The Fixer

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by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Reviewed by SA

A young adult political thriller. Do I have your attention yet? If that’s not enough to get you rushing to pick up this book, stick around, because I have so many reasons you will love The Fixer. It’s smart, exciting, intriguing, and, most importantly fun. It’s another one of those books that you can read quickly, but it somehow stays with you for a long while.

Summary 

Since her parents death, all Sixteen-year-old Tess Kendrick has known has been her grandfather’s ranch. Her grandfather, however, is starting to forget things, and it’s becoming harder and harder for Tess to cover for him. She wants nothing more than to stay by his side, but her estranged sister, Ivy, a mysterious big-wig from D.C., has other plans for them. 

When Tess is uprooted and thrown into the capital, she’s tossed into a world of politics and power. Ivy is a fixer: when someone with a name wants a problem solved, the name on their lips is Ivy Kendrick. One of those problems is Tess; Ivy manages to enroll her, somehow, into Hardwicke Academy, home of the children of the biggest names in D.C.. And some of those children have bigger problems than their parents could ever imagine…

The rich and powerful have skeletons in their closets, and a conspiracy starts to take shape, one that Tess isn’t sure she can fix. Things are going to get… complicated.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first picked up this book. I saw it compared to “Scandal meets Veronica “Mars, though since I’ve never seen an episode of either, it wasn’t much of a reference. All I knew was “teenage girl solves political problems”…  so not much to go on. Which made the whole experience all the more awesome: I had nothing to compare it to, so everything was extremely new. But imagine you had a teenager who was onto everything going on in house of cards. A different perspective, making everything new.

Tess herself is one of those smart protagonists who proves she can be resourceful… and smart enough to talk to people with more experience when things get out of hand. Dealing with such intricate political schemes when having no experience in the political world means you need backup: and trusting in the people around you is not a trait many YA protagonists use. She never plans on becoming a fixer, but she has such a heart, and a hatred of bullies, that she can’t help but step in for others.

And Tess’s friends she makes at Hardwicke are awesome, and I mean awesome. Many main characters are POC and pretty badass. They have their own skills and talents, and support Tess, becoming a strong team. Just as Ivy has her own team, Tess somehow inadvertently builds one around herself. It’s fun to see those worlds collide: Ivy and her team, with Tess and her own.

The conspiracy starts as something you think could have a simple answer: but it quickly grows into something much, much larger. And it’s not something you can solve, or even theorize, by yourself. Almost like a Sherlock Holmes novel, you need to work out the problem using the few clues at your disposal, which you only uncover by following Tess’s own – at first reluctant – investigation. You won’t see the twists coming.

Some things seem a little unrealistic, however. For example, the first Lady who keeps showing up and showing an interest in Tess. Or the ease with which some of the mysteries are solved and resolved. Then again, this is meant to be a fun YA novel, so I’m going to let that slide: the book was fun all the same.

The Fixer seems like the beginning of something great. I an excited to read the sequel, and would love to see this turned into a show – a House of Cards crossed with Alex Rider and maybe Pretty Little Liars. It’s a fun, smart novel that keeps you hooked until the end.

Assorted Musings 

  • So there’s this HUGE twist at the end, which somehow I managed to see coming. All this because I read a book in middle school about this boys, his show chickens, and his sister, the exotic dancer named Dawn. So now every time I see characters with that kind of age difference I expect that twist. Dangit book-whose-name-I-can’t-remeber!
  • I totally imagine Ivy looking like Kristen Bell, for some reason. Why? No idea.
  • YESSSS for no forced Romance! I thought there would be but NOPE.
  • THAT ENDING. I really need a sequel STAT!

Go Set a Watchman

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by Harper Lee

Review by KM

Who doesn’t remember sitting in their English classroom and reading about Atticus Finch? I know a lot of us do and that To Kill a Mockingbird was one of our favorite required-reading books. Atticus gave us an idolized role model that used his privilege for the underdog; he was articulate, intelligent, and fair. I was so excited to see him in another book.

From the moment I knew there was a sequel coming out, I knew I was going to be getting it. I didn’t read the articles or listen to the hype. I probably should have.

Summary

Maycomb, Alabama. Twenty-six-year-old Jean Louise Finch—”Scout”—returns home from New York City to visit her aging father, Atticus. Set against the backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were transforming the South, Jean Louise’s homecoming turns bittersweet when she learns disturbing truths about her close-knit family, the town, and the people dearest to her. Memories from her childhood flood back, and her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt. Featuring many of the iconic characters from To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman perfectly captures a young woman, and a world, in painful yet necessary transition out of the illusions of the past—a journey that can only be guided by one’s own conscience.

Musings 

I have a lot of feelings about this novel. I’m angry, betrayed, and relieved, in a sense. I think I feel the same way Jean Louise feels and I’m pretty sure that is intentional.

A lot of people are making a lot of noise about how Go Set a Watchman destroys Atticus’ character. Around a third into the book, when I slammed it down onto the counter and announced to my coworkers that I couldn’t go on, I would have agreed. There are reasons why it doesn’t. We were introduced to Atticus by an eight year old who idolized her father. I don’t believe she was meant to be an unreliable narrator, but anyone is going to have their bias. We trusted in that and we saw Atticus with no flaws. That’s why it was just as disturbing to me to see facets of his personality just as much as it disturbed Scout. Her personality evolves from the child we saw in Mockingbird to a strong young adult, making this her story rather than just her narration.

As a piece of literature, I think it’s a resounding success. I was transported directly to the town of Maycomb; Lee’s voice is so authentic that I’ve never found anything similar. It’s a slow, lazy climb to the plot, but it’s not noticeable. This is more a book of reflection than action. I’m pretty sure it’s being classified as an adult novel at the moment, but damn, I haven’t read a book that has totally defined New Adult for me until this one.

If you love Atticus or not, I suggest giving this a read. It will make you angry, but maybe we’re not meant  to idolize people without any faults. They’re just hiding them and they’re bound to topple from that pedestal eventually.

Alive

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By Scott Sigler

Reviewed by SA

Looking for your new favorite book this summer? Summer fast and fun that will stay with you forever? Then I would seriously recommend Alive, Scott Sigler’s new book coming out today. It’s a fun, fast paced thrill ride that will leave you breathless and asking for more, offering you questions upon questions of mystery and intrigue. You’ll never want to put it down.

Summary

When she breaks free from the coffin shaped box that was holding her, our protagonist has no idea who she is. She knows only one thing: it is her twelfth birthday. But her clothes are too tight, her body too large for being twelve; and what is that strange circular mark on her forehead? As people begin to emerge from the coffins, each claiming it to be their twelfth birthday, none fitting the bill, and with no other memories, our hero takes on a name: Em, for the M. Savage on her coffin. She will lead her crew into the corridors of their strange prison – if it even is a prison – where every hallway is strewn with the remains of the dead, and rooms hold horrors they would never want to see.  As their questions get answered, more questions are asked. Who are they, and what are they doing here? What do the marks mean? And are they alone?

The second I read “its my twelfth birthday”, I groaned internally. ‘ I assumed much too quickly that this was just another YA*… I was wrong, thank goodness! In less than a chapter, Sigler had managed to get me completely hooked. Already, every question that was out there made us want, no, need an answer. And he wasn’t going to just give it to us, no!

Now the difficult thing about this book is writing a review with no spoilers: the answers to the questions our heroes ask are astounding, and something you could not have anticipated at all. The best of all, however, is that the answers do not let you down. Frequently, a good book or show will ride on the intrigue to keep you reading, but when all is revealed, you feel cheated. For some, think Lost. What’s fantastic about Alive is that the answers enrich the novel and give it a whole other dimension. You don’t learn anything until near the very end, so the reveal actually leaves you asking more, wanting more.

Em herself is a fantastic lead. She’s smart, she’s insightful, and she’s flawed. It’s an incredible amount of growth for a character with no memories. She watches and judges, plans and fights, all the while trying to keep everyone together and proving herself to be an incredible leader. In her mind, she is still twelve, which means she has some quite interesting insights (mainly on modesty, she’s not a fan of her tight clothes) and remarks (she’s confused by white people skin for a while). I absolutely loved her. The internal turmoil after a defining moment is something you don’t get a lot of in novels these days: it’s either brushed over, or brought up every five minutes. Em is a great person to follow, and get to know.

Alive strikes balance in everything: it finds the balance between asking hundreds of questions and answering them, balance in a fast paced plot and internal turmoil, balance between good and evil. It’s bother horror survival and human growth. It may not be ‘the perfect novel’ (does it even exist?), but I could find nothing wrong with it, nothing negative to say at all. It was gripping and fun! It was surprisingly fast to read – possibly because I couldn’t put it down – and I loved piecing everything together with Em. This is definitely my favorite YA science fiction novel in a long, long time. First time I’ve read something as good in year! It was… awesome, for lack of a better word..

So if you’re looking for a great, fun, fast read this summer, you’re going to love Alive. Drop everything and start it now! Comes out today on amazon.

N.B. I just found out that this is the first in a trilogy. It ends in such a way that I had no idea! I’m super excited for the sequel, when do we get it?

*Not that I have anything against YA! It’s the whole “Cash Cow” mentally that’s bugging me these days. You can tell when a book is written just for the money of it, taking everything that appeals to the key demographic and shoving it together for optimum readership. Thankfully, this is not that book.

Charlie, Presumed Dead

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by Anne Heltzel

Reviewed by SA

This book was really nothing like I expected. I went into it expecting a bit of a friendship romp, a world tour with maybe some adventurous aspects, maybe a bit of a mystery: I came out of it shivering, terrified, my heart pounding and my hands trembling. Fair warning: this is much more than just a novel. It will psychologically leave you paranoid and feel like a dagger to your gut, letting you die slowly. And craving more, of course!

Synopsis

When his Cessna breaks apart and explodes over the north sea, the only thing left is a bloody jacket. The pilot, Charlie Price, is presumed dead. His funeral in paris is a small affair, attended only by close family, friends, and his two girlfriends. Neither know of the other’s existence until now: Lena Whitney, a rich, smart blonde who had been dating him three years, and Aubrey Boroughs, an artist who just graduated high school, who has known him, and dated him long distance, for a year, both realize that Charlie had been lying to them… and probably about a lot more than just the other’s existence. There is a whole lot they don’t know about Charlie Price, and it’s time they get some closure and answers. Together they must take a mind-bending trip across the planet: first in London—then in Mumbai, Kerala, and Bangkok, the girls go in search of Charlie. Is he still alive? What did their love for him even mean? And what secrets are they both concealing from each other?

While written very similarly, Aubrey and Lena have very distinct personalities. I liked their interactions, and the bond that began to form through the novel. Understanding what kind of person they are, and if they can trust the other, is a huge struggle for them, but it leads to immense personal growth (at least for one of them) which is surely needed after being dragged along by a man like Charlie. Though I didn’t personally like either of them, I didn’t mind much in this novel, because I was more interested in their path to understanding.

Who even is this Charlie, anyways? The man is slowly revealed through the women’s stories, but also through short tidbits from his mind, short flashbacks the other lets us glimpse. As this is what really impressed me the most in this novel: how much this Charlie can surprise you. He’s one man with one woman, another with the other, and he has some serious, serious problems. Now this blog is spoiler free, that is a promise, so I won’t let you know what we discover about Charlie: but the slow buildup is intriguing, and incredibly disturbing.

It was exciting to see the world through the lens of these two traveling women! Paris is brought to life in front of your eyes – and I could quickly determine that the author was reliable in her descriptions, seeing as how I’m partially french – and then we move down to India, to Thailand… you’re not doing to tourist destinations! It was gorgeous and exciting. You see a side of the world not many get to see, led by Lena, a world traveler, and accompanied by Aubrey, who experiences things for the first time, like us.

The secrets part I was annoyed about. The characters kept saying to themselves “I can’t the other know… my secret” and it felt a little weird, a little uncomfortable. When Aubrey’s secret was revealed, however, I was a little disappointed: It was a bit of a let down. Many things that were pumped up in the book let me down a little when revealed.

In the same way, some of the things seemed a little too easy, too coincidental (though I realize now this has something to do with the ending).  When the girls moved easily from one place to the next, it made some parts of the novel feel a little dull, honestly. But hang in there! The ending itself is a roller coaster, and it really destroyed me on the inside. We neeeeeeeeed a sequel! The way the book slowly warped from girl trip, to girls bonding, to HOLY HECK PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER, was actually pretty masterful. And so incredibly disturbing.

This book was nothing as expected… it will blow your mind.

Check out Charlie, Presumed Dead on Goodreads and Amazon.

Everything, Everything

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by Nicola Yoon

Review by KM

There are some people who are born romantics; they grow up watching The Notebook and believing in lasting love and being optimistic. Those people are freakin’ awesome and should be protected by those who would hurt them.

I wasn’t born a romantic, but time has converted me over the years and seriously, I totally agree with Madeline in this story.

Summary

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

Musings

This book was a quick read, great for a lazy summer day. It took me less than two hours, so for your teens who say they can’t concentrate through a huge book? This is for them. I wouldn’t say that it’s action-packed; it definitely starts out slowly. The story builds quickly though and it’s written in such a way that makes it easily enjoyable.

Madeline and Olly are your typical teens and they go through a cyber-space relationship before meeting IRL, which I think a bunch of people can relate. It’s definitely hard having your best friends or significant others over the interwebs and not right there beside you, but it’s even worse after you have had them next to you and have to go back. I think a lot of us millennials can sympathize.

My favorite part had to be Maddy’s references to other novels, keeping the reader up to date on what she was reading. I know what I’m reading always impacts my mood and I think it did for Maddy too. Flowers for Algernon was a favorite book of mine back in junior high, so those mentions made me especially happy.

The book is pretty predictable and the one major twist was something I’d predicted hoped for since the beginning. It’s the same part I love about my favorite film, so I won’t give you any spoilers, but I’m guessing you’ll be able to tell what’s coming.

Everything, Everything will be hitting shelves a month from now, so I’m recommending a large glass of lemonade and a beach chair (and sun-screen! I burn like a lobster) to accompany this book.

Weightless

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by Sarah Bannan

Reviewed by SA

High school drama can seem pretty funny from the outside, but truthfully, for some it’s life or death.  With the technology we have today, it’s becoming way too easy to bully someone without consequence; it’s becoming easy to get distracted and not notice the warning signs of someone that needs help. For anyone who recognizes these problems, and for those who haven’t any clue what I’m talking about, this novel is mandatory reading.

Summary (taken from goodreads)

When 15-year-old Carolyn moves from New Jersey to Alabama with her mother, she rattles the status quo of the junior class at Adams High School. A good student and natural athlete, she’s immediately welcomed by the school’s cliques. She’s even nominated to the homecoming court and begins dating a senior, Shane, whose on again/off again girlfriend Brooke becomes Carolyn’s bitter romantic rival. When a video of Carolyn and Shane making out is sent to everyone, Carolyn goes from golden girl to slut, as Brooke and her best friend Gemma try to restore their popularity. Gossip and bullying hound Carolyn, who becomes increasingly private and isolated. When Shane and Brooke—now back together—confront Carolyn in the student parking lot, injuring her, it’s the last attack she can take.

The thing that caught me right away about this novel was the narrative form. The perspective is from a first person plural – we – and it catches you off guard. I know when I started to read Weightless I was waiting to know the name of the person who was recounting all this, only to find that it actually represented everyone. The perspective of the novel is an eye opener: everyone can see what’s happening and completely ignore the warning signs. It’s a little scary, honestly.

The issues that are brought up make me sad, because I know so many people caught in similar situations. Eating disorders, the fear of becoming fat when in fact you are fading away. Cyber bullying, out for everyone to see and no one can, or will help. Physical bullying, where everyone turns a blind eye. Depression, and suicide, when people say they never saw it coming, when in fact they were part of the problem. Weightless deals with the issues teenagers face in a high school environment, and it is not sugar coating any of it.

The novel chronicles the rise and fall of Carolyn, a young fifteen year old girl, remarkably smart, who moves to this new, small town. Everyone in Adamsville has known each other for years: they all attend church together, pray over the sports team together, gossip and grow together. And no matter how much they like her, Carolyn will always be an outsider: she’s too pretty, too nice, too smart. She doesn’t know how to deal with the small town popularity contest, doesn’t even want to play. This is what makes the first person plural narrative so powerful: the “We” is always sharing gossip, telling itself things about this girl. We is turned into this creature, a monster that thrives on partial truths and full on lies, warping its perspective of this normal person until she has become some kind of non-entity. Who even is Carolyn?

The pacing was slow, thoughtful. It takes place over an entire school year, so that the transition between loved and popular to hated and outsider is slow, natural. I loved how the author used Facebook posts and letters, even Carolyn’s essays, to show us how her character was evolving. It felt incredibly realistic. The hints about her fate, slowly dropping through the novel, created fantastic anticipation and made me crave to read more.

The ending, however, did not. I felt as if the reaction of the community (even the world) was blown out of proportion, it’s what we would have wanted to see happen rather than an actual, realistic consequence. I do not want to spoil anything for anyone! But I did find it was odd, more like wish fulfillment for the reader.

In any case, this is a tough novel to read because the subject matter is so important and heavy. Even so, it’s a fantastic book.

Find Weightless on June 30th.

N.B. (A micro rant about the American school system) I don’t get American high schools, you know? So much bitching! Not only that, but is “Protagonist” really a word too complicated for a Junior in Advanced english? I learned it in sixth or seventh grade! Come on! And do you really have to be in an higher math class in 11th grade to learn what a cosine is? I was taught trig in ninth grade, I just don’t get why it takes so long here.

But the bitching, the bitching! One thing that almost made me put down the book was how bitchy everyone was to each other. Encouraging eating disorders in order to slim down! (That scene in the bathroom physically hurt me). Calling people sluts and spreading rumors about STDs? What is wrong with this picture?

That’s probably why this book was so on point. For me, it was provocative. It opens the discussion on the issues on the forces social structure within the confines of the public school environment. And there’s a whole lot to talk about.

Black Dys and the Deflowered Virgin

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by W. Harlan Herbert

Reviewed by SA

It is with great pride that I bring you Black Dys and the Deflowered Virgin, the first book we’re reviewing as part of our Self Published Saturdays! Every month we will bring you one great book by a self published author that should not be missed. Hopefully this will encourage readers to discover great books they would not have otherwise known about.

If you’re looking for adventure and magic, then this is truly a book you need to read STAT. It’s got everything the classic adventure tale has: an amazing cast of characters, mystery, intrigue, trickery… as well as wizards, zombies, and pirates.

Dys cover_1aSummary

Dyschoraf Pan Weiglin, or Dys for short, is in a tight spot. He has no memory of the night before, yet now he’s got blood on his sword, he’s in bed with Veleria, the virgin daughter of the high priest of the Hopping Toad, and he seems to have stolen the most cursed book of spells his masters at the Five Points. Now he’s on the run, Veleria by his side, desperately trying not to get caught by demons, wizards, or any high priest and his following who aren’t too keen on having their favorite virgin taken away. Who knows, maybe he’ll be better off sailing the seas with a bunch of pirates…

Oh gosh, how this book was fun! The story was a non-stop thrill ride, with Dys going from one situation to another before you could blink an eye. The way he rolls with it, adapts and changes to his new situation, makes you think you’re reading many different novels at once, without them actually disjointed. It starts off as fantasy, with magic and wizards, but soon you’re reading a different tale, that of pirates and treasure and plots.

The characters really bring this story to life. Dys is a smart man with a terrible past, and even without emotions he’s got a depth and dimension you don’t always see in fantasy novels. Vel is a cunning woman, and she surprised me by how quickly she picked up the ways of piracy, showing that she is more than just a priest’s daughter.

But it is the band of pirates that really shone for me. While I had a little trouble keeping up with everyone present (who’s who here?) they were all such colorful characters that I enjoyed every minute with them. I particularly likes Tack, their captain, who just so happens to be a kind of elf that appears to be a small child. This leads to some pretty hilarious looking images when you read some of the fight scenes.

What elevates this book though is the fact that it also has a rich, unique universe, and its own variety of magic, with its own rules. It’s very interesting to learn about Dys’s skills, and how he uses them, but also his limitations. The fact, for example, that spells erase themselves after use, even from the very mind of the man or woman who cast them. I found this unique perspective on magic fascinating.

If this was a movie, though, it would have to be rated R. For our younger readers out there, you may want to be careful, as the language can get a bit rough. It’s a little explicit, and definitely not for everyone. Personally, I thought it added a nice touch, bringing some of the more colorful characters to life. So fair warning: Sex/violence/language run amuck.

One thing that I found a little odd, however, was how quickly a key point could be forgotten. Some interesting threats were announced at the beginning of the novel… and never came back. The variety of the plot sometimes made it feel disjointed: the ease in which Dys slips from one persona to another is either a testament to his ingenuity, or an overuse of luck and coincidence. I’m not sure how I feel about this, though it did not stop me from enjoying the novel. I would have liked to have seen more of Vel, though!

Overall, this novel was fun, fun, fun. It was fantasy, adventure, a hint of satire. Check it out on July 1st, on amazon.com. It is well worth the read and sure to become a favorite!

The Game of Love and Death

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by Martha Brockenbrough

Review by KM

I’ll admit, the beautiful cover art was the first thing that attracted me to this book. It was standing on the top of our New Releases shelf at the library, all bright and brilliant and never having been checked out. I may not believe in love at first sight with people, but I’ve fallen into love at first sight with many books and this was one of them.

Summary

Not since THE BOOK THIEF has the character of Death played such an original and affecting part in a book for young people.

Flora and Henry were born a few blocks from each other, innocent of the forces that might keep a white boy and an African American girl apart; years later they meet again and their mutual love of music sparks an even more powerful connection. But what Flora and Henry don’t know is that they are pawns in a game played by the eternal adversaries Love and Death, here brilliantly reimagined as two extremely sympathetic and fascinating characters. Can their hearts and their wills overcome not only their earthly circumstances, but forces that have battled throughout history? In the rainy Seattle of the 1920’s, romance blooms among the jazz clubs, the mansions of the wealthy, and the shanty towns of the poor. But what is more powerful: love? Or death?
Musings

I am having a really hard time encapsulating the reasons why I love this book, so I’m going to try to do a rambling break down.

The characters: Love and Death are fantastic. While Flora and Henry’s stories were unique and lovely to read, I really ache for a book that is entirely just Love and Death. Their interactions were the best, especially when they’d hint at the years of history and players that came before. You could feel the way they were trapped within their roles: the expectations that they were held to and how they sometimes resented it.

The history: I’m not one for historical novels, usually. If I’d taken a closer look at the summary and caught the 1920’s reference, the book would’ve probably stayed on the shelf. There was something great about this. It isn’t the breakthrough book that is going to lead me to loving all historical novels, but it was definitely refreshing to see a recently released book that doesn’t have a ton of references to Twitter or current celebrities.

The diction: A lot of authors can tell an awesome story, but there are just a few books where the words flow in such a way that they stay with you. They repeat over in your head, bouncing around like wind chimes on a breezy day. I found that in this book and that’s why it’s spent the last three weeks in my house instead of returning to the library.

This wasn’t a quick read for me. It took time to get through, a slow but pleasurable read. I guess since I’ll have to return it to the library, I’ll be getting a copy of my own later this week.

The Story of My Tits

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by Jennifer Hayden

Reviewed by SA

Fans of this blog may notice that this book is a little out of the ordinary. Not only does it deal with a serious issue, it also doesn’t come out for a while, not until the end of September. But I wanted to talk about it now, to push people towards it.

I wanted to read something new: a graphic novel, sure, but also a true story about something incredibly serious. Breast cancer is something that will affect 1 in every 8 women (in the US); and for women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer. I wanted to read a first hand experience about dealing with this disease, and The Story of My Tits may be one of the most interesting and honest graphic novel I ever picked up.

Summary

Jennifer Hayden has had her ups and downs with her breasts: they weren’t always there for her, in many ways. Growing up flat chested and only blossoming while in college, she has a definite connection with her tits. But the usual family drama unfortunately is undermined by a cruel visitor: cancer. Three women, all diagnosed with cancer, fighting to survive. Not to mention the divorces, the mistresses, relationship issues with boyfriends, husbands and parents.  Jennifer’s relationship with her tits slowly grows, matures, and changes completely, as she realizes just how much of a story they have to tell.

This book is very different from the ones we review on this blog. For starters, it is a memoir. It’s also a graphic novel, and a book about breast cancer. But it’s so unique, it is definitely worth the read, and a bit of contemplation. It’s a book that made me think, and really talked to me on a personal level, woman to woman. It made me grateful for the body I have, and aware that it may not always be there for me. It’s life affirming, empowering.

The story itself seemed a little long at times, as a whole lifetime is captured. Some events seemed somewhat irrelevant to the story as a whole, but it is a life that is being conveyed, so each part must matter to the author. It is how Hayden has chosen to tell her story, so I listened. And so should you.

What struck me was how honest and unashamed she was. The story really got to me because the author didn’t seem to hold back. Every thought, every fear was shared: fears for her family, her mother, her mother in law, herself. She speaks of what helped her through the worst, be it the support around her, or finding her own ‘goddess’ to bring her through the bad. It was like listening to a personal friend tell you everything about her experience with cancer. It really was eye opening.

The artwork really added to the essence of the novel: the author drew her experience for us to comprehend it better, which really helps create that author-reader connection. She’s a surrealist grappling with reality, with the sharp reality of cancer: as of such, her artwork reflects that, sometimes veering into the fantastic. This is how the author interprets her situation, and she takes you on a real journey with her.

In the end, it made me thankful for the tits I have. The odds of me or someone I know developing breast cancer as not in my favor, and this book reminds to me treasure my body, and my friends, and be thankful for the present. I feel like it’s required reading for people with tits: you never know how good you have it until this huge part of you is gone.

It’s sweet, sarcastic, skeptical, and honest. Well worth the read. The Story of My Tits comes out on September 29th.

Illuminae

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by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Review by KM

Typically I’d be waiting to post this review. The book doesn’t come out until October, and while you can totally pre-order it, there’s nothing like sharing a book and being able to have them grab it from their local bookstore that day. However, I’ve already told everyone in my life about this book — I’m serious; I work two jobs and all my coworkers at BOTH know about this book, the release date, and how amazing it is — so you’re all next. This is my favorite book of 2015 so far and that’s a really tough statement because The Walls Around Us and A Darker Shade of Magic were both released this year.

Summary

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto one of the evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it’s clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

Musings

Where do I even start?

I want to drown in this book, in the year of 2575, and die of a deadly plague because there is no way I’m tough enough to survive it. I have the biggest book hangover from this; one that I haven’t had since reading Howl’s Moving Castle for the first time.

This book has EVERYTHING: bio-warfare, crazy artificial intelligence systems, intense imagery, and space. Yet, it doesn’t feel like everything is crammed in there just to make cameo in the story, y’know? It all comes together fantastically. It took some of the most brilliant tropes from classic science fiction like Battlestar Galactica, 2001: Space Odyssey, and likely some cues from zombie films, merged them all together to make something new and courageous. The plot twists and spins, but it doesn’t feel like it’s going off kilter.

Now, this book is kind of crazy. You should open it as if you’re opening a manila envelope, filled with everything a database could come up with on this one horrifying event. There are interviews, chat logs, data files, summaries of video clips, and diagrams. Check your dates carefully; they tend to go in order, but some of them definitely are misplaced. The entire story is pieced together through this evidence. I didn’t expect to love this style so much, but it works so well.

I will admit there were about five pages through a new technology-based-character’s viewpoint where I got concerned: was this going to end up being cheesy? This character is given more personality than he would be in older sci-fi novels, but I think it fits.

Ezra makes me laugh like no one else. It probably says a lot about my personality that most of my conversations with my friends sound identical to those between him and his. It’s fantastic and enjoyably crude in those small happier moments. While I adore Kady, I would’ve loved to see the world through Ezra’s eyes more often.

I could go on and on about this book forever, but I’ll stop here before I spoil everything. I have no doubt that I’ll be doing some sort of give-away for this come October, but if you really want this book, preorder it now before you forget. You will not regret it.