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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

April 13, 2018

LOST FOR WORDS by Stephanie Butland

April 13, 2018

Book cover & rating - LOST FOR WORDS by Stephanie ButlandLost for Words is the sort of book that requires time and patience from the reader. During the first 100 pages, I considered abandoning the book a few times. I was bored with the writing style and didn’t enjoy jumping around three points in the protagonist’s life — 2016, 2013 and 1999. Two alternating timelines are already more than I tend to like. Three was pushing it.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: abuse, arson, bookstores, british authors, death, domestic violence, family problems, foster care, loneliness, loss, mental health, poetry, romance, secrets, self perception, self-esteem

March 20, 2018

THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF OKAY by Laura Steven

March 20, 2018

Book cover & rating - THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF OKAY by Laura StevenIzzy was such a refreshing and hilarious character. Her personality shone through the blog posts and her annotations on hindsight. Once in a while, the details she shared bordered on TMI (too much information) but in a diary sort of blog that’s not exactly unusual. If you like no holds barred narrations that flow with stream of consciousness, you’ll be in stitches laughing over The Exact Opposite of Okay.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: ambition, betrayal, british authors, diverse books, feminism, friendship, high school, humour, internet, lgbtq characters, media, on-writing, racism, self-esteem, sexism, sexuality, social commentary, social media

July 27, 2017

I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE by Maurene Goo

July 27, 2017

Book cover & rating - I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE by Maurene Goo For the most part, I actually enjoyed I Believe in a Thing Called Love. Though, I must admit, I’m not into K-dramas, I still loved the cultural aspects. There are a lot of similarities between East and Southeast Asian cultures, so many aspects of Desi’s way of life felt familiar to me. However, her levels of being a control freak far exceeded that of anyone I know or have met. That’s exactly where hilarity ensued because things went way over the top with her.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: ambition, american authors, art, artists, conduct of life, dating, diverse authors, diverse books, family, fathers and daughters, friendship, graffiti, high school, korean authors, lgbtq characters, lies, nerds, poc characters, realistic fiction, relationships, self doubt, self-esteem, single parenthood

November 27, 2016

THE RAVEN BOYS by Maggie Stiefvater

November 27, 2016

Book cover & rating - The Raven Boys by Maggie StiefvaterIt’s amazing how much perspectives can shift upon a re-read. When I first picked up The Raven Boys nearly two years ago, I listened to the audiobook. I loved Will Patton’s narration but had a few reservations about the book itself. Recently, I sat down with the hardcover edition, post-its and pencil in hand, determined to annotate as I revisited The Raven Boys. There were so many things I newly discovered, I grew to love it a whole lot more.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: abuse, american authors, beliefs, brothers, choices, death, domestic violence, family, family problems, friendship, funerals, ghosts, hardship, high school, inequality, language, legends, mothers and daughters, murder, mystery, poverty, psychics, rituals, sacrifice, secrets, self-esteem, single parenthood, time, violence, wealth

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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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