[Review: This Darkness Mone by Mindy McGinnis

"This Darkness Mine"
Author: Mindy McGinnis
Series: None
Pages: 352
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Thriller, Horror
Date Published: October 10th, 2017
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Format Read: eARC provided by the publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

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Summary:

Sasha Stone knows her place—first-chair clarinet, top of her class, and at the side of her oxford-wearing boyfriend. She’s worked her entire life to ensure that her path to Oberlin Conservatory as a star musician is perfectly paved.

But suddenly there’s a fork in the road, in the shape of Isaac Harver. Her body shifts toward him when he walks by, her skin misses his touch even though she’s never known it, and she relishes the smell of him—smoke, beer, and trouble—all the things she’s avoided to get where she is. Even worse, every time he’s near Sasha, her heart stops, literally. Why does he know her so well—too well—and she doesn’t know him at all?

Sasha discovers that her by-the-book life began by ending another’s: the twin sister she absorbed in the womb. But that doesn’t explain the gaps of missing time in her practice schedule or the memories she has of things she certainly never did with Isaac. As Sasha loses her much-cherished control, her life—and heart—become more entangled with Isaac. Armed with the knowledge that her heart might not be hers alone, Sasha must decide what she’s willing to do—and who she’s willing to hurt—to take it back.

Edgar Award–winning author Mindy McGinnis delivers a dark and gripping psychological thriller about a girl at war with herself, and what it really means to be good or bad.

-Goodreads

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My Thoughts:

If you've ever wondered what it would be like if Mindy McGinnis wrote a magical realism book, This Darkness Mine is the answer to your question. And yes, it's just as twisted, uncomfortable, and utterly fucked up as you'd expect it to be. Honestly, this book isn't for the faint of heart. This book is brutal... in all the best ways.

Mindy McGinnis is one of the few authors who are on my instant buy list, and she hasn't let me down yet. Even though this is the weirdest book in her catalogue so far, I dig it. This Darkness Mine is one of those books that's hard to review, because you don't want to give anything away, and you honestly can't put your finger on how to review it. 

I'm sure that some people are going to say that the plot isn't realistic, and I think that that's what makes it work. I mean the main character absorbs her twin in the womb, and that's just the beginning of the messed up things that "perfect" Sasha Stone has done to the people around her. Is Sasha the only one living in her body, or is her dead twin still around? McGinnis explores this idea in ways that can't be medically verified, but like I said, this book feels like a messed up, magical realism novel, so it worked for me.

Sasha starts out as this perfect angel, and it's fun to see who she truly is. Some might call her an antihero, some might call her a villain, and truth be told, she's not a good girl, that's for sure. 

On one side, it feels like you're watching Sasha's life unravel, but if you look closely I think that this book is about Sasha finding herself. She's not nice, she's not a reliable narrator, and if you're looking for a cute story about a girl finding out who she is, this isn't going to be the book for you. McGinnis is unflinchingly real with her narrative, and even though you'll be disturbed, you won't be able to look away.

Rating:

4 Unicorns = Close to perfect!

[Review: Among the Red Stars by Gwen C. Katz]

"Among the Red Stars"
Author: Gwen C. Katz
Series: None
Pages: 384
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, War Stories
Date Published: October 3rd, 2017
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format Read: eARC provided by the publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

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Summary:

World War Two has shattered Valka’s homeland of Russia, and Valka is determined to help the effort. She knows her skills as a pilot rival the best of the men, so when an all-female aviation group forms, Valka is the first to sign up.

Flying has always meant freedom and exhilaration for Valka, but dropping bombs on German soldiers from a fragile canvas biplane is no joyride. The war is taking its toll on everyone, including the boy Valka grew up with, who is fighting for his life on the front lines.

As the war intensifies and those around her fall, Valka must decide how much she is willing to risk to defend the skies she once called home.

Inspired by the true story of the airwomen the Nazis called Night Witches, Gwen C. Katz weaves a tale of strength and sacrifice, learning to fight for yourself, and the perils of a world at war.

-Goodreads

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My Thoughts:

I love when a book takes real events, real people, and then transposes a fictional story over the top. That's how Among the Red Stars is written, and this is why I enjoyed this book so much. Katz tells a tale of the Night Witches, a group of female airwomen that flew the skies during World War II in Soviet Russia. 

We read a lot of World War II stories, but for the most part we're reading stories that take place in Europe, Great Britain, or America. Katz brings us the story from the eyes of a female pilot fighting for Russia, and it makes the narrative new, it shows the war in a new light, and it also gives us a little bit of Russian history as well.

Valka is a wonderful character, and even though she's one of the fictional ones, she feels real. You feel her excitement when she realizes that all of her flight time in a broken down plane is actually going to let her help her country, you see the conflict she has when the war becomes something that she's fighting, and you get to learn history as her story unfolds. Valka has to deal with the realities of war, and the fact that she's the one dropping bombs on people in the dark of night. 

The story is told two ways, we get to see letters written between Valka and her old friend Pasha, and also what is happening to Valka while she waits for his replies. The letters give the story a bit of a romance, but they're also there to tell you what it was like for the men on the ground as well as the women in the sky. Sometimes the romance aspect got a little old (which is why this drops from a 5 to 4 unicorn book), but I enjoyed the letters for that inside look into the other, male driven side of the war.

And let's not forget that this story is also about female friendship. It's a story about girls brought together by a love of flying, as well as a love for their country, that then becomes a love for each other. Valka and her cousin go to sign up for the war together, and become a team that we can't help but root for.

I think what I found most interesting about this book is that so much of it is true. Sure, Katz tells us in the author's notes that she had to fudge a bit of the truth to make her story work, but that was basically just timelines. And even though Valka, her cousin, Pasha, and the characters in Valka's family weren't real, so many of the other women who feel these pages were. Make sure you read the author's note when you're done, it'll put the story in a whole new light.

Rating:

 

 4 Unicorns = Close to perfect!

[Review: Odd & True by Cat Winters]

"Odd & True"
Author: Cat Winters
Series: None
Pages: 368
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Paranormal
Date Published: September 12th, 2017
Publisher: Amulet Books
Format Read: eARC provided by the publisher (via NetGalley) for honest review

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Summary:

Trudchen grew up hearing Odette’s stories of their monster-slaying mother and a magician’s curse. But now that Tru’s older, she’s starting to wonder if her older sister’s tales were just comforting lies, especially because there’s nothing fantastic about her own life—permanently disabled and in constant pain from childhood polio.

In 1909, after a two-year absence, Od reappears with a suitcase supposedly full of weapons and a promise to rescue Tru from the monsters on their way to attack her. But it’s Od who seems haunted by something. And when the sisters’ search for their mother leads them to a face-off with the Leeds Devil, a nightmarish beast that’s wreaking havoc in the Mid-Atlantic states, Tru discovers the peculiar possibility that she and her sister—despite their dark pasts and ordinary appearances—might, indeed, have magic after all.

-Goodreads

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My Thoughts:

Cat Winters has done it again, blending reality and the paranormal, while making you wonder what's real and what's not. If you're familiar with Winters' work, "Odd & True" will feel both familiar and new. While the novel has all the staples of a Winters' novel, it also feels a lot darker, and like more of a fairytale than any of her previous YA novels. 

"Odd & True" is the story of two sisters and the stories that they tell themselves. As the narrative unfolds the walls between what is real and what is made up start to break down. This is a historical novel that's deeply rooted in heartache and darkness, and yet there is still a lightness, and a love that fills the pages. 

It's a historical fairytale in a way. Odd tells True about their life and weaves a story of mothers who are monster hunters, and castles on hills, but it's what she's hiding behind these pretty stories that makes this book so interesting. Odd's a haunted character, and the way she deals with confronting her demons is to be commended! She's such a great character.

And then we have True. True who has grown up feeling like her family isn't a mess, thanks to Odd. But she's got her own things to deal with, including a disability she got from having polio as a child. Winters' takes True from a shy character to one that's just as strong and just as interesting as her older sister, and it's great fun to watch her grow as the story unfolds. 

The story comes to a head when the sisters take off to hunt down their mother, and the great Leeds Devil. Do they really come from a family of monster hunters? Is the Leeds Devil real? Will they make it out alive? And what secrets are each of the girls hiding? You're just going to have to read "Odd & True" to find out.

  5 Unicorns = Get Your Hands On This NOW!

[Review: I See London, I See France by Sarah Mlynowski]

"I See London, I See France"
Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Series: I See London, I See France #1
Pages: 336
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance, Travel
Date Published: July 11th, 2017
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

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Summary:

I see London, I see France
I see Sydney’s underpants.

Nineteen-year-old Sydney has the perfect summer mapped out. She’s spending the next four and half weeks traveling through Europe with her childhood best friend, Leela. Their plans include Eiffel-Tower selfies, eating cocco gelato, and making out with très hot strangers. Her plans do not include Leela’s cheating ex-boyfriend showing up on the flight to London, falling for the cheating ex-boyfriend’s très hot friend, monitoring her mother’s spiraling mental health via texts, or feeling like the rope in a friendship tug-of-war.

In this hilarious and unforgettable adventure, New York Times bestselling author Sarah Mlynowski tells the story of a girl learning to navigate secret romances, thorny relationships, and the London Tube. As Sydney zigzags through Amsterdam, Switzerland, Italy, and France, she must learn when to hold on, when to keep moving, and when to jump into the Riviera… wearing only her polka dot underpants.

-Goodread

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My Thoughts:

Okay, this is the perfect summer read. It's fluffy as you can get, but it's also deals with some tough issues. I feel like the best fluffy summer reads always deal with more than just a hot romance. That being said, I See London, I See France also delivers in the romance category. So much so that I'd almost argue that it's more of a New Adult title than a YA one. That being said I wouldn't change anything about this book.

It's fun to see Sydney break away from her family. She's been looking out for her mom since her dad left them, and it's not an easy job. Her mom can't even leave the house, and so Syd and her little sister have been tied down to one place for as long as they can remember. I love that it takes a trip to Europe for everyone to find their own footing in Sydney's family. And the family dynamics makes the story seem a bit more real.

The main story is a bit silly and predictable. Two girls go to Europe and the cheating ex shows up with a hot friend. It's simplistic, but in being simple you actually get a feel for some of the foreign places the girls see. I like that in a travel themed book. Sure, the books a bit goofy, but weird, goofy things happen when you're out traveling the world. 

All in all I enjoyed this book a lot. If you're looking to get away this summer, pick I See London, I See France up!

  4 Unicorns = Close to perfect!

[Review: This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab]

"This Savage Song"
Author: Victoria Schwab
Series: Monsters of Verity #1
Pages: 464
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Dystopian
Date Published: July 5th, 2016
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

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Summary:

There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.

-Goodreads

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My Thoughts:

To begin with I wasn't all that excited about This Savage Song. I felt like the beginning of the novel was pretty slow, and I wasn't really reading anything that I hadn't read before. Monster trying to be good, girl trying to impress her evil mastermind of a father, it's all been written before. But then something shifted, and I realized that Schwab set out to turn those stereotypes on their heads, by first presenting them in a well known way. It was a brilliant move, and by the end of this book, I was singing it's praises (see what I did there?) to anyone who wanted a book recommendation.  

I have to admit that I'm a Schwab newbie, which is strange, because I own a majority of her books. I've just been too busy to get around to them. After completing This Savage Song, that needs to change, and quickly. Schwab is twisty writer who isn't afraid to take the story in the least expected direction. But she also knows when to play right into your pocket. 

The beginning of the novel focuses on the main characters individually. We see August and Kate in their own worlds, surrounded by their own problems, and dealing with their own insecurities. I see now that Schwab took her time introducing her characters because once the action hits, it never lets up. It was when the two story lines come together that I got really excited about the novel. The way August and Kate interact is brilliant, and though there are moments of spark, I liked that this book didn't become all about a love story, but rather two characters learning to love themselves side by side.

Okay, don't get me wrong, August is cool. I like him a lot, but he pales in comparison to Kate. She's become my little anti-hero queen. Seriously, she's got some mad chops, and it didn't take long for me to become of fan of her. 

All in all this book is about what makes us human, and what turns us into monsters. I liked that there isn't a clear hero or villain. The lines are muddied, and even when you close the book, you can't be sure who the good guys are, but you sure as hell can figure out who you're rooting for. 

I highly suggest that you read this book. It's a good one, and I can't wait for the next novel in the series!

Rating:

5 Unicorns = Get your hand on this NOW!

[Review: Red Velvet Crush by Christina Meredith]

"Red Velvet Crush"
Author: Christina Meredith
Series: None
Pages: 304
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Music
Date Published: June 14th, 2016
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

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Summary:

Rock music, a broken family, challenging sisters, and the crush of first love—Red Velvet Crush has everything you need in a summer read. For fans of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Eleanor & Park, and This Song Will Save Your Life.

Teddy Lee’s mother ran off when she was in second grade. And ever since, Teddy Lee, the often-overshadowed middle kid, has tried to keep her family together. But her older brother Winston usually keeps himself busy with smoking, drinking, and girls, and who knows what else. Her younger sister Billie is occupied with her shoplifting habit and boys . . . and who knows what else. So when Teddy Lee finally takes the songs she’s always written and forms a band, maybe it’ll bring everyone closer together, maybe it’ll be her time to shine. Unless Billie steals the spotlight—and the boy—just like she always does. Christina Meredith explores the complicated relationship of sisters—both the unconditional love and the unavoidable resentments—in a novel full of music, urgency, the first blushes of love, and the undeniable excitement of hitting the road. 

-Goodreads
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My Thoughts:

Finally, a book about music that I actually enjoyed. It's true that I'm really picky when it comes to books that have to do with bands and going on the road. In fact they usually fall really flat for me, but Red Velvet Crush surprised me, and I found that I really liked it. It's much better than the band name the book is named after, but that's beside the point. 

I think that what works so well for this novel is that it's about so much more than just the music. It reminded me of Almost Famous in that way. That the story is actually more about a group of people coming together and learning some really tough lessons, while also rocking out, and having a grand adventure at the same time. It's refreshing, and it's bold.

I also have to say that I really enjoyed Meredith's writing style. It's whimsical, but it's also brash, and I think it's one of the reasons that this book works so well. Her flowery prose makes reading some of the harsher details much more interesting. And she makes sure to make you feel as unsure as the characters in her story as you read along.

The relationships in Red Velvet Crush felt really authentic. They felt real, and that is part of this books charm. Sure Teddy Lee and her family aren't perfect (at all) but there is a love there that can't be denied. Winston, though he plays a part in the novel, takes a backseat to the relationship between Teddy Lee and Billie. Theirs is a sister bond that isn't full of rainbows and butterflies, and that's one of the biggest plot pushes of the book. It's uncomfortable sometimes, but it means that we get to see Teddy Lee grow a lot in the short amount of time that we have with her.

The romance element was fun, but it wasn't the best part of the book for me. In fact my only complaint with the book has to do with the romance and how it all ended. Now, I'm sure that teen readers are going to eat the end up, but as someone who's older, I found that it didn't work for me. 

That being said, Red Velvet Crush is a delightful summer read for anyone who's a music junkie like I am. Meredith fills the pages with old school band references, beautiful words to describe the music that's happening on the page, and some good old "on the road" shenanigans.  

Rating:

4 Unicorns = Close to perfect!

[Review: With Malice by Eileen Cook]

"With Malice"
Author: Eileen Cook
Series: None
Pages: 320
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Thriller
Date Published: June 7th, 2016
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

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Summary:

A read about a teenage girl who wakes up in a hospital bed and cannot remember the last six weeks of her life, including the accident that killed her best friend--only what if the accident wasn't an accident?

Eighteen-year-old Jill Charron wakes up in a hospital room, leg in a cast, stitches in her face and a big blank canvas where the last 6 weeks should be. She comes to discover she was involved in a fatal accident while on a school trip in Italy three days previous but was jetted home by her affluent father in order to receive quality care. Care that includes a lawyer. And a press team. Because maybe the accident...wasn't an accident. Wondering not just what happened but what she did, Jill tries to piece together the events of the past six weeks before she loses her thin hold on her once-perfect life.

-Goodreads

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My Thoughts:

With Malice is the kind of YA thriller that I've been missing in my life lately. It's dark, and confusing, and it'll take you on a trip into the mind of someone who can't remember a life shattering event until people tell her what happened. I think that Cook is a genius for giving us the story from the view of someone who doesn't remember what happened. And the question of whether or not the accident was actually an accident will keep you on the edge of your seat. 

This book is one of those books that's hard to talk about. It's so convoluted that if you say too much you're going to give away a chunk of the plot. And nobody wants that. 

I will say that Jill's character was a really interesting one. Cook made sure that you felt for her, even though you knew she was an unreliable narrator. She can't remember the last six months of her life, and she's thrown into a confusing world that the people around her expect her to understand.

Most of the secondary characters are frustrating, and I disliked her father the most of all. But I am glad that Cook decided to give Jill a friend in the form of her roommate Anna. And that Cook actually uses Anna's character to move the plot along. 

If you love a good mystery, who done it, what really happened, type of book, then this is the one that you should be reading this summer. Plus some of the book takes place in Italy, and if that's not the perfect summer vacation spot I don't know what is. 

Rating:

5 Unicorns = Get your hands on this NOW!