Moxie / Jennifer Mathieu

4.5/5

Jennifer Mathieu's Moxie takes a hard look at the realities of being a woman that girls encounter as early as high school. I devoured this novel in one day, and I am going to jump straight in and declare the reasons for my high rating, in no particular order.

Judging the title of the book, I assumed that our protagonist Vivian would be sassy and confident, maybe even rambunctious. I thought this novel would be about a loud and proud girl who would march through the halls of her school, rallying up the female population and threatening to fight anyone who stands in her way. Vivian could not be farther from that. She's the type of person who doesn't like attention or starting conflict. This is the first point of pleasant surprise: our protagonist is not who I assumed she'd be, and I was curious as to how Mathieu was going to pull this riot off with Vivian in the lead. This brings me to the next thing Mathieu does well, which is her delicate crafting of Vivian's character in these tricky situations. Vivian is hesitant and full of self-doubt. She's vulnerable and scared, and who wouldn't be? One of the worst fates that can befall a high-schooler is ostracization, which keeps everyone from declaring his or her true perspective. Mathieu executes Vivian's fear and internal conflict deftly and naturally, and makes Vivian far more real and relatable than the bold and brash heroine I was expecting.

I also appreciated the diversity included in Moxie. Mathieu acknowledges many issues aside from sexism and assault, such as race, tradition, pride, sexual orientation, and family, without ever feeling forced or overdone. Her characters are multi-dimensional; a good example is Vivian's relationship with Seth and how she views him against her progressive efforts. Also, pay particular attention to my favorites Claudia and Emma. Their plot lines really enforce the heart of Moxie, which is that this movement is for all girls. It doesn't matter whether you call yourself a feminist or not, whether you're the head cheerleader or social nobody; all girls means all girls. Mathieu portrays Vivian's encounters with all of these different people and new circumstances (such as Vivian trying to explain to Seth, who is a "not-a-dick," why she cares so much about this movement, and Vivian's shift in perspective of a girl she thought she had pinned down) with a subtlety and grace that I am just now realizing the extent of as I think back on the novel and type this.

The third main factor contributing to my admiration of Mathieu's work is the coherency of Moxie. Undercurrents of the same themes run through all of the storylines, but Mathieu executes this with a delicacy that avoids repetition and instead allows you to see what it means to truly take a stance and how your viewpoints can affect various aspects of your life, from family to love to friends. Mathieu captures the difficult part of standing for something: it's easy to claim your beliefs, but it's hard to actually apply them. In Moxie, we get to see Vivian discover what she believes in, grow into her beliefs, and learn how they fit into the different relationships and areas of her life.

To sum up, Moxie's message is impactful and important, and its delivery is well-crafted and honest. Mathieu expresses the diversity of her characters, the vulnerability of our protagonist, and the significance of Moxie's purpose in natural and seemingly effortless narration. I would compare Moxie to a more political The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg, an all-time favorite of mine that I also highly recommend. I recommend Moxie to feminists everywhere (male or female, of course), those who like a relatively light but also meaningful read, and fans of YA realistic fiction and of good writing. 

Dividing Eden / Joelle Charbonneau

3/5

Dividing Eden is a fantasy novel telling the story of twins Carys and Andreus, and what will happen to their kingdom of Eden after the king and crown prince wind up dead. Neither Carys nor Andreus ever expected to have to take the crown, and now they must compete with each other, each the other's closest friend, for a throne neither had ever considered before.

The novel starts off slow. Charbonneau takes her time setting up, and the competition between the twins isn't introduced until about forty percent of the way in. She also writes almost exclusively in simple sentences, and dialogue from nearly all the characters sounds the same. The slow pace and boring writing almost had me giving up, but I'm glad I kept reading. Once the competition is introduced, the set-up Charbonneau spent so many words on comes into play. The speed picks up, the stakes rise, and the action is much more intense.

Dividing Eden would appeal to fans of Winner's Curse or Throne of Glass because it has the same elements of dreamy fantasy, tense political themes, and high-stakes competition. But Dividing Eden doesn't make it into the same league as these series because it doesn't possess the same originality, execution, or charisma. Though it can't compete at the same level, Dividing Eden can satisfy the withdrawal symptoms if you've recently finished one of these series.

A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares / Krystal Sutherland

2.5/5

A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares is a coming-of-age novel about facing your fears, written in a melancholy tone and with subtle supernatural and mystical threads in it that lend the novel a dreamy feel.

The first thing that surprised me when I opened the book, on the very first page, was that it is written in third person. From the blurb Semi-Definitive List is sold as a novel with a humorous and witty protagonist, so I had assumed I would be reading from Esther's point of view. That it's written in third person was a surprise, but neither a good nor bad one, and didn't take away from the wittiness the blurb promised. In fact, third person allowed Sutherland to expand the range of narration from sarcastic teen to dramatic metaphors and emotional wisdom reminiscent of The Book Thief. After all, this is a book about Death, with a capital D, which leads me to how Semi-Definitive List personifies Death. I like Sutherland's imagination of Death because her description of her (or him) is similar to one I would imagine, and found the side plot of Esther's grandfather and his run-ins with the incarnate of Death to be one of the highlights of the novel. I found the ending of this storyline though, and how it relates to Esther, to be a little cheap.

So why the two-and-a-half star rating? Semi-Definitive List is, before anything else, a book about mental illness. While it started off strong with a sassy protagonist and a fast pace, it soon slowed down. It puttered to almost a complete stop about a fourth of the way in, and then ever so slowly the gears of plot began to turn again. They creaked and groaned and warmed up for maybe another one hundred pages, until Jonah and Esther had a little spat and some very hurtful and very honest things were said. (I would like to say that this scene is one of my favorites of the novel, because Jonah finally says the things that I wanted to say to Esther but didn't know how to put into words, so keep an eye out for this scene!)

Esther can be trying at times, but if you asked me what bothered me the most about her I would have to say all of her mental blocks, and this is the same problem that I have with nearly every single character in this novel. They all have mental blocks and they all have their problems and their demons. This is a novel about mental illness, and Sutherland does a very good job portraying it. But the novel was slow, and just like Esther acknowledges in the novel, people can only take so much of your mental illness before they get tired of it. I enjoyed learning about each character but Sutherland spent too much time introducing instead of developing. Several chapters are dedicated to Esther and Jonah knocking off the fears on her list, and it gets very repetitive. At around fear 12/50, I got so scared that I was going to have to read through all fifty fears that I actually flipped through the rest of the novel to see if the chapters were numbered up to fifty (and thank god they weren't, otherwise I might've stopped reading right then and there).

A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares is very similar to Patrick Ness's The Rest of Us Just Live Here and I would recommend it to fans of Ness's novel and fans of The Book Thief, although I would recommend The Rest of Us Just Live Here before Semi-Definitive List because it is shorter, sweeter, more touching, and more concise. Semi-Definitive List is not a bad book; its portrayal of mental illness is very well-done. But other than making strides in awareness of mental illness, A Semi-Definitive List lacks purpose.

The Scorpion Rules / Erin Bow

1/5

The Scorpion Rules is set in the future when an AI named Talis has taken over the world, and to keep the peace between nations, has each country send its leader's child to be kept as a hostage, discouraging any national leader from declaring war.

I'm just going to jump straight into the issues I found with this novel. I was super excited for The Scorpion Rules because the premise was exciting and sounded like a Winner's Curse deal. But unfortunately, Erin Bow's novel lacked the traits I need in a novel. Greta, our protagonist, is bland, dull, and passive. Her lack of any interesting or admirable characters is worsened by the monotonous narration. I understand that Greta starts the novel as the goody-two-shoes and is supposed to grow stronger and more rebellious, but her development was portrayed poorly. It was told, not shown. I didn't feel any growth, and then about two-thirds into the novel, Bow adds in a few sentences where Greta blandly literally states she has changed without noticing in the past two weeks. And that was it for growth. 

By all rights, the plot should have been high-stakes and intense, but it never felt that way. Bow never gave me any reason to care about the characters. I never related or invested. My lack of interest and the boring plot was only exacerbated by the dull writing that consisted almost entirely of simple sentences, and most of these sentences were about farming. Yes, farming. Now, I have nothing against farming or agriculture or gardening, but it didn't forward the plot! 

So other than the boredom of the novel, the one other considerable problem I had with The Scorpion Rules is the portrayal of Talis. He is not human, and he rules the world, and he has implemented many cruel policies. And yet his dialogue is disturbingly similar to those of the hipster high school boys one would find in most YA realistic fiction novels. Bow writes him as witty and sarcastic, and this creates a very awkward contrast with Greta's dull narration. His character, put simply, is trying too hard.

I'm impressed with myself for just reaching the end of the novel. I started flipping pages at a consistently rapid place about halfway through, but started feeling bored less than a third of the way in. I was so happy when I reached the end. The Scorpion Rules was definitely not for me, and unless you can overlook the issues previously stated, I would not recommend it. 

Mosquitoland / David Arnold

3/5

Mosquitoland by David Arnold is a novel about self-discovery and growth, set against the physical journey of bussing from Mississippi, aka Mosquitoland, to Ohio. This is the story of Mim, short for Mary Iris Malone, and how she fumbles her way through the avalanche of disasters that is her life.

Mim is an unreliable narrator and Arnold's capturing of her character, though from first person, never lets you forget it. I greatly enjoyed reading the wild tangents Mim's imagination would bring her to, and loved her fun exaggeration because it made me question the events of the novel. Arnold portrays a beautiful coming-of-age story in an original way not only through Mim's unreliability but also through journal entries, and I loved the multiple modes of storytelling. Mim's voice was always honest and easy to read, and her vulnerability and strength kept me engaged throughout the novel. 

I am not a huge fan of novels that focus solely on personal growth at the expense of believability. The book didn't seem to have much of a purpose other than looking at Mim's journey. Although it was a great journey, I prefer to have a strong sense of purpose running throughout the entire novel. The events of Mosquitoland felt more like loose wandering, with the only consistent being Mim and what these events taught her while the events themselves were not particularly interesting or special. 

I recommend Mosquitoland to fans of John Green and Sarah Dessen. Mosquitoland is perfect for those who love a coming-of-age novel that is narrated with a raw, honest, witty voice, and doesn't shy away from the grittiness of growth. 

An Enchantment of Ravens / Margaret Rogerson

3/5

An Enchantment of Ravens is a young adult fantasy romance novel that tells the story of Isobel, who is a master of painting. She paints portraits of the Fair Folk, and when she paints human emotion into a portrait of the Autumn Prince, he steals her away for a trial in the Fair Folk lands. 

When calling this novel a fantasy romance novel, I put heavy emphasis on the romance. This is not to say that there aren't a lot of fantasy elements in the novel, because there are lot, but because the novel and plot are entirely driven by romance. The romantic aspects are introduced very early in the plot, but I hesitate to deem it "insta-love" because after reading the whole novel, I see how the romance plays into every part of the book. There are moments where I think others may find that Isobel is annoyingly weak, but I leaned on the more forgiving side and those moments didn't bother me. They were times of physical weakness, which I think were well-deserved given the circumstances she was in. Isobel is logical and clever, and I liked hearing her voice. I also really enjoyed the Aster storyline, and Lark is among one of my top characters for this novel.

Overall, An Enchantment of Ravens doesn't make it high on my list of top books because I like my novels to have more plot than just romance. But in terms of fantasy romance novels, Rogerson does an excellent job by creating a beautiful world, intriguing characters, and easy narration. I didn't put this book down until I finished it, and even went back to reread some parts I liked. I was invested in the characters and was eager to find out what would happen next. I recommend this to fans of Fae and fans of romance. 

Lamb / Christopher Moore

4/5

In Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, Christopher Moore takes advantage of the gap between Jesus's birth and his early thirties to write some stories of his own. Lamb is told from Biff's point of view, who has been raised from the dead in the modern day by the angel Raziel, and asked to write about the first thirty years of Jesus's life. 

Jesus, called Joshua in Lamb, and Biff are best friends. Moore does an amazing job of subtly capturing the dynamics of their relationship. Joshua, as the Son of God, is of course pure and kind, while Biff is impulsive and indulgent. There were times when Biff's sexual indulgences were a little too graphic, but throughout the novel Moore keeps Biff's tone and narration quick-witted and light, more than making up for it. I laughed aloud several times, which is rare for me when reading. Moore conveys the depth of Joshua and Biff's friendship without ever having to explicitly say it, and I greatly admire that. He also successfully writes Joshua as likeable and human, and those are hard traits to write into a character who is supposed to be one hundred percent good. I also enjoyed the sections regarding Biff's current situation, as he writes the past down. Not only did those sections allow us to experience Biff's witty narration in a modern setting, they also reveal how he changed and grew. 

One thing that bugs me slightly is Biff's choice toward the end of the novel, but I can understand why Moore had things go down that way. It was the only path that made sense, if Moore wanted to maintain some sense of plausibility. I teared up a little when Joshua was crucified (okay, that's not really a spoiler). The ending of Lamb is very bittersweet and provides a satisfying sense of closure. Moore wields Biff's voice expertly and commands a range of emotions out of his reader.

Overall, Lamb is a bit long but very humorous, making the ride fun and enjoyable. I loved reading about Joshua and Biff's story, learning about religion and history, and both laughing and tearing up. The book is full of journeys and adventures, and Biff's brilliant narration never falters. I recommend Lamb for fans of humor novels, those who aren't afraid to laugh a bit at religion, and those who love a good friendship.

Holding Up The Universe / Jennifer Niven

4/5

Holding Up The Universe alternates between the perspectives of Libby, formerly America's Fattest Teen, and Jack, who is living with a condition called prosopagnosia, meaning he can't recognize faces. The novel is about their individual lives running parallel to one another. 

I say "parallel" because I don't want to say "intertwine," as I feel that would give off the impression that this novel is only about Libby and Jack's relationship. Of course, we see their interactions and of course also the relationship that develops between them, but that is not the focus of the novel. Libby's chapters are honest as she looks at grief, bullying, the unreasonable hatred toward fat people, and inner strength. Jack's chapters are honest in his dealings with family, mental and physical illness, and the search for safety. The novel is about finding identity and all the obstacles that come before it. 

Holding Up The Universe is sweet, honest, well-written, and enjoyable. I particularly liked the occasional changes in format, like how sometimes Jack's chapters would be written in list format. It really reflected the way he thought and reinforced that aspect of his personality. I burned through this novel in a day. I would recommend it to Sarah Dessen fans, or those who like Tell Me Three Things. 

Carve the Mark / Veronica Roth

4.5/5

Carve the Mark, the newest book from Veronica Roth, is science fiction novel set in a fantastical and interesting world. I couldn't put this novel down and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to the second and final book (I love duologies).

Carve the Mark has incredibly well-developed characters and a well-developed world. I love Cyra-- she's strong, honest, and no-nonsense. The Akos-centered chapters are also interesting, because the novel starts off following Akos, and then moves to Cyra in the second section, making me spend the entire second section eager to discover Akos's perspective because we, the reader, know that he has been through a lot and changed a lot. His chapters do feel a little distanced though, especially in comparison to how intimate Cyra's chapters are, because Cyra's are written in first person while Akos's are written in third. Other than having wonderful, strong, interesting main characters, the side characters are also complete, human, and fascinating. No one is painted as wholly "good" or "bad," and I like having moral shades of gray in a novel.

Roth also creates a gorgeous setting for her characters. The little enclosed galaxy, the Current, the hushflowers were all so new to me and I loved learning more and more about it throughout the novel. Other than the well-done characters and world, there are two other things I want to point out. One, the plot is slow. I have read many other reviews complaining about this, and I concede. But, for me, the other aspects of the book were done so well that I didn't even mind the slower plot. I was so immersed in Cyra's voice and in the world that the slower pace didn't bother me, and I enjoyed discovering and feeling out the characters and the setting. The second thing is that Carve the Mark definitely has very strong The Winner's Curse vibes. This is in no way a bad thing, especially because I love The Winner's Curse. Both novels have strong, smart, powerful male and female leads, and they are on opposing sides. One is a "captive" of the other. If you're a fan of Winner's Curse, I definitely recommend Carve the Mark. 

Carve the Mark had me fully engrossed for the entirety of the novel. I recommend it to all YA sci-fi and fantasy fans. I loved being Cyra for a while and discovering her world, and I also got so excited when I finally put together why the novel is called Carve the Mark. I will definitely be picking up the sequel.

Salt to the Sea / Ruta Sepetys

3.5/5

Salt to the Sea is a short novel telling the tragedy of the Wilhelm Gustloff. Salt to the Sea is a story you remember, and the Wilhelm Gustloff is a tragedy that should be remembered.

Ruta Sepetys alternates perspectives between four characters, which initially seemed like many, but they became distinct very quickly. Each character has his or her own experiences, background, and personality, and stood strong enough to pull me into his or her individual story. I read Salt to the Sea incredibly quickly. The novel sucked me in with its honest writing and unflinching look at the horrors of war. 

I would recommend this to readers interested in WWII, historical fiction, Titanic-like stories, and/or tragedies. This read is on the heavier side, but is definitely worthy of your time and of the accolades it has been receiving. 

The Rest of Us Just Live Here / Patrick Ness

4/5

The Rest of Us Just Live Here is a sweet, nostalgic, sad coming-of-age story. Ness does a good job of capturing the storm of emotions that come with high school graduation: the fear of leaving the ones you love and the place you know behind, the sadness of endings, but also the hopefulness and accomplishment of possibility. 

Ness mocks the sometimes (usually) ridiculous plot lines of standard YA fantasy novels and the weird way the teenagers seem to live in those novels. These kids are referred to as "indie kids" and have hipster names like "Satchel." I enjoyed the way Ness included snapshots of the indie kids' plot lines at the beginning of each chapter; they were concise, relevant, and hilariously accurate. I started the novel thinking it would be more focused on how the shenanigans of the indie kids affected those around them, but in reality the shenanigans play a background roll to the lives of the main characters. But really, that's how it should be, as the point of the novel is that there are people who aren't indie kids, that are also leading meaningful lives in the indie kid world.

Ness writes beautifully and consistently, maintaining a steady, honest, and bittersweet tone. Our protagonist Mikey has problems, as do all the characters, and no one escapes from Ness's scrutinizing eye. We get an honest look at each character, who they are, and what they're dealing with. Each character's flaws feel portrayed honestly. I personally am a little wary of coming-of-age books about teenagers with illness because their illnesses tend to be portrayed poorly or unrealistically, and the protagonist ends up whining, but The Rest of Us Just Live Here could not be farther from that. I never tired of what Mikey had to say and loved every minute of his journey. I would recommend Ness's novel for those who like the bittersweet, and especially for soon-to-be high school graduates. 

Tell Me Three Things / Julie Buxbuam

4.5/5

Tell Me Three Things is a sad, truthful look at grief and the journey after loss. Yes, it does spend a lot of time talking about boys (and there are an unrealistic amount of them), but it's never really about the boys. It's about Jessie, and her growing and trying to find a way to live life without her mom.

They did drag the whole "Who is SM?" mystery for a little long. It was pretty obvious who SM was, and whenever Jessie theorizes incorrectly I'd roll my eyes, but that's not the point of the book. It's not about who SM is, or what boy Jessie will end up with. It's about relationships, like Jessie's relationship with old friends and new friends, with old family and new family. 

Tell Me Three Things is thoughtful, a little sad, and a little hopeful. I like Buxbaum's direct writing, and the vignette style where she would disperse bittersweet snapshots between chapters. I finished it in one day, and would recommend it to fans of teen realistic fiction similar to a lighter TFIOS or a heavier Since You Been Gone (Morgan Matson). 

I'm back!

I'm back!

Here's a quick recap of the past few months of reading.

Absolutely Must, Do Read:

• Rebel of the Sands and Traitor to the Throne, Alwyn Hamilton. This series has been so good, and I can't wait for the third book. I love the ambiguity and doubts that Hamilton captures in this second installment. It picks up speed until it slams you at the end with a twist that left me excited for the next. Highly recommend for lovers of Winner's Curse, Blood Red Road, or Throne of Glass.
• Glitter, Aprilynne Pike. Yes, yes, yes! Fun, intense, morally questionable. The ending and insta-love were only small flaws, and I will be reading the sequel.
• Heir to the Sky, Amanda Sun. An enjoyable story about self-growth and discovery. 
• Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Alexie Shermam. Poignant, sad, sweet, and honest. It's a short read and is one hundred percent worth your time. 
• It's a Wonderful Death, Sarah J Schmitt. Both sad and funny, introspective, and very thought-provoking. Would recommend. 
• You're Welcome, Universe, Whitney Gardner. A good look into a world I know nothing about. Enjoyable and worth your time. The protagonist is strong, sassy, and takes sh*t from nobody. Her strongheaded-ness leads her to make a few understandable teenage mistakes, but that makes the novel more endearing.
• Highly Illogical Behavior, John Corey Whaley. More like highly recommend! The portrayal of the relationships between these few characters was complex and well done. This book left me thinking and it made me feel. For all the TFIOS readers, this one is especially for you. 
• Strange the Dreamer, Laini Taylor. Ah, Ms. Laini Taylor, now I remember how I made it through your entire trilogy. Taylor's writing and imagery are absolutely beautiful. She changes the voice and style for different characters, somehow finding accurate and varied metaphors for each, and doesn't overdo it. Towards the end, the novel started to focus more on the romance aspect, which also occurred in Daughter of Smoke and Bone, but it's forgivable. I highly recommend this novel for the beautiful writing, political themes, and creative world. 
• Heartless, Marissa Meyer. Heartbreaking. Highly recommend for fans of Alice in Wonderland.

Read For a Good Way to Pass the Time:

• Seventeen First Kisses, Rachael Allen. The girls are catty, and I love it. Sure the characters can be mean and petty in that stereotypical high school way, but that doesn't make them any less human. If anything, it makes them more so. Allen's novel focuses on the development of the main character, and is full of introspection and growth.
• When, Victoria Laurie
• Caraval, Stephanie Garber. The main character is not a strong female lead, which is what I need in a fantasy novel with a female lead. The novel could not live up to the hype. I felt deceived and cheated at the end, because we never reached a climax. Garber intends on making you wait for the next novel. I'll read the next out of curiosity. Just be warned that this is a two-book deal.
• Three Dark Crowns, Kendare Blake. I love Anna Dressed in Blood, and so I was excited for this. Blake's writing doesn't disappoint. She captures complex characters and complex relationships and dark, lovely writing. But the entire novel did not reach a climax. The entire novel, was set up for the next novel. The whole premise is that the three girls will have to compete; that competition is in the next novel! I think that's a form of bait and switch.
• Vassa in the Night, Sarah Porter. Not bad at all. I even teared up at the end. I think this novel will be especially meaningful if you have grown up with or are familiar with Russian folktales. Otherwise it doesn't make for as strong of a fantasy novel.
• The Reader, Tracy Chee. I loved this book as I was reading it, but the ending meant I had to read the next, which I was unhappy about, especially because this first novel was already so long. You can tell Chee is winding up for a Lord of the Rings length, which really turns me off. But there are a lot of goods: the novel starts off strong with hard punches, keeps a steady pace, and the relationship between the protagonist and Archer is absolutely beautifully handled. If anything, read it for their relationship.
• Female of the Species, Mindy McGinnis. Unnecessarily dark, it was trying to hard to be Dexter. But interesting. 
• Seraphina, Rachel Hartman
• Zodiac, Romina Russell. The slight love triangle was a turn off, but it's slight. Rhoma Grace, our protagonist, has a strong, clear voice. Russell did a good job with both Rho's self-doubt and also confidence; she shows Rho growing and finding herself as she struggles to fight for what she believes to be right. Also, feel free to read Zodiac just for Hysan Dax. 

Maybe (Maybe Don't) Read:

• Cruel Beauty, Rosamund Hodge. Eh.
• Nemesis, Brendan Reichs. Started off interesting. I was so excited. But honestly this book is a mess. It just kept going downhill. It felt like Reichs wrote half of it, then decided he wanted to throw in some dystopia, wrote a few more pages, then wanted to throw in some Hunger Games, then wrote some more, then wanted to throw in some Lord of the Flies, and overall this book was just such a mess. It's too bad, because it had a lot of promise. I didn't finish it.
• Passenger, Alexandra Bracken. The lead is, quite frankly, rather dumb. She is dull and lacks initiative. The world is unclearly explained-- the magic feels like an excuse for Bracken to try period writing. The insta-love is also a turn off. I didn't finish it. 
• And I Darken, Kiersten White. Intense, dark, gritty. The characters are so interesting, but there isn't enough plot to drive the book. I would love to find out what happens to Lada, Radu, and Mehmed, but there just wasn't a strong plot to move the book forward. As I was reading, I felt like I was continually waiting for something to finally happen. I didn't finish it. 

Truthwitch / Susan Dennard

3.5/5

do read!

The Night Circus / Erin Morgenstern

5/5

Another rereading, and also as mind-blowing as I remember. 

The Night Circus has extremely well-developed characters, plot, world, style. I think it's strongest point is the last quality: its style. The Night Circus is written in a "vignette" format, so it has short clips of different storylines interspersed throughout. I adore it. It allows you to see more of the world than you otherwise would. Another task that Morgenstern executes extremely well is how she captures the feeling of awe and longing and amazing. It's what I feel whenever I go to a circus or a carnival, and not only did Morgenstern translate it perfectly onto the page, she does it so well that I began to feel it for this fictional circus.

The plot was full of twists and magic which kept me engaged, and the world Morgenstern built is perfect. Her writing is beautiful to read (and the cover is gorgeous). My only word of warning is to pay attention to the beginning of each chapter where she states the time and location, because the novel is not written chronologically. 

Highly enjoyable and left me wanting more. For all the romantics, the dreamers, and the fantasy-lovers-- it doesn't get much better than this!

Cinder / Marissa Meyer

4.5/5

I reread Cinder! Just as good as I remember.

Cinder has everything: strong characters and strong plot. I highly, highly recommend The Lunar Chronicles to reader who love fantasy and strong leads. Cinder, Kai, Iko are all well-developed, and the world is thoroughly thought-out. All points of the plot tie into a bigger picture, which you get to see more and more of as you read on.

One of my favorite fantasy series!

The Iron King / Julie Kagawa

2.5/5

I have been hungry for books; it's been difficult to get my hands on a book since returning to campus. So it isn't strange that I burned through The Iron King in a day. The Iron King isn't the most well-written, nor does it possess the most clever plot, but it is satisfying enough.

Many plot points and phrases were trite and cringeworthy, but overall I enjoyed following our protagonist on her journey. Meghan Chase is fun to watch, and I was so happy to have a real, solid book in my hands (not something online) that I didn't mind the unoriginal world and storyline too much.

I would recommend The Iron King to those who've read all the great YA fantasies out there and are looking for an quick time-killer. Meghan is a more than tolerable protagonist and the idea of the Iron King is interesting. But if you've never read The Mortal Instruments, or Cinder, or Throne of Glass, all novels well deserving of their fame, then The Iron King definitely is not priority.

Powerless / Tera Lynn Childs & Tracy Deebs

3.5/5

Powerless is a fun, action-packed read. I like the premise of the novel, that one can be powerless but not helpless, and I was looking forward to a strong female lead putting some people in their place.

And indeed, our protagonist Kenna does put some people in their place. She learns and grows a lot throughout the novel, and I loved watching her character development. I liked her strength, intelligence, and resilience, and her internal conflict over right and wrong is written well. These points make Powerless worth reading, and earned the novel a respectable rating from me. 

Now for the points I have problems with: a minor one is the amount of testosterone in this novel. There was a bit too much of the macho, I-must-protect-my-girl thing going on. I can see how Childs and Deebs want to emphasize how Kenna doesn't need to be protected by placing overprotective people around her, but the amount of male tension was a little excessive. This is a forgivable problem; the one I had a harder time with was Kenna's discovery that she has powers. I couldn't believe it. The novel is literally called "Powerless". Its very premise is that Kenna is powerless and that overcomes this disadvantage to be strong. And yet, the trope of having a clueless protagonist discover her hidden powers still can not be escaped.

Overall, I would recommend Powerless to those who like entertaining, fast-paced fantasy reads. Powerless deals with themes of right and wrong and finding strength in your own identity, distinguishing it from the crowd of supernatural novels. Though I won't be reading the next one, these traits are strong enough to make Powerless worth picking up.

Crooked Kingdom / Leigh Bardugo

4/5

Crooked Kingdom is definitely a must-read; I don't think it's possible to read something as amazing as Six of Crows and then not read the sequel.

Crooked Kingdom wasn't as amazing as Six of Crows was for me. It's a tying up of loose ends, whereas Crows is an ambitious, well-woven novel that left me awed and excited. Crooked Kingdom is still dark and gritty, but the characters have already been discovered and understood, so some plots points didn't pack as strong of a punch.

But how can one not read it? Crows is amazing, one of the best books I've read in a long, long while, and the sequel can not be missed. It doesn't beat the first, but still stands near the top of its genre. If you've read Six of Crows, I know you'll be reading Crooked Kingdom; and if you haven't read Six of Crows...well then, what have you been doing?

The Diabolic / S.J. Kincaid

4/5

S.J. Kincaid's The Diabolic has both character and plot, and that makes a book for me. I greatly enjoyed The Diabolic; it's earned high praise from me.

The Diabolic's characters were well-developed and relatable. A big selling point of this novel is the protagonist Nemesis's development and discovery of her own humanity. Her arc and emotional scope are well-written, and Kincaid never neglects her other characters either. Both Donia and Tyrus were as whole and complete as Nemesis.

I love that the conclusion was left a little open-ended and involved a huge leap of faith, which is further emphasized by the fact that The Diabolic is a standalone-- another quality I greatly appreciate in books. The plot is intense and high-stakes, and I would recommend this novel to others who crave those similar traits in their reads. 

Anna and the French Kiss / Stephanie Perkins

3/5

I'd heard passionate praise over Anna and the French Kiss, which is why I deigned to read a novel with such a cheesy title. It is also why I stuck through the entirety of the book, despite its lack of plot. 

Anna and the French Kiss was enjoyable, and I did burn through the book quickly. But I spent most of the journey wondering when a plot line other than Anna and St. Clair's relationship was going to be introduced. Spoiler: there isn't any. This novel deals with these two characters only. I don't mind a small cast, but when the novel is this long and the cast is two average teenagers set in a nonfiction world, the reading gets a little monotonous. Anna and St. Clair were interesting, but there were definitely aspects to their characters that were cliche and overly-dramatic. Daddy problems are trite, along with St. Clair's overwhelming fear of heights. The two lovers were charming and realistic enough to carry me through four hundred pages, but I was disappointed that the supporting characters did not receive more attention. Their circle of friends all interested me, and Perkins' poor treatment of them is a shame.

Anna and the French Kiss would have earned a higher rating from me if it contained more hard substance than fluff. I went in expecting a complete novel, a text that would cover different aspects of Anna's life. I imagined a coming-of-age novel that would confront Anna's personal growth and development, especially because she is now in a completely new environment, facing the ending of one chapter of her life and the beginning of another. But instead, Anna's exploration of her new surroundings are made into romantic opportunities for her relationship with St. Clair to develop, and her passion for movies is merely a side plot. Yes, I enjoyed her Parisian dates and the movie-critiquing interest that made her human, but looking back those weren't enough to bring Anna above average.

Perkins' novel details a sweet relationship and will definitely appeal to romantics and dreamers, or to young teens looking for a light mood booster. But if you're like me and prefer more complete plots, perhaps look for another book (a similar but better novel would be Morgan Matson's Since You've Been Gone).