My April Wrap-Up
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April's been a bit of a slow reading month for me; although uni started back up again, we had less teaching time so I haven't been using the train as much (which is where I get the bulk of my reading done) and when I've been home, I've been up to my ears with revision (exam season is the worst for book nerds) so I haven't had as much time as I would like to read. Having said that, here are my thoughts and feelings on the few that I did get round to reading - enjoy, and if any tickle your fancy, go ahead and pick 'em up!
Some Boys
- by Patty Blount
4.0/5.0 stars
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Return to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul
Some Boys is such an important book. One that should exist and one that is hard to review but I'll do my best.
When Grace goes to a school party, it ends with students running from the scene in the fear of a police patrol car whilst she lies unconscious and bleeding in the dark of a forest. No one but her knows what happened that night. And when she tells the staff at the hospital, the police, and her parents that she was raped by the school's golden boy, it's enough to send shock waves around town. With no evidence and just Grace's word to go by, her friends, together with the rest of the school, accuse her of lying and she is forced to deal with the truth about what happened that night alone. But when circumstances throw her into Ian's life, she feels a flicker of hope that someone might just believe her. As Grace takes the lifeline Ian gives her, she finds herself slowly falling for him...but he's the best friend of the guy who raped her and she has to wonder if trusting him is worth it, or just one huge mistake.
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Some Boys was an addicting read. I found myself unable to put it down and I really wasn't expecting it for a random book that I downloaded on my Kindle. But I found myself pulled into Grace's world; her narrative and characterisation is so strong and instantly likeable. Despite the psychological trauma that her experiences force on her, she's strong and brave, and her kick ass comebacks and the bold way in which she challenges people and their views are so important in this book. It takes a hard look at slut-shaming and the double standards of rape culture and through a variety of characters, Patty Blount addresses so many issues such as the mentality that the Western world has on rape. She touches on bullying, disrespect, and the attitude that so many people have towards rape victims. Like how if a girl dresses a certain way, she's asking for it. All it takes is a shred of common sense to know that sexual assault is wrong. Whether you feel that her dress code justifies it or not is irrelevant. She also hones in on powerful messages like the prejudice and judgmental bias that prevails in society, the lines that get blurred when it comes to sexual assault, the objectification of women, the sense of responsibility to do what's right and not easy, the repercussions of being a victim of sexual assault, the notion that not taking even a second to listen to all sides of a story makes you as guilty of the crime as the guilty party...I could go on. So whilst the book has its flaws, Some Boys is an empowering, thought-provoking read that does its subject matter justice and that is compelling, heart-breaking and eye-opening all at the same time.
The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul
- by Deborah Rodriguez
4.0/5.0 stars
I feel so conflicted writing this review dammit. I've rated it four stars, but I feel like its more honest rating hovers somewhere at 3.75 (and giving it 3 stars felt kinda harsh). I first read The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul three years ago and at the time, it was one that I really liked and it made a pretty addition to my bookshelf (seriously, what a cute cover though!). And it just so happened that I stumbled upon a tweet about a month ago that advertised its sequel release in March and it took me by surprise because TLCSoK had always read as a stand alone with a potential sequel not even crossing my mind, and also because of the large time gap between the two releases. Naturally, I was curious. So I had it on pre-order and when it arrived - with its equally adorable cover mind you - I couldn't jump straight into it because I'd read the first one so long ago.
I've been itching to get into it though so I ploughed through TLCSoK again, and don't get me wrong, I liked it, but not as much as I did the first time. I don't necessarily think it's because it was a re-read. I had such little recollection of this book that it felt like I was reading it for the first time anyway, but I just didn't find myself totally engrossed in it.
The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul follows five women in Kabul, Afghanistan: Sunny, who owns a quaint little coffee shop on a dusty road that welcomes foreigners and Afghans alike to distract them from the dangers that lie on the Middle Eastern streets; Yazmina, who is sold to a drug lord but when he drops her from the car to the street in the middle nowhere, fate leads her to Sunny who graciously grants Yazmina - bearing secrets that could threaten her life - refuge in the coffee shop; Halajan, a rebellious old woman with a young heart who rebels against the changing Afghanistan and harbours a secret love affair that betrays all tradition; Isabel, a British journalist who has travelled thousands of miles to expose one of Kabul's most coveted operations; and Candace, a wealthy American who has left her life in the States to follow her heart and embark on a life with the charming Wakil who has dark secrets of his own. As these women from different walks of life inevitably cross paths, they forge an unlikely friendship that ties their fates - and the fates of so many others - irrevocably to one another's. And when secrets are spilled and truths are uncovered, culture, religion and societal norms clash in the fight to do what is right, and not what is expected...
Deborah Rodriguez has done a fantastic job of bringing Kabul to life. Her depiction of Sunny's coffee shop is colourful and vivid, and I felt like I was sitting there at a table in the corner just watching what was going on in the pages in front of me. Beyond that, she paints a wonderful picture of Afghanistan, rich in its culture and bursting with energy, whilst simultaneously contrasting it with the war zone that hangs over Kabul like a black cloud as the Taliban use their ruthless methods to reclaim control over the city. That's the beauty of this book; the political turmoil that enshrouds this war-torn country takes a back seat, and through a little coffee shop that is tucked away in its corner, Rodriguez breathes life into a city that is a ticking time bomb. She seamlessly weaves together the stories of her dynamic, vibrant characters to tell a story of Kabul that is so much more than its bloodshed and violence. It is a tale of friendship, strength and hope, and she has created a cast of empowering women - and men that transcend the archetype of Western and Afghan values - to tackle issues such as the harsh struggles of women in Afghanistan, the internal battle between culture and religion, and the unfair stereotypes and prejudices that are still prevalent in today's society. Her portrayal of the worth of human life is deeply thought-provoking and while it doesn't scream out from the pages, it subtly seeps through their lines to evoke a warm appreciation for a country steeped in history.
It may not have been as gritty or as haunting as I would have liked, and I might have felt a level of disconnect from the characters, and I did find the story quite slow in some parts, but I can't take away the characterisation, the writing style and imagery, and the poignant messages that Deborah Rodriguez has incorporated in her light-hearted, almost-chick-lit historical fiction. Suffice to say that I'm excited to read its sequel. It promises to be a captivating follow-up of the stories that I left behind in The Coffee Shop and I can't wait to dive right back in.
Return to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul
- by Deborah Rodriguez
4.0/5.0 stars
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Oh how wonderful it was to re-visit the vibrant cast of The Little Coffee of Kabul. Deborah Rodriguez has taken us back to the heart of Afghanistan to indulge us in the worlds of our favourite characters that we met in the first instalment of this duology. We follow Sunny's ventures in America who has moved on from her life in Kabul and now owns a vineyard on a peaceful island, Layla and Kat who are young teenage Afghan girls struggling to find their identity in a Western world, Yazmina who is the new owner of the coffee shop and who is determined to give a voice to the unheard pleas of the girls of Afghanistan, Zara who is being forced into a marriage with an abusive man and whose heart secretly longs for someone else, and Halajan who is still breaking all the rules and is yet again, keeping a secret that will add fuel to her fire of rebellion...
I love that Deborah Rodriguez kept the cast that made TLCSoK such a warm and wonderful read, whilst introducing a bunch of new characters that are just as fun, just as wise and witty, and just as endearing. And I liked that she explored these characters outside the world of the coffee shop. While TLCSoK's sole focus is the coffee shop, its sequel explores deeper story lines, some thousands of miles away from the exotic Kabul. She not only hones in on the struggle of women in Afghanistan on a much more intense level, but through Sunny, she begs the question of whether or not the heart can move on from a country it never truly leaves, and through Layla and Kat, she tackles the complex nature of belonging to two countries, but not really belonging in one place at all - and it was these themes that she addressed that gives her characters, and by extent her novel, such admirable depth. The sequel of The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul is just as strong as its prequel..just as moving, just as thought-provoking, and it does it absolute justice. I'm so glad that Deborah Rodriguez gave us the chance to be transported a few years forward and experience the dramatic, life-changing journey that makes her characters that we have come to love, grow, love, and learn.
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The Darkest Minds
- by Alexandra Bracken
2.0/5.0 stars
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It irks me when a book is ridiculously hyped and has nothing but rave reviews which leaves me dying to read it, and when I finally do read it, it's nothing but one big resounding disappointment. The Darkest Minds was, sadly, one such book.
When Ruby's classmate, Grace, drops dead while they're eating lunch in the school cafeteria, her eight year old self thinks that it's a tragic accident. But Grace had the mysterious disease Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegenration (IAAN) and she wasn't the first victim. Nor was she the last. As kids around America rapidly begin to lose their lives after being inflicted by the disease, Ruby's life expectancy hangs in the balance though unbeknown to her, she is a survivor of IAAN and instead of battling a life-threatening illness, she possesses powers that the Government are struggling to contain. So when she accidentally loses control on her tenth birthday to create a domino effect with devastating consequences, she is chained and handcuffed, and carted off to Thurmond, a rehabilitation camp for other dangerous survivors of IAAN like herself.
Five years on, Ruby finds herself on the run after escaping Thurmond and together with escapees of another camp, is desperately trying to find a place called East River where a mysterious leader who calls himself the Slip Kid promises refuge and a place to call home. But while she is on the hunt for a safe haven, she is being hunted by an organisation who want to use her as a weapon against the Government, and also by the camp from which she ran. While Ruby struggles to not endanger the lives of those she cares about, her own life is endangered and she has to quickly make a choice; either accept the help of the only person in the world who shares her powers to learn how to control them, or hand them over to a dangerous force to take down the Government that has destroyed her life.
| "He's so busy looking inside people to find the good, that he misses the knife they're holding in their hand"
The promise of this book though. It could have been dark, haunting, adrenaline-rush-exciting, but it just wasn't any of that. I've given it two stars for a bloody brilliant beginning. I actually messaged my friend (when I was stranded at the train station due to a power failure and counting my lucky stars that I had a good book to keep me company) saying "Ohmygod I've started The Darkest Minds and I'm only 10% in and it's flippin' amazing so far!" I thought it was going to be one epic read. Oh how wrong I was. The first 10-15% was unbelievably addicting. It was fast-paced and intriguing and I wanted to devour the book to satisfy my hunger of knowing more about this crazy world that Ruby is a part of. Then she goes on the run and oh man how quickly did the book fall from its heights. It was so boring. Nothing happened until the final two or three chapters and by that time, I'd already lost all interest. The plot simply did not deliver. Its plot holes and lack of depth was so frustrating, the characterisation was poor, and the ending was anti-climactic and a horrible cop-out. I'm legitimately so confused at what has earned this book the pedestal on which it is on. I'm not going to be picking up the sequel and boy am I glad that I didn't splash out on this trilogy because that would have been an honest day's work down the drain. Underwhelming, forgettable, and a total disappointment.
Lady Renegades
- by Rachel Hawkins
3.0/5.0 stars
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Lady Renegades was one of my most anticipated releases of 2016. After falling in love with the first book in this trilogy, Rebel Belle, and being left with a cliffhanger in the second, Miss Mayhem (reviews for both can be found in this wrap-up), I couldn't wait to see what would unfold in the final book of the series. I highly recommend picking up Rebel Belle by the way, I've written a spoiler-free synopsis in the wrap-up I've linked and I don't want to spoil it for you by giving a synopsis for the third book so I'm just going to touch on why I rated it three stars.
Rachel Hawkins, as she did with the previous two books, has delivered a fun and easy read with the final instalment of the Rebel Belle trilogy. I instantly found myself sucked back into its familiar world and despite me having read Miss Mayhem back in November, it didn't take much for my memory to be jogged back to the story line or the characters. The adventure and sass that made Rebel Belle such a fabulous read has faded a little and the thickening plot that left the ending of Miss Mayhem a bitter-sweet one, fell a little flat. Not much was happening in terms of plot development and after the halfway mark, there was a lot of build-up towards the final showdown which ultimately was anti-climactic and a tad rushed. And I can't help but feel that a major injustice was done to some of the characters that absolutely shone in Rebel Belle. I kinda felt deflated after finishing Lady Renegades. I wish it had been done totally differently and that it was packed with the humour, fun and addictive adventure that Rachel Hawkins delivered in Rebel Belle.
Read Rebel Belle. You'll love it. And maybe pick up Miss Mayhem. You don't even have to bother with Lady Renegades (in my opinion, you'll do just fine without doing so), but definitely give Rebel Belle a shot. It's one hell of a ride!
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Forgetting August
- by J. L. Berg
3.5/5.0 stars
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Forgetting August is another one of those second-chance-love-stories that are simultaneously frustrating and thrilling, full of angst, painful memories, and the constant push-and-pull between two people that were once in love. But its premise had me intrigued, and as much as I liked it, I'm not sure I would go as far as recommending it.
August Kincaid has been in a coma for two years and yet Everly is still haunted by his memories and the life they once shared. Despite being engaged to Ryan who is sweet, kind and protective - everything that August wasn't - she remains scarred from the wounds that August once inflicted upon her, and although she has spent the last two years picking up the pieces and salvaging her happiness, there are moments when it threatens to fall apart all over again. And then she gets the call that August is awake. Confused, disoriented, and having no recollection of his former life, August is desperate to piece together the life that he has lost, and he needs the help of the girl whose photo is in his wallet. Everly. Everly, with whom he feels an undeniable connection and who wants nothing to do with him. But she is the key to unearthing lost memories, their history together, and the man that he is. Only that the man she reveals him to be is cruel, controlling and manipulative, and he struggles with the knowledge that he was a monster who hurt the woman he is falling in love with for the second time. As he tries to prove to her that he is worthy of her love, Everly finds herself falling head over heels for the new August who reminds her of why she fell for him in the first place. Can she forgive and forget? Can she trust the man who ruined her life? And is he ready for the truth when the shocking indiscretion that Everly has kept from him comes out?
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As far as second-chance-love-stories go, Forgetting August was pretty well fleshed out. I liked the originality of one party having no memory of the past and getting a do-over not just of a relationship, but of life. Beyond the love story which is the central focus, J L Berg explores the complex psychology that lies behind one's character. Are we defined by the people we surround ourselves with? Are we impacted by our environment, the activities we endorse ourselves in, the hobbies that spark our interest? Or are we moulded by an innate instinct that would shape us in a specific manner regardless of the above? I think the consensus is that it's a combination of these things that make us each a unique little snowflake. If we were to erase who we are today, if we were to suddenly take away those worldly influences, and allow our inborn instinct take over, we could probably see ourselves take a different path to the person we were once becoming - but then if we were to re-insert certain people, events, choices, would we go back to being that person, or would we become someone else entirely? It's an interesting question, and one that begs attention in this book that at face value, is simply a love story. The confusing layers of human nature are touched on throughout the pages of August and Everly's story and J L Berg does a pretty great job at stripping them away through their dual perspectives.
In my opinion though, August's story was the most compelling, the most intriguing and exciting. His journey to re-discovering himself was equal parts heartbreaking and fun to read, and the complexity of his character saved this book from being a total disaster. Multi-dimensional, quick-witted, and on the road to redemption, it was hard to not love him. Everly on the other hand, irked me. I understood her conflicting emotions when it came to August, especially as snippets of their past were revealed, but I very easily grew frustrated with her ironclad grip on the past, and her inability to decide how she wanted to move forward with the new August. The angst was torture, bordering on overkill towards the end. That being said, I liked the relationship between these two. Coupled with old memories, it was easy to root for their second chance. And then the ending ruined it for me. The plot twist and the cliffhanger is enough to make me pick up the second book, but I felt like there was unnecessary drama preceding it that was thrown in to hold up a plot. Total cop-out. Ah, the dilemma of reading a book that you love to hate.
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