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.

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys plus a Guest Blogger!

“Yet amidst all that, life has spit in the eye of death.” 

Dear neighbors,

Sorry for randomly crying at our most recent dinner party. This book is to blame.

Dear friend group,

Sorry for randomly hand flailing when mentioning this book.

Dear Barnes and Nobles,

Sorry for squeaking vaguely loudly when seeing this book at the shelf and considering running at everyone in the store and shoving it into their faces. 

I just really like this book.

(Also: Yay! First co-written review! With my favoritest and bestest friend-person, Emma, over at Bookishly Minded and also: Of Starry Knights and Lullabies)

Stats:

Genre:  Historical Fiction feat. pain

Feelings: Hahahahahahahahaa. Ow.

Cuteness: I went into this not wanting romance and came out with an otp don't judge me

Fast pacing:Oh yes

Series: HA. HA. HA.

Read if you like: Tragedy stories, ww2 books, or her previous book, Between Shades of Grey. THERE. ARE. CAMEOS.

Content: VIolence. Some very bleak things, and a few images that are very haunting. Some disturbing things regarding what humans do under that much panic and chaos. Some things that cast vague suggestions towards sex, but none actually happening.

Trigger warning? Violence. Loss of babies, siblings, children, pretty much every type of person. Suggestions at rape though it's never said outright.

In summary... Four teenagers. Four different lives. Millions of people on the coast during a soviet advance, trying to get aboard a ship that will take them to safety. One of those, is the Willhelm Gustloff. These characters paths will cross and their lives will never be the same.

Thoughts: Snow, rot, rough cloth and a hand tightly wrapped around yours

Messages: Forgiveness, prejudice, the powers of relationships, no matter the type. At it's heart, this book is about love and courage, but not always in the sense you would expect.

Rating: 5/5 stars

This is a spoiler free review, HOWEVER, if you know nothing about the Willhelm Gustloff, I suggest reading this book first, because I'll spoil that part. But it's history, so.....

I read Between Shades of Grey when I was like twelve, and it wrecked my life. Out of the Easy still remains unread, but when I found out that her new book was coming out....I freaked. Especially after hearing what it was about.

I don't really know what I was expecting. I wanted friendships, prose, fear and sadness. I definitely got it, and still somehow this book blew me away even though everything happened exactly as I expected it to.

This review will be broken up into the usual chunks, but will variate from me and Emma’s thoughts.

-The Characters-

My thoughts:

Books like these rely on you loving the characters. I mean, *SPOILER*, but the Willhelm Gustloff sinks. That event was the worst maritime disaster in history, even worse than the Titantic. So, characters are important.

I never thought I could fall in love with characters on page one. But I did. Each character's voice and personality was so vibrant. The contrast between them was so beautiful to see.

Joana, and her bravery and goodness....but so much grief. Her smile. Her bravery. . And Emelia, that child who persevered even when she looked weak. Her vibrant personality. The struggle.. Trying and trying. Florian, his bitterness and anger, but the tenderness that is shown, the care, and the forgiveness he needs and deserves. And Alfred. His determination, bravado, confusion.....madness. All of them were so brave in their own way. They fit in with the setting, and the wind and sea and I loved them.

Also: The side characters. Oh my goodness. Poet. And every single person you meet. Ruta has mastered the knack of making each character stand out, seem real and different and new.

And I cared.

I will note, that this book is told in very short alternating chapters, which means that for some it might be hard to fully connect. But I still do think these are some of the most well crafted characters, seeing as she had to spend so much time on history and keeping everyone straight but shaped....all in a barely 400 page book.

Emma on characters:

There are four points of view in Salt To The Sea: Joana, Florian, Emilia, and Alfred. It was really interesting to watch the story unfold from the different viewpoints and while in the beginning it was a little confusing to follow, I thought it worked really well.

Salt to the Sea opens up with Joana’s point of view. She’s the same Joana as in Between Shades of Gray, which was really cool. I loved getting to see her story and her point of view. Joana’s also a nurse, which I loved so so so much. Nurses in any capacity during World War II is one of my all-time favorite things to study, ever, and getting to follow Joana and see her struggle through war-torn countries with people who needed were was amazing. Joana is pushing past what you are afraid of to do what you know is right; she is fiercely protecting the ones who need it and holding out your hand to people who can’t stand on their own.

       

Florian is bitterness and sharp edges and somewhere past all that really caring. I love Florian so much. I will probably say that about everyone, but that’s because it’s true. Florian, though, he has a special place in my heart. He is such an interesting character, and his relationships with everyone else are beautiful. I love how his voice sounded. I love the dynamic between Emilia and him, and I a d o r e Joana and his relationship. In Florian’s POV we also get to see Doctor Lange, and the art that was stolen by the Nazis during World War II. I’ve always found that part of history super interesting so like, reading that made me internally freak out just a little.

        Emilia, okay? Can we talk about Emilia? She’s so much younger than everyone else, which really got me, and she is so strong and she’s been through so much. The first thing we see of her is when she is hiding, in the ice and the snow, in her pink woolen cap and it felt so vivid and real. Emilia is so brave. There are so many things about her that I can’t talk about because of spoilers which is sad but. Her story is so heartbreaking and beautiful and g a h. I loved her so so much. Emilia is hope that winter will end, and memories of home, and seeing the worst and the cruelest and the awfullest and then somehow seeing something more.

The last POV in Salt to the Sea is Alfred’s. I…spent most of the book kind of blinking at his POV and trying to figure out what was going on. However. He is a very interesting character. And watching his role in everything coming together at the end was definitely interesting. His point of view was also a complete change of pace; Alfred’s a sailor on the German ship Wilhem Gustloff, a marked difference from every other point of view in this novel. Above everything Alfred wants to be honored and celebrated and be a hero, at least I felt like. Alfred is fear and he’s confusion and wanting to be and belong.

There were also a lot of side characters , all of whom were intricate and interesting. Ruta Sepetys never disappoints with characters. I loved Poet, an old man who was once a shoe maker and whom they now call the Shoe Poet, and Sorry Eva, who has a tendency to say somewhat appalling things but prefaces it with an apology before she does so. There were a lot people who only played a small role and who weren’t even named , and somehow they still felt real. Ruta Sepetys excels at writing these sort of characters; the ones who you can almost believe were real, who are so firmly rooted in their settings and so complexly written their stories don’t feel like stories anymore. There are so many scenes where the crowds of people and families are described in passing and it’s these small little moments and phrases and pictures that bring this story to life.

Overall: amazing, complex characters that each show really unique and interesting parts of history. Although the four different first person points of view are a little confusing, I felt like it was done well and once I got into the book and got to know each character and their voice, that confusion faded.

-Plot and Writing-

My thoughts:

This book is thrilling. It's not a thriller, and they don't even get onto the boat till well to the end, but this book kept me turning pages rapidly. If I hadn't been doing a readalong with Emma I probably would've just finished it in one sitting.

Ruta. Sepetys. Can. Freaking. Write. Her prose is like wading through water. You stub your toe on a rock that stings for a good while, brush into seaweed that snakes around your ankle and you keep going until everything feels numb.

Yes. Wading through water. But ocean water. Because it's salty. FROM YOUR TEARS.

Anyway. I enjoy Ruta's writing a lot. Her pacing and plotting is wonderful, with the flashbacks tastefully thrown in. There are a few nitpickiy scenes that you might have to suspend belief for if you even notice that kind of thing, but who even cares. This was a good book, one that I have tabbed and marked and ready to look back at as a reference for a well paced historical.

Emma on Plot and Writing:

Ruta Sepetys writes and phrases words a certain way, or she describes a certain feeling or picture, and I look at it and it is absolutely beautiful. She somehow combines stunning prose with historical details and creates one massive story that leaves you breathless.

Reading this is intense. Like I said, it’s incredibly immersive, and even though she never goes into gorey details, Ruta Sepetys doesn’t shy away from the darker side of things, and the reality of war. Everything feels very real and very present. If I wasn’t doing a readalong with Mariesa and I also didn’t have to keep stopping said readathon to go do life things, this would have been one of the books that kept me up way too late reading. It would have been one that once I stopped there was no stopping. The way that Salt to the Sea is written keeps you needing to read the next page, needing to know what happens, even though for most of the book, we are just watching a group of people travel to the ship.

(I suppose this next part coulddd be considered a little spoilery, but guys. It’s history. This is like asking people not to spoil Titanic.)

(that was not a good example) (I’m going to stop talking in parentheses now)

Speaking of ships…

Before reading this book, I had never heard of the Wilhem Gustloff. Ever. I didn’t know it existed or what a tragedy it was. I didn’t know it sank.

ANYWAY. Salt To The Sea brings forth the story of the Wilhelm Gustloff, and of the thousands of refugees who sought passage on it to escape the Red army. Because I am me, I went and googled the ship after finishing STTS. I thought that this website was really interesting.

-Messages and other-

My thoughts:

I love history. My mind is forever stuck in the past rather than the present. I love learning about people who lived and breathed just like I do but somehow were so much that they have books about them.

But my favorite part, is wondering about those people who didn't get books written about them. Those people who know one even knows, who get on boats with dreams and hopes, who could've done something so big that they had books and movies centered around them but instead.... they sunk.

That's why I love historical fiction, because it takes these situations, and gives you fictional characters to love but also gets you thinking. Because Joana, Florian, Emelia and Alfred may have all be fictional....but there were people just like them on that boat and they're gone now, and we're left to wonder and dig up their stories.

This is an important book. It's about the things that haunt us, that follow us even in times of danger. I can really appreciate a book that doesn't spend so much describing the brutality of history that it forgets that these characters are still human. They still love and dream and struggle, even in the middle of disaster.

Ruta takes a lighter approach to these tragedies. While they're brutal to read, she doesn't go into so much description of the horror of war that leaves you drained. While there are times for those books, I love hers because they leave more for you to think, to see the times of glory that humans have even surrounded by harsh circumstances.

Emma on messages and other:

Salt to the Sea left me breathless. I read the last page and I didn’t actually do anything; I just sat there and looked at. It was so amazing, and even though I don’t really remember what I was expecting going into it, it was so much more. I adore history and I always have, and historical fiction – stories that take the past and the people who lived in it and bring them to us today, stories who are rooted in our history and teach us about who we are today – are my favorite. Salt To The Sea was all of these things.

Buy this book. Read this book. Read all of Ruta Sepetys’s books, while we’re at it, because Ruta Sepetys, okay. But read this one specifically. This is a story about a lot of ordinary people who saw and experienced things that I can only ever imagine, and it’s a story about their hope. This book is so raw and it hurts but it is hopeful. Everything about it screams that. Hope isn’t always pretty; it doesn’t always look nice. Sometimes hope is a sacrifice; sometimes it hurts. Sometimes hope seems a lot like being naïve or feels a lot like helplessness. Salt To The Sea is light in darkness; life from death; hope from some place that feels absolutely hopeless. There is hope in Joana and hope for Emilia and Florian and Alfred and in the unnamed thousands who died on the Wilhelm Gustloff, because their story is being told, and they are remembered.

What I Took from It.

It's been quite a while since I've read this satisfying of a book. While I can't depict what exactly it is that resonates so well with me, i'm pretty sure that it's the people. The mistakes and love and perseverance that these teenagers show. I have cried for them and laughed for them, and I've loved watching them grow on these pages. This book at it's heart is just the perfect example of what I love about history, and so it will forever be on my favorite shelf, the shelf of books that whispered to my soul in some way.

Humans, no matter how nasty and awful and prejudiced and blind....are capable of doing wonderful things, and books like this one show that in little snippets.

This book is hope and fear and sadness and relationships. With a good dose of realism.

Read it.

To see what Emma took from it, go see her review! Her blog is Here .

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.