Outrun The Moon by Stacey Lee

I don't believe in fate or destiny, but somehow, I will change ours for the better, even my inauspicious Ma's. I simply must catch the phoenix feather

I'll scream it from the rooftops. READ THIS BOOK. 

Sometimes you just find that book, that you feel like you should find something wrong with. You know it's probably not perfect, and you don't feel the need to curl up in a ball in a bout of reading slump depression, but somehow THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BOOK.

And so then you just stare at that last page for way too long, then flip back to the first because "Noooo it's not over it's not it's too good to have an ending." 

That's this book. 

This book releases on May 24th, 2016

Genre:  Historical Fiction 

Feelings: .......I have a lot of rage

Cuteness: YES. There's barely any romance, but when there is, it's adorable, and also siblings.

Fast pacing: Slower style of pacing but it worked

Series: Nope

Read if you like: History, bro. San Francisco? 1900's. Fancy prep schools. Racial issues, Chinese culture in america. Friendships. It's got some vague A Little Princess vibes somehow, even though the stories couldn't be more different. 

Content: Nothing I really remember. Some b a r e l y suggestive things, but this book would be completely safe to hand to younger readers.

Trigger warning? Loss of family members for various characters 

In summary...Through much bargaining and some slight bribery, Mercy has gotten herself in one of the best most prestigious schools in San Francisco. Except, the school is for rich white girls, and she is a poor chinatown girl. It's gonna take a lot of sneaking to survive....but the earthquake could potentially get in the way.

Thoughts: Creaking floors, and crumbled bricks
Messages: Forgiveness, dedication, resilience.

Rating: 5/5 

-The Characters-

Once more I will reference that little fact about Me: I have a Insane amount of trouble relating to first person characters. It's a struggle.

Well, here comes Mercy. Mercy made me care. Why? I think it's because Mercy was a real person. And that stands out to me among the Females of Fantasy Badassary that I have become accustomed to. 

She kicked butt, but in her own way. She said things that she then regretted, she acted on impulse, but the entire time she tried. She was relate-able. Now, she's a Chinese born in america, treated cruelly by everyone. I'm biracial, so I can begin to relate, but unless you've been in a similar situation, it's challenging to get someone to connect to a character in such a different situation. 

Stacey Lee nailed it.

And the side characters. I could write long paragraphs on the side characters. They made me care even more. This whole cast, no matter how few pages some characters got, they came to life on the page. All the threads and characters just came together, weaving into something magnificent. 

ALSO A QUICK NOTE. Can I just say how pleased I am that Stacey had the cutest romance ever but she didn't even have a romance. They were a vague thing from page one, they skipped all the dumb angst, he wasn't even there for half the book, but somehow you still loved them.

-Plot and Writing-

I started Stacey's other book, Under a Painted Sky, but I never was able to finish it due to chaotic life things. That being said, I got far enough into it to be able to see the contrast of voices in these two books. This style of writing worked so well, but what I'm most impressed with was how unique Mercy's voice is. Everything fit together, like you were getting to know the way someone thought. And I loved it.

I'm a description lover, so I do wish there had been some more descriptions of certain places, but that being said there were so many good sensory details in everything that each scene I could place so well in my brain. I could feel everything that was happening to these characters and I loved it. 

This isn't a book with a Huge Overwhelming Villain of Death. This book starts out with the big Question of "Will Mercy make it in this school?" And then once the earthquake happens, it's more of a string of events. That style still worked really well for me though. That's because, that first chunk of the book where there wasn't and earthquake, and you were reading to find out if Mercy could survive a school, that was necessary. Because then in the latter half, you're already attached.

A+ plotting. Can I write like Stacey Lee please and thank? Can I MEET Stacey Lee please and thank?

-Messages and Other-

Alright. So. Stacey wrote this amazing authors note that I want to discuss further here, especially for those who tend not to read authors notes. This is something I think is important. 

In this note, Stacey points out some of the unrealistic things in her book, some of the things I was noticing. Things like the fact that a Chinese girl could probably not actually get into an american school, or that Chinese girl most likely would not have a boyfriend in a hot air balloon and so forth. But then she says this:

"However, history is a general overview, and overlooks the story, the possibility of the individual. If we are confined by the strict margins of what is "known" to be true, we would never explore the possibility of what could be true. We would deny our ability to create our own stories, to make our own magic."

This is a solid point in regards to historical fiction. I've had this discussion with my mom countless times. When it comes to historical non-fiction, or pieces like Downton Abbey which are made to accurately show lifestyles in a certain era, I think historical accuracy and realism are vital. But, I also do like that books like Outrun The Moon can exist, books where stories you wouldn't hear about in history books can happen. 

I think there should be some stretching of what is truly known in historical fiction. As long as those things are written with accuracy, then why not have a boy come save you in a hot air balloon. Stacey takes some unlikely events, but she makes the realistic enough that you're siting there thinking.. "Why Not?" 

And that, I think is the most important thing for writers and readers. Why not write the story you want to write?

Overall, this was a delightful book, and an author I will return to. And, at the end of it, I was left a bit starry-eyed, not quaking in my boots in the style of some books, but somehow...enchanted.

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 Girls at the Kingfisher Club by Genevieve Valentine

“The girls were wild for dancing, and nothing else. No hearts beat underneath those thin, bright dresses. They laughed like glass.

No, I'm not crying, I have no idea what you're talking about.

Emma, over at Of Starry Knights and Lullabies, and Bookishly Minded, got me obsessed with the 1920's. So when 2013 ended, we both went on this mega hunt to track down 1920's books. When I saw this one on goodreads and read the synopsis, I almost fainted. A 1920's....retelling of the twelve dancing princesses?? It sounded like something I would write. 

Guys. This book is so good. I did a readalong with Linnea, so it lasted quite a long time, and also meant I could really read slow and soak up all the words. And, this is the first book I've ever underlined. So that's special.

I am struggling so much to keep cool and refrain from the caps lock button and exclamation point key. I just loved it so much. Basically, it just passed up Breakfast Served Anytime at the top of my [favorite book] list. 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stats:

Genre: Historical fiction retelling

Feelings: -rocks back and forth sniffling- While not as heartbreaking as expected at the end, I definitely felt a lot.

Happiness: y e s

Cuteness:   y   e     s     s    s   ss s  s s s s. Sisterly and romantic.  Mainly sisterly.

Fast pacing: No? But it's a hard book to set down.

Series: No.

Read if you like: The Twelve Dancing Princesses, the 1920's, prohibition, magnificent sibling love, compatible sisters, fancy dresses, dancing

Content: Two characters do sleep together but honestly it was one of the most subtly written scenes ever, and it's off page.

In one sentence... Twelve sisters, one dangerously overprotective father, and many nights outside in the dance clubs, letting music and dresses wash away their worries...until police come and secrets are uncovered. 

Thoughts: The yellow glow of lights on the kingfisher dance floor, a stream of girls flowing from taxi cabs, and a small cigarette holder.
Messages: Family has the ability to be the best or worst thing.

Overall:

Rating: 5/5 stars. 

This review has LIGHT SPOILERS. They're just about a certain character you hear about early on who show up later. Honestly, it's easy to predict though.

The Lovely Bits



-Characters-

The characters. Oh my goodness, the characters. Jo was a very well done protagonist. It's hard to get a likable main character without making her too Mary Jane. Jo was strong, flawed, and just so...Jo. And Lou? Lou was amazing. Lou stole my heart with her sass and anger...but also with the way she cared so much and just knew. All the sisters, even though most of them were skimmed over, stole my heart.

And Tom. Tom. Oh Tom. At first I'll admit I was eyerolling at first when he came up. I figured he'd come back and sweep her off her feet and they'd be married. Yeah well...

That....Tom....Just yeah. He was great. All of her characters, even side characters or characters you hated were done really well.

-Writing and Structure-

I've never encountered prose like this before. It wasn't extravagant or eloquent, but still gorgeous. Linnea described it perfectly as tight. It was very tight, which meant that each word was chosen carefully, and you could tell. It was such a pleasure to read. I loved the usage of parenthesis, as well. The whole thing was such a lovely way of writing.

The story itself was so beautiful. I instantly felt engaged with these girls and their lives, and squealed a whole lot whenever Jo would sigh and tell them "The cabs are here at midnight". The setting was so interesting to me, which sometimes is hard to do, with a general setting like New York. 

-Messages and Other-

I'm trying to tell myself right now not to hype it up, that it isn't for everyone...but I'm having trouble. This book. It has so many of my favorite things to find in books. 

Siblings. Strong female character who aren't swept away by every guy they meet. Almost whimsical settings. The whole "feeling trapped-let's sneak out and go do things" feel. And 1920's and fairy tale retelling. Have you got it yet? I love this book.

And the ending. Yeah. I am just very sad and pleased with this  book. I really do want more.



The Less Lovely Bits

Um. Why is this book under 300 pages. 

No really, I'm trying to think of something I didn't like, so I can be all "Critical reviewer"

Okay but I'm not a critical reviewer. I really loved this book. I think you should go read it. Now. And tell me what you think.

Okay! I thought of something I didn't like! It's adult fiction, which mean it costs 24 freakin dollars to buy. That's outrageous. 

---
Overall. So yeah I really liked this book, guys. If this sounds like something you would like to, then what are you waiting for?

My hearts been captured by a world of forbidden dancing and catalog dresses and quiet socked feet. And now I suddenly really want to learn how to dance.

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Steifvater

Seeing as we finally got a title for the fourth and last book the best series in the world today, I figure it seemed appropriate to write a quick series review for the books out so far in this gorgeous series.

My words are unerring tools of destruction, and I’ve come unequipped with the ability to disarm them.

This book is glorious and that is all.

Stats:

Genre: Paranormal 

Feelings: YES

Happiness: YES

Cuteness:SCREECHES

Fast pacing: No

Series: Praise the Lord, yes.

Read if you like: Beautiful angst, beautiful characters, beautiful concepts.

Content: Swearing.

In one sentence... Rich boys with lots of problems and a psychic’s daughter team up to find Glendower, a Welsh king from centuries before.

Thoughts: An orange camaro, a pair of frayed gloves, a green dress and an old church.

Overall:

Rating: 5/5

This review is SPOILER FREE

 The Lovely Bits:

Um the whole book? This book is snark. This book is witty characters, and sassy dead people. This book has adorable and sad, angsty and "What am I supposed to do now," 

Maggie's writing. She writes with this style I have never seen before. It's so unique and easy to sink into. She spends so much time with detail, that you really can't skim her books. You have to read them step by step, enjoying every moment. And you do. 

Blue is pretty much my favorite female main character in all of fiction. She's sassy and fierce, without being anywhere close to stereotypical. She's actually...sensible. And funny. Ah, the sass-off's. They are glorious. And Gansey? And NOAH? And Adam? And Ronan? Basically you love all the characters, even if you don't.

The Less lovely Bits:

As said before, these books are slower. They really unfold slowly, so you have to take your time with them. 

“In that moment, Blue was a little in love with all of them.

Their magic. Their quest. Their awfulness and strangeness.
Her raven boys.

Stats:

Genre: Cars.

Feelings: I screamed four times, threw the book, squealed, and jumped up and down reading this.

Happiness: Yes. 

Cuteness: SOBS AND SCREECHES.

Fast pacing: No.

Series: I wonder...

Read if you like: The first book? Even if you didn't, actually, keep reading. It's good for you.

Content: A lot more swearing.

In one sentence... Street racing, dream thieving, ghosting, angsting, hunting, crying, not kissing, almost kissing, pretend kissing, sad feelings, happy feelings, confused feelings.

Thoughts: Phone calls. Voices. A table in a diner.

Overall:

Rating: 5/5

This review is SPOILER FREE

The Lovely Bits:

This book gave me about a hundred more feelings than the first one. I loved finally seeing the group together and being way too cute together. I loved the development and back story. I loved....the book. I honestly can't say much without giving spoilers.

Basically, we get new characters and fall more in love with old characters. And there's crying and angry things.

Sequels can very quickly become boring. That, I believe, is what makes these books so amazing. It's easy to assume that popular authors make books trilogies sometimes just so they can get more out of one story. That's not a bad thing, but often that means the sequels are less good.

But The Raven Cycle is not that. This story is so complex. It's got so many secrets yet uncovered, and mysteries still unsolved, that it makes sense that it's a four book series. I don't ever think it gets boring, even with it's slow storytelling.

The Less Lovely Bits:

This one was a lot more confusing than the first one? It was a little hard to follow what was actually going on, really. It's one you need to re-read to grasp everything.

There is no good word for the opposite of lonesome. 

One might be tempted to suggest togetherness or contentment , but the fact that these two other words bear definitions unrelated to each other perfectly displays why lonesome cannot be properly mirrored. It does not mean solitude, nor alone, nor lonely, although lonesome can contain all of those words in itself. 

Lonesome means a state of being apart. Of being other. Alone-some.

Stats:

Genre: Glue. (Gansey+Blue)

Feelings: No one touch me I'm upset.

Happiness: No one touch me I'm elated.

Cuteness: No one touch me I'm conflicted.

Fast pacing: No one touch me I'm reading.

Series: No one touch me there's only one book left.

Read if you like: Gansey's face. Adam's face. All the faces.

Content: More swearing? Idk, no one touch me I'm still upset.

In one sentence... Blue Sargent: "NO ONE TOUCH ME. Except Gansey. I want to hold his hand"

Thoughts: A cave, a coffin, a secret.

Overall:

Rating: 5/5

This review is SPOILER FREE

The Lovely Bits: 

We get even more development. We get even more Gansey. And more...suspense. I flew through this one faster than the second, so I would consider it to be better? The relationships already built got tested, and even more new characters came. But there was loss. 

It was a solid book. It had some eh parts, but it was a really well done story, which is to be expected at this point. 

I really like the development we got with Gansey and Blue. They were tested, and also cute. That as well. 

I honestly cannot think of much. I just really love this series? It's really stuck with me. The characters speak to me. I feel like there's someone for everyone to relate to.

The first two books have been slow. They've been characters and set up. But this one just poured out the preparation for the last book. You get even more secrets, even more questions. The character arcs are amazingly written out. This book did a phenomenal job of making you desperately want to finish out the series...but still not want it to be over.

As said earlier, this is a complex story. So that fact that these stories have not yet become muddles with all the content is amazing. More proof of Maggie's skill.

The Less Lovely Bits:

The fact that it ended?

I feel like there should be something. I can't just give a five star review to every book and have nothing wrong with it. But I do?

These are books you really have to be in the right mind for. You have to be okay with some slightly weird things and slow, deep prose. But if you let yourself get into these stories...ah, what an adventure you have ahead of you. 

Also we have a title for book four!

Shorties Entry 1: Green Angel by Alice Hoffman, Fairest by Marissa Meyer, and Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

Ah, reviewing books. A lovely thing to do that gives you all sorts of lovely feelings. And then when someone actually says they're going to read a book you review? And end up loving it? Or when someone follows or comments? That's when the impromptu dance party happens.

But of course, there's procrastination. I finish a book. I decide not to review it right away. But then all of a sudden I'm finished with my next book faster than I thought and then I have two books to be reviewed. 

And then my biggest problem is shorties. It's hard to write a review for a short book. So today, I will be giving you three mini reviews of three shorties I recently read.

There's Green Angel by Alice Hoffman, a lovely and adorably tiny novella... Fairest by Marissa Meyer, the long awaited novella prequel to the Lunar Chronicles... and Through the Woods by Emily Carroll, a super awesome collection of four graphic novel stories.

I am a super rebellious person, so I'm about to do something totally out of hand and crazy. I... am going to go out of order and review Fairest first. Gasp!

Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Levana knew a great deal about beauty, just as she knew a great deal about ugliness.

Stats:

Genre: Sci fi fairy tale

Feelings: OH HECK YES. 

Happiness: Happy as in I AM SO GLAD MARISSA MEYER EXISTS TO GIVE US THIS HEART WRENCHING PIECE OF BEAUTY.

Cuteness: *sobs from the corner*

Fast pacing: Eh? 

Series: Prequel the The Lunar Chronicles, which at the moment consist of Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress. Read in order!

Read if you like: Uh....The Lunar Chronicles? 

Content: A lot more sexual content, considering how clean the others are. Still, they are pleasantly free from graphic material.

In one sentence... Behind every villain....is a story about a victim that never gets told...until now.

Thoughts: A white veil over a scarred face, grief at its worst. I was going to say Agony, but then I would start singing "Into the Woods" and never stop.

Overall:

Rating: 4.5/5

This review is SPOILER FREE

The Lovely Bits:

Marissa Meyer. Can I just include her as the loveliest part? She's such a real, fun person. Going to the Fairest Launch Party was the greatest thing to happen to me ever. And this is how she come out on stage. So your argument is invalid.

\

You Shall Read my Books!

Anyway, yeah.  She is an amazing storyteller. Her writing has definitely matured, and this whole story is beautiful. I still hate Levana, but I love to hate her. She took this character that started out in Cinder as a little "Meh," and made her this intense, amazing villain. The story had thick emotions and a lot of surprises. I'm very much looking forward for Winter. Bah, why am I trying to sound professional. I NEED WINTER MORE THAN I NEED LIFE.

The Less Lovely Bits:

I really have nothing to say? It had less of a story arc as her other books, I think, but there was nothing I disliked about it. Except that it was short.

Green Angel by Alice Hoffman

I didn't want to be prideful anymore. I wanted to be as hard as and brittle as the stones I carted into the woods. Stones that could not feel or cry or see. I wished not to feel anything at all. 

In no time, what I wished for, I became.

Stats:

Genre: Atmospheric Fantasy

Feelings: Yeah.

Happiness: Yes, because prose

Cuteness: Naw.

Fast pacing:  No but this book is TINY.

Series: I don't think so? Actually I believe there IS a sequel, but it reads like a standalone.

Read if you like: Dystopia setting, sad depressing characters, and prose.

Content: Not really anything I can remember.

In one sentence... A girl dwelling in regret and hatred in the aftermath of disaster. 

Thoughts: Thorns, old leather, and green growth in cracked ground.

Overall:

Rating: 4/5

This review is SPOILER FREE

The Lovely Bits:

The prose. I want to bathe in the prose. It was very raw and to the point, reading like a messy poem. I got so immersed in the language. 

It was a very quick read, and definitely made me feel feelings. Not really sure what to say? it's a 116 page book, okay.

The Less lovely Bits:

It was very rough and in your face, at times. "This is what I am feeling! Feel it! Feeeeeell the feeeelings!" You kind of had to suspend belief a bit? But really, there was little I disliked.

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

It's cold where I am. And so lonely. But in Loneliness I will remain. Unloved, unavenged and forgotten until I am whole again.

This book. This book! It made me squirm, and grin at the same time. The artwork was so gorgeous. I wanted to bury myself in it forever. I love this style of story so much, I'm dying to read more of her stories.

Stats:

Genre: Horror graphic novel.

Feelings: Ish? Scary feelings.

Happiness: Happy because the CREEPY.

Cuteness: Nope.

Fast pacing: Very fast read.

Series: It's a collection of stories.

Read if you like: Feeling unsettled. Unexplained monsters and fears.

Content: Some really creepy images. 

In one sentence... Four weirdly creepy stories that you won't be able to stop thinking about.

Thoughts: Cold, snow, a hole in the ground. Cold fingers, cold hearts.

Overall:

Rating: 5/5 

This review is SPOILER FREE

 The Lovely Bits:

The artwork, guys. It was stunning and unique, while still packing a punch. I could spend forever looking at each page, enjoying each word. 

See, I love scary things. I love shows like Supernatural. But after a while I get tired of the in your face guts and gore. This book, does have some blood, but it's less of a formulaic monster book. You don't actually know what's going on. It leaves you feeling unsettled and nervous. I like the unsettling books. It was a refreshing break from the forced horror books I always find m

myself reading.

The Less Lovely Bits:

Not every one of the stories was perfect. The Lady's Hands Are Cold was a little more meh, but other than that this book is a+

At that is all! Those are three of my recently read and adored shorties. I look forward to writing more posts like these in the future. Let me know if you want me to write more Shorties posts, or if you have any shorties I should read.