Shorties Entry 2: The Ghost in the Glass House by Carey Wallace, Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff and When My Heart was Wicked by Tricia Stirling

I am the ultimate loser.

Yes, it has been about two months since I last posted. I have excuses!

1: NaNoWriMo. I participated in Camp NaNo last month and it basically took up all of my writing brain.
2: Reading slumps. I honestly just have not read much. I did not finish a single book last month and it's tragic.
3: Sickness. School. Life??

But I have returned. I have two shiny books to review. I have started about 5 other books and once school ends...well I will be reading obsessively. Stay tuned for that!

These three books aren't as "short" as the last set of shorties I reviewed, but they all were very quick reads I read in about a day. Sadly, all three of them I was pretty disappointed by, and today I am going to share why.

The Ghost in the Glass House by Carey Wallace

Clare's intense interest in these visitors was a source of gratification to Bridget's mother and a point of content with Bridget, who though about ghosts, very much the same way that most people thought about God: Despite the fact they were probably real, it was unforgivably impolite to talk about them.

Growing up, the roaring twenties were my life. Lately, because of my dear friend Emma, has made me rediscover how much I love the twenties.

So, naturally I went on a rampage to find 1920's books. I was so freaking excited when I found this. Ghosts??? 1920's?? How about yes?

Sadly...it was not quite a "yes" book for me.

Stats:

Genre: Like...I can't say paranormal. But. Ghost-ish middle grade historical?

Feelings: No

Happiness: The writing was fun to read, but other than that...not much

Cuteness: No .-.

Fast pacing: Nopety nope.

Series: Nopeeee

Read if you like: Middle grade books, and really quirky old fashioned type prose.

Content: Other than a bunch of 12 year old's talking about being in love and kissing people? Nope.

In one sentence... Clara finds a glass house in her yard. There is a ghost. They fall in love. She is 12 years old. That was not one sentence but shhhhhh

Thoughts: A cave, filled with old furniture. 

Messages: Not really any heavy messages in this book? Very....very....middle grade.

Overall:

Rating: 3/5

This review is SPOILER FREE

The Lovely Bits:

I really wanted to love this book. It had all the components of a book I would love. And I didn't enjoy it, just....not enough.

I can't really do my normal -Characters-Plot-Messages- layout, because none of these things I actually liked in this book. So I will switch it around some.

I did like the prose in this book. It had that really fun old fashioned feel that I love to read in books. The setting was very vibrant and real to me, and when I read it, I did feel caught up in this little world. 

Jack was a likable ghost. He was mischievous and fun, though juvenile. I honestly think he was the only character I actually liked in this book.

I feel bad that there's not enough to say about this book that I liked. Because it was not awful. The only reason I didn't like it, was because I didn't realize it was middle grade. When I read ghosts, I want dark ghosts. I want scary ghosts. I didn't expect this tiny book to be full of so much 12 year old drama and...nothing scary.

So, basically, this book was not for me.

The Less Lovely Bits:

Clare. Bridgit. Whatever those two other boys were named. They really just weren't likable. Simply because, they were 12, and caught up in their 12 year old drama. Bridget constantly talking about boys and asking Clare who she is in love with really got on my nerves. I mean, yeah it's 1920 and they're 12. But I am a 16 year old teen living in the 21st century, and that was not the type of story I wanted.

Clare I felt like I wanted to like? Because she was the main character, because she wanted what was best, because she was stubborn and went about stealing keys to get her way and have fun. But she was...(again, bringing this up,) 12, so her priorities were way out of wack. So I really didn't connect with her at all. 

And Bridget. Ah, Bridget. Bridget I think is one of those characters that if she grew up, I'd love. She's spirited and determined, and she seems like a fun character. But she came across annoying. So, so annoying. 

There's not a whole lot to say about this? It was a very simplistic book. There was no heavy plot, no suspense. It was a very quick, simple book that I think a lot of younger readers will love. Not teens.

Even for younger readers, the messages seemed a little off. It's honestly always bugged me when young people in books are obsessed with romance. I understand that life for a young kid in the 20's was very different, but any type of book with that bothers me.

Why?

Because right now everywhere you look 12 and 11 year old's are pulling out their smart phones and getting boyfriends and...it bugs me. What happened to being a carefree kid? Being 12 is right on the brink of being a teen, and getting closer to high school. Childhood is so short, and I know I am only 16, but I wish so much I could go back in time and give 12-year-old-me a shake and yell "Stop obsessing over boys and makeup! There will be enough drama in two years! Go have fun"

Yes, books should be historically accurate. Yes, it's okay for books to have these things. I still wish there was less of it. Childhood books should be about childhood, not things that they will have plenty to deal with in high school.

Overall, it was a fun book and I want to have younger kids read it because ghosts are awesome. But, it really wasn't for me. And a lot of it's little messages irked me. 

Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff

..., and I went back to my old habit of walking the halls looking down most of the time. It was different now, though—before I’d done it without thinking, because I didn't know another way. Now I was actively avoiding a life I knew might be out there. But it was my choice.

Ah. This book. It was small, it was cute, it had a killer cover. And the concept? Someone using music and playlists to figure out a friends suicide? And each chapter had one of the songs??

I needed it. I even made the playlist so I could listen while I read.

Gods, was I disappointed. 

Stats:

Genre: Contemporary

Feelings: There should have been more 

Happiness: There should have been MORE

Cuteness: No

Fast pacing: Not realllyyy?

Series: Nope

Read if you like: Music? Mediocre characters? Pretty covers?

Content: Not much, I think just some swearing. And, it deals with suicide, so.

In one sentence... Hayden is dead, and all he has left behind is a playlist for Sam to listen to, and try and figure out the truth.

Thoughts: Nothing. I'm really sorry, but I seriously got nothing from this book.

Messages: Honestly....not much.

Overall:

Rating: Like...1.5-2/5, maybe?

This review has PLOT SPOILERS but really. They are so obvious it hurts

The Lovely Bits:

 Uh. I liked the cover? I liked the concept?

Honestly, this book is so concept driven. I've read a lot of books about suicide and depression, and this concept seemed so intriguing and unique to me. But everything else was so mediocre, and it bothers me because this book could have been great.

The Less Lovely Bits:

There's nothing to really say about Sam. He was...nothing. He was kind of pathetic and annoying and I wanted to like him because of what he went through but he was so... I don't know, man. He wasn't anything special.

Then there's Astrid! The tough girl! With piercing! There to put his life back together! It was. No. 

The problem was all of the characters were molds. They had no unique aspects that set them apart. They were archetypes on a page, basically. 

There are two things I really need to love a book. Emotions, and good characters. This book had neither when it should have had both.


Was there any? Unless I was so fed up by the end I missed it, I don't remember any actual solution to the whole "what does the playlist mean" question. The plot was weak. So weak.

And then the end came and gasp! You discover that Astrid is the one hurting those who hurt Hayden, Astrid is the one messaging Sam with Hayden's account. Even though....Astrid told Sam she knew the password to Hayden's account and constantly dropped hints through the whole book.

Yeah. Big reveal. 

Suicide books are a big deal. They're very important books to be written, and I really wanted so much more from this. I wanted a beautiful friendship story, with music and sadness.

Instead I got some guy-girl drama, with some muggings in the background and the music as some...plot thing that never even gets figure out. And Hayden's suicide? It felt like a plot device and that really bugged me. 

Suicide books are a big deal. When an author writes a book about this, I expect messages. Authors needs to use suicide in books to raise awareness, not to attract teens to their books, not to make the plot "work."

Overall, this book just didn't work. At all. Weak characters and plot aside, it really didn't have enough seriousness about the subject matter. Suicide is such a fragile subject and it really wasn't handled well here. Luckily, it was not heavily triggering like Thirteen Reasons Why, or I would be a raging monster right now.




When my Heart was Wicked by Tricia Stirling

"We are rare birds with sharp teeth and gilded wings," she would tell me. "We soar above roofs and treetops, shooting through clouds and tickling the moon. The stars are our nightclubs where we dress in silver bangles and eat men whole before spitting them out. People tell us we have our head in the clouds and we laugh, ferociously baring our teeth. We don't like the be pulled down to earth."

This book's cover grabbed me as soon as I walked into the store. And it was so tiny and cute, it immediately caught my attention. And then I read the synopsis. It sounded just like my type of story! Witches, and darkness, and facing inner wickedness. 

Ah, yeah, no it didn't work. 

Stats:

Genre: Paranormal-ish?

Feelings: Not really

Happiness: I had a weird uncomfortable feeling during this whole book

Cuteness: Ew no

Fast pacing: Slow? But not painfully

Series: Nope.

Read if you like: Ah....choppy but pretty prose, and weird witchy stuff 

Content: A uncomfortable sex scene thing. Like, not graphic but it was just...no. Some dark magic stuff, and swearing.

In one sentence... Lacy used to be bad, but she got better. Now? She's not so sure

Thoughts: Dirt under your nails and black boots

Messages: Ah...I honestly am not even sure. People are bad but people can get better?

Overall:

Rating: 

This review is SPOILER FREE

The Lovely Bits:

During the first bits of this book, I really did like it. The prose was choppy, yes, but very pretty and fun to read. The character voice was strong, and the plot really neat.

It had just a very unique feel and atmosphere that I was really liking. The elements of the black birds and things like that was so intriguing. I loved the way things were described, and how dark and twisted everything felt.

But as it progressed, it got...not as intriguing and pretty.

The Less Lovely Bits:

Lacy was...frustrating. I thought she was a cool character at first, but after a while her character ARC and motivation feel flat and I was so confused and I wanted to give her a good shake. And yell at her a lot.

If this book hadn't been so short, I doubt I would have finished. I kept waiting for some redeeming factor. As it went on it just got worse and worse. 

The prose that was pretty started to get repetitive, weird. It felt a little try-hard. After the first 100 pages, everything felt too forced. And the dialogue started getting so stilted.

Really, I don't remember much of this book. I remember it left me feeling very weird and uncomfortable. Like a lot.


So, I would still maybe give it a try if you feel up to it. Because it was pretty. It may be another case where it wasn't for me. 


And that's it! Those are the three shorties I've read the past two months. Let me know if you read them, and what you think!

And I will try and post more. Seriously. I swear.

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.

My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

“Depression is like a heaviness that you can’t ever escape. It crushes down on you, making even the smallest things like tying your shoes or chewing on toast seem like a twenty-mile hike uphill. Depression is a part of you; it’s in your bones and your blood.


I have been on a reading rampage so I have two books to review. I've been wanting to review this ever since I finished it. -cough- in a day. So. Here we go. Also, a quick note. I am restructuring how I do my reviews! 

Stats:

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

Feelings: Well. This book is about suicide so... 

Happiness: Some surprising moments of humor.

Cuteness: I was back and forth on the ship? But yes. Also brief sibling love.

Fast pacing: No but I couldn't stop thinking about it whenever I walked away, hence why I rudely ignored my 4h club to finish it.

Series: No

Read if you like: Sad stories with a good dose of hope plopped in your face at the end

Content: Some kissing, some light swearing, some darker things (again...suicide,) but nothing graphic or unnecessary. 

In one sentence... Two teenagers who would have never met, team up as "suicide partners".... but as the planned date comes closer...doubts start to arise as they two start to fill in the holes in each other's lives.

Thoughts: A old playground. Sacrifice. Rain. A campsite.
Messages: Your past does not define you, what you decide to do with yourself and your future does.

Overall:

Rating: 4.5/5

This review has LIGHT SPOILERS in the negative section. You can skip that.

The Lovely Bits:

Ahhh! This book! I was reading another book was having the hardest time picking it back up. I opened to the first page of this one and couldn't stop. It sucked me in right away, making it nearly impossible to stop reading. 

It was a very easy read, but still held a lot of weight. It made you think. It made you wonder. The story wrapped you up in a hug and didn't let go once. I found it very easy to relate to Aysel and Roman, even with the differences of our situations.

-Characters-

The characters were amazing.They felt real and realistic, and tore away at my heart little by little. Aysel. (pronounced Ah-zelle) Aysel was really great. She was a tad over-reactive, but really I could connect to her. She was really sassy and snarky, and I enjoyed that. 

I mean...ah. The character development. The way this story was structured. This was so well done. 

-Writing and Structure-

The writing was simplistic, but very beautiful. It was fun and snarky, with some amazing descriptions and analogies. 

It was almost refreshing to read, but that's because any time a book has a unique format it feels refreshing.

-Messages and other-

It perfectly captured depression, and portrayed it in a way that I think was less triggering than other books, like 13 Reasons Why. I feel like any book about suicide should be read in one sitting simply because or else you might be thinking about death more than you should be. But this one was lighter on that aspect than 13 Reasons Why. 

Really...this just made sense. It wasn't overly un-realistic, cheesy, or forced or overly romance. It wasn't too dark, it didn't leave you drained and upset. It didn't end all "Be POSITIVE DON'T BE SAD." Even with the sad ending.

The Less Lovely Bits (Spoilerssssss)

While this was well done for a debut...I could still tell it was a debut. Because of the ending. I'm not sure what I was expecting? The book was reasonably light, but it could have had a tragic ending. And it wasn't too pat, but I feel like a lot of debut authors are more cautious. And I could tell with this.

Aysel was a little annoying in the beginning. Everything was, but it got progressively better. 


----
Okay seriously that's all. Overall, I loved it. A lot. It was really an enjoyable and beautiful book and I want people to read it. 

At the back of this book there's a list of numbers for suicide hot lines and stuff. And I'm going to sound like everyone ever....but if you ever have thoughts about death or anything please don't keep them to yourself. Please. You can get past this stuff. Talk to a trusted friend, or give one of those numbers a call. Don't throw your life away. A lot of days feel like crap but those crap days are what you fight for to get some really amazing days.

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.