Mini Review: How to Save Your Child from Ostrich Attacks, Accidental Time Travel, and Anything Else that Might Happen on an Average Tuesday by James Breakwell

Title: How to Save Your Child from Ostrich Attacks, Accidental Time Travel, and Anything Else that Might Happen on an Average Tuesday
Author: James Breakwell
Format: Paperback, 200 pages
Pub. Date: November 5th 2019
Source: Borrowed from Emily


Book Description:

The parenting humorist behind the viral Twitter account @XplodingUnicorn and author of Only Dead on the Inside: A Parent’s Guide to Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse presents the long-awaited guide to surviving everything else

In the era of instant parent shaming and viral hot takes, some questions are too dangerous to ask out loud: What's the proper first aid for my toddler’s vampire bite? What should I do if I take a wrong turn on the way to soccer practice and end up in the Cretaceous Period? How can I fend off Godzilla without disrupting my child's nap?

Review:

★★★

This book is... Fine. That's all I'm really left feeling at the end of it.

I like James Breakwell. I follow him on Twitter, and I find his tweets and clip art style comics hilarious. I know this isn't his first book, but it's the first one that I've read. I'm bummed that I was left disappointed.

It's a funny book. There's definitely a sense of Breakwell's sense of humor here. But it peters out as the book goes on. It starts to feel phoned in and not as thoughtful as the first part of the book. It starts to feel redundant and boring, and not as funny. Which is a definite shame, because he's a funny guy.

I think there are a lot of parents out there who will relate to this and find it funny. There's clearly an audience for it. But for me, it was just sort of meh and there won't be much I remember about it now that I've finished reading it.

Review: Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

Title: Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir
Author: Jenny Lawson
Format: Paperback, 370 pages
Pub. Date: March 5th 2013
Source: Goodwill


Book Description:

Includes a new chapter!

When Jenny Lawson was little, all she ever wanted was to fit in. That dream was cut short by her fantastically unbalanced father and a morbidly eccentric childhood. It did, however, open up an opportunity for Lawson to find the humor in the strange shame-spiral that is her life, and we are all the better for it.

In the irreverent Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, Lawson’s long-suffering husband and sweet daughter help her uncover the surprising discovery that the most terribly human moments—the ones we want to pretend never happened—are the very same moments that make us the people we are today. For every intellectual misfit who thought they were the only ones to think the things that Lawson dares to say out loud, this is a poignant and hysterical look at the dark, disturbing, yet wonderful moments of our lives.

Review:

★★★

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book. I wasn't familiar with Jenny Lawson, or her blog. But, I remember when everyone was reading it and that it's a best seller and had won a Goodreads Award, so I thought that I would check it out. Overall, it was okay.

The first half of this book was absolutely hilarious. Jenny Lawson had an.... interesting childhood to say the least. She has a great voice for telling these childhood stories, where they're relatable, funny, and just wild enough that they still seem believable. I really appreciated that peppered throughout this collection of essays were photos from her past. It makes it that much more "real" which I think drives home how funny they are. In fact, I actually read a few chapters aloud to my mother. I honestly cannot tell you the last time I've done that. It's been years, at least.

There's a good couple of quotes sprinkled in here, like “You should just accept who you are, flaws and all, because if you try to be someone you aren't, then eventually some turkey is going to shit all over your well-crafted facade, so you might as well save yourself the effort and enjoy your zombie books.” Another good one is “In short? It is exhausting being me. Pretending to be normal is draining and requires amazing amounts of energy and Xanax.” Both of these are relatable to me. If nothing else, I appreciate that Lawson has grown into a person who is unapologetically herself. Even if that person is a little exhausting.

The second half, I rapidly lost interest. The stories no longer were quirky, but boring and a bit obnoxious as they shifted from childhood to adulthood. There's a lot of rambling and repetition. I understand that she has an anxiety disorder, and that this is how it presents in conversations. But it needed editing. Plus, the melodramatics of THIS THING HAPPENED TO ME just kidding it was this actual much smaller, normal thing that happens to most people. Then there's a thousand footnotes, and notes to the editor, that also get tiring and don't add much to the narrative.

She's clearly funny. The first half of the book proved that. But I'm also clearly not her target audience. Lots of people seem to like her, but, I was left disappointed by this memoir. She has quite a few more books published since this one came out, but those are going to be a pass from me. It seems very much like something a book club might read. If you had a troubling childhood or were the weird kid growing up, you might like this. Saddle up for profanity and an excessive amount of the word "vagina".

Review: Room by Emma Donoghue

Title: Room
Author: Emma Donoghue
Format: Paperback, 352 pages
Pub. Date: May 18th 2011
Source: Goodwill


Book Description:

To five-year-old-Jack, Room is the world. . . . It's where he was born, it's where he and his Ma eat and sleep and play and learn. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma it's the prison where she has been held for seven years. Through her fierce love for her son, she has created a life for him in this eleven-by-eleven-foot space. But with Jack's curiosity building alongside her own desperation, she knows that Room cannot contain either much longer.

Room is a tale at once shocking, riveting, exhilarating--a story of unconquerable love in harrowing circumstances, and of the diamond-hard bond between a mother and her child.

Review:

★★★★★

Four and a half stars, rounded up.

I'm not quite sure how to review this book. It seems wrong to say that I liked it, given that it's about rape and abduction. But, it was so hauntingly and beautifully written, that it was enjoyable to read, even with the dark (and it is DARK) subject matter.

I didn't realize when I picked this book up that it was going to be written from the perspective of the five year old son, Jack, who has been held captive in the "room" his entire life. It was shocking, but it works so well as a literary tool. He doesn't understand life, not like you or me. Because there is no life outside of "room". He doesn't understand why his mom gets sad, or angry, or tired with him. He doesn't understand that she was raped and enslaved and kidnapped. But as an adult reading through his eyes, you can see between the lines, and see how much fight the mom has in her, and how she copes with this horrible life she's been dealt, and how much she does for her son so that he can try to have happiness, even in personal little hell.

The emotions are high and tense because children feel so deeply. Each cutting word, each sigh, each scream, it's all vivid and it's all felt. You grow to care for Jack and his mother, hoping that they will be safe, that they will live, that they will get free. Jack is written as so brave but so frightened at the same time. When outside of Room, he has to learn things that I would have never thought about, like how to climb stairs. It's heartbreaking but hopeful.

The room is written in such vivid detail that I feel like I could envision every part of it, from the worn floors to the ceiling window. The characters are well described too, Donoghue is very good at showing instead of telling, and it visualizes very well. It's no wonder that someone read this and thought it would make a good movie. It's very dramatic and cinematic, and while I have not seen the movie (and I'm not quite sure I want to), I can totally imagine it on screen.

This book covers so many hard to swallow topics: child abuse, rape, kidnapping, enslavement, suicide, depression, miscarriage, overdose, the "need to know all the gory details" coverage of the media. And Emma Donoghue navigates them expertly. This is a raw, emotional, powerful, and often times painful story, measured with hope, perseverance, and love. It's not an easy book to get through, but it's a book that I'm very glad that I read.

If you are a fan of things like true crime and ID channel, than this book might be something you want to read. If you have any aversion to any of the topics that I've mentioned here, than I don't recommend it, because you will probably find it incredibly troubling and upsetting.

Review: The Snowbirds by Jim Fitzsimmons

Title: The Snowbirds
Author: Jim Fitzsimmons
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: March 28 2015
Source: Troubador Publishing


Book Description via Goodreads:

In a small Japanese mountain village, young Shoji enters an ice carving competition. He soon finds he has a rival in Orochi, another boy in the village, who tries to sabotage Shoji’s entry, but with the help of his family Shoji creates a most beautiful Snowbird.

When the other ice carvings are revealed they discover that Orochi has stolen Shoji’s idea and has also carved an equally beautiful Snowbird. The judges cannot decide the winner of the competition so they announce that the result will be declared the next morning.

During the night Jack Frost discovers the two Snowbirds and thinks one of them will make an ideal companion for his Grandfather Frost, the Snow King. At the same time Shoji, anxious for the safety of his Snowbird, sneaks out of his house and meets Jack Frost who explains his plan. Shoji agrees to let him have his Snowbird, but they are both interrupted by the arrival of Orochi who demands payment in return for his.

Jack Frost brings the Snowbirds to life and tells them they must travel to the North Pole where his Grandfather will choose one of them to be his companion. On their journey they meet different characters and encounter many difficulties until they both finally arrive, but which one will be chosen? Jack Frost has a cunning idea to help his Grandfather decide…

The Snowbirds is a magical tale that will be enjoyed by children from the age of seven. In the style of a full length novel, it will help the younger reader progress to more challenging literature, while providing a thrilling read for those who are older.

Review:

★★★

I was really excited to read this book. I really like books that involve Japanese themes and culture. I also really enjoy fantasy. Plus on top of that, my father was (in his prime) a competitive ice carver. So I thought that this would be one that I loved. I enjoyed it well enough, but overall it was a really average read for me.

I really liked the fantasy elements and how they were blended into the story. I also rather liked the writing style. It was very pretty and it flowed well to me, but it seemed a bit displaced. This book is for children, and the main character is a child as well. It came off as very adult- I don't know any children who would think or speak like this.

This book was clearly written as a moral story, which is fine. But for me, this whole moral of being selfless was waaaay too prominent. It was blunt and forced in the reading, as opposed to letting the story unwrap the lesson to be learned from the story. It was hammering, to see the point of the story get across.

The cover is absolutely gorgeous as well, and I think it is a fairly good representation of the story within its pages.

This wasn't a bad book by any means, but it's not one that I'd read again. I don't have children, so I can't be a proper judge of how this story is received, but I think it may lend itself well to being read aloud and not for them to read on their own.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Gummi Bears Should Not Be Organic by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor

Title: Gummi Bears Should Not Be Organic: And Other Opinions I Can't Back Up With Facts
Author: Stefanie Wilder-Taylor
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: April 7th 2015
Source: Gallery Books


Book Description via Goodreads:

From the popular mommy blogger and seasoned author of Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay and Naptime Is the New Happy Hour comes this hilarious book of honest, no-holds-barred musings on motherhood.

Stefanie Wilder-Taylor is officially fed up with the endless mommy fads, trends, studies, findings, and facts about how to raise children. Tiger Mom or Cool Mom? Organic or vegan? TV is the devil or TV is a godsend?

The mother of three young girls, Stefanie has finally decided to hell with Google she's going to find out how to be a mom all on her own. In this latest mommy book from the popular blogger, author, and TV personality, Stefanie will share her secrets for achieving a balance in motherhood between being protective and caring, and downright batshit crazy. She'll debunk some of the looniest parenting myths and reinforce others; she'll describe how, through as simple a process as good old trial-and-error, she's learned to pick and choose what works for her and her family, and tune out the rest.

Filled with sage advice, laugh-out-loud stories, and Stefanie's signature wit, Gummi Bears Should Not Be Organic is sure to appeal to any and every renegade mom who's forged her own path to childrearing.

Review:

★★

I really wanted to like this book. The blurb sounded great, the title is hilarious, and who doesn't want to read a book with a big red gummi bear on the cover? Unfortunately, I think this book is another example of "just wasn't for me".

I don't have kids, but I can enjoy a book about parenting if it's well done and if I connect to it. I didn't have that connection to this book. I had never heard of the author before, so I was unfamiliar with her type of humor. She's funny, no getting around that. But I didn't laugh as much as I was meant to, I don't think. There were quite a few places where it was trying way too hard to be funny, which had the opposite effect of laughter. Other times (and I had this issue not that long ago with Jim Gaffigan's parenting book), the humor just comes off as smug.

Actually, that's kind of how I felt about this book. That "here's an example of all the things I do with my kids and I support your own systems, but mine is better and I'm judging you a bit". I know that no two parents agree on every method of raising a kid, but this book serves as a reminder of how judgy the parent pool can be. I also didn't really learn anything from this book. There were no moments where I thought "Wow, that's such a great idea, I'll have to remember that for my kids!" That's not to say that the author gives bad advice: she doesn't. It's very reasonable advice that in general just has to do with finding balance- not too much, not too little. I agree that this is a good approach to parenting. There just wasn't anything new to me.

Despite my issues with this book, I think people will like it more than I did. Like I said, I think this is an example of it's not you, book, it's me. Maybe it's funnier and more relatable if you're a parent, or if you're older than I am. Or maybe you just need a different sense of humor than I have. This isn't a bad book, but it's one I was disconnected to.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan

Title: Dad is Fat
Author: Jim Gaffigan
Format: Hardcover, 275 pages
Pub. Date: May 7th 2013
Source: Borrowed from Lisa


Book Description via Goodreads:

In Dad is Fat, stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan, who’s best known for his legendary riffs on Hot Pockets, bacon, manatees, and McDonald's, expresses all the joys and horrors of life with five young children—everything from cousins ("celebrities for little kids") to toddlers’ communication skills (“they always sound like they have traveled by horseback for hours to deliver important news”), to the eating habits of four year olds (“there is no difference between a four year old eating a taco and throwing a taco on the floor”). Reminiscent of Bill Cosby’s Fatherhood, Dad is Fat is sharply observed, explosively funny, and a cry for help from a man who has realized he and his wife are outnumbered in their own home.

Review:

★★★

2.5/5 stars.

The short version of my review is simply: Meh.

I'd been looking forward to reading this for a long time. Gaffigan is one of my favorite comedians, probably because I'm also pudgy and from the Midwest. I love his comedy, and I love books. So I assumed that naturally, I would love his book. Sadly, that's not true.

This might be because I'm not a parent. Gaffigan is from a big family, and him and his wife have more than a few kids themselves. Dad is Fat focuses on family. I thought I'd relate to it more, after all I do love my family. But because I have no intention of having kids, nor am I from a big family myself, this felt like a miss for me. I felt like this book was an outlet for him to complain about other parents and the woes of children, which I mean, a book is a perfectly valid place to do that. However, I feel like most of these gripes are brought on himself. He has five (I think?) kids in a tiny New York City apartment. So yeah, sleeping is rough. Going to the park or out is a hassle because of subways and taxis. But it's a choice to live in such a small place, in the heart of the city, so I ultimately didn't feel much sympathy or humor in the situation.

Actually, I didn't enjoy the overall tone of the book. When he does stand up (to those of you who don't know), Gaffigan does inflictions or changes his voice to make the joke hit harder. Because I had to read this myself, I couldn't hear the tone, and it mostly came of as being extremely smarmy and condescending. It felt like when you're stuck with a group of people you don't know at a party, and they are all in on some information and discuss it with laughs, leaving you clueless until you walk away. That's how this book felt- I wanted to walk away a lot of the time.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy some of it. Gaffigan's a funny guy, and I snickered here and there. I found that the funniest parts to me were in fact recycled sets that he's done in his stand up routines, which is a bit of a bummer. I liked that he talked about his own upbringing and coming up in addition to the family that he has now with his wife. I also really liked that there were illustrations and photographs in this book, I hadn't been expecting that. The family photos, kids' drawings, and blueprints helped me get through the book.

All in all, this isn't a bad book. It's just not something that I personally connected to, despite my high hopes upon opening it. If you are a parent or are from a large family, or even if you are a parent in a large city like New York, you will probably like this a lot more than I did. I laughed, but not as much as I wanted to, making this book a fairly average and slightly disappointing one.

Review: The Cowboy's Valentine by Donna Alward & Happy Valentine's Day!

Title: The Cowboy's Valentine
Series: Crooked Valley Ranch #2
Author: Donna Alward
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: February 1st 2015
Source: Netgalley & Harlequin American Romance


Book Description via Goodreads:

HEART OF A COWBOY

Coming home is hard enough without ranch manager Quinn Solomon making Lacey Duggan feel like an unwanted guest. She's only here until she figures out what to do with her one-third ownership of Crooked Valley. But Quinn's irresistible daughter is giving Lacey ideas about being part of a family. And though they don't even like each other, Lacey's having crazier notions about the widowed single dad.

Does Lacey think she can waltz in and turn Quinn's life upside down…only to leave again? The pretty accountant knows nothing about running a ranch, yet she's making the Montana homestead feel like a home. Quinn isn't looking for love again. Until a woman who's all heart and a determined little girl help one lovestruck cowboy see the light.

Review:

★★★★

I have still not kicked this addiction to cowboys. I have tried, but I keep going back to the books on my kindle that have "cowboy" in the title. It seemed only fitting that I got to this one before Valentine's Day passed me by!

I really liked the plot of this book. As if I don't find broody cowboys endearing enough, making him a single dad is a sure fire way to get my emotional attention. Quinn was my favorite character- he's loyal, strong, determined, and always puts the need of his little girl first. Which leads me to his daughter, Amber, who is possibly the most adorable child that I've ever read about in my life. I really appreciated the way Alward wrote her, because it seemed genuine. It didn't seem like an adult trying to find a child's voice, which is something I notice more than one would think. And then there's Lacey. I liked her well enough, and I ached for her and her back story. An illness that prevents kids, a messy divorce, no job. It's rough. But towards the end I was really frustrated with her stubbornness to a point where I no longer found it endearing.

I enjoyed watching the relationship between Quinn and Lacey progress from two people who pretty much hate each other to something more than that. There was a nice flow to the story, so it was well-timed and easy to lose yourself in the story for a few chapters at a time. There was drama and humor and sweet romance, and really what more does a girl need from her cowboy Harlequin, hm?

And if I haven't persuaded you yet: this book features a cowboy holding a puppy.

This was a sweet romance that helped to scratch my cowboy itch, and I think fans of contemporary westerns, romance, cowboys, and Harlequin books will enjoy this one. Thanks to Harlequin for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

And I hope all of you have a lovely Valentine's Day. Whether you're going somewhere fancy or chilling out at home with cats and cheese pizza, enjoy yourself!

Jillyn

Birthday Blogoversary Fangirl Bash Part Three Review & Interview: Alex as Well by Alyssa Brugman!

Title: Alex as Well
Author: Alyssa Brugman
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: January 20th 2015
Source: Netgalley & Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

About the Book:

Alex is ready for things to change, in a big way. Everyone seems to think she’s a boy, but for Alex the whole boy/girl thing isn’t as simple as either/or, and when she decides girl is closer to the truth, no one knows how to react, least of all her parents. Undeterred, Alex begins to create a new identity for herself: ditching one school, enrolling in another, and throwing out most of her clothes. But the other Alex—the boy Alex—has a lot to say about that.　Heartbreaking and droll in equal measures, Alex As Well is a brilliantly told story of exploring gender and sexuality, navigating friendships, and finding a place to belong.

Interview:

I'm very stoked to have Alyssa Brugman on the blog today to answer some of my questions about her book (which I absolutely adored) and to help to celebrate my birthday week. Thanks again for taking the time to let me do an interview with you! First, what inspired you to write Alex as Well?

The writer Jane McCredie was on the radio talking about her book Making Boys and Girls, which is about the science and psychology of gender. She was talking about gender as a spectrum.

Young people who experiment with, who identify as neither or both gender in various ways, are not much discussed in young adult fiction, which seems very odd when gender, sexual awareness and identity make up so much of the rest of young adult fiction. It doesn’t make any sense that there aren’t there more YA books about transgendered, cross-dressing or intersex teens, so I wrote one.

At the time I was working on a PhD in literature. My area of study was unreliable narration in young adult fiction. I wanted to know how I could let the reader know what was going even though my young character shouldn’t really have the emotional maturity to understand either themselves, or the motives of others. I incorporated a number of the narrative strategies that I studied in the PhD into this manuscript.

I couldn't agree with you more, YA literature is definitely lacking in those areas, and I was fascinated by Alex's narrative. Were any of these characters based off of people that you know in real life?

No, I made it all up.

Did you have to do any research while writing this novel? If so, how did you use this research, or what are some things you learned?

As I said before, I wrote a PhD thesis on unreliable narration, and the original manuscript of Alex was submitted as the companion piece, showing examples of the narrative strategies that I talked about in the thesis. I learned a lot of technical names for things I had done before in other books, and now I can see them when I read other people’s books. It’s kind of like opening the bonnet of a novel seeing all the different parts of its engine.

What do you hope people take away from Alex as Well?

I read an article by an emerging young adult author in the Australian Society of Authors magazine who said, “I didn’t want to write one of those social realism novels whose aim seems to be to make teens feel better about being bullied for being fat or thin or gay or black or Muslim.”
I unapologetically write those novels, but not with the sort of cynicism that the above quote implies - instead with what I fancy is a genuine compassion for, and interest in, young people who might be struggling in their various ways.

People who don’t understand intersex conditions seem to think that gender dysphoria is some kind of choice.
While I believe society in general is making life easier than it used to be for people who identify as LGBT, it still appears to be too common an experience to have the family/loved ones of these people to say, “I will love you again when you decide to stop being LGBT”.
My wonderful editor for the novel, Jane Pearson and I had a long discussion about how we were going to end this novel. We wanted it to be hopeful and triumphant, at the same time reflecting the sometimes harsh reality for adolescents like Alex.
I hope that young people (or old people) who in some way identify with Alex’s plight, for whatever reason, will find some comfort in her company.

“I will love you again when you decide to stop being LGBT” is quite possibly one of the most accurate statements about being LGBT today that I have personally ever read. In a bit lighter of a question, do you listen to music when you write? If so, what songs make up the soundtrack to this book?

There are a lot of pop tunes in this book. It's interesting that my character will often choose a soundtrack for the writing of the book that is quite different from what I would choose. My latest character, who is a man, wants to listen to The Cure, David Bowie, Joy Division, Morrissey, and Peter Gabriel. That's a long way from Alex who liked Pink, Black Eyed Peas and Miley Cyrus.

I'd get along with both of those characters- I listen to both Pink and The Cure. Is there a particular place or room where you feel the most inspired to write?

I have a study in my house which is where I do the typing part, but writing mostly happens in my head. I do the composing part while I am hanging out the washing, driving, grocery shopping etc.

Which scene in Alex as Well was your favorite to write?

There is a section of the book where Alex’s mother is giving her testosterone without Alex being aware of it, and Alex’s male side reasserts himself more at that point in the novel. He flirts with a class mate. I enjoyed writing that part of the manuscript because the two sides of Alex debate what to do and discuss what is appropriate conduct. The male part of Alex contributes power and vibrancy to the character too.There is a section of the book where Alex’s mother is giving her testosterone without Alex being aware of it, and Alex’s male side reasserts himself more at that point in the novel. He flirts with a class mate. I enjoyed writing that part of the manuscript because the two sides of Alex debate what to do and discuss what is appropriate conduct. The male part of Alex contributes power and vibrancy to the character too.

Which parts of the book gave you the most trouble?

This was one of the easier manuscripts that I have written. I didn’t feel like a had to build Alex from scratch – it was as if she already existed, and I only had to put the words down. I hope that you will have the same sensation reading this book – as if Alex is there next to you whispering in your ear.
The feedback that I’m getting so far from readers is that, now that they’ve met Alex, somehow they feel that they should have read this story before. In fact, there was one reader who wrote something like, “so good to read a vegetarian character in YA”, as if that was the attribute that stood out.

From my experience, I can definitely confirm that Alex felt like someone I should already know, like she was telling me something important as opposed to just being a character in a novel. But... Can you describe the book in five words?

Hahaha! No. Maybe feisty teenage girl comes out? Something like that?

Do you have any new books or projects in the works that you can tell us about?

Yes, I just finished a new manuscript which is about a man with a broken heart. It's been a lot of fun to write. I'm also planning on self publishing a romance novel this year. It's a manuscript I've had sitting on my hard drive for a little while. I have not tried self publishing before, so it will be interesting to see how that goes compared to the books I have sold through mainstream publishers.

I look forward to reading your new work. Thank you so much for talking with me about Alex as Well. It's not a book I'm likely to forget in the near future.

Review:

★★★★★

Five stars

---

It's time to get a little bit personal here on my blog. Regular readers of my reviews know that I am happily taken by a girl named Emily, who sometimes graces this blog with her own book reviews. What most of you don't know, is that Emily has struggled with gender identity issues for a long, long time. It is because of her and the charming cover, I admit, that I picked up Alex as Well. Though of course I acknowledge that this book is one of fiction, I do believe it has helped me process some things about the way Emily thinks and feels, and for that reason among others I am so, so happy that I requested this title.

Alex, the 15 year old protagonist of this story, explains in the book that she has "two selves". This can be a kind of hard concept to wrap around, but because she has torn feelings about who she really is as a person, she finds that it is easier to associate "girl Alex" and "boy Alex" as two different people in her head. As voices, if you will. Alex was born "intersex", and these gender ideas clash and fight often with one another.

Though Emily is biologically female through and through, she also uses this way of speaking about her inner conflicts. She has a girl voice, Emily, and a boy voice, Devin. I was very confused and conflicted at first, when Emily spoke of these "voices" so to speak, because I had never heard of something like that before. I was nervous and scared for both her and myself and what it meant for us as a couple.

Because I was used to this way of thinking, it was easier for me to follow Alex's internal conversations and honestly, it made me feel.... Like Emily and I aren't alone. I connected with this form of narration from the very get-go, and it is definitely unique. This is the first book that I have personally ever encountered that uses two voices from the same person beyond just the idea of a conscience. Another unique concept of this book is that the chapters are sprinkled with blog posts from her mother on what it is like to raise someone who is intersex.

Speaking of her mother, let's talk about characters for a bit. I hated and loved them. I mean this in the best way. The author wanted me to hate and love them, and she got her wish. Each of the characters was unique and had depth, and unfortunately they were all believable. Her mother, for example. I was left with SO MANY FEELINGS. I will refrain from spoilers, but Alex's views made me hate her. Then her blog posts helped me to understand her a bit more, but still with hatred. And then at the end I felt kind of sorry for her but also still angry and heartbroken. I didn't know how to feel. Alex is an amazing character. She's complex and unapologetically true to herself, despite the shitstorm by which she's surrounded. She's fierce and often snarky and hilarious, but sometimes she broke my heart. I was cheering her on from the beginning to the end, and she isn't a character that I will soon forget, nor do I want to forget her. I also really liked how she connected her life to the music she was listening to at the time, I thought it to be a nice touch.

The synopsis (at least on Goodreads) describes this book as "heartbreaking and droll in equal measures" and I feel like this perfectly describes it. I was left emotionally exhausted from this book, and though I finished it ages ago, I am still thinking about it. It's a roller coaster that's gritty, real, and well executed. This is the first book that I have read from Alyssa Brugman and I sincerely hope it is not the last. You will feel lows when you see the bullying, the drama, and the awful people that Alex must encounter. You will feel highs when Alex comes into herself, when she feels beautiful, and when her life seems to be looking up for the better. And, if you are like me, you will make an inhuman noise when you find yourself out of pages when you are still having these intense feelings. (It's not a cliffhanger ending. It's not quite so dramatic. More like a hillhanger. That's a word now. Tell your friends.)

And, if by some chance the author is reading this, I would love to read more about Alex. Just sayin'. And while I have your attention, I would personally like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for creating a story that touched me on such a personal level, and that helped to open a better dialog between my girlfriend and I. Who would have thought that one little young adult novel could do so much?

I recommend this book to anyone who loves LGBT themed young adult, contemporary YA, or books dealing with disorders, mental issues, or identity issues. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

#31DaysofReading Book Review: Bleed Like Me by Christa Desir!

Title: Bleed Like Me
Author: Christa Desir
Format: ebook
Pub. Date: October 7th 2014
Source: SimonPulse via PulseIt #31daysofreading

Description via Goodreads:

From the author of Fault Line comes an edgy and heartbreaking novel about two self-destructive teens in a Sid and Nancy-like romance full of passion, chaos, and dyed hair.

Seventeen-year-old Amelia Gannon (just "Gannon" to her friends) is invisible to almost everyone in her life. To her parents, to her teachers-even her best friend, who is more interested in bumming cigarettes than bonding. Some days the only way Gannon knows she is real is by carving bloody lines into the flesh of her stomach.

Then she meets Michael Brooks, and for the first time, she feels like she is being seen to the core of her being. Obnoxious, controlling, damaged, and addictive, he inserts himself into her life until all her scars are exposed. Each moment together is a passionate, painful relief.

But as the relationship deepens, Gannon starts to feel as if she's standing at the foot of a dam about to burst. She's given up everything and everyone in her life for him, but somehow nothing is enough for Brooks-until he poses the ultimate test.

Bleed Like Me is a piercing, intimate portrayal of the danger of a love so obsessive it becomes its own biggest threat.

★★★

This is another book that I'm honestly not quite sure how I feel about, let alone how to rate it. I waited a few days before writing this review to let the book sink in, but I'm still torn. This wasn't a bad book, not by a long shot. But I also had a lot of issues with it. I've decided to level it out at a neutral rating of three stars.

The lead character, Gannon, was somehow simultaneously easy and impossible to relate with. On the one hand, she is one of the "punk/goth" girls, and I was one in high school too. I got the whole hanging out at the skate park, smoking, and chilling at Punkin' Donuts. That's all stuff I've done. I really liked too that this story is set in Chicago. This is where I'm from, and it's always nice to read a familiar setting. This will get a little dark for a moment, but I also related to this character because she is a cutter. While I do not have this issue anymore, it is something that I have done in the past. I will say that out of all the books with cutting characters that I've read, Desir has most accurately described the addiction, the satisfaction, the relief, and honestly, the clean up. You'd be surprised how many books don't mention that cutting involves, you know, blood. It may set a darker tone, but at least it's more descriptive and more accurate. On the other hand, I really didn't like how judgmental she was. She judges her family, her "best friend", said friend's romantic interest, the boy who will eventually become her boyfriend. It all seemed a bit overly unpleasant and harsh. Especially coming from someone from an alternative background- normally the most understanding of them all. I also didn't like how she kept saying how she didn't know anything about him and wouldn't sleep with him because of that and didn't want to be too attached... But then does drugs because of him and waits a month for him because he told her to.

I also found it a bit strange that she constantly complains that her parents ignore her and that she's invisible, lost in the chaos of her brothers. But when she gets serious with Brooks, they just tell her to make smart choices. Her dad comes in to give her a "talk", and gives her a box of condoms. She calls this an awkward nightmare.... But he's finally being caring and giving an effort to be in her life. This point is neither positive or negative to the reading experience, I just found it odd.

Which brings me to Brooks, the love interest. He's another character I both loved and hated. I'm not sure how Desir managed to get me to feel so strongly in opposing directions for her characters. On one hand he's pierced and tattooed with dyed bright hair and that's delicious. He's impulsive and broody and weirdly charming. But his past is dark and quickly that changes, and he becomes paranoid and controlling and not very nice. Their romance starts off quirky and oddly sweet. My favorite part is a bit morbid but, he doesn't want her to cut anymore, but she needs the pain, so he digs his fingers along her healing skin, tearing open old wounds. This is dark and toxic and surely unhealthy... But sweet, in a broken kind of way. They're explosive and dangerous together... But you can't help but want to watch the show.

Another issue I had was Gannon's family. She feels bitter towards most of them, understandably so. They were a happy family of three, until they adopted three boys from Guatemala. Her dad largely hides from his responsibilty because they're terrors. The mom babies them and doesn't want to be the disciplinarian ever because they had enough of a hard life in their home country. She lets them get away with murder- literally. They murder a kitten with absolutely zero consequences. She doesn't deserve to keep them honestly. I don't care if it was my kid, I'd call someone. A psychologist, a doctor, a member of the police force. But no, they have dinner like nothing happened because the mom is just happy they're eating. A week later, they actually go to the movies because they behaved for a week since the kitten incident. Nope. Nope. She says at some point that she can't just give them back. You can, actually, and at this rate they deserve to go a better home. They also leave all three kids with Gannon overnight. They can't handle them as adults- what the hell makes you think a kid can?

That said, I give Desir points for diversity. There were a bunch of different types of people represented here and that's a nice change of pace.

And then there's the ending... It's emotional but disappointing. I wasn't left wondering what happened... I was left wondering why I stuck around to finish it.

I know I've said a lot of negative things about this book.... But still I can't help but focus on the way Desir gets in depth about the gritty realism, the descriptions of cutting and the pressures in their lives. It's well detailed and well written and it's easy to get swept into the intense storm that is their relationship. It's a book that'll stay with me in ways I can't quite comprehend.

I recommend it to mature young adult fans who enjoy a darker side of contemporary romance. Be warned this book contains sex, vulgar language, drugs, alcohol, and self harm. Thanks to Simon Teen/Pulse It for the chance to read it.

Cookbook Review: The Tucci Table: Cooking With Family and Friends

Title: The Tucci Table: Cooking With Family and Friends

Author: Stanley Tucci

Format: egalley

Pub. Date: October 28th 2014

Source: Netgalley & Gallery Books



Summary from Goodreads:
Featuring family-friendly recipes and stunning photography, an all-new cookbook from New York Times bestselling author, beloved actor, and respected foodie Stanley Tucci.

Stanley Tucci's association with wonderful foods began for fans with the movie Big Night and resonated in his role as Julia Child's husband in Julie & Julia. But well before these films, he was enjoying innovative homemade Italian meals throughout his childhood, when family and food were nearly inseparable and cooking was always a familial venture.

Now, in a completely new, family-focused cookbook, Tucci captivates food lovers' imaginations with recipes from his traditional Italian roots as well as those of his British wife, Felicity Blunt, tied together with a modern American ribbon. The time-tested recipes include pasta alla bottarga, mushroom-stuffed trout, pork chops with onions and mustard sauce, barbeque chicken wings, and much, much more! Nothing will make you happier to spend time with family than the aroma of a hearty Italian dish sizzling on the stovetop.

Featuring 100 luscious new full-color photographs, The Tucci Table captures the true joys of family cooking. Buon apetito!

★★★★

I've got to say, this book has a really wide variety of recipes, and a high volume of them too. This cookbook is a nice blend of "a little bit of everything", but draws heavily on Italian, British, and American cuisines. There's a lot of dishes in here that I was familiar with, which helped to set the familial tone that Stanley Tucci wished to give to the reader.

Each recipe comes with a fun little story that introduces the people in Tucci's life, and makes you feel like you know them too. It made the recipes seem more personal, as though this book wasn't mass produced, but given to you as something special. There's a fair bit of humor in this book as well, which made it very easy to flip through for recipes. It's clear that this book was written in love.

The book is divided by course for easy navigation. In addition to anecdotes about Tucci's family, these recipes are paired with tips on how to store these dishes, how to make them better, or how to work with substitutions in a pinch. I really appreciated that for some of the more difficult recipes that step by step photos were included. The photography in this book is lovely, and while there's not a picture for every recipe, there are a lot of photographs.

This is a book that virtually anyone can use. There are some basic recipes for those who are new to the kitchen, and more complex dishes for those of us who have more experience with cooking. A few of the dishes that I most look forward to trying include Isabel's New York Cheesecake Ice Cream, Baked Ham with Mostarda di Frutta, and Pan-Seared Loin of Venison with Red Wine, Juniper and Quince.

This is a solid book for beginners and more experienced home cooks alike who are looking for new meals to share with their families. Thanks to Netgalley & Gallery Books for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

Review: People I Want to Punch in the Throat by Jen Mann

Title: People I Want to Punch in the Throat: True(ish) Tales of an Overachieving Underachiever
Author: Jen Mann
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: September 9th 2014
Source: Netgalley & Ballantine Books


★★★★

Four stars.

---

People I Want to Punch in the Throat is a collection of essays by the author of the blog by the same name, Jen Mann. These essays are written with an edgy, clever sense of humor and they cover topics that we can all relate to, such as meeting a spouse or dealing with the crazy army of room moms at an elementary school.

I admit, I wasn't too sure how I'd like this book. It's true that the title is hilarious, and honestly who doesn't love a book with a cupcake on the cover? I was nervous about how I would "get" the humor of things I haven't necessarily experienced, like raising children. I am happy to say that I had nothing to worry about. Jen and I have the same snarky, often overlooked type of sense of humor that made me want to buy her a drink so I can hear more of these stories first hand.

Each "chapter" is an essay, so it tells another separate story. Plus, the headings/titles are also hilarious in and of themselves. Mann writes about things that are true to life, and yet somehow seem ridiculous. I think we all have that one friend where we think "wow, that would only happen to you." Mann is that friend, and the results are hilarious. I believe that's part of why this book is so humorous- because it's nonfiction. All of these shenanigans and conversations really happened, and that makes it just so much better. I definitely laughed out loud more than once, and I would have to pause my reading to share a quote with my girlfriend. I was drawn in by the tale of her meeting her husband in an AOL chat room in the good ole dial up days, and I was hooked for the rest of the ride.

A lot of these quotes came from her daughter, who sounds like the cutest little bundle of diva-sass. Jen, in addition to her own personal stories, shares stories involving her daughter, son, and husband. They're each funny in their own little ways. The daughter is a fireball of pink and attitude, the boy is a "big fat liar" (her words, not mine!), and her husband is uptight with finances. They're each quirky and funny, but despite all that you can tell from her writing that this big ole pile of personality is her family, and that she cares for them a lot.

This read is a quick one, and because it's chunked into different essays, it's easy to pause or stop for awhile and come back to reading. If you follow her blog, love a good story about a co-worker's "swingers" Fourth of July party, or have your own stories of your kids that you can relate to, this is a book for you. It's written bluntly and with heavy doses of sarcasm and jokes, so pour yourself a glass of wine and prepare to be amused.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Blog Tour, Review, & Giveaway: Finding Hope by Beth Fred

Title: Finding Hope
Author: Beth Fred
Release date: September 1st, 2014
Source: IFB Book Tours


Summary from Goodreads:
When insecure eighteen-year-old Kailee Hill gets caught tagging Iraq war refugee, Abrahem Yohanna's garage, she's not expecting him to act as her designated driver, hold her hair back when she pukes, or offer to be a shoulder to cry on. But she's failing chemistry and her life is falling apart, so she uses the number Abe leaves her and finds herself with a new tutor.


The two quickly find themselves falling hard for each other. Kailee attacks a local grunt when he calls Abe a "sand nigger" and fights with her veteran brother to be with him. When she learns Abe hasn't told his family about her, she's heartbroken and the couple risks losing everything they've worked to build. To make matters worse, Kailee's previous acts make her the prime suspect in a serious crime. With Kailee behind bars and doubting his feelings for her, Abe must find a way to rescue the girl he loves and win back her affection . And to do that he’ll have to catch a crook…

Buy it now on Amazon

About the Author:
Beth Fred is a full time ELF keeper and part time author/blogger/writing instructor. She's represented by Kathleen Rushall of Marsal Lyons Literary Agency. Beth likes her tea hot, her romance sweet, and her guys chivalrous. Real men hold open doors, refer to you as ma'am, make promises they keep, and aren't afraid to profess their undying love. It's not breakfast if there aren't carbs (at least, not in the South). Fajitas, carnitas, and churros are just few of her favorite things. Bet you can't guess where she's from ;)
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Review:

★★★★ ★

Four and a half stars.

Wow. This little book is jam-packed full of feelings and drama. I'm having to compose my thoughts so that this review isn't just a rambling mess.

When I came across this title up for review, I was intrigued. I haven't read many books that feature Iraqi characters, let alone when you mix in a soldier with PTSD. And romance on top of that? I couldn't say no. And I have to say, I'm very glad I didn't.

First, we have the characters. Kailee is a high school aged girl who is trying to figure out her place. She used to be the queen bee, until her boyfriend broke it off with her and her best friend is taking her place as the school's leader. She's angry and hurt. She, like a lot of girls her age, makes bad decisions based off of her emotions and she struggles with self-esteem issues. Not to mention her brother, the ex-soldier with PTSD, an absent mother, and a father who doesn't care. I think she's a relatable girl all in all. And then there's Abrahem, the older brother of the girl she hates. They meet based off of hatred but they soon grow inseparable. I loved watching their relationship grow and even through the rocky parts (and believe me, there's rocky parts aplenty) I wanted them to be together. Although at some parts I was frustrated beyond measure at Abrahem's actions, I found him sweet and hard not to like. I see why Kailee fell for him.

This book addresses some pretty hard topics including racism, suicide, PTSD, and cyberbullying. I thought that the important issues were written out in a respectable manner, and the fact that the story was written in dual POV made it that much stronger to connect with this book. Not only was I able to see why Kailee did/said the things she did, I was able to see what life was like from the perspective of an Iraqi man who fled terrorism in his home country to come to the States. That is not a lens I have ever read through before, and it gave great insight as far as racial issues and culture. The best example of this was shown in the way that Abrahem's mother behaves, and how greatly her ideals clash with that of "modern" America.

The plot itself was full of so much drama, but I mean that in a great way. Just when I thought I had something figured out, Beth Fred would add another level of twists and information so that I was thrown back at square one. Between the forbidden romance, the criminal charges, a runaway arranged bride and some bar fights to name a few examples, there was never a dull moment in this book, and I devoured it in one sitting.

That is actually the only thing I didn't like so much about this book. It felt almost too fast at times, and I felt like some things needed to be focused on or talked about for a longer period of time. This wasn't enough to put me off from the story too much, but it was definitely something of which I took note.

I'd recommend this to mature YA readers looking for a more diverse read. This is apparently the second book featuring these characters, and I will absolutely be reading that one as well. As mentioned earlier, be warned that this book does contain suicide, war, racial problems, bullying, and harassment.

Thank you to IFB Tours for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: American Angst by Laurel Osterkamp

Title: American Angst
Author: Laurel Osterkamp
Format: ebook
Pub. Date: May 12th 2014
Source: Laurel Osterkamp


★★★★★

Four and a half stars.

---

When author Laurel Osterkamp contacted me to read her latest book, I accepted immediately. I have previously read another one of her books, The Holdout, and I loved it. And, I can honestly say, I loved American Angst too.

American Angst tells interwoven tales from two different points of view, those of Robin and Lucy. If you're familiar with Osterkamp's previous novels, than these characters aren't new to you. Normally, I don't care too much for dual POV books, because so often the voices aren't different enough and they merge together. This is pleasantly not the case for American Angst. Lucy and Robin, though of course sharing some similarities, are extremely different characters that have different lives, thoughts, beliefs, and opinions.

This book is written in a tone that is a perfect balance of wit, humor, and emotion. There are parts of their stories that include some pretty major obstacles, and you can't help but to ache for them and cheer them on. That being said, there are definitely times where it was lighter, and I snickered aloud more than once at the girls' clever inner dialog or a sharp remark they make. From family to married life, to starting a family and bettering a career or even getting a better love life, Lucy and Robin absolutely have their fair share of experiences, and I enjoyed reading about them all.

All in all, this read is a pleasant one that I'd recommend for adult women, though it can definitely be appreciated by anyone. The light tone, girl power feeling, and the way the pages don't stop turning while you're reading it, this is a great beach read for this summer. Thanks so much to the author, who provided me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Some Boys by Patty Blount

Title: Some Boys
Author: Patty Blount
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: August 5th 2014
Source: Netgalley & Sourcebooks Fire


★★★

Three stars.

---

When Grace accuses the most popular and loved boy in the school of rape, the school turns its back on her. Bullied, harassed, and alone, her life becomes one of torment and ridicule. She gets in trouble and is forced to clean lockers over a school break, since another student is already being punished with the same task. That person is none other than Ian, the best friend of her rapist and the boy she's had a crush on since before the attack. They grow closer, but will Ian ever believe her, and will Grace ever learn to trust again?

Let me start this review by saying this rating was a hard one for me. I really, really liked some of the components of this novel, but there was far more that frustrated or annoyed me. All in all, I think the two balanced out in the end, giving it a neutral three out of five. I'll start with the good first, keeping spoilers to a minimum.

I really liked Grace as a character. Instead of letting the schoolmates win and keeping her head down or moving away, she continues to go to school, continues to hold her head up, and sticks with her story: that Zac attacked her against her will. When her friends abandon her and start calling her a slut, she tries not to let it show that it bothers her. She never stops searching for the proof and closure that she needs, and she remains the black, leather, stud wearing bad ass that she is. I really, really like that.

I also liked Ian. He was a complete jerk at times- that's true. But I think it's a believable level of mean. He's torn between believing the school "slut" and liar that he's finding himself attracted to, as well as the word of his best friend and teammate. He flip flops a bit, but I think it's a fair amount of inner turmoil, even though I of course hated him in the moments when he chose Zac over Grace. I liked their romance together, and see no issue with the concept of her feeling this way towards him. Rape doesn't mean you're not allowed to ever like a boy again.

The writing itself was fairly well done, with the chapters in duel POV, alternating between Ian and Grace. The one thing that did bug me about this is that sometimes the same conversation was held twice, without really offering more information. It grew a bit redundant.

Now, as for the not so good parts. The ending. Everything was way too sugar coated and cheery. Everyone just acts like nothing happened, and she forgives some of the closest people to her who have treated her like garbage for so long. I didn't like that. Not only did it feel rushed, but big person or not I feel Grace isn't the kind to do that. I was unpleasantly surprised.

I also don't understand the lack of concern towards Grace's rape. Why was Zac not arrested for posting lewd, underage material on the internet? Why did Facebook not delete the pornographic video? Why is the video not evidence enough? Why was Zac not punished at all? Where was his mother? In an fairly affluent town in which kids have Mustangs, in-ground pools, and Europe trips- why was no one sued for all of this suffering and bullying? It all just felt like there was a serious glaring hole as to why he was able to get away with the taunting, and the act itself. Plus, not one person supports her. Her mother thinks she should apologize, her dad thinks she asked for it by dressing "for attention", none of the teachers care. It baffles me.

As much as I liked Grace, I really hated some decisions and thoughts that she had. Her big protest, for one, felt out of place and awkward. I felt like it was added in to make the book longer or something. I see what Blount was going for, but it just didn't work for me. Grace, throughout the novel, is very anti-"slut" in that she hates that word. She is also very much against the idea that women are always to blame for why men go rogue. And yet, she calls her stepmom a slut for sleeping with her dad and being a homewrecker, blaming her for the reason why her family is no longer happy and whole. Where is the blame against her father? It takes two to have an affair, and yet Grace both calls her a slut AND blames her.

I think that books involving rape awareness, (cyber)bullying, bullying, and harm are growing increasingly important. And I do think that this book is worth reading more or less. There's a message that needs spreading and awareness to be raised, and I rather liked the romance aspect. However, I had a lot of questions that weren't answered, and it frustrated me greatly throughout the course of the novel. Be warned that this book contains rape, alcohol, bullying, slut-shaming, swearing, and suicide.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for giving me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Review: No Alligators in Sight

Title: No Alligators in Sight
Author: Kirsten B. Feldman
Format: eboook
Pub. Date: November 25th 2013
Source: Kirsten B. Feldman

★★★★

Four stars.

---

No Alligators in Sight follows Lettie, a thirteen year old girl who is forced to grow up earlier than she should have to take care of her younger brother. She's taken care of both Bert and her father, a bitter alcoholic. When Lettie is caught doing something against the rules, her father sends her and her brother down to Orlando, Florida for six weeks to live with the mother that left their family.

This book is a great one for the "coming of age" audience. Lettie has a lot of anger and darkness to her, and who can blame her? Forced to be a family caretaker, an absent mother, an alcoholic father. Life has stacked some rough cards for her to be dealt. But she's never overly brooding, an issue I find in a lot of other teen fiction. She felt real, and relatable, and it was easy to cheer her on when she needed it, and silently swear to yourself when she made bad decisions, like watching a friend.

In fact, this whole book is written with a great, shadowy tone. It has a gritty sense of realism. The setting is well developed and well described to match the characters. And yet, as heavy as the issues in this novel are, there is a fair bit of sarcasm and humor, which is a huge plus for me. It was nice to have a book that's a great balance of light and dark, and I think that's part of what makes this book go down so easily.

This has little to do with reviewing the content of the novel, but I will just quickly say that I really like the title of this book, along with the cover.

The only issue I really had with No Alligators in Sight was that it lagged a bit in the middle. I understand that certain points were important for development and movement of the plot, but the middle of the book started to lose me a bit. I do promise you though, that the ending makes up for it; it ends strong.

I recommend this book to those who enjoy teen reads and coming of age stories. This book does have some deep themes, like alcoholism.

Thank you to the author for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Hope Is a Ferris Wheel

Title: Hope Is a Ferris Wheel
Author: Robin Herrera
Format: Hardcover, 272 pages
Pub. Date: March 11th 2014
Source: Middle Grade Madness

★★★★★

Four and a half stars, rounded up.

---

Star Mackie is a spunky young fifth grader with blue hair from the trailer park. She lives with her mom and her older sister Winter, a writer that Star adores. This adoration, mixed with the hardships of making new friends when you're the new girl, inspires Star to start a new club at school when she falls in love with the poems of Emily Dickinson. Over the course of her shaping the Emily Dickinson club, Star learns how to be herself, no matter how different her and her family may be, how to make (and keep) friends, and how to let go of the past and hope for the future.

I was blown away by this book. Though it may be categorized as middle grade/children's fiction, this book reaches right to the heart, no matter what the reader's age is. In no way was I expecting to have such deep and stirring feelings about a ten year old girl with a blue "mullet". And yet, I did. This book traverses a broad range of emotions- Star made my heart break, made me angry at some of her little classmates, and made me swell with hope that her life and her family would be okay after all. Sprinkle in some Emily Dickinson poetry and some sassy humor, as well as a broody older sister, and you have Hope Is a Ferris Wheel.

I felt that the characters were all fairly realistic, and as I sort of mentioned above, are incredibly relatable even though they are ten and sixteen, and I am in my twenties. I'm old enough to have gone through some of the Mackie family's issues, or know friends who have, and it made this book an extremely contemporary, real look at life.

I admit that in addition to the tie in of a favorite poet, Dickinson, the main reason why I wanted to read this book was the cover art. I know that's bad and everything, but the cover of this book is even more gorgeous in person than the internet suggests. I love it.

I do feel like the end rushed a bit too quickly, but other than that I have very little issue with this book. I really wish I could have heard more of Winter and Star's story, but it wasn't a cliffhanger and I completely understand the author's decision with ending the book the way she did.

This book is perfect for kids from middle school up to adult age, and I especially recommend it for those who were/are the "different" kid, the new kid, or the picked on kid. I also recommend this to anyone with an interest in poetry, as it is a heavy theme throughout this book.

Blog Tour Review + Giveaway: Stubborn

Title: Stubborn
Author: Jeanne Arnold
Release Date: January 6th 2014
Purchase: Amazon

Blurb:
With a train ticket, a bad attitude, and an unfortunate scribbling of obscenities across her forehead, seventeen-year-old Avery Ross is tossed out of the frying pan and into the fire when she’s sent from New York to the vast oil field region of North Dakota. When a green-eyed boy with a sultry Texan accent comes to her defense, Avery has no clue that his actions will lead her into a passion-charged summer, full of temptation and loss.

Defiant and relegated to work at her aunt’s boarding house, Avery discovers a connection between her aunt and the striking boy. He and his brothers are seeking revenge for the wrongful death of their sibling, and Avery becomes entangled in their battle over oil rights, loyalty, and love. Avery falls for the brooding, younger brother, Gabriel Halden, against her aunt’s forewarnings and creates more tribulations than any of them could anticipate.

*Click here to go to the Goodreads page!*

My review:

★★★★

Three and a half stars, rounded up.

This book has a lot going for it. My personal favorite aspect was the setting. It's set in the oil fields of North Dakota. Now, I'm from the Midwest, but I'm from theurban Midwest. Things like oil, mining, and farming communities are fascinating to me because I've never been around it. My own neck of the woods is home to steel mills and railways. I really like the depth with which Jeanne Arnold wrote about the oiling lifestyle. I've got no idea how accurate it is but it makes for a really unique setting that I've never read about before, in fiction or otherwise.

I also really liked the set of three Halden brothers that Avery meets, namely the youngest romantic interest Gabe. He's dark and broody and a cowboyish Texan complete with a twang in his accent. Where may I sign up to receive one, please? He was not overtly moody without reason, and I liked the way Avery got to know him over the course of the novel. That being said, I didn't really care too much for Avery herself. I often questioned her decisions and I didn't really "click" with her so to speak. I just kind of felt like she wasn't as well written as some of the other characters.

While there is a lot of action in this book that keeps it moving along at a fast pace, things like murder and revenge and romance, I felt some things were too glossed over, namely abuse. I felt that it didn't necessary get the respect and delicacy it deserves in this book.

All in all this is a solid book with swoon worthy southern, hard-working male characters, and I would definitely consider reading the next book in this series. I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author:

Jeanne Arnold is the author of STUBBORN and other young adult romances. At a young age she found her creative outlet in art, and for years her fictional characters came to life in drawings and paintings, until they demanded a voice. Now they grace the pages of her stories. Jeanne shares her time with her fictional teenage counterparts and her human family in Central New York.
Website | Twitter

Be sure to follow the rest of the tour here!

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Saugatuck Summer

Title: Saugatuck Summer (Saugatuck #1)
Author: Amelia C. Gormley
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: May 19th 2014
Source: Netgalley & Riptide Publishing

★★★★★

Five Stars.

---

Topher Carlisle is a twenty-one year old mess. He has a really bad family history of a broken home, is on the verge of losing his college scholarship, and is trying to come into his own as he stays in his best friend's summer house in Saugatuck, Michigan for the summer. Unexpected kinks get thrown into his plan when he has an affair with his best friend's straight and married father, and meets a sexy artist named Jace. Topher has to figure out who he really is and who he wants to be in the whirl of one fabulous roller-coaster ride of a summer.

To be honest, my blurb doesn't really do this book justice. The thing is filled with drama and feelings from cover to cover, and I mean that in the best and most positive way. There were times that I laughed out loud, there were times when I got really angry, and times when my heart broke for Topher. Being a 22 year old queer kid in college from a broken home, I felt that I connected to him on an emotional/mental level and it made me cling to his story from start to finish. I really admire the depth that Gormley gave to her characters without making them seem too cliche.

I'll admit to you all, I picked up this book because I used to go to Saugatuck in the summers of my youth. For me, the setting helped a lot with my enjoyment of this novel. We spent a lot of our summers up near Traverse City, Michigan, stopping at several towns along the way, and while we were there, so when Gormley mentions these towns, I've heard of them and can happily picture them in my mind. Plus, Topher's partner Jace is from Chicago like me, so the references to things like Boystown again helped me to relate to the story.

And then, of course, I have to talk about the sex. This book is the hot, steamy kind of read that is best enjoyed on the beach or by the poolside in the bright summer sun while sipping on something cold and fruity, ideally with a plastic sword of fruit wedged into it. The adult scenes were well-written and detailed without being overtly crass, which in my opinion is a hard line to toe regardless of genre of erotic romance. Another important note is that this book is not about sex. That is, there is plot and rising action and all those things, that just happens to have some intense and smoldering sex scenes peppered throughout.

This book is a fairly rare five out of five stars from me. In a nutshell, the gorgeous Michigan beach setting, the amount of drama, the hot sex scenes, and the likable, relatable characters all meld together to create one really addictive summer read. This is a book that I will need a physical copy of at some point. BUT be warned; this book contains homosexual sex, graphic language, and potential triggers for abuse. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Riptide Publishing for my chance to read this one.

Interview & Review: Frenemy of the People by Nora Olsen

Hello readers. I am really excited to announce the upcoming release of the new LGBTQ young adult book, Frenemy of the People by Nora Olsen. Most of you know that I support and adore this genre, and I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed this book (but more about that later). I'm even more excited that Nora Olsen has returned once more to Bitches n Prose to answer some of my questions. Give her a warm welcome, and let's begin!

Interview

Frenemy of The People features two females- one whose a "nice girl" and athlete, and the other who is an angry punk. What was your stereotype/group in high school?
I was part of a nerdy/arty crowd. I was stereotyped as “lesbian,” which is funny because I didn’t identify that way at the time. The people in my school made a classic mistake, confusing gender presentation with sexual orientation. (They figured if I looked like a boy, I must be gay.)

There's a good chance we would have been friends then. I was one of the nerdy/goth types, called a lesbian as well despite the fact that I'd identified openly as bisexual (at the time). Ain't high school grand? Speaking of, there's nothing quite like high school romance. Can you tell us about one of your crushes or relationships from back then?
My first boyfriend, when I was thirteen, was Carlos, nicknamed Tiger. He was nineteen, had a tattoo, smoked, and could not read. I met him at the bus stop and mostly kept him a secret from my parents. He took me to a kung fu movie in Times Square, but I liked the idea of having a boyfriend more than the actual boyfriend plus I didn’t want to get physical, so the relationship fizzled out.


Did you play any sports or get involved in any clubs in high school?
No sports, but I was in school plays. I was on the school humor magazine and we managed to print one issue.

I wasn't much of a sports person either. It was just GSA and Best Buddies for me. Now, do you listen to music when you write? If so, what are some of the songs that make up the soundtrack to Frenemy of the People?

I do listen to music when I write. The character Lexie and I share some of the same favorite songs: “Pictures of You” by the Cure, “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” by the Ramones, “New Punk Fashions for the Spring Formal,” by Dillinger Four, and “I Am A Poseur” by the X-Ray Spex. And Lexie really likes the Magnetic Fields, just like I do. But she also loves Le Tigre whereas I’m over them.

I remember I was listening to Supertramp’s Breakfast in America album a lot while writing Frenemy. Go ahead and judge me! I have uncoolness pride. :)

I was really excited to see so many music references throughout the book- I personally love X-Ray Spex and get irrationally excited when other people remember they exist. They definitely make my mood better. In fact, Clarissa and Lexie each go through some rough stuff in this book. When you're having a rough day, what's one thing that can always make you feel better?
This is a good follow-up to the music question, because David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust album has been 100% reliable so far in making me feel better, as well as just about anything by the Smiths/Morrissey. It’s no exaggeration to say I truly don’t know where I would be without Morrissey and David Bowie’s music.

The Hollywood bigwigs knock on your door right now to option Frenemy of the People as a movie. Who do you want cast?
What a delightful question! Although Lexie is not African-American in the book, I think Amber Riley who plays Mercedes on Glee would be a great actor for her. For Clarissa I would choose Jennifer Lawrence, or Harmony Santana from the movie Gun Hill Road. For Desi I would pick Lauren Potter, who plays cheerio Becky on Glee.

I can totally dig it. I adore Jennifer Lawrence! Now I know Frenemy isn't your first book. Did you know you always wanted to be a writer? If not, what did you want to do before?
I always wanted to be a writer. But when I was small I also wanted to be a scuba diver and an actor. And a mer-creature, or a cat that carried a cane and wore a diamond stickpin.

That... Is quite possibly the best answer to that question I've ever received. Your significant other leaves you a note that says "We're doing something special this weekend." What is your ideal romantic evening?
We go out to see a band, my girlfriend holds my hand, we dance and sing along to every song.

-day dreamy face- That does sound perfect. Do you have any other writing projects currently in the works?
Yes, I have another YA novel forthcoming from Bold Strokes Books in October. It’s called MAXINE WORE BLACK and it is a retelling of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca.

Aaaaand consider it added. If y'all wish to add it, you can do so here. And now for a final question- What is the one thing you most want to leave your readers thinking at the end of Frenemy of the People?
Wow, being gay/bi/pansexual is so awesome!

Pansexual reader here, I confirm being queer is pretty nifty. Now in addition to answering some questions for me, Nora was kind enough to play a little game of This or That with me.

This or That
Just pick the one you prefer!
Music or TV? Music.
Black & white or color? Black and white.
Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate.
Gryffindor or Slytherin? Slytherin.
Books or ereader? Books.
History or Science? History.
Cats or dogs? Cats.
Summer or winter? Summer.

Thank you so much for stopping by and playing along with me, and answering my questions. Now, onto my review!


Title: Frenemy of the People
Author: Nora Olsen
Format: Paperback, 264 pages
Pub. Date: May 13th 2014
Source: Nora Olsen & Bold Strokes Books
Buy Link: Amazon

★★★★

Four stars.

---

Lexie is an angst-ridden, critical-minded, punk vegan. She's also the only openly lesbian girl in her high school. Clarissa is a popular girl on the equestrian team, bright and bubbly. Clarissa comes out as bisexual and reaches out to Lexie to start a Gay-Straight Alliance, but there's just one problem; Lexie hates Clarissa to the bone. But when Lexie agrees to help Clarissa's disabled sister run for homecoming queen and Clarissa's posh, comfy world starts to crash down around her, Lexie starts to question if she could be falling for the girl she'd sworn to hate.

I really, really liked this book. I think a large part of that is because Nora Olsen struck gold with me as a reader; I relate to this book on a lot of levels.

In addition to the stunning cover, I was swept in by the blurb on the back because I absolutely hated my girlfriend when we first met. I thought she was weird since she had an obsession with wolves and anime and horrible bands and lord, let us not talk about her appalling spelling and grammar. But eventually, she started sneaking into my thoughts more often. In all honesty, I'm still not really sure what happened but lo and behold here we are four(ish) years later. Lexie is the kind of girl I'd love to date: exceedingly intelligent, protective, passionate, a great taste in music, tattooed with dyed hair? Sign me up for one of those please. She also had a few really good one liners that made me chuckle.

On the topic of characters, this book alternates POVs with each chapter, switching between Clarissa and Lexie. I think Olsen did a great job differentiating the two; the characters each had a definitive speech pattern and vocabulary that made it fairly simple to understand who was speaking and when.

Now, at the beginning, I was a bit frustrated by Clarissa's coming out announcement, having found it to be a bit rash and sudden. But then, I got over it because I got to thinking "Well, wasn't yours?" And it's true. It may seem unrealistic to some, but I've been in Clarissa's shoes and sometimes labeling or recognizing sexuality is as simple as it appears in Frenemy.

Another thing thing that I found to be well done was the writing of Clarissa's sister, Desi. Desi has Downs Syndrome, and I feel that Olsen was nothing but respectful in her representation of a disabled character. She made this book a stronger one for me, for reasons I cannot entirely explain. She's strong and determined, and I like that.

The amount of drama in this book is really high but I mean, it's a high school novel about queer rivals. What did you expect? I thought it was well paced and believable, but this may be because I was friends with the anarchists in my high school. I also thought the progression of the girls' relationship was well done and I was rooting for them throughout (though for Lexie moreso. Did I mention I would date her yet?).

This book left me with a lot of feelings, but almost all of them are positive. Namely, I messaged my stupid girlfriend's face to tell her I love her. I'm mushy that way, apparently. I recommend this book to fans of LGBTQ YA. Thank you so much to Nora Olsen and Bold Strokes Books for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All images were provided by the author.