Taste the Books: Review Morsels #3 Patrick Ness, Robin Wasserman, E.S.Wesley

Intro

Hello beauties!

Welcome again to my own brand of mini reviews! I never thought I'd do minis, until I recapped a few of my long reviews in some digest post in 2014, and then guest-posted some shorties for a blogging event in 2015. And Karen from For What It's Worth started praising my short recs/recaps 😊. Just to be clear,  I'm NOT taking a break from writing long reviews - no such luck LOL. But while I'm making up my mind about a new book I've read, I might as well give you the short version 😉 Just be warned - this feature will be VERY random! So, here goes...

More Than This by Patrick Ness

★★★

Rated 3.5 really

I loved the first section to bits - yes, the one where Seth dies, or maybe not. The one where he's all alone in a place that might or might not be a post-apocalyptic world, or a private afterlife, or a coma dream. The one where he reminisces and discovers and ponders and is brave and afraid. Until the book shifted, and I still loved it but just slightly less. And until the book shifted again, and impossibilities started piling up, and the characters - well, Seth - started doubting their own reality. And I started doing that, too. This is not metafiction (...or is it?) - because metafiction I can actually understand AND love. It's like the characters in the end are just props to convey a message, and the message is in the very title, so you don't even need to read the book for that to sink in.

Three reads and I don't know what to think of this book yet. Except kudos for the realistic, unapologetic representation of a gay relationship.

Full review to come one day... (Goodreads pre-review)

The Waking Dark by Robin Wasserman

★★★

Rated 3.5 really

Not at all what I expected. Which might not have been a bad thing, except that, when revealed, I didn't buy the premise in the first place.
The writing is strong, like I knew it would be, since I read Wasserman's Cold Awakening trilogy (so much love for this series, and I strongly recommend it, if you're not afraid of unlikeable protagonists). And I was well aware of The Waking Dark being a horror book. But it was SO gloomy. I understand that the point is to highlight the madness and potential violence that lies under pretty much everyone's facade, regardless of a "something" that may taint the innocents too (...except maybe no one is truly innocent). I understand that there can't be positive heroes in this book. I understand that each and every character is trapped in their own sins, fears, dark dreams. But I didn't particularly connect with any of them, except Cass maybe. And the thing is, I closed The Waking Dark feeling like there was no hope left - not really. Not what I needed right now.

WARNING: this is mature YA. The violence is full-blown, though we are spared the most graphic details (I think? um, not always...).

Full review to come. (Goodreads pre-review)

The Outs by E.S. Wesley

★★★★★

OK, as a rule, I never play this game - but the only way I can describe this one is Fringe meets Supernatural. Which, if you know me, it's meant as a compliment 😊. On one hand you have hubris and madness and misguided parental love - on the other, living nightmares and monsters and sacrifice. In the middle, two damaged teens who royally screwed up a lot of things, but bravely try to set them right again and to save each other's ass. And Kitzi - her struggle with aphasia, her love for comics books and superheroes, her loyalty, her pain, her strength - is guaranteed to snuggle into your hearts.

Full review to come closer to publication date. (Goodreads pre-review)

Note: The Outs is coming out on Jan 24th, and I requested a review copy from the folks at Curiosity Quills Press, who graciously agreed to send me a PDF. Thank you!

So, have you read/are you planning to read any of the above? And if you have what do you think of them? Do you post mini reviews? Do you like to read them?