With the Fire on High

July 9, 2019 youwanttoreadthistrustmeLeave a comment

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Title: With the Fire on High

Author: Elizabeth Acevedo

Page Count: 392

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: May 7, 2019 by HarperTeen

Format: Hardcover

Review: I have not yet read The Poet X, but I’ve heard enough hype about it that I was excited to get my hands on Acevedo’s newest novel. I have a feeling this book will also be widely acclaimed, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it too is nominated for a Printz Award.

This book conveys many positive messages about family, identity, hard work, and following your dreams. I thought the whole thing was very smartly packaged and it’s short chapters will make it very appealing to reluctant readers. In fact, I would say this book could be categorized as a hi/lo reader (high interest, low reading level) for teens.

Although I was well past my teens when I had my first child, I shared many of the same feelings of inadequacy and frustration that Emoni struggles with throughout the story. As a full-time librarian, I often feel that I don’t get to spend nearly enough time with my son. It is incredibly difficult to balance work and family, and Emoni has the additional pressure of school and being a single parent. While many teenagers must make difficult decisions about college and the future, Emoni’s responsibility to her daughter makes the stakes so much higher. I really like the direction Emoni’s character chooses in the end, and I hope it encourages others to follow a similar path.

I loved the fact that each part of the book is prefaced by a recipe. This book really got me hyped to try new things in the kitchen, and really changed the way I think about cooking as a whole. Very inspiring!

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

Contemporary · Fiction · Romance

After We Collided

July 2, 2019July 2, 2019 youwanttoreadthistrustmeLeave a comment

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Title: After We Collided

Author: Anna Todd

Performers: Shane East & Elizabeth Louise

Length: 19 hr, 16 min

Series: After, Book 2

Publishing Date/Publisher: November 25, 2014 by Simon & Schuster Audio

Format: eAudiobook

Review: I almost never DNF books, especially not audiobooks, but three hours into this one and I had to stop to retain my sanity. Not even ten minutes in and I wanted to tear my hair out in frustration. As I stated in my review of After, I was strangely enthralled by the story, but the cooling off period between finishing that book and starting this one finally allowed me to see reason. Tessa and Hardin’s relationship becomes even more toxic in this next book and the back and forth drags on and on. It was just too much drama and not enough substance. I can officially say I am done with this series.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

Fiction · Historical · Western

Lonesome Dove

June 27, 2019 youwanttoreadthistrustme1 Comment

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Title: Lonesome Dove

Author: Larry McMurtry

Page Count: 858

Series: Lonesome Dove, Book 1 (Book 3 chronologically)

Publishing Date/Publisher: June 15, 2010 by Simon Schuster (originally published 1985)

Format: Paperback

Review: This book was a slow burn for me. I didn’t love it at first, but somewhere in the middle I started to. I would caution readers, however, that this is essentially the Western equivalent of Game of Thrones. If you cannot stomach violence, abuse, and sudden death, this is not the book for you. It felt like every time I would grow a deep attachment to a character, they would die in some horrific way. What I really enjoyed about this book though is how well the author interconnected all the characters at some point in the novel. His writing had a very satirical tone, and he really brings to light the fickleness and folly of human nature. Everyone is driven by something, and in such a gritty world, many are driven by basic human need – food, water, sex, and companionship. Some characters have more complex motivators, but in the end, you are left with a sense that their efforts were all for naught. It is frustrating and fascinating at the same time.

I found the ending of this book to be a bit perplexing. I was satisfied by the ending in one sense, but I tend to like books that have a definitive end. This book seemed to cut off in the middle of a conversation between two characters. It was an interesting choice, and I wonder why the author chose to end it in this way. Nevertheless, it is easy for me to see why this book is revered as a classic and considered a cornerstone of the genre.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

Fantasy · Fiction · Young Adult

The Everlasting Rose

June 17, 2019October 17, 2019 youwanttoreadthistrustmeLeave a comment

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Title: The Everlasting Rose

Author: Dhonielle Clayton

Performer: Rosie Jones

Length: 10 hr, 19 min, 4 sec

Series: The Belles

Publishing Date/Publisher: 2019 by Blackstone Publishing

Format: eAudiobook

Review: After being completely enthralled by The Belles, I was very excited to check out this audiobook. I eagerly waited weeks for my turn in the holds queue and when I finally got it, well I was a bit disappointed that it wasn’t nearly as good as The Belles. I still enjoyed it immensely – the author really has a poetic way with words and I could listen to the reader all day. Rosie Jones could narrate the dictionary and I probably wouldn’t be able to stop gushing about her talent.

Unlike the first book, the plot of this book is incredibly drawn out. The first 80% of the book was essentially just Camille evading capture, and it didn’t get really juicy until the end. Although Sophia is still the villain of this story, she was only present from afar for most of the book. Part of what really made the first book special was her direct role in the plot development.

The conclusion of this book was very satisfying. I was actually a bit surprised when I saw on Goodreads that there is a third book scheduled to be released sometime next year. Perhaps it will focus on another character? It really felt like Camille’s story was wrapped up nicely, and there were not a lot of loose ends, if any, left to be addressed. All I know is that I will definitely be checking it out, because I enjoyed this world well enough to be immersed in it a little longer.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

Fantasy · Fiction · Historical · Romance · Young Adult

Blood and Sand

June 8, 2019 youwanttoreadthistrustmeLeave a comment

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Title: Blood and Sand

Author: C.V. Wyk

Performer: Brittany Pressley

Length: 8 hr, 58 min, 58 sec

Series: Blood and Sand, Book 1

Publishing Date/Publisher: 2018 by MacMillan Young Listeners

Format: eAudiobook

Review: I really enjoyed the first half of this book because I thought the author did a great job introducing the time period, setting, and characters. The second half of the book is where she started to lose me. I would say that this book is more strongly categorized as historical fiction rather than fantasy. I typically enjoy both genres immensely, but I hesitate to even call this fantasy. It’s more like unrealistic historical fiction. The only thing that could qualify this series as fantasy was how preposterous the fight scenes were in the second half of the book. One scene in particular, the most pivotal in terms of driving the direction of the story, was a monumental disappointment because quite frankly it made no sense. The fallout of this particular scene was equally disappointing. A lot gets thrown at you at the end, and the puzzle pieces just fit together too perfectly to be realistic.

All criticisms aside, I think that Wyk is a talented writer and I enjoyed enough things about this book to continue with the series when the next book is published.

Finally, I thought the reader for this eAudiobook had a nice voice, but in my opinion wasn’t well suited for this particular book. I’ve heard her narrate other books and liked those performances far more than I did this one. Perhaps this is because I did not care for the character voices and accents she chose for some of the main characters, particularly Attia.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

Fantasy · Fiction · Romance · Young Adult

Throne of Glass

May 28, 2019 youwanttoreadthistrustmeLeave a comment

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Title: Throne of Glass

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Page Count: 404

Series: Throne of Glass, Book 1

Publishing Date/Publisher: May 7, 2013 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Format: Paperback

Review: Well I finally read it, and it did not disappoint. I don’t know how this book stayed off my radar for so long. It really had all the elements of everything I love in YA fantasy. Admittedly, the storyline was predictable, but for the first book in a series, it had a surprising amount of action and I remained engaged the whole way through. The main character of the story, Celaena, serves as both a heroine and an anti-heroine. She manages to be both a total badass and a relatable young woman. This is a difficult mix to achieve in YA fiction and I have rarely seen it done so well.

As I noted above, this book was relatively predictable, so I knocked a star off of my rating; however, after perusing reviews for the second book in the series, it seems that Maas’ character building and plot development improves dramatically in the next installment. I am really looking forward to continuing with this series!

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

Contemporary · Fiction · Young Adult

How to Build a Heart

May 15, 2019 youwanttoreadthistrustme1 Comment

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Title: How to Build a Heart

Author: Maria Padian

Page Count: 352

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: January 28, 2020 by Algonquin Young Readers

Format: eBook

Review: There are so many things about this book that I love. It is a very thoughtfully written book and it feels very authentic. I have very little in common with the main character, but I could totally relate to her. There was a lot about her that reminded me of myself at her age.

I recently reviewed another book that had very similar themes to this one; a biracial girl navigating grief and struggling to define herself. I personally felt that this book did a much better job of tackling these topics and I was honestly disappointed when it ended. This is not to say I wasn’t happy with the ending, I just wanted to follow her life longer! I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

Contemporary · Fiction · Young Adult

I’m Not Dying With You Tonight

May 8, 2019May 8, 2019 youwanttoreadthistrustme1 Comment

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Title: I’m Not Dying With You Tonight

Author: Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal

Page Count: 272

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: October 1, 2019 by Sourcebooks Fire

Format: eBook

Review: I was eager to read this book because the two authors have done something that Kym and I have talked about at great length, and that is co-authoring a book from two different character perspectives. It worked well for this story, and I thought it was appropriate that the two characters were written with very distinct voices.

This book isn’t very long, so it was a quick read. In fact, the whole story takes place over the course of a single night. The conflict is established quickly, and the “action” is pretty consistent throughout the story. I was never bored and I would say this is a pretty timely novel considering our current political climate.

My biggest criticism is that I had hoped for a stronger character arc with both characters, so when the end came, my first thought was, that’s it? After undergoing such a traumatic experience, I had expected there to be more discussion of the aftermath and what it meant for each of the characters. I really think this story would have a greater impact on readers if this aspect was more thoroughly explored.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

Contemporary · Fiction · Romance · Young Adult

The Distance Between Us

May 3, 2019 youwanttoreadthistrustmeLeave a comment

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Title: The Distance Between Us

Author: Kasie West

Performer: Jorjeana Marie

Length: 6 hr, 42 min, 13 sec

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: 2014 by Tantor

Format: eAudiobook

Review: This is a classic tale of opposites attract. Caymen is poor, and Xander is rich, so what could they possibly have in common??? Is it possible that Caymen is unfairly judging Xander because of his nice clothes and fancy cars?? Read the book and find out! Sarcasm aside though (sarcasm is a theme in the novel by the way), this was a wholesome romance that follows a tried and true formula. I really enjoy books like this when my life gets stressful because it does not take a lot of brainpower to follow the storyline and the outcome is predictable. Sometimes you just want a feel good romance, and for me this did the trick.

I personally thought that the reader of this book sounded a bit too old for the character, but she did a good job and had a pleasant and consistent tone.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

Fantasy · Fiction · Young Adult

The Belles

April 26, 2019 youwanttoreadthistrustme1 Comment

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Title: The Belles

Author: Dhonielle Clayton

Performer: Rosie Jones

Length: 13 hr, 2 min, 45 sec

Series: The Belles, Book 1

Publishing Date/Publisher: 2018 by Blackstone Audio

Format: eAudiobook

Review: This book knocked my socks off. I have been eyeing it for some time due to the beautiful cover art, but kept passing it over in favor of other fantasy novels. That was my mistake, because this book blew me away with it’s originality and spectacular character development. Camellia is not by any means a perfect heroine, and this makes her all the more relatable. The antagonist of the story made my skin crawl, and was a total psychopath. This made for a very interesting story chock full of political intrigue, manipulation, and mystery.

What I find truly fascinating about this book, and what really sets it apart in my mind, is the author’s commentary on beauty through the story. Beauty standards are fickle and ever changing in today’s world, and it is no different here. All over the world people are obsessed with achieving impossible standards of beauty, and are never satisfied because beauty is perceived differently by everyone. This is reflected in the world Clayton has created, where physical appearance can be changed in a matter of minutes, but at great personal and financial cost. People are constantly changing their appearance to match changing beauty trends and endure a great deal of physical pain to make it happen. The parallels this draws to real life make this a wholly believable story despite its fantastical elements.

I deducted a half star from my rating because there were a couple things that I did not feel were fully explained, but these minor plot hiccups may very well be ironed out in the second book in the series. I have already requested it from the library and look forward to listening to it.

The performer for this story was perfection. She easily ranks as one of my top favorite readers after listening to this performance. I can’t wait to hear her in other works.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: