Late ARC Review | Honey in the Wound

5 stars

This book is heavy. It deals with the brutality of WWII in a way a lot of people probably aren’t familiar with. Instead of concentration camps, we have the Japanese occupation of China and Korea and bear witness to the horrors they inflicted.

The story follows one family through several generations, starting in the early 1900’s before the war, and ending in the late 1900’s long after it. The war plays a pivotal role in what the family goes through, as the Japanese slowly take over and change the course of millions of people’s lives. While there are several people in the family followed throughout the book, the main focus is on Song Young-Ja, and the horrors she experiences. There is a thread of magical realism woven into the story, which also plays a big part. While Young-Ja’s mother can get people to tell the truth in just speaking to them, Young-Ja can cause people to feel her emotions in the food she makes. Towards the end of the book, we meet Rinako, Young-Ja’s granddaughter, who receives dreams about people and is eventually able to convince Young-Ja to tell her truth. I don’t want to go into too much detail, as I feel this story needs to be experienced without knowing too much beforehand, but be prepared for lots of heartbreak and loss.

This isn’t for the faint of heart – there is plenty of descriptions of the terrible things that occurred during the war, with a big focus being on “comfort women.” These women were kidnapped or forced into sexual slavery for the Japanese Army, and it is truly awful what they went through. I couldn’t help but think a lot of Nanking while reading this, though that is a horror in its own right. If you have knowledge of Nanking or the other atrocities that the Japanese committed during the war, you will have a good idea of what awaits you. With all that being said, this was fantastically written. The characters were all very well developed, the story is immersive, the writing moving. It’s hard to believe this is a debut with how well it is done. It’s one of the best debuts I’ve ever read, which I think says a lot. I think it is one everyone should read, even if they may have a hard time with the subject matter. It is an important part of history that should be known to more people, especially because we are still seeing these things happening today without much being done.

Late ARC Review | Smitten

3 stars

Honestly, I had the hardest time paying attention to the actual science of this book, because I hit a certain part and realized it was exactly describing someone who seemed to have an obsession with me. Once I made that connection, basically all the objectiveness went out the window. So this may not be the best review I’ve written, simply because it affected me in a way I wasn’t expecting.

The book mainly focuses on what is known as limerence. Limerence is described as a “mental state of profound, involuntary, obsessive romantic infatuation with another person (termed the limerent object, or LO).” Symptoms can include frequent intrusive thoughts about the limerent object, an acute need for reciprocation of equally strong feeling, exaggerated dependency of mood on the LO’s actions, insecurity or shyness when in the presence of the LO, etc. And while some people may say these symptoms are simply part of falling in love, the book does go on to describe how limerence is different, or at least how it can be experienced differently by people. It can be described as an overwhelming feeling of euphoria and elation when in the presence of the special person, but it’s also fragile, in that the person can’t concentrate on every day tasks and is practically exhausted by their presence because they are so infatuated with them. It moves from being simply about liking someone to becoming infatuated and fixated on them. And while it is said that limerence is not a mental illness, it can certainly feel like it.

Here’s where my problem lies – I experienced something like this, and it really wasn’t enjoyable. I became the limerent object to someone, even though I didn’t know this term at the time. There is a chapter in this book titled “Can’t We Just Be Friends?” and I would personally say the answer is no. In the chapter, the author talks about the dilemma of when the person you are obsessing over doesn’t reciprocate your feelings. Can you put those feelings aside and just be friends? The author says the person experiencing limerence must be honest with themselves about their true motives and the choices they make. Are they emotionally capable of just being friends, or do they want to be friends so they can continue to obsess over the person, hoping they’ll change their minds? I would say it would take a very emotionally strong and rational person to be able to continue being friends with someone they were obsessing over after they were turned down. And unfortunately I don’t think most people in this state can do that.

In my experience, the person obsessing over me was married and had children. He started a new job, which happened to be where I worked. At first it seemed like he just wanted to get to know people and be friendly, but he had ulterior motives. He asked for my email address so he could send me his resume to look over, in case a better position opened. I agreed to look it over. However, what he sent wasn’t a resume. He waited until I was out of the country and then emailed me a confession of love. In his eyes, I had the same feelings and had been flirty with him (I hadn’t). I immediately turned him down. He begged me to stay friends cause it was a misunderstanding, and I agreed, which turned out to be the wrong choice. He didn’t have the emotional capacity to put whatever feelings he had aside and just be friends. I have had to talk to him several times about his words, as he would unload all his issues on me, including those in his marriage, which were none of my business. If I could go back, I would tell him no to the friendship. However, I didn’t know at the time that he couldn’t handle himself emotionally. Now I’m stuck because I still have to work with this person and be professional, which he doesn’t get.

I would say it’s a decent read for anyone who’s experiencing obsessive feelings over someone or anyone who feels like someone is obsessing over them. It can give come clarity on those feelings that the limerent is experiencing, and gives the LO a better understanding of what they should do if someone acts this way towards them. As far as actual explanations on how to make love last and what to do if you’re experiencing limerence, it is lacking. And though it’s stated it isn’t a mental illness, if someone is obsessing over another person to the point where they can’t focus on anything else, they should probably seek some professional help.

ARC Review | The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances

4.5

The Little Roomba That Could.

This was a really cute book that is a lot deeper than you expect. While the synopsis states that it is a book about appliances trying to save their owner, there is a lot more to it than that. There is a deeper plot – one that discuses choice, doing what is right, and a warning about what happens if we let technology run our lives.

There is a lot to recognize in the beginning. Scout, our fearless Roomba, spends her days cleaning the house of her owners, Edie and Harold. The House is controlled by Watch, which Harold always wears. There is plenty of smart appliances, like the fridge, thermostat, and clock, and they all perform their functions based on the inputs of Watch. Most houses these days contain at least one smart appliance. They’ve become rather ingrained in our lives. While I don’t think they’re really necessary and don’t agree with having all my appliances be smart, I do have one in the form of my thermostat. To me, there’s just something a little unsettling about having a smart oven, a smart fridge, a smart coffee maker, etc. I prefer the dumb stuff that I manually turn on and control. But it’s easy to recognize the House and everything in it, as we are easily heading to a place where most houses will be like that in the future. The House functions the same every day and the appliances are set in their routines with nothing out of place. However, when Edie becomes sick, Scout begins to ask questions that no plain Roomba has any point in asking, These questions end up being rather philosophical in nature, such as whether Sadness is the exact opposite of Happiness and whether the pain they’re not supposed to inflict on their owners includes emotional pain. She debates these questions with the other appliances in the house, namely Fridge and Clock, who tells her she is too young to understand. Scout does have a childlike, naive nature to her, but she also understands things the others do not.

We then see how the life Harold lives in isn’t quite normal. Certain clues are dropped that instead of everything being ran by Harold and Watch, they are instead governed by the higher entity Grid. The Grid (not be confused with the digital frontier of the Grid in Tron) controls everything – the houses, the cars, where people live and work and study. It started as a means to control traffic, and expanded exponentially from there (think Terminator with Skynet, except it isn’t blatantly trying to murder everyone). After Edie dies, Scout is determined to save Harold and the House. She teams up with the other appliances, along with Harold’s daughter Kate to accomplish this. I enjoyed Scout’s determination and growth. It’s funny to think of a Roomba having good characterization and development, but she did. The other appliances each have distinct personalities, though they’re not quite as developed. There’s a very small cast of human characters, which are all integral to the story, though they could have used a little more development as well. I get that part of this were the length constraints., but there could have been a little more time dedicated to this.

This worked just fine as a novella, but I wish it had been a bit longer to explore more of the themes set up, along with the world they live in and the aftermath of Scout’s actions. We get a glimpse of what the world is like, but I would have liked to have seen more of how it was. We also get a short epilogue of Kate, but no big explanation of what she’s doing. The Dissidents are explained briefly and we are introduced to one of them, but again this isn’t explored as much as I would have liked. This all is the main reason for the 4 star rating. Had there been just a bit more info on each of these things, this would have been a 5 star read. Even with that, I really liked this and definitely recommend it to anyone interested in sci-fi that feels like it could be real and anyone who can see the warnings of future technology.

ARC Review | The Fox and the Devil

3 stars

After reading White’s last book, Lucy Undying, I told myself I’d never read another one of her books again. She had gone down this road of hatred disguised as some personal crusade, and basically forgot how to write. I had had issues with Mister Magic and was considering ending it there, but gave her one more chance, which I regretted. I eviscerated Lucy Undying and was adamant that White and I were done. And then I received an invitation from the publisher to read White’s newest book. I went back and forth about it a lot, but finally decided to give it a chance. And… I didn’t hate it. It’s still not as great as some of her earlier stuff, but it’s a huge step up from Lucy Undying and Mister Magic.

The book follows Anneke Van Helsing, daughter of Abraham Van Helsing. Yes, the same one from Dracula. Anneke is on the hunt for a monster, following a lot in her father’s footsteps. Her monster isn’t what she expects though. There are a string of brutal murders throughout Europe, each featuring clues that make no sense. At first believing it is a regular human with a warped mind, the story slowly unfolds to reveal the person behind the murders and why. And I do mean slowly. This book takes forever to really get anywhere. If you’re into historical police procedurals or detective work, this shouldn’t be a problem. There is a supernatural undertone, but it takes a bit before that really makes an impact on the story.

I liked the detective work of the story for the most part. There is a lot of explanations on the cutting edge technology of the times, where things like fingerprinting and using hydrogen peroxide for blood spatter are just being discovered and used. The setting takes place all over Europe, though the main cities are Amsterdam and Paris. I liked that other cities were featured, even if just for a short while. Europe is so much more than Paris, but most places tend to get forgotten about. We don’t get a lot of descriptions on them, which is disappointing, but I appreciate that they’re even there to begin with. The characters are mostly likable, but can be rather flat at times, especially when it comes to the side characters. Maher, Dávid, and Inge are all supposed to be integral parts of the story, but we hardly get any info about them or real development. Anneke, while an adult, can be very immature in her actions and words. It’s almost like the author wanted to write it as YA and then changed to an adult novel but forgot to change Anneke. She’s not the worst, but it’s a struggle at times to see her as this mature, independent woman with the things she does. The romance was pretty meh. There isn’t much explanation as to why Anneke is so obsessed with Diavola, especially considering she’s chasing her through Europe for murder. The same goes for Diavola. The romance is there without any real connection. It almost feels like an afterthought, or that it was thrown in because it had to be there even if it didn’t do anything for the story. There are a few other things throughout the book like this. There is a moment in the last 7% of the book, where there is something revealed about Inge. It does absolutely nothing for the story, and is barely mentioned again. So why bother putting it in there?

Even with the issues this book had, it wasn’t terrible by any means, and was so much better than her last few books. I wish we could get back to her And I Darken stage of writing, but I’ll take what I can get. I still haven’t decided if I’ll continue to read new stuff she publishes. I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.

ARC Review | Delusions

3 stars

There are some relatable parts to this book, and some very un-relatable parts. Cazzie suffers from a myriad of mental health issues, which she talks about throughout the book. There’s depression, panic attacks, anxiety, and they’re all laid out pretty bare. Her descriptions can be relatable for anyone who has suffered from any of these. The problem is, she doesn’t seem to want to do anything about it.

The book mainly focuses on the year before her 30th birthday and all the anxiety this brings. She struggles with entering a new decade while feeling she has nothing to show for it, and feels like the clock is ticking. This part I get – I recently turned 40 and have felt a lot of the same. I don’t have a lot of the typical things to show for my life, like a husband and kids, but I do have other things. It’s getting over that societal expectation that can be hard. You feel like people wonder why you don’t have these things and what’s wrong with you that you don’t. You have to realize that life isn’t the same for everyone and there isn’t a certain age at which you have to attain certain things.

Here’s where the problem lies – while I had those struggles with expectations, along with some depression, I actively worked to overcome them. It feels like Cazzie never really tries to work through her issues, nor does she want to. It’s a constant stream of doom and gloom with no light at the end of the tunnel, with a side of privilege. I don’t think she flaunts her privilege a ton, but it is definitely still there. You can see this on display as she talks about the depression she has over a guy she only sees during the summer, which happens to be on Martha’s Vineyard, where there is nothing going on except dinner parties and lounging around. It is hard to relate to someone who has had everything handed to them on a silver platter, though I feel she is more relatable than some. Those parts come through when she is talking about the more mundane parts, like the interactions with her sister or the dread she feels over being thrown a birthday party. The other problem is the repetition. There is so much of it that it’s easy to feel your attention drifting. It’s like random diary entries were thrown in with no editing at all. While this can make it feel more real, it can also be distracting,

I do think this was mostly enjoyable, mainly because I could connect with the anxieties over age and societal norms. Other people, especially women about to enter a new decade, will probably relate to these same things.

ARC Review | Meet Me Under the Lights

3.5

A pretty cute, but typical YA romance. Nothing wrong with that of course, as long as you know what to expect.

This is told in dual POV’s, which I think worked pretty well. Eliza and Reed’s voices are very distinct, so it’s easy to tell who is talking. Both characters also feel really fleshed out. You can easily understand their motivations and wants, and most of the issues they have with each other and those around them. I say most because there are a few things that are never quite explained, though you can guess what they are. They have a strong dislike for each other and their families, as Eliza’s family supposedly did Reed’s family wrong ages ago, and the bitterness has carried on through the years. There is a bit of a Romeo and Juliet undertone, with it being a “forbidden” love between them and feuding families, along with the fact that the theater Eliza belongs to is putting on Romeo and Juliet. It can feel a bit insta-lovey at times though, with how fast it seems they go from hating each other to liking each other.

As far as the side characters go, I wish we had gotten a little more explanation on Ben and his situation. He was Reed’s best friend and was obviously struggling with something heavy, but it’s never fully explained. What exactly did Erin do to him and why is it still affecting him so much? I would think that if it was such a big deal, we would know what it was. Otherwise it just feels like Ben is not maturing or taking any responsibility. Lauryn and TJ were both likable and fit well into their respective roles. I did struggle a bit with Eliza’s dad. He was such a jerk through most of the book, yelling and basically saying that whatever he says goes and no one else can have an opinion. But then at the end he was like a whole new person. It was a bit odd. I’m glad, but it also didn’t really fit.

There is some drama towards the end, but then everything pulls together nicely. Too nicely really. All conflicts and problems get wrapped up very nicely with a bow on top. It doesn’t quite feel realistic, but this is YA romance I guess.

It’s a cute story and I think anyone who likes YA romance will enjoy it. You might just have to look past a few things.

Also, Yankees suck. #bostonredsoxforever

ARC Review | Murder Will Out

3 stars

This wasn’t a bad mystery, but it wasn’t an amazing one either. I think my biggest problem was the characters. None of them really stood out to me, except Geralt. And of course with that name, I kept wanting to picture Henry Cavill, instead of the hobbled old man he really was.

When Willow learns of her godmother Sue’s death, she returns to Maine for the funeral. She had been away from Maine for years and hadn’t spoken to her godmother during that time due to some falling out between her parents and godmother when she was a child. When she gets there, she discovers that people aren’t nearly as welcoming as she thought and there’s a lot of hostility towards her. This is where I began having an issue with the characters. Willow is extremely meek and timid. People treat her terribly and she just puts up with it, except for when it comes to Nick. They apparently had some issue when they were younger, but this is never explained. It’s hard to understand what is going on between them, when their relationship is never fleshed out. As for the other characters having such an issue with her, I didn’t really buy it. Rina, who was her godmother Sue’s fiancee, hates Willow because Willow didn’t talk to her for years. But when the falling out happened, Willow was still a child. She thought that she might have been the reason she couldn’t see Sue anymore, and was hurt. Rina’s hatred doesn’t really seem justified, though it’s more justified than anyone else’s. Other people, like Mac, hate Willow simply for existing. They’ve never met, but Mac feels like she should hate Willow on principle. There’s also lots of people being angry at Willow for not telling them things, when she has no reason to trust them. The only character who really felt fleshed out and real was Geralt. While not a particularly likable character, he definitely fit what he was supposed to.

The most interesting and likable part of the story is Cameron House. It sets the tone as a creepy, gothic mansion holding plenty of secrets. Many of these secrets are revealed throughout the story and the house and its occupants are what really give the story substance. Without them, this would have fallen off a lot more. The mystery isn’t particularly deep, and anyone who regularly reads mysteries can probably figure it out before the halfway mark. With that being said, it’s still pretty decent for a debut, and I think the author has potential to write some good books. They just need a bit of polishing.

ARC Review | Platform Decay

4 stars

Murderbot is back, and is just as much of an emotional disaster and sassy ass-kicker as always. This was a good entry into the series, but I can’t say it really moved along the main story very much.

Murderbot is sent on a mission to find and rescue several people, which of course does not go as planned. The biggest problem was that in between all the fighting, there is a whole lot of nothing. We get plenty of descriptions of Murderbot and company traveling in some way to their next destination – and while there is some tension, it can also be rather dull. The action parts are all very well done, and Murderbot’s internal diatribe is amazing like usual. The interactions between Murderbot and the kids was pretty great, though there wasn’t as much as I was expecting. The other issue, besides the trek to Mordor, was that it was very hard to picture the space station they were on. This may or may not be a me thing, but I found it harder to picture from the descriptions given. The ending was a bit confusing as well. It seemed very anti-climatic, but this could of course change as the series continues. I would hope so, as it seems like it should been a bigger deal. This is something we’ll just have to wait and see on.

Anyone who enjoys this series will enjoy this book. It still has all the elements of previous books that have made them so likable, and even though there were a few things I had issues with, I still really enjoyed it all around.

ARC Review | The Wandering Queen

3.5

I’m not an expert on the story of Dido. I know the basics, but I haven’t read the Aeneid so I am missing parts of the story. The writing in this is fantastic for the most part, but where it lacks is in the emotions. We are told about all these different emotions Dido is feeling, but not really shown. It makes for a disconnect in the story.

This is told in a dual timeline format, with some chapters being dedicated to Elissa when she still lived in Tyre, and the rest to when she has fled her home and founded a new city, Carthage, and taken up a new name, Dido. Elissa is dealt a bad hand from the get go, with her father’s dying wishes being changed and her brother taking over the kingdom. She carries on the best she can, and eventually marries and falls in love with a priest named Zakarbaal (the placement on those two things occurring is intentional). Her husband’s death is the eventual reason that she flees Tyre, but this is where the lack of showing in emotions comes in. We are told how sad she is over it, but we aren’t shown. It’s really hard to believe she’s as upset as she is, when there is such a disconnect.

After fleeing with many of the citizens of Tyre, they eventually land and found a new city, Carthage. Here Dido has sworn to never love or marry, though she has received interest from Iarbas. She rules her city well, but faces the daunting loneliness of ruling alone. I think. Again we are told these things but not shown. Aaaaand then Aeneas shows up and throws everything into turmoil. The promise Dido made to her first husband is gone as she is quickly swept up by Aeneas. As stated above, I haven’t read the Aeneid so I can’t speak for Aeneas there, but in this I have a hard time understanding why Dido fell for him. He shows himself to be a rather cold and almost cruel person right from the get go, while Iarbas was gracious and kind. I know we can’t always help who we fall in love with, but damn, I would have thought she’d gain more wisdom as she grew up, not less. The ending is also completely different than how I know Dido’s story originally ended, and I can’t decide if I agree with it or not. There’s an argument to be made for both. It’s something I’ll have to think on more.

This is still a good book, and I enjoyed the writing besides the telling vs. showing when it comes to emotion. I think it would have helped to now Dido’s story a little better. I’ll definitely need to check out the Aeneid soon.

ARC Review | Wolf Worm

4 stars

So this was horrifying.

I remember a while back my best friend having a keen interest in botflies. She loves entomology, and will get vested in different insects at times. We also happened to be pet groomers at this time, which I think fueled the interest. We never found botflies on an animal, but there was always the possibility. I remember the discussions we’d have about them, and just how horrifying and gross they can be. They are not something I’d ever want on me, and I don’t particularly want to come across them in my day to day life either.

The book follows Sonia Wilson, who has taken a position with Dr. Halder to paint insects for his book. When she arrives at his home, she can tell something is not right, but can’t explain what it is. The mystery slowly unfolds, and I do mean slowly. It moves at a snails pace for the first half, and then picks up a lot for the second half. It’s worth it to stick with cause it will pay off in the end, but it can be a bit of a struggle at times. There are a few things that happen here and there in the first part to deepen the mystery, but aren’t explained until nearly the end. I would have liked to know a little more about the others, but I suppose that’s part of the mystery.

This book is really not for the squeamish. If you have a tough time with insects, especially the parasitic kind, or reading about said insects infecting humans or animals and what that entails, this is not the book for you. I’m not a squeamish person generally, but even I had moments with this, just cause I know what these insects can do. If this kind of thing doesn’t bother you, and you like a unique kind of horror, then I’d definitely give this a shot.