Review: Hurricane Season

Title: Hurricane Season
Author: Nicole Melleby
Genre: Middle Grade, LGBT
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 7, 2019
Rating: ★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

This debut novel—about taking risks and facing danger, about love and art, and about growing up and coming out—will make its way straight into your heart.

Fig, a sixth grader, wants more than anything to see the world as her father does. The once-renowned pianist, who hasn’t composed a song in years and has unpredictable good and bad days, is something of a mystery to Fig. Though she’s a science and math nerd, she tries taking an art class just to be closer to him, to experience life the way an artist does. But then Fig’s dad shows up at school, disoriented and desperately searching for Fig. Not only has the class not brought Fig closer to understanding him, it has brought social services to their door.

Diving into books about Van Gogh to understand the madness of artists, calling on her best friend for advice, and turning to a new neighbor for support, Fig continues to try everything she can think of to understand her father, to save him from himself, and to find space in her life to discover who she is even as the walls are falling down around her.

Nicole Melleby’s Hurricane Season is a stunning novel about a girl struggling to be a kid as pressing adult concerns weigh on her. It’s also about taking risks and facing danger, about love and art, and about coming of age and coming out. And more than anything else, it is a story of the healing power of love—and the limits of that power.

Review:

This is a great middle grade novel.

This story features important life events which are not usually discussed in middle grade books. Fig is discovering her own sexuality, while her father is as well. Her father is an adult, but he is still figuring out his identity. It was challenging for Fig to learn that her dad was changing in this way.

I loved the comparison of art and life in this story. Fig studies Van Gogh for her art class, and she notices a lot of similarities between him and her father. This is a great way to introduce kids to artists like Van Gogh. She was able to learn a lot from his art, which could be applied to her life as well.

I really enjoyed this story!

Thank you Algonquin Young Readers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

A Possibility of Whales by Karen Rivers

The Mozart Girl by Barbara Nickel

Have you read Hurricane Season? What did you think of it?

Top Ten Tuesday – All Time Favourite Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and it is now hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is Unpopular Bookish Opinions, but I changed it to the Top 5 Tuesday topic of the week which is All Time Favourites. Here’s my list:

1. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

2. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

4. Shadowland (The Mediator #1) by Meg Cabot

5. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging (Confessions of Georgia Nicholson #1) by Louise Rennison

6. Mole and Shrew All Year Through by Jackie French Koller

7. It Begins (The Unseen #1) by Richie Tankersley Cusick

8. Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer

9. Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1) by Tahereh Mafi

10. Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

(All photos taken from Goodreads)

Blog Tour Review: The Exact Opposite of Okay

Title: The Exact Opposite of Okay
Author: Laura Steven
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Format: Ebook
Release Date: June 11, 2019
Rating: ★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

Bitingly funny and shockingly relevant, The Exact Opposite of Okay is a bold, brave, and necessary read for fans of Louise O’Neill and Jennifer Mathieu. 

Eighteen-year-old Izzy O’Neill knows exactly who she is—a loyal friend, an aspiring comedian, and a person who believes that milk shakes and Reese’s peanut butter cups are major food groups. But after she’s caught in a compromising position with the son of a politician, it seems like everyone around her is eager to give her a new label: slut.

Izzy is certain that the whole thing will blow over and she can get back to worrying about how she doesn’t reciprocate her best friend Danny’s feelings for her and wondering how she is ever going to find a way out of their small town. Only it doesn’t.

And while she’s used to laughing her way out of any situation, as she finds herself first the center of high school gossip and then in the middle of a national scandal, it’s hard even for her to find humor in the situation.

Izzy may be determined not to let anyone else define who she is, but that proves easier said than done when it seems like everyone has something to say about her.

Review:

I really enjoyed this story.

It was sometimes upsetting. Izzy was severely bullied after compromising photos were posted online. It escalated all the way to national news. While Izzy was bullied, the boy featured in the images was not, which demonstrated a gender bias when it comes to sex. Girls are punished for being sexual, while boys are rewarded.

This story had a strong feminist theme. Izzy did put herself at risk by taking the photos, but the media and her peers escalated it by “slut-shaming” her. Even her teachers held it against her. She had been through a lot, but she definitely didn’t deserve that. It made me angry while I was reading the story, because it is so realistic and I could imagine this happening in real life.

On a lighter note, Izzy was a hilarious narrator. I laughed out loud many times. I particularly loved a pick-up line she used: “What’s your patronus?” She said that the question would tell her if a guy is worth her time, because he would know what she was referring to (Harry Potter) and he would already have an answer. I think that’s a great line!

This is a powerful story with a strong feminist message.

Thank you HarperTeen for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

A Girl Called Shameless (Izzy O’Neill #2) by Laura Steven

Backlash by Sarah Darer Littman

About the Author:

Laura Steven is an author, journalist and screenwriter from the northernmost town in England. The Exact Opposite of Okay, her YA debut, was published by Egmont in March 2018. The sequel, A Girl Called Shameless, will follow in 2019.

As well as mentoring aspiring authors through schemes like Pitch Wars, Laura works for Mslexia, a non-profit organisation supporting women writers. She graduated with Distinction from her MA in Creative Writing in 2017, and her TV pilot Clickbait – a mockumentary about journalists at a viral news agency – was a finalist in British Comedy’s 2016 Sitcom Mission. 

​

Laura is represented by Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary and Media Inc.

Author Links:

Website: https://www.laura-steven.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17054622.Laura_Steven

Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurasteven

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurasteven/

Giveaway:

Prize: Win (1) of (2) copy of THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF OKAY by Laura Steven (US Only)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d9681b86373/?

Blog Tour Schedule:

June 5th

The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club – Welcome Post

June 6th

The Night Faerie – Review + Favourite Quotes
Book-Keeping – Review
A Dream Within A Dream – Promotional Post
Pages and Pugs – Promotional Post

June 7th

TBR and Beyond – Review + Playlist + Favourite Quotes
Flipping Through the Pages  – Review
Staircase Wit – Review + Favourite Quotes
Luchia Houghton Blog – Promotional Post

June 8th

Kait Plus Books – Review + Favourite Quotes
Maddie.TV – Review
Confessions of a YA Reader – Promotional Post
My Bookish Escapades – Promotional Post


June 9th

Bookish_Kali – Review + Favourite Quotes
Little voids – Review
Bemused Bibliophile – Review
Literary Meanderings – Promotional Post

June 10th

Jill’s Book Blog – Review
The Book Thief Without Words – Review
Twilight Reader – Review
The Reading Life – Promotional Post

June 11th

Belle’s Archive – Review
The YA Obsessed – Review
The Traveling Inkwell – Review
BookCrushin – Promotional Post

Thank you The Fantastic Flying Book Club and HarperTeen for letting me participate in this blog tour.

Have you read The Exact Opposite of Okay? What did you think of it?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – June 10

This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week.  It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile!

What I just finished:

This weekend I finished The Exact Opposite of Okay (Izzy O’Neill #1) by Laura Steven.

What I’m currently reading:

I’m currently reading Hurricane Season by Nicole Melleby.

What I’m reading next:

Next I will be reading Fatal Inheritance by Rachel Rhys.

What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – June 9

Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

I did 9 weekly blogging memes:

How was your week? What did you guys read?

Sunday in Bed With… The Exact Opposite of Okay

The meme that dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning? Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl.

This Sunday I’m reading The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Bitingly funny and shockingly relevant, The Exact Opposite of Okay is a bold, brave, and necessary read for fans of Louise O’Neill and Jennifer Mathieu. 

Eighteen-year-old Izzy O’Neill knows exactly who she is—a loyal friend, an aspiring comedian, and a person who believes that milk shakes and Reese’s peanut butter cups are major food groups. But after she’s caught in a compromising position with the son of a politician, it seems like everyone around her is eager to give her a new label: slut.

Izzy is certain that the whole thing will blow over and she can get back to worrying about how she doesn’t reciprocate her best friend Danny’s feelings for her and wondering how she is ever going to find a way out of their small town. Only it doesn’t.

And while she’s used to laughing her way out of any situation, as she finds herself first the center of high school gossip and then in the middle of a national scandal, it’s hard even for her to find humor in the situation.

Izzy may be determined not to let anyone else define who she is, but that proves easier said than done when it seems like everyone has something to say about her.

What book are you in bed with today?

Six for Sunday – Characters Who Deserve Another/Their Own Book

This meme is hosted by Steph at A little but a lot. The weekly prompts for 2019 can be found here.

This week’s prompt is Characters Who Deserve Another/Their Own Book. Here’s my list:

1. Severus Snape (Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling)

2. The Darkling (Shadow and Bone series by Leigh Bardugo)

3. Kenji Kishimoto (Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi) (I think he deserves his own full-length book, rather than a novella)

4. Cressentia (Ash Princess Trilogy by Laura Sebastian)

5. Maven (The Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard)

6. Cardan (The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black)

Did you write a #SixforSunday post? What was your list of Characters Who Deserve Another/Their Own Book?

Review: The Last Resort

Title: The Last Resort
Author: Marissa Stapley
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: June 18, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

From bestselling author Marissa Stapley comes a gripping novel about marriage, loyalty, and the deadly secrets that unravel over the course of a two-week couples’ therapy retreat in Mexico.

We all have thirteen secrets. Five stay buried forever, but the rest will be revealed.

Miles Markell is missing, and everyone is a suspect.

To the guests at The Harmony Resort, Doctors Miles and Grace Markell appear to be a perfect power couple. They run a couples’ therapy retreat in a luxurious resort in the Mayan Riviera where they help spouses deal with their marriage struggles.

Johanna and Ben’s relationship looks great on the surface, but in reality, they don’t know each other at all. Shell and Colin fight constantly—Colin is a workaholic, and Shell always comes second—but what has really torn them apart is too devastating to talk about. When both couples begin Harmony’s intensive therapy program, it becomes clear that Harmony is not all that it seems—and neither are Miles and Grace. What are they hiding, and what price will these couples pay for finding out their secrets?

As a powerful hurricane descends on the coast, trapping both the hosts and their guests, confidences are revealed, loyalties are tested, and not one single person—or marriage—will ever be the same.

A gripping exploration of relationships and trust, The Last Resort is a propulsive read about all the big truths we hide, even from ourselves.

Review:

I loved this book! It was a gripping thriller that reminded me of Big Little Lies. I’ve only watched the TV adaptation of Big Little Lies, but this story had a lot of the same elements of mystery.

The story opens with the report of a character’s death, and possible murder. The mystery throughout the story was finding out who killed him. It was so difficult to figure out because most characters had a motive.

Secrets played an important part in this story. All the characters had secrets, which were slowly revealed. At the beginning, they seemed like ordinary people, but their secrets revealed dark pasts. I was pretty shocked, but looking back on hints given through the book, it all makes sense.

The setting played an important part in the story. It was descriptive, with details of the beach and villa, so I could picture the resort vividly. This will be a great beach read for the summer!

I highly recommend this shocking thriller!

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Things to Do When It’s Raining by Marissa Stapley

Have you read The Last Resort? What did you think of it?

Stacking the Shelves – June 8

This is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and Reading Reality. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

I received three books from Simon and Schuster Canada:

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

The Winemaker’s Wife by Kristin Harmel

Love at First Like by Hannah Orenstein

I was approved for a book on NetGalley from Lincoln Children’s Book:

David Bowie by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara

I was approved for two books on NetGalley from Inkyard Press:

Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford

Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2) by Julie Kagawa

I was approved for a book on NetGalley from Tor Teen:

Heartwood Box by Ann Aguirre

I was approved for a book on NetGalley from Wednesday Books:

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

I was approved for a book on NetGalley from Bloomsbury YA:

Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada, Lincoln Children’s Books, Inkyard Press, Tor Teen, Wednesday Books, and Bloomsbury YA for these books!

What books did you get this week?

Review: Sorcery of Thorns

Title: Sorcery of Thorns
Author: Margaret Rogerson
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: June 4, 2019
Rating: ★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.

Review:

I loved that this fantasy story was set in libraries. These libraries weren’t like the ones in our world. They were full of grimoires that could do things, such as speak. However, they could also turn into “maleficts” which were dangerous creatures. It made the library a potentially terrifying place.

I was glad that this story is a standalone. So many fantasy books turn into long series, so it is nice to have the complete story in one book.

I didn’t feel as much of a connection to Elisabeth as I wished I did. If her origins were described, I could have related to her more. All that we know is that she was an orphan and didn’t know who her parents were. I think her mysterious parentage could have created a great plot twist. There was an interesting relationship between a sorcerer and a demon, which was great to read. They became more like family than master and servant.

This was a great fantasy story!

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Nocturna (A Forgery of Magic #1) by Maya Motayne

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

Have you read Sorcery of Thorns? What did you think of it?