The souls are inside you, as theirs are and now the reflections are all just that, reflections.
While the first book followed the adventures of Auden and Lark, this one follows the other side of mirror where Leni and Ridley, the antagonists who were tasked with getting rid of Lark and Auden and failed to do so. The two are facing punishment and in order to save them from a terrible fate, they must seek help from the two they tried to kill or Leni will end up dead and Ridley will become someone he truly hates.
Robinson’s follow up to Lyrics and Music was just as captivating, original, engaging, and full of twists and turns that kept me turning the page in anticipation. The big draw of both books are the characters, as they are all very unique, interesting, and so well written you feel like you know them. It was interesting seeing the other side of it and the perspectives from Leni and Ridley, it really helped you feel compassion for them and understand the plight they were under. The dynamics between the characters helped give the relationships more depth and the writing helped the story flow very well. I was surprised at how much I liked these books, they were very fun, mysterious, engaging, and exciting all in one and I hope that there will be more in this series.
Wow, I can’t believe August is over! This has been a very good reading month as I had a lot more time than I anticipated and enjoyed it. I’m excited to share with you the books that I read for the month! So let’s get started.
Curses and Lyrics follows two young people, Lark and Auden who are both coming to terms with their painful pasts. Lark lives with her trendy, party-loving, twin sister and her mother come lately, Beth who has sworn off men and thrown herself into homemaking who don’t understand her love of cassette tapes, distaste of the pop scene, or her standoffish personality. For Lark, she feels like she has no place of belonging except one place, Bubbles Odities, where she finds herself a kindred spirit in Auden Ellis. But, Auden keeps her at arms length because of his fear of exposing her to dangers that lurk in the shadows. But, when two strangers come to town, carrying a dark and mysterious object and errie flute music, the two find that their painful pasts are more in sync than they believe. Now the two have to come to terms with their budding attraction while also keeping their loved ones safe with the dangers that are about to be exposed.
The two main characters are what stood out to me. They were very real, fleshed out, and easy to relate to and have empathy for the with their struggles. Lark has two sisters and a mother doesn’t give Lark what she really needs which makes it easy to connect with her. Auden lost both of his parents and has a loving-psuedo parent and two younger brothers so it’s very easy to feel for them and want them to find the happiness that they need. I was impressed with how well Robinson writes the typical teenager, in some books it can be very cheesy and overdone but in this book, it was very real so that helped. You really do find yourself rooting for Lark and Auden as they’ve gone through so much and do have a bright future ahead of them.
What an absolute delight this book! I was hooked from the beginning and enjoyed every second of it and can’t wait to read book two for my september tbr. I had heard a lot of hype for this book and it certainly lived up to it as I loved everything about especially that it was in the mid 80’s. I was born in 1986 so this was so much fun to read about as I’m a huge 80’s buff and felt the setting was perfect. The writing was so captivating and had me turning the page in anticipation of what would happen next. Of course this book would end in a cliffhanging but it was still super fun!
Book: A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder series by Holly Jackson
Rating: 4/5
Before I get into talking about the series, I just wanted to preface this and say I finished these books quicker than I expected. This series is fantastic. From the plot, characters, writing, dynamics between the characters, pacing, and atmosphere, it was done really well. I had heard from a few people that the series was fun, easy to read, entertaining, and a true mystery but I didn’t expect it to be so good.
The series main protaganist, Pippa Fitz a high school student who isn’t so sure that Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Sighn even though everyone says he did it. Pippa is determined to solve the case herself and use it as a class project for her senior year but the more she tries to uncover, the more danger waits in the darkness. Pippa begins to find that there are more questions than answers and someone is desperate to keep those secrets kept hidden. The more Pippa digs, the more dangerous it becomes and those close to Pippa are worried that she could be next.
The first book did a great job at setting things up for the next two books but the way the pacing was done really helped. It was right in the middle, not too slow and not too fast. The second and third book were just as good as the first one and I’m sad that it’s over but I couldn’t put the books down. It was a such a nail biter to the end as I felt like the twists, jumps, and turns were done so well that you didn’t even seen them coming. I loved Pippa as I found her a very fleshed out well written character who had a good head on her shoulders and wanted to make those around feel safe. She can be a bit brash and acts before she thinks but throughout the series, there is growth to her character that I found believable. I found her interactions with other characters well done and the dynamics were great. The other characters were great, they were all unique and had their own struggles and conflicts especially with Pippa.
The second and third book were filled with just as much excitement, terror, suspense, action, heart-warming moments as the first book which made me happy. As sad as I am that the series is over, I wouldn’t want a fourth book as everything is tied up nicely in the third book and I feel doing a fourth book would slightly ruin the series. It’s good to know when to stop and not drag things out and annoying readers in the process as that can happen. A truly great mystery/thriller series that will keep you wanting more so check it out!!
Favorite Quotes:
“The people you love weren’t algebra: to be calculated, subtracted, or held at arm’s length across a decimal point.”
“But sometimes remembering isn’t for yourself, sometimes you do it just to make someone else smile. Those lies were allowed.”
“I think we all get to decide what good and bad and right and wrong mean to us, not what we’re told to accept.”
“A quietness settled over the room, a quietness that wasn’t the absence of sound, it was its own living thing, stifling in the spaces between them.”
“But sometimes remembering isn’t for yourself, sometimes you do it just to make someone else smile. Those lies were allowed.”
“All the money, all the power—none of it compares to a good book. A book gives you everything. It gives you a window into other souls, other worlds.”
The Plot:
While Stevie Bell may have solved the murder of her classmate, she now finds herself into a new brew of trouble as strange things keep occurring and before she can investigate, her parents pull her out of the academy for her own safety. They want her to move on from this obsession and focus on other things but Stevie feels isolated, disconnected, and alone. To add insult to injury, she finds herself thinking of David, the boy she kissed but also the boy who lied to her. Stevie doesn’t want to ever seen him again but when David’s father, Edward King makes a visit and wants Stevie to come back to the school to make nice with David. He tells her that he’s in the middle of a campaign and can’t afford for David to cause any trouble. If Stevie is there, he will make nice.
The prospect of returning to Ellington Academy is to exciting to turn down as Stevie knows she’s close to solving the murder. But, the path to truth is much more dangerous than before and Stevie must be careful or she could be next.
This novel takes a very unexpected turn that I didn’t see coming, I nearly gasped and threw my book but I loved it at the same time. The plot is what I love the most as it’s unique, entertaining and keeps you guessing what will happen next.
The characters:
So much growth for Stevie, I really enjoy her as a protagonist. She’s very real and relatable and I loved seeing her grown as a character. I felt for her when she was back home and feeling disconnected from everything as that can be really difficult and in addition to that, she felt hurt by David. I can’t say that I blame her for being hurt that he lied to her as I would feel the same. I already had a feeling that she would seen David soon and while David does improve and grow, I still can’t like him as much I liked Stevie. I did enjoy their banter and the dynamics that they have in this telling but I don’t buy the romance, it’s awkward and feels forced.
The writing:
Johnson’s writing is what I love the most. She knows how to write unexpected twists and turns in a way that you don’t even seen coming until it happens. I really enjoy how she’s able to create an atmosphere that’s so real and she does a great job with the dynamics between the characters. Overall, a very entertaining, edge of your seat thriller that keeps you wanting more!
I have decided to do more than book reviews on this blog and I’m excited to start a book of the week meme. Every Sunday, I will pick a book that I’ve recently read and stood out to me and I will share what’s it’s about, what I liked and didn’t like, the characters, quotes, and who I think would enjoy it.
The Plot:
So I’m delighted to share the pick for this. Truly Devious is a young adult mystery series by Maureen Johnson. The series is made up of four books with the last book being released this year. It follows Stevie Bell, a true crime enthusiast starting her first year at famed and exclusive Ellington Academy where she is determined to solve the mysterious disappearances of the wife and child of founder, Albert Ellington. The only clue that was left was a dubious mocking riddle signed by Truly Devious, the case would go down as one of the greatest unsolved crime in history. But solving the case isn’t the only thing Stevie struggles with, she’s also dealing with the rigorous new school life and find common ground with her roommates.
As she gets adjusted to that new life, strange things begin happening and Truly Devious has made them their return as a classmate of Stevie is found murdered. Although cautioned to stay safe, Stevie throws herself into the investigation and must rely on her survival skills or she could be the next victim.
The characters:
One of the pros of the book are the characters as they were well written, unique, and the dynamics between them felt very real. Stevie is a fun and quirky protagonist and I found myself relating to her throughout the book especially with her true crime obsession. But, she was also self-aware, competent, and had a great attitude and head on her shoulders. Her best friends, Janelle and Nate were pretty great as well and I loved the dynamics between the three. I wasn’t too crazy about David, he was kinda annoying and while I guess you could call him the love interest, this isn’t a heavy romance story. I couldn’t really feel out his character and if he truly liked Stevie or he was using her.
The writing:
While I did enjoy the pace of the writing, there were parts where it was slow. But, for the most part I felt like the writing fit the scene. Sometimes I struggle with dual timeline books but the way the scenes from 1938 were written didn’t take away from the present day scenes and I think added depth to the story. What I truly loved about the writing is how Johnson cracks up the heat and you don’t notice it until it’s too late. I felt like the twists and turns were done really well and kept me on the edge of my seat. You also can’t tell if the the killer from the 1930’s has returned or if it’s someone else and that was also suspenseful and kept me wanting more.
Overall, Truly Devious is a fantastic murder mystery with well written and complex characters, an interesting plot that will keep you wanting more, and set you up to anticipate book two with delight. I’m glad that I finally got the chance to read this book and I have already finished book 2 so hopefully before the end of the month, I will have read them all. Check it out!
Rating: 4/5 “You have to believe you’re worthy of the life you want. If you don’t believe that, who else will?”
For centuries witches have maintained who have maintained their climate, their power from the sun peaking in the season of their birth. But now, their control is faltering as the atmosphere becomes more erratic. All hope lies with Clara, an Everwitch whose rare magic is tied to every season. But, Clare wants nothing to do with her power, as the price for her magic means losing the ones she loves the most. In autumn, it’s wild and volitale, in winter fires burn and storms rage, in spring she finds herself falling for the witch, Sang who training here and with summer, she must choose between her power and her happiness, her duty and the people she loves.
This was a fun read! The story is a coming of age as Clara is struggling to figure out who she is and what she wants out of her life. In addition to that, she doesn’t have a lot of support around her as she doesn’t have any family and isolated from her peers. She carries the burden of being the one who will save everyone yet no one can tell her why she’s the one who has to carry it. I could understand her resistance to her powers and what was involved in that because that can place a lot of stress on someone so young. Plus, it can feel like not having your own agency if people are telling you who are you, what you’re meant to do or be, and not asking what you want do. So I understood her frustration with that aspect because that can be very overwhelming.
I absolutely LOVED the magical elements, I thought it was really well done and probably my favorite part of the book. The way that Griffin wrote made it feel so real and made me think about the first I read Harry Potter and fell in love with magic in books. Each season had a magical element and it was.so cool how the witches controlled the environment and it added so much mystery and intrigue to the book. I highly recommend this book! It was really great!
“Everyone’s on the cliff edge of normal. Everyone finds life an utter nightmare sometimes, and there’s no ‘normal’ way of dealing with it… There is no normal, Evelyn.”
For Evelyn, all she’s ever wanted to be was normal. That’s what she hopes will happen as she starts a new college while adjusting to life off her meds. She wants to start over, make new friends, and have stability and not be seen as the girl who went crazy. But, life doesn’t always work out that way as relationships are messy and what you think will make you happy doesn’t always happen in the way that you want. Evie begins to see that being normal isn’t all what it’s cracked up to be and embracing the messy side of life and stepping into who you are is a terrifying yet rewarding experience all in one.
It’s very rare for me to give a book a five star rating but this book totally went beyond my expectations and even though I may overreacting when calling this one of the best ya contemporaries I’ve read, it’s absolutely true. I laughed, cried, cheered, and went through a rollercoaster of emotions and enjoyed every minute of it. I found the mental health rep particular fantastic as some ya books can be hit and miss with mental health rep. But, I thought the way mental health was portrayed in the book was really well. The story was interesting but it was really the characters who were well-written and interesting in their own way. Evie is definitely someone that I really resonated with in particular her struggles with her mental health but I felt like she was very well. The dynamics throughout the book also added to the individual characters and it helped with the story. I am excited to read the next book and hopefully I’ll enjoy it as much as I did this one.
“If we were different people in different circumstances, I would get down on my knees and beg you to stay at the end of the winter. I would move heaven and earth and the Underworld itself to keep you with me.”
A retelling of a very old tale between Persephone and Hades and one that will leave you begging for more. Society darling, Persephone Dimitriou is ready to leave the ultra modern city of Olympus and start over from the backstabbing politics of the Thirteen Houses but when her mother throws her into an engagement to Zeus, the dangerous power behind the city’s dark facade, she is desperate for a way out. She flees to the forbidden city, where she makes a devil bargain and is thrust into a world that she never knew existed along with a man she believed to be a myth.
This book was super steamy and I loved every minute of it. This book wasn’t originally on my tbr at all until I started hearing the buzz about it and decided to check it out and I am so glad that I did. Not only did I love the smut but I loved everything about the retelling of Persephone and Hades. I am fickle on retellings of this tale because it’s been done so many times so I was a little skeptical but the characters, the world-buidling, the writing, and of course the smut drew me in. I liked how the author was still able to weave in the gods aspect because the way it was done in this retelling added to the story in my perspective. I could actually see this world existing in my head and wondered what it would be like to experience it.
Come read with me! 