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howlinglibraries's Reviews (1.85k)
Assigned reading for MLIS 7421: Multicultural Youth Literature.
This was a super cute little story about Unhei's realization that, just because her name is different from the other kids in her class, does not mean that it is bad. She learns to appreciate the meaning of her name as well as the friends who are interested in learning about it, and her culture.
This was a super cute little story about Unhei's realization that, just because her name is different from the other kids in her class, does not mean that it is bad. She learns to appreciate the meaning of her name as well as the friends who are interested in learning about it, and her culture.
Assigned reading for MLIS 7421: Multicultural Youth Literature.
Do not let the less than striking cover of this one mislead you; this book is positively beautiful in both art and setting, and rich in culture as well. A little girl goes to spend time with her grandmother, and while visiting with her, is gifted prayer clothes and a prayer rug and taught how to do her five daily prayers. I just thought this was absolutely precious, and would recommend it for any child.
Do not let the less than striking cover of this one mislead you; this book is positively beautiful in both art and setting, and rich in culture as well. A little girl goes to spend time with her grandmother, and while visiting with her, is gifted prayer clothes and a prayer rug and taught how to do her five daily prayers. I just thought this was absolutely precious, and would recommend it for any child.
Assigned reading for MLIS 7421: Multicultural Youth Literature.
When a boy's neighbors return home after having been sent away due to threat of war, a fight ensues between the respective households' children over who the olive tree on the property's dividing line belongs to. This was a cute enough book, but had a particularly weak story.
When a boy's neighbors return home after having been sent away due to threat of war, a fight ensues between the respective households' children over who the olive tree on the property's dividing line belongs to. This was a cute enough book, but had a particularly weak story.
I genuinely had no idea what to expect from this book. I cringed so hard, so many times, and the narrator is honestly the worst kind of human being, but I was completely hooked from start to finish. It's literally like a train wreck that you just can't look away from. Full review to come!
#1 Sabriel ★★★☆☆
#2 Lirael ???
#3 Abhorsen ???
#4 Clariel ???
#5 Goldenhand ???
Five Great Charters knit the land
Together linked, hand in hand
One in the people who wear the crown
Two in the folk who keep the Dead down
Three and Five became stone and mortar
Four sees all in frozen water.
I first read Sabriel as a preteen, and while I know I loved it – I must have, as I asked my parents to buy me the second book in the series, too – I never continued the series, nor did I remember any of the details whatsoever. In recent years, I met so many people who cherish this series that I just knew I had to reread the first book, and I’m so glad that I did. While this wasn’t a perfect read for me by any means, it set the stage for what I genuinely believe is going to be an incredible series.
“Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?”
→ necromancy ←
I’m such a sucker for necromancy books in general, and the way the world of the Dead and the Abhorsens is created in this book is wonderful, but not as fleshed out as I hoped it would be. I adored every single sentence about the world of the Dead, the bells, the magic, and the ways in which Abhorsens (Sabriel’s family of necromancers) interact with all of the above, but it was never quite enough. Had I gotten an extra 50-100 pages of pure, unadulterated world-building, I believe this would have been a 4-star read for me, if not better.
That said, the setup we do get is magnificent: the act of necromancy is portrayed in such a fascinating and risky way, and the Dead themselves are downright creepy. These aren’t wispy ghosts and quiet whispers in shadowy halls; these are looming, vicious creatures, on a mission to regain their status among the living, no matter the cost.
Death and what came after death was no great mystery to Sabriel. She just wished it was.
→ Sabriel ←
The second double-edged sword in this book was Sabriel’s character, who I wanted so badly to love – and I did love, by the end – but I had such a hard time connecting to her! She feels very ingenuine for the first 2/3 or so of the book. Any time she feels a particularly strong emotion, it’s described to us, but in a way that feels too clinical and detached to relate to. I think this was definitely just a sign of inexperienced writing, because even by the end of the book, I was able to connect with her more solidly, and I hear that this particular writing issue is one that is resolved in the other books in this series.
Even without feeling like Sabriel is a three-dimensional, complex character, I still soundly enjoyed who she had the potential to be. She’s tough, intelligent, and warm, without an evil bone in her body. I think the biggest reason her lack of development frustrated me was simply because, with better writing, I could have seen Sabriel becoming one of my absolute favorite heroines (and, in fact, I do remember adoring her as a child).
“I love you,” he whispered. “I hope you don’t mind.”
→ romance ←
Finally, the reason I just could not bring myself to give this book a higher rating: insta-love. Funny enough, it was more of an issue with the love interest than it was with Sabriel (which, at the very least, was a refreshing change from the trope of the female in an f/m relationship being the first to fall). I won’t give any spoilers, but I will say that the quote I used at the heading of this section actually made me laugh out loud and roll my eyes a little bit. It’s not just that these two characters spend so little time together before confessing their love; it’s also a matter of the fact that they barely speak to one another throughout the entire book, as most of their limited time together is a tumultuous, stressful, and fairly quiet journey.
On the other hand, a fellow blogger recently gave me some interesting food for thought: insta-love can be used as a plot device, to depict how naïve the characters are, and that could easily be said for the pairing in Sabriel. If that was the author’s intentions, I can respect it, but I still don’t feel like it was the best route; in fact, I think my preference would’ve been for this book to be entire romance-free.
“You are the fifty-third Abhorsen, Sabriel. I have not taught you as well as I should – let this be my final lesson. Everyone and everything has a time to die.”
→ final thoughts ←
All in all, this book has a lot of flaws, but it’s got so much potential and such an interesting and unique storyline that I would ask you not to let this 3-star rating convince you for a moment that I didn’t enjoy it. On the contrary, I had a wonderful time rereading Sabriel, and I’ve already ordered myself a new copy of the second book so that I can see what else Garth Nix has in store for the series.
You can find this review and more on my blog, or you can follow me on twitter, bookstagram, or facebook!
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First buddy read with Terry, my love!
Huge thank you to my sweet friend Kathy for sending me a surprise gift copy of this book! She read it and loved it so much that she wanted me to read it too, and I’m so glad that she did, because it was so beautifully diverse, and sweet, and funny, and altogether just a precious story of friendship, love, and adapting to a world that doesn’t always meet your needs.
First of all, the representation in this book: fantastic. None of it feels forced or thrown in just to mark off a checkbox. Steffi has selective mutism and severe anxiety (and I can say from experience that her anxiety rep is on point and I saw myself so much therein), Rhys is d/Deaf, and both Rhys and Tem (Steffi’s best friend) are POC (though I don’t think it was ever stated precisely what race either character was, so unfortunately I cannot give specifics on that). While the d/Deaf rep is not own-voice, and I can’t speak for sure on this since I am not d/Deaf myself, it did feel very respectfully done to me and I felt like the author had done her research. That said, my outsider’s perspective on this representation will never be half as important as own-voice reviews for this book, so if you have an own-voice review that you would like boosted, please message me so I can link to your review!
Ultimately, though there are some underlying themes—such as the grief of Steffi’s deceased older brother, her struggles with her mother’s ableist views of her, and the difficulties she faces regarding going off to college soon—this story is heavily character-driven, so don’t go into it expecting too much of a plot. In fact, the reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 was simply because the second half focused so heavily on the relationship between Steffi and Rhys that I found myself getting bored at certain scenes.
That minor complaint aside, something I want to talk about for a second here is the healthy sex representation being portrayed. Unlike many YA novels that depict a picturesque view of a teen’s first time as being all silk and lace and swooning perfection, Sara’s writing is much more honest: the sex in this book is awkward in the best possible way, and feels so realistic. I literally laughed out loud at how relatable some of it was. Many of you already know that my chosen hill to die on lately is that I believe YA novels need to depict authentic, honest sexual relationships to give teens healthy goals to strive towards, and A Quiet Kind of Thunder does that perfectly, because even though it’s clumsy and awkward and imperfect, it also clearly expresses that they’re new to this, they’re learning together, and it’s okay if it doesn’t look like the movies.
The only other thing I want to touch on is how much I appreciated that, whenever something problematic occurs, it’s dissected and dealt with. Steffi and Rhys both occasionally have some ableist moments towards the other (more Steffi than Rhys, I think), and Rhys has some occasional issues with fragile masculinity and unintentional sexism, but it’s constantly addressed and challenged. The only thing I can recall wishing was challenged further was Tem’s obsession with virginity, but it isn’t presented in a slut-shaming manner so much as personal choice, so I don’t have any substantial complaint to file against that one.
All in all, A Quiet Kind of Thunder is a very sweet, lovable story about characters who are relatable, funny, charming, awkward, and genuine. If you’re looking for a slightly fluffy but also important YA contemporary, I highly recommend picking this one up, and I’ll definitely be checking out more of Sara Barnard’s works!
“I want the world, I think. Even if it scares me.”
First of all, the representation in this book: fantastic. None of it feels forced or thrown in just to mark off a checkbox. Steffi has selective mutism and severe anxiety (and I can say from experience that her anxiety rep is on point and I saw myself so much therein), Rhys is d/Deaf, and both Rhys and Tem (Steffi’s best friend) are POC (though I don’t think it was ever stated precisely what race either character was, so unfortunately I cannot give specifics on that). While the d/Deaf rep is not own-voice, and I can’t speak for sure on this since I am not d/Deaf myself, it did feel very respectfully done to me and I felt like the author had done her research. That said, my outsider’s perspective on this representation will never be half as important as own-voice reviews for this book, so if you have an own-voice review that you would like boosted, please message me so I can link to your review!
“I decide this is just A Bad Day. We all get them, because grief doesn't care how many years it's been.”
Ultimately, though there are some underlying themes—such as the grief of Steffi’s deceased older brother, her struggles with her mother’s ableist views of her, and the difficulties she faces regarding going off to college soon—this story is heavily character-driven, so don’t go into it expecting too much of a plot. In fact, the reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 was simply because the second half focused so heavily on the relationship between Steffi and Rhys that I found myself getting bored at certain scenes.
“Extroverts can be shy, introverts can be bold, and a condition like anxiety can strike whatever kind of social animal you are.”
That minor complaint aside, something I want to talk about for a second here is the healthy sex representation being portrayed. Unlike many YA novels that depict a picturesque view of a teen’s first time as being all silk and lace and swooning perfection, Sara’s writing is much more honest: the sex in this book is awkward in the best possible way, and feels so realistic. I literally laughed out loud at how relatable some of it was. Many of you already know that my chosen hill to die on lately is that I believe YA novels need to depict authentic, honest sexual relationships to give teens healthy goals to strive towards, and A Quiet Kind of Thunder does that perfectly, because even though it’s clumsy and awkward and imperfect, it also clearly expresses that they’re new to this, they’re learning together, and it’s okay if it doesn’t look like the movies.
“Little victories are everything in a world where worst-case scenarios are on an endless loop in your head.”
The only other thing I want to touch on is how much I appreciated that, whenever something problematic occurs, it’s dissected and dealt with. Steffi and Rhys both occasionally have some ableist moments towards the other (more Steffi than Rhys, I think), and Rhys has some occasional issues with fragile masculinity and unintentional sexism, but it’s constantly addressed and challenged. The only thing I can recall wishing was challenged further was Tem’s obsession with virginity, but it isn’t presented in a slut-shaming manner so much as personal choice, so I don’t have any substantial complaint to file against that one.
All in all, A Quiet Kind of Thunder is a very sweet, lovable story about characters who are relatable, funny, charming, awkward, and genuine. If you’re looking for a slightly fluffy but also important YA contemporary, I highly recommend picking this one up, and I’ll definitely be checking out more of Sara Barnard’s works!
Read via the Worlds Seen in Passing anthology.
Two sisters can time travel, but the narrator never predicted her sister would destroy the world, and herself along with it, until it’s too late, and our narrator is forcing into an endless loop of desperately trying to change the inevitable. I don’t think I have enough time to possibly explain how much I adore Alyssa’s writing. Every story I have read by her has left me a crumpled, sobbing mess, and this was no exception, but I welcome the heartbreak every single time. Major content warnings for (challenged) transphobia in this one.
Two sisters can time travel, but the narrator never predicted her sister would destroy the world, and herself along with it, until it’s too late, and our narrator is forcing into an endless loop of desperately trying to change the inevitable. I don’t think I have enough time to possibly explain how much I adore Alyssa’s writing. Every story I have read by her has left me a crumpled, sobbing mess, and this was no exception, but I welcome the heartbreak every single time. Major content warnings for (challenged) transphobia in this one.
Read via the Worlds Seen in Passing anthology.
Vlad is trying to fit in like a normal dad, but it’s so hard, especially when his son’s new teacher is tempting his inner beast so much. This whole idea of an ancient, powerful vampire trying to fit into normal suburban life with his vampire-hunting wife and his seemingly normal son had me sucked in from the start. I honestly loved the narrative voice so much, and would absolutely read a full novel about Vlad and his family.
Vlad is trying to fit in like a normal dad, but it’s so hard, especially when his son’s new teacher is tempting his inner beast so much. This whole idea of an ancient, powerful vampire trying to fit into normal suburban life with his vampire-hunting wife and his seemingly normal son had me sucked in from the start. I honestly loved the narrative voice so much, and would absolutely read a full novel about Vlad and his family.
Read via the Worlds Seen in Passing anthology.
When you’re determined not to fall in love with a woman or her werewolf baby, you probably shouldn’t play contractor, handywoman, or babysitter. The actual plot of this story didn’t catch me for a little bit, but once the werewolf baby came on the scene, I was done for. If you enjoy adorable infant characters, you’re in for a real treat with this one.
When you’re determined not to fall in love with a woman or her werewolf baby, you probably shouldn’t play contractor, handywoman, or babysitter. The actual plot of this story didn’t catch me for a little bit, but once the werewolf baby came on the scene, I was done for. If you enjoy adorable infant characters, you’re in for a real treat with this one.
Read via the Worlds Seen in Passing anthology.
Ever since the water started randomly falling from nowhere on anyone who told a lie, it’s been really tough for one man to stay in the closet. I cannot describe how utterly precious this story was, despite the fact that it does involve a lot of painful (but challenged) homophobia from a member of the narrator’s family.
Ever since the water started randomly falling from nowhere on anyone who told a lie, it’s been really tough for one man to stay in the closet. I cannot describe how utterly precious this story was, despite the fact that it does involve a lot of painful (but challenged) homophobia from a member of the narrator’s family.