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a little more boring than the first, but still fun, and the ending definitely makes me eager to read the next one!
4.5 stars
the only thing that bothered me was that it didn't flow enough. although I suppose that doesn't matter much with a middle grade book.
Other than that, I had a lot of fun! I love Greek mythology and that what originally intrigued me along with hearing that the narration is really fun. I'm really glad I finally picked this up!
the only thing that bothered me was that it didn't flow enough. although I suppose that doesn't matter much with a middle grade book.
Other than that, I had a lot of fun! I love Greek mythology and that what originally intrigued me along with hearing that the narration is really fun. I'm really glad I finally picked this up!
read this book back in 2008 in elementary school, I LOVED it!
TW: sexual assault, rape, physical and emotional abuse, substance abuse, elder abuse, incest.
This is a super difficult book for me to review. It follow Indy as her mother decides to send her to live with her aunt and uncle after not being stable enough to keep living with her. Her mother is an alcoholic and consistently sleeps with different men, but her grandmother is super understanding and her continues to support her mother as her life spirals. Upon moving in with her aunt and uncle, she stays in her cousin Gary's room who has moved out, and makes a quick friendship with her cousin Smiley, who is about the same age. However, Gary moves back in, and as Indy is forced to sleep on the couch in the living room, Gary subsequently feels entitled to her.
Obviously, mature and difficult themes ensue.
It follows the effects of generational trauma and how generations can follow in the footsteps of the previous generation through no fault of their own. It is lack of proper care and funding that goes into the communities such as the one Indy grew up in. Especially because Indy is black, her community is much more neglected than that of other communities.
I can't rate this higher than I have because it's one of those book that I appreciate being written, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
thanks to netgalley for the advanced e-galley!
This is a super difficult book for me to review. It follow Indy as her mother decides to send her to live with her aunt and uncle after not being stable enough to keep living with her. Her mother is an alcoholic and consistently sleeps with different men, but her grandmother is super understanding and her continues to support her mother as her life spirals. Upon moving in with her aunt and uncle, she stays in her cousin Gary's room who has moved out, and makes a quick friendship with her cousin Smiley, who is about the same age. However, Gary moves back in, and as Indy is forced to sleep on the couch in the living room, Gary subsequently feels entitled to her.
Obviously, mature and difficult themes ensue.
It follows the effects of generational trauma and how generations can follow in the footsteps of the previous generation through no fault of their own. It is lack of proper care and funding that goes into the communities such as the one Indy grew up in. Especially because Indy is black, her community is much more neglected than that of other communities.
I can't rate this higher than I have because it's one of those book that I appreciate being written, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
thanks to netgalley for the advanced e-galley!
good but not fantastic
This definitely wasn't horrible. But I think if you're expecting something amazing, you may be disappointed. I was really looking forward to this because Noah is hands-down my favourite character from the Mara Dyer trilogy. I think his voice was written really well, and it didn't feel like his narration was just thrown together for the sake of the fans.
If you didn't know, this takes place after the events of the Mara Dyer trilogy, told in Noah Shaw's point of view.
But if you asked me the plot, I don't know what I would tell you. After Retribution, I really felt like Mara as a character was wrapped up really nicely, but this just opens her up all over again, and it's weird that it takes place from Noah's point of view. He really is the character that needs his own series, but I felt like it wasn't utilized the way it should've been. Noah's "problems" in this are so mundane and don't have much to do with the previous trilogy. Meanwhile Mara... continues to be Mara.
It was just kinda weird.
I will continue the series, because I'm total trash for Mr. Noah Shaw the love of my life, and the ENDING really leaves me with many questions (that will hopefully be answered). It just felt like this 380 page book could've had a lot more significance and a lot less standing around. So I feel good with 3/5 stars.
EDIT 2/1/18: what even happened in this book? I don't remember. 2.5/5.
This definitely wasn't horrible. But I think if you're expecting something amazing, you may be disappointed. I was really looking forward to this because Noah is hands-down my favourite character from the Mara Dyer trilogy. I think his voice was written really well, and it didn't feel like his narration was just thrown together for the sake of the fans.
If you didn't know, this takes place after the events of the Mara Dyer trilogy, told in Noah Shaw's point of view.
But if you asked me the plot, I don't know what I would tell you. After Retribution, I really felt like Mara as a character was wrapped up really nicely, but this just opens her up all over again, and it's weird that it takes place from Noah's point of view. He really is the character that needs his own series, but I felt like it wasn't utilized the way it should've been. Noah's "problems" in this are so mundane and don't have much to do with the previous trilogy. Meanwhile Mara... continues to be Mara.
It was just kinda weird.
I will continue the series, because I'm total trash for Mr. Noah Shaw the love of my life, and the ENDING really leaves me with many questions (that will hopefully be answered). It just felt like this 380 page book could've had a lot more significance and a lot less standing around. So I feel good with 3/5 stars.
EDIT 2/1/18: what even happened in this book? I don't remember. 2.5/5.
last time I read an e. Lockhart book I rated it 5 stars. I was so excited about it. I still stand behind my love for we were liars but I know I was a little *cue Manfred Mann* bliinded by the hyyype
which is why I'm glad I got to read this before it's started to catch people's attention.
I loved the format of this mystery novel. the first and last chapter is present day, but it's told from chapter 18 to chapter 1. At first I thought it might be hard to follow, but the narration makes it really easy and helps you along when things piece together. It makes for a good "beginner" mystery teen novel of sorts.
I'm not normally a mystery reader. I find it incredibly easy to piece details together and figure it out before the book does. But because of the format of this novel, nothing is purposely being hidden from the reader, Which made me 100% less frustrated than mystery novels typically do. things just start to take shape as you read forwards and the story is told backwards, making the "ah-ha" moment much more satisfying.
Genuine Fraud is a good book. I'll recommend it, I'll keep talking about it. It wasn't completely spectacular in my opinion, but I think a lot of people will really like it.
which is why I'm glad I got to read this before it's started to catch people's attention.
I loved the format of this mystery novel. the first and last chapter is present day, but it's told from chapter 18 to chapter 1. At first I thought it might be hard to follow, but the narration makes it really easy and helps you along when things piece together. It makes for a good "beginner" mystery teen novel of sorts.
I'm not normally a mystery reader. I find it incredibly easy to piece details together and figure it out before the book does. But because of the format of this novel, nothing is purposely being hidden from the reader, Which made me 100% less frustrated than mystery novels typically do. things just start to take shape as you read forwards and the story is told backwards, making the "ah-ha" moment much more satisfying.
Genuine Fraud is a good book. I'll recommend it, I'll keep talking about it. It wasn't completely spectacular in my opinion, but I think a lot of people will really like it.
So this is a magical realism novel that takes place in the 1960s following a Latin American family of Saints as they perform miracles and the teen cousins running an illegal radio station. The people who come to the family to have a miracle performed on them are called pilgrims, and they rarely leave. Why? Because the miracle makes physical the emotional darkness inside of them and turns them into something you'd see on doctor who. One pilgrim can only say sentences that have been said to her, another has a coyote head, you get the gist. So that's the weird part. At first I didn't even realize that Stiefvater actually meant a coyote head, or constant rain overtop of someone, so it was a little confusing. But then I realized that she meant someone literally had a coyote head and it took me a second to piece it all together again.
It mainly follows Beatriz, Daniel, and Joaquin but it also follows the pilgrims who've had miracles performed on them and now live in their darknesses, it follows Beatriz's parents, and it follows Pete and Tony - Pete, who's come to the family for a truck, and Tony who's come to them for a miracle. So really it's all these characters and how their lives intertwine.
Beatriz, Daniel, and Joaquin have started an illegal radio show and I was really hoping the novel would concentrate on that because I'm really interested in the 60s and it's music. But it more focused on the characters. Not in a way you'd think though, because this novel is mostly narration and storytelling, and not a whole lot of character interaction.
This is definitely not one of my favourite novels. And I can't even really say that you'll like this if you liked Stiefvater's other novels because it's just weird and different. You don't even really have a chance to get to know and like the characters. And their development felt really sudden, too - not progressive.
I'll say you'll like this if you like different and unique novels.
2.5/5 stars.
edit Oct 10th, 2017 - the more I think about this book, the more I don't like it. So I've changed the physical stars from 3 to 2 and my "official" rating to 2/5
It mainly follows Beatriz, Daniel, and Joaquin but it also follows the pilgrims who've had miracles performed on them and now live in their darknesses, it follows Beatriz's parents, and it follows Pete and Tony - Pete, who's come to the family for a truck, and Tony who's come to them for a miracle. So really it's all these characters and how their lives intertwine.
Beatriz, Daniel, and Joaquin have started an illegal radio show and I was really hoping the novel would concentrate on that because I'm really interested in the 60s and it's music. But it more focused on the characters. Not in a way you'd think though, because this novel is mostly narration and storytelling, and not a whole lot of character interaction.
This is definitely not one of my favourite novels. And I can't even really say that you'll like this if you liked Stiefvater's other novels because it's just weird and different. You don't even really have a chance to get to know and like the characters. And their development felt really sudden, too - not progressive.
I'll say you'll like this if you like different and unique novels.
2.5/5 stars.
edit Oct 10th, 2017 - the more I think about this book, the more I don't like it. So I've changed the physical stars from 3 to 2 and my "official" rating to 2/5
3.5/5 stars
So I finished this a few days ago, but I've been having a hard time deciding what to rate it and what to say in my review. When this book was first announced, and the synopsis was first released it got a lot of attention. The problem readers were seeing was that someone decided to write a book about a girl who was confident being a lesbian and then suddenly meets a guy and isn't gay anymore. With that said, I'm straight, and my opinion here isn't really that valid. It's not my place to tell you whether or not to read this or agree with this. HOWEVER, it felt more like a story about a girl realizing that sexuality can be fluid rather than gay or straight. She never even really defines her sexuality after falling in love with a boy, she questions it herself in a quote some along the lines of 'am I gay? bi? idk.'
Putting the controversy aside, this book was good. I enjoyed the story and the perspective of a girl, Romana, living a life where her family is just trying to make ends meet. Her home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, her mother left their family shortly after, her father is trying to make ends meet as they live in a trailer, and her older sister (not sure how much older, but still young) is pregnant. So it is about a girl discover the fluidity of sexuality, but it's also about a girl who went from middle-class to lower-class, and sees the difference between her life and other's every single day.
Meanwhile the boy that comes into her life, Freddie, is black. And I appreciated the few times where his skin colour causes him to have a much different life as well. So there's a few different perspectives going on here.
Now, obviously I've rated it a more moderate rating, and it's because of the writing itself. It was kinda just okay. It didn't really evoke a lot of emotion in me, and I really wanted like a cute romance. So if you're looking for a cute romance, this isn't really the book to go to. I mean, it was kinda cute, but it was mostly just Ramona and Freddie sorting stuff out while being in a relationship.
So yeah, the plot was good for the most part, and the writing was okay. 3.5/5 stars.
So I finished this a few days ago, but I've been having a hard time deciding what to rate it and what to say in my review. When this book was first announced, and the synopsis was first released it got a lot of attention. The problem readers were seeing was that someone decided to write a book about a girl who was confident being a lesbian and then suddenly meets a guy and isn't gay anymore. With that said, I'm straight, and my opinion here isn't really that valid. It's not my place to tell you whether or not to read this or agree with this. HOWEVER, it felt more like a story about a girl realizing that sexuality can be fluid rather than gay or straight. She never even really defines her sexuality after falling in love with a boy, she questions it herself in a quote some along the lines of 'am I gay? bi? idk.'
Putting the controversy aside, this book was good. I enjoyed the story and the perspective of a girl, Romana, living a life where her family is just trying to make ends meet. Her home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, her mother left their family shortly after, her father is trying to make ends meet as they live in a trailer, and her older sister (not sure how much older, but still young) is pregnant. So it is about a girl discover the fluidity of sexuality, but it's also about a girl who went from middle-class to lower-class, and sees the difference between her life and other's every single day.
Meanwhile the boy that comes into her life, Freddie, is black. And I appreciated the few times where his skin colour causes him to have a much different life as well. So there's a few different perspectives going on here.
Now, obviously I've rated it a more moderate rating, and it's because of the writing itself. It was kinda just okay. It didn't really evoke a lot of emotion in me, and I really wanted like a cute romance. So if you're looking for a cute romance, this isn't really the book to go to. I mean, it was kinda cute, but it was mostly just Ramona and Freddie sorting stuff out while being in a relationship.
So yeah, the plot was good for the most part, and the writing was okay. 3.5/5 stars.
Read my full review on my blog!: http://emilyspeaking.blogspot.ca/2017/04/review-queens-of-geek-by-jen-wilde.html
Charlie is a bisexual Asian-Australian Youtuber slash movie star and her best friend Charlie is plus-sized weirdo slash geek on the austin spectrum, and has social anxiety. They go to SupaCon together to have a great weekend with their other best friend Jamie, a comicbook nerd.
I wasn't going to read this but I'm so glad I did. While the concept itself (your best friend being a successful youtuber and movie star paying for your trip from Melbourne to LA to go to a con) is not realistic, the characters and their emotions and experiences were super relatable. This was light-hearted and really easy to read, too. I needed something like this to help me get back into reading for my summer break!
Charlie is a bisexual Asian-Australian Youtuber slash movie star and her best friend Charlie is plus-sized weirdo slash geek on the austin spectrum, and has social anxiety. They go to SupaCon together to have a great weekend with their other best friend Jamie, a comicbook nerd.
I wasn't going to read this but I'm so glad I did. While the concept itself (your best friend being a successful youtuber and movie star paying for your trip from Melbourne to LA to go to a con) is not realistic, the characters and their emotions and experiences were super relatable. This was light-hearted and really easy to read, too. I needed something like this to help me get back into reading for my summer break!