Tag Archives: 2018 books

Book Review: Renegades by Marissa Meyer, Narrated by Rebecca Soler And Dan Bittner

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Book: Renegades by Marissa Meyer, Narrated by Rebecca Soler and Dan Bittner

Published November 2017 by MacMillan Audio|Length 16 hours, 58 minutes

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: Renegades #1

Genre: YA Fantasy

From #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer, comes a high-stakes world of adventure, passion, danger, and betrayal.

Secret Identities.
Extraordinary Powers.
She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone…except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova’s allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.

I really liked Renegades.  It’s odd, because it’s a mix of dystopia and fantasy, but I thought I worked really well.

I really liked Nova and I felt really bad for her.  The book is narrated by both Nova and Adrian, and I found I cared for Nova’s story more than Adrian’s.  Since I listened to it on audio, there was no skimming over Adrian’s sections, and I did notice that it wasn’t the typical alternating chapters- it was sections.  They each got a few chapters where one would narrate, and than it would switch to the other one.

I was more bored with Adrian’s, like I mentioned, and I think it’s because he’s one of the “good guys.”  By the end of the book, I thought the Renegades were a lot worse than the villains.  There’s one moment in particular that made me hate them, and I hate both what they were doing, and how they went about it.  And people think they’re the good guys?  Never have I so badly wanted them to be taken down, and I need Nova to be the one to do it.

I think part of why the Renegades seemed horrible was perspective.  Especially when Nova was narrating.  She has every reason to hate them, and with everything she’s learning about them, it’s hard to like them.  You do see that at least some of them have the best of intentions, and maybe that was the Renegades at the very beginning, when they first came into power.  But as they are in the book?  They are not the good guys they think they are.

One thing I thought was frustrating was the secret identity thing.  I thought it should have been a lot more obvious to the characters, but maybe that’s because I knew things the characters didn’t.  That was something that kept me from loving it, and I kept waiting for them to figure it out.  Maybe in the next one?

And the ending!  I’m curious to see how things go in the next one with how things ended.  I’m not going to say what happened, but because I was listening to it in my car, I was yelling at the audio book.  It’s not bad, but…it’s a cliffhanger?  Which I kind of expected, but not like that.  It really took me off guard, but in a good way so I’m anxiously awaiting the next one to see what happens next.

Since I mentioned I listened to it on audio, I should probably talk about the narration!  I really liked Nova, and I liked Rebecca Soler as her narrator.  I thought Dan Bittner did a great job narrated Adrian, but I did like Soler’s narration more.  I don’t think I’m completely used to male narrators, and it’s pretty rare that I’ll listen to a book narrated by a guy.  Still, he did do a great job as Adrian, and I could picture both of them as the characters.  I’m also glad they went with two different narrators, because it really helped distinguish between the two characters and what was going on, especially when they were in the same scenes, and you;d switch from Nova to Adrian, or Adrian to Nova.

It’s also pretty long, so it took me a while to get through it.  I definitely had to take a break and listen to the radio every once in a while.  Not being it was boring, because it wasn’t!  I just need to have something fade in the background every once in a while.

4 stars,  I really liked Renegades, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Book Review: Legendary by Stephanie Garber

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Book: Legendary by Stephanie Garber

Published May 2018 by Flatiron Books|451 books

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: Caraval #2

Genre: YA Fantasy

A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.

After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.

The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister’s. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice. But now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval…the games have only just begun.

After reading Caraval last year, and really liking it, I knew I had to pick up Legendary.  I was so curious about where things were headed, especially after how things ended.  Unfortunately, I didn’t like this book as much as I wanted to, which is a shame, because I liked the first book so much.

A lot of the questions I had at the end of Caraval were actually answered.  That surprised me, because I tend to have a lot of questions that are not never answered, and things don’t always go where I think they’re going to.  This book does focus more on Tella and her mom, and I did like that Legendary focused on that.

I didn’t like Tella’s story as much as I thought I would.  Don’t get me wrong, everything that happened to their mom was sort of interesting, and I’m glad we learn what happened to her, and why she disappeared.  I still think there’s more to it than what we got in the book, but at least we got the gist of what happened, and what Tella did during Caraval.

I didn’t like Tella, and though she admits to not being perfect and to making mistakes, I also wish we had Scarlett back.  She was a lot slower to figure things out, and…I don’t know.  As much as I wanted to know what she did at the end of Caraval, I kind of wish it had been in a different way or with a different character.  Or maybe it’s just Tella.

The magic was gone from this one, and it wasn’t the game I was expecting it to be.  I know the rules of this particular game are different than the previous one- it would be boring if it were- but it was not the magical game I thought it would be.  It was boring and I had expectations that were not met.

I hate that I wasn’t into this one, because the world of Caraval is so cool and unique.  This book had the power to be really cool and magical, like Caraval.  I don’t know if the world is better suited to one book, or if it’s because this one was narrated by a character I wasn’t into, but I do know it could have been more magical.

I still want to read the next one, because I do like the world just enough that I want to keep going.  I’m hoping this is a case of middle book syndrome, and the next one will be better.  I don’t think I’ll being going into it with the high expectations that I had with this one, especially since it seems like it might focus more on Tella, and she isn’t exactly my favorite, but maybe we’ll get more of Scarlett, and that will help.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed for that.

There were some things that came up in this book that were never mentioned in the previous book.  Looking back, maybe it didn’t have a place in the first book, but had more of a place in this one.  I wish the deck of fates had more explanation, and I wish it had somehow been introduced in the first one, but there’s nothing we can do about that.  There were some interesting things about this world, and while it wasn’t really expanded on in this book, there’s still part of me that hopes we’ll see more it in the next one.

2 stars.  I didn’t like it as much as Caraval, but I can see why so many people love it.  I wish it were for me, but I am curious to see what happens next.

Book Review: War Storm by Victoria Aveyard

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Book: War Storm by Victoria Aveyard

Published May 2018 by Harperteen|662 pages

Where I Got: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: Red Queen #4

Genre: YA Fantasy

Victory comes at a price.

Mare Barrow learned this all too well when Cal’s betrayal nearly destroyed her. Now determined to protect her heart—and secure freedom for Reds and newbloods like her—Mare resolves to overthrow the kingdom of Norta once and for all… starting with the crown on Maven’s head.

But no battle is won alone, and before the Reds may rise as one, Mare must side with the boy who broke her heart in order to defeat the boy who almost broke her. Cal’s powerful Silver allies, alongside Mare and the Scarlet Guard, prove a formidable force. But Maven is driven by an obsession so deep, he will stop at nothing to have Mare as his own again, even if it means demolishing everything—and everyone—in his path.

War is coming, and all Mare has fought for hangs in the balance. Will victory be enough to topple the Silver kingdoms? Or will the little lightning girl be forever silenced?

In the epic conclusion to Victoria Aveyard’s stunning series, Mare must embrace her fate and summon all her power… for all will be tested, but not all will survive.

I wanted to like this one so much more than I did.  I think a lot of it is that I started to lose interest in the series the more I read it.  By the time I got to read War Storm, I just didn’t care anymore.

It definitely felt long and drawn out, and I had a hard keeping up with all of the names and changes in narrator.  I had a hard time remembering the newer characters, and though the book has several narrators, I found that there was nothing to distinguish them.  They all sounded exactly the same to me.  I get it’s showing how some of the characters feel, and since they are in different locations, it is showing what’s going on.

For a last book, there was not enough action.  It’s a doorstop, that’s for sure.  And unfortunately, it’s a boring one.  It was really slow, and I struggled to get through it.  I expected more of a…well…a war storm, and this was not that book.  I expected things to end with a bang, but with a whimper.  I think I’m getting that quote right- but it so accurately describes this book.  I was pretty disappointed with the ending, and I wasn’t expecting more discussions and meetings and strategy.

It’s the last book!  It’s titled War Storm!  It should be exciting and have more fighting that’s actually memorable.  The book is definitely a blur, and I will completely admit to skimming parts of the book because I just couldn’t do it at times.  I also felt like I was reading the same thing over and over for almost 700 pages, so parts of it were definitely unnecessary.

I was also really bored with Mare, though I did like Farley and Evangaline.  They kept it going for me, and I felt pretty invested in their characters, even though I could care less about the other characters.  It’s not a good sign when you don’t care about the main character.

2 stars.  I feel pretty disappointed in how this series ended, which is a shame, because the concept introduced in Red Queen was really cool.  I definitely lost interest by the end this book, and I’m glad this series is over.

Book Review: Lumberjanes, Volume 9 by Shannon Watters

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Book: Lumberjanes, Volume 9: On A Roll by Shannon Watters

Published July 2018 by BOOM!Box|112 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the paperback from the library

Series: Lumberjanes, Volume 9

Genre: YA Graphic Novel

When the Yetis are kicked out of their treehouse, it’s up to the Roanokes to win their home back from the Sasquatches that took it over by beating them at roller derby.

You just gotta learn to roll with the punches! When the yetis are kicked out of their humble treehouse abode, it’s up to Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley to get them back where they belong amongst the trees…and not leeching the camp’s power and making all the ice cream melt. To get the sasquatches to clear out, though, the Roanoke girls will have to challenge them to a roller derby match!

This New York Times bestseller and multiple Eisner-Award and GLAAD-award winning series is written by Shannon Watters and Kat Leyh (Super Cakes) and illustrated by Carolyn Nowak.

I’ve really enjoyed the Lumberjanes so far, and this volume is no exception!  I know I’ve said this before, and I’ll probably say this in every review for the Lumberjanes, but I love seeing all of the hijinks and shenanigans these girls get into.

In this book, our campers have a roller derby match with some sasquatches.  It’s entertaining, and things get weird- because how else is it going to go?  It all works out for everyone, especially the Yeti’s and sasquatches.  The story is fun, and I liked the idea that Rosie assumes Jen will tell her if something weird is going on…and Jen doesn’t tell her. I liked that Jen just went with it, because it’s a relatively normal thing for her campers to do.  There’s nothing normal about a roller derby match with Sasquatch, but in comparison to everything else that’s happen, this is probably one of the more normal things.

Not that it goes normally, because it doesn’t.  Rosie does find out eventually (by a camper going by, not surprisingly) but Rosie didn’t have to jump in and save the day like I thought she would.  There is a lot of concern because where it happened, but all in all, it’s a pretty typical day at camp.

The artwork is pretty cool, but I still really miss the description of the badges that used to be before each chapter.  Now, we only get them at the end, right before all of the artwork.  I miss seeing it, and I’m not sure why that changed.  I know Shannon Watters is credited instead of Noelle Stevenson, so I’m wondering if it was her idea, and now it’s not there, because she’s not really working on it, or if it was too much trying to come up with a different badge and tying it into each chapter, or what’s going on.  It’s too bad, because I really liked it, but at least we’re getting one badge.

4 stars.  I really liked it, of course, and I really liked the story.  I think it’s one of my favorites in the series.

Book Review: Hostage To Pleasure by Nalini Singh

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Book: Hostage To Pleasure by Nalini Singh

Published September 2008 by Berkley Books|330 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the paperback from the library

Series: Psy-Changeling #5

Genre: Adult Romance/Paranormal Romance

Separated from her son and forced to create a neural implant that will mean the effective enslavement of her psychically gifted race, Ashaya Aleine is the perfect Psy–cool, calm, emotionless…at least on the surface. Inside, she’s fighting a desperate battle to save her son and escape the vicious cold of the PsyNet. Yet when escape comes, it leads not to safety, but to the lethal danger of a sniper’s embrace.

DarkRiver sniper Dorian Christensen lost his sister to a Psy killer. Though he lacks the changeling ability to shift into animal form, his leopard lives within. And that leopard’s rage at the brutal loss is a clawing darkness that hungers for vengeance. Falling for a Psy has never been on Dorian’s agenda. But charged with protecting Ashaya and her son, he discovers that passion has a way of changing the rules…

I really liked this one!  I definitely liked it a lot more than Mine To Posses, the previous book in the series.  Ashaya has come up in the previous novels, and I was really intrigued by what she was doing.  I’m really glad that we got her story, though I did figure we’d get it eventually.  It’s the same with Dorian, of course.

I thought Ashaya was interesting.  We do get more of what she was doing, especially with the implant protocol she was working on.  I also thought her shields were interesting as well, and the whole thing with her sister really got my attention as well.  Even though Ashaya was the focus of this book, I’m sure her work and everything with her twin will come up in some of the other books.  I really wanted more of it.

I also like that we got bits and pieces from her encrypted files.  That’s definitely different, but it gave a lot more insight into her thoughts and what was going on with her.  She’s definitely logical (she is Psy, after all), but she and Dorian are so good together, and they are my favorite couple.  At least, so far they are.  That could change as I continue the series, but so far, they are it.

The more I read this series, the more I love it.  The characters are all so different, but there are some great friendships, alliances and romance.  And even though each story stands alone pretty well, I also love that the world keeps building on itself.  I’m curious to see how it all comes together and how it all ends.  I’m at the point where I’ve requested the entire series from the library, and I’m waiting on the last couple of books before picking it up again.

I haven’t talked about Dorian at all!  I loved seeing him with Keenan, and I really feel for him.  I definitely get why he doesn’t want to be with Ashaya, even though she is his mate.  One thing I’m kind of curious about is how the changelings know who their mate is.  Now that I think about it, I can’t recall it ever being mentioned in detail, especially since they all seem to mate with Psy.  Maybe I’m not just remembering anything, and I’m totally cool with them just somehow knowing, but it would be interesting to get more details.  Or details that I can remember.  Maybe I’ll have to pay more attention in the next one to see if it comes up.

What is driving me crazy is not knowing who the Ghost is!  Singh is doing such a great job at not giving anything away.  Not that I’m actively trying to figure it out, and I can’t recall any clues.  I’m wondering if it’s someone we know, or if we’ve never met them before.  I’m hoping we find out, but I also don’t want to be let down with the reveal either.

And what is going on with Kaleb?  I’ve decided, I want a book focusing on him.  I’m intrigued by what he’s up to, and I can’t quite decide if he’s good or bad.  Time will tell, but I’m sure this is not the last we’ve seen of him.

4 stars.  I really liked this one!  I liked Ashaya and Dorian together, and both characters are pretty cool.

Book Review: Mine To Possess by Nalini Singh

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Book: Mine To Possess by Nalini Singh

Published February 2008 by Berkley|328 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the paperback from the library

Series: Psy-Changling #4

Genre: Adult Romance/Paranormal Romance

Clay Bennett is a powerful DarkRiver sentinel, but he grew up in the slums with his human mother, never knowing his changeling father. As a young boy without the bonds of Pack, he tried to stifle his animal nature. He failed…and committed the most extreme act of violence, killing a man and losing his best friend, Talin, in the bloody aftermath. Everything good in him died the day he was told that she, too, was dead.

Talin McKade barely survived a childhood drenched in bloodshed and terror. Now a new nightmare is stalking her life–the street children she works to protect are disappearing and turning up dead. Determined to keep them safe, she unlocks the darkest secret in her heart and returns to ask the help of the strongest man she knows…

Clay lost Talin once. He will not let her go again, his hunger to possess her, a clawing need born of the leopard within. As they race to save the innocent, Clay and Talin must face the violent truths of their past…or lose everything that ever mattered.

I liked Mine To Possess!  I think it’s my least favorite book so far, though there were things that I liked as well.

I really liked learning more about the Silence and the Psy-Net.  With each book, we’re learning more and more about the world, and while each book is relatively contained, and is a mostly complete story, we’re also getting more about the world they live in, and how much history there is.  There’s a larger picture that you wouldn’t see if you didn’t read each book.

The overall story gets moved along a lot in this book and that was nice to see.  We get more behind the scenes with the Council, and though there was something that I figured out early on in the book, I was surprised at some of the details.  It makes sense, but I had never thought about it before, and I’m really curious to see where it will go.

As for Talin and Clay…I didn’t particularly care for them as a couple.  I mean they make sense in terms of the story, and they have a history.  I get why Talin acted the way she did, and I felt for her.  There were a couple of time Clay was really frustrating, but for the most part, I liked Clay a lot more than Tally.  I wish I rooted for the romance more, because with romance, I want to love the characters together, and I just didn’t.  Hopefully, I’ll have better luck with the next book.

3 stars.  I didn’t like it as much as the previous books because of the couple but I did like learning more about the Silence and the Psy Net.  And I’m really curious to see where things go.

Book Review: Bruja Born by Zoraida Cordova

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Book: Bruja Born by Zoraida Cordova

Published June 2018 by Sourcebooks Fire|336 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: Brooklyn Brujas #2

Genre: YA

Three sisters. One spell. Countless dead.

Lula Mortiz feels like an outsider. Her sister’s newfound Encantrix powers have wounded her in ways that Lula’s bruja healing powers can’t fix, and she longs for the comfort her family once brought her. Thank the Deos for Maks, her sweet, steady boyfriend who sees the beauty within her and brings light to her life.

Then a bus crash turns Lula’s world upside down. Her classmates are all dead, including Maks. But Lula was born to heal, to fix. She can bring Maks back, even if it means seeking help from her sisters and defying Death herself. But magic that defies the laws of the deos is dangerous. Unpredictable. And when the dust settles, Maks isn’t the only one who’s been brought back…

I really liked Bruja Born!  I admit, I was nervous going into it, because it’s been a while since I read the first book, and I was sure I was going to regret that.  I mean, how many times have I read the second book in the series without re-reading the first, and then been really confused about what was going on?  Too many times to count.

That was not the case with this book.  Thankfully.  While it’s set in the same world, has the same characters, and takes place after the events of the first book, it’s a completely different story focusing on a different character.  Reading the first book would be a good idea, so you know what the characters are referencing, but I think you’d be fine if you didn’t.  It’s one of those series where you don’t need to read them in order, and each one stands on its own pretty well, but reading all of them gives a larger picture you wouldn’t get if you didn’t read all of them.

Bruja Born is a lot creepier than I expected it to be, but I liked it.  I liked that there were very real (and very serious) consequences to Lula’s actions.  What happened in Los Lagos really affected her, and you really see that in this book. There are definitely checks and balances and you see what happens when Lula is unable to let go.

I particularly loved the bond that Lula and her sisters had.  They are in it together, particularly Alex and Lula, and there’s a lot both girls have to deal with.  It’s nice to see a family that is actually around and supportive.  Yes, Rose, Lula and Alex fight, but they’re also there for each other.  I feel like we don’t see it enough in YA.  The magical world they live in really opens up in this book, and there are some things we have not seen the last of.  Hopefully, we’ll get more of it in the next book.

I loved the magic and mythology, and it’s nice to see something that’s not the typical Greek mythology or magic you’d see in most fantasy.  There are so many different mythologies and magic systems out there, and it’s nice to see something different.

And this is a random change of topic, but I liked seeing accept the scars on her face.  I think it’s understandable she’d want to glamour them.  It’s your face, and it’s something people notice.  But over the course of the book, you see her be more okay with it.  She really changes a lot, and it felt very real and very relatable.

One thing I couldn’t quite figure out was the timeline.  It seems like it takes place over a longer period of time, at least from what the characters say, and yet, it seems like it happens over the course of a few days.  I’m not sure if I just wasn’t paying attention, or if it was action-packed enough that it seemed like it happened faster than it really did.  Obviously, I kept reading, and I did really enjoy it, so while it was odd, it wasn’t a huge factor in my enjoyment of the book.

4 stars.  I really liked Bruja Born!  I liked Lula and her relationship with her sisters, and I really liked the mythology and magic in the book.

Book Review: Caressed By Ice by Nalini Singh

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Book: Caressed By Ice by Nalini Singh

Published September 2007 by Berkley Sensation|352 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the paperback from the library

Series: Psy-Changeling #3

Genre: Adult Romance/Paranormal Romance

Nalini Singh explores new heights of sensuality, returning to the world of the Psy – where two people who know evil intimately must unlock the good within their icy hearts…

As an Arrow, an elite soldier in the Psy Council ranks, Judd Lauren was forced to do terrible things in the name of his people. Now he is a defector, and his dark abilities have made him the most deadly of assassins – cold, pitiless, unfeeling. Until he meets Brenna…

Brenna Shane Kincaid was an innocent before she was abducted – and had her mind violated – by a serial killer. Her sense of evil runs so deep, she fears she could become a killer herself. Then the first dead body is found, victim of a familiar madness. Judd is her only hope, yet her sensual changeling side rebels against the inhuman chill of his personality, even as desire explodes between them. Shocking and raw, their passion is a danger that threatens not only their hearts, but their very lives…

I really liked this one!  It seems like this is one where people seem to fall in love with the series, and after reading it, I can see why!

So far, this one is probably my favorite, and I really liked Brenna and Judd.  It’s nice to see a book that follows one of the changlings, instead of one of the Psy.  Not that we don’t get chapters from Judd’s perspective, because we do, but the previous two books followed Psy, and I liked the change in perspective.

We learn a lot about Silence Protocol and Psy Net, and I liked seeing that.  There’s a lot that we haven’t seen yet, and this book really gave us a lot of world-building.  I honestly want more of it, at least in some of the books that follow. We also see a lot of behind the scenes stuff with the council, and there is part of me that hopes we see a little more of that as well.  It doesn’t have to be in every single book, but there’s a lot that we see in Caressed By Ice that we haven’t seen yet.

I really like this world, and I especially like Brenna and Judd together.  I don’t know that I could pick a favorite couple, of the three we’ve seen so far, but they are an interesting couple.  I mean, Judd doesn’t want to break silence because of what it will do, and I don’t blame him, but it should be interesting to see Judd in the future, with everything that happens in this one.

I think I’m going to keep this one short.  I don’t have a lot to say about Caressed By Ice, and I know it’s part of a long series, so short may be good (at least for now).

4 stars.  I really Caressed By Ice, and I liked how much we learned about the world.  I also really liked Brenna and Judd together.

Book Review: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

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Book: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Published January 2018 by Little, Brown Books For Young Readers|370 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: The Folk Of The Air #1

Genre: YA Fantasy

Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

This is one of those books that everyone seems to love.  In general, it seems like people seem to love Holly Black, but this one was not for me.

The idea is interesting- a girl, taken away to Faerie, and living in a world where they hate humans.  There’s a lot of intrigue and deception, and I am interested enough to see what happens.  I think the hype did get to me, though.  I wasn’t paying a lot of attention to what people were saying about The Cruel Prince, though I knew going into it that a lot of people were excited about it and were reading it.  I liked it, don’t get me wrong, but it’s on the meh end of things.

I really thought we’d have more of Prince Cardan, but he wasn’t as important as I thought he would be.  I feel like he might have more of a role in the next one, but he might not.  Really, the book was more about Jude and how she hated being mortal, and wanted to be Fae.

I don’t know, I think I was expecting something more awesome, and in this case, I think I was let down by the fact that apparently everyone else seems to love this book.  Except for me, obviously.

Honestly, though, I couldn’t begin to tell you anything else about the book.  I wasn’t a huge fan of Jude, though her sister Vivi seems to be awesome.  I was expecting revenge on the guy who killed her parents, but that didn’t happen, and it was slightly disappointing.  Maybe she was so focused on becoming Fae that she wasn’t out for revenge.  I can’t say I’m surprised, considering she’d either be out for revenge or wanting to become Fae so she can belong.  It’s pretty predictable but I did keep reading, so it has that going for it.

3 stars.  I liked it just fine, but I don’t seem to have the same love for it that everyone else does.  Still, I’ll probably read the next one to see what happens next.

Book Review: Dear Rachel Maddow by Adrienne Kisner

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Book: Dear Rachel Maddow by Adrienne Kisner

Published June 2018 by Feiwel & Friends|265 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

In Adrienne Kisner’s Dear Rachel Maddow, a high school girl deals with school politics and life after her brother’s death by drafting emails to MSNBC host Rachel Maddow in this funny and heartfelt YA debut.

Brynn Haper’s life has one steadying force–Rachel Maddow.

She watches her daily, and after writing to Rachel for a school project–and actually getting a response–Brynn starts drafting e-mails to Rachel but never sending them. Brynn tells Rachel about breaking up with her first serious girlfriend, about her brother Nick’s death, about her passive mother and even worse stepfather, about how she’s stuck in remedial courses at school and is considering dropping out.

Then Brynn is confronted with a moral dilemma. One student representative will be allowed to have a voice among the administration in the selection of a new school superintendent. Brynn’s archnemesis, Adam, and ex-girlfriend, Sarah, believe only Honors students are worthy of the selection committee seat. Brynn feels all students deserve a voice. When she runs for the position, the knives are out. So she begins to ask herself: What Would Rachel Maddow Do?

I really wanted to like this one more than I actually did.  I’m not sure what I was expecting this book to be, but it, for the most part, didn’t work for me.

So, Dear Rachel Maddow is told through emails to Rachel Maddow.  We learn what’s going on in Brynn’s life as she tells her story to Rachel.  I think, based on the title, I was expecting something more political.  I was expecting more of an election story than something deal with drug use and child abuse.  It was unexpected, but please keep that in mind if you pick up this book.  Maybe that’s why I didn’t like it as much as I thought- it seemed like it would be more light-hearted and fun, and the book turned out to be…well, not light-hearted and fun like the summary says.

I particularly hated her stepfather, who seems irritated he has to deal with step-children.  I mean, I understand that her brother died from what seems to be a drug overdose (it’s never stated outright how he died, but it’s strongly implied that’s what it was) and he doesn’t want her to end up like her brother.  But how does kicking her out, and insisting she’s going to contribute to the household (while not letting her go to her job) make things any better?  Don’t get me wrong, if they want her to get a job and pay rent once she’s 18, that’s fine.  But making it sound like her retail job isn’t a real job and generally treating her the way he does didn’t get any sympathy points from me.

Her remedial classes seemed a little odd.  It’s high school, but it seems like these teachers cover multiple subjects and have aides and tutors.  I was never placed in remedial classes, and I took mostly non-honors classes with a few honors classes sprinkled in.  Maybe it seems odd because that wasn’t my experience in high school.

I did like that she wanted all students to be heard, and not just a select few.  I think that was my favorite thing about Dear Rachel Maddow.  Throughout the book, you can definitely see that Brynn (and those like her) seem to get overlooked, and I liked seeing how important it was to her that all students were represented.

I’m still not sure how I feel about the story being told through e-mail.  I don’t know if it’s just me, but I don’t think I’m a huge fan of the whole writing letters/emails to a famous person, whether they’re dead or alive.  It does look like she got a response back from Rachel Maddow, and I kind of wish we had actually seen the e-mail back.  Especially considering we see emails from other people to Brynn, and emails between the principal and parents.  And it seems like a thing that she got a reply, so why not include it?

2 stars.  This book was okay, but I’m pretty sure it’s a better fit for someone else.