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tanya_tate's reviews
594 reviews
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
4.0
Four Stars! You can read it on my blog!
Spoilers!
Actually that was better than ACOWAR but no way as near as good as ACOMAF. Honestly, I don't think SJM can top herself when it comes to ACOMAF. Maybe with Nesta/Cassian upcoming book but I'll get into that later. lol To me this novella give us things that we were missing in ACOWAR, Granted ACoWAR was a 700 page monster dealing with a war they were trying to prevent but the ending didn't feel compete to me. It didn't turn the series over from Feyre/ Rhys' hands to other amazing character hands. ACOFAS did exactly that and so much more. I will tell you this. ACOFAS was honestly the make/break for me. I was going to either stay with the series and read the other three books or cut my loses and part ways with the series. Needless to say after a very rocky start,I decide to stay with the series for reasons. lol
So basically this review is going to be composted of little mini rants either dealing with the characters, the writing or the fandom's bullshit leading up to the days on it's release. It maybe a little paragraphs or they maybe huge. ( I'm going to tell you now that Tamlin's paragraph is probably going to be massive along with Rhys cause of the bullshit that was thrown his way) Trumblr becomes an hell hole every time SJM is about to release a book. So lets hop to it.
Some people say that it's not any plot in this which I disagree.It may not be as plot heavy as the other three books but lets face it. This novella is almost like a Doctor Who Christmas special with us seeing how the Inner Circle clique is doing and being happy. It doesn't have some deep "lets find this to stop this" overarching plot in it. It's a simple "let the clique enjoy their first Christmas together after the war while drinking and eating themselves silly while exchanging gifts and playing a snowball fight" plot. What it does do sets up plot for the next coming books. One major plot line that I can't wait to see is the tension in the Illyrian war camps. That can be a dozy if they deiced to declare mutiny on the Night Court and Rhys and Cassian would have an freaking mess on their hands. ( Can't wait to see what Nesta is going to do lol). The other is the ongoing plot with the Queens. It wasn't really there but it still talked about and it sound like Mor my handle that. The other is dealing with Lucien which going to be interesting. Like I said before and probably will be saying throughout out this review. This was a set up novella. ONLY A SET UP! If you expect a over reaching plot in 200 page where certain characters ( cough Nesta and Mor as well) find how to coupe with their pain and raise above it, than you don't know how Sarah Janet Maas operate. In her regular novels, she just getting warmed up in 200 pages. Shit Look at Chaol's story. They supposed to have been only a novella and look what happen? It turned into a freaking novel and is considered as the sixth book of the Throne of Glass Series.
Lets go to the characters
Feyre
Feyre is still one of my fave characters in ACOTAR but in this one, I didn't know if I want to still hug her or tell her to please stay out of people's business. After I almost fell asleep on one of chapters.... Yeah... I'm happy that she's painting again and was able to meet a friend which they was able to open a painting school per se. Also she did more than shop for the only damn book people which some people claim she did.
Rhys
Darling Rhysie
I loved his pov chapters but sometimes he got an eyeroll out of me cause sometimes he was an horndog in the early part of his chapters. We get it. You love Feyre and want to be in her but not every fucking min boy! seesh! Claim yourself down dear. But his chapters interacting with Tamlin!! Baby! He every freaking right to off on Tamlin! He deserved every damn word cause while he down, he still insulted Illyrains and call them brutes. ( People forgot about that.) Since Tamiln is “broken” which it’s he’s own damn fault he lost everything people are like “Poor little TamTam! Mean old Rhysand is such an asshole for gloating and telling you things that you need to hear even tho you would have done the same. You are just broken and need redemption and love. “Now if he wasn’t like that people would have been like” Kick his ass Rhys"since a lot of people after Acomaf wanted them to get into it. Rhys had every right to go off on his ass cause the shit he said was not only because of Feyre but because of Mom and sister. He even admitted to Feyre that he should have been the bigger man which Feyre was like “Hey It’s OK!” So many people want Tamlin to get redeemed while I’m like Feyre. Really don’t give a shit about him anymore cause he played part in the story and then continue to act like an ass. But people really though that Rhys wad not going to gloat and tell his ass off, yall don’t know Rhys at all. I wanted them to fight so bad and for Rhys to level that house. Honestly Rhys is the bigger male cause he did go back to the house to feed his sorry ass.
Tamlin
TamTam
Dear
I should feel sorry for you but I really don't like I said above cause you played yourself.
You really can take your sorry excuse for a Fae somewhere and die in a hole for all I care.
YOU DO NOT ACT THE HUBSAND OF THE PERSON YOU DID WRONG IF WILL THEY EVER FORGIVE YOU! YOU DIDN'T ASK THEM PERSON DIRECTLY FOR THEIR FORGIVENESS WHICH YOU COULD HAVE DONE IN ACOWAR!
He could have asked Feyre for her forgiveness but he didn't so...
Now one thing I did like which I don't no one pick up on is that SJM actually alluded back to Beauty and the Beast with Tamlin which evertyh The way Tamlin was pretty much alone and trash the house is almost the same thing the beast did in the Disney version. It just west wing of the house and not the whole house.
Just Let me Rant for a Second cause this whole Rhys/Tam got me hot ( I told yall this is going to be more of a rant than a review)
How come some people where so quick to say “Oh Tamlin just still upset for what happened so it’s understandable why he acted like that. He was just hurting. ” when he acted an pure salty asshole at the High Lord Meeting in ACOWAR but some people are so quick to give Rhys the 5th degree for saying the things he said to Tamlin ALONE in ACOFAS??
How come it was acceptable for Tamlin to let his emotions out which he never have to control of and slam Feyre by indirectly calling her a whore twice in front of everyone? While Rhys who always held his emotions together even tho he struggle a little and let them slide when he was ALONE with Tamlin? Who honestly had every little right to be still pissed off at the person who stole the location of his mom and sister and almost destroyed the love of his life?
I’m not getting this???
Just because Tamlin was in a self -created pity party is the reason why Rhys get criticize for letting things he really needed to say out to him in a private matter?? That he let his emotions out and then felt bad after he did it?
That he actually he should have said those things in the High Lord Meeting but he didn’t cause he knew he need all the High Lords help and knew when it was a time and place to let personal business and feelings out?
I’m sorry but you don’t get a pass from acting like an asshole in front of your peers while the other guy knew how to keep his emotions in check until it was the right time to show it. Aka in a one on one meeting where no one else was there.
All and All It was better than ACOWAR and I'm excited for the fourth one!
Spoilers!
Actually that was better than ACOWAR but no way as near as good as ACOMAF. Honestly, I don't think SJM can top herself when it comes to ACOMAF. Maybe with Nesta/Cassian upcoming book but I'll get into that later. lol To me this novella give us things that we were missing in ACOWAR, Granted ACoWAR was a 700 page monster dealing with a war they were trying to prevent but the ending didn't feel compete to me. It didn't turn the series over from Feyre/ Rhys' hands to other amazing character hands. ACOFAS did exactly that and so much more. I will tell you this. ACOFAS was honestly the make/break for me. I was going to either stay with the series and read the other three books or cut my loses and part ways with the series. Needless to say after a very rocky start,I decide to stay with the series for reasons. lol
So basically this review is going to be composted of little mini rants either dealing with the characters, the writing or the fandom's bullshit leading up to the days on it's release. It maybe a little paragraphs or they maybe huge. ( I'm going to tell you now that Tamlin's paragraph is probably going to be massive along with Rhys cause of the bullshit that was thrown his way) Trumblr becomes an hell hole every time SJM is about to release a book. So lets hop to it.
Some people say that it's not any plot in this which I disagree.It may not be as plot heavy as the other three books but lets face it. This novella is almost like a Doctor Who Christmas special with us seeing how the Inner Circle clique is doing and being happy. It doesn't have some deep "lets find this to stop this" overarching plot in it. It's a simple "let the clique enjoy their first Christmas together after the war while drinking and eating themselves silly while exchanging gifts and playing a snowball fight" plot. What it does do sets up plot for the next coming books. One major plot line that I can't wait to see is the tension in the Illyrian war camps. That can be a dozy if they deiced to declare mutiny on the Night Court and Rhys and Cassian would have an freaking mess on their hands. ( Can't wait to see what Nesta is going to do lol). The other is the ongoing plot with the Queens. It wasn't really there but it still talked about and it sound like Mor my handle that. The other is dealing with Lucien which going to be interesting. Like I said before and probably will be saying throughout out this review. This was a set up novella. ONLY A SET UP! If you expect a over reaching plot in 200 page where certain characters ( cough Nesta and Mor as well) find how to coupe with their pain and raise above it, than you don't know how Sarah Janet Maas operate. In her regular novels, she just getting warmed up in 200 pages. Shit Look at Chaol's story. They supposed to have been only a novella and look what happen? It turned into a freaking novel and is considered as the sixth book of the Throne of Glass Series.
Lets go to the characters
Feyre
Feyre is still one of my fave characters in ACOTAR but in this one, I didn't know if I want to still hug her or tell her to please stay out of people's business. After I almost fell asleep on one of chapters.... Yeah... I'm happy that she's painting again and was able to meet a friend which they was able to open a painting school per se. Also she did more than shop for the only damn book people which some people claim she did.
Rhys
Darling Rhysie
I loved his pov chapters but sometimes he got an eyeroll out of me cause sometimes he was an horndog in the early part of his chapters. We get it. You love Feyre and want to be in her but not every fucking min boy! seesh! Claim yourself down dear. But his chapters interacting with Tamlin!! Baby! He every freaking right to off on Tamlin! He deserved every damn word cause while he down, he still insulted Illyrains and call them brutes. ( People forgot about that.) Since Tamiln is “broken” which it’s he’s own damn fault he lost everything people are like “Poor little TamTam! Mean old Rhysand is such an asshole for gloating and telling you things that you need to hear even tho you would have done the same. You are just broken and need redemption and love. “Now if he wasn’t like that people would have been like” Kick his ass Rhys"since a lot of people after Acomaf wanted them to get into it. Rhys had every right to go off on his ass cause the shit he said was not only because of Feyre but because of Mom and sister. He even admitted to Feyre that he should have been the bigger man which Feyre was like “Hey It’s OK!” So many people want Tamlin to get redeemed while I’m like Feyre. Really don’t give a shit about him anymore cause he played part in the story and then continue to act like an ass. But people really though that Rhys wad not going to gloat and tell his ass off, yall don’t know Rhys at all. I wanted them to fight so bad and for Rhys to level that house. Honestly Rhys is the bigger male cause he did go back to the house to feed his sorry ass.
Tamlin
TamTam
Dear
I should feel sorry for you but I really don't like I said above cause you played yourself.
You really can take your sorry excuse for a Fae somewhere and die in a hole for all I care.
YOU DO NOT ACT THE HUBSAND OF THE PERSON YOU DID WRONG IF WILL THEY EVER FORGIVE YOU! YOU DIDN'T ASK THEM PERSON DIRECTLY FOR THEIR FORGIVENESS WHICH YOU COULD HAVE DONE IN ACOWAR!
He could have asked Feyre for her forgiveness but he didn't so...
Now one thing I did like which I don't no one pick up on is that SJM actually alluded back to Beauty and the Beast with Tamlin which evertyh The way Tamlin was pretty much alone and trash the house is almost the same thing the beast did in the Disney version. It just west wing of the house and not the whole house.
Just Let me Rant for a Second cause this whole Rhys/Tam got me hot ( I told yall this is going to be more of a rant than a review)
How come some people where so quick to say “Oh Tamlin just still upset for what happened so it’s understandable why he acted like that. He was just hurting. ” when he acted an pure salty asshole at the High Lord Meeting in ACOWAR but some people are so quick to give Rhys the 5th degree for saying the things he said to Tamlin ALONE in ACOFAS??
How come it was acceptable for Tamlin to let his emotions out which he never have to control of and slam Feyre by indirectly calling her a whore twice in front of everyone? While Rhys who always held his emotions together even tho he struggle a little and let them slide when he was ALONE with Tamlin? Who honestly had every little right to be still pissed off at the person who stole the location of his mom and sister and almost destroyed the love of his life?
I’m not getting this???
Just because Tamlin was in a self -created pity party is the reason why Rhys get criticize for letting things he really needed to say out to him in a private matter?? That he let his emotions out and then felt bad after he did it?
That he actually he should have said those things in the High Lord Meeting but he didn’t cause he knew he need all the High Lords help and knew when it was a time and place to let personal business and feelings out?
I’m sorry but you don’t get a pass from acting like an asshole in front of your peers while the other guy knew how to keep his emotions in check until it was the right time to show it. Aka in a one on one meeting where no one else was there.
All and All It was better than ACOWAR and I'm excited for the fourth one!
Pride by Ibi Zoboi
5.0
Bring my review back up since it's out today!
Review
You can also read it on my blog!
Expected Pub Date: September 18th 2018
I received a copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Five Stars!!
Before I finally write this review of this wonderful book before it comes out ( while juggling my memory since it's been four months since I read it while being sick)I have a confession to make.
Confession : I have never read Pride and Prejudice. I have been meaning too cause I have like this nice annoted paperback version of it that my sister bough for me in high school for my Lit class but we never did. We just ending up watching the Keira Knightley version which I told my whole class what was going on. I mean when you have a sister who loves Jane Austen and was exposed to other versions early. lol
Before you grab your bonnets and your pearls, I have watched a lot of adaptions of P&P that I did follow along with this perfectly.
I have watched
The Collin Firth Version
The Keira Knightley Version
Lizzie Bennet Daries
Bride and Prejudice ( How the fuck I missed that one!)
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
I just thought about it! I did read a version of P&P but it was in manga form. Haha!
So Pride, as you can tell from my confession is a retelling or as Ms. Zoboi is calling it, a remix of Pride and Prejudice in the Streets of Brooklyn following the Bentiez family. Zuri Bentiez ,( aka our Elizabeth) the second oldest Bentiez sister is a 17-year-old Afro Latina girl who has pride in her roots and trying to navigate the streets of her home as much she trying to navigate her life. She loves her older sister,Jaene ( our Jane) who has been off to college but is home for the summer to death. She has two younger sisters who she loves but sometimes want to strangle. Also dealing with her loving Mom who loves to cook as much she's trying to hook her two oldest daughters up. ( Mrs. Bennet in the flesh) She aspires to be a poet and wants to go to college so she can spread her wings. Things started to change when her neighborhood got new wealthy neighbors, the Darcy family. A wealthy up to do family who fixed an old collapsed in apartment building and turned into a mansion. The Darcy's have two sons, Ainsley (Bingley)and Darius ( Our darling Fritzwilliam Darcy) ( Yeah they are brothers in this version which I'm going to talk about later). While Anisley who is very charming and easy-going around others and to her sister,Daruis is a very uptight 17-year-old who thinks everyone doesn't have good intentions and doesn't think very highly of people. In other words,he's a straight asshole but have a reason why he's like that which Zuri doesn't know. Zuri first thinks she hates him and thinks she know what exactly what he is but as she get to know him and see what he truly is ( which is not really an asshole) she start to question her pride and her feelings as well. While learning that the boy she thought she knew cause he grew up on her hood, Warren ( aka our Wickham) is not the person he's all cracked up to be. Also while also dealing with the perceptive of maybe leaving her neighborhood sooner than she thought she would.
So here's the main reason why I put my confession down and give it a five-star. Even though I haven't read P&P, I had enough information from watching some adaptations to follow the plot. I think even a person who wasn't familiar with P& P would be able to understand cause Ms. Zoboi's does an amazing job taking the original material and making it her own. She modernization this great piece of literature for the next generation. I can't give two much spoilers but I love her spin on the proposal scene and her take on Darcy Letter to Lizzie about the truth about Wickham. Those are two iconic scenes in the books and the adaptations and she take them to another level.
One thing I didn't like was the fact she made her Darcy and Bringley brothers instead of just friends in this book cause it changes the dynamics of the two characters. It should be for the better but it certain things that happen between two characters which is the reason why Darcy the way he is to a certain character ( who names starts with a W) is the reason why I say this.I think them being cousins would have been better cause it could have been under the guise of " Well Anisley is not near the Darcy's home as much so maybe that's why he doesn't know about a particular situation" Them being brothers is like " Well he should know about what this character done to another character who supposed to be close to him so why he's acting nice towards them unlike his brother who really want to beat the shit out them." ( If you read P& P you probably figure out what I'm talking about) That's the only major gripe I have with this book.
All and All this book was the first book in a long time that I finish it in like two days while I was sick like hell battling with Bronchitis. I just hate it took me so long to write this review. Well Life Happens. lol
Also
I forgot to show this.
I tweeted Ms. Zoboi after I finished the book in April and she tweeted me back!! I totally didn't fangirl. lol
Review
You can also read it on my blog!
Expected Pub Date: September 18th 2018
I received a copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Five Stars!!
Before I finally write this review of this wonderful book before it comes out ( while juggling my memory since it's been four months since I read it while being sick)I have a confession to make.
Confession : I have never read Pride and Prejudice. I have been meaning too cause I have like this nice annoted paperback version of it that my sister bough for me in high school for my Lit class but we never did. We just ending up watching the Keira Knightley version which I told my whole class what was going on. I mean when you have a sister who loves Jane Austen and was exposed to other versions early. lol
Before you grab your bonnets and your pearls, I have watched a lot of adaptions of P&P that I did follow along with this perfectly.
I have watched
The Collin Firth Version
The Keira Knightley Version
Lizzie Bennet Daries
Bride and Prejudice ( How the fuck I missed that one!)
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
I just thought about it! I did read a version of P&P but it was in manga form. Haha!
So Pride, as you can tell from my confession is a retelling or as Ms. Zoboi is calling it, a remix of Pride and Prejudice in the Streets of Brooklyn following the Bentiez family. Zuri Bentiez ,( aka our Elizabeth) the second oldest Bentiez sister is a 17-year-old Afro Latina girl who has pride in her roots and trying to navigate the streets of her home as much she trying to navigate her life. She loves her older sister,Jaene ( our Jane) who has been off to college but is home for the summer to death. She has two younger sisters who she loves but sometimes want to strangle. Also dealing with her loving Mom who loves to cook as much she's trying to hook her two oldest daughters up. ( Mrs. Bennet in the flesh) She aspires to be a poet and wants to go to college so she can spread her wings. Things started to change when her neighborhood got new wealthy neighbors, the Darcy family. A wealthy up to do family who fixed an old collapsed in apartment building and turned into a mansion. The Darcy's have two sons, Ainsley (Bingley)and Darius ( Our darling Fritzwilliam Darcy) ( Yeah they are brothers in this version which I'm going to talk about later). While Anisley who is very charming and easy-going around others and to her sister,Daruis is a very uptight 17-year-old who thinks everyone doesn't have good intentions and doesn't think very highly of people. In other words,he's a straight asshole but have a reason why he's like that which Zuri doesn't know. Zuri first thinks she hates him and thinks she know what exactly what he is but as she get to know him and see what he truly is ( which is not really an asshole) she start to question her pride and her feelings as well. While learning that the boy she thought she knew cause he grew up on her hood, Warren ( aka our Wickham) is not the person he's all cracked up to be. Also while also dealing with the perceptive of maybe leaving her neighborhood sooner than she thought she would.
So here's the main reason why I put my confession down and give it a five-star. Even though I haven't read P&P, I had enough information from watching some adaptations to follow the plot. I think even a person who wasn't familiar with P& P would be able to understand cause Ms. Zoboi's does an amazing job taking the original material and making it her own. She modernization this great piece of literature for the next generation. I can't give two much spoilers but I love her spin on the proposal scene and her take on Darcy Letter to Lizzie about the truth about Wickham. Those are two iconic scenes in the books and the adaptations and she take them to another level.
One thing I didn't like was the fact she made her Darcy and Bringley brothers instead of just friends in this book cause it changes the dynamics of the two characters. It should be for the better but it certain things that happen between two characters which is the reason why Darcy the way he is to a certain character ( who names starts with a W) is the reason why I say this.I think them being cousins would have been better cause it could have been under the guise of " Well Anisley is not near the Darcy's home as much so maybe that's why he doesn't know about a particular situation" Them being brothers is like " Well he should know about what this character done to another character who supposed to be close to him so why he's acting nice towards them unlike his brother who really want to beat the shit out them." ( If you read P& P you probably figure out what I'm talking about) That's the only major gripe I have with this book.
All and All this book was the first book in a long time that I finish it in like two days while I was sick like hell battling with Bronchitis. I just hate it took me so long to write this review. Well Life Happens. lol
Also
I forgot to show this.
I tweeted Ms. Zoboi after I finished the book in April and she tweeted me back!! I totally didn't fangirl. lol
Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
5.0
Review
Five " All the women are badasses" Stars.
I'll tell you a story.
Once upon a time, in a land long since burned to ash, there lived a young princess who loved her kingdom and went though a lot of shit in the course of seven books to get it back. From Evil Bitch Fae Queens to Evil Demons that want to process human bodies. Thought her journey she went from being a cocky teenage assassin who love her dresses as much as she love her daggers to a Fire Breathing Bitch Queen Teenager, to a Queen who had so much on her shoulders. With the help her baddass friends which majority of them are women, she did it all for her Kingdom and now she can finally chill with her Territory Fae Bastard Prince Husband who love Tattoos and her badass court. She get to live Happy Ever After for the rest of her immortal days in a better world that she promised..
The end
I think that pretty much sums up the story does it? I just did in lesser words and books. lol
A longer review is coming but I though yall would like this. lol
Five " All the women are badasses" Stars.
I'll tell you a story.
Once upon a time, in a land long since burned to ash, there lived a young princess who loved her kingdom and went though a lot of shit in the course of seven books to get it back. From Evil Bitch Fae Queens to Evil Demons that want to process human bodies. Thought her journey she went from being a cocky teenage assassin who love her dresses as much as she love her daggers to a Fire Breathing Bitch Queen Teenager, to a Queen who had so much on her shoulders. With the help her baddass friends which majority of them are women, she did it all for her Kingdom and now she can finally chill with her Territory Fae Bastard Prince Husband who love Tattoos and her badass court. She get to live Happy Ever After for the rest of her immortal days in a better world that she promised..
The end
I think that pretty much sums up the story does it? I just did in lesser words and books. lol
A longer review is coming but I though yall would like this. lol
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
4.0
Review and mild spoiler. You can also with my review on myblog!
4 Stars!
I'm honestly glad I went back to this and found the audiobook because the second half of the book was a freaking gut wrenching experience. It was a funny one but it was emotional as hell. To see Starr grow from her experience and learning how to use her voice was very emotional ride. The only reason it's not getting a five stars cause I still feel like how I felt when I stopped it a couple months ago with the stereotyping of Blacks. I know this book intention was to bring the Black Culture, the neighborhoods, and the serious situation of Police killing unarmed Black men ( and women) to the forefront which I really think was the author's full attention, it kind of brings up the stereotypes that people think black people are anyway. Even tho the narrative did try to show the misconceptions of black people are false. Also some elements of the book felt like a Tyler Perry movie with the dramatics.. I swear the scene where the neighbor stood up to King felt like the ending of Daddy Little Girls when the neighbor told the judge they didn't see Idris Elba character beat up that gang leader. All and All The book is probably going down a book that will be taught in schools about the BLM movement. It gives you an eye opening and powerful experience that people will need to understand the situation at hand with Police Brutality .
A Couple of things I have to address that I have seen in the review.
1.This book is not reverse racism - Nope It's not. This book is not racist against whites but can be prejudiced and stereotypical at best. It does shows the misconception that black people along with white can have against each other and other races.. It does show how you can rather stay in not knowledgeable about it and strew in your ignorance and hate or find out your conception of that person is wrong by getting know them and asking them. So no I don't think Starr, her friends and family was racist against Chris cause they said some stereotypical things they heard about white people to him.. I'm so sorry that if white people felt like they were stereotyped in this book cause guess what? If that boy didn't get stereotyped to be a thug which he wasn't and the other really life cases didn't either, their love ones wouldn't be burying them at a young age. So...
2. This book is not Anti-Police- This book is not saying that all cops are bad and should not be trusted. The narrative have said many times that they're cops just like Starr's Uncle who are good and do their job to serve and protect the people and the city they are in. This is about the ones who hide behind that badge who supposed to serve and protect but they carry out their racist and prejudice bullshit against Blacks and other minorities. It's about the corrupted cops and the corrupted system which keep letting these cops get away with killing unarmed Black men, women,and other minorities instead of going to jail. This is also about painting the cops as looking like the victim and painting the real victim as criminal.
That's it! I'm glad I finished this book and can't wait for the movie!
4 Stars!
I'm honestly glad I went back to this and found the audiobook because the second half of the book was a freaking gut wrenching experience. It was a funny one but it was emotional as hell. To see Starr grow from her experience and learning how to use her voice was very emotional ride. The only reason it's not getting a five stars cause I still feel like how I felt when I stopped it a couple months ago with the stereotyping of Blacks. I know this book intention was to bring the Black Culture, the neighborhoods, and the serious situation of Police killing unarmed Black men ( and women) to the forefront which I really think was the author's full attention, it kind of brings up the stereotypes that people think black people are anyway. Even tho the narrative did try to show the misconceptions of black people are false. Also some elements of the book felt like a Tyler Perry movie with the dramatics.. I swear the scene where the neighbor stood up to King felt like the ending of Daddy Little Girls when the neighbor told the judge they didn't see Idris Elba character beat up that gang leader. All and All The book is probably going down a book that will be taught in schools about the BLM movement. It gives you an eye opening and powerful experience that people will need to understand the situation at hand with Police Brutality .
A Couple of things I have to address that I have seen in the review.
1.This book is not reverse racism - Nope It's not. This book is not racist against whites but can be prejudiced and stereotypical at best. It does shows the misconception that black people along with white can have against each other and other races.. It does show how you can rather stay in not knowledgeable about it and strew in your ignorance and hate or find out your conception of that person is wrong by getting know them and asking them. So no I don't think Starr, her friends and family was racist against Chris cause they said some stereotypical things they heard about white people to him.. I'm so sorry that if white people felt like they were stereotyped in this book cause guess what? If that boy didn't get stereotyped to be a thug which he wasn't and the other really life cases didn't either, their love ones wouldn't be burying them at a young age. So...
2. This book is not Anti-Police- This book is not saying that all cops are bad and should not be trusted. The narrative have said many times that they're cops just like Starr's Uncle who are good and do their job to serve and protect the people and the city they are in. This is about the ones who hide behind that badge who supposed to serve and protect but they carry out their racist and prejudice bullshit against Blacks and other minorities. It's about the corrupted cops and the corrupted system which keep letting these cops get away with killing unarmed Black men, women,and other minorities instead of going to jail. This is also about painting the cops as looking like the victim and painting the real victim as criminal.
That's it! I'm glad I finished this book and can't wait for the movie!
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
5.0
Five Stars!
You can't stop me from reviewing
You can't stop me from reviewing
You can't stop me from reviewing
You can't stop me from reviewing
You can't stop me! Nope Nope!
RTC!
You can't stop me from reviewing
You can't stop me from reviewing
You can't stop me from reviewing
You can't stop me from reviewing
You can't stop me! Nope Nope!
RTC!
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
DNF @33%
You can also read it on my blog!!
I don't think I'm going back to this at all.
Life is too short to try and read a book that you been struggling to read since March. Actually before then cause I had the arc of it and struggle with it then.
It's good concept but instead of feeling like a story with the basics being the Orisha/ Yoruba mythology ( which I want to know more about myself), it feel like if Avatar the Last Airbender/ The Legend of Korra was based in African culture instead of Asian,Nomadic and Island/Pacfic culture.
I mean look at this.
Zelie: Katara mixed in with a little Anag since she can wield a staff like he did.
Tzain: Sokka
Amari: Yue mixed in with Souki
Inan: Zuko reject
Amari/Inan Dad: Ozai
All it didn't have was an Azula which probably would have made it more interesting..
Naw!
The fact magic was whipped out and along with the people who had magic was almost like what the Fire Nation did to the Air Nomads.Also the way they were oppressing the ones who probably could do magic if it wasn't gone is how the Fire Nation treated the rest of the nations that didn't destroy. Oh Don't get me started with the fact Zelie's mom was killed. Like that wasn't one of the main story lines for Katara's development in the series,dealing with her hatred of the Fire Nation cause of mom got killed.You can also say the scroll Zelie had was almost the same as Katara's water bending scroll. Also the part I dnfed is where the kids had to find an island that disappears before a solstice in order to bring magic back.. Yeah they totally wasn't an island in Avatar that was on back of a sea lion turtle that disappeared for thousands of years. It totally wasn't two solstices in the series that some very important events happen on them..
Also it seem like I have dodge the bullet by dnfing this early cause it supposed to be a unnecessary romance between Zelie and Zuko reject...
Yeah ..
You know I'm all for authors having books and series that influences them a lot and decide to put little hints of that in work and incorporated it into their own original thing, but only hints and not almost the whole plot of that work.
I have tried hard to like this book. I bought this book for birthday and even got the audiobook which still didn't help even with Bahni Turpin narrating it. She is the reason why I went back to The Hate U give and end finishing and living that book.
The pacing of this book was the killer cause for the almost 160 pages I read,nothing really fucking happens. It really was a slogged fest to get through. Don't get me wrong. I love Zelie, Tzain and Amari as characters but didn't want to slogged thought 500 plus pages to find out about their journey.. This is why I feel like introductory books to a series shouldn't be more than 300 to 400 pages long but 450 is good number but pushing it. Especially if you know the series is going to be at least 3 books or more. I feel like you should be able to set up your characters, story ,plot, world building and get a fan base to your books in at least 400 pages. Then in the next books you can flex and show you can write a 500 page book with all the world building and character development you want.
I just don't understand the hype for this one.
So if anyone wants my copy of it, message me and see what we can do.
I may sell it for 20 bucks. lol
You can also read it on my blog!!
I don't think I'm going back to this at all.
Life is too short to try and read a book that you been struggling to read since March. Actually before then cause I had the arc of it and struggle with it then.
It's good concept but instead of feeling like a story with the basics being the Orisha/ Yoruba mythology ( which I want to know more about myself), it feel like if Avatar the Last Airbender/ The Legend of Korra was based in African culture instead of Asian,Nomadic and Island/Pacfic culture.
I mean look at this.
Zelie: Katara mixed in with a little Anag since she can wield a staff like he did.
Tzain: Sokka
Amari: Yue mixed in with Souki
Inan: Zuko reject
Amari/Inan Dad: Ozai
All it didn't have was an Azula which probably would have made it more interesting..
Naw!
The fact magic was whipped out and along with the people who had magic was almost like what the Fire Nation did to the Air Nomads.Also the way they were oppressing the ones who probably could do magic if it wasn't gone is how the Fire Nation treated the rest of the nations that didn't destroy. Oh Don't get me started with the fact Zelie's mom was killed. Like that wasn't one of the main story lines for Katara's development in the series,dealing with her hatred of the Fire Nation cause of mom got killed.You can also say the scroll Zelie had was almost the same as Katara's water bending scroll. Also the part I dnfed is where the kids had to find an island that disappears before a solstice in order to bring magic back.. Yeah they totally wasn't an island in Avatar that was on back of a sea lion turtle that disappeared for thousands of years. It totally wasn't two solstices in the series that some very important events happen on them..
Also it seem like I have dodge the bullet by dnfing this early cause it supposed to be a unnecessary romance between Zelie and Zuko reject...
Yeah ..
You know I'm all for authors having books and series that influences them a lot and decide to put little hints of that in work and incorporated it into their own original thing, but only hints and not almost the whole plot of that work.
I have tried hard to like this book. I bought this book for birthday and even got the audiobook which still didn't help even with Bahni Turpin narrating it. She is the reason why I went back to The Hate U give and end finishing and living that book.
The pacing of this book was the killer cause for the almost 160 pages I read,nothing really fucking happens. It really was a slogged fest to get through. Don't get me wrong. I love Zelie, Tzain and Amari as characters but didn't want to slogged thought 500 plus pages to find out about their journey.. This is why I feel like introductory books to a series shouldn't be more than 300 to 400 pages long but 450 is good number but pushing it. Especially if you know the series is going to be at least 3 books or more. I feel like you should be able to set up your characters, story ,plot, world building and get a fan base to your books in at least 400 pages. Then in the next books you can flex and show you can write a 500 page book with all the world building and character development you want.
I just don't understand the hype for this one.
So if anyone wants my copy of it, message me and see what we can do.
I may sell it for 20 bucks. lol
The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh
4.0
This is now a webcomic on Webtoon!!!!
https://www.webtoons.com/en/fantasy/the-wrath-and-the-dawn/list?title_no=1772
https://www.webtoons.com/en/fantasy/the-wrath-and-the-dawn/list?title_no=1772
A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer
5.0
Book Stats
Stars: 5 Stars( Spoilers You can also read it on my blog)
Start Date : 03/01/2020 Ending Date: 03/10/2020
Genre: YA Fantasy, Beauty and the Beast Retelling
Form: Audiobook and Digital ARC
Page Count: 450
Publishing Date: 2020
Point of View: 1st Person Alternate between Grey and Lia Mara ( with one Chapter a piece with Harper and Rhen)
Setting: Modern Day(Washington, D.C) and Medieval( Ember Fall City, Shyl Shallow)
Received an arc from publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
The Sequel to a Curse so Dark and Lonely which starts a couple month after the ending.
1.Harper, Jake and Noah are still in Emberfall which Jake and Noah are trying to get use to it but want to go home.
2.Rhen is looking for the heir since rumors start to spin about the real heir and him being a.Magesmith just like Lilith( aka Wizard)
3.Karis Lauran is a still a threat with her spilling the tea about the heir in Dark and Lonely .
4.Whispers of Grey being still alive and siding with Lilith but no one can find him.
5.Harper start to make excuses from Rhen as he start to changed for his pursuit of the heir since the nobles are getting restless and postponed his coronation.
6.If the heir is found,Rhen wants him killed since he has magic. ( Yeah totally not a tyrant/dictator move.)
7.Grey is in hiding in a town two days away from Emberfall where he's working in the stables under the name Hawk.
8.The towns are starting to rebel because of the growing rumors of another heir.
That happens in the first 10% of the book.
New Characters
Lia Mara- Oldest Daughter to Karis Luran, has a younger sister who her mom name as heir to the throne. Trying to find ways to gain peace between Emberfall and Shyl Shallow. Is the first one smart enough to actually figure out that Grey is the true heir of Emberfall. Very Smart ,resourceful, brave and loves to red books. Has Red hair and is 18 years old.
Nolla Verin- Youngest Daughter to Karis Luran and chosen to rule. Lia Mara younger sister. Can be as ruthless as her mom at 16 years old but under that exitor is a girl who loves her big sister. Can fight well with the sword.
Tycho- Stable Hand that Grey befriended while he was in hiding. Same age as Nolla Verin
Iisak- A magical creature that helps Grey, Lia Mara, and the rest of the gang on their journey to Shyl Shallow
One thing I like about this book is the pacing which is a HUGE improvement of the first book. This book doesn't feel like a sloggest fest at all even tho I read a lot of reviews said that this one was slow which I disagree. The fact of the matter is that I finish this one off in WAY less time than the first one Also I enjoyed being in Grey and Lia Mara's head cause I don't think I could be in Rhen and Harper's head for this one. Since this one we has more of a journey than in the first one.
Especially Rhen's on how dumb he's been. Like everyone around you is pretty much telling you who the heir is and you still haven't figure out.
How to say that Grey is the heir of Emberfall and Rhen still is not putting two and two together.
Karis Luran:Lilith told me that Grey knows who the real heir is = Grey is the heir of Emberfall.
Lilith: Karis Luran and I had a talk about the heir which I found out that Grey knows who it is = Grey is the Heir of Emberfall
Lia Mara: Since my mom said that Grey knows who the real is and trying so hard to protect the Heir from Rhen and trying to protect Rhen too that means that he must be the heir=Grey is the heir of Emberfall.
Grey: Yes ,Your Highness I know who the heir is but I can't tell you in order to protect you.=I am the heir of Emberfall aka your brother but I don't want it.
Noah: You cause everyone to drop in the courtyard that means you are the magesmith and the Heir to the Throne =Grey is the heir of EmberFall.
Haper: You are the one with Magic. You are Rhen's brother. = Grey is the heir of Emberfall and Rhen's brother.
Rhen: Who the fuck the Heir/ Magesmith is Grey? Just tell me or I whip you and an innocent boy that you befriended to death.=All my brain cells was taken away from me once the curse is broken.
Me: Did the curse break make you into a dumbass Rhen??
LIKE DUDE!
WHILE YOU ARE TRYING TO BE A TYRANT AND DOING UNETHICAL SHIT TO FIND OUT WHO THE HEIR IS EVERYONE IS FUCKING TELLING YOU WHO THE HEIR IS!
DOES GREY HAVE TO TATTOO IT TO HIS FOREHEAD??
While everyone else in the reviews is being like " Omg Rhen Character Development is gone from the first book! He become the villain!" I'm sitting here like " You have become a dumbass not a villain."
Because part of me want to give him a pass since he did everything to help Emberfall out after he realized that if he doesn't and just sit there trying to break the curse they was going to get taken over in the first book. Which he did in order for the person who he tried to protect his people from spilling the tea about the his dad being married to a Enchartness and birthing a son aka a the true heir. Which is scares him that the heir can be just like Lilith with magic and try to take over the kingdom. Even try to curse him again.
I understand that completely. He wants to protect his kingdom since he work so hard to do so along with Harper and Grey. It's that fear that magic will take over him again.
My thing is this
The one person who had your damn back for so gotsdamn long, who went missing all of sudden to the point people through he was dead, only to be two days journey away from you under another name, telling you "No I'm not working with Lilith or the heir to dethrone you but I can't tell you who the heir is in order to protect you" and you don't have sense enough to just think about what everyone plus Grey has told you and put two and two together? That you would realized why Grey would rather die than tell you who it is in order to protect you ( not himself) cause once he tell you it's him you are going to kill him anyway? Like wake up!
Also the fact one of the constant things about Rhen that has been said about him is how calculating he is which people seem to forget. So to say his character got destroyed because he's not the cool collected charming with a side of calculating prince he was at the end but the scarred, calculating prince that is doing unethical, tyrant shit out of fear and being a dumbass..
So that bullshit that he should have just told him.. Oh yeah!! Just straight up tell him that he's the heir even if he was dropping codes so harder than bombs even tho Rhen pretty much said that he will kill the heir. You think if he straight up told him he would have kept him alive?? No he wouldn't cause his fear was getting to him. Even if Grey has done so much shit for him.
So yeah It's makes interesting to what the hell is going to happen to his character in the 3rd one. What he did at the ending?? Dude!! Really?? How the hell you are going to get yourself out of this?? Now I do want him to survive but IDK. lol
Harper seem like a shadow of herself which I didn't like at all because to me it make it feels like she couldn't tell Rhen about his shit. Also it just also feel like that she's in love with Grey instead of Rhen which makes the " Is she really in love with Rhen" argument even stronger. But the thing is in my adventures on tumblr I found out that it's a extra chapter in the B&N version that someone posted (which I can't put the link up on here lol) is an extra Harper PoV chapter which she do seem like herself. In that chapter that happens right after Grey and Lia Mara starts their journey to Shyl Sallow ,she does tell about himself and which she also tells Rhen that Grey is his brother which he knows. Which I'm trying to figure out why it's not in the actual book but an extra chapter in a special edition because that chapter could have helped big time...
I like Lia Mara because she's the only one that had sense to put two and two together about Rhen and how her intelligent was used so much in this book but her narrator got on my nerves. She made her sound like a 12 year old girl having her first crush instead of 18 year old having her first crush.
MY BABY GREY!! One of the best things about this book is seeing him come into his own in this one and realized what he have to do even if it's going to be hard. Also learning how to do magic and helping everyone out.
I'm so glad Jake and Noah was in the majority of this because they got more development and become important in Grey's journey. Jake and Grey's relationship tho.. Jake become such a voice of reason for Grey in this. Essentially telling him that Rhen is not his friend..
All and All this book is way better than the first one and it feels more original than the first one. I joked earlier that I was going to call this one " A court so mist and fury but nope. Nothing about this feel like ACOMAF to me. BK has done a great job making a sequel that took certain criticism the first one had and makes it better. Hell it doesn't even feel like a BATB retelling anymore but just an original YA fantasy series. I can't wait the 3rd one.
Because
How the fuck this is going to end without bloodshed??
A Vow So Bold and Deadly is going to be a doozy.
Tanya
Stars: 5 Stars( Spoilers You can also read it on my blog)
Start Date : 03/01/2020 Ending Date: 03/10/2020
Genre: YA Fantasy, Beauty and the Beast Retelling
Form: Audiobook and Digital ARC
Page Count: 450
Publishing Date: 2020
Point of View: 1st Person Alternate between Grey and Lia Mara ( with one Chapter a piece with Harper and Rhen)
Setting: Modern Day(Washington, D.C) and Medieval( Ember Fall City, Shyl Shallow)
Received an arc from publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
The Sequel to a Curse so Dark and Lonely which starts a couple month after the ending.
1.Harper, Jake and Noah are still in Emberfall which Jake and Noah are trying to get use to it but want to go home.
2.Rhen is looking for the heir since rumors start to spin about the real heir and him being a.Magesmith just like Lilith( aka Wizard)
3.Karis Lauran is a still a threat with her spilling the tea about the heir in Dark and Lonely .
4.Whispers of Grey being still alive and siding with Lilith but no one can find him.
5.Harper start to make excuses from Rhen as he start to changed for his pursuit of the heir since the nobles are getting restless and postponed his coronation.
6.If the heir is found,Rhen wants him killed since he has magic. ( Yeah totally not a tyrant/dictator move.)
7.Grey is in hiding in a town two days away from Emberfall where he's working in the stables under the name Hawk.
8.The towns are starting to rebel because of the growing rumors of another heir.
That happens in the first 10% of the book.
New Characters
Lia Mara- Oldest Daughter to Karis Luran, has a younger sister who her mom name as heir to the throne. Trying to find ways to gain peace between Emberfall and Shyl Shallow. Is the first one smart enough to actually figure out that Grey is the true heir of Emberfall. Very Smart ,resourceful, brave and loves to red books. Has Red hair and is 18 years old.
Nolla Verin- Youngest Daughter to Karis Luran and chosen to rule. Lia Mara younger sister. Can be as ruthless as her mom at 16 years old but under that exitor is a girl who loves her big sister. Can fight well with the sword.
Tycho- Stable Hand that Grey befriended while he was in hiding. Same age as Nolla Verin
Iisak- A magical creature that helps Grey, Lia Mara, and the rest of the gang on their journey to Shyl Shallow
One thing I like about this book is the pacing which is a HUGE improvement of the first book. This book doesn't feel like a sloggest fest at all even tho I read a lot of reviews said that this one was slow which I disagree. The fact of the matter is that I finish this one off in WAY less time than the first one Also I enjoyed being in Grey and Lia Mara's head cause I don't think I could be in Rhen and Harper's head for this one. Since this one we has more of a journey than in the first one.
Especially Rhen's on how dumb he's been. Like everyone around you is pretty much telling you who the heir is and you still haven't figure out.
How to say that Grey is the heir of Emberfall and Rhen still is not putting two and two together.
Karis Luran:Lilith told me that Grey knows who the real heir is = Grey is the heir of Emberfall.
Lilith: Karis Luran and I had a talk about the heir which I found out that Grey knows who it is = Grey is the Heir of Emberfall
Lia Mara: Since my mom said that Grey knows who the real is and trying so hard to protect the Heir from Rhen and trying to protect Rhen too that means that he must be the heir=Grey is the heir of Emberfall.
Grey: Yes ,Your Highness I know who the heir is but I can't tell you in order to protect you.=I am the heir of Emberfall aka your brother but I don't want it.
Noah: You cause everyone to drop in the courtyard that means you are the magesmith and the Heir to the Throne =Grey is the heir of EmberFall.
Haper: You are the one with Magic. You are Rhen's brother. = Grey is the heir of Emberfall and Rhen's brother.
Rhen: Who the fuck the Heir/ Magesmith is Grey? Just tell me or I whip you and an innocent boy that you befriended to death.=All my brain cells was taken away from me once the curse is broken.
Me: Did the curse break make you into a dumbass Rhen??
LIKE DUDE!
WHILE YOU ARE TRYING TO BE A TYRANT AND DOING UNETHICAL SHIT TO FIND OUT WHO THE HEIR IS EVERYONE IS FUCKING TELLING YOU WHO THE HEIR IS!
DOES GREY HAVE TO TATTOO IT TO HIS FOREHEAD??
While everyone else in the reviews is being like " Omg Rhen Character Development is gone from the first book! He become the villain!" I'm sitting here like " You have become a dumbass not a villain."
Because part of me want to give him a pass since he did everything to help Emberfall out after he realized that if he doesn't and just sit there trying to break the curse they was going to get taken over in the first book. Which he did in order for the person who he tried to protect his people from spilling the tea about the his dad being married to a Enchartness and birthing a son aka a the true heir. Which is scares him that the heir can be just like Lilith with magic and try to take over the kingdom. Even try to curse him again.
I understand that completely. He wants to protect his kingdom since he work so hard to do so along with Harper and Grey. It's that fear that magic will take over him again.
My thing is this
The one person who had your damn back for so gotsdamn long, who went missing all of sudden to the point people through he was dead, only to be two days journey away from you under another name, telling you "No I'm not working with Lilith or the heir to dethrone you but I can't tell you who the heir is in order to protect you" and you don't have sense enough to just think about what everyone plus Grey has told you and put two and two together? That you would realized why Grey would rather die than tell you who it is in order to protect you ( not himself) cause once he tell you it's him you are going to kill him anyway? Like wake up!
Also the fact one of the constant things about Rhen that has been said about him is how calculating he is which people seem to forget. So to say his character got destroyed because he's not the cool collected charming with a side of calculating prince he was at the end but the scarred, calculating prince that is doing unethical, tyrant shit out of fear and being a dumbass..
So that bullshit that he should have just told him.. Oh yeah!! Just straight up tell him that he's the heir even if he was dropping codes so harder than bombs even tho Rhen pretty much said that he will kill the heir. You think if he straight up told him he would have kept him alive?? No he wouldn't cause his fear was getting to him. Even if Grey has done so much shit for him.
So yeah It's makes interesting to what the hell is going to happen to his character in the 3rd one. What he did at the ending?? Dude!! Really?? How the hell you are going to get yourself out of this?? Now I do want him to survive but IDK. lol
Harper seem like a shadow of herself which I didn't like at all because to me it make it feels like she couldn't tell Rhen about his shit. Also it just also feel like that she's in love with Grey instead of Rhen which makes the " Is she really in love with Rhen" argument even stronger. But the thing is in my adventures on tumblr I found out that it's a extra chapter in the B&N version that someone posted (which I can't put the link up on here lol) is an extra Harper PoV chapter which she do seem like herself. In that chapter that happens right after Grey and Lia Mara starts their journey to Shyl Sallow ,she does tell about himself and which she also tells Rhen that Grey is his brother which he knows. Which I'm trying to figure out why it's not in the actual book but an extra chapter in a special edition because that chapter could have helped big time...
I like Lia Mara because she's the only one that had sense to put two and two together about Rhen and how her intelligent was used so much in this book but her narrator got on my nerves. She made her sound like a 12 year old girl having her first crush instead of 18 year old having her first crush.
MY BABY GREY!! One of the best things about this book is seeing him come into his own in this one and realized what he have to do even if it's going to be hard. Also learning how to do magic and helping everyone out.
I'm so glad Jake and Noah was in the majority of this because they got more development and become important in Grey's journey. Jake and Grey's relationship tho.. Jake become such a voice of reason for Grey in this. Essentially telling him that Rhen is not his friend..
All and All this book is way better than the first one and it feels more original than the first one. I joked earlier that I was going to call this one " A court so mist and fury but nope. Nothing about this feel like ACOMAF to me. BK has done a great job making a sequel that took certain criticism the first one had and makes it better. Hell it doesn't even feel like a BATB retelling anymore but just an original YA fantasy series. I can't wait the 3rd one.
Because
How the fuck this is going to end without bloodshed??
A Vow So Bold and Deadly is going to be a doozy.
Tanya
Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon
3.0
Book Stats ( Spoilers You can also read it on my blog)
Stars: 2.5 Stars
Start Date : 3/19/20
Ending Date: 3/21/20
Genre: YA Romance , BATB Retelling
Form: Digital/ Audiobook
Page Count: 384
Publishing Date: 2020
Point of View: 3rd Person Alternating Between Jaya and Grey
Setting: St Rosetta's School Aspen, Colorado, USA
I having a hard time rating this because while I don't find it horrible per se , I don't find it good either. It's like one of those books that really feels like a rough draft. Like the it has the full potential to be really really good but need a couple more edits. This is my first Sandhya Menon book and I'm not impressed at all. I wanted to read " When Dimple met Rish" but with the hype surrounding it and the some of things I heard ( like the main character being a bitch) I decided to passed it. But me being a huge sucker for BATB retellings , I decided to check this one out. Also the fact Scribd is doing a free 30 day subscription to all their books, documents, and audiobooks due the fact Corona got everyone practicing social distancing to stay safe. So I'm taking an advantage of this by listening to as many audio books I can with in these 30 days. lol ( So I put down Crescent City for the time being) lol It first it did have the makings are being a good BATB retelling but then it started to feel like it would have been better as a Pride and Prejudice retelling..
I mean the plot of the book was pretty much Jaya Rao, A 18 year old princess of an Indian country, flies across county to an boarding school in the America with her baby sister Isha. Which her main plan is to seek revenge on Grey Emerson, the current heir of the Emerson family. A British family that has feuded with the Rao's for centuries( over a stolen ruby that the Emerson's stole that belong to the Raos' that Jaya great grandmother put a curse of it . So the British Colonization of India comes into play. ) over the fact a couple pics of Isha got leaked to the press with her fixing motorcycles up and kissing on a boy. So she goes to this school in America with her plan to make Grey fall in love with her in order to make him pay about leaking those pics and messing up her little sisters "Reputation". Even tho her sister can give two shits about it and would rather go into robotics and kiss boys. The kicker is that Grey haven been in that damn school since he was six and really is antisocial due to the fact Grey thinks that he only got to his 18th birthday to live due to the fact his dad was shitty enough to blame his mother's death on him since she died in childbirth. So this poor dude thinks he's cursed for his damn life and when the last ruby on Jaya's Ruby Rose Necklace fall, he's dead.
That's pretty much it.
Also dumb secondary plot involving a love triangle that was stupid as hell that I may get into but I don't know.
Let's grade this on My BATB retelling Rubric. It worked when I did A Curse so Dark and Lonely. Lets see if it works here.
Here's the things I look for.
1.The Curse- How does it work and how was it enacted? How can it be broken? Was their enchantress/ witch who did it?
2.The Beast- Is he(or she) really turns into a beast or still a human who acts like a beast which the may have some type of disfigurement?
3.The Beauty- Does she (or he) have special interest that maybe a possible thing for her and the beast can bond over? ( Ex Books, Music, Theater,Sports etc.)
4.Rose Imagery- To me Roses are always synonymous with BATB retellings.
5.Parent Figure- Does the Beauty have a parent ( most of the time it's the father) who dotes on her (or him)? Was they the reason why the beauty meets the beast.
6.How the beauty and the beast meet? Was it because of a trade off or any other interesting way they find a way to meet?
7.A Cast of characters who get curse along with the beast. Did one or two befriend the beauty?
8.How the beauty and the beast fall in love? Was it hostile? Was there a misunderstandings they had to address that become the turning part of their relationship?
9.Does Stockholm Syndrome is at play?
Totally Bonus but it's awesome if it's in there:
1.Do they take certain plot points that are not in other adaptations but are true to the OG version? ( Beauty having sisters, Beauty actually being a princess and actually cousins to the Beast/Prince, The Beast/Prince being curse cause he refused to marry the Fairy that he looks up like a mother figure, The Beast/Prince Mom being a warrior queen.)
2.Ballroom Scene. Not in the OG BATB but such an iconic scene in the Disney version that most versions do.
3.Gaston Type Character- Is it a character that wants the Beauty?
Let's see
1.The Curse - I'm so damn confused on this one because it not really explained. Ok The Ruby was cursed by Jaya's Grandma because of the Emerson stole the ruby from them. So that's makes sense but how the curse can be broken doesn't make sense. Every Time Jaya and Grey had a interaction the Ruby fell out it's shoket but it was never explained why. Was because a Rao and Emerson are getting along? Was it because ti shown that a Emerson was nothing like past Emerson's? It doesn't make any sense! You always have to make the curse be explained. I guess the GrandMa in the enchantress but it's really no magic in play.
2.The Beast- Grey- He supposed to be cursed to die on his 18 birthday cause he father told him he's the reason why he's mom died. That's pretty much it. He did nothing to be cursed. He was more antisocial than an ass.
3.The Beauty- Jaya- Honestly Jaya was to judgemental to be the beauty and too wrapped up about duty and reputation. I wanted to root for her but I wanted to tell her " Shut the Fuck up!" and honestly rolled my eyes everytime she got on her high horse about Reputation and Duty.. I guess their love of books which kind of highlighted but not as much.
4.Rose Imagery- This was the ONLY thinking that was very clear and was done very well. The Rose Ruby Necklace Jaya was wearing and how it Ruby was falling symbolize a rose petal falling.
5. Parent Figure- I mean Jaya's parents was there but they really didn't have nothing to do her meeting the beast per se. It was no trade off. Just her and her sister going to the school to lay low over the scandal.
6. How to BATB meet? They met because Jaya wanted to go to his school to seek revenge by making him falling in love with her.. No trade offs.
7. Cast of Characters-You can say the Students of the School but that wasn't cursed cause it's really no magic in this. You have Leo,Rahul, Daphne Elizabeth aka D.E( A girl whose family neglected her who also was the side booty for Alric a dude going with Caterina, Who was honestly dumb as hell with the whole sistrauon) , Caterina ( who actually could have been the schools local mean girl if she was written better, Who wanted Jaya to tell her about D.E/ Alric even tho Jaya ad every right not to put herself in the middle of that mess since she really wasn't friends with Caterina but was becoming friends with D.E) Alric ( An asshole who was bullying a kid in the begging than was cheating on Caterina with D.E which both chicks couldn't take a hint and see was an asshole he was and was playing both of them.)
8. Felt forced. I guess the Aspen trip when he told her about the curse was the turning point in their relationship.
9. Nope
Bonus.
1. No.
2. Ballroom Scene . No. Was so close but they didn't dance.
3. Kurian - A character who family was friends to Rao's for a long time to the point that it was expected for him and Jaya to get married to form an alliance between the two families. Come to find out he's the one who took the pics of Isha and leak them to press along with the Rumors of her being pregnant in order for Jaya to marry him to solidify his political power. Like I figure out in two seconds flat that he was the one that leak that pic about Isha to the press. Grey didn't even fucking know about it since he was at that damn school since he was six. He had barely had contact with his father so he had no social contract with the outside world.
It was an OK read for me. I think this is supposed to be a series but I don't think I'm going to read the other books in the series since the next to people supposed to be Catrina and Ruhal which I really wasn't interested in them as characters to be invested enough to read book all about them. I think this is enough for me from reading from this author.
Tanya
Stars: 2.5 Stars
Start Date : 3/19/20
Ending Date: 3/21/20
Genre: YA Romance , BATB Retelling
Form: Digital/ Audiobook
Page Count: 384
Publishing Date: 2020
Point of View: 3rd Person Alternating Between Jaya and Grey
Setting: St Rosetta's School Aspen, Colorado, USA
I having a hard time rating this because while I don't find it horrible per se , I don't find it good either. It's like one of those books that really feels like a rough draft. Like the it has the full potential to be really really good but need a couple more edits. This is my first Sandhya Menon book and I'm not impressed at all. I wanted to read " When Dimple met Rish" but with the hype surrounding it and the some of things I heard ( like the main character being a bitch) I decided to passed it. But me being a huge sucker for BATB retellings , I decided to check this one out. Also the fact Scribd is doing a free 30 day subscription to all their books, documents, and audiobooks due the fact Corona got everyone practicing social distancing to stay safe. So I'm taking an advantage of this by listening to as many audio books I can with in these 30 days. lol ( So I put down Crescent City for the time being) lol It first it did have the makings are being a good BATB retelling but then it started to feel like it would have been better as a Pride and Prejudice retelling..
I mean the plot of the book was pretty much Jaya Rao, A 18 year old princess of an Indian country, flies across county to an boarding school in the America with her baby sister Isha. Which her main plan is to seek revenge on Grey Emerson, the current heir of the Emerson family. A British family that has feuded with the Rao's for centuries( over a stolen ruby that the Emerson's stole that belong to the Raos' that Jaya great grandmother put a curse of it . So the British Colonization of India comes into play. ) over the fact a couple pics of Isha got leaked to the press with her fixing motorcycles up and kissing on a boy. So she goes to this school in America with her plan to make Grey fall in love with her in order to make him pay about leaking those pics and messing up her little sisters "Reputation". Even tho her sister can give two shits about it and would rather go into robotics and kiss boys. The kicker is that Grey haven been in that damn school since he was six and really is antisocial due to the fact Grey thinks that he only got to his 18th birthday to live due to the fact his dad was shitty enough to blame his mother's death on him since she died in childbirth. So this poor dude thinks he's cursed for his damn life and when the last ruby on Jaya's Ruby Rose Necklace fall, he's dead.
That's pretty much it.
Also dumb secondary plot involving a love triangle that was stupid as hell that I may get into but I don't know.
Let's grade this on My BATB retelling Rubric. It worked when I did A Curse so Dark and Lonely. Lets see if it works here.
Here's the things I look for.
1.The Curse- How does it work and how was it enacted? How can it be broken? Was their enchantress/ witch who did it?
2.The Beast- Is he(or she) really turns into a beast or still a human who acts like a beast which the may have some type of disfigurement?
3.The Beauty- Does she (or he) have special interest that maybe a possible thing for her and the beast can bond over? ( Ex Books, Music, Theater,Sports etc.)
4.Rose Imagery- To me Roses are always synonymous with BATB retellings.
5.Parent Figure- Does the Beauty have a parent ( most of the time it's the father) who dotes on her (or him)? Was they the reason why the beauty meets the beast.
6.How the beauty and the beast meet? Was it because of a trade off or any other interesting way they find a way to meet?
7.A Cast of characters who get curse along with the beast. Did one or two befriend the beauty?
8.How the beauty and the beast fall in love? Was it hostile? Was there a misunderstandings they had to address that become the turning part of their relationship?
9.Does Stockholm Syndrome is at play?
Totally Bonus but it's awesome if it's in there:
1.Do they take certain plot points that are not in other adaptations but are true to the OG version? ( Beauty having sisters, Beauty actually being a princess and actually cousins to the Beast/Prince, The Beast/Prince being curse cause he refused to marry the Fairy that he looks up like a mother figure, The Beast/Prince Mom being a warrior queen.)
2.Ballroom Scene. Not in the OG BATB but such an iconic scene in the Disney version that most versions do.
3.Gaston Type Character- Is it a character that wants the Beauty?
Let's see
1.The Curse - I'm so damn confused on this one because it not really explained. Ok The Ruby was cursed by Jaya's Grandma because of the Emerson stole the ruby from them. So that's makes sense but how the curse can be broken doesn't make sense. Every Time Jaya and Grey had a interaction the Ruby fell out it's shoket but it was never explained why. Was because a Rao and Emerson are getting along? Was it because ti shown that a Emerson was nothing like past Emerson's? It doesn't make any sense! You always have to make the curse be explained. I guess the GrandMa in the enchantress but it's really no magic in play.
2.The Beast- Grey- He supposed to be cursed to die on his 18 birthday cause he father told him he's the reason why he's mom died. That's pretty much it. He did nothing to be cursed. He was more antisocial than an ass.
3.The Beauty- Jaya- Honestly Jaya was to judgemental to be the beauty and too wrapped up about duty and reputation. I wanted to root for her but I wanted to tell her " Shut the Fuck up!" and honestly rolled my eyes everytime she got on her high horse about Reputation and Duty.. I guess their love of books which kind of highlighted but not as much.
4.Rose Imagery- This was the ONLY thinking that was very clear and was done very well. The Rose Ruby Necklace Jaya was wearing and how it Ruby was falling symbolize a rose petal falling.
5. Parent Figure- I mean Jaya's parents was there but they really didn't have nothing to do her meeting the beast per se. It was no trade off. Just her and her sister going to the school to lay low over the scandal.
6. How to BATB meet? They met because Jaya wanted to go to his school to seek revenge by making him falling in love with her.. No trade offs.
7. Cast of Characters-You can say the Students of the School but that wasn't cursed cause it's really no magic in this. You have Leo,Rahul, Daphne Elizabeth aka D.E( A girl whose family neglected her who also was the side booty for Alric a dude going with Caterina, Who was honestly dumb as hell with the whole sistrauon) , Caterina ( who actually could have been the schools local mean girl if she was written better, Who wanted Jaya to tell her about D.E/ Alric even tho Jaya ad every right not to put herself in the middle of that mess since she really wasn't friends with Caterina but was becoming friends with D.E) Alric ( An asshole who was bullying a kid in the begging than was cheating on Caterina with D.E which both chicks couldn't take a hint and see was an asshole he was and was playing both of them.)
8. Felt forced. I guess the Aspen trip when he told her about the curse was the turning point in their relationship.
9. Nope
Bonus.
1. No.
2. Ballroom Scene . No. Was so close but they didn't dance.
3. Kurian - A character who family was friends to Rao's for a long time to the point that it was expected for him and Jaya to get married to form an alliance between the two families. Come to find out he's the one who took the pics of Isha and leak them to press along with the Rumors of her being pregnant in order for Jaya to marry him to solidify his political power. Like I figure out in two seconds flat that he was the one that leak that pic about Isha to the press. Grey didn't even fucking know about it since he was at that damn school since he was six. He had barely had contact with his father so he had no social contract with the outside world.
It was an OK read for me. I think this is supposed to be a series but I don't think I'm going to read the other books in the series since the next to people supposed to be Catrina and Ruhal which I really wasn't interested in them as characters to be invested enough to read book all about them. I think this is enough for me from reading from this author.
Tanya