The Book of Impossibility: 'The Cruelty' Review

The Cruelty

Author: S Bergstrom
Genre: Young Adult, Thriller
Publisher: Feiwell and Friends
Page Number: 384

Goodreads / Amazon

When her diplomat father is kidnapped and the U.S. Government is unable to help, 17 year-old Gwendolyn Bloom sets off across the sordid underbelly of Europe to rescue him. Following the only lead she has—the name of a Palestinian informer living in France—she plunges into a brutal world of arms smuggling and human trafficking. As she journeys from the slums of Paris, to the nightclubs of Berlin, to the heart of the most feared crime family in Prague, Gwendolyn discovers that to survive in this new world she must become every bit as cruel as the men she’s hunting.

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There was one glaring thing that made this book meh for me. And it was the basic idea of the story. Gwendolyn's actions were completely irresponsible, if not completely impossible. But I'll address that later. 
That fact aside, there were some really intriguing aspects of the book. 

I am someone who enjoys action scenes. The heart-pounding action combined with death-defying stunts makes my pulse race. And the book really satisfied my need for action scenes. Gwendolyn's training was action-y as well. It was exciting to see her put in those situations. The tension was there. The action scenes were spaced out and well placed. I truly did like them.

Yael was badass. Completely. I wouldn't want to be her protegee; her teaching methods were brutal. But she was cool. She fought. And fought. It was interesting seeing her react to life-or-death situations. 
Also, I picture her as Tanaka's sister from 'Haikyuu'. Looks wise. I dunno. That or some gorgeous Inej-from-'Six-of-Crows' look. FAN CASTING TIME.

Remember when I mentioned the basic concept was flawed? Well, we're returning to that. The entire book revolves around the idea that Gwendolyn would take action. For almost every other girl, they would wait for the cops to handle it. Or, at least, the girls I know. It seems impossible for her to take action. Especially since it put her life in danger. Many people, not just girls, would back out. It's too scary or too risky. But the Unsinkable Gwendolyn Bloom (Heh heh. 'Titanic' reference) said, "Poo poo," and carried on. Possible? Maybe... Likely? Probably not. 
Throughout this book, I had to suspend my disbelief. Because, no, just no.

Gwendolyn started out as an introverted girl who disagreed but didn't fight back. In the end, she was a badass, fighting heroine. The problem is that this wouldn't happen in real life. Her change was so fast. It takes time for people to hone these skills. She latched onto them like a baby calf latches onto her mother's teat. Aka...too fast. (I think my metaphor is failing me. Sorry.) Unless there is a month or two or three missing. Which could explain things, but the story isn't told that way. So we're going to assume that Gwendolyn Bloom somehow mastered Krav Maga in a few weeks, or even a month or so. 
Aka...impossible. 
Sorry, but even 24/7 training won't advance you that fast.

This book was truly an interesting spectacle. The basic idea was impossible, but some of the characters and the scenes were well-done. I'm torn, really. The action scenes were quite amazing. But...who knows? Maybe you'll like it more than I did.

Guts and Glory: 'Stalking Jack the Ripper' Review

Stalking Jack the Ripper

Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Murder
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson
Page Number: 336

Goodreads / Amazon

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world. 

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I got an ARC of this book from BFest

Many have heard of the Jack the Ripper case. A horrible person committed these grizzly crimes and was never caught. It's something of a fascination to many. I'm not a huge fan of Jack the Ripper, but I've heard of his murders. It's interesting to see someone's take on the story. After all, he's never been found. 

This is, most definitely, a murder mystery book. How do I know that? Well, other than the obvious 'Jack the Ripper' premise, there's Audrey Rose investigating the murders with the assistance of medical science. It might seem like she's just along for the ride until she starts looking into her family members and even her fellow mentee. With the murder mystery elements, there was tension. It was amazing tension. I was constantly waiting for the next twist. Nothing was truly expected. You were led down many wrong paths with Audrey Rose, and that only strengthened the book's qualities. Masterfully done. 

Mysteries are always fun to read. You continuously go through the process of whodunit. Questions arise and are solved or go unanswered. Jack the Ripper's story is a mystery completely unanswered. No one knows who did it, but this book offered up an interesting explanation. I started guessing the killer only a few pages in. (My suspects were: Thomas because he's sneaky and shy, the father because of opium addiction, and the brother because Nathaniels are always bad thanks to Nathaniel Grey from 'The Infernal Devices'.) I did guess the right person, though. But the tension in the book prevented me from knowing for sure. A+

I haven't read many books with visual elements. Most books are limited to the text and, maybe just maybe, something artsy on the end pages. But this book gives you anatomically correct (Or so I think) drawings of dissections and photographs of important pieces of information. I really liked seeing this. It's unique and truly does make the book stand out. Plus, it gave us visuals to refer to. There was a reason for each image we saw. Whether it was a drawing of a body part or a picture of a sick guy (I won't reveal what he's sick with; it's mildly relevant later on in the book.) My only qualm is that, at times, these pictures appear in awkward places. For example, the sick guy picture isn't relevant to many chapters later. I know this is an ARC, but the pictures could have been spaced out better and/or put closer to relevancy.

The characters didn't really interest me. Both Audrey Rose and Thomas were boring for the most part. For some reason, they just didn't scream 'Look at me'. Audrey Rose isn't really a rebel, even though the author makes her out that way. She's quite a stick in the mud honestly. I felt like she could have been more daring, but she spends a lot of this book quietly doing things. I expected more from her. And Thomas? Sure, he could get cocky at times, but he too was mostly bland if not completely emotionless. He switches between cocky and emotionless, but I felt like it wasn't truly a part of him. In short, I didn't think his constant change of personality was truly representative of his character. He didn't seem like the type of guy to be cocky one moment and shy the next. It didn't work out the way the author wanted it to be. 

While this is a murder mystery book, the mystery didn't feel present. Most times, the story focused on freeing the Uncle instead of following the mystery. I wanted more mystery, more clues. I like solving mysteries. Even though I'm not very good at it. Mysteries are good things. Forces you to use your brains.

Hot and Bothered: 'A Court of Mist and Fury' Review

A Court of Mist and Fury

Author: Sarah J Maas
Genre: Fantasy, New Adult, Young Adult, Romance
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Page Number: 640

Goodreads / Amazon

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

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There are three types of people who have read both 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' and 'A Court of Mist and Fury'. 
1) People who liked ACOTAR and liked ACOMAF.
2) People who didn't like ACOTAR but read ACOMAF and liked it.
3) People who didn't like either book.
Guess which one I'm in?
(If you guess option 3, you're correct!) 

Honestly, I didn't really like the world of the fae in this series. Something about the courts or whatnots. I wasn't a huge fan. Like most people who didn't like ACOTAR, I was peer pressured into reading this book. (Not by any one person in particular. Just ACOTAR fans as a whole.) There were aspects of the book I did like, though. (As there are with most books.)

I really liked the romance. Strange as it sounds. The two of them were very complicated together. Their relationship was strange. It was tense at first, but it changed completely by the end. Their banter was funny. I didn't expect to like it so much. Since I knew what would happen in the end (Or some part of it), I was surprised by the changes in their romance. It was cute seeing them come together and get close. I don't necessarily ship it, but I approve. 
The chemistry, though, was insane. My heart was racing whenever they had intimate scenes. 
I do want to acknowledge the sex scenes, though. They ARE there. And there are maybe...three or four of them. And they are pretty descriptive. They don't have vulgar language or anything, but they have words like 'cock' and stuff. A lot of it is implied. It's not straight up erotica. So if you don't know what sex is before this book, you'll definitely find out. (Also, was anyone else more 'hot and bothered' about Tamlin's sex scene and not Chapter 55's? Because...that's me. Strange...)

Rhysand was a broken character. My heart went out to him. Antiheroes are amazing, and I was completely caught off guard about his reasons for his actions Under the Mountain (Still wondering why we have to use capital letters for the U and M.) Feyre's acceptance of that is amazing. She felt for him. She understood him. Honestly, we need people who are like Feyre. She isn't the nicest person in the bunch, but she is caring. And that's a breath of fresh air.

On the other hand, I felt like I couldn't connect to the story. There was something about it that made me not connect. Maybe the characters or the more adult nature of the book...I'm not sure. But I didn't feel like Feyre was someone I could truly relate to or open up to. 

The plot was fine, but I felt like it could have been better. It was interesting to see Feyre come into her powers and seeing her argue with Rhysand, but I wanted more action. We had action scenes mostly at the end and scattered throughout the middle, but these weren't like the action scenes from the last book. Plus, who wouldn't want to see Feyre unleash her powers on someone?

At the end, we're given a completely random Rhysand chapter. The entire book is in Feyre's point of view, yet we get this ONE Rhysand chapter. Sure, it revealed some important information, but Feyre could have explained it on her own. Seems a tad redundant to me.

Lost in the Adventure: 'Let's Get Lost' Review

Let's Get Lost

Author: Adi Alsaid
Goodreads / Amazon

Five strangers. Countless adventures. One epic way to get lost. 

Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named Leila. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most. 

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila's own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truth—sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you're looking for is to get lost along the way.

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I've always wanted to go on a huge adventure. I have terrible wanderlust. My dream is to travel the world and speak all the languages. It's far-fetched, but it's something I would love to do. And books like this help me travel. Even if I'm not physically moving (Okay, I moved from the couch downstairs to the bathroom upstairs. But still.)

The main theme of this book was 'finding yourself'. All five characters were lost (As implied by the title.) They were lost in the confusion of life. I felt connected to each of them in their lost-ness. I, too, am lost. (But in a more mental sense than physical.) 

I really liked how the author portrayed this lost-ness. It felt...real. It felt as if I could be Hudson (Not that I'm some mechanic prodigy. I'm a laziness prodigy, though) or Bree (I don't have a sister) or Elliot (I'm not crushing on anyone right now, thank you very much) or Sonia (But I doubt I'd get ONE guy much less TWO.) And Leila's lost-ness was more lost than anyone else's. She was lost in her memories. And, man, did I feel for all of them. 

I'm happy that Leila was there. I'd quite like a Leila in my life to help me get un-lost. (I'm truly a wordsmith. Un-lost. Nice one.)

One of the main selling points for this book is its unique storytelling. It isn't told by Leila throughout but has chapters told by different people during different points of Leila's journey. And it rounds things out by giving you Leila's perspective at the end. 

You got a chapter to really connect with the characters. And I felt like this succeeded. I felt for all the characters. We saw them at their worst, and they kept fighting. It's amazing that this happened in such a short time period.

Leila was truly an intriguing character. She was lost, in almost every way imaginable. Physically and mentally and emotionally. I felt so bad for her. Even before I knew what happened to her. She was such a great character. I didn't share any personal traits with her, but I truly do want to be her friend. Or her to be my friend. Either way, I want us to be friends. She was a candle of hope in the dark. And who wouldn't want a candle to be their friend? (Oh wait...) 

I only really didn't like the ending. Sure, happily ever afters are great, but it fell flat for me. With this whole adventure, I expected fireworks and cannons and cheerleaders in a pyramid. I expected a lot more from the ending. It felt so...un-Leila. She went back, and love interest appeared. It's cute, I guess, but not shocking enough.

Verdict:

Lost in the adventure

You're Losing Me, Kid: 'Phantom Limbs' Blog Tour

Phantom Limbs

Author: Paula Garner
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Death, Realistic Fiction, Disability, Romance, LGBT, Coming of Age, Family
Publisher: Candlewick
Page Number: 368 Pages

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

How do you move on from an irreplaceable loss? In a poignant debut, a sixteen-year-old boy must learn to swim against an undercurrent of grief—or be swept away by it.

Otis and Meg were inseparable until her family abruptly moved away after the terrible accident that left Otis’s little brother dead and both of their families changed forever. Since then, it’s been three years of radio silence, during which time Otis has become the unlikely protégé of eighteen-year-old Dara—part drill sergeant, part friend—who’s hell-bent on transforming Otis into the Olympic swimmer she can no longer be. But when Otis learns that Meg is coming back to town, he must face some difficult truths about the girl he’s never forgotten and the brother he’s never stopped grieving. As it becomes achingly clear that he and Meg are not the same people they were, Otis must decide what to hold on to and what to leave behind. Quietly affecting, this compulsively readable debut novel captures all the confusion, heartbreak, and fragile hope of three teens struggling to accept profound absences in their lives.

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Loss. It's something that we all experience. But do some people feel it even more than others? Does losing your best friend/crush feel worse than losing your limbs? This book explores the complex pain of loss in a unique fashion by following a horny teenage boy and his long lost crush now found.

Dara was the best. She was the only character I truly liked in this entire book. She was sassy and snarky. I'm a sucker for sassy and snarky. But she was too harsh on everybody for me to love her. But she was cool. I wouldn't ever hang out with her; she's probably hit me a lot and verbally abuse me. But I wouldn't mind watching her from a mile away. Like watching a tiger in the zoo. Because Dara is a tiger.

The emotions that Meg had were so...painful. It hurt to read it. I felt so sorry for her. And I know that people who've gone through loss aren't strangers to pity. She would hate the pity, but I still pity her. She had such a strong connection to Mason's death. It was so awful for her to go through that. I can't even imagine. The author wrote this pain so well. I feel, though, if this was Meg's story, I'd like it more.

But, I couldn't stand Otis. He is a horny teenage boy. There is no way to censor that. He thought about sex constantly and stared at every girl's ass. Even Dara's. I know that this is probably true with horny teenage boys all across the world, but we could have had less of this. It was a slap in the face. I'm used to people being perverted, but this is way too far. There is no reason for me to read this. I could talk to my Florida friends and get much funnier, perverted stuff.

I typically don't encourage people to chase after someone who doesn't want them. Not that I typically give relationship advice. But if this girl is gone, she's gone. Don't get hung up on her. Honestly, if I was Otis's friend, I'd give him some crazy good advice. For example, "Dude, she's gone. Leave it be" or "She has a boyfriend. Quit it." Stuff like that. But Otis's stalking is too far.

ABOUT PAULA GARNER:

Paula Garner spends most of her time making food, drinks, and narratives, despite being surrounded by an alarming TBR pile and a very bad cat. Her debut YA novel, Phantom Limbs, comes out from Candlewick in 2016. Paula is represented by Molly Jaffa of Folio Lit, and lives in the Chicago area with her family.

LINKS: Website | Twitter

Tour Schedule:

Week 1:

9/5: Such A Novel Idea - Guest Post

9/6: The Litaku - Review

9/7: The Irish Banana Review - Top 10

9/8: Pretty Deadly Reviews - Review

9/9: Resch Reads and Reviews - Guest Post

Week 2:

9/12: The Plot Bunny - Review

9/13: Go Read A Book - Q&A

9/14: Buried Under Books - Review

9/15: Novel Novice - Playlist

9/16: The Young Folks - Review

Giveaway:

3 Finished Copies of PHANTOM LIMBS (US Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

'Spells and Sorcery' Didn't Cast a Spell on Me

Spells and Sorcery

Author: S Usher Evans

Goodreads / Amazon

You have magic.

One sentence, three words, four syllables. Enough to change my life forever. And I'm not talking about the whole spells and sorcery thing.

Lexie Carrigan thought the weirdest thing about her was she preferred watching documentaries and reading the newspaper to reality TV and Twitter. But on the eve of her fifteenth birthday, her aunt and sisters drop a bomb--she's magical.

Now the girl who never made waves is blowing up her nightstand and trying to keep from wreaking havoc on her school. When a kind stranger shows up with all the answers, Lexie hopes he'll be able to help her control her newfound powers. But Gavon may not be as kind as he seems, and soon Lexie finds out that being magical is the least weird thing about her.

Spells and Sorcery is the first YA fantasy from S. Usher Evans, author of the Razia series, the Madion War Trilogy and Empath.

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I actually haven't read anything by this author before. I had heard a lot about her books, though. So I was excited to read this.

I got this as an eARC from the publisher. 

This was an interesting story. I didn't know a whole lot about the plot at first. And the plot wasn't that interesting, but things DID get very interesting towards the end. 

Likes:

• Typically, you don't get a lot of history on the magic. The only fiction I can think of that has details on magical history is the Harry Potter series. And Harry Potter is the exception to the rule in almost every way. There is a lot of magical history in this book. I really liked it. Books about magic seem to gloss over the origins and history of magic. But these things exist. It's as if you write a dystopian novel with no clue how the dystopia formed. That sort of thing. I'm happy this book does have a magical history. But it's kinda ironic that it came in the form of a book. Book within a book, you know?
• The ending is pretty interesting. We have an interesting clan v clan thing going on. I'm not exactly sure of the details. (I read the ending as I was beginning to doze off...) But I did kinda guess the plot twist. I am interested in seeing what happens next. Will he come for her? Or no? Hm...

Dislikes:

• Lexie made me mad. She was so whiny. I got tired of her fast. She kept pushing Gavon. If I was Gavon, I'd drop it like it's hot. She was such a brat. She kept complaining and forcing people to do things. I have no clue how any of her family put up with her. Plus, she seemed fine at first. What changed?
• The plot wasn't extravagant. That could be on purpose. But with magic books, I expect a lot of pew pew WHOOSH EXPLOSIONS sort of thing. I didn't mind the little sparring, but it didn't feel like enough. I know Harry Potter (Which is also about a person finding out 'yer a wizard) isn't all fight scenes AT FIRST. But the training exercises get boring unless you ramp up the stakes. Which this book didn't have a lot of.

Verdict:

Magical history is a plus, but, otherwise, it's okay

Not Faking My Ambivalence: 'Tell Me Something Real' Blog Tour

Tell Me Something Real

Author: Calla Devlin
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Family
Publisher: S&S/Athenum
Page Number: 304

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Indiebound | iBooks | The Book Depository

Three sisters struggle with the bonds that hold their family together as they face a darkness settling over their lives in this masterfully written debut novel.

There are three beautiful blond Babcock sisters: gorgeous and foul-mouthed Adrienne, observant and shy Vanessa, and the youngest and best-loved, Marie. Their mother is ill with leukemia and the girls spend a lot of time with her at a Mexican clinic across the border from their San Diego home so she can receive alternative treatments.

Vanessa is the middle child, a talented pianist who is trying to hold her family together despite the painful loss that they all know is inevitable. As she and her sisters navigate first loves and college dreams, they are completely unaware that an illness far more insidious than cancer poisons their home. Their world is about to shatter under the weight of an incomprehensible betrayal…

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How does cancer affect different people? Well, in the patient, there is pain and loss and grief. They lose their hair and different aspects of their lives. Students have a tough time going to school. Adults have a tough time going to work.

But what about the family members? They're affected too.

Family is important. I always respect books that show families, positively or negatively. Families exist for many people. This book showed an intricate family system. The dad was too busy. The eldest daughter was artistic but acted out. The middle daughter was quite and caring. The youngest daughter was hyper but obsessed with dead saints. And the mom was sick. It had a lot of different types of people within the story. The story revolved around these completely different people and how their lives were woven together.
And when everything fell apart, family was there. It was a different take on the family situation, and it was handled well. The family might have been broken, but they stuck together.

There was a lot of real elements in this book. The fear of death is one thing. It's not really explored since the girls aren't dying themselves, but the threat of a possible death is there. It's omniscient. And the girls' reactions feel real. They're scared, but they pretend that they're okay.
Cancer is something that exists. We hate that it does, but there is no cure yet. It's scary and hard to understand. The book portrayed cancer and its side effects accurately. There are hair loss and dizziness and lack of energy. That's something I'm figuring out pretty fast. (Don't worry. I don't have cancer. But someone I know does.)

Love can ruin lots of books. And it does in this book. The love interest helps support Vanessa at times, but he seems redundant. This could have been a story about families and siblings. Sure, Caleb didn't play a huge role in general, but enough scenes were dedicated to Vanessa and Caleb's interactions. The introduction of Caleb's mother Barb did set a lot of the plot points in motion, though, so he was a necessary evil.
I didn't feel any love towards this couple. They weren't very appealing.

The when and where of a book can change the entire tone. A witch hunt in Salem in the 1690s seems common, but a witch hunt in the middle of Manhattan in the 2010s seems unlikely. Throughout the book, I thought it was set in the present day. The music seemed a bit older, but I thought it was because someone liked the oldies.
This implies that the setting wasn't of huge importance, but I say otherwise. Laetrile could have never been invented in one decade or even used in the US in another. There just wasn't enough about the time period.

ABOUT CALLA DEVLIN:

Calla Devlin is a Pushcart nominee and winner of the Best of Blood and Thunder Award whose stories have been included in numerous literary journals and in anthologies, including Because I Love Her: 34 Women Writers Reflect on the Mother-Daughter Bond, for which she was featured in the San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Magazine. 

Tell Me Something Real is her first book.

LINKS: Website | Twitter

Tour Schedule:

Week 1:

8/22: That Artsy Reader Girl - Guest Post

8/23: Pondering the Prose - Review

8/24: Rebelle Reads - Top 10

8/25: The Litaku - Review

8/26: Never Too Many to Read - Q&A

Week 2:

8/29: Arctic Books  - Review

8/30: Such a Novel Idea - Guest Post

8/31: The Book Return - Review

9/1: I Turn the Pages - Mood Board

9/2: Tales of the Ravenous Reader - Review

Giveaway:

3 Finished Copies of TELL ME SOMETHING REAL (US Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Beware the Boy: 'The Girl Who Fell' Review

The Girl Who Fell

Author: Shannon M Parker

Goodreads / Amazon

High school senior Zephyr Doyle is swept off her feet—and into an intense and volatile relationship—by the new boy in school. 

His obsession.
Her fall.

Zephyr is focused. Focused on leading her team to the field hockey state championship and leaving her small town for her dream school, Boston College.

But love has a way of changing things.

Enter the new boy in school: the hockey team’s starting goaltender, Alec. He’s cute, charming, and most important, Alec doesn’t judge Zephyr. He understands her fears and insecurities—he even shares them. Soon, their relationship becomes something bigger than Zephyr, something she can’t control, something she doesn’t want to control.

Zephyr swears it must be love. Because love is powerful, and overwhelming, and … terrifying?

But love shouldn’t make you abandon your dreams, or push your friends away. And love shouldn’t make you feel guilty—or worse, ashamed.

So when Zephyr finally begins to see Alec for who he really is, she knows it’s time to take back control of her life.

If she waits any longer, it may be too late.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Abusive relationships start out normally. You feel like you're in love. And maybe you are. But then, something goes wrong.

These days, books are pretty open-minded. We have books about all sorts of things. But abuse seems to be lagging behind. We need to have an open conversation about abuse. And I think this book could start it.

As I said, we need more books about abuse. Before this, I never read anything about abuse. (Not to my recollection, at least.)
The abuse in this book was bad. You knew it was coming (You saw all the warning signs), yet you couldn't help but shiver when it came. (By it, I mean the Worst Part of the abuse. The physical part.)
Abuse in the real world can be like this too. The other person seems so kind and so sweet. You fall for them, hard and fast. But then things pop up. Unexplainable things. But, by then, you're too late.
I hope this book helps teach people about the warning signs and when to stand up for yourself. I hope it empowers people who are in abusive relationships.

The sex didn't fade to black. Honestly, I was surprised by that. But I'm kinda happy that happens too. Sex, in reality, doesn't fade to black. It's you and another person. It's real. Books need to show that. Sex is real. And books show reality to a certain degree.
We need more sex-positive books. Because sex is okay.

I know the romance was supposed to be hurried and crazy. But I couldn't stand it. If he's forcing you from your life, there's something wrong. Zephyr dove in too deep. If she had calmed down and taken it slower...things might have been better, or worse I don't know. I just felt sick reading all the sappy parts. It made my stomach churn. Romance isn't like that. At least, not like that in my mind.

The ending seemed rushed. We had hints about Alec's personality throughout the book, but the climax of the story came in the last 100 pages or so. I really couldn't stand this. We had a whole story that teased the scene in the beginning, but it took forever for us to actually get there. I was annoyed, to say the least.

Overall, this isn't a bad book. If you want to read a book that does show abuse, this is not bad. But I couldn't stand the romance. Even if I knew its implications.

Verdict:

Not lost in love

History with a Twist: 'My Lady Jane' Review

My Lady Jane

Author: Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical, Romance
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Number: 491 pages

Goodreads / Amazon

The comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey. In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.

At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane is about to become the Queen of England. 

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History can be written over and over, but history can be boring. That's why people rewrite history. 'What if's can be interesting things. That's why we write them and read them. I don't typically read these books. Why? I'm not a fan of history. It's over and done for me, and that's all that needs to be said. The hype of this book was crazy, though. People were talking about it for a long time. Of course, this leads me to think 'Hey, why not?' After a long drought of books, this was something that people loved. I am a person, and, using logic, I should love it too.
And, yes, I kinda do love it.

The Lady Janies crafted a unique take on the story of Jane Grey. I have never read anything about her. I know more about Roman emperors than English monarchs, and I don't know a lot about Roman emperors (I used to, though. I was in Latin for three years.) With my lack of knowledge, I soldiered through this book. Thankfully, the authors supplied us with tidbits of history here and there. I know this isn't a completely accurate depiction of history, (After all, there are no shapeshifters...or are there?) but the story continued to be enjoyable. The alternate world this book takes place in is strange and unique. Many customs do stay the same, but there are major changes that make this world stand out.
I do hope we see more books set in this alternate world. I'd love to see how these shapeshifters work in real life.

Most books are written without any involvement of the authors, but this book had hilarious commentary from the authors. Their comments were throughout the entire book, and it made it every enjoyable. I learned about the invention of the modern pen and pencil and lots about the standards of society through these three ladies. I laughed out loud at their commentary at times.
Also, their hilarity seeped into the characters. G(ifford) had lots of snarky remarks, and Jane had her good share as well. (I mention them in this order since I last remember laughing at G's comments, not Jane's.) These characters were witty and sassy. But I'll talk about that in a second.

The main character Jane was sassy. But let's not forget Gracie who was a fireball too. I loved the fierce girls. They stood up for themselves and didn't take anyone's nagging. I imagine that people will brandish this book when girls ask for role models. Jane would be an amazing role model; she promotes literacy and bravery and love and compassion. Who doesn't love that? Gracie was tough and rough around the edges, but she still held her chin high. We didn't get a lot of her character because she did come at the end. Yet, she is a well-written and developed character even if she isn't one of the main characters. Both these girls were stars in their own right.
Not to say that the guys weren't done well either. The two main guys are funny. Edward is a bit of a stick in the mud, but, again, I'll address that later. G was quite a character. He was snarky and hide his feelings. I would typically fall for this type of character if I hadn't already approved of Jane and G's relationship (Which was adorable.) The split perspective of the book was done well. We got to know each of the characters. Even if some of us (Ehem me) didn't like all of them.

Although the book is titled 'My Lady Jane', two of the three main characters were guys. (Not that I have a problem with that.) I do have a minor problem with Edward the King of England. He was a bit of a sexist (Or...he was a sexist.) The reality is that men back then were sexist, and women were treated as lessers. It's the sad truth. I do understand that was how men thought, but Edward could have lessened the harsh words. A ruler of a kingdom is a good one if they are just and fair. You shouldn't judge on their gender. It's rude. Admittedly, he began to change his ways after meeting the foxy Gracie (I mean that literally.) Thank goodness for that change or I'd hate him.

I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. I laughed at the commentary and marveled in the unique world. The characters were fascinating, female and male alike. While I could do without Edward's sexist thoughts, it's something that was common in the time period and, therefore, mildly understandable.
Truly, this book is good for anyone looking for a good laugh or a new spin on the tale of Lady Jane Grey.

Did you read this book? If so, what did you think? Did you like Jane? How about G? And Edward?