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popthebutterfly
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended Age: 16 (language, sex, violence, relationship abuse)
Pages: 440
Genre: YA Dystopian/Sci-Fi
Author: Brindi Quinn
Amazon
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. Thank you so much! All opinions are my own.
The world remains a mystery.
Fair-haired, fair-skinned Ashlin is the same as her family. She’s the same as her classmates. She’s the same as everyone. Ashlin is one of the last 90 people left in a dead world.
Tucked away in a small commune, her only friend is a boy, different from the rest – shunned because his eyes don’t match. And he holds a secret.
What really remains in a world thought to be dead? And what forgotten history has been painted into Ashlin’s skin?
In a world where everyone’s the same, difference can be deadly. – Amazon.com
So one of my favorite books of all time is The Handmaid’s Tale and one of the most interesting scenes in that book for me is when it is revealed that there are Japanese tourists who are watching the handmaids while on vacation. I’ve always wondered what if we are living in a world in which we are just the museum exhibits of someone’s expansive zoo… and this book gives me that. I loved the concept of this book and I felt that the plot and pacing was very well done in this book.
However, I do feel like the book could have focused more on Ashlin’s life in the compound before she left and gave us more world building. I also feel that the character development was off for some of the characters. There were also some plot holes in the book, such as when one character choked another and it didn’t leave marks on their body. This was not because the character had some sort of healing factor, it was just never mentioned. I also feel that the book was a bit problematic in the diversity department and I felt the way the mental illness was portrayed to be very worrisome and problematic. Also, I can’t accureately state whether Ashlin gave fair representation to what have a certain medical condition which is a spoiler is like. If it is then that’s awesome because there’s never any books about those types of medical conditions. As a final note, in comparison to how Reign the Earth portrayed abusive relationships I feel that this book failed in that regard.
Verdict: If you like dystopians then you’ll love this book and you’ll love the twist that this book presents. Brindi is a good author and this book, for the most part, was enjoyable.
Recommended Age: 16 (language, sex, violence, relationship abuse)
Pages: 440
Genre: YA Dystopian/Sci-Fi
Author: Brindi Quinn
Amazon
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. Thank you so much! All opinions are my own.
The world remains a mystery.
Fair-haired, fair-skinned Ashlin is the same as her family. She’s the same as her classmates. She’s the same as everyone. Ashlin is one of the last 90 people left in a dead world.
Tucked away in a small commune, her only friend is a boy, different from the rest – shunned because his eyes don’t match. And he holds a secret.
What really remains in a world thought to be dead? And what forgotten history has been painted into Ashlin’s skin?
In a world where everyone’s the same, difference can be deadly. – Amazon.com
So one of my favorite books of all time is The Handmaid’s Tale and one of the most interesting scenes in that book for me is when it is revealed that there are Japanese tourists who are watching the handmaids while on vacation. I’ve always wondered what if we are living in a world in which we are just the museum exhibits of someone’s expansive zoo… and this book gives me that. I loved the concept of this book and I felt that the plot and pacing was very well done in this book.
However, I do feel like the book could have focused more on Ashlin’s life in the compound before she left and gave us more world building. I also feel that the character development was off for some of the characters. There were also some plot holes in the book, such as when one character choked another and it didn’t leave marks on their body. This was not because the character had some sort of healing factor, it was just never mentioned. I also feel that the book was a bit problematic in the diversity department and I felt the way the mental illness was portrayed to be very worrisome and problematic. Also, I can’t accureately state whether Ashlin gave fair representation to what have a certain medical condition which is a spoiler is like. If it is then that’s awesome because there’s never any books about those types of medical conditions. As a final note, in comparison to how Reign the Earth portrayed abusive relationships I feel that this book failed in that regard.
Verdict: If you like dystopians then you’ll love this book and you’ll love the twist that this book presents. Brindi is a good author and this book, for the most part, was enjoyable.
Rating: 4/5
Genre: YA Dystopian/Science Fiction
Recommended Age: 16+ (some sexual references, blood, violence)
Pages: 352
Author: Mary Weber
Amazon
I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review. I was also asked to help promote this book. Thanks NetGalley and Mary Weber! Also, this was an arc of the book and I’ve heard some things in this book may change before the final version is released.
Quickly after I finished Sofi Snow I started this book, which is the sequel. Once again I fell in love with all of the world building and the characters in this book. I also felt that the story definitely picked up from that last book and the pacing and plot worked fairly well together throughout this book.
The only thing I felt that was off about this book was that there were some glaring plot holes and there were some things that I felt were really confusing in how they were explained. Because this is an arc I have hope that the holes and confusion will be cleared up by the release date of March 6th, but even with these faults the book was fantastic and exciting. It had a beautiful ending and I felt satisfied with the series overall.
Verdict: Satisfying and exciting read, just some small holes and issues. Hopefully they’ll be cleared up by the release.
Genre: YA Dystopian/Science Fiction
Recommended Age: 16+ (some sexual references, blood, violence)
Pages: 352
Author: Mary Weber
Amazon
I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review. I was also asked to help promote this book. Thanks NetGalley and Mary Weber! Also, this was an arc of the book and I’ve heard some things in this book may change before the final version is released.
Quickly after I finished Sofi Snow I started this book, which is the sequel. Once again I fell in love with all of the world building and the characters in this book. I also felt that the story definitely picked up from that last book and the pacing and plot worked fairly well together throughout this book.
The only thing I felt that was off about this book was that there were some glaring plot holes and there were some things that I felt were really confusing in how they were explained. Because this is an arc I have hope that the holes and confusion will be cleared up by the release date of March 6th, but even with these faults the book was fantastic and exciting. It had a beautiful ending and I felt satisfied with the series overall.
Verdict: Satisfying and exciting read, just some small holes and issues. Hopefully they’ll be cleared up by the release.
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Upper Middle Grade Fantasy
Recommended Age: 10+ (some violence and magic)
Pages: 260
Author: Christa Avampato
Amazon
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Thanks Christa Avampato! All of my opinions are my own.
Beautifully written and a clean coming of age story? That’s what this book is! It’s an amazingly quick read and it is so so beautiful! The plot is well done, the pacing isn’t too fast or too slow, and the world building is amazing. The book also has history in the book (real history, not fake history like some books) and it’s totally engrossing.
The only things that I had issue with are some of the characters that I felt weren’t that well developed and the beginning of the book is pretty slow.
Verdict: Once you get past the beginning the story flies off the page. It’s a wonderful coming of age story for those young and old alike.
Genre: Upper Middle Grade Fantasy
Recommended Age: 10+ (some violence and magic)
Pages: 260
Author: Christa Avampato
Amazon
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Thanks Christa Avampato! All of my opinions are my own.
Beautifully written and a clean coming of age story? That’s what this book is! It’s an amazingly quick read and it is so so beautiful! The plot is well done, the pacing isn’t too fast or too slow, and the world building is amazing. The book also has history in the book (real history, not fake history like some books) and it’s totally engrossing.
The only things that I had issue with are some of the characters that I felt weren’t that well developed and the beginning of the book is pretty slow.
Verdict: Once you get past the beginning the story flies off the page. It’s a wonderful coming of age story for those young and old alike.
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Rating: 4/5
Genre: YA Dystopian
Recommended Age: 14+ (some sexual references, tiny gore, realistic ways on how the world will collapse).
Pages: 337
Author Website
Amazon Link
I usually have a hard time getting into books when I first start them. Call it my rebellious nature taking control or just that I hate starting over at page one even if it’s a different book. But that was not the case with this book. This book was, in short, absolutely everything I want in a dystopian novel. The world building and realistic circumstances of this possible event made me legitimately scared for the future and heavily invested in Laura’s life. The format was told in diary format, so I was invested in learning about what happened to Laura and her family from day to day. I found that while told through diary format all of the characters were fairly well developed and the plot was intriguing. The pacing was also well done and the story kept me interested throughout the whole of the book.
The only issues I found with this book were the sexist comments and that I’m not receiving much information outside of the family’s town. This book, while wonderfully well written, is really sexist. I thought for sure the book would make some big show in the end about how all of these comments are untrue, but it really didn’t. The character grew and became stronger, but the comments weren’t ever mentioned again. Usually I don’t have issue with these comments if they’re within a historical setting, but this book takes place at least in the 2000s and by then I’m pretty sure women had sufficiently proved themselves to be just as strong as men.
Verdict: Avoiding all the sexist comments, this book is a terrific read for any dystopian reader! I’m not immediately heading to my local grocery store to stockpile food and water before an asteroid crashes into the moon.
Genre: YA Dystopian
Recommended Age: 14+ (some sexual references, tiny gore, realistic ways on how the world will collapse).
Pages: 337
Author Website
Amazon Link
I usually have a hard time getting into books when I first start them. Call it my rebellious nature taking control or just that I hate starting over at page one even if it’s a different book. But that was not the case with this book. This book was, in short, absolutely everything I want in a dystopian novel. The world building and realistic circumstances of this possible event made me legitimately scared for the future and heavily invested in Laura’s life. The format was told in diary format, so I was invested in learning about what happened to Laura and her family from day to day. I found that while told through diary format all of the characters were fairly well developed and the plot was intriguing. The pacing was also well done and the story kept me interested throughout the whole of the book.
The only issues I found with this book were the sexist comments and that I’m not receiving much information outside of the family’s town. This book, while wonderfully well written, is really sexist. I thought for sure the book would make some big show in the end about how all of these comments are untrue, but it really didn’t. The character grew and became stronger, but the comments weren’t ever mentioned again. Usually I don’t have issue with these comments if they’re within a historical setting, but this book takes place at least in the 2000s and by then I’m pretty sure women had sufficiently proved themselves to be just as strong as men.
Verdict: Avoiding all the sexist comments, this book is a terrific read for any dystopian reader! I’m not immediately heading to my local grocery store to stockpile food and water before an asteroid crashes into the moon.
Rating: 1.5
Genre: YA Dystopian
Recommended Age: 15+ (mentions of rape, gore, violence, slavery, etc.)
Pages: 221
Author Website
Amazon Link
I received this book for review from NetGalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Summary: "She thought she knew who she was and where she came from.Then her home was destroyed. Her brother lost amongst the ashes. And the boy she loves vanished. She owed her own survival to a mutant — the very forces behind the destruction. Now Sorrel will never be the same again."
There is no "Before", there is only "Now". Because now there’s no internet, no TV, no power grid. Food is scarce, and the world’s a hostile place. But Sorrel lives a quiet life in the tiny settlement of Amat. It’s all she’s ever known ...
Until a gang of marauding mutants destroys the village, snatching her brother Eli, and David, her boyfriend. Sorrel sets out after them, embarking on a journey fraught with danger. Can she survive? The only thing that keeps her going is Eli and David. They are out there somewhere. They must be alive. And if she has her way, she will find them.
I actually had to DNF this book, but I made it about 57% of the way through before I did so. While I couldn’t finish the book I do feel like I read enough of it to make a well informed opinion about the book. So I will say that this book was interesting plot wise. The storyline was really cool and nothing that I had really heard about before. The story really made me want to read more of it, but I had a lot of issues with it sadly.
The issues I had with a lot of things in the book. The character development was non-existent and the characters actually didn’t have a set pattern to follow. They just did whatever the plot called for instead of what the characters would actually do. The characters were also incredibly stupid. Like seriously, they made very dumb decisions they shouldn’t have made otherwise. The pacing was way too fast-paced for this type of book. The world-building was also non-existent and the reader is left wondering what the hell is happening throughout the book.
Verdict: I prefer books that explain the world around it, especially if it’s set in the future post-dystopian world.
Genre: YA Dystopian
Recommended Age: 15+ (mentions of rape, gore, violence, slavery, etc.)
Pages: 221
Author Website
Amazon Link
I received this book for review from NetGalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Summary: "She thought she knew who she was and where she came from.Then her home was destroyed. Her brother lost amongst the ashes. And the boy she loves vanished. She owed her own survival to a mutant — the very forces behind the destruction. Now Sorrel will never be the same again."
There is no "Before", there is only "Now". Because now there’s no internet, no TV, no power grid. Food is scarce, and the world’s a hostile place. But Sorrel lives a quiet life in the tiny settlement of Amat. It’s all she’s ever known ...
Until a gang of marauding mutants destroys the village, snatching her brother Eli, and David, her boyfriend. Sorrel sets out after them, embarking on a journey fraught with danger. Can she survive? The only thing that keeps her going is Eli and David. They are out there somewhere. They must be alive. And if she has her way, she will find them.
I actually had to DNF this book, but I made it about 57% of the way through before I did so. While I couldn’t finish the book I do feel like I read enough of it to make a well informed opinion about the book. So I will say that this book was interesting plot wise. The storyline was really cool and nothing that I had really heard about before. The story really made me want to read more of it, but I had a lot of issues with it sadly.
The issues I had with a lot of things in the book. The character development was non-existent and the characters actually didn’t have a set pattern to follow. They just did whatever the plot called for instead of what the characters would actually do. The characters were also incredibly stupid. Like seriously, they made very dumb decisions they shouldn’t have made otherwise. The pacing was way too fast-paced for this type of book. The world-building was also non-existent and the reader is left wondering what the hell is happening throughout the book.
Verdict: I prefer books that explain the world around it, especially if it’s set in the future post-dystopian world.
Rating: 3/5
Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Dystopian
Recommended Age: 14+ (some violence, slight sexual content)
Pages: 368
Author Website
Amazon Link
I purchased my own copy of this book, but I do represent Blaze Publishing. My opinions are my own.
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Maia Graystone lives in a world of fear. Trapped inside the hellish pit below Rhine prison with psychopaths and murderers, she spends every second worrying about the brother she left behind, knowing that if the other inmates don't kill her first, the asteroid hurtling toward the earth definitely will.
When a mysterious benefactor rescues her from prison and offers her a spot in the Shadow Trials, she jumps at the chance to receive a coveted place for her and her brother on the space station in the stars. Things get complicated when she's paired with Riser, a dark soul harboring his own reasons for wanting the Emperor dead. With the asteroid days away, the Trials looming, and her brother's fate hanging in the balance, she discovers the only thing more dangerous than the Emperor's court is her conflicted heart.
A bit of sci-fi and dystopian on my weekend? Heck yea! I love this common combo between the two genres and I wasn’t that disappointed in this read. It was beautifully written and the world building was awesome. The character development was also really good and all in all I thought it was a decent read.
However, there were some things that bugged me about this book. There are numerous plot holes in this book that aren’t explained at all and the plot points seemed to be one in the same. This made the book really boring to read and I actually fell asleep during part of this read. The pacing was also really slow for me and I didn’t like how the book seemed to mainly focus on the romance. The draw of the overall story kept me going, but it was a wrestle for me to get through some of the book.
Verdict: It’s a decent read and if you like this genre you’ll surely enjoy this book.
Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Dystopian
Recommended Age: 14+ (some violence, slight sexual content)
Pages: 368
Author Website
Amazon Link
I purchased my own copy of this book, but I do represent Blaze Publishing. My opinions are my own.
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Maia Graystone lives in a world of fear. Trapped inside the hellish pit below Rhine prison with psychopaths and murderers, she spends every second worrying about the brother she left behind, knowing that if the other inmates don't kill her first, the asteroid hurtling toward the earth definitely will.
When a mysterious benefactor rescues her from prison and offers her a spot in the Shadow Trials, she jumps at the chance to receive a coveted place for her and her brother on the space station in the stars. Things get complicated when she's paired with Riser, a dark soul harboring his own reasons for wanting the Emperor dead. With the asteroid days away, the Trials looming, and her brother's fate hanging in the balance, she discovers the only thing more dangerous than the Emperor's court is her conflicted heart.
A bit of sci-fi and dystopian on my weekend? Heck yea! I love this common combo between the two genres and I wasn’t that disappointed in this read. It was beautifully written and the world building was awesome. The character development was also really good and all in all I thought it was a decent read.
However, there were some things that bugged me about this book. There are numerous plot holes in this book that aren’t explained at all and the plot points seemed to be one in the same. This made the book really boring to read and I actually fell asleep during part of this read. The pacing was also really slow for me and I didn’t like how the book seemed to mainly focus on the romance. The draw of the overall story kept me going, but it was a wrestle for me to get through some of the book.
Verdict: It’s a decent read and if you like this genre you’ll surely enjoy this book.
Rating: 3/5
Genre: YA Dystopian
Recommended Age: 14+ (violence, some gore, end of the world jazz)
Pages: 318
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: None, I got this book in an OwlCrate sub box that I bought with my own money.
Synopsis: Worlds collide in debut author Jennifer Wilson's graphic dystopian series where Divergent meets Mad Max. Since witnessing her parents' murders at the age of eleven, Phoenix's only purpose in life has been to uphold her mother's dying words - to be strong and survive. But surviving outside of The Walls - outside of The Sanctuary - is more like a drawn-out death sentence. A cruel and ruthless city, Tartarus is run by the Tribes whose motto is simple, "Join or die."
Refusing to join and determined to live, Phoenix fights to survive in this savage world.
But who can she trust, when no one can be trusted? Not even herself...
The first of a trilogy, New World Rising is an epic tale of survival, instinct, trauma, and the extraordinary power of human connection.
Another dystopian, another day. This one I wanted to try out because I heard such good things about it, but personally I had some issues with it. The book was decent overall. I felt that the character development was really good and the storyline was interesting. Unfortunately these were the only things I liked.
I felt that while the pacing was okay, the beginning of the story dragged on really slow. Nothing really was interesting until over 50 pages into the book. I felt while the world building was really well done, I was left with more questions than answers about why we were in this world and what was happening. I also noticed some plot holes throughout the book. Also insta-love and cliffhangers.
Verdict: Overall, this book was good on the surface but when I started digging around the book I felt that this book had a lot of things left to explain.
Genre: YA Dystopian
Recommended Age: 14+ (violence, some gore, end of the world jazz)
Pages: 318
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: None, I got this book in an OwlCrate sub box that I bought with my own money.
Synopsis: Worlds collide in debut author Jennifer Wilson's graphic dystopian series where Divergent meets Mad Max. Since witnessing her parents' murders at the age of eleven, Phoenix's only purpose in life has been to uphold her mother's dying words - to be strong and survive. But surviving outside of The Walls - outside of The Sanctuary - is more like a drawn-out death sentence. A cruel and ruthless city, Tartarus is run by the Tribes whose motto is simple, "Join or die."
Refusing to join and determined to live, Phoenix fights to survive in this savage world.
But who can she trust, when no one can be trusted? Not even herself...
The first of a trilogy, New World Rising is an epic tale of survival, instinct, trauma, and the extraordinary power of human connection.
Another dystopian, another day. This one I wanted to try out because I heard such good things about it, but personally I had some issues with it. The book was decent overall. I felt that the character development was really good and the storyline was interesting. Unfortunately these were the only things I liked.
I felt that while the pacing was okay, the beginning of the story dragged on really slow. Nothing really was interesting until over 50 pages into the book. I felt while the world building was really well done, I was left with more questions than answers about why we were in this world and what was happening. I also noticed some plot holes throughout the book. Also insta-love and cliffhangers.
Verdict: Overall, this book was good on the surface but when I started digging around the book I felt that this book had a lot of things left to explain.
Rating: 5/5
Genre: YA Dystopian
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, suicide trigger warning)
Pages: 435
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: None, I bought my own copy!
Synopsis: Two teens must learn the “art of killing” in this Printz Honor–winning book, the first in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman, author of the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology.
A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.
Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.
Scythe is the first novel of a thrilling new series by National Book Award–winning author Neal Shusterman in which Citra and Rowan learn that a perfect world comes only with a heavy price.
Meet the book that made me run out and buy a robe and sickle. I am now a Scythe (in my mind) and I will glean without bias and malice. Seriously though this book was written so intelligently. The characters were amazing and well developed. The plot and pacing were awesome. I can’t recommend this book enough if you love dystopians. I can’t think of anything else to describe how amazing this book was and how beautiful it fits into the dystopian world along side of classics like The Hunger Games and Divergent.
However, I do have to say that the book does have some big ex machina moments that made some of the more unbelievable moments in the book solvable out of the blue. However, if you don’t mind these types of things then this book is an enjoyable read.
Verdict: Glean without malice and bias. Also go read this amazing book.
Genre: YA Dystopian
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, suicide trigger warning)
Pages: 435
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: None, I bought my own copy!
Synopsis: Two teens must learn the “art of killing” in this Printz Honor–winning book, the first in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman, author of the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology.
A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.
Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.
Scythe is the first novel of a thrilling new series by National Book Award–winning author Neal Shusterman in which Citra and Rowan learn that a perfect world comes only with a heavy price.
Meet the book that made me run out and buy a robe and sickle. I am now a Scythe (in my mind) and I will glean without bias and malice. Seriously though this book was written so intelligently. The characters were amazing and well developed. The plot and pacing were awesome. I can’t recommend this book enough if you love dystopians. I can’t think of anything else to describe how amazing this book was and how beautiful it fits into the dystopian world along side of classics like The Hunger Games and Divergent.
However, I do have to say that the book does have some big ex machina moments that made some of the more unbelievable moments in the book solvable out of the blue. However, if you don’t mind these types of things then this book is an enjoyable read.
Verdict: Glean without malice and bias. Also go read this amazing book.
Rating: 2/5
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (sexual references, violence, slight gore)
Pages: 304
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: I bought this book on my own accord.
Synopsis: Marinda has kissed dozens of boys. They all die afterward. It's a miserable life, but being a visha kanya, a poison maiden, is what she was created to do. Marinda serves the Raja by dispatching his enemies with only her lips as a weapon.
Until now, the men she was ordered to kiss have been strangers, enemies of the kingdom. Then she receives orders to kiss Deven, a boy she knows too well to be convinced he needs to die. She begins to question who she's really working for. And that is a thread that, once pulled, will unravel more than she can afford to lose.
Okay so what instantly drove me to this book was the concept. It’s intriguing and interesting. The writing for the most part is okay and the characters are fairly well interesting.
However, there are a lot of issues with this book. The world building is lacking, the romance is too insta for my coffee, and the book definitely need some Indian beta-readers and some research on the author’s part. India has a ton of cultures and languages. It’s more of a melting pot in terms of culture and language than the USA. I did some research and realized that some of the language used in the book is misused from its English meaning, which I’m seeing as a big problem with authors writing about a culture and language they might not have firsthand knowledge of. Xpresso Reads has a very well written review on the cultural appropriation that happens in this book and I bow to her knowledge. I also want to say that the book had a pacing problem and it just felt really shakey and incomplete for a finished book.
Verdict: Research is your friend if you’re a writer.
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (sexual references, violence, slight gore)
Pages: 304
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: I bought this book on my own accord.
Synopsis: Marinda has kissed dozens of boys. They all die afterward. It's a miserable life, but being a visha kanya, a poison maiden, is what she was created to do. Marinda serves the Raja by dispatching his enemies with only her lips as a weapon.
Until now, the men she was ordered to kiss have been strangers, enemies of the kingdom. Then she receives orders to kiss Deven, a boy she knows too well to be convinced he needs to die. She begins to question who she's really working for. And that is a thread that, once pulled, will unravel more than she can afford to lose.
Okay so what instantly drove me to this book was the concept. It’s intriguing and interesting. The writing for the most part is okay and the characters are fairly well interesting.
However, there are a lot of issues with this book. The world building is lacking, the romance is too insta for my coffee, and the book definitely need some Indian beta-readers and some research on the author’s part. India has a ton of cultures and languages. It’s more of a melting pot in terms of culture and language than the USA. I did some research and realized that some of the language used in the book is misused from its English meaning, which I’m seeing as a big problem with authors writing about a culture and language they might not have firsthand knowledge of. Xpresso Reads has a very well written review on the cultural appropriation that happens in this book and I bow to her knowledge. I also want to say that the book had a pacing problem and it just felt really shakey and incomplete for a finished book.
Verdict: Research is your friend if you’re a writer.
Rating: 3/5
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: 14+ (bigotry and trigger warnings for suicide)
Pages: 285
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book through KidLitExchange. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Elektra Kamenides is well on her way to becoming a proper southern belle in the small Mississippi college town she calls home. That is, until her mother decides to uproot her and her kid sister Thalia and start over in California. They leave behind Elektra's father—a professor and leading expert on Greek mythology, and Elektra can't understand why. For her, life is tragedy, and all signs point to her family being cursed.
Their journey ends in Guadalupe Slough, a community of old Chicano families and oddball drifters sandwiched between San José and the southern shores of San Francisco Bay. The houseboat that her mother has bought, sight unseen, is really just an ancient trailer parked on a barge and sunk into a mudflat.
What would Odysseus do? Elektra asks herself. Determined to get back to Mississippi at all costs, she'll beg, cheat, and steal to get there. But things are not always what they seem, and home is wherever you decide to make it.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that was from the Greek American perspective nor one that relied so much on Greek mythology and culture (barring Percy Jackson because that’s on a level of its own). I really liked this contemporary look at a broken family and I feel that not a lot of books explore this topic. I also liked how well developed all of the main characters were. I found the story was very interesting and if you have a younger reader who is looking for an “adult” book this would be a good one to start them out on.
However, I personally feel there’s a lot of problems with this book. The side characters are very forgettable and the world building wasn’t that extensive. The writing was very choppy in parts and the book jumped timelines a lot, which made for an aggravating read. The ending was not full circle and it didn’t feel complete. The events in this book, while plausible, played very well for the many plot holes it contained and I felt that there were things that happened in the book that weren’t that well explained. I also didn’t like how suicide was kind of made of fun in this book. Suicide is a very serious issue and for someone to make a character who wanted to commit suicide, then on a dime change his mind and throw a party is a bit out of line in my opinion.
Verdict: A promising Greek tragedy that Homer shakes his head at.
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: 14+ (bigotry and trigger warnings for suicide)
Pages: 285
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book through KidLitExchange. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Elektra Kamenides is well on her way to becoming a proper southern belle in the small Mississippi college town she calls home. That is, until her mother decides to uproot her and her kid sister Thalia and start over in California. They leave behind Elektra's father—a professor and leading expert on Greek mythology, and Elektra can't understand why. For her, life is tragedy, and all signs point to her family being cursed.
Their journey ends in Guadalupe Slough, a community of old Chicano families and oddball drifters sandwiched between San José and the southern shores of San Francisco Bay. The houseboat that her mother has bought, sight unseen, is really just an ancient trailer parked on a barge and sunk into a mudflat.
What would Odysseus do? Elektra asks herself. Determined to get back to Mississippi at all costs, she'll beg, cheat, and steal to get there. But things are not always what they seem, and home is wherever you decide to make it.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that was from the Greek American perspective nor one that relied so much on Greek mythology and culture (barring Percy Jackson because that’s on a level of its own). I really liked this contemporary look at a broken family and I feel that not a lot of books explore this topic. I also liked how well developed all of the main characters were. I found the story was very interesting and if you have a younger reader who is looking for an “adult” book this would be a good one to start them out on.
However, I personally feel there’s a lot of problems with this book. The side characters are very forgettable and the world building wasn’t that extensive. The writing was very choppy in parts and the book jumped timelines a lot, which made for an aggravating read. The ending was not full circle and it didn’t feel complete. The events in this book, while plausible, played very well for the many plot holes it contained and I felt that there were things that happened in the book that weren’t that well explained. I also didn’t like how suicide was kind of made of fun in this book. Suicide is a very serious issue and for someone to make a character who wanted to commit suicide, then on a dime change his mind and throw a party is a bit out of line in my opinion.
Verdict: A promising Greek tragedy that Homer shakes his head at.