Mollie

1. Fine enough to be entertained, but felt longer than it needed to be. The plot & its accompanying twists are fairly obvious and thus not much of a thriller in general.

I thought a lot about what to rate this book, and still I'm not sure I came up with a good reasoning behind 3 stars. The writing is good- superb even, especially in the first novella. I understand she wanted the reader to do much of the connecting of the dots, but I felt that the trail had too few breadcrumbs for it to feel triumphant at the end.

Looking up the author's background & relationship to Philip Roth certainly was intriguing though.

I feel like I might be thinking about this one for awhile... but not necessarily in a good way?

3.5

This book was written over 20 years ago at this point, so there are definitely some outdated thoughts in this (especially about sexual assault) but I really did enjoy this. It's a good who dunnit type series, and I find those charming. I usually figure out the culprit pretty early on, but this one I really never did figure out the story until it was revealed.

Also, how could I ever not love the little touches of Charm City throughout this book. IYKYK.

3.75. a little long- but an important story. I'll think of the radium girls at every OSHA inspection for the rest of my life.

If you consider yourself a fan of nature, you'll probably enjoy the poetic descriptions in this book (especially if you're keen to the Appalachians.) But, if you're a 100 percent bonafide nature nerd- well, you'll find yourself angered at the inaccuracies found within. If you're a bird trainer, especially one who knows eagles well, you'll be incredulous at the insanity of some of the supposed happenings in here. And even more so if you're also cozy with some Komodo dragons. Add in some anger for every horse person who will flinch at the mention of “white” Arabian (white doesn't exist in horses- it's gray or cream mellow colors which are more gold/pink, white is NOT a thing) and you'll do a lot of cringing throughout this novel. God knows I did. Would have been cool if the authors research was consistent as they obviously researched Chesnut blight and other ecological issues. The writing is good, it's the poor research I take so much issue with.

Also, I still feel like I have no understand of the villian's driving forces other than vague greed, so I still just don't quite understand the point of the entire reading.

I spent the whole thing mad and finished it quick out of spite. So there's something I guess.

Closer to 4.5 for me.

This one was a slow burn, the desperation of the setting and the lifestyle seeping in slowly until I felt fully immersed in the sadness of this story.
It's heartbreaking and raw and honest and hits on notes that are often hard to put into words. The writing is really impeccable.

The only qualm I had with this book was that I often spent time while reading trying to guess what year it was. In the ‘present' part of the book, Cat is in her 30s (making her roughly 5-8 years older than me) but in the past she was 15. If we consider the book to be set in present time at publishing (2017) then that would make the past roughly around 2000... which can't be right considering how the kids all have cell phones and text each other. Maybe it's obvious to others that the forward date is beyond 2017, but I found myself constantly doing math to try to figure out what years the book was set in. Maybe it's because I would have likely been a teen in the same timeframe, so my memory wanted to search for common denominators. A lot of the music and fashion references do not quite line up for me either- I feel like the book probably is aiming to be set in the late 2000s, but it felt incosistent. Despite this, I still really loved it and it still affected me deeply. I'll be thinking about Cat & Marlena for awhile.

What a powerful quick read. 4.5 more likely. A beautiful tribute to the form of poetry, the kind of book that is a lifeline for teens like X.

This was just not good. The author tells the story in alternating narrators each chapter, yet both of these vastly different women sound exactly the same. I literally found myself going back pages to figure out who was even talking. As far as the story, it feels like it tried to go for some sort of twisty shock value but it's just hollow and not all that shocking, just unbelievable in a dumb way. For a book set in Tangier, I felt little connection to the setting or why the characters even were there in the first place.

I'll preface this by saying that I really wanted to like this book because I have been a fan of Kamau's other work like The United Shades.

However, it this novel just really did not work for me. It lacked humorous moments (to be clear, maybe it's not his job/point to make us laugh through this book, but I was expecting at least some witty sentences or humorous thoughts) and I had a difficult time drudging my way through the book. It's somehow too long, yet not detailed enough about the situations that are actually of interest to the reader.

I am usually a real fan of Beatriz Williams' books, but this one just is not my favorite. I found the two plots to be muddy and unrelated- they both detracted attention from each other. I felt like Gin's story was just really far fetched and hard to really follow. I did like that Gin was from Western MD, as it is also where I was raised, but it just did not capture the authentic spirit of Appalachian Maryland. I was going to complain about how the dialect is completely wrong (which, it is, but I also did not live in 20s, but then again, I had relatives who did and they have a very specific speech pattern) but, the author herself commented on how it her dialects may not be correct, so I will reserve my further critiques of this.

Also, I really, truly, hated how both characters seemingly feel in love with their respective men because the women cried on the men's shoulders. It was just so shallow and predictable- imagine more depth and men who dared to show some emotion?

I hope the next book is a lot better.

Ginny, where are your parents???
I hated that the main character seem to have very few insightful or deep thoughts. It was like the world just happened to her, without any choices actively made by her own identity.

I disliked this book at first, and felt like I was slogging through it. But then, somewhere along the way, I found myself attached to the characters & their grief. The syntax and flow of the writing is a little stilted to me at first, but I eventually felt like it help really capture the narrator's essence.

It's quite possible that I'm just too dumb to really enjoy this book.
Certainly point for creativity and inlay of historical sources, but I spent a whole lot of time confused by just what the heck was happening here. By the end, I could get most of what was happening, but it took effort on my behalf.

An average read

I eventually liked where this story went but found most of it's details in writing and description to be average.

This book probably would be entertaining if you were of the time frame of much of the music and pop culture, I just struggled to relate/stay interested.

This book address important topics, but I couldn't get over the simple and often seemingly immature writing style and the sheer insanity of the character names.

4.5

A quick read, but it sure packs a punch.
More than just a “middle” grade book- this is suitable and applicable for all.
If you work with kiddos and already worry about the things they endure, just be ready for this one to hurt.

Buckle up, this is the most angry I've been about in a long time.

I'd give this book a zero, purely on an ethical standpoint, if I could.

The writing of the book is enthralling and beautiful- I can't deny that. The author is gifted at the changing POV structure, and each character has a distinct voice and viewpoint. The audiobook is incredibly well acted. However, no matter how interesting the prose is, it is mere cover for what this book is ultimately saying: that it is totally okay for a man to be sexual with a child, as long as it's “true” love. Disgusting, dangerous, and horrible.

If you visit the author's goodreads page- there are two huge red flags to me that really show that the author's point is to glorify a sexual relationship between a man and a LITERAL CHILD. I do not care how mature this child is, they are a child. It is NEVER acceptable, and always abuse. First off, the author says they were also in a self-described “loving” relationship as a young teen with a much older man and justifies it but saying it was consenual and that they “understood” each other. Secondly, they say that Kellen is not a pedophile but that he “simply fell for the right girl at the wrong time.” My jaw dropped when I read that. (Disclosure- I did not know what this book was about going into it, and when I started to figure it out while reading, I found myself reading these words on the author's goodreads page.) Guess what? He is. If you are sexually attracted to a child, you are a pedophile. How can anyone look past that? How can anyone be seduced by beautiful writing when the meaning behind the words are acutally so vile and horrific, and the author thinks they are some beautiful niche love story?

Imagine how dangerous this book could be if read by the wrong age at the wrong time. I usually try to be a person who can see the gray areas, but I draw the line at abuse of any type. Unacceptable that this book is so highly praised as a love story.

Truly concerning how many people defend these characters and call it romance. I hope you all seek to be more educated and learn more about consent, power balances, and abuse.

I felt like this book started out strongly, but fizzled for me. I really liked the narrator at first and felt like she was articulately and heartbreakingly describing her addiction. I really struggled with the second half though- I was put off by her discussions of religion and weight. I felt like she gave addiction a lot of empathy but couldn't find that same empathy with other topics that certainly deserve empathy, too. I just kinda soured it for me.

I did not love this as much as I truly loved Summers' newest novel, Sadie, but it is a good read. The author is just quite gifted at capturing the grittiness of the settings of their books.

I don't really know how this book is so well rated. I'll start off by saying something positive though- it is a quick read and I did not find it boring in a large sense. The premise is interesting. I guess I was just expecting something different.

However, for a book full were many of the characters are writers, how are they all so dreadfully dull? The book inside of the book is very elementary and just lackluster. The bones of this story could have been interesting, but the execution just was not there for me. The dialogue was very robotic to me, and contrived. The characters (especially the present day ones) are very surface-y and have such little depth that it makes it hard to illicit any real emotional response to a book trying to be very emotional.

If you find the random travel quotes (that have nothing to do with the plot) at the beginning of every chapter are cute and charming, you'll probably like this book. If you find them cliche and confusing- well, you'll probably feel about it like I did.

“hot looks” made me eyeroll every single time it was in the book. There's a female character (not the MC) who is treated so poorly by the author, dissolved to a very flimsy charicture rife with misogyny. There's parts where I feel consent isn't really given or discussed appropraitely. I think most of the female characters are not treated as the sole people in charge of their thoughts or destinies.

The book also doesn't capture what living a small rural, mountain-y/somewhat southern place is actually like. I can't speak for TN, but it felt unrealistic, and I was not shocked to hear the author say she was not from TN. I will say that the interview at the end of this book (audioversion) with the author made me like her more, and I would give one of her books another chance. She seemed smart. (But why did the female voice actor in the audiobook sound like a rejected cast member of designing women? She legit sounded middle aged, not a young 22 year old)

Nina just has a way unraveling a story slowly & with love. It's good stuff. Incredibly authentic and with care.

I feel like this book is quite good at nailing the anxieties and fumblings of being a teenager, especially when you don't fit quite into what boxes the world defaults to.

Are the Schuyler novels a bit dramatic and far-fetched at times? Perhaps.
Is the ending a little too convenient? Most likely.
Are they entirely engrossing and dynamic yet fun reads? Always.
I love these books. I always manage to gain insight on some historical event from them, and who can say no to plucky, strong, and witty women characters?

I noticed other reviews found Williams' writing style overwrought, but I do not find that to be true. I think it's well written and descriptive without feeling heavy or bogging down the reader.

I also really enjoy the connection between these three stories, and the overlaps between the novels.