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Word Revel

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February 6, 2018

AMERICAN PANDA by Gloria Chao (with Twitter Giveaway)

February 6, 2018

Book cover & rating - AMERICAN PANDA by Gloria ChaoYoung adult books set in college, or even about the summer before college, aren’t all too common. That’s why I was surprised when I first learnt that American Panda is set at MIT. Well, Mei is 17 years old as she enters a year early but it works out well for this book. Mei had a sheltered upbringing, which is very evident as she tries to find her place at university.

· Categories: Fiction, Giveaways Keywords: american authors, college, culture, dance, dating, diverse authors, diverse books, ethnicity, family, family life, family problems, friendship, grandparents, humour, phobia, relatives, romance, rumours, secrets, siblinghood, tradition, weddings

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

June 21, 2014

THE BREAK-UP ARTIST by Philip Siegel

June 21, 2014

THE BREAK-UP ARTIST by Philip SiegelConsidering how much of a cynic or a realist I am (depending on whom you ask), The Break-Up Artist should’ve been the perfect book for me. The premise drew me to The Break-Up Artist in an instant. I thought I would meet an anti-hero but I didn’t. I thought I would finally not have to roll my eyes at cliché lines. That held up for a good part of the book, until I did roll my eyes.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: american authors, blackmail, cheating, dance, dating, drama, friendship, high school, realistic fiction, revenge, romance, siblinghood, sisters

February 8, 2014

PIROUETTE by Robyn Bavati

February 8, 2014

Once in a while I pick up a book solely because of the author. I’ve read a book by that author before, loved it and decided to just go ahead and read whatever comes next. That’s how it went for Pirouette. Besides knowing that this book revolves around dance (I mean, duh, the title and…

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· Categories: Fiction Keywords: australian authors, dance, mistaken identity, orphans, read, realistic fiction, siblinghood, sisters, twins

September 8, 2013

DANCING IN THE DARK by Robyn Bavati

September 8, 2013

If you have no Jewish background, it might be  difficult at first to get into the book because Bavati chose to adopt Jewish/ Hebrew terms wherever possible. She did explain her choice however, including a letter of sorts at the beginning, noting that she hoped to capture the authenticity in this manner. For those who…

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· Categories: Fiction Keywords: ambition, australian authors, ballet, coming of age, customs and practices, dance, debut authors, family life, judaism, orthodox judaism, religion

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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