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.
An orphaned girl with a rare skin condition tries to solve the mystery behind her dreams of an old carnival troupe and her connection to it.
Rated 2.5 really.
This one could have made for an intriguing story, especially since it not only ultimately goes in a different direction than one would expect, but also balances the magical adventure at its core with themes of self-acceptance, coming of age, family, friendship and sexual assault/slut shaming. The fact is, it tries to do too many things at once with too small a page-count, and a few incidents/behaviours are too convenient to ring true - not to mention, certain characters never get the chance to progress past the sketch phase. Entertaining and sympathetic, but a bit rushed/lacking.
Full review to come on April 26th. Thank you NetGalley and Dundurn Press! (Goodreads pre-review)
A 16 y.o. girl goes back to the family orchard after eight years to find closure about her sister's death, gets sucked back into a family feud that spans generations, and reconnects with her mother line - not to mention the part of herself she had to keep under wrap.
***
A quiet book with just a hint of magical realism, a dose of sadness, a pinch of hope, and a whole lot of heart. A book without mandatory, unnecessary romance. A book about family and roots and the strength of women and their pain. A love letter to a land that doesn't always love you back, but still shapes you as much as you do it and gets under your skin. Soulful, vivid, sometimes raw, gently suspended between past and present, gorgeously written - with a memorable cast and a main character you will want to hug.
Full review to come. (Goodreads pre-review)
Rainbow in the Dark by Sean McGinty
★★★★Due to a huge trauma, a depressed teen finds herself in a game-like world that forces her to face her demons and teaches her a thing or two about family and forging bonds.
***
One of the most unique books I've ever read, flipping reality on its head and still hitting close to home for a number of potential readers, with a foot in dark comedy and another in teen angst. Even the most absurd, far-out incidents (or, well, almost all of them) have a rhyme and reason in the real world, and Rainbow's quest through a now hostile, now plain deadly, yet oftentimes beautiful game-like environment, for all its craziness (or precisely because of it), delivers a powerful message for all the young people who are losing their grip on life.
Full review to come closer to publication date. Thank you NetGalley and Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt! (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 enjoyed The Memory Trees. The writing was really beautiful, and I liked getting to know so many generations of the family.
ReplyDeleteWallace is one of my favourite authors, ALSO because she's such a fine writer! Plus you have to love her characters.
DeleteNice short ones :D
ReplyDeleteThat last one intrigues me the most
Thanks!
DeleteThat one is quite unique.
I really like the cover of The Memory Trees! I also love going to orchards myself so I feel like I would like the imagery in that book.
ReplyDeleteI think it could appeal to you as a whole.
DeleteI haven't read any of these but Rainbow In The Dark sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteIt's different from anything I've ever read!
DeleteThe Memory Trees sounds wonderful!
ReplyDeleteIt is! Also, you have to admire an author who can write in different genres/age ranges and always pull it off.
DeleteI was tempted by The Life and Death of Frankie D. on NG too. I like the premise. Sorry to hear it wasn't quite up to standard though. That is a lovely mini for The Memory Trees. So poetic! 🥰
ReplyDeleteI was bummed out - as you said, the premise was so intriguing!
Delete"That is a lovely mini for The Memory Trees. So poetic! 🥰"
Aww, thanks! That book inspired me 😉.
The Life and Death of Frankie D sounds like an interesting read, so I hate that it didn't work out for you. I dislike it when authors try to cram too many topics into too few pages. Pick one thing you really want to write about, sprinkle in a few others if you feel they're necessary and add to the story, but when the topics feel overwhelming... it's a no for me.
ReplyDeleteThe Memory Trees sounds lovely! Definitely adding that one to my TBR. :)
Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? 💬
Too many topics never work well. Unless you're writing a 500-pages-long book, there's never enough space for them all, and even when there is...yeah, overwhelming.
DeleteI can honestly say that I can see TMT working for you!
OK, just to be clear - when you say 'taste the books,' do you mean that metaphorically? Because I have lexical-gustatory synaesthesia (I literally taste words,) and it took me 20+ years to figure out that people are, for the most part, being metaphorical when they say things like that. *nervous laugh* <3
ReplyDeleteLOL, of course it was metaphorical, but I knew there are different types of synaesthesia - only I never actually thought about the implications of my title! Do you taste both written and spoken words?
DeleteI figured it was *probably* metaphorical, but then there was a knife and fork in your picture and I'm like... but what if it's *not*? Lol.
DeleteYep - written, spoken, or sometimes just thought of! :)
I hope my blog tastes nice then 😉.
DeleteFrom what I've read of it, it's kind of like breakfast cereal *shrugs* :)
DeleteIt could be worse 😂.
Delete