Noteworthy by Riley Redgate

(Huge thanks to Netgalley for sending me an eArc of this book.)

Jordan Sun is starting her junior year at performing arts school, but being an Alto 2, she's always struggled to get a role in the school musical. When the school get a mass email informing them that the Sharpshooters, the school's revered all-male a cappella group, Jordan is determined to make this year different. She cross-dresses as a guy, Julian, and discovers that, as a Tenor 1, she's just what the Sharpshooters need.

**

+ Our main character represents a lot of things. Jordan is a bisexual (which she discovers throughout the course of the novel), Chinese-American girl coming from a poor family. She's tall and has a low voice, making her easily pass as a guy. All of these things have stopped her from achieving her goals in Kensington, but as a guy, she finds her place. During the beginning of her transformation into Julian, she Googles ways to flatten her chest and comes across a website for trans people. What follows is an important narrative as Jordan compares her cross-dressing as a disguise and lie whereas for trans, it's a very different and important matter. The book also touches upon sexuality and gender stereotypes as Jordan regularly calls out acts of sexism in her role as Julian.

+ Upon hearing that Jordan would be the only main female character in this book, amongst a group of all males, I was hesitant but this is a very interesting and diverse group of boys. Isaac who is Japanese, Trav who is black, Jon Cox who has a learning disability and Nihal, a Sikh guy who reveals that he is gay. Jordan develops a friendship with each of them and I especially loved her friendship with Nihal who becomes something of a confidante. I just loved the bond between them and their domesticity during rehearsal. I'm a sucker for domesticity! 

+ The prose was beautiful, flowing like music itself and despite the book focusing on a subject I'm not clued up on (music, singing, a cappella), the author manages to let it flow naturally, never info-dumping any of the technical terms. The book is split into four parts but it is a novel you can definitely read in one sitting. It manages to touch upon important subjects and represent them without preaching or making the narrative too difficult. It is a style of contemporary that we need more of.

+ Overall, I liked being inside Jordan's head. I liked her transformation into Julian and how it changed her and also the high expectations she puts on herself to please her parents. Jordan is also dealing with an emotional breakup throughout the course of the novel and it was so refreshing to see her journey through accepting its end. This book just manages to deal with so many topics and issues and yet never rushes over the main story. Riley Redgate just proves that you can still deal with important issues in a YA contemporary novel without it being the main focus. Jordan destroys gender norms one page at a time and it was truly an honour to have met her and the Sharpshooters.

Love from Angharad,

Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall

"Mental health is usually the last place people go when they think about someone being sick... I've heard you don't look mentally ill at least a half a dozen times in the past four years, a couple of those times from my former friends. I blame the media, stereotyping 'mentally ill' and calling every murderer since Manson crazy. People always seem to be expecting wide eyes and a kitchen knife dripping with blood."

**

Goodreads | Book Depository

/TRIGGER WARNING FOR SELF-HARM/

(I, myself, am a recovering agoraphobiac living with severe anxiety and depression so I was very hesitant about going into this novel, purely because I didn't want to get triggered. Luckily, despite connecting to Norah on a very deep level, I was able to deal with it. However, I would advise people like me to only read this book if you're able. No book is worth risking your mental health.)

We follow the story of seventeen-year-old, Norah who lives with agoraphobia and because of this, the story mainly takes place within her home and safe place. She also battles with OCD and self-harming tendencies (this story also focuses on what it means to self-harm and the different categories it falls under.) If you're looking for a plot-based book, you won't find it here but if you're looking for a book about mental-health and its effect on daily life, you'll find it here. Louise Gornall, in my opinion, absolutely nailed living with these conditions and has done it justice. Yes, Norah meets a boy and she falls in love but her mental illness is never glossed over, not even at the end.

The relationship between Norah and Luke was lovely, healthy and realistic. I love how they chose to communicate sometimes by writing on windows or on their hands when Norah wasn't feeling up to talking. I saw a review saying that it was unrealistic to find a boy who would accept your mental illness *insert eye roll* but they actually do exist, guys?? I am so done with people saying people who live with mental health issues cannot find happiness. Another highlight was definitely Norah's relationship with her mum and her mum is the coolest (I mean, she wore her hair in space buns??) They have such a strong relationship that reminds me of my mother and I so I loved their moments together. They truly were heartwarming, you can see how much her mum supports her and yet never pushes her too much. Norah also has regular visits with her therapist, Dr. Reeves and I wish I had a therapist as lovely as her. A lot of advice that was given by her, I definitely took on board myself which is something I'm incredibly grateful to the author for. 

Overall, this is a very quick read (if I didn't have a migraine for three days) and if you're searching for a book to either help you learn about mental illness or to see yourself in Norah, then I would definitely recommend this. It's a hard story to read, especially when Norah relapses and the event that takes place near the end of the book made me anxious and uncomfortable but that was because of good writing and a relatable main character. We go deep into the inner mechanics of Norah's mind, the questions she is constantly asking herself, her worries about germs and disasters but she also has the ability to laugh at herself, to have your typical teenage-girl issues and that is why she is a character you can immediately jump into your shoes of, even if you don't particularly want to. This book shows the dark side to mental health that isn't romanticised or at all stereotypical despite its MC falling in love. There isn't a cure or a happy ever after, Norah is still ill and still recovering at the end of the story. Give this book a shot but look after yourselves.

Love from,

Angharad

Mini Review: The Terracotta Bride by Zen Cho

Goodreads 

"She had not realised before that she hated men. But she did, and this was one of the reasons why: this incessant demand for sympathy and interest from every woman in the vicinity. Jungsheng did not like Siew Tsin, he did not even know her, and yet he was extending his appeal to her. It was a sticky thing, his need, with tentacles that would strangle her if they could."

Two things entered my mind when I found out about this story from the wonderful Read Diverse Books - first was coming to the realisation that this was my first experience with a novelette and second, it was also the first time I had read a book centred on Chinese mythology. I can safely say that I give you all permission to recommend me all the novelettes and Chinese mythology you can think of because I loved this story. It is short (coming in at around 11,000 words) and although you know this at the beginning, it is still bittersweet when it ends so soon.

The Terracotta Bride follows the story of Siew Tsin, one of many residents in the tenth court of hell after dying at a young age. She was married off to the richest man in hell, despite her best wishes, but realises that in a place based upon wealth, she could be in a much worse situation. However, everything changes when one day, her husband brings home a new bride but this isn't any ordinary woman. Yonghua is an artificial woman constructed entirely from terracotta. What follows is the budding relationship between Siew Tsin and Yonghua and their husband's first wife, Ling'en. The three women are far more intelligent than their husband expected and as they grow closer, the mystery and origins behind Yonghua's creation may show the secret to everlasting life or a very final death.

Despite it being so short, these three women were wonderfully developed both as individuals and as a group. I loved Siew Tsin and her gentle demeanour despite literally being in hell, Yonghua and her curious nature and Ling'en and her strong will. The three become a force to be reckoned with against their husband. A stand-out scene for me was Yonghua telling Siew Tsin to run and then entered into a battle with terracotta assassins single-handedly. I'm so here for female relationships when they look out for each other - even if the rest of the story hadn't of been my cup of tea, these women brought it to life.

The setting and the atmosphere Zen Cho created with magical, bringing a whole new depth and outlook to hell. This is a place where money can buy you anything and luxury is easily achieved and because of this, the very world became rich in more ways than one. The world-building was excellent in such a short amount of time, something that full-length novels sometimes struggle to achieve. The ending was spell-binding, incorporating the myth of the red string of fate which is all I will say without giving away spoilers. Upon finishing, I alternated between wanting more but being satisfied at how it ended. I also immediately went and ordered Zen Cho's other novel, Sorcerer to the Crown and I'll be reviewing that on the blog in the new year. 

Love,

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

Every now and then you come across a book that within mere chapters, makes you think this is so important. Those were my thoughts when reading If I Was Your Girl by the wonderful Meredith Russo. We follow the story of Amanda, a transgender girl who goes to live with her father. She falls in love, makes new friends and learns to love the body she should have been born with. The novel switches between present day and flashbacks all the way through Amanda's childhood to her attempted suicide and finally, her transition. This is a YA contemporary with all our much-loved themes but having it told by a transgender woman makes the story so much more important.

Likes

+ Amanda. A transgender main character in a YA novel? Yep. Not only that, it's also written by a transgender author. This is so important for young readers, regardless of the story itself. For Amanda to lead the life that many YA characters live - to fall in love, have family issues, meeting a new group of friends but also have such a traumatic past. She is brave character and incredibly strong. She tells us her story from present day but also switches between years and months ago, from a very young age when she knew that she should have been born a girl. There's this amazing parallel scene in the book - in one chapter, Amanda tells us of the time she took pills and tried to end her life but then we also experience the moment she took pills that began her transition and the two scenes - one heartbreakingly sad and the other heartbreakingly joyous really stood out for me. Amanda is definitely one of my top favourite female characters after reading this book. 
+ Familial relationships! Amanda has a very strong bond with her mother, despite the fact that she is living with her father during the events of this novel. Her mother is the one who helped her after her suicide attempt and accepted that she is transgender. Her father, however, is less accepting at first and so the two go on a journey of acceptance. I like that there were strong family ties in this novel but still maintained complications. It's realistic and it showed not only Amanda's journey through transition, but also her parents. The two ultimately care deeply for their daughter. 
+ Female friendships!! I recently posted a blog post about my favourite fictional female friendships and I wish I had read this book before I compiled it because Amanda's friendship with Chloe, Anna and Layla was really lovely. They accept her from the very beginning and they all maintained such a healthy relationship, especially Anna who is very religious and has a very religious family. I mean, Chloe pulled a loaded gun on Parker to save Amanda. Friendship goals.

50/50

+ The romance between Amanda and Grant. Okay, so I went from loving these two, loving their healthy relationship (he asked if he could kiss her rather than just kiss her without consent when she was babbling on and this is something that is important to me), he says that he would accept her no matter what and even refuses to read a letter she writes to him explaining everything etc etc butwhen he discovers Amanda was transgender, he wandered off and was nowhere to be seen until the end of the book even asking the question, 'does that make me gay?' However, he agrees to hear Amanda's story from the beginning but this is how the book ends!! Does he accept her? Nobody knows. I'm all for books that don't have everything tied up in a little bow at the end because that's real life but this didn't sit well with me. Their entire relationship would have changed in my eyes if he still didn't end up accepting her, especially as he 'loved her no matter what.' 

Dislikes

+ Character treatment. So a character in this book, Bee, is bisexual, something she openly admits. She is also in a secret relationship with Chloe, another of Amanda's friends. Bee is the first person Amanda trusts enough to tell her she is transgender as the two form a quick friendship and play a game in which they tell each other secrets about each other. What seems like a strong bond quickly turns sour when Bee attempts to kiss Amanda, gets kindly rejected and then proceeds to stand on stage and reveal secrets about pupils, including outing Amanda and Chloe. It was awful and I feel as though it came from nowhere? I feel like Bee's character was ruined here and for no reason and also nothing comes of it after. She was such an interesting character, she was a good friend to Amanda, openly bisexual and also a rape victim and I feel like outing everybody was very OOC for her. 

+ Unnecessary attempted rape scene (trigger warning for this!) At the end of the novel, after the events of Homecoming, Amanda is apprehended by Parker, a friend of Grant who she turned down at the start of the novel. He offers her a ride home but when he is rejected, he goes on to verbally abuse her, punch her and attempt to rape her when only a few chapters ago, he was apologising for any hard feelings between them. Luckily Amanda is helped by her friends but once again like the Bee situation, nothing comes of it and Parker isn't mentioned again despite this horrific crime. I felt like it was unnecessary and it made me extremely uncomfortable.

**

Overall, this book is important and no rating will change that. Having a YA contemporary novel that has a transgender main character is unfortunately very rare despite it being 2016 so every one we get is a must-read. Amanda was an amazing character, she was brave and strong but most of all, she was happy in her body and that was so beautiful to see considering she spent so long in the wrong one. This is another book that I would encourage to be compulsory reading in secondary schools, both for the cisgender and transgender communities.

Love,

The Midnight Star by Marie Lu

Through my endless stream of tears shall I attempt to write a decent review. I have only recently heard of the Young Elites series and it was only last week that I bought the trilogy. I read them within three days - I have been obsessed. Although I was only in this world for a short amount of time, I will sincerely miss the characters, especially Adelina. I instantly fell in love with this world, the characters and the plots of all three books. It is unlike any YA series I've read before as it's narrated primarily by the antihero. It's marketed as a dark fantasy and it is exactly that and Adelina as a main character completely blew me away. I went into the first novel thinking she was just another YA character who finds out she's special and joins this group of people and they all become best friends and save the world. Nope. I was far from right. 

The Midnight Star takes place around a year after the previous book and Adelina has been a ruthless and cruel Queen, believing she must rule with fear and pain. Both Magiano and Sergio are by her side but her sister, Violetta has fled to join the daggers and beg them to help Adelina. Adelina and her Inquisitors have conquered countless cities, executed countless traitors and banned the term malfettos but countless attempts are made at Adelina's life. In this part of the book, you feel as though you should hate Adelina but despite everything, she still manages to inspire empathy in the reader. Her power is rapidly making her lose control of her thoughts and illusions and she is constantly tormented by voices in her head. However, her goal remains the same, to conquer and put fear in her enemies' hearts, including the Daggers - that is until Rafaelle contacts her. It seems the old friends must put aside their differences and help close the portal between their world and the Underworld before it destroys everything and the only way to do that is to sacrifice their powers.

My favourite thing in novels is when a bunch of the characters have to come together against a threat (Six of Crows etc.) I've always loved this over solo missions with the main character. Adelina joining with the Daggers, alongside her crew and Queen Maeve and even Teren. I was so here for it. Teren went from a character I despised to a character who had a whole new side - just a boy who was forced to think of himself as an abomination driven mad by the idea he had to destroy others like himself. I'm not excusing his previous acts but this book gives him a whole new side, a step towards a redemption arc. We saw more into the budding relationships between Adelina and Magiano, Sergio and Violetta and Maeve and Lucent. If I wasn't so scared of what was going to happen in this book, the lovey-dovey stuff would have melted me. 

In the space of this novel, Adelina goes through so much character development, she just tore my heart into pieces. If we take away the murderous tendencies, I see a lot of myself in Adelina. Half of the time you want to slap her and the other half you want to wrap her in blankets and reassure her. She spends the whole novel having intrusive thoughts, thinking everyone is against her and wants her dead and because of this, she tries keeping everyone at arm's length. However, the White Wolf's heart is ultimately good and just shrouded in darkness - she wants to be loved and accepted. She even becomes jealous when Queen Maeve's men salute her and won't leave without her. I feel proud of Adelina at the end of this series and happy that I got to meet her. 

That brings me to the ending - I didn't like it. I must admit, at first I was okay with it and then a day passed and I became angry. Angry that one of my favourite fictional characters ended up the way they did, that everything they went through came to nothing. Not just this character in particular, but I wanted to hear more about the other characters more than just how their appearances changed. I know that death in literature is the same as death in life - it's unfair, it doesn't have to have a meaning but I felt as though this was just rushed and it could have ended better if the book had been longer. It's rare that a YA series finishes the way I want it to and this is no exception but I still respect the author's decision and this was still a truly amazing trilogy that blows so many YA work out of the water. It is dark, gripping and exciting and I'd recommend it to anyone.

Love,

A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers

 

I think I can sum up these two books by saying they just make me happy. I can also easily say that these books won’t be for everyone - there’s not a lot of action or plot, it is about the characters, their relationships and their struggles. The events of this book take place soon after the ending of The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and although there are a few references to the previous book, I think this could be read as a standalone. We now follow the stories of Sidra, an AI previously known as Lovelace as she comes to terms living in a synthetic body, with no memories of her previous life. Our second character is Pepper as she tells the story of how she was made and titled Jayne 23, one of many little girls created purely to work in factories across the galaxy. Overall, Becky Chambers delves into the world of AIs and sentient vs non-sentient beings - Sidra/Lovelace being created as an AI and Pepper being raised by them. 

It is a book of character development - Pepper being brought up by ‘Mother’ AIs and then Owl, an AI that saves her life and essentially becomes the most important person in her life - the mother she never had. We follow Pepper from the age of 10 as she escapes her compound prison and out into a world she has never seen before. Not even knowing what a sun or sky is, unable to read and used to only liquid meals, a voice appears from nowhere and becomes her saviour. Owl, an AI, programmed into a near crashed ship takes Jayne 23 under her wing (har har) and the two form a bond that lasts over nine years until they finally leave the desolate planet. This relationship killed me, destroyed me. Owl is the only person Jayne has despite only being a face on a screen. She teaches her everything, looks after her and even temporarily installs herself into a virtual gaming body so she could sit by Jayne. So many of their moments made me want to cry - they essentially save each other.

We also follow the relationship of Pepper and Blue and find out its origin but a new relationship formed between Sidra and Tak, an Aeluon tattoo-artist who essentially helps her come to terms with her new, synthetic body that she feels she doesn't belong in. Becky Chambers writes these friendships that are so pure and full of understanding that you can't help but feel happy. It was one of the strongest points in the first book and it has continued in the sequel. We also fall back into this galaxy of many different species, cultures and laws but the one thing remains, this is a book that focuses on the importance of consent, gender pronouns and sexuality. Throughout the story, Tak, being an Aeluon, regularly switches between genders and it is just a normal thing. These primarily sci-fi novels are more informative on important issues than most contemporary books. 

Overall, although I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as the first one, it is still definitely a 5-star read for me. Everything Becky Chambers writes just blows my mind. She writes sci-fi without info-dumping, without epic space battles and yet still manages to construct these worlds and characters with so much depth that you can't help but become emotionally-attached to them. Pepper, Blue, Sidra, Owl and Tak - people so different and yet bound together by trust and love. I'm not sure what the author has planned next but whatever it is, I'll be first in line on release day. I want to thank her for allowing me to come back home amongst the pages of her story. 

This book will be released on October 20th

Love,

The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis

"But boys will be boys, our favourite phrase that excuses so many things, while the only thing we have for the opposite gender is women, said with disdain and punctuated with an eye roll." 



The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis is a young-adult contemporary bordering on the mystery/thriller genre. It is told in three perspectives - Alex Craft, a girl remembered solely for the murder of her sister, Jack Fisher, star athlete, valedictorian and the person every guy wants to be and every girls wants to be with and finally Peekay, nicknamed for being the Preacher's Kid who is struggling to come to terms with heartbreak over her ex. Together, they tell the story of their senior year and how their lives come together and how it ultimately affects everyone.

I loved everything about this story. I read it in one day and I haven't been hooked to a book that much in a long time. The plot, the writing, the characters - everything was just addictive. It does not fall into your typical YA coming-of-age story. Yes, it tells the story of three characters in their final year of high school and yes, there is drinking and sex and relationships and rivalry but the one thing Mindy McGinnis does is include horror. There are mentions of animal abuse, sexual assault and murder. It also deals with rape culture, slut-shaming and gender discrimination. Despite it being about teenagers, the author does not shy away from the violence and acts of justice humans are capable of.

Alex Craft is our morally grey character who isn't afraid to punch somebody in the balls for touching her without permission, who attacks a man for drugging her friend and even kills her sister's murderer. Since a child she has embraced her violent nature and yet she meets Peekay volunteering at an animal shelter and ultimately, is just a girl that cares too much. She can't stand to live in a world where violent acts against women go unpunished. Jack is your typical valedictorian/star-athlete/popular guy who embodies boys will be boys and yet falls deeply and madly in love with Alex who will destroy anyone associated with that stereotype. This allows him to see typical male behaviour through new eyes. Peekay is the rebellious Preacher's Kid who isn't afraid to put the other girls down and feels like she needs to help people in the world. She misses her ex, has very supportive parents and is drawn to Alex and the way she sees the world. I love how complex she was and how much her character developed within the course of the story - she starts off hating Branley, the girl her ex left her for, even going as far as slut-shaming her and yet at the end, she is the one who helps and supports Branley when she needs support. Speaking of, Branley was such a refreshing character. She's your typical Queen Bee, beautiful, heavily made-up popular girl who gets all the guys, including Jack but she is so multi-layered. She is just a young girl that wants to be loved and accepted, not just for how she looks. During as assembly about rape culture, some guys even shout that it is her who is most likely to be raped. There were times I wanted to scream at her for her actions but if anything, she's the one character I was the most attached to emotionally.

Ultimately, this is a book about rape culture. When the justice system fails, can we step in? Can we take revenge into our own hands like Alex? One of the first conversations in this book explores the animal kingdom and how the female of the species are deadlier. Therefore, the story delves into animal vs human nature. How far can we go to protect those we love? Alex, who is capable of extreme violence in order to protect against Peekay who fantasises about violence and yet finds it doesn't come naturally to her. The girls volunteer at an animal shelter and yet Jack works with his father in a slaughterhouse. This book is filled with parallels between the characters, acts of kindness vs acts of good.

The ending blew my bloody socks off and obviously I won't go into details but let's just say that I did not expect it. I started off really disliking and questioning what the author chose to do and if it had been any other book, it would have probably ruined it for me but for this book and the message it's telling, it fits. Overall, I truly enjoyed this book and actually, I knew I would as soon as I read the synopsis. It is just my kind of story and it's already much-loved in the Goodreads community. The author was very brave to write this novel and her hard work paid off. The writing flowed perfectly and although it was split between three perspectives, each character had their own unique voice. This was definitely one of my favourite reads in 2016 and I'm looking forward to see what else Mindy McGinnis releases in the future.

Love,

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

“No sapient could sustain happiness all of the time, just as no one could live permanently within anger, or boredom, or grief.”     

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet is an adult science-fiction novel that follows the story of a crew aboard the Wayfarer, a ship whose job it is to tunnel through space. This isn't your average sci-fi novel - it doesn't consist of twists and turns and epic space battles but focuses more on the crew and their characterisation. This may put some people off but this book was everything and more, in my opinion and has definitely become an all-time favourite of mine. 

This book is definitely not plot-driven. It centres more on the characters separately and also as a whole. It is the story of their journey and our journey as we are welcomed into their world. We see their world as Rosemary does, with fresh eyes. We learn with her and eventually, we even feel accepted into the family alongside her. 

One of my favourite dynamics in any book is family dynamics and this book had it. You have this crew of very different people, not just their species but their backgrounds, their beliefs, their genders, their sexualities and yet they form this beautiful space family. Rosemary, a Martian woman trying to escape her past. Sissix, an Aandrisk pilot and the only one of her kind on the ship. Ashby, the Captain of the Wayfarer and also a pacifist dealing with his distant love. Ohan, a Sianat pair who can navigate the stars. Dr Chef, a Grum who basically feeds and looks after the crew. Kizzy and Jenks, the ship's version of mechanics and even Lovey, a sentient AI who runs the ship and dreams of having a human body. Together, they are the space version of misfits but their relationships transcend the planets they travel through.

Gender pronouns are not only important in this world but they are also normalised. A person/species isn't labelled a gender until they confirm it and some species even identify as both a male and a female during their lifespan. Ohan is referred to as 'they' due to being a Sianat pair without question. I was beaming like an idiot! This is a sci-fi book that not only deals with the intergalactic but also with modern-day subjects without preaching. Even racial slurs are touched upon as this world has their own version of them. In one of the very first chapters, a crew member is shut down by the Captain after using a slur.

We find out about the history of every species in this world without info-dumping!! We find out everything from their diets, religions, how they raise children, how family dynamics work even their individual languages. I've never known a book to include so much information without it being in big, boring chunks. I was so invested in each species and their differences. Something else I loved is that humans are probably the least common species in this book and they are the ones who are often questioned. This was such an interesting touch to any other book ever, for once humans aren't at the centre. Overall, in no way do I wish this book could have had more of a plot and that surprises me. Discovering the Wayfarer in this book was kind of like discovering Hogwarts, you just wish it was real and the people were real because it feels like home. I was emotionally connected to the family that lived within its walls and am so desperately excited for the sequel. 

Have you read this book? What were your thoughts?

Let us know in the comments!

Love,

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

(Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book.)

“If there are infinite worlds, how do I find the one that is uniquely, specifically mine?”

My main thought after reading this book is that nothing is real. It creeped me out extremely but not because it's a horror but because it gives off such a desolate feel, you feel as desperate as the main character, as scared as him, as alone as him. This book made me feel tiny, it made my head explode and I'm still recovering. Yes, it is based around science and therefore there are quite a few scientific monologues but they are short and to the point so even someone with a very average scientific mind, such as myself, found it very easy to follow. 

Dark Matter is a sci-fi novel following Jason Dessen, an ordinary college physics professor. He's happily married to his wife, Daniela and they have a teenage son, Charlie. Everything is perfectly normal until one night he is kidnapped, drugged and wakes up strapped to a gurney with people smiling down at him - people who call him 'friend.' He has no idea where he is or who these people are but in this universe he is a famous scientist who has achieved the impossible. This book deals with the idea of multiple universes - that every choice we make makes a fork in the road, where another version of us exists that made that choice. Our universe is just one of many, we are just one of many. 

In terms of characters, Jason was a real breath of fresh air for me. It's rare that I read a book with a male protagonist I actually enjoy. I felt his every emotion, I felt his despair - everything felt as real to me as it did to him. His love for his wife and son allows him to find them, even when it should be impossible: they are his driving force. He doesn't want the world in which he's a scientific genius, he wants the world where he's happy with his family. My main problem, and the reason I didn't give this book the full five stars, is Daniela. Not because I didn't like her but because there wasn't enough of her and at one point, I felt as though her character was mistreated to the point Jason makes her sound like a prize in a raffle. I wish she had more of a role other than just to exist in multiple universes for Jason.

The writing was very simple but as a whole, this novel read like a movie. Not surprising seeing as Blake Crouch is a screenwriter. If this was ever put on the big screen, everybody would leave the cinema with exploded brains. It would be amazing. The book was very fast-paced and although the chapters were relatively long, it is addictive enough to speed through. This is the one word I would sum up Dark Matter - addictive. Every time I attempted to put it down, I immediately picked it back up again. Just as you start to think you know what's happening, you get hit around the face again.  

I have always semi believed in the idea of multiple or parallel universes and this book just made it all the more interesting. In this vast universe, how can we be the only ones? What happens when we make a life-changing choice? How much would our paths have changed? This book does not have a 'satisfactory' ending, it is left very open, especially when it comes to some characters. To some, they may want answers, but isn't that the point of this book? There is no ending, this universe is infinite, nothing is ever tied up into a little bow. I think this is the type of book that couldn't have ended any differently than it did.

Overall, I truly loved this book. It is like nothing I've ever read before and I'd recommend it to anyone, not just the scientifically minded. It will blow your mind, confuse you, excite you and hook you. It will make you question your entire existence so, you know, nothing big. 

Love,

You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott

I really wanted to love this book. I have always had huge admiration for Megan Abbott and I have read all of her books. If it's one thing Megan Abbott can do, as she still accomplished in this book, is understand teenage girls. She knows that they are multi-layered, complex, capable of extreme cruelty and jealousy and so much more than face value. You Will Know Me is told by Katie, the mother of gymnast prodigy, Devon. Devon Knox is the centre of not just the family, but the entire community since being extraordinary from a child. Katie must juggle life between her family, gymnastics and also the shocking tragedy that hits the community. A young man is killed during a hit and run and rumours are started over what actually happened that night. Katie finds herself right in the middle but how far is she willing to go to protect her family?

My one stand out in this book is Devon Knox. I understand 100% why Megan Abbott chose Katie to narrate the story but I just wish we had been able to see more into Devon's head. She was such a complex and wonderful character. She is the type of character that the author does best - a teenage girl with layers upon layers of complexity. All her life, she has been a star and high expectation comes with that. Even Katie thinks she knows her daughter, knows her body and her mind, and yet Devon remains a mystery throughout the book. Although I've given this book quite a low rating, Devon Knox is probably one of my all time favourite characters. I would love to see what went on in her head. 

Don't get me wrong, other than Devon's father, Eric, I did enjoy the Knox family. I loved Katie who was capable of anything in order to protect her children. Who gave up everything to help Devon achieve her game. Although, her youngest son, Drew often gets neglected and yet he remains such a bright light in this novel. He's obsessed with nature and animals and his little observations being metaphors for what's happening in the story were some of my favourite moments. Eric for me was just a character I didn't care much about. He loves his daughter fiercely but hides a lot from his wife.
The reason I gave this book quite a low rating is because the mystery/thriller aspect just didn't captivate me. I've read a lot of books in these genres and I've also read a lot of Megan Abbott's books, when you combine them, the mystery became kind of predictable. I'm not saying it was bad writing, I just wish it had been more mystery and twists and turns. I loved that it was based around gymnastics, I loved that it showed the life of these young girls who worship the sport and all the pain that comes with it. 
Overall, I did enjoy reading this book but I wished for more. Maybe my expectations were too high but I just wish I could take Devon Knox and delve inside her head and that didn't happen in this book, other than through Katie's observations. The writing, as always, was spot on and the author's understanding of teenage girls has not wavered. One of my least favourites from Megan Abbott but still an enjoyable book all the same.

Have you read this book? If so, what were your thoughts?
Let us know in the comments!
Love, 

My Favourite Manson Girl by Alison Umminger

(I was kindly sent a digital copy by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

This book follows Anna, who after deciding she's had enough of mundane life, steals a credit card and books herself a ticket to Los Angeles. During her summer in Hollywood, she moves in with her actress sister and soon gets offered the role of researching the Manson girls for money. 

I went into this book without high expectations, what drew me to it was the fact that we had a teenage protagonist researching the once teenage Manson girls. I must point out early on that this book doesn't really have a plot, it is more the story of Anna's summer in Hollywood and discovering that the city isn't all that it seems. Whilst researching the infamous Manson girls, she begins to understand connections between them and herself as they were once her age. That's the moral of this story, in my opinion, teenage girls and their complexity. 

There is a romance element but it isn't the centre of the story, it flows along with it and even ends with an ambiguous ending. Jeremy was a nice character and I enjoyed his relationship with Anna, he represented the truth behind 'child-stars' and that there life isn't all fame and glamour. I really enjoyed Anna as a character which I didn't expect as she is only fifteen years old. Sometimes the author can depict them as being too immature and naive but Anna has the perfect balance, she is curious and skeptical. One of my favourite themes was Anna despising the fact that Charles Manson and his cult are the only ones whose names we remember. Other than the famous Sharon Tate, the victims names were lost to history. Why do the killers get fame when it is the victims that should be mourned and remembered? She also states that the only reason Sharon Tate is known is because she was a beautiful actress, only used for her looks. I think it is so refreshing that a young female character makes this connection.

'Sharon Tate was just a name, or a beautiful blonde, or an actress, or the wife of a director, or another woman who really became famous only when her life was over. When she went from being a body on a screen to a body in a bag. I wanted the movie to bring her to life, but the camera seemed intent on making her nothing more than a beautiful face and a banging body. It didn’t seem fair, not to her, at any rate.'

I really enjoyed the secondary characters. Anna's big sister Delia who is obsessed with her image and becoming a famous actress, their two mothers who handle everything wrong but in the end are just human, Dex who was just a decent guy and all the others. They all managed to have their own voice and their own story. Having it take place in L.A was an excellent choice because despite never visiting there myself, I refused to believe it was as perfect as everyone seems to think it is. Every town has its secrets and history. 

'I thought about the Manson family, driving around with blood on their hands, and how in Hollywood, you couldn’t tell the killers from the actors. If there was a stranger place on earth, I didn’t know where.'

Overall, I loved this book. The only reason I didn't give it the full five stars is because I wish it was longer and had a more detailed plot. However, the story carries itself without twists and turns. It is the story of Anna, of her growing up and the parallels between the Manson girls and modern teenagers. We all start somewhere. We find out about them before Charles Manson - the fact that they had their own identity before him. The ending was perfect to the story in my opinion. It ended openly and we can allow ourselves to image what Anna does next. I entered a different world whilst reading this book and I would definitely recommend it.

Girl in Pieces Review

We were kindly sent an ARC by Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review.

Girl in Pieces tells the story of seventeen-year-old Charlie, a girl who is no stranger to pain and loss. In order to cope, she self-harms to the point that we meet her at a rehabilitation centre where she is on her way to recovering. She shares her experience with a bunch of other, complex females and it all seems to be on the right track until Charlie is told that she is being released. Faced with the reality of living on the outside again, she must find her way alone but is she ready to let people back in?

The first thing that struck me about this book is its format. The author breaks the first few pages of the book into 'pieces' which I found genius. At the start of the novel, Charlie is metaphorically in pieces and the writing reminds us of this. As the story continues, the chapters get longer as Charlie has more to say. When she is in a bad way, the writing gets choppy again, it is quite literally linked to Charlie's state of mind. As for the writing itself, it reads like a poem, it flows together. There are lines so heartbreakingly beautiful that they will take your breath away.

This isn't just a story about self-harm - the author focuses on addiction, abuse, homelessness etc. Every character in her book has a story and none of them are ever made to feel unimportant, they all have a voice. Charlie comes into contact with many different people during this book - the girls at the hospital, her colleagues at work and even the people who live in her apartment block. This isn't just a story about Charlie, it's a story of all the people she meets and how they affect her.

My heart ached for Charlie. I haven't felt that much sympathy for a character in a long time. Every time she found solace in her art, I wanted to cheer for her and I love that her art style changed as she healed. She is a survivor, she endures and sometimes she gets knocked down, but she gets straight back up. She starts off not talking and yet as she found her voice, she began to find herself. She starts the journey to loving herself and not being ashamed of her scars, she lets people in and she pulls herself away from rock bottom. I'm proud of Charlie, I'm proud that I could get to know her.

Kathleen Glasgow isn't afraid of delving into the dark world of mental illness. She doesn't skirt over Charlie's self-harm, Riley's addiction or Linus' alcoholism. Although these aren't light-hearted subjects in themselves, she still manages to maintain a layer of hope throughout the novel. She makes you root for Charlie and the other characters, hoping that they can heal and keep going. Nothing is romanticised in this novel and I am so grateful for that. It is evidently clear that Kathleen Glasgow put her heart and soul into this book. 

This novel reminds me that we need to extinguish the stigma that is attached to mental illness. It should not be a taboo subject and it's heartbreaking that it is something that is so common and I include myself in that. Charlie is a young girl who lost her father and her best friend, has an abusive and distant mother, is almost the victim of sexual assault, experiences homelessness and hunger but keeps going. She survives it and although her journey to recovery is far from over, she shows that you can do it. You can pull yourself out of it and I think that is such an important message, especially to the younger generation. 

This book will be released on September 6th and keep tuned because we will be posting an interview with the author herself soon!

The Raven King Review

This review will be spoiler-free.

I'm just going to jump straight in and say that I am so disappointed. The Raven Cycle, as I've stated many times, is one of my favourite series. It's original, it's magical and it allows you to care about every character. There was so much hype surrounding the release of The Raven King and for good reason, as this series has such a huge fan-base.

The first half of this book, for me, was one big ball of confusion. Maggie introduced new characters, which in my opinion is silly for the last book in a series, and because of the lack of development, instantly became forgotten. I finished the book about an hour ago and I've already forgotten the names of them. The book switched between multiple POVs and I mean multiple. Minor characters had a voice and it did not work well, it made the story become confusing and unrelatable. 

I gave this book 3 stars whereas the previous three I have given 5. The only reason it got such a high rating is because of our much-loved characters (The Gangsey.) The romances were written well and Blue remained an amazing constant for me, she still does not takes shit from anyone. Don't get me wrong, there were certain scenes and moments that were written brilliantly and inspired me to continue.

Overall, I feel like Maggie rushed it. Too much was going on for a final book. Too many characters were introduced, too many POVs were floating around and the ending was the most disappointing for me. It was the kind of ending that made you close the book and say aloud, "What the hell did I just witness?" There are too many loose ends and not enough closure for each of my beloved characters.

Now I'm off to curl into a ball and pretend that this all didn't happen.

Have you read it? What were your thoughts?

Let us know in the comments.

- Angharad x