Category: Books

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Books, Contemporary, LGBTQIA, Romance, Young Adult/ Teen

BOOK REVIEW: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

by ZaheerahLeave a Comment on BOOK REVIEW: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

You Can Find the Book At:

GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Author Bio

GoodReads Summary:

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common.

But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

My Review:

Rating: ★★★★★

(spoilers in review)

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is a story of two friends, Ari and Dante, who meet at age 15 and forge a friendship through a summer of sheer boredom. Their developing friendship is sweet and playful, making it a fantastic story of friendship which later develops into love.

The story is narrated by Ari a loner who lives in a state of constant anger: at the secrets, his family keeps from him, at his father for not being open. Then he meets Dante, who is his opposite. Dante’s quick to laugh, an artist and a philosopher. Except as it turns out, they are not so different after all. Ari learns to let go of his anger and goes through a series of moments of self-discovery. It’s fascinating to see that Ari’s narrative is somewhat unreliable because it is apparent that Ari represses his feelings because he doesn’t know them either – and his actions speak louder than his words.

However, I really wished there had been more of a development with Ari and his brother. The mystery behind his brother was absorbing and I wished it was followed through to the end. The ending of the book also felt rushed and abrupt.

Overall, Aristotle and Dante is an engaging coming-of-age story and a thoughtful exploration of identity and sexuality. This story is heartwarming and an extremely worthwhile read.

Books, Contemporary, LGBTQIA, Young Adult/ Teen

BOOK REVIEW: This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

by ZaheerahLeave a Comment on BOOK REVIEW: This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp


you can find the book at:

GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Author Website

goodreads summary:

Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one student’s calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival

my review:

Rating: ★★★☆☆

~ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review~

Initially, I’m very iffy when it comes to books with multiple POVs. But for this story’s case, it suited. TIWIE is a novel that gripped me at every page, portraying an all too realistic scenario, one that no one can ever imagine occurring happening in their lifetime, but has already occurred 15 in the US alone this year (source: Wikipedia).

In 54 minutes, every student and teacher present in the auditorium of Opportunity High School, Alabama, is fighting for their lives against one boy, one of their own. What was frightening about this story is that it can happen everywhere. But there’s a difference between hearing about that and being thrown into such situation.

This book follows a few different characters during the hour that the shooting takes place. Each character is so completely different and so important in their own ways. I think the central aspect which I really enjoyed was the diversity of the characters. There’s a scene where Tomas is worried for Fareed and how, his faith and heritage, may portray him as a threat to the police officers was a touching moment for me because of how real it was. I really hope more authors begin to write about marginalised character because, honestly, I’m all for seeing more Muslim characters in novels.

However, I do believe the psychology behind the perpetrator’s act was a bit foolish. It boils to the simple “He was evil,” and that’s it. We never really find out why Tyler did it— he goes from being a supportive brother to someone who beats and abuses his sister. It’s too simplistic, and I think that was a fatal flaw in this novel, along with missing out a chance of looking at the psychology of teen shooters and focusing more on the cheap thrills.

Overall, it was an exciting read. Though some scenes felt strange, I don’t want to judge because who on earth would know what they’d do in this situation when they don’t know what else is going to happen?

 

Books, LGBTQIA, Science Fiction & Fantasy

BOOK REVIEW: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

by Zaheerah1 Comment on BOOK REVIEW: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

you can find the book at:

GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Author Website

goodreads summary:

When Rosemary Harper joins the crew of the Wayfarer, she isn’t expecting much. The Wayfarer, a patched-up ship that’s seen better days, offers her everything she could possibly want: a small, quiet spot to call home for a while, adventure in far-off corners of the galaxy, and distance from her troubled past.

[..] Until the crew are offered the job of a lifetime: the chance to build a hyperspace tunnel to a distant planet. They’ll earn enough money to live comfortably for years… if they survive the long trip through war-torn interstellar space without endangering any of the fragile alliances that keep the galaxy peaceful.

But Rosemary isn’t the only person on board with secrets to hide, and the crew will soon discover that space may be vast, but spaceships are very small indeed.

my review:

Rating: ★★★★☆

~ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review~

To begin with, I honestly never thought I would ever get emotional over an AI system.

Long Way is an absolutely beautiful debut novel by Chambers. Using a vast variety of human and alien characters, mixed with interesting and exciting cultures, Chambers tells an extraordinary story about what makes us human.

Rosemary, a young Martian woman, running from her past, joins the crew of Wayfarer, a ship that drills wormholes for intergalactic travel. The team takes a job on the other side of the galaxy which could make them rich, but on the way, they face the challenges and dangers of the multicultural universe. Chambers pulls you in the life of her characters (humans, aliens and AIs alike) and builds a whole galaxy through the lives of her characters, dealing with struggles that are all too human, even when the character is alien.

However, there could have been a more significant conflict but considering this is a debut –  The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet was something new and refreshing. I definitely recommend.

Books, Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Young Adult/ Teen

BOOK REVIEW: Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell

by ZaheerahLeave a Comment on BOOK REVIEW: Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell

you can find the book at:

GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Author Website

goodreads summary:

Nicolette’s awful stepsisters call her “Mechanica” to demean her, but the nickname fits: she learned to be an inventor at her mother’s knee. Her mom is gone now, though, and the Steps have turned her into a servant in her own home.

But on her sixteenth birthday, Nicolette discovers a secret workshop in the cellar and begins to dare to imagine a new life for herself. Could the mysterious books and tools hidden there—and the mechanical menagerie, led by a tiny metal horse named Jules—be the key to escaping her dreary existence? With a technological exposition and royal ball on the horizon, the timing might just be perfect for Nicolette to earn her freedom at last.

Gorgeous prose and themes of social justice and family shine in this richly imagined Cinderella retelling about an indomitable inventor who finds her prince . . . but realizes she doesn’t want a fairy tale happy ending after all.

my review:

Rating: ★★★☆☆

~ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review~

I’m so disappointed with this book because it had the potential to be brilliant. Like other Cinderellas, Nicolette is at the mercy of her cruel stepmother and sisters. She’s treated like dirt and forced to work as a servant in her own family home. Unknown to her stepfamily, Nicolette has a talent for engineering and hides her mother’s old inventions away in her workroom. She plans to sell her designs to make enough money to leave and, hopefully, repurchase her family home from her stepmother’s clutches.

The concept is fantastic. Nicolette wants to save herself, remove herself from her toxic environment but on her own terms. The emphasis is not on romance but on the importance of friendship. And the importance of loving yourself rather than loving the prince. But there is no climax. The story flows quick and easy, but there’s nothing that fuels excitement, no internal conflict that was satisfying to read.

Overall, this book was enjoyable. How likely I would recommend this book will be varying, depends on my mood I think. But the ending was was cute, and honestly one of my favourite for a fairy tale retelling.

Books, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Young Adult/ Teen

BOOK REVIEW: Miss Mabel’s School for Girls (The Network Series #1) by Katie Cross

by ZaheerahLeave a Comment on BOOK REVIEW: Miss Mabel’s School for Girls (The Network Series #1) by Katie Cross

you can find the book at:

GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Author Website

GoodReads summary:

Never underestimate the power of a determined witch.

Letum Wood is a forest of fog and deadfall, home to the quietly famous Miss Mabel’s School for Girls, a place where young witches learn the art of magic.

Sixteen-year-old Bianca Monroe has inherited a deadly curse. Determined to break free before it kills her, she enrols in the respected school to confront the cunning witch who cast the curse: Miss Mabel.

Bianca finds herself faced with dark magic she didn’t expect, with lessons more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. Will Bianca have the courage to save herself from the curse, or will Miss Mabel’s sinister plan be too powerful?

my review:

Rating: ★★★☆☆

~ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review~

Bianca Monroe is a witch, stuck with a dominant Inheritance curse has been placed on her mother and grandmother. The witch behind the curse is none other than Miss Mabel of Miss Mabel’s School for Girls. The school is the most prestigious one in the Witches’ Network and every year, it hosts a Student Competition, the prize of which is private lessons with the school’s High Witch. Within the first few hours of arriving at the school, Bianca volunteers for the Competition – the first first-year volunteer in centuries. But what she doesn’t realise, and what she has been warned about, is that winning the Competition was the easiest part – Miss Mabel is cunning and ruthless, for which Bianca could be the perfect weapon.

For a debut author, the world of The Networks is good – I read a lot of fantasy and paranormal books, and witches are amongst my least favourite premises. I love the concept, but the stories aren’t executed well enough. Katie Cross did manage to make it work for me. The writing is decent and sets the fast pace quite nicely.

Bianca was a good protagonist. For once, I’m glad I wasn’t irritated continuously at the action of the main character. She’s determined but doubtful, and the lengths she was willing to go for her family are commendable. Miss Mabel’s School for Girls is about young women growing up and taking on responsibilities of adulthood, witching, and the good of the witch networks. There were no love triangles! (I’m pretty sure there are only three male speaking characters) It was refreshing to see female characters that don’t revolve around the male character.

However, I felt like the development between Bianca’s relationships with her family should have been emphasised more. They are an essential aspect of the events that occur, and the stakes are high against them, yet I felt no sympathy towards them because I didn’t feel Bianca’s love for them. Also, I know Bianca quickly masters particular skills for the sake of the story, but it still felt too convenient. Despite her years of training, there are some forces too powerful for Bianca to have performed as she did.

Books, Contemporary

BOOK REVIEW: The Color of our Sky by Amita Trasi

by Zaheerah2 Comments on BOOK REVIEW: The Color of our Sky by Amita Trasi

you can find the book at:

GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble (unavailable)
Author Website

goodreads summary:

A sweeping, emotional journey of two childhood friends—one struggling to survive the human slave trade and the other on a mission to save her—two girls whose lives converge only to change one fateful night in 1993.

my review:

Rating: ★★★★★

“The truth remains quiet inside us,floundering like a battered bird,desperately wanting to spread its wings and fly away.

~ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review~

The Colour of our Sky is a profound story about the concept of the caste system in India, of how much that system decides the road people’s lives take.

Mukta was born into a lower caste, one in which the women dedicate their lives to becoming prostitutes for their goddess. When Tara’s family takes her from there, the two girls become more closely intertwined than either could ever have guessed.
Until Mukta is kidnapped in the middle of the night, and Tara just watches.

Within each character is complexity, no one is just ‘good’ or ‘bad’, there is a deep shame, determination, and love. Tara grew up in a middle-class home in India, is continuously reflecting the different ideologies she grew up with. Tara, in a moment of emotional difficulty, makes a decision that will haunt her well into adulthood–until she realises she can’t rest until she makes things right.

It’s beautiful and terrifying at the same time. A novel that will continue to make you think for a long, long time.