Sing, Unburied, Sing

April 15, 2018

Sing, Unburied, Sing

By Jesmyn Ward 3/5 Stars

Sing, Unburied, Sing is a brutal coming of age story set against the backdrop of rural Mississippi. This was a very mediocre story for me and I found myself continually checking to see how much I had left to go…which is never a good sign. I wasn’t ever able to fully immerse myself in the story or characters. There were certain moments where I was “there”, like during some of the scenes on the road trip you could really feel the oppressive heat and the weight of the situation pressing down on Jojo. Otherwise I felt very separate from the plot and characters.

Part of my issue with this book and one of the things that kept dragging me out of the story was the inconsistencies with characterization. The author made a very clear artistic choice with dialect in the very beginning of the story. We are thrown in with a very heavy southern dialect of a young, uneducated child, fine..cool..here we are. Then constantly throughout the story these characters wax poetic using large complex sentence structure and vocabulary that is so inconstant with previous characterization. This leaves the characters with a lack of authenticity and you can feel the author pressing in on the story. This left me disconnected with the characters and I felt a total lack of investment in their fate. Then we have the whole thing with Jojo being a parent to Kayla as their mother is not present or able to care for them. This missed the mark a bit for me as we spend time with his interactions with Pop and Mam. There are details of how the children have cared for by their grandparents and their relationships are really quite sweet. They have been fed, sheltered. loved and taught by them. Yes interactions with his drug addicted parents would have caused Jojo to grow up faster than normal, and would have brought him closer to Kayla and wanting to shelter her from them. Jojo and Kayla had parents in Mam and Pop, to the extent that he no longer viewed Leonie as a parent. So moments in the story just rang false to me, and were contradictions of previous characterizations.  One of the largest examples for me was River allowing Leonie to take the kids on the road trip in the first place. This just didn’t make any sense to me, the character of “Pop” that was created throughout the story would not have allowed that to happen, and Leonie perpetually unable to standup up to anyone or for anything in the rest of the story would not have been able to stand up against River and take them anyway. It made it feel like there was two totally separate stories happening. There are so many examples throughout the story where the dots just don’t quite connect.

Lets move on to plot. To me there seemed to be just a bit too much going on. The changes in plot and conflict didn’t seem to flow together and some points were just dropped and forgotten altogether.

Then there are the ghosts…ah the ghosts. I get what was trying to happen here….maybe?? Some of our characters are haunted by their pasts. Leonie by the death of her brother and her desperate need to see him again coupled with her guilt over having a relationship with the family who murdered him. Using this as fuel and a reason to get high. River by the events of his past and the guilt and responsibility he feels over the death of someone in his care. We see how these hauntings of the past effect their present interactions with their families especially the children who can literally see these ghosts and interact with them. Then it gets a little weird with the magical realism at the end. I feel like we should have spent more time with Mam and her relationship to the Gods and her gris-gris throughout the story, or just skipped it all together. It made the whole story feel a bit cheap by the end to have this weird supernatural event surrounding Mam’s death. Wasn’t for me.

The ending seemed very truncated to me. All of the conflict seeming to be solved and so many story threads just dropped without explanation. This was a very lukewarm read for me, but us well loved by others. There is lots to discuss about it…so there is that. What did you think?

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…also gratuitous goat slaughter for no apparent reason…..

Truthwitch/Windwitch

March 1, 2018

Truthwitch/Windwitch

By Susan Dennard 3/5 stars 2/5stars

***Mild Spoilers Ahead….you have been warned***

Lets start with an overview of Truthwitch the first of the Witchlands series. The plot moved along at a fast pace that drew me through the story quickly and kept me interested. The rapid changes in conflict and plot were so frequent and out of nowhere it gave you whiplash but it was at least intriguing. I find this is very common for debut authors as if they throw all the ideas they have into their first book just incase. As a result none of the conflicts are thought out or explained, we just move onto the next problem. We tried to rob a caravan, now we are fugitives and the whole city is looking for and will recognize us, now all of a sudden there is a betrothal to a king, being hunted by an uber assassin, returning to a home I was exiled from…wait kicked out of..rescued from??? evil cult leader, mob, evil super villain killing people from afar…ummm we are just 100 pages in. This left the world building and development of the magic system lacking and plot holes…so many plot holes. But wait! Perhaps this will be worked out in the second book…

Windwitch……sigh…..this book was so close to being DNF’ed. I had to put it down for a couple days because it made me so mad. The magic system continues to be underdeveloped and inconsistent, it moves around to accommodate the plot. The politics are a huge miss. They do not feel well thought out and the dots don’t connect. The author has added so many players to the game that it doesn’t make any sense, and there are large gaping holes. It kept feeling like we added more players to solve conflict or create new ones, this just felt like lazy plotting to me. Instead of using the characters and nations you already have and thinking about how they would fit into the story, more are just added with the characteristics or motivation that is needed. Some of the story lines felt like they had a clear defined purpose and direction and served to move the story forward (Iseult and Aeduan….literally the only reason I finished the book). Others (I’m looking at you Safi and Merik) felt rather pointless and we ended up quite literally in almost the same position as when we left Truthwitch…just with a whole lot of angst and drama in the middle and basically one revelation at the end to add some insight. We also had the addition of some other POVs that just served to muddle the story even more.

Okay, lets talk about it. Friendships, everyone praises this book because it focuses on the strength of friendships instead of romance which is so unique and refreshing for a YA book. Lies!!! Romance is certainly front and centre and is the driving force of many of the character decisions. One of the characters is referred to as the Chiseled Cheater……I feel like I don’t even need to bash that one…it does it all on its own. There are strong friendships and I do appreciate that, I did not appreciate how quickly they were minimized for romantic interests. To the extreme that one character wishes they had abandoned their childhood friend int their death to chase after the romantic interest they had known for a week. This story lost all credibility to me when a character who had been taken prisoner by a group that they had been hiding from their whole life and which means certain death, and are treated very poorly. I mean drug through a sweltering jungle tied up injured without food and water. Then they are left alone and the captor starts inexplicably stripping in front of them….and they think…hey he’s cute. NO!!!!!!! JUST NO!!!!!! So unnecessary, so out of character, so icky, harmful….all the things….NO!

I feel so frustrated by this series because there are elements that I really like and the magic could be really cool. Its just missing the mark and falling into all the typical YA stereotypes. The plot is just a big sprawling mess with relevant points that float to the surface every once in a while. Iseult and Aeduan were the only saving grace of this story. Their interactions together are believable and honest, and I appreciate the respect they have for each other. Their storyline actually makes sense..mostly, and their magic is the most developed and its the most consistent. I am unsure if I will continue on if it was for the rest of the story I would give up  now…but the next one is called Bloodwitch so…….

The Silent Companions

October 18, 2017

The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell

3/5 Stars

This is a gothic ghost story set in a creepy old mansion. Elsie has arrived at her deceased husbands manor house and quickly things begin to get strange. Both Elsie and the house have a unsettling past and one of them is more that what they seem. But who is telling the truth?

I found the three story lines a bit jarring to follow at times. The switches seemed very abrupt from one tale to the next. The story was suspenseful and kept me turning the pages, but it didn’t draw me completely into the story, I didn’t ever feel that I was there in the house with them. I think the past story of the house was the weakest one and didn’t quite blend with the others. The companions were very creepy originally, but they seemed to get a bit muddled as the story went on.

This read was entertaining but didn’t really stand our for me. It might be more enjoyable for classic horror buffs.

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Since We Fell

October 9, 2017

Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane

3/5 Stars

I went into this story really not knowing anything about it and I think that is the best way to go into this…well into any thriller really….

We follow our main protagonist, Rachel a former journalist who has a mental breakdown on air, she then struggles with anxiety and agoraphobic tendencies. This story starts out kind of slow and seems like more of a literary fiction/family drama sort of deal .  Then is slowing sneaks up the tension level bit by bit until it ends up completely bonkers by the end. This is the type of thriller where the action is not very believable as an actual real life scenario, but it was so entertaining and suspenseful I just didn’t care. I do think we spent too much time at the beginning on Rachel’s backstory and childhood, we could have spend less time there are more time later on in the action. This was a fun ride of a book that kept me up way past my bedtime…just be prepared to suspend your belief a bit and just go in expecting a fun time.

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September 2017 Wrap Up

October 7, 2017

September 2017 Wrap Up

So the leaves are falling the air is crisp and I am one happy person. Autumn is so cozy and like many others is my favorite time of the year. It is still pleasant to go outside, but it is also perfect to curl up with a good book under a fuzzy blanket. How was September for you? The start of the month for me reading wise was a bit rough. I was finishing up the last of the Manbooker longlisted books in preparation for the Manbooker 2017 Shortlist announcement, I also overloaded myself with review copies that were due to be read in September. This all added up to me reading a bunch of books I wasn’t very into and becoming frustrated with reading the same type of books. After I had finished those ones I went on a binge of reading all the books I have been gazing at longingly over the last couple months and found a few I really enjoyed.

Top 3 of the Month

The Paper Menagerie

5/5 Stars this is a collection of short stories that absolutely blew me away, the writing was gorgeous and each story felt rich and complete.

Godsgrave

5/5 Stars The second book in the Nevernight Chronicle was full of adventure and strong lady characters.

Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue

3/5 Stars This was pure book candy enjoyment and was a perfect rest for my brain. It follows roguish Monty as he makes his tour of Europe before taking over the family business, he has some  adventure along the way and has a swoon worthy love story.

There were quite a few other books that I loved this month and it was hard to pick just three! Hope you are enjoying the Autumn season, let me know what are some of you favorite autumnal reads!

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Chernobyl Prayer

October 6, 2017

Chernobyl Prayer: A Chronicle of the Future by Svetlana Alexievich

Svetlana spent years collecting these stories of all the people affected by the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, giving voice to the people the officials tried so hard to quiet. This book was very eye opening to me, I thought i knew what had happened, one of those things…yah…Chernobyl…horrible disaster, but I really had no idea. When I actually thought about it I had no clue what country it actually happened in (the plant was near the town of Pripyat on the border of the Ukraine and Belarus). My mind was reeling the entire time from the details of the disaster and the lasting effects. This was organized in a series of almost short stories or vignettes of the people involved. There was stories from the wives of the firemen who put  out the fire at the plant and died two weeks later from the effects. The soldiers who were tricked into cleaning up. The farmers who were forced to leave their homes and didn’t quite understand why. Those who have found refuge from their war torn countries in the safety of the radioactive zone because no one else wants to be there. Stories of how the refugees were treated with fear by others as they fled for safety.  The long reaching effects of couples exposed to the radiation being told not to have children. The confusion of misinformation provided by the government and the lengths they went to hide the truth. This book gave a face to the disaster and really presented the scope of the tragedy. This was a difficult but important read.

CMK18042017 REPRO FREE NO FEE Adi Roche, Chernobyl Children International and Mila O’Mahony (3 years old) remember the children of Chernobyl as they hang pictures of 31 children representing the 31 years since the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, ahead of the inaugural United Nations Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day on 26 April 2017. Picture Clare Keogh Renate Murphy CAMEO Communications Web: http://www.cameo.ie Mob: +353.86.8145462 Tel:+353.21.4943939 Twitter: @CAMEO_ie / @renatemurphy

The Bitter Kingdom

October 4, 2017

The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson

3/5 Stars

In the concluding book of the Fire and Thorns trilogy one of our characters has been taken hostage by the enemy and Elisa must travel into enemy territory to get them back leaving behind her kingdom on the brink of civil war.

Lets start with the bad….I continue to be disappointed by the magic system. I remained underdeveloped throughout the whole series, and the explanations we get in this book quiet frankly didn’t make much sense. The political maneuvering in this book also left a bit to be desired, they all just missed the mark at being clever. Again the ultimate conflicts and resolutions seemed too easy and convenient. The whole plot and world building has quite a few holes if you take a close look at it.

The good….I loved the relationships in this! I liked all the friendships and romantic relationships in this, they were built on shared experiences and mutual respect. Almost everyone had good development and changed over the course of the series while staying true to who they are as characters. I appreciated that there was mature communication between characters in their friendly and romantic partnerships, nothing drives me more crazy then a plot based on miscommunication. I also really liked that the romantic relationships were equal partnerships without the typical overbearing protective (abusive) man trope. The adventures were fun with bandits, crazed magicians and sea voyages, and I enjoyed the crew she picked up along the way.

So is this series worth it? I think so, don’t go in expecting amazing world building and plot, but it was a fun adventure. I also think it is an awesome read for young people…especially girls as I think the representation of relationships is an important standout from many of the YA romances we see. There is discussions about body image, consent, communication (and how it is necessary) and respect.

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The Ask and the Answer

October 2, 2017

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

4/5 Stars

In the second book in the Chaos Walking trilogy Todd must learn how to survive under the Mayor’s new order and Viola is imprisoned. Soon the resistance starts fighting back and everyone is forced to decide what they are willing to do to survive.

This book does so well what science fiction is meant to do. It takes these political and human situations our of the context of the familiar and forces us to look at them from a different light. What is the difference between and terrorist and a rebel? How could all those people follow such a horrible leader? I have to say Mayor Prentiss is a fabulously horrible villain. You truly come to hate him as you watch how he perfectly manipulates those around him to become who he wants them to be. The action is intense and there is real fear and tension for our main protagonists. Ness does a perfect job of writing and orchestrating the violence in these books so it really hits home, and feels quite personal. All our characters feel fully realized and everyone we focus on has a purpose for being there.  And Todd…my precious little muffin….his character arc to far has been awesome..and heart breaking. He has grown and learned so much since the beginning of the series, I feel extremely attached to him and his outcome.  Why not five stars? I felt some of the “twists” were a bit predictable, and I am hoping this story will have an epic five star finish.

This is a good series to try out if you are new to Science Fiction and the sci-fi elements are very minimal and these events could almost be happening on earth. Give it a try, you might be surprised!

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The Crown of Embers

September 29, 2017

The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

3.5/5 Stars

The second book in the Fire and Thorns trilogy follows our Queen Elisa as she goes on quest to try to learn more about her godstone and how to control it in order to save her Kingdom.

I enjoyed this story and consumed it so fast as I just wanted to know what happened. This story did seem a bit better than the first book, but it still has some issues. I really appreciated some of the topics the author tackles that were good to see in a book for young readers. Things like consent, and power dynamics and communication in a relationship. Some of the “issues” with the relationship seemed to just be creating trouble for the sake of drama and conflict…especially with the resulting solution seeming to be at odds with the previous restrictions to the relationship (hard to discuss without spoilers…..). If someone is good enough for a marriage alliance with one monarch, why is it not okay for another?

I continue to dislike the magic system, as it is fleshed out there are some glaring inconsistencies and you can tell it is being molded to fit into the story. The ultimate conflict of this story was kind of a let down in the end and felt like it was solved far too easily for the build up.  We spent all this time working towards something that everyone has been searching for and……pretty much nothing happens.

I really enjoy the people and friendships in this story, they are what holds up the story for me. Love it that we can have friendships between people without our any romantic inclinations, and there wasn’t any insta-love in this book, which is refreshing. The adventure was fun though, like I said the ultimate climax was a bit laughable.

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The Last Magician

September 27, 2017

The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

4/5 Stars

In modern day New York magic is almost extinct and people with an affinity for magic are becoming very rare and are in hiding from the Order who are hunting them. Esta has been trained as a thief and travels back in time to try to steal a magical artifact that will hopefully help save the magic and make it strong again.

This was such a fun little book. I really enjoy heist books, especially when you can’t quite tell who is good and who is lying. I enjoyed the twists in this book and they kept you guessing for a while, but ultimately you could see where each of them was going by the end. I don’t think this took away from my enjoyment of the book, but it kept it from being epic. There was most definitely a cheesy romance that teetered on the edge of insta-love, but I found myself not minding so much. I did end up rolling my eyes quite a bit at how much time we spent dwelling on certain characters lips and eyes…come on..we are in an epic battle for your life and the future of magic! I liked the magic system, but I think it could have been developed more. It seemed inconsistent from character to character and the rules seemed to change a bit to fit the story. Perhaps this will be sorted out in upcoming books.  I liked the setting of 1900’s New York and wished it had been incorporated more into the story, I found myself forgetting at times that it was set in the past. I enjoyed the characters, I always love a good heisting crew, but again I felt like we didn’t quite get enough of the characters. If you are going to choose to have a large cast, make sure that enough time is put into developing them.

Overall I think this was a good start to a series and I look forward to seeing where this story will take us in the future. I think the next book will really make or break this series.

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