CW: (view spoiler)[Pica (Xylophagia), panic attacks, child neglect, self-harm mentioned, off page suicide attempt and off page actual suicide, dealingCW: (view spoiler)[Pica (Xylophagia), panic attacks, child neglect, self-harm mentioned, off page suicide attempt and off page actual suicide, dealing with grief, off page description of death of a father, description of death of loved one from being buried alive, bullying, murder & attempted murder, death of a pet mentioned (hide spoiler)]
Well that was a deeply unsettling novel.
I keep starting sentences and then deleting them.
It was a very atmospheric novel that crept into my bones and nudged my fear button nicely. I can't think of who I would recommend this book to because it is quite disturbing. That's all I've got sorry. Absolutely NZ upper high school only....more
CW: (view spoiler)[death of parent, man aggressively pursues teen for the purpose of making her a prostitute, sexually motivated assault (hide spoilerCW: (view spoiler)[death of parent, man aggressively pursues teen for the purpose of making her a prostitute, sexually motivated assault (hide spoiler)]
A lyrically written verse novel that paints a raw and powerful picture of grief, betrayal and what it means to be family. The story is told in alternating points of view between sisters Yahaira and Camino, who do not know of each others existence. Each voice is so distinct as we are shown how different their lives are, and that there is literally and figuratively an ocean between them. The death of their father sets their paths on a collision course that has us as Readers, willing them to bridge the divide that the adults in their lives had created many years earlier. I loved the story itself but for me the writing was the highlight. The author drew me in with their evocative and vivid imagery and I developed a strong emotional connection to the story and the characters. Here are some lovely examples:
"More & more, I sit on the fire escape just to get a chance to breathe.
Our house these days is a choked-up throat. I cannot exhale myself out the front door."
"the house is a living sadness, & as Mami walks its halls at night, even the floorboards weep."
"But Tia, as Tia has always been,
is mountainous in her small stature. & it's all I need: for her to be an immovable rock,
to know she will still be here when I decide to come back."
Such incredible writing and a powerful story. I thoroughly recommend this verse novel....more
3.5 Stars Lovers of fantasy will revel in the richly described, dark and magical world that is the setting for this beautifully written novel. The mons3.5 Stars Lovers of fantasy will revel in the richly described, dark and magical world that is the setting for this beautifully written novel. The monstrous Gods have long been dead and the scavenging and selling of the items they left behind drives the economy. There are pirates, smugglers and mad scientists a-plenty in this crazy adventure story. Hark is our likeable MC. He has a really unhealthy relationship with his best friend Jelt who is a toxic bully. After Jelt is injured on a poorly planned dive expedition Hark saves him with an item of ‘godware’ that will change the very fibre of Jelt’s being. To begin with, Hark is fighting to save his best friend before coming to the realisation that there is a lot more at stake than the life of his manipulative friend. I loved the total inclusion of deaf culture in this story and I thought Selphin was wonderful, willful and brave. A really immersive and intricately detailed hero's journey....more
It just felt like a book about an obsessed creepy stalker girl yearning after her Disney princess best friend who fell for the misunderstood snarky rich girl. Wait. It didn’t feel like that. It WAS that. After looking at the chilling cover I was expecting so much more. The thing that I need to confess is that I could not stop listening to it today. After processing this I’ve realised I was completely drawn into the ‘whodunnit’ aspect of it and I really enjoyed the police interview scenes. There were definitely a few possibilities of who committed the crime and I wasn’t disappointed with the direction the author took. So what Readers really need to do is ignore the cover. Imagine it has a moody looking girl staring at a pretty girl who is looking at a beautiful girl who is staring at the moody girl with a smirk on her face. That I think would be a more appropriate cover by which people could set their expectations to. A weird read for me because it was an unputdownable average book. Odd right? Props for diversity too....more
I love the diversity in this book. Not really much else to say to be honest. It felt crass and not at all romantic. For me there was no spark between I love the diversity in this book. Not really much else to say to be honest. It felt crass and not at all romantic. For me there was no spark between Nandans and … *looks at blurb*... Dave. Please understand that this wasn’t horrible, it just wasn’t engaging enough for me. I don’t really remember much of what that happened and I only finished it about 40mins ago. It kind of just plodded along while Nandans explored his sexuality. I absolutely loved ‘We Contain Multitudes’ and ‘Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe’ so I might get the tissues out and do some re-reading. ...more
CW: (view spoiler)[Death of loved one through drowning. It was likely intentional as he was very ill (physically and mentally). Sadness and l3.5 Stars
CW: (view spoiler)[Death of loved one through drowning. It was likely intentional as he was very ill (physically and mentally). Sadness and loneliness. (hide spoiler)] Sadness and loneliness permeate every part of this moving book. It was a slow burn for me but as Marin began to open up I found myself drawn into her sorrow and pain. I had a few tears sliding down my face at a couple of points towards the end of the novel. Marin had tried to ignore her grief by leaving for college, however the strongest anchor to her former life came to find and reclaim her. The depth of connection that she had with Mabel and her family made the story for me. An emotional and well written book. I suggest having a good look at the cover after reading it too....more
Well I really enjoyed this book. It is seriously begging to be made into an action blockbusteCW: (view spoiler)[sexism, extreme racism (hide spoiler)]
Well I really enjoyed this book. It is seriously begging to be made into an action blockbuster movie.
The book is set in an alternate post Civil War USA where slavery is no longer legal but racism is still running rampant, along with hordes of zombies. I think Jane is an excellent main protagonist and I really love the relationship she has with Kate (That’s not my name, it’s Katherine). It’s so great to see strong friendships develop between intelligent and confident women. Jane has such a no-nonsense approach to survival and her action scenes are epic. The zombies whilst well written and ever present are not the real monsters in this book. It’s in the holiest of places that you will find the demons in this book.
I am going to leave this review here and let Justina Ireland’s own words tell you her thoughts about her brilliant book:
“Dread Nation is a book about the American Dream, and how that dream only truly exists for a small subset of the country. It’s about who gets to lay claim to their humanity, and who is seen as little more than a tool that can be used to achieve the goals of others. It’s about loving a place that doesn’t love you back, no matter how much you might be willing to bleed and die for it. It’s about understanding that, maybe, the things we’re told and the things other people believe aren’t enough to keep us safe. We can follow the rules and do the right thing, but at the end of the day life isn’t fair for anyone. And for some of us, an equal chance was never even an option.” - Justina Ireland in Black Girl Nerds Source: https://blackgirlnerds.com/zombies-an...
Come for the zombies, stay for Jane! A must read....more
Well that was a complex rollercoaster rideUPDATE 17/03/2021 - Review added CW: (view spoiler)[lots of gore, medical experiments on kids (hide spoiler)]
Well that was a complex rollercoaster ride with hi-tech science, genetic coding, and a gory deadly virus.
How fabulous to see women in science featured so spectacularly in this YA novel. The world was so detailed and the characters engaging. The story line had so many elements to it but I never felt overwhelmed. There was a degree of instalove but it was't overly offensive. I thoroughly enjoyed this and recommend it for any young adults who are STEM subject inclined or anyone who a loves good science fiction thrillers.
UPDATE 16/03/2021 - Rereading for booktalk about genetic engineering in fiction....more
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