Mollie
This one might fall slightly under a 4 for me. There are parts where the writing style and the main character's monosyllabic “uh” or “ums” get to be a bit clunky, but I think the core of this book is a good read. The friendship in the book was special in a way that is rarely shown in YA novels. The relationship between Darius and his father was nuanced. I learned about a good deal about Persian culture, too and had never heard of Yazd, so I liked a peek into the culture, landmarks, and geography there.
Really enjoyed getting to know the narrator of this story and hear about her life. It's not idyllic or perfect, but an honest story. I did feel like the book dragged on a bit by the end- the first half in the 40s at the theater is the best part of the story from an excitement standpoint, but the real “meat & potatoes” is the middle to end. It's there you find the passages that have a melancholy realness to them and the truths about the choices we make and carving your own path out in the world.
More like 3.5 stars, maybe? Feels like it should be required reading if you are a person who has a fascination with true crime (to clarify- not as in the crime is good/something to be a fan of but more like it makes the world a little less scary to know the monsters by their names, to know what to look out for)
On page two of this book I thought to myself, “Oh no. I think this book is going to be terrible.” And shew, I was right. But due to near pathological need to finish a book once I've started, I continued. I don't think I've hated a book more in the last 6 months. I was infuriated every single time the main character was referred to as a ‘cool' girl- you know one-of-the-guys cool girls but it's only acceptable by bros because she's just so hot. Did we really have to hear about how hot everyone in this book is on every single page? Every single character (even the ones NOT in the romance) were described like swimsuit models and sometimes even described AS models. It was just so so shallow. There is a lot of laughing at each other's “jokes” in this book, which is ironic because literally nothing any character says in this novel is remotely funny- especially the dog's clothes. THEY WERE NEVER CUTE/WITTY. And the ending! UGH. I really just cannot deal with this book.
Raw & searing poetry. Some of the quotes from this will stick with me for awhile. There are certain books you read as a teen that just stick with you forever, and Speak was certainly one of those for me. I wish I had more exposure to poetry like this when I was younger. “Censorship is the child of fear the father of ignorance and the desperate weapon of fascists everywhere”
I only knew this book was more dark than I was expecting from perusing other reviews before I started this one. And it really does sneak up on you- you think it's going to be a certain type of book, but it ends up being something so much more raw and honest. I think this is a really honest telling of what it is like to lose your way, especially in your 20s. You can't help but root and ache for Queenie, even when she makes terrible choices.
This one is just straight up delightful. It's the most fun I've had reading a book in probably the last year at least. You can't help but fall in love with the main characters. It's hopeful and joyful and lovely without being straight up sugar fluff. Cannot wait to read more from this author.
I hope we get to live in the America of this book someday.
Wow, I am glad I went into this book not really knowing what it was about.
The author does a great job of handling a really relevant topic(s)- in fact, I don't even want to really say what they are as it spoils her slow unraveling of the tragedy the main character faced and her attempts to move past a truly traumatizing event (one that unfortunately is way too much of a reality in this country.) At first I struggled with the 3rd person narration but, as it went on, I understood the choice. It doesn't feel preachy, but is still extremely affecting and effective. It's the kind of book certain people (or extremely powerful lobbying groups.......) should read, but never will. She connects these issues very well to the realities of what it's like to be a woman- especially the way it is so hard to create boundaries that are really respected without ridicule.
I haven't loved past books by Caletti, but this one feels mature while still realistically a focusing on a teenager's experience, thoughts and actions.
This book is not for the squeamish or faint of heart.
But if you have a macabre fascination with the worst things that can happen to someone (for me, it makes the world a little less scary to know of all the bad things) and/or an interest in science, then you'll probably really enjoy this.
It is not a light read, but Melinek manages to make the moments of hope poignant. The latter half of the book is particularly affecting, as she was a medical examiner in NYC during 9/11. It is hard to fathom the things that she saw.
All in all, this book made me appreciate the work medical examiners do. It seems they often serve as a source of peace and comfort that few people realize.
Probably closer to a 3.5.
There was so much hype for this book that I found it to be a bit of a let down- but here's the thing. Someone should make this into a movie/musical. Call Gaga and Bradley and make it happen. It would be good, probably better than the book.
I think the format of this book made it hard for me to feel attached and really get into this book for the first 3/4. In fact, I read slow- slower than I normally do because while I enjoyed it, it just wasn't making me need to read it for hours on end.
The last quarter is great- emotional, unexpected, bittersweet.
I think if you love classic rock then you'll enjoy this one. It's a bit like indulging in another re-watch of Almost Famous.
Edit: I wanted to see if anyone else had this idea and apparently Reese Witherspoon is producing a TV show. (My unwanted/unearned opinion is that it should be a movie or musical. )
Might be just under 4 stars.
I did not enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed Lilac Girls, but it was still a good read.
It is a bit slowed paced at the beginning, despite extreme happenings- it just lags a bit until the author starts to move time more quickly. There were some actions by the characters that I found just a little incongruent. Overall, it's an interesting story though and I appreciate it being based on reality and the research the author did to make it come alive.
I also really wondered how one single skinny horse managed to pull a cart across countries?
I am usually a real fan of Beatriz Williams' books, but this one just is not my favorite. I found the two plots to be muddy and unrelated- they both detracted attention from each other. I felt like Gin's story was just really far fetched and hard to really follow. I did like that Gin was from Western MD, as it is also where I was raised, but it just did not capture the authentic spirit of Appalachian Maryland. I was going to complain about how the dialect is completely wrong (which, it is, but I also did not live in 20s, but then again, I had relatives who did and they have a very specific speech pattern) but, the author herself commented on how it her dialects may not be correct, so I will reserve my further critiques of this.
Also, I really, truly, hated how both characters seemingly feel in love with their respective men because the women cried on the men's shoulders. It was just so shallow and predictable- imagine more depth and men who dared to show some emotion?
I hope the next book is a lot better.
Are the Schuyler novels a bit dramatic and far-fetched at times? Perhaps.
Is the ending a little too convenient? Most likely.
Are they entirely engrossing and dynamic yet fun reads? Always.
I love these books. I always manage to gain insight on some historical event from them, and who can say no to plucky, strong, and witty women characters?
I noticed other reviews found Williams' writing style overwrought, but I do not find that to be true. I think it's well written and descriptive without feeling heavy or bogging down the reader.
I also really enjoy the connection between these three stories, and the overlaps between the novels.
I'll preface this by saying that I really wanted to like this book because I have been a fan of Kamau's other work like The United Shades.
However, it this novel just really did not work for me. It lacked humorous moments (to be clear, maybe it's not his job/point to make us laugh through this book, but I was expecting at least some witty sentences or humorous thoughts) and I had a difficult time drudging my way through the book. It's somehow too long, yet not detailed enough about the situations that are actually of interest to the reader.
Some of these stories are really great (especially the last four autobiographical ones) but some felt like they were just missing something. I'm inclined to think that was on purpose, but I found them all depressing too, so it prevented it from being what I'd refer to as an enjoyable read. Still good and insightful, though.
I thought a lot about what to rate this book, and still I'm not sure I came up with a good reasoning behind 3 stars. The writing is good- superb even, especially in the first novella. I understand she wanted the reader to do much of the connecting of the dots, but I felt that the trail had too few breadcrumbs for it to feel triumphant at the end.
Looking up the author's background & relationship to Philip Roth certainly was intriguing though.
I feel like I might be thinking about this one for awhile... but not necessarily in a good way?
3.5
This book was written over 20 years ago at this point, so there are definitely some outdated thoughts in this (especially about sexual assault) but I really did enjoy this. It's a good who dunnit type series, and I find those charming. I usually figure out the culprit pretty early on, but this one I really never did figure out the story until it was revealed.
Also, how could I ever not love the little touches of Charm City throughout this book. IYKYK.
This is such a lovely, fun anthology of cryptid stories. If you're looking for deep dives into cryptid truthers- this ain't it. This focuses on the cultural importance of cryptids, and is told with such a genuine, kind demeanor that is just such a breath of fresh air. It'll make you want to travel to every cryptid town and embrace what makes them special.
I really liked most of this book.
First of all, I have never read a YA novel dealing with the AIDS crisis in the 80s/90s. These stories are so important to hear, and need the opportunity to get to be told more often.
The characters in this book are nuanced and even the ones we don't want to like are at least multi-faceted. There are some beautiful, frank, and open conversations between teens and adults about sex in this book that need to happen more often in YA and the world in general- but what is missing from these conversations is consent. There were a few scenes in this book where consent is not asked for appropriately, but it is not clear what intention of this choice is. I think it was a missed opportunity to talk about consent and how important it is to sexual well-being as well.
But overall, this is a moving novel that talks about an important time not so long ago that we cannot allow to be forgotten.