This is, by far, the most difficult book review I’ve had to write primarily because I am still so utterly, hopelessly conflicted with how I feel about this book. Even as I write this, I am repeatedly debating on the accuracy of my star rating. I cannot adequately stress how difficult and confusing and befuddling this is.

In terms of content, numerous sensitive themes were explored in such a powerfully raw, explicitly personal manner that never failed to move me in some way. There were pieces that talked about rape, emotional abuse, grief and the death of loved ones. All these were taken from the author’s firsthand experiences and she made no attempt to censor herself – which was a really, really admirably courageous thing to do. She did not hide behind vague allusions or colorful metaphors; she utilized a straightforwardly simplistic writing style with the sole intention to reveal rather than to convey a message while beating around the bush and dancing around figures of speech.

Another thing that I liked was how the collection was a carefully crafted web of stanzas and poems intertwined together, allowing all the pieces to be read together like a cohesive story unfolding on itself. Some of the poems in the latter part of the collection contained references to the previously presented poems in the earlier chapters, giving a sense of closure and continuity. I cannot count the times my heartstrings were tugged by the vulnerability within the stanzas. If I were to rate this book solely for the content and the emotion its poems evoked, I would definitely give five solid stars.

As someone who prefers form over substance in prose, I would have appreciated a lot more technical style and diversity. By the end of the day, my star rating is influenced by my personal preferences; however, this rating does not, in any way, diminish the quality of this collection. In spite of the number of my reservations, I do believe that The Princess Saves Herself in This One is a poetry book that’s worth picking up.

I walked into Fear the Drowning Deep with a significant amount of hesitation and apprehension. I thought I would write off the novel as another unfinished read – similar to all the other historical stories I’ve read prior to it. I was wrong. Not only is Fear the Drowning Deep the first historical fiction novel I actually finished reading, but it is also the first one I found myself immensely enjoying!

What I adored the most about Fear the Drowning Deep was learning about the Manx culture and history as I turned the pages. I easily fell in love with the culturally rich setting and the prevalent sense of community and history. The Isle’s ancient superstitions and folklore played an enormous role to the story; it genuinely astounded me to witness all these parts tie together quite wonderfully.

Essentially, Marsh’s writing style reminded me of the dynamic yet controlled motion of the sea: a continuous, rhythmic wave that hits the shore in different speeds and forces, but collectively comes across as smooth, natural and effortlessly easy to get myself immersed in. While I would not go so far as to call this as a new favorite, Fear the Drowning Deep is definitely a historical fiction novel I would not mind rereading. Kudos to Sarah Marsh for a gorgeously evocative debut!

Review to follow!

Quick thoughts:
- The book, especially its humor, sometimes made me feel uncomfortable.
- Too many Asian stereotypes, imo
- Inconsistent pacing, lacks a sense of time
- I was hoping for a more mature voice from the MC
- Instantaneous romance that surprisingly didn’t annoy me
- Pretty one-sided discourse on American vs. Chinese culture and values
- But I was mildly entertained and I didn’t actually hate this???

And yet another Shelly Crane novel that greatly disappointed me. My first Crane novel was Significance (no book review for that one yet), which I found to be outrightly terribly written with an exceedingly toxic romance between the main characters. However, I didn't want to close the door on the author just yet.

The Other Side of Gravity seemed like the perfect read for author redemption. The book's cover is undeniably gorgeous, the idea pitched in the premise seemed like a strong foundation for a good plot, and the setting introduced was admittedly fascinating. However, the delivery fell flat in just about every aspect and ultimately, the storytelling was utterly mediocre and nearly reduced me to bored tears.

The introductory chapters were all right. I was given a glimpse of how Sophelia was orphaned at an extremely young age and was forced into slavery. I also learned that the Earth eventually became so uninhabitable that people had to resort to taking oxygen and gravity pills in order to survive, and even then, the word 'survive' was used quite loosely. In terms of worldbuilding, The Other Side of Gravity was pretty impressive. It was not perfectly executed, but I will commend it for employing a distinctly unique concept.

Unfortunately, after the novel's strong and promising beginning, everything quickly sloped downhill. Sophelia was first presented as a sassy, independent and perfectly adept heroine clamoring for her freedom and unafraid to fight for it. However, once she and Maxton were thrown together, everything admirable about her character was immediately thrown out of the window. She became needy, embarrassingly helpless, and overly dependent. Think the antithesis of Arya Stark from Game of Thrones. Basically, her strength and backbone were totally macerated for the sake of an attractive male - an absurd concept that is, sad to say, still common in most fiction. To add to that, Maxton had a habit of mentioning her physical appearance whenever he thought about her (context: the story is written in the dual perspectives of Sophelia and Maxton). It seemed to me that he was blatantly objectifying her, which did not sit well with my ideals at all.

The elements that constituted a promising dystopian novel were completely overshadowed by the romance between the two leading characters. To make matters worse, the romance aspect was not even well-developed! I'm pretty sure their attraction towards one another was largely based on physical appearances. Their 'love' was instantaneous, unrealistic and unhealthy to a ridiculous proportion. I cringed on more than one occasion, I swear.

Moreover, the story had little to no plot. The mentions of an oppressive government and a rising rebellion ceased quickly, were placed completely on the backburner for most of the story, and only resurfaced in the latter chapters. Even then, crucial details were ignored, if not disregarded entirely. Also, the sudden savior complex towards the end was frustrating to read about. By that point, it was too late to redeem anything.

In summary, The Other Side of Gravity was a waste of time. I mourn for the trees that died in order to produce physical copies of this atrocity.