afterworlds,
In the interest of avoiding making this post super long, I'm not going to give a plot summary for each, but rather just a short little blurb of my thoughts- enjoy!
Square: Main Character w/ an Invisible Disability
Book: "Under Rose-Tainted Skies" by Louise Gornall
Rating: 5/5
I had never before read a book where the main character has agoraphobia, so this was a very informative read for me. It was very clear and honest about how Norah's agoraphobia, OCD, and anxiety are part of her every day, and readers get a clear look at how she lives.
My favorite part about this novel was that the romance/love interest was not portrayed as a "cure" for Norah. Meeting a cute boy wasn't what helped her begin to overcome her mental illness. Ultimatley, Norah helps Norah. She creates her own path forwards. She is a brave young woman, but that doesn't mean she's not scared or broken sometimes. A top notch read!
Square: POC on the Cover
Book: "Lies We Tell Ourselves" by Robin Talley
Rating: 2.75/5
While this was a wholly interesting premise, set in a crucial point in American history, "Lies We Tell Ourselves" just didn't work for me. First, I think this would have been an entirely more effective novel had it been shorter. There were a lot of moments of inner dialogue where a character would just ask themselves questions over and over- a lot of repetitive inner exposition. I felt like the romance in here, while interesting, was a little forced. It felt too instalove for me, and I truly didn't see how the main characters clicked with each other. While both mentioned how invigorating it was to have someone else to argue with and discuss things with, there just seemed to be a lack of real drive behind the relationship.
Square: Neurodiverse MC
Book: "Queens of Geek" by Jen Wilde
Rating: 3.25/5
First of all, this was fun! I really have a soft spot for books that involve comic/pop culture conventions. Three friends from Austraila, A YouTube sensation and her two BFFs, attend SupaCon in California. Shenanigans, costume contests, super stars, anxiety, and romance ensue. In my opinion, the best part of "Queens" was its frank and open narrative on mental illness, anxiety, OCD, and sexuality. These were discussed in a natural and understanding way, and I think any young teen reading can find a friendly, relatable voice in Charlie or Taylor.
My biggest dislike about this one was that the writing felt very juvenile.It lacked lyricism and any sort of complex literary construction, and it felt like the characters were spelling out every situation verbally simply for the readers sake. There are also a lot of heart-to-heart moments that were a bit too cheesy. And the ending, while happy, felt like I was watching a teen flick where all the main characters come together and toast their future and throw their arms around each other *cue Ben Rector's "Brand New" song for credits*. So yeah, I think this is a great book for younger teens, but Wilde could definitely step up her writing style.
Square: MC of Color in SFF
Book: "Afterworlds" by Scott Westerfeld
Rating: 5/5
I'll admit it: I've actually had this book sitting on my shelves for about two years now because, while I really like Westerfeld's writing, I had seen a couple reviews that talked about the supernatural part of this novel and it kinda turned me off. I'm just not a fan of death god/grim reaper/urban fantasy themes and I thought that was all this was.
I was WRONG.
Yeah, death is a big theme in this one, but that's not all it is. Westerfeld masterfully ties together a book within a book, creating a story about publishing, the YA community, love, the afterlife, ghosts, and death all into one great epic story that transcends the definition of "supernatural" reads. It's difficult to pin this book down in such a short review, but I will say that between the two layers of stories in "Afterworlds", I could not put this down! I would finish a Darcy chapter, and then immediately be pulled back into a Lizzie chapter. It was an addictive read!
Square: d/Deaf/Hard of Hearing MC
Book: "You're Welcome, Universe" by Whitney Gardner
Rating: 5/5
Like "Under Rose-Tainted Skies", Gardner's novel features a main character unlike any I've previously read. Julia is a Deaf teen who loves and is fascinated by graffiti. She is a refreshingly relatable character: she deals with homework, has passions she pursues, deals with friend troubles, and actually works a part time job (I don't understand how so many YA characters just...don't work? Ever? Movie studios don't count).
Anyway, I was constantly learning so much from this! Julia would mention something about Deaf culture or how she moves about in the world or some tidbit of street art rules, and I'd have a moment of, "Dude, I never thought about that." Just reading about how she deals with ignorant teachers speaking louder to her, or moments when she mentions a graffiti technique- it was all so interesting. "You're Welcome, Universe" was a very eye-opening read, and I desperately want more books about Julia!
Square: Immigrant/Refugee MC
Book: "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
Rating: 4/5
Wow! This novel definitely was not what I was expecting. Usually, I don't really enjoy books that are told within the time period of a day, or even a couple days. I find them lacking in plot and development. Yoon, however, does a marvelous job of weaving the past, present, and intangible all together to tell the story of two young teenagers on the brink of change. My favorite aspect of this novel were the threads of lives Yoon wove together using background characters and concepts (such as Natasha's hair!) to create a more robust picture.
I felt a little cheated by the ending- those moments when years suddenly are flying by and readers only get a bunch of catch-up scenes where Yoon just tells us everything that's been happening. It felt a bit rushed to me. Additionally, Natasha's father was a key figure in this book, but despite all the discussion of him, his motivations still elude me. I feel like he could have been more fleshed out or written with better motivations.
Diversity Bingo 2017: March Update
Woohoo! Three months in 2017 and I'm feeling quite good about my current progress on #DB17! After reading only 2 books towards this challenge in February, I made a point of focusing in on diverse books this month. And I read some really good ones, too! It really is a nice feeling when you can read challenge books and fall in love with them as well. :)In the interest of avoiding making this post super long, I'm not going to give a plot summary for each, but rather just a short little blurb of my thoughts- enjoy!
Book: "Under Rose-Tainted Skies" by Louise Gornall
Rating: 5/5
I had never before read a book where the main character has agoraphobia, so this was a very informative read for me. It was very clear and honest about how Norah's agoraphobia, OCD, and anxiety are part of her every day, and readers get a clear look at how she lives.
My favorite part about this novel was that the romance/love interest was not portrayed as a "cure" for Norah. Meeting a cute boy wasn't what helped her begin to overcome her mental illness. Ultimatley, Norah helps Norah. She creates her own path forwards. She is a brave young woman, but that doesn't mean she's not scared or broken sometimes. A top notch read!
Square: POC on the Cover
Book: "Lies We Tell Ourselves" by Robin Talley
While this was a wholly interesting premise, set in a crucial point in American history, "Lies We Tell Ourselves" just didn't work for me. First, I think this would have been an entirely more effective novel had it been shorter. There were a lot of moments of inner dialogue where a character would just ask themselves questions over and over- a lot of repetitive inner exposition. I felt like the romance in here, while interesting, was a little forced. It felt too instalove for me, and I truly didn't see how the main characters clicked with each other. While both mentioned how invigorating it was to have someone else to argue with and discuss things with, there just seemed to be a lack of real drive behind the relationship.
Square: Neurodiverse MC
Book: "Queens of Geek" by Jen Wilde
Rating: 3.25/5
My biggest dislike about this one was that the writing felt very juvenile.It lacked lyricism and any sort of complex literary construction, and it felt like the characters were spelling out every situation verbally simply for the readers sake. There are also a lot of heart-to-heart moments that were a bit too cheesy. And the ending, while happy, felt like I was watching a teen flick where all the main characters come together and toast their future and throw their arms around each other *cue Ben Rector's "Brand New" song for credits*. So yeah, I think this is a great book for younger teens, but Wilde could definitely step up her writing style.
Square: MC of Color in SFF
Book: "Afterworlds" by Scott Westerfeld
I'll admit it: I've actually had this book sitting on my shelves for about two years now because, while I really like Westerfeld's writing, I had seen a couple reviews that talked about the supernatural part of this novel and it kinda turned me off. I'm just not a fan of death god/grim reaper/urban fantasy themes and I thought that was all this was.
I was WRONG.
Yeah, death is a big theme in this one, but that's not all it is. Westerfeld masterfully ties together a book within a book, creating a story about publishing, the YA community, love, the afterlife, ghosts, and death all into one great epic story that transcends the definition of "supernatural" reads. It's difficult to pin this book down in such a short review, but I will say that between the two layers of stories in "Afterworlds", I could not put this down! I would finish a Darcy chapter, and then immediately be pulled back into a Lizzie chapter. It was an addictive read!
Square: d/Deaf/Hard of Hearing MC
Book: "You're Welcome, Universe" by Whitney Gardner
Rating: 5/5
Anyway, I was constantly learning so much from this! Julia would mention something about Deaf culture or how she moves about in the world or some tidbit of street art rules, and I'd have a moment of, "Dude, I never thought about that." Just reading about how she deals with ignorant teachers speaking louder to her, or moments when she mentions a graffiti technique- it was all so interesting. "You're Welcome, Universe" was a very eye-opening read, and I desperately want more books about Julia!
Square: Immigrant/Refugee MC
Book: "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
Wow! This novel definitely was not what I was expecting. Usually, I don't really enjoy books that are told within the time period of a day, or even a couple days. I find them lacking in plot and development. Yoon, however, does a marvelous job of weaving the past, present, and intangible all together to tell the story of two young teenagers on the brink of change. My favorite aspect of this novel were the threads of lives Yoon wove together using background characters and concepts (such as Natasha's hair!) to create a more robust picture.
I felt a little cheated by the ending- those moments when years suddenly are flying by and readers only get a bunch of catch-up scenes where Yoon just tells us everything that's been happening. It felt a bit rushed to me. Additionally, Natasha's father was a key figure in this book, but despite all the discussion of him, his motivations still elude me. I feel like he could have been more fleshed out or written with better motivations.
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