Book reviews

A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman

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This is a book about dance. It’s also about loss, spirituality, art, family, community and having trust in oneself and one’s abilities. 

Synopsis

Veda lives in India and she dances and competes in bharatanatyam. At least until a car accident leaves her with a below-knee amputation, making her unable to move the way she used to. She feels the loss of her connection to the goddess Shiva and dance. Both the stares and comments as getting to her as Veda tries to get back to her regular life, which feels empty without dance.

Then a doctor and a new dance teacher show how much they believe in her, arranging things so that she will still succeed to dance again. She might never be as perfect or the winner she was, but she can use dance as the art form it is to express herself. In the new school, she finds a community less competitive and more including. It’s all so beautiful, so maybe don’t read it in public if you don’t want to sit with tears in your eyes 30 pages in, at a bus stop the first day of school.

My thoughts

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Veda’s a beautiful person and it’s really frustrating and difficult going through the journey with her as you realize how tough she’s been on herself, even before the accident that made her feel pressured into hiding herself away.

“My skin tingles as I step into the music,
give in to the icy thrill of pleasure
that spreads through me whenever I dance,
the pleasure of leaping into a cool lake on a
sweltering day.” 

It’s actually the first book I’ve read in lyrical form told through verse but – and I can sense everyone fleeing, stop – the simplicity fits the story perfectly. Every word in here has a purpose, which made it really enjoyable as it naturally hops in time so we can see Veda’s recovery and the relationships she builds unfold. I loved the interactions with her family, which have their faults, and I love the philosophies on dance. Everything in this book was just perfect, without trying too hard to be.

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

aquapages // eline6 Comments

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This book is beautiful, absoloutly worth the read and I cried, which is rare. I’ve not quite figured out why it hit me so hard, but here’s what it’s about –

Synopsis

Marin leaves her old life behind without telling anyone. She’s already chosen her college for fall, so she leaves early and stays at a run down motel until it opens. The book starts with Marin staying behind at the college dorm as everyone leaves for winter break. She’s anxiously awaiting the visit from her “old” friend Mabel and that her lives, which she’s managed to keep seperated until now, are going to clash.

My thoughts

 

This book portrays loneliness in a very realistic way, which I didn’t expect. I somehow forget how real LaCour is in her books, along with those beautiful leasbian romances. The changes in Marin from her old life to the new and the way you gradually learn about them and how she used to be was incredible. *MINOR SPOILER* I really liked the relationship between Marin and Mabel, how they had history, both fucked up and now have no idea how to talk to each other. There’s this whole mystery about why Marin left her old life so abruptly, which it’s obvious Mabel is trying to figure out too. It slowly unfolds until it both doesn’t matter and you kind of understand it. It’s a weird feeling, but I adored it.

“I was okay just a moment ago. I will learn how to be okay again.” 

I didn’t like the ending, it made the whole book feel less special. I even reread the book the minute I turned the last page, desperately seeing if the magic was gone. And it kind of was. The mystery is the essens of the book, not in “solve this riddle/crime”, but in the way it’s written and the story is built up. There’s always unanswered questions and tension between Marin and Mabel. While I normally like clear answers, it doesn’t match the rest of this book. Somehow I wish it didn’t have an ending or explanation, it perhaps would’ve been a weird novel, but more suitable. So enjoy it on your first read, because most of the magic disappears along with the mystery. 

Some reasons to read this book:

  • Dealing with serious issues like loss and how (not) to run away from them
  • Lesbians
  • How to repair friendships, and is it worth it?
  • Accurate descriptions of loneliness
  • Nice interpertation of my favourite Frida Kahlo painting is The Two Fridas and other cute and interesting details like it
  • Beautiful execution and writing

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan

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This is a dream of a fantasy book, the ultimate fairy-filled tale I wanted as a kid, with a main character who’s a brat, but a smart one, and both supportive and tired of his friends.

Synopsis

Elliot, the main character, is a boy who’s recruited to this magic school in a strange land over the wall. He’s read about this kind of thing, and it rarely goes well, but his home isn’t especially welcoming or safe, so he takes the chance. He’s told he’s allowed to leave anytime, and after being challenged by the too-perfect Luke, he’s tempted to stick around just to annoy him.

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My thoughts

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The magic school is a familiar trope, but not in this form. Which is said a lot, but Elliot’s magic school is more like military academy, and he’s aware of it. He’s one of the fewer students in training for Council positions, which is the ones who draws up maps and treaties, while the rest of them train to be soldiers and generals. But while he might be book-smart, he’s not able to keep his mouth shut, and it lands him in quite a few situations. Turns out the adults don’t want a kid to tell them how to do their jobs. If you’re Elliot, that’s only a challenge. It’s refreshing seeing how he’s clever, but also fucks up more than once, putting people at risk. He’s unstoppable, with very capable, well-written friends. His insecurities are something that comes out throughout this book as we follow him for a few years. His criticism of the society turns to “fuck it, I’m coming with” to real plans that doesn’t always go the way he thinks, and it’s fantastic to read about.

There was a lot of mention of sexism, like how the Serene and the rest of the elves society see the men as a patriarchal society see women. The men are supposed to raise the children and be sensitive, while the women are warriors. So this comes up continually throughout the book. You think it’s said enough and nope, there it pops up again. I usually like books, especially fantasy, dealing with these issues, but it felt forced and preachy at times. But then it also was funny and a lot more sad imagining Brennan writing this book and putting in another paragraph of anti-sexism every time she’s reminded of the Trumps of this world. So while I found it annoying, can I really blame Brennan for trying to include it?

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

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Police brutality is a controversial topic and I picked up this book because I heard a lot of praise of it. I couldn’t have predicted how hard-hitting this book would be, not only with the importance of the story, but the way it was coveyed. Some say it will become a classic, I can only hope so.

Synopsis

Starr (sixteen year old girl) witnesses her best friend Khalil get murdered by a police officer, she’s the only one in the car with him, making her the only witness. The murder makes national headlines and protests erupt. Starr is trying to lay low, but there’s divide in her mostly white private school along with her poorer neighbourhood, some druglord is after her family because they interefered and she has to deal with a more and more hostile police.

My thoughts

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the writing

The writing is straight-forward, the cleverness of the banter and dialogue balances out some of the darker side of the story. It makes it seem realistic and relatable, however surreal (or too real) the story is. It’s well written and pretty straight-forward, making it easier to follow for more people. I’m not american, I can’t vouch for accuracy or much of anything, but I loved the community aspect of the story, it’s one of many good ones.

i love this book but

I did a horrible thing and looked at the reviews on goodreads. This book has gotten a lot of praise, but the first review in my feed argumented how wrong to point out a “white cop killed her”, that this book enforced “white-guilt” and that a person should be judged on their actions so “why does skin-color matter” in reference to police killing black kids. To those who think this is some “pc bs”; the whole thing about this book and the characters in it is that they say stupid and ignorant things, both black and white people and eventually they all learn. Well, most of them do, some kills kids. Starr’s father disapproves of her white boyfriend, at first. Everyone have their own problems and prejudices here. It’s just when they’re not a police officer pointing a gun at a teenager, their prejudices doesn’t mean life or death in that moment. Don’t people see the difference? That kind of ignorance is predicted and talked about in the damn book, in a conversation between Starr and one of her private school friends.

so…

We need more of these books, that’s what I’m getting from all this. I hope the author gets all the praise and love she deserves for putting this out there. Would recommend it to everyone, despite your political opinion of preferred genre.

The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest by Melanie Dickerson

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Don’t be fooled by the beautiful cover or the fact that “it’s based on Swan Lake and Robin Hood”, this book is horribly boring. 

*some spoilers, but it’s so predicable nothing should be considered spoilers*

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Odette, the huntress and supposedly female version of Robin Hood, is the orphaned niece of a merchant and pouching from the margrave’s forest to feed the poor. She’s early Katniss Everdeen, only she’s less snarky, less brave, less of a personality and will never go hungry herself again. Jorgen is the new forester who will do anything to catch the poucher, not knowing it’s the girl he’s fallen in love with. It’s forbidden romance – of course it will happen, no secret there. But there’s also this third wealthy guy I can’t remember the name of who wants to marry Odette and so he does anything to split them up. At least he’s honest about what a douche he is.

What bothered me most about this book was how predictable it is. I wasn’t wrong about guesses a single time, and I couldn’t even feel good about it because I was so bored. This book made every other book seem like an original masterwork.

The only thing that works is the straight-forward (at best) writing. Unless you’re – like me – annoyed at the use of the word “Ja”, which means Yes in both norwegian and this supposedly german language. This book makes me want to never say the word again. Or see Robin Hood. Or read another “historical novel” in a long time. Have women be oppressed, throw in some misplaced Bible learning in this fantasy-ish story and claim it’s placed in the Holy Roman Empire. That’s how you get into that historical novel genre and not “get it at the convencience store near you – romance”. That’s also a word in norwegian – kiosknovelle – but I don’t know how to translate it, which still beats the author not translating fucking “Ja”.

It has a fucking masquerade ball. I laughed out loud. The perfect example of an over-used element. What happens at masquerade balls (in books)? People are mistaken for other people, causing drama. It’s so good at being predictable you almost have to applaud it. Also if you haven’t already figured out the plot a few chapters in, the author so graciously sums it all up in big speeches, often in big chuncks at the end of the last chapters. Below the cut there’s examples, all spoilers. To sum up this book was a big miss for me, with nothing but cliches and info dumps.

Continue reading →

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson

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This is an awesome book.

Synopsis

Henry Denton is abducted by aliens, who gives him a chance to save the world. He simply has to push a big red button before January 29 2016, which gives him 144 days to make the choice.

Saving the world would perhaps be an easy choice for most, but Henry is very realistic about his place in the universe, and how they’re all going to die someday. This feeling got stronger after his boyfriend committed suicide the year before and he’s not speaking to his closest friend Audrey. His family has a lot to deal with too, and more often than not he questions if it would be easier if the whole world simply stopped. It’s not like he’s the one destroying the world if he doesn’t push the button. Right?

My thoughts

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I read this book in one sitting, and it was great. So well written, with a nerdy gay main character and so many layers of problems for him to fight through.

Pretty early on it’s clear that Henry prefer not to push the button and save the earth. I can’t figure out if Henry’s depressed or just dealing with an inhuman amount of shit at once. Might be both. He’s still grieving his boyfriend, and trying to figure out why he killed himself. The world doesn’t contain easy answers and Henry slowly has to realize that. But it’s a beautiful book because of his questions and lack of answers. Loved the “we are the ants” metaphors as well.

It’s simply a very good book that I would shove in people’s faces if it would make them read it.

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

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“Before the end of our first month in Paris, the violent biblical deaths we are seeing immortalized in paintings and hung in an endless procession of private collections are beginning to look rather appealing.” 

Synopsis

Henry “Monty” Montague has made a mess of himself one time too many as he was kicked out of one of the finest english boarding schools of the 1700s. His father disapproves of everything he does, which is mostly gambling, drinking and sleeping with women and men. This is how his Grand Tour of Europe gets a baby-sitter who is supposed to turn the trip from parties to culture and mingling. Along on the trip is his fierce little sister Felicity and his best friend Percy.

My thoughts

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Monty stays a bi (?) rich douchebag troughout the book and it’s fantastic. He’s flamboyant, a rebel and an up-and-coming expert on escaping through gardens nude. Even as the book is written in first person, the author manages to hide Monty’s thought-process and motives at the beginning, which I would say is a fantastic feat. That way the reader learns about him along with the other characters. And I nearly liked Percy and Felicity as much as Monty. Felicity is the bookworm that represent most of us, Percy the good soul that needs to save them all. Of course they’re all flawed characters, and with those three together it’s no surprise the Tour quickly unravels.  They’re nearly murdered and need to run through half of Europe on a mission they can only hope is good. Mostly what drives them is not wanting to return, so they live while they have the chance. Also it’s gay romance with lots of feelings through all the big cities – Paris, Florence, Rome.

Can’t say much more about it without major spoilers, but the plot took turns I didn’t expect, the character interactions were great and I would absoloutly recommend this book!

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta (Lumatere chronicles #1)

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Pages: 416
Genre: Fantasy

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Synopsis

The kingdom of Lumatere has been cursed and closed off to the rest of the world for ten years. After the royal family was assassinated, the people was driven by fear and prosecuted the wrong group of people, burning them at stakes. One of them, a magician, cursed the land with her dying breath and no one knows if those trapped inside the walls are dead or living in peace unlike the refugees the lost Lumateres has become. Finnikin was the childhood friend of Prince Balthazar and when a young woman called Evanjalin claims he’s still alive, that those inside is still alive, he clings to the hope of someday seeing his home again. They just need to break the curse, and for that they need a prince. Also there’s the small matter of whether Finnikin was to blame for it all, as the magician claimed before she died.

My thoughts

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This is good adventurous story, but not the best fantasy. The only parts that stuck with me is the suspense of what happened with the Lumateres/Lumatarian (that sounds like a band) who got trapped inside the city when the curse happened and the refugees that found themselves suddenly locked out of their homes. You can’t help but make the connection to refugees in the real world, especially because of wars with cities like Aleppo* that’s closed of, no one going in or out as I write this. But that is more an example of reading the right book at the right time than this book containing something special. It was a hard contrast, the fever camps and starvation, and it drove the characters, but it never got deeper. The target was always to break the curse and head home, which is far easier in the book than it will ever be in real life, and ruined a lot of the point. Sure, it starts all epic with having been locked out for a decade, but it gets pretty unrealistic from there, even for a fantasy book. Magic can’t solve everything, then you wouldn’t have a problem to begin with, at least not for so many years. If only they hadn’t killed all their healers…

It is, despite all that, a very good-hearted story about bravery and determination, trust and guilt. The characters are good enough written and… that’s it. Not very much of a plot, they travel around, issues come up and they get to prove themselves a couple of times, but the whole aim is getting home. The reason this book wasn’t worth it for me was that I could see the “big reveal” coming for a long time, and even the goodreads synopsis could spoil you, so be careful if you want to give this book a go. Also the world-building … not even going to get into that. It felt like magic was just involved for the sake of keeping the story light and the solutions simple, you could easily have written the same story with war as the cause of not being able to return. But then it wouldn’t have been so easy for a seventeen year old boy to take the lead, now would it?

I don’t think I’ll read the next book, there’s just so many other, better fantasy (and ya) books out there.

*Also I wrote this a while ago, so don’t yell at me that the situation in Aleppo has changed, etc.

Written in Red (The Others #1) by Anne Bishop

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wow that’s a great author name

Pages: 487
Genre: Fantasy – urban

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Synopsis

As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.

Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.

My thoughts

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This is a great fantasy story about finding a home, more than anything else. It’s one of those books about “Others” coming together, both in the sense of being outsiders and different magical creatures (werewolves, vampires, fairies and more).

Meg’s like a child in many ways, especially when she just escapes from the institution she’s been held captive in, considered someone else’s property. She has a lot of trauma to work through and self-discovery to do, but she’s also both fascinated by everything and doesn’t have the same prejudices and fear of the Others as regular humans have learned. Her curiousity and out-going personality makes her the perfect fit for her job as human liason and she gets a sanctuary that’s willing to protect her against those after her. Funny enough, while being surrounded by beings that eat human flesh (a practice that fades fast as Meg arrives), humans seem to be what’s she’s in most danger of.

“Vlad hated doing the paperwork as much as he did when a human employee quit, which was why they’d both made a promise not to eat quitters just to avoid the paperwork. As Tess had pointed out, eating the staff was bad for marale and made it so much harder to find new employees.” 

This book doesn’t contain a straight-forward plot as much as it’s carried by character’s interactions, their daily life and the many ways it’s regularly disrupted. Much of the plot is based on the idea that one kind soul can change a community, magical deadly creatures or not. And it’s a lot to believe in, but Meg really tries to bridge the relationships between the humans and Others, as well as the way the groups within the Courtyard operates. The vampires aren’t exactly social or friendly, but they are the outliers. While trying to be an example of the relationship between humans and Others, Meg gets herself into some trouble, but that’s what you’ve got monster-sized wolves for.

There’s a lot of interesting characters, the terrifying Tess and Simon is my favourites. Simon is one temperamental, but protective shape-shifting leader. He was what glued the community together, barely, before Meg arrived. Overall, the only thing I cringed a bit over while reading this book is the bad names (come on the Others, really?). It’s truly a story that has been stuck in my head and it feels like a different way to do fantasy than most of what I’ve read before. I’ve just read the second book as well and it’s just as fantastic.

*TW for self-harm* I know nothing of self-harming, but cuts are described in quite detail in this book, as stated in the synopsis and it’s a issue Meg struggles with throughout the story.

The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu

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A collection of short stories by a brilliant, bestselling chinese author. It’s a great mix of fantasy, magical realism, fiction and science fiction here, along with chinese elements and culture being central in many stories.

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“Time’s arrow if the loss of fidelity in compression. A sketch, not a photograph. A memory is a re-creation, precious because it is both more and less than the original.

I can’t recommend this book enough. Each story is like its own universe and it takes some time to get into it, but it’s very worth it when you’re rereading each story three times in a row and marvel at the nuances, writing and genuine brilliance.

I wondered whether to make small reviews of each story, but I feel like it would give too much away. The best way to get into this book is by knowing it’s incredible and go pick it up right away with little extra info. Still, if you’re not convinced, here’s what you can expect from this collection; stories about “The bookmaking habit of select species”, an AI utopia that you might actually want to live in, hujing; beings who are both fox and human, chinese calligraphy and deadly fear of communism / plain racism, being chinese in america, simulacrums; illusions of people stuck in time, aliens, Guan Yu the chinese god of war visiting America (American Gods vibes from that one, it was awesome), immense sacrifices and a few that will make you teary eyed including about unit 731 and the biological warfare and experimentation in China during WW2.

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Some of the stories are incredibly important and heartfelt, like the one about unit 371, based on horrible historical events I’d never heard before. Others are a good mix of that social commentary and entertainment, while some are simply, but not simple, fun fantasies. Everything has layers, so much creativity and originality, I love this book and it’s one of my favourite reads, at least this year. I have to go read more Ken Liu books now.