You pretty much know how things will turn out within the first 2 pages but it was still a sweet journey getting there.
Lots of the YA romance tropes weYou pretty much know how things will turn out within the first 2 pages but it was still a sweet journey getting there.
Lots of the YA romance tropes were hit in this novel but it is what you would expect in a cookie-cutter light and fluffy teen love story. Not too much more to say, but go in with the right expectations and you should enjoy it.
CW: sexual content but not overly described...more
Well this was a good entry level YA scifi-dystopia.
By entry level I mean perfect for a young adult who is a less experienced reader and in particular of dystopian novels. It was predictable, there was a lot of explaining of the world and the science, and the characters and tropes were stereotypical for this genre. The story was engaging with some good twists and turns. It reminded me a bit of the exceptional Hugo and Nebula Winning Novella Beggars in Spain, with it's exploration and discussion of genetically engineering babies to create perfect humans. I will definitely be ordering a copy for the library....more
Well that was a light-hearted and entertaining YA story about family.
Whilst this was totally formulaic it still had a certain charm to it. The story was cleverly woven around elements of Chinese history. It's a bit odd that the big reveal for the character is something we as Readers know up front. I don't think the author was going for dramatic irony, so it was just a bit ho-hum waiting for the main character to catch up with information we got in the title! There was a bit of female snark in there which resolves itself nicely. The romance was a bit forced, and in my opinion unnecessary, as the focus of this story was the family mystery and Gemma finding her voice as an actress. Just okay for me....more
Well that was really cute and funny but way too long.
This started out so well and there were a few laugh out loud moments and I absolutely loved the dWell that was really cute and funny but way too long.
This started out so well and there were a few laugh out loud moments and I absolutely loved the dynamics between Chloe and Drew. The story was engaging and the family completely adorable in their craziness. I won't do any spoilers but there was a point where the story could have ended and I would have loved it. But it didn't end. Then there was another point where it could have ended and I would have been happy. But it didn't end. Then there were a few points where it should have ended but it didn't. I started becoming a bit bored with the attempts to wrap everything up so neatly because the story really started to drag for me. I think it needed an editor to cut chunks out of that last section so it didn't lose the wonderful tone and pace it had throughout the first three-quarters. Still a lovely read....more
Well that was a charming YA romance with an endearing Thai American CW: (view spoiler)[Mother abandons son and husband for another man (hide spoiler)]
Well that was a charming YA romance with an endearing Thai American main character.
This story will appeal to many as it was filled with some standard YA romance tropes making it a fairly 'safe' read. However, this will stand above other similar books for me because the characters were so enjoyable to read about and I adored the family dynamics. The romance was cute and flirty with some witty banter thrown in. It also touched upon some coming-of-age/identity type issues as Winnie struggles in the shadows of her amazing and accomplished older twin sisters. I really enjoyed this light-hearted YA rom-com....more
CW: (view spoiler)[Abusive father who ended up killing his daughter. The siren's songs causes people to go into the sea where they drown. (hi3.5 Stars
CW: (view spoiler)[Abusive father who ended up killing his daughter. The siren's songs causes people to go into the sea where they drown. (hide spoiler)]
Well that was a surprise. I have actual tears in my eyes! Not enough to spill over but I've got some good welling going on. I must say I didn't have very high hopes for this book based on the premise or the first few pages but colour me shocked I ended up enjoying it. There was quite a bit of yearning going on but it all fitted into this romance beautifully. The element I enjoyed the most was the love felt between and women in the novel and their undying devotion to each other. It was their bond that gave me the 'feels' throughout the novel....more
UPDATE: 18/12/2022 - Reread. It makes no sense that I reread a book I did not really enjoy. I need my head examined. I stand by my original review 100UPDATE: 18/12/2022 - Reread. It makes no sense that I reread a book I did not really enjoy. I need my head examined. I stand by my original review 100%. The all consuming relationship between Miss Yearny and Mr Brooder was insane. At one point she was thinking how out of character someone was acting and she hadn't seen them behave like that before...you met him a week ago lady, there's a lot you don't know. Seriously, is this a healthy portrayal of love? I think not.
Original Review
In my opinion 57% is a long way into the book for any action to start. Especially considering that this book is meant to have a monster war going on. After we finally saw some fangs it still meandered along for a bit and then BAM, it was all on! There were a few action packed chapters that were actually pretty good but not nearly enough to balance out the long lingering gazes and brushing up of bodies that filled up nearly the entire book. There were a lot of ‘smexy’ blood sucking scenes and intense groping scenes which normally I would find quite cringey but somehow seemed to fit as this was pretty much a romance book.
There were some little nuggets of humour dotted throughout which made me laugh out loud. Two notable examples were: a) when Jaxon (the vampire) sent Grace a copy of Twilight to read as a hint of what he is. She didn't get the hint btw. b) One of the chapter headings was ‘Is that a wooden stake in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?’ Yip. Still funny!
On the yearny scale it’s pretty high but again, it kinda fitted in with the whole brooding vampire versus dastardly dragon vibe. I’ve literally just worked out what made the high levels of yearning semi-acceptable to me! Like right now as I am typing! It felt like gothic literature! Yay me for finally figuring out why I wasn’t getting annoyed that my yearn-o-meter was clanging away in the background. Gothic literature is filled with tortured souls who are in various states of despair due to love and loss and there's oodles of...you guessed it...yearning! The setting is super gothic too. A castle type place in a cold and remote area.
Gothic literature vibes aside, an aspect I didn’t like that seems to be prevalent in YA fiction is the notion of characters in the book having such intense and all consuming connections with their love interests. I’m not sure if it is setting up particularly healthy relationships or very realistic expectations for real life relationships. I’ll use a couple of quotes to illustrate my point.
“something broken in him that somehow fits with what’s broken in her”
Ummmm...two brokes don’t make a right, people. Codependency anyone?
“Just looking at him feels perilous. Standing next to him feels like walking a 100ft high rope without a net. And wanting him the way I do, wanting him feels like opening a vein just to see myself bleed.”
Ummmm….I have no words.
So my final star rating reflects the lack of monster showdowns and whilst I LOOOOOVE gothic literature, orgasmic blood sucking just isn’t my thing.
CW: (view spoiler)[Dealing with the death of a loved one, mental health - anxiety, confusion over sexuality. (hide spoiler)]
Reading advice: You will CW: (view spoiler)[Dealing with the death of a loved one, mental health - anxiety, confusion over sexuality. (hide spoiler)]
Reading advice: You will want to eat cupcakes so be prepared by making/buying them in advance.
A good edit would have made this a better read for me as it felt really drawn out. The secret identity story went on for an unrealistically and frustratingly long time and my annoyance levels were off the charts. This meant that I didn't really feel invested in any of the characters or who ended up together. It's a shame because I liked the premise. I mean cupcakes and book blogging are an amazing combination.
Lastly, I know a lot of people have been commenting on this in previous reviews so I'll just say YA fiction is for whoever wants to read it....more
CW: Definitely read these as the book touches on a range of issues. (view spoiler)[Father is struggling with the loss of his wife and conside2.5 Stars
CW: Definitely read these as the book touches on a range of issues. (view spoiler)[Father is struggling with the loss of his wife and considers committing suicide to end his pain. Boy grieving death of mother from cancer, anxiety, verbally abusive boyfriend, domestic violence. (hide spoiler)]
A formulaic romance with some serious issues thrown into the mix. As I said in an earlier post, cookie cutter romances aren’t a bad thing when it is done well. The elements that make some teen romance books more enjoyable than others are: the characters are interesting and have depth, amazing chemistry that leaps off the page, and dialogue that can be witty, intelligent, meaningful and romantic.
This book is an example of doing some of those things reasonably well. There was a bit of an instalove situation with ‘British boy’ and I was a bit annoyed at some of the supposed swoon worthy moments. At one point he said ‘thank you’ and Ashlyn gushed on and on about how amazing he was, and kind, and sweet and perfect. Ummmm......he just said 'thank you'. That's basically a requirement of being a civilised person. I didn’t really like how dependent Ashlyn’s life seemed on finding love and I definitely preferred Luke’s narration. It was, however, a good premise and I got caught up in the story.
I thought it was refreshing in a teen love story that two of the male characters were dealing with serious personal issues. They acknowledged that this negatively affected their behaviour towards other people and that their actions were wrong. Also, at one point the boys are discussing who gets to keep Ashlyn....um excuse me! I don't think anyone thinks the notion of owning women is in any way romantic. Am I right women?
Aside from those gripes, I think there was good chemistry between Ashlyn and Luke which made for an enjoyable read....more
The inner voice of teen worry and self doubt is captured really well in this book. I remember hearing almost exactly the same kinds of selCW: Drug use
The inner voice of teen worry and self doubt is captured really well in this book. I remember hearing almost exactly the same kinds of self-criticisms tumbling through my brain. If I’m honest, they still do the rounds in my head from time to time in social situations. This book is all about Carla losing herself to better fit in with the ‘popular’ group. This is a pretty common high school story line and this book doesn’t particularly stand out above the others. There is a lot of drug use but it isn’t a gritty foray into the world of drug addiction. It’s more of a dainty dabble into a teen drug users life. It is an important issue though, and as I mentioned earlier the inner monologue is quite authentic. It showed how easily you can get swept into this world with a few harmless ‘tries’. The only alarming part for me was when someone commented that Carla had lost weight. She was really pleased they had noticed and credited ‘stress and drug use’ as being slimming! I should have written down the exact quote but it was an audiobook and the pen and paper were over there *points to kitchen table*. Overall, the book is okay, although I did want to shake some sense into Carla a few times, but I hear that is frowned upon....more
Stories about nerdy book lovers are always a winner with me. I can't think why. It touches on some important is3.5 Stars
Well that was a bit adorable.
Stories about nerdy book lovers are always a winner with me. I can't think why. It touches on some important issues such as betrayal and lies but not so much that it detracts from the high levels of fluffiness. A quick and enjoyable read....more
The next paragraph is a spoiler but not really. I’ll hide it just in case but I recommend not reading the blurb (view spoiler)[ if you like a2.5 Stars
The next paragraph is a spoiler but not really. I’ll hide it just in case but I recommend not reading the blurb (view spoiler)[ if you like a bit of mystery in your books because it is essentially a novel summary including the ‘dot dot dot’ at the end. (hide spoiler)]
I’ve got to say I’m pretty lucky I listened to this as an audiobook because there was a lot of rage at the end. Being on my phone meant that there was zero chance I would throw it out the window in annoyance. I can’t promise this wouldn’t have happened with a paperback. FYI, I’m not in the habit of throwing my toys out of the cot, it's just that the ending was the worst. The. Worst.
I went into this book with very low expectations and during the first third it lived down to those expectations beautifully. Nothing was special about it. Unoriginal characters and average writing. I can’t pinpoint exactly when it changed for me but I was sitting in the kitchen plunging my coffee and I felt anxious (when will the cafes be open again? seriously, I’m over it!). I said to myself, “Self, why are you feeling anxious about coffee?”. Then I realised it was during quite a suspenseful scene in the book. I have read a lot of supposed YA thrillers but very few of these elevated the heart rate of this seasoned Reader. Don’t get me wrong people, this isn’t an amazing book but Ms Preston certainly managed to build tension during some of the scenes. I enjoyed that aspect of it, hence the 2. 5 stars (down graded from 3 because I still can't get past the ending).
My biggest issues are that not one of the people in Ivy’s life believed her! Imagine all your close friends right now. Are you picturing them? Say a random person they have never met comes in and talks smack about you what would they do? There’d be a verbal beat down of this interloper right? Not according to our author. Instead your nearest and dearest would turn on you in a flash. Completely and annoyingly UNREALISTIC. Yes there may have been a person or two with an axe to grind but come on people, everyone? Nope.
My next issue and perhaps it was done intentionally to explain the above issue is that Ivy is a total muppet. I have never seen a more ‘passive helpless victim’ mentality in a book. Fight back damnit! FIGHT. Rage against the dying of the light and all that good stuff. By the time she had realised what was happening (an embarrassingly long time) it was all over, red rover.
My last main issue was the ending. Ending a book like that is not clever. It is not mind-fudgey. It is not suspenseful.
Well that was a sweet, slightly cheesy YA romance that is a modern re-imagining of Cinderella.
It is however another typical2.5 Stars rounded up to 3
Well that was a sweet, slightly cheesy YA romance that is a modern re-imagining of Cinderella.
It is however another typical YA where the conflict frustratingly comes from a lack of empathy for other peoples points of view. Set your expectations to 'light and fluffy YA', and accept that the characters are a bit one dimensional and then you might find it an enjoyable book. It would be a great audiobook for teens looking for a simple story....more
Seventeen year old Dee Guerrera has been framed for the murder of her step-sister, Monica. She now has to fight for her life on the island prison, Alcatraz 2.0, where she is being hunted by professional executioners (The Painiacs). The gruesome deaths are live-streamed to millions of viewers via the ‘Postman’ app. Viewers eagerly discuss the fates of prisoners and their favourite executioners via social media and online forums.
It is billed as a dystopian satire of reality shows and US politics where the President is a former reality TV star. It is in fact more about gory deaths and gutsy teens who against all odds seem to be able to defeat the highly experienced killers. Sarcastic yay. Dee inadvertently kills her would be executioner, Prince Slycer, and is labelled by the public as the #cinderellasurvivor. She and her band of moany merry misfits team up and uncover the dastardly plot to increase ratings by using young hot people on reality tv *rolls eyes*. There was also the darker underlying plot of Kimmi’s obsession with Dee. It becomes more apparent as the story progresses that Dee’s harrowing kidnapping ordeal (shown in flashbacks) as an 11 year old is linked to her arrival on the island.
It felt like I was reading two different novels smooshed together. The gritty, intense murder scenes were over the top and ridiculous but at the same time really engaging. Then between these scenes were some extraordinarily dull ones. I know it would be a bit much to maintain high levels of action and gore throughout the whole novel, but during the boring scenes the tension dropped away completely leaving me feeling disinterested. There was a lot of ‘fake mean girl’ snark and ‘why me I’m innocent’ whining, and ‘am I hot and does he like me?’ which was, quite frankly, annoying.
Last quick thoughts: - Solid and not overly complicated world building allows the reader to immediately understand the environment they have entered. - Unnecessary romance was out of place and awkward. - I genuinely didn’t care who lived or died as long as it was an entertaining death, so this means I didn’t connect with or care about the characters. - Ethan is black and likes sports, Gucci Hangman is flamboyant and dresses in drag, Blair is Asian and a lesbian = diversity box has been checked. - In parts, the absurd executioner’s set ups seemed like they were staged by the cast of Fawlty Towers, and the resulting blood baths were darkly funny. - Griselda uses her sex appeal to be popular with viewers....s’pose a girls gotta survive? Toxic femininity anyone? - The book has a strikingly similar concept to the 1987 movie ‘The Running Man’, where murderers are sent to be hunted by highly themed executioners in front of cameras and live audiences. - The idea for televising deaths and the use of social media in the justice system can also be found in the book ‘Cell 7’. - The idea of ‘kill or be killed’ was never fully addressed as it was in ‘The Hunger Games’. - Jeremy tries to escape by swimming off the island in shark infested waters and surprisingly gets eaten by sharks. He knew the sharks were there. #naturalselection
All in all this book delivered on the action and thrills in a quick and easy read. Don’t expect any insightful commentary on the justice system, the influence of social media, and societies desensitisation to human suffering. Just relax, read it for sheer comedic value and wonder who is next to get it in the neck. ...more
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