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popthebutterfly
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: With or Without You
Author: Caroline Leavitt
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: romance, contemporary
Publication Date: August 4, 2020
Genre: Contemporary
Recommended Age: 18+ (romance, drug abuse, alcohol useage)
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Pages: 288
Synopsis: After almost twenty years together, Stella and Simon are starting to run into problems. An up-and-coming rock musician when they first met, Simon has been clinging to dreams of fame even as the possibility of it has grown dimmer, and now that his band might finally be on the brink again, he wants to go on the road, leaving Stella behind. But when she falls into a coma on the eve of his departure, he has to make a choice between stardom and his wife—and when she wakes a different person, with an incredible artistic talent of her own, the two of them must examine what it is that they really want.
Review: Overall, I thought this book was pretty good. The character development was really well done and I liked the world building as well. The book has a decent plot as well and overall I liked seeing the dynamic between Stella and Simon.
However, the book is really slow and it took a bit for me to get into the book because the book shifts between past and present throughout the book.
Verdict: It’s good, just slow.
Book: With or Without You
Author: Caroline Leavitt
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: romance, contemporary
Publication Date: August 4, 2020
Genre: Contemporary
Recommended Age: 18+ (romance, drug abuse, alcohol useage)
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Pages: 288
Synopsis: After almost twenty years together, Stella and Simon are starting to run into problems. An up-and-coming rock musician when they first met, Simon has been clinging to dreams of fame even as the possibility of it has grown dimmer, and now that his band might finally be on the brink again, he wants to go on the road, leaving Stella behind. But when she falls into a coma on the eve of his departure, he has to make a choice between stardom and his wife—and when she wakes a different person, with an incredible artistic talent of her own, the two of them must examine what it is that they really want.
Review: Overall, I thought this book was pretty good. The character development was really well done and I liked the world building as well. The book has a decent plot as well and overall I liked seeing the dynamic between Stella and Simon.
However, the book is really slow and it took a bit for me to get into the book because the book shifts between past and present throughout the book.
Verdict: It’s good, just slow.
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: A House is a Body
Author: Shruti Swamy
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: women’s fiction, short stories
Publication Date: August 11, 2020
Genre: Short Story Compilation
Recommended Age: 17+ (romance, TW sexual abuse mentions/illusions, language)
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Pages: 208
Synopsis: In two-time O. Henry-prize winner Swamy's debut collection of stories, dreams collide with reality, modernity collides with antiquity, myth with true identity, and women grapple with desire, with ego, with motherhood and mortality. In "Earthly Pleasures," Radika, a young painter living alone in San Francisco, begins a secret romance with one of India's biggest celebrities. In "A Simple Composition," a husband's moment of crisis leads to his wife's discovery of a dark, ecstatic joy and the sense of a new beginning. In the title story, an exhausted mother watches, distracted and paralyzed, as a California wildfire approaches her home. With a knife blade's edge and precision, the stories of A House Is a Body travel from India to America and back again to reveal the small moments of beauty, pain, and power that contain the world.
Review: I thought this book was pretty good. It’s comprised of short stories and they’re fairly cohesive. The books are all interesting and have great world building overall. The books are also well paced for the most part.
However, because they’re short stories, some of them don’t have that good of character development, but overall they’re all fairly well done.
Verdict: It’s pretty good! Definitely recommend if you like short stories.
Book: A House is a Body
Author: Shruti Swamy
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: women’s fiction, short stories
Publication Date: August 11, 2020
Genre: Short Story Compilation
Recommended Age: 17+ (romance, TW sexual abuse mentions/illusions, language)
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Pages: 208
Synopsis: In two-time O. Henry-prize winner Swamy's debut collection of stories, dreams collide with reality, modernity collides with antiquity, myth with true identity, and women grapple with desire, with ego, with motherhood and mortality. In "Earthly Pleasures," Radika, a young painter living alone in San Francisco, begins a secret romance with one of India's biggest celebrities. In "A Simple Composition," a husband's moment of crisis leads to his wife's discovery of a dark, ecstatic joy and the sense of a new beginning. In the title story, an exhausted mother watches, distracted and paralyzed, as a California wildfire approaches her home. With a knife blade's edge and precision, the stories of A House Is a Body travel from India to America and back again to reveal the small moments of beauty, pain, and power that contain the world.
Review: I thought this book was pretty good. It’s comprised of short stories and they’re fairly cohesive. The books are all interesting and have great world building overall. The books are also well paced for the most part.
However, because they’re short stories, some of them don’t have that good of character development, but overall they’re all fairly well done.
Verdict: It’s pretty good! Definitely recommend if you like short stories.
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: How To Live on the Edge
Author: Sarah Lynn Scheerger
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: contemporary
Publication Date: August 4, 2020
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, very dangerous activities that can get you killed, language, cancer TW)
Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab
Pages: 312
Synopsis: Eighteen-year-old Cayenne barely remembers her mother, who died of breast cancer when Cayenne was four. The women in her family have a history of dying young. Cayenne figures she'll meet the same fate, so she might as well enjoy life now, engaging in death-defying risks like dodging trains and jumping off cliffs with her boyfriend.
When Cayenne receives a series of video messages her mother made for her before dying, she isn't sure she wants them. Her aunt Tee has been her true mother figure. But then Aunt Tee tests positive for a BRCA gene mutation--the one that doomed Cayenne's mom--and decides to get a mastectomy to reduce her chances of developing cancer. As Cayenne helps her aunt prepare for the surgery, she finds herself drawn to her mother's messages, with their musings on life, love, and perseverance. For the first time, Cayenne starts to question what it truly means to live life to the fullest, even when death might be written into her DNA.
Review: For the most part this was a well done book. The book has a very interesting story and it’s very informational. You can tell the author is very informed and passionate about learning and teaching about the BRCA gene, which is the gene that causes cancer. The book has great pacing as well.
However, I don’t think the characters are well developed in this book and it was really hard to understand the motives of Cayenne. The book also doesn’t have great world building.
Verdict: It was a good book!
Book: How To Live on the Edge
Author: Sarah Lynn Scheerger
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: contemporary
Publication Date: August 4, 2020
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, very dangerous activities that can get you killed, language, cancer TW)
Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab
Pages: 312
Synopsis: Eighteen-year-old Cayenne barely remembers her mother, who died of breast cancer when Cayenne was four. The women in her family have a history of dying young. Cayenne figures she'll meet the same fate, so she might as well enjoy life now, engaging in death-defying risks like dodging trains and jumping off cliffs with her boyfriend.
When Cayenne receives a series of video messages her mother made for her before dying, she isn't sure she wants them. Her aunt Tee has been her true mother figure. But then Aunt Tee tests positive for a BRCA gene mutation--the one that doomed Cayenne's mom--and decides to get a mastectomy to reduce her chances of developing cancer. As Cayenne helps her aunt prepare for the surgery, she finds herself drawn to her mother's messages, with their musings on life, love, and perseverance. For the first time, Cayenne starts to question what it truly means to live life to the fullest, even when death might be written into her DNA.
Review: For the most part this was a well done book. The book has a very interesting story and it’s very informational. You can tell the author is very informed and passionate about learning and teaching about the BRCA gene, which is the gene that causes cancer. The book has great pacing as well.
However, I don’t think the characters are well developed in this book and it was really hard to understand the motives of Cayenne. The book also doesn’t have great world building.
Verdict: It was a good book!
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Quintessence
Author: Jess Redman
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: anxiety/panic attack rep!
Recommended For...: middle graders, anxiety/panic attack rep
Publication Date: July 28, 2020
Genre: MG Fantasy
Recommended Age: 10+ (some slightly scary moments, isolation, anxiety, panic attacks)
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
Pages: 384
Synopsis: Three months ago, twelve-year-old Alma moved to the town of Four Points. Her panic attacks started a week later, and they haven’t stopped—even though she told her parents that they did. Every day she feels less and less like herself.
Then Alma meets the ShopKeeper in the town's junk shop, The Fifth Point. The ShopKeeper gives her a telescope and this message:
Find the Elements.
Grow the Light.
Save the Starling.
That night, Alma watches as a star—a star that looks like a child—falls from the sky and into her backyard. Alma knows what it’s like to be lost and afraid, to long for home, and with the help of some unlikely new friends from the Astronomy Club, she sets out on a quest that will take a little bit of astronomy, a little bit of alchemy, and her whole self.
Review: I really liked this book overall. The character development was well done and the book is so sweet. The main character has anxiety, has panic attacks, and feels isolated and it makes you love her and want to hug her. The book also has great world building and the pacing is well done.
The only issue I really had with the book is that the fantasy aspect of the book took a bit for me to understand and get. It’s a little out there, but overall great.
Verdict: A well done novel!
Book: Quintessence
Author: Jess Redman
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: anxiety/panic attack rep!
Recommended For...: middle graders, anxiety/panic attack rep
Publication Date: July 28, 2020
Genre: MG Fantasy
Recommended Age: 10+ (some slightly scary moments, isolation, anxiety, panic attacks)
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
Pages: 384
Synopsis: Three months ago, twelve-year-old Alma moved to the town of Four Points. Her panic attacks started a week later, and they haven’t stopped—even though she told her parents that they did. Every day she feels less and less like herself.
Then Alma meets the ShopKeeper in the town's junk shop, The Fifth Point. The ShopKeeper gives her a telescope and this message:
Find the Elements.
Grow the Light.
Save the Starling.
That night, Alma watches as a star—a star that looks like a child—falls from the sky and into her backyard. Alma knows what it’s like to be lost and afraid, to long for home, and with the help of some unlikely new friends from the Astronomy Club, she sets out on a quest that will take a little bit of astronomy, a little bit of alchemy, and her whole self.
Review: I really liked this book overall. The character development was well done and the book is so sweet. The main character has anxiety, has panic attacks, and feels isolated and it makes you love her and want to hug her. The book also has great world building and the pacing is well done.
The only issue I really had with the book is that the fantasy aspect of the book took a bit for me to understand and get. It’s a little out there, but overall great.
Verdict: A well done novel!
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Someone’s Listening
Author: Seraphina Nova Glass
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: mystery, thriller
Publication Date: July 28, 2020
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Recommended Age: 16+ (stalking TW, kidnapping, gaslighting, slight violence and gore)
Publisher: Graydon House
Pages: 336
Synopsis: Faith Finley has it all: she’s a talented psychologist with a flourishing career, a bestselling author and the host of a popular local radio program, Someone’s Listening, with Dr. Faith Finley. She’s married to the perfect man, Liam Finley, a respected food critic.
Until the night everything goes horribly wrong, and Faith’s life is shattered forever.
Liam is missing—gone without a trace—and the police are suspicious of everything Faith says. They either think she has something to hide, or that she’s lost her mind.
And then the notes begin to arrive. Notes that are ripped from Faith’s own book, the one that helps victims leave their abusers. Notes like “Lock your windows. Consider investing in a steel door.”
As the threats escalate, the mystery behind Liam’s disappearance intensifies. And Faith’s very life will depend on finding answers.
Review: Overall, the book is pretty good. The character development was pretty well done and the book had a lot of promise for the story.
However, the book was really slow pacing wise. I felt like the book just dragged on and on throughout and it took a long time (52% for me) for the plot to pick up and get interesting.
Verdict: It’s ok, maybe it was me.
Book: Someone’s Listening
Author: Seraphina Nova Glass
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: mystery, thriller
Publication Date: July 28, 2020
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Recommended Age: 16+ (stalking TW, kidnapping, gaslighting, slight violence and gore)
Publisher: Graydon House
Pages: 336
Synopsis: Faith Finley has it all: she’s a talented psychologist with a flourishing career, a bestselling author and the host of a popular local radio program, Someone’s Listening, with Dr. Faith Finley. She’s married to the perfect man, Liam Finley, a respected food critic.
Until the night everything goes horribly wrong, and Faith’s life is shattered forever.
Liam is missing—gone without a trace—and the police are suspicious of everything Faith says. They either think she has something to hide, or that she’s lost her mind.
And then the notes begin to arrive. Notes that are ripped from Faith’s own book, the one that helps victims leave their abusers. Notes like “Lock your windows. Consider investing in a steel door.”
As the threats escalate, the mystery behind Liam’s disappearance intensifies. And Faith’s very life will depend on finding answers.
Review: Overall, the book is pretty good. The character development was pretty well done and the book had a lot of promise for the story.
However, the book was really slow pacing wise. I felt like the book just dragged on and on throughout and it took a long time (52% for me) for the plot to pick up and get interesting.
Verdict: It’s ok, maybe it was me.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher and netgalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Again, Again
Author: E. Lockhart
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: romance lovers, second chance romance, and multi-verse storylines
Publication Date: June 2, 2020
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, substance abuse TW, heartache, second chances)
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 288
Synopsis: If you could live your life again, what would you do differently?
After a near-fatal family catastrophe and an unexpected romantic upheaval, Adelaide Buchwald finds herself catapulted into a summer of wild possibility, during which she will fall in and out of love a thousand times—while finally confronting the secrets she keeps, her ideas about love, and the weird grandiosity of the human mind.
Review: For the most part I thought the book was well done. The story-telling is unique and I loved the attention to detail the author had when crafting the book. The character development for the most part was well done and the world building was amazingly well done. I also loved how thought provoking the book was and how much the book had me flipping back and forth between scenes!
However, I did feel like the book pacing was a bit slow in spots and that the book could have done a bit better on some of the side characters developments. I wished that the book focused on the brother than our main characters love life as well, but it’s still well done.
Verdict: Amazing read! Definitely a must read!
Book: Again, Again
Author: E. Lockhart
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: romance lovers, second chance romance, and multi-verse storylines
Publication Date: June 2, 2020
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, substance abuse TW, heartache, second chances)
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 288
Synopsis: If you could live your life again, what would you do differently?
After a near-fatal family catastrophe and an unexpected romantic upheaval, Adelaide Buchwald finds herself catapulted into a summer of wild possibility, during which she will fall in and out of love a thousand times—while finally confronting the secrets she keeps, her ideas about love, and the weird grandiosity of the human mind.
Review: For the most part I thought the book was well done. The story-telling is unique and I loved the attention to detail the author had when crafting the book. The character development for the most part was well done and the world building was amazingly well done. I also loved how thought provoking the book was and how much the book had me flipping back and forth between scenes!
However, I did feel like the book pacing was a bit slow in spots and that the book could have done a bit better on some of the side characters developments. I wished that the book focused on the brother than our main characters love life as well, but it’s still well done.
Verdict: Amazing read! Definitely a must read!
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher and then bought my own copy. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Merciful Crow
Author: Margaret Owen
Book Series: The Merciful Crow Book 1
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: fantasy lovers, bird theme, plagues, secret smuggling
Publication Date: July 30, 2019
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, near animal death/torture TW, gore, slight romance, lots of death and sickness)
Publisher: Henry Holt
Pages: 384
Synopsis: A future chieftain.
Fie abides by one rule: look after your own. Her Crow caste of undertakers and mercy-killers takes more abuse than coin, but when they’re called to collect royal dead, she’s hoping they’ll find the payout of a lifetime.
A fugitive prince.
When Crown Prince Jasimir turns out to have faked his death, Fie’s ready to cut her losses—and perhaps his throat. But he offers a wager that she can’t refuse: protect him from a ruthless queen, and he’ll protect the Crows when he reigns.
A too-cunning bodyguard.
Hawk warrior Tavin has always put Jas’s life before his, magically assuming the prince’s appearance and shadowing his every step. But what happens when Tavin begins to want something to call his own?
Review: For the most part I enjoyed the book. It had really good character development and I thought the idea of the world was really cool. I especially liked how most of the positions were based on birds and the plot was very intriguing and kept me hooked for the majority of the book.
However, I thought the world building was confusing as was the magic system. I honestly didn’t know that Fie had magic until she used it during the raid and I was like “where did that come from??”. And there was a part where Fie mentioned that the prince’s long hair will give him lice, which is why they cut theirs close to their head, but then at the same time was described with longer hair? The book also didn’t explain a lot about what was going on and it was really hard to get into at first.
Verdict: Could have been fleshed out more but it was a good book.
Book: The Merciful Crow
Author: Margaret Owen
Book Series: The Merciful Crow Book 1
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: fantasy lovers, bird theme, plagues, secret smuggling
Publication Date: July 30, 2019
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, near animal death/torture TW, gore, slight romance, lots of death and sickness)
Publisher: Henry Holt
Pages: 384
Synopsis: A future chieftain.
Fie abides by one rule: look after your own. Her Crow caste of undertakers and mercy-killers takes more abuse than coin, but when they’re called to collect royal dead, she’s hoping they’ll find the payout of a lifetime.
A fugitive prince.
When Crown Prince Jasimir turns out to have faked his death, Fie’s ready to cut her losses—and perhaps his throat. But he offers a wager that she can’t refuse: protect him from a ruthless queen, and he’ll protect the Crows when he reigns.
A too-cunning bodyguard.
Hawk warrior Tavin has always put Jas’s life before his, magically assuming the prince’s appearance and shadowing his every step. But what happens when Tavin begins to want something to call his own?
Review: For the most part I enjoyed the book. It had really good character development and I thought the idea of the world was really cool. I especially liked how most of the positions were based on birds and the plot was very intriguing and kept me hooked for the majority of the book.
However, I thought the world building was confusing as was the magic system. I honestly didn’t know that Fie had magic until she used it during the raid and I was like “where did that come from??”. And there was a part where Fie mentioned that the prince’s long hair will give him lice, which is why they cut theirs close to their head, but then at the same time was described with longer hair? The book also didn’t explain a lot about what was going on and it was really hard to get into at first.
Verdict: Could have been fleshed out more but it was a good book.
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: I Kissed Alice
Author: Anna Birch and Victoria Ying (illustrator)
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Lesbian/bi main characters (not sure exactly how they define themselves). f/f romance
Recommended For...: romance, contemporary, mixed media, LGBT, f/f romance
Publication Date: July 28, 2020
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: 15+ (slight sexual content, language)
Publisher: Macmillan/Imprint
Pages: 320
Synopsis: Rhodes and Iliana couldn't be more different, but that's not why they hate each other.
Hyper-gifted artist Rhodes has always excelled at Alabama’s Conservatory of the Arts despite a secret bout of creator's block, while transfer student Iliana tries to outshine everyone with her intense, competitive work ethic. Since only one of them can get the coveted Capstone scholarship, the competition between them is fierce.
They both escape the pressure on a fanfic site where they are unknowingly collaborating on a graphic novel. And despite being worst enemies in real life, their anonymous online identities I-Kissed-Alice and Curious-in-Cheshire are starting to like each other...a lot. When the truth comes out, will they destroy each other's future?
Review: Oh. My. Bi. Heart. I loved this book so much! I immediately fell in love with the story and I loved the duel POVs. It was both exciting and cringy as the girls stumbled through their love story. The voices were very distinct and the writing well done. The book also mentioned periods… which WIN FOR PERIOD NORMALCY! The book is also in a mixed media format, showing the girls text messages and their comic they write and illustrate.
The only complaint I had was the confusing beginning. The book kind of throws you into the girls feud and you have to wade through it, kinda like their stuck-in-the-middle best friend.
Verdict: Definitely recommend!
Book: I Kissed Alice
Author: Anna Birch and Victoria Ying (illustrator)
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Lesbian/bi main characters (not sure exactly how they define themselves). f/f romance
Recommended For...: romance, contemporary, mixed media, LGBT, f/f romance
Publication Date: July 28, 2020
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: 15+ (slight sexual content, language)
Publisher: Macmillan/Imprint
Pages: 320
Synopsis: Rhodes and Iliana couldn't be more different, but that's not why they hate each other.
Hyper-gifted artist Rhodes has always excelled at Alabama’s Conservatory of the Arts despite a secret bout of creator's block, while transfer student Iliana tries to outshine everyone with her intense, competitive work ethic. Since only one of them can get the coveted Capstone scholarship, the competition between them is fierce.
They both escape the pressure on a fanfic site where they are unknowingly collaborating on a graphic novel. And despite being worst enemies in real life, their anonymous online identities I-Kissed-Alice and Curious-in-Cheshire are starting to like each other...a lot. When the truth comes out, will they destroy each other's future?
Review: Oh. My. Bi. Heart. I loved this book so much! I immediately fell in love with the story and I loved the duel POVs. It was both exciting and cringy as the girls stumbled through their love story. The voices were very distinct and the writing well done. The book also mentioned periods… which WIN FOR PERIOD NORMALCY! The book is also in a mixed media format, showing the girls text messages and their comic they write and illustrate.
The only complaint I had was the confusing beginning. The book kind of throws you into the girls feud and you have to wade through it, kinda like their stuck-in-the-middle best friend.
Verdict: Definitely recommend!
Disclaimer: I received the e-arc and arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: More Than Just A Pretty Face
Author: Syed M. Masood
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 2/5
Diversity: Muslim/Desi reps!
Recommended For...: contemporary, muslim/desi books, romance
Publication Date: August 4, 2020
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: 16+ (language, sexual content, non consensual filming of sex TW, emotional abuse TW, slightly racist moments)
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 352
Synopsis: Danyal Jilani doesn't lack confidence. He may not be the smartest guy in the room, but he's funny, gorgeous, and going to make a great chef one day. His father doesn't approve of his career choice, but that hardly matters. What does matter is the opinion of Danyal's longtime crush, the perfect-in-all-ways Kaval, and her family, who consider him a less than ideal arranged marriage prospect.
When Danyal gets selected for Renaissance Man--a school-wide academic championship--it's the perfect opportunity to show everyone he's smarter than they think. He recruits the brilliant, totally-uninterested-in-him Bisma to help with the competition, but the more time Danyal spends with her...the more he learns from her...the more he cooks for her...the more he realizes that happiness may be staring him right in his pretty face.
Review: For the most part I enjoyed the story of this book. It had some great moments, like building up Bisma’s and Danyal’s relationship (very well done!) and I loved learning some more about Desi/Muslim culture and religion. I also thought the author did well with Bisma’s character and she didn’t feel badly written at all. She’s a character I’ll remember for the longest time, not only for her quiet strength, but for her intelligence and kindness as well.
However, I had a lot of issues with the book that I didn’t wish I had. I felt that the book made a lot of comments about girl’s appearance. I understand that the POV is a young man in high school, but it felt like he was stereotyped into an 80’s version of a high school guy who’s girl crazy. The mother’s comments on sex appeal in reference to how Danyal views them and how she condoned it was cringy and creepy. She said Bisma was “not hot” and I don’t think any mother should be commenting on the hotness of a young girl. It was kinda misogynic how, not only the mother, but all of the female characters aside had a “women hating on women” mentality. There were also comments about the rep that I didn’t feel should be in the book. Danyal says at one point all Desi’s are shallow and says they only judge on looks. There is also a very religious Muslim character and he’s written to be hated on for his devotedness. I am not religious, but I found that very distressing. The Islamic religion is very beautiful and the hatred on the character can be misconstrued to a more naïve reader. Many other reviewers also pointed out problems with the rules of romance and how the book didn’t follow them and didn’t state them to the full extent.
Along with those problems I also had some smaller issues of the text in terms of racism and abusive content. The father was severely written and it wasn’t that well resolved by the end of the book. The father is very emotionally abusive to Danyal to the point he says Danyal can’t be his son because Danyal is a failure. That’s very gut wrenching and as someone who faced some of that in her childhood, it’s very distressing to read. There’s a racist remark made by the teacher towards Danyal in regards to “where he comes from”, and then the teacher is written as this cool teacher that’s on Danyal’s side and it’s weird.
Verdict: For the most part, the book seems to be ok, but there are a lot of badly written moments. I think the book should have had a round or two with sensitivity readers to help smooth out the roughness of this book.
Book: More Than Just A Pretty Face
Author: Syed M. Masood
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 2/5
Diversity: Muslim/Desi reps!
Recommended For...: contemporary, muslim/desi books, romance
Publication Date: August 4, 2020
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: 16+ (language, sexual content, non consensual filming of sex TW, emotional abuse TW, slightly racist moments)
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 352
Synopsis: Danyal Jilani doesn't lack confidence. He may not be the smartest guy in the room, but he's funny, gorgeous, and going to make a great chef one day. His father doesn't approve of his career choice, but that hardly matters. What does matter is the opinion of Danyal's longtime crush, the perfect-in-all-ways Kaval, and her family, who consider him a less than ideal arranged marriage prospect.
When Danyal gets selected for Renaissance Man--a school-wide academic championship--it's the perfect opportunity to show everyone he's smarter than they think. He recruits the brilliant, totally-uninterested-in-him Bisma to help with the competition, but the more time Danyal spends with her...the more he learns from her...the more he cooks for her...the more he realizes that happiness may be staring him right in his pretty face.
Review: For the most part I enjoyed the story of this book. It had some great moments, like building up Bisma’s and Danyal’s relationship (very well done!) and I loved learning some more about Desi/Muslim culture and religion. I also thought the author did well with Bisma’s character and she didn’t feel badly written at all. She’s a character I’ll remember for the longest time, not only for her quiet strength, but for her intelligence and kindness as well.
However, I had a lot of issues with the book that I didn’t wish I had. I felt that the book made a lot of comments about girl’s appearance. I understand that the POV is a young man in high school, but it felt like he was stereotyped into an 80’s version of a high school guy who’s girl crazy. The mother’s comments on sex appeal in reference to how Danyal views them and how she condoned it was cringy and creepy. She said Bisma was “not hot” and I don’t think any mother should be commenting on the hotness of a young girl. It was kinda misogynic how, not only the mother, but all of the female characters aside had a “women hating on women” mentality. There were also comments about the rep that I didn’t feel should be in the book. Danyal says at one point all Desi’s are shallow and says they only judge on looks. There is also a very religious Muslim character and he’s written to be hated on for his devotedness. I am not religious, but I found that very distressing. The Islamic religion is very beautiful and the hatred on the character can be misconstrued to a more naïve reader. Many other reviewers also pointed out problems with the rules of romance and how the book didn’t follow them and didn’t state them to the full extent.
Along with those problems I also had some smaller issues of the text in terms of racism and abusive content. The father was severely written and it wasn’t that well resolved by the end of the book. The father is very emotionally abusive to Danyal to the point he says Danyal can’t be his son because Danyal is a failure. That’s very gut wrenching and as someone who faced some of that in her childhood, it’s very distressing to read. There’s a racist remark made by the teacher towards Danyal in regards to “where he comes from”, and then the teacher is written as this cool teacher that’s on Danyal’s side and it’s weird.
Verdict: For the most part, the book seems to be ok, but there are a lot of badly written moments. I think the book should have had a round or two with sensitivity readers to help smooth out the roughness of this book.
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher! Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Faithless Hawk
Author: Margaret Owen
Book Series: The Merciful Crow Book 2
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: fantasy, bird themes, war
Publication Date: August 18, 2020
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (language, death, violence, gore)
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co
Pages: 400
Synopsis: As the new chieftain of the Crows, Fie knows better than to expect a royal to keep his word. Still she’s hopeful that Prince Jasimir will fulfill his oath to protect her fellow Crows. But then black smoke fills the sky, signaling the death of King Surimir and the beginning of Queen Rhusana's merciless bid for the throne.
With the witch queen using the deadly plague to unite the nation of Sabor against Crows—and add numbers to her monstrous army—Fie and her band are forced to go into hiding, leaving the country to be ravaged by the plague. However, they’re all running out of time before the Crows starve in exile and Sabor is lost forever.
A desperate Fie calls on old allies to help take Rhusana down from within her own walls. But inside the royal palace, the only difference between a conqueror and a thief is an army. To survive, Fie must unravel not only Rhusana’s plot, but ancient secrets of the Crows—secrets that could save her people, or set the world ablaze.
Review: For the most part this book was pretty good. It helped clear up a lot of the confusion I had with the first book and the writing was much better and clearer. The characters continued to be fully developed and overall I really liked this one.
However, I did feel like the pacing was a bit too slow in this one and the plot wasn’t that interesting. In the beginning it was pretty interesting, but the plot slowed down midway and then came to a head at the end.
Verdict: It was pretty good!
Book: The Faithless Hawk
Author: Margaret Owen
Book Series: The Merciful Crow Book 2
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: fantasy, bird themes, war
Publication Date: August 18, 2020
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (language, death, violence, gore)
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co
Pages: 400
Synopsis: As the new chieftain of the Crows, Fie knows better than to expect a royal to keep his word. Still she’s hopeful that Prince Jasimir will fulfill his oath to protect her fellow Crows. But then black smoke fills the sky, signaling the death of King Surimir and the beginning of Queen Rhusana's merciless bid for the throne.
With the witch queen using the deadly plague to unite the nation of Sabor against Crows—and add numbers to her monstrous army—Fie and her band are forced to go into hiding, leaving the country to be ravaged by the plague. However, they’re all running out of time before the Crows starve in exile and Sabor is lost forever.
A desperate Fie calls on old allies to help take Rhusana down from within her own walls. But inside the royal palace, the only difference between a conqueror and a thief is an army. To survive, Fie must unravel not only Rhusana’s plot, but ancient secrets of the Crows—secrets that could save her people, or set the world ablaze.
Review: For the most part this book was pretty good. It helped clear up a lot of the confusion I had with the first book and the writing was much better and clearer. The characters continued to be fully developed and overall I really liked this one.
However, I did feel like the pacing was a bit too slow in this one and the plot wasn’t that interesting. In the beginning it was pretty interesting, but the plot slowed down midway and then came to a head at the end.
Verdict: It was pretty good!