ARC Review | The Ferryman

4.5 stars

This is one of those books that’s hard to review. I enjoyed it immensely, though it started off a little slow at first. Once it picked up I was speeding through it trying to figure out what was going on. I made a couple of guesses as to the reality of things, and I was only partially right. I didn’t see most of it coming at all, which was both surprising and pleasing. This definitely isn’t your teenager’s dystopia; it’s well thought out and executed without all the silly tropes you see so much in YA. There are hints of other sci-fi and dystopian stories that you can pick out, but it is still enough of its own story that they don’t overwhelm it. I think most people who are fans of sci-fi and dystopians will enjoy this, but I recommend going into it with little knowledge in order to fully enjoy it.

ARC Review | Dawnlands

2.5

A little late to the party on this one. I received the ARC after the book had already been published, and had to get through the first two books in the series before I could get to this one. Better late than never though.

This was the best book in the series, though that really isn’t saying much. Some of the characters were better than previous books, while others were worse. The plot was okay; there’s a lot going on and the book jumps between multiple plot lines. The chapters are all pretty short, with some taking only a minute or two to read before it ends and switches to the next. It can make it hard to keep track of what’s going on with so many threads and so little time devoted to each one. It can also make it hard to care about what’s happening, as something important will happen and then the chapter ends and switches to another plot line and won’t come back to the one you were reading for several chapters. 

I had hoped Livia wouldn’t be around in this book, but unfortunately she appears right off the bat and is still as horrible as before. She has absolutely no redeeming qualities. She only uses people to get what she wants and has no qualms whatsoever about hurting people or pretending she cares to further her goals. I had almost given this book 3 stars, but her appearance at the very end ruined it for me. After 35 years, Alys still has not had any growth. She still blames James 100% for what happened to Alinor, and still forgets that it was 100% her own fault that Alinor was in that position in the first place. I believe James was actually regretful for what happened, and I think being married to Livia was punishment enough. But both he and Alinor have very abrupt endings to their stories in the middle of the book, and after that are thought of very little. I wish something more had been done with both of them. I felt bad that Matthew had to be caught up in Livia’s scheming and that he couldn’t see that she didn’t have any real love for him. She only came around when she wanted something from him, and had no problem ruining his life to suit her wants or needs. Johnnie was quite the frustrating character; he basically had YA standard insta-love for Rowan, but only when it was convenient for him. He wanted her for a wife, but as a proper English wife. When she ended up in Barbados, he planned to make enough money to buy her from her owner and hold her slave debt as his own, and would set her free after her 10 years of servitude. When he heard she was dead, he didn’t question it at all and went on his merry way, but when Ned revealed she was still alive, the insta-love came back full force. It was odd to say the least. Ned was a little better than the previous book, though I still feel he is written with too much of a 21st century perspective. His line at the end of the book, where he says, “And when we choose liberty, and justice for all, we will have it,” was slightly eye-roll inducing. Might as well have him out reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

I also noticed something in this book that I didn’t in the previous two, where the author sticks questions marks at the end of sentences where there should be periods. It’s very jarring to be reading and have had the sentences end in questions, especially when most of them shouldn’t have been. A good example is when Johnnie is talking to some women about silk he had ordered that was perfect for the new prince, as it was Prince of Wales purple. A lady asks if it was new, and he replies that it was for the very occasion of the prince’s birth. To which the woman states, “And you bought it in ready? How clever of you?” There is absolutely no reason for the question mark at the end of the second sentence. This happens repeatedly throughout the book. It’s hard to tell if it’s from bad writing or bad editing. Either way, it’s irritating.

The book really only picked up in the last 10% with the fleeing of the Queen and all the riots and invaders moving in. I wish it had ended with the second to last chapter, as the last one ruined what could have been a decent ending. It also ends in a way that there could be another book, though I think this is highly unnecessary.

Had I not received an invitation from the publisher to review this book, I never would have slogged through the second one in order to get to this one. This is by far the most disappointing and frustrating series I’ve ever read, and one I would have added to the DNF pile had it not been for a review request. It also contains one of the worst characters ever put to paper, and one that lives at the top of my most hated list.

ARC Review | Greymist Fair

5 stars

What originally drew me to this book was it being based on lesser-known Grimms’ Fairy Tales and the fact that each of these tales would come together. I was interested to see how the author dealt with each tale in its own right and how she brought them together. I enjoyed each section of the book and the characters that went with them. As you go along, you can see how each story connects to the others, with small details being revealed along the way. These details are enough to be intriguing without spoiling the book as a whole and keep you wanting more.

What actually made me love this book was the final message about death. The way it is brought up and explained is easy enough for a younger audience to understand, but well-written to appeal to adults. And it’s a message that I think more people need to hear and understand. Death is inescapable; it is something we must all live with and deal with. None of us want to confront our mortality, or the mortality of those we love, but by denying its existence we do ourselves a disfavor. By learning to understand, accept, and prepare for death, we are better equipped for when it actually happens. By teaching children from a young age about the concepts of life and death, they can grow up with a better understanding of it and can deal with it easier. And while I think this book is a great starting point or accompaniment for those conversations with kids, I think it is one that is also written to be enjoyed by adults.

ARC Review | A Long Stretch of Bad Days

4 stars

Mindy McGinnis can be very hit or miss, but this is a definite hit. This novel is a slow burn, with there being just enough said or done to make you want to keep reading without giving too much away. The main characters are both well-written with very distinct personalities. You can easily understand why each girl acts and talks the way she does. For Lydia, I can understand her words and actions, though it doesn’t excuse them. And for Bristal, I can understand why she has such a chip on her shoulder and is so distrusting of people. Their relationship is believable without being too overboard, as they still are trying to understand each other and this friendship they’ve formed over events that were out of their control. It’s also easy to imagine the way they describe their town and how everyone knows everyone and their business. Having lived in a pretty small town at one point, you do get to know everyone pretty fast and what they’re up to. Which sometimes can be nice, but other times, not so much. As for the mystery itself, I enjoyed the way it went through the story, though there were a couple of things I thought came together a little too nicely. Not enough to take away from the story, but they were still thoughts I had while reading.

The one thing I didn’t appreciate is that Lydia keeps talking about the long stretch of bad days as historical events taking place when her parents were teenagers, so I kept picturing the 80’s, but no. It was the mid-90’s, which just made me feel a lot older than I needed to, trying to picture historical events and parents who were teens in the 90’s. Such an odd feeling.

ARC Review | The Shamshine Blind

3.5 stars

This book was quite the chore to get through for the first half. It was equal parts ambitious but unbelievable, interesting and boring. There was a lot of info dumping, but at the same time you get left in the dark about a lot of things involving the war, psychopigments, and what happened to make cities like Boise and Iowa City the big cities in the country. You’re left to assume a lot of things and you have to suspend your disbelief a bit on psychopigments in general and Argentina winning a war that a lot of people may not really know about. I had only the most basic knowledge of the Falkland War, and I think that will be the case for many others. There is no information about the war, just that it happened and Argentina won due to the development of psychopigments.

After about the halfway point, things start picking up and getting more interesting, though there are still points where it drags a bit. It was hard for me to believe that no one anywhere and at any point had tried to develop Lavender Hope before. It seemed like more of a convenience for the plot’s sake that Curtida and her group were the first ones to think of it and try to harvest it. The idea they come up with for getting the Hope is a little farfetched as well. There had to have been other options, but again it just seemed very convenient. There was a good cast of characters, though I did find the main character a bit on the bland side. I don’t know if this was because of her neurodivergent status, but even neurodivergent people have personalities, likes, hobbies, etc.

I do have to say that Curtida’s description of feeling like a “beige-carpeted waiting room” after being hit with ennui is one of my favorite descriptions ever. There was a lot of good writing, and the plot involving psychopigments is very unique, which I liked. However, I feel like it could benefit from a little more backstory on certain events and better pacing. Those looking for a good detective story with unique factors and a bit of science fiction will probably enjoy this, though it may be hard for some to get through.

ARC Review | And Finally

3 stars

This was a bit of a letdown for me. I’m not quite sure what I was expecting, but I kept feeling like something was missing. The narrative was a little disjointed and rambled on at times, though there some good insights into how Marsh felt about his life as a surgeon and what he hoped he accomplished and what he wishes he could change. I wasn’t a big fan of his take on assisted dying though. He is a supporter of this, but his thoughts on those who aren’t just didn’t sit well with me. He uses an ‘us vs. them’ mentally to say the only people who are against assisted dying are religious people who think people must suffer and therefore are the ones who cause all the suffering while pretending to be compassionate. I find this to be a rather ridiculous statement, especially from someone who claims to be a well-rounded and learned person. He should know there is never anything so black and white. Not all religious people are against assisted dying and not all atheists or non-religious people are for it. Attacking an entire group of people for your own perceived beliefs has never gotten us anywhere and has never ended well. Also his perceived beliefs on what he thinks religious people believe about dying and the afterlife is completely out of touch with reality. These beliefs may be held by some, but it is no way all-encompassing of the many beliefs of the world. I feel as though he’s never actually sat down and listened to the many different things people believe and why. He just says he believes there is nothing after we die and more or less that anyone who believes in a higher power is an idiot. In his last years, he would do good to come to terms with his own prejudices.

I feel like Marsh had a story to tell, but wasn’t really sure how to tell it, and ended up saying a lot of things that didn’t need to be said while leaving out the more important parts. For some people this may be a great read into the insights of impending death, but for me, it definitely fell flat.

ARC Review | The Night Travelers

3.5 stars

I loved the premise of this book, the fact that it spans 4 generations and 3 countries and deals with some heavy topics. However, I felt very disconnected with the characters and story. For much of the book, I felt as if I was on the outside looking in, instead of being right in the middle of the story. The writing felt flat at times, and it was hard to connect with the characters. The descriptions of locations were lacking and there wasn’t a lot of explanation on the current events. While I have a pretty good knowledge of WWII and what went on, I don’t know as much about Cuba’s history beyond the basics. I think if people don’t have prior knowledge to some historical events, they are going to be lost in what is going on. The author assumes everyone knows exactly what happened during Fidel Castro’s takeover of Cuba and the different shifts in government and what brought about his revolution in the first place. It is also assumed that people understand about the trials of Nazis after the war and what it took to bring some of them to justice, as well as what brought about the splitting of Germany and the Berlin Wall. This was a major event in history, but it is barely glossed over in the book. It was also difficult picturing the locations where the story took place as there’s not a lot of description of the locations. At one point Nadine lives in New York, but you’d never know it as there is very little said about the city. And though parts of the story take place in multiple cities in Germany, very little is said about these places either. Having been to Germany it made it a little easier for me to picture the cities and places that were described, but other readers are going to be at a disadvantage.

While the characters are all faced with life changing events and difficult situations, it’s hard to connect with any of them or feel much towards their situations. It’s as if everything is being explained through a third party who’s missing a lot of the original story. There’s a huge emotional disconnect for most of the story, with the exceptions being the first few chapters with Ally and the last couple with Nadine. Though the story is also supposed to focus on 4 generations, Luna figures very little into the story, only briefly popping in to encourage Nadine to explore the past. She’s more of a vehicle to move the story to its conclusion than being an integral part of it. The parts of the story that include Luna are still more focused on Nadine and her quest for answers. And though there are plenty of supporting characters as well, you learn very little about them and forget them pretty easily, with one or two exceptions. They are more there to offer a few pieces of information or help move the story. If there’s a disconnect with the main characters, there’s absolutely no connecting at all with the supporting characters. The writing is very monotone, which makes it hard to care about what’s going on. The characters themselves give very little emotional response as well. It’s as if every single one of them was so disconnected from reality that they couldn’t be bothered to show any emotion at all. It’s a very odd feeling to be reading about these events and have all the characters act like they’re watching it from afar with no connection themselves to what’s happening.

The story does leave a lot of unanswered questions as well, though I can understand why some of then aren’t answered. With a story that involves WWII and other conflicts, there are simply many situations that are unknown and have no answers. Just be prepared for this to be the case, as there will be still be unanswered questions.

This really isn’t a bad book; it’s just weighed down by the writing.

ARC Review | The Bezos Blueprint

4 stars

Do I think that Jeff Bezos is an excellent business man who has shaped the way we shop? Yes. Do I think he knows how to communicate to get people to listen to him and follow him? Yes. Do I think he’s a good person? Hell no. Do I support him by using Amazon? Also no.

It is obvious throughout the book that Bezos has become a great communicator, with a laser sharp focus and ideas to continue achieving his dreams. I think a lot of the ideas in this book are excellent and can help others who struggle with communication. In fact, I would have loved to show my recent history professor the part about PowerPoint being useless and how presentations make it seem like the audience is listening and that the presenter is giving an actual talk, but they degrade quality of communication. Last semester I took a public speaking class that I was dreading. I hate public speaking, like many people do. I got through it pretty well, but I know there’s things I could have improved. Some of what was in this book could have helped through that class. I can’t go back to it now, but I can use the information for my current job and any others I may have in the future. This can be a very useful book for someone looking to improve communication in business dealings or school settings and everything in between.

I admire Bezos for being such an effective communicator. I just wish he actually cared as much about his employees and other mattes as he does about his profit.

ARC Review | We Are the Light

5 stars

This book was great, but I think it’s also going to be hard for people to read. Not only does it deal with a mass shooting, it goes into detail about the aftermath and how people deal with what’s happened. With how many mass shootings there have been, it’s bound to be triggering for some. On the other hand though, I think it’s a subject we have to talk about simply because of how much it happens.

I actually wasn’t sure I was going to like this at first. The writing style is a little odd; the main character, Lucas, is writing letters to his former Jungian analyst about the tragedy and the aftermath and how he is dealing with it. At first Lucas seems like he’s got a lot of toxic masculinity going on. It’s hard to connect with him because of it. But as the story goes on, he moves from those characteristics to more of wanting to help Eli, the brother of the shooter, and also to help heal the town and the families of those who were killed in the shooting. It goes through the actions Lucas takes to make this happen, the struggles he has with coming to terms about his wife dying in the shooting, dealing with his wife’s best friend who is also struggling, and wondering why he never hears from Karl, his analyst. It shows that people deal with trauma and healing in different ways, and bringing people together can help them overcome their shared grief. However, it was the epilogue that really got me. No spoilers there, but it’s what really brought the book together, and was not what I was expecting.

Matthew Quick remains one of my favorite authors, and I would certainly put this towards the top of his best works. It may be hard to read, but at the same time it may be exactly what someone needs.

ARC Review | An American’s Grand Slam

4.5

I’m a sucker for adventure memoir books. I love reading about all these amazing people doing amazing things I could only dream about doing. But one thing I love above all else is how not cocky any of these people are. They talk about all their adventures, from climbing Everest and K2, and also in the case of this book, skiing to each of the poles unaided. But they also talk about how damn hard everything is. The emotional turmoil of being away from your home and everyone you love, the physical exhaustion from pushing yourself to edge day after day, the anguish of losing people you care about to avalanches, falls, and diseases such as HAPE/HACE and AMS. They don’t sugarcoat anything. Their accomplishments are fantastic, but they can come at a price.

I have read several books about mountain climbing, but this is the first one about adventuring to the poles. Waters writes in a very easy to follow format, explaining his time on each expedition and what went with it. However, I wish that he had elaborated a bit more on them. I really enjoyed reading about each trip, and I get that there are days on them where not a lot happens, but I would have liked a bit more in-depth explanation on a few of them. I did enjoy how he talked about his personal life outside of his expeditions, and how his love of climbing and grand adventures wasn’t easy, and sometimes got in the way of the other things he wanted. I can only imagine how hard it would be to have a steady relationship with someone when you’re gone for months at a time, with the very real possibility that you won’t come back home alive. We may dream of doing these amazing expeditions, but we don’t always realize what consequences they may have. I applaud Ryan Waters and the many others who have realized these dreams and shared them with the rest of us.