Posted in Reviews

Review: “City of a Thousand Dolls” by Miriam Forster

Posted on by Sarah S.

My library does not own this book, so I ordered it used for $4 off of Amazon. Apparently there was a reason it cost $4 with shipping, because the seller lost it, and it remained lost for two weeks. I’m totally fine with waiting for a package, but Amazon had taken so long to intercept it that it said the package had been misplaced and I should contact the seller for a refund.

It showed up eventually, as evidenced by the fact that I’m reviewing it here, so, Amazon troubles aside, here we go.

SPECS

Unknown.jpeg

Title: City of a Thousand Dolls

Author: Miriam Forster

Page Count: 359

Genre: YA, fantasy

REVIEW

Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a child. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. Nisha makes her way as Matron’s assistant, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city’s handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die.

Before she becomes the next victim, Nisha decides to uncover the secrets that surround the girls’ deaths. But by getting involved, Nisha jeopardizes not only her own future in the City of a Thousand Dolls—but her own life.

I love fantasy primarily because of the incredible worldbuilding it often contains, and that aspect is what drew me to “City of a Thousand Dolls.” Asian-inspired settings are one of my greatest bookish weaknesses, as I’m sure I’ve said at least once before, and as soon as I read this book’s blurb, I knew I had to read it for that alone. Its setting is a rich blend of Southern and Eastern Asian cultures (it seemed primarily inspired by India with touches of Chinese culture), with some magic and monarchial intrigue for added color. Great stuff. The titular city itself, a haven for abandoned girls where they’re given useful skills, was a fascinating concept and well-described. And it checks another of my “worldbuilding musts” boxes by incorporating multiple cultures that cohabit the same world (there is a nomadic tribe in addition to the primary, settled culture the book focuses on). “City”‘s greatest asset was definitely its worldbuilding.

That worldbuilding, along with a fast-paced and gripping, if not particularly original, mystery, made up for relatively watery characters. Nisha, the protagonist, was…just okay. She was a decent leading lady with plenty of admirable traits, but she lacked a certain spark. The same was largely true of the supporting cast, although I loved the cats. Another thing I forgot to mention: there are talking cats in this. I know, I know. But believe it or not, they’re legitimately well-integrated into the story, and nothing about the “talking animal” premise reads as cartoony. It all ties into the magical underpinnings of the Bhinian Empire. Which brings me to my next point: if that sort of thing is what you came to this book for, look elsewhere. It was largely irrelevant. However, for me, that was a plus – magic is super oversaturated in the YA market (DEAR YA AUTHORS, PLEASE STOP WRITING THE “LAST MEMBER OF A MAGICAL PEOPLE PERSECUTED BY THE NON-MAGICAL MAJORITY” STORY, I BEG YOU), so I liked that it played a minor role. What role it did play figured nicely into the ending, which was probably the strongest part of the book. Others might find it contrived, but I loved the ending. It introduced several twists that I genuinely didn’t see coming (although I’m probably very naive that way), and it wrapped up the story satisfyingly. I liked it.

This was no masterpiece of literature, but it was gripping and entertaining, and sometimes that’s all you want in a book.

CLOSING

Six-Word Summary: a fast but worthwhile fantasy read.

Recommended For: anyone looking for a quick, gripping read with a very unique setting; lovers of good worldbuilding.

Avoid If: you require a certain level of depth in your books.

Possible Objectionable Content: murder, obviously. The act itself isn’t described but corpses are. The entire idea of the City is a bit disturbing, and Nisha and Devan’s interactions become somewhat heated on a few occasions.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Confused Llamas

Posted in Reviews

REVIEW: “Lovely War” by Julie Berry

Posted on by Sarah S.

Long time, no review…sorry about that, but I promise I’ll rectify it in the next few days! I have several books to review (I think I’ve read something like ten books since my last review, but am only planning on getting to about four or five) and wanted to start with my latest read, the absolutely wonderful Lovely War. This has to be one of my favorite books of 2019, so…here goes.

91mtMzHwLOL.jpgTitle: Lovely War

Author: Julie Berry

Page Count: 451

Genres: YA, historical fiction

REVIEW

 

It’s 1917, and World War I is at its zenith when Hazel and James first catch sight of each other at a London party. She’s a shy and talented pianist; he’s a newly minted soldier with dreams of becoming an architect. When they fall in love, it’s immediate and deep–and cut short when James is shipped off to the killing fields.

Aubrey Edwards is also headed toward the trenches. A gifted musician who’s played Carnegie Hall, he’s a member of the 15th New York Infantry, an all-African-American regiment being sent to Europe to help end the Great War. Love is the last thing on his mind. But that’s before he meets Colette Fournier, a Belgian chanteuse who’s already survived unspeakable tragedy at the hands of the Germans.

Thirty years after these four lovers’ fates collide, the Greek goddess Aphrodite tells their stories to her husband, Hephaestus, and her lover, Ares, in a luxe Manhattan hotel room at the height of World War II. She seeks to answer the age-old question: Why are Love and War eternally drawn to one another? But her quest for a conclusion that will satisfy her jealous husband uncovers a multi-threaded tale of prejudice, trauma, and music and reveals that War is no match for the power of Love.

Oh, I loved this one. It’s absolutely swoon-worthy…and heartrending, but let’s not discuss that yet…and it has CLASSICAL MUSIC. SIGN ME UP.

The opening 100-ish pages of the book were far and away my favorites, focusing mostly on Hazel and James’ relationship. They were so awkward and shy and their budding help-I-don’t-know-what-I’m-doing romance was the purest thing I’ve ever seen.  I absolutely adored both of them – timid working-class piano prodigy Hazel, whose parents sacrifice everything to allow her to pursue her gift, was the definition of a smol bean, and shy, chivalrous James was the kind of man who’d probably make me faint if he so much as looked at me in real life. I cannot say enough about them – and a later scene, when they meet up while James is on leave in Paris and *SPOILERS* he finally kisses her! *END SPOILERS*, is even more adorable. I LOVE THEM. 10/10 PURE AS HECK, WOULD DIE FOR. They, and the fact that classical music plays a significant role in the story, as well as the historical aspect, were probably my favorite parts.

Though it didn’t have the endearing awkwardness of James and Hazel’s romance, the other main relationship – that of ragtime pianist Aubrey and traumatized Belgian singer Colette – was also strong; their relationship arc was unlike James and Hazel’s in that their main obstacle was not separation but societal prejudice. Aubrey is African-American, and in the setting they’re in, being in an interracial relationship is incredibly dangerous and nearly ends in tragedy for both of them. To that end, Berry’s handling of the racism Aubrey experiences in the army is sensitive and well-executed, though difficult to read (it frankly displays and condemns the injustice and brutality of Aubrey and his regiment’s treatment by white soldiers without being excessively heavy-handed). And on a lighter note, Aubrey is freaking amazing. I adored his sense of humor and confidence – he’s hilarious, he knows he’s got talent, and he doesn’t have time for anyone else’s BS. I have no clue how Berry packs so much personality into that character with so little description, but the fact that she did makes this an immeasurably better book. Colette sort of pales in comparison; she’s more of the archetypal “mysterious tragic heroine,” and probably got the weakest portrayal of the four main characters, but even then she was a good character (anyone would look a little bland next to Aubrey). Even with the interest disparity, they still made a compelling couple, especially because of their shared love of music; that was certainly the most enjoyable part of their relationship. I couldn’t help but smile as Aubrey helped Colette discover the true scope and range of music – the scene where he plays jazz for her for the first time is one of my favorites in the entire book.

And that isn’t even touching the war story aspect or the mythology. Neither of those stood out to me as much as the romance, but they were still well-done. Though I wasn’t reading the book for the Greek-deities-meddling-in-mortals’-lives premise, it was enjoyable nonetheless (I could largely not care less about that subplot, but I loved the author’s portayal of Apollo – he was great), and I’m sure that people who enjoy that kind of thing will be pleased with the way it’s worked into the story.

Really, the fact that I read this entire 451-page book in a day should pretty much sum it up. I read this for four straight hours, stayed up past midnight, and sacrificed at least two hours of sleep to finish Lovely War – and I wasn’t disappointed. This perfectly blends swoony, wholesome romance with humor and serious themes (I never thought a book that comments so masterfully on war and racism could also be freaking adorable, but here one is) and a rich, vivid setting. PLEASE read this. You won’t regret it.

In closing: suffice to say it that, given how gorgeous its jacket is, this is definitely a book you could judge by its cover.

CLOSING

Six-Word Summary: lots going on – it’s all great.

Recommended For: anyone, really. But especially fans of well-written historical fiction, mythology aficionados who don’t mind a unique spin on well-known figures, and lovers of romantic stories with substance.

Avoid If: I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t want to read this. But there’s a bit of violence and it’s quite brutal (though written delicately), so if that sort of wartime carnage bothers you, this might be one to skip.

Possibly-Objectionable Content: about four or five uses of strong language (very insignificant given how long the book is), infrequent but tough-to-read violence, and unflinching descriptions of racism that can be quite violent at times and are all difficult to stomach. Nothing is written crassly or crudely, but the subject matter is brutal, and younger or more sensitive readers might be disturbed by it.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Confused Llamas

Posted in Reviews

Review: “For Darkness Shows the Stars” by Diana Peterfreund

Posted on by Sarah S.

SPECS

51WMTSktTRL._SX327_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Title: For Darkness Shows the Stars

Author: Diana Peterfreund

Page Count: 407

Genre: YA, fantasy, dystopian

REVIEW

Summary:

It’s been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family’s estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot’s estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth–an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret–one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she’s faced with a choice: cling to what she’s been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she’s ever loved, even if she’s lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Starsis a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

“For Darkness Shows the Stars” was sort of an outlier pick for me. I don’t usually read much fantasy, and the summary didn’t interest me greatly – the thing that most drew me to it was the fact that it was a Jane Austen retelling. (I read “Persuasion” shortly after this and didn’t love it, but I love retellings of classics, and most Jane Austen novels.) So, given that, I didn’t have the highest of expectations. “For Darkness Shows the Stars” was a pleasant surprise, though it wasn’t spectacular. Peterfreund created an incredibly intriguing and singularly unique dystopian world, which is very difficult to do in the dystopian-saturated YA market. The debate between innovation and security presented by the book’s social hierarchy (high-class Luddites oppose all technology, while the lower classes are more open to it) was a fascinating one. However, the characters and relationships didn’t work for me.

Our protagonist, Elliot, is likable: she’s adaptable, smart, independent, and caring. But she’s kind of an everywoman – rather dull, I suppose. She was an admirable character, but she didn’t have much personality. And the love interest, Kai/Malakai, is…a mess. He spends most of the book treating Elliot, his childhood best friend and lover, like dirt. It goes far to explain that he has his reasons for this, but they don’t seem to justify how far he takes his distaste for Elliot. It made their eventual reunion all the more unbelievable (ELLIOT, SWEETIE, HE JUST GOT DONE TREATING YOU LIKE THE SCUM OF THE EARTH. ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO BE THAT QUICK TO GET BACK WITH HIM?), which made for a cute but unrealistic ending. The supporting characters – the Innovations, Andromeda, Horatio, and Olivia – were the strongest, but they didn’t have as much “screen time,” and therefore couldn’t really make the impact that more likable and/or interesting protagonists would have.

“For Darkness Shows the Stars” was sort of a mixed bag. Its plot, ethical themes, and worldbuilding were top-notch, but they were combined with characters who didn’t really live up to them. It was an interesting read – I always appreciate books that deviate from the YA norm – but one that ultimately fell just a touch flat.

CLOSING

Six-Word Summary: dystopian Jane Austen – having mixed feelings.

Recommended If: you like retellings, unique dystopian settings, or Jane Austen.

Avoid If: you love “Persuasion” and you’d be disappointed if this book didn’t live up to your expectations/was too different from the original for your taste.

Possible Objectionable Content: a few rather gory injuries. Otherwise, very clean.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Confused Llamas

Posted in Reviews

Review: “Save the Date” by Morgan Matson

Posted on by Sarah S.

SPECS:

81Ilto+efPL.jpg

Title: Save the Date

Author: Morgan Matson

Page Count: 417

Genre: YA

REVIEW

“Save the Date” started off so promising. It was a fun, nostalgic story about the Grants, a big, boisterous family of five grown children (who happen to be the subjects of a world-famous newspaper cartoon created by their mother). The youngest, Charlie, is a high school senior, eagerly anticipating the wedding of her older sister Linnie at their childhood home. The event takes on new urgency when her parents decide to sell the house. And, in typical YA-novel fashion, the wedding plans adhere unerringly to Murphy’s Law: everything that can go catastrophically wrong, will. Add in high-profile family appearances celebrating the end of “Grant Central Station,” a cartoon that the Grants’ mother has written for over two decades, and wedding week is bound for heaps of comedic drama. It’s a fun concept, and for the most part, it’s well-executed. At many points I laughed out loud. But it soon went downhill.

Something about the last half of the book was just…empty. It felt emotionally dead, and I know this is sort of intentional, but the ending sort of undid the comedic tone of the beginning of the book. When *SPOILER* we discover, near the end of the book, that Charlie’s parents, a seemingly perfect couple, are divorcing, the book begins to feel as if it ignores the elephant in the room. Charlie is extremely hurt by the realization that the family she adores so much is breaking apart – that she’s going off to college without anything to come home to – but everyone in the book seems to brush her pain off. Her mother, knowing fully how upset her daughter is, gives her a lecture about how she hates change and will just have to get used to the new situation – that made me legitimately angry. Sure, Charlie has to adjust to her new circumstances, but no one ever gives her a chance to process things. No one acknowledges her pain, and that didn’t sit well with me. Maybe it’s just a me thing, but Charlie loved her family more than anything, and at the end of the day, the thing she loved most fell to pieces. I think the fact that that happened so late in the book was the issue – if Matson had given it more time to simmer down, it would probably have been less brushed-off and unsatisfying. *END SPOILER* 

Make no mistake, though: I actually did very much enjoy this book. If not for the ending, it would have been fantastic. It was funny and nostalgic and its characters were (mostly) lovable. So I’d still recommend it – just know that, if you’re like me, you likely will be left unsatisfied by the ending.

 CLOSING

Six-Word Summary: “perfect” family falls short of perfection.

Recommended For: those who are looking for stories focused on families that are light on romance.

Avoid If: you need satisfying closure.

Possibly Objectionable Content: several rather intense make-out sessions that nearly go further and scattered uses of strong language.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Confused Llamas

Posted in Reviews

Book Review: “Most Dangerous” by Steve Sheinkin

Posted on by Sarah S.

Yes, gasp, I actually do read genres other than YA romance! In this, my first nonfiction review, I’m covering “Most Dangerous,” which offers a unique and compelling perspective on the Vietnam War.

SPECS

816mAqpDA9L.jpg

Title: Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War [necessarily abridged in the title of this post]

Author: Steve Sheinkin

Page Count: 324

Genre: nonfiction (it’s targeted at teens/young adults but isn’t necessarily YA)

REVIEW

I love nonfiction. I know, I know, I’ve never even reviewed a nonfiction book – but it’s one of my favorite genres. I love how broad the genre is – you can find a great book on anything from the illegal wildlife trade (this one is highly recommended) to classical music (I love that this one combines music and history, which are two of my favorite topics). I don’t read a ton of nonfic but when I do, I nearly always wonder why I don’t read more – and that is exactly how I felt after finishing “Most Dangerous.”

While I love history, I normally wouldn’t have gravitated towards a book about the Vietnam War. Nothing about that period particularly fascinates me, but “Most Dangerous,” which tells of said war as it relates to the story of famous whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked the Pentagon Papers, looked intriguing. State secrets, undercover operations, government corruption – there was certainly nothing boring in its summary. It lived up to that intriguing premise. Though I knew about the Vietnam War in some degree of detail from past history classes (and that time my English teacher made us read “The Things They Carried,” which was…an experience), I had no idea how much government corruption shaped its course, and I knew absolutely nothing about the Pentagon Papers. All of this was new to me, and when combined with perfunctory knowledge of the events in question, it made for a genuinely shocking story. “Most Dangerous” weaves the history and politics of the Vietnam War with the story of the Pentagon Papers leak and the man behind it seamlessly, but I still felt that the Pentagon Papers subplot was the stronger of the two. It was something I knew nothing about and kind of blew my mind – it dealt with the exact same debates that are still being hashed out today (as a child of the Wikileaks era, I’m no stranger to that discourse). It tells a compelling story while also effectively asking ethical questions – is it a crime or an act of heroism to disclose classified information if the American people stand to benefit from it? – that have not disappeared from our national discourse in the slightest since the 1970s. And the writing matched the explosive nature of the story it told – as someone who has issues with slow pacing in books, I very much appreciated its lack of narrative sluggishness.

Overall, this was a fascinating read – even if you don’t enjoy history or want to read a book targeted at young people, I guarantee there’s something in it that will impact you.

CLOSING

Recommended For: history buffs, or those who think that nothing can make them find history interesting; people who enjoy pondering ethical questions.

Avoid If: the use of multiple related narratives within the same book annoys you.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Confused Llamas

Posted in Year of Classics

Year of Classics, February 2019: Frankenstein

Posted on by Sarah S.

You might have read my 2018 “Year of Classics” recap. The concept – to become more well-read by reading a classic novel every month of the year – caught on, and I’ve decided to complete the challenge a second year. So, barring my January book (“Gone With the Wind,” which I chose not to review because it is very controversial and I did not want to risk assessing it in a way that could offend readers), I will be recapping each monthly classic I read. For February, I chose “Frankenstein” in accordance with the prompt “a sci-fi classic.”

SPECS

frankenstein@2x.jpg

BOOK: “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley

LENGTH: 170 pages

GENRES: classics, sci-fi

THOUGHTS 

NOTE: since this book has such a well-known story, I’m not going to bother trying to explain it here. Thus, this review assumes that one is at least semi-familiar with enough basic plot information to understand what I’m talking about. (None of it requires detailed knowledge beyond “Frankenstein makes a person. That person is ugly and shunned for his ugliness, so he gets all murdery.”)

To be quite honest, I’ve never been a big sci-fi reader. Other than “Enchantress from the Stars,” an excellent and (from what I can tell) semi-obscure fantasy/sci-fi novel I was assigned to read in eighth grade, I can’t name any sci-fi novels that I’ve enjoyed. This is sort of strange, because I actually quite enjoy sci-fi films – I guess I’d never really explored the genre enough to know whether I liked it or not. So it took me a while to find a book for this prompt that didn’t seem too out there for my sci-fi-uncultured self to enjoy. That, and not any sort of compelling interest that I had in the book itself, was why I chose Frankenstein. I wouldn’t normally have chosen to read it, but I had to read something, so it might as well be this. Naturally, I wasn’t terribly surprised when I didn’t love it, but I didn’t dislike it, either. It was kind of just…there.

Frankenstein’s main flaw, in my mind, is that it suffers from an acute case of pacingitis. The first half of the book, in which the titular character (the scientist, not the monster, as every book snob in the history of book snobs will insist) discusses his childhood, is…dull. That’s all it is. Dull. It’s a good thing this was so short that I didn’t have to read much a day to finish on time, because I couldn’t read that in long spurts. Literally couldn’t. But once I reached the second half, where Frankenstein is reunited with his creation and proceeds to hear how the creature was shunned by society so many times that he began to murder people, it started to pick up. There’s murder, the monster’s story is actually quite compelling and fast-paced, and things begin to escalate, culminating in everyone running off to the Arctic to Die In Peace. It’s a pretty gripping read once you get past 86 lines of prose describing the younger Elizabeth Lavenza’s surpassing radiance and seraphic beauty and/or Victor’s emotional turmoil after making and abandoning sentient life that comprise most of the first half.

I do not always like the classics I read, I’ll admit. In that vein, I can’t say I loved Frankenstein. But it was not a bad read, and even if it had been, it was short enough to make myself pull through it.

CLOSING

Deserving of Classic Status?: yes, for the timeless ethical questions it poses, but not necessarily for entertainment value (imo).

Rereading Potential: low, although some will probably enjoy it enough to want tor reread it.

Recommended If: you like to ponder the nature of life and one’s responsibilities to their fellow man.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Confused Llamas

Posted in Reviews

Review: “Geekerella” by Ashley Poston

Posted on by Sarah S.

It’s no secret that I adore geeky YA with all of my heart, so it was only a matter of time before I hit what might be the geek-girl YA romance that started it all: “Geekerella.” Predictably, I loved it.

SPECS

Unknown.jpeg

Title: “Geekerella”

Author: Ashley Poston

Genre: YA

Page Count: 317

REVIEW

I delayed studying for my calculus quiz tomorrow for an hour to finish reading “Geekerella,” and that about says it all. It’s a swoon-worthy romance, a Cinderella retelling that somehow still feels fresh despite the utter overuse of its source material in the media, and a love letter to geek culture – it hits every right note, and I’m in LOVE.

“Geekerella” centers upon Danielle “Elle” Whittimer, a high school student and aficionado of geeky vintage TV series Starfield (think Star Trek), to which her late Starfield-superfan father introduced her as a child. When soap opera star Darien Freeman is cast as lead character Prince Carmindor in a Starfield reboot film (Prince Carmindor? Prince Charming? Ringing any bells?), Danielle is indignant – she sees his casting as an insult to her beloved fandom. But unbeknownst to her, Darien’s as big of a Starfield fan as she is.  When Darien anonymously texts Elle, thinking her number is her late father’s, about an appearance at Excelsicon, the convention he founded, they realize despite their mutual anonymity that they have a lot in common, and an unlikely friendship forms. Meanwhile, a cosplay contest at Excelsicon sends Elle on an epic quest to evade her evil stepmother and stepsisters in order to participate.

Obviously, the Starfield fandom plays a key role in the story, and letting it take center stage was an excellent authorial choice. I found myself wishing I could watch along with the characters as the series’ antagonist/love interest Princess Amara was sucked into the Black Nebula in the final episode. Poston created a fascinating mythos for a show that doesn’t even exist and I loved that. (It’s very, VERY reminiscent of Star Trek, although the actual Star Trek is referenced quite a bit as well, which was kinda parallel universe-y. Speaking of – any book that name-drops Chris Pine within the first twenty pages is a guaranteed winner.) And Darien and Elle’s unwitting phone-mance was ADORABLE. If I had a boyfriend, I would DEFINITELY call him nothing but “ah’blen” for several weeks. (And when he inevitably didn’t know what I was talking about, I’d make him read “Geekerella.” It’s worth it.) 10/10 cute as heck. The ONLY small critique I have of this wonderful piece of fiction is that Darien gets over the fact that the girl he’s been slowly falling for via text *SPOILER* has been slandering him on the internet to a vast audience for months *END SPOILER* waaay too fast. While Elle was a very likable character, she was a massive jerk to do that and no one really acknowledged that no matter how much you may hate a casting choice, actors are people with feelings and internet slander is never a solution. However, its other messages – knowing your worth, embracing your interests even if people think they’re strange, and the need for solidarity rather than “fake fan” snobbery in fandoms – were great, and really resonated with me, a massive geek.

In the end, this was an all-around winner. I know I’ve said that a million times, but it’s especially true in this case. For all those who geek, I’d highly recommend it.

CLOSING

Six-Word Summary: who says geeking out isn’t romantic?

Recommended For: everyone, but especially those who love geek culture/fandom in general.

Avoid if: …don’t.

Possible Objectionable Content: some scattered uses of strong language and slightly crude references, neither of which are prominent.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Confused Llamas

Posted in Reviews

Review: “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” by Maurene Goo

Posted on by Sarah S.

Hey guys! Welcome to yet another rave review of yet another delightful YA read, Maurene Goo’s escapist rom-com “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”. (What can I say? Being super picky about the books you choose to read usually leads to such results. Sample bias, anyone?)

SPECS

51b2m5KWCAL.jpg

Title: “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”

Author: Maurene Goo

Page Count: 322

Genres: YA, romance

REVIEW

The last book I reviewed, “Good Enough,” revolved heavily around Korean culture (though actually, Korean-American culture might be a more accurate description). This one does too, but in a different way: its plot hinges on a set of foolproof steps to happily-ever-after based on common tropes in Korean dramas. The “perfect nerd girl fails at romance” premise is one I very much adore (me! That’s me!), and the K-drama aspect caught my eye because one of my closest friends is OBSESSED with them. (She professes to love nearly every type of drama TV series that exists worldwide, from telenovelas to teleseries [Filipino soap operas], but particularly loves K-dramas.) I’ve never seen one, but the familiarity of the idea made me smile. So I decided to give this book a try. I wasn’t disappointed.

“I Believe in a Thing Called Love” begins with Desi Lee, a star student and athlete whose life is perfect but for one thing: she is a complete failure in romance. Every conversation she has with a cute boy, it seems, ends in utter disaster. To remedy this, Desi turns to the Korean dramas her father loves to watch; she compiles a list of steps commonly taken by the heroines of K-dramas to win the affection of leading men, hoping that following them will result in a single success story in her otherwise-nonexistent love life. But as she meticulously manipulates her circumstances in order to snag Luca Drakos, a dreamy, rebellious artist who’s new to her school, Desi begins to realize that life is often too complex to be boiled down into simple steps based on TV tropes.

In the course of her pursuit of Luca, Desi makes some dangerous, illegal, and/or borderline deranged decisions. No one really acknowledges this *SPOILER* except Luca, in the very end, when he discovers her K-Drama steps. *SPOILER* That kind of bugged me – her best friends were completely on board with this and enabled her increasingly reckless behavior, and other than a temporary breakup with Luca, she never really had to face the consequences of doing so. However, given that the entire premise of this story is larger-than-life, I can excuse the lack of realism and the lack of judgement displayed by Desi, who is otherwise presented as extremely mature and intelligent. The rest of the book was stellar – Desi’s nerdiness was perfectly highlighted without being too heavy-handed, and the romance was SWOON-WORTHY. YES, I MEAN SWOON-WORTHY. THERE IS A REASON I’M TYPING THIS IN ALL CAPS. Seriously. “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” borders on Peter Kavinsky back-pocket-spin levels of adorable. And the K-drama steps gave it a subtly soap-opera feel that made it utterly engrossing. It was like watching a soap opera without losing brain cells over the trashy plotlines; this book has boatloads of the best kind of camp. I read the last fifty pages in maaaaybe twenty minutes backstage at drama practice because I COULDN’T WAIT to see how it ended. Even if you don’t want it to, this book pulls you in. I couldn’t help but want to zip through it out of sheer desire to see what ridiculous scheme Desi would concoct next.

If you want a book with charm, nerdiness, a sweet romance, an escape from reality, and just enough camp, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” is perfect for you. Get your hands on it as soon as you can, kick back, and enjoy the opportunity to forget that things like annoying family members and calculus exist for a while.

CLOSING

Six-Word Summary: art reflects life. So do K-dramas.

Recommended For: hopeless romantics and fans of K-dramas

Avoid If: you hate unrealistic love stories and/or over-the-top romantic gestures

Possibly Objectionable Content: occasional strong language (stays within PG-13 bounds, so no F-bombs, but is still definitely present). In one scene, Desi and her friends attend a party complete with all of the typical high-school-party debauchery, with drug use and adult situations alluded to but not shown; none of the protagonists participate in anything questionable. Desi lies, manipulates others, and generally makes many terrible decisions. It is frequently mentioned that Luca was once arrested for tagging.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Confused Llamas

Posted in Reviews

Review: “Good Enough” by Paula Yoo

Posted on by Sarah S.

Hello, internet 🙂 I’ve been on one of my “read a book a day” kicks lately, since some books I requested through the library have come in (hmm, I wonder why I have an 83 in AP Biology…#ishouldbestudyingbutimnot), and this is a result of that. Today I’ll be reviewing Paula Yoo’s “Good Enough,” yet ANOTHER geek-centric YA book. Read on.

SPECS: 

51iaBwyQGfL.jpg

Title: “Good Enough”

Author: Paula Yoo

Page Count: 322

Genre: YA

REVIEW 

I tend to gravitate towards books I can relate to. So, the moment I read that “Good Enough”‘s protagonist was a violinist, the musician in me went a bit nuts and I knew I had to read it. And it was a great decision! “Good Enough” has all of the things I love: an emphasis on music (I play the violin and was very pleased that the author portrayed it accurately – THANK YOU, PAULA YOO), a protagonist who is very focused on academics, and non-predictable romance. Even though the book focuses heavily on Korean culture and I’m not Korean, I found a lot that reflected my own life, from the violin aspect to protagonist Patti’s lack of athleticism, awkwardness, single-minded focus on school and college admissions, and involvement with her church youth group – she’s so much like me it’s almost scary, except with a different ethnicity, far greater success in school (@ my B+ in calculus), superior violin talent, and much, much more strict parents.

“Good Enough” centers on Patti Yoon, a high school senior whose life revolves around two things: music and gaining admission to an Ivy League school to please her parents. After a “disastrous” audition leads to a second-chair placement in the All-State Orchestra, she’s sent scrambling to prove herself as a musician once again while juggling her college applications, a crush on fellow All-State Orchestra member Ben “Cute Trumpet Boy” Wheeler, and six AP classes. Mixed in are her best friend Susan, who isn’t mentioned nearly as much as her importance to Patti makes it seem like she should be, and the ubercompetitive teens in Patti’s church youth group, all of whom are essentially their parents’ trophies.

I’m not quite sure what the plot was, but I loved getting to experience a few months in Patti’s life. Seeing her beginning to break free from her parents while still trying to respect their opinions and obviously caring deeply about them was very refreshing; she knew she needed to distance herself from their rigid standards, but she never had a “stick it to the man” attitude about it, and I liked that. She and her parents seemed to have a mutual understanding that no matter how strict they might be, it came from a place of love – I know that could come off as unhealthy to some, and it probably is (a lot of people have a problem with any parent who puts the slightest amount of pressure on their child, but as someone whose parents do that to a lesser extent, I can appreciate it), but in my mind it was a fantastic demonstration of how you can love the important people in your life without understanding or approving of the reasons that they do certain things.

“Good Enough” lives up to its name in more ways than one, and I’d wholeheartedly recommend it.

CLOSING

Six-Word Summary: violin, rejection, and the Ivy League.

Recommended For: musicians, particularly violinists; high school students under pressure (put down the SAT book and read this one!); those with an interest in Korean-American culture; anyone who feels like a fish out of water.

Avoid If: classical music puts you to sleep; parents who put pressure on their children upset you; you have low self-esteem and don’t care to read about an entire group of genius teenagers who’ve never gotten a B in their lives. (Reading about people like that really can make you feel lazy; it compelled me to make a schedule for tomorrow, down to the half-hour, designed to maximize study time.)

Possible Objectionable Content: a few characters make racist comments (no strong language/slurs used) towards Patti and her family and there is one other VERY minor language infraction.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Confused Llamas

Posted in Reviews

Review: “Not Now, Not Ever” by Lily Anderson

Posted on by Sarah S.

“The Only Thing Worse than Me is You” was one of my absolute favorite books of 2018, so when I learned that there was a sequel, “Not Now, Not Ever,” I had to get my hands on it. The results were…not quite what I expected. Read on.

SPECS

Unknown.jpeg

Title: “Not Now, Not Ever”

Author: Lily Anderson

Page Count: 306

Genre: YA, retellings

REVIEW

I so badly wanted to give this book a rave review.

It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it – I did. But it had some issues, and I don’t think it was ever going to exceed its predecessor in my mind. “The Only Thing Worse than Me is You” hit the nerd-school setting on the head, and this one left a bit to be desired. I loved the cast of TOTWTMIY to pieces, and this one was just a touch..meh. But it did have its points. “Not Now, Not Ever” is partially based off of the Oscar Wilde classic “The Importance of Being Earnest”; this book’s plot loosely resembles that of the play and it’s frequently referenced/quoted. I’ve loved “Earnest” ever since I saw my high school’s production of it my freshman year and the frequent allusions made me very, very happy.

“Not Now, Not Ever” revolves around the titular Ever Lawrence (real name: Elliot Lawrence Gabaroche), a sci-fi aficionado who runs away from home to attend a summer camp for geniuses culminating in a trivia contest. The reward for the lucky winner? A full ride to Rayevitch University, the fictional Oregon liberal arts college where Ever dreams of majoring in science fiction literature. It’s an intriguing premise, to be certain, but it falls a little flat. The primary problem I had with “Not Now, Not Ever” was that it sort of cast aside the character’s nerdiness at times. The best thing about the first book was the genius school aspect, with its constant comic book references and academic woes; I was missing that in this one. Obviously, we’re still at a genius school here, but the nerdiness was toned down significantly outside of a school setting. There were less references, and it was of less consequence as a motif than in the previous book. The relationships between characters and the petty drama teens inevitably get themselves into were of more precedence, which wasn’t to the book’s benefit. I SIGNED UP FOR THE NERD CONTENT. GIVE ME MORE NERD CONTENT.

The characters were also a weak point. After growing rather embarrassingly attached to Trixie, Ben, Harper, Meg, and co. in “The Only Thing Worse than Me is You,” I was thrilled to see them show up as counselors at Genius Camp. But the protagonists themselves were…eh. Brandon Castilero, the geeky frosh from the first book, shows up in a bigger role here, and he was great, but the supporting cast was largely forgettable, and Ever was not my favorite. I found her very unlikable at times – she was so in-your-face that at parts I wanted to chuck my Kindle across the room. I know a lot of people think that’s a good quality, but it drove me nuts. She was incredibly judgmental, bulldozed over everyone, and inserted herself into situations she had no reason to be involved with, and only in the last five-ish pages did she realize that any of this behavior was problematic. GAAAH. I liked her interest in science fiction but that was about it. The relationship she eventually develops with Brandon was cute, but ultimately she (SPOILER) ended up bulldozing over that too. Sigh.

I think I would have been much kinder to “Not Now, Not Ever” had I not read “The Only Thing Worse than Me is You,” which raised my expectations through the roof. I know I’m being harsh; it was by no means an unenjoyable read. It had some issues, but ultimately it wasn’t a bad way to spend a few hours.

CLOSING

Six-Word Summary: nerd camp, but with less nerd.

Recommended For: fans of summer camp stories and sci-fi lovers

Avoid If: your expectations were set unrealistically high by its predecessor and this book couldn’t meet them even if it was the greatest novel ever written.

Possible Objectionable Content: *insert Captain America “language” gif* there is a LOT of very strong language here. A LOT. I mean, it’s everywhere. Is that how normal teens talk? Yes, as a teen, I can confirm that. But it’s definitely something to consider. Also, there’s quite a bit of rather intense kissing, and it’s explicitly implied that some of the counselors engaged in…activities…that got them removed from their positions. (We love you anyway, Ben and Trixie.) If you discount the fact that “Not Now, Not Ever” would be rated R as a movie for use of F-bombs alone, this is definitely on the salty side of PG-13. I’m probably more stringent here than most (and by that I mean that I DEFINITELY am), but I’d not recommend this to anyone under 15.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Confused Llamas