The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed
My God. I loved this book. The characters are dynamic and so very very real. The story itself is awesome and super important. I read a book a while back that was supposed to be inspiring and filled with “girl power”— a book that turned out to hold a terrible message that strength only comes with the confidence of being/becoming a beautiful woman. This book, however, did not support this dumb ideal. The girls in this book stood for strength because it was what they wanted to do and their physical appearances didn’t matter. This is one of the few books I’ve read where one of the main characters is actually described as “chubby”, and it’s not some major plot point… It’s just the way she is. I loved that. I also loved the sheer amounts of different perspectives shown in this book. Several of them infuriated me, but then again, they were supposed to, as well as open the mind to what other people believe. This book is effing amazing. Please read it. It’s not only for girls, even if they are the focus; it’s for everyone. Every single one of us is affected by this, and so is our future, so I implore you: Pick up this book.
Like Water by Rebecca Podos
Despite its iffy beginning, this book was enchanting and awesome. It felt real, and I found it hard to put down. The book captured the feeling of living in a small town, a place where most residents are often destined to stay in. Though most of us have not experienced such a feeling living in Nashville, the same sort of fear rests in all of us— that we will never escape to do what we dream of doing. First love is one of the main themes of this book, and I find that it is a beautiful rendition of what it’s like to truly fall in love for the first time. Purely, this book is about experiencing life and taking life as an adventure. I loved it in the end. The story was moving and emotional in a way that many books fail to accomplish. Like Water was a clean, easy, beautiful read.
Berserker by Emmy Laybourne
At first, I found this story enchanting and interesting. I have recently discovered a love for historical fiction this year, and this western-style book sparked that interest in me. The setting descriptions and storyline proceeded wonderfully and I loved how interesting and detailed it was. As the book progressed, though, one of the characters in particular seemed forced and awkwardly written, and about halfway through, a very boring, stale romance began to blossom. In all rights, such a thing didn’t mean much to me. It felt sort of out of place, similarly to that character, and felt like an unnecessary addition to a story already full of interesting, hooking stuff. The end turned out to be alright, but I wish the middle hadn’t been given such a weird, forced romantic drama. It was bad enough that the villain was forced so much that he hardly felt threatening, even when he was killing. I’m not s sure this book is really worth your read, but it’s interesting enough if you absolutely need something like that to read.
The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis
To be honest, I was hooked on this book from the jacket summary. Something just clicked, and once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. I think I may be a little biased because almost any book dealing with LGBT+ themes snags my attention, but this honestly was really addictive. The characters are dynamic and well-written, and jeeze, the story holds way more than a sappy love story. (The love story isn’t even that sappy, it’s just… sweet. Like something real.) I felt a rawness seeping from the pages that a lot of books lack. I also haven’t read many books that discuss abuse, which is a heavy topic in this book, but however hard it was for me to read this, it made me feel for the characters deeply. In the end, I felt good; some books, like one I read last review, end in shambles and they’re supposed to. This book ended in a gentle mess, and I loved it. It was a soft, rigid, and emotional read. I’d definitely recommend you consider reading it.
My God. I loved this book. The characters are dynamic and so very very real. The story itself is awesome and super important. I read a book a while back that was supposed to be inspiring and filled with “girl power”— a book that turned out to hold a terrible message that strength only comes with the confidence of being/becoming a beautiful woman. This book, however, did not support this dumb ideal. The girls in this book stood for strength because it was what they wanted to do and their physical appearances didn’t matter. This is one of the few books I’ve read where one of the main characters is actually described as “chubby”, and it’s not some major plot point… It’s just the way she is. I loved that. I also loved the sheer amounts of different perspectives shown in this book. Several of them infuriated me, but then again, they were supposed to, as well as open the mind to what other people believe. This book is effing amazing. Please read it. It’s not only for girls, even if they are the focus; it’s for everyone. Every single one of us is affected by this, and so is our future, so I implore you: Pick up this book.
Like Water by Rebecca Podos
Despite its iffy beginning, this book was enchanting and awesome. It felt real, and I found it hard to put down. The book captured the feeling of living in a small town, a place where most residents are often destined to stay in. Though most of us have not experienced such a feeling living in Nashville, the same sort of fear rests in all of us— that we will never escape to do what we dream of doing. First love is one of the main themes of this book, and I find that it is a beautiful rendition of what it’s like to truly fall in love for the first time. Purely, this book is about experiencing life and taking life as an adventure. I loved it in the end. The story was moving and emotional in a way that many books fail to accomplish. Like Water was a clean, easy, beautiful read.
Berserker by Emmy Laybourne
At first, I found this story enchanting and interesting. I have recently discovered a love for historical fiction this year, and this western-style book sparked that interest in me. The setting descriptions and storyline proceeded wonderfully and I loved how interesting and detailed it was. As the book progressed, though, one of the characters in particular seemed forced and awkwardly written, and about halfway through, a very boring, stale romance began to blossom. In all rights, such a thing didn’t mean much to me. It felt sort of out of place, similarly to that character, and felt like an unnecessary addition to a story already full of interesting, hooking stuff. The end turned out to be alright, but I wish the middle hadn’t been given such a weird, forced romantic drama. It was bad enough that the villain was forced so much that he hardly felt threatening, even when he was killing. I’m not s sure this book is really worth your read, but it’s interesting enough if you absolutely need something like that to read.
The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis
To be honest, I was hooked on this book from the jacket summary. Something just clicked, and once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. I think I may be a little biased because almost any book dealing with LGBT+ themes snags my attention, but this honestly was really addictive. The characters are dynamic and well-written, and jeeze, the story holds way more than a sappy love story. (The love story isn’t even that sappy, it’s just… sweet. Like something real.) I felt a rawness seeping from the pages that a lot of books lack. I also haven’t read many books that discuss abuse, which is a heavy topic in this book, but however hard it was for me to read this, it made me feel for the characters deeply. In the end, I felt good; some books, like one I read last review, end in shambles and they’re supposed to. This book ended in a gentle mess, and I loved it. It was a soft, rigid, and emotional read. I’d definitely recommend you consider reading it.