind of fat, kind of more chubby character (and she actually looks smaller than Anya's imagining of herself) in the whole book.

It feels bad to read. Maybe I'm more sensitive than other people, but it made me anxious and unhappy. The mystery is good, and I liked the story, but I didn't connect enough, and that part hurt. Maybe three roses top? And I don't feel comfortable recommending it honestly. You'll have to make your own decisions on this one.

Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire

Published: April 5th, 2016 by Tor
Genre: Adult fantasy
Binding: Hardcover
Page Count: 169 plus a really funny about the author.
Part of a series? Yeah, there's a prequel coming in June, and a sequel planned for 2018. I will be needing them all.
Got via: The library.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children
No Solicitations
No Visitors
No Guests

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.

No matter the cost.

Thoughts: This is the first book I've ever read with a canon asexual character, and I'm never going to be over that. I have literally never in my life read a book with a main character with my sexuality. I want you to really think about that, because it will be relevant to this review as I go on, and I want you to have that context.

Let's talk some other stuff first, though. The idea of what happens after portal fantasies (like Chronicles of Narnia and Alice in Wonderland as mentioned in the summary) is something I super enjoyed. If you ever want to hear me rant, ask me about Susan Pensevie sometime because I definitely have feelings about that. This book understands those feelings. And then it gave me a whole bunch of new feelings that I don't know what to do with. I feel like that should be a button or something, "Seanan McGuire gave me feelings." I have a feeling it would be popular.

The setting of this kind of boarding school is amazing. I would read so many books set in this universe. I found even just the day to day normal bits of the school fascinating, and I almost wish the book had been a bit longer so it could be explored more.

(My computer died in the middle of me writing the review and I'm finishing it like three weeks later after writing half of it in a notebook so if it feels disjointed there's your reason. (I may reference this in reviews - don't worry about it. Everything's pretty much cool now, and my timelines are probably super confusing in reviews, lol.)

I seriously adored the voice in this. The book really combines a classic tone in the narration, including a self-aware passage about narration, with a great social commentary including very astute comments about dieting and male privilege, and it's refreshing like whoa, especially for a relatively small book.

Now let's talk some ace stuff. I talked to a friend about this (thank you, Luci) because I am not the Grand High Ace. They mentioned criticisms they'd heard that the ace rep might be too generalized and the aro rep (or lack thereof) might be problematic. On the first - Nancy always talks about her asexuality only as it relates to her. She speaks often in "I" statements. Nancy is also not aromantic, and mentions that, which I appreciate as a lot of people might not even know whatthat is, and it's not not the same sexuality. Nancy's experience with romantic attraction seems to be that she wants to kiss and hold hands with people, and that want is directed at specific people. (Listen to the grey aro person try to explain romantic attraction.)

A potentional problem is that this could be seen as equating romantic attraction and therefore romantic orientation solely with physical acts. An aromantic person who likes kissing is still aromantic. I personally don't think the book does this. I think, though, people who don't know much about ace and aro people could assume this, though.

And that's not really a problem with the book, I don't think. It could have been a little more explicit, but Nancy is a teenager and shouldn't have to be the One True Holy Ace, really. Personally, I think allo people need to be a whole lot more careful not to assume that reading one book about one asexual character makes them an expert on asexuality. Nancy's experience is valid and important, and shouldn't take away from anyone else's. The author, indeed, is an ownvoices author, being demisexual but not aromantic, and may well be drawing from her own experience. (Or not, and that's cool, too.) Basically we just need many, many more ace and aro characters, so a variety of experiences are shown.

*looks at notes scribbled on pink cardstock* *which I have now lost since making that joke* *this review is a mess* Oh! There's a trans character in this, and can I just say he is very, very swoonworthy. I think his rep is good, but I'm cis, so grain of salt there. And here's a review from someone else for you! (And more from other reviewers here, which updates a lot more than I do.) And since that doesn't go into detail on possibly triggering things, I will so, like, you know what to expect because I like doing these things for you guys. The character does face some transphobia from other characters, but the narration never, ever misgenders him, and the book's context  and other character always 100% states that this is wrong and not acceptable.

I know from Word of God, also, that there are additional queer characters, but it's not explicit, at least not yet. Curse of the short book.

All in all, I really enjoyed this, and I still feel all the ways about the ending. I also think this borderline works as a YA crossover. There's some horror and a little gore, but I've... honestly read more gory YA. (Never going to be over the eyeball eating book. Sorry.) I'd say a lot of teens would be fine with this and certain teens may just need it. I appreciate and acknowledge the criticisms, but I think most of them (not like the race rep or anything - the ace stuff I talked about)) are more a problem with parts of the audience than with the book, and I'm comfortable recommending it.

Dear lord that was long and this post isn't over yet.

Girl, Stolen by April Henry

Published: My edition was released March 13th, 2012 from Square Fish which is a Macmillan imprint, but it was originally published September 28th, 2010.
Genre: YA Thriller
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 213 plus an interview with the author with a bunch of questions and an excerpt and probably some other stuff I can't check because I returned it to the library already.
Part of a series? There is going to be a sequel released May
Got via: Obviously the library.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): Sixteen year-old Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of a car while her step-mom fills her prescription at the pharmacy. Before Cheyenne realizes what's happening, their car is being stolen--with her inside! Griffin hadn't meant to kidnap Cheyenne, all he needed to do was steal a car for the others.

But once Griffin's dad finds out that Cheyenne's father is the president of a powerful corporation, everything changes—now there's a reason to keep her. What Griffin doesn't know is that Cheyenne is not only sick with pneumonia, she is blind. How will Cheyenne survive this nightmare, and if she does, at what price?

Review: This wasn't awful, but I didn't really love it either. It's definitely pretty exciting most of the time, but I wasn't really overwhelmed. It's a decent thriller, maybe a little like the book equivalent of a Lifetime movie. You probably won't be bored, but it's maybe not very high quality.

Like, I have to say, I don't think this is so okay.

Transcription/quote (minus a little stuff that isn't relevant):

"It's Cheyenne," she said softly. "Cheyenne Wilder."

 "Why did your parents name you Cheyenne?" Griffin asked as they drove past two horses - one brown and one black - and running free. His eyes followed them for a moment. "Isn't that an Indian tribe?"

"I'm one-thirty-second Indian. Not enough to really matter."

 High cheekbones, dark hair, dark eyes - he could see it.

I'm incredibly white, so I tried to find reviews from Native reviewers, but I came up pretty empty. I am going to link to Debbie Reese's blog just because I want to link to something, if not something specific. It never comes up again, but it's... uncomfortable, at the very least.

I also think you can definitely tell that it's not an ownvoices book. It's very well researched, and I give kudos for the author for that, but you can still tell that the author isn't writing from experience. I have to wonder, then, if this would ring true to someone who is blind or visually impaired. I obviously can't answer that either, but I do raise it as a question. I also think that it's an interesting idea to have a kidnapper and victim bond, the book maybe goes a little too far. There is no way to make it okay to suggest they'd continue a relationship or be friends, which the ending suggests could be a possibility. Yes, Griffin is abused by his father - he still kidnapped her and almost got her raped and killed. It's not okay to minimalize it.

Overall, it was kind of fun reading it in a guilty pleasure way. It doesn't have a ton of depth, and has some issues. I don't have much to say about it, but I wouldn't be comfortable recommending it. Also, I'm not a giant fan of the cover either, but that's just because I don't like orange. Editing Laina: I wrote this review before I saw that there was going to be a sequel, and I'm kind of uncomfortable with continuing this story personally and probably won't be picking up the sequel.

Okay, I think that's it. This turned out very, very long!

Peace and cookies,
Laina

Things I've Read Recently (34)

If you're new around here, Things I've Read Recently is a series of posts I do that are basically mini-reviews of books that I either forgot to review, didn't have enough to say for a full review, or just don't want to do a full post about for whatever reason.

Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Published: July 15th, 2014 by Random House Canada
Genre: Adult Fantasy Graphic Novel
Binding: Hardcover
Page Count: 323 plus acknowledgements and stuff.
Part of a series? Nope.
Got via: The library.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): Katie’s got it pretty good. She’s a talented young chef, she runs a successful restaurant, and she has big plans to open an even better one. Then, all at once, progress on the new location bogs down, her charming ex-boyfriend pops up, her fling with another chef goes sour, and her best waitress gets badly hurt. And just like that, Katie’s life goes from pretty good to not so much. What she needs is a second chance. Everybody deserves one, after all—but they don’t come easy. Luckily for Katie, a mysterious girl appears in the middle of the night with simple instructions for a do-it-yourself do-over:

1. Write your mistake
2. Ingest one mushroom
3. Go to sleep
4. Wake anew

And just like that, all the bad stuff never happened, and Katie is given another chance to get things right. She’s also got a dresser drawer full of magical mushrooms—and an irresistible urge to make her life not just good, but perfect. Too bad it’s against the rules. But Katie doesn’t care about the rules—and she’s about to discover the unintended consequences of the best intentions.

Thoughts: I think this is the first adult graphic novel I've ever read. Otherwise, it's only been young adult and middle grade graphic novels. So, a new experience, but a really good one. This was a random grab from the library (where they had it categorized as YA, which it totally isn't). I'm trying to read a little more widely this year (got any non-fiction recommendations?), so this totally called my name, and I'm happy to say it paid off.

This is a really different art style than the graphic novels I've read before. It almost has an anime feel - it actually reminds me of Steven Universe a little at times. Probably because I love Steven Universe so much, ha, and Steven Universe does have a lot of anime inspiration. The art-style is goofy and silly and full of humour at times, but there are also times where it's creepy and beautiful, sometimes both at once!

There's also that joke from Scott Pilgrim about bread making you fat, which isn't actually that funny. Especially since pretty much all of the bodies in this are thin. There's not really any fat characters. At all. There is a pretty wide variety of skin tones, though, and that's neat.

All in all, I enjoyed this one a lot. I especially loved the cool mythology in the story. This kind of mythology is a kind I really enjoy in general, so that was kind of perfect for me. And the friendship between Hazel and Katie is awesome. This one is definitely recommended by me, and only makes me want to read more graphic novels like this. Also, this is a recent edit as I'm getting this ready to post it, but if you've played the video game Life is Strange, you might enjoy this! Or if you enjoyed this, maybe check out the video game because that game rocks.

Chick-napped! by Carolyn Keene with illustrations by Macky Pamintuan

Published: March 1st, 2008 by Aladdin
Genre: MG Mystery
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 85 plus instructions for an egg carton garden.
Part of a series? Among many Nancy Drew series, this Clue Crew series has 39 books with the most recent published in 2014.
Got via: The library.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): Spring has sprung in River Heights! Nancy's class is hatching chickens to celebrate. Some of Nancy's classmates are excited, especially Tommy Maron. Tommy has even named all the eggs! But other classmates are less thrilled about the arrival of the little birds. Catherine Spangler is peeved because the chicks are due to arrive on HER birthday -- the nerve!

But when the chicks vanish from the classroom, everyone is upset. Who would steal helpless chick eggs? Nancy knows she has a real egg of a mystery to crack this time!

Thoughts: I got this one thinking it'd be Easter themed, but honestly it's just spring/chicken themed. No mention of Easter at all. The closest it gets is the whole eggs thing. Since I don't think this will fit anywhere else, I thought I'd toss it in here, and give it a quick write up.

This is a fun introduction to Nancy Drew. I loved Nancy Drew so much as a kid, and I think this keeps the spirit of that while being updated and aimed at a little younger audience. I think this is a fun introduction to the whole Nancy Drew concept. I haven't read one in years, but the characters feel right, and I think there are some references to classic Nancy Drew. (I could be wrong, but isn't Nancy loving tacos in other books?)

As an entity unto itself, it's a very sweet little book. There's the animal appeal of tiny baby chickens, lots of information and education about the hatching and lives of chicks. It's a very kid friendly mystery with no danger or scariness for sensitive readers, and there's lots of adult supervision without the adults being too involved. You know I love a good completely impractical for children mystery plot, but this kind is nice, too. It's much more realistic. I also always enjoy strong female friendships, and this has that aspect very strongly.

They also include instructions for how you can start seedlings in an egg carton, which was very cute. There are many itinerations of Nancy Drew, and I think this book at least works very well as an introduction to the character. I think I would have enjoyed it as a kid, and I recommend it.

The Islands of Chaldea by Diana Wynne Jones and Ursula Jones

Published: February 27th, 2014 by HarperCollins Childen's Books
Genre: YA Fantasy
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 274 of story, plus the afterword and advertising for other books.
Part of a series? I, ah, don't think so.
Got via: The library.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): Aileen was supposed to grow up magical – just like the other women in her family. Unfortunately, she’s just found out that the magic seems to have skipped a generation… but that’s not her biggest problem right now.

In her world, there are four Islands of Chaldea. The largest and most magical island has been cut off from the other three for decades – and is slowly draining the magic from them.

But now a prophecy has come to light. Someone from Aileen’s island will gather a man from each of the three islands, bring down the magical barrier, and unite them with the fourth island again. And according to the king, that someone is Aileen’s Aunt – who insists on dragging Aileen along. AND the boy Aileen is sure she’ll marry (one day); AND the local boy with more brawn then brain. Someone seems to want to stop them too… someone with an interest in keeping the Islands apart. But still, with magic on their side, nothing can go wrong. Right?

Thoughts: I took the kids I baby-sat to the library, and they were perfectly capable of finding books without me so I took a wander to the YA section and got this. Because I am horribly, horribly tempted by books at all times. Such is life.

Now, in the past, I've only read Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, so I was not really going into this knowing much about her previous books, or really expecting anything in particular. But at the same time, I was a little disappointed. Frankly, the beginning of this is slow. I actually said to my mom that I knew that if I hit the halfway point, the rest would be good, but it was hard getting there. And I was totally, and completely right.

Most of the first half is basically just travelling, and not much else. They find a cat. They get on a boat. There's not much else to it. This book has 274 pages, and it's literally page 126 where things actually get exciting. And I will admit, I don't read a lot of this genre, and maybe it's just not my genre, but that just didn't work for me very much. When it picks up, it's good! But it was rough getting there. It took me three sittings and a week to read this, and that's a lot for me.

Also, dude, what's up with the casual fatphobia? Like one good character is fat, and he's always described in terms like "tubby" and "round", whereas all the corrupt or bad characters who are fat are specifically called "fat", and it's used in a negative fashion. Not cool. And I also think there's like one character who isn't white, and she only shows up for like three pages.

So I didn't explain before, but Diana Wynne Jones started this when she was very sick, and she sadly passed away before it was completed, so her sister finished it. I think that is a lovely thing, but I also wonder if she had finished the first half, but because she was ill during the writing, if it was kind of rough, and her sister was hesitant to heavily edit what was there. But that's speculation - all I know is I liked the second half, but not the first as much.

Now this is a spoiler so skip it if you'd like, but so we find out that Aileen is very magically powerful and she saves the day. I liked it, honestly, especially when she got angry because I do like it when girls get angry. Although it is rather sudden, with not a ton of foreshadowing before that. But also, wouldn't it have been cool if she didn't have sudden power? Like if she was actually not magical at all, and she saved everything anyways without magical powers?

Anyways, I think you get my drift here. The atmosphere and descriptions in this are amazing and beautiful, and I do really love the idea of magical women in general, but it didn't work for me as well as it could have. I liked the second half, but the whole book did not pay off for me, and that makes me sad. If you're really into fantasy like this, and you're okay with the whole long-journey thing, check it out, but if you're more of a newbie like me, maybe try one of her other books instead.

Sidenote, isn't it weird Diana Wynne Jones and Tim Wynne-Jones aren't related? I always thought they were as a kid. Also, did Tim Wynne-Jones work on a cartoon? Because I could have sworn he did, but now I can't find anything.

Ungifted by Gordon Korman

Published: August 21st, 2012 by Balzer + Bray, although my edition is from Scholastic Canada.
Genre: Contemporary YA
Binding: Hardcover
Page Count: 280
Part of a series? No, it seems to be a standalone.
Got via: The library.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): The word gifted has never been applied to a kid like Donovan Curtis. It's usually more like, "Don't try this at home". So when the troublemaker pulls a major prank at his middle school, he thinks he's finally gone too far. But thanks to a mix-up by one of the administrators, instead of getting in trouble, Donovan is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction (ASD), a special program for gifted and talented students.

It wasn't exactly what Donovan had intended, but there couldn't be a more perfect hideout for someone like him. That is, if he can manage to fool people whose IQs are above genius level. And that becomes harder and harder as the students and teachers of ASD grow to realize that Donovan may not be good at math or science (or just about anything). But after an ongoing experiment with a live human (sister), an unforgettably dramatic middle-school dance, and the most astonishing come-from-behind robot victory ever, Donovan shows that his gifts might be exactly what the ASD students never knew they needed.

Thoughts: I was at the library, and could not resist that robot. And this cover does perfectly fit the book. It's funny, it's kind of goofy at times, but it's also quite sweet at others. I read so many Gordon Korman books as a kid, like every single one I could get my hands on, and I definitely would have loved this one as a kid. It uses eight different POVs, including four adult POVs, and that's something I think is hard to do, and it does it well, using each POV just perfectly. I also really like the subplot with his sister, and how it frankly discusses pregnancy.

I think a lot of kids would really like this, and it could appeal to a wide audience of kids.

The only thing is, I would wonder if the idea of this becomes somewhat problematic as describing these incredibly smart kids as completely lacking social skills, and possibly being somewhere on the Autism spectrum without making it explicit. I think it's somewhat realistic that these kids seemed to have been given no opportunity for socialization - it comes off as a skill they weren't taught mostly. I was a fairly smart kid, although obviously not at this level, and I had trouble socially. But I worry it's adding to a harmful trope that we need to be aware of. I think this is not a unique thing to this book, but maybe that's a problem. And there are definitely other examples I think are worse offenders, but I'm not sure I can 100% sign off on that either way. So I'm going to link to this post and this post, both of which I think explain much better than I do.

So I liked the book, and it was a lot of fun, but I do worry about that being harmful. I have such mixed feelings because it is a super fun book to read, but while not reading it, I start to think about that stuff. I'm gonna have to think about this one a little more, I think.

Okay, I think that's everything! What have you guys been reading lately?

Peace and cookies,
Laina

Things I've Read Recently (30): Sequels!

If you're new around here, Things I've Read Recently is a series of posts I do that are basically mini-reviews of books that I either forgot to review, didn't have enough to say for a full review, or just didn't want to do a full post about for whatever reason.

This go around, we have sequels! Since these will likely have spoilers to previous books, I thought I'd put a few in one post so you could skip them/skip the post if you wanted to avoid that. Plus, you know, themes! I like themes.

So this post will have Another Life by Keren David, Spirit and Dust by Rosemary Clement-Moore which is technically a companion and doesn't actually have any spoilers, but... themes, the second Lumberjanes bind-up, and Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs.

Another Life by Keren David

Published: September 2012 by Frances Lincoln Children's Books
Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller
Binding: Hardcover
Page Count: Goodreads says 384. I didn't write it down, so we're going with that.
Part of a series? Yes, it's the third in the "When I Was Joe" series. See my reviews of When I Was Joe, and Almost True if you want to see what I thought of those. Beware spoilers.
Got via: The library and I will say more about that when I have more room.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): Kicked out of yet another boarding school, Archie couldn't be happier to find himself back in London with old friends and an exciting social life. But he's worried about his cousin Ty, who is facing a sentence in a Young Offender Institution and doesn't seem to be coping. And he's finding that his old friends have moved on and it's a struggle to keep up with their new lives.

When he begins to learn surprising things about Ty, Archie goes on a mission to discover the truth about his cousin's past. But who is the real Ty?

Thoughts: Background first. Not a SINGLE LIBRARY in all of Saskatchewan had this book. Not ONE. And I so, so, so hated the idea of leaving the series unfinished. I considered buying this, but it's hard to get a hold of a copy and I couldn't really afford to pay that much for a book I probably wasn't gonna read more than once. So I messed around on the library website and ended up almost more by accident than anything ordering a copy of this through ILLO. It ended up coming from Edmonton. That is awesome.

This is a really good ending to the series. I felt ending on the second book left things too open-ended, and this ties up the threads, and gives everything a definite ending. I'm definitely glad I got it. I did have to return it really fast, though, because you only get so much time on an ILLO and I wasn't messing around with that.

This one changes up the POV, and alternates from mostly Archie chapter, Ty's cousin who was introduced in the last book, and only a few Ty chapters. Archie has a much lighter voice than Ty, who's going through a pretty dark spiral at this point in the series after everything that's happened to him, and I think it really helps to have that POV to change things up. It also is important to the plot.

I can't decide whether this one is better or worse on the girl representation. It's like... it's not as insulting at times as the other two could be, but also girls didn't really get as much screen-time as in the others. None of the girl characters are really fleshed out, or memorable. It's been a few days since I read this, and nothing is really coming to mind as exceptional.

The families in this are still incredibly messed up, and Ty and Archie and maybe their grandparents are probably the best of it. Ty's parents are disasters, Archie's parents are hardly there and his dad is a jerk. (I gotta say this, maybe a bit of a spoiler - Archie's dad clocks Ty at one point because he and Archie got in a fight. Like teenaged boys NEVER do that. The first thing Ty does, still on the ground, is ask if his uncle treats Archie like that. He's literally on the ground after being punched in the face by his uncle, and his first thought is to make sure his cousin is safe at home.)

*exhales* Okay, I'm okay. I liked the POV switch, since I did like Archie a lot in the last book, and it works really well in this one to balance Ty's chapters. I do wish there had been some sort of marker to indicate when the POV changed, though. And I feel like the ending was a little rushed action-wise, but it still wrapped up the story well enough. I also was annoyed by the fact that Ty never got any kind of therapy or treatment or anything. You can't fix PTSD by traveling and pep talks, and I think it would have been really good to show that.

All in all, satisfied with this one. It wraps up the series well, and I'm glad I got to read it. I probably wouldn't buy it since I have way too many books as it is, but I'm glad I got to finish the series. I don't love these books, but I'm satisfied with the experience, and this one is probably my favourite of the lot.

Spirit and Dust by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Published: May 14th, 2013 by Delacorte Books for Young eaders
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance with a good amount of Mystery/Thriller mixed in.
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 384 plus author's note and such
Part of a series? It's the companion to Texas Gothic, which you can read my review of here.
Got via: The library, what else is new?
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): Daisy Goodnight can speak to the dead. It’s not the result of a head injury or some near-death experience. She was just born that way. And she’s really good at it. Good enough to help the police solve the occasional homicide.

But helping the local authorities clear cold cases is one thing. Being whisked out of chemistry class by the FBI and flown to the scene of a murder/kidnapping in Minnesota? That’s the real deal.

Before the promotion can go to Daisy’s head, she’s up to her neck in trouble. The spirits are talking, and they’re terrified. There’s a real living girl in danger. And when Daisy is kidnapped by a crime boss with no scruples about using magic—and Daisy—to get what he wants, it looks like hers is the next soul on the line.

Thoughts: I mentioned that I read Texas Gothic when I was under a lot of stress and feeling pretty meh about reading in general, and I basically started this in the same way! I started it right before Christmas, read about a chapter, and then got majorly distracted and didn't pick it back up until after Christmas. And, honestly, I think that was probably best because I loved this book and I wouldn't have wanted to read it halfheartedly.

Like I said, this is a companion book, not a strict sequel. You could read this or Texas Gothic first or second, and the only thing mentioned in this about TG is a little bit about Amy's love life, and only in the loosest of sense. Phin and Amy only make small appearances, and Amy's boyfriend isn't even mentioned by name. I think it's probably better to read TG first, but Spirit and Dust doesn't rely on it heavily, and they essentially stand alone from each other.

One of the thing that does connect them is obviously that Daisy is Amy's cousin, and with that, there is still the element of the Goodnight family, and how they are all connected, and the strength of their family. I will say this - the book could use more women of colour, disabled women, queer women, fat women, etc. Because of that, I'm not going to do the "it writes women well" because, hey, it's seriously missing some women, including ones like me. But the women it has, though not exactly diverse, are written very well. The Goodnight women are connected, and supportive, and the strength of a family of women like that is kind of wonderful.

Romance-wise, there's a bit of a tease of a love-triangle. I referred to one in my head as a "decoy love interest" because, wow was I not into that. It kept playing around with the underage thing, since Daisy was not quite eighteen with the guy calling her "Jailbait" and basically saying she was too young for him. Don't get me wrong, I agreed! I was honestly uncomfortable with the age gap, and that he was essentially in a position of power over her because of their respective jobs. I can't even figure OUT Texas's current laws about consent (tw: article discusses age of consent and statutory rape), honestly, but I'm pretty sure at the time the age of consent was 17 and that actually made the entire thing not actually true.

Regardless of whether it was correct, I actually didn't think it was funny, or cute, or romantic, not with the power imbalance especially. There's age gap romance, and then there's squicky, and if the author had taken us there, I feel it would have gone squicky fast. Plus it's essentially saying that a relationship is entirely about sex. Like, does the moment she turn 18 suddenly change her personality so you'll magically suit each other in a relationship? Or is just "okay" to have sex then and the rest doesn't matter? It's just... a lot of tropes I am not a fan of. Luckily, the author didn't go there! Instead we got a very nice little romance with only a few years between them, probably more like two or three years versus a possible minimum of five years, which I'm just not into in my YA.

What we got instead was a really good romance. Not entirely unproblematic, but just problematic enough in the right ways to be really fun to read about sometimes. Like, dude, he kidnaps her! But then they go on the run together! And it gets steamy! And it's kind of awesome. I was so much more into that than the other one, honestly, but it is done very well. It's got a pretty classic feel to it, a lot like Texas Gothic where the romance was very "I hate you I hate you more hey we're kissing now cool", and I really enjoyed that.

I also thought this one was funny, vibrant, the references weren't too dating, and I loved Daisy. I honestly think I liked this one even more than Texas Gothic, and I really enjoyed that one! The magic is awesome, the romance is good, the travelling and settings are really cool and so well described, the mystery was awesome, and the characters are really good. It just works very, very well. Highly recommend this one.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure there was an affectionate shout-out to the 1-800-Where-R-You books by Meg Cabot, which I loved as a kid, and are sort of superficially similar.

Lumberjanes Volume 2: Friendship to the Max by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Waters, Brook Allen, and Maarta Laiho

Published: October 13th, 2015 by BOOM! Box
Genre: YA Comics with like a paranormal twist
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 111 pages
Part of a series? Yes, this is the second bind-up of the Lumberjanes series, featuring issues #5-8
Got via: The library.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are not your average campers and Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's Camp for Hardcore Lady-Types is not your average summer camp. Between the river monsters, magic, and the art of friendship bracelets, this summer is only just beginning. Join the Lumberjanes as they take on raptors and a sibling rivalry that only myths are made of.

Thoughts: Guys, why don't these come out faster? I have to wait for April (Edit: I realize I'm scheduling this for April, but I wrote most of this in like January, so it was a long time to wait) for the next one and the library can be SO slow and I think I'm going to explode. I love reading them in this bind-up format, or I'd use up absolutely every one of my Hoopla check-outs each month reading them all. *sigh* Life is hard.

I love how packed these are with women. There's like literally maybe one male character who comes into play in this bind-up for like part of the last issue. I love how there are different bodies and skin tones in this, even in the extras who don't make a ton of appearances. I love how you see a character with leg hair, and it's not a joke. I love that one of this messages of the book is girls being capable and being treated as such. I love the way the setting of an all-girl camp really lets the female characters be themselves without some of that social pressure, and how realistically the girls shine. I love the format of the comic and the devices of their handbook that it uses to help tell the story. I love the little romance they're hinting at, and the spoiler I know that I won't tell because that'd be mean.

I also really, really enjoyed the absolutely brutal game of capture the flag the girls played, and how that is something you'd usually see as a "boy" thing, but the girls are never treated as doing "boy" things. These are girls things they do, even the rough, dirty, somewhat violent things. The girls are just so realistic, and it makes me so happy.

If you liked the 80s/90s "girl groups doing things" books, read this. If you like books about summer camp, read this. If you like Steven Universe, read this (that's just a hunch). The same could probably be said of Adventure Time, but I don't watch that, so who knows? If you know a girl around the age of 9 or 10, give her an issue of this. If you know a boy around the age of 9 or 10, give him one. If you know any child around the age of 9 or 10, give them one. Child into Greek mythology? Get them this. Magic stuff? This.  If you know a child of basically any age or interests, get them into this. There's no language you need to be worried about, and the most gore involved is a scraped knee.

Girls especially, though. Give all the girls you know a chance to find this. You'll be giving them something truly special. This kind of representation is so important for girls to see, and it's done so beautifully in this. I'm gonna go cry now because I'll be waiting for months for the new one!

Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs

Published: September 22nd, 2015 by Quirk Books
Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal/a bit of Horror. It crosses genres.
Binding: Hardcover
Page Count: 458 plus the acknowledgements for the use of the photos.
Part of a series? Yes, this is the third and final book in the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children trilogy. You can read my review of the first book here, and the second book here.
Got via: The library, amusingly.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): The adventure that began with Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and continued in Hollow City comes to a thrilling conclusion with Library of Souls. As the story opens, sixteen-year-old Jacob discovers a powerful new ability, and soon he’s diving through history to rescue his peculiar companions from a heavily guarded fortress. Accompanying Jacob on his journey are Emma Bloom, a girl with fire at her fingertips, and Addison MacHenry, a dog with a nose for sniffing out lost children.

They’ll travel from modern-day London to the labyrinthine alleys of Devil’s Acre, the most wretched slum in all of Victorian England. It’s a place where the fate of peculiar children everywhere will be decided once and for all.

Thoughts: These books are just so cool. I love the blending of these weird, actually real photographs and the story. It's not an easy thing to do so it doesn't throw you out of the story. It could easily become very gimmicky very quickly, and it doesn't. At the same time, the story stands on its own, and doesn't solely rely on the pictures.

I will say that there is a plot that is almost metaphoric for sex work, and I think that it's a bit clunky. There's some language used in the dialogue, even, then that really reinforces that. Maybe more metaphoric for human trafficking, technically, but at times it still comes off as somewhat clunky. I think the plot itself worked fine, and could have been fine if the language had been refined just slightly.

Other than that, I really enjoyed this one. These books are all have very deep, complex writing, and I enjoy how it takes me a little longer to read these instead of just breezing through them. This is a great conclusion to the series, wrapping everything up in a very satisfying manner without it getting sappy, or in a way that had too many convenient coincidents. I was pleased in general. Good job. Also, a girl's gotta love a book with libraries in it, because a girl loves libraries.

So, a girl is curious about what you've been reading lately. Any sequels?

Peace and cookies,
Laina

Things I've Read Recently (28)

If you're new around here, Things I've Read Recently is a series of posts I do that are basically mini-reviews of books that I either forgot to review, didn't have enough to say for a full review, or just didn't want to do a full post about for whatever reason. Sometimes "recently" is used very loosely.

Lumberjanes Volume 1: Beware the Kitten Holy by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Brooke A. Allen, and Maarta Laiho

Published: April 7th, 2015 by BOOM! Box
Genre: YA comics I guess? I'm not sure how to categorize comic books.
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 128 according to goodreads. I don't have this anymore, so we're going with that.
Part of a series? Yes, this is a bind-up of the first four issues of the Lumbejanes comic series.
Got via: The library.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): At Miss Qiunzilla Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's camp for hard-core lady-types, things are not what they seem. Three-eyed foxes. Secret caves. Anagrams. Luckily, Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are five rad, butt-kicking best pals determined to have an awesome summer together... And they're not gonna let a magical quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! The mystery keeps getting bigger, and it all begins here.

Thoughts: I read this back in August and I can't believe I never talked about it! My notes for it are right before a bunch of random non-review notes from around when we moved, so it must have been when I didn't have internet right after we moved.

Guys, I adored this so much. Like you guys know how much I loved Nimona, and that has a whole lot of emotional devastation and stuff I wrote about in my review, but this has my heart in a completely different way. The first amazing thing is how full of girls it is, girls who are all very different in personality and looks. They're so different, but they have such wonderful, close friendships, and there is nothing I love more than girl friendship.

This has almost entirely an female cast, but even the few male characters who make an appearance help fight against sexist stereotyping. Every character is allowed to have varied interests and personalities that aren't stereotyped simply by their gender.

The art style is awesome. It's beautiful, with a variety of body types and skin colours, but the illustrations also carry a lot of humour. There are very funny moments, some slightly more scary moments, some very heartfelt moments.

You guys remember when I talked about "girl gangs Doing Things" series of the 80s and 90s in this review and this review? This is like that but modernized and really, really awesome. It's girls doing awesome things awesomely together, like monster-hunting and mystery-solving, and I want to give it to any girl who remotely likes reading, or comics, or books about camping, or monsters, or girls, or... anything, really.

Room by Emma Donoghue

Published: September 13th, 2010 by Little, Brown and Company
Genre: Contemporary Adult
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 415 in my copy because it's a mass market paperback and smaller. Good for my hands, bad for my eyes.
Part of a series? Nope.
Got via: The library.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Thoughts: I have a lot of thoughts and no ideas on how to put them in order. Seriously, my notes for this one are just piddly. I got this from the library, and my mom read it as soon as she finished the book she was reading, and I read it in about three hours.

As you probably know or realized, Room is told from five year old Jack's POV. Unlike in Cleopatra's Daughter, I think it works very well. Jack sounds like a five year old boy. He's a very smart five year old boy in a very bad situation, but he's still believable as being a child. He never comes across as an adult in a child's body, but I also don't think his voice is annoying, or tedious. I was engrossed the entire time I was reading.

While Room tackles very heavy subjects like trauma and rape, it's done in a very respectful way. For the most part, the abuse is not described in a lot of detail. We don't need to hear about every little detail to understand the pain and the impact it has on the protagonists. I sincerely hope they keep it that way in the movie, too, because I think there is a lot of power in showing the impact of rape can have without showing it - I think that's a reason why so many people love Mad Max: Fury Road, right?

This is so hard to talk about, but I really appreciated the handling of those things in Room. It's emotionally honest without being voyeuristic. I also appreciated the faith aspect. I'm not a religious person at all, but I think that would resonate with many people, especially in the way it's done. It comes off like Ma wasn't deeply religious before Room, but turns to it more as one of the few ways she had of keeping herself alive and dealing with the situation. It's a very honest faith representation, in my opinion, without becoming preachy.

All in all, this was a great book, and I really want to see how the movie adapts it.

Entangled by Amy Rose Capetta

Published: October 1st, 2013 by HMH Books for Young Readers
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Binding: Paperback
Page Count: 330 plus acknowledgements and an excerpt of the next book.
Part of a series? There's a sequel, and I believe it will only be a duo, or duet as the author's website says.
Got via: The library.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): Seventeen-year-old Cade is a fierce survivor, solo in the universe with her cherry-red guitar. Or so she thought. Her world shakes apart when a hologram named Mr. Niven tells her she was created in a lab in the year 3112, then entangled at a subatomic level with a boy named Xan.

Cade’s quest to locate Xan joins her with an array of outlaws—her first friends—on a galaxy-spanning adventure. And once Cade discovers the wild joy of real connection, there’s no turning back.

Thoughts: Let's get this out of the way - the beginning of this is hard to get into. I don't think I've ever said this before, but this felt like too much show and not enough tell, if that makes sense. Like the beginning is very world-building heavy, and it gets clunky at times. It almost becomes more about the aesthetic of the world, and of Cade even, and not so much about telling the story. It takes about thirty or forty pages to really get into the story, and not just showing things that are strange and weird.

It could honestly be because I don't read a lot of sci-fi (and personally I don't think I would classify this as dystopian?) and others may do better with that, but I wasn't invested in the story or Cade in the beginning. She had a really cool vibe, but I didn't have any reason to care about her. And that is something that the book struggles with some. Cade is cool, but for a long time, I don't know what she wants, or why she cares.

There's actually a part in the book that says that Cade has stopped wanting things - and one of the example given is that she doesn't masturbate after having tried it a few times. Could you imagine a book with a 17 year old male protagonist saying that? Because honestly? I can't. I think that is sexist, and I hate when female sexuality is treated like that. It may be a throwaway line, but I think it contributes to stigmatization of female masturbation. Cade touching herself is literally compared to things that she believes will destroy her (escape fantasies, etc), and it's just like... seriously? Why is it that male masturbation is treated as something normal, and basically a bodily function, and female masturbation is treated as strange? I mean, seriously, you're living in a bunker underground on a foam mattress. Have an orgasm now and then to let some steam off if you want.

There are things in here I like a lot, don't take my ranting the wrong way. There's a bisexual character in the main cast! Who specifically says she likes both boys and girls in text! (Although, hey, other genders exist, and also aliens exist in this book, so we could mention nonbinary or agender people.) Cade doesn't dismiss the idea that she herself could be into women. Cade spends a lot of time talking about graceful or beautiful women are in the book, or staring at them and blushing, and I was kind of hoping it'd go that way, actually, but her openness there is a lot better than an "ew gross" reaction.

Other things I had issues with in the book resolved themselves in the narrative, which pleases me to no end. Certain concerns I had either were reflected in Cade's growth, or things went in a different direction to avoid those concerns. When I got into the book, I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the found family aspect, and the world-building paid off. It is true science fiction in my opinion, full of strange settings and space and aliens. There's minimal romance, which I know many people enjoy, but a surprising romance that I won't spoil. Just know that it goes in a direction you maybe wouldn't expect at first.

I haven't seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but I wonder if there aren't elements of this and Cade that would appeal to fans of Rey. Other than that annoying masturbation thing, I think this is a girl-friendly science-fiction book. Cade acknowledges that she is vulnerable as a teen girl on her own, but violence against women is minimal and isn't sexual in nature. Women in the book hold powerful positions, and are treated with respect. I like that in a book.

I like that it's apparently only going to be two books, and I have a good amount of hope that some of the things that bothered me in this book, like Cade's lack of want, will be resolved and done better in the second book, and I look forward to it and future novels from the author. It's a strong debut and there's only room to grow for her. I will likely be ordering the sequel as soon as my bed coughs up my library card.

Through the Dark by Alexandra Bracken

Published: October 6th, 2015 by Disney Hyperion
Genre: YA Science Fiction/Dystopian
Binding: Hardcover
Page Count: A whopping 400 pages that I spent too long holding and may have blown my wrist out a little.
Part of a series? Yes, this is a binding of three novellas in the Darkest Minds series, basically being 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5 in the series. The first two were originally released as ebooks only with the third only available in this bind-up. See my thoughts on those books here and here.
Got via: The library.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): Don't miss this breathtaking collection of stories set in the world of the New York Times best-selling Darkest Minds trilogy. Featuring ebook original novellas In Time and Sparks Rise, and a gripping, brand-new novella, Through the Dark is a must-have for fans of the Darkest Minds. This collection contains three novellas: In Time, Sparks Rise, and Beyond the Night, as well as a sneak peek at the first novel in Alexandra Bracken's new series, Passenger.

Thoughts: Crummy summary, but, you know, spoilers galore in the full thing. The summary from the dust jacket even spoils the second one in the third one's summary. I'll try to avoid as much as I can, but maybe skip this one if you want to avoid them altogether.

I don't usually read novellas like this, mostly because they're usually released as ebooks, and that's a pain in the butt and also kind of a silly thing to spend money on when you don't have an ereader, let's be real. The fact that these were released as a print bind-up already makes them awesome in my book. Ha, in my book. I punned by accident. The characters chosen as the POV characters are really interesting choices, and considering there are four different POVs between the three novels, none of them get confusing or mixed up with one another.

These also have lots of things in them where you're like "I know that thing!" from reading the trilogy, like little shout-outs, characters you recognize, or answers to things you were curious about. Especially with the last novella taking place after the ending of the third book, you get to find out a little more about what's going on with the characters we got so attached to and the world itself. With the on-going plot arc in the second and third novella, it doesn't become too wink-wink nudge-nudge, "aren't-we-clever", you know?

So, yeah, I really enjoyed this. This is a fun series. Lots of drama, a really cool premise, and I have a really good time reading them. It also wraps the series up really well, and in general, I'm just good with this. Other than it's really heavy and I hurt my bum wrist holding it up in one hand, but that's my own darn fault.

What have you guys been reading recently?

Peace and cookies,
Laina

YA Graphic Novel Review: Nimona

I have too many emotions. How am I supposed to write this???

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Published: May 12th, 2015 by Harper Collins, but it was originally available as a webcomic.
Genre: YA Graphic Novel
Binding: Hardcover
Page Count: 266 including thank yous and some bonus content
Part of a series? I WISH.
Got via: The library.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound / You also can read the first three chapters here, although keep in mind that the illustrations have been much polished for the published version.

Summary (copied from goodreads and mushed around to match the inside of the dust jacket): Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.

Explosions will be involved. Science and sharks will be, too.

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.

Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await!

Review: Okay, but I did all that stuff up there and I still don't know what to say. I just liked this so much and I'm still having way too many emotions. Seriously, I'm just sitting here not typing anything kind of staring at the book and my notes and getting nowhere.

This is beautiful and different and funny and heartbreaking and I don't know how to word anymore. I want about six sequels, but also it kind of has a perfect ending so I don't want that to be messed around with. Maybe I just want like six more books from Noelle Stevenson immediately. Good thing I have Lumberjanes volume 2 waiting for me!

Plot Talk: This is like a kind of epic plot. This is like science-fiction meets fantasy. You have knights and super-computers, agencies for sidekicks and kingdoms, zombie movies and banks where you can deposit a chest full of gold and no one blinks funny. There is no definitive time period, especially since it's filled with clashing things like that, but takes elements of both those things, with settings and clothing and everything from all sorts of time periods including modern ones.

Like the summary says, Blackheart and Nimona start out by trying to conquer the kingdom, and uncover something much darker. The plot is easy to follow, but complex. It deals with the hidden secrets of the kingdom and the institute, forgiveness, and both Nimona and Blackheart dealing with their past. The ending is somewhat open-ended, but good. There's closure, but you're left with some questions. I always want happy endings because I'm a sap, but this is a satisfying ending, and I think it works very, very well, especially with the epilogue which I read is exclusive to the book.

Characters: Oh man, this is hard. Nimona, man. She's surprisingly blood-thirsty, something I don't think you see that often in female characters, complex, has a body-type you don't always see in comics in that she's a bit chubbier (awesome), secretive, not always likable - and I loved her. She's one of my favourite types of characters, and I really just loved everything about her, honestly.

Our other main character is Blackheart, who is technically the villain, but is more like the hero since we know he's doing the right thing after a certain point, and the "good guys" are actually not very good at all. He has very strong morals, talks about how much he takes responsibility for death done at his hands, even when Nimona essentially shrugs it off. He's also visibly disabled with a prosthetic arm, and possibly some shade of MOGAI*. That last bit could be me wearing shipper goggles, but there's a whole lot of subtext, okay?

Nimona and Blackheart's relationship is something really lovely in that there is never any hint of romance between them. The age difference is... let's just say it's VERY complicated, but their relationship is presented more as an uncle and a niece, or even a father and daughter. It's very "found family", has very tender moments, and it's very refreshing to see such a complete lack of romance, or sex, or anything beyond a deep, caring friendship.

Other characters are wonderful as well, and I really enjoyed how the book broke down the hero/villain archetypes, and what actually makes someone a hero or villain. The Institution is a really interesting concept. The side characters are interesting, and every character had a really cool design where everyone was pretty unique-looking.

PG-13 stuff: This is definitely a more mature book. With the format, there is violence and blood, and everything is somewhat more... if you'll excuse the pun... graphic. I think the bruising especially is amazingly realistic, but injuries and death happen in this. People get injuries, bruises, scars. Beyond that, the themes are pretty deep. There's forgiveness, corruption, manipulation by authority. They're all done very, very well, but some younger or more sensitive readers may not be ready for this.

Mild language, if that's a concern.

Cons, complaints, bad stuff, etc.: I actually wish the subtext had been laid out as text a little bit more because I honestly don't know if it's me or if it's what the book meant to do. I'd love to be able to recommend this as a book with a disabled MOGAI main character - how awesome would that be? - but I'm not comfortable doing that because it's not explicit.

I wouldn't have minded a few more women, and while the extras are often POC, the main cast lacks them beyond one character (who is awesome). Also, more fat people always, beyond just "chubby" or smaller fat people would be nice.

Cover comments: I think it's a beautiful cover. I adore that picture of Nimona because her body isn't "perfect", but she's obviously about to kick some butt and really happy about it, and the whole thing is engaging and well-designed.

Since I don't have an art section, I'll put it here: The illustrations are freaking awesome. They have a ton of personality, they're very pretty, and I really enjoy the style of them. They carry the emotion of the story when there are no words, and I have absolutely no complaints.

Conclusion: I am so glad I read this. I keep trying to say how good it is, and I've got nothing. The characters are great, the story is great, the relationships in the story are great, the art is great. This is just really great. I'm kind of destroyed, and I blame everyone who recommended this. I'm giving this one four and... between a quarter and a half rose. Probably more like a quarter because I should knock off points for the things I mentioned in the cons segment, but I'm rounding for emotional devastation.



Other notes:

- *MOGAI

First review of 2016! How'd I do?

Peace and cookies,
Laina