How we fall apart by Katie Zhao Trigger warning: Author provides at the beginning of the book! [Feel free to contact me if you want to know more.] Age rating: 14+ Overall rating: 6 out of 5 [Yes, I gave it a 6 out of 5. I might be biased but I’ve never related to a book so much]. Gernes: Young Adult, Fiction, Mystery, Thriller A spoiler free summary Jamie Ruan is the queen bee of Sinclair prep. Everyone sees her as rich, happy and the top student at the school. One day she ends up dead. An anonymous person called the proctor posts on the school’s social media app, claiming that Jamie’s ex-best friends are behind her death. Akil Patel is top track star at Sinclair prep. Krystal Choi is known for her killer fashion sense. Alexander Lin is always focused on his grades. Nancy Luo is scholarship student absorbed in nothing but being on top of her grades. So why are they being targeted? What secrets are being threatened to be revealed? Why are they so desperate to hide their secrets? Maybe they aren’t so perfect after all… Review How do I begin, I loved this book! Everything was done so well in this book, and I have never felt so seen. This might be the closest I’ve ever come to crying because it was so relatable. This book explores the pressure immigrants [not limited to] face within themselves, against school and the high expectations of others around them especially their parents. It touches and shows the effect how this mentality can really affect mental health of many young people and it recognizes this issue. You can tell the author has experienced this or gone through something similar. The whole plot line was so unpredictable, and it kept me guessing what could possibly happen next. It was lovely to see the relationship of all the character no matter if it was good or bad. I loved the fact Nancy, Krystal, Akil and Alexander seemed perfect on the outside [before everything was revealed] to everyone around them but, they had plenty of imperfections. It was wonderful to see the four friends’ relationship and what kept them close together even after the Incident [if you know you know 😉]. Each of the core four characters were so different and unique in their own, yet a lot of it was realistic to teens in this generation [in my experience, apart from the murder plotline obviously]. The whole book was in one point of view, Nancy Luo, and had multiple flashbacks scattered throughout the book, but those flashbacks were not confusing at all. They really added more understanding to the entire storyline. This book had everything I wanted, an intriguing cast, unpredictable storyline and mostly the representation! This was one of those books that when you finish it you just need it to settle in, I couldn’t read a book for at least four days [if you know the feeling you know]. I’m very excited for Katie Zhao’s next upcoming YA book, The lies we tell in 2022 and her other books in the future. 😊 Quotes “I was always lying. Pretending to be someone I wasn’t in order to fit in. Pretending was so much easier than being who I really was.” “Nobody would want to know the gritty unpleasant details about what it took - what it really took – to get there.” “That was what he said, but I had the sneaking suspicion that he was barely holding it together. I could see the same cracks forming in his image. I saw those same cracks every time I glanced in the mirror.” “I shouldn’t let anyone else get too close. The only person I could depend on was myself.” “No lonelier feeling in the world than having people stare at you all the time, but nobody truly seeing you.” “I heard myself nicknamed every variation of the word ‘smart’.” “Don’t push yourself too hard. The permission I’d waited for, my whole life.” Recommendation If you liked One of us is lying by Karen M. McManus and the Don’t get mad duology by Gretchen McNeil but with a twist and with Asian representation, you’ll love How we fall apart. It may also open your eyes to how some immigrant children\families feel in places such as America, the UK and Australia. Or you may find this book to be a comfort and recognition of your existence. Pros: Loved the names of the chapters, confession one, etc. I also enjoyed the fact there were thoughts from anonymous students from the app as the beginning of each chapter. The representation was there! Will definitely become one of my favourites and a comfort book for sure. Cons: The only one I can think of is I wish it was longer, but I have feeling there might be a sequel or at least I hope so, so it’s not a real complaint. So, I have none.
Category: Uncategorized
To kill a kingdom by Alexandra Christo
To kill a kingdom by Alexandra Christo Trigger warnings: Gruesome scenes. Age rating: 13+ Overall rating: 4.5 out of five. Gernes: Young Adult, Retelling, Fantasy. A spoiler free summary Princess Lira is siren royalty and the feared Prince’s Bane, until Lira is cursed by the callous Sea Queen, and she may have to remain human unless she can deliver the heart of the infamous siren killer without her song. Prince Elian is the captain of the deadliest crew of siren hunters and secondly, the heir to the most powerful kingdom. When he rescues a drowning woman, she makes promises to end sirenkind forever, but how can he trust this mysterious woman from the ocean…. Review Retellings can often go wrong if it’s not well executed, but this was certainly well done. Not only is it a retelling of the little mermaid but it adds elements of other stories such as King Midas and the Greek Goddess of sea monsters, Keto. I do appreciate the two point of views and the story would be so different without it. Many of the character are colourful in personality and the book has an array of beautiful scenery. The point of views were easy to follow. The semi-main characters add the perfect flair to the storyline. I love Madrid and Kye’s relationship, I like Lira’s whole persona and the flash backs that provides some understanding on why Lira is the way she is. Elian and Lira’s dynamic is a pleasure to read. Kahlia and Lira’s sibling like relationship starts and ends the adventure pulling it all together. Overall, the writing is well written, and the story is easy to dive into this world. I really enjoyed the story and have read it multiple times. Quotes “Love is a word we scarcely hear in the ocean. It exists only in my song and on the lips of the princes I’ve killed. And I have never heard it from my mother’s mouth.” “There is nothing in this world but pain and the rare moments that exist in between.” Recommendation A good book to get away from your troubles. The ocean and the lands in between are the perfect combination for exploration. If pirates, sirens, royalty, secrets and adventure appeals to you, then I recommend. Pros: The first sentence of the book is one of my favourites, its very eye catching, and any mind would immediately want to know what happens next. I also love when the author added a note to the readers so that was wonderful to see. I really enjoyed the little detail of a tentacle whenever it changed to Lira’s point of view. Cons: The middle section of the book surrounding Lira and Elian’s dynamic is dragged a little and the end almost feels rushed. It would have been nice to see more of their relationship and wished the book was longer or there was a sequel. Reread Review.
A madness so discreet by Mindy McGinnis
A madness so discreet by Mindy McGinnis Trigger Warnings: SA, SH, abuse, miscarriage, suicide, death, murder, medical procedures, trauma, gruesome\violent scenes. Age Rating: 14+ Overall rating: 4 out of 5 Gernes: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense. A spoiler free summary A madness so discreet explores the themes of societal deemed insanity. Grace Mae finds herself at Boston asylum. Her voice is locked away along with her family’s horrific secrets and her own which she carries around with her in a physical form. When Grace is sent to the shadowy cellars, a visiting doctor discovers her sharp mind and keen eyes. With the help of Dr Thornhallow, she escapes the asylum to a more ethical one. Now she helps Dr Thornhallow hunt down a murder using the new study of criminal psychology. Grace uses her insanity as a weapon while her own past horrors catches up and challenges her. Review I quite enjoyed the drastic changes of the book; the first half may have been settled but within the smallish time frame the author explored most aspects of the character’s life at the asylum. It is interesting to see Grace’s character development with the change of environment. The language is easy to understand yet is very intriguing and mostly quick paced. I was almost immediately immersed in the story. It’s delightful to see a book with no romance in it yet has so much depth. It shines a light on how mental health was treated in the 1800s and how the people deemed insane just ended up in an asylum. The characters are well written and pulls at the heart strings, the friendships really add so much to the storyline. Multiple surprises were revealed mostly in the second half. Overall, a great book and may read more of Mindy McGinnis’ books. Quote “The insane are simply people who have chosen not to participate in the world in the same manner as the majority.” Recommendation If you like unexpected stories with gruesome twists, I recommend. As I previously stated it is a quick paced book especially the second half. If the trigger warnings make you unsure, I would definitely do more research since the whole book touches on multiple sensitive topics. Pros: I really loved the absence of romance in this book and the Friendships between Grace, Nell and Elizabeth as well as the dynamic between grace and the Thornhallow siblings. It also shines a small light on how mental health was treated in the 1800s and the history of asylums. Cons: No diversity, if there was it was very little of it. But that might be due to the setting of the story and the absence of romance. Would have wished for a trigger warning, since it covers many sensitive topics.
Enna Mari 