Corbin Chandler
The Tragic Age by Stephen Metcalfe
Hmn. This book was… sort of an enigma. It was boring to me up until the last third of the book— then, it felt like I got slammed in the face with angst, point-blank and out of nowhere. It starts out honest enough, and the first few chapters sparked some interest in me, but then… it started to lose steam. It felt like just another unrealistic teenage novel about a boy and a girl brought together by coincidence and past relations… And then it happens. You think it won’t, because so many young adult novels end with sunshine and flowers nowadays, but… Oof. Everything happens all at once in a fog of the main character’s sleep deprivation, and it really takes you on a trip of confusion and depression. After the initial happenstance, I was numbed for the rest of the book… The Tragic Age has a really mild ending, I guess to make up for the whirlwind of the chapters before. I wish that the wildness and chaos in the last third of the book had been spread around, to maybe dull the impact of awfulness. Then again, it wouldn’t be so jarring if the whole book had been filled with chaos. Overall, the book was… okay enough for me to recommend, if you want a slow book that punches you with intense unease and violence randomly towards the end.
The Other F-Word by Natasha Friend
Refreshing. After the last book, this one was like a breeze. It may have had some heavy topics, but it made me feel more than boredom and confusion; it made me laugh, worry, cry… (Only a little— shhh, don’t tell anyone.) Anyone who has a family can relate to this, despite how strange the plot may seem at first. The Other F-Word is about family, however unconventional it is. I’d say this book is a smooth, easy read without gigantic, major angst or violence. It’s a great break from reality, here and there, and it reminds you that no matter who your family is or what other people believe it to be, you’ll always have something, someone, even if they aren’t “legally” your family. I really enjoyed the book, despite how sort of unsatisfying the ending seemed to be. Don’t be discouraged from reading it, though! It’s a great, fun book to read and enjoy.
With Malice by Eileen Cook
Woah. This book was a trip. I read it in a day, if that says anything. I loved this book. It’s a mystery, really, and actually keeps you guessing throughout the book. You, the reader, are in a sense along for the ride with how the mystery unfolds, since the main character herself doesn’t know what really happened. I’m not sure why I loved this book, but it sparked something in my brain that kept me interested the whole time I was reading it. I definitely recommend this book. Please, do yourself a favor and check it out.
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
With this read, I realized that I hadn’t reviewed a graphic novel until now. That has been such a mistake. Fun Home was a great read, especially since I’d been interested in the musical that came to TPAC. I’m so glad I got to experience it this way, in book format. As with (most) any book with LGBT themes, I was intrigued, but the story in itself was awesome, and the reality that the author herself went through what happens in the book… It really fascinated me. I’d encourage you to pick this book up, if you’re interested… It’s very good.
The Tragic Age by Stephen Metcalfe
Hmn. This book was… sort of an enigma. It was boring to me up until the last third of the book— then, it felt like I got slammed in the face with angst, point-blank and out of nowhere. It starts out honest enough, and the first few chapters sparked some interest in me, but then… it started to lose steam. It felt like just another unrealistic teenage novel about a boy and a girl brought together by coincidence and past relations… And then it happens. You think it won’t, because so many young adult novels end with sunshine and flowers nowadays, but… Oof. Everything happens all at once in a fog of the main character’s sleep deprivation, and it really takes you on a trip of confusion and depression. After the initial happenstance, I was numbed for the rest of the book… The Tragic Age has a really mild ending, I guess to make up for the whirlwind of the chapters before. I wish that the wildness and chaos in the last third of the book had been spread around, to maybe dull the impact of awfulness. Then again, it wouldn’t be so jarring if the whole book had been filled with chaos. Overall, the book was… okay enough for me to recommend, if you want a slow book that punches you with intense unease and violence randomly towards the end.
The Other F-Word by Natasha Friend
Refreshing. After the last book, this one was like a breeze. It may have had some heavy topics, but it made me feel more than boredom and confusion; it made me laugh, worry, cry… (Only a little— shhh, don’t tell anyone.) Anyone who has a family can relate to this, despite how strange the plot may seem at first. The Other F-Word is about family, however unconventional it is. I’d say this book is a smooth, easy read without gigantic, major angst or violence. It’s a great break from reality, here and there, and it reminds you that no matter who your family is or what other people believe it to be, you’ll always have something, someone, even if they aren’t “legally” your family. I really enjoyed the book, despite how sort of unsatisfying the ending seemed to be. Don’t be discouraged from reading it, though! It’s a great, fun book to read and enjoy.
With Malice by Eileen Cook
Woah. This book was a trip. I read it in a day, if that says anything. I loved this book. It’s a mystery, really, and actually keeps you guessing throughout the book. You, the reader, are in a sense along for the ride with how the mystery unfolds, since the main character herself doesn’t know what really happened. I’m not sure why I loved this book, but it sparked something in my brain that kept me interested the whole time I was reading it. I definitely recommend this book. Please, do yourself a favor and check it out.
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
With this read, I realized that I hadn’t reviewed a graphic novel until now. That has been such a mistake. Fun Home was a great read, especially since I’d been interested in the musical that came to TPAC. I’m so glad I got to experience it this way, in book format. As with (most) any book with LGBT themes, I was intrigued, but the story in itself was awesome, and the reality that the author herself went through what happens in the book… It really fascinated me. I’d encourage you to pick this book up, if you’re interested… It’s very good.