Book Review: THREE DARK CROWNS by Kendare Blake

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So as most of you know, I'm a huge YA Fantasy fan, so when I heard the pitch for Kendare Blake's Three Dark Crowns, I was definitely curious. Combined with an awesome cover and an unusual tense choice (third person present) and I was glad I picked it up.

Before I go into how much I enjoyed this one, let's take a look at the back cover copy on Goodreads:

"Every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions. 

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. The last queen standing gets the crown. 

If only it was that simple. Katharine is unable to tolerate the weakest poison, and Arsinoe, no matter how hard she tries, can’t make even a weed grow. The two queens have been shamefully faking their powers, taking care to keep each other, the island, and their powerful sister Mirabella none the wiser. But with alliances being formed, betrayals taking shape, and ruthless revenge haunting the queens’ every move, one thing is certain: the last queen standing might not be the strongest…but she may be the darkest."

So initially I was a little confused about why there were so many POVs—I was expecting three (one for each princess) and I think we end up with...five? Something like that. For the first portion of the book, I know the many POVs made it difficult for some people to get into it. I just rolled with it, and in the end it made sense as to why every POV was necessary. I will say I did find it a little difficult to keep track of all the names and places (the map helped with the latter, though), so sometimes I confused characters. But once I got used to the cast, that became no longer distracting. 

So that said, there were two things I really liked about this book: the magic, and the sisters themselves. There are a lot of takes on magic in YA, and many of them look like Mirabella: some sort of elemental stuff with extras thrown in. Nothing wrong with that, I love elemental magic portrayals, but I was really fascinated by the magic of the poisoners and naturalists. The poisoners especially was magic I hadn't seen before in YA, and it was super fascinating to see how that magic manifested (or how it was supposed to manifest, anyway), how it affected the way other people looked at them, and how they "showed it off" to demonstrate power—and the ruse of power. 

What I really liked about the sisters was they exceeded my expectations in multiple ways. I'd expected Mirabella to be the "evil twin" in the sense that as the most powerful (whether she knows it or not) she'd be biting at the bit to take out her other two sisters, but she was much more complicated than that. 

But what I especially loved about the three was they demonstrated a variety of ways to "be a girl" without ever implying one way is better than the other. Katherine and Mirabella are both traditionally feminine and take power in their femininity—which was awesome to see. On Fennbirn, women are the top of the power totem pole, so the girls never deal with misogyny and in many ways, their femininity was used as a display of power (yay!). Arsinoe, however, is an entirely different kind of girl. She's defiant, cuts her hair short, and never once wears a dress—even in the scenes where the girls are expected to dress formally, she stands beside her two sisters in dresses wearing a black shirt, vest, and pants. I loved this, because I've literally never seen a princess portrayed as anything short of femininely unless she was in disguise—and as a bonus, Arsinoe never gets any grief over it. She's accepted as she is, and while acknowledged as different, no one ever implies her less feminine style is a bad thing. 

So all in all, I found this book fascinating—and I was so glued I read sixty percent of it in one day. While I didn't love some of the details at the end, I really enjoyed this one overall and I'm very much looking forward to the next book, One Dark Throne. 

Diversity note: From what I could tell, not much there, unfortunately.

Twitter-sized bite: 

.@Ava_Jae gives 4 stars to THREE DARK CROWNS by Kendare Blake. Is this dark fantasy on your TBR? (Click to tweet)

Book Review: THIS SAVAGE SONG by Victoria Schwab

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So Victoria Schwab's This Savage Song has a pretty unique premise, if you haven't already heard it: basically, the book takes place in a world where acts of violence create actual monsters. How cool is that? 

That was basically all I knew when I bought the book, and the premise definitely didn't disappoint. But before I go into more, here's the Goodreads summary:

"There’s no such thing as safe. 

Kate Harker wants to be as ruthless as her father. After five years and six boarding schools, she’s finally going home to prove that she can be. 

August Flynn wants to be human. But he isn’t. He’s a monster, one that can steal souls with a song. He’s one of the three most powerful monsters in a city overrun with them. His own father’s secret weapon. 

Their city is divided. 

Their city is crumbling. 

Kate and August are the only two who see both sides, the only two who could do something. 

But how do you decide to be a hero or a villain when it’s hard to tell which is which?"

So the first hundred pages or so, I kind of had trouble getting into it. It was a weird situation because I loved the prose, I found the world building fascinating, and while I was reading I definitely enjoyed it. But for whatever reason once I put the book down, I had less motivation than usual to pick it up again.

Once I got past the first 100 or so pages, however, that quickly changed and I devoured the rest of the book in a few days.

This Savage Song is more than just a fascinating premise—it involves some of my favorite plot elements, like betrayal, dealing with your own darkness, unlikely alliances, and trying to find hope in a hopeless situation. I loved the whole set up with the different tiers of monsters, and Kate's daring, guarded perspective was really fun to read, especially alongside August's more vulnerable chapters.

All in all, I found this book fascinating, and now I'm very much looking forward to the sequel, Our Dark Duet.

Diversity note: Not much representation in this one, unfortunately.

Is this book on your TBR? 

Twitter-sized bites: 

.@Ava_Jae gives 4 stars to THIS SAVAGE SONG by Victoria Schwab. Is this uniquely dark YA on your TBR? (Click to tweet) 

Looking for a dark YA w/ a fascinating world? Check out THIS SAVAGE SONG by Victoria Schwab. (Click to tweet)

Book Review: LOVE IN THE TIME OF GLOBAL WARMING by Francesca Lia Block

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So about a year ago I'd heard Francesca Lia Block's Love in the Time of Global Warming has a trans boy love interest, which I'd basically never seen in speculative YA (or Contemporary YA, for that matter), so when I saw it on sale at Book Outlet a while ago, I snatched it up. It then sat in my full physical TBR bookshelf for a while I tried to make a dent in my TBR, until I finally picked it up last week.

And I have to say, I'm glad I pulled it off my shelf, because it was a really enjoyable read.

Before I go into why, here is the Goodreads summary:

"Her life by the sea in ruins, Pen has lost everything in the Earth Shaker that all but destroyed the city of Los Angeles. She sets out into the wasteland to search for her family, her journey guided by a tattered copy of Homer’s Odyssey. Soon she begins to realize her own abilities and strength as she faces false promises of safety, the cloned giants who feast on humans, and a madman who wishes her dead. On her voyage, Pen learns to tell stories that reflect her strange visions, while she and her fellow survivors navigate the dangers that lie in wait. In her signature style, Francesca Lia Block has created a world that is beautiful in its destruction and as frightening as it is lovely. At the helm is Pen, a strong heroine who holds hope and love in her hands and refuses to be defeated."

So first of all, I think it helped going in knowing that this book would be weird. That was something I saw repeated over and over from reviewers—that they enjoyed it, but it was strange. I agree this is a strange one; the writing and events and the way it all blends together was very dreamlike. There's some really gorgeous, lyrical imagery, obvious Odyssey parallels (that the characters are aware of and comment on), and even the characters themselves have a dreamy, ephemeral-type quality to them. 

And you know? I liked it. The lyrical, imagery-heavy writing reminded me a bit of Elliot Finley Wake's style (except, you know, YA), and it was great to see a diverse cast in a post-apocalyptic YA, from the protagonist Pen, who is bi, to the love interest Hex, who is (*minor spoiler*) trans, to their two other companions who also turn out to be queer guys, it was really fun to read. 

My only critique is the ending felt a little too...neat, I suppose. Things came together easy after the main confrontation, which is okay, but it felt a teensie bit anti-climatic to me. That said, I still really enjoyed it overall, from the adventure-y plot, to the Odyssey-like mythology, and the lyrical writing, I definitely recommend Love in the Time of Global Warming for a quick, adventurous read with a cast you won't easily forget. 

Diversity note: As mentioned in the review, Pen, the protagonist is bisexual, the love interest, Hex, is a trans boy, one of the two companions is a gay Black boy, and the other is a boy who likes boys (though I'm not sure if he's gay, bi, pan, etc.).

What have you been reading lately?

Twitter-sized bite:

.@Ava_Jae gives ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ to Francesca Lia Block's LOVE IN THE TIME OF GLOBAL WARMING—is this surreal YA on your TBR? (Click to tweet)

Book Review: FAR FROM YOU by Tess Sharpe

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So I’ve had Far From You by Tess Sharpe on my TBR list for a while, and Twitter’s been telling me pretty much forever to read it, so I was pretty delighted to finally have the chance to pick it up. And now that I’ve read it? I see why Twitter so adamantly demanded I take a look.

But before I go on, the Goodreads summary:

“Sophie Winters nearly died. Twice. 

The first time, she's fourteen, and escapes a near-fatal car accident with scars, a bum leg, and an addiction to Oxy that'll take years to kick.  

The second time, she's seventeen, and it's no accident. Sophie and her best friend Mina are confronted by a masked man in the woods. Sophie survives, but Mina is not so lucky. When the cops deem Mina's murder a drug deal gone wrong, casting partial blame on Sophie, no one will believe the truth: Sophie has been clean for months, and it was Mina who led her into the woods that night for a meeting shrouded in mystery. 

After a forced stint in rehab, Sophie returns home to a chilly new reality. Mina's brother won't speak to her, her parents fear she'll relapse, old friends have become enemies, and Sophie has to learn how to live without her other half. To make matters worse, no one is looking in the right places and Sophie must search for Mina's murderer on her own. But with every step, Sophie comes closer to revealing all: about herself, about Mina and about the secret they shared.”

Okay. So firstly, I really like thrillers, and I also really like when the protagonist is part of a marginalized group, especially if it’s one I can relate to like a character with chronic pain. And that’s initially what drew me to this book—because trying to find YA with characters who deal with chronic pain? Not so easy.

What I liked: Sophie deals with disability (among other things), including chronic pain that causes her to limp, and she still kicks ass. I want more of this. I want so much more.

Otherwise, Sophie’s chronic pain is very different from mine, largely because hers is caused by an old injury from a bad accident and mine comes from chronic illness—but of course that’s not at all a fault of the book. It just means I still haven’t found a YA with a depiction of chronic pain I can really relate to.

That said, what I really liked was there wasn’t a miracle cure. Not for Sophie’s injury, not for the chronic pain, and not for her addiction, or her trauma. Far From You does a really fantastic job not sugar-coating reality—it acknowledges that long after the book, Sophie will still have a limp, will still have to deal with a lot of trauma, and will always struggle with addiction. And for that alone, I’m giving Tess Sharpe a massive internet high-five.

AS FAR AS THE ACTUAL PLOT GOES, I really enjoyed this. The mystery surrounding Mina’s death was fascinating, and I love books that keep you guessing, like this one. I had a few theories about who was at fault, but the twist got me—that said, I sort of felt like I mostly didn’t guess because I’d pretty much forgotten some people existed. Maybe my fault. Maybe the book’s fault. Eh. Not a big deal. Overall, Far From You is an exciting book that’ll definitely keep you interested.

Finally, it was really great to see a YA protagonist who is explicitly bisexual, but whose sexuality isn’t necessarily the main focus of the book (though coming out books are definitely important, too).

Overall, I really enjoyed this one, and I definitely recommend it to those looking for a fun, twisty YA Thriller.

Diversity note: Sophie, the protagonist, has a limp from chronic pain caused by a car accident years prior, struggles with drug addiction (opiate painkillers), and is explicitly bisexual. Mina, her best friend/sort of girlfriend was not out, but she was lesbian.

Have you read any great YA lately? 

.@Ava_Jae gives 4/5 stars to FAR FROM YOU by Tess Sharpe. Have you read this twisty YA Thriller? (Click to tweet)  

Looking for an exciting YA Thriller w/ a disabled MC? Check out FAR FROM YOU by Tess Sharpe. (Click to tweet)

Book Review: MORE HAPPY THAN NOT by Adam Silvera

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So I’d heard a ton about this book and did that thing I don’t do very often and pre-ordered a book from an author I hadn’t read before. And while More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera wasn’t quite what I was expecting, I definitely didn’t regret it. 

Before I go on, here’s the Goodreads summary:

“The Leteo Institute's revolutionary memory-relief procedure seems too good to be true to Aaron Soto — miracle cure-alls don't tend to pop up in the Bronx projects. But Aaron can't forget how he's grown up poor or how his friends aren't always there for him. Like after his father committed suicide in their one bedroom apartment. Aaron has the support of his patient girlfriend, if not necessarily his distant brother and overworked mother, but it's not enough.  

Then Thomas shows up. He has a sweet movie-watching setup on his roof, and he doesn't mind Aaron's obsession with a popular fantasy series. There are nicknames, inside jokes. Most importantly, Thomas doesn't mind talking about Aaron's past. But Aaron's newfound happiness isn't welcome on his block. Since he can't stay away from Thomas or suddenly stop being gay, Aaron must turn to Leteo to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he is. 

Adam Silvera's extraordinary debut novel offers a unique confrontation of race, class and sexuality during one charged near-future summer in the Bronx.”

It’s kind of hard to write about this one without spoiling anything, but I do have several thoughts:

Firstly, the intersectionality in this book was so great to see. I loved reading a protagonist who is Latino but not necessarily Spanish-fluent (which doesn’t sound like a big deal, but as a Latina but not exactly Spanish-fluent person myself, it was very nice to see we exist), and I realized while reading this is one of the few YA books I’ve seen with characters from a lower socioeconomic background.

Secondly, this book broke my heart so many times. Emotions go all over the place with this one, with big highs and really sad lows, and I absolutely loved the twist. Aaron and many of the other characters are complicated, layered characters who felt completely real, and they were a treat to read.

I will say that the pacing in the first third of the book or so was a little slower than my liking, and for a while I wasn’t really sure where the plot was going (and when I did think I knew where the plot was going, I was so wrong which was great). But as things began coming together, the whole story wove together really nicely and I definitely enjoyed it.

More Happy Than Not will bring on the feels and really make you connect with the characters. This book was a delight to read and I definitely recommend it to those looking for something different, gritty, and honest.

I’m giving 4/5 stars to this wonderful YA and I can’t wait to read Silvera’s next book!

Diversity note: The protagonist is Latino, gay, and like many of the characters, from a lower socioeconomic background. Other major characters were also PoC, including the main love interest, and the protagonist also suffers from depression.

What have you been reading lately? 

Twitter-sized bites: 

.@Ava_Jae gives 4/5 stars to MORE HAPPY THAN NOT by @AdamSilvera. Have you read this intersectional YA? (Click to tweet) 

Looking for an emotional, twisty, honest YA read? Check out MORE HAPPY THAN NOT by Adam Silvera. (Click to tweet)

Book Review: THE BODY ELECTRIC by Beth Revis

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As is my general MO with book reviews, I like to start with the Goodreads summary, and so here it

is:

“The future world is at peace. 

Ella Shepherd has dedicated her life to using her unique gift—the ability to enter people’s dreams and memories using technology developed by her mother—to help others relive their happy memories. 

But not all is at it seems. 

Ella starts seeing impossible things—images of her dead father, warnings of who she cannot trust. Her government recruits her to spy on a rebel group, using her ability to experience—and influence—the memories of traitors. But the leader of the rebels claims they used to be in love—even though Ella’s never met him before in her life. Which can only mean one thing… 

Someone’s altered her memory. 

Ella’s gift is enough to overthrow a corrupt government or crush a growing rebel group. She is the key to stopping a war she didn’t even know was happening. But if someone else has been inside Ella’s head, she cannot trust her own memories, thoughts, or feelings. 

So who can she trust?”

Right! So as I’ve mentioned before and will probably mention again, Beth Revis is one of my all-time favorite YA Sci-Fi authors. I very much credit Across the Universe for showing me I actually really like YA Sci-Fi and dual POV. Anything she writes is basically an instal-buy for me, but you can imagine how excited I was when I won a signed, limited print edition (aka: VERY excited). 

While I did find the opening to be a little on the slow side, the rest of the plot more than made up for it. I generally expect action, explosions, swoons and lots of twists from Revis, and in those respects, The Body Electric did not disappoint. I was expecting some sort of Inception-type elements, which were definitely present, but the twists in the book went so beyond what I was expecting and I really enjoyed the direction the book went in. 

The Body Electric is very Sci-Fi with a fascinating futuristic world set in Malta (which was totally fun to read about) with ties to the Across the Universe series that were really fun to come across. Between cyborgs, androids, nanobots and more, I was totally immersed in The Body Electric’s otherworldy-yet-not-unrealistic setting. As a bonus, the protagonist is a PoC and there are several PoC secondary characters, which was really nice to see. 

I did notice that there were quite a few filter phrases throughout the work (which, to be honest, is more of a peeve I only notice because I’m a writer), and I did feel that the villain near the end bordered on a little too unequivocally evil—I tend to prefer my villains to be more nuanced and, at best, even somewhat sympathetic. But those flaws in no way ruined my enjoyment of the novel. I’m giving The Body Electric 4/5 stars, and I recommend it to those who like YA Sci-Fi rife with plot twists. 

I can’t wait to see what Revis comes up with next! 

What have you been reading lately?

Twitter-sized bites: 

.@Ava_Jae gives 4/5 stars to THE BODY ELECTRIC by Beth Revis. Have you read this twisty YA Sci-Fi? (Click to tweet)    

Looking for a twisty & exciting YA SF read? Check out THE BODY ELECTRIC by Beth Revis. (Click to tweet)

Book Review: THE LIVING by Matt de la Peña

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So this was a really fun read. 

I do happen to love my YA full of action and intensity and The Living definitely met those expectations. But before I go on, here’s the Goodreads summary:

“Shy took the summer job to make some money. In a few months on a luxury cruise liner, he'll rake in the tips and be able to help his mom and sister out with the bills. And how bad can it be? Bikinis, free food, maybe even a girl or two—every cruise has different passengers, after all. 

But everything changes when the Big One hits. Shy's only weeks out at sea when an earthquake more massive than ever before recorded hits California, and his life is forever changed. 

The earthquake is only the first disaster. Suddenly it's a fight to survive for those left living.” 

So, yeah, this was pretty much as intense as it sounds. I’ve heard people say this is like a YA Lost without the smoke monster weirdness, and it definitely has that vibe, though I think it reminded me more of I Shouldn’t Be Alive for YA. Either way, The Living is a super interesting read.

Something I appreciated was the incidental diversity. Shy is (half?) Mexican American and many of the important side characters have diverse racial backgrounds, which was really nice to see. And while there are absolutely some themes of race and class coming into play, The Living doesn’t read as an issue book (and it’s not supposed to), and overall, I think it was very nicely handled.

I will say that the ending was kind of predictable and the confrontation between Shy and a particular baddie was, shall we say, a teensie bit evil bad guy Hollywood cliché? Also, there was a thing with super aggressive sharks that I wasn’t totally buying, but the issues were minor and I still definitely enjoyed reading. Now The Hunted just has to come out so I can find out what happens. *frets*

I’m giving The Living 4/5 stars and I recommend it to those who enjoy fast-paced, Adventure/Disaster-type books.

Have you read anything good lately? I’m always open to recommendations (especially YA & NA)! 

Twitter-sized bites: 

.@Ava_Jae gives 4/5 stars to THE LIVING by Matt de la Peña. Have you read this intense YA Adventure? (Click to tweet)   

Looking for a fast-paced, intense YA read with high stakes and a diverse cast? Try THE LIVING by @mattdelapena. (Click to tweet)

Book Review: MAKE IT COUNT by Megan Erickson

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So I know I’ve used the word “adorable” to describe a lot of NA reads as of late (especially the Contemporary Romances), but, well…I’m going to do it again. Because Make It Count by Megan Erickson is just that—super ridiculously adorable. And it was so very fun to read. 

Before I go on, as per usual, here’s the Goodreads summary:

“Kat Caruso wishes her brain had a return policy, or at least a complaint hot-line. The defective organ is constantly distracted, terrible at statistics, and absolutely flooded with inappropriate thoughts about her boyfriend’s gorgeous best friend, Alec…who just so happens to be her brand new math tutor. Who knew nerd was so hot? 

Kat usually goes through tutors like she does boyfriends—both always seem to bail when they realize how hopeless she is. It’s safer for her heart to keep everyone at arm’s reach. But Alec is always stepping just a little too close. 

Alec Stone should not be fantasizing about Kat. She’s adorable, unbelievably witty, and completely off limits. He’d never stab his best friend in the back… 

But when secrets are revealed, the lines of loyalty are blurred. To make it count, Alec must learn messy human emotions can’t be solved like a trigonometry function. And Kat has to trust Alec may be the first guy to want her for who she is, and not in spite of it.”

So Alec may actually be one of my favorite NA love interests ever—I mean, hot, nerdy beta male? SO much yes, please.

What’s great about Make It Count is not only is it a really fun, cute, light-hearted NA read, but Erickson also tackles a subject that really doesn’t get enough representation—learning disabilities. Not only that, but Erickson handles it really well—we see how a learning disability affects one of the characters (I won’t say who, but you can probably guess), as well as what stigmas are attached to it, which is something, I’ll admit, I hadn’t really thought much about before.

Also! I haven’t seen a whole lot of third person in NA, but if you like third person I so very highly recommend you pick up some of Erickson’s books—she has such a great (and super-NA appropriate and fun) third person voice that’s just as entertaining and real as any NA first person voice I’ve read and enjoyed.

My one peeve is I found Kat’s crippling lack of self-confidence a teensie bit annoying to read at times—however! That was a deliberate character development choice, and by no means ruined the reading for me in any way, and I would still (and do) recommend this one for anyone looking for a light, fun NA read, especially in third person.

So if you like Contemporary Romance and you haven’t yet checked out Make It Count, I recommend you do! And you may also want to check out Make It Right, which is now out, and I really need to get.

Twitter-sized bites:

.@Ava_Jae gives 4/5 stars to MAKE IT COUNT by @meganerickson. Have you read this nerdy NA romance? (Click to tweet)   

Looking for a light & fun 3rd person NA w/ a nerdy love interest? Try MAKE IT COUNT by @meganerickson. (Click to tweet)

Book Review: OTHERBOUND by Corinne Duyvis

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I always love when I read a book from a nice person on Twitter and it turns out that along with being really super nice, they’re actually totally awesome at the whole book-writing thing, too.

Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis is one of those examples.

Before I go into why, however, here’s the Goodreads summary:

“Amara is never alone. Not when she's protecting the cursed princess she unwillingly serves. Not when they're fleeing across dunes and islands and seas to stay alive. Not when she's punished, ordered around, or neglected. 

She can't be alone, because a boy from another world experiences all that alongside her, looking through her eyes. 

Nolan longs for a life uninterrupted. Every time he blinks, he's yanked from his Arizona town into Amara's mind, a world away, which makes even simple things like hobbies and homework impossible. He's spent years as a powerless observer of Amara's life. Amara has no idea . . . until he learns to control her, and they communicate for the first time. Amara is terrified. Then, she's furious. 

All Amara and Nolan want is to be free of each other. But Nolan's breakthrough has dangerous consequences. Now, they'll have to work together to survive--and discover the truth about their connection.”

So I began reading Otherbound thinking it would be a cool fantasy story with a diverse cast and an interesting premise. I was right, but wow, I didn’t realize how impressive this book would be.

The world building and magic system alone makes the unique world of Otherbound so very interesting—I’ve never seen a magic system quite like what Duyvis put together in Nolan and Amara’s intertwined worlds, and it was totally refreshing to see a fantasy world where there are consequences to magic use (can you say FINALLY?). Combined with the intricate details of the cultures (yes! more than one! thank you again!) and norms of Amara’s world and the totally fascinating epilepsy-not-really-epilepsy-like attacks Nolan gets in his reality when slipping into Amara’s world, and it all makes for one really interesting story.

I will say that there were some aspects of Amara’s world that confused me and/or I had trouble grasping, but all in all, the world building was really well done and I totally admire the way Duyvis wrote Nolan and Amara’s worlds.

Oh, and have I mentioned the diverse characters? This made me so happy. Nolan is a latino amputee with “epilepsy” (and even though we know it’s not epilepsy, the way Amara’s world affects him in a way that totally breaks your heart) and Amara is a mute bisexual girl. Not only that, but the full cast beyond the protagonists are so very diverse and it really was an extra bonus in an already fabulous book.

I totally recommend this book to those who enjoy YA Fantasy, and I look forward to more books from Duyvis!

Twitter-sized bites: 

.@Ava_Jae gives 4/5 stars to OTHERBOUND by @corinneduyvis. Have you read this unique YA Fantasy? (Click to tweet)   

Want a diverse YA Fantasy w/ unique magic & fabulous worldbuilding? Try OTHERBOUND by @corinneduyvis. (Click to tweet)

Book Review: BROKEN by C.J. Lyons

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I guest posted on Deanna Di Lello's blog just recently on what keeps me writing. Feel free to check out the post and say hi! :)

So I don’t usually do two book reviews in such close proximity, but after I finished reading Broken by C.J. Lyons, I knew I’d have to make an exception. Because this book deserves a boost.

As per usual, let’s start with the Goodreads summary:

“The only thing fifteen-year-old Scarlet Killian has ever wanted is a chance at a normal life. Diagnosed with a rare and untreatable heart condition, she has never taken the school bus. Or giggled with friends during lunch. Or spied on a crush out of the corner of her eye. So when her parents offer her three days to prove she can survive high school, Scarlet knows her time is now... or never. Scarlet can feel her heart beating out of control with every slammed locker and every sideways glance in the hallway. But this high school is far from normal. And finding out the truth might just kill Scarlet before her heart does.”

So what really drew me to this book was the combination of a disabled protagonist (which I was pretty psyched about) and the promise of a fast-paced thriller, according to the blurb on the back cover. And I’ll admit, for the first 150 pages or so, I was wondering when the thriller bit was going to kick in, because I didn’t find the first half of the book to be particularly fast-paced.

That being said, the beginning wasn’t boring. I enjoyed reading about Scarlet’s life, and her perspective as a teenager never having been to public school before was pretty fascinating—it just wasn’t the fast-paced thriller that I’d been promised.

Queue plot twist.

I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’m not going to give details, but I finished the second half of the book in a couple hours. I don’t usually stay up late to finish a book (which I know is rare for a voracious reader like myself, but I tend to be pretty self-disciplined), and yet I totally did with this book. Post plot twist, the “fast-paced thriller” promise really did live up to my expectations.

Broken features a disabled protagonist who is doing everything she can to live her life to the fullest, covers mental illness in a powerful and realistic way and definitely ends with a bang. I’m rating it 4/5 stars and giving it a definite thumbs up.

I'd love to read more books that cover disability and/or mental illness while still providing an exciting plot. Any recommendations? 

Twitter-sized bite: 

Writer @Ava_Jae gives BROKEN by C.J. Lyons 4/5 stars. Have you read this book? (Click to tweet)