Book Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Six of Crows

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Series/Standalone: Six of Crows Duology (Book #1)

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Pages: 465

Publisher: Henry Holt & Company

Year Published: 2015

Format: Paperback Copy (Own It)

First Line: "Joost had two problems: the moon and his mustache."

"Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price- and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz Is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager

A runaway with a privileged past

A spy known as the Wraith

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction- if they don't kill each other first."

My Rating: 4.5/5

This book was such a fun read. At the request of a friend (and with her helpful purchase of a boxset) I finally started this duology. And it was excellent. Leigh Bardugo does such an excellent job of setting up character dynamics and giving each character their own distinct voice. It's something I love about her work. I also loved the premise of the story, where it fell a little short for me was the heavy leaning on a relationship that I liked when there was a trope with another relationship that I liked more right beside it. It's just a matter of preference. I do plan on continuing the series and I can't wait to see how the author takes the story after such a strong ending.

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: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Title: Children of Blood and Bone
Author: Tomi Adeyemi
Series/Standalone: Legacy of Orisha (Book #1)
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction
Pages: 525
Publisher: Henry Holt Books for Young Readers
Year Published: 2018
Format: Hardcover (Own It)
First Line: "I try not to think of her."

"They killed my mother.
They took our magic.
They tried to bury us.

Now we rise.

Zelie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orisha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie's Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the order of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zelie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now Zelie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zelie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orisha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zelie herself as she struggles to control her power and her growing feelings for an enemy."

My Rating: 5/5

I was totally prepared not to enjoy this book, after all the hype it received I was cautious about going into it just hoping that it hadn't been overhyped. For me, it totally lived up to the hype for me. The characters were loveable, and interesting to read about. I also enjoyed the setting and the world overall. I was super interested in how the magic worked and the past of the country. I can't wait to continue the series as they come out.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Spoiler: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

This was a great first installment in this series. I really loved the characters in this book, and the settings. It was interesting to see how the past compared to the present Orisha and hopefully the future. The twists in this book also got me. 
Overall the magic system was amazing. I wish I was a Tider.

Characters:
Zelie: I loved how strong she was and how she was willing to risk everything for those she loves. She is powerful and strong like her mother. Her struggles hurt my heart, and I was ready to cheer her on through everything. I really did believe in her relationship with Inan, and it was heartbreaking to see how it fell apart.

Amari: I think that she was strong in her own way. I agreed with how Zelie thought of her at the start of the story, but seeing how she was raised and the things she put up with, I think she might have been the strongest character in this story overall. And she was willing to sacrifice her way of life to help others.

Inan: I really thought that he was ready to commit to a new world where Maji and non-maji. Yet he continued to betray himself and the maji again and again. I'm also not sure if he will stay dead or if he will come back to continue the series. 

Tzain: I hope that he and Amari will continue to have this sweet relationship they've been working on, but I'm worried that the loss of Baba will be too much.

Zu: Her loss hit me the hardest out of all the losses (other than Baba), because of how much she believed in the world she was creating. She didn't run from those who stood in her way, she protected those who stood behind her.

King: His fear was based on his past which I would be interested in hearing about his first family and what happened with the Maji clans and the royalty of the past.


Moments to Remember:
Pg. 395
"'You never give up on her,' I shout after him. 'Never. Not once. Even when she cost you everything, you're always by her side.'"

Pg. 513
"I am a princess. A queen.
I am the Lionaire."

Final Line: "Now let's rise."

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Book Review: How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon

Title: How It Went Down
Author: Kekla Magoon
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary
Pages: 336
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. 
Year Published: 2014
First line: "The known facts surrounding the shooting death of sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson are few."

"The boy in the hoodie has been shot.
The known fact are few.
Everyone tells a different story.
But what is the truth?

When sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson dies from two gunshot wounds, his community is thrown into an uproar. Tariq was black. The shooter, Jack Franklin, is white.
In the aftermath of Tariq's death, everyone has something to say but no two accounts of the events line up. Day by day, new twists further obscure the trust.
Tariq's friends, family, and community struggle to make sense of the tragedy and to cope with the hole left behind when a life is cut short. In their own words, they grapple for a way to say with certainty: This is how it went down."

My Rating: 4/5

While I did not give this book a 5/5 rating, I definitely think it's a book everyone should read. It's a story we might see on the news every day or month, but it's not something that is a reality for many of us. To see someone from our community shot down and with such controversy about what happened and why it happened is astonishing to me. I think that Kekla Magoon did a wonderful job of showing how it affects many people who were a part of Tariq's life and some who just lived around him. All and all this book is about so much more than who was right and who was wrong. It's about what we believe in and hopes that someday, with work, things will change. I don't know how realistic this book is and as a white middle-class woman living in a rural area. But it did paint a picture for me about how many people live their lives and how it's not always easy to say, "Get away from violence" or "Gang violence is horrible" "Why can't we all just get along?" when you're living through it. Kekla Magoon paints a vivid picture of grief, lonesomeness and wonders that surround life for many people in the 21st century and I feel blessed to have read this novel.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Spoiler: How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon

This book paints quite a picture for us who have been privileged to live in a different form of society than Tariq Johnson. I think that this book is important for everyone to read no matter age, sex, race or religion. It's important to think about community and change. The reasons behind actions and to see things different than wrong and right. But rather as everyone having their own reason for what they are doing. This story paints the picture of what happens in a community after a sixteen-year-old male is shot without stories that match up. I first suspected this book to be a lot more about racial issues. Which it is. But it's so much more. It's about how it affects the man at the corner to store to the leader of a gang to the mother of the victim. It changes perspectives so perfectly that it truly was heartbreaking to read through.

Characters:
Tina: For someone who thinks in such a unique way, she handles the death different than I suspected. I think that she understood so many things that other's didn't, but her battle between what is good and bad really drew me in. Her thoughts on what was happening around her might have been the most heartbreaking, but also reminders of what we loose when someone dies to violence. That being a feeling of innocence.

Tyrell: His character was so different from any other I'd read. His pact to stay out of a gang and go to college was incredible. Watching him struggle with what to do for his future was crazy and I understand a lot more about the pressures now. I hope that he is able to keep strong.

Brick: On the total opposite end I think about Brick and how his world was changed, but he kept a front to lead the mean he charges himself with. I don't believe that gangs will help society but I can see what he offers. Protection, relationships, someone to be there for you no matter what. But at what cost?

Noodle: He isn't a character I cheer for but I saw that in his messed up way he loved Jennica, he just didn't know how to show it or give her the hope she needed. 

Kimberly: To be there for someone's death even after they were less than kind to a person, show's true characters. I thought it was interesting to see her bring up the fact that after people die they are treated as though they are angels, but I think it's important to look at the big picture. It's not just about Tariq, no matter if he did or didn't have a gun, or if he was a "good" or "bad" guy.

Jennica: To dream for more is all we can really hope to do after a situation like this rocks our foundation, and makes us open our eyes.

Will: The strong feeling of, "It could have been me" or "I'm from there" really shows how others surrounding a death might feel no matter the reason, but especially with such a tragic ending.

Reverend Alabaster : Only in it for the vote? Or to help? I suppose it's up to you to decide.


Moments to Remember:
Final Line: "'You just be you.'"

Thanks for reading,
Sidny