Remember the time I read and reviewed The Book of Joan? For a book claiming to be feministy, it was the exact opposite! I felt the same way while read Remember the time I read and reviewed The Book of Joan? For a book claiming to be feministy, it was the exact opposite! I felt the same way while reading The Second Bell even though it makes no such claims!
Bitchy Characters The book’s about a town of women who are treated like pariahs by others. Shouldn’t they rise above that amongst themselves? All female characters behave so badly with each other. Do women need men to form true communities? What is the message behind this?
Problematic Villain Like a cartoonish cliche, the villain in this story has a one-track mind and he would do anything to achieve his objective. No one, not even his mother, who’s supposed to be a sort of wise woman and is regularly watching his outbursts and dark temper, can suss out his intentions. What’s more, our heroine develops feelings for him even when he has been horrible to her from the get go. Again, what’s the message?
Unexplained Plot Points Women who can tap into a certain power are treated like witches and kicked out into the wilderness. It’s plain to readers that power is an important plot point. Yet we’re shown next to nothing about it. Does it come with limits? What does it even do? Is using it actually bad or just another way of controlling women’s freedom? I couldn’t find the answer to any of these questions!
Unrealistic Ending Initially, the whole town was against women with powers. So much so, the townspeople made mothers abandon babies born with that ability. Even when they’re scared, a flood will wipe them out, those people refuse to accept the witchy women. All of a sudden, though, they not only try to save the protagonist by lending their energies to revive her but are completely okay living with those women? I mean, what changed?
Amazing premise but lackluster execution and clearly misogynistic vibes ruined this book for me!...more
What did I just read? I cannot put what I'm feeling into words because this book was just weird. Mothers choosing between their kids, girls so starved What did I just read? I cannot put what I'm feeling into words because this book was just weird. Mothers choosing between their kids, girls so starved of love and affection that they'd do anything to get some, and wishy-washy demons. Most of the female characters are either being beaten, harassed, or abused in some way by men. They pass along that hurt to other women. I just don't know why this book was written!
Also, I'm going to read at least one more book from this series to see if it's just me or the book/series that sucks!...more
I love all things steampunk but this book barely had any steampunk elements to it--unless you count the airship that the heroine travels on for a whil I love all things steampunk but this book barely had any steampunk elements to it--unless you count the airship that the heroine travels on for a while. Aside from that, I barely connected with any of the characters and the fact that Ember seemed to want to sleep with every male character was weird too. When we meet the male lead, he's scrawny and comes off more as a kid Ember takes under her wing than anything else. So, when she falls for him, it made for more weirdness. Other things struck me as odd too. For instance, Ember's dad was the king and didn't have any issues with human-fae intermingling. Yet his second wife actively persecutes and exiles whole swathes of his people and he doesn't find out? I mean, how? In short, this book wasn't a good fit for me.
This epic fantasy novel is set in a world that's part Ottoman/Persian and part Medieval when the Crusades were in full swing. To win the final battle, This epic fantasy novel is set in a world that's part Ottoman/Persian and part Medieval when the Crusades were in full swing. To win the final battle, old heroes will need to rise and believers will shun their gods to accept a newer, much darker deity. Dead emperors and theocratic demands will vie for victory. Who wins and if even that can be called winning is yet to be decided. I found the worldbuilding well done even if I wasn't completely sold on the rest....more
I requested this book on Netgalley and I’m so glad that I did!
A good book for readers who don’t want to fully immerse themselves in a new universe but I requested this book on Netgalley and I’m so glad that I did!
A good book for readers who don’t want to fully immerse themselves in a new universe but still want to enjoy road trip-based dystopian stories. Even so, I had no trouble caring for the protagonist. That said, I did feel a need for more explanation about why the world was the way it was.
In some ways, this book reminded me of the movie, Lou. If you haven’t seen it, do it now. Y’know those movies in which a cynical, retired spy who is living at the edge of the world is drawn into a last fight because of a naïve, innocent single mom and her abusive, murderous ex? It’s that but the spy is Allison Janney and not a male actor. She gives back as good as she gets and we also get a not-too unexpected twist at the end. In Twenty-Five to Life, we have a Lou-like Ranger who takes our protag under her wing. I liked her immediately!
Be warned, the going is slow and there isn’t much of a plot, except for a teenager runs away and faces the harsh reality....more
I requested this book on Netgalley and I’m so glad I did!
There are some books that you just can't help liking even though you know there are issues. T I requested this book on Netgalley and I’m so glad I did!
There are some books that you just can't help liking even though you know there are issues. This one was such a book. I hated the pacing and the ending was just so out there that I don't even know what to say about it.
Here's what I thought:
1. Representation and diversity in all its forms --almost. Whether you're talking about sexual orientation, disability, race, the characters populating this world are varied and multi-hued. What I would have liked were more female characters who were equally awesome -- besides the one monarch, one rape survivor deity, and a kidnapping survivor that we got. Any other women who did show up were maternal figures. Even the single female on the crew was cut off quite early when she got pregnant.
2. Tackling of social issues. From sex trafficking of minors to PTSD, the story takes on various social evils and treats them very carefully and justly. However, the glossing over of the fact that the reason the centaur-like race existed was rape did irk me. The incident is mentioned quite a few times but none of the characters express their revulsion over it -- except for the survivor, who mentions it JUST ONCE.
3. The writing. I really loved the writing. Some sentences were worded so beautifully that they made me want to hug the author. Like the one about father being the biggest word in giantstongue and almost all the scenes with Fen and Trueblood after they become a couple.
4. The humor. Loved it!
I liked the characters, their backstories, and the relationships they formed or sustained between themselves. I also liked the story a lot. So, to conclude, this was a good read for me!...more
I requested this book on Netgalley and I'm glad I did!
Another book that I liked a lot but for one thing: there’s no explanation about why the world i I requested this book on Netgalley and I'm glad I did!
Another book that I liked a lot but for one thing: there’s no explanation about why the world is the way it is. It felt as if I’d picked up the second book in an ongoing series.
There’s magic and aristocracy — the two are connected, so if you have magic, you have money. And there are rites and rituals that the aristocrats use to keep the others in line. They fight each other to gain more power and those squabbles are often fatal.
Amongst all that glitz and glamor is born our protagonist who doesn’t have magic. Her family barely tolerates her presence while she yearns to travel. All that I understood but then she meets someone from another country who is so alien that she calls him ghost. The family has no issues with homosexuality, but they disowned a gay character because he fell for a man not befitting their status. There’s also a lot of incest and rape going on.
In short, while I liked the book, I needed to know more about the world it’s set in. Maybe a sequel?...more
The system of magic because it sets itself apart from other similar books about youngsters going to an educational institution to learn it What I Liked
The system of magic because it sets itself apart from other similar books about youngsters going to an educational institution to learn it.
What I Didn't Like
There wasn't much of magic to see. It takes quite a lot of time for anything magical to happen.
(view spoiler)[The romance is cringe-worthy and forms the central plot of the story. Everything else, including the magic and urban fantasy elements exist only to further the romance. Moreover, it was very Stockholmish for me to like. The protagonist's main squeeze lies and manipulates at every turn. Even knowing that summoning a demon killed almost got him killed the first time, the main character blindly gives in to every whim of his partner. And why is there so much of sex?
The unlikeliness of it all. How can a Headmaster let his buddingly evil son into a school of magic when they know he'll summon a demon the next chance he gets? Why let him room with a student who will be studying magic? Why is the protagonist's bestie about to risk his career for someone he just met several months ago? How is the protagonist giving up everything and going against his parents after meeting the guy who he knows will betray him? Where's the character development? Where's the challenge if the first person the protag runs into IS the one he's searching for? (hide spoiler)]
As evident, this wasn't a good read for me!...more
I requested this book on Netgalley and I'm glad I did!
A very very sad and heartbreaking account of a Bohra family that practices Female Genital MutilaI requested this book on Netgalley and I'm glad I did!
A very very sad and heartbreaking account of a Bohra family that practices Female Genital Mutilation even in this age and day. Our protagonist is a married woman who has a daughter herself. She visits her family back in India after a long time. (view spoiler)[During that visit, she recovers a suppressed memory that is horrific. The worst part of all that goes on is the level of betrayal that the female children feel when it’s the women who have raised them who are responsible for the tragedy. (hide spoiler)]
I really liked the patient unspooling of the mystery as the protagonist rediscovers the family secret. The ending is bittersweet because it makes you hopeful about the future while also relating the immense amount of trauma that’s already happened....more
The cruelties and inhuman acts that our protagonists face in this novel aren’t the author’s creations. This book of Whitehead is firmly rooted in fact The cruelties and inhuman acts that our protagonists face in this novel aren’t the author’s creations. This book of Whitehead is firmly rooted in fact, even more so than The Underground Railroad had been. The readers don’t get to see the violence happen but it’s not that difficult to imagine. The beatings, the rapes, and other abuse, as well as the shed where they happened, and the hill where the boys’ bodies were buried. The ending surprised me but totally made sense. I can’t say I loved this book — for obvious reasons. But I’m going to recommend it to my friends interested in the history of racism....more
**spoiler alert** Okay, so I want to rate this book 4 stars but what stopped me was my pet peeve-unnecessary details involving characters who weren't **spoiler alert** Okay, so I want to rate this book 4 stars but what stopped me was my pet peeve-unnecessary details involving characters who weren't important to the story. Other than that, the book is amazing for several reasons: the vampire is a little girl (almost)-who wouldn't want to read about that, right? the vampire kills and there's no covering that up-no sexy smooth talking vegetarians here. you connect with both the kids intensely-when Oskar gets bullied, I wanted to go save him. the violence and the sadness and the loneliness just gets to you..chokes you up and keeps you reading. be warned, you WILL need Teddy Bears, if you want to get through this book with the least bit of depression the ending..well it takes the cake! I haven't seen the movie yet (any version)and will add to my review once I do.
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