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howlinglibraries's Reviews (1.85k)
“Words matter. Words make ideas. They preserve truths and history. They express freedom and they shape it. Words mold our thoughts. That gives them value and power.”
✘ plot
In the future, lawyers have realized they can put copyrights on things as basic as words, and now, on each individual's fifteenth birthday, they are given a device that tracks every word they speak or gesture they make - and charges them exorbitantly for it.
On Speth's fifteenth birthday, she realizes she doesn't want to be sucked into this life, so she decides to do the unthinkable: she adopts silence as her protest. Lawyers everywhere are enraged, and Speth suddenly finds her entire world turned upside down as the world around her attempts to punish her for her nonconformity.
✘ the good
- The plot of this book is so unique, and unlike anything I've ever read before. A world in which people are charged for every word they speak, every nod or sigh, every kiss or hug - it's honestly a little bit terrifying to even think of, especially as the story goes on to explain that people who go too far into debt are basically forced into indentured slavery to the government.
- I loved the sci-fi aspects of the story, such as the ocular lenses everyone was forced to wear that could shock them for transgressions, or the Ads that were custom-tailored to the potential customers walking by at any given time. So many features in the story just felt so innovative!
- The Product Placers. I assumed from the very beginning that they would be important, given how much Speth was fascinated by them, so I was pretty pleased when they recruited her onto their team. Kel, Henri, and Margot are all such fun and sweet characters, plus I was especially fond of the scenes in which Speth was getting her feet under her and learning the ropes. The missions the team were sent on just sounded so intense and fun, and I am a sucker for the whole "lonely/misunderstood MC finds a group of misfit friends to become their family" trope.
✘ the bad
- Speth. This poor, sad child... sigh. I mean, the very first decision she makes in the entire book is so astonishingly poorly thought out that I just thought, certainly, she would have to progress in an upward fashion as the story continued... right? Nope.
She makes one poor decision after another, and by the end of the book, I honestly was just wishing someone would scream at her until she finally grasped the severity of the stupid, reckless, and terrible choices she made.
- Despite being a first-person narration style, I had a very hard time connecting to Speth emotionally. The story as a whole drew me in, and I found myself feeling attached to other characters at times, but I think the complete lack of dialogue from Speth makes her really hard to relate to. She constantly caused emotional duress to others through her silence, when they needed her to speak, and that made it really hard to view her as anything beyond this calloused and aloof child.
- Without trying to spoil too much, there's a serious story arc of exploiting someone's feelings to use them (and it's such a sweet character who gets hurt, at that!), and then it's just... never really called out? There are no actual repercussions, and very little remorse, seemingly.
- Again, no spoilers, but there is a heartbreaking turn of events towards the end of the book that made me want to throw my kindle and never, ever finish this story. I literally made a Goodreads status that basically said there are books that can break your heart and make you love them more, and then there are books that go for the Big Traumas and just piss you the hell off. This incident was the latter scenario.
- The ending leaves a lot of things unexplained, and the story is wrapped up in an incredibly unrealistic and rushed manner. I know it's the first book in a series, but the story would have been better to leave off on a cliffhanger than to rush through the last few chapters the way it did.
✘ conclusion
This was actually an incredibly anticipated read for me, and I thought I would love it and totally fly through it; sadly, though, it just didn't cut it for me. If you're particularly into dystopian titles like I am, I would say pick it up, give it a chance, and it may be much more enjoyable for you than it was for me! As far as I'm concerned, though, I'll pass on continuing the series.
Thank you to Harlequin Teen and Edelweiss for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own!
You can find this review and more on my blog!
✘ plot
In the future, lawyers have realized they can put copyrights on things as basic as words, and now, on each individual's fifteenth birthday, they are given a device that tracks every word they speak or gesture they make - and charges them exorbitantly for it.
On Speth's fifteenth birthday, she realizes she doesn't want to be sucked into this life, so she decides to do the unthinkable: she adopts silence as her protest. Lawyers everywhere are enraged, and Speth suddenly finds her entire world turned upside down as the world around her attempts to punish her for her nonconformity.
✘ the good
- The plot of this book is so unique, and unlike anything I've ever read before. A world in which people are charged for every word they speak, every nod or sigh, every kiss or hug - it's honestly a little bit terrifying to even think of, especially as the story goes on to explain that people who go too far into debt are basically forced into indentured slavery to the government.
- I loved the sci-fi aspects of the story, such as the ocular lenses everyone was forced to wear that could shock them for transgressions, or the Ads that were custom-tailored to the potential customers walking by at any given time. So many features in the story just felt so innovative!
- The Product Placers. I assumed from the very beginning that they would be important, given how much Speth was fascinated by them, so I was pretty pleased when they recruited her onto their team. Kel, Henri, and Margot are all such fun and sweet characters, plus I was especially fond of the scenes in which Speth was getting her feet under her and learning the ropes. The missions the team were sent on just sounded so intense and fun, and I am a sucker for the whole "lonely/misunderstood MC finds a group of misfit friends to become their family" trope.
✘ the bad
- Speth. This poor, sad child... sigh. I mean, the very first decision she makes in the entire book is so astonishingly poorly thought out that I just thought, certainly, she would have to progress in an upward fashion as the story continued... right? Nope.
She makes one poor decision after another, and by the end of the book, I honestly was just wishing someone would scream at her until she finally grasped the severity of the stupid, reckless, and terrible choices she made.
- Despite being a first-person narration style, I had a very hard time connecting to Speth emotionally. The story as a whole drew me in, and I found myself feeling attached to other characters at times, but I think the complete lack of dialogue from Speth makes her really hard to relate to. She constantly caused emotional duress to others through her silence, when they needed her to speak, and that made it really hard to view her as anything beyond this calloused and aloof child.
- Without trying to spoil too much, there's a serious story arc of exploiting someone's feelings to use them (and it's such a sweet character who gets hurt, at that!), and then it's just... never really called out? There are no actual repercussions, and very little remorse, seemingly.
- Again, no spoilers, but there is a heartbreaking turn of events towards the end of the book that made me want to throw my kindle and never, ever finish this story. I literally made a Goodreads status that basically said there are books that can break your heart and make you love them more, and then there are books that go for the Big Traumas and just piss you the hell off. This incident was the latter scenario.
- The ending leaves a lot of things unexplained, and the story is wrapped up in an incredibly unrealistic and rushed manner. I know it's the first book in a series, but the story would have been better to leave off on a cliffhanger than to rush through the last few chapters the way it did.
✘ conclusion
This was actually an incredibly anticipated read for me, and I thought I would love it and totally fly through it; sadly, though, it just didn't cut it for me. If you're particularly into dystopian titles like I am, I would say pick it up, give it a chance, and it may be much more enjoyable for you than it was for me! As far as I'm concerned, though, I'll pass on continuing the series.
Thank you to Harlequin Teen and Edelweiss for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own!
You can find this review and more on my blog!
If you follow The Awkward Yeti's comics like I do, you already know you're looking at a good time with this book. I never get tired of the heart's shenanigans, the brain's desperate attempts to keep everyone in order, or the hilarious relatability of the intestines. Anyone who's got a human body can probably get a laugh out of at least a few of these, so I'd definitely recommend picking this one up if you're a comic reader.
Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC! All opinions in this review are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC! All opinions in this review are my own.
I loved Pearls Before Swine as a kid, so I was pretty interested in getting this and seeing how it held up for me, but I can't say that it lived up to my memories. Either it just isn't suited for my sense of humor anymore, or Stephan has lost his touch, but it was mostly just one overdone pun or one-liner after another. I do still love the crocodile strips, though.
Shut mouf, woomun. Shut mouf.
Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC! All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Shut mouf, woomun. Shut mouf.
Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC! All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
This is really more of a 3.5 than a 4, but what the heck, we'll round up! Loryn's comics are always adorable; I follow her posts on facebook, though, so I've already seen most of these. If you don't follow her regularly, this would be more worthwhile for you.
A lot of her comics are definitely cute and relatable, and I do enjoy her little moments here and there of feminism and inclusion. This would probably be a good coffee table or bathroom book, you know? I don't think I'd recommend rushing out to pre-order it, though.
Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC! My opinions in this review are entirely my own.
A lot of her comics are definitely cute and relatable, and I do enjoy her little moments here and there of feminism and inclusion. This would probably be a good coffee table or bathroom book, you know? I don't think I'd recommend rushing out to pre-order it, though.
Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC! My opinions in this review are entirely my own.
“What will you let go of? What can you not afford to lose?”
I had heard literally nothing about this book or the author when I requested it from PRH's First to Read program. All I knew, going into it, was what you can read on the GR synopsis, and that it had an intriguing cover.
✘ PLOT
When three young Irish girls find a mysterious spellbook and carry out a spell to return lost items, they don't pay enough attention to the line that warns them items must be sacrificed for those items being brought back. Without a sacrifice, the magic takes things - tangible and abstract alike - of its own accord.
While Olive and her best friend begin to unknowingly lose things, Hazel and her brother and childhood friend find the spellbook, and strange forces collide to bring the five teens together. Slowly, diary pages from the trio begin to appear, leading Olive, Hazel, and their friends on an adventure to find the trio, bring back what has been stolen, and put an end to the nightmare that magic can create.
✘ CHARACTERS
There are a lot of characters in this book. The characters are divided into 3 "groups", and as the chapters swap perspectives, each group has a singular narrator. The narrators get a great deal of development, while the side characters get a bit less.
• First, there’s the original trio: Laurel, Ash, and Holly. These three are the most influential characters as they kind of started the story, but we spend the least time with them and they’re certainly the most mysterious. Laurel is a likable, sensible narrator with no frills.
• Second, there’s Olive and her best friend, Rose. Olive is the narrator of this duo, and she’s a very enjoyable character. She’s a bit stubborn and headstrong, with a heart of absolute gold, and she’s incredibly concerned with the well-being of her family (including Rose).
• Third, there’s Hazel, her twin brother Rowan, and their childhood friend, Ivy. Hazel is the narrator of this one, and her chapters were probably my favorite. She’s angsty, pissed off at the world, full of regret and shame, and a shameless flirt. She’s fun, but there’s always an underlying darkness beneath her mask.
✘ WRITING
Moïra's writing is beautiful. It's lyrical and full of metaphors, while still being a quick and enjoyable read. She paints incredible scenery around the characters, and leaves so many little bread crumbs throughout the story. There's a wonderful twist to the story that I did guess about halfway through, but the way it was executed still gave me chills all over.
✘ REP/AWARENESS
I went into this book with no idea it was an LGBTQ+ read, so you can imagine my delight when Olive mentions that she and Rose are "the only bisexual girls in town". Hazel is also a lesbian, and without any spoilers, there is a lovely f/f romance toward the last third of the book. The representation is done really flawlessly and without tropes.
There's also diversity and self-awareness thrown in here and there: Rose is half Indian (a brief scene involves racism, and is addressed as problematic immediately). Olive is entirely deaf in one ear (and makes mention to her hearing aid a few times).
In one scene I really loved, there's an entire conversation between Olive and her sister regarding feminism:
I give my sister a baffled look and am not nearly discreet enough to hide it. It’s one thing to find out she reads poetry; it’s another to discover she identifies as a feminist. Maybe I have more in common with my little sister than I thought.
The book goes on after that scene to discuss feminism a few more times, as well as the terror that is rape culture. None of it ever feels like "checking boxes on the list"; you can easily tell that Moïra writes from her heart.
✘ FINAL VERDICT
From the characters to the plot, this book was so much more than I hoped for, and I loved every moment of it. I found myself addicted to the developing twists, and could barely bring myself to put it down. It has a solid ending that doesn't feel rushed, and the loose ends are tied by the time you close the back cover. I am so pleased to have been given the chance to read and review Spellbook, and I can't wait to see what else Moïra has in store for her readers!
Content warnings: rape (mostly implied), consensual sex (f/f and m/f), alcoholism, abusive parents.
ARC provided by Penguin Random House "First to Read" in exchange for an honest review.
You can find this review and more at my blog!
I had heard literally nothing about this book or the author when I requested it from PRH's First to Read program. All I knew, going into it, was what you can read on the GR synopsis, and that it had an intriguing cover.
✘ PLOT
When three young Irish girls find a mysterious spellbook and carry out a spell to return lost items, they don't pay enough attention to the line that warns them items must be sacrificed for those items being brought back. Without a sacrifice, the magic takes things - tangible and abstract alike - of its own accord.
While Olive and her best friend begin to unknowingly lose things, Hazel and her brother and childhood friend find the spellbook, and strange forces collide to bring the five teens together. Slowly, diary pages from the trio begin to appear, leading Olive, Hazel, and their friends on an adventure to find the trio, bring back what has been stolen, and put an end to the nightmare that magic can create.
✘ CHARACTERS
There are a lot of characters in this book. The characters are divided into 3 "groups", and as the chapters swap perspectives, each group has a singular narrator. The narrators get a great deal of development, while the side characters get a bit less.
• First, there’s the original trio: Laurel, Ash, and Holly. These three are the most influential characters as they kind of started the story, but we spend the least time with them and they’re certainly the most mysterious. Laurel is a likable, sensible narrator with no frills.
• Second, there’s Olive and her best friend, Rose. Olive is the narrator of this duo, and she’s a very enjoyable character. She’s a bit stubborn and headstrong, with a heart of absolute gold, and she’s incredibly concerned with the well-being of her family (including Rose).
• Third, there’s Hazel, her twin brother Rowan, and their childhood friend, Ivy. Hazel is the narrator of this one, and her chapters were probably my favorite. She’s angsty, pissed off at the world, full of regret and shame, and a shameless flirt. She’s fun, but there’s always an underlying darkness beneath her mask.
✘ WRITING
Moïra's writing is beautiful. It's lyrical and full of metaphors, while still being a quick and enjoyable read. She paints incredible scenery around the characters, and leaves so many little bread crumbs throughout the story. There's a wonderful twist to the story that I did guess about halfway through, but the way it was executed still gave me chills all over.
✘ REP/AWARENESS
I went into this book with no idea it was an LGBTQ+ read, so you can imagine my delight when Olive mentions that she and Rose are "the only bisexual girls in town". Hazel is also a lesbian, and without any spoilers, there is a lovely f/f romance toward the last third of the book. The representation is done really flawlessly and without tropes.
There's also diversity and self-awareness thrown in here and there: Rose is half Indian (a brief scene involves racism, and is addressed as problematic immediately). Olive is entirely deaf in one ear (and makes mention to her hearing aid a few times).
In one scene I really loved, there's an entire conversation between Olive and her sister regarding feminism:
I give my sister a baffled look and am not nearly discreet enough to hide it. It’s one thing to find out she reads poetry; it’s another to discover she identifies as a feminist. Maybe I have more in common with my little sister than I thought.
The book goes on after that scene to discuss feminism a few more times, as well as the terror that is rape culture. None of it ever feels like "checking boxes on the list"; you can easily tell that Moïra writes from her heart.
✘ FINAL VERDICT
From the characters to the plot, this book was so much more than I hoped for, and I loved every moment of it. I found myself addicted to the developing twists, and could barely bring myself to put it down. It has a solid ending that doesn't feel rushed, and the loose ends are tied by the time you close the back cover. I am so pleased to have been given the chance to read and review Spellbook, and I can't wait to see what else Moïra has in store for her readers!
Content warnings: rape (mostly implied), consensual sex (f/f and m/f), alcoholism, abusive parents.
ARC provided by Penguin Random House "First to Read" in exchange for an honest review.
You can find this review and more at my blog!
I gather that this book was supposed to be at least mildly entertaining, and I usually love zany breakup stories, but this was just cringe-y and awful. A few stories offered up some fat-shaming and slut-shaming, and I don't think a single story brought so much as a smile to my face. I also didn't love the formatting or her bits of artwork. All in all, I feel like these stories would be more suited for a text-post-only tumblr blog or something.
Thank you to NetGalley and Animal Media Group LLC for the ARC! All opinions represented here are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Animal Media Group LLC for the ARC! All opinions represented here are my own.
I generally love Matthew Inman and The Oatmeal, but this is probably my least favorite "theme" of all of his comics. It had its cute moments, but all in all, I'm not super entertained by cartoons of middle-aged men licking their own butts? I dunno - pass for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with this ARC! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with this ARC! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This graphic novel was adorable, diverse, and presented an amazing point in such an understandable way! I honestly just want this book to be present in every school library across the world and for every middle-schooler and high-schooler to be required to read it and discuss it, because it brings up so many important topics regarding consent that kids need to be thinking about as they enter their sexually active times in their life - or even if they don't want to be sexually active, it can still teach them how to relate better to their peers who are, as well as empathizing with abuse survivors.
Thank you to NetGalley and Singing Dragon for the ARC of this book! All opinions expressed here are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Singing Dragon for the ARC of this book! All opinions expressed here are my own.
I went into this graphic novel knowing nothing about it; it was on the "read now" list on NetGalley, and I was in the mood for a quick graphic novel. (Joke's on me - this graphic novel is over 500 pages long!)
Essentially, Lighter Than My Shadow is a story about eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and sexual assault. It's a memoir in the form of a graphic novel, written to tell the story of Katie Green's own childhood and teen life. It's a very sad and haunting story, but unfortunately, it's just not a very enjoyable read, either. It has incredibly slow pacing for a GN, which is unusual in my experience, and the scenes are extremely repetitive.
If you're particularly fond of memoirs about mental illness, you may be interested in this title, but otherwise, I'd pass it up.
Essentially, Lighter Than My Shadow is a story about eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and sexual assault. It's a memoir in the form of a graphic novel, written to tell the story of Katie Green's own childhood and teen life. It's a very sad and haunting story, but unfortunately, it's just not a very enjoyable read, either. It has incredibly slow pacing for a GN, which is unusual in my experience, and the scenes are extremely repetitive.
If you're particularly fond of memoirs about mental illness, you may be interested in this title, but otherwise, I'd pass it up.
Brooding YA Hero: Becoming a Main Character (Almost) as Awesome as Me
Broody McHottiepants, Carrie Dirisio
Update 12.15.17 → Lowered to 3 stars after rereading excerpts and realizing how incredibly repetitive the writing actually is. :/
---
"Young adult fiction is potential captured and frozen - a bright bolt of lightning caught on the page for everyone to read. It is both universal and incredibly personal, changeable and yet constant."
If you've ever visited the Brooding YA Hero twitter bio, you're already familiar with the snark, irony, and self-aware sense of humor that comes with the writing. This book does not disappoint at all in that sense - it's cute, humorous, and fun from start to finish. It's written like a self-help book, narrated by none other than Broody, the trope-filled YA main character.
"I come from a foreign country that's probably made up, or might as well have been, for all the accuracy of the Author's portrayal."
Carrie Ann DiRisio uses Broody's character as a vehicle to deliver fantastic social commentary on the world of YA writing and the cliches and offenses that its authors so commonly present, and I found myself nodding along, laughing, and saying "yes!" under my breath at least once per chapter.
In between Broody's notes and advice, there are third-person narratives of his gradual character development and frustrations, as well as the occasional snippet from Blondie - his absolutely fantastic ex-girlfriend who's sick and tired of being cast as the villain just because she has great hair and wears heels.
Is this book earth-shattering? No. Does it have an incredibly rich storyline filled with in-depth characters? No. Is it a hilariously fun read that any YA fan should pick up, if for nothing other than the fact that we all need to laugh at ourselves sometimes? ABSOLUTELY.
(Note: If you aren't fluent in sarcasm, you should probably avoid this one like the plague.)
Thank you to Edelweiss and Skypony Press for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
---
"Young adult fiction is potential captured and frozen - a bright bolt of lightning caught on the page for everyone to read. It is both universal and incredibly personal, changeable and yet constant."
If you've ever visited the Brooding YA Hero twitter bio, you're already familiar with the snark, irony, and self-aware sense of humor that comes with the writing. This book does not disappoint at all in that sense - it's cute, humorous, and fun from start to finish. It's written like a self-help book, narrated by none other than Broody, the trope-filled YA main character.
"I come from a foreign country that's probably made up, or might as well have been, for all the accuracy of the Author's portrayal."
Carrie Ann DiRisio uses Broody's character as a vehicle to deliver fantastic social commentary on the world of YA writing and the cliches and offenses that its authors so commonly present, and I found myself nodding along, laughing, and saying "yes!" under my breath at least once per chapter.
In between Broody's notes and advice, there are third-person narratives of his gradual character development and frustrations, as well as the occasional snippet from Blondie - his absolutely fantastic ex-girlfriend who's sick and tired of being cast as the villain just because she has great hair and wears heels.
Is this book earth-shattering? No. Does it have an incredibly rich storyline filled with in-depth characters? No. Is it a hilariously fun read that any YA fan should pick up, if for nothing other than the fact that we all need to laugh at ourselves sometimes? ABSOLUTELY.
(Note: If you aren't fluent in sarcasm, you should probably avoid this one like the plague.)
Thank you to Edelweiss and Skypony Press for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!