Tag: book blog

Spoiler-free Review: A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard

On By Beth JonesIn Book Review7 Comments

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Steffi doesn’t talk, but she has so much to say.
Rhys can’t hear, but he can listen.
Their love isn’t a lightning strike, it’s the rumbling roll of thunder.
Steffi has been a selective mute for most of her life – she’s been silent for so long that she feels completely invisible. But Rhys, the new boy at school, sees her. He’s deaf, and her knowledge of basic sign language means that she’s assigned to look after him. To Rhys, it doesn’t matter that Steffi doesn’t talk, and as they find ways to communicate, Steffi finds that she does have a voice, and that she’s falling in love with the one person who makes her feel brave enough to use it. 

I knew I liked Sara Barnards writing and style. But I had no idea how much this book would blow me away.

This book astounded me on so many levels, I don’t even know where to start. I’m just going to have to go through them all.

“Here are three separate but similar things: shyness, introversion and social anxiety. You can have one, two or all three of these things simultaneously.”

I’ll start with the thing that stands out about this book the most. In A Quiet Kind of Thunder, Steffi suffers from selective mutism and her love interest, Rhys, is deaf. They communicate through BSL (British Sign Language). On a personal level, this really resonated with me. My career dream is to work as a teacher or in learning support, so I have actually considered learning BSL or ASL (American Sign Language) in the past. I know basic BSL (the alphabet/numbers etc) and I understand the complete importance and flow of it, and I love how that shone through in this novel.

But BSL isn’t just something that makes this novel unique – although I find it amazing that Barnard chose to write about it. It completely changes the lives of both Steffi and Rhys, and impacts the way they grow together. I really admire Barnard for taking such a big plunge and writing their story. I am so grateful to her.

Another of the struggles Steffi faces is anxiety. As an ex-sufferer myself of separation anxiety and a sufferer of anxiety, I was astounded by how well Barnard wrote about Steffi’s panic attacks and general anxiety. I can fortunately say I have only suffered one (serious) panic attack in my recent years, but this does mean I completely related to Steffi on a personal level.

“A lot of the time people think they’re all the same thing, but that’s just not true.”

All that aside, there were so many other things that stood out about this novel. For one – friends and family! Yes, friends and family are often mentioned in YA. But this novel was just something else. I know from Beautiful Broken Things that Barnard does a good job writing about teenage friendships, but she went above and beyond my expectations with Tem. Tem is Steffi’s best friend, and I love the dynamic between her and Steffi in this novel. It added something fresh and interesting that I really don’t often come across in YA, and I absolutely loved having that relationship in A Quiet Kind of Thunder.

It wasn’t just Rhys and Steffi’s friends that stood out to me. I love the relationship Steffi and Rhys had with their families and how they all bounced off one another beautifully. I also loved Steffi’s interest in animals and Rhys’s love for video games. It rounded out their characters and made the story not just about romance.

“Extroverts can be shy, introverts can be bold, and a condition like anxiety can strike whatever kind of social animal you are.”

So to finish up, let’s talk a bit about the romance. Was it insta? Kind of, but it felt so different. Steffi and Rhys had a lot of issues and faced many struggles. This made their relationship feel layered and somehow much more real. I loved Steffi and Rhys. I loved them falling in love and their adventures together. It was tentative, sweet and it honestly made me cry. I feel honoured to have been welcomed into their world.

Overall? This book really feels special to me. It shows anxiety in a way I haven’t seen before in YA, and showcased an incredibly important story. I fell in love with Steffi, Rhys, Rita (Steffi’s dog) and every other little thing about this novel. It’s one I will hold close to my heart for a long time.

★★★★★

-Beth

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Spoiler-free Review: The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr

On By Beth JonesIn Book Review9 Comments

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Seventeen-year-old Flora Banks has no short-term memory. Her mind resets itself several times a day, and has since the age of ten, when the tumor that was removed from Flora’s brain took with it her ability to make new memories. That is, until she kisses Drake, her best friend’s boyfriend, the night before he leaves town. Miraculously, this one memory breaks through Flora’s fractured mind, and sticks. Flora is convinced that Drake is responsible for restoring her memory and making her whole again. So when an encouraging email from Drake suggests she meet him on the other side of the world, Flora knows with certainty that this is the first step toward reclaiming her life. With little more than the words “be brave” inked into her skin, and written reminders of who she is and why her memory is so limited, Flora sets off on an impossible journey to Svalbard, Norway, the land of the midnight sun, determined to find Drake. But from the moment she arrives in the arctic, nothing is quite as it seems, and Flora must “be brave” if she is ever to learn the truth about herself, and to make it safely home.

Note: Forgive me for not being here! I’m currently away in Madeira with my family but I’m getting a lot of reading in and here’s my review for the first book I’ve finished since I arrived.

Unfortunately I don’t have my laptop with me, so forgive this review for being a little all over the place! I’ll edit it properly once I’m back off my phone.

I’ll be back home on Saturday, but for now I’ll just be posting reviews of books I’m finishing. Other posts would be too hard without my laptop!

I think the easiest way to describe this book is unique. It’s possibly the most unique YA book I’ve ever read.

This book made me reconsider the boundaries of YA itself. It pushed everything I know about YA aside and created something entirely new and wonderful.

I won’t lie – I found this book a little mixed up. The narrative is some of the strangest I’ve come across. Due to Flora’s amnesia, a lot of the book is deeply repetitive (especially in the first ~100 pages). This kind of annoyed me a little for a while, but I did get used to it and understand how it was vital to the story.

“I am really here. Yet I know I am not.”

I obviously can’t speak for the accuracy of how Flora’s illness was portrayed, but I have to say it felt real. The complex plot really reflected the wild randomness of Flora’s mind, and I really admire Barr for being able to create that.

“I am inside something that must be buried in my head.”

The main thing I loved about this book is it’s complexity and cleverness. I won’t say I didn’t see the plot twists coming – I did guess some – but I also enjoyed the discovery.

However, there were parts of this book I didn’t enjoy. Specifically, Flora’s narrative. Yes, the repetitiveness of her story is vital. It is also incredibly, incredibly tedious. I found her incredibly childish at times and found the writing suitable for middle-grade. Therefore, the “emails” seemed very out-of-place and weird compared to the narrative.

“I am layers deep in my own brain.”

So overall, I didn’t love or hate this book. It was intriguing, involving and I found myself completely absorbed in the story from after around 100 pages. I liked the setting(s), numerous characters and complex plot. I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone, but it’s certainly very intriguing and I’d still say give it a go if you like the sound of the synopsis!

★★★

-Beth

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Spoiler-free Review: One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

On By Beth JonesIn Book Review10 Comments

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Yale hopeful Bronwyn has never publicly broken a rule.
Sports star Cooper only knows what he’s doing in the baseball diamond.
Bad body Nate is one misstep away from a life of crime.
Prom queen Addy is holding together the cracks in her perfect life.
And outsider Simon, creator of the notorious gossip app at Bayview High, won’t ever talk about any of them again.
He dies 24 hours before he could post their deepest secrets online. Investigators conclude it’s no accident. All of them are suspects.
Everyone has secrets, right?
What really matters is how far you’ll go to protect them.

Doesn’t the concept of this book sound incredible? I’ve been intrigued by it for so long – I’m so glad I wasn’t disappointed. There are so many elements of this book that could have gone wrong but didn’t. Let’s start with the simple stuff – this book is from the viewpoint of four different characters. Was it confusing? No.

All of these characters were separate, and I knew them easily from one another. I felt like one of their friends. To say that I felt like the friends of murder suspects, people who cheated and lied, is a big thing. I always have a tendency to hate characters that, for example, cheat. I have barriers, but McManus managed to break them down.

“I stand and hold out my hand. She gives me a skeptical look, but takes it and lets me pull her to her feet. I put my other hand in the air.”

So the character development was incredible – but not just that. The plot was clever, well paced and just awesome. This book would make an amazing TV show. The pages flew by, and the suspense really shone through. As one should with books such as these, I really wanted to know what was going on. And one of the best things is I didn’t guess. I honestly didn’t know the outcome until the very end.

“‘Bronwyn Rojas, I solemnly swear not to murder you today or at any point in the future. Deal?'”

It’s so hard to write a review for a book you thought everything was great in. I honestly don’t have anything to critique! I love the low-key romance and LGBTQIA+ elements of this novel, along with the character development and depth, suspense and writing. The whole thing didn’t even feel far-fetched with the amount of drama that goes on with teenagers today.

“‘You’re ridiculous,’ she mutters, going even redder.
‘It concerns me you’re avoiding a promise not to murder me.”

If I had to critique anything, I would say the amount of characters became slightly confusing. But even saying that, it didn’t change how I feel about this novel. All I can say is the hype this book appears to be achieving is definitely worth it – it won’t let you down!

★★★★★

-Beth

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Review: Your Name. by Makoto Shinkai

On By Beth JonesIn Book Review12 Comments

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Mitsuha, a high school girl living in a rural town deep in the mountains, has a dream that she is a boy living an unfamiliar life in Tokyo. Taki, a high school boy living in Tokyo, dreams that he is a girl living in the mountains. As they realize they are changing places, their encounter sets the cogs of fate into motion. The light novel is written by director Makoto Shinkai of the animated film Your Name.

Your Name has held a special place in my heart ever since my lovely friend Hannah introduced it to me. In fact, before I start, I’d like to point out her review of the film. It really is something special.

I’m always searching for something, for someone.

Your Name is not only one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen, but also one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. Makoto Shinkai is both the author of this light novel and the director of the film, and for that reason they compliment each other perfectly. Having the first person viewpoint of both characters is a delight to read, even if it can be a little confusing at times!

In fact, the only gripe I have about this novel is so small, it actually isn’t about the writing. Because the storyline is so complex, it can sometimes be hard to follow when the characters are experiencing the same thing (and who’s talking). It would have really helped to have had one of the characters viewpoints italicized or in a different font!

This feeling has possessed me I think, from that day…

Even though I already knew this story basically word-for-word, this book still made me cry. It still left me pondering love and life. It still left me feeling overjoyed and like I’d just experienced some kind of beautiful adventure.

There is so much I love about this novel, I don’t even know where to start describing everything. For a start, I got through this book in under a day. For me, that’s incredible, and something that hasn’t happened for a while! This book flew past in a beautiful mixture of words and experiences.

That day when the stars came falling.

As with the movie, the mixture of sci-fi and romance really works for this novel. I found (in the book more than the movie), that it left a beautiful metaphor more than anything. It felt like something so real.

Overall, I am still in utter admiration of Makoto Shinkai for creating such a deep, complex and incredible romance. It is one I have recommended and will recommend to many people, readers and movie-lovers. The story is just so precious – I feel like I’m reviewing a true treasure.

One tip before I go – if you’re interested in this one I’d recommend reading the book and watching the movie within a few days of each other if you can! The story can be pretty complex on it’s own, but the two together do make it clearer.

This book, like Taki and Mitsuha, will always hold a special place in my heart.

★★★★★

-Beth

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Review: The Last Summer of Us by Maggie Harcourt

On By Beth JonesIn Book Review4 Comments

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Limpet, Steffan and Jared. Three best friends crammed into a clapped-out rust bucket of a car on a whirlwind road trip to forget their troubles and see out the end of the summer. But no matter how far they drive, they can’t escape the hidden secrets and slow-burning romance that could upset the balance of their friendship – perhaps forever.

There are two things I love a lot in YA – the first is road-trips, the other is romance. Another favourite is Unconventional by Maggie Harcourt, and I ordered this book as soon as I finished that one.

He smells of beginnings.

I love the romance in this book. It’s so slow-burning that I didn’t know what was going to happen, and that was great. I love the anticipation of not knowing, and finding out what was going to happen at the very end.

Beginnings set in motion a long time ago and overlooked.

I found this book a lot different to Unconventional. The whole voice of this book is completely different, but I actually liked that! I love the way Harcourt could write about such meaningful and serious subjects while keeping the story and experiences lighthearted.

Beginnings which no number of endings could bury.

This book is a good all-round contemporary. It has all the ingredients for a great YA – good characters, strong writing, some great experiences and coming-of-age topics. It tackles deep subjects like grief yet shows romance, friendship and family.

I only had one issue with this book – the plot development. Maybe it’s just me, but it felt like a weird mixture of being both slow and fast-paced. I felt like the book went quickly but for a long time we weren’t really heading anywhere. But I have to say, I think that might be what Harcourt was aiming for. And getting to the end, everything became clear. I kind of understood.

★★★★

-Beth

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Review: Who Runs the World? by Virginia Bergin

On By Beth JonesIn Book Review7 Comments

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Sixty years after a virus has wiped out almost all the men on the planet, things are pretty much just as you would imagine a world run by women might be: war has ended; greed is not tolerated; the ecological needs of the planet are always put first. In two generations, the female population has grieved, pulled together and moved on, and life really is pretty good – if you’re a girl. It’s not so great if you’re a boy, but fourteen-year-old River wouldn’t know that. Until she met Mason, she thought they were extinct.

Doesn’t this sound like such an interesting read? Unfortunately, I was disappointed once again. Part of me thinks I may be getting a little critical of books as I’m reading more, but this one actually doesn’t have good reviews – and for good reason.

I had a lot of issues with this book. Some of them were just writing, language and plot holes. Some are deeper than that.

I honestly don’t even know where to start with this one. I guess with the simple things. This book just felt lacking – and I think that might be in plot. I believe dystopia should be interesting and fast-paced…and Who Runs the World? just wasn’t. I felt bored, and I didn’t feel motivated to read. I felt disconnected from the characters and the story. The writing was incredibly simple, and I honestly felt like River was treated like a child, acted as a child and thought as a child.

Another thing I found confusing was the tense. River constantly referred to the Granmumma speak as ‘text talk’, which I think meant it was 2 generations in front of the present day? But similar to how I found Ink by Alice Broadway, the town felt really behind. Yes, we had trains and hotels and (I think) phones. But then the only news we heard was through word-of-mouth, and TV’s and video games were all seen as old fashioned. It just seemed weird to me.

But unfortunately my issues with this book also grew deeper. In my viewpoint, this book was sexist. It basically said that men are directly connected to rape and murder. It told the main character to cover up so she could avoid being raped. It portrayed men in a very negative light and really didn’t show much progress throughout the story. Yes, the final few chapters started to turn things around…but it wasn’t really enough. The views of men in this book were just inexcusable.

★★

-Beth

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Review: The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

On By Beth JonesIn Book Review7 Comments

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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?

As I enjoyed Everything, Everything so much, my friend Chloe offered The Sun Is Also a Star for me to borrow. I agreed delightedly, and I wasn’t disappointed.

“Stars are important,” I say, laughing.

Let’s start by saying this is definitely my kind of book. It’s beautiful and poetic, which hidden meanings and uniqueness and some astonishingly lovely quotes. I knew I was going to love it from the very first page.

Before I start, I just have to mention the extraordinary diversity in this book. A Korean-American boy and Jamaican-American girl meet and fall in love. They both come from backgrounds where they have encountered difficulties because of their nationalities, but this book shows the progress we are making in this world.

“Sure, but why not more poems about the sun?

I loved many things about this book. The characters merged beautifully, especially coming from different backgrounds. I loved the plot, and the way we saw the story progress in only a day. I loved the detail, and the fact this book left nothing to the imagination. I felt like I knew Natasha and Daniel and their feelings inside out.

I also love the unique chapters (talked about in more detail below), and the insight we had into the characters years in the future. In some books, you will leave a character wishing you knew where their lives were leading. I felt like this in Everything, Everything, and it was very refreshing to have something so different.

The sun is also a star, and it’s our most important one. That alone should be worth a poem or two.”

The only negative thing I have to say about this one is I found it a little confusing to get into. Yes, this book focuses on Natasha and Daniel, but it also distributes random chapters about anything from fate to love to eyes to a random minor character. At first, I kind of didn’t see the point, and I just wanted to get back to what was happening with our two lovebirds. But as the book progressed, I could see the importance. I wanted to know the story of the minor characters, and it made the book different.

In YA, we usually focus on just the main characters and their viewpoints, but this book offers the feelings behind everything. One of the chapters (as mentioned above), was entirely about eyes and the connection two people feel when looking into each other’s eyes. It was only a couple of pages long, but it was utterly beautiful. I wish I could write something like that.

[Spoiler] The only other thing I didn’t like is the similarities between the plot development of this story and Everything, Everything. It’s kind of hard to explain, but basically two people fall in love, meet complications, struggle with their families and other aspects of their lives, go on an adventure together, are separated and finally meet again. [End of spoiler]

★★★★

P.S. A great read if you love the work of: Jennifer Niven, Rainbow Rowell, Emery Lord, Jenn Bennett and Crystal Sutherland – to name a few!

P.P.S. The way they made this cover is incredible! I would love to re-create it.

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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Review: Spontaneous by Aaron Starmer

On By Beth JonesIn Book Review7 Comments

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Mara Carlyle’s senior year is going as normally as could be expected, until—wa-bam!—fellow senior Katelyn Ogden explodes during third period pre-calc.
Katelyn is the first, but she won’t be the last teenager to blow up without warning or explanation. As the seniors continue to pop like balloons and the national eye turns to Mara’s suburban New Jersey hometown, the FBI rolls in and the search for a reason is on.
Whip-smart and blunt, Mara narrates the end of their world as she knows it while trying to make it to graduation in one piece. It’s an explosive year punctuated by romance, quarantine, lifelong friendship, hallucinogenic mushrooms, bloggers, ice cream trucks, “Snooze Button™,” Bon Jovi, and the filthiest language you’ve ever heard from the President of the United States.

Can I mention something that annoyed me before I even started this book? My edition of this book has a quote from John Green printed on the cover – “Truly the smartest and funniest book about spontaneous combustion you will ever read”. Well that’s not a big statement, because it’s probably also the only book about spontaneous combustion I will ever read.

Otherwise, this book sounded awesome. Such a cool concept, fun and humorous. I expected (and wanted) it to be so good – which is maybe why I was so devastatingly disappointed.

While reading this book, the first word I thought of to describe it was ‘honest’. Because that’s what it is. The story is about a senior class full of students that blow up. And by blow up, I mean combust in a bloody mess that ends up over the walls, floors and fellow students. The first time this happens, the reader may be a little shocked. And then it happens again, and again, and you get used to it.

Mara is possibly the most honest and sarcastic narrator I have ever known. Is that a good thing? Not necessarily, and not always. Unfortunately it made me feel a little disconnected with her and therefore her story, where there could have been the possibility to really feel emotional with her situation.

Mara unfortunately wasn’t the only issue I had with this book. Another was the plot, which felt so slowwww.

Like, this book really dragged. It’s a long book anyway (well, anything over 300 pages is long to me), but I just didn’t feel motivated to read it. It just felt boring. Maybe if I’d been worrying about Mara and her destiny (or even another character), I’d have felt differently. But honestly, I didn’t care what happened. I didn’t care if her boyfriend or best friend or even her herself blew up.

I also disliked the ending. It seemed confusing and pointless. I felt like I was completely back where we started. Like what? I want clarification. I want to know what happened, and if anyone found out anything. Not some kind of poetic bullsh*t from someone otherwise portrayed as sassy and cold-hearted.

Oh, and one more thing. All the feels? Really? For non-readers of this book, Mara talks about this novel she wrote including a main character called Xaiver or something. Not only is All the Feels the name of a published book by Danika Stone, it also includes a character called Xander.

So what did I like? Well, I guess I kept on reading, so Aaron must have done something right. I also liked the concept and the original idea. I just feel like Aaron took too much of a risk, and in the end it didn’t pay off for me.

★★

-Beth

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Author Interview: Ashley Poston

On By Beth JonesIn Interview8 Comments

I’m here today with something very exciting – an author interview! I adored her latest novel, Geekerella (review here), and I am extremely lucky to have had the chance to interview her.

Ashley Poston

About the Author

Ashley Poston’s is a part-time author and full-time fangirl. She was born in rural South Carolina, where you can see the stars impossibly well…

Tweet her at @ashposton and read her inner-most rambles at www.ashposton.com.

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When geek girl Elle Wittimer sees a cosplay contest sponsored by the producers of Starfield, she has to enter. First prize is an invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. Elle’s been scraping together tips from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck behind her stepmother’s back, and winning this contest couldbe her ticket out once and for all—not to mention a fangirl’s dream come true.

Teen actor Darien Freeman is less than thrilled about this year’s ExcelsiCon. He used to live for conventions, but now they’re nothing but jaw-aching photo sessions and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Federation Prince Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but the diehard Starfield fandom has already dismissed him as just another heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, closet nerd Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise.

What made you want to set Geekerella in a convention?

Geekerella had to be at least partly at a convention! What other great gathering of geeks could I celebrate?

What was the hardest thing about writing Geekerella?

Definitely keeping Darien and Elle’s timelines separate and yet running parallel to each other. It’s definitely harder than it seems.

Name a song you think fits Geekerella perfectly.

‘Hello’ by Allie X!

How do you overcome writers block?

I write anyway. Eventually I’ll crack the block, right?

Have you ever cosplayed, and if not, who would you love to cosplay as?

I love cosplaying! My favorite cosplay is The Little Mermaid’s Ariel costume (when she’s on land).

Would you ever consider writing about the story inside the story – Starfield?

The world of Starfield feels like an old friend, so I would love to someday!

Did you always know the ending of Geekerella, or did it come to you as you wrote?

I knew I wanted a GRG (Grand Romantic Gesture) but I wasn’t sure what I wanted. In one draft, Darien showed up at Elle’s door, another at the food truck, but I think the current ending is my favorite.

And the question we all knew was coming – is there anything else on the horizon for us to look forward to?

Of course! My next book comes out in February 2018 from Balzer + Bray. It’s called Heart of Iron, and it’s a little Anastasia, a little Firefly, and a lot of sweet murderous cinnamon rolls.

Thank you to Ashley for joining us!

-Beth

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Review: Release by Patrick Ness

On By Beth JonesIn Book Review14 Comments

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Inspired by Mrs Dalloway and Judy Blume’s Forever, Release is one day in the life of Adam Thorn, 17. It’s a big day. Things go wrong. It’s intense, and all the while, weirdness approaches…
Adam Thorn is having what will turn out to be the most unsettling, difficult day of his life, with relationships fracturing, a harrowing incident at work, and a showdown between this gay teen and his preacher father that changes everything. It’s a day of confrontation, running, sex, love, heartbreak, and maybe, just maybe, hope. He won’t come out of it unchanged. And all the while, lurking at the edges of the story, something extraordinary and unsettling is on a collision course.

To describe my thoughts about this book in one line is easy. I don’t know what half of this book is.

Before reading this book, I’d heard it was a contemporary with a weird fantasy story weaved in between. That sounds strange, right? Well, it is.

If you’ve read The Rest of Us Just Live Here, you’ll know that book kind of includes the same thing. It almost shows parallel universes – or snippets of something – kind of like the Upside Down from Stranger Things. But The Rest of Us Just Live Here just makes so much more sense.

Don’t get me wrong. I liked this book. I’d even go as far to say I loved it. But at the same time, I was left wondering what the hell is going on.

The story follows Adam Thorn, a gay son of a preacher who is working through a lot of emotions, loss and struggles all over the course of one day. I really liked Adam. I felt I related to him from the start, and I felt his story was a really important one.

I also love that this book was told over the course of a day. It suits the length of the book, and it felt almost like a dawn-to-sunset journey. It also adds to the impact of the amount that one life can change in just one day.

Overall, I loved what Ness did with Adam. He showed raw emotion and struggle which the reader really connects to. The settings work (and kind of intertwine with the weird fantasy parts), the characters are very powerful, and even the sex was tastefully done.

But I still have this snag. Because I don’t get the fantasy. I don’t even know how to explain it.

Basically, it’s briefly mentioned that this fantasy story is one about a meth addict murdered by her boyfriend at a lakeside. This lake (I believe) is the same one mentioned in Adam’s story, and the murdered girl was someone from a party or school or something? But I don’t quite get it. I don’t get how it fits. I felt like Ness tried some kind of higher-being writing that was meant to be deep and meaningful but just ended up leaving me in a confused daze. I even felt like skipping these parts just to get back to Adam, and for that reason I probably didn’t take it in as much as I could.

But – and this is where I have such mixed feelings – I just loved Adam. His story felt so important, like it was just begging to be told. And his character is one we really need in YA right now. And even though I felt like the start of the book was a little slow, the ending made up for it.

So this definitely isn’t my favourite of Ness’s. The Chaos Walking trilogy firmly holds that spot. But it was still an enjoyable read overall, and one I would recommend – just watch out for confusion.

★★★★

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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