BOOK REVIEW: This Song Is (Not) for You by Laura Nowlin

This Song Is (Not) for You by Laura Nowlin

(Goodreads)

Ramona and Sam are best friends. She fell for him the moment they met, but their friendship is just too important for her to mess up. Sam loves Ramona, but he would never expect her to feel the same way-she's too quirky and cool for someone like him. Together, they have a band, and put all of their feelings for each other into music.  

Then Ramona and Sam meet Tom. He's their band's missing piece, and before Ramona knows it, she's falling for him. But she hasn't fallen out of love with Sam either. How can she be true to her feelings without breaking up the band?

Thanks to SourceBooks Fire at Netgalley for providing me with an eARC! 

The teenagers in this book are real. And like real teenagers, they can sometimes be incredibly annoying and supercilious (a word I learned today that fits perfectly; meaning "behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others").

We meet Ramona, a high school senior at St. Joseph's Prep, a school "full of rich kids" and "poseurs". She thinks she's different than everyone and she likes to make it known. Her 'nemesis' is a girl in her year who once commented on Ramona's hair after she hacked it in the school bathroom with craft scissors.

In alternating chapters we meet Sam and Tom. Sam has been best friends with Ramona for years and together they form the band April and the Rain. Sam isn't so bad, like Ramona, he also "can't comprehend [high school girl's] level[s] of superficiality existing" (47). The thing is, Sam's been in love with Ramona forever, he just can't bring himself to say anything about it. He spends most of his time longing after her, his chapters mostly filled with him talking about her or thinking about her.

Tom, like Ramona, spends a lot of time trying to be different rather than genuinely being different. He walks around with shoes covered with the words 'Darfur' and 'Auschwitz' and hands out flyers to whoever asks about them. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, like Ramona, he's incredibly judgmental. An entire chapter of his is dedicated to labeling cliques during lunch time and Tom saying how he doesn't fit in because he's so different.

The most frustrating thing about Tom is his art. There's a scene where his girlfriend is disturbed because he buys a bunch of goldfish and dumps them in a local fountain as a sort of Banksy-like art movement (he knows the fish will die and we later find out that the dead fish clogged up a pipe and cost the city thousands of dollars to repair). To that, he says "this really scared me to death because I was still on probation, and it really did upset me. Causing real harm goes against my ethics" (71). I wanted to scream when I read this. So it wasn't until monetary damage had done that he thought twice about dumping goldfish to their deaths?

However, unlike Ramona and Sam, Tom does redeem himself and show character growth. Upon planning to put up posters with pictures of starving children at the mall during Christmas, he realizes how uneducated on the topic he is and what a bad idea it was.

Back to Ramona. The best part of this novel for me was her nemesis telling her off:

"You just have to make sure everybody knows that you are so special and so weird." She tilts her head higher. "Everything you do, your haircuts and your stupid boots, it's all about proving that you're so fucking unusual. You say that you don't care what people think, but you do. You probably spend more time on your appearance than I do. You act like you're this tortured and misunderstood outcast, but you're really not, okay? You've got friends, and your hair looks like something from a Teen Vogue 'How to Get That Punk Rock Look' column. So get over yourself, Ramona, 'cause we're all sick of hearing about what a unique snow-flake you are." (93). 

Ramona briefly ponders if she really is a poseur but forgets about this instance fairly quickly which I thought was a wasted opportunity for growth. Eventually the two sort of patch things up, but not before this encounter:

"You are unbelievable. You're like a five-year old! Didn't your  mother teach you to share?" I said. 

    "My mother is dead, you bitch," she said. 

               And I was so surprised, 

                         that I said, 

                    "Mine too." (126) 

It was a part where I might have honestly groaned in frustration. I honestly could not understand why Ramona had to make it about herself?

Maybe this book just wasn't for me.

I did enjoy Nowlin's style of writing when characters would break into a sort of poetic thought process. Like the above quote, there's more than a handful of sections broken off like that and I think it was the right balance to regular prose. I wish there had been more conflict in this novel, and looking back on it, I'm not sure if there really was any major conflict at all. I wish Nowlin would have touched more on the polyamory relationship the three had going on. Maybe in a sequel?

Memorable Quote

"And making plans doesn't make you safe; it just makes you feel that the future owes you something." (176)

COMIC REVIEW: The Misadventures of Grumpy Cat (And Pokey!) aka Grumpy Cat Volume 1

The Misadventures of Grumpy Cat (And Pokey!)

(Goodreads)

Dynamite proudly presents the comic book misadventures of Grumpy Cat, featuring "The World's Grumpiest Cat" and her brother, Pokey! With her ever-present pout and sassy disposition, Grumpy Cat has won the hearts of people everywhere. Now, her unbearable cuteness and infectious sourpuss are featured in an all-new, all-sensational collection of comic stories, sure to make fans of all ages laugh! If you love the memes, the videos, and that irresistible scowl, then get ready for the wildly fun antics of Grumpy Cat and Pokey!

Thank you to Diamond Book Illustrators at NetGalley for this eARC!

Comic books intimidate me. It's something I've always wanted to get into but always back away from due to the numbers and editions and universes available. I'd love to start...but where? Do I find the first one or do I pick up the latest one and what's the difference between titles based on the same character? Are they the same character or is it a completely different story??

So many questions. 

Thankfully I didn't have to ask any of those for Grumpy Cat Volume 1. I love cats in general (understatement) and love Grumpy Cat (real name Tardar Sauce) ever since she surfaced the face of the internet in 2012. 

I mean, what's not to love?? Remember when she was on Anderson Cooper's talk show?

So tiny. 

Or when she basically had Disneyland all to herself and met Grumpy?

Grumpy Cat Volume 1 is a fun and easy read that highlights Grumpy Cat's snarky bad temper and her brother's innocent enthusiasm. They go on adventures you'd expect (dealing with dogs and missing cat treats) and wouldn't expect (alien invasions and becoming super heroes). I don't think this series will become as addictive to children as Captain Underpants, but it's definitely a cute read that will keep you entertained. 

Volume 1 comes with 11 different stories that are sometimes as short as one or two pages. The only (slightly) negative comment I have is that the different artwork threw me off until I realized there were different artists for each story and it wasn't just a case of inconsistency. 

Grumpy Cat in "Detective Cats"

Grumpy Cat and Pokey in "I Know What You Did Last Summer (I Just Don't Care)"

Grumpy Cat and Pokey in "I Know What You Did Last Summer (I Just Don't Care)"

Book Review: Nirvana by J.R. Stewart

Nirvana by J.R. Stewart

(Goodreads)

When the real world is emptied of all that you love, how can you keep yourself from dependence on the virtual?  

Animal activist and punk rock star Larissa Kenders lives in a dystopian world where the real and the virtual intermingle. After the disappearance of her soulmate, Andrew, Kenders finds solace by escaping to Nirvana, a virtual world controlled by Hexagon. In Nirvana, anyone’s deepest desires may be realized - even visits with Andrew. 

Although Kenders knows that this version of Andrew is virtual, when he asks for her assistance revealing Hexagon’s dark secret, she cannot help but comply. Soon after, Kenders and her closest allies find themselves in a battle with Hexagon, the very institution they have been taught to trust. After uncovering much more than she expected, Kenders’ biggest challenge is determining what is real – and what is virtual. 

Nirvana is a fast-paced, page-turning young adult novel combining elements of science fiction, mystery, and romance. Part of a trilogy, this book introduces readers to a young woman who refuses to give up on the man she loves, even if it means taking on an entire government to do so.

Thank you to Blue Moon Publishers at NetGalley for sending me this eARC!

I am sad to share that I dragged myself through the last 100 pages of this book.

There are many things about Nirvana that didn't sit well with me and I think the main one is the lack of interesting characters. We're introduced to Larissa Kenders, (who hates being called by her first name, why? No clue), a 17-year-old who is engaged to a 25-year-old computer engineer/scientist/prodigy and who has led revolts against money-hungry companies through her fame as a rock star.

She sounds interesting enough, so why does her character fall flat? A lot of the novel is told through Kender's point-of-view but there are random chapters here and there told through someone else and the sequence is never consistent. I didn't see the point in alternating the chapters besides giving us information that Kenders didn't have access to. But if that was the case, why not establish a secondary consistent character? These alternating chapters might as well have been told through a janitor's pov.

While none of the characters stood out for me, I was particularly disappointed in Kender's development. We're told from the beginning that she's feisty, unapologetic, a rock star, and the kind of girl that would throw blood on people for wearing fur. However, I don't think we ever see any of that. Instead, Kenders develops into a one-dimensional character who never really takes charge of the situation and instead follows other people's orders. It was aggravating to see obvious clues that she never picked up on. For example:

"Did you leave the stick?" I ask.  

"What stick?" 

I tell him, and the blood drains from his face. He says nothing, his furrowed brows closing in on his expression.  

What happens next? Kenders goes to sleep. Um...hello?? If your fiancee's face becomes pale after a conversation, isn't that something to follow up on? Something to prod about? There were many frustrating moments like these.

Nirvana is set in the year 2088 and Kenders dumps a lot of information here and there to let the reader know how much the future has changed. However, it is A LOT to take in at once. I found them very confusing and after the first 50 pages or so my eyes started glossing over paragraphs of information. Another extremely confusing aspect was the timeline. If I'm correct in my math, Kenders was 14 when she met Andrew, (her fiancee), who was 22. Even in the present time, when Kenders is 17, he's 25. UM, do I really need to say anything else? Kenders finished high school years ago apparently, graduated college, toured Canada with her punk band and (pause for breath) worked for the government for a couple of years already.

It was all very confusing and gave me a headache trying to figure out. And although I think this novel deserves 1 star, I do applaud the author for taking reader's feedback and revising the story.

Book Review: Finding Hope by Colleen Nelson

Finding Hope by Colleen Nelson

(Goodreads)

Hope lives in a small town with nothing to do and nowhere to go. With a drug addict for a brother, she focuses on the only thing that keeps her sane, writing poetry. To escape, she jumps at the chance to attend Ravenhurst Academy as a boarding student. She’ll even put up with the clique-ish Ravens if it means making a fresh start. 

At first, Ravenhurst is better than Hope could have dreamed. She has a boyfriend and a cool roommate, and she might finally have found a place she can fit in. But can she trust her online boyfriend? And what can she do after her brother shows up at the school gates, desperate for help, and the Ravens turn on her? Trapped and unsure, Hope realizes that if she wants to save her brother, she has to save herself first.

Thanks to Dundurn at NetGalley for sending me this eARC! 

I came to work Monday morning only to discover that (groan/gasp!) I had forgotten my current read at home (Dance, Dance, Dance by Haruki Murakami). However, NetGalley has my back, as I remembered I had been approved for a couple of books to read in advance. What drew me to request Finding Hope was initially the cover art. Without a doubt, it catches the eye with its simplistic and well-balanced design. The summary sold me. I was definitely interested in walking into Hope's troubled teenage life filled with poetry, boy troubles, and her addict brother.

Let me tell you why I walked away disappointed.

Finding Hope is told through a dual-pov (point of view) shared between Hope and her brother, Eric. The summary doesn't hint anything towards this, it makes it out to be Hope's story (and after all, the title does have her name on it). However, I think it's this dual-pov that got me through the story. The chapters are incredibly short (I believe the longest might be four pages at most) and make it a quick read (I'd say I finished his in about five to six hours total).

While I liked these micro-chapters, they limited the characters from developing and coming into their own. I didn't find Hope. Or Eric. Or any real character that stood out. I think that since the chapters were so short, each word mattered even more and Nelson didn't really utilize that space to pack a punch. Hope went to a boarding school for a fresh start but it doesn't really feel like she takes advantage of that. Aside from her quick interaction with some mean girls and her roommate on occasion, Hope keeps to herself.

Even when she enters a relationship with her boyfriend, it doesn't feel like she interacts with him at all. We essentially know close to nothing about her boyfriend or how they interact or what they talk about. I think this could have been easily fixed by putting in more conversations between them; Hope texting him about a mean teacher or upcoming test, her boyfriend (Devon) cheering her on, talking about hobbies, etc... We don't get a sense that she's even attending classes or has any homework, little details like this that would have grounded the plot more.

There's so many issues in this novel that make for a great storyline (highlight for spoilers: drug abuse, sexual abuse, bullying, slut shaming, online relationships.) None of these issues were dug any deeper than the surface; in Nelson's own words, "scratch-the-surface-and-you're through" (185). Nelson's writing is clear, there's no doubt about that, it doesn't confuse or bore but could have used more details. For example, Eric gets a dog at one point and all I remember was it having brown eyes? I would have loved to know what kind of fur it had, if it grew throughout the book, or if it smelled or had any habits.

Overall not a bad book, but not memorable.

*

"A meth-head brother. Trailer trash family. A mom who thinks her daughter deserves better than she does. Hope: a liar, a cheat, pretending to be someone she's not. How could I answer these accusations, when they were all true?" (160-161)

.5

Book Review: Hide by Mathew Griffin

Hide by Mathew Griffin

(Goodreads)

Set in a declining textile town in North Carolina, Hide is the love story of Wendell Wilson, a taxidermist, and Frank Clifton, a veteran of World War II. They meet after the war, in a time when such love holds real danger. But, severing nearly all ties with the rest of the world, they carve out a home for themselves on the outskirts of town and for decades the routine of self-reliant domesticity--Wendell's cooking, Frank's care for a yard no one sees, and the vicarious drama of courtroom TV--seems to protect them.  

But when Wendell finds Frank lying motionless outside at the age of eighty-three, their carefully crafted life together begins to unravel. As Frank's physical strength deteriorates and his memory dissolves, Wendell struggles in vain to keep him healthy and to hold onto the man he once knew until, faced with giving care beyond his capacity, he must come to terms with the consequences of half a century in seclusion, the sacrifices they made for each other, and the different lives they might have lived--and most especially the impending, inexorable loss of the one they had.

Thanks to Bloomsbury USA at NetGalley for providing me with this eARC! 

I have to be honest: I feel hesitant about posting this review. Why? For two reasons, the first being that I wasn't able to finish this book and the second being that I feel bad for not liking this novel.

As with any other book I entered Mathew Griffin's debut novel with an open mind. The premise seemed interesting and I was ready to give my heart to Frank and Wendell, whose love had kept them together for a bit over five decades. However, I was about fifty pages in and I felt no connection to any aspect of the book.

Frank seemed like the most stubborn old person with no redeeming qualities. The story is told from Wendell's point of view and I struggled to find why he loved Frank, most of the time it was just Wendell looking after Frank and doing things for him that he was too stubborn to do. This novel uses two different perspectives in the form of alternating chapters to tell the current situation and how the two met. I thought I'd find a connection when I read about how they fell in love but instead I was disappointed, I didn't feel like there was a story to tell.

There's a lot of descriptions of mundane everyday things. The kind of things that grandparents drone on about but you listen to because you love them and you care about what they want to share with you. But because I was never given a reason to love and care about Frank and Wendell, these descriptions bored me (a scene that comes to mind is Wendell describing how he had to wash a knife twice because the first time the food didn't come off it all the way).

At the end of chapter 7 (around page 70), I realized I couldn't finish this novel. The only thing I liked about this novel was the gorgeous cover art. I really do wish I could have enjoyed it as much as others seem to.

Book Review: Beside Myself by Ann Morgan

Beside Myself by Ann Morgan

(Goodreads)

No one believes Helen when she insists she isn’t Ellie, and suddenly, everything that used to be Helen’s—from her toys to her friends to her identity—now belongs to her sister. With those around her oblivious to her plight, the girl who used to be Helen loses her sense of self and withdraws into a spiral of behavioral problems, delinquency, and mental illness. In time, she’s not even sure of her memory of the switch.  

Twenty-five years later, she receives a call that threatens to pull her back into her sister’s dangerous orbit. Will she take this chance to face her past?

Thanks to Bloomsbury USA at NetGalley for providing me with an eARC!

I had a huge headache around seventy or so pages in. And I'm sure Helen (Ellie? Smudge?) had more than a headache to deal with after this childhood fiasco. The premise to this novel immediately grabbed me when I came across it; it's incredibly frustrating when no one believes something that you know to be the absolute truth and what's even worse is when someone's lie is believed over your truth. Honestly, this has happened to me (mostly as a child) and has driven me to tears and resentment so I can't imagine what my life would be like if I was in Helen's place.

(To avoid confusion, I will refer to Helen as 'the main character' hereafter.) 

Beside Myself alternates each chapter from two different points of views: the main character's present and past. It was really interesting to see the POV change from first person to second person to third; it really showed how detached the main character became. However, I believe that the switching back and forth between POVs is what actually gave me a headache, it's definitely a lot to keep up with.

It was hard not to gloss over some of the early chapters of the main character's present because of how descriptive they were. It does make it seem like a slow start at the beginning, but thankfully the plot quickly picks up after that. I wouldn't say I'm disappointed with the ending, but I did leave incredibly frustrated. Since I was reading this as an ebook, what I thought were about 40 more pages of the novel were actually just blank pages.

I would have liked the ends to be tied a bit neater and more of the main character explored. There's so many questions that I felt she didn't ask: time she spent silenced, waiting for answers for questions she never asked. A lot of the time growing up, it seemed as if she was an only child when in reality she was a twin who shared a room with said sister. Was their time together really spent in radio silence? Was there never a shared moment or another attempt to reveal the truth, at least between them?

Nevertheless, this novel gives you a really close-up look at how a mental illness can develop in early childhood and what can happen when it's swept under the rug. It made me tremendously sad to see the main character develop so many unhealthy thinking patterns and cope with them in unhealthy ways. But honestly, who can blame her? When no one wants to believe you, it makes you not want to believe anyone, including yourself.

Memorable Quote 

"And that is when I learn the secret: that you don't have to be anyone. You don't have to be Helen or Ellie. You don't have to be any kid of person. You can just float up through the branches into the sky like balloon, until you are far away looking down on the people scurrying about their Christmases like ants and no one can touch you at all." (111)

Book Review: The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss (a novel IRL) by Max Wirestone

The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss (a novel IRL) by Max Wirestone

(Goodreads)

The odds of Dahlia successfully navigating adulthood are 3,720 to 1.  

But never tell her the odds. Meet Dahlia Moss, the reigning queen of unfortunate decision-making in the St. Louis area. Unemployed, broke, and on her last bowl of ramen, she's not living her best life. But that's all about to change.  

Before Dahlia can make her life any messier on her own she's offered a job. A job that she's woefully under-qualified for. A job that will lead her to a murder, an MMORPG, and possibly a fella (or two?). 

Turns out unfortunate decisions abound, and she's just the girl to deal with them.

Thank you to Redhook Books at NetGalley for providing me with an eARC!

Without a doubt, this book is for geeks. And I say the word 'geeks' in a loving, 21st century kind of way. For those who are into about fifty different fandoms, gaming, and enjoy in-depth discussions of fictional character analysis. 

Dahlia Moss is extremely ordinary and she knows it. She's surrounded by people who are larger than life and don't know it. But without a doubt, Dahlia is funny. Her sense of humor comes through the pages and made me chuckle a lot throughout this novel. Because she's so ordinary I couldn't help but root for her, I kept thinking, 'jeez, give this girl a break!' at every turn.

I wasn't too fond of the romance, I don't feel that it added anything to the plot and it seemed mostly in the background and forgettable. I didn't feel a connection between Dahlia and her love interest and think I could have done without it. On the other hand, the gaming world of Zoth was explained very well and I have to commend Wirestone for that. I think a reader who didn't know the first thing about MMORPG would have an easy time understanding it. 

The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss (TUDODM?) is a quick and light humorous read with some mystery thrown in there and with about a hundred different geeky references. If Max Wirestone were to release another book with her adventures, I would definitely look forward to revisiting the mind of ordinary, but mostly funny, Dahlia Moss. 

Memorable Quote:  

"There was of course, no metal detector at the convention center. Because this was Arizona. At the Phoenix airport white people are offered complimentary handguns after passing through baggage claim, as a way of saying thank you and welcome to the Grand Canyon State."

Book Review: Devious Minds by KF Germaine

Devious Minds by KF Germaine 

(Goodreads)

When Sydney Porter transfers to Northern University, she’s ready to put her past behind her. Landing a job on campus as an irreverent radio personality, she uses the anonymity to air all the campus dirty laundry—earning the infamous Sunday Lane more than a few enemies. But her true passion is spinning records, even if Drunk Earl is her biggest fan. 

Sydney’s junior year kicks off with the promise to be amazing. Or at least it does until Gray Peters, hotshot quarterback, unexpectedly reenters the scene. His presence threatens to destroy everything she has going, as well as resurrecting a night Sydney never wants to remember or repeat. She’d run away like a coward, but this time she's determined to stay and fight.  

A twisted battle of wit and trickery ensues, with one common goal—vengeance. Sydney and Gray set out to make each other miserable. But misery loves company, and soon, walls are destroyed and truths are revealed that could change their future forever.

Thank you to The Hype PR at NetGalley for providing me with an eARC! 

When I first started this book, at about 30 pages or so, I couldn't decide if I liked Sydney Porter or not. I knew Sydney Porter was a badass, a tough chick with a very independent mindset. But what I couldn't figure out was if she was all bark and no bite. While she used her anonymity as a campus radio host to expose dirty laundry and act as a "cheeky, no-filters personality who picked apart university flaws and campus morons," (7) she also simultaneously used words like 'she-male" (28) and slut-shamed other girls for sleeping around.

Devious Minds alternates each of its 50 chapters between Sydney and Grey Porter (the object of Sydney's revenge), which I really enjoyed. The alternating chapters often told me more about the other character than themselves.  While I found Sydney problematic, I continued reading in hopes that she would redeem herself. And despite the alternating points of view, I would say that this is absolutely Sydney's book.

Gray is...well I called Gray a lot of things before calling him 'sweet' and unexpectedly so. I was impressed by the level of pranks that he pulled on Sydney, they were definitely clever and honestly funny (I'll just throw it out there: XL child size Iron Man costume; I was telling all my friends about it). I found their back and forth prank war honestly refreshing and funny and I almost wish it lasted throughout the entire book.

I have to give KF Germaine a thumbs up for her side characters, they were fleshed out, believable, and my heart went out to them because they reminded me of dear friends I've had. About a quarter of the way through the novel, I did find myself on #teamSydney because there's more to her than her tough exterior. Getting to know her as Gray did allowed me to understand why she wore that hard armor (although still side-eyeing the 'she-male' comment and slut shaming, it's 2015!)

Without a doubt, Devious Minds is funny and relatable. It does contain sexual content, but nothing too extreme that I felt myself needing to put my iPod touch away on public transit in fear that someone was reading over my shoulder. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a light and humorous read.

Memorable Quote: 

"Peters was an ass, and he just made a very lame joke (which I could appreciate), but still, I was standing outside a club at one in the morning, on my twenty-first birthday, with the first boy I'd ever slept with." (86)