howlinglibraries's Reviews (1.85k)

This was one of the easiest, yet most unsatisfying 1-star ratings I've ever given a book. I love horror anthologies. I own a million (okay, more like thirty) of them in assorted formats and they're just such a fun way to spend an evening for me. When I really want to enjoy one, I do what I did with this book, and I wait to read it until it's late at night and everyone else is asleep and the house is quiet, just for maximum impact.

Didn't help.

I'm gonna break this one down by story, because... well, why not?

THE OLD DUDE'S TICKER by Stephen King ➳➳ ★★★★☆
A horror anthology starting with King? Should be a good sign, right? King prefaced the story by explaining this one was an old, unpublished short of his from the 70s. It's a slightly humorous retelling of The Telltale Heart, which is one of my favorite Poe pieces, so I had fun with this one.

THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT by Lisa Morton ➳➳ ★★★☆☆
This one was... okay? It tells the story of an author who meets this bizarre rich family she wrote a book about, and ends up falling in deep with one of the men of the house, and shit gets kind of weird. I wasn't wild about it, but I liked the writing.

THE MANICURE by Nell Quinn-Gibney ➳➳ ★★☆☆☆
I read this one twice because I was so freaking confused by the ending. It starts off with serious potential and this weird sense of dread that makes you simultaneously eager to learn the ending, and dreading what is to come... and then, what? Nothing happens. I'm not kidding. I literally read it again just to see if I had missed an important detail - I hadn't.

THE COMFORTING VOICE by Norman Prentiss ➳➳ ★★☆☆☆
Another one with a decent style, but subpar plot. A baby can only be soothed by her mean old grandpa, and after he dies, her dad has to mock his words to get her to stop crying. This one was honestly just a bit traumatic and sad, but I certainly didn't understand how it got into a horror anthology.

THE SITUATIONS by Joyce Carol Oates ➳➳ ★☆☆☆☆
To be fair, I knew going into this story that I wouldn't like it, because I am not much of a JCO fan. It was horribly sad, kittens were murdered, and none of it made any sense. It felt pointless and I, again, found myself wondering how it "belonged" in the collection.

THE CORPSE KING by Tim Curran ➳➳ ★☆☆☆☆
YOU GUYS. THIS. STORY. This story ruined any chance the book had of a 2-star rating. You know how, typically, every story in an anthology is of a similar length? That makes sense, right? RIGHT? Well, not to this editor, apparently. I felt like the other stories were only even included to give the editor an excuse to get this tale out to the world without it being in a book of its own. It literally takes up the last 55-60% of the book by itself and it was so incredibly slow and boring that I ended up skimming the majority of it. I would have just DNFd, but... you know... I kept expecting there to be more stories after it. Nah.

I'm sorry, but I can safely say I will never pick up another Dark Screams collection. I honestly wouldn't recommend these to anyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hydra for granting me an ARC of this book! All opinions expressed here are my own.

Let me start off by saying that the synopsis of this book is absolutely precious. When I read it, I knew I had to have it. As someone who’s been on the internet most (almost all) of my life, I’ve had my own fair share of online romances, and I’ve undergone my fair share of trolling, as well. I love the idea of such a modern love story: girl meets boy online, girl falls for boy online, etc. This book handles that concept delightfully. There are text message exchanges, tweets, tumblr reblogs, and even Snapchat dates. The formatting is just fantastic, and I am such a sucker for these kinds of things.

That said, the writing and the way the story unfolds needs a little work. I found that the writing itself felt young, as did Madi (well, more so than I expect when thinking of high school seniors). Her interactions with Sarah were the most difficult to read. Sarah is on the Autism spectrum, and routine is very key for her. Despite the fact that we are frequently reminded by Madi that Sarah’s routine MUST NOT BE INTERRUPTED, Madi herself interrupts that schedule a few times with little to no repercussions or guilt. More than once, my heart ached a little for how devastated Sarah was, but Madi seemed disconnected from it. While I’m sure that this was a realistic portrayal for many people who have autistic siblings that they primarily take care of, it did bother me, but I didn’t take points off for the rawness.

Madi and Sarah’s parents, on the other hand, were infuriating. We are introduced right into the realization that their mother is leaving the country in a few days, with no warning at all, to take up a temporary teaching job at Oxford University. She has no concern about her children at all, citing over and over again that the girls need to “grow up”. Charles, their father, seems equally unruffled, though we are told that this is a ruse to hide his inner turmoil. Façade or no, Charles needs to get off of his ass and take care of his daughters, instead of hiding behind his laptop 24/7. I raged!

As far as the romance of the book goes, it’s adorable and cheesy (usually in a good way), but Laurent feels like such an overdone character from the moment we meet him. He’s incredibly kind, honest, hot, well-dressed, intelligent, artistic, and French. He has no flaws that we ever become aware of, and Madi’s interactions with him in the first half or so of the book feel like a star-struck schoolgirl with a crush, which is painfully awkward at times.

The troll is the dramatic antagonist of the book, and he plays the part of the typical misogynistic, bratty, “friend zoned” teen boy to the bitter end, complete with remarks about “SJWs” and “stupid feminists”. It was a realistic enough portrayal of many guys that I’ve met over the years, so that was worthy of a few laughs and eye rolls. Madi’s reactions to him are a bit tiring, though. She constantly fusses at her friends if they stick up for her - as true friends are wont to do - but she can’t let the troll peep so much as an emoji at her without an over-the-top, angsty reply (and a threat to block him – in almost every response).

All in all, while the book didn’t pass with flying colors for me, each aspect still had something enjoyable to it. My favorite part of the book was the representation of Sarah’s disorder, which never felt like it was being used as a crutch. As someone with a loved one on the spectrum, I was relieved to see that Sarah’s “otherness” was addressed, yet not exacerbated by the narrative. The author’s note said that Danika herself has a special needs son and works with special needs children in the school system, and I felt like that was very evident in how honestly she portrayed Sarah’s disorder – so I’d like to offer a huge thank you to Danika for that.

While I’m not sure that I would rush to read this one again, I will say that it made for a pretty enjoyable way to spend an evening. There are a few risqué comments, but nothing over the top, so I would feel comfortable recommending this to younger teens. Any young, geeky girl would be able to relate to Madi’s love for the internet and pop culture, as well as the frustrations Madi faces as a woman on the internet. As far as older teens and adults go, I would probably only recommend this if you genuinely enjoy cheesy and fluffy contemporaries.

Note: I was sent this ebook from the publicist in exchange for an honest review, but my thoughts are 100% my own!

I really, really wanted to love this book. The synopsis sounds so cool, I love hist-fic (especially regarding famous murders), and the cover is gorgeous. I was so excited when I was approved for the ARC!

Sadly... I just can't do it. I tried really hard, but this writing style is horrible. I have never cringed so much in the first chapter of a book as I did in this one. I might try it again someday, but for now, I'm just going to have to DNF this one.

#1 The Butterfly Garden ★★★★★
#2 Roses of May ★★★★☆
#3 The Summer Children ★★★★★

"And he realizes that no, he doesn't have to be here. There's no Bureau requirement, no order, no generally agreed guideline, nothing official that mandates his presence at the funeral of a girl who killed herself because the seams where she broke the first time were too fragile to stitch together a second time."

It's hard enough on the agents when the butterflies start falling apart, but suicides of girls who can't seem to fit back in outside of the Garden are only half of the heartache that Eddison has to face down now. While the girls await their day in court with the Gardener, another killer is at large: the Spring Killer, who kills one teen every spring, and has done so for 17 years without exposing himself. His only marker is the flowers that he leaves around each girl's lifeless body.

Eddison may not have a younger sister in blood anymore, but he's got Priya, a spunky London transplant whose older sister Chavi was one of the Spring Killer's victims 5 years prior. Though Priya and her mother have moved across the country to Colorado to escape their past, something is looming on the horizon that has Eddison terrified. These women are the only family he's got left, and he'll be damned to lose them.

---

4.5 STARS

If you've been following my reviews for a while, you probably already know that The Butterfly Garden, book 1 in The Collector series, was a 5-star read for me; in fact, it was easily one of my top reads of 2016. I was so excited when I got approved for an ARC of this sequel on NetGalley, but this book actually took me a few days to get through (I only note that because the first book was practically a one-sitting read for me). To be totally honest, Dot Hutchison ripped my heart into so many tiny pieces in The Butterfly Garden that I was a little bit terrified to read more of her writing.

That said, I am so glad that I read this, because I really enjoyed it so much. It took a little bit of time to get into, as the beginning did feel a little slow, but once Dot got into the meat of the story, I ate it up. While the first book alternated POVs between Inara's memories and Vic Hanoverian's detective work, this one alternated between Priya's first-person experiences and Eddison's third-person investigations and experiences, as well as brief bouts of second-person thoughts from the killer (which was AMAZING). I love the way Dot seamlessly switches perspectives, and she's mastered each formatting so well, which isn't something just any author can do. I also was kind of ecstatic to see the trio of agents back again, especially with the focus having shifted to Eddison; it made me wonder, will the third and final book in the trilogy come from Ramirez's POV? One can only hope, because I'm kind of in love with her character's sass.

Speaking of character development, Priya was such an enjoyable narrator; she and her mother are Indian, but have moved to the States from London, so there's some really delightful backstory revealed here and there. Her mother, Deshani, is a firey badass who terrifies everyone she meets (except Priya), and she was just so fun to read about. There's a lovely diverse cast in this book, even more so than in the first one, and there are so many wonderful side characters, especially in the cast of grumpy old veterans that Priya befriends.

As far as action goes, it took a while to pick up, but Dot took her time carefully crafting the back story so that, once the action began, I really felt like she just dove in headfirst. Don't get me wrong, this isn't the kind of book with ridiculous new situations and events every other chapter, but she builds up the sense of dread so beautifully that I felt nauseated more than a few times, just out of apprehension for what was going to happen and who the killer would turn out to be. I wasn't shocked by the reveal of the killer, but I honestly don't think we were intended to be taken off-guard; much like in a good horror film, sometimes the best part is learning who the villain is through little crumbs here and there.

The story was lightened up here and there with sweet familial bonding, friendly banter between Eddison and Inara (who makes a solid reappearance, much to my delight), and Priya's memories, but all in all, this was a solid thriller/suspense novel that kept me on the edge of my seat more than a few times. I won't say anything further to avoid spoiling it for you guys, but seriously, if you enjoyed the first book, please pick this one up, because it's SO damn good. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys thrillers and can handle being kept up at night a little bit, pondering the horrors of mankind.

Content warning: this book contains physical and sexual violence, and may be a difficult read for survivors of abuse or anyone with a weak stomach for abuse. Please read at your own risk and keep yourself healthy and happy.

At five years old, Elanna Valtai is seized from her family at gunpoint and kidnapped by a powerful king who raises her as his own, in his palace, under one condition: her father is never to come and reclaim her. In her home land of Caeris, Elanna was loved and doted upon, warmly welcomed for her natural inclination to magic; in the royal city of Laon, however, despite the king's growing affections for her, she is subjected to prejudices for her darker skin, her Caerisian blood, and her family name. Worst of all, she must hide her magic at all costs, for the witch hunters would surely execute her if they found out her blood could wake the stones and the earth, and bring forth spirits of ancestors past.

When the king is poisoned and his daughter takes her place as Queen, she accuses Elanna of regicide, and thus begins an adventure that leaves Elanna running for her life - right into the arms of the family she was stolen from. They've got big plans for her and her magic, but will she be able to leave behind the life the kingdom gave her?

---

Where do I even begin? I usually try to type up my RTCs in the order that I read the books, but I had to let The Waking Land cut to the front of the line because I just have so many feelings about this book. I hope you guys are buckled in. I'll start with the positives, because this book was not a total loss.

What I liked:
First and foremost, Callie Bates has real potential as an author. Her style is enjoyable and easy to read, she paints beautiful pictures without being too flowery and descriptive, and the plot itself was intriguing to me. I always love a good story of magic and betrayal, and that's the central theme to this entire book. There were a lot of really enjoyable side characters, such as Jahan, Rhia, Hugh, and Victoire.

I actually found the main plot line to be fairly refreshing, with the whole idea that El's magic comes from the earth, and that she can see through the eyes of animals and trees and such. The entire Caveadear ordeal reminded me a lot of the spiritual beliefs of some indigenous peoples, with the emphasis on the idea that the earth is a living, feeling entity that deserves respect and kindness, and is capable of feeling grief, rage, sorrow, etc. Between that aspect, and the fact that the Caerisians have darker skin than the Ereni people, are called "savages" as an insult, and the back story that the Paladisan emperors essentially came in and forced them to forsake their religion, magic, homes, and destroyed their lands... well, I saw huge similarities to how settlers affected the native people here in North America, and I actually really enjoyed the political nudge that I felt Callie Bates gave the whole book.

What I didn't like:
The absolute worst thing about this book is that, no matter how I felt about anything else, Elanna is absolutely horrible. She is one of the single most infuriating, self-obsessed, arrogant, self-contradicting, and obtuse narrators I have ever had the displeasure of reading about. She has a nasty temper and constantly starts screaming at people for nothing. It felt like at least once every few chapters, she would completely misunderstand someone, yell at them for a little bit, realize she misunderstood (or was just wrong), and then she just moves on. She never apologizes once for treating everyone around her like shit, and she continues to treat them terribly right to the very end of the book, yet intermingled with some of these incidents, she thinks to herself that these people are her family, her best friends, etc. Well, lady, you sure have one hell of an odd way to show your affection to people.

She spends the entire book contradicting herself at every possible turn. She says she refuses to let anyone see her cry, yet cries constantly. She says she never allows herself to indulge in her magic, but then immediately explains that she goes to this special, magical spot in Laon once every year to practice her magic. She implies in the beginning of the book that she never knew she was magical as a kid until this one specific incident, but later describes that she played with magic a lot as a small child. She acts stunned to find out she is the Caveadear (which is basically a fancy sorcerer of the land), but says that her family and Hugh basically acknowledged from her toddler years that they knew she would be the Caveadear.

The absolute worst part of her behavior is her attitude towards the Caerisians, and her family. She fully remembers being pulled from them at gunpoint, and the king telling her father that, if he ever came to take her back home, she would be killed immediately rather than being raised as the king's daughter. Any form of common sense would lead one to think El should blame the king for ripping their family apart, but instead, she decides to worship the ground the king walks on, and spends her entire childhood/teen life hating her parents for not coming to get her. When she first sees Hugh, one of her childhood best friends and her father's right-hand man, she is absolutely awful to him. She accuses him of lying every time he opens his mouth, and constantly asks him for explanations only to interrupt him with what she thinks actually happened (which is wrong, literally every single time). Characteristic of her own self-contradicting behavior, though, in the span of about a day, she goes from hating and disbelieving him to being willing to die to save him because he is so important to her.

Moving on from the focus on El as a character, there are some major issues with the story and writing itself, too. The insta love in this book is ridiculously strong. She literally spends a day or two with Jahan before becoming obsessed with him, and after five-minute conversations through magical mirrors, accusing him of betraying them, and then changing her mind, she's suddenly considering marrying the guy - partially out of love, and partially out of trying to avoid telling Finn

Spoiler

**SPOILER** who she's been betrothed to since childhood,

that she isn't interested. After another day or two together, she's in love, and it's all just so insta-lovey and gagworthy that I couldn't even enjoy the fact that Jahan was actually a likable love interest.

One last issue I'll touch on before I let this rant end is that the author, despite having potential, has one problem that I really hope she'll focus on fixing before her next project: she frequently describes things only halfway before trailing off or changing topics, yet the narrator clearly expects us to fully understand what is being described with the half explanations. There are also several moments when a side character will start to ask a question or say something that seems important, but they then get cut off by an event or another character and they never go back and finish the thought process. This frustrated me to no end, because I kept thinking, "Was that something important? Am I supposed to know what they were going to say?" It makes the entire book feel very jumpy and dismembered.

All in all, this was not an absolutely terrible book - I powered through and finished it, which should tell you something about how much I did want to know how everything ended. That said, if El had been an even remotely enjoyable character, and the insta-love had been cut out of it, I probably could have given this a solid 3.5 or even 4 stars. As it stands, 2 stars for this one. I've been told this will be the first book in a series, and if that's the case, I can safely say I won't be picking up the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing company for giving me an ARC of this book to review. All thoughts expressed in this review are my own honest opinions.

You can find this review (and more) on my blog here!

"Yeah, well, you basically don't have emotions between 'gotta kill' and 'yay, I killed,' so that's not really a surprise."

ALL OF MY LOVE, YOU GUYS. I would give this book 10/5 stars if I could, I swear. I honestly went into the book without a clue of what I should expect, and while I was optimistic, my hopes weren't that high. This book literally shattered every single expectation I held. The writing style is easy and fun, without being childish. The characters share a witty banter that never gets old, and helps to lighten the heavier moments whenever necessary. Each character is complex and three-dimensional, with surprises, likes and dislikes, emotions and feelings - nobody in this book felt like a "prop", which is an unfortunately common occurrence with books involving this many front-and-center characters, from my experience.

CHARACTERS ➳➳
Tilla? Total feminist badass. She wants to drink with the guys, but she wants to be recognized as her father's heir. She craves his respect, yet is infuriated by his refusal to legitimize her. She wants to wear fun dresses and live it up in a castle, but she asks to be taught how to fight, and craves the aches and pains that come after every training session with Zell. She keeps her mind open to the possibilities and doesn't let herself become jaded, though she's also careful to keep her wits about her. I seriously lived for this MC, as well as her half-brother, Jax. Jax is witty and hilarious, and so precious and sweet, and their sibling bonding moments completely melted me. I love a good family dynamic, and these two have the best sibling relationship I have seen in a book in years.

While Lyriana is a general pain in the ass for a great deal of the book, she's never unbearable, and I appreciate the fact that she redeemed herself by the end. Zell is your fairly predictable stoic murder-y guy with a gooey, soft heart of gold underneath, but that didn't stop me from rooting for him the entire way. Miles alternates between being an annoying little shit and being fairly badass, though he was definitely my least favorite character, especially for the way he acted from the beginning like he was owed something by Tilla. Speaking of which, this book legitimately stormed into the whole dudes-whining-about-friend-zoning debacle and just blew that shit to pieces and I cheered through every minute of it.

WORLD ➳➳
Now, as far as the setting goes: if you like Game of Thrones, I would especially recommend this book to you, because I got hardcore ASOIAF vibes from the politics and world-building of this book - on a much smaller, YA-friendly scale, granted. I don't mean that as a bad thing at all; I love a book with a good royalty/nobility/political setup, and this one didn't fail to deliver. I also need to tell you that, despite the fact that this book is definitely one of those "characters running from danger" books from practically start to finish, it never feels repetitive or tiring. Every time it risks becoming stale, there's another twist, action scene, or hilarious conversation to perk things right back up.

FINAL VERDICT ➳➳
I don't think I can say much more without throwing out some spoilers, but I'll end this review on this note: this book is definitely in my top 5 of 2017 list so far, and I am absolutely ecstatic that there are going to be more books in the series. This is, by far, the best ARC that I have had the pleasure of reading and reviewing since I started blogging, and my next book order is going to involve a completed copy, because I could easily see myself rereading this book in the future, and Andrew Shvarts deserves all the royalties for creating such a delightful little world. I can't wait for the next installment.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure, fantasy, a little magic, a little romance, a lot of laughter and friendship, and a damn good time.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for the ARC! All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

You can find this review on my blog here!

Neither of us are enjoying this, so we decided to set it aside and possibly try it again at a later date. Personally, I'm not sure if I'm just not in the mood for it, or if it just isn't the right book for me, because I am bored as hell and do not care about anything that is happening.

---

Buddy read with one of my faves, Kaleena <3

Spoiler-free review!

“Weak or strong - she didn’t know what they meant anymore. Maybe they didn’t mean the same thing for everyone.”



First, you have to know that this book literally is being marketed as, and I quote, "a fantasy feminist fairy tale", and if you think that wasn't enough to sell me on it, you are DEAD WRONG.

✘ PLOT
In the wintery wonderland Whitespring, Princess Lynet is nearing her sixteenth birthday, and her father expects her to come into her own as Queen. Unfortunately, Lynet has never wanted to be a Queen - she just wants to climb trees and towers and learn more about the mysterious new surgeon, a girl named Nadia who makes her cheek flush every time she smiles.

Meanwhile, Lynet's stepmother, Mina, has only ever wanted to be Queen; with a heart made of glass and an upbringing that told her she was unworthy of love, she has decided that power is the next best thing. What will she do when the King decides to crown Lynet Queen earlier than expected, and takes that power away from Mina, leaving her with nothing?

✘ WRITING
I always try to go into debut novels with optimism, and this book was no different. Unfortunately, the biggest drawback for me of this entire book was the writing itself. It felt a bit young, as though it would be more suited for MG writing than YA. Many incidents that should have been earth-shaking, if not entirely traumatic, were simply breezed past by the characters within a few short sentences, leaving the entire plot to feel very rushed. I didn't think passage of time went very realistically in the story.

That said, the writing is very whimsical and paints a beautiful setting. I loved the descriptions of Whitesping as well as the Southern lands, and I thought the characters were sculpted magnificently. I will absolutely be first in line for Melissa's next book, because I think she shows uncanny amounts of potential!

Also, the chapters switch perspectives between Lynet and Mina, and for the bulk of the book, those perspective changes also include changes in time, with most of Mina's chapters being set several years in the past. Those transitions were flawless, and I never struggled to keep the perspectives separate, as they felt like distinctly different narratives.

✘ LYNET
Lynet is really the primary "main character" in this story, and she is a fun narrator. She has grown up constantly being compared to her late mother, the former Queen, but all she wants is to be recognized as her own person. She would rather spend her days climbing trees than learning how to become the next Queen, and she wants nothing to do with politics until she learns that she can help people instead of only ruling them. Her blossoming relationship with Nadia is sweet, but very slow-moving and unacknowledged for the bulk of the story.

✘ MINA
Despite being cast as the "evil stepmother" of this fairytale, Mina was probably my favorite character, if only because my heart ached so much for her. She was raised with no mother and a loveless father who constantly told her she was not only unworthy of receiving love, but also incapable of giving it. She carries a heavy burden of self-loathing and shame, but is a profoundly kindhearted character at times. She makes some awful choices, but I felt like she redeemed herself thoroughly by the end of it all.

✘ NADIA
I really expected Nadia to be a huge aspect of the story, being Lynet's love interest, but I was stunned to see how little "screen time" she actually got. We learned very little about her and her character underwent minimal development, so I couldn't even formulate a solid opinion on her.

And then, my single biggest problem with this book: the relationship. WHERE IS THE GAY?? I was told this was supposed to be an adorable lesbian love story, but there is almost no romance whatsoever and I was just sorely disappointed in that aspect.

✘ FINAL VERDICT
I love fairytale retellings for their whimsy and magic, and this book didn't let me down in those avenues. I was especially fond of the way the magic worked, such as how Mina's glass heart gave her a way to manipulate glass into becoming other things and people.

Ultimately, I'm a sucker for stories where the "villain" is really just a misunderstood, wounded soul, and Girls supplied that in no small measure. Almost every character in the story has undergone genuine traumas that explain the ways they behave, for better or worse.

All in all, while it wasn't everything I hoped it would be, it mostly fit what I wanted. It was a fun read that I didn't really want to put down, and I'm eager to see what else Melissa Bashardoust comes up with!

Thank you so much to Flatiron Books for the ARC! All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

You can also find this review on my blog!

When I first heard about this book, I knew I had to snatch it up, because I can't say that I've ever read a YA contemporary book that was willing to tackle abortion as a main topic - especially not in a pro-choice lighting. As a tremendous advocate for keeping one person's opinions out of another person's uterus, I was almost a little bit wary - would this book be problematic? Would it highlight abortion as an act of evil, or a move of desperation from a teenage girl not yet fit for motherhood?

It turned out that I was cautious for no good reason. Not only did this book paint abortion in a fairly neutral shade, it turned out that the abortion wasn't even necessarily the main plot line. I mean, yes, it was certainly the catalyst for everything that happened in the book, but Bonnie focused a great deal more on Peter leaving Gen, Gen's grief over her dad's passing and her mother's mental health illnesses, and Gen finding healing anywhere she could get it - in the arms of her best friend, her loving cousin, or the new shaggy-haired boy from New York who drags her back into the theatre that her father loved so much.

There is a lot of back story to Gen's situation, but Bonnie tackles it so smoothly by alternating present-day chapters with flashbacks in the format of a play's script. It makes for such an enjoyable and easy read that I finished it in two sittings, in the same day. Not only is the formatting and writing style likable, but the characters themselves are just genuinely enjoyable and real-feeling. Despite Gen being seventeen years old, Bonnie didn't play into the guise of the "all high schoolers are evil except the protagonist" trope; instead, Gen is surrounded by a lot of genuinely decent people, and - at risk of posing a small spoiler - even the douchey ex-boyfriend isn't all bad in the end (though he's still pretty crummy).

All in all, I enjoyed being in Gen's head. I liked watching her cope with her father's death and Peter's disappearance. I felt sorry for her as she explained how her mother's grief had made her a shell of a human being, and I ached right alongside her when things went south with her mom's mental health. I rooted for the new guy, cheered for the badass friends who supported her, and was overall really pleased that I picked this title up. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good, solid YA contemporary about grief, love, friendship, and healing.

Thank you to Bonnie Pipkin and the lovely folks at Flatiron for sending me an ARC of this book! All opinions here are my own.

“Be as swift as the wind. As silent as the forest. As fierce as the fire. As unshakable as the mountain.”

✘ PLOT
Mariko is reluctantly on her way to meet her betrothed - the emperor's son, who she's been sold off to marry by her family - when her party is attacked by masked assailants and she is forced to escape alone into the night. When she comes to the conclusion that the infamous Black Clan, a group of miscreants and thieves, must be responsible for the deaths of her friends, she infiltrates their group under pretense of a lost young boy, determined to gain their trust and then get the revenge she so desperately desires.

✘ WRITING
While there were some seriously slow moments here and there, for the most part, I was captivated by the story and eager to see what would happen next to Mariko and the members of the Black Clan. I thought Renee Ahdieh did a fine job of switching perspectives from one character to the next, but this story would have benefited tremendously from a first-person narrative. I had a hard time emotionally connecting to Mariko and the situations she found herself in, and I think that would have been rectified with a first-person writing choice.

✘ FIGHTING/MAGIC
There are all sorts of subsets to fantasy, if you read enough of the genre - you've got your action fantasy, romantic fantasy, etc., and this one was definitely an "action fantasy". There are quite a few fight scenes, and a bit of magic usage (though the system definitely never got the fleshing-out I wanted from it). I thought they were pretty decent, but as someone who really likes training sequences and battle scenes in books, I was left wanting more most of the time.

✘ MARIKO
I really loved Mariko's character at first; she comes out of the gate as this spunky, feminist badass who wants nothing to do with traditional gender roles. She wants to fight, protect herself, and outwit everyone while doing so.

“I am not a girl.” The rage collected in her chest. “I am Hattori Mariko. And you will die for this. By my hand.” I swear it.

Unfortunately, as the book progressed, she became slightly less likable for me. The constant lies were frustrating; I understand that she wanted to protect herself, but damn, girl, if you're that bad at lying, maybe you should stop doing it every time you open your mouth? I also grew weary quickly of the repetition of her constant internal monologue consisting of nothing more than, "How will this help me get revenge?" "Do they know about my plot for revenge?" "I'll find a way to get revenge!" You get the point. It got old fast.

✘ OKAMI
Okami was my favorite part of this entire book (besides Yoshi, the chef). He's your typical stoic, brooding YA love interest, but I'm a sucker for that trope, so it drew me right in. He's shrouded in more than a few mysterious, and while some of them were a little predictable, others actually kept me on my toes. Once he warmed up to Mariko towards the end of the book, I really enjoyed the banter, and there were some tender moments from him that definitely melted me a little.

I also really appreciated the lack of insta-love. When Okami finds out Mariko isn't actually a boy, rather than suddenly falling madly in love with her, he actually acknowledges that he had "indescribable" feelings for her long before the reveal. He goes on to say that it had caused him to question some things about himself (presumably implying that he was questioning his sexuality, without it being anything he is ashamed of), which felt like a realistic touch and a pleasant surprise.

✘ FINAL VERDICT
Before reading this, a lot of people warned me that they expected I would hate it, and I was a little worried. Thankfully, those people were wrong. It wasn't a perfect read, but I'll definitely continue the series. If you like fantasy stories that are light on romance and humor, but heavy on action and fighting, I'd recommend giving this one a try!

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the ARC! All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

You can also find this review on my blog here!