Lefty's Lowdown: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
(A Court of Thorns and Roses #1)
Published: May 5, 2015 by Bloomsbury Children's
Source: Purchased

Summary from Goodreads: 
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it... or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

 So I'm the last person on the planet to read this novel, I know. I'm glad I finally read it, though, because it's pretty damn good. Not earth-shaking or anything, like it seems to be for some people, but pretty damn good.

The very first thing that sucked me into this novel was the writing. I know that seems like such a given, but from the very first page, it is obvious that Sarah J. Maas is a skilled wordsmith. Her writing is beautiful, and Feyre's voice is strong and engaging. Feyre in general is a strong and engaging character. She's selfless and prickly and I loved reading about her. I hated the way her family treated her, especially considering how much she did for them without ever receiving a thank you. I also really like how real she was. She struggles with insecurities and uncertainties and she struggles for strength at some points. Even in a world of fae, she is a relatable character.

While Tamlin eventually grew on me (A LOT), I was immediately charmed by Lucien. He is funny and rude and he's definitely the guy I would want to be best friends with. About halfway through the book, I came around to Tamlin, and by the end I loved him and I loved the relationship he and Feyre have. I know a lot of people weren't sold on him (and tons of people prefer Rhy, which I don't understand even a little bit), but I believe Tamlin really cares for Feyre. He's not very good at loving people, but it was clear how much he cared for him in the little things he did. All in all, though, I think Maas introduces a cast of characters that have depth and interesting backstories.

My biggest problem with this novel lies in the pacing. I almost DNFed this book because the first half drug really badly. Interesting things were happening and yet....I was buddy reading this with someone and she actually did DNF it, I believe. She said it was making her feel slumpy, and that's kinda where I was at, too. But I pushed through and the second half of the novel redeemed itself big time. The second half was addicting and exciting! I couldn't wait to see what would happen to Feyre and how she would escape her various predicaments.

This book has a lot of really fantastic things going for it: stunning writing, intriguing characters, and a steamy romance. I enjoyed the ending a lot, and was interested in the worldbuilding. This book would have been a total hit-it-out-of-the-park, 5-star read for me if the beginning had been more exciting, but it took me 8 or 9 days to slog through the first half, and I don't believe that can be overlooked. I was extremely satisfied by the ending, and, as of right now, I have no intentions of reading the sequel, because I kinda just want to leave Feyre's story where it is at the end of this novel.

3.75/5

Lefty's Lowdown: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
(Red Queen #1)
Published: February 10, 2015 by HarperTeen
Source: purchased

Summary from Goodreads: 
This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.

 I scored this baby for $1 at a LGBTQ thrift shop I was volunteering for in Atlanta. If that doesn't set the groundwork for a good find, I don't know what does. And a good find it was! Red Queen was everything I was hoping it would be: intense, with a sharp-tongued heroine, a bad case of social stratification, magic and charming boys! Right from the beginning, I was, in the words of my Goodreads status update, hooked so hard.

So, I'm not really sure if this book is considered dystopian or fantasy? I guess it does not really matter, because the bottom line is the world that Victoria Aveyard has created is utterly engrossing. The concept is that there are two different types of blood in the world. The Silvers are royalty. They have magic and money--and closed minds. The Reds are considered lesser. They scour for work so they don't have to fight in the ongoing war. Mare, the aforementioned sharp-tongued protagonist, doesn't have any skills to land her a job, though. She's a thief, and a damn good one. That all changes when she tries to steal from the wrong person. Mare lands a job at court and she learns about the cutthroat nature of the royal Silvers. Like I said, excellent world building. I couldn't help but be sucked into the politics and the society and the unique magical aspects. Seriously, I loved learning about the different types of magic in this world. Aveyard's creativity really shone when she developed the Red Queen universe.

Earlier, when I mentioned the charming boys, I wasn't kidding. There is somewhat of a love triangle present in this book, but it's not the annoying kind, I assure you. There's Cal and Maven, and I don't want to tell you much about them because that will give some spoilers that you need to experience for yourself. But just know that they both have their moments of glory, and while I didn't want to like one of them, I couldn't help but be charmed along the way. And then there's Kilorn, who is Mare's best friend, and not really a romantic interest. But I loved him. He is scrappy, and clearly cares about Mare. As of right now, I am Team Kilorn.

Red Queen is a book that calls loyalty into question. A book in which you're never sure what's true and who to trust. A book that is fast-paced and ensnaring. A book with strong writing and twists that will keep you turning pages faster than your fingers can handle. Red Queen is a great start to what I'm praying will be a dynamic series. I cannot wait to get my paws on book number 2.

4.5/5

Lefty's Lowdown: Thicker Than Water by Brigid Kemmerer

Thicker Than Water by Brigid Kemmerer
(Standalone)
Published: December 29, 2015 by Kensington
Source: I received an eARC for review via Netgalley, but that hasn't affected my thoughts in this book in any way, shape, or form.

Summary from Goodreads:
Thomas Bellweather hasn’t been in town long. Just long enough for his newlywed mother to be murdered, and for his new stepdad’s cop colleagues to decide Thomas is the primary suspect.

Not that there’s any evidence. But before Thomas got to Garretts Mill there had just been one other murder in twenty years.

The only person who believes him is Charlotte Rooker, little sister to three cops and, with her soft hands and sweet curves, straight-up dangerous to Thomas. Her best friend was the other murder vic. And she’d like a couple answers.

Answers that could get them both killed, and reveal a truth Thomas would die to keep hidden…

This book was not at all what I expected. but HOLY CRAP I LOVED IT. Mystery typically isn't my genre of choice, so I didn't go into this book with the highest of hopes. but from the very first sentence, I shit you not, this book had me hooked. 

My favorite part of this book was definitely the voice. Thicker Than Water is told in two different points of view: Thomas, the guy accused of murdering his mother, and Charlotte, the girl who just can't seem to stop getting wrapped up in his drama. Both of these characters have extremely sharp, engrossing voices. I'll admit, I'm a bit more partial to Thomas's voice because I thought he was a bit more sarcastic, and there were points I actually laughed out loud. Here are some of my favorite quotes by him.

"She stands with an older woman, and by older I mean that there's a chance her wrinkled skin might give up the fight and slide the rest of the way down her body. Ol' Wrinkly is wearing an honest-to-god navy blue hat with a veil" (location 98).

"She could call me Princess Sparklepants if she wants. I couldn't care less about my name at this point" (location 112). 

"Stan stands close to me. 'I don't mean to pry, but...do you have money for this, Tom?'

'I don't need money. I was planning to wait until the sales guy was distracted, then run.'" (location 1849)

Aside from just the voice, the characterization in this novel was great! Thomas was typically pretty moody, he was also so kind and misunderstood. My heart went out to him so much throughout the book. I got so super duper frustrated on his behalf. I honestly fell in love with him the second he was introduced. Like, I found a new book boyfriend here, that's for sure. I liked Charlotte a lot, too. She initially comes off as the semi-annoying girl who has to stick her nose in but can't stick up for herself, but she definitely redeems herself by the end of the novel, proving that there is some badassery in her after all. She's also kind, understanding, and refuses to accept that Thomas is the guy everyone says he is. I was super connected to the characters and I SHIP 'EM. Truth be told, it wasn't the shippiest ship I've ever shipped, but I was still rooting for them hardcore. I knew they belonged together.

All the secondary characters were interesting and well-developed as well. Charlotte has 3 brothers, each of which have their own distinct personality. I wouldn't say I necessarily loved them, but they were good characters. Stan, Thomas's new step-dad, is also a really interesting character. I loved seeing how much his relationship with Thomas developed over the course of the novel.

I also thought the pacing of the novel was really good. I was not bored while reading this or even a second. I tore through this book like it was nothing. There was not a single part of this novel where I felt like I just needed to power through.

I'll admit, I wasn't entirely surprised by the mystery aspect. I can't say a whole lot about it, but it wasn't that hard to predict. I also would not have minded if the paranormal aspect was a bit more expanded on. Aside from that, I have no complaints about this one! It was intriguing and it kept me ensnared more than any book has done in a really long time. I gotta say, I don't think the general synopsis of this book does it justice. Even if you're not a big mystery reader, I still encourage you to give this one a shot!

Rating: 

5/5

Lefty's Lowdown: Did I Mention I Love You by Estelle Maskame

Did I Mention I Love You by Estelle Maskame
(The DIMILY Trilogy #1)
Published: December 1, 2015 by Sourcebooks Fire
Source: Received an egalley for review via NetGalley, but I promise this hasn't influenced my opinion of the book at all!

Summary from Goodreads:
When sixteen-year-old Eden Munro agrees to spend the summer with her estranged father in the beachfront city of Santa Monica, California, she has no idea what she’s letting herself in for. Eden's parents are divorced and have gone their separate ways, and now her father has a brand new family. For Eden, this means she's about to meet three new step-brothers. The eldest of the three is Tyler Bruce, a troubled teenager with a short temper and a huge ego. Complete polar opposites, Eden quickly finds herself thrust into a world full of new experiences as Tyler's group of friends take her under their wing. But the one thing she just can't understand is Tyler, and the more she presses to figure out the truth about him, the more she finds herself falling for the one person she shouldn't – her step-brother.

Throw in Tyler's clingy girlfriend and a guy who has his eyes set on Eden, and there's secrets, lies and a whole lot of drama. But how can Eden keep her feelings under control? And can she ever work out the truth about Tyler?

Did I Mention I Love You is the first book in the phenomenal DIMILY trilogy, following the lives of Eden Munro and Tyler Bruce as they try to find their way in an increasingly confusing world. 

Okay, when I decided to start blogging again, I made a promise to myself that I was not going to let any part of this be unpleasant. I wasn't ever going to let any part of blogging feel like a chore, because that is what really killed me in my previous blogging endeavors. A big part of that promise includes not forcing myself to read books I'm not enjoying. Unfortunately, that brings me to Did I Mention I Love You.

Obviously I was really hoping to love this book, or else I wouldn't have requested it. However, hopes are not always met. I DNF'ed this book. I hate writing negative reviews with all my heart, but even more than that, I hate writing DNF reviews. Is it really fair to write a review for a book I didn't even complete? 

So let me make this very clear. I got 38% through this novel--I DID NOT FINISH READING THIS BOOK. I am only judging the parts I did read, and I can only give my reasons for not being able to finish it. 

The primary reason is that I hated all the characters, and that kind of leads into all the other stuff I disliked about this story. Every. Single. One. At first, I thought I was going to like Eden, the narrator, a lot. I thought I could relate to her. She was uncomfortable in social settings and seemed like a straightforward person. But she turned out to be a pushover, judgmental, hypocritical, and annoying as shit. I have so much rant to say about this girl that I honestly don't know where to start. She lets all her new friends convince her to do things and go to things she doesn't want to do, and then she complains about it the whole fucking time. She also criticizes everything everyone does and gets in their business when it is not at all her place. Like, I get that what your step-brother does is shitty, but how can you sit there and lecture him and get mad at him when you've known him for a total of two days? 

But oh boy! The step-brother/obvious love interest, Tyler. I never reached the point where they got together, but I don't want to, because everything about him is horrible. He is a teenage brat, acting like a total asshole just because he has a rough past. I get misbehaving, but this is a whole new level. He treats everyone like crap. The very first scene he's in, he interrupts a neighborhood barbecue, cusses at everyone, and insults them. No! And the little scenes where he is actually showing a bit of humanity do not excuse that kind of behavior. I don't want to read about the Eden, I don't want to read about Tyler, so I especially don't want to read about the relationship between them. 

All the secondary characters are more-or-less irrelevant. They party all the time. They care about sex and drugs and alcohol and they have no depth whatsoever. I don't like any of them, I don't care about any of them.

Honestly, I don't think there was a single meaningful interaction in the whole first 38% of the book. In fact, I feel like most of what I read were pointless arguments between Eden and Tyler. Like honestly stupid, melodramatic arguments. I don't need deep philosophical life lessons or anything, but I want something more than empty conversations and shallow interactions between characters. I don't care if that stuff comes later. It shouldn't be lacking throughout the entire beginning. I was bored, and I didn't care about what I was reading. I've read reviews on the book, so I know that there is a lot revealed about the characters in the part I didn't read, but I simply am not interested enough to read on and figure out what they are. 

I really wish I had something good to say about this novel, but I did not enjoy reading this even the slightest. I didn't look forward to picking it up, and I knew I needed to call it quits. 

Lefty's Lowdown: Ghostboy, Chameleon, and the Duke of Graffiti by Olivia Wildenstein

Ghostboy, Chameleon, and the Duke of Graffiti by Olivia Wildenstein
(standalone)
Published: April 8, 2015
Source: Received for review via Netgalley. I promise you that has in no way influenced my review or my opinions on the book.

Summary from Goodreads:
Some endings are inevitable, but so are some stories.

Cora Matthews, the principal’s gloomy goth daughter, is not exactly popular Duke Meyer’s type. Still, Duke finds himself inexplicably drawn to her dark eyes and mysterious manner. She makes it clear she doesn’t return his admiration, but when a burst appendix lands Duke in the hospital, he and Cora will be forced to come together by the most unlikely intermediary: her eight-year-old brother, Jaime.

Duke learns Jaime has brain cancer and little chance of long-term survival. He admires the kid’s plucky positivity and wild imagination and offers to write a story about Jaime’s make-believe superheroes. So begins an epic tale—that of Ghostboy, Chameleon, and the Duke of Graffiti—and a deep friendship between Duke and Jaime.

Despite their outward differences, Cora and Duke bond over their affection for Jaime, but unintended betrayal and Jaime’s advancing disease threaten to derail their blossoming romance before it can truly take root.

Ghostboy, Chameleon & the Duke of Graffiti is a gorgeous debut novel that will resonate with the thoughtful fans of John Green’s blockbuster The Fault in Our Stars. 

I finished this book just a few minutes ago, and I'm extremely conflicted about how I felt about it. It took me a little while to get into the story, and there were definitely things that annoyed the living crap out of me, but as I finished the last page, the feeling that settled over me let me know I was glad I got to read Ghostboy, Chameleon, and the Duke of Graffiti. 

As I said, it took me a while to get into this story, because the first half of this novel is absolutely infuriating. We're introduced to Duke, the protagonist, who is in the principle's office for painting a penis on the principle's car for a prank.Okay, I'll admit that part is funny. But it doesn't take us very long to get to know Duke's personality. Basically, he's a rich private school boy, really concerned about his popularity, his reputation, and, of course, sex. That's all realistic, I know. But he was also very ignorant.

And here's where it gets rant-y.

Duke kept judging Cora hardcore for all the makeup she wore and the piercings she had. The fact that she wore so much makeup was a major part of the story, actually, and that was really annoying. There just HAD to be a reason she liked to wear so much makeup, apparently. He even asked one of his teachers if Cora's dad abused her because she liked to wear such heavy makeup. GOD FORBID SHE WEARS THAT MUCH MAKEUP BECAUSE SHE FUCKING LIKES IT. And when he realized that he was kinda into Cora, he called it a twisted fantasy. It was just soooo wrong that he liked someone who wasn't a cheerleader. There was also one point where he google searched information on goths and took the stereotypes posted on the internet as truth. Like...what? He's supposed to be so smart (he wants to get into Harvard), but he reads that gothic people are typically gay so he thinks, "Hm...I bet she's a lesbian." 

I feel like this is such a prominent issue in our society nowadays. There is so much discussion about people being able to just like what they like, and I agree. Sometimes people wear black because they like the color black. I have a nose piercing because I thought it would look good. None of that says anything about a person's character. Obviously, all this pissed me off. 

But theeeennnn Duke meets Jaime in the hospital after an appendicitis surgery. He later figures out Jaime is Cora's little brother, and that he has brain cancer. But I just adore Jaime. It's impossible not to. He is this ball of energy and, for the most part, positive vibes. The relationship he forms with Duke is precious. They have this inexplicable bond that no one else would be able to fully understand. Duke tries to give Jaime every chance at happiness and Jaime changes Duke so much. The second Jaime steps on to the scene, this story is redeemed. Duke became much more tolerable. 

I'll admit, I found this book to be a bit slow, but a bunch of interesting things still happened. The story that Duke and Jaime begin to write together is creative and fun, and I would love to see that turned into a novel of its own. And when Duke starts helping Jaime fulfill his bucket list, I could not keep the grin off my face. I won't tell you exactly what happens, but I'll let you know a few of the items on Jaime's bucket list: drive a car, try beer, do something illegal, fly. There are definitely quite a few adventures! 

All in all, I enjoyed Wildenstein's debut much more than I thought I would in the beginning. I became invested in the characters, the story, and the story within the story. This book had me laughing and crying and I don't think anyone will regret reading it, even with the little peeves in the beginning. 

Rating: 

Actual rating: 3.5/5

Lefty's Lowdown: The Trouble with Destiny by Lauren Morrill

The Trouble with Destiny by Lauren Morrill

(Standalone)
Published: December 8, 2015 by Delacorte
Source: I received an eARC for review from the publisher via Netgalley. This does not affect my review in any way, don't worry.

Summary from Goodreads: 
It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey...

With her trusty baton and six insanely organized clipboards, drum major Liza Sanders is about to take Destiny by storm—the boat, that is. When Liza discovered that her beloved band was losing funding, she found Destiny, a luxury cruise ship complete with pools, midnight chocolate buffets, and a $25,000 spring break talent show prize.

Liza can’t imagine senior year without the band, and nothing will distract her from achieving victory. She’s therefore not interested when her old camp crush, Lenny, shows up on board, looking shockingly hipster-hot. And she’s especially not interested in Russ, the probably-as-dumb-as-he-is-cute prankster jock whose ex, Demi, happens be Liza’s ex–best friend and leader of the Athenas, a show choir that’s the band’s greatest competition.

But it’s not going to be smooth sailing. After the Destiny breaks down, all of Liza’s best-laid plans start to go awry. Liza likes to think of herself as an expert at almost everything, but when it comes to love, she’s about to find herself lost at sea.

I am a huge fan of Lauren Morrill's previous novels, Meant to Be and Being Sloane Jacobs, so I was really super excited when I got approved for her newest book, especially since it deals with the high school music department and I am a huge choir nerd. That being said, it breaks my heart to say anything negative about this book, but the truth is I have extremely mixed feelings about The Trouble with Destiny. 

Let's start with the things I enjoyed:

The premise - I've said it before, I'll say it again. I am an enormous choir nerd. It was my life throughout high school, and I'm still in choir in college (only now I get a scholarship to sing in it). While this book deals with band rather choir, it still makes my musical heart happy. There are not nearly enough YA books about band and choir kids. I'll admit, Morrill did a fairly good job handling this aspect. She definitely got the clique-yness right and showed how important these music programs can become to students. Reading about this realllly made me miss my high school choir fam. I wish we saw a bit more tension when it came to the competition. Yeah, we see Liza freaking out, but I know that music kids get really competitive no matter what's on the line, and I would have liked a bit more of that. 

The setting - I don't think I've ever read anything set on a cruise before, and it was a lot of fun. It was almost like I was reading an episode of Suite Life on Deck. I love how our characters are put in a place where there are so many luxuries, but they're all basically stuck together unless they plan on jumping overboard. 

The writing - When I open a Lauren Morrill book, I am expecting light, fluffy writing and a narrator that can bring the humor. I wasn't disappointed. Though I am not a huge fan of Liza's character (which I'll talk more about), I did like her voice a lot. 

And that's all I've got for the positives, honestly. Now let's talk cons:

Liza - So, Liza, our narrator, is the drum major of her high school band, which means she is like the leader. However, she takes it upon herself to be the band's freaking dictator. And she treats the people who are supposed to be her friends so poorly. I get that she is stressing and acting a little crazy because she is the only one who knows that the band might be losing it's funding, but we only really get to see that version of her. We don't know how she treats her band before all that craziness, so how are we supposed to know what she's really like? Also, it really bothers me that she thought she was the only one in the band who should know that there might not be a band much longer. I get that she was trying not to worry them, but she would have saved herself so much trouble had she just told them. Like, sweetie....you're not the only one capable of handling that information. ALSO, when situations get bad, she tends to run away from them. She didn't know how to calmly handle stressful things. Some leader. I'll admit, she grew a ton over the course of the novel, but that doesn't make up for how much I didn't enjoy her character as I was reading the first 80% of the novel. 

The romance - This right here is the most devastating thing to admit. I did not like the way the romance was handled in this book, for the most part. I thought, if nothing else, this would be what I loved about this novel, because Morrill wrote romance so well in both her previous novels. But alas. So, Debby at Snuggly Oranges wrote in her review of this novel that the romance was very A Midsummer Night's Dream, and I cannot think of a better way to describe it. I made a diagram for y'all.

As you can see, it's all very complicated...and that's not what bothered me. I think things like that are fun. What bothers me is how underdeveloped all of it was. I felt a big fat nothing about the romance and that doesn't happen to me, like, ever. Russ is great! He's goofy and sweet and seems to genuinely care about Liza, but we don't actually know anything about him besides the fact that he plays football. I totally wanted him to get what he wanted because I liked him, but I still felt no connection whatsoever to his and Liza's relationship. They don't even really have chemistry. Liza spends the whole book pining over Lenny and being a total bitch to Russ. I'm not even sure why he liked her. There was a lot of eye-rolling, that's for sure. 

Lenny's Ending - I can't say what it was, but it didn't really make sense to me. 

Missing authority figure - This is one of those tropes in YA that can work sometimes, but when it doesn't, it really doesn't. I'm sorry, but the drum major does not have THAT MUCH responsibility, but it was like she called most of the shots when it came to the band, while the actual director was doing who-knows-what. His absence is, realistically, unacceptable. Liza and her best friend Huck came up with a plan to keep him distracted for the trip, but that was an obvious move on Morrill's part to just get him out of the way. He finally became an authority figure at the most inconvenient time for Liza. It was my biggest pet peeve in this novel. 

Obviously, this novel really let me down. And that really sucks. But, while it was super predictable, I still felt the need to read it to its completion. If you're a Morrill fan, I'll tell you right here right now, you're most likely going to be disappointed by this book. If you've never read anything by her, I don't recommend starting with this one. 

Rating:

Actually 2.5/5

Check out her other books!

Meant to Be (November, 2012)

Being Sloane Jacobs (January, 2014)