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Review: Make Up Break Up

January 7, 2021by Zaheerah2 Comments

*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.*

Annika Dev has high hopes for her app, Make Up. Born out of her passion and personal history, Make Up will be a revolutionary tool to mend relationships. But as struggles to raise her app from the ground up, Break Up, helmed by Hudson Craft, is rising in downloads, breaking up relationships faster than ever before. Annika thought she could ignore her summer fling with Hudson, but when his business moves next door, the two find themselves pitted against each other in a meaningful investment contest.

I know this will sound really mean, but I can’t believe I wasted my time reading this. Like, I am trying so hard to think of something to say that isn’t so harsh, but Make Up Break Up was not good. The book lacks tension, the writing dragged, and the characters were truly so miserable to read that I genuinely could not understand what they see in each other.

The story did not work for me at all. It begins with Hudson and Co. moving in next door to Annika’s office. They’re popping champagne while Make Up is struggling to stay afloat. Annika soon realises that Hudson aims to win the same investment competition she needs to keep the place afloat. And then it becomes a cat and mouse chase between Annika and Hudson on who can be the most annoying person ever. They act so pettily and messy between themselves; you would think they were some teenagers and not adults. Like hiring a mariachi band to disrupt the other’s party or taking the charger out of a laptop before a major presentation? The stakes were nothing to feel invested about. The plot pretty much drags itself through Annika and Hudson just being assholes to each other. They’re both very self-centered, but Annika takes the cake because at least Hudson tries to be more sociable. He’s still rude in my view, nothing he does redeems him, but his place as a love interest was so two dimensional. He’s pretty, and he’s got a good body. His personality was to be blatantly in love with Annika while she rants about him for a good chunk of the book.

Much of Annika’s anger comes from believing that Hudson had stolen her idea and was now profiting off the anti-dating app. She spends much of this book with this high and mighty attitude that Hudson is a creep and that his app is terrible. And she’s not wrong. Break Up is essentially pay-to-break up service where people are hired to break up on behalf of a person. There’s an interactive element where random people just dump terrible new on another, and it’s passed off as quirky. That alone just put me off Hudson as a romantic lead because how uncomfortable that app made me. And, strangely, Annika is the only person to mention how terrible the concept is. But then she thinks she had this moral high ground because her app fixes relationships, but there’s a problem with her app: she never considers whether a relationship is worth pursuing. That not every relationship needs fixing. You would think that would be discussed within the development team. Her own reasoning didn’t do much either, and it felt more like pieces of a draft that hadn’t quite finished developing. This is where you could think they could work together to create an app that takes both concepts into account, but the book’s actual ending was just so much more disappointing. There was a demi-decent discussion about women in tech and the boundaries they faced, but it’s all weak. Annika is too inconsistent in what she wants to say, so Menon’s actual message falls through.

To summarise, Make Up Break Up is not the romantic story it thinks it is. The plot was weak, the characters were unmemorable, and its whole execution was quite muddy. There were so many points where the book could’ve turned itself around, but it felt like it was doomed from the start.

GOODREADS | AMAZON | AUTHOR

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Review: Like A Love Story

December 8, 2020by ZaheerahLeave a Comment

The most important four-letter word in our history will always be LOVE. That’s what we are fighting for. That’s who we are. Love is our legacy.

In the midst of the AIDS crisis, three friends navigate first love and activism. Reza is about to start high school and is terrified that someone will figure out he is gay, and that a life of living happily is nothing but a dream. That is until he meets classmates Judy and Art. Jude is an aspiring fashion designer, while Art is her rebellious photographer best friend. Reza quickly finds himself involved with the ACT UP movement with the help of Judy’s uncle, Stephen; he sees the community he’s always longed for. That is until he starts dating Judy to hide his identity from his family while having growing feelings for Art. With the movement and protests rising each day, the three friends find themselves facing the hard truth of growing up and falling in love.

I think this is a difficult review to write because how else can I talk this book other than say, read it yourself, no review can persuade you more than the actual book itself. This book has been quietly sitting on my TBR for quite some time now, and I’m mad at myself for taking so long to read this.

Set in 1989, Reza is a closeted teenager who has recently moved in with his new stepfather and stepbrother. Reza is quiet and keeps to himself, mainly because he’s scared of what his family will think of him. This is also during the height of the AIDS crisis, so while Reza is struggling to grapple with his sexuality, the only thing he sees about it outside is an illness. But meeting Art and Judy gives him hope, gives him confidence. This is a book that I began to read with no expectations, but I immediately fell in love with. The emotions this story evokes is unbelievable.

Like A Love Story is grounded in the harsh realities of its time, and while the story is fiction, the history is not, and Nazemian is very clear in the story he’s telling. “They won’t teach it in schools. They don’t want us to have a history.” This book’s greatest strength is, quite simply put, everything. Nazemian’s story was incredibly moving and heartbreaking.

Reza is an absolute sweetheart. Immediately you want to protect him from everything. His character hit me the hardest, his fear and vulnerability are laid to out to bare, and he chooses to become a ghost to keep him safe. To tell his family the truth and understand what it means is beyond all his power.

Judy’s character was a surprise to me. A well-natured soul who, despite the comments about her body, pushes through expectations and grows into herself. Everyone deserves a friend like Judy. The only moment that didn’t feel right to me was her reaction to Reza’s coming out. I understood where she was coming from, but I felt somewhat shocked her at the response and then understood for plot sake, why it was treated that way.

Art was something different. Reza is soft, Jude is calm while Art carries himself with a burning passion for change, even if it means burning all his bridges behind him. His love is photography, and his story follows him as he tries to capture all and every moment of the movement. To make sure no one forgets what they’ve been through. He reminds Reza that it’s okay not to be okay, and his feelings are more important than what anyone else thinks. I loved the trio dynamic, especially once they’ve all become comfortable with themselves.

Overall, I loved Like A Love Story. It was an emotional portrayal of pride, activism and hope, all packaged into this one book. Nazemian captures a time that is not discussed in history lessons and has created one incredibly moving story.

GOODREADS | AMAZON | AUTHOR

Books

Books I Wish I Could Read Again for the First Time

December 1, 2020by ZaheerahLeave a Comment

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature once hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, but has now moved to That Artsy Reader Girl! Each week, a new topic is put into place and bloggers share their top ten (or your own amount) accordingly. This week’s topic is Book You Want to Read Again, so I decided to adapt it slightly to books you wish you could read again for the first time. Because there of them, way more than ten, and if you’ve been following me long enough, half of this list should not be a surprise.

The Poppy War by R.F Kuang
This is one of many books that really go without saying many words. To quote me back in 2018, “Believe the hype. It is truly worth it.” Two years later and this story STILL lives in my mind rent-free. I would happily erase my mind to see Rin, Kitay and Nezha meet again for the first time.
Jade City by Fonda Lee
I first read Jade City last year, and I have already re-read it three times. I’m currently in the middle of a read-along to re-read Jade City and Jade War again. I think it’s safe to say that I don’t wish I could reread this for the first time, I just want to re-read this series all the time.
Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine
Listen, the way I would do anything to experience the same form of happiness I felt when I discovered Khalila Seif for the first time is unreal. Rachel Caine was always more known for her Morganville series and her adult fictions, but I will never shut up about this series. I feel like this series is way underappreciated in YA. A definite re-read is in order.
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johhnson
My sister bought me a copy of this because my favourite youtuber at the time, charlieissocoollike, had talked about it. And I never would have expected to have liked it so much. I remember spending one summer just re-reading it because I loved it so much. The later books in the series were decent, but I would have been satisfied if this was just a standalone as well. I really loved the concept, and the way Maureen Johnson used Jack the Ripper was so interesting.
Thief by Malorie Blackman
I had read this book way before I discovered any sort of book community online. I think I mentioned it before that I picked it up by accident. I think this might have been my first ever dystopian book and Malorie Blackman book. I vaguely remember being really scared of this book, like a lot.
Angelfall by Susan Ee
I associate Angelfall with a particular moment in my life, the first year of college to be exact. Which is when I started my site and one of the few years of education where I wasn’t stressed out, and I was actually quite happy with my life. A friend of mine from my gaming class had recommended it to me, and we were so obsessed with talking about it all the time. I think one of my first reviews was Angelfall. The sequels didn’t live up to my expectations but getting to experience Angelfall at the time I did was so memorable.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
I think this one doesn’t need any explaining. I know, you know, we know. Let’s move on.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I’ve mentioned this before, but I was the girl obsessed with THG in secondary school. Like seriously obsessed. Somewhere in the attic are all my old Hunger Games memorabilia collecting dust. This is another book/series where I associated it to a specific timeframe in my life: secondary school before the fear of GCSEs really settled in and life was probably the least stressed I had ever been. Consider this another apology if you knew me during my Hunger Games phase, even I die a little bit inside thinking about it.
The Foxhole Court series by Nora Sakavic
Some questionable stuff happens in this series, but nothing remains as iconic as Kevin saying “Did you know I’ve never been skiing? I’d like to try it one day, though.” to a bunch of reporters.
The Astonishing Colour of After by Emily X.R. Pan

This is one of those books that was so dream-like to read. It’s very low conflict and very character-driven. I’m not someone who get emotional that easily but the ending to this book had me sobbing like a brand new person.

What’s on your TTT this week? Leave me a link or let me know in the comments!

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Review: These Violent Delights

November 27, 2020by ZaheerahLeave a Comment

*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.*

Set in the year 1926, Shanghai is being hunted by a monster in the shadows. And in the heart of the city, it is being embroiled in a blood feud between the Scarlet Gang and White Flowers. Juliette has returned to the city, ready to be by her father’s side as the heir to the Scarlets. But the gangsters find themselves in trouble when a sickness forces the infected to claw out their throats. Before it destroys her people, Juliette must partner with the Flower’s heir, setting aside their personal grudges to save the city before the madness burns it all down.

The Violent Delights is one of my most anticipated reads of this year. The second I laid my eyes on that cover; I immediately ran to GoodReads to make sure I don’t forget this book exists. I won’t lie, but this book was both brilliant but still somewhat disappointing at the same time. The story follows the Juliette, recently returned from New York, and during a business meeting she is interrupted by rival heir Roma Montagov. Roma informs her of an incident where the casualties have appeared to die by their own hands. Both changed by an accident of their past, Juliette and Roma have to put aside their differences and feelings to discover the truth.

I liked the story for most parts, but the start of the novel is rather disappointing. It kicks off relatively strong, the death of gang members with no real cause, Roma making the brave move to enter the Scarlet territory to find Juliette and the both of them trying to figure out what’s happening. There are so many components to this story that appear so exciting and unique, but I found its execution rather clumsy, to say the least. The story hooks you in really well within this 1920s Shanghai as it faces trouble from its citizens and foreigners alike. The impact of colonialism takes centre stage in the setting, and Gong builds up a formidable background. The stakes are high as Juliette as to figure out what the monster is and how it’s linked to the death of her people. With foreigners like the British, French and Russians moving in the background, Juliette almost feels like a stranger in her own city, and you feel it too as a reader.

As you settle into the story, it quickly beings to falter and drag on its own feet. Juliette can’t seem to get her parent’s approval, while Roma’s father ignores most of his findings, which leads to them working together and then the story doesn’t know what to do. There’s a lot of starting and stopping, and it breaks the momentum and pacing a lot. There’s a specific moment when you realised the story gains its drive again, but before that happens, it feels like it’s just kicking rocks, waiting for that push to continue. Juliette and Roma had met years prior, but an accident separates them, leaving Roma in Shanghai and Juliette returning to New York. I just didn’t feel any chemistry whatsoever. All of their feelings are buried in the past, and for plot’s sake, it was all withheld so in the last second, it makes for a theatrical scene. It just didn’t work out as well because the everything before that scene was so lacklustre.

The characters that aren’t Juliette and Roma are the saving grace of this entire book for me, personally, and why I’ll patiently be counting down the days for its sequel. Roma’s side includes Benedikt, his cousin, and Marshall, who form his closest circle. He also has his sister, Alyssa. Juliette’s team includes her twin cousins, Kathleen and Rosalind, and another cousin, Tyler. The characterisation of these secondary characters was so much better than anything that happened between Juliette and Roma, and I feel bad for saying that I was more interested in their lives than what was happening between the leads. The moments when they appear, the story becomes alive and engaging, and when we return to the main story, it feels like a giant step back. Towards the end of the story, as I mentioned, it gains its momentum well. And while it took me days to get to the 50% mark, I found myself speed reading to reach the end, and it was so much more entertaining.

Overall, These Violent Delights wasn’t precisely what I had anticipated, but I’m very excited to see what happens in the sequel. Despite my dispositions, Gong does a great job here in her debut. I did love how she had taken the story of Romeo & Juliet and adapted it to her cultural background and history. While the story wasn’t for me at the start, the ending redeems itself 100% over. It’s a story of identity and family and with the fantastic imagery and political backdrop, I’m still very interested in seeing what happens next for the Scarlet Gang and White Flowers.

GOODREADS | AMAZON | AUTHOR

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Review: Shine (Shine #1)

November 24, 2020by ZaheerahLeave a Comment

After training six years to be DB Entertainment’s newest K-pop star, Rachel Kim is so close to making it. She just has to train, train and train some more until she can finally prove her spot. One viral incident has her thrust into the spotlight beside DB Ent’s golden boy, Jason Lee. But the harsh realities of trainee life begins to strain on Rachel as she starts to doubt herself. And any mistake can risk everything.

I have to be honest, I went into this book with low expectations as my experience with most celebrity-penned novels have resulted in some mediocre reading experiences. I thought even being a SONE for years now would colour my judgement. But Shine might be the most disappointing book that I have read this year. From the writing, characters and plot, nothing in this book shines through.

The only decent thing I could say about this book was that it is readable. I flew through the story at a decent pace, but then again, I just wanted the story to be over with. So take that with a pinch of salt. The pacing was all over the place. One chapter would end like a drama, but the next would continue as if nothing was wrong. Much of the writing was so inconsistent which made the story rather dull and boring. Jung fails to make you feel anything but annoyance towards every person we encounter in this book, including our very own Rachel Kim.

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