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October 13, 2020

BURN by Patrick Ness

October 13, 2020

Book cover & 3-star rating for Burn by Patrick NessWhen I first started out reading Burn, I was intrigued. Historical fiction isn’t all too common in young adult publishing compared to contemporary fiction, fantasy and science fiction. History and fantasy crossing paths? Even less so. But Patrick Ness has an excellent track record of meshing various genres and even defying them, so I expected this one to be a hit as well. It wasn’t but I was still glad that he brought his signature postmodern outlook with a touch of whimsy.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: american authors, bi- or multiracial characters, british authors, cold war, death, diverse authors, diverse books, dragons, fathers and daughters, murder, poverty, queer characters, race relations, racism, single parenthood

November 1, 2017

THESE SHALLOW GRAVES by Jennifer Donnelly

November 1, 2017

Book cover & rating - THESE SHALLOW GRAVES by Jennifer DonnellyWhen mystery meets historical fiction, you can be almost certain that the book will be exciting. This was definitely the case for These Shallow Graves. The moody 19th century setting fit perfectly with the murder mystery plot.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: assault, betrayal, blackmail, bribery, crime, death, family, family business, friendship, grief, journalism, lies, love triangles, media, murder, on-writing, orphans, realistic fiction, violence

March 24, 2017

MARGOT & ME by Juno Dawson

March 24, 2017

Book cover & rating - MARGOT & ME by Juno DawsonMargot & Me, while set in contemporary times also grapples with the past set during World War II through a diary. What I loved about this book was how the stories of three generations knitted together. Fliss and her grandmother, Margot, were so at odds that Fliss’s mother was the only reason they put up with one another. Watching that relationship develop throughout the pages was immensely touching. Although, how Fliss came to read Margot’s diary didn’t entirely sit well with me. But you know, curiosity and what not…

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: cancer, dance, death, diaries, diverse authors, epistolary, family, family myth, forgiveness, friendship, grief, high school, inter-generations, lgbtq characters, mothers and daughters, on love, poc characters, race relations, racism, second world war, single parenthood, war

July 5, 2016

THE DARK DAYS CLUB by Alison Goodman

July 5, 2016

Book cover & rating - THE DARK DAYS CLUB by Alison GoodmanWhen I first heard of The Dark Days Club, I was intrigued. Though I hadn’t read Jane Austen novels nor any of the popular series of Cassandra Clare, I knew those names held promise. Yes, Alison Goodman is an author unto herself but sometimes it’s hard to discount influences. With that, I first picked up Pride & Prejudice. It took me more than a month to reach page 84 before I got too exasperated and put it on hold. I didn’t try City of Bones. I dove into The Dark Days Club, not wanting to postpone it too long.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: death, friendship, monsters, murder, regency, romance

April 7, 2016

THE GIRL FROM EVERYWHERE by Heidi Heilig

April 7, 2016

Book cover & rating - THE GIRL FROM EVERYWHERE by Heidi HeiligTime travel in books is my weakness. I used to actively seek them out as a kid. Nowadays reading about such stories feels like visiting old friends. Sadly, The Girl from Everywhere didn’t quite have enough of it. The setting of The Girl from Everywhere was predominantly Honolulu 1884. There were glimpses of India, New York and China from various eras but not a lot happened in these places. Being stuck in Hawaii for so long gave rise to a slower moving plot than I had anticipated.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: bi- or multiracial characters, crime, culture, diversity, ethnicity, loneliness, multiculturalism, pirates, time travel, tropics

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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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