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This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.
I have had every book that Marlon James has ever written on my TBR (and, for most of them, on my shelves) for years. I’ve heard his writing is amazing and the stories are intense and affecting, but for some reason this mood reader has just never been in the mood. And then BLRW was published. And it’s more my genre (fantasy) and then it was a National Book Award finalist this year. And I decided that it was (finally) time to try some James.
Tracker is known for his “nose,” his ability to locate and return lost objects (and people). When he is approached with a mission to find a young boy, he breaks his personal rule of working alone and finds himself on a team of like-minded (though practically very different in approach) hunters. It’s a group of strangers and outcasts, magically gifted and otherwise, and events escalate throughout the course of the book as Tracker learns that there is much more to this “lost boy” than he was originally told.
Whoa. To be honest, I am not even sure where to start with this review. This novel was incredibly complex, in ways both enjoyable and completely confusing. Let me start with the fact that I loved the combination of history, mythology, legend and culture that James creates. It’s atmospheric like almost nothing I have ever read before. And it’s also weird AF. The scope is massive, containing multiple worlds both real and imagined and a cast of characters that is long and detailed. It’s incredibly ambitious. And in a number of ways, I think James achieved what he set out to with that ambition. There were times when I got totally lost in the journey alongside Tracker and, for me, that’s always a mark of a well written novel. The development of the characters was skillful and incredibly detailed, while the world itself was richly imagined and lush in description.
However, on the other hand, I also felt overwhelmed from beginning to end. There were a many moments while reading (and I both listened to the audiobook – the narrator was phenomenal – and had a physical copy on hand for reference) that I simply got completely confused and lost. Monologues that went for minutes/pages that I couldn’t follow the meaning of, neither in general nor within the context of the story. And after finishing, I’m not even totally sure that mattered for my overall comprehension of the plot development or understanding of character arcs…which indicates to me that it wasn’t necessary in the first place. The “mystery” of the lost boy was very complicated, with numerous twists and turns and betrayals, that, because of the language, I didn’t always follow. And clearly neither did Tracker, because I often found him repeating the story to others that he met during the “hunt” to try and figure it all out himself – which helped me as a reader to follow, but if it was necessary that many times, maybe it wasn’t clearly enough described in the first place? Idk – maybe we were supposed to be confused and slowly learn alongside Tracker, which did happen, but in a way that I never truly felt I had a grasp on, which is a frustrating reading experience. Also, many of Tracker’s interpersonal relationships were….difficult (I definitely understood why he often worked alone). And that’s fine. But similar to the plot twists, the reasons why his relationships went bad were not always clear and I felt like I was constantly trying to reach for something just outside my intellectual grasp, which made for an exhausting reading experience. Plus, there was quite a heavy focus on gore, violence, sex (specifically, the penis) – it showed up constantly and consistently – to the extent that it began to feel gratuitous. And I was over it by the end. (*Side note – this is very poorly marketed and I think that’s a huge part of the reason for the general negative reviews and my personal misconceptions about what it’s about and the mindset I was in when I started to read this. If you’re looking for traditional epic fantasy…this is not it. It’s epic, but not in a remotely similar way to customary fantasy fare.*)
There may be spoilers here, so beware, but also, maybe not really, because I don’t think I could really spoil this book if I was trying to – it’s just not concrete enough for that. Anyways, after finishing I almost had to laugh a little. This massive book (24 hours of audiobook and over 600 pages) was literally like – a horror vampire/monster story? I have no idea what I was expecting, but that was not it. Now, kudos to James for taking what’s not usually an award-winning genre and creating something award-worthy (at least according to legit literary critics) with it. That’s impressive. But also, really? It’s like a giant joke on the serious literary community. (Also for the record, I do prefer my traditional and YA vampire stories.) Anyways, I thought it was really cool, truly fascinating, to see this popular “monster,” along with a number of other/additional monsters, from a new perspective, through the lens of African mythology and James’ imagination combined. It was unique and graphicly violent/creepy. And I appreciated the original spin. I also am definitely inspired to go look up other books based on/around African folklore, etc. (I’m open to any suggestions, if you want to drop them in a comment!)
So yea – I have so many thoughts and reactions to this novel that I am nowhere near unpacking. This review kinda skims the surface and hopefully gives you at least a little insight into what you’d be getting if you pick this up: disturbing monsters, long sections of world and character building, gorgeously flowing language and writing, a super complex set of relationships, violent interactions and torture (including of a sexual nature – beware of that), an indefinable plot, and in-depth exploration of Tracker’s character (though in a way that won’t ever fully make sense/be clear). I really enjoyed the cultural and magical influences and pieces of the story. And yet, I’m not even close to sold on the overall final product – there was just too much that I didn’t understand. It all felt elusive in a way that wasn’t worth the effort to pin down and I felt relieved when it was over (never a good sign). I will say that while I still plan to pick up a regular contemporary piece by James one day – there was enough here that I objectively understood as spectacular that I want to give him work another chance. But I don’t plan to read the rest of this trilogy – it won’t be worth it for me.
I have had every book that Marlon James has ever written on my TBR (and, for most of them, on my shelves) for years. I’ve heard his writing is amazing and the stories are intense and affecting, but for some reason this mood reader has just never been in the mood. And then BLRW was published. And it’s more my genre (fantasy) and then it was a National Book Award finalist this year. And I decided that it was (finally) time to try some James.
Tracker is known for his “nose,” his ability to locate and return lost objects (and people). When he is approached with a mission to find a young boy, he breaks his personal rule of working alone and finds himself on a team of like-minded (though practically very different in approach) hunters. It’s a group of strangers and outcasts, magically gifted and otherwise, and events escalate throughout the course of the book as Tracker learns that there is much more to this “lost boy” than he was originally told.
Whoa. To be honest, I am not even sure where to start with this review. This novel was incredibly complex, in ways both enjoyable and completely confusing. Let me start with the fact that I loved the combination of history, mythology, legend and culture that James creates. It’s atmospheric like almost nothing I have ever read before. And it’s also weird AF. The scope is massive, containing multiple worlds both real and imagined and a cast of characters that is long and detailed. It’s incredibly ambitious. And in a number of ways, I think James achieved what he set out to with that ambition. There were times when I got totally lost in the journey alongside Tracker and, for me, that’s always a mark of a well written novel. The development of the characters was skillful and incredibly detailed, while the world itself was richly imagined and lush in description.
However, on the other hand, I also felt overwhelmed from beginning to end. There were a many moments while reading (and I both listened to the audiobook – the narrator was phenomenal – and had a physical copy on hand for reference) that I simply got completely confused and lost. Monologues that went for minutes/pages that I couldn’t follow the meaning of, neither in general nor within the context of the story. And after finishing, I’m not even totally sure that mattered for my overall comprehension of the plot development or understanding of character arcs…which indicates to me that it wasn’t necessary in the first place. The “mystery” of the lost boy was very complicated, with numerous twists and turns and betrayals, that, because of the language, I didn’t always follow. And clearly neither did Tracker, because I often found him repeating the story to others that he met during the “hunt” to try and figure it all out himself – which helped me as a reader to follow, but if it was necessary that many times, maybe it wasn’t clearly enough described in the first place? Idk – maybe we were supposed to be confused and slowly learn alongside Tracker, which did happen, but in a way that I never truly felt I had a grasp on, which is a frustrating reading experience. Also, many of Tracker’s interpersonal relationships were….difficult (I definitely understood why he often worked alone). And that’s fine. But similar to the plot twists, the reasons why his relationships went bad were not always clear and I felt like I was constantly trying to reach for something just outside my intellectual grasp, which made for an exhausting reading experience. Plus, there was quite a heavy focus on gore, violence, sex (specifically, the penis) – it showed up constantly and consistently – to the extent that it began to feel gratuitous. And I was over it by the end. (*Side note – this is very poorly marketed and I think that’s a huge part of the reason for the general negative reviews and my personal misconceptions about what it’s about and the mindset I was in when I started to read this. If you’re looking for traditional epic fantasy…this is not it. It’s epic, but not in a remotely similar way to customary fantasy fare.*)
There may be spoilers here, so beware, but also, maybe not really, because I don’t think I could really spoil this book if I was trying to – it’s just not concrete enough for that. Anyways, after finishing I almost had to laugh a little. This massive book (24 hours of audiobook and over 600 pages) was literally like – a horror vampire/monster story? I have no idea what I was expecting, but that was not it. Now, kudos to James for taking what’s not usually an award-winning genre and creating something award-worthy (at least according to legit literary critics) with it. That’s impressive. But also, really? It’s like a giant joke on the serious literary community. (Also for the record, I do prefer my traditional and YA vampire stories.) Anyways, I thought it was really cool, truly fascinating, to see this popular “monster,” along with a number of other/additional monsters, from a new perspective, through the lens of African mythology and James’ imagination combined. It was unique and graphicly violent/creepy. And I appreciated the original spin. I also am definitely inspired to go look up other books based on/around African folklore, etc. (I’m open to any suggestions, if you want to drop them in a comment!)
So yea – I have so many thoughts and reactions to this novel that I am nowhere near unpacking. This review kinda skims the surface and hopefully gives you at least a little insight into what you’d be getting if you pick this up: disturbing monsters, long sections of world and character building, gorgeously flowing language and writing, a super complex set of relationships, violent interactions and torture (including of a sexual nature – beware of that), an indefinable plot, and in-depth exploration of Tracker’s character (though in a way that won’t ever fully make sense/be clear). I really enjoyed the cultural and magical influences and pieces of the story. And yet, I’m not even close to sold on the overall final product – there was just too much that I didn’t understand. It all felt elusive in a way that wasn’t worth the effort to pin down and I felt relieved when it was over (never a good sign). I will say that while I still plan to pick up a regular contemporary piece by James one day – there was enough here that I objectively understood as spectacular that I want to give him work another chance. But I don’t plan to read the rest of this trilogy – it won’t be worth it for me.
Another dive into the Harry Potter universe that was fun and enjoyably informative. This little book about the history of Quidditch covered early brooms, early broom games, the early days of Quidditch and how it’s changed over the years, common Quidditch fouls and strategies, the teams of Britain and the Isles, what Quidditch looks like around the world, and more. This was all very surface level information, which makes sense, as any more would have turned this entertaining little read into something more textbook/dry. Overall, my husband and I enjoyed reading this together before bed – learning more about the world of HP. In particular, we really loved the various snarky comments and sarcastic bits that were included, especially in some of “primary sources” (letters and such from throughout history that mention Quidditch as it progressed) and in the descriptions of high notes/points about the Quidditch teams of the Isle. Quick, easy and diverting read.
This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.
I’m not sure how much I’ve talked about this on the blog, but before I went back to school for my MPH, I did prenatal breastfeeding and childbirth education. And I loved it. It’s actually what prompted me to go back to school for public health. Anyways, the reason I bring that up is because it’s also what made me pick up this book. First, the pregnant ladies on the cover definitely caught my eye. And then, after reading the blurb, I knew that I wanted more.
Jane is an immigrant from the Philippines who has just separated from her husband and, with a young child to care for, is desperate for a good-paying job. Reagan is an idealistic, privileged white girl struggling to break free from her father’s expectations and her financial reliance on him. Mae is a powerful businesswoman, looking to further her career and reputation, and very much in control of everything in her life. Ate is Jane’s aunt, who gets Jane in touch with Mae and offers to help in any way necessary so that Jane can create the life she wants for her daughter. These characters/stories come together at Golden Oaks – the luxury resort Mae runs – where women (now including Jane and Reagan) stay for nine months while they are pampered and monitored closely as they gestate the perfect, healthy, babies for rich families who (for whatever reason) prefer to have their children through surrogates.
This novel was fascinating in a way that I’m finding really hard to put into words. Honestly, as I was reading it, I wasn’t all that impressed. I mean, the writing is great (absolutely), but with how interesting the setting/plot seemed after I read the blurb, I felt like it was all developing slowly, that nothing was really happening. The pacing was consistent and reasonable, but just not quite fast enough. There were a number of times where I felt like the info we were getting about each of these four female characters and their surroundings was maybe too much. Or, more accurately, not related enough to the plot. And yet, and yet…I find that now that I am done, I cannot stop thinking about it all. I am unable to pinpoint when exactly it happened, when I got hooked, but a moment definitely came when these characters all became incredibly real and I was swept away in their lives; not in an escapist way, but in a way that was more grounded. Like, I legitimately got to a point where I felt like these characters were straight real people – like I was reading nonfiction, watching a docudrama, or even as if they were acquaintances that I have in real life who were telling me a story about themselves. Their reactions, stresses, motivations, interactions, feelings, backgrounds all become achingly tangible as the story progresses and I am here for the slow-burn the author managed to write it all with. From the first page, things felt a little off. I mean, you know what’s coming, so that contributes to it, but truly it was more than that. And as things progress, the slow ramping up of my investment in the characters and the chilling vibes from the story itself (as the manipulations of the women staying at Golden Oaks are slowly revealed) combine to create an ambiance that has really not let go of me days later. Color me (slowly) very impressed.
As far as my thoughts on what the book accomplished regarding its main theme, the commodification of motherhood, and the surprise secondary theme, the endless quest for the ‘American Dream’ (by immigrant and native-born alike), I am deeply affected. And I think this quote from the Author’s Note sums it up better than many paragraphs of writing from myself could: “In many ways, The Farm is a culmination of a running dialogue I’ve had with myself for the past twenty-five years – about just desserts and luck, assimilation and otherness, class and family and sacrifice. I didn’t write it to come up with answers, because I don’t have them. Instead, the books is meant to explore – for myself, and hopefully for its readers too – questions of who we are, what we cherish, and how we see those who are different from ourselves.” And it did all that and more. Some additional things I want to point out (or emphasize) are as follows. Primarily, the exploration of the vast cognitive distances between what people will act on/for (or understand others acting on/for) in line with their own personal belief systems (money, morality, motherhood, etc.) was so well developed. Getting to see many of the major life-changing decisions and reasonings from both the characters’ own perspectives (including the many explanations/rationalizations) as well as from outside perspectives, really helped clarify and shine a sharp light on these differences. Also, these varying perspectives of events was very illuminating in allowing us to see exactly how the different backgrounds and motivations for each character affected their decisions (and therefore the entire direction of the plot) when logic went out the window and emotions took over. I mentioned this earlier and I must reiterate it here, the subtlety with which the author manages this is profound – I barely realized how well it was being communicated until it was over and I was left stewing in it all (in a good, not gross, way).
Although there were some plot points that seemed less likely/realistic than others (particularly, in my opinion, many of Mae’s actions regarding Jane in the Epilogue), I think those are all, in the end, secondary. This is definitely an example of a book where the substance is in the issues, not the plot. It was so much more reflective and penetrating than I was expecting it to be (more psychological thriller than outright speculative horror, if you will). It’s also particularly affecting that while this is presented as a dystopian type story, it is one which, if you told me underground businesses like this were already underway, I would be not at all surprised. That element of likelihood/possibility that adds extra layers of intensity to the overall vibe, message and importance of this novel – an unexpectedly biting social commentary about the morality and consequences of making women’s bodies even more of a commodity than they already are.
I’m not sure how much I’ve talked about this on the blog, but before I went back to school for my MPH, I did prenatal breastfeeding and childbirth education. And I loved it. It’s actually what prompted me to go back to school for public health. Anyways, the reason I bring that up is because it’s also what made me pick up this book. First, the pregnant ladies on the cover definitely caught my eye. And then, after reading the blurb, I knew that I wanted more.
Jane is an immigrant from the Philippines who has just separated from her husband and, with a young child to care for, is desperate for a good-paying job. Reagan is an idealistic, privileged white girl struggling to break free from her father’s expectations and her financial reliance on him. Mae is a powerful businesswoman, looking to further her career and reputation, and very much in control of everything in her life. Ate is Jane’s aunt, who gets Jane in touch with Mae and offers to help in any way necessary so that Jane can create the life she wants for her daughter. These characters/stories come together at Golden Oaks – the luxury resort Mae runs – where women (now including Jane and Reagan) stay for nine months while they are pampered and monitored closely as they gestate the perfect, healthy, babies for rich families who (for whatever reason) prefer to have their children through surrogates.
This novel was fascinating in a way that I’m finding really hard to put into words. Honestly, as I was reading it, I wasn’t all that impressed. I mean, the writing is great (absolutely), but with how interesting the setting/plot seemed after I read the blurb, I felt like it was all developing slowly, that nothing was really happening. The pacing was consistent and reasonable, but just not quite fast enough. There were a number of times where I felt like the info we were getting about each of these four female characters and their surroundings was maybe too much. Or, more accurately, not related enough to the plot. And yet, and yet…I find that now that I am done, I cannot stop thinking about it all. I am unable to pinpoint when exactly it happened, when I got hooked, but a moment definitely came when these characters all became incredibly real and I was swept away in their lives; not in an escapist way, but in a way that was more grounded. Like, I legitimately got to a point where I felt like these characters were straight real people – like I was reading nonfiction, watching a docudrama, or even as if they were acquaintances that I have in real life who were telling me a story about themselves. Their reactions, stresses, motivations, interactions, feelings, backgrounds all become achingly tangible as the story progresses and I am here for the slow-burn the author managed to write it all with. From the first page, things felt a little off. I mean, you know what’s coming, so that contributes to it, but truly it was more than that. And as things progress, the slow ramping up of my investment in the characters and the chilling vibes from the story itself (as the manipulations of the women staying at Golden Oaks are slowly revealed) combine to create an ambiance that has really not let go of me days later. Color me (slowly) very impressed.
As far as my thoughts on what the book accomplished regarding its main theme, the commodification of motherhood, and the surprise secondary theme, the endless quest for the ‘American Dream’ (by immigrant and native-born alike), I am deeply affected. And I think this quote from the Author’s Note sums it up better than many paragraphs of writing from myself could: “In many ways, The Farm is a culmination of a running dialogue I’ve had with myself for the past twenty-five years – about just desserts and luck, assimilation and otherness, class and family and sacrifice. I didn’t write it to come up with answers, because I don’t have them. Instead, the books is meant to explore – for myself, and hopefully for its readers too – questions of who we are, what we cherish, and how we see those who are different from ourselves.” And it did all that and more. Some additional things I want to point out (or emphasize) are as follows. Primarily, the exploration of the vast cognitive distances between what people will act on/for (or understand others acting on/for) in line with their own personal belief systems (money, morality, motherhood, etc.) was so well developed. Getting to see many of the major life-changing decisions and reasonings from both the characters’ own perspectives (including the many explanations/rationalizations) as well as from outside perspectives, really helped clarify and shine a sharp light on these differences. Also, these varying perspectives of events was very illuminating in allowing us to see exactly how the different backgrounds and motivations for each character affected their decisions (and therefore the entire direction of the plot) when logic went out the window and emotions took over. I mentioned this earlier and I must reiterate it here, the subtlety with which the author manages this is profound – I barely realized how well it was being communicated until it was over and I was left stewing in it all (in a good, not gross, way).
Although there were some plot points that seemed less likely/realistic than others (particularly, in my opinion, many of Mae’s actions regarding Jane in the Epilogue), I think those are all, in the end, secondary. This is definitely an example of a book where the substance is in the issues, not the plot. It was so much more reflective and penetrating than I was expecting it to be (more psychological thriller than outright speculative horror, if you will). It’s also particularly affecting that while this is presented as a dystopian type story, it is one which, if you told me underground businesses like this were already underway, I would be not at all surprised. That element of likelihood/possibility that adds extra layers of intensity to the overall vibe, message and importance of this novel – an unexpectedly biting social commentary about the morality and consequences of making women’s bodies even more of a commodity than they already are.
This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.
“Just say ok.”
I picked this one up because I was in the mood for a contemporary romance (this has been happening a lot lately and I’m not mad about it) and one of my favorite romance bookstagrammers (whose recs have never led me wrong yet), @diaryofaclosetreader, had raved about it.
Kristen is helping her best friend plan her dream wedding, while also handling a long-distance relationship, running her own business, and keeping a major medical secret (she’s planned to have a necessary procedure that will make having children impossible). Josh is also supporting his best friend, who is about to get married, while just having moved to California from the Midwest after breaking up with his long-term girlfriend. When Kristen and Josh have their meet cute, and they realize they’re going to have to spend a lot of time together helping with their best friends’ wedding to each other, they start to realize how compatible they are. Like, super compatible. Josh’s many sisters helped prepare him for Kristen’s moods and hangry-ness and no-drama snark, while Kristen appreciates Josh’s sense of humor, ability to feed her, and the fact that her dog (Stuntman Mike) loves him. But Josh wants a huge family…and Kristen knows that’s the one thing she can’t give him.
Whoa, this was fantastic. While I don’t think there’s a romance that will out-strip my feelings about Red, White and Royal Blue (maybe ever), this was a close second favorite of the year. From the first page I was drawn into the chemistry between Kristen and Josh, their dialogue is phenomenal (and, again, I’ll remind you how much good dialogue matters to me) and their general manners with each other are so fun. Also, I really appreciate how both of them are fairly open with themselves about how they feel, recognizing potential pitfalls and emotional snare-ups (even if they don’t always handle them or communicate with each other about them quite as well). But the fact that they don’t lie to themselves is something I liked a lot. Along these lines, I loved the respect they showed each other throughout – there were points where things could have gone questionably (like with Kristen’s boyfriend being so far away to start) and it would have turned me off. But it was handled so well. And it gave a very real and realistic way for Kristen and Josh to be friends first, before anything else, which is one of my favorite romance tropes. And then past that, once the friends turned to more, the physical heat was both well written and fun to read, and the moving forwards was well-paced. There were very authentically written forwards and backwards steps, both for internal and external reasons, that rang true and made me feel deeply for both Kristen and Josh (so many freaking tears, both happy and sad) and had me totally and completely invested in them both.
The big, obvious, other thing to mention, other than the writing and the plot being really nicely done, is the focus on infertility. This is such a major, extremely under-talked-about, much more common than people think health issue for women (for more: https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/infertility/burden/en/). I cannot say enough how grateful I am to Jimenez for tackling this issue in a contemporary romance like this. (I’ve only ever seen it addressed in more intense, “high-brow” if you will, literary fiction, which really limits who will see and definitely doesn’t fully represent its prevalence or do justice to its pervasiveness.) It’s so important for women to see themselves and the real issues they deal with in literature. And it’s just as important to give visibility to these issues for the rest of us, so that we can start recognizing them and talking about them more widely…because one of the biggest complications between Kristen and Josh is that Kristen is so afraid/ashamed to tell Josh about her procedure. Both of them go through a great deal of heartache because Kristen is convinced that without the ability to bear his child, she isn’t good enough for him. (This is absolutely confounded by the way Kristen’s mother treats her, of course, which is another aspect of this story that I enjoyed, as it really gave Kristen’s personality and actions quite a bit of depth, but that’s sort of besides the rest of the point I’m making.) Anyways, long story short, that so not true, SO not true, and it really hurt to read Kristen saying it to herself over and over. If this book helps just one woman feel more empowered to speak about her infertility and reproductive issues, and know that she deserves everything she wants in life regardless of those concerns, than I am even more here for this book.
[Side note here: I do not have children. I don't want to. Personal choice. So I have never tried and therefore I don't know my own fertility status. So take my review and the following thoughts with this grain of salt in mind. I have read reviews from women who do struggle with infertility that say the way this ended isn't realistic for women with fertility issues and it ruined a good thing. I totally understand that. And I don't necessarily disagree. But also worth noting is that Jimenez talks in the "afterward" about how she based the entire story on her friend's situation, so it does happen this way for some women. And to that end, it's important to remember that any book is one of a million different perspectives or ways a situation can play out. Just because this was one person's experience, doesn't invalidate any others. And I also want to say that the general message about Kristen learning to love herself and feel her own worth, separate from child-bearing ability, should still stand, because the "off" part of the ending happens after Kristen and Josh makes their promises and plans with Kristen's infertility in mind. I feel like ignoring that is also detrimental. Anyways, there are my "not affected by this issue and therefore not really qualified to have a full opinion" two cents, for what it's worth.]
There are a few other plot points that I didn’t really talk about at all. One major one came as a massive surprise to me (truly, it blind-sided me) and, to be honest, having no idea it was coming really made it hit harder, in a way that made the reading experience that much better (and by better, I mean extremely emotional). So, I’m not going to mention anything about it here, so you can enjoy the same experience. You’re welcome. [Again, I've seen mixed reviews on the plot device in question, and no doubt it sucks, but also, it's a thing that happens...this I can speak from experience on, secondarily, but still. It's harsh and awful, but sometimes life happens like that and criticizing it as a writing "trope" doesn't change that reality, even if it's hard to imagine/read.]
But really, I just have to say that this was one of the most wonderfully real, un-put-down-able, emotional roller coasters of a book that I have read in the past couple months. Kristen and Josh were such great characters, with natural-feeling lives and backgrounds, and super compelling as a couple. I was rooting for them from the beginning and loved the way their relationship developed and changed and dealt with all the obstacles it encountered. This book hit me in my feels in so many ways and I loved every second of it.
“‘You know what the trick to dealing with family is? I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. […] Marrying your best friend. […] You marry your best friend, and at family gatherings you deal with your shitty relatives together. You laugh about it and have each other’s backs. Share looks and text each other from across the room when everyone else is being an asshole. And nobody else really matters because you have your own universe. […] That’s what I want. I want someone to be my universe.’”
“Just say ok.”
I picked this one up because I was in the mood for a contemporary romance (this has been happening a lot lately and I’m not mad about it) and one of my favorite romance bookstagrammers (whose recs have never led me wrong yet), @diaryofaclosetreader, had raved about it.
Kristen is helping her best friend plan her dream wedding, while also handling a long-distance relationship, running her own business, and keeping a major medical secret (she’s planned to have a necessary procedure that will make having children impossible). Josh is also supporting his best friend, who is about to get married, while just having moved to California from the Midwest after breaking up with his long-term girlfriend. When Kristen and Josh have their meet cute, and they realize they’re going to have to spend a lot of time together helping with their best friends’ wedding to each other, they start to realize how compatible they are. Like, super compatible. Josh’s many sisters helped prepare him for Kristen’s moods and hangry-ness and no-drama snark, while Kristen appreciates Josh’s sense of humor, ability to feed her, and the fact that her dog (Stuntman Mike) loves him. But Josh wants a huge family…and Kristen knows that’s the one thing she can’t give him.
Whoa, this was fantastic. While I don’t think there’s a romance that will out-strip my feelings about Red, White and Royal Blue (maybe ever), this was a close second favorite of the year. From the first page I was drawn into the chemistry between Kristen and Josh, their dialogue is phenomenal (and, again, I’ll remind you how much good dialogue matters to me) and their general manners with each other are so fun. Also, I really appreciate how both of them are fairly open with themselves about how they feel, recognizing potential pitfalls and emotional snare-ups (even if they don’t always handle them or communicate with each other about them quite as well). But the fact that they don’t lie to themselves is something I liked a lot. Along these lines, I loved the respect they showed each other throughout – there were points where things could have gone questionably (like with Kristen’s boyfriend being so far away to start) and it would have turned me off. But it was handled so well. And it gave a very real and realistic way for Kristen and Josh to be friends first, before anything else, which is one of my favorite romance tropes. And then past that, once the friends turned to more, the physical heat was both well written and fun to read, and the moving forwards was well-paced. There were very authentically written forwards and backwards steps, both for internal and external reasons, that rang true and made me feel deeply for both Kristen and Josh (so many freaking tears, both happy and sad) and had me totally and completely invested in them both.
The big, obvious, other thing to mention, other than the writing and the plot being really nicely done, is the focus on infertility. This is such a major, extremely under-talked-about, much more common than people think health issue for women (for more: https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/infertility/burden/en/). I cannot say enough how grateful I am to Jimenez for tackling this issue in a contemporary romance like this. (I’ve only ever seen it addressed in more intense, “high-brow” if you will, literary fiction, which really limits who will see and definitely doesn’t fully represent its prevalence or do justice to its pervasiveness.) It’s so important for women to see themselves and the real issues they deal with in literature. And it’s just as important to give visibility to these issues for the rest of us, so that we can start recognizing them and talking about them more widely…because one of the biggest complications between Kristen and Josh is that Kristen is so afraid/ashamed to tell Josh about her procedure. Both of them go through a great deal of heartache because Kristen is convinced that without the ability to bear his child, she isn’t good enough for him. (This is absolutely confounded by the way Kristen’s mother treats her, of course, which is another aspect of this story that I enjoyed, as it really gave Kristen’s personality and actions quite a bit of depth, but that’s sort of besides the rest of the point I’m making.) Anyways, long story short, that so not true, SO not true, and it really hurt to read Kristen saying it to herself over and over. If this book helps just one woman feel more empowered to speak about her infertility and reproductive issues, and know that she deserves everything she wants in life regardless of those concerns, than I am even more here for this book.
[Side note here: I do not have children. I don't want to. Personal choice. So I have never tried and therefore I don't know my own fertility status. So take my review and the following thoughts with this grain of salt in mind. I have read reviews from women who do struggle with infertility that say the way this ended isn't realistic for women with fertility issues and it ruined a good thing. I totally understand that. And I don't necessarily disagree. But also worth noting is that Jimenez talks in the "afterward" about how she based the entire story on her friend's situation, so it does happen this way for some women. And to that end, it's important to remember that any book is one of a million different perspectives or ways a situation can play out. Just because this was one person's experience, doesn't invalidate any others. And I also want to say that the general message about Kristen learning to love herself and feel her own worth, separate from child-bearing ability, should still stand, because the "off" part of the ending happens after Kristen and Josh makes their promises and plans with Kristen's infertility in mind. I feel like ignoring that is also detrimental. Anyways, there are my "not affected by this issue and therefore not really qualified to have a full opinion" two cents, for what it's worth.]
There are a few other plot points that I didn’t really talk about at all. One major one came as a massive surprise to me (truly, it blind-sided me) and, to be honest, having no idea it was coming really made it hit harder, in a way that made the reading experience that much better (and by better, I mean extremely emotional). So, I’m not going to mention anything about it here, so you can enjoy the same experience. You’re welcome. [Again, I've seen mixed reviews on the plot device in question, and no doubt it sucks, but also, it's a thing that happens...this I can speak from experience on, secondarily, but still. It's harsh and awful, but sometimes life happens like that and criticizing it as a writing "trope" doesn't change that reality, even if it's hard to imagine/read.]
But really, I just have to say that this was one of the most wonderfully real, un-put-down-able, emotional roller coasters of a book that I have read in the past couple months. Kristen and Josh were such great characters, with natural-feeling lives and backgrounds, and super compelling as a couple. I was rooting for them from the beginning and loved the way their relationship developed and changed and dealt with all the obstacles it encountered. This book hit me in my feels in so many ways and I loved every second of it.
“‘You know what the trick to dealing with family is? I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. […] Marrying your best friend. […] You marry your best friend, and at family gatherings you deal with your shitty relatives together. You laugh about it and have each other’s backs. Share looks and text each other from across the room when everyone else is being an asshole. And nobody else really matters because you have your own universe. […] That’s what I want. I want someone to be my universe.’”
This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.
There are so many freaking reasons why I picked up this book: the cover (gorgeous), the title (so good), the description (so unique and, though I’m not personally a gamer, it sounded fascinating), and very importantly, Black women in STEM (phenomenally necessary YA rep). Anyways, not to give too big of a spoiler for the actual review, but all my intuition about this one was spot on, and it was AMAZING!
Kiera Johnson is, as far as everyone knows, an “everyday” smart young Black girl attending a predominately white high school outside Seattle. What no one knows though, is that she’s also, secretly the co-developer of the online VR role-playing card game SLAY – where Black gamers worldwide congregate to play together and celebrate Black culture and greatness in a virtual safe space. However, Kiera’s life is thrown into upheaval when the game spills into the real world, a young Black boy is murdered, and a spotlight is shown on SLAY. Dealing with potential lawsuits in the real world and infiltration (and worse) by an anonymous online troll in SLAY, Kiera has to decide who to trust and how to own her personal definition of Black Greatness.
So, I spoiled it already, I know, but OMG this book was SO GOOD! I know very little about gaming, of any kind (unless you count Harry Potter board games), so that entire aspect of the book was new to me. And I enjoyed learning about that world and how it works. I also appreciated the insight into how the under-representation and discrimination of real life plays out in that sphere. It doesn’t come as a surprise (which is sad enough on its own), but I am glad that I have a better understanding of it now. To build on that slightly, Morris does a fantastic job illustrating in a clear, objective, and impossible to argue with way (not that you should want or try to argue it, but one of the main points of the book is that many people do) the reality of living as a minority, specifically a Black girl/woman – what you get asked, what’s expected of you, how you must (or must not) act, who you’re presumed to speak for/represent, and all the myriad other little day-to-day ways in which it cumulatively adds up to being overwhelming and impossible. I’ve read a number of nonfiction books recently that delve into the Black experience in America in detailed philosophical ways (Sister Outsider, when they call you a terrorist, and Eloquent Rage, to name a few), which have been enlightening and important for my personal growth in understanding and empathy, and Morris takes many of the greater points made in those collections and distills them down into more digestible (probably not the right word choice, but I’m struggling to find a better one right now) pieces. She gives that information to the reader in different ways from a variety of different characters, mainly Kiera and her sister, though there are other voices as well, in a presentation method that shows how they are lived/experienced in real life, by real people. It’s done spot on for a YA book and really many adults could benefit from reading the way Morris writes it here, with clarity and candidness. In this same vein, sort of, one of my favorite little “extras” included in this novel are the chapters sprinkled throughout that demonstrate the ways that SLAY, it’s existence alone, and the safe space it creates, is so important – the breadth and variety of the gamers whose interactions with SLAY are highlighted shows so clearly how necessary and important these types of safe spaces are for the lives and mental health of, in this case, Black people worldwide.
As far as the plot itself, it really was as interesting and unique as I had been hoping for. The entire premise is unlike anything I had ever read before and it unfolded with fantastic pacing and edge-of-your-seat tension (like seriously, I had major anticipation anxiety, in the best way, throughout most of the novel). I felt all of Kiera’s guilt and sorrow for the death of her fellow SLAY-er, all her fear when her creation might be tainted or taken away from her, and all her pride and excitement when the SLAY community rallied around her/shared their stories of how important SLAY was to them. Honestly, it was a roller coaster of emotions and I loved every page of it. There was one plot point, as part of the big internet troll denouement moment, that felt just a little too convenient/coincidental. But it was key in helping Kiera learn to fully own herself, and in her relationship with her sister, so as far as overall message, it’s ok. Just a little too easy plot-wise.
Anyways, I also have to say that the sense of self-empowerment that Kiera feels at the end, and Morris’ message about how being a strong Black woman looks different for everyone and you have to find and own your own definition, was spectacular and uplifting. There are so many people telling Kiera how to act, or how not to act, all throughout the novel, and when she finally decides to take the parts from each of them that work for her, and create something all her own – I literally could not love it more. And then, the way those closest to her, the family and friends that truly/actually support her, accept her completely for that…well, that’s almost an even more important message, about surrounding yourself with the right people (and how to be that right person for someone else). I don’t know how many more times/ways I can say it, but this book was utterly brilliant!
Some small side note things that I noticed while reading and are adorable enough that I cannot not mention them. First, the cover art looks exactly like what I would guess the author herself looked like in high school (if her author photo on the back flap is anything to go by) and that has got my heart near to bursting. Also, every chapter title has the word “game” in it – what a fun, cute bonus.
I know this book wasn’t written for me (I’m neither Black nor a woman in STEM), so take my thoughts and review with the appropriate grain(s) of salt and in the “personal reactions” spirit in which they were written. But I do have to say, for the record, that it not being written for me doesn’t stop it from being really important for me to have read it. And it absolutely didn’t stop me from learning and being entertained AF from start to finish. What a phenomenal debut, to be able to teach and divert and celebrate Blackness in equal measure. Just INCREDIBLE!
“Who doesn’t want to have a world at their fingertips – where you can do whatever you want within the limits of the game, where your actions have no consequences, and where you can hide behind a keyboard without being held accountable for what you say and do? Everyone wants that freedom.”
“…there’s an understanding that ‘your Black is not my Black’ and ‘your weird is not my weird’ and ‘your beautiful is not my beautiful,’ and that’s okay.”
“…made me realize another threat to my people, one that’s less obvious, on that creeps in slowly like a disease. The threat of self-hatred. The idea that Black people who don’t live up to whatever standards society has are somehow less deserving of love and support. […] Fuck respectability politics.”
There are so many freaking reasons why I picked up this book: the cover (gorgeous), the title (so good), the description (so unique and, though I’m not personally a gamer, it sounded fascinating), and very importantly, Black women in STEM (phenomenally necessary YA rep). Anyways, not to give too big of a spoiler for the actual review, but all my intuition about this one was spot on, and it was AMAZING!
Kiera Johnson is, as far as everyone knows, an “everyday” smart young Black girl attending a predominately white high school outside Seattle. What no one knows though, is that she’s also, secretly the co-developer of the online VR role-playing card game SLAY – where Black gamers worldwide congregate to play together and celebrate Black culture and greatness in a virtual safe space. However, Kiera’s life is thrown into upheaval when the game spills into the real world, a young Black boy is murdered, and a spotlight is shown on SLAY. Dealing with potential lawsuits in the real world and infiltration (and worse) by an anonymous online troll in SLAY, Kiera has to decide who to trust and how to own her personal definition of Black Greatness.
So, I spoiled it already, I know, but OMG this book was SO GOOD! I know very little about gaming, of any kind (unless you count Harry Potter board games), so that entire aspect of the book was new to me. And I enjoyed learning about that world and how it works. I also appreciated the insight into how the under-representation and discrimination of real life plays out in that sphere. It doesn’t come as a surprise (which is sad enough on its own), but I am glad that I have a better understanding of it now. To build on that slightly, Morris does a fantastic job illustrating in a clear, objective, and impossible to argue with way (not that you should want or try to argue it, but one of the main points of the book is that many people do) the reality of living as a minority, specifically a Black girl/woman – what you get asked, what’s expected of you, how you must (or must not) act, who you’re presumed to speak for/represent, and all the myriad other little day-to-day ways in which it cumulatively adds up to being overwhelming and impossible. I’ve read a number of nonfiction books recently that delve into the Black experience in America in detailed philosophical ways (Sister Outsider, when they call you a terrorist, and Eloquent Rage, to name a few), which have been enlightening and important for my personal growth in understanding and empathy, and Morris takes many of the greater points made in those collections and distills them down into more digestible (probably not the right word choice, but I’m struggling to find a better one right now) pieces. She gives that information to the reader in different ways from a variety of different characters, mainly Kiera and her sister, though there are other voices as well, in a presentation method that shows how they are lived/experienced in real life, by real people. It’s done spot on for a YA book and really many adults could benefit from reading the way Morris writes it here, with clarity and candidness. In this same vein, sort of, one of my favorite little “extras” included in this novel are the chapters sprinkled throughout that demonstrate the ways that SLAY, it’s existence alone, and the safe space it creates, is so important – the breadth and variety of the gamers whose interactions with SLAY are highlighted shows so clearly how necessary and important these types of safe spaces are for the lives and mental health of, in this case, Black people worldwide.
As far as the plot itself, it really was as interesting and unique as I had been hoping for. The entire premise is unlike anything I had ever read before and it unfolded with fantastic pacing and edge-of-your-seat tension (like seriously, I had major anticipation anxiety, in the best way, throughout most of the novel). I felt all of Kiera’s guilt and sorrow for the death of her fellow SLAY-er, all her fear when her creation might be tainted or taken away from her, and all her pride and excitement when the SLAY community rallied around her/shared their stories of how important SLAY was to them. Honestly, it was a roller coaster of emotions and I loved every page of it. There was one plot point, as part of the big internet troll denouement moment, that felt just a little too convenient/coincidental. But it was key in helping Kiera learn to fully own herself, and in her relationship with her sister, so as far as overall message, it’s ok. Just a little too easy plot-wise.
Anyways, I also have to say that the sense of self-empowerment that Kiera feels at the end, and Morris’ message about how being a strong Black woman looks different for everyone and you have to find and own your own definition, was spectacular and uplifting. There are so many people telling Kiera how to act, or how not to act, all throughout the novel, and when she finally decides to take the parts from each of them that work for her, and create something all her own – I literally could not love it more. And then, the way those closest to her, the family and friends that truly/actually support her, accept her completely for that…well, that’s almost an even more important message, about surrounding yourself with the right people (and how to be that right person for someone else). I don’t know how many more times/ways I can say it, but this book was utterly brilliant!
Some small side note things that I noticed while reading and are adorable enough that I cannot not mention them. First, the cover art looks exactly like what I would guess the author herself looked like in high school (if her author photo on the back flap is anything to go by) and that has got my heart near to bursting. Also, every chapter title has the word “game” in it – what a fun, cute bonus.
I know this book wasn’t written for me (I’m neither Black nor a woman in STEM), so take my thoughts and review with the appropriate grain(s) of salt and in the “personal reactions” spirit in which they were written. But I do have to say, for the record, that it not being written for me doesn’t stop it from being really important for me to have read it. And it absolutely didn’t stop me from learning and being entertained AF from start to finish. What a phenomenal debut, to be able to teach and divert and celebrate Blackness in equal measure. Just INCREDIBLE!
“Who doesn’t want to have a world at their fingertips – where you can do whatever you want within the limits of the game, where your actions have no consequences, and where you can hide behind a keyboard without being held accountable for what you say and do? Everyone wants that freedom.”
“…there’s an understanding that ‘your Black is not my Black’ and ‘your weird is not my weird’ and ‘your beautiful is not my beautiful,’ and that’s okay.”
“…made me realize another threat to my people, one that’s less obvious, on that creeps in slowly like a disease. The threat of self-hatred. The idea that Black people who don’t live up to whatever standards society has are somehow less deserving of love and support. […] Fuck respectability politics.”
This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.
This one has been on my TBR since it came out. So. Really not that long, but many great reviews and lots of award nominations made me want to read it ASAP. In fact, it’s on the longlist for the Aspen Prize for Literature, which, after hearing about this award for the first time last year, has basically immediately become my favorite. The books that make its’ longlist have been some of the most diverse that I’ve seen and I loved all the ones I read from it last year. So this year I’m making it a goal to read as many as possible (within reason/within my mood-reader limits). Regardless, this is one I knew I wanted to read but none of my libraries has it (yes, I belong to more than one) which is insane to me since it was also National Book Award long listed and I live in a super open/liberal community. I mean, UGH. Anyways, I requested that all my libraries buy it and stalked their catalogues til I saw one had done so. I immediately added it to my holds list and, in a situation that I have some big nerd pride in, I think I was the very first person to get it checked out.
I always review each short story in a collection as I read it…it helps me keep track of them (which gets hard when in the space of meeting one set of characters and setting and plot, normally, we meet 10-15) and spot themes and report back both individual and overall impressions. Anyways, enjoy these little blurb reviews and pull quotes or scroll to the bottom for my overall/finishing impressions.
Sugar Babies – What an opener to set the tone. Atmospheric in a desolate sort of way, Fajardo-Anstine’s language and style are such that the words she writes just seep into your bones. This is a lovely little story with some observations on motherhood that get you thinking, but nothing too heavy topically, so it's interesting, and a testament to the writing, that I feel so weighed down by it after finishing. "Sometimes a person’s unhappiness can make them forget they are a part of something bigger, something like a family, a people, even a tribe.”
Sabrina & Corina – It’s only the second in the collection, but I can see why this one is the titular story already. This one hits hard in the gut, looking at the intergenerational cycle of violence against women and the trapped hopelessness and choice-less-ness it inspires. Quietly unforgiving, this story leaves behind a longing and tragic feeling in the pit of your stomach. “People will find the loveliest part of you and try to make it ugly. And they will do anything […] to own that piece of you.”
Sisters ¬– This story too focuses on, but with a less oblique look than the previous story, violence against women. Looking at the way a woman’s worth is measured by whether or not she can get a man, that settling in order to be “taken care of” is not only alright but potentially all that matters. And finally, a metaphorical commentary on the fact that this type of violence is so commonplace, and the narrative so owned by the abusers, that it’s not objected to or questioned at all anymore. Deeply disturbing. “…I think even the ugly things deserve a chance to live. It’s just about making sure things can live together without destroying each other.”
Remedies¬¬ – I love reading about home/traditional remedies for ailments. I’m not sure why, or what it is that appeals to me, but I’ve always loved when those are thrown into stories. So, I loved that aspect of this one. Other than that, the insidiousness of lice, as a metaphor (as I read it) for the nature of the aftermath women are left with at the hands of rotten/deficient men, was executed beautifully here. And as a side note, I loved the ending of this story, and the especially little “nice hair” moment that half-bother and sister shared, years later.
Julian Plaza ¬– A heartbreaking little story about two young girls slowly losing their mother to breast cancer. Exploring how children must grow up too fast under these tragic types of circumstances and the unreal strain such drawn-out illness place on families already struggling with/walking the line of poverty (and the things they must resort to, in order to survive the circumstances). Not my favorite story of the collection, but still a moving snapshot of family, specifically mother-daughter, connection and loss.
Galapago – This story seemed quieter than the rest, for some reason. There was less obvious force behind it, but that made it all the more emotionally impactful, at least for me. A beautiful look at intergenerational family love and loss and making the best memories with what you have. Also, important insight into the harshness and danger of daily life in low socioeconomic areas and the lasting impacts of segregation, both purposefully historically and thus institutionalized as the norm today. So sweetly sad…this one got my heart. “All of it junk, and all of it precious.”
Cheesman Park – This was a really sad one, the deep and abiding sadness that seeps into your soul and makes you cold from the inside out; the sadness of grief and pain and loss and loneliness, both internal and external. Looking at love and loneliness and all the different ways you can find/experience one or both, and what you’re willing to live through in order to have them. And again, as is clearly the primary theme for this collection, violence against women, the cultural acceptance of it, and what it does to the women who experience it, is woven in to every aspect. “Time didn’t feel as long or wasteful in the company of another woman.” “Age has nothing to do with sadness.” “…I didn’t worry so much about being loved.”
Tomi - Intergenerational violence. Childhood trauma. Limited choices and even fewer ways to deal with that reality. Heartbreaking. But this story was also full of more hope than many of the others. There were some truly sweet and poignant moments when the narrator helps her nephew, Tomi, with his reading, and the way her brothers (Tomi’s father) is there for her because family. This one was really about there being a way out of the dark, even if it’s long and hard, and it was uplifting in an understated and perfectly ordinary way.
Any Further West – Whoa. I honestly think the emotion in this story is the most powerful of the entire collection. The personification of addiction, mental illness, the results of the life you’re born into, the coping mechanisms that you fall into, and the intergenerational struggles of mothers and daughters, the powerlessness from lack of options and the way it’s taken advantage of, was so harsh it was tangible here. I don’t know how else to describe it, but wow. And this passage from the end basically sums up the feeling of this entire collection so accurately: “That’s when I knew she was forever caught in her own undercurrent, bouncing from one deep swell to the next. She would never lift me out of that sea. She would never pause to fill her lungs with air. Soon the world would yank her chainof sadness against every shore, every rock, every glass-filled beach, leaving nothing but the broken hull of a drowned woman.”
All Her Names – This one was short, but important in getting to its point. There are so many stories in this collection about daughters (and sons) abandoned by mothers. So the main character’s choices here are key…what harm would growing up unwanted do, that not being given the chance to grow up might protect from. It’s not about age or circumstance, but amount the want – and is especially impactful after having read most of the rest of the stories here. And again, the inclusion of traditional/home remedies was a detail I really liked.
Ghost Sickness ¬– What a perfect, beautiful ending. Taking all the suffering and inequality of today, all the re-writing of history and erasure of past crimes, and moving back to before all if it, to the beginnings of the Native American peoples (or at least, one folklore version thereof). A profound message to end this collection on – that colonization and massacre cannot wipe out the strength of a whole people, their connection to the land and each other, and their power to reclaim their own future. “…the story of First Man and First Woman, how they were born of stardust and earth, scrambled out of the underground land of darkness and traveled through many worlds, leaving behind the blackness of their beginnings for a life of sunlight and air.”
First things first, I want to just say that I completely and totally get the hype and I agree with it. This collection speaks to a variety of hard-hitting themes from a perspective that is under-represented (if at all represented…Latinas of indigenous ancestry) in literature. The focus on women, mother and daughters, loneliness and abandonment, the truth of the land and its heritage, endurance for the sake of attention and love and support, the particular challenges of intergenerational trauma and poverty and colonization, with its history of abuse against Native Americans and minorities in America are all explored and presented in a way that was subtle in its strength. Each individual story had strong currents that approached an undertow, with their ferocity and strength of emotion – they all pulled me in and touched me deeply and though they didn’t necessarily hit with a bang, they are still raging, spreading, making a home, within me. As with all short story collections, I liked some more than others, but I have to say, there was not a single one that fell flat for me. Stirring and meaningful, I think these stories, their themes, and the feelings they’ve left me with will linger for a long time.
This one has been on my TBR since it came out. So. Really not that long, but many great reviews and lots of award nominations made me want to read it ASAP. In fact, it’s on the longlist for the Aspen Prize for Literature, which, after hearing about this award for the first time last year, has basically immediately become my favorite. The books that make its’ longlist have been some of the most diverse that I’ve seen and I loved all the ones I read from it last year. So this year I’m making it a goal to read as many as possible (within reason/within my mood-reader limits). Regardless, this is one I knew I wanted to read but none of my libraries has it (yes, I belong to more than one) which is insane to me since it was also National Book Award long listed and I live in a super open/liberal community. I mean, UGH. Anyways, I requested that all my libraries buy it and stalked their catalogues til I saw one had done so. I immediately added it to my holds list and, in a situation that I have some big nerd pride in, I think I was the very first person to get it checked out.
I always review each short story in a collection as I read it…it helps me keep track of them (which gets hard when in the space of meeting one set of characters and setting and plot, normally, we meet 10-15) and spot themes and report back both individual and overall impressions. Anyways, enjoy these little blurb reviews and pull quotes or scroll to the bottom for my overall/finishing impressions.
Sugar Babies – What an opener to set the tone. Atmospheric in a desolate sort of way, Fajardo-Anstine’s language and style are such that the words she writes just seep into your bones. This is a lovely little story with some observations on motherhood that get you thinking, but nothing too heavy topically, so it's interesting, and a testament to the writing, that I feel so weighed down by it after finishing. "Sometimes a person’s unhappiness can make them forget they are a part of something bigger, something like a family, a people, even a tribe.”
Sabrina & Corina – It’s only the second in the collection, but I can see why this one is the titular story already. This one hits hard in the gut, looking at the intergenerational cycle of violence against women and the trapped hopelessness and choice-less-ness it inspires. Quietly unforgiving, this story leaves behind a longing and tragic feeling in the pit of your stomach. “People will find the loveliest part of you and try to make it ugly. And they will do anything […] to own that piece of you.”
Sisters ¬– This story too focuses on, but with a less oblique look than the previous story, violence against women. Looking at the way a woman’s worth is measured by whether or not she can get a man, that settling in order to be “taken care of” is not only alright but potentially all that matters. And finally, a metaphorical commentary on the fact that this type of violence is so commonplace, and the narrative so owned by the abusers, that it’s not objected to or questioned at all anymore. Deeply disturbing. “…I think even the ugly things deserve a chance to live. It’s just about making sure things can live together without destroying each other.”
Remedies¬¬ – I love reading about home/traditional remedies for ailments. I’m not sure why, or what it is that appeals to me, but I’ve always loved when those are thrown into stories. So, I loved that aspect of this one. Other than that, the insidiousness of lice, as a metaphor (as I read it) for the nature of the aftermath women are left with at the hands of rotten/deficient men, was executed beautifully here. And as a side note, I loved the ending of this story, and the especially little “nice hair” moment that half-bother and sister shared, years later.
Julian Plaza ¬– A heartbreaking little story about two young girls slowly losing their mother to breast cancer. Exploring how children must grow up too fast under these tragic types of circumstances and the unreal strain such drawn-out illness place on families already struggling with/walking the line of poverty (and the things they must resort to, in order to survive the circumstances). Not my favorite story of the collection, but still a moving snapshot of family, specifically mother-daughter, connection and loss.
Galapago – This story seemed quieter than the rest, for some reason. There was less obvious force behind it, but that made it all the more emotionally impactful, at least for me. A beautiful look at intergenerational family love and loss and making the best memories with what you have. Also, important insight into the harshness and danger of daily life in low socioeconomic areas and the lasting impacts of segregation, both purposefully historically and thus institutionalized as the norm today. So sweetly sad…this one got my heart. “All of it junk, and all of it precious.”
Cheesman Park – This was a really sad one, the deep and abiding sadness that seeps into your soul and makes you cold from the inside out; the sadness of grief and pain and loss and loneliness, both internal and external. Looking at love and loneliness and all the different ways you can find/experience one or both, and what you’re willing to live through in order to have them. And again, as is clearly the primary theme for this collection, violence against women, the cultural acceptance of it, and what it does to the women who experience it, is woven in to every aspect. “Time didn’t feel as long or wasteful in the company of another woman.” “Age has nothing to do with sadness.” “…I didn’t worry so much about being loved.”
Tomi - Intergenerational violence. Childhood trauma. Limited choices and even fewer ways to deal with that reality. Heartbreaking. But this story was also full of more hope than many of the others. There were some truly sweet and poignant moments when the narrator helps her nephew, Tomi, with his reading, and the way her brothers (Tomi’s father) is there for her because family. This one was really about there being a way out of the dark, even if it’s long and hard, and it was uplifting in an understated and perfectly ordinary way.
Any Further West – Whoa. I honestly think the emotion in this story is the most powerful of the entire collection. The personification of addiction, mental illness, the results of the life you’re born into, the coping mechanisms that you fall into, and the intergenerational struggles of mothers and daughters, the powerlessness from lack of options and the way it’s taken advantage of, was so harsh it was tangible here. I don’t know how else to describe it, but wow. And this passage from the end basically sums up the feeling of this entire collection so accurately: “That’s when I knew she was forever caught in her own undercurrent, bouncing from one deep swell to the next. She would never lift me out of that sea. She would never pause to fill her lungs with air. Soon the world would yank her chainof sadness against every shore, every rock, every glass-filled beach, leaving nothing but the broken hull of a drowned woman.”
All Her Names – This one was short, but important in getting to its point. There are so many stories in this collection about daughters (and sons) abandoned by mothers. So the main character’s choices here are key…what harm would growing up unwanted do, that not being given the chance to grow up might protect from. It’s not about age or circumstance, but amount the want – and is especially impactful after having read most of the rest of the stories here. And again, the inclusion of traditional/home remedies was a detail I really liked.
Ghost Sickness ¬– What a perfect, beautiful ending. Taking all the suffering and inequality of today, all the re-writing of history and erasure of past crimes, and moving back to before all if it, to the beginnings of the Native American peoples (or at least, one folklore version thereof). A profound message to end this collection on – that colonization and massacre cannot wipe out the strength of a whole people, their connection to the land and each other, and their power to reclaim their own future. “…the story of First Man and First Woman, how they were born of stardust and earth, scrambled out of the underground land of darkness and traveled through many worlds, leaving behind the blackness of their beginnings for a life of sunlight and air.”
First things first, I want to just say that I completely and totally get the hype and I agree with it. This collection speaks to a variety of hard-hitting themes from a perspective that is under-represented (if at all represented…Latinas of indigenous ancestry) in literature. The focus on women, mother and daughters, loneliness and abandonment, the truth of the land and its heritage, endurance for the sake of attention and love and support, the particular challenges of intergenerational trauma and poverty and colonization, with its history of abuse against Native Americans and minorities in America are all explored and presented in a way that was subtle in its strength. Each individual story had strong currents that approached an undertow, with their ferocity and strength of emotion – they all pulled me in and touched me deeply and though they didn’t necessarily hit with a bang, they are still raging, spreading, making a home, within me. As with all short story collections, I liked some more than others, but I have to say, there was not a single one that fell flat for me. Stirring and meaningful, I think these stories, their themes, and the feelings they’ve left me with will linger for a long time.
This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.
This is only the second graphic novel I’ve ever read, the first being Persepolis, last year. And that was a creative, touching and unique reading experience, which made me very open to trying more. So when this new release got great reviews from some of the bookstagrammers I respect the most (@lupita.reads and @allisonreadsdc), I knew this was going to be the next one I picked up. And onto my “holds” list at the library it went!
In the same vein as Persepolis, this graphic novel is nonfiction, a sort of memoir. Jacob covers topics from her youth, growing up as a daughter of immigrants in New Mexico, to present day, as a mother of a biracial son (Indian American mother and white Jewish father) in the hope of Obama’s presidency and the fear in Trump’s. This is a memoir of identity and interracial families in America told through gorgeous mixed media artwork and the profundity of daily conversations.
Wow. This is, by far one of the most powerful books I’ve read in a long time. And I’ve read/reviewed some really profound ones lately, like Eloquent Rage and When They Call You a Terrorist. But the thing that is so particularly impactful about this one is the way it’s told. And yes, as a graphic novel, the visual piece of it is part of what I’m referring to, and does bring the novel a depth of a unique quality. But more than that, the way it’s told in individual conversations, snippets, and short internal monologues/asides from the author is what really brings home the points. Each conversation highlights an issue of racism, overt, structural or microaggression, that is, essentially, presented to the reader to react to as they wish. There is a lot of potential in this method of sharing/telling, because it allows Jacob to showcase the most striking moments, jumping from one to another, in a way that means the pressure is never let up. It moves from important point to important point like a highlight reel, demonstrating the myriad ways anyone that looks different is made to feel like an outsider in the US, constantly, centering on all the issues we should/must be noticing and questioning, without the need for any filler or fluff to lessen the intensity of break up the time between these moments. Because these conversations speak for themselves. This type of succinctness was ideal for sharing the messages Jacob does throughout the novel. And because there is only one way to interpret these conversations, and the reader must acknowledge the daily emotional trauma Jacob and other racial or other minorities in America face, the impact is even more emotionally compelling. It’s “show don’t tell” in its most basic form, a method of story-telling that leaves no room for disagreement or question, and it's exactly right for the lessons Jacob is teaching, the points she is proving.
A little more insight into Jacob’s tone is an important addition to this review as well, I think. This is a novel that’s humorous in a bitingly real way. There are parts that made me groan in pain and frustration (and recognition in some of my own family/extended family) and other parts that made me smile and snort (again, with some personal recognition as well). But there were also parts, the parts where Jacob talked about her own internal struggles on what to address and what to let go, and, especially, how to answer the difficult questions from her young son about whether or not the country, and even his own grandparents, did not love him anymore because they supported a presidential candidate who said such horrible things about people that looked like him. How do you find the words to explain that? How is it that we’ve created/enabled a situation where that’s even necessary? I do not even have children, and yet I cannot imagine how I would even begin to address something like that…I do not envy Jacob at all, and thinking about the terrible emotional weight her son was already carrying at 10 years old, and her own feelings about her inability to protect him from any of it, made me cry. It truly, deeply, disturbed and upset me. As it should everyone. And yet, these moments were mixed with moments of legitimate humor and Jacob’s brilliance in balancing it all in a striking and nuanced way was strong. There was “funny haha” and “funny that makes you want to cry” all mixed up in a way that hit all the right chords.
I am completely blown away after reading this book. It’s one that you could easily read in one sitting, but to truly absorb it all, you should make yourself take breaks. The humanity in this graphic novel is bold and demonstrative, no holds barred, uplifting and heartbreaking in equal measure – an unbelievably honest, difficult and poignant memoir.
“We think our hearts break only from endings – the love gone, the rooms empty, the future unhappening as we stand ready to step into it – but what about how they can shatter in the face of what is possible?”
“I was scared to open my mouth. I was sacred I would start yelling. And if I started yelling she would be scared of me, and if she was scared of me, she would be right about.”
“Sometimes, you go along with it and pretend nothing happened. Sometimes you hold your breath until the feeling of wanting to be believed passes. Sometimes, you weigh explaining against staying quiet and know they’re both just different kinds of heavy.”
“Someone – Kiese Laymon I think – said most white people are sleepwalking when it comes to racism in America. They don’t see it so they think it doesn’t exist anymore. Forcing them to see that it is happening here, now, is like waking up a sleepwalker. They get disoriented. Angry at you instead of about the racism itself.”
“I can’t protect you from becoming a brown man in America. I can’t protect you from spending a lifetime caught between the beautiful dream of a diverse nation and the complicated reality of one. I can’t even protect you from the fact that sometimes, the people who love us will choose a world that doesn’t.”
This is only the second graphic novel I’ve ever read, the first being Persepolis, last year. And that was a creative, touching and unique reading experience, which made me very open to trying more. So when this new release got great reviews from some of the bookstagrammers I respect the most (@lupita.reads and @allisonreadsdc), I knew this was going to be the next one I picked up. And onto my “holds” list at the library it went!
In the same vein as Persepolis, this graphic novel is nonfiction, a sort of memoir. Jacob covers topics from her youth, growing up as a daughter of immigrants in New Mexico, to present day, as a mother of a biracial son (Indian American mother and white Jewish father) in the hope of Obama’s presidency and the fear in Trump’s. This is a memoir of identity and interracial families in America told through gorgeous mixed media artwork and the profundity of daily conversations.
Wow. This is, by far one of the most powerful books I’ve read in a long time. And I’ve read/reviewed some really profound ones lately, like Eloquent Rage and When They Call You a Terrorist. But the thing that is so particularly impactful about this one is the way it’s told. And yes, as a graphic novel, the visual piece of it is part of what I’m referring to, and does bring the novel a depth of a unique quality. But more than that, the way it’s told in individual conversations, snippets, and short internal monologues/asides from the author is what really brings home the points. Each conversation highlights an issue of racism, overt, structural or microaggression, that is, essentially, presented to the reader to react to as they wish. There is a lot of potential in this method of sharing/telling, because it allows Jacob to showcase the most striking moments, jumping from one to another, in a way that means the pressure is never let up. It moves from important point to important point like a highlight reel, demonstrating the myriad ways anyone that looks different is made to feel like an outsider in the US, constantly, centering on all the issues we should/must be noticing and questioning, without the need for any filler or fluff to lessen the intensity of break up the time between these moments. Because these conversations speak for themselves. This type of succinctness was ideal for sharing the messages Jacob does throughout the novel. And because there is only one way to interpret these conversations, and the reader must acknowledge the daily emotional trauma Jacob and other racial or other minorities in America face, the impact is even more emotionally compelling. It’s “show don’t tell” in its most basic form, a method of story-telling that leaves no room for disagreement or question, and it's exactly right for the lessons Jacob is teaching, the points she is proving.
A little more insight into Jacob’s tone is an important addition to this review as well, I think. This is a novel that’s humorous in a bitingly real way. There are parts that made me groan in pain and frustration (and recognition in some of my own family/extended family) and other parts that made me smile and snort (again, with some personal recognition as well). But there were also parts, the parts where Jacob talked about her own internal struggles on what to address and what to let go, and, especially, how to answer the difficult questions from her young son about whether or not the country, and even his own grandparents, did not love him anymore because they supported a presidential candidate who said such horrible things about people that looked like him. How do you find the words to explain that? How is it that we’ve created/enabled a situation where that’s even necessary? I do not even have children, and yet I cannot imagine how I would even begin to address something like that…I do not envy Jacob at all, and thinking about the terrible emotional weight her son was already carrying at 10 years old, and her own feelings about her inability to protect him from any of it, made me cry. It truly, deeply, disturbed and upset me. As it should everyone. And yet, these moments were mixed with moments of legitimate humor and Jacob’s brilliance in balancing it all in a striking and nuanced way was strong. There was “funny haha” and “funny that makes you want to cry” all mixed up in a way that hit all the right chords.
I am completely blown away after reading this book. It’s one that you could easily read in one sitting, but to truly absorb it all, you should make yourself take breaks. The humanity in this graphic novel is bold and demonstrative, no holds barred, uplifting and heartbreaking in equal measure – an unbelievably honest, difficult and poignant memoir.
“We think our hearts break only from endings – the love gone, the rooms empty, the future unhappening as we stand ready to step into it – but what about how they can shatter in the face of what is possible?”
“I was scared to open my mouth. I was sacred I would start yelling. And if I started yelling she would be scared of me, and if she was scared of me, she would be right about.”
“Sometimes, you go along with it and pretend nothing happened. Sometimes you hold your breath until the feeling of wanting to be believed passes. Sometimes, you weigh explaining against staying quiet and know they’re both just different kinds of heavy.”
“Someone – Kiese Laymon I think – said most white people are sleepwalking when it comes to racism in America. They don’t see it so they think it doesn’t exist anymore. Forcing them to see that it is happening here, now, is like waking up a sleepwalker. They get disoriented. Angry at you instead of about the racism itself.”
“I can’t protect you from becoming a brown man in America. I can’t protect you from spending a lifetime caught between the beautiful dream of a diverse nation and the complicated reality of one. I can’t even protect you from the fact that sometimes, the people who love us will choose a world that doesn’t.”
This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.
“Acting is truthful emotions in false circumstances.”
“Are we still recognized if seen by the wrong eyes?”
So, when I first started seeing the love/hate reviews for this book, my interest was peaked (you know how I love to read polarizing books, to see what my personal feels are – like The Pisces, My Year of Rest and Relaxation, etc.). But after reading the description, I just wasn’t feeling super into it, so I put it on the back burner. But then, it won the National Book Award for Fiction this year…so it moved up to the top. A few weeks later, my audiobook library hold came in.
Trust Exercise takes place at an elite performing arts high school, complete with eccentric teachers, classes about music and movement and acting methods, intense competition – all within a very “bubble”-like existence. The relationship between two students, Sarah and David, takes focus in the first part of the novel – noticed and toyed with by fellow students and teachers alike. And things get even more dramatic when an international student group comes to visit/perform on campus. Then, there’s a switch in time and perspective and everything you thought you knew about Sarah and David and their experiences is tossed around like in a salad mixer…and what you thought you knew turns out to maybe not be what you knew at all. And then the mix of true and false and different perspective interpretations all comes together in a headlong rush when the last section’s POV drops the final piece of the puzzle into place.
I finished this about a week ago and have taken this long to sit down and try to get my thoughts on “paper” because I legitimately am not even sure what to think or feel…or truly if I even picked up on/understood all the connections that I was supposed to. I guess let me say some things I am sure about. First, the writing. OMG the writing. It was smart and precise to an extreme. I don’t know what exactly the judges reasoning was for it winning the NBA, but I can assure you that a good part of the justification had to be the writing itself. I cannot do it justice here – it was perfect for the setting and for capturing and evoking all the self-centered, haughty, theatrical emotions that run rampant in all high schools, but particularly high level competitive/achieving ones like this. But just trust me, if you value writing over anything else in a novel, then you should absolutely pick this one up. Sarah and David’s part of the story, which took at least the first half, I would say, did a great job setting the high school age scene and feels, and although nothing especially exciting or unique happened, the way it was written about was compelling enough that I felt pulled along by the current of the story.
And then, the second perspective pulled the rug out from under me in a way that I loved! It wasn’t fast or clear that it happened, but all of a sudden, I realized everything I had thought was flipped on its head. It was phenomenal the way that Choi was able to so smoothly take this second perspective and rewrite, if you will, the entire story she had just told you. And it happened in such a subtle way! Spectacular. Plus, the voice of the second character was one of my favorites I’ve ever read. It wasn’t one that I especially identified with, but it was so particular and idiosyncratic – so strongly individual and tangible and really recognizable – I just wished that more of the story was from that voice because I appreciated Choi’s skill in writing it so much.
Now we get to the parts I’m not so sure about. The plot, if you will…the event that ends that second section and then the event that ends the third section. I just don’t know about them. Here’s the thing, I get what happened at the end of the section perspective – I totally understand what happened and what led to it and why the narrator made her decision (I’m trying to be vague to avoid spoilers), but also, I’m not so sure I buy it. It feels like it’s something she would imagine doing, and want to do, but not actually pull off. Maybe I’m wrong (I mean, I clearly am) and I won’t lie, I totally applaud what she did as far as emotional release and just desserts, but it felt a little wrong. And then the last POV/section. I liked the way that, for the most part, it shed some necessary light on the events that occurred/were recalled in the first two parts. I liked the choice of narrator for it and overall how it was portrayed, as well as the very last scene (it was super touching and sweet in a way that pained my heart to read). And yet, I was confused by a few things when I closed the book and I’m still not satisfied with my thoughts/interpretations of them. There is one major character in this section that I don’t know who he is supposed to be, or have any explanation for why he acted the way he did (EWWW GROSS NO). Truly, I am just…without explanation. And it’s very unsettling and unsatisfying. Maybe I just missed a clue somewhere, and the author definitely didn’t “help” by doing some weird things with character name changes throughout, but it just doesn’t feel understandably wrapped up (in that one instance) for me.
The very last lines/moment were quite striking, causing me to legitimately say “whoa” out load. And yet, I don’t know if that, and the writing of course, were enough to counteract the holes in my overall comprehension of the story. I totally understand how the lovers loved it so much, especially for anyone with a theater-involved background (which I do not have, personally), but I also definitely understand some of the “hate” feelings as well. Anyways, I respect this novel so much and would simultaneously be very open to someone dropping me a comment/message that explains that male character in the final section and, if he is supposed to be a re-visit of a character from an earlier section, who is he?! And if not, then what the heck was the point of some of those scenes at his house?!
Bottom line, this is a really intellectually written, meta-feeling and experimentally plotted novel. Even though I have a few questions left at the end, ones to which the answers feel frustratingly just out of reach, I can’t deny the beauty and gripping nature of the writing.
“Acting is truthful emotions in false circumstances.”
“Are we still recognized if seen by the wrong eyes?”
So, when I first started seeing the love/hate reviews for this book, my interest was peaked (you know how I love to read polarizing books, to see what my personal feels are – like The Pisces, My Year of Rest and Relaxation, etc.). But after reading the description, I just wasn’t feeling super into it, so I put it on the back burner. But then, it won the National Book Award for Fiction this year…so it moved up to the top. A few weeks later, my audiobook library hold came in.
Trust Exercise takes place at an elite performing arts high school, complete with eccentric teachers, classes about music and movement and acting methods, intense competition – all within a very “bubble”-like existence. The relationship between two students, Sarah and David, takes focus in the first part of the novel – noticed and toyed with by fellow students and teachers alike. And things get even more dramatic when an international student group comes to visit/perform on campus. Then, there’s a switch in time and perspective and everything you thought you knew about Sarah and David and their experiences is tossed around like in a salad mixer…and what you thought you knew turns out to maybe not be what you knew at all. And then the mix of true and false and different perspective interpretations all comes together in a headlong rush when the last section’s POV drops the final piece of the puzzle into place.
I finished this about a week ago and have taken this long to sit down and try to get my thoughts on “paper” because I legitimately am not even sure what to think or feel…or truly if I even picked up on/understood all the connections that I was supposed to. I guess let me say some things I am sure about. First, the writing. OMG the writing. It was smart and precise to an extreme. I don’t know what exactly the judges reasoning was for it winning the NBA, but I can assure you that a good part of the justification had to be the writing itself. I cannot do it justice here – it was perfect for the setting and for capturing and evoking all the self-centered, haughty, theatrical emotions that run rampant in all high schools, but particularly high level competitive/achieving ones like this. But just trust me, if you value writing over anything else in a novel, then you should absolutely pick this one up. Sarah and David’s part of the story, which took at least the first half, I would say, did a great job setting the high school age scene and feels, and although nothing especially exciting or unique happened, the way it was written about was compelling enough that I felt pulled along by the current of the story.
And then, the second perspective pulled the rug out from under me in a way that I loved! It wasn’t fast or clear that it happened, but all of a sudden, I realized everything I had thought was flipped on its head. It was phenomenal the way that Choi was able to so smoothly take this second perspective and rewrite, if you will, the entire story she had just told you. And it happened in such a subtle way! Spectacular. Plus, the voice of the second character was one of my favorites I’ve ever read. It wasn’t one that I especially identified with, but it was so particular and idiosyncratic – so strongly individual and tangible and really recognizable – I just wished that more of the story was from that voice because I appreciated Choi’s skill in writing it so much.
Now we get to the parts I’m not so sure about. The plot, if you will…the event that ends that second section and then the event that ends the third section. I just don’t know about them. Here’s the thing, I get what happened at the end of the section perspective – I totally understand what happened and what led to it and why the narrator made her decision (I’m trying to be vague to avoid spoilers), but also, I’m not so sure I buy it. It feels like it’s something she would imagine doing, and want to do, but not actually pull off. Maybe I’m wrong (I mean, I clearly am) and I won’t lie, I totally applaud what she did as far as emotional release and just desserts, but it felt a little wrong. And then the last POV/section. I liked the way that, for the most part, it shed some necessary light on the events that occurred/were recalled in the first two parts. I liked the choice of narrator for it and overall how it was portrayed, as well as the very last scene (it was super touching and sweet in a way that pained my heart to read). And yet, I was confused by a few things when I closed the book and I’m still not satisfied with my thoughts/interpretations of them. There is one major character in this section that I don’t know who he is supposed to be, or have any explanation for why he acted the way he did (EWWW GROSS NO). Truly, I am just…without explanation. And it’s very unsettling and unsatisfying. Maybe I just missed a clue somewhere, and the author definitely didn’t “help” by doing some weird things with character name changes throughout, but it just doesn’t feel understandably wrapped up (in that one instance) for me.
The very last lines/moment were quite striking, causing me to legitimately say “whoa” out load. And yet, I don’t know if that, and the writing of course, were enough to counteract the holes in my overall comprehension of the story. I totally understand how the lovers loved it so much, especially for anyone with a theater-involved background (which I do not have, personally), but I also definitely understand some of the “hate” feelings as well. Anyways, I respect this novel so much and would simultaneously be very open to someone dropping me a comment/message that explains that male character in the final section and, if he is supposed to be a re-visit of a character from an earlier section, who is he?! And if not, then what the heck was the point of some of those scenes at his house?!
Bottom line, this is a really intellectually written, meta-feeling and experimentally plotted novel. Even though I have a few questions left at the end, ones to which the answers feel frustratingly just out of reach, I can’t deny the beauty and gripping nature of the writing.
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The last HP universe book of the year for my husband and I and it was just great. We loved reading all about the different fantastic beasts, as well as some fun facts about each of them. Plus, we definitely spent some time after most of them looking up more info about the different creatures. It was so fascinating to see about all these creatures from different areas/mythologies that have been around for years and made it into the canon. Honestly, there were a few from North America that we had never heard about before, even though we live here, so that was fun. And the updated version of the book references a few things from the Fantastic Beasts movies (in the forward/introduction) that really pulls in a lot more of the recent HP canon as well. Overall, just a super entertaining and short/fast addition to the world we all love, and definitely one that HP lovers should have in their collections.
This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.
The second I hear about this one, I knew I needed to read it: a contemporary romance set at a Renaissance Faire?! YES PLEASE. It took me longer than I had hoped to get my hands on it, since for some reason not everyone was as excited about it as myself, so it was slow in getting to my local library. But I finally got my hands on it and once I did, I basically devoured it.
Emily’s life has sort of fallen to pieces – breaking up with a long-term boyfriend, not really having any place to go/live, education plans that got cut off and never picked back up. It’s not the worst timing though, because it allowed her to “drop everything” and moved to a small town in Maryland to help her older sister recover, and help take care of her niece, after a serious car accident injury. As part of taking care of said niece, Emily gets roped into volunteering at the town’s annual Renaissance Faire fundraiser as a tavern wench. Though her time in town was supposed to be short, just to help her sister, she finds herself making friends and starting to imagine a future for herself there. And then there’s Simon, the Faire’s organizer, who seemed from the start like he hated her and her lighthearted attitude toward the Faire, but as Emily finds out more about his past and his connection to the Faire, she realizes there’s more to him. Plus, she thinks perhaps his flirting while in character at the Faire isn’t just for show…and is surprised that some of her feelings might be real too.
Oh my goodness, this was just the most fun, entertaining, quirky and incredibly sweet contemporary romance! I wasn’t wrong at all with my original thoughts, that a Ren Faire would be a fantastic setting for a romance (and why has no one thought of this before?!). But seriously, this was such a fun read. You can tell the author has experience working at Ren Faire’s because the behind the scenes insights and details were really well done – specific enough that they really brought that aspect of the story to life. And it was fascinating to read about all the planning and prep behind the Faire itself. It’s just not something I had ever thought about and it was really enjoyable to read. And then the way that she used aspects of the Faire to advance Simon and Emily’s romantic interactions, like the handfasting and the roses (OMG the roses – SWOON), were adorable and unique. Plus, the way they blurred the lines between “acted” and “real” feelings was a creative way to add drama and confusion to the plot (a must for a contemporary romance). And then the end, the way they came back around and were used again to totally clarify all the feelings as “real” was heart-meltingly satisfying. Plus, this nerdy reader loved all the Shakespeare references and passages and quirky-flirty dialogue, along with the major presence that a bookstore played in the plot. And in the context of the story, it truly helped create a great chemistry between Simon and Emily that showed how well-matched they actually were. (This chemistry carried over into the steamy a few times. It wasn’t too often, so whether you prefer that or would like more, just go in prepared for limited bedroom scenes, but know that the ones you get are really well written.)
As for the more “serious” aspects of the story, like Emily’s messed up mental state and low sense of self-worth post break-up and Simon’s issues with grief and memory that have him so tightly tied to the Faire, they were handled well. They gave the story enough extra depth and internal “questioning” to be believable and understandable, but not so much that they occluded the generally cheerful ambiance of this contemporary romance. It’s the perfect amount to keep things grounded without taking away the overall uplifting feels and positive vibes and “make you feel fuzzy and happy inside” vibes that I both wanted and got from this novel.
Straight up, I loved this book. I just finished it and I still feel so full of giggly, happy feelings – I legit am smiling full-on while writing this review. Everything about the book was so sweet and positive and it just feels like the perfect novel to read for a soul that needs some healing or a heavy heart that needs some lightening or, really, just as a person who could use some frivolity and gratification and swooning in their life. The perfect little contemporary romance, with exactly the nerdy quirk that every true reader enjoys. I’m so excited to see that the author has a second novel in this little town/Ren Faire setting coming out and you know I’ll be picking it up asap when it gets published.
“Like the stars, your love should be a constant source of light, and like the earth, a firm foundation from which to grow.”
“…and if we made out in the classics section more than once after closing, the books never said anything.”
The second I hear about this one, I knew I needed to read it: a contemporary romance set at a Renaissance Faire?! YES PLEASE. It took me longer than I had hoped to get my hands on it, since for some reason not everyone was as excited about it as myself, so it was slow in getting to my local library. But I finally got my hands on it and once I did, I basically devoured it.
Emily’s life has sort of fallen to pieces – breaking up with a long-term boyfriend, not really having any place to go/live, education plans that got cut off and never picked back up. It’s not the worst timing though, because it allowed her to “drop everything” and moved to a small town in Maryland to help her older sister recover, and help take care of her niece, after a serious car accident injury. As part of taking care of said niece, Emily gets roped into volunteering at the town’s annual Renaissance Faire fundraiser as a tavern wench. Though her time in town was supposed to be short, just to help her sister, she finds herself making friends and starting to imagine a future for herself there. And then there’s Simon, the Faire’s organizer, who seemed from the start like he hated her and her lighthearted attitude toward the Faire, but as Emily finds out more about his past and his connection to the Faire, she realizes there’s more to him. Plus, she thinks perhaps his flirting while in character at the Faire isn’t just for show…and is surprised that some of her feelings might be real too.
Oh my goodness, this was just the most fun, entertaining, quirky and incredibly sweet contemporary romance! I wasn’t wrong at all with my original thoughts, that a Ren Faire would be a fantastic setting for a romance (and why has no one thought of this before?!). But seriously, this was such a fun read. You can tell the author has experience working at Ren Faire’s because the behind the scenes insights and details were really well done – specific enough that they really brought that aspect of the story to life. And it was fascinating to read about all the planning and prep behind the Faire itself. It’s just not something I had ever thought about and it was really enjoyable to read. And then the way that she used aspects of the Faire to advance Simon and Emily’s romantic interactions, like the handfasting and the roses (OMG the roses – SWOON), were adorable and unique. Plus, the way they blurred the lines between “acted” and “real” feelings was a creative way to add drama and confusion to the plot (a must for a contemporary romance). And then the end, the way they came back around and were used again to totally clarify all the feelings as “real” was heart-meltingly satisfying. Plus, this nerdy reader loved all the Shakespeare references and passages and quirky-flirty dialogue, along with the major presence that a bookstore played in the plot. And in the context of the story, it truly helped create a great chemistry between Simon and Emily that showed how well-matched they actually were. (This chemistry carried over into the steamy a few times. It wasn’t too often, so whether you prefer that or would like more, just go in prepared for limited bedroom scenes, but know that the ones you get are really well written.)
As for the more “serious” aspects of the story, like Emily’s messed up mental state and low sense of self-worth post break-up and Simon’s issues with grief and memory that have him so tightly tied to the Faire, they were handled well. They gave the story enough extra depth and internal “questioning” to be believable and understandable, but not so much that they occluded the generally cheerful ambiance of this contemporary romance. It’s the perfect amount to keep things grounded without taking away the overall uplifting feels and positive vibes and “make you feel fuzzy and happy inside” vibes that I both wanted and got from this novel.
Straight up, I loved this book. I just finished it and I still feel so full of giggly, happy feelings – I legit am smiling full-on while writing this review. Everything about the book was so sweet and positive and it just feels like the perfect novel to read for a soul that needs some healing or a heavy heart that needs some lightening or, really, just as a person who could use some frivolity and gratification and swooning in their life. The perfect little contemporary romance, with exactly the nerdy quirk that every true reader enjoys. I’m so excited to see that the author has a second novel in this little town/Ren Faire setting coming out and you know I’ll be picking it up asap when it gets published.
“Like the stars, your love should be a constant source of light, and like the earth, a firm foundation from which to grow.”
“…and if we made out in the classics section more than once after closing, the books never said anything.”