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.