Book Blog #266: The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

Title: The Tattooist of Auschwitz
Author: Heather Morris
# of Pages: 272 (paperback)
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction
Rating: ★★★★☆
Synopsis: In April 1942, Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, is forcibly transported to the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. When his captors discover that he speaks several languages, he is put to work as a Tätowierer (the German word for tattooist), tasked with permanently marking his fellow prisoners. Imprisoned for over two and a half years, Lale witnesses horrific atrocities and barbarism—but also incredible acts of bravery and compassion. Risking his own life, he uses his privileged position to exchange jewels and money from murdered Jews for food to keep his fellow prisoners alive. One day in July 1942, Lale, prisoner 32407, comforts a trembling young woman waiting in line to have the number 34902 tattooed onto her arm. Her name is Gita, and in that first encounter, Lale vows to somehow survive the camp and marry her.
Review: I was wavering between giving this book 3 stars or 4 stars.

I read a couple of top Goodreads reviews before starting The Tattooist of Auschwitz and was surprised to find that the biggest criticism - no prose - was not just an opinion but a blatant issue. A love between two people's fate is so uncertain should be a harrowing tale, but the emotionless writing style failed to evoke any emotion in me.

That being said, I'm touched by how this is based off of a true story. There are many times were I felt like the way a certain character's action/dialog were portrayed seemed fake/unrealistic (i.e. Lale's inner thoughts), but the thought of how they are reflective of how real people felt save the book from being dropped to 3 stars.

There is third person POV switching, but in this case, I don't think it distracts from the story too much. It is a short and easy read (the writing style is quite simplistic, like it is meant for early readers). Despite the writing style, I was hooked on learning about Lale's and Gita's fate and couldn't put the book down. The Holocaust is filled with horrors, and although each terrible event might be lackluster in its description, I couldn't help but solemnly consider what it must have felt like to have such things happening around someone without having any means of stopping it.

Overall, an okay read. Since it is such a short read, I wouldn't consider it to be a waste of time reading. The story of Lale and Gita is amazing to hear about, even if the way it is described in this book is lackluster.

Book Blog #265: Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Title: Lolita
Author: Vladimir Nabokov
# of Pages: 211 (ebook)
Genre: Fiction, Classics
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: Humbert Humbert is a middle-aged, fastidious college professor. He also likes little girls. And none more so than Lolita, whom he'll do anything to possess. Is he in love or insane? A silver-tongued poet or a pervert? A tortured soul or a monster? ...Or is he all of these?
Review: I had to read this book as an ebook because I was traveling and didn't have a physical copy I could bring with me. If a book is already difficult to get through (i.e. is a classic), it becomes 10x harder for me to read it as an ebook.

It goes without saying that Humbert is one weird dude. His not-so-romantic relations with Lolita (Dolly) are told from his first person perspective, so we hear this story through an unreliable narrator. While it was interesting to ponder whether the series of events he describes actually happened as they said they did, Humbert definitely has some mental issues (pedophilia aside, sometimes he sounds straight up insane). Be prepared to read more attentively than you would for other books.

Overall an okay read; I wouldn't recommend it unless you are already interested and are ready to buckle down to read a classic.

Book Blog #264: Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie

Title: Bet Me
Author: Jennifer Crusie
# of Pages: 391 (paperback)
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Synopsis: Minerva Dobbs knows that happily-ever-after is a fairy tale, especially with a man who asked her to dinner to win a bet. Even if he is gorgeous and successful Calvin Morrisey. Cal knows commitment is impossible, especially with a woman as cranky as Min Dobbs. Even if she does wear great shoes and keeps him on his toes. When they say good-bye at the end of their evening, they cut their losses and agree never to see each other again. But Fate has other plans, and it's not long before Min and Cal meet again. Soon, they're dealing with a jealous ex-boyfriend, Krispy Kreme donuts, a determined psychologist, chaos theory, a freakishly intelligent cat, Chicken Marsala, and more risky propositions than either of them ever dreamed of. Including the biggest gamble of all—true love.
Review: I intentionally looked for a chick lit to read.

From my understanding, chick lits are not meant to be great literary works. They are written for the masses, primarily aimed at female audience (dare I say housewives?). I wanted something cheap, easy, and dirty, and I thought a chick lit would satisfy this craving.

My mistake was assuming all chick lits would have an emphasis on the physical aspect of a romantic relationship. Although I'm sure a fair amount do, this one did have nearly as much as I expected. The book concentrates more on the conflicts she has when interacting with Cal, her love interesting in the story who has a not so secret bet to get her into bed within a month of asking her out. Because him getting her into bed is the end goal, there's significantly less romantic action between the two of them than what I was hoping for.

This might be fine for some readers. Personally, if I wanted to read about a complicated romantic relationship, I would choose a book that does not fall under the chick lit genre. Like I said before, these types of books are not amazing pieces of literature. The relationships between friends/family/lovers are quite ridiculous and unrealistic. All the conflicts are petty, and the Min was annoyingly obsessed with Krispy Kreme donuts and chicken marsala.

There was also third person POV switching, and to make matters worse, the narrations were not very distinct. Although humor is not high up on this book's list of genres, I would classify it more as a romantic comedy, except that it's not even that funny.

I had pretty low expectations and was searching for a cheap, romantic read. This didn't quite meet that expectation which is why I am giving it two stars. I would recommend skipping this book for something else if you are searching for a romance novel or a good read.

Book Blog #263: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Title: Me Before You
Author: Jojo Moyes
# of Pages: 369 (paperback)
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: ★★★★☆
Synopsis: Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has barely been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is. Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.
Review: I had all intentions to give this book 3 stars.

I checked this book out at the library specifically because I wanted an easy (shallow?) romance read (and I wanted to watch the movie because Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin are in it). I didn't read into the synopsis; the only exposure I had was a clip from the movie where Will appears to be disabled and Louisa is his caregiver.

The reason why I wanted to give this book three stars: first person POV switching and the cliché plot. The story is mostly told from the first person POV of Louisa. However, Moyes would occasionally switch it up and randomly give Will's mother a chapter to tell the story, or Lousia's sister, or Will's father...but there did not appear to be any good reason as to why the story had to suddenly be told from their perspective.

I'm not going to lie; the plot is predictable anyone who is at all familiar with how emotional romantic novels go can guess how this story will end. I even read some reviews before starting this book and heard how people became emotional while reading. When I finally started reading, it seemed like your average book; a normal, boring girl's life changes when meeting a handsome, wealthy man.

DESPITE THIS, I ended up crying like a baby throughout the second half of the book. I don't know if it's because I've been extra emotionally recently (probably largely attributed to this, actually), but I haven't cried over a book like this in a long time. I was grateful I was reading this in a room by myself, otherwise people would have been concerned.

Although the plot is predictable, what makes this book stand out from other romantic novels is how it it gives readers some perspective on the lives of quadriplegics and some of the struggles they go through trying to live their lives in a world not fully equipped to accommodate. This story also tackled the difficult topic of assisted suicide, a highly debated topic that isn't as black and white as some people may think.

Educational benefits aside, another huge bonus is how realistic the characters are. There is not a single person who is all good nor all bad. The story reveals the complexity of different relationships: between parent and child, siblings, and partners. It's this realism that allowed me to "buy in" to the story and enjoy it.

No, it's not my favorite book. I probably wouldn't read it again, but I am so glad I decided to read it once. I would recommend it to anyone interested in this genre.

Book Blog #262: The Heir by Kiera Cass

Title: The Heir
Author: Kiera Cass
# of Pages: 342 (paperback)
Genre: YA, Romance, Fantasy
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Synopsis: Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won Prince Maxon’s heart. Now the time has come for Princess Eadlyn to hold a Selection of her own. Eadlyn doesn’t expect her Selection to be anything like her parents’ fairy-tale love story. But as the competition begins, she may discover that finding her own happily ever after isn’t as impossible as she always thought.
Review: I'm giving this book 2 stars because it was worse than I was expecting.

I thought I knew what I was getting into. I've read the first three books in this series, so I already knew the basic premise of this story: the previous main character had an heir (Eadlyn), and now she is holding her own Selection. I was in the mood for a quick, shallow read about a girl in a Bachelorette-esque situation.

However, this book did not meet my expectations. Eadlyn turns out to be more headstrong than the synopsis implies. She is so resistant to the Selection, it takes all the fun out of the story. Would people want to watch The Bachelor/Bachelorette if person in the spotlight didn't want to participate? No. And the same goes for this story.

The main take away from this story is also not great. Eadlyn doesn't want to get married (yet). She is a (self-proclaimed) "strong" and "independent" woman, but the world seems to be telling her that she needs a husband.

Eadlyn thinks to herself, “Everyone keeps saying that: it might be good for me. What does that even mean? I’m smart and beautiful and strong. I don’t need to be rescued.” This statement is something that should be said to more often. Women don't need to be with someone else to be empowered. However, when this statement is presented in the book, it as if this is setting the tone for her initial mindset that she will eventually grow away from as her character develops over time. This is NOT the correct direction she should be moving toward. Although she should grow to be more open minded, framing it in a way that implies she NEEDS a partner is not the way to do it.

Eadlyn: “Why haven’t you married?”
Lady Brice: “I am married. To this job! It means a lot to me, and I’d rather do it well than seek out a spouse…The only people I ever get to see are the other advisers, and I don’t think I’d want to be in a relationship with any of them. So I’ll just keep working.”

Lady Brice might be one of the only characters who is okay with being a single woman, but it's only because she is married to her job and doesn't find potential suitors attractive. She also implies that she can't do her job well AND seek out a spouse at the same time....

Overall, not really worth the read. I was disappointed to find that this isn't even the last book in the series. I was hoping to finish it once and for all, but now I have to consider whether I will read the final book or not for the sake of completeness, or if it really isn't worth my time.

Book Blog #261: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Title: Middlesex
Author: Jeffrey Eugenides
# of Pages: 529 (paperback)
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: Middlesex tells the breathtaking story of Calliope Stephanides, and three generations of the Greek-American Stephanides family, who travel from a tiny village overlooking Mount Olympus in Asia Minor to Prohibition-era Detroit, witnessing its glory days as the Motor City and the race riots of 1967 before moving out to the tree-lined streets of suburban Grosse Pointe, Michigan. To understand why Calliope is not like other girls, she has to uncover a guilty family secret, and the astonishing genetic history that turns Callie into Cal, one of the most audacious and wondrous narrators in contemporary fiction.
Review: This book took me an abnormally long time to finish. It has almost been two months! I had to check this book out at two different libraries because I wasn't able to renew at the first one.

Usually, when books take me this long to read, it's because I don't like them. However, this is not the case for Middlesex. This book was recommended to me by someone who knew I enjoyed books like Pachinko and A Thousand Splendid Suns. Middlesex spans multiple generations and "peels the onion" of Cal's life as a hermaphrodite. It's an interesting story for sure, but for some reason I was having issues staying awake long enough to make significant progress per reading period.

Something that did bother me about this book was how much the narration skipped around the timeline. I enjoyed the story when it was told chronologically, but since Cal is the narrator, he would skip to present day occasionally to give the reader an update on what is going on in his current life. This is a stylist choice, but it is one I didn't enjoy.

If it didn't have the magical power of putting me to sleep after only reading a handful of pages, I would have given it 4 stars. However, usually books that take me a long time to read indicate that I am not hooked by the story, which is why I docked a star off the rating. However, if the synopsis sounds interesting to you, I would recommend reading it. Although I wish it didn't take me as long as it did to read it, I do not regret reading it in the slightest.

Book Blog #260: Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

Title: Milk and Honey
Author: Rupi Kaur
# of Pages: 204 (paperback)
Genre: Nonfiction, Poetry, Feminism
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: Milk and honey' is a collection of poetry and prose about survival. About the experience of violence, abuse, love, loss, and femininity. It is split into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose. Deals with a different pain. Heals a different heartache. 'milk and honey' takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look.
Review: You can tell from the cover that this book is (supposed to be) filled with poetry.

I'm not a huge fan of poetry, so I decided to read this book on a bit of a whim. I knew poetry is usually written in short chunks, and the book wasn't very thick at all, so I was confident I could finish in a relatively short period of time.

I was surprised by how moved I was for some of the poems. The way she defines love and describes how she her life reflects how she has been affected by others in the past is beautiful. However, the reason why I enjoyed it so much is because it felt more like Rupi was talking vaguely about these topics rather than portraying these ideas through traditional(?) poetic means.

TLDR: I believe I liked this book because it didn't really read like poetry.

It's a quick read; if you're interested, go for it!

Book Blog #259: The Little Prince 75th Anniversary Edition by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Title: The Little Prince (75th Anniversary Edition)
Author: Antoine de Saint-Exupery
# of Pages: 224 (hardback)
Genre: Childrens, Fantasy, Classics
Rating: ★★★★☆
Synopsis: With a timeless charm it tells the story of a little boy who leaves the safety of his own tiny planet to travel the universe, learning the vagaries of adult behaviour through a series of extraordinary encounters. His personal odyssey culminates in a voyage to Earth and further adventures.
Review:
“It is much harder to judge yourself than to judge others. If you succeed in judging yourself, it’s because you are truly a wise man.”

I've heard so many people reference this book that I just had to read it for myself.

When I learned this book was categorized as "children's," I was shocked. I was even more shocked when I learned that there was a debate on whether this book is meant for children or adults. After reading, I think this story is best appreciated by adults who may have lost touch with the child within all of us. This does not mean children cannot read and enjoy this book too; there is just a difference in appreciation.

I checked this book out at the library, and it just so happened that the only available copy was the 75th anniversary edition. This version is much longer than the actual story because of all the bonus content. The beginning of the 75th anniversary edition has a lot of information on the author and those he knew, which might be useful for those doing a research project. I ended up reading The Little Prince story first (which appears in the middle of this book) and then went back to the beginning to read about the author. The real content is what comes after The Little Prince story: an analysis of The Little Prince by researcher and historian Delphine Lacroix. Her analysis of the story is almost more beautiful than the story itself.

The following is an excerpt from Lacroix’s analysis that particularly touched my heart.

“When you tame something, the fox teaches, you create a bond of affection with it: ‘But if you tame me, we’ll need each other. You’ll be the only boy in the world for me. I’ll be the only fox in the world for you…” Things become special to us when we’ve invested in them, when we’ve take the time to single them out, rescued them from the anonymity that comes of being one of the large number. And this is how something leaves its mark on us, beaks up the monotony of time, and gives meaning to our existence. To learn about friendship is to learn a sort of slow, choreographed dance. Finally, the fox delivers its biggest secret: ‘Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.’ And anyone able to see through this invisibility to the underlying bond that gives meaning to things will be the richer.” - 177

I recently found myself in a difficult situation with a friend of a couple months. I was advised by many others to cut this person out of my life, but despite what happened, I found this task to be very difficult. When I read this passage, I now believe it is because we have “tamed” each other. Although what happened will forever change our relationship, the investment into our friendship keeps me from cutting this friend completely from my life.

In The Little Prince, the fox knew that he would not be able to be with the little prince forever, yet he still insisted that he be tamed by the prince. He believes that that although he will be sad when the prince is gone, he would rather find meaning in the world when he is reminded of the prince than to not have those experiences at all. Although in my situation with my friend, I cannot say that I am glad what happened did happen, I know these experiences with this person have helped me learn and grow and changed how I view certain aspects of the world, just like the fox when he was tamed.

The story itself would earn 5 stars from me. However, the bonus content, while enlightening, was sometimes superfluous. I would recommend the story to EVERYONE.

Book Blog #258: The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

Title: The Notebook
Author: Nicholas Sparks
# of Pages: 203 (paperback)
Genre: Romance, Chick Lit, Contemporary
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Synopsis: A man with a faded, well-worn notebook open in his lap. A woman experiencing a morning ritual she doesn't understand. Until he begins to read to her. The Notebook is an achingly tender story about the enduring power of love, a story of miracles that will stay with you forever.
Review: Why is this story so popular? Is the movie that much better than the book?

This could have been rated two stars; since it's such a short book, it's not as big of a time-waster as many other books. However, I still thought it was a waste of time, thus the one star rating.

This is such a basic love story that's been done time and time again. I'm confused why this book in particular became so well known even to those who haven't read the book or watched the movie. If someone told me it was a fanfic written by a preteen, I would believe it. Perhaps I'm just not a fan of the chick-lit genre, but the descriptions are so tasteless. I just can’t take descriptions about Noah’s “loins” and Allie’s “erect nipples” seriously.

I don't regret reading it since it is such a popular story. But if you might want to reconsidering reading if you want to read an interesting story.

Book Blog #257: Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Title: Red Rising
Author: Pierce Brown
# of Pages: 382 (hardback)
Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children. But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class. Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity's overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society's ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies... even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.
Review: “I would work. I would bow. Let me wash dirt from my hands instead of blood. I want only to live with my family. We were happy enough. Freedom costs too much.” 

The critics are right. This book is VERY much like Hunger Games. Readers who LOVE The Hunger Games and want to read more that are VERY similar to The Hunger Games (or any cliché dystopian YA), this is exactly the book for you.

I loved The Hunger Games, but I also read THG before dystopian YA became a huge fad. This story is nothing new, and it is very clearly only the first book of a whole series. You can't read this book and expect most of the major loose ends to be tied up; Brown knew he was making this a whole saga.

Honestly, a lot of scenes lacked a lot fo detail. Since this is a dystopian world, I would love more world building details. Brown provides the bare minimum to get by with telling the story, which might be fine for some younger readers.

If you are the correct audience for YA books, go ahead and give this book a try. However, you won't get anything from this book that you wouldn't get from tons of YA dystopian books out there.

Book Blog #256: Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Title: Good Omens
Author: Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
# of Pages: 412 (paperback)
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Humor
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Synopsis: According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner. So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon—both of whom have lived amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle—are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture. And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist...
Review: This book just wasn't my cup of tea.

I only decided to read this book because the TV show just came out, and I saw that Neil Gaiman is one of the authors (although I've only read one of Neil Gaiman's books). I just don't understand the British humor, and my biblical knowledge is pretty limited. It took me a while to finish (over a week), which means I just didn't want to read it.

There is third POV switching between multiple people, and it is VERY sloppy. It was hard to keep track of all of these people, especially since some of the character's POV would only come up once (because the character is insignificant beside the one moment they describe from their POV).

Not worth the read.

Book Blog #255: Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich

Title: Dear Evan Hansen
Author: Val Emmich
# of Pages: 368 (hardback)
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: When a letter that was never meant to be seen by anyone draws high school senior Evan Hansen into a family's grief over the loss of their son, he is given the chance of a lifetime: to belong. He just has to stick to a lie he never meant to tell, that the notoriously troubled Connor Murphy was his secret best friend. Suddenly, Evan isn't invisible anymore--even to the girl of his dreams. And Connor Murphy's parents, with their beautiful home on the other side of town, have taken him in like he was their own, desperate to know more about their enigmatic son from his closest friend. As Evan gets pulled deeper into their swirl of anger, regret, and confusion, he knows that what he's doing can't be right, but if he's helping people, how wrong can it be? No longer tangled in his once-incapacitating anxiety, this new Evan has a purpose. And a website. He's confident. He's a viral phenomenon. Every day is amazing. Until everything is in danger of unraveling and he comes face to face with his greatest obstacle: himself.
Review: “I had to die for them to notice I was ever alive” (191).

For some reason, I thought this book addressed an LGBTQ+ struggle. Although there is an LGBTQ+ character, the character's sexuality is not a main issue in this story.

This is a strange adaptation since it started as a play and was turned into book (instead of the other way around). Although I have not seen the play yet, I can imagine how this story would be more interesting as a musical than as a novel. The story is relatively mundane; Evan Hansen is an underdog high schooler who gets caught up in a lie that makes him more popular at his school.

What I do like about the story is how Evan struggles with his lie. Is a lie bad if it bring more good than harm? Although this idea to address this struggle comes from the original play rather than being Emmich's brain child, this conflict was well portrayed in the book.

However, this is not saying that the conflict is BETTER portrayed in the novel than the play. There is first person POV switching between Evan and Connor (although there are only a handful of Connor chapters). Although I wasn't as bothered by the POV switching as I usually am, it was still disorienting when the first POV change happened since the chapter was not clearly labeled. POV switching isn't so much of a problem for plays; I wonder if Emmich followed the layout of the play too closely.

If you're a fan of the play or you have any interest in reading this book at all, go for it! It's a relatively short read. However, if you're on the fence, maybe just watch the musical.

Book Blog #254: Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper

Title: Out of My Mind
Author: Sharon M. Draper
# of Pages: 295 (paperback)
Genre: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: ★★★★★
Synopsis: Eleven-year-old Melody is not like most people. She can’t walk. She can’t talk. She can’t write. All because she has cerebral palsy. But she also has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She’s the smartest kid in her whole school, but NO ONE knows it. Most people—her teachers, her doctors, her classmates—dismiss her as mentally challenged because she can’t tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by her disability. And she’s determined to let everyone know it…somehow.
Review:

"I have spastic bilateral quadriplegia, also known as cerebral palsy. It limits my body, but not my mind...We all have disabilities. What’s yours?"

Man, there are some REALLY good children's books out there.

I had low expectations; I haven't read a good YA book in a long time, and this book is aimed toward middle grade and younger audiences. I had no idea what to expect.

Out of My Mind is a touching story told from the first person narration of young girl with cerebral palsy. Melody reveals the internal struggles she experiences in a body that does not match her mind. This book will reveals what it is like to live with cerebral palsy and how frustrating it is to be accepted in a world with such a condition.

Like Small Steps, I loved how this story allowed the reader to see through the eyes of someone with cerebral palsy and experience the difficulties that come with communicating, building relationship, and operating in a not-so-accessible world. Although this is a work of fiction (unlike Small Steps), this story is much more emotionally moving than an autobiography (there were times where I was tearing up; it's been a long time since that's happened).

I would recommend this book to EVERYONE, not just young readers. Yes, the writing style is simpler to make it easier for younger reader to read. However, the story itself is rich with experiences and is an enlightening read for everyone.

Book Blog #253: She Is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick

Title: She Is Not Invisible
Author: Marcus Sedgwick
# of Pages: 218 (hardback)
Genre: YA, Mystery, Contemporary
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Synopsis: LAURETH PEAK'S father has taught her to look for recurring events, patterns, and numbers - a skill at which she's remarkably talented. When he goes missing while researching coincidence for a new book, Laureth and her younger brother fly from London to New York and must unravel a series of cryptic messages to find him. The complication: Laureth is blind. Reliant on her other senses and on her brother to survive, Laureth finds that rescuing her father will take all her skill at spotting the extraordinary, and sometimes dangerous, connections in a world full of darkness.
Review: Even though this was a relatively short read (can be done easily in one sitting, She Is Not Invisible was still not worth the time it took to read it.

Sedgwick doesn't do a good job at making characters at their age. Both Laureth and her brother Benjamin act a lot younger than their age, which he tries to write into the plot (I see this as him being a weak writer; he should have just made both characters younger).

The story at its core is ridiculous; two kids going on an "adventure" with a lot of luck on their side might be something that interests little kids, but not something that continues to appeal to more mature audiences. If it weren't for the parts of the book where creepy guys imply they want to do some inappropriate things with 16 year old Laureth, I would say this book is meant for middle schoolers and younger.

Perhaps I'm the wrong audience for this. This book is told from the Laureth's first person POV, with the occasional chapter being one of her father's journal entries (distinguished by its journal style font and notes in the margins). I can imagine that younger readers might find this style fun and interesting. There was nothing wrong with this, and this quality alone does not make this book less mature; rather, the transition between first person narration and journal entries were executed more like a children's book instead of being better integrated into the story.

I think even young readers could find a better book to read than this one. 

Book Blog #252: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Title: Salt to the Sea
Author: Ruta Sepetys
# of Pages: 393 (hardback)
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Synopsis: World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, many with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer to safety. Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people—adults and children alike—aboard must fight for the same thing: survival.
Review: This book is borderline between one star and two stars.

I can't believe this is a Goodreads Choice 2016 WINNER.

The biggest problem is the first person POV switching between Joana, Emilia, Florian, and Alfred. This is always, and Salt to the Sea is a perfect example as to why. The chapters were very short, and the perspective overlapped (so there were times when the same event was described up to four times).

Sepetys hoped to increase exposure to the Wilhelm Gustloff; a tragedy that was greater than the Titanic. Although Septys describes some of the gruesome events that occurred as the Wilhelm sank, the overall execution through the first person POV switching weakened the weight of the impact. Also, the sinking of Wilhelm Gustloff was such a small portion of this book; if education on the sinking of Wilhelm Gustloff was one of Sepetys's main goals, she should have made it take up a larger portion of the book. The fiction outweighed the main historical facts.

To address this in the least spoiler way possible...the romance was very very weak and underdeveloped.

I had high expectations for this book, which might be why I ended up rating it so low. Not worth the read.

Book Blog #251: The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

Title: The Rest of Us Just Live Here
Author: Patrick Ness
# of Pages: 317 (hardback)
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Contemporary
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: What if you aren’t the Chosen One? The one who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death? What if you’re like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again. Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week’s end of the world, and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your ordinary life. Even if your best friend is worshipped by mountain lions.
Review: The synopsis for this book is a little confusing; let me clear a few things up. Most books focus on unexpected heroes: something supernatural/unconventional/paranormal happens in a supposedly normal town, and the hero must save the day. However, with every story, there are the rest of the people who live in the setting of the story. These people are bystanders as these riveting stories occur and lead as normal of a life that they can.

These are the people that this book focuses on. At the beginning of each chapter, there is a brief section addressing what the heroes are doing and how the supernatural/paranormal forces are affecting them and the town. The rest of the chapter focuses on what is happening amongst a group of characters who experience the side effects of these supernatural forces but do not directly interact with it. This group includes Mikey (the protagonist) and Mel (Mikey’s sister who shares Mikey’s suffering living with a political candidate mother), Jared (a descendant from an unimpressive God), and Henna (Mikey’s love interest).

The story is told in first person from Mikey’s POV, and he breaks the fourth wall numerous times by addressing the reader. This makes the story a little more casual and a little more fun. It’s unique from other styles of writing, and I had no problem with it disrupting the flow of the story.

The heroes are usually referred to as “the indie kids.” I was expecting the beginning sections of the chapters that focus on the indie kids to be a little more amusing; I was hoping for more obvious clichés from YA adventure books (multiple of the indies kids were named Finn; if this was a cliché, it is lost on me).

The concept sounded pretty interesting (I've read books where I've wondered about the extras and what their background is), but in reality, it's just another "contemporary" story about teens and their relationship issues (with friends, love interests, parents) with a touch of a supernatural component.

An average read. I remember liking The Knife of Never Letting Go, so I had higher expectation for The Rest of Us Just Live Here than the average YA book. It's an alright read, but definitely not my favorite.

Book Blog #250: It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

Title: It's Kind of a Funny Story
Author: Ned Vizzini
# of Pages: 444 (paperback)
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Psychology
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: Ambitious New York City teenager Craig Gilner is determined to succeed at life - which means getting into the right high school to get into the right job. But once Craig aces his way into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School, the pressure becomes unbearable. He stops eating and sleeping until, one night, he nearly kills himself. Craig's suicidal episode gets him checked into a mental hospital, where his new neighbors include a transsexual sex addict, a girl who has scarred her own face with scissors, and the self-elected President Armelio. There, Craig is finally able to confront the sources of his anxiety.
Review: This book is borderline between three stars and four stars.

It was a good read. Since Vizzini spent time in a psychiatric hospital himself (and eventually committed suicide after battling depression), I was very curious about this story as he would be projecting his own experiences in this fictional story. This, combined with a recommendation from years ago, encouraged me to read this book as soon as I got the opportunity.

This is one of the few books where I was hyperaware that the POV is from a teenage male's perspective. The writing style was difficult for me to get used to at first, but I appreciated how it didn't feel the same as most other YA nowadays. When I was starting this book, I was initially concerned about the topic; I've read a handful of books where the main character has depression, and many of them were triggering for me (i.e. Wintergirls, 13 Reasons Why, etc.). However, this book take a more lighthearted approach and is perhaps the opposite of triggering; it focuses on the healing process rather than the tragic spiral deeper and deeper into depression that many other authors focus on.

It's not really a funny story, but there were a couple parts at the end where I chuckled because a character said something sassy/snarky that was amusing. However, it is a relatively light read for a book addressing depression..

If you are interested in the topic, I would recommend giving it a read. It doesn't take that long to get through, and it's insightful as the author is most likely pulling from his own experiences in a psychiatric hospital.

Book Blog #249: One Night at the Call Center by Chetan Bhagat

Title: One Night at the Call Center
Author: Chetan Bhagat
# of Pages: 320 (paperback)
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Indian
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Synopsis: Six friends work nights at a call center in India, providing technical support for a major U.S. appliance corporation. Skilled in patience–and accent management–they help American consumers keep their lives running. Yet behind the headsets, everybody’s heart is on the line. Shyam (Sam to his callers) has lost his self-confidence after being dumped by the girl who just so happens to be sitting next to him. Priyanka’s domineering mother has arranged for her daughter’s upscale marriage to an Indian man in Seattle. Esha longs to be a model but discovers it’s a horizontal romp to the runway. Lost, dissatisfied Vroom has high ideals, but compromises them by talking on the phone to idiots each night. Traditional Radhika has just found out that her husband is sleeping with his secretary. And Military Uncle (nobody knows his real name) sits alone working the online chat. They all try to make it through their shifts–and maintain their sanity–under the eagle eye of a boss whose ego rivals his incompetence. But tonight is no ordinary night. Tonight is Thanksgiving in America: Appliances are going haywire, and the phones are ringing off their hooks. Then one call, from one very special caller, changes everything.
Review: This was a borderline between one star and two stars.

I usually reserve one star rating for the books I really really hate. However, I saw on that the average rating for this book is 2.49/5 stars, so I had extremely low expectations when I began reading this book. These low expectations actually made me this story readable. Perhaps without any bias, I would have felt differently, but I was surprised that it wasn't as bad as the reviews were telling me it was.

Why would I read this book if there were so many bad reviews? Someone recommended this book to me, but I have no idea who. I'm not sure if Goodreads is buggy and accidentally added it to my recommended shelf, but either way it perked my interest as to how a book could be so bad.

One Night at The Call Center is the soap opera of books. Just because it exceeded my expectations doesn't mean it's a good book (any book that has any sort of plot/structure could exceed the expectations I had). If you don't think anything exciting could happen in just one night at a call center...you'd be right. Yes there were several DRAMATIC events that happen in this one night (and plenty of Shyam having flashbacks to past dates), but the way it's written is not very enthralling. Think The Office, but worse; everything is very mundane, and the "big" events that happen are usually due to people's ridiculousness. 

Spoiler alert: everyone in this book is to some degree miserable with their life. Shyam particularly has a bad attitude that makes this read as unpleasant as his personality. The people at the call center seem to think Americans are stupid, yet they are not geniuses themselves. They come up with dumb plans to meddle with each other’s relationships, and the men (especially Shyam) act like they have more hardships than women just because they’re male.

This must be some man’s fantasy. Of course the protagonist goes from being heartsick and bitter over his ex, only to be proposed to in the end by her. And of course he gets to be the proud male to reject her. Priyanka’s spontaneous decision makes her seems shallow, which I’m sure is how the protagonist sees most women, thus painting her in such a light.

And OF COURSE when the protagonist thinks he’s an idiot, she still accepts him with open arms in the middle of the road.

If this is an accurate portrayal of Indian people's view of Americans, women, etc., then at least I can say I've learned something. At the very least, I can say I learned something about the author and what perspectives he has or has been exposed to.

Would I recommend this book? Nope, not to anyone.

(And yes, he really does thank Bill Gates and MS Word. Microsoft and MS Word seem to be an obsession of the author's).

Book Blog #248: Turned at Dark by C.C. Hunter

Title: Turned at Dark
Author: C.C. Hunter
# of Pages: 32 (ebook)
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Short Story
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: Independent and strong-willed Della Tsang did not believe in ghosts, until she sees her dead cousin in a dark alley. She did not believe in vampires, until she turns into one. Should she follow her vampire cousin's lead and walk away from everything she knows, or join Shadow Falls, a camp for special teens?
Review: This book is really short.

I'll always love C.C. Hunter's writing style, and this is no exception. However, I'm wondering how much research she put into writing from an Asian POV; Asian stereotypes seemed quite prominent in both this story and the other Shadow Falls books as well.

I can't really complain about this story because it's so short, and it's free! If you enjoyed the Shadow Falls series and want more, go ahead and give it a read. Could I have lived without it? Yes. Do I regret reading it? Not really.

Book Blog #247: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Title: Everything, Everything
Author: Nicola Yoon
# of Pages: 306 (hardback)
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla. But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly. Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.
Review: Maybe instead of saying she's allergic to the work, Yoon could have used this book as an opportunity to raise awareness of SCID.

I was beginning to think the disease wasn't even real; I thought the disease was a fictional story-telling device to tell a modern Rapunzel-esque story. However, this disease really does exist, even though it is only mentioned in the book by name a couple of times at most.

The plot is predictable; it's your average YA romance novel. However, this work of Yoon's is much better than The Sun Is Also A Star. For one, there is no first person POV switching; it is all in first person from Maddy's POV. However, some chapters are told through emails, IMs, hand drawn infographics, etc. The various ways Yoon chose to portray Maddy's POV can be considered playful to some and childish to others, but either way I thought it was a fun and creative way to tell a story. This playful varying chapter pattern is present across both of the books I've read of hers so far which clearly defines her writing style. You can love it or you can hate it, but it defines Yoon's writing style pretty clearly which I can respect.

The romance in Everything, Everything still progresses much too fast, although not as irritatingly fast as it was in The Sun Is Also A Star. It's unrealistic Olly would act so impulsively as he does in this book, but this quality is not atypical of a character in a fantasized romance.

I would recommend this book to the same audience that would enjoy The Sun Is Also A Star and other books that would be categorized under unrealistic romance.

Book Blog #246: Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio by Peg Kehret

Title: Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio
Author: Peg Kehret
# of Pages: 180 (hardback)
Genre: Childrens, Nonfiction, Autobiography
Rating: ★★★★★
Synopsis: Ten years ago, in a riveting story of courage and hope, Peg Kehret wrote of the months she spent in a hospital when she was 12.
Review: This book EXCEEDED my expectations.

I couldn't find this book at any bookstore, but luckily it was still available at my local library. I would never have read this book if it wasn't recommended to me; the cover doesn't look very interesting, title doesn't sound uplifting nor exciting, and nonfiction isn't always my favorite genre.

However, this story flows off the page. It's not your typical, dreary, clinical nonfiction book. It reminds me of 1 Liter of Tears, except I'm not entirely sure why (1 Liter of Tears is very different; it's diary format up, and it ends a bit differently than Small Steps). Small Steps is surprisingly lighthearted while also being educational about what it's like to have polio.

The epilogue is less about her having polio and more about where the author is today. It might not be relevant to everyone; the author is using the book to try to reconnect with the people who helped her during her polio journey as well as connect with her readers who were impacted by the publication of her story. However, it's great to hear that Kehret is not just using this book to tell her story but also to foster relationships and communities.

Although one of the main genres for this book is "children's", I'm not sure this was actually the target audience because this story is enjoyable for people of all ages. It's only 180 short pages, and the quality of the story is definitely worth the time it takes to read.

Book Blog #245: First Term at Malory Towers by Enid Blyton

Title: First Term at Malory Towers
Author: Enid Blyton
# of Pages: 236 (ebook)
Genre: Childrens, Fiction
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Synopsis: Darrell Rivers begins her happy life at Malory Towers two terms later than the other girls, but she soon makes firm friends with Sally, the steady one, and the adoring Mary Lou.
Review: I have no idea how this book ended up on my to-read shelf. Someone recommended it to me 6 years ago, but I can't remember who nor did I realize it was a children's book.

I can't imagine letting children read this book. It's about a bratty, clique-y group of girls in boarding school. Sure, there is some character growth, but the way many of these girls behaving is simply ridiculous. Some are violent, some like to exclude others, and all of them like to gang up on those who they don't like.

I would not recommend this book, especially not to impressionable young children.

Book Blog #244: Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Title: Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda
Author: Becky Albertalli
# of Pages: 306 (ebook)
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Rating: ★★★★☆
Synopsis: Simon Spier is sixteen and trying to work out who he is - and what he's looking for. But when one of his emails to the very distracting Blue falls into the wrong hands, things get all kinds of complicated. Because, for Simon, falling for Blue is a big deal . . . It's a holy freaking huge awesome deal.
Review: Yes, I watched the movie before I read the book.

Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda has been on my to-read shelf for so long; not only did I have my eye on it when it came out, but someone recommended it to me a year or two after it was published. However, with the (original) title as it is, I wasn't sure what it would be about, and so it kept getting pushed farther and farther down on my list of unread books.

However, when the movie came out, some how I figured out Love, Simon is actually the movie adaptation for this book (I guess the movie makers thought the title is too ambiguous as well). This movie happened to be the most appealing from the limited movie selection they have on the plane.

There's seems to be a trend amongst many contemporary-romance young adult movie adaptations (all of them seem to have a TFIOS vibe, probably because it was such a hit). Although this story differs from the mainstream romance story in that it does not focus on a heterosexual relationship, the movie still had same vibe.

But we are not here to talk about the movie (although I will be doing quite a bit of compare-contrasting between the movie and the book in my review).

After feeling guilty for watching before reading the book, I got my hands on an ebook version from my local library. I knew there were going to be differences (it's necessary), but I was shocked by how much was changed in the adaptation from book to movie.

Leah-from-the-movie is definitely NOT how I would imagine Leah-from-the-book. Leah, one of Simon's best friends, is definitely not one of the popular kids. She doesn't like going to parties. She dresses up like a character from a manga. She's an underdog who is one of the more emotionally problematic characters in this book. If she wasn't in the book at all, she wouldn't have been missed. In short, she wasn't necessary to the book at all.

On the other hand, Leah is Hannah Baker a much more prominent character in the movie. They made her more of a key character to increase the drama. This was not necessarily the right choice as well. One thing I hate about a lot of these YA books is the high school drama; it gets old. The last thing Simon needs is more drama with Leah.

I was very impressed with the book, Leah aside. While I did enjoy the movie, I enjoyed the book so much more. The story is told in first person from Simon's POV. Some chapters are purely email threads between Simon and Blue, and these chapters had me smiling like crazy as I read. This story is fun and cute, and it made me happy.

I would highly recommend this book!

Book Blog #243: Three Worlds Collide by Eliezer Yudkowsky

Title: Three Worlds Collide
Author: Eliezer Yudkowsky
# of Pages: ~100 (ebook)
Genre: Fiction, Science Fiction, Short Stories
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: Three Worlds Collide is a story written to illustrate some points on naturalistic metaethics and diverse other issues of rational conduct. It grew, as such things do, into a small novella. On publication, it proved widely popular and widely criticized. Be warned that the story, as it wrote itself, ended up containing some profanity and PG-13 content.
Review: I read (and listened to the audiobook version of) this because I loved Yudkowsky's HPMOR.

Unlike HPMOR, this book cannot be categorized as "fanfiction" because it is not based off of an existing story (although it has a bit of a Star Trek/Star Wars vibe simply because it takes place in space). Unlike HPMOR, this is obviously something that is very unpolished and not even close to being ready for publication (by traditional means). Although the concepts are interesting, and I can appreciate how Yudkowsky went about presenting such a moral dilemma, the story is all over the place.

Enjoying HPMOR does not necessarily mean you will enjoy this work from Yudkowsky. However, it is a short read, so if you are curious, it wouldn't hurt to give it a try.

Book Blog #242: The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon

Title: The Sun Is Also a Star
Author: Nicola Yoon
# of Pages: 248 (paperback)
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Synopsis: A story of a girl, a boy, and the universe Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story. Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us. The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?
Review: I bought this book because I knew it was recently adapted in to a movie, and I wanted to read it before I watched it. However, from the trailers for the movie, I knew this YA romance novel would probably not be my cup of team; nowadays they're cringe-y and predictable.

I was not wrong.

The whole premise of the story is pretty ridiculous. It’s so unrealistic, it’s not even enjoyable. Love at first sight is already difficult to believe, but the execution of it was even more unrealistic. Natasha is a smart girl. She would know better than to play along with a stranger’s game to try to make her fall in love with him. I can see why they made this into a movie; they have a limited amount of screen time, so what perfect story to tell other than a love story that happens in under 24 hours?

It’s gross that Daniel describes himself to be “shallow” and “horny” when he meets Natasha. I’m not sure if the author was simply trying to humanize Daniel (no one is perfect), but it doesn’t cast Daniel in a very good light especially since the reader is still being introduced to his character. The way he acts around Natasha is way too familiar.

There is first person POV switching, and not even just between a set number of characters ("the universe" serves as the catchall POV when it's not Natasha nor Daniel). Every once in a while, the author decides to dedicate a chapter to explain the history of a character or a word or explain scientific concepts like half-life. Is this necessary? Perhaps for some readers, but for those who already know the information, it is unnecessary and overall a waste of time. Instead of focusing on telling Natasha’s and Daniel’s story, Yoon decided to tell the story of everyone around them too (including security guards, conductors, etc.). I’m not sure that was the best choice in this case.

(Misc. side complaint for an inaccuracy: one of the side characters was touring colleges and wanted to stop by to tour UCSF. Is the author fully aware that UCSF does not have programs for undergraduate degrees? It seems odd that a graduating high school senior would be touring grad schools).

Each chapter is very short (reminds me a bit of Maximum Ride). I find that books with short chapters are great for those who are just getting into reading (so maybe those in middle school or high school who are trying to read more). The short chapter style reminds me a lot of the Maximum Ride series, which would have 100+ chapters because each one was so short.

I would recommend this book to less avid readers (not to be confused with younger readers, this IS a romance book after all) who still have not been worn down from cliché YA romance plot lines. Otherwise, it is really not worth the read.

Book Blog #241: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Title: A Thousand Splendid Suns
Author: Khaled Hosseini
# of Pages: 420 (paperback)
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: ★★★★☆
Synopsis: Born a generation apart and with very different ideas about love and family, Mariam and Laila are two women brought jarringly together by war, by loss and by fate. As they endure the ever escalating dangers around them-in their home as well as in the streets of Kabul-they come to form a bond that makes them both sisters and mother-daughter to each other, and that will ultimately alter the course not just of their own lives but of the next generation. With heart-wrenching power and suspense, Hosseini shows how a woman's love for her family can move her to shocking and heroic acts of self-sacrifice, and that in the end it is love, or even the memory of love, that is often the key to survival.
Review: This was so much better than I thought it was going to be.

I was apprehensive to read this book because it takes place amongst all of the politics of the Middle East. As someone who is unfamiliar with much of the culture there as well as not being well-versed in the political situation in Afghanistan, I worried that this would be a difficult read for me.

However, since the book begins from the perspective of young Mariam, the book eases the reader into the setting and the cultural norms. The story switches between the third person POV of Mariam and Laila as their lives become intertwined, which is usually disruptive to the flow of the story but was not as detrimental to the story as it usually.

A Thousand Splendid Suns reminded a lot of Pachinko (a story spanning different generations, although ATSS did not span nearly as many as Pachinko) and All the Light We Cannot See (two tragic lives coming together amidst war and devastation). Although perhaps not as moving to me as these other books due to its less effective storytelling tactics, ATSS had me emotionally engaged every step of the way. I would highly recommend this book!

Book Blog #240: Light from Other Stars by Erika Swyler

Title: Light from Other Stars
Author: Erika Swyler
# of Pages: 320 (ebook)
Genre: Fiction, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Synopsis: Eleven-year-old Nedda Papas is obsessed with becoming an astronaut. In 1986 in Easter, a small Florida Space Coast town, her dreams seem almost within reach—if she can just grow up fast enough. Theo, the scientist father she idolizes, is consumed by his own obsessions. Laid off from his job at NASA and still reeling from the loss of Nedda’s newborn brother several years before, Theo turns to the dangerous dream of extending his living daughter's childhood just a little longer. The result is an invention that alters the fabric of time.
Review: I received an advanced copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Although I am writing this review after the book has been published, I read the pre-release version.

What at first sounded like a touching historical fiction story turned out to be a strange science fiction novel.

The book confusingly switches between past and future in an attempt to tell both parts of Nedda’s (the protagonist’s) life story at the same time. Although this might be a better story telling choice than if both parts were told in series, the way it was told was definitely not the best choice.

This book is advertised to be about “fathers and daughters, women and the forces that hold them back,” but I found it was more about the complexity of relationship in a family and that there was more growth between Nedda and her mother than Nedda and her father.

If you are interested from the synopsis, go ahead and give it a read. However, if it sounds like a disorganized read, I would recommend against it.

Book Blog #239: To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Title: To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Author: Jenny Han
# of Pages: 369 (ebook)
Genre: YA, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.
Review: The best thing I can say about this book is that the rating might not be a solid 1 star; it might be between 1 and 2 stars.

I thought I knew what I was getting into. With that kind of title and the top genres being "young adult" and "romance," I knew it was going to be extremely cliché and shallow. However, it is much worse than I thought.

The biggest problem is Lara Jean. Her narrative sounds like an 8 year-old girl instead of the sixteen old she is suppose to be (reading this didn't feel too much different from reading Junie B. Jones). Han attempts to make her seem mature since she plays a crucial part in keeping the family functioning, but the way she handles her emotional issues is more similar to how I would expect Kitty (her younger sister) to be dealing with these things.

Since Lara Jean, Margot, and Kitty are suppose to have a strong sisterly bond, I was hoping for some underlying message of familial love. Although there are several attempts to show how much the sisters care about each other, the challenges they overcome are so trivial and petty that the message does not hit home.

The romance aspect of this book is a mess and many of the romantic conflicts seem to be left unresolved. Worst of all, the central problem of the book is ridiculous; if you are writing letters to the boys you've loved before so you can get over them, why would you actually address the correctly so they can easily be sent out? It seems like the cause of this conflict could have easily be avoided (and since it's the modern age, it might've been more believable if her EMAILS were accidentally sent).

I wanted to read it before I watched it, but I probably shouldn't have. I'm pretty sure the hype around this story is not because of the book.

Book Blog #238: Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Crooked Kingdoms
Author: Leigh Bardugo
# of Pages: 536 (ebook)
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Adventure
Rating: ★★★★☆
Synopsis: Welcome to the world of the Grisha. Kaz Brekker and his crew of deadly outcasts have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets - a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.
Review: I wouldn't have read the second book if it wasn't highly recommended to me.

Sure, I liked Six of Crows well enough, but I didn't feel any urgency to find out what happens to all of the characters. However, with a recommendation and the fact that this book is the last book in the duology, I thought I might as well give it a read.

I liked this book about the same amount as I liked Six of Crows (perhaps a little less, perhaps a little more). I enjoyed reading how Kaz's complicated plans unfolded and seeing the relationships within the gang deepen over time.

I'm really, really sad Matthias died. There are three couples in the book: Kaz+Inej, Jesper+Wylan, and Matthias+Nina. Even though I always views Matthias and Nina as the secondary couple, I feel like they were cheated of a proper conclusion in this book. I'm not complaining about that fact that Matthias is killed off (although that does make me sad). The problem it how every couple seemed to get their own ending chapter (Wylan and Jesper are living in Wylan's father's mansion, Inej and Kaz are going to work on defeating slavers and other greedy/evil people in power together) but it's only briefly mention that Nina is going to bury Matthias in his homeland. If every other character has closure, the least Bardugo could have done is give the reader a little bit more on Nina; was her voyage to bury Matthias's body successful? Is she prepared to live her life without him or is she going to be crippled with the loss. There is just a little too much left up to the reader's imagination.

If you enjoyed Six of Crows, you will definitely enjoy this book. I recommend this to anyone who has read and loved Six of Crows.

Book Blog #237: Diary of an AssCan by Andy Weir

Title: Diary of an AssCan: A Mark Watney Short Story
Author: Andy Weir
# of Pages: 4 (ebook)
Genre: Fiction, Science Fiction, Short Stories
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Synopsis: This short story gives us a glimpse into Mark Watney’s world just before taking off on his mission for Mars. Read on for more from this exceptional character.
Review: Since I just finished reading The Martian, I was really excited to see there was a free prequel (read it yourself here: https://blog.whsmith.co.uk/andy-weir-the-short-story-prequel-to-the-martian/).

I knew it was going to be a short story, but I didn't realize it was going to be THIS short. Even when I saw that it was about 4 pages long, I was expecting a dense set of 4 pages containing the unknown part of Mark story leading up to his mission on Mars. However, these three short entries reveal nothing the reader doesn't already know.

It will literally take a couple minutes tops to read it, but there's pretty much nothing to this story. If you're interested, I'd say go for it because you're not wasting a lot of time. But afterward you'll understand that what is labelled as a short story is actually no story at all.

Book Blog #236: The Martian by Andy Weir

Title: The Martian
Author: Andy Weir
# of Pages: 369 (paperback)
Genre: Fiction, Science Fiction, Adventure
Rating: ★★★★☆
Synopsis: Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills — and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit — he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
Review: I was very surprised by how much I was able to enjoy this book.

By no means am I a science fiction buff (the opposite actually, aside from a brief obsession with dystopian YA books). However, since this book was so popular, and there was even a movie based on it, I decided to give it a shot.

Weir does a great job making a likable protagonist; his log entries are fun, so the reader actually wants him to survive. The biggest drag on the story is how much science there is. While I appreciate a well researched book, even the dumbed down science in Mark's log entries force readers to slow down to understand what exactly is going on.

This story is told in first person (the log entries) with the occasional section of third person narration and third person POV from the people at NASA. In this case, jumping between log entries and NASA is fine since there is a clear distinction between these two perspectives and they give a clear picture of what is going on at that moment. However, there still was some overlap between NASA's perspective and Mark's log entries that could have been eliminated to make the way the story was told perfect.

I enjoyed the read and would recommend it to those interested in the book. If you are scared of there being too much science, trying reading an excerpt and see how you fare; it doesn't get much more technical than it is in the beginning.

Book Blog #235: Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

Title: Into the Water
Author: Paula Hawkins
# of Pages: 386 (paperback)
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: In the last days before her death, Nel called her sister. Jules didn’t pick up the phone, ignoring her plea for help. Now Nel is dead. They say she jumped. And Jules has been dragged back to the one place she hoped she had escaped for good, to care for the teenage girl her sister left behind. But Jules is afraid. So afraid. Of her long-buried memories, of the old Mill House, of knowing that Nel would never have jumped. And most of all she’s afraid of the water, and the place they call the Drowning Pool...
Review:

 “She just wanted the truth. The truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth” (314).

 I'll start out with what I enjoyed about the book. I loved trying to puzzle out the truth behind the deaths that occurred at in the river. However, this may be attributed to my interest in the mystery/thriller genre. Regardless, I was gripped by the suspense of the story.

That being said, there were a lot of issues with the story. There's my biggest pet peeve: first person POV switching. I understand why it was done this way; each character had to tell their version of the truth. Every character believes their side of the story is the real side of the story, and through these different perspectives, the reader is suppose to piece together what really happened to the girls who died in the river. However, this means there's A LOT of overlap between perspectives on the same parts of the story, which is the biggest pitfall of POV switching.

But if first person POV switching isn't confusing enough, there are way too many characters. Although some characters played crucial roles in piecing together this puzzle, others were morel like extras in the story (where their perspective isn't necessary). This book could have benefited from less POVs.

While I was reading, I thought a lot about a book I read a long time ago called Nothing But the Truth which was named after the sworn oath a person would take before testifying (see the second sentence in the quote at the top of this review). Both books observe a situation from different perspectives (and as a result leave major plot holes in their wake), but one is meant for adults and one is meant for younger readers. Nothing But the Truth received a lot of criticism, but part of me wonders whether Into the Water would have received similar treatment if it had to be dumbed down to a children's book.

Suspense novels kind of scare me, and this book was no exception which is why I won't be rereading this book anytime soon. I do admit it was an enthralling read, but it definitely had major issues. I wouldn't put it at the top of your to-read list, but if you are interested in the genre and aren't bothered by POV switching and some mysteries being left unsolved, be my guest.

Book Blog #234: Dumplin' by Julie Murphy

Title: Dumplin'
Author: Julie Murphy
# of Pages: 400 (paperback)
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Rating: ★★★★☆
Synopsis: Dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom, Willowdean has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked...until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back. Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.
Review: I'm actually rating this book higher than I thought I would.

This is mostly because it was exactly what I was expecting; a simple young adult novel revolving around a high schooler with high school level issues. I knew it wasn't going to be a masterpiece like All the Lights We Cannot See, but I hoped it would be better than the YA-mess The Enchanter Heir.

I loved read about Willowdean as she struggles with her weight, something that affects her relationships and her self-confidence throughout the story. It also is rich with southern culture (love for iced tea, southern hospitality, and, most of all, beauty pageants).

Will is definitely not perfect (I've seen others complain about her personality and/or her messy romantic life), but these things don't bother me for some reason. Her romantic life wasn't unrealistic to me, and the conflicts she has with her friends are all the types of fights I would expect of someone in high school.

While I do enjoy the book's message to love yourself (no matter what size you are), it just wasn't my cup of tea overall. For what it is and what I was expecting, I rank it relatively high. However, as far as how interested I was in the story, it'd be closer to three stars. The story is told in a very slice-of-life manner than was boring to me. Will doesn't even decide to enter the pageant until a good portion into the book which just goes to show how much this story drags.

I wouldn't read this book again (I only read it because of the hype over the movie that came out last month). I'm not really interested in reading these YA that are clearly meant for pre-teens/teens (too shallow, too fluffy). However, if you tend to like this type of book (think TFIOS but blander and less tearjerking), I'd recommend it.