Take a photo of a barcode or cover
svjak's reviews
90 reviews
Winter by Ali Smith
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Winter is part of the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die Project, #1315.
This was just not the book for me, and that's okay.
I really wanted to love Winter. It's winter now as I read it and it seemed like the perfect time of year, but I (unfortunately) did not like the stream of consciousness narrative style of this book. There was almost a distant, dreamy quality to the way relationships were depicted throughout this book and for me, that just made it very difficult to feel invested in anyone. It made the story a bit confusing and I thought that some of the interactions between characters were too convoluted for me to follow.
Perhaps this has more to do with reading the audiobook version rather than a physical copy. Maybe reading it with my eyes would have made a difference. But as it stands, I did not particularly enjoy listening to Winter in audiobook format.
This was just not the book for me, and that's okay.
I really wanted to love Winter. It's winter now as I read it and it seemed like the perfect time of year, but I (unfortunately) did not like the stream of consciousness narrative style of this book. There was almost a distant, dreamy quality to the way relationships were depicted throughout this book and for me, that just made it very difficult to feel invested in anyone. It made the story a bit confusing and I thought that some of the interactions between characters were too convoluted for me to follow.
Perhaps this has more to do with reading the audiobook version rather than a physical copy. Maybe reading it with my eyes would have made a difference. But as it stands, I did not particularly enjoy listening to Winter in audiobook format.
Squire by Sara Alfageeh, Nadia Shammas
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-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
4.75
Squire was an amazing graphic novel about a young girl named Aiza who left home to go train as a squire and learns the meaning of friendship and belonging along the way.
Aiza is one of the Ornu, a group of people ostracized in the Bayt-Sajji Empire, but she wants nothing more than to be a Knight. So she hides the tattoos on her wrist that identify her as Ornu, forges her enlistment paperwork to hide her identity, and signs up to train as a squire.
Throughout Aiza's time in training, her secret weighs down on her. She meets new people and makes friends, fails training exercises, excels at others, and even meets a former Knight who takes her on as a student.
Squire was a story about love and friendship, overcoming expectations placed on you by others, misunderstanding people who are different, standing up for what is right, and learning to persevere even when it seems that all odds are against you.
I fell in love with Aiza. She was so full of life and optimism and she always seemed to look for the best in people. She was earnest and honest and just wanted to do right by her family and her Empire.
The only reason this wasn't a 5 star for me was because toward the end of the book it felt like events were moving a little too fast. I know that's a tactic to make it seem more suspenseful and make the action feel like it's happening quickly (in real time) rather than being a slower moment, but I would have loved to have more time with Aiza and more pages as the main action is unfolding. It felt like it was a lot faster paced than the rest of the novel.
But aside from that I really loved this graphic novel. It was very heartwarming and full of hope. I would love to see some additional volumes come out maybe expanding on Aiza's story or what happened after the end of Squire.We leave off with Aiza having to leave with her friends after taking down General Hende and I'm very curious about where Aiza's adventures take her.
Aiza is one of the Ornu, a group of people ostracized in the Bayt-Sajji Empire, but she wants nothing more than to be a Knight. So she hides the tattoos on her wrist that identify her as Ornu, forges her enlistment paperwork to hide her identity, and signs up to train as a squire.
Throughout Aiza's time in training, her secret weighs down on her. She meets new people and makes friends, fails training exercises, excels at others, and even meets a former Knight who takes her on as a student.
Squire was a story about love and friendship, overcoming expectations placed on you by others, misunderstanding people who are different, standing up for what is right, and learning to persevere even when it seems that all odds are against you.
I fell in love with Aiza. She was so full of life and optimism and she always seemed to look for the best in people. She was earnest and honest and just wanted to do right by her family and her Empire.
The only reason this wasn't a 5 star for me was because toward the end of the book it felt like events were moving a little too fast. I know that's a tactic to make it seem more suspenseful and make the action feel like it's happening quickly (in real time) rather than being a slower moment, but I would have loved to have more time with Aiza and more pages as the main action is unfolding. It felt like it was a lot faster paced than the rest of the novel.
But aside from that I really loved this graphic novel. It was very heartwarming and full of hope. I would love to see some additional volumes come out maybe expanding on Aiza's story or what happened after the end of Squire.
Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Korrigan by Rebecca F. Kenney
Zane's Narrative Voice
This story is told in first-person so I would think that Zane's chapters would be written from his POV and so would be written in his voice using the language he uses. But it wasn't. There was virtually no difference between Aislinn and Zane's chapters in terms of narrative voice and that made it feel very out-of-character when Zane spoke, which made the dialogue feel forced.
But also... Zane doesn't really feel like he should be the second main character. I said before that most of his personality is Aislinn and that's true. There's a small friend-group in the book and we meet Zane's family a few times, but never anything in-depth. I know very little about this character despite the fact that roughly half the book is told from his POV.
Honestly, it feels more like the Far Darrig should have been the second POV, or maybe it should have all been from Aislinn's POV. I don't know where the second and third books go, so maybe that changes, but right now he still feels like a side-character moreso than the second main character.
The first half of the book was kinda suspenseful, maybe even eerie. I think this author writes that kind of atmospheric mood very well. I appreciated all the Buffy references!! I spotted all that! And the Supernatural references. It was like a satisfying little surprise every time I came across one.
I'm interested to see where the rest of this series goes for sure, especially with the way things are going between Aislinn and Kieran.I am curious if this is going to continue to be a love triangle and we got a Edward/Jacob situation going on here or if Aislinn is really going to stick by Zane.
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
First off, Rebecca Kenney is a great writer! I came across her work by happenstance and I'm so happy I did. It's so hard to find writers who include Irish Mythology in their work so to see so much of her work be based on Celtic myths and tales, and to include Gaeilge???? Iconic. Instantly all the points.
I rushed to the internet to buy this series after reading her holiday themed book, Matches & Mistletoe. I loved loved loved that she wrote about the Far Darrig in one of her short stories and I had to have more. Learning that this was a whole effing series with the Far Darrig?? Yes. Immediately yes. Take my money.
And you know what? It was unique. It was different. It was very interesting. Rebecca took liberties with the classic tales and spun details in a way that would make sense for her world. The Korrigan, for example, are usually depicted as small faeries, sometimes even described as having magic or being really strong, and Rebecca wrote hers as monsters who inhabit the bodies of a cursed group of women. The liberties she took in adapting classic lore and mythology made sense in the context of her story and I really loved the way she wrote those elements into the book.
This is a Dual-POV story following Aislinn, a 17-year-old Korrigan trying to come to terms with who she is both as a Korrigan and as a person, and Zane, your typical 17-year-old high schooler. He's a bit of a sneakerhead but most of his personality is Aislinn. Which... is where I started to struggle.
Zane is black. And I'm all for diversifying characters in books, but there was something about the characterization that felt off to me. Maybe a little forced? For example, the narrative voice for Zane was very 'proper' but in his language he would throw out slang every now and then and it felt very disjointed. It was like the slang was being used in dialogue because it's how Kenney imagines he would talk, but his narrative voice didn't follow suit so it had the effect of making Zane feel a bit stereotyped.
Zane's Speech w/ Random Slang
I rushed to the internet to buy this series after reading her holiday themed book, Matches & Mistletoe. I loved loved loved that she wrote about the Far Darrig in one of her short stories and I had to have more. Learning that this was a whole effing series with the Far Darrig?? Yes. Immediately yes. Take my money.
And you know what? It was unique. It was different. It was very interesting. Rebecca took liberties with the classic tales and spun details in a way that would make sense for her world. The Korrigan, for example, are usually depicted as small faeries, sometimes even described as having magic or being really strong, and Rebecca wrote hers as monsters who inhabit the bodies of a cursed group of women. The liberties she took in adapting classic lore and mythology made sense in the context of her story and I really loved the way she wrote those elements into the book.
This is a Dual-POV story following Aislinn, a 17-year-old Korrigan trying to come to terms with who she is both as a Korrigan and as a person, and Zane, your typical 17-year-old high schooler. He's a bit of a sneakerhead but most of his personality is Aislinn. Which... is where I started to struggle.
Zane is black. And I'm all for diversifying characters in books, but there was something about the characterization that felt off to me. Maybe a little forced? For example, the narrative voice for Zane was very 'proper' but in his language he would throw out slang every now and then and it felt very disjointed. It was like the slang was being used in dialogue because it's how Kenney imagines he would talk, but his narrative voice didn't follow suit so it had the effect of making Zane feel a bit stereotyped.
Zane's Speech w/ Random Slang
"Hey! Girl, you walk fast! Where you goin' in such a hurry?"
Zane's Narrative Voice
I rub my aching eyes and close my notebook. I've been up since 5:30, squeezing in last-minute studying for a test. It's about 6:40 now, and the first light of sunrise beams through my window.
This story is told in first-person so I would think that Zane's chapters would be written from his POV and so would be written in his voice using the language he uses. But it wasn't. There was virtually no difference between Aislinn and Zane's chapters in terms of narrative voice and that made it feel very out-of-character when Zane spoke, which made the dialogue feel forced.
But also... Zane doesn't really feel like he should be the second main character. I said before that most of his personality is Aislinn and that's true. There's a small friend-group in the book and we meet Zane's family a few times, but never anything in-depth. I know very little about this character despite the fact that roughly half the book is told from his POV.
Honestly, it feels more like the Far Darrig should have been the second POV, or maybe it should have all been from Aislinn's POV. I don't know where the second and third books go, so maybe that changes, but right now he still feels like a side-character moreso than the second main character.
The first half of the book was kinda suspenseful, maybe even eerie. I think this author writes that kind of atmospheric mood very well. I appreciated all the Buffy references!! I spotted all that! And the Supernatural references. It was like a satisfying little surprise every time I came across one.
I'm interested to see where the rest of this series goes for sure, especially with the way things are going between Aislinn and Kieran.
The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The last time I 'rated' this book was in my 2008 journal when I was in elementary school. I used to absolutely love this series.
My 5th grade teacher read this to us after recess. We'd sit at our desks for 'down time' after running around and he'd read us a few chapters of Maximum Ride. I remember thinking about how cruel humans can be, and how much I loved all of the characters and the shenanegans they got up to. Something about kids escaping from a lab after being experimented on, being on the run and just trying to make it to the next day was so thrilling and exciting to me.
I adored Max and her surrogate mom role. Eleven year-old me really admired her responsibility and all the efforts she put in to keep her family safe.
I even wrote very early fanfiction, in the form of 5th grade writing exercises, based on Maximum Ride. And I skipped lunch and saved all the money to buy my own copies of the books (which I think I might still have?) I was a hardcore fan!
Now that I think about it, this was the book that kickstarted my YA dystopian subgenre obsession. This was the book that started it all.
Part of me wants to go back and read it to re-experience it, but I have a suspicion that's just going to ruin the magic for me.
My 5th grade teacher read this to us after recess. We'd sit at our desks for 'down time' after running around and he'd read us a few chapters of Maximum Ride. I remember thinking about how cruel humans can be, and how much I loved all of the characters and the shenanegans they got up to. Something about kids escaping from a lab after being experimented on, being on the run and just trying to make it to the next day was so thrilling and exciting to me.
I adored Max and her surrogate mom role. Eleven year-old me really admired her responsibility and all the efforts she put in to keep her family safe.
I even wrote very early fanfiction, in the form of 5th grade writing exercises, based on Maximum Ride. And I skipped lunch and saved all the money to buy my own copies of the books (which I think I might still have?) I was a hardcore fan!
Now that I think about it, this was the book that kickstarted my YA dystopian subgenre obsession. This was the book that started it all.
Part of me wants to go back and read it to re-experience it, but I have a suspicion that's just going to ruin the magic for me.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
This is one of those books everyone should read at least once.
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-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
4.0
At the ripe old age of (almost) 27, I've finally read The House on Mango Street. It's taken me an awfully long time to get around to it, mostly because these kinds of books weren't accessible to me growing up. But after reading Cisneros' work, I really wish I'd been able to read this when I was younger.
A lot of these stories were great and a couple of them hit me really hard. Geraldo No Last Name comes to mind immediately. It was the saddest and my favorite of the vignettes in this collection.
Cisneros writes this book from the perspective of Esperanza, a young girl who is growing up poor and struggling with friendships, family, and life in general. The range of these vignettes is so wide, covering topics of school, religion, abuse, immigration, poverty, boys, sisters, having fights with friends, the magic of old hangout spots fading as you get older, and so so much more. Each one is individual and yet connected at the same time.
In addition to the book being great, the preface was amazing. Cisneros wrote about her life growing up, what inspired these stories, what it was like growing up Latina in a poor neighborhood—
A lot of these stories were great and a couple of them hit me really hard. Geraldo No Last Name comes to mind immediately. It was the saddest and my favorite of the vignettes in this collection.
Cisneros writes this book from the perspective of Esperanza, a young girl who is growing up poor and struggling with friendships, family, and life in general. The range of these vignettes is so wide, covering topics of school, religion, abuse, immigration, poverty, boys, sisters, having fights with friends, the magic of old hangout spots fading as you get older, and so so much more. Each one is individual and yet connected at the same time.
In addition to the book being great, the preface was amazing. Cisneros wrote about her life growing up, what inspired these stories, what it was like growing up Latina in a poor neighborhood—
When she thinks to herself in her father's language, she knows sons and daughters don't leave their parents' house until they marry. When she thinks in English, she knows she should've been on her own since eighteen.
This is one of those books everyone should read at least once.
Content Warnings
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Classism
Brief mentions of most of these things. The author is not explicitly describing anything, just showing observations from the perspective of a child as this was going on around her. Much of it isn't portrayed in full context because Esperanza (the narrator) does not fully understand all of the details of what is happening.
A Jar of Fireflies by Aria Hoppe
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
This was a cute little short story about love, dreams, friends, and hope. Very cute.
We Spread by Iain Reid
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I can't properly process anything right now. My brain feels like it's just exploded and I'm in awe.
We Spread was a phenomenal book about a woman named Penny. Penny is getting older. She's losing function in her body and her memory isn't what it used to be. She spends her days reminiscing about her younger self, painting, and wishing she'd made more of her life when she still could.
After a nasty fall, Penny is taken to a small long-term care residence in the country, surrounded by the forest and nature. For the first time in a long time, Penny is eating and sleeping well. She feels passionate about art again and is making friends with the other residents.
But maybe there's more going on in this house than the others know. Something sinister and creepy. Maybe they're all in danger and time is running out. Maybe Penny is the only one fighting against it. Maybe she's everyone's only hope, if only she can figure out what's going on in time to stop it.
Or maybe Penny has dementia and her mind is playing tricks on her, causing her to lose time, forget where she's been, and make up new memories to make sense of it all.
What I loved so much about this book is that Penny was an unreliable narrator.
Or was she?
Who knows? That in and of itself was part of the thrill. At any given time there was no way for me to know if Penny was genuinely experiencing these events or if this whole story was the result of confabulation and a failing memory.
We Spread is a terrifying story, just as much about a supernatural science experiment as it is about the way the mind fails us as we age. Iain Reid has found a way to put into words the gut-wrenching, helpless fear you feel when you're losing your memories and can't be sure of what's real and what isn't. When you can't tell if that memory is a paranoia-induced nightmare or if you're really being experimented on and used. When you're constantly questioning if your own thoughts and memories are even real.
My brain is still trying to digest this story. I picked this book up from the library earlier today and read it in one day. I flew through the pages and now I'm sitting here writing this review and trying to figure out what the fuck I just read.
This book is brilliant and I absolutely loved it. If you're looking for a psychological thriller/horror read, look no further. This is it!
We Spread was a phenomenal book about a woman named Penny. Penny is getting older. She's losing function in her body and her memory isn't what it used to be. She spends her days reminiscing about her younger self, painting, and wishing she'd made more of her life when she still could.
After a nasty fall, Penny is taken to a small long-term care residence in the country, surrounded by the forest and nature. For the first time in a long time, Penny is eating and sleeping well. She feels passionate about art again and is making friends with the other residents.
But maybe there's more going on in this house than the others know. Something sinister and creepy. Maybe they're all in danger and time is running out. Maybe Penny is the only one fighting against it. Maybe she's everyone's only hope, if only she can figure out what's going on in time to stop it.
Or maybe Penny has dementia and her mind is playing tricks on her, causing her to lose time, forget where she's been, and make up new memories to make sense of it all.
What I loved so much about this book is that Penny was an unreliable narrator.
Or was she?
Who knows? That in and of itself was part of the thrill. At any given time there was no way for me to know if Penny was genuinely experiencing these events or if this whole story was the result of confabulation and a failing memory.
We Spread is a terrifying story, just as much about a supernatural science experiment as it is about the way the mind fails us as we age. Iain Reid has found a way to put into words the gut-wrenching, helpless fear you feel when you're losing your memories and can't be sure of what's real and what isn't. When you can't tell if that memory is a paranoia-induced nightmare or if you're really being experimented on and used. When you're constantly questioning if your own thoughts and memories are even real.
My brain is still trying to digest this story. I picked this book up from the library earlier today and read it in one day. I flew through the pages and now I'm sitting here writing this review and trying to figure out what the fuck I just read.
This book is brilliant and I absolutely loved it. If you're looking for a psychological thriller/horror read, look no further. This is it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Dementia
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Medical content
Minor: Animal death
Dementia is the closest I can get to describing what this book is about. Dementia is never explicitly named, but one of the main themes of the book is the main character not being sure if she can trust her own memories or thoughts anymore, very much like someone with Dementia loses their memories or confabulates new ones to make sense of everything. Death is also talked about extensively. Medical content is because they are in a long-term care residence and the people there often have IV's, staff helping them shower and use the restroom, etc. The main character talks about a toxic relationship she was in with quite a bit of detail, from the very beginning of the book. Animal death is mentioned and impacts the emotional state of the main character, but is never shown on page.
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
It was so much better than I could have hoped for. It was short, sweet, hilarious, and had a fairy tale element similar to classic children's tales that was nothing short of magical.
This book follows a girl named Tress (or rather, a girl nicknamed Tress,) who lives on a small Island in the middle of the Emerald Sea. An Emerald Sea of spores that look and behave like sand, not like water. These spores sprout instantly when they make contact with water, growing into massive vines that reach up into the sky and across the ground. Which, as you can imagine, is pretty dangerous when you're on a boat sailing through the spores. The last thing you'd want is to have your ship wrapped in vines, or weighed down by vines, plunging everyone into the depths of the sea.
Most people are afraid of the spores. Tress is too. But after the love of Tress' life (Charlie) is taken to the other islands to be married off by his father, he suddenly goes "missing" and Tress knows she has to go after him. Armed with nothing but her wits and a sidekick talking rat, Tress sets sail on the Emerald Sea to go find Charlie and bring him home. What follows is a tale of friendship, love, self-discovery, and finding some place you belong even when it feels like you're all alone.
I wish that I could put into words the way that this book made me feel. I sat down and read it in one sitting, barely getting up to refill my drink. The whole story is told from Hoid's point of view, which is hilarious in and of itself. It has that element of classical fairy tales to it, where the narrator is talking directly to you and telling you a story, but Sanderson managed to weave an intricate magic system and lots of world-building in along with it (as he's known to do.)
Tress was the heroine I wish I'd gotten when I was younger. She was smart and strong and not afraid to be who she truly is, even when who she is isn't who she was before. Tress wasn't afraid of change and adapting to her environment. She thrived out on the Seas. She was brave and compassionate, a good friend. I absolutely loved her!
And I have to say, when I realized Sanderson wrote a Deaf character in his book, I was overjoyed! I loved the little descriptions of how Fort spoke with his hands to others when they were at port. Fort being Deaf was never depicted as a problem or an inconvenience and Sanderson didn't make it a big 'hurdle' they had to get over. Fort was just Deaf and it's who he was and that was the end of it. I absolutely loved loved loved it!
Not to mention the representation for AAC!!!I loved seeing Fort have a tablet for communication. I loved that Fort knew sign language to talk to others, but also had other ways of communicating with people who didn't know sign language. I loved the depiction of sign language in this book and the way Tress viewed it as a convenience - and how she wanted them all to learn it, so that they could talk to Fort without the tablet, but also so they could communicate without shouting across the deck.
I'm just so so so happy to see this representation in a book, and in a FANTASY book at that. I hope that if books with rep like this become more popular and widely read, maybe people won't be so taken aback when they see people like me using AAC to communicate.
Tress of the Emerald Sea was a great book that I will always wish I could re-read for the first time again. This was the perfect book for me to start the new year with it's got me very excited about the rest of the Secret Project novels coming later this year.
Definitely read this book!
When I saw that Sanderson launched a kickstarter announcing FOUR new novels he <b>secretly</b> wrote during the pandemic without anyone knowing about it, I immediately rushed to the site and bought the hardcover editions of all of them.
$300 poorer and full of anxiety at having to wait an entire year to get my hands on the first book, I felt like the happiest and most miserable person in the world.
And now we're only five days away from the Jan 1 midnight release of the ebook edition. I am so ready to curl up with a cup of hot chocolate and pull an all-nighter to read this book. Waiting all year for this has been agony and it's finally, finally almost over!
I've never been more thankful January 1st is on a Sunday.
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
4.5
This book can be read without reading any of Sanderson's other works. It does have minor spoilers for Mistborn, but it won't make sense to you unless you already know the details.
Tress of the Emerald Sea was the perfect way to kick off 2023. This was a sweet and hilarious adventure about a young girl facing her fears to save the boy she loves at any cost, featuring a Deaf supporting character (very present in the book,) AAC, and an unlikely bunch of misfits pulling together to accomplish the impossible.
The minute the book dropped I was already ready, cuddled up in my blanket with my warm holiday socks, a cup of hot cocoa, and my dog seated next to me. I was ready for Secret Project 1 to wow me into the new year. But I never would have expected the novel that we got.
Tress of the Emerald Sea was the perfect way to kick off 2023. This was a sweet and hilarious adventure about a young girl facing her fears to save the boy she loves at any cost, featuring a Deaf supporting character (very present in the book,) AAC, and an unlikely bunch of misfits pulling together to accomplish the impossible.
The minute the book dropped I was already ready, cuddled up in my blanket with my warm holiday socks, a cup of hot cocoa, and my dog seated next to me. I was ready for Secret Project 1 to wow me into the new year. But I never would have expected the novel that we got.
"Doug" is the naming equivalent to convergent evolution. And once it arrives, it stays. A linguistic Great Filter; a wakeup call. Once a society reaches peak Doug, it's time for it to go sit in the corner and think about what it has done.
It was so much better than I could have hoped for. It was short, sweet, hilarious, and had a fairy tale element similar to classic children's tales that was nothing short of magical.
This book follows a girl named Tress (or rather, a girl nicknamed Tress,) who lives on a small Island in the middle of the Emerald Sea. An Emerald Sea of spores that look and behave like sand, not like water. These spores sprout instantly when they make contact with water, growing into massive vines that reach up into the sky and across the ground. Which, as you can imagine, is pretty dangerous when you're on a boat sailing through the spores. The last thing you'd want is to have your ship wrapped in vines, or weighed down by vines, plunging everyone into the depths of the sea.
Most people are afraid of the spores. Tress is too. But after the love of Tress' life (Charlie) is taken to the other islands to be married off by his father, he suddenly goes "missing" and Tress knows she has to go after him. Armed with nothing but her wits and a sidekick talking rat, Tress sets sail on the Emerald Sea to go find Charlie and bring him home. What follows is a tale of friendship, love, self-discovery, and finding some place you belong even when it feels like you're all alone.
I wish that I could put into words the way that this book made me feel. I sat down and read it in one sitting, barely getting up to refill my drink. The whole story is told from Hoid's point of view, which is hilarious in and of itself. It has that element of classical fairy tales to it, where the narrator is talking directly to you and telling you a story, but Sanderson managed to weave an intricate magic system and lots of world-building in along with it (as he's known to do.)
Tress was the heroine I wish I'd gotten when I was younger. She was smart and strong and not afraid to be who she truly is, even when who she is isn't who she was before. Tress wasn't afraid of change and adapting to her environment. She thrived out on the Seas. She was brave and compassionate, a good friend. I absolutely loved her!
And I have to say, when I realized Sanderson wrote a Deaf character in his book, I was overjoyed! I loved the little descriptions of how Fort spoke with his hands to others when they were at port. Fort being Deaf was never depicted as a problem or an inconvenience and Sanderson didn't make it a big 'hurdle' they had to get over. Fort was just Deaf and it's who he was and that was the end of it. I absolutely loved loved loved it!
Not to mention the representation for AAC!!!
I'm just so so so happy to see this representation in a book, and in a FANTASY book at that. I hope that if books with rep like this become more popular and widely read, maybe people won't be so taken aback when they see people like me using AAC to communicate.
Tress of the Emerald Sea was a great book that I will always wish I could re-read for the first time again. This was the perfect book for me to start the new year with it's got me very excited about the rest of the Secret Project novels coming later this year.
Definitely read this book!
Pre-Review Comments
When I saw that Sanderson launched a kickstarter announcing FOUR new novels he <b>secretly</b> wrote during the pandemic without anyone knowing about it, I immediately rushed to the site and bought the hardcover editions of all of them.
$300 poorer and full of anxiety at having to wait an entire year to get my hands on the first book, I felt like the happiest and most miserable person in the world.
And now we're only five days away from the Jan 1 midnight release of the ebook edition. I am so ready to curl up with a cup of hot chocolate and pull an all-nighter to read this book. Waiting all year for this has been agony and it's finally, finally almost over!
I've never been more thankful January 1st is on a Sunday.
A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
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
5.0
A Kind of Spark is an absolutely brilliant, beautiful novel about an autistic girl named Addie who has discovered her voice and is determined to use it for change.
Addie is an autistic girl who lives in a small town in Scotland called Juniper. She learns in school about the witch trials and all of the innocent women who lost their lives due to bigotry and false accusations. And she's heartbroken by what she hears, so she sets out on a mission (with the help of her Librarian) to have a plaque put up in town memorializing and remembering the women who lost their lives in the witch trials.
This story is very much about witches, but it's about more than that too. Addie uses the innocent women who were targeted during the witch trials as a parallel for how people treat autistic people today. She saw these women who were misunderstood and forgotten and decided that it was her responsibility to make sure that people didn't forget about them and what they went through.
At one point in this story Addie gives a speech about these forgotten women and talks openly about her experiences being autistic and it made me sob like a baby. I can relate to Addie so much. Kids are so cruel when they meet people they don't understand or who behave differently than they do. I'd experienced so many similar things to what Addie talked about but been unable to put it into words. Somehow Elle McNicoll brought these feelings to life in a way that was innocently youthful and yet so raw and honest at the same time.
This book has a fantastic representation of autism and displays a crucial part of many autist's experience - a strong sense of social justice (in part due to black and white thinking.) And I really don't have the words to express how much this book meant to me. I hope that young autistic people around the world will read this and feel seen and heard and understood. Elle McNicoll has written a wonderful book and I wish everyone would read this.
Addie is an autistic girl who lives in a small town in Scotland called Juniper. She learns in school about the witch trials and all of the innocent women who lost their lives due to bigotry and false accusations. And she's heartbroken by what she hears, so she sets out on a mission (with the help of her Librarian) to have a plaque put up in town memorializing and remembering the women who lost their lives in the witch trials.
This story is very much about witches, but it's about more than that too. Addie uses the innocent women who were targeted during the witch trials as a parallel for how people treat autistic people today. She saw these women who were misunderstood and forgotten and decided that it was her responsibility to make sure that people didn't forget about them and what they went through.
At one point in this story Addie gives a speech about these forgotten women and talks openly about her experiences being autistic and it made me sob like a baby. I can relate to Addie so much. Kids are so cruel when they meet people they don't understand or who behave differently than they do. I'd experienced so many similar things to what Addie talked about but been unable to put it into words. Somehow Elle McNicoll brought these feelings to life in a way that was innocently youthful and yet so raw and honest at the same time.
This book has a fantastic representation of autism and displays a crucial part of many autist's experience - a strong sense of social justice (in part due to black and white thinking.) And I really don't have the words to express how much this book meant to me. I hope that young autistic people around the world will read this and feel seen and heard and understood. Elle McNicoll has written a wonderful book and I wish everyone would read this.