Review of 'Dash and Lily's Book of Dares' by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

 

I read The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily before this, which I now know is not the right order, but I loved the characters in that, so it led me on the right path at least. Every December I try to read a couple of festive books and this was a perfect one. I'm of course now VERY excited to watch the series on Netflix. 

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares is told from two perspectives: Dash and Lily. When Dash finds a mysterious notebook in a book store with a set of instructions a long game of dares ensues. Lily's brother created the notebook game to give Lily something to do over the Christmas holidays whilst their parents are away, and both her and Dash get totally absorbed in knowing and yet not actually knowing who each other are. 

This was quite a short read, which make it ideal in the lead up to the busy festive period. It was an easy one to dip in and out of, and I loved keeping up with the antics of the pair. Each author wrote a character, which made the characters' voices very distinct. The romance was fun, there were trials for the pair and a whole host of great secondary characters that really added to the storyline. There were a few parts where I found the narrative slowed down a little, which I hoped wouldn't happen in such a short book, but overall I did enjoy it.

I gave this 3 stars and would recommend it as a festive read if you're a YA fan. 

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Review of 'There's Something About Sweetie' by Sandhya Menon

 

I read When Dimple Met Rishi a few years ago and totally adored it. It was a breath of fresh air when I was just getting back into YA and I fell in love with Sandhya Menon's writing. Reading There's Something About Sweetie reminded me of that exact feeling and I'm mostly annoyed I never got around to reading her other books sooner!

There's Something About Sweetie is set in the same world as When Dimple Met Rishi, but this time around the focus is on Rishi's younger brother Ashish. Ashish is devastated when his college age girlfriend dumps him, and finally accepts his parents offering to find him a girlfriend they feel is appropriate. When they try to matchmake him with Sweetie however, her mother opposes it - but Sweetie and Ashish pursue things in secret.

I got totally swept up in the romance of this one. The book is told in alternative chapters from Sweetie's and Ashish's perspectives, which helped to add to the tension of the book. Sweetie's character is one of the best forms of fat representation I've read in a book in recent years. Sweetie is an inspirational character without being unrealistic and I love the message the book gives off. We see her grow in confidence in the face of some very difficult situations. Equally, Ashish goes on a big journey in accepting his heritage and culture as a teenager who's finding it difficult to place himself.

I would recommend this for fans of YA romance and gave it 5 stars.

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Review of 'Nine Perfect Strangers' by Liane Moriarty

 

I read The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty earlier in the year and really enjoyed it (bar the fatphobic comments which I docked a star off for), but this just didn't do it for me. I came to the book prepared to love it and ended up being so close to DNFing it, which I've only ever done once before.

Nine Perfect Strangers is told from the perspectives of nine people who attend a wellness resort in Australia to try and sort out issues they have in their lives, as well as from the perspectives of the owner of the resort and her lead assistant. Everyone is excited to mend their priorities (losing weight/becoming more confident/fixing relationships etc), but things turn a little sour when the methods used to 'fix' them turn extreme.

The whole book for me was really really slow. The character who had the most chapters dedicated to her viewpoint was a washed up author who at times seemed to be speaking from Moriarty's own perspective. The character explicitly talks about breaking the fourth wall and the pressure to add murder to her books (which wasn't included in this one), and was a big lament about how unfair publishing nowadays is. The whole book seemed like a big of a self-reflective F U to agents and publishers about Moriarty's decision to write whatever she wants. The main event of the book dragged on for about half of the entire novel and really didn't need to. The book was also filled with fatphobic comments throughout that invaded almost every female character's narrative.

I gave this two stars because there was a twist that I really enjoyed, but I definitely wouldn't recommend it.

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Review of 'The House Gun' by Nadine Gordimer

 

I really struggled with this book. It's something that I can see fans of literary fiction, or books like Apple Tree Yard (Louise Docherty) and The Good Father (Noah Hawley) enjoying, but it was something I couldn't get into at all. 

The House Gun is a psychological narrative about parents Harold and Claudia struggling to understand how their son is being accused of murder. The charges against Duncan are that he murdered his housemate with a shared gun kept in their home after he found him having sex with Duncan's girlfriend on their sofa. The book delves into the legalities around a case such as this, sexuality, race and gender tensions.

The writing style of this kept you so distanced from the main characters that I felt I couldn't really connect with them. Duncan was a bit of a mystery in the novel - there were occasional moments where his voice broke through where I felt I might enjoy the book again, but they were very few and far between. It just felt like the book dragged on with little plot: Harold and Claudia were learning that their son wasn't who they thought he was at all and struggling to come to terms with this.

I gave this one star.

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Review of 'Ninth House' by Leigh Bardugo

 

Leigh Bardugo's usually known for her young adult books, but this new adult one was a good first foray into the genre. I'm determined to read more new adult books in 2021, and for the genre to get the recognition it needs so that fantasy written by women isn't miscategorised as YA (I'm looking at you ACOTAR series).

Ninth House is a fantasy filled with magic, murder and intrigue. Alex Stern is given a place to study at Yale in return for her forming part of a secret society that ensures that the other secret societies at the college keep in line. Alex can see the dead, which makes her an ideal candidate to make sure the magic isn't being misused, but she's plagued by her past and the mysterious absence of her mentor. She's trying to keep everyone in line whilst not quite knowing how to, and it all might end in disaster.

Although I found this a slow one to get into, I did enjoy it. I loved the mystery surrounding Alex's past, Darlington's absence (death? disappearance? kidnapping?), the magic being misused and how deep the corruption at Yale may go. The book comes with big trigger warnings for graphic sexual assault of a child, and the main scene in particular is one of the bits that I felt let down by the book in. The whole thing felt like an unnecessary plot device used to show that Alex has had a troubled past, and as foreshadowing for incidents that happen later in the book. 

I gave this four stars and would recommend it if you're a fan of dark fantasy novels. If Bardugo makes this into a series I'd definitely read the next book to see where it goes.

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Review of 'Together by Christmas' by Karen Swan

 

I really haven't read many Christmas themed books before, but every year I try to read at least one. They make me feel extra festive and I especially loved that this one was set in Amsterdam as it reminded me of visiting there a couple of years ago.

Together by Christmas is told along two timelines. One is Lee's present day: she's living in Amsterdam with her son, working as a photographer for high end galleries and magazines. The other is back when she was younger working as a war photographer out in warzones. Lee's getting ready for Christmas and trying to make it as special as possible for her son Jasper. However, when she discovers her old best friend, a war correspondent she spent her time with in Syria, has gone out for one last story before his baby is born, she must face some home truths she's been ignoring for the past five years.

I love that Karen Swan doesn't write straightforward romances: this really felt like a cross between a standard romance book and a thriller. All throughout the book you realise that Lee's harbouring a secret that's not revealed until much later. Her blossoming relationship with Sam, an author she feels an instant connection with, is captivating. I found myself completely hooked on both the present day and the historical timelines, which I usually find rarely happens.

I am putting a big trigger warning out there for sexual assault in this book. It's brought up repeatedly, and in very vivid detail. This isn't much of a spoiler as it's mentioned fairly on in the book.

I gave this 5 stars and can't wait to see what Karen Swan brings out next year!

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Review of 'Fahrenheit 451' by Ray Bradbury

 

It's been so long since I've read a 'classic' and this one is such an accessible read in terms of language, length and themes. It really reminded me of The Great Gatsby, not in terms of the storyline but in the overt use of imagery and a short but powerful plot.

Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel set in a world in which books are banned. Montag, the main character, is a fireman whose job it is to set fire to homes that contain books. But, things start to go downhill when he begins stealing books from the infernos almost unwittingly. The book looks at the implications of owning the contraband, the impact of books on his character, and the ways in which people try to suppress knowledge.

This was a really interesting (and terrifying) read. The suggestion in the book is that people simply stopped feeling a need to read fiction, and instead watched the screens hoisted up on the walls of their parlours. It hit a little too close to home. I love a book with vivid descriptions in, and the colours in this book really brought it to life. You could almost see the fires eating away at people's homes. 

The book is not separated into chapters, which I found a little difficult at first. However, it does match well with the pace of the novel, which seems to get more and more frenzied as it goes on. I felt almost like I was in a fever dream by the end, but felt as though that was how I was supposed to be feeling.

I gave this 4 stars and would recommend it if you're looking into trying more classics or if you enjoyed The Great Gatsby. Though it does come with a trigger warning for attempted suicide near the start of the book. 

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Review of 'With the Fire on High' by Elizabeth Acevedo

 

After reading Clap Where You Land earlier this year, I knew I needed to finally pick up With the Fire on High off my shelves. The two books are so completely different, and I enjoyed both for different reasons. This one was a lot more romantic, and more of a traditional YA book instead of the verse narrative family-based Clap Where You Land.

Emoni is a 17-year-old single mum living with her grandmother who has a real passion for cooking. She's trying to juggle school work, the pressure of college applications, looking after her young son and hold down a part time job. Things get even more difficult when Emoni's offered a one in a lifetime opportunity to travel to Spain to learn the culinary arts, but only if she can raise the money to do it.

The book is all about family at its heart, and in particular, learning to grow up without the traditional nuclear family: Emoni never really knew her mum, and her dad is almost always absent, and a large part of the book is learning about the traditions and cultures of her two families without having the interaction with her parents she'd really like.

This book had all the classic YA tropes I loved: a romance that was forbidden (or at least tricky), heart-warming family moments and LGBT elements. The language was vivid and I enjoyed the real focus on food and family. I'd recommend this for fans of Sara Barnard's books and Angie Thomas' books.

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