Bite Sized Reviews: Early September Edition

BSR

Welcome to another round of Bite-Sized Reviews! I basically need to catch up on September reviews, since I fell behind during Shattering Stigmas. These happen to be the books that I don’t have enough to say to merit full-post reviews. This was also my “I don’t love you nor do I hate you” edition, basically.

Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas

The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

Drowning is Inevitable by Shalanda Stanley

The One Thing by Marci Lyn Curtis


Bite Sized Reviews: Early September Edition Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas
Published by HarperTeen on September 15th 2015
Pages: 464
Format:eARC

When the glass slipper just doesn’t fit…

The tale of Cinderella has been retold countless times. But what you know is not the true story.

Pin has no recollection of who she is or how she got to the Godmother’s fortress. She only knows that she is a Seamstress, working day in and out to make ball gowns fit for fairy tales. But she longs to forsake her backbreaking servitude and dares to escape with the brave young Shoemaker.

Pin isn’t free for long before she’s captured again and forced to live the new life the Godmother chooses for her—a fairy tale story, complete with a charming prince—instead of finding her own happily ever after.

Sarah Prineas’s bold fairy tale retelling is a dark and captivating world where swords are more fitting than slippers, young shoemakers are just as striking as princes, and a heroine is more than ready to rescue herself before the clock strikes midnight.

reviews2

I don’t really know what to say about Ash & Bramble, which is a big part of why it is getting the mini-review treatment. I had heard that the first half of the book was rather slow, so I went in knowing and expecting it (and it turned out to hold true for me), but I had powered through in the hopes that the book would become more exciting in the second half. And it did, just not enough to make up for the first half.

I liked Shoe and his storyline more than Pin’s. I didn’t dislike Pin, I just have as much of a connection or reaction to her. Shoe was more likable for me, and he exuded more emotionally. There were a few minor characters that I enjoyed, but the other key characters were a little underdeveloped for my taste.

The story itself was a bit confusing. The beginning, while slow, at least made sense to me. As the plot got more intricate, I started having a lot more questions. Some were answered, but definitely not all. There was a lot of just accepting things at face value, which I am not very good at doing. Had the world building been stronger, I think I’d have taken to the story more.

But, I was definitely invested in Shoe and Pin enough to see how their story would end, so I did keep reading. The last 20% of the book was definitely paced better, and the characters’ personalities became more apparent. I still didn’t have all my questions answered, but I read that there’ll be a companion novel so that might be interesting.

Bottom Line: The characters, especially Shoe, made me want to keep reading. The story was slow at times, confusing at times, but definitely ended strongly. I’d likely give the companion a try when it comes out, so I think that’s probably a plus too.


Bite Sized Reviews: Early September Edition The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow
Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books on September 22nd 2015
Pages: 384
Format:ARC
Source:BEA

A world battered by climate shift and war turns to an ancient method of keeping peace: the exchange of hostages. The Children of Peace - sons and daughters of kings and presidents and generals - are raised together in small, isolated schools called Prefectures. There, they learn history and political theory, and are taught to gracefully accept what may well be their fate: to die if their countries declare war.

Greta Gustafsen Stuart, Duchess of Halifax and Crown Princess of the Pan-Polar Confederation, is the pride of the North American Prefecture. Learned and disciplined, Greta is proud of her role in keeping the global peace — even though, with her country controlling two-thirds of the world’s most war-worthy resource — water — she has little chance of reaching adulthood alive.

Enter Elián Palnik, the Prefecture’s newest hostage and biggest problem. Greta’s world begins to tilt the moment she sees Elián dragged into the school in chains. The Prefecture’s insidious surveillance, its small punishments and rewards, can make no dent in Elián, who is not interested in dignity and tradition, and doesn’t even accept the right of the UN to keep hostages.

What will happen to Elián and Greta as their two nations inch closer to war?

reviews2

I have incredibly mixed feelings toward The Scorpion Rules. On one hand, the story was definitely unique, it was diverse, and I was absolutely intrigued. On the other, I didn’t care much about the characters, which made it harder to care about what was happening to them.

Things I Liked:

  • First, the fact that kids were coming from around the world is a plus in itself. The fact that they were hostages in this place as a deterrent for war? Fabulous! The concept as a whole was pretty fabulous
  • The villain is kind of hilarious. I laughed out loud a few times at what Talis (an AI) had to say about things. Yeah, he did some awful stuff, but I don’t know that he was awful, or just trying to do what he thought needed to be done.
  • There were other lighthearted moments among the hostages, which was nice because they were trying to make the best of a really horrible situation.
  • The political landscape intrigued me a lot. Even more, the psychology behind the things the leaders have done or intended to do fascinated me. Because anyone who declared war needed to realize that to do so, they were effectively killing their own kid, which is super messed up!

And the Things I Didn’t:

  • The characters were pretty “blah” overall. Sadly, Greta may have been the one I cared least about. At least the others had personality quirks, and even though Elian’s rebellious streak was annoying, he had some personality. I never really connected with Greta. It wasn’t that I disliked her, I just didn’t really like her that much either. The threat of her death didn’t affect me as much since I kind of didn’t care.
  • I was really confused about some of the world-building. How did this particular AI come to power? What about other AIs? What does the world look like now? And of course, what precipitated this huge shift? Those questions were huge, and I never really got sufficient answers. I also had basically no idea what the AIs were supposed to look like, so in my head, this was them:AI
  • The love triangle seemed unnecessary at best. I didn’t really feel much chemistry with either love interest, but Greta went back and forth in her head for so long that I completely lost interest in who she’d eventually end up with.

ezgif-289761925

Bottom Line: This one is also apparently getting a companion novel, which is partly why I am giving it three stars. The storyline itself was interesting enough to keep me going, and maybe we’ll get more answers about the world in the next book (and a character that I like more than Greta? Fingers crossed!), and there was enough action to keep me entertained. A few more answered questions and more likable characters could have made this one fabulous. 



Bite Sized Reviews: Early September Edition Drowning Is Inevitable by Shalanda Stanley
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on September 8th 2015
Pages: 288
Format:eARC
Source:via Netgalley

"A literary knockout with the loudest of beating hearts." John Corey Whaley, Printz Award winner of Where Things Come Back

Olivia has spent her whole life struggling to escape her dead mother’s shadow. But when her father can’t even look at her because Olivia reminds him of her mother, and her grandmother mistakenly calls her “Lillian,”  shaking a reputation she didn’t ask for is next to impossible. Olivia is used to leaning on her best friend, Jamie; her handsome but hot-tempered boyfriend, Max; and their wild-child friend, Maggie, for the reality check that her small Louisiana town can’t provide. But when a terrible fight between Jamie and his father turns deadly, all Olivia can think to do is grab her friends and run.

In a flash, Olivia, Jamie, Max, and Maggie become fugitives on the back roads of Louisiana. They’re headed to New Orleans, where they hope to find a solution to an unfixable problem. But with their faces displayed on all the news stations, their journey becomes a harrowing game of hide-and-seek from the police—and so-called allies, who just might be the real enemy.   Shalanda Stanley’s breathtaking debut novel explores the deep ties between legacy, loyalty, and love, even as it asks the question: How far would you go to save a friend?

reviews2

So, in Drowning Is Inevitable, we have Olivia, whose mom killed herself when she was a baby (and only 18 years old).  Her dad is basically afraid to look at her, and her grandma is practically senile. (Someone please tell me where Child Protective Services is in all this? Great.) She’s best friends with Jamie, who has been there for her since they were kids. And she’s dating Max. Jamie has an awful home life too, his dad has turned into an abusive alcoholic, and one night after a fight, Jamie, Olivia, Max, and their friend Maggie skip town, because of course.

See, this is where things got a bit confusing for me. Who actually runs away? Especially when there are witnesses, and a very clear history of this dude being a raging jackass? Guess we’ll chalk this one up to “teenage stupidity” and move on.ezgif-2817510299

Anyway. There are some good things about this book for sure. First, the writing is very lovely. The book is paced well, and I had no trouble staying interested in the plot. Olivia’s story is so heartbreaking, her yearning to know her mother was so profound. And some of the story may have led me to cry on a bus to New York. The friendships and family relations in this book were really solidly fleshed out, and I liked how every relationship that was presented had its own development and characteristics.

But there were parts that I did have trouble with. Mostly Maggie and Max, I didn’t really understand their purpose. I never really felt chemistry with Olivia and Max, so he could have stayed home for sure. All the poor decision making was hard to swallow too. Eventually, you’d think that one of them would realize how ridiculous, and more importantly, reckless they were being. A lot of what happened throughout the story made me think that perhaps it wasn’t quite in line with reality, and I was less connected to the plot because of it.

Bottom Line: The characters were the stars of this book, as well as the intricate family and friend relationships. It’s worth a read for those things alone, even if the plot itself had some believability issues.



Bite Sized Reviews: Early September Edition The One Thing by Marci Lyn Curtis
Published by Disney-Hyperion on September 8th 2015
Pages: 336
Format:eARC

Maggie Sanders might be blind, but she won't invite anyone to her pity party. Ever since losing her sight six months ago, Maggie's rebellious streak has taken on a life of its own, culminating with an elaborate school prank. Maggie called it genius. The judge called it illegal.

Now Maggie has a probation officer. But she isn't interested in rehabilitation, not when she's still mourning the loss of her professional-soccer dreams, and furious at her so-called friends, who lost interest in her as soon as she could no longer lead the team to victory.

Then Maggie's whole world is turned upside down. Somehow, incredibly, she can see again. But only one person: Ben, a precocious ten-year-old unlike anyone she's ever met. Ben's life isn't easy, but he doesn't see limits, only possibilities. After awhile, Maggie starts to realize that losing her sight doesn't have to mean losing everything she dreamed of. Even if what she's currently dreaming of is Mason Milton, the magnetic lead singer of Maggie's new favorite band, who just happens to be Ben's brother.

But when she learns the real reason she can see Ben, Maggie must find the courage to face a once-unimaginable future...before she loses everything she has grown to love.

reviews2

 

This book was cute. Super cute, really. Not that it didn’t have hard moments, because it absolutely did, but the cute moments are what stuck with me when I was done reading. The life lessons,  the relationships, the friendships, the witty characters, those are what endeared me to this book. The plot was fine, but the characters were remarkable!

First up is Maggie. Goodness, I adored Maggie. She was blind, but only recently found herself as such. She’s sarcastic, and kind of pessimistic, but very real and honest. She’s not thrilled with her new circumstances, as you’d imagine, and she isn’t going to be putting on airs for anyone. Oh, and we might be soulmates, based on this statement alone:

“Whatever the case, I liked the statements that my flip flops made. They said, I think my toes are pretty, and they said , I don’t plan on dressing up anytime soon, and they said, I have no intention of trying to outrun law enforcement today.”

But then she meets Ben. Ben has spina bifida, and Ben is basically all the awesome things in the world wrapped into one ten year old boy. Ben is a swimmer, which of course captured my heart. He’s incredibly smart, charismatic, funny, and charming, and he wins Maggie over immediately. Maggie’s having a terrible time adjusting, as is her family, and she clings to Ben as an escape. She adores Ben’s family as well, but Mason, Ben’s brother, is leery of her motives.

Oh, and we can’t forget Gramps! Remember when Aimee @ The Social Potato wanted a clueless, mess of an old man? I am pretty sure that Gramps was made to make her day. Maggie and Gramps have such a love for each other though, which is so great to see, because she needs someone like him in her family life. An example of Gramps’ old man ridiculousness? Of course!

“In order to be a grandpa, you should be old and grumpy and bald and opinionated and fat, like Gramps. Or at the very least, you should have a big potbelly, the tendency to grouse about people who drive too fast, and an affinity for the phrase ‘goddamn it all to hell’.”

There’s another really awesome character, but I don’t think it’s fair to tell you who it is, you should find out for yourself! Anyway, these people converge to take Maggie’s sullen, likely depressed outlook and revamp it. Because around Ben, Maggie can see.

There is a reason for this, and the reason is important. But Maggie doesn’t know that, she just soaks up every moment of sight that she can get her hands on. Of course, this inevitably leads to conflict, because who is actually going to believe that someone can randomly see after being blind? I admit that this part detracted a bit from the book for me, because it seemed so implausible.  But everything that Maggie experience leads her to where she needs to be, where she can rebuild her life.

Bottom Line: It’s a touching story, even if the plot sometimes felt just a tiny bit cheesy. The characters were amazing, and the messages were fabulous. I’ll leave you with this:

“After all, circumstances don’t change us. They reveal us.”

*Quotes taken from uncorrected proof, subject to change*

Have you read any of these books? Thoughts? Differences of opinion? Nodding in agreement? Let me know!

Posted September 4, 2015 by Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight in In a Minute, Review / 27 Comments

Divider

27 responses to “Bite Sized Reviews: Early September Edition

  1. OH MY GOSH. These are all these books I tried requesting in Edelweiss, but got denied for reading them because I’m not American. LOL. I only have The Scorpion Rules with me from NG, but I haven’t read it yet. Can’t wait to, though! So glad you quite enjoyed the book, even if there are some stuff that didn’t make it like a great read for you! Great reviews! These books are gorgeous but one day I SHALL READ ‘EM. *heads off to the bookstore*

  2. I can understand why Ash and Bramble might be confusing for you. I mean, even the blurb is confusing! I read it about 3 times and I still can’t understand what it’s trying to say. *scratches head* Maybe it’s just me.
    I really want to read Scorpion Rules! I sounds super unique and interesting, and I hope I can get a copy soon! (Which is highly unlikely:))

    • DUDE. I read the BOOK and don’t know what the hell it was about! It’s kind of a mess. I want to continue just to know what on earth is going on, but it’s like Seeker- why would I DO that to myself? I don’t know. I doubt I will continue, but I won’t rule it out.

      The Scorpion Rules was decent. I am actually really looking forward to reading the next one- the world was awesome, the characters just left a bit to be desired. I do hope you get to read it soon!

  3. I just started Drowning is Inevitable yesterday, so I honestly skipped your thoughts on that one – but the 3 star rating has me intrigued about what you liked and didn’t like, so I’ll definitely stop back once I’ve finished it. I did, however, read your thoughts on The One Thing, and that actually really sounds like something I would like, so I just may need to check it out!

    I love your bite-sized reviews feature! I’m constantly behind on reviews, so I end up posting two a day trying to catch up. I wish I could post more than one in the same post, but then only the first goes to the archive list and the others won’t show up in my review archive. :-/

    • I do the same thing! I don’t read reviews until after I am done 🙂 I am curious as to what you think about it now too! The One Thing was cute- I am definitely glad I read that one!

      Oh NO they don’t show up in your review archive!? That is not good! Do you not have the latest UBB? It is a lifesaver- I hated doing mini reviews before for the same reason, but now it is so amazing, because I don’t have to worry about it.

  4. I’ve been hearing the same things about Ash & Bramble. Even though Sarah will be attending ICON 40 next month (and I’m going) I might steer away from actually purchasing this book and just bask in her presence.

    • Yeah um… I wish I could say more nice stuff, but I think I was probably at my “nice stuff maximum” during the review. It just dragged. And I was confused/annoyed at not knowing what was going on. I mean, I am sure authors don’t expect you to purchase every book, so I think basking in this case is the way to go! Have fun 😀

  5. So I just finished Drowning Is Inevitable and I am disappointed! It was so depressing and I felt like it just wandered aimlessly, almost as if the author had half the book planned out and then just made the rest up as she went along

    • Bwhahahha I kind of agree with you- that’s a good way of putting it! I had trouble rating and reviewing this one, honestly. I don’t know how I felt about a lot of it, but then, it DID evoke some emotion so I couldn’t rate it *too* low, but I also got mad at it… I don’t know, maybe your review will help me sort out my feelings!

  6. I actually didn’t know what Ash & Brambles was about, even though I’ve seen it all over the place! It sounds so interesting though, I’m sad to hear it’s so slow. At least it has great characters, even if it’s confusing at times. I’ll definitely look into that one.

    For whatever reason I’ve not been interested in Scorpion Rules, I’ve seen it everywhere and knew a lot of people were excited for it, but for me it was kind of a meh thing. I think it will stay meh for me, like one day I might pick it up but I won’t go out of my way to get it. I can’t handle characters that you don’t connect too and unnecessary love triangles, plus, I’m not the biggest fan of political stuff.

    Lovely mini reviews, Shannon!

    • I mean… Ash & Bramble was… slow and confusing. I don’t know. Maybe read a few more coherent reviews and then decide? 😉 The Scorpion Rules was okay, but if you weren’t too excited about it.. well, you could easily stay that way hahah.

  7. I have The Scorpion Rules and Ash & Bramble to read and have all the worries about them that you just highlighted! I’ll get around to them eventually but they just haven’t been getting good reviews and I”m not motivated… great post, Shannon!

  8. I HAVE READ NOTHING BUT I SHOULD!

    Though I am interested in The One Thing, only because I like reading stories about blind MCs. HAVE YOU READ ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE??? BECAUSE YOU SHOULDDDDD. Even though it is WWII.

    😀

  9. Ash & Bramble, you utter disappointment, you. Though, I did find the beginning unique, buuuut a little repetitive, too. Which was why I was glad it changed (don’t know if it went back to that at some point.) but didn’t really care to find out, haha. And I was eh about the romance, I mean, it was kind of random.
    I haven’t read The Scorpian Rules yet, but I’m with you on the fact that I wouldn’t care what was happening to them either if I didn’t care about the characters themselves, so yeah.  And really, if you’re going to have a love triangle, at least have one that had some chemistry, boooooooooooo.

    The One Thing sounds unique and really, Maggie is my kind of character, obviously, so I think I’d love the characters more than the actual story though!

    • Yeah, it WAS kind of repetitive. And weird. So weird. The romance got even more random. And I mean REALLY random. And almost insta-loveish? But I don’t know, there are things that would be spoilers for others, but suffice it to say that the triangle was pointless AND random.

      The One Thing had some fabulous characters. The actual story was only okay, but the characters (and the overall message) made it worth it for sure!

  10. Sorry for the onslaught of so-so books. I have The Scorpion Rules for review, so I just hope I care about the characters more than you did. I’m having trouble with that lately. I’ve actually wanted to (gasp!) DNF books lately because I just can’t bring myself to care about the characters.

    • I almost DNFed a book too! I am like, 60% in and I STILL want to DNF. What is this sorcery!? This is not like us! I think it’s because I am reading one awesome book and one “meh” book, so I want the “meh” one to go away 😉 I hope The Scorpion Rules does work a bit better for you!

    • Ah, there shall be triangle! It’s really dumb too.I am looking forward to your thoughts about it! The action DOES pick up- I was super bored in the beginning too- but it wasn’t my favorite. BUT, it wasn’t terrible either, so I guess there’s that? Good luck 😉

  11. No, I don’t. I bought it when she first created it. We only get the updates for a year, and I’ve had it longer than that. So I’d have to actually purchase the newest version of UBB.. And right now, I honestly can’t afford to. Yes, I’m extremely bummed about this. 🙁

Leave a Reply