*I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.*
When Juniper Song witnesses her rival Athena Liu’s death, she does the unimaginable: she steals a manuscript about the contributions of Chinese labourers to the war efforts during World War I. She submits it to her agent as her own work. From there, June receives a career revival; she makes the lists her debut failed to reach, and she is invited to significant events that shunned her years before; Liu’s story makes her a star. But how far can she go living in Liu’s spotlight? Or will someone from their past drag her back into the shadows?
I genuinely commend R.F. Kuang for traversing into a genre that is not typical of her fantasy sphere, but I did not enjoy this as much as her previous releases, which is true heartbreak. Yellowface is dark and grim, a witty tale about the state of the publishing industry and the erasure of non-white voices. Kuang knows how to write messy people, and Juniper Song might be the greatest example of that. I thoroughly enjoyed how the story highlights several problems within the publishing industry.
Perhaps, in her way of being meta about publishing, it felt too much. At one point, I was just wondering if I was reading my Twitter timeline. Yellowface is undoubtedly well-written, but the narrative voice was perhaps unbearable and repetitive to the point where even at the end, where we see her antics reach their peak, I was glad to be done with her.
This book will be great for another reader, but for me, it just wasn’t working. In an attempt to be satirical, Yellowface falls flat in a tale that I would call Book Twitter on a regular Monday.
*I received a copy from the publisher in return for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.*
Ithaca recounts the story of Penelope, wife of Odysseus and mother of Telemachus, who awaits her husband’s return from the Trojan War. Seventeen years into the war, the people of Ithaca grow worried as the speculation that Odysseus is dead invites suitors to begin knocking at Penelope’s door. No one is worthy enough to stake a claim to Odysseus’ empty throne, but a cold war is brewing, and any choice Penelope makes may plunge her kingdom into a devastating war. Only through her spy network can Penelope regain control, but all eyes are on her, and if she’s not careful, Ithaca might pay the price.
Ithaca is one of the newest additions of Greek retellings that have made it to our shelves recently as we follow Penelope tread the fine line between the silent wife and while regaining possession of her city until her son is ready to take the throne. But the suitors are getting restless as the island struggles to deal with the pirates that appear on the shores every full moon. To make matters even worse, Penelope’s cousin, Clytemnestra, is rumoured to have fled to Ithaca with her children hot on her trail, seeking revenge for their slain father.
Very little time is spent in the original Odyssey focusing on Penelope’s decades-long wait in Ithaca, so in this retelling, it is refreshing to see her hold her own. North’s rendition is somewhat straightforward but feels seamless to the original tale. While this is the story of Penelope, she is not the storyteller. Instead, Hera and her biting tongue narrate the tragedy of Ithaca, which is a surprising but welcoming addition to the tale.
Ithaca was an enjoyable exploration of Penelope’s tale. While I didn’t find myself as compelled as I thought I would be, this isn’t the end of Claire North’s rendition, and I am indeed impressed enough to see her carry the tale to the end.
*I received a copy from the publisher in return for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.*
When Perla Perez fails to get into Delmont University, her carefully planned future slowly falls apart. In a moment of panic, she forges her acceptance letter and heads to Delmont for real, deciding to scope the campus and use her newfound knowledge to improve her application to reapply for the next semester. As she breaks into campus accommodations and lies to her classmates, Perla must decide if this dream is her choice.
Perla Perez, you have stressed me out to the point where I feared I was going to lose my hair while reading about your scheme. Reading this was trying to juggle my entertainment while also preparing Perla’s grave for her at the same time. Never has a book made me so tempted to flip to the ending to lessen the heart attack this child was giving me. This Is Not A Personal Statement is so unserious that I ended up enjoying the anxiety-inducing journey.
Perla, a child of immigrant parents with high hopes for their children, is picture-perfect. As the youngest graduating senior at her high school, Perla is so sure that all that stress will be worth it once she gets into the college of her dreams. Except she doesn’t, and she’s adamant about fixing that. So she convinces her parents that her entire first semester (including board and tuition) is free when she plans to use that semester to experience college life and improve her application for next semester. My favourite experience from reading this book was reaching the 3/4 mark and realising that Perla had committed at least five different crimes already.
To be more serious in this review, Perla’s story (if you squint and ignore the madness) was quite thoughtful, as the main takeaway from this story is about young children and the pressure they face to exceed the academic expectations placed on them. Perla goes through some serious character development which is a surprise. I found her actions to be quite bratty and rude in some moments, swiftly corrected by background characters that deserved a lot more of the spotlight. The lack of character development in all the secondary characters is what I would consider the significant drawback of this book.
Usually, I consider books like this a disappointment, primarily due to the lack of depth in the characters. Still, honestly, the chaotic nature of this entire plot made this hilarious to read. Suspend all your disbelief when reading this book because it makes it much more enjoyable.
*I received a copy from the publisher in return for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.*
Elspeth Spindle lives with a monster in her head. She calls him the Nightmare, and in the mist-locked kingdom of Blunder — he is her saviour. When a mysterious figure attacks Elspeth, she finds herself joining a dangerous journey to protect the people of Blunder from losing any more people. Working alongside the people who should want her dead, she must gather the twelve Providence cards, each capable of dangerous magic, to stop the senseless killing of her people. But the Nightmare’s protection doesn’t come for free, and Elspeth might not be able to resist his control.
One Dark Window was the exact book I needed amidst my reading slump. This review was written up a few months after reading it, and I still think about this book to this day. Rachel Gillig, you will need to start paying rent for how much space this book takes up in my mind.
Mists have enshrouded the kingdom of Blunder for years as punishment for the Shepherd King, who bartered with the Spirit of the Wood for magic that formed into twelve different cards. Anyone who finds themselves lost in the mist is taken, and children can catch a deadly fever that, if they survive, will leave them with powers unique to them, even its aftereffects. Any child discovered with magic must be turned over to the King and put to death.
Elspeth barely survived the fever as a child, everyone assumes that nothing happened to her, and she is happy to live a quiet life with her aunt and uncle, evading the watchful eyes of the Destriers, a particular unit formed to deal with those affected by the fever. The truth is that Elspeth hides a secret spirit within her, the one named the Nightmare, who lends his strength in her moments of weakness. When Elspeth turns twenty, she is expected to return to the socialite life of Blunder, which brings her to the attention of the new head of the Destriers, who enlists Elspeth to help him recover the providence cards — find the cards, release the mist, he says. And with the help of the Nightmare, Elspeth can see the providence cards even if they are hidden. But finding the remaining cards proves to be a much more complex task than anyone expects, and can Elspeth and her new friends fix the problem, or the price of magic be too high to pay?
One Dark Window is an unbelievable story of secrets, magic and intrigue. From the first chapter, I was immediately hooked. Some readers might find the beginning relatively slow, especially until the highwaymen appear, where the story truly begins to flourish. But I loved it. I adored how Gillig took the concept of forbidden magic and made it her own. The use of a magic system inspired by tarot cards was unlike anything I’ve read. Elspeth is determined and strong; her relationship with the Nightmare was my favourite aspect. The yellow-eyed spirit who speaks only in rhyme does well to remind Elspeth that magic has a cost, and she would be wise to think before she accepts any offer from him. The found family aspect was a surprise to me but an excellent addition to the story. Even the romance, while predictable, grew naturally with each page.
Overall, One Dark Window was an absolute joy of a read. Gillig has a promising series on her hands that is reminiscent of old fairytales with evocative prose and atmospheric settings. I’ll eagerly be counting down the days until its upcoming sequel.
Below, I also drew some fanart for the book! I don’t usually do this, but after finishing the book, I really wanted to try my hand at making fanart!
*I received a copy from the publisher in return for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.*
Astrid has her plan for life all sorted out. Everything is planned to the T, each second allocated and never wasted, all for the end goal of getting into medical school. While endearing and loveable, her boyfriend Max manages to throw her entire life up in the air. He never keeps to her schedule and always disappears mid-date for unknown reasons. When a villain breaks into her room one night, the last thing she never expects is Max to be the one to save her as local superhero Kid Comet. With the truth now out, Astrid must come to terms with the fact that life might become much more demanding. And hopefully, her GPA doesn’t suffer.
What worked well for me with How to Date a Superhero was its concept. I enjoyed Fernandez’s debut and her take on the coming-of-age story within a college setting of a young girl learning her boyfriend is a superhero and has been for quite some time. We’ve always asked ourselves what happens to the regular person during the midst of a superhero takedown of a city. And for Astrid, it’s wondering if her classes will still be happening. It was funny and relatable as someone who also had a very stressed-out experience in university that began with a multitude of strikes and ended with the beginning of a global pandemic. There is minimal action as we follow mainly Astrid’s college life and her time in a programme designed for significant others of superheroes.
While Fernandez sets up a fascinating and unique story, I couldn’t help but feel like this entire story was lacking. In theory, the book is good, but its execution was rather lacklustre. It felt somewhat repetitive: Astrid goes to classes, something comes up (Max related or not), and she laments about the strain it will cause her plans. And this is repeated throughout the novel. There is a significant conflict within the story between Astrid and a classmate, but it wasn’t well incorporated into the story to the point when the climax happens; it feels deflated and unexciting because the build-up wasn’t there, except for a few throwaway lines that were painfully obvious it was meant to link back to the resolution. As part of Astrid’s nature to stick to her rules and timetable, her feelings for Max don’t come across well on the page. I’ll be honest; I felt more stressed on her behalf, wondering what the two saw in each other. There are sweet flashbacks, but again, it slows the story down because of their odd timing.
Astrid is the only character I liked because she was the only one who got any development. Her roommate is quirky but strategically gone for most of the novel, Max is sweet, but again, his thing is to be that goofy boyfriend hiding a lot from Astrid. There is minimal action as we follow mainly Astrid’s college life and her time in a programme designed for significant others of superheroes. Again, we are introduced to more characters who aren’t memorable at all.
Overall, another book where the execution doesn’t live up to the potential of its concept. A fun take on the life of a superhero from someone not so super. I did like that it was in a college setting (more books like this, please), but in the end, I wouldn’t recommend it.
It has been some time since I’ve sat down and written something for my blog. Last summer, I was sure I had revived my joy for writing, and I was really excited to come back to reviewing and making content for my blog. I’ve mentioned a few times before that since I graduated in 2020, and I’ve been looking for a full-time job. Since I was 17, I have worked mainly as a waitress as I went to college/university while also running this blog as a way to keep myself creative. Lockdown had a massive effect on me and my mental health as it caused many job interviews and internships to cease as companies tried to figure out COVID. I don’t blame them; 2020 was a tough time to figure out how to keep going.
I had thought that with all my free time while job searching, I was sure to keep my blog going, but instead, I faced a huge mental roadblock. I felt like I couldn’t write reviews because it took away from the time I could be job-searching. I even found myself reading less because I was consumed with the idea that I couldn’t allow myself the pleasure of reading if I still didn’t have a job. In all, I just felt defeated. I write this as I am 24, turning 25 this March and looking back at my early twenties feeling like I’ve done nothing remarkable.
Sorry for the gloomy post so far. I’m hoping from now on; it will be much more positive. People always say we shouldn’t have to wait for the new year to make a change, but I find it comforting and a lot easier on my brain to use the new year as a refresher and figure out what comes next.
So, what is next? I don’t know, and I think I’m okay with that. I’ve slowly been returning to reading more and finally sorting through my neglected TBR and ARC list. I began reading webtoons during lockdown, which I have been a great way of easing me back into reading. I do have some old reviews just sitting around that I didn’t feel 100% on posting but looking back at them, the reviews were fine; I just wasn’t in the best head space to share them. I’m excited to feel happy again about making reviews and sharing them with the world, but that isn’t the only thing I’ve been doing. I shared a few pieces of artwork here last year, but I’ve recently returned to drawing, especially digital art, which has been a blessing in disguise. It has helped me a lot whenever I was stressed, giving me another way to have the creative output that blogging usually gave me.
as told by zaheerah 