Elatsoe

December 9, 2020 youwanttoreadthistrustmeLeave a comment

Title: Elatsoe

Author: Darcie Little Badger

Performer: Kinsale Hueston

Length: 9 hr, 1 min

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: September 22, 2020 by Dreamscape Media, LLC

Format: eAudiobook

Review: I personally did not find this book to be a thrilling read, however, I will most certainly be recommending it to young readers. Aside from a few curse words scattered here and there, it is actually a pretty “clean” book. It read more like middle grade fiction, despite the fact our amateur sleuth is an older teenager. Because the main protagonist, Elatsoe, is asexual, there is no romantic angle whatsoever. The setting is interesting and would likely appeal to young readers – kind of a re-imagined United States where the paranormal is considered normal. All things considered, I think I probably would have enjoyed this book a lot more if I had read it as a pre-teen.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

Contemporary · Fiction · Magical Realism · Paranormal · Romance · Science Fiction · Young Adult

Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything

November 24, 2020 youwanttoreadthistrustmeLeave a comment

Title: Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything

Author: Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

Page Count: 432

Series: Unknown

Publishing Date/Publisher: August 20, 2020 by Simon Pulse

Format: eBook

Review: I went into this book without reading the synopsis, so to say that I was blindsided by the science fiction angle would be an understatement. This book has very strong undertones of magical realism for the first half of the book and them BAM!…it hits you with aliens. Admittedly, the concept was clever…aliens abducting illegal aliens. It takes a strong stance on immigration issues, and is a clear reprimand for how immigrants are treated by the United States government.

Although I found this to be an enjoyable read, I feel that the author tackled too many issues with her story line. I can appreciate a good genre crossover – combining magical realism and science fiction was creative – however, the plot became very convoluted for the last half of the book. I think I would have enjoyed the story more if the author had tightened up the plot a bit. In addition to the magical realism elements, extraterrestrials, and social commentary, there is also a romance that plays out between the main character, Sia, and the hot new guy at her school. Through the lens of this relationship the author explores trauma, first love, racism, family dynamics, and abuse. Combined with all the other elements of this story, it’s just a lot. Perhaps if these additional elements had been more subtle, it would have worked, but I felt that taking on so much detracted from the flow of the story.

It is very unclear to me whether this book is meant to be part of a series or a standalone. The author leaves the readers with a cliffhanger, but I cannot find any references to a sequel.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

Contemporary · Fantasy · Fiction · Paranormal · Romance · Young Adult

Cemetery Boys

November 9, 2020November 25, 2020 youwanttoreadthistrustmeLeave a comment

Title: Cemetery Boys

Author: Aiden Thomas

Page Count: 352

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: September 1, 2020 by Swoon Reads

Format: Hardcover

Review: This was a unique coming-of-age novel with a very diverse cast of characters. My favorite elements of the book were the rich descriptions of Dia de Muertos traditions and the relationship between Julian and Yadriel. The romance that developed between Julian and Yadriel felt very organic, and served as a great mechanism for character development. I also loved the paranormal spin to the story, with Julian being a ghost, and thought that overall it was very creative.

My biggest qualm about the book was the very cliché villain reveal at the end. I had hoped my predictions were wrong and that the author would surprise me, but unfortunately this was not the case. The ending also wrapped up a little too nicely in my opinion, especially given how dark a lot of the content was following the climax of the story.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

Fantasy · Fiction · Paranormal · Romance

House of Earth and Blood

August 29, 2020August 29, 2020 youwanttoreadthistrustme1 Comment

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Title: House of Earth and Blood

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Page Count: 803

Series: Crescent City, Book 1

Publishing Date/Publisher: March 3, 2020 by Bloomsbury Publishing

Format: eBook

Review: When I heard that Sarah J. Maas was officially taking the leap into New Adult/Adult Fiction, I was dying to get a copy of this book. I didn’t want to get my hopes up too much, but darn it, Maas exceeded my expectations. I LOVED this book. In fact, I think that New Adult Fiction is really her jam. Considering that her YA series have a tendency to tip into this realm, it wasn’t really that much of a leap, but I am glad she finally just stopped flirting with that line and crossed it.

Maas has a lot of dark content in her YA books, and this book goes just a bit darker. It has been awhile since a book has made me cry, and more than once this book had me in tears. Two scenes in particular were just so damn beautiful, they haunt me still. Interestingly, it wasn’t even the romance that evoked this level of emotion in me, but rather the friendships. The friendships in this book are by far it’s strongest element. If I am being honest, the romance followed her typical formula, so no surprises there, and her heroine is very reminiscent of Celaena . BUT I DON’T EVEN CARE. Somehow she made it work and I can’t wait for the next book in the series to be released (or even announced for that matter).

If they adapted this book into a movie I would fangirl so hard. I am not usually one to fancast, but I envision Madelaine Petsch as Bryce Quinlan.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

Fantasy · Fiction · Paranormal · Romance · Science Fiction · Young Adult

Obsidian

January 14, 2020 youwanttoreadthistrustme1 Comment

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Title: Obsidian

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Page Count: 335

Series: Lux, Book 1

Publishing Date/Publisher: May 8, 2012 by Entangled Teen

Format: eBook

Review: I can’t say I didn’t know what I was getting into with this. It was a light paranormal read that didn’t make me think too much. It follows a very standard formula. New girl who doesn’t know she is beautiful moves into small town and meets mysterious and attractive boy. There is instant attraction and they immediately start a love/hate relationship. The boy, who also happens to be an alien, runs hot and cold, but eventually succumbs to his feelings for human girl. Throw in some bad guys, a happy-go-lucky sister, a jealous ex and you’ve got a pretty predictable plot for this book. Admittedly, this is sometimes the type of book I want to read, especially after I have read books with heavier content, but it was nothing new or original. I will likely not be moving on with the series.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

Fantasy · Fiction · Paranormal · Romance · Young Adult

A Violet Fire

December 9, 2019 youwanttoreadthistrustmeLeave a comment

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Title: A Violet Fire

Author: Kelsey Quick

Page Count: Unknown

Series: Vampire in Avignon

Publishing Date/Publisher: December 9, 2019 by Kelsey Quick

Format: eBook

Review: I typically do not have high expectations for self-published books, but this one surprised me. I found it to be an easy read, and I enjoyed the concept of living vampires. I also enjoyed that humans could not be simply be turned into vampires. They could in theory make offspring with vampires, but they were genetically different enough that a human could not become one.

In some ways this book follows the typical tropes of paranormal romances, but it was different enough that the story kept me engaged. I felt that the weakest aspect of the story was the development of the central romance. It’s not insta-love, but not a lot of dialogue is shown between the two characters to help the reader understand the relationship. The reader is aware that time is passing, but aside from a first interaction and a final interaction, there isn’t much substance in between to make the relationship feel real. In fact, when the final twist is revealed, I was not at all affected because I was not made to be invested in the relationship in the first place.

I will say, however, that I liked the direction the story was moving in, and I would most certainly continue reading the series if it were to become available to me.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: