Book Review: The Women by Kristin Hannah

Title: The Women

Author: Kristin Hannah

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Historical Fiction, Adult Fiction

Pages: 471

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Year Published: 2024

Format: Hardcover (Own It)

"Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances "Frankie" McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. 

As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets- and becomes one of- the lucky, the brave, the broken and the lost.

But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protestors, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.

The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm's way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era. "

My Rating: 4/5

As with any time I read Kristin Hannah, I am prepared for an emotional rollercoaster. Her way of writing historical fiction really reminds the reader that while we know the history, what was it really like for the people who lived it. Good, bad and ugly. This novel follows Frances, who goes to Vietnam after being inspired to be a hero, the first female hero from her family (as far as we know). As someone from a deeply patriotic family, she encounters other views, devastation and other factors of war that she might not have considered before heading in-country. Love, friendship and more play out both in-country and back home while we watch her return to a country that doesn't have the same love for veterans that it did in WW II or WW I. 

I don't think when I began reading this book that I understood that over half of the book takes place in America (both before and after Frankie's deployment). While important, I think that more detail of her time in-country may have helped me better understand the personal changes that Frankie experiences and give an even more stark contrast between the world she leaves and the world she reenters.  That being said it was a very informative book. I hadn't read much about the Vietnam War, as I am Canadian, and it isn't a subject touched on often here. 

Sidny

Book Review: The Poet Empress by Shen Tao

Title: The Poet Empress

Author: Shen Tao

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Fantasy, Adult Fiction

Pages: 393

Publisher: Tor Publishing Group

Year Published: 2026

Format: Hardcover (Library Copy)

"Debut author Shen Tao introduces readers to the lush, deadly world of The Poet Empress, a sweeping, epic and intimate fantasy perfect for fans of The Serpent & the Wings of Night, The Song of Achilles, and She Who Became the Sun.

In the waning years of the Azalea Dynasty, the emperor is dying, the land consumed by famine, and poetry magic lost to all except the powerful.

Wei Yin is desperate. After the fifth death of a sibling, with her family and village on the brink of starvation, she will do anything to save those she loves.

Even offer herself as concubine to the cruel heir of the beautiful and brutal Azalea House.

But in a twist of fate, the palace stands on the knife-edge of civil war with Wei trapped in its center... at the side of a violent prince.

To survive, Wei must harden her heart, rely on her wit, and become dangerous herself. Even if it means becoming a poet in a world where women are forbidden to read- and compsing the most powerful spell of all. A ballad of death... and love.

The Poet Empress is an epic fantasy that explores darker themes, subjects and scenes that may not be suitable for all readers. Please see the author's content note at the beginning of the book."

My Rating: 4.5/5

This was so much more than I anticipated. When I started this book, I loved the writing style, but I also wasn't sure if I was loving the plot. By the halfway point, I was completely hooked. I couldn't put it down. The use of mythology and the darker turns kept me intrigued. The characters also grew on me, and seeing how the author wrapped up the story while still maintaining that intrigue makes me excited to read the next book this author writes. 

Sidny

Book Review: The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Title: The Testaments

Author: Margaret Atwood

Series/Standalone: The Handmaid's Tale Series (Book #2)

Genre: Adult Fiction, Dystopian, Feminism 

Pages: 422

Publisher: Nan. A. Talese

Year Published: 2019

Format: Hardcover Copy (Library)

"When the van door slammed on Offred's future at the end of The Handmaid's Tale, readers had no way of telling what lay ahead of her- freedom, prison or death.

With The Testament, the wait is over.

Margaret Atwood's sequel picks up the story more than fifteen years after Offred stepped into the unknown, with the explosive testaments of three female narrators from Gilead.

In this brilliant sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, acclaimed author Margaret Atwood answers the questions that have tantalized readers for decades.

'Dear Readers: Everything you've ever asked me about Gilead and it's inner workings is the inspiration for this book. Well, almost everything! The other inspiration is the world we've been living in.' - Margaret Atwood"

My Rating: 4.25/5

This was not what I expected from the second book in this duology. The different perspectives, the different narratives and an inner look at how Gilead became what it was in the first book. I also didn't expect to see the specific characters we heard about. While it answers a lot of questions, I was hoping to see the direct fallout of the narration and the fall of Gilead overall. That being said, it doesn't appear to be Margaret Atwood's style to write the dystopian rebellion stereotype. I can respect that. If more were to come from this series, I would certainly read on. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Title: This Shattered World

Author(s): Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Series/Standalone: Starbound Series (Book #2)

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Romance

Pages: 394

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Year Published: 2014

Format: Hardcover Copy (Library)

"Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelenting war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as a prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that changes him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war."

DNF @ 85%

My Rating: 1.5/5

I think that if I had been able to keep momentum with this book I would have kept reading, but something happened around the 75% mark that just made this book drag for me. I don't know if it was the book or something outside of the book that just ripped me out of it but then I couldn't seem to get back in no matter how much I tried. As per my 2023 goals, if I'm not having a good time, I don't have to finish a book. I can leave it and that's ok. What are your thoughts on DNFs?

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Title: Serpent & Dove

Author: Shelby Mahurin

Series/Standalone: Serpent & Dove Series (Book #1)

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Pages: 513

Publisher: HarperTeen

Year Published: 2019

Format: Hardcover Copy (Own It)

First Line: "There's something haunting about a body touched by magic."

"Bound as one to love, honor or burn.

Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.

Sworn to the Curch as  Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou's, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union- holy matrimony.

The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou's most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.

And love makes fools of us all."

My Rating: 4/5

It took me a minute to warm up to this book. I thought that the beginning was really slow, but as you begin to get into the relationship aspect of the book and seeing how the world develops around our two main characters helps to flesh the story out. I loved the romance in this, I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers and a protective hero. I will say that the plot while interesting isn't what carried the book for me. I will be continuing the series and I can't wait to see where this story goes.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah. J. Maas

Title: A Court of Silver Flames

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Series/Standalone: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series (Book #4)

Genre: New Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Pages: 757

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Year Published: 2021

Format: Hardcover Copy (Own It)

First Line: "The black water nipping at her thrashing heels was freezing."

"Nesta Archeron has always been prickly-proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And ever since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae against her will, she's struggled to find a place for herself within the strange, deadly world she inhabits. Worse, she can't seem to move past the horrors of the war with Hybern and all she lost in it.

The person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred warrior whose position in Rhysand and Feyre's Night Court keeps him constantly in Nesta's orbit. But her temper isn't the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable and only burns hotter as they are forced into close quarters with each other.

Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens who returned to the Continent during the last war have forged a dangerous new alliance, threatening the fragile peace that has settled over the realms. And the key is halting them might very well rely on Cassian and Nesta facing their haunting pasts.

Against the sweeping backdrop of a world seared with war and plagued with uncertainty, Nesta and Cassian battle monsters from within and without as they search for acceptance- and healing- in each other's arms."

My Rating: 4.5/5

Wow, it took me long enough to get to this book. And overall, I enjoyed it. Could I have gone in right after I read ACOWAR the first time, maybe, but I'm glad I did an overall reread? I also found that the novella right before this one really helps put you in the headspace for this one, and things that happen in that book are referenced quite frequently, so don't miss it. I've taken up the CAWPILE method for rating books, and this one I added a range for rating, smut. The characters in this were as lovely as always, it was great to get a different perspective. The atmosphere and the writing were good for me. The plot is where I found this story really lacked. Yes, there was a plot, but it just wasn't at the forefront for me. Intrigue about the romance was there, the logic for the plot was just okay. BUT THE SMUT! It was next level for this series, and I was LIVING for it. I will be continuing the series, and Sarah J. Maas can just keep the spice coming.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Between the Spark and the Burn by April Genevieve Tucholke

Title: Between the Spark and the Burn

Author: April Genevieve Tucholke

Series/Standalone: Between Duology (Book #2)

Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Fantasy, Romance

Pages: 320

Publisher: Dial Books

Year Published: 2014

Format: Hardcover Copy (Own It)

First Line: "My dead grandmother Freddie once told me that the Devil created all the fear in the world."

"The conclusion to Between the Devil and The Deep Blue Sea, this gothic thriller romance with shades of Stephen King and Daphne Maurier is a must-read for fans of Beautiful Creatures and Anna Dressed in Blood.

Freddie once told me that the Devil created all the fear in the world. But then, the Devil once told me that it's easier to forgive someone for scaring you than for making you cry. 

The problem with River West Redding was that he'd done both to me.

The crooked-smiling liar River West Redding, who drove into Violet's life one summer day and shook her world to pieces, is gone. Violet and Neely, River's other brother, are left to worry-- until they catch a two a.m. radio program about strange events in a distant mountain town. They take off in search of River but are always a step behind, finding instead frenzied towns, with hunts, and a wind-whipped island with the thrum of something strange and dangerous just under the surface. it isn't long before Violet begins to wonder if Neely, the one Redding brother she thought trustworthy, has been hiding a secret of his own..."

My Rating:  1.5/5

This book wasn't what I hoped it would be and I can't even say that I'm surprised because I knew that the second book was far less liked then the first. I guess what I'm surprised by is how nothing really seemed to happen or feel the same way as the first book. I was so intrigued on going on this road trip style hunt for a person, and then to watch as nothing seemed to truly have consequences... was just kind of boring. I am interested in reading other work by this author, and I'm hoping that her next instalment is a little better paced. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord

Title: The Names They Gave Us
Author: Emery Lord
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Pages: 390
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Year Published: 2017
Format: Hardcover Copy (Own It)
First Line:  "The first prom crisis is manageable."

"When it all falls apart, who can you believe in?

Everything is going right for Lucy Hansson, until her mother's cancer reappears. Just like that, Lucy breaks with all the constants in her life: her do-good boyfriend, her steady faith, even her longtime summer church camp job.

Instead, Lucy lands at a camp for kids who have been through, tough times. As a counselor, Lucy is in over her head and longs to be with her parents, across the lake. But that's before she gets to know her coworkers, who are as loving and unafraid as she so desperately wants to be.

It's not just new friends that Lucy discovers at camp= more than one old secret is revealed along the way. In fact, maybe there's much more to her family and her faith than Lucy ever realized. "

My Rating: 4.5/5

Trigger for: parents with critical illness
I want to start this review off by saying that I'm not a religious person and I still really enjoyed this book, even though religion played a heavy part in the book. This book really follows Lucy Hansson beginning to question her faith and her life. There are secrets she uncovers about those around her as well as finding who she really is. I didn't think that I would like this coming of age story, but it hit me so hard emotionally. I think the friendships played such a huge role in this story, along with the relationships that are made and broken throughout the course of one summer. I was also grateful to have religious parents who were open to people who were not worshippers, and being just generally good people. I certainly come from a town where some churches are more judgemental and therefore intimidating and upsetting instead of a warm and helpful place to go. 
The negative that I got from this series is that there is not a concrete ending and that is not my favourite thing. I like answers and wrap up to my questions to be sure and certain. That being said, I understand why the author made this choice. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

Title: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Author: April Genevieve Tucholke
Series/Standalone: Between Series (Book #1)
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Horror
Pages: 360
Publisher: Dial
Year Published: 2013
Format: Hardcover Copy (Own it)
First Line: "' You stop fearing the Devil when you're holding his hand.'"

"Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White's sleepy, seaside town... until River West comes along. River rents the guest house behind Violet's crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard.

Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more?

Violet's grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun,m who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery... who makes you want to kiss back.

Violet's already so knee-deep in love, she can't see straight. And that's just how River likes it.

Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April Genevive Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying a debut to watch."

My Rating: 3/5

Trigger Warnings for Gore/Violence, self-harm, suicide, to name a few.

I'm going to write this review and be aware that it will make little to no sense. If I was rating based just on my enjoyment I would say that this book was like a 4.5 or a 4 star book. But I know deep down that this book just came to me at the perfect time. I needed something to distract me like a good teen CW show, you know what I mean? And that's exactly what this was for me. Something where the characters were very basic, but the intrigue was based in the town and the background story. I was happy with those two aspects of the story and therefore this story was a 3 star read. I do plan on reading the next one, even though I've heard not great things, I just need something to totally distract me with weird paranormal teen show vibes. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Title: The Cruel Prince
Author: Holly Black
Series/Standalone: The Folk of the Air Series (Book #1)
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 370
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Year Published: 2018
Format: Hardcover Copy (Own it)
First Line: "On a drowsy Sunday afternoon, a man in a long dark coat hesitated in front of a house on a tree-lined street."

"Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Teen years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him- and face the consequences.

As Jude comes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself."

My Rating: 3.5/5

  I'd like to start this off by saying that I'm using a new rating system that helps me determine the rating that I give a book. It is pretty much CAWPILE used by Bookroast on youtube but instead of putting 10 stars into the system I'm only putting 5 stars into it because that's what I prefer. So far I've found it fairly accurate. That's one of my 2020 reading goals to look more carefully at what I'm rating things and why they are getting ratings. 
  On another note here is why this book got this rating. I really enjoyed the characters I thought they were interesting and unique. I loved that aspect of the story. I didn't love Jude's perspective but it was an interesting one to read from. The atmosphere was ok. I was interested in it. Here is the part that really brought it down for me. I didn't really enjoy Holly Black's writing style. It felt to slow for the vast majority of the book. For some reason, it also put me to sleep. I'd read 20 pages and be zonked for the night.
 Overall I think that it was pretty good, not great. Kinda just ok. This might be due to the hype around the series. I'm hoping that as I continue on I'll begin to enjoy it more. Only time will tell!

Thanks for reading,
 Sidny


Book Roast URL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsIJyv-pQSrKP4Ogj6WYIdg

Book Review: Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Title: Tiger Lily
Author: Jodi Lynn Anderson
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Retellings
Pages: 292
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Year Published: 2012
Format: Hardcover Copy 
First Line: "She stands on the cliffs, near the old crumbling stone house."

"Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair...

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthrals her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything- her family, her future- to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up."

My Rating: 1/5

Starting this out maybe wrong, I read Peaches in high school and I freaking loved it! I saw that there was another book she had written a while ago and bought it. It sat on my shelf for a while and when a prompt for a book with orange on the cover came up in the Winter  Magical Readathon. So I decided to read it. And the description tells the whole story. The characters were unrelatable for myself and I felt that there were no real stakes. I think that the plot wasn't paced well things that should have been weighed more weren't were as poetic writing took up many pages. It just wasn't for me. I hope that upon rereading Peaches series I can relive some of the original writing that I liked. Realizing that I am older and more skeptical makes me think that I might not enjoy that as much either. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny