alittlebook-ish - Tumblr blog

[alittlebook-ish]

Far From You Review

Title: Far From You

Author: Tess Sharpe

Genre(s): lgbt, mystery, realistic fiction

Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Book Synopsis:

Sophie Winters nearly died. Twice.

The first time, she's fourteen, and escapes a near-fatal car accident with scars, a bum leg, and an addiction to Oxy that'll take years to kick. 

The second time, she's seventeen, and it's no accident. Sophie and her best friend Mina are confronted by a masked man in the woods. Sophie survives, but Mina is not so lucky. When the cops deem Mina's murder a drug deal gone wrong, casting partial blame on Sophie, no one will believe the truth: Sophie has been clean for months, and it was Mina who led her into the woods that night for a meeting shrouded in mystery.

After a forced stint in rehab, Sophie returns home to a chilly new reality. Mina's brother won't speak to her, her parents fear she'll relapse, old friends have become enemies, and Sophie has to learn how to live without her other half. To make matters worse, no one is looking in the right places and Sophie must search for Mina's murderer on her own. But with every step, Sophie comes closer to revealing all: about herself, about Mina and about the secret they shared.

Review:

I am so happy to have finally read a book in the point of view of a canon bisexual! I really enjoyed every aspect of this book: the plot, the characters, the writing style, the themes, etc. I adore books that go back and forth in timelines, and this novel was no exception. It’s beautiful how the past and the present fill in the gaps in the other parts of the story. We slowly learn more about Sophie’s past and about Mina instead of being infodumped on.

The mystery in this novel is incredibly well done. I was always driven to read more because it was so compelling and unpredictable. This book left me emotionally raw, but that’s a sign to me that a book is freaking amazing. I think this book tackles intense topics like grief and addiction with astounding accuracy and in good taste. I never felt as though anything was over or under done. I simply adored this novel.

Heavily recommended. Tissues also heavily recommended. Reading in public not recommended at all.

goodreads || amazon || book depository

[alittlebook-ish]

The Art of Being Normal Review

Title: The Art of Being Normal

Author: Lisa Williamson

Genre(s): lgbt, young adult, realistic fiction

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Book Synopsis:

David Piper has always been an outsider. His parents think he’s gay. The school bully thinks he’s a freak. Only his two best friends know the real truth – David wants to be a girl. On the first day at his new school Leo Denton has one goal – to be invisible. Attracting the attention of the most beautiful girl in year eleven is definitely not part of that plan. When Leo stands up for David in a fight, an unlikely friendship forms. But things are about to get messy. Because at Eden Park School secrets have a funny habit of not staying secret for long…

Review:

For the most part, I enjoyed this novel. It focuses on the difficulties of being “in the closet” for a transgender teen and it somewhat handles the topic with grace and respect. The inner dialogue is rich and the characters’ voices are distinct between the two points of view the novel portrays. The plot kept me interested and I felt that it was neither too fast- or slow- paced. The story was interesting without being over-dramatized. I really loved the characters and the plot!

Now for my issues with the novel. Kate is referred to as “David” by the other narrator, Leo, even when he knows her preferred name. Leo also only refers to Kate as “she” when she is dressed in a traditionally feminine fashion (i.e. dress, wig, heels) and refers to her as “him” at any other time. Gender identity is valid no matter if the person is out or not! I understand Leo not calling her “she” and “Kate” in public as to not out her, but when they are alone, and when he is simply thinking of her… It is a bad choice of the author’s in my opinion.

I much prefer Kate’s point of view over Leo’s, mostly for the above reasons, but nonetheless I did enjoy this novel a lot. I just wish it had focused a bit more on identity and gender politics, and been a bit more respectful when identifying the main character throughout the novel.

goodreads || amazon || book depository

[alittlebook-ish]

Falling into Place Review

Title: Falling into Place

Author: Amy Zhang

Genre(s): young adult, contemporary, realistic fiction

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Book Synopsis:

On the day Liz Emerson tries to die, they had reviewed Newton's laws of motion in physics class. Then, after school, she put them into practice by running her Mercedes off the road. Why did Liz Emerson decide that the world would be better off without her? Why did she give up? The nonlinear novel pieces together the short and devastating life of Meridian High's most popular junior girl. Mass, acceleration, momentum, force—Liz didn't understand it in physics, and even as her Mercedes hurtles toward the tree, she doesn't understand it now. How do we impact one another? How do our actions reverberate? What does it mean to be a friend? To love someone? To be a daughter? Or a mother? Is life truly more than cause and effect?

Review:

This book tackles the realities of suicide in a way that is both interesting and non-romanticizing. If you are interested in something that discusses suicide in this way instead of the way 13 Reasons Why goes about it, I would strongly recommend this novel. (I would also recommend Before I Fall for this same reason!)

I adored the characters Zhang created. They were all so unique and powerful as individuals and as a collective group. We slowly get to know each character as the novel goes on, and I loved the way I knew the characters, but also felt like they were still mysterious. They weren’t predictable, but they also weren’t too surprising. They were just real, for lack of a better way to describe them. Additionally, the point of view Zhang uses is extremely unique and intriguing.

It can be hard to write about such a serious topic without sensationalizing it (like 13RW, the book and the Netlix series, have), but Zhang honestly did a wonderful job. The book is emotional, but not overly so. It portrays the effect we as humans all have on each other, and sends the important message that it’s never too late to start over.

The reason I gave this book four instead of five stars is because the writing isn’t really my style. It’s pretty to-the-point, which I guess could work, but feels an odd choice for a novel with such emotional subject matter. Overall, though, I loved reading this book and find its message increasingly important in our society.

goodreads || amazon || book depository

[alittlebook-ish]

Kaleidoscope Song Book Review

Title: Kaleidoscope Song

Author: Fox Benwell

Genre(s): lgbt, young adult, romance

Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

Book Synopsis:

South Africa is loud. Listen. Do you hear the song and dance of it? The chorus of Khayelitsha life? Every voice is different, its pitch and tone and intonation as distinct as the words we choose and how we wrap our mouths around them. But everybody has a voice, and everybody sings… Fifteen year old Neo loves music, it punctuates her life and shapes the way she views the world. A life in radio is all she’s ever wanted. When Umzi Radio broadcasts live in a nearby bar Neo can’t resist. She sneaks out to see them, and she falls in love, with music, and the night, but also with a girl: Tale has a voice like coffee poured into a bright steel mug, and she commands the stage. It isn’t normal. Isn’t right. Neo knows that she’s supposed to go to school and get a real job and find a nice young boy to settle down with. It’s written everywhere – in childhood games, and playground questions, in the textbooks, in her parents’ faces. But Tale and music are underneath her skin, and try as she might, she can’t stop thinking about them.

Review:

The first two paragraphs are spoiler free, bolded for your convenience.

***THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS*** read at your own risk

It took me a while to process this book and decide, ultimately, that I dislike it. I was caught between giving this book two or three stars. Obviously, I finally decided to give it two, and here’s why.

This book had so much potential. I went into it with a lot of high hopes. It was my first time reading a book in the perspective of a gay woman, and I was excited. However, I was greatly disappointed basically from the beginning. Even though the story is cute and romantic at times, the writing usually fell flat in comparison, feeling emotionless and purely concerned with moving the plot forward. The characters are two-dimensional, really only defined by their love of music and each other. Which is great to drive them together—but I need more as a reader.

Now for the freaking plot. I understand that conflict is needed to drive a story, and I usually thrive on it… But Benwell never gives the reader a chance to breathe. I was here for the emotional conflict, fighting internalized homophobia, and the conflict of trying to have a same-gender relationship in a homophobic society. However, the plot quickly turned dramatically towards violence and trauma. Here’s the spoiler my dudes: Neo, our main character, and her girlfriend, Tale, are gang-raped. Not kidding. It was so hard to read; please do not submit yourself to this reading. I understand that this is a thing that happens, but I don’t think Benwell needed to go into such detail in this scene.

Oh, and a lesbian dies. (Surprise.) I don’t recommend this book, and I’m not sure why I gave it two stars instead of only one. I guess there were times I enjoyed this book… But overall, it was not a pleasant reading experience for me.

goodreads || amazon || book depository

[alittlebook-ish]

Kissing Ted Callahan (and Other Guys) Review

Title: Kissing Ted Callahan (and Other Guys)

Author: Amy Spalding

Genre(s): young adult, romance, realistic fiction

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Book Synopsis:

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist meets Easy A in this hilariously realistic story of sneaking out, making out, and playing in a band.

After catching their bandmates in a compromising position, sixteen-year-old Los Angelenos Riley and Reid become painfully aware of the romance missing from their own lives. And so a pact is formed: they'll both try to make something happen with their respective crushes and document the experiences in a shared notebook.

While Reid struggles with the moral dilemma of adopting a dog to win over someone's heart, Riley tries to make progress with Ted Callahan, who she's been obsessed with forever-His floppy hair! His undeniable intelligence! But suddenly cute guys are popping up everywhere. How did she never notice them before?! With their love lives going from 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye, Riley and Reid realize the results of their pact may be more than they bargained for.

Review:

This book is so dang good and relatable. It breaks away from the one-guy-only-for-me, dramatic-toned young adult romance, in a good way. It is still dramatic, of course, but when it is it feels real. Like, I am pretty sure I have had some of the exact same conflicts with my friends. As a girl who always has more than one crush (people are attractive, okay?), I adored this book and felt all the feels on a personal level. I laughed and OMG-ed throughout; Spalding is a wonderful author who really knows how to balance humor and romance in a way that doesn’t make it feel too snarky or too cliché. THANK. YOU. AMY. SPALDING.

I really had no issues with this book. It’s a funny, enjoyable, quick read that I will definitely re-read if I’m ever feeling too angsty about a crush. Recommended af.

goodreads || amazon || book depository

[alittlebook-ish]

The Rest of Us Just Live Here Review

Title: The Rest of Us Just Live Here

Author: Patrick Ness

Genre(s): young adult, fantasy, contemporary

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Book Synopsis:

What if you aren’t the Chosen One?

The one who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death?

What if you’re like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again.

Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week’s end of the world, and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your ordinary life.

Even if your best friend is worshiped by mountain lions... 

Review:

A quick, simple, and fun read. Simple as in easy-to-read, not simple as in boring (hence the fun). Ness’s novel is funny, yet there are some moments that are really emotionally poignant. The book has fantasy elements, but it truly focuses on the everyday most of the time. Most of the fantasy aspect is a mockery of the “chosen one” trope, and I am living for it. It has a good balance of emotion, action, and humor.

The book leaves you wondering what will happen when they all graduate, especially with Jared’s situation at the end (no spoilers, guys). However, this openness is noticeable in many young adult novels that take place in high school, so it’s not that big of an issue for me. Overall, I really enjoyed this and would recommend it if you are in a reading slump and need a quick read to get back in the groove, or if you need a break from really dense reading.

goodreads || amazon || book depository

[alittlebook-ish]

Atonement Review

Title: Atonement

Author: Ian McEwan

Genre(s): historical fiction, romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Book Synopsis:

On a hot summer day in 1934, thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis witnesses a moment’s flirtation between her older sister, Cecilia, and Robbie Turner, the son of a servant and Cecilia’s childhood friend. But Briony’s incomplete grasp of adult motives—together with her precocious literary gifts—brings about a crime that will change all their lives. As it follows that crime’s repercussions through the chaos and carnage of World War II and into the close of the twentieth century, Atonement engages the reader on every conceivable level, with an ease and authority that mark it as a genuine masterpiece.

Review:

This book ripped my heart out and ruined my life. I love it!

I watched the movie before I read the book. I thought the movie was breathtakingly beautiful, so I was a bit nervous to read the book. I honestly shouldn’t have been because McEwan weaved as beautiful a story as the on-screen version portrayed it as. I must have held my breath through most of the novel. It has everything: romance, suspense, drama, heartache… You name it. I haven’t cried so much reading a novel since I was in high school and read volume 16 of the manga Fruits Basket. Can fangirls get a discount on tissues?

As you all must know by now, I am a character girl through and through. And I was extremely pleased by the characters in this novel. Because of the way the story goes back and forth in time and perspective, we get to see each character at their highs and lows, from the perspective of others and from their own thoughts and feelings. The plot is riveting, but the way the characters are portrayed makes the novel even more enjoyable. The imagery is so vivid that I felt as though I was truly transported into the story. I will never stop recommending this masterpiece to anyone who asks.

Trigger warning for gore/violence and sexual assault/rape.

goodreads || amazon || book depository

[alittlebook-ish]

The Hate U Give Review

Title: The Hate U Give

Author: Angie Thomas

Genre(s): young adult, contemporary, realistic fiction

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Book Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

Review:

A book that is all too timely right now. It’s emotional, but realistically so. I had my doubts going in as to how the book would handle the issue of police violence in America, but Thomas goes above and beyond in her writing and portrayal of Starr’s feelings, reactions, etc. regarding witnessing the murder of her childhood friend Khalil. The book deals with the abhorrent issue of the privileged trying to criminalize victims of police brutality. The book also has sub-plots having to do with subjects such as interracial relationships, implicit racism, and standing up for things you believe in even when it may be difficult/scary.

I can’t think of any specific aspects of this book I disliked. It has been a while; however, even if I didn’t like something small like writing style or a certain plot point, this book would still be incredibly important—to me and to literature. I would recommend this novel to anyone interested in social justice, or if you just want to read an emotionally compelling, well-written piece of literature.

goodreads || amazon || book depository

[alittlebook-ish]

Fangirl Review

Title: Fangirl

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Genre(s): young adult, contemporary, romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Book Synopsis:

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving. Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Review:

One of my favorite books with twins because it’s an actually accurate portrayal! As a twin myself, I really appreciate how Cath and Wren are portrayed by Rowell as siblings instead of the One-Person-In-Two-Bodies trope a lot of twins are written as. I also love the relatable-ness of Cath’s anxiety starting college. I was so anxious when I went to college, and I live really close to home. Cath’s anxieties were written really well and easy to understand. I have been really romantically frustrated for the past forever, so I really enjoyed Cath’s adorable romance with Levi. I legitimately cried during the first scene in Levi’s room because it’s so freaking adorable and super well-written.

The only reason I gave this stunning novel four instead of five stars is because it takes a relatively long time to get into. I am pretty patient, but it seemed really slow at times. This is honestly the only real problem I had with it. Heavily recommended, especially for other fangirls/boys and anxious hopeless romantics like myself (and Cath).

goodreads || amazon || book depository

[alittlebook-ish]

Chip!

[alittlebook-ish]

Has anyone seen Neil Gaiman’s private library? I mean… come on…

[alittlebook-ish]

All the books I’ve purchased so far in 2018.

[alittlebook-ish]

[alittlebook-ish]

All of my reading fictional characters :) Hermione, Eleanor, Hazel, Annabeth, Wendy, Matilda, Cath, Shizuku, Belle, Alice, Elizabeth & Liesel. You can look at the whole series here: {x}

[alittlebook-ish]

so how long are y’all gonna let me pretend to be a bookstagramer for? hmm??

~ ~ ~

i’ll willingly be the first to admit that i don’t know how to take or edit photos…it wasn’t a talent bestowed upon me. but i really just wanted to show off these beautiful shelves that i finally had help putting up today; so here we are!

it’s hard to believe that the books that grace these shelves only make up a fraction of my tbr pile (most of which i’ve acquired within the last three months…oops?). it seems so impractical to have the books flipped with the pages facing out, but i’m really enjoying the aesthetic. but i assure you, i will probably fix them eventually…

[alittlebook-ish]

My happy place is where the sunlight is.☀️

[alittlebook-ish]

“I don’t understand it any more than you do, but one thing I’ve learned is that you don’t have to understand things for them to be.” ― Madeleine L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time