I was sent a free review copy from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. Content warnings: Casual homophobia, sexuality x religion When Tanner Scott and his family relocate from California to Utah, Tanner is gently nudged back into the closet. With one more semester of high school left, the bisexual teen doesn’t think that it’s the worst thing in the world. He’ll be out of this creepy town ruled by the Latter-Day Saints church soon, right? But when Tanner’s best friend Autumn dares him to take ‘The Seminar’, a class where honour roll students need to write a book in four months, everything changes. Class mentor Sebastian Brother is charming, gorgeous and funny. Only problem is, he’s the Mormon bishop’s son, just months away from leaving for his own missionary trip. “A God worthy of your eternal love wouldn’t judge you for who you love while you’re here.” GOD, THIS BOOK. I HAVE ALOT OF EMOTIONS. I’ve had my eye on this for a little while but it hasn’t had Australian distribution until now. I was so so impressed, and I’m kicking myself that I didn’t grab this sooner! This was a beautiful portrayal of the intersection of religion and sexuality, the highs and lows of teenager-hood, and the awkward and bumbling mess of falling in love. Tanner is a nice and simple character to read from - I found myself really rooting for him, and caring about him. He was a little clueless and insensitive at times, but no character is perfect. I truly loved Sebastian and would like to just hug him and tell him everything is alright. He reminds me a lot of Nick Nelson (from Alice Oseman’s ‘Solitaire’ and ‘Heartstopper’) for some reason — tall + blonde + adorable. I really felt his struggle and connected with him. I feel like religion and sexuality is very hard. There’s a lot of voices from different directions, telling you different things - this book showed that struggle. Tanner’s mother’s struggle with the LDS church was a very nice touch, that I think gave the entire ordeal more substance. It was refreshing to see that Tanner’s distrust for the Church didn’t come from stereotypes and assumptions, but from a real family experience. My only gripe with this book is that it was a touch ‘insta-love-y’. Tanner and Sebastian were awkward friends who never really hit it off, and suddenly they’re making out on the top of a mountain. Don’t get me wrong, they’re adorable to read about and I love their dynamic. It just didn’t seem all that realistic. From bits and pieces I’ve read on Goodreads, many people are deeply unhappy about the Tanner and Autumn situation. I really liked that moment in the book. Tanner mentions their one romantic moment from the past a few times, and I feel as though what they went through together closed the door on the romantic tension they were harbouring. And hooray for Tanner, for telling Sebastian like two days after it all happened. We stan a communicative relationship!!!!!!! I’ll be honest and say I was a little worried Tanner and Sebastian weren’t going to end up together. The epilogue is adorable, and I’m really happy with the way it all turned out. "I don’t actually care if you break my heart, Sebastian. I went into this knowing it could happen and I gave it to you anyway. But I don’t want you to break your own. You have so much space in your heart for your church, but does it have space for you?" 4 out of 5 stars!
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I received a free review copy of this book, however this does not affect my opinion in any way! Content warnings: Sexual assault, death of a family member, violence Australian release date: November 6th, 2018 Set in an Asian-inspired fantasy world where a Demon King takes human girls for concubines, this is the story of the forbidden love between two of the girls and how far they are willing to fight for their freedom - and each other. In the nation of Ikhara, there are three kinds of people, of varying political power and ability; Moon, those with fully demon blood, Paper, those with fully human blood, and Steel, those with a mixture of both. Every year, eight beautiful Paper caste girls are chosen to serve the Moon caste King at the Hidden Palace as concubines. However this year, there’s a ninth girl; Lei. On an ordinary day working in her father’s herb shop, Lei is taken by generals of the King, to be a Paper girl. After her world completely turns around, Lei must learn to adapt to a new life that she never wanted. With a villain that you just have to hate, and a WLW romance that is sweet and not sexualised or fetishised, Girls of Paper and Fire is a standout release for YA in 2018. “I won’t let him touch me again.” I don’t realise it until I speak it. And it’s different from the times I’ve said it before, or the way I’ve hoped it, as if dreaming something enough could birth it into being. I know it now with a certainty that has fitted into the lost core at the hear of me, as hard and angular as my hope was soft and shimmering. The King will not have me. Put simply, this book is about trauma and survival. It’s about reclaiming oneself and building yourself back up and continuing to thrive. This book was very special, in part due to the representation it provides - not to me personally, but I can appreciate how unique and special this book is. Ngan is Chinese-Malaysian, and has said that a lot of the cultural influences in the world of Ikhara came from her Malaysian heritage. This absolutely shines through. The setting is very real, and the culture doesn’t feel forced or ‘for the sake of it’. It’s also wonderful to see the female friendships that this book explores. I feel like it goes to show that once you include more than three token female characters, your story truly blooms. Girls of Paper and Fire really surprised me. I knew little about it going into it, just that it was a fantasy novel with a badass female protagonist, who was Asian. Now, the last fantasy books I read were the Mortal Instruments series, back in 2014. Since then, I haven’t picked up much of that genre. I find it laborious and time-consuming, and the result I get from the work of deciphering names of places, unusual settings and strange magical powers is always a disappointment. I did not feel like this for Girls of Paper and Fire. The fantasy elements were presented in a way that made sense, and added to the story. Lei, while she takes a little getting used to, has a wonderful and dynamic point of view. I have next to no criticism for this one. The world Ngan created is complex and took me a little while to get my head around, but once I understood it, I was enthralled. Lei takes a little while to come into her own, but once she opens up, she’s a wonderful character to read from. The commentary of class systems and oppression is pointed and clear, but subtle enough that this wasn’t a “political” book. “I don’t want an easy life. I want a meaningful one.” Overall, I am absolutely thrilled this book is getting so much hype. It’s important, necessary and entertaining. I can’t wait for the rest of the world to read it, and I’m already anxious to get my hands on the second book!!! 4.5 stars! I was sent a free review copy from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. This review is not spoiler free. Content warning: Homophobia Australian release date: October 9th, 2018 So what if it's us? What if it's us, and only us? And what came before won't count anymore or matter - can we try that? What if it's you, and what if it's me And what if that's all that we need it to be And the rest of the world falls away? What do you say? I’m so so happy that LGBTQI+ fiction is thriving, and that we’re seeing more and more queer love stories. It warms my lil heart!!!! :’) I’ve read two of Becky Albertalli’s titles - ’Simon vs the Homosapiens Agenda’ and ‘Leah On The Offbeat’. However, this was my first Adam Silvera book and I am hooked by his character work, and his way of showing emotions. Before I even finished this, I bought ’They Both Die At The End’. I am ready for the feels-trip. “We go on into the heart of Times Square. Tons of foot traffic keeps splitting us up, but we always make our way back to each other, not letting strollers or group selfies keep us apart. When I get his hand next, I keep him close and I don’t want to let go. Not tonight. Not ever.” Albertalli and Silvera’s collaboration was an absolute joy to devour. I tried to pace myself, I really did. But both leading characters are so loveable that I couldn’t stop myself from reading. Individually, both Ben and Arthur are well-rounded, three-dimensional characters. They are people. Sometimes YA romances only focus on the two lovers, possibly including a third for ~dramatic effect~, but this book made me feel like I know Ben and Arthur as humans, as well as epic love story. And together!! A powerhouse couple!! With real troubles and flaws!! Supporting one another through difficult times!! Fighting just like normal couples fight!! Their romance is sweet and supportive and made my heart flutter. I really loved that their romance had highs and lows, that Ben’s lateness made Arthur mad and that Ben considered Arthur’s lack of romantic experience when planning dates and romantic moments. These things are so so important, particular for queer love stories. Too often we put up with the bare minimum because we are desperate for the representation, but this book and the way these characters were written did not make me settle for less. I love these two. Also, the post-office scene where Arthur and Ben / 'Box-Boy' first meet was the definition of a meet-cute. How incredible! The background characters were very fun. Firstly we have Ethan and Jessie, who I really loved. They gave me Simon and Leah vibes - until they ended up together. I think it was important to see parts of Arthur’s life back in Georgia, it helped me see him as a true ‘fish out of water’ in NYC. I loved how Arthur was constantly FaceTiming them, and I loved the dynamic between Ethan and Arthur, especially its conclusion at Arthur's birthday. Ben’s friends were a hit and miss - I really liked Samantha but Dylan wasn’t all that interesting. I liked Ben’s post-relationship struggled with Hudson (and I also love how we as readers meet Hudson - too funny!!) but I didn’t love Harriet. And the law girls!! Juliet and Namrata!! I thought they were so much fun, and the best gal pals that Arthur could have had. They were the type of characters I’ve very rarely seen in YA - not super important and probably wouldn’t be terribly missed if they weren’t included, but fun to have around, and the story is better off for having them around. I loved all the little nerd references - Harry Potter was a big one, understandably - but it was the theatre references that sold me! Ben sitting down determinedly and listening to Hamilton and freaking out over It's Quiet Uptown is a forever mood. The scene when Ben and Arthur sat outside the theatre having a jam sesh was the cutest thing ever. I also really loved how the whole book centred around What If It’s Us from Dear Evan Hansen - I particularly liked the ‘Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3’ dividers with lyrics from the song. It tied each section of the book together, and it was a really cute way of mapping Ben and Arthur’s love story - What If / It's Us / And Only Us. New York City was also the PERFECT backdrop for this story. A couple of little things that irked me. I was pretty confused as to Ben and Arthur’s ages for a little while. I thought Arthur was a year older - in the summer between senior year and college, and Ben in the summer between his junior and senior years. I was corrected eventually, but I was a little confused for a while. I might just be the culture difference as I'm not American, but it was resolved quickly in my head. As much as I loved this book, I’m kinda pretending the ending was different?? I realise that having Ben and Arthur actually end up together forever and ever is not realistic as is incredibly cliche. But I think cliches exist for a reason and that reason is that they’re amazing and satisfying. I really hope Albertalli and Silvera collaborate again. This was adorable. I’m in love. 4.5 stars! |
WELCOME!Hello!! My name is Tessa, and I'm a 20 year old bookseller and blogger from Sydney Australia. I love queer YA, Schitt's Creek, and pizza scrolls. Archives
July 2020
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