REVIEW // Le città perdute (Luna Nera #1) by Tiziana Triana
★★★★☆
🌟 HIDDEN GEM 🌟
There were so many elements of Luna Nera that I loved. It delves into the lives of women in 17th century Italy, exploring their authority and independence (or lack thereof). By including characters from different backgrounds and social classes, Triana is able to weave a rich tapestry representing the ways all women were shackled to the responsibilities and restrictions of their gender. One important aspect is that not all women are quick to support each other, instead, some actively set themselves against other women in order to secure their status in the male-controlled social ladder.
// image: official cover art //
4/5: There were so many elements of Luna Nera that I loved. It delves into the lives of women in 17th century Italy, exploring their author
The idea of naming themselves after fallen cities is fantastic, especially with the rule that no man should be allowed among them, lest he cause their fall.
I loved how many of the women who were condemned as witches and ostracized by society were ultimately just trying to educate themselves, study, or live independently. This takes a bit of a turn by the end of the novel, but I enjoyed how for the majority of the book the “witches” were just regular women who had been marked as such by those who wished to keep them within the confines of their gender.
Triana does a great job including a variety of LGBTQ characters. I was pleasantly surprised at their canon queerness as I did not have high hopes of finding such characters in a popular Italian novel. Plus, I absolutely loved the twist at the end! It added a fascinating facet to a story of women’s agency and the obstacles they faced, and was revealed incredibly well throughout the story. Some of my favorite chapters were those that focused on the backstories of the Città Perdute, which brings me to one of my gripes with the novel.
Ade was not a pleasant protagonist. If the book had been primarily from someone else’s perspective, it probably would have gotten 5 stars from me. She is constantly going against her already established motivations (manly keeping Valente safe and staying together) because she has predictably fallen in love with the male protagonist. This is very much the “main boy and main girl are in love because they are main boy and main girl” trope that I absolutely despise. Pietro (the love interest) is an interesting character in his own right, and Ade does improve slightly at the very end of the book.
Overall, the writing got a bit too lengthy and descriptive, but the story was engaging enough to keep me interested throughout. All of the characters (except for Ade, unfortunately) are likable, and their backstories were my favorite part of the entire book.
Book: Juniper Lemon’s Happiness Index
Author: Julie Israel
Pages: 338
Genre: Fiction/Young Adult
Rating: ★★★★
Synopsis
It's been sixty-five painful days since the death of Juniper's big sister, Camilla. On her first day back at school, bracing herself for the stares and whispers, Juniper borrows Camie's handbag for luck - and discovers an unsent break-up letter inside. It's mysteriously addressed to 'You' and dated July 4th - the day of Camie's accident. Desperate to learn the identity of Camie's secret love, Juniper starts to investigate.
But then she loses something herself. A card from her daily ritual, The Happiness Index: little notecards on which she rates the day. The Index has been holding Juniper together since Camie's death - but without this card, there's a hole. And this particular card contains Juniper's own secret: a memory that she can't let anyone else find out.
Synopsis taken from Goodreads.
My Thoughts
Finally, this book called to me from my TBR shelf and I’m so happy it did. I bought this book because of the reviews but also because of the pretty cover - I know, never judge a book by its cover.
I had my doubts when I first started reading but quickly I was hooked. The storyline was captivating and I loved Juniper and the other characters with their quirks and secrets. It was lovely to see the character development especially Juniper’s and her parents’. I also liked that not everything was clear from the start and there were definitely some surprises.
The book was touching and it made me cry but it was also fun. The only thing that kind of bothered me was the ending. I hoped that things would’ve gone differently and that’s why I didn’t give this five stars. I can’t say too much though because I don’t want to spoil anything.
So as I said, I want to start doing my own personal Rant or POV of the episodes. I might even do some on my favorite old episodes. But before I get off topic.....
The beginning started off great 👍🏻 it had the action and butt kicking elements the men are always complaining vanished from the show. I liked the male element of Oliver fighting with Dig, Rene and Curtis. It was awesome seeing them work together the way they did.
We start off another season with a bad guy trying to destroy Star City. That wasn't a big shocker.
I was beyond excited to see Felicity. I knew she wasn't going to die but it's the relief when you actually see her.
Now on Twitter they are having a huge discussion about their disappointment about Felicity and how that she was bringing the men food instead of being down there to help them.... I don't see the big deal. Since season one Dig was bringing them food. No one complained about that. Besides she said she was trying to get her mom back on a plane!
I loved the moment when the guys all said they were leaving, like they knew Oliver and Felicity needed alone time, like in 5x21.
I was sad that they were still so awkward with each other especially since they have been back home for five months. I get that they were trying to give William time to adjust to the new surroundings and Oliver and Felicity don't have the best communication skills when it came to William in the past. But I was still disappointed with that whole scene. I loved that Felicity is back to her old babbling ways. That's my favorite part of her character. And you can tell she regretted turning down Oliver after he walked away. The whole promise thing between them was cute too. I hope the writers fix all the awkwardness soon though.
Other things that seemed to have changed. Dinah got promoted.... Lance looks like he is about to fall of the wagon soon. And the creepy guy keeps asking for a carbonated drink. My first reaction would be telling the creepy guy No. give him water! That was their first mistake.
This episode has a lot of shooting and explosions early in.
I still cringe when I see Black Siren. I have a lot of personal feelings towards Laurel Lance but I don't want to go on a rant about her here.
I feel bad for those poor cops. Nine dead, Six critically injured and four injured.
On Island Flashbacks we now know Slade is alive. Samantha was alive for a few seconds to make sure William was ok. And to make Oliver promised to be his parent. He promises her and she dies in his arms. Thea is....IDK. She looked dead on the island but later is shown to be in Acoma. We know she isn't going to die. She is a big part of the Season 6 theme. She is Oliver's only family aside from William that's still alive since the beginning.
I want to like William especially if we are going to be seeing more of him from now on but I was getting a little aggravated with him. And I felt so bad for Oliver when he told Oliver that he was the bad man from his nightmares. The reason why his mom was no longer alive. But in the end when Ollie put his foot down and reassured him that he wasn't going anywhere and that he was always going to be his father, you see William relax a little. I love how they will be able to bond over baseball. It's not an Oliver thing really. Oliver has never talked about like sports like that, but Stephen Amell loves baseball. So it's cool seeing him put something of himself into Oliver.
I am worried about Diggle. He is off and it shows he got hurt in that blast on the island. I hope he can overcome whatever fears he has because they need him. He is the one that always had Oliver's back. He won't be much use if he can't protect himself or anyone else.
Also can I just say Dinah and Diggle.... I have no idea what's going on with the two of them. They have some kind of Chemistry but Dig has a family and he has a solid storyline with Lyla. I wanted them to work out. They can fix Dinah up with Rene!
So Slade is leaving again for now. I liked the talk he had with Oliver! He said "Be patient But be prepared to choose between being the man people need you to be, or the father your son needs you to be!" Very wise words! So we have our theme for Season 6 right there! And to make it even more so, we have the last 60 seconds when the news lady outs Mayor Queen as the Green Arrow because they have a picture of him in the GA costume. - don't know how he is going to get out of that one.
Overall I give this episode 4 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I would have loved to give it all 5 but I had some issues. I don't watch the show for Olicity only. But they are a very big part of it! I love Felicity, she is my favorite person on the show. And they showed her for five minutes maybe less. I just don't like how they started out the season not utilizing her as much as they have in the past. I hope they fix this soon!
I loved the scene with Oliver and Rene. He got him another hearing to get his daughter back. I hope he doesn't screw it up.
Three questions for the next couple of episodes....
Who was that guy that came and got Black Siren from the island after Lance shot her?
What does she want with Curtis' invention?
How is Oliver going to get out of this latest jam?
Thank you so much for reading my review! Please like, repost and comment. I would love to hear your thoughts on the episode!
Thank you to Tor Teen for providing me this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This review edition is an ARC and may differ from the printed edition.
I have given this book ☆☆☆☆. It is the second installment in the Vicarious duology. It generally belongs to the Contemporary Young Adult genre but also features elements of Science-Fiction, Romance and Spy fiction. Tor Teen publishes it. It is published 15th August 2017.
The blurb reads:
“Paula Stokes returns to the world of Vicarious in this sequel, a high-action psychological thriller with a protagonist out for vengeance.
When Winter Kim finds out that her sister is dead and that she has a brother she never knew about, only two things matter—finding what’s left of her family and killing the man who destroyed her life. Her mission leads her from St. Louis to Los Angeles back to South Korea, where she grew up.
Things get increasingly dangerous once Winter arrives in Seoul. Aided by her friends Jesse and Sebastian, Winter attempts to infiltrate an international corporation to get close to her target, a nefarious businessman named Kyung. But keeping her last remaining loved ones out of the line of fire proves difficult, and when all seems to be lost, Winter must face one last devastating decision: is revenge worth sacrificing everything for? Or can she find a spark of hope in the darkness that threatens to engulf her?”
Add to Goodreads | Read my review of Vicarious (coming soon) |
Ferocious releases today! And though my timeline says this should have been done and ready a couple of days ago but I’ve had a couple of medical emergencies to deal with.
Verdict:
Ferocious is slaying the 2017 publications game. It picks off immediately where Vicarious left off. While the plot in the first installment is centered around Winter finding out about how Rose died and finding her killer and then learning that she has a dissociative disorder, Ferocious is what Winter does next. It’s about avenging Rose and Gideon, it’s about coming full circle and going back to the events and people that brought the sisters into the United States, it’s about exorcising your demons and it’s about moving forward.
Ferocious is incredibly fast-paced, moving exactly like a double-episode special of Criminal Minds. It’s a lot of spy work, kicking ass, going undercover, using her senses (we’ll get to that in a bit) and basically accepting all the help that she rejected initially. Except, this time, they’re in Korea! Yes, you read that right. Ferocious is set mainly in Korea and I loved how there were little details about the culture and people included from Winter’s love for Korean food, the cosy guesthouses, different districts and their unique personalities and more. I think one of the biggest things that sets Ferocious apart from Vicarious as a stronger and more equipped Winter is knowing that she has multiple personalities. And seeing her utilise them, whether she expects it or not. I would have definitely loved to see a lot more of her disorder explained and broken down instead of just experienced like a film. But I do very much love that Winter, Jesse and Bas are now a team and they trust each other. They’re the only family that they have now that Gideon is gone. I also think it’s beautiful that Ferocious really explores Winter’s aversion to intimacy and how she develops her relationship with Jesse, allowing him to slowly come closer and really let him support her.
To break it down,
[may contain spoilers]
The Good:
Winter is a lot more aware of the kind of person she is and wants to be. She takes charge but is also willing to work in a team and share strength. I think that’s the strongest quality anyone could have.
It’s set in Korea. Although it’s not written by a Korean, and neither am I Korean so I have no right to speak about it, I think it was well-done and although, viewed slightly through a white-person’s lens, it wasn’t overly fetishized (see next section for more info on this) and a lot of the plot and story kept away from Korean culture and focused on it as a setting.
Teamwork!!! I love teamwork and I love solitary characters engage themselves as part of a team and see the value and strength in having people to support and lift you up.
I’m a sucker for romance so Jesse and Winter’s romance is bomb-diggity because unlike other YA romances, theirs took time to build. There first needed to be trust and understanding and caring and building boundaries and taking tiny steps. It’s not the mad head-long rush into hearts and kisses and sex. There are a lot of cute moments of them just holding each other and listening to heartbeats which is so powerful.
Winter is Korean and Jesse’s parents are from Mexico, so hello POC romances.
I like that mental illnesses, particularly Winter’s condition, are being brought to light and treated seriously. I’m not a fan of it being used as a plot device but the fact that it’s being brought up and it’s not a punchline, checks a box in my list. I particularly love that she sought professional help in the end because it’s so important to see it as a sickness, not something to be brushed off.
I like how Gideon’s character evolves eventhough he’s gone. Spoiler alert, bitches.
The Bad:
While the author has said she’s spent a good amount of her life in Korean, I find that placing your MC’s nationality and place of origin as something Asian becomes a point of orientalism because no matter how much time you’ve spent in for example, Korea, you’ll never be truly Korean because you can’t understand what it’s like to be Korean and hence, you’d be unable to capture what a Korean person is like. It’s handled well in Ferocious and Vicarious but it still bothers me. Winter, Rose and Gideon end up feeling very white-coded and the audience needs constant reminder that they’re not white girls, they’re pure Korean people. For example, readers are constantly reminded that Winter loves to eat gimbap, a type of Korean food, and that her name isn’t really Winter: it’s Ha Neul.
It’s too dark and gritty to be considered Young Adult. I’d definitely place it at New Adult. While the writing style feels very YA, easy to digest and uncomplicated, the subject matter (with Rose and Winter being survivors of sex trafficking) is overtly mature and the actions that Winter has taken, particularly flying halfway across the world to seek revenge and retribution seems actions of an adult, not a teenager. Although, Winter sits on the cusp between seventeen and eighteen.
It should come with trigger warnings sighs it’s 2017 why don’t books have these
More light could have been shed on dissociative disorders. Winter’s disorder manifests itself by taking over her senses when she desperately needs them and the chapters indicate which personality is in charge, which is great. But, it felt too much like a film. Her personalities seem to appear on command and when she really needs them rather than interrupting her life (except in the past) and in fact, saving her life. I get that YA books shouldn’t teach a lesson but if a mental illness was to be included and made a major part of the story, I’d love to see it handled a little better.
The writing is a little stifled. It’s harder to make an emotional connection with Winter. Rather, I am watching her life unfold before our eyes and going along with the ride. It’s like watching a movie.
Conclusion:
Ferocious is an awesome close to the Vicarious duology, tying up loose ends and answering questions readers had in the first installment. Winter is stronger and more badass this time around, and a lot more vulnerable. It’s incredibly fast and the action comes at you from every corner. I refused to put it down until my eyes literally shed tears because I was so exhausted. I think it’s a point that a lot of reviewers make that Ferocious (and Vicarious) is a little too old to be categorised into YA but we’re all equipped to handle such dark matters. Get Ferocious now and witness the conclusion to this incredibly dark, gritty and raw story.
🌟🌟🌟🌟 Four cute and kinky stars! I have read other dd/lg books in the past, and while I find the lifestyle to be incredibly sweet and hot, I have not been able to find a book that portrays it as well as this one does. This has all the hotness of daddy kink while also maintaining a romantic storyline and intriguing plot. If you are not aware of what a daddy dom is, I would definitely suggest informing yourself before starting this one.
Abby loves to dance. Her job at the theatre is the one thing she knows makes her happy and she feels security in. When she misses her cue and the handsome but intimidating theatre owner, Mr. Kingsolver threatens to fire her, she seeks comfort somewhere else. Her mother had changed her room to make it more grown up, boxing up all of her stuffed animals and in her moment of uncertainty, she seeks them out and falls asleep with them.
They are my pillows, my warmth and my comfort. I breathe in their furry softness and close my eyes.
I thought that was a really sweet and subtle way to explain her love for her “stuffies”. Her mother finds her with them the next morning and disapproves, as her parents seem to of a lot of her choices. She is nervous to go to work, but as she’s waiting to go on, Mr. Kingsolver approaches her.
“You’re not going to make any mistakes tonight. Is that clear?”
My throat is too tight to speak. I’m burning up.
“Well?” There’s an edge to his voice. His knuckles push against my throat. Does he know he’s pressing on my windpipe?
I swallow and just manage, “Yes.”
“Yes, what?” His voice is quiet and insistent and demands to be obeyed.
“Yes, Mr. Kingsolver.”
He forces my chin a little higher. He’s standing so close I catch the scent of him, a rich piney scent that makes my knees tremble.
“When you’re out there,” he murmurs, “don’t think about the audience. Think about me. You’re only dancing for me.”
I really loved that exchange. Later though, when she breaks his most important rule, he makes sure that she knows that it’s unacceptable… in an unconventional way. She is confused and aroused and they begin this odd flirting/touching limbo. He leaves her notes when he wants her to some to his office, and one when they are messing around, he drops this little bomb:
“Does that feel good, babygirl?” he asks, when I’m whimpering and clutching at him and I can feel I’m close to coming.
“Yes.”
He catches my jaw between his thumb and fingers and squeezes hard. “Say, yes, daddy.”
I stare at him. Yes what?
They begin to explore their relationship together, but it’s not something they can openly talk about and she would be mortified if anyone found out. They’re relationship is really cute and he is so sweet to her. This book had its funny moments to where I found myself actually laughing out loud.
Rufus doesn’t pass me the dishes of vegetables. He serves them for me, and I see from my mother’s expression that when he leaves she’s going to go on and on about his old world charm. I almost want to call him daddy so they’ll know how corrupt he really is.
I really enjoyed how this book explored the emotions of guilt that can come along with having a kink and the way people don’t understand it. I thought it was sweet, extremely hot, and well written. It was a quick and easy read, but I do wish it would have been a bit longer. If there had been a little more build up at the beginning of the relationship it would have been even better. This isn’t a “dark” read by any means, it’s definitely a lot mushier than I would normally read, but with this particular kink, it completely works and I really enjoyed it. I bought this as an e-book, but I am planning on purchasing the paperback copy of this one and will definitely be buying book two this summer.
-Charity B.
Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Dancer-Brianna-Hale-ebook/dp/B01N92157S
I'm a bit conflicted over this novel-I thought it was well-written and essentially set out to do what it needed to. I enjoyed many parts of it but was let down by others.
Liked:
When I read that this book was being praised as a "feminist Lord of the Flies" I wasn't really convinced that you could take a story of the inherent savagery of mankind rooted in the way that society constructs violent displays of masculinity and simply make the characters... girls. Lord of the Flies is a reflection of the society the author lived in, and, as Golding himself stated,
"...a group of little boys are more like scaled down society than a group of little girls will be.... This has nothing to do with equality at all. I think women are foolish to pretend they’re equal to men – they’re far superior, and always have been. But one thing you can not do with them is take a bunch of them and boil them down into a set of little girls who would then become a kind of image of civilisation, or society. That’s another reason why they aren’t little girls.”
(source)
// image: official cover art by Regina Flath and Aykut Aydogdu //
I will admit that Wilder Girls left me pleasantly surprised. I don't believe Power herself decided that this would be a Lord of the Flies retelling, but it definitely works. I believe the reason it functions so well, especially when compared to Golding's book, is due to the fact that Power didn't simply recycle the original plot and gender-bend her characters. Instead, she deftly applied themes of climate change and control over women's bodies to reflect a slice of our society and the issues we face.
I loved the theme present throughout the novel of girls struggling to gain any sort of agency over their own bodies. They are being transformed in painful and grotesque episodes by the Tox, all while being forced to remain isolated and helpless on a remote island. Their own physical changes are witnessed by their classmates and can rarely be hidden, much as characters like Taylor try. Paired with the parallel appearance of the Tox's effects to their own puberty, this clearly reflects how young girl's bodies are put on display once they reach adolescence. Doctors watch and experiment without their consent while doing the bare minimum to help ease their pain and fear.
It's easy to say that Lord of the Flies simply cannot work with an all-female cast, but with the proper backdrop this story allows readers to explore a similar look at the savagery of humanity through a different lens. As Power herself stated:
"Byatt, Hetty, and Reese are selfish and messy and complicated, just as boys and men are allowed to be in their stories—just as they are in Lord of the Flies. The comparison didn’t occur to me until after I’d finished the book, but I’m sure Lord of the Flies influenced me. It was one of my favorite assigned books in school, and also one of the most frustrating ones. It’s often called a universal story, but a story about white boys can’t represent the whole human experience. Neither, of course, can Wilder Girls."
Disliked
That being said, there were quite a few things that left me disappointed. I wish we had gotten more development of the characters (beyond Byatt and Hetty). Hetty and Reese's relationship did not feel well developed enough for me to care much, and even though I was excited to see a sapphic romance I wasn't really rooting one way or the other by the end. Even though they are in a life-or-death situation, which you could argue makes for a poor backdrop for a blossoming teen romance, I have read a few books this year that had similar stakes and much more fleshed out relationships that did not take away from the tone of the book (Sawkill Girls comes to mind).
Lastly, the ending left me absolutely shocked. I turned the page thinking there were going to be at least a couple more chapters, only to be face with the "Acknowledgements" page. I'm all for ambiguous and open endings, but they still have to feel like... endings? This seemed to me more like someone forgot to attach the last few chapters before sending the book to print. If you are going to take away the satisfaction of clear and neatly-wrapped up ending from the reader, then you should have a good reason. What purpose does the sudden end serve? Maybe it will come to me later, but I am racking my brain right now I cannot think of a symbolic or plot-related reason why that last chapter deserved to be the last chapter.
Overall, the book largely accomplishes its purpose-it presents questions about our society, and people have certainly been engaging in those conversations. As much as I approached the Lord of the Flies comparison with apprehension, I'm now on board with this being a great pair with the classic in high school classrooms. They ask the reader to look critically at the world around them, but both engage with different criticisms and members of society.
4/5: I'm a bit conflicted over this novel-I thought it was well-written and essentially set out to do what it needed to. I enjoyed many part
REVIEW // An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson
★★★★☆
One thing I will say to anyone thinking of picking up this book: approach it as a cute ROMANCE, not as a fantasy adventure. That is exactly where An Enchantment of Ravens delivers-the relationship between Isobel and Rook is unbelievably cute. Isobel is a refreshingly likable protagonist, and Rook is a himbo and I LOVE HIM. The plot and world-building are extremely surface level, but I found myself not really caring about that since the most appealing element of the story, as I mentioned, is the romance. Rogerson clearly set out to write a love story and she did a fantastic job of that.
// image: official cover art by Charlie Bowater //
There are certain elements that are mentioned and not developed that I did get a bit hung up on-like the human world? What is it? It's mentioned a couple times but I still have no idea what it is or how it differs from the place the story takes place in. There's a certain amount of exposition regarding the different seasonal courts and some sort of corruption or issue appearing, but, again, it isn't really explored beyond its initial introduction. The story also seems to end really abruptly, which is ultimately what made me take it down from five stars to four. Most of the other issues I was willing to ignore because this is ultimately a cute love story, but the fact that at the end we get the reveal that (SPOILER) Isobel is now the Queen and that she and Rook will get married seems really sudden. Then we get a little "it's not a happily ever after but we sure do have an adventure in front of us" and I thought "great, good for you, but can we maybe get a little more about this proposal of marriage?? how are you now in charge??? girl what?????" (SPOILER END) This was a really cute romance, but I think if you go into expecting some epic fantasy story you will be disappointed.
4/5: One thing I will say to anyone thinking of picking up this book: approach it as a cute ROMANCE, not as a fantasy adventure. That is exa
REVIEW // Dishonored: The Corroded Man (Dishonored, #1) by Adam Christopher
★★★★☆
🌟 HIDDEN GEM 🌟
// The Return of Daud // The Veiled Terror // The Wyrmwood Deceit // The Peeress and the Price //
Full disclosure: Dishonored is my favorite video game series of all time, so I went into this fully loaded with lore and backstory from the games-not to mention excitement at the prospect of new content to devour. In particular, I was more than ready to get more one-on-one time with Emily Kaldwin, my favorite playable character in any video game I have ever played. Now on to my reaction to the book itself:
// image: official art for Dishonored 2, Arkane Studios //
My first reaction was that the writing took me a while to get accustomed to-I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but the pace and wording made it hard for me to get into the story right away. Secondly, my main criticism was the amount of POV's the book provided: Corvo, Emily, Galia, and Zhukov. I think even Rinaldo gets a short POV section. I don't have anything against using multiple POV's in itself-however, I feel that in novels like this one, which rely on the theme of mystery and intrigue to drive the plot forward, having so many sources of information on all sides of the conflict takes away from the momentum of the story. One of my favorite parts of the games was unraveling the story and world as the plot proceeded, and using the clues around me to surmise what was happening was incredibly satisfying. The games fed the player just enough to allow them to navigate the world and plot without handing them too much information. The novel, in my opinion, fails in this. If Emily and Corvo had been the only sources of information for the reader, it would have allowed for a more "edge-of-your-seat" read. By supplying a direct view into the plans and preparations from Galia and Zhukov's side, the author took away all of the tension and trepidation, resulting in a slightly boring read. I wish the reader would have been allowed more room for speculation.
Other than that, the story was interesting and I thought the pacing was good. I was more than happy to spend some time with Corvo and Emily, and I enjoyed the return of many plot points and characters from the games (especially Slackjaw). Overall, I would recommend this novel to any fan of the Dishonored series-but I advise anyone who is not familiar with the games to play them (or a watch a playthrough) first.
4/5: Full disclosure: Dishonored is my favorite video game series of all time, so I went into this fully loaded with lore and backstory from
