All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books, August 2016

Genre: Fiction

Pages: eBook, 346 pages

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads.com):

As the daughter of a meth dealer, Wavy knows not to trust people, not even her own parents. Struggling to raise her little brother, eight-year-old Wavy is the only responsible "adult" around. She finds peace in the starry Midwestern night sky above the fields behind her house. One night everything changes when she witnesses one of her father's thugs, Kellen, a tattooed ex-con with a heart of gold, wreck his motorcycle. What follows is a powerful and shocking love story between two unlikely people that asks tough questions, reminding us of all the ugly and wonderful things that life has to offer.

Review:

Going into this book, all I had seen were good star ratings but I hadn't read anything about what it was about or the actual reviews. I feel very conflicted on whether I want to give this book a stunning review, or talk about just how horrified I was to learn about its controversial topic...

Let's not beat around the bush here... I've marked this as a "spoiler" review because I'm not sure how clear they make the statutory rape topic in any of the synopsis's.

I was disgusted and horrified when I read about how Kellan and Wavy's relationship progressed. When I first started reading, I knew that it seemed to be leaning that way, but assumed it was more on Wavy's end and she just had a school girl crush but no... it most definitely was not that way. When things progressed into actual, uncomfortable to read, sexual encounters, I felt all sorts of mixed emotions. I was grossed out, horrified, disgusted, sickened... all the appropriate adjectives to describe very disruptive relations between a 12/13 year old and a 25+ year old. However, the relationship that had developed, through the first half of the story, between Kellan and Wavy was so beautiful and innocent... loving and trusting... that it made an absolutely bad situation not seem as... illegal. I just have so many weird feelings about this book that I understand the ratings and can't help but give it a 5-star myself.

I don't really know what else to say... the characters were great, I enjoyed each of the points of view that the story was written from and felt that they all added greatly to the overall flow. For me, the story read very quickly and had me anxious to hear what was going to happen next.

Overall, I really did love this book, even with such a controversial topic, it was handled with beauty and grace and I can honestly recommend it to anyone who is willing to take a chance on a book that is maybe a little out of their comfort zone.

Savage Drift (Monument 14 #3) by Emmy Laybourne

Savage Drift (Monument 14 #3) by Emmy Laybourne

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends, June 2015

Genre: Fiction, Young Adult

Pages: Paperback, 306 pages

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary (from chapters.indigo.ca):

It's over.

Dean, Alex, and the other survivors of the Monument 14 have escaped the disaster zone and made it to the safety of a Canadian refugee camp. Some of the kids have been reunited with their families, and everyone is making tentative plans for the future. And then, Niko learns that his lost love, Josie, has survived!

Or is it?

For Josie, separated from the group and presumed dead, life has gone from bad to worse. Trapped in a terrible prison camp with other exposed O's and traumatized by her experiences, she has given up all hope of rescue. Meanwhile, scared by the government's unusual interest in her pregnancy, Astrid-along with her two protectors, Dean and Jake-joins Niko on his desperate quest to be reunited with Josie.

Review:

** spoiler alert **

As I have continued to read YA books, I have started to discover that I don't love them, they just don't relate to me anymore and I find them a little too juvenile for my liking. However, there is something about dystopian/post-apocalyptic stories that just grab me and suck me in... it probably has something to do with being a self-proclaimed disaster junkie... I just enjoy reading about the world in chaos.

For me, Savage Drift, was a great book... full of non-stop, fast-paced action that kept me reading way past my bedtime (remember, I'm old). It was a great ending to the series and I found that, for the most part, the story wrapped up very nicely and didn't really leave me with too many unanswered questions. I love it when a series does that!

I liked that this part of the story focused on more of Josie's story because she sort of felt like the lost character in the previous books and I knew she was such a bad-ass that I wanted to learn more about her. As for the other half of the story, while I enjoy reading from Dean's point of view, he is just such a wimp... even with his new 'bulked up, type-o' image of himself, he just bugs me.

Overall, very glad that I picked up the final book in the Monument 14 series because it really is a great series. Worth the read if you love dystopian novels!

Holiday Reads | A Shoe Addict's Christmas

A Shoe Addict's Christmas by Beth Harbison

Publisher: St. Martin's Press, October 2016

Genre: Fiction, Christmas

Pages: Hardcover, 160 pages

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary (from chapters.indigo.ca):

Noelle is not a fan of the holidays and to make matters worse, she is at a crossroads in her life when it seems that love and adventure are no longer possible. When she stays late at her job in a department store on a snowy Christmas Eve she accidentally gets locked in after closing. She isn't too concerned about the prospect of spending the night in the store.until a woman appears out of nowhere and tells Noelle that she's her guardian angel. Soon Noelle finds herself camped out in the shoe department facing several "ghosts" of Christmases past, present, and future...Will visiting the holidays of yesterday and tomorrow help Noelle see the true spirit of Christmas? And will the love she has longed for all her life be the best surprise gift of all?

Review:

It would feel wrong if I didn't first point out that this book is SHORT, under 150 pages, and I went in thinking, 'how is this possible?'... 'there can't be a full story here.' but, it was a wonderful book!

A Shoe Addict's Christmas is a very modern retelling of the classic, A Christmas Carol, with a twist and I fell in love with it almost from the get go. I mean, who wouldn't want to be stuck in a high end department store on Christmas Eve, with the snow piling up outside? Okay, maybe not everyones dream, but for someone with little else to do, it seemed perfect for Noelle.

There are really only two characters in the book and I found myself really liking both of them and rooting for the outcome of the story, without really even knowing what was possible.

Overall, a quick read that will leave you with a smile on your face and the spirit of the season in your heart.