Book Review: The Project by Courtney Summers

Title: The Project

Author: Courtney Summers

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller

Pages: 352

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Year Published: 2021

Format: Audibook

"Lo Denham is used to being on her own. After her parents died in a tragic car accident, her sister Bea joined the elusive community called The Unity Project, leaving Lo to fend for herself. Desperate not to lose the only family she has left, Lo has spent the last six years trying to reconnect with Bea, only to be met with radio silence.

When Lo's given the perfect opportunity to gain access to Bea's reclusive life, she think they're finally going to be reunited. But it's difficult to find someone who doesn't want to be found, and as Lo delves deeper into The Project and its charismatic leader, she begins to realize that there's more at risk than just her relationship with Bea: Her very life might be in danger.

As she uncovers more questions than answers at each turn everything Lo thought she knew about herself, her sister, and the world is upended. One thing doesn't change, though and that's what keeps her going: Bea needs her, and Lo will do anything to save her."

My Rating: 5/5

This book blew me away. I had read Sadie, the author's debut, shortly after it's release and hearing the hype about it. This novel got less hype than Sadie, but I liked it far more. Courtney Summers does a wonderful job of getting you invested in a persons story and trying to understand what leads people to do what they do. I loved the thrilling elements, and while there was a moment or two where we, as readers, knew what was going on but Lo, or Bea seemed to have no idea what was at play which caused great suspense. The atmosphere in this book also added greatly to the thrilling aspects of the story, a cabin in the woods where the leader is secluded along with The Project's members, yes please. I look forward to reading more work by the author as she publishes them and would recommend to anyone who is looking for a cult based thrilller.

Thanks for reading

Sidny

Book Review: Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Title: Firekeeper's Daughter

Author: Angeline Boulley

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Young Adult, Fiction

Pages: 496

Publisher: Henry, Holt and Co.

Year Published: 2021

Format: Audiobook

"As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, bother in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. Daunis dreams of studying medicine, but when her family is struck by tragedy, she puts her future on hold to care for her fragile mother.

The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi's hockey team. Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, certain details don't add up and she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into the heart of a criminal investigation.

Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover but secretly pursues her own investigation, tracking down the criminals with her knowledge of chemistry and traditional medicine. But the deceptions- and deaths- keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home.

Now, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she'll go to protect her community, even if it tears apart the only world she's ever known."

My Rating: 4/5

This is such a wonderful debut novel from Angeline Boulley. The representation in this book is something I want to read more about, and want to see published more and more. Everyone deserves to see themselves in a story. The characters in this story were incredible to read from. I found the different characters distinct without being stereotypical. Interactions did remind me of my small hockey town, especially with the way the boys acted about women. Unfortunately, it also reminded me of my hometown with the racist elements that were written about. The plot is really where this book lost a star for me. I was interested in the mystery, but not enough to hold my full attention throughout. I was more interested in hearing about Daunis's story about her growing, and hearing about her life and what her community had gone through. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Shadow and Bone

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Series/Standalone: The Shadow and Bone Trilogy (Book #1)

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy,

Pages: 358

Publisher: Square Fish

Year Published: 2012

Format: Paperback Copy (Own It)

First Line: "The servants called them malenchki, little ghosts, because they were the smallest and the youngest, and because they haunted the Duke's house like giggling phantoms, darting in and out of the rooms., hiding in cupboards to eavesdrop, sneaking into the kitchen to setal the last of the summer peaches."

"Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn into two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life- a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secret of the Grisha... and the secrets of her heart."

My Rating: 4.75/5

This was such a refreshing read. It was exactly what I needed to read this month. It really reminded me of the Young Adult fantasy that I used to read when I was younger, and why I started writing out my thoughts in the first place. I have so many thoughts on the characters, and I'm intrigued by the world as well. The plot was intriguing and the twists were so fun. I also enjoyed reading about the atmosphere and the training aspects of the story. Most of all I'm interested in the history of the world, and where this plot is taking our characters. 

Will I be buying the whole box set? Absolutely.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Spoiler: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

 I've got a lot of thoughts so buckle up!

The plot of this book isn't anything ridiculously groundbreaking for a YA fantasy, we have our chosen one, we have a villain, we have multiple love interests. Need I say more? What is fun is all the twists and turns that the story takes throughout. I loved the way I wouldn't expect what moment someone would show up, or what was about to happen at all moments.

Atmosphere: The plot of this book really brought the world to life, it really reminded me of Russian folklore that I've read, or ideas just based on the weather, and the descriptions of the palace. Lovely!

Writing: Nothing ground breaking, but so addicting and fun to read. Capture the world and the thoughts of our main character so well. Addicting! I was intrigued and I thought that conclusions made logical sense.

Characters: I already know that I'm shipping the wrong people. I know that I"m supposed to hate the Darkling. I acknowledge he is fucked up, a bad person and clearly the villain but what I will say might be controversial, he's still HOT. Reading the first part of this book I was like woah, this Darkling guy is so sexy, and then he just had to become the villain. RUDE. Mal is fine, a great friend to lover plot. I get it. He's loved her since the start. But where is the passion? Alina is fun to read from, but she'd better get tougher quickly! I just feel like she's got a lot of work to do to hide from the Darkling. 

Can't wait to continue the series,

Sidny

Book Review: Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Title: Wilder Girls 

Author: Rory Power

Series/Standalone:  Standalone

Genre: Young Adult, Horror, LGBT

Pages: 357

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Year Published: 2019

Format: Audiobook

"It's been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty's life out from under her.

It started slow. First, the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don't dare wander outside the school's fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.

But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns there's more to their story, to their life at Raxtar, than she could have ever thought true."

My Rating: 4.25/5

I recently listened to Rory Power's second book on audio and immediately knew I needed to listen to her debut. This book gets a lot of hate in the bookish community for the ending. And while I understand why some people aren't content with the ending (not everything is wrapped up in a neat bow), I think it made a lot of sense for the story itself. Rory Power does such a great job of writing a creepy, unnerving atmosphere, and the body horror in this was really astounding. I enjoyed that it really went there with the horror elements. I will say that if you're already on edge about the pandemic we are currently in this might not be a good read for you at the moment, but if you can handle the idea of quarantining in a horror novel I would strongly recommend it.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia HIbbert

 

Title: Act Your Age, Eve Brown

Author: Talia Hibbert

Series/Standalone: The Brown Sisters Trilogy (Book #3)

Genre: Romance, Adult

Pages: 400

Publisher: Avon

Year Published: 2021

Format: Audiobook

"In Act Your Age, Eve Brown the flightiest Brown sister crashes into the life of an uptight B&B owner and has him falling hard- literally.

Eve Brown is a certified hot mess. No matter how hard she strives to do right, her life always goes horribly wrong- so she's given up trying. But when her personal brand of chaos ruins an expensive wedding (someone had to liberate those poor doves), her parents draw the line. It's time for Eve to grow up and prove herself- even though she's not entirely sure how...

Jacob Wayne is in control. Always. The bed and breakfast owner's on a mission to dominate the hospitality industry- and he expects nothing less than perfection. So when a purple-haired tornado of a woman turns up out of the blue to interview for his open chef position, he tells her the brutal truth: Not a chance in hell. Then she hits him with her car- supposedly by accident. Yeah, right.

Now his arm is broken, his B&B is understaffed, and the dangerously unpredictable Eve is fluttering around, trying to help. Before long, she's infiltrated his work, his kitchen- and his spare bedroom. Jacob hates everything about it, or rather he should, Sunny, chaotic Eve is his natural-born nemesis, but the longer these two enemies spend in close quarters, the more their animosity turns into something else. Like Eve, the heat between them is impossible to ignore- and it's melting Jacob's frosty exterior."

My Rating: 5/5

This was the romance I didn't know I was looking for. At first, I expected to feel that Eve was spoiled, but the more we got to know her the more I realized she was having trouble committing to a life path due to comparing what she enjoyed to those around her. And not suddenly mastering a skill. I can relate to some of those things. As for Jacob, I loved his gruff exterior and getting to learn about who he genuinely was as a character. The other thing that this book had going for it was the yearning. I felt like the lusting after each other was so well done. It helped make the romance believable. A fair warning that there are quite a few steamy scenes that are explicit, so if that's not something you're into I wouldn't recommend it. 

Can't wait to read more from the author.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

 

Title: Dragonfly in Amber

Author: Diana Gabaldon

Series/Standalone: Outlander Series (Book #2)

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Adult

Pages: 752

Publisher: Anchor Canada

Year Published: 1992

Format: Paperback Copy (Own It)

First Line: "Roger Wakefield stood in the center of the room, feeling surrounded."

"From the author of Outlander... a magnificent epic that once again sweeps us back in time to the drama and passion of 18th-century Scotland...

For twenty years Claire Randall has kept her secrets. But now she is returning with her grown daughter to Scotland's majestic mist-shrouded hills. Here Claire plans to reveal a truth as stunning as the events that gave it birth: about the mystery of an ancient circle of standing stones... about a love that transcends the boundaries of time... and about James Fraser, a Scottish warrior whose gallantry once drew a young Claire from the security of her century to the danger of his...

Now a legacy of blood and desire will test her beautiful copper-haired daughter, Brianna, as Claire's spellbinding journey of self-discovery continues in the intrigue-ridden Paris court of Charles Stuart... in a race to thwart a doomed Highlands uprising... and in a desperate fight to save both the child and the man she loves..."

My Rating: 4.5/5

This book took me far too long to read, between starting it, stopping, picking up the audiobook, and then finishing via the physical book. That being said I still really enjoyed most of the content of this book. The first portion of this story drags a bit because it doesn't pick up where you left off originally. So it takes a bit of getting used to, reading about different characters in a different times. That being said, I still love our characters and the way they interact together. There are scenes that I didn't love, just due to their content matter, but I understand why they were part of the plot. And the cliffhanger really got me. As soon as I get the audiobook for the next installment, I will also be reading it physically to be able to complete the huge tomes quickly.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Title: Beautiful Creatures

Authors: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Series/Standalone: Caster Chronicles (Book #1)

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Pages: 563

Publisher: Little, Brown, and Company

Year Published: 2009

Format: Audiobook and Physical Copy

"Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps, and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever. 

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything."

My Rating: 2.75/5

Rating books is such an odd experience. For example, this story is so quintessentially 2010s paranormal romance that I knew what I was getting myself into. I knew that the romance would be questionable and that there would be a lot of yearning and angst. It's exactly what I wanted that being said, was it a magnificent book? Not for my current reading taste, was it fun? Absolutely. I think my main gripe about this book is our characters they don't have anything really interesting about them. There were also some points in here that would fly under the radar at the time of being published, but now fat-shaming a teenager, or having the story take place revolving around the Civil War without a black perspective would be questioned. Overall, I enjoyed it for what it was and will continue for a fun and light read. Not the best book I've read, but still enjoyable.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power

Title: Burn Our Bodies Down

Authors: Rory Power

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Thriller

Pages: 352

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Year Published: 2020

Format: Audiobook

"From the author of the New York Times bestseller Wilder Girls comes a new twisty thriller about a girl whose past has always been a mystery- until she decides to return to her mother's hometown... where the history has a tendency to repeat itself.

Ever since Margot was born, it's been just her and her mother. No answers to Margot's questions about what came before. No history to hold on to. No relative to speak of. Just the two of them stuck in their run-down apartment, struggling to get along.

But that's not enough for Margot. She wants family. She wants a past. And she just found the key she needs to get it: A photograph, pointing her to a town called Phalene. Pointing her home. Only when Margot gets there, it's not what she bargained for.

Margot's mother left for a reason. But was it to hide her past? or was it to protect Margot from what's still there?

The only thing Margot knows for sure is there's a poison in their family tree, and their roots are dug so deeply into Phalene that now that she's there, she might never escape."

My Rating: 4.5/5

This was a great audiobook to listen to on a road trip. No way you're falling asleep at the wheel. This story follows Margot whose been cooped up with her mother for as long as she can remember. Following her mother's rules, no matter how absurd they may seem to outsiders. But never getting any answers to her questions until was digging for more. And does she ever find it. This author did a great job of encompassing creepy small town, mystery, and horror aspects into this shorter YA book. I would be extremely interested in reading a book by her that was adult to see where she would take the horror elements. The reason this wasn't a complete 5 stars for me is that it wasn't able to go where I wanted it to. I thought that the end seemed to wrap up a little too quickly. That being said it was a quick, thrilling ride and I look forward to reading Wilder Girls as soon as possible. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

Title: Concrete Rose

Author: Angie Thomas

Series/Standalone: The Hate U Give (Book 0.5)

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Pages: 368

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Year Published: 2021

Format: Audiobook

"Internation phenomenon Angie Thomas revisits Garden Heights seventeen years before the events of The Hate U Give in this searing and poignant exploration of Black boyhood and manhood.

If there's one thing seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter knows, it's that a real man takes care of his family. As the son of a former gang legend, Mav does that the only way he knows how: dealing for the King Lords. With this money he can help his mom, who works two jobs while his dad's in prison.

Life's not perfect, but with a fly girlfriend and a cousin who always has his back, Mav's got everything under control.

Until, that is, Maverick finds out he's a father.

Suddenly he has a baby, Seven who depends on him for everything. But it's not so easy to sling dope, finish school and raise a child. So when he's offered the chance to go straight, he takes it. In a world where he's expected to amount to nothing, maybe Mav can prove he's different.

When King Lord blood runs through your veins, though, you can't just walk away. Loyalty, revenge, and responsibility threaten to tear Mav apart, especially after the brutal murder of a loved one. He'll have to figure out for himself what it really means to be a man."

My Rating: 4.5/5

I was extremely excited to read from Maverik's point of view especially considering what a large part he plays in The Hate U Give, as well as how heartwarming he is to read about as a father. I loved hearing his story and the struggles he went through. It made me want to reread The Hate U Give. I also think that Angie does a great job of showing stories without throwing lessons at things, instead of giving examples of what people have gone through. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny