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Title: The S-Word
Editor: Chelsea Pitcher
Format: egalley edition
Pub. Date: May 7th 2013
Source: NetGalley & Gallery Books
★★★★★
Four and a half stars, rounded up.
After she was caught in a hotel room on prom night with her best friend's boyfriend, Lizzie is labelled as the school slut. The students taunt her, and her locker becomes riddled with that word, over and over again. Slut. Shortly after, Lizzie commits suicide. Her best friend, Angie, cannot let sleeping dogs lie and begins to dig into the secrets of the school's student body, unraveling them bit by bit in an attempt to find out what really led Lizzie to end her life, and who was behind it. But can Angie handle what secrets she uncovers, and more importantly, will she be able to tame the raging, vengeful curiosity that has begun to consume her?
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Wow. I wasn't sure how I was going to enjoy this one, but it was a raw, emotional ride from start to finish. I give it 4.5/5 stars, rounded up.
+I really enjoyed the writing itself. It was gritty and honest, and not always pleasant, but portrayed a gorgeous portrait of the darker side of high school. I found the language to be modern without trying too hard to be young, which is an issue I have with a lot of other contemporary novels.
+I honestly had no idea what was going on- and I mean that in a good way. Though this book isn't a traditional "whodunnit", there is still a mystery taking place. Up until the end, I had no idea how it would end. I had theories and thought processes that rearranged several times throughout the course of the book, and I was still taken by surprise. That is a great trait in a book for me.
+I'm pretty sure a large reason as to why I... Enjoyed isn't the right word. Why I connected to this book is because I've witnessed it happen, to a lesser extent. A girl in my high school committed suicide after a trio of her friends took a rumor as true and turned it against her. After her death, the friends came undone and grieved in the same way some of the characters do in this story. Though there was far less drama and vengeance in my real-life witnessing, I couldn't help but to picture my acquaintance as Lizzie. This is a topic that needs to be expressed more in young adult literature. Suicide, and slut shaming and bullying, are so much more frequent with technology what it is, but the stories seemed to be glossed over. It happens every day, and stories like The S-Word remind us of that fact.
+ As a member of the LGBT community, I really appreciated some of the queer themes that appeared, if only briefly, in this book. This was another part of the book that made me connect more strongly, and made the book more "real."
-The only real issue that I had with this story was the amount of digging and spying and lying that Angie went through. I understand the guilt and grief that she felt, but it was downright psychotic at times and made it a bit uncomfortable to read. As a whole, these parts helped to shape the novel, but at times they seemed just a bit too much.
I recommend this book to any young adult, and to any fan of young adult literature or contemporary story. Be warned, this story contains very serious topics such as rape, self-harm, LGBT identity, suicide, and sexual abuse. This isn't a light-hearted read. If any of those topics bother you, than give this a pass. Everyone else: Give this book a shot.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for my ebook copy.
Title: Lush (Delicious #3)
Editor: Lauren Dane
Format: Galley edition
Pub. Date: April 2nd 2013
Source: Netgalley
★★
Two stars.
Mary has no time for a serious relationship. Her catering business is finally taking off, and with the help of her friends she's finally making money doing what she loves. When rock star drummer Damien and Mary meet privately through mutual friends, she takes it as a one night stand. But over time, Damien wants more from her and learns that he'll need to do much more to impress her in order to be more than a fun fling.
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Meh. I was really anticipating the release of this book, but Lush left me disappointed.
-This book has a plot that lately has been really overused- the rock star and the common girl. It was a nice idea the first couple stories I read, but now it's just become monotonous to read and too big of a cliche. That alone was enough to lose my interest from this story.
-The dialogues within this book seemed forced and fake. I didn't really feel for any of the characters, nor did I focus much on their conversations after awhile. It read like a bad sitcom...
-Except for the sex scenes, which were more vulgar but still awkward and forced. I didn't find the scenes to be steamy or erotic, but rushed and choppy. Not to mention the use of crass language just to be crass. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big girl who can read profanity without being offended. It was just like everything else in this story- overdone.
-The writing itself wasn't so smooth either, consisting largely of jagged, fragmented sentences and the same. Staccato. Writing. That. I. Hated. In. Fifty. Shades. Of. Grey. While I understand it's meant to show a thought process, it really just drew me away from the plot and question the structure of the novel.
-+ Neither positive nor negative, this is an observation that I also noticed in book two, Tart. There are a LOT of characters. Perhaps too many. Characters are constantly coming and going almost to the extent of confusion.
+Now, there are some positives. I am liking the whole "epicurean/chef/foodie" trend in romance novels and erotica right now, and Lauren Dane does a good job mixing her romance with food. I liked Mary's passion for her job, and how it carried over into other aspects of her life, from friendships to romance and everything in between.
+I enjoy that this is a familiar cast of characters, since this series follows the friends who call their little group Delicious. I like that each one gets a chance in turn to find love, and that all of the friends appear in each others' books. It gives a stronger sense of bonding and familiarity.
+Look at that cover. It's gorgeous. I'd love to have it on my shelf. It summarizes the plot quite nicely, looking both classy and sizzling at the same time.
Overall, this book was alright. It's not one of the worst I've read, but I won't rush out to buy it anytime soon. Do not just read this because you read Tart, or you will be disappointed. However, if you like rock stars or chefs, give this book a shot. It won't do anyone harm to read it once.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy of this book.
Title: Twice the Pleasure: Bisexual Women's Erotica
Editor: Rachel Kramer Bussel
Format: Paperback, 232 pages
Pub. Date: April 9th 2013
Source: Rachel Kramer Bussel
★★★★
Four stars.
Twice the Pleasure is an anthology that contains 22 erotic short stories that all, in some way, contain scenes with bisexual women. Though not all of the stories in this collection scratched my particular itch, a majority of the stories proved to be quick, steamy, enjoyable reads.
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+Though I'm not going to critique each and every tale in this book, I'd like to give a tip of the hat to the authors of my three favorites. The first story in my top picks is The Robber Girl by Lori Selke. This story contains sizzling scenes involving the mild use of blood and knives, giving a darker feel. The next story I liked best was Seduction Dance by Dorothy Freed, in which a curious, playful female pet explores her desires for another girl at a BDSM party, at the encouragement of her Master. The BDSM air of this story is one that I seek in adult literature, and I wasn't disappointed. The final story that rounds out the top three is The State by Tahira Iqbal, which contains a sexy female security guard in her undies with a gun- need I say more?
+ A majority of the other works in this collection were solid three stars- enjoyable but ones that will fade from my memory when I read another story.
-The stories that I didn't like (which I'm not naming in particular) each contained flaws that didn't personally rub me the right way. One contained an abundant use of an offensive gay slur which not only has negative connotations but shows lazy writing. Another was written from a perspective using "you", which made it hard to follow. Others still involved kinks that are not my forte, such as bathroom bodily fluids.
Overall, this is an anthology that I would read again, and recommend to other women in the LGBT (though primarily B) spectrum. Whether your thing is historical stories, trans*, crossdressing, BDSM, knife play, voyeurism, or more caring scenes, there is a story in this collection for you. The pros far outweigh the cons. This isn't my first Rachel Kramer Bussel collection and definitely won't be my last. This book fills a much needed hole in erotic fiction by focusing on bisexuality.
If LGBT scenes, kinky sex, or vulgarity aren't your pleasure, don't get this book. If you like a lot of steam in your short stories, with an extra helping of girl-on-girl play, than this book is one not to be missed.
Thank you to Rachel for my copy.
Title: Unwilling (Highland Historical #2)
Author: Kerrigan Byrne
Format: Kindle Edition, 92 pages
Pub. Date: June 13th 2012
Source: Amazon freebie
★★★★
Four kilt-wearing stars.
Lindsay was promised to another when she becomes the prisoner to a ruthless Berserker killer who claimed her in the midst of a battle. She refuses to acknowledge her feelings for him, keeping to herself and keeping him at bay. But how long can she stay away from the devilish, rogue charm, and when his life is laid in her hands, what will she be willing to risk to save her captor?
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This short story was my first introduction to the "men in kilts" genre that seems to be trending lately. Upon reading it, I now understand the need for highland romance. Though short, this story has a decent plot and steamy scenes that may require the reader to fan themselves after.
+Let's get the dirty bits out of the way- I enjoyed the way that the sex scenes were written. They were well written with a diverse vocabulary that made each scene unique, avoiding the monotony I sometimes feel while reading romances. They were steamy but not overly crass, nor overly glossed over.
+I liked the almost fairy tale like plot of beauty and the beast. I don't know if that's what the author intended, but that's most definitely what I compared it to. A beast like, strong, alpha male who cannot always control himself and claims a pretty girl as his own. A pretty girl who is stubborn at times and comes to his library in search of a book.
-At some parts, there were spelling errors in addition to grammatical ones. The main ones I found were fragmented sentences. Though there weren't many, it did make me reread parts now and then and generally cut away from the flow of an otherwise good story.
If you're a fan of quick steamy romance or strong men in kilts, than this is the book for you. If sex or violence aren't your kind of deal, then give this book a pass.
Title: Monster High (Monster High #1)
Author: Lisi Harrison
Format: Paperback, 272 pages
Pub. Date: September 5th 2011
Source: Gift from Emily
★★★
Three stars.
Melody needs to get away from Beverly Hills and start over. An ex-dork, she's looking forward to being in the fresh air of Salem, Oregon (to help her asthma) and where people don't know her nerdy past. This is Frankie Stein's first year attending school in Salem too, only for way different reasons. She was only just created in a lab by her parents a few weeks ago, and they now deem her ready for the world. All is well until monster sightings start popping up around town, making the paranormal families who live there uncomfortable, and leaving their youth- like Frankie- torn between staying safe and being proud of who they really are.
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Ughhhhhhhhhh. First, let me just say that despite my age, I love Monster High dolls. I'm in college, and I have Draculaura in a stand on my desk. As one who identifies as goth, I love that this series tries to incorporate classic horror with the girliness of Bratz or Barbies. But these books? Oy.
-This book is essentially a commercial. Now, if the commercials were only for Mattel products, I would be forgiving. It makes sense that a company would plug its own products. But it got to the point that I actually started taking a tally of how many times product brands or designers were dropped into the story. McDonald's, UGGs, Sephora, Tropicana, Bose, the list is endless.
-Along a similar line, celebrities, tv shows, and movies are constantly mentioned. Now when it comes to horror movies and the like, there's a free pass. I think it's cool that these are brought into the story. My main problem with doing this in a book is the fact that it dates the author and the book both. This book was obviously written when Lady Gaga was crazing the US, since she's mentioned a million times. Justin Beiber, The Black Eyed Peas, and countless others make their appearance too. But what happens when they never make another album? It will make the book seem ancient and passe instead of hip.
-Along with that, who exactly is this book series written for? The drama is way more junior high than high school, and yet every one is making out with everyone, making it seem like high school is one big slutty free for all. Ludacris' album "Word of Mouf" is referenced as though it's topical. Hello, that album released over a decade ago. So not voltage. It's as if Lisi Harrison just shoved as many references from as many decades as possible in the hopes that someone somewhere would understand it. From Fred Astaire and Woody Allen to Alicia Keys and Taylor Swift, the pop culture references came off far more desperate and forced than cool and "in the know."
LOOK AT THEM ALL!!
-The aforementioned flaws make the novel come off as extremely fake, especially when mixed with petty characters. The "normies" aren't even believable- yes, in a book filled with monsters, the humans are the unbelievable part of this story. This one girl takes notes on every damn conversation and makes other girls sign documents. No wonder they have no friends, who does that? Once my friend starts being an obsessive freak like that, I say goodbye. Maybe I just went to a relaxed high school, but the girls' cattiness in this book is so melodramatic and over the top. Plus, half of the book is dedicated to their outfits, so you don't even get to learn about most of their personalities, which might have explained why they reacted that way, had the reader been enlightened with that information.
-Why is everyone rich and bougie in Salem? Melody said she left Beverly Hills, but everyone here drives flashy cars and own designer clothes. It makes sense for the old-money monster families, but what about everyone else? If this is such a charming, small town, then why the hell do these kids get credit cards and iPhones and Lexuses? (Maybe I'm a bitter old lady, but REALLY?)
-+ Neither positive or negative, I felt that this book had way too many characters. It was hard to keep track of them. I'm giving the writer the benefit of the doubt, though, since this is the introduction book. The others seem to narrow down a bit from here.
+I LOVED the parts when the author was describing the different monsters. I liked reading about their meetings, their ancestries, their legends. These characters were my favorites, and no doubt that was on purpose. I think that this is a cool twist to horror. No matter who your favorite classic monster is, from Dracula to Jekyll and Hyde, there's a character (or doll) for your enjoyment. It is for these characters only that I wish to read the rest of this series. And though I know this is a kids' series, I can't help but to hope that they'll eat all the human children that made this book half awful.
If you're older than junior high, I wouldn't give this a chance, unless like myself you are a fan of the dolls. If you're a die hard horror fan, enjoy gore, characters with depth, or reading books without watching/reading commercials, then give this book a pass. However, I think young girls will gobble this up, getting the references (at the time of this review, anyway) and feeling as cool as the dolls they play with.
Thanks to my girlfriend for getting this book for me after listening to me complain about wanting to read it <3
