Month: February 2022

Okay, so I’ve only ever cried twice while reading. The first time was when I read The Book Thief as a freshman, and the second time was the other day when I finished this complete heart-punch of a book. 

What Beauty There Is by Corey Anderson is the incredibly stark and beautiful story of Jack Dahl, a seventeen year old boy who needs to care for himself and his little brother despite being penniless and parentless in the cold Idaho winter. Jack’s path intersects with Ava Bardem, a lonely young girl of his same age, whose character has been hardened by her harsh father. Together, Jack, Ava, and Jack’s little brother Matty build a fragile trust as they unknowingly become involved in a dangerous scheme larger than they realize.  

What Beauty There Is is maybe the most poetic book I have ever read that isn’t actually written in verse. The dialogue, setting, and descriptions are sparse and without flower, which 100% fits the tone of the story. The setting, a bone-chilling Idaho winter, completely made the book, giving Jack’s story a cold spare quality. I can’t pinpoint what it was about the setting that made it so perfect, but Jack’s dreary surroundings were reflective of his bleak situations, and they really were the finishing touch on the perfectly dreadful atmosphere Anderson built. 

On that note, Anderson really does create a story in which the reader can become fully immersed. Each chapter is opened with a brief, mysterious passage written in an––initially––unknown voice, and it adds a surreal quality to the storytelling, almost as if you’re dreaming, or listening to someone else’s dream. I read through What Beauty There Is with trepidation; I never really knew what was going to happen, and the mysterious narration helped to set the ominous tone. One of my favorite things about this book is how Anderson overflows it with gloominess, but also leaves a little kernel of hope for the reader to cling to (and believe me, I clung. While crying.). 

Anderson also focuses on how loneliness can make emotional vulnerability difficult. Ava and Jack are stubbornly independent, and they are faced with the difficulty of finding trust even in the most hopeless of times. I really enjoyed how they slowly realized that trust can help rather than hurt, and how they eventually opened up to each other despite the many obstacles along the way––and at the end.

What Beauty There Is was a 2022 William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist. This award looks for a debut YA book that appeals to young adult readers, exemplifies the highest standards of YA literature––independent of popularity or message and content––and possesses notably excellent writing and story components. I think that What Beauty There Is is a great candidate for this award, as I was astounded by the depth and rawness of Anderson’s debut novel, unusually profound for YA literature. Further, What Beauty There Is is especially catered to teen readers, focusing on the emotions and personal struggles of young people who find themselves lonely and alone.

I beg that everyone reads this book. What Beauty There Is evoked in me a sympathy for characters and their struggles to a degree that I’ve never experienced. It’s a sorely beautiful read, not to mention an absolute shot in the feels. For those looking for a good cry, or just to feel something, What Beauty There Is is a phenomenal option. Your heart will ache for Ava and her secrets, Jack and his resolve, and Matty and his absolute adorableness. 

Bloom by Kevin Panetta is a graphic novel following a boy named Ari during his summer after high school. Ari works at his family’s struggling bakery and desperately wants to leave to move to Portland, Oregon so that he can play music with his band. But in order to quit his job at the bakery, he must first find a replacement baker, and as his plans fall apart, he grows closer to the  new baker, Hector, and their relationship “blooms”. 

I thought that this book was sweet, but parts of it irritated me, and I thought that some of it just didn’t make sense. For example, Ari initially hires Hector to take his place at the bakery so that he can move on and go do other things (like move to Portland with his band). That plotline, though, is quickly brushed aside when two of Ari’s band members decide to leave themselves, and Ari, who had spent so much time hating working in the bakery, stays, and appears to suddenly enjoy his job. This I dismissed because in order to move forward the romance between him and Hector, the author of course had to find a way for them to spend time together. But it did confuse me that Hector was hired to be Ari’s replacement, when Ari never actually ends up leaving.

I think another reason I struggled to enjoy this book was because I just generally didn’t like the protagonist very much. Ari was difficult to empathize with, and I felt constantly irritated with the choices his character made. Which is disappointing overall, especially considering how much I enjoyed reading about the other characters. Some of Ari’s friends and bandmates, while fairly one dimensional, were far more likable, and caring about the characters is something I usually look for when reading. I couldn’t help but feel like Hector deserved a better ending, which I can only assume is not the reaction that the author was hoping for. 

The artwork in the book though was beautiful, and I loved the atmosphere of it. I appreciated that, while I had a hard time with the general storyline and writing of this book, the artwork made it much more enjoyable, and I found myself liking the book overall more because of it.

Like most graphic novels, Bloom is a quick read, and though I personally wasn’t a huge fan, it was still a sweet story. I recommend this book to anyone who needs a brief escape from reality!

 

“I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.”

A historical fiction novel, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak follows the narration of Death who tells a story of Liesel Meminger, a girl who is growing up in Germany during World War II through the years 1939-1943. Throughout the story, Liesel steals many books, learns to read, and finds a comfort in words through this tough time period. Liesel lives with foster parents Hans and Rosa; Hans and Rosa are not Jewish. However, they do not agree with the Nazi regime and quietly fight against it by hiding Max, a Jewish boy, in their basement. She and Max grow to be very close over the period of the book and end up as a couple after a tragic incident leaves them to find comfort in each other.

What surprised me the most about this book was that it was set during World War II and I actually enjoyed it. Usually I am not a fan of historical fiction novels but the narration in this story really made it enjoyable. Just the fact that the book is narrated by Death is a hook in itself! How often do you get to hear what Death has to say? This factor was my favorite part of the book just because of how unique it is. On another not, this book was definitely a tear jerker for me; easily one of the saddest books I’ve read by far. Despite the fact that it was so achingly emotional, this was what made it such a good read. I would elaborate more on why this book is so emotional but I wouldn’t want to share any spoilers. The fact is, if you’re looking for a nice, sad, emotional, and honest book, The Book Thief is meant for you.

Everything about this book was perfect; the pacing, plot development, writing style, characters…literally everything. I don’t think there is anything about this book that I didn’t like. Yes, it was sad and yes, I may have cried. However, that’s what made it so good! The Book Thief is easily in my top 20 reads just because of the emotion that forced its way into my heart. I cannot stress enough how important this book is; it will open your heart and eyes to the tragedy of World War II and it will make you cry. Believe me on that.

This book is definitely not meant for children but it is most surely a YA book. Even though it is classified as YA, I think it is a great read for adults and older readers as well. Just the pure amount of emotion that a reader can take away from this book is proof in itself that it is most suitable for YA and older readers. Yes, a younger reader could attempt to read The Book Thief, but they would not be able to understand the depth and seriousness that this book presents. As long as you are ready to have your heart torn out of your chest and to cry for 3+ hours (in the best way possible), then you are ready for The Book Thief.

This book allows for open emotion, connecting the reader to how Cody is feeling. Cody never knew Meg would ever think to do such a thing as drinking industrial strength. Oftentimes, we find ourselves looking at someone and judging them from the outside. We assume from what we see on the outside that they may not be struggling. From what Cody could see, Meg was always happy and showed no signs of wanting to hurt herself. After Mg passed Cody was in complete shock. This allowed Cody to come to realization that just because someone may look happy doesn’t mean they are not struggling.

I recommend this book to those who like the emotion of a story. This book allows for a bigger perspective along with the topic of mental health. With this said, after reading I quickly came to realize how often we tend to judge others based on what we see on the outside, without realizing they may be struggling too.

Half human and half star, Sheetal has struggled to live as a mortal. With human friends, family, and boyfriend, it is difficult for her to hide her nature and abilities, for fear of what would happen should she be discovered. Her only connection the the magical world, her mother, abandoned her and her father both, to return to her own. But when Sheetal’s powers start to become more than she knows how to control, and they hurt her father beyond what her blood can heal, she must go to her mother for aid. In the celestial court, she’s made to enter a competition as champion of her mother’s family, in exchange for drop of blood from a true star.

Thakkar’s prose is vivid and elegant, with fully fleshed out descriptions of the setting and dress of the characters. While it can’t be said that there’s anything groundbreaking about it, a rather cookie cutter YA contemporary fantasy, it still stands out from the crowd. Characterization takes a backseat for worldbuilding and culture, but one would only notice if they were looking. The stereotypical heroine, best friend, and contentious boyfriend are what gives the lofty universe grounding, and a plot.

This book would be best for the younger YA demographic, as older teens may not have the patience for some of the character’s personalities. Late middle school to early high school is when books with clear missions and heroes that they can find both aspirational and relatable have the most appeal. Magical temptations and the attachment to normalcy keep the tension at a manageable level, without making the stakes any higher than they need to be. There is no world-ending catastrophe on the way in a character-driven story like this, where that mismatch can be found to be pervasive elsewhere.

The only drawback is the bland dialogue, which exacerbates the character’s ‘tropeacity’, but the prose and introspection make up for it. The contradiction between setting and dialogue is a symptom of contemporary fantasy, and it is admittedly difficult to walk that line. That alone should not discourage anyone from picking this up as a light, but moving read.

Reading this book it’s almost like Covid. quarantine isn’t fun and you just want to see your friends or go places. No one knew how fast covid would spread when it first hit just like this book, so when it came we all started to worry. I related to this book very well just by everything that happens with covid. Many people wonder if they will end up getting covid, but we also think about our families and other people around us about spreading the virus.

I recommend this book to people who like reading about real-life situations, Survival, and illness. This is a book based on a true event in the 19 century. Survival is tied in this book because People need to survive from getting sick. This pandemic talked about in this book is devastating and makes the book suspenseful.

Grace: the middle child who was raised as an only child. Having gotten pregnant at sixteen, Grace is left feeling largely alone after being ostracized and bullied by her peers. When she puts her baby up for adoption, she decides to track down her biological mother for answers. 

Joaquin: the quiet, oldest sibling of the bunch with a long history in the foster care system. After seventeen years of being bounced around from home to home, he has very little hope that he will ever be able to experience what it means to have a real family.

Maya: the youngest of her siblings who finds it hard to keep quiet. Having been raised in a family that looks nothing like her, she can’t help but constantly feel like an outsider. Although one would expect this to be a moment where she can finally feel secure in her life, she is still left questioning her place when her home life begins to fall apart.

Each of the siblings have their own issues and secrets that pose challenges for their relationship, but these issues also show just how many commonalities they have. Despite the similar features and their odd love for the combo of french fries and mayonnaise, the siblings also share a fear of being vulnerable with the ones they love. Far From the Tree by Robin Benway is the story of how these siblings overcome their challenges together while also navigating the newness of their relationship. This book shows both concepts of family: the one you’re born into and the one you make for yourself.

I was initially motivated to read this book because it covered a topic I had never read about before. I was largely impressed by how thoughtfully the topic was covered, and it acted as such a very real reminder of the anxieties and fears of those who have experienced the foster care system. I think a lot of people assume that being adopted automatically means that the issues for the child suddenly disappear. However, this book presents the struggles that come even when you are no longer a part of the system.

Outside of the foster care system and adoption, this book also covered topics like alcoholism, divorce, and bullying. I was a little worried when I realized so many important things would be included in one work, but I found that each of them fit together perfectly. In the past, I have been left greatly disappointed when authors fail to see everything through to the end, so I was happy that Benway completed everything. 

Aside from the plot, I found myself deeply connecting with the characters. Despite how different the siblings were, the changing perspectives each chapter made it easy to care for all of them. I also found that Benway accurately captured the essence of what it means to be a teenager. A lot of the time when adults write from the perspective of teens, they give them too much wisdom and worldly understanding that makes it harder to relate. Benway’s ability to combat her own more mature thought process while writing this book was admirable, and it made me appreciate her even more.

Far From the Tree by Robin Benway was a book that reminded me of all the reasons family is so important to me. I was in awe of all of the ways Benway was able to cover a number of serious topics so well while also incorporating truly amazing characters. This book definitely deserves all of the recognition it has received, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to become immersed in a story.