ARC Review | Down Came the Rain

3.5

I really struggled with some parts of this and enjoyed others, so I ended up going with the middle ground on this. It’s rather surprising, as I’ve rated every other Jennifer Mathieu book highly, but this one didn’t sit quite right with me.

Javi’s character was very well-written. You could see him struggling with PTSD and not understanding why he had it, and wanting to help the environment but still seeing the other side with his brother Miguel working for an oil refinery. He understood that things needed to change, but that change is rarely so simple. Eliza on the other hand I struggled with a lot. She has more of a I’m-smarter-and-better-than-you attitude and belittles and yells at people who don’t agree with her. Her way of getting people to care about climate change is to make them feel like shit for their actions, even if their action is as simple as stating they like chicken. It’s a lot harder to sympathize with her when she treats people the way she does. Nowhere in the history of ever has yelling at or belittling someone convinced them to change their mind about something. It usually has the opposite effect. And while I get that she is passionate about climate change, it still doesn’t excuse the way she treats people, especially her own family and Javi. There is also the fact that while she enjoys spewing facts about climate change and fossil fuels, she rarely looks at the other side of things, such as how other families who are not as well off as hers can’t as easily change things about their situations, living conditions, or jobs, not to mention the fact that there are human rights violations when it comes to the people that have to mine for the minerals to make batteries for cars and what happens when rich countries ship their recyclable items to poor countries and let them deal with it. She does get a bit of enlightenment at the end, but we only able to see a tiny change as it comes so late in the story. And while she is dealing with her own form of PTSD or possibly OCD, it still isn’t an excuse for her to treat people the way she does.

I think climate change is important and there is a lot of work to be done. We do need to do something about our reliance on oil and plastic, but we need to realize that there are human lives on the other end of things too.

ARC Review | Starter Villain

4.5 stars

I feel like John Scalzi writes only 2 types of sci-fi – the kind that is thought-provoking and intriguing, where you can imagine the science being part of life in the future, and the kind that is completely off the walls, batshit insane. This book is of the latter and I am totally here for it.

This book consists of sentient cats, union demanding dolphins, a volcano lair in the Caribbean, a villainous organization, and a very fast paced story. After taking a bit to get through the first few chapters, I easily flew through the rest of it. There’s just so much crazy shit going on that it’s very easy and compelling to keep reading to find out what will happen next. The main character, Charlie, in thrown into the world of secret organizations and villains who try to run the world after his uncle dies, and does his best to keep up with it all. It’s easy to see how Scalzi took inspiration from our world now, and it’s easy to believe that many of the uber-rich could be sitting around doing and talking about these exact things (minus the sentient cats and dolphins). Speaking of the dolphins, their first interaction with Charlie was one of the funniest things I’ve read in a very long time. There’s also a lot of double-crossing, and even if you think you’ve got it figured out you probably don’t. Definitely recommended for anyone who loves Scalzi, humorous sci-fi, and books that’ll keep you guessing.

Also how can you not love that cover?

ARC Review | The Girl Who Never Came Back

3.5 stars

This book wasn’t quite what I was expecting, and it ended up being a bit of a letdown for me. While I generally enjoy books that go back and forth between time periods and perspectives, it just didn’t work for me this time. I was more invested in the chapters dealing with the past than with the present, though I was still hoping for more.

The past chapters deal with Sylvia and her time working with the SOE during the war, and the times after trying to find one of her operatives, the beautiful Phyllis (seriously; every time Sylvia talks about Phyllis, she has to mention how beautiful or lovely she was. It was a bit odd and got rather grating after a while). And while there were parts in between chapters that were directions out of an SOE manual, I was hoping for a bit more explanation on what they and the operatives did. It’s not an organization I’m super familiar with, so a bit more information would have been helpful.

The present chapters are told from Peg’s perspective, who is a long time friend of Sylvia’s. I didn’t find these chapters very engaging or interesting, and found my attention wandering more during these parts. Peg isn’t as good of a narrator, and I found a lot of what she discussed to be rather boring. It’s these chapters that made me feel less connected to the story and the main reason this didn’t get as high of a rating. The ending was also rather abrupt; I would have liked to know exactly what Sylvia’s letter to Humphrey said. I think it would have given the book a little better of a send off.

This wasn’t terrible by any means, and I’m sure many people will enjoy it. It just wasn’t engaging enough for me.

ARC Review | Mister Magic

3 stars

I’ve really struggled with writing this review. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever struggled this much on writing a review before. It’s taken me a while to try and find the right words, but I still don’t think I’ve got it quite right. The story itself is a 4/4.5 star. It was very well done, with the creepy nature and not really knowing what’s going on. But my feelings for the layers underneath the surface of the story bring it down a bit.

This book is an allegory about the author’s life, which you don’t realize until you get to the author’s note at the end. There is a lot going on, and it can be a real struggle to figure it all out at times. It reminded me a lot of A.S. King’s books, with the speculative nature and illusions. And while on the surface I enjoyed this, underneath it all is what I struggled with. While I don’t doubt one bit that the author had some hard times and issues growing up, I hope people don’t take it as that is how the entire group of people the author is talking about acts. Has the LDS church done wrong things in the past? Yes. Are there people in the church who are not good people? Yes. Does that mean the entire church and everyone in it is a racist, homophobic, bigot? Absolutely not. However, it almost feels as if that is how the church and everyone in it is. I applaud the author for writing this book, as she said it helped her to heal, but I hope anyone who reads it also understands that while this was the authors experience, it does not cover everyone’s experience with this church. My feelings would still be the same had a different church or group been portrayed instead. We can talk about the wrongs people or groups or churches have done without claiming everyone in them is a terrible person and actively trying to get people to foster more hate. That’s the last thing this world needs.

I think this will appeal to fans of A.S. King, those who like speculative fiction or working hard to understand what’s going on, and those who can appreciate the story and still understand those experiences are not indicative of an entire group.

ARC Review | Alchemy of a Blackbird

4 stars

When I received a copy of this book, I was quite interested as I had read Leonora in the Morning Light 2 years ago and knew this book would be featuring her as well, though in a different capacity. And while that book went through a good portion of her life, I don’t remember any mention of Remedios Varo. Like with Leonora in the Morning Light, I read up on Remedios before starting and would pause throughout the book to look up her various paintings or read about some of the other people mentioned in the book.

This drew me in pretty quickly; the setting of Paris at the start of the war and her flight from there to Marseilles and eventually to Mexico was captivating, though there was plenty of information missing. I enjoyed reading about her and the other surrealists, most of which I didn’t know much about beforehand. The way the author incorporated the tarot cards was pretty unique, though I have read it has confused other readers. Each card represented a different person in the story who would talk from their perspective either about Remedios or other important parts of the story. Each card also gave a description of what that card was and you could see how each card related to the person who was currently speaking. I enjoyed this take on story telling, though I can see how it would confuse people.

My biggest issue with this book is the huge jumps in time with very little telling of there being an actual time jump. You’ll be reading one chapter and go on to the next thinking it takes place in the same timeframe, only to find out halfway through the chapter that 10 years have actually passed in between the two. Some dating on the chapters would help to know when things are taking place instead of trying to guess. The other issue is I wish there had been more backstory or more telling of certain events. I can understand why some was left out, but I think the story would have benefitted from telling of a few more things.

The book ends pretty abruptly, which is actually fitting in this case as Remedios Varo’s life ended rather abruptly as well. It’s a case of art imitating life; both end unexpectedly, though you wish they hadn’t. I recommend as this is being read to look through her various paintings, as they help give life and meaning to the story.

ARC Review | The Paris Agent

4.5 stars

I enjoyed this so much more than The Things We Cannot Say. I feel as if the characters were more fleshed out and the story more gripping. Though I struggled with it a bit at first, it quickly picked up speed and kept me wanting to find out more.

The story is told through multiple POV’s, which are a little hard to keep track of at first. The two female SOE operatives in the 1940’s go by their real names on the chapter headers, but during the story they use aliases which makes it hard to know who is who at first as it isn’t specified right away. Once I was able to get the hang of which female was using which alias, it made it easier. The story jumps between the 1940’s and 1970, in which the daughter of a former SOE operative is trying to help him find out who saved his life during the war and what happened in the aftermath of his injury. There is a lot of mystery at first, and the plot moves along at a good pace. Towards the end you start to feel the apprehension of what happened to the SOE operatives. While I think the end was wrapped up a little too neatly, I did enjoy the conclusion and was satisfied with how it all turned out.

Definitely one to check out if you enjoy historical fiction with a good deal of research put into it, WWII stories, or mysteries involving the war.

ARC Review | Borrow My Heart

3.5

A cute, light romance, which I completely expected. I generally know what I’m getting when I read a Kasie West book, and she rarely disappoints. The characters were likable and the plot was fine. I really enjoyed this up until about 80% in when the conflict came about. I felt like the conflict itself made sense; however, the aftermath didn’t. Once Wren figured out what was going on, she seemed pretty resolved to not talk to Asher again. However, when she got the chance to, I feel like she forgave him way too quickly for what had gone on. Everything felt very rushed and unsatisfying. I also didn’t like that there was never any resolution with Wren’s mom, especially considering everything she’s done. She was there more for a plot device as she’s the reason Wren is the way she is. But she leaves at one point and you never hear anything about her again. Had the ending not been so rushed and a few loose ends tied up, this would have gotten a higher rating.

ARC Review | We’re All in This Together

4 Stars

This book features a collection of 37 different essays which range wildly on topics, from drinking too much to trying to avoid people you know in public. Some were in the 3 star range, most were in the 4 star range, and a few hit the 5 star range. While Tom Papa is known as a comedian, this book didn’t have quite as much humor as I was expecting. However, many of the essays were very relatable and struck a chord with me, and I’m sure they’ll strike a chord with anyone who reads it. I think that’s what makes this collection so good. There’s at least one essay that everyone can relate to. It may be a different essay for each person, but everyone will be able to see themselves in at least one, if not multiple, essays. I haven’t listened to or read much of Tom Papa’s work, but I will definitely check more out after this.

ARC Review | Behold the Monster

4 stars

I had never heard of Sam Little before reading this book, and was astonished after learning more about him. He is one of the most prolific serial killers, having admitted to 93 murders, with the police confirming 60. Not only did he murder an astounding number of people, but he had an impressive rap sheet, covering burglary, rape, theft, grand theft, breaking and entering, armed robbery, assault, assault on a police officer, shoplifting, driving under the influence, and resisting arrest, among others. But what’s most astonishing is the fact that he was arrested and tried multiple times, getting away because of a lack of evidence. On those few cases where he was convicted, he served a paltry amount of time, and was back out on the streets to continue his reign of terror.

The author holds nothing back, going into detail the crimes he committed and the suffering these women went through. There is a lot of talk of police procedure and investigations which can be a little dry at times, but the story easily draws you back in when it turns back to Sam. The author spent many hours with Sam, trying to get into his mind and understand what made him do it, but there is no answer. Many times he professes that he didn’t do it, other times that he was chosen by God to cleanse the Earth. There is no way to understand why he did what he did, only that he was a monster to the extreme.

For those interested in true crime and serial killers this will be a hit. However, be warned that it is not for the faint of heart.

ARC Review | For the Love of Mars

3.5 stars

This one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. While I love space in all different forms, I felt like the author wasn’t quite sure where he was going with this. In the beginning he states he wanted to write a book about robotic exploration and it shows, as the first half of the book is not nearly as informative and well-written as the second half. The first half deals with ancient civilizations and how they viewed Mars; the problem is, the author doesn’t actually go much into this. The information about each civilization is more about how they viewed the stars and planets in general, without much focus on Mars itself. It would have been better to shift the focus onto Mars, or cut down the amount of information given, as some of it is quite long-winded without actually being interesting.

The second half of the book focuses more on 20th and 21st century exploration of the planet, which is where it picks up. It’s obvious that this is what the author wanted to focus on, as there’s more information pertinent to Mars and is more interesting in its delivery. Had the author focused on this entirely as he originally intended, or had the first half been better written and flowed into the second half better, this book would have held my attention more throughout. As it was, I struggled through the first half which made it harder to get through the second half, even with it being more enjoyable. Towards the end the author discusses humans exploring and colonizing Mars and all the implications that comes with it, but doesn’t really give this topic enough credit. It should have been expanded on much more, especially given how much focus there is on it between NASA, SpaceX, and other private space exploration companies.

This isn’t a bad book on Mars or space exploration, but it certainly isn’t my favorite and didn’t give me enough new information to make it worthwhile.