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purplepenning
I ended up liking this better by the end (at the halfway point, I was thinking it was barely scraping a 3).
The good:
It definitely delivers on the fake-dating for Reasons, grumpy-sunshine, slow-burn, academic women in STEM promises. And there's a pretty great blurry meet-cute, some good snark, dorky science jokes and references, and really good models of communication and consent during the steamy sexy time (an honest to goodness "may I?" makes an appearance).
What didn't work for me:
It was pretty predictable but my biggest issue was that our main characters didn't seem fleshed out and developed early enough for my tastes. I could barely picture Olive, and we're told how exceptional she is but we don't get much of a sense of it because she doesn't see/believe it herself and the hot-mess-of-it-all overshadows her capable, sciencey side. (Don't get me wrong: smart, capable but hot-messy is generally a winningly realistic character to me, though I'm wary of how often it's applied to women and not men). Some of her less than stellar decisions would've been easier to swallow if I could've connected with her better earlier. Also, even though I could picture him better, for much of the book, Adam was so taciturn and weirdly unaware of how others saw him (to the point that I thought he might be neurodiverse, but that was never mentioned) that it was hard to get a handle on his real personality. To be fair, I think there are decent plot-driven reasons for his non-emoting around Olive (and plenty of convoluted plot-driven misunderstandings). There's also some odd, cringey peer pressure from Olive's best friend (which is addressed by the end) that I didn't enjoy.
But most of it *is* addressed by the end, so I'm glad I stuck around for it.
Topics/themes: higher ed, academia, research, funding, women in STEM, BIPOC in STEM, sexual harassment, MeToo, grief, self-doubt, financial struggles, good science, ethics, mentoring
Tropes: fake dating, grumpy-sunshine, professor-student, forced proximity, hot mess, starving grad student, hot scientist
Content notes: death of a parent (backstory), foster system (backstory), abusive academic advisor (backstory), cancer, sexual harassment, lab animal research, peer pressured PDA, strong language, steamy sex
My thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for a digital ARC!
The good:
It definitely delivers on the fake-dating for Reasons, grumpy-sunshine, slow-burn, academic women in STEM promises. And there's a pretty great blurry meet-cute, some good snark, dorky science jokes and references, and really good models of communication and consent during the steamy sexy time (an honest to goodness "may I?" makes an appearance).
What didn't work for me:
It was pretty predictable but my biggest issue was that our main characters didn't seem fleshed out and developed early enough for my tastes. I could barely picture Olive, and we're told how exceptional she is but we don't get much of a sense of it because she doesn't see/believe it herself and the hot-mess-of-it-all overshadows her capable, sciencey side. (Don't get me wrong: smart, capable but hot-messy is generally a winningly realistic character to me, though I'm wary of how often it's applied to women and not men). Some of her less than stellar decisions would've been easier to swallow if I could've connected with her better earlier. Also, even though I could picture him better, for much of the book, Adam was so taciturn and weirdly unaware of how others saw him (to the point that I thought he might be neurodiverse, but that was never mentioned) that it was hard to get a handle on his real personality. To be fair, I think there are decent plot-driven reasons for his non-emoting around Olive (and plenty of convoluted plot-driven misunderstandings). There's also some odd, cringey peer pressure from Olive's best friend (which is addressed by the end) that I didn't enjoy.
But most of it *is* addressed by the end, so I'm glad I stuck around for it.
Topics/themes: higher ed, academia, research, funding, women in STEM, BIPOC in STEM, sexual harassment, MeToo, grief, self-doubt, financial struggles, good science, ethics, mentoring
Tropes: fake dating, grumpy-sunshine, professor-student, forced proximity, hot mess, starving grad student, hot scientist
Content notes: death of a parent (backstory), foster system (backstory), abusive academic advisor (backstory), cancer, sexual harassment, lab animal research, peer pressured PDA, strong language, steamy sex
My thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for a digital ARC!
Fresh-voiced multigenerational magical realism in the tradition of Latin American greats Isabel Allende and Gabriel García Márquez. Fans of Alice Hoffman, Alix Harrow, Neil Gaiman, and Erin Morgenstern should check out this adult debut from Zoraida Córdova!
When Orquídea Divina Montoya invites her children and grandchildren back to the Four Rivers valley to attend her upcoming funeral and collect their inheritance, her call goes out far and wide — and as impossible to ignore as her quasi-zombie rooster Gabo who seems to have an unlimited number of lives. The invitation has to go far to reach all the stretching branches of the Montoya family tree. This mysterious and powerful matriarch has herself come far from the time when she was alone, an outcast, a "whisper of a girl who wanted to become a Scream." But some things that she put well behind her are beginning to catch up. Things her family doesn't know about or understand. How could they? That valley they called home was as thick and mysterious with secrets as it was with magic. True to form, Orquídea's passing causes even more family drama. Even as it sparks untapped talent and strength, it provides refuge, provokes danger, and of course generates more questions than any one generation could possibly understand or answer.
"There were hundreds of things Marimar wanted to know. Why is this happening? Why can't we stop it? Why didn't you try to tell me sooner? Who are you? Why do this? What broke your heart so completely that its splinters found their way through generations?"
It's up to Marimar and her cousins to track down some answers before a stalking darkness destroys the last of the Montoya heirs.
"The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina" is lyrical, character-driven literary fantasy written in an effective dual timeline that reveals Orquídea's early life in Ecuador and the current lives of her grandchildren as they explore and try to understand the power and danger of that legacy. As with most magical realism, the system of magic isn't well explained (or explained at all for most of the book) and may be rooted in traditions that the reader is unfamiliar with. That may frustrate some readers but adds an interesting dimension to a story that is saturated with secrets and explores the lives of people responding to the frustrations of marginalization and rejection. If the early, character-heavy, character-development parts of the tale don't grab you, stick around for the mystery that unfolds in the later parts.
Topics and themes: legacy and inheritance, heritage, magic, elitism, colorism, love, heartbreak, treachery, found family, outcasts, Ecuadorian and Latin American culture, refuge, strength, colonialism, secrets, communication, wishes, fame, fate, creativity,
Content notes: bigotry, bullying, poverty, abusive step-family, absent father/parent abandonment, death by drowning (backstory), colonialism, anti-LGBTQ bullying (backstory), enslavement, infidelity, circus/sideshow, death by insects, body horror, running away from home, death of parents, necromancy, strong language, brief but specific sexual content
My thanks to #NetGalley, Atria, and Librofm for a digital ARC and LRC!
When Orquídea Divina Montoya invites her children and grandchildren back to the Four Rivers valley to attend her upcoming funeral and collect their inheritance, her call goes out far and wide — and as impossible to ignore as her quasi-zombie rooster Gabo who seems to have an unlimited number of lives. The invitation has to go far to reach all the stretching branches of the Montoya family tree. This mysterious and powerful matriarch has herself come far from the time when she was alone, an outcast, a "whisper of a girl who wanted to become a Scream." But some things that she put well behind her are beginning to catch up. Things her family doesn't know about or understand. How could they? That valley they called home was as thick and mysterious with secrets as it was with magic. True to form, Orquídea's passing causes even more family drama. Even as it sparks untapped talent and strength, it provides refuge, provokes danger, and of course generates more questions than any one generation could possibly understand or answer.
"There were hundreds of things Marimar wanted to know. Why is this happening? Why can't we stop it? Why didn't you try to tell me sooner? Who are you? Why do this? What broke your heart so completely that its splinters found their way through generations?"
It's up to Marimar and her cousins to track down some answers before a stalking darkness destroys the last of the Montoya heirs.
"The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina" is lyrical, character-driven literary fantasy written in an effective dual timeline that reveals Orquídea's early life in Ecuador and the current lives of her grandchildren as they explore and try to understand the power and danger of that legacy. As with most magical realism, the system of magic isn't well explained (or explained at all for most of the book) and may be rooted in traditions that the reader is unfamiliar with. That may frustrate some readers but adds an interesting dimension to a story that is saturated with secrets and explores the lives of people responding to the frustrations of marginalization and rejection. If the early, character-heavy, character-development parts of the tale don't grab you, stick around for the mystery that unfolds in the later parts.
Topics and themes: legacy and inheritance, heritage, magic, elitism, colorism, love, heartbreak, treachery, found family, outcasts, Ecuadorian and Latin American culture, refuge, strength, colonialism, secrets, communication, wishes, fame, fate, creativity,
Content notes: bigotry, bullying, poverty, abusive step-family, absent father/parent abandonment, death by drowning (backstory), colonialism, anti-LGBTQ bullying (backstory), enslavement, infidelity, circus/sideshow, death by insects, body horror, running away from home, death of parents, necromancy, strong language, brief but specific sexual content
My thanks to #NetGalley, Atria, and Librofm for a digital ARC and LRC!
*This book contains slurs for Black, Roma, LGBTQ people, and people with physical disabilities. There is an author's note that addresses the historical bigotry, the research and experts consulted, and the author's own lived and professional experience. See other content notes below.*
A dual timeline historical about a group of hard-working, high-spirited, seaside entertainers in 1970s Brighton (England), the small mysteries of their lives and loves that weren't solved until nearly 50 years later, and the clairvoyant Madame Burova at the center of it all.
As Imelda Burova prepares to retire from 50 years of reading tarot and telling fortunes at her seaside booth, she is filled with both hope and dread — but mostly satisfaction and relief. She has been worthy of the trust of her calling — performing it with integrity, wisdom, and skill — and now she has a final promise to fulfill, a final secret to release, and she can set aside the weight of the past.
Poised for her life's second act, 40-something Billie is shocked to learn that her future is about to be entirely changed by a revelation about her own past... which intersected with Madame Burova's before she was even born...
This is the first I've read by Ruth Hogan and I was delighted by the beautiful and immersive writing, interesting characters, tangled mysteries, and the way she walks a fine line between hope and melancholy. She imbues her story with intrigue and a bittersweet weightiness that makes it a great book club pick. It was a little slow to come together for me — there's a huge cast of characters and I made the mistake of starting with the audiobook and not getting a grasp on all the names right off the bat — but once it did I sped through it in a single evening. (And the audiobook is excellent, so don't let my temporary lack of concentration and listening skills deter you from it.) I also would've appreciated more development for the Imelda-Cillian relationship. A couple more conversations would've set me up just fine. But overall, this is a sweet and interesting story with some weighty themes and an unflinching, realistic portrayal of growing up in the 70s.
Topics & themes: love, loss, family, friendship, youth, pivotal moments, second acts, secrets, bigotry, oppression, 1970s, adoption (human and pet), legacy, retirement
Content notes: bigotry, racism, slurs (for people who are Black, Roma, LGBTQ, and disabled), internalized racism, schoolyard bullying and assault, MeToo, sexual assault, sudden death from heart attack, sudden death from asthma attack, loss of parents, child abandonment, mistreatment and attempted harm to animals
My thanks to #NetGalley, William Morrow, and Libro.fm for a digital ARC and LRC!
A dual timeline historical about a group of hard-working, high-spirited, seaside entertainers in 1970s Brighton (England), the small mysteries of their lives and loves that weren't solved until nearly 50 years later, and the clairvoyant Madame Burova at the center of it all.
As Imelda Burova prepares to retire from 50 years of reading tarot and telling fortunes at her seaside booth, she is filled with both hope and dread — but mostly satisfaction and relief. She has been worthy of the trust of her calling — performing it with integrity, wisdom, and skill — and now she has a final promise to fulfill, a final secret to release, and she can set aside the weight of the past.
Poised for her life's second act, 40-something Billie is shocked to learn that her future is about to be entirely changed by a revelation about her own past... which intersected with Madame Burova's before she was even born...
This is the first I've read by Ruth Hogan and I was delighted by the beautiful and immersive writing, interesting characters, tangled mysteries, and the way she walks a fine line between hope and melancholy. She imbues her story with intrigue and a bittersweet weightiness that makes it a great book club pick. It was a little slow to come together for me — there's a huge cast of characters and I made the mistake of starting with the audiobook and not getting a grasp on all the names right off the bat — but once it did I sped through it in a single evening. (And the audiobook is excellent, so don't let my temporary lack of concentration and listening skills deter you from it.) I also would've appreciated more development for the Imelda-Cillian relationship. A couple more conversations would've set me up just fine. But overall, this is a sweet and interesting story with some weighty themes and an unflinching, realistic portrayal of growing up in the 70s.
Topics & themes: love, loss, family, friendship, youth, pivotal moments, second acts, secrets, bigotry, oppression, 1970s, adoption (human and pet), legacy, retirement
Content notes: bigotry, racism, slurs (for people who are Black, Roma, LGBTQ, and disabled), internalized racism, schoolyard bullying and assault, MeToo, sexual assault, sudden death from heart attack, sudden death from asthma attack, loss of parents, child abandonment, mistreatment and attempted harm to animals
My thanks to #NetGalley, William Morrow, and Libro.fm for a digital ARC and LRC!
This is the intro to white privilege that every white kid, parent, teacher, librarian, aunt, uncle, friend, and human* has been missing in their lives. Engaging and conversational, refreshingly honest and personal, verified white guy Brendan Kiely gives us a great starting point for understanding how white privilege saturates our society, for examining how it affects our individual lives and those around us, and for starting a conversation about it with our kids and each other. Plus: intro by Jason Reynolds! plenty of dumb teen shenanigans! excellent on audio!
*I've said it before and I'll say it again — there is no shame, NONE, in adults learning from YA books. They're specifically written in an engaging style that reduces cognitive load so important ideas can shine through. Perfect for busy modern readers ages 12 to 100. Adults who are curious about this whole "white privilege thing" will find this book to be accessible and helpful.
My thanks to the publisher and Libro.fm for a digital ARC and LRC!
*I've said it before and I'll say it again — there is no shame, NONE, in adults learning from YA books. They're specifically written in an engaging style that reduces cognitive load so important ideas can shine through. Perfect for busy modern readers ages 12 to 100. Adults who are curious about this whole "white privilege thing" will find this book to be accessible and helpful.
My thanks to the publisher and Libro.fm for a digital ARC and LRC!
Yeah ...no. This didn't work for me, but I rounded up to 2 stars because the banter is good and it tries to tackle some complicated family and relationship things.
This a contemporary second chance romance with a forced proximity / wedding party trope, an author for a main character with snippets of her historical romance work-in-progress running throughout, a slightly overweight and badly behaved rescue bulldog, and lots of beautiful, white, upper-middle-class people enjoying wedding festivities in NYC. There were plenty of red flags in the first few chapters to let me know this wasn't going to be for me, but I ignored them because the witty, bantering dialogue between the friends and the main characters was funny. Like good, fast-talking-sitcom funny.
Our main characters were pretty awful to each other at the onset, but I hoped to discover that they had just been idiot kids who managed to hurt each other once in unfortunate but reconcilable ways after they had each grown. Typical second chance romance stuff. And that could've been true. Except they went on, no longer kids, to continue using and hurting each other and others. Add in a toxic parent, unresolved father issues, boundary-ignoring friends, actual cheating rearing its ugly head, and a plot that turns this second chance romance into a third, no, fourth chance romance and ... No thanks. No amount of witty banter and last act resolutions and growth were going to make up for all of that.
As for the writing, there were some odd pacing choices, and I'm a big fan of dialogue, but this was ... a lot. It made the whole thing feel amateurish — both overindulgent and underdeveloped — or as if it was a converted script and most of the narration was just there to move the characters from one conversation setting to the next. Distinctive voices were unevenly maintained. My digital ARC wasn't formatted particularly well, and I lost the thread of who was talking more often than I should've. I didn't mind the historical romance snippets throughout, although I had issues with how those characters treated each other, too. The discussions about romance as a genre were okay, and I thought they might be a redeeming aspect of the book, but then we see in the epilogue that the dude is still teasing the author about her inappropriate reading materials. (If you like the romance book interstitials, I recommend trying the Bromance Book Club series for a refreshing approach to that technique. And Beach Read handles the romance genre discussions much better — managing it without the tired, belittling snideness.)
So... this one wasn't for me, but plenty of others have enjoyed it, so your mileage may vary. Unless cheating is a deal breaker — then your mileage will be remarkably similar or worse than mine.
Tropes: second chance romance, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, grand gesture, writing life
Content notes: body negativity/fatphobia, car accident, death of a parent, divorce, drinking in excess, grief, emotional manipulation, boundary issues, cheating...
This a contemporary second chance romance with a forced proximity / wedding party trope, an author for a main character with snippets of her historical romance work-in-progress running throughout, a slightly overweight and badly behaved rescue bulldog, and lots of beautiful, white, upper-middle-class people enjoying wedding festivities in NYC. There were plenty of red flags in the first few chapters to let me know this wasn't going to be for me, but I ignored them because the witty, bantering dialogue between the friends and the main characters was funny. Like good, fast-talking-sitcom funny.
Our main characters were pretty awful to each other at the onset, but I hoped to discover that they had just been idiot kids who managed to hurt each other once in unfortunate but reconcilable ways after they had each grown. Typical second chance romance stuff. And that could've been true. Except they went on, no longer kids, to continue using and hurting each other and others. Add in a toxic parent, unresolved father issues, boundary-ignoring friends, actual cheating rearing its ugly head, and a plot that turns this second chance romance into a third, no, fourth chance romance and ... No thanks. No amount of witty banter and last act resolutions and growth were going to make up for all of that.
As for the writing, there were some odd pacing choices, and I'm a big fan of dialogue, but this was ... a lot. It made the whole thing feel amateurish — both overindulgent and underdeveloped — or as if it was a converted script and most of the narration was just there to move the characters from one conversation setting to the next. Distinctive voices were unevenly maintained. My digital ARC wasn't formatted particularly well, and I lost the thread of who was talking more often than I should've. I didn't mind the historical romance snippets throughout, although I had issues with how those characters treated each other, too. The discussions about romance as a genre were okay, and I thought they might be a redeeming aspect of the book, but then we see in the epilogue that the dude is still teasing the author about her inappropriate reading materials. (If you like the romance book interstitials, I recommend trying the Bromance Book Club series for a refreshing approach to that technique. And Beach Read handles the romance genre discussions much better — managing it without the tired, belittling snideness.)
So... this one wasn't for me, but plenty of others have enjoyed it, so your mileage may vary. Unless cheating is a deal breaker — then your mileage will be remarkably similar or worse than mine.
Tropes: second chance romance, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, grand gesture, writing life
Content notes: body negativity/fatphobia, car accident, death of a parent, divorce, drinking in excess, grief, emotional manipulation, boundary issues, cheating...
"If you haven't put your heart through a good mangle yet this morning, try this."
With a strong nod to "Flowers for Algernon" and shades of "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy, "Bewilderment" is an enchanting heartbreak of a novel. A bereaved and grieving father and son — an astrobiologist and a highly sensitive, highly intelligent 9-year-old — navigate the bruising worlds of academia and fourth grade in a near-future near-dystopia where small meanness is given large power and creatures large and small are given too little consideration. It explores sweeping themes and big ideas about empathy and grief, parenthood and stewardship, and the intersections of science and belief and action.
"'Bewilderment' is Plato's Allegory of the Cave. I've just updated the fable for the age of pandemics, exoplanets, and mass extinction."
—Richard Powers
Shortlisted for the Booker Prize, longlisted for a National Book Award, also excellent on audio.
My thanks to Libro.fm and the publisher for a listening review copy!
Topics & themes: grief, father-son relationship, empathy, neurodiverse, emotional struggles, climate crisis, outer space and inner space, astrobiology, neuroscience, ornithology, ecology, environmentalism, animal rights, biofeedback, dying democracy, fascism, emotional-behavioral disorders, modern education, psychiatric medicine, wildlife, extinction, search for life on other planets, pre-apocalyptic, dystopian, tragedy
Content notes: death of parent, wife, child; wildlife killed by car; unmoderated emotions; biofeedback therapy sessions; alcoholism (backstory)
With a strong nod to "Flowers for Algernon" and shades of "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy, "Bewilderment" is an enchanting heartbreak of a novel. A bereaved and grieving father and son — an astrobiologist and a highly sensitive, highly intelligent 9-year-old — navigate the bruising worlds of academia and fourth grade in a near-future near-dystopia where small meanness is given large power and creatures large and small are given too little consideration. It explores sweeping themes and big ideas about empathy and grief, parenthood and stewardship, and the intersections of science and belief and action.
"'Bewilderment' is Plato's Allegory of the Cave. I've just updated the fable for the age of pandemics, exoplanets, and mass extinction."
—Richard Powers
Shortlisted for the Booker Prize, longlisted for a National Book Award, also excellent on audio.
My thanks to Libro.fm and the publisher for a listening review copy!
Topics & themes: grief, father-son relationship, empathy, neurodiverse, emotional struggles, climate crisis, outer space and inner space, astrobiology, neuroscience, ornithology, ecology, environmentalism, animal rights, biofeedback, dying democracy, fascism, emotional-behavioral disorders, modern education, psychiatric medicine, wildlife, extinction, search for life on other planets, pre-apocalyptic, dystopian, tragedy
Content notes: death of parent, wife, child; wildlife killed by car; unmoderated emotions; biofeedback therapy sessions; alcoholism (backstory)
What a great surprise! I saw that this was about a werewolf (someone with lycanthropy), "friendship and the hairy side of chronic illness" and thought I was in for something campy and ridiculous. Instead, I found a spot-on, sensitive but funny (and yes, sometimes a little ridiculous) tale of contemporary friendship, online support groups, and the daily physical, administrative, and emotional struggles faced by those with chronic illness.
After severe Lyme disease crashes Priya's premed plans in the middle of her sophomore year, she moves back home, thankful for but mortified by the support she needs from her parents and younger siblings. When an informal online support group for people with chronic illnesses forms, she and her online friend, Brigid, both join. They find an emotionally intelligent, funny, diverse, and caring bunch of mostly high school and college kids (with the "mom" of the group being 26). With the help of the chat group and each other, they begin to fill some of their dark, lonely corners. Until Brigid suddenly goes silent, and Priya, impulsively deciding to check on her "in real life," finds something darker and more dangerous than she was expecting. It's all fun and games (and joint pain and meds) until an actual werewolf enters the chat.
I loved how authentically these online relationships were portrayed — as meaningful and important in their own right but also as bridges to significant in-person relationships. I also thought the escalation of the tension felt genuine and well paced, rooted in a sort of recognizable life cycle of frustration and emotional anguish that can go hand in hand with chronic illness (and early adulthood). The diversity of ethnicities, genders, sexualities, pronouns, and illnesses was excellent, but it did take me quite a while to sort out everyone in the chat group. It's been a minute since I participated in 10-person chats, but I'm not unfamiliar with them, so novices might struggle a bit more. Then again, I'm an old GenXer, so a YA reader might have no issues with it at all.
Platforms and chat issues aside, this was a funny, well-written, paranormal friendship tale with quirky characters and unexpected authenticity and emotional depth. And excellent representation.
Content notes: character contemplating suicide (discussing it within the context of the support group); discussions about pain, cognitive issues, social stigmas and misunderstandings, accommodation issues, burdensome bureaucracy, and emotional issues related to illnesses, including Lyme disease, EDS, fibromyalgia, cerebral palsy, endometriosis, celiac disease, and of course lycanthropy; reckless physical behavior and reckless use of herbs and supplements; mention of marijuana; BB gun and dart gun; ER and ICU visits; estranged grandparent; a feral cat is eaten (off scene but confirmed/reacted to in dialogue); mild body horror
After severe Lyme disease crashes Priya's premed plans in the middle of her sophomore year, she moves back home, thankful for but mortified by the support she needs from her parents and younger siblings. When an informal online support group for people with chronic illnesses forms, she and her online friend, Brigid, both join. They find an emotionally intelligent, funny, diverse, and caring bunch of mostly high school and college kids (with the "mom" of the group being 26). With the help of the chat group and each other, they begin to fill some of their dark, lonely corners. Until Brigid suddenly goes silent, and Priya, impulsively deciding to check on her "in real life," finds something darker and more dangerous than she was expecting. It's all fun and games (and joint pain and meds) until an actual werewolf enters the chat.
I loved how authentically these online relationships were portrayed — as meaningful and important in their own right but also as bridges to significant in-person relationships. I also thought the escalation of the tension felt genuine and well paced, rooted in a sort of recognizable life cycle of frustration and emotional anguish that can go hand in hand with chronic illness (and early adulthood). The diversity of ethnicities, genders, sexualities, pronouns, and illnesses was excellent, but it did take me quite a while to sort out everyone in the chat group. It's been a minute since I participated in 10-person chats, but I'm not unfamiliar with them, so novices might struggle a bit more. Then again, I'm an old GenXer, so a YA reader might have no issues with it at all.
Platforms and chat issues aside, this was a funny, well-written, paranormal friendship tale with quirky characters and unexpected authenticity and emotional depth. And excellent representation.
Content notes: character contemplating suicide (discussing it within the context of the support group); discussions about pain, cognitive issues, social stigmas and misunderstandings, accommodation issues, burdensome bureaucracy, and emotional issues related to illnesses, including Lyme disease, EDS, fibromyalgia, cerebral palsy, endometriosis, celiac disease, and of course lycanthropy; reckless physical behavior and reckless use of herbs and supplements; mention of marijuana; BB gun and dart gun; ER and ICU visits; estranged grandparent; a feral cat is eaten (off scene but confirmed/reacted to in dialogue); mild body horror
Naomi MiddleName Novik! I'm still basically struck speechless by that ending, but I've had days to rally, so I'll try my hand at a coherent review.
This is book 2 in the Scholomance series and it picks up right where book 1, A Deadly Education, left off. The massacre of a graduation ceremony has possibly been temporarily fixed, El's class has shifted to seniors, a new group of first years are in, and El is about to get far more acquainted with them than is normal by Scholomance standards or any other. Despite dire warnings, she's also about to get more acquainted with Orion Can't-Keep-His-Beaky-Nose-To-Himself Lake, the Scholomance itself, and the world of wizard alliances.
For a closed-door, boarding-school story, this is an impressively expansive tale. Book 2 expands the scope of the action, the cast of characters, the depth of intrigue, El's perspectives... But it doesn't expand it into a different kind of story. If you liked the first book, you'll be happy with this one. Except the ending. No one is happy with that ending, Naomi MiddleName Novik!
(The audiobooks for these are also great. Narrator Anisha Dadia perfectly captures El's snarky dark humor.)
My thanks to #NetGalley, Del Rey, and Libro.fm for digital ARC and listening ARC.
This is book 2 in the Scholomance series and it picks up right where book 1, A Deadly Education, left off. The massacre of a graduation ceremony has possibly been temporarily fixed, El's class has shifted to seniors, a new group of first years are in, and El is about to get far more acquainted with them than is normal by Scholomance standards or any other. Despite dire warnings, she's also about to get more acquainted with Orion Can't-Keep-His-Beaky-Nose-To-Himself Lake, the Scholomance itself, and the world of wizard alliances.
For a closed-door, boarding-school story, this is an impressively expansive tale. Book 2 expands the scope of the action, the cast of characters, the depth of intrigue, El's perspectives... But it doesn't expand it into a different kind of story. If you liked the first book, you'll be happy with this one. Except the ending. No one is happy with that ending, Naomi MiddleName Novik!
(The audiobooks for these are also great. Narrator Anisha Dadia perfectly captures El's snarky dark humor.)
My thanks to #NetGalley, Del Rey, and Libro.fm for digital ARC and listening ARC.
