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sparky_young_upstart's reviews
200 reviews
A History of Glitter and Blood by Hannah Moskowitz
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cannibalism
Gena/Finn by Kat Helgeson, Hannah Moskowitz
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Minor: Death
A character dies in a fire, and another is injured.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was a really good read. It's rare that I come across a book that has so much raw emotion inside it. I think part of that is because this book...it kind of feels like a poem (which makes sense, since the author has a background in poetry). Shorter chapters, a lot of them consisting only of dialogue between Ari and Dante, really gives you the full effect of the impact the two have on each others lives.
It also helps keep the pace, which is good; in the hands of a less talented writer this book would have stagnated around the middle where Dante leaves for Chicago. But Sáenz is able to keep Dante's spirit in the story through his letters and through Ari's own personal conflicts.
I loved the relationships between Ari and his parents, and Dante and his parents, and the two families with each other. They were real and honest and helped keep the characters feeling alive in the story.
One thing I will say is that this book is written with a Mexican audience in mind - plenty of untranslated Spanish, and a lot of discussions between Dante and Ari about Mexican identity and whether the former could even consider himself Mexican because of his upbringing and lighter skin (Dante says no, Ari says yes). This didn't detract from my reading at all, even though I am a white guy. Sure, some of the stuff went over my head because it's simply not my culture, but those conversations still helped develop the bonds between Ari and Dante, or Ari and his parents, or Ari and any of the other Mexican members of the neighbourhood. That other readers can get more out of this book than I can is simply icing on an already awesome cake.
It also helps keep the pace, which is good; in the hands of a less talented writer this book would have stagnated around the middle where Dante leaves for Chicago. But Sáenz is able to keep Dante's spirit in the story through his letters and through Ari's own personal conflicts.
I loved the relationships between Ari and his parents, and Dante and his parents, and the two families with each other. They were real and honest and helped keep the characters feeling alive in the story.
One thing I will say is that this book is written with a Mexican audience in mind - plenty of untranslated Spanish, and a lot of discussions between Dante and Ari about Mexican identity and whether the former could even consider himself Mexican because of his upbringing and lighter skin (Dante says no, Ari says yes). This didn't detract from my reading at all, even though I am a white guy. Sure, some of the stuff went over my head because it's simply not my culture, but those conversations still helped develop the bonds between Ari and Dante, or Ari and his parents, or Ari and any of the other Mexican members of the neighbourhood. That other readers can get more out of this book than I can is simply icing on an already awesome cake.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This is the first Adam Silvera book that I've read, so unlike a lot of reviews I've seen I'm not coming into this after reading More Happy Than Not. That being said, I did get caught up in the hype of this book and did not enjoy it as much as I had hoped.
It did take me a while to figure out my biggest issue with this book; after some thought I think it boils down to two major issues. First is the fact that the protagonist, Griffin, really does not have much of a character. Sure we get a lot of insight into his OCD compulsions, and we never hear the end of how much he's in love with Theo, but we almost never hear anything about his likes or dislikes, his hopes or dreams, what he wants to do beyond high school - outside of be with Theo, of course. There's nothing about him that made me want to cheer for him, or even relate to him.
The second issue is that the books drags on for at least the first two thirds, and this is because it gets stuck on Griffin's grief. Now to be fair, it is a very realistic portrayal of what grief can look like after such a severe loss - you're lethargic, you feel guilty (whether you should or not), you don't really see a point in anything. This can go on for days, weeks, sometimes a person's entire life. But the thing is, getting caught in the day-in day-out existential nothingness of Griffin's grief is not entertaining and did not make me want to continue reading. I was afraid that there would be no forward motion and no character development for the entire book.
There are plenty of other smaller issues too. We're never given the chance to miss Theo the way that Griffin and Jackson do, mainly because the book moves between the present and flashbacks to Theo and Griffin's relationship. I feel like the book could have been much more successful if it had been told linearly instead of jumping back and forth. Several chapters feel like they should have occurred elsewhere in the book or removed entirely because they don't fit the tone of the story at that point, or are clearly there for padding. Theo is quite obviously a Manic Pixie Dream Boy who's there only for wish fulfillment. He has no flaws until the very end of the narrative, though at least that helps a reveal in the last act hit much harder than it could have before.
The last ninety pages or so are where the most character development occurs. I wish the rest of the book had been like that, because this is where the book earns it's three-star rating. While the realistic-yet-stagnant depression dominated most of the book, here we finally get some development and the notion that Griffin is starting to heal and move on. It's here that the book finally finds its feet and strikes the right balance of realism and entertainment, but by then it was too late and I was more happy to finish the book than see how the characters' stories concluded.
In the end, though, I think that my issues may be highly subjective. The writing is of course well-done, but with my issues it was somewhat hard to appreciate it. I'm sure many people could to relate to Griffin and his grief. It's also so far the only book I've ever read with a protagonist with OCD; though I have no first-hand experience with the disorder I have heard people say that it comes off realistically and well-done. And as much of a MPDB as Theo is, it's still believable that he and Griffin were in love during their relationship.
In the end I feel this is a book that you either love or you don't - I did not, but if you feel that you wouldn't share my grievances then I recommend you give the novel a try.
It did take me a while to figure out my biggest issue with this book; after some thought I think it boils down to two major issues. First is the fact that the protagonist, Griffin, really does not have much of a character. Sure we get a lot of insight into his OCD compulsions, and we never hear the end of how much he's in love with Theo, but we almost never hear anything about his likes or dislikes, his hopes or dreams, what he wants to do beyond high school - outside of be with Theo, of course. There's nothing about him that made me want to cheer for him, or even relate to him.
The second issue is that the books drags on for at least the first two thirds, and this is because it gets stuck on Griffin's grief. Now to be fair, it is a very realistic portrayal of what grief can look like after such a severe loss - you're lethargic, you feel guilty (whether you should or not), you don't really see a point in anything. This can go on for days, weeks, sometimes a person's entire life. But the thing is, getting caught in the day-in day-out existential nothingness of Griffin's grief is not entertaining and did not make me want to continue reading. I was afraid that there would be no forward motion and no character development for the entire book.
There are plenty of other smaller issues too. We're never given the chance to miss Theo the way that Griffin and Jackson do, mainly because the book moves between the present and flashbacks to Theo and Griffin's relationship. I feel like the book could have been much more successful if it had been told linearly instead of jumping back and forth. Several chapters feel like they should have occurred elsewhere in the book or removed entirely because they don't fit the tone of the story at that point, or are clearly there for padding. Theo is quite obviously a Manic Pixie Dream Boy who's there only for wish fulfillment. He has no flaws until the very end of the narrative, though at least that helps a reveal in the last act hit much harder than it could have before.
The last ninety pages or so are where the most character development occurs. I wish the rest of the book had been like that, because this is where the book earns it's three-star rating. While the realistic-yet-stagnant depression dominated most of the book, here we finally get some development and the notion that Griffin is starting to heal and move on. It's here that the book finally finds its feet and strikes the right balance of realism and entertainment, but by then it was too late and I was more happy to finish the book than see how the characters' stories concluded.
In the end, though, I think that my issues may be highly subjective. The writing is of course well-done, but with my issues it was somewhat hard to appreciate it. I'm sure many people could to relate to Griffin and his grief. It's also so far the only book I've ever read with a protagonist with OCD; though I have no first-hand experience with the disorder I have heard people say that it comes off realistically and well-done. And as much of a MPDB as Theo is, it's still believable that he and Griffin were in love during their relationship.
In the end I feel this is a book that you either love or you don't - I did not, but if you feel that you wouldn't share my grievances then I recommend you give the novel a try.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Saban's Power Rangers: Aftershock by Ryan Parrott, Lucas Werneck
4.0
Closer to 3.5 stars, BUT if you liked the movie you will definitely like this. The story is pretty good, and builds on some of the characterizations that were established in the film. I was glad that, with regards to Jason, they showed that being a leader isn't just throwing around orders but supporting and helping your whole team. After all, he's the mom friend. The downside is that it's shorter than I would've hoped - the entire movie story could probably fit into three regular sized issues. Then the rest of the story is essentially the first two or three issues of the Mighty Morphin Boom! Comic, which I've already read. I think the latter half is simply a waste of space because of it.
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
THE ADVENTURES OF THE SUPER-SECRET DRACULA BOOK CLUB
First off, this book is definitely not for everyone. If you don't enjoy doing research for grand projects, learning about Medieval European history (with some Ottoman thrown in too), or love vampire lore enough to read any book pertaining to it, then this is not the story for you.
I understand why people keep on saying that this isn't a horror novel, but that doesn't change the fact that Kostova is damn good at setting the mood. The first half of this book has this persisting feeling of dread covering the events as they unfold, letting you know that the monster subject of the book or one of his minions could be waiting around the next corner to strike.
The characters are surprisingly well-realized for a book that is almost entirely told through second- and third-person flashbacks; the main exception is the narrator, but I hesitate to call her that because for all intents and purposes the main character is Paul, not his daughter. If you are hoping for a strong female character fear not, however, as Helen Rossi is very adept and competent in her and Paul's journey across Eurasia on the trail of Dracula (and she was absolutely my favourite character).
There are some weak points to the novel. Kostova loves to describe the scenery around the characters, be it well-preserved historic architecture or the sweeping landscapes that we travel through as we move form country to country; unfortunately there were times that I began skimming through it because it simply droned on and on and stopped adding anything to the story about halfway through. And I'm sure even the most eager historians will have trouble getting through some of the more dragging parts. Sometimes the formatting was also confusing, and I wish that the story had simply resorted to stating the narrator at the beginning of each chapter instead of requiring the reader to make note of how many quotation marks were surrounding the text.
All-in-all this was a very well-thought-out vampire novel. Not for the faint of heart, but if you're willing to give it the time then it is certainly worth it.
First off, this book is definitely not for everyone. If you don't enjoy doing research for grand projects, learning about Medieval European history (with some Ottoman thrown in too), or love vampire lore enough to read any book pertaining to it, then this is not the story for you.
I understand why people keep on saying that this isn't a horror novel, but that doesn't change the fact that Kostova is damn good at setting the mood. The first half of this book has this persisting feeling of dread covering the events as they unfold, letting you know that the monster subject of the book or one of his minions could be waiting around the next corner to strike.
The characters are surprisingly well-realized for a book that is almost entirely told through second- and third-person flashbacks; the main exception is the narrator, but I hesitate to call her that because for all intents and purposes the main character is Paul, not his daughter. If you are hoping for a strong female character fear not, however, as Helen Rossi is very adept and competent in her and Paul's journey across Eurasia on the trail of Dracula (and she was absolutely my favourite character).
There are some weak points to the novel. Kostova loves to describe the scenery around the characters, be it well-preserved historic architecture or the sweeping landscapes that we travel through as we move form country to country; unfortunately there were times that I began skimming through it because it simply droned on and on and stopped adding anything to the story about halfway through. And I'm sure even the most eager historians will have trouble getting through some of the more dragging parts. Sometimes the formatting was also confusing, and I wish that the story had simply resorted to stating the narrator at the beginning of each chapter instead of requiring the reader to make note of how many quotation marks were surrounding the text.
All-in-all this was a very well-thought-out vampire novel. Not for the faint of heart, but if you're willing to give it the time then it is certainly worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood
The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I first heard of this book thanks to all the positive hype surrounding it, and made sure to pick it up as soon as I could so that I could read it as one of my Diverseathon reads. I was excited because I'd never read a book with the main selling point being that it was heavily-based around Indian mythology. However, a hundred pages in I knew that I was going to be frustrated with the book and had to put it on hold, not finishing it until several months later.
I'll start with the positives - the mythological influences are clear and well-done throughout, even if you're not super-familiar with them. Chokshi is also very good at setting a scene, and easily creates war-torn battlegrounds or mystical gardens to enchant the reader and the characters. The plot does manage to surprise the reader with some believable revelations at several points through the novel.
But if I could sum up the issues of the book, it's that it is far too small - it's too short, too compressed, and with too small a cast. With everything that occurs hear in the story of Maya and her romance with Amar, this easily could have been expanded into a duology or even trilogy of novels. But so much of the story seems to be hurtling forward with reckless abandon. Though the plot twists make sense, these revelations happen so close to one another that I never really got the chance to get used to this new status quo before it was changed again and again.
When the book starts we're introduced to a decently-sized cast to surround Maya. However, the middle of the book is plagued with her being stuck with only two characters - but since they're rarely around her to begin with and even when they are don't really say anything other than meaningless platitudes, it's really just Maya and her introspection, which can only go on for so long before it starts getting repetitive. And while by the end I could declare Maya to be a stronger female protagonist than some others in YA, the insta-love in this book is quite strong and never truly gets justified by the end.
The last third of the book is the best because, even though it's only just over a hundred pages, it manages to finally get the pacing right and manages to bring back the larger cast of characters (and a zombie horse! More books need zombie horses). Yet even then it has flaws because it sets up many points for awesome scenes to occur, only for those scenes to happen in abridged flashbacks or offscreen.
Overall the book is decent, but there are so many issues inside that I can't give it more than three stars. There's a good story on the edges of this novel, but it never really fulfills the potential it really has.
I'll start with the positives - the mythological influences are clear and well-done throughout, even if you're not super-familiar with them. Chokshi is also very good at setting a scene, and easily creates war-torn battlegrounds or mystical gardens to enchant the reader and the characters. The plot does manage to surprise the reader with some believable revelations at several points through the novel.
But if I could sum up the issues of the book, it's that it is far too small - it's too short, too compressed, and with too small a cast. With everything that occurs hear in the story of Maya and her romance with Amar, this easily could have been expanded into a duology or even trilogy of novels. But so much of the story seems to be hurtling forward with reckless abandon. Though the plot twists make sense, these revelations happen so close to one another that I never really got the chance to get used to this new status quo before it was changed again and again.
When the book starts we're introduced to a decently-sized cast to surround Maya. However, the middle of the book is plagued with her being stuck with only two characters - but since they're rarely around her to begin with and even when they are don't really say anything other than meaningless platitudes, it's really just Maya and her introspection, which can only go on for so long before it starts getting repetitive. And while by the end I could declare Maya to be a stronger female protagonist than some others in YA, the insta-love in this book is quite strong and never truly gets justified by the end.
The last third of the book is the best because, even though it's only just over a hundred pages, it manages to finally get the pacing right and manages to bring back the larger cast of characters (and a zombie horse! More books need zombie horses). Yet even then it has flaws because it sets up many points for awesome scenes to occur, only for those scenes to happen in abridged flashbacks or offscreen.
Overall the book is decent, but there are so many issues inside that I can't give it more than three stars. There's a good story on the edges of this novel, but it never really fulfills the potential it really has.
Wenjack by Joseph Boyden
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Racism