Review: Red Rising

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

My rating: 5 of 5 stars




If we define young adult novels as those with an absence of graphic sexual encounters, I will agree that this is YA. Otherwise, there's a lot more rape, murder, pissing on people, and dirty dealing than you would find in any other YA novel, including the ones referred to on the cover of the book. I'm not sure I would recommend it for younger teens as a result.

That said, I LOVED this book. It hits a lot of my sweet spots: hidden identities, revolution, the underdog striving to better the life he (and his people) have been dealt. There are several sad plot developments, but this book does occupy (and knows it) a space where Ender's Game overlaps with The Hunger Games.

I'm already looking forward to the next one in the series.



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Review: Eleanor and Park

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A sad book, but one that is age-appropriate, lacking in a love triangle (Thank god!) and that's paced in a way that hums along when a lot of this genre tend to wallow in the emotions of its protagonists. I didn't expect to love this like I did, but there it is. I thought Fangirl was okay, but this one was deeply enjoyable.

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Review: Defy

Defy by Sara B. Larson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I was sort of shocked that this book was categorized as juvenile literature by my library, given how cavalierly it drops ideas like a "rape house" and the ease with which it kills off characters. It started strong and plays with one of my favorite girl-disguised-as-boy tropes, but it bogs down quickly in the particulars of the love triangle, which isn't particularly interesting.

Not sure if I will read on. There's some good here to grow on; I hope that Larson can keep that trajectory and improve as an author.

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Review: Girl Goddess #9: Nine Stories

Girl Goddess #9: Nine Stories by Francesca Lia Block

My rating: 3 of 5 stars




I loved Wasteland when I read it several years ago, and I always meant to pick up another of Block's books when I had the chance. When one of the short stories in this collection came up recently in a Dear Prudie column at Slate.com, I decided to return to see if the rest of her fiction had the same raw, poetic beauty that took my breath away in Wasteland.

And I'm sorry to say the answer is "Not so much."

There are good short stories here: "Blue" and "Dragons of Manhattan" (the short story mentioned in the Dear Prudie column) were both memorable and good, but in many cases the other pieces felt more like mediocre writing exercises more than conventionally structured stories with something to say.

I might have loved them to pieces when I was younger, but most of the collection left me pretty cold.



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Review: The Republic of Thieves

The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch

My rating: 5 of 5 stars




I cannot say enough good things about Scott Lynch's wonderful third installment in his Gentleman Bastards series. While I love a well-written fantasy novel or series, I have typically avoided the thief/assassin subgenre as being not for me.

These books are for everyone.

They are George R. R. Martin meets Ocean's Eleven. They are sly, smart, profane and completely entertaining.

This book in particular strikes a vital balance that I wasn't sure if Lynch would pull off. At last, we have an appearance by Locke's absent beloved, Sabetha, who has only been referred to in previous books. She has to be something special to be worthy of Locke's fixation, and Lynch risks her worth by making her the opponent in a game of election rigging that comprises most of the action of the book. Locke has to be bested by Sabetha as often as he bests her, or this little contest risks shredding the audience's disbelief in one way or another.

But Scott Lynch absolutely nails the dynamic between the two in a way that is both exciting and rings true. Sabetha is more fully-formed than I had dreamed she would be, from the hints in the first two books.

I am not sure how I will wait for the next installment of this series.



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For what it's worth, my Reading Challenge at Goodreads is on track:

2014 Reading Challenge

Kristen has read 8 books toward her goal of 75 books.

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8 of 75 (10%)

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I will try to make all subsequent reviews propagate over here, even if it ends up being manually.

Review: Stitches : a handbook on meaning, hope, and repair

Stitches : a handbook on meaning, hope, and repair by Anne Lamott

My rating: 4 of 5 stars




As with most of Anne Lamott's non-fiction, this is a wonderful, comforting read, even if you aren't much for the God-stuff. This particular slim offering is full of warming stories about how communities like Newtown can mend in the wake of inexplicable tragedies that seem to be the face of evil in the world. As with much of Lamott's work, the answer has to do with faith in something larger and the bonds shared between individuals.

It's faith, but it's the kind of faith that rolls up its sleeves, brings a casserole, and offers a little free babysitting when necessary.

2014 goal: 2/75

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Review: The Shining Girls

The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars




I'm wavering between a four and a three on this one. I really liked the protagonist, and the idea was out of this world for originality. On the other hand, the antagonist was sort of flat in his misogyny and his murderous motivations, so I found his sections a lot less interesting than the rest of the book. It's an interesting period piece in places, and the author's decision to root the 'modern' part of the story in 1993 instead of today removes the complication many thrillers have that everyone has a cell phone these days.

2014 goal: 1/75



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