Darkly Funny, but Sort of Sweet: A Review of Mariah MacCarthy's Squad

I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't what I got.

Mariah MacCarthy's Squad  is one of those rare books that has grown on me as time has passed and I've reflected on it.

It's an odd book because there's no way to really prepare for what it's about. Basically Jenna, a teenage cheerleader, begins to go through a friend breakup from her oldest friend and reacts poorly. When it begins, you think it's going to be a coming of age story about the way we change as we get older. then, for awhile, things get really . . . dark. Jenna decides to cope with the loss of her friendship by lashing out and plotting "revenge" on a girl that she has been close to since fourth grade. When the story shifts, your expectations shift, perhaps unfairly. At that point, you think the book is going to be dark throughout, when really it is just a coming of age story.

When I was first reading this and began to realize that this was really just a regular YA fiction novel, that it wasn't morphing into mystery or some other sub genre, I felt uncomfortable with my inability to categorize what was happening. It felt like such a subversion of genre conventions: surely this obviously troubled young girl should, if nothing else, be shown getting help for her break? After all, I thought to myself, she was overreacting so greatly to losing a friendship. I mean, it's life after all. People grow apart.

Then I remembered.

I remembered being young and how intense female friendship is in your youth. I remembered that feeling of being "best friends" and how, in many ways, that relationship is even more intimate than a romantic one because of the ability to be affectionate with no expectation of sex, because of the way you share every moment and detail of your lives, the note passing, the sleepovers, the feeling that you totally can't get enough of someone. . . . and I remembered friend breakups. Man, I swear they were worse than break up break ups. They were a person who you'd totally trusted just rejecting you. the self doubt, the sadness, the feeling that you couldn't even vent about it because no one else took friendship breakups nearly as seriously (even though they'd all probably been through the same thing).

this book is so important because it's about something that hasn't already been written about a million times. It's fresh and yeah, really dark in a way that feels over the top sometimes, but still honest. for me, this book took me back and made me remember my own youth and that, for me, is always the hallmark of really nice YA.

4.5/5: Definitely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this awesome novel.

All Seasons, Really: A Review of Cicada Summers by Jordan Graffis

"Cry if you must. And buckle up. Because sometimes, throughout this journey, all you're surviving on is Mountain Dew and Jesus"-Cicada Summers.

The above quote isn't the most insightful one in Cicada Summers, or even the best crafted one, but it is the best at highlighting the true strengths that Graffis brings to the table with her writing: with both humor and faith, she is navigating motherhood in an honest and devoted way. It might not always be pretty (motherhood, not the writing, which is very pretty), but it's real and it's raw.

In Cicada Summers, Jordan Graffis has set up an interesting format: she is a 60 year old mother to an adult young man and she is writing to him about her wishes and prayers for his life as he enters parenthood. The form works well, I think, because it allows Graffis to take on a very reflective tone that, for the vast most part, feels extremely authentic. Each chapter blends a message on parenting with an anecdote from Graffis's own life that highlights the lesson she wants her son to learn.

Because of this form, I will say that I suspect Graffis's work lacks an audience outside mothers, but that's not a bad thing at all. In fact, it's definitely a strength. this book is not only geared towards mothers, but honest about motherhood and the struggles that come with it in a way that needs to be normalized. With refreshing candor, Graffis writes about days when her son wants to go to school in just underwear, days when poo trails through her house, and the many days she spends battling Postpartum depression. These are such necessary stories to be told, especially with such humor and joy. I think that, as a mother and a reader, that was my biggest takeaway: the joy of motherhood is so much greater than the struggles, so while we all get bogged down by the struggles, we shouldn't forget about the joy.

I think I should mention that there is another audience: full of scripture and references to faith, this book is definitely Christian literature. Now, I am a Christian, but I'm not a super devoted, church attending one and I found this book incredibly relatable. There is not one single lesson that couldn't be just as relevant to someone of another faith or with no religion at all. The major themes (overcoming huge obstacles, living life passionately and with zest) completely transcend the limits of religion, so I would have no qualms about recommending this to anyone of any faith. that said, if you are a person who would be put off by multiple references to faith and Christianity, then this isn't the book for you. However, if you are a mother and have had days where you "surviving on Mountain Dew" (or in my case, coffee), then I think you should at least give it a go. It's sweet, funny, and very uplifting, and I think we could all use a little more of that in our lives.

4/5: Definitely Recommend.

When it Rains, It Pours . . . A Review of Vera Greentea's Grimoire Noir

In an era where comics are cool and darkness reigns supreme, Grimoire Noir, the thrilling crime/fantasy graphic novel by Vera Greentea, is the perfect book for a leisurely read.

Let me admit that I'm by no means a graphic novel aficionado. I read them now and then, but no more than five a year and they really have to sound different and exciting to catch my eye. Grimoire Noir is worthy on both counts.  It's a fast read and with elements like witchcraft, mystery, dark themes and overtones, and some detective work, it immediately made me think of such tv dramas as Riverdale and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Not only are some of the obvious aspects there--witchcraft, especially--there are also a lot of similarities in theme: the lure of power, good and evil, cliquishness, etc.

The darkness of the artwork was very appealing and it was the art that really set the book apart. Just in case anyone reading this review is unfamiliar with the crime noir genre, noir is by nature a darker type of mystery genre. Now, noir is typically categorized by the bleakness/cynicism of the characters and I don't think that part necessarily fits: each of these characters was very hopeful about something and they were all motivated by potential. I like this subversion from the norm, though; it puts a spin on the old conventions while still staying true to the artistry. Very enjoyable!

Essentially, the plot line of the story is this: a young man lives in a town where all the girls have magical powers and all the boys are normal. His little sister has a lot of power, which has led someone to kidnap her. His dad is caught between a rock and a hard place in terms of the investigation due to the town politics and so our protagonist is tasked with saving the day.

I will say that there were times when this story line fell a bit short for me, not because it wasn't entertaining and not because it didn't have a good backstory, but just because I wanted so much more depth. There were a lot of plot lines and while Greentea does follow every thread at some point, none of the subplots were explored in enough depth to make me feel satisfied. I don't know if this is a standalone or not--the book ends with closure, but also with the potential for more--but if it is a standalone, I would be very disappointed as I feel that there is a lot of story left untold. Even if it is going to be part of a series, many of the things I feel were only shallowly explored were super relevant to this plot line and should have been explored more thoroughly here, not saved as fodder for number two. That lack of depth is what makes me think this book would definitely be better suited to a tween or very young teenager than a more seasoned reader.

Overall, my rating of this book would really vary. For an adult or even young adult reader, I'd say this is a 3.5 star (out of 5) book: good, enjoyable, but to surface to be truly great. For  a middle grade reader? Solid 4. Definitely stands apart from similar books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC I was given in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Everybody Sucks and People are Awful: A Review of An Anonymous Girl

I am over it. Over it. All these thrillers lately seem to only serve one purpose: to see if they can top each other on creating empty, soulless characters that have no redeemable characters in order to be total Edgelords and An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen is no different. 

I mean, I get why this one is so popular, I guess. It has a lot of twists and it is super fast paced. The tension is so well crafted that as a reader I actually felt it: fast heartbeat, catch of breath, sweaty palms. The writers are really good at pacing, which is kind of amazing because I would think it would be hard to get that down so cohesively when you have two writers working together.

 The writing is good here. The elements of good writing are mostly there. There’s even a nice symbolic falcon that dares the reader to be careful to notice any movements below the surface... It’s just the characters that had me over this book and that isn’t even the fault of Hendricks and Pekkanen. honestly, it’s not. That seems to be a new genre convention of the thriller. I just don’t like it. It has honestly gotten distracting because it really does feel like a competitive sport to see which author can create the worst cast of characters. The problem with that is there’s no one to root for because everyone’s so awful and listen, I’m no preacher over here. I had a crush on Hannibal Lecter. I totally empathized with Tony Soprano. I like a villain—-if they’re well crafted. If you see more underneath it all. I don’t expect perfection, I expect authenticity. There is not this much bad in the world and most people have more than one side.

3/5 

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC received in exchange for an honest review. 

The book I fell in love with: Review of Kate Field’s The Man I Fell in Love with

One of the things I’ve always believed about books is that there are different books for different needs and different occasions. That’s one of the reasons I’m always in the middle of a couple books at a time; I don’t want to have to read something that I like, but that I’m really not feeling. The Man I Fell in Love With by Kate Field is light and sweet, a bit sentimental, but overall, the perfect book for a weekend read or a rainy day. 

It starts with a moment that changes 

the protagonist’s life forever: at a Christmas party, Mary Black sees her husband holding hands with a man she’s never met. After he leaves her to begin his life with his new beau, Mary has to decide whether to continue her life playing it safe or to take risks for love.

Because of the type of book this is, I knew she was going to end up happy with a new love. I don’t even consider this a spoiler because you should know the conventions of a genre and this is the kind of book that pushes a “love conquers all” agenda. The only thing you didn’t really know as a reader was whether she was actually going to end up in love with a safe choice—basically a carbon copy of the ex—or the more dangerous choice.

This book was pretty charming. The romantic scenes were very sweet and everything gave you that kind of warm feeling in the pit of your stomach. There wasn’t much in the way of real drama or anxiety. The protagonist has a pretty good life and even after her husband leaves she is able to maintain the same lifestyle, not having to give up travel or the like. Still, as a character, Mary is very frustrating. She never seems to understand other people‘s intentions and she trusts the wrong people all the time. In all honesty, she’s just a bad judge of character and sometimes it’s a little hard to read. It’s the characters that are the only thing I would change about this book: it’s not that they’re poorly developed characters or even that they are unlikable. All in all they’re actually pretty well developed and for the most part felt like they were authentic. There were two exceptions: Mary‘s mother, I completely overbearing shrew, and her daughter Who is basically just a caricature of a teenage girl. Any time one of those two were in a scene, I was annoyed and just couldn’t really connect to what was happening. 

The best part about this book was how real Mary’s insecurities felt. After having kids, after your body changes, there are things that make A woman feel terribly self-conscious and I think Kate Field did a really nice job of depicting those feelings. I would recommend this book. There’s a lot of nice family interactions and romance and even a slight literary Mystery for those that don’t love the romance angle. It’s a quick read, very entertaining, and a good way to pass a lazy weekend day or maybe a beach trip. 

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book I was given in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

4/5

Is there still Talent in the City? A Review of Candace Bushnell’s Is There Still Sex in the City?

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Thank you to both NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Is There still Sex in the City by Candace Bushnell, given in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Sex and the City has been a huge phenomenon. I remember when I was 17 and watching it on tv and my grandma saddled up next to me, eager to catch the show. She was a man Aiden fan, so we were doomed to disagree, but it was still slightly surreal seeing that this show—this silly, sexy show—really seemed to appeal to everyone. Because I remember the 

Now having said that, I wasn’t really sure what to expect with “Is There Still Sex in the City.” Was it a sequel? The answer to that is no, so if that’s what you’re looking for, you won’t find it. What you will find is Busnhell’s own experiences with friendships, dating, and general life in the later years of life. You might have noticed a glaring absence in my above list: there was a notable absence of sex, so while there might still be sex in the city, Bushnell and her friends aren’t partaking much. 

I gave this book a 2/5 on Goodreads and I am going to account for that now: the reason this book just didn’t work for me was that it felt like it lacked cohesion. There was a core friend group like in sex.1, but they were largely interchangeable blobs. There weren’t personalities explored through the little anecdotes and while some of them were funny, they were pretty one dimensional. They didn’t show insight or growth and were, overall, dull.

I can’t recommend this book for any reason other than familiarity. If you like Bushnell’s voice and style, you might enjoy this. 

2/5

Watching This Become a Hit: a Review of Lisa Jewell’s Watching You

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC I was provided in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

I’m not going to lie, I love Lisa Jewell. I mean, I’ve only read two of her books before Watching You—Then She was Gone and The Girls in the Garden—so you couldn’t exactly call me a fan girl, but I’ve liked each of her books that I’ve read better than the last one, and this was no exception.

Watching You is definitely what you’d call a slow boil. It was hard for me to get into and I wasn’t hooked until about 50% into the novel. The thing is, though, when I was hooked, I was HOOKED. It’s like all of a sudden, my brain had hooks in it and I couldn’t get away from it. I stayed up late reading and couldn’t bring myself to put it down.

One of the things I like best about her books is the way she uses the multi-perspective trope that’s so common in thrillers. If, by some chance, you’ve read any of my other reviews, you know I’m getting sick of this in thrillers because at this point, the multi perspectives thing is just overdone. That and the unreliable, messed up protagonist are my pet peeves because they’ve been run into the ground. Jewell’s different characters were much more complicated than that: yeah, they all had their own quirks and neuroses, but if you were in their head, they were complicated. She can really create a character that feels real, which is part of what makes her such an engaging writer. It’s hard not to get invested in the story you’re reading because you really believe the voice you’re hearing. It feels very real.

The other thing I really liked about this book was the way everything came together so seamlessly in the end. It was a surprising ending—in fact, what I had spent the whole book trying to solve didn’t even happen—but it wasn’t so shocking that it felt cheap or like a cop out. It felt like I should’ve known all along, but for once, I didn’t. I really enjoyed this book. 4.5/5, definitely a must read for any thriller fan.