A Madness so Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

“Sometimes the loveliest places harbor the worst monsters.” 

Another arc I was blessed to received. This book just recently came out, and seeing as I just finished a novel of my own regarding mental asylums, I immediately leaped upon the chance to read it. I wasn't blown away, but I definitely wasn't disappointed. 

Stats:

Genre:  Historical fiction

Feelings: More or less. Not heart-wrenching, but moving.

Happiness: I loved a lot of the character dynamics, and those made me smile.

Cuteness: Not really.

Fast pacing: Slow as molasses, but still interesting. Nothing felt forced.

Series: Nope

Read if you like: Mental health, the history of asylums, murder, mysteries, detectives and angst

Content: Talk of rape. Some disturbing mental treatments, some including a pregnant woman going into labor that were quite horrifying. 

Trigger warning? Loss of a baby

In one sentence... A girl sent away to an asylum for something that wasn't he fault is taken away by a detective who obsesses over death, hoping to use the cover of her insanity to help him solve murder.

Thoughts: Creepy mildew wood and ice cold water

Messages: Interesting thoughts on the way life was for woman and mental patients.

Overall

Rating: 3.5/5

Very vague spoilers regarding character relationships

-The characters-

Ah, Grace. And interesting, well developed character. And yet, I never really connected with her. I didn't hate her, but she felt distant. That being said, her voice was strong, fitting well with the setting and aesthetics.

She dealt with some real crap, and early in the book, I felt for her. A lot. I was about ready to jump into the book to hide her away. As it progressed, the story got a bit slower, which may be why I didn't care for her just as much. That being said, she stayed strong, never once slipping. 

Thornhollow was a lot of fun. A few of the reviews I've read have compared this to the book Jackaby. 

Well, Thornhollow is nothing like Jackaby. He's dark, starting out uncaring and rude, wanting what he wants and not truly caring about Grace. But you can see that bit of quirk underneath, which makes him interesting. He's a lot of fun, really. His banter isn't that sarcastic or snarky, but somehow so entertaining. 

The side characters were great, and you could tell that they were developed. Each one had a unique voice, even characters that showed up for a short time. That's something I love in historical fiction. 

Also: NO ROMANCE. Can I just say how happy I am about that? Neither characters are ready for romance, and while I can see them in a relationship, I just loved that it wasn't forced. I loved watching their relationship grow into something protective and realistic. I think that's what this book's best trait is. Realism .

-The Writing and Structure-

I've heard nothing but good things about McGinnis's writing, and now that I have read her work, I agree. She definitely knows her words. I have yet to read Not A Drop To Drink, but I really hope she keeps writing historical fiction. 

The structure was probably the weakest part. It was slow.

While there was murder, everything felt weirdly paced. There were a lot of plot lines going on, consisting of Grace's father, the actual murder, Grace's secret insanity, and then the asylum backstory. All of these felt randomly pushed together, some of them not relating when all along I thought they would. The whole thing felt vaguely disjointed, and when different plot lines didn't connect at the end, it felt un-fulfilling.

Still, the writing was so good, and the actual plot points so interesting, that it wasn't a boring read, it was just less engaging than others I've read. 

Also: Totally random, but when an Irish character is introduced, and McGinnis attempted to write the accent so it read how it would be said...it just annoyed be. Like. No. Please don't do that.

-Messages and Other-

This book had less obvious messages it was trying to say, at least for me. It was an enjoyable read, but in the end, I didn't leave with anything new. That being said, it was definitely such a fascinating peak into this setting. 

The treatment of mental patients has grown so much, and the treatments in this day and age were so screwed up.

 I adored the descriptions, the look into the way things works. You could just tell how much research McGinnis did. 

Really, every person in the world has a dark twisted side, and this book really accurately showed how someone as quiet as Grace was, can have something lurking inside. It was a fascinating peak into the mind, and the early 19th century. 

Overall, this book didn't blow my mind, but it definitely will be put fondly onto my shelf.

In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

Millions of healthy young adults and children dropped dead from the flu, boys got transported out of the country to be blown to bits, and the government arrested citizens for speaking the wrong words. Such a place couldn’t be real. And it couldn’t be the United States of America, “the land of the free and the home of the brave.”
But it was.
I was on a train in my own country, in a year the devil designed.
1918.

I've got a lot of emotions about this book. I have picked up this book so many times. Spaniish influenza and ghosts?? But every time it never gets read. Well. I read it.

Stats:

Genre: Paranormal-ish Historical

Feelings: YesSs

Happiness: Ah yes.

Cuteness: Not really?

Fast pacing: Debatable. But very engaging.

Series: No.

Read if you like: Ghosts, historical settings, sicknesses, creepy things, photography.

Content: Some "intense" kissing. And that's basically it.

In one sentence... He's dead, right? 

Thoughts: An old photograph, a compass, and a pair of aviator goggles.
*NEW*Messages: Life is hard. You lose people. But you lose a little bit of yourself if you hang on too tight.

Overall:

Rating: 3.5/5

This review is SPOILER FREE

The Lovely Bits

The writing. This story swept me up right away. The writing was gorgeous and simplistic, with some amazing images of life in this hard time. You get a lot of emotions from characters you don't even know the name of. 

Every character introduced was well shaped and had an instant personality, which was refreshing. I really liked getting this new picture of this way of life. I feel like, often times, we hear about these awful times and sometimes pass them off. But in this book...you see how it really was and it was awful and interesting.

This book just had a lot more ghosts and death than I thought. And while a lot of it was weird, it was great. It just gets crazy, man. With Stephen? When Stephen starts speaking from her body, or when Mary starts getting his dreams...it gets crazy, guys, but well done.

The plot was really well structured. The story web was so complicated and crazy, so if Mary hadn't mapped out on a regular basis what was happening I would have been lost. Honestly I never had a single idea what was going on. At all. And I liked that.

This book stood out to me 

I really liked the female characters in this book. Aunt Eva was strong, and when she realized she made mistakes, quickly fell back. She focused on her love and dedication to her niece, even when awful things happened. She was a great character. She cut off all her curls and went to work at a shipyard. Mary was the type of girl who would take apart everything to figure out how it worked. She'd leave the house and work at a hospital to help and research. She was likable...but not.

The Less Lovely Bits:

I honestly don't know how I feel about Mary? I can't imagine being in her situation so I can't tell if its realistic or immature. But she kinda of...annoyed me. She was fun to read, but sometimes I couldn't quite figure out how I felt. 

Same with Stephen. He was okay? I am having trouble really putting together my opinions. Other than that, there was very little I disliked. Some things really didn't sit well, and that's it.

Overall, it was great. It was emotional and lovely. So so lovely. So so so lovely. Read it. Go. Now. I really want to read her latest book.

The Giants House by Elizabeth McCracken

“My memories are not books. They are only stories that I have been over so many times in my head that I don't know from one day to the next what's remembered and what's made up. Like when you memorize a poem, and for one small unimportant part you supply your own words. The meaning's the same, the meter's identical. When you read the actual version you can never get it into your head that it's right and you're wrong.” 

I feel very empty inside. I really need to stop trusting my mother with books. Once again she has sent me a raw, harsh, and beautiful book. 

Stats:

Genre: Adult romance

Feelings: UM HECK YES.

Happiness: Yes. Excuse me while I weep.

Cuteness: Yes but then you cry. You catching on here? It's sad.

Fast pacing: No.

Series: No. 

Read if you like: Books, libraries, forbidden love so forbidden it's almost weird.

Content: Yes. It's an adult book, but nothing is explicit. One case of the f-bomb. The main character sleeps with another character at one point, but that's was for psychological issues almost and not told explicitly. A few discussions revolving around sex but again, nothing was dirty. Some light touchy feel-y stuff.

In one sentence... A lonely librarian and an oversized teenaged boy struggle with self-discovery and love. 

In other words: Emotional trauma ensues.
Thoughts: Libraries, and old books.

Overall:

Rating: 4.5/5 

This review has VERY LIGHT SPOILERS IN THE NEGATIVE SECTION OF POST. You can go ahead and read on if you are okay with knowing a few things.

The Lovely Bits:

I can't really put words together. I'm going to have to write this very logically or else this whole post will turn into a long ramble.

The emotions in this book were spot on. The whole scale of values and ideals in this book were clear. Loneliness, love, romantic and in the family sense. It captured many things perfectly. That feeling of wanting to be part of a family...to have a sense of real home. That feeling of wanting to really be loved, to be desired.

And being lonely. I am a teenager, I am not a thirty year old woman. I don't know the type of loneliness the author describes here. But everyone still has felt a heavy loneliness at some point in their life. And this book takes the little experience you have, and use it to make you feel the overwhelming loneliness Peggy feels in this book.

And the thing is...not once did she bluntly say that she was lonely and sad. It was told in actions, in thoughts. It was shown through everything Peggy did. And you felt every bit of remorse and hidden anger she felt. 

The characters were real. Each character you met you immediately had a sense for who they were. You loved, disliked, were endeared to character after character. When I put the book down (okay fine, it was more like throwing it down) I instantly missed them all. Those characters? I wanted them back.

The writing was superb. Not just because of the capture of emotion, but just the unique skill put into the prose. In paragraphs that normally would not paint a picture you could see this world in your mind. The way she uses metaphors is one of the best ways, I think. She uses the characters experiences and loves to make metaphors that seem real, and show the feelings.

This whole book is emotion and character driven. I think it would be challenging to read if you did not like the characters. Even so, as said earlier I think that even people who don't know much about heavy loneliness will enjoy this story.

The Less Lovely Bits:

As stated earlier, this is an adult book. There's a part where Peggy sleeps with a character. And while I can see why, it felt unneeded. It was a lovely show of her loneliness and need for love, and also a good breaking point. But I think all that could have been shown in a way that made me feel less comfortable.

It is more of a slow paced book. While Peggy's constant pause in narration to describe or talk about something is interesting, it makes for a book you can't just fly through. This is a book you need to take your time with.

Overall, it was a stunning book. When the reveal come early in the book, you will get upset but continue. And the end will warm your heart while simultaneously rip it to shreds. I think there will be very many people who don't like it, because of its almost controversial plot line, and other more peculiar literary things, but I hope you will give it a shot.

Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer

“We're talking about the novel, right? But maybe we're not. We're talking about ourselves. And I guess that's what can start to happen when you talk about a book.”

I hadn't heard about this until a friend read it. I read the synopsis and right away I knew I needed to read it. So when I saw it on the shelf at our used book store, I snatched it up. The concept is lovely the writing not so much.

Stats:

Genre: Paranormal-ish contemporary 

Feelings: Yeah
Happiness: A bit
Cuteness: Ehhhh?
Fast pacing: Slow, but it wraps you up
Series: No
Read if you like: mysterious concepts and messed up characters 
Content: Swearing. Some shirtless kissings. Nothing explicit but keep that in mind if you are uncomfortable with that. I found a lot of the lovey things to be annoyingly unnecessary. A lesbian character.
In one sentence... A group of teens lost and struggling with their own problems find a place in a special boarding school that transports them to a realm where their terrible pasts are unwritten.
Thoughts: A filled in journals and voices of friends 

Overall:

Rating: 3/5 stars

This review is SPOILER FREE

The Lovely Bits:

Concept. This whole story is very concept driven. The idea was original and intriguing, and I found myself very much caught up in the world and the different characters with their different troubles and sorrows. 

There was some really nice sibling love going on, some raw feelings and a few great characters.

There wasn't actually a whole lot that stood out to me as really good, which is sad, because this really was a good book. It wasn't bad... the concept was good enough that the bad things didn't make me hate the story.

The Less Lovely Bits:

Prose. It was so...lacking. And the telling? After a while I got tired of Jam telling us over and over that she was sad and lonely. I am also currently reading Burial Rites, a book in which the character never once states that she is sad and empty, but you can feel it.

Belzhar really needed a shot of that. I was sick of being told Jam was sad. I was tired of how the feelings were being shoved down are throat. It was even to the point where Jam pondered how goats must have it easier.

I found myself really more concerned and interested in the side characters tragedies instead of Jam. I couldn't understand how she was feeling...her boyfriend being dead and all...but still I didn’t relate to her. Everything was Reeve. She kept saying how she wasn't human without Reeve. I was beginning to think she had other mental issues, not just depression. Her whole storyline really didn't show depression that well. 

That being said, I think it was hard for anyone to relate to her. In a situation where a character has a past experience few readers will understand the writing really has to be good enough to show what the character is feeling. Belzhar didn't have that, so I really didn't feel Jam's pain at all.  I found a lot of the character relationships and interactions seemed forced and rushed. 

All of these less lovely bits did detract from the story, but in the end, I don't regret reading it. I loved the concept and world enough that the lacking prose didn't bother me as much. I really just wish they had other POV's instead of Jam's. 

Review for Don't You Forget About Me by Kate Karyus Quinn to come soon! I actually finished this before Belzhar, but never got around to writing a review. 

All the Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

“I have been feeling very clearheaded lately and what I want to write about today is the sea. It contains so many colors. Silver at dawn, green at noon, dark blue in the evening. Sometimes it looks almost red. Or it will turn the color of old coins. Right now the shadows of clouds are dragging across it, and patches of sunlight are touching down everywhere. White strings of gulls drag over it like beads.

It is my favorite thing, I think, that I have ever seen. Sometimes I catch myself staring at it and forget my duties. It seems big enough to contain everything anyone could ever feel.”

I heard nothing but good things about this book. And the cover? And how big it is? And world war two?

I needed to read it, even though I had to suffer through...I kid you not...being number 1354 on the hold list.

Stats:

Genre: Historical fiction

Feelings: Plenty of them

Happiness: Some smiles. Mainly because of the prose.

Cuteness: ANGRY CUTENESS AND FEELS

Fast pacing: Slow. Take your time reading it.

Series: Nope

Read if you like: WW2, poetic prose, spending a lot of time with character development.

Content: Some cases of soldiers saying f-word....and some vaguely described scenes of soldiers using girls, possible a brothel, but if you weren't paying attention you wouldn't have even realized it happened. 

In one sentence... The love of the little things like the sea, family, stories, and the way the tiniest things can change lives.
Thoughts: Seashells in a row on a shelf and radio static

Overall:

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

This review is SPOILER FREE

The Lovely bits:

This is one of the best books I have read this year.

Because of the short chapter and read one before I went to bed. And so it took a freakishly long time to read it, but it was worth every word.

The characters. It was told almost from a distance...you never really got fully into their heads, and yet you still feel for them. You still wanted lots of happy endings for them. 

The PROSE.

It was full of the love of the ocean, the wonder of shells and the sky and the power of stories, words, learning and a single radio in an attic. 

There were chapters, sentences and ways the story was woven that blew me away. Honestly this book got a high rating solely because of the prose. 

You met a large cast of characters, and almost all of them made you feel with only a few words. I got so lost in the world and stories, making the book and even better adventures. 

The Less Lovely bits:

As said earlier, it's told from a distance. Often times it seems more like a historical account with some lyrical bits thrown in. It really could have been condensed, and if you aren't allowing yourself to enjoy the prose, it'll be a long boring journey for you.

Certain bits seemed more unrealistic, and after a while you wanted to cut through the development and get to more exciting bits. I really do love development, but for a book like this you have to prepare for long stretches of background and slow plots.

It did get confusing at time with all the time jumps, thought it kept things fresh instead of going in the correct order of events.

Overall it was a lovely book. I would definitely try and prepare for a book solely based off of characters and writing, and less so on intriguing plot lines.