Some Boys - Spoilery Book Rant

 

Some Boys

by Patty Blount

What is it about:

Some boys go too far. Some boys will break your heart. But one boy can make you whole.

When Grace meets Ian she's afraid. Afraid he'll reject her like the rest of the school, like her own family. After she accuses the town golden boy of rape, everyone turns against Grace. They call her a slut and a liar. But...Ian doesn't. He's funny and kind with secrets of his own.

But how do you trust the best friend of the boy who raped you? How do you believe in love?

A gut-wrenching, powerful love story told from alternating points of view by the acclaimed author of Send.

What did I think of it:

So...

I came close to tossing this book somewhere halfway through, but I was curious how things would turn out so read on. Maybe I shouldn't have.

To be fair: the overall story is good and tackles rape and the aftermath well. It's the overall storyline that kept me reading.

On to my rant.

First there's Grace. She's alternative: a mix between Metal and Goth. And you guessed it: of course there are remarks that annoyed me to no end! I can handle other characters making remarks on how she looks, but at one point she calls her own style an armor, and she and her mother call her outfit a costume (ever hear a preppy girl say this about the way she dresses? Thought so). And of course the male lead Ian thinks she's sooooo hot the one time she dresses 'normal'. These remarks were already annoying me, and then Ian asks his sister: "Why do girls wear make-up? You're already pretty without it." I almost threw the book right then and there! Especially as his whole family thinks it's so awesome he says that as they see it as him complimenting his sister!

 And the ending!!!

If it had turned out that Grace and Ian end up together and he stands by her that would have been a good ending in my opinion. The author decided to go for the total love fest with shiny happy people everywhere though! Grace and Ian getting together isn't enough: the crappy stepmom didn't mean it as bad as it looked and is all lovey and accepting all of the sudden, and everyone and everything is blue skies and ice cream. No matter that stepmom uninvited Grace from her brother's birthday, because she meant well! As if uninviting your teen stepdaughter who is struggling from the aftereffects of rape, because your grown-ass husband got his itty bitty ego hurt is ever justifiable!

All in all a decent enough read until the ending.

Why should you read it:

The overall storyline is decent.

buy from amazon

 

Shambling With the Stars - Quick Book Review

 

Shambling With the Stars (Living With the Dead #2.5)

by Jesse Petersen

What is it about:

Avery Andrews is her name and directing celebrity telethons after tragedies is her game. But the Northwestern Zombie Outbreak isn't your average tragedy... and once the infection spreads to the studio, Avery and her crew will have to worry about staying alive, not ratings.

What did I think of it:

I realized I never read this short story, back when I read the Living with the Dead series for the first time. 

I missed out! This is a really cool Zombie read.

It's short, but has it all: people transforming and biting others on live tv, mayhem, and lots and lots of zombies! 

I had a great time with it and might continue my reread of the series soon.

Why should you read it:

Zombie mayhem!

buy from amazon

On McPig's Wishlist - Between Two Seas

 

Between Two Seas: A Collection of Short Stories

by Cerece Rennie Murphy

The best-selling author of the Order of the Seers trilogy, To Find You, and The Wolf Queen series brings you four new stories that delve deeply into the beautiful and terrifying contradictions that dwell within all of us.

This genre-bending collection explores the catalysts and consequences of transformation through the tales of a murderous fairy, a wayward explorer, a young girl carving a new fate from the ugliness of her world, and a father and son who hold the power of life and death in their hands.

The truth is often terrible, but within it is the power to grow - the power to change - if we are willing to swim the distance

between who we are

and

who we can become.

buy from amazon

First Comes Like - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

 

First Comes Like (Modern Love #3)

by Alisha Rai

What is it about:

Beauty expert and influencer Jia Ahmed has her eye on the prize: conquering the internet today, the entire makeup industry tomorrow, and finally, finally proving herself to her big opinionated family. She has little time for love, and even less time for the men in her private messages—until the day a certain international superstar slides into her DMs, and she falls hard and fast.

There’s just one wrinkle: he has no idea who she is.

The son of a powerful Bollywood family, soap opera star Dev Dixit is used to drama, but a strange woman who accuses him of wooing her online, well, that’s a new one. As much as he’d like to focus on his Hollywood fresh start, he can’t get Jia out of his head. Especially once he starts to suspect who might have used his famous name to catfish her…

When paparazzi blast their private business into the public eye, Dev is happy to engage in some friendly fake dating to calm the gossips and to dazzle her family. But as the whole world swoons over their relationship, Jia can’t help but wonder: Can an online romance-turned-offline-fauxmance ever become love in real life? 

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:

I was in the mood for a Contemporary Romance and this one had one of my favorite tropes: Fake Dating.

And what a delightful read!

I fell in love with both Jia and Dev from the start. The chapters alternate in viewpoint so you get to know both of their thoughts and feelings. I rooted for them to see they were perfect for each other.

What I liked is that there's little drama between the two of them. The obstacles in their path have more to do with family and other outside sources. I also loved how Dev supports Jia in her influencer work instead of looking down on it.

I raced through this book to find out how they would reach their Happily Ever After, and I was not disappointed in the road to it and in the HEA itself. 

All in all a wonderful fluffy read.

Why should you read it:

It's a fun and delightful Contemporary Romance

buy from amazon

Teaser Tuesdays - This Poison Heart

 

Ivy wasn't a quiet plant. it was reactive and loud. The only place I could keep it was in my room, where no one would see it but me and my parents.

(page 10, This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron)

buy from amazon

---------

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Certain Dark Things - Book Review

 

Certain Dark Things

by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

What is it about:

Welcome to Mexico City, an oasis in a sea of vampires. Domingo, a lonely garbage-collecting street kid, is just trying to survive its heavily policed streets when a jaded vampire on the run swoops into his life. Atl, the descendant of Aztec blood drinkers, is smart, beautiful, and dangerous. Domingo is mesmerized.

Atl needs to quickly escape the city, far from the rival narco-vampire clan relentlessly pursuing her. Her plan doesn't include Domingo, but little by little, Atl finds herself warming up to the scrappy young man and his undeniable charm. As the trail of corpses stretches behind her, local cops and crime bosses both start closing in.

Vampires, humans, cops, and criminals collide in the dark streets of Mexico City. Do Atl and Domingo even stand a chance of making it out alive? Or will the city devour them all?

What did I think of it:

This was a cool read.

I loved the setting and the atmosphere. The vampires in this book were really cool as well. There are several different kinds, and I loved getting to know more about each kind.

I also liked Domingo. He's a survivor, doing his best to make an life for himself on the streets of a futuristic Mexico City. Then he meets Atl...

I'll be honest: apart from Domingo I didn't like a single character in this book. Atl is supposed to be likeable I think, as Domingo falls head over heels for her, but I just didn't warm up to her.

As the viewpoint switches between several characters, including Domingo and Atl, this made that I was on;y really invested in Domingo's role in the story. I liked reading the other viewpoints, but I only rooted for Domingo.

This makes that this was a good read, bur not an amazing read. All in all I had fun with it, and would most probably try something else by Moreno-Garcia.

Why should you read it:

It's a cool vampire read

buy from amazon

Eat the Rich #2 - Comic Book Review

 

Eat the Rich #2

by Sarah Gailey

What is it about:

Is Joey willing to pay with her life to uncover the gruesome secrets behind Crestfall Bluffs? Joey is beyond disturbed by what she has just witnessed and she has every right to be, but when she confides in her boyfriend Astor, his reassurance about his family's weird rituals and traditions only fuels her suspicions. Still, Joey will need proof in order to expose the truth of Crestfall Bluffs, but what she finds produces more questions and danger than answers! 

What did I think of it:

This issue continues shortly after the gruesome events Joey witnessed in issue #1. The story is a bit less tense in this issue and serves mainly to explain and expand on what Joey witnessed. There are some suspenseful moments though, hinting at what might be in Joey's future.

I very much enjoyed this installment and I liked getting to know more about what's going on and about one of the characters. I hope we will learn a bit more about Joey as well in the next issue, as my one minor grumble is that Joey feels a bit undefined so far.

All in all a great continuation and I'll get the next issue for sure!

Why should you read it:

It's a cool horror story

buy from amazon