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Word Revel

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May 9, 2019

STEPSISTER by Jennifer Donnelly

May 9, 2019

Book cover & and 4.5-star rating for STEPSISTER by Jennifer DonnellyThe first time I heard the term “retelling,” I expected it to refer to reimagined fairytales. I didn’t exactly expect these to be simply be stories inspired by fairytales. Stepsister, however, is exactly that which I had originally expected of a retelling. It builds upon the well-loved fairytale of Ashputtel, blood and all. It was entertaining with its dark humour as it continued to tell the story of how it might have continued. Stepsister was more detailed since it’s a novel rather than a short story but stylistically, it still very much read like a fairytale.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: abuse, ambition, american authors, betrayal, bravery, death, despair, fairies, family problems, fate, feminism, forgiveness, friendship, gender, grief, hardship, hope, horses, jealousy, life, loss, magic, on love, poverty, relationships, retellings, romance, royalty, self discovery, self-esteem, single parenthood, sisters, stepsiblings, villains, war

March 22, 2019

WHAT IF IT’S US by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera

March 22, 2019

Book cover & and 4-star rating for WHAT IF ITS US by Becky Albertalli and Adam SilveraBelieve it or not, there was a time that I loved cute romance books and adored books with meet cutes. As I hit my twenties though, I suppose I became somewhat jaded. I hardly reached for these books anymore, and when I did, I didn’t enjoy them anywhere near as much as before. Then along came What If It’s Us. I couldn’t stop smiling while reading it!

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: adhd, alternative perspectives, american authors, bi- or multiracial characters, break-ups, dating, diverse authors, diverse books, exes, family, friendship, high school, internships, lgbtq » gay characters, lgbtq characters, meet-cute, on-writing, poc characters, realistic fiction, relationships, summer, summer-school

February 20, 2019

ON THE COME UP by Angie Thomas

February 20, 2019

Book cover & and 5-star rating for ON THE COME UP by Angie ThomasBooks about music usually are full of heart and soul. On the Come Up is no exception. In fact, it far surpassed more than a few of such books I’ve loved before. On that front, I actually am a bit surprised. I knew that coming from Angie Thomas, this one would be a good book. However, hip hop isn’t generally on my radar, so I did go in with slightly tempered expectations.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: ambition, american authors, assault, dating, diverse authors, diverse books, gangs, gay characters, grandparents, high school, hip hop, hope, lgbtq characters, mothers and daughters, music, musicians, organised crime, poc characters, poverty, queer characters, relatives, religious institutions, siblinghood, single parenthood, solid platonic friendship, surveillance, violence

November 8, 2018

ONLY LOVE CAN BREAK YOUR HEART by Katherine Webber

November 8, 2018

Book cover & rating - ONLY LOVE CAN BREAK YOUR HEART by Katherine WebberOnly Love Can Break Your Heart demonstrates how messy relationships can be, be they romantic, platonic or familial. From grief, to love, to forgiveness and hope, this book covered a huge spectrum of life experiences.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: abuse, betrayal, bi- or multiracial characters, dating, diverse books, family, friendship, grief, high school, inequality, popularity, realistic fiction, romance, secrets, self development, self discovery, self perception, siblinghood

October 30, 2018

FAMILY AND OTHER CATASTROPHES by Alexandra Borowitz

October 30, 2018

Book cover & rating - Family and Other Catastrophes by Alexandra BorowitzGood satire makes you laugh while simultaneously reflecting on the subject matters. Rooted in reality, it makes you wonder how serious these characters are (very) but then on second thought you realise that they’re world views are so black and white, they couldn’t be for real. With that in mind, Borowitz used satire very effectively in Family and Other Catastrophes. Emily was so neurotic but with the kind of mother she had, it kind of made sense. Her sister Lauren, was fully committed to feminist social activism, in stark contrast to their brother, Jason, who was a desperate divorcé and quite the sexist.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: dating, diverse books, divorce, dysfunctional families, family problems, feminism, gender, politics, pregnancy, secrets, sexism, sexual assault, social justice, weddings, work life

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About

Joséphine. Word reveller. Loves books. Reads books. Talks about books. Photographs books. When she’s not blogging, she can be found on Instagram under @wordrevel.

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