Book Review: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Title: Cemetery Boys 

Author: Aiden Thomas

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Young Adult, LGBT, Romance

Pages: 344

Publisher: Swoon Reads

Year Published: 2020

Format: Audiobook

"Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can't get rid of him.

When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Martiza, he performs the rituals himself, and then sets free the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school's resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He's determined to find out what happened, and tie up some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave."

My Rating: 1.5/5

I really just didn't care about this story. I was interested in the cultural aspects and the ideas that are presented in that regard, but the characters themselves. I felt that their romance was fine and cute, but nothing was something I cared enough to keep me interested. I also saw the plot "twist" at the end of the book coming, it felt like the plot was too obvious to me. I hope that those who read this book for the representation feel that it was fulfilled, and I have no hard feelings about this story, it just wasn't for me. And that's ok.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich

 Title: Two for the Dough

Author: Janet Evanovich

Series/Standalone: Stephanie Plum Series (Book #2)

Genre: Adult Fiction, Humour, Mystery

Pages: 326

Publisher: Penguin Books

Year Published: 1996

Format: Audiobook

"This one's double the fun!

Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is still learning the ropes at her cousin Vinnie's bail bond office, so when she sets out the trail of Kenny Mancuso- a suspiciously wealthy, working class Trenton boy who has just shot his best friend- the stakes are higher than ever. That Mancuso is distantly related to vice cop Joe Morelli- who is trying to beat Stephanie to the punch- only makes the hunt more thrilling.

Taking pointers from her bounty hunter pal, Ranger, and using her pistol-packing Grandma Mazur as a decoy, Stephanie is soon closing in on her mark. But Morelli and his libido are worthy foes. And a more sinister kind of enemy has made his first move... and his next move might be Stephanie's last."

My Rating: 2/5

I think that these books are fun filler books, but they are so outdated. There is mention of the two main characters have sexual actions together at 8 YEARS OLD. I thought it was a one-off in the first book but it was brought up repeatedly in this book and it made me uncomfortable. There were also more stereotypes being filled out in this book. And things were more focused on the relationships in the book instead of the crime. I do plan on reading the next one just to see if these trends continue, but if they do I'm not sure how much further in the series I will go.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Title: The Time Traveler's Wife

Author: Audrey Niffenegger

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Romance, Adult Fiction

Pages: 522

Publisher: Vintage Canada

Year Published: 2003

Format: Audiobook and Physical Copy (Own it)

First Line: "Clare: It's hard being left behind."

"When Henry meets Clare, he is twenty-eight and she is twenty. Henry has never met Clare before; Clare has known Henry since she was six. Impossible but true, because Henry finds himself periodically displaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity from his life, past and future. Henry and Clare's attempts to live normal lives are threatened by a force they can neither prevent nor control, making their passionate love story intensely moving and entirely unforgettable. The Time Traveler's Wife is a story of fate, hope and believe, and more than that, it's about the power of love to endure beyond the bounds of time."

My Rating: 1.5/5

I really enjoyed this movie in my teenage years. I loved it. I thought that it really showed starcrossed lovers and it broke my little heart. Now as an adult, after reading the book I see a lot of problems with this storyline. Especially in the book. The use of sex was horrible for me, I didn't think that it showed any female enjoyment, it appeared at random, and it was awkward and stilted. Not what you want from a romance book. There was also a ton of problematic stereotypes that are glossed over. I understand that this was written in 2003, but it was hard to read through all the same. That being said, the movie is still one that I enjoyed and the reason this got the rating it did was for nostalgia purposes. Overall, would not recommend. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Rebellion by Kass Morgan

Title: Rebellion
Author: Kass Morgan
Series/Standalone: The 100 Series (Book #4)
Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 352
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Year Published: 2016
Format: Audiobook

"Centuries after nuclear war destroyed our planet, humanity struggles to rebuild. It's been a month since the dropships landed and the Colonists joined the Hundred on the ground. The teens, once branded juvenile delinquents, are now leaders among their people.

The Colonists and the Earthborn's are celebrating their first holiday together when, to everyone's horror, they're attacked by a group of strangers whose unusual battle cries fill the air. The newcomers kill scores of people, seize prisoners and pillage the crucial supplies. When hotheaded Bellamy and his analytical girlfriend Clarke discover that Wells, Octavia and Glass have been captured, they vow to get them back at all costs. But as they go after their new enemies, Bellamy and Clark find themselves increasingly at odds, unable to agree on a plan to save their friends.

Meanwhile, Wells, Octavia, and Glass are being slowly brainwashed by their captors, religious fanatics with one goal: to grow their ranks and 'heal' the war-ravaged planet... by eliminating everyone else on it.

But centuries of radiation exposure have taken their toll, forcing the cult to take drastic steps to survive. And unless the rescue party arrives soon, the teen captives will face a fate more terrifying than anything they could imagine. IN this thrilling fourth installment, the hundred fight to protect people they love on the dangerous planet they always dreamed of calling."

My Rating: 2.75/5

I think that this by far the weakest instalment in the series and it makes sense that the series ended here. I think that things were resolved in some ways too quickly and in other ways far too slow. The use of miscommunication in this story was just at some points over the top. I also found myself eye-rolling a bit more than usual. I did enjoy the idea and the change of pace away from our regular setting. I just think that it could have been executed in a different way. I'm glad that I read the story but if you are concerned after reading the 3rd book that might be a good place for you to stop in the series.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

Title: On the Come Up
Author: Angie Thomas
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction
Pages: 447
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Year Published: 2019
Format: Audiobook

"Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least make it out of her neighbourhood one day. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died before he hit big, Bri's got big shoes to fill. But now that her mom has unexpectedly lost her job, food banks and shutoff notices are as much a part of Bri's life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer wants to make it- she has to make it.

On the Come Up is Angie Thomas's homage to hip-hop, the art that sparked her passion for storytelling and continues to inspire her to this day. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; of the struggle to become who you are and now who everyone expects you to be, and of the desperate realities of poor and working-class black families."

My Rating: 4/5

I think that Angie Thomas has this amazing talent for making relatable characters. Characters that you can't help but love. This is a story that is important for everyone to read and to understand. So many people who haven't been in these situations don't understand. You can't just stop being in these situations, there are things that happen in life that keep people where they are, it's a system that holds onto people. I can't fully understand either as I never lived these situations but I do think that this book helped me better see other perspectives of life. The only reason that this standalone got 4/5 and not 5/5 is that the writing style just wasn't my favourite, that being said I will continue to read works by Angie Thomas.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson

Title: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports
Author: James Patterson
Series/Standalone: Maximum Ride (Book #3)
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction,
Pages: 405
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Year Published: 2007
Format: Audiobook

"In MAXIMUM RIDE: SAVING THE WORLD AND OTHER EXTREME SPORTS, the time has arrived for Max and her winged "Flock" to face their ultimate enemy and discover their original purpose: to defeat the takeover of "Re-evolution," a sinister experiment to re-engineer a select population into a scientifically superior master race... and to terminate the rest. 
Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel have always worked together to defeat the forces working against them-- but can they save the world when they are torn apart, living in hiding and captivity, halfway across the globe from one another?

My Rating: 2.5/5

I know that this one was supposed to be more dramatic but I just found that it was so repetitive to the ones in the past that I had trouble caring about the world and the characters. I will say that the fight scenes in this were well written and interesting, but other than those I wasn't too invested in anything that was happening. I am looking forward to continuing the series and wonder where the author will take it now that they have a different voice reading them and the characters have a different objective.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Book Review: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Title: Pandemonium
Author: Lauren Oliver
Series: Delirium Series (Book #2)
Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction, YA
Pages: 375
Publisher: HarperTeen
Year Published: 2012
Format: Audiobook

"The old life is dead. But the old Lena is dead too. I buried her. I left her beyond a fence, behind a wall of smoke and flame. In this electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller Delirium, Lauren Oliver sets Lena on a dangerous course that hurtles through the unregulated Wilds and into the heart of a growing resistance movement. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of a fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite."

My Rating: 3.25/5

I'm going to start this review by saying, I don't disagree with the negative opinions about this installment. I agree with many points of that argument. That being said, I had an idea that this book wouldn't live up to the first one so my overall expectations were set a little lower than those who read this book as it came out.
This book was what I expected. It just didn't have the elements that I really enjoyed from the first book and had more of the elements that weren't my favourite. I will say the twist at the end made me interested in continuing the series, and that's about it. The main character is selfish and so foolish overall. She is just to naive for my liking, actually in this book she was closer to stupidity.
That being said, I am interested in other characters in this series and that is why I took out the next audiobook as soon as I finished this one.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Book Review: The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis

Title: The Female of the Species
Author: Mindy McGinnis
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Thriller
Pages: 352
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Year Published: 2016
Format: Audiobook

"A contemporary YA novel that examines rape culture through alternating perspectives.

Alex craft knows how to kill someone. And she doesn't feel bad about it.

Three years ago, when older sister, Anna, was murdered and the killer walked free, Alex uncaged the language she knows best- the language of violence. While her own crime goes unpunished, Alex knows she can't be trusted among other people. Not with Jack, the star athlete who wants to really know her but still feels guilty over the role he played the night Anna's body was discovered. And not with Peekay, the preacher's kid with a defiant streak who befriend Alex while they volunteer at an animal shelter. Not anyone.

As their senior year unfolds, Alex's darker nature breaks out, setting these three teens on a collision course that will change their lives forever."

My Rating: 5/5

This book caught me off guard. I wasn't ready to feel so many things and to be shocked by the honesty that Mindy McGinnis put into this book. Was it shocking to read from these perspectives and the things that these characters go through, yes, but it was an extremely important read. I would highly suggest this to men and women of almost all ages. There is a trigger warning for sexual assualt, rape and physical assault. I really was blown away by this story and hope to read more by Mindy McGinnis.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Spoiler: The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis

This book totally blew me away, I couldn't get over the correlation with my small town and the way Mindy McGinnis really thinks deeper about how deep rape culture runs in our society. It was shocking, but not in the way I expected. The story has a huge trigger warning for violence, rape and sexual assault. The story follows Alex, PeeKay and Jack. All characters who have a different background in this small town. 

Characters:
Alex: I can see how people would be distressed about how she handles her life and people in her home town. I can't blame her, but it was hard to imagine someone who was using their instinct for good, instead of for rape how most of the rest of the town acts. I was surprised to see how her storyline ended, and to see her in the animal shelter broke my heart.

PeeKay: I could relate to her need to break out of the mold and to be more than just the preacher's kid. But at the same time she was so willing to let people use that nickname. At the same time she deserves to be happy, and to find someone who is interested in her not her past or the challenge to get her.

Jake: I was turned off from his point of view at start, but he slowly won me back. He was starting to understand how the women in his life felt throughout their life. I could also understand the need to get out of the small town.

Branley: I tried really hard to understand her and how she felt in society, but she was really frustrating as she just continued to "mess up". I hope that she learned her lesson.

Ray: In my opinion he got what he deserved.

Sarah:  I liked that we got the perspective of someone who wasn't interested in men romantically. It was an important perspective to have