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!
Note: all the mini blurbs (in italics) are of my own creation.
Note: all the mini blurbs (in italics) are of my own creation.
Multiple versions of the same man at different ages meet at their birthday party in a dilapidated future and have to solve the murder of one of them, while dealing with a haunting woman, paranoia and (self) betrayal.
Even after reading this one twice and taking notes, I'm sure there's so much I've been missing. But that's only a testament to Ferrell's skills in weaving such a complex, ambitious sci-fi story, and one more reason for further rereads. The very premise of having multiple (and often completely different) versions of the main character interact - not to mention that he's at the same time victim, killer and sleuth, plus (maybe) ally and (definitely) foe - is both outrageous and brilliant. I'm not fond of the special-woman-for-no-reason trope, and the detour the book takes halfway through is nowhere as exciting as everything that comes before and after, but in the end, I realised that I couldn't have envisioned this story any other way. And also that, in between the mind-racking twists and turns, this is ultimately about becoming the best version of yourself...or maybe a few of them.
Full review to come. (Goodreads pre-review)
The lives - and unlives - of six (often diverse) characters get intertwined in a coming-of-age story about acceptance and forgiveness.
***
Quiet (if potentially heartbreaking at times) and lyrical, especially in the sections where the dead comment on the past and - ultimately - on the present, much like the chorus in a classical tragedy. Not so much a friendship story, as a tale of three outcasts coming together via a series of unusual circumstances and learning to support each other, and of three ghosts with unfinished business and still feeling compelled to help the living. I can't shake the feeling that the three leads were just one breath away from becoming stock characters, but the afterlife angle, eerie atmosphere and soulful writing did the trick for me.
Full review to come (Goodreads pre-review)
Throwaway Girls by Andrea Contos
★★★A privileged bisexual white teen, walking a precarious line with her parents and still hurting from her break-up with a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, tries to locate her missing best friend and to clear her teacher's name, and uncovers some shocking secrets.
***
Rated 3.5 really.
A tense thriller coupled with an intense romance/friendship tangle, woven with a coming-into-your-own story. Despite Caroline's missing friend - white and rich - being the focus, the story develops a social conscience when it embraces the disappearances of the "invisible girls" everyone gives up on. As with most teen thrillers, you have to suspend your disbelief - especially when it comes to the lack of consequences after the final showdown - but this one has got a strong cast, a few surprises and some poignant paragraphs to its credit, plus an uplifting/heartbreaking lesbian romance and a strong friendship (if with secrets) angle.
Full review to come on August 18th. Thank you Kids Can Press! (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?
I didn't realize you just read We Speak in Storms (it's a waaaay overdue ARC for me). I agree with everything you said, except my heart was breaking a LOT as I read this story. Callie's was the hardest for me, but I thought they all had a lot to deal with, and I wanted to punch Collin in the throat.
ReplyDeleteI actually read it a few months ago! I hear you, but to me, the dead characters were the hardest (unsurprisingly, since I'm such a sucker for afterlife stories LOL).
DeleteWe Speak In Storms sounds good. I like the sound of a couple of these books.
ReplyDeleteIf you ever venture to read contemporaries (I see that paranormal romance is more of your thing), I do recommend We Speak in Storms.
DeleteThese all sound great! Man in the Empty Suit is a cool concept, and it sounds like it's done really well! We Speak in Storms is already on my TBR, and I'm getting some Suma vibes from Throwaway Girls. Love a thriller either way. 😍
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll like WSIS - I'm looking forward to hearing what you think! Suma's books are really unique, so I wouldn't say that they have much in common with TG - but it's an interesting concept.
DeleteI was initially intrigued by Throwaway Girls, so I'm bummed it's the one you liked the least. Thrillers aren't usually my thing, but something about the synopsis drew me in. Oh well! :)
ReplyDeleteLindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? 💬
Based on your reviews of other books and our buddy-read, I would honestly say that there's a chance of you not liking it - but if you want to give it a try, it's still on NG, with no archive date set (it only comes out on Sep 1st).
DeleteLooks like you've gotten several good reads in. More than me, I think lol
ReplyDeleteI also see I'm way behind in reading your posts...
Karen @ For What It's Worth
Ha! Puppy training broke your streak 😜.
Delete