Cinderella goes a little cray cray

If I had to describe this book in a sentence I would call it, "Cinderella meets memoirs of a Geisha with homicide, transgender characters and a beautiful cross-cultural romance".  

I loved this book completely. It had a little bit of everything: adventure, fantasy, tragedy, romance, and revenge. I also loved how it reworked the Cinderella fairy-tale in such an original and subtle way. The asian culture and geisha-like characters made the story unexpectedly beautiful in spite of the truly horrible things that happen and the revenge-centered plot. Otieno was one of my favorite love-interests in teen literature. Ok, so maybe he's a bit overly perfect but I'm willing to let it slide haha. Suzume was relatable and felt real, though she was far from perfect with her occasionally homicidal actions and her struggle with self-harm. I also liked that this book had a transgender woman with a story at least as interesting as Suzume's, if not more interesting. Prequel?!

I'd recommend this book for fans of dark, melancholy re-workings of fairy-tales. It's a great read-alike for Daughter of the Forest, by Juliet Marillier.  Five stars, I'd propose marriage to this book if I hadn't already eloped with the male love interest.

FTC Disclaimer

All reviews are solely the opinions of Becky and/or Randi. We are not paid in any way for our reviews, and all opinions are 100% honest.

Boarding school for criminal minds

A summary in one sentence: Teenage criminals go to school to rule the world and one boy tries to overthrow his mastermind father but gets more than he bargained for. 

This book was a great read alike for high-tension supspense books like Lockdown or The Maze Runner with a hint of Pirate Cinema. It has the same limited setting, sense of being trapped, and fight-to-the-death scenario. 

I had mixed feelings about the actual quality of the writing, but it was a very engrossing story and I had a hard time putting it down. The characters could have been more complex, especially Joi, and the believability struggled in part because of the overly-simplified thought process and strange censoring of the grittiness that the setting and characters demanded. I would probably read a sequel, however, because of the likable main character and the psychological twist of Peter Pan.


I'd friend this book on Facebook because it is just so outrageous I can't say no.  3 stars

Review: Nothing

Title: Nothing

Author: Janne Teller

Pages: 227

Genre: Realism (contemporary/horror)

Audience:  Young Adult

Source: library (Becky) 

Rating: 5 I'd marry this book if it wasn't so utterly disturbing

Goodreads Summary:

When Pierre-Anthon realizes there is no meaning to life, the seventh-grader leaves his classroom, climbs a tree, and stays there. His classmates cannot make him come down, not even by pelting him with rocks. So to prove to Pierre-Anthon that life has meaning, the children decide to give up things of importance. The pile starts with the superficial—a fishing rod, a new pair of shoes. But as the sacrifices become more extreme, the students grow increasingly desperate to get Pierre-Anthon down, to justify their belief in meaning. Sure to prompt intense thought and discussion, Nothing—already a treasured work overseas—is not to be missed.

My Thoughts

You'd be hard pressed to find a more disturbing book, particularly for teens. It begins innocently enough but things begin to get more and more horrific so that you're hard pressed to pinpoint just when it changed. There were several times that I could not believe what I was reading and my jaw just dropped. Although the characters in this story are in middle school, the content is barely suited for juniors and seniors in high school and will still probably be too horrific for most of them. Far from being disturbing solely for the sensationalism, this book has a core of horrific existentialism and truth that I think will resonate with most people, much as we don't want it to.  Does life hold any meaning, and if so where and how.  This would be an interesting book club book, although I think it would be difficult to get parents to sign off on it. 

Review (Becky): Revolver

Title: Revolver Author: Marcus Sedgwick Pages: 224 Audience: Young Adult Genre: Historical Fiction (adventure/survival) Rating: 2 I'd give this book and awkward hug

Goodreads Summary 

1910. A cabin north of the Arctic Circle. Fifteen-year-old Sig Andersson is alone. Alone, except for the corpse of his father, who died earlier that day after falling through a weak spot on the ice-covered lake. His sister, Anna, and step-mother, Nadya, have gone to the local town for help. Then comes a knock at the door. It's a man, the flash of a revolver's butt at his hip, and a mean glare in his eyes. Sig has never seen him before but Wolff claims to have unfinished business with his father. As Sig gradually learns the awful truth about Wolff's connection to his father, Sig finds his thoughts drawn to a certain box hidden on a shelf in the storeroom, in which lies his father's prized possession - a revolver. When Anna returns alone, and Wolff begins to close in, Sigs choice is pulled into sharp focus. Should he use the gun, or not?

My Thoughts
The only aspect of this book I enjoyed was the Alaskan setting. It was too short to really connect to the characters or flesh them out enough to make them individuals. The heavy religious sections really turned me off, and I dislike guns as well, so there you have it. This book has its audience, it just isn't me. Most of the story is just an awkward standoff between a boy and a man with a gun who (it is implied) has raped and killed the boys mother and intends to do the same to his sister. The main question of the book is whether or not guns are good or bad, yet never really seeks to answer the question, only to raise it. In the last several chapters the narration switches from the main character it has followed the entire time to the villain and also his sister, which stuck me as both messy and as an easy way out. The ending seemed forced and corny. 

FTC Disclaimer

All reviews are solely the opinions of Becky and/or Randi. We are not paid in any way for our reviews, and all opinions are 100% honest.