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onceandfuturereads's reviews
277 reviews
Surrender by Sonya Hartnett
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Anwell is the same age as his dead brother when his life suddenly changes. Told from the gruesome, gothic perspective of Anwell on his death bed and his wild young friend, Finnigan, "Surrender" is the type of book that continuously digs itself into a deeper, darker hole.
At first I was annoyed by Hartnett's writing style - she overly uses similes, especially from Anwell's perspective - but I quickly got used to it. Once inside our narrator's head, the book became a fiery page turner. By the end, I don't know if I fully understood it, particularly the meaning of the dog. I think the climax could have been handled better - more slowly, perhaps - to avoid some of that confusion.
This is my first Hartnett and I will definitely be reading more. I'm happy to have discovered her, as I love young adult authors that aren't afraid to tackle tough themes.
At first I was annoyed by Hartnett's writing style - she overly uses similes, especially from Anwell's perspective - but I quickly got used to it. Once inside our narrator's head, the book became a fiery page turner. By the end, I don't know if I fully understood it, particularly the meaning of the dog. I think the climax could have been handled better - more slowly, perhaps - to avoid some of that confusion.
This is my first Hartnett and I will definitely be reading more. I'm happy to have discovered her, as I love young adult authors that aren't afraid to tackle tough themes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child abuse and Confinement
The Lord of Opium by Nancy Farmer
adventurous
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I listened to this right after a re-read of House of the Scorpion, and the audiobook is terrific. At first, I thought how perfect it was that Matt, the clone of an evil drug lord, was now fourteen and quite sassy. Some parts were laugh-out-loud FUNNY. But it quickly became evident that Matt had bigger problems than your average bear (teenager).
The themes of this book square up against even the most colossal "adult books." A non-exhaustive list: slavery, drug addiction, children's autonomy, environmental crisis, medical ethics, religion versus science, nature versus nurture. These are things that I hope young adults read while they're young and ponder into and for the rest of their adulthood. I read House of the Scorpion in elementary school and I remember it having a profound effect on me.
Reading the sequel as an adult has strengthened two of my opinions: one, that adults do not read enough YA, or at least they brush it off too quickly. And two, that the type of YA that gets sold and marketed today is a far cry from what it used to be. Even the contemporary YA books that do tackle heavy themes are tropey, or are too lacking in sub-text. As a society, we need to have confidence that kids will understand without us holding their hands. In The Lord of Opium, for example, there are no easy answers. Good people are made of evil ones and even the good ones do evil things.
Like Andrew Smith said, Keep YA weird!
The themes of this book square up against even the most colossal "adult books." A non-exhaustive list: slavery, drug addiction, children's autonomy, environmental crisis, medical ethics, religion versus science, nature versus nurture. These are things that I hope young adults read while they're young and ponder into and for the rest of their adulthood. I read House of the Scorpion in elementary school and I remember it having a profound effect on me.
Reading the sequel as an adult has strengthened two of my opinions: one, that adults do not read enough YA, or at least they brush it off too quickly. And two, that the type of YA that gets sold and marketed today is a far cry from what it used to be. Even the contemporary YA books that do tackle heavy themes are tropey, or are too lacking in sub-text. As a society, we need to have confidence that kids will understand without us holding their hands. In The Lord of Opium, for example, there are no easy answers. Good people are made of evil ones and even the good ones do evil things.
Like Andrew Smith said, Keep YA weird!
White Horse by Erika T. Wurth
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was wavering between two and three stars, but in the end, I liked this about as much as I liked “Dark Places,” which I gave three.
I really loved the female relationships in this story. Kari’s relationships with both her best friend and her cousin had enough ups and downs to keep them feeling realistic. Although I will say, the dialogue was grating at times and I found the male characters to be cartoonishly lacking complexity. Overall, the ending felt right, and while I don’t think this is a story I’ll think about forever, I could definitely see myself reading more from this author.
I really loved the female relationships in this story. Kari’s relationships with both her best friend and her cousin had enough ups and downs to keep them feeling realistic. Although I will say, the dialogue was grating at times and I found the male characters to be cartoonishly lacking complexity. Overall, the ending felt right, and while I don’t think this is a story I’ll think about forever, I could definitely see myself reading more from this author.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Pedophilia
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
adventurous
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I decided to finally revisit this book. It has been a part of me since I was nine years old. I've always carried Matt with me and considered this one of my formative reads. I do think this book shaped me in a lot of ways. While reading, I kept picturing myself at my grandparent's cabin - a place where I spent summers - even though I had to have read this during the school year because I have a sharp memory of my fourth grade teacher handing it to me. To me, that indicates that I was thinking about this book the rest of the school year and into the summer. I remember picturing the characters so vividly.
This story definitely helped form my love of novels; specifically, the coming-of-age and boyhood genres - Grasshopper Jungle and The Chocolate War are other books that come to mind when thinking of The House of the Scorpion. The sci-fi element was an added bonus, and Farmer handled the paradigm shift that Matt goes through so slowly and delicately.
I found myself not remembering much about the story as I read - fourth grade was a long time ago! But it was nice because I could not predict what would happen next and I was invested in the characters' destinies. I've never read the sequel - didn't even know there was one - but it's on Libby and I am excited to begin listening immediately!
This story definitely helped form my love of novels; specifically, the coming-of-age and boyhood genres - Grasshopper Jungle and The Chocolate War are other books that come to mind when thinking of The House of the Scorpion. The sci-fi element was an added bonus, and Farmer handled the paradigm shift that Matt goes through so slowly and delicately.
I found myself not remembering much about the story as I read - fourth grade was a long time ago! But it was nice because I could not predict what would happen next and I was invested in the characters' destinies. I've never read the sequel - didn't even know there was one - but it's on Libby and I am excited to begin listening immediately!
Together: a First Conversation about Love by Jessica Ralli, Megan Madison
medium-paced
5.0
I read this in the stacks because it caught my eye. I tend to cry at children's books that I wish had been written earlier, and this one was no exception. It does just a little bit of healing magic on my inner child.
Trick Shot by Kayla Grosse
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I'm interested in a MMF throuple for a story idea I have rolling around in my head (I read this for research, okay?!) and I have to say, as far as smut goes, this was really good. I did take a whole star away for incorrect use of the term "intrusive thought" because that shit just irks me. But I really liked the sexy parts, especially the focus on consent.
The Indian Card: Who Gets to Be Native in America by Carrie Lowry Schuettpelz
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
The Indian Card is a lot of complex and fascinating ideas wrapped up in a tight package. I learned SO MUCH about census data and rolls - things that I would never have learned about in school. But despite what that subject matter may sound like, it's never dry. I appreciated the author's scattering personal interviews throughout the text and also her unique voice - she writes so poignantly at the same time that she's swearing and I LOVE THAT in a book. She also somehow manages to make parts of this story FUNNY?! I think I was expecting this book to be more about white people pretending to be Native for profit, but that's barely discussed here. Instead, we get a deeply personal narrative about Schuettpelz's own Native identity and why it means so much to her.
Overall, the combination of U.S. history, memoir, and interview was well done and I'll be looking for more of Schuettpelz's work in the future.
Overall, the combination of U.S. history, memoir, and interview was well done and I'll be looking for more of Schuettpelz's work in the future.
The Moon Book: Lunar Magic to Change Your Life by Sarah Faith Gottesdiener
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
3.0
I think it works better as a reference work than a book you read straight-through. BUT, the audiobook did read like an 8-hour affirmation, so that was nice.
A bit repetitive, but I learned a lot and I’m so happy she mentions things like capitalism, colonialism and mental illness - all very important contexts.
A bit repetitive, but I learned a lot and I’m so happy she mentions things like capitalism, colonialism and mental illness - all very important contexts.
The Mother I Carry: A Memoir of Healing from Emotional Abuse by Louise M. Wisechild
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
While her sophomore memoir didn't wow me like her first, I appreciate Wisechild's using the same storytelling approach in this one - it was nice to see her "inner family" further mature and add more voices.
"I have a sharp and ancient longing to have what I did not have. I want a mother who picks me up and feels happy. I want a mother who's doing it because she wants to, not because she was supposed to. I want a mother who likes me and is glad I was born."
Wisechild's journey through her trauma inspires me on so many levels.
"I have a sharp and ancient longing to have what I did not have. I want a mother who picks me up and feels happy. I want a mother who's doing it because she wants to, not because she was supposed to. I want a mother who likes me and is glad I was born."
Wisechild's journey through her trauma inspires me on so many levels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Incest, and Rape
The Once and Future King by T.H. White
adventurous
challenging
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0