howlinglibraries's Reviews (1.85k)

No rating for this one because I honestly just skimmed it. It was pitched to me as a graphic novel and I was really bummed to see that most of it is actually just essays written in text with the occasional illustration or brief panel. It's not a bad book, just not what I wanted it to be.

the good:
- really lovely artwork
- an interesting base premise
- some fun gore scenes

the bad:
- I'm just not interested enough to continue the series 🤷‍♀️

When Taylor’s father suddenly falls devastatingly ill, his only request for the summer is to take the entire family back to the summer lake house they used to visit every year, when the kids were younger and things were easier. The only problem is that Taylor messed up, a long time ago, and Lake Pocono isn’t nearly as welcoming as it once was. In the most pivotal season of her life, Taylor must learn how to juggle her father’s health struggles and her own need to find a second chance in the lives of her former best friend and boyfriend.

I’d never read anything by Morgan Matson before, but I’d heard so many rave reviews about her books that it felt like this read was long overdue. I tried to hedge my expectations going in, because the hype honestly sounded too good to be true, but I have to admit that I was pretty surprised by what I found.

A thousand moments that I had just taken for granted—mostly because I had assumed that there would be a thousand more.

First, the narrative voice in this book? Incredible. It was so easy to lose myself in, and I found myself effortlessly attaching to Taylor’s character. She’s extremely flawed and doesn’t always do the right thing, which is part of what makes her such an excellent protagonist; I found myself relating to her reactions, especially her tendency to run from painful situations, as I think we’ve all done that a time or two (I know I have).

But one thing that I was learning about what happened when you stuck around—it usually seemed that other people were willing to stick by you as well.

On top of that, the plot revolving around her father and his health — wow, it hurt my heart so much. There are scenes between Taylor and her dad that are physically painful to read because the fear of loss is breathtakingly authentic and leaps right off the pages. It’s not just Taylor’s pain either, though; her entire family feels so real. The worst scene for me (no spoilers) was a scene in which Taylor’s grandpa comes to visit, and the way he reacts when first seeing her dad (his son) — I’m choking up just thinking about it.

As I looked out at the water, I realized there was nowhere to go, nowhere left to run. And I just had to stay here, facing this terrible truth.

All of that said, Second Chance Summer isn’t just some endless parade of heartache. There are so many wonderful moments as Taylor finds her way back to her former best friend, Lucy, and her childhood boyfriend, Henry. The over-arching theme of the entire story is a reminder that people can change, and sometimes, we all need second chances.

Buddy read with the lovely Reg, who makes all my buddy reads better! ♥

This was one of my most anticipated contemporary releases of the year, and while it definitely was not without its flaws, I thought it was all in all a tremendously cute, sweet story. I get so accustomed to reading heavy contemporaries—and don’t get me wrong, this one tackles some really rough topics—but Mary managed to write it in a way that, at risk of sounding really odd by saying this, felt like a geeky, goth twist on the stereotypical “fluffy YA contemporary” novel.

Penny thought of this Korean saying for when you really, really liked something. You’d say it “fit your heart exactly.” Sam fit her heart exactly.

→ Penelope Lee ←
The book alternates perspectives, and the first character we meet—the one who feels more like the primary protagonist—is Penelope Lee, or Penny, a Korean-American girl who’s beginning her first year at college. She’s not a particularly likeable character for the first half or so of the book: her anxiety is relatable and I saw a lot of myself in the ways it manifests for her, but she’s also a bit coldhearted and downright mean to the other women in her life. I always struggle with books that feature girl-on-girl hate because it’s hard to predict if it’s a poor trope or the beginning of a great character progression, but thankfully, it’s the latter in this case. Penny is kind of weird and hilarious, and I absolutely would have been best friends with her as a teen (and by that I mean we would’ve just blown each other’s phones up with awkward questions and stupid, geeky jokes).

People were odd. Sam loved and loathed that about them. Fiction was fine, but real life was the true freak show.

→ Sam Becker ←
Sam, our other protagonist, is a 21-year-old who runs the local coffee shop (and lives above it), and he’s kind of the definition of the “starving artist” trope, but in a good way. There’s a lot of validity in his narrative when it comes to his representation of what being poor is like for kids, and that’s not a side of the story that we see often in YA books. That said, he’s a good egg through and through, even if I just spent most of the book feeling sorry for him and simultaneously kind of wanting someone to shake a little bit of sense into him. It’s hard not to root for him, but I do wish that we’d gotten to see a little bit more of his inner monologue regarding his friendship/relationship with Penny, instead of spending so much time focusing on his ex-girlfriend or his past.

“I think I get to miss you. I feel like I’ve earned it.”

That said, watching these two interact with each other is the best part of the book, by far; their text conversations cracked me up, and their flirting is so awkward and nerdy at times that it reminded me WAY too much of myself and my fiancé. They’re also just so candid and open with one another, and it’s absolutely precious to watch how instantly they trust one another. It doesn’t feel like insta-love by any stretch, but it does portray how blissfully disarming it can feel to meet someone you immediately feel like you can be yourself around.

He wanted to hug her. In fact, he wanted to hug her and then build an electrified fence around her. A fence that was encircled by a moat filled with rabid, starving alligators.

Don’t get me wrong, though, there are some very heavy topics in this book, and between that and the characters’ ages, I actually hesitate to call this YA, as it felt more like a “mild” NA read to me. We see multiple instances of abusive and/or neglectful parenting, plus we watch Sam deal with life as a recovering alcoholic (and he does relapse at one point, so if that’s a trigger for you, beware). We also watch Sam deal with his ex-girlfriend’s pregnancy and there’s a lot of chatter about becoming a parent and what that entails. At one point, a character accidentally overdoes it with drugs and ends up hospitalized. A character explains a rape from her past in fairly heavy details, and there are a handful of racist comments thrown at Penny throughout the story. As far as the dialogue itself goes, there are some unchallenged remarks that I could’ve done without, such as one slightly acephobic comment, and several uses of the word “slut”.

“Don’t drag the entire me folder into the desktop trash can so you hear the paper-rustling sound.”
“You can’t ask me that. The paper-rustling sound is too satisfying.”

Altogether, Emergency Contact isn’t a perfect read; it’s got some awkward comments and uncomfortable moments, and to be frank, the first quarter or so of the book is slow and a little bit boring. That said, it really picked up for me and I absolutely loved the second half. By the end of the story, I was rooting so hard for Penny and Sam to just be happy and healthy and have a beautiful little life together. ♥ If you enjoy YA/NA contemporaries, especially ones with a bit of geek humor and cute boys with lots of tattoos, definitely pick this one up and give it a try.

Buddy read with Reg!

You can find this review and more on my blog, or you can follow me on twitter, bookstagram, or facebook!

Cash Evans and Bailey Cooper both grew up with troubled home lives, and their experiences have taught them coping methods: for Cash, he has a “90 day policy”—90 days, no more, and he walks away without ever looking back. Bailey, on the other hand, walls herself off from love. What happens when she finds herself a new hire at Cash’s tattoo shop and they both begin to feel things that go against all of their beliefs?

At this point, do I even need to introduce this review? I mean… it’s Talia Hibbert. We all already know where this review is heading.

→ L I K E S :

She’d started to think of him as a cup of coffee: black, with a shot of gingerbread syrup curled up at the bottom. Someone just needed to stir him up and make him sweet all the way through.

Bailey is the cutest damn heroine. Talia never stops slaying me with these gorgeous, geeky black girls with their amazing plus-size rep and their intricate personalities and their fantastic senses of humor, and Bailey is no exception—I even texted a friend halfway through to say that I didn’t think any of Talia’s heroines could be more lovable than Ruth Kabbah, but Bailey gives Ruth a run for her money.

He searched for some way to fix the mess he’d just made, to reverse the process he’d just started. To stop himself from falling. Too late. Gravity didn’t work that way. And sometime in the last few minutes, this woman had become the centre of his solar system.

As if Bailey wasn’t enough, Cash? Fantastic. If you like brooding, angsty bad boys with a quiet little gooey heart of gold on the inside, line up, lovelies, because Cash Evans is your man. He’s a little dominant and a little jealous without ever becoming toxic or gross, and much like all of Talia’s heroes I’ve read so far, he knows how to give our heroine space to be amazing without ever overshadowing or “rescuing” her—no damsels here, just mutual respect and consent and sexiness.

“And now I know why they call it falling. You can’t just step into this shit. And you can’t stop it once it’s started.”

As far as the plot and writing go, for this to only be a 211-page novella, Talia manages to fit a fully fleshed-out storyline in; I actually reached the end and realized that it felt like I had just finished an entire novel, because I never felt like the characters were overly simplified or like any loose ends were left unraveling. I do think there was some room left for us to explore other characters from this world later on, maybe? (Crossing my fingers for a spin-off novella about Gem, pleeeeease Talia?)

→ D I S L I K E S :

Nothing. Nada. Sorry. As usual, I’ve walked away from a Talia Hibbert story with literally NO COMPLAINTS. Swooning forever, y’all.

→ F I N A L THOUGHTS :

Overall, Merry Inkmas is an absolute diamond of a Christmas story and I cannot say enough how much I needed it in my life. It’s fun, sweet, has some amazing family themes to it, and definitely helped me get in the holiday spirit—plus, it’s surprisingly slow-burning for a novella, which is always a big positive in my book as I live for the anticipation. I also appreciated the genuine care Talia took when discussing the queer rep and abuse themes, as well as the topic of homelessness.

→ RECOMMENDING TO… :

Everyone and anyone who enjoys steamy, sweet adult contemporary romances, especially if you’re looking for some incredibly well-done diversity in the genre. Not only do we have a fat black heroine, but we also are treated to an adorable gay side character, as well as another lovable side character who I believe had some hints dropped referring to their queerness. (QUEER SPIN-OFFS, PLEEEEAAAAAASE)

Assigned reading for MLIS 7421: Multicultural Youth Literature.

Ironically enough, I had removed this book from my TBR in a blog post just a couple of weeks before receiving my assigned reading list for my course, and lo and behold… there it was. I wasn’t terribly excited about reading it, but Regina swooped in to offer to buddy read it with me, thus saving the day! ♥ Seriously, though, I would’ve struggled to finish this book without her help and motivation. The rep is fantastic, but the story itself, well…

I'm sure she goes home and talks to whatever friends she has about how brave I am. I didn't choose to be deaf. I have no idea why it makes me brave.

Let’s talk about the positives first. Julia is D/deaf, Indian, and has two mothers who are very loving and supportive of her (well, besides the whole illegal graffiti habit, which they don’t look too kindly upon—can you blame them?). Julia’s new friend is overweight, and the rep there is decent—not my favorite, but I didn’t have any major complaints, either. There is a lot of very important discussion about how D/deaf people are treated in society, the struggles many individuals face (such as Julia’s struggle to make out what is being said to her when she’s forced to rely on lip-reading, or the harassment she undergoes at the “mainstream” school).

I might be burning bridges, but they’re my bridges to burn.

Unfortunately, the positives for You’re Welcome, Universe pretty much stopped there for me. The storyline drags a lot, and I frequently found myself losing all interest in Julia’s goals, or desires, or whatever else you’re supposed to connect with in a plot. Most of the characters aren’t terribly enjoyable and are very simplified—especially YP, her friend, who I felt like was treated as more of a prop than anything else, most of the time. Also, though there was a novelty in the idea of this story involving graffiti and tagging, but it got old kind of fast. It’s all Julia talks or thinks about for most of the book, and I found myself rolling my eyes a couple of times.

All in all, this book isn’t a waste of time—the rep is fantastic, and if you’re interested in the plot, I really, 100% recommend checking it out. I just couldn’t connect with the characters or storyline much, so it was just a “meh” read for me overall.

Buddy read with Reg!

Update 07.24.17
Whyyyy did I ever give this 4 stars? This is not a 4-star read. I think I was trying to be nice last year when I reviewed this, but honestly I spent 94% of the book rolling my eyes. TWO STARS FOR YOU.

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4/5

I would have given this a higher rating if Alaska's character wasn't so damn annoying in her never ending quest to be aloof, unpredictable, moody, and vague. This was actually my second attempt at reading this book, having first picked it up back in 2008 or so, and having been too aggravated to continue.

That said, the narrator was enjoyable, and the storyline had a sad humor that John Green has perfected. It's no TFIOS, but well done, Mr. Green.

When Finch and Violet meet one another on the ledge of their school's bell tower, it's a mystery who saves who; though Finch talks Violet down, she can't be seen as "the girl who almost jumped after her sister died", so Finch takes the fall, and Violet is a hero. It doesn't matter to Finch, though; he's met the first person he can relate to in a long time, and now he's determined not to let her go. A school project brings them together: a task to wander their home state of Indiana, to find all of its Hoosier Wonders. As Violet begins to heal, though, Finch finds himself torn between the joy of puppy love, or the ache of the storm inside his own head.

I picked this book up expecting greatness after hearing endless great reviews and promises that it would make me cry, but unfortunately, I spent most of the book being annoyed by Violet's attitude, and irked by the total lack of real attachment between the writing itself and the events that unfold.

Terrible events occur throughout the course of the book that feel like the author has simply deposited them into the reader's lap and kept walking. I never was able to feel enough of a connection to love any characters, or to laugh, or to grieve, and when I reached the author's note at the end, I was honestly stunned that Niven had experience with the contents of the book, because the emotions portrayed felt so... lacking, and insincere. I hate to be harsh, but I'm the sort of reader who gets misty when the narrator remembers their family dog dying ten years prior - if I can make it through this book without as much as a sting in my eye, there's something missing.

With my review on the writing itself aside, as I mentioned, Violet is frustrating for most of the book, as her narration proves her to be a fairly deep and empathetic person, but her actions suggest "basic high school mean girl" to a point, and that trope feels played out. Finch is sometimes delightful and witty, and many of his insights regarding his mental state were deep and easy to relate to, though it was hard to really buy into how quickly he fell for a girl he'd hardly spoken to before... and honestly, he's downright stalkerish.

I started following Allie's blog back in early 2010, shortly after it launched, and completely fell in love with her sense of humor. I was so delighted when this book released... and then she fell off the face of the planet, more or less. I don't fault her. I know depression is a bitch. I just like picking this book up and rereading it every now and again when I'm missing her content. At an age where I felt so incredibly alone in my depression, Allie put my feelings into words that left teenaged me somehow simultaneously destroyed and ecstatic. She's hilarious, sure, but honestly, the gold in this book comes from her words about depression and how much it can ruin you. I dunno, this review's a short little mess compared to what I normally post, but Hyperbole and a Half is one of those things you've just gotta experience for yourself.

Update - Sep 2017: Why did I give this 3.5? Every time I think about this book, it makes me mad. Lowering to 2.

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“Promise was like a precious stone, she told me: hypnotising, but after a while the weight of it could sink you."

I picked this book up because I'm a glutton for punishment, and I really, thoroughly enjoy YA contemporary books about The Tough Issues: abuse, EDs, addictions, pregnancy, etc. I've been reading them for a long time, and because of that, I've come across my fair share of titles that revolved around disordered eating and the suicidal tendencies that sometimes can accompany the presence of those disorders. That said, this book wasn't as heavily impacting as I expected it to be.

Don't get me wrong; the synopsis is very heavy, and it's a tough topic to breach. We've got Stevie, who's been wrapped up in this eating disorder for some time now, and has these very specific goals for her own suicide. (Note: None of this is a spoiler! These are all things you learn within the first few pages.) To our knowledge, her intended suicide is due to the guilt of killing her own brother the year prior, and the ED is simply a vehicle to get her there.

First of all, right off the bat, the fact that this 17-year-old intends to kill herself by starvation, in three weeks, in an eating disorder rehab... It felt a little unbelievable to me. She's a very intelligent young woman, and a few times, I found myself wondering how we were expected to believe that this was even a plausibility; it became especially difficult when we very quickly learned that some of the other girls in the rehab had feeding tubes, which made it clear that these counselors and doctors weren't screwing around.

Second of all, the development in the book just felt a little lacking. We're left in clear suspense regarding not only the death of her older brother, but also the reason for her mother's absence, and the bizarre feelings she seems to hold towards another young woman back home in Atlanta. Rather than build up suspense or develop further into her feelings regarding these matters, the narration focuses a very long time on minor things, like Stevie's closed-off nature towards the doctors, her need to belittle other rehab patients for their recovery, or how desperately she misses alcohol. Things got repetitive fast, and I found myself sometimes skimming when the narrator went onto another tangent about how "pathetic" she found it that one of her roommates was rounding out and becoming healthy once more.

Obviously, this is only one reader's opinions on Stevie's behavior, and though I am a survivor of disordered eating, everyone's experience is certainly not the same. That said, it just didn't make for a particularly insightful read, and I also found that it could be tremendously triggering for anyone who is on the upswing of an ED recovery.

By the book's end, I just felt like there were more unrealistic turns, one right after another, and the ending itself was incredibly predictable but also incredibly unlikely. SPOILER:

Spoiler

Stevie enters the rehab with plans to stay 60+ days, but less than a month into her time there, her father shows up to start the "graduation" process early. Seriously?! People don't recover from these sorts of things that magically, and to imply that all she needed was a new point of view feels extremely belittling of the monster that is disordered eating.

END SPOILER