Rating: 4.5 Stars Genre: Historical/LGBT/Greek Mythology Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: Bought Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. By all rights their paths should never cross, but Achilles takes the shamed prince as his friend, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine their bond blossoms into something deeper - despite the displeasure of Achilles' mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But then word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus journeys with Achilles to Troy, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear. Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart. This book was incredible, but not quite how I'd expected.
“There are no bargains between lion and men. I will kill you and eat you raw.” Like most people, I've heard this book mentioned A LOT but other than knowing it was a Trojan War re-telling, that it featured a queer romance, and that it was 'guaranteed to make me cry, I didn't really know what to expect. I'm a huge lover of Greek mythology, so much so that I'm writing my own Greek myth-inspired story, and after reading Lore by Alexandra Bracken earlier this year, I was desperate for a more adult mythology re-telling. I want to begin by saying that the prose in this book is beautiful, complex and completely immersive. I was transported to Ancient Greece the moment I started reading and found the entire world fascinating. Ultimately though, it was the characters, particularly Patroclus, that made this book incredible. He's a fantastic narrator, so well developed that I could hear his voice in my head, and my heart broke for him several times throughout the book. His relationship with Achilles seems simple at first, but it grows and changes, as the characters do, until it becomes something complex, gritty, and real, giving much more weight to the story than a simple romance. “Name one hero who was happy.” While the emotion in this story didn't bring me to tears, as I'd been promised (although the ending brought me extremely close) it was no less there. It made my heart heavy and light so many times, and while the pacing isn't particularly fast, the characters and the emotional writing kept me gripped from start to finish. So, if you think you'd enjoy losing yourself in Greek mythology, with a brilliant yet tragic queer storyline, and characters who feel real, you'll love The Song of Achilles. “We were like gods at the dawning of the world, & our joy was so bright we could see nothing else but the other.” Rating: 5 STARS! Genre: LGBT/YA/Contemporary Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: Bought Freddie has a reputation as a ‘nice guy’ – inoffensive, sweet, kind – and therefore completely un-dateable. As he starts sixth form, Freddie decides that this nice guy isn’t going to finish last any more. No more missing out on parties because he’s got to do his homework. No more saying no when he really wants to say yes. And most of all no more lusting after unobtainable straight boys who enjoy the attention but ultimately break his heart. Freddie embarks on a series of changes designed to transform his social and romantic life, and suddenly he’s a drama darling, getting invited to all the popular kids’ parties, and hot new boy Zach is showing an interest. Life couldn’t be better! But the path to love is never smooth – and Freddie’s about to learn that changing everything about yourself isn’t necessarily a foolproof way of finding the right person… It's summer, which means a new YA novel from Simon James Green!!
“Kissed a boy, nearly had a date, told lies, screwed it up, died lonely and bitter.” Simon is one of my favourite writers, his books never fail to entertain and I was so excited when I heard about his latest project that centres around Freddie, a complete wallflower with a 'nice guy' persona and a healthy appetite for cheese and doughnuts. After being mistaken for a waiter at the launch party for his mum's new tv show, and getting off on the wrong foot with the (very cute) star of the show, Freddie decides it's time to start putting himself out there and getting noticed. With the help of his hilarious (and amazing) friends, he finds himself auditioning for the school production of Grease and catching the eye of hot new guy, Zach. Yes, before you ask, I'm writing this while listening to the Grease soundtrack...why not! "It's Grease." Why does everything need a "gruesome underbelly" these days to be considered worthy? Why can't people just have a laugh and enjoy stuff - is the world not shit enough?" - Honestly, I bloody love this quote! Simon honestly writes the BEST British humour. I love how effortlessly funny his writing is, and You're the One That I Want is no different. Freddie is awkward, sweet and hilarious, his friends are amazing and his story is guaranteed to make you laugh. It's a little bit High School Music meets Yes Man, but set in a British public school...if that makes any sense at all! Urging each other out of their comfort zones, Freddie and his two best-friends find new love, the wrong love, and more importantly, learn that loving who they are is the most important thing of all. Simon deserves an award, if he hasn't won one already! He hits it out of the park with every single book he writes. So, if you're looking for drama (of the theatre variety), plenty of cheese (the best kind) and a love triangle with a twist, add You're the One That I Want to your TBR, or better yet, grab a copy and read it! “Because, sure, being a spectator may be safer, and by playing you might get hurt. But you might also feel the soaring high of a massive win - and for that, you really have gotta be in it." Rating: 4.5 STARS! Genre: YA/SciFi/LGBT Series/Standalone: The Extraordinaries #2 How I got this book: eARC via NetGalley and TorTeen Flash Fire is the explosive sequel to The Extraordinaries by USA Today bestselling author TJ Klune! Nick landed himself the superhero boyfriend of his dreams, but with new heroes arriving in Nova City it’s up to Nick and his friends to determine who is virtuous and who is villainous. Which is a lot to handle for a guy who just wants to finish his self-insert bakery AU fanfic. ARGHHHHH!
This book was AMAZING! The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune (book one in this series) was one of our Turn The Page book club selections last year and it was fantastic. Ever since finishing it and processing that cliffhanger of an ending, I've been desperate to get back to Nick and his friends and to find out what would happen next. If you haven't read book one yet, please note that there are spoilers for book one below. Flash Fire completely pulled me out of my recent reading slump, plunging me back into Nova City and the world of The Extraordinaries. I hadn't realised how much I'd missed these characters, but instantly fell back under TJ Klune's spell from page one as we're reunited with loveable, relatable Nick who's still coming to terms with the fact that his boyfriend is a famous superhero who can create fire, while also dealing with new revelations about his dad. TJ addresses a lot of big issues in this book, centring mainly around Nick's dad, a police officer demoted for violence, and how police brutality is affecting his perception of his dad and how he can reconcile that with the man who raised him and who he loves. It's a continuing theme and a deeply explored message throughout the entire book as Nick deals with how other people react to his dad, and what his dad has done. As always, I love the inherent queerness of this book, and all of TJ's books. Acceptance just shines throughout and makes the story more powerful. I love the action in this book, which feels a bit more intense than in book one, as the danger and tension builds around Nick and his friends. While Nick deals with things in his unique, often hilarious, way we have a fantastic, realistic portrayal of what it might be like to date someone with superpowers. We're also introduced to new characters in the book, and for those familiar with Klune's adult series', you might find a certain new character familiar. Honestly, though, as great as the plot and pacing and world-building of this story is, it'd be nothing without Nicky. He's such a refreshing, honest, sex-positive character who you can really root for and is so real he practically jumps from the pages. Prepare yourself for some epic reveals in this book, some things I saw coming, some I didn't, homages and Easter eggs to Klune's other works, edge of your seat, heart in your throat, tears in your eyes moments, and another GD cliffhanger that has me itching to read the next instalment!! A very-close to perfect read for me, so I'm going to leave you with my favourite quote: "It wasn't perfect, but then, Nick thought beautiful things didn't always have to be." Rating: 4.5 STARS Genre: LGBT/Fantasy/Paranormal Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: April 2021 Illumicrate Box! A pansexual bloodmage reluctantly teams up with an undead spirit to start a rebellion among the living and the dead. In Thanopolis, those gifted with magic are assigned undead spirits to guard them—and control them. Ever since Rovan’s father died trying to keep her from this fate, she’s hidden her magic. But when she accidentally reveals her powers, she’s bound to a spirit and thrust into a world of palace intrigue and deception. Desperate to escape, Rovan finds herself falling for two people she can’t fully trust: Lydea, a beguiling, rebellious princess; and Ivrilos, the handsome spirit with the ability to control Rovan, body and soul. Together, they uncover a secret that will destroy Thanopolis. To save them all, Rovan will have to start a rebellion in both the mortal world and the underworld, and find a way to trust the princess and spirit battling for her heart—if she doesn’t betray them first. TW: Murder, death of loved ones, violence, blood, gore, body horror, alcoholism, forced marriage, threat of rape/abuse, enforced gender roles.
A note before I get started: I always try to include TW/CW for any books that I read as I know they're really crucial for a lot of people BUT I know if I'd seen the warnings above before opening this book, I might not have read it and honestly, that would have been awful since this book turned out to be fantastic. So, without trying to spoil the book, I just want to say that this book doesn't have a tragic ending and 'murder/death aside' a lot of the warnings above are quite mild and just made the story more powerful. I've also seen several people commenting on the fact that queer characters die in this book, but pretty much all the main characters are queer, and things happen in a way that I don't for a second think this is an attack on queer identity. Okay, on to the review. ------------- I LOVED THIS BOOK! At the moment, standalone books are really my thing. I'm really tired of series, especially really long series which are feeling a bit tedious right now as I'm swamped with work and don't have as much time to read as I used to. So, I love that this book is a standalone. The ending was perfect and while I'd really enjoy a novella, I think things wrapped up pretty well. In the Ravenous Dark starts with a pretty epic prologue, where we're introduced to our main character, Rovan, as a young girl, forced to hide and watch as her father is captured and killed by the blood mages who serve the king. This opening scene was truly epic, bloody and a perfect way to open this book. We then jump forward in time to see Rovan at nineteen years old, passed out from drinking too much on top of a building after fooling around with a girl from the village, when an accident leads to her magic being revealed for all to see. I think Rovan is a really fun character. She's feisty, unashamed and reckless to a fault. She adds a lot of humour and spice to the book, and she's realistic in that she's a complete mess. She's pansexual and openly queer (as are most of the main characters), which was a refreshing take, and this book has a ton of great representation incl. lesbian relationships, pansexual characters, polyamory, and non-binary characters. The pacing of the book was great, if almost a little too fast, as certain things felt a bit rushed, mainly the relationships, but I'm so glad the author didn't drag things out unnecessarily and turn it into a series. I basically couldn't put it down once I started and read it in a few sittings. When Rovan is captured and taken to the palace, we meet a variety of characters incl. the lovely and friendly Japha, the beguiling Lydea (a princess trapped in a life she doesn't want), and dangerous Ivrilos (a centuries-dead spirit bound to Rovan against her will). The palace is a dangerous place, full of dark secrets, and Rovan must work out who she can trust. Overall, this is a really dark, gripping book. I love how the author blends blood magic, ghosts, found family, and a really great and unique queer relationship to create a blood-thirsty, darkly funny and tense fantasy that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I personally feel that this book would be better suited to an older YA/adult audience. It feels like, if it were a film, it'd be rated either 15 or 18 as it does contain some gore and heavier themes, but I loved it and will definitely be on the lookout for other work by this author. Rating: 4 STARS Genre: LGBT/Contemporary/Romance Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: Bought What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales? When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius—his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There's only one problem: Alex has a beef with the actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an Alex-Henry altercation, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse. Heads of family, state, and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instragramable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations and begs the question: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to be? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through? Casey McQuiston's Red, White & Royal Blue proves: true love isn't always diplomatic. TW: Addiction/drug abuse (mentioned), terminal illness/cancer (mentioned), homophobia, racism
I just KNEW I was going to love this book! I've been meaning to read it for ages and finally made a start last week. The writing was really easy to get into and I love the characters. I won't lie, I wasn't a huge fan of all the politics (but I knew it was going to be a big part of the book), it's just not my thing, but it didn't really detract from my enjoyment of the story at all as the characters, character development, and the nemesis-to-lovers storyline completely won me over. Alex is an immediately lovable character. He's fun and sweet, with plenty of sass, but he's also loyal to a fault, hardworking and he loves with his entire being, which was both a joy and heartbreaking at times. Henry is fantastic. He's the perfect mixture of haughty royal with the sweetest, loving centre, and he's the perfect match for Alex's personality. Together, they bring heaps of chemistry, heated looks and enough wit to keep me chuckling from start to finish. “Um,” he says. “How do you get a turkey to gobble?” “Try gobbling,” Henry says, “and see if he gobbles back.” Alex blinks. “Are you serious?” OMG! The turkey scene was hilarious. It had me in stitches! I hadn't expected this book to make me emotional. It was funny, and there were plenty of laugh out loud moments, but I honestly never expected it would make me cry, but it did. What happens to Alex and Henry is awful and there's a particular scene with Alex and his family towards the end of the book that just broke my heart. I was sobbing at this point. "A sound escapes his throat uninvited, something that he barely even recognizes, and June has him first, then the rest of them, arms and arms and hands and hands, pulling him close..." Overall, I loved this book. It was a great introduction to Casey McQuiston's writing, which I'm looking forward to reading more of. Red, White & Royal Blue checked all the boxes for me. It kept me gripped from start to finish, gave me lovable, contrasting characters who clash until then mesh and the character development was beautifully done. “History, huh? Bet we could make some.” Rating: 4.5 STARS Genre: LGBT/YA/Contemporary Series/Standalone: Heartstopper #3 and #4 How I got this book: Bought In this volume we’ll see the Heartstopper gang go on a school trip to Paris! Not only are Nick and Charlie navigating a new city, but also telling more people about their relationship AND learning more about the challenges each other are facing in private… Meanwhile Tao and Elle will face their feelings for each other, Tara and Darcy share more about their relationship origin story, and the teachers supervising the trip seem… rather close…? Heartstopper is about love, friendship, loyalty and mental illness. It encompasses all the small stories of Nick and Charlie's lives that together make up something larger, which speaks to all of us. Note: I've only included the bio here for Volume 3 as the Volume 4 bio contains spoilers.
TW: Homophobia (homophobic language), mental health (eating disorders and self-harm) I had a huge surprise last week when Heartstopper Volume 4 turned up several weeks early from the bookshop. So, I dropped everything to enjoy my annual Heartstopper re-read. Reading these books is the perfect way to spend a couple of hours. I love the characters that Alice Oseman has created. They're complex, diverse and relatable. Nick and Charlie are the sweetest. I love re-discovering their relationship every year and watching them grow together and support each other. I think Volume 3 might be one of the sweetest volumes between Nick and Charlie, where Volume 4 is probably the saddest and most challenging one yet as they finally face the problems that have been building since Volume 1. As always, Nick and Charlie's friends and family are also developing and I particularly loved Tori, Charlie's sister in Volume 4, as she proves, yet again, how awesome she is and how much she loves her brother. Reading Heartstopper is always bittersweet because I love it so much and just never want it to end. Check out my review of volume one and volume two. These books are the perfect way to while away a few hours with a fun, sweet YA romance while the author also works in serious issues and diversity in a way that feels both natural and impactful. Rating: 4 STARS Genre: LGBT/YA/Fantasy Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: Bought It’s 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl’s display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again. Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella’s mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all–and in the process, they learn that there’s more to Cinderella’s story than they ever knew . . . This fresh take on a classic story will make readers question the tales they’ve been told, and root for girls to break down the constructs of the world around them. Review by Sophie.
TW: Physical (domestic) abuse, homophobia, kidnapping, slavery (selling people), death/murder Rep: F/F romance. Black, lesbian and gay characters I’ve been wanting to read this for a while and was so glad when we chose it for the Turn the Page Book Club this month. This is my first fairy tale retelling and honestly, I didn’t know what to expect! “Do not be silent. Raise your voice. Be a light in the dark.” The book has a really strong opening, and the author does a fantastic job of setting up this dark and cruel, almost dystopian, world where women have no rights, no freedoms, and their only purpose is to serve and obey the men of Lille. In Marseilles, if you’re a woman, your fate is sealed at an annual ball where girls are presented in the image of Cinderella to be chosen as a wife. For these girls, there is no one to turn to and no escape. We meet our main character, Sophia, sneaking around, hiding from guards and trying to find the girl that she loves. Queer relationships are forbidden in Lille and the two girls face a prison sentence or death if caught. Straight away we learn that Sophia is loyal, headstrong and not afraid to fight for her rights as she tries to convince Erin to flee before the ball. “I was twelve when I told my parents that I would much rather find a princess than a prince.” Sophia, like all the other girls her age, is expected to attend the annual ball, so that she can be chosen as a wife. Those who aren’t chosen after the third time are considered forfeit and disappear, never to be seen again. The atmosphere in the story really builds as we begin to see the oppression of Lille's women and hints of something more sinister at play. “The palace underestimates the resourcefulness of women forced into a dark and dangerous place.” Soon, Sophia is on the run. Aided by her very sweet friend, Luke, she escapes the ball and seeks refuge in Cinderella's tomb. Here' we're introduced to the mysterious and seductive Constance, who I loved, even though I had my suspicions about her character! The two then set off on a journey to uncover the truth about the Cinderella story in an attempt to free the women of Lille. “That you try to flatter me when I have a blade at your neck makes me want to slit your throat and spare the world your ignorance.” Constance is totally badass, and I actually love her! I love how sassy she is, but also how collected she is too. She always seems to have it together. She’s quirky, fun, loyal and caring, and she’s got style. Together, Constance and Sophia make a great team, and author does a great job of building their relationship over the course of a relatively short period of time, in a fairly small novel. When we're introduced to Amina, the sarcasm and constant bickering between her and Constance had me laughing out loud, and I loved it. I really enjoyed how the writer created moments of fun and happiness during dark and difficult times. “The pockets,” she says. She puts her hands in them and gives a little twirl. “I love pockets.” I wish there was more of Constance in this story. Yes, she was one of the main characters, but I still kind of feel like I was missing a huge part of her in the book. I wish there was more about how badass she was, and more of what she was doing with her time before Sophia. The same goes for Amina. I loved her character and her personality, and even though I didn’t agree with all of her actions, I thought her character was brilliant and witty and funny. The ending was a little predictable, but all in all I loved this queer, feminist story. The writing was strong and compelling, and I loved the dark, twisted plot. Cinderella is Dead, was a great read and has set the bar for me regarding fairytale re-tellings. I can’t wait to discover others and can only hope they draw me in and capture me as well as this tale did. Rating: 3.5 STARS Genre: Adult Fantasy/LGBT+ Series/Standalone: Magic of the Lost #1 How I got this book: Bought (Illumicrate - check out my unboxing!) Touraine is a soldier. Stolen as a child and raised to kill and die for the empire, her only loyalty is to her fellow conscripts. But now, her company has been sent back to her homeland to stop a rebellion, and the ties of blood may be stronger than she thought. Luca needs a turncoat. Someone desperate enough to tiptoe the bayonet's edge between treason and orders. Someone who can sway the rebels toward peace, while Luca focuses on what really matters: getting her uncle off her throne. Through assassinations and massacres, in bedrooms and war rooms, Touraine and Luca will haggle over the price of a nation. But some things aren't for sale TW: rape, racism, slavery, torture, violence, gore
Rep: physical disability, queer I've been ruminating on my review of The Unbroken for a couple of days. My head was a little all over the place when I finished reading it and I wasn't exactly sure how I felt about the book. The Unbroken is unlike any book I've ever read. It's a very dark, adult fantasy, and while it is fiction and contains magic, it feels very real as the author deals with very heavy, unpleasant topics. The book centres around two characters, giving us a dual POV from Touraine, a conscript taken from her home as a child and raised as a soldier by the empire that took her, and Luca, the would-be queen. We meet Touraine as a lieutenant of the conscripts (the Sands). She's loyal to the empire that raised her, despite the hardships she and her soldiers face at every turn, but now she's met with new, unexpected challenges as she returns to the country she was taken from as a child to help quell the rebel resistance. Unlike her fellow soldiers, Touraine has no interest in defaulting or making connections in her homeland, knowing only too well the consequences for desertion and fully believing that if she works hard and is loyal, the empire will reward her. But things quickly go awry as Touraine prevents an assassination attempt against Princess Luca and finds herself surrounded by enemies and suspicion. Luca is a princess trying desperately to claim the throne from her uncle, who doesn't see her as a capable ruler and has sent her to stop the rebellion as a test of her abilities. Struggling to make allies and work around her uncle's military, Luca turns to books and strategic games to forge peace and unlock the country's secrets to win back her throne. “What is war if not a complicated web of mathematics and charm? Luca thought.” One thing I love most about this book is the gender roles. When being introduced to a person in a position of power, you almost always come to expect a man, because that's the general rule in life and in fantasy. When you hear General, Lieutenant, Sir, you typically expect the person to be male, but that is completely not the case in this book and it was very refreshing. I absolutely love that this book centres around violent women in positions of power. Not only that, but the characters are all morally grey, there is no good and evil here, there is complexity and drive that makes each character harder to like while also giving deeper reasoning and motive behind their actions. On the surface, Touraine and Luca couldn't be more opposite, Touraine is a hardened soldier whose every other word is a curse. Luca is a princess, a would-be queen, who spends her time pouring over books and research. But when you look deeper, both Touraine and Luca deal in death, and they're both doing what they feel is necessary to protect that which they care about. For Touraine, that's the Sands, her family, and for Luca, it's her throne and her empire. The characters are so complex, and that's such a fantastic element in this book. Honestly, it's so difficult to decide whether I like or support certain characters because at first, they seem to go in one direction and then they make choices that, while it makes sense to the character, just made me want to scream at them. The supporting characters are also fantastic. They add a lot to the story and to the overall tension and politics. Personally, Touraine, the conscripts, and the rebels are my favourites, while I found it much harder to like Luca and the other Balladairan's. "We just die, and when we die, we're not even worth the wood to burn us.” This book is sapphic, the queerness is a quintessential part of the book, and I love that it's just present and there with no explanation needed. However, saying that, I had a problem with the romance element in that it felt really rushed. For me, there wasn't quite enough chemistry between the two characters to justify their actions, so I just wish there was more of that build-up. The world-building was fantastic, I loved the description of the land where the story takes place; it felt extremely real, and there is a magical element to this story, which is really quite dark, I just would have liked to see a bit more of this. It came through more towards the end of the story though, so I'm guessing that will feature more heavily in book two. My biggest issue was the pacing, which felt a little all over the place. It starts slowly, then there's some action which speeds things up, and then things slow down again as the characters deal with politics and planning, before the action comes back and speeds things up, and repeat. Some sections just felt a little too rushed, when it would have been nice to have more development, and then some scenes/chapters dragged and felt as though not a lot happened. The pacing wasn't bad, it was just really mixed. Overall, I think The Unbroken is a really interesting first novel in an adult fantasy series. It's laid a lot of groundwork in terms of the politics and the bloodshed that we can expect from the rest of the series. I love the gender-role reversing and the queerness of the characters, but just wish the romance had more time to develop and that the pacing was a little quicker. I think fans of dark fantasy and violent, morally grey female characters will love The Unbroken by C.L. Clark. "Be the rain." Rating: 3.5 Stars Genre: Contemporary/LGBT/YA Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: Bought Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda goes to Italy in Arvin Ahmadi's newest incisive look at identity and what it means to find yourself by running away. Eighteen-year-old Amir Azadi always knew coming out to his Muslim family would be messy--he just didn't think it would end in an airport interrogation room. But when faced with a failed relationship, bullies, and blackmail, running away to Rome is his only option. Right? Soon, late nights with new friends and dates in the Sistine Chapel start to feel like second nature... until his old life comes knocking on his door. Now, Amir has to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth to a US Customs officer, or risk losing his hard-won freedom. TW: Racism (racial profiling), bullying, homophobic behaviour and language, blackmail
This book has been on my TBR for a while now, and I was really excited to read it. The writing and 'voice' of Amir instantly drew me into the book and his character. He's an instantly likeable narrator, and Ahmadi's writing style is easy to fall into. That being said, this book didn't really read like a Young Adult novel, or at least not a modern YA. It felt a little more classic and 'grown up' than the typical YA, more so than Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda. Neither was better or worse than the other. This just felt a little more adult and also hugely autobiographical, which after reading the author's acknowledgements makes sense. I really liked Amir, his voice and his story are immediately gripping, and it's so easy to understand why, when caught between blackmailing bullies at school and a family he's certain won't accept him, he feels the only solution is to run away. When Amir finds himself suddenly in Rome, the overwhelm and the feeling of being lost is extremely clear, but I absolutely loved the 'found family' element of the story as Amir makes new, albeit much older, friends and is welcomed into a new circle of people where he's able to be himself for the first time in his life. “The thing about bigots is they always go out of their way to acknowledge my fabulous existence, when I hardly notice theirs.” A fantastic thing about Amir is that he's not at all perfect. His decisions are in the heat of the moment, rash and at times disastrous. He's a messy character, but this only serves to make him more realistic as he struggles to find his place in the world. However, it comes with a slight downside in that the plot and character development didn't always feel as though they were moving as much as they could have. Amir's story takes us across Rome and feels at times like part YA coming-out story and part Italian travel guide as we're taken along to various landmarks and treated to a full tour of Rome, both the tourist attractions and the LGBT+ scene. Amir's new crowd is flamboyant, with complex characters who bring life and colour to Amir's story and add new depth through their own challenges and relationships. For me, what made the book really powerful were the interrogation room scenes, which run throughout the novel as Amir and his family recount the events that lead to them being there. Amir's father's scenes were particularly brutal and heartbreaking as he had to deal with being detained and separated from his family while trying to come to terms with the love for his son battling the ideals he'd been taught. The representation of Iranian culture and characters felt authentic. However, the portrayal of the Italian characters felt a little on-the-nose and cliche. Most of the characters Amir meets in Italy are American and the only Italian characters he meets are stereotypical, somewhat problematic (an unhappy, unfaithful, semi-open relationship) or almost an afterthought, added only to benefit a particular scene or moment. I had some questions at the end of the novel, particularly the references to the previous time that Amir ran away, which wasn't really elaborated on, and so I would have liked a bit more information there. I did like the ending, but it was much more of a mellow, uplifted feeling than the overjoyed, positivity I'd almost expected. Overall, I think young and older readers would enjoy this poignant coming-out story as Amir is a character who feels accessible to all ages and walks of life as he reminds us that the most important thing in life is to own your own truth. "The ship is turning around. It will be a stormy ride, but we are going to make it through this journey together. All of us." Rating: 4.5 STARS Genre: YA/Fantasy Series/Standalone: Standalone How I got this book: Bought Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality. Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family's sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt's promises of eternal glory. For years she's pushed away any thought of revenge against the man--now a god--responsible for their deaths. Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend of Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods. The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and, at last, a way for Lore to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore's decision to bind her fate to Athena's and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost--and still may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees. TW: Attempted rape of a child, child marriage, child abuse, murder (incl. children)
We selected this book for the April 2021 Turn The Page book club. Can I just say that this book really exceeded my expectations?! I haven't read any other books by Alexandra Bracken, and this book seems to have some mixed ratings, but the Hunger Games/Divergent comparisons initially put me off, as dystopian fiction isn't really my thing. Thankfully, while this book reminded me of both, for me at least, it outshone them. “Scars are tallies of the battles you’ve survived.” The book begins with a poem from Zeus before we're launched immediately into bloodshed as a new God murders an old God. It's a short but bloody and brutal introduction, setting the tone for the rest of the book. I absolutely love Greek mythology and had sort of forgotten how much until I started reading this book. And regardless of what happens, Artemis is still my queen! The first chapter introduces us to Lore, fighting in a boxing ring. She basically kicks ass and is immediately compelling in her ferocity and through her struggle with grief. “It wasn't that anger was inherently good or bad. It could lend power and drive and focus, but the longer it lived inside you unchecked, the more poisonous it became.” Lore's character makes this story work. Without her, it wouldn't have gripped me how it did, forcing me to keep reading even though the plot, for at least the first quarter/third of the book, is quite slow and drawn out. Miles, Lore's best friend and housemate really helped as well. He's funny, sweet and caring, with a sarcastic, edgy side that comes out later, and I love him! He deserves all good things, and I'd have loved some chapters from his POV. As Lore finds herself face to face with a wounded Athena on her doorstep, she's suddenly plunged back into the world she's spent seven years hiding from, and things get interesting. The entire story flits back and forth across New York as Lore does what she feels is necessary to avenge her family and save Athena. I really enjoyed the contrast of the new gods and the old gods, and while some of the history, politics, bloodlines etc was a bit confusing, I think the mythology and the backstory it provided added to the story enough to make it less dystopian in style and allowed the fantasy to take a better hold of the story. What really kept this plot moving was the sheer amount of twists and treachery. Honestly, it got to the point where I expected every single character to betray Lore with their ulterior motives, or to end up murdered themselves. At one point, things got so bad (in a good way) that I was begging Lore to just murder everyone, and had to take a quick emotional support break via a tub of Ben & Jerry's. “Monsters lived in the shadows. To hunt them, you couldn’t be afraid to follow. And the only way to destroy them was to have the sharper teeth and the darker heart.” The author did a fantastic job of revealing just a snippet of information, forcing me to keep reading, while never giving too much away. Until when she finally did, it had the most impact. Making it so that I couldn't stop reading. I was worried about the LGBT+ characters in this book who I was really hoping wouldn't go down the usual, 'let's kill them to hurt the chief character' route. While I don't want to give too much away, I really enjoyed the direction the author took, in a way that was much more compelling than the storyline between Lore and Cas, her childhood best friend. I really didn't like these two characters together at first as Cas seemed to tame some of Lore's wildness and the relationship felt a little forced after 7 years apart. I did, however, love the ending, which wasn't a cliffhanger (thank the Gods!!) and left me reeling from everything that had happened. There are some difficult themes dealt with in this book, as outlined in the trigger warnings above, but what the author does well is she uses them to make Lore an advocate for women's rights and a spearhead for change among the bloodlines (districts, factions.....) “Monsters had fangs, but that was why lionesses were given claws.” Overall, I really enjoyed the characters, the unexpected twists and deceptions and the brutality of this story which, while painful, felt necessary to the story and in keeping with the darkness of Greek mythology. I think fans of Percy Jackson, The Mortal Instruments, and The Hunger Games would particularly enjoy this diverse feminist fantasy. “A person alone could be controlled, but a person loved by others would always be under their protection.” |
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About Kay (She/Her)
Book addict, film mad, music lover, business owner, writer and mum (not necessarily in that order), living in the UK. About Sophie (She/Her)
Sophie loves books (obviously). She has a passion for photography and spotting wildlife, and is interested in anything made with passion and creativity. THIS BLOG IS SPOILER FREE!
Rating system: 5 Stars - AMAZING!! 4.5 Stars - Almost perfect! 4 Stars - I really loved it 3.5 Stars - I liked it alot 3 Stars - I liked it (I don't typically review books that I rate below 3 stars)
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