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ninetalevixen
This is another solid read, with likable protagonists and secondary characters (once you get past the disappointment that they're not the Wayfarer crew ... or maybe that's just me); weirdly enough, although there's less explicit worldbuilding/info dumps — my only major dislike in the first book — I didn't like this one quite as much?
Although the question of AI individuality and rights is a fascinating one, honestly I just couldn't connect with Sidra/Lovelace as a character. I have sympathy for her situation, but I had trouble empathizing as I did with Pepper. It's always awkward to be much more invested in one storyline than the other, but it happens.
content warnings: child labor & abuse, discussions of eugenics / "genetweaks", dysphoria (AI in a body kit)
Although the question of AI individuality and rights is a fascinating one, honestly I just couldn't connect with Sidra/Lovelace as a character. I have sympathy for her situation, but I had trouble empathizing as I did with Pepper. It's always awkward to be much more invested in one storyline than the other, but it happens.
content warnings:
July read-a-long with Books and Tea Book Club!
All this time, the perfect idyllic space story with casual diversity and inclusivity that I've been looking for? It's been right here. (There's good representation for not just sexuality but different ethnicities; they don't all have obvious Earth counterparts but the themes of prejudice and bias are certainly still applicable.) The characters are wonderfully wholesome; it's a big happy space family for the most part, with the requisite prodigal offspring and estranged members that keep things interesting. The plot is clearly present and well-developed, but straightforward enough to let the characters and worldbuilding take center stage.
Pretty much my only issue with this book is the infodumping, which is admittedly pretty hard to get around when the setting (in this case, the known universe) is so different from what we, the readers, are familiar with. And of course I'd rather get it all established upfront so I have the proper context to understand the characters, their behavior, etc., so it's more than tolerable.
All this time, the perfect idyllic space story with casual diversity and inclusivity that I've been looking for? It's been right here. (There's good representation for not just sexuality but different ethnicities; they don't all have obvious Earth counterparts but the themes of prejudice and bias are certainly still applicable.) The characters are wonderfully wholesome; it's a big happy space family for the most part, with the requisite prodigal offspring and estranged members that keep things interesting. The plot is clearly present and well-developed, but straightforward enough to let the characters and worldbuilding take center stage.
Pretty much my only issue with this book is the infodumping, which is admittedly pretty hard to get around when the setting (in this case, the known universe) is so different from what we, the readers, are familiar with. And of course I'd rather get it all established upfront so I have the proper context to understand the characters, their behavior, etc., so it's more than tolerable.
I received a review copy from the author. This does not affect my rating or opinions.
3.5 stars.
After falling sharply and in-the-best-way-painfully for We are the Catalyst (which I received through #ReviewPit), I reached out to the author to see if I could also get a copy of I Am the Storm, and they were nice enough to send me one immediately!
To be honest, I had pretty high expectations since We Are the Catalyst just blew me away; there's nothing with I Am the Storm, but I had trouble getting over how much more I happened to like Catalyst. (While Storm is officially the first in the series, it serves as more of a prequel; there's a good bit of worldbuilding and it follows two characters who play significant roles in, but aren't the center of, Catalyst.)
Sam and Serena are solid protagonists: highly likable, relatably flawed teenagers. Both are fighters, literally and metaphorically, but after all they go through I just want to wrap them in blankets and lock them in their rooms to keep them warm and safe. Alas, their world needs them and they're going to do great things.
Since dystopian YA has been making a comeback (between the upcoming Hunger Games prequel and the general recent political climate), I think a lot of readers will enjoy I Am the Storm. It's an action-packed read that definitely sets the tone for the rest of the series, with a well-explained and thoughtfully created world, memorable sympathetic characters, and lots of excitement.
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content warnings:
3.5 stars.
After falling sharply and in-the-best-way-painfully for We are the Catalyst (which I received through #ReviewPit), I reached out to the author to see if I could also get a copy of I Am the Storm, and they were nice enough to send me one immediately!
To be honest, I had pretty high expectations since We Are the Catalyst just blew me away; there's nothing with I Am the Storm, but I had trouble getting over how much more I happened to like Catalyst. (While Storm is officially the first in the series, it serves as more of a prequel; there's a good bit of worldbuilding and it follows two characters who play significant roles in, but aren't the center of, Catalyst.)
That's what powers will get you. Total idiocy and inability to think like a regular person.
Sam and Serena are solid protagonists: highly likable, relatably flawed teenagers. Both are fighters, literally and metaphorically, but after all they go through I just want to wrap them in blankets and lock them in their rooms to keep them warm and safe. Alas, their world needs them and they're going to do great things.
Power. It all comes back to power — holding on to it and pushing down those who are at the bottom in order to keep themselves on top.
Since dystopian YA has been making a comeback (between the upcoming Hunger Games prequel and the general recent political climate), I think a lot of readers will enjoy I Am the Storm. It's an action-packed read that definitely sets the tone for the rest of the series, with a well-explained and thoughtfully created world, memorable sympathetic characters, and lots of excitement.
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Spoiler
lesbian main character, F/F romancecontent warnings:
Spoiler
graphic violence, secondary character death(s)
This book epitomizes the power of "quiet" books: where the stakes are more (inter)personal than global or societal but still important. Although Danny's family situation is certainly not one that most readers will immediately relate to — his secret family history is pretty dark and complex; I don't consider myself an easily fazed reader, but I was definitely taken aback at each successive reveal — the coming-of-age themes are still universal, as are the contemplations of mental health, morality, loneliness, hope, family, and more.
One of the most noticeable themes in this book is that of support, specifically from your community. Daniel's best friend Harry, elected class president year after year after year, genuinely cares about creating a positive class culture / atmosphere; naturally his success is limited because "teenagers will be teenagers," but he certainly makes a difference. Their other best friend, Regina, is a feminist and an aspiring reporter who goes after the truth at risk of personal reputation and detention. And Danny's parents aren't your stereotypical "you have to get straight A's then become a doctor-lawyer-engineer" tiger parents: although they're hardworking immigrants, they consistently support Danny's plan to go to art school and do their best to prepare him for the real world. Tragedy brings their community together, but even in the quiet everyday moments they show their love in a million different ways.
Because the story is set in the Silicon Valley, the background cast is pretty diverse; in particular there are a lot of Asian and Asian-American characters, representing multiple versions of what it's like to be Asian(-American) in America. On top of that, mental health is discussed fairly extensively and extremely sensitively: multiple characters have mental health conditions (and it's far more nuanced than "oh, you know, all teenagers have depression and anxiety these days") which manifest in different symptoms and lifestyle impacts. There isn't always a diagnosis, and sometimes it's matter of fact — like Danny's casual comment that he's not attracted to girls — and taken together the representation in this book is just phenomenal.
Interestingly, although this book does have extensive passages contemplating "life, the universe, and everything" (whether it's scenes where Danny explains his drawing process, or reflects on the nature of loneliness) which I normally don't like, they're well balanced: mixed in with "action" scenes, and varied in length. Some readers may find it over the top, because there's definitely a lot — I swear I've highlighted at least half this ebook — but I personally found it extremely poignant.
And the story itself is exquisitely crafted. It does jump back and forth between different parts of the timeline, but it's differentiated by verb tense and there's built-in context to make the change clear; the reveals are masterfully timed and given room for emotional impact. I was in tears by the ending, because this is one of those rare books that (cliche as it is to say) genuinely touched my heart.
content warnings:
rep:
One of the most noticeable themes in this book is that of support, specifically from your community. Daniel's best friend Harry, elected class president year after year after year, genuinely cares about creating a positive class culture / atmosphere; naturally his success is limited because "teenagers will be teenagers," but he certainly makes a difference. Their other best friend, Regina, is a feminist and an aspiring reporter who goes after the truth at risk of personal reputation and detention. And Danny's parents aren't your stereotypical "you have to get straight A's then become a doctor-lawyer-engineer" tiger parents: although they're hardworking immigrants, they consistently support Danny's plan to go to art school and do their best to prepare him for the real world. Tragedy brings their community together, but even in the quiet everyday moments they show their love in a million different ways.
Cupertino's hundred percent rule is this: if you go out in Cupertino, there's a hundred percent chance you'll see someone you know. (Its corollary is the two hundred percent rule, which is that if you're wearing pj's/haven't showered, your odds double.)
Because the story is set in the Silicon Valley, the background cast is pretty diverse; in particular there are a lot of Asian and Asian-American characters, representing multiple versions of what it's like to be Asian(-American) in America. On top of that, mental health is discussed fairly extensively and extremely sensitively: multiple characters have mental health conditions (and it's far more nuanced than "oh, you know, all teenagers have depression and anxiety these days") which manifest in different symptoms and lifestyle impacts. There isn't always a diagnosis, and sometimes it's matter of fact — like Danny's casual comment that he's not attracted to girls — and taken together the representation in this book is just phenomenal.
Interestingly, although this book does have extensive passages contemplating "life, the universe, and everything" (whether it's scenes where Danny explains his drawing process, or reflects on the nature of loneliness) which I normally don't like, they're well balanced: mixed in with "action" scenes, and varied in length. Some readers may find it over the top, because there's definitely a lot — I swear I've highlighted at least half this ebook — but I personally found it extremely poignant.
And the story itself is exquisitely crafted. It does jump back and forth between different parts of the timeline, but it's differentiated by verb tense and there's built-in context to make the change clear; the reveals are masterfully timed and given room for emotional impact. I was in tears by the ending, because this is one of those rare books that (cliche as it is to say) genuinely touched my heart.
content warnings:
Spoiler
racism, on-page witnessed panic attack, off-page secondary character death, suicide, depressionrep:
Spoiler
gay Chinese-American MC, Taiwanese-American best friends, parent with anxiety (panic attacks)
Recently I've been reading a lot of MG, which is a literary stage I seem to have mostly skipped over. Books like this really show me what I've been missing out on — they take me back to a time when life was a lot simpler, though still complex and frustrating and vibrant. A time when I believed in fairy tales to varying extents depending on the day, my mood, the current phase of the moon (that sounds sarcastic, it's not actually), et cetera. A time when the world was full of possibilities and when I had no doubts that I was the hero of my own story.
Having grown up listening to stories from my parents, I adored the little fantasies mentioned throughout: from Auntie Jove to the Sister Princesses narrative, they balance out the bleakness of other parts of the narrative. They're cute little moments, reminding you that as much as Sol has had to grow up fast to take care of her little sister, she's still just a kid herself. And although she's twelve years old, this book doesn't pull punches. Morality isn't black and white; Sol and Manny aren't perfect kids (in fact, they do some objectively not-great things, like shoplifting and bullying other kids); Vea isn't a comic-book villainess. There's growth and development as the book goes on, in a very natural progression rather than a contrived "this story should probably contain some paradigm / worldview shifts" way.
And considering the main plot is one that I suspect quite a few readers will be able to relate to (whether they are themselves immigrants like the sisters, or their parents or grandparents were but they still don't quite feel like they belong), it's so important that it's handled so sensitively and sympathetically. It's not all good and it's not all bad, and the same is true of the characters and every situation they find themselves in; above all, though, it's a story that reminds you to be kind.
content warnings:
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Having grown up listening to stories from my parents, I adored the little fantasies mentioned throughout: from Auntie Jove to the Sister Princesses narrative, they balance out the bleakness of other parts of the narrative. They're cute little moments, reminding you that as much as Sol has had to grow up fast to take care of her little sister, she's still just a kid herself. And although she's twelve years old, this book doesn't pull punches. Morality isn't black and white; Sol and Manny aren't perfect kids (in fact, they do some objectively not-great things, like shoplifting and bullying other kids); Vea isn't a comic-book villainess. There's growth and development as the book goes on, in a very natural progression rather than a contrived "this story should probably contain some paradigm / worldview shifts" way.
And considering the main plot is one that I suspect quite a few readers will be able to relate to (whether they are themselves immigrants like the sisters, or their parents or grandparents were but they still don't quite feel like they belong), it's so important that it's handled so sensitively and sympathetically. It's not all good and it's not all bad, and the same is true of the characters and every situation they find themselves in; above all, though, it's a story that reminds you to be kind.
content warnings:
Spoiler
racism, physical & verbal child abuse, child neglect, physical & verbal bullyingrep:
Spoiler
Filipino immigrant MC & family, Latinx best friend, Chinese immigrant secondary characters
Have I mentioned recently how much I like reading family dramas? This one was great.
I received an advance review copy of this book through Netgalley. This does not affect my rating or opinions.
This was really different from the previous books, but I really liked it! In fact, I didn't want to put this down, because there were no good "stopping points" / lulls. The dual perspective between the sisters was a great opportunity to see how they each grew and made sure both got satisfying closure by the end, and normally I'm not a fan of love triangles, so I was pleasantly shocked to find myself deeply invested in all the romantic drama - all the buildup over the trilogy paying off. And I often feel unsatisfied by the Big Bad Battle in a series finale, but this one was so exciting and such a joy to read.
In short, this book just obliterated my expectations in the most delightful way.
content warnings: blood magic, betrayals, unhealthy relationships, mind/emotion control, on-page minor character death
rep: gay minor character (mentioned), various characters of color
This was really different from the previous books, but I really liked it! In fact, I didn't want to put this down, because there were no good "stopping points" / lulls. The dual perspective between the sisters was a great opportunity to see how they each grew and made sure both got satisfying closure by the end, and normally I'm not a fan of love triangles, so I was pleasantly shocked to find myself deeply invested in all the romantic drama - all the buildup over the trilogy paying off. And I often feel unsatisfied by the Big Bad Battle in a series finale, but this one was so exciting and such a joy to read.
In short, this book just obliterated my expectations in the most delightful way.
content warnings:
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1. [b:Caraval|27883214|Caraval (Caraval, #1)|Stephanie Garber|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1465563623s/27883214.jpg|45697227] | ★★★ 1/2
2019: Doing a back-to-back reread in preparation to read Finale and honestly I’m pretty disappointed. These books have so much potential, but they’ve been falling flat: the characters hard to sympathize with, the magical setting underdeveloped, the writing overly lush.
———
To be fair it has been quite a while since I read the first Caraval book, but this one seems to stand on its own pretty well. (It kind of reminds me of how ASOUE is pretty serialized until you get to The Ersatz Elevator, then the plot continues between books. In other words, the first book is kind of prologue-y and now the “real” action is happening.)
There was a lot more emphasis on plot than setting, somewhat alleviating the over-writing that bugged me in the first book; Tella seemed to have much more agency and knowledge in making her decisions — a good sense of what was going on, though she knew she didn’t have the whole picture.
Not a fan of love triangles, so the ending was particularly frustrating. But romance(s) aside, the story was pretty compelling and I definitely want to see how it all plays out.
2019: Doing a back-to-back reread in preparation to read Finale and honestly I’m pretty disappointed. These books have so much potential, but they’ve been falling flat: the characters hard to sympathize with, the magical setting underdeveloped, the writing overly lush.
———
To be fair it has been quite a while since I read the first Caraval book, but this one seems to stand on its own pretty well. (It kind of reminds me of how ASOUE is pretty serialized until you get to The Ersatz Elevator, then the plot continues between books. In other words, the first book is kind of prologue-y and now the “real” action is happening.)
There was a lot more emphasis on plot than setting, somewhat alleviating the over-writing that bugged me in the first book; Tella seemed to have much more agency and knowledge in making her decisions — a good sense of what was going on, though she knew she didn’t have the whole picture.
Not a fan of love triangles, so the ending was particularly frustrating. But romance(s) aside, the story was pretty compelling and I definitely want to see how it all plays out.
originally 4 stars (2017) -> 3.5 stars (2019)
Obviously I liked this book; I finished it in a single day.
The setting was incredible, beautifully balanced between whimsy and nightmare, and the characters really fit the narrative roles they were written into. I won't say the plot twists were wholly original, but I thought they were pretty well-played and I didn't see most of them coming (some great red herrings; my triumphant status update turned out to be completely mistaken!) but they made sense in context.
I do want to note that there are some passages where the prose gets to be a bit much, a little too flowery for my taste — particularly counterintuitive color-based metaphors (a motif repeated throughout the book, to my bemusement) and a lot of frankly weird figurative language. Overall though, it sets the tone and descriptively sets the scenes pretty well; I could get swept away (but not too much, as Caraval players are warned!) in the game alongside Scarlett.
ADDENDUM 2019: I am sad to report that this did not hold up very well to a reread, though I finally noticed the passages where Scarlett explains that she sees emotions as colors and a lot of the descriptions make more sense. But even having a general idea of the big twists somehow ruined my enjoyment of a setting that doesn’t seem quite as magical or enthralling the second time around ... or maybe I’ve just become a cynic.
Obviously I liked this book; I finished it in a single day.
The setting was incredible, beautifully balanced between whimsy and nightmare, and the characters really fit the narrative roles they were written into. I won't say the plot twists were wholly original, but I thought they were pretty well-played and I didn't see most of them coming (some great red herrings; my triumphant status update turned out to be completely mistaken!) but they made sense in context.
I do want to note that there are some passages where the prose gets to be a bit much, a little too flowery for my taste — particularly counterintuitive color-based metaphors (a motif repeated throughout the book, to my bemusement) and a lot of frankly weird figurative language. Overall though, it sets the tone and descriptively sets the scenes pretty well; I could get swept away (but not too much, as Caraval players are warned!) in the game alongside Scarlett.
ADDENDUM 2019: I am sad to report that this did not hold up very well to a reread, though I finally noticed the passages where Scarlett explains that she sees emotions as colors and a lot of the descriptions make more sense. But even having a general idea of the big twists somehow ruined my enjoyment of a setting that doesn’t seem quite as magical or enthralling the second time around ... or maybe I’ve just become a cynic.
I received an advance review copy through Netgalley. This does not affect my rating or opinions.
2.5 stars.
This was interesting enough that I made it all the way through — though there were multiple moments when I told myself I would just finish one more chapter then DNF and move on — but maybe I've just read too many stories about cults and communes? Because this one had no impact whatsoever; I wasn't invested in any of the characters, or the setup. Beryl/Harmony is naive and lost, with a desire for a family that should be relatable, but for some reason I just couldn't muster much sympathy for her despite being almost exactly the same age and similarly feeling a bit adrift.
A lot is packed into these pages, and I felt like consequently none of it was given due weight. The philosophy isn't really explained ("Get relativity" still doesn't make sense to me), and even accounting for brainwashing and dissociation this felt more like a thought experiment than a novel.
content warnings:
2.5 stars.
This was interesting enough that I made it all the way through — though there were multiple moments when I told myself I would just finish one more chapter then DNF and move on — but maybe I've just read too many stories about cults and communes? Because this one had no impact whatsoever; I wasn't invested in any of the characters, or the setup. Beryl/Harmony is naive and lost, with a desire for a family that should be relatable, but for some reason I just couldn't muster much sympathy for her despite being almost exactly the same age and similarly feeling a bit adrift.
A lot is packed into these pages, and I felt like consequently none of it was given due weight. The philosophy isn't really explained ("Get relativity" still doesn't make sense to me), and even accounting for brainwashing and dissociation this felt more like a thought experiment than a novel.
content warnings: