The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma

Some of us had been running all our lives. We ran because we could and because we could not. We ran for our lives. We still thought they were worth running for.

I've had people at my house the last few weeks, but finally I am back with a review. I still need to review The Replacement but this book just needs to be raved about.

Because. THIS BOOK.

Stats:

Genre: Modern day with a hint of paranormal. Atmospheric

Feelings: Hahhahahahahaa. HA. Haaaaa. Hhhhhhaaaaaaaa.

Yes.

Happiness: Prose inspired happiness.

Cuteness: This is not a cute book. This is a beautiful damaging book you will think about for days after even if you don’t like it.

Fast pacing: No? But I read it…very fast.

Series:  No. 

Read if you like: Short and simple and powerful prose. Tragic stories, tragic characters, harsh blunt story lines. Ghosts.

Content: This book isn't subtle when describing life in a juvenile “detention center”. It’s very harsh and hard to read, and there are some scenes of sexual nature that are not unnecessarily graphic, but it’s pretty clear what’s going on. PG13 

In one sentence...  I…I can’t do it. I’m sorry I can’t. It’s about secrets and darkness and things you could have done or should have done. Just read it.

Thoughts: A abandoned room, a small metal bed, vines covering the walls. Worn ballet shoes, a dark tunnel, a drop of blood

Messages: Everything will come back and haunt you.

Overall:

Rating: 5/5

This review has LIGHT THEMATIC SPOILERS but those are spoilers you'll get if you read the goodreads description. I recommend maybe reading it with none of that and then come back

The Lovely Bits:

I simply cannot deal. This is one of the most gorgeous books I have read in a very long time. I read Nova's novel Imaginary Girls last year at the recommendation from Linnea, and while I liked it, it wasn't outstanding. The prose and relationships were good but I had read less of the "weird" paranormal books. Now that I've read more I realize just how much I love "weird" paranormal stories.

-Characters-

The characters are flawless. One of my favorite things in a story is the Unreliable Narrator. This is something that annoys a lot of people, but when done well it's very intriguing to me. Both of the characters this story focuses on were beautifully made and insanely flawed and interesting. Nova mastered the characters that you know are awful but you can't help love. Even Violet, who was basically written to be dislike able, was likable because of that. 

All the characters have this instant personality you could see through everything they did. And everything they did made me cry and hug the book a lot. 

-Writing and Structure-

This is some of the best prose I have ever read. I've read some gorgeous prose, my favorites being all of Maggie Steifvater, We Were Liars, The Book Thief and Kingfisher, but this book had this completely differnt feel. It was rich and dark, and seasoned with perfectly chosen words and sentences. 

The prose was consistent through the whole book, and as a writer who loves making pretty sentences, I can easily say just how hard this is to do. Nova makes it seem easy. It was really challenging to actually find all the beautiful words. Sometimes overly beautiful writing gets a tad tiring and stressful almost to read, but seeing how slowly I read this, I think it was perfect.

 A lot like a poem, a lot like a smooth, harsh, lovely mess.

The story was put together very well. While I can see how it might be confusing to a lot of people, I found it perfectly put together. The way it is done is that every section if from the POV a differnt girl. And every chapter you gradually learn something that they mentioned in the previous section, and are left wanting answers that can be found in the next section. It's so beautifully put together it makes it impossible to set down. 

The ending was definitely a little bit weird and one you have to read a lot slower to grasp everything that is happening, but it was perfect. I don't think it's for everyone because of the weird ghost aspects, but I really think people should give it a short.

-Messages and Other-

This book has some powerful statements. It deals with mistakes, and how far someone will go to hide those mistakes. It talks about the balance between the lies we have to tell, and when we should face what we've done. It deals with madness and depression, and the danger of little choices one makes.

I could honestly break down this book for pages and pages, but I will refrain. 

I love the way Nova deals with murder and the psychological side of it. I felt so lost and terrified seeing through these characters eyes, caring for them while knowing how wrong they were. This book is anything but preachy, and yet at the end I was left thinking for the rest of the day about mistakes people make and how twisted humanity is. I found myself thinking about things the world does wrong and how much people could change the awful stuff that happens. 

This book really got me thinking. A lot.

The Less Lovely Bits:

I struggle to find anything I didn't like. At all. If anything, I wanted the very last few pages to last a little bit longer. I wanted a few sections to stop dumping the fiery prose and tackle the actual subjects they were about. I wanted maybe less constant questioning of everything.

But really I don't think I would change much about this story. I finished this two days after the Red Queen, which was a good two weeks ago, and I have yet to put it up on my shelf. I am in denial. It was stay put on my bedside desk for a very long time.

Please go buy it. Stroke the cover in the totally non creepy reader way. Take off the jacket. Put it back on. Read the first three sentences. Read them again. Close the book and then finally open it again and read it. Take it slow. It's worth it.



Overall....

Well overall I think it's pretty obvious what I feel about this book. I need 30 copies of it right now.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

In school, we learned about the world before ours, about the angels and the gods that lived in the sky, ruling the earth with kind and loving hands. Some say those are just stories, but I don't believe that. 

The gods rules us still. They have come down from the stars. And the are no longer kind.

I was pretty sure I had this whole book figured out when I finished the first few chapters.

I was wrong.

Stats:

Genre: Dystopia but feels more fantasy

Feelings: No one touch me

Happiness: NO ONE TOUCH ME

Cuteness: Ehhhhh?

Fast pacing: Yessss

Series: Thank gods yes

Read if you like: Magicccc and supernatural powers and political magic and things.
Content: Some violent bits but very clean
In one sentence... In a world where the color of your blood defines your success and way of life….Mare’s knowledge of the magical abilities of the Silver bloods is about to be flipped on its head.
Thoughts: A drop of red, a face of white, and a flame's shadow

Messages: Power is dangerous, anyone can betray anyone, words are dangerous, no one is any better than anyone else.

Overall:

Rating: 4.5/5

This review is SPOILER FREE

The Lovely Bits:

Ah. This book. There's a lot I like about it. I had been anticipating this for a while, and was praying it was going to be good as I wanted it to be. While it wasn't perfect or outstanding, I was not disappointed.

-Characters-

Mare. I was hesitant about how I felt at first. She seemed like she was trying really hard to be that *STRONG FEMALE LEAD* but she grew on me. I feel like I've read a lot of political palace stories with fierce leads, but she seemed different. I appreciated her sass, though I'd love a story like this with a quiet awkward girl for once. I couldn't help but compare a lot of this to The Selection, and well...Mare was a lot better than America. You could tell she really cared about people, and was trying really hard to do the right thing even though she just really liked yelling at people.

I appreciated that she was more practical about romantic things. I appreciated that Victoria didn't go with the whole "Poor ugly girl who is actually really beautiful, and everyone loves her. SO SPECIAL" thing.

I actually didn't hate the love triangle, though weird. At the end when all the "choice-y' things happen, I was cheering at Mare with her reply. And the ending? Instead of the "we're together we will be perfect ah yes" last line she got all "Imma go kill people"

Although I felt bad for Kilorn. He became the Gale of the story. 

Pretty much all of the characters in this book were interesting. All of them. And there were a lot of characters. Even the family. In this one scene later on there's this amazing scene with the family where you get a good sense of them, and I loved that.

-Writing and Structure-

The writing was pretty great. I got a good sense for the feelings, though a few bits I didn't like (we'll get to that). The story went into a lot more than I was expecting. It got in dept into the political side, and the training scene were actually interesting and not drawn out any more than they had to be. 

The book indeed had a formulaic feel to it, but as it got closer to the end, it took a lot of turns. The secrets and unraveling of the plot was done successfully. It wasn't all laid out and perfect. The whole book I wasn't really sure who I could trust. Seriously. I changed sides multiple times during this book.

-Messages and Other-

This just had some really great things I like in books. Sibling love. Not a whole lot but it was there and when I was there, it was Glorious. I loved seeing plenty of Mare's home life at the beginning so I could really see the contrast of the two worlds she lived in.

And revolution. I love a good revolution. -sings a compilation of Le Miserables and Newsies-

The magic system. I love super powers and this is how it should be done. Not too "Super powers because reason!"...just right. It was interesting and obviously very well thought out. 

Oh my goodness and the setting! Sometimes its hard to get a good sense of the world in book one. But this one...ah. The atmosphere and setting was so interesting to me...I want to read more and more of it. 

The romance! I was eye rolling at the start, seeing the whole love square with the Childhood Best Friend, the Prince who she Hates but she's Engaged to...and the Other Also Engaged to Another Prince who is just so Nice. And yet this story was far from the "Teenage romantic angst" story. And that was appreciated. There was a lot more time spent of magic and revolution, which I am grateful for.

Also, this is one of the few books I've read recently where I am dying for a sequel. Sometimes I finish...and satisfied. This is one of those stories so dense and interesting...that I really need the second. Bad.

The Less Lovely Bits:

Though I definitely fell in love with this book...I did feel like I had read a lot of it before. It had a lot of common themes you see in books like this.

-Girl who is just SO special and can change the world. Of course I see how that is the point of most mc's...but I'd love to see a underdog story eventually.

-The OTHER girl who is pretty and perfect. Also a jerkface.

-Lessons! How to be a lady!

-Lots of fighting...conveniently with the other jerk girl

-Sass and standing up to those who try and oppress her!

-Love triangle. Not only a childhood best friend but TWO PRINCES. 

And yet..the book didn't have too much of a formulaic feel. Most of the events and things that could easily be overly cliche weren't that bad. Still, I wouldn't have minded a little more originality.

While the writing was good... there were still some bits where it felt really forced. 

"I will never smile again!" "Oh imma die. At least I still have my earrings my brother gave me!"

And that created a few eye rolls. Luckily there wasn't much. 

I want to keep this spoiler free, so I won't give details...but let's just say some Major Character "Development" at the end was a little...unexpected and quick. 

Overall...I really love this book. Guys I love it. A lot. This book has so much promise for a sequel. I want it. I need it. GIVE.

Spring Reads: Best Middle Grade Reads

I recently realized how long it's been since I've posted a real "Recommendations" post. So, seeing as it is basically Spring, I am here to present some good spring reads.

Spring always makes me think of fun, quirky books. Today I am going to start by sharing some of my favorite juvenile fiction books.

Honestly, I do not like Middle grade. But I do have some that I love, or remember loving. It was all I read for a long time because for a while I thought all YA was vampire trash. Granted, many of these I read three years ago, and if I re-read them, I may hate them, but that's beside the point.

Basically I'll just throw out some titles and brief descriptions. I'm not going to write a whole lot partly because I'm going off what I remember loving early in my reading obsession. Hope you read some!