I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

I never believed Noah and I shared a soul, that mine was half a tree with its leaves on fire, like he said. I never felt like my soul was something that could be seen. it felt like motion, like taking off, like swimming toward the horizon or diving off a cliff or making flying women out of sad, out of anything.

It's me again!! 

Hi!

As promised, here I am finally with another review. Life has punched me in the face with a sign that reads "HERE I AM! LOVE ME!". It has teamed up with Stress and Confusion to wreck havoc in my life.

But I will prevail and continue to Read Books and Do the Blog Thing! And also capitalize Words unnecessarily.

A while ago, I was google chatting with Linnea and Marissa. Linnea and I were reading Reign of Shadows (Review to come very soon!) while Marissa, the little rebel, was reading I'll Give You The Sun and weeping. 

Well that inspired me to go find my copy tucked away on my shelves and read it. Which resulted in my staring in shock at my ceiling at two in the morning (it's always 2am)

Genre:  Contemporary

Feelings: YES

Cuteness: YES

Fast pacing: The way this book is formatted makes it difficult to justify putting it down.

Series: Nope

Read if you like: Siblings, art, colors and forgiveness

Content: Gay character. Lots of kissing. Some discussion of various body parts. Affair stuff.

Trigger warning? Suicide, bullying, loss of a parent

In summary...His chapters are when they’re fourteen, her chapters are years later. They both have two sides of a story, and back and forth, it will be revealed what happened in those years between to ruin their relationship.

Thoughts: Dried up pain, stone dust, ocean waves crashing on a cliff. Capital Letters.

Messages: A lot. Forgiveness, regret, dealing with grief. This book has A Lot.

Rating: 5/5 stars

I cannot. I do not. Where to begin?

This book has a Soul. A soul that has proved to not be for everyone, but it’s one that snuck it’s way into my heart. Something about the relationships. Something about the colors. The way the story wove itself, the way it clung to you long after the last page.

-The Characters-

I Have So Much Trouble Liking Characters. How many times can I say this? I write in first person but for some reason as soon as a story is written in first person it feels very hard for me to like them. This story has TWO first person perspectives and I adored both characters.

I fell for them. I felt for them. I loved the spirit, the struggle, the strength. The snark and wit. The way they reacted to those around them. Also I adore siblings. And this story had such a conflicting, difficult, wonderful siblingship that I don’t think I’ll be forgetting anytime soon.

-The Writing and Plot-

OH.

Oh.

Can we just talk about the narrative? I have never been so entertained while reading a story ever. Nelson has this way with words that transports you right into these characters brains, even if those places are scary sometimes.

Can we just talk about the Plot? The twists and turns? The angst? The ending?

Can we just talk about the Book?? This story is structured so wonderfully. The book consists of two pov’s as mentioned, but there’s not a lot of switches because each chapter is quite long. Some being as long as 60 pages. Which means after the first two, you think, “WAIT GOTTA READ ONE MORE CHAPTER.” But then it leaves you hanging so you read one more.

Then you’re over halfway through.

This is why I read it in one night/morning.

The idea of a story being told through past/present, the back and forth, is one that’s been used before but this book took such a different approach to it, one that worked so well for the story. I cannot even. Bye.

-Messages and Other-

I cannot sum up simply what this book means, what this book is saying. I just know it’s saying a lot. It’s got so much that will speak to so many people. But not everyone.

It’s one of those books that is going to find the right hands to be in.

Some hands will enjoy it, setting it on their shelf to look at fondly.

Some hands will dislike it. Shrug, say “eh” and put it back.

Some hands will clutch it once it’s over. They will soak up every word.

It’s a book that has a Soul, and the only way to know if that Soul is for you, is to go and read it.

Find a copy.

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

Maybe Charlotte Holmes was still learning how to pick apart a case; maybe I was still learning how to write. We were Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. I was okay with that, I thought. We had things they didn't, too. 

I have so many mixed feelings about this story. This book had a lot of hype, and I was lucky enough to get an ARC. In the usual Mariesa-fashion, it took a few months to actually get to reading it. 

And I....enjoyed it?

This book comes out on March 1st

Stats:

Genre:  Modern day Mystery

Feelings: Eh?

Cuteness: -cough- i'm trying not to but I ship it. Honestly I'd sib-ship too. I just love the dynamic between these two.

Fast pacing: While the pacing was nice, this wasn't a -stay-up-until-2am-book for me

Series: IT BETTER BE.

Read if you like: Gee, Sherlock Holmes, maybe?

Content: Highschooly situations. As in, partying, dating, smoking and such. Drug use. A character was raped in the past, and this is discussed now and then but never in graphic detail.

Trigger warning? Drug use. Rape.

In summary... Jamie Watson has won a scholarship to a Connecticut prep school! Except...the downside is this school is home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective great-great-great-granddaughter. And when someone gets murder and both of them are framed...things go downhill.

Thoughts: Heels clicking on stone walkways, glass beakers and rough tree branches

Messages: I mean, there's drug stuff but this book never really has any MESSAGE about it?

Rating: 3.5/5

So I adore Sherlock Holmes. Naturally, this resulted in intense fangirling upon receiving this ARC.

But it took me so much longer to get through it then I'd wanted.

-The Characters-

Charlotte. She was wonderful. I had rather hoped that this Charlotte Holmes character would be a bit different than the BBC Sherlock, which she really wasn't. So while that was a tad disappointing, she still remains my favorite character. She was realistic, and her times of showing that humanity were well placed. Often times I can get a bit tired of female characters who are Too Much and Too Strong, but Charlotte was brilliant and strong-minded, but she still showed her human side. Like...three times. If that makes sense. She was just a fun character, okay.

Jamie Watson. The human equivalent of a vaguely sullen teddy bear who just cares a lot. He plays rugby. Meh. But he tries very hard. Kinda messes up a lot. Literally follows Charlotte to the ends of the earth. And you can tell he really likes her. Like really likes her, but that's not how Charlotte works, so I appreciate that he didn't push it. He was perfectly happy being her best friend and I liked that.

The side characters were fun, if kind of stereotypical. The villain was a bit meh, I guess is my major complaint. I loved the main characters enough to read this book, but the mystery side was a bit lacking.

-Plot and Writing-

This is a mystery novel. And it did have it's Murdery and Mystery-y aspects. But unfortunately, I just didn't care? I found myself skimming all the mystery-parts, which probably isn't good, but the parts of them sleuthing weren't as engaging as I'd hoped.

The climax came with the big villain info-dump, and the showdown itself wasn't all that exciting. Other parts of the book were actually more intriguing then the actual showdown.

Brittany is a great storyteller. I really look forward to reading her other stories, and I am hoping she writes more about these characters. Jamie's voice felt very strong and realistic to him, but to be honest, after reading the epilogue which is written from Charlotte's POV, I wanted the book to be her POV. Of course, that wouldn't have worked out. But I can hope, can't I?

To be perfectly honest, I think that Epilogue is the reason I enjoyed this book. I liked it, but that epilogue put the perfect bow on this story, and after reading it, I set it down and thought "Yes. Yes, I like these two. I'll keep them."

-Messages and other-

There's not much to say about the themes and messages of this book. Probably because this book doesn't have much to say either. There was no stance on the drugs, or any of the things dealt with, really. Some of the more serious things dealt with did feel a bit like plot-devices.

That basically sums up my thoughts on the story. This is a Good Book. But this isn't the type of book with hidden gems, lovely metaphors and themes and messages to take from it. It's just that. A Good Story with some Good Characters. I'm not saying that every book has to have these things, but it does help to make something memorable. Luckily, this book is clever enough that I don't think I'll be forgetting it anytime soon.

And SO. I did really enjoy this book. I'll put it back on my shelf fondly, and look forward to the next release. There better be one. I hope that if there are more installments, that they will have a bit more meaning.

Overall, I do really recommend this book. It's funny, it's fun to read, and these characters are quite easy to love. Read it, love it, just don't expect to learn from it.

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.