5 Tips for Writing a Book Review That Readers Will Love - Guest Post

I'm so excited to welcome the lovely Savannah Cordova to The Magic Violinist today! She's written an excellent and comprehensive guide to writing enticing book reviews. It's the perfect how-to for new book bloggers and a great refresher for those who have been at it for years.

So take a look at the post below and be sure to leave Savannah a comment about what you enjoyed, as well as any extra tips you might have about writing reviews. Take it away, Savannah!

***

Book reviews might seem short and simple, but there’s more depth to a quality review than you may think! A strong book review can not only showcase the parts of the book that you enjoyed the most, but also your unique skills as a writer. To help you achieve both these things and more, I’ve compiled this list of key tips on how to write a book review that will help you pull in new readers and avoid some common pitfalls. Let’s jump right in!

1. Avoid the traps of plot summary and description

While it’s tempting to elaborate on all your favorite details (especially if you really loved the book), getting too deep into the weeds of a book’s plot can leave readers feeling like they’ve just read an extended synopsis.

So try to keep your book description to a short paragraph or two — some context about the story is still important, but it’s not what your review should be all about. It may be useful to compare your review with the official synopsis: if you notice significant overlap, consider cutting a few plot details and letting the reader dive into it themselves.

Then, as you wade into your commentary, challenge yourself to explain the reasons behind your claims. If you’re struggling with writer’s block on how exactly to put it, think about specifics. What made the book “impossible to put down” — the acerbic black humor? The witty dialogue? Gorgeous descriptions of fantasy settings that paint amazing mental images? Dig into what exactly made you connect with the story. Just remember, no spoilers!

2. Highlight standout aspects of the author’s style or approach

What did the author do that made you sit up and re-read a paragraph? Did they pose a dilemma that got you thinking? Or did they surprise you and defy your expectations?

Let’s say you’re covering a romance book that does a great job of satirizing common romance tropes, subverting your expectations in hilarious ways at every turn. Tell that to your readers (again, without giving too much away)!

To keep track of moments like this, bookmark the page or make a note when something pops out at you as you’re reading. It’s easy to get absorbed in a book and lose track of bits you want to quote, so something as simple as jotting down a page number can save you a great deal of time and stress later on!

And for a concrete example of how to underscore such signature elements, Kate’s review of Riley Redgate’s Final Draft does an excellent job of highlighting specifics without letting the analysis devolve into plot summary, or giving any crucial plot points away. It’s also a great model of how to do the following in a review…

3. Balance your praise with critique

The difference between the work of a thoughtful reviewer and the comments of any old reader is a combination of knowledge and tact. Your readers — and the authors whose work you review — rely on your ability to judge a work fairly. To demonstrate this, do try and balance your praise with critique (and vice-versa). Jay A. Fernandez, former book review editor for the Washington Post, puts it this way:

“Unmitigated praise is logically absurd. Every work of writing has its weaknesses, especially once personal tastes are factored in. It is your job to point to them, in a clear-eyed but tactful (and tactical) fashion that measures the work against reasonable standards for literature and/or its genre. If the prospect of hurting an author’s feelings causes you to hesitate [...] you oughtn’t be reviewing books.”

As a final note, you can absolutely agree with the importance of a book’s broad topics/themes while still disagreeing about how the author portrayed them! A diplomatic approach from the August Wrap-Up, about Kelly Yang’s Parachutes:

“[...] this story is HUGELY important for all of the representation it has and the topics it deals with: Asian culture, what it's like to be Asian in the United States, socioeconomic issues, sexual assault and the #MeToo movement, etc. So many important things were talked about in a really great way (and this is an #OwnVoices story!). But the way that message was delivered didn't totally work for me.” 

4. Give a verdict and demographic recommendation

It may be intimidating to give a definitive verdict of a book, but remember that this is the whole purpose of a review! Your audience wants to know your thoughts, and a concrete distillation of them helps readers make more informed decisions about whether to read a book themselves.

In your final verdict, you’ll want to briefly summarize what you’ve said and give as precise a recommendation as possible. For example, instead of saying “I would recommend this book to people who enjoy dystopian sci-fi,” what about “I would recommend this to anyone who appreciates deep worldbuilding, gritty & seedy underworld environments, or an unreliable narrator?”

By thinking outside of traditional genre boundaries like this, you can pull in more potential readers who otherwise might not label themselves “dystopian sci-fi fans,” but might be intrigued by the themes of the book as a whole. If you can get readers to expand their repertoires based on your review, that’s a major win!

5. Be honest and let your feelings show

A negative review that gives clear reasoning and constructive criticism does not make you “the bad guy,” and a 5-star review with no substance behind it can be more harmful than helpful. Being honest about writing that you think needs work (and giving an emphatic thumbs-up only when you feel it is fully deserved) reinforces your credibility and standards as a reviewer.

On top of that, your honesty not only helps other readers, but also authors! Thoughtful praise of a book can really motivate an author to keep going, and even criticism — so long as it’s delivered fairly — will push them to hone their craft. If you see problems but feel uncomfortable bringing them up, the author might never hear about or realize those concerns, and their writing will suffer for it. Your review has more power than you know, especially if you truly appreciate and believe in the author whose work you’re reviewing!

Finally, as any writer knows, it’s infinitely easier to write convincingly when you’re passionate about your subject. So if you have strong feelings about a book you’re reviewing, whether it’s frustration or awe or anything in between, let it show in your writing! It’ll make for a much more engaging read, and readers and authors will thank you for it.

***

Savannah Cordova is a writer with Reedsy, a marketplace that connects self-publishing authors with the world's best editors, designers, and marketers. In her spare time, Savannah enjoys reading contemporary fiction and writing short stories — as well as the occasional book review!

What's the best book review you've ever written? Do you have any additional tips to writing a book review readers will love? Leave a comment!

Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge (book review)

Expected publication: July 10th, 2018
Pages: 352

Filled with magic and fierce emotion, Lisa Jensen's multilayered novel will make you question all you think you know about beauty, beastliness, and happily ever after.

They say Château Beaumont is cursed. But servant-girl Lucie can’t believe such foolishness about handsome Jean-Loup Christian Henri LeNoir, Chevalier de Beaumont, master of the estate. But when the chevalier's cruelty is revealed, Lucie vows to see him suffer. A wisewoman grants her wish, with a spell that transforms Jean-Loup into monstrous-looking Beast, reflecting the monster he is inside. But Beast is nothing like the chevalier. Jean-Loup would never patiently tend his roses; Jean-Loup would never attempt poetry; Jean-Loup would never express remorse for the wrong done to Lucie. Gradually, Lucie realizes that Beast is an entirely different creature from the handsome chevalier, with a heart more human than Jean-Loup’s ever was. Lucie dares to hope that noble Beast has permanently replaced the cruel Jean-Loup — until an innocent beauty arrives at Beast’s château with the power to break the spell.

Goodreads 

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.

No. No no no no no. I'm going to keep this review pretty short because I could not and did not finish the book and there was nothing I liked about what little I read. It is so problematic.

This book was an immediate DNF for me after a certain scene I'll talk about later, but if it hadn't been for that, I probably would have shelved it as a DNF anyway because of the writing alone. It was so bad. Everything is told, not shown, and Lucie read as a bad fan-fiction heroine. I found myself cringing a couple times from the very first chapter. That's not how you want to be introduced to a book.

As soon as the master of the castle, Jean-Loup, returns, Lucie is instantly infatuated with him. She becomes obsessed and everything she does as a servant is done in a way so she can look at him. Again, it read like a bad fan-fiction. It wasn't written in a way where I could believe Lucie was intrigued by him and maybe even attracted. Everything was done to an extreme so that I was turned off from the story.

But the part that made me go "nope" and close my ebook with as much vigor as I could (there's only so much you can do when you don't have an actual, physical copy to slam shut in anger) was an event that happens maybe 10% into the book, which is as far as I read. I don't really consider it a spoiler since it happens so close to the beginning of the book, so I'm just going to go ahead as say it: Jean-Loup rapes Lucie. It happens with hardly any warning and completely shook me. This whole book was clearly set up to be a romance between Jean-Loup and Lucie, and that is why I stopped reading where I did. There was no way I could read over 300 pages of bad writing about a sexual assault victim falling in love with her rapist. That's just disgusting.

I don't have anything else to say, so I'm going to leave it there. I was definitely disappointed, because when I'd read the description for the book, it sounded like an awesome and unique version of "Beauty and the Beast," but I couldn't get past the bad writing and the problematic material. Hopefully the next ARC I get is better.

I rate it:

Have you read Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge? What did you think? What are your favorite "Beauty and the Beast" retellings? Leave a comment!

Final Draft (book review)

Expected publication: June 12th, 2018
Pages: 272

The only sort of risk 18-year-old Laila Piedra enjoys is the peril she writes for the characters in her stories: epic sci-fi worlds full of quests, forbidden love, and robots. Her creative writing teacher has always told her she has a special talent. But three months before her graduation, he's suddenly replaced—by Nadiya Nazarenko, a Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist who is sadistically critical and perpetually unimpressed.

At first, Nazarenko’s eccentric assignments seem absurd. But before long, Laila grows obsessed with gaining the woman’s approval. Soon Laila is pushing herself far from her comfort zone, discovering the psychedelic highs and perilous lows of nightlife, temporary flings, and instability. Dr. Nazarenko has led Laila to believe that she must choose between perfection and sanity—but rejecting her all-powerful mentor may be the only way for Laila to thrive.

Goodreads

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.

One of the first things I did when I turned 18 was sign up for NetGalley. A website that gives you books for free so long as you review them? Yeah, I was sold. And my first request was approved! It was great.

Anyways, I really did love the first half of the book, but after finishing it and the more I've let it sit with me, my conclusion is . . . meh? It was all right. I can't say I hated anything, but I didn't have strong feelings about much of anything, one way or the other.

Let's talk about some of the things I did like:

-There was a heavy focus on writing. I'm a sucker for books about writers, because, obviously, I can relate to them! Every writerly character is different, but on some level, I can always see myself in them. This makes it way easier for me to empathize with them and get sucked into the story. I was drawn in right away by the creative writing aspect and loved how much writing was key to the plot. The story also demonstrated the importance for different kinds of mentors, including the cheerleader mentor who boosts your self-esteem and allows you to be confident about your writing, and the harsh critic who helps you to break free from your comfort zone and improve your writing, even if it's difficult.

-The book talked a lot about being a part of a fandom. Laila and her friends are obsessed with a sci-fi show called "The Rest" (which seemed to be similar to "The 100," but maybe that was just me) and even though they all recognize it's not the most perfect show in the world, it's still important to them and they love it unabashedly. It's part of how they bond and, 12 seasons later, they're still invested in the story. Again, this is something I could relate to. It really made fandom culture a positive thing.

-There was so much diversity! Laila is plus-size, pansexual, and half-Ecuadorian/half-French Canadian. Her best friend is a lesbian, and her entire friend group is racially diverse. It was really refreshing to see a school setting be realistically diverse, since, for some reason, that doesn't happen a lot.

-There was a twist in the middle that actually made me gasp out loud a little. I am notoriously horrible when it comes to predicting plot twists, so it may have just been me, but I totally did not see it coming.

-The descriptions were unique. When it came to describing the setting or characters' movements, I didn't feel bored, like I sometimes do when I encounter those sorts of things. I'm a skimmer, so if something doesn't hold my attention and isn't necessary, I'll breeze right past it. With this book, though, I actually wanted to soak up the couple sentences here and there that explained what the characters were doing in a fresh and interesting way.

And now for some of the things I didn't like:

-There were gigantic blocks of text that were out of place. Out of nowhere, Laila would go from doing something interesting to reminiscing about a random topic for two solid pages. Some of these thoughts were important and others were not. But either way, they could have been placed somewhere way better. It threw off the pacing, big time

-I didn't buy the romance. I wanted to, I really did, but again, it seemed to come out of nowhere. If there were hints early on about Laila's attraction to this person, I didn't catch it until way later. It should've worked, but both characters suddenly became way out of character when they were together. It was also supposed to affect the plot and the reader's emotions in a pretty big way toward the end, but I found myself not caring about it in the slightest.

-The book took a dark turn. The entire second half of the book didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story. I wouldn't have minded it, overall, if it had been carried out better. But it seemed like Laila completely changed as a person and the plot sort of drifted into nothingness.

-Laila's risk-taking played into unfortunate tropes. I hate, hate, hate when introverted characters are pushed to get some "life experience" and "take risks." Introverts can be perfectly happy at home with a book! It doesn't mean they're sad and lonely. In this case, I could kind of understand where some of the characters were coming from when they told Laila she needed to get out and live a little. There are times when it's good to get out of your comfort zone, and for the sake of her writing, Laila did need to have some new experiences. However. Why, why, why must every "new" and "exciting" experience involve getting drunk or having run-ins with the cops? If there is one trope I hate, it's that one. Life experience does not equal breaking the law and living a rebellious teenage life. There were about a bazillion other things Laila could have done to branch out in her life, but no, she had to get a fake ID and go to a bar.

-Something about Laila's relationship with her previous writing teacher didn't strike me as genuine. Maybe it was because we didn't get a good look at what their relationship was like before he had his accident and had to leave the school, but I didn't feel like they were as close as the story tried to portray. The e-mails, specifically, seemed off. The characters' voices didn't translate well in their online interactions.

-The ending was dissatisfying. Without spoiling anything, I didn't feel like anything completely tied up. It wasn't ambiguous, it was just . . . unfinished. It seemed like the author was trying to send a message, but I couldn't pick up on what that message was. It either went right over my head or the way the message was portrayed wasn't super clear. The ending was part of why I had a hard time rating the book at first, because I didn't know how to feel about it. I didn't feel anything, and that's definitely not how a book should leave you.

I rate it:

Final Draft was okay, but it's not a story that's going to stay with me. I'll probably forget most of it in a month or two. There was a lot I enjoyed, and it was a pretty short read, so it didn't consume a lot of my time, but I didn't have strong feelings about it. Not my particular cup of tea, but it may appeal much more to someone else.

Have you read Final Draft? What did you think? What are your favorite books about writers? Leave a comment!

Book Review: Double Edition (LOVE, HATE & OTHER FILTERS and EVERLESS)

Expected publication: January 16th, 2018
Pages: 288

A searing #OwnVoices coming-of-age debut in which an Indian-American Muslim teen confronts Islamophobia and a reality she can neither explain nor escape--perfect for fans of Angie Thomas, Jacqueline Woodson, and Adam Silvera.

American-born seventeen-year-old Maya Aziz is torn between worlds. There’s the proper one her parents expect for their good Indian daughter: attending a college close to their suburban Chicago home, and being paired off with an older Muslim boy her mom deems “suitable.” And then there is the world of her dreams: going to film school and living in New York City—and maybe (just maybe) pursuing a boy she’s known from afar since grade school, a boy who’s finally falling into her orbit at school.

There’s also the real world, beyond Maya’s control. In the aftermath of a horrific crime perpetrated hundreds of miles away, her life is turned upside down. The community she’s known since birth becomes unrecognizable; neighbors and classmates alike are consumed with fear, bigotry, and hatred. Ultimately, Maya must find the strength within to determine where she truly belongs.

Goodreads

First book read in the New Year! But grrrr, I was hoping to like it more. I'll start with what I didn't like so I can at least end this review on a positive note.

-The romance was cliché, predictable, and not at all interesting. It was super obvious from very early on what was going to happen and there were so few obstacles standing in Maya's way.

-The Islamophobia and terrorist attack became background plot. I was expecting it to be a huge focus, but it wasn't, and I was super disappointed. This book could have been the next The Hate U Give, but I found the problems that came from the terrorist attack to be very easily taken care of when they should have been complicated.

-There also wasn't any focus on Muslim culture?????? Maya NEVER talks about what she thinks about her religion or anything, even though she clearly has different thoughts from her parents on everything.

-The writing wasn't great and the dialogue was awkward. I didn't like most of the characters because of this, even though I should have liked the characters otherwise.

-The whole thing just felt super surface level and too easy. If the author had dug a little deeper, it could've been a masterpiece, but it was just fluffy, and not everything in it was supposed to be fluffy.

-MAYA WAS SO UNFAIR TO HER PARENTS. Sometimes she had the right to be a little annoyed, but other times she acted exasperated by them when they were being totally reasonable. At one point, her mom offers to stay home with her because she's not feeling well and she's like, "Mom, I'm being smothered!" So rude.

Things I did like . . .

-There was a huge focus on Indian culture, which I found to be refreshingly diverse and interesting. It made for great family dynamics and perspectives on how to straddle two cultures (American and Indian).

-I liked that Maya wanted to be a documentarian! I've never seen that kind of art portrayed in a YA book and it was cool to see a unique side of movie-making.

-The book touched on a lot of different important issues Indian-American and Muslim-American families faced today, and while I wish those issues had been explored more, they were still brought up, and that's a step in the right direction.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed When Dimple Met Rishi, which I personally didn't like that much, but I know many people did. It read very similarly.

I rate it:

Published: January 2nd, 2018
Pages: 368

In the kingdom of Sempera, time is currency—extracted from blood, bound to iron, and consumed to add time to one’s own lifespan. The rich aristocracy, like the Gerlings, tax the poor to the hilt, extending their own lives by centuries.

No one resents the Gerlings more than Jules Ember. A decade ago, she and her father were servants at Everless, the Gerlings’ palatial estate, until a fateful accident forced them to flee in the dead of night. When Jules discovers that her father is dying, she knows that she must return to Everless to earn more time for him before she loses him forever.

But going back to Everless brings more danger—and temptation—than Jules could have ever imagined. Soon she’s caught in a tangle of violent secrets and finds her heart torn between two people she thought she’d never see again. Her decisions have the power to change her fate—and the fate of time itself.

Goodreads

This was a very cool premise (you can turn your blood into currency and those coins can then be consumed to add years to your life). I loved the creativity that went into the world building and legends. Ultimately, that's what made the story unique and worth reading, because otherwise it read like any other fantasy.

I wasn't a fan of Jules as a character. I didn't dislike her, and sometimes I felt sorry for her, but she was a little bland.

The romance was honestly laughable. I didn't buy it in the slightest. It was basically instalove, which I can't stand 95% of the time.

The plot twists could have been great, but I feel like they were confusing and sloppy in execution. They might have worked better had they been spread throughout the book more, but the first half of the book was a ton of setup, which made it kind of slow.

I probably won't read the sequels, but it was entertaining while it lasted and a fresh take on fantasy worlds. Fans of RED QUEEN by Victoria Aveyard might enjoy this one.

I rate it:

Actual rating: 3.5

Have you read Love, Hate & Other Filters or Everless? What did you think? What was the first book you read this year? Leave a comment!

Mini Reviews: 2017 Edition

As I mentioned at the beginning of the year, one of my reading goals was to try to stay current when it came to YA releases. I've done a pretty good job, if I do say so myself, and because I've read so many new books this year, I thought I'd do you all a favor by summing up my thoughts for each book. This way, you can pick out which books look best to you and flail around with me.

Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson

4/5

WOW. #1 underrated book of the year. I can't believe I didn't see more hype for this because it's so good??? This is one of those stories where you'll never have all the information. You pretty much spend the entire time confused as hell and you'll thank the author for it. It's a chilling mystery masked as a contemporary. Mary is an unreliable narrator due to the trauma she's experienced, which makes every important event blurred. It's infuriating and addicting. The ending leaves something to be desired in the sense that the general conclusion is genius, but I think it was executed poorly. However, you'd be missing out if you didn't pick up this dark, gritty, raw, gripping, and shocking tale that will haunt you for days.

Wires and Nerve by Marissa Meyer

5/5

Iko is my precious android warrior, which made this spinoff of the Lunar Chronicles series all the more enjoyable. The illustrations added another depth to my perception of the characters, other than Wolf, who I always imagined to look more human than wolfish. Not only do you get to spend the whole time watching Iko kicking butt and possibly setting up a budding romance for herself, but you also get more than a taste of Cress and Thorne. They were the secondary stars of the show, and with good reason, since you can't help but love how adorable they are together.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

5/5

This is a tough read right off the bat, but it's well worth it. You know how sometimes new YA books get so much hype that when you finally get around to reading it, you're disappointed? That's not the case with this one. Angie Thomas is the master of weaving important issues into a compelling story. It's not preachy and it's not eye-rollingly forced. I enjoyed every page, mostly because the characters were so well-written. I loved to love some of them and I loved to hate others. The family dynamics were realistic, something that's not always prevalent in YA fiction. It's painful and raw at times and fluffy and funny at others, but most of all it's a perfect blend of all of those things.

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

5/5

Becky Albertalli has done it again! How is she so good at creating relatable teens who we're able to fall in love with? My heart. You guys. This was so darn cute. I just want to curl up between the pages of the book and take a nap in the sun. Molly's voice was so addictive and conversational. It was nothing fancy, but it was honest and funny. I felt like I was settled directly inside her brain with her every thought. Plus, she's obsessed with Pinterest and has a massive crush on Lin-Manuel Miranda, so what's not to love about her? And the food. I was craving Cadbury mini eggs as much as I craved Oreos when I read Simon. Also! Family dynamics! Siblings! PARENTS WHO ARE ALIVE AND HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR CHILDREN. Molly and her twin sister Cassie interacted like real life siblings. And I LOVED seeing a healthy, non-sexualized, loving, committed, normal relationship between two women (who were awesome moms, no less!). And for all you Simon fans out there, Simon and Abby make cameos! The only teeny tiny thing I had an issue with was the fact that I found the love triangle to be a bit too predictable. I knew first thing who Molly would end up with, if she ended up with anybody. But that didn't make the romance any less cute or fun. Readthisbookreadthisbookreadthisbook.

Alex and Eliza by Melissa de la Cruz

3.5/5

Imagine Pride & Prejudice except with Hamilton and the Schuyler sisters. If this sounds like your cup of tea, it probably is, and you should definitely go make a cup right now to go with your new reading material. This book has so much fluff, I contemplated making a few stuffed animals with it. While I am no enemy to fluff and romance, it was slow at times when there was no reason to be. There were plenty of chances for far more exciting chapters, but instead we got detailed descriptions about the gowns Angelica and Peggy wore. Clearly it was written at the perfect time to capitalize on the "Hamilton" craze, which I didn't mind, but that meant I was disappointed by Angelica's portrayal in particular. Everything I've read about her relationship with Hamilton, especially from the Ron Chernow biography, said that she and Hamilton shared an intense sibling-like bond due to their passionate natures and razor-sharp wit. In Alex & Eliza, though, Angelica comes off as rude, snobby, and mean. Hamilton and Eliza did come off exactly how I imagined they would, though, which made up for it.

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

3/5

Buckle up, kids, because I have more conflicted feelings about this book than Harry Potter fans do about Severus Snape. This is the perfect example of a case where the hype for a book left me disappointed. Very little kept me reading to the end, and that was because I 1. had invested so much time already in the book already and 2. was a little curious what happened because I did still like the characters well enough. First of all, personal issue here, but I think using the third person for a YA contemporary romance is super odd. We hardly ever see anything but first person when reading YA contemporaries these days. Third person only works if you can still make me feel really connected to the characters, and I was about as connected to them as a spotty WiFi signal. Sometimes I was super into them and their relationships and other times I found myself zoning out. The dialogue was so unnatural. There were whole conversations that took place simply because it moved the plot forward, which is what dialogue is supposed to do, but it's also supposed to do that without the reader realizing it. Grr. I did love the diversity! It was really cool to read about Indian culture from two American-Indian teenagers with two very different perspectives! Buuuuut, it dealt with these issues in a really preachy, awkward way. Sandhya Menon could learn a thing or two from Angie Thomas. I've talked with my teenage friends about social issues. We don't talk like that. The nerdiness was great and I loved the concept of a coding camp where everyone's in a competition to create an app, but for the whole six or so weeks they were at the camp the author? Never?? Once??? Showed them???? In class????? Why. Why why why. That could've made things way more interesting and added a ton more tension (which was sorely lacking) rather than sending Dimple and Rishi to various restaurants for lunch every day. I love food, but food does not make up for a slow plot that wanders and repeats itself. One of the big saving graces to this book was that, however unrealistic several parts of it were, the romance was cute! Downright adorable! I totally shipped it. I mean, when a girl flings her iced coffee at a boy during their first meeting, it's all uphill from there. As you can see, I have a lot of feelings (mostly mixed) about this book, but it wasn't terrible.

The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

5/5

This author has a gift for taking my heart, pulverizing it, blending it into a pain-flavored smoothie, and handing it to me in a way that I'll happily slurp the whole thing down. (Like that imagery?) It wasn't quite Aristotle and Dante levels of wow, but WOW. My interest was held throughout an unusually long contemporary with little plot, largely due to how good these characters were written. I love his characters, every single one of them. The friendship, the family dynamics, the love of dogs (dogs who don't die, might I add!), and the food (homemade tortillas . . . *drools*) made this story something I missed reading when I was doing something else. It was such a cozy book to curl up with before bed, even if it made me cry like twelve times. (Probably more. Definitely more.)

Eliza and her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

5/5

Why, hello there, book that was made expressly for me. I totally identified with Eliza as an introverted fangirl who spends lots of time online and on my phone, but, like Eliza, I'm actually being very social online! Some of my best friends were made through fan-fiction and forums, and they live in other states and countries and time zones, but they're still great friendships. The romance was super cute and unconventional and the story reminded me a lot of Fangirl if it were set in high school. Read this if you're looking for something to whip through in a single day.

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

5/5

Hats off to Lara Liz who recommended this to me, because otherwise I never would have heard about it! I can't figure out for the life of me why more people haven't shouted about this one from the rooftops. So. Many. Plot twists. I really should've seen some of them coming, but I didn't, and that's largely due to the really freaking great use of four unreliable narrators. Seriously, they're written so well that you can't help but love them and simultaneously suspect they're murderers. I heard it's being developed into a TV show, too, which is an excellent choice, because I binged this book late into the night and enjoyed every second of it.

Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

4/5

Leigh Bardugo, my girl, killing it over here like the real Wonder Woman. The snark, the plot, the diversity, the conflict, the pain, all of it. Just all of it. Diana and Themyscira were portrayed exactly as I expected them to be while still remaining fresh and interesting. As always, Bardugo is the queen of dialogue (along with Rainbow Rowell--I could sit around all day listening to their characters talk), which added a layer of humor to a tense plot. While authors complain about "the dreaded middle" of any novel they write, this fabulous author right here completely nailed it. Funnily enough, my only complaints are with the beginning and the end. I found the beginning a little too slow and the end a little too jolting (this is mostly because of a plot twist I had a hard time believing, but I'm willing to forgive that since the rest of it was so darn good). Let's give it up for badass women!

More 2017 releases I'm looking forward to reading . . .

What 2017 releases have you loved so far? What are you still looking forward to? Leave a comment!

Allegedly (book review)

Released: January 24th, 2017
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 387

Mary B. Addison killed a baby.

Allegedly. She didn’t say much in that first interview with detectives, and the media filled in the only blanks that mattered: A white baby had died while under the care of a church-going black woman and her nine-year-old daughter. The public convicted Mary and the jury made it official. But did she do it? She wouldn’t say.

Mary survived six years in baby jail before being dumped in a group home. The house isn’t really “home”—no place where you fear for your life can be considered a home. Home is Ted, who she meets on assignment at a nursing home.

There wasn’t a point to setting the record straight before, but now she’s got Ted—and their unborn child—to think about. When the state threatens to take her baby, Mary must find the voice to fight her past. And her fate lies in the hands of the one person she distrusts the most: her Momma. No one knows the real Momma. But who really knows the real Mary?

In this gritty and haunting debut, Tiffany D. Jackson explores the grey areas in our understanding of justice, family, and truth, and acknowledges the light and darkness alive in all of us.

Goodreads

Check it out, you guys, I'm actually reading a new release for once!!! This is the first 2017 release I've read this year, and damn, we're really starting off with a bang. I'm hoping this is a good sign for the rest of this year's releases. I also want to do more reviews of newer books since it's been wayyy too long since I've done any and I forgot just how much I enjoyed it.

So onto the book.

WOW.

Don't worry, I'll be expanding on that comment much more eloquently, but if I had to give a reaction with one word, it'd be that, because WOW. And if I had to give a reaction with three words, it'd be, "oh my God," since I whispered that to myself at night into my Kindle screen.

Yep, it's that sort of book. Holy plot twists, Batman! I had no idea going into the story just how much I wouldn't know until the very end. Throughout the whole book, you never have all the information. A lot of the time you feel like you're stumbling around in a dark room, looking for a light switch, only to flip it on and find out you're not even in the same room anymore. You might think you know what's going on, but trust me, you don't. What I thought was a contemporary read turned out to be a mystery, too, and a chilling one at that.

On the subject of never knowing what's going on, I also had an incredibly difficult time trusting any character. Any of them! This didn't affect my enjoyment of the book at all. In fact, it's part of why I liked it. I felt like I was on edge, looking over my shoulder to see if another plot twist was coming, the entire time. It's what made the whole story so gripping. If you're looking for something to just relax and read over the weekend, Allegedly isn't going to be that. But it will be one hell of a ride. Just when you think you've met a character who could be a potential ally, think again! No one can be trusted. Including the protagonist.

Mary is an unreliable narrator. The trauma she's experienced as a kid (physical and sexual abuse, having to care for her mother at the age of seven or eight and take on way too much responsibility, being hated in the public eye for what she allegedly did, etc.) made facts and details about any important event blurred. Something she thought may have happened actually might not have, or vice versa. Nothing is clear because we see everything through Mary's eyes, and her perception is seriously skewed. This made trying to find out the truth that much more impossible. It's infuriating and addicting.

Another part I loved about the book were the excerpts from articles, books, and interviews about Mary and her trial. It added to the mystery, both by giving you more information (which may or may not be true), and leaving you with more questions. It was interesting to see how so many people judged Mary in different ways.

The only part I'm not sure about (and ultimately what prevented me from giving the book five stars) is the ending. It's so, so, so hard to talk about without giving anything away, but to me it felt rushed and out of place. Part of me still wonders if I'm being too harsh, but my initial reaction to the last chapter wasn't an, "OMG WHAT I CAN'T BELIEVE IT THIS IS SO WOW" sort of reaction. Instead, it left me so confused, I had to reread the whole chapter again. The intended plot twist (if I'm understanding the intent of it correctly) could have been excellent if it had been executed well, but I'm not sure it was. It felt sloppy when everything else had been so carefully thought out. But maybe I'll feel differently in a few days.

Overall, Allegedly was dark, gritty, raw, gripping, shocking, and addictive. It has a diverse cast of characters, covers topics such as racism and mental illness, and will haunt you for days after you've finished the book.

I rate it:

Have you read Allegedly? What did you think? What are your favorite books with unreliable narrators? Leave a comment!

A Study in Charlotte (a book review)

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

Expected publication: March 1st, 2016
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 336

The last thing sixteen-year-old Jamie Watson–writer and great-great-grandson of the John Watson–wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s enigmatic, fiercely independent great-great-granddaughter, who’s inherited not just his genius but also his vices, volatile temperament, and expertly hidden vulnerability. Charlotte has been the object of his fascination for as long as he can remember–but from the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else.

Then a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Holmes stories, and Jamie and Charlotte become the prime suspects. Convinced they’re being framed, they must race against the police to conduct their own investigation. As danger mounts, it becomes clear that nowhere is safe and the only people they can trust are each other.

Equal parts tender, thrilling, and hilarious, A Study in Charlotte is the first in a trilogy brimming with wit and edge-of-the-seat suspense.

Goodreads

I LOVE retellings, and Sherlock Holmes has been a recent obsession of mine over the past couple years. So naturally the super clever title and offbeat cover caused me to snatch this ARC up off the shelf like the greedy little bookworm that I am.

Overall, I thought the story was very good. It took me maybe forty, fifty pages to really get into it, but after that I didn't feel like the action lagged at all. Even if they weren't running through the streets to chase someone down, I was completely entertained.

I loved Charlotte's character, too. She felt like a descendant of Sherlock Holmes, down to her speech pattern, but she wasn't a copycat. She had a drug addiction, just like Sherlock, and played the violin beautifully. But she was also more emotional, I think. She got more attached to people, even though she viewed it as a "weakness," but it just made her more endearing. I found myself actually cringing every time I thought she was in danger.

This book was a mystery that didn't cut any corners and, though it was somewhat confusing, made total sense once you got to the big reveal. Well . . . I had to take a minute and reread once or twice to make sure it completely sank in, but then it made sense. It was as confusing as you'd expect a Sherlock Holmes story to be. I didn't feel like the author cheated me out of something by tossing me all these red herrings.

The only parts of the story that didn't sit right with me were 1. Jamie's character, 2. A side plot that felt thrown in, and 3. The matter of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Let me expand on these.

Jamie was bland! I didn't dislike him, per se, but . . . if it hadn't been for Charlotte, I wouldn't have really been able to root for him, either. He didn't have much of a personality, it was like his entire character depended on his relationship with Charlotte. I usually have a really hard time when I can't connect with the main character in some way, but the story mostly made up for it.

That side plot . . . *headdesks repeatedly* What even?! I was SO CONFUSED when I realized what had happened, and even then it took me several pages to recover from it. It didn't have anything to do with the main story at all! It felt like one of those bombs an author drops during NaNoWriMo just for the sake of bumping up her word count by a couple thousand words, and then forgot to edit out when sending the book in for publication. (For those of you who have read the book, I hope you know what side plot I'm talking about, because I'm dying to talk about it with someone. Was it just me and I totally missed something about it, or did anyone else agree?)

Apparently Cait and I had the same thoughts with this one, but toward the beginning of the book, you find out that the Sherlock Holmes stories are true and that Holmes and Watson were real people. So far so good, right? But then they go on to mention that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was still the one who wrote the books, when during every other part of the story it would seem like John Watson did . . . huh??

And they NEVER EXPLAIN how this makes sense. Not a huge deal, but still something I thought should've been worked out more.

So to sum it up, it's a fun read, especially great for a gray day when you're stuck inside with a blanket and a book. But definitely read it for the plot and not so much the characters, since the only one I really liked was Charlotte.

Have you read A Study in Charlotte? What did you think? And what are your favorite retellings, Sherlock Holmes or otherwise? Leave a comment!