Tag: fiction

Dear Medussa by Olivia A. Cole 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

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This meant a lot to me. I think sexual assault and trauma can happen to anyone, at any age, but this author speaking from 16 year old Alicia’s pov really gave this particular trauma a strong voice.

Alicia’s whole life changed after being sexually assaulted by a popular teacher. The girl who ran track and wanted a future was gone, but throughout this story told in verse, Alicia does regain her strength. Particularly with the help of other girls, other strong girls that show her that she is worth fighting for.

I loved the tie-in with Medusa, particularly the ending. I have heard and read many variations on Medussa’s story at this point, and it has become so clear to me that she was not the monster in her tale. I am so thankful to all the strong people out there, including this author, writing these stories and helping everyone no matter where they are in life with a problem that is so much more common than what I believe many people think.

Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

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This book has my heart right now. Being gay and living in a small conservative town, an Asian mc who must deal with racism, just the attention to several big problems for many, many Americans living in this country right now. And, not just mentioning these problems but speaking about them in this story in such an honest way.

Stevie and Nora are in love. They have a new life waiting for them in California. However, all of that changes when Stevie falls into a ravine and has permanent amnesia about the past two years after she wakes up from a coma.

So, this is a story of friendship and finding out who your true friends really are. About finding yourself. This is a story about falling in love, and then forgetting everything and falling back in love with a beautiful human who never gave up.

If you can’t tell… I loved every piece of this book. It lives up to the hype and more. It’s my new moody read for when I’m feeling cloudy.

Out April 4, 2023!

Some warnings for racism, homophobia, and domestic violence.

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

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Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!

There are always different perspectives to a story, different ways for it to be told. In some cases, Perseus is held up as a hero. However, this story of Perseus is told from different women’s points of view and is a different story altogether.

Danae’s father, a king of Argos, learned of a prophecy that his daughter’s son would be his death. So, of course, he locks his daughter away so she will never become pregnant. Yet there is a hole in the ceiling that is the perfect size for a handsome young man to climb through. Danae falls in love and a bit later, after many visits, she becomes pregnant. When her father finds out, he tosses her in a boat covered in boards nailed on like a lid and pushes her out to sea for the gods to decide her fate. (All of this is very normal in Greek mythology)

Fast forward, and Danae has her son on a distant island, doing everything she can to raise him with love and gentleness. Now, this story can be taken as Perseus was born evil, and that’s that. But by the end of the book, after hearing the tales and seeing through the eyes of Danae, Medusa, and Andromeda, I realized that it’s not so simple. Every aspect of Perseus’s life, including himself, created the man he became. It was no one’s fault at all. It’s just the story of how evil becomes so evil. And, the answer is usually by a thousand different things.

I really enjoyed this. I thought the story was told really well from the different perspectives. I think the author did a brilliant job sculpting Pereus’s character, and I definitely recommend this to fans of mythology.

Out February 21, 2023!

Content warnings for sexual assault, murder, and some gore.

The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

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Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!

This book was such an emotional Rollercoaster for me! All at once funny, sad, empowering and also infuriating at times.

Geeta is a bit of a pariah in her small village. Her husband left 5 years ago but the rumors all paint her as a vicious murderer. It seems that she has spent these years building a wall around herself, a safety from other’s stares and dislike. However, Geeta becomes involved in an actual murder and finds herself in a bad situation. She will have to rekindle some friendships and step out of her comfort zone to get through a few difficulties.

There is so much to this story. It is completely fleshed out with amazing characters, customs and history. This was a difficult read for me at times because it broached topics of domestic abuse and rape but I still really enjoyed this due to the empowering tone I felt through this story.

Out January 3, 2023!

Content warnings for physical and sexual assault and murder, violence.

I’m the Girl by Courtney Summers 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

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Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!!

This book hit me like an unstoppable force and I know deep in my bones that it has left a permanent imprint that will never leave me.

Georgia is the girl. She knows her place is to be an Aspera Girl. On her way to the beautiful high rolling country club, Aspera, she is hit by a car. When she revives still on the same road, she keeps heading for Aspera but winds up finding a dead body. Not just a dead body, but a girl she knew, Ashley, who was only 13 and just by looking at her Georgia could see she wasn’t simply just murdered.

This story breaks apart the whole scenario of a teen, who in this case is a girl but could be anyone, that wants her dreams to come true so badly that she is blinded by the light of those dreams and cannot see what is actually happening to her and around her. This deals with quite a bit of sexual assault to the point that it was hard to read at times. This is a beautifully written story that really leaves an impact but please be aware of the content warnings.

Tw: sexual assault of a minor, unsettling depictions and scenes, violence and murder.

Out September 13, 2022!

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid 🌟ARC Review 🌟

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Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!

I had no idea that I loved tennis. Carrie’s dedication to this sport was at once inspiring while being incredibly frustrating. And I loved every second.

Carrie Soto was raised a tennis player. And, throughout this novel, I went back and forth wondering how healthy her relationship to the game was. Particularly, if it took away her ability to live just basic life, to enjoy life without the intensity of being the best at tennis. As if that was her whole personality.

This book gave me everything, every emotion. Like other Taylor Jenkins Reid books this is a showstopper. (And, includes small links and references to other books by this author.)

I cannot recommend this enough!

Out August 30, 2022!

🌟Arc Review 🌟 The Candy House by Jennifer Egan!

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Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!

One of my favorite books has been A Visit from the Goon Squad for a long time. So when I saw that there was a new book that is related and by this ingenious author, I could not wait to read it. And I was not disappointed!

I love these short tales going from character to character, all somehow relative but in different times, and this complex weaving of these different stories creates a beautiful full picture by the end. And, if this impacts me like Goon Squad, I will be caught in moments years from now thinking of these characters and their lives, their thoughts and opinions

No, it is not straightforward. My suggestion to readers, as is always my suggestion with stories like this, is to just let go of preconceptions and just go with it. This book is incredibly insightful and delves deeply into some very important issues like authenticity and something I’ve asked myself a lot in the last few years… Are we losing touch?

Great read. Highly recommend A Visit from the Goon Squad. It’s a provocative style of story telling but I’m hoping people read this and see the big picture the author is painting.

Comes out April 5th!