The AIDS Generation by Perry N Halkitis Review

For young gay men who came of age in the United States in the 1980s, the HIV/AIDS epidemic was a formative experience in fear, hardship, and loss. Those who were diagnosed before 1996 suffered an exceptionally high rate of mortality, and the survivors -- both the infected individuals and those close to them -- today constitute a "bravest generation" in American history.

The AIDS Generation: Stories of Survival and Resilience examines the strategies for survival and coping employed by these HIV-positive gay men, who together constitute the first generation of long-term survivors of the disease. Through interviews conducted by the author, it narrates the stories of gay men who have survived since the early days of the epidemic; documents and delineates the strategies and behaviors enacted by men of this generation to survive it; and examines the extent to which these approaches to survival inform and are informed by the broad body of literature on resilience and health.

The stories and strategies detailed here, all used to combat the profound physical, emotional, and social challenges faced by those in the crosshairs of the AIDS epidemic, provide a gateway for understanding how individuals cope with chronic and life-threatening diseases. Halkitis takes readers on a journey of first-hand data collection (the interviews themselves), the popular culture representations of these phenomena, and his own experiences as one of the men of the AIDS generation.

This riveting account will be of interest to health practitioners and historians throughout the clinical and social sciences -- or to anyone with an interest in this important chapter in social history.

This book took me about forever to read. I started it sometime after Tell the Wolves I'm Home, because I thought it was fitting, and put it down, picking it up again at the beginning of the month and spent the rest of the month trying to read it.

It's not that this was a bad book, not at all. In fact, it was an interesting look at the AIDS epidemic from the eyes of men who, while being HIV positive, did not yet get full-blown AIDS. I could tell how passionate Halkitis was about helping those with the disease, and his interviews with the men seemed to actually help them.

But I'm not a science person, at all, and the writing was very scientific. I wanted more from the actual stories of the men than I got, and was quickly sick of the repetition in the book. Some of the men were referenced more than others, and I sometimes had a hard time keeping them all straight. I think I also read the term "youth-obsessed culture" like five times over the span of two pages once. But at the same time, this is all personal preference. This isn't a novel, it's more along the same lines as a study published in an academic journal. It's not supposed to be artfully written. 

The subject matter is fascinating, though, and I enjoyed reading about the AIDS epidemic from those who were involved in it but didn't perish. I especially liked the parts about the modern gay community, a community often romanticized or portrayed as this flawless, unconditionally accepting community when in reality, it's not anymore. In a lot of respects, the gay community in the 21st century is like mainstream society, in which youth is put on a pedestal and even 50 year olds are labelled as out of touch with reality and treated with disrespect despite whatever they've been through. It's all so depressingly vapid, and I felt bad for the men in the book for having to deal with this in even the place they once felt like they fit in. In some respects, they reminded me of WWII or Korea vets in nursing homes, though perhaps Vietnam might be a better comparison. Of course, I say all the above as a straight white girl, albeit one who has done her research.

So everything I got out of the book was great, but the process of reading it was painful, to say the least. I kind of hit that treadmill effect, in which I might spend an hour reading, and then look at my percent through counter of Kindle and see that I was basically back where I started. This was not an easy read for me, to say the least. That being said, I think this book would be fabulous for someone studying the AIDS epidemic, or someone who simply enjoys academic studies more than I do. To me, this was a classic case of great book, but just the wrong fit for someone like me.

7 out of 10

Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier Review + A Mini Review of Dare to Disappoint by Ozge Samanci

WARNING: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS BELOW

Catrina and her family are moving to the coast of Northern California because her little sister, Maya, is sick. Cat isn't happy about leaving her friends for Bahía de la Luna, but Maya has cystic fibrosis and will benefit from the cool, salty air that blows in from the sea. As the girls explore their new home, a neighbor lets them in on a secret: There are ghosts in Bahía de la Luna. Maya is determined to meet one, but Cat wants nothing to do with them. As the time of year when ghosts reunite with their loved ones approaches, Cat must figure out how to put aside her fears for her sister's sake - and her own. 

I'm not really a graphic novel fan. As much as I love art and animation and all that, graphic novels never really caught my eye. Maybe it's because graphic novel art reminds me a lot of the new Cartoon Network art, which is kind of unappealing to me. Also, a lot of graphic novels just kind of blend together and none of them stand out when I browse for books at my local library. 

But this month I read not one but two graphic novels. And I remembered another reason why I don't usually read graphic novels, but I'll get to that in a second. This is the first, which I picked up on a whim and also because, as I think I mentioned before, I really enjoy Raina Telgemeier's work. She's one of the few middle grade writers who have managed to hold my interest, and I find her art style unique and pleasant for a graphic novel. I especially like her memoirs, though I did also enjoy Drama, her first middle grade straight up novel. 

So with all that in mind I picked up Ghosts. I was intrigued by this book when it first came out in the September of last year, but then got distracted by other books that came out around that time, like A Gentleman in Moscow and Crooked Kingdom. I liked the fact that it was about a little girl with cystic fibrosis and her older sister dealing with the very real possibility that her sister will not live very long. I've never read a book that had a girl with cystic fibrosis in it, though I was aware of its existence, and really liked that representation. I also liked the Mexican cultural elements. Latin, especially Mexican, culture is so vibrant and colorful and quite interesting. Also, the Day of the Dead is easily one of the most interesting holidays out there, and I was a little in love with the Northern California town she created to set her story in- I'd never live in California, but if I had to, it'd be to there. Or San Francisco. Either one. 

That being said, my favorite part was the illustrations. I loved Telgemeier's take on ghosts. I admit, I expected a more realistic style of drawing ghosts and was really happy when I saw those cute little things. I also really liked her character designs and how she goes to extra lengths to make sure that all of her characters, even the background ones, are visually interesting and unique. 

Of course, this book does have flaws. It is a middle grade book, and a graphic novel, so the emotions don't reach as deep as they could have been. The characters aren't as developed as they could have been, and their development was pretty instantaneous. Both of these are common problems I have with graphic novels- I find that they're usually pretty short, and as such are pretty surface level in terms of depth. Often I leave them wanting more. 

But overall, I did enjoy this book, about as much I can enjoy a middle grade graphic novel. Also, ghosts. I really love ghosts. I'm tempted to pick up Anya's Ghost now because of this book. Recommended for any middle grade reader, graphic novel lover or not.

7.5 out of 10

And now, a mini review of Dare to Disappoint by Ozge Samanci

Growing up on the Aegean Coast, Ozge loved the sea and imagined a life of adventure while her parents and society demanded predictability. Her dad expected Ozge, like her sister, to become an engineer. She tried to hear her own voice over his and the religious and militaristic tensions of Turkey and the conflicts between secularism and fundamentalism. Could she be a scuba diver like Jacques Cousteau? A stage actress? Would it be possible to please everyone including herself?

In her unpredictable and funny graphic memoir, Ozge recounts her story using inventive collages, weaving together images of the sea, politics, science, and friendship. 

Not crazy about this book. It had a lot of the same problems as Ghosts, but with a storyline that endeared me less and with what seemed like much less heart. I felt like Samanci just wrote this book because of the success of books along the same lines as this, like Persopolis (haven't read that one, and honestly, it doesn't really appeal much to me). 

I also felt that Samanci didn't really know where she was going with this book. Did she want to write a book about her father's pressure on her, fundamental Islam, a picture of Turkey at the time, what? The book felt as confused as Turkey did during the 80s. The lack of her telling us any time periods confused me, and made this not the best book for someone interested in a history of modern Turkey. Perhaps that's intentional, to mimic her feelings about what she should do with her life, but I don't know.

So what did I like? It was easy to read- I read the whole thing in one sitting without even checking it out because I was tired of my other book- and the mixed media elements were interesting even if it did add to the confused, jumbled together nature of the book. Some parts were actually pretty funny, but other times her jokes missed the mark a bit. My favorite parts were at the beginning of the book, when she talked about her experiences in primary school- the book kind of lost me as she entered her teenage years.

But the art style was mostly unpleasant and the ending felt unfinished and I left this book feeling very meh. I suppose if I want to read a book about Middle Eastern culture (I'm referring to the Middle East more as a cultural construct, not a geographical one in this context, because I know that Turkey isn't part of the Middle East geographically and people get all butthurt about it), I'd pick up something by Khaled Hosseini. His books are longer, and they lack the pictures, but his characters and portrayals of their situations are unmatched. Adore his stuff.

5-5.5 out of 10 

The Cabin by Natasha Preston Review

WARNING: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS BELOW

“The secrets you hide from yourself are always the most dangerous.”- The Cabin, Natasha Preston

They think they’re invincible.

They think they can do and say whatever they want. They think there are no consequences. They’ve left me no choice. It’s time for them to pay for their sins.

A weekend partying at a remote cabin is just what Mackenzie needs. She can’t wait to let loose with her friends. But a crazy night of fun leaves two of them dead—murdered.

With no signs of a forced entry or struggle, suspicion turns to the five survivors. Someone isn’t telling the truth. And Mackenzie’s first mistake? Assuming the killing is over…

This is my third foray into the world of Natasha Preston and I'm sure most people would have stopped at only one. Especially when I consider one of her books- The Cellar, which I've talked about at length here- to be one of the worst books of all time. But when I found out she came out with another thriller, and one that used to be on her Wattpad, for crying out loud, I jumped on it. Just an aside, but stay away from books that mention any of the author's social media on the cover. That's a principle to live by.

I think my favorite part about Natasha Preston's writing is her dialogue. In this book, Mackenzie's conversations with Blake take the fucking cake. My favorite is her first conversation with him, which is where the quote from under the picture came from. After all, when you meet someone for the first time, don't you like to go on a walk with them to discuss all their deepest, darkest secrets?

Of course, Preston's writing style is just bad to begin with. One thing I noticed about her writing is that she does try to show us things instead of telling us them, but then she tells us it anyway. Like when one of the characters apparently hates to admit he's wrong. She literally writes something along the lines as "the grimace on his face made his apology look painful" and then directly after that she says "Aaron was stubborn and hated to admit he was wrong." Like no shit, we got that the first time. Maybe she thinks her readers are stupid and don't know how to put two and two together. Of course, it could also be a sign of a writer insecure in her own style, in which case reviews like this probably don't help much, but I'm not her therapist what do I know?

Also, some of her word choices are just bad. Like at one point she describes the (male) detective as having a "swollen belly". What was he, pregnant?

She's not too good at characters and character relations either. I would say character development, but all the characters in here remain pretty stagnant. If you want a better look at Preston's idea of character development try Awake (though you'll find it's about as instant as her idea of love). Seriously, the first time Blake pulled up on page I about lost it. He's a bad boy. With a leather jacket and heavy boots and scruffy dark hair and a piercing gaze (I like to picture James Hurley, but that's just me). And he's broody and has circular conversations and asks girls he doesn't know what their deepest darkest secrets are. And apparently that's how he gets mad pussy. But deep down inside he's a wounded, tortured soul and is in desperate need of a Miss Pollyanna to bring it out in him. 

The two have an almost instantaneous connection, that of course starts with one of my favorite thing ever- the two love interests hating each other when you know they'll get together in the end. Or in 4 pages, whichever works. I admit though, instalove usually doesn't incite in me the same rage that it incites in a lot of people, maybe because I don't read a lot of romance or books that focus on romance- in fact, I actively avoid those books. So I don't usually come across it, and when I do it usually amuses me. Preston's attempts at showcasing the intense emotions that come with being both hopelessly drawn to someone and hating them by such jewels as "he was too close and too far away at the same time". Not even in a dime store romance novel would that line get a pass. 

The other characters weren't the best, either. The emotions they felt and their secrets felt put on for drama as opposed to real issues. That being said, the only secret that actually felt genuine was Mackenzie's, but Preston quickly ruined that with the whole Josh blackmail part. In fact, Josh felt way too flawed to be actually realistic, like Jesus, is there anything about that guy Courtney could have liked? This book kind of had the same effect on me as an episode of Degrassi- the edgy 2000s Degrassi not the new show or the original. So much exhausting drama, so little time. All of it put on. I'm not saying that teenagers couldn't have dealt with these same issues, I'm saying that the way Preston dealt with them made them seem superficial and cartoonish. And ultimately boring. It's not a high stakes horror thriller, akin to a found footage teen movie. 

Also, Mackenzie, for someone who seems to enjoy drinking and getting drunk, you have no place to judge someone for getting high. I don't do either- my control freak tendencies make anything that alters my mental state an automatic no- but if you want to get high, whatever. Just don't come crying to me if you get caught, and don't expect me to join in. Same with getting drunk, though obviously if it's a problem I'm not going to condone that. Also, one of the secrets seemed to be a much bigger problem than how it was treated, but we ain't going there now. I'm sure someone has 20 paragraph long manifesto on everything "problematic" about this book on Goodreads but frankly, I don't have the energy to be that angry about a book I can't take very seriously anyway.

And with that, I'm done with Preston for the near future. Until she puts out another thriller, at least. But let me leave with a couple choice quotations, showcasing the immense talent of Ms Preston:

"His muscular frame and bedroom eyes really did make me want to got to bed."

"I shuddered in delightful anticipation at his tone."

Enjoy.

3 out of 10

The Roses of May by Dot Hutchison Review

WARNING: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS BELOW

“I carry the names of those other victims, but it's not from guilt. From sorrow, usually, and from rage. Our agents tried to protect us from the extra wounds that come with serial cases, but it isn't their fault that we're broken people who don't always react the way  we're expected to.”- The Roses of May, Dot Hutchison

Four months after the explosion at the Garden, a place where young women known as the Butterflies were kept captive, FBI agents Brandon Eddison, Victor Hanoverian, and Mercedes Ramirez are still entrenched in the aftermath, helping survivors in the process of adjusting to life on the outside. With winter coming to an end, the Butterflies have longer, warmer days of healing ahead. But for the agents, the impending thaw means one gruesome thing: a chilling guarantee that somewhere in the country, another young woman will turn up dead in a church with her throat slit and her body surrounded by flowers.

Priya Sravasti’s sister fell victim to the killer years ago. Now she and her mother move every few months, hoping for a new beginning. But when she ends up in the madman’s crosshairs, the hunt takes on new urgency. Only with Priya’s help can the killer be found—but will her desperate hope for closure compel her to put her very life on the line?

If you'll recall, I really loved The Butterfly Garden. It was creepy, it was intense, it was a crime novel, it just worked for me. So when I found out it would be a trilogy, and a second book would be coming out this year, I just sprang for it. 

Unfortunately, this book ended up only being alright. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it.

I think the problem with this book was that it felt confused. It didn't know whether it wanted to be a sequel to The Butterfly Garden or a standalone/companion crime novel or a contemporary YA drama. This, combined with the bizarre without warning shifts in POV between first person singular and third person singular and second person singular made this book feel jumbled together. The transitions between these weren't smooth at all, and made for a jarring reading experience.

Which is a shame- I would have really loved this book if it was more focused. Because the idea behind it was fantastic- serial killer who kills one girl a year, and each girl is found surrounded by a different type of flower? I like that idea almost as much as the idea behind The Butterfly Garden. 

I mean, the writing wasn't the problem. Hutchison is honestly a very good writer, and I especially love the way she writes descriptions, making them seem so effortless. While I did cringe a bit reading from the killer's POV, as he sounded too stereotypical and even a bit like Clover from The Cellar, that part was my favorite part of the book- it was the only part that really intrigued me. Priya's parts got a bit boring, and I was annoyed that we had to keep following her, half the time wondering what made her so special and the other half wishing she would get killed off to give this book some needed action. The FBI agents bored me more than they should have had, and again I kept wishing that Hutchison just focused on this killer and not Eddison's (also, Eddison didn't really sound like Eddison in this book, don't really know why) "relationship" with Priya, which got real old real fast, or the butterflies. 

I suppose I should have been more happy they came back than I actually was. But I kept feeling like that storyline was over, and every time I saw Bliss and Inara again I just kind of rolled my eyes and sighed. Not to mention Priya was basically just like Inara. I think in trying to force this book into a sequel she lost a lot of what made The Butterfly Garden work so well. Perhaps the interview format in the first book with the kind of distant FBI agent would have worked better for this book, too. I felt like the killer in this book was second fiddle to everything else and wished I could get more invested in the mystery than I actually was.

Maybe also another problem is that only one victim was focused on way too much. I wanted to hear about the other girls, who were mentioned but not even given a blurb. They were far more interesting than Chavi, sad to say. 

But I'm still going to stick with this trilogy for the final book, probably with Mercedes Ramirez as the main FBI agent (though, was she in the last book? I don't remember). Hopefully, she'll go back to the roots (pun not intended) of the trilogy with it. Still, my hopes for this trilogy have been knocked down to middling if that.

7 out of 10

The Secret Place by Tana French Review

WARNING: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS BELOW

“If I've learned one thing today, it's that teenage girls make Moriarty look like a babe in the woods.”- The Secret Place, Tana French

The photo on the card shows a boy who was found murdered, a year ago, on the grounds of a girls’ boarding school in the leafy suburbs of Dublin. The caption says, I KNOW WHO KILLED HIM.

Detective Stephen Moran has been waiting for his chance to get a foot in the door of Dublin’s Murder Squad—and one morning, sixteen-year-old Holly Mackey brings him this photo. The Secret Place, a board where the girls at St. Kilda’s School can pin up their secrets anonymously, is normally a mishmash of gossip and covert cruelty, but today someone has used it to reignite the stalled investigation into the murder of handsome, popular Chris Harper. Stephen joins forces with the abrasive Detective Antoinette Conway to find out who and why.

But everything they discover leads them back to Holly’s close-knit group of friends and their fierce enemies, a rival clique—and to the tangled web of relationships that bound all the girls to Chris Harper. Every step in their direction turns up the pressure. Antoinette Conway is already suspicious of Stephen’s links to the Mackey family. St. Kilda’s will go a long way to keep murder outside their walls. Holly’s father, Detective Frank Mackey, is circling, ready to pounce if any of the new evidence points toward his daughter. And the private underworld of teenage girls can be more mysterious and more dangerous than either of the detectives imagined. 

Yet when we came back, late, from the Hyacinth garden, 

Your arms full, and your hair wet, I could not 

Speak, and my eyes failed, I was neither 

Living nor dead, and I knew nothing, 

Looking into the heart of light, the silence. 

Oed’ und leer das Meer.

I chose this quote from TS Eliot's The Waste Land, because the entire time I was reading this book, this verse just kept repeating itself over and over in my head. It makes sense in the concept of Chris Harper's killing. Also, I've been listening to Alec Guinness' recitation of it a lot lately, not sure why, but I highly recommend it. It's like 20 minutes long, but it's worth a listen. 

So now I'm all caught up with the Dublin Murder Squad. Not quite sure how to feel about it. On one hand, I'm relieved- as much as I enjoyed these "behemoths" (they may be only 400 pages, but they feel like 600)- I'm glad I don't have to put aside a week in June to get through one. On the other, I'm sad that I have to wait for 2018 (I think she publishes every two years) to get the next Dublin Murder Squad book. She just has such wonderful ideas and characters and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. And who's going to narrate- I'm thinking maybe Breslin from The Trespasser, since he kind acted like Kennedy did in Faithful Place, though I'm hoping for O'Kelly. I would say Fleas might also be an option, but he's a bit too much like Mackey. But who the hell knows?

Also, after reading one of her books I find myself using the same phrases as her characters. Fuck me, the spit of you, bleeding, etc, I just use it all. It's pretty funny actually.

This book was different from her typical Dublin Murder Squad books. But, in my opinion, it was different in a better way than Faithful Place was. Like, it only took place over the course of a day, maybe two. And interestingly, it was told in a kind of dual narration, half of it being first person with the spotlight being on Det Stephen Moran, the other half being third person focusing on the main four girls who were suspects in the case. And, believe it or not, it was successful. 

Of course, the first time it was a bit jarring, given that there was no warning about the POV shift, but as the story unfolded it really worked. This probably had a lot to do with the little interest I had in Stephen Moran and the little connection I felt he had to the case. Sure, on the surface it was there, but it wasn't the same connection that Ryan or Maddox or Mackey or Kennedy or, hell, even Conway had to the cases in their respective books. I felt like Moran was her most vanilla narrator yet- he lacked the usual distinctive voice that I've come to expect from French MCs (ironically, that's probably what makes him stand out in her array of main characters), and even his backstory was pretty generic. He reminded me of a watered down Det Sam O'Neill from the first two books (an aside: I always thought Sam was jipped of his own book- would have loved to see him mucking around the countryside he grew up in solving a murder). 

On the other hand, Holly and her friends were fantastic. I loved getting involved in their odd little world, that ended up even turning dangerous. In some aspects, it reminded me of that Jodi Picoult novel about the witches, but I much preferred Tana French's take on it. Though the supernatural aspects were a bit underdeveloped, I still enjoyed them immensely as I'm still on my Twin Peaks high (by the way, I was underwhelmed and unnerved by the first two episodes, but I watched the third episode yesterday and I think I'm now hooked- it got a lot better real quick). The killer also pleasantly surprised me. Frankly though, I think it's a testament to French's skill that she actually got me really enjoying and understanding the close friendship these girls formed- normally, I hate reading about friendship, as I mentioned in my The Pearl Thief review.

Interestingly, I think the side characters were better than the main character. By better I mean more developed and better written. Not more likeable, although I prefer Mackey in small doses. He's much more fun in this book than he was in Faithful Place. Nice to know he's back with Olivia, by the way. Conway, I still don't like. She's a great character, but, quite frankly, I really didn't like her in The Trespasser and I still really don't like her. She's like the kind of character I hate- the one who would stub her toe and then sue the offending desk for discrimination. Also, I still think that if it wasn't for Moran, she'd make a horrendous Murder detective- she's too obnoxious and abrasive, with absolutely no tact. In a lot of ways, and forgive me if this is a stupid comparison, but she reminded me of Jess from Gilmore Girls. I don't know, but she just got under my skin like Jess got under my skin. The world isn't out to get you, Conway. Maybe if she stopped acting like that, she might have actually gotten more chances, more good cases. She made me miss Cassie Maddox- both had the same experiences in Murder, but Maddox dealt with it in a far more mature way.

But honestly, the fact that I didn't like Conway didn't impact the rating at all (though it did annoy me enough to knock The Trespasser down to an 8 out of 10- though perhaps if I revisit that book after reading the series up to that point and giving it the time I deserve I might rate it higher, but I'm not that inclined to do that in the near future). If anything, that just raised French higher in my eyes, because Conway is entirely unlike any of her other characters. Sure, out of all her main characters I'd probably get along with Maddox the most, followed by Ryan, but all of her characters are so easily distinguishable, and all of them felt like real people. I've reiterated this so much in my reviews of her books, but that's because it's the truth. 

Bottom line, I am now an unapologetic Tana French fangirl. And I don't fangirl for many things. In fact, apart from a Percy Jackson phase in fifth grade, I think I've only ever considered myself a fangirl for two things- the Unwind series (something I've little written about with the exception of my abandoned Tag Tuesday posts), and Twin Peaks (something I've been writing about with fervor lately because it's been my obsession since January). But now, I want to add Tana French to that list. I believe that her books should be mandatory reading for any crime novel lover. Or hell, even just one of hers, since I guaran-damn-tee that she has written a book you will love. Contemporary family drama fans- Faithful Place. History lovers- The Likeness. Paranormal mystery enthusiasts- The Secret Place. Those who love social commentary- Broken Harbor. Feminists- The Trespasser. And good old fashioned mystery fans- In the Woods. Just pick one of hers up. Sure, they take up a lot of your time, but you wouldn't regret it.

8.5-9 out of 10

PS: After reading this book, my current rankings for the Dublin Murder Squad are as follows:

Bookwise: In the Woods, Broken Harbor, The Likeness-The Secret Place (tie), Faithful Place, The Trespasser

Protagonist-wise: Cassie Maddox, Rob Ryan, Mick Kennedy, Frank Mackey, Stephen Moran, Antoinette Conway

Sekret by Lindsay Smith- Series Thoughts

Lindsay Smith's Sekret is a historical fantasy/science fiction novel duology taking place in 1964 and follows primarily Yulia Chernina, a Soviet girl who discovers that she has the ability to read minds. From there, she is taken by the KGB and trained as a spy to weed out Soviet dissenters and American spies. The first book, Sekret, takes place primarily in the Soviet Union, the second, Skandal, in America. Warning: the first book has a "love triangle" though it's fairly obvious who she'll end up with. Personally, I'm not too bothered by them myself, as I don't really see what's so rage-inducing about them- only time they piss me off is when the girl doesn't think she's attractive. But regardless, if you are a love triangle hater I'd skip this one if I were you and save yourself all the rage. 

I adore the covers of these books and they look fantastic together on my shelf. And the story idea is just as great. Seriously, Sekret went on my want list as soon as I heard the synopsis on Booktube- and I'm not a historical fantasy fan. But, sadly, both these books could have been so much better.

I did really enjoy the first book. It was fun and action packed and brainless, with a really great spy novel vibe. The second book... not so much. In fact, it was basically a repeat of the first book, but taking place in America now as opposed to the USSR. In fact, I would have been just fine with this book being a standalone, but hey, I suppose I should be happy with the fact that it was only a duology, and not an entire series or even a trilogy. Because fuck that. 

I also think that both these books didn't really have much staying power. I kind of got over Sekret in like a week and am sure that Skandal will go the same way. 

The characters were alright. I didn't really hate anyone, but the villains were fairly obvious and nothing anyone did really surprised me. In fact, as I really enjoyed the writing and the action, the characters actually ended up as the weak link in the story. Honestly, it's surprising that the books got as "high" scores from me as they did with such bad characters, because, while writing trumps both, I usually weight characters over plot.

I think I've made it clear that Sekret is my favorite book of the two. In fact, I recommend reading Sekret just as a standalone and not feeling forced, like I did, to read Skandal. Unless, of course, you like reading the same book over again, but in a different place. But for what it's worth, this duology is good slump reading, though they aren't masterpieces. For that purpose, I liked them just fine.

Sekret: 7.5-8 out of 10

Skandal: 6.5 out of 10

Overall Series Rating: 7 out of 10

Skandal by Lindsay Smith Review

WARNING: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS BELOW

“My past cannot hurt me now. My future cannot stop me now. All I have is now.”- Skandal, Lindsay Smith

My mind is mine alone.

Life in Washington, D.C., is not the safe haven Yulia hoped for when she risked everything to flee communist Russia. Her father is reckless and aloof, and Valentin is distant and haunted by his past. Her mother is being targeted by the CIA and the US government is suspicious of Yulia's allegiance. And when super-psychics start turning up in the US capitol, it seems that even Rostov is still a threat. Ultimately, Yulia must keep control of her own mind to save the people she loves and avoid an international Skandal.

If you'll recall, I quite liked Sekret. It was fun and action packed and helped me with my minor reading slump. I confess, though, I knew I wouldn't like this book as much as I liked the first. I wasn't looking forward to picking it up, but I decided to anyway because I didn't know what else to read and I figured this would be fun and action packed enough. 

This month I've been trying to read fun things to make up for last month. I've also been super busy, so don't expect much from me. 

However, Skandal didn't grab me the same way Sekret did. Maybe it's because I thought (and honestly still think) that Sekret didn't really need a second book. It was just fine on its own. It was just kind of the first book but taking place in America instead of the Soviet Union.

I did, however, enjoy the writing. I particularly liked Smith's descriptions, they were pretty and set the scene up nicely. Sure, the way the characters spoke seemed like it was right out of a 60s noir movie, but I managed to let myself enjoy it, even if it was a bit painful. 

Yulia was still the same okay main character. I still cared little for her and Valentin. The other characters didn't really interest me much and didn't do anything surprising to me. I just excused this as being a fun book and not one that was meant to be a literary masterpiece.

I do think that Smith went with the "everything but the kitchen sink" approach to historical fiction that I talked about in my A Death-Struck Year review. She threw in basically everything that people think of when they think of the 60s, and even a few of the 50s. Greasers, beatniks, Vietnam, Kennedy's assassination, the Cold War, mod clothing, the Beatles, the Civil Rights Movement, the Cuban Missile Crisis- whether it actually fit or not it was going in. Frankly, she should just have focused on the Cold War or maybe Vietnam or Cuba, to make for a more centered story. While I did like that scene in the jazz club, it felt a bit forced and not natural with the storyline.

The jazz club thing also fit into my other (nitpicky) complaint, which was what the hell where beatniks doing in 64? I know the Beat Generation was technically until the mid 60s, but by then it wasn't really relevant anymore, and the mod and Warhol's factory movements kind of took over the headlines. The true Beat Generation was in the 50s. Not to mention that beatniks and greasers didn't really party together. I was also a bit confused by how mod clothing was treated as this alien thing, when it was embraced by the youth in both America, Europe, and, yes, the Soviet Union in the 60s. Mod clothing wasn't some strange new thing. 

I also didn't like how Yulia's accent was mentioned every five lines. Yes, we get it, you're Russian, move on.

Overall I preferred the first book. I'm happy Smith didn't feel the need to drag it out any longer than two books, though, and I still want to read her other serial, but this book unfortunately kind of brought down the whole duology for me. I don't know if I'll write a series thoughts for this, but if I do, it will be up tomorrow. Hopefully. If I don't get distracted by Twin Peaks.

6.5 out of 10

Violet Grenade by Victoria Scott Review

WARNING: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS BELOW

“But this place is not the dream I created. It's just a dusty house where girls trade their virtue for bronze coins they'll never touch.”- Violet Grenade, Victoria Scott

Domino: A runaway with blood on her hands.

Cain: A silent boy about to explode.

Madam Karina: A woman who demands obedience.

Wilson: The one who will destroy them all.

Her name is Domino Ray.

But the voice inside her head has a different name.

When Madam Karina discovers Domino in an alleyway, she offers her a position at her girls’ home in secluded West Texas. With no alternatives and an agenda of her own, Domino accepts. It isn’t long before she is fighting her way up the ranks to gain the madam’s approval…and falling for Cain, the mysterious boy living in the basement.

But the madam has horrible secrets. So do the girls in the house. So does Cain.

Escaping is harder than Domino expects, though, because the madam doesn’t like to lose inventory. But then, Madam Karina doesn’t know about the danger living inside Domino’s mind.

Madam Karina doesn’t know about Wilson.

In a world of darkness, there was a poor thief by the name of Domino whose beauty and intelligence was only surpassed by her dark and twisted past. When the Queen of Flowers, Karina, discovers her and offers to take her in, Domino is delighted, and falls into the Queen's world, battling bosses in order to make it to the next level. But soon, and with the help of a handsome and tortured guard, Cain, she wakes up from the evil spell Queen Karina has put on her. Now, she must defeat the Queen before any other girls fall under her dark spell in the mythical land of... West Texas?

Wait, you mean this isn't a fantasy novel? It's a contemporary thriller? Huh. 

I think this is honestly the most fun I ever had reading a book this year. I mean, is this a good book? No. Is this a bad book? By my standards, yes. It certainly isn't what I would consider to be well-written. I admit, if this was a fantasy, I probably would have given this a much higher rating than it actually got, and would have really enjoyed it and given it a great review, but alas, my thriller standards are much higher than my fantasy standards, likely due to me reading and enjoying more thrillers than I do fantasy. 

As far as ideas go, Ms Scott gets an A+. Extremely implausible, but hey, so was The Butterfly Garden and I loved every second of that book. But I don't give idea points. Okay, yes, I gave Sekret idea points, but that's because the execution of that book was better than this one. Where am I going with this? Right, the idea behind the story. It's honestly really cool, the whole flower motif and the dark and edgy parts and the home itself, but something about the whole thing just felt so over the top to the point where it was impossible to take seriously. In that respect it was a lot like The Cellar, great idea, authors just don't know how to write thrillers in a way that makes them not over the top theatrical. Hell, they even have the same flower thing going on! Domino even has basically the same backstory (though with a few modifications) as Clover.

Both also have the same overly intense dialogue. For instance, at one point Domino actually says "Give me your crown? Let it fall from evil and sit on the head of righteousness!" Seriously. I had to read that line twice. Domino, dear, I think you have a bit of a flair for the dramatic. Everyone also spoke like they were given a list of cliches and they had to say as many of them whenever they spoke. Like a soap opera basically. But I think the reason why this amused rather than grated on me today is because I watched five episodes of Twin Peaks (including an (un)healthy dose of the James-Evelyn storyline) this morning, and if you're a Twin Peaks fan you know what I'm talking about. Of course, the reason for that dialogue in Twin Peaks is because the show is (among other things) a parody of a soap opera, whereas in this book it's a leetle less excusable because Scott clearly intended on this book being a serious dark thriller, but hey, by the time I picked this book up my threshold for ridiculousness was already extremely high. 

Can we take a minute to talk about the names? Like Poppet? And Domino? Those are fine names for a fantasy novel, but a contemporary? Give me a break. I think at one point Madam Karina goes on about how Domino's a real name because it makes her think of gambling and whatever, and I was like "all I think of when I hear Domino is shitty chain pizza". I mean, I don't hate the name Domino, but I would give my dog that name, not my daughter. Also, Love Interest's name is Cain. Hope you paid attention in Sunday School, because that allusion's gonna come back in the most obvious of ways. 

As a whole, too, the characterization is just bad. No one has any real depth, and everyone just kind of acted like over dramatic idiots. There are no subtle nuances to any of the characters. The most interesting one is probably Madam Karina, but at the same time I think I've seen her before. It was the same with Domino, I've seen her before. I mean, I love the short, blond, and blue eyed heroine, but she came across to me as every other YA female MC. She especially reminded me of Tina in the quickly abandoned City of Saints and Thieves and also most other fantasy protags. And the same with Cain (how many times have we seen the dark and broody love interest?) and Poppet (cute, perky, innocent best friend). Also, if I ever have to read a storyline in which the obvious love interest and the main character hate each other, and then seemingly out of nowhere fall in love, I'm throwing the book across the room. Again, high ridiculousness threshold today, so I didn't shatter the screen of my iPad.

The plot was fairly insane as well, and I found myself at several times reminding myself not to question the insanity of it and let myself enjoy the story. Because, again, the idea was awesome, but at times it felt rushed and like Scott bit off more than she could chew. One of the few things that I genuinely disliked about it was that it dragged at times and felt too rushed at others. I don't care about Cain and Domino, I'd rather read about her experiences in the house. Also, her moving up in the levels kind of reminded me of Pokemon or some JRPG that I never actually played because I don't play JRPGs in that you have to defeat the "boss" (Point Girl) in order to advance to the next level. Kind of like that kara-teh episode of Spongebob, now that I think about it (may be showing my age there). 

I will say this, though, I did think the lack of swearing was refreshing. I'd rather have a book with few swear words than one that dropped f-bombs every other sentence. 

As a whole, this book is damn fine entertainment. Definitely rereading. It was that elusive, The Cellar bad (though a bit better than The Cellar, admittedly). I mean, it didn't incite any anger in me at all. For that, in Goodreads ratings it's a solid two star book. Because I'm feeling nice today, it's a 4-4.5 book. Nice refresher for after Brideshead Revisited, and I think I definitely read it at the right time. Seriously though, if you're going to pick this book up watch the second half of Season Two of Twin Peaks right before doing it and you'll be in the right state of mind to handle Violet Grenade.

4-4.5 out of 10

The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein Review

WARNING: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS BELOW

“How do you ever hold on to anybody?”- The Pearl Thief, Elizabeth Wein

Before Verity…there was Julie.

When fifteen-year-old Julia Beaufort-Stuart wakes up in the hospital, she knows the lazy summer break she’d imagined won’t be exactly like she anticipated. And once she returns to her grandfather’s estate, a bit banged up but alive, she begins to realize that her injury might not have been an accident. One of her family’s employees is missing, and he disappeared on the very same day she landed in the hospital.

Desperate to figure out what happened, she befriends Euan McEwen, the Scottish Traveller boy who found her when she was injured, and his standoffish sister, Ellen. As Julie grows closer to this family, she experiences some of the prejudices they’ve grown used to firsthand, a stark contrast to her own upbringing, and finds herself exploring thrilling new experiences that have nothing to do with a missing-person investigation.

Her memory of that day returns to her in pieces, and when a body is discovered, her new friends are caught in the crosshairs of long-held biases about Travellers. Julie must get to the bottom of the mystery in order to keep them from being framed for the crime.

       I remember 

Those are pearls that were his eyes.

Starting off today with a TS Eliot quote, though the bottom part is Shakespeare (The Tempest, to be exact). It's from The Waste Land, and I think it fits with the whole memory thing and pearls and all that.

I've written before that I like Elizabeth Wein. She's a good beginning historical fiction writer- her historical mysteries are easy to digest and factually accurate. So when I found out that she had a new book coming out, and that said new book would be a prequel to Code Name Verity starring my favorite character from that book Queenie, I was excited. However, The Pearl Thief managed to fall under my (not even that lofty) expectations.

This book reminded me that, while I do like and recommend Wein's books, her writing has always been the reason why the highest I've ever rated one of her books is a 7.5-8. It's very lower level YA/middle grade. I would have no problem giving her books to someone from the ages of 12-15, but for me it just feels too young. This is a matter of taste, of course, and what doesn't work for me may work really well for someone else, but this is my opinion. 

Another thing that didn't really work for me in this particular book is Julie's voice. What I found so charming in Code Name Verity now felt strained and annoying. The all caps and the goddamn italics (Night Film has ruined those for me forever) grated on me. I think maybe I was able to excuse the use of both those in Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire because in those books the main character is writing the story in a journal format. This book, however, is written in a typical narrative style which makes it not as successful. 

I also disliked Wein's sledgehammer approach to showing prejudice against the Scottish Travellers. Maybe it's just me, but I really hate it when morals are forced down my throat in books. Just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. There were also a lot of things that just didn't add up to me, like how did Julie's mother and Euan and Ellen's mother play together as children when Julie's mother would have grown up in the Victorian times, a time of stringent class divisions? Hell, even the character of her granddad felt too good to be true. The only time the issue of prejudice was done well was with Mary and her attitude towards the Travellers, but even then that was cleared up way too quickly. 

The characterization was weak in a lot of respects- I felt no real friendship chemistry between any of the characters, but especially between Julie and Ellen. They literally became best friends in, what, half a paragraph? I get that Wein's thing is writing about female friendships, but at this point I think she's exhausted the subject. Maybe I'm in the minority here, likely because I rarely had a best friend as a child, but I find books about friendship boring. Give me a love story over a friendship story any day. Though, I confess, I do like male-female friendships and groups of friends more than female-female friendships. Or hell, I'd even take male-male friendships, because they usually have a better dynamic. Female-female friendships in YA lit often feel oddly pointed, like the author made them friends because of feminism and not because of actual chemistry between the characters. 

I wonder if this book would have been more successful if she used a different main character. Because, frankly, this book adds nothing to the character of Queenie as we knew her in Code Name Verity. In fact, I think I prefer Queenie to Julie, she was tough and smart but she broke down too, and was more tolerable as a whole than this Julie. I mean, sure, their narrative voices are the same, but honestly if you give me a snippet of Rose Under Fire or Maddie's portion of Code Name Verity and ask me to guess who was speaking, I wouldn't be able to tell you. All of her heroines are kind of alike. What I would have liked was if she had created a new main character, maybe one with a similar background who- and here's a thought- maybe when to school with Julie? I know, I know, then Wein can't sell it under the title of Code Name Verity prequel. 

I mean, I thought the idea for the story was interesting, and I did like the peek into both Scotland and the lives of the Travellers, but often I wondered why this book even needed to exist, or exist in the same universe as Code Name Verity. I mean, I'm not saying it's a money grab, because the plot is too fleshed out for it, but I think maybe she pitched it as a standalone and the Powers That Be were like, hey, we could sell this as a Code Name Verity spinoff and sell a lot more books because of it and Wein said yes and decided to insert Julie and her brothers into the roles she had filled prior with different characters.

So do I recommend it? Eh. Maybe. I'd pick up Code Name Verity over this, or especially Rose Under Fire, which is my favorite work of hers to date, but some aspects are quite nice, like the bits about Traveller culture. I'd read this book as a standalone of sorts, not really making any connection between The Pearl Thief and Code Name Verity. Because that is where this book fell the flattest in my eyes.

6 out of 10

Dare Me by Megan Abbott Review

WARNING: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS BELOW

“That’s what people never understand: They see us hard little pretty things, brightly lacquered and sequin-studded, and they laugh, they mock, they arouse themselves. They miss everything. You see, these glitters and sparkle dusts and magicks? It’s war paint, it’s feather and claws, it’s blood sacrifice.- Dare Me, Megan Abbott

Addy Hanlon has always been Beth Cassidy's best friend and trusted lieutenant. Beth calls the shots and Addy carries them out, a long-established order of things that has brought them to the pinnacle of their high-school careers. Now they're seniors who rule the intensely competitive cheer squad, feared and followed by the other girls -- until the young new coach arrives.

Cool and commanding, an emissary from the adult world just beyond their reach, Coach Colette French draws Addy and the other cheerleaders into her life. Only Beth, unsettled by the new regime, remains outside Coach's golden circle, waging a subtle but vicious campaign to regain her position as "top girl" -- both with the team and with Addy herself. 

Then a suicide focuses a police investigation on Coach and her squad. After the first wave of shock and grief, Addy tries to uncover the truth behind the death -- and learns that the boundary between loyalty and love can be dangerous terrain. 

The raw passions of girlhood are brought to life in this taut, unflinching exploration of friendship, ambition, and power. Award-winning novelist Megan Abbott, writing with what Tom Perrotta has hailed as "total authority and an almost desperate intensity," provides a harrowing glimpse into the dark heart of the all-American girl.

I don't know how I feel yet about Megan Abbott. This is the second book within a short period of time that I read by her and both weren't as great as some of the reviews I read made them seem. She has interesting story ideas and a unique writing style that should work, but there's just something about her books that I find lacking.

I mean, I was enjoying the first half of this book. The writing and the overall atmosphere really worked for me, even if I did get a little bored looking for the mystery. But I had a busy week and read the first half in small doses, stealing bits of the book whenever I had time. But when I actually sat down and finished the book, I found myself getting annoyed with the way the mystery progressed and seeing flaws in the writing (the style gets really grating after awhile, especially since it feels at times like Abbott is just saying pretty things for the sake of saying pretty things) and especially the character interaction and just characterization in general. 

There's something kind of contrived about Dare Me, and I think the works I've read of Megan Abbott in general. I don't think she understands entirely how people act, if that makes sense. Those who claim that this book is the closest they'll come again to being in the mind of a teenage girl must be a long, long way from teenagerhood. Frankly, I had a hard time seeing how any of this was plausible, and this is most glaring in Beth's actions and especially the way she spoke. I mean, she sounded like a Southern drag queen. Not only that, she sounded exactly like how Chablis spoke in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I kept expecting her to throw out a child or ooo honey. I don't think this book is supposed to take place in the South, but everyone sounded pretty Southern to my Yankee ears. I wonder if Abbott is from somewhere south of the Mason-Dixon line, because both this book and You Will Know Me seemed like it took place down there, even if there were some remarks made by characters that seemed to the contrary. I also felt like half the things that come out of the mouths of these characters felt way too symbolic or heavy and laden with meaning. Unnatural. I can't think of one person who would speak the way Beth did, for instance, or Tacy, and still be taken seriously.

But I'm close enough to my teen years to say that so much in this book seemed implausible. It's like Heathers in that respect- meant to expose the dark and edgy side of the world of teenage girls but is completely unrealistic. No high school cheer coach would invite her underage girls back to her house to drink, no matter how young and hip she was. And the close relationship she forged with those girls... especially since it seems like this is a pretty small town, she would get caught and terminated immediately. And both Beth and Addy felt thin, like Abbott really tried to make them interesting, noir-ish characters, but they didn't really work for me. Well, they did at first, but by the second half I was bored of all of them. 

I can definitely tell this book and You Will Know Me were written by the same author. Both the subject matter and the way the story were set up was very evocative of each other. Both books focus on intense sports, and both are billed as thrillers, but take a long time to get to the actual mystery. And in both, the resolution was ultimately unsatisfactory. Interestingly, especially for an Edgar-awarding winning author, the mystery aspect of the plot also felt secondary, unnecessary, and thrown in, as if she felt like she had to add a mystery in somewhere. I would have been fine if this book was just about Beth trying to take down Coach, because the mystery just didn't grab me, and ended up being the weak link in the story.

I don't really have much else left to say about this story except that I think this book is best in small chunks. When you read large amounts of it at once, the flaws become annoyingly apparent. In fact, reading this book reminds me of watching Gilmore Girls. I can only take one, maybe two episodes of that show at a time, any more and the continuity errors, characters, and soap opera storylines become obvious. Overall, there's something missing in Dare Me, something that, after finishing, left me feeling lukewarm about both the book and Megan Abbott in general. I still might try one more book by her- maybe The End of Everything or The Fever- but I don't know if my opinions will change much. Hell, maybe I'll prefer her hardboiled fiction to these middlingly contemporary thrillers. Who knows?

7 out of 10