book review

Bones and All

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by Camille DeAngelis

Reviewed by SA

A Cannibal coming of age story – yes, you read that right. This is possibly the most bizarre young adult novel I have read in ages, full of life questions and gore, road trips and horror, and cannibals of all walks of life. It is, all in all, messed up – but I loved every second of it.

Summary – thank you again, Goodreads!

Since she was a baby, Maren has had what you might call “an issue” with affection. Anytime someone cares for her too much, she can’t seem to stop herself from eating them. Abandoned by her mother at the age of 16, Maren goes looking for the father she has never known, but finds more than she bargained for along the way.

Faced with love, fellow eaters, and enemies for the first time in her life, Maren realizes she isn’t just looking for her father, she is looking for herself. The real question is, will she like the girl she finds?

Imagine that there are people – they look just like you or me – who have an affliction, an addiction, that they keep hidden from the world. That there are people who need to eat human flesh, to devour an entire being, grinding the bones and all. This last bit makes things easier, since there is such little left of the body to actually find once someone notices they’re missing in the first place. These people are careful,under the radar, so much so that some don’t even know that others exist.

Maren is one of those people. It started with the babysitter when she was a baby, and now, it’s every boy who gets ever so slightly too close. She simply cannot stop herself from eating them whole. Her mother has been caring for her, moving from state to state, until one day, she decides it’s too much, and leaves. Now Maren needs to find her own way int he world – and figure out her place in it. She’s one of those characters you just have to root for, even if their principles are a little out of whack: she’s young, confused, but smart and independent, able to care for herself and reach her own goals.

I will warn you all right now: this novel is not for the faint of heart. People die, and it is presented as natural, light, an event which happens. I found myself reading along and realizing that the person we were just talking to was now in some character’s stomach. It neither glorifies nor vilifies the process, it simply is. And many could find this troubling. If you don’t find it at least disturbing, I’ll be worried we’re not reading the same book. One of the characters is particularly weird, and grows more and more unnerving as the book progresses, to the point of making you uncomfortable. Just goes to show you the extent of the character depth.

But DO NOT let this make you think that I did not enjoy this book. Gosh, you have no idea how much I loved it. Bones and All is a book you’re going to want to share and read over and over again. It’s unique in that it presents the messed up period of a teenager’s life were questions are asked and the search for self truly begins, while at the same time being a story about a messed up person with a really messed up problem. Everything in Maren’s life is a mess, but she’s gotten pretty good at cleaning those up, or hiding most of them. Just because she eats people doesn’t necessarily make her a bad person… does it? That’s a question for the reader to answer – and Maren too.

The ending I’m a little torn about. Does it feel rushed, both in a sense that the writer wanted it done, and that the book just wanted to reach its end? A little. Possibly. But it left me feel shivers, yearning for more, while simultaneously  wondering not only what the heck just happened, but why.

Yes, it’s odd. Bizarre. Sometimes the coincidences are just too huge, too unbelievable, but then again, you’re reading a book about teenage cannibals. But it flows effortlessly, the writing skillful and beautiful, something you’re not sure to forget. You’ll eat it up.

Treasure, Darkly

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by Jordan Elizabeth

Review by KM

It’s not often that I see a Steampunk novel, especially one that interests me. The first line of the summary won me over in a second. I’m excited to see more from this story, but I will admit that the ending does have me pouting over the wait.

Summary

Seventeen-year-old Clark Treasure assumes the drink he stole off the captain is absinthe… until the chemicals in the liquid give him the ability to awaken the dead.

A great invention for creating perfect soldiers, yes, but Clark wants to live as a miner, not a slave to the army—or the deceased. On the run, Clark turns to his estranged, mining tycoon father for help. The Treasures welcome Clark with open arms, so he jumps at the chance to help them protect their ranch against Senator Horan, a man who hates anyone more powerful than he.

Sixteen-year-old Amethyst Treasure loathes the idea of spending the summer away from her bustling city life to rot on her father’s ranch, but when a handsome young man shows up claiming to be her secret half-brother, her curiosity is piqued. He’s clever, street smart, and has no qualms jumping into the brawl between the Treasures and Horans. Caught in the middle, Horan kidnaps Amethyst, and all she gets is this lousy bullet through her heart.

When Clark brings her back to life, however, the real action starts, and Amethyst joins him in his fight against the Horan clan—whatever the cost. Defeating the Horans may seem easy at first, but going up against men with the same fighting vengeance as Clark, and a Senator with power he’s obtained by brainwashing the masses?

Well, Amethyst’s boring summer at home has turned into an adventure on the run, chock full of intrigue, danger, love, and a mysterious boy named Clark.

Musings

I’m nearly certain that this summary wasn’t the one given to me when I received this book, but I love the changes that I see in it. Amethyst’s role is just as important as Clark’s and it’s nice to see a summary that gives her a bigger role.

I loved Clark from the moment we were introduced. He was a survivor — someone with a bit of bent ethics, but willing to defend those he cared about and painfully conscious of the burden / gift he’d gotten by drinking the potion.

Amethyst’s role in the beginning really irked me. She was that typical celebrity girl role that gets painted in the tabloids — selfish, immature, and pampered. While I’d love to say there was tremendous character growth, I still think she’s still pampered and selfish. I really want to see her character be confronted with more dangerous situations to see how she morphs into the woman I want her character to be.

Overall, I enjoyed the pacing, but I found the ending rushed. Most of my favorite series leave off the novels in a place where there are most strings tied together, with the potential for continuation. This didn’t. I felt like I was smack middle, like I was waiting for a serial fiction to update. However, that’s a good way to guarantee sales for the second book, so I can’t wait until that releases.

A Darker Shade of Magic

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by V.E. Schwab

Reviewed by SA and KM

Magic. Multiple Londons. A coat with more than two sides. A Darker Shade of Magic the most fantastic fantasy novel in ages, full of amazing characters, incredible world building, and, to top it off, a fast paced adventure that will leave you wanting for more.

Summary

Multiple Londons, multiple worlds that Kell can travel between, as one of the only men left in the world with the magic to do so. Red London, his home, a London full of live, vibrant magic; Grey London, a gritty, dirty London where magic is but a dream; and White London, ruled by tyrants, lay superimposed, only accessibly to the few who can travel between them. Magic is fought for, revered or controlled, but a certain fear lurks – stories of Black London, which had fallen years ago, warn of what happens when Magic is allowed to fester.

Though an ambassador for the red crown, Kell smuggles items between world, bringing small pieces of magic to where there is none, for a price. But when he is set up and accused of treason, he must unite with Delilah Bard, a cunning cross dressing thief and wannabe pirate, to set things right. 

Things are not always what they seem, and the two must fight tooth and nail not just to survive, but to save all the worlds at once. And time is running out.

Musings

SA: Fast paced and utterly gripping, A Darker Shade of Magic is one of those novels that surprises you at every turn. Though you can’t tell this immediately: as the novel begins, I completely expected political intrigue, with royal power dynamics between the Londons, but the author was quick to change every assumption I had made. Schwab creates an incredible world, establishing the rules of magic, before throwing us head first into a race against time. It’s a fast, whirlwind plot, that will actually leave you breathless (I know I was).

Kell and Lilah are the heart and soul of this novel. Kell is a little rough around the edges, a clever, talented Antari, a magician capable not only of manipulating all the elements, but also able to travel between worlds. Lilah in a word, is a badass. She’s a crossdressing thief with dreams of owning a ship and being a pirate. They are an oddly matched pair, and there’s chemistry between them, even if there is no romantic interest between them. They balance each other out – the cool headed and hot headed – and their varied perspectives enhance the read, breathing life into this world.

KM: Victoria is one of my favorite authors; the way she writes just engulfs you and leaves you with the biggest book-hangover when you’re finished. If you haven’t heard of her, it’s totally okay, but you should jump on reading A Darker Shade of Magic. You shouldn’t stop there; Vicious and The Archived may not be in the same universe, but they all share that spark that makes them shine.

Kell is the type of person we all wanted to be at seventeen (alright, maybe that’s just me): magical and a bit of a rule-breaker. Now, I can’t say what shenanigans you’d get up to if you had the ability to travel through worlds, but I can say I’d be a prankster legend. And I’d escape all those awkward moments where family asks you to come to dinner with all your relatives, “Sorry, bro, I have to be in Black London. Peace out.” It’s probably for the best I don’t have any powers.

There is literally no downside to reading this book. It’s already been released in the UK and the US; it’s already been released in paperback (and the cover art is gorgeous!). I will say though that it has already sold out of warehouses once in the past few weeks since it’s been released, so hop to your nearest bookstore quickly to grab a copy. Victoria’s already writing the sequel; we should have too wait long for more Londons.

My Best Everything

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by Sarah Tomp

Reviewed by SA

Romance and moonshine make for a good novel. Sweet, smart, and positively gripping, I would describe My Best Everything as a teenage Breaking Bad, and it is just as addicting. It is also possibly the most believable YA romance I had read in… well, quite possibly ever.

Summary (From Goodreads)

Luisa “Lulu” Mendez has just finished her final year of high school in a small Virginia town, determined to move on and leave her job at the local junkyard behind. So when her father loses her college tuition money, Lulu needs a new ticket out.

Desperate for funds, she cooks up the (definitely illegal) plan to make and sell moonshine with her friends, Roni and Bucky. Quickly realizing they’re out of their depth, Lulu turns to Mason: a local boy who’s always seemed like a dead end. As Mason guides Lulu through the secret world of moonshine, it looks like her plan might actually work. But can she leave town before she loses everything – including her heart?

The summer walks the line between toxic and intoxicating. My Best Everything is Lulu’s letter to Mason – though is it an apology, a good-bye, or a love letter?

While primarily a romance, what I feel sets this novel apart is the fact that Lulu doesn’t make Mason her primary focus in life. Mason is not the usually ‘dreamy brooding teenager’ that you usually find in YA: he’s older than she is, a high school dropout, and struggling with alcoholism. She doesn’t drop everything when she meets him, her life doesn’t radically change: no, her relationship with Mason is something that grows naturally, and you feel the chemistry between them; it does not seem forced or unhealthy. The novel manages to be a romantic, without being a romance novel, making Mason important to Lulu’s growth.

And yet, this romance is not what defines Lulu: Lulu defines Lulu. There is just something fantastically appealing about driven characters. When I first picked up this book, I immediately felt Lulu’s drive, her determination to reach her goal, and it made her just so reachable. Lulu is a smart young woman, and this is her coming of age story, her experience with alcohol, men, and money. She was entirely relatable  – for me, a whole lot more than I would like to admit – and everything she did was with one goal in mind: raise the money for university.

The story itself is a letter to Mason, so he is always addressed in the second person, always referred to as “you,” “you did this” “you did that”. The letter format made the entire novel seem more honest and intimate, which only added to the list of reasons I could not put it down. It was an entirely realistic look into their lives, and I was hooked.

Not to forget the moonshine. Moonshine! Lulu’s adventures in distillery are fascinating to follow. Her friends too have an interesting dynamic, both with her and each other. Their problems are just as real as Lulu’s, and the reader is drawn into their lives as well. They break the stereotypes of small town, southern Americans. Though they do enjoy the occasional potato chips in ice cream.

I loved this book. I felt an instant connection to Lulu; I loved the moonshine; and I respected her relationships. It is a novel about love, betrayal, ambition, and the tough choices. Come for the moonshine, stay for the character development; you will be intoxicated.

Hold Me Like a Breath

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by Tiffany Schmidt 

Review by KM

Two years ago, I was graduating college with my degree in English Literature. My program wasn’t one that required a thesis, but I had this entire fifty-page paper planned out on illegal organ transplants, or repossession, as seen in literature and what it meant as a reflection on our society. It’s a surprisingly small niche for fiction; I’m always delighted to find more books that broach the topic. It is my reading happy-place. I sincerely squealed when I came across the summary of Hold Me Like a Breath. I needed it and I needed it now. Heck, I’ve already read it and I still feel like I need it. Someone speed up time so I can go grab a physical copy from BN.

Summary

In Penelope Landlow’s world, almost anything can be bought or sold. She’s the daughter of one of the three crime families controlling the black market for organ transplants. Because of an autoimmune disorder that causes her to bruise easily, Penny is considered too “delicate” to handle the family business, or even to step foot outside their estate.

All Penelope has ever wanted is independence-until she’s suddenly thrust into the dangerous world all alone, forced to stay one step ahead of her family’s enemies. As she struggles to survive the power plays of rival crime families, she learns dreams come with casualties, betrayal hurts worse than bruises, and there’s nothing she won’t risk for the people she loves.*

Musings

I chowed through this book. I couldn’t put it down. It was so frustrating having to go into work being two thirds of the way through, giving me a six hour interruption and letting me daydream about the possibilities and characters for just as long. The eARC I received was around 400 pages: not overly long, but long enough to really get hooked.

Half way through, I groaned. I paused and took a breath, contemplated putting the entire book down for an hour or two. The reason? It looked like there was going to be a love triangle. I’m not sure if anyone shares this opinion, but I am so done with love triangles in YA. I’m not going to give away any spoilers, but I ended up satisfied.

More than anything, I loved Penelope. I loved her demands for autonomy, for her refusal to be seen as weak. She didn’t let her disease define her, especially as everyone around her tried to force her into that position. There were times she even used their warped perceptions against them. It was awesome. The only person I loved more was Magnolia Vickers.

The worst thing about this book is that you can’t go and grab it from your local bookstore today. You have to wait until May 19th. Ugh, I know. That sounds unbearable. Trust me, I feel similar.

This book is the beginning of Schmidt’s Once Upon a Crime Family Series. I’m totally hoping for a book from Magnolia Vicker’s point of view. I don’t even mind waiting, as long as it comes eventually.

*Summary taken from Amazon

Material Girls

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by Elaine Dimopoulos

Review by KM

One of my biggest guilty pleasures is marathoning Project Runway whenever a new season ends, taking a full weekend to bask in the design process as I lay on my couch in pajamas. I myself suck at fashion; I’d be considered to be a total obsoloser with my geeky graphic tshirts and jeans. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy some great fashionable books.

I knew I had to have Material Girls in my collection when it was described as “Project Runway meets Divergent.” Seriously, does anything sound cooler than that?

Summary

In Marla Klein and Ivy Wilde’s world, teens are the gatekeepers of culture. A top fashion label employs sixteen-year-old Marla to dictate hot new clothing trends, while Ivy, a teen pop star, popularizes the garments that Marla approves. Both girls are pawns in a calculated but seductive system of corporate control, and both begin to question their world’s aggressive levels of consumption. Will their new “eco-chic” trend subversively resist and overturn the industry that controls every part of their lives?

Musings

I love this book. It’s exactly the type of book I’d recommend to a high-school girl who was having trouble finding a book that really grasped her while reading, or a girl who loved reading and needed something fresh.

Marla and Ivy come from different, but similar, backgrounds in the beginning. They’re both at the top of their career pyramids; both have the potential to fall to the bottom whether they like it or not. What made this great is how they could be friendly, but had such different reactions to their situations. Their paths diverged based on their decisions, but I would be hard-pressed to say either of them made the wrong choice. They both valued their priorities and understood the sacrifices they’d have to make. Sure, one character seemed to be more fulfilled in her life at the end of the book, but the other woman doesn’t seem unhappy. More than that, the ending left an opening for a sequel if wanted, but closed enough of the plot for it to feel like a satisfying end.

The dystopia that Material Girls shows is so based on corporation control that it isn’t hard to see how our society could transform into that. If it wasn’t so clear, there are hints throughout that show exactly how this came to be. It’s interesting to evaluate our current lives to see how close they are to those in the books, if not to the same severity.

My favorite part of the book though had to be how well Dimopoulos nailed the feeling of being seventeen. There is just something about being almost an adult that makes you feel like you’re capable of anything. You’re at the top of your world, handling all these new ventures with the optimism that comes from never having been disappointed. It is exhilarating and wonderful; it was great to feel that through Marla and Ivy.

Welp. I wrote a longer review than I intended, but if you manage to get to this last sentence, I sincerely hope you look for this book that releases on May 5th.

Naomi Grim

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by Tiffany Nicole Smith
Review by KM

I have to admit, I’ve had a crush on teenager Grim Reaper novels since I read Croak by Gina Damico a few years ago. After reading the summary, there was no chance that I was going to pass by Naomi Grim.

Summary

The assignment:

Collect lifestones from humans after they die.

Rebellious, sixteen-year-old Naomi craves a normal life, but unfortunately, she’s a Grim by birth. That’s right, she sees dead people and hoards their living essence in a stone. Not a fun occupation.

In order to be good at her job, she must live among human teenagers for weeks at a time. But Naomi soon becomes attached to the kids she’s been assigned to watch over. And knowing that these teens are gonna die under less than ideal circumstances, she has the opportunity to prevent their deaths from occurring. Only one big problem, interfering with death is the worst crime a Grim can commit. If she intervenes, she’ll put herself and her family in danger.

Naomi must make the hardest choice of her career, go against the sacred covenant or watch her new friends walk blindly to their deaths.

Musings

The first half of the book wasn’t spectacular; it kept me intrigued, enough that I wanted to read more, but I was so certain that I knew what was going to happen. It seemed predictable. I was wrong.

BAM! The second half of the book was this fast-paced action-packed adventure that made everything worth it. Pieces came together in a way that I never would have expected; some character’s motivations were revealed, while others remain a mystery to discover in the sequel, Keira Grim. 

There is one frustration I held with the novel, but it a frustration that is not limited to just this book, but most urban fantasies I’ve been reading lately. When presenting me with an entire new race that is bemused by human traits or lifestyles, it’d be great to see more than a few minor differences in the two races. The culture of the Grims only seemed to differ in lifespan, if they could earn it, and the fact they retained values humans had in the 1950’s, ignoring anything progressive. Some of the younger Grims seem frustrated with this, but seeing the same typical class system and similar prejudices that we have in our society makes me wince. It does make the plot more relatable and could be argued to be a comparison on aspects of our own culture, but it’s hard to see why more Grims can’t relate to humans when they are so similar.

I’ll definitely be reading Keira Grim, though. Naomi’s ending was compelling enough to make me want to know what happens to Nowhere.

Get in Trouble

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by Kelly Link

Reviewed by SA

There is something magical about short fiction; the stories, instead of being self contained, seem like just22125258 glimpses into other universes, short windows into another wold, transporting you, somehow capturing all of your self in just a few pages. And somehow, the stories linger, still in the back of you mind days, months after you have finished reading it. Get in Trouble may however be my favorite collection I have read to date, with the stories still vivid in my mind, unforgettable gems of fiction.

Get in Trouble is a collection of nine science fiction and fantasy stories that spans from superheroes to pyramids to robot boyfriends. In “The Summer People,” the first story, a young girl tries to care for a home of mysterious people (?) while sick.  In “The New Boyfriend,” a friendship is tested when a teenager falls for her best friend’s robot boyfriend. There’s a man trying to reconnect with his former co-star/love interest, as she pursues Ghosts for a reality show; there’s both a superhero and a dentists’ convention in the same hotel; there’s teenagers hanging out in their own pyramids; ghosts stories on a spaceship; a woman with two shadows…

Each of the stories draws you in immediately. I would describe them as being set in the here and now, but shifted a few universes over. The rules of their world are the same, but not quite. By the time you’ve picked up one what those rules are, on where you are and what is happening, you are already entranced. You quickly fall in love with them, with the people you meet there: you want to know more. Many of the stories are quite short to read, and leave you wanting to know what happens next, forever imprinted on your mind. Switching from one story to another was a process, one which made me have to put down the book and revel on what I had just finished, before actually moving on.

While the style of the author is immediately recognizable, the stories show off her versatility. Different perspectives, different genres, one of the stories even a letter, Link manages to keep you reading not only with her remarkable plots, but also by the diversity of styles. Admittedly, some stories are better than others, but what is great about Get in Trouble is that there’s a little bit of something for everyone. Fans of Neil Gaiman will absolutely love her stories; I would honestly love to see what the two of them could write together.

If you’re looking for something you can read and know you will enjoy, pick up this book. It’s a great, fun read; one of those books that makes you feel that reading is magical, all over again.

Hydraulic Number 5

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By Sarah Latchaw
Review by KM

By now, we all know about the infamous Fifty Shades of Grey movie coming out tomorrow. We all know that it spawned from a book series and most of us are aware that it actually had beginnings as Twilight fanfiction.

While I don’t like Fifty Shades or Twilight, I will admit that I’ve read Twilight fanfiction before and that there were some fanfics that I loved. One of those was Hydraulic Number 5, which was later redone by Sarah into original fiction. Finding it on the Barnes and Noble website was a fantastic discovery. I couldn’t wait to dive in and see what changes had been made, since Sarah had done such a stellar job at adding depth to characters that, in my opinion, lacked it in the original book.

Summary

Hydraulic Level Five (n.): A whitewater rapid classification indicating large waves, continuous rapids, large rocks and hazards, potential large drops, where precise maneuvering is required. Often characterized by “must make” moves, i.e. failure to execute a specific maneuver at a specific point may result in serious injury or death. Kaye is an extreme sports addict with a kind heart and an axe to grind with her childhood sweetheart and ex-husband, renowned writer Samuel Caulfield Cabral. While Samuel enjoys a celebrity life in New York, Kaye remains in their hometown of Lyons, Colorado, running her PR agency and chatting daily with Samuel’s family, the beloved Cabrals-first-generation Mexican-Americans who have embraced Kaye as their own. But when Samuel returns home for his sister’s wedding with a new love interest, stunning editor Caroline Ortega, the gloves are stripped off. Kaye is determined to unearth the reasons behind the death of their marriage and why two people who lived to love each other were driven apart, all leading to startling revelations about Samuel, about life, and about herself. She soon realizes that maneuvering the tumultuous waters of her relationship with Samuel will prove as dangerous as any outdoor adventure she might attempt…at least where her heart is concerned.

Musings

There was a lot of controversy when Sarah announced her plans to rework the fanfic into a book, I remember. People called her on selling out; some others believe that fanfiction is wrong to publish. To those people, I really just want to point out Milton’s Paradise Lost as being Biblical fanfiction, Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments as being at least partially spawned from her earlier Harry Potter fanfiction, and generally lay myself down on the side of these fantastic authors.

That being said, Sarah’s work barely reminded me of Bella and Edward, even in the fanfic. Kaye and Samuel are vivid, enchanting characters that made me laugh more than once. Their relationship was realistic, with the up and downs and the growing apart that comes with being an adult.

Kaye’s voice made it for an easy read that took less than a day to complete, yet my eagerness may have added to that swiftness.

I do have one complaint, though it may be remedied soon. The original fanfic was of great length and many of the scenes that I adored were to be found in the second half of the novel. The ending of this book is perfect for the story, balancing it, but leaving me wanting more. When finishing the last page, I wanted to shout. I wondered where my favorite parts were; why had they been left out? A quick check on Goodreads reveals there is in fact a sequel. I haven’t opened it, so I can’t promise that they’ve made it in, but I have high hopes that the entire story is just as spectacular as remembered. At least I can promise that the first book gives me hope.

Signal to Noise

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by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Reviewed by SA

Magic. Sometimes you pick up a book, and you just feel the magic flowing through it. Signal to Noise was a novel that surprised me in the way it caught me so early on; there was an instant connection between reader and characters, and the magic in the music just compelled me to read more.

Summary – Curtesy of Goodreads: 

Mexico City, 1988: Long before iTunes or MP3s, you said “I love you” with a mixtape. Meche, awkward and fifteen, has two equally unhip friends — Sebastian and Daniela — and a whole lot of vinyl records to keep her company. When she discovers how to cast spells using music, the future looks brighter for the trio. With help from this newfound magic, the three friends will piece together their broken families, change their status as non-entities, and maybe even find love…
Mexico City, 2009: Two decades after abandoning the metropolis, Meche returns for her estranged father’s funeral. It’s hard enough to cope with her family, but then she runs into Sebastian, and it revives memories from her childhood she thought she buried a long time ago. What really happened back then? What precipitated the bitter falling out with her father? And, is there any magic left?

I can’t think of any teenager that didn’t dream of magic when they were young. Who dreamed of being able to influence events, to make the world go their way, especially in that awkward period of your life where everything is zits and school and crushes. Meche is no different: she is a smart young woman who struggles with boys she likes and teachers that cause her trouble. Her friends are as awkward as her, each trying to navigate high school and adolescence. So of course when Meche realizes she can use her record collection to influence the future, the three of them take matters into their own hands.

What’s fantastic is that the Magic comes from the music Meche loves, from classic rock to jazz, fantastic songs that don’t make you doubt for a second that magic really does exist. Someone even made a playlist from the songs mentioned int he novel – check it out here!

The one thing that annoyed me slightly when reading this novel was the lack of information on the rules of their magic. What are its limits? What can they do with records, and why is it that sometimes, music is not needed? However, I like to think that ads to the charm: the teens are inexperienced with Magic, they are not instantly experts. They go with what works, play and expand on stories and gut feelings. The magic is more, well, magical in that way.

The novel bounces from 1988 to 2009, between Meche the teen and Meche the woman. It is strange to see Meche in the present. She’s followed the career she always wanted to, lives in Europe, can be considered quite successful, and very accomplished. Yet there doesn’t seem to be any magic left in this present: it reads colder, maybe because of the death that hangs in the air. Sometimes it was hard to relate present Meche with the girl she used to be, but even so, the author still manages to make us care for the young woman.

Signal to Noise is a fun, peculiar novel. It’s magical in and of itself, enjoyable, and you can’t help but feel captivated by the plight of the awkward trio; while at the same time, I felt odd while reading it, a slight worry in the pit of my stomach that I knew what was coming. Fueled by hints dropped by the author, some ominous foreboding hung over me. This did not make the read any less enjoyable, it only made it more unique.

Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia comes out February 10th.