"Maybe the price of saving the world is forgetting how to live in it." p.375

That was a non-stop conclusion. With the majority of the exposition having already been taken care of in books 1 and 2, May was able to really take us for a ride in this last installment. It was so hard to put this book down because I felt like I was always in the middle of reading something super important. Phew.

Character-wise, the final development for our hero and heroine was spectacular. Aileana really fought through all her issues with desperation and skirting the line of ruthlessness, going "too far" a few times, but in the end finding the balance she needed to. Plus, her true lie to Kiaran at the end. Gorgeously pulled off. And my poor heart. UGH. Kiaran, of course, really saw a lot of change here - fighting to fully control his darker side for real [this time], making selfless decisions for the first time, and really just proving his own Unseelie redeemability, despite everything. He's the poster boy for second chances. The winner for story development has to go to Sorcha though. What we learn about her is eye-opening and, honestly, heartbreaking. She is the embodiment of Aileana's "dark side," if you will, and it's not hard to imagine, at times, that with just a few different decisions, Aileana would have been just like her. In fact, at times she was just like her. But learning how she got to that point, how many years she suffered in so many different ways, why she feels the way she does about Kadamach, you have to wonder if Aileana wouldn't have ended up in the same place after all that too. Sorcha is a character that got deeper and deeper with each book and, in a way that emulates Snape's story (Harry Potter), we really see how much there is under the surface. What she really means when she stops Aileana sacrificial train of thought by saying "He deserves better than this." is everything. Truly she is the most nuanced character in the bunch - I really enjoyed her. Aithinne was lovely as always, the right female lead for her role, but not much in the way of growth for her here. And, as always, the extra human characters just seemed like afterthoughts (like Gavin, the way his story ends by not really ending in the way everyone else's does - poor guy - it's like everyone forgot him). And last but not least, of course, Derrick. OMG HEARTBREAK. Though maybe he's happier this way...

As I already mentioned, the story was high paced action from start to finish. A thrilling conclusion. I loved reading all the twists and turns and reveals (especially where/what the book actually was). And I never would have thought of sending the humans back to where Aithinne did, of bringing back as many people as she did. I don't know why, but I didn't, so that was a pleasant surprise in the end for me. As far as the "pre-ending," the reader knows the whole time that something like that is going to happen. You know. And you also know that there's no way that's actually how things end. But it still isn't enough preparation emotionally - I cried. And then, for the "real" ending, I of course cried again. I'm a sap. But credit to the author for pulling off that emotional investment even when I pretty much predicted the ending from the start, more or less. It was all the perfectly cheesy ending to an epicly crafted story.

Random things I liked: The introduction of the Morrigan. She's such a huge part of Scottish lore that I would have been sad without her presence/the nod to her. The names. I love the way the author used so many names for Aileana/Kam and Kiaran/McKay/Kadamach. Names are powerful and she crafts different meanings into them beautifully. The "let me tell you a story" pieces - so adorable, such a great way to talk about love, mmmmmmm.

Random things I didn't like (spoilers): This is not a critique just of this book, but the entire genre has an obsession with bringing people back from the dead (sacrifice being the only way to break curses, but that's not the happy ending, so there always needs to be a loophole) and I wish sometimes that a different denouement could be tried. The the curse said something about sacrificing their heart - I mean hadn't she already kinda done that by letting Kiaran make that deal with Sorcha? You can lose something completely without it having to die. Just a thought. Also, the overuse of the "internal repetition of impactful things people have said to me" that Aileana has a habit of - it's not a bad plot device in general, but I felt a little annoyed by how often she did it in these books.

One spot of confusion: Um, where did the steampunk element go? After the first book, Aileana just like, stops building stuff and creating weapons. I mean I know she gets some magic, but still, it just seems odd that it completely disappears from the story.

This second book started a little bit slower, but once it got going it totally made up for that. This was a great second book, moving the story forward on many levels without hitting a lot of contrived snags.

Character wise, I thought there was some solid development. Aileana's story was one of great growth here, I thought. She learned lots of information about herself, and others, and (though it was still done in the slightly immature way of an 18-ish year old) processed it reasonably and, I felt, truthfully to her character. And of course Kiaran. What we learn about him and his past, and how he slowly opens up with Aileana, is also very true to his character. I think their relationship unfolds with perfect timing (the right mix of hope, apprehension, and impatience) and is handled maturely, and realistically within their world(s). The small things are well done - I smile-snorted when she told him to just hold back the sea and he looked at her in a kind of disbelief and said "Just hold back the sea, she says." Speaking from experience here, it's pretty spot on banter for a real couple. Plus, I love that he calls her Kam, like, a lot. Aithinne is fantastic, both hard and soft, plus a little crazy, I really enjoyed her. And what we learn about her and Kiaran, and their past interactions with Kadamach, are one of the most impressive parts of this book. I thought the background building, the reveals that we get along with Aileana, are well written and thought out. And a very compelling rendition of a popular and common myth on the divisions between the Seelie and Unseelis fae kingdoms. Derrick is still just fun, but we did get a little more depth of his story as well. Catherine and Gavin both move forwards a bit, but are generally the biggest disappointments of this installment, I think. They, and few of the other new "human" additions, remain fairly two-dimensional supporting cast.

There are still a few things stylistically that bother me, like some of Ailenana's inner thoughts, the repetition there, etc. I think it's not entirely unrealistic, but I don't enjoy reading it. It's a lot of dwelling. And while I understand the guilt she carries now, I still don't understand the longer standing feeling of unworthiness that she has. Generally, I liked how her time with Lonnrach, though horrible, helped her get over the smaller view of her mother's death as her motivating factor - that truly would have been a weak foundation for the entirety of the trilogy, although it was a perfect starting point. Additionally, Aileana may have a slightly unrealistic penchant for coming back to life, but I guess within the confines of the story, it's necessary and, in fact, the author recognizes it outright at one point, so that helped take off some of the pressure (credit there).

I'm excited for the final piece of the story. The twist at the end with the Cailleach was well played, if not slightly predictable, and I'm interested to see what changes are in store for Aileana now (physically, magically, etc.) and what will happen with Kiaran's "shift," if you will, at the end. Though the writing is smooth, it's nothing exceptional and normally I would have continued my 3-star rating here, if not for how very well crafted the story was in this second book. I didn't have to struggle through awkward second book relationship issues or contrived plot devices to make a second book necessary between the opening and concluding pieces of the story. Like I said, the pacing and delivery of information, as well as the pacing in character development for our main characters, has been parceled fantastically throughout these first two books. That steady, even flow, combined with how well thought out the storyline clearly is, really bumped this second book up for me.

This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.

Poor Ernie Diaz. Goddamn Don Adler. Gullible Mick Riva. Clever Rex North. Brilliant, Kindhearted, Tortured Harry Cameron. Disappointing Max Girard. Agreeable Robert Jamison.

Well I was not expecting that. I’d seen this book making the rounds and, between the enthralling cover and the promise of some good old-fashioned Hollywood drama, I really couldn’t wait to jump into it. And it was everything I wanted it to be – sparkly and engrossing in all the best over the top ways – but it was also so much more. I’d say this is definitely one of my favorite reads of the summer.

*There is a small spoiler in this review. It is something that is revealed early in the story and in no way will change the compelling nature of the read, but it is not something that you’d assume from the title or the inside cover blurb, so I want to be transparent about it, just in case.*

As you’d likely guess from the title, this is the story of Evelyn Hugo, a Hollywood glamour queen and sex symbol who raised herself from nothing to the height of movie-making stardom in 1950s-80s Hollywood. And, of course, this is the story of her seven husbands. I mean that alone would have made an entertaining and compelling read, like tabloids but with better writing. But on top of that, it was just so much deeper than I was expecting it to be. The LGBTQ+ rights and stigmas that were explored, as well as (in particular) the exploration of a bisexual main character, was new and refreshing. And although I do wish more mainstream novels would include or write about characters like this, because everyone deserves to read a book where they can see themselves reflected [well] in the heroes and heroines, this was a start. And it is getting better a little bit at a time. As a caveat, I do not necessarily identify as bisexual (and I do not know if the author does or not), so I’m sure there are ways that Evelyn was not written completely truthfully, but it’s still a type of character I have never experienced at the forefront of a major novel like this before. And the exposure, of Evelyn as a person just like everyone else, making choices and making mistakes, is important. In addition, reading the experience, even a fictional one, of what it may have been like to be in Evelyn’s shoes in those years, is eye-opening. Better to be out there in a fictional way than not at all. This is particularly true because, even though these are technically fictional characters and situations, there can be no doubt that real people who lived faced these same situations and challenges. That goes for the rest of the controversial topics touched on here as well, including other LGBTQ+ relationships, interracial relationships, intimate partner violence, the price of fame, what actually makes a family, and the “scandal” of women taking charge of their own bodies, sexual pleasure, and futures. Plus, since none of that was indicated, at all, in the title or description, my guess is a lot of people picked up this book who wouldn’t necessarily have done so had they known about those aspects of the story. That’s a little sneaky and I love it. Overall, this was just a fascinating and “unputdownable” read.

There are some other really impressive parts of this story as well. For example, this was really so well done that even though I knew that the characters and movies were fictional, a few times I found myself pulling out my phone to Google everything for more information. It was that real. I also really enjoyed the format – it’s perfect for the subject matter and plot to have the articles, tabloids, blog posts and comments, etc. sprinkled in. They were a very appropriate plot device for this story and worked fabulously at quickly moving the plot forwards. I also loved the section headers and the way the story was split by husband. Great way to section and pace things out. Plus, some chapters have some different presentation styles that really worked. For example, the pain of retelling and attempt to distance herself from the events, that we get while reading the way Evelyn speaks about her time with Riva, was inconsistent with the style of the rest of the book, but more meaningful for it. Also, the suspense of the reveal about the connection between Monique and Evelyn was written, hidden, and timed very well. Maybe I was less observant than normal during this read, but I definitely didn’t guess what it was. 

My biggest critique was of the narrator/interviewer, Monique, and her relationship with Evelyn in the present day. I feel like Evelyn was incredibly fully developed and multifaceted, always acting and speaking true to her personality. Monique, on the other hand, was just super flat for me, more plot device than real character. For being the age and from the background that she was, she was really immature and insensitive. And though Evelyn “helped” her come out of her shell a little bit and act with more self-confidence and strength, she still just seemed too shallowly written to be a real person. Her inner thoughts were all simplistic or obvious and honestly there was just so much apologizing and “foot in mouth,” even way before things got personal (at which point emotional reactions make more sense). For a journalist, you’d think she would have learned to better control her reactions. 

Bottom line moral of the story, no one is completely good or completely bad. Life is full of difficult decisions and complex situations and that’s what this book is about. But it’s all wrapped up in the beautiful packaging of glamorous early Hollywood that draws you in for completely different reasons and then smashes all your pre-expectations while still delivering everything you wanted and more.

This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.

I received an ARC of this book, provided by the publisher via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This book tells the story of four young adults who live in a small town in present day Washington (state). Although no one knows but Kit, who is connected to them by a curse put on his family generations ago, there are real goblins (and fae) that live in the forests around Bellwater. One night Skye, an artist and barista at a local coffee shop, is lured into the goblins lair and cursed. But she’s unable to talk about it, so everyone, including her sister Livy, is completely surprised by the sudden depression she seems to be in, and unsure what to do about it. When Livy starts “seeing” Kit, and Kit’s cousin Grady (who’s living with him for awhile) is pulled into Skye’s curse, things come to a head. And Livy, the only one of the four who is unafflicted by goblin curses, and who has a special connection to the local flora/fauna through her job with the state parks, must set out on her own adventure to save them all.

This is a really entertaining new adult fantasy/romance. It’s a light, quick read, that kept me interested with it’s well handled pacing and original twists on the traditional fairy tales about following mushroom paths, eating their foods, and making deals. The characters are all a little older than the traditional YA fantasy genre characters, all being at least 21 and older, and facing real adult problems like finding jobs and making a living and following your passion. Don’t get me wrong, I loved a good YA fantasy/romance, but this was definitely refreshing to read. I know and closely identify with these struggles. As I mentioned, the pacing was well handled. Relationships had time to begin and develop in a believable time frame and the tension that built before everyone’s “secrets” were out in the open built the perfect amount of realistic suspense, especially considering the need for the trust of new friends/couples to grow reasonably and super limited means of communication available for the information to flow through. Also, the mix of present day details, like iPhones, and fairy magic was executed smoothly and was cool in that it’s not something I see often. Normally, there is a whole “we start in this world and when the fairies show up we move into their parallel but completely separate realm that has no connection to the real world” situation. Again, I don’t hate that type of story at all, but the difference here was unique and definitely enjoyable as such. Plus, for someone who loves magic and really believes in it, I loved this representation of the possibility of real co-existence.

There were a few other details I loved as well. One, the way the elements, earth/air/water/fire, were used in this story was awesome. I know they are a cliched part of magic, but they got that way for a reason. And my husband and I have a huge soft spot for them – he even has a large tattoo of them on his back/shoulder. So when they are used well, as they were here, I can’t help but melt a little towards the story. Skye being an artist was used perfectly here, for communication and story progression. Plus, the fun ending, with her gift(s) to her sister and turning their experiences into a graphic novel, is creative and perfect given the situation. It allows the four of them to share everything with/in the “real” world but still keeps the worlds separate. On theme with many other aspects of the story, the single volume telling of this story (this is not a trilogy or longer series) and violence-less-ness (yup, I made up that word) of the ending is something unusual I don’t often see and was refreshing as well. Finally, it’s a small thing, but the last line is hella cute.

A few things did bother me. Overall the dialogue and interactions flowed well, but there were a few times that things were awkward. This happened, in particular, when the “couples” were talking with each other. Not every time, but enough that I feel it’s worth mentioning. Also, the “sacrifice”’ at the end. As I said, I liked how generally clean the denouement was, the way ending the curse(s) was handled, and the way loopholes in the magical rules were used. But the sacrifice that was made, itself, was kinda weird in its symmetry. I liked how it was put into everyone’s minds like it had always been the case, but it was not really explained why it was necessary and it just seemed…weird. Last, and likely the biggest overall critique, is that the characters were fairly two-dimensional. Maybe it’s just because the story happened over a such a short period of time. And to be fair, I enjoyed them and their relationships and I think those relationships within the story were overall written and developed well, but as individuals they were all just fairly normal, uninspired in the depth with which they were created.

Overall, this was a fun, easy, and entertaining read. I would definitely recommend it to a new adult crowd interested in a light fantasy with characters that they could really identify with as they experience a well-balanced current day life and a singular magical adventure. A little warning though, to anyone going into it, this novel is based on Christina Rossetti's eerie, sensual poem, "Goblin Market." I had not read it prior to picking up this book, so I check out some excepts. What I learned is twofold: 1) I definitely want to read it now, and 2) When they sensual they mean it. The Goblins of Bellwater definitely took the carnal innuendo of “Goblin Market” and ran with it, so don’t be surprised by it (and, of course, enjoy it, it’s tastefully done)!

This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.

At first glance, this seems like a children’s book. In fact, the first few times I saw it floating around the internet and read the description, I definitely “passed” on it, thinking it was a cute middle grade read, and that’s just not what I’m usually into. But then at the library a week or so ago it was on the “new books” shelf of the adult section. And I said to myself, possibly out loud in the middle of the library, “What?!” Awkward. Anyways, I grabbed it off the shelf and reread the inside cover blurb in a new light, and between that, the title, and the review calling it “the unholy child of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Harry Potter, and Sixteen Candles,” I knew I was going to have to read it.

“My name is Gork The Terrible, and I’m a dragon.
And here begins the story of how I went searching for my true love and then made her my Queen. And I should warn you that when it comes to dragon love stories, well mine is the most terrifying tale of them all. But also the most romantic. For inside my scaly green chest, there beats a grotesquely large and sensitive heart.”

Thus begins Gork’s story of his Crown Day quest to find the female dragon who would be his EggHarvest Queen. Both helped and hindered on his quest by a robot dragon named Fribby, a professor of the Underworld named Nog, a ferocious security dragon named Rexro, an animated spacedship with a secret agenda named ATHENOS II, and his very own grandfather, Dr.Terrible, Gork tells us his love story in his very own words. His very own, colorful, words. Because let me just be clear, this is most definitely not a children’s book. I mean it possibly could have been, plot-wise, but Hudson wrote this book with heavily adult innuendo and language. Which I loved. To this point, and as a personal confession, I swear quite a bit. So I was ok with the profanity. But if you are not really into swearing, undisguised descriptions of teenage hormones, or fairly gratuitous cartoon-y violence, then this book is definitely not for you. But if you are ok with those things, then this will be one of the most entertaining and, truthfully, good-naturedly humorous books you could read.

The snarky and real narration is spot on right from the start. And though I think some of the vernacular and grammatical structures were used a little too repetitively, it is also true to form of a teenager-narrated story. And Gork’s personality really shone throughout the novel – his consistency to character and tangibleness was definitely one of the high points of this reading experience. And that style of narration is perfect considering the heavily relied on use of the “hapless hero” trope that is used. And I won’t lie, it’s used heavily. But the imagination of the rest of the story, the Will to Power rankings, the poetry, the insane scientific possibilities, all balance that out in originality and in the end, it all plays well together.

There were some parts that I feel like were maybe a little too much. What I mean by this is: I think the fact that the entire world was so foreign and futuristic that essentially anything was possible made it too easy for the author to get away with some crazy things without any explanation. And most of the time that’s fine (truly, I am all for suspension of belief while reading – fantasy is my favorite genre), but there were a few places where I think it may have gone too far here. To be vague and spoiler-less, but also to try and provide examples, I was super confused by Dr. Terrible’s regenerative abilities, the occasional random use of telepathy, and where did the letter Gork gave the Dean from Dr. Terrible come from?? One other thing that was a little weird were the random literary references – I don’t know if those were supposed to be included as like, Easter eggs, and some were more obvious than others, but I just couldn’t figure out their purpose.

Regardless, this was such a pure story. Clearly written with exuberance, it’s a coming of age story that, despite being written about a dragon, is wonderfully human. There are themes that every person faces, young and old, about coming to terms with your true self, fighting for what and who you believe in, and working to choose to ignore and move past unnecessary cultural stereotypes. In fact, to that end, this book is a sneakily written satire that we could all learn a little something from. Gork’s story (unlike the satire I remember being forced to read in high school) was a joy to read.

Can Gork overcome his too small horns and too large heart to become the ferocious dragon he wants to be (that his grandfather wants him to be)? Will Gork find his Queen and conquer his Designated Foreign Planet (subjugating populaces and creating a colony of offspring to rule over it)? Or will he be denied, spend the rest of his life as a slave, or possibly not even survive to the end of the day? You’ll just have to read it and find out. If you are looking for something to keep you crazily entertained (and that truly delivers on the mix of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Harry Potter, and Sixteen Candles that is promised), then grab this book and get ready to take a wild interplanetary ride with Gork!

This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.

I loved everything about this. Even just after the introduction, the tone and feel was amazing - the friendliness and warmth simultaneously came through with the passion and truth of the voice. Before we even get to the 15 suggestions, I love the presentation of Adichie's two "Feminist Tools." First, her feminist premise: that "I matter equally," full stop, no exceptions or qualifications. Second, her question "Can you reverse X and still get the same results?" - any decision or choice can be feminist, no matter what it is, if it's made with the knowledge that if it was reversed (applied to a man instead of a woman) it would be the same. Those are two tools that I will, forever more, carry with me as a basis for my own feminism. They are simple, clear, and impressive in their depth.

In fact, that about sums up this entire essay: simple, clear, and impressive in its depth. This is a publication of a letter that wrote to her friend, Ijeawele, on the occasion of her  Ijeawele becoming a mother and asking Adichie how she would recommend going about raising her daughter as a feminist. Each of her 15 suggestions gives its example and makes its point concisely, and the personal tone is the perfect extra touch. Covering topics from the contrived nature of "gender roles" to the need to reject "likability" as a primary quality for women to the importance of speaking openly and truthfully about relationships and sex, Adichie skillfully handles so many difficult and controversial points in this mere 63 page mini-book. In addition to those topics and her related child-rearing suggestions, she makes many other important distinctions as well. In particular, touching on the power of alternatives (the innumerable different options and paths in any given situation - there is no one "right" way ever) and the need for compromise and rejecting "all or nothing" viewpoints (you can have pride in and celebrate the positive aspects of a culture, while also recognizing the negative aspects; understanding that you can embrace the good and reject the bad while remaining true to the essence).

If you are looking for a short summary of how to raise, or just be (or change) for yourself, the best feminist you can, this essay is exactly what you need. In fact, I feel like this should be required reading for everyone. Adichie points out what should be obvious in a refreshingly straightforward and uncompromising way that doesn't insult. It just pulls you along and makes you want to read more. She uses the simplest language and examples, that can be universally recognized and understood, to convey her thoughts. Yet there is more heart in her simplicity than in most other more complex pieces on this same topic. Absolutely elegant. I cannot recommend this book enough.

I regret that it took me this long read anything by Adichie. And now that I have started, I won't be stopping any time soon. I think her ability to express herself and her feminism in words is unparalleled (in my experience). I envy her strength of conviction and hope that I can learn to cultivate something similarly impressive for myself. Just amazing.

As an extra note, I both listened to this as an audiobook and read it in print form. It's amazing both ways. But I definitely would like to note that the narrator did an amazing job. Honestly, it's likely one of the most emotionally-read (in the sense that there was great intonation in the voice, not at all flat or monotonous) pieces I've ever listened to and I wish more "readers" would put that much feeling into their narration.

This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.

There’s something about the idea of Death as a tangible being that really interests me. It’s odd, because I’m not usually a “dark” person, if you will, nor am I particularly into anything else death or end-of-life related. But despite that, I find personifications and physical incarnations of Death fascinating. Perhaps it’s the imagination it takes to give a personality and other life-like characteristics to such a shadow-y and terrifying concept. Whatever the reason, I love it. So when I saw that this novel about a man living thousands or reincarnations of life while trying to find a way to stay with his true love, Death, I jumped on it. And let me assure you, the imagination here did not disappoint.

Milo is a soul. An old soul. A very old soul. He has lived 9,997 lives and sometime during those 8,000 years of reincarnations, he fell in love with Death as she came to, over and over, welcome him to the afterlife. Souls are eventually supposed to achieve Perfection, a joining into the Oversoul of the universe – each of their reincarnations serves to help them learn lessons on how to reach that nirvana. Sometimes they come very close to just miss it by a hair. Sometimes things go pretty poorly and they have to live penance lives (say, as a cricket) afterwards. But each life gets you closer. Except Milo loves Death, aka Suzie, and she lives in the Afterlife. So he maybe isn’t trying as hard as he should be to reach Perfection, because then he’ll pass beyond where he can be with her. And Suzie has a secret of her own: she’s tired of being Death, she wants to quit. Milo and Suzie just want to be together, even though everyone says its unnatural and impossible, but time may be running out for them. Each soul only gets 10,000 tries to reach Perfection before they become Nothing. And if that happens, it'll be Suzie who can’t follow Milo…

This book ebbed and flowed in a way that is unlike anything I’ve read before. There were short tales of Milo’s previous lives, some short snippets of his experiences and even just some single life descriptions, interspersed with some much longer tales. These are spread all over time and space, though the longer tellings primarily focused on the last few of his 10,000 reincarnations. These are also mixed in with longer and shorter tales of Milo’s time in the Afterlife between reincarnations – how it mirrors regular life but is somehow sharper – and of course his time with Suzie. Altogether, it created an incredibly intriguing, almost hypnotizing, method of storytelling. The language itself is almost fable-like at times, and utilitarian at others, and that juxtaposition somehow fits the story exactly right. In general, I applaud the writing and style completely.

I was thrilled and overwhelmed by how many stories we get throughout this novel. I mean you go in thinking “reincarnations, cool, so we might hear about a few different life stories here,” but the breadth of what was actually covered in beyond what I ever would have expected. There are lives lived in the ancient past and in the unimaginably far future. There are lives as famous people, everyday people, men and women, animals and insects. There are lives where Milo dies young, lives where he does amazing things, lives where he loses himself, lives lived adjacently to people and places we recognize and lives that are incredibly foreign. He has so many experiences and so many deaths. Truly, the representation is impressive and imagination to create them all is expansive.

I mostly just loved this novel. The small details, like the many ways Milo’s name is changed but remains his own through his reincarnations and the reappearance of asthma/respiration issues that are consistent across his reincarnations are small but perfectly used. And there were other perfect small moments as well, like when Suzie looks back on learning to be Death and talks about how some creatures, like tropical birds and wolves, liked to be sung to as they died, while Presbyterians and hamsters liked a quick no nonsense death. Sometimes it’s those little items that really bring the reality to a story. I also definitely enjoyed the creativity of the “future” lives that Milo lived – it’s the perfect amount of sci-fi for someone who respects the imagination of it, but doesn’t want a whole book full of it. It’s there, it’s detailed and realized in full, it’s weird and foreign, but it doesn’t take over.

 The exploration of the idea that life is hard, and that even after almost 10,000 tries and the ability to prepare or have advance knowledge, Perfection is nigh on impossible to achieve, is fully rendered. The recurring theme of the need for balance in the Universe, and the efforts to fight against it (in favor of love) that Milo and Suzie make, is something universal that every reader will be able to identify with in some way. In fact, now that I think about it, there are quite a few topics/points like this one where this book got fairly philosophical and introspective, but in a very sneaky way. Very cool, and unexpected.

Although Death was not as central as I was expecting, I was definitely not disappointed in the way she was presented – Suzie was not a real soul, but she was something individual all the same. Perhaps a little odd, but charming, Suzie was every bit deserving of a “life,” and an ending. The scenes of her and Milo together, both their love-making and their normal interactions, are described poetically and eccentrically (a very fun combo). And the ending, the way things work out, was right in line with the rest of the story, nothing overly spectacular. It was just one more story told in the way the rest were, but maybe detailed and wrapped up in a marginally more satisfying way. That may not sound like the type of ending you want to read, but when you get there, I challenge you to argue that it wasn’t exactly what was called for. Anything else would have chafed. I salute the author for not taking it too far.

This is the epitome of a quirky love story. It’s got a little bit of everything, a healthy dose of meditation, and a whole lot of the otherworldly. It’s deftly written, skillfully paced, and precisely crafted. It’s pulls you along in it’s strange and appealing ebb and flow and when you get to the end, you’ll be both satisfied with and left wanting more of Milo’s 10,000 lives and 9,999 Afterlives with Suzie. It’s the perfect combination of feelings have at the end of a book.

This ARC was provided to me courtesy of First to Read and Del Ray Books in exchange for an honest review.

Quotes I loved:
“Two plus two equals four. So does five minus one.”
“In the morning, she wrapped them both in her long hair, which became wings, which became a wind and dry leaves.”
“She took his hand and some love traveled up his arm and burst inside him like a galaxy. For a moment, he contained wonders and stars and time, and could speak Spanish, and existed in twenty dimensions. He also began to explode a little.”
“…the world of having the Earth itself as a body. Streams and currents were his arms. Storms were his voice. The moon and constellations were his changing moods.”
“For eight thousand years, he had awakened by a river, and Suzie had been there, and everything was fine. Now everything was bullshit.”
“A primordial morning, full of mists and loomings. A river of mist flowed under the bridge, and a shore of mist came to meet it.”
“Outside, the afterlife remained the same as always. Earthlike, and also dreamlike. Days came and went. Streets changed direction. The balance of Heaven and Earth followed its own inscrutable schedule. Clouds flew. Rain fell. The moon changed.”
“They were reading newspapers on the couch together, legs intertwined. She gave him a kind of hug with her legs. This, he thought. This is Perfection. Very few people know how to leave a moment like that alone and not fuck it up. Milo didn’t know.”
“They were the most beautiful fugitives in all eternity.”

This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.

I saw this book making the rounds and the title was so intriguing. Though I’ll be honest, for as many times as I had seen the title and cover, I actually could not seem to hang on to what the book was about. So when I finally started it, I truly had no idea what I was getting into. And for this type of story, I think it was definitely better that way.

This is, primarily, a story about a young artist trying to make a splash, a mother trying to hold it together, and a [mute] teen trying to 'come of age.' Lady writes a Craigslist ad for a nanny for her toddler, Devin, and S answers. Quickly creating a place for herself in the family, S becomes a confidante for Lady and forms a…strange…relationship with Seth, Lady’s 18-year-old, selectively mute, son from a previous relationship. S and Lady both have reasons for posting the ad/taking the job that the other knows nothing about. And as they spend time together, a vortex of secrets, self-destruction, and questionable artistic decisions consumes them both.

This novel was a train wreck, and in the same way that we all know what happens in Titanic but are still compelled to watch through the end, it got compulsively readable. Weirdly though, for all that it was like reading a disaster unfold, and was told with a super sinister feel, the conclusion, when the secrets come out and everything comes together at the end, was actually pretty mundane. I mean, not that I would want to personally experience any of those secrets or the way they affected S and Lady’s relationships (both with each other and with essentially everyone else in their lives), nor do I necessarily think these types of secrets are commonplace, but I felt like nothing that came out was actually as dark as it was built up to be. However, the weaving together and development of these relationships over the course of the novel was expertly handled. And I love how every character is deeply flawed and almost compulsively unlikable. I think it’s a real talent to write characters like that, where none are the “hero” of the story, but you still sort of care what happens to them and truly don’t want to see the worst come to pass. Even these, who all demonstrated, to a slightly unrealistic extreme, some of the worst traits a person could have (manipulative, selfish, nosy, condescending, deadbeat, overindulgent, weak, disrespectful, and in Seth’s case, the “typical” teen need to rebel), it’s absolutely reflective of real life. And while no one is even close to perfect, everyone does generally try to do the best with what they have and deserves the benefit of the doubt. Lepucki really knows how to write characters.

There are a few other things that I also enjoyed from this book. For one, everything is written really sharply and harshly, especially the sexual relationships. It’s different than the way sex is usually talked about and I loved that. I thought the use of technology (Craigslist, Twitter, phones in general) was necessary for this story, especially with a main character like Seth who is nonverbal – it allowed us to see more of his thoughts and POV, but still in the limited way that the rest of the characters saw it. Plus, it was a great little teaser glimpse into Lady’s mind as well. I love when books are up to date like this, reflecting on what it's like to actually live in the [digital] world of today. And it made the reading experience more immersive, which was cool.  The exploration of art, and what qualifies, was really out of the box. Normally, in stories about artists, the typical pieces are discussed, like photography, painting, etc. And we do get that here. But we also get to see conceptual art, art as performance, exploration, and statement. It’s different and creative and adds a dimension that is wholly original. It is also dark, judgmentally unsound, and definitely gets the reader thinking about what qualifies and how far it’s ok to go in the name of art. Relatedly, the “the most messed up people create the best art” trope was shown in an entirely new light here and I definitely respect and appreciate that perspective shift. I’ve also never read anything at all with a nonverbal character (at least not to the extent that Seth is) and that was a super interesting aspect. Last, to reiterate, I think the title is fantastic, and as we learn what it means and how it fits into the rest of the story, it proves to be an even more masterful pick.

However, there were a couple things that I was less impressed with. There was a lot of mother-daughter drama that seemed to come and go as needed by the plot, but never really took on a depth of feeling that fully justified characters’ decisions and choices (that were supposedly based on those relationships). Mainly though, it took me a little while to get into this book. Perhaps I wasn’t paying enough attention while reading, but for the first little bit, I kept confusing the S vs Lady narrated sections. There are many parallels in their lives (the mommy issues, for one, the art issues, for another) and it took me some time to get a handle on their separate stories. Although things definitely started moving once I got more into it, it never picked up like I was hoping. Plus, as I mentioned, it’s all beautifully interwoven and built up to a crescendo that ends up ringing somewhat anticlimactically (for me). It was all very uncomfortable and awkward to read about though (in a good way), so maybe that’s the point.

All in all, this was an entertaining, messy, slightly creepy, upscale suburban read. It addressed some common and some less explored themes, and presented a cast of very captivating, unlikable characters.

I received this book, in exchange for an honest review, courtesy of Blogging for Books and Hogarth.

Quotes:

“Language has two functions: to harm and to repair harm.” p.142

“The tequila was making me feel like a ballerina assassin…” p.181

“And yet, there were other days. On other day, he would roll into a ball under the covers and press his spine against my stomach, the joey to my kangaroo, and then he’d clap three times very quickly, which meant something like I’m comfortable, but also, I love you, but also, The dark is scary but not under to covers, but also, I’m afraid of death but not right now, and I know that if he had talked at that moment I would have pretended not to hear him.” p. 175

“I’d been stupid enough to believe that because I hated her I didn’t also love her.” p.242

“Once Devin had asked Lady if he could eat an entire cake himself on his birthday. She’d said yes because that was months away, he would never remember her promise, and it was easier than saying no.” p.284

This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.

“Women hold up half the sky.” -Chinese Proverb

This book is so important. So. Important. And I readily admit that I am completely and totally biased. This is exactly what I spent two full years studying while getting my MPH: Maternal and Child Health. But that bias does not make it any less important. It also doesn’t make it any less devastating to read. But that familiar mix of heartbreak and hope that was my Master’s degree is something that absolutely everyone should experience. And should periodically remind themselves of. Because even just a year out of school has done so much to distance me from that. I thank this book for the reminder and I fully recommend that everyone read it. Whether learning for the first time or refreshing, take a deep breath, do yourself a favor, and jump into Half the Sky.

I picked this up because after being out of school for about a year, I was really missing my MCH people. Well, this definitely brought it back. Kristof and WuDunn use a mix of individual stories, statistics and study results, and their own experiences to present the world with information on the deplorable conditions for so many women around the world. And they try to balance that with the myriad of people trying to help, the ways they’ve been successful, and suggestions for how to anyone (you) can get involved. The primary issues touched on are human trafficking and sexual slavery, maternal mortality (death during or after childbirth), lack of education for women, female genital cutting and mutilation (also, misleadingly, dubbed female circumcision), and the general misogyny that leads to physical, sexual, and emotional abuses of women in many forms that are so often defended by “tradition.” The stories presented represent communities and countries from all over the world, from Africa to the Middle East to Southeast Asia, and show the variety of oppression and submission that women face worldwide. (*Notably missing is any indication that things in the developed world are not perfect - I realize that it's perhaps a different type of oppression and is not the focal point of this book, but it is a disservice to women in those countries to not recognize it at all.*)  Many suggestions for explanations for these abuses are presented, along with examples of groups and individuals that have made a difference fighting against them, with a focus on local and grassroots level work. Like I said, a mix of heartbreak and hope that is unique, I feel, to those who work with women and children.

This book was written in an incredibly straightforward and hard-hitting way. And at times, the “high-brow” snark was real (and deserved). Although compassion was used when speaking with and about the women of the world, no punches were pulled in condemning their abusers (both those directly abusing and those who give tacit approval with their lack of efforts to intervene). There were some times where I felt statistics or examples were given with a little too much judgement, not towards individuals necessarily (though sometimes, especially towards the aggressors), but more towards the government and institutions that allow this state of things. And while I generally agree with the sentiment, perhaps that type of shame is not the best method of convincing them to take a stand. Plus, it's incredibly paternalistic for those from the "west" to speak like that. Then again, appearance really matters for governments and institutions... It is just important to make sure that the distinction in clear – the shame is on the larger groups and not the individuals, definitely never on the victims, but also often not even the aggressors. Recognizing the cultural and environmental aspects that lead to these conditions is key. Many of the stories were hard to hear, but mixed in with the almost textbook-like presentation of facts and figures, it was a necessary hard to hear piece. Personalizing and humanizing these situations, as they even mention at one point in the book, is what connects readers and others to a cause. It’s what, in the end, really makes the difference in the world's level of care and investment.

I personally loved many of the prevention and other public health heavy approaches, as opposed to treatment/reaction only, that were highlighted and discussed. For example, consider increased education as a baseline for better overall outcomes for women: smarter family planning, greater ability to contribute economically to the home (also read about microfinance programs), empowerment to stand up for themselves against physical/sexual abuses, and so many more. In many cases, programs that provide lunches, uniforms or sanitary products to female students will help convince their families to keep them in school and thus, in turn, give them the education that will help prevent any number of negative outcomes. Yes. So much yes. At the same time, there was a lot of assumption of privilege on behalf of the developed world (primarily Americans), and their capacity to afford spending time and money on this. Again though, on the whole, I respect that this book is about the terrible conditions for women internationally, not domestically, and thus the focus is elsewhere. I also liked how many local and indigenous women were highlighted for their good work in these areas, though I feel like perhaps the extent to which international aid was given credit was too high. It’s a joint effort, for sure, as both international resources and local knowledge and ideas are important and necessary to make positive changes for women worldwide, and there is a balance there. But there’s a fine line and I think often the focus skewed too much to the international aid. Perhaps that was the point though – this book was not written for the women living these lives, they already know their pain. Rather it was written for “westerners” to show us they we can help affect change, even if something seems like such an institution that nothing we do will ever change it. It just needs to be a priority.

Women’s rights are human rights. And it should be worth it, to all of us, everywhere, to fight to make that statement a reality for all women. This book put a human face on many issues that we too easily dismiss because they do not hit close enough to home. This book will open your eyes, hard. And your eyes should be opened. Bottom line, the content is what's important. So whether there are better written books on this topic out there (because there were many issues with the delivery), or not, reading this is better than not knowing about these issues at all. As a human, it should be worth it to you to fight for women, for humans, everywhere. That is something we should constantly be reminded of. Let us all work to ensure that one day, women truly do hold up half the sky.

I received a preview excerpt of the first few chapters of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first time I have ever read/reviewed an excerpt. It's a strange experience. I can say for sure that I enjoyed this first few chapters and DEFINITELY plan to read the rest of this book once it is published. It was a great and exciting start - already there is danger, a little romantic intrigue, beautifully begun world-building, multi-faceted characters that I am very interested in learning more about, and a fascinating pull on a mythical African-esque culture that I feel like is not widely enough represented in literature (in general, but also specifically in fantasy and YA fantasy).

I do hesitate to give a full 5 star review to the excerpt because I feel that I do not know enough at this this point. For one, as I mentioned, the world-building has started off really well (super and fantastically original). But there are a lot of details and I am still in the "learning" stage of reading this book. If it's fully rendered throughout the rest of the book then that will be fine (great, even), but depending on how much more we get (or not) will really affect my overall feel for the novel. I have similar feelings towards the character development. And honestly, plot-wise, so far it's definitely paced wonderfully, but it is possible that it's too run of the mill. It was fun to read, but nothing that hasn't been done before, in some way. So the way the characters and world get developed will be the greatest indicator of plot success (for me) and I don't have enough to go on there.

I realize that this is just an excerpt and so that's the nature of reading it, and it for sure peaked my interest enough that I WILL be finishing the book. So in that respect, it definitely did it's job! But for now, I will hedge my feelings with the 4-star review and look forward to hopefully bumping that up after I finish the rest!