Originally posted to I Should Read That

This review is spoiler-free

Sadie is a book that is getting a whole lot of buzz right now. A dark contemporary YA novel centered around a sister going after her sister’s suspected killer and the true crime podcast inspired by Sadie and Mattie, this book is the perfect 2018 novel. I absolutely love true crime podcasts and was interested to see how this would translate into a printed format. I heard about the incredible audiobook after I purchased the hardcover edition. While I liked Sadie a lot, I feel like the audiobook is going to give the reader a different, and perhaps better, experience.

Sadie is yet another book that I just don’t want to say too much about because watching the plot unfold is so rewarding -- this will probably be a short review. This book is a strange one because it manages to be a really quick and compelling read, but also incredibly dark with some seriously heavy themes. I highly recommend checking the content warnings of this book before you start reading because I don’t think it will be suitable for every reader. However, Summers handles those dark themes with incredible grace and the gravity that they deserve. 

The best part of the book was reading the transcript of The Girls, the podcast featured in the book. As horrible as it may sound, I was definitely more interested in these chapters than parts of Sadie’s story. The pacing of the podcast was just right, where I felt like Sadie’s story had some pacing issues. It is strange that I felt more of a connection to Sadie through the podcast and the people who love her than I did through her own eyes. This is where I felt like the audiobook would have really come through for me.

I really enjoyed reading Sadie, if ‘enjoy’ is the right word. In a way, it’s the perfect Halloween book. It is terrifying and claustrophobic because Sadie’s story is so visceral and real -- it can happen, and has happened, in real life. The horrors that lurk behind every corner are people and the actions of people we are supposed to love. If you’re looking for a dark and insightful look at the lives of teens, you can’t do much better than Sadie.

Don't forget to listen along with The Girls as you read!  The publisher has created a fictional podcast to go along with the book.



CW: pedophilia, sexual abuse, drug abuse

I Should Read That

I read Warcross last year and tore through it.  I’m not usually the type to like books about virtual reality and video games, however I found the world of Warcross to be so incredibly compelling and I really loved the characters.  Eager to read more about this thrilling world, I was thrilled to read an early copy of the sequel, Wildcard.  The concluding book in the Warcross duology is just as fun and fast paced, but the stakes have grown even higher for Emika Chen.

Wildcard is just as thrilling as Warcross, but it goes deeper into the world that Lu creates.  I absolutely love her vision of near-future Tokyo and we get to see more of it in Wildcard.  The thing that really worked for me is the fact that Lu decided not to pull a Hunger Games/Catching Fire on us -- Catching Fire is just a rehashing of the first book’s plot, something that I found incredibly annoying, and I'm seeing this trend in YA books lately.  Instead of just having another Warcross-focused book, Lu branches out further into her world, making it all the more exciting.  The games haven't gone away -- we get a couple of gaming scenes and there are events going on in the background -- but this book is all about Emika and Hideo.   I love that this book is all about choices and murky morality -- it's the exact kind of plot that works so well for me.

I've redacted a lot from this review because of possible Warcross spoilers, so check out the link above for my full review. Wildcard is such a fun and enjoyable read that expands upon the fantastic world and plot of the first book -- it’s another very solid read from Marie Lu.  It’s a different book from Warcross and some readers may be disappointed by that, but if you’re interested in digging deeper into the dark underworld that was only touched upon in Warcross, you’re in for a treat.

I Should Read That

There is always a danger in reading sequels to book you love.  Will they be as good? Will the dreaded Second Book Syndrome strike?  You never know until you give the book a try. For me, I figured there was no way Godsgrave could hold a candle to Nevernight, one of my favourite books of the year.  The school narrative was gone, Mia has become a full-fledged Blade, and all her friends were dead or traitors (don’t you just hate it when that happens?).  But once again, I was completely, utterly wrong. Godsgrave is just as good as Nevernight, despite a huge shift in the story.

I really don’t want to say too much about this book because the twists! The turns!  Godsgrave is absolutely batshit crazy in the best way possible.  I’m going to be purposefully vague and say nothing of value in this review because I really think you should go in blind.  I didn’t even bother to read the summary of Godsgrave before diving in, and that provided the best listening experience possible.

Just like with Nevernight, I listened to the audiobook and it is spectacular.  It is narrated by the same man who did Nevernight, and he continues to be my favourite audiobook narrator.  I couldn’t recommend these books more highly, and I cannot wait for Darkdawn in September 2019 -- particularly after the cliffhanger ending.

Originally posted to I Should Read That

I’ve been curious about Victoria Schwab’s new middle grade tale because it's such a departure from her adult fantasy novels.  As you all may know, I’m not a huge fan of her adult books but really like her as a person. City of Ghosts sounded promising because it contains so many things I love -- ghosts, Edinburgh, and cats.  I dove in a little skeptical, but ended up really enjoying this little tale.

City of Ghosts is a fun adventure that follows Cass and her ghost friend Jacob as they navigate Edinburgh, the city of ghosts. I really loved how well Schwab captured the spirit (ha) of Edinburgh, a city that is very close to my heart and rich with tales of the paranormal.  You get such a great sense of the city as Cass and Jacob wind their way through the streets and closes, and it was fun spotting the various landmarks and locations throughout the book. I personally thought it took awhile for them to actually get to Edinburgh, slowing the story down a bit.  Once they arrive and the plot gets going, however, I did enjoyed it more.

Cass was a fine character, but I wish there was a little more to her.  I can put some of my reactions to the plot and writing down to this being a middle grade book when that's not my usual taste in reading, but I don't think this works with that argument.  She felt almost passive in her own adventure, and I would have loved to see more spirit (ha) from Cass. 

I really liked that there were so many secrets surrounding her ability to see through the veil and see ghosts.  Schwab hooks the reader into Cass's story well -- she answers just enough questions and leaves just enough open for the reader to want more. I also really enjoyed her friendship with Jacob, a ghost boy who saved her life, and the fact that he has his own secrets.  I also really enjoyed their budding acquaintance with Lara -- she was probably my favourite character and I'm hoping we see her again!

Overall, I liked City of Ghosts and would definitely recommend it for some spooky autumn reading, despite a serious lack of cat familiars (a major disappointment, given the cover of the book).

Originally posted to I Should Read That

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to have gotten my hands on an early copy of Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix!  I read Forest of a Thousand Lanterns earlier this year and absolutely adored it. Xifeng is easily one of my favourite fantasy villains because of her callousness, her calculated choices, and her cutthroat attitude -- but what happens next? Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix takes place 15 years later just before Jade, the daughter of the former Empress Lihua and sole heir to the throne, comes of age.

Where Forest is a retelling of the evil queen that so often is the antagonist in fairy tales, Kingdom is much more of a Snow White retelling.  There are so many elements of this story from the familiar to the less well known -- my favourite being the poisoned comb from one of my favourite Snow White stories.  Despite this, the stories are seamless. What I’d really love to know from Dao is if she wrote these as one story and split them in two, because the transition between the two books is so smooth.  There is no change in atmosphere or writing style -- it truly feels like we never left Feng Lu. To me, this seamless transition speaks so strongly to Dao’s talent as a writer. You immediately slip back into the world and it’s like you never left.

The world building in this book is wonderful.  Of course, most of the groundwork was laid in Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, which took place almost exclusively in the Imperial City.  The first half of Kingdom is spent within those walls, however we do get to explore Feng Lu with Jade and her companions. I absolutely loved journeying to the Grasslands, Davobad, Kamatsu and beyond.  We also get to learn a little more about the cultures and politics of this world, which are my favourite thing.

My main worry about Kingdom was that we wouldn’t be following Xifeng.  She’s such a powerful and delightfully evil character -- I didn’t want to go from her to a perfect fantasy heroine.  I deeply underestimated Jade at the beginning of this book. Initially she seems to be a meek young woman, but she grows so much as a character over the course of the story -- I really loved her by the end.  She’s interesting to me because she has all the qualities of a heroic fantasy princess -- she’s compassionate and wants to do the right thing and is filled with love and a desire the change the world for the better -- but she’s also an incredibly angry woman.  At times you can really see how similar she and Xifeng are. I loved them and their antagonistic relationship -- they played off each other really well.

I wont say more here, go ahead and dive right into this book.  If you likedForest of a Thousand Lanterns, you’re most likely going to love this as well.  Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix is packed with girl power -- both of these books are all about women, how they are underestimated, and how they can use their power to change the world, for better or worse.

Originally posted to I Should Read That

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  This review is spoiler-free.

Joanne Harris is rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors.  Pocketful of Crows was a standout read from last year, and The Blue Salt Road is just as good.  I really appreciate retellings of lesser known fairy tales and folklore, and the Child Ballads fit the bill perfectly.  Harris’s haunting style and talent for storytelling bring The Blue Salt Road to life.

The Blue Salt Road is a fairy tale in the old tradition, meaning it is incredibly dark and there are some horrifying implications to the story.  Harris’s writing is haunting and atmospheric -- it was so easy to sink into this book on a cold, dark evening. I particularly enjoy any story that takes place on, in, or around the sea, and you could really feel the salt in the air, the harsh cold, and the spray of the sea while you’re reading.  There are gorgeous illustrations throughout the book, and I really felt like they complimented the story so well. I loved seeing our characters and setting come to life on the page.

Something I really liked about The Blue Salt Road is that we have a male selkie as our main character. In every selkie tale I’ve heard, it’s always a female selkie who is torn from her family and the sea when a man steals her seal skin.  The fact that Harris decided to flip the usual story made it all the more compelling, and to me it felt like an even crueller twist of fate. I don’t want to reveal too much, but I really liked our nameless main character enjoyed his story arc, which gave similar satisfaction I found in Pocketful of Crows.

I would so highly recommend The Blue Salt Road as the nights grow longer and the air becomes chillier.  Harris’s tale has so much magic and atmosphere, you’ll find yourself falling into the world she creates.

Originally posted to I Should Read That

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  This review is spoiler-free.

I love a Brandon Sanderson novella.  Whether his stories are long or short, he always manages to deliver a solid book with his classic style of ending. I have really only read fantasy from him and was very interested to see what his science fiction stories are like.

As Snapshot was such a short book, this will be a short review -- I don’t want to give too much away!  The concept of Snapshot is very cool, and I really loved the way Davis and Chaz can navigate through the reconstructed cities. As someone who enjoys crime fiction, I loved this twist on the classic detective story.  Although I found it a little slow to start, the way the story twists and turns is excellent and the pages fly past the closer you get to the ending.

Davis is a really fascinating character.  I can’t say much about him without spoilers, but I liked the way his story unfolded and the way he reacts to their encounters in the Snapshot.  Sanderson is the master of characterisation in novellas, and Snapshot is no different.  Davis is a complex and complicated man and watching his back story unravel is one of the joys of reading this book.

I liked Snapshot a lot -- it’s not my favourite of his shorter works but it is well plotted and well written.  Any new Sanderson book is a treat and Snapshot is no exception. If you’re a long-time fan of his or you’re new to his work, I’d recommend picking this one up.