February 15, 2018

Taste the Books: Review Morsels #6 Parker Peevyhouse, Nova Ren Suma, A.S. King


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...

Where Futures End by Parker Peevyhouse

★★★★

The format is probably this book's strong suit, along with the evocative writing. Then again, in a way, it's also its limit. There's a fil rouge that connects these five stories, set further and further in the future, but due to said format, we get to spend too little time with the characters in order to deeply care for them. That being said, this book has a lot going for it. The concept is unique (albeit the premise of colliding worlds isn't), and the different futures are vividly painted, though we miss the larger perspective for obvious reasons (we get to visit five of them in the span of one rather short book). Also, once you go past the premise, this is not hard-core sci-fi. WFE reads more like a plausible (if frightening) commentary on how our world might evolve - not to mention that, for a sci-fi-based novel, it's got a very strong fantasy vibe. Fun fact: I'm not a gamer (except for some arcade/platform), but my favourite section was Reef's - think Pokemon Go brought to the extreme consequences, but (alas) totally believable. All in all, I would say that WFE is not everyone's cup of tea, but still it's an extremely tasty one that the right reader will savour.

Full review to come. (Goodreads pre-review)

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

★★★★

Rated 4.5 really.

Having read The Walls Around Us prior to this one, I was expecting a few things - the evocative writing that never gets purple, the haunting atmosphere, the damaged girls you can't seem to hate. Except in this case there's not redemption - but still, there are consequences.
I buddy-read this one with my friend Carrie, and the amount of crazy theories we spun about it could have sustained a blog for a few weeks. In the end, some were proved right, most wrong. I do believe Suma is the original Ruby - she can make her readers dance at her will and only let them see what she wants them to see. (Though I guessed the ending, but there were only 4 chapters to go, and guessing didn't make it less effective).
If you like to dance the fine line between all-too-real toxic sibling relationships and otherworldly occurrences, between the mundane and the supernatural, and second-guess your every theory (most of which are more than often proved wrong), this book is for you.

Full review to come. (Goodreads pre-review)


★★★★

King lures you in with her surrealism/magical-realism-driven stories, and then throws a punch at your face.
I loved this book because it's crazy, and I loved it because it tells a few harsh truths. Because it has a point - or more than a point - about art, life, pain and rebirth. Because the Sarahs are far more than a gimmick. Because I kept highlighting quotes. Because, despite the Sarahs - or because of them - it felt real.
Side note: if you read this book, heard it call out society for discounting teens' feelings, and you still think that the protagonist is whiny, you've clearly had a good life in the popular lane and I envy you.

Full review to come. (Goodreads pre-review)

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?

11 comments:

  1. I * think* I read Where the Future Ends. I guess that tells you all you need to know since I don't remember it lol I believe I dnf'd it.

    I keep trying A.S. King but her books don't quite work for me but I'm determined to find one that does. I met her (in the bathroom lol) at a book conference and she was just so incredible and awesome.

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL, Where Futures End doesn't strike me as the type of book you would like, so I guess you remember well.

      I've read 3 King by now and she's not a writer for everyone. I mean, all her books that I've read are surrealistic, though they always have all-too-real traumas and pains at their core.

      Nice bathroom story LOL. Now I wonder what the two of you talked about!

      Delete
    2. I did like Reality Boy by her so I haven't given up!

      I don't remember all the bathroom details but were stuck in a long line, there was a search for paper towels to wipe our hands on.

      I didn't even know it was her until someone told me later. I just thought she was this really cool, badass lady lol

      Delete
    3. Aaaand...my reading tastes have changed dramatically this year! I've been reading anything and everything lately so it will be interesting to see what appeals to me now.

      Delete
    4. Being really cool and badass in a bathroom line is...something 😂.

      So there's hope for you still! Maybe I can feed you some of my favourite books now (just kidding LOL).

      Delete
  2. I'm glad you ended up liking Imaginary Girls! I remember not enjoying the story, but I can't remember why... it WAS many years ago, lol.

    Ohh, A.S. King! Have you read The Dust of 100 Dogs?? I loved that one! I still need to read Still Life with Tornado. Harsh truths? Sounds delightful!

    Do You Dog-ear?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't read The Dust of 100 Dogs...my other King books so far have been Glory O' Brien's History of the Future and I Crawl Through It. Maybe I should consider reading more of her, since I liked these 3.

      Delete
  3. WFE sounds amazing, but I don't think it wuld be my cup of tea, however tasty it is. The other two tho, I'm very much interested in. I'm yet to read a book by Nova Ren Suma (I've only read a short story of hers before), but I'm endlessly fascinated by the very premises of her books and they sound right up my alley so I clearly need to pick them up soon! I was quite on the fence about Still Life with Tornado till I read that last line of your review- now I feel I REALLY need it in my life!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha! I'm glad my last line made an impression! 😉 Seriously, I think it's so unfair to call troubled/angsty teens "whiny" (also, it only happens with the girls...double standards 🙄. To think that the vast majority of reviewers are female...).

      Suma's books are usually a mix of contemporary and supernatural, with strong female leads (strong as in tridimensional) who will leave an impression on you, even if you might end up hating them to some extent (well, some of them at least). And the writing is really beautiful. I think you would like them. The Walls Around Us ruined me - though my friend Carrie above, for example, liked Imaginary Girls better, mainly because she thought that TWAU's ending was kind of abrupt. Now I have 17 & Gone on my desk - I'll be reading it soon!

      Delete
  4. Some of your mini reviews are longer than my full reviews :) I am such a slacker. Still Life with Tornados sounds like one for me. I like crazy ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, really? I had an all-around look at your blog, and they didn't strike me as being THAT short. Maybe I read the wrong ones! 😉

      Delete

Welcome to Offbeat YA! I love hearing from you and always - I mean always - acknowledge your comments. This used to be a full democracy place, because anyone could comment, regardless of being a registered member of any community. Unfortunately, I had to turn off the Anonymous comment option, because I was getting too much spam that didn't get filtered. So, you’ll need to have a Google account (Gmail will suffice) in order to comment. Sorry about that. Anyway, jump right in! Come on, you know you want to...😉 And be sure to leave a link!
BTW...I don't care if a post is a million months old - you comment, I respond. And you make my day 😃.
Note: this is an award/tag free blog. Sorry I can't accept nominations due to lack of time.

As per the GDPR guidelines, here's the link to my Privacy Policy.