My March Wrap-Up
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It's the 31st of March which means that yes, it's that time of month again where I give my monthly reads and reviews. What do you know, some pretty interesting reads have crossed my radar in the last few weeks so go ahead and find out which books I recommend you run to the library to check out, and which you should steer well away from...
Behind Closed Doors
- by B.A.Paris
2.5/5.0 stars
~
Jack and Grace have the perfect life, the perfect home, the perfect marriage. They are the picture of wedded bliss. Jack is charming, handsome and wealthy. He is a lawyer who champions women that are victims of domestic violence. He dotes on his wife and treats her sister, Millie, who has Down Syndrome, like family. He is the perfect husband. Grace is elegant, caring, and ambitious. She longs to paint and travel the world. But she is devoted to her husband; she paints him portraits, cooks exquisite dinners, and looks after their beautiful home. She is the perfect housewife. Some may say they have the perfect love story. But they don't read between the lines. Like why Grace doesn't own a mobile phone, or why she always cancel on coffee dates with her friends. They don't know the lies that are hidden between the truths. Like why Grace quit her job, or why she never puts on weight, or why she and Jack are attached at the hip. Or why there are bars on one of the bedroom windows. They couldn't possibly imagine the stories that lurk beneath the act that Jack and Grace have perfected. Sometimes, the perfect marriage is the perfect lie.
Behind Closed Doors is a gripping psychological thriller that brings to life the disturbing, scary truth: you never truly know the person you're marrying. I have to hand it to her, in opening the doors to Grace and Jack's married life, B A Paris sucks us into the dark and twisted reality of their marriage that is brimming with secrets and lies. Intriguing and mysterious, the story dances around the truth as piece by piece, through the past and present time frames from Grace's perspective, it all comes together. We understand how she falls privy to the charm and mind-games of her manipulative, controlling and conniving husband who is, quite simply, a psychopath. And we watch as she tries to make her escape. It should have been a chilling, kept-me-up-all-night, nail-biting story but instead, it felt tedious and psychotic to the point where it wasn't believable. It lacked depth, and where Paris could have explored plot development, she failed to deliver. I didn't feel sucker-punched by any of the twists and turns, and it just didn't make me feel on edge or hooked by the suspense at all. And the conclusion was just so...convenient. It ended so abruptly and all I could think was "Really? I read all of that for this?" A disappointing psychological novel that could have been - and should have been - so much more.
Stars Above
- by Marissa Meyer
5.0/5.0 stars
~
She Wore Red Trainers
Yes, I said that the Lunar Chronicles is over. Yes, I was telling the truth. Yes, Marissa Meyer then decided to release a concluding book. And yes. Yes, yes, yes, it was sheer perfection and everything that I wanted it to be.
Stars Above is - and isn't - a Lunar Chronicles novel. It consists of nine novellas, each re-visiting the characters in this much loved series, and a proper epilogue that brings a beautiful end to the already beautiful ending of its ultimate book, Winter. For those of you who are new to my blog, who have no idea which books I'm talking about, or what they're about, check out my complete review of the series here. I promise it'll be ten minutes well spent (and you can thank me later for some of the best hours of your life you will spend reading them).
My excitement at reading this book, ohmygod, I cannot even describe. It didn't matter that eight of the nine stories were "prequels" of sorts. It didn't matter that I was already well acquainted with these characters and their back stories. It didn't matter that the book was 500 pages. All that mattered was that I had my hands on more fiction belonging to this world and the characters in it. And I freaking loved it.
The enchantment continues...
The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies?
Marissa Meyer's writing is exceptional. I genuinely cannot fault her style or skill. She has already created incredible characters in each of her books, distinct and authentic, well-developed and fleshed out, damaged, broken and burdened. And in her prequels, she manages to make her readers fall in love with them even more - if that was even possible. They are so true to the characters and explode with emotion, suspense, and intrigue and holy hell it was just one fast-paced addictive read that made me wish I could read the whole series again for the first time. I emptied my bank account and bought all five damn books because they are some of my absolute favourites and I will never stop wanting more of these characters.
And that last novella. The epilogue of all epilogues.
Oh.
My.
Stars.
She Wore Red Trainers
- by Na'ima B. Robert
2.5/5.0 stars
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My favourite part was a little prayer that Ali makes, beautiful in its simplicity, that reminded me how time and time again, I have found my own healing in prayer.
Writing a "Muslim love story" - and making it the sole focus of the book - is a brave thing to do. It's been done before; the subject of love between a Muslim hero and heroine is by no means new to the literary scene. Khaled Hossaini's works feature the taboo topic, Aisha Saeed wrote a brilliant debut about a young girl who is forced into an unwanted marriage after being discovered with her boyfriend, and Susan Abul Hawa weaves romance into her heart-breaking works of historical fiction. But books that touch on "modern-day" romance in the Muslim world are rare. It's controversial, it's a difficult theme to work with, and, some may argue, it's not really entertaining material.
And yet in her brutally honest and compelling true story, Safiya Hussain touched a nerve in Three Thousand Miles For A Wish, in which she contemplates the meaning of life, and in doing so, mulls over the concept of "love" in Islam. Randa Abdel-Fattah outlines the struggles of being a young Muslim girl grappling with the notion of love whilst battling with religion, culture and identity in her witty and hilarious novels, Ten Things I Hate About Me and Does My Head Look Big In This? Different authors, different approaches to the almost-forbidden topic of love in Islam. But a book that actually just tackles the realistic, modern view on love and marriage in Islam, balancing Western notions with religious appropriation, hasn't really hit the bookshelf. She Wore Red Trainers is this book.
It tells the story of seventeen year old Ali who has just lost his mother, and as his family struggle to come to terms with her death, they are forced to move to London in light of their circumstances. The loss of his mother has led Ali on a journey of self-discovery, and exploring his religion in which he finds his strength and healing. Seventeen year old Amirah is on her own journey; living in London with her mother who is battling depression and a broken marriage, she doesn't believe in love and has vowed to never get married. Instead, she is focusing on building an education and a future, and escaping a past that weighs down on her shoulders. But when these two kindred spirits meet, sparks fly, and they can't help but imagine a future together. With these two teens struggling with their identity as a Muslim and fighting the temptations of desire, is it possible for them to have a "halal happily-ever-after?"
I respect Nai'ma Robert's ballsy move to tackle this topic head-on. It's not easy, keeping in mind that your audience is not restricted to Muslims, to write about it in a way that will not be misinterpreted or misunderstood. And I can't help but feel that her book gave off the wrong vibes. Don't get me wrong, there are some lovely parts to this book. Funnily enough, the best parts of it were the non-romantic parts. Like the struggle of Ali's younger brother, Umar, as an emotional war raged on in his mind following the death of his mother. He blames God for the loss of her life, unable to accept that she is no longer with them, and in doing so, slowly loses his faith. He bottles up his frustration, anger and rebellious energy that he has no outlet for and the emotional damage that losing his mum had inflicted on him seeps through the pages. There's a truly heart-breaking but beautiful part towards the end that is just so raw and so powerful, and it resonated with me so deeply because on a very personal level, Ali's journey of finding his meaning in life, was so much like my own.
My favourite part was a little prayer that Ali makes, beautiful in its simplicity, that reminded me how time and time again, I have found my own healing in prayer.
| "God, show me the way forward. I thought my life was perfect when Mum was alive. But You knew better. You took her back to teach me the reality of this life. To guide me back to the Straight Way. It was a price I didn't want to pay - an almost unbearably high price - but we don't get to choose our tests. Everything is encompassed by Your Wisdom. You alone know the reason for everything.
When I was at my lowest point, your Word brought me comfort. Your Word guided me. Guide me once more.
Guide me."
It's just so beautifully written that when I read it, my breath caught. I read it about four times, just absorbing the sheer power of these words. It's in prose like that, that Nai'ma Robert manages to put the beauty and meaning of Islam in words.
There are other strengths in this book, like the the wonderful relationship between Amirah and her younger brother, Abdullah, who's deaf, and the relationship that develops between Ali and Abdullah as circumstances put them in one another's company. The sibling angle ultimately gave the book its depth and it was in these touching moments that I felt the emotions Nai'ma Robert wanted me to feel. Beyond that, I think she succeeded in translating on page, the internal struggles that Muslim adolescents face in the modern world. I could relate, I could understand, and I could feel the exhaustion of these two characters while they tried to live right by their religion, and also "fit in" in society. I felt the weight of their journey, the journey of finding your faith in the 21st century in a world clouded with distractions and drowning in temptation .
And all I can think is that its a damn shame that the love story didn't sit well with me. I was so conflicted reading it because as a Muslim, I got it. The teachings regarding love and marriage were nothing new to me because these rulings are my way of life too. I understood the views of the different characters in the book. I knew where the author was coming from when she was trying to write a love story transpiring in the right way. But I also felt like it only worked - to that small degree - because I am a Muslim. I can't help but think that anyone else reading it, would have got the wrong idea. The lines are blurred in the messages that Nai'ma Robert tries to get across. I don't think she did Islam justice when portraying love, and also in portraying gender roles. A lot of the views, and character stance on women and love and marriage, really irked me because it didn't fall in line with the Islam that I - and millions of others across the world - know and love. It was frustrating as hell.
This has to be the lengthiest review I've given a book that I've rated below four stars. But I have so many mixed feelings about it, and it became kind of personal. There's admiration to some degree, and sheer annoyance to a ridiculously high degree. It was, quite simply, a naive and fluffy outlook on love with the narrative bombarding the reader with Islamic teachings in a lecture-ish manner, with a romance that didn't work, a setting that lacked world building, "roadman" dialect that I couldn't take seriously, and a juvenile, naive perspective on marriage. It could have been a fabulous story. Really. If it had just done the love-in-Islam angle justice.
Out of the Easy
- by Ruta Sepetys
4.0/5.0 stars
~
This Is Where It Ends
~
Where do I start with this book? Written in the midst of a time where school shootings in America frequent the headlines, it should have answered the morbidly intriguing questions that run through our minds when such an incident leaves us reeling in shock - like what drives a person to mercilessly fire bullets at a bunch of school children, who they have likely studied, joked, and grown up with? What is it like to be staring death in the face, knowing that you only have seconds to live? What goes through your head when you're looking down the barrel of a gun - and what goes through your head when you're the one behind the trigger?
Her debut novel, Between Shades of Gray, was harrowing, raw and tragic. Her work may not be as detailed as that of Markus Zusack (The Book Thief), or as graphic to the point of being unbearable to read as Khaled Hossaini's, but Ruta Sepetys delivers historical fiction in a simplistic, authentic manner in lovely prose that makes her writing distinctly compelling.
Out of the Easy is an unconventional historical fiction set in the French Quarter of New Orleans in the 1950s. Nicknamed the Big Easy, it is home to seventeen year old Josie who is the daughter of a prostitute and who wants nothing more than to escape the reputation that precedes her, her claustrophobic life, and the clutches of her toxic mother. But when she finds herself entangled in the mysterious death of a man she just met, her loyalties are tested and she is forced to choose between a life in an elite college that she dreams of, and the life in New Orleans that seems to be dragging her down with the weight of gravity with every turn she takes; from her mother who has loose morals and a questionable taste in men, to her best friend Patrick and his father who once took Josie in as his own but who now no longer remembers who he is, and Willie, the brusque madam who owns the brothel on Conti Street where Josie works as a housekeeper. Embroiled in the dramatics of those she loves the most, Josie is trapped in New Orleans, determined to uncover the truth that lurks in the corners of the French Quarter whilst drowning in her own ocean of lies - until it all catches up with her and all her secrets are slowly threadbare from her carefully stitched blanket of secrets and lies.
| "We all laced together - a brothel madam, an English professor, a mute cook, a quadroon cabbie, and me, the girl carrying a bucket of lies and throwing them like confetti" - Josie Moraine, Out of the Easy
What a rich and vibrant story that Ruta Sepetys brought to life! Josie's voice gripped me from the first page; there's an instant connect with her character as she pulls you into her complex world of corruption and sleaze. You can't help but be drawn in by her quips and dry humour and through her narrative, Sepetys evokes a deep sense of empathy for this young girl who's been dealt a cruel hand. And as we see New Orleans through Josie's eyes, from the ladies of the brothel to the gangsters that haunt her in the shadows, we are swept up by a vivid, electrifying era that is mysterious and magical. The real beauty of Ruta Sepetys' writing though is that she creates a world with such a simplistic style. And she does it through clever characterisation. Her pages dance with colourful characters that sweep you off your feet and transport you to another land in another time. In fact, her characters are so well fleshed out and captivating, that the plot is almost secondary in this book. I loved reading about them; from their dynamics with Josie to their uniquely distinct personalities that make them so lovable (and in some cases, despicable) and the exploration of what makes them tick, made the whole book an enjoyable read. That being said, the plot too was brilliantly executed. I was kind of wary going into it, given its gritty nature, but Ruta Sepetys has handled it delicately and instead of being crude and vulgar, her portrayal of the ladies of the brothel evokes a strong sense of regret and sadness for these women who are surviving in the only way they can.
In some ways, I enjoyed her second novel more than I did her debut. It has such depth but also wonderfully light moments that made it an absolute pleasure to read. And the whole way through, all I could picture was the beautiful but ambiguous New Orleans, enshrouded in secrecy, that I see on screen every week with each new episode of The Originals, and it kind of, slightly, took my breath away.
This Is Where It Ends
- by Marieke Nijkamp
3.0/5.0 stars
Just before this book was released, I added it excitedly to my Goodreads "want to read" list because it promised a harrowing and dark story that is so relevant in today's society. And the only thing worse than reading a disappointing book, is reading a disappointing book that echoes with the sound of high expectations hitting the floor with a solid thunk.
This Is Where It Ends tells a story that spans 54 minutes, starting from the time that the boy with the gun breaks into the auditorium of Opportunity High School and barricades in the students - before opening fire. Told from the perspective of four students, each trapped in this horrific nightmare and fighting for survival, and each inextricably linked to the shooter, it holds the unimaginable terror of an entire school being held hostage by a crazed teenage boy who holds all the cards and has nothing to lose.
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Where do I start with this book? Written in the midst of a time where school shootings in America frequent the headlines, it should have answered the morbidly intriguing questions that run through our minds when such an incident leaves us reeling in shock - like what drives a person to mercilessly fire bullets at a bunch of school children, who they have likely studied, joked, and grown up with? What is it like to be staring death in the face, knowing that you only have seconds to live? What goes through your head when you're looking down the barrel of a gun - and what goes through your head when you're the one behind the trigger?
The complex psychology behind such a controversial, devastating epidemic is so grossly fascinating and I wish wish wish that this book had done it justice. There was so much to be explored with its story line, so much scope to plunge deep into the workings of an unhinged mind, and it just didn't deliver. The dialogue was scrappy and I couldn't help but feel that the different perspectives blurred into one; there was no distinct voice and often, I'd forget which character's narrative I was reading. It also made me feel immensely disconnected from the characters and ultimately, I was emotionally detached from what was unfolding in the pages in front of me. There was no sense of escalated drama or exaggerated terror, no adrenaline rush or pounding heart, and no emotional punches or palpable fear. I felt nothing. The characters - and the shooter in particular - were shallow and one-dimensional, and their back stories that were pivotal to what was going on were simply not developed at all, and so the whole plot lacked depth. It painted such a black-and-white picture of good and evil, and the so-called revelations of what made the shooter snap were quite frankly, anti-climactic to the point where it was almost laughable. I'm gutted to be writing this - but This Is Where It Ends breaks any promise it had, and is a bland, dull, undeveloped psychological tale that should have been so much more.
All Our Yesterdays
- by Cristin Terrill
5.0/5.0 stars
~
Finding Audrey
It's interesting that I read - and am reviewing - this book straight off the back of the previous one. Because where This Is Where It Ends failed, All Our Yesterdays succeeded beyond belief. Cristin Terrill has done what Marieke Nijkamp couldn't. And that is writing one hell of a roller coaster ride.
Em is imprisoned in a concrete cell at the heart of a military base. Her only hope of making it out alive is the boy in the cell next door and a piece of paper she finds tucked into the abandoned drain that sits on her cell floor. A paper that holds a list of instructions on how to stop the creation of a time machine, the existence of which has led to world destruction. But Em has never seen this list before - and yet the instructions are in her distinct, cursive handwriting. Each instruction is different from the last, and each time, Em has tried to follow through with it, desperately trying to prevent the earth-shattering consequences that come with the building of a revolutionary machine. Only each time, she has failed, landing back in her tormented present where she is imprisoned and tortured by the sadistic creator of the time machine, the doctor, whilst the world outside her prison is torn apart.
Marina is in love with her best friend, James. He is the son of a powerful, wealthy family and is something of a science prodigy destined for great things. Until a terrible accident throws James' life upside down and Marina suddenly finds herself torn between protecting her best friend, and facing ugly truths that she doesn't want to believe. One girl is in a race against time to save the future, one girl is in a race against time to save the boy she loves - but it's a race that only one girl can win.
| "But it's the last line that makes me scramble for the toilet in the corner of the cell.
You have to kill him"
Oh man, this book. This book is everything. It messed with my mind and it messed with my emotions and I cannot stop thinking about it. Time travel is a tricky thing; it is so hard to wrap the head around such an insanely complex and confusing concept that any brave soul who incorporates it into a novel, better be damn ready to answer some bloody difficult questions. Of course, I loved The Time Traveller's Wife which has an air of whimsical fantasy to it and in which the phenomenon of time travel arises because of a genetic anomaly that cannot be explained. And whilst it's confusing as hell, it works.
But Cristin Terrill, in all her scientific glory, creates the fourth dimension from the art of physics. And I can't help but marvel at the fact that she doesn't make it complicated or scientifically heavy. In fact, the science is barely touched upon but with her writing skill she made it a realistic, believable concept. Her world building is so subtle and yet I imagined her world so vividly and I bought into her concept of time travel. Her characters are gold; complex and multi-dimensional, they are so incredibly fleshed out and she seamlessly transitions between the past and present to make their stories intertwine to ultimately write a book that is flawless in its delivery. Its plot is addictive and gripping; from politics and ruthless assassinations, to romance and friendship, Cristin Terrill's imagination is tangible with every page and the air of mystery that enshrouds this book, especially in the opening chapters, had me hooked from start to end. Her little cliffhangers and snippets of revelations, the secrets, lies and guessing games, the suspense - all of it is so intricately woven in this fast-paced thriller that ends with a heart-pounding finale that left me reeling for hours after I had read the last line of it. Serious book hangover. Honestly, it should be mandatory for every book to have an epilogue because I legit can't deal. My emotions are wrecked after reading this book - I even went back to some of my favourite chapters to re-read them because I was left raw and hollow and I just couldn't let go of this world and its characters.
Then I found out that Cristin Terrill had originally planned a sequel so I had a brief spell of dizzy elation and frantically went to pre-order it. But then I found out that the sequel is no longer happening. And my heart broke.
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"Time travel isn't a wonder; it's an abomination" ~ Em |
Finding Audrey
- by Sophie Kinsella
4.5/5.0 stars
~
It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Sophie Kinsella. Her books are always a guaranteed warm chick-lit that is hilarious, swoon-worthy and addictive all in equal measure. So when I heard that she was venturing into young-adult and releasing a novel about a teenager suffering from an anxiety disorder, a far cry from her usual fluffy adult romances, I was immediately intrigued.
And in her young-adult debut, her writing shines as much as it does in her adult chick-lits. Finding Audrey is told by fourteen year old Audrey who suffers from depressive episodes and severe anxiety. She can't leave the house, she finds it difficult to communicate with people outside of her family, and she wears dark glasses permanently - even in her home - to avoid making eye contact with anyone. But when she bumps into her brother's gaming friend, Linus, during one of his frequent visits to the house, she is forced to communicate with him. And what's more is that she finds herself wanting to. Because Linus, with his infectious smile and his little notes to her, make her want to open up and challenge herself to confront her fears. As their friendship deepens and a sweet romance begins to blossom, Audrey finds herself learning that the road to recovery, like life, comes with its ups and downs and that she's not alone in navigating what life throws at you.
| "Life is all about climbing up, slipping down, and picking yourself up again. And it doesn't matter if you slip down. As long as you're kind of heading more or less upwards. That's all you can hope for. More or less upward" - Finding Audrey
To write a book in the voice of a teenage protagonist - and to have an adult audience love it - is a feat that few authors achieve. There's always the risk of it sounding too juvenile, and unrelatable but Sophie Kinsella has made Audrey's voice so compelling that whilst reading, I almost forgot how young she was. She's an instantly likeable character that I felt drawn to the second I read the first line of the book - and from that first chapter I absolutely loved Audrey's crazy family whose hilarious dynamics as they drive each other up the wall, together with their warm and touching moments are a true highlight. As is Linus - the insightful, wise and adorable Linus whose relationship with Audrey is so sweet that my face started to hurt from how much their moments made me smile.
But the most wonderful aspect of Finding Audrey is the way Sophie Kinsella tackles the difficult issue of mental health. Through the light and funny moments, she ties in an authentic insight into anxiety and depression with a hard realism and brings to light some incredibly powerful messages. I especially loved that her friendship - and soon romance - with Linus simply gives her the strength to combat her struggle, but does not cure nor erase it. Whilst Audrey's friends and family, and even love allow her to channel her inner strength, Sophie Kinsella's latest release resonates with the message that Audrey's struggle with mental illness is her own journey. The perfect balance between laugh-out-loud humour, adorable romance, and eye-opening insights into mental health probably make it her best book to date.
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